Look up! He’s back…

MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER

It’s almost 20 years since the last Superman stormed the silver screen. What prompted Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns?

IN A NEW ORBIT What’s in store for Superman? Will he fly high?

It is a bird! It is a plane! It is Spiderman! No, no, the X-Men! Hellboy? Constantine? The Hulk? Wait I’ve got it, it is Batman! Or maybe Krrish or maybe it is a plane after all. The sky is crowded with grown men and women flying about in tights and capes all ready to save the world after they have resolved big time issues about their split personalities and their need to wear masks and sundry things that would keep psychiatrists and cultural commentators busy from now to eternity.

In this time of the conflicted superhero, with their dark worlds and darker motivations is there place for the Man of Steel, Superman? The honest to goodness nice guy with sculpted body was a hero to an innocent America. The bad guys were straightforward in their wickedness. When the Superman comics came out, they were pure escapist fare from the horrors of Depression and the War.

The 1978 movie by Richard Donner, starring Christopher Reeve echoed the goodness, the bright colours and the hope that everything will be right. The film was a humungous hit and spawned three sequels. Parts II (1980) and III (1983) were directed by Richard Lester, while part IV (1987) was directed by Sidney J. Furie with Christopher Reeve credited for the story.

In the twenty years that followed, the world has changed. America’s image has taken a beating. Celluloid is overrun by angst-ridden superheroes and there does not seem to be space for Superman in the new age.

So what prompted Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns? Does the world need him? Long time love Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) does not think so and goes on to write a column about how the world does not need Superman and wins a Pulitzer for it as well. (Wish it were that easy!) The world is managing fine without him till old friend Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey leaps into Gene Hackman’s role with teeth gnashing, scenery chewing gusto) is out on parole and back to doing what he likes best – world domination.

So Superman, played again by till-now unknown Brandon Routh flies in and does his thing i.e. save the world. The saga of Superman’s return to the big screen after these many years is worthy of a story in itself. Brett Ratner was supposed to direct, as was McG who left the project because of creative differences. Tim Burton was also involved at a point of time and the film Superman Lives already had publicity material done. Ratner took over the reins for X-Men III, and Singer, who directed the first two X-Men movies finally sat firm on the director’s chair.

Singer, a huge fan of Superman, says his love for the character helped him direct the X-Men movies. Superman Returns is incredibly respectful to Donner’s work from using design elements to John Williams’ Oscar nominated score. Marlon Brando who famously wished his cameo of Superman’s father Jor-El be represented as a green glowing floating bagel, and refused to learn his lines – reading them instead of the baby superman’s diaper, makes an appearance in the film. Singer used stock footage that Donner had shot but could not use due to a lawsuit.

If the director was a case of musical chairs, the casting was even more so. Nicholas Cage, a huge comic book fan, wanted to play the lead. James Caviezel was also in the running but became too famous after playing Christ in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ.

Hayden Christensen was rejected, as it would not be too appropriate for Darth Vader to play Superman. Others considered included Josh Hartnett, Paul Walker, Brendan Fraser and Ashton Kutcher. One of the reasons for Ratner leaving the project was because he could not come to an agreement with the studio executives on whom to cast as Superman. Johnny Depp was considered for Lex Luthor, Anthony Hopkins for Jor-El and Claire Daines and Keira Knightley for Lois.

The effects by default are top-notch as Singer says: “The progress made in the visual effects arena is just astounding. As opposed to a superhero like Spider-Man, Superman’s hair and face are exposed therefore his performance and personality are exposed even in flight.” Shooting the entire film digitally using the Genesis camera system upped the ante that much more. And then if you thought it was all CGI, Superman’s costume is shiny not because of some software, but because it is made up shiny little Superman symbols. Is that rocking or what?

So there you have it, whether the world needs him or not, the studio executives feel the need for Superman. And our job as viewer is to look up at the sky to marvel and wonder if the final shot would be of Superman flying off into space like the other three films!

Hindu On Net

Oleh MOHAMMAD ARIF NIZAM ABDULLAH

Jue dan Jehan semakin mesra sejak terlibat dalam pementasan Bangsawan Naga Chini bulan lalu.

ARTIS dan gosip adalah sesuatu yang tidak dapat dielakkan. Biarpun kadangkala gosip itu amat memedihkan tetapi sebagai artis, mereka harus menghadapinya dengan bijak dan tenang.

Hari ini nama pelakon yang sedang meningkat naik, Jehan Miskin, berada pada carta teratas gosip dunia hiburan.

Kisah cinta tiga segi antara dirinya, Zuliana Abdul Azizi (Jue) dan aktor Ako Mustapha hangat diperkatakan sekarang.

Jehan dikatakan menjadi punca keretakan hubungan cinta Ako dan Jue.

Pementasan Bangsawan Naga Chini di Istana Budaya baru-baru ini dikatakan telah menjalinkan kemesraan yang begitu ketara antara Jehan dan Jue.

Gosip membelai rambut dan shopping bersama antara Jehan dan Jue heboh jadi bualan. Malah Jue, 23, telah membuat pengakuan hubungannya dengan Ako sudah berakhir.

Ketika ditemui pada majlis pelancaran drama Ejen 016 di sebuah hotel di Kuala Lumpur baru-baru ini, Jehan dalam nada tegas memberitahu, dia agak kesal dan kecewa dengan gosip-gosip yang menimpa dirinya.

“Saya sudah malas nak terangkan apa yang berlaku. Kalau saya cakap benar, orang tetap cakap saya bersalah.

“Sebenarnya sewaktu kenal Jue, hubungan dia dan Ako sudah bermasalah. Tetapi kami bertiga memang berkawan baik. Semuanya berlaku tanpa dirancang,” kata Jehan membuka mulut.

Apabila ditanya status hubungannya dengan Jue, pelakon utama filem Qaisy & Laila itu bersikap jujur menceritakan senario sebenarnya.

“Saya dan Jue tidak bercinta tetapi berkawan rapat. Saya memang suka Jue dan sedang cuba mengenali hatinya.

“Kami kenal sejak tahun lepas. Hanya awal tahun ini kami berkawan rapat,” jelasnya.

Jehan juga menjelaskan hubungannya dengan Ako masih seperti dulu.

“Kami masih berkawan dan apa yang terjadi tidak akan mengubah apa-apa antara kami bertiga.

“Namun saya sedih dengan budaya orang kita yang sibuk hendak mengetahui hal orang lain.

“Mereka seolah-olah lebih mengetahui kisah kami dan tidak berasa malu mengambil tahu kisah peribadi orang lain,” kata Jehan meluahkan isi hatinya.

Mengambil contoh dirinya, Jehan berkata, dia sendiri mempunyai masa yang terhad untuk bercerita tentang hal peribadi orang lain.

Kata Jehan, banyak benda lain yang perlu difikirkan untuk dirinya dan keluarga demi masa depan.

Simpati dengan Jue

“Orang boleh jatuhkan hukuman ke atas saya tetapi ia tidak adil buat Jue. Berilah dia peluang bertapak dalam dunia seni kerana dia memiliki bakat yang besar.

“Masyarakat tidak tahu apa sebenarnya yang berlaku,” pinta Jehan tanda sokongan kepada teman baiknya itu.

“Saya memang simpati dengan Jue,” tegas Jehan mengakhiri perbualan.

Utusan Malaysia

Oleh MOHAMMAD ARIF NIZAM ABDULLAH

Jue dan Jehan semakin mesra sejak terlibat dalam pementasan Bangsawan Naga Chini bulan lalu.

ARTIS dan gosip adalah sesuatu yang tidak dapat dielakkan. Biarpun kadangkala gosip itu amat memedihkan tetapi sebagai artis, mereka harus menghadapinya dengan bijak dan tenang.

Hari ini nama pelakon yang sedang meningkat naik, Jehan Miskin, berada pada carta teratas gosip dunia hiburan.

Kisah cinta tiga segi antara dirinya, Zuliana Abdul Azizi (Jue) dan aktor Ako Mustapha hangat diperkatakan sekarang.

Jehan dikatakan menjadi punca keretakan hubungan cinta Ako dan Jue.

Pementasan Bangsawan Naga Chini di Istana Budaya baru-baru ini dikatakan telah menjalinkan kemesraan yang begitu ketara antara Jehan dan Jue.

Gosip membelai rambut dan shopping bersama antara Jehan dan Jue heboh jadi bualan. Malah Jue, 23, telah membuat pengakuan hubungannya dengan Ako sudah berakhir.

Ketika ditemui pada majlis pelancaran drama Ejen 016 di sebuah hotel di Kuala Lumpur baru-baru ini, Jehan dalam nada tegas memberitahu, dia agak kesal dan kecewa dengan gosip-gosip yang menimpa dirinya.

“Saya sudah malas nak terangkan apa yang berlaku. Kalau saya cakap benar, orang tetap cakap saya bersalah.

“Sebenarnya sewaktu kenal Jue, hubungan dia dan Ako sudah bermasalah. Tetapi kami bertiga memang berkawan baik. Semuanya berlaku tanpa dirancang,” kata Jehan membuka mulut.

Apabila ditanya status hubungannya dengan Jue, pelakon utama filem Qaisy & Laila itu bersikap jujur menceritakan senario sebenarnya.

“Saya dan Jue tidak bercinta tetapi berkawan rapat. Saya memang suka Jue dan sedang cuba mengenali hatinya.

“Kami kenal sejak tahun lepas. Hanya awal tahun ini kami berkawan rapat,” jelasnya.

Jehan juga menjelaskan hubungannya dengan Ako masih seperti dulu.

“Kami masih berkawan dan apa yang terjadi tidak akan mengubah apa-apa antara kami bertiga.

“Namun saya sedih dengan budaya orang kita yang sibuk hendak mengetahui hal orang lain.

“Mereka seolah-olah lebih mengetahui kisah kami dan tidak berasa malu mengambil tahu kisah peribadi orang lain,” kata Jehan meluahkan isi hatinya.

Mengambil contoh dirinya, Jehan berkata, dia sendiri mempunyai masa yang terhad untuk bercerita tentang hal peribadi orang lain.

Kata Jehan, banyak benda lain yang perlu difikirkan untuk dirinya dan keluarga demi masa depan.

Simpati dengan Jue

“Orang boleh jatuhkan hukuman ke atas saya tetapi ia tidak adil buat Jue. Berilah dia peluang bertapak dalam dunia seni kerana dia memiliki bakat yang besar.

“Masyarakat tidak tahu apa sebenarnya yang berlaku,” pinta Jehan tanda sokongan kepada teman baiknya itu.

“Saya memang simpati dengan Jue,” tegas Jehan mengakhiri perbualan.

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Stylish performer

A prodigious talent, Harry Connick Junior tasted success on big screen too

Born Joseph Harry Fowler Connick at New Orleans, he made a mark as a five year old with his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at his attorney general father’s swearing in. While still a child, he came under the tutelage of legendary New Orleans pianist James Booker, who taught the young boy at home. When just 11, Connick cut his first album.

His self-titled album featured his felicity with jazz and as a New Orleans styled pianist. His fondness for the 40s and 50s tradition of showbiz, good looks and fluent performance style made him an instant hit with the media, if not the ladies. Stardom followed soon after with his appearance on the soundtrack of the hit movie When Harry met Sally. That won him a Grammy Award for male jazz vocal and his next release, We Are In Love, earned him the coveted award again. His record sales were enviable–two albums went gold and three, platinum.

Hollywood foray

His foray into Hollywood didn’t end there, for he played a crew member of a US B 17 bomber in the 1990 film Memphis Belle. In the following year, he co-starred with Jodie Foster in Little Man Tate. His arrest for carrying a 9 mm pistol at New York’s Kennedy airport barely made a dent to his popularity as his subsequent work revealed. After a night in jail, he recorded a TV commercial warning against violating gun laws.

His vintage performance with A wink and a smile for the 1993 film Sleepless in Seattle was lapped up eagerly. His next album, She, and a tour of the UK left those who looked forward to his crooning, disappointed, for here he was exploring New Orleans funk. Star Turtle had him communing with a turtle in outer space and when he realised his new avatar wasn’t going down too well with his fans, Connick returned to his swing and ballad roots.

A. GEORGE ANTONY

Hindu On Net

Baba unlimited

What’s keeping our very own rapper Baba Saigal busy these days? SANGEETA BAROOAH PISHAROTY finds out

Santa And Banta Unlimited will be a very chatty show, very conversational, very informal with impromptu lines between me and Siddharth BABA SAIGAL

Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

THE SPUNKY PUNK Baba Saigal

Way back in 1992, he gave us Thanda Thanda Pani, a clean copy of Vanilla Ice’s Grammy winner, Ice Ice Baby” The rapper group soon had to part with the Grammy on charges of lipping a canned number sung by somebody else (and that almost finished Vanilla Ice), but it launched Baba Saigal’s musical career in the Indi-pop ring. An electrical engineer from G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Baba aka Harjeet Singh Saigal took no time to kick his job at DESU to look punk and sing rap, bhangra, reggae and calypso numbers with a lot of spunk. He even has the credit of dressing up as a Madonna look-alike complete with a slit skirt and fishnet stockings. And his numbers, say Aaja Meri Gadi Mein Beth Ja, Rukmani Rukmani (for Mani Ratnam’s Bombay), Baba Deewana, Jugni Mast Kalander, Hakuna Matata (for the Hindi version of the Disney film, The Lion King) and Pinga Pinga did circulate well among listeners of Indi-pop across a decade and a little more.

Basking in the glory of releasing 21 music albums till date, a fervent Baba, has extended wings to other arenas too — acting, directing film music and hosting shows on the box.

“Though acting in a telly soap and composing for movies are new profiles for me, I had hosted shows on TV before. I did Superhit Muqabala for Zee TV. I did Phillips Top Ten too for close to a year,” reminds Baba.

Adding to this list of telly shows is yet another show, he informs. Today onwards, Baba will co-host with radio jockey Siddharth Kannan Santa And Banta Unlimited on Zoom. “It will be a chatty show, very conversational, very informal with impromptu lines between me and Siddharth. It’s not gossip but banter on a lot of subjects including music, movies, celebrities and sports, done in a humorous and witty manner,” explains Baba. .

Lot more

Moving on to other things that are keeping his professional life active, Baba mentions telly-acting and composing music for a children’s film. These days, he is seen role-playing in the Star Plus serial, Dil Chahe More though he made his debut in acting long back in a feature film, Miss 420.

“Also, I am composing music for a children’s movie called Bhoot Uncle. There are four songs in it, three are sung by kids and one by me,” he informs.

Apart from stage shows, Baba is excited about his 22nd album, which comes after a gap of five years. “It will be called Welcome To Mumbai and will have eight tracks spanning different genres and will be released this July,” he says.

Hindu On Net