When the family gathers, in goes Rob Reiner's The Princess Bride DVD and a good time is had by all. The story of a sweet princess (Robin Wright), a silently adoring farm boy (Carey Elway), a scheming Sicilian (Wallace Shawn), a dumb kind hearted giant (Andre the Giant), an evil prince (Chris Sarandon), and an avenging son (Mandi Patinkin), is told to an ailing grandson (a cute as a button Fred Savage) by his grandfather (Peter Falk).

What's to not like? There is romance ("Farm boy, fetch the water!" - "As you wish!"), there is revenge ("My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!"), there is action ("I must tell you that I am not left handed" - flips his sword into his right hand and replies "I am not either!"), there is comedy ("Inconceivable!" - "That word that you keep using. I do think it means what you think it means!"), there is fantasy (The Cliffs of Insanity, Rodents of Unusual Size). Above all there is a dead hero, but because he is only nearly dead, there is a happy ending!

This movie never fails to entertain me and make me smile. If you missed it, do catch it this holiday season. And share your favorites!

The Princess Bride

Who would have thought that Dame McCullough would disappoint me?

I am a huge fan of Colleen McCullough! A neuroscientist, who taught and researched at Yale for nine years, she began to write and soon made a name for herself as a writer. Her early novels included Tim and The Thorn Birds, both deeply emotional books with a wide sweep. The Thorn Birds was a saga that wove life in the Australian outback and the Roman Catholic church into a heady mix of intrigue, politicking, and romance. Only in An Indecent Obsession did she turn to her medical training for a backdrop. She then topped (by a lot!) the achievement of these earlier books with the Masters of Rome series. Extensively researched, and written in a way that brought ancient Rome alive as it never was before, each book told a thrilling tale, starting with Gaius Marius, through Cornelius Sulla, the demise of Julius Caesar, and ends with the final war of the Roman Republic. This sever book series makes McCullough a genius in my book.

So when I came across her retooling of the Misses Bennet, I thought I was in for a rare treat. However, the "romance" between Elizabeth and Darcy was turned into a subjugation of Lizzie by Darcy, and the "ugly" Mary Bennet got a makeover to become a beautiful and desirable woman who also gave up her silly and vacuous ways and became intelligent!

I prefer to keep my Austen tales unsullied by such reworkings. Stephanie Barron has taken on the challenge of depicting Jane Austen's times and the (we suppose) inquisitiveness and intelligence of Austen, by turning her into a detective! Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor: Being the First Jane Austen Mystery - proved to be much more satisfying than Miss McCullough's take on Austen.

What happens if you see someone beautiful in the window across from your house?

Not just any neighbor - Padosan! This film, directed by Jyoti Swarup and produced by NC Sippy, had a few leading names associated with it. The music was by RD Burman, and in the cast were notables like Sunil Dutt, Saira Banu, Mehmood and Kishore Kumar. Sunil Dutt played the simpleton Bhola was was infautated with his neighbor, the beauteous Bindu (Saira Banu - Bindu re Bindu, meri pyari Bindu!!). His guru Kishore Kumar decides to help him woo the lady and this song will forever and ever be associated with the word neighbor:

Mere Samne wali khidki mein
Ek Chand ka tukda rehta hai!

(A beautiful piece of the moon,
resides in the window opposite my house!)

Full of hilarious moments, this is one Bollywood film that is a must watch. It is peppered with comedy and romance, interspersed with the most amazing music!