Saturday, March 17, 2007

Apocalypto review

Just finished watching Apocalypto. It is a clear 'Elaine award' winner. I have constituted this award after Elaine Benes from Seinfeld. After a miserable couple of hours of watching 'The English Patient', Elaine screams at the screen, with all the anguish, at the top of her voice - "Die already". Exactly my sentiments after watching Apocalypto. Only it wasn't about the protagonist dying. There was enough people dying as it is. Enough show of hearts and guts and blood and gore. I wanted to shout "What is the bloody point?" Something about a civilization decaying from within... blah..blah...blah.

Perhaps the real point is every other civilization was just full of blood thirsty savages till salvation came in the form of the white man.

Who cares Mayans knew a bit of agriculture and a bit of astronomy? The Eclipse scene was such a cliche and such a joke. Monterroso anyone?

Though I must accede one point to Gibson compared to Spielberg. There was no Indiana Jones.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Boston trip

I was in Boston a month ago...

Ticket to Boston : Rs. 1,83,000
Cab ride to hotel : Rs. 1500
Hotel rent : Rs. 15,000

Opening the window on a jet-lagged morning to beautiful snowfall : priceless

It was utterly delightful to walk gingerly on snow filled side-walks, shoving my shivering hands deeply into my jacket pocket. It was the first time I saw a frozen river. Absolutely amazing.

Impulsive trips

Kishore sent a note titled 'Financial impact missing on vizag trip'. Clearly I want to forget that part :)

Nike ad - Cricket

Whoever thought of and directed the absolutely marvelous Nike Ad deserves a medal. Everything about the Ad is brilliant - the shots, the fast beat of the background music that suddenly picks up with konkani [I thought it was marathi] lyrics, the whole idea of cricket being played on during a traffic jam! Brilliant.