God-fearing atheists

[title lifted from GetReligon; original Pew Forum study here]

This was the funniest thing I've heard all week! I mean, Geez, don't people have any loyalty anymore?!

21% of atheists believe in God. [ref]
55% of agnostics believe in God. [ref]

Grandly amusing. I was telling my coworker about this and he said, "They must have interviewed a bunch of people who's elevators don't go all the way upstairs." That's one way to put it. I imagine the interview went like this:

Interviewer: Do you believe in God?
21% of atheists: Yeah.
Interviewer: Great. Uh, do you go to a house of worship?
21% of atheists: No, I'm an atheist.
Interviewer: Okaaayyy....

You know something's trendy when the people doing it no longer know why. Equally silly is this factoid:

74% of Americans believe in heaven but only 59% believe in Hell. So where do serial killers go when they die? [ref]

The columnist wants answers and I do too! For real, people! For real!

And speaking of people going to hell, I'm sure this guy has reserved seating: Prosecutors said Chiman Rai had son's wife killed because she was black

This crazy guy is quite close to booking tickets: Hangman's noose, gun lead to arrest of LaVergne man (Yes, that is 15 minutes from where I live.)

I'm pretty sure this guy has a real estate office where he sells hell-plots to his parishioners but that's another post for a different day...a really long post...

Race (2008)

brothers hate and love
sex and murder flow as one
stay alive to "win"

*sigh*
As many things as Race had going for it--gorgeous actors, great music, good storyline--I'm secretly hoping not to see many more Bollywood films like this one. One of the things I adore about most Bollywood is its carefully guarded sense of naivete.

Though I was quite amused by the catchy first song of the movie, Rock the Dancefloor--which had a Latin-flavored track over cowboy ranch/redneck visuals, some break dance moves, a few stray black folks who weren't looting, attacking, or gang afilliated, (one was permitted screen time for a booty dance!)--by the last song of the film, I had seriously had an upskirt overdose. Seriously.

I only rented the film since both of the guys at the different markets I go to said it was a good film. Which it is...in general terms. But then, what guy doesn't want to see the some of Bips' boobs? I, on the other hand feel slightly violated. I mean, just when you thought it was over Saif's having another flashback. I mean, I know it was good and all...

Anyways, the car and stunt sequences were pretty solid though. I like cars quite a bit, so that almost made up for my suffering. Also, I had never thought much of Saif (lawd, especially after Hameshaa) but I could sense the appeal a bit more here.

At any rate, my biggest beef is needless violence. Fairly early in the film when the cheating jockey is blown up in his car Saif and Akshay drive off with these ill smirks on their faces. All throughout, there's just too much casual nihilism for my liking. Films like this make me physically tired after watching them.

Let's just hope my next film choice will be better...more like Om Shanti Om, which I still haven't reviewed yet!

Baabul (2008)

True love dies. Wife alone.
Is sati next? Khabie nay.
A new love rescues.

I wasn't particularly impressed by Baabul though I wanted to be. This film had BigB, Salmaan Khan and John Abraham for goodness sakes! Oh yeah, and Rani.

That said, sorry to add spoilers BUT Salmaan's unfortunate death is the best one I've seen since Brad Pitt got hit by two cars in Meet Joe Black. It was so...wow.

Whatever happened to Millie's childhood friend? No one's seen him since the wedding. I heard he's a Chippendale dancer in some European club with a bunch of white girls as backup dancers... Well, something like that.

Poor John. The same thing that make him a great model make him a terrible actor and dancer...the ability to hold the same expression for WAY too long. After seeing John Abraham trying his best to act and dance, I won't complain about Salmaan ever again! If you happen to run into John on the street don't embarrass him by asking, "What do you do?" He can't answer, "I act," or "I dance." John knows the truth. The only thing he can say is, "I sexy." Seriously, he must have studied acting with Keanu Reeves...

Speaking of sexy, Rani's lip gloss be poppin' in the final scene (that went on way too long). It's so luscious it's distracting!

I think the message was more the point than the film itself. With that in mind, they should have done an infomercial on treating widows kindly rather than make audiences suffer!

(Furthermore, is John Abraham the poster boy for Widow Kindness Month or what? First Water, then this!)

Bollywood Rules!

Since I'm home sick today, I thought I'd put my time in between naps to good use.

I'm working on an informal "Intro to Bollywood" YouTube-type video for an acquaintance. Basically, I'm trying to whittle down my list of necessary Bollywood elements...the rules if you will. All commercial films follow some sort of rule system as far as story elements are concerned.

Sooo, here's my top 3. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

1. There is always a love story. Always. (I especially like it when people find time for love in the middle of a terrorist subplot. That warms my heart.)
   
2. Grown men cry...and dance! (Korean actors have the crying part down but most of them can't dance a lick.)
   
3. There will be blood singing and EVERYONE will lipsynch. (If you know of an actor/actress that sings their own stuff. Please do let me know!)

East Coast talks West Coast...

“You’d want me to take the money? You’d want me to whore out. That’s what they wanted me to do,” he said. “You know how hard it is not to do the conservative thing out there?"

After reading the NYTimes piece on Mr. M. Night Shyamalan, which ended with above cheeky quote, I'm definitely going to give The Happening a try this weekend. I didn't really dig Signs or The Village very much so I skipped Lady in the Water.

Despite the fact that Night's vibe has an unpleasant "I AM FILM" ego as big as Kanye West's imaginary "God of Hip Hop" title, he's talented and Hollywood's end-all-be-all mentality makes me want to throw up--but not because I'm bulimic...because that would be giving in to the monster that is 'the industry'...

Big ups to a man who found a way to stay in Pennsylvania and still get it done.

Speaking of dating...

This made me laugh: (click to see larger)

[found on Melody's blog]

Also fyi, if I'm not blogging here, I might be blogging here. Don't want to mix my Korean and Hindi stuff too much. At least not until I hook up with the Bollywood club in Seoul. ;)