Roger that!

I was watching this movie "Rules of Engagement" a few minutes back, and couldn't help but notice how closely it relates to my military school days - the times when everything and anything is related to reason, and circumstantial evidence is hard to come by. The times when we were told to do, what to do - and on top of it, were questioned for the same. Roger that!

aaarrrggghhhh..

A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.

..well, it's really been a long long time that I went on the playfield - and today I realized it really has been a long time. Two hours of nets could make me realize what two years of ignorance could not - that time flies by, and one becomes old! In essence, I went to warm my cricketing skills up in the nets today morning, after a cruel gap of four years (last I played Cricket was during our IIMK-IIMB sports meet days I guess, back in 2004). With the first time I rolled the arm over today, got a cramp - second brought a hamstring - third back pain, and the fourth one a ligament tear - well, almost..

Guess will go back to some light routine in next few days, once this pain subsides. And then, some regular stuff.. I swear, this time is for real.

it's nothing...

I tell you everything that is really nothing, and nothing of what is everything, do not be fooled by what I am saying. Please listen carefully and try to hear what I am not saying.

memory cells?

You see every drink of liquor you take kills a thousand brain cells. Now that doesn't much matter because we got billions more. And first the sadness cells die so you smile real big. And then the quiet cells go so you just say everything real loud for no reason at all. That'ok, that's ok because the stupid cells go next, so everything you say is real smart. And finally, come the memory cells. These are tough sons of bitches to kill.

more on golf..

I was watching "The Greatest Game Ever Played", and I can not agree more when I say that it's a gem of a movie. But what I would still say is, "The Legend of Bagger Vance" still stays a masterpiece - a class act. I can watch the movie on and on and on and on.

Having watched Bagger Vance earlier, I sort of preempted all the scenes of the movie - could relay Bagger Vance and Junuh right in front of my eyes, while Eddie was talking to the golfer every now and then. Ahh - gotta watch it again now. Breathtaking. Marvelous. Gold.

Getting Lucky - Part II

Ways to get lucky..?

• Pay attention to your surroundings; you won’t spot good luck unless you look for it.

• Strike up conversations with strangers; you might meet the love of your life or make an important business contact.

• After you meet someone interesting, follow up with an email or a phone call.

• Stay relaxed, even in pressure situations; it’ll help you be more aware.

• Vary your routine everyday. Walk on the other side of the street, or try a new lunch joint.

• Be aggressive about making changes you want. Still thinking about going on a country-wide trip? Just go already.

• Follow your hunches and gut feelings; many seemingly random occurrences are actually the result of good subconscious decisions.

• Treat nagging doubts as alarm bells; they’re often right, even if you can’t pinpoint the reason.

• Expect good fortune; if you think something’s going to happen, you’ll be more likely to spot it when it does.

• Believe in lucky charms. It doesn't have special powers, but the confidence it gives you is very powerful.

• Smile. People will smile back, and suddenly you’re off to a good start.

• Outlast bad luck; often a negative turn of events creates unexpected opportunities for good results.
  

You can only get smarter by playing a smarter opponent..

..and the problem is that we have far more opinion than information..

The Mystery Girl - Rebecca..

A masterpiece of stylistic contrasts, Rebecca would likely have come apart at the seams but for the relentless intensity of producer Selznick. It is adapted from the reflective, dreamlike novel by Daphne Du Maurier, but directed by the claustrophobic “Master of Suspense” Alfred Hitchcock; it was subject to Selznick’s own uncompromising vision of sweeping grandeur and absolute fidelity to the novel. But somehow these conflicting elements fused as one, to create a first-rate epic romance with a unique, enigmatic texture of its very own.

It’s quite fitting that the central character of ‘Rebecca’ goes unnamed. Rebecca, the character, is the most talked about, admired and hated character in this film but you never see her. You guessed it, she is dead. Her presence/ghost still haunts the walls and rooms of her former home, Mandelay. Her widowed husband Maxim De Winter (Lawrence Olivier) has since remarried a younger, more naïve woman (Joan Fontaine) who goes without a name (“hey you”, ”Mrs. De Winter”). Maxim seems to be broken up over the death of Rebecca: he never seems happy, jumps into violent outrages, and almost jumps off a cliff. His young wife is constantly compared to her and constantly falls short. Rebecca was a woman of noble class, intelligent, strong, commanding, and most important breathlessly beautiful. The simple “second Mrs. De Winter” can’t even hold up her own against the brooding Mrs. Danvers, Mandelay’s chief maid. Mrs. Danver’s is a mean, spirited, and somewhat insulted that Maxim would marry under Rebecca’s standards. Her loyalty to Rebecca’s legacy creates a friction between her and the new wife.

Given that this is a Hitchcock movie, nothing is what it seems, obviously. It is a testament to the old master´s technique that the film plays like a supernatural thriller, but the film eventually evolves into a drama and a mystery.

Despite the many forces pulling “Rebecca” in all different directions, the film emerges as a coherent and intriguing whole. It manages to be both sentimental and unvarnished, both fairy tale and thriller, both faithful to the book and a compelling work in its own right. Hundreds of films fall into the “gothic” camp; this is one of the very best –an expansive, captivating classic.

October Sky

"October Sky" is a teen-years biography of a NASA scientist who got his start building rockets in his basement. It is so full of spirit and letter-perfect filmmaking that I defy anyone to watch this movie without getting a tingle in his or her heart.

Thrilling in the best sense of the word, traditional without being corny and with a script, photography and symbolism that could be the basis of a film literature textbook, "October Sky" is a classic in the making. It's just a pity it didn't get Oscar nomination.

The picture stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Homer Hickman, a coal miner's son determined to break away from his assumed destiny following in his father's bleak and dangerous subterranean footsteps. Inspired by the launch of Sputnik in 1957, Homer buddies up to his school's nerd to pick his brain about physics. They eventually garner the curiosity of whole town and get ire of his unsupportive father.

The defining moment in "October Sky" comes half way through the movie when Homer is left to fend for his family after his father is severely injured in the inevitable mine cave-in. Homer sees his dreams dashed and surrenders to the fate his father always had in mind for him. Hard hat on, pick axe on his shoulder, he's about to go down into the tunnels for the first time.

Like the opening shot of "Contact" that takes us on a three-minute tour of the universe to show us just how small we are, a brilliant 60-second sequence summarizes the entire picture in one flawless and powerfully symbolic sequence.

The director knows how to be subtle - Homer's mother spends her spare time painting a mural of a Beach on her drab kitchen wall, which goes almost unnoticed until a bullet pierces the window.

Jake's performance, while overly wide-eyed in the tradition of 1950s-style dreamers, is so easy to rally behind that every time one of his missiles sears into the sky, the audience feels the same rush he feels.

From a film theory point of view, "October Sky" is a a shining example of nearly flawless filmmaking, brilliant in script and execution. But more than that, it proves that a movie can be 100 percent traditional and still be fresh and exciting.

There is so much more I could say about this movie. It's just peppered with both understated and towering cinematic master strokes. But suffice to say, go watch it!