Gabfest: And Thereby Hangs A Tail

That really made me think. Would today's India have place for a Bhagat Singh? He was a communist and an outspoken atheist; he didn't hesitate to speak his mind about religion. I suppose he wouldn't be patriotic enough for them.

I haven't seen Meenakshi Sundareshwar yet. Heard a lot of strong opinions about that one. Karan Johar movies in general are all fluff and no substance. I remember watching Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum in the theater and sleeping through half of it! The family lives in a freakin' castle. I get such little time for TV that I have to consciously choose stuff I know I will enjoy. Right now my weekly indulgence is 'The Gilded Age' on HBO Max. Loving it so far!

I have no idea who or what PUSHPA is and I intend to keep it that way!

 

Oh Witcher! What a let down. I waited and waited for that show, more so for, ahem..Henry Cavil ! He was flawless of course , but the season was so forgettable. Why can't they make one good fantasy series that doesn't turn rubbish after a couple of seasons.

Now Amazon is teasing me with 'The Rings of Power'! I am so afraid of a let down that I can't even get myself to watch the teaser trailers. A miserable GOT, WOT, Witcher I can live with, but DON'T MESS WITH TOLKIEN! The movies were an LOTR fan's dream come true. I couldn't bear it if Amazon tried to get 'creative' with it. I am NOT watching it until all the reviews are in, especially those of the folks on the LOTR fan forums. Theirs are the only opinions I will trust.

 

POI did it right. The relationship didn't define the characters. Their sexual orientation was the least interesting thing about them and in being so normalized their relationship. In contrast the plethora of LGBTQIA+ movies being churned out in India are so heavy handed that they undermine the very causes they claim to support. I saw Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui some time back. Such a missed opportunity. They paid lip-service to the character's childhood struggles and showed a 2-minute animated clip about the process of transitioning with no mention of the years of hormonal, psychological therapy that goes into it. The rest of movie was the usual Bolly-drama with Ayushmann Khurrana hamming it to the hilt. And what was the point of making him a Chandigarh bro -- all brawn, no brains? A movie trying to dispel one stereotype, unironically uses another one to make the story funny. They could have used the story to drive home the pain and anguish trans folks suffer as they battle their dueling identities and come to terms with who they are. The movie should have been about the courage it takes to accept yourself amid the hate and rejection. And what to say of the fact that they couldn't cast an actual trans-woman to play the lead role. I suppose that's asking too much from Bollywood.

 

Xena is a cult classic. No shame in being an uber fan of that! Mercifully Amazon's The Rings of Power (TROP) is not a remake of the LOTR story. LOTR takes place in the Third Age of Middle Earth. TROP is set in the Second Age of Middle Earth, the time when the rings of power were forged. It will focus on how the One Ring and the nine rings of power were forged, and how Sauron gained control of them and turned their wearers into the Nazgul. The series will be a prequel of sorts. At least Amazon were wise enough not to touch the LOTR movies. Those should never be remade, ever!

Lol! Never seen that before.