ADA: Rahman's next musical offering!

cast: Ayaan Ahmed, Ayesha Jhulka, Rahul Roy, Nauheed Cyrusi and Milind Gunaji

Directed by Tanvir Ahmed

Music by A.R Rahman

ADA was initially a big project that director Tanvir Ahmed had announced, and it was to bring together powerhouses Amitabh and Dilip Kumar together. That never really got going but what Tanvir did manage back then was to rope in A.R Rahman to do the music.

Years later, Tanivr moved on and came up with another subject and started the project with newcomers. However what he retained was the name and the music from the earlier project.

And thus we have ADA , a film with no big names, but riding solely on the strength of the music from Rahman. The film launches Tanvir's son Ayaan Ahmed.

To get things really going from the music point of view, they plan to release the music by May 6 with the film to follow two months later. And to promote the music, the music company BIG music and Nokia have tied up with a unique promotion contest that calls in listeners to remix the ADA song, with the winner getting to spend a day with the musical genius himself.

For those who wanna be part of the contest, they can go straight to the ADA REMIX page.

And for those who wish to know what they are in store for, check out a blink and you miss - teaser!

KAALPURUSH : The reason for Sameera's excitement!

Sameera Reddy finally believes that KAALPURUSH is a movie that finally showcases her as an actress rather than just the sex symbol tag that she earned with flicks like Musafir.

Though the film is a 2005 Bengali release directed by Buddhadeb Dasgupta, it finally is to release in Mumbai and Sameera certainly the one most excited. Probably she hopes that someone notices her acting skills with this one.

The film basically revolves around the misunderstandings that arise between the father and son as they try to reconcile their breaking relationship. The film prominently stands out thanks to the sensitive performances from Mithun Chakraborthy and Rahul Bose.

SUMMER 2008: Marketing guys have a ball!

The best part of summer is definitely the blockbusters that line up at the cinema schedules. But even more important is the marketing strategies that the various dudes use to get their movie a earth shattering opening. Afterall, these days the movie bags 80 per cent of its total collection in the opening weekend itself.

Here are some interesting articles that just goes on to show how in-your-face shall be the marketing campaigns this year to ensure that you are in queue for the opening weekend.

Movie marketing gets muscular for summer - STL TODAY

Summer movie promotion heats up - VARIETY

Even on a rainy day, you can pay a visit to http://www.moviemarketingmadness.com/blog/ to see how madness can take over when you throw in corporates and movies together in a mix.

MoviemagiK reviews KRAZZY 4 (Hindi, 2008)

cast: Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav, Irfan Khan, Suresh Monon, Diya Mirza, Rajat Kapoor, Zahir Husain and Juhi Chawla

Directed by Jaideep

Music: Rajesh Roshan

We all know how item numbers are brought in to spice things up. But how would you refer to it when the item numbers remain the sole reason to watch a movie.

Just last year, Kya Love Story had Kareena do a rocking item number and once that was over, so did everything good about hte movie. This time the makers do not make that mistake, but keep the item numbers featuring SRK and Hrithik Roshan for the latter half of the film. And as if that was not enoug, get Rakhi Sawant for one bit.

But the inevitable question needs to be asked...what was Roshan Sr. thinking backing up this project? Filmkraft seemed to have been going in the right track and with the in-house super star Hrithik was churning out back to back superhits and all of them daringly ambitious. Therefore it is all the more surprising why Rakesh Roshan decided to back up a script like that of Krazzy 4.

The plot is essentially about the four patients from a mental asylum. Raja (Arshad Warsi), Dr Mukherji (Irfan Khan), Daboo (Suresh Menon) and Gangadhar (Rajpal Yadav) all are suffering from one mental disorder or the other, and are under the treatment of Dr. Sonali (Juhi Chawla).

Dr Sonali who isnt your conventional doctor, have various unconventional treatment techniques. One of them is to teach them about team spirit, by taking them to a live cricket match between India and England. Why it will not work on TV , I wonder.

However this field trip goes wrong, when Dr Sonali is kidnapped leaving the four patients alone in the city. Now the four has to find out what happened to their doctor and save her.

To put things in the right place, first of all , this one has a script that is absolutely not funny. Being promoted as a laughriot, this one is anything but that. Instead by trying to bring some satire sense into the proceedings, they decide to bring in the 'heart' that makes comedies like the Munnabhai a charming product. However this one in doing so, forget what it started out as -a comedy.

So with the makers forgetting the comic element, what we are left is with a rather lame and tame storyline which cannot even qualify to be a thrilling one either. There was nothing crazy going around here except for the title. All this flaws after even importing a script from a Hollywood comedy - DREAM TEAM.

Surely then the blame has to fall on the heads of writer Ashwani Dheer who fails to impress. The man behind the super successful comedy series Office Office, brought a loud silly caper called ONE TWO THREE last month, and now comes up with another dud called KRAZZY 4.

The actors do their bit with whatever was on their plate. Rajpal Yadav, Irfan Khan and Arshad Warsi do their earnest best in portraying their characters well. Suresh Menon, turns to be the most impressive of the lot, inspite of having almost no dialogues. Juhi, Diya Mirza also puts in decent efforts.

We have a music department that is outrageously horrendous. Barring the controversial track for which now Ram Sampanth has stepped forward, Rajesh Roshan fails to come up with anything worthy of the banner that his family members have worked hard to revive.

This Krazzy 4 is unfortunately a big time bore!

MoviemagiK rates it 1.5 outta 5

THE PANEL ROOM

Despite huge expectations, Krazzy 4 fails to live up to its fun image. The lazy script to do justice to any of the talents involved and ends up as a huge waste of time and investment for everyone involved.

For all its naivete, it could actually have been quite charming. Except, um... it's just not funny. REDIFF 1.5/5

It rests on a thin plot, but the makers have tried to package the proceedings with entertaining stuff from Scene A to Z. Indiafm 3/5

Absolutely 4gettable Hindustantimes 1/5

it's a khichdi of cheap humour, unimpressive acting, and a directionless plot. IBNLIVE 1/5

DASAVATHARAM music launch

Too early to comment on the music, but as promised, Kamal Hassan's music launch for the latest DASAVATHARAM did turn out to be the star studded event as promised.

On stage was Asia's biggest star Jackie Chan, along with legendary figures like Amitabh Bachchan and Mammooty. And if Kamal Hassan was not enough to please the Tamil audiences, Vijay also was invited to grace the occassion.

However missing from it all was the music director himself - Himesh Reshamiya.

THAGI : Saif Ali -Homi Adajania teams up ...again!

Saif Ali Khan is all set to do an out and out commercial masala flick with director buddy Homi Adajania. The two earlier came together for the off beat BEING CYRUS and since then, Saif has always been keen to work with Homi.

But that is all set to finally fall in place with the latest THAGI which shall be produced by Saif Ali himself under his home banner ILUMINATI FILMS.

The script is written by Ankur Tiwari and the hunt is on for the leading lady.

KURUVI (Tamil, 2008)

Vijay is back with yet another summer potboiler, and this time Trisha keeps him company!

Trailer Zone : CHRONICLES OF NARNIA - PRINCE CASPIAN

This family friendly franchise has all the setting to recreate magic at the box office. Chronicles of Narnia went onto become a huge hit, and even bigger in the home rental circles. Therefore expecting this one to return in a big way to the big screens

Bheja Fry Sequel confirmed!

Looks like Vinay Pathak and Co will give it one more shot and give the successful Bheja Fry one more go with a sequel.

"We are looking at a sequel. Bheja Fry is the coming together of very like-minded people. My co-star Rajat Kapoor, myself, director Sagar Bellary and Ranvir Shorey have known one another for years and have worked together." says Vinay Pathak.

The same team is fresh from another well made flick in the recently released Mithya

UPDATED APRIL 26:

Indiafm reports that the sequel is all set to take off by this June and shall be made on a lavish scale, and with bigger names this time around.

SPIRIT : The Preview

Cast: Gabriel Macht, Samuel L Jackson, Eva Mendes, Scarlett Johansson, Jaime King

Directed by Frank Miller

Studio: Lionsgate

Release date: Jan 16,2009

Frank Miller and Frank miller alone, provides the biggest draw to this project which shall be his next after flicks like Sin City and 300. The man known for his unique comic art visual style is becoming a fave among moviegoers and already his adaptation of THE SPIRIT has a lot of takers.

Adapted from the legendary comic book series created by Will Eisner,The Spirit is a classic action-adventure-romance written for the screen and directed by genre-twister Frank Miller (creator of "300" and "Sin City").

It is the story of a former rookie cop who returns mysteriously from the dead as the Spirit (Gabriel Macht) to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His arch-enemy, the Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) has a different mission: he's going to wipe out Spirit's beloved city as he pursues his own version of immortality. The Spirit tracks this cold-hearted killer from Central City's rundown warehouses, to the damp catacombs, to the windswept waterfront... all the while facing a bevy of beautiful women who either want to seduce, love or kill our masked crusader. Surrounding him at every turn are Ellen Dolan (Sarah Paulson), the whip-smart girl-next-door; Silken Floss (Scarlett Johansson), a punk secretary and frigid vixen; Plaster of Paris (Paz Vega), a murderous French nightclub dancer; Lorelei (Jaime King), a phantom siren; and Morgenstern (Stana Katic), a sexy young cop.

Then of course, there's Sand Saref (Eva Mendes), the jewel thief with dangerous curves. She's the love of his life turned bad. Will he save her or will she kill him?

In the vein of Batman Begins and Sin City,The Spirit takes us on a sinister, gut-wrenching ride with a hero who is born, murdered and born again.

Check out the cool art design for the teaser posters that have sprung up so far.

UPDATED APR 20: And now AICN has come up with another hot teaser poster. Now the movie looks a lot more like SIN CITY from every angle out there...but it still remains a bait. So lets just bait and watch!

UPDATE APR 25 : They have unleashed a teaser trailer for all those and we know we are in store for another Sin City.

MoviemagiK reviews TASHAN (Hindi, 2008)

cast: Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Anil Kapoor

Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya
Music Vishal Shekar

Produced by Yash Raj Films

It seems that somebody got the brilliant idea of doing a Kill Bill style flick in Bollywood? But surely no one in India is going to give a damn about its homage to the martial art epics of an era. So might as well keep the desi flick pay its tribute to the cheesy bollywood action flicks of an era?

And that probably is how the seeds were sown for this TASHAN which keeps the 'pharmula' of the 80s bollywood action with the over the top villains, but package it in a new style. However the makers fail to realise that this style they boast about is not new anymore. Sanjay Gupta school of film making already had their run with flicks like Kaante and Musafir, only to be chewed up by other filmmakers. Hence of late flicks like DHOOM, CASH and RACE have all flooded the market, giving us action flicks with more slo mos than the instant replays of the IPL matches.

The sorry script goes like this...we have Jimmy Cliff (Saif Ali Khan) who is the westernized call center guy, roped in to teach English to the local don. However he is actually here to get close to Pooja (Kareena Kapoor), who works for the mob boss.

So we come to the mob boss himself, Bhaiyya (Anil Kapoor) who wants to upgrade himself by learning English. This cause he has already mastered the skills of murders, shootings, and all the illegal activities in town. But Bhaiyyaji thinks that he can improve his business deals by speaking like 'George Buss'!

Now to get to the fourth and most vital of characters, we need to have some sort of story going. So , the story so far. English babu and the employee memsaab decides to loot the don himself and use that money to elope. However Pooja madam pulls a fast one on Jimmy, and now Jimmy is left behind with not the money but the wrath of the furious Bhaiyyajee.

So in comes 'recovery specialist' Bachchan Pandey (Akshay Kumar) who is asked to retreive the gal and the loot for our mob boss. And Bachchan is all the more happy to perform the act, since Bhaiiyya has always been the role model.

So four characters established, now throw in some road trip kinda fun, chop in the usual shootouts, stir up the filmi backstories, heat it up with a revenge saga and boil it with the villains fury...and the typical masala is ready!

Acting wise, Akshay Kumar and Anil Kapoor does well wherever the script give them the scope to. Some of their scenes are stand outs , and really showcase their skill and range. Check out Anil in the early half playing out the Bollywood scene with corny Hinglish dialogues but without losing any of the impact. Similarly Akshay gets a wonderful entrance, one that reminds us that he is ten times the star he once was. However behind a jazzy theme track and some Rajini style action sequences, he still shows that he can score in the acting department as well. His transformation from the tough guy to the lover dude was well executed.

But sadly these sequences do not add anything to the movie. They are just stand out yet stand alone sequences. In fact, giving the comical shades to Anil Kapoor’s character went on too much that we never fear the guy whatsoever. However he is projected throughout the movie as the modern day Gabbar. However like AB’s take, this one too is a pale Babbar in comparison. But while he does not hit exactly a home run, he still seems to be having great fun while he is at it.

Kareena...well on paper might look to have a role of more substance. But ultimately she does an ok job but never really shines strong. But have to say, have never seen her looking this hot ever! Gone are the extra pounds, and in comes the sex appeal…mmm, loads of ‘em for sure.

Saif Ali Khan on the other hand is a different story alltogether. He is the one lost in this ensemble. In the initial reels, when he does the usual smart flirt, he is at his usual best. But as the film progresses more into the action flick zone, Saif comes out tame. Unlike the recent RACE, this one fails to do anything for him on the personal level.

Vishal Shekars music is a wonderful support and helps to drive the Tashan point home. And some well executed song pieces. However the same cannot be said for the action sequences. They just failed to get the adrenaline pumping and lets face it – Akki is no Rajini.

So they say that producer Aditya Chopra did have a director on board for this. However I still am not sure what credit does debutant director Vijay Krishna Acharya deserve here. While the man managed to write something decent for the screenplay and dialogues of the Dhoom series, here he fails miserably. The characters keep breaking the fourth wall once too many, and it just gets irritating because as a viewer we know that they are just talking crap for the truth is they have no story to tell.

The biggest flaw certainly seems the lack of fear from the villain factory. Anil Kapoor is not even half the kind of terror that Sanju baba was when he was running away from in Musafir. And for those who need fun on the run, with some loot, two law breakers, a sexy siren in the middle of it all, my guess is the Mani Ratnam -Ram Gopal venture Thiruda Thiruda does fulfil those requirements. I suggest Aditya Chopra to take a look at that flick first and realise what we already have!

Ultimately here is a stylish action flick with absolutely no strong points. The screenplay sags, the characters remain promising but fails to come out on their own, the screenplay stays irrelevant for most of the running time. Even they put in an interval at the wrong point. Here is a 'road' film that just fails to get going anywhere.

So Yash Raj, as promised the Ishtyle is there, the Pharmoola is also retained, but I hope you get the 'good luck' too because they are in bad need of it!

MoviemagiK rates it 2 outta 5

THE PANEL ROOM

On the whole, TASHAN is one of the weakest films to come out of the Yash Raj banner. This film has gloss aplenty, but no soul. INDIAFM 1.5/5

this is a pretty long film and one overcooked meal -- and hardly as stylish as it should be REDIFF 3/5

rushed to the closest clinic to seek medical attention for depression, brain compression and entertainment regression Hindustan Times 1/5

Hot Pix: THE INCREDIBLE HULK

Thanks to EMPIRE ONLINE, we have some new pics of the INCREDIBLE HULK erupting online.

Check them out!

Trailer Zone : DASAVATHARAM

No comments...but phew..that was a lot!

Catch Kamal Hassan's latest extravaganza (Atleast the trailer of it) below

Onir's LABYRINTH

Onir is still in the final stages of his latest film SORRY BHAI but it seems he already has his eyes set on his next big project.

Currently Onir is looking at a love story based in Kashmir. In the directors' words, The Labyrinth will be an intense, fast-paced, emotional and passionate love story. When I was in Kashmir for a holiday, I interacted with the local people and they inspired me to take the project forward. I researched my subject there itself. My film is not about terrorism but it will revolve around people trying to find their identity. Two lovers from Kashmir who meet in Mumbai and the story takes them to a common path. The discovery of common path connects them besides there is also a vacuum in their lives that they are trying to fulfil. There is a bitter truth from their past lives which they discover in the course of the film.

Just when Onir is busy promoting his film Sorry Bhai, he has already finalised his next titled, The Labyrinth. The film will be set in Kashmir and it will be shot in Kashmir, Mumbai, Delhi and Bangkok.Onir was holidaying in Kashmir when he was inspired to film a love story set in

Director Onir is scripting the film with filmmaker Merla Croger and hopes to get this on the floors by September this year.

CHAI GARAM: Celina and Govinda team up!

cast: Govinda, Celina Jaitley, Eesha Deol, Urvashi, Sunil Shetty, Anupam Kher, Rajpal Yadav and Javed Jaffrey

Directed by Adatya Datt

Status: Pre-production

Govinda is back to his ol'ways of promoting his close female buddies in the industry.

So it comes as no surprise that after all the talks about how close Govinda and co-star Celina Jaitley have got on the sets of Money Hai To Honey Hai, the two are back together for another multi starrer comedy. This time the film is titled CHAI GARAM.

CHAI GARAM is a romantic comedy from director Adatya Datt, and is expected to go on floors by end of April. Besides Govinda and Celina, the film also stars names like Rajpal Yadav, Javed Jaffery, Anupam Kher and Sunil Shetty.

Casting still seems to be the issue with Raima Sen suddenly opting out after being signed in earlier. Supposedly she was under the impression that she was playing the role opposite Govinda. But she claims only recently she was told that her role will be that of Sunil Shetty's wife. Now Urvashi Sharma has stepped in to take that spot.

For those who has no clue who director Adatya is...seen Aashiq Banaye Aapne?? No..? seen Dil Diya Hai? No....?

Ok, never mind!

Hot Pix: MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP (Hindi, 2008)

Shemaroo has decided to get things going and hence unleashed upon us the first stills of the upcoming Priyadarshan comedy Mere Baap Pehle Aap.

For more on the movie, you may check out the MoviemagiK page for this movie!

Trailer Zone: IRON MAN

And then, they come up with yet another trailer for IRON MAN. This aint exactly as great a trailer as the earlier one, but gives a better insight into the back story of this super hero.

Well, but then if the trailer did it, then why do we have the movie for?

THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS: TRAILER

From the makers of SUPERBAD, comes the next in line in their series of inane comedies...Enuff said, and get in line for the ride on this express!

FORBIDDEN KINGDOM : Opening this Friday

For some it might be just another martial art epic...but it is much more if it means you get Jet Li and Jackie Chan together on one screen...!

Just the coming of the two legends makes this one a MUST WATCH!

ICE AGE 3

AFter doing the rounds in its crappy form, here is a good quality version for the ICE AGE 3 teaser.

This time they think they have got it...and the confidence shows as they head straight for the JULY 4th weekend of 2009. That speaks a lot!!

SPACE CHIMPS: check out TRAILER!

Here is an animation flick that gets lost in the crowd of biggies like Horton Hears a Who, Wall E, and the Kung Fu Pandas. But then again, from the looks of it, this stands a pretty chance if the guys at Fox studios does give it a fair chance.

But noooo, the chimps on board decides to ruin it by pitting this flick against the might of the DARK KNIGHT and even MAMMA MIA, by giving it a July 18 release date.

So I guess this not only gets lost in the crowd, but indeed buried off this summer!

Ham III, the grandson of the first chimp astronaut, is blasted off into space by an opportunity-seeking senator (Tucci). Soon, the fun-loving chimp has to get serious about the mission at hand: Rid a far-away planet of their nefarious leader (Daniels). Fortunately for Ham III, two of his simian peers (Hines and Warburton) are along for the ride.

BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT

The media and the industry has their eyes set on the next Batman movie The Dark Knight. But what is slowly creating the buzz is and in the coming months, shall be the anime shorts that shall shoot straight to DVD titled Batman: Gotham Knight.

Modelling it on the same style as the ''Ánimatrix'', this too is a collection of six short stories from different writers and in various anime styles all coming together to bridge the gap between Batman Begins and the to be released Dark Knight!

Gotham Knight is pretty an interesting project because it brings together the writers of the movie as well as the writers of the Batman comics under one umbrella. The ten minute video clip takes a behind the scene look at the anime project, with interesting commentary from the people behind it about what makes Batman one of the unique of all comic heroes!

Japan's Studio 4°C, Production I.G, and Madhouse are animating this flick. All three earlier worked with Warner Bros on The Animatrix too.

MoviemagiK previews PROM NIGHTS (2008)

Releasing date: April 11, 2008

Cast: Brittany Snow, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis, Scott Porter

Director Nelson McCormick

studio SONY SCREENGEMS

Horror movies / slasher flicks have certainly lost a lot of its members. Things have never been the same like they were once upon a time. Gone were those days when the BOO factors were enough to draw the audiences. These days with the ever increasing dependence on technology, most of them have clearly lost the ability to spook the target audiences.

All what we have left is a lot of remakes of either flicks from yesteryears, or from some sleeper Asian horror success. And the latest PROM NIGHTS is no different. Here they have taken a rather bad Jamie Lee Curtis starrer and remade it.

Donna's senior prom is supposed to be the best night of her life. After surviving a horrible tragedy, she has finally moved on and is enjoying her last year of high school. Surrounded by her best friends, she should be safe from the horrors of her past. But when the night turns deadly, there is only one person who could be responsible... a man she thought was gone forever. Now, Donna and her friends must find a way to escape the sadistic rampage of an obsessed killer, and survive a night "to die for."

THE PANEL ROOM

Not surprising at all to see how the movie is getting trashed all across the board. Not many were expecting anything different.

However surprisingly the folks at Variety thinks the movie has a chance to click with the target audiences....I won't be surprised even if it does. If Meet the Spartans can top the BO, so can a product like Prom Night.

Prom Night sound marginally watchable, I have erred. It's a bore, even taking into account unintentional moments of humor that resulted in audience members jeering. REELVIEWS 1/4

But “Prom Night” never does. It remains resolutely dumb, dull and predictable ONE GUYS OPINION F

Well cast and solidly crafted, latest genre product from Screen Gems could strike B.O. paydirt if, as seems likely, it clicks with a target aud of teens and early twentysomethings VARIETY

MoviemagiK previews STREET KINGS (2008)

Release date: Apr 11, 2008

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Cedir the Entertainer

Directed by David Ayer

Studio: Fox Searchlight

Street Kings is the latest cop drama that puts Keanu Reeves into a more normal role. Normal in the fact that this time Reeves is not chasing any baddies from the outer world. But this time things are closer to home, as here is another cop drama that looks into the corruption at LAPD.

Joining Keanu Reeves is another powerhouse talent , Forest Whitaker along with Hugh Laurie , Chris Evans. Throw in some big time rap artists in there, and wrap it all up with Cedric the Entertainer.

Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) is a veteran LAPD Vice Detective who sets out on a quest to discover the killers of his former partner, Detective Terrance Washington (Terry Crews). Forest Whitaker plays Captain Wander, Ludlow's supervisor, whose duties include keeping him within the confines of the law and out of the clutches of Internal Affairs Captain Biggs (Hugh Laurie).

Ludlow teams up with a young Robbery Homicide Detective (Chris Evans) to track Washington's killers through the diverse communities of Los Angeles. Their determination pays off when the two Detectives track down Washington's murderers and confront them in an attempt to bring them to justice.

THE PANEL ROOM

It seems that while the cast seems to have done the movie some good, the script seems to be a big let down. That is surprising when the USP was the fact that it came from the writer of Training Day. But this one seems to be text book cop drama, the kind that we got aplenty back in the eighties. However its R rating confirms the other fact, lotsa action, lotsa violent action that is!

Substitute a gutsier ending, however, and this might have been something to recommend more heartily than with a half-hearted shrug REELVIEWS 2.5/4

Wasting money and studio resources on a clichéd rehash like this is puzzling, to say the least FILM THREAT 1.5/5

Among dirty-cop actioners, “Street Kings” is hardly royalty but it gets the job done. ONE GUYS OPINION B-

Street Kings" is an anemic attempt to evoke the big, shiny action pictures of the late '80s and early '90s CHICAGO SUN TIMES 1.5/5

The gritty pic more than earns its R rating but should open strong regardless and stick around as action-starved auds take in the carnage. VARIETY

STREET KINGS

MoviemagiK previews SMART PEOPLE (2008)

Release date: April 11, 2008

Cast: Dennis Quaid, Ellen Paige, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Ashton Holmes

Directed by Noam Murro

Studio: Miramax Pictures

SMART PEOPLE comes straight from the Sundance Festival into the big screens and here is one more of those 'smart' comedies trying to keep the viewers busy before the real summer extravaganzas is unleashed.

Dennis Quaid plays the main role trying to put some charm into the character of a bored professor. Quaid is joined in by Ellen Paige who is enjoying a starry phase thanks to the sucess of JUNO. Sarah Jessica Parker meanwhlile plays the female lead.

Professor Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid) might be imperiously brilliant, monumentally self-possessed and an intellectual giant - but when it comes to solving the conundrums of love and family, he’s as downright flummoxed as the next guy. His teenaged daughter (Ellen Page) is an acid-tongued overachiever who follows all too closely in dad’s misery-loving footsteps, and his adopted, preposterously ne’er-do-well brother (Thomas Haden Church) has perfected the art of freeloading. A widower who can’t seem to find passion in anything anymore, not even the Victorian Literature in which he’s an expert, it seems Lawrence is sleepwalking through a very stunted middle age.

When his brother shows up unexpectedly for an extended stay at just about the same time as he accidentally encounters his former student Janet (Sarah Jessica Parker), the circumstances cause him to stir from his deep, deep freeze, with often comical, sometimes heartbreaking, consequences for himself and everyone

THE PANEL ROOM

The film seems to be winning praises for all its positives but only to a limited extent. The general feeling is that the movie could have been been something bigger and better, but it seems that the makers have resorted to keeping it simple and cliche without getting any adventurous.

A decent comedy with several A grade listers which might be a better watch on your cable rather than on the big screen!

Unlikely to catch fire in theaters, these "People" will eventually find their company most welcome on cable. - VARIETY

“Smart People” isn’t a work of genius, but it’s clever enough to make you forgive its missteps. ONEGUYSOPINION B

Those who find comfort in competently made but overly familiar stories may enjoy what Smart People have to offer. For me, it was too thin to truly satisfy. REELVIEWS 2.5/4

the film is still decent, but it could’ve been much better. The characters don’t really progress too far FILM THREAT 3/5

"Smart People" is fairly intelligent, mildly amusing and clinically depressed ...a bit dull when you put it next to brilliant pictures about emotionally stymied writers/academics. CHICAGO SUN TIMES 2.5/4

CHARLTON HESTON: The demise of a screen legend!

CHARLTON HESTON

Oct 4, 1923 - Apr 5, 2008

at Wikipedia

One of the biggest screen legends of all time, Charlton Heston, might have gone on to do incredible feats on the big screen. However the man finally called it quits in the real world where he died of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 84 on Saturday night, April 5th 2008.

Chartlon Heston not only impressed on the big screen, but was an equally figure in the political arena as well in the later part of his life which eventually saw him caught in the wrong side of things in the Moore documentary BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE. However all his political activism might have put him up amidst the headlines, but it will always be remembered for all those memorable characters that he portrayed.

Heston, born as Charles Carter, was never the acclaimed actor of his generation. But was he was to the screen, something larger than life, an extended personification of the mascular heroic man...with his broad shoulders, chiseled face and an equally powerful voice, he ended up as a personification of 'celluloid hero'.

It eventually explains why he went on to play characters like Moses, John the Baptist, Michaelangelo, Marc Anthony, Ben Hur , just some of the many memorable ones that he brought alive on the big screen. So much so, that any character of historical importance, and the first name that studios had was Charlton Heston.

Making a debut into Hollywood with the noir flick DARK CITY, it was eventually his role in BEN HUR that fetched him the coveted Oscar for Best Actor. A role that went to him only after several top stars of that time refused the role. It is said that Heston trained for two months solely for that legendary chariot scene, and went through the motions without a double.

He went on to make his mark with more acclaimed performances like the ones in EL CID, the sci fi PLANET OF THE APES , and even managed to better a great actor like Laurence Olivier when they got together in the film KHARTOUM.

In fact, when it came to a historical there was no man better for the job. His immense screen presence had the audience spellbound, and epics were never the same without him. And with his loss, he leaves behind shoes too big for any mortal to fit in!

ACCIDENT (Kannada, 2008)

Cast: Ramesh Arvind, Rekha, Pooja Gandhi, Mohan, Rajendra Karant

Music by Rickey

Directed by Ramesh Aravind

Ramesh Aravind's third directorial venture ACCIDENT has been released amidst hype, and it seems to have lived up to its thriller image that it was promising all along. And Ramesh Aravind seems to have nailed it , both as the lead star as well as the man behind the camera.

Accident tells the story of a Radio Jockey Sawanth who is living a rather happy life with wife Vasudhara (Rekha), who happens to be a social activist.

However Sawanth's life comes shattering down when he returns from a training trip, that his wife has died in an accident mysteriously. The man gets a grip on his life and goes out to find the real truth behind the accident.

And with everyone related to this so-called accident suddenly getting murdered, Sawanth knows that there is more to this than what meets the eyes.

PANEL ROOM

The film has opened to good reviews and seems to be given the thumps up by most reviewers out there. Surely they do have flaws to point out, but on the final count Ramesh Aravind still manages to walk away with the praises.

Hmm, for some reason I see a lot of Constant Gardener in the main storyline...wonder why?

Those who believe in pure cinema must see Ramesh Aravinds Accident. ONEINDIA

Ramesh has succeeded in his efforts to present a totally different type of thriller, full of engaging moments. REDIFF

Despite some short comings, Ramesh Arvind's Accident is a must see film for its thrilling moments. And it keeps you on the edge of seats in many sequences. - NOW RUNNING

OYE LUCKY, LUCKY OYE

Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye is the title of director Dibakar Banarjee's next venture. He tasted immense success with his first once - Khosla Ka Ghosla and now the director is ready to rekindle the middle class charms once again in this one.

The film stars Abhay Deol, Archana Puran Singh, Neetu Chandra and newcomer Richa Chadha. However the one that shall hog the headlines this time around shall be veteran Paresh Rawal who shall be seen in three different roles in this film.

If the last time director Dibakar took to the real estate market of the capital, this time he takes a look at the criminal underbelly of the Kolkotta streets.

INNATHE CHINTAVISHEYAM : A preview

Cast: Mohanlal, Meera Jasmine, Innocent, Mukesh, Ashokan, Vijayaraghavan, Sukanya, Mohini, Muthumani, Siddique

Music: Illayaraja

Story Screenplay direction by Sathyan Anthikad

The trio of Sathyan Anthikad - Mohanlal- Meera Jasmine is all set to recreate some rasathantram at the box office.

Mohanlal after a string of flops is keen on getting his act together and Sathyan Anthikad's family oriented satires have always been a safe bet at thte box office.

The film titled as Innathe Chinta Vishayam shall bring together the pair of Mohanlal and Meera Jasmine and tells the story of garment businessman Gopakumar and his fashion designer employee Kamala (Meera Jasmine). The two undertake the responsibility of getting the marriage life of three pairs back on track and that is the central plot of this family entertainer. The three couples shall be Mohini- Vijayaraghavan, Sukanya-Mukesh and Muthimani-Ashokan

So that is what Sathyan Anthikad like to reflect on this time- the drifting away of married couples!

However to the box office, the real 'chintha vishayam' shall be if Mohanlal can still be part of meaningful films!

This Friday: APRIL 11

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Time to check out what the box office will be in for the Friday of April 11

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First on, is the Keanu Reeves -Forest Whitaker cop drama STREET KINGS. Fox Searchlight films brings this one to your screens, and it is directed by the writer of Training Day, David Ayer in yet another look at the greyer shades of the LAPD circles.

SMART PEOPLE is a dark comedy from Miramax that has Dennis Quaid playing a self absorbed literature professor who has never been the ideal father to his kids. His life revolves around his son, his over achieving daughter, and his adopted brother, and an old student of his who is now his doctor. Ellen Paige fresh from the success of Juno plays the daughter.

What if your perfectly structured world suddenly goes all shambles. Say yes to CHAOS THEORY as Ryan Reynolds is out to find out just that.

The least promising I must say is PROM NIGHTS. This one about a prom night going all wrong with a psycho killer out there is as cheesy as it may sound. The trailer also gives the impression that there are no good brains behind this one either.

Trailer Zone: HELLBOY II (trailer 2)

Guys this July is getting heated up....if the new trailer for HELLBOY is any indication.

Check it out to see it in its full glory!

Trailer Zone: WAR INC

A hitman sent out by a US corporation that is running the show in a war torn country Turaqistan, has a lot of problems before he can do his hit...yeah, that even includes some females!

Projects in the pipeline

Projects in the pipeline

The return of the HERA PHERI TEAM

Ratan Jain of Venus have managed to get the fabulous trio of Hera Pheri together once again. Big deal...not so much I guess because they have been a regular trio as far as Bollywood scenario is concerned.

However when the three get together with director Priyadarshan, it suddenly gets that extra shine as the HERA PHERI team.

And this team seems to be all set to get going for another round of comedy. Thankfully, it will have nothing to do with Hera Pheri.

Three heroines too coming on board, and expect a whole lot of the Priyan usuals as well!

Deepak Tijory gets all FOXy

Deepak Tijori will try once again his hands at directing something decent enough and for that he shall be relying on the muscle power of Sunny Deol this time.

Ttiled FOX, the project is to be produced by Zee Motion Pictures and looks to get the film rolling by May.

Bhansali's next: Hrithik-Ranbir team up?

Imagine two current heart throbs like Hrithik Roshan and Ranbir teaming up for a movie?

The news sure would get some gals dropping with glee, and would do all the hunk magic that did not get to them the last time Ranbir dropped the towel!

Interesting news because that is what Sanjay Leela Bhansali is said to have in mind. Bhansali is keen to sign up both this leading names though both seem to have no clue about such a project.

Yeh hai Bollywood meri jaan!

Interview: Aishwarya Rai

Well, interesting interview because this is where Aishwarya claims how excited she is to share screen space with 'The Superstar' of India Rajinikanth. And she also goes on to saw how Shankar and Rajini have always been offering her projects, despite her refusals.

Catch Aishwarya talking about why she took on ROBOT and why she refused DOSTANA in the Mid Day interview!

Interview: KETAN MEHTA

Ketan Mehta is most famous for his duds. But that does not stop the man for giving it all he has got...

So he is back with another period drama, this time a film on painter Raja Ravi Varma - an adaptation of Ranjit Desai's marathi novel. The film stars Randeep Honda and Nandana Sen and is aptly titled COLOURS OF PASSION. The film has been canned in just over a month and is currently under post production.

Meanwhile Ketan Mehta still talks about his Rani Laxmibai project though Aishwarya stated that she no longer wants to be part of the delayed project.

So if period dramas is your cup of tea, you can catch the interview with Ketan Mehta HERE or else move on!

Adding some colour to BLACK AND WHITE

Last week, Mukta Arts declares their last venture Black And White a profitable venture. But what is a good movie without a good controversy. So a whole month after the movie hits the screens, we have the real life Urdu professor of Zakhir Hussain college Khalid Alvi waking up with the claim that the character played by Anil Kapoor is based on himself, and hence he is shown in a bad light.

So now the Urdu professor has challenged the high court and adds Censor Board (CBFC), Subash Ghai , Anil Kapoor all as respondents in this petition.

Catch the story at MUMBAI MIRROR

Also heardthe professor was keen to add Malika Sherawat too in the list, until someone told that she was not part of the project. Meanwhile students of Zakhir Hussain college, tell ur professor dude to take a break!