Had some information, especially about the life of L. Ron Hubbard that I did not know. I have read about the cult of Scientology for years, but it was even more chilling seeing all of the clips compiled, especially the interview footage of L. Ron Hubbard.

I am even more admiring of Phillip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal in the The Master now.

It's hard to limit the scope of a documentary like this, but I wish there had been some mention of the mystery surrounding Miscavige's wife. For someone completely unfamiliar with the subject, however, it is an excellent introduction and overview of the crazy history of this "religion". I'm glad Paul Haggis participated. He's one that I've always wondered how he could have been sucked in, and he addresses that in the film, basically saying he's learned that everyone has a part of their mind where they can't look too closely at some things.

Watched at the recommendation of my neighbor from South India. Just a delightful love after arranged marriage story.

I figured out how to add subtitles to Youtube via a Chrome Add on app, as I could only find this without subtitles on Youtube, and not on DVD. It was a bit dicey trying to match up the subtitles to the action, but the emotions and wonderful acting still shone through despite all that.

Wonderful film. Glad this was my first in Tamil. The acting was really quite good for the leads, and I was quite affected by the story.

I made a big mistake on a long flight home. I watched Hum Saath Saath Hain. It was a 5 and a half hour flight, so I thought I'd watch the really long movie I had downloaded to my iPad. And it felt very long. If I'd watched it home while searching the internet at the same time or something, it wouldn't have felt so slow, I'd bet. But I was trapped on a plane just watching it, and there is a 15 minute song medley -- making fun of each family member in turn, but with no subtitles. Not having subtitles for the songs was really a handicap this time, as they were mostly less about dancing and more about comedy which mostly passed me by.

It was meh for me. The last 45 minutes had good melodrama, and seeing Saif Ali Khan all goofy and boyish while Salman was supposed to be this introspective intellectual (!!) was kind of a kick. But.....wish I'd watched another movies instead. It took a looooong time to get to the melodrama. I thought HAHK was Most Family Values, but yowza! Pretentious Movie Review on this one was spot on.

One other trip was Tabu. I had not seen her in a romantic role from the past yet -- only I think as the mother in Haider. So that was wild to see her dancing away in her heyday. The couples were cute, but not as sparkling adorable as Madhuri and Salman were in HAHK.

Last night, I decided I needed SRK to wash away the Hum Saath-Saath Hain fiasco, so I watched Ram Jaane. It was only $2.99 on Amazon digital, and was a 2 hour length. Looking it up later online, I saw the movie length was originally 2 hours 40 minutes, so I'm really curious what may have been cut in the version I watched (maybe more childhood scenes?). The print was atrocious, and it did feel choppy at times with some very rough cuts. But there WERE subtitles even for the songs. Yay!

I LOVED it. All of its pulpy excess. SRK as a naughty boy gangster? All the yes. The movie starts with infant Ram Jaane being literally dumped in a dumpster. When as a child he asks someone what his name is, he is told, "God knows" or Ram Jaane. He takes that as his name -- and personal motto.

He saves his best buddy and fellow orphan Murli when they get into a scrape together as children. They are lifelong friends, and Ram Jaane loves their friend Bela from the time they are teasing children. Fast forward to their adulthood, Murli is running an orphanage, and Ram Jaane is a gangster who spends 4 years in prison. Murli takes him in when he gets out, and steps back from Bela's love as he knows his friend Ram Jaane loves her, too. There is much melodrama in the love triangle, and SRK has swaggers around as a tough guy always smoking cigarillos. At one point Murli tries to reform Ram Jaane by telling Bela to be with him, even though she loves Murli, as she may be the only person who can save him.

My favorite line by far is the one when Juhi is on her date with him and SRK is in a tux. "I even put on a shirt for the first time for you."

Yes, there's some troublesome plot points -- like Murli basically prostituting poor Bela out to "reform" RamJaane, but hey. It has shirtless SRK for 2 hours! The songs were absolutely great, and it's just a fun movie to watch.

I can't believe this was released the same year as DDLJ. What a different kind of movie. This one almost feels 80's or something. Love Juhi and SRK. SRK looked like he was having a ball chewing up the scenery in this one. It's like a combo of Darr/Baazigar and Don all rolled up into one. The swagger of Don, but with the tragic backstory, quivering lip, teary eyes, and hurt inside of Darr and Baazigar.

Loved the fantasy song sequence when they're in a movie theater. Felt like something from Om Shanti Om or Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte in Rab ne Bana di Jodi. And the title song sequence -- wow. It's the whole crazy movie in one song.

Just the right mix of sweet and melodrama for me, and so interesting that they made it years before they started dating. I gather it was not a hit, and wonder if it was because of the divorce issue in the movie or just wasn't liked.

Cute song sequences, too.

Can you base an entire movie around one song? The filmmakers of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom certainly give it their all. Admittedly, it IS a catchy tune, but I would say a full hour of the 2 plus hour runtime is this song, and variations of this song and dances TO this song.

I love Abhishek Bachchan and I like Preity Zinta. Their chemistry is cute -- especially in the middle section "what if" dream sequence, if they had met before they were "engaged" to other people.

They meet in a train station and share a table. They both lie that they are engaged to other people so it is safe to share stories without flirtation. Each creates a whopper of a tale about meeting their fictional fiancees, both slightly amusing. Bobby Deol as a sort of super lawyer I found the most amusing, as his real life persona was a living under his mother's thumb nerd.

My problem is really with Abhishek's character -- or rather his costume. It is SO clownish, that I found it hard to believe Preity would fall for him in a two hour period. I'm all for rough around the edges heroes, but they made him a CLOWN with a ridiculous jacket. Surely, he could have been lower class, rough, a hustler, but had charisma and a wardrobe that while not a business suit wasn't quite that ridiculous. (See Happy New Year for a prime example -- similar character, much funnier and not a clown in DRESS, but in action.)

The dance contest, the fake fiancees falling for each other -- that was all fine and amusing. But did the action really have to all take place within a 24 (or was it 36?) hour period? Just the whole construct of the farce plot didn't work for me.

I loved this adaptation. The costumes were beyond divine. I actually said "wow" out loud at several points over the costumes in the theater. The sets were gorgeous as well. The CGI castle reminded me of a blend of the castle outside St. Petersburg near the sea with Versaille.'

Richard Madden and Lily James had wonderful chemistry together. It was quite something to see Richard Madden all cleaned up and spiffy so unlike his GOT role. His scenes with Derek Jacobi were wonderful and warm. Fantastic supporting cast all around -- and some big names. I mean can there be a more perfect evil step-mother than Cate Blanchet? Or a more perfect quirky fairy god-mother than Helena Bonham Carter (but with weird teeth). Stellan Skarsgard is the plotting Grand-duke, and the scullery maid fo\rom Downton Abbey was one of the step-sisters. When did Ben Chaplin get old? -- he's Cinderella's father with distinguished gray temples.

What I really liked was that Cinderella wasn't the typical damsel in distress dishrag. She had agency. Her mother's dying words are that Ella should be courageous and kind, and that's what she always strives to do. The fairy godmother weaves her magic because Ella is kind enough to give her a cup of milk when she is in disguise as a beggar woman. Cinderella's final words to her step-mother as she walks out with the prince? "I forgive you." But the best twist is that when she could present herself to try on the slipper, she doesn't because she wants to stop her step-mother from worming her way into the royal court.

There were just several moments that were magical, in a good movie sigh kind of way. One in particular for me was the dance of Cinderella and the Prince at the ball. The choreography was outstanding. It could have just been the Beauty and Beast style waltz around the room, but it was so much more. It was a blend of formal dancing like you've seen in Pride and Prejudice where they circle each other with raised clasped hands that built up to waltzing and then exuberant almost Russian style lifts of Cinderella by the Prince. The dance told a story, and it was incredibly beautiful to watch.

I also really liked that Cinderella and the Prince meet in the forest before the ball. He hides his identity, too, by saying he's Kit, an apprentice at the palace. She just wants to go to the ball to see her "apprentice" friend, not to snare the prince. And he opens the ball to everyone in the hopes that he'll see her again. Little touches like that to the script added quite a lot for me to the original.

Also, I'm sure there are many, many Easter eggs. I spotted Micky ears in the leaded glass of Cinderella's front door, but my favorite was the Roman emperor's statue in Derek Jacobi (the king's) bedroom. I, Claudius reference in Cinderella! Love you Kenneth Brannagh.

Luv Shuv tey Chicken Khurana is roughly 'Love etc and a family chicken-dish.' Tey, in Punjabi, is 'and'. Khurana is the family's surname and name of their restaurant.

It's a little slow in parts -- debut director -- but it has that magic sweetness that Aaja Nachle did not have -- and the emotional family drama oomph that I was seeking.

I started watching it last night and finished watching the end today. It's streaming on Netflix, and annoyingly the subtitles lag by a few seconds.

I'm not even going to bother to link to the trailer - because that doesn't give you the flavor (pun intended!) of it at all.

Omi (the gorgeous Kunal Kapoor) has been in London for 10 years and is in trouble with a gangster. The gangster sends him home to Punjab to get money from his family, or he's done for. So, we learn in flashback that Omi had stolen out in the dead of night, leaving the provincial life behind and his family's famous chicken restaurant shack against his familiy's wish. When he returns from London,the family greets him with open arms (even though he had stolen the money to leave all those years ago). His grandfather now has dementia, and the problem is the restaurant has closed because no one knows what the secret ingredient is in the famous Chicken Khurana recipe.

Omi lies to his family that he is a successful lawyer in London. His cousin Jeet is engaged to the girl Omi left behind -- Harman played wonderfully by Huma Qureshi. She is STILL pissed that he left her like that 10 years back, and has since become a doctor. Neither she nor Jeet seemed thrilled about their engagement -- and we gradually learn Jeet's secret. His secret is so awful, or he thinks it will be, to the point that he almost commits suicide.

There's a crazy uncle Titu and a guru aunt, just thrown in for the comedic bits, I guess. I'm not going to spoiler what the secret ingredient is. Kathy Gibson guessed in her review from one flashback scene, but it still wasn't obvious to me till later in the film when Omi figures it out. (She only gave the movie 2 stars, but I liked it more.)

The core to me is that Omi comes to appreciate the simple life with his family again, as he reconnects with them. He tries to recreate the chicken recipe trying every spice imaginable, and asking Harman to help him as he doesn't know how to cook! This leads to many longing glances and very cute chemistry between them. Harman stays pissed for quite a long time, and i loved how she sassed him, calling him a dog. When he gets injured and comes to her hospital, she tells him, "We don't treat animals here."

Finally one night.....okay, I'm not going to spoiler it. It was such a delightful little surprise to me. It's in the trailer, but I replayed that good night little scene at least three times in a row. It was just wonderful.

Omi serves his family his version of the chicken dish, and secrets are revealed and all ends happily in a very sweet way. The almost epilogue finale ending with the gangster is a little whacky, but overall the sweetness wins out. Gee, do you think Omi really sold the secret recipe to his grandpa's rival restaurant? There's not really dance sequences, except a little at an engagement party, but the music was different and fun.

Kunal Kapoor and Huma Qureshi both act wonderfully in this film, and I loved their chemistry. Almost all of the supporting actors are great, too. It's a nice sweet little romance, and it hit the spot for me.

I did get teary eyed at the emotional ending, but man, this movie has some crazy sauce! And not just that CGI parrot and dog!

There is some major overacting, too. Hrithik's enthusiasm is at 11 for most of the movie.

I enjoyed the story itself and the quandary of the love triangle. Seeing Abhishek playing shy, quiet and subdued was kind of a trip -- as that's not what I'm used to.

Still, there's some crazy. Flying Dad. Flying. Dad.

This was a meh movie for me. I like the individual actors, but the characters they were playing were not likeable for significant portions of the movie. The last half hour was sweet, but this movie is really not worth your time.