too much cinema

You have a very good blog that the main thing a lo...

2010-07-29T16:35:32.769+05:30

You have a very good blog that the main thing a lot of interesting and beautiful! hope u go for this website to increase visitor.

I managed to watch it this weekend coz I missed it...

2010-07-25T18:42:48.481+05:30

I managed to watch it this weekend coz I missed it the last. I agree a 100% with what you said. But it is a little disappointing that he gave everything away at the end. I would love to think about the movie once it stopped playing, but I just took back a complete yet wonderful experience. Would love for it to not be so complete.

Great list. Nice to see recognition of Man On Wire...

2010-07-01T16:25:55.708+05:30

Great list. Nice to see recognition of Man On Wire - a film I certainly considered for my own top 50: http://www.top10films.co.uk/archives/1756

Thanks for the review. Top on my list to watch wer...

2010-03-14T09:37:35.717+05:30

Thanks for the review. Top on my list to watch were Hurt Locker, Blindside, Up.

Thanks for endorsing it.

Boy oh boy... you newbies ought to get over it... ...

2010-03-10T23:56:37.632+05:30

Boy oh boy... you newbies ought to get over it... now let me unbiasedly, unabashedly critique this piece since it celebrates criticism.

As good as your intentions were, you came across as amateurish and whiny while trying to justify yourself. If the quote from Ratatouille itself was not overused, you went ahead and hinted that Ebert never mentions anything about 'the technical aspects of a movie'. You clearly have not read enough of Ebert's reviews. Nor do you understand Ebert. You must understand that Ebert is not a critic who *matters* anymore, and he knows that. Nowadays nobody watches a movie influenced by Ebert's review - its not even a job for him anymore, he does it to keep his grey cells running and blood pumping, and to entertain people. He doesn't bother getting too much into details for the same reason. Though his text is still beautiful, the man is old and sick, and is not Harry Knowles or Taran Adarsh - no one waits for 'Ebert's review', even producers don't, because their films' BO collection does not the least bit depend on his writeup.

You don't seem to understand the mind of a movie critic either, let alone his purpose, the market, and the idea behind journalism and its many layers of politics. Its obvious that you've developed a *taste* in movies over the past 3-4 years and have a good time standing out in the crowd, gloating over your new found *refined* choice of films. That's all very well, but that's just half the effort. Film honchos argue that critics trash a movie without learning the craft of filmmaking, and filmmakers are lousy journalists - the circle will remain - its what keeps movies alive.

For your article I give you Two Thumbs Down, from Siskel with love.

If people just suggest, Ebert wouldn't be the idol...

2010-03-10T20:00:14.228+05:30

If people just suggest, Ebert wouldn't be the idol you(or many others out there) idolize him to be. Right? So clearly he can condition the readers mind!

This is total lol. How do we get to decide what is...

2010-03-10T15:57:45.571+05:30

This is total lol. How do we get to decide what is bad or good for others? We dont get to control what they see. We just suggest.
People ask because they want to know as they rather not waste their time. Suggestion itself is a huge art, you need to understand the taste of the seeker and give something which makes sense to him. You cant just suggest an exorcist to a four weddings and a funeral kinda person.

I never asked you not to set a golden standard. By all means please do. The whole judgement point is just baloney. It is my opinion which others can subscribe to or not. They can criticize it and commend it. In whichever way there is an exchange of ideas. The superiority of my understanding of movies means nothing to me. It is the reader who decides I am worthy or not.

20 years later the past is different from the current so an evolution is natural. An art which is not judged ends up being forgotten. Propagation of ideas happens through perspectives. Even the artist himself has a judgement. Why shouldnt I when I am investing time on his?

Achha, so here's the thing. One cannot assume an a...

2010-03-10T15:36:47.216+05:30

Achha, so here's the thing. One cannot assume an authoritative stance on what cinema is and what it means to an average movie lover. There is no denying that some have seen more movies than others but that still does not give them any right to decide whats good or bad for somebody else.

You are asking me not to take a golden standard on judging movies but surely you are doing the same. You seem to assume that your understanding of a movie is superior to others and thereby your judgment will guide those who cannot judge themselves. Isn't that hypocrisy.

Right through your response you have stated over and over again that cinema is subjective and depends on the a variety of experiences you have undergone in the past. Say, with how much certainty can you claim that a movie you loved today will appeal to you the same way after 20 years (assuming you are experiencing various things in those years). See, I am only suggesting the evolution of thought and the evolution of appreciation. Anton Ego reached a state of realization where he seemed to have found a grander scheme of things operating around him and this is no fantasy but there is indeed a greater force behind this "art" that mere judgment fares poorly.

ps: ill get back with a more clear piece. in a hurry.

Whatever else he is, however one might receive is ...

2010-03-10T13:42:42.674+05:30

Whatever else he is, however one might receive is opinions, Roger Ebert is a great man. He made film criticism an art.

Films are subjective experiences. No two people watch and interpret them in the exact same way. it not only depends on where you come from, what you do, how you were brought, how you think, what you expect and also what else have you seen before. When there are so many factors involved how can be anyone exactly right. Film buffs and enthusiasts should know this before everybody else and not rub it into others that whoever doesnt agree with them is wrong.

Why did u like a film, for the correct reason makes a lot of sense here.

Films serve various purposes. they are just like paintings, some are works of art deliberately made to speak to a few , some are large hoardings, made to entertain everyone and some other are plain text messages to inform. There is an audience to everything. But do art connoisseurs really bother with mundane hoardings. they dont unless that hoarding is revolutionary and setting trends for other hoardings to come.

Anton Ego was a single character, serving a specific purpose in the film and what he said might fit in other situations sometimes but please, that is no gold standard for criticism.

As Ebert says and I agree, critics are those who rate and pass judgement to help people pick from among the huge collection of movies available there. Whatever the negative connotation that word has got, i am not ashamed to say i am a critic, doesnt matter i am paid to be or not, because I watch hundreds of movies and tv shows every year and curate the content and tell people whats good and whats not. In this modern age people like me or my friends Mihir or Hemanth are very necessary to help the larger audiences pick. And I say they arent just enough people doing it.

People need to be told what is to be good by the few who spend more time and effort than the average man out of desire to learn and passion. People need to be directed towards a better brand of cinema and dont you doubt for a second they will not like it. But it should just be a better brand of cinema as per their tastes.

I know one industry which suffers from precisely lack of this. Cos ppl know no better and dont have a voice either. Those who voice are usually dissed on the lack of so called 'experience' and 'knowledge'

Curation of the Abundance and Democratization of opinion is what criticism is

Hello there, it would be rather helpful if you can...

2010-03-10T10:47:39.618+05:30

Hello there, it would be rather helpful if you can think over what it is that you missed. You have simply pasted what I had written and called it thrash.

Foreign words? What does that even mean?

Thanks

A good or bad movie doesn't necessarily warrant a ...

2010-03-10T04:46:31.158+05:30

A good or bad movie doesn't necessarily warrant a critic's stamp to make it so

pedantic behavior that is shamelessly professed by critics to fellow audiences.They want us understand that they possess a universal process (I do not how one arrives at such a theoretical process); that by divination, they are expected to lead the entire world through it.

Set the equation and if 'X' doesn't match 'Y', then thrash the movie

Ebert snobbishly divides the audiences into those who are looking for "just a good time" and those apparently looking to transform themselves

But to turn the opinion into a formula to be thrust down people's throats in the name of eclecticism is a downright dirty job

Pps: I have no hatred towards Roger Ebert but mere pity on all those who claim to know how the world should run.

All of the above statements from your blog sound so unfounded from what I read at Ebert's blog. Perhaps, am missing something. Perhaps, you totally missed out what was said on Ebert's blog.

As much as you wud love to say, u have no hatred towards Eberts, something pungent sure comes through your words...
why do i feel "They use foreign words to show off." - - this resonating all through ur blog..

Fascinating portrait of Scorsese, this is at best ...

2010-03-05T19:49:43.505+05:30

Fascinating portrait of Scorsese, this is at best very educational for me. Can’t comment too much coz Iv hardly watched any of these movies :( but its definitely a well written piece on him. Love these directors who make movies independent of worries about the moolah they would rake in, always produces something very avant garde and intellectual for the audience and off course a sheer pleasure to watch!!

Excellent list. I must come back to strike off the...

2010-02-27T19:09:22.063+05:30

Excellent list. I must come back to strike off the ones i'm yet to watch.

Seeing a 2-liner story description for each movie would have helped a lot.

Thanks for the hard work.

α νєяｿ ¢σммєη∂αвℓє ℓιѕт...αѕ мσѕт σƒ тнє мσνιєѕ ιη...

2010-02-24T10:50:42.894+05:30

α νєяｿ ¢σммєη∂αвℓє ℓιѕт...αѕ мσѕт σƒ тнє мσνιєѕ ιη ιт αяє ¢яιтι¢αℓℓｿ α¢¢ℓαιмє∂, ι ƒєєℓ ℓιкє ιт ιѕ α ¢яιтι¢αℓℓｿ ¢σмραтιвℓє ℓιѕт ωι∂ ℓσтѕ σƒ ƒℓαιя ιη ιт!
ι ƒєєℓ єχυℓтαηт αѕ 80 ρєя¢єηт σƒ мｿ ρєяѕσηαℓ ƒανσяιтєѕ σƒ тнє ∂є¢α∂є нανє мα∂є ιт ιη тσ тнє ℓιѕт,
тнσυgн ι нανє тσ ¢αт¢н υρ ѕσмє σƒ тнє мσνιєѕ. αƒтєя ℓσтѕ σƒ ¢σηѕι∂єяαтισηѕ αη∂ ¢αℓ¢υℓαтισηѕ
υ мιgнт нανє мα∂є тнιѕ ℓιѕт вυт ∂σωη тнє ℓιηє ι вєℓιєνє тнαт ѕσмє σƒ ιη∂ιαη & ємσтισηαℓ σηє'ѕ
нανє мιѕѕє∂ тнє яα¢є ℓιкє gυяυ, αмяιтнα, нαяιѕн¢нαη∂яαƒα¢тσяｿ, נσнηηｿ gα∂ααя, нυят ℓσ¢кєя, вσｿ ιη тнє ѕтяιρρє∂ ραｿנαмαѕ...
ѕℓυм∂σg нαѕ вє¢σмє υη∂єя∂σg нєяє! мσνιєѕ ℓιкє υηιтє∂ 93, ¢яαѕн αη∂ ¢αѕιησ яσｿαℓє (ιт мαｿ вє ∂α gяєαтєѕт вση∂ мσνιє)
нανє gσт υ'я ƒяєє мιη∂ ραѕѕєѕ ωнιℓє ѕσмє σƒ тнєм αяє ѕιттιηg συт ℓιкє ∂υ¢кѕ ωαιтιηg ƒσя αη єηтяｿ! ｿα ιяση мαη
αη∂ ѕтαя тяєк нανє тαкєη тнєιя gєηяє'ѕ тσ ωнσℓє ηєω ℓєνєℓ αѕ ѕυρєя нєяσ мσνιєѕ αяє gєттιηg мσяє ∂αякєя αη∂ ∂αякєя
ιη тнєιя ѕυвנє¢тѕ. ι нσηєѕтℓｿ ƒєєℓ мσνιєѕ ℓιкє яєqυιєм ƒσя α ∂яєαм, тнєяє ωιℓℓ вє вℓσσ∂ ∂єѕєяνєѕ мσяє вєттєя ρℓα¢є
тнєη тнєｿ αяє α¢тυαℓℓｿ ѕιттιηg. ρυттιηg ℓσтя αη∂ gℓα∂ιαтσя (нσωєνєя gяєαт тнєｿ мαｿвє) αнєα∂ ~ єνєη ƒσя α мσνιє ℓιкє ∂αяк кηιgнт
ιт'ѕ νєяｿ ¢σℓ∂!
нσω єνєя тнє נυ∂gємєηт σƒ тнє мσνιєѕ, ∂єρєη∂ѕ ρυяєℓｿ ση ιη∂ινι∂υαℓ ρєя¢єρтισηѕ!
тнє ωαｿ ωє ѕєє тнιηgѕ...α тяυєℓｿ ƒαѕ¢ιηαтιηg ℓιѕт gσт αℓℓ тнє вєѕт ѕнσтѕ σƒ тнє ∂є¢α∂є...кυ∂σѕ!

Ok off the top off my head - you've left out 'Spir...

2010-02-23T23:18:19.676+05:30

Ok off the top off my head - you've left out 'Spirited Away', 'Amelie', 'Hurt Locker', 'The Fall', 'Minority Report', 'Bowling for Columbine', 'Pianist', 'Into the Wild', 'Infernal Affairs', 'Sin Nombre', 'Apocalypto', HP Azkaban, Red Cliff and a little movie named Avatar .... but yeah there are dozens more which i can't think of right now... and desi films of course

@chaitanya A separate 10 in each genre would be a ...

2010-02-23T23:17:33.768+05:30

@chaitanya A separate 10 in each genre would be a difficult one to do for a decade. Maybe soon we could work on an all time list for each genre.

About the process the para was there in the last. Guess people miss it at the end. So moved it up to before the starting of the list and highlighted the same.

Well, it would be great if you can edit the piece ...

2010-02-23T12:39:02.558+05:30

Well, it would be great if you can edit the piece and add a para on two on the process of choosing these movies. How did you pick em out of hundreds youve seen and appreciated.

I understand that a lot of effort went into this so your readers deserve to know the thinking behind, otherwise this would be just another list where people end up commenting on what movies were missed out and why some are up there.

Otherwise, the list looks great. As Elmurfudd said, if you have delved into indian cinema, then you didnt give it much thought. Or otherwise, a separate top 10 in each genre/B,H,T-wood et al is in the offing soon I hope:)

Great read :)

@elmer fudd Thank you! As I said TDK fans wont app...

2010-02-23T12:29:24.768+05:30

@elmer fudd
Thank you! As I said TDK fans wont appreciate the light heartedness of Iron Man so much :P I believe it brought in a light heartedness and flair which was much needed in Superhero movies which were getting darker by the day.

I love Wall E as much as the original pixar movies like Toy Story. Nemo and Ratatouille undoubtedly really good couldnt fit them in top 50.

City of GOd is another movie I saw loooong back and it did make an impact but not so strong that it would float to the top of the list. The problem with desi films is I havent seen enough. They are difficult to get my hands on especially the non tel/hindi ones.. I should watch them and yes some might eventually crawl into this list.Not a fan of yuva, hazaaron kwahishein and dont like lagaan so much these days. I like firaaq and was even contemplating RDB, Swades , Johnny Gaddar but again couldnt accomodate them all

@aneesh Kill Bill was so much fun and I am lucky to have been able to catch both vol in theatre. Once there was a hyderabad where they actually screened good hollywood films w/o much delay :(

I can't believe Kill Bill was from the 2000s. Feel...

2010-02-23T12:04:29.820+05:30

I can't believe Kill Bill was from the 2000s. Feels like it was made in the mid-90s.

Seabiscuit is the one I really have to watch though. Lots of catching up to do.

Nice list.. well researched. Spot on with the rank...

2010-02-23T10:36:50.678+05:30

Nice list.. well researched. Spot on with the rankings of fountain, LOTR, memento, Bashir, man on wire, rwanda, darko, bourne, bruges, sunshine, neverland, once and high fidelity.

BUT... Iron Man didn't impress moi that much... it was good, but not so much so that it rubs shoulders with City of God or Memento in the list of 50 greatest films of the past ten years

Wall E is great... but i still prefer other Pixar films like Nemo and especially Ratatouille.

Moreover u've been too harsh on desi fillums... good on mentioning DCH and Macbeth, but there still are a dozen brilliant hindi, marathi, tamil, kannada movies - like Natarang, the Gowarikar twins, Hazaaron Kahwishein, yuva, rdb, firaaq, kanchivaram, zubeida etc etc. No telugu movies though - they suck.

PS: There is a gaping hole in this post the size of Namitha's arse - you haven't mentioned any Hayao Miyazaki movie :P

Interesting!

2010-02-22T00:19:07.150+05:30

Interesting!

I remember you asked me how I rate with the decima...

2010-02-21T22:05:21.242+05:30

I remember you asked me how I rate with the decimal point et al once. This is what I also think, more or less.

Robinhood will flop

2010-02-21T16:26:41.502+05:30

Robinhood will flop

@Elmer Green Zone was among the 34 movies i consid...

2009-12-17T09:10:44.532+05:30

@Elmer
Green Zone was among the 34 movies i considered. Somehow it doesnt seem so appealing to me. Just missed out and would be in 11-15 along with Green Hornet, Expendables and Oobermind. Their stories seem tad routine though they have good cast/crew.
On the other hand I fear for Last Airbender which has a brilliant plot and legacy but has been handed over to our Man M.Night Shyamalan. May he have mercy on the anime

Damn dude where is 'Green Zone'?

2009-12-16T02:55:38.219+05:30

Damn dude where is 'Green Zone'?