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Showing posts from November, 2014

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On Stephen King's writing - My opinion, my take

Stephen King’s name is synonymous with the horror genre. In fact, say the name and the first thing that comes to mind is a talented writer with a penchant to write real and believable characters along a backdrop of a gripping story. His first novel- Carrie- was published in 1974 and since then, Stephen King has been a brand name for horror. His storytelling has always been impeccable and fast paced making his every book a page-turner. I remember the first Stephen King book I ever read- Misery. I was probably still young to read it considering the content of the book, but I know I was thoroughly engaged and gripped by the intensity of the plot and found myself dying to know how it would all end. He surprised me and gave a realistic ending- not a fairytale one where everything magically resolves for the benefit of the protagonist. No, this was a story that showed that the lead character would always be traumatized by what he had suffered through. After I finished read

Pizza (2014 movie)- My Take with spoilers

Bollywood horror movies are usually synonymous with extreme cheesiness, bad lighting, mediocre effects and ham acting. Very rarely, comes a movie that provides any chills at all much less a potent plot. When I decided to watch Pizza, I expected all this, but promised myself to watch it with an open mind. I don’t care if it was a rip off another movie or remake or whatever- I just wanted to watch a horror movie. Pizza is surprisingly not “cheesy”. Yes, the acting in the first few scenes is below average and the story borders on all the clichés of a horror movie. After the first few scenes, when the story starts to set, it actually gets interesting. Okay, first and foremost, I totally saw the twist coming. Not every single detail, but most of it- but that’s just me bragging about how I can guess the outcome of most movies. The story wavers in the beginning with a lot of plot and character backstories thrown in. At first it all seems like a jumble and it isn’t until the

Revenge- my thoughts

Revenge is a concept that is always debatable. Some feel it is a way to moving on, while others argue that it is a way of being trapped forever in the webs of your past. Regardless of the argument, revenge seems to always be a choice when one is betrayed. Many films, books and TV shows have been based on revenge with the most popular story being that of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ which was a book, movie and a TV show. In that story, Edmond Dantes is betrayed and it is by chance that he escapes imprisonment and finds treasure which allows him to seek vengeance against all those who betrayed him. It is a story where despite our opinions of what revenge is, we find ourselves rooting for the hero, or anti-hero in this case. The characters in these revenge-based stories are always interesting, complex and challenging to write. Making their motive for revenge plausible and persuading readers to be emotionally connected to them is quite a tedious task. When the TV show ‘Rev

The Black Square by Kazimir Malevich-- My Take

Kazimir Malevich, the founder of Suprematism, believed that Suprematist art would be superior to all the art of the past, and that it would lead to the "supremacy of pure feeling or perception in the pictorial arts”. Painted in 1915, The Black Square is often regarded as Malevich’s “royal, living infant.” The Black Square is just that- a black square painted over a white background. This has become a major landmark in abstract art and attracted the cynicism of many. Why exactly is this art? The question has many answers. Though some defend it by saying that it is actually a very complex painting requiring knowledge of colors, compositions and proportions, others still see it as a square that could be drawn by any kindergarten student. Art has always been defined as an expression of skill and imagination that could be appreciated only by the feelings it evokes. The Black Square intends to do just that. Malevich believed that the visual was never important an

Ouija (2014)- My take on the movie with spoilers

PLOT SUMMARY: A group of friends summon the ghost of their friend only to have a great evil enter their realm.  There are a few movies that will take you completely by surprise at how good they are. I went in with low expectations when I watched ‘Kick’ and was taken aback by how wrong I had been. The same can be said about Ouija. When I heard it was coming out, I wasn’t that keen to watch it despite it being from the horror genre. Over the years there have been plenty of movies based on this ‘spirit board’ as it is also called so another movie coming out with the same contrived plot didn't excite me. Basically, any horror movie follows the same pattern. There’s a murder, the lead character is introduced that is connected to the victim somehow and the haunting or incident is repeated with her. Then the protagonist investigates, comes across an elderly relative of the spirit and explains how the hauntings can be stopped. The movie then reaches its predictable climax with

Exclusive chapter from my Horror Novel- Aadita

From Chapter Fourteen Aunt Neeta sighed and put her hands on her hips. “This isn’t how you do it,” she complained. “You’re not holding it right.” Raina looked at the silver spoon in her hand and then back at her aunt. “I... I don’t feel up to it.” Aunt Neeta shook her head. “Weren’t you taught anything? Almost eighteen and you don’t even know how to polish silver? Do you how to at least cook a hot meal? Someday you’ll be married. What kind of wife would you be if you can’t even cook or take care of the house for your husband?” Raina swallowed and laid the spoon down. Her arm ached and her shoulder ached and her legs hurt worst of all, but she was lucky enough not to be in a cast. She looked down at the table as Aunt Neeta went on talking about how she wouldn’t be able to keep her husband happy and wished she could tell her to leave her alone. She didn’t want to get married and she definitely didn’t want to do any housework. All she wanted to do was garner enough ene

The First of November

...and one month closer for this year to end. What better way to start the month than to indulge in a bit of shopping and delving into a tasty pasta dinner. That being said, the end of the year holds a lot of promise for me. Even though there is still a December, the promise of a new year is beckoning. If anything, I wouldn't have to think about all the things that happened this year. A few more months, and some of the situations I had to face would be just a memory. This year has so far been about the people in my life. It was about who I thought I could depend on when I was down and who was there without my even asking. I was taught to stand strong, bring myself away from the edge and learn to hold onto myself for support. One of the awful truths one must learn is that sometimes all you have is yourself to save yourself. Another one is that forgiving isn't as easy but it is a process that must be completed to lead a fulfilling life for yourself. I can't know what&