If the Office and Arrested Development had a love child ==> This would be it!

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1442437/

Creators: Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd

Cast: Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ed O'Neill

Even though this is technically not a movie, this show deserves a mention.
Calling all Arrested Development fans! For those of you who are still in awe after the dreaded cancellation of AD....There is a Cure that is Modern Family!


ABC's Modern Family premiered on 23rd September 2009. The plot focuses on a ''satirical look at three different families and the trials they face in each of their own uniquely comedic ways''.
The style of the show is very similar to that of Arrested Development, The Office, and Parks and Recreation. 


This is definitely my favorite new TV show this season. One of the few shows that provides good entertainment for the whole family. 
The characters are what really makes this show good. The ensemble is lovable, fresh, and relatable (I'm sure we all have come across this during awkward family gatherings).
The family members consists of a cliched dysfunctional family; A wealthy old man with an attractive young wife, the cool young american couple, and the gay couple. It also doesnt hurt that the gorgeous Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara are in it; Eye Candy.  Phil's character is probably my favorite (The 'Cool' dad who tries too hard), Ty Burrell is the perfect person to play this role; definitely Emmy Worthy!
The dialogues are really witty, fresh, sarcastic, and are very well written. This show is kind of cheesy but in a good way; There is always a benign ending with the whole family coming together.
Is this show a replacement for Arrested Development?...No!  but its the closest thing there is!


I would definitely recommend giving this show a chance. I'm addicted to this show! You should be too!
   

2010 Movie guide

Here are the list of movies to look forward to in 2010.


1. The Last Airbender

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0938283/
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Dev Patel, Jackson Rathbone, Cliff Curtis, Nicola Peltz
Release date: 2nd July 2010

2.  The book of Eli

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1037705/
Director: Albert and Allen Hughes
Cast: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis
Release date: 15th January 2010

3. The Green Hornet

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0990407/

Director: Michel Gondry
Cast: Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz
Release date: 9th July 2010

4. The A-Team

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0429493/
Director: Joe Carnahan
Cast: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel

5.   Clash Of The Titans

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800320/
Director: Louis Letterier
Cast: Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes
Release date: Date: 26th March 2010

6. Tron Legacy

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104001/
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde
Release date: 17 December 2010

7. Toy Story 3

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435761/
Director: Lee Unkrich
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen

8. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473075/
Director: Mike Newell
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Gemma Arterton

9. Alice In Wonderland

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1014759/
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Alan Rickman, Martin Sheen
Release date: 5 March 2010

10. Robin Hood

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0955308/
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett
Release date: 14th May 2010

11.   Arrested Development

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0901469/
Director: Mitchell Hurwitz
Cast: Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, David Cross, Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi
Release date: Late 2010 or early 2011

12. Iron Man 2

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1228705/
Director: Jon Favreau
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson
Release date: 7 May 2010

13. Inception

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/
Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Leonardo Dicaprio, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine

U.K has Shawn of the dead....U.S has Zombieland!

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1156398/

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin

I am not a big fan of Zombie movies but i did like Danny Boyle's '28 days later'. What's better than the a predictable horror zombie movie that follows the same paradigm.....wait for it....a Horror-Comedy zombie movie! There is only one movie that comes to mind that falls into this genre, i am referring to 'Shawn of the dead' starring Simon Pegg. If you liked 'Shawn of the dead', you are in for a treat! This movie stars some familiar actors; Woody Harrelson (Natural Born Killers), Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland), Emma Stone (Superbad), Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), and cameos from Amber heard (Never back down), and an A-list Celebrity (Its a surprise!).

The plot as you can guess, is about a couple of people who are trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world infected with Zombies. The movie focuses on two men who have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies. An interesting point to note is that, the names of the protagonists are never revealed (except for one person) themselves with names of cities in the continental Un ited States. The first lead character introduced is 'Columbus', who is a craven college student trying to find his way back home. The next character that we encounter is 'Tallahassee', a Zombie-slaying bad ass who has a strange fixation for Twinkies.

What makes this movie entertaining? Apart from the zombie slaying mayhem, the diverse characters are what carries this movie forward. Who wouldn't want to see Woody Harrelson as a bad ass Zombie slayer, and a nerdy kid, who eventually gathers up the courage to become a hero. Unlike a lot of movies, the movies starts off straight into the action than rather than slowly introducing the story. There is a nice montage of slow motion zombie attacks in the beginning, which i thought was a good introduction; it exacts your attention right from the very start.

My favorite part in the movie is the rules of survival that Jesse Eisenberg explains to the audience in a background voice, such as Cardio, wearing your seat-belt, or the double-tap rule; after you shoot a zombie make sure he is dead by shooting him in the head again. These rules show up during several instances in the movie. This movie is quite fun to watch, albeit there are some irksome and unnecessary scenes in the movie, especially with regard to trust issues. Even though all the characters don't trust each other completely and stay aloof, this theme is slightly overused in the movie.

While this movie is not the most original and won't bet getting an Oscar for the most original screenplay, It is thoroughly entertaining. You will be laughing throughout the movie, the characters are very likable, and most important; the zombie slaying mayhem is fun to watch and quite creative at that (Zombie kill of the week). Bottom Line: Zombieland is not a movie filled with a hidden meaning; It simply functions to entertain with zombie chaos that both horror and comedy fans will enjoy. I would definitely recommend this movie and would rate it a 4/5 stars.

Scariest movie ever ?!?

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179904/
Director: Oren Peli
Cast: Micah Sloat, Katie Featherstone




My initial thoughts when i heard about this movies: 'A low budget movie that debuted at the Screamfest Horror film Festival...PASS!' I decided to watch this after reading some good reviews and the fact that it was being advocated by Steven Spielberg didn't hurt. Technically this movie came out in 2007, but Paramount decided to give it a wide release in 2009. Another famous movie that had a similar release was 'Taken' starring Liam Neeson.


Rather that the movie itself, what i found most interesting were the facts about the movie:
1.  Filmed for USD$15,000 and grossed USD$9.1 million in its first week in the US, breaking the record of highest-grossing weekend ever for a movie playing at less than 200 theaters.
2. The director filmed the whole movie in his own home.
3.  Paranormal Activity broke the record for the most profitable movie in film history, a record previously held byThe Blair Witch Project (1999).
4. The original ending was changed at the suggestion of Steven Spielberg.
5. There are atleast 3 known ending to the movie.


The whole movie is shot with a single camera. The camera work is really similar to that of 'The Blair Witch Project' and 'Cloverfield'. The movie is claimed to be one of the scariest movies of the year..which i kinda agree with. Its not the kind of jitters you get from watching say a gory movie like the 'Texas chainsaw Massacre' or a movie like 'The Ring'. The story can be relatable to everyone; I'm sure everyone has had a creepy feeling that something was hiding in the dark corner of the room, a strange eerie noise from the door or the cupboard, etc.This is one of the vital points that the film takes advantage of in making this a scary movie. This movie falls under the recovered-footage type movie.


The plot is rather sample, After a young, middle class couple moves into a suburban 'starter' tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to.
There are only a few characters in the movies, this helps to concentrate on the two main leads rather than figure out who's who. The two lead actors have done a very good job. As the movie progresses, you will start to empathize with their feelings; the character development is so good that you will feel like you are in their shoes.
You may not find this movie scary ( i didn't..honestly) however, i have to admit that were some really creepy scenes that had me on my toes..literally. As the movie progressed, i started to feel anxiety till the very end.
This is what i feel is the best art of the movie; the suspense. The first half of the movie is a bit slow and banal but it eventually quickens its pace.


Overall, i think this movie was well made, especially considering it was made by a new director for a realllly low budget. I do however think this movie is overhyped but it is worth a watch if you feel like watching a Scary movie. One piece of advise: Make sure you do not read the spoilers as this will complete ruin the viewing pleasure. This goes without saying but DON'T WATCH THIS DURING DAYTIME!
I would rate this movie a 3.5/5 stars.

Up (2009)

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1049413/
Directors: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson

When it comes to watching Computer animated movies, there is one unwritten rule that you can always follow = Pixar never fails !!! Up is the latest example of that rule. This time Pixar and Disney worked together to bring us this blockbuster. Up is director Pete Docter's second feature-length film after Monsters, Inc.


This is one of the few animated movies that is geared also to the slightly older demo-graph. The first 10 minutes of the movie is what i feel is one of the best parts of the movie. The story and the characters are what makes this movie filled with exuberance. Every individual character has a story and plays a vital role in developing the plot.
It is a heartfelt story of an old widower, who wants to fulfill his deceased wife's wish, and the the different characters that come across his path; The film centers around a grumpy old man named Carl Fredricksen and an overeager Wilderness Explorer named Russell who fly to South America in a floating house suspended from helium balloons. Sounds convoluted right? Well that what makes an adventure story that much better.

As cheesy as it amy sound; This is one high flying adventure you wont want to miss. It has elements of humor, fear, elation, and melancholy all jam-packed into one movie. If you are not moved or have not shed a single tear while watching this movie..then...its fairly obvious..you are a robot!
Up is one of those movies that you will regret not watching, especially if you like computer animated movies. This is probably one of my favorite Pixar movies after Toy Story. I would rate this a 4.5/5 stars.

One of the best 'Non-Love Stories' ever told...

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1022603/
Director: Mark Webb
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Minka Kelly






Sure everyone watches mainstream movies. Generally people have a proclivity to avoid Inde movies/films due to unfamiliar directors, random cast, lack of large scale marketing, etc. I myself, tend to watch more big budget movies than staright to DVD flicks, rarely is the latter worth the time and money. There are always exceptions, for example: Slumdog Millionaire which was a limited release was initially planned to go straight to DVD. Imagine that, a movie which won multiple Oscars being shelved immediately after its Theatrical release. There are some movies that Immediately catch your attention after watching a trailer...THIS IS ONE OF THOSE MOVIES !

This movie has one of the best tag lines i have ever heard: This is not a love story; This is a story about love.
I'm sure a lot of people can recognize the lead actors; Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the sun) and Zooey Deschanel (Yes man). They play characters with a discernible view on Love. Its boy meets girl > Boy falls in love with girl....But here's the where this movies breaks aways from the average Romatic comedy = Girl does not reciprocate !

The direction is fresh and captivating, unlike most cheesy Romantic Comedies. The movie starts with the Narrator introducing the characters in a very creative manner. One of the best parts i enjoyed was the Split Screen perspective of reality and imagination, side by side. The flow of the movie is not continuous, the scenes keep oscillating between the 500 days. This might be a little tedious to keep track but it compliments the story telling. The plot discusses concepts of love, fate, destiny, belief, etc. This movie also has amazing Artwork throughout the movie...Kudos to the editing crew, it also has a beautiful Soundtrack ( Regina Spektor, Carla Bruni, etc.) that complements the corresponding scenes in the movie.

Just be Forewarned that this is not a Love story! This movie is definitely worth the watch. I would rate this movie a 4/5 stars.