Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

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Shandilya
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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Shandilya » Sun Dec 31, 2017 4:44 pm

Saw "Dark" on netflix, someone recommended here earlier. Was nice, better than stranger things. Too many characters going back and forth in time, but that actually keeps you thinking and watching intently instead of just looking at the screen. Could relate somewhat with the plot on how we have seven loks above and seven below the plane we live on, and how siddhis can travel within this loks.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Zynda » Sun Dec 31, 2017 6:57 pm

^^I agree Bright would have played out better if they had spread it across a ten episode format where they could fleshed out the story arc better. I may have to watch it again to understand certain parts of the movie but I found the plot linear and lack of back story did not bother me a whole lot. Even though I rooted for Orc cop (more than Will Smith) and could feel a connection, there was a lack of it with the overall plot.

ricky
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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by ricky » Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:19 am

Shandilya wrote:
Sun Dec 31, 2017 4:37 pm
I found Bright a total waste of time, with usual bladderdash of fantasy, magic, and make-belief. Like you said it was not riveting. I think it turned out to be total crap because lot of verbal references to historical events made without giving the viewer any visual insights. It ended up being very confusing to watch. Netflix is trying to do a Devgan riding two fast moving cars with one foot on each roof. They should stick to their more money making format of 10 episodes per season with several seasons to keep the money flowing, opposed to step into movie making business with flops.
There are good original movies on netflix as well, the meyerowitz stories was pretty good, one of adam sandlers best imo. With their strategy of spraying and praying, some of them are bound to be good. OTOH, they have increased the original movies to 80 in 2018.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Zynda » Sat Feb 03, 2018 9:26 am

So it seems like MCU will have a quite a big hit with Black Panther. Apparently, the villian is one of the best ever seen on MCU movies. Also the fact that it is the first all colour Superhero movie along with quite a few coloured females playing a key role is propelling the hype...sort of how Wonder Woman was to female audiences. Early reactions from Twitter are positive...so word of mouth should help in ticket sales and many of them are reporting early ticket sales beating the previously #1, BvS. Good for Marvel & comic book movies fans.

Mean while I read this: "Warner Bros. top brass knew Justice League – in whichever condition it came packaged in; Snyder Cut, Whedon Cut, etc. – would ultimately fail, and they released it anyway so they could move onto their next project (hence half-baked CGI, a 2-hour theatrical cut, etc.). What’s interesting is that they didn’t know it would tank as bad as it did. That’s partly because the movie wasn’t what people expected (or wanted), and partly because it was a sequel to BvS – a controversial film that left a bad taste in moviegoers’ mouths."

Why the frik didn't WB then just go with Synder's version? Sure it would have gotten a lot more lower RT rating from critics but it would have been visually striking, a little coherent in terms of pacing & production (not the mishmash of two directors that we currently have) and finished CGI...not the bubble gum lips CGI of Supes along with bad animation of Steppenwolf. I am somehow not very convinced that Zack Synder left the project willingly...perhaps he was forced in to quitting using his family's tragedy as an excuse. Anyways, a huge diservice to all the DC fans.

Anyways, going forward I hope DCEU has learn their lession. Also don't try to be a Marvel clone. Sony has had some success with Logan (which was more of a drama rather than Comic book stuff) & Deadpool. Sure they cannot make a R-rated movie of any DC comics. I kinda excited about Aquaman and its prospects because James Wan is directing it (Furious 7, Insidious & other horror films).

Anyways, was just watching BvS and I could not help feel a gut wrenching sadness of how wasted JL was! And WB is releasing Blu-ray of JL with extra 2 MINS of deleted scenes which is not even part of the movie. They are just offering it as a separate scene.

Anyways, got Avengers: IW to look forward, right?

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Zynda » Tue Feb 06, 2018 6:15 pm

Black Panther so far has 100% rating on RT...insane!!! Should do well in BO...Opening BO is projected at around $150 Mil plus with final US BO run at 400 Mil plus and a global BO run at around 850 Mil...would be insane if it touches $1 Billion. But this being first Black superhero movie with a strong black female representation, I would not count many repeated viewings and 1 Billion actually happening.

Gotta hand it to Marvel. They know how to take 'B' & 'C' list characters and make them connected with audiences...something current DCEU is failing to do.

Kevin Fiege is on a roll...Supposedly his contract is up for renewal this year. I am sure he would have set the pieces in the right order for the transition of MCU in to Phase 3 & 4 with some of the legacy characters/actors "retiring" after Avengers 4 in May 2019 but if Disney is clever, they would ensure that he would stay for another few years to ensure the roll MCU is currently in.

Surprise factor would be if Kevin Fiege decides to head over to WB to take up the challenge of reviving DCEU franchise...slim chances of that happening but one can always dream!

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by nachiket » Wed Feb 07, 2018 12:11 am

Zynda wrote:
Tue Feb 06, 2018 6:15 pm

Gotta hand it to Marvel. They know how to take 'B' & 'C' list characters and make them connected with audiences...something current DCEU is failing to do.
Forget B list characters, DCEU is struggling with A-list characters like Superman and Batman probably the 2 most popular superheroes on the planet. Marvel launched their MCU with a handicap, having no rights to Spiderman and the X-Men. They started with Iron Man who was himself a B-list character instead of Hulk or Captain America and made it a success.

Primus
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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Primus » Wed Feb 07, 2018 2:51 am

Finished "Altered Carbon' Season 1 on Netflix last weekend. I had read the book a while ago (it is based on the first book in the series). While the show deviates in a major way from the book halfway through (won't give it away), still remains a compelling story and the visuals are stunning. A lot of CGI of course but done really well. The lead character is well portrayed although I though some of the others could have been better. overall well worth watching.

Marvel's minor character series are pretty interesting. Luke Cage was better than Jessica Jones which in turn was better than Iron Fist. The Defenders is pretty good, haven't quite finished it.

Another I really liked a lot was The Punisher, also a Marvel character but without superhuman powers, still packs quite a punch (pun intended). Very fast paced action.

On the Anime side, Castlevania is excellent although a very short season. 'Attack on Titan' is brutally good, lot of gore but the story is unusual and full of twists. Sadly only two seasons so far has been filmed, the manga is ahead. Season 3 premieres this spring. Highly recommended if you like the genre.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Zynda » Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:54 am

nachiket wrote:
Wed Feb 07, 2018 12:11 am
Forget B list characters, DCEU is struggling with A-list characters like Superman and Batman probably the 2 most popular superheroes on the planet. Marvel launched their MCU with a handicap, having no rights to Spiderman and the X-Men. They started with Iron Man who was himself a B-list character instead of Hulk or Captain America and made it a success.
Yep was gonna put how DCEU is not able to use Superman & Batman...to be fair Chris Nolan did a fantastic job with Batman. Only Synderverse has been a failure even though personally I find his cinematography & visuals much more richer, grand & comic booky style compared to Marvel's.

Does any one remember Ang Lee's Hulk film in 2001? With multiple scenes juxtaposed next to each other at the same time...starring Eric Bana as Bruce Banner & Jennifer Connelly as his love interest. Also Hulk-2 with Ed Norton was not well received either.

Problem is Hulk is almost indestructible (just like Superman) which makes it hard to write a story where humans could connect i.e. using their strengths to over come hurdles and triumphing in the end. I don't have knowledge about Hulk to say in comic books who are his major villains but for Supes, they tried to make him "human" i.e. weak & vulnerable when exposed to Kryptonite and of course, Supes is vulnerable to magic. Anyways, that is one of the reasons why very physically strong characters like Supes & Hulk are hard to depict.

Will be interesting to see how Marvel will handle Captain Marvel. She is one of the strongest heros in Marvel Comics...

Primus saar...currently going through Altered Carbon...gotta say it looks like a less sophisticated version of Blade Runner. It is interesting...

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Primus » Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:40 pm

Zynda wrote:
Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:54 am


Primus saar...currently going through Altered Carbon...gotta say it looks like a less sophisticated version of Blade Runner. It is interesting...
Please, no saar for me, like to feel young :D

Yes, it does remind you of Blade Runner but the story is a bit more intense and violent as are the graphics. Hard to compete with Philip K. Dick, none of the modern SF writers come close. I read so much that is hard to finish being just clones of each other, sometimes you do come across something a bit fresher and AC is indeed that.

I am not sure what makes producers pick a particular story for a show or movie. I am waiting for somebody to make a series out of 'The Malazan Book of The Fallen", IMHO one of the all time best fantasy series ever written, much deeper and more satisfying that Game of Thrones.

Completely OT, but does anybody know any more about the forthcoming Mahabharat series starring Amir Khan as Krishna? WTF is that about?

ricky
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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by ricky » Thu Feb 08, 2018 6:51 am

Primus wrote:
Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:40 pm
Zynda wrote:
Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:54 am


Primus saar...currently going through Altered Carbon...gotta say it looks like a less sophisticated version of Blade Runner. It is interesting...
Please, no saar for me, like to feel young :D

Yes, it does remind you of Blade Runner but the story is a bit more intense and violent as are the graphics. Hard to compete with Philip K. Dick, none of the modern SF writers come close. I read so much that is hard to finish being just clones of each other, sometimes you do come across something a bit fresher and AC is indeed that.

I am not sure what makes producers pick a particular story for a show or movie. I am waiting for somebody to make a series out of 'The Malazan Book of The Fallen", IMHO one of the all time best fantasy series ever written, much deeper and more satisfying that Game of Thrones.

Completely OT, but does anybody know any more about the forthcoming Mahabharat series starring Amir Khan as Krishna? WTF is that about?

ricky
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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by ricky » Thu Feb 08, 2018 6:52 am

Primus wrote:
Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:40 pm
Zynda wrote:
Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:54 am


Primus saar...currently going through Altered Carbon...gotta say it looks like a less sophisticated version of Blade Runner. It is interesting...
Please, no saar for me, like to feel young :D

Yes, it does remind you of Blade Runner but the story is a bit more intense and violent as are the graphics. Hard to compete with Philip K. Dick, none of the modern SF writers come close. I read so much that is hard to finish being just clones of each other, sometimes you do come across something a bit fresher and AC is indeed that.

I am not sure what makes producers pick a particular story for a show or movie. I am waiting for somebody to make a series out of 'The Malazan Book of The Fallen", IMHO one of the all time best fantasy series ever written, much deeper and more satisfying that Game of Thrones.

Completely OT, but does anybody know any more about the forthcoming Mahabharat series starring Amir Khan as Krishna? WTF is that about?
I could never get past book 3 of malazan, the younger sister arc felt like a grind,otoh my own beliefs in godhood and devotaries was influenced by the series.

if I could recommend, do read A song of ice and fire on which game of thrones is based. Got is an aesthetic cinematic experience, but asoiaf combines lore, in-story myth, excellent world building and characters. The amount of European lore suffused throughout the book in a very subtle manner only tends to increase the reading experience.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Primus » Thu Feb 08, 2018 12:26 pm

ricky wrote:
Thu Feb 08, 2018 6:52 am
Primus wrote:
Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:40 pm
Zynda wrote:
Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:54 am


Primus saar...currently going through Altered Carbon...gotta say it looks like a less sophisticated version of Blade Runner. It is interesting...
Please, no saar for me, like to feel young :D

Yes, it does remind you of Blade Runner but the story is a bit more intense and violent as are the graphics. Hard to compete with Philip K. Dick, none of the modern SF writers come close. I read so much that is hard to finish being just clones of each other, sometimes you do come across something a bit fresher and AC is indeed that.

I am not sure what makes producers pick a particular story for a show or movie. I am waiting for somebody to make a series out of 'The Malazan Book of The Fallen", IMHO one of the all time best fantasy series ever written, much deeper and more satisfying that Game of Thrones.

Completely OT, but does anybody know any more about the forthcoming Mahabharat series starring Amir Khan as Krishna? WTF is that about?
I could never get past book 3 of malazan, the younger sister arc felt like a grind,otoh my own beliefs in godhood and devotaries was influenced by the series.

if I could recommend, do read A song of ice and fire on which game of thrones is based. Got is an aesthetic cinematic experience, but asoiaf combines lore, in-story myth, excellent world building and characters. The amount of European lore suffused throughout the book in a very subtle manner only tends to increase the reading experience.
Yes, the problem with Erikson's narrative is that the books do not follow in a direct arc, instead, are staggered. Thus, book 3 follows book 1 and book 4 follows the story in book 2. The series is among the best in terms of its depth, the characters, the language, the ideas, the philosophy and says a lot about human nature. It is well worth sticking with.

I am a huge fan of the Malazan universe and have read all the related books including the ones by Esslemont who co-created the series with Erikson.

I read George Martin's A song of Ice and Fire when it first came out as "A Game of Thrones" in 1996, following each of the books in the series. He took 15 yrs to write 5 books, the sixth is still incomplete. When the TV series was released I recommended it to my family and friends and they too became addicted to it. While GRRM is a great writer, he suffers from a huge ego and now that he's made millions he is not really interested in completing the books. Not much different from Jordan and his Wheel of Time series which I gave up on after book 8. Then he went and died and Sanderson had to complete his last book.

Over the years I've pretty much read all the good stuff in SF&F, hard to find writers that are different and are good. Most of the stuff coming out is trash.

However, I can recommend Hugh Howey and his 'Wool' series is very good, I believe soon to be made into a movie/tv show.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by ricky » Sat Feb 10, 2018 1:44 pm

If you are aware of Glen Cooks Black Company series, there are certain similarities early on in some arcs with malazan,particularly book 3 with the historian and impending sister dynamic. I found the concept too similar, but with the paucity of good literature out there, and the vast array of malazan world, it is, i suspect a must read.


Ha, yes GRRM's writing issues are legendary. I got hooked when the fifth book was almost upon yes (¬2011), and even for me the waiting has been unpleasant.

[reg wot]You are made of stronger stuff then, i quit midway through book 3, something about his ability to not progress the plot even after twenty odd pages of writing fluff maddened me to no end.


I have read Scott lynch's gentlemen bastard series, and joe abercrombie's first law, both are pretty good. I have not read much sf, but new sun series by gene wolffe and the expanse by s a corey are highly recommended in general.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Primus » Sat Feb 10, 2018 5:45 pm

ricky wrote:
Sat Feb 10, 2018 1:44 pm
If you are aware of Glen Cooks Black Company series, there are certain similarities early on in some arcs with malazan,particularly book 3 with the historian and impending sister dynamic. I found the concept too similar, but with the paucity of good literature out there, and the vast array of malazan world, it is, i suspect a must read.


Ha, yes GRRM's writing issues are legendary. I got hooked when the fifth book was almost upon yes (¬2011), and even for me the waiting has been unpleasant.

[reg wot]You are made of stronger stuff then, i quit midway through book 3, something about his ability to not progress the plot even after twenty odd pages of writing fluff maddened me to no end.


I have read Scott lynch's gentlemen bastard series, and joe abercrombie's first law, both are pretty good. I have not read much sf, but new sun series by gene wolffe and the expanse by s a corey are highly recommended in general.
Yes, I went through Black Company series a long time ago, and there are indeed similarities, but very superficial. Erikson's language is impeccable, he weaves a tale that is mesmerizing, it has to be savored like a deep Californian Red, slowly, enjoying every bit of it. It is also not very straighforward, there are things implied that are not obvious unless you are able to connect the dots.

I started WoT with the first book, sometime in the early 90s and it was a great tale, unfortunately he fell victim to the greed that is so common with popular writers, filling the pages with fluff, meaningless dialog and just making 'sausage publications' out of his work. I kept hoping as by then I had invested into the story but had to give up.

Lynch and Abercrombie are good but not top shelf for me. Gene Wolfe's Shadow and Claw was too sickening for me, did not finish the second book. It is quite a twister though, don't realize where it is going for a while.

There is a lot of good stuff if you look at the works of the older writers like Ursula le Guin, Stephen Donaldson, Fritz Leiber etc. One of my favorites has been Jack Vance, very dated, but I've read some of his series multiple times. Try the Dying Earth or the Lyonesse series. He also wrote SF, and created worlds that were completely unique and yet self-contained. His Planet of Adventure is perhaps one of the best examples of this. It is an omnibus with four short novels. That's the other thing, almost all his works were very short and the story ended with one book, unlike the present trend of trilogies at the minimum. If you consider that he wrote this stuff almost 70 yrs ago, it is even more incredible.

Modern writers that I've liked a lot are Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson, Terry Pratchet (amazing, tongue-in-cheek humor and well worth it).

Finally, one book that I recommend to everyone who loves SF&F and wants something that lingers in your mind for long afterwards, do read 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' by Walter Miller. It was written around 1960 but is an incredible piece of fiction, very topical even today, perhaps more so than ever before.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by ricky » Sun Feb 11, 2018 4:26 am

^ Thanks for the recommendations Primus ji.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Vayutuvan » Mon Feb 12, 2018 2:31 pm

Primus and Ricky, you might have read these authors but just in case.

Lois McMaster bujold, David Brin ar per quite impressive. I like the character miles vorkosigon immensely from the former.

My reaction to Gene wolf is same as Primus'; stopped after reading the first book.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Primus » Tue Feb 13, 2018 4:40 pm

@ Ricky - please, no Ji for me :-)

Yes, have read those, agree with Bujold, good character development.

One problem I have with the modern writers, as I mentioned earlier, is that there is too much filler and there is probably intense pressure to drag the story to multiple volumes, 3 at a minimum. Often the story starts to fall apart or the writer takes too long and never finishes etc. Most authors suffer from this malady, the most glaring example of course has been Robert Jordan and his WoT series, GRRM is another one but at least there we can follow the story in the TV version. I doubt if I would ever read his books once the TV series is over.

It is not that there were no trilogies earlier, but they tended to be short, focused and without excessive filler. Elizabeth Moon's "Paksenarrion" series is a great example of an absolutely wonderful story in 3 parts, and you can read all three together in a single omnibus (available from Amazon etc) if you like. Jack Vance's "Dying Earth" series I've already mentioned. Another one is E.E. Doc Smith's Lensman series, a classic galactic opera.

There is so much good material out there from before the Internet age. Off the top of my head, these have been great in the SF genre: Philip K. Dick, Ben Bova, Asimov (somehow I didn't take to him so much, except for an outstanding short novel called "End of Eternity"), Poul Anderson, Larry Niven (read his "Known Universe" books for an amazing ride, or the first two books of 'Ringworld", "Mote in God's Eye"), Dan Simmon's "Hyperion" canto, Greg Bear's "Eon' and 'Eternity". There is so much more.....

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Vayutuvan » Fri Feb 16, 2018 2:25 am

Primus, not to forget Robert L. Forward and Fred Hoyle (yes, the same, the astrophysicist) and Jayant Narlikar. I, for one, did not like Hyperion all that much but love Greg Bear. Have to still read any of Doc Smith and Jack Vance.

What do you people think of China Mieville, and Ian M. Banks?

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Primus » Fri Feb 16, 2018 4:54 pm

Vayutuvan wrote:
Fri Feb 16, 2018 2:25 am
Primus, not to forget Robert L. Forward and Fred Hoyle (yes, the same, the astrophysicist) and Jayant Narlikar. I, for one, did not like Hyperion all that much but love Greg Bear. Have to still read any of Doc Smith and Jack Vance.

What do you people think of China Mieville, and Ian M. Banks?
VT, haven't read Forward and Narikar. Will check them out.

I read Mieville a long time ago, it was the 'Perdido Street Station' I believe. Intriguing story. However, I was put off by his language and style of writing, almost as if he is in love with his own words. Very flowery, overly descriptive, dripping with every possible bombast. He takes several pages to describe the town as the boat passes by in the river and while it sounds good in the beginning, it becomes overwhelming very soon.

Haven't read Banks, looks promising.

There has been a huge growth in writers of all genres with the development of the Kindle, thanks to self-publishing through Amazon. It is a good thing, but can be too much as it is often hard to know who is really good and who just has good friends who upgrade the reviews. Every now and then you hit the jackpot with somebody like Hugh Howey but more often than not I have to leave a book or a series unfinished as the promise of a good read is never fulfilled.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Vayutuvan » Fri Feb 16, 2018 9:45 pm

True. There are too many new writers. I like the 1940s-60s pulp. SF shirt story form, husband and wife pair Henry Kuutner and C. L. Moore cannot be beaten. Give their stories a try. One of the most famous is "Mimsy were the Borogove" on which the movie is based. But the movie pales in comparison to the story.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Vayutuvan » Fri Feb 16, 2018 9:49 pm

Check this blog out

He reviews on on GoodReads as well. I find some of his reviews good. But this person is too euro-centric for my taste. He has certain fixed notions though.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Primus » Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:04 pm

^

Very interesting, don't agree with all he says but he's close to my idea of good fantasy. I've read most of the books on his list, bar some. I mentioned Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, Le Guin, earlier. Jonathan Strange is now available on Netflix as a TV show. Michael Moorcock I didn't like much. The others are of course classics of the genre.

BTW, if you like Neil Gaiman, do read his Sandman series of graphic novels. That is another genre that I love and of course 'Watchmen' is one of my all time number one books.

There's a couple of other very interesting authors. Frank Herbert's Dune series was one of my favorites in the 70's/80's. However, it went downhill very rapidly after the third book. Still, it remains one of the classics of world-making epic sci-fi stories. The movie was obviously not as good, but came pretty close to the story line. The books are interesting for their quotes at the beginning of the chapters. One that has been my long time favorite, and I often repeat it when it comes to Islamic Jihad is: "When I am weaker than you I ask you for freedom because that is according to your principles, when I am stronger than you I deny you your freedom because it is according to my principles." - from Children of Dune.

Another one who became notorious for different reasons was L. Ron Hubbard. His book 'Battlefield Earth' was one the most memorable stories of invasion of our planet by another species. It is a massive book, but if you haven't read it, I guarantee you won't be able to put it down. They made a horrible movie out of it with John Travolta. It is truly an amazing space opera. Hubbard wrote literally hundreds of stories and books, but his last anthology was the 'Mission Earth' series, the first ever (that I know of) 10 volume story, all written very quickly but published mostly after his death. It is a tongue-in-cheek tale of a superlative character and interestingly, the author foretells the phenomenon of digital photography which I found fascinating.

Of course any discussion of good sci-fi writers is incomplete without Robert Heinlein.

I used to have my books and reviews on Shelfari, the previous incarnation of Goodreads, the two then merged together and now my entire library is lost. It is painful to rebuild it, but I guess it may not be a bad idea to start again :)

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Primus » Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:30 pm

^^

Couldn't find the Lewis Padget book 'Mimsy were the Borogoves'. No easy download available. Will keep looking.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Vayutuvan » Tue Feb 20, 2018 8:54 pm

Story collection The Last MimzyI bought a copy (paper back) from Amazon. It is a collection of short stories by Kuttner. The book is named The Last Mimzy. This came out after the movie. Intro by Ray Bradbury is very good.

The first story is "Mimsy were the Borogoves" in this collection.

In the movie title, the word "mimsy" from the original Lewis Carrol, was changed to Mimzy. Probably for some stupid reason. But the story has the original spelling as written by Kuttner.

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Re: Non-Indian Films discussion thread...

Post by Vayutuvan » Tue Feb 20, 2018 9:01 pm

Best of Henry Kuttner - kindle edition for $0.99

First story in there is the story "Mimsy were the Borogoves"

PS: Looks like the paperback is nothing but a re-issue of the bets of henry kuttner.

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