Are you keen on vintage recordings? The golden age of Top 40 radio? 1955 to 1975? Look no further. The Reel Top 40 Radio Repository has it all. What started off with a collection of airchecks for Richard Irwin in 1996, is now a breathing museum of radio music. And yes, it is non-profit, so if you want to contribute go ahead. {nytimes}

Armchair Movie Criticism and Sound Searches

The best thing about DVD's, at least for obsessive film fans, is the commentary from directors, stars and seemingly anyone associated with a film (barring the caterer) offering behind-the-scenes information on what you are seeing onscreen. Roger Ebert, in a recent column in Yahoo! Internet Life asked: what if viewers created their own commentaries and shared them on the Web? Two sites are hoping to make good on this idea: DVD Tracks and Commentary Archive.


FindSounds.com is a search engine for sound effects that indexes more than 40,000 Web audio files


And a recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project seeks to quantify that role by exploring how people use the Internet during 15 "major life moments," like changing jobs, marrying, buying a car and dealing with a serious illness...what was surprising? How about Only 15 percent of the respondents who started or ended a relationship in the last two years cited the Internet as a crucial element..



Movies for the evening:

• Lava: Ravindra Peepat's 1984 flick starring Dimple Kapadia, Rajiv Kapoor and Raj Babbar in a strange love triangle. Irritating maternal yammering in a constant dry complaining hackneyed fashion is provided by the dependable Asha Parekh (who incidentally gets top billing in the film). Great songs by R. D. Burman, with some competent lyrics by Anand Bakshi. Too much unnecessary maudlin dialogue backed by the soaring sweeping violins that have become a trademark of Hindi tearjerkers.


• Nauker: This Ismail (Chandan ka Palna) Memom-directed social with a master/servant switcheroo that powers the narrative and gives the film its title has some pleasant songs by R. D. Burman (and the Majrooh-penned lori Chandni re jhoom) and good performances by the dependable Sanjeev Kumar and the adorable Jaya Bhaduri (she won a Filmfare Award for her performance). For a little peek at the storyline try this Sunday Tribune article. Mahmood essaying the role of Dayal, Amar (Kumar)'s servant garnered a Filmfare nomination for Best Performance in a Comic Role.


• Andar Baahar: Raj N. Sippy's 1984 release is a desi take on Walter Hill's 1982 box office hit 48 Hours. Featuring Jackie Shroff as Nick Nolte and Anil Kapoor as Eddie Murphy (again stealing the show as Eddie did in the original) and Danny oozing menace and spouting cliched Hindi film metaphors and similes, the film boasts some delightfully fun songs scored by R. D. Burman. Look out for a cameo by forgotten debutante (Hum Kisise Kum Nahin) Kajal Kiran in the title song and later on in the film as herself. Moon Moon Sen (see also), in her first Hindi film, plays the "now-you-see-me-now-you-don't-have-to" love interest. Also featuring Disco Dancer starlet Kim as Shera's abused lover Monica. This is also the first film featuring the Shroff-Kapoor duo, who went on as a foil for each other in Yudh(1985), Karma (1986), Uttar Dakshin (1987), Kala Baazar, Parinda and Ram Lakhan(all 1989).
  
  In-joke: Parikshit Sahni plays Ravi (Shroff)'s friend Ajay Sahni. Ajay Sahni is Parikshit Sahni's real name. Beena co-stars as his wife Beena (is this just an inability to come up with unique names?)