By Renu Chawla, September 30, 2009 - 11:57 IST

The guy came with lots of expectations riding on his shoulders because of the family he belonged, had a miserable start at Box Office but made his intentions clearly visible right from the first scene he shot, ' I'm here to STAY'. Out shadowed actress like Rani Mukherjee in his very first bluish 'Saawariya', performed three different stage of life in 'Bachna Ae Haseeno' magnificently. Though both movies were bashed by most of 'critics' and one by both critics and audience alike, he still managed to win accolades in both movies.

Now what makes Ranbir Kapoor special and 'Future' among contemporary newbies is his charm, his talent and above all his choice of movies and attitude.He is yet to give a clear HIT despite his contemporary colleagues delivered Block Buster already, then why is he being called 'Future' ? Answer is simple, just look at his career graph and history, those who move slow and steady touch sky while others keep roaming in clouds, wondering where to go. Very interesting movies line up with 'Wake Up Sid'[Oct 2,09] around the corner with interesting curiosity around movie, it seems Ranbir gonna HIT this time, look at promos of either 'Wake Up Sid' or 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani' you will find freshness in setup of movie and character too. 'Rocket Singh-Salesman of the Year' also gives you an exciting look and 'Rajneeti' looks too promising. What one can notice about all movies is they are both youthful and meaningful and guarantee you a decent entertainment at least, there is an 'Excitement' factor in every upcoming movie of Ranbir, which other contemporary newbies lack, and that makes him stand tall among them.

In my opinion, he delivered best in return of expectations he carried being son of 'Rishi Kapoor' and big 'Kapoor' Khandan. He really made them proud. All the best for upcoming 'Wake Up Sid', hope you able to Wake Up our Youth somehow on entertaining level.

Bollywood over the years has been in influence of Big Production Houses, but recent years graph show a vital change in acceptance by the audience. Today 'Audience' the Aam Junta is starving for change, despite 'Masala Flicks' still holds major portion of audience and Star Power still can make an average-entertainer a HIT, viewers need a break. Multiplex Audience in past few years has influenced and supported houses and independent directors to try something new and they succeeded quite well in contrast to their 'Niche' hold.  Few  Production Houses I would like to mention here, few evolved over the years, some started their journey as a 'Change' and some can be named as 'Innovation'.

1-Dharma Productions:


The term 'Evolution' relates to 'Dharma Productions' from Romance to Family Drama, From Love to Controversial Issues, From Youth to Global Issues, this production house today is managing all 'Big' rather 'Larger' issues and still holds a unique Postion in 'Audience Circle' now. One of the banner that always been took for granted is ready to show audience the evolution in itself. Movies to look forward from the banner 'Wake Up Sid'[Oct 2,09], Kurbaan[Nov 27,09], My Name is Khan[Feb,2010'Probable'].

2-UTV Motion Pictures:

UTV is combination of 'Change' & 'Innovation'. It tries everything and almost everyone, from mass to class, this production house is guarantee to deliver quality and quantity according to debators of this realm, According to me it mainly comes best with 'Larger' issues like 'A Wednesday' 'Mumbai Meri Jaan' some extravaganza like 'Jodha Akbar', a classic like 'Kaminey' and an experiment like 'What's Your Rashee'. UTV believes in no fear policy and treat audience like they should be.[Most Of The Time]. Movies to look forward from this banner 'Wake Up Sid & Kurbaan Made by Dharma Productions' ,'Film City' , 'Arjun' and lots more.


3-Excel Entertainment: 

They brought 'Innovation' with them, two of best directors of decades coincidently siblings, 'Farhan Akhtar & Zoya Akhtar'. They redefined 'Friendship', they innovated 'DON' with new life and style, they brought the back-stage of Inudstry with 'Luck by Chance' and touched 'Friendship' chords again with 'Rock On!'. One thing remain common with this production house mainly direction style and screenplay setting is there is always a 'Subtle' thing playing in between which in itself is quite 'Innovation' and that too acceptable and applauded. Movies to look forward from the banner 'Kartik Calling Kartik', 'Dhruv', 'Crooked' and most awaited 'DON 2'.


Lots of other big and small production houses like Yash Raj not accepting 'Change' or misunderstand 'Change' on many occasions. Rajshri Production still aims 'Families' and good at it. Filmkraft eying next level of 'Internationalism' and Illuminati Films looking content and confident while 'Studio 18' not particularly a production house but backs them still looking for 'Big Money' on audience cost.

Shah Rukh Khan it seems is preferring to shoot Anubhav Sinha (Dus, Cash) directed action thriller Ra.1 rather than going in for Farah Khan’s Happy New Year after he completes My Name Is Khan. Both Ra.1 and Happy New Year are being made under the King Khan’s home banner Red Chillies Entertainment.
A source reveals, “SRK was earlier in two minds whether to go on floors first with Farah’s film or Anubhav Sinha’s. But apparently he has made up his mind to do the action adventure movie Ra.1, which has a superhero backdrop. It will begin shooting from early next year and will be extensively shot on foreign locations. Shah Rukh has already begun preparing for the role by working out on his physique and is again aiming to acquire 6-pack abs. He was also recently quoted stating, “I want to put on my tights and my kids blanket on my back. I want to do this film for my children. I’ve always wanted to make a superhero film, but I never had six-pack abs. Now that I have them, I want to do this. It’s not an animation film, as many people believe; I would like to clarify that. It’s a live action film.”
Farah Khan’s film, our source adds, will now go on floors in end of 2010.

Boring limousines at celebrity events are out. At least for now. Lisa Ray and the rest of the cast of Dilip Mehta's Cooking With Stella rode up in a hand-driven rickshaws for the Gala premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Thursday night. Heads turned and jaws fall open at the august gathering. But Lisa couldn't care less. That was a bit of Indiana thrown into the Oriental cuisine.

Delighted euphoric but exhausted after the event Lisa said, "Yes, we rolled up in rickshaws and the crowd was hugely supportive. I wore my 'Myeloma' bracelet, which matched my gown. My gown was designed by Nada, a Toronto designer, and India-inspired."

Lisa rode up in the two-seater rickshaw with her co-star Don McKellar while the rest of the cast along with the director, his sister Deepa Mehta and producer David Hamilton were in other rickshaws. The entourage was arresting. The ambience created was very rustic and Indian. Interestingly, since a lot of the film is about cooking and food, a majority of the audience in the 2000-member auditorium came out of the film famished!

The press at the Toronto Film Festival was naturally full of questions about Lisa's health condition. She answered all of them patiently. This was Lisa's first major public appearance after she announced her illness.

And she had herself a grand time. "I had the most fun I've ever had at a red carpet event. Probably because it was the first time I was totally unselfconscious. It an interesting lesson. I could just let it all hang out and genuinely enjoy myself. Also, I am grateful for all the support and love from people around the world, especially from India. Truly, India's heart beats stronger and louder than ever before."

Fatigued but excited, Lisa says, "The gala went off spectacularly well. Dilip brought down the house with his opening on stage. Our film was received with incredible warmth and positivity."

Lisa is big fan of her Stella co-star Seema Biswas. "Seema continues to be my ultimate inspiration as an actress. All the performances in the film are spot- on, making Cooking With Stella a crowd -pleaser. Dilip Mehta is an amazing director. He's made something very special in Cooking With Stella and his vision will continue to thrill in the future. It's been a privilege to work with him and with the entire cast."

Besides Seema and Lisa, Shriya Saran who stars on Cooking With Stella also attracted a lot of media eyeballs at the Toronto premiere.

Ayan Mukerji looks straight out of a university, but he's not. He's the debutante director of Karan Johar's talked-about, keenly-anticipated film WAKE UP SID. Barely in his 20s, Ayan belongs to the famed Mukerji clan and has assisted Ashutosh Gowaiker [SWADES] and Karan Johar [KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA] in the past, before he decided to take the plunge.

WAKE UP SID is slated for release next week and Ayan is nervous. "Very, very nervous," he smiles, "I don't know how people would react to the film. This film is different." It sure is. Right from the casting to its plotline, Ayan has taken a completely new route in his debut film. In fact, this is also the first Karan Johar production that has been filmed entirely in Mumbai [Karan's films are shot in Europe or America]. "But WAKE UP SID is a Karan Johar product at heart," Ayan tells me.

Ayan can't thank Karan enough for backing the project the moment he heard the story. "He took a call vis-a-vis producing the film within minutes of hearing the plot. Having him as the producer is only advantageous. He has been a marvellous guiding force," Ayan adds.

What is Ayan planning next? "I've no clue. I haven't though of it at all. I feel exhausted after making this film and I feel I would need to nurture myself, read a book or two or travel before I plan my next film," he states.

'What's Your Raashee stolen
Pirating of films and film music has been around for quite a while now. The industry loses a colossal amount of money every year due to piracy. Filmmakers have taken various measures to stop this menace but it has never quite been eradicated. Ashutosh Gowariker was a recent victim of it when the master print of his soon to released film, 'What's Your Raashee?' was stolen from Adlabs in Film City where the film was being processed. Apparently, a top official at Adlabs was hand in glove with the perpetrators and had apparently given out the film's masterprint to them for RS 2 lakhs. 'What's Your Raashee?' which stars Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja, is scheduled to release all over this Friday. The cops stepped into the picture after Gowariker registered a complaint with them. The filmmaker took this step when the masterprint of his movie went missing days within its reaching Adlabs. The cops have now arrested the people who were part of this scam. But when they raided the culprits' premises, they also recovered pirated CDs and DVDs of the movie which they culprits were planning to sell in India and abroad. Gowariker was probably lucky as he managed to react in time, but many more filmmakers may not be so lucky. It is a menace which needs to be stamped out entirely but unfortunately has now become a part of the system as people are willing to pay to watch a pirated CD or DVD of a new movie. As long as there are buyers, there will always be people willing to sell.

MUMBAI: Shah Rukh Khan's fans have seen little of the actor in 2009. After his Rab Ne Bana De Jodi released in the December of 2008, the actor has been in the news for his Indian Premier League team, Kolkata Knight Riders and its controversies and his US trip where he was questioned at length by the airport security authorities on India's Independence Day. But the Badshah promises to change everything in 2010 as he gears up for an action packed year.

The year will begin with the release of Karan Johar's My Name is Khan. In March SRK will get into the boots of a league owner and guide his team, KKR in the third edition of IPL. All of March and April, the actor will devote to his cricket team and ensure that his team puts up a better fight this year.

Shah Rukh will also start shooting for Farah Khan's next film. The choreographer turned director is currently scripting her film and should be ready to roll by the end of the first quarter of the year. Come August, King Khan will gear up for Don. The sequel will be once again directed by Farhan Akhtar and has a long European schedule. Shooting for the film will be in the locales of London, Dublin and Frankfurt with a short schedule in Berlin. Also on the pipeline is Anubhav Sinha's Raavana and another film with a debutant director.

Shah Rukh had to take it easy for some time as he was recuperating from a shoulder operation after he hurt himself shooting for Viveck Vaswani's Dulha Mil Gaya. However, before the year ends, this film will release and audiences can get to see SRK in an extended special appearance for this film.

As they say there is always a lull before the storm and one can expect to see SRK in full action mode in 2010.

Wanted grossed around 18 crore nett over its first weekend in India. The performance was excellent in single screens all over especially Bihar and CP Berar where business was huge. The multiplexes did show a improvement in collections on Saturday and Sunday but the jump was not huge.

Wanted should emerge a Semi Hit to Hit film mainly on the strength of Salman Khan's star power. Monday is a holiday and Eid festivities will end which will mean a jump in collections in muslim centres especially in action loving areas like UP, Bihar and Nizam. The first week is likely to end up in the 30 crore nett region which is a good result as it has been sold at fair prices in most circuits.

A generous sampling of John Ford's early career at 20th Century Fox can be found in "Ford at Fox," the superb 2007 box set that remains the gold standard for classic-film reissues. Warner Home Video also has released a few fine Ford collections, including one devoted to the iconic partnership between Ford and John Wayne. But "Wagon Master" (1950), the film that the director called one of his personal favorites, is only now arriving on DVD.

Ford considered this small-scale project the "purest and simplest" of all his westerns, and it is precisely those qualities that account for its relative invisibility. Some scholars and historians, including Peter Bogdanovich (who can be heard on the commentary track of the new disc from Warner available this week), hail the film as the director's masterpiece, but it's always been easy to miss amid the towering monuments of the Ford canon.

The most laid-back and unpretentious of epics, "Wagon Master" was first released in the shadows of the Wayne-starring frontier-army pictures that came to be known as the cavalry trilogy: "Fort Apache" (1948), "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949) and "Rio Grande" (1950). It was while working with the Mormon extras on "Yellow Ribbon," on location in Monument Valley, that Ford came up with the idea for "Wagon Master," which chronicles the resolute westward journey of a group of Mormon settlers.

Shot quickly and cheaply, mostly around Moab, Utah, the film was something of a family affair. Ford's son Patrick wrote the screenplay with Frank S. Nugent, a regular collaborator; his older brother Francis appears in the ensemble cast; his daughter Barbara worked as an assistant editor.

"Wagon Master" is at once the plainest and the fullest expression of Ford's great theme: the emergence of a community. So committed is the film to the idea of a collective hero that there is no one central character, no leading man or marquee name. Instead of Wayne or Henry Fonda, "Wagon Master" is filled with lesser-known but familiar faces from the Ford stock company. And while some of the usual elements of the genre are accounted for, down to a climactic gunfight, there is not much of a plot.

This most leisurely and lyrical of westerns takes shape mainly as a series of encounters among disparate groups, as they clash, adapt to one another or become integrated into a larger whole.

Fleeing religious persecution, the Mormons, led by the gruffly pragmatic Elder Wiggs (Ward Bond), are headed for the fertile promised land of the San Juan Valley. To help guide his people on this perilous trek, Wiggs recruits a pair of young cowpokes, Travis ( Ben Johnson) and Sandy (Harry Carey Jr.). As they cross deserts, rivers and mountains, the caravan swells. They stop to pick up a troupe of dissolute show people (including Joanne Dru) who have run out of water. The Cleggs, murderous outlaws on the lam, force themselves upon the pilgrims. There is a run-in with a tribe of Indians (peaceful, as it turns out).

In thrusting a ragtag group of outcasts together for a journey through harsh terrain, "Wagon Master" recalls 1939's "Stagecoach," the film that made Wayne a star and turned the western into a respectable genre. (The romantic subplot between the Johnson and Dru characters here also echoes the one between the Wayne and Claire Trevor characters from the earlier film.)

But even more than most westerns, "Wagon Master" resides in the realm of myth. The British critic Lindsay Anderson (who went on to direct "If. . .") likened it to "an avant-garde western," and indeed, the film is almost abstract in its simplicity. This is basically the story of America itself: an allegory of the settlement of the frontier and a meditation on the relationship between civilization and wilderness.

Fittingly, it derives much of its poetic force from cinematographer Bert Glennon's panoramic black-and-white images of man in nature, of the pilgrims making their way -- in wagons, on horseback and on foot -- through the majestic landscape.

Practically a musical, "Wagon Master" is filled with frequent song and dance interludes and accompanied by a steady stream of hymns and ballads, performed by the popular country group the Sons of the Pioneers. The film's open embrace of the most elemental myths is in stark contrast to the darker, deeply ambivalent visions that would soon take over the western, thanks to such filmmakers as Budd Boetticher and Sam Peckinpah, and even Ford himself (in "The Searchers" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"). The last gasp of the classical western, "Wagon Master" is also the pinnacle of the genre's optimistic ideals.

Starring Shahid Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, Rakhi Sawant, Sheryln Chopra, Anupam Chopra Directed by Anuraag Singh Rating: * Somewhere down the line in this mish-mash of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Chak De and what-have-‘youth’ Shahid Kapoor, looking as intense as a man who has just discovered he has acute molar ache scowls at Rani and says, “You should be an actress in films.” Actress she is. And a highly competent one. Rani has worked really hard on getting the Sardarji’s act together. At times she’s quite funny and poignant. But her attempts go to waste in a film that seems to move in a rudderless stupor. Rani Mukherjee is sorely let down in her made-to-order vehicle by a script that’s as phony and pasted-on as the moustache she pastes on to infiltrate the all-boy’s cricket team helmed by a Britain-returned dude from a broken family. Shahid’s Dad Anupam Kher lives in Amritsar, his mom Poonam Dhillon lives in London, and Shahid lives somewhere where Shah Rukh Khan lived in Chak De. Passports are not required. Backgrounds are not very high in the list of this messy and annoying mishmash about crossdressing and the sporting spirit. While Shahid’s character we know is from a broken home, only God and the scripwriter know where Rani’s Veera/Veer comes from. Is she the illegitimate child of a cricketer who passed through Amritsar? Is she the distant desperate cousin of Hillary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry? While Hillary as a girl dressed as a guy got the Oscar Rani misses her award-winning turn by a wide margin, thanks to a script that meanders like a bumbling bumblebee which doesn’t know whom to sting. The story of the spirited girl’s sprint into a men’s game and into the coach’s heart lacks bite and humour. The dialogues are ultra-pedestrian, some of the exchanges between the rustic Rani and the posh Shahid shamelessly cadged from Jab We Met. What were the makers of this film thinking ? Not much, we can easily see in the slithering progression of the material a dismaying lack of direction and motivation. After interval the wobbly narration just collapses in a tired heap, with scenes in a nautanki featuring Rakhi Sawant (utterly wa (i)sted) plunging to the bottom-most rung of mediocrity. The climactic cricket match between India and Pakistan (Veer-Zara strikes again) is as exciting as watching Kaminey with the soundtrack turned off. In Dil Bole Hadippa the soundtrack is so loud it drowns any finer point that the narration may possess. Don’t waste your time looking for silver linings in this dreadful cricket film. Somone one said cricket is a game played by 12 fools and watched by 12, 000 fools. No we know what he meant. Source

India's largest music company T-Series has taken yet another giant leap in the world of music. T-series is pioneering the concept of making music available in form of pen drives and micro chips with India's first underwater action thriller Blue starring Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Zayed Khan and Lara Dutta in lead roles. Blue, which has music composed by Academy Award winner A.R. Rahman, would be the first Bollywood film to have its music released simultaneously on the physical and digital platforms. T-Series is releasing the music of the film in partnership with South Asia's largest digital entertainment company Hungama Digital Media Pvt. Ltd.

The promos of Blue have already created waves both in India and internationally and the 'Chiggy Wiggy' track featuring international pop star Kylie Minogue is a rage. The digital music release will allow eager Bollywood & Kylie Minogue fans to access the much awaited soundtrack of the film directly on their mobile phones and digital music devices. The music of Blue is now available under the T-Series label globally.

Expressing his delight over the launch, A. R. Rahman said, "It's a great idea for the movie industry and I was very excited when I heard about the digital release of the music. Anything new is exciting for people and those, who believe in owning legitimate music, would be excited by this product. It is also a gate opener for future expansions, because right now the music is going to have MP3 quality and then in future it could have more high quality WAV files like 96 k, 24 bit and people will definitely enjoy probably four times better than a CD quality of music. So this is a great starting point."

This initiative to release the music of the film on the digital platform first is being seen by the Indian music industry as a major step towards combating piracy and illegal downloads. Commenting on this pioneering kind digital initiative for a Bollywood film, Neeraj Roy, MD & CEO, Hungama Digital Media said, "Releasing the music of the film on the digital platform simultaneously has several positive implications for consumers, for record labels and for the Indian music industry. The digital platform will allow Bollywood fans across the world to access the music from a device that is always with them- the mobile phone. It will also ensure content is protected, thereby enabling the industry to mitigate losses incurred by the entertainment industry due to piracy."

Adding to this, Bhushan Kumar, Chairman & Managing Director, T-Series said, "The digital platform has become a widespread medium to consume entertainment. India too is seeing a rapid growth of mobile phone and internet users. Keeping this in mind, the digital platform is perfect for the music release of a film like Blue which has already been popularized, in India and internationally, for the music compositions of A. R. Rahman including the hit single with Kylie Minogue. Amongst the many benefits of the digital music launch, the most significant one for us as a music label is a big step towards giving consumers legitimate content and curbing piracy of our content."

The digital distribution of the music is done by Hungama Digital Media across the internet and mobile.

TORONTO: Bollywood director Ashutosh Gowariker, whose "What's Your Rashee?" premiered at the Toronto Film Festival here Saturday, said he chose Priyanka Chopra to play the role of 12 brides-in-waiting to rule out beauty as a dominant theme in the film.

In "What's Your Rashee?" (What's your sun sign?), which is based on Madhu Rye's Gujarati novel "Kimball Ravenswood", Priyanka plays the role of 12 girls who meet bride-hunting NRI Yogesh Patel played by Hurman Baweja.

Yogesh, who has been flown in from Chicago by his parents to get married within just 10 days on the advice of the family astrologer, gets responses to his matrimonial advertisement from 165 girls. But since he cannot meet all of them in 10 days, he picks one from each sun sign to meet.

Asked why he didn't pick 12 different actresses for the 12 roles, Gowariker said at a press conference here: "If I had cast 12 different actresses, the audience would have wanted the fairest to win (Yogesh's hand) and thus beauty would have taken importance."

But he didn't want the choice of bride to be made on the basis of the beauty, he said.

"I didn't want beauty to play an important role. When I read the novel, I thought why not have the same girl play the 12 parts? I felt that if I cast 12 different girls, beauty will take precedence. To rule out beauty as a factor, I wanted to assure the audience that Yogesh is going to get the same girl.

"Once you are sure about it, you just sit back and watch how the relationship develops between Yogesh and each girl with a different sun sign, and which sun sign he finally chooses," the filmmaker said.

Gowariker said his film is as much about sun signs and romance as empowerment of India women.

"'What's your Rashee?' may seem a romantic comedy, but layers below it is about the girl getting the chance to speak her heart, and express her desires and ambitions. The film reflects the empowerment of women in India today," he explained.

The director said the film has deepened his interest in astrology.

"Before making this film, I was concerned only with my own sun sign Aquarius. But after the film, I now understand that each sign has its own qualities. My way of looking at even my childhood friends has changed.

"If my friend is a Cancerian, I now take care not to offend him, knowing that his sun sign is the emotional type. So I think in romance and relationships, that extra astrological information can be helpful for more bonding," he said.

The film is set for commercial release Friday.

Mumbai, Sep 19 : The 'Lakme Fashion Week 2010' made a colourful beginning in Mumbai on Friday.

On the first day of the five-day show, mother-daughter designer duo of Neeta and Niksha Lulla hogged the limelight with spring/summer collections.

Neeta Lulla's collection comprised kurtas and long floor length jackets, saris with crystal borders, flared pants and traditional male outfits.

The designer created deep elegant necklines for the dramatic diamante necklaces.

Lulla termed her collection as 'Indo-Western fusion clothes.'

"The Indo-Western fusion clothes which I have designed this year it's primarily to bring out a global appeal to the garment which I think consumers of today like and besides that the collection is targeted to Spring-Summer," Lulla said.

Neeta's showstopper was the Bollywood actor Sameera Reddy in a dramatic beige stitched jersey skirt and a crystal-encrusted bustier.

"Neeta is one of my best friends and I'll always be her face and she will be mine but today was special because mother and daughter duo of Neeta and Niksha Lulla for the first time presented their collection and secondly we tried this outfit on and I just feel really sexy and that's what is important so that's important," said Reddy.

Niksha Lulla debuted in the fashion world, presenting one of the most youthful and trendy lines on the opening day.

Niksha's showstopper was the gorgeous Dia Mirza who glided down the ramp in tulle layered bustier mini gleaming with sequins.

It seems king of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan and international khiladi Akshay Kumar have forgotten all their differences and are together again.
According to reports, both Bollywood actors were seen meeting and greeting in the Film City recently. Akshay was shooting for Blue while SRK was shooting for an ad.
A birdie informs that it was Shah Rukh who took the initiative and walked in on the sets of Blue to meet Akshay. Hearing this Akshay came out of the vanity van and met SRK.
Both even got their pictures clicked. Good boys!

Fan frenzy is already breaking records for "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."
Online ticket sellers MovieTickets and Fandango report that the follow-up to last year's hit from Summit Entertainment, which sold $191.5 million worth of tickets in the U.S. and Canada, is selling out screenings earlier than any other movie to date.
"New Moon" has sold out 50 showtimes of nearly 22,000 offered on Fandango and 13 showtimes of 2,912 offered on MovieTickets. Most of the sold-out shows are at or around midnight Nov. 20, when the movie debuts.
The two websites started selling "New Moon" tickets extraordinarily early -- Aug. 31 for Fandango and Sep. 10 for MovieTickets -- as the theater chains they work with began scheduling screenings in anticipation of a huge first weekend. The first "Twilight" grossed a stellar $36 million on its Friday opening, reflecting pent-up demand among fans of the best-selling books.
For most movies, online ticket sales start about 45 days before they debut.
Though "New Moon" holds the record for selling out screenings the earliest, 20 Century Fox's event film "Avatar" started offering tickets even earlier, on Aug. 21, more than four months before the film's Dec. 18 debut. Neither Fandango nor MovieTickets have yet sold out any "Avatar" shows, although they're currently offering only a tiny fraction of the nearly 25,000 available for "New Moon."
-- Ben Fritz

Source

Left, right or center, there's two things nearly everybody in Hollywood agrees on: There's no disease that can't be cured by raising enough money and the state of Israel deserves unabashed support.

These days, sympathy for Israel puts the American entertainment industry at odds with much of the European film and academic communities. In those circles, vehement criticism of Israeli policies toward the Palestinians and boycotts of Israeli scholars and artists have become almost fashionable. (In cinematic London, Hamas militants are the new baby seals.) Hollywood has mostly shrugged all this off, until this week, when it decided that an outbreak of anti-Israeli agitation in Toronto was bringing things a little too close to home.

Canadian documentary filmmaker John Greyson pulled his latest movie from this week's Toronto International Film Festival because he said the event's sister-city relationship with Tel Aviv was an implicit endorsement of "the smiling face of Israeli apartheid."

A variety of entertainers -- including David Byrne, Julie Christie, Ken Loach, Jane Fonda, Viggo Mortensen and Wallace Shawn -- published a letter alleging that Toronto had become an agent of the "Israeli propaganda machine."

Some people in Hollywood took these initiatives not as a disagreement with Israeli government policies but as an attempt to isolate and ostracize the Jewish state's vibrant, diverse and independent film community. (If there really is a dirty word in Hollywood, it's "blacklist.")

So former CAA agent Dan Adler, acting under the sponsorship of Los Angeles' Jewish Federation and United Jewish Appeal of Toronto, put together a counter ad that denounced the boycott demands in Thursday's trades.

"We all spent a lot of time talking about the original protest letter, in the sense that it seemed to be going after the wrong target by attacking Israel and its film artists," Adler told The Times' Patrick Goldstein on Wednesday night. "When I sat down at my computer and started asking for people to sign on, all I got was passion and enthusiasm. Everyone said, 'I'm in,' and then, even better, added, 'Can I get you someone else?' "

The signatories do read like a who's who of Hollywood's elite with a cast that runs from the executive suites to the sound stages and cuts across generations. Among those who signed on are Jerry Seinfeld, Seth Rogen, Robert Duvall, Halle Berry, Sacha Baron Cohen, Lisa Kudrow, Lenny Kravitz, Ed Zwick, Jason Alexander, Chazz Palminteri and David Cronenberg, as well as A-list producers and executives Ron Meyer, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Sherry Lansing, Neal Moritz, Jonathan Glickman, Nina Jacobson, Darren Star, Nathan Kahane and Gail Berman.

(There's even a precedent-setting credit for writer-director Michael Tolkin, who "polished" the ad's text. Now, there's something the Writers Guild would like to see catch on.)

In a phone interview, former Paramount head Lansing said she and her husband, director William Friedkin, were upset that the Israeli filmmakers had been singled out for retribution, especially as the community starts the Jewish new year and High Holy Days.

"These are independent filmmakers who are not working as the propaganda machine of the state of Israel," Lansing said. "It's dangerous to -- in any way -- turn the film festival into a political event. We do not want to return to the days of blacklisting."

Media mogul Haim Saban was blunt in his assessment. "The world always had anti-Semites," he said in an e-mail exchange. "It has now and always will, but the people of Israel always have, and always will live and prosper. Sorry Jew haters. You lose."

The criticisms of Israel, especially among European entertainers, has intensified since the Gaza war. However, they argue that they are not against the Jews, as Saban suggests, but merely concerned about the innocent victims caught in the crossfire.

In January, singer Annie Lennox and comedian Alexei Sayle called for an end to the "slaughter and systematic murder" of Arabs in Gaza.

The pair was joined by a panel of public figures, which included Ken Livingstone, Bianca Jagger and George Galloway, in a news conference demanding that Israel stop its "siege."

In posts on her blog and in the Huffington Post, Fonda -- who said she initially signed the Toronto letter because she too was concerned about the loss of innocent lives -- sought to clarify her position. She admitted that she had not read the full text of the complaint before putting her name on it.

"It was the outcry that ensued that caused me to study it more carefully," she said. "It was then that I saw that there were parts of it that I did not agree with. . . ."

She went on: "Some of the words in the protest letter did not come from my heart, words that are unnecessarily inflammatory: The simplistic depiction of Tel Aviv as a city 'built on destroyed Palestinian villages,' for instance, and the omission of any mention of Hamas' 8-month-long rocket and mortar attacks on the town of Sderot and the western Negev to which Israel was responding when it launched its war on Gaza." Fonda added: "By neglecting to do this the letter allowed good people to close their ears and their hearts."

It's hard to believe that even Fonda's well-practiced backpedaling is going to temper the outrage in activist Hollywood, where attacks on Israel in almost any form are a non-starter.

By Taran Adarsh, September 18, 2009 - 17:54 IST


Cricket, like Bollywood, is an addiction for a wide majority of Indians. DIL BOLE HADIPPA tries to capture the spirit of the game and the aspirations of a sportsperson, who's keen to play for her pind. On paper, the concept, which bears an uncanny resemblance to SHE'S THE MAN, sounds interesting, but the problem is its writing, which is tame and mediocre.

Let's elaborate. The plusses, first...
It's mandatory for cricket-based films like LAGAAN and VICTORY, which conclude with a cricket match, to have a thrilling finish. DIL BOLE HADIPPA too has a awe-inspiring end.
Also, the story of an ordinary girl who aspires to play cricket for the national team is motivating, with Rani Mukherji handling her part with complete understanding.

Write your own movie review of Dil Bole Hadippa!

But there's a flipside too. The romantic moments between Rani and Shahid Kapoor lack fizz. Even the assorted characters in the film, like Sherlyn Chopra, Vrajesh Hirjee and Rakhi Sawant, contribute nothing to the film. They're mere props.

Final word? You expect DIL BOLE HADIPPA to score a century, like several films churned out by Yash Raj. But it settles down in the half-century range. Strictly average!

REVIEW: WANTED (2009)
WANTED: Salman Ka Dum

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Starring: Salman Khan, Ayesha Takia, Vinod Khanna, Mahesh Manjrekar, Prajkash Raj, Govind Namdeo, Inder Kumar, Aseem Merchant, Sajid.

Director: Prabhu Deva

If you are crazy about regular commercial masala films leaving your brains at home, Wanted is the right choice. Wanted is a canvas painted in south Indian colours where you can get a glimpse of Rajnikanth in our macho man Salman Khan. Woah hold down It’s a Prabhu Deva film, Bingo Wanted is undisputedly a well-written story with an excellent screenplay. But there is a flipside to it. It is a well-written story which lacks good direction and editing.

Wanted opens up with an interesting plot with commissioner Ashraf Khan (Govind Namdeo) leaving no stones unturned to eradicate underworld terrorism from the country. Radhe (Salman Khan) is a hardcore gangster known for brutality and commitments. All he knows is the language of money. His loyalties lies with any gang provided the money is right. His entry in Gani Bhai (Prakash Raj) gang under the wing of Golden (Aseem Merchant), the right hand of Gani and betrayal to his existing gang headed by Data Pawle leads to bloodshed, as disputes crop up unexpectedly. However, story takes a twist with Golden’s death, which compels Gani Bhai to take matters in his hands and fly back to India. How Gani Bhai realizes the trap of commissioner Ashraf Khan, and the truth of Salman Khan, would have been an exciting watch had Prabhu Deva tightened his script.

Cinematographers Nirav Shah and S Sriram are simply excellent. Special effects are over the top; could have been subtle. The music is awful, except “Dil Leke’ track, which is the only saving grace.

No refreshing treat for ears, as far as stereotypical dialogues go.

Wanted rides on Salman Khan despite his regular run-of-the-mill, yet nice performance. Ayesha Takia is good and looks gorgeous. Mahesh Manjrekar is perfect for his part as a womanizer. Prakash Raj as Gani Bhai has small, yet pivotal role and lives up to it beautifully. Vinod Khanna and Inder Kumar don’t have much scope, though they are instrumental to the pace of the story. Aseem Merchant is fairly good. Same goes for Govind Namdeo.

On the whole, “Salman Khan’ factor will pull the audience to make this film survive. Infact, half the battle is won, courtesy loads of hype. My verdict: One time watch.

A good mix of romance, comedy and songs spice up this action flick. Salman looks nothing like we saw him in No Entry, Partner or Yuvvraaj. The actor has not only shed a lot of weight, he almost dropped his typical accent as Radhe.
Also starring Ayesha Takia Azmi in the lead, Wanted is a remake of the 2006 Telugu film Pokkiri. Wanted marks the Bollywood debut of ace choreographer-turned-filmmaker Prabhu Deva. Kudos to him for making Salman dance like never before. For the first time ever Salman seems to enjoy his steps wholeheartedly (with right expressions) and not dance for the heck of it.

Sallu's Ganpati song, Jalwa, was apparently kept secret from audiences for very long before the release. Undoubtedly, it is the best of the lot. And why not, when someone like Prabhu Deva himself has choreographed it, nothing but the best is expected.

The film definitely has a South Indian touch and feel to it but the best part is, as a filmmaker Prabhu Deva doesn't try to experiment much. Yet whatever he does (read silly) he does it with oodles of style.

Prabhu Deva's take on Mughal-E-Azam's song Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya with Sallu and Ayesha looks too funny. The lovey-dovey episodes between Sallu and Ayesha sometimes make no sense at all. Sample this… Sallu and Ayesha get stuck inside the lift. Ayesha is frightened and comes closer to Salman. She gives a coy smile and Salman smiles back as Ayesha innocently asks if it is Vicco Vajradanti... Being juvenile is an understatement at this point.

There are far too many songs, which could have been well avoided.

John Abraham joins Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan in Danny Boyle and Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay

John Abraham More Pics

Velvet...

Mumbai Mirror had reported on September 14 in the story Boyle Bells The Cats? that Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan will star together in Danny Boyle and Anurag Kashyap’s forthcoming film, Bombay Velvet. Well, the film got much bigger as news is that John Abraham was actually the first actor to be signed on for the international epic.

A source says, “This was just after John and Anurag formed a mutual fan-club after working together in No Smoking. Although the film didn’t work at the box-office both John and Anurag vowed to do another film. That’s when Bombay Velvet was born. The film has three segments and John was signed on for the second segment. He will play a real-life 1960s hero of the masses.” SRK and Aamir will star in the first and third segments respectively.

John has since then been reading up extensively to prepare for his first true-to-life character. The role requires him to completely change his body language and to get rid of his very contemporary body language and mannerisms.

In fact, friends have been provoking John into believing that he is no longer part of the project. But John isn’t the least bit fazed.

A friend of John says, “When he heard that Aamir was signed, John was really happy for Anurag. People told John that Aamir had replaced him but John knew the truth. Even if it was true, he’d have been happy for Anurag. However, Anurag would never ever drop John. After 10 years of struggle in the film industry, John was the first hero who took Anurag seriously. Earlier every attempt to get into the big league had failed. Anurag would rather drop the project than drop John.”

Speaking about John starring in Bombay Velvet, Anurag Kashyap had said earlier, “John Abraham has drastically cut his price for my next film Bombay Velvet. So even when I work with stars my project becomes economical. I don’t charge any money as a director until the film makes money. After No Smoking, John and I want to make sure our film is accessible to the audience. Today I realise where I had gone wrong in my earlier cinema. I’m working on my weak points. I tend to get repetitive. So I’ve got two writers for Bombay Velvet who criticised me the most for No Smoking.”

Photo Gallery

Tom Cruise's adopted son has landed a role in the remake of the movie that helped propel the late Patrick Swayze to stardom.

Connor Cruise, 14, will join Watchmen star Jeffrey Dean Morgan in Red Dawn.

The original 1984 movie, directed by John Milius, starred Swayze, his future Dirty Dancing partner Jennifer Grey, Charlie Sheen and C. Thomas Howell.

Reports suggest that young Cruise has signed on to play Daryl, the role Darren Dalton played in the first film.

Meanwhile, producers of TV series revamp Melrose Place have confirmed that Cruise will not be a part of their cast.

A representative for the show says, "There’s no truth to it."

Harrison Ford has announced that he'll bring Indiana Jones back to the big screen for a fifth time -- if he's impressed by the film's script.

The veteran action man cracked his whip as the archaeologist hero in the franchise's fourth installment, 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, delighting fans nearly 20 years after 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

And after the global success of the last film, Ford would be delighted to star as the adventurer once again.

He says, "The story for the new Indiana Jones is in the process of taking form. If the script is good, I'll be happy to put the costume on again."

In June, Ford's Indiana Jones co-star and on-screen son Shia LaBeouf confirmed that a new film in the series is in the works, with director Steven Spielberg overseeing the upcoming project.

Demi Moore has paid a touching tribute to late actor Patrick Swayze -- using words from their 1990 movie Ghost.

The Dirty Dancing star passed away on Monday in Los Angeles after losing his two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

Swayze went public with the illness in early 2008 and underwent regular bouts of chemotherapy as he repeatedly denied tabloid reports he was close to death after learning the cancer had spread to his liver.

Despite his determination to survive, the star's passing has shocked Hollywood and his fans alike, with touching tributes from a number of celebrities.

And his Ghost co-star Moore has now spoken out about the sad news, taking to her Twitter page to quote the pair's characters from the hit film.

She writes, "Patrick you are loved by so many and your light will forever shine in all of our lives. In the words of Sam to Molly. 'It's amazing Molly. The love inside, you take it with you.' I will miss you."

Meanwhile, Moore's husband Ashton Kutcher also took to his page on the site to express his sadness over the star's passing, writing: "RIP P Swayze," and posting a link to the actor performing a Chippendales routine with late comic Chris Farley on Saturday Night Live.