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     Volume 4 Issue 74 | December 9, 2005 |


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New Flicks

Rent

No day but today.

Genres: Drama / Musical
Director: Chris Columbus
Distributors: Sony Pictures Releasing
Starring: Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Jesse L. Martin, Taye Diggs
Based on Puccini's La Boheme, tells the story of one year in the life of friends living the Bohemian life in modern day East Village New York. Among the group are our narrator nerdy love struck filmmaker Mark; the object of his affection his former lover, Maureen; Maureen's Harvard educated public interest lawyer lesbian lover Joanne; Mark's roommate HIV+ former junkie, Roger; Roger's lover the HIV+ drug addicted S&M dancer, Mimi; their former roommate HIV+ computer genius Tom Collins; Collins' HIV+ drag queen street musician lover Angel; and Benjamin Coffin III a former member of the group who married money and has since become their landlord and the opposite of everything they stand for. Shows how much changes or doesn't change in the 525,600 minutes that make up a year.

Bangladeshi flavour in the
Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter's new film is the latest to join the Hollywood trend of casting actors from South Asia, namely Bangladesh. In the latest film - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - two second-generation Bangladeshis actresses will get to share the screen space with Harry Potter, currently the heartthrob of millions of children. The girls - Shefali Chowdhury and Afshan Azad currently live in London. They play the characters of the 'Patil twins' in the film as Harry and his best friend Ron's dates for the Yule Ball, an experience that "overwhelmed" them. "I can't describe what I feel right now when I await the release of the film. I feel very very privileged. It's an opportunity of a lifetime," Shefali said from London. This 17-year-old who is pursuing her A-level in college and has Sociology and Religious studies as her subjects says she's glad she did what interests her "the most", drama. It was different for 16-year-old Afshan - also an A-level student learning Chemistry, Biology, English and media language in her college - who auditioned for the role for pure kicks. "It was a total joke for me. The casting agents came to my school and my friends and I did it for fun. But I became very serious about the entire thing once I got in."

Interestingly since the Patil sisters in the original book, authored by JK Rowling, are twins of Asian origin, the casting agents were searching for the perfect pair of Asian girls to play these characters. However, when they failed to find twin Asian girls, they zeroed in on the two girls, "who just had fantastic chemistry" between them. Hence Shefali and Afshan studying in two different parts of London were chosen to play the roles of Parvati and Padma Patil respectively.

However, even as their first Hollywood venture hits the marquee, the girls are unsure if they would continue with acting and remain tightlipped about any future projects in Hollywood, "taking each day as it comes". While Shefali says she doesn't know if she would take up acting as a profession, "studies" are Afshan's "main" priority and she'd rather not say anything about her career span as an actress. "I want to concentrate on my studies. The future is undecided. If I get offers, then let us see, may be I would take it up. But as of now, I'm taking each day as it comes," says Afshan. The girls who have not been to this part of the world so frequently, do hope that South Asians like the film and appreciate their effort. "I hope they are glad to see a Bengali girl in a Hollywood film. I want them to see my talent and see me as an individual," says Afshan, who is the more forthcoming of the two.

Top at the Box Office                                                          

1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
"Difficult times lie ahead, Harry."
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith
2. Walk the Line
The electrifying career of Johnny Cash
Genres: Musical / Biography
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Patrick, Ginnifer Goodwin, Larry Bagby III
3. Yours, Mine & Ours
18 kids. 2 families. 1 force of nature.
Genres: Comedy / Family
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Rene Russo, James Lewis (II), Linda Hunt, Rip Torn
4. Chicken Little
Chicken Little. Movie Big.
Genres: Comedy / Animation
Starring: Zach Braff, Garry Marshall, Joan Cusack, Steve Zahn, Don Knotts
5. Rent
No day but today.
Genres: Drama / Musical
Starring: Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Jesse L. Martin, Taye Diggs

 

Source: IMDB, Hollywood and YahooMovies

 

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