What I Saw This Week – 10 Movie Reviews

Here’s a quick round-up of my midnight movie sessions (new and repeats) during the last 2 weeks with reviews, ratings and download links of all the good flicks (wherever possible).

No Mercy (Richard Pearce, 1986/Thriller) – Richard Gere asks smokin-hot Kim Basinger How’s Bayou? And without waiting for a reply, handcuffs her into a S&M swampy love thang in the Louisiana outback. Basinger always seems doomed to play the unintelligent lust objects of good-looking, ruthlessly self-absorbed men, and here’s another performance to add to the roster. Gere’s looks are far more intense than his involvement in this part. A generic couple-on-the –lam thriller with more atmosphere than suspense but still watchable just for the electric chemistry between Gere and Basinger. Jeroen Krabbé also makes a great villain. Websnacker’s Rating – ***

Free Download DVDRIP Video weblink - Stagevu

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (John Hughes/1987/Comedy) – A worn-out advertising executive travelling home for Thanksgiving falls victim to an off-beat salesman when their plane is diverted due to bad weather. With no flights, it’s up to the two men to zigzag across country using any available means of transport, including the back of a farmer’s truck in a blizzard. A great comedy starring Steve Martin and the late John Candy made by the Home Alone director - the late John Hughes. The Cinemag "Total Film" has voted this movie the 10th greatest comedy film of all time. Websnacker’s Rating – ***1/2

Fled (Kevin Hooks/1996/Action/ Thriller) – A 90’s remake of The Defiant Ones (1958) starring Tony Curtis & Sidney Poitier, this features Lawrence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin as 2 prison escapees who race against time to find an incriminating computer disk that could either bring down the Cuban Mafia or get them killed –whichever comes first. Hunted by the mob as well as the cops, the fugitives realize that on either side of the law, they lose. Co-starring a hot Salma Hayek and Will Patton. Websnacker’s Rating – ***

Bogus (Norman Jewsion/1996/Fantasy) – When his mom dies, young Albert (Haley Joel Osment - Fifth Sense) is sent to live with his Mother’s friend, Harriet (Whoopi Goldberg). Albert also brings his imaginary friend along – a gentle Parisian named Bogus played with aplomb by the French Superstar (Gerard Depardieu). Part playmate and part guardian angel, Bogus leads Albert and Harriet through an enlightening experience of trust, imagination and emotional bonding. In spite of a big budget and big stars, this movie miserably failed at the box office and also earned a Razzie nomination for Whoopie Goldberg. Websnacker’s Rating – **1/2

Phenomenon (Jon Turteltaub/1996/Fantasy) – When an ordinary small town guy (John Travolta) is struck by a blinding light, he is gifted with amazing intelligence and godlike telekinetic powers. Though his newfound genius turns him into a celebrity, old friends start to shun him. But as his intellect grows, so does his understanding of humanity around him, and a compassion for those who fear the changes within him. Except for an ending that I didn’t relish, this is a great movie to watch that also stars Robert Duvall, Forest Whitaker and Kyra Sedgwick besides a splendid soundtrack featuring Peter Gabriel, Eric Clapton and more. Websnacker’s Rating – ***

Free Download DVDRIP Video weblink - Megaupload

A Shock To The System (Jan Egleson/1990/Thriller) – Michael Caine plays a New York advertising executive looking forward to his upcoming promotion. Everyone expects him to get it including his secretary, his co-workers and his wife. Not getting it would be…well… simply unacceptable. But his bosses pass him over because they say, he lacks the killer instinct. They are dead wrong. In this cold thriller, laced with wit and dry humor, Michael Caine lives out the fantasy that has probably been every junior executive’s dream at one time or another. Based on the novel of the same name by the British author Simon Brett. Will Patton, Elizabeth McGovern and Peter Riegert co star. Websnacker’s Rating – ***1/2

Free Download DVDRIP Video weblink - Stagevu

The Last of the Finest (John Mackenzie/1990/Action/Thriller) – Frank Daly is the head of a close knit undercover police unit. When close to cracking down on a drug kingpin, he and his unit are suspended. But these are not by-the-book cops. Instead of meekly complying; they mount their own renegade operation. What Daly and his squad members discover shocks even them; the drug operation is being protected by the federal government. Though Daly and his men know they are over-matched, they refuse to back down. A good action film starring Brian Dennehy, Bill Paxton, Joe Pantoliano and Jeff Fahey.Websnacker’s Rating – ***

The Prophet/ Un Prophete (Jacques Audiard/2009/Drama) – This 2010 Oscar nominated French import is a gritty, blood tinged prison drama set inside a small French prison. Featuring an atypical Arab Muslim hero, it defies stereotypical characterizations and explores multiracial and multicultural tensions that seem to define present day Europe. With stellar performances from the lead stars, a superb supporting cast and an eclectic euro soundtrack, this is a first rate foreign cinema that validates its Oscar credentials. Websnacker’s Rating – ****

Free Download Video weblink - Stagevu

Miss March (Trevor Moore/Zach Cregger/2009/Comedy) – Unless you wish to see a cheap imitation of Ace Ventura by one of the lead stars (who are also the film’s directors), this is a third rated sex comedy of a still-virgin loser who goes into coma during his first sexual encounter and then wakes up after 4 years to find that his girlfriend is now a Playboy Playmate. Barring a few genuinely funny jokes (which are really few) and a cameo by Playboy founder – Hugh Hefner which incidentally earned him a Razzie, this is forgettable fare. Websnacker’s Rating – *1/2

The Order aka The Sin Eater (Brian Helgeland/2003/Horror/Thriller)– Considering the fact that this had Heath Ledger, Peter Weller and was directed by Brian Helgeland, the writer of terrific movies like L.A.Confidential, Bourne Supremacy, Mystic River, the Taking of Pelham 123 besides many more, I had great expectations on this horror mystery thriller. Alas, this is an insipid muddle of Vatican religiosity and gothic drivel with some absolutely ridiculous dialogues that had me dozing off. Skip it. Websnacker’s Rating – *1/2

Flashback Wednesdays - Free Music Takeaway

Hard to Find Mp3 Rarities and More

This MP3 download post is a friend request that’s been pending for a long, long time. Not that I have been slothful but digging them out has been a herculean task of epic proportions. I use the word ‘Herculean’ since I have a colossal collection of ripped MP3s of various genres scattered around several computers and hard disks besides hundreds of cds and dvds of assorted denominations. Rummaging this enormous digital library of mine assembled over the last 10-12 years in one go this weekend had indeed been a taxing experience albeit a nostalgic trip to my evolving musical tastes and I enjoyed every bit of it.

I am sure you’ll all love this special collection of pop, pop rock and new wave hits (many of which you’ll probably hear for the first time). But before that, here’s a little history lesson on what’s in store inside.

On top is the hit single “Every Beat of the Heart” by the British rock band Railroad Children from their album “Recurrence" which became a No 1 Modern Rock hit in the US and also a Top 40 Hit in the UK. I have also added music from 3 Scottish Bands that demand a special mention. Del Amitri, the pop-rock guitar band from Glasgow; Geneva, British indie band from Aberdeen and my personal favorite pop rockers - The Big Dish with their immensely popular Top 40 UK hit single "Miss America".

For those of you, who thought Rupert Hines was just a producer for great acts like Underworld, Chris de Burgh, Tina Turner, Bob Geldof, Thompson Twins, Rush and many more, I have added a hit number “Arrested by You” from his solo ventures. You’ll also find Bruce Cockburn’s appealing anti-war anthem "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" (#88 in the US charts), WHO’s frontman Roger Daltrey’s 1985 hit “After The Fire" (#48 in the US charts), Warren Zevon’s sardonic radio hit "Searching for a Heart" and American songwriter Robbie Dupree’s 1981 hit "Brooklyn Girls" which scaled at #54 in the US charts.

Not forgetting my New Wave bias, you’ll find Eight Seconds' 1987 top-30 single "Kiss You (When It's Dangerous)" from their full-length album 'Almacantar', Eddie & the Tide’s “One in a Million” from their 1985 album “Go Out and Get It”, the 1987 hit “Kick the Wall” by Jimmy Davis & Junction and the super hit “To Live and Die in L.A.” from the movie/ soundtrack of the same name by the progressive British New Wave band - Wang Chung. It should be remembered that the movie’s director William Friedkin (Exorcist) was so impressed with their music that he purposely sought out Wang Chung to score for this 1985 cop drama starring Willem Dafoe and William Petersen.

For rarities, I have added Nick Gilder’s “Sabotage”, the hard to find Prime Movers' "Strong As I Am",

Shriekback's "This Big Hush" and Red 7's "Heartbeat” from the atmospheric soundtrack of Michael Mann's “Manhunter” – a prequel to the “Silence of the Lambs” that also incidentally starred William Petersen plus 2 superb tunes namely Tim Feehan’s “Where's the Fire” and La Marca’s “Hold on Blue Eyes” from the equally rare soundtrack of the Charlie Sheen supernatural flick “The Wraith”. Download and enjoy!

19 tracks in playlist, average track length: 4:21
Playlist length: 1 hour 22 minutes 54 seconds

1. Big Dish - Miss America (3:56)
2. Bruce Cockburn - If I Had a Rocket Launcher (4:59)
3. Del Amitri - Buttons On My Clothes (4:05)
4. Eddie and the Tide - One in a Million (4:07)
5. Eight Seconds - Kiss You (When It's Dangerous) (4:05)
6. Geneva - If You Have To Go (4:07)
7. Jimmy Davis & Junction - Kick The Wall (3:38)
8. La Marca - Hold on Blue Eyes(The Wraith Soundtrack) (4:01)
9. Nick Gilder - Sabotage (3:56)
10. The Prime Movers - Strong As I Am (4:36)
11. Railway Children - Every Beat of the Heart (4:08)
12. Red 7 - Heartbeat.mp3 (4:20)
13. Robbie Dupree - Brooklyn Girls (3:26)
14. Roger Daltrey - After The Fire (4:37)
15. Rupert Hine - Arrested By You (5:07)
16. Shriekback - This Big Hush (Manhunter Soundtrack) (6:10)
17. Tim Feehan - Where's the Fire (The Wraith Soundtrack) (4:25)
18. Wang Chung - To Live and Die in LA (4:53)
19. Warren Zevon - Searching For A Heart (4:18)

IF YOU LIKE EM, BUY EM!!

Link deleted! Sorry!!!

Remembering Jake Speed & Buckaroo Banzai

Cheesy, Retro but Great Action/Comedy Movies That You Probably Never Saw

When you are schoolboy young, one of the greatest dilemmas is branding yourself so your fellow classmates, your extended circle of friends and let’s not forget, all the pretty girls look up to you. Having been bestowed with neither Greek godish looks nor an Olympian body plus a terrible case of amnesia with mathematical formulas, I engrossed myself instead with books, comics, rock music, horror, sci-fi, fantasy and action movies and some more books - escaping into my own MTV infused imaginary world of flying saucers, serial killers, supermen, giant robots, dungeons, dragons, man-eating aliens and dazed damsels in distress.

Often, I would be so awed by something I would have seen or read that I would almost bore my classmates to death and the central character (mostly a super hero or a maverick private eye) would stay with me for days or weeks until a new one would supersede with even more vigor and panache. “Jake Speed” was one of them. The name of the hero in an awesome B movie of the same name, I was obsessively addicted to it that it almost became my pseudonym at school. You could find it in my notebooks, my bag, my bicycle, my watch, my cap and even my lunchbox.

Now looking back; I smile with amusement and satisfaction, content that in spite of all my perceived shortcomings, I was happy in my own imaginarium. So, reliving those carefree days of school and college, I present below some of the great supermen/super hero and action/comedy movies (which you have probably never seen or heard of) that inspired me and hopefully would do the same to you as well!!

For your added advantage, I have also added actual video web links of the some of them for your viewing pleasure.

1. Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (W.D.Richter/1984)– Cooler than James Bond, hipper than Indiana Jones and smarter than Conan the Barbarian, the fearless Buckaroo leads the team Banzai against the evil Dr. Lizardo and his slimy Lectrroids from planet 10. High speed, high-camp adventure spoof with one of my favs Peter Weller (Robocop) as the rock star/neuro-surgeon/super hero and a hilarious John Lithgow as his demented, scene stealing nemesis. Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd and Ellen Barkin co-star. A cult favorite now, this movie has inspired numerous movies, comics and spoofs the world over.



2. Adventures of Ford Fairlane (Renny Harlin/1990)- This movie starring the American stand-up comic Andrew Dice Clay as a maverick rock n' roll private detective is a weird diversion and certainly not for all tastes. Though made by the director who gave you massive hits like Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and Deep Blue Sea, this was a box office dud in America. In fact, it won the 1990 Golden Raspberry for Worst Actor, Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay. It was also nominated for Worst Director and twice for Worst Supporting Actor. However, it evolved into a cult hit on video with distinct popularity across Europe especially in Norway, Spain and Hungary that continues to this day. Co-starring Priscilla Presley (ex-wife of Elvis Presley), Lauren Holly and Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street)


3.Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother (Gene Wilder/1977)– In the spirit of mentor Mel Brooks, Wilder’s first directorial effort is all skits – many of them hysterically funny but with little continuity. However, there’s a unique sweetness in this period comedy as well as a sense of craft that’s often missing in Brooks’ caustic work. The cast which includes Wilder, the late Marty Feldman and Madeleine Kahn as a conniving femme fatale is delightful and fun to watch.


4. Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (Peter Hewitt/1991)– Having completely missed the first part – Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure; thanks to a pen pal I got to see this exciting sequel first. Starring a young Keanu Reeves with great support from Alex Winter, Joss Ackland and William Sadler, this is a superlative sci-fi teen adventure comedy that hasn’t aged over the years though its not exactly superhero material. For those who have already seen it, the brilliant premise of Bill and Ted challenging Death to a game to win back their lives is a direct reference to the famous Ingmar Bergman film The Seventh Seal, in which a determined knight plays chess with the Grim Reaper in an attempt to save his life.


5. Billy Jack (T.C. Frank a.k.a. Tom Laughlin/1971)– An amazingly popular film back in the early 70’s reminiscent of Shaft, I saw it 20 years later when I was in high school. Strong silent half-breed Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin) is the liberals answer to Charles Bronson – he protects women and minorities against greedy white bigots. Laughlin directed and along with his appealing co-star and real life wife Delores Taylor, wrote and produced under various pseudonyms. The movie is melodramatic and manipulative as hell but it works: you’ll be rooting for Billy Jack all the way. Apparently, this pic was a big hit then but spawned two terrible sequels.


6. Cloak and Dagger (Richard Franklin/1984)– E.T’s Henry Thomas plays a little boy obsessed with the adventures of an imaginary hero in this hitchcockian adventure mystery. When Thomas witnesses an actual murder, no one believes him. Dabney Coleman shines in the dual roles of Thomas’ father and the fantasy playmate. A great watch for all times.

7. Eliminators (Peter Manoogian/1986)– Here goes the story – A man who’s half man/half tank seeks revenge on a megalomaniac who wants to be Julius Caesar. On his journey, he enlists the help of a beautiful young scientist (who has single –handedly discovered matter transport), her foot-high robot, a conniving river guide and a kung fu master. Sound like Wizard of Oz? Wait. They have to invade the castle yet. Actually, the whole thing is quite amusing. If your dream is to see Bing Cosby’s granddaughter in a wet T-shirt, this is your film. This movie was also released as "Decapitron.



8. Jake Speed (Andrew Lane/ 1986)– A fictitious storybook hero comes to life to rescue the kidnapped sister of the heroine in this cult hit action comedy which actually failed at the box office. Silly light hearted rip off of a hundred other adventure films but made with pizzazz and loads of style, this slowly grows on you and proves its cult following. And if like me, you’re a fan for this kind of stuff, it may just be what you have been looking for. Starring Wayne Crawford, Dennis Christopher and John Hurt, this has music by X-files’ Mark Snow and was novelized into a book after the movie’s release.


9. Remo Williams (Guy Hamilton/1985)– Based on a series of action/adventure mass market books, this movie translates into good action/adventure fun. Fred Ward plays the ex-cop whose death is staged so he can be resurrected as Remo Williams, super agent for a secret agency. But Remo’s transformation isn’t complete without an unrecognizable Joel Grey in amazing make-up as an oriental master who teaches him how to dodge bullets. Thanks to this movie, we’ll always remember that at one time there was scaffolding around the Statue of Liberty. Director Hamilton also directed many James Bond features including Gold Finger.


10. Romancing the Stone (Robert Zemeckis/1984)– If you can buy red-hot Kathleen Turner as a mousy romance novelist, you’ll have no problem with the other implausibilities here in this popular flick. A fast paced comedic action adventure following Turner’s repressed writer from New York to South America where she meets Michael Douglas, a cocky, self-absorbed soldier of fortune. Danny DeVito and Zack Norman make amusing lowlife villains. The real gem in this mad cap treasure hunt is sexy, funny, irresistible Kathleen Turner and her electric chemistry with Michael Douglas. One of the best films from 1984.


11. Traxx (Jerome Gary/1988)– All the action of Rambo with all the humor of Airplane. Meet Traxx – this man has just blown away six terrorists, dynamited a drug smuggling compound and baked a dozen cookies; he’s a chocolate chip’ off the old ‘Rambo” block… so reads the DVD blurb and pretty much sums up what Traxx is all about. Starring the former American Top 40 host Shadoe Stevens in the lead, Traxx is a wacky comedy but with an acquired taste. Enjoy.

Please share your comments especially your favorites. I would really love to hear from you all or email me.

Saturday Ear Candy - Free Mp3s to Download

Free Music For the Weekend
Its been quite a while since I shared MP3s on this blog. So, go ahead and download the zipped MP3 folder and let my tuneful collection of awesome earcandy wash over you. Its mostly Pop-Rock with a little bit of Electronic Synthpop, New Wave and Alternative Rock. Nothing too heavy, just great tunes and very goooood muzik. Enjoy!

Abra Moore - After All These Years (3:52)
Adam Cohen - Hey Jane (4:00)
A-ha - You Will Never Get Over Me (5:38)
Beloved - Hello (4:18)
Beth Orton/William Orbit - Faith will carry (6:13)
Bjork & David Arnold ft Paul - Play Dead (4:04)
Boo Radleys - There She Goes. (2:19)
Breit Brothers - When Its Over (3:43)
Collective Soul - Needs (5:21)
Conjure One - Tears From the Moon (4:19)
Crazytown - Starry Eyed Suprise (3:44)
Cure - Burn (6:39)
DC Talk - Consume Me (4:50)
Deepest Blue - Shooting Star (4:14)
Del Amitri - Driving with the Breaks On (4:40)
Depeche Mode - Dream On (4:20)
Devlins - Almost Made You Smile (4:57)
Diesel - Tip of My Tongue (3:53)
Hooverphonics - Eden (3:33)
Wartapes - Dreaming of You (4.33)

20 tracks in playlist, average track length: 4:27. Estimated playlist length: 1 hour 34 minutes 4 seconds. Hear all of them and if you like 'em, share your comments please.

FREE MP3s Download link - 89.8 MB Zip File - http://su.pr/2KRcbD

Confessions of a File Sharer

Why File Sharing is not Evil

An ardent follower of my blogs (starting from my earlier music blogging - napster -audio galaxy days) wrote to me recently questioning my judgement on why I continued to provide free download links to MP3’s and Avi files in my music and movie blog posts. Considering the hostile climate surrounding file-sharing, he wanted to know if I had forgotten about my precious little Music blog which Google had banned in 2008. Why was I risking my name, time, money and reputation again in needless legal wrangles and a possible re-ban in giving away those links when I could instead just write about them and leave the downloads aside.

He was indeed right. And as a content syndicator myself, giving away those free links would certainly look like the cardinal sin but ponder deeply and you’ll see the larger good. Give me 5 minutes to explain.

Have you ever seen the movie - Local Hero? The reason why I ask is because it happens to be one of my most favorites. It was released in 1983, stars Burt Lancaster and Peter Reigert and wasn’t a big hit at the box office. It just did OK but it’s an awesome feel-good movie with a stellar soundtrack by Mark Knopfler that definitely needs to be seen and enjoyed, even if its 2010. Same is the case of That Night which came out in 1992. Based on the Alice McDermott novel, it’s a romantic drama set in 1961 starring poster boy C. Thomas Howell, Juliette Lewis, Helen Shaver and a very young Eliza Dushku. Chances are, if a friend of yours didn’t tell you about these 2 movies or if you missed them on the TV or theaters, you might never have heard about them. But, now you have!!

The same logic would apply to Music stars too. So many good bands, so many good artists but miss a beat and you never know they exist.

Letting you discover cine gems like Local Hero or That Night or a aural delight like Skye Edwards and perhaps hundreds of similar great movies, great bands and fantastic musicians is pretty much why I blog about Music and Cinema. And since many of them don't get their fair dose of spotlite, whats the point in writing about them when you cant actually view or hear them? Besides, my posts are thank you notes to anonymous bloggers and file-sharers who introduced me to some of the best movies I ever saw and some of the best bands that ever rocked on earth. A way of giving back.

You know about the big hits on the radio and most of the films that played a few months ago at the local multiplex but with my help, now’s the time to choose what you’re going to watch and hear at home (or office) tonight. How do you make heads or tails out of the confusion of the colorful DVDs at your video rental or the large number of audio CDs at the music store? Choosing DVDs you want to rent for an evening, a music CD as a gift for your cousin or just add to your own personal library can often be an overwhelming experience. With my own personal (mostly legal)collection of over 10000 movies and over 50000 songs (MP3s, CDs and Audio tapes of various assortments - some of them which cost a fortune), I suppose I’m here to make that process a little less daunting and a little more enjoyable (or at least that is what I would like to believe).

And if you’re someone who knows my various avatars or has been following my audio and video reviews across the blogosphere and the print world, you’ll find that my posts are sometimes critical, sometimes humorous, sometimes offbeat but all of them share a personal touch. My approach is to talk about music and cinema the way you do with your friends and family. Whether it’s a horror film that seems a bit overdone, a sci-fi actioner that takes place in outer space or the euro metal band from Estonia, I want to make what you discover through me a special pleasure that makes owning it absolutely worth it (even if those means are supposedly illegal). So, let me be your guide. Your local friendly web Samaritan(or bootlegger)!!

And if you have a special movie or music which is really great, just go ahead and share it for the world. Ignore the piracy nonsense. All file sharing is not evil.

P.S: This is a DejaVu post since I had posted something similar on February 2009. You can read it here - http://websnacker.blogspot.com/2009/02/confessions-of-bootlegger.html

Free Movie Link - Local Hero - Stagevu Movie Link - Watch Online or Download

What I Saw This Week - 8 Movies Worth Watching

Badlands (Terence Malick/1974) – Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek are brilliant as young lovers who embark on a killing spree across the Midwest in this seventies shocker. Loosely based on the Starkweather-Fugate killing spree of the 1950's, in which a teenage girl and her twenty-something boyfriend slaughtered her entire family and several others, Badlands is a gripping, provocative depiction of unfeeling, psychotic behavior from one of Hollywood’s most famous and under-rated icons. One of the most influential films of its decade, it remains as fundamentally shocking as when it premiered.

Danny Boy (Neil Jordan/1984) – Outside a country dance club in Ireland, a young saxophone player (Stephen Rea) experiences psychological and emotional anguish after witnessing the brutal murder of his band manager and a mute girl (Veronica Quilligan) on a night of violence. He then proceeds on a vengeful trial after the culprits. Also known as the Angel, this was the directorial debut of Oscar winner Neil Jordan (Crying Game, Mona Lisa, Company of Wolves) and was executive produced by the John Boorman (Deliverance).

Frantic (Roman Polanski/1987) – Harrison Ford is a prominent doctor whose wife is kidnapped in Paris during a convention visit and he spends the majority of the movie trying to find her in a land of nonchalantly snotty French people and babes in leather miniskirts (specifically Emmanuelle Seigner, director Polanskis’ then luscious squeeze). A critical success, the action boasts some vintage Polanski-style tension and you will also enjoy Ennio Morricone's atmospheric score.

Gallipoli (Peter Weir/1981) – Directed by the Oscar nominated Aussie new wave specialist – Peter Weir (Witness, Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show), this is a story of how the irresistible lure of adventure and the unknown combined with national pride brings 2 men together in the Australian army during the First World War in 1915 Turkey. This film was well received by cine critics and was also a box office hit but still missed by many across the Atlantic. With spectacular war scenes, this was also incidentally then the most expensive movie to be made down under. Aussie superstar Mel Gibson was also first noticed here.

Gorky Park (Michael Apted/1983) – An ice cold thriller set in the former Soviet Union about a murder of 3 people whose faces and fingers are removed to prevent identification. William Hurt stars as Moscow’s chief homicide investigator who must solve the bizarre puzzle despite its internal and international ramifications besides threat to his career and life. Prolific British Director Apted (The World Is Not Enough, Gorillas in the Mist) succeeds in capturing the paranoia of life behind the iron curtain yet fails in depicting everyday life in Moscow, a major strength of the Martin Cruz Smith best seller on which it is based. However, it’s a solid thriller, worth a watch. Lee Marvin, Brian Dennehy and a sultry Joanna Pacula provide company.

Hitcher (Robert Harmon/1986) – Pretty boy C. Thomas Howell turns mean after making the mistake of picking up psychotic hitchhiker Rutger Hauer. What follows is an intense cat and mouse chase through the desert that reminiscent of Spielberg’s equally satisfying Duel. Rutger Hauer is menacing and truly makes his presence felt, something that was sorely missing in Sean Bean in the 2007 remake. A very young Jennifer Jason Leigh also co-stars in this cult classic.

Re-Animator (Stuart Gordon, 1985) – Dr. Herbert West (a superb Jeffrey Combs) has a special serum in his little doctor bag that brings the dead things back to life. H.P. Lovecraft's story of power, greed and insatiable horror is captured with a stark humor visually unmatched and direly needed in most horror movies today. A genuine pulpy Horror classic, it certainly deserves its cult status.

Siesta (Mary Lambert/1987) – MTV Director Mary Lambert made her debut feature in this surreal often pretentious fantasy set in Spain based on the Patrice Chaplin’s sex and death novel. Ellen Barkin wears a red dress (when she’s not running around naked) as she searches for a mysterious lover (Gabriel Bryne) amid endless plot contortions. Often visually splendid enhanced by a nice Miles Davis jazzy score, Siesta is stolen by Jodie foster who plays a Brit-inflected yup. Martin Sheen, Julian Sands, Grace Jones and Isabella Rossellini also co-star.

Some FREE Movie Download Links that I could gather from the web

Badlands - Link 1, Link 2

Gallipoli - Link1, Link 2

Re-animator - Link1, Link 2, Link 3

Not So Happy Valentine Days

If you’ve ever been dumped on Valentine’s Day or spent the entire day gloomily checking (and re-checking) the very empty post box just in case the postman or the courier guy crept up while you weren’t looking, chances are you already view this dubious day with a healthy dose of skepticism.

But even if you’ve never experienced anything particularly bad in your lifetime of February 14th’s, if you’re a swingin’ single, chances are the day, with all its hype and sickly schmaltziness, really holds nothing but wholesome irritation!

The new year had barely begun when already we are bombarded with a barrage of Valentine’s merchandise, mostly, dare I say it, of the cheap n’ nasty variety. From the endless rows of fluffy toys clutching fuzzy red hearts emblazoned with the cringe-worthy words “I luv u” to the heart-shaped paraphernalia of every description (including heart-festooned lingerie “for her” and valentine red boxers “for him”), the message is clear: “romance” is a great way to package and sell just about anything!

Now, wherever you dare to venture, the reminders of this day, this smug ode to coupledom, are gleefuly shoved in your face. Turn on the radio or the telly, or surf the internet, and hundreds of adverts promoting the “celebration” of St. Valentine’s will coerce you to shop for cards and perfume here, roses and chocolates there.

Indeed, as I write this story, a newsletter from a national retail chain has just landed in my in-box, telling me that they’ll throw in free coffee and cookies if I spend some money on their valentine goodies at their store till Feb 21! So, am I still the only person suffering from post-new year shopping burnout?

Pity the single person going anywhere near a restaurant, coffee shop or a pub on Valentine’s Day. Concerned waiters will be “shaming” them, while sentimental maitre ‘d’s would send complimentary, “neutral” white roses their way. And if you happen to be on your own anywhere else in public, there’s sure to be the odd hand-holding couple nudging each other with embarrassment, pretending not to look.

But it doesn’t get much worse than Valentine’s Day spent at school. During my torrid high school years, some of us would anxiously check our diaries to see if the 14th would fall on a week day – desperately hoping and praying that it would not!

The reason why was that the day was always, inevitably, turned into a humiliating competition between all the boys, regardless of age or interest in the whole affair. Little cardboard hearts – white for friendship, pink for deeper interest and red, of course, denoting “love” - could be bought and “posted” throughout the day, with the recipients proudly safety-pinning them to the back lapels of their school shirt ( of course without the teachers knowing)

The varying degrees of popularity of the respective girls and boys could thus be detected at a glance, with the shamed heart-less shirts swiftly bundled up into schoolbags to be hidden from the others’ vicious, scornful laughs. Ahh, the cruelty of youth!

But then, of course, there’s also the horror of the office romance on this “day of love”. Many a startling revelation has come to the fore over the appearance of cute, heart-emblazoned coffee mugs or single, long-stemmed roses on particular co-workers’ desks during office hours.

“Who could it be?”, becomes the favored topic of conversation at the water fountains or coffee corners as jealous colleagues try to sniff out more evidence of a forbidden liaison.

It’s a terrible day, really, and more so because there are so many people out there who coin it at our expense.

I once had a lesbian friend who, feeling sorry for me one lonely year, sent me a special, hand-made “valentine” card – just too make me feel alright and convey that all women were mean! These days I’m still tempted to call the day just that because, you have to admit it, it’s got a great ring to it (though I now rather like women and wouldn’t dare imply that they’re anything less than wonderful at all times!).

Call me cynical if you will, but just remember this especially if you are a female: too much chocolate can make you feel sick…horribly sick, possibly diabetic...and fat, too!

So, if you’re single and tired of hearing or reading about sunset cruises, dinners-for-two, romantic picnics and marriage proposals, brace yourself for the side-ways looks and whispered asides and plan ahead for a day that celebrates singledom!

Here are just a few of the things that you can do on Valentine’s Day or any other day - alone!

> Go for a “man for the day” beauty treatment at your favourite salon, relishing in the fact that you’re being pampered from head to toe with absolutely no obligation to the person doing all of this (other than paying them the required fee, of course).

> Re-invent yourself! Get that haircut or permanent colour you’ve been delaying and buy yourself that fab outfit you’ve already fitted several times. Then go and drink cappucinos for the rest of the afternoon – you’ll feel so great that you’ll WANT people to look at you!

> Take the day off and catch up on all the new movies you’ve been dying to see, one after the other. Enjoy the peaceful, non-disruptive atmosphere of the cinema, for a change.

> Take the day off and get to the video store early enough to get an armful of their latest releases, watching them all in the peace and quiet of your own fabulous company.

> Take yourself out for dinner to your favourite sushi bar, ordering slowly and savouring each plateful as you read a new, glossy mag or that thick novel you’ve been putting off. Nobody would DARE stare at you at places like this!

> Act like a tourist and do things in your town that you would never normally do. Book yourself on a cultural tour or hang out at the museum or art gallery. You’ll learn something new and feel very pleased with yourself for being so cultured!

> If you live at the coast, take the day off and go to the beach with your ipod and book. By evening you’ll be exhausted and happy, so won’t really care what you end up doing!

> Start your day with an energetic workout, then treat yourself to an extended aromatherapy massage session. Nibble on healthy salads and feel great about yourself while the rest of the world over-eats on chocs.

> Buy yourself a bottle of the most expensive bubbly you can afford, crank up the volume on your favourite music and drink a toast to your fabulous freedom and wonderful self!

Or send me your Valentine's horror story since not all Valentines Days’ are a bed of roses, even when the most romantic plans have been made.

Does God Exist?

Keeping the Faith

I happened to be at an interesting debate today organized by a scientific think-tank that dabbles in psychiatry and neurology, mostly new-age research on the power of the human brain. Pretty hi-tech deep science stuff but something that has always interested me. And if you are a fan of Discovery or National Geographic, easy enough to understand.

The debate’s topic was what had taken me there. It was about God or rather if God Exists? this was the million dollar question that was being debated. Stretching to more than 3 hours from 90 minutes the invite originally promised, it was time very well spent.

Is there a supernatural being watching over us? An omnipotent force, all powerful in command reigning over the universe or is it just an imaginative invention created by the human brain as part of our evolution. Or is God the manifestation of society’s needs to set and maintain social order – a mental redline to preserve morals and ethics as humanity evolved. With members of the Christian and Islamic clergy besides Hindu priests & Buddhist monks on one side and atheists and the scientific community on the opposite side, it was indeed an incendiary mix for a humid hot afternoon.

I won’t take sides here cos I am a believer (who periodically suffers from a loss of faith only to be brought back on line by some divine intervention that’s indeed truly divine). By definition, spiritual experiences are of a personal nature. A person's search for, explanation of, or relationship with God is a very private thing. It doesn't affect everybody in the same way. There is no archetypical measure by which you can say 'I just made contact and that was my spiritual experience number 8 on the spiritual Richter scale’ just because I went to the church today or I survived a car crash or I hit jackpot in the tele lottery.

And with all due respects, the Bible, the Quran, the Torah, the Bhagwad Gita or the hundred other holy books can never be proof of God’s existence. In fact, these gospels have been in decline as a source of truth in the minds of average people for some time now. And not because there is no truth in them but because humanity has discredited their sanctity and undermined their real essence.

And the blame for this is not on science as you might think, but on the major religions itself and its wrong practitioners. They have undermined Gods truth with misinformation, and buy using it in a manner that it was not intended for. It is the same principle that the Govt uses in discrediting any particular story that they do not want told. They encourage all sorts of misinformation to be put out, by anyone, even the nut cases, so that when people hear it, they will close their mind to it.

And you only have to turn on your TV to see all sorts of misinformation. The most common phrase used by TV preachers is that “The Bible says or the Quran says ..And then they proceed to tell you that it says …if you send in your seed money, God will bless you with all the money you can spend. And at the other end of the spectrum, an other will tell you that in order to go to heaven; you must walk on fire, kill an infidel or drink poison to prove your faith. All that these preachers and teachers on TV really yell for is their love of the almighty MONEY. Needless to say, all of this dilutes the truth of these holy books and makes it harder for people with open minds to ever take them seriously.

And because of this, I never tell anyone that they prove anything, but only relate my personal experiences in a way that I feel are accurate to describe God’s presence. I have to admit though that this proof is personal and can never be transferred to others. I could relate how that proof came to me and describe it perfectly, but they could never give it the same weight as if it had happened to them.

What matters is that each of us have a certain level of understanding based upon our ability to think and our willingness to believe. For many, Gods proof depends a lot on how much we ask from him, on how much he gives or rather how "satisfied" we are with the worldly rewards we get. For example, if I pray for a promotion or a big house or a fancy car and I get it, I am a happy believer but if I keep praying and he does not seem to fulfill my shopping list, I get disappointed. This frustration soon turns into disillusionment and I either turn into a non-believer or jump from one religion to an other hoping the other god would hear my prayers.

What we fail to understand is that God speaks to us in many tongues, through many men, and at different times. He speaks to us through the sun and the stars and the birds and the animals…through our five blessed senses, through our love for one another. He spoke through Jesus, through Moses, through the prophet Mohammed considered the greatest Man ever born on earth and through countless other prophets and myriad other great men the world has seen. You need to connect at a deeper, spiritual level to understand God's language and you don’t need to be a die-hard believer to do that.

Unfortunately, what we have left of God's love now is all gone, substituted by adulterated religious nonsense that has been further subject to the corruptions of man's ignorance, greed and avarice and love of power and worship of self.

You cannot see God, hear God, touch, smell or feel him to realize his existence. To believe in God, you need to have faith. After all, with so much bloodshed and sadness all around, its time to have some faith or perhaps like the Bon Jovi, its time to ‘Keep the Faith’ alive! Godspeed.

Conservatives vs Liberals

Whose Side Are You On?

Once upon a time long, long ago some courageous individuals did something shocking. They dared to think. Out of this creative activity, they began to hold personal opinions. This groovy practice caught on and became widespread. After all, this was way before movies, books, television, rock n roll, and drugs, so these early peoples had a lot of time on their hands, and this seemed a good way to spend it.

Some enterprising individuals eventually figured out a way of making a profession of this thinking activity. Those who became pure thinkers were called Scholars; those who became the sharers of the thoughts of thinkers past and facilitators of this practice were called Teachers; and those who took it upon themselves to tell others how they should think were called Preachers.

Inspired, guided, and agitated by members of these three professions, the masses formed personal opinions and eventually gathered together in two camps based on their similar beliefs, values, and preferred ways of doing things. One of these groups quickly gained widespread popular appeal and it grew and grew until most people were members of it.

As is always the case, leaders emerged and decided to organize, prepare a mission statement, set an agenda, and go about having things their way. Members of this larger group called themselves CONSERVATIVES, and this was their mission statement: We conservatives believe it is self evident that absolute truth is knowable and that we know it. We see it as our moral duty to convert everyone to our correct view; to coerce them if necessary (for their own sake and ours) to conform to the one truth, adopt the right way of doing things, and join our movement. We assert that life is not as complicated as it seems and that everything, in the final analysis, boils down to clear-cut choices between true/false, right/wrong/ good/evil, moral/immoral, appropriate/inappropriate, proper/improper, etc. Because we humans are free agents with a will of our own and capable of making correct choices, each person must be held fully accountable for his or her actions. To keep everyone on the true path and to keep the conformity ball rolling, anyone disturbing the status quo by spreading false beliefs or exhibiting deviant behaviors must be severely punished. This will help the ones who stray to see the light and return to the fold, and it will demonstrate to others that if they should do likewise, unpleasant consequences will follow. Our goal is creating a monocultural society in which difference, dissent, and free thinking is discouraged.

Since the masses at that time were illiterate and ignorant, this simplistic way of looking at things made sense to them, and those who joined this camp attempted to resist change because change and the unknown are scary, and they struggled to preserve the status quo because it feels comfortable, safe, and secure. Anyone in this CONSERVATIVE camp who, from time to time, rebelled, were branded as traitors, heretics, or troublemakers and they were treated as outcasts.

At the same time, another smaller group formed, and its members called themselves LIBERALS. They formed the LIBERAL camp. They too organized, prepared a mission statement, set an agenda, and began trying to create a world reflecting their very different view of things. The liberal mission statement goes as follows: We hold it to be self-evident that absolutes are unknowable because they transcend the capacity of the mortal mind to know and understand We understand that all things are relative and can only be put in perspective by means of comparing and contrasting. Truth seeking is a noble and worthwhile endeavor, but there are many truth paths, each of which adds to the collective understanding. Since it is obvious that diversity and change are cosmic norms, we welcome diversity and free thinking. Since we admit to not knowing absolute truth or "the way," we are reformers always trying to change things for the better. Our focus is on the journey. We do, of course, set goals, but when these goals are reached, we do not see them as final destinations but rather as launching pads for still another leg of the never-ending journey. To help our society grow, learn, mature, and improve, we welcome all members to think for themselves, to hold personal views, and to share these freely in the open market place of ideas. We are slow to judge others because we realize that the causes of behavior are multiple, complete, and interrelated. We willingly and aggressively champion the cause of any individual or group that does not have full access to the good life. We believe the best possible environment in which to live is one that is dynamic and pluralistic.

Since the olden days when all this began, human beings throughout the world have tended to gravitate to one or the other of these philosophical camps. And it is the ongoing tension generated by these two opposite ways of seeing things that creates the energy that propels our social, political, economic, moral, and spiritual evolution. so, whose side are you on?

Incoherent Post-Modern Deconstruction

I recently came across a very angry piece of writing that was submitted for syndication that described Post-modernism as some kind of scourge of society; that post-modernism in its very ideals propagates social dissolution; that it takes a kind of anti-enlightenment position subverting the ideals of intellectual elitism of the modernist movement. The whole article was pretty livid, especially at the notion that post-modernists do not believe that people are capable of pure objective reasoning.

In order to see what post-modernism is, we have to know what modernism is. "Modern" simply means now, current, up-to-date, etc. So what could POST-modernism be if we are always living in the modern age (as opposed to the Middle Ages, or the roman empire, etc)?

The best I can do to give you an idea about what I think post-modernism is, is to give you some examples of things that are post-modern.

Before photography, which is a "modern" invention, artists would paint realistic paintings of people and places. The idea was to make it as exactly like reality. A "mirror" of reality. (Notice that this is similar to one idea about how the mind works. Some think the mind is a "mirror" of the real world.) But then with photography, the artists had to do other things, not paint reality, but something else. Art started out as a reflection of reality and has now ended up as a hyper-reality that is totally different than the "real world", (just like how some say there is no objective "real world")

Also with modern technology you could copy paintings. Some believed that the price of an original paining would drop in value because one could just get a copy. But that didn't happen. The POST-MODERN result has been that the original is valued even more than the copy. Before recorded music, the only way to hear music was live. But just because you can buy a CD of your favorite band doesn’t mean you don't want to see them in person does it? In fact, seeing them live is MORE valuable than before. This is the POST-MODERN result.

My favorite example is natural breasts. Women have always had natural breasts, so why the big deal now? Because of the MODERN invention of silicone breasts. Now the "real thing" is more valued. But it's not a new thing really, it's an old thing, but it takes on a different look and is so "new" again.

Anyway, I am against intellectual elitism that has infected our present day post-modernism. There is no good reason to exclude large parts of the population to enlightening ideas simply to feel superior. If anything the last few years have shown us, it's that with the organic spread of the internet, we've seen a growing pluralist intellectual society emerging, and to a greater extent an explosion of entrepreneurial pluralist elite (the Dells, Gates', 20yr old silicon valley millionaires) whom curious aren't exclusivist, but rather quite inclusivist.

In defining post-modernism, even people who ascribe to some of the values that are said to be post-modern do not consider themselves as such and avoid trying to define what post modernism actually is. Albeit, the opposition strangely seems to have a definitive definition of what it is.

The various tenets I ascribe to is the multiplicity of perspectives, and contrary to popular modernist impositions of what they think I believe, I don't think that most postmodernists believe in the absence of a kind of objective reality, only that, like Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, we change the things we perceive simply by observing them, more so through the processing of the images and the consequent judgement of them. The hamburger is not a cow. In fact, it is probably several different bits of cows.

What was once a modernist whirlwind of ideas, with people like T.S. Eliot (A true elitist), Ezra Pound, Keats, Joyce, etc., standing by the sidelines, waiting to extract from it the various kernels of truths, the moment of access, or revelation, now has scattered. And the contemporary equivalent to the modernist vortex metaphor would be a rain of intellectual truism, on which anyone can connect any number of droplets in any arrangement, imposing whatever image of truism they want.

So, what's your perspective?