Armand's Arena

Curious Case of Arsenal and Barcelona - In the similarities lie the solution

2009-08-04T05:17:00.000-07:00

A true case of Benjamin Button - Arsenal seem to be Barcelona ageing backwards. The resemblance is striking and with the only difference being the difference of age. And by resemblance I don't just mean style of play, I also mean choice of players and the youth academy setup. Of course our Spanish counterparts are significantly more flamboyant in the transfer market, but a lot of that is also attributed to the fact that Spain's tradition of soccer, mandates a certain flashiness.

Lets start with the defense. Mind you, the comparisons are purely personal and any criticism is always welcomed:
Victor Valdes and Almunia are in my book on common ground as goalkeepers. Brilliant on their day but have sudden costly lapses of concentration.
In Puyol and Pique, Barca have a great CB combination. Puyol is an excellent marksman and commands the backline well, and Pique with his height provides crucial set piece clearance. Now Arsenal have recruited Vermaelen who from the looks of it is supposed to have some level of commanding ability what with his history of having captained Ajax, but we still lack height which neither Gallas nor Silvestre bring to the table.
In the fullback positions they have Eric Abidal and Dani Alves, both of whom are matched if not surpassed by Arsenal fullbacks in the form of Clichy and Sagna. Whats more, even their replacements Gibbs and Traore are as influential and gifted as the current first team regulars.

In the defensive midfielder role, Barca have Yaya Toure who is a technically gifted, strong tackler of the ball who is valuable in set pieces because of his height. He also tracks back a lot and has a stong working rate and stamina. Arsenal's Alexander Song in this case is not really the best competiton to Yaya's abilities. He does not have the skill (though he has shown improvement) to match Yaya and neither is he as fluent a tackler.
As far as the Guardiola role or the provider role goes, I think Cesc is a more than an able competitor and oft considered suitor for Xavi's role. I do not mean he is as good as Xavi was the last season. I only mean that he has every potential to be just that.
Similarly, Rosicky, Nasri or even Wilshere have the potential to be as good as if not better than Iniesta, who has surpassed himself in the last season.

Now as far as the attack is concerned, my next statement might raise several eyebrows, but in my humble opinion, I do think that Arshavin has just the right skill, intent and personality to surpass the great Lionel Messi. Make no mistake, I hold Messi in very high regard. However, someone who achieved all of what Arshavin did last year without a complete pre season, and to have held an unbeaten record in all games in which he has played from the start, deserves that level of faith, atleast from a Gunner fan.

Which brings me to the ex Arsenal legend Henry, and I do believe that there is nobody, not only in Arsenal but in the entire world, who can replace him. Honestly, this is one position which even Barca have trouble filling in when Titi himself is injured. Case in point the disastrous away game with Chelsea (where his crucial role of opportunity creation in the D box was played by the referee). However, in Eduardo, Van Persie or even Carlos Vela we have the next best players. I do know of a certain Dutch international who statistically, appearance-wise and gameplay wise seems to be Henry's heir apparent, but I shall not whisper his name here.

Finally, as a central striker Ibrahimovic is powerful, holds the ball well, has great skill and a superb final touch. Bendtner...hmm not quite there yet, and I dont know whether he ever will be. However what I do know is that Wenger is showing great faith in him. I do feel though that this position is up for grabs and there should atleast be another potentially competent player if not a proven one, to give Arsenal options if Wenger's faith is a little if not entirely misplaced on Bendtner.

So a tall CB, a tall, hard tackling DMF and an aerially powerful and technically sound striker are what we need to be the next European powerhouse. For as good as Barca maybe..... they will never have Arsene Wenger.... And this season we go to whatever end he may take us........ For in Wenger we will always trust.

Batman Arkham Asylum Demo Trailer

2009-08-04T04:02:00.000-07:00

(Sniff)... Its beautiful....

4 Great Movies You Will Never See This Year

2009-08-03T23:57:00.000-07:00

Summer Blockbuster season is approaching an end... Which for a movie buff like me is the best time for blogging, as now is the time when most of the blockbusters for next year start releasing teasers and virals and also the contenders for the year's Oscars start releasing trailers...

A lot of the journalists from the movie industry also consider this the most interesting part of their work schedules, as this is when phantom whispers of movies from Blockbuster paradise start garnering volume.... Ridley Scott to direct the Alien prequel, Steven Spielberg to direct the remake of Harvey, Futurama's coming back from the dead and what not.

Well anyways as a prelude to the inevitable list of blockbuster trailers, here's a look at some of the best movies releasing this summer, you might never hear of:

Not Quite Hollywood

The story of Oz Movies.... Their unbelievable overdose of grotesque, stereotypes, nudity and above all car explosions became inspirational for a number of Hollywood's biggest stars including Quentin Tarantino who is also a part of this film.

An Unlikely Weapon

A documentary film narrated by Kiefer Sutherland about Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Eddie Adams, the man who shot the iconic snap of police chief General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan executing a Vietcong prisoner, Nguyễn Văn Lém, on a Saigon street, on February 1, 1968, during the opening stages of the Tet Offensive.

Still Walking

For those of you who know Hirokazu Koreeda, this, according to me, is his best flick till date. For those who don't you might want to check out Hana, After Life or Nobody Knows before you decide on whether you would want to continue on this Odyssey of beautiful, light hearted and yet powerfully profound cinema.

Brothers

Stars Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman and Jake Gylenhall and is directed by Jim Sheridan (In America, My Left Foot and also the infamous get Rich or Die Tryin') is a world war story of 2 brothers who are as alike as chalk and cheese, and the trials faced by the family as one goes off to war.

Trailers for the next Martin Scorcese film - Shutter island

2009-08-03T23:36:00.001-07:00

The new film stars Leonardo DeCaprio, Mark Ruffalo and Sir Ben Kingsley. Plot synopsis courtesy IMDB.com...

'It's 1954, and up-and-coming U.S. marshal Teddy Daniels is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Boston's Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital. He's been pushing for an assignment on the island for personal reasons, but before long he wonders whether he hasn't been brought there as part of a twisted plot by hospital doctors whose radical treatments range from unethical to illegal to downright sinister. Teddy's shrewd investigating skills soon provide a promising lead, but the hospital refuses him access to records he suspects would break the case wide open. As a hurricane cuts off communication with the mainland, more dangerous criminals "escape" in the confusion, and the puzzling, improbable clues multiply, Teddy begins to doubt everything - his memory, his partner, even his own sanity.'

Trailer looks very much like a slasher-horror-thriller flick which is shocking coming from Scorsese. Well atleast we can rest assured that this is not his attempt at a remake of 'The Great Gatsby'. 'Nuff said... enjoy the trailer...

Footage of Samir Nasri's Injury in Training

2009-08-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

As most of you are already aware of this piece of information, Nasri has been sidelined for the next 6 weeks (atleast) due to a fracture incurred during training in Waltersdorf. What you might not have seen is the footage of him getting injured by Abou Diaby....

Where Should Wenger Recruit Forces?

2009-08-02T23:57:00.001-07:00

Let us first consider Arsenal's current line up before we jump into who might or might not come in. This is primarily based on the current position of these players and not where they can or intended or are naturally to be played:

GK: Almunia/Fabianski/Vito Mannone

RB:Sagna/Eboue CB:Vermaelen/Gallas/Djorou/Senderos LB:Clichy/Gibbs/Traore

DM:Song/Denilson/Diaby

LM:Walcott/Nasri/CM:Fabregas/Wilshere/Ramsey RM:Arshavin/Rosicky

SS:Van Persie/Vela

Striker: Eduardo/Bendtner

Now, to analyse what Arsenal really needs as means, let us clarify to what end. In my opinion, if all of these players start this season, without injuries, we almost have enough depth to challenge for the Premier League title. Why? Because with Arshavin's arrival, the team found a much needed proven goal scorer and a winner in the mould of the great Dennis Bergkamp. Since his arrival, Arsenal lost just one game in the premier league to Chelsea (a game in which coincidentally he did not play).

Now my assumption is that the team is only going to improve in the next season, with Eduardo, Van Persie and Walcott all scoring more goals than before. Additionally, Bendtner will also come into the foray. Also, Song has already shown tremondous improvement and will only improve further. Thus, all will be right with the world and humanity will survive and Arsenal will be title winners. Sounds Utopic indeed, however there is a small matter of a what if?

What if, Diaby, Song, Denilson and Djorou remain on status quo or even worsen? What if Eduardo and Rosicky along with the now injured Nasri remain an injury prone lot? What if Vermaelen was a mistake.. especially since his lack of height is also a point of contention what with our existing vulnerability in set-pieces? This season, there are too many such glaring questions which cannot be left unanswered. And with depth being such a contentious issue already with the Arsenal side, we must recruit.

Now that we have established the 'why', let us consider the 'how'. Arsene has always mantained a neat balance of books with his proceeds from sales always exceeding his cost of purchases. So far Arshavin and Vermaelen are the only purchases this year, bringing their combined cost to somehwere around 27 million pounds. On the sales of Adebayor and Toure he has made 40 million pounds. Which provides him with 13 million pounds, along with another 5 million from the sale of Senderos which I personally think is inevitable as neither Arsene wants him to stay and neither is Senderos intending to extend his time in the Emirates. This gives us a combined number of 18 million pounds. Now I personally would love to be proven wrong here but I dont think he is spending anything more than this.

Finally, let us have a look at the positions where we need to add muscle. On the attacking midfielders front, I think we have a spectacular lot, and with Wilshere showing promise in the pre season, we really do not need to worry here. Almost all of the lot can play well with both their feet as well, so a problem on one flank can be replaced with solutions from the other. Arshavin and Nasri already do this during games to disarm defenders.

We have a brilliant bunch of second strikers as well in the form of Vela, Van Persie and Eduardo along with Arshavin and Walcott, both of whom have expressed a desire to play through the centre. In defence, I think we have 5 of the best right and left backs in the world in the form of Eboue, Sagna, Clichy, Gibbs and Traore. I really hope that Arsene does not give away Eboue, because even though he might not be first choice, he is still breathtaking on a good day and is a great super sub.

Our fullbacks are questionable due to their lack of height, however, Vermaelen has been praised by Bergkamp and has also captained the Ajax side, making him a very promising prospect. Also Djorou is brilliant in flashes; A little consistency could take him a long way. With Gallas and Song as additional forces, I think we can await till January to take a call on whether or not reinforcements are needed.

Now come the two areas where I personally (and the rest of the Gunners) think immediate attention is required: The positions of the defending midfielder and holding striker. Now as much as we might have faith in both these departments, the existing bunch have not shown enough reason for us to show great faith in them.

In the DM role Song has improved in his tackling, but is very inconsistent with his passes. Diaby and Denilson to me are both more of Fabregas with less in passing and more in tackling briliance as neither really prefer to stay back or retrace steps with as much vigour as a Gilberto or a Flamini. Thereby making this the most important of all poitions to be filled up.

Another important position which has a void is the striker's role. I personally think Bendtner can be a legend in the making and another holding striker's purchase would be an increment in depth and would make the position more competitive. But even if I were wrong, a strong holding striker, with a good temparament and good finishing skills will be a must. Someone who can power through defenders and has enough skill to not be caught offside all the time would be preferable.

Anyways thats my thought on the whys, whats and wheres..... Check back on the 'who-s' soon enough. I have a few theories and any comments prior to my penultimate article about Arsenal before the transfer season ends would be most welcome...

Is Robert Rodriguez's Machete Star Cast for Real??

2009-08-02T23:04:00.000-07:00

Danny Trejo (cult B movie star) plays the role of Machete.

The movie also reportedly stars:

Robert DeNiro
Michelle Rodriguez
Steven Seagal and
Lindsay Lohan

Machete, for all you Tarantno and Rodriguez fans out there is one of the several fake trailers which were shown in between the two Grindhouse movies. Here is the trailer...

After the Felipe Melo Fiasco... Can We Still Trust Wenger?

2009-08-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

The last couple of months have seen Arsenal being linked with no fewer than 78 players. I have noticed that Wenger's take on the transfer market often mirrors his own Utopic view on soccer. What I mean here is that he never rushes to substantiate or clarify any media rumours about any players which the team might be linked to, primarily to avoid embarassment for the player as well as for the club.

To corroborate this statement, consider the case of Felipe Melo: Arsenal were constantly linked with the player who finally made a switch to Juventus inspite of being on the Arsenal radar for a long time. The final switch was completed for over 22 million pounds. The media had not relented from perpetuating the newly corrupted version of the 'Wenger knows best' chant.

However was Arsene so off in his evaluation? Was his 12 million pound that bloody low? Felipe Melo was a year into his contract with Fiorentina and had gained popularity in the league due to his tough tackling methods. But was he a worldwide star yet? Not really. Was he atleast a proven midfield general? I don't think one great year makes you a star worth banking on. Who would know this better than Arsenal fans who have had oft touted examples of Adebayor, Hleb and Flamini. In fact, the reason for his global popularity were 2 things:

The Confederations Cup: Where he was actually playing the role of Fabregas, with Gilberto as his cover and
Arsene Wenger's interest in him.

For the first factor, even though I think he was good, his performance was not near as exemplary as, say, an Arshavin during the Euro, where he single handedly routed The Mighty Dutch. What in the world would make Melo cost more than Arshavin then?

The second factor is almost a trend now of all players rumoured with a link up with Arsenal becoming overnight stars. As testmonial, here is a look at something I got off Google Trends

On the 10th of June when Goal.com reported that Arsenal were linked with Melo, search volumes on Melo in the online space, shoot up like there is no tomorrow.

Post the Confederation Cup, Fiorentina had him sign a one year contract to extend his tenure in the club which was little more than a farce - a sort of a charade to let everyone know that "Hey, I am happy here... But I am willing to move if the moneys are right". That was precisely when Wenger lost interest in Melo. In fact, my understanding is that the statement on the club website about Arsenal's proposed interest in Melo, was made long after Wenger had made the initial proposal.

Atleast the fact that Arsene did not respond to the circus playing itself out in Italy goes to show that he has a significant amount of Plan Bs, each of which are as good as the former if not better. And let us not forget, that Wenger has earmarked this year as the make or break season for his own philosophy. I personally think that after all the glory he has brought us, we can definitely give him atleast one more year for his project to play out.

Updates on Alien Prequel, Zack Snyder's Batman Dream

2009-08-02T11:55:00.001-07:00

Stark Industries is Recruiting.... Iron Man 2 New Viral

2009-08-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

Did not have the patience to fill this up... Do tell me whats on the other side of the submission.

Stark Industries Website

Seth Rogen on Jimmy Kimmel Getting Rejected by Megan Fox

2009-08-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

This is the funniest thing ever...Ha Ha.... Physically... PHYSICALLY stops me!! Ha ha..

Arsenal Defeats Rangers 3-0 to Retain Emirates Cup

2009-08-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

Wilshere steps up with 2 goals and the now almost mandatory Dudu goal to make it a 3-0 rout...

Updates on Batman 3 and Inception News

2009-08-01T23:36:00.000-07:00

From the looks of things work on the next in the Bat-series might begin 2010. By work I mean scripting, which translates into casting and production to be initiated by 2011 with the fim to be released in 2012. Gary Oldman spilt the beans on this peace of information in Comic Con 2009 (More on Comic Con here).

However writer David Goyer has jumped in to quell these rumours - "Right now, Chris is involved in filming Inception, and when he finishes that, he will turn his studious gaze back to the Bat universe and we'll see."

Now in my humble opinion that still means the same thing because Inception is due for launch on the 10th of June.

FYI, you should also be looking forward to Inception.... The film boasts a bad ass star cast of Leonardo DeCaprio, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, Cilian Murpy, Tom Berenger and Cilian Murphy..

New Sherlock Holmes Poster... Includes Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler

2009-08-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

Arsenal Atletico Madrid 2-1 Highlights

2009-08-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

Highlights of the game..... Jack Wilshere was MoM and Arshavin scored a brace. Check out Goal.coms player ratings here

Arsenal Defeats Atletico Madrid 2-1

2009-08-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

Check out this miraculous Arshavin goal tonight.. If there is a God.... He has to be short, Russian and definitely Arshavin. Stay posted for highlights...

Comic Con Trailer Debuts

2009-08-01T01:34:00.000-07:00

Some awesome new trailers which debuted at Comic Con:

The Book Of Eli

In order of how much I liked the trailers:

Ninja Assasin

Alice in Wonderland

Tron: Legacy

Some of the Best Stuff from Comic Con 2009

2009-07-31T22:10:00.000-07:00

Haven't really been there, but have been an ardent follower of the now cult event. Here is some of the really good stuff revealed at this year's Comic Con:

The next Batman movie starts filming in 2010. Gary Oldman slipped this in, but David Goyer the writer of the last 2 and supposedly the third one disagrees. But hey... I am a glass half full guy...
Edward James Olomos of Battlestar Galactica admits that there is one loose thread to the show... "Who left Odama the letter?"... No idea what this means... Am still stuck on the second season.
Peter Jackson giving a sneak preview of District 9... I must admit... The trailer looks bloody awesome and the movie is up for launch on the 13th of August woldwide.... Doesn't look like India might get to see it anytime soon, because its a "low budget B-grade flick".... Trust me the trailer puts all the movies spending millions of dollars on their CGI (read all Harry Potters and the unncessary post Cameron Terminators) to shame. Check it out for yourself..
Peter Jackson also revealed that the Hobbit script is gonna be ready in a couple of weeks. In addition, if the studio approved (like hell they wouldn't... Peter Jackson and Del Toro together = scripting heaven) casting would begin soon after. (Please God no Daniel Radcliffe... not even as a spot boy on set)
James Cameron's Avatar presentation, which from what Matt Goldberg says.. does not live up to the impossible hype, does not redefine cinema as we know it and does not cure all the disease of the world and does not give us 1000 years of peace and prosperity. However its still pretty damn good.
Timur Bekambetov confirmed that Wanted 2 is well on its way.
Trailer for 2012 looks amazing... Nobody destroys humanity like Roland Emmerich

New images of Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow and Mickey Rourke as Whiplash.

From Blog - Comic Con

Arsenal Pre Season Highlights

2009-07-30T02:54:00.000-07:00

Highlights of the 3 pre season games of Arsenal this summer. Not that one should read much into them, as this is the time for experimentation within the squad, I think the new 4-3-3 formation seems to compliment the way the squad is shaping up. Also Nacer Barazite, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Sanchez Watt look like a promising lot. This might very well be Bendtner's year.

Game 4: Hannover 96 vs. Arsenal - 0:1

A lone goal from Cesc Fabregas with a brilliant setup from Van Persie and Bendtner, and a decent performance overall.. Vermaelen seemed promising to me till this match though.... Watch him casually stroll the D Box in Hannover's first attempt at goal... Lame man.. totally lame...

Game No.3: Szombathelyi H. vs. Arsenal - 0:5

Spectacular stuff from Arsenal but this was a second division club from the Hungarian league. But Wilshere and Ramsey are looking bloody good, not to forget our very own Dudu.... who fired one hell of a brace. Bendtner clobbers in one hell of a header.

Game No. 2: SC Colombia vs. Arsenal - 1-7

7 goals with another 3rd division club. Nacer Barazite and Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Nicklas Bendtner are shaping up really well for next season.

Game No. 1: Barnet vs. Arsenal

Rosicky and Arshavin combining was enough for me to get goose bumps. Yes I have very low standards ;(

Summer 2009: The Transfer Story Thus Far....

2009-07-29T00:41:00.000-07:00

Well I have been busy the last few days.... Down with a crazy case of Bronchitis which got me nailed for weeks on end... The last few weeks have been all about recuperation with a lot of cardio vascular excercises.... However that is obviously not the reason why you are here... I could be blown to the Smithsonian for all you care so Ill get on with the news rightaways...

As most of you would know, Cristiano Ronaldo (from Man Utd.) and Kaka (AC Milan) have transferred to Real Madrid for a little under 140 million pounds. For some perspective on the sheer astronomicity of these numbers: The 4 most expensive transfers (prior to this mad season) of Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Hernan Crespo, Gianluigi Buffon combined is as much as these two transfers alone.

And just when one thought that the madness was over, Barcelona, European champions, who are supposedly far more conservative when it comes to spending have signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic for 60 million pounds (includes a part exchange deal for Samuel Eto).

Not to be left behind, the English have been crooning their love to players via Russian Rubles and Dirhams, making talks of recessionary times a thing of the past. Chelsea have bought the Russian winger (no shit!!) Yuri Zhirkov, who surprisingly so far has been their only transfer so far.

Man Utd. having made 80 mil on the Ronaldo sale have bought Luis Valencia from Wigan Athletic who is supposedly Ronaldo's heir apparent, and of course the coup of the summer... Michael Owen on a free transfer!!

Why this move is brilliant is because... Owen comes in with 2 seasons of injuries from Newcastle and Real Madrid.... However, he could transform into the goal stealing, defence embarrassing assasin which he was for Liverpool and then some.... and drive the intrinsically romantic story of the successful striker who fell from grace to only rise again from the ashes to its final dramatic climax!! If not, Ferguson has tied him to a performance based salary which could have him getting paid less than 1/3rd Rooney's pay packet if he does not pay back in goals the faith which Ferguson has shown in recruiting him; making this potentially, a win win situation for ManU.

And finally Sheikh Hughes's Man City having learnt their lessons from the embarassment of the Kaka tirade of last December have carefully avoided the Titans and have gone for potential Titans in the making. Don't get me wrong, no ways are they a talent spotting side that Arsenal are.... Instead Man City have made purchases of stars who have matured into strong players, but have not become prolific enough for them to be considered as good as the Ronaldos and the Kakas of the world. They have already bought strikers like Roque Santa Cruz, Carlos Tevez and Adebayor, a midfield general in the form of Gareth Barry and from the looks of it a centre back in the form of Kolo Toure.

Now a lot has been said about the mistake being made by Huges in buying only strikers. However, my personal opinion is that the wiley gaffer is satisfied with the depth in strike force and will now indulge in tons of defensive buys this summer to create a strong enough depth for the squad to challenge next year, not just for English but also European honours.... Now whether its the Europa Cup or the Champions League is what remains to be seen....

Among other important transfers this season Juventus has witnessed the return of the ageing Cannavaro from Real Madrid and have also sealed a deal with Felipe Melo of Fiorentina, which in my opinion has seriously set them up to challenge Inter for the Scudetto this year.

Thats the round up for the big transfer news.... Arsenal dissection will be a seperate post altogether.... This could very well be our year.. Till then ... Go Gunners!!!

More God of War 3 Trailers - includes exclusive ES 3 demo!!

2009-06-25T00:27:00.001-07:00

For the past 15 minutes or so I have been drooling - no literally drooling(dribble of spit has soaked through my jeans and is cooling the insides of my thigh) - over the God Of War 3 trailers available in Youtube... Damn game is up for grabs only by March 2010.

Anyways... here are some of the coolest ones I saw.... Additionally for some of the older trailers click here

Game Trailer

God of War 3 - E3 2009 Demo

Here is the plot stolen from Wikipedia:

God of War III takes place right after the events of God of War II, with Kratos upon Gaia's back eager to exact vengeance on the gods and make them "suffer". The whereabouts of the Blade of Olympus is unknown, even though Kratos had been wielding the blade at the ending of God of War II. Little information has been released on the battle between the Gods and Titans that will explain the end of Greek Mythology.[7] A more recent screen shot shows Helios on his knees with a bloodied face, Kratos is also in the picture grasping the god's head, about to tear it off with his bare hands.[8] A game demo released at E3 2009 shows Kratos, with assistance from Perses, bringing down Helios and his chariot and then ripping off the god's head. Helios' head is also shown to be a weapon that can be used to reveal secrets and to illuminate dark areas or blind enemies. Later on, Kratos uses his Wings of Icarus to be lifted from an updraft in the cave he was exploring.[9] Seen in a gameplay trailer are iron or bronze boots with wings on them that greatly augment Kratos' acrobatic abilities. The wings and nature of the boots suggest that Kratos, at some point in the game, battles and kills Hermes, before taking his boots. It has also been said that Kratos is looking for a "back door" for his attack on Mount Olympus.

Feel the bad breath!!!

Forget Megan Fox... Isabel Lucas is in Transformers

2009-06-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

Never seen her in a movie before Transformers 2....Is half Swiss, half unknown... Knows German and 3 other languages (Swiss is not one of them... go figure), is in no way related to George, Josh or Kobe Lucas and she looks like this..

From Blog

FYI... She was involved in an accident with Shia "Moron" lebouf and escaped unscratched while "Ze Moron" had his crushed hand served for dinner... You say co incidence?? I say Godesses cannot be hurt by mortal means :P..Over and out

First Look At Alice In Wonderland

2009-06-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

Apparently the movie is a sequel to the original Alice in Wonderland... With the creatures from Wonderland hoping she will help them revolt, but she apparently does not remember them...

Slashfilms has more snaps and more info

From Blog

Johnny Depp as Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathway as the Red and White Queen respectively

Trailer for The Last Airbender

2009-06-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

Very impressive teaser... This will have to be Shyamalan's final attempt at Hollywood redemption....

Oh and Dev Patel is the not so impressive choice for Zuko...Here's a not so impressive pic...

From Blog

New Divide Video is Out + Note To Self :(

2009-06-21T00:33:00.000-07:00

note to self: - get back to blogging u moron!!!

New Linkin Park Song For the Transformers "New Divide"

2009-05-21T02:23:00.000-07:00

New Sherlock Holmes Trailer

2009-05-21T02:15:00.001-07:00

I am willing to bet my worthless existence on the fact that this is gonna be a spectacular film..

Am Back....

2009-05-21T02:05:00.000-07:00

Am currently a lil slow on the uptake these days.. Work, internal conflicts, and the vampire within keeps me too busy to blog.... On the worldly front Arsenal has not won anything this yr either....Doesnt stop us Gunners from being optimistic about the future though... Star Trek is out - As predicted its spectacular.... So is Wolverine... as predicted is sucky.... And with some of this summer;'s biggest releases.. and a crazy transfer season in the offing... What better time to get back to active blogging... My first contribution being the just released trailer of Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes
U love me already dont you :D

4 Interesting Articles I Came Across

2009-02-21T04:54:00.000-08:00

3 Wolverine TV Spots

2009-02-21T04:38:00.001-08:00

Trailer for the Wolverine TV Spots have gone on air.... No clue what it contains cuz I am posting before I am checking.. Lemme know what u guys think....

Trailer for the TV Spots

TV Spot 1 - Outcasts

TV Spot 2 - Brothers

TV Spot 3 - Legends

Call me a skeptic but I really think this movie will bomb...

2nd Transformers Trailer Rocks!!

2009-02-21T04:28:00.000-08:00

In the 80s this guy would have been a cult B Film Maker, In the 70s he would have made the best spaghetti westerns.. However in the 90s he met the king of summer blockbuster land Jerry Bruckheimer and the twisted genius turned senile Steven Spielberg...............Ladies and Gentlemen I give you .............The one man who can make a movie fun with absolutely no storyline whatsoever.. Michael "I am the best at blowing stuff up" Bay....

First Look At Inglorious Basterds!!

2009-02-21T04:04:00.000-08:00

K... Some important clearing up... This is not a remake of the original... Just the concept was so damn cool of a bunch of Americans just going gung ho in Nazi-land that Tarantino could not resist.. This as would be obvious is his warped rendition of it....(droool)....

This is as much a spaghetti western as a war film so please oh please don't for once consider the possibility of Tarantino creating a serious war drama... For thats one thing this one aint!!

Additionally... Tarantino 'humongously' respects Enzo Castellari contrary to whatever the fuck you may have heard... And now for the juicy stuff .... I give you:

Trailer of Inglorious Basterds
Trailer of the original Inglorious Bastards
Tarantino speaking to Enzo and finally just something I found online
Tarantino ripping a journalist apart

Inglorious Basterds

The Inglorious Bastards

Tarantino and Castellari

Tarantino takes Fat Journalist Apart

You have so not seen war if its not through Tarantino' eyes!!! I LOVE ME SCALPS!!!

Andy Warhol interviews Steven Spielberg....(pause)....Holy Mother@@##@$#%$^%^&*()=!!!!!!!!

2009-02-06T03:51:00.000-08:00

K.... That was my reaction on coming through this. A bit of a letdown really... Spielberg talks abstract stuff, obviously high on something and seems to be trying especially hard to impress Warhol as the former Mrs. Jagger looks on....

Value of the Death Star: 15 Septillion Dollars (thats 15 followed by 24 zeroes)

2009-02-05T01:45:00.000-08:00

I have often pondered on utilizing free time in a more productive manner than pondering on pointless stuff like pondering on how to utilize free time in a more productive manner. K.. I think that sort of provides ample proof of me being a shmuck, something which I am sure you guys always thought I was. However, I have finally found someone who beats me all hands down at being the schmuck of the century!! I give you... 'Ryszard Gold'... who you ask.. valid question.... Our pal has actually calculated the cost of realistically creating the Death Star.. FYI.. the number is

$15,602,022,489,829,821,422,840,226 and 94 cents.

Thats more than 15 and a half Septillion Dollars by the way Tell you what, Ill throw in the 94 cents.....

By the way... in case you want to know the calculations please click here
For the full article click here
p.s:- The world's economic value is $17 Trillion. We as a planet are still more than 15 and a half septillion dollars away from making one.

No wonder Darth Vader wanted to kill his son. I mean all the money in the world cant buy your son back, but I am sure 20 trillion times the money in the world can buy back a bunch of them and then some.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Trailer & Fast and Furious Trailer

2009-02-03T12:09:00.001-08:00

My Fave trailers from the lot launched during Superbowl:

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Trailer kicks some serious ass... Megan Fox looks hot....

Fast and Furious

New body: Original parts - Read tons of babes, cars, insane stunts, killer soundtrack, dead faced Paul Walker (boooooo!!!! hissssss!!!) and oh FYI......Vinny is back!!!!

Angels & Demons... and Tom Hanks with some weird hair!!

2009-02-03T11:58:00.000-08:00

Da Vinci Code was factually (or for the lack of it, I don't fucking care) impressive. The story by itself though in my honest to God opinion sucked. And Dan Brown is no Shakespeare for sure.... So what do they do for the movie -

They get the brilliantly inconsistent, dreary and unimaginative director on board - Ron Howard. This moron, decides to strip his movies of the one good thing in them - The Genious of Russell Crowe... and replaces him with Tom Hanks, who is also a colossus in acting proficiencey no doubt... However... just to annoy the crap out of me and countless others he gives him an extraordinarily gay hair cut... 'Nuff said..

For all those who still give a damn!!!

p.s:- The trailer sucks as well

Star Trek

2009-02-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

Never been a real fan of this series... But this one has JJ Abrams directing and Zachary "Sylar" Quinto as "Spock". The trailer blew my mind as well!

G.I. Joe Movie Trailer

2009-02-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

K... I am still a sceptic, the cast sucks (Dennis Quaid has a penchant for choosing movies that bomb), has the most untrustworthy director - Stephen Sommers (Van helsing, Deep Rising...umm I liked The Mummy though :P). Also the trailer starts kinda lame (read ree-hee-hee-hee-ally cheesy dialogues)... Though the special effects are impressive and the action sequences do show promise.... I really hope they dont screw up this one up... Dont want to fuck up fond weekday evening memories!!!

Its Officially Arsh-enal Now!!!

2009-02-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

After the longest possible saga in the history of December transfers, Arsene Wenger has probably signed the biggest name signing he has done in his entire tenure at Arsenal. In fact this is the longest a transfer has taken in terms of tenure, because the deal finalization by FA actually happened post closure of the transfer window. Almost 24 hours of extra time was granted to Arsenal thanks to the snow storm which enveloped the city yesterday.

The importance of the blizzard cannot be undermined as Arshavin had rumouredly declined Arsenal's offer initially and was on his way home (or to Man City). However due to the storm, he was forced to stay back at Highbury House, which probably gave the powers that be a little extra bit of time to arry on negotiations. After the papers were signed and submitted at the nth hour, FA took some more time to actually approve the signing, during which time unreliable Zenit and FA sources, spoke to the media, often calling the deal off.

However all speculation aside.... Ladies, Gentlemen and all my fellow Gooners... I proudly unveil our new No. 23, The Artful Dodger, The One, The Only......Andreiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Aarshaaaaaavinnnn!!!!!

Arshavin Saga (Contd.)

2009-02-02T10:43:00.000-08:00

Final update before closure:

A fee was reportedly agreed, with Arshavin agreeing personal terms and passing a medical.

The Russia international supposedly penned a three-and-a-half-year deal at the Emirates Stadium.

However, a Zenit spokesman was then quoted as saying that the deal had fallen through, "I can confirm that the deal is definitely off," Zenit's Alexei Petrov told Reuters.

General director Maxim Mitrofanov is now claiming talks are still ongoing.

"The clubs have a mutual desire to complete the transaction,” Mitrofanov told Sovetsky Sport at 5.40pm. "Negotiations are continuing."

Status on Facebook - "does not know if Arshavin is a real person, or just some sick and twisted made up being to torment my life..."

2009-02-02T10:18:00.000-08:00

Transfer Window Closes

2009-02-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

17:00 hours GMT, roughly 23:00 hours IST, the transfer window has closed. Unlike last window's crazy signing of Robinho by Man City, nothing nearly as dramatic has happened. No transfers made today, except for the non performing Robbie Keane making a beeline back to Tottenham (incompetent moron had to score against Arsenal!!), and Arshavin's nearly sealed deal (from highly untrustworthy sources) both of whom have gotten some extra time for closure by FA authorities due to the heavy snowfall in London.

Transfers for the summer so far:

Shay Given joined Manchester City from Newcastle United;
Tal Ben Haim left Eastlands for Sunderland on loan, as did Jo to Everton this morning.

Newcastle signed Ryan Taylor from Wigan and lost Charles N'Zogbia.

Portsmouth signed AEK Athens veteran Angelos Basinas
Christian Panucci did not join Hull,
Roma, signed Marco Motta from Udinese.

Saviola remains at Real Madrid, Blackburn Rovers have retained Roque Santa Cruz.

Arshavin Saga (Contd.) - Dichotomy

2009-02-02T09:20:00.000-08:00

2 seemingly contradictory news reports from 2 reliable news sources - AP and Sky Sports

News from AP: Zenit St. Petersburg has failed to reach a deal with Arsenal on the transfer of midfielder Andrei Arshavin, a spokesman for the Russian club said Monday.

Alexei Petrov told The Associated Press that the deal broke down over the size of the transfer fee and the amount of compensation Zenit would be paid for allowing Arshavin to break his four-year contract.

"The deal didn't happen. Arshavin is coming back to Zenit," Petrov said, but he added that a deal could be revived in the summer.

Arshavin, one of the stars of Euro 2008, has long been linked with a move to Arsene Wenger's side and on Monday flew to London in an effort to seal a move on the last day of the winter transfer window.

Sky Sports News: Paperwork for Andrei Arshavin's transfer to Arsenal has been sent and received by the FA.

After a day of claim and counter claim, it would appear that Arsenal have finally secured the services of the Russian playmaker.

There has been no official word from inside the Emirates but it is believed that the player has passed a medical after a fee was agreed with Zenit less than an hour before the 5pm deadline.

The Arshavin Saga

2009-02-02T08:15:00.001-08:00

A.R Rahman won a Golden Globe, Nominations for the Academies announced, a handful of new trailers, a sort of joie de vivre experienced by my constant visits to the romantic South Mumbai and seeds of entrepreneurial indulgence apart, there has been one extravagance I have not been able to get enough of - The Saga of The Arshavin Transfer -

K.. Some reference for those who came in late... The tale begins early last year, when in the Euros, Arshavin (winger for the Russian team), decimated Dutch defences to take Russia to the Semi Finals. The Euros walked away with 3 big stars - David Villa, Fernando Torres and Arshavin (testament to his awesomeness being the fact that he only played 2 matches compared to the others who went on to play till the finals).

Club offers started pouring in subsequently to Arshavin's club Zenit St. Petersburg, who want 30 Mill (pounds by the way). Arsene Wenger one of the first to apply immediately slips away. Why? -I just said 30 mill!! This is Arsene Wenger we are talking about here!!! He wont buy his mom back for anything more than 12 Million Pounds.... 1 Million more than what he paid for Silvain Wiltord.. who FYI is the club's most expensive buy till date!!

Anyways... soon everyone from Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Tottenham were chasing the Russian, but everyone gave up on Zenit's asking price. Why?? Too fucking high thats why!!! The sky, their price and the geniouses at Zenit who came up with it!!!

The season progresses with Arsenal dropping points left, right and centre. Defeats to Hull and Wigan leave the Gunner's smarting. Additionally, most of Arsene's men, start dropping like cannon balls fresh out of steam... Eduardo and Rosicky out with injuries to the knee and tendon respectively, Walcott out with a shoulder dislocation.. and the final nail in the coffin.. Fabregas.. our Captain out for the latter half of the season with a knee injury as well (ironically by Xabi Alonso whom Wenger wanted to bring in from Liverpool to compliment Fabregas).

Meanwhile Zenit had their own problems... Arshavin was demotivated due to Zenit having priced him out of a move.... Dejected and smarting with the humiliation Arshavin underperforms and gets pushed to the bench, with Zenit's coach Dick Advocaat growing exceedingly frustrated of his delinquent Second Striker.

For me the only story I can draw parallels with here is the story of Seabiscuit... A broken horse and a broken jockey come together in a time of depression to make a miracle happen! We have a depression (or recession or whatever the fuck-ion you might want to call it) The twain are yet to meet let alone make miracles, however the saga of one of the most painstakingly long transfers had begun....

A month of negotiations and transfer rumours later the story stood with:

Arsenal unwilling to pay more than 12 million punds plus add ons for Arshavin.
Them landing outside the top 4, with Aston Villa taking their spot. This, again for those who came in late means no Champions League for Arsenal.
Arshavin, refusing to play for Zenit, boycotting training sessions and praying to God to make the transfer happen.
Arsene Wenger, being his customary cool as a cucumber self.... Arsenal notches up a 9 game undefeated spree. Still out of the top 4 though.

Now for events in the last 10 days when things really started heating up.

January 24

A report in The Guardian indicates that Arshavin could go on strike if he is not permitted to leave for the Gunners.

Rumours that Arshavin is set to leave gather pace as Zenit look to sign Juventus' Vincenzo Iaquinta by way of attacking replacement.

It is reported that Zenit are set to 'reject' Arsenal's 'final' offer, but negotiations actually continue.

January 25

Reports emerge stating that Arshavin could use a FIFA clause to buy out the remainder of his contract, although this probably would not take place until November.

January 26

Andrei's former Zenit teammate, Martin Skrtel, states that Arshavin would prefer to go to Spain than England.

January 27

Zenit beat Litex Lovech 1-0 in their Dubai training camp. Andrei Arshavin does not take part, fuelling speculation that a move is upcoming.

Maxim Mitrofanov asks whether Arshavin is interested in playing success, or just cash?

Zenit director Maxim Mitrofanov reveals further details of Arshavin's supposed wage demands from Arsenal.

Former Arsenal legend Paul Merson argues that Arshavin would bring nothing new to the Emirates table in terms of play style.

Arsene Wenger announces that it's "all quiet" on the Arsahvin front, and advises reporters to stick to official sources.

Official news: Zenit state that they have practically accepted an offer from Arsenal, and only Arshavin's personal terms remain as an obstacle to a transfer.

January 28

Arshavin is named in the Russian squad for a training camp scheduled to take place in Turkey from February 8th-12th.

Maxim Mitrofanov tells Arshavin that buying out his contract so that he can leave Zenit will not happen.

Vincenzo Iaquinta's agent has rubbished reports linking his client to Zenit, but he was interested in the Arshavin to Arsenal saga.

We ask whether or not a move to Arsenal is right for the player himself in our Goal.com Poll.

Arsene Wenger says that any player who would seek to break the Gunners' wage structure simply will not join Arsenal.

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger admits that the Arshavin transfer saga is becoming a burden for his side.

January 29

A Russian tabloid report claims that Arshavin is refusing to train during Zenit's pre-season camp in the UAE.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says that the Arshavin deal is '90 Per Cent Completed' and hopes that the situation will be concluded within 48 hours.

January 30

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger claims that in fact no work permit was issued for Andrei Arshavin - or anyone else - contrary to earlier reports.

Saturday 31 January (all times CET)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has claimed that 'anything can happen' with regards to the Andrei Arshavin move.

Andrei Arshavin flies to London for talks with Arsenal, according to reports.

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has explained exactly why he wants Andrei Arshavin of Zenit at the Emirates.

Sunday 1 February

Is it finally happening?! According to reports, Andrei Arshavin is flying from St. Petersburg to London for Arsenal talks...

Meanwhile former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit would rather see Mathieu Flamini return to the Emirates than Arshavin sign.

Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein implies that Andrei Arshavin is needed at the Emirates.

Despite the Gunners' 0-0 draw with West Ham at the weekend, coach Arsene Wenger says that Arsenal are in no need of 'saviour' Andrei Arshavin alone.

Arshavin's agent denies the player flew to London yesterday and instead claims he travelled back to St Petersburg.

Now we follow the saga on the last day.............

Battle at Kruger

2009-01-16T06:32:00.000-08:00

K..... Now this has been doing the rounds for quite some time... but some folks I know have not seen this and so...
Lion attacks buffalo.... lion gets calf.... calf drags lion to water.... croc attacks lion and calf.... bulls come and wreak havoc on the lions.... and this is no NGC... mind you... Just a handycam vid of some guys on a safari... Did they get more than their money's worth or what!!!

Michael Bay for the Dark Knight!!!

2009-01-16T06:04:00.000-08:00

This ones facking hilarious..... Came across this on www.spill.com and its a Michael Bay(director of Transformers, Bad Boys II...) script. Those of you are familiar with Bay's movies will find this hilarious. Those of you who like his films, will laugh and probably also not mind seeing this shit made. I for one am the latter... Oh ya.. and for those who dont know who Michael Bay is... Get the fuck off my blog... Go read Salman Khan's or Jar jar Binks's for all i care....

Michael Bay "The Dark Knight"

2009 Golden Globes - Slumdog wins 4

2009-01-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

(In Order of Announcement)
Best Motion Picture - Drama
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Winner: Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)

Best Television Series - Drama
Winner: "Mad Men" (2007)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Winner: Kate Winslet for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Winner: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Winner: Colin Farrell for In Bruges (2008)

Best Director - Motion Picture
Winner: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Winner: Tina Fey for "30 Rock" (2006)

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - A.R. Rahman

Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Winner: "30 Rock" (2006)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Winner: Paul Giamatti for "John Adams" (2008)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Winner: Alec Baldwin for "30 Rock" (2006)

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - Simon Beaufoy

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Winner: Laura Linney for "John Adams" (2008)

Best Foreign Language Film
Winner: Vals Im Bashir (2008)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Winner: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Winner: "John Adams" (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Winner: Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

Best Animated Film
Winner: WALL·E (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
Winner: Anna Paquin for "True Blood" (2007)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
Winner: Gabriel Byrne for "In Treatment" (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Winner: Laura Dern for Recount (2008) (TV)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Winner: Tom Wilkinson for "John Adams" (2008)

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
Winner: The Wrestler (2008)("The Wrestler")

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Winner: Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)

Race to Witch Mountain Trailer

2009-01-08T04:45:00.000-08:00

My bet for the surprise hit of this year... The Rock and (Carla Gugino (not topless or getting banged.. goddamned kids flicks).. starring in a Disney flick titled 'Race to Witch Mountain'.. or something like that....

If untrue.. I can pin sarcasm as my excuse...

Altered Ending for I Am Legend

2009-01-08T00:19:00.000-08:00

Cracked.com is slowly becoming my favorite website. Here is another jewel I ran into... Am editing my I am Legend's copy to accomodate this original ending instead of the crappy ending we were subjected to.. This is suddenly one of my fave post apocalypse action flick.... No it still doesnt beat 28 Days Later

Enjoy My Preciouessssss!!

Some Great Articles Online

2009-01-07T23:41:00.000-08:00

A New Trailer for the Watchmen imported from Japan. This one has more on the Nixon, JFK and Castro angle.

Cracked.com features some MONSTER hits (read Star Wars, Indiana Jones) that 'almost' never got made and why

God of War 3... Kratos is Back!!!!!

2009-01-07T22:44:00.000-08:00

God of War is back and this time Kratos leads a clan of Titans in his march to mount Olympus..... By far the best game I have ever played... From the trailers this looks like its going to be better... The sole reason for me to switch loyalties to the Playstation.... K.. now am blabbering.. must...go...on....Can't..... stop.....now..... ARIES!!!! Give me the strength to finish this article and my soul is yours!!!

God of War director David Jaffe has said that, "God of War explains, or ultimately will explain, why there are no more Greek myths." He has also stated that it will be "hell on earth" as the gods and the titans battle each other for domination, and that the series will explore the question of whether "man needs god". "In the end, there will be only chaos".

God of War Trailer 1

God of War Trailer 2

Everything Must End!! Hell yeah!!!

Oscar Contender - 3

2009-01-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

My third choice is a movie that looks like Hollywood's adaptation of a Kamal Hassan movie. Profound intellectual debates surrounding morality, ethics and religion are etched into the powerhouse screenplay that the movie 'Doubt' stands on. Add to that rave reviews and a stellar star cast (read: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Viola Davis) and you have one hell of a heady Academy cocktail.

My sceptisim arises solely from the fact that stellar star cast and Academy ass kissing (primarily the whole limited release, and the the end of the year release phenomena) that is synonymous with this movie is precisely why it might be nothing extraordinary. We have seen that in the past with films like Crash, No Country and A Beautiful Mind and this to me is another notch on the now scar riddled totem pole of the Oscars. On the bright side the Academy's rarely repeat their mistakes (too soon atleast) and this year I do not see Doubt winning too many accolades.... Nominations mebbe, but Oscars... I really 'Doubt'. Meryl Streep however is someone for whom id watch the movie anyways.

Now THIS.... is what a flash website should look like!!

2009-01-07T01:26:00.000-08:00

Coca Cola Zero

Live Performance of Aldi Meola with John Mclaughlin

2009-01-07T01:17:00.000-08:00

Meeting of the Spirits

Hilarious Comic

2009-01-06T21:47:00.001-08:00

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

X Men 3 .. Thorny Dude

2009-01-06T05:02:00.000-08:00

Seriously whats with him.. He grows thorns on him.. What kind of a power is that... If I hug you i will kill you!!

First Look at Public Enemies

2009-01-06T04:26:00.000-08:00

Empire Online has posted initial pics on Public Enemies. The quiet madness of John Dillinger, one of the most insane gangsters in American history sounds like Johnny Depp personified and the dark, calculated genious of Melvin Purvis, the most successful Gangster crusher of all time could not be played by anyone better than Bale. Aaah divine casting... Oh and FYI Michael Mann of Collateral fame directs....U soooooooo cannot be a reader of this blog and miss this one.

2009-01-06T00:57:00.000-08:00

Anjan Dutta... A brilliant Bengali musician.... sniff... Nostalgia.... Kolkatar shei Coffee House.. For those who came in late.. more on the dude on Wikipedia .

This ones called 2441139

Man.. I have tears in my eyes... sniffffffff

War, Crime, Politics, Genocide and Me

2009-01-05T23:53:00.000-08:00

K.. Need ure opinions on this one, oh avid readers(or the lack of them) of mine. Am planning a deep dive session on all matters global, political and war(ral?) and am creating a 'FOR DUMMIES' version...(read Serbia for Dummies, the Palestine Issue for Dummies, The Hamas for dummies).. Would you be interested... Do let me know... Cuz am really looking forward to the geekdom that awaits...

The Boss is Back!!

2009-01-05T23:44:00.001-08:00

Springsteen's new singles are available exclusively on www.amazon.com. Follow these links for the 2 brand new ass kicking songs which are he follow up to his new album 'Working On a Dream'... AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen... What more do we have in store for 2009 on the music scene :)

Bruce Springsteen "My Lucky Day"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m35RKSO2IS5A7U:m3QQL3ZYRD4F09

Bruce Springsteen "Life Itself"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m4C9NHZFYFD4T

Sherlock Holmes Script Review

2009-01-05T23:23:00.000-08:00

Am really looking forward to this... Guy Ritchie directs... Robert Downey (Dude totally rocks!! Not that he needed credence from me but whatever..) stars as Sherlock and a script that is 'Escapist 'Pirates' Adventure Meets Hilarious CSI 1.0'

http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2008/10/sherlock-holmes-script-is-escapist.html

Some More Awesome New Trailers

2009-01-05T23:01:00.000-08:00

Too much work and too much blogging dont go hand in hand... If only I could quit my job and just be an active blogger... sigh.... where do advertisers come from.. Anyw3ays.. this is my signing off statement till the End of this week.. By when hopefully I will have made some time for myself. Till then I leave you with trailers of Crank 2, Street Fighter and a few other movies

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li

Directed by the dude who made Doom, Romeo Must Die et al.. say what u like I hated all of these.. and think this will be sucky as well...

Black Dynamite

Official contender for the cult classic of 2009... What works against it.. Lead role played by Michael jai White.. The moron who played Spawn

Angels and Demons

The suckiest of them all.. This one will actually mint money as well

Crank 2

Ha ha ha.... Some more of the shit we love... Statham rules!!!

Some More Awesome Trailers

2008-12-31T01:28:00.000-08:00

Push

Dont care much about the rest...But with Djimon Honsou in it I have no fear... Premise is X Men with an added dose of cynicism and stripped off all the spandex

Pink Panther 2

This movie just does not do it for me. I know many of the readers of this blog are fans so here goes. yeah! I love you douche bags that much...

State Of Play

Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck on the movie version of an uber popular mini series... Nuff said

Trailers of 9 (Exec producers Tim Burton and Timur Something and All (of Wanted Fame), Thundercats, Streetfighter, and Crank 2 on the other side....

Top Nude Scenes of 2008

2008-12-31T01:25:00.000-08:00

Another great link as a follow up to the Best Strippers by our good friends in Cinematical.... Announcing (drum roll) "The Top Nude Scenes of 2008"

Not sure what Mischa Barton is doing on the list though...

2008 - Movies That Defined The Year

2008-12-31T01:13:00.000-08:00

Came across an uber delicious article on Empire online about the movies that defined 2008. Check it out here..

Indian Metal Scene is a Scheme of Fat and Ugly Pop Stars

2008-12-31T00:29:00.000-08:00

DevoiD is;
Arun: Vocalist/ Rhythm Guitarist
Shubham: Drummer
Frank: Bassist
Keshav: Lead Guitarist (Me)

Link: www.myspace.com/devoidmetal

Event:
DevoiD playing at Livewire, Mood I.

Activities:
Slept at 5am. Woke up by 9:30 sharp.
Practiced hard for the competition (Livewire – Mood I – 2008)
Fought with boss over the sudden leave
Reached the venue half an hour before the allotted time
Played well
Lost the competition
Wanted to go to the judge and say "You Sir...are a FUCKTARD"

The Judge?
Ravi Iyer (The guitarist of a band called Vayu)
Not the el perfecto kind of musician I say.

The reason?
The judge does not believe in originals and hates Metal as a form of music!!!

Yes you heard it right!! The Mood I guys had a guy from this band which does not believe in Metal (AND Originals) to come and judge a competition, the participants of which are nearly 10 times better musicians than the judge himself. (20 times if exaggerated)

I say not that I belong in ‘The worlds best guitarists’ CD but I hold a right to question this choice!
Should I slap them hard enough or should I be mature and try again next year. I need the money!!!

But yet again, there were some good appreciations we received as a respect to our ‘kickass’ performance.
So all that I can understand from the series of events (loosing the competition continuously over the past 4 years) is that there has to be once place where Vayu (and the likes) can hit the music and people like them more.

The scene is over-flooded with people trying really hard to be a part of the head banging crowd and this sort of sickens me. Not for any other reason but plainly for the fact that Advertising is playing a HUGE role in this.

How?
I’ll tell you how!

Advertising is at its best when it can induce an action in an individual based on the communication that is generated from an individual or a group of individuals.

So then this makes it clear that music can be a huge form of communication through which commodities can be bought.
So does this also mean that music can be a solitary part of advertising?

FUCK NO!!! I’ll never let that happen!!!

But it IS true. I’m sure you remember the sound track for Mission Impossible 2 and terminator.
But do you remember the song played in the last Pepsi/ Coke/ Starbucks ad you saw??

80% of you will say NO.

It’s because you wanted to be Tom Cruise when you saw MI-2 and you wanted to be Arnold (or the other T1000 guy) for they have the right style. They attract the audience because they can induce a desire in you. A desire to be like them.

That’s the same that happens when you see a band play live. IF you like their music, you wish to be a part of that band on the stage. You want to be on the stage, feel the lights fall on you when you lay that crazy shredded solo. So then you go home and pick up your guitar and start practicing.

This very thing is the ‘Action’ that took place.

Buying the CD’s and downloading the bands music is nothing but just an extension of the ‘Interest’ part in the AIDA model.

I believe this because I believe that more than action; a product should inculcate a desire. The job of advertising ends at ‘Desire’ and not necessarily ‘Action’.
Thus, the AIDA model proves wrong because Interest and Desire are closely related incorporate the Action within them.

WHY THE FUCK am I talking about Advertising when I wanna talk about music.

That’s because I want you to know the actual process that goes behind advertising through music, the process of which follows as given-

Awareness: I hear about a band
Desire: I want to see that band live
Action: I go for one of their gig, pay 200/- for the ticket, sweat for an hour in the local train.
Interest: Irrespective of the fact that you found their music good or interesting even, you ended up in one of their gigs by paying 200/- bucks. But now you hate that band. You’re a sucker now!!!

VOILA!!! I present to you the new ADAI model.

So taking this model in consideration, people will buy music if they like the band AND want to be a part of that band. That AND being very important for the reason that it is only then that they will have a desire to be a part of the music played.

So the conclusion of the really meaningless piece of literature is that right now rock/ pop music is enjoying its prime spot and such bands are getting more fame and money. Its easier for them to imagine themselves as a ‘Gay Popper – Ravi Iyer’ but difficult to imagine themselves as a guy who is ‘screaming his head out on the microphone and is banging his head over and over again - Me/ Arun/ Frank/ Shuhbham’.

BUT soooon enough when people start understanding the sorts of Metal, all CD’s will have FUCK YOU written over them.

Have a gr8 new year,
Puke on your partner today \m/

Convert Youtube Videos to Mp3

2008-12-30T22:45:00.000-08:00

This is a really neat Youtube to Mp3 converter.
http://www.avs4you.com/index.aspx?sct=aff&ct=regnow&cid=77225

Download this shit and check out some of these really neat tracks which I stumbled onto.

Japanese Funk, Hip Hop, Rock band Nobody Knows official video for their smash hit Hero's Come Back. Claim to fame being the title track for Naruto Shippuden title track for the first season. lemme know if anyone need the translation.. Cuz this song seriously makes u wanna beat up 20 ppl and then some..

Turkish Metal Band Pentagram with their monster hit Bir... Tabish caught Issa, Ussa, Muhaamed, Buddha in the lyrics... If u likes me translates... On request only though:

Finally some heavy duty trance.. Masters of the Universe by Juno Reactor.. My fave track on The Animatrix

Transformers First Look Posters

2008-12-30T04:38:00.000-08:00

Courtesy Empire Magazine:

Movies to Watch Out For in 2009

2008-12-30T04:16:00.000-08:00

No lit.... Just a list. My page is getting a little too heavy, so am just giving links to trailers and/or poster previews.

The Watchmen: Zack Snyder (300 fame), and the greatest graphic novel ever.. objectively speaking
Valkyrie: Tom Cruise, Bryan Singer and a World War II action, drama... U have to be a Scientology hater to miss this
Sequel to The Boondock Saints: If u havent watched the original.. U have to... No seriously... Wait lemme get the torrent link for u
Wolverine: X Men Origins: Snikkt.....
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen: No change in cast, production or direction team
State of Play: Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck
Star Trek: Sylar plays Spock and J.J Abrams directs
New Moon: Sequel to Twilight
Angel & Demons: Prequel to the Da Vinci Code
The Brazilian Job: Sequel to The Italian Job
Sin City 2: Aaah... Paradise
Inglorious Basterds: Brad Pitt teams up with... hold your breath... Quentin Mother Fucking Tarantino
Terminator Salvation
Killing Pablo: Pablo Escobar biopic with Bale and Javier Bardem.. In your face Medellin
Avatar: James Cameron's epic 3D sci-fi!!!

Trailers pics and posters to come up as and how I get my hands on them..

Oscar Contenders (Contd.)

2008-12-30T03:57:00.000-08:00

I have harbored a perpetual admiration for Brad Pitt. Not so much his looks and acting skills, the latter being significantly better than the former. What I truly am in awe of is his ability to choose the best roles and his knack of attracting the best directors. David Fincher's and Steven Soderbergh's affiliations are not something too many actors in Hollywood can boast of. Fight Club, The Ocean's Series and Seven are all cult classics and runaway hits (Fight Club making up with DVD sales what it couldn't recover at the BO).

'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' sees Pitt rejuvenating his association with David Fincher. Add to this combination, Cate Blanchett (who made Bale and Ledger look like wax dolls in I Am Not There btw), a plot by F. Scott Fitzgerald's story of a man ageing backwards (a stoner trip inspired this.. I am so sure) and you one hell of a heady concoction.

The reception of this movie by critics has been good, with one of my personal faves Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter calling the fim "superbly made and winningly acted by Brad Pitt in his most impressive outing to date." He also says the "cinematography wonderfully marries a palette of subdued earthern colors with the necessary CGI and other visual effects that place one in a magical past." something which I think holds true for almost every single one of Fincher's films.

This one's a definite classic.

Arsenal Tables 8 Million Pounds for Newcastle's Shay Given

2008-12-30T03:53:00.000-08:00

Article from Telegraph

Oscar Contenders.. Maybe???

2008-12-28T23:50:00.000-08:00

In my most esteemed opinion (Modesty be damned), I really think that the Oscars ought to provide a better platform for movies. With the number of awesome movies being made across the world, it is morally, ethically and most importantly cinematically superfluous if some of the best movies of the year are not even nominated and some of the most ordinary ones win popular acclaim.

Cases in point; Rocky over Taxi Driver, Crash, Sideways even getting nominated, Crouching Tiger getting accolades whereas Hero scrapes in a nondescript nomination and the piec' de resistance - A Beautiful Mind winning (Seriously.. U have got to be kidding me!!) . And let me not even get into how hypocritical it is for the jury to not even consider movies like A Scanner Darkly, Fight Club and Memento for the top accolades while the Coen fuckers winning another Academy for No Country!!!

This year I have just etched out some of the movies that would be vying for the top spot across categories. Hopefully the Academy reads my blog of shame. Might I add I haven't seen any of these movies because good pirated copies havent yet surfaced... Axxo thy humble servant awaits thee. So dont be surprised if I diss them a couple of weeks later. Happy viewing:

Slumdog Millionaire:

Set in India, the story revolves around Jamal Mallik who participates in Kaun Bangega Crorepati with his love interest rather than the prize money in mind. Captures the energy, filth and intoxicating beauty of India like no movie before this. Rich in pure adrenaline pumping electricity the trailer is bloody inviting.
Danny Boyle of Trainspotting fame (another victim of the Academy's hypocrisy) directs. Music by A.R. Rahman, the movie sports an all star Indian star cast which inludes Anil Kapoor, Irrfan khan and Saurabh Shukla.
If this movie is half as good as its trailer betrays it to be my recommendation to Johnny Depp would be "Dump Mira Nair. Get Danny Boyle on board for Shantaram... Wassup with that movie anyways... was looking forward to Bachchan winning the Best Supporting Actor Academy.

Some insane trivia from IMDB

Mercedes-Benz asked that its logos be removed in scenes taking place in the slums. The company, according to Danny Boyle, did not want to be associated with the poverty-stricken area, fearing that that might taint its image.
The actor whose autograph young Jamal gets is Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan is a very real, and very famous Indian actor, the original host of the Indian version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire',

Also check out this awesome song from the movie:
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=ejKfQpzIdIY

FYI... The movie has won several awards including British Indie Film Awards (Best Film and director), and has 4 Golden Globe nominations including a nomination for A.R Rahman.

Keep watching this space for more

Villa for the Gunners?? Transfers (contd.)

2008-12-28T23:15:00.000-08:00

A bitter sweet week for the Gunners... A draw with Villa and victory with Portsmouth. Where do we go from here??? Well no ideas at my end.. Meanwhile lemme keep churning up the transfer rumor-mill.....

David Villa

Who is he: No really dude... Do you even watch soccer. Apart from Cesc and Torres the true star for the Spanish Armada's Euro glory was the great Villa. Currently Valencia's star striker, Villa combines immense power, with skill and in Pro Evo terms, has probably gotten a 'Response of 98'. In the current La Liga he is the second highest Goal scorer(12) behind Samuel Eto of Barca(14). A mere 2 goal difference inspite of the former having the strongest bunch of midfieler and wingers backing him up.

Why do we need him: Cuz Adebayor's ball control sucks. Arsenal's current crop of strikers are not even close to Henry (all of them combined haven't scored as many as Henry scored during the Gunner's brilliant unbeaten run). Lets face it.. For all the 'beautiful soccer' we play, we really haven't found any penetration.

Why would he move: Valencia is in huge debts. They ill need to offload quite a few of their key players to get funds. Arsenal gives him a chance to combine with Cesc. Why this arrangement is a double whammy of sorts is because the deal would win Cesc's as well as Villa's loyalty to the club for many years to come.

What works against us: An over 50 million pounds tag associated with the striker. The day Arsene spends that much is the day he would sing songs of praise for Usmanov. If and till that day comes this piece of new I am sad to say will die as nothing but a rumour.

For more on El Guaje(The Kid) check out this video. Tantalizingly named 3 goals in 3 minutes... and hell yeah its true:

Here's wishing the Gunners a great second half.. Bring the Champions League home fellas.. My precious... We needssss it.. NEEDSSS It....!!

Best Big Screen Strippers

2008-12-24T05:17:00.000-08:00

Came across this uber awesome list on Cinematic.. Its a compilation of the best strippers on the big screen... Tally Ho!!

http://www.cinematical.com/photos/best-big-screen-strippers/

The Dark Knight Before Christmas

2008-12-24T05:15:00.000-08:00

This is the best made Fan flick Ive ever come across:

2008-12-24T05:07:00.002-08:00

Temporary Hiatus

2008-12-24T05:07:00.001-08:00

Not around for the next 4 days.... This is due to lack of internet... Final post coming right up!!

Surprise of the Year

2008-12-24T01:57:00.000-08:00

Just got done with an insanely good Arcade game. And this was bought for me by my novice half brother who is the worst person when it comes to gifts. But this game totally blew me away.

Superb storytelling, with backgrounds straight out of Miyazaki's twisted sense of serenity and really interesting puzzles, this is by far one of the best games I have ever played... Good enuff to stimulate a debate between poets and cynics... If u r either U Have to play it.. If u r not.. U still have to play it!!

Updates On The Gunners

2008-12-23T23:16:00.000-08:00

Fourth in the Premier League, second in their Champions League Group... Things haven't been going really well for the Gunners this season... Added to that Fabregas going out for 4 months, Rosiscky still recovering and Eduardo on the sidelines as well, we seem to be headed for troubled times.

The good news is that board members have allotted Wenger with a war chest of over 30 Million pounds along with probable transfers in the forms of Gallas (more or less certain - Juventus or AC Milan), Bendtner(Inter maybe) and Carlos Vela, the month of January might see quite a few transfers, even some big ones which would be very uncharacteristic of Wenger. Now lets have a look see at who possible transfers for this season maybe:

Yaya Toure (Barcelona):

Who is he: Midfielder from Ivory Coast. Is only 24 yrs of age. Is capable of pushing forward to support the attack if required, as well as being adept at passing the ball at speed to keep moves flowing.
Why do we need him: With Cesc missing from action and from the obious impact of Flamini and Hleb's departure, there is a dire need to strengthen the midfield. Additionally Yaya is 6'2 which should get him an advantage in set pieces and is also great at long range.
Why would he move: Wants to unite with his broth Kolo. Is not getting first team status at Nou Camp.
What works against us: Press releases from Yaya giving mixed signals. Barca. And Arsene's thrift.

Andrei Arshavin

Who is he: Russian Midfielder. A creative genious. Combines immense pace, confidence and skill. Every big team is gunning to get him on the squad.
Why do we need him: No goal scoring midfielder since the days of Robert Pires. His presence in my opinion would completely transform Arsenal's goal scoring fortunes. Now al we need would be a strong Central defence.
Why would he move: What Arsene wants Arsene gets. His need for Arshavin is more dire than ever. Real Madrid and Tottenham are other contenders, however Tottenham would almost definitely be removed from the shortlist. Real Madris might be difficult to shake off though.
What works against us: Arsene's thrift. Personality-wise Arshavin seems to be looking for the big names. His recent interactions with Zenit have borne testimonial to that. Real would therefore be a more obvious choice. Fingers really crossed on this one.

Xabi Alonso:

Who is he: Liverpool midfield ace. Also plays in Spain's first team for which Cesc did not qualify for. 'Nuff said.
Why do we need him: Cesc needs to have strong support to be able to orchestrate. Sadly Denilson is takin insane amounts of time to shape up and our midfield replacements are 15yr olds, talented no doubt, but kids. I personally think Nasri is awesome, but we have been suffering quite a bit due to lack of depth in the squad.
Why would he move: His last few seasons under Rafa were shaping up quite ordinary. However Arsene wanted him and therefore Rafa gave the 'Pass Master' another shot and this season he has shaped up really well. If you haven't noticed yet... I dont really have a good reason.
What Works Against Us: All of the above and Arsene's thrift.

In Part 2 of the summer transfer rumours:

David Villa (Valencia)
Silva (Valencia)
Carlos Tevez (Man Utd.)
Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)

What Do i Read??

2008-12-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

Am caught between Murakami's Kafka on The Shore, King's The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger and Maus... Feedback muchos appreciated..Screw the alignment.. Dont have time to fix that shit

Wolverine, Dragon Ball Z and Terminator Salvation

2008-12-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

here in High Res.... Oh and BTW Christian bale is John Connor... is also the man starring with Johnny Depp in his next...'nuff said

X Men Origins: Wolverine

Snikt??? Aye Aye Captain!! Look like we are all set for the best or the worst flick next summer....Ooh ooh oooh... Did I mention we have Gambit too.... How geek-o-logically cool is that...

Dragon ball Evolution

Definitely a flop..... This inspite of the fact that I am a huge fan!! Why.. cuz Justin Chatwin is Goku.. thats why... no Vegeta (did I spell that right). Only saving grace.... Chow Yun Fat as Roshi... Hope I end up eating my words.. cuz the sequel will soooo kick ass with vegeta in it....

Terminator: Salvation

The only guaranteed blockbuster of next year... Hu - Y u ask??? Well 3 reasons - "Christian Uber-Awesome Bale" thats why!!! Reportedly he has said that Salvation will do for Terminaor what Begins did for the Batman franchise.

Didja know that:

Director McG asked his actors to read the novel 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy, because he wanted them to absorb the bleakness of the world in the novel

For those who came in late (source: Wikipedia) The Road is a post-apocalyptic tale describing a journey taken by a father and his young son over a period of several months, across a landscape blasted years before by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed civilization and, apparently, most life on earth.

Who Watches The Watchmen... I for one do!!

2008-12-23T07:40:00.000-08:00

Thought Id get to what I do best... Give ule the best in up and coming flicks evryone has... has to watch

Lets start with my personal fave trailer.. The Watchmen

Now lets see.. great trailer, great book (rated by Time as one of the greatest novels of the last century), great Director (300 fame).. whats the catch... Well The Watchmen has been a political thriller of great acclaim.. implying... Lots of talking.. gripping no doubt... but elementally not ur obvious contender for an action packed pop corn evening flick.. In fact the book has barely any fight sequences. Therin lies the problem... The trailer is highly deceptive... It betrays fight sequences that would make The Matrix seem like something from the Jurassic ages.... WB are setting themselves up for a problem child i what I fear... believe you me... Id love to be proven wrong....

Riders of the Storm

2008-12-23T06:39:00.000-08:00

I have always been better off at second outings. The perennial comeback kid is how I would love to think of myself. However there haven't been many occasions in life where I have granted myself the liberty of turning around and starting from scratch. Resilience... no... Repetition for fear of redundancy is something I have never associated myself with.... Oh ya.. and FYI.. I AM talking about my blogging history here.

The fascination for everything and then some remains. However, the lack of structure, coherence and even purpose however, have suddenly inspired a sort of a dont give-a-damn-attitude to my writings. I really dont care much for being judged, being interesting anymore. Call it Epiphany or my encounters with the nine tailed fox... I really couldnt care less...

Now for some meat.... Am a Gunner for life, watch tons of movies, anime and TV shows, read books, listen to music, game on my PS... oh and also am an Online Marketing genious of sorts (so much for modesty). Soon to add to the list would be body builder, krav maga trainer, part time entrepreneur and a linguist (what with my fascination for Japanese and all that).

Thats enuff about me... On with the blog....