The Winter Ghosts

The Winter Ghosts is a novel written by English writer Kate Mosse. Its not a creepy ghost story but more like a historically leaking ghost, I guess all ghosts are leaking in some way or other but this book is interesting. Freddie Watson who is very attached to his brother George and who has not been very well treated by his parents is distraught at the death of his brother. There are constant references to what would George think about, in the book. Freddie is institutionalised also for a few years. The book is set in post World War I scenario. In order to recover from his illness he sets off on a road trip to France, drives through in snow and low visibility and crashes his car into the rocks. When he recovers he stumbles into a village which is seen as celebrating its annual village festival. There he meets Fabrissa and they talk and talk and there is some fighting taking place from where they escape. The next morning he gets up, Fabrissa is gone. Freddie learns of her story of persecution of the Cathers community by the Catholic church. But that happened 700 years ago. Goodreads review 3/5 

Indecent Proposal

Indecent Proposal is a 1993 movie featuring Demi Moore, Robert Redford and Woody Harrelson.  Before writing this blog I checked online, as that feature is easily available these days and found out that Woody Harrelson had been given the Worst Actor Award in the Razzies and the movie itself was nominated for Worst Movie Award. Well, it is not such a bad movie at all. Demi Moore especially sizzles in the movie. She looks beautiful those youthful days. Woody Harrelson in fact has done a fine role. I am sure those who gave him the Razzies would like to change their opinion. Its an uncomplicated story of a millionaire wanting to sleep with a woman for 1 million dollars, which those guys need desperately to fund their dream housing project. He has got money to spare and she has got the assets but what is not reckoned with is the emotional content. I am sure there must have been a shameless copy in Bollywood by somebody with all the songs and dance in it and too much of emotional drama baazi with moms and in laws and bua's and what ever fucking not characters. 

The Exorcist - cult classic

Revisited the 1973 cult classic "The Exorcist" yesterday. It was and still is the greatest horror movie ever made. Don't remember what were my emotions when I saw it first time in 1979 or around but this movie still gives the creeps. Those days Hollywood movies were released in India 5 to 6 years after their first release abroad so that is why we got to see the movie in 1979 or thereabouts, when I was in college. Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil is simply the most powerful devil incarnate ever. None of the latter horror movies ever comes close to this ultimate cult classic. The devil penetration into Regan happens ever so slowly and that is most beautifully done. The first instance we see is when she undergoes a medical examination with Dr.Klein. Then when she suddenly blows out it is most terrifying. She is all raw power when she says "stick your cock up her ass, you motherfucking worthless cocksucker" 

This piece of dialogue when Father Lancester Merrin tries to drive the evil away is epic. 

Father Merrin: I cast you out! Unclean spirit!

Demon: Shove it up your ass, you faggot!

Father Merrin: In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is he who commands you! It is he who flung you from the gates of Heaven to the depths of Hell!

Demon: Fuck him!

Father Merrin: Be gone...

Demon: Fuck him, Karras! Fuck him!

Father Merrin: ...from this creature of God! Be gone! In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

Of the cast, Jason Miller as Father Damien Karras is outstanding. When he enters her room and finds his mother sitting there and then he realises what is to be done, he comes down and sits on the bench. That is the most poignant scene ever in the movie.

These were great cult movies, The Exorcist, The Omen, Jaws, Alien - all absolutely great movies. 

The Freebooters

The Freebooters written by Elleston Trevor is an unlikely story of a British army unit embattled in an imaginary country in a violent zone inside Africa with orders not to fight but only to retaliate. The force gets impatient, with one soldier letting loose his machine gun killing 15 of the locals. The locals meanwhile continue to harass the soldiers and in fact they get annoyed when the force constructs a barbed wire outside their perimeter in order to keep the locals away. The locals do manage to kill a few British soldiers and that too in a most brutal way. A few of them mutiny, walk across 250 miles of enemy territory with a truck and machine guns and all, but the truck breaks down and, so they are forced to leg it out to the missionary. Along the route they encounter the tribes and kill many of them. Once they arrive at the missionary it is still not over, and they have to fight hard to stave off the locals. Again when they arrive at the missionary, its head, a lady says, she does not approve of any killings, its bad. So they have a predicament, but they are lives to be saved as well. Its a brave story with varied characters and the writer has kept the interest intact. Goodreads review 5/5 

Black Wind

Black Wind is a thriller from Clive Cussler alongwith his son Dirk Cussler. During the world war II, a Japanese submarine carrying some deadly biological warfare was sunk by US boats. 40 years later, a North Korean businessman masquerading as a South Korean tries to get hold of those biological canisters in order to wreak havoc on the US. His logic - US forces are occupying the DMZ between North and South Korea and therefore preventing a re-unification between the two Koreas on North Korean terms. Enter Dirk Pitt Jr. and his sister Summer, both agents with NUMA, (National Underwater & Marine Agency), they stumble upon this rapacious plot of the North Korean to let loose biological warfare over the American air and soil during the G-20 summit. One thing leads to another, there is a lot of chase all over the place from Phillipines to Japan to South Korea and back to San Deigo. Dirk and Summer's father Dirk Pitt Sr. is also involved in the plot. Nice racy thriller a bit technical with all the nautical adventures but Clive Cussler has managed to keep the narrative flowing smoothly. Rating 4/5 

11.24 kms Aarey

11.24 kms in Aarey Forest, Mumbai. Took the regular unit no. 16 and the Aarey Guest House and also added the Diary road today. Weather in Aarey was absolutely humid with not a hint of breeze whatsoever. Aarey Forest is such a beautiful place, an oasis in the bustling city of Mumbai, a paradise of sorts. Don't understand government apathy in destroying such a beautiful natural eco system which is virtually the lungs of Mumbai. Especially when there are alternative sites for construction of the metro car shed government insistence on destroying aarey forest is nothing short of arrogance and cruelty. Cruelty it is to the thousands of birds, insects etc. residing in this beautiful forest. Every time you go to Aarey Forest you feel so refreshed, it is the pure oxygen which is the hallmark of this place. I suspect there is corruption and greed in commercially exploiting this pristine piece of nature.  

Dallas Buyers Club

Dallas Buyers Club is a 2013 American movie based on a real life story of Ron Woodruff who is diagnosed with AIDS but does not get the medicines because FDA has not approved of them. These are early days of the AIDS treatment and the research is still picking up on what is the best medicine for AIDS. Mathew McConaughey has brilliantly played the lead role of Ron, for which he won the Best Acting Oscar. Jennifer Garner as the supportive doctor has also played a superb role. The more I see of Jennifer Garner acting, the more I feel that she is developing in a fine actor in the mould of Meryl Streep. So Ron does not get the AZT because they are still on trial, but he goes to Mexico and gets dDc and peptide T, which is a protein from a local doctor there whose licence has been squashed. He brings a bootful load of medicines masquerading as a padre who requires them for his cancer treatment. Meanwhile he starts selling the medicines to fellow AIDS patients who are similarly denied the AZT treatment and forms the Dallas Buyers Club. His activity prompts other cities to form similar clubs like Florida Buyers Club which is mentioned in the movie. Ron gets into business with a transgender and sets about charging $400 as membership fee for the Dallas Buyers Club. But FDA confiscates his supplies and then IRS sets about investigating his activities. Meanwhile Jenifer is forced to resign from her post because she is seen as supporting the Club activities.

I liked the way this difficult subject was treated in the film. In India we don't see these kind of autobiographical movies which are even slightly controversial. We have sports and politics bio pics which are far away from truth and which are more like goody goody movies with a lot of song and dance.