Sugar Plum Twist

Sugar Plum Twist

Hallmark movie/ Chick-Flick alert! 

Super cute movie about cultural diversity, traditional values, and the meaning of family & friends during the holiday season. 

Loved this cute movie! 

A must see for all the little dancers & big dancers! 

Sugar Plum Twist (2021)

Directed By: Eric Close
Cast: Laura Rosguer, Jamie Gray Hyder, Ektor Rivera, Rachel de Benedet, Shadia Fairuz 
Network: Hallmark Movies Now
Release Date: December 2 2021
Genre: Christmas Drama

“Fitoor”

 “Fitoor”: A 2016 Indian movie based on the book “Great Expectations”, by Charles Dickens. 

Subtitled on Netflix. It’s has a much better ending than the Dickens version; in fact it’s what I always wanted the ending of the book to be… to have love prevailing against all odds. 

In the original Dickens book, Pip’s love for Estrella dies out, and Estrella ends up married a second time to a poor chap. And Pip & Estrella part ways, albeit amicably, but without passion. Yuck! Love Dickens, but his endings leave the reader much to be desired! 

Release date: February 12, 2016 (USA)

Director: Abhishek Kapoor

Starring: Tabu; Katrina Kaif; Aditya Roy Kapur

Based on: Great Expectations; by Charles Dickens

Budget: ₹350 million

AANKHEN

AANKHEN
Release Date: April 5, 2002
Director: Vipul Amrutlal Shah
Writers:
Play: Shobhana Desai
Screenplay, Story, and Writer: Aatish Kapadia
Screenplay and Story: Vipul Amrutlal Shah

Actors:
Amitabh Bachchan - Banker
Akshay Kumar: One of the Blind Men
Arjun Rampal: One of the Blind Men
Paresh Rawal: One of the Blind Men
Sushmita Sen: The Teacher

Lal's Rating: 5/5

This is an interesting movie about a man who is a bank employee, who goes above and beyond to do his job.  He does his job so well, and with such passion that he verges on being charged with harming people who make small mistakes or who commit small crimes. 
Eventually, the way he deals with the employees, and the his wrath is what does him in. 
He is fired from his job.  Since he has become so passionate about his job, he has thrown everything into the bank and has sacrificed his entire life, avoiding getting married, or tying himself down to anything but his job.
Getting fired throws him over the edge, as his job is his life, and his life line.  He does not know what to do with himself and ends up deciding to take revenge on the bank and the people who run it, but deciding to train 3 blind men to rob the bank. 
The story, of course takes many turns and builds up the bank robbery.  I will say no more, if you do not want me to spoil the movie for you.  Do not read any further.  Just sit back and enjoy one of the most entertaining movies.  Great story line. 


*******************SPOILER ALERT*********************************

The three blind men actually pull it off in the end, which makes the story that much more interesting.
The three blind men are trained by a woman, whom the banker coerces.  The banker takes her brother as hostage and forces her to do his bidding. 
The three blind men come from different walks of life, and they end up becoming close through the training process. 
Eventually, the banker gets caught up in his own lies and gets a wool thrown over his eyes by the blind men.  One of the blind men dies and the woman who trains them commits suicide.  Eventually the remaining blind men take care of the woman's young brother. 
Drama Drama... Would not be the Indian movies I've come to enjoy without a bit of DRAMA!   

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AMU

AMU
Released: January 7, 2005
Director & Writer: Shonali Bose
Main Actress: Konkona Sen Sharma
Lal's Rating: 4/5

An interesting movie, especially interesting I would imagine to the Indians who have not grown up in India.  As the main character, Amu is also an indian, who grew up in California.  She has come to India in search of her identity, and her history.  She is searching for a piece of her that she knows and feels in her heart is missing. 

What Amu finds is more than heart wrenching.  If you don't want me to spoil it for you, then please stop reading now and know that its a movie definitely worth watching.  It has a bitter sweet ending, but one that does not make the audience sad, or forlorn. 

************SPOILER ALERT**************

Amu ends up finding out that her adoptive parents were keeping a secret from her.  Her adopted mother knew her real mother.  Her real mother was a Sikh, whose family was destroyed in the Delhi Riots of 1984.  Her mother lost her husband, and watched as Hindus from the surrounding area beat him to death.  She went to the police, who ignored her.  Her son, not even 2 years old was burnt to death, as their home caught on fire.  Amu escaped the home, as she went looking for her mother, but she was too young to understand and she left her little brother in the home.  Amu and her mother had to move back into the same home where her brother was burnt to death. 
Amu's mother eventually committed suicide and left Amu's adoptive mother a note, asking her not to tell Amu the real story of her mother and her family. 
But, Alas! Amu came to India in search of the truth and came so very close to it.  Her adoptive mother eventually ended up telling her the truth at the end of the story. 
Horrible, and heart wrenching, yet it captures the truth of the 1984 Riots
 and all of its atrocities. 

Sarkar

SARKAR
Released: July 1, 2005
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Writer: Manish Gupta
Lal's Rating: 4 Stars

The Nagre's are the new Mobsters in town.  They are a government in itself, but an honest one that holds everyone and any one accountable, if they do wrong. 
Its like the Indian Mafia, with Morals. 

I enjoyed the twists and turns of this movie.  Especially when people got killed, whom I never expected, yet knew that if they were bad, or corrupt that the Nagre's would eventually do them in. 

Sarkar, Directly translated as "Overlord" is about the Ultimate Lord of Mumbai.  The one person that the people love, and the government loves to hate. 

B.A. PASS

B.A. PASS

Release Date: August 2, 2013
Director: Ajay Bahl
Writers: Ritesh Shah (screenplay)Actors: Shadab Kamal - Mukesh
Shilpa Shukla - Sarika "aunty"
Dibyendu Bhattacharya - Johnny
Lal's Rating: 6/10

I have never imagined that I would watch an Indian Movie quite like this. 

It was so very dark, and did not have the normal happy happy ending that I have gotten so used to in Indian movies.  I probably would not watch it again, but it was worth watching the first time.

It gets in your head...

Especially the trust issue underlying the entire movie, the connecting thread. 

Whom can you trust?  Whom do you trust?  And how do you even know if the decision you are making is the right one?

SYNOPSIS: (Spoiler Alert)
Mukesh, a simple college student starts living with his Aunt, after his parents pass away in a car accident.  He is going to college and trying to support his sisters.  He meets Johnny while hanging around a cemetary trying to play chess.  Johnny is so excited that he has found someone to play chess with, that they become friends.  Johnny ends up coming in and out of his life and ends up being a key player in the story at the end. 

He meets Sarika "aunty" at a Kitty party that his Aunt thrown, and Sarika seduces Mukesh.  He falls for her, and she teaches him how to seduce and sleep with other women for money. 

He continues to do this, giving Sarika a portion of the money he makes and sending money for his sisters. 

Mukesh is happy with the money he is making, but he is afraid that his money will be stolen by his cousins in his aunt's home, so he went to Sarika's home and gave it to her for safe keeping.  While he is there, Sarika tries to seduce Mukesh again, but this time, Sarika's husband walks in and finds them together. 

He is beyond angry and Mukesh runs off.  Sarika's husband twists the story of Mukesh and Sarika, and tells Mukesh's aunt that Mukesh is not a good person.  Eventually Mukesh gets kicked out of his Aunt's home.  He goes to the only friend he has, Johnny.  Johnny is very nice to him and gives him a place to stay.  But Mukesh is obsessed with getting his money back from Sarika.  He gave Sarika his money just before her husband caught them together.  Finally, Mukesh asks Johnny if he can go to Sarika and ask for the money back. 

Mukesh waits and waits for Johnny to come back.  When Johnny does come back, he says that he does not have the money, but he really did get the money back from Sarika. 

Mukesh is so angry with Sarika.  He ends up going to her home and he demands his money.  Sarika tells him that she gave back his money to Johnny, but Mukesh thinks that Sarika is lying.  He kills her (stabs her) in a fit of rage. 

Later, when he fled the crime scene, and went back to Johnny's home, he could not find Johnny anywhere.  Johnny had taken all of my belongings and moved to an Island, far far away. 

Just then, Mukesh realizes his blunder.  He had trusted Johnny who ended up betraying him and he did not trust Sarika, whom he should have trusted.  Instead, he killed her.  Mukesh then flees from the police and the last scene is when Mukesh jumps from a building, plunging to his death.  The screen goes blank.  Its the end of the movie. 

Twilight Zone: The Parallel

The Parallel: 1963Director: Alan Crosland, Jr.Writer: Rod Serling

Watching this particular Twilight Zone episode makes you wonder.  I really makes you think about the subtleties of life, and if that "off day" is really our bodies entering for just that day, into a parallel universe, that is just a little "off".  Like getting off the wrong side of the bed, or the feeling of deja vu. 

 

A man goes into space, to orbit the earth, leaving his wife and daughter behind. While in space, something causes him to black out, and he wakes up in a hospital bed.  The doctor and the scientists are all there when he wakes up and they ask him what happened.  He said that he has no recollection, only that he blacked out. 

During the course of his stay at the hosptial and subsequently, his return home, he notices very subtle changes.  He notices that he is now a Colonel, and not a Major, like he was.  He notices that he has a white picket fence around his home, when he never remembers it.  He finally kisses his wife and they both know that it is not the husband or wife that they remember.  Even his daughter realizes right away that the man in front of her is not her father.Eventually, he gets called into a meeting with the scientists, so he can identify the space craft that he came in.  The scientists are not able to identify it, saying that it is almost identical, but not the one that they remember sending out.  The astronaut, eventually runs toward the spacecraft and somehow ends up back IN the space craft and eventually returns home to his true world, as he knows it.  

GRAVITY

GRAVITY: Drama/Thriller

October 4, 2013
91minutes

Director:

 Alfonso Cuaron

Writers:

 Alfonso Cuaron, Jonas Cuaron

Actors:

 Sandra Bullock, George Clooney 

LALQ RATING: 10/10 MUST SEE!

We finally got around to watching this much talked about movie!  Sandra Bullock and George Clooney were two astronauts on a routine mission.  They soon realized that they were in peril when they get bombarded by flying shrapnel from a blast accidently created by the Soviets.  

The movie was hair raising to say the least,  and as I say, "fist-clenching" since that's what I end up doing.  Sandra Bullock performed tremendously.  I truly forgot she was an actress and I was pulled deep into the movie.  I really felt like I was watching a real life event.  

I watched the movie at home on regular television but I can only imagine what it must have felt like in the theatres.  I'm personally glad I didn't get to see it in Theatres.  I would have been petrified afterwards.  

George Clooney was lost in space and by the middle of the movie he was gone.  But he continued to be a guiding force for Sandra Bullock; almost like her guardian angel or her subconscious.  Even after she lost contact with him, he was still with her.  He pushed her to go on and she finally made it back to earth.  

I found my new love for earth after this movie.  I'll rather touch the face of death by a snake then be lost in space with no  one or nothing around.  

"Framed for Murder" a Lifetime Movie Network Movie
Created: 2007
Director: Douglas Jackson


LAL Q'S RATING: 4/10
As usual, a twisted movie about a relationship between two sisters.  One was older, and was always the more responsible one.  The other sister was younger and the one who was always getting into trouble.  Everyone felt sorry for the younger sister and doted on her.  The older sister started to despise her younger sister over the years.  


The older sister was also married to a very rich man, whom she did not love.  She had an affair, which we learn through the course of the movie, with her younger sister's husband.  Then at some point, she kills him and frames her sister for murder.  Its unclear why she kills her sister's husband.  It may be that she didn't love him anyway, or that she wanted him out of the way, and she wanted to frame his murder on her sister in order to fill out a bigger plan which was to kill her husband.  Her husband was worth a lot of money and there had to be someone who could be pinned on her husband's murder.  She set up her sister to be just such a person.  


So, her younger sister went to jail for killing her own husband.  After 8 years, the younger sister was released, and the older sister continued to build on her plan to kill her husband and frame her younger sister for it.  The older sister was now in love with the HandyMan and she thought of ways to kill her husband, and for her handyman to do the dirty work.  


The older sister made her younger sister to appear as though she was crazy and delusional.  She made it seem as if her sister was always fighting with her husband.  
Then, one day, the handyman knocked out the younger sister, killed the older sister's husband and brought the younger sister to the murder scene where he place a gun in the younger sister's hand.  


Eventually the younger sister's friends help her to get the older sister's confession on tape.  And that's the end of the movie.  The older sister escapes and the handyman gets shot.  


It was a thriller and a good movie, with twists and turns, but overall, it was not the best movie that lifetime had to offer.  :) 

DINE-IN MOVIE THEATRES

Check out Dine In Movie Theatres!!  (IF they are near your town)
I promise you won't regret it!!


Website: http://dinein.amctheatres.com

I could never have imagined that I would be served dinner while at a movie theatre, and still be able to watch the movie will little to no distractions.  


There are 3 dine-in movie theatres in New Jersey so far, and there are 9 total dine-in theatres across the Continental United States.  


Specifically, there is one Dine-In Theatre in each of the following states: 
Kansas, Missouri, Georgia, Texas, Florida and Arizona.  And according to their website, there is one coming soon to Ohio.  


There are three tiers to dining in.  The top is the Cinema Suites, where you get a plush recliner all to yourself and individual service for ordering your lunch or dinner.  Cinema Suites are for 21 and over only.
The next on the rung is called Fork and Screen which serves guests 18 and over only, unless accompanied by a parent.  I would imagine that Fork and Screen may have more going on during the movie as far as servers speaking to other dine-in customers with children.  
Lastly, is MacGuffin's which is a bar right outside the theatre where you can drink before the movie, then come by afterwards for drinks and food.  In this last option, you cannot take any of the food with you into the theatre.  


I've only tried the Cinema Suites so far, and it was a tremendous experience.  I will not be able to watch another movie again in a regular movie theatre hall.  I was so relaxed and comfortable, especially being able to order a drink and then have a great dinner which was reasonably priced, unlike the regular movie halls, where I end up spending an arm and a leg for popcorn and a large Coke.  

DOSAI PLACE

440 US Hwy 130, Ste 10, East Windsor, NJ 08520

Phone: 877-252-3672

Website: www.dosaiplacenj.com

LAL Q RATING: 8/10

If you are looking for a casual place where you can be yourself and have a tasty meal, then this is the place to go.  This is not a place for romance or a place to wine and dine.  

It is a great place to go with your jeans and hoodie.  

If you are a vegetarian, it is the place to go, which has so much flavor and essence while staying down to earth at the same time.

I go here quite often and enjoy it every time.

The drinks (BYOB as a side bar) leave much to be desired.  They are given in a plastic cup which is very small and too expensive for the presentation and amount.  This is the only problem I found with this place.  

Hot Peppers
Website: indianhotpeppers.com
Location: 761 Rt. 33W. Suite 104, East Windsor, NJ 08520 (Near Gold's Gym)
Phone: 609-448-3615

LalQ Rating: 9/10

This is truly a Diamond in the Ruff.  A rare find...

The staff is courteous, and the restaurant, although a typical take out, it does have plenty of room to sit and have a meal without feeling too cramped, as many takeouts feel.  It has so much room in fact, that it almost feels like a nice casual lunch place, and even a casual dinner place.  I wouldn't go there for a nice romantic dinner, but it does have that relaxed, "at home" atmosphere.

I did notice that they do charge you $1 surcharge if you sit in their seating area to eat, instead of taking it out.  It doesn't bother me, since I mostly take out from there, but I can see how that would upset some people.  It is unusual and can lead to problems.
If I were management, I would just increase the cost of some of the items, to make up for the $1.00.

The food is very good, and I keep going back again and again.  Its as if I made the food myself in my kitchen.

I wish their website would list the names of the chefs and the managers.  It would add to the classy look and feel of their website.  :)

Kudos to Hot Peppers!!

"Fatal Reunion"
Release Date: 02/21/2005
Director: George Erschbamer
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Starring: Erika Eleniak, and David Millburn

Lal's Rating: 8/10

This movie is about a couple with two kids, who are in the throws of married life.  They start to have marital problems, and the wife decides that she wants more attention and support.  She reaches out to her High School crush.  This ends up being the mistake of her life. 

The story leads us to believe that the high school classmate has started to stalk the wife, but there is never any proof.  

Then, the police start to question the husband, putting doubt in our minds as viewers, but the wife still believes that her husband is innocent.  In the end, and this is the.............. 

******SPOILER ALERT!!!******

The killer ends up being a whole new character.  The old high friend turns out to be married, and he's married to a crazy woman, who has murdered in the past when she got into a jealous rage over her husband consorting with another woman.  

It was kind of obvious that the killer was the new character in the movie, as she finagled her way into the couple's life by acting as a lawyer of the high school friend, when he was accused of murder and was found innocent by a trial by jury.  

As usual Lifetime delivers movies that are both gripping and packed with emotional jargon.  I always enjoy these dramatic films.  

Dirty Picture

Director: Milan Luthria
Starring: Vidya Balan
2011
Genre: Foreign/Historical Drama

Movie based on the life of Silk Smitha.  (Born as Vijayalakshmi).  She lived from 1960 to 1996 and was found dead in her room after having committed suicide.  She was a seductive and controversial actress in her time.

The true, real life "Silk"

The movie did not delve into her life as a child, or depict a truth; that she got married and ran away.  Instead, the story focused on how her seductive dancing gained popularity and how the World in India reacted to her and ultimately led to her demise.

Vidya Balan, acting as "Silk"

I would have liked a little bit more realism and more detail surrounding her life, from her youth to her suicide, so that I could better understand her as a character.  Instead, I did not get a chance to know her at all..... I only found her dancing to be seductive and there were way too many seductive dances for my liking.  One or two less dances and more content would have been nice.

Vidya Balan acted very well.  I always enjoy her acting.  Her roles are of a strong woman character who stands up to the world and teaches us a lesson in life.  

Movie Title: "In God's Country"
Release Date: 2007
Actors: Kelly Rowan, Richard Burgi
Genre: Suspense/Drama

This is a truly sad movie to watch.
Its a story about how religion can and does exploit families and women of all ages.
The story is set in the 1990s in the Midwest, where polygamous families reside.  They are not doing anything against the law because they don't actually get married in the court or any government recognized traditional fashion.  Instead, they get married in their church; this is the way the work around the law.

The leaders formed a community based on fear of the outside world, and the leaders create a kind of "safe haven".  The women are taught to be fearful of anyone outside of their community and since they are brought up in only one way, this is all they know and trust, so it is very difficult to get out to the outside world, and see that things are done so differently.
This is not based on a true story, however there are true stories that are very similar.
The Blog: "Movies Based on True Stories" can show you more true stories that you can watch and see for yourself how close this story is to a true story.
The story has a happy ending, yet it is very true to life and bittersweet as well.  

THE PLAGUE

MOVIE REVIEW


Director: Hal Masonberg
Writers: Hal Masonberg, Teal Minton
Actors: James Van Der Beek, Ivana Milicevic and Brad Hunt
Released:September 5, 2006
Running Time:88 min
My Personal Rating: 2 Stars

"If anyone should offer their soul, He will deliver those who were subject to slavery all their lives."
-Based on a Clive Barker Book

The Plague is based on a world where all kids are in a coma, and who wake up as monsters.

There are 123 children. Two of the children wake up normal, but they are eventually killed. Only 2 normal humans are alive. The kids kill everyone in the town. Eventually, one of the normal good humans figures out that he has to give himself up and spread love and peace. The children left become slaves of the woman he gave his soul for.

A bloody movie, full of violence and negative energy. Not sure I would recommend this book.
If you like bloodshed and violence then this is the movie for you.

GHAJINI

Movie Review

Director: A.R. Murugadoss
Writers: Piyush Mishra (dialogue), A.R. Murugadoss
Actors: Aamir Khan, Asif Ahmed and Tinnu Anand
Released: December 23, 2008
Running Time: 183min.

A man with anterograde amnesia, meaning that he does not recall anything after a traumatic event which happened to him years ago. He is short term memory loss, yet is able to remember everything that happened to him before his Fiance was killed.
He tries to retain his short term memory by taking Polaroid Pictures and by Tatooing himself with key phrases. He tries to retain some short term memory so that he can plan to avenge his fiance's murder.

This movie is similar to an English Movie, "Memento", in which the lead actor also has anterograde amnesia and tries to piece together his life with the goal of vengeance.
Fast-paced, although not very well acted... the story line holds your interest throughout the movie.

"SEVEN POUNDS"

Movie Review

Director: Gabriele Muccino
Writer: Grant Nieporte
Actors: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson
Opened: December 19, 2008
Screen Time: 123min
My Review: 3 Stars

We went to see the movie “Seven Pounds”, Starring Will Smith. It starred a well-to-do MIT graduate (aerospace engineer) who had it all… a beautiful fiancé, an amazing job for and a wonderful family.
They show him so preoccupied with his work all the time.

One one particular day, while he was going out to dinner with his fiancé, he was on his phone, speaking about work yet again. Suddenly, no realizing where he was going and so into his phone conversation, he went straight into oncoming traffic. His car overturned, causing a major accident which killed his fiancé.

The movie goes on to show how he poses as an IRS operative and finds 7 people to give a piece of his body/home to, as a form of redemption. Very moving and beautifully acted. As a movie watcher, you don't realize what he is doing, until it suddenly hits you with a shock.

Why did they pick the #7? Why not 23? Or 14? Or 8? Who knows? Lucky #7 I guess?

Forensic Files: "The Stephen Holmes Story", Hundreds of Reasons

Stephen Holmes was an assistant manager of a Steakhouse. While closing the Restaurant, he was stabbed over 40 times. He was almost decapitated.
8000 Dollars was missing from the Safe at the Manager's Office, so it was assumed that the motive was robbery. The restaurant had several surveillance cameras.

Forensics:
1. Finger Prints on a manila folder which was badly smudged.
However, the computer was unable to find a match.
2. Passive blood drops were found near a sink in the restaurant.
The DNA of this blood was compared to the DNA profiles collected of all the family members and Stephen's best friend. However, they did not have enough evidence to convict him.
Finally, they found out that right after his friend's death, the killer used the money he stole from the restaurant to pay off a debt that he had. The police now had motive.
He was convicted of murdering his friend.

Harry Potter: Part 2 of Book 7

What a great end to a long story. J. K. Rowling is truly a genius. To have invented such a creative story that could be made into a series of movies. Harry Potter allowed and motivated kids and adults of all ages to get back into reading!
A classic in our time and to be read for years to come.