Reel Artsy

A couple of my favorite movies are Garden State and The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. They're quirky, offbeat and fun. Plus, they feature two of my favorite actresses Natalie Portman and Kate Winslet who are prime examples of women who've built solid careers on playing a smorgasbord of versatile characters.

Which brings me to my latest blogging venture. I started up a new supplemental blog to Think Virtue! called Reel Artsy where I will spotlight quirky films by minority filmmakers. I'll be posting short summaries/reviews of cool films that I think are noteworthy. It will include trailers and links to film festivals and such. And at some point I'm hoping to do some brief interviews with the indie filmmakers who are producing these kind of movies.

I'll be covering...black films, Latino films, Arab films, biracial films, Deaf Culture films, Asian films, Native American films, Christian films, experimental films and pretty much anything that aspires to do something a little "outside of the box."

If this sounds like something you're interested in then head over to http://reelartsy.blogspot.com and check out the Bollywood film Drona that I saw in theaters this weekend.

By the way, if you look at my sidebar you'll see that I added a widget that updates you with the latest Reel Artsy posts.

Bollywood Meets Hollywood in The Cheetah Girls 3 - One World

I can't help but smile over this amazing blend. I couldn't have dreamed up a better match. I'm a big fan of musicals, Disney and Bollywood so it's easy to see why this makes The Cheetah Girls 3: One World one of my most highly-anticipated films of the year.

Check out this short behind-the-scenes featurette to tide you over until the August 22nd premiere on The Disney Channel:



Related Post: Bollywood Goodness

[photo credit SillyKhan]

Saawariya

This movie sneaked up on me. I was on IMDB.com this morning and they had a preview for it on the site. It opens tomorrow in theaters worldwide.

Saawariya is the story of two people who meet by chance and fall in love, done Bollywood style. So that means big emotions and even bigger dance numbers. At least I hope so. According the the movie's official site, saawariya means "beloved".

If you're familiar with Indian cinema then you'll be delighted to see another Kapoor on the silver screen. The trailer is visually stunning. The settings and costumes are full of vibrant colors, especially blue and the cinematography is equally alluring.

I just hope it's playing in a theater near me.



[Update 11/11/07] - I just saw the movie and it's excellent! My friend Kevin found a theater that plays mostly Indian films and I was like a kid in a candy shop when I looked around and saw all the posters for upcoming Bollywood movies. I pulled out my notepad and wrote all the titles down so I could Google them. And best of all, I got to dine on samosas and chai tea while viewing Saawariya. How cool is that?!?! The experience was definitely one to remember. If you live in Michigan, drop me an email and I'll tell you where this pearl of a place is. It's so worth the drive.

Bollywood Goodness

Am I the only Christian American who can sing along to Lagaan and watch Kabhi Khushi Kahbie Gham over and over again?

If you don't know what Bollywood is then you should. They're putting out more films than Hollywood. And they're better (depending on how much you like musicials and learning about different cultures). If you're a fan of feel good dance numbers, dramatic camera spins, and romantic scenes in the rain (or dessert) then Bollywood is totally for you.

Here's a quick list of things that every Bollywood fan should know:

1. Aishwarya Rai - She's pretty much the Julia Roberts of Bollywood. She has a killer smile and when she's in a film people watch.

2. The Khans and the Kapoors - They're something like the Baldwins, but way better. They're Bollywood royality so you're bound to watch a movie with one of them in it.

3. The longest running Bollywood film in India - Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. It's still in theaters last time I checked (about 10 years or so).

4. Bride & Prejudice - Rai's crossover Hollywood film. It's a Bollywood version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Ashanti (the R&B singer) gives a special music performance in this.

5. Where to get Bollywood films - Blockbuster has some like Lagaan, but from my experience the best place to find them is at a local Indian market in your area (a lot of times they have videos you can rent or buy) or check out local theatres, maybe there's one that plays Bollywood movies. Thanks to the Internet, you're always one click away from purchasing the movies straight from the companies that make them.

Also, be careful not to lump all Indian films into the Bollywood category, there are different genres and dialects spoken throughout India but you can check out Wikipedia or Google "Indian Cinema" to find the ins and outs to that, (which I am still learning myself).

I've been a fan of Bollywood movies since high school, but with a little effort you could be a Bollywood lover too. And for all the ladies, if you think Surresh from NBC's Heroes is a hottie, just wait until you see some of Bollywood's leading men. You'll be singing "O Rey Chhori" in no time.