The mad action called Raid 2

The Raid 2 is one of the finest action films to hit the screens. Although its overlong, most of the action scenes will keep you glued to the screen. The extreme violence may put-off some, but that is what makes this movie stand apart. There are some interesting baddies with weapons ranging from hammers to base ball bats. The car chase is quite a thrill ride. A must-watch for action buffs.  

The Great Beauty... a mesmerizing beauty indeed

Watching the Italian film, The Great Beauty or La grande bellezza by Paolo Sorrentino will be a rewarding experience for any art house  movie buff. The cinematography, the performances and the haunting music makes it a priceless celluloid painting. Rome captured in all its glory will make it as your immediate top travel destination. It's about one man's retrospective of his life in his adopted city. But be warned of some nudity and slow paced narration.  

Some Scribblings

I wonder that the world has so much to offer and yet I'm not pleased with anything really. Talking about my movies passion, I have seen so much but I remember so little about any of them. And, that speaks about the quality and content of the movies that are dished out these days. I've seen plenty of action, but nothing new or great. Some soul-stirring moments? Well, very rare to find these days. Yet, there was one scene in the Man of Steel that made my eyes wet. When Clark's adopted father stops him from helping him and lets himself be at the mercy of nature. Gosh! the visuals and emotions portrayed in that scene really had an impact on me. 

The danish film, The hunt, was so emotionally battering that I could feel the lead character's inner turmoil and the world's unforgiving nature. I recommend this movie for anyone who is interested in a good emotional drama.  

Ciao for now.

Ecstasy - revamped festive menu

Mr. Besse has introduced some more exotic desserts for the festive season. Among them are caramilk (an awesome looking choco-case filled with apricot-jam flavoured filling), metal-themed choco wraps with interesting fillings, and C-5, a semi-spherical choco delight that has a mild flavoured-gooey filling that definitely satiates your sweet cravings.

You can also order plum cakes with dry fruits aged in spirits for over two years. Unlike other strong tasting plum cakes, ecstasy's have a mild cinnamon flavour and pleases your palate.

The Avengers

The movie is a thrill show with loads of fun. It exceeds your expectation in terms of entertainment quotient. The audience cheered throughout the movie and the climax action is mind-blowing. Definitely, a great watch for action movie buffs. It's got great visuals, funny one-liners. The best movie so far, this year.

Watch out for what hulk does to loki, when the latter challenges him in the climax.

Revamped menu at Ecstasy, Sathyam Cinemas

Dessert-Chef Mickael Besse has brought in some fabulous flavours after a long while. They include Hazelnut Crepe, Guava, Red Fruit Charlotte, and Paris-Chennai Macaroon. After drooling over the new additions at the display counter, I finally sought the aid of the ever-friendly Ecstasy staff to decide on the delicacies, to give my taste-buds an ecstatic ride.

I began with the Paris-Chennai Macaroon. It was a pretty looking, crispy, sugary wheel sitting inside a macaroon that had a magnificient butterscotch filling. It was quite satisfying and worth the try.  My next choice was the Hazelnut Crepe. It had a nice nutty flavour with the right amount of sweetness. Very soft and creamy.

The new additions to the ice cream section included rose&pepper and milk-raspberry jam. I went for the rose&pepper. It was a bit watery, but it tasted quite simple and had a short life on the tongue. My next try was the milk-raspberry jam.  It was quite creamy and had big chunks of candied raspberries in it to my surprise. It was quite milky, smooth and easy on the palate. There was a nice lingering after-taste.

The new additions weren't a let down so far. I need to try the others on my next visit. I recommend dessert-buffs to try the new menu. My personal recommendation on the menu would be the liquorice-raspberry tartlet and tiramisu.

Bon-appetit..

For more details on the new menu, vistit www.pure-ecstasy.in  

Reviews on movies, places, and food

Hi all,

Very soon, I will start reviewing movies, food joints and things I found interesting.

To start with, my reviews will not give away the story line or my verdict. I would suggest what to expect from the film that I review. I'm sorry to use the word review, as it's technically not a review.

Well...  to start with.. Here's my review on the tamil movie, Avan Ivan.

What to expect: Characters rarely seen (squint-eyed &gender-confused, not-so-royal royalty); humour that's real and raw (ghetto slang); and a very different climax (how the villain is punished)

What a past!

It’s like a Technicolor dream
To look back at that beautiful past
And especially those Childhood days
School days and teen years
Naughty pranks, teachers’ spanks
Blowing bubbles and secret giggles
Crying over lost grades
Cheering at the school games
What a past!
That’s ever good to look back at
In the times of loneliness
When meeting good old pals after long breaks
When bumping into that long lost friend
It’s that marvelous past
That brings us all together
To share a moment
That would be cherished a lifetime