kaali is a 1980 tamil – telugu bilingual-film directed by i. v. sasi , and produced by hem-nag .

it stars rajinikanth , seema , phataphat jayalakshmi , vijayakumar and shubha in prominent roles .

chiranjeevi reprises vijayakumar 's role in the telugu version .

this was the first film that had rajinikanth and chiranjeevi together .

seema enacted dual roles in this film .

the cinematography was handled by ashok kumar .

kaali ( 1980 tamil film )

kaali ( 1980 ) tamil movie cd - rip 320kbps mp3 songs music by ilaiyaraaja - starmusiq . com
this article is about 1980 film starring rajnikanth . for 2012 film , see murattu kaalai ( 2012 film ) .
kaali is a 1980 telugu - language indian feature film directed by i . v . sasi , starring rajinikanth and chiranjeevi .
is a tamil drama movie , directed by i v sasi . the cast of kaali ( 1980 ) includes rajinikanth , seema .
' kaali ' is the title of a 1980 rajinikanth starrer . this is the first time a vijay antony film will have the title of a superstar film of yesteryear .
the film was simultaneously made in tamil - language as kaali with rajinikanth , while vijayakumar played chiranjeevis role .
kaali is a 1980 tamil - language indian feature film directed by i . v . sasi and produced by hem - nag , starring rajinikanth , seema , phataphat jayalakshmi and vijayakumar .
vairamuthu began his lyricist career through the rajinikanth film ' kaali ' ( 1980 ) . debuting in the film nizhalgal ( 1980 ) with the lyrics for the song
idhu oru ponmalai pozhudhu
. his partnership with academy award winning composer a . r . rahman has resulted in critical praise , awards , and box office hits .
1950s tamil film was largely used as a platform to articulate dravidian identity and tamil nationalism . the founding of the
kaali is a 1980 tamil action , drama film , directed by i . v . sasi and produced by hem nag productions . this film stars rajinikanth , vijayakumar , seema , phataphat jayalaxmi in the lead role . the films soundtrack and background score were composed by ilaiyaraaja with lyrics by kannadasan , vairamuthu .
tailor made film for rajinikanth . his fans are fingertipped with each and every frame of this film
a simple film that centers on the lives of 5 educated youngsters in madurai during 1980 in madurai , their joys and sorrows . subramaniapuram not just marks the beginning is a birth of new streamline of extraordinary film .
vijay antony has just announced that his next film will be directed by kiruthiga and it has been titled as ' kaali ' . the film will be produced by the actor - music director ' s home banner . vijay antony film corporation .
yes , and also in a tamil film . . . can ' t remember the name now .
murattu kaalai ( english : rogue bull ) is a 1980 tamil film produced by avm productions . directed by sp . muthuraman , the film stars rajinikanth , jaishankar , rati agnihotri and sumalatha in the prominent roles . this was the first film for rajinikanth with avm productions . avm had stopped producing films by 1970 and murattukaalai was their re - entry into tamil films . this film boasts of the highest budget ever for a rajini starrer at that time .
iruvar - an epic of two tamil political iconic people . brave attempt ever made in tamil cinema .
pride of tamil cinema and its culture . this made a new record for tamil industry in national awards
( tamil film - stars are popular not only by virtue of their cinematic appeal but also because of the close links they maintain with political parties and the checkered political career of the tamil film industry itself ) .
more details about the cast , crew and commencement of ' kaali ' are expected to arrive soon .
sivathamby , karthigesu . 1981 . tamil film as a medium of political communication . madras : new century book house .
kaali , sundar . 2000 . “narrating seduction : vicissitudes of the sexed subject in tamil nativity film . ” pp . 168–90 in making meaning in indian cinema , edited r . vasudevan . new delhi : oxford university press .
sreenivasan muktha . 1993 . tamil thiraipada varalaru ( the history of tamil cinema ) . madras : gangai puthaga nilayam .
pandian , anand . 2008 . “cinema in the countryside : popular tamil film and the remaking of rural life . ” pp . 124–38 in tamil cinema : the cultural politics of india’s other film industry , edited by s . velayutham . abingdon : routledge .
vijay ' s best action entertainer as a kabadi player . this is the first film did reach 50 crs . in tamil cinema
likewise , whilst volumes have been devoted to discussing the significance of caste in tamil politics , there has been less attention paid to the ways in which caste is played out in the cultural sphere of film ( but see srinivas and kaali 1998 ) .
forrester , duncan . 1976 . “factions and film stars : tamil nadu politics since 1971 . ” asian survey 16 ( 3 ) : 283–96 .
adithyan is an indian film score and soundtrack composer . he has predominantly scored music for tamil films apart from working in telugu and malayalam films .
superstar rajinikanth is all set to kick - start his next with director ranjith , in a week ' s time . we hear that the team is busy zeroing in on the title of the project . as of now , the name kaali is doing the rounds . interestingly , kaali was the name of karthi in the director ' s earlier outing madras . in fact , the working title of the film was also kaali , which was eventually changed to madras .
after the hit film ' yaman ' , actor vijay antony will be acting in a film directed by kiruthiga udhayanidhi , the wife of actor - producer udhayanidhi stalin and the director of the 2013 romance film ' vanakkam chennai ' .
these films revealed the hidden caste biases of dravidian politics and film - making .
caste assertion , in other words , is both reflected and reinforced through film .
hardgrave , robert . 1973 . “politics and film in tamil nadu : the stars and the dmk . ” asian survey 13 ( 3 ) : 288–305 .
a message for the society and its done . it is regarded as one of the saddest film of tamil cinema ever produced though it has a slightly positive end
krishnan , rajan . 2008 . “imaginary geographies : the makings of ‘south’ in contemporary tamil cinema . ” pp . 139–53 in tamil cinema : the cultural politics of india’s other film industry , edited by s . velayutham . abingdon : routledge .
he was awarded the national film award six times for best lyricist , the most won by any indian lyricist . he is a recipient of kalaimamani , while also winning awards from the government of tamil nadu for his contribution to tamil literature .
) is an indian film score and soundtrack composer . he has predominantly scored music for
in kaali , the telugu version rajinikanth reprised the same role while chiranjeevi replaced vijayakumar . this was the first time that rajinikanth and chiranjeevi acted together . seema enacted dual roles in this film . kaikala satyanarayana plays the main villain in both the versions .
irudhi sutru - out and out entertaining boxing film . the performance of lead characters is top notch
a temperamental farmer gets embroiled in a bloody clan feud in a southern tamil nadu village .
a wall creates perturbation between two factions of a political party . kaali and his buddy anbu , who is a political aspirant , get embroiled in this brutal political rivalry .
( we must learn to live as one , 1992 ) which openly discusses dalit questions . however , not only is it a comedy , it stands as an exception which “shatters the stability of the delicate logistical constructs around which are organized the discursive hegemonies of caste society” ( srinivas and kaali 1998 : 221–22 ) . srinivas and kaali are right to point to the utopian aspirations embodied in the film , but it is important to stress that for the most part dalits are not only portrayed in humiliating ways , their options in film making are limited . when the name of a . l . vijay’s film starring the actor vikram was announced as
it is important to note here that such films are not confined to the south . in the film
the film was screened alongside other rajini films - pokkiri raja , paayum puli and manithan at albert theatre as a part of film festival during rajinikanth ' s birthday on 12 december 2013 . [ 6 ]
this is the pioneer of vigilante type of movies in tamil . a dream debut for majestic shanker
. the star cast includes prakash raj , dinesh and kalaiyarasan . rajinikanth had earlier worked in a film titled
the music was composed by ilaiyaraaja . the film had vairamuthu ' s first written song . [ 5 ]
tamil full movie | veera [ hd ] | blockbuster movie | ft . rajinikanth , meena , roja
following police firing on pallars in 2011 , teltumbde quotes tamil social historian v . geetha to note :
had fights and as expected the reaction was ` this is how a chiranjeevi film should be . ' then came
srinivas , k . ravi and sundar kaali . 1998 . “on castes and comedians : the language of power in recent tamil cinema . ” pp . 208–27 in the secret politics of our desires : innocence , culpability and indian popular cinema , edited by a . nandy . delhi : oxford university press .
vanamagan - tamil full movie | jayam ravi | sayesha saigal | a . l . vijay | harris jayaraj
thevarmagan - an unforgettable tamil movie of all time and what a remarkable performances from those legends . complete rarity
the best remake film in a contemporary style . for the first time ever in cinema , remake is better than original
a different film from balu mahendra sir . the sheer brilliance of kamal in last 20 minutes makes you rofl ! !
, in which tamil superstar rajinikanth reads dalit books , speaks of ambedkar , and portrays a strong dalit hero .
epic , refreshing love story of all time in tamil . period . i second this to mouna ragam - alaipayuthey
aayirathil oruvan - brilliant try ! ! one cannot do such a film within this budget . it was misunderstood by the audience
unlike the films discussed by kaali ( 2000 ) in which the heros can never achieve manhood and remain tragic characters , 3m films reaffirm the tropes of masculinity and honor . now , exceptions to the rule in these films see the audience collapse into laughter at these scenes , marking their recognition of the hegemonic norm . the transition from the emasculated , insufficient male described by kaali , to the virile protagonist of the films discussed here is epitomized in
“dalits in tamil nadu continue to pay with their lives for marrying outside their caste while parties look the other way . ”
despite a number of dalit actors and directors and a global icon in music director illaiyaraja , the dalit upsurge of the 1990s has yet to be reflected cinematically in like manner . srinivas and kaali ( 1998 : 221–22 ) discuss sekar’s
( master , our thevar master ) excised from the film . more recently , followers of militant pallar founder - leader of federation for the progress of tamil people , john pandian , smashed glass cases in a cinema hall during a screening of c . sundar’s
and if we talk about later films , people reacted differently to every film and interestingly too . some said i acted my age in
there are some neo - nativist films where the metaphor of traditional masculinity collapses to become an object of comic relief . in the film
( devendra film company ) . the first production they mooted was to depict one of their leaders , thekkampatti balasundarasu , to be titled
gopalan , lalitha . 1998 . “tamil cinema : history , culture , theory . ” screen 39 ( 2 ) : 196–200 .
looks like e . t . of tamil cinema . but , still a way ahead from the original , because of its content
taking this argument further , srinivas and kaali ( 1998 ) emphasize the significance of the film’s soundtrack , which belied claims by the actor and producer that they were critiquing a culture of violence and domination . it was the genealogical praising of the thevar caste in the song lyrics , they argue , that made the film such a huge box office success , and it is not surprising that the soundtrack to the film is now an essential part of the playlist at thevar gatherings . this does not necessarily mean that the audience who made this a major hit subscribed to the common - sense that valorizes thevars since it has all the ingredients of a hit movie in the casting of kamal hasan and music by illaiyaraja ( pre - eminent tamil music composer ) , who is himself a dalit .
pandian argues that film has “come to provide a language for the social life of kinship and attachment” ( 2008 : 131 ) . certainly , many of these films have been adopted by thevars in southern tamil nadu through posters , symbols , banners and the playing of film songs and dialogue at cultural events . as kaali ( 2000 : 186 ) argues , “identification with ego - ideals on the screen need not inevitably entail ‘misrecognitions of self , ’ but , in many cases , could involve elements of empowerment” and identity change . the portrayal of thevar violence and valor on screen and their positive reception , serve to embolden thevars and legitimize their use of violence .
indeed , film historian theodore baskaran ( 1996 : ii ) goes as far as to argue that : “tamil cinema has grown to become the most domineering influence in the cultural and political life in tamil nadu . ” film stars have a larger - than - life presence in the real world and female stars have been deified during their active period in the industry . the emergence of cinema in tamil nadu and its subsequent role in nurturing and promoting a dravidian identity and politics have been the focus of several monographs ( see forrester 1976 ; hardgrave 1973 ; pandian 1992 ) . that history , whilst relevant , is not our focus here and so we refer readers to the aforementioned texts .
baskaran , theodore . 1996 . the eye of the serpent : an introduction to tamil cinema . madras : east - west books .
( god’s chosen daughter ) instead . the fact that this latter term was acceptable highlights both the significance accorded to thevar , and the interplay between caste and patriarchy ( cf . srinivas and kaali 1998 : 214 ; economic and political weekly 2013 ) .
mega star chiranjeevi born konidela siva sankara vara prasad is an indian actor , producer and politician . he was the minister of state with independent charge for the ministry of tourism , government of india . prior to politics , chiranjeevi has attended the madras film institute , and had worked primarily in telugu cinema , in addition to tamil , kannada and hindi films . he made his acting debut in 1978 , with the film punadhirallu .
to understand this genre , however , we need to start with the archetypal celebration of thevar dominance . according to krishnan ( 2008 ) , “it is a kamal hassan [ one of the two most famous tamil actors , and not himself a thevar ] film of high authenticity markers called
where signs , weapons and dialogue all speak to the caste’s dominance . the advertising for the film reinforced the association between caste and violence . in madurai , which has a stronger visual culture than other cities in tamil nadu , a 40 - foot cut - out was installed showing the
the ways in which film plots feed into politics was graphically illustrated in 2013 , when dr . ramadoss , the founder - leader of the vanniyar centered
hardgrave , robert . 1979 . when stars displace gods : the folk culture of cinema in tamil nadu . new delhi : usha publications .
the filmography in 3m films reinforces this attempt through the juxtaposition of national heroes such as subhas chandra bose , thevar leaders such as muthuramalinga thevar and the film’s protagonist , or through scripts that assert the valor of the thevars . the culmination of 20 years of caste - based cinema may be seen in the film
actions that conform to this image ( cf . srinivas and kaali 1998 ) . the common - sense , as simon ( 1987 ) notes , is always contested and resisted but may , for a period , shape the way in which people see themselves and others .
one question that might arise at this juncture is how the film - makers communicate the caste of the characters to the audience . in some instances , as with
very well scripted movie in recent times . the whole cast was stunning in the film .
alto respecto
to the director duo pushkar and gayathri ! !
hardgrave , robert . 1969 . the nadars of tamil nad : the political culture of a community in change . berkeley : university of california press .
( son of thevar , bharathan 1992 ) —meaning ‘son of thevar’—that can be said to have inaugurated the era of the south being represented as primarily a sickle bearing space . ” stalin rajangam , a dalit cultural critic who has written extensively on the caste component and narrative structures of tamil film concurs ; he says that
firstly , it is important to note that there are no representatives of the kshatriya category of warrior or kingly castes in tamil nadu ( washbrook 1976 ) .
the members and leaders of the dmk identified themselves with the medium and used the stars for their election campaigns to appeal to a largely illiterate tamil electorate .
anand , s . 2005 . “politics , tamil cinema eshtyle . ” outlook , 30 may , 2005 . retrieved semptember 30 , 2013 ( urltoken ) .
leonard , dickens . 2015 . “spectacle spaces : production of caste in recent tamil films . ” south asian popular culture 13 ( 2 ) : 155–73 .
ravindran , gopalan . 2008 . “malaysian tamils and transnational tamil cinema : diasporic identities , ‘crisis heterotopia’ and ‘aura . ’” jurnal skrin malaysia 5 : 99–118 .
a film set in 1940s india , during the country ' s struggle for independence . the young daughter of an english governor falls in love with a local indian boy .
if it were not for my birthday , i wouldn ' t be speaking about the film at all . to be frank , the pleasure i derive during the making of a film ends with its completion . after the film , i feel relieved as if a big burden is off my shoulders . and i ask myself , what next ? but i ' m satisfied i could give the audience what they expected . our feelings apart , giving them what they want , i think , is the right thing to do . be it the style , song - dances or fights . this success has shown s me what to do in my next film and i am on that job .
what this example , and the prominent role of cinema in tamil politics , tell us is that films have an important role and life outside the cinema halls .
justifying his stance , dr . krishnasamy argued that “in tamil nadu , cinema is closely linked with social and political life , unlike in any other state . ”
in the dramatic finale to the film , kamal hassan vanquishes the villain in a gory beheading scene that was greeted with whoops and cheers in the theatres of madurai . one of the authors experienced the same film in the western city of coimbatore where the audience were muted in their response and there were murmurings about the excessive use of violence . whilst audience participation in the form of cheering , whistles and applause is widespread , it is the celebration of violence that stands out here . in pandian’s ( 2015 ) ethnography of film - making in tamil nadu he emphasizes the silence during harrowing scenes . it is our contention that the violence is celebrated here due to its association with caste dominance .
in the end a compromise was reached in which the title of the film was changed and the plot line subtly altered to avoid being seen as a direct follow - up .
( love , 2004 ) , for example , he sees a classic expression of the tamil psyche as constituted in tamil cinema ; one which is “torn between the threatening pre - modern assertion of caste and an allegedly ‘egalitarian , ’ free market space of modern individuals . ” in the film a dalit boy who “presumes” to court a thevar girl is grievously assaulted . taking our cue from krishnan’s work , it is possible to discern how such tropes are reproduced in a range of different films . thus , in
blackburn , stuart . 1978 . “the kallars : a tamil ‘criminal tribe’ reconsidered . ” south asia : journal of south asian studies 1 ( 1 ) : 38–51 .
gorringe , hugo . 2012 . “caste and politics in tamil nadu . ” seminar 633 ( may 2012 ) : 38–42 . retrieved june 20 , 2017 ( urltoken ) .
a woman from a village in tamil nadu marries a sophisticated city dweller and moves with him to kashmir , where all is rosy - until he gets kidnapped by militants .
their continued subordination and subservience in tamil films , from this perspective , serve to reinforce caste pride for thevars even as it reminds dalits of their place ( karthikeyan 2013 ) .
pandian , m . s . s . 1996a . “tamil cultural elites and cinema : outline of an argument . ” economic and political weekly 31 ( 15 ) : 950–55 .
whilst this paper does not emerge directly from a particular research project , both authors have been engaged in long - standing research and writing on caste and politics in tamil nadu .
( love , 2004 ) —a low budget film about a romance between a couple of unspecified castes who are , nevertheless identifiable as a thevar girl and a dalit boy . when the couple is discovered , the girls’ family beat the boy to a pulp . crucially , for our argument , the representations on screen are transposed into the caste politics of everyday tamil nadu :
they argue that the hero’s courting of arrest at the end of the film “signifies a total submission of the authority of the village community to state power . ” in line with our analysis of
whilst much has been written about the significance of caste in tamil politics , there has been less attention paid to the ways in which caste is played out in the cultural sphere .
rajangam , stalin . 2008 . ariya uthadum unadu , thiravida uthadum undadu ( both aryan lips and dravidian lips are yours : essays on tamil cinema ) . chennai : thenthisai publication .
the power of this common - sense argument is such that it is not just thevar actors , producers and cinematographers who adopt this formula . the commercial success of such films has made them immensely popular , which has a ripple effect that influences the way other films focused on southern tamil nadu are shot . even non - thevar directors like gangai amaran are not immune . his film
grasping the inter - relationship between filmic eulogies and caste violence , dalit movements have sought to contest dominant depictions of caste pride and valor . this is best illustrated in the controversy surrounding kamal hassan’s film
( elephant herdsman , 2012 ) for its implied critique of cross - caste marriage ( karthikeyan 2013 ) . tamil films , thus , buttress the supposed virtues of caste traditions and purity .
a man accepts a challenge to act as the chief minister of tamil nadu for one day only , and makes such a success of it that soon he is embroiled in political intrigue .
tamil caste politics is complex , yet our analysis depends upon a basic understanding of caste dynamics in the state . in what follows , therefore , we begin with an overview of the key caste clusters discussed in this paper . we move , then , to a brief review of the literature on tamil cinema , and an analysis of the films before closing with a wider discussion .
this , he concluded , is what tamil cinema’s representation of madurai has achieved . it is the films which have created this exaggerated stereotype , and their social consequences , that concern us here .
what makes tamil cinema stand out , however , is its umbilical link to politics . cinema in the state grew hand in hand with the regional nationalist parties , helping to by - pass congress—who failed to realize the significance of the medium—in the process ( hardgrave 2008 : 61 ) . congressmen never realized the power of film , says kannadhasan , song - writer for the tamil screen and one of the founders of the dmk . “they decried the cinema . we used it . ” ( hardgrave 2008 : 61 ) . we would argue that tamil films since independence , may be divided into political as well as artistic genres . until the 1970s the dominant political message was dravidian . this overlapped somewhat with films showcasing a communist or socialist message between the late 1960s and mid - 1980s .
thus , when a film cast them in a less glorified and flattering light they were quick to respond . in madurai , theni and kovilpatti districts , for instance , cinema halls were damaged during the screening of
an aspiring director targets a ruthless gangster because he wants to make a violent gangster film . his discreet attempts to research the gangster fail miserably . finally when he gets caught snooping , things hit the fan .
the film sensitively portrays the struggles of a father whose main priority in life is the well being of his children , and who is determined to see his children grow up to become decent , successful persons .
( herd of angry elephants , vikram sugumaran , 2013 ) , which portrays the family feud of a piramalai kallar headman who has two wives . so powerful is the common - sense established in part through cinema , that film historian rajan krishnan referred to the film as a social ethnography of the everyday life of piramalai kallars ( krishnan 2014 ) . the film , with blood dripping violence , has sequences and lyrics relaying a commonly held belief among the kallars in and around madurai about their past . the dialogue insists that the criminal tribes act and madurai jail were designed for them as the british were unable to control them . the film’s director noted that even now kallars will greet members of the community who are released from prison with ritualized celebrations and gifts . “i am not exaggerating , ” he insisted , “i have captured their everyday life . ”
kaali ( 2000 : 174 ) argues that the “generic recoding” of cinematic discourses “that occurs in the late 1970s amounts , above all , to a radical refiguring of the phallus . ” his fine - grained analysis of a number of films points to the emasculation of heroes in the face of feisty heroines , the complexities of modern life and the faltering hold of traditional authority .
set in rural villages in tamilnadu . the film looks at female infanticide and the hatred that surrounds the birth of a female child . infanticide was uncomplained in those days a father blames . . . see full summary »
pursuit of the everyday has taken tamil ﬁlmmakers far beyond the studio conﬁnes of kodambakkam , into the shoreline quarters and slum alley - ways of chennai and into countryside tracts far from that capital city . ”
away from politics , sreenivasan argues that there were three phases of tamil cinema between 1931—when the first “talkie” was released—and 1985 . these were the puranic , mythological and folklore period ( 1931–50 ) when films resembled the street theatre of earlier folk artists and had nothing to do with real life ; the melodrama period ( 1951–75 ) which reveled in exaggeration , excessive dialogue and escapism ; and finally , the move towards social realism ( 1976–85 ) when tamil cinema came to terms with “partly realistic and anti - sentimental stories” ( sreenivasan 1993 : 25–26 ) . whilst sreenivasan’s analysis is interesting and important in charting the successive stages of tamil cinema , it is focused on the form , production values and styles that the various films took . were this all that there was to tamil cinema it would not be as sociologically significant as it is .
( battle rooster , 2005 ) the hero makes no such claim , but the film illustrates both his thevar caste and his madurai location to explain his ability to take on and defeat the villains from elsewhere in the state .
his leadership of the all india forward bloc in tamil nadu , and his struggles against the classification and repression of thevar castes ( particularly sections of the kallars and maravars ) under the colonial criminal tribes act .
anandhi , s . , j . jeyaranjan and rajan krishnan . 2002 . “work , caste and competing masculinities : notes from a tamil village . ” economic and political weekly 37 ( 43 ) : 4397–406 .
every second counts but one has to be very honest about the production values was little weak . can be a really good short film but it also worked well with the limited sets . hatoff to karthick naren . promising debutant .
is a very different film to those described above , but it still re - asserts the hegemonic narrative or common - sense that equates thevars with honor . the thevar caste , in other words , in the words of a song from
, spearheaded by periyar e . v . ramasami naicker and his “self - respect movement , ” in many ways had a direct influence in changing the structures of film making and inevitably led to the creation of a distinct tamil cinema that disrupted attempts to construct a sense of a nation through cinema ( leonard 2015 ) . these films departed from the earlier focus on religious and nationalist sentiments and articulated a rationalist critique of social ills . the founder of the
and , belying the actor’s claims of neutrality , debates about the film ended up with “puthiya tamilagam opposing it and splinter groups of the all - india forward bloc [ a thevar front ] and some mukkulathor outfits offering to provide protection . ”
) of the hero or his family is questioned or challenged . crucially for our argument , the cinematic offerings most closely adhering to the 3m formula have not only provided a discourse through which to discuss caste , but also offered a template according to which dominant castes have sought to reimagine and reinforce their dominance . in metonymically linking film stars to political figures , such films suggest that thevars have a right and a duty to uphold their honor . for example , the title song in the film
( battle rooster , lingusamy , 2005 ) interposes images of the village headman ( thevar ) and his son watching cocks , bulls and rams fighting in the ring with shots of the headman swinging a sickle or giving alms to the poor and the needy . the dominant caste landlords , we are thus reminded , are patriarchs who are equally at home with violence as with benevolent patronage ( cf . srinivas and kaali 1998 ) .
tamil cinema has been amongst the most socially and politically significant industries in the state ; films form an integral part of the social , cultural and political life of the people here perhaps more than in any other region in india .
( 2016 , ranjith ) . in this paper , it is the caste - centric films of the 1990s and 2000s that we focus upon , but a bit more detail on these developments in tamil cinema is in order first .
as pandian ( 2015 : 10 ) argues : “one of the most distinctive qualities of recent tamil cinema is its concern for nativity , a word that the industry uses as a shorthand for everyday habits , customs , and spaces .
this is the ultimate raw movie never seen before in tamil cinema . you can do 100 movies but none to this one . it is tough to think , write and deliver as a movie . but it was done by debutante ram
bose later quit congress and formed the forward bloc and muthuramalinga thevar , as an ardent supporter , became his lieutenant in the madras presidency . after the formation of the forward bloc , bose visited madurai in 1939 . thevar’s association with bose metonymically implies martial prowess , because he saw gandhian non - violence as inimical to the interests of the indian freedom struggle and formed the indian national army to fight the british ( srinivas and kaali 2002 ) .
( village or town , 1972 ) . madurai is a former capital of the pandya kingdom , and a seat of learning as evidenced by the holding of one of the tamil sangams ( assemblies of poets and writers ) there in the 4
aishwarya , a convent - girl from a wealthy family in the town of madurai ( tamil nadu ) falls in love with a young motor - mechanic , murugan whom she encounters in the street . faced with the . . . see full summary »
in september 2008 , it was revealed that tamil nadu chief minister m . karunanidhi’s grandson gunanidhi was set to produce a remake of the film . [ 20 ] murattukaalai was remade with sundar c . and sneha playing the lead roles . jaishankar ' s character was played by suman and surulirajan ' s character was played by vivek , his character was changed as transgender in the remake . the remake version was released in 2012 after a long delay to negative reviews and failed to repeat the success of the original . [ 21 ]
( gorringe field notes 2010 ) . thus , the central emphasis on caste pride , valor and honor in the 3m films has arguably had a performative effect that has served to engender new forms of caste expression , representation and identity in contemporary tamil nadu .
it is hard not to be overwhelmed by a superstar and harder not to be touched by a man , who is humane and modest . chiranjeevi , mega star of the telugu film industry , is the undisputed king , but he dons the mantle with utmost dignity and responsibility .
was deliberately used to mobilize thevars during the pallar - thevar riots that flared up repeatedly between 1995 and 1998 . thevars in riot torn villages screened the film ( rajangam 2008 : 60 ) , and its songs were used to instigate inter - caste violence ( ravindran 2008 ) .
) in tamil culture , and rajangam ( 2008 ) observes that these twin concepts have long been the basic raw material of tamil cinema . honor and valor are individual traits , but acquire a collective significance in tamil politics . honor , here , refers to the standing and status of castes in particular and is entwined with the enforcement of chastity ( cf . rege 2013 ) . valor , in this context , refers to men’s capacity to protect their women and the honor of their family and caste ( dickey 1993 ) . honor in films ( as in social life ) , thus is gendered ; women protect their chastity whilst men protect their masculinity , respect and their women . valor in films , as rajangam shows , is bound up with a strong emphasis on traditional masculinity .
century bc . it is an ancient city , best known for its central meenakshi temple around which the city has grown . in earlier films , madurai was portrayed as a site of knowledge production and center of tamil antiquity as encapsulated in the temple . in movies like
while this may make sense in the popular “logic” of imagination , critical thought should hasten to warn of the dangers of stereotyping and the limitations of representative practices of cinema , particularly given the salience and circulation of cinema in tamil nadu ( krishnan 2008 : 150 ) .
, likewise , kamal returns from abroad and finds himself embroiled in conflicts over honor and caste and engaged in traditional caste pursuits like bull - taming . this highlights how “valor”—as celebrated in tamil cinema—is primarily glorified violence , which supersedes any literary , cultural or social achievements . in
( a large sickle ) and dead men lie all around . there is neither remorse nor fear in the eyes of the male protagonist . why should he ? after all , violence is natural to the caste he belongs to , so believes tamil cinema ( srivathsan 2007 ) .
to prompt introspection and reform in the tamil south . instead it has fuelled caste conflicts , resulting in an exaggerated sense of caste pride and an emphasis on caste symbolism that has periodically pockmarked the southern regions of the state with violence , and continues to inform caste politics today .
washbrook , david . 1989 . “caste , class and dominance in modern tamil nadu . ” pp . 204–64 in dominance and state power in india . vol . 1 , edited by f . frankel and m . s . a . rao . delhi : oxford university press .
immortalized this incident in a folk song which goes : “in that age in madurai they humiliated those of us with handlebar moustaches ; but in this age , almost one crore [ 10 million ] panthers move across tamil land sporting big sickle like moustaches” ( field notes , 2012 ) .
( the hunter , babu sivan , 2009 ) , for instance , the fact that the hero is a college student is an irrelevance next to his ability to fight . “if i hit you” one of the film songs puts it , “you won’t be able to bear it”—thus asserting his superiority over the villains .
( god’s chosen son , 2011 ) , there was an outcry from thevar groups who have trademarked that phrase for pasumpon muthuramalinga thevar and were particularly infuriated by the fact that the main actor in question was a dalit who is celebrated by pallar youth as one of their own . eventually the film was released as
as stacy ( 1991 ) notes , audience identification with themes and characters may entail “processes of transformation and the production of new identities , combining the spectator’s existing identity with her desired identity” ( in kaali 2000 : 186–87 ) . in the madurai formula films , we contend , sections of the upwardly mobile thevar caste found an articulation of virility , valor and unbending dominance which they could mimic and aspire towards . crucially , as anandhi , jeyaranjan and krishnan ( 2002 ) observe , this has become a template for other castes—including dalits—to follow .
firstly we welcome the attempt to contextualize such films within the social relations of south tamil nadu . what we would add is that the riots of the 1990s were merely the visible manifestation of thevar caste dominance , which continues into the present day as seen in the problems surrounding the holding of reserved
was if anything the reverse . films , once they are released , have a life of their own that is beyond the intentions and direction of the film makers . in this sense , we find krishnan’s reading of the films somewhat limited . at several points , for instance , he makes arguments to the effect that :
the recurrent reference to the “generosity” and munificence of dominant caste heroes became a staple of neo - nativist films in 1980s and 1990s as well . unlike the dravidian oeuvre , however , these films are much more explicit about the caste backgrounds of the protagonists . srinivas and kaali ( 1998 : 212 ) note how they tap into patron - client relations and serve to reproduce “caste power . ” in keeping with this emphasis , the heroines are expected to be chaste and faithful to preserve caste purity . there is huge significance attached to the concepts of honor (
hero brandishing an extra - large sword . more significantly still—as though to reinforce the association between life and art—the cut - out was positioned so that it faced the huge statue of muthuramalinga thevar in the heart of the city . during the annual “guru puja” ( leader worship—processions and events to mark the anniversary of his birth ) , when followers of thevar shut down the city to pay respects to and garland the statue , objections were raised against the cut - out and its glorification of violence . consequently the sword was removed and placed behind the hoarding for a while . due to popular pressure , however , it was later restored ( srinivas and kaali 1998 : 225 ) . thus , as early as this , we see the imbrication of cinematic themes with popular forms of action and representation . srivathsan captured this in his review of violence in tamil movies :
the moustache here becomes synonymous with tradition and social power and this knowledge is simultaneously deployed and reinforced in films . the close association between caste standing and facial hair is emphasized in one song where even background photographs of sivaji ganesan ( acclaimed tamil actor ) —who portrays the character of periya thevar—have been altered to sport an upturned moustache to be more in keeping with the thrust of the film . few men , as oldstone - moore ( 2011 ) argues , have groomed themselves in complete ignorance of the social implications and , we would add , still fewer directors shoot films in ignorance of the connotations that their character’s facial hair may have .
such processes are not unique to tamil nadu , but reflect the wider processes of caste consolidation and power . sevea ( 2014 ) , thus , offers a similar analysis of the way in which punjabi films construct a jatt - centric hegemonic code that reinforces social dominance and provides a template against which other caste groups are judged .
( madurai hero , 1956 ) , which made m . g . ramachandran the matinee idol of tamil cinema and took him to the subaltern masses , the emphasis was less on the 3m’s that dominate such films today . indeed , the script narrates the folklore legend of a subaltern hero who was hired by the nayak king to
the neo - nativity genre by films that reaffirmed “authority in terms of both caste and gender . ” pandian ( 2008 ) likewise observes the “nativistic turn” in tamil cinema , which saw the cinema industry begin to explore the tamil countryside and its people , paying particular attention to rural customs , forms of worship and agriculture . pandian argues that this shift embedded cinema in the lives of the rural masses and became “incitements to live in a particular fashion” ( 2008 : 125 ) . he notes the ways in which people draw on film in everyday life and conversation and concludes “these films are taken by rural subjects as a way of expressing the quality of their own struggles with the substance of the countryside . ” we would echo pandian’s argument save for one crucial amendment . pandian mentions in passing that these films may offer a “cinematic ode to the customs and traditions of the piramalai kallar caste” ( 2008 : 131 ) , but does not probe into the impact of this caste focus on the rural or mass audience .
) , that archetypal symbol of traditional masculinity , caste pride , and feudalism which is most popular in madurai district . the backward and caste - bound nature of madurai in these films , is reinforced in accounts of the city’s frenetic fans who treat film stars as demigods ( dickey 1993 ) . it was in madurai that fans cut off fingers and limbs and offered them to god when mgr suffered a stroke , praying for his recovery . in his analysis of recent films , krishnan ( 2008 ) shows how madurai is now constructed in the narrative space of tamil cinema as the antithesis of the modern , and a place where people are still ruled by caste , clans , and kinship networks .
while the modern state is compromised by electoral politics allowing such hooligans to exercise control over politicians or elected representatives , it is nevertheless capable of producing neutral individuals like saami [ an honest and heroic policeman from the 2003 film of the same name ] in its administration who can annihilate the anti - state bodies and their caste - criminal networks ( 2008 : 142 ) .
at the time of writing , in 2016 , tamil nadu was still reeling from the cold - blooded murder of a dalit man , sankar , in broad daylight following a love marriage to a thevar woman ( the economic times 2026 ) . the murder—caught on cctv—was widely condemned , but the two main dravidian parties remained silent on the topic .
it is , we contend , possible to chart the imbrication of cinema and caste politics by tracing alterations to the narrative depictions of caste through the 1980s . from the mid - 1980s onwards , the characteristics and traits discussed above came to be portrayed as linked to particular castes . kaali ( 2000 ) , thus , discusses a dramatic departure in the 1970s during which the “phallic affirmation” of nativism ( which was part of the social realism phase and focused on depicting real life as opposed to myths and legends ) gave way to a genre of neo - nativity films in which the social insufficiency or “castration” of the protagonist was the dominant theme .
however , pranam khareedu was released earlier at the box office . chiru known for his break dancing skills , chiranjeevi acted sofar in 149 films and his 150th film is on its way . in 2006 , chiranjeevi was honoured with the padma bhushan , india’s third highest civilian award , for his contributions to indian cinema , and was presented with an honorary doctorate from andhra university .
thus , even in the overt condemnation of caste violence , dalits are stripped of their agency and rendered passive recipients . other popular film tropes similarly conspire to relegate dalits to the margins . the emphasis on bull - taming is a case in point , since dalits were historically barred from taking part in such contests and have only begun to enter them since the dalit struggles of the 1990s .
washbrook ( 1989 ) notes that social dominance in tamil nadu is fragmented , with various caste groups exerting dominance over sub - regions . this fragmentation is attributed in great part to the ecology of the state , with caste composition and dynamics closely related to settlement patterns and forms of agriculture ( subramanian 1999 : 18 ) . river valleys witnessed greater concentrations of people and division of labor , with dalits comprising the vast bulk of landless agricultural laborers . the plains and hills , by contrast , witnessed different configurations of power and dominance in which control over irrigation tanks provided social capital and material resources to dominant castes ( mosse 1997 ) . given this , analysts in tamil nadu have to be sensitive to the regional specificities of caste relations across the state .
following caste - based challenges to dravidian politics from intermediate caste groups like the thevars and vanniyars—and their demands for a greater allocation of resources and increased political recognition—the 1990s saw the flourishing of nativist ( a form of social realism ) cinema that openly celebrated and portrayed caste identities and characters . it is only in the 2010s that we see the film industry starting to acknowledge and represent dalit struggles in films such as
that the close association between caste and valor is to the fore . when kamal hasan’s character , who has been in singapore for many years , returns to tame a bull as though he has never been away the film suggests that caste is an innate and immutable essence rather than a code of conduct . this maps onto changes in caste composition and practice in which an emphasis on conduct gave way in the early 20
our argument here is not that all the films that follow this formula are the same or that they adopt similar ways of glorifying thevars . genres , as srinivas and kaali ( 1998 : 174 ) quote neale ( 1990 ) as saying , are processes that are “dominated by repetition , but they are also marked fundamentally by difference , variation and change . ” some of the films critique the violent sub - culture associated with thevars . nevertheless , all of them , continue to re - inscribe the association of thevars with sickles , machetes and caste violence , and portray muthuramalinga thevar as a revered and universally admired leader . irrespective of the directors’ intent , the films are taken to celebrate the dominance of the caste cluster .
kamal hassan’s character returns from london with hippie - style long hair but , after the death of his father , he gives up colored clothes , rids himself of his locks and sports a big moustache that marks him out as capable of filling his father’s shoes . critically , in the film , this responsibility should have gone to the elder brother , but his masculinity is at stake due to his alcoholism and lack of valor .


aimy in a cage is a 2015 american surreal-fantasy film written , directed , and produced by hooroo jackson .

the film was released on january 8 , 2016 , and stars allisyn ashley arm as aimy .

terry moore , crispin glover , sam quartin and paz de la huerta co-star .

aimy in a cage

head - trip horror flick aimy in a cage gets trailer and official poster .
aimy in a cage ( 2016 ) crispin glover , paz de la huerta , dir . hooroo jackson
aimy in a cage is an annoying frenzy of a film that will push your patience further than any film should .
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starting off light and comedic , aimy in a cage is a trap that lulls unsuspecting viewers with its wes anderson visuals and roald dahl storytelling .
until the day wes anderson turns his recent musings into something tangible , ‘aimy in a cage’ may be the closest thing we come to seeing his unique style in the horror genre .
there is an unfair tendency of audiences to equate low budget with low production value but aimy in a cage shatters that myth with a visual flair that suggests a hollywood style budget .
beautiful costumes adorn the large cast and grant them an almost distinctly cartoonish quality of individuality . ‘aimy in a cage’ displays a clear wes anderson influence in terms of developing character development through sartorial and accessorial changes .
aimy in a cage wants to be a celebration of outsiders – and a critique of a society that will do anything to take those outsiders and force them into the fold . it doesn’t always hit those marks , but its aim gets better as it unspools . in truth , it’s hard to get too high or too low on aimy in a cage . it has moments of inspired near - brilliance but its long stretches of dull shouting matches keep it from ever truly shining .
aimy in a cage stars filmmaker , actor ( back to the future , willard , the wizard of gore ) and professional weirdo crispin glover and nurse 3d and the editor vixen paz de la huerta in a tale of a teen who is taken to a demented behaviour clinic in some sort of distant future / alternate reality while a grim plague decimates the wold outside .
osiris entertainment will be releasing aimy in a cage on dvd and vod on january 8 , 2016 , and this seems to be a film that should be seen as soon as possible . check out the poster and teaser below and see what you think :
aimy in a cage is easily one of the best films i have seen in recent memory . and while the quirky storytelling and fantastical surrealism won’t be for everyone , those seeking a truly innovative horror experience complete with stunning visuals will not be disappointed . the movie is currently touring in ny in underground / experimental theaters . it will be released on vod / streaming early next year .
with lush cinematography and a challenging feminist infused narrative , aimy in a cage is unlike any other horror film in recent memory . while there are certainly traditional elements of the genre at play in the film ( forced imprisonment , global plague ) , the narrative is less interested in creating a sense of impending doom and more focused on exploring how perceptions of sanity are dependent upon environment . the end result is a remarkable film that contextualizes adolescent female sexuality in a wholly original way .
in what has been referred to as a hybrid of kubrick and tim burton ( especially evident in the danny elfman - ish score ) , writer / director hooroo jackson’s mental - case horror meltdown aimy in a cage has just been announced as locking a release date of january 8th , 2016 . the film will roll out on dvd and digital platforms from osiris entertainment .
but it is the way the director utilizes the recurring motif of aimy’s bedroom that really establishes this film as something special . serving as a visual incarnation of the character’s mind , the aesthetic of aimy’s bedroom is vital to the film’s narrative . much like charlotte perkins gilman’s “the yellow wallpaper , ” in which the peeling wallpaper underscores the lead character’s mental unraveling , aimy’s emotional descent is recognizable everywhere in her bedroom . when we first meet aimy , she is surrounded in technicolor to the point that she and her surroundings almost glow . this distinctive whimsy unambiguously marks aimy as a unique player in a cast of conformists .
there is an unfair tendency of audiences to equate low budget with low production value but aimy in a cage shatters that myth with a visual flair that suggests a hollywood style budget . stylistically , the film is reminiscent of works by david lynch and stanley kubrick in that the visuals serve to create a story parallel to the one verbalized on screen . kubrick , in particular , appears to have been an influence on director hooroo jackson , not least in his framing of aimy’s forced medical procedure : the scene instantly draws comparisons to alex’s conversion therapy in kubrick’s famed a clockwork orange .
the process of watching aimy in a cage is exhausting ; mentally , physically and even spiritually . i had to stop the screener at a mid - point for a walk around the garden , simply to get away from the noise , the screaming , the visual assault of colours and madness .
aimy in a cage , which is directed and written by hooroo jackson based on his graphic novel , follows aimy micry ( allisyn ashley arm ) , an aspiring artist whose wild nature has set her at odds with her fiercely traditional family . aimy’s antics finally cross the line when she breaks one of her grandmother’s beloved dolls . shortly thereafter , the family enrolls her in a surgical / conditioning procedure in an attempt to level her out a bit . as all of this is going on , a viral epidemic is sweeping the nation . eventually , it cuts off aimy and her family from the outside world as they deal with the aftereffects of her procedure .
by far , though , my favorite element of aimy’s bedroom is her painting of an alligator . to say more would give away too much of aimy’s journey . suffice it to say , the alligator represents a subtle moment that answers any lingering questions about the state in which aimy is left at the film’s end .
filled with crazed , circus - steeped imagery and echoing twisted flicks like jacob two - two meets the hooded fang , willy wonka and the chocolate factory and a clockwork orange , aimy in a cage is just the ticket for those more daring horror fans looking to have their heads shaken hard .
the quote i have put at the very top of this review , “she’s a cancer in my life , ” is exactly how i feel about “aimy in a cage” , it’s a cancer . it will make everyone who watches it regret many decisions in their life and more importantly , it will make you question what ever drove you to watch a film that is so bad that it could make someone angry enough to start a world war !
a large part of the fun of watching this movie is its sheer visual power , for , as previously stated , the direction of the story veers precipitously to and fro . beautiful costumes adorn the large cast and almost grant them a distinctly cartoonish quality of individuality . aimy in a cage displays a clear wes anderson influence in terms of demonstrating character development through sartorial and accessorial changes .
aimy in a cage is a film that’s based on the graphic novel of the same name , also by hooroo jackson . while suffering from a difficult - to - follow plot , this movie is more of a visual expression of the decay of civility and order than a straightforward tale . aimy’s paintings are vivid creations that come to life on the screen in animated vignettes that help the film’s chapters transition from one to the next . the rooms in the micry abode are lit in eerie colors that change from one scene to the next , dragging the viewer into the effluvium of mise en scene .
aimy in a cage is a whimsical blending of a science fiction fairy - tale and an apocalyptic horror film . set in an alternate reality , aimy tells the story of a misunderstood teenage girl . her conventional family , unable to tame her mischievous spirit , forces her to undergo a kind of mind dulling lobotomy , the effect of which proves more complicating than settling . meanwhile , the apollo plague , a mysterious and deadly virus , begins to make the national news , slowly taking over life as the micry family knows it .
aimy in a cage / u . s . ( director , screenwriter : hooroo jackson ) a creative teenage girl is placed into a mind - altering procedure to civilize her , while news of a virus epidemic spreads throughout the world . cast : crispin glover , allisyn ashley arm , terry moore , paz de la huerta , michael william hunter . world premiere
in summary , this film is not going to be enjoyed by all . for some , it will be too crazy , too much to handle for too long . nevertheless , the film is a charm of ineffable value to those who are able to just go into it and enjoy the ride . watch it and find out where you stand on aimy in a cage .
allisyn ashley arm plays the titular caged aimy , and is joined in the cast by terry moore , paz de la huerta , and crispin glover as a sinister charlatan .
a creative teenage girl , aimy micry , who is placed into a mind - altering procedure to civilize her while news of a virus epidemic spreads throughout the world .
initially , it’s hard to decide who to root for in aimy in a cage , even though the film clearly wants us to side with the free - spirited aimy . the problem is , it doesn’t do much to make her all that likeable . her actions early on go beyond misunderstood , neurotic artist . instead , we see her bouncing off the walls , stealing things and in general making herself unpleasant to be around . it’s clear why anyone sharing a living space with her would be interested in seeing her mellow out . of course , it’s hard to root for the family either , what with them signing aimy up for a controversial procedure – think a clockwork orange but with a sillier hat – and then later tying her to a chair and screaming at her . it’s really not until the film progresses and the family members begin to reveal their true colors that aimy’s unwieldy behavior is throw into clear perspective .
allisyn ashley arm may headline , and crispin glover’s name may sell tickets , but the real star of aimy in a cage is chloe barcelou , the production and costume designer . she creates an arresting world that looks like a post - apocalyptic “pee wee’s playhouse . ” set in a single sprawling flat that recalls visual icons like jeunet / caro , tim burton , and even peter greenaway or a wacked - out wes anderson at times , the movie looks like a trippy graphic novel come to life
aimy ( allisyn ashley arm ) is a creative young woman who is hated by her strict and cruel family . her spiteful grandmother micry ( terry moore ) decides aimy has gone too far , when she breaks one of her grandmother’s childhood toys . she orders an invasive operation to make aimy more docile . meanwhile , the whole family is trapped in quarantine inside their house as an outbreak of illness sweeps the country .
do you like it weird , spontaneous , fun , and full of strange sights and sounds ? if that’s how you like your movie experience , director hooroo jackson’s aimy in a cage is certainly the movie for you . while not a psychedelic cinematic masterpiece on par with the work of terry gilliam , this movie is a delightful 79 minutes of colors and disjointed narrative that you will either love or hate .
until the day wes anderson turns his recent musings on making a horror film into something tangible , aimy in a cage might be the closest we come to seeing his unique style in the horror genre . this film features many familiar anderson - isms , including an affluent family of flamboyant characters , a heavy helping of pastels , scene - setting tracking shots , and a love of title cards . what it lacks is the consistent humor and lovable characters needed to really bring that comparison home .
enjoy a night in with these popular movies available to stream now with prime video .
synopsis : aimy micry ( allisyn ashley arm ) a creative teenage girl is placed into a mind - altering procedure to civilise her , while news of a virus epidemic spreads throughout the world .
since we , as an audience , don’t have a horse in the race for a while , we’re left to just enjoy the film at face value , as an interesting - looking , quirky and occasionally funny fantasy with some horror elements thrown in . in addition to the sharp look , the film also sports a number of strong performances . like aimy or lump her , it’s hard to deny the impressive acting chops displayed by allisyn ashley arm in bringing her to life . also , crispin glover stops by for a cup of coffee as a creep dressed as a pimp out to swindle aimy’s grandmother out of her lifesavings . a case could be made that glover’s character is completely superfluous to the plot , however , he is still fun to watch in the role .
yet , as her family’s efforts to transform her into a member of polite society begin to take their toll , aimy’s bedroom likewise starts to lose its spark , until , ultimately , she is left sitting in darkness .
so before heading round to her’s i caught the trailer of “aimy in a cage” and my first thought was that this seems like a film that is desperately crying for attention , and i mean that in the sense of that it’s almost trying to be random and off the wall for the sake of it , rather than actually having some substance behind it , but to be fair , after my two favourite films of 2014 and 2015 were both films that i didn’t expect to like , i decided to give it a shot .
former disney actress allisyn ashley arm stars as aimy micry , the eponymous protagonist of the film . aimy is a wild child , full of whimsy , wacky outfits , and screeching outbursts . she lives in some sort of large labyrinthine apartment with a diverse cast of strange characters , including her very unsupportive boyfriend , various uncles and aunts , and the film’s ersatz villain : aimy’s strict grandmother . infamous lunatic / actor crispin glover appears randomly as a character with a nefarious agenda , but who really seems to bear no real connection to the whole of the narrative .
film fans will notice a surreal element in the film ' s latest trailer . the clip shows characters in period costumes , acting in a bizarre fashion . settings and costumes change in lighting and time periods . meanwhile , the music has a carnival - like tone . the film ' s story takes place in an offbeat world . here , the protagonist ' s mind is altered and so is the viewer ' s .
gary shield , the film’s casting director , deserves a virtual fist bump for assembling the perfect character actors to inhabit these roles . as the luminous titular character , allisyn ashley arm is the unquestionable linchpin of this ensemble . aimy is a difficult role in that we first see her being intentionally hurtful and destructive toward her grandmother ( played with verve by the wonderful terry moore ) . aimy’s behavior flies in the face of everything ever taught about acceptable behavior , and the moment predisposes the audience to dislike the character . and yet , arm’s layered performance is so endearingly confident that we ultimately forgive her , especially as it becomes clear that aimy is in a fight to preserve her own individuality .
screeching , grating , and pointless , aimy in a cage is so misguided and irritating that i ' m surprised i didn ' t just stop watching , because i knew what i was getting after just a few minutes . i stayed for the entire 79 minutes of insufferable , repetitive , grotesqueries - on - parade nonsense . it is the worst kind of film , because it thinks it ' s saying something important about being different and misunderstood . but it ' s the cinematic equivalent of people shouting gibberish angrilly in your ear .
this difference is a startling one for horror fans who have been trained to regard female identity , especially adolescent and sexual , as something inherently marginalizing . as such , the film offers up a truly revolutionary way of considering female identity within the context of horror . consider the predatory vibe that underscores all of claude’s interactions with aimy . aimy’s perceived manic state protects her from claude because it keeps their dynamic off - kilter . as such , the power dynamic between the two continually shifts in such a way that aimy retains her agency . even at her most despondent , when she begs claude to stay and speak with her , aimy doesn’t become a traditional victim because she is still asking for what she needs . she hasn’t lost her voice .
i’m going to put it this way , even after just five minutes it was taking every single ounce of my being not to get up and walk out . after ten minutes i was twitching , after twenty i was questioning my friendship with this girl . putting it bluntly , “aimy in a cage” is one of the worst films that i have ever seen . to expand on it slightly , i am angry at myself for watching this !
so aimy is , as we have stated , is a bit less than under control . grandma has had enough of all this free thinking stuff , and signs aimy up for an illegal surgical procedure known as the wolworth surgery . aimy is helpless against this “therapy” and has no one to defend her . the whole family , even darling steve , are one hundred percent behind this cruelty . it’s like violations of the geneva convention : the movie .
jackson’s film seems better suited for the stage then the screen . it’s minimalist both in terms of setting and action . the entire film takes place in two locations : in the apartment of aimy’s family and very briefly at the hospital where her procedure is conducted . in terms of action , again , there’s not much to speak of . don’t think too heavily on that viral outbreak . it’s talked about constantly , but it doesn’t come in to play until the very end of the film . talking is one thing the film has in spades , furthering the idea that it might have worked better as a play .
adolescent female identity in horror has often been reduced to the body . used to either invoke terror over loss of bodily control ( carrie white menstruating in carrie ) or to suggest a potent sexuality that if left unchecked will run amuck ( ginger’s overt sexuality in ginger snaps ) , this approach ultimately wrestles choice and control away from the female characters . but aimy takes the audience in an entirely new direction . instead of fearing the unapologetic creativity and independent hybrid that is aimy , and the possible ramifications that could result from allowing her to live with her unique power , we are instead asked to fear the societal constraints that threaten to overwhelm her .
crispin glover co - stars as a sleazy , sinister charlatan in this epic fairytale that crosses disney with david lynch . winner of the ' director ' s award ' at the 2015 portland film festival . a creative teenage girl , aimy micry , is placed into a mind - altering procedure to civilize her while news of a virus epidemic spreads throughout the world .
a girl is forced to undergo a mind - altering procedure while a virus spreads throughout the world .
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the film was financed by hooroo jackson ' s investment in bitcoins . see more »
aimy ( arm ) is a girl with some sort of hyperactivity disorder and this has caused a strained relationship with her entire family . they send her to have a surgery , almost like a lobotomy that will make her more civilised . although the operation is a success , amy’s behaviour only slightly improves , much to the disappointment of her family
raphael , a young executive on the verge of losing a multi - million dollar architectural deal with a large distribution company , suffers a sudden death in his family and has to return to his . . . see full summary »
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when one of aimy’s grandmother’s favorite dolls is damaged , swift action is taken to break the young woman’s spirit through a complex medical procedure intended to straighten out recalcitrant youths . thus begins aimy’s descent into a despairing madness from which she has no escape . from neurosurgical victim to quasi - hostage , amy suffers at the hands of those who would portray themselves as arbiters of sanity , modicum , and good taste .
a creative teenage girl is forced to undergo a mind - altering procedure while a virus spreads throughout the globe .
chase williamson teams up with lauren ashley carter and matt mercer in horror thriller , artik .
what little semblance of a plot that is hidden like a needle in a haystack in this complete and utter waste of 75 minutes of your life , and every remote sense of mild curiousity you have is lost in the desperate attempt for them to pay homage to films such as “alice in wonderland” and yet it lacks any of the charm or intelligence that both the original tale , or indeed the film version ( the original , not the terrible tim burton film ) came with .
ravenous monster is looking for writers interested in covering all that goes bump in the night ! this is an opportunity to write about the horror genre for a worldwide audience . the only requirements are that you possess quality writing chops and that you have a passion for and a thorough knowledge of the horror genre .
after witnessing the beginning of the end in election year , we go back to . . .
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a creative teenage girl is forced to undergo a mind - altering procedure while a virus spreads throughout the globe . crispin glover co - stars in this black comedy - fusion - surreal plague thriller . a delicious , phantasmagoric fantasy , directed by hooroo jackson .
imagine an extended episode of
pee - wee ' s playhouse
with the volume cranked to 11 . that ' s this celluloid version of the
aimy micry
comic book .
a troubled man turns himself in , believing he ' s harmed others but is at war with himself over the facts surrounding his quest for clarity and a brush with supernatural phenomena .
extraction movie still the new film from idx studios called extraction is a triple threat . soldiers in an unnamed desert must deal with . . .
it’s a film of arresting images , often surreal and fantastical , a visceral work that is void of physical violence , yet violent in other ways , absolutely committed to its creative chaos .
there are quite a few players in this tale . we have grandma ( terry moore ) who is determined to break this little animal and make a proper lady of her . grandma has a young but really shady lover named claude bohringer ( crispin glover ) . then there’s the honorable gruzzlebird micry ( theodore bouloukos ) and aimy’s loving boyfriend steve ( michaekl william hunter ) . there’s also another family hanging around known as the mosses .
. it will be a live all - day labor day event featuring several thousand festival goers as extras in the guinness book world record - setting film shoot , the event will include a night time screening of a surprise zombie film .
u . s . - stock funds rose 3 . 7 % in the second quarter but bonds drew cash
pointless , aimless , messy , and an interesting concept gone awry . i ' m a fan of the wacky and different . it ' s not that
aimy
is too artistic , creative , or unique for simpletons to understand . . . it ' s just too damn lost in it ' s own quest to be artistic , creative and unique .
this has to be the first time in ten years where i seriously wondered if maybe i would have been able to enjoy a movie more if i drank enough robitussin dm to kill a small child .
celebrating narrative and documentary films made in the northwest area , as well as unique films made by northwest filmmakers .
color me not impressed . i guess it attempts to be clever and uses the vail of “artistry” to be blatantly nonstandard and nonconformist ( which theoretically im all for ) but in a way that just comes off as annoying and sloppy and incoherent and just poorly done . like handing in a term paper with just a few poorly scribbled badly grammatic sentences and calling it “purposefully…
tyke : killer elephant / australia ( directors : susan lambert and stefan moore ) tyke the circus elephant breaks free in front of thousands of onlookers . her break for freedom leaves the city in shock and sparks a global battle over the use of performing animals . west coast premiere
a creative teenage girl is placed into a mind - altering procedure to civilise her , while news of a virus epidemic spreads throughout the world .
generation maidan / ukraine ( director : andrew tkach ) a group of ukrainian filmmakers capture history in the making . what began as a peaceful protest , turned into revolution and finally war . u . s . premiere
it ' s a film of arresting images , often surreal and fantastical , a visceral work that is void of physical violence yet violent in other ways , absolutely committed to its creative chaos . jostling for attention in the midst of it all are clips of vintage black and white cartoons playin on a vintage tv , where a news anchor also makes odd appearanaces ( odd in all senses of the word ) . it is an idiosyncratic , unique and brave film ; while jackson may draw inspiration from the filmmakers mentioned , he copies none of them .
“what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things i have ever heard . at no point in your rambling , incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought . everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it . ”
colin is a long time fan of horror movies , books and tv shows . thanks to a childhood viewing of
the shining ,
he still always checks behind the shower curtain . . . just in case .
crispin glover , too , is predictably effective as claude bohringer , the smooth - talking and much younger paramour of grandma micry . his performance is predictably weird and nuanced but also has a surprising depth that comes across in his scenes with arm . similarly , as gruzzlebird micry , the privileged male of the house , theodore bouloukos infuses his character with an underlining witlessness that prevents the character from spilling over into caricature . rounding out the core cast is michael william hunter , who plays aimy’s boyfriend steve and whose mental deterioration is instantly evident by the height of his hair’s coif , and paz de la huerta , aimy’s confidant , caroline , who raises being a frenemy to new heights .
portland audiences are the most enthusiastic , film - savvy crowds in the nation , and we ' re proud to bring them a stellar festival schedule this year . we ' ve created an incredibly diverse and large program of films and events that honor cinema legends , celebrate new approaches and experimentation in film , and showcase the best in contemporary cinema ,
said josh leake , portland film festival founder and executive director .
this was like if tim burton and terry gilliam got together and directed a remake of a clockwork orange . but unfortunately it would combine the worst of those to make a mediocre film . allisyn ashley arm was great in this , but there ' s not much going on .
the story centers on a young girl named aimy micry ( played by disney alum allison ashley arm ) . she’s one of those free spirited , artistic type of teenagers that adults tend to really not like . she paints . she dances on a whim . she speaks her mind freely and will have none of the pomp and circumstance her family demands .
this would have probably done better as a short film or , ironically , as a graphic novel . . . which is a form it already exists as .
so i’ve now fully moved into leeds and in the first few weeks i met a rather unusual girl that is obsessed with alice in wonderland . she loves the chaos that ensues and the array of unusual characters , and after two or three times of hanging out with her , she invited me around to watch a new film that she said reminded her a lot ( from the trailer at least ) of her favourite film .
/ germany , u . s . ( director : andrew horn ) a documentary about the history of the iconic 80 ' s metal band twisted sister , tracing their origins in the bar scene of early 1970s long island to their pre - mtv rise as a popular regional , new york - based band in the mid - 1970s and early 1980s . u . s .
this film may have given me something to talk about in therapy , but it was really good . might not be for everybody .
this movie is an amazing experiment in shifting perspective . it ' s loud and overwhelming , but it makes sense to be so .
actually , the film has a parade of bizarre characters , and it would really take way too long to go through all the dramatis personae . the story is well populated , at least at the beginning . more on that in a minute .
david lynch meets disney ? sure but in all the worst ways possible . antichrist punky brewster meets beetlejuice ? ok . a dystopian low budget tim burton version of girl interrupted ? ok all that but again… in an insane surreal nightmare 9th grade stage production kind of way… and not nearly as entertaining as any of those sadly .
the film came in at a budget of 500 , 000 dollars . i’m assuming real dollars , not bitcoins . after self - publishing the graphic novel in 2012 , the author had always believed the story would work well on film . once his investment gamble paid off , he was finally able to make that dream come true .
here is a preview of a slasher film called smiley . this title is from michael gallagher , a twenty - three year old director and the film ' . . .
romance is in the air on the picturesque caribbean island of roatán , but the troubled pasts of its guests threaten to tame their desires .
guarantee the perfect movie night with tickets from fandango . find theater showtimes , watch trailers , read reviews and buy movie tickets in advance .
: : story line : : a creative teenage girl is placed into a mind - altering procedure to civilise her , while news of a virus epidemic spreads throughout the world .
the back - end of the film is a return to more traditional horror storytelling . as the apollo plague leads to a complete societal breakdown , aimy finds herself held captive by the increasingly psychotic steve and caroline . the collapse of civilization has never looked more alluring , and the way jackson uses the camera to convey an increasing sense of confinement is bolstered by the muted colors permeating each scene .
with jurassic world : fallen kingdom now in cinemas , we take a look at how imdb users rated the films of the franchise . plus , browse exclusive lego® jurassic world playsets , presented by lego .
the message of this movie is pretty clear from the beginning and , in case you missed it the first time , it ' s then shoved down your throat about forty minutes into the film ' s runtime - - and it ' s not that the message is a bad one for a movie to have , or even a bad idea to toy with in an art film in general , but the concept is heavily diluted by a bunch of unnecessary
weird
and
random
imagery throughout the film ' s entire first half . there were a bunch of times during the first thirty minutes or so of this movie where my only thought was
i have absolutely no idea what is going on right now .
deep dark / u . s . ( director , screenwriter : michael medaglia ) a failed sculptor , is about to end it all until he finds a strange , talking hole in the wall . cast : sean mcgrath , anne sorce , denise poirier . us premiere
made in japan / japan , u . s . ( director : josh bishop ) a journey through music , marriage and the impact of the corporate world on the dreams of one woman . west coast premiere
a worldwide pandemic caused by the apollo virus decimates the planet , leading to quarantines and rationing of food . the excruciating panic becomes the backdrop against which most of the characters unravel in the face of adversity .
to be held on labor day during the festival , a special all day and night event will set a guinness book of world records for ' most extras in a short film ' . director george cameron romero , son of iconic horror director george a . romero ( dawn of the dead ) , will direct . award - winning makeup artists will oversee effects for an anticipated cast of thousands . event will also include a nighttime surprise zombie film screening .
new book of illustrated “scary stories to tell in the light” launching on kickstarter june 11th . * fully funded * as of 6 / 20 / 18
the film’s plot is difficult to expand on precisely because there is nothing to expand on , as it seems like hooroo jackson doesn’t want to focus on anything or give the viewer anything to bring them through the film . the backdrop of a plague , which is apparently ravaging the outside world , is never capitalised on and we barely see beyond the news that a baby has been infected . if i was being generous i’d say that the film showed the family abuse of aimy , who the family dislike because of her awkward difference , and the barbaric misuse of medicine to treat potential mental illness shown through the unique world view of the highly creative aimy but if that is the intention then it is a resounding failure as you come away from the film with nothing .
i would go so far as to say the film’s production & costume designer , chloe barcelou , is the most visible star of the film , filling each scene with colour - drenched mise en scene and fantastical wardrobe , demanding a second or even third viewing to fully catalogue it all in our mind’s eye . hair and make up match barcelou in panache and invention .
after witnessing the beginning of the end in election year , we go back to the start with this prequel . localised to the experimental zone . . .
i could chuck a load of random words into a fish bowl , draw them out like the fa cup , and i would still come up with a sentence that made more sense that this film .
birds of neptune / u . s . ( director : daniel steven richter , screenwriters : steven richter , flavia rocha and michael lea ) two sisters live alone in their portland childhood house trying to keep memories of a mysterious past intact . when a man enters their world and starts to pull at the fragile threads holding everything in place , they find themselves facing harsh truths about their past . cast : britt harris , molly elizabeth parker , kurt conroyd . northwest premiere
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button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the synopsis submission guide .
i don’t even know where to begin putting together a review that might actually help you decide whether you want to watch this or not because it is so bad that i can’t even begin to think of anything positive about it . it’s visually and acoustically hideous , and the dialogue feels so forced and unnatural that the film loses any mild credibility that it has . it is trying to be random for the sake of being random , there is nothing even remotely resembling something beliveable in this film , other than the fact that grandmother has enough of aimy’s shit .
one proverbial starving artist made a small fortune through bitcoin , and now he’s used it to finance a project he’s dreamed about for years .
our entry into the story comes courtesy of comic style drawings through which each character is introduced without fanfare . not only do these drawings set a stylistic tone for the film , but they are an effective callback to the graphic novel upon which the film is based . on the surface , the story is a simple one . aimy , whose refusal to acquiesce to any of her family’s behavior modification demands , is deemed to be troubled and is forced to undergo a lobotomy of sorts to make her behavior more socially acceptable . meanwhile , the apollo plague , a mysterious and deadly virus , begins to make the national news .
is moving towards a 2016 release date . the film involves several characters living behind strong walls as a virus rages outside . a strange surgery is performed on the inhabitants , to prevent them from acting out . as well ,
space program / u . s . ( director : van neistat , screenwriters : van neistat , tom sachs ) two female astronauts go to mars in a handmade space program to answer humankind ' s ultimate question . . . are we alone ? a provocative collaboration between acclaimed artist tom sachs and director van neistat . west coast premiere
lost and found / japan , u . s . , canada ( directors : nicolina lanni , john choi ) one year after japan ' s largest earthquake , beachcombers along the pacific northwest coastline started finding japanese items washing ashore . in turn , the unlikeliest of friendships , across two continents , were forged in the wake of this massive natural disaster . world premiere
while the acting ranges between great and mediocre , allisyn ashley arm stands out for her manic performance as aimy . through the character’s progression from fey teen to tortured victim , arm imbues the character with personality . she does not hold back at all , especially when the character goes through the horrifying medical procedure as well as during her drawn out detention .
oloibiri / south africa ( director : curtis graham , screenwriter : samantha iwowo ) based on true events , a story about the first oil well drilled in nigeria and how the impact affects a small nigerian delta village and the lives of those involved . cast : diana colmar - espinosa , bradley gordon , olu jacobs . west coast premiere
go behind the scenes of the mission : impossible movies , check out the latest videos and trailers , and see which spy movies topped the box office in our mission : impossible guide .
touched with fire / u . s . ( director : paul dalio , screenwriter : sophie mathisen ) two manic depressives meet in a psychiatric hospital and begin a romance that brings out all of the beauty and horror of their condition . cast : katie holmes , luke kirby , griffin dunne , bruce altman , christine lahti . west coast premiere
i’ll be honest – this film got hard to watch at a few places . i’m gonna throw out some trigger warnings concerning emotional and physical abuse . because they totally apply . this thing is dark , and violent , and downright evil . i was very disturbed watching this thing and by the end i found myself in need of a really strong drink . every nightmare image of the angsty teen , every fear of the 1980s artist , all the worst possible predictions of censorship and mind control play out in this dystopian acid trip .
a drama of two lost and troubled individuals , janis suffering from depression & peter a social worker , who are forever entwined after a traumatic event occurs . exploring paranoia , the effects of guilt , and the power of true redemption .
one of the weirdest and most interesting films i have seen , and probably will ever see . the sets and costumes are strange but cool , and they look great . the character of aimy is intriguing , annoying and sympathetic at the same time , i really found myself liking her . but the best thing about this film is that it ' s basically a drug trip without drugs . i ' ve never seen anything quite like it , the fast paced editing with the bright colors and loud sound effects were strange , it ' s really an experience you have to immerse yourself in . you will either love it or hate it .
the frontier / u . s . ( director : oren shai , screenwriters : oren shai & webb wilcoxen ) a desperate young woman discovers a violent gang of thieves at a desert motel and hatches a plan to steal their loot . cast : kelly lynch , jim beaver , izabella miko , liam aiken . portland premiere
features the usual
a hooroo jackson film
credit , the credit at the end of the teaser says the movie is
a hooroo jackson trip
, a label that seems very appropriate , going by the imagery that is on display here .
perdy is a woman who is tough , foul - mouthed , and . . .
following the galaxy - spanning avengers : infinity war with a much smaller . . .
when five friends vacation at a remote lake house they expect nothing less than a good time , unaware that planet earth is under an alien invasion and mass - abduction .
it ' s not bad as such and the actors all seem to be trying really hard and buy into the absurdity and perform kinda like they are in a rehearsal for an absurdist play . i applaud the efforts and creativity they pull off with apparently little backing . | the lead works really hard to sell her part and has to wear a fake diving helmet for extended periods .
yosemite / u . s . ( director , screenwriter : gabrielle demeestere ) set in 1985 , intertwining tales of three fifth grade friends unfold as the threat of a mountain lion looms over palo alto . cast : james franco , henry hopper , calum john , alec mansky , everett meckler . portland premiere
for love & broken bones / south africa ( director : tebogo malope , screenwriters : tebogo malope , libby dougherty ) when a lonely and isolated debt collector falls in love with his latest assignment , he must choose to follow his heart . cast : mduduzi mabaso , lerato mvelase , mashala letsoalo . world premiere
is not one of those films . though there is some good production design , the film’s style just does not work and it comes across as a hugely amateur version of a wes anderson movie , all adhd editing and flashing images combined with a wet sounding keyboard score .
as a movie enthusiast and the guy that runs movie room reviews , i , zack mandell , have wondered for a while now : which of the horror movie m . . .
a large part of the fun of watching this movie is for it’s sheer visual power .
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i didn ' t like it , but i didn ' t hate it either . i appreciate the message , though it could have been delivered with a bit more subtlety . and not to split hairs , but
co - star
seems like an awfully generous description for crispin glover ' s part in this .
i give a lot of credit to anyone willing to fully embrace unreality in their films . dream logic and intense imagination is a sweet spot for me . but the film still has to be fucking entertaining . this may thrive on fantasy visuals and insanity as modus operandi , but it ' s grating to watch as well . it barely strings together a notion about a pretty obvious and blunt message behind the movie , all the while being as obnoxiously loud and grating as possible . i appreciate elements , such as the look and some of the performances , but as entertainment i ' d rather do my taxes .
is an annoying frenzy of a film that will push your patience further than any film should .
. a preview of the film ' s launch , through osiris entertainment , is hosted here .
gru - pdx / brazil , u . s . ( director : daniel barosa ) set amidst the rich contemporary music scene of portland , oregon , brazilian indie band quarto negro journeys to the city to record their second album . during a six month stay , they discover the highs and lows of musical life in portland , and that recording their new album isn ' t a task for the faint of heart . world premiere
/ u . s . ( directors : tomm jacobsen , michael rousselet , jon salmon , screenwriters : michael rousselet , alec owen , ben gigli , brian firenzi , jon salmon , joey scoma , michael e . peter , mike james , timothy ciancio , tomm jacobsen ) a hysterical and bloody twist on 80 ' s slasher flicks , in which a dorky loner must infiltrate a party - centric fraternity to solve the murder of his twin brother . cast : alec owen , olivia taylor dudley , patton oswalt , larry king , nina hartley , greg
audition / u . s . ( director : matt herron ) a romance is portrayed by one hundred actors who compete for two lead roles and a chance to perform the final terrifying scene . world premiere
all of this family love is playing out against the backdrop of a worldwide viral outbreak of the apollo virus , a form of infectious madness that is spreading across the world at a terrifying pace . the television is following the case of the unfortunate baby louis , the first known victim of the disease .