Submitted by Adam Shaftoe (@AdamShaftoe)
Good ideas might have gone for a dime a dozen last century but in the era of social media clever thoughts are as free as the air you breathe. In the context of movie reviews, so many free opinions can create an interesting, but potentially explosive, environment. When a website like Mombo.com aggregates tens of thousands of ideas about a particular movie into an easily digested score, long form reviewers might find themselves feeling a little redundant. Why bother writing a thousand word review when social media reflects an immediate consensus that is popular and perhaps even critically sound? Rather than argue one side against the other, perhaps there is a third way where social media based reviewing is a partner in the critical process, rather than a threat.
Suppose somebody asks me what I think about a particular movie. Were I to respond
with, “Terrible, just terrible. It made Battlefield Earth look sublime,” there would be little doubt about my thoughts on the movie. However, I can’t think of many people who would let the discussion end there. Panning a movie as I just did would likely require a suitable explanation. That explanation is at the core of the debate at hand. Where social media offers a vast repository of ideas on movies, long form reviews present ideas refined into arguments with requisite evidence. In that light, the notion that one form of review is somehow better than the other is utterly ludicrous. Depending solely on micro reviews is to live in a world that is devoid of
context, explanation or even the barest of plot summaries. At the same time, eschewing micro reviews in favour of the long form is to ignore what thousands of people have to say about a movie. So if these two approaches to reviewing are just opposite sides of the same coin, how can the two methods better work together?
First and foremost, all reviewers, regardless of their philosophy, should recognize that spoiling movies makes us collectively look bad. I have read countless long form reviews that make seeing the movie in question an optional experience. Even if the movie is terrible, somebody may want to see it. With that in mind, micro reviews likely find some additional popularity in the fact that it is hard to spoil a movie in one-hundred forty characters. Thus, the first step in working together is to make sure that we don’t drive ourselves to irrelevancy with clumsy reviews.
More importantly, we as reviewers need to start including each other in our conversations. It’s easy enough for micro reviewers to link to a long form review that lines up with their thoughts. Similarly, long form reviewers might take a moment to recognize a pithy tweet or respond to a consensus about a movie if their review takes an opposing position. What’s the harm in a little more collaboration? Since we, as reviewers and critics, are all in the business of helping people wisely invest their movie watching time, it seems logical that we should be mindful of larger discussions.
Ultimately, if we combine our efforts as critics, reviewers and commenters and in doing so foster a critical environment where new voices are welcome, we may make ourselves that much more relevant to the business of movie making. Rather than passively watching movies, we could become active members within a system that has relied on a silent audience for nearly a century. Movie studios would be hard pressed to ignore their audience at large, each member therein an empowered critic, when deciding what is deemed profitable. If that means better movies for all of us, then I say bring on the writers, regardless of their chosen form.
Adam Shaftoe is a freelance writer and blogger based in St. Catharines, Ontario. He holds a Master of Arts degree in History from the University of Western Ontario. His reviews, rants and podcasts can be found at www.pageofreviews.com
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Remove that gossip blog from your tabbed websites
Submitted by Andrew Cochran (@Chaotician)
After having watched the Japanese film Sansho the Bailiff by the great director Kenji Mizoguchi, I googled “Kenji Mizoguchi quotes” to find some of his perspective on aspects of filmmaking. His films employ the long take, something we hardly see in current cinema, but was once used frequently, perhaps most notably to American cinephiles in Alfred Hitchcock’s great film Rope. In searching for Mizoguchi quotes I had hoped to find something he might have said about his favored technique. Instead of finding a quote ready-made for posting to my Facebook wall, I discovered several celebrity gossip sites, and one that would even answer the question “Who’s Dated Who?” Just what I wanted to know! Who has Mizoguchi dated? Did he have an affair, and if so, with who? Any drug arrests?
But wait just a minute. That wasn’t why I googled his name. So why did I get all of that delivered right to my cyber-doorstep? I did not even care to know any of that. More importantly, it really isn’t any of my business to know. But it seems we constantly hear about these kinds of carnal details. Remember back in 2005 when an action film called Mr. and Mrs. Smith came out? It had a decent amount of hype to it, and it got some critical recognition. But what got even more hype was the rumored on-set romance between the stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The media absolutely erupted when the rumor was confirmed to be true. Pitt left his wife Jennifer Aniston for Jolie! And I shouldn’t even mention the tabloids, but I will. On every magazine stand at every grocery store sits the 15 or so different magazines detailing who gained some weight, who cheated on who, and who just got arrested for drunk driving. The media absolutely loves this stuff. And who can blame them? It makes them money, because we buy it. We buy into this culture of gossip. It is not just about the movies; it’s about the stars as well. We, as a culture, love hearing, reading, and talking about celebrity gossip.
It’s for this same reason that we now have an overabundance of reality shows. The Discovery Channel isn’t really about discovery anymore. Their number one show, Deadliest Catch, sounds extremely interesting. When I first heard the title I thought it was about fishermen catching and talking about deadly animals they catch. But it’s just a reality show about guys in “extremely dangerous” situations cursing and swearing at each other. These guys are stars. They may have been in dangerous situations before, but not now. They’re moneymakers now. The same thing goes for Animal Planet. People like Jeff Corwin and Steve Irwin (RIP) worked to educate viewers. Now Animal Planet has reality shows like Pit Bulls and Parolees. We, as a culture, love seeing confrontations and talking about gossip.
And there is no way to change it. It’s the way things are. But for those of you who consider yourselves true fans of film, respect the stars and directors. Don’t crave to know the gritty details about their personal lives. If you give in to the tabloids, save yourself the time, money, and mental welfare and quit reading them. Remove that gossip blog from your tabbed websites. And for goodness’ sake, do not watch Entertainment Tonight.
Andrew Cochran's blog is http://morehuman.tumblr.com/, where he writes his opinions, reviews, and anything else he feels like linking to and talking about
After having watched the Japanese film Sansho the Bailiff by the great director Kenji Mizoguchi, I googled “Kenji Mizoguchi quotes” to find some of his perspective on aspects of filmmaking. His films employ the long take, something we hardly see in current cinema, but was once used frequently, perhaps most notably to American cinephiles in Alfred Hitchcock’s great film Rope. In searching for Mizoguchi quotes I had hoped to find something he might have said about his favored technique. Instead of finding a quote ready-made for posting to my Facebook wall, I discovered several celebrity gossip sites, and one that would even answer the question “Who’s Dated Who?” Just what I wanted to know! Who has Mizoguchi dated? Did he have an affair, and if so, with who? Any drug arrests?
But wait just a minute. That wasn’t why I googled his name. So why did I get all of that delivered right to my cyber-doorstep? I did not even care to know any of that. More importantly, it really isn’t any of my business to know. But it seems we constantly hear about these kinds of carnal details. Remember back in 2005 when an action film called Mr. and Mrs. Smith came out? It had a decent amount of hype to it, and it got some critical recognition. But what got even more hype was the rumored on-set romance between the stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The media absolutely erupted when the rumor was confirmed to be true. Pitt left his wife Jennifer Aniston for Jolie! And I shouldn’t even mention the tabloids, but I will. On every magazine stand at every grocery store sits the 15 or so different magazines detailing who gained some weight, who cheated on who, and who just got arrested for drunk driving. The media absolutely loves this stuff. And who can blame them? It makes them money, because we buy it. We buy into this culture of gossip. It is not just about the movies; it’s about the stars as well. We, as a culture, love hearing, reading, and talking about celebrity gossip.
It’s for this same reason that we now have an overabundance of reality shows. The Discovery Channel isn’t really about discovery anymore. Their number one show, Deadliest Catch, sounds extremely interesting. When I first heard the title I thought it was about fishermen catching and talking about deadly animals they catch. But it’s just a reality show about guys in “extremely dangerous” situations cursing and swearing at each other. These guys are stars. They may have been in dangerous situations before, but not now. They’re moneymakers now. The same thing goes for Animal Planet. People like Jeff Corwin and Steve Irwin (RIP) worked to educate viewers. Now Animal Planet has reality shows like Pit Bulls and Parolees. We, as a culture, love seeing confrontations and talking about gossip.
And there is no way to change it. It’s the way things are. But for those of you who consider yourselves true fans of film, respect the stars and directors. Don’t crave to know the gritty details about their personal lives. If you give in to the tabloids, save yourself the time, money, and mental welfare and quit reading them. Remove that gossip blog from your tabbed websites. And for goodness’ sake, do not watch Entertainment Tonight.
Andrew Cochran's blog is http://morehuman.tumblr.com/, where he writes his opinions, reviews, and anything else he feels like linking to and talking about
Friday, March 11, 2011
The Scary State of the Horror Genre
Submitted by Andrew Klass (@ShockorNot)
What movie scared you the most? For me, it's the release of The Roommate. No, it's not because the movie accomplished what it set out to do. What made The Roommate the absolutely, most terrifying film I've seen is the fact that this represents the awful state the horror genre is in. This movie is the perfect example of how horror is becoming an overplayed, tired and boring section of the film industry. Reusing themes, substituting gore and loud sudden noises for actual scares. When is the last time Hollywood produced a horror film that really got to you? What was the last horror movie that made you nervous to do certain things? That still had you thinking about it a day or two after you saw it? I would have to think long and hard about that question and that makes me weep for this wonderful genre.
Horror is a genre of film that pulls emotions and reactions out of the audience that the others can't. A good horror film makes you question the things around you. It makes you think twice about swimming at the beach, or taking a shower, or being alone. A truly good horror film leaves residual emotions and fear in you for days or sometimes years. Where have these types of films and filmmakers gone? Why did these mentalities die out with the filmmakers of old? Why is it so difficult for Hollywood to carry that flame? This needs to be fixed. The genre needs to be saved from permanently becoming this vicious cycle of recycled material and cheap scares.
A truly good film is a work of art. Good works of art push boundaries, explore new ideas, make the viewer think, and leave a lasting impression. The only impression a film like The Roommate left on me is one of sorrow for the life of horror films. A fire needs to be lit under the butt of the horror filmmakers of Hollywood. They need to find inspiration in something other than a large paycheck. They need to find the artist within and rekindle that passion that made them want to get into the business in the first place. This wonderful art form is suffering and we need to do all we can to keep it afloat and bring it back to the glory days. America used to be in the forefront of horror, but now its best horror films are remakes of amazing films from Sweden and France. They are even remaking good American horror films because they’ve run out of ideas. Or, in the case of Disturbia, are just blatantly ripping them off. In fact, Disturbia, was so similar to Rear Window, it led to a lawsuit struck up by the production company behind the Hitchcock classic. A well deserved lawsuit in my opinion.
At this point it’s the independent filmmakers that are the ones still keeping hope alive for us. Hollywood needs to dig deep, find their depraved creativity and get back to making us fear going to sleep at night with unique stories and genuine scares. I’ve never wanted to be scared more in my life, and I hope they do so fast. The life of this genre is fading, but it’s not over until the undead, fat lady sings.
Please join me on my quest to watch and review the world's most shocking horror films by visiting my blog (http://shockornot.blogspot.com) and leave your suggestions of what I should watch next!
What movie scared you the most? For me, it's the release of The Roommate. No, it's not because the movie accomplished what it set out to do. What made The Roommate the absolutely, most terrifying film I've seen is the fact that this represents the awful state the horror genre is in. This movie is the perfect example of how horror is becoming an overplayed, tired and boring section of the film industry. Reusing themes, substituting gore and loud sudden noises for actual scares. When is the last time Hollywood produced a horror film that really got to you? What was the last horror movie that made you nervous to do certain things? That still had you thinking about it a day or two after you saw it? I would have to think long and hard about that question and that makes me weep for this wonderful genre.
Horror is a genre of film that pulls emotions and reactions out of the audience that the others can't. A good horror film makes you question the things around you. It makes you think twice about swimming at the beach, or taking a shower, or being alone. A truly good horror film leaves residual emotions and fear in you for days or sometimes years. Where have these types of films and filmmakers gone? Why did these mentalities die out with the filmmakers of old? Why is it so difficult for Hollywood to carry that flame? This needs to be fixed. The genre needs to be saved from permanently becoming this vicious cycle of recycled material and cheap scares.
A truly good film is a work of art. Good works of art push boundaries, explore new ideas, make the viewer think, and leave a lasting impression. The only impression a film like The Roommate left on me is one of sorrow for the life of horror films. A fire needs to be lit under the butt of the horror filmmakers of Hollywood. They need to find inspiration in something other than a large paycheck. They need to find the artist within and rekindle that passion that made them want to get into the business in the first place. This wonderful art form is suffering and we need to do all we can to keep it afloat and bring it back to the glory days. America used to be in the forefront of horror, but now its best horror films are remakes of amazing films from Sweden and France. They are even remaking good American horror films because they’ve run out of ideas. Or, in the case of Disturbia, are just blatantly ripping them off. In fact, Disturbia, was so similar to Rear Window, it led to a lawsuit struck up by the production company behind the Hitchcock classic. A well deserved lawsuit in my opinion.
At this point it’s the independent filmmakers that are the ones still keeping hope alive for us. Hollywood needs to dig deep, find their depraved creativity and get back to making us fear going to sleep at night with unique stories and genuine scares. I’ve never wanted to be scared more in my life, and I hope they do so fast. The life of this genre is fading, but it’s not over until the undead, fat lady sings.
Please join me on my quest to watch and review the world's most shocking horror films by visiting my blog (http://shockornot.blogspot.com) and leave your suggestions of what I should watch next!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Twitter - The New Critic
Submitted by Emaan Khan (@MaaNey)
Twitter can instantly turn an average moviegoer into a critic. The micro-blogging site enables everyone to express their opinion, and if one's opinion is appreciated it increases their popularity instantly. Mombo.com accumulates all tweets (updates of twitter) on each particular movie and sums up a rating. Then who needs just one critic? Will long detailed reviews become obsolete like the newspaper? Yes, I believe they will but only time can tell.
Even celebrities (actors,directors,writers etc) not associated with a particular movie have voiced their opinions (positive or negative) on twitter which gives a completely different perspective. Approachability towards a celebrity has been maximized and therefore the results of a movie's success or failure have become transparent. Actors and movie makers can directly hear from audiences from across the globe through twitter. Does it get better than this? No, but at times it does get worse. Instant negative updates and feedback on movies can also damage the future of a movie and may be misleading. There are people out there who just want to voice negative opinions on one or all movies coated with humor. Humor is extremely attractive and at times deprives you of seeing a good movie. In such cases a website like Mombo.com plays integral part in the process of movie selection through ratings.
If I speak for the masses, we are generally only looking for a rating of a movie because not everybody reads all complete reviews. Things are moving fast due to an uproar of social media and its almost draining to stop and read pages and pages of analyses. Most people don't even have a critic that they follow therefore my reviews are much like Twitter, only 140 characters including rating. Rarely some special movies require double the characters but other than that I find this is enough to get your point across. Who am I? I'm the audience with an opinion therefore I am a critic. If you are expressing a value judgment then so are you.
Emaan's bio:
Bachelor's Honors degree: Biology & Pyschology from Trent University. Living in Toronto, Canada. Writer & Reviews Holly/Bollywood movies in 140 characters. Karan Johar's Unofficial Online Secretary! Approved by Karan Johar. Plays the famous MUK(MaaNey Unveils Karan) on Twitter. Join in at twitter.com/MaaNey. I Love Karan Johar & Ultimate Dream: to direct/write a Film for Dharma Productions. "Make your own Path, rather than following someone else's (who probably doesnt know where they are going to begin with)" - Emaan Khan Email: maaney@gmail.com, Blog: http://www.emaankhan.blogspot.com/
Twitter can instantly turn an average moviegoer into a critic. The micro-blogging site enables everyone to express their opinion, and if one's opinion is appreciated it increases their popularity instantly. Mombo.com accumulates all tweets (updates of twitter) on each particular movie and sums up a rating. Then who needs just one critic? Will long detailed reviews become obsolete like the newspaper? Yes, I believe they will but only time can tell.
Even celebrities (actors,directors,writers etc) not associated with a particular movie have voiced their opinions (positive or negative) on twitter which gives a completely different perspective. Approachability towards a celebrity has been maximized and therefore the results of a movie's success or failure have become transparent. Actors and movie makers can directly hear from audiences from across the globe through twitter. Does it get better than this? No, but at times it does get worse. Instant negative updates and feedback on movies can also damage the future of a movie and may be misleading. There are people out there who just want to voice negative opinions on one or all movies coated with humor. Humor is extremely attractive and at times deprives you of seeing a good movie. In such cases a website like Mombo.com plays integral part in the process of movie selection through ratings.
If I speak for the masses, we are generally only looking for a rating of a movie because not everybody reads all complete reviews. Things are moving fast due to an uproar of social media and its almost draining to stop and read pages and pages of analyses. Most people don't even have a critic that they follow therefore my reviews are much like Twitter, only 140 characters including rating. Rarely some special movies require double the characters but other than that I find this is enough to get your point across. Who am I? I'm the audience with an opinion therefore I am a critic. If you are expressing a value judgment then so are you.
Emaan's bio:
Bachelor's Honors degree: Biology & Pyschology from Trent University. Living in Toronto, Canada. Writer & Reviews Holly/Bollywood movies in 140 characters. Karan Johar's Unofficial Online Secretary! Approved by Karan Johar. Plays the famous MUK(MaaNey Unveils Karan) on Twitter. Join in at twitter.com/MaaNey. I Love Karan Johar & Ultimate Dream: to direct/write a Film for Dharma Productions. "Make your own Path, rather than following someone else's (who probably doesnt know where they are going to begin with)" - Emaan Khan Email: maaney@gmail.com, Blog: http://www.emaankhan.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
2011 Best Picture Nominees: My Short List
Submitted by The Virtual Nihilist (@virtualnihilist)
For the second year in a row, followers of The Academy Awards have to endure a longer list of movies nominated in the Best Picture Category. It used to be that only five films were nominated, but last year, for the very first time, they expanded the list to a total of 10. In a sense, increasing the list can be considered a good thing because movies that may have flown under the mainstream radar now may be acknowledged; also, since movies nominated in this category can sometimes get a box office boost, this can also be a good thing for business from an industry-wide perspective.
But there is at least one reason why you could argue that this expansion is a bad thing: there may not necessarily be as many as 10 movies that merit nomination. In truth, some have griped in years past that the Academy would be hard pressed to come up with a list of only five, never mind 10. However, in years where there are five deserving films, are the other five merely filler?
It is with this in mind that I wondered what would have been the nominees for this year if they kept to the old school limit of five films. While I certainly wouldn’t claim to be able to read the mind of the Academy members, I would like to submit which five I personally believe to be most deserving:
Black Swan – Director Darren Aronofsky has, in my view, never made an uninteresting film. In Black Swan, he has crafted something truly unique and Natalie Portman’s performance is nothing short of brilliant.
Inception – combining science fiction, action and a love story isn’t easy – but it was accomplished in this film, along with a very satisfying twist ending.
The King’s Speech – this is about as close to perfect as a movie can get: inspired performances by an outstanding cast and an inspirational story based on historic events. An excellent family picture, though marketed as such.
127 Hours – if you pitched a movie where the protagonist was alone on screen for most of the movie and in the same location for much of that time, you’d be laughed out of the executive’s office and told to go write a stage play. Yet somehow, the filmmakers made it all work.
The Social Network – another movie based on a true story, but one that’s more modern and whose complete history has not yet been told. It is difficult to tell a story about a protagonist who isn’t very sympathetic or heroic, yet somehow, the story is told through Zuckerberg’s eyes and we’re spellbound.
- The Virtual Nihilist
http://virtual-nihilist.blogspot.com/
For the second year in a row, followers of The Academy Awards have to endure a longer list of movies nominated in the Best Picture Category. It used to be that only five films were nominated, but last year, for the very first time, they expanded the list to a total of 10. In a sense, increasing the list can be considered a good thing because movies that may have flown under the mainstream radar now may be acknowledged; also, since movies nominated in this category can sometimes get a box office boost, this can also be a good thing for business from an industry-wide perspective.
But there is at least one reason why you could argue that this expansion is a bad thing: there may not necessarily be as many as 10 movies that merit nomination. In truth, some have griped in years past that the Academy would be hard pressed to come up with a list of only five, never mind 10. However, in years where there are five deserving films, are the other five merely filler?
It is with this in mind that I wondered what would have been the nominees for this year if they kept to the old school limit of five films. While I certainly wouldn’t claim to be able to read the mind of the Academy members, I would like to submit which five I personally believe to be most deserving:
Black Swan – Director Darren Aronofsky has, in my view, never made an uninteresting film. In Black Swan, he has crafted something truly unique and Natalie Portman’s performance is nothing short of brilliant.
Inception – combining science fiction, action and a love story isn’t easy – but it was accomplished in this film, along with a very satisfying twist ending.
The King’s Speech – this is about as close to perfect as a movie can get: inspired performances by an outstanding cast and an inspirational story based on historic events. An excellent family picture, though marketed as such.
127 Hours – if you pitched a movie where the protagonist was alone on screen for most of the movie and in the same location for much of that time, you’d be laughed out of the executive’s office and told to go write a stage play. Yet somehow, the filmmakers made it all work.
The Social Network – another movie based on a true story, but one that’s more modern and whose complete history has not yet been told. It is difficult to tell a story about a protagonist who isn’t very sympathetic or heroic, yet somehow, the story is told through Zuckerberg’s eyes and we’re spellbound.
- The Virtual Nihilist
http://virtual-nihilist.blogspot.com/
Friday, February 18, 2011
Bollywood Love for Coconuts: Part III – “Get in touch with your inner Bolly”
Submitted by Daniel_Pillai (@Daniel_Pillai)
Yes, that is right, you heard me! There is, deep down within us, no matter how much we try to deny it, an inner ‘Bolly’ bursting with excitement and ready to jump out! What is this inner ‘Bolly’ you ask? It is, at its core, the deep desire and passion for Bollywood cinema. Our inner Bollies crave masala entertainment, they scream and holler at the chance of meeting Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit and they get us all teary eyed during dramatic scenes. Sigh. Yup, that is our inner ‘Bolly’ in a nut shell.
So, how can this inner ‘Bolly’ be useful to us on a date? Well, in order to experience its benefits, we must learn to unleash it first. Here are three steps to finding and releasing our inner ‘Bolly’ and impress and excite our date in notable Bollywood style.
1. Stop Denying your love for Bollywood
Yup, that goes for you coconuts too! Whether you are passionate or not about Bollywood films, the first step is to admit that you have seen them. Yes, you may have walked in on your parents watching them and you were so repulsed you had to walk out of the room. Or you could have seen a few songs. Regardless, chances are you know who Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is and for North American mangoes and coconuts, you probably know the IIFA Awards are coming to Toronto. Embrace this knowledge and go with the flow…welcome in the idea of watching a colorful, vibrant film full of song and dance. Perhaps one of these films can be your date night, after dinner destination?
2. Do the Mombo!
For all the Mangoes out there Mombo Movies is a very useful tool to stay current with all the latest Bollywood films. It is also extremely useful for Coconuts too as they can see which films are being spoken about and trending, in real time, on Twitter. Twitter users, also known as “twitics” use Mombo as a rating system to rate, comment and suggest which of the latest films should be seen, this is also known as ‘crowd recommendations’.
Mombo Movies offers a special feature for Twitter users where they can access personalized film recommendations using their Twitter account, where reviews and recommendations are based on the “likes” and tweets from your friends (ie: people you follow).
*Time for a secret, Mombo will soon be adding a feature where you can get customized reviews using your Facebook account, shhhh*
What a wonderful way to get acquainted and release that inner ‘Bolly’.
3. Bollywood Spice
Spice up the ambiance with some Bollywood love. Familiarize yourself with the latest songs and Bollywood trends and you will be set to go. Now, as daunting as this may sound, it is actually pretty easy. Put on CD while doing chores or driving and let the air fill up with the love, cheese and masala that comes with Bollywood. Let it consume you and you will see…you’ll have a hundred lovers on hold. The important thing to remember is that your date will see that you are not afraid to be fun, entertaining and eclectic in your tastes while still being a fun desi at the same time.
4. Make a cocktail…a Bollywood cocktail
There is no better way to impress your date than with some color, a little bit of spice and a lot of zing. Yes, nowadays, the finest wines, liqueurs, fruit juices and sodas are enjoyable, but they just don’t have what it takes to impress that special someone. It is what you do with them that makes the night special…and possibly draw attention to your flair for style, passion for creativity and skills in the kitchen.
Bollywood Sangria
This is a wonderful way to add some color to your evening. A Sangria is a drink that evokes memories of summer and the coolness and exotic nature of the Mediterranean. But, at TwoMangoes, the intermingling of flavors and colors reminds us of a big, glossy, colorful and bright Bollywood dance number – it’s all about making it desi with us! To add that Bollywood zing, in place of a shot of Bourbon or Brandy as the video suggests, add some Ginger Liqueur and some Goldschlager (Cinnamon Schnapps) – with this you get the depth and the heat of Bollywood. Dazzle your tastebuds!
Do not fret, for those Mangoes and Coconuts that do not drink alcohol, you can still add some big Bollywood spice to your evening. Try this recipe.
Follow the same steps in the video, but with the ingredients below…
* ¼ cup of sugar
* 1 cup of orange juice
* ½ of a fresh lemon, ½ of a fresh orange
* 1 apple or peach
* 4 cups of club soda or seltzer water
* 4 cups of grape juice
…and to add that special TwoMangoes touch, add a few cinnamon sticks and freshly cut and peeled slices ginger along with the fruit and let it marinade overnight.
or how about….
…..a “Bollywood Smash” or as we like to call it at TwoMangoes “Bollywood Rang”
A shot of whiskey, Peach Schnapps, Mint Curacao, a spritz of a Lemon and a sprinkling of Brown Sugar (Served in Boston glass with a mint garnish). At TwoMangoes, we like to get create with alternatives. Try this… some Peach Nectar or Juice, a drop of mint and rum extract (non-alcoholic extracts available in the baking aisle at your local grocer), a splosh of lemonade, a spritz of lime juice, a sprinkling of brown sugar and a few mint leaves to garnish. Isn’t that just delish?
Do not wait…Let your inner ‘Bolly’ be seen! *Tali Baajao*
Prior posts in this series:
http://blog.twomangoes.com/bollywood-love-for-coconuts-part-i/
http://blog.twomangoes.com/bollywood-love-for-coconuts-part-2-season-of-love/
Yes, that is right, you heard me! There is, deep down within us, no matter how much we try to deny it, an inner ‘Bolly’ bursting with excitement and ready to jump out! What is this inner ‘Bolly’ you ask? It is, at its core, the deep desire and passion for Bollywood cinema. Our inner Bollies crave masala entertainment, they scream and holler at the chance of meeting Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit and they get us all teary eyed during dramatic scenes. Sigh. Yup, that is our inner ‘Bolly’ in a nut shell.
So, how can this inner ‘Bolly’ be useful to us on a date? Well, in order to experience its benefits, we must learn to unleash it first. Here are three steps to finding and releasing our inner ‘Bolly’ and impress and excite our date in notable Bollywood style.
1. Stop Denying your love for Bollywood
Yup, that goes for you coconuts too! Whether you are passionate or not about Bollywood films, the first step is to admit that you have seen them. Yes, you may have walked in on your parents watching them and you were so repulsed you had to walk out of the room. Or you could have seen a few songs. Regardless, chances are you know who Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is and for North American mangoes and coconuts, you probably know the IIFA Awards are coming to Toronto. Embrace this knowledge and go with the flow…welcome in the idea of watching a colorful, vibrant film full of song and dance. Perhaps one of these films can be your date night, after dinner destination?2. Do the Mombo!
For all the Mangoes out there Mombo Movies is a very useful tool to stay current with all the latest Bollywood films. It is also extremely useful for Coconuts too as they can see which films are being spoken about and trending, in real time, on Twitter. Twitter users, also known as “twitics” use Mombo as a rating system to rate, comment and suggest which of the latest films should be seen, this is also known as ‘crowd recommendations’.Mombo Movies offers a special feature for Twitter users where they can access personalized film recommendations using their Twitter account, where reviews and recommendations are based on the “likes” and tweets from your friends (ie: people you follow).
*Time for a secret, Mombo will soon be adding a feature where you can get customized reviews using your Facebook account, shhhh*
What a wonderful way to get acquainted and release that inner ‘Bolly’.
3. Bollywood Spice
Spice up the ambiance with some Bollywood love. Familiarize yourself with the latest songs and Bollywood trends and you will be set to go. Now, as daunting as this may sound, it is actually pretty easy. Put on CD while doing chores or driving and let the air fill up with the love, cheese and masala that comes with Bollywood. Let it consume you and you will see…you’ll have a hundred lovers on hold. The important thing to remember is that your date will see that you are not afraid to be fun, entertaining and eclectic in your tastes while still being a fun desi at the same time.4. Make a cocktail…a Bollywood cocktail
There is no better way to impress your date than with some color, a little bit of spice and a lot of zing. Yes, nowadays, the finest wines, liqueurs, fruit juices and sodas are enjoyable, but they just don’t have what it takes to impress that special someone. It is what you do with them that makes the night special…and possibly draw attention to your flair for style, passion for creativity and skills in the kitchen.
Bollywood Sangria
This is a wonderful way to add some color to your evening. A Sangria is a drink that evokes memories of summer and the coolness and exotic nature of the Mediterranean. But, at TwoMangoes, the intermingling of flavors and colors reminds us of a big, glossy, colorful and bright Bollywood dance number – it’s all about making it desi with us! To add that Bollywood zing, in place of a shot of Bourbon or Brandy as the video suggests, add some Ginger Liqueur and some Goldschlager (Cinnamon Schnapps) – with this you get the depth and the heat of Bollywood. Dazzle your tastebuds!
Do not fret, for those Mangoes and Coconuts that do not drink alcohol, you can still add some big Bollywood spice to your evening. Try this recipe.
Follow the same steps in the video, but with the ingredients below…
* ¼ cup of sugar
* 1 cup of orange juice
* ½ of a fresh lemon, ½ of a fresh orange
* 1 apple or peach
* 4 cups of club soda or seltzer water
* 4 cups of grape juice
…and to add that special TwoMangoes touch, add a few cinnamon sticks and freshly cut and peeled slices ginger along with the fruit and let it marinade overnight.
or how about….
…..a “Bollywood Smash” or as we like to call it at TwoMangoes “Bollywood Rang”
A shot of whiskey, Peach Schnapps, Mint Curacao, a spritz of a Lemon and a sprinkling of Brown Sugar (Served in Boston glass with a mint garnish). At TwoMangoes, we like to get create with alternatives. Try this… some Peach Nectar or Juice, a drop of mint and rum extract (non-alcoholic extracts available in the baking aisle at your local grocer), a splosh of lemonade, a spritz of lime juice, a sprinkling of brown sugar and a few mint leaves to garnish. Isn’t that just delish?
Do not wait…Let your inner ‘Bolly’ be seen! *Tali Baajao*
Prior posts in this series:
http://blog.twomangoes.com/bollywood-love-for-coconuts-part-i/
http://blog.twomangoes.com/bollywood-love-for-coconuts-part-2-season-of-love/
Daniel Pillai is the latest Mango edition to TwoMangoes.com dubbed the Journal Mango. He knows more about Bollywood than your grandmother and sweet auntie combined. Plus, he’s on a first name basis with a few Bollywood lovelies. He will be blogging about the latest and trending Bollywood films and how they can be incorporated into every day dating success.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Please Don't Forget About Charlie Chaplin
Submitted by Page Inciardi (@ACaryGrantFan)
I was having a conversation with a friend over the weekend and the subject of Classic Film and what we consider old versus what movie goers today consider a classic came up. I wondered out loud what young movie goers today will look back upon fondly in another thirty or forty years.
Although I started watching old black and white movies and the silents as a young girl with my mother, I realize not all movie goers develop a passion for film early on, nor do they list Charlie Chaplin, Ramon Novarro, Clara Bow or even Cary Grant among their favorite actors. Of course my appreciation for old films doesn't take away from my enjoying good movies today even though you have to wade through a lot of fluff to find something truly entertaining.
If I were to ask any movie fan under the age of twenty five to name their top five favorite films I wonder what their answer would be. I wouldn't expect Modern Times, Wings or Rebecca to be on their list but perhaps a true lover of film would have The English Patient, Schindlers List or even The Silence of the Lambs in their top five. After all they are films from the last 30 years. Now, I'm certainly not criticizing the latest generation of movie fans. For all I know there are millions who catch a great Greta Garbo movie on television or find a classic film festival showing in their city if theres not an interesting movie showing at the multiplex that weekend.
I really don't know what it is within someone that peaks their curiosity enough to seek out classic films then take the time to watch them. For some reason I can't see a college student bringing up Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and how thought provoking it was to her friends during her lunch hour. When a group of guys gather for a night of bonding I would be surprised if they watched Scarface and really enjoyed it. Of course I'm referring to the original Scarface from 1932. I might also be pleasantly surprised if one of my younger twitter followers sent out a tweet letting everyone know Out of Africa is being shown on television tonight and they can't wait to see it. If I were to venture over to Facebook and look through lists of a few teens favorite films I wonder if I would find anything that was released before 2000.
Unless there is that curiosity and the desire to actually look into the history of cinema all the way back to Birth of a Nation then forty years from now we can be certain the best part of our movie history will be all but forgotten. Sure Twilight is entertaining but so are The Thin Man series, The Philadelphia Story and Modern Times. I would hope our younger generation is curious enough to watch at least one of Charlie Chaplin's silent films with an open mind all while realizing he paved the way for the Jim Carey's and Jack Blacks to do comedy their way.
With the thousands of internet data bases dedicated to old film and even Top Films of each year going all the way back to the beginning there are plenty of resources available for finding old movies. I've even managed to find great copies of old films on Hulu and YouTube. So there really is no excuse for not knowing whats a "must see" just to have something to compare todays films to. And if all else fails ask your grand parents what their favorite film of all time is then surprise them with it one night.
As crazy as it sounds I used to rent movies with my step mother then we would dress up according to movie genre. Theres photos floating around out there of me dressed up like Norma Desmond and even Roller Girl for our viewing of Boogie Nights. All great evenings that were focused on film and family.
Hopefully once you've seen the great recent releases like The Kings Speech, The Fighter and Winter's Bone and theres not much left but Gulliver's Travels you will just skip it, grab your friends, find a great old black and white then dress up accordingly. I promise you it will be a night to remember and if nothing else you will have some great photos to laugh about in forty years.
Charlie Chaplin once confided to his wife shortly before his death that he was fearful he would be forgotten one day. I certainly hope not Charlie, that would be a tragedy.
I'll close now before I start on a rant about Drive-In theaters and why it means so much to keep them going.
I was having a conversation with a friend over the weekend and the subject of Classic Film and what we consider old versus what movie goers today consider a classic came up. I wondered out loud what young movie goers today will look back upon fondly in another thirty or forty years.
Although I started watching old black and white movies and the silents as a young girl with my mother, I realize not all movie goers develop a passion for film early on, nor do they list Charlie Chaplin, Ramon Novarro, Clara Bow or even Cary Grant among their favorite actors. Of course my appreciation for old films doesn't take away from my enjoying good movies today even though you have to wade through a lot of fluff to find something truly entertaining.
If I were to ask any movie fan under the age of twenty five to name their top five favorite films I wonder what their answer would be. I wouldn't expect Modern Times, Wings or Rebecca to be on their list but perhaps a true lover of film would have The English Patient, Schindlers List or even The Silence of the Lambs in their top five. After all they are films from the last 30 years. Now, I'm certainly not criticizing the latest generation of movie fans. For all I know there are millions who catch a great Greta Garbo movie on television or find a classic film festival showing in their city if theres not an interesting movie showing at the multiplex that weekend.
I really don't know what it is within someone that peaks their curiosity enough to seek out classic films then take the time to watch them. For some reason I can't see a college student bringing up Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and how thought provoking it was to her friends during her lunch hour. When a group of guys gather for a night of bonding I would be surprised if they watched Scarface and really enjoyed it. Of course I'm referring to the original Scarface from 1932. I might also be pleasantly surprised if one of my younger twitter followers sent out a tweet letting everyone know Out of Africa is being shown on television tonight and they can't wait to see it. If I were to venture over to Facebook and look through lists of a few teens favorite films I wonder if I would find anything that was released before 2000.
Unless there is that curiosity and the desire to actually look into the history of cinema all the way back to Birth of a Nation then forty years from now we can be certain the best part of our movie history will be all but forgotten. Sure Twilight is entertaining but so are The Thin Man series, The Philadelphia Story and Modern Times. I would hope our younger generation is curious enough to watch at least one of Charlie Chaplin's silent films with an open mind all while realizing he paved the way for the Jim Carey's and Jack Blacks to do comedy their way.
With the thousands of internet data bases dedicated to old film and even Top Films of each year going all the way back to the beginning there are plenty of resources available for finding old movies. I've even managed to find great copies of old films on Hulu and YouTube. So there really is no excuse for not knowing whats a "must see" just to have something to compare todays films to. And if all else fails ask your grand parents what their favorite film of all time is then surprise them with it one night.
As crazy as it sounds I used to rent movies with my step mother then we would dress up according to movie genre. Theres photos floating around out there of me dressed up like Norma Desmond and even Roller Girl for our viewing of Boogie Nights. All great evenings that were focused on film and family.
Hopefully once you've seen the great recent releases like The Kings Speech, The Fighter and Winter's Bone and theres not much left but Gulliver's Travels you will just skip it, grab your friends, find a great old black and white then dress up accordingly. I promise you it will be a night to remember and if nothing else you will have some great photos to laugh about in forty years.
Charlie Chaplin once confided to his wife shortly before his death that he was fearful he would be forgotten one day. I certainly hope not Charlie, that would be a tragedy.
I'll close now before I start on a rant about Drive-In theaters and why it means so much to keep them going.
Page Inciardi's website is http://myloveofoldhollywood.blogspot.com where she blogs about Classic Film from the Silents to the 1940's as well as her old Hollywood memorabilia.
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