The Aww-some blog

Mocking jay Part 1.

2015-03-05T05:01:00.000+05:00

My judgement might be clouded by the fact that I have a severe girl-crush on Jennifer Lawrence but HAVE YOU SEEN THE AWESOMENESS THAT IS MOCKING JAY YET?

Brilliant story of Hunger Games has been adapted in the series of brilliant movies..and usually I hate it when they chop up one book into several movies just so they can cash the cow even more! (Ahem The hobbit) ..In this case...If more awesomeness (Read JenLaw) can be expected from Mocking Jay part 2 then I'm all for it.

Beautiful acting.Powerful Storyline.Dystopian Society gets a taste of revolution..What's not to love here.Thumbs up from This blog!

IT'S COMING!!

2015-02-27T19:11:00.002+05:00

Feast your eyes on the awesomeness that is THIS trailer.Winter will be coming this April.Cant wait

For those interested the Song is a COVER OF David Bowie's Heroes
link here

The Signature of all things.(I Will Not Keep It Light)

2015-02-26T22:22:00.000+05:00

This:

“I believe that we are all transient,” she began. She thought for a while and added, “I believe that we are half-blind and full of errors. I believe that we understand very little, and what we do understand is mostly wrong. I believe that life cannot be survived-that is evident!- but if one is lucky, life can be endured for quite a long while. If one is both lucky and stubborn, life can sometimes even be enjoyed.”

How to get filthy rich in rising Asia. (Not a review)

2015-02-26T20:17:00.001+05:00

Another one... and this just kill me

"We are all refugees from our childhoods. And so we turn, among other things, to stories."

Mohsin Hamid , How to get filthy rich in rising Asia.

Mohsin Hamid pens How to get filthy rich in rising Asia.

2015-02-26T20:13:00.001+05:00

On Reading :

"…when you read a book, what you see are black squiggles on pulped wood or, increasingly, dark pixels on a pale screen. To transform these icons into characters and events, you must imagine. And when you imagine, you create. It’s in being read that a book becomes a book…”

Veena For President!

2011-12-12T23:16:00.006+05:00

Jumping on the bandwagon because who doesnt love a good laugh and that guy IS hiilarious!!
and also because i think veena is sheer awesomeness!MUFTI SAHIB YE KIA BAAT HUVI!

SO !!

CLICK ON VEENA FOR PRESIDENT!

New Devastating Pakistan Floods

2011-09-26T02:36:00.004+05:00

One year ago, Pakistan suffered the worst flooding in its history, a slow-moving disaster that left some 2,000 dead and another 11 million homeless. Nearly one million are still without permanent shelter, and meanwhile, the flooding has returned. Though it's not on the same scale as last year's flood, this summer's damage is still significant. High water from monsoon rains has killed more than 200 people since early August, damaging or destroying some 670,000 homes and affecting more than 5 million people, according to the government and the United Nations. The disaster has once again overwhelmed the capacity of the government to assist, and the UN has asked for $357 million in international aid. Gathered here is a handful of recent images from Pakistan, where residents are once again coping with flooding on a massive scale.
visit THIS website for more.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) ***

2011-09-25T03:04:00.001+05:00

Director: Joe Jhonston

Cast:

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America

Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter

Hugo Weaving as Johann Schmidt / Red Skull

Sebastian Stan as Sgt. James "Bucky" Barnes

Tommy Lee Jones as Col. Chester Phillips

Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark

Rating: PG-13

Run time: 2hr. 1min.

I have never been a big fan of Captain America, the comics were too corny for my taste…I mean a man calling himself captain America... really? What about the rest of us who are not Americans we like neutral heroes: like batman (now that’s a hero) even superman (though he never had to work to get his abilities, but what the heck, at least he had international appeal… right?)

So as we all know the superhero movie genre is cooking something big… from Hulk to Iron Man and now Captain America (The Avengers…yaay!!). I am grateful to Marvel Cinematic Universe for these wonderful releases!

With that said, if you are a marvel fan… you would definitely watch Captain America and if you are not and are looking for a decent comic book action or just plain sci-fi action you should go for it. I wouldn’t call the movie a spectacular watch, and I wouldn’t blame the actors or the production team for it… it’s just that captain America is lame so, they made the most of what they had.

His origin is nicely done, Evans as a scrawny captain Rogers is very believable. That’s where the story begins. Rogers wants to enlist and go to war, he can’t because he’s like I said scrawny, so instead he signs up for a science project (Howard Stark Howard Stark!! Excuse me I am a bit of a comic book enthusiast), becomes a super hero and bashes some Nazi ass. At the end of the movie Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) makes an appearance, which for me was the highlight of the movie.

Tommy Lee and Hugo Weavings give an amazing performance, the action scenes are fun to watch, all in all its an ok watch and a very realistic period piece, although I do have one reservation, I mean Chris Evans does an ok job, but I still wonder if he was the casting teams first choice, at times he looks like a clown, zero charisma. May be that’s the reason it couldn’t up one Thor.

Official Website

Watch Online

Download Torrent

Tiny Dancer- Elton John *****

2011-09-25T02:09:00.000+05:00

Released in 1971, the song was on Sir Elton John's 4th album. The song was on the soundtrack of 'Almost famous'(2000) thats where i heard it first, well not exactly but it came as a recomendation from that movie. (The movie is amazing too a must watch) Listen away, and let us know what you think:

here's a clip from almost famous:

Over time there have been many covers done of the song, my all time favourite is the one by Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters):

Lyrics (the website is every thing elton john)
Download song
Check out some Song Facts

Friends with Benefits (2011) ***

2011-09-24T00:09:00.001+05:00

Directed by: Will Gluck

Cast:

Mila Kunis as Jamie

Justin Timberlake as Dylan

Nolan Gould as Sammy

Woody Harrelson as Tommy

Patricia Clarkson as Lorna

Richard Jenkins as Mr. Harper

Emma Stone as Kayla

Rating: R (for violence and sexual content)

Runtime: 109mins

Genre: Romantic Comedy

What made this picture a good watch were the two leads, Kunis and Timberlake; their chemistry kept the film going and made it enjoyable…I doubt it would have been as fun to watch if the central duo was replaced. Plus it’s fun to see a real life couple onscreen.

The plot opens with Jamie (Mila Kunis) trying to recruit Dylan (Justin Timberlake) for a job interview with GQ magazine. Dylan originally from LA is reluctant to move to New York, but after a night out with Jamie decides to move, they become best friends later add sex to the equation complicate things and realize there is more to the relationship. Story wise, it’s a pretty run of the mill romantic comedy but the dialogue and pace of the movie keep it engaging and mildly funny.

This is the 2^nd Timberlake romantic comedy I’ve seen this season, and it seems he is transitioning pretty smoothly from a recording artist to an actor. Never liked his music, but his acting is improving… looking forward to seeing more of him on the big screen, hopefully some challenging stuff as well.

Official Website

Watch online

Download Torrent: isohunt, thepiratebay

Love Mein Ghum (2011)*

2011-09-22T23:38:00.000+05:00

Cast:

Moammar Rana as Ali, Reema Khan as Zindagi, Javed Sheikh as Haroon, Nadeem Baig as Dr. Kanwal, Ali Saleem as Nazneen, Nabeel Khan as Wilson, Afzal Khan (Jaan Rambo) as Raphar Singh, Johnny Lever as Sukhia, Jia Ali as Sheza.

Directed by: Reema Khan

Okay so being a movie buff, I watch numerous movies in the cinema and when a Pakistani one was released I thought why should I not watch our own Pakistani movie, so that is how I ended up watching Love mein Ghum on the big screen!

Well.. how was it? Hmm.. A guy sitting a couple of seats away from me was playing fruit slice on his phone, an uncle a few rows ahead was loudly scolding maybe some employee in Punjabi over the phone, my friend sitting on my right was constantly texting her better half, a group of girls were laughing, mind you not giggling, LAUGHING at every scene where Reema becomes sad and depressed, which like happens after every 15mins.. And when the movie ended, I heard someone saying: How sad!... You still wanna know how it was?

Okay so there's Reema, her character's name is Zindagi in the movie (I mean seriously?? no better name? Basheeran would have made sense even). Anyway, Zindagi for some reason is a neglected, mistreated and nerdy kind of a girl who works in a library and who has a crush on this desi looking guy with golden streaks and God knows which accent, named Wilson. Who humiliates, insults and makes fun of her ALL the time with his gori girlfriend and still she goes all weak in the stomach errr.. Knees in front of her. Then there's Moammer Rana (Ali) who is having a messed up life as well because his father (Javed Sheikh) has married his slutty secretary (Gia Ali) who apart from her husband, seduces her step-son too! *gasps* And her favorite words are: Darling and Sweetheart!
So anyway, I'll cut the crap... Errr I mean story short, Zindagi and Ali try to commit suicide at the same time and night and end up being hospitalized where they meet over a piano and fall in love over the piano in the same scene as well... *yawn* So yeah!... Though there still is a very very very stupid twist but I won't disclose it here, you might just watch the movie..?!!

Basically Love mein ghum has uncountable songs which have been literally stuffed everywhere in the movie, bad acting by almost everyone, scenes dragged way too much, poor dialogues, poor direction and No Story, I repeat NO STORY!

Well, if I come to the good points, Yes there are some. The cinematography and the picturization of the movie is praise worthy. The locations have been selected very wisely. A few shots were just breath taking. The only good actor was Nadeem Baig as the doctor who helps both the suiciders out of their misery. He carries his charm and charisma really well. Moammer Rana was okay-ish but too loud at times. Reema's character just did not suit her. I find her very pretty but she looks horrible mostly, don't know why! Our very own Mr John Rambo a.k.a Afzal Khan and India's Johnny Lever try to bring some comedy in the movie while they try to win over our very own Ali Saleem (who's a woman in the movie btw) *no gasps please*! Johnny Lever I guess said yes only because of the liking that he has for Pakistan apparently otherwise I find No other reason.
Anyway I have reviewed it quite extensively I guess but nonetheless, Love mein ghum is a movie which Should be skipped but I watched it just because I wanted to promote Pakistani cinema and I have no regrets whatsoever !

The Change up (2011) **1/2

2011-09-22T03:22:00.002+05:00

Director: David Dobkin

Cast:

Ryan Reynolds as Mitch Planko

Jason Bateman as Dave Lockwood

Leslie Mann as Jamie Lockwood

Olivia Wilde as Sabrina McArdle

Run time: 112mins

Rating: R (strong crude sexual content and language, some graphic nudity and drug use)

Ok for some reason this movie did not go down very well with the critics, but I don’t see what the problem was. I found it funny, there was a lot of crass humor and poo jokes, full on disrespect of women, parenthood etc etc…very funny. Hell what do you expect that’s what Hollywood has conditioned us to like, and after the disappointment of Hangover 2 this seemed good.

The trailer pretty much tells the story; the plot revolves around childhood buddies Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) and Dave (Jason Bateman). They end up switching bodies after a drunken escapade, what follows is a supposed journey into self discovery and understanding each other’s shortcomings all the while you are bombarded with lots of filthy humor (love!lol).

What I liked about the movie was how both the leads played each other’s parts, it was fun to watch and so darn believable. It’s a popcorn flick, don’t expect anything more; if you head to the theatre with that in mind you will have an ok time.

Official Website
Watch Online
Download Movie

Bodyguard (2011) -*

2011-09-21T07:04:00.001+05:00

Director: Siddique

Music by: Himesh Reshammiya

Run time: 132mins

Cast:

Salman Khan as Lovely Singh

Kareena Kapoor as Divya

Raj Babbar as Sartaj Rana

Hazel Keech as Maya

Rajat Rawail as Tsunami Singh

Karisma Kapoor as Chhaya (Voice-over)

In case you are wondering what that rating is, it’s a minus one star. Sometimes I wonder, what is the criterion of a Bollywood blockbuster? This is our first Bollywood review, I was absolutely compelled to type this one out… so while I was doing a little bit of a background research on this movie guess what I found out: this is actually a third remake of the same movie! Can you believe it actually took them three movies to make people watch this absolute#$%$@ crap.

“The film broke many records upon its release. Within the first day of its release, it went on to become the highest opening day grosser as well as the biggest grosser ever for a single day, breaking the records earlier held by Dabangg, another Salman-starrer. The film set another box office record, netting 102.86 crore (US$22.94 million) in its first week, thus becoming the highest opening week grossing Bollywood film. As of 13 September 2011, Bodyguard has grossed 215 crore (US$47.95 million) worldwide, therefore becoming the second highest grossing Bollywood film ever worldwide after 3 Idiots.” (Wiki)

I was stunned into silence after reading the above^. What is the future of human intellect!

The plot revolves around Lovely (Salman Khan), and that’s about it. There is some romance in there… I think… and lots of action where Khan is virtually indestructible, I don’t remember the rest of the movie I slept. There was also some music… well it sounded like music, I think… *yawn*.

[if you must know more go wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodyguard_(2011_film)]

Ok I think I am being slightly unjust, there was this one song which was pretty decent, I am posting it below, listen to it and don’t bother with the movie and you can thank me later.

Again what really bothers me is that Salman Khan can act, we’ve seen him do that ( I mean really act) plenty of times, and I get it sallu bhai you have a killer bod, but must you repeatedly take up such mindless roles? Stop testing our love and at least attempt to make some art onscreen.

Official Website

Smurfs (2011) ***

2011-09-21T06:23:00.001+05:00

Directed By: Raja Gosnell

Written By: J. David Stem, David N. Weiss, Jay Scherick, David Ronn

Rating: PG
Runtime: 103mins

Cast:

Neil Patrick Harris as Patrick Winslow

Jayma Mays as Grace Winslow

Hank Azaria as Gargamel

Sofía Vergara as Odile Anjelou

Katy Perry as Smurfette

I will give this one three stars solely, purely and only because I got to see the tiny blue creatures three apples high on screen once again, hey I grew up in the 80/90’s so, my Smurf love is justified…can’t wait for ‘care bears’ to hit the big screen! *cough*

In a magical land far far away their lived these tiny most adorable little blue creatures called Smurfs, each named after its predominant character trait, Smurfs were a happy folk, they sang they danced all in all they were every kids favorite little beings (till the advent of Pokémon, can you believe my spell check has Pokémon in it but not Smurfs!! Some-one-call-Microsoft!)

So where was I...Yes the happy smurfs… why o why did they have to ruin it for us! The movie was a huge disappointment. To begin with I am not sure who the target audience exactly was, there were no kids in the movie, so I doubt if the younger audience would identify with the film, which in turn pretty much kills the Smurf future (but fear not two sequels have already been announced...hope? *shudders*).

Other then that the story was average, the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) chases the Smurfs out of their village into a shiny new land called New York city…must I tell you more? Isn’t it obvious what happens next… clue: if I told you there wouldn’t be much left, that’s how little there was to the story.

What really bothered me about Smurfs in 3D was how little they actually put into recreating the original series… there was absolutely zero ingenuity to the plot, the acting was pretty average the only thing good about the movie were the computer graphics, the Smurfs looked pretty darn Smurfy. So, if you want to relive a bit of your childhood, do watch the movie but I doubt your kid would enjoy it.

Official Website
Watch Online
Download

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) ****

2011-09-21T04:07:00.004+05:00

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Written By: Pierre Boulle, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver

Cast:

James Franco as Will Rodman

Freida Pinto as Caroline Aranha

John Lithgow as Charles Rodman

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 2hr

All who think Planet of the Apes is lame, raise hands…yup it was and is one weird lame movie. The apes looked like Michael Jackson (RIP, I loved him and still do… but that don’t mean he dint look weird). So, when I decided to watch this prequel of sort to the original (twice made) movie, it’s safe to say I had zero expectations… and boy was I pleasantly surprised.

The script, the direction, the acting and the CGI were all spot on. In fact it has been so far the best movie of the summer (don’t believe me check out some other reviews: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1318514/).

The story begins with Will (James Franco) working on a cure for Alzheimer’s, testing is done on apes till all hell breaks loose and the project is closed and all the test subjects are put down save for a new born ape ‘Ceaser’, Will brings Ceaser home keeping his existence from the company and raises the chimp as part of his family. From that point on the CGI generated ape steals the show. The impeccable computer graphics of ‘Lord of the Rings’ team is what made this movie a spectacular watch.

I am pretty sure many still wouldn’t be convinced enough to actually watch the movie, but take it from me…I am usually scanty with praises: it’s a must watch.

OfficialWebsite

Download Movie

Watch Online

Natural Plant and Animal Fibres - A return to renewable resources

2011-09-21T00:00:00.000+05:00

Natural Plant and Animal Fibres - A return to renewable resources:

'via Blog this'

Exit through the Gift Shop (2010) ****

2010-09-30T23:07:00.001+05:00

Rated R for language

Release Date: 5 March 2010 (UK)

Cast:

Thierry Guetta aka Mr. Brainwash / MBW

Banksy as himself

Shepard Fairey as himself

Invader as himself

Rhys Ifans as narrator

A Banksy Film

For those who don’t know of Banksy and his work the first half of the movie will be a revelation, until tables turn. Shot like a documentary the film takes you on journey into the world of street art…but that’s just part of it.

Thierry Guetta an amateur obsessive reel buster, on his visit to France finds himself obsessed with his cousin’s (Space Invader) night time activities, he is of the pioneers in modern street art/graffiti; from there on the journey of this eccentric shop owner/French expat living in LA begins, and his filming atlast finds direction. He is consumed by his passion to film street artists and following them around the world, till he comes across Banksy’s art and eventually fate leads him to the man himself.

Guetta amused, fascinated and completely awed by Banksy follows him around until he wins his trust and manages to become his accomplice. What happens next you have to watch for yourself to find out, it’s best to leave it as a surprise. It’s a farce, a satire, a documentary and a story with a conscience… the title gives away the moral lesson to some extent if you have the depth to analyse it.

It is a riveting glimpse into the world of street art and the takeover of the art world by modern consumerism. Banksy with his film pulls yet another sly one on every one. Referred to as a ‘punkumentary’ it will keep you guessing: was it all true?

Official Website: http://www.banksyfilm.com/

Download 'Exit through the gift shop'

The Vampire Diaries(2009-2010****)

2010-08-29T01:44:00.005+05:00

Vampires... you just can’t have enough of them, whether its the classic Bram Stoker stories or the contemporary Stephanie Meyer mania , vampire literature, movies and series seem to be everywhere these days.

Adapted from the L.J. Smith's book series and starring Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Steven R. McQueen, Kayla Ewell, Michael Trevino, Zach Roerig, Candice Accola, and Sara Canning, among others.
The plot revolves around two Vampire brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore who battle for the heart of a mortal teenaged girl named Elena Gilbert.
The story begins when Elena and her brother Jeremy come to live with their aunt in the town of Mystic Falls, after the death of their parents in a car crash. While visiting her parents graves in the cemetery, she meets the new guy in school Stefan Salvatore. There is mutual attraction and after a couple of episode Elena and Stefan are a couple. Also it turns out that Elena is the reincarnation/or look alike of a 19th Century Vampire Katherine, who was the one who turned both of the Salvatore brothers into Vampires. Katherine along with the 27 other vampires of Mystic Falls were entombed by Elena and Jeremy’s great-great grandfather somewhere in the 19th century.
And while Stefan resents Katherine for turning him into a blood sucking abomination Damon is still in love with the evil Vamp who had had both the brothers enchanted with her beauty and charm.

The 1st season revolves around Damon’s resolve to bring Katherine back and Stefan’s struggle to stop Damon , since he knows the vampires will want revenge from the descendants of Mystic Falls elders.
Other main character in the series is Elena’s best friend Bonnie, who is a witch and has the power to lift the magic spell that has entombed the old Vampires. Another interesting character introduced later in the series is Alaric Salzmann a history teacher by profession but is also a vampire hunter of sorts. He moves to Mystic Falls in search of his wife, who was obsessed with vampires before her disapearence.

Like every other vampire series we have the mandatory good vampire and bad vampires here.
Paul Wesley as Stefan is our goody-two-shoes guy, the vampire with a conscience, who refuses to hunt humans. While evil brother Damon(played by Lost’s Ian Somerhalder) is the quintessential Bad vampire or rather the “actual” vampire with a lots of murderous charm and the disregard for human life’s worth.
Being vampires, Stefan and Damon of course have some special powers. For starters, turning into crows and being able to conjure up a creepy ground-covering fog. As for that pesky daylight thing, it's no problem as long as they wear a magic ring. Other than that the usual super strength and super speed. Oh and the power of persuasion-mind control that is.

One great thing about The Vampire Diaries is the pacing. The storyline moves at breakneck speed; a conflict is introduced one week, it is resolved the next and a new conflict crops up. Each storyline is suitably addressed in the hour, and as usual, new problems present themselves by the end.
Also new characters keep turning up throughout the series, and dying at the drop of a hat too. Which is a somewhat frustrating thing , since they ended up killing most of the good vampires and likable characters by the time season finale came. But it’s the fast paced-ever changing story line which kept me hooked to the season.

And the Stefan/Elena/Damon love triangle is entertaining as it is impossible to pick a favorite brother. Both brothers are completely likable and charming in their own ways. But the best part of the show is Somerhalder. He is just ridiculously entertaining as Damon, the sometime evil Salvatore brother. Damon has a bit of an advantage on poor Stefan, and it is so much fun to watch the snarky, obnoxious behavior Damon dishes out to everyone.

The Season 1 has finished airing so now is the time to catch up on all episodes of season 1 before The Vampire Diaries Return for a second season starting September 9.

to watch the show online click HERE
to download the show click HERE

A bit of House

2010-08-24T15:59:00.000+05:00

House music is one of the genres of music that i enjoy listening to and often recommend to people who seem to enjoy my company. Personally, it makes certain activities more enjoyable for me, such as jogging, doing squats, dancing, relaxing(with the help of a certain herb) or just hanging out with friends. This track is a perfect example of what i believe to be a good track packed full with great songs, awesome beats and countless head nodding opportunities. Enjoy the track and leave your suggestions for what you think good music is.

Brooklyn Mood by slickmilk

Call For Donations

2010-08-16T17:51:00.000+05:00

Flood Relief Fund

We are raising funds and keeping the donors updated with the latest developments. Assessment and identification has been done, the required items will be delivered and distributed among the flood victims by ourselves.

The first convoy leaves Lahore on THURSDAY, 19 AUGUST. The trucks are to be loaded by WEDNESDAY night.

In these testing times we as a nation should rise to the challenge and help our brothers and sisters in need.

Account Details:

Adnan liaqat

MCB Shadrah Branch Lahore

A/C# 0186199601000666

The following list of items will be purchased by your donation; you can also donate any of the following items. We have a storage site at 82-B GARDEN BLOCK GARDEN TOWN LAHORE.

A complete summary would be provided to donors at the end of the relief efforts. IF anyone wants to accompany us in the field they are welcome. For further details

According to our field workers these are some of the essential items required:

1. Tents

2. Bedspreads

3. Floor mattresses

4. Mosquito repellents

5. Candles and match boxes

6. Flashlights

7. Boats

8. Generators (REHABILITATION PHASE)

9. Water filtration plants (REHABILITATION PHASE)

10. Dewatering pumps

11. Blankets

12. Medicines

13. Medical equipment

14. Hygiene kits

15. food items

If you would like to contribute please contact:
Umar Adnan:
03218888877

Ibrahim Hasan Murad:
0300-8433364

Hussain Ali Durrani:
03314110280

Umar Syed:
03234910853

Catch a Chain (7th -8th August 2010) ***

2010-08-08T10:58:00.000+05:00

B Production Presentation in Collaboration with Elysium Entertainment

Written by: Omair Farooq Nazir & Syed Ijlal Naqvi

Directed by: Waleed Zaidi & Sanwal Tariq

It’s not very often that you get to see an original script being staged (and I am excluding the Punjabi plays) in Lahore. For some reason the creative expression on stage is restricted to existing either Broadway hits or classic literature. Recently Lahore has seen its youth taking bolder steps, first with a recent Urdu play and now ‘Catch a Chain’.

A two act play written and directed entirely by these boys gets my points for effort. The story revolves around three inmates who are later joined by a fourth. Throughout the play the story of these inmates gradually unravels. While at the same time the abusive jailers (who by the way were female jailers in a male prison?) manhandle the prisoners, subjecting them to both verbal and physical abuse.

The aim of the play was portray “how different people react to change while in confinement, and how the system controlling them (prison/prisoners), chooses to deal with the influx of new criminals into already over flowing jails”. (Quoted from the brochure) Now here is my problem with the story line, the story of the prisoners unraveled smoothly but the purpose and the ending of the play wasn’t clear.

I am all for alternate theatre and creative expression, but in my opinion if the story was based on local prisons it would have held more weightage and would not of come off as a version of Green Mile/Shaw Shank Redemption/Prison Break. Especially in these trying times, if you are taking up social issues then they should be local rather than foreign bred, so that the majority of the audience can connect and understand what you are trying to say and leave with a message.

the set of catch a chain

Other than that the performance of the actors was very good. Waleed Akhtar Zaidi (also one of the directors) as William Conrad gave a brilliant performance. The set and lightings were exceptional. For first time play writers the performance and script deserves respect. So, way to go guys… keep up the good work.

P.S:

This seems to be my mantra of the late: focus on your own culture, we have a very rich cultural heritage, and some brilliant literature and plays which fit perfectly in our modern society, they can be used as an inspiration. And if you want to focus on social issues, trust me we have plenty of those too.

By the way it takes guts to stage originality and you guys have plenty of those. :)

Theatre in Lahore: Noises Off (5th- 9th August 2010) ****

2010-08-08T07:32:00.001+05:00

A Production Illusions Presentation

Directed by Omair Rana

Here’s the thing with going to see a play with big names on the board, you can be sure of quality. A star cast with impeccable acting skills, add to that a dedicated production team Noises Off gave its audience a taste of quality theatre.

Michael Frayn’s Noises Off is considered to be the king of farce and has seen numerous re-enactments all over the world (face book noises off and you will see what I mean); in fact this is the second time it is being done in Lahore.

It’s a three act play with a play within a play, showing what goes on pre, post and during production on stage and back stage. I am not going to go into the details of the plot; it’s a well known script, if you are interested in reading the synopsis click: Noises Off (this link will give you a word by word synopsis given in the brochure of the play).

The cast included Ayesha Alam, who was absolutely brilliant, Ian Eldred known for his spontaneous performances on stage in numerous plays before this, was equally good in this one, then we have the one and only Omair Rana who is also the director of the play, he does a brilliant job as both director of the play and playing a director in the play. Salman Naseer and Mina Malik deserve a special mention, both of them were amazing! Mina as the reliable Belinda in the play is an equally reliable actor, her performance was so original that for a while you forget that its theatre and not real lives. Saad Masood as Selsdon kept the mood light. Other then the star cast what made the play unique was the set, for the first time in Pakistan we got to see an actually revolving set that does the whole 360 degrees! The front is the on stage and swishhh… it revolves and viola you have the backstage.

The fact that art director Ayesha Shuja and her team were able to create this baby and pull it off without it falling apart in my opinion deserves great respect.

The Revolving Stage

What is a review without criticism? So here’s the thing, the acting was amazing, the set was a creative masterpiece and the costumes by Aasia Sail fit the characters perfectly but the time it took to set the stage between acts was painstakingly long… what’s the point of having a revolving stage if you are going to take a good ten minutes to switch sides and set it up? An English farce of this caliber is hard for the audience to grasp in the first place, and if you have long breaks between acts people will lose concentration and interest. And that’s just what happened! The Tom & Jerry background music that played while the sets were being changed did not help the situation at all.

Other then that I recommend that all you theatre enthusiasts go see the play there are still three performances left, it’s not every day that we have good quality theatre being performed by individuals who actually love the art form and pour their heart and soul into the performance.

P.S:

I completely forgot to mention Madiha Saail and Group, Madeha’s soft melodious voice kept the audience entertained before the play began. The group is worth mentioning, for I loved their original song, the lyrics proved that the youth of this nation ‘does’ care. Keep up the good work guys.

We look forward to seeing more quality theatre from Production Illusions’ team, and hope that the next play will be more culturally in sync with our traditions. I loved Ian’s interview in Tribune on the subject, way to go!

Coke Studio-The Final Show down

2010-08-01T23:22:00.015+05:00

August 1st saw the airing of Coke studio’s Final Episode : “Realisation”
Since the day also marks the countdown to Independence Day, it was no wonder that episode 5 followed the theme of patriotism and started with a cover of Madam Noor Jahan’s classic 60’s war song “AAe Wattan Kay Sajeelay Jawanon”

Amanat Ali Khan gave a very lackluster performance of Ae Wattan Kay Sajeelay Jawanon.
But no matter who sings it,the lyrics are so moving you cant help but feel good about your countrymen.Plus it is 1st august, when 14th is looming above your heads, you start liking the song even if it sounds like the ones you sang on the Defence Day Functions at school, with the school band providing the marching drum beats.
No credit for Amanat Ali here, he basically wasted two opportunities with a mediocrity that was Aisha and now this.

Next came the amazing Tina Sani with her rendition of Nawai Ne.
It was a blend of powerful vocals and various instruments.The very Folk inspired violin tune added to the song and the Flute provided the perfect buildup at the end of the song, merging well with Gumby’s drumming.

Sanam Marvi sang Manzil-e-Sufi.
A new find of Coke Studio, Sanam sings exceptionally well, even though her earlier rendition of Pritam wasn’t that great.She did show her talents in Huq-mujood and in Episode 5, does a pretty good job too.Although her voice came off hoarse in the beginning, overall the performance wasn’t bad.

Abida Parveen gave her third performance of this season with Soz-e-Ishq
She is the clear winner of this season. The true “living legend”.No matter how loud or horrible the house band plays, she does her job , holds her own ground and delivers!!
Simply Brilliant.

Rizwan and Muazzam performed Jana Jogi Dey Naal.
They sounded great and made you remember the great Ustad Nustrat Fateh Ali Khan.The song was full of energy ,and the different variations of vocals and sur they put in gelled well with the contemporary drums and guitar sound, fusion at its best!

Other than the performances,every singer of this season also gave their messages about their performances.Mostly they were about how they were showcasing unity through music and promoting Pakistan's Culture.

Even though Season three failed plenty of expectations, with too much hype and some very mediocre performances, it had its moments too.
Arif Lohar and Meesha’s collaboration of Alif Allah,Abida Parveen’s three amazing performances and Rizwan and Muazams qawalis provided magic for the ears this season.
And Tina Sani,Noori and Zeb and Haniya showed us what true composers can do. Noori's Hor ve Neevan ho and Zeb and Haniya's Bibi Sanam Janam was awesomely awwsome, best 'tunes' of the season.
While Amanat Ali, Karavan and E.P pretty much wasted their opportunity to showcase their songs.Meesha Shafi became a overnight sensation and ADP-Aunty Disco Project, (they have a very very loyal fan following in khi and lahore) have gained new fans too. Their Performance of Sultanat was fantastic!

PS:
Coke Studio over time has established it self as a platform of class and quality as far as contemporary and folk/cultural music goes. I think instead of just picking artists with illustrious backgrounds (mostly foreign desi returns), they should have a nation wide talent hunt not just from the major metropolis's of the country but at grass root level, to promote artist who would otherwise never get a chance and might end up being better then many being showcased on the show as 'young and upcoming talent'.

Coke Studio's Official Website.

Salt (2010) ***

2010-07-31T04:12:00.000+05:00

Rating PG-13

Be ready for 100 minutes of extreme action which will leave you confused… yes confused, whatever happened in the end??? I don’t believe in ruining movies for others so I keep my reviews for the most part matter of fact and simple, but for this one, on the way back from the theatre we actually had an argument: did he die? (So as to not ruin it for you I will not mention who) If he didn’t then what was all the fuss about? A sequel I presume.

Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is a CIA agent who is also a Russian sleeper spy. The plot begins when a captured Russian agent during interrogation reveals Salt’s identity. From then on it’s a lot of crashing, bashing and then some more bashing (kick, punch, shoot: repeat). The first half of the movie will keep you guessing but then it falls flat. This is Kurt Wimmer’s (Law Abiding Citizen) second movie as screen writer, I for one expected the screen play to be better than his first attempt, but then again expectations tend to disappoint.

What kept the movie together was Jolie’s performance, other than that the plot was skimpy thin, the action scenes were horribly shot and the score of the movie was even worse. The movie had a Bourne Identity/Bond feel to it minus the depth. The nuclear war incident ‘day x’ which could have been played upon to give the movie some volume went by as if it were an ice cream truck passing by your street in winters: zero consequence.

All in all I won’t say it was a bad watch, it was action fluff, a popcorn flick. If you have time on your hands and money to spare go watch it, otherwise wait for it to show on TV, no sweat you won’t be missing much.

P.S:

Hey, Jolie if you are reading this please put on some weight! You look emaciated and extremely malnourished, isn’t Brad feeding you? It breaks my heart to see you looking so ill, and Philip Noyce (director) made you kick and punch so many men… hope you are ok… how are the kids?

Watch Trailer HERE
Official Website

Link for downloading movie online for free, or streaming live will be posted as soon as its available.

Despicable Me (2010)***

2010-07-27T01:59:00.000+05:00

After the Hilarious action-comedy with Tina Fey in Date Night Steve Carell is back .
This time lending his voice to the super villainous character of Gru in Disney-Pixar’s latest animated offering “Despicable Me”.

Despicable Me is about Dr.Gru( Carell) a criminal mastermind with serious mommy-issues, who lives alone in a house built over his super secret lab that’s being run by hundreds of tiny yellow minions.
Gru feels that he is loosing his touch at villainy after a new, younger villain Vector( Jason Segal) surfaces. Vector has outdone Gru’s claim to fame by pulling off the biggest heist of the century.He stole the Pyramid of Giza.So Gru along with his mad scientist buddy Dr.Nefario (Russel Brand) concocts a scheme to steal something even bigger.
Gru, ladies and gentleman, plans to steal the Moon!

But for the completion of his scheme he need a loan from the Bank of Evil.And to secure that loan from bank, he needs a shrink ray which is being kept in a vault in Vector’s high security home.
After his failed attempt to steal the shrink ray,Gru realizes that the only way he can get into vector’s home is through three little orphan girls who are selling girl scout cookies.
So he adopt the girls only so they will serve his purpose, not realizing that the girls will succeed in melting his cold heart and turning him from Super Bad to Super Dad.

Steve Carell adapts a heavily accented voice and gives a good delivery that makes his evil character likable but his minions were the real jokers in the movie.
The little girls were just adorable, specially the two younger ones. The dialogue wasn’t hilarious but it is pretty funny at times. The story line was cute with a few very sweet-mushy moments and it ends with the regular happy ending.
Not the best animated movie of this year, but definitely recommended for modest laughs.

Watch trailer HERE.
Official Website