kirukkal.com

May 5, 2005

After Starbucks it’s Netflix

[Reed Hastings, CEO Netflix] [Pic: detnews.com]

As Starbucks is for coffee, Netflix is for movies, says Reed Hasting, Netflix CEO. I prefer to change Reed Hastings’ words. Like Google is for search, Starbucks is for coffee and Netflix is for movies. For all the three brands have been under-estimated when they came about. And slowly people started submitting to them. Now they rule their areas of operation, however modularized they are.

Having a Blockbuster right outside my apartment complex, I was tempted to join Blockbuster’s DVD by mail program so that I would also get some coupons for in-store movie rentals. After all I thought, brand doesn’t matter. A movie buff requires only a store with movies and it will do. After constant pressures from few of my like-minded friends, I landed at Netflix.

Netflix was a suprise to me. I got DVDs delivered in one day interval and I’ve been watching movies nearly everyday for the last month. More than my urge to watch movies, it’s Netflix thats pushing DVDs one after the other, three at a time, like a server robot to make me watch movies. Thats one reason I started the two-minute reviews category in the blog. Still, with the in-flow of movies, I’ve not been able to jot much. The more I watch the less time I get for other stuff. Cable no more attracts me. Even HBO seems so trivial. When I have Netflix, I can nearly watch any hollywood movie I wish, within a day’s time. Though I miss those days of watching a movie trailer in Star TV and waiting for it to be premiered, Netflix is a killer service.

A friend who went ahead with Blockbuster cancelled it’s service because even the first DVD arrived five days after him subscribing to it. Another friend gets movies regularly from Blockbuster. So Blockbuster isn’t any less than Netflix except that Netflix has seven years of pioneering experience in DVD rental-by-mail industry. They also have a stupendous back-end. Probably a well developed Data Warehouse I suppose. They analyze every subscriber’s movie likings and have put up a movie recommendation section that just rocks. Also their strategically placed collection centers play a vital role in Netflix’s progress.

Netflix heavily relies on the well developed the American postal service. Else even day-dreaming a service like this would be waste of time. With heavy rumors surrounding Netflix being takenover by Amazon, though I hate consolidations in the industry, if only Amazon could add more value to the existing Netflix service, it would be a warm welcome. Also, Blockbuster planning to double-up it’s rental stores as collection centres would increase it’s service capabilities exponentially and would be a looming threat to Netflix. If only success depends on customer satisfaction, Netflix wins hands-down.

I already have 65 movies in a queue ranging from Psycho to Identity to Malena to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. So one day it’s Dennis Weaver trying to runaway from a truck driver in Spielberg’s Duel. Another day it’s Branko Djuric as Ciki becoming victim of a bombing in No Man’s Land. Be it Antonella Attili falling in love with movies and Cinema Paradiso, Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones writing a diary, Robert De Niro boxing his way with the Raging Bull, John Cusack and you getting crazy inside the head of John Malkovich, Shahrukh as the stupendous Mohan Bharghava catching the next AirIndia to India or even Nana Patekar doing a realistic act as Sadhu Agashe while couting Ab Tak Chappan, the possiblities with Netflix are limited by the number of movies released. Netflixing Life !!
May 4, 2005

Faces / Vikram / Anniyan

In the coming days, one would probably see these images multiple times on the blogosphere as Shankar starts to aggressively market Anniyan through the print media.

Its a kodambakkam culture to release promos via Ananda Vikatan. Kamal in the Iyengaar make-up with a gun appeared on the covers of Vikatan for Hey Ram, Shanmugi with Madisaar appeared similarly. There are many more such Vikatan introductions. Per the classical way, Shankar releases the first ‘different’ pics to Vikatan. I loved the one above. Very different Vikram. I am sure the disappointment of Anniyan’s music will be offset by the visuals. Atleast we hope.

Doesn’t that kick-off the countdown for Anniyan. I have added all the pics from Vikatan here, Faces / Vikram / Anniyan. Thank You Vikatan.
May 3, 2005

Happy Birthday Dude !! – Sujatha Rangarajan

A friend of mine came from India last week. He brought along some Ambika appalams and Manga thokku bottles. I threw them aside and got hold of something else which I wanted desperately. Sujatha‘s Selected Shortstories Part II. He gave me a wierd look and said, “Machan Itha ethukku eduthundu vara sonna ? “. I smiled and started reading the first page. He wasn’t bitten by the Sujatha bug. I was, badly.

It wasn’t until I read Nila Nizhal I went gaga over Sujatha. Like Sidney Sheldon, I was thinking Sujatha was a female writer initially. I was amused when (s)he wrote about teenage bloopers in Nila Nizhal. It was just a beginning and it was there my journey alongwith Sujatha started. From the Purasawalkam’s Tana street potti kadai to Tambaram Sanitorium library to Mylapore Azhwar Kadai, I have bought/read/enjoyed Sujatha everywhere. I even carried a Sujatha novel to my first interview. To read when I got some spare time.

As a teenager, I was quite amazed how could realistically write a teenager’s mind in Aathalinaal Kathal Seiveer and that same amazement follows me through the wineshop scenes of Shankar’s Boys. When I watched Enn Iniya Iyandhira on cable, I had the book in my hand to follow it real close. With Anithaavin Kaathalgal, I was convinced that this guy wrote better romance fiction than many contemporary tamil writers. With Kanavu Thozhirchaalai I was sure that my interests matched Sujatha. I read Madhyamar and started worshipping. Roja, Indian, Mudhalvan, Kannathil Muthamittal and Boys continues to say what an interesting dimension a book writer can bring into a movie. I am still positive that my interests match Sujatha’s. What a stupid statement you would think. I am not bothered. But I relate to him so much. A millions of other fans join me. It’s probably this USP of relating to him makes him supreme than others in Tamil writing scene. Just last week, I completed reading his Madhyamar and Thoondil Kathaigal, again, in the bathroom. Though till day, Guruprasadin Kadaisi Dhinam continues to reamin as my all-time favorite of Sujatha.

Why would directors like Mani Ratnam and Shankar go back to Sujatha when they are savvy enough to pen screenplay & dialogues by themselves. When Mani Ratnam shot Uyire[Dil Se] he discussed the story with Sujatha. Sujatha then wrote the story in a novel format. The format was then converted to screenplay and dialogues were written.

Sujatha’s first story was published in 1954 in a magazine named Sivaji. His next story Athirchi was published six years later in Kumudam. So if we assume 1954 to be his official start date as a writer, he completes 51 years in writing.

I probably cannot finish the post as I have a tsunami of thoughts on his writing. So here’s wishing a man whose brains I would wish to own, A Very Joyous Birthday, as he completes 70 years on planet earth. Here’s Sujatha about himself –
April 30, 2005

Weekendies !!

Kaadhal Yaanai of Anniyan is the latest buzz in kollywood. Srikanth has a good technical review of Anniyan. Prabhu, the kadhal mannan of Chennai Blogosphere get a niche area to review. He reviews the Anniyan lyrics. Great going. I ain’t writing any reviews for Anniyan music. Not too inspiring to write about. However I’m glued to acid looping[ as Srikanth says] of Kaadhal Yaanai. Rest, let’s watch with the movie.

Chenthil blogs about Madras Book Club function felicitating Jeyakanthan for being awarded the Jnanpith Award. Makes me miss Chennai again.

Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani ? is a great read. This short story which is a sublime commentary of the current social mindset by using the history, was awarded First Prize in Thinnai Sci-fi shortstory contest, judged by Sujatha. Another one which I liked was Bhimba Uyirgal by Arun Vaidhyanathan. The one by Karthikesu on Kofi Anan was an intelligent thought.

Tiger should be out by today. The latest OS offerring from Apple for Mac seems promising. The most talked about feature is like Google to the Mac. Spotlight, a feature in the Tiger Mac OS can search just about anything in the computer with the text you type. They have also added a Robot to the OS, Automator.

After sometime, the competition starts getting annoying. It was as though Yahoo was waiting for Google’s release of personal search, their release of My Web just tailgated Google’s release. Peace to both the dudes !!

Finally, over the weekend, they predict a little sunshine in Seattle. Planning an outdoor party on the shores of Lake Washington in Mercer Island. Sunshine, I hope.
April 28, 2005

Hmm…

Paatezhuthi paerr vaangum pulavargal irukiraargal, Kutram kandupidithey paer vaangum pulavargalum irukiraargal, reads a dialogue in Thiruvilayaadal. You know what I am talking about. I could spot some really gross paradoxes which he has created himself in this article, Critics…Rascals. Having read his book on Lagaan and the caste system, which was cynical in my opinion, I hate to waste time in de-mystifying the facts which the article advocates. Judge it yourself.