Director: Craig Gillespie
Cast: Collin Farrel, Anton Yelchin, Toni Collette and David Tennant
Release Date: 2011-08-19 12:00:00
Quick Take: Frightfully lame

 Vampires have always been an integral part of our movies. There have been some brilliant films based on the blood sucking creatures. Films like From Dusk To Dawn, Blade, Interview with the Vampire and the recent Twilight saga have made their mark. Unfortunately, Fright Night is not worthy enough to join the list.

Directed by Craig Gillespie, Fright Night is the remake of the super hit 1985 film with the same name. The basic plotline is the same. A geeky teenager Charley (Anton Yelchin) discovers that a ferocious vampire (Colin Farrell) has moved in next door. The vampire threatens to kill his mother and girlfriend. In order to protect his family, Charley tags along with a professional vampire slayer to end the menace of the blood sucking vampire. Fright Night has a lot more personality than a usual horror film. It has humour as one if it’s strong tools (there are jokes on Twilight too). Sadly, it doesn’t exploit that. Halfway through the film you get bored because of its predictability. A vampire is out at large and on a wild goose chase behind two women. May be if Alfred Hitchcock had directed this we would’ve felt the fright. But here it pans out like a B-grade thriller.

The film’s in 3D but still it doesn’t give you the quintessential chills and thrills of a horror flick. However, there’s one death scene which will literally blow you away. Colin Farrell looks raw and sexy and is pretty good in evoking fright. Anton Yelchin is competent and composed in most parts.

Fright night is definitely not classic stuff and at best is juvenile fun. Rent the original DVD and watch that instead.

If you’ve seen any of the previous three Spy Kids films you’ll know that these films are meant for a juvenile audience. The last film was 3D and back in 2003, being 3D was a big deal. So for the latest installment Robert Rodriguez had to go bigger than his last endeavour and he chose 4D. The fourth dimension in this feature is the sense of smell and its called aroma-scope. Sadly, it’s nothing more than a gimmick. The Spy Kids films have progressively lost out on content quality with the last being the worst of the lot. And that trend continues with Spy Kids 4.

Previous Spy Kids Carmen and Juni are all grown up and therefore cannot be Spy Kids. So the new Spy Kids are Rebecca and Cecil only they don’t know that yet. Their step mother Marissa is an OSS spy and aunt to Carmen and Juni. Marissa and OSS are at their wits end when The Time Keeper and Tick Tock (bad guys) start up a machine called Armageddon, which speeds up time and creates havoc.

The technical angles of the film are up to the mark as you’d expect from a Rodriguez film. The 3D is fine and so are the studio-ish heavy CGI sets. The USP of this film, the fourth dimension or the aroma-scope wherein you’d be able to smell stuff being shown on the screen is rather lame. You’re given a hand sized scratch card with eight numbers on it. Every time a number flashes on the screen you’re supposed to rub the corresponding area on the card to smell the good stuff. Only, when you do rub nothing happens. To get the olfactory experience going you’d have to dig your nose into the card and look away from the screen. Also there are eight patches on this card and every single one smells the same. Good old bubble gum flavour at that. A blessing in disguise that. Who’d want to smell dog fart anyway?

 Agreed that this is a kids’ film with candy floss styling. But the level of writing can at best be described as primitive. May be Marx Bros in the ‘30s would’ve found Spy Kids 4 funny but in a day and age where Pixar sets the standard of fun and drama in kids’ films, this cheap brand of humour seems outdated and irksome. The only remotely entertaining part of the film is a robotic dog called Argonaut. And he’s funny only because Ricky Gervais’ brit humour and voice talents are at work behind the scenes.

At least in the previous films bad guys played by Alan Cumming, Steve Buscemi and Sylvester Stallone were caricatures but charming. The bad guy here looses his impression thanks to pointless melodrama. With neither the 4D nor the comedy working in its favour, Spy Kids 4 turns out to like a classless B-grade Hollywood film. Shabby and unimpressive.

Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Cast: Mahie Gill, Deepak Dobriyal and Ajay Gehi
Release Date: 2011-08-19 12:00:00
Quick Take: RGV back in form

If you have been a Ram Gopal Verma fan you know that you can never count him out. His arrogant nature might have come in the way of his creativity in the past few years as he churned out some real debacles. But dark and brooding films are his play ground and what he knows best. Not A Love Story is just that and it proves RGV is back in the reckoning. NALS doesn’t measure up to previous RGV works like Raat, Satya, Company, Bhoot and Sarkar but we see patches of brilliance never the less.

RGV can claim that he is only inspired by the Neeraj Grover murder case but NALS is as close to reality as fiction could be. Anusha (Mahi Gill) comes to the city to follow her dream as an actor. After many rejections she finally lands a part in a feature film thanks to a head at a production house Ashish (Ajay Gehi). Anusha and Ashish go out and party with friends and get drunk. One thing leads to another and they spend the night together.  Before Ashish can leave in the morning Anusha’s fiancée Robin (Deepak Dobriyal) surprises her at the door step. After a confrontation Robin stabs Ashish, who dies instantly. What follows is search for the missing Ashish and a high profile court case.

The first 20 minutes of NALS is like an amateur film school project. But don’t make up your mind just yet. The movie picks up and how. Although RGV could have spent less time establishing the story as it’s well known to most Indians. The first half is boring and could have been about 15 minutes shorter. It is only after Ashish is murdered does the movie really gathers pace. The camera and editing and of the film are inconsistent. Some important scenes like Mahie’s confession get murdered by too much camera movement. But the murder scene montage is exceptionally well shot and edited. Any other filmmaker would have prolonged the scene considering its importance but RGV cuts right to the chase.

 The second half is crisp and it unfolds at break neck speed. What’s interesting is the stand RGV takes at the end. He shows how manipulative the nexus of police and lawyers can be in such a high profile case. An open ended climax is the real master stroke here.

In terms of performances Mahie Gill is superb as the wannabe actress from North India. She looks the part completely to the point you start feeling her desperation with every rejection. Deepak Dobriyal also the obsessive fiancée gets the madness of the character right. Another thing that works in the favour of the film is that it doesn’t condemn and of it’s characters but presents everyone’s point of view.

RGV shows us that we don’t need big actors, lavish sets or mammoth budgets to make credible cinema. A good film just needs a filmmaker getting the most out of his skill, tact and resources.

With a title that promises to take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, you would expect to be thoroughly entertained by Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Unfortunately, Zoya Akhtar’s film falls below expectations, and not even the stellar star cast or the breathtaking locations make-up for its lack of substance.

The story revolves around three richie rich friends — Kabir (Abhay Deol), Imran (Farhan Akhtar) and Arjun (Hrithik Roshan). While Kabir is the amiable, endearing one, Imran is naughty and brash and Arjun is sensitive and uptight. Sounds familiar? The three central characters of Farhan’s debut film Dil Chahta Hai (played by Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna) were made of the same mould. So back to the story ¦ Kabir is just about to get married to Natasha (Kalki) and before that he wants to take off on a holiday. He reminds his school buddies of a pact that they had made as kids to take a three-week holiday, which would include taking part in adventures of each other’s choices.

So off they go on a road trip along the picturesque locations of Spain, stripping off emotional layers and confiding in each other about issues they would have probably not talked about otherwise. The friends meet Laila, a diving instructor, who believes in living life to the fullest, without any regrets. “Main afsos karna nahin jaanti,” she says, before planting the much-hyped kiss on Hrithik’s lips. So begins their adventure…the men want to have fun, but sadly their fun is not the ‘Hangover’kind. Rather, they resort to childish tricks of their school days including frightening passers by.

The most disappointing is the absence of great chemistry between the three friends. There are a few scenes which are chuckle worthy, especially the ones where Imran and Kabir get together to tease Arjun about his obsession with work. There’s another where Hrithik mimics the Doordarshan signature tune. But at some places, the comedy seems to be contrived. The scenic road trip is fun to watch, but tighter editing would have ensured that it didn’t meander the way it did.

As for the performances, Katrina is pleasant and charming as the pretty instructor. Kalki is wasted (this is a role that could have been done by even a Kim Sharma). Abhay, as the softhearted, typical good boy is excellent.

Hrithik, as usual, does a sincere job as a guy who goes through a painful transformation from being stiff workaholic to being openly emotional. Farhan is good too, but when he starts spewing poetry the movie gets duller, instead of lifting it up. Shockingly, the poems by Javed Akhtar, except the last one, Dilon me betaabi hai toh zinda ho tum, falls way below his own high standards.

Hum afsos karna jaante hai. And afsos, this was a great opportunity wasted! A pretty, very pretty film. If only it had more soul.

A bunch of kids and a dog, fighting against injustice meted out to their lesser-privileged friend. Is your heart already melting? Then Chillar Party is definitely for you.

A simple film, too naive at times, about the kids of middle-class families, which live in Chandan Nagar Society. Into their society walks Phatka, a poor boy with his dog, Bhidu. His job is to clean the cars of the society and he makes an old, abandoned car his home. Kids don’t like Phatka too much but eventually they make him their friend. Soon after, a politician and his wily ways enter their blissful lives and suddenly the situation turns into a conflict between the kids and the politician Bhide.

This movie makes you laugh, moves you to tears and tickles at your maternal instincts more often than once. But then, hold it, is it not a given when you have some adorable and real kids (unlike the typical Bollywood oversmart brats) and a helpless dog thrown in? Director Vikas Behl has a winner in his hand even before the story begins. The story is not really a big deal. The villain and his sycophant of an assistant are predictable. What is refreshing and contemporary, however, is the way the kids decide to take on their enemy. The film casually touches upon child labour, parents’ apathy towards children’s needs, etc. but thankfully, not in a preachy way.

The children, especially Irfan who plays Phatka, are so real and endearing that at times I felt like reaching out to them and giving them a ‘good job done’ hug. Most importantly, these kids behave and react like kids do, and not like dwarfed adults. The climax, however, was unconvincing and veering away from the general mood of the film.

Chillar Party is a children’s film so simplistic that it could have been very well made by a child. But then, I guess that’s quite an achievement too in an industry where children’s film generally means yet another moral lesson for the hapless kids.

Tom Hanks returns to directing for the second time after 1996′s That Thing You Do with Larry Crowne, a mildly amusing romantic comedy that spends 98 minutes trying to say precisely nothing. It also commits the cardinal sin of releasing a film in 2011 with a cast that belongs to the ’90s and a storyline that looks like it’s from the ’80s.

On the surface, Larry Crowne seems appealing. A story of an ex-navy man named Larry Crowne (with an ‘e’, as Hanks’ character keeps reminding everyone) who, when fired from his job in a departmental store on grounds of not having a college education, sets about to correct that is rife with possibilities. This could’ve been Hanks’ ‘Jerry Maguire’ or ‘Michael Clayton’ moment; instead, what we get is a supremely predictable and watered-down film version of the TV show Community.

The story, credited to Hanks and Nia Vardalos (best known for her role in My Big Fat Greek Wedding), mistakes frivolity for frothiness. It creates several moments of forced humour that elicit no more than a gentle chuckle from the viewer (at best). Moreover, we are forced to watch characters and situations that were never meant to be stereotypical, but end up being so anyway. A prime example here is the free-spirited Talia (Mbatha-Raw), who inducts Larry into her scooter gang, redecorates his house according to feng shui and flirts with him openly in front of her glowering boyfriend Dell (Valderrama), but ends up being a one-note character anyway.

One of the main selling points for this movie is the purported chemistry between the films two leads. It is, therefore, disappointing to see the lukewarm interactions between actors of the calibre of Hanks and Roberts, both known for their ’90s rom-coms. Much of the blame can squarely be laid on Hanks’ surprisingly tepid performance, which mostly consists of him reacting to events around him with a furrowed brow and pursed lips.

The only saving grace is the radiant presence of Julia Roberts as Mercedes Tainot, the public-speaking teacher with an alcohol addiction and a disintegrating marriage. Amidst all the saccharine sweetness in this film, she charms us with her poise and spontaneity. At 43, with her slender physique and that familiar smile, she’s still looking great. Ultimately, one wishes the same could be said about co-star Hanks, who misfires in all three departments – writing, direction and acting – to make what is at best an utterly forgettable distraction.

What is it?

�Lagaan�, �Taare Zameen Par�, �Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na�, �Peepli [Live]�, �Dhobi Ghat� and now – �Delhi Belly�- Aamir Khan Productions is back with yet another interesting venture.

Presented by UTV Motion Pictures, the film is directed by Abhinay Deo and stars Imran Khan, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Vir Das, Shenaz Treasurywala and Poorna Jagannathan in lead. While his directorial debut had been a thriller �Game�, Abhinay this time turns his interest towards bringing out a comedy with �Delhi Belly�.

The Story Outline

Tashi, Arup and Nitin � flatmates, buddies and partners in crime.

Tashi is to get married in a month but still doesn�t know if his fianc� is THE ONE!

Arup can�t make up his mind who he wants to kill first � his girlfriend who has just dumped him or his stupid, annoying boss whose idea of creativity is sketching a smiling banana!

And Nitin is about to discover that eating delicious tandoori chicken off a street vendor is going to give him the worst case of Delhi Belly he�s ever known!

Three regular blokes, living the regular life EXCEPT for one small detail � they are on the hit list of one of the world�s deadliest crime syndicates.

Will they be able to get away before the shit hits the roof and it comes crashing down?

�Delhi Belly� � the meanest comedy you�re ever likely to see.

The Arrival

�Delhi Belly� will open in theatres from July 1st, 2011.

The movie from the controversial lesbian kiss between Kalki and Kirti in the film, to the title and the concept of dealing with the youngsters, this movie has indeed raised some expectations and has grabbed few eyeballs seeking attention forming its audience.

Shaitan Story, Shaitan Plot
Shaitan focuses the life of five youngsters, who wants to enjoy life to the fullest, with the help of drugs, have a high in life and wants a life of no worries or any thoughts of whats going to happen tomorrow.

The youngsters who behave in their teens, want to live a fun filled excited life, but an accident changes their dreams.

Amy (Amrita Jayshankar ) played by Kalki Koechlin, Dash (Dushyant Sahu) played by Shiva Pandit, Tanya (Tanya Sharma) played by Kirti Kulhari, Zubin (Zubin Shroff) played by Neil Bhoopalam and KC (Karan Chaudhary) played by Gulshan Devaiya are friends, who have so much of fun together that an incident which the five gets involved changes their life altogether. The five gets involved in killing a youngster in an accident. Eventually that brings the ‘Shaitan’ in all of them.
Amy comes to live in Mumbai from Los Angeles, as her father an NRI (played by Raji Kapoor) decides to relocate to his country.

Amy who wants to get settled in her country finds a group of friends who coincide with her thoughts and wave length, who are rich, aimless people, who sees life in terms of living on the EDGE with drugs, fast cars, living the moment attitude, but finally ends up in witnessing crime and violence.

Shaitan Review
The movie is a thriller which should not be given a miss. The movie Shaitan is a mixture of wilderness, is quirky, violent, intense and interesting as the racy film keeps you at the edge of the seat.

The movie which talks about these youngsters who get in to their world of drugs and momentary living does not g over board and neither we as an audience sympathize with such youngsters who live the life of high.

Positives & Negatives of Shaitan Movie Review
Definitely a hands up from the Critics side. A hard hitting, thriller that makes audience to raise eyebrows as well get a bit entertained.
Contemporary film-making has always had its version of audience and will draw attention among the teens.
Well etched characters with some brilliant performances.

Negativity would be that its a bit lengthy, for a thriller

Rating – 3.5/5
Verdict – If you are a new age film lover and would like to see a movie that lacks cinematic drama and run of the mill stories, then its definitely a worth watch. Fr other who wishes to see a running around the tress, beating around the bush story telling with full on masala action movies, please don’t care.

Shaitan Cast
Rajeev Khandelwal as Inspector Arvind Mathur
Kalki Koechlin as Amrita Jayshankar a.k.a. Amy
Shiv Pandit as Dushyant Sahu a.k.a. Dash
Neil Bhoopalam as Zubin Shroff
Gulshan Devaiya as Karan Chaudhary a.k.a. KC
Kirti Kulhari as Tanya Sharma
Rajit Kapoor
Pawan Malhotra
Nikhil Chinapa
Rukhsar
Abhijeet Deshpande
Raj Kumar Yadav

Shatian Crew
Directed by – Bejoy Nambiar
Produced by – Anurag Kashyap, Sunil Bohra, Guneet Monga & Meraj Shaikh
Screenplay by – Bejoy Nambiar
Music by – Prashant Pillai, Amar Mohile, Ranjit Barot & Anupam Roy
Cinematography – Madhie
Editing by – Sreekar Prasad
Distributed by – Viacom 18 Motion Pictures