Shorts, 11/17.

As part of a special issue of Outlook India on women, Namrata Joshi introduces a list of the magazine's favorite onscreen heroines: "Popular Hindi cinema, as far as gender sensitivities go, has been the playing out of a rather telling dialectic of radicalism borne forward on the bandwagon of conservatism."

And get this (here's where I reveal how much I have yet to learn about Indian cinema): "Much before Dil Chahta Hai became synonymous with the hip and the cool, there was In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones. Set in the westernised campus of a Delhi architecture college, the movie revolves around Radha, the rebellious student, played by Arundhati Roy, who also wrote the screenplay." Yes, that Arundhati Roy.

Meanwhile, Sandip Roy writes at Alternet:

The Bollywoodization of American popular culture has long been underway.... But none of it amounted to much until Hollywood anointed us as cool. We were the model citizens - winning spelling bees, writing reams of code and buying responsible cars like Hondas and Toyotas. We had money, motels and a lobbying firm in Washington. But we were never cool. When Hollywood blesses you, however, you become transformed.

Outside the Box: "About the interesting promotional items Variety receives in the mail. Written by Jim Hames." Other Variety blogs: Wicked Little Town and Bags and Boards. Got an idea for another one? They're listening.

That's via Fimoculous, which is huge and fantastic today. Just one or two more highlights: Alfred Hitchcock Cameos. With pix! And Bodysong and The Elegant Universe and the Warhol tapes and... just go: Fimoculous.

In the New York Times:

Jason Epstein on verisimilitude and Master and Commander.

Karen Durbin on Denys Arcand and the 20 years between The Decline of the American Empire and The Barbarian Invasions.

Nathan Lee on Roman Polanski's Knife in the Water.

Frank Rich: "Angels, Reagan and AIDS in America."

And AO Scott on piracy.

And in the Observer, Ed Vulliamy delves deep into the death of Marie Trintignant.

Occasionally, I'll experience whole days as if they were formatted by Final Draft. Greg Allen knows what I'm talking about.

Cinema Aficionado passes along word of Henry Bates and the Sorcerer's Balls, a parody of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Harry Potter sept-something. Says David Morgasen, one of the three screenwriters: "Our good wizard is Gandolfini, who goes against the evil wizard Enron. The quest involves Henry Bates, the rightful king of the land of Middlefinger."

Online viewing tip. Bits of Bizarre Love Triangle and "Deux pieds," a music video for Thomas Fersen. Via videos.antville.org.

Posted by dwhudson at November 17, 2003 6:58 AM