The Conjuring isn't the scariest film of all time ... and yet it works

The Conjuring isn't the scariest film of all time and certainly not a cinematic phenomenon that you shouldn't dare miss. Period.

But the monstrous box office success ($200 million and counting), the overtly positive reviews and the high pitched marketing campaign, even in India, suggests otherwise. Indeed, the movie has got a few spine chilling sequences that can truly scare the hell out of you (In fact, during one of those scenes, a girl sitting next to my friend squeezed his wrist so tightly that the poor guy almost screamed writhing in pain.) Yet The Conjuring breaks no new grounds. It isn't as scary as The Exorcist or The Evil Dead (a movie which can give me sleepless nights even today). It doesn't explores a new genre in horror like Paranormal Activity franchise. The film doesn't even has that suspense angle to all the supernatural activity that catapulted The Ring and The Grudge to a great success.

In spite having none of the above, The Conjuring works; and works pretty effectively.

Byomkesh Bakhshi returns in 2014

Dibakar Banerjee's next venture is perhaps his most ambitious and difficult one.

I'm not trying to undermine his previous work here which includes gems like Khosla ka Ghosla, Love Sex aur Dhokha and Shanghai. The last film, in particular, was a very complex movie to make. in each of these films, Banerjee had tried his hands in the genres that find few takers in Bollywood. Khosla ka Ghosla was a black comedy while Shanghai was a political thriller. His new film also deals with a genre explored rarely in the Hindi film industry - Detective fiction. And he has decided to bring onscreen a character which has seen a no. of incarnations in the past, one as recent as 2010, and is hugely popular among its fans.

Detective Byomkesh Bakhshi, produced by Yash Raj Films, is the new film being directed by Banarjee.

Why Pacific Rim deserved success?

I am thoroughly disappointed with the failure of Pacific Rim.

Ramaiya Vastavaiya - A 30 crore gamble on a dated plot

Few readers might find me unreasonable discussing Ramaiya Vastavaiya since I haven't watched it (and no, I am not willing to sacrifice 2 and half hours of my life even if someone offers me a free PVR ticket. Temple Run is a far more engaging option if I have to waste my time). I remember how my jaw dropped (ok, I'm exaggerating a bit) upon seeing a guy sporting ridiculous hair and smiling like a buffoon romancing Shruti Hassan (Aww!) in the movie's trailer. I did wonder how on earth someone could commit a crime of pairing a svelte actress like Shruti opposite that guy. Of course, I didn't even make a feeble attempt at gaining some valuable information about this guy which would enlighten me. It was only when he and Prabhudeva appeared on few reality shows to promote the film (sans Shruti Hassan. See, how even the most basic element of the promotion of a film - glamour - is sacrificed at the altar of ... read on) that I came to know that he is a new entrant to that exclusive club which consists of distinguishing members like Harman Baweja and Jackie Bhagnani (Didn't recognize them by names? Don't worry, just give a close look to the privileged surnames and you will know). Anyway, this article is not about the 'poor guy' (of course, not in the literal sense). The thought of writing this piece occurred to me when I read few reviews of the film and came to know that the cost of film was close to, (gulp!), 30 crore.

Success of Medium Budgeted Films with Little Face Value in 2013 in Bollywood

Unlike Hollywood, Bollywood has always been a place where new faces have found it tough to enjoy success in their very initial outing unless they come from a family of film stars. Even after the advent of multiplexes and acceptance of content different from the conventional Bollywood films, very few movies led by newcomers, or in the terms of trade, lacking face value have done well in last few years. However, this year has been an exception. Most of the big budget star driven vehicles have given disappointing returns while medium budget films with newer faces have performed very well. Films like Kai Po Che, Aashiqui 2, Fukrey and Raanjhanaa  were never expected to put up big numbers. But the results have been completely different. The acceptance of these films by the audience is not only heartening but encouraging as well for the Hindi film industry.

Hollywood Box Office Update: Despicable Me 2 Great Opening, The Lone Ranger is a Failure

Despicable Me 2, the sequel to the 2010 surprise hit, had a great opening with its first five days yielding $142.1 million. The film was released on Wednesday to reap the benefits of fourth of July weekend and it grabbed the opportunity with both hands. The films has scored one of the best openings for an animation film and good word of mouth suggests that the film will play very well in the coming weeks.

Bollywood Box Office: Lootera Average Beginning, Policegiri is a Disaster

The first two Bollywood releases of the second half of the year haven't really set the box office on fire. Vikramaditya Motwane's Lootera starring Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha had a slow start in most of the screens across the country; though the film did pick up later on and earned close to 17 crore in its first weekend. The figures are not that great, but the film's healthy growth on Saturday and Sunday suggest good word of mouth. So, if the film manages to get good collections on weekdays, it has got a chance to score at the box office.