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The Dark Knight, the new installation from DC Comics' Batman, is a wonderful piece of work.
I would suggest you watch it. A review.
--------Possible spoilers ahead----------
Well, with (almost)3 villains, a confused superhero, a coveted heroine who doesn't last long, brilliant suspense-building scenes and a few gadgets and gizmos, it is good enough to keep you asking for more.
The hype around the film is well justified, in the sense that it is really worthwhile watching, I might watch it again, something I usually don't do.
The storyline of the movie is a bit complex - it deals with Batman's omnipresent guilt and dark history - he battles with his own character trying to justify the presence of a caped crusader rather than a person people can call one of their own. Listening to the dialogues is very important to completely absorb what the underlying story is all about.
The overall story is something like: Society(Gotham) is debating the need for Batman, a masked man. Enter and Harvey Dent, the District Attorney(DA) who succeeds in putting behind bars most of the city's bad guys. The Joker promises to kill Batman but wants half the money which is in the hands of a Chinese guy, who is brought back by Batman to Gotham. Joker's real intentions are to bring anarchy to the city, so he doesn't care about the money - he wants to defeat Batman - so he tries to remove both the DA and the sweetheart. Joker convinces Two Face Harvey that Batman is the cause for all suffering, causing him to turn against the world.
The first half of the film was, to be frank pretty boring. Most films are(the opposite of Indian films). Heath Ledger's performance? Acting like a psychopath is no simple task - not least because you have a chocolate boy image. Bringing out emotions and mannerisms to fit a crazy guy when you are not (unlike Jack Nicholson) takes talent. And guts. Does he deserve an Oscar?
Superhero movies seldom get performance nominations - but given the hype surrounding his untimely death - may he RIP - he might make it to the nominations and even win an Academy Award in a Supporting Role.
So much was happening in the movie - the buildup I mentioned, that something is going to happen, is terrific. You are waiting to know what will happen next - the constant drone slowly increasing in volume is as unsettling as the ticking of the clock indicating the Joker's evil deeds. Not to mention the Batman theme first composed for Batman Begins - that is a very good tune. The Joker's antics make you shake your head from side to side, in disgust.
I knew Aaron Eckhart from Thank You For Smoking, Maggie Gyllenhall from Stranger Than Fiction(nice movie) and Heath Ledger caught my attention when I actually thought after the initial promos that Jack Nicholson was doing the Joker again. I too was sad when news of Ledger came around... With the Joker in his kitty more fabulous roles were expected... Maggie has that light 'lisp' when she says 's', it's just an observation. Not too many tall actresses around who are beautiful today... She has a very 50's look, making her a 'classic'.
I never expected Maggie to die. Seriously. Damn the Joker for purposely mixing up the locations. I never saw it coming, especially when Harvey and Maggie had accepted their fates - only for the opposite to take place, turning Harvey into a two mind revenge seeker.
The love angle is also intriguing - Batman's secret love, Harvey's anger at the commissioner for not saving Maggie... I don't get this part: Batman goes to resuce his love(or thinks he is) and instead gets his hand on Harver. Commissioner thinks he is going to rescue Harvey, but doesn't make it in time. Does he not reach in time, because he was jealous of the DA or just because he couldn't... It was noble of Albert to burn the letter from Maggie, to save him the heartbreak of the news that the one he loved didn't love him(always happens in life, doesn't it).
It is revealed as to why the Joker paints himself a big smile - his father slit his mouth - the make to believe stitches can be seen.
The Bat-bike - the Batpod - is cool. I liked the scene where Batman flips the truck over - it looks great.
I am not too sure of the daring kidnap from China - it was a bit too daring. The Sonar-detecting-technology is slightly far fetched... Anyway, it is only a comic book.
Batman takes the guilt of Harvey upon himself to maintain a legacy of the crime fighting DA, so as to make people believe that a crusader need not have a mask on his face. That was noble. But by killing Two Face(well he wasn't killed, he just died), a 'sequel' won't have him, but whatever the sequel feature, beating the hype and presentation of The Dark Knight will be a very very tough task for director/producer Nolan.
Impressions of the trailer(s) and fan vids on YouTube alone are upwards of 20 million with single trailer racking up half that number - that too even before the movie released. As of this post The Dark Knight is set to beat Spiderman3 for the biggest opening ever.
I will remember the movie as one which had great performances, a dark script, unexpected twists and interesting altercations between the antagonist and the protagonist. I am one who believes that a movie is successful not because of the lead player but because of the supporting actors including the villains. Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart have delivered. The Dark Knight will carve a niche for itself for actually being one of the more unforgettable, lovable and well made superhero movemovies.
Why so serious? eeehhhhahahhahahahahahahhahahahhahahaha
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Jay going to ABC?
----Personal post-----
Did Jay Leno just say it? In the Headlines section there was a magazine-picture(I think it was TV Week) which incorrectly had "The Tonight Show on ABC" captioning his image.
To this he said, "Looks like a headline from the future.."
Well, currently all arrows point to ABC. Too bad for NBC.
Did Jay Leno just say it? In the Headlines section there was a magazine-picture(I think it was TV Week) which incorrectly had "The Tonight Show on ABC" captioning his image.
To this he said, "Looks like a headline from the future.."
Well, currently all arrows point to ABC. Too bad for NBC.
Friday, July 11, 2008
A recollection of the Indian national media
I'm just putting down things in my mind, so this may not be comprehensive, it is just a recollection.
Looking at where the Indian media stands today, I was left reflecting how times have changed.
Once upon a time, there was just one channel with the right to broadcast news - DD. There were Meenu, Sunil Tandon and a couple of other faces I do not remember the names of who would anchor the English news. Things slowly started changing with the introduction of cable(satellite) television - and the entry of Star News. Of course, at the helm of affairs was NDTV, making Star their springboard for things to come.
In no time Star News became the hottest thing to copy. Everyone just had to be like them. This meant a new opening theme, LCD TVs, reporters/journalists who could also anchor, new styles of presenting... Things were getting amusing.
Star had that rivetting theme - it raised your spirits so much to lap up whatever was presented in big gulps. Prannoy Roy, Vishnu Som, Barkha Dutt, Rajdeep Sardesai(grrrrrrrrr), Arnab Goswami, Amitabh Revi and others were there at 9 pm sharp to catch everyone's attention. 9 pm and the channel had to be Star for the news.
Where were the other channels in all this.. I remember TVI and DD(I apologise about other news channels like Zee as given that I stayed in a small town I didn't get any other channels) sporting very similar sets. Everything had to be like the leader: like the presenter hiding one side of the LCD TV and the other side of the TV cut off by the camera, which gave an impression of a really long TV. Now instead of using graphics to show the topics being discussed, the LCD TV did that job. I was very surprised to see DD anchors actually doing the reporting, like Sunil Tandon on an assignment with the PM on his foreign tour. No doubt, influenced by Star.
Every news channel has its high point: CNN had the Gulf war, Star's (rather Barkha's) came during the Kargil war. It was one India won, also it was a lady journalist at the frontlines giving the latest news - great for ratings.
Aaj Tak and Headlines Today, launched by the India Today group, especially the former, were the modern alternatives to DD. I always believe that Aaj Tak is a purely sensationalising channel, thriving off 'fake' attention over non-news stories being classified as 'Breaking'. However Aaj Tak was prominent in bringing out stings and hidden camera stuff... Good enough for the kind of people who watched them.
The business side had CNBC-TV18, I think just called CNBC, for 24 hour attention towards the stock markets and money making.
The love affair of NDTV with STAR continued with the Afghanistan was and the Gujarat earthquake - but came to an end with the editorial-control-dispute at the end of the contract, so NDTV parted ways to create NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India, with the former being a truly awesome name.
I missed the classic NDTV logo which would appear after every Star News broadcast. Anyhow, this new channel had everything in place - reporters, anchors, Prannoy Roy, and so starting off was relatively easy. Those were the heydays for 24x7: hit shows, including Big Fight by Rajdeep, We the Nation with Barkha, with the trademark news presenting.
Things had changed: NDTV dumped the LCD TV for bigger on-the-wall screens, and everyone followed suit.
With fresh investment flowing in from abroad, the chance to make more moneyand control things made Rajdeep create a new company and Arnab being poached towards Times Now.
CNN-IBN posed a new threat to NDTV's stranglehold on news. NDTV was basking in it's success with awards for the best English news channel, but lost it subsequently to IBN.
IBN had a fresh appeal to it: a few (young)anchors from NDTV, a lot of budding recruits and fresh ideas, which seemed to have been come out of the cocooned Rajdeep. I suspect IBN has a greater appeal to youngsters, with savvy programs and different styles of production.
NDTV was left licking its wounds and had a fresh round of (young)hiring - and people filing in for voids left behind. New programmes meant new faces - I will say that they were very very naive when things began - I am talking about the people anchoring the sports, interviews and the movies-related shows.
Times Now and Headlines Today are no-gos for me, because Times Now is a Reuters mouthpiece and ultra pure sensational, and Healines Today is pretty boring.
CNN IBN... well... no comment.
Amongst all this hullabaloo is the leaps and bounds taken in presentation itself: exclusive interviews, cell phones being thrust into faces, hounding of the wanted for those elusive pictures(remember when Dr. Haneef came home and the media barged into his home not allowing a decent reunion?), stings with some turning sour(Rajdeep being asked to appear in the UP assembly), a plethora of new faces(which really amazes me).
There seem to be new reporters for every news item - which clearly means that things haven't settled down yet. There are plenty of news channel, each wanting to carve a niche for itself. This is just the beginning of the industry - there's still a long way to go - which will be marked by consolidation leaving just a handful of players(atleast in the single-language market).
I primarily watch NDTV, noticing the subtle changes here and there. Anchors getting complete makeovers, transforming them completely. A Christian being appointed as US reporter(with an Anglican name the 'hate' would be minimal.. Sarah Jacob already has gained an accent...). I wonder what happened to the helicopters bought when the channel started. New studios.. And, Prannoy has lost his touch, stumbling now and then...
It will have to be seen if NDTV can hold its ground against IBN and any other new channels if any foreign guys opt to enter India. I favour NDTV, though.
Looking at where the Indian media stands today, I was left reflecting how times have changed.
Once upon a time, there was just one channel with the right to broadcast news - DD. There were Meenu, Sunil Tandon and a couple of other faces I do not remember the names of who would anchor the English news. Things slowly started changing with the introduction of cable(satellite) television - and the entry of Star News. Of course, at the helm of affairs was NDTV, making Star their springboard for things to come.
In no time Star News became the hottest thing to copy. Everyone just had to be like them. This meant a new opening theme, LCD TVs, reporters/journalists who could also anchor, new styles of presenting... Things were getting amusing.
Star had that rivetting theme - it raised your spirits so much to lap up whatever was presented in big gulps. Prannoy Roy, Vishnu Som, Barkha Dutt, Rajdeep Sardesai(grrrrrrrrr), Arnab Goswami, Amitabh Revi and others were there at 9 pm sharp to catch everyone's attention. 9 pm and the channel had to be Star for the news.
Where were the other channels in all this.. I remember TVI and DD(I apologise about other news channels like Zee as given that I stayed in a small town I didn't get any other channels) sporting very similar sets. Everything had to be like the leader: like the presenter hiding one side of the LCD TV and the other side of the TV cut off by the camera, which gave an impression of a really long TV. Now instead of using graphics to show the topics being discussed, the LCD TV did that job. I was very surprised to see DD anchors actually doing the reporting, like Sunil Tandon on an assignment with the PM on his foreign tour. No doubt, influenced by Star.
Every news channel has its high point: CNN had the Gulf war, Star's (rather Barkha's) came during the Kargil war. It was one India won, also it was a lady journalist at the frontlines giving the latest news - great for ratings.
Aaj Tak and Headlines Today, launched by the India Today group, especially the former, were the modern alternatives to DD. I always believe that Aaj Tak is a purely sensationalising channel, thriving off 'fake' attention over non-news stories being classified as 'Breaking'. However Aaj Tak was prominent in bringing out stings and hidden camera stuff... Good enough for the kind of people who watched them.
The business side had CNBC-TV18, I think just called CNBC, for 24 hour attention towards the stock markets and money making.
The love affair of NDTV with STAR continued with the Afghanistan was and the Gujarat earthquake - but came to an end with the editorial-control-dispute at the end of the contract, so NDTV parted ways to create NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India, with the former being a truly awesome name.
I missed the classic NDTV logo which would appear after every Star News broadcast. Anyhow, this new channel had everything in place - reporters, anchors, Prannoy Roy, and so starting off was relatively easy. Those were the heydays for 24x7: hit shows, including Big Fight by Rajdeep, We the Nation with Barkha, with the trademark news presenting.
Things had changed: NDTV dumped the LCD TV for bigger on-the-wall screens, and everyone followed suit.
With fresh investment flowing in from abroad, the chance to make more moneyand control things made Rajdeep create a new company and Arnab being poached towards Times Now.
CNN-IBN posed a new threat to NDTV's stranglehold on news. NDTV was basking in it's success with awards for the best English news channel, but lost it subsequently to IBN.
IBN had a fresh appeal to it: a few (young)anchors from NDTV, a lot of budding recruits and fresh ideas, which seemed to have been come out of the cocooned Rajdeep. I suspect IBN has a greater appeal to youngsters, with savvy programs and different styles of production.
NDTV was left licking its wounds and had a fresh round of (young)hiring - and people filing in for voids left behind. New programmes meant new faces - I will say that they were very very naive when things began - I am talking about the people anchoring the sports, interviews and the movies-related shows.
Times Now and Headlines Today are no-gos for me, because Times Now is a Reuters mouthpiece and ultra pure sensational, and Healines Today is pretty boring.
CNN IBN... well... no comment.
Amongst all this hullabaloo is the leaps and bounds taken in presentation itself: exclusive interviews, cell phones being thrust into faces, hounding of the wanted for those elusive pictures(remember when Dr. Haneef came home and the media barged into his home not allowing a decent reunion?), stings with some turning sour(Rajdeep being asked to appear in the UP assembly), a plethora of new faces(which really amazes me).
There seem to be new reporters for every news item - which clearly means that things haven't settled down yet. There are plenty of news channel, each wanting to carve a niche for itself. This is just the beginning of the industry - there's still a long way to go - which will be marked by consolidation leaving just a handful of players(atleast in the single-language market).
I primarily watch NDTV, noticing the subtle changes here and there. Anchors getting complete makeovers, transforming them completely. A Christian being appointed as US reporter(with an Anglican name the 'hate' would be minimal.. Sarah Jacob already has gained an accent...). I wonder what happened to the helicopters bought when the channel started. New studios.. And, Prannoy has lost his touch, stumbling now and then...
It will have to be seen if NDTV can hold its ground against IBN and any other new channels if any foreign guys opt to enter India. I favour NDTV, though.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
Drudge goes blue
------Personal post-------
Looks like Drudge has gone blue for the Independence Day here. Good wishes to every one.
Drudge usually goes only red and rarely green.
Looks like Drudge has gone blue for the Independence Day here. Good wishes to every one.
Drudge usually goes only red and rarely green.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
YouTube ordered to handover user data
"Google must hand over all the information contained in its logging database, including the login ID of the users who have watched videos, the time they started to watch the video, users' IP address, and the video identifier."
This is part of a running $1 billion lawsuit against YouTube/Google by Viacom, a company in the entertainment business also making TV shows. Viacom is suing YouTube for hosting its copyright content(TV programmes).
I don't have any comments on the case, because the users don't care what they upload and monitoring every video for copyright infringement is next to impossible, so I will wait for the decision to arrive.
What concerns me most is that YouTube will have to handover all this user data - notwithstanding the fact that Viacom will have to use it only for matters dealing with the case, i.e. study piracy on YouTube - and it sets a precedent for what can be used against you.
The very fact that a there is solid proof of me watching some video in the past - can be used against me - or target me in some form - is not good. This could mean stumbling upon a copyrighted video, or watching a politically insensitive video and sharing it or even something like watching a video about my boss- my boss could take some action against me for watching them!
The handing over of this data shows that all our online activities are being monitored - meaning that every email sent, every chat we've had, every link clicked - and more importantly, every file downloaded, is being logged somewhere and if someone gets their hands on(say by a similar legal action) it, we will be, needless to say, be made penniless.
YouTube/Google have to hand over some 12 Terabytes of data - things can overturn in the near future in this case - but the outcome will write another entry into the definition of copyright infringement and fair use of copyrighted material. Watch this legal dispute very closely. It will affect all of us in a profound manner. Of course, the internet-privacy groups are up in arms.
Links:
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7488009.stm and http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7488268.stm
- http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2324635,00.asp
- http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9983702-7.html and http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-9983631-36.html
- http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&ned=us&ncl=1225624464
Firefox 3 downloads record official
Hurrah! The world record aimed for has been validated. Firefox 3 now holds the first ever Guinness world record for the most software downloads -8,002,530- in 24 hours. I've got my own certificate. Yeah!
There were some detractors across the blogosphere who didn't understand the purpose for a push for records. It's not the records they are aiming for: it's the publicity. Up until Firefox 2, the browser was almost entirely spread by word-of-mouth and recommendations. In essence it has nothing to lose - its users are those who took it not by force but by choice in the face of challenges the other browser(s) they were faced with - a solid base of unwavering fans.
I recognise the main attraction in Firefox is its ability to be mould into any shape - much like a colouring book, on which you can apply any colour - and not use anything you don't like.
One of the reasons I love to hate the BBC is that in their quest to be 'balanced'(read b u l l s h i t), they try to scavenge for that crumb of information which can be used against anything their users aren't aware of. I am referring to their refernce to a supposed security flaw - they had mentioned this on June 17 too, the first article on the quest for the download. Which, I agree, may be true, but is not warranted considering the security it offers versus other browsers. I can bet anyone who read their entire article and did not know a bit about Firefox would have been put off. Screw them.
Firefox is slowly increasing its market share at the expense of IE in what is being billed as the Second Browser War, which by the way is not one on one but more of a 4 way slow showdown - IE with everything to lose Vs Firefox, Safari and Opera - the latter set offer increasingly better features - will be one to follow closely in the coming days.
I've tried with some success to circumnavigate the crashes I mentioned in my earlier posts - by not closing the tabs, but reusing them by typing into the Gmail and G Reader address bars.
Do give Mozilla Japan's too-cute-to-miss mascot, Foxkeh a visit.
And so I pitch to you, the wonderful phoenix risen from the ashes of the vanquished Netscape of the First Browser War, ready in full battle glory for the Second Browser War with its third incarnation, against the mighty IE, Mozilla Firefox.
There were some detractors across the blogosphere who didn't understand the purpose for a push for records. It's not the records they are aiming for: it's the publicity. Up until Firefox 2, the browser was almost entirely spread by word-of-mouth and recommendations. In essence it has nothing to lose - its users are those who took it not by force but by choice in the face of challenges the other browser(s) they were faced with - a solid base of unwavering fans.
I recognise the main attraction in Firefox is its ability to be mould into any shape - much like a colouring book, on which you can apply any colour - and not use anything you don't like.
One of the reasons I love to hate the BBC is that in their quest to be 'balanced'(read b u l l s h i t), they try to scavenge for that crumb of information which can be used against anything their users aren't aware of. I am referring to their refernce to a supposed security flaw - they had mentioned this on June 17 too, the first article on the quest for the download. Which, I agree, may be true, but is not warranted considering the security it offers versus other browsers. I can bet anyone who read their entire article and did not know a bit about Firefox would have been put off. Screw them.
Firefox is slowly increasing its market share at the expense of IE in what is being billed as the Second Browser War, which by the way is not one on one but more of a 4 way slow showdown - IE with everything to lose Vs Firefox, Safari and Opera - the latter set offer increasingly better features - will be one to follow closely in the coming days.
I've tried with some success to circumnavigate the crashes I mentioned in my earlier posts - by not closing the tabs, but reusing them by typing into the Gmail and G Reader address bars.
Do give Mozilla Japan's too-cute-to-miss mascot, Foxkeh a visit.
And so I pitch to you, the wonderful phoenix risen from the ashes of the vanquished Netscape of the First Browser War, ready in full battle glory for the Second Browser War with its third incarnation, against the mighty IE, Mozilla Firefox.
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