|
|
June 19, 2003
EIGHT DAYS A WEEK
VIDEO
Disney’s traditional summer outing is here. Finding Nemo is the latest in a long line of Disney’s animated classics that have thrilled audiences for nearly seventy years. Made in joint collaboration with the producers of Toy Story and Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo is the story of Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks), a clown fish and an over-protective father, who, along with his son Nemo, lives a secluded life in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. However, his silent existence goes topsy-turvy when Nemo is caught by humans and taken to a fish tank in a dentist’s office in Sydney. Determined to find his son, Marlin, along with a new-found friend in the shape of a forgetful blue tang, Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), leaves his colorful surroundings and sets out into the dangerous open waters of sea to find his son. Along the way, the two encounter a variety of wild-life, including a surfer-turtle Crush, a bold-pelican, Nigel, which has a soft-corner for the fish. And, of course, there is that Great-White Shark, Bruce, as well. But Bruce and his two fellow shark friends are on a friendly fish expedition, their motto being: ‘Fish are friends, not food’. However, nobody said they have to keep their word!
Nemo, too, hasn’t resided to the part of living life in a fish-tank and is hatching a few daring escape plans of his own. With fun, adventure and the endless colours of the Australian sea-life, Finding Nemo is a movie for the whole family. —Atif Khan
OR
Pran Jaaye Par Shaan Na Jaaye comes to us from the mind of Mahesh Manjrekar (Astitva, Vaastav), one of the better writer/directors in Mollywood.
Unfortunately, this movie about the lives of a number of residents in a low-cost Mumbai chawl while not terrible, suffers from the fact that writer Manjrekar and director Sanjay Jha can’t find the right balance between over-the-top theatrics and comedy and straight-forward story-telling.
Treating the subject matter entirely in a low-key, sensitive way (which Manjrekar is definitely capable of) would have benefited the movie tremendously instead of trying to force feed some unnatural hilarity into the proceedings — comedy which comes out of character usually works better. The ensemble cast includes Raveena Tandon, Rinke Khanna, Diya Mirza and Namrita Shirodkar, and also boasts guest appearances from Sushmita Sen and Manjrekar himself. —Khusro Mumtaz
WEBSITE
One web site which will keep you entertained in times of boredom is www.mag4you.com. Here you will find everything from movies to fashion to cricket and computers, to make your summer vacations a little fun. In spotlight are listed latest gossips and whereabouts of our local celebrities. The recent stories are about Jawwad Ahmed and Resham, along with other loads of stuff on the local showbiz scene. The Style and Fashion section features the latest trends in Pakistani fashion. You will also find latest releases from Hollywood and Bollywood. Further, the site features cricket news as well. Also, there are greetings, a daily horscope and an Urdu section which will be updated shortly. A great time pass.— Azeem Haider
SINGLE
Last year’s Grammy favourite Alicia Keys and her debut album, Songs in A Minor, are both still going strong with the release of her latest single, How Come You Don’t Call Me (Anymore)? A simple, saucy blues-R&B groove, this track allows Keys to have fun with her impressive vocal range and the video permits her to experiment with a range of multiple hairstyles.
First and foremost, Keys is a musician. Unlike other junior divas, this R&B goddess writes many of her own soul-wrenching songs. Admittedly, the 22-year-old indulges in typical teenage angst on some tracks on Songs in A Minor, but this latest release is mature, poignant and quite powerful. Probably because it was written by Prince (or the Artist Formerly Known As...). The diva digs deeply into this cover of what was originally a beloved but lesser known Prince B-Side. Although like most remakes, Keys’ version does not improve upon the original, she does do justice to the song and admirably makes it her own.
As the subtle heat boils, you have to wonder how anyone could stop calling Keys. —T.U. Dawood
OR
Out of all the boy bands, Blue has to be the least talented. With their predictable, routine singles, and carbon cutout look, the band is only noteworthy for their high rotation on MTV. Their latest single You Make Me Wanna off their One Love album is a clear example of this. At least earlier release title track One Love was anthemic and memorable (even if you didn’t want to admit it), but this track sounds like uninspired elevator music at best.
A deep blue ballad, You Make Me Wanna is meant to help the Brit Band get US Urban airplay. The boys sold over 1.2 million copies of their debut disc All Rise, and there are very high hopes for this sophomore CD, but its main aim is to help launch the group in the lucrative US market. Premiering at #1 on the British Charts, this disc outsold U2 and knocked David Gray off the top spot. You Make Me Wanna is hit material, but is a saccharine song at best, aftertaste and all.
Filled with Mills & Boon lyrics, sugary promises and a treacle chorus, You Make Me Wanna makes me wanna do anything but listen to this song. —T. U.D.
ALBUM
I tried my very best to find fault with and offer constructive criticism to Rushk concerning their record, Sawal 57:34. Needless to say, I didn’t get very far. This is a mature, deeply intense and highly listener-friendly album, and without a doubt, you will get your money’s worth down to the last paisa.
The band’s static coldness is what is so alluring. It is distant, dispassionate and very precise music, yet it has a tremendous amount of soul. The mechanical ingenuity of Ziyyad Gulzar and Uns Mufti combines with Nazia Zuberi’s vocals to unravel the soul of the new machine. Hints and flourishes point in so many different directions that one is left with a loss for words. Welcome friends, to the next phase of evolution.
Behti naar, which got quite a bit of airplay on satellite TV, ensnares one in its trap laid out by steady bass, minimalist guitar, lazy drums and crisp sax. There is an almost industrial rhythm progression on Mushkil, aided by tremolo-tinged guitar and fifth-dimensional effects. Faraib is a page right out of Pink Floyd’s book, with the radio-surfing of Wish You Were Here included, as the dial finally rests at a brilliant sample of Nadeem, (or is that Waheed Murad?) in the middle of an impassioned plea lifted from a classic Pakistani movie. Very creative. But that’s not the best part, as Zuberi launches into a venomous tirade backed by a stuttering rhythm. —Q.A.M.
|
|
|
