Unlocked

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Unlocked is a 2017 American thriller film directed by Michael Apted and written by Peter O’Brien. The film stars Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom, Michael Douglas, John Malkovich and Toni Collette. The film was released in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2017, by Lionsgate.

Rapace plays Alice Racine, a brilliant CIA operative who hasn’t worked in the field since she was unable to prevent a terrorist attack in Paris in 2012. She blames herself and then took a undercover job in London in the guise of a social worker, which gives her insights into possible terrorist plots. Her former boss in the CIA, Eric Lasch, repeatedly tried to get her to come back and work for him but she politely refuses.

However she is called in lead the interrogation of a muslim man who is couriering a message from a radical imam, with a possible terrorist plot and agrees to do the job. However after she breaks him down, she gets a call from the CIA asking her to get the investigation started, she realizes that she is dealing with a rogue element. She gets out of there in the nick of time, managing to kill a few of the rogues but the courier dies in the cross fire. She then does not know whom to trust and goes to her old mentor, but his house is attacked and he is seemingly killed, so she goes to a safe house he had given her the address for. There she is ambushed by more rogues but a burglar, Jack, who just happened to be looting the place, gives her hand and takes her to safety.

With Jack, who tells her he is a former marine and can help, with her she goes to find a contact she has and tried to get info on the imam, but Jack turns out to be a rogue agent and she is attacked by him. She gets away and he is mauled by large dogs, who the contact let loose on him. On the way she is helped by her friend & MI6 boss Emily Knowles and a superior in the CIA Bob Hunter, to uncover the double crosses and plots by rogue elements in the CIA, lead by her mentor Lasch. In the end, she triumphs and outwits Lasch and the white haired mercenary her hired and goes back to her old life.

Unlocked is one of those films which has a really good cast but is let down by a choppy script and storyline.The talents of Collette & Malkovich are wasted in their roles. Still ok for a late afternoon viewing. 6 outta 10!

December Promises You Gave Onto Me

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

What are you looking forward to in December?

Truthfully? Nothing much. Well…we do get two three weekends in the month as December 25th and the 1st of January are on Mondays and I usually get weekends off. So that is something to look forward to.

Other than that, I dunno what I could look forward to. It’s going to be a busy month work wise and that isn’t something that anyone will look forward to. This Friday we have a program at work which will last for 3 to 4 hours with dinner. I have to work on Saturday, which is something I am not happy with but hey, as long as I get two days off, it’s fine. So I will be taking Sunday & Monday off.

I might see if we can get a family party together. I dunno, I usually like to have a nice inside party with some relatives. For New Year’s eve, if there is no family get together, I might just get some beer or vodka and order in some food for dad and mom and me and relax for the evening and night and even watch a movie after midnight.

Prompt from 30 DAYS OF NOVEMBER WRITING PROMPTS at The SitsGirls

Arsenal 5 Huddersfield 0

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger praised “fighter” Mesut Ozil after the German inspired the Gunners to a dominant win against Huddersfield. Ozil scored one goal and provided two assists as Arsenal made it seven wins from seven Premier League home games this season. The midfielder, who has been linked with a move away in January, is showing a different side to his game, according to Wenger. Alexandre Lacazette gave Arsenal an early lead with a confident finish after being put through by Aaron Ramsey’s clever flick. The visitors went close to an equaliser when Petr Cech pushed Steve Mounie’s shot onto the bar not long after the restart.

But Arsenal scored three goals in four minutes to end Huddersfield’s hopes of getting a surprise result. Ozil played a one-two with Alexis Sanchez before the former teed up substitute Olivier Giroud to convert from six yards out. Soon after, Sanchez made it three with a volley from Ozil’s lofted pass. Ozil capped a superb individual display with a goal, placing the ball beyond Huddersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lossl after being put through by Ramsey, before Giroud’s close-range finish in the final minutes completed the rout. Arsenal, who remain fourth, host second-placed Manchester United on Saturday, while Huddersfield drop to 14th. The Gunners had won their 11 previous Premier League games on home soil prior to the visit of Huddersfield, a run stretching back to April.

Against a side that had not won away from home since the opening game of the season, win number 12 for the hosts always seemed likely, a view that was only enhanced when Lacazette struck after just three minutes. The early goal hinted at a long night for the visitors, but Arsenal – initially – failed to build on it. They laboured for more than an hour against a disciplined Terriers side, misplacing passes in defence and leaving gaps that more clinical sides than Huddersfield would have exploited. But when the second goal arrived on 68 minutes, the Huddersfield defence wilted and, with Giroud also hitting the post and Sanchez shooting over from close range, the win could have been even more comprehensive.

The victory for Arsenal, who have now scored 20 goals in seven home games and conceded just four, sets them up nicely for the visit of Jose Mourinho’s side this weekend. Should the Gunners win that game then they will move to within a point of United.

No Black Friday

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Black Friday. Are you going out to shop, or are you staying at home with a good book and plate full of left-overs?

So we don’t have Thanksgiving here in India. It’s a North America thing. So no large family gatherings, no turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, cranberry stuff – all sad but luckily no American football on tv. What a bore! Anyways, we could use some large turkeys in the ovens in Indian homes; I love turkey meat.

We don’t have Black Friday either. Though I understand the concept I hate the behaviour of some section of the society that forego all decency and ettiquette and go bonkers and stampede into stores like Walmart et all in search of that heavily discount piece of merchandise that they have been waiting for. I know that a lot of people may not have enough money to say buy the latest PSP, iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy 8 outright for the full price and may want to buy it cheaper.

I wouldn’t mind some good online offers. Shop in my lungi, coffee next to me and in the comfort of my home. Select the thing you want to buy, get a good price drop and await the item which will be delivered to me in 3-5 days. That’s the way to do it.

Prompt from 30 DAYS OF NOVEMBER WRITING PROMPTS at The SitsGirls

Living Free

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

If you could change one thing about your present life, what would it be?

It’s been the same wish for over a decade. I want my own place. A place away from here, somewhere in the city and in my name. I want out.

I want to have my own two or preferably a three bedroom apartment. Maybe a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom will be fine as long as two bathrooms are attached to the two big bedrooms. The third bedroom I will use as a computer room / library of sorts to display my collections and things. The extra bedroom is for overnight guests.

I would also finally invest in a large scale tv and get some sofas and finally be able to live my life. That’s what I would change.

Prompt from 119 Journal Prompts for Your Journal Jar

Predestination

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Predestination is a 2014 Australian science fiction thriller film written and directed by Michael and Peter Spierig. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook and Noah Taylor, and is based on the short story “—All You Zombies—” by Robert A. Heinlein.

A time traveling agent is in 1975 and attempting to disarm a bomb to stop the “Fizzle Bomber”‘s attack on New York. Things go wrong and it explodes causing a fire and the agent is severely burnt on the arms and face. A stranger pushes his time traveling device closer to him, so the agent is able to go back to the future and is taken care for by the agency. He is given reconstructive surgery and told that he will look very different from before. After he recovers he takes on his final assignment and goes to 1970 and works as a bartender.

One night he meets John, who is a writer under the pseudonym “The Unmarried Mother” for magazines about true confessions. They start talking and John decides to tell the Bartender about his own life; he was born Jane in 1945. As a baby she was left on the doorsteps of an orphanage and raised there. She excelled in her studies growing up but never fit in and always got into trouble. As an adult she applied for a program called “Space Corp”, which promised women the chance to go to space while providing astronauts R&R, but she was later disqualified because of a medical condition which she was not informed of, which a man named Robertson was interested in. While taking classes one evening, she bumps into a man who says he was waiting for someone.

They hit it off and start talking and soon fall in love. Months later the man walks away from her, telling her he will be back shortly but never returns.  Robertson approached Jane, revealing that Space Corp worked for the Temporal Agency, and this agency now wanted to recruit her. However when they find out that she is pregnant she is rejected and left devastated. While performing a Caesarean section, doctors discovered she was intersex, with internalized male sex organs as well as female sex organs. Complications during the birth forced them to remove her female sex organs, and she had to undergo a gender reassignment and begin living as a man. Furthermore, the baby was stolen by a mysterious man. Since then, John has been living a bitter life as “The Unmarried Mother”.

The bartender tells John about his time traveling and tells him that he will take him to back to the day that Jane met the lover who left her, so John can take revenge and kill him for ruining her life. In return, John has take over the agent’s job for whatever duration he wishes. The agent and John jump to that day in 1963. John prepares to kill his past lover before he can meet Jane. While waiting, he encounters Jane, and when they begin talking, John realizes that Jane’s lover was him. The baby born from this “self-fertilization” is stolen by the agent and brought to the orphanage 18 years earlier, in 1945. Therefore, Jane, John, and their baby are the same person, revealing a predestination paradox. The agent then goes to 1975 and helps the the burned man from the beginning of the film.

He then goes to 1963 and takes John back to the Temporal Agency so John can take over his job and the agent can retire in 1975 New York. However his device doesn’t  decommission itself as planned and he is ordered to go to a laundromat where he sees the Fizzle Bomber who is actually the agent’s future &older self, now suffering from psychosis as a result of excessive time travel. he Fizzle Bomber insists that his actions have saved and will save more lives than the lives lost, and that they ultimately lead to the reinforcement of the Temporal Agency. He tries to convince the agent that the only way to end the cycle is to spare his life, unlike the Fizzle Bomber did in his past. The agent denies he will ever become the Fizzle Bomber and kills his future self. He then tries to understand the paradox.

So that’s the story? The burned man, Jane, John, the agent, and the Fizzle Bomber are the same person. This agent’s creation was orchestrated by Robertson to create an agent who has no ties to time. This “perfect” temporal agent was responsible for both his own conception and death; he has driven the predestination paradox to its limit. Try to wrap your head around that one. It’s a well done movie and it had a very interesting scifi premise. It only made $4.3 million but it was made on a very low budget. I give it an 8.5 outta 10!

Burnley 0 Arsenal 1

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Burnley manager Sean Dyche was left “raging” after Alexis Sanchez scored an injury-time penalty to give Arsenal victory at Turf Moor. It was a repeat of last season’s meeting between the sides at Emirates Stadium, when Chilean Sanchez slotted in a 98th-minute spot-kick to win the game. It was also the third consecutive time that the Gunners had grabbed a winner in stoppage time against the Clarets. The win moves Arsenal up to fourth in the table ahead of north London rivals Tottenham, who drew 1-1 against West Brom on Saturday. Burnley remain seventh. The result was harsh on Dyche’s side, who defended valiantly and looked like grabbing at least a point, before referee Lee Mason pointed to the spot after defender James Tarkowski pushed Aaron Ramsey.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said: “From outside it looked 100% a penalty. I don’t know why he pushed him in the back. I would like to see it again.” Arsenal’s Petr Cech was the busier of the two goalkeepers, making two crucial saves to deny Johann Berg Gudmundsson, brilliantly tipping the Iceland international’s drive onto the post and keeping out a low, rasping shot. Robbie Brady also had a free-kick towards the top corner pushed away by Cech. Before the game, Arsenal had earned just four points away from home this season and their poor form on their travels looked to be continuing before Sanchez’s intervention.

Wenger’s side were missing the guile of playmaker Mesut Ozil, who was out through illness, and had just one other shot on target in the match, Lacazette’s low drive which was easily dealt with by keeper Nick Pope. Nacho Monreal drilled a fizzing shot from 25 yards narrowly wide and substitute Jack Wilshere’s deflected effort wrong-footed Pope but sailed wide of goal. Arsenal have now won all six league games in which both Sanchez and Lacazette have started, moving into a Champions League spot behind the two Manchester sides and defending champions Chelsea. Arsenal extended their unbeaten run to 10 top-flight matches against Burnley (won seven, drawn three).

Broadbandless Evening At Home

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Well when I woke up this morning I found that I had no internet on my laptop. My broadband ISP confirmed that there seemed to be a line disconnect in my location and the customer care person registered a complaint. The morning went by quickly as I got shaved and showered and went by 11:30 am to Kadavanthara.

My cousin Sujith and I had a late breakfast or brunch at Arena Cafe in Olive Downtown hotel. We had smoothies and hot dogs, which was very good with caramelized onions and a spicy mayo on top. Smoothies were really good too. We sat there for a couple of hours before going to a newish place called Double Roti for lunch.

This is an awesome looking place which could only improve if they served beer. Unfortunately thet do not! We had peach and passion fruit ice tea with buffalo chicken wings and pork teriyaki burgers with bacon. Holy pigs! They were really good. After that we left and I came back home to find out that the internet would be out till the next day. Damn!

So this evening has been one like the old days when I had no internet at home. Coffee, cookies, a book and rock music playing on mp3 players. Well the music is on my laptop but you get the picture. It’s been a dull evening since 3pm and I even managed a nap of 90 minutes.

Underdog

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Underdog : Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt. Not sure how to participate?

On any given night, anything can happen / if the underdog is hungry the favourite might fall / with all of the people yelling and clapping / anything can happen, anything at all

Those are the lyrics to the chorus of the 80s hit single Anything can happen by Was Not Was. Whenever I hear or see the word “underdog” I always automatically think of this song and the chorus, which is instantly hummable and catchy.

Now, who doesn’t love an underdog who rises up to the occasion and tries to win the battle against the odds, against a much more fancied opponent. Against a tricky and difficult situation. In real life, we all love underdogs and I would love to be the underdog, the unexpected winner, the written off candidate who managed to surprise the public and to be the David who defeats Goliath.

It’s a romantic feeling that is full of charm and grace and excitement.

Prompt from The Daily Post at WordPress.com

Natural Disaster Three

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

If you had to evacuate your home because of a natural disaster, what three things would you take with you?

I’ve done similar prompts before but let’s give it a go:

Medicine box – with my asthma inhaler and some other medicines, including band-aids and sprays. This is important and could be a life saver after a disaster.

My laptop – easy! I need to be connected and will need my computer for that. Plus I have a bunch of needed data saved in it so that can help me. Also if I just need to get online the computer is the best and well for entertainment.

And then….well I guess my smartphone. It’s a given, you need to be able to make calls and use maps and GPS and all that shit. I can get a lot of stuff done and use it for making payments as well. Photographic evidence of damage done is also easily taken and sent to anyone who it matters to as well.

Prompt from 119 Journal Prompts for Your Journal Jar

Koln FC 1 Arsenal 0

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

Manager Arsene Wenger said Arsenal “had got the job done” by advancing to the Europa League knockout stage as Group H winners despite losing at Cologne. A penalty by Sehrou Guirassy, after Mathieu Debuchy was harshly adjudged to have fouled the French striker, earned Cologne only their second win in 17 Bundesliga and Europa League games this season. The closest the Gunners came to scoring was when Francis Coquelin hit the post when the game was goalless in the first half. With one match remaining, Arsenal have 10 points from five games, four ahead of Cologne and Red Star Belgrade, who were held to a goalless draw by Bate Borisov.

A second successive Europa League win for Cologne means they could qualify for the knockout stage after losing their first three matches. Of the five defeats Wenger’s side have suffered this season, this was the least damaging after qualifying for the last-32 stage with two games to spare. Yet a much-changed Gunners line-up failed to build on the afterglow of victory over neighbours Tottenham on Saturday as they were beaten again in Germany. They were hammered 5-1 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League in February 2017 and November 2015, as well as losing 2-0 to Borussia Dortmund in September 2014.

Wenger changed the entire starting XI from the north London derby, forward Danny Welbeck returning from a groin injury after missing the past seven games. Arsenal’s side, which featured Olivier Giroud and Jack Wilshere, had only 16 Premier League starts between them this season, and it was a lacklustre performance against the Bundesliga’s bottom club. Coquelin twice went close to scoring his first goal for four years, the French midfielder fizzing a shot narrowly wide from 20 yards before another effort bounced off the foot of the Cologne post. Welbeck lasted 45 minutes before he was replaced at the start of the second half by Alex Iwobi.

One of the few positives for Arsenal was another eye-catching display by Reiss Nelson. The 17-year-old has impressed in the Europa League and Carabao Cup this season, and again caught the eye after replacing Calum Chambers midway through the second half. In one sublime move, Nelson danced his way around three defenders before forcing a save from Timo Horn, who also stopped a long distance effort by Wilshere in the closing stages.

This was My Thursday

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

What a day! So, today is day two of my 6 days in a row holiday. Doesn’t look like I will be going anywhere but that’s ok I guess. I am still gonna enjoy it. Yesterday I was indoors the whole day and didn’t do anything but catch up on my sleep. I watched some tv shows and even rewatched a movie before bedtime – 2011’s Paul, which was funny and entertaining.

Today I woke up by 9 and then waited till 11am to shave and get dressed. I took the new novel, Origin by Dan Brown, with me and went to Kahawa Bistro and ordered a nice thick peanut butter & chocolate milkshake and a double decker burger. Both were amazing. I sat there for a while and read the book as I relaxed and chilled in the airconditioned cafe. I then went to get a haircut – it’s been pending for a long time – and then went to the bank.

Post that I went to Center Mall and roamed around for a bit. I then went to buy a few things from Big Bazaar before going to Burger King, also in a mall for a paneer burger and a Mountain Dew. The day was hot and sweaty. I then went to buy some medicines for me and then hailed an Uber to come back home. Bought some M&Ms for the evening and now waiting for 11:30 pm to watch some football.

ROSHAN’S ELEVEN: My Favourite Restaurants In Cochin

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

My favourite 11 Restaurants. I avoided the burger or pizza only joints and the mostly coffee and sandwiches places and came up with these.

  • Golden Dragon (they have a couple of them but the Ravipuram branch original is the best)
  • 360 Pizzeria
  • Doner Kebab
  • Chinese Garden
  • Galitos
  • Bloomsbury
  • Burger King
  • Tonico
  • Grand Hotel
  • Tandoor
  • Aangan  Downtown

White Zombie

Posted on by Roshan Leave a comment

White Zombie is a 1932 American Pre-Code horror film directed and independently produced by Victor and Edward Halperin. The screenplay by Garnett Weston, based on The Magic Island by William Seabrook, tells the story of a young woman’s transformation into a zombie at the hands of an evil voodoo master. Béla Lugosi stars as the antagonist, Murder Legendre, with Madge Bellamy appearing as his victim. Other cast members included Robert W. Frazer, John Harron, and Joseph Cawthorn.

Large portions of White Zombie were shot on the Universal Studios lot, borrowing many props and scenery from other horror films of the era. White Zombie opened in New York to negative reception, with reviewers criticizing the film’s over-the-top story and weak acting performances. While the film made a substantial financial profit as an independent feature, it proved to be less popular than other horror films of the time.

In Haiti, the newly arrived Madeleine Short reunites with her fiancé Neil Parker, with imminent plans to be married. On the way to their lodging, the couple’s coach passes Murder Legendre, an evil voodoo master, who observes them with interest and manages to grab Madeleine’s scarf. Neil and Madeleine arrive at the home of the wealthy plantation owner, Charles Beaumont. The musical chanting that the locals do at the funeral is enough to give anyone the creeps, especially at night. Charles has ulterior motives; he wants Madeline for himself and takes the aid of Legendre to get her to do his bidding.  Murder states that the only way to help Charles is to transform Madeleine into a zombie with a potion. Beaumont agrees and surreptitiously gives the potion to Madeleine. Shortly after Madeleine and Neil’s wedding ceremony, the potion takes effect on Madeleine and she appears to die.

After her funeral Neil takes it badly and drinks his sorrow but on visiting her tomb and finding it empty he seeks the help of  the local missionary, Dr. Bruner, who recounts how Murder turned many of his rivals into zombies, who now guard his estate. The two men journey to Murder’s cliffside castle to rescue Madeleine. Meanwhile Charles regrets his actions and begs Murder to release Madeline from the zombie state but the latter refuses. Charles discovers he has been tainted by Murder’s voodoo and is transforming into a zombie. Neil and Dr. Bruner enter the fortress and Madeline under the influence of Legendre is ordered to attack Neil.  She approaches Neil with a knife, but Bruner stops her. As the zombies attack Neil & Bruner, Charles wrestles with Legendre and knocks him out. The zombies, directionless fall off a cliff disoriented and dazed.

Murder awakes but Charles pushes him off the same cliff and he too falls down to his death. Murder’s death releases Madeleine from her zombie trance, and she awakens to embrace Neil. White Zombie is considered the first feature length zombie film. Modern reception to the film has been more positive than its initial release. Some critics have praised the atmosphere of the film, comparing it to the 1940s horror film productions of Val Lewton, while others still have an unfavorable opinion on the quality of the acting. 7 outta 10!