August 28, 2003

VIDEO
Koi Mil Gaya is Mollywood’s first big-budgeted attempt at science fiction. Unfortunately, it’s basically a re-hash of Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra Terrestrial with a little bit of Mac & Me (itself an E.T. rip-off) thrown in for good measure. You know the score — stranded alien is adopted by little boy and kept safe from the authorities. In this case, the “little boy” is played by Hrithik Roshan. Why you ask? Because Hrithik’s dad Rakesh Roshan is the writer, director, and producer of the movie. So since Hrithik can in no way pass off as a 13-year-old he’s turned into a mentally challenged guy with the mind of a 13-year-old (who is still able to romance Preity Zinta). It’s not that the movie is terrible — it’s actually competently made — but why on earth would you want to see this movie when the special effects are no better than what you’ll find on an average episode of X-Files, the alien creature is a much less expressive version of E.T. and when the original is easily available on video or DVD. On the plus side, a couple of the songs are rather pleasant and it’s always nice to look at Ms Zinta. — Khusro Mumtaz

 

OR
Secretary is about an unconventional romance but it isn’t really a romantic movie. Maggie Gyllenhall and James Spader play two very damaged people who somehow manage to find in each other something that helps them to survive a cruel and lonely world, and even find a certain happiness by the end. Gyllenhall is given to self-mutilation, the pain perhaps helping her to cope with her emotions and a difficult home life. Spader is a lawyer who has an obsessive-compulsive personality that exhibits itself in a need to be completely dominant (mentally and physically). It’s almost inevitable then that the two come together in a sado-masochistic relationship. But this is not a titillating movie and Director Steven Shainberg and writer Erin Wilson (adapting a short story by Mary Gaitskill) also use some unexpected humour to good effect in detailing this difficult subject matter. The fine balance they achieve is lost only near the end where certain events would no longer allow me to suspend disbelief. Ultimately, this movie isn’t for everyone but should be checked out by people looking for something very different. — K.M.

 

SINGLE
Robbie Williams definitely keeps his fans and critics on their toes. One minute he’s lovable and naive (Feel), the next unbearably narcissistic and irritating (Come Undone). Fortunately, on Something Beautiful, his latest single off his Escapology disc, Williams is at his most charming. He sings this uplifting track from his soul, adding something special to the single. The lengthy piano intro leads to an anthemic, catchy chorus, and a single that promises love for every lonely soul. “And love is getting too cynical/Passion’s just physical these days ...” he sings, “If you’re lost, hurt, tired or lonely... May you find that love that won’t leave you/May you find it by the end of the day/You won’t be lost, hurt, tired and lonely/Something beautiful will come your way.”

Williams took a contemplative turn with lead single Feel, and he repeats this philosophical stance here. A former member of boy band Take That!, Williams has managed to overcome stereotypes and labels to carve a respected role for himself in the music industry. Although he enjoys being the bad boy of English pop, his occasional gems like this track reinforce why he’s a true star.—T. U. Dawood

 

ALBUM
With the release of the sequel to the 1995 film Bad Boys starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence currently out in the cinema houses, the soundtrack has a part two as well. Bad Boys 2 Original Motional Picture Soundtrack tries to add some vibe and phat flavour to the Jerry Bruckheimer summer blockbuster. Although Dr Dre did the score for the film, he features minimally on the compilation soundtrack. Released by P. Diddy’s Bad Boy Records, the CD includes tracks from Justin Timberlake, Nelly, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G. and Beyonci.

While first release and film anthem Bad Boys For Life gives energy to the movie, it’s a forgettable track and not one of the best on the CD. Performed by P. Diddy, it’s clear this hip-hop Mogul doesn’t need “a girl” so much as a hit single. A much better single is Girl I’m a Bad Boy on which Fat Joe, P. Diddy and Dre collaborate. Dre’s vocals are very cool, upstaging even the other two talents. Also check out Show Me Your Soul to get an early bird listen of newcomer Loon, who collaborates with P. Diddy, Lenny Kravitz and Pharrell Williams on this track. Rumour has it that Loon is being groomed to be 2004’s 50 Cent. Other solid numbers on the OST include Beyonce’s soulful Keep Giving Your Love to Me and the 50 Cent / Notorious B.I.G. duet Realest. Since Biggie has been dead for six years, the latter is a bittersweet treat. A Neptune joint, this smokin’ soundtrack will even outshine the film.— T. U. D

 

OR
Def Leppard disappoints on their latest CD X. X is an X-treme waste of the quintet’s tried and true talent. After 25 years in the biz, and such classic hits as Love Bites and Pour Some Sugar On Me, Def Leppard should never have released this less than mediocre fare. Here, their much lauded talents are wasted on such forgettable tracks as Everyday and Four Letter Word. The banality of these midtempo singles is pure disappointment. There is also much overproduction and commercialism throughout this CD. Even worse is the insipid ballad Long Long Way To Go. Very contrived, this obligatory slow song lacks the sincerity of similar singles like Aerosmith’s Don’t Want to Miss A Thing or even the band’s own Love Bites.

The only positive exceptions on this weak CD are lead single Now and album closer Scar. The former is the disc’s only exciting track and has a very current, modern-rock sound. A moody single, it runs the gamut from an acoustic/high-tech/modern pop intro to a heavier modern rock chorus and then progressively heavier verses. Scar, on the other hand, is simply cool. The only single classic Leppard fans are likely to really enjoy, Scar recalls Euphoria bonus track I Am Your Child. It gets better with every listening, and could easily be a rock radio single.

While these eighties pop metal Gods have legendary status, X shows they lack that certain X-factor that would make this CD great.—T. U. D

 

WEBSITE
The site www.qualitylife.com is specifically designed for teenagers to help them understand and solve some problems, which are commonly associated with the teenage years. For example, the usage of drugs like alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, etc. You can find the description and the harmful effects of these drugs on this site. Some common reasons because of which young people opt for drugs are also sorted out. Then another section is for “Sexually transmitted diseases” which is a guide to the symptoms, effects, and prevention of these diseases like syphilis, Aids, gonorrhea, herpes, etc. You can also find some statistics and facts about the diseases on the site. The site provides extremely valuable material, which may also help you to prepare your research notes.—Azeem Haider

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