Top 11 fanboy movie franchises of the millennium

Top 11 fanboy movie franchises of the millennium

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com/

Some films develop fan-bases not necessarily because they are good but also through their marketing finesses, timing of release and structure aimed at target audiences. They aren't really bad but not much good too. Hence today we are counting down film franchises of the present millennium that owe their success to fan-boys and nerds (and also the above factors). The ranks are based on a combination of popularity, quality and gross earnings.

NOTE:

• Star Wars prequels are not part of this list because they are but prequels and in line with the original trilogy. Star Trek is a part because it is a reboot.
• Harry Potter series is also not included because, for most of them, they were thematically superior to these and part of the thoughtful cinema.
• The Dark Knight and Lord of the rings trilogies are way too superior in every way and hence they too are excluded. That's because they really are part of serious and intelligent cinema unlike those that are part of this list

#11- Fantastic Four:

Source: pagetopremiere.com

Taken that superhero films are not really supposed to be thoughtful and intelligent but this franchise crossed lines with all aspects of movie making. Still, $600 million it is.

#10- Transformers:

Source: bea-electrics.com

The first one was fine, but what followed was an endless waste of footage rutted with explosions, noise, rattling and Shia LaBeouf's stuttering. Some films lay waste to the incredible gift of CGI to cinema. But Hey! $3.7 Billion it is.

#9-Hulk

Source: farm4.static.flickr.com

What a justified theme can do to a Comic book movie is exemplified by 'Hulk'. What happens when ultimate power becomes a curse? What are the consequences of meddling with the powers of the nature and what is the folly of the human race with its mad ego of overcoming it? Hulk answered all this with a subtlety we liked and a hero we loved.

#8- Star trek:

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com

With a pre-established fan following, Star Trek reboot was good for what it was. Although it did not try anything different and played along the lines of the tested formula, the reboot proved to be effective enough in displaying the space opera with sound and visual effects far superior than its previous times. We knew the tour spots, but we loved the ride.

#7-Fast and the furious:

With 7 films now, this franchise has had only one formula: furious people driving fast cars. Set in a world without any rules, the franchise produces speedy car chases to drool over and doesn't really get serious until Fast-6 with Dwayne Johnson. As long as money comes, it will keep refuelling them.

#6- X-Men:

Source: hdn1.sciencefiction.com

Forget 'The Last Stand'. Here was one franchise that first proved how comic-book films can be totally cool and awesome. Thanks to some pretty good actors in the cast and a pillar in the form of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, the X-Men has gone a long way from the present to prequel to present to prequel and finally the future-prequel- all but one awesome to watch.

#5- Captain America:

Source: pmcdeadline2

Although lower in popularity than Iron man, Captain America: The Winter Soldier marked the highest point of Marvel films in terms of quality. For once, Captain America provided refuge from the unthinking noisiness of the comic film genre. In the attempt of spurting out one movie after another in order to launch 'The Avengers' , Marvels finally took a seat back and focussed on the story and dimensions of the movie. The result of this was super-awesome.

#4-Pirates of the Caribbean:

 

Source: pichost.me

Good actors can make for a film even in the dirt and filth of strange seas. As often the case, the first one was classy, with a definite story-line and character development. Then they got over-confident and threw in hoards of people with Johnny Depp at the centre to sail them to the shores. Depp however was competent enough to do so and the trilogy (#4 was something else for me) was a successful and cool story.

#3-The Avengers:

Source: fullmovie2k.com

It was fun. It was kickass. And it was simple. When you try to depict a potential danger to the whole world but are centered only on Manhattan, it shows an inherent inability of direction and the understanding of trying to make up with what you have got. With cliches and banal subjects to hold the film in place, The Avengers actually succeeded in covering up for them with an explosive finale. What's more in the house would be known with the upcoming sequal.

#2-Iron man:

Source: hdmarvelwallpaper.com

The First was plain awesome, the second was as bad as any and the third was just Okay. The major reason why it is at such a high spot is because of the perception that Iron man's character has created in the minds of the people and because of the excellence of the first movie. It was a comeback by Robert Downey Jr. like few have given, although he did not care to act good after that, but for the fans, once was good enough. 

#1- Spider Man: 

Source: images1.fanpop.com

And I am talking about the Sam Raimi-Tobey Maguire trilogy only. The love and care for the super-heroes that the comics drove were recreated in the real sense by this awe-inspiring franchise and the second film in the series was simply the cherry on the cake. Although it went a bit astray in the third, it made up for it in the climax resulting in a trilogy that was fantastic yet close to heart.

Bandwidth Verdict: It is debatable what kind of films should be the real goal of Cinema. Still, if it is naive but harmless and some fun, it is worth the watch. Right?                                                           

Top 21 movie quotes of all time

Top 21 movie quotes of all time

The subjectivity of this list makes it too tough to be appreciated by those who look at it. This is because a single line or two can and cannot leave a lasting impression in your mind based on how you perceive it. Also, while few quotes maybe quite memorable to some, to others they maybe plain as any. Hence, here we are going to look at some movie quotes that either tell us something of paramount importance to the film or the character or those that are simply iconic enough to be here- 

#21- V for Vendetta: 

"Ideas are bulletproof"

Source: Tumblr

Part of a longer quote as awesome as this - "Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof"- these three words define all that the film stands for. That's what a good quote is supposed to do right?


#20- La Dolce Vita - 

"You're the first woman of creation. You're mother, sister, lover, friend, an angel, a devil, the earth, the home."

What do you get when a womanizing journalist in search of love and happiness tries to woo a famous actress? You get the above line. 

#19- Wall Street- 

"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good"

Source: Tumblr

When Gordon Gekko talked about the only thing he thinks will take the business at hand as well as the entire USA out of crisis, this quote, along with its dashing monologue, became a classic.


#18- Amelie-  

"Without you, today's emotions would be the scurf of yesterday's"

Amelie was a film like nothing anyone had seen before and the only struggle I went through while its first viewing was to put it into a definite genre. But when this line came through, I gave up trying.

#17- The secret in their eyes: 

"You said life"

It's a climax defining line that gives shape to the entire movie and meaning to why you actually went through 129 minutes to see it.

#16-  The Good, the bad and the ugly": 

"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."

Source: YouTube

With many such two kinds of men analogies, the two leads try to out-do each other throughout the film. But this one from 'the man with no name' steals the show.

#15- Mughal-e-Azam: 

"Saleem tumhe marne nahi dega; aur hum Anarkali tumhe jeene nahi denge" 

(Salim will not let you die, And I shall not let you live, Anarkali)

Quite inarguably, the film with the best dialogues in Indian cinema featured this timeless classic that is still talked about everywhere, even after 55 years of the film.

#14- The Shining: 

"Here's Johnny......."

Source: Tumblr

There are few things better than an improvised dialogue. Jack Nicholson impromptu took this pop-culture slang and used it to create, what could be the most frightening scene in a horror flick ever.

#13- Dirty Harry: 

"You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"

Dirty, greasy and cold. That's how Clint Eastwood delivered this gut wrenching line to the guy on the other side of the Magnum.44.  Rest is history.

#12-  The Usual Suspects: 

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist"

Souce: Epic Movie Dialogues (Facebook page)

There are quotes that don't require an exposition. This is one of them. Agree?

#11-  Apocalypse Now: 

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning"

Souce: Tumblr

Apocalypse Now is the greatest war film ever and while Marlon Brando was booked to show the 'horror' Vietnam has brought unto people, this line by Robert Duvall predefined the whole context of the movie.

#10- Tokyo Story:

"Isn't life disappointing? - Yes, it is".

Source; Tumblr

A common reality? But when Noriko delivers this reply with the above smile, it makes for a movie moment truer than any you would find.

#9-  Deewar(1975):  

"Mere paas Maa hai." 

(I have my mother)

Source: NDTV

Jam packed with iconic dialogues one after the other, this one from Shashi Kapoor steals the spotlight from Amitabh Bachchan as he firmly asserts the value of his choice of life.

#8- Star Wars: 

"May the force be with you"

Source: giphy

After all, what's more famous than the best line of the greatest film franchise ever ?

#7- On the Waterfront: 

"You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am."

Source:  meetup.com

The whole film, Terry Malloy remains impervious to any person or feeling. But when he finally breaks down after his brother, this line explains more to us about his life than we would ever know.

#6- Taxi Driver: 

"You talkin' to me?"

Source: Tumblr

Funny and serious at the same time, this line, probably this whole sequence captures the inner twistedness of Travis's character and gives a fairly good idea of his lonely, dull, insipid life. Talking with a mirror image was never this ripping.

#5-  Sunset Boulevard: 

"I am big! It's the pictures that got small."

The 40s Hollywood knew how to capture the psych of a character and portray it just enough to the audiences without giving too much away. This here, might be the greatest example of it.

#4- Casablanca- 

"We'll always have Paris".

Source: Examiner.com

When the no-nonsense Rick Blaine says those words to the love of his life, it brings about notions of tenderness, love ,care and sacrifice altogether to the initially badass character of his. Nothing spoken to a parting woman was ever so awesome.

#3- Gone with the wind: 

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

Source: Tumblr

Clark Gable was so charismatic that when he said this line quite out his character at that point, we instantly believed that if he says so, he surely doesn't give a damn.

#2- The Matrix- 

"My name is Neo".

Yes, you can come to me personally and give me a tight beating if you don't like this quote at such a high spot. But for me, if there is any movie line I would ever get a tattoo of, it would be this. 

#1- Grave of the Fireflies- 

" Why do fireflies have to die so soon?"

Nothing in cinema is more emotionally charged than this line for me and you would agree too if you have seen this film. (Read Review)

Bandwidth Verdict: Although we have only talked about quotes here, all movies in the list are equally iconic so that leaving any of them unwatched would be a sin.                                                

Top 15 Bollywood movies of all time

Top 15 Bollywood movies of all time

Source: Tumblr

I love Bollywood. Not only because I have been fed the same from childhood but because there are certain aspects of human life that it touches better than the rest of world cinema (barring Japanese Film Industry). Some, however, may not agree with me and so, here is a list for all and sundry to remember what gems Bollywood has given us-

#15-Geet Gaaya Pattharonne:

“I saw my mother in your bride”

Source: i.ytimg.com/

There can be few things more picturesque than watching art celebrate art. Although a surprise on this list, the film moves through the life of an artist, a sculptor who has got this mastery in his blood but requires an inspiration to fan this fire. His quest goes through several ups and down finally culminating into a climax that leaves you with goosebumps.

#14- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam:

“Shaadi sirf jism ka rishta nahi hai ... mann ka milan hai, aatma ka rishta hai”

Source: Bluegape.com

A love story, a separation, a twist- this clichéd story of our cinema never had a better culmination than Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. With songs to die for, sequences to watch on repeat and romance to dream about, the movie brought about a one-to-one with reality for the audiences and celebrated everything that Indian culture stands for.

#13- Waqt:

“Waqt hi banata hai, aur waqt hi bigadta hai”

Source: YouTube

If ever there was a film that succeeded in giving a message to the audiences, it was Waqt. Stressing the power of time over man, the film does not only make an agenda of it but brings forth moments of happiness and misery juxtaposed in a saga that would forever be copied in Cinema but never repeated with the same charm and virtuosity.

#12- Sholay:

“par khota sikka to dono taraf se hi khota hota hain na?

                  insaan or sikke mein shayad yehi fark hain”

Source: awesomesongs.blogspot.com

Sholay was a film that created a uniquely new genre of entertainment in Bollywood. With ‘inspiration’ from Japanese &Italian films and the Spaghetti Westerns, it brought a whole new flavour to this curry with audiences going gaga over all aspects of it. With attributes of friendship, love, family, loss, goodness and sheer evil- all within it, it offered something to audiences of all tastes and deservedly became the highest grossing Indian movie of its times.


#11- Queen:

“Mera sense of humour bahut acha hai. Dhire dhire pata chalega apko”

Source: Filmibeat

Your heart makes an extra beat every time you see the pulchritude of real life on the celluloid. Queen is a real victory of womanhood without any pretentious sage like female lead uttering cliches how a woman is always treated and so on. With this, Bollywood grew up from an infant who keeps crying when he/she needs something to a thoughtful child who knows what he WANTS and knows how to get it. (Read review)

#10- Deewar: 

“Lagta hai bojh hamari kismet mein likha hua hai Maa. Mere kandhon se hata to tumhare dil pea a gya”

Source: http://i.ndtvimg.com/

Salim-Jawed brought the concept of the ‘angry young man’ to Indian Cinema and Amitabh Bachchan immortalized it. “How the world moulds a person by putting him into circumstances that leave no-choice even for the strongest of spirit” is something that takes 21 words to write but one picture to say. It is a literal treat to watch Amitabh Bachchan shot by shot in Deewar and hear his dialogues again and again and again. Ironically enough, the most iconic dialogue of the film was delivered by Shashi Kapoor.

#9- Swades:

“Apni chaukhat ka diya, giving light to neighbor's house”

Ashutosh Gowariker is arguably the best director of present day Bollywood and this got stamped when he made Swades. The attention to detail, the ability of handling the landscapes and the dedication you see missing in present day cinema is everything that makes up Swades the film it is. Although what the movie stands for is a matter of choice, the brilliance of the choice its protagonist makes under his circumstances takes justification that is well provided for by this 195 minute film.

#8-  Veer-Zaara:

“Across the border there is a person ... who can give his life for you”

Few films are so deliberately beautiful and directorially convincing as Veer-Zaara. Sequence after sequence, shot after shot, song after song, this is one movie that oozes with excellence and delight. Forget the morality, forget what’s right and wrong for 3 hours, and watch this movie as it goes by taking you into its own world of love and sacrifice.

#7- Mughal-E-Azam:

“Saleem tumhe marne nahi dega, aur hum Anarkali tumhe jeene nahi denge”

Source: Pixshark.com

Mughal-e-Azam is a movie that is, in the truest sense, not for everyone. Although made with lavishness that few films can make good use of, it doesn’t worry over being rejected by the non-intelligent audiences, thanks to its ever so memorable soundtrack. Thanks to the film, Prithviraj Kapoor’s Akbar and Madhubala’s Anakali will forever remain the very images of these historical characters every time we read their names in textbooks.

#6- Do beegha zameen:

“apni kahani chhod ja, kuchh to nishani chhod ja’’

Source: Mubi.com

With inspiration from Ladri di biciclette, Do beegha zameen brought neo-realism to India and captured the frets and fumes of an Indian farmer with a dedication that it brings even the numbest of the movie-watcher to a point of breakdown. If you ever want to see method-acting at its very best in Bollywood, look no further than Balraj Sahni pulling a rickshaw on the streets of Calcutta. 

#5- Lagaan:

“Ye ek ladaai hai, jo hamka jeetni hai”

Source: pbs.twimg.com

Lagaan was something, the world had never seen before, yet it was something we were all too familiar with. The epic clash between a village and the English army on a cricket ground, set in pre-Independence India, with rustic landscapes, frisky colours and lofty spirits was a home-coming of Indian mainstream cinema to the track of intelligent and entertaining movie making.

#4- Mother India-

“Main beta de sakti hun, laaj nahi de sakti”

Source: thebetterindia.com

An edge over Hollywood that Bollywood has always had is that Bollywood succeeds in driving the audiences to tears, thereby establishing a connection with the characters so that we care for them. And maybe, Mother India is the most successful film to do so (The first film I cried while watching, and it has only happened twice. L ). The struggle of a farmer family, a single mother, a helpless son and an epic ending made for India’s first true entry into the Oscar stage and a well-deserved one.

#3- Kaagaz ke Phool-

“Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam; Tum rahe na tum, Hum rahe na ham”

Source: dailyvedas.com

When Guru Dutt made Kaagaz ke phool in 1959, it proved that Pyaasa wasn’t a fluke. The subtle intensity with which he captured the turmoil of a once big shot film director and his nostalgia of the good old days versus the bitter harsh present was something that world cinema celebrated and saluted.

#2- Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957) :

“Aye Maalik Tere Bande Hum Ayese Ho Humaare Karam"

Nekee Par Chale, Aaur Badee Se Tale, Taankee Hasate Huye Nikale Dam”

Source: http://s6.postimg.org/

What is good? What is evil? What is the line that separates them? What is the force which prevents them from meeting? Partly based on a real-life experiment, when V. Shantaram’s Adinath took in 6 hardcore criminals and made it his life to make men out of them, little did anyone know that the result would make for a lesson that Indian schools will forever be teaching to their students.

#1- Pyaasa:

“Ye duniya agar mil bhi jaye to kya hai”

Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com

The excellence of some films cannot be repeated, even by the same people who made them first-hand. Maybe it’s because it was chance that a masterpiece like this got produced in the 50s Bollywood. When Guru Dutt portrayed the hollowness of the life of a man who dreamt beyond his stature, the stark irony that resulted out of it was a story that would not be paralleled in years and ages. 

Bandwidth Verdict: These and many more are some must-watch Bollywood Flicks for world-wide audiences. As my love persists for them and many others develop it too, I feel like I would be saying in future- " In love with Bollywood way before it was cool"