Aficionado speaks! - 1

A post for pre- Oscars 2016!

This year is not like any other year when it comes to Oscar predictions...this year, the awards like SAG, Globe and various others are going in a much varying way. It's not like a motion picture is winning it all and winning it everywhere like "Birdman" did last year.
I did give it a second thought that whether I should do it this year or not , since it's not so subtle as every year but then I though "C'mon, it's gonna be more fun this year, I get to use my gut feeling and all :p " So here you go guys, this is me trying to make oscar predictions like every year(though I had the draft ready for last year but failed to post it since I was travelling and all so )

Best Motion Picture:
This category had me quite irritated and excited at the same time. Spotlight which may win but won't coz you know, it's shot more like a documentary sort of a way and the voting might favor Spotlight and The Big Short but the real fight is indeed between " The Big Short " and "The Revenant" this year. Now you guys see the confusion that I was talking about previously. One subtle guess says "The Revenant" is the real deal this year but my gut feeling says "The Big Short" gets it this year.

Best Director:
This category's win will make Inarritu (Director of The Revenant) the first Director since 1950, to win 2 consecutive Academy in a row.

Best Actor:
Man, this guy has been the butt of all the social networking memes and jokes over the years, but make more jokes if you want right now 'coz after this time , you can't make 'em anymore because Leonardo DiCaprio will finally get an academy award this year. Yes, Finally! And that too for an oscar worthy performance not unlike other great actors who didn't get it when they really deserved it but eventually received  it for a performance less worthy when compared to their past roles. Fassbender may have been a strong contender but this time it's Caprio's year and Fassbender can wait.

Best Actress:
Brie Larson, for her absolutely brilliant performance in Room is hands down the most deserving contender in this category and she is going to get it this year.

Best Actor in a Supporting role:
Stallone after years when he returns in the Rocky franchise might actually really win this year with the only strong other contender  being Mark Rylance for his portrayal in Bridge of Spies. But frankly speaking I wanted either Ruffalo ( for Spotlight) or Hardy( for The Revenant) to win this year but you don't really always get what you want, do you?

Best Actress in a Supporting role:
Alicia Vikander for a terrific performance in The Danish girl should be winning it this year. Jury also might be quite impressed with her role in Ex-machine , so that's another plus point for her. And the only tough opponent being Kate Winslet for her fantastic role in Steve Jobs.

Best Cinematography:
With "The Revenant" again winning in this category too, Emmanuel Lubezki will be the first to win 3 in a row. His visuals are just too darn good to be ignored. Another chances here are "Carol" and maybe "Brooklyn" too.

Best Animated feature:
Inside out, will be winning it this year. Period. There's not much competition here in this category except "Anomalisa" being another great animated feature this year.

Best Sound Mixing/Editing :
These two has to go to Mad max for that epic background scores complementing the visual delight this movie had to offer. Also "The Revenant" is a great contender here too.

The Story

I am going to write a story .Yes , I am gonna . I always wanted to and today I think I will. Voices in my head are like-  [Hey Nikhil , this urge to write may not be the same later ,so don’t you dare procrastinate.]   The central dogma that surrounded this decision so far was “I can and I really want to” ,but the dilemma is what I am going to write about? Will it be a slice-of-life kinda story or a thriller more likely a hair raising suspense tale …or something from the pot of fantasy to imagine upon or will it be a post apocalyptic dystopian stuff or it’s just gonna be a sci-fi piece. Best would be a mix of all. Phew! Now you see my dilemma . What’s it gonna be ?

Maybe I will just tell you a story about a boy who thought he is in a story written by another boy who thought he was but he actually wasn’t. As confusing as it sounds , I will leave it to that. Yeah , I could simply write something about a girl who knows about a serial killer’s next victim and plans to do something to everything to stop it from happening. No , it is not going to be that. Hmm , “Dream” is something that has always fascinated me. So do we have something to write on or let’s say I write about life in a dream. Or only dreams in our lives. How a guy running…panting ..breathing heavily,,,not knowing how he ended up here. Doing what he’s doing…running…not stoping. Which are these alleys that he’s running into . Through them , out into a new street. What is this place? Why is he running in the first place? Why the heck are a couple of guys running after him ..following him. And one bald guy almost at his tail trying to catch him and as soon as he takes a left there’s this huge guy blocking his way.A blow that came from nowhere. A blow so fast and hard that now there’s only darkness.  Down he is , a gun pointed at him and he just got shot. Maybe all this is just another dream he thinks, just like the one he saw last night where he was a detective doing some deducing , or its just a hallucination coz he hasn’t slept in days. Wait then how come it was a dream the other night. Shit , this doesn’t  make any sense. Calm down it’s just another dream.Calm down. Holy mother of god ..I am bleeding , but if it’s just a dream then why does it hurt so bad. So damn bad. Why does it?

Naah , I should leave that to the experts who know a lot more about these topics. So , What I am gonna write about ?

I could tell you about the infamous adventures about my college days which my classmates never seem to get bored of narrating. How we went on a bike ride during the most chilling night of the year to a hillstation almost 100 kms from my hostel. How impromptu was our decision and how we end up at a checkpost spending our night on the pavements of that very checkpost. Coz 1) The bike we used was not ours  (FYI , wasn’t a stolen one either ..it was borrowed) 2) Neither of us had a license or a helmet 3) And yeah there were 3 of us. Whoa , thinking about it now , the police guys surely had his reasons. No , I am gonna tell you about all that . It would be just another college-days-stuff . Cliché.  So what I am gonna write about?

Yeah , I got it , I will tell a story about an aficionado who wanted to do it all and how he does it all eventually. His need to know stuffs , his need to achieve things , his urge to travel , his want to read all the classic works , his want to lead a life he always dreamt of. Hmm , sounds interesting but not today. Maybe someday I will write a story. Someday I will tell you a story worth reading and thought provoking. Worthwhile reading you see. One day I will tell you a great story or series of stories. One day I will . Oh wait! ..coming to think about it , in a way, I just did.

The Man Without Fear

Not just me but every single person on this earth , who has come across the character or saw the movie starring Affleck was quite skeptical before watching this. And can’t blame them can we? The last outing is still considered as One of the worst comic book adaptations ever , I don’t second that thought to the fullest but ya , I do agree that the character didn’t get the adaptation he deserved. So , after 12 years after that Marvel decides to go for a reboot and to everybody’s surprise this time they decide to bring him to the TV-verse as A Netflix Original series : Marvel’s Daredevil. Man oh man , was that a treat to watch or what.

Netflix released all the episodes (13) which was the whole 1^st season(like they are known to do) on April , 10^th  and I couldn’t stop myself from watching the whole series as soon as it was available and I could finish the whole thing in a few sittings. And I have never ever been so glad , to have finished a thing in one go.

“You’ve got to feel what’s not there as much as what is”

Based on Frank Miller’s : The Man without fear , this TV series takes you on one hella ride from the word go. Starting from the 1st scene to the last scene of Episode 13 , everything was so beautifully crafted. Matt Murdock , a blind lawyer is actually a masked vigilante who fights crime and will be known as the Daredevil. What’s more awesome than this plot itself. So , the story unravels with proper character development of all the characters involved. The antagonist , who will eventually be called as the King-Pin deserves a special mention for his top notch portrayal as the cold blooded villain who is kinda insane  quite huge but normal in a way. He loves his city so much , that he can do anything to everything for it. 

The best thing about this show is the raw action sequences and the character trying to fight the devil in him. Is he actually a devil in a Man’s flesh or even thinking that is a blasphemy or he is just a guy who’s trying to do good?  Watch the series to know it for yourself. Not only the cinematography was fantastic and crafted to perfection but the whole feel to the series felt so darn right. For some it maybe quite dark but for a viewer looking forward to watch some quality superhero genre defining TV series which is also a crime drama , it doesn’t get better than this. This has got one of the best dialogues , awesome cinematography , jaw dropping raw action sequences and one of the best opening themes that I have come across lately. This is not just the best Superhero TV Show ever but it is one of the best crime drama shows out there with a strong plot intriguing enough to keep you interested till the very end. 

“Some men don't fear death , it is the living that scares the crap out of them”

American Sniper : Clint Eastwood without a doubt hits a bulls-eye with this!

I went in expecting a normal war movie or at most a biopic kind of a movie about a war movie. I couldn’t be any wrong . It wasn’t just a normal movie. Sir Clint Eastwood , your contribution to the cinema keeps amazing me as the days go by and I watch on. Direction was really good , felt real and raw to say the least. Clint Eastwood hits a bull’s-eye with American Sniper.

You actually feel , what it is like to come back from a war or a tour as they term it. It shatters some , kills many and hits everyone with a intensity that they feel to recover ever. This is a true story about a Navy SEAL Sniper who is a true patriot and the way he saves many lives in turn , makes him a Legend. Bradley Cooper , this guy just keeps on getting better , keeps on outdoing himself. An inspiring character played in a best possible way by a fantastic . Bradley Cooper was nothing short of Phenomenal. He made the character looks so real and since he is makes it more amazing. His portrayal of Chris Kyle etches him on the list of “Great actors”.

This movie , without a doubt rightly has the right to be in by best war movies ever list. The believable account is what keeps you engaged and at the edge of your seat throughout. Some scenes are so well done , that you want to get up from your seat and shout”Go…go…go!”This movie describes pride , honor and respect so well that you won’t be able to stop yourself from getting engaged to this realistic motion picture. 

American Sniper ,  is an engaging , brutally powerful movie which definitely deserves to be among the best movies of the year ’14 and rightly  highlights the contribution of one of the greatest soldier in American history.

Interstellar : A journey of a lifetime!

Needless to say , Director Christopher Nolan nowadays is more like a brand that you trust in. For me , he is the only director who assures me and makes me say even before I am about to watch his latest offering : “ I am about to witness a magnum opus” and this was my Facebook status just minutes after I entered the theater for watching “Interstellar” . Man oh man was I right or was I right?

I came to know about this movie post a few months after “The Dark Knight rises” released, and I was so excited to watch this that the wait was becoming intolerable in a figurative sense or way :p The trailers did promise you a intense emotional drama coupled with a Space Odyssey.

And now coming straight to the experience while watching it. The feeling that I had throughout was something I have never experienced in a movie theater. It was something surreal. There’s something about this movie that makes you lost. Lost in a good way (that was quite obvious I know)

The cinematography , the Music , the acting was something that can’t be put into words .You need to watch it yourself to believe and feel it. Mathew MacConaughey ‘s first movie after the one that he won the academy award for , and he stands up to the fame , to the name that he has created for himself in the industry with his absolute back to back amazing performances. He is that emotional factor in this movie that gives this movie the human touch that it requires in the sci-fi world created, crafted and executed to perfection by Nolan. The other cast including Anna Hatheway , Mackenzie Foy(the lil. girl) , Jessica Chastain , Wes Bentley and all the rest of ‘em gave equal top notch performances.

The music by Hans Zimmer deserves a special mention as this is without a doubt ,so far his best best work and when the music begins to crescendo(exactly in sync with how the movie’s intensity quotient proceeds) you are just sucked right in.

I am now gonna say it out load “ This is the most perfect complete Cinema that I have seen in years , by years I would say a release in the last many decades”

By perfect Cinema I meant , this is not only a Space/Human Odyssey but it has Drama , the edge of your seat thrill , the Suspense ( the best that only Nolan can pull of lately)  , emotions , beauty , a lil. touch of humor at times . I mean what more do you want. To put it simply : If a movie with a run time of around 3 hrs can make you crave for more, then you can say confidently that this is some unparalleled greatness of a magnum opus.

To conclude by saying the least …. “Interstellar is a pure instant classic work which is nothing less than a masterpiece. It is an era defining beginning to a new level of Filmography and storytelling that is beyond everything that you have seen so far and this is what Nolan offers in reply to the huge expectations built on him after every single work of his. Stellar , top notch , unparalleled , masterpiece , epic are some words that still won’t come close to justify the beautiful grand Interstellar journey that you tag along with Christopher Jonathan James Nolan."

Interstellar : A journey of a lifetime!

The Stranger/The Outsider -by Albert Camus

Definitely one of those unique books that can throw you overboard and keep you thinking for long. It’s been some time since I have read this one but today I feel like , there’s this strong urge to share what it was like to have completed this well known classic work.

The Stranger by Albert Camus is for sure one of those rare books that are quite different to what authors generally offer these days but maybe it’s because of the fact that , it’s about a guy who is quite different from the “normal” chap according to our definition. He doesn’t pretend because he certainly doesn’t feel there’s a need for that. And all we can think about the consequences we may have to face if we decide one day , that whatever the F$@#  happens , I am not gonna pretend a single thing from now on. Like I said , it’s not just impossible but light years away from impossible ,to merely state it on a literal basis.

Won’t give away much about the book , but like the plot says , a man involved in a beach murder which is more likely unexplained in terms of motive. That’s what the book is about. Is dat all? I wouldn’t justify the book’s depth if I say that. Like the author stated “It’s about the nakedness of man faced with the absurd.”

 Certain lines and paragraphs are so deep that you certainly feel like closing the book for a minute and better think about the truth/importance of what just was thrown at your face.

We pretend just in order to stay in the so called “Society” and to avail what comes with it. In that way we certainly no longer remain Original to ourselves.

Don’t tell me , none of you have ever  felt a strong resistance to things…. to behave in a certain way or let say ..react in a way to certain things in a different way…but we abide to norms and stupidity that makes us not “Us”. We lie ‘coz we can’t speak up…we don’t say the truth at times ‘coz that would make us total jerks in front of the “Normal” society. Then you don’t belong to the guild , do you?

We never truly speak about what we actually feel or think. We just say what others want to hear from us. If you do then what you become is a total Stranger to the fraternity or most specifically a complete “Outsider”.

A book which requires deep analyzing and makes us question about our identity. 

The First Book - part 2

I am not sure many of you who are reading this current post right now , are familiar with my previous post entitled  “ The First Book” ,(It was my third blog post) any which ways I will share the link here  and for the people who won’t be checking out that , I will give a brief introduction here itself..right away.

The First Book … basically sheds light on the first book that you ought to pick up of an author , which is most likely his/her one of the best works , so that you still have the urge to read other works after finishing it.

I came across this very idea when I started reading . I used to do a lot of research before checking out a specific author’s work ‘coz the first work to which you are exposed to can turn out in different ways. If you pick up a good piece then a win-win thing and anyhow if you don’t pick up an interesting enough one then you might get deprived of the other better works of the same author, if present. So , I thought “What the heck…I should share this thing so that others get every bit of a worthwhile stuff”

So here I am , trying to put up a list consisting of the “First Book” that you ought to check out by a specific author.

In my last post I shared the books by “Stephen King” “Ray Bradbury” “James Patterson” “Jeffrey Archer” “Agatha Christie” “John Grisham” “Harlan Coben” “Issac Assimov” “Michael Crichton” “Dean Koontz” , So this one should exclude the above mentioned names right…. Okay then ..here we go..

Ø  Raymond Chandler – As legendary as this author is , there are plenty of books mostly in the genre-Noir , Hard-Boiled , Mystery .. that are considered as one of the best books or thrillers of all time. So among his works, it’s fair and justified to start from the beginning ..obviously right?..So “The Big Sleep” starring or let say introducing Detective Philip Marlowe is the first book that I would pick up , if I were you. Laconic Dialogues are my favorite in his works.

Ø   Neil Gaiman – This is one author who has done it all. He has written child books ,screenplays for motion pictures/TV-Series,  epic fantasy novels/comics and amazing fiction works. “Neverwhere” and “American Gods” are the one’s to begin with in the novel category. To be exact “American Gods” should be your first insight. And I wouldn’t feel content if I don’t mention his comic/graphic novel masterpiece which changed the way how people thought about comics. “The Sandman” series is definitely a graphic novel worth checking out. It’s more like an essential reading for individuals who love graphic novel. I would say even if you hate graphic novels , still give “The Sandman”series a try.

Ø  John Sandford – This is one author who most of the people don’t know about. Or he doesn’t get the fan following he deserves. He is more like a lil.less famous when compared to the writers in the same genre like Michael Connelly, James Patterson, Lee Child to name a few. His “Prey” series is just super awesome. I must admit that I like his “Prey” Series way way better than the books by Michael Conelly , may it be his Series featuring “harry Bosch “ or the ones featuring Mickey Haller , the criminal defense attorney . John Sandford’s first in the “Prey” Series ..    ”Rules of Prey” has to be the first book.

Ø  Gillian Flynn – She is definitely one of the many famous thriller writers present right now. With no doubt , her book “Gone Girl” has to be the first book you pick up and make sure you pick it up before October  2014,  if you are one of those people who either watch a movie adaptation or read the original book. The movie version is being directed by none other than the director mostly known for his killer thrillers , David Fincher.

Ø   Albert Camus – This respected author received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. My words won’t even come close to the respect he deserves for the masterfully crafted work done by this great author. There are so  many classics penned down by him , for starters “The Stranger” also known /published as “The Outsider” deserves a special mention. And it certainly becomes our first book that we ought to check out.

I have tried my level best to not be biased here according to my likings .The list is a result of recommendations and research and of course after I have read them . After checking ‘em out only , I decided that they deserve to be the first work any avid reader reads no matter what or let say a book aficionado’s first choice! ;)

Read On!

Old is indeed gold: Rare Old newspaper articles.

“I wish I could turn back time”

That is a common thought which results out of our cogitation on certain events. If we take our thought literally then that would make us go on a never ending search for a time machine or would make us watch “Back to the future “ movie franchise over & over again to find the key essence to time travelling, so that we could be a part of history. Well that is a task that is well-nigh impossible. But practically it is only possible to know a part of historical events and not be a part of it.

I remember the time when my grandfather had a large conglomeration of old newspaper articles . I wondered why he keeps them but eventually I did get the answer to my curiosity when I saw people struggling to find old articles to prepare for some sorts of examinations or interviews. Some keep it for old memories sake & others to refer the great antiquity. In this world of digitalization we don’t have to make n - number of trips to the nearby library or a central library just to have a glance on history. Technologically everything is just a key stroke away.

Today we being in the 21^st century , have a wide range of materials to refer to & the sources available are quite many as well.  Following are some of the available places available on the web where we can find old newspapers & articles related to past events :

Ø  Google : Solution to all problems affecting the mankind today: “Google”. Type an event(Google it as many may say) & you can have all the information. You will be directed to a link containing all the required data if you select one out of many.

 Google Archiving via Google News: Google news per say has old newspapers as a part of it’s   repository archived for easy & simple reading . You can have access to old newspaper articles in no time. Current or old , Google news is definitely one of the best sources available today.         

Ø  Time machine ( The New York Times) : Can  walk you through the time varying from 1850’s via 90’s to this very date. For some, it’s their favorite source and we can’t seem to agree more.

Ø  BBC(On this day) : This section on The BBC website helps you choose the dates starting from 1950 onwards. Very well archived , you can flip through the pages of history in no time.

Ø  HistoryBuff : This is a site archiving some specific important events that happened after 1750. This is a treasure repository for students or people who want to check out the way things were published in old days.

Ø  Trove : Though it is Australia centric but it doesn’t make it less global. The National Library of Australia has all lined up for you starting from 1803. You can choose the dates by year & a select state option is available as well.

Though there are quite many sources available for readers who want to sift the things from the past. The following: Wikipedia link comes up as the top result options when you try searching a source via Google. It has such important resources all summed up at one place.

P.S. - Who doesn't like the feeling of something Vintage , right? For me it's majorly BOOKS , Posters and long time back I used to collect vintage stamps.

Hey you! It's Time to Transform.

In this hustle bustle world , where people spend most of their time with technology rather than the people around them , we don’t have to compromise a bit. It’s like virtually you are everywhere. And by “compromise” I meant you no longer have to hold yourself back. The trending gadgets these days are definitely Laptops , mobile phones , tablets and the list goes on..so what if you are getting 2 out of 3 from the above mentioned names at an affordable price which accounts for just 1. Am I kidding…duh..I am not.

We sleep , we eat , we walk , we talk , we travel- we live. And none of us can deny the fact that even when we are performing all these activities we are surrounded by technological stuffs. And that stuffs for sure make our lives a lot easier .  Let say we travel , per se I travel a lot , so if it were 50 years back then I may have to consider myself deprived of other things like staying in touch with my friends and family , not getting to know what’s going around and things like that. But since we are not currently in that 50 yrs back era we certainly can multi task.

So for an inveterate technology freak , when he sees a dear friend of his/hers holding a tablet first and in the next moment connecting a keyboard to it and converting or the right word “transforming” it to a laptop is a treat to watch. What he thinks is “What the hell just happened?”..Whatever happened , it was awesome.  :D

So this is where curiosity comes into play and he finds out it is the all new ASUS Transformer Book T100. And he says to himself “Name fits the description so damn well”. A 2-in-1 Ultraportable Laptop which is a 10 inch tab as well. Here is where I think about what Dr. Sheldon Cooper(Jim Parsons) from the hit TV Show says when he goes to buy a Suit for himself in one of the episodes ”It’s too much money for just one color “:p. As funnily as he says it , he does strike a point when thought deeply.

 A tab which transforms into a Laptop. No more confused , whether to go for a laptop or a tab. Go for both mate! An inevitable truth…now. It can’t get better than this . Wait , it does. The specs would certainly blow you away. Windows 8.1 as it’s Operating system. A new and improved 1.33GHz Intel Atom ‘Baytrail’ processor. Quad core 2048 MB RAM. With dual band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, browsing and downloads are quite quick and nippy with an impressive SunSpider 1.0.2 benchmark score of 410.3ms to match. 1366 x 768 pixels (155 ppi) IPS LCD. And does come with a mega 1TB of free cloud storage for one year.

In short, as far as bulding the Ultimate Hybrids(Lappie-tab) goes , Asus sets a mark which is not just tough to beat but close to perfection. Excellence is never out of reach with the ASUS Transformer Book T100. Entertainment is never out of focus. The day is not far when “Just a Laptop” would be “An Anachronism!”

This post is an entry for the contest Time to Transform! conducted by Indiblogger .

Do check out - http://asusindia.co.in/T100/

You Shouldn’t : #3- Shouldn’t put a pen (ink/ball) in your trouser/jeans’ pocket!

“Shit ,Ink…. not again..this is one of my favorite Cargo pants! O_o Damn you! ..Stupid Pen”

I don’t know whether you have been there or not but trust me I ‘ve been there a plenty of times myself. Every single time I decide” won’t do it again ever and ever and ever” but sooner or later it happens. I just don’t know how it ends up in my pocket….maybe they are my arch enemies from other planet & they do it on purpose :p. Cut the crap , who am I kidding. It’s me who puts the pen accidently or casually every single time.

So make sure you never ever put a pen in your trousers pockets ‘coz it always leaks when it’s there. Every single time ….It’s like a pen has a thing for jeans / cargos /trousers….:p

P.S.- For the previous “You shouldn’t” post , please check out the link here ..the post entitled is: “Shouldn’t fake laugh on jokes that you don’t get. :p”

Sometimes.....

Sometimes ..I think what is the meaning of life or what is life for starters?..Sometimes when I look out the window , I see people doing the same thing…maybe they are doing it for hours or maybe days or they have following the same routine for years..may it be a corporate level employee or a labor , sometimes there is no difference as such. They all follow life in a way different to the naked eye but same at many levels. Sometimes I get up , plan my day ahead and sometimes I don’t.

At some level , even animals are no different from us. They don’t need money to spend the rest of their lives , so they do what they are supposed to do , just like us. They don’t have to tackle the daily chores like we do ‘coz they are supposedly doing what they are suppose to do , isn’t it?.  We all do what we are suppose to do ..right. Some do and some don’t.

Sometimes , we act like a misanthrope , then we are an altruist all of a sudden. Hence , the “suppose-to” factor acts all along I guess..

Sometimes the cacophonies around us seems so quiet and yet there are times when the cacophony in our heart is mind numbingly unpleasant.

Sometimes people fail to realize that, maybe rich or poor there is one thing that remains the same for all : Time. We all have Time as a common factor(same for all)which is never a constant. Irony!

And then again , I ask myself the same and the most common question being asked for centuries now : What is the meaning of life?... Sometimes I dig a lil. deep to this current thought of mine and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I just let it go ‘coz I have heard “Letting it all go is good”. So I just “Let it go” and I conclude with no such proofs or justifications to my conclusion with : “Sometimes you feel all this(Life) is real but it is nothing more than just a dream. Similar to the one that I just had”

I lazily open my eyes and gaze around the room. And All I can recall is:“Sometimes….??”

True Detective

Season – 1 (No Spoilers for sure!)

Normally  , I don’t do reviews or recommendations until and unless the series has reached it’s Finale , but me doing this thing right now.. definitely has reasons attached to it and those reasons are…trust me..worthwhile. I couldn’t stop myself from sharing the awesomeness with you guys , frankly put.;)

I never thought I would watch a TV series as soon as a season is out , I usually wait for a couple of seasons at least , coz yeah , I have a tendency of “not-able-to -stop” myself from getting enough of the stuff I like. So , yeah I am definitely choosy when it comes to a TV-Series , not like movies. Everyone sometime in their lives has a head on collision with a crappy movie ….and God save those Poor souls, who undergo this collision quite frequently than the others. Seriously , God save ‘em!

So , yeah enough of the  this & that stuff , In straight simple words without much use of some real tough words selected pretty selectively from the “Damn-is –that –even –a-word” section from the English Dictionary, I would with no hesitation , simply like to state “ True detective is a purely class defining masterpiece , from HBO”.HBO does it yet again!.. ‘ coz I don’t know it’s just me or there are others who believe/think that most of the shows being aired on HBO are nothing less than pure Gold .

After the Oscar fame , Mathew McConaughey has just nailed it. His performance as Detective Rust Cohle, his lines , even the look or stare he has in eyes in various scenes are just Top-Notch and crafted to perfection. Man , he is a fantastic actor. He is definitely one of the best Fictional detective characters for sure. Then comes his partner Detective Marty Hart played by Woody Harrelson , and his acting skills are no news for us. As usual he makes us believe that there’s no one suited for this role than him.

And this show is about the lives of two Detectives who are in for a hunt for a Serial Killer for 17 years and their lives being affected by their duty. The creator Nic Pizzolato is just brilliant to come up with this masterpiece. The complete cast of this show are so well chosen and they stand up to the expectations as well.

Rusty(McConaughey’s character) is so believable and a complete detective material , he is miserable yet disciplined and determined to catch the Killer. Marty (Harrelson’s character) is not exactly opposite to him , but lacks a lil. control over his needs but then again he is a great detective and takes his job pretty seriously. And the way these two get along throughout is simply a treat to watch. Watch it to know and feel ,what I am talking about.

So to conclude , “True detective is sleek , hardcore ,engaging ,suspenseful,  dark , nasty and for most of the viewers it is gonna turn out to be a definite instant masterpiece/classic. And yeah it’s a murder mystery too..:p”

P.S. – Right from the opening titles you are hooked ‘coz the theme song has a thing that sets your mood right away. Dark and a deep kinda feel to it. And there’s the characters and the plot which is going to suck you right in. Looking forward to the next season with a never before felt anxiety and hope.

Season 1 – 8 episodes – Each episode with a run time of 60 minutes.

#DARKNESS BECOMES YOU

Traveller : Haiku # 3

                                                    

“ Flying so so high
Contented but realized
Lorn maybe my soul “

If you’d like to check out the previous “Traveller:Haiku’s” ,do check out the following links:

Traveller: Haiku  #2

Traveller: Haiku #1

You Shouldn’t : # – Shouldn’t read your gf /bf ‘s text , when in a fight!

“You have turned my life into a living hell. Just go away for god sakes!” Reply:”Even mine’s not a trip to Disneyland when I am with you…I just wish I could get a “happy life”….. & the thing continues for another 4-5 hrs…ends in a break up or a re-patch up..Only God & they(the couple) know it for sure .:p

In a fight if you happen to get a text , review it ..I mean the starting word would tell you whether it’s a bad (hate filled message) or a good (love filled one with apologies or ‘let’s not fight anymore’ stuff). So before skipping the message make sure you read & get an outline. “Not reading the text at that particular time” automatically calms things down. Trust me when I say this, it does work every time. It certainly helps calm things down which eventually makes thing right. J

P.S.- For the previous “You shouldn’t” post , please check out the link here ..the post entitled is: “Shouldn’t fake laugh on jokes that you don’t get. :p”

A post for Post-Oscars!

To say the least , 86th Annual Academy Awards was Bang on! :D

And If I say ,”Man , I’ll be damned if these are the academy award winners this year”, then that would be an understatement and that would make me a humble person. But then again , I am not that humble , right?....You guys know me. I am not :p
So , I am overjoyed to say “I told you so” :p
Yep , I am talking about the guesses I made via my previous blog post. To state the truth , I was literally flabbergasted while watching the event this morning (ya , I got up at 5:30 a.m. to see the Oscars .Thinking about that , if I would have got up during my academic years with the same dedication then probably I could have ended up as a scientist somewhere :p :p) to see , how accurate my guesses were and a lil.shocked too  o_O

Check out the following screenshot:

You guys can also watch the repeat telecast , which airs at 8:00 p.m.(Indian Time) today i.e. 3^rd  March on Star Movies. J

And the Oscar goes to....!

If you are a Movie Aficionado , you truly are as excited as I am then. And Academy awards are definitely the most prestigious award an entity on Celluloid can receive , not that the other awards are not important but an Oscar is indeed the maximum you can go.

So , yeah they are just a couple of days away , and I had this urge to write a post depicting my excitement and off course some guesses are on the way too.

Like we do for our home awards like IIFA ,Stardust etc. For me , Farhan Akhtar’s role in the Biopic was a clear winner and also a definite favorite for many too. Wasn’t sure about the best actress in a leading role , my top considerations would have been Sonakshi Sinha for Lootera and Deepika for Ram-leela I guess. But was sure about the Best film though , It had to be Bhaag Milkha Bhaag for it’s direction and screenplay . I personally wanted “The Lunchbox” to win the Best film award, but then again since I know how the Jury have been in the past years, odd were against it. A little commercial touch has to be there , to make it to the top. People say , Indian audience needs to be mature now, I say “Jury , you guys be mature first”. My best Bollywood films from the year 2013 are : The Lunchbox , Madras Café , D-day and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. And the movie that I can watch again and again, has to be Yeh Jawaani hain Dewaani , don’t know why but lately that movie is definitely my feel good movie after Zindagi Na Milegi Dobaara .:D

Now, coming back to the 86^th Annual Academy Awards , the year 2013 has indeed had some epic roles/performances  and there have been movies being tagged as “Cult” Classics. Plus  the movies this year being nominated are not particularly that exact “Oscar type” material as many may see. It’s like when I ask one of my friends  to tag along for a academy award nominated movie , he says“ I am not in for that slow,  boring , sadistic stuff man , I would rather sleep here on this couch”. It is the case with many , most of us think that an Oscar movie has to be Slow and extremely boring . But that is definitely not the case ,ones who appreciate it as a work of art rather than just  a commercial stuff would know the difference for sure. And what I could feel this year was , most of the movies being nominated are equally enjoyable too. Like American Hustle , The Wolf of Wall Street, Gravity, Her, Nebraska ….these movies were intriguing and engaging to almost everybody.

And from last couple of years , I do make sure I watch every single movie nominated for the academies. It’s kind of a ritual now. :p At least all the ones being nominated for Best Picture, I make sure I cover ‘em.”Watch ‘em all before the Red Carpet event”. So unlike last year I successfully watched every single one of ‘em this year . It gives you a feeling of content when you are actually watching the award ceremony and you can know who’s being acknowledged for what.

So here are my guesses or let say my gut feeling about the main event.

Best Picture – 12 years a slave

Best director – Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity

Best Actor Male – Matthew McConaughey  for Dallas Buyers Club

Best actor Female – Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine / Sandra Bullock for Gravity

Best Actor Supporting male – Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club

Best Actor Supporting female -  Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle

Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen/Original Screenplay -  Her

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year – Frozen

Best Achievement in Cinematography – Gravity

Best Costume – American Hustle/The Great Gatsby

Phewww….that’s a hell lot of guesses . Yeah , let’s see what’s in store for us.

Sadly ,there are chances that  Leonardo Di Caprio will miss out again , after yet another worthy performance for the Academy Award.  The Aviator and The Wolf of wall street are his career best performances so far,according to me.  On one side we have Leonardo Di Caprio , who hasn’t got an Oscar yet , and on the other hand we have Meryl Streep being nominated for the 18^th time now, though she has won 3 Oscars. Yep , you heard that right , 3 Oscars for real. Caprio , it’s not like your career has been torpedoed by other performers , it’s just hard luck man . We all know you are one of the finest actors and we do understand your level of frustration too (by the sarcastic  comments he made on some actors) , so there….there…I sincerely wish ,you get it this year.

P.S. – I know people , for whom watching an Oscar winning movie scares the living daylights out of ‘em. But it is not true from a last couple of years atleast. They are deserving and equally enjoyable too. J

I still consider myself as naïve in watching some serious stuffs , but over the years I have learned to enjoy ‘em .

So do watch ‘em if you get a chance. :D

Another Important thing : When can you catch the event screening live?....If you are in India then make sure you do ‘ve a strong …strong cup of coffee for the event ‘coz you gotta tune into Star Movies  at 5:30 a.m.3^rd Feb March 2014 Indian time and 2^nd Feb March 2014 8:30 p.m U.S. time.

P.P.S – Eagerly waiting for “And the OSCAR goes to….” J

Sometime a “NO” works just fine! –> Part -2

Note: No connection with the first part as such , you can even go ahead and read the first part( if you haven’t already) after you read this , if you think it’d be worthwhile reading J :D

“Asking the same question over and over again , doesn’t change the answer , does it?”

People have a habit of testing other people’s patience by stating or interrogating the same things , again and again and again. I don’t know about you but that does bother me “at times”.

It’s like : “What is your name?”

“Nikhil”

“Ok , then , What is your name ?”

“Nikhil”

“Ahh , I get it..Cool , So what is your name?”

“O_O”

Not that the above conversation has ever happened ,it  kinda serves the purpose :p I used to go ahead with a “Yes” nod , all the time. I still do. But there are times when it is just not the right time. And you know what I mean by that. Being an extrovert has it’s advantages but more of disadvantages in this particular case. You , a people pleasing person can’t just say “No”. It’s like a Priest chanting Satanic prayers. You can use it to your advantage as well . If an extrovert  says “No” , they would feel a little taken aback , but they will just let it go because they know you are a type of person who can say anything to everything .So you refusing  is gonna fade away as a joke eventually and does serve your purpose too. :p

“You are a people pleasing person doesn’t mean you go ahead and do something that makes you unpleasant.”

So here are some funny , sarcastic ways or Voiceovers(the lines playing in your head) that I found from various places and some are added by me too ,so it goes like this :

Ø  I will take a pass. I have some personal work.

Ø  I hate seeing the outside world after 5...it freaks me out.

Ø  I have been very busy lately....so would rest for sometime maybe.

Ø  Can’t lend you that , might need it this weekend.

Ø  Have already promised somebody else.

Ø  It isn’t something I really dig.

Ø  Yeah..it seems cool but done that already!

Ø  Feel like just doing some indoor stuffs today.

Ø  My “God” wouldn’t be cool with that

Ø  I’m shipping out of here on a cargo rig

Ø  I just got crop dusted and have to flee

Ø  I’m too high to even step out.

Ø  Ohh , can’t give it you , “xyz” has already asked for it.

Ø  Two words: licking batteries

Ø  Already crazy enough thanks

Ø  Lets table that for the time being

Ø  Lets circle back to that

Ø  Not a good time, maybe next time.

Ø  You must be talking to one of my other personalities

Ø  I don’t do anything that isn’t virtual

Ø  Will you wear this?

Ø  My fly eyes are indicating a “no”

Ø  I am actually inventing a new color at the moment

Ø  Probably not

Ø  I’m not really talkative

Ø  I actually don’t like other humans

Ø  Go die over there

Ø  Will get back to you on this later , but not today.

Ø  Not in a good mood. Later on this month for sure. :p

Ø  “No”

Saying a “No” doesn’t mean that you are an arrogant , rude person. It just makes you say “Yes” to yourself most of the time. But if you are in a position where an individual needs your genuine help , then don’t even take a second to say “Yes”. I guess we all would do that without even thinking about the consequence. And such consequences are worth it , I’d say. J

“Be helpful or useful , not used!”

 Peace out!

 P.S. – You can check out the first part here : Sometime a “NO” works just fine! –> Part -1