Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Ratsasan: Memorable Thriller and Spellbound Performance.

The entire nation is shocked at the recent news about circumstances surrounding the suicide of a very great and humble actor Shushant Singh Rajpoot. Equally shocked and upset I am and I have a lot to say about the injustice and gamut of nepotism in the Bollywood, which I will express in a much detailed post.
Friends, last week I was suggested by one of my friends to watch a very interesting Tamil psycho-thriller Ratsasan of 2018. Initially, I thought it to be an ordinary murder-mystery based movie. But, believe me, this movie is a rare gem in the treasure of Indian film industry. 
It has been directed by Ram Kumar and it features Vishnu Vishal and Amala Paul in the lead roles, while Saravanan Naan plays the role of the psychopath. Other actors include Kaali Venkat, and Ramdoss in supporting roles.
The plot of the movie is based on the unending murder spree of young school girls by a psychopath. Vishnu Vishal plays the role of a police officer, who also has interest in film direction. 
The plot of the movie and its direction are piece of art. I will keep you stick to your couch. Every moment of the movie pops up a new twist.     

A Memorable Villain.

Before Ratsasan, I had never seen any of the movies starring Sarvanan. I, even hadn't heard his name. But watching his spellbound performance in the movie, my expectations are much high from him. In my opinion, he is one of the actors that can prove to be the legendary Joker (Heath Leger  from the Dark Knight).
Top post on IndiBlogger, the biggest community of Indian BloggersIn fact the get up of Sarvanan is unbelievable. In the entire movie, you will be wandering where he is. I would not spoil the surprise. However, I can share his real photo in this post.

Friday, April 06, 2018

Censorship Issue: S. Rangarajan Etc vs P. Jagjivan Ram, 1989 SCR (2) 204, 1989 SCC (2) 574


If we talk about censorship in Indian cinema's context, the first and most recent name appears, Bhansali-directed Padmavat, which was the focus of conflict in 2017 and at the outset of 2018. But very few of us are aware of another movie that drew the ire of politics in 1989. 
Ore Oru Gramathile, a Tamil movie, produced by Mr. S. Rangarajan, criticized the caste-based reservation policy in Tamil Nadu’s educational institutions. The producer had to fight against members of the Dr. Ambedkar People’s Movement and the Republican Party of India for securing release of the movie. The Tamil Nadu government seemed helpless and stopped the film’s release, on the apprehension of a “very serious” law and order problems across the state. 

Judgment of the Court.

The matter reached the court and the impasse was removed the apex court in the landmark judgment of S. Rangarajan Etc vs P. Jagjivan Ram, 1989 SCR (2) 204, 1989 SCC (2) 574, wherein the court held that inability of the state  to handle the hostile audience problem was not a sound defence and it is its obligatory duty on the state to prevent it and protect the freedom of expression.

Monday, March 19, 2018

Omerta official trailer released

You might be impressed with the performance of Rajkumar Rao in movies like Citylights, Shahid  and Newton. 2017 was a great year for Rao. But still, his performance in negative shades was left to surprise us. Soon, we will be bound to acknowledge versatility of his performance in his upcoming thriller Omertadirected by Hansal Mehta.
Omerta won accolades at the Toronto International Film Festival and Jio MAMI film festival last year. The movie is based on the life of British-born terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was freed in exchange for passengers of a hijacked Indian Airlines plane in 1999 and was later accused of killing journalist Daniel Pearl.
If we believe the Tweets of Rajkumar Rao, Omerta is the toughest character played by him. Also, the veteran film director Anurag Kashyap has tweeted that:


The movie will be released on 20th April this year. Here is the official trailer of the movie.

Monday, February 12, 2018

Mission : Impossible - Fallout official trailer released

"The mission should you choose to accept it..." are the words that I was waiting for after I watched one of my favourite action thriller Mission: Impossible II. These are the part of the dialogue of the famous Mission : Impossible series. 
What make me an enthusiastic fan of M:I series are the stunts performed by Ethan Hunt, the protagonist of the series (obviously none other than Tom Cruise) and the signature tune of the series. 
Few days back, I felt like being thrown back to my graduation days, when I used to be a die-hard fan of Ethan and M:I, when my friend Ambrish sent me the link of the trailer of the upcoming and probably the last sequel of the series - Mission: Impossible: Fallout. Ever since I watched the trailer (which I did at least 100 times), I am desperate to throng the multiplex on 27th July this year, (the release date of the movie). 
Though the stunts of the movie don't seem to emulate those performed by Ethan at Burj Khalifa in Ghost Protocol (2011) and at Dead Horse Point, Utah in M:I-II, the introduction of Henry Cavil (the face behind Superman) as an agent adds thrill to the movie.  

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Simply Unparalleled: Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro

Pavan Malhotra, the name that many of us might not have heard yet. There are many such names like Makrand DeshpandeAshutosh GowarikerRajendra GuptaNeelima AzeemVikram GokhaleSurekha SikriNishigandha.
These are not the stars of Hindi cinema industry but these are the actors who truly know the art of expression. If you don't believe me then you should switch to parallel cinema - a cinema that represents a true picture of Indian society.
Salim Lande Pe Mat Ro is one such gem of parallel cinema of year 1989, directed by Saeed Akhtar Mirza, with Pavan Malhotra as lead. The film won the 37th National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi in 1989 and 1990 National Film Award for Best Cinematography.
The film is depicts the period of the Hindutva mobilization of the 1980s, the consequent explosive communal conflict, and its impact on the lives of the young men of the minority Muslim community, represented by a working class Muslim family in Mumbai. Salim Pasha (Pavan Malhotra), a.k.a. Salim Landga is a small-time thief and goonda and lives with his parents and sister in a shady neighborhood where crime and illegal activities are accepted professions.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Fan: SRK proves why you should be his fan.

Every person is inspired by an icon or role model, whether in politics, economics or in entertainment domain. Some of them only follow such icons, others love their inspiration. But there evolved a new category of mass who revere their inspirations. At last there is another category of persons, who can prove to be a die-hard fan and if time comes they can prove to be deadly for their icon 
It is in the last category that we can classify Gaurav Chandna, I mean a fan of Aryan Khanna, a famous actor in Indian cinema industry. The most interesting thing is about what Chandna does to meet Khanna and what he does to realise what Khanna did wrong. The entire movie is centered at the grueling efforts by Chandna to meet him, rather hug him and more than that, it reveals how deadly a fan could be for a celebrity.
By the way, the Khanna and Chandna both are none other than SRK himself. And I bet, after watching the thrill-packed Fan, you will find the answer why SRK has a bigger fan following than his rivals. For me the reason is not Khanna but it is Chandna.
The movie is full of thrill and till the climax I found it hard to believe that SRK is both the celebrity and the fan. Not only the physical appearance but also the body language and tone of both the characters put you in suspense and compel us to ask "how the hell can he be both simultaneously?"
Truly this movie gives a wings of hope for SRK fans make them forgive and forget SRK of Dilwale (2015).

Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Piku: Glad to know the actors of this flick.

Last time it was Madras Cafe (2013). This time it would be Piku. I am talking about the focus of praise. 
I mean I appreciate this man (Shoojit Sircar) for his choice of actors. I am glad to know that this time two great stars of film industry share the same stage - Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan. My expectations with this movie are high. Another reason being the direction of Mr. Sircar.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

BABY: the Daddy of many espionage flicks.

Being a fan of espionage movies like Mission: Impossible and Bourne series, I always wished if India could also produce such movies. Though it was quite late for Bollywood, the movies like Madras Cafe and D-Day were the movies that we hoped for.
This year's beginning was with another movie that doesn't lag behind in the quality of espionage genre. Yes I am talking about Baby.Baby is a 2015 Indian espionage action thriller film directed by Neeraj Pandey. The film stars Akshay Kumar in the lead role, along with Danny DenzongpaAnupam KherRana DaggubatiTaapsee PannuKay Kay MenonMadhurima Tuli and Rasheed Naz in supporting roles. This movie was bound to be a high quality espionage thriller as it has the big guns of not only Indian cinema industry (such as  KK Menon, Anupam Kher, Danny etc.) but also the veteran actors outside our industry. 
I loved the dialogue of Menon (acting as Bilaal):
"Suna hai kasaab ko AC waala kamra diya tha. Kasaab se toh jyaada hi kiya humne".
Talking about the performance of Akshay Kumar, through his acting, he has shown that he is not the extinct specie in the Bollywood. 
And, obviously, the direction of Neeraj Pandey is above all of these factors, which makes it a great work.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Notable Role (12/1000): Nawazuddin Siddiqi (Kick).

Watching this movie was a good experience for me as far as the role of Nawazuddin Siddiqi goes. He played the role of villain named Shiv Ghazra. His performance in the movie reminds me of the Joker (the legendary character in the movie industry across the globe.
Being famous for his performance in the Gangs of Wasseypur series, where he became famous as Faizal Khan, he deserved more chances. Kick was right choice for him. His style of dialogue delivery, which involved his strange laughter and songs of old Bollywood classic movies, makes him a remarkable character.
In a nutshell, I found the great actor, who can emulate the legendary Joker of The Dark Knight.

Monday, August 04, 2014

Kick: Nawazuddin delivers the real kick

This Eid the Rambo Khan's, i.e, Salman bhaai's fans expected a real kick ass movie. The trailer was also promising. But the movie can be appreciated on the count of the theme of welfare of the poor. 
Obviously, some stunts are illogical, specially the stunt in which the cycle crosses the track, leaving Devil behind. This stunt has been criticized a lot over the social media. But some stunts are good (like the scene in which Devil escapes the building in Poland).
But if I describe about the acting, it is Nawazuddin Siddiqi, who steals the show. In fact, in this movie, I see him as the Indian version of Joker (of famous Hollywood flick The Dark Knight).
His dialogue delivery is also full of fun and can be enjoyed again and again. This movie belongs to him.

Saturday, July 05, 2014

Must Watch: Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women

Whether hit or flop, the movies like Matruboomi (2003) are remembered and acclaimed because of various reasons. This movie depicts the reality of the Indian society and exposes its path of progress in future. 
Discussing the subject matter of the movie, it can be said that this movie deserves imminent attention as the declining sex ratio is the cause of concern for country like ours. Apart from a dedicated team of real actors like Pankaj Jha, Sudhir Paney, Piyush Mishra and Shushant Singh, this movie deserves accolades because of direction by Manish Jha, which involves imaginative skill.
I am impressed with his focus on change of the attitude of the society regarding dowry system (as this time bride's family is being paid to get her married), which is similar to the pattern of sale of a girl.
In a nutshell, this movie is must watch for social cause and awareness as these movies mirror the Indian patriarchal society.

Friday, July 04, 2014

Notable Role (11/1000): Prashant Narayan (Murder 2).

Recently, watching the movie Ek Villain, which was released last week, I felt something missing. I tried to recall my filmi brain, (which is occupied by most Hindi movies), I found the missing thing. This had something to do with the character portrayed by Ritesh Deshmukh in the movie. I feel that movie was good, but it could have been better, had Prashant Narayan been roped instead of Ritesh.
I still remember the 1st sequel of Bhatt camp's Murder- Murder-2 -which was released in 2011. This movie still stands as one of the finest and most successful psycho horror of Bhatt (after Dushman). It is so because of the character portrayed by Prashant (Dheeraj Paney in the movie). It is due to his role, that this movie won several accolades.
His role stands as on of the best negative role ever performed in Bollywood.

Here are several scenes of the movie:

Interrogation scene.


Murder of college girl.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Notable Role (10/1000): Abhay Deol (Shanghai)


Unlike his siblings Sunny and Bobby, Abhay Deol is much known for the roles based on ground realities, be it Oye Lucky Lucky Oye or Dev-D or Socha Na Tha. The year 2012 movie Shanghai adds to his understanding and adaptability to the roles, that no one can perform better than him. 
In this movie, he has portrayed the character of an honest IAS officer, involved in the inquiry of an accident that was suspiciously murder attempt of a leader. Although much credit to the quality of the movie goes to Dibakar, its director, roles played by Abhay and Imran Hashmi have maintained the same.
One of the reasons to watch this movie is the actors itself.
Here is an example: 


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Holiday: nightmare for Indian espionage movies

Watching the movies like Khiladi 786, Tees Maar Khan, Blue, I came to conclusion that the worst era of Akshay Kumar has begun as it was the case of Mithun Da in late 90s. However, the movies like Oh My God sent a ray of hope that Mr. Khiladi can still survive the heat of modern day competition on our box-office. 
The similar ray of hope flourished after I watched the trailer of the movie Holiday-A Soldier is Never Off Duty.
I went to watch the movie, considering that it will fall in category of movies like 16th December, Madras Cafe, D-Day, Vishwaroopam - the movies depicting the reality of espionage. 
But I was disappointed to see how a movie on the issue of grave problems like sleeper cells can be given the shape of a comedy flick. In fact this falls in line with conventional Indian movies, which are famous for the climax, showing how hero is beaten up by the villain and how he stands up and a mano-a-mano fight takes place. It was quite amusing to see the scene, when Akshay Kumar stands in the office of DIA and says "BOOM", because of his abrupt posture.
In my opinion, the real culprit is the audience, who wants the crap movies and who rejects the quality espionage movies.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Must Watch: Children of War

Even if the Indian audience loves the movies of heroes with six-pack abs or hot divas and thumbs down the real and intense historical movies like Madras Cafe, I admire the courage of the director Mritunjay Devrat for throwing focus on the genocide during Bangladesh liberation war of 1971. One should admire the effort of the director to present the intense violent scenes depicting rape of many Bangladeshi women. 
Also, the performance of Pawan Malhotra in negative role of a Pakistani Amy personnel, deserves applauds. Apart from him the late Farooq Shekh has also left his impact on cinema industry by his humble role in the movie.
In a nutshell, if you courage to swallow the reality behind the liberation movement of 1971, the movie Children of War will make you cry and compel you to applause the efforts of Mr. Devrat.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Rainman: Hoffman prevails over Cruise gun.

This movie is special for me or various reasons. Though you can say that Tom Cruise was in one of the leading roles, his role was overshadowed by the performance of Dustin Hoffman, playing the character of an autistic savant. His performance makes everyone either laugh or cry. Being a very emotional movie, this movie touches heart of everyone.
The music given by Hans Zimmer sets a good theme for the entire movie. He has the art to thrill the audience (as done in M:I:2 or Gladiator or The Dark Knight, or Inception) as well as to make the audience cry in emotion as shown by this movie.
Surprisingly, very few people have seen this masterpiece. It will be better to watch it for Mr. Hoffman's performance. 

The film won four Oscars at the 61st Academy Awards (March 1989), including Best PictureBest Original ScreenplayBest Director, and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Hoffman. Its crew received an additional four nominations. The film also won the Golden Bearat the 39th Berlin International Film Festival
This movie has been an inspiration for Subhash Ghai, who copied the plot and character or Hoffman in his 2008 year movie Yuvraaj.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Notable Role (8/1000): K K Menon (Shaurya).

The year 2008 movie Shaurya is based on the theme of AFSPA misuse in Jammu and Kashmire and is inspired from the 1992 Hollywood flick A Few Good Men. The difference between these two movies is that while the later one was known for the performance of the Hero, the former one will always be remembered for the role of Major Pratap played by K K Menon. 
The best scene from the movie, according to me, is the entry of K K Menon and his subsequent meeting with Rahul Bose, (who is our desi Cruise of this movie) is humiliated by Menon for his conduct over breakfast table. 
The other best scene was the climax, showing the cross-examination of Brigadier Pratap. In both the scenes, K K Menon proves to be better villain than Jack Nicholson (the Hollywood counterpart in A Few Good Men).
We have seen his mind blowing performances in Gulaal  and Black Friday. He is one actor who needs the focus of the eminent movie-makers like Anurag Kashyap, Shujit Sarkar and Tigmanshu Dhulia. Because only such eminent producers can tap the talent of actors like Menon. The best scenes of this movie include the flamboyant presence of Menon. These scenes are:

First meeting with Major Chaudhary.


Cross-examination of Pratap.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Black Friday: Opening the true files of 1993 blasts.

I have already mentioned, India has history of low grade movies. But few producers like Anurag Kashyap have given a new motivation and a new ray of hope to us. With his movies like Gulaal, Gangs of Wasseypur (I and II), Girl in Yellow Boots, Shaitaan, he told us what a good movie is all about.
This movie- Black Friday (2004)- is not just a movie but a documentary, which explains the causes, consequences and inquiry of the 1993 Mumbai blasts that ripped apart the financial capital of our country.
This movie is equipped with true artists like KK Menon, Pawan Malhotra, Aaditya Srivastav and Nawazud din Siddiqui. They have time and again proved that Indians are also good at acting and still there are some emerging talents that need the focus of good movie-makers.
It won the Grand Jury Prize at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and was a nominee for the Best Film (Golden Leopard) award at the Locarno International Film Festival. The film was so controversial that the Indian Censor Board did not allow it to be released in India for two years. 
It has given a good opportunity to the band Indian Ocean to contribute its musical magic in this movie. I love the song Arre Ruk Ja Re Bande.

Behind the Screen Facts:    

  • The film was banned in India and was released theatrically only 2 years after it's actual planned release date.  
  • The film is based on true facts regarding the Mumbai Blasts in 1993.  
  • Anurag Kashayap cast Aditya Shrivastav and KayKay again after the banned Paanch and Gulaal.

Sunday, April 06, 2014

Queen: If SRK is King Khan, Kangana Ranaut is Queen Ranaut.

We must admire the trend of Bollywood that it is delivering such hat-ke (different) movies for fast few years. Lat year it showed us the hopes in the wraps of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Madras Cafe, D-day, Lootera. This year too it has kept our hopes pristine and all-time high. This hype is evident after we come across the movies like Queen.
Watching the dedicated performance of Kangana Ranaut, it can be said that our film industry has no more restricted entry for the male dominant stars. If there can be a King Khan, there can be a Queen Ranaut.
No other actress can emulate her performance in the movie. Her performance suits the theme of women empowerment through this movie. No doubt, she deserves a National Award for what she did to her role.
Lastly, the music by Amit Trivedi is in sync with the situation of the scenes of the movie and best suited to it. If Bollywood can open the doors for the cheaters like Anu Malik and Pritam, Trivedi is going to be last nail of their coffins.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Mission: Impossible - II (2000): stunts are thrilling but plot is dubious.

My review about this movie was long planned by me. But I went through several websites to look into some details of this movie. I found that some scenes of this movie (one being scene, in which Naya meets Ethan at the race course) were copy of some earlier hollywood movies. Now, you might be thinking that not only Indians copy. I also agree.
Apart from it, there is a glitch of overuse of mask in this movie. Even at the climax, you will be bound to ask "how did Hunt get the mask of Stamp". 
But, all I can say is that the stunts shown in this movie. The rock climbing scene in the starting of the movie was performed by Tom Cruise, without any stunt double. Another stunt during the injection gun scene and other in the climax are also thrilling. Even one of the scene has been copied in Dhoom: 2. Also I love the scene, in which Hunt blast the door, using a satchel charge and makes entry to disturb the deal (which is marked by a bird flying into the room and flares appear in the eyes of Ambrose).
Also the music given by Hans Zimmer has made me a fan of him. The tracks like Bare Island, Mano-a-mano, Injection Gun define the art of Zimmer. Apart from this, how can we forget the song Take a Look Around by Limp Bizkit? This song has used the M:I theme track very beautifully and in an interesting way. 

Behind Scene Facts (iMDB):

  1. John Woo's final cut of the film clocked in at 3-1/2 hours. The studio balked at this length and told him that the final length could not exceed 120 min. This could explain why there are so many plot holes and continuity errors in the theatrical cut.
  2. For the "knife-in-the-eye" scene, Tom Cruise insisted that a real knife be used, and that it stop exactly one quarter-inch from his eyeball, instead of somewhere vaguely near his eye, as John Woo suggested. The knife itself was connected to a cable that was measured carefully in order to achieve the effect and Cruise insisted that Dougray Scott use all his strength in the ensuing struggle.
  3. The famous rock climbing sequence was filmed at Dead Horse Point in Utah. Tom Cruise was on cables which were then digitally removed. Ron Kauk was the climbing double and the overhang stunt was performed by main stunt double, Keith Campbell. John Woo was so scared each time but "Tom insisted on doing it".
  4. The scene where Tom Cruise "peels off his face" to reveal Dougray Scott was achieved in one shot by shooting both actors against a green screen. Cruise, not wearing a mask, was simply told to place his hand in a pre-arranged position under his chin then pull his hand across his face. Scott wore a plain mask with sensors that could provide a computer with a three-dimensional view of his face. He then peeled off this mask to finish the scene. Cruise's face was superimposed on the mask as it is pulled away and the two images morphed together in the computer; the background of the 747 cabin was added in to replace the green screen. (Watch the scene with frame advance and you will see a slight transitional 'swirl' on the mask halfway through the scene). Kevin Yagher contributed some more traditional latex mask effects for other face-peeling scenes. 
  5. This is the first movie that Metallica ever agreed to write a song for. 
  6. Dougray Scott was originally slated to play Wolverine in X-Men (2000), but had to pull out when shooting on this film went into overtime.
  7. The part of Mission Commander Swanbeck was originally offered to Ian McKellen. He was not able to accept the role, due to a prior theatre engagement in London and the part eventually went to Anthony Hopkins.
  8. Luther Stickell's line "It's that simple, huh?" after hearing Ethan Hunt's explanation of what he thinks "Chimera" is was a joke about Mission: Impossible (1996), which was widely criticized for having an overly complicated plot. 
  9. Tom Cruise's then-wife Nicole Kidman suggested Thandie Newton (Kidman's co-star in Flirting (1991)) as the love interest for Ethan Hunt. She was cast before the script was written.
  10. SERIES TRADEMARK: At Hunt's meeting with Mission Commander Swanbeck, Hopkins offers him an espresso or cappuccino. At the preliminary meeting with Jim Phelps in Mission: Impossible (1996), Hunt asked if they could get a cappuccino machine.
  11. The sunglasses that Tom Cruise wears at the climax of the climbing scene providing him with his mission brief are modified Oakley Romeos that are now discontinued. They were modified for their appearance in the film in three ways: the ear stems are different (the commercially available model had curved ear stems while the movie version has straight stems), the lenses used in the film aren't mirrored (to prevent the film crew being seen in the reflection) and the most obvious modification being the earpieces grafted on to the frames.
  12. According to Robert Towne, much of his script was written around action scenes that director John Woo told him he wanted to able to direct in the movie. 
  13. Anthony Hopkins' character becomes the first person in any Mission Impossible episode or movie to actually use the phrase "mission: impossible." Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga also wrote the screenplay for Star Trek: First Contact (1996) which featured the first cinematic use in dialogue of the phrase "star trek." 
  14. Andrew Lesnie was the film's original cinematographer. He left less than a month into shooting, due to "stylistic differences" with director John Woo.
  15. The movie initially was rated "R", but was re rated "PG-13" after many action scenes were cut and the violence was trimmed down considerably. 
  16. Oliver Stone was the first director attached to this film in the period after the first film's release. He reportedly wrote a treatment but backed out due to scheduling conflicts resulting from Tom Cruise's prolonged stint on Eyes Wide Shut (1999).
  17. SERIES TRADEMARK: Ethan is suspended by a cable while infiltrating the Biocyte Labs. See also Mission: Impossible (1996) and Mission: Impossible III (2006). 
  18. Steve Zahn was originally cast as Billy Baird.
  19. Production was delayed because Tom Cruise was shooting Eyes Wide Shut (1999) with Stanley Kubrick for over a year.
  20. Both Tom Cruise and John Woo attended a test screening of this movie in Warrenville, IL. 
  21. Stuart Baird did uncredited re-editing work on this film and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) for Paramount in order to get the job of directing Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).
  22. Triumph Motorcycles supplied the Speed Triple and Daytona models used as Tom Cruise and Dougray Scott's rides respectively.
  23. The knife used in the fight scene at the end of the film is a Kershaw Amphibian.
  24. A brief shot of children playing "Ring Around the Roses" is shown. This is a subtle reference to the plague that would ensue should the Chimera virus be released onto the world. According to popular belief, "Ring Around the Roses" was a kids' song based on the medieval Black Plague. In this theory, the "ring around the roses" represented a ring of people around a grave with roses on it. "Pocket full of posies" refers to people carrying flowers in their pockets during the plague, to combat the stench of the corpses in the streets. "Ashes, ashes" refers to the mass burnings of bodies. "We all fall down" refers to the multitudes of people dying. In fact, the rhyme dates from Victorian times, and originally did not contain these specific references, which were created in improvisational children's playing. Nevertheless, the legend connecting the song with the plague persists.
  25. In the final battle, the building's security systems shows a problem in Level 42, the name of a 1980s band with hits that include "Lessons in Love" and "Something About You".
  26. Shipped to theaters under the fictitious name "Doll House" to deter potential thieves.