Showing posts with label Virily. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virily. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Movie: Bollywood: Chandni Bar (2001)

Watched “Chandni Bar” (2001) as a Friday night movie pick. Chose this film because I was not familiar with any of the Indian actors or actresses. As far as the acting, the script, etc. … it was fine. I say “fine”? But according to Wikipedia: “The film was a critically acclaimed hit and it won four National Film Awards.”

Well! I don’t want to spoil it for others who have not seen the film. Don’t get me wrong. The performances were award-worthy. It’s just that … if I were to use one word to describe the storyline, that word would be “hopeless”.

Throughout the movie, I kept hoping. But my hope was never fulfilled. I was very moved by the characters and the harsh realities of life they faced daily; especially as the threads of their daily lives were sewn into the fabric of the criminal underworld. Definitely not a Cinderella fairy tale.

Someone described it as a handbook to life in Mumbai. What do I know? I'm American and to me, it was a very sad movie with a very sad ending.

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Monday, August 11, 2025

Movie: Three (3) Bollywood Films That Address September 11th

Do you like Bollywood movies? Bollywood is a name inspired by the word “Hollywood”, the word that is synonymous with American cinema, films, and movies. It merges “Bombay” and “Hollywood” and is used to refer to Hindi or Indian cinema. I enjoy watching Bollywood movies. The music and dancing are always great. The comedies can be very funny. The science-fiction flicks are kind of quirky. But the drama films? Oh, the drama!!! Full of life’s complexities. Mixed marriages: not so much interracial, but interfaith, i.e. two different religions. Main characters always faced with choosing sides: loyalty to family versus allegiance to country, or on a broader scale, to the world we live in. Having to answer life’s difficult questions:

● Where do I take a stand?

● How do I defend my loved ones?

● If I know or even suspect imminent danger, isn't it my duty to warn others, so they can protect themselves?

There are 3 specific movies that address and answer these questions. Producers and directors of Bollywood cinema did not shy away from the content but chose to address the post 9/11 environment in the United States, broach the topic of terrorism, and bring it even closer to home in three films: “Kurbaan”, “My Name is Khan”, and “New York”. Each film starts out with a loving couple, who should be like every other loving couple in the whole wide world: bonded together in a blissful union by promises of fidelity, secure in the hope of living happily ever after forever. The happily ever after part of their lives is going quite well until … 9/11 happens.

  • Kurbaan is an intense Bollywood drama; a love story set against the backdrop of a terrorist plot.
  • My Name is Khan is the story of a loving couple in this movie. Even though the man suffers from Asperger syndrome, he is very gifted in many ways. However, a tragic incident tests their relationship.
  • New York is a movie about three all-American kids. Indian-Americans studying at a university, doing all the things that crazy college students do while pursuing their higher education, and then, 9/11 happens.

Of these films, my favorite is “My Name is Khan”. I’m not the only one who was impressed with this movie. Fox Star Entertainment, an American company, thought so highly of this foreign film that they bought the distribution rights to it.

Have you watched any of these films? If not, you should put them on your watch list.
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Saturday, January 11, 2025

Bollywood Movie Gem: Based on a True Story: Mary Kom (2014)

Priyanka Chopra as a boxer? Get real! No way!

 Those were my initial thoughts. By the time the movie was over, I was eating my words. 

 PC worked it! She was super awesome playing the role of a real-life female boxer, Mary Kom.

Let me explain. Here’s where I took a left.


What had really happened was that before watching the Bollywood movie, I had already seen an American movie. Million Dollar Baby (2004); which starred Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank. Expected a really good flick. Some girl was going to go out there and kick butt like Layla Ali. Anticipated a story of victory, triumph, rising above the opposition, working against the odds, overcoming … all that feel-good stuff! You know?

That is NOT what happened!

Loyal Clint Eastwood fan, but that movie disgusted me! It wasn’t just a disappointment. It made me mad!!

So! Using my flawed logic … I figured the film with Priyanka Chopra was probably just going to be an Indian-style “version” of Million Dollar Baby.

Mea culpa. Mea culpa.  10,000 humble apologies!

Can you spell the word WRONG in all kinds of ways?

I can spell it at least 3 ways.

  • Number 1 WRONG: Totally underestimated Ms. Chopra’s acting prowess. She delivered on her performance.
  • Number 2 WRONG: Didn’t know there was such a person as Mary Kom.  She’s a really awesome Indian woman who opened a door for others to walk through.
  • Number 3 WRONG: Boxing for women is hard … in America. Boxing for women IN INDIA? Seriously? My Indian sisters are truly on their own. Any woman who can rise up and make her mark in that field of sports … the world should know her story.

Mary Kom (2014) is a gooooood movie!!

(- Book worth reading: Autobiography: M.C. Mary Kom.)

Both the video and the book make perfect additions to your home entertainment library.

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(Image credit: Amazon)

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Related entertainment articles

Loyal fans of Priyanka Chopra-Jonas will appreciate this enthusiastic Bollywood movie review of the film about a real-life Indian female boxer called Mary Kom.




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Thursday, October 3, 2024

Indian Movies: Celebrities: Spotlight on Amy Jackson

Do you heart Amy Jackson?  Do you even know who Amy Jackson is? She’s an actress. OK. Yeah. She’s a hottie! I discovered her by accident, because of two music videos on YouTube.
  • The first music video attracted my attention because it looked like an Indian version of Beauty and the Beast.
  • In the other music video, Ms. Jackson was a female photographer who was being taken on a tour in India.
Watching the music videos piqued my interest. Had to seek and find what movies these videos were associated with. I was extremely pleased with the results of my treasure hunt!




♥ But first, let me share a little background info about Amy Jackson.

Her nationality is British; born on the Isle of Man and grew up in Liverpool. She was the winner of several beauty pageants including Miss Teen Liverpool and Miss Teen World. At the age of 16, her modeling career began.

Her acting career blossomed almost instantly when she caught the eye of director A. L. Vijay who thought she looked like a perfect fit to play the part of the leading lady in a Tamil language historical period drama. (He was right! IMHO.)

She has appeared in several Indian films and is currently included in the ranks with other female Bollywood superstars. She is also included alongside female superheroes. She is Imra Ardeen / Saturn Girl in the popular American TV series “Supergirl”.

Follow her on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

♥ And now the moment you’ve been waiting for.

The two South Indian (Tamil) films discovered after watching the related music videos, that made me join the Amy Jackson fan club are Madrasapattinam (2010), a historical period drama.  I (2015), a drama sci-fi thriller.

What hooked me about these movies? I’m a sucker for romance. Both were love stories.

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Links of Interest:


Image credit: Amy Jackson Top Live Wallpaper by Solution




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Sunday, May 5, 2024

Movie: Murder Mystery: “Big Bad Wolves” (2013)

Horror films and scary psycho-thrillers about murderers on the loose are not really my idea of fun entertainment. They are not my favorite type of film because of my weak stomach which cannot easily digest blood and gore – fake or real; and bad dreams or nightmares are almost always inevitably a byproduct of watching those movies. 

But every once in awhile, particularly if it’s a Friday or Saturday night, a relative or friend might be able to persuade me to watch that kind of movie. But even if I agree to watch the movie, certain allowances must be made.

Allowance Number 1: I am not to be left alone at any time while the movie is showing, except that I can go to the bathroom by myself. LOL.

Allowance Number 2: It is perfectly OK if I “watch” the film all the way through with my eyes closed and just listen to the dialogue. That way there won’t be any gory scenes in my memory for me to fall asleep and dream about.

Allowance Number 3: If I watch the movie trailer and it scares the bejeebers out of me, all bets are off! That’s it! I’m not watching the movie! If watching a movie preview upsets me, there is no way I can watch the movie.

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Here is a movie recommendation. The movie is “Big Bad Wolves”. It’s Israeli-produced and it’s a scary murder mystery suspense thriller! This movie is also described as a black or dark comedy, but I have a problem with movies labeled as such. It’s just one of my pet peeves. Does this plot sound something to make you laugh? It’s a murder mystery wrapped around a horror. The victims are innocent little girls, a killer or killers are on the loose, and you have just got to know if the Big Bad Wolves get caught!

The Saturn Awards are presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, an American organization. “Big Bad Wolves” received the award for Best International Film at the 40th annual ceremony. If that accolade isn’t enough to impress you, then it might interest you to know that Quentin Tarantino called it the ‘Best Film of 2013’.

Anyway! After reading a review that piqued my interest, this movie went on my watch list. The Number 3 allowance has been eliminated since watching the trailer did not overwhelm me with fear and dread. However, because of Number 1 and Number 2, I have to wait for my husband or other relative or friend to be in the mood to watch this mystery with me. I am NOT watching this movie all by myself! LOL.

 Original source: Virily.com

♦ MovieTrailer:




Big Bad Wolves (English Subtitled) by Lior Ashkenazi for $2.99 ~ amzn.to/2FfbBIJ

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Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Books and Movies: The Beginnings of Science Fiction

Science fiction is a very popular book genre.

But sci-fi wasn’t always accepted as “real writing”.

Sharing an interesting fact about the beginning of science fiction; how it developed into a recognized and respected form of 20th-century literature. 


Though science fiction enjoys a wide audience of readers today, it’s not the type of story that suits my reading preferences. Would much rather watch a well-done film adaptation of a sci-fi novel. Why? Because a lot of the language in sci-fi books is too complicated for me. (Everybody’s brain works differently.) But to see an apocalyptic catastrophe on the big screen? I totally get it! Additionally, extreme relief washes over me to know that the event is just a product of a writer’s detailed research and his or her overactive imagination. Whew! So it’s great that science fiction book writers have a loyal fan base because, later on, their novels might be made into fantastic movies!

If you are a sci-fi book fan, this information likely comes as no revelation, but it was news to me! According to Kingsley Amis, there are three literary works thought of as precursors of OR that in some way created an opening for the Sci-Fi genre to find its way into the hearts of book lovers:
  1. Voltaire’s Micromégas;
  2. Shakespeare’sThe Tempest; and
  3. Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels.
Jonathan Swift’s Lilliputians? OK. I think a land of little people sounds like science fiction. But François-Marie Arouet, aka Voltaire, and William Shakespeare? Writers of sci-fi? Not so sure that I agree. At any rate, Amis published his survey of science fiction in 1960.

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REF: Amis, Kingsley W. New Maps of Hell. New York: Ballantine, 1960.

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Other Links of Interest:

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Original Source


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Thursday, February 15, 2024

Book or Film Adaptation: Classic Thriller: Night of the Fox by Jack Higgins

This post is a recommendation of three (3) books written by British author Jack Higgins (1929 - ), who is aptly described as "...one of the best-selling authors of popular thrillers and espionage novels."  I thought the excerpt from one of those books was a great way to pique your interest. 

“Rommel.” Hitler smiled a ghastly smile that was almost one of triumph.
“So, the Desert Fox wishes to play games.”
“I’m almost certain of it.”
“The people’s hero,” Hitler said. “We must handle him carefully, wouldn’t you say?”
“Or outfox him, my Fuhrer,” Himmler said softly.
“Outfox him. Outfox the Desert Fox.” Hitler smiled delightfully.“Yes, I like that, Reichsfuhrer. I like that very much indeed.”
♦ The dialogue above is extracted from “Night of the Fox”, a novel by Jack Higgins.


Almost everybody knows Harry Patterson better known as Jack Higgins. He is an international bestselling suspense thrilling author who is among the world’s most popular writers. He is remembered by many for his novel, “The Eagle Has Landed” (1975); but his book “Night of the Fox” (1986) is equally as impressive. Though his books are a work of fiction, the writer’s efforts to research the historical events on which the plots are based were painstakingly real. For example, part of his research involved actually meeting with and reviewing the diaries of a woman who was trapped in Jersey during World War II.

The book, “The Eagle Has Landed”, was adapted to film (1976) which also starred a few of my favorite actors: Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, and Donald Sutherland disguised as Polish airmen. It was a plot to kidnap Sir Winston Churchill.  Intense!

“Night of the Fox”, was also made into a movie (1990) which starred two of my favorite actors, George Peppard (as American officer, Col. Harry Martineau) and Michael York (as high-ranking German officer, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the “Desert Fox”).

The book “The Eagle Has Flown” is a sequel to “The Eagle Has Landed”. Fans of novels by Higgins consider it worthy as a classic thriller, however, it was not adapted to film.

Nevertheless, if you are compiling a private library of WWII suspense thrillers, this 3-in-1 would be a great addition!

Jack Higgins: Three Complete Novels: The Eagle Has Landed (1975); The Eagle Has Flown (1991); Night of the Fox (1986)

Image credits: Photos found at Wikipedia. General Field Marshall Erwin Rommel in December 1943; and Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1977-119-08, Erwin Rommel with Adolf Hitler. Book cover at Amazon.



Original source

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Tuesday, December 5, 2023

GOOD READS: Charles Dickens Wrote More Than One Ghost Story

 “Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world’s best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.” (Wikipedia)



Since readers seemed to appreciate my post about William Shakespeare, I decided to share a short post about another famous British writer, Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870). Unlike Shakespeare, hardly anybody challenges or questions whether Dickens is the true author of any of his works.  He is known by almost everyone as the man who wrote “A Christmas Carol“.  This novel is a literary masterpiece that has been adapted to film numerous times and has become part of the holiday tradition.  Every Christmas people want to see those ghosts! The popularity of this original work has overshadowed the fact that it wasn’t the ONLY ghost story Charles Dickens ever wrote.  Dickens had a fascination with supernatural phenomena and the existence of spirits or ghosts.  Because of his avid interest, he wrote several ghost stories. Enough to have them compiled into one volume for your reading pleasure.  That’s if you like a good ghost story!

Wordsworth Classics: “Complete Ghost Stories” by Charles Dickens


Original source


THE 16 GREATEST CHARLES DICKENS NOVELS

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Saturday, November 11, 2023

Celebrities We All Admire: Do You Heart Bruce Lee?

I heart libraries. One time I checked out a book from the library about the incomparable Bruce Lee. That was when I realized that several people in my house heart Bruce Lee. That book got passed around. My sons loved that book! Had to pry it loose from their fingers so I could return it to the public library. Must admit. It was a great book! But then, everything about Bruce Lee is spectacularly awesome!! Don’t you agree?
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