New York may bring a smile

Kabir Khan's debut movie, Kabul Express had its flaws. But the movie festivals picked it up and they fell in love with the movie. That the entire shooting was completed in a post US invaded and battle-torn Afghanistan was nothing short of an acheivement. It dealt with the plight of all the people involved in that war and thankfully didn't preach. A visual feast, which told a fine story with the help of breath-taking frames.
The director is only a movie young and he is on it again. This time kicking it up a notch. Teaming up with Yash Raj Films, the new movie titled New York deals with post 9/11 issues faced by the international students in the Big Apple. The star cast comprises of a better acting John Abraham, still a non-actor but gorgeous looker Katrina Kaif, niche kid Neil Nithin Mukesh and the always marvellous Irrfan Khan. The promos have Kabir Khan shots written all over them. Since it's a YRF movie, no compromises on the packaging part.

The promotional poster does deserve a mention here. A night shot of the Manhattan skyline with a ghostly image of the World Trade Centre is not just catchy but can be a topic of discussion for the bearded thinkers. The WTC is long gone. However, the ghosts of the past still remain to haunt the inhabitants of the city.

I hope Ram Gopal Verma isn't listening. If he is, then please don't take thae previous sentence literally. And don't torture us with a Nisha Kothari-starrer horror flick set in New York.

June 19 : Angry young man coming to town...No, it's not Big B

It's been almost 40 days since X-Men Origins: Wolverine released in the US. After a scintillating run around the globe it's finally on its way to our shores. The $150 million movie has taken in a decent sum of $351 million so far and is yet to open in some more markets. Obviously, it's successful enough to green light a sequel.

On a personal note, I'm not happy with the India release of Hollywood movies being delayed like this. This time, it was the rift between the distributors and the multiplex owners which kept summer flicks like these out of our reach. Earlier it used to be the tag of a small market, which resulted in delayed releases.

In the case of Wolverine, the dates were postponed more than once and if the trailers on air are to be believed, very soon we'll get to see the angry young man of the superhero universe tearing apart bad guys in the latest movie of the X-men series. The date to mark on your calendars is June 19 and that can also be marked as the date to give your nail cutter that much needed vacation.

Critics, please shut your mouth and pack up. We don't buy tickets to a summer action flick with a hope to savour cinematic brilliance. We do it for the mindless fun. If you can't figure that out, look for another job.

About the pic, that's not Wolvy's idea of a manicure. Nor is he sharpening his adamandium claws. For him, it's just a day's work of saving the good guys.

Iron Man to be whipped

This is another metal clanger update that I had been waiting for. Iron Man sequel may release only in 2010. But the shooting footage and pics are gently making their way into media. So who do we have here? It's Academy Award nominee Mickey Rourke as Whiplash, the bad guy in Iron Man 2. From the looks of it, he seems to have followed Obadiah Stane's modus operandi from the first movie. The electric whips draw power from what strikingly resembles the same arc-reactor powering Tony Stark's armour suit.

For the droolers, there is Gwyneth Paltrow reprising her role as Tony's assistant, Virginia Pepper Pots and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Too much to ask for and too good to have. Just in case you are anxious if Johansson's character is negative, there is no reason to worry as she is one of the good guys. Terrence Howard checked out and in his shoes as Lt. Colonel James Rhodes is Don Cheadle. Though I'd choose to watch Cheadle's movies over Howard's, I really don't think this is one role which suits the former. Samuel L. Jackson, takes command as Nick Fury and rumour has it that he has been signed in for nine movies as the same character.

Of course, though it needs no mention, we have Robert Downey Jr again as the witty, wise-cracking, super-rich, playboy hero. The first film made him an icon and I just can't imagine what the sequel will do to his career. Whatever it might be, one thing can be confimed now. It will definitely boost his superstar status. The suit will be of help in conquering those heights with ease. Up, up and away...ehm...wrong line.

Moto-Terminator beefier than Arnold's Harley

If Christian Bale and Sam Worthington are actors who you don't even care about, you have got one more bait to fall for Terminator Salvation. The Moto-Terminator will set the screen on fire with its physics defying stunts and will probably make you fall off the seat at the movies.

Set in 2018, Terminator Salvation follows the battle between Skynet and the resistance led by John Connor. So where does Moto-Terminators fit in? These baddies are best described as Terminators on wheels. Hunting machines built to run down resistance fighters, they are armed to the teeth with guns and rocket launchers. Not your usual list of accessories come retrofitted.

Now for the juicy part. The bike was inspired by a real world machine. The Ducati Hypermotard, a niche bike which has taken the biking world by storm was used as a reference for the visual effects. All the stunt riding featured in the movie involved this torquey little monster. In post-production the bikes were replaced by 3D rendering of the Moto-Terminator.

Alright, it's not a real bike. It's a CGI effect onscreen. But it is one hell of a machine which unfortunately can't be ridden. Even T-800 will stay away from this monster bike.

Fire and Ice Land Rovers...too hot, too cool

Tata taking over Land Rover was not the best thing to have happened as far as the Brits are concerned. The argument which iss against Tata is simple. A truck maker will never appreciate and understand the heritage and brand name associated with Land Rover. So wrong you are, Brits. Take a look at the new Fire and Ice editions of the workhorse in LR stable, the Defender and prepare to take your words back.

The rest of the bare-basic SUVs have taken the luxury root, even the G-wagon. So how can the Defender stay behind? So in addition to the rugged standard Defender, LR has for its customers two special editions. The shell remains the same, retaining its 1948 design. The semi-dolled-up look owes to the colour coded head and tail lights, recaro seats, leather upholstery, new 5-spoke alloys and sunroof which lets the sun and nature in.

Fire edition comes in a Vesuvius Orange metallic, which of course is very much loyal to the machine's name. Ice edition, obviously comes in Alaska White. Both have been given a dual tone paint job with black finish on the hood and the roof.

They aren't cheap. Nor are they available for all. The tag says $95,000. 850 lucky and super rich Land Rover lovers will get to drive off in one of these.

TF2 deported from June 24 to July 3 - Why God why?

Didn't I forgive those who sinned me? Didn't I pray on my knees each day? Didn't I try to be better person? Didn't I? And is this how you reward the good guys, oh Almighty?

That hurts. That really hurts. No, I'm not giving a caption to the pic which by the way is of Optimus uncle getting a power-packed kick from Megatron. Call paramedics!.

Why can't the movie studios stick to their release schedule? Take the case of TF2. They announced June 24 as the India release date and fanboys like me popped the bubbly instantly. Drinks all around! And now they are airing trailers with July 3 as the India release date. We were running out of patience and were hanging on to what's left of it, when June 24 was the announced date. Now what? It comes next month? Thank you guys, for making the month of June a mirage.

Thumbs down and booooooooooooooo!!! (to the so-called box office strategists at Dreamworks and Paramount Studios) As for the movie...TF2 will rock the planet!!!

US Air Force to rear studs...Ford Mustangs to begin with

The US Air Force is at it again. No, they didn't bomb an entire village in Afghanistan to kill a single terrorist. And they haven't admitted that they have a flying saucer in one of their hangars in the Nevada desert. Instead they have drafted in Galpin Autosports, a tuner company to make this - a special edition Ford Mustang.

Apltly named US Air Force Mustang X-1, this car is wider than the standard Mustang. With a heavily altred front section which reminds you of the new Knight Rider it is indeed a loud car. They say it has been designed with fighter jet design as source material. I'll take that with a pinch of salt. Power figures are way north of 500bhp and the nitrous adds to the surge. The tyres are so wide that you'd wish you are never run over by this one. Finished in white (an unusual choice), this one has all black rims, scissor doors which would make a Lamborghini proud and an ejector seat. Yeah, you read it right - an ejector seat. That does makes it outrageous. It's a single seater and the driver sits in the middle. Very much like a fighter jet. The interior wouldn't be quite new to the seasoned fighter pilot as well. Did I mention that it has a shifter borrowed from a fighter jet? I'd be surprised if it doesn't have the storage area for the warheads.

So what is this machine for? Why exactly would the Air Force need a car like this when they have Raptors, Eagles and Stealths as pin-ups? Short answer. The car will be part of the recruiting programme. Uncle Sam has aged and what the armed forces need to get the attention of the youngsters is the all American muscle car phenomenon. And it always works.

Don't dare to ask too many questions unless you have atleast a hundred anti-aircraft missiles in your backyard. Everything is on a need to know basis and you don't need to know.

P.S - This isn't the only machine which is part of the recruitment drive. A Stealth inspired Challenger is also drafted in. More on that in a later post. Statutory Warning: It is scarier than this one.