4v291o
Not just a Mani Ratnam படம், but a (Mani Ratnam + A. R. Rahman + P. C. Sreeram) சம்பவம் ❤️
There’s something distinctively charming about the many turn-of-the-millennium Tamil/Malayalam urban romantic films, and Mani Ratnam, with the aid of P. C. Sreeram’s masterful photographic eye and Rahman’s peppy beats and soulful melodies, has captured it all in this quintessential early millennial love story which explores the themes of love in love marriages, the harsh realities in married life, class disparity within middle class families, generational shift from baby boomers to millennials, etc.
The onscreen chemistry between Maddy & Shalini is adorable ❤️ The ing cast comprising mostly of new-faces back then adds to the freshness of the narrative.
Overall, everything about this film is synonymous to the term we often throw around - “evergreen”. And the thing is, not even Mani Ratnam himself could recreate the same magic, when he famously tried in vain in 2015. Top-tier MR.
P. S. A. R. Rahman’s album is a nostalgia piece, not just for me, but for everyone in my generation for sure ❤️
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Watched in parts on Hotstar. Nope. Still didn’t work for me.
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Watched 11 p.m. show.
Well… Mani Ratnam’s spoofy, rollicking homage to Vivegam left me in splits, not kidding, lol!
Seems like Shankar and Mani Ratnam had a bet on who will make a bigger comedy piece out of Kamal - the (scape)🐐- Haasan. Well, MR wins. It’s hilariously outrageous!
Kamal should do something about that goofy-ass wig. It’s been following the man since Indian 2.
Never seen STR so disinterested and zoned out on screen. The dude reminded me of Premji Amaran in places.
Trisha is just there. So is Abhirami. And so are the rest of the female characters. Speaking of which, couldn’t believe it’s Sanya Malhotra in a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo appearance in a song sequence.
Among the ing cast, ma man Joju George really shines here. Yet again makes us Malayalis proud.
Aishwarya Lekshmi should just stay away from characters that demand an emotional turn.
Can’t understand why they strangely decided against using ARR’s album at all.
Can’t understand why Kamal said yes to something as generic and pedestrian as what we have here.
What I loved here?? The de-ageing done on Kamal in the 1994 sequence. Just frickin’ perfect! Made me wish the film that followed was just as good. But, well, shit happens, and it did.
MR has made some lazy-ass films in his time and by far this one is probably the laziest of ‘em all, which comes with some really, really awful writing choices - lame af conflicts, godawful dialogues (the sort which you can’t believe are being delivered by veteran actors), stupid character arcs - you name it, this one has it all.
Luckily, it was a fun crowd for the show I was in. The audience response was way more entertaining than the film, which, coupled with two cups of coffee, made me sit through this trainwreck of a hot mess, and hence my slightly generous rating.
Dei Loki, seekiram Vikram 2 ah kondu vaangada dei!
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“Dying together's even more personal than living together.”
Doesn’t hold up well on revisit, but still a great entry in Hitch’s epic catalog, despite being a product of its time.
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“Happiness is something I know nothing about.”
Dark. Creepy. Gothic. Haunting. An exceptionally atmospheric romantic psychological thriller for its time that still holds well.
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“If you're going to kill someone, do it simply.”
Maybe I read a bit too much into that ending on this revisit, but, if what I interpreted this time is actually the case, Hitch was a fuckin’ genius, lol! Underrated Hitchcock, with an abrupt and rather anti-climactic ending, thanks to the godawful studio intervention, but that is powered by Hitchcockian tropes and some riveting performances by both Joan Fontaine and Cary Grant, which still holds up well on rewatch for me no matter what.
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“What do you want me to do, learn to stutter?”
Classic film noir. Could watch the smooth-talking Bogie sleuth around San Francisco all day.
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“… One man is dead… another man’s life is at stake…”
A timeless classic that stands testimonial to the fact that a film could still be politically correct, without even being eligible for the bechdel test bullshit.
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“I never thought of the priesthood as offering a hiding place.”
It’s as good as I ed. However, apart from a handful of signature shots, this one still doesn’t feel like a Hitchcock.
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“Don't worry, I'm not going to shoot you, Mr. Haines. It might disturb mother.”
MVP: Robert Walker as the sophisticated and creepy af psychotic villain (something which SRK could pull off as in a cakewalk).
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“As you said Mark, it might work out on paper, but congratulations, Inspector.”
Come to think of it, it’s basically a one-room thriller. Damn!
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“I've always wished for more artistic talent. Well, murder can be an art, too. The power to kill can be just as satisfying as the power to create.
Not everyone is a Georgekutty.
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“Excuse me, I don't see any Courry Brand cat food here.”
Imagine being woken up by your cat in the middle of the night (at frickin’ 3 a.m. ffs!) and have to drag your sleepy ass to the supermarket in search of your cat’s favorite brand of cat food, only to find it out of stock there 😹
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“🎶🎶 தென்பாண்டி சீமையிலே…தேரோடும் வீதியிலே…மான் போல வந்தவனே…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…வளரும் பிறையே தேயாதே…இனியும் அழுது தேம்பாதே…அழுதா மனசு தாங்காதே…அழுதா மனசு தாங்காதே…தென்பாண்டி சீமையிலே…தேரோடும் வீதியிலே…மான் போல வந்தவனே…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ? 🎶🎶”
A bonafide classic that continues to exponentially grow on me with time/age and which gets more and more heart-wrenchingly haunting with every other revisit now. Gonna rank this above Thalapathi in my MR ranked list at #1 spot and here’s why:
1. Like I’ve mentioned already, this is one film that has aged like wine and improved drastically over time for me. Dunno whether it has something to do with me gradually approaching midlife, but, my thoughts go back to this film more and more these days.
2. The GOAT-ed performance of Kamal Haasan, the man, the myth, the legend, stands tall and above Rajini in Thalapathi (which was indeed a terrific performance, in its own right, by the way). Still can’t believe the man was just a 32yo when he did this!
3. The writing and the flow of the narrative is much more organic, which, combined with Mani Ratnam’s eye for details when it comes to visual storytelling, makes the emotions hit you like a ton of bricks at all the right spots and adds to the rewatchability factor.
I could go all day long. Long story short, MR doesn’t have just one masterpiece in his body of work, but two - Nayakan and Thalapathi, the former edging out the latter just by an inch imho.
]]>“🎶🎶 தென்பாண்டி சீமையிலே…தேரோடும் வீதியிலே…மான் போல வந்தவனே…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…வளரும் பிறையே தேயாதே…இனியும் அழுது தேம்பாதே…அழுதா மனசு தாங்காதே…அழுதா மனசு தாங்காதே…தென்பாண்டி சீமையிலே…தேரோடும் வீதியிலே…மான் போல வந்தவனே…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ?…யாரடிச்சாரோ? 🎶🎶”
Peak Mohanlal.
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“What’s done is done, when we say it’s done.”
Just wanted to get rid of the bad aftertaste left by the godawful latest, The Final Reckoning , for which this one is the most obvious fix.
You know what the most impossible mission is??!! It’s for a franchise fan to rank the absolute favorites of the lot, which is choosing between Fallout, Ghost Protocol and Dead Reckoning, for me. It was only yesterday that I thought it was Ghost Protocol. But no. Now, I’m certain that it is this one right here. This is my favorite M:I film period.
Boasts the best core team (Ethan/Benji/Luther/Ilsa), and the best and the most packed action set pieces that seamlessly flow from one to the next and to the next after. This one is infinitely rewatchable and insanely enjoyable. I guess the only reason why I couldn’t enjoy this as much as I should’ve the first time on the big screen was because we came in quite late for the show and totally missed that initial debriefing scene, thereby losing context of all the action that followed for the rest of the entire running time. Yup, I think that’s it. Anyhow, this one grows strong with each and every revisit and deserves the unanimous praise it has got ever since its release. The best M:I film indeed.
The ranking below is final and never gonna change anyway. ‘Cos I won’t be doing these ritualistic yearly marathons on this franchise anymore, thanks to M:I-2 and The Final Reckoning. Nope, I’m not gonna torture myself sitting through those two, just for the sake of it. Bond series too has its share of outliers and downers, but the lows in the 007 franchise are better and way more tolerable than the two aforementioned disappointments in the M:I series for me. Maybe I’ll do a mini-marathon of 4/5/6/7, and sometimes throw in 1 & 3, but that’s it.
Goodbye Ethan Hunt. Thank you for all the terrific action entertainment all these years.
Now, here is my final (conclusive) ranking.
GOAT-Tier:
1. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
2. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
3. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (2023)
GOLD-Tier:
4. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
5. Mission: Impossible (1996)
6. Mission: Impossible III (2006)
GUTTER-Tier:
7. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025)
8. Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Watched in IMAX (11 p.m. show).
“Nothing… is written.”
M:I-2 ain’t the only bad M:I film anymore.
If not for that terrific aerial stunt in the final act (an instant callback to Octopussy), I’d have definitely rated this lazy-ass excuse of an entry with less than 2 stars.
Heavy-handed with never-ending expositions (Dead Reckoning had those in the right meter at least) and stacked with dull & plodding set pieces for 90% of the godawful running time clocking in at around 3 hours (the entire Sevastopol scene was such a slog that I totally zoned out fr!), this one is the Spectre of the M:I franchise (the level of retconning that has been done here ffs!). However, the difference is that Bond got a banger of a farewell in the follow-up, which also redeemed much of the damage that was done in the predecessor, while here, this being the final adventure of Hunt, the legacy is tainted beyond redemption. Damn, Hunt deserved a much better send-off than this!
Being a direct follow-up to Dead Reckoning and the final entry in my 2nd favorite action franchise after the 007 series, this was the most anticipated film of the year for me. All that excitement for nothing. To say that I’m massively disappointed right now would be a gross understatement. On the other hand, so glad that I didn’t pre-book for any revisit in advance.
P. S. Those war room scenes were frickin’ hilarious. What were they even thinking??!! Lmao.
GOAT-Tier:
1. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
2. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
3. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (2023)
GOLD-Tier:
4. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
5. Mission: Impossible (1996)
6. Mission: Impossible III (2006)
GUTTER-Tier:
7. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025)
8. Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Benji: “Easy way to : blue is glue.”
Ethan: “And when it’s red?”
Benji: “Dead.”
Way past midnight and I’m too excited to sleep right now. Can’t help but revisit this - my first M:I film on the big screen - again.
As it stands now, 6 > 4 > 7 > 5 > 1 > 3 > 2 for me. All set for The Final Reckoning and let’s see where it ranks in this list. Fingers crossed and wishing a terrific M:I day to all my fellow M:I stans out there in LB.
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“… Ethan, this mission of yours is going to cost you... dearly.“
Okay, so now I didn’t see this coming. For the first time, found the expository bits, say, for instance, the whole dialogue at the party in Venice, rather clunky and affecting the pace of an otherwise fun, globe-trotting Bond-esque spy action adventure. The action set pieces still slap. There’s no two ways about it. The Abu Dhabi airport scene and the final set piece on the Orient Express ranks among the finest in the series. Still, I’d be lying if I deny that I enjoyed Fallout and Ghost Protocol much more this time.
Ranking this at #3 this time. Still, this is a top-tier M:I entry in my list, along with Fallout and Ghost Protocol.
All set for The Final Reckoning tomorrow.
P. S. So glad that they took that tacky “Part One” bit off the title. There’s no cliffhanger ffs and the mission here stands on its own: to retrieve both halves of the key. Simple.
1. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
2. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
3. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (2023)
4. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
5. Mission: Impossible (1996)
6. Mission: Impossible III (2006)
7. Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Count 7 in IMAX (9:30 p.m. show).
“No doubt about it. Last time I seen my brother. Last time I seen the sun. And for a few hours… we was free.”
Been hoping against hope that I’d get at least one more shot at this in IMAX, and so, for the last two weeks, was checking from time and again whether they’ve charted it, and there it was, today! Didn’t even have to give it a second thought. Worth. Every. Penny. And. Time. Put. Into. This!
It’s hilarious how A24 has been trying to perfect their “elevated horror” template, with mostly self-serious drivel, for the last 10 years, but, in the end, it’s WB who did it, and with just one genre-blender that’s mainstream and wildly entertaining on a whole other level, lol.
Speaking of which, the more I revisit this, the more I’m convinced that Coogler didn’t intend this to be a straight-up horror/vampire flick in the conventional sense of the genre and I’m happy that it is what it is now: a supernatural romantic musical period drama centred on the theme of freedom.
They say music can move mountains. I believe they meant what we have right here. Ludwig Göransson deserves all the praise in the world and each and every accolade that’s coming his way.
MASTERPIECE. In every sense of the word.
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Watched the special midnight (11:58 p.m.) preview.
In 4DX.
“Seeing is believing.”
My second Final Destination film on the big screen.
The biggest gallows humor of ‘em all was to be one among the crowd that flocked together in the wee hours, just to sit back, watch and be entertained by innocent, unsuspecting folks getting taken care of (let’s be polite, at least, lmao) in the freakiest of ways, lol.
The film was alright, by the way. To be frank, it was rather refreshing to see NOT yet another prequel/requel/legacy sequel/blah-blah-blah-whatever-you-name-it addition to a popular, iconic, studio horror franchise, but an ordinary, independent sequel that quite stands on its own for a change. However, the problem is that we already got an unofficial Final Destination film in The Monkey earlier this year, to which this latest official entry pales in comparison, hehe.
R.I.P. Tony Todd.
P. S. Was already not very comfortable with MRI machines, despite NOT being claustrophobic, and this one just sealed the deal.
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“Why won't you just die?”
The most action-packed of them all, so tight in action that the narrative sort of chokes hard in fast-forward mode, with a bullet-train of exposition dump in 5x speed. In fact, this one leans more into the action genre compared to the rest, just as with GoldenEye in 007 franchise, and I just love this in that regard. Still can’t believe I didn’t enjoy this that much the first time on the big screen.
1. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
2. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
3. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
4. Mission: Impossible (1996)
5. Mission: Impossible III (2006)
6. Mission: Impossible II (2000)
“ the IMF! See the world! On a monitor. In a closet.”
The most grounded M:I film, which means serious business, since the 1996 original.
Enjoyed this the most since the first time, and a lot more than the last couple of revisits. So, I’m gonna rate this a notch above the first film this time.
1. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
2. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
3. Mission: Impossible (1996)
4. Mission: Impossible III (2006)
5. Mission: Impossible II (2000)
“Light the fuse.”
From here on, follows one of the most entertaining streak in any film franchise, which, I desperately hope, would be sustained in the eighth and final instalment releasing this weekend as well.
Terrific, terrific fun! Insanely, infinitely rewatchable!
1. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
2. Mission: Impossible (1996)
3. Mission: Impossible III (2006)
4. Mission: Impossible II (2000)
“You hung me out of a plane. You can tell a lot about a person's character by how they treat people they don't have to treat well.”
Enjoyed this a lot more this time, compared to the last couple of revisits. A solid outlier with lots of thrills, personal stakes, action and a solid baddie (one of the best, and played by one of the best). This one deserves nothing less than a clean 5/5. What was I thinking??!!
1. Mission: Impossible (1996)
2. Mission: Impossible III (2006)
3. Mission: Impossible II (2000)
”We just rolled up a snowball and tossed it into hell. Now let’s see what chance it has.”
Sucks to sit through this trash on these marathons.
1. Mission: Impossible (1996)
2. Mission: Impossible II (2000)
”Kittridge, you've never seen me very upset.”
The only M:I film with that delicious noirish streak and the signature Hitchcockian touch in execution by Brian De Palma.
1. Mission: Impossible (1996)
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Watched 10:05 p.m. show.
Front-loaded and has its heart in the right place, but the preachy af third act spoils it all.
Dileep nails it as always in emotional scenes here as well, which comes as no surprise really. While hailed for his unmatched slapstick repertoire and absolute killer comic timing, the man is so very underrated as a serious actor, who always scores high during somber, dramatic moments, no matter what. Wish he focused more on the drama genre than the tried-and-tested comedy template right now.
P. S. Urvashi plays the typical Salim Kumar cameo in Dijo Jose Antony films.
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”As far back as I can , I always wanted to be a gangster.”
Treated myself to my #1 favorite cinematic treat of all time this birthday 🥳 Had a blast, as always with this masterpiece! ❤️🔥
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“Gotta it you can take a hit.”
Imagine a goofy second cousin of John Wick and Hutch Mansell, with, of course, a quirk.
Disposable action comedy entertainment, but at least Jack Quaid clearly had so much fun at it.
P. S. The brawl with the tattoo artist was hilarious, lmao!
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“Yahtzee.”
A better thriller set in a confined space than Locked.
One of those thrillers that will have you on the edge of your seat while it lasts, but is quite silly when you think about it, say, a day later.
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“Street smart, bitch.”
Killer Clown/Gothic Vampire pales in comparison to the OG Hannibal Lecter, lol.
Starts fine but gets stagnant (obviously) and stale pretty fast. Got what they were going for with all that political discourse, but it felt so tacky in the context of the plot. One-time watchable stuff.
P. S. Wondering how tf they convinced the great Anthony Hopkins to get on board here.
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Watched in IMAX (9:30 p.m. show).
“We're brought up with this belief that there are good guys and there are bad guys, but eventually you come to realize that there are bad guys and there are worse guys.”
Yea, MCU’s latest ragtag bunch of anti-heroes is fun all right. I don’t know, but ain’t this whole “secret-laboratory-experiments-conducted-on-human-test-subjects-in-the-name-of-underground-superhuman-project-xyz-gone-wrong” trope getting a bit too old, repetitive, hackneyed, not to mention being a glaring sign of lazy writing and lack of creativity??!! The pacing is so off in places that 2 hrs 7 mins felt like some 3 hrs. By the way, after a while, sitting our asses down for eternity, for that post-credits scene in a MCU film, is worth right here for a change.
It’s okay, with some good old “saving-the-civilians-from-danger” genre shticks stuffed in, but seriously, I don’t get the hype.
P. S. Florence Pugh can kick my ass all day ❤️🔥
P. P. S. Loved how the new custom The Fantastic Four: First Steps special IMAX countdown popped-up on screen from nowhere, lol! ❤️
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Revisit.
Arguably, the most underrated Karthik Subbaraj film yet.
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Watched 7:15 p.m. show.
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Watched 11 p.m. show.
“Cut n’ right.”
Karthik Subbaraj’s Kuruvi.
Another day, another half-baked star vehicle from Tamil Cinema’s own Tarantino, Karthik Subbaraj.
Starts strong, with a Suriya who is in his best form in a massy avatar since Ayan, but things somewhat start to spiral downhill after the intermission block, and the fate of the film gets sealed by that reveal which is as old as the mass masala genre.
Still, this film is not as bad as Kanguva, unlike some make it out to be. It’s watchable. Loved the score by Santhosh Narayanan; “Lose Your Fkin Mind” is an instant banger! 🔥
Jagame Thandhiram, Petta and now this. At the cost of sounding like a broken record, let me repeat this for the umpteen time: Karthik Subbaraj’s forte is content-oriented films; not star vehicles.
P. S. 1/2 a star and 🧡 extra for “how-on-earth-did-they-pull-off” that marriage reception sequence!
P. P. S. Pooja Hegde is ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
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Discount Mukundan Unni Associates. Made me root hard for the anti-hero, lol! Serviceable dark “family” comedy.
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Count 6 in IMAX (10:20 p.m. show).
“And for a few hours… we was free.”
Just couldn’t miss the very last screening in IMAX, as MCU’s Thunderbolts* takes over from tomorrow. Probably my last revisit in IMAX too, unless they decide to put it back on for at least one show, and I’m heartbroken already 💔
Now, I’m almost convinced that Coogler’s vision here is intended to translate to a Southern period piece with an angry commentary on the racial atrocities of the time, and the whole vampire sub-plot is there to further highlight the fact that, in real world, there are two-faced humans far more vile, evil and covetous than all the blood-sucking monsters in folklore. Also, the biblical parallels and undertones become more and more conspicuous with each revisit: as in the vampires doomed to eternal damnation desperately wanting to reconnect to their departed ancestors through Sammie’s prodigious divinity (music), much akin to how Christians, doomed to mortality by the original sin, seek redemption and everlasting life via Jesus Christ, the saviour. And then there is the pre-climactic face-off between Remmick and Sammie, wherein the latter gets kind of baptised in blood and scarred tissue, emerging sort of born again in his resolution to pursue his ion, his music, for life.
The brief emotional moment between Stack & Mary in the juke t, with Delta Slim’s piano notes playing the background, was strongly reminiscent of Casablanca ❤️
Could go on and on and on about Ryan Coogler’s genre-bending (Period Drama + Western + Horror + Comedy + Action + Romance + Musical), towering masterpiece all day long. The absolute best of 2025 so far, and I seriously doubt whether this could be topped! ❤️🔥
Thank you, Ryan Coogler & team, for showcasing to the world yet again the Power of Cinema ❤️🔥
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Count 5 in IMAX (10 p.m. show).
“It’s magic, what we do. It’s sacred… and BIG!”
That surreal music montage is one for the ages! ❤️🔥
Hands down the best Hollywood studio blockbuster since The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick in 2022. If only they churned out at least one blockbuster high on artistic merit, such as these, every year!
After each revisit, the more the whole affair feels like a wonderfully crafted Southern period piece rather than yet another vampire flick like it was originally marketed/promoted to be, and I mean this in a good way, on a happy note. ‘Cos, I just can’t praise enough as to how it takes an entire hour to establish and develop arcs for each character, i.e., the ing players included, set up the premise, the tone etc., so that when the actual horror kicks in in the latter half, the stakes have been already placed so high that you couldn’t just help but be emotionally wrecked by the time the final showdown ends with that rousing, heart-breaking score. Can’t praise enough as to how beautiful everything about the film is as well ❤️🔥
By the way, it was a fun crowd this time. They didn’t switch off the lights until the “one day earlier” card and some of the lot went berserk, calling out loud to switch off the lights (the guy who sat by my side even called the management on phone, lol!), which was a first for me in an IMAX screen, hehe!
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Been itching to pay a revisit since Thudarum on Friday night. But got enough free time only today and here I am.
Out of all the A10 films that came out in the last 20 years, literally only a handful satisfied me 100% and beyond: Chotta Mumbai, Bhramaram, Drishyam and Lucifer.
They say that it takes a span of 25 years for a film to be deemed a classic. But, it can be said with 100% certainty that this one is gonna stand the rest of time and will be considered as the greatest classic of 2010’s Malayalam Cinema 🐐
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This review may contain spoilers.
Watched 11:59 p.m. (midnight) show.
Enjoyed the light-hearted portions in the first act and the slow build-up to that peak of an interval block. But, what followed in the latter half, which is nothing but a blend of our native mass masala template with some gratuitous violence that is a staple of Korean thrillers, just didn’t work for me. It’s so bloody massy that I just couldn’t connect to the emotions of the lead character, which in turn took me out of the film. Also, that main baddie turned out so annoying after a while. Thought Chemban would’ve done wonders in that role; the character reminded me of Chemban’s creepy, scheming Police baddie in Anchakkallakokkan.
And what’s with those references and callbacks to yesteryear Mohanlal films left, right and centre in the beginning portions??!! These gimmicks work in a film like Good Bad Ugly, but stick out like a sore thumb in a content-centric thriller. Speaking of callbacks, Shobana’s casting seems done just for the sake of marketing the film via those tricky feel-good posters, leveraging/exploiting the collective nostalgia of an average Malayali, for the vintage onscreen combo, the scope of which ends with a song in the film.
Much more than Drishyam, this one reminded me of two ‘90s’ Mohanlal films that I’m not a big fan of - Appu and Soorya Gayathri. Shanmugham a.k.a. Benz is the polar opposite of Georgekutty - brawn over brains all the way.
Could see what the fanboys are so excitedly raving about. Well, I don’t belong to that crowd and what Tharun Moorthy has cooked here is not something that caters to my diet of thrillers. Easily, the weakest of the three films by Tharun Moorthy, which is not a surprise, given this is the most commercial of the three, one that plays to the “gallery” rather than to the “audience”.
For me, Lucifer is still the last great/best Mohanlal film, and the wait for another great Mohanlal film തുടരും…
P. S. നേര് ഇറങ്ങിയപ്പൊ ഇവര് ഈ chorus ആയി “comeback”, “comeback” എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞോണ്ടിരുന്നത് മനസ്സിലാക്കാമായിരുന്നു. ഇത് പക്ഷേ Industry Hit ഒരെണ്ണം ഇട്ട് പോയിട്ട് മാസം ഒന്ന് തികഞ്ഞിട്ടില്ല. ഇനി എല്ലാർക്കും കൂട്ട മറവി വെല്ലോം ആണോ! 😂
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Count 4 in IMAX (10 p.m. show).
“You know something?… Maybe once a week, I wake up paralyzed reliving that night… But before the sun went down, I think that was the best day of my life… Was it like that for you?”
Fuck, still just can’t get enough of it! ❤️🔥
Rarely do we see the medium of Cinema being used the way Ryan Coogler & team has played with right here. The no-nonsense screenwriting, the arresting use of photography and colors, the surreal score (mighty damn, the score! ❤️🔥) and good old classical blues (magic, like how Slim puts it!), the one-of-its-kind leverage of aspect ratio as a visual storytelling utility (damn, loved those constant switching!), the spectacularly brilliant production design with the finest attention to details there is, the performances wherein each and every actor smoothly gets under the skin of their respective character - absolutely everything fire on all cylinders and what we get is a cinematic out that is so pure, raw and genuine, and that which pulses and pounds with the soul Coogler has so sympathetically put into it.
Experience the sheer magic of CINEMA! ❤️🔥
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Count 3 in IMAX (10 p.m. show).
“There are legends of people born with the gift of making music so true it can pierce the veil between life and death, conjuring spirits from the past and the future.”
Again, during the closing moments, goosebumps washed all over me. I was moved to tears. Felt a lump in my throat. The Power of Music. The Power of Art. The Power of Cinema ❤️🔥
Still hyped for M:I-8, which is the most awaited film of the year for me. But, to be frank, I don’t think it would come close to the cinematic perfection this is. This is something special, something that has to be experienced to be believed ❤️🔥
If you miss this out on or choose to skip this on the biggest screen there is, well then, it’s your loss.
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Marcia: “Last year my daughter married a very rich man.”
Benji: “Oh, fuck.”
Unsurprisingly, as predictable as they come. Could see where it’s headed, say, some 5 minutes into it, and as anyone who have seen enough films in their lifetime could guess, there are no surprises in store here. Still, the restricted cast of characters, the Polish landscapes and a terrific, scene-stealing turn by Kieran Culkin (totally deserves that Academy win) makes this an engaging comedy-drama while it lasts. One of those films that’s good, but wouldn’t give you that urge for a revisit anytime soon.
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Revisit. Can’t believe it’s been more than two frickin’ decades since this came out.
Features the OG homies cult 😂
Simran & Ramya Krishnan ❤️🔥
Another script by Crazy Mohan wherein the jokes per minute go through the roof. Such a legend. Sir, you are dearly missed 💔
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Digitally Remastered 4K Re-release.
Count 2 in theatre (2:25 p.m. show).
#20YearsOfSachein ❤️
To revisit one of the favorite films from your favorite star on the big screen on a Sunday afternoon, after a sumptuous lunch with your family. Bliss ❤️
Again, it was a fun audience, alive with hoots and cheers, dancing to “Vaadi Vaadi” and all 🔥
And, that’s DSP’s best album right there 🎧
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Count 2 in IMAX (10 p.m. show).
“We’re gon’ kill every last one of ya.”
Still can’t get over the beauty of the soundtrack, the score and the landscape photography that warrants a mandatory IMAX experience ❤️🔥 I don’t always say this. But. This is Cinema! 🙌
P. S. Don’t leave the hall right after the mid credits. There’s a post credits scene as well.
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Watched in IMAX (10 p.m. show).
“Son… you keep dancing with the devil... one day he's gonna follow you home.”
Had been in my watchlist ever since the first trailer dropped 6 months ago, and the hype only grew with each new trailer/promo material that came out, time and again, gearing up to the actual release today. Thought I was well prepared for yet another damn good time @ a vampire flick. Boy, was I wrong! What I witnessed just now, with my jaws literally dropped, by the time the end credits started rolling on screen, is much, much more than a vampire/horror film!
Halfway through the film, with only the premise and the characters set up, I was already floored. Yup, the entire first hour of the film takes its sweet time to establish the context of the period the story is set in, i.e. the tumultuous 1930s in the then racially charged southern state of Mississippi, with the sinister threat of the Klan, and the background of the characters, adding layers as to why they are the way they are. It’s such a detailed and engrossing period piece of a former half that I almost forgot that it’s a horror film. And then I thought, okay, that’s it, what’s about to follow would be the usual - a run-of-the-mill vampire flick with bloodshed galore and gratuitous kills. Boy, was I wrong again!
Things take a dark turn in the latter half, as shown in bulk of the trailers, but, what’s really fascinating here is the screenwriting that leans consistently on humor, very subtle and never undercooked, which in turn keeps the edge of the narrative razor-sharp and the tone creepy yet high on wit. There are cuts that allude to jumpscares, but not the insufferable conventional cliché we are so used to. In fact, even the jumpscares are smartly witty, thanks to the ingenious editing techniques. And this subversion of genre tropes doesn’t stop there. Bulk of the kills happen off-screen, which is something most films of this genre doesn’t even dare to try. The pacing is so crisp that it seems as if the resolution came rather too quick. But, the actual payoff, comes right after that. The final act is so very poignant that, coupled with the score, it moved me to tears.
Now, speaking of which, the soundtrack and the film score. Hot damn, that score! Words fail me. It’s… how to put it… it’s out of this world! I’m still reeling from the effect it had on me. Literally, moved me to tears. Beautiful. It’s just…beautiful! Ethereal. Absolutely stunning! Listening to it in the background, right as I put my thoughts down here. Just can’t get over it. Ludwig Göransson, take a bow!
The entire cast, lead by Michael B. Jordan, who does an impeccable job at the double act, has delivered in spades. Delors Lindo is hilarious. Miles Caton is a promising find. Hailee Steinfeld is sensational here.
Ryan Coogler has really hit it out of the park here with a wonderfully structured, incredibly enacted and beautifully scored/conceived action horror film, that, powered by soulful blues, makes a striking commentary on racism, with a distinctive subtext of (spiritual) liberation, goes on to deliver what’s least expected of its genre and thereby packs a punch.
Stop whatever you’re doing right now and catch this on the biggest screen near you; a must-see on IMAX, if there is one in your town/city. Terrific! Absolutely fantastic! Beautiful, beautiful film! Easily, the best of 2025 so far.
P. S. That surreal music montage. Something that has to be seen to be believed!
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Digitally Remastered 4K Re-release.
Watched 3:40 p.m. show.
#20YearsOfSachein ❤️
Watching peak vintage Vijay doing what he used to do best on the big screen. Well, what more could a die-hard fan ask for??!! 🤩
Ilayathalapathy > Thalapathy. Pre-Thuppakki Vijay, with that infectious energy on screen, was a different beast altogether, and today, watched that good old Ilayathalapathy Vijay we 90s’ kids grew up with, on the big screen once again ❤️
Genelia at her bubbly best 😍 Vadivelu and his cronies, along with Vijay, deliver comedy gold 😂
It was a fun crowd, repeating after some of those quotable lines, song lyrics etc. in chorus. Clear that it’s not just me who dearly misses this version of Vijay 🥹❤️
Top-tier விஜய் படம், along with Ghilli, Pokkiri, Kushi and Leo ❤️
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“என்ன சொன்னா உங்க ஏரியா வா?! இந்த ஏரியா, அந்த ஏரியா, இந்த இடம் அந்த இடம், எல்லா ஏரியாலயும் ஐயா கில்லி டா!” 🔥🔥🔥
Peak Vintage Vijay. Check ✅
The one and only massy Vijay flick in which the female lead is the focal point of the plot. Check ✅
The best villain in a Vijay film. Check ✅
The best soundtrack album in a Vijay film. Check ✅
The best cinematographic writing, as in how the locations and the sets (the lighthouse!) are used, in a Vijay film. Check ✅
The most balanced among all of Vijay’s masala flicks - the perfect blend of action + romance + family-friendly comedy + sports there is. Check ✅
Infinite rewatchability. Check ✅
Still my favorite Vijay film of all time ❤️
Sorry, Leo. You may have to take just one step back among the Top 4. Ghilli > Leo > Pokkiri > Kushi 🔥
]]>- Nayakan
- Thalapathi
- Alaipayuthey
- Chekka Chivantha Vaanam
- Guru
- Kannathil Muthamittal
- Ponniyin Selvan: Part II
- Ponniyin Selvan: Part I
- Mouna Raagam
- Iruvar
...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Identity
- Rekhachithram
- Game Changer
- Nosferatu
- Pravinkoodu Shappu
- Wolf Man
- Dominic and the Ladies' Purse
- Sky Force
- Ponman
- Companion
...plus 25 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Kung Fu Panda
- It
- Kingsman: The Golden Circle
- American Made
- Blade Runner 2049
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Justice League
- Coco
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi
- Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
...plus 81 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Coco
- A Quiet Place
- Peter Rabbit
- Solo: A Star Wars Story
- Deadpool 2
- Incredibles 2
- Venom
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Top Gun: Maverick
- Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>...plus 72 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>...plus 35 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Master
- The Priest
- One
- Godzilla vs. Kong
- Nayattu
- Nizhal
- Kala
- Chathur Mukham
- Anugraheethan Antony
- No Time to Die
...plus 34 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>...plus 4 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Abraham Ozler
- Captain Miller
- Malaikottai Vaaliban
- Fighter
- Bramayugam
- Premalu
- Manjummel Boys
- Dune: Part Two
- The Goat Life
- Godzilla × Kong: The New Empire
...plus 60 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Final Destination
- Final Destination 2
- Final Destination 3
- The Final Destination
- Final Destination 5
- Friday the 13th
- Friday the 13th Part 2
- Friday the 13th Part III
- Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
- Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
...plus 26 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Friday the 13th Part III
- Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood
- Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
- Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
- Friday the 13th
- Friday the 13th Part 2
- Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
- Jason X
- Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
- Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
- Avengers: Endgame
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- The Avengers
- Captain America: Civil War
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Thor: Love and Thunder
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Iron Man 2
...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Avengers: Endgame
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Captain America: Civil War
- Doctor Strange
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Spider-Man: Far From Home
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Black Panther
...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- The Spy Who Loved Me
- Live and Let Die
- Octopussy
- Licence to Kill
- No Time to Die
- Quantum of Solace
- For Your Eyes Only
- Goldfinger
- The Living Daylights
- Dr. No
...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
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