I first came to know about Magneto through a junior friend named Mashrur Alam Khan (http://www.facebook.com/swastie.lmg). He had a facebook profile picture of a young boy and one day he asked me if I knew the character from fictions. I answered no but it could be Oliver Twist. Now the fun was he too did not know Oliver Twist. So, out of just some random conversation he came to know about Oliver Twist and I came to know about one of the main characters of the X-Men books. The stories are of course now adopted in movies and quite a success too. That picture of the small boy I saw on Mashrur’s profile was standing by a wire wall. And anybody could notice his strong sadness in the eyes even in that not so large not so clear sketch. That is indeed the greatness of Magneto (born Max Eisenhardt, also known as Magnus and Erik Lehnsherr or Lensherr- http://marvel.com/universe/Magneto_(Max_Eisenhardt)].

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Ernest Hemingway once wrote “the world is fine place and worth fighting for.”  I agreed with the second part

- Morgan Freeman, Se7en

 

 

 

 

Take some rest, Pam. You look tired.

- Matt Damon, The Bourne Supremacy

 

 

 

 

 

It’s not about money, it’s about sending a message. Everything burns.

- Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

 

 

 

 

Home is everything.

- Omar Metwally,Munich

 

 

 

 

Sometimes I think God will never forgive us for what we have done to each other. Then I look around and realize God left this place a long time ago.

- Leonardo Di Caprio, Blood Diamond

 

 

 

 

My anger outweighs my pain.

- Christian Bale, Batman Begins

 

 

 

 

Their moral, their code it’s a bad joke.. dropped at the first sign of trouble. They are only as good as the world allows them to be.. .. when the chips are down, these civilized people will eat each other..

- Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: The images are property of respective studios. Not to be commercially used.

 

Academy (the institution, office, and desk of popularly known “Oscar Awards”) had to come up with several new restrictions effective from this year to control a potential or already existing “coffee-housing” in the quest of winning the award. The new restrictions are:

 

 

 

 

- After Oscar nominations are announced on January 24 (until Feb. 21), no receptions may be held following screenings.

- During this period, Academy members (and nominees) may not attend non-screening events celebrating that year’s nominees.

- Filmmakers may only participate in two Q&A panels at screenings that Academy members have been invited to.

- Remember, no crap talking the other guys on Twitter or Facebook or other social media. Or else, suspension.

- Also, this will be the first year in which studios may send digital screeners to voting members for consideration.

 

I wish to start this writing with a line from a movie. After quickly establishing his character as the most stupid and awesomely strange in the start of the movie- Due Date, Zach Galifianakis tells Robert Downey Jr. that “.. But I have 90 friends on facebook. Well 12 of them are still pending but I have 90 friends.” Does not it appear to be a fact that academy awards, the bench mark for excellence in cinema world could be manipulated in to favor and vice versa via so called friendship, lobbying, and baseless marketing through social networks such as facebook and twitter when the academy itself has to come up with such rules?

 

Denzel Washington is a fabulous actor. But I can never digest the fact that he won the award when Sean Penn for “I am Sam” was a spectator. Leonardo Di Caprio has a strong political voice. No wonder he has not come anywhere near with tremendous movies and performances in “Blood Diamond” and “Departed” where it was worth offering him two different Oscars for the films. Not my personal favorites but movies like “Green Zone” and “Fair Game” did not even come in the competition. Now I have to accept that there are some friendships and animosity beyond personal interaction are at thick in the decision making of the academy.

 

In my part of the world, the Indian film industry based on Hindi and living in Mumbai is probably the most recognized film fraternity. Call it a coincidence or an inevitable, there also movie awards have lost a considerable amount of dignity and integrity. The national award used to be the most prestigious award inIndia. It is regardless of genre and language and not necessarily Hindi films won it. A victory at the national awards used to put aside the controversy for a most meaningful film or performance. But not anymore. In recent years, a number of awards have been given to films and performances which are not beyond the controversy of deserving. I am a die hard fan of Salman Khan but even after all the most deserving commercial success of Dabaang, I am not beyond the doubt of its winning the national award recently was deserving or not.

 

 

So, maybe, actors- directors- producers, count the number of your facebook friends. Or you already have? :p