Disney in a $4bn deal to buy Marvel

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Spider-Man and his Marvel Entertainment cohorts will join the Walt Disney Company in a $4 billion deal announced early Monday. Disney said in a statement that it would pay a combination of about 60 percent cash and 40 percent stock to acquire Marvel, which has a stable of some 5,000 characters that includes the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Captain America and Thor.

Kanthasamy ‘success meet’

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Vikram – complete with his rooster-inspired mask and cape – has flown up the box office ratings and straight into audiences’ hearts. And, in appreciation, producer Kalaipuli S Thanu threw a success meet for Kandasamy on August 30 in Chennai. All the key players – Vikram, Shriya, music director Devi Sri Prasad, cameraman Ekambaram and director Susi Ganeshan – were at the meet. “Kandasamy may have got some mixed responses from a certain section of the press, but there is nothing to about worry as the film is a super smash hit and has grossed a record Rs 37 crore worldwide in its first week,” Thanu said.

Alejandro Amenabar’s Agora: a gift for classicists (updated)

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Classicists are going to have a field day with Alejandro Amenábar’s Agora, which premiered yesterday at the Cannes film festival. Starring Rachel Weisz as Hypatia, the 4th- to 5th-century Alexandrian astronomer, philosopher and mathematician, who was brutally killed by an angry Christian mob, it avoids some of the pitfalls of movies set in the ancient world.

A still from Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zameen

What a wonderfully detailed shot this is..

Bachchan — 497

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“Hotels till recently remained within the boundaries. No one ever hesitated in declaring themselves a fiver. Until Dubai came about and the Burg-al-Arab, half way into the sea announced 7 stars for itself. So how is it that a Hotel has the liberty to address itself at the merit of 5 and Producers and Directors even after buying out critics never get there ! Must have something to do with the exchange rate !!”

Aamir once again confirms 3 Idiots for Christmas

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Aamir Khan, who is spending time with wife Kiran Rao after her miscarriage last month, says his much-awaited “3 Idiots” will hit the screens in December.

“Vinod (Vidhu Vinod Chopra) and Raju (Raj Kumar Hirani) tell me that the post production on ’3 Idiots’ is progressing well – so by the time I get back, the cut (final product) will be ready. Which means I can confirm to all those of you who have been repeatedly asking… yes, ’3 Idiots’ will be releasing on Christmas this year. I’ll see the cut once I get back,” he wrote on his blog.

He didn’t reveal his whereabouts, but informed: “Kiran and I are away from home, in one very quiet spot, just lying in and resting. Reading, going for walks, watching films.”

The actor says he is utilising his time to catch up on a few films and books – something that he hasn’t been able to do thanks to his chock-a-block schedules.

“There are so many films to see, and books to read. One life time is not enough. Books, I read, but films I never get down to seeing.

Lifetime achievement award for Shashi Kapoor at Mumbai Film Festival

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The 11th Mumbai Film Festival (MFF) organized by Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) is back and scheduled to take place from October 29 to November 5, 2009 in Mumbai. A Reliance Big Entertainment initiative, MFF has the distinction of being the only international film festival in India to be organized by an independent body of practicing film professionals.

A film culture in Dubai (NY Times)

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When the heiress Paris Hilton traveled here in June and July to audition female friends for her show “My New BFF,” her producers had access to state-of-the-art studios and a government eager to import a touch of Hollywood glamour to the Middle East. But to adhere to the region’s Islamic norms, many of the ingredients in reality TV were taboo: there would be no drinking, no cursing, no dramatic displays of affection. The producers thought about filming a scene at a water park, but passed on the option of dressing the contestants in religiously appropriate swimwear.

Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet presented by Danny Boyle?

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According to the grapevine, Oscar winning director Danny Boyle is all set to present a film directed by Anurag Kayshap. The two grew close since the time Danny introduced a new camera to Kayshap for his last film Dev D.

JayShah’s Saturday Box Office Column – Sikander/Shadow woeful; Kaminey falls

New Releases

Sikander & Shadow

Last week’s new releases both had an extremely poor showing at the box office. Sikander collected around 40-50 lakhs and was accompanied with mixed reviews. Shadow accumulated a similar total; both films lacked publicity and were relying heavily on post release word of mouth. With a lot of new releases this week, both Sikander and Shadow stand little chance of a boost in collections in week two.

Past Releases

Kaminey

Kaminey fell surprisingly in the second week of its run despite the film opening in Pune on Monday and having a full week of collections from Mumbai.

Rahul Bose interview

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Actor-social activist Rahul Bose feels that movies can’t change society but can help make sensible people “more sensible”.

“Films have a small impact on society – it can be negative or positive. But the impact is very little. But at the same time I feel movies can make sensible people more sensible and that sense of compassion will make you a better human being,” said Rahul.

The actor, known for his powerful performances in “English August” and “Mr. and Mrs. Iyer”, was here for a campaign.

“I’m into activism because I just feel like it. I strongly feel it from my heart. In my opinion, if you feel like doing some change for your society, do it from your heart, not from your brain. For me, issues like gender equality, communal harmony, climate change and child rights are of utmost priority. In my case, activism comes very naturally,” he said.

Baradwaj Rangan reviews POKKISHAM (Tamil; 2009)

EXCERPT:

“I wanted to shake these bratty SMS-era youngsters by the shoulder and tell them that this story needs this pace – if it’s a slow film, it’s because it isn’t set in a fast world. I wanted to tell them that this was, after all, the 1970s – an India of tonga carts and unsliced loaves of bread and two-rupee notes, and when people had to wait for days to hear from one another, either through letters or the tiresome mechanics of booking a trunk call over staticky communication lines. How easy it was, back then, to lose touch with people, who didn’t leave permanent footprints of their journey through life on, say, Facebook. (Today, you cannot shake off even the friends you want to lose.) It wasn’t unusual to graduate from school or college and have an entire set of people – and along with them, an entire part of your life – vanish into the ether, oftentimes without the comfort of closure. That’s the era this film attempts to evoke. When Lenin does not hear from Nadheera for weeks or months, we need to feel the length of this time elapse on screen – and the noonday-lethargy pacing of Pokkisham is very much a part of its design.”

Read the complete review HERE.

Economic Times on the slump in the satellite market

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Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone’s love story — Love Aaj Kal (LAK) was feted by both critics and the box office, leading to expectations at Saif’s production house (his first film as producer) to reap the same benefits from satellite rights, as his peers had done over the past two years. According to trade figures, the selling price was Rs 14-15 crore, not much for a hit. But so far, no one is buying at that price.

Chennai distributor raves over Kanthasamy week 1 numbers

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As per a collection report given by Abirami Ramanathan, the Chennai city distributor of Kanthaswamy, the film has taken “an extraordinary opening” Says Abirami Ramanathan: “For the first week in the city of Chennai the total gross collection ( from 21.08.2009 to 27.08.2009) is Rs. 1,73,43,778/-. This is a record in recent times for a Tamil film. This film was released by Abirami Mega Mall in 18 theatres in its first week”

Bachchan — 496

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“The children have migrated again. This time to Malshej Ghat, half way down to Nasik. They gather there for Mani Ratnam and ‘Ravana’ and for hopefully the very last schedule. I spoke to them a while ago and they were back in the wet and slush !!”

Malayalam cinema mourns the loss of three character actors

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One can’t really say that fear has been completely overcome by Indian cinema. And sadly to say just when a clutch of individuals seem to be proving that those fears are unfounded, providence interferes. One such instance was witnessed in the instance of Malayalam cinema – too soon, too quickly.

Vishal Bhardwaj interview

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It must be a coincidence that Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminey and Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds released within a week of each other to generous reviews–Bhardwaj has been dubbed the Indian Tarantino, if you will. “Yahaan sab itni jaldi label lagaa dete hain,” says the director, admitting that Tarantino’s work has been inspiring. Kaminey’s impressive performance at the box-office makes Bhardwaj a top league contender. In the film industry, where perceptions make and mar destinies, this success is nothing short of a godsend for the composer/filmmaker. For one, it changes the perception of Bhardwaj as a maker of artistically-acclaimed niche films such as Makdee, Maqbool and Omkara. Dhan te nan, if you will! The Rs 33 crore worldwide opening to this well-crafted film with superlative performances and impressive music has compelled even non-believers to come around.

Fox trailers (Sunny Deol, Arjun Rampal) (updated)

Kaminey picks all possible cinematic cliches

Kaminey picks all possible cinematic cliches
29 Aug 2009, 0330 hrs IST, Rakesh Bedi, ET Bureau

No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls — Ingmar Bergman

Life is just a game, a Playstation game. PS2 or PS3, you can decide. But it surely is a Playstation game. In Kaminey’s climax, Vishal Bhardwaj brings it out wonderfully well. In the denouement, a bit fuzzy but stunningly shot and put together with electric editing, Bhardwaj just demolishes the cliches of Bollywood. In ripping apart the stereotype, he gives us a prototype: a Bollywood that deals with alienation, a Bollywood that deals with angst, a Bollywood that deals with atrocity.

Bachchan — 494 & 495

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“The courts of law with their millions of millions of judgements and comments and interpretations and the masses of eminent brain power is a world of its own. The same for the accountants and their financial procedures and understanding of balance sheets and interest rates and tax saving consultancies and filings of returns. They conduct a life of their own. And commendably so.”
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“For cinema artists that rely a great deal on a spur of the moment delivery, a mood caught quite by accident because the time was right, or it just happened, the process shall not suffice when at an add., shoot. The repetition to achieve perfection is so intense that it could tire you out to such an extent that by the time you have given your 112th retake, you have forgotten your own name !!”