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March 13th, 2010 at 1:13 am
Hey Ashokbro,
I just checked out ‘Aandhi’ sounds pretty good, think I’ll add it to the rental list and impress the missus! She likes Hindi films but Im not as keen, I’d love to give them a go but every time I have to sit through one of those implausible Shah Rukh Khan films I lose the will to ever watch another Hindi film!! Mind you I saw ‘traffic signal’ a while back and quite like the fact it wasn’t a hocus pocus all singing all dancing extravaganza!! I’d love to see more like that, really showing things how they are…but their probably isn’t much demand for that sort of film which is a shame.
Dude, you have the right idea about early nights…I finish work soon (7pm uk time) and have to get to the west end of London for my sister and brother inlaws joint birthday party…thats probably gonna finish at 1 or 2am…that means I’ll probably be dragging myself into bed as you are waking up!!! I envy you right now dude! Im too old for this party sharmty nonsense! Lol!
Hope you have a great weekend
Anand
March 12th, 2010 at 10:15 pm
Kamikaze Girls. Noted!
Just watched Truffaut’s Bed and Board, then Aandhi. (The latter is a Hindi film of course, in case you were wondering.) My wife and I love the old 70’s films before Hindi cinema got Bollywoodized and went so over the top, it crashed into the valley of mindless mania. Though a few indie films of late have started blazing that same path again, so perhaps there’s hope yet, if only a faint glimmer.
And now it’s off to bed for this early sleeper. A bit of reading first, MAO by Philip Short.
Best
Ashok
March 12th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
Hey Ashokbro,
Wow! This guy sounds interesting, just did a quick Wiki search and he certainly sounds like a bit of an enigma, to be involved that heavily in all those facets of media must have take a heck of a talent! Why is it these enigmas tend to live fast and die young!
If it wasn’t for my movie rental service over here I’d be one of Amazon’s best customers!!Its crazy even calculating how much Id spend in a month let alone a year!
O Yeah Sir Kingsley is so un-Gandhi in sexy beast its scary!! Ray Winston puts in a good performance too but no quite as good as the nasty piece of work he plays in ‘Nil by mouth’.
If you are looking for something a little bit different (if you havn’t caught it already that is!) have a look at Tetsuya Nakashima’s ‘Kamikaze girls’ for a spot of colourful Rococo during the weekend.
Sionara my harding rocking amigos
Anand
March 12th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Oh Fassbinder was a character all right. He wrote and directed 49 films – and also designed, photographed, acted in, composed music for, etc, most of those – and some two dozen stage and radio plays, several of which were adapted to film by other directors. And he did all this in just about 15 years, before dying at the age of 36 (I think) of a cocaine OD. His films are wildly eccentric and not for everyone, but they’re an essential part of world cinema and the peak of German Expressionism. In fact, German Expressionism is generally accepted to have ended with the death of Fassbinder in 1982! You can clearly see his influence even today on filmmakers like Tarantino.
I’ve seen Sexy Beast – what a fabulous roaring un-Gandhi performance by Sir Ben, what? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Nil by mouth too, but will recheck. Gary Oldman is amazing too – can never forget him in Luc Besson’s Leon snorting coke, tossing his head back and yelling “I want…EVERYONE!”
I have the luxury of working for myself and working from home. I write best in the mornings then come back and revise, edit, rewrite, read, etc in the afternoons, so by late evening I’m pretty much pooped. Evenings are mostly for movies, and I watch a ton of them! It’s so hard getting the movies I want locally and not always practical ordering from Amazon just for a single viewing – I keep that luxury for books I just can’t do without, which are a lot! :~)
That sounds cooler in German, I agree. I should have been able to translate it myself – schriebe is to write – but wasn’t sure.
Rock on.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Hey Ashokbro,
Lol! I pleased to hear the timing for ‘Goodbye Lenin’ worked out! Its the first time I’ve come across Fassbinder but he certainly sounded like a colourful character! I’ll need to check out his stuff.
WOW! 10pm bedtime sounds brilliant, I normally get home after 8pm and am up until midnight…of course Im not including the time I normally fall asleep on the sofa and get told by the missus to ‘go to bed If Im tired’ but a catnap can’t be beaten! lol
‘halten rocking und Schreiben dude’ translates as ‘keep rocking and writing dude’! Thought it sounded cooler in German! Lol!
I feel Im doing the British movie scene some injustice by not recommending any brit flicks so to make up for it here’s a couple of classics which I think you might enjoy (if you haven’t seen them already dude!) ‘Nil by mouth’ directed by the brilliant Gary Oldman and also another starring Ray Winston in ‘Sexy beast’ both excellent film without too much hocus pocus special effects involved!
Happy viewing amigos!
Anand
March 12th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Hey bro,
Lol. I’m a (very) early sleeper. Am mostly out like a light by 10 p.m. (often earlier). But suggestion noted, thanks. I actually wanted to see some old Fassbinder yesterday but couldn’t find a single one at the library or stores, so it was a treat to get and to be able to watch Goodbye Lenin. :~)
I don’t know what the German phrase means but it sounds cool!
Ashok
March 11th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
Hey Ashokbro,
Glad you enjoyed, its an odd sort of story but done quite well I think.
Just in case you want to catch another one before you turn in for the night. I saw ‘The Air I Breathe’ last night, its an american film which is quite short and to the point but with good performances.
LOL! on the self depreciating comment! Its like the Ice cream maker who cant stand Ice cream!!
As they would say in Germany…halten rocking und Schreiben dude!
Anand
March 11th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Lol to that! :~)
Just finished watching Goodbye Lenin on your reco. Very nice film! Just the kind I like – a story, not a VFX fantasy extravaganza (said the author of several such epic extravaganzas!), simply done. Really liked it – on par with The Lives of Others.
Ashok
March 11th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Hey Ashokbro,
LOL! Indeed paws only intended for books bro:)
British food can take a bit of getting use too, I mean would anyone really want to eat a mince pie that actually had meat mince in it?!? (thankfully most places stick to apples, currents and veg suet thesedays)!
But hey dude, butter and cream make everything taste good right!! Lol !!
I agree with you, nothing can beat homemade food! When I was away from home at University in the north of England there was no Gujarati food around just ‘take always’ serving what looked like road kill! Mind you it certainly made me appreciate what I took for granted at home and whenever I came back to London all I wanted was good simple veg.
‘Burns you going in, burns you going out’ LOL!! That’s the way it should always be bro, If Im not working up a sweat during a meal then there’s something missing for sure!
May you curries always be spicy and you Roti always buttered
Anand
March 11th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Hey bro,
Hmm. Reminds me of the cooking of one my British cousins (from Kent). Everything tastes like a pie and has loads of butter and fresh cream in it – and a ‘hint of spice’! (Including the meat dishes.) Lol. Me, I personally rebel against my ‘firangi’ roots and much prefer simple old desi food, spicier the better. (Burns you going in, burns you going out, as my old Nana used to say, bless her soul.)
You can try, and sure, you’ll get your paws on SoS, but I’m more elusive, mein yaar! Still, you can always catch me right here anytime. :~)
Ashok
March 11th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Hey Ashokbro,
Yeah I ‘get’ where you are coming from bro with keep it to yourself until its done. Makes sense, we can all get carried away at times but I guess you can only taste a pie once its cooked not before so!! So Ashokbro I wish you all the best in the ‘kitchen’, I like my pies with a hint of spice and a vanilla frosting!! lol!
Good cooking amigos!
No doubt I’ll catch you later when I get my paws on SOS.
Anand
March 11th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Hey bro,
No, I’m not trying to avoid going into details – you see, all my work is done instinctively. I often literally have no clue how I’m going to write something – or at best, I have a vague idea – and it all “happens” in the process of writing itself. So I’ve learned over the years not to shoot my mouth off too much about stuff beforehand. All I can tell you is what I “feel” and “see” about the book – sort of like reading a back cover blurb – which you could say is my intention. How well I live up to that intention is something you’ll have to judge for yourself (as will I). :~)
Thanks for the recos again – will look them up asap.
Best
Ashok
March 11th, 2010 at 12:58 am
Hey Ashokbro,
Hope all is well, really pleased to hear the V: books with continue in the same pov, I really found that it added to the experience, you feel a part of the action/drama/situation as appose to some dude standing on the other side of the road just watching it whizz by!!
I kinda knew there was a interconnectedness (a term Ive borrowed from the late Douglas Adams and the legendary Dirk Gently!) but I guess I was fishing for more information about how thats going to happen…but That would take away from the experience so Im gonna stop snooping…for now!! Lol! Since you’ve been kind enough to give a hint about what’s instore in V:P I should quit while Im ahead!
I really like the way you’ve set the ball rolling, as the stories in the individual books have been great reads by themselves and as the mosaic starts to take shape Im sure there will be even greater pleasure to be had. Certainly after reading VoR after GoW and V:S there is a greater perspective offered, I can’t imagine how or where you are going to take us over the remaining books…but no doubt its gonna be a fantastic journey and one hell of a ride!:)
O yeah just a couple more films you may have seen already but if not they are worth a peek! ‘Goodbye Lennin’ and the visually awesome ‘Sakuran’.
All the best dude, Rock on!
Anand
March 10th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Hey Anandbro,
Was offline most of today due to connectivity issues.
I think the first person pov helped a lot in that regard. That’s why I chose to use that method. Being a short book, if I’d used third person pov, the story would have moved much faster – too fast, IMO – and we wouldn’t have been able to get into the heads of each person as effectively. I’m using the same first person pov in the whole Vortal Codex, all five books for the same reason – it gives me a chance to explore different characters while telling exciting stories. :~)
Everything Hollywood tries to give you in a summer spectacular – and almost never delivers, apart from the expensive VFX! Lol. But yes, count on V:P being a terrific thrill-ride.
Oh yes – I thought you knew that already. The introduction to VoR mentions it quite clearly. Besides, there’s a deliberate use of the recurring motif of ‘five’. Five books in the Vortal Codex, five books in the Gods of War quintet, five major characters in both series…and both series are linked to my Mba which of course has five major characters as well.
Of course, each series will follow its own path and can be read quite independently of the others – you’ve already seen how different V:S is from GoW and both are from VoR. But if you read all the books, you’ll get the ‘big picture’, sort of like a mosaic that fits together. :~)
Ashok
March 9th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Hey Ashokbro,
LOL!! My cockney roots are quite evident with my biased sentiments to the north of England! Once I finish the Millennium Trilogy I reckon
I’ll line up P. Robinson’s Inspector Banks novels.
I’m guessing when a new character presents themselves to you it provides an opportunity to delve deeper into what might make them tick, certainly seemed the case with the Vetals even though its was relatively short book, they family came across really well.
WOW!! V:P Sounds off the hook dude!! Arabian fantasy mixing it up with the Vortal is gonna ensure some serious pandemonium!! That sounds like its gonna be a blast!!
Will the Vortal series and the following ups to GoW link up?
Anand
March 9th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Hey Anandbro,
Oh, right. That too. But I meant the ‘character’ of the northerners and the brutality of crime and corruption there in the 70s. Not that the south doesn’t have its share of crime! (Lol: London!) Have you read Peter Robinson’s Inspector Banks detective novels? Very, very good.
It was a story I wanted to write for a long time – and none of the characters were really like me or my family, which always makes it more interesting for me to write for some reason, no idea why. The more removed a story or characters are from me and my own situation, the more enjoyable it is for me to write.
They say it’s usually the other way around! But somehow, I’m able to retain a clear sense of my own work’s worth (or lack of worth) and am always very up-front and honest about how good I think a certain book by me happens to be.
Ah, you’re going to really enjoy the V series – at least I am! VORTAL:PYTHON takes place in a (mostly) Middle Eastern mythological setting and is very thrilling. Arabic fantasy adventure, magic carpets, sultans, desert battles, and lots more fun! :~)
Ashok
March 9th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Hey Ashokbro,
The Red Riding trilogy sound really good though, nothing like a proper gritty northern drama to make you appreciate living in the here and now!! I certainly think a rich Lancashire or Yorkshire accent lends itself to a certain level of grittiness a cockney accent never could!
It sounds like it was a pleasure writing the character Vhy, actually the whole Vatsal family were really easy to ‘get to know’!! Im not sure whether that was because of the pace of the book or whether you just had a lot of fun writing the characters!
V:S really got me hooked quickly, I remember you describing it as a good ‘weekend book’ and you were spot on (mind you, you did write it so I reckon you are the best one describe it! lol) .
Looking forward to the continuing series:)
Anand
March 9th, 2010 at 9:19 am
Hi Viveak,
Damn. Yes, that’s definitely a mix- up by the person packing the copies (not me, although next time I’ll do it myself). The copy meant for you obviously must have gone to that person then – crisscross.
I suggest you do the following:
Tear off the front page carefully and keep the book as an extra copy with my compliments. Gift it to someone else, or keep it for yourself, as you please. I’ve found it’s simpler than couriering it back and forth.
I will send you a correct copy of the edition meant for you – I’ll pack it myself now and send it out by courier today itself. No more mix-ups.
And I don’t believe in jinxes, just simple human error. :~)
Best
Ashok
March 9th, 2010 at 1:08 am
hi ashok
finally got the book after a long wait…but guessing this process is a lil bit jinxed…
i had basically won the action for the no1 collectors limited edition….the book delivered to me is the hardcover edition and also addressed to Shreya Das Kunder.
Guessing there was a mix up…like i said this process is definitely jinxed.
Viveak
March 8th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Hey man,
The Red Riding trilogy is a terrific film trilogy based on the excellent noir novels by David Peace. Very “LA Confidential” in Yorkshire in the 70s, 80s, 90s. Intense, violent, grim – you’ve been warned!
In fact, I had to keep Vhy’s filmi knowledge in V:S to a minimum due to his tender age. I kept reminding myself that at his age (17) I had seen barely a few thousand movies. Not the 20,000+ I’ve seen by now. :~)
Ashok
March 8th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Hey Ashokbro,
Always great to hear from you too amigos!
Actually it’s the first I’ve heard of the ‘Red Riding Trilogy’ so I will definitely be adding that to the list of ‘must see’s’!!
Its just occurred to me how Middle child in the V:S family was quite a film buff…now I know where all that knowledge came from! Doing the research for the book must have been awesome! Lol:)
Anand
March 8th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Hi again Anand,
Always happy to hear from you!
Harry Brown is high on my list of must-sees. I liked Caine’s last, Is Anybody There, quite a bit. Will bump it to the top on your reco now. :~)
Oh yes, have seen City of Gods ages ago. Terrific film. Have you seen the Red Riding trilogy? Very gritty and dark but terrific cinema – this is what British cinema does brilliantly when it dares to do it at all. Definitely doesn’t encourage one to take a holiday in Yorkshire, but excellent films!
Ashok