Ponyo On the Cliff

 This post is because I believe no Miyazaki film should be missed out in here if I had watched it. 'Ponyo' (2008)has got all usual Miyazaki elements, 'Strong feminine' , lush green country(sea) side, Innocent childhood to the minute details including their big mouthed cry/laugher and fast paced movements, a serious liking towards the elements of nature (if it was woods in Totoro, its ocean in Ponyo), and 'spirits' that rule Japanese mythology. But, above all, its the heart that he puts in to his craft that makes his works unique. For example, in the time of extreme CGI, he preferred hand drawn animation with at least 1,70,000 images to produce Ponyo. On Animation front, Ponyo or any Miyazaki movie doesn't offer the CGI built perfection that Disney offers with its own works like 'Tangled' ,but the magic he creates with his pure animation technique is so interesting and so incomparable, that make each of his characters into a cult status.  Compare his works with disney's classics like 'Dumbo' and you would be surprised to find the similarity in the techniques that Miyazaki uses in the modern world. May be this simplicity is what that makes movies like dumbo defy the age. Worldwide adaption of miyazaki movies and themes are the result of his way of simple story telling. There are western critics who criticize miyazaki for poor characterization and they blame he doesn't try to show the real expressions of adults (an over stressed mother is missing in Ponyo, when her husband is in rough sea fighting for his life) but, I believe its more to do with the Japanese culture or their human nature in comparison to the western. Miyazaki celebrates strong feminine side of his women leads, who would wield a sword rather than to lie down and weep.

Hotel Transylvania

Spirited Away

 Lets look on the brief about the hyped up 2012 Hollywood animation movie Hotel Transylvania, "The film tells a story of Dracula, the owner of Hotel Transylvania, where the world's monsters can take a rest from human civilization. Dracula invites some of the most famous monsters..." and, an uninvited human intervention actually creates the story. Now, isn't the plot sounds similar? Yes, Its miyazaki's 'Spirited Away', and Hollywood keeps adapting this Asian genius,who else can offer such complex yet captivating stories for children with such beautiful animation.

Bobby against the World!

It was said, Bobby Fischer to chess was like Mohammad Ali to Boxing.That could be true in some sense. If Ali could popularize boxing all over the world with his knockout bouts and equally powerful tongue lashes, it was Bobby Fischer's mercuric rise into the chess-world and the mad genius of the man that popularized chess all over the world. Historians calls this as 'Fischer Boom' . May be he was much more than a Mohammed Ali of chess, some one who rose up and fought America's cold war on his own. Fischer's war was not against the politics of USSR even though he despised 'commies', it was against the 'Soviet dominance in chess, and the politics that ruled it. His war was not simple, as it was a one man army marching against the whole chess machinery of the largest nation in the world, where chess was taught in schools and played in all most all levels of society,which  produced world chess champions with scientific precision.Chess was definitely a religion in United Soviet Socialist Republic back then, and they always considered chess as the metaphor for intellectual supremacy which the soviet regime wanted to showcase to rest of the world. Bobby Fischer, a shy Brooklyn school boy of a broken mother,who played 'game of the century' at the age of 13, youngest American champion at the age of 14 had come of age to qualify for the world championship candidates once again in 1972 . He crushed Mark Taimanov 6-0, Bent Larsen of Sweden 6-0, Former world champion Tigran Petrosian 6.5/2.5  and marched on to clinch the world title from Boris Spassky by the score 12.5-8.5 at Reykjavik, Iceland. In 1972 Fide Ratings,Fischer was on 2875, 125 points ahead world number two Spassky, and as expected and badly wanted by all Americans  Fischer became 11th world Champion. But this story is not as simple as I put in a paragraph. It was full of struggle, drama, total madness and above all a magical  story with a fairy tale finish.

Reading the book 'Endgame: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Bobby Fischer'  by Frank Brady was an amazing experience. Brady has a beautiful, simple and a very unbiased way of writing. Unlike other biographies Brady is not trying to glorify his subject. He is just drawing the sketch of Fischer that he knew.  It was definitely like 'knowing' Fischer. He was arguably the most hated and the most loved chess player at the same time but unarguably the most admired chess genius ever. Icing on the cake was watching the documentary 'Bobby Fischer Against The World'  a wonderful biopic by Liz Garbus immediately after reading the book. It was like seeing the 'text' that  I just had read coming alive on screen. This had never happened before.
   
     Fischer and spassky were hyped as arch rivals and '1972 Reykjavik' was nothing less than a war. But, in fact 1972 was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between these two geniuses of chess. They respected each other. Bad mouthed Fischer never uttered anything against spassky ever  and spassky considered him as his brother. When Fischer was imprisoned  in Japan for months , spassky commented that he wanted to be in the same cell with bobby so that they could play chess.  After losing in 1972 against bobby he said, Fischer was an 'artist' and after prize giving ceremony bobby bought a camera and sent to Spassky's hotel. Spassky was instrumental in introducing a woman to bobby whom he thought bobby could marry; a decision which he regretted later.When bobby passed away, Spassky said, he lost his brother. In the return match of 1972's war, Spassky lost again to Fischer. It was in Yugoslavia in the year 1992, named 'Revenge Match of the Century'. Spassky later mentioned, even though he wanted to win, he wanted Fischer to win that championship more, as he was afraid, losing that match would send Fischer back to oblivion again. 

What ever was the outcome of the match, Fischer was issued an arrest warrant by US government for playing in Yugoslavia, a nation that was under US Sanction. Fischer never took it seriously, In fact he publicly spat on the letter that was sent to him about it. But, when United States of America decided to chase their own hero,  it was the beginning of  Fischer's true 'End Game' which he would never win. Now the same fate is happening to Spassky, who was living in France for long time now, has ran away from France and took shelter in Moscow few days back. Unlike his friend, it was not a country that wanted him to be dead, it was his own wife. Or is it like, both the friends shared 'Paranoia' (Fischer's real problem according to the experts) apart from their beautiful friendship.

An interesting and arguably the most honest work on bobby Fischer's life ever 'End Game' is a must read for any one who loves chess.After all it was written by some one who walked with Fischer.  It was like unraveling the most mysterious man who intrigued the world with a board game for years together.The same goes to the HBO original, 'Bobby Fischer against the world'.it's more dramatic than your favorite drama. When Fischer refused to take treatment for his ailment and finally died in an hospital in Iceland, he was 64 years old, exactly the number of squares on a chess board, what else can be more dramatic.

Everything you always wanted to know about....!

It seems like Woody Allen movies don't feel the age. They're still totally entertaining, totally mesmerizing, and his penchant for ultimate sarcasm still seems totally shaking. I am talking about his brave, crazy, spoof movie 'Everything you always wanted to know about sex(but were afraid to ask)'. This could be my second movie with a real long name after Kubrick's 'Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb'

'Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask)' is actually a book by Dr.David Reuben, originally published in 1969 which was translated into 54 different languages. Hype and Impact of this book in the popular American culture was so much so that, Woody Allen decided to make a parody of this in his 1972 movie

Movie is designed in chapters as it intends to explore and clarify some mythical beliefs about certain notions related to sexuality or the psychological side of it.Intentions very soon turn out as less noble on contrary to the book, but a great comical way to make pooh-pooh about those very notions. Most of the men's and women magazines pen tons of pages about such 'clinical' advices even though almost everyone know about it, as they are one column which would never lose attention. Now this is sir Woody's take on clearing the world's doubts and there goes Sarcasm at it's best.

Out of seven different movies with in it, my pick is certainly 'What is Sodomy? ' about two middle aged men of two different class, falling in love with an Armenian sheep.Are we dealing with the ugliest term 'bestiality'. No we're not. Its just a humorous take on the meaningless and super glorified 'true' love. The most beautiful element is definitely the great Gene Wilder whose, 'Dr.Ross' was totally convincing.

'What are sex perverts' is a nice parody of the famous US game show of 70' 'Whats my line' but, I feel its totally relevant now in India as the whole Indians going gaga over their favorite reality shows.Sir woody, would not miss a slightest chance to whip on the religions as he does to the Jews in this movie, portraying a Rabbi who had the secret fascination of being spanked by some gorgeous slutty blonds.

I found the movie 'Are the Findings of Doctors and Clinics Who Do Sexual Research and Experiments Accurate? ' a  super blow on the, most favorite Hollywood theme, 'one super hero rises to save the world' .Is n't it hilarious , when our hero announces “ don't worry! I know how to handle %&$#”'

Movies 'Are Transvestites Homosexuals? ' and 'Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching an Orgasm? ' , are interestingly funny where, the 'Do Aphrodisiacs Work?' takes on False chastity and extreme morality and pride of the Victorian era. 'What Happens During Ejaculation? ' was the craziest example of woody;s extreme imagination and he was right there dressed up as an Innocent sperm all scared to go out .

And after all, Woody was the one who said once.

“In my next life I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way. Then you wake up in an old people's home feeling better every day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day. You work for 40 years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, then you are ready for high school. You then go to primary school, you become a kid, you play. You have no responsibilities, you become a baby until you are born. And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa-like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then Voila! You finish off as an orgasm!”

Amazing Woody! Isn't it?