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Review: Veyyil - Really, a "hot' change
Quality Sc... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: Veyyil - Really, a "hot' changeQuality
Score: 7/10 ; Masala Value: 4/10 In today's industry, a movie under the banner of director Shankar's "S Pictures' would mean a complete quality entertainer. Shankar has this knack of backing new directors and boosting their non-conventional subjects out into the market with an unparalled confidence, and he makes no mistake with this one too. Watch Trailer The story is narrated by the protagonist Murugesan (Pasupathy). It is about his life - his struggles, his triumphs and his emotions. Murugesan and Kathir (Bharath) are the sons of a butcher in a small village near Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu. The first twenty minutes is about their childhood and the fun they have with the other boys. Murugesan is frustrated after being excessively scolded by his father and therefore leaves his home and makes a living by working in a theater. Meanwhile his brother after his education and runs an advertising agency. How their lives progress a
Review: Sivapathigaram - Old wine, old bottleQuali... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: Sivapathigaram - Old wine, old bottleQuality Score - 3/10; Masala Value - 5.5/10 Sivapathigaram, true to the legend with a similar name, is the story of an angry young man who rises against the bureaucracy to fight the system.Watch TrailerElango (Raghuvaran) is a retired college professor who comes down to settle in his village with his daughter Charulatha (Mamta Mohandas). He asks his student Sathyamoorthy (Vishal) to join him and help with a research project. As you would expect by now Charulatha falls for Sathya. Subsequently, elections are announced in Tamil Nadu and Sathya with the backing of Elango goes on a serial-killing spree and takes out a few candidates contesting the polls. Following this panic strikes the other candidates and causes them to withdraw their nominations; all this creates a furor in the state and elections are postponed. The motive behind Sathya's killings is told in a flashback and how the police nab them completes the story. Firstly, parts
Review: Vallavan - Masala with a Sour taste! (2006... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: Vallavan
- Masala
with a Sour taste
! (2006) Quality Score : 4.5/10; Masala Value : 7/10 Vallavan, riding on a high wave of expectations for being the second-directorial venture of Simbu following his successful "Manmadhan,' battled several controversies and finally saw the light of the day only to thoroughly disappoint me.Watch TrailerAs the movie opens with a comedy scene followed by a fight sequence and a couple of romantic exchanges between the lead pair of Vallan (Simbu) and Sandhya (Nayanthara) and a song in the first few reels, you think that you are set for another college love story - but the turn of events that follow only frustrate you through the interval. The story takes a twist in the second half and goes into flashback mode where Vallan rejects the love of his high-school classmate and a psychotic-girl, Geetha (Reema Sen). How Geetha re-enters the scene with vengeance to spoil the hopes and dreams of Vallan forms the rest of the plot. The story has no subs
Review: Vivah (2006) - Marketing 'arranged marriag... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: Vivah (2006) - Marketing
'arranged marriages' Raided Now!Quality Score: 4.75/10; Masala Value: 7/10It is general knowledge to the average movie-goer in India that a Rajshri Productions' creation is filled with traditions and customs, full of drama, countless songs and abundant emotions. Sooraj Barjatya has yet again tried to use his old formula and cast a spell on his masses. And he does not even manage to come close to re-creating the magic.As advertised the movie is about the phase in the life of a boy and a girl from their engagement to marriage. Prem (Shahid Kapur) is the son of an industrialist in Delhi. On the lines of your typical arranged he meets a girl Poonam (Amrita Rao) from the town of Madhupur, likes her and instantly gets engaged. How they develop a bond with each other; how their relationship matures and how they grow to love the other deeply in the next six-months before the wedding forms the story.Watch TrailerBarjatya bases his story on the same framewo
Review: Fargo (1996) - Red drops on white snow (8/... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: Fargo
(1996) - Red drops on white snow (8/10) This being my first review for Celluloid Raiders, I decided to write about one of my all time favorite thriller movies, "Fargo". This crime story, said to be adapted from a true life incident is not, in fact, "Based on a true story". The movie written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen (Miller's Crossing) is about the kidnapping of Mrs. Lundegaard (Kristin Rudrud) planned by her husband Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy - "The Cooler"). Watch Trailer The movie starts with Jerry meeting the two henchmen Carl (Steve Buscemi -"Con Air") and Gaear (Peter Stormare - "Constantine"), hired to kidnap his wife for a ransom by conning his father-in-law. He also hands them a brand new car for their operation, from his father-in-law's auto dealership, where he works as a sales executive. After the abduction, they take the wife from Minneapolis to Fargo in North Dakota. During the road trip they are stopped by a cop
Review: Anatomy of a murder - Moviemaking dissecte... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: Anatomy of a murder
- Moviemaking dissected (1959) (7/10)As a big fan of mystery/thriller/suspense movies, it would have been a crime for me to miss Anatomy of a Murder. Yet, it has taken me till today to see it and I am happy I finally did! This film definitely goes down in time as a classic mystery on par with the Hitchcock's. Somehow there was an eerie similarity to the 1957 movie, 12 Angry Men, another classic that I enjoyed. This high action courtroom drama in Black & White unveils different aspects of classic cinema. The very adept lawyer Paul Biegler (James Stewart) takes up a challenging case of acquitting a murder charge on Fredrick Manion (Ben Gazzara). The plot is definite. Fredrick Manion, an innocent army lieutenant, kills popular bartender Barney Quill as an act to avenge his wife's (Lee Remick) rape. But the question is, was Manion in a stable mental state during the time of the crime? With the defense of temporary insanity, Paul Biegler steers the court agai
Review: The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - An epic ... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - An epic drama(9/10) It has not been 5 minutes since the closing cast came up and I am already sketching my review of this film. Truly magnificent, it will unanimously go down in the annuls of cinema history, as the best of the best that Hollywood has churned out. I will personally recommend this to any audience who sits in front of the television! Watch trailer Directed by Frank Darabont (Green Mile), Tim Robbins and the inevitable Morgan Freeman light the screen in this mind blowing drama based Stephen King's novel. This is a story of the young and very successful banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) who is sentenced to a double life imprisonment in the Shawshank penitentiary after being framed for the murder of his wife and her lover. Quickly, the more reticent Andy makes thick friends with inmate Red (Morgan Freeman), one who is known to "get things from time to time for a price" among associates. Red is a small time smuggler of goods
Review: A Simple Plan (1998) - As Greed prevails, ... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: A Simple
Plan (1998) - As Greed
prevails, all else fails! Raided Now!(7.5/10)I must say that at one point I was only watching such movies that were so depressing and had a lot of uncalled-for blood. 'A Simple Plan
' is one such film that actually delineates the wrath of snowy weather and the ever consuming greed of the being. Chances are you will like this movie if you enjoyed Fargo, since both these movies commence and progress on similar notes. Only 'A Simple Plan' has got a heavier star-cast than Fargo, with Bill Paxton (Hank Mitchell), Billy Bob Thronton (Jacob Mitchell), Bridget Fonda (Sarah Mitchell) and is directed by the famous Sam Raimi (Spiderman series, coming soon Spiderman III (2007)!). Watch TrailerIt all starts when brothers Hank & Jacob and a friend, Brent Briscoe (Lou Chambers), chance upon a downed plane stashed with 4.4 million dollars. After a lot of quarrel, a consensus is reached to stow the money under the watch of Hank and wait to see if the owner
Review: Dhoom 2 (2006) - "Just Eye Candy!" <?xml:n... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: Dhoom
2 (2006) - "Just Eye Candy
!" Quality Score: 5/10; Masala Value: 9/10So much hype, so much expectation, so many stars, such a revolutionary concept, such an extention to the legacy! Dhoom 2 enthralls audience of all ages like its prequel. Please welcome the advent of successful sequels in bollywood! The star studded front ends are glamorous very well backed by a good storyline. Hrithik Roshan & Bipasha Basu were so hot that they set the screen ablaze! Aishwarya, Abhishek and Uday supported them with their solid acting talents in their respective roles. Ultimately it was a wholesome experience that unwound into an edge-of-the-seat thriller with a style similar to "Oceans 11' and "Entrapment'.Watch TrailerThat's what they all said! On the contrary, Dhoom 2 disappointed me. I was unhappy with the patchy screenplay and some unrealistic plots. But as they all say again, do not expect such things from bollywood! Soon, I fell into a slumber although I made sure I had li
Review: Pi: Faith in chaos (1998) - Quantitative d... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: Pi: Faith
in chaos (1998) - Quantitative description of chaos(6.5/10) Everything about Pi and the story surrounding it enthused me. Coming from an engineering background, physics always puzzled me, not that I even remotely excelled in it. But there is a predicament amongst theorists if everything in the universe can be scientifically explained. Science has its root in mathematics. Mathematics governs the core of all theories, postulates and laws. So the question now remains, can any happening in the universe be mapped by numbers? Is there a mathematical explanation to every object/event in the universe? Is there by some chance a number that can define the vagaries of the stock market and unlock the key to explain god? Pi, is a movie based on this premise. Watch TrailerWritten & Directed by Darren Aronofsky(Requiem for a Dream(2000), The Fountain(2006)), this scientific thriller explores into the brain of an obsessed mathematical genius Maximillian Cohen (Sean Gullette) who is
Review: The <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />School ... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: The School
of Rock (2003) - Laughter medicine! (7.5/10) The first time I noticed Jack Black was in "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)". He plays a small role and is hacked to death by the blood thirsty fisherman, but his cameo sure did crack me up. He is stout, cocky and makes you roll. He accomplishes his duty to the fullest as an acting school teacher in "The School of Rock" directed by Richard Linklater. I watched it twice and it's my conclusion that this man has got some energy! Mike White who stars as Ned Schneebly, is the writer of this movie who is also the writer of another of Jack Black's movie - Nacho Libre.Watch TrailerHe throws himself to the crowd in merry in a rock concert as the part of a band. What happens next is foreseeable, the crowd moves and he crashes with a thud. That's Dewey Finn (Jack Black), a wannabe rock-star whose antics result in him being fired from his band. Dewey's life takes a downward spiral since then with mount
Review: The Matrix (1999) - A sci-fi tribute to re... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: The Matrix
(1999) - A sci-fi tribute
to real world philosophy Raided Now! (8.5/10) One of the early trailers featured on the TV channel STAR Movies of The Matrix, showcased the advanced special effects involved in the movie, later attributed to a 3D imaging software called Maya (Remember the leapfrog kick from Trinity and the oh-so-famous Neo bullet dodging scene?). The immediate reaction from a bunch of geeky, wannabe techies that we were was, Wow! Watch Trailer The Matrix is a pull-no-punches-back, high octane action movie, backed by an innovative science-fiction plot, that is adeptly handled to challenge the boundaries of human cognizance of the world that is seen and felt by touch and experience. The Wachowski brothers do this and more, without allowing the audiences' thoughts to wander even for a moment. They deserve all the kudos that they should have received since the movie came out. A bunch of outlawed rebels, living in the underworld of cyber and real world crime, le
Trivia [Comment to Answer]
Last Week's Trivia Win... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Trivia [Comment
to Answer] Last Week's Trivia Winner: Vignesh (twistedintellect), Fresno, California.Answer: i. Dr. Strangelove; ii. You've got mail ; iii. Lawrence of Arabia; iv. Back to the future; v. ApocalyptoGuess the Actor, Movie and the Director Read more:Trivia
Review: Spartacus (1960) - "We cant just be a gang... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: Spartacus
(1960) - "We cant just be a gang of drunken raiders..We have to be gladiators!" Raided Now!(7/10) Trivia (Comment to Answer): Which Roman era did Spartacus belong to? Thy Romans shall wait, while the mighty Spartacus raises an Army & Commands a rebellion, from a clan of many slaves. Yes, you guessed right! I am talking about the epic, heroic & the tragic tale of Spartacus. Behold while Stanley Kubrick unveils his ingenuous skill of direction in this 1960 epic. Well, the list is endless isn't it, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Full Metal Jacket, Spartacus! They call it diversification in the Finance world & versatility in Hollywood. Yes, Kubrick is unique & renowned because he is one who stands apart by investing his directing prowess in diverse topics. Spartacus probably highlights Kubrick's career peak. Set in the era of the booming Roman Empire & Gladiators, ravaged slave Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) is sold to trainer Batiatus. Batiatu
Salaam-e-Ishq - A never-ending love saga
Quality S... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Salaam-e-Ishq - A never-ending love sagaQuality
Score: 4/10Masala Value: 8/10 Coming from the Karan Johar School of cinema you should expect the movie to be unimaginably long; have nice and grand songs; have a stunning star-cast and preach some message. Well, true to the open secret Salaam-e-Ishq is a loose adaptation of the Hollywood flick Love Actually (2003).As proclaimed this is the story of six couples all dealing with the common problem of love in its different manifestations - well just five couples for all practical purposes as the Sohail Khan-Isha Koppikar track was an utter waste. It was a crass and cheap comedy track that was totally disjointed and spurious in the film.John Abraham-Vidya Balan; Akshay Khanna-Ayesha Takia; Anil Kapoor-Juhi Chawla (with the debutant Anjana Sukhani); Govinda-Shannon Esra and Salman Khan-Priyanka Chopra are individuals in various stages of their life facing kinds of dilemmas. Further how the power of love comes together with fate and desti Read more:Salaam
Review: Pokkiri - Vijay's Pongal special - Fans On... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: Pokkiri - Vijay
's Pongal
special - Fans Only Raided now!Quality Score: 4.5/10Masala Value: 8.5/10As a cinema connoisseur/critic, first let me tell you why the movie was so hyped and is big. Vijay wrestled to buy the re-make rights following one of his biggest flops and now returns this Pongal after the longest sabbatical of his career. Prabhu Deva after establishing himself in Telugu cinema wields the megaphone for the first time in Tamil.Tamil (Vijay) a.k.a Pokkiri is a powerful henchman who will work for anyone who pays him well. Over time, he builds a reputation for himself amongst the city's different terror groups and they begin to fear him. This entire terror network is run by the international don Ali Bhai (Prakash Raj). How Tamil comes face-to-face with Ali Bhai and manages to clean up the terror mess forms the basic story. In this backdrop, Tamil comes across a happy-go-lucky yoga instructor in Sruthi (Asin). They do eventually fall in love, but refrain from gett
Spirited Away (2001) - Visual Tapestry painted lik... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Spirited Away (2001) - VisualTapestry
painted like no ever ! Raided Now!(8.5 / 10) The first time I saw Spirited Away I was blown away. Not a big fan of anime, I developed a great interest after seeing this movie. There wasn't a single moment where my attention wasn't completed focused.The story is about Chihiro, a young girl who is very apathetic, whiny and complaining. The family, while moving to a new city, miss the turn off and reach an abandoned theme park. While exploring the park her parents get enticed by the spells of evil spirits. Watch TrailerYoung and abandoned Chihiro is now trapped in a mythical world where she must find her inner strength to survive. The world she inhabits is just magical, special and unusual place you will ever see. She finds out that her only hope to survive is to find a job at the bath house - a retreat for an incredible range of funny and mythical spirits. The plot of the movie spins around how Chihiro grows tremendously as a person to help her
Review: <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Tombstone (... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Review: Tombstone
(1993) - "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" (7/10)Hollywood and America have always been fair with the life of cowboys, mostly because of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne. The lives of the policemen and law officers in the west have been in sidelines for a long time now. This is one of the few films where the cowboy is not the hero, at least not when Wyatt Earp is around and Doc Holiday hangs out with him! This George Cosmatos (Rambo) movie, set in 1880's, deals with the tale of the legendary true story of Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell - The Thing), a former U.S. Marshal who retires from Law and moves into Tombstone, AZ with his two brothers, Virgil and Morgan Earp to settle down and make a small fortune for themselves. However, the town they now live in is strong-armed by the local cowboys who threaten even the souls of the local village clan. Tensions escalate when eldest Earp joins the law after not being able to tolerate the loss of human values and civil rights in the gun
79th Annual Academy Awards 1970-01-01 00:59:59 BEST PICTURE BabelThe DepartedLetters from Iwo Jima Little Miss Sunshine The QueenBEST ACTOR.. Leonardo Dicaprio(Blood Diamond) Ryan Gosling ( Half Nelson)Peter O'Toole (Venus)Will Smith(Pursuit of Happyness)Forest Whitaker(Last King of Scotland)BEST ACTRESS Penelope Cruz ( Volver )Judi Dench ( Notes on a Scandal) Helen Mirren ( The Queen )Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada) Kate Winslet ( Little Children)SUPPORTING ACTORAlan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine)James Haley (Little Miss Sunshine)Djimon HounsouBlood Diamond Eddie MurphyDreamgirlsMark WahlbergThe DepartedSUPPORTINGACTRESS Adriana BarrazaBabelCate BlanchettNotes on a ScandalAbegail BreslinLittle Miss SunshineRinku KikuchiBabelJennifer HudsonDreamgirlsDIRECTORMartin ScorseseThe DepartedAlejandro InarrituBabelStephen FrearsThe QueenClint EastwoodLetters from Iwo JimaPaul GreengrassUnited 93BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE After the WeddingThe Lives of OthersPan's labyrinthDays of GloryWaterBEST ADAPTEDSCREENPLAYBoratChildren of MenT Read more:Annual
, Academy
, Awards
Want information on upcoming movies? Sneak Peak'07... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Want information
on upcoming movies
? Sneak Peak'07 Recently Updated Raided Now! Drama More .. Spirited Away Salaam-E-Ishq Fargo Apocalypto Desi More .. Foreign More .. Pokiri Thiruvilayadal Aarambam 8 1/2 Children of Heaven Assorted Raiding Soon! A Simple Plan Matrix In The Name of the Father Papillon
New: Click to see 'Celluloid Raiders Logos', you c... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 New: Click
to see 'Celluloid RaidersLogos
', you can add to your siteSneak Peek '07 [Page II]Ocean's 13Who's No.13? Then Andy Garcia, now payback Al Pacino!Genre: Action/ThrillerRelease Date: June 8Ratatouille Disney & Pixar team up after Cars! It's all about a Rat's dream to become a French chef. Truly its 'Pixar creativity'Genre: Comedy/AnimationRelease Date: June 29Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's endAhoy Captain Jack Sparrow! His adventures to the world's end must continue..Genre: Action/Drama/ThrillerRelease Date: May 18Shrek 3In a kingdom far far away will the reluctant green Ogre hold the throne?Genre: Comedy/AnimationRelease Date: May 18CaptivityFor all you 'mad' Saw fans, fall into Captivity!Genre: Horror/ThrillerRelease Date: May 18
Review: Babel (2006) – Another Amores Perros? I do... 2007-03-11 07:00:00 Review: Babel
(2006) – Another Amores
Perros? I don’t think so!(5/10) 4 people, totally disconnected, lives intertwine, time-bending screenplay, unfortunate consequences, how it all fits together…Have you seen that before? Memento, Crash, Snatch, Amores Perros, Pulp Fiction, Identity, 21 grams, the list of such genre seems endless! It seems to be the current fad in Hollywood, but its my personal belief that this is fad-ing! Of the mix, Amores Perros & 21 grams are the making Alejandro Gonzalez who is an innovator in direction, and here is stalemate Babel by him. Through the 142 minute movie the recipe of your mood might oscillate between depression & disappointment. I think I already lost an audience!On one hemisphere, married couple Richard (Brad Pitt) and Susan (Cate Blanchett) decide to vacation in Morocco when Susan is accidentally shot by 2 trigger happy Moroccan kids. The situation soon escalates into a political pandemonium when Richard struggles to hold to Susan
~CR Returns~
Review: Sivaji – The Boss, totally in... 2007-06-21 20:39:00 ~CR Returns
~Review: Sivaji – The Boss, totally
in sync with Style & StardomRaided Now!Quality Score: 7/10Masala Value: 12/10!The buzz is finally over! Kollywood has been bustling with anticipation for months and the media has added to this euphoria with all the hype and coverage it can possibly provide. And what was the result of this equation? Sivaji just blows the audience away proving that the Rajini-Shankar-ARR combination is just the most formidable of them all. Trust me; the audience went berserk with every dialogue and every move the super-star made in the film. It’s like a big bang for tamil films, breaking the lull that has been prevailing for sometime now.Watch Trailer Sivaji is yet another addition to Shankar’s slew of hits. The theme is not un-guessable considering the director’s history. It’s about the prevalence of black money in our society and the omnipresent corruption that hinders the upliftment of the dark areas in India. Sivaji (Rajinikanth), a highly amb
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