RIFLE RANGE BOY

Macbeth (2015) It is amazing that a writer in the 16th century can pen out such a play so intricate in its emotional interplay. This is, of course, the work of a particular man of commoner stock from Stratford-upon-Avon. Playing the main character of this play seem to the lifetime ambitions of many an actor including Orson Welles, Patrick Stewart, Sean Connery, Richard Burton and Lawrence Olivier. Michael Fassbender reprises the role of Macbeth in this 2015 production. Perhaps the only people in the world who do not have a sense of guilt are the psychopath. Otherwise, most of us are drilled upon us to build a wall of guilt within us that sometimes makes us lose our balance. The guilt that we are made to feel eventually eats us up. Despite the urge to survive and need to outdo and overrun others to succeed is there, most of our upbringing makes it mandatory for us to fell guilty. Sometimes, we dig our own graves, and our actions themselves push us in.  The evil that lurks...

Filth (2013) They say there is goodness in every one of us. Even the most condemned person on Earth has an ounce of kindness in him. Youtube videos and social experiments are plenty to highlight, and we probably feel good that humankind will survive despite what the doomsday philosophers and naysayers say or do not say. But then, why is so much violence, hatred and animosity in this world? Well, the same people who profess goodness in us are the same ones who utter that goodness is subjective! What appears as good to one may seem evil to another. Feeding stray dogs may be a noble deed, but it may draw so many strays to one particular area that it may be uncomfortable for some. The fear of fights between well-fed dogs over territory or the spread of illness may be a concern. Back to the homo sapiens instance, the evil thoughts that disturb the community's equilibrium are conveniently blamed on the dark forces, the black dog, the crows, black magic or Satan. In modern science...

Outlander (Season 1, Miniseries; 2014) If you believe in Dan Brown's novel, 'The Da Vinci's Code', then you may be thinking that the fairer sex once ruled the world. Men, once hunters, spent many hours away from the household while women ran the cave. They were awed upon as being the givers of life as they produced offsprings from their bodies and were given God-like status. This arrangement worked just fine. The pagan worship style incorporated this magical ability into their appreciation of the Forces beyond their comprehension. All that ended over time as Man became gatherers started living in communities and with the advent of a monotheistic way of worship. Men became the more dominant one of the sexes. Even in the Hindu mythology, dominant earlier female characters like Draupadi, Satyavathi and Madhavi disappeared over time. This is the angle I seem to look when I watch this Highlander themed British miniseries. Outlander or a Sassenach (Saxon in Gaelic) is a...

A dejected kilt-wearing Scotsman walking back to day time job and back to reality.... Since King James I/VI united Scotland and England under the same umbrella after his mother was abdicated, imprisoned and eventually beheaded for treason, Scots had always been feeling that they have been short changed. The impression that I got when I was there is that the Scots were just waiting to break free from the union. The recent referendum outcome obviously proved me wrong. Come Monday, it is back life and back to reality. The nay sayers and the yay sayers have to bury the hatchet, hold hands, walk into the sun set and be embroiled in the daily challenges of life. That is life. No matter what differences we have harbour against each other and the outcomes that may despair us, we have to carry on with life with a straight face. To all the people who think that we are being hypocrite by not standing our ground and rejecting all kinds of actions that contradicts our belief, I say get re...

The Angels' Share (2012) Whisky must be the single most important contribution of Scotland to the world. Forget short bread, haggis, shepherd pie, tartan and Sean Connery. But don't forget that the distillation technology was introduced by the Arabs to produce aromatic perfumes. Then of course, there is this debate whether it is 'whisky' or 'whiskey'. Generally the word 'whisky' is used by Scotland, Canada and Japan whilst 'whiskey' is used by US and Ireland. They wanted to make a movie with Scotland in the background. What better way to showcase the country than to use whisky as the main theme? Put in a few tartans, show some picturesque view of the Highlands with a distillery to make you believe that God's land must be like this, sprinkle in some thick Glaswegian and Scottish accents, some youths with problems and viola, there you have it. A successful award nominated film! This formula works all the time. Remember '4 weddings and a ...