Rock n Roll

Being a keen follower of bad movies in the past few years, I have come across several sub genres of bad movies in different languages. But I must admit that it is difficult to classify Rock n Roll according to any of those existing genres in Malayalam cinema.

While it's true that the overall presentation of the movie has a bit of novelty, the end result is nonetheless bad. Mohanlal plays the role of a renowned drummer who sheds his Casanova persona to woo a young struggling songstress played by Lakshmi Rai. Director Ranjith stretches this titbit of a plot to a couple of hours of ennui and plain irritation. Even with an impressive cast, this take on the lives of musicians is stale and ridden with bromides. Overall a whole new treatment in bad movies. Rent its DVD and watch it when you are relaxed.

Rappakal

This is one of those unpretentious comedies, to be savoured in the company of a few like minded friends. I believe that its makers intention was to cash in on the hysterical loyalty shown towards tearjerkers by a huge population of women in Kerala. But, it can give you a different kind of entertainment provided that you dont watch it alone or along with your family.

I remember the time when this movie was released in theatres and the instant hatred I felt towards it. It wasn't just that I hated all family dramas. All of Rappakal's promos featured a dhoti clad Mammootty doing household chores. I almost instantly dubbed it a 'Kitchen Movie' and continued to use that expression among my friends whenever our topic under discussion touched upon similar movies. Less did I know that I could enjoy this in a cynical way even when keeping all those factors which fuelled my ire intact.

One amazing fact about Rappakal is that it is shot almost entirely entirely within the premises of an age old villa, colloquially known as tharavadu. This alone should convey a great deal about the budget of the movie. Watch it in the company of your friends and laugh out loud at the over-the-top emotional scenes.

2012 Doomsday

You may have seen several movies pertaining to the end of World, but this is one true B-movie stuff that the fans of its genre wouldn't want to miss. The contrived plot, low cost production, bad acting and clichéd dialogues make it a worthy watch.

Memorable Quote

Sarah : "Listen to me Alex...something is happening here....I can't explain it...I can't rationalize it...but I just feel it!I got to trust that! I need to get her to the pyramid....If you don't want to help I understand...I do...I won't think less of you...but I got to do this!"

Raavanan

This could have been initially planned as a take on Vikram's 'Anniyan' and might have gone horribly wrong during the run. Thankfully there's no Multiple Personal Disorder involved in here. It's just that Varghese(Mani), an honest IPS officer goes around at times under the pseudonym Raavanan in ill-fitting wigs to bash up baddies.

Well, our hero gets to investigate a case involving Nishanth Sagar, Madhu Warrier and Sudheesh, three fugitive college students! What happens next is anybody's guess.

Highlight : The song performed by 'Trimurtis'- the triumvirate under question.

We are told that an International Music Company wanted to make an album featuring them! Listen to it. Even you wouldn't mind launching a music label for their sake.

Kanichukulangarayil CBI

Based on the murder of a private banker by his one time bosses, 'Kanichukulangarayil CBI' tries to tread a path less travelled in Malayalam Cinema and falters in the process. While Hollywood has been successful to a greater extend in adapting real life crime sagas into celluloid, our regional movie Industries are far too behind.

For one, actual names of people involved in the incident are substituted by homonyms in this movie. However, it's no coincidence that the production banner's name is the same as that of the real defendants' firm. Well, to say the least about the movie, the production values are way below average, the direction amateurish and the script even more pathetic. The performance of actors, both seasoned and rookies seem equally shoddy. Now, I'm not sure if this movie made it to the theatres. If it did, it's makers should definitely hold a bash in grandiose style. Because, this is not even straight-to-DVD stuff!

Watch it when you are in a really good mood. If not, its after-effects might get out of hand.

Special Mention: The shameless use of the popular CBI movies' theme.

Deja Vu

Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, Tony Scott, Jerry Bruckheimer - names which are unlikely to be featured in this column, you may think. But then, Deja Vu is one tedious exercise which stings your eyes and chokes your breath making you wish you were reading a badly written thesis on rocket science instead.

We are told that there is a program which renders images from different sources to reconstruct events from four and a half days ago. So, instead of investigating an explosion that happened on a ferry, and a naval one at that, our protagonists stay glued to a screen going over whatever has happened in the days that led up to the big bang. Since those electronic eyes can see through walls, we get to see the most intimate of moments from a citizen's life without so much as a minor fuss on violation of privacy. Well, just as I thought that I was peeping at recent history of a woman along with our central cast of characters, she blinks her eyes when Washington flashes a torch at the screen. An avalanche of technical bullshit breaks out from the mouth of a geek following this and soon we get to see Denzel Washington getting ready to go back to the past and to change the future.

I don't particularly have a problem with time travel. Despite many glitches I have enjoyed movies like 'Time Cop' at its time. But let me admit that this one is a painful watch. Please shed your 'fan' tag of the above-mentioned personalities while attempting to watch this.