Alton Towers

Alton Towers Map (April 2009):

(map image courtesy Vibha Gupta)

Alton Towers is an amusement park near Stoke-on-Trent (Postcode: ST10 4DB Website: Family Fun at Theme Park - Alton Towers Resort)

It has a long list of rides divided into different zones or areas. Some of the main attractions include ‘Oblivion’ – the world’s first vertical drop roller-coaster and Air – the world’s first B&M ‘flying’ roller-coaster.

The place is perfect for both groups and singles, bachelors (like myself) and families. It has wide variety of rides for all age groups. It also has other attractions like a water park and sea-life exhibition. So if you get bored of really fast and furious rides (or your stomach can’t take the twists & turns and your legs can’t take waiting in line for 30mins and more) then you can cool off in some of the gentler rides (like Congo River Ride or The Flume) or go and check out the exhibitions and shows.

(Storybook Land image courtesy Vibha Gupta)

The variety: from 'Storybook Land' above to 'Oblivion' below.

(Oblivion image copyright 2009 Azahar Machwe)

Most of the rides have three different lines:

- Group line

- Singles line

- Fast-track line

Fast-track line costs extra and might be a good option for people who don’t want to wait at all. They get first boarding.

If you don’t want your group to be split when boarding a ride then you can go into the group line which usually means long wait (in the main rides about 30-40 minutes). I would recommend this line even if you are going in a group!

If you don’t mind your group being split then go into the singles ride. The wait is shorter (by about 50%) but you may not board the ride with other members of your group. This line gets the least priority.

The ticket price includes all group and single line admissions.

As soon as you enter the park you will see an information display telling you the wait time for most rides and if they are working or not. The day we went Rita – the super-fast roller-coaster, was closed. Don’t worry! Go in the singles line!

Very important thing to note is that there will be a lot of walking involved! So wear comfortable shoes!

At the end of each ride you can view your photograph (taken at a selected point during the ride) and you can buy it if you like the picture! The only problem is that the pictures are quite expensive!

Don’t wear any loose jewellery and remove your spectacles especially before any of the rollercoaster rides. You don’t want you glasses flying off in the middle of a ride!

All rides have storage lockers (use at your own risk!) which you can use to keep your bags etc. before the ride. These are generally safe.

Take food from home as everything is quite expensive there and there is not a lot of variety at the lower end of the spectrum especially for vegetarians.

The four must-do rides are:

1) Oblivion

2) Air

3) Nemesis

4) Rita

The only problem is if you do these rides in a span of one day by the end of it you will be fed up of all the rocking and rolling! Kind of like ‘roller-coaster saturation’. More information on these rides can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alton_Towers

Oblivion and Air are two unique rides. Oblivion basically drops you face down a dark hole and Air flies you around on your back! These two are SUPER MUST-DO rides.

Enjoy!

:)

Dev-d Beyond the Shock!

Like most people after watching Dev-d for the first time I felt it was a great, even amazing, movie! But after the shock (certainly wasn’t expecting a movie like this from the Bollywood stable) wore off I felt that the movie is not that good.

After watching the movie a second time I realised what a big fool they are trying to make of the audience.

Not that good at all.

For someone not exposed to foreign movies it is a shock. A shock to hear the kind of language they have shown. Shocked to see the kind of things shown. But in the end we find the director has picked up things from Hollywood… the smart prostitute (Pretty Woman?), down on his luck hero bent on self-destruction (shown in SO many Hollywood movies).

The file does break the mould of traditional Bollywood where the hero either dies running after the girl or gets the girl and lives happily ever after. Hollywood has been doing this for years though!

Is it a take on Devdas? No way! Devdas was about a hero bent on self-destruction. Here we have a rich dude, living off his father’s money, doping and drinking. What is so great in that?

We also find our rich, spoilt brat doing a bike tour of few hill stations (in a span of 10 minutes no less!). Then the ‘hero’ wimps out and heads back to Delhi! The hero magically gets a BMW which leads to the next part of the story (based on real life cases – HINT! HINT!).

The story gets lost after a while. The problem is that with the title the director committed himself to a theme. But mid-way I think the director realised that there was nothing much he could do different with the movie. Where is the similarity with Devdas I ask? If it is just the presence of a ‘true love’ and a prostitute well then half the movies should be called Dev-d!

I would say that the director is nearly there with this movie but other than crap language and attitude this movie has little of substance.

This movie is going to be a hit with people interested in smut or the attitude. Don’t look for a story here or any connection with Devdas.

On second thoughts I feel as if Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s version of Devdas should not be compared to this. Dev-d is trying to be Devdas while trying to grab the attention of the youth of India.

Watch this movie. So that you know what to look for in a movie of substance (which are the missing bits of the movie!).

:)

13B (2009) – A Bollywood Horror Flick WORTH Watching

After a very long time has Bollywood given us a horror movie worth watching! The story is pretty interesting and the way the film is made is very different.

The only problem with the story is the very last scene which seemed a bit silly given that the rest of the movie was well put-together.

This one is not a serious horror flick since it has a feel of a murder mystery. So you will not find any ‘ghosts’ (actors with funny makeup) or funny camera zooms or any of the other non-sense.

Without giving anything away I would recommend watch this movie without reading the reviews.

:)

Gran Torino – From concrete to your heart!

Gran Torino (starring Clint Eastwood) is one of the most amazing movies I have ever seen.

It reflects the realities of life as it does the thoughts of a man who wants to be left alone at the same time is interested in the world around him. It shows how he fights against the system as well as tries to fit into it.

The movie starts quite normally but then as new characters enter the story we see how the central character (Clint Eastwood) reacts to the changes (sometimes positively sometimes negatively).

As the central character grows so does the secondary character of Thao.

The end of the movie has a strange duality to it. It is unique at the same time follows an age old theme.The only issue I have with the movie is the very last scene where the story goes down the well travelled path right after giving the audience a very different look at things.

Confused? Good. Won’t give out more details. Go watch the movie!

This is a battle that you might be fighting 20, 30 or even 40 years down the line!

Clint Eastwood is as usual amazing!

:)

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

This is a cute movie with lots of cute Chihuahuas. Animation is decent and the story is pretty simple.
All in all a nice movie for when you want to relax and just put your brain in neutral.
Enjoy the movie!

Luck By Chance - A Movie By Chance

Saw Luck By Chance recently. Was not as impressed by it as I had hoped to be. The movie starts out nicely highlighting the 'tricks' of the film trade but then becomes something between 'Life in a Metro' and 'Page 3'.

Konkona Sen, in the movie, refuses a role to prevent type-casting (where she is type-cast). But in real life she has been unable to avoid it. In so many movies we find her going for guys who are either gay or unfaithful or both (see 'Page 3'). Same goes for Luck By Chance.

Dimple Kapadia, Rishi Kapoor and Juhi Chawla have given excellent performances as expected. Hritik Roshan, according to me, is the hero of the movie. He has acted well and I especially like the scene where he puts his face against the window of his car and some street-kids put their face against the same window from the other side. The only thing separating them is a thin pane of glass. It shows that life on the two sides of the glass is very different!

I think it mirrors the relationship between actors and their audience where the glass is the movie screen. Life behind the screen and in front of it is often very different and the view we get can often be distorted.

Go watch this movie, it is different. I am sure you already have seen it!

:)

Amal - A very different movie!

I recently saw a movie named Amal. I am sure very few people know about this movie.
It is a very different movie set in Delhi. The main actors include Seema Biswas, Naseeruddin Shah, Roshan Seth and Koel Purie. Naseeruddin Shah has a small but significant role in the movie.

The movie is heavily grounded in reality. So much so that one feels like screaming for something remotely 'movie-like'.

I guess that is why I really liked this movie. This movie is a success because it manages to involve the audience at an emotional level. The movie left me with an empty feeling like the kind you get when you haven't eaten your dinner properly. It left me wanting more.

It also left me smiling at 'life' and how things turn out right even when they are so clearly wrong.

Won't go into the details of the story but will just say: Amazing movie, refreshing story, a must watch!

There were few bad things about this movie. Koel Purie is not the best actress in the world and even though she has done decent work, I believe they could have picked a better actress to do this role. On the whole the movie could have been made a bit longer and a bit more fulfilling. As I said it leave you wanting more.

Seven Pounds - Heavy movie but worth a watch!

Seven Pounds is a new Will Smith movie. Will not go into the details of the story since that would spoil the movie.

The movie is quite heavy and good for people who like to cry in the movies.
In fact this movie, from start to end, has people crying and weeping therefore the audience is bound to do the same.

The movie talks about how the actions of one man bring great changes in the life of total strangers. It is an interesting concept which brings together different people and their lives, united by one thread. What this thread is, that is what the movie is about.

I was somehow able to guess the story after watching the movie for 5 minutes.

The story is simple and somehow towards the end seems to drag a bit. A simple story is a double edged sword. While it makes it easy to develop the characters it makes it difficult to keep the attention of the audience.

Watch this movie. Cry if you feel like. Go to sleep in between if you want or play with your PSP if you want. The only reason I wasn't that touched with the movie was because it was a movie. It is easy to act but how a person would behave in real life is difficult to judge.

:)

Slumdog Millionaire - Why??

This movie is doing very well around the world, especially in UK and USA. It has already won quite a few awards (such as the Golden Globe Award). I saw this movie knowing how well it was doing. Therefore there was bit of anticipation. Since this movie talks about the life of a child growing up in the slums I was expecting a bit of stupidity as well.

The movie started very very nicely. I liked the concept of linking questions with the boys life. If we divide the movie into three parts, each part representing one stage in the life of the boy (childhood, teenage and adult) then the first part is amazing. But second and third parts are equally dissappointing. In fact when I finished watching the movie I coulnd't understand why it was winning all these awards?

The first part has the kids speaking hindi and innovative subtitles. But in the second and third parts of the movie kids start speaking english with a British accent. They definitely do not look malnurished or that they have any connection with slums.

As the movie progresses it looses touch with reality and in the end is almost like a standard Hindi movie where hero beats the bad guy and gets his girl and the money!

It seems as if after making the first part the producers realised if they made the whole movie in Hindi with English sub-titles they will loose their target audience. Furthermore taking it away from 'real life' ensured that their target audience is not bored by 'another movie about hardships of life in Mumbai'.

All in all it is a one time watch. Nothing great. The in-film music/OST is quite good. Especially the song 'Paper planes' by M.I.A. which plays in the background when they are travelling around India on train.

:)

I don't want to set the world on fire - Horace Heidt (The Ink Spots)

I DON'T WANT TO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE
Horace Heidt
words and music by Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus, Bennie Benjamin and Eddie Durham

I don't want to set the world on fire
I just want to start
A flame in your heart

In my heart I have but one desire
And that one is you
No other will do

I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim
I just want to be the one you love
And with your admission that you feel the same
I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of

Believe me!
I don't want to set the world on fire
I just want to start
A flame in your heart

Sorry Bhai

The reason this movie is called Sorry Bhai is because the producers wanted to apologise in advance for making such a stupid movie which wastes your time.
A friend of mine, who liked the movie, told me that this movie makes you think. I agree 100%. It made me think why I watched this movie!
It is a totally stupid picture where the story is created in such a way so as to create some suspense. But it is done in a very rough and crude way. Not an elegant story at all.

Final word - pointless movie and a total waste of time. Read a book instead or better yet go take a nap!

:)

Strawberry Chocolate Martini

Above is a picture of Strawberry Chocolate Martini, the recipe can be found here.

Would recommend everyone should try it once!

Devotchka - How It Ends

Devotchka - How It Ends



Lyrics:
Hold your grandmother's bible to your breast
Gonna put it to the test
You wanted it to be blessed
And in your heart
You know it to be true
You know what you gotta do
They all depend on you

And you already know
Yet you already know
How this will end

There is no escape
From the slave catcher's songs
For all of the loved ones gone
Forever's not so long
And in your soul
They poked a million holes
But you never let them show
Come on its time to go

And you already know
Yet you already know
How this will end

Now you've seen his face
And you know that there's a place in the sun
For all that you've done
For you and your children
No longer shall you need
You always wanted to believe
Just ask and you'll receive
Beyond your wildest dreams

And you already know
Yet you already know
How this will end

You already know (You already know)
You already know (You already know)
You already knowHow this will end

E.M.I. - predictable but fun...

E.M.I. is one movie which I was not sure whether I wanted to see or not. I thought it would be same old Bollywood stupidity. Just out of curiosity I watched the movie since on the face of it at least the theme appeared different and it had few decent actors (Urmila and Sanjay Dutt).

In the end I ended up enjoying the movie. The story was, if not 100% based on real life, at least kept real life in sight. I was not whisked away to a foreign land to see our actors dancing around and pretending to be super-cool US ishtyle.

The movie has four parallel stories where the central factor is, as you must have already guessed, people taking loans. All the stories are believable and could happen to any of us.

Over all, without giving away too much of the story, I enjoyed Sanjay Dutts acting but he tries to do a Munna-bhai in this movie which doesn't work. It makes the ending seem rushed as he solves all their problems in last 40 mins of the movie. But maybe they wanted a feel-good movie. Mostly people go to movie to forget the real world for some time. One surely doesn't want to frustrate the audience by exposing them to reality throughout the movie.

Where the movie does go wrong is in the choice of actors. Arjun Rampal was surely the worst possible choice for his role. He is bit one dimensional in this movie. I am sure if the roles were better matched the movie would be even more hard-hitting.

On the whole I enjoyed the movie. More than anything I liked the practical message of the movie which is explicitly stated towards the end of the movie:

'Take loans but with caution'

After all we don't want India and Indian people to be burdened with credit nor do we want the banks to be burdened with bad-credit which would lead to a desi 'credit-crunch' of massive proportions.

Hulla - A Light in the Darkness

I recently had the pleasure of watching 'Hulla'. The movie came highly recommended so I was looking forward to watch it. I started the movie just before going off to sleep just to fill in the 20-30 minutes before bedtime but I had a tough time getting away from the movie. If I hadn't been really sleepy I would have probably finished the movie then and there.
The movie involved me in its simple and down-to-earth story line almost immediately.
The story line is very simple and straight forward. This story could be your story. After a very long time am I seeing a movie which highlights life in the real world.
I will not reveal the story line (although the name of the movie should give a clue).

I will just say watch this movie!

How to categorise the movie... well it is not a comedy and it is not a serious movie. I would call it a dark comedy. The music is also excellent (it is by Indian Ocean).

:)

Phoonk - I need some AIR!

Today I saw Phoonk (a horror movie by Ram Gopal Verma). Reportedly he had issued a challenge to give anyone who would watch the whole movie alone in a theatre a prize of rupees one lakh.
I am sure he issued that challenge because he was sure no one would be able to see it that way. Not because it is a good horror story that leaves looking over your shoulders weeks after the movie. But because it is such a slow and predictable movie that you would die of boredom if you saw it alone. After the first ten minutes I wanted to forward the movie to its last scene.
The story has been copied from Geherayee (an EXCELLENT hindi horror movie) and Ram Gopal Verma's Raat (another EXCELLENT hindi horror movie) which shows an age old struggle between superstition and science.

The actors have all done average work (especially since they didnt have much of a story to go by). But the characterization has been done quite badly. The grandmother keeps shaking her head like a spring loaded car-toy trying to simulate a muscle spasm. I am sure she would have had a neck sprain with all that head shaking.

The good 'tantrik' has a facial expression which is a combination of a man suffering from intense constipation and a man having the best sex of his life. Weird but true!

The only thing positive about the movie is that the special effects were good. Not excellent but much better than the cartoon-like special effects usually seen in Hindi movies.

What to do?

Confused signage... these signs were painted by DLF in GK-2 outside their construction area. Don't know whether they want people to park or not!

;)

Dasvidanya - The best way to say Goodbye!

Dasvidanya is an amaazing Hindi movie even though the concept is not original (English movies like The Bucket List have similar concepts). The movie is not unique as such but it does give out a very important message. Watch the movie for its message not for the story.

People crib and complain about things not being right in life. People wait for things to be perfect. All the while they make the same mistakes and change nothing about themselves. They will continue to live within themselves.

It takes the waking call of death to push people ahead and out of their shell. As they say people appreciate things when they no longer have them.

The acting is pretty straight forward (like the story). Still the movie manages to surprise you. Go ahead and watch this movie. Better yet.. go ahead and take the lesson this movie tries to give.

:)

Copy-cat Marketing...

Vodafone Tuesdays - http://www.vodafone.in/existingusers/Pages/privileges.aspx

Vodafone Tuesdays is a buy one get one free offer for all Vodafone customers on Tuesdays at selected outlets. Therefore on Tuesday in selected multiplexes you can buy one ticket and get the other one for free if you are a Vodafone Customer in Mumbai, India. This offer is slowly being rolled out to other cities as well.

Orange Wednesdays - http://www.orange.co.uk/film/orange_wednesdays.htm

Similar offer from Orange for cinema tickets on Wednesday. This is valid only in UK.

This is what I call copy-cat marketing! Pick a concept from your competition in UK and apply it in India! Just change the day and the scope of the offer!

Sales!

A married woman is having an affair. Whenever her lover comes over, she puts her nine year old son in the closet. One day the woman hears a car in the driveway and puts her lover in the closet, as well.

Inside the closet, the little boy says, "It's dark in here, isn't it?"
"Yes it is," the man replies.
"You wanna buy a baseball?" the little boy asks.
"No thanks," the man replies.
"I think you do want to buy a baseball," the little extortionist continues.
"OK. How much?" the man replies after considering the position he is in.

"Twenty-five dollars," the little boy replies.
"TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS?!" the man repeats incredulously, but complies to protect his hidden position.

The following week, the lover is visiting the woman again when she hears a car in the driveway and, again, places her lover in the closet with her little boy.
"It's dark in here, isn't it?" the boy starts off.
"Yes it is," replies the man.
"Wanna buy a baseball glove?" the little boy asks.
"OK. How much?" the hiding lover responds, acknowledging his disadvantage.
"Fifty dollars," the boy replies and the transaction is completed..

The next weekend, the little boy's father says "Hey, son.
Go get your ball and glove and we'll play some catch."
"I can't. I sold them," replies the little boy.
"How much did you get for them?" asks the father, expecting to hear
the profit in terms of lizards and candy.
"Seventy-five dollars," the little boy says.
"SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS?! That's thievery! I'm taking you to the church right now. You must confess your sin and ask for forgiveness", the father explains as he hauls the child away.

At the church, the little boy goes into the confessional, draws the curtain, sits down, and says "It's dark in here, isn't it?"

"Don't you start that crap in here," the priest says.