Videogum » Slumdog Millionaire

“Indian Man Becomes Real Life Slumdog Millionaire

Gabe — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:00:36 +0000

Congratulations to Sushil Kumar! No more jumping into toilets and using extreme poverty as a colorful backdrop for your romantic fantasy. Or is that what happens next? The timeline is a little confusing. We jump around. (This was written. BOOM! GOODNIGHT!)

Checkin’ In With The Slumdog Millionaire Kids!

Gabe — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:30:51 +0000

Hey, Slumdog Millionaire kids! Bummer about ~~the 127 Hours Oscar snub~~ your misery shack burning down, huh?! Awesome checking in with you! See you in a year (or less!) when another tragedy befalls!

Duh Aficionado Magazine: Danny Boyle Exploited The Children Of Slumdog Millionaire

Gabe — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:15:48 +0000

Slumdog Millionaire feels like it came out a millionaire years ago, and yet, at long last, Danny Boyle has broken his legendary silence regarding the fact that he exploited impoverished children for his “art.” From Express.co.uk (via Vulture):

When asked if he thinks he exploited the kids, Boyle told the Sunday Times, “Yes. But you exploit everyone in a film and I think we’ve been responsible. We set up a lot for them before any fuss started. We put them into school and set in place a trust that will look after them until they are 17.

“When the film became a huge hit, we got money from the profits to buy houses. Rubina has still not moved into the property, but the process is ongoing. I saw them the last time I was there.”

No duh. This is like George Bush admitting he was terrible at being president. WE KNOW! NOW WHAT?! Wait a second, though, Rubina still has not moved into the property? Yikes. Also, is it true that you exploit everyone in a film, Danny Boyle? Everyone? How about this guy? How about this guy? How about this guy? It’s almost as if Danny Boyle had to exploit them! Because D) It was written. Get it, Danny Boyle? Danny Boyle gets it. Asshole.

Slumdog Millionaire‘s Rubina Ali Is A Thousandaire

Gabe — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:27:32 +0000

Let’s start the day with some good news, FOR ONCE. From the AP:

MUMBAI, India – “Slumdog Millionaire” child star Rubina Ali played a poverty-stricken child in the Oscar-winning film, but the real-life daughter of India’s shantytowns now has a small fortune in book and movie deals.

The 10-year-old’s publisher and a producer say she is already committed to projects worth more than $145,000, and her family will could soon move out of the slums and into a new apartment paid for by a trust set up by the film’s director, Danny Boyle.

She and her family will could soon move out of the slums! Good! I’m not sure why she and her family will could has not yet move out of the slums, since you would think that it would take far less than $145,000 to get the F out of T, but that is great news! Because it is still sounding pretty grim:

Danny Boyle Moving Forward With Slummountain Onearmenaire

Gabe — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:57:08 +0000

Danny Boyle is getting to work on his follow-up to Slumdog Millionaire, titled 127 Hours. From Variety:

Fox Searchlight and Danny Boyle have firmed plans to make their next collaboration “127 Hours,” a film that tells the story of mountaineer Aron Ralston.

After his right forearm got pinned for nearly five days under a boulder during a climb in Utah in May, 2003, Ralston used a dull knife to amputate the limb. He then scaled a 65-foot sheer wall and hiked out before running into a family that gave him water and food. He was finally rescued by helicopter.

How did he do it?

A: He cheated
B: He’s lucky
C: He’s a genius
D: By using a dull knife to amputate the limb

Does Anyone Care About The Slumdog Millionaire Kids Anymore?

Gabe — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:01:47 +0000

As you may or may not know, I am not a fan of the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Personally, I think that it is a condescending and exploitative after-school-special to make white people feel better about their cultural ignorance and their inaction towards global humanitarian crises. And there was a certain period of time in which I regularly wrote posts about the tumultuous and mostly-tragic lives of the movie’s young child stars after the colonial film crew had packed up and moved home. Today, there is another report about how the kids aren’t going to school, and how that might make them ineligible to receive the trust fund that Danny Boyle set up in their names. That’s no good! My first thought was “Ah, another disturbing update on the nightmarish lives of the Slumdog Millionaire kids.” And my second thought was, “wait, does anyone even care about them anymore?” And that is the whole problem right there!

But first, what is going on with those dudes?

You Be The Blog: Wes Anderson Edition

Gabe — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:16:39 +0000

Today, Wes Anderson asks the question: “why was Slumdog [Millionaire] a hit, and not Darjeeling [Limited]?” You provide the answer, in the comments.

Snoop Dogg Millionaire (Sorry! Really Not My Fault)

Gabe — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:09:28 +0000

(Please know that this hurts me more than it hurts you.) How did he do it:

(A) He cheated
(B) He’s lucky
(C) He’s a genius
(D) It is written
(E) None of the above
(F) Because obviously this was a painfully easy question with all of the lifelines at his disposal, because ultimately this is about giving money to charity and making celebrities look good and getting some star power behind this ailing, unwanted show, not about actual knowledge, isn’t that right, Patricia Heaton?
G) BLUNTZ

Also, LOL when:

Regis Philbin: You play trivia much?
Snoop Dogg: Yeah, yeah.

Snoop Dogg, one of the world’s premiere Trivia Heads. He plays trivia MUCH. So much. It’s nuts how much trivia Snoop Dogg plays. He was going to call himself Trivia Dogg, but then he didn’t, but he still wishes sometimes that he did. On those dark lonely nights of the soul plane. (WOOF.) (You can’t fire me, I quit!) (Via 50Cent.livejournal.com.)

Bollywood He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe Is The Rich Man’s Slumdog Millionaire

Gabe — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:13:11 +0000

Sorry guys, we have to do the 2009 Academy Awards again, we messed up. After we KILL HITLER, let’s point the Time Machine to last February and give all the Oscars to Bollywood He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

I would like to see the Indian government try to raze Castle Greyskull in a routine slum-cleaning effort. No dice! (Via iO9.)

Director Of Slumdog Millionaire Still Doing GREAT!

Gabe — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:19:23 +0000

Danny Boyle, the director of Slumdog Millionaire, has just signed a new three-year, first look deal! What wonderful news for him! And his house wasn’t even razed! From Variety:

Filmmaker Danny Boyle has inked a three-year producing pact with Fox Searchlight and Pathe Pictures, both of which played a crucial role in propelling Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” to worldwide success.

Under the terms of the deal, Searchlight and Pathe will co-finance and co-produce Boyle’s projects.

The director has yet to announce his next film.

Only recently did Boyle step off the months-long publicity campaign for “Slumdog.” Around the time of its Oscar wins, the pic began its foreign run in earnest. After that, there was the film’s release on DVD to promote.

Oh, I bet he is tired from all that promoting! Not as tired as after, say, watching your family tear itself apart in the aftermath of momentary celebrity, or, you know, sleeping in piles of garbage because your house was literally torn to the ground. But I bet when Boyle’s head hits the pillow in the five star hotel where he’s staying during these junkets, it only takes one or two glasses of very expensive whiskey to knock him right out! And then he has to get up in the morning, have a delicious breakfast, spend an hour in the spa, and do it all over again!

Godspeed, Danny Boyle.