Catch the indigenous animation flick Bird Idol

 This weekend, catch the indigenous light-hearted animation flick Bird Idol. Another option in Bollywood is Jag Mundhra's Apartment. There's also Sapno Ke Desh Mein, an independent feature film that's been made digitally from 'script-to-screen'. Hollywood has just one main release this week-Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler starrer Bounty Hunter. Take your pick.

Bollywood-New Releases

Sapno Ke Desh Mein is an independently-made feature film that is digital from script to screen.

The film, releasing in major metros, has been shot on the newly available High Definition Digital format which involves a huge cost saving for independent filmmakers, plus enhanced image and sound quality. The film is to be exhibited at theatres equipped with HD Digital projection systems which involves a huge saving on 35 mm print costs, offers a clean projected image without pinholes and scratches, top quality six track surround sound, and avoids messy reel change-overs.

With a run-time of 106 minutes, Sapno Ke Desh Mein is about a group of college students who think that a harmless prank has resulted in their Dean’s death. They cover their tracks making it look like an accident but as the law closes in on them, they uncover a sinister plot behind the death and have to implicate the real culprits to establish their innocence.

The film was originally shot as a Hindi–English mix using live synch recording. The predominantly English version ‘Framed’ had a limited release in Chennai at a time when there were few digital theatres in the multiplexes. A re-edited, predominantly Hindi version is now hitting theatres, thanks to the boom in digital projection.

WATCH trailer here

Apartment

Apartment's a decent watch provided you promise not to watch Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh do the catfight in Single White Female. The Times of India

For those who haven't seen 'Single White Female', 'Apartment' is a middling, so-so thriller. For the rest, this is a monotonous and misguided mess. India.com

View the trailer here
Bird idol

The animation is colourful and cheery, the dialogues are crisp, the characters are natty and the voice-over by Prashant Narayan for the wicked vulture is riveting. The Times of India

As an Indian animated film, Bird Idol is definitely an honest attempt. But as Indian theatres are flooded with quality Hollywood animation films, this film will fail to grab any attention. IBNLive

View the trailer here

Hollywood-New releases

Bounty Hunter

The main problem with the film is that of an identity crisis. It is definitely not a comedy as even the mandatory giggles do not come to you. Without any of the spectacular action sequences Hollywood is famous for, it isn’t an action film either. Thaindian

In spite of Mr. Butler’s grumping and harrumphing, and Ms. Aniston’s foot-stamping displays of irritation, the emotions in the movie are carefully circumscribed. There is a risk of homicide, but not of hurt feelings. New York Times

View the trailer here

DVD Recommendation

For the couch potatoes, Stuff India recommends Avatar's DVD.

Avatar

Paint yourself Pandora Blue and watch James Cameron's epic flick on high-def. The color and sound reproduction is absolutely mind-numbing. Perfect to give your setup a much needed shakedown. (Recommendation by Yatish Suvarna, technical editor, Stuff India)

View the trailer here

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