Sailesh Mahat

Thirst

Thirst or "Bakjwi" in Korean is a slick vampire flick i recently had the pleasure of watching. This movie came from the director of Oldboy, Chan-Wook Park, and has the same level of quality though they are different in plot or style. FOr those who are not familiar with Park's work, his films are brutal, poetic, tragic, and artistic, with splashes of very grim humor. I loved the plot which i found to be strange with lots of twists and turns and takes a big swipe at the vampire clichés. I d...

Casa de Areia (The Hosue Of Sand)

My friend, who is studying film and animation, recommended me this Brazillian movie, Casa de Areia, when we were talking about happiness. This film is a slow-starter but patient viewers will be rewarded with something quite magical and probably memorable. This is a stunning film, visually and emotionally. Although rooted in a forsaken sandy wasteland, the film is a metaphor for how circumstance locates us and how we can or cannot get out of the place in which we find ourselves. It is a masterpie...

“Death Note”

I recently knew about this Japanese manga series called "Death Note", actually heard about it from a friend who was a big fan of the series. He talked me into watching it and grew interest in me. As i started watching it, i immediately felt its intense focus on the littlest details of subject matters of the story and greatly liked it. Now i'm definitely hooked! The synopsis: Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects-and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he fin...

‘Avatar’ Blasts Off on Opening Day

On Friday, Avatar wrangled a stellar estimated $27 million on approximately 7,000 screens at 3,452 sites (including $3.5 million from its midnight start). The picture's 3D presentations at 2,038 sites accounted for 58 percent of the gross. Avatar's first day stands as the third highest-grossing ever for a December release. It slots behind The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King's $34.5 million and I Am Legend's $30.1 million (and ranks 33rd among all movies), although several other Dece...

The Union: The Business Behind Getting High

The basic point of this documentary is to present the facts about Marijuana. It focuses less on the BC (British Columbia) market and more on the reasons why marijuana should be viewed in the same light as alcohol and tobacco. It argues for the legalization of marijuana. The argument is compelling and factual with many legititamate sources. There are a variety of excellent films available that expose the idiocy, lies, hysteria and underlying self-serving and enormously profitable financial mot...

The Big Lebowski

When "The Dude" Lebowski is mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, two thugs urinate on his rug to coerce him into paying a debt he knows nothing about. While attempting to gain recompense for the ruined rug from his wealthy counterpart, he accepts a one-time job with high pay-off. He enlists the help of his bowling buddy, Walter, a gun-toting Jewish-convert with anger issues. Deception leads to more trouble, and it soon seems that everyone from porn empire tycoons to nihilists want something from...

Princess Mononoke

While protecting his village from rampaging bore-god/demon, a confident young warrior, Ashitaka, is stricken by a deadly curse. To save his life, he must journey to the forests of the west. Once there, he's embroiled in a fierce campaign that humans were waging on the forest. The ambitious Lady Eboshi and her loyal clan use their guns against the gods of the forest and a brave young woman, Princess Mononoke, who was raised by a wolf-god. Ashitaka sees the good in both sides and tries to stem...

(500) Days of Summer

After it looks as if she's left his life for good this time, Tom Hansen reflects back on the just over one year that he knew Summer Finn. Despite being physically average in almost every respect, Summer had always attracted the attention of men, Tom included. For Tom, it was love at first sight when she walked into the greeting card company where he worked, she the new administrative assistant. Soon, Tom knew that Summer was the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. Although S...

Howl’s Moving Castle

Young Sophie Hatter is cursed by the Witch of the Waste, and turns into an old hag. Ashamed of how she looks, she flees into the hills where a moving castle roams the hills. It is said to belong to the young and handsome wizard Howl, who has a bad reputation. Within the castle, Sophie befriends the fire demon Calcifer, who promises to help her become young again. One catch: she must help Calcifer to be free of Howl, and Calcifer cannot tell her how. However, Sophie agrees to stay and try to find...

The Fall

While young Alexandria is recuperating from a fractured arm in a Los Angeles Hospital, she befriends another patient, Roy Walker, who tells a variety of tales, including one about Emperor Alexander, and the second story of six men: Luigi - an explosions expert; a Native American Indian; A runaway slave; an East Indian swordsman; a masked bandit; and Charles Darwin - all on a quest to kill oppressive Spanish Governor Odious for individually inflicting atrocities on each and every one of them. She...