Kamal Hassan’s next with Selva Raghavan

Kamal Haasan has given priority dates to director Selvaraghavan! A source said, “Last week, Kamal sir heard a oneline story narration from Selva. He was very impressed by it and has actually given him priority dates. In fact, he has temporarily put his ambitious Thalaivan Irukkindran, which was supposed to be his next project after Manmadhan Ambu, on hold.”

According to sources, Selvaraghavan, who could not be reached for comment, is completing the script of the film at a resort near Bangalore. A well-known producer and financier is bankrolling the mystery project. Selva will complete his Dhanush-Andrea starrer Irandam Ulagam by the end of March and is likely to start the Kamal project in May.
A veteran distributor and financier said, “If the proposed Kamal-Selva project comes through, it will be a win-win situation for both. Kamal should work with younger directors who understand the pulse of the audiences. In the last 10 years, Kamal’s best film, which gave him a brand-new image and a new lease of life at the box-office, was Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Vettaiyadu Vilayadu. Selvaraghavan is a director who dares to make movies in different genres. If this proposed project takes off, it will be his first movie with a big star.”

Rajini's next is Rana

Eros International and Soundarya Rajinikanth’s Ocher Studios have joined hands to co-produce the next film of Super Star Rajinikanth to be directed by K. S. Ravikumar.

The film titled ‘RANA” is going to be another big multilingual that will be released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. Scheduled to go on floor in March this year, Rana will be a live action magnum opus with Rajini playing triple role.

The film will have Music by A R Rahman, Cinematography is by Ratnavelu, Editing is by Antony and Art directed by Rajeevan. The technical & special effects director will be Soundarya Rajinikanth and Charles Darby of Eyeqube Studios, renowned visual effects luminary and an Emmy award winner will be the visual effects supervisor on the film. The film is scheduled to release early 2012.

Soundarya Rajinikanth, Director of Ocher Studios Private Limited added, “We are very pleased to announce this partnership with Eros International for RANA. We hope to make a film together that will live up to the huge expectations of the movie-goers and reach out to maximum audiences across the globe”

Gautham menon's Nadunisi Naaygal confirmed for February 18

Director Gautham Menon's much-hyped Nadunisi Naaygal, starring Sameera Reddy and newcomer Veera, is all set to grace theatres on February 18, 2011. Here we bring some quick facts about the film!
>>> Nadunisi Naaygal is Gautham Menon's 10th film in 10 years!
>>> The film is an urban psychological thriller about a serial killer with a different kind of treatment.
>>> Nadunisi Naaygal narrates a series of events happening in a night and its duration is 90 minutes.
>>> Interestingly, Nadunisi Naaygal has no songs. In fact, this movie does not even have a background score!
>>> The film is touted to be the only psychological thriller since Kamal's Sigappu Rojakkal in 1978.
>>> All that I can say about it at the moment is that it's not a film for the weak-hearted: Gautham Menon!

It's official: Enthiran (Robot) earned 179 crores

When Rajinikanth's Enthiran (Robot) was in the making, the budget of the movie was always in the news. After the movie was released worldwide on October 1st, it emerged as a top grosser and went on to become one of the highest earners in Indian movie history. Putting an end to conflicting reports about the actual earnings of the movie, its producers Sun Pictures have announced the financial break-up of the movie on its quarter year run in cinemas. It was revealed that Enthiran (Robot), which cost Rs. 132 crores to make, had total income of Rs. 179 crores.

Yudham Sei

Mysskin held a sneak preview of his Yuddham Sei.Those who attended this special screening included Bhagyaraj, Sathyaraj, Udhayanidhi Stalin, Parthipan, Gautham Menon and young guns like Silambarasan, Prasanna and others.Yuddham Sei is an edge of the seat police investigation story with Cheran playing the lead role. Earlier superstar Rajinikanth, saw a special screening of the film where he raved about the film.

All those who saw the film say it is the best Tamil film that they have seen in recent times. Yuddham Sei  produced by Kalpathi S Aghoram is slated for release  on February  4 worldwide.mysskin’s films always give us the ‘kuthu’ song of the year. Toeing the line of ‘Vaala meenukkum…’ in ‘Chithiram Pesuthadi’ and ‘Kathazha kannale…’ in ‘Anjathey’ is ‘Kannitheevu penna…’ in his forthcoming venture ‘Yudham Sei’.In less than two days of the audio release, the song become the anthem of ‘kuthu’ song lovers.

AR Rahman bags 2 Oscar nominations

Two years back at the 81st Academy Awards, AR Rahman bagged three Oscar nominations for Slumdog Millionaire out of which he won two Oscars. When the 83rd Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday, the music maestro pleased his fans as he yet again managed to bag two Oscar nominations for his work in Danny Boyle's 127 Hours.

Rahman has been nominated in two categories this year. Best Original song for 'If I Rise' from 127 Hours and Best Original Score for 127 Hours.

Sachin Tendulkar Watches DHOBI GHAT

                     Aamir and Kiran Rao’s most awaited movie DHOBI GHAT released yesterday in the theaters. And out of the many who saw the movie and liked it, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is one of them.Aamir had arranged a special screening for Sachin and his wife Anjali yesterday. After coming out of the movie, Sachin was surprised after seeing many media persons waiting for them outside. Sachin shyed away from saying anything and just hugged Aamir and went. But Aamir told the media that Sachin really liked the movie.
But the person he is, Sachin did not disappoint any of his fans, and readily autographed for them.

Hrithik Roshan Wax Statue

                             Hrithik Roshan with his wife Suzanne Roshan and Kids
        
Hrithik Roshan unveiled his statue at Madame Tussauds, London. it took four months and Rs.10.89 million to complete this statue. Hrithik Roshan also ccooperated with the team from the museum to ensure that the pose was spot on. Hrithik Roshan was wearing his Dhoom 2 costume blue jeans pink shirt opened from front to show his well toned body. Hrithik Roshan is the youngest male actor from bollywood to be honoured by Madame Tussauds.
When Hrithik Roshan unveiled his statue he said, “It’s incredible just how detailed the figure is — they’ve really captured my look.  I’m truly honoured to be included and hope my fans like seeing the figure”.
 Now Roshan had joined the prestigious club of  Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.

Take a look at World Cup 2011 Schedule

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Teams:
Group A – Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya.
Group B – India, South Africa, England, Bangladesh, West Indies, Netherlands and Ireland.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Schedule or Timetable:

1. 19 February (14.00) – India vs Bangladesh – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

2. 20 February (09.30) – New Zealand vs Kenya – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

3. 20 February (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Canada – Hambantota International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota

4. 21 February (14.00) – Australia vs Zimbabwe – Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad

5. 22 February (14.30) – England vs Netherlands – Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

6. 23 February (14.30) – Pakistan vs Kenya – Hambantota International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota

7. 24 February (14.30) – South Africa vs West Indies – Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi

8. 25 February (14.30) – Australia vs New Zealand – Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

9. 25 February (09.30) – Bangladesh vs Ireland – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

10. 26 February (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Pakistan – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

11. 27 February (14.30) – India vs England – Eden Gardens, Kolkata

12. 28 February (14.30) – West Indies vs Netherlands – Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi

13. 28 February (09.30) – Zimbabwe vs Canada – Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

14. 01 March (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Kenya – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

15. 02 March (14.30) – England vs Ireland – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

16. 03 March (09.30) – South Africa vs Netherlands – Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

17. 03 March (14.30) – Pakistan vs Canada – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

18. 04 March (09.30) – New Zealand vs Zimbabwe – Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad

19. 04 March (14.30) – Bangladesh vs West Indies – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

20. 05 March (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Australia – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

21. 06 March (14.30) – India vs Ireland – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

22. 06 March (09.30) – England vs South Africa – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

23. 07 March (14.30) – Kenya vs Canada – Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi

24. 08 March (14.30) – Pakistan vs New Zealand – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

25. 09 March (14.30) – India vs Netherlands – Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi

26. 10 March (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

27. 11 March (09.30) – West Indies vs Ireland – Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

28. 11 March (14.30) – Bangladesh vs England – Chittagong Divisional Stadium, Chittagong

29. 12 March (14.30) – India vs South Africa – Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

30. 13 March (09.30) – New Zealand vs Canada – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

31. 13 March (14.30) – Australia vs Kenya – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

32. 14 March (14.30) – Pakistan vs Zimbabwe – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

33. 14 March (14.30) – Bangladesh vs Netherlands – Chittagong Divisional Stadium, Chittagong

34. 15 March (14.30) – South Africa vs Ireland – Eden Gardens, Kolkata

35. 16 March (14.30) – Australia vs Canada – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

36. 17 March (14.30) – England vs West Indies – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

37. 18 March (14.30) – Sri Lanka vs New Zealand – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

38. 18 March (09.30) – Ireland vs Netherlands – Eden Gardens, Kolkata

39. 19 March (14.30) – Australia vs Pakistan – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

40. 19 March (09.30) – Bangladesh vs South Africa – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

41. 20 March (09:30) – Zimbabwe vs Kenya – Eden Gardens, Kolkata

42. 20 March (14.30) – India vs West Indies – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

43. 23 March (14.30) – First Quarterfinal (Group A1 vs Group B4) – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

44. 24 March (14.30) – Second Quarterfinal (Group A2 vs Group B3) – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

45. 25 March (14.30) – Third Quarterfinal (Group A3 vs Group B2) – Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

46. 26 March (14.30) – Fourth Quarterfinal (Group A4 vs Group B1) – Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad

47. 29 March (14.30) – First Semifinal (Winner of Match 43 vs Winner of Match 45) – R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

48. 30 March (14.30) – Second Semifinal (Winner of Match 44 vs Winner of Match 46) – Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

49. 02 April (14.30) – Final (Winner of Match 47 vs Winner of Match 48) – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Not expecting more Oscars: AR Rahman

He lost out at the recent Golden Globe awards, but the country hopes that musician AR Rahman might repeat history by winning at the Oscars.
Ask him about this, and Rahman says in a telephonic interview from Los Angeles, “I think I’ve won enough of awards to feel the loss of one or hope for more. As for the Oscars, the fact that I won two in a go for Slumdog Millionnaire is enough for me. I am not expecting any more awards from anywhere. It’s time to concentrate more on my music now.”
Rahman recently unveiled the soundtrack of his second movie with film-maker Danny Boyle. “It’s always a pleasure to work with Danny.Composing the music for 127 Hours was greatly satisfying. I have seen the movie 40 times. It’s not just a film about somebody cutting off his hand, it is also a story of courage, grit and determination,” elaborates Rahman, who hints that he might team up with the film-maker again.
“I have not met Danny for ages now. We’ve been missing each other as we were in different locations,” informs the musician who’s been jet-setting ever since he won the Oscars and other international awards. He admits that it has its downside too. “It gets too stressful when you have to travel all the time and compose music for so many projects at the same time. I am drastically cutting down on my work and have decided to do only one movie a year,” he signs off.

Gautham Menon in Anna University!

Gautham Vasudev Menon inaugurated the 26^th edition of the inter college cultural fest “Kalakrithi 2011” at the A.C. College of Technology at Anna University on Wednesday. Speaking to the students, Gautham said that it is important that everyone should follow their dreams.
He also said that being an engineer, he dreamt of being a filmmaker but it was not easy to reach where he is now. The director stressed that he struggled for five to six years and is now living his dream. He also said that filmmaking is like organizing a cultural fest as they both have persuasion, coordination, time limit, budget limit and several other aspects in common.

Ko audio launched in style!

RS Infotainment and KV Anand launched the audio of their forthcoming Ko in style at Image auditorium in Chennai, MRC Nagar on Wednesday (Jan 19) evening.
The audio marketed by Sony Music has some rocking numbers by Harris Jayaraj.
The entire Ko team of KV Anand, Jiiva, Karthika, Piaa, Ajmal, Harris Jayaraj, Cinematographer Richard Nathan, Editor Antony, Choreographers Brinda and Dinesh, Stunt master Peter Heyn, Producers Kumar Jayaraman, James were present along with Udhayanidhi Stalin who is marketing the movie.
One thing is sure Ko music by Harris is going to be a chartbuster! Two songs were enacted on stage by the two leading ladies, Karthika (Ennamo Yeadho) and Piaa (Gala Gala). The slickly edited trailer promo was also screened.

Mani Ratnam's next: 200 crores budget?

After his much acclaimed Raavanan, ace director Mani Ratnam is currently busy with the pre-production works of his next project, based on Kalki Krishnamurthy's popular Tamil historical novel 'Ponniyin Selvan'.
A historic fiction featuring mostly real historical characters and real historical incidents, Ponniyin Selvan narrates the story of Arulmozhivarman, later crowned as Raja Raja Chola, one of the greatest kings in Tamil history.
It is learned that the film is planned with a whopping budget of Rs. 200 crores. As per sources, Kalanidhi Maran of Sun Pictures, who earlier produced Enthiran (Robot) is likely to produce this high budget film. Noted Tamil writer Jayamohan will pen the dialogues.
Mani Ratnam is reportedly considering Telugu actor Mahesh Babu and Tamil superstar Vikram for the lead roles. He is also trying to rope music maestro Ilayaraaja as music director. However, an official announcement is awaited.

Ar Rahman nominated for a BAFTA for 127 Hours

The maestro is being honored again with a nomination for Best Original Music for his work on 127 Hours at the prestigious British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards. This is the second time Ar Rahman has been nominated at the BAFTA's, he took home the trophy for Best Original Music for Slumdog Millionaire in 2010.
Also nominated in the category are Danny Elfman - Alice in Wonderland, John Powell - How To Train Your Dragon, Hans Zimmer - Inception and Alexandre Desplat - The King's Speech.
The film, directed by Danny Boyle, who also directed Slumdog Millionaire, was nominated in six other categories including Best Actor for James Franco, Best Director for Danny Boyle and Outstanding British Film. This year's celebration of the very best in film will take place on February 13th at the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden.

68th Annual Golden Globe Awards

Best Motion Picture - Drama

WINNER

The Social Network (2010)

Other Nominees:

Black Swan (2010)

The Fighter (2010)

Inception (2010)

The King's Speech (2010)

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

WINNER

The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Other Nominees:

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Burlesque (2010/I)

Red (2010/I)

The Tourist (2010)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

WINNER

Colin Firth for The King's Speech (2010)

Other Nominees:

Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network (2010)

James Franco for 127 Hours (2010)

Ryan Gosling for Blue Valentine (2010)

Mark Wahlberg for The Fighter (2010)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

WINNER

Natalie Portman for Black Swan (2010)

Other Nominees:

Halle Berry for Frankie and Alice (2010)

Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole (2010)

Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone (2010)

Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine (2010)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

WINNER

Paul Giamatti for Barney's Version (2010)

Other Nominees:

Johnny Depp for The Tourist (2010)

Johnny Depp for Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Jake Gyllenhaal for Love and Other Drugs (2010)

Kevin Spacey for Casino Jack (2010)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

WINNER

Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Other Nominees:

Anne Hathaway for Love and Other Drugs (2010)

Angelina Jolie for The Tourist (2010)

Julianne Moore for The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Emma Stone for Easy A (2010)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

WINNER

Christian Bale for The Fighter (2010)

Other Nominees:

Michael Douglas for Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)

Andrew Garfield for The Social Network (2010)

Jeremy Renner for The Town (2010)

Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech (2010)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

WINNER

Melissa Leo for The Fighter (2010)

Other Nominees:

Amy Adams for The Fighter (2010)

Helena Bonham Carter for The King's Speech (2010)

Mila Kunis for Black Swan (2010)

Jacki Weaver for Animal Kingdom (2010)

Best Director - Motion Picture

WINNER

David Fincher for The Social Network (2010)

Other Nominees:

Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan (2010)

Tom Hooper for The King's Speech (2010)

Christopher Nolan for Inception (2010)

David O. Russell for The Fighter (2010)

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

WINNER

The Social Network (2010): Aaron Sorkin

Other Nominees:

127 Hours (2010): Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy

Inception (2010): Christopher Nolan

The Kids Are All Right (2010): Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko

The King's Speech (2010): David Seidler

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

WINNER

Burlesque (2010/I): Diane Warren("You Haven't Seen The Last of Me")

Other Nominees:

Burlesque (2010/I): Samuel Dixon, Christina Aguilera, Sia Furler("Bound to You")

Country Strong (2010): Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey, Troy Verges("Coming Home")

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010): Carrie Underwood, David Hodges, Hillary Lindsey("There's A Place For Us")

Tangled (2010): Alan Menken, Glenn Slater("I See the Light")

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

WINNER

The Social Network (2010): Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

Other Nominees:

127 Hours (2010): A.R. Rahman

Alice in Wonderland (2010): Danny Elfman

Inception (2010): Hans Zimmer

The King's Speech (2010): Alexandre Desplat

Best Animated Film

WINNER

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Other Nominees:

Despicable Me (2010)

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

L'illusionniste (2010)

Tangled (2010)

Best Foreign Language Film

WINNER

Hævnen (2010)(Denmark)

Other Nominees:

Biutiful (2010)(Mexico/Spain)

Le concert (2009)(France)

Kray (2010)(Russia)

Io sono l'amore (2009)(Italy)

Suriya, K V Anand 'Ayan' team again with 'Maatraan'

AGS Entertainments, a production house which has back to back hits to its credit, is all set to bring together two names that has spelt magic at the box-office with 'Ayan'.



Suriya and K V Anand - the combo which set the screen on fire with a riveting entertainer in 'Ayan', will come together again for an Maatraan movie for AGS Entertainments.


Maatraan Directed by K. V. Anand starring Surya. Music will be scored by Harris Jayaraj and scripted by Subha and K. V. Anand. The film is currently in its pre-production stage and slated for release in 2012. The first official announcement about the movie was made on January 15, 2011(Pongal).


The rest of the cast, crew and technicians are being finalised. The flick would go to floors on February 2011, said a press release.


Quite typical to Kalpathi Agoram's earlier ventures, the movie would be made in a huge budget. The coming together of the trio has raised expectations among the industry men.

AADUKALAM REVIEW

The Polladhavan combination of director Vetrimaaran, music director G V Prakash and cinematographer Velraj with Dhanush and Kishore is back once again in one of the first releases of 2011. In Aadukalam, Vetrimaaran takes to Madurai backdrop and rooster fights to tell his story in a distinct manner.Movie lived up to its hype.dhanush suits perfectly to the

character karuppu with his body language and dialogue, well scripted by vetrimaran and narration style of the incident are unique in is own

way, tapsee is perfect apt for anglo indian character,

Story of the movie starts when

karuppu go against the will of his mentor for the cock fight .

"Otha Sollaala" & "Ayyayo" songs are already chart busters, G.V prakash works in this movie is commendable one ,actually BGM s also good,Cinematography of the movie velraj did great job,special applause to him for the way he captured the cock fight.

First half of the movie is superb compare to the second half, its complete entertainer.

verdict:

Rating- 3.5/5. Dhanush is outstanding. 1st half brilliant, 2nd half a bit slow.good direction.

Review: No One Killed Jessica

Movie: No One Killed Jessica Cast: Rani Mukherjee, Vidya Balan, Rajesh Sharma, Samara Chopra
Director: Raj Kumar Gupta

It was a difficult act to brought Jessica Lal Murder case on screen, but Directoe Raj Kumar Gupta with his team did their work brilliantly and shown the braveness. Movie, based on young model Jessica Lal’s murder case of 1999 has shown us that media line, especially related to crime is not a cake walk. Media really supported Jessica’s case. It is a very brilliant movie. Vidya Balan plays the character of Sabrina (Jessica’s sister) who fights for giving justice to Jessica who got murdered brutally. Rani plays a journalist who is very bold and doesn’t hesitate whatever comes beyond her. Rani was continuously smoking throughout the movie. She helps Sabrina to get the accused murderer of Jessica behind the jail. There is this cop played by Rajesh Sharma who do want justice but bribe makes him weak.
Everyone puts in an impressive act. If Rani is impeccable as the world-wise, hard-talking, foul-mouthed journalist, then Vidya's common man (read girl) act is stupendous. The rest of the ensemble cast fits in perfectly in their respective roles. Delhi looks beautiful, ominous, heartless and all-heart too.
The film moves at a brisk pace and is, more importantly, absorbing with that thrill element that makes it viewer friendly. Director Rajkumar Gupta has done a fabulous job and come out with a film that is a fine mix of authenticity and drama. A must watch for all the movie buffs! New Year has begun with a craftily made and delicately handled movie. Go for it!

Happy Birthday Rahman

The Oscar-winning maestro AR Rahman celebrates his 45th birthday today

Meanwhile Rahman has tweeted: "Hey guys, watch out for the world premiere of my new music video soon.  It is being speculated that it could be a new music video of his recent international collaboration with English sensation Dido for a number in Danny Boyle's 127 Hours".
Rahman has already bagged a Golden Globe nomination for his score for the film. 

If he bags the award for 127, it will be his second Golden Globe after getting it earlier for Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire.  

Nadunissi Naaygal - Tamil Movie Trailer - NaduniSsi Naaygal - Gautham Menon

Ra.One First Look

TRON: Legacy Review

TRON: Legacy has to be one of the most hyped, if not highly-anticipated movies of the year. It’s been teased at the San Diego Comic-Con for three years in a row – where the footage shown wowed the crowd. It’s obvious how much hard work and dedication went into the visual aspect of the film, but unfortunately that’s about all it has going for it.
The original TRON was released way back in 1982, and at the time was considered groundbreaking for its use of computer graphics in a live-action film. If you’ve never seen the film and watch it for the first time today, you’ll probably find yourself laughing at the “hokey” visual effects – but remember that back then they didn’t have the advantage of being able to create virtual worlds via CGI motion-capture that could be translated into a computer-based character, etc.

Those who love the original film (myself included) may be infected by a bit of movie nostalgia – it’s not a great film, but it’s entertaining enough and actually managed to explore some interesting concepts at a time where computers were still “new” to most people.

Legacy is a sequel that starts out about seven years after the end of the first film. Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) has taken over Encom and with the help of Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) has made the company wildly successful. Flynn has a young son named Sam, who he’s regaled with stories of his exploits “on the grid,” and he promises to take his wide-eyed son there one day. Flynn is also on the verge of bringing a “miracle” to the world that will redefine everything – science, religion, medicine, etc.

After sharing this with his son, Kevin Flynn disappears – never to be seen again.

Cut to Sam (Garrett Hedlund) at age 27, now a loner bad boy who’s only involvement with Encom (despite being the majority shareholder) is to hack into it once a year in an attempt to disrupt the now greedy corporation (as opposed to the wonderful, benevolent company it was when his father ran it) in one way or another.

Sam is led to a secret lab at Flynn’s Arcade, where he repeats his father’s last computer command on the dusty console – which transports him into the cyber-universe of the grid. Director Joseph Kosinski makes this universe seem even more “special” in an effective way: The “real world” scenes are in 2D, but once we move into the computer world the 3D in the film finally kicks in – and it really makes for an effective transition. Think about the scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy emerges from her house into Oz – on steroids.

Once in the cyber world Sam is understandably overwhelmed, but adapts quickly being the athletic guy we met in the real-world scenes. Sam soon meets Clu, the program his father created to run the system, who looks like a much younger Jeff Bridges (more on that, later). It seems Clu has turned into a dictator in search of perfection, and is not satisfied with pursing/enforcing it only in the computer realm.

Eventually a program named Quorra (Olivia Wilde) brings Sam to see his father, who has been trapped there since he vanished so many years ago. Of course Sam wants to return to our world with his father, but dear old dad is reticent because his “identity disc” contains the information that Clu needs to invade our world – and he doesn’t want to risk that. The trio race to find a way to stop Clu, and escape the cyber world, before Clu can execute his terrible plan.
TRON: Legacy is a visual treat – at least until you get used to it. Visually, the highlight of the film takes place not long after Sam’s arrival in the computer world. The scenes in which the battles take place on the grid, both the hand-to-hand and the lightcycle racing, are truly amazing. As I watched that part of the film I thought “this is the techno answer to Avatar.” The 3D here is used to excellent effect, including a multi-level, transparent race track where the lightcycles do battle.

The musical score by Daft Punk is an excellent match for the film. Being an old guy, the first time heard of them was in reference to this film, but their techo-rock, pulsing soundtrack matches the otherworldly look of the film. As a bonus, they actually appear in the film (the club scene).

This world is much more detailed than that of the original film, reflecting the increase in computing and graphics power we have today compared to the vector graphics of almost 30 years ago. Updates to the ships and the suits worn by the programs are all well done and are visually impressive – there are also some new designs introduced to keep things fresh.

There are many nods to the original film – I’ll leave them unmentioned so you can discover them as you watch the movie. However, there are also many things taken from lots of other films that came before – some so similar that it’s difficult not to think “rip-off” instead of “nod.” Those films include Star Wars, The Matrix, 2001: A Space Odyssey and more. In fact, in one scene I thought Garrett Hedlund was channeling Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker.

The world of the film is filled with many perfectly pretty people – and I felt little connection to most of them. If I had to pick one person who generated a sense of connection above the others, it would be Bruce Boxleitner reprising his role as Alan Bradley – and he was barely in the film. Michael Sheen as Castor had an excess of personality that made him seem like he was far more advanced than “just a program.” Olivia Wilde generated no connection and her character was no better. With a collection of the greatest written works of all time having been read by her (as provided by old Flynn), she professed her favorite author to be Jules Verne. Nothing against Jules Verne, but compared to the other books there and her apparent hunger to understand the real world, it seemed like an odd (lame) choice.

Then there was the quest to get home – was old Flynn’s data disc required or not? Was it important enough to guard with one’s life (because at one point it seems like an “oh well”), and do we even care?
Finally we get to the CGI recreation of Jeff Bridges as a young man. Have we finally gotten past the “uncanny valley” (where the mind/eye discerns that something is just not quite “real”)? Sadly, no. As long as young Kevin Flynn wasn’t talking, the face looked great – but as soon as he spoke, the creepy factor pops up. He looked like he had a face full of Botox – think Joan Rivers as seen recently on The Apprentice. One could argue that Clu was a computer program and should have been “stiff” compared to a human, but even in the opening scene of the film where we see the real-world young Kevin Flynn, the same effect is present.

Really, if you’re going to see the film, try to make it to an IMAX theater if you have one available – and if there isn’t one you really should see the film in 3D, as TRON: Legacy is an example of 3D done right. It was shot in 3D and there is use of both subtle and overt 3D in the film, an overall effect that looks impressive and adds to the feeling of being in a world that is not ours.

The 10 Best Films of 2010

here are my picks for the best movies of 2010:

1. “Inception” — Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending sci-fi action movie about corporate raiders invading other people’s dreams featured a complicated, fascinating plot and stunning action scenes. It was that rare summer blockbuster that not only doesn’t insult your intelligence, but insists that you pay attention and think about what you are watching. (On DVD now)

2. “The Social Network” — Director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant retelling of the creation of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg’s rise to billionaire tycoon. Not since Orson Welles took down William Randolph Hearst in “Citizen Kane” has a movie so relentlessly depicted a living — and still powerful — figure in a movie. It’s smart, funny and touching. (On DVD Jan. 11)

3. “The Kids Are All Right” — A smart, beautifully written drama/comedy about two teens who seek out their biological father with surprising results, especially for the children’s lesbian parents. It features terrific performances, especially by Annette Bening as a no-nonsense mom and Mark Ruffalo as the down-to-earth donor. (On DVD now)

4. “True Grit” — The Coen brothers’ remake of the John Wayne classic is a rip-
roaring Western full of great performances and gorgeous moments. It is movie making at its best, with Oscar-nomination-worthy performances by Jeff Bridges in the Wayne role and 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld. (Now playing in theaters)

5. “Black Swan” — This psychological horror story features a heart-breaking, Oscar-nomination-worthy performance by Natalie Portman and brilliant directing by Darren Aronofsky. (Now playing in theaters)

6. “Nowhere Boy” — Sam Taylor-Wood’s touching film biography of John Lennon’s teenage years in Liverpool, England featured a brilliant performance by Aaron Johnson as Lennon, an angry, confused boy caught between the mother who abandoned him and an aunt who raised him. Kristin Scott Thomas was outstanding as Lennon’s reserved but loving aunt. (On DVD Jan. 25)

7. “Never Let Me Go” — A devastating adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s dystopian novel about young people raised for spare parts. It’s bleak, but gorgeously directed by Mark Romanek and acted by stars Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley. (On DVD Feb. 1)

8. “Hereafter” — Clint Eastwood’s remarkable rumination on death is an elegant and powerful film. The movie isn’t just a compelling intellectual exercise, though. Eastwood also does a remarkable job of creating characters we connect with and care about. (On DVD in February)

9. “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” — The Swedish-language adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s best-selling novel features a star-making performance by Noomi Rapace, who plays Lisbeth Salander with a hypnotic blend of steely toughness and vulnerability. It’s stylish and suspenseful mystery thriller with unrelenting action sequences. (On DVD now)

10. “Winter’s Bone” — Set in the Missouri Ozarks, director Debra Granik’s stark exploration of poverty and drug abuse is scarier than any horror movie you’ll ever see. Star Jennifer Lawrence gives an Oscar-worthy performance as a teen trying to hunt down her meth-making father. It’s tough to watch, but always compelling. (On DVD now)

Top 25 Box Office of 2010

* Toy Story 3 ($415M)
* Alice in Wonderland ($334.2M)
* Iron Man 2 ($312.1M)
* Eclipse ($300.5M)
* Inception ($292.5M)
* Deathly Hallows Part 1 ($259.2M)
* Despicable Me ($250.3.7M)
* Shrek Forever After ($238.4M)
* How to Train Your Dragon ($217.6M)
* The Karate Kid ($176.6M)
* Clash of the Titans ($163.2M)
* Grown Ups ($162M)
* Megamind ($140.6M)
* The Last Airbender ($131.6M)
* Shutter Island ($128M)
* The Other Guys ($119.2M)
* Salt ($118.3M)
* Tangled ($117.2M)
* Jackass 3-D ($116.8M)
* Valentine's Day ($110.5M)
* Robin Hood ($105.3M)
* The Expendables ($103.1M)
* Date Night ($98.7M)
* Due Date ($95.4M)
* Sex and the City 2 ($95.3M)

Top 5 Bollywood movies in the year 2010

2010 has been mixed year for Bollywood box office with some very ambitious projects turning out to be disasters at the ticket window and small efforts going on to receive big appreciation. This year has also seen many films released worldwide. These include some of the year’s highest-grossing films, such as Dabangg, Golmaal 3, Raajneeti, My Name is Khan, Housefull, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, I Hate Luv Storys and moderately successful films, such as Anjaana Anjaani, Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?, Badmaash Company, Ishqiya, Khatta Meetha and Peepli Live. Though we have tried out to pick out the best 5 movies of the year, the list is not all inclusive and all exactly based on the box office collections. Here is our list of top 5 Bollywood movies of 2010:

Dabangg

Directed by Abhinav Singh Kashyap and starring Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Arbaaz Khan, Vinod Khanna, and Dimple Kapadia, Dabangg is definitely the biggest hit of 2010, breaking ‘3 Idiots’ record of highest collection in the first week. It got the highest opening on the first day and the highest weekend gross as well. Dabangg was Kashyap’s directorial debut, Arbaaz’s first production and actress Sonakshi Sinha’s first film. ‘Munni Badnaam Hui’ shot on Malaika Arora Khan had been a rage on all the music channels and stage shows. An out and out masala film, Dabangg stood out to be highest grosser of 2010.

Ishqiya

The film had an impressive cast of Naseeuddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, and Vidya Balan and was directed by Abhishek Chaubey. The key point of the film was its tight script, perfect screenplay and power packed performances by all the three lead characters. The song Dil Toh Bachcha hai Ji was such a huge hit that Madhur Bhandarkar’s forthcoming movie is titled the same.

Once Upon a Time In Mumbai

Making a slow start at the box office, the film took off to being a big hit and also received critical appreciation. Ajay Devgan and Emraan Hashmi stood out with their acting performances. Directed by Milan Lutharia, the film had Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Kangna Ranaut, Prachi Desai, and Randeep Hooda in the lead roles.

Rajneeti

After ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’, Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif managed yet another hit with ‘Rajneeti’. Directed by Prakash Jha, the film had a host of stars including Ranbir Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Katrina Kaif, Nana Patekar, Manoj Bajpai, Arjun Rampal, and Naseeruddin Shah. Raajneeti got mixed reviews. Yet, it did very well at the box office, especially in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Peepli [Live]

This was another different, yet a prized delivery from Aamir Khan Productions. Directed by Anusha Rizvi, the film had talented artists like Raghubir Yadav, Omkar Das, Malaika Shenoy, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead. Peepli [Live] went to many international festivals, and even competed at the Sundance Film Festival. It also went on to become India’s Oscar entry.

Ten Best films of 2010

2010 is considered as one of the best years in Tamil Cinema! Enthiran created magic worldwide and many small budget realistic films like Mynaa, Nandhalala, Kalvaani received national recognition.

>>> Vinnaithandi varuvaya
>>> Angadi Theru
>>> Enthiran
>>> Madrasapattinam
>>> Mynaa
>>> Kalavani
>>> Aayirathil oruvan
>>> Nandhalala
>>> Singam
>>> Boss (E) Bhaskaran