Views on Skins (The UK TV Series)

Time flies fast, and really fast. I remember reading about a controversial show called Skins not so long ago and wanted to watch it too? Why? Just because of the controversial aspect. And it felt like yesterday that I had read this news. Suddenly, some 2-3 weeks back, I see that the series is available on Netflix. Old (rather not so old, because it felt like yesterday) memories rekindled and I wanted to give it a shot. And "bollocks", what do I see? The series is already 5 seasons old and 3 are on Netflix.

Anyhow, I start watching the show and I continued. And I finished the entire series in 3 weeks. Now, initially I thought it is just the way TV series are made, that it is very difficult to not follow. But then, I could not follow the hugely popular "Lost" though they always ended the episode in such a shape that you had to watch the next. I did not even continue Naruto, though I really want to revisit that series.

What all did I like about the series? Well first of all the fact that it is British and their funny accent. Secondly, the characters are all very fresh and good looking for most part and have more variety in terms of clothes and style than boring courtroom/detective series. As for the story line, it is pretty good and the way they arrange the episodes is awesome. Each series has a bunch of interesting characters and they dedicate one episode to one such character. But this is not done at the cost of compromising and deviating from the main story line. The subtlety in which they highlight one person but still let the main story continue is a first time for me and I liked it immensely.

As for the drug, smoke and sex content, yes, it does feel unrealistic but certainly not boring or obnoxious enough to stop seeing it.

My suggestion, go on, try the pilot episode.

Deathly Hallows 2, Why o Why

The last Potter movie. The excitement was electric. The buzz was just right and there I headed out for the midnight show of the movie which I believed will be the greatest movie of all time. It was a back to back show of 7-1 and 7-2 and people had queued up 5-6 hours in advance. Everyone dressed in their witch and wizard finery with Snape and Umbridge being the rare ones.

I watched the movie twice, one was the midnight show and the other one next day at IMax 3D. OK, so I believe that Potter movies are beyond comparison and you should rather compare individual characters, the changes in plot from the book etc.

Considering all that, I really liked the changes made from the book. Most of them were pretty apt, making the story much more grander than it was. I am sure it had Rowling's full approval too. Ron, Hermione and Neville together hunting for Nagini, the house where Snape was murdered (did not look like Shrieking shack, but a great place nonetheless) and of course the untold Ron and Hermione's destroying the Horcrux.

There were lot of good things but it was as if they had been half-hearted efforts. If they really planned to make the movie 3-D, the roller coaster ride to Gringotts vault could have been a real one. I didn't even feel a thing. They were all safe shots and felt like 3D was an afterthought and a software post processing.

Same with Killing Nagini, just one hot and Nagini becomes digital and disappears into cyberspace? What about Voldemort killing? He looked like as soon as Nagini is dead, he is gone too. Which is not the case, he was still powerful enough to take more people. The evilness of Voldemort was lost and he felt more like a small villain you kill in 1st part of a movie franchise than the last person itself.

The biggest problem with the movie is that it could have been so much more, and I don't thin budget was a concern. It had the potential of being the best movie of all times instead it was not even the best Potter movie.

However, I still wish that the movie keeps breaking all the records. At the very least, no transformer or twilight should ever touch it's records.