Student Of the Year shines amongst new releases.

SOTY [HIT]
Karan Johar's Student of the Year made another Rs.10cr in its second week.The movie has been a big success and many have praised the newcomers.SOTY has so far made Rs.57.2cr and has been declared a hit.The movie is a complete KJO styled movie with his usual over the top musical numbers and romantic scenes.While it may seem like just ano

ther predictable movie ,SOTY does have its twists.
[Watch It]

Rush [FLOP]
Emraan Hashmi's latest movie Rush failed to draw in the masses.It has earned just Rs.2.5cr and is set to be a flop.Critics have said that even though the movie tries to tackle the concept of media corruption ,the movie fails to fully present its ideas and ends up half baked.
[Miss It]

Ajab Gazabb Love [FLOP]
Starring Jackky Bhagnani & Arjun Rampal,this romantic movie also flopped at the box office.The critics have not been happy with the movies storyline nor the direction.The movie made just Rs.5cr in its first week.
[Miss It]

Chakravyuh [AVERAGE]
Prakash Jha's Chakravyuh ,which is about Naxalism managed to make an average impact at the box office.The movie has earned Rs.13cr.Starring Arjun Rampal and Abhay Deol the movie has been getting above average reviews.Most critics have said that Jha's attempt to bring into focus the countries problems of Naxalism ,he stumbles while trying to add melodrama.The second half feels to be too stretched too.
[Miss It]

Developments in Hollywood

Bryan Singer replaces Mathew Vaughn in X-Men First Class Sequel.

Bryan Singer has officially replaced Vaughn in X-Men:Days Of Future Past.Bryan Singer had earlier been the producer for the sequel but now Vaughn will now be in the sequel just as the producer.Bryan has earlier directed the first 2 acclaimed X-Men movies, dropped out of the 3rd mov

ie ,and returned as a producer for First Class.Will this affect the movie and was Vaughn the right choice? Only time will tell.Meanwhile Mathew Vaughn will move on ,and be directing Secret Service ,which is based from a comic book by Mark Miller.


Disney acquires LucasFilm for over $4billion.

Disney bought George Lucas' film studio LucasFilm for $4billion.This is a big news considering it means Disney has now complete control over the STAR WARS FRANCHISE.Disney has already planned a Star Wars:Episode 7 to be released in 2015 and then launch 2 more to make it a trilogy.Disney has already bought Marvel Entertainment (Avengers) ,Pixar & now LucasFilms.


More Bad news from Community

The much beloved show has been more bad news.Season 4 of the show has had a string of bad news tailing it just like Season 3.First the creator ,Dan Harmon was fired.Next the October premiere date was removed thus putting the entire Season in a state of confusion.Now the new date has been revealed ,and its in February 7th 2013.

Argo finally tops the box office.New releases fail.

1-After 3 weeks of release ,Argo finally claimed the top spot.Ben Afflecks hostage thriller has been powered by excellent reviews and it easily defeated the new releases.Argo made $12million and has so far made $68million worldwide.

2-On second place was Cloud Atlas ,the Wachowski's movie based on the popular novel of the same name.Unfortunately it sank making just $9.6million.This is not a shocking news since Cloud Atlas is a hard pill to swallow and doesnt actually attract the casual movie goers.The movie revolves around 6 different stories and timelines ,160min long,and is also rated R.But it is overall a thought provoking movie for movie lovers rather than casual movie goers.The movie is currently rated at 63%.

3-Hotel Transylvania once again made a Top 5 appearance making $9.4million in its 5th week.The animated flick has made a worldwide gross of $222million and is Sony Animation Studio's highest grossing movie domestically beating their Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

4-Paranormal Activity 4 had a steep fall ,making just $8.5million (a 70%drop).Even though the movie has recovered its budget its still a big disappoint compared to the other Paranormal Activity movies.The movie has made a worldwide gross of $91.3million.

5-Silent Hill Revelation debuted at 5th place with $8million.Needless to say its another bomb.The movie has been universally panned and has a rating of just 06%.

The 3rd new release ,Fun Size was another bomb ,making just $4.1million and coming at #10.This was not helped by the below average reviews either ,it has a rating of just 27%.The 4th new release ,Chasing Mavericks too tanked heavily making just $2.27million and opening at #13.It too had below average reviews and is rated at 33%.

While Hollywood is just rolling around calmly under poor debuts ,a storm is brewing overseas.James Bond's 23rd movie ,Skyfall made $80.6million overseas.Skyfall opened at #1 in UK ($32.4m),France,Russia,South Korea,Brazil.Skyfall will release in USA only on November 9.

This week we have 3 new movies.The RJG pick of the week will be :
Flight-Flight is the first live action movie directed by Robert Zemeckis after Castaway.Starring Denzel Washington ,the movie is based on a true story of a pilot.The movie has been getting good reviews and is rated at 86%.Robert hasnt disappointed much in his movies ,and i think Flight will be a great watch this week.
Wreck It Ralph-This animated movie will be a sure hit.The movie has been getting good reviews and will be attracting both adults and kids since it brings back old video game characters back to the screen.Its currently rated at 78%
The Man with The Iron Fists-This is an all out action movie with some big stars.Russell Crowe joins RZA in this martial arts flick

Ishq Shaava - 4th music video from JTHJ

The 4th music video from Jab Tak Hai Jaan is now online:Ishq Shaava ! Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZHR_5ActLk

RJG Song Ratings of Jab Tak Hai Jaan Album

Challa - 3.5/5

Saans - 2.5/5
Ishq Shaava - 3.5/5
Heer - 3.5/5

Jiya Re - 4.5/5
Jab Tak Hai Jaan - 5/5
Saans (Reprise) - 4.5/5
Ishq Dance - 3/5
JTHJ Poem - 4.5/5

Overall =3.5/5

How would you rate the songs?Did you enjoy the album?

PA 4 makes a poor debut for the Paranormal Series

1-As expected Paranormal Activity 4 topped the box office but it was considerably lower than what the producers hoped for.PA4 made $29million in its first week ,comparatively PA2 & PA3 made $40million and $52million on debut (PA1 was a limited release opening).Such a decline can be connected to PA4's poor critical response (27% ,lowest rating of the series) and lack of novelty in the story.But the movie is already a hit considering its budget is just $5million and Paramount studios are getting ready to make PA5 ,scheduled for 2013.

2-In second place ,Argo made $16million which is a strong hold over the box office considering the subject & timing of the movie.

3-Taken 2 made it to #3 with $13.2million.The action thriller has so far made $106million domestically in a worldwide collection of $281million.The sequel has already overtaken Taken in worldwide collections.

4-Hotel Transylvania made another strong weekend collection of $13million.The animated movie has already made $187million worldwide.

5-This weeks other new release ,Alex Cross ,flopped making just $11.4million.The movie was received with poor negative reviews ,13%.

This week we have 4 new releases competing for the top spot, as PA4 wont be holding on for too long.My pick of the week will definitely be:-
Cloud Atlas:"Directed by the Wachowski Bros" (creators of the Matrix), might not have its charm as it did before (after duds like Speed Racer ,and productions like Ninja Assassin) ,but early reviews are praising their latest movie ,Cloud Atlas.Starring Tom Hanks & a bunch of star studded cast ,the movie has been getting excellent reviews and is said to have redeemed the Wachowskis!Dont miss it!

My second pick will be Silent Hill 2:Revelation.Even though it might not get critical praise,the trailers look as if it will definitely keep the fans of the PC game (on which the movie is adapted) happy.

Fun Size is the 3rd new release.Starring current teen sensation ,Victoria Justice ,the movie is seems to be a kiddish version of Hangover .It might be a good movie for the kids and family crowd ,but ill wait for the DVD.

The 4th release is Chasing Mavericks.ive never heard of this movie before ,but it stars Gerard Butler and is about surfing.Give it a miss or wait for the reviews.

Iron Man 3 trailer

The first full trailer of Iron Man 3 is now online.Set to release on May 2013,Robert Downey returns as the superhero along with Ben Kinsley who plays the villain Mandarin.

Trailer #1

Teaser Poster for Iron Man 3

R.I.P Yash Chopra (1932-2012)

One of Bollywoods' greatest director ,Yash Chopra passed away today at around 6pm ,21October 2012.Yash Chopra had been admitted on October 13.He had dengue and died of multiple organ failure.He was 80 years old.
Yash Chopra has directed a great number of memorable movies such as Deewar ,Silsila ,Chandni ,Lamhe ,Darr ,Dil To Pagal Hai ,Veer-Zaara and many more.His last directorial venture Jab Tak Hai Jaan ,starring Shahrukh was set for release next month on November 13 2012.

Jiya Re - Music video from JTHJ

The third music video for Jab Tak Hai Jaan has been released.Featuring Anushka Sharma & Shahrukh ,the song is called Jiya Re.

Whats your opinion of the soundtrack of JTHJ as of now?Did AR Rahman strike a chord once again or is it a miss?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdOumVBRKp8

Posters for Carrie ,Iron Man 3 ,Carrie

Poster for The Worlds End.Directed by Edgar Wright ,the movie stars Simon Pegg & Nick Frost (the team behind Hot Fuzz & Shaun of the Dead) and will be released on 25 October 2013.

First look of the IronMan 3 Poster!

Carrie is the remake of the 1976 movie.The story is based on Stephen King's novel Carrie ,which is about a teenage girl who is bullied by her classmates which results to some unexpected events.Starring Chloe Moretz the movie is set for release in 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Ra9EEIGLg

TDKR Bluray Trailer

 

When it comes to trailers,TDKR definitely is 2012's winner!Heres an awesome trailer for the bluray edition of TDKR releasing on December 4th.The pack includes tonnes of extra features which includes upto 3hrs of bonus materials!! Will you be watching the epic finale again?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtsDtEkVGrw

New Pics from Jab Tak Hai Jaan

 

----click to see more----

The Raid:Redemption (2012)

[brutal & intense - an unforgettable action movie]

The Raid:Redemption (2012) - (Indonesia)
IMDB- 7.7
Rottentomatoes- 84
RJG Rating- 95

A SWAT team raid a building owned by a notorious crime lord.

Starring- Iko Uwais
Director- Gareth Evans

The first thing i would like to say about Raid is ,not to judge it just because its Indonesian.

Raid is mainly led by Iko Uwais(Rama) and Joe Taslim(Sgt.Jaka).Both give solid acting amidst all the action sequences.Ray Sahetapy (Taha) plays the villain ,and he too gives a menacing performance.Theres also a strong supporting cast that doesnt disappoint.But the acting department is not its highlight.

Its main and foremost highlight is the gut wrenching action scenes.While we maybe used with the martial arts from China,Japan and Korea ,Raid 's style of fighting is innovative and keeps the viewer on edge at ALL times.Right from the start its action,action and more action.

The uniqueness is not the story ,but the way its presented.Raid has a simple story at its core and its twists and turns arent quite unpredictable.But for an all out action movie ,this is satisfactory.But one letdown was the climax.While it doesnt spoil or slow the movie in any way , i wasnt very impressed with it.

Direction by Gareth is excellent.While the story might not have enough bones to support the movie , Gareth builds up a great setting for the story.His style of presentation gives the movie the edge and the intensity it needed.The pacing of the movie is tight from the first scene to the very end.

Music from Linkin Park adds to the intensity factor of the movie.Its just too good.Fans of the band will definitely love it.

Overall ,Raid is one of the BEST action movie of ALL TIME.If you love some great fight sequences and some brilliant action set sequences ,this is one movie you must not miss!A slight warning ,this movie is not for the faint hearted.

Acting- 4/5
Story- 4/5
Direction- 5/5
Action- 5/5
Thriller- 5/5

Taken 2 dominates once again despite competition

1-Taken 2 kept its reign at the box office with a second weekend haul of $22.5million.The Liam Neeson action flick ,despite being panned by many critics is having a great reaping at the box office.It has made $86million domestically and a solid $132million overseas in just 2 weeks.

2-Ben Affleck's Argo settled for second spot ,debuting with $20million.Affleck has made yet another critical gem with Argo.Its rated at 94% and has already made early Oscar buzz.

3-The horror flick ,Sinister ,debuted at #3 with $18.2million.The movie which stars Ethan Hawke has got above average reviews and is rated at 65%.The movie is expected to drop soon with Paranormal Activity 4 releasing next week.

4-Hotel Transylvania had another good week ,making $17.3million in its third week.The animated movie has already made $102million domestically.

5-Kevin James' Here Comes The Boom ,made a poor start ,making just $12million.While the movie might have got mixed reviews (other than the universally panned movies he stars in) ,the audience seem to have grown tired to whatever Kevin James stars in.The movie has a rating of 43% and is expected to flop.

Another new release of the week was 7 Psychopaths.It made just $4.2million and has flopped ,even though its been getting positive reviews.Its rated at 84%.

This week we have 2 new movies ,Alex Cross & Paranormal Activity 4.Even though the Paranormal Series hasnt managed to repeat the critical success of the first movie ,the sequels have made large bundles of cash for the producers.
So ill rather wait for the DVD than see PA4 at the movies.My pick this week will be last weeks release Argo.

LOTR : The Return Of The King (2003)

[a truly epic finale to an amazing trilogy]

The Lord Of The Rings : The Return Of The King (2003)
IMDB- 8.9 (Top 250 : #9)
Rottentomatoes- 94%
RJG Rating- 100

The final battle for Middle Earth begins ,while Frodo & Sam move closer to the end of their journey.

Starring- Elijah Wood,Ian McKellen,Viggo M,Sean Astin,Orlando B,John Rhys,Andy Serkis,Miranda O,Billy B, Dominic M.
Director- Peter Jackson

FOTR started off as an adventure ,Two Towers was a preparation for battle while ROTK is an all out battle.The entrire trilogy was headed towards this part ,and what a finale it is.

While Frodo,Sam & Gollum lead the way as usual ,the main characters that got highlight were Merry & Pippin played by Billy & Dominic.Both proved that they need not be always paired together to give good performances.Viggo ,Orlando ,John Rhys and Ian McK give good supporting roles.Elijah ,Sean & Andy Serkis give excellent performances.

Unlike the previous two installments,ROTK directly moves ahead to the epic battle.Theres a constant thrill and action and the subplots didnt slowen the pace like it did in Two Thrones.ROTK is also the longest of the 3 ,the extended edition being more than 4hrs long!But its all worth it.The story is dense and the various sub plots are neatly presented.The long epilogue gives off the feeling of wraping up the long novel LOTR is.The motivating war speeches will send a chill up your spine.

Peter Jackson succeeded in bringing such a large tale as LOTR ,to the viewers.His direction in ROTK is perfect ,and just like the previous 2 movies ,his dedication and hardwork can be seen in every scene.While its easy to mistake the series as an allout action movie ,Peter has embedded the movie with enough heart.He manages to capture almost all genres within the series.

ROTK was perfect in all its departments.Music,Visual Effects,Editing and so on.The technical aspects of the movie are spot on.An unusual specialty of the movie is that its the only series in history to be written and shot simultaneously.

On release ,the movie was a blockbuster hit.The anticipation for the finale of LOTR pushed the movie to make more than $1billion worldwide ,thus becoming only the second movie to make more a billion dollars (the first being Titanic).ROTK was loved by the critics and was among the Top 10 lists of many critics.

Peter Jackson and crew were rewarded for their work when they bagged all 11 awards it was nominated for at the Academy Awards,thus tying with legendary movies such Ben Hur & Titanic for most Oscars won.Till date ,its the most successful movie in Academy Award history (11/11).

Overall,ROTK wraps up the tale of the numerous characters and gives LOTR the intense climax it deserved.Its a must watch for movie lovers.Watching all 3 parts is an experience not to be missed !

Acting- 5/5
Story- 5/5
Direction- 5/5
Action- 5/5
Drama- 5/5
Suspense- 5/5
Visual Effects- 5/5


Academy Award-Oscars
Won-- 11
Best Film
Best Director - Peter Jackson
Best Adapted Screenplay -Peter Jackson ,Fran Walsh ,Philippa Boyens
Best Film Editing
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Makeup
Best Music ,Original Score -Howard Shore
Best Music ,Original Song - "Into the West" by Fran Walsh,Howard Shore,Annie Lennox
Best Sound Mixing
Best Visual Effects

News from Jab Tak Hain Jaan,Spiderman ,Skyfall and more

1-The second music video from Jab Tak Hain Jaan -Saans
www.youtube.com/watch?v=px7tG5PBAD4

2-Another superb trailer for Quentin's Django Unchained!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8CZKbDzP1E

3-The sequel to the Spiderman reboot -The Amazing Spiderman 2 may have Mary Jane Watson returning as a love interest for Peter Parker/Spiderman.While Mary Jane was the main love interest for Spidey in Sam Raimi's trilogy ,Gwen Stacy (played by Emma Stone) replaced Mary Jane in the 2012 reboot.Shailene Woodley (Descendants) is rumored for the role.

4-The first trailer for the Anthony Hopkins as the legendary director Alfred Hitchcock has been revealed.Directed by Sacha Gervasi ,the film follows The story behind the making of Hitchcock's famous Psycho.The film also stars Helen Mirren & Scarlett Johansson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT6e0bRbgU8

5-Community ,one of the best comedy shows still running ,has run into more bad luck.The show has been running into various sorts of trouble for the past couple of years.From the news of the cancellation of Season 3,to cutting Season 3 into half (both fortunately did not happen) ,by the end of Season 3 ,the creator Dan Harmon was fired.Now the latest news is that the debut of Season 4 is postponed from its October 19th date.Even though the show will hopefully return sometime in November ,it seems Season 4 might be the last.

6-A 7min preview of the soundtrack of Skyfall is now online.Check it out!
After Adele's brilliant theme ,Thomas Newmans Score doesnt disappoint!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mtFEITbTk8

7-The highly popular and loved comic strip,The Peanuts will make its big screen debut in 2015.Charles Schulz' (the creator of The Peanuts) son ,Craig Schulz will write the screenplay for the movie that will be produced by Fox Studios.The film will be directed by Steve Martino (Ice Age 4 ,Dr.Horton hears a Who).The movie will release on November 25 2015 to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the comic strip.

8-Posters
Les Miserables- https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=539996962693899
Gangster Squad- https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=539997179360544

LOTR : The Two Towers (2002)

[a perfect sequel to FOTR]

The Lord Of The Rings : The Two Towers (2002)
IMDB- 8.7 (Top 250 : #21)
Rottentomatoes- 96%
RJG Rating- 100

Frodo & Sam continue their journey towards Mordor.

Starring- Elijah Wood,Ian McKellen,Viggo M,Sean Astin,Orlando B,John Rhys,Andy Serkis
Director- Peter Jackson

The second movie of the LOTR trilogy gives more prominence to its supporting actors.Viggo,Orlando & John Rhys do a great job in the action sequences while Billy & Dominic (Merrin & Pippin) give a much needed comic touches.Elijah's role takes a darker turn while Sean continues to give excellent support acts.

But the show stealer was definitely Andy Serkis as Gollum.Motion capture tech was used to convert Andy's performance into Gollum ,and this was an important milestone in CGI history.Andy gives a fantastic performance & gives Gollum the perfect dual natured character it needed.

Two Towers directly continues from where it left off at the end of FOTR.Its much longer than its predecessor and follows 3 parallel stories of the disbanded Fellowship (Aragorn,Legolas & Gimli defending Rohan; Frodo,Sam& Gollum's trip to Mordor ;Merry & Pippin's meeting with the Ents).The extended version runs for more than 3 and a half hours ,and it does feel a bit stretched at some places.While Jackson does an incredible job in adapting the tale ,Two Towers does get a bit boring in the middle.With Aragorn & Frodo's exciting tales ,the slow parts (ex:Ent's entire story),drags the pace of the movie.But this is just a minor flaw.

All is compensated by the final battle of Two Towers -Battle for Helm's Deep.The action packed battle is a fitting climax and is considered to be one of the best battle sequences in movie history.

Jackson & crew continues their excellent work throughout Two Towers.The movie brings back the world they introduced in the first part and expands it beautifully.From the presentation to the epic battles ,the movie works beautifully.The CGI creation Gollum ,is still a standard for motion capture technology used later in movies such as Avatar & Rise Of the Planet Of the Apes.

On release ,Two Towers was appreciated worldwide and collected $926million worldwide.

Overall,Jackson has delivered another classic and a worthy sequel to FOTR.

Acting- 5/5
Story- 4.5/5
Direction- 5/5
Action- 5/5
Drama- 5/5
Visual Effects- 5/5

Academy Award-Oscars

Nominated-- 4
Best Film
Best Film Editing
Best Art Direction
Best Sound

Won-- 2
Best Sound Editing
Best Visual Effects

Taken 2 makes a grand debut ,while Frankenweenie flops

1-The sequel to Liam Neeson's Taken ,made twice the amount its predecessor made in its debut.Taken 2 opened strongly with $50million even though the movie has got negative reviews from critics,Taken 2 is currently rated 19% .but the audience reaction has been above average and the movie is rated at 7.3 at IMDB.The movie which has been made at a budget of $45million is already reaping heavy profits.In its first week overseas it has already made $67million.

2-Falling to second place Hotel Transylvania made $26.3million.This is a good hold considering the new releases this week.The animated movie has made a worldwide gross of $105million.

3-Pitch Perfect climbed to the 3rd spot after its limited release last week.The movie made $14.7million in its 2nd week.The movie has been greeted positively by the critics ,with many praising its cast and the musical numbers.the movie has a rating of 76% and is expected to have a good hold at the box office in the next couple of weeks.

4-At 4th place is the sci-fi movie ,Looper ,making $12.2million.The critically praised movie (94%) ,has already made $40million in the domestic market from a $30million budget.

5-Frankenweenie tanked on its opening debut making just $11.5million.The Tim Burton directed animated movie had tough competition at the box office especially from the last weeks Hotel Transylvania and this weeks action movie Taken 2.Added to this ,the movie is a stop motion pic, made entirely in black and white.This failed to draw the audience in.But the movie has pleased the critics and is said to be a loving and heartfelt movie with the usual Tim Burton touch.The movie is currently rated 85%.

October is a festival for horror movies ,and after the comic horrors such as Hotel Transylvania and Frankenweenie ,get ready for some truly chilling movies in the coming weeks.This week we have Argo,Seven Psychopaths ,Sinister and Here comes the Boom.

Its a tough choice but my pick will be Sinister.Sinister is a horror movie about a writer, who discovers a box of videos in his attic.The movie has got some excellent reviews and is initially rated at 83%.
My second choice will be Seven Psychopaths.The crime comedy movie is again about a writer ,who is struggling to write a movie screenplay.The movie is highly praised at the film festivals and is rated at 96%.
My third choice is Argo.Ben Affleck is in a golden roll as a director.After gaining critical acclaim for movies such as Gone Baby Gone and Town ,Affleck's Argo too is making the critics go 'wow'.The movie is a true story about a rescue operation of hostages captured in Iran.The movie is rated at 95%.
The movie i dont mind missing will be 'Here Comes the Boom'.Kevin James (Zookeeper,Dilemma,Mall Cop) is a horrible actor and after seeing the trailer of this one it seems hes trying to enter the drama territory.I suggest you skip this for now,wait for the critics & audience reaction first.

Whats your pick & did you see Taken 2 ?

Hobbit Banners

Hobbit Banners

Christian Bale in David Russel's next project

Christian Bale will star in David O Russel's next movie ,which was called American Bullshit (but at present its untitled).The movie will reunite Bale with his Fighter co-star Amy Adams.Also joining them will be Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker) & Bradley Cooper (Hangover).

Heres a short synopsis:
The film is a true story in which Bale plays a con-artist ,who along with his partner (Amy) are forced to work with a Federal Agent (Cooper) to nab other con artists.Renner,plays a major role as a Mayor of a poor town.

LOTR : The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

[the start to an amazing journey]

The Lord Of The Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
IMDB- 8.8 (Top 250 : #13)
Rottentomatoes- 92%
RJG Rating- 100

A hobbit,undertakes a journey that would decide the fate of Middle Earth.

Starring- Elijah Wood,Ian McKellen,Viggo M,Sean Astin,Sean Bean
Director- Peter Jackson

Fellowship Of the Ring is the first part of the most epic trilogy of all time- The Lord Of The Rings.The trilogy ,directed by Peter Jackson is the adaptation of JRR Tolkien's books of the same name.

The cast were lesser known actors back in 2001.Elijah Wood played the main lead ,Frodo ,while Ian McKellan played Gandalf and Viggo Mortenson played Aragorn.The shooting for LOTR was done at one continuous stretch ,for almost one and a half years.The movie also boasts of a large supporting cast ,all of which have major roles to play.The acting from all of them was outstanding.While much of the supporting cast dont have much scenes to shine in the FOTR;Elijah ,Sean Austin (Samwise) ,Ian Mckellan and Viggo give excellent performances.The bonding between the cast is so powerful that it really enhances the movie and makes a stronger connection with the viewers.

Being a large fantasy novel ,LOTR has plenty of subplots and an equally big history within its story.So Peter Jackson had to cut down much of the novel to restrict the movies into 3-4 hour movies each.Many stories and characters that had little to nothing to do with Frodo's journey was cut off.
For those who havnt read the novel ,this isnt much noticeable since Peter has done a fantastic job in presenting the shorter version.Each of the 3 movies are an epic tale in itself.FOTR is a beautiful story that not only tells the beginning of the journey but also show some great character development.
FOTR is more of an adventurous tale compared to the battle oriented Two Towers & Return of the King (LOTR 2 & 3).Out of the 3 ,FOTR stands out as a much more peaceful movie.
The starting comparatively runs in a slow pace but it picks up speed within 40 min.

Peter Jackson's hard work and dedication to the project is very evident while seeing the 3 movies.With LOTR he has certainly earned his spot among the great directors of all time.FOTR is a 3.5 hr long movie (Extended Version) , and Peter has shown some truly amazing stuff within this span of time.

Another strong pillar of LOTR are the gorgeous cinematography.It too is among the best.Capturing the lush green fields and the enormous mountains of faraway and blending this much beauty into a story such as LOTR is just outstanding.Such beauty is definitely a feast for the eyes.The beauty of New Zealand is something you wont be forgetting very soon once youve seen LOTR.

Music of FOTR is again great.Howard Shore captures the fantasy elements of the LOTR world.From the peaceful tunes of the Shire to the quite symphonies of the Elves to the war cries of Mordor ,everything hits the mark.

Being a fantasy tale ,LOTR required some good amounts of CGI and other visual effects.The CGI is perfect and doesnt go overboard.The vast armies and exotic cinematography is wonderfully blended into the real world.
But Jackson's choice for illusions rather than CGI makes LOTR even more special in the history of moviemaking.Much of the movie is an illusion played on the viewers.The size difference between hobbits (short dwarf sized people) and wizards (tall people) and other races may seem nothing great while watching the movie ,but its mind bending when you actually know that all the main actors are normal sized people on a set that is made in such a way as to fool the eye.
But this is just one of the tricks Peter Jackson conjures.In Two Towers he introduces a character that will set the standards for CGI even a decade after LOTR!

On release ,FOTR earned worldwide praise for its style and presentation and for the adaptation of such a large novel and was an instant blockbuster earning more than $870million worldwide.

FOTR sets the grand stage for the next two epic movies ,but it remains an unforgettable adventurous experience.A must watch.

Acting- 4.5/5
Story- 5/5
Direction- 5/5
Action- 5/5
Drama- 5/5
Visual Effects- 5/5

Academy Award-Oscars

Nominated-- 9
Best Film
Best Director - Peter Jackson
Best Supporting Actor - Ian McKellan
Best Adapted Screenplay -Peter Jackson ,Fran Walsh ,Philippa Boyens
Best Film Editing
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Music ,Original Song - "May It Be" by Enya,Nicky & Roma Ryan
Best Sound

Won-- 4
Best Cinematography -Andrew Lesnie
Best Visual Effects
Best Makeup
Best Music ,Original Score -Howard Shore

Skyfall Theme Song

The full version of the Theme Song from the new James Bond movie ;Skyfall has been released.Sung by Adele ,its been garnering praise from all the fans.Check it out,its just superb!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HKoqNJtMTQ

Arrested Development Season 4

Photoshoot of the cast of Season 4 of Arrested Development.Great to see the Bluth Family back !!

Fresh news from the Entertainment world.

1-With 2012 entering into its final quarter ,studios are preparing to release trailers of some of the most anticipated movies.And one such anticipated movie is Iron Man 3.The final movie of the Iron Man Series (i think) will also begin the Marvel Phase Two Movie series ,and will ultimately end with Avengers 2 in 2015.The first trailer/teaser for Iron Man 3 is coming out on October 23.Do check this page on the 23rd!

2-A preview of the Skyfall theme music sung by Adele is now online! Do check it out ,its damn good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnfiUiwCQLU

3-The second trailer for Lincoln was released just before the US Presidential Debates.The trailer is just awesome ! A must watch.It looks as if Lincoln has a strong chance of sweeping the Oscars.Lincoln releases on November 9 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_PfTl63qQQ

4-Trailer for the upcoming Seth Rogen comedy ,The Guilt Trip released its first full trailer.The film is about an inventor who goes on a long trip with his mother,played by Barbra Striesand.The film is directed by Anne Fletcher (director of Step Up,Proposal) and is set to release on December 25 2012.Does it look interesting?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FMQLzOq1i4

5-Check out this trailer for the BluRay release of the ENTIRE James Bond Series.The package includes almost 2hrs of Bonus Material.This is to mark the 50 years of the James Bond series.Any die hard fans of James Bond out there?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oHHtLj3Kjg

6-Are you good at riddles or wish to check out out some?The Hobbit has revealed a part of its website that features a selection of riddles.Give it a visit,or send it some of your own riddles!

http://apps.warnerbros.com/thehobbit/riddles/us/

7-The trailer for the upcoming comedy Movie 43 has been unveiled.The movie is directed by more than 10 directors (Peter Farrelly,Brett Ratner,James Gunn and more) and stars a very large star studded cast ,that includes Halle Berry,Kristen Bell,Gerard Butler ,Huge Jackman ,Emma Stone and plenty more.
The movie is composed of 25 short comedy segments.The movie is set for release on January 25 2013.Anyone interested? (*Just for your info ,the trailer is Rated R)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9OTiI0vXi0

8-Another anticipated movie is the Johnny Depp starrer ,The Lone Ranger.Directed by Gore Verbinski (PiratesOTC trilogy) ,the movie stars Armie Hammer as the Ranger and Johnny Depp as his sidekick Tonto.The trailer looks good but i dont think the movie might be a success,especially since the crowd puller (Johnny Depp), is a supporting actor and looks set to steal the show from the lesser known Armie.

trailer-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DU-qZP014I
poster-https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=536607539699508

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

[a half baked yet good movie]

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)
IMDB- 6.4
Rottentomatoes- 64%
RJG Rating- 65

Tom & Suzie decide to get married,but could waiting for the right moment drive them apart?

Starring- Jason Segal ,Emily Blunt
Director- Nicholas Stoller

From the director of Forgetting Sarah Marshall ,comes yet another romantic movie starring and written by Jason Segal.

Jason Segal is the perfect actor for the role.He is much experienced with these kind of roles and he doesnt disappoint even a bit.Actually ,he carries the entire movie by himself.Emily Blunt ,on the other hand ,is not so experienced in romantic comedies as Segal ,and it does show.She does her best ,but just doesnt match up with Segal.But both have great chemistry together.The supporting actors are wasted.Alison Brie is ok ,but not enough room is given for her character.Chris Pratt's role is uneven.

The story for 5YE is a good concept but just like the story tries to convey ,stretching an idea can lead to problems.The story is fresh but goes stale towards the end.It switches off the entire comedy in between and goes for a predictable storyline ,but the ending wrapped the movie in the same light hearted manner with which it started off.

While i loved Forgetting Sarah Marshall ,i wasnt impressed with Get Him to The Greek ,and now with 5YE ,Nicholas Stoller still hasnt proved whether he can deliver a movie good as ForgettingSM.The movie is sort of uneven.It had a great comic start but towards the middle it starts to drag and gets boring.Fortunately ,things get interesting towards the end and the movie signs off on a romantic note.

Overall ,5YE is a funny, romantic movie ,but is a onetime watch.

Acting- 3.5/5
Story- 2.5/5
Direction- 2.5/5
Romance- 4/5
Comedy- 3.5/5
Drama- 3/5

Challa -First Music Video from JTHJ

The first music video from JTHJ -Challa has been released.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q5duWVfDJo
SRK is just superb in it, but i wasnt completely impressed with the song.What do you think?

Hotel Transylvania books the top spot ,Looper takes 2nd spot

1-The animated flick ,Hotel Transylvania made a solid $43million ,which is the highest debut for a movie opening in September.The movie which is led by comedy star ,Adam Sandler ,got mixed reviews,saying the movie is enjoyable for the kids ,it wont please the older audiences.Its currently rated at 43%.

2-Looper opened with $21.2 million.While this is not a bad start , it isnt very great either.The science fiction movie has been garnering excellent reviews and is currently rated at 93%.The movie has been praised for its fresh concept and for its action sequences.This is also Joseph Gordon's 3rd critically praised movie of 2012 (The Dark Knight Rises,Premium Rush,Looper).With upcoming movies such as Lincoln & Django Unchained ,Joseph is on one heck of a ride.

3-End Of Watch made its way to #3 with $8million.The cop thriller has made $26million so far domestically.

4-Baseball drama ,Trouble With the Curve made $7.5million in its 2nd week.The Clint Eastwood starrer has got mixed reviews so far.

5-House at The End of Street dropped to 5th spot earning $7.1million.The horror movie had opened to negative reviews and has so far earned $22million.

Debuting at #6 was Pitch Perfect ,a movie about a college singing group ,starring Anna Kendrick.Although it opened in limited theaters it managed to make $5.2million ,a solid collection for such a limited opening.The movie has been getting good reviews and is rated at 73%.
But the same couldnt be said for 'Wont Back Down'.The movie made $2.7million in its first week,making it the second worst opening for a wide release movie (opening in more than 2500 screens).The movie has got negative reviews and is rated at 35%.

There are some major movies that will battle for the top spot this week.
Tim Burton's animated movie ,Frankenweenie is said to be a good movie ,with an initial score of 77%.
But my pick of the week ,and potential blockbuster is definitely Taken 2.Liam Neeson returns for the sequel.But just like its predecessor, Taken 2 has got some very negative reviews.Its currently at 8% !But i loved the first part and would certainly like to see if the sequel stands upto the high expectations.