I've been thinking about this list for a while. Song picturizations are by far and away the most misunderstood part of Bollywood films by Western audiences; it's not all Switzerland and item numbers (not that there's anything wrong with Switzerland and item numbers...)

#10 "Samjo Ho Hi Gaya" (Lage Raho Munna Bhai - 2006)

Why? The song picturizations for the Munna Bhai films are all naturalisitc. What I like about this one is the element of theatrics and how the song is used to push the plot forward. Munna Bhai narrating a story for Circuit that took place off camera and we see his interpretation of it in a staged way, as if it were street theatre. Munna and his double who is enacting the events are interchangable and we get nice moments like where Vidya is covering the second Munna in kisses and when the camera pans to the first Munna, we see his face covered in kisses, too.

( Samjo Ho Hi Gaya )

#9 "Radha Kaise Na Jale" (Lagaan - 2001)

Why? This is a beautiful example of a classic Bollywood village song which, in this case, has the double purpose of a Bollywood religious song - connecting the main characters with figures in a religious story as shorthand for their relationship while giving the heroine a chance to dance. This type of picturization isn't done much anymore and I miss it, which is why I'm making making this one #9. Besides, we don't get to see Aamir Khan dance like this anymore... (and I love Rachel Shelly, now of The L Word!)

( Radha Kaise Na Jale )

#8 "Saathiya" (Saathiaya - 2002)

Why? Another classic genre of song picturization, outdoor expressions of true love as represented by Switzerland, is given a new lease on life with "Saathiya." Too often these true love/mountain songs make for dull picturizations because there is no momentum - nothing for the viewer to follow. I usually fast forward through them. "Saathiya" is different. A creative use of dupattas and costumes is combined with fluid camera movements that give the viewer the feeling that something is happening: L.O.V.E. I wish more directors followed this example, although if they did, I wouldn't have those convenient snack breaks...

( Saathiya )

#7 "Tumse Milke Dil Ka Jo Haal" (Main Hoon Na - 2004)

Why? Farah Khan. I know everyone loves "Dard De Disco" but for my money, nothing beats Shahrukh in this fantasy number. This picturization is just fun; I love everything from the pyrotechnics to Shahrukh as a qawwali singer. This picturization is like pure joy put on film.

( Tumse Milke Dil Ka Jo Haal )

#6 "Beedi" (Omkara - 2006)

Why? "Beedi" juggles a double role of item number and a picturization to push the plot forward and it does it well. Bipasha is not a great dancer but she does have charisma, which is all that's needed as she pulls your eyes towards her and away from Saif's manipulations of Vivek (in his second count-down appearance!). I love how the naturalistic set and costumes still manage to create this wonderfully rich picturization.

( Beedi )

( The Top 5 are under here! )

So, it's a rainy Friday night. I don't feel well. What could make me happier than digging up pictures of Bollywood's actor/models? Answer: Kuch nahi.

( I prefer model/actor.... )

*phew* I feel a little better now. Although I still want my Powerful Opponents subs....

Sadly, the party for me tonight is an early dinner with my mother and aunt and uncle. I would rather be off dancing with Preity, John Abraham, and Abhi or having an affair with Shahtown.

I'm really looking forward to the John/Abhi jodi in Dostanna!

Just a quick PSA reminding everyone how adorable John Abraham is. While I respect his wanting to only do art house movies - No Smoking, Kabul Express, etc. - I wish he would do more masala films.

So, I've had a bunch of things cluttering up my brain for the last few days. I will share while I wait for all the parts of Hello, My Teacher episode 1 to join together.

*Here is a lovely essay by Dubravka Ugrešić about unloved cultural artifacts.

My students knew who Lacan and Derrida were, but the number of books they had read was astonishingly small. I would mention a name such as Czeslaw Milosz. My students did not know of Czeslaw Milosz. I would give them a word such as samizdat. It meant nothing to them.

This is understandable, I thought, and I tried to explain: in some former communist countries manuscripts were distributed clandestinely, in copies made on a typewriter. Then I realised it was more than I could do to explain what carbon paper was – let alone a typewriter.

I am of the generation that is just old enough to remember when the card catalogs at libraries were just that - cards. Maybe my inability to forget old ways of doing things is one of the reasons why I've fallen in love with the library profession. While we librarians enjoy thinking that we are always on the cutting edge of technology, the truth is that we also have to spend a lot of time thinking about what we are going to do with our old technology.

Over the last year or so at work, our book conservationist has been teaching me how to repair books. He's been helping me fix up a volume of "The Tales of the Arabian Nights" that was illustrated by Maxfield Parish. I bought it at the local public library book sale for $3. I'm sure the plates alone are worth 10 times as much, if I wanted to slice them out - which I would never do. The experience got me thinking, though, of the simple book and how much we take it for granted. We're already seeing a split in book marketing - high literature and special presses versus airport literature and the disposable book. I think in 20 years books will be either highly disposable or very expensive with no middle market. I've gotten really interested in exploring the art book world. Sadly, I don't think there are any classes offered near my city.

(This essay isn't really about typewriters. It spoke to my love of abandoned ways of life, though - one of the reasons I love old movies.)

*Jessa Crispin takes on those cheezy "how to shop" guides.

Quick: How do you tell if a woman in a movie is supposed to be intelligent? First off, she’d probably be brunette, but past that. Glasses, yes. Little to no makeup. Her hair is probably in a ponytail. Clothes she probably bought at the Gap in a size too big. You know she’s the smart one because she thinks about more important things than her appearance.
It’s a stereotype, yes, but it’s constantly reinforced by intelligent women who should know better. Germaine Greer rallied women to taste their own menstrual blood in The Female Eunuch and then attacked fellow feminist writer Suzanne Moore by stating that “so much lipstick must rot the brain.” Feminists must reject the male gaze and use those ten seconds it takes to apply lip gloss to bring down the patriarchy. (Why sensible feminists have not figured out how to band together and write press releases to disassociate ourselves from the crazy women who pretend to speak for us, I’ll never understand.) Fashion magazines don’t help much either. Elle talks to Ashlee Simpson. And writes down what she says. To be recorded for all time.

*I may have accidentally gone to ebay, typed 'bae yong joon photo book' into the search box, hit enter, and then purchased a glossy copy for myself. Accidentally.

Few stars have been cannier with their stardom than Bae Yong Joon, the South Korean actor who won the hearts of Japanese women in the 2002 soap opera "Winter Sonata."

Though the bespectacled, smiling visage of "Yon-sama" occasionally pops up in advertisements for stamina drinks and home-security systems, the only major acting job he's had in the past few years was in the movie "April Snow," which was also a hit in Japan.

*I watched Oldboy last night. WOW! I was really impressed with( spoilers for the people who were like me and didn't know anything about this movie going in ) I'm not sure what I think about it yet. I do have to say, though, that guy playing the nemesis was awesome! He was so slickly evil and messed up. Also, I now know enough Korean to know when the subtitles were not matching the dialogue. Yes.

Also, there is a Bollywood version of Oldboy starring Sanjay Dutt and John Abraham: view a scene from "Zinda" and baffle at Bollywood plagarism!

And my file join is done!