RIFLE RANGE BOY

Penguin Miniseries (8 episodes) Even though it was supposed to be shot in Gotham City, we do not see a single shot of Batman or any resemblance to his existence in this miniseries. After all, it is a spin-off from Batman 2022 . It tells how Penguin turns to become a wealthy mobster that he is. It also serves as a cooling period before the first sequel to the trilogy comes out in 2027. This miniseries helps to maintain the DC Comic fans' interests before the dark-caped one makes his presence again.  The series explores Penguin, aka Oswald Cobb, 's rise to power. Often ridiculed for his physical handicap, Mama's boy decides to fight his tormentors through his devious, twisted mind and planned outbursts. From a disfigured run-around nobody, he becomes a feared gangster. Along the way, he picks up a faithful, quick-thinking sidekick. His nemesis is a lady from a gangster family who Oz killed and pocketed his new designer drug. At the end of the day, when one is well-heeled, no...

Joker: Folie à Deux (Madness shared by two; 2024) Director: Todd Philips No matter how much they suck at anything, adults are not supposed to tell children they are wrong. They are supposed to be encouraged, only showered with positive vibes. It is believed to give them self-confidence and stretch them to greater heights beyond their capacity.  Nobody is graded. Everyone gets a medal for participating. Everyone is a winner, and he is exceptional and made to believe.  I have news for you. Go into the world and realise that nobody gives two hoots to you. Everybody is in a hurry. Nobody has time to listen and talk to you. Every man is an island. To make matters worse, the others have no qualms about stepping on or over you to achieve their goals. Losing you is just one step closer to their goals. There is no time to coach or wait for you. It is a man-eat-man world out there. Living under the hawking eyes of helicopter parenting or even chip-implanted surveillance, these snowflake...

The Batman (2022) Director: Matt Reeves Long ago, easily more than 30 years ago, when we were a newly married couple, I had the privilege of living a few doors away from a retired postmaster. Looking at us, just married and waiting to embrace life with all its vigour, he felt compelled to dispense his dose of unsolicited wisdom to us, to me especially, like to son he never had. I remember him telling me that I should evaluate everything I did in life very carefully as its repercussions may reverberate not only during my lifetime but that of my wife, children and my next birth! In other words, my deeds spiralled to catch on to my linkages. I kept it stored in my biological memory bank for future reference. Some years later, I heard of someone who had her past life analysed by a holy man in Tamil Nadu. She approached someone in this town which is reputed to have storage of palm-leaf inscriptions (olai) of all humans, Indians or otherwise. She wanted to know the reason for her stormy rela...

Batman vs. Superman (2016) Dawn of Justice Gone are the days when superhero stories used to spur that feel good feeling, that warm feeling that assures us that the truth will protect us, that the good would always prevail over evil. That doing good is the only thing to do; that there cannot be any other way of doing things; that good would not hurt anybody. These days, however, we have come to realise that things in life are so straight forward, not so black or white, that they are not so cut and dry. Everything comes in shades of grey. We sometimes have to appear to be unkind to be kind in the end. Doing something seemingly good may turn out detrimental to another's intention. One man's meat may be another's poison. It may not pacify him to hear that the unfavourable action is actually for his good and that he should see the 'bigger picture'. Part of this film delves with what is doing good and whether a good deed does indeed bring only a good outcome. Sup...

Heard about a Daniel Kish, a blindman who goes trekking, climbs trees and rides bicycles unaided. He had taken a radio interviewer on the trekking expedition deep into the jungle. The interviewer became worried as it was becoming late in the evening and she feared being lost in the dark. Then she remembered that her guide was blind. It does not matter to him; it was always night for him! Daniel had his eyes enucleated for retinoblastoma at a young age. Growing up with an abusive father, the mother decided that her son should be left to fend for himself. He should not be restrained or mollycoddled as the world is indeed a cruel place, no place for weaklings. As a young boy, a blind boy, he used to climb trees, fences and do all the things that his able bodied sibling used to do. Quite many a time, this wandering boy was escorted home by community policemen. He went to regular school and hated being treated as a second class student. He grew up independent after he self taught the ...