Tomorrowland: A World Beyond (2015) (3/4)

As the title explains,the movie talks about tomorrow, the future. The future world with immensely advanced technologies.. Which is like a dream for everyone. And it talks about the  disasters that advancement could bring… its how we drive ourselves to the destruction of human race.

***spoilers***

The movie starts by Frank Walker (George Clooney) narrating the story of his life to the audience, which goes like this - An ambitious kid who is optimistic dreamer and who does believe in himself strongly and in his strengths of making anything possible...a small intelligent boy who goes to New York to represent his talents to the World Fair, and falls in love with a mysterious girl ‘Athena’ (Raffey Cassidy) who helps him realize his dreams, and he follows. And we don't know from where another story bumps in and gets linked. It’s a bit ambiguous initially but later we understand it all. Maybe the director Brad Bird does it to keep the audience bound and interested. Back again to the plot - There is this girl, Casey Newton (Britt Robertson) who dreams of visiting the stars and is quite brilliant herself. She gets the last button from the mysterious girl, which connects her to the future, maybe I should call it Tommorowland. Later she realizes that it was all planned to happen and she was chosen by someone for a big purpose. She chases them and finally reaches to that amazing world she could only dream of, only to find out the troubles it was causing. But being a person who never gives up, a true optimist, a true dreamer, she fights it against all the odds and finally, as it happens in our beautiful Disney movies, all falls into right place and they, Cathy, Athena and Frank become the saviors of the world.

***spoilers end***

Disney's Tomorrowland comes to theaters May 22, 2015! From Disney comes two-time Oscar® winner Brad Bird's "Tomorrowland," a riveting mystery adventure starring Academy Award® winner George Clooney. Bound by a shared destiny, former boy-genius Frank (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as "Tomorrowland."

I leave it to you to watch the movie and know what happened exactly, what issue they fought off and how. It’s an interesting plot with a nice message of never giving up and dreaming big and doing everything possible to make your dreams come true. Also, the imagination and special effects were pretty, nice with ability to bring you some giggles in the midst of some serious issue. I must mention that the performance of all actors are quite good but Raffey’s performance was especially brilliant. With all these, Tommorowland registers itself in the list of another cool colorful dreamland Disney movie with a sci-fi touch. I would recommend you all to watch it!

Note: These ratings and review are personal opinion of the author.

Flash + Arrow season finale: Rogue Air (4/4) & My name is Oliver Queen (3/4)

This week’s Flash was amazing, almost as good as The Trap (4/4), which was definitely one of the best episodes of the show. It’s quite a genius of the show how they concealed and defined the identity Reverse Flash, was quite something. And the way Wells’ identity as Reverse Flash was revealed in The Trap, it was ingenious again. He’s always a step ahead of Barry Allen, The Flash. Even the trap, turns out to be a trap for Barry. And Wells’ interaction with Cisco is quite a moment. Cisco’s role in the how is becoming cooler. This episode of Rogue Air, finally had The Flash win. And the win involved not just Firestorm, but also the Arrow. The fight between Reverse Flash and the heroes was quite something. Although the win came after The Flash lots to the Rogues aka Captain Cold & Golden Glider, who not only fools Barry but also make shim lose all the metahumans they were holding. But anyways, Barry caught the Reverse Flash, all’s well that ends well. Iris’s moping is still annoying though. But I look forward to what Barry does to Wells. Looking forward to the Finale, it should be interesting.

Arrow season Finale was not as awesome as I expected, but it was still pretty good. Arrow has become kinda boring recently, with lengthy storylines being stretched too long. Finale had Oliver Queen, the Arrow, finally winning over Ra’s al Ghul by conveniently killing him. Although he was almost about to die, he surprisingly killed him at the end by holding his sword in his hand and unarming him (how??). Laurel and Felicity’s moping has become annoying, and Diggle has joined them too in his disappointment towards Oliver (give it up already man!). But they are all good, when in action. It was interesting to see Thea as Red Arrow aka Speedy (and not moping, like others, although she did get back to it). And it sucks how they still don’t give any credit to Malcom Merlyn, he’s cool. And he’s Ra’s now, even cooler! There was lot of interesting things about the episode. Like Oliver asking Diggle to put a mask. Will he be the new Arrow? Oliver has left the town with Felicity, is he coming back? And one of the most shocking and unexpected event was Ray Palmer and the blast while he’s working on his Atom suit with nanobots. Is it how he becomes the real Atom, who can miniaturize (of course!)? As you might know, he’s moving on to the spinoff show Legends of Tomorrow. But this is the end of Season 3 with lot of stories resolved & closed but many questions still open & unanswered. Although I won’t miss the show, but I’m looking forward to it. It’s already intriguing and going to be quite interesting where the show heads in Season 4.

Note: These ratings and review are personal opinion of the author.

@GameofThrones: Kill the Boy (4/4)

After the 4 leaked episodes, there must have been quite some anticipation to see 5th episode after almost a month. I’m not talking about me, but people who watched all 4 episodes in one day, 4 weeks ago. Why & how will I do anything like that? Anyways…

This episode of Game of Thrones, was finally back in game. There were fire breathing dragons (and we learnt that dragons like their meals cooked - thanks to their fire breathing capabilities, its quick & easy!); greyscale afflicted stone men, fighting with Tyrion and Jorah, and getting Jorah afflicted too (yep, it happened, Jorah is dead soon); Ramsay still being a creep and douche to Sansa and others too (he’s kinda turning into Joffrey, hopefully we don’t have to bear him through 4 seasons); and Jon finally killing the boy aka his mopey self, and finally being a MAN!

All the performances are good as usual. Jon snows interaction with Maester Aemon, or others at Night s Watch, is interesting. He’s becoming a true leader, but a leader even his own friends do not like. Daenerys is taking more bold decisions now, and from almost killing the tribe leaders to marrying one, she’s going “crazy” again. Also this episode was truly a visual treat. The dragons’ scene was beautiful, and fierce. But the best were the views of the ruins of Valeria. Quite surreal, with Drogon flying over, and Tyrion seeing a dragon for first time with his eyes and mouth wide open in surprise (isn’t Peter Dinklage just awesome!), makes the scene even more spectacular.

Subscribe for more Promo Game of Thrones 5x6 Sneak Peek "Kill the Boy" Game of Thrones 5x6 Sneak Peek "Kill the Boy" Game of Thrones 5x6 Promo Game of Thrones 5x6 Preview Game of Thrones 5x6 Trailer Game of Thrones 5x6 Promos Game of Thrones 5x6 Sneak Peek #2 "Kill

We’re still waiting to see what happens to Arya Stark, who wasn’t in this episode at all, after spending few episodes in Braavos. There were also no sightings of Kings Landing, which keeps us wondering what’ll happen to Ser Loras and Margaery Tyrell. Sand Snakes are still looking to destroy Jaime and the Lannisters. Lets’ see what happens there… So, there’s a lot brewing and let’s see what the rest of the 5 episodes of Game of Thrones bring for us. Until then… Valar Dohaeris!

Note: These ratings and review are personal opinion of the author.

MORE REVIEWS:

One of the BEST Pizza in City: Artichoke Pizza (4/4)

I was in East Village for the New York Indian Film Festival this week, and my friend, the Festival Director, Aseem Chhabra recommended me to go for Artichoke Pizza on 14th street, which he described as best pizza in city. So, I had to go… and did. And it was totally worth it!

Walking on 14th street, from 2nd to first Av, this place is almost in middle of the block, on the south side. I almost missed it, although it’s not really “missable”. It has 2 separate sections for sit-down/eat-in & deliver/take-out, which seem like a thing in East Village. I went to the sit-down section and our cool server Mike came up pretty soon to take the orders. I went straight for the original “Artichoke Pizza” which is made of Artichoke Hearts, Spinach, Cream Sauce, Mozzarella and Pecorino Romano Cheese. I rarely make an order so fast at a new place, but it happened. Although I contemplated my drink options, from water, to sparkling-water to diet coke, but finally settled on my first time consumption of ‘TAB’. And I’m not sorry to say, that I didn’t mind it, it was fine.

After a short wait, the HUGE pizza pie arrived. It was hot, fresh and smelled amazing. Mike also brought some red pepper and cheese for the pizza. Great service!... So I sprinkled some pepper and cheese, and took my first bite. How was it? AMAZING!! Yes, it was just amazing. Definitely one of the best pizza I have had in the city. But it was a huge and think slice, took me quite some time to go through the first one. I tried my first bite of next slice without any sprinkle, and it was good too. But I prefer my pizza with some pepper so I went back to it. And the TAB, went great with it.

I was loving my pizza. Although I was really full after 2 slices, which is quite rare in my case. But I couldn’t have any more after the 2 slices, so Mike was back to pack in up. Great service again… At $20+, you may think it to be expensive, but for the quality, taste and also quantity, it’s definitely worth it. Next time you’re in East Village, just go and have the Artichoke Pizza. Or you could go to one of their other locations in the city. And tip the servers, for the good service!

For more info, check out their website
http://www.artichokepizza.com/

Note: These ratings and review are personal opinion of the author.

"Maqbool: Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth"

Seit dem 28.03.2008 auf DVD erhältlich Nur OmU (Original mit Untertitel) Er wird NICHT mehr in deutscher Synchro erscheinen (NUR MIT DEUTSCHEN UNTERTITEL) Indien 2003 - 127 Min Kaleidsoscope Entertainment RapidEyeMovies Ein Film von Vishal Bharadwaj Darsteller : Irfan Khan, Tabu, Pankaj Kapur, Naseruddin Shah, Om Puri Handlung : Ein Mafia-Clan herrscht über Bombay.

Maqbool is Writer/ Director Vishal Bhardwaj's interntaionally, acclamined adaption of Shakespeare's Macbeth. It takes the mind of Shakespeare and puts it inside the body of India while staying true to it's timeless soul as a literary masterpiece. In it's cinematic reincarnation it takes the form, of the crime genre akin to the likeness, of films such as the Godfather in which Maqbool (Irfan Khan) a hit-man, bodyguard and trusted confident, of a powerful mafia don known as Abba Ji (Pankaj Kapoor) falls to the whims of persistent seduction by the don's mistress Nimmi (Tabu). He is torn between love and loyalty; as the tension grows the close knit mafia family begins to crack, and the inevitable bloodshed begins as predicted by two corrupt fortune telling police-men (played by the legendary Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah) that Maqbool would come to rule the Mumbai Underworld.

This movie got “sequelized” | Avengers-2 (2/4)

Ultron lays out his plans for decimating Earth's Mightiest Heroes in the latest trailer for Marvel's "Avengers: Age of Ultron," in theaters May 1!

I know many people may not love me for this, but I have to be honest about my opinion, before I make any recommendations about this movie... So, should you watch this film? Yes. If you’re a Marvel movie fan, you should. Maybe even in theater, if you want to. It is a movie worth watching in theater. Is it great? No. It’s probably the worst Marvel movie of current franchise. Why? Because it got “sequelized”. What does that mean? It means, it has all the drawbacks of a not-so-great sequel. It repeats similar storyline, similar character plots, similar actions sequences, similar jokes & humor, similar movie as the previous one, but not as good!

The first ‘Avengers’ was 4/4, in my opinion. I have loved all the Ironman movies so far and all other Marvel movies as well. They are all rated between 3 or 4. Every new movie builds more to the storyline and character. It keeps enhancing at getting better in some ways. But this one, kinda falls flat… The jokes don’t work that well. Action scenes seem repetitive. Robert Downey Jr looks tired as Tony Stark. And the main villain ‘Ultron’, he just ends up being a “weirdo”. Not scary, not menacing, not crazy either, just weird. Even end of credit scene was not as COOL as usual, not for me!

So what’s good about it? ‘Quicksilver’ and ‘Scarlet Witch’ are fun, and good addition to the cast. It’ sgreat to see Paul Bettany as ‘Vision’, he is awesome, would have loved to see more of him. ‘Steve Rogers’ is funny and cool, catching up with the new world around him. Mark Ruffalo as ‘Bruce Banner’ is really good too; he should get his own movie now. Good to see Hawkeye back and it’s good to see some background story of his explained. Same for some other characters too. The momentary action and excitement is still there, although none of it lasts. Nick Fury still has the wittiest lines. But surprisingly enough, ‘Ultron’ is funny. More funny than I would expect or want, but he is funny. And it’s overall a FUN movie to watch. Just not much here, to feel GREAT about. I think, I just had higher expectations.

You should watch this film if you have watched all or most other Marvel movies and you’re a marvel fan. If you’re not, or haven’t seen others, just don’t worry about it. Go watch Ironman and Avengers!

Check out more about the film at their official site here, http://marvel.com/avengers

The Gambler (3/4)

“This film is not about addiction,” said Mark during the NYC press conference in 2014.

Despite the title, trailer and log lines that film really isn't about an out of control addict—who knew? Well, Mark knew so now you can enjoy this gritty film “not about” addiction but about power, greed, money and more greed.

 “The Gambler” is a loose remake of 1974 film of the same name, this time starring Mark Wahlberg, Brie Larson, John Goodman and Williams, among other amazing cast members. Wahlberg is also one of the producers, probably motivated by the presence of his favorite screenwriter, William Monahan, on the project, along with director Rupert Wyatt.

The movie tells the story of addiction and redemption. Everyone in the story is a gambler in one way or another, using whatever they can as collateral. Wahlberg’s brilliant act is a genius stuck in mediocre world, making him a compulsive gambler. He has just the right mix of aggressiveness, subtlety, suffering, despair and sometimes joy. He’s almost in every scene of the movie and is as impressive when he’s talking or acting without words.

Goodman, as a gangster giving fatherly wisdom, is at his best. Larson manages to steal your heart with few words but true emotions. Finally, there is an excellent performance by Williams, who truly entertains you with his sarcasm, ruthlessness and a swag that only he can carry. He plays a successful businessman who likes to take risks and play, but he is looking for a change of his own, for, of all things, an avocado farm.

***************************************************

THE GAMBLER, debuted on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and VOD April 28, 2015 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.

THE GAMBLER Blu-ray Combo Pack with Digital HD features over an hour of compelling bonus content including an extensive look at the film-making process, Mark Wahlberg’s character transformation, deleted and extended scenes, and much more. 

THE GAMBLER Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The DVD in the combo pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

The combo pack includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film as well as the following:

Blu-ray

  • Feature film in high definition
  • Mr. Self Destruct: Inside The Gambler
  • Dark Before Dawn: The Descent of The Gambler
  • Changing The Game: Adaptation
  • In The City: Locations
  • Dressing The Players: Costume Design
  • Deleted/Extended Scenes

DVD

  • Feature film in standard definition

The Gambler U.S. Red Band Teaser Trailer (2015) starring Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, Brie Larson, John Goodman. ► Download App (iOs): http://goo.gl/EyzIaF ► Download App (Android): http://goo.gl/AOLpgm ► Click to Subscribe: http://goo.gl/8WxGeD Jim Bennett (Academy Award®-nominee Mark Wahlberg) is a risk taker.

The Blu-ray Combo Pack available for purchase includes a Digital Version of the film that can be accessed through UltraViolet™, a way to collect, access and enjoy movies.  With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them—reliably and securely—to a variety of devices.

THE GAMBLER Single-Disc DVD

The single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.  The disc includes the feature film in standard definition.

Website: http://www.TheGamblerMovie.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheGamblerMovie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGamblerMovie

iTunes: http://j.mp/BuyTheGamblerFilm

Amazon: http://j.mp/BuyTheGamblerNow

Boy meets Girl (4/4)

The movie left me in tears by the end. What man likes to admit that, but what the heck, it's true!

So, I was going to watch last episode of Season 4 Game of Thrones, when I got an email form a friend to checkout this movie. It was daytime, so I decided I'll watch this movie and do something "on the side". But did I? I just couldn't stop myself once I started and dedicatedly watched the entire movie.

It's a very good movie about discovering and re-discovering, but never giving up. The movie is very well shot, well edited and very well written & directed. Director & writer Eric Schaeffer has created tight scenes with beautiful dialogues (or lack of it, when not needed) supported by some great performances by all the cast members. Michelle Hendley, Michael Welch, Alexandra Turshen, Michael Galante, Randall Newsome amongst others have given great performances. Michelle is quite mature as an actress in her debut role. Both 'Michaels' have given good depth to quite complex roles, specially Welch.

The movie is not only entertaining with good drama and humor, but also leaves you with a great message. Message of love, faith in yourself, acceptance and perseverance. It's definitely a must watch LGBT movie of the year!

More from the filmmakers:

Look for this title 4/28/15 on DVD and VOD at Wolfe Video: https://www.wolfevideo.com/products/boy-meets-girl/ One of the most popular LGBT films of the year, BOY MEETS GIRL is a funny and heartwarming romantic-comedy starring the very talented actress Michelle Hendley as Ricky, a young transwoman trying to navigate life and looking for romance in her small Kentucky hometown.

Wolfe Video releases  BOY MEETS GIRL 4/7 on VOD and 4/28 on DVD, starring newcomer trans actress Michelle Hendley in a debut role as a young transwoman navigating Southern life and looking for romance - from men and women - in her small Kentucky hometown. Film was written and directed by veteran NYC independent filmmaker Eric Schaeffer (IF LUCY FELL, NEVER AGAIN).

BOY MEETS GIRL is an authentic Southern romantic-comedy starring the newcomer Michelle Hendley as Ricky, a young transwoman trying to navigate life and looking for romance in her small Kentucky hometown. Will she find love with the beautiful rich girl Francesca (Alexandra Turshen, RED OAKS) or with her lifelong best pal Robby (Michael Welch, TWILIGHT franchise)? Authentically written and directed by accomplished indie filmmaker Eric Schaeffer (IF LUCY FELL starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Ben Stiller, Elle Macpherson, NEVER AGAIN starring Jeffrey Tambor and Jill Clayburgh), BOY MEETS GIRL simultaneously exemplifies and transcends the category of "LGBT film" to present the very human story of the blurry and complicated lines between friendship and romance, gender and sexuality.

Said writer-director Eric Schaeffer, "In making this film, I wanted everyone--regardless of gender (cis or trans) or sexual orientation to have a chance to identify with the film's themes of wanting to be unconditionally loved and accepted for who we are. The message in this film is the same as in all my work: labeling leaves no room for who we really are, or how we really experience life. I think our only chance is to bury those labels forever in favor of a singular new one: human. Hate is easy.  The real courage is in love."

BOY MEETS GIRL completed its theatrical run in February 2015 and garnered numerous awards on the film festival circuit, including Best Feature at the Teaneck International Film Festival, the prestigious Iris Prize Festival and the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The film also picked up multiple awards at FilmOut San Diego, sweeping up nearly every jury award for which it was eligible at the 2014 festival - nabbing statues for Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor. Hendley also won the Programming Award for Outstanding Emerging Talent.

RELEASE PLATFORMS: 

AVAILABLE TODAY (April 7) ON iTUNES, GOOGLE PLAY, AMAZON INSTANT, VUDU, WOLFEONDEMAND.COM + ON CABLE VIA TIME-WARNER, COMCAST, CHARTER & COX. DVD WILL BE AVAILABLE THROUGH AMAZON, NETFLIX, BESTBUY.COM,BARNESANDNOBLE.COM, FAMILY VIDEO, WOLFEVIDEO.COM, AND MANY OTHER RETAILERS.

Game of Thrones Season 5 Premier - The Wars to Come (2/4)

Season 5 premier of Game of Thrones, lacked the lustre you would expect. It was not bad at all, but considering how last season & episode ended, I was expecting better. I was expecting more!

***Spoilers***

Cersei knew since she was kid that all her kids won't be king's and all will die (flashback). Lancel Lannister is back and he's a "sparrow", a religious sect. Tyrion and Varys arrive in Pentos, where Varys asks Tyrion to join him in visiting Daenerys, to support her in conquering the Iron Throne, and he kinda agrees. In Mereen, Sons of Harpys are killing Daenerys' soldiers. And when she goes to see her 2 dragons, they almost attack her. Baelish takes Sansa away from Vale, somewhere Lannister's can't find her. And Stannis asks Jon Snow to convince Mance Rayder to bend the knee and have wildlings fight for him, or burn & die.

****Spoilers end***

Cersei is still mopey and so is Jon Snow. Now even Tyrion is moping around, although hopefully Varys saves him. Daenerys' story seems to be taking some interesting turn and her scenes seemed nice. Baelish is secretive and cooking things, which seems interesting as well.

But honestly, not much happened. Not as much as one may expect. But it's not a bad start for hopefully an exciting season.

Indikitch is a COOL & FUN Indian fast food Kitchen in midtown NYC (3/4)

indikitch is cool, it really is. It's Indian Chipotle, but much better, provided you like Indian food. Or at least try it and see if you like it... Why is it better? First, because it's fun Indian food, which I like. And second - it has more options! I'm not going to explain the whole menu. But to give an idea:

The menu offers you 4 picks - Feast (rice/bread and full meal kinda setup), Biryani (Indian saffron rice dish), Dosa (south India crepe, served taco style!) and Salad. You have 6 options of meat/veggies - chicken, pork, fish, paneer (cottage cheese) tikka, saag (spinach) paneer and mushroom. I mean, you're COVERED! And you get to pick your level of spicy from 3 options. if you're a fan of spicy food go for top spicy (which is not going to kill you at all, you'll just enjoy!), else go with mild or medium only. And boot loads of extras & appetizers, from samosa (Indian triangular fried spicy pastries), bajji pakoras (fried dough, like onion rings), , chaat (just spicy awesomeness), lentil soup etc. You also have delicious drinks from 3 kinda lassis (yogurt drinks, again awesome!) and street chai garam (hot tea lattte).

I have tried the feast with chicken which was actually yummy. And also the dosa with paneer & pork vindaloo both. usually the dosas with meat can be huge disappointment. But here, the taco style dosa is actually great. The portions are large enough to curb your hunger and delicious to curb your appetite. The place can be quite busy during lunch time and you should expect 15-30 mins wait in such hours. The staff is cool, as cool as a fast food kinda place can be. the seating downstairs is limited but there's some more seating upstairs also. Prices are quite reasonable as well. 

So next time you're in or around 23rd and 5th or 6th Av, give it place a shot. Checkout their site for more details.

http://indikitch.com/

Marco - Better Call Saul (3/4)

Today's season finale of Better Call Saul, may have left people hungry. Which I think is a good thing. However, the standards were set so high with last few episodes that it may have been difficult for the creators to beat. Last episode "Pimento" was definitely a 4/4. Breaking some surprises, and some intense scenes for all the cast members. Comparatively, this episode may seem flatter, but still it's a good ending to season 1 of a great show.

**Spoilers**

We see James McGill going back to being "Slipping Jimmy", after he found out in last episode that his own brother has been holding him back. He goes back to Chicago to meet his friend Marco, and relives the life of Slipping Jimmy, scamming people and having fun. But the last con-job ends with his friend Marco losing his life, which seems to have set Jim straight for a little. But suddenly by end of the episode, he seems to be moving to becoming Slipping Jimmy kinda lawyer, whom we better know as Saul Goodman.

**Spoiler ends**

Bob's performance has been exemplary through out the series, and it still is. All his scenes with Hamlin (Patrick Fabian) and Kim (Rhea Seehorn) are strong as well. Mel Rodriguez as Marco is a delight and it's a shame that we won't be seeing more of him. Or we might, in flashbacks. Some of the scenes of con seemed to go on too long. Same with the bingo scene, which was interesting but seemed to stretch little too much. It was also little disappointing to not see more of Mike, but I think we got an idea of his story arc from last episode. It'll be interesting to see how it moves further and how Mike and Jimmy become partners. No surprise visits or guest appearances from Breaking Bad either!

Anyways, Better Call Saul has been a great show and Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould were not just "lucky" with Breaking Bad, but they are great talent enriching the TV of today. With this amazing cast, great writing and brilliant performances, this show has a lot for us to offer and lot for us in store. I'm already looking forward for Season-2!!

Oh, by the way, missed that last episode/any episode?? Here you go...

http://www.amctv.com/shows/better-call-saul/episodes

Binge watching of "Game of Thrones" (4/4)

Season 5 of Game of Thrones is starting next Sunday. I know I have been late on the bus, but I finally finished my BINGE watching of this amazing show, and I have to say, it's just AWESOME. If you're fan of fantasy, drama, adventure, action or just plain TV watching, this is the show for you! 

It's a show about too many things. Lots of story-lines & plots intertwined in each other but beautifully executed. It is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels. HBO has the brilliant show-runners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, running the show and they do an amazing job of it. The cast is one of the best on TV today, the production value is truly cinematic and the experience is mind-blowing.

Among the ensemble cast, Peter Dinklage has won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance as Tyrion Lannister. And he truly deserves it. He is funny, he's fierce, he's strong, he's harsh, he's pathetic, he's kind, he's lovable; all at the same time. Few of my other favorite characters are Lord Varys, Peter Baylish, The Hound, Jaime Lannister, Margery Tyrell & her grandmother, Sam, Ser Jorah, Ser Davos amongst many others. Not my favorite characters but some amazing performances in the characters of Cersei Lannister, King Joffrey, Theon/Reek, Ramsay Snow, Catelyn Stark, Khal Drogo. The show is filled with amazing actors and great performances.

There has been 4 seasons and 40 episodes of the show already, so there's not much to tell, except to watch it. And it's a delight for binge watching. Yes, 40 hrs of Binge watching, or split it it in few days or weeks, like I did (it took me almost 4 weeks). And by the time you finish it, you may be caught up to catch up on current season. That would mean you're not left behind and part of the world where every true TV lover has seen Game of Thrones!

FURIOUS 7 (3/4)

Furious 7 - Official Trailer (HD) In Theaters and IMAX April 3, 2015 http://www.furious7.com/ Continuing the global exploits in the unstoppable franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of Fast & Furious 7.

The 7th installment of the ‘Fast & Furious’ film series works digital wonders: the special effects specialist of ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ Peter Jackson, manages to make the deceased Paul Walker act on screen. ‘Furious 7’ marks the final film appearance of Paul Walker, who died on November 30, 2013 with filming only half-completed. When the tragedy occurred filming was delayed for script re-writes, and his brothers Caleb and Cody Walker were used as stand-ins to complete his remaining scenes and the result is outstanding.

Just recently Oxford Professor Michael Osborne, explained that in the future robots and computers will be able to substitute man for all kinds of tasks. His research was carried out in the US, by examining 702 occupations it turned out that 47% of these will be able to be substituted by artificial intelligence; and while watching the movie we could say actors could definitely be one of these professions.

The film written by Chris Morgan and directed by James Wan, besides Paul Walker, stars Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Lucas Black. The plot’s pivot is Deckard Shaw seeking revenge against Dom Torretto and his family for the death of his brother. This latest Furious chapter marks the departure of Brian O’Conner with great delicacy, by focusing on the hero being torn between thrilling adventure and domestic life, needless to say he’ll pick the latter for reasons beyond his control.

‘Furious 7’ is set for 3D release on April 3, 2015. Despite the Academy is always reluctant to handing out Oscars to action flicks, the miracles that its revolutionary digital effects have produced could change the game.

Chappie (3/4)

Chappie unlike many other sci-fi movies about Artificial Intelligence and robots, is little more than that. It's a study of human emotions, conscience and to what extent we may go to preserve what we believe in and what we love. It's filled with humor, great action sequences, good casting and stunning visual effects.

Although it could be little surprising to see Hugh Jackman as a "bad boy" willing to destroy the city for his purpose, he does a damn good job of it. Dev Patel is good as the nerdy "maker", conflicted between following the norms, saving his life and doing something new & unconventional. Who really manages to amaze you again is Shalrto Copley as the robot Chappie. Signoury Weaver is almost wasted in the movie. Action sequences look good, the robots look from cute & sweet to menacing and cruel and the HERO, where needed. The movie definitely has a stamp of director Neil Blomkamp, who brought us District 9 and Elysium earlier.

**Spoilers**

It's a movie about a city in South Africa, trying an AI Robot police "scouts" created by a company run by Signoury Weaver. Deon (Dev Patel) is the engineer behind these robots who has his own plans to create a fully AI robot with his own conscience like humans. Vincent (Hugh Jackman) is also an engineer and ex-soldier who does not believe in AI robots. He has his own war machine, which is controlled by human operator. Although, he's losing funding because the city prefers the scouts.

When Deon gets kidnapped by thugs (well played by Watkin Tudor, Yolandi Wisser and Jose Pablo) to get a remote to turn off the robots, he ends up creating a new robot with true conscience, Chappie (Sharlto Copley). From there starts the journey of Chappie, learning human ways, being a gangster, being lied to and deceived. And finally, Chappie has to take the fight to not only protect himself, but protect his maker.

**Spoiler ends**

Movie does have some weak spots in terms of plot holes. It lacks to explain some basic elements of robot design, manufacturing being controlled by a company and all that. But nothing to think too hard about in a sci-fi movie.

If you are a fan of robot action movies or AI based movies, this is definitely your kind of film. If you're an analytical science person or just not into sci-fi, this may not be it. Although, this is a sci-fi movie which has a conscience, which has a soul!

Better Call Saul - Pilot: Uno & Mijo (3/4)

As you may already know, Better Call Saul is a spin-off of the famous AMC show Breaking Bad. This the story of Walter White's corrupt but brilliant lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), actual name James 'Jimmy' McGill. It tells story of Saul after the events of Breaking Bad and also before, as to how he became this Saul Goodman. It also brings some of the old favorites like Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) who's only guarding the parking gate so far; and Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Cruz). Fortunately, like many other spin-offs, this one is actually good (so far). The 2 episode pilot gives a promising start.

The story starts in future where Saul is still in hiding after the events of Breaking Bad. And it cuts to flashbacks where Saul is still Jimmy, a struggling lawyer. A turn of events brings him to Tuco's and very close to losing his life. But his sharp, shrewd self is able to save his life and also two others. It also gets him a a step closer to being Saul we know. We also get to see his human side through his brother, who he's supporting and helping. The pilot has all the drama, humor and action you would expect. And Bob's performance is top notch. Let's see how the story develops where we are not stuck with same Saul and we see interesting character development. Would be nice to see some other characters getting more evolved and involved.

All in all, this seems a brilliant start for a brilliant show!

Foxcatcher (4/4)

Foxcatcher has presented some of the best transformations of popularly known actors in years. Not just physically, but completely. You have never seen Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo like this. And you probably will never imagine Steve Carrell like this. Both Ruffalo (oscar nominated) and Channing (surprisingly not nominated!) have given wonderful performances as the Schultz brothers, both world champion, olympic gold winning freestyle wrestlers. But Steve truly surprises you with his portrayal of infamous John du Pont, the eccentric, sociopathic, crazy millionaire sports enthusiast and "coach" of the Team Foxcatcher. 

Movies based on truth and real stories are always interesting, because it has really happened. But to keep those movies still intriguing could be a difficult task. Bennett Miller succeeds in doing that. Even though there are lots of discrepancies from the real story, what you see is not just a journey of few sportsmen and their sports, but also story of revelation of human weaknesses with lack of love, compassion, kindness in their lives. The scenes are well written, with not too much dialogue and enough for actors to act.

You may not like this movie if sports movie or biographical dramas are not your cup of tea. If you have any are interested in seeing some of your favorite actors transform, in a well written, acted and directed sports-crime drams. This is your movie!

American Sniper (3/4)

Is war good or is war bad? Is being a soldier and a killer, synonymous? Is it easy? Is it justified? Is it all fault of a war? Was Iraq war justified in any way?

There are too many questions you may ask after watching American Sniper. But one thing is definite that it's a brilliant movie. It shows effect & trauma of a war on soldiers, through a brilliantly written screenplay and some amazing performances, all towered by Bradley Cooper's performance as the deadliest sniper in American history, Chris Kyle.It shows transformation of a young man into a soldier and into a deadly assassin, dedicatedly defending what he truly believes in. You can feel his enthusiasm, his pain, his trauma and his joys through Bradley's brilliant performance. It may even remind you of The Hurt Locker at times, but comparison is just and positive. American Sniper is not Hurt Locker, but it's strong and good. 

At times during the second half, it does get repetitive to some extent. But it catches very fast and gets back to business. The war scenes are taut and well done. Action sequences have a good pace and keep you engaged. The other characters except Kyle seem underdeveloped and you may feel that the complexity of the Iraq war is not truly explained. But this is more of the story of Kyle and what he went through relating it to PTSD that our soldiers suffer through and conditions of veterans. And it does a good job of it. 

If you don't like war movies or have string opinions against Iraq wars and others, this may not be a movie for you. If you like soldier and war films, or taut stressed action films, this would be something you will definitely enjoy. And you could also watch this movie for Clint Eastwood's and/or Bradley Cooper.

Boyhood (4/4)

This movie deserves points just for the innovation, for bringing a story that truly develops characters in front of your eyes. It's not every day, when a movie takes 12 years to make. A movie that retains it's cast and crew for 12 years, and continues to make that movie. That's what Boy Hood does, and does it beautifully. And it does with a brilliant screenplay and some excellent performances by Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke and others. Boyhood is a true coming-of-age drama, a movie about the boy Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane) who grows from 6 to 18, on your screen. It's also analysis of complex family relationships of father-son, mother-son, husband-wife and siblings too.

When Mason's parents get divorced, his sister and him continue living with mom while the father is part of their life with occasional visits only. Through years, as Mason and his sister Samantha are growing in front of you, you also see their mom Olivia struggling through relationships, not able to find her perfect man, but never distracted from the mission of protecting her kids. Mason Sr. is only a visiting father but he's till able to provide his kids with love, guidance and fatherly affection that a kid needs. It does show the difficulties of a divorce and separation, but also shows that there is hope as long as the parents love and care for their child. 

You may not like this movie if you do not like emotional family dramas or scared about idea of seeing someone actually growing into an adult in 2 hours, in front of you. You'll like this movie if you enjoy sensible movies which can represent complex family relationships and dynamics. And if you want to see the adult and young boy in the movie, actually being the same guy!