tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51015282978370941912024-02-06T19:11:37.323-08:00The Powder RoomMiss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-26784751866123561992013-05-05T05:03:00.000-07:002013-05-05T05:05:58.592-07:00MOVIE REVIEW: Phantasm (1979)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When Mike's older brother Jody doesn't let him attend a funeral he decides to spy on it from the sidelines instead. When everybody has left he sees something very strange, the creepy undertaker loads the casket into his hearse by himself and drives of with it. He suspects something weird is going on but has a hard time convincing his brother who is more annoyed that Mike follows him around everywhere<br />
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ever since their parents died. Mike decides to check out the funeral home and comes back with something that makes it plainly clear something odd is indeed afoot. Mike, Jody and family friend Reggie decide to investigate what exactly that Tall Man is up to.<br />
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Phantasm is clearly filmed on a small budget, it's got that classic 80's b-movie vibe about it that is just so exciting, you know that you're going to be in for something entertaining. (Considering it was made in 1979 you could even call it a trendsetter.) The plot is pure horror cheese, you've got a lanky creepy dude, blonde babes (one that easily puts out), a mystical, psychic grandma and an awkward looking kid who has to overcome his fear to figure out what trouble he's gotten himself into. </div>
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The actors aren't particularly good, apart from Michael Baldwin who plays the young Mike Pearson and gives an excellent performance, but good actors aren't what you want in a movie like this. You want actors who are game and go all out to make the movie as fun as it can possibly be and they certainly deliver on that. </div>
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The contrast between the quiet suburban town it takes place in and the disturbing funeral home is really effective. Oh my god, is that funeral home disturbing with its huge echoing marble halls, I can imagine plenty of nightmares taking place there. Phantasm is an extremely atmospheric movie, it looks very nice and it's got an awesome score reminiscent of the Nightmare on Elmstreet movies, or John Carpenters work. Actually, that is the best way I can describe it. Phantasm is like a John Carpenter horror movie aimed at a slightly younger target but for one scene that merited the movies original X-rating. Even with that in it, Phantasm is not particularly gory, it's a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat biting your nails and giddy at the same time. I bet you're wondering now what that scene is (all I'll say is, it involves that metal ball thing on the poster). It's certainly worth a watch if you're feeling nostalgic for the creativity and fun that is lost in mainstream horror movies now but was so abundant twenty, thirty years ago or if you're wishing you were still at that age you had to sneak in to the movies you were a bit too young for. Not one of the best, but very enjoyable and it puts today's output to shame.</div>
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Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-40127680378203632272012-07-08T13:37:00.000-07:002012-07-08T13:39:08.815-07:00MOVIE REVIEW: Along Came a Spider<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When the senator's daughter gets kidnapped, detective Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) receives a call from the kidnapper, luring him into a case he initially wants nothing to do with. Alex teams up with a secret service agent (Monica Potter) who worked at the girls' high security school. The kidnapper (Michael Wincott) lays out a clue-finding game, trying to get Alex to play along, making this the crime of the century.<br />
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I don't generally care much for kidnap movies, they're so often too formulaic, focusing on the (always very rich) parents' pleas, the clever set-up at the ransom handover where they try and grab the kid before giving the kidnapper any money, but 'Along Came A Spider' has very few of these cliches (it does have the very over used detective-is-brokenhearted-about-his-previous-partner's-death-that-he-could-have-avoided cliche, but I'll look the other way). Instead it's fast paced, focusing more on the game of cat and mouse than emotional turmoil and it has a great, exciting twist that I didn't at all see coming.<br />
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The acting is very good, obviously Freeman is great as always. (Has he ever not been good in a movie?) The criminal, played by 'The Crow's' Top Dollar, is very human, never once crossing the line into cartoon villain territory and the kidnapped girl is suitably strong-willed and inventive without it becoming very 'Home Alone' (which I do love, but not in a thriller).<br />
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At the time it came out the movie didn't receive much attention and I feel it was underrated. 'Along Came A Spider' is an action-packed movie with exciting twists and turns whose ninety-nine minutes breeze by in no-time. There is no lingering, no time to get bored, just a good, solid psychological thriller. It really shows that you don't need two and a half hours to tell a story. So, if you're in the mood for plunging into 'a tangled web of danger and deceit' definitely check it out!<br />
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<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-62615129687022094242012-06-01T05:53:00.000-07:002012-06-01T06:43:00.948-07:00Battle of the Snow Whites - previewsSo there are now two Snow White movies out, Mirror Mirror, which came out about a month ago and now Snow White and the Huntsman. I have not yet seen either films, so I'm basing this solely on the trailers. <br />
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Mirror Mirror stars Julia Roberts as the evil queen and Lily Collins as Snow White. The movie seems to have quite a silly take on the fairytale with a fair amount of stumbling, Nathan Lane and a steampunk-looking corseting contraption. The costumes are colourful and over the top and the scenery seems to consist entirely out of computer generated backgrounds. Whilst Lily Collins makes for a beautiful, traditional looking Snow White, Julia Roberts seems to lack real evil resulting in a movie that seems more like a pantomime than a modern retelling of one of the most well known and best loved fairy tales. <br />
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Snow White and the Huntsman has a grittier tone to it. When I saw that Kristen Stewart was going to play Snow White, I cringed. Her acting in Twilight was so excruciatingly bad, I couldn't imagine her being able to do anything other than staring poutily off in to the middle distance but, I must confess, she looks pretty badass in this trailer. Of course the story is pretty much the same as Mirror Mirror, but while that one seems to go more for a family audience, Snow White and the Huntsman appears a lot more true to the original darkness of the fairytale. Charlize Theron looks pretty convincing as the poor girls evil stepmother, Kristen Stewart seems to bring a resilience and cunning to Snow White that really makes it stand out from previous versions. Instead of solely relying on the protection of the dwarfs and the huntsman, she makes her own escape and fends for herself. The whole movie looks a lot darker, of course there is again plenty of CGI but it all looks pretty stunning. I suppose with them casting K-Stew as Snow White and with the look of the film they're hoping to attract the Twilight audience which is not an inconsiderable one, but while I couldn't stand the tedious, slow-paced sulkfest that was Twilight (I didn't even finish watching the first one even with the help of Rifftrax) I'm really quite looking forward to watching Snow White and the Huntsman. <br />
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So, who is the winner? Undoubtedly Snow White and the Huntsman, Charlize Theron totally out-evils Julia Roberts, Kristen Stewart would totally kick Lily Collins' ass and you don't have to put up with Nathan Lane in jodhpurs. Let me know what you think!<br />
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Mirror Mirror official trailer:<br />
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Snow White and the Huntsman extended preview:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zZEYOf5WjNw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-76330666164784991642012-05-25T05:23:00.001-07:002012-05-25T05:23:38.919-07:00New bookclub/blog and bookreview City Under the MoonHey guys! I have set up a new blog solely for book reviews/recommendations and everything else reading-related. It's called the Bookworm Society and you can find it at: <a href="http://thebookwormsociety.blogspot.com/">thebookwormsociety.blogspot.com</a>. My first review is of Hugh Sterbakov's (Robot Chicken, Freshmen) City Under the Moon, a werewolf thriller of epic proportions! <br />
Click on the link for the review, or continue reading here! Next time I'll only put up the Bookworm Society posts on that blog, so please check back there. <br />
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The story starts outside the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan where an ambassadors wife got brutally attacked and her baby has been stolen (or worse). The fierce, emotionless FBI Special Sgent Brianna Tildascow gets called out to take on the case. Quickly she finds out that this is not just an ordinary animal attack, but something far worse. The attack seems to have infected to victim with a virus that triggers something in the body, causing her to become a wolf-like beast who goes on the rampage. The victims start multiplying fast each night and soon Manhattan has a werewolf epidemic on their hands. </div>
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While Dr. Jessica Tanner, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and her viroligist husband start fighting over the nature of the virus, Lon, a geeky basement-dweller gets cut off from talking to his online girlfriend when his werewolf expertise gets called upon by none other than the government... </div>
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City Under the Moon is a fast-paced read. Every moment is utilised to it's full extend, every page is covered with werewolves, guts and action. Yet, it's not a lighthearted story full of fluffy werewolves that rip their shirts off, or even your usual anguished puberty-metaphor, it goes in deep and it goes in hard. Everything and everyone becomes involved, from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, the President, the Military, the FBI, a Romanian werewolf hunter with a tragic past and the irritating but lovable lycanthropy nerd Lon (after Lon Chaney Jr.) Toller who, despite not having the guts to meet his girlfriend in person, shows a hell of a lot of bravery when faced with disaster. </div>
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This story is so well written and planned out, it must have been a hell of a job to make sure everything is plausible and fits together. All the details make sense and seem extremely accurate. The governing bodies involved are written very realistically, Sterbakov has obviously done extensive research into the way things work and the methods that are available. </div>
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Sterbakov set out to write a story that portrayed the transformation as a werewolf to be far more frightening than being attacked by one and I think he managed that perfectly. The description of what happens to a person when they transform made my bones ache and my tendons recoil in horror. No thanks, I'd rather be ravaged by a werewolf (ooh err!) than become one myself. </div>
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If you like a good fantasy story packed full of action, gore, kick-ass female FBI agents (well, there is only one of those, but she sure counts for more than one woman), triumphing nerds and a President facing a terrible dilemma, this punchy, throat-grabbing book is for you.</div>
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I'm trying to come up with a rating system here, eeehmm, I give City Under the Moon five werewolves out of five! </div>
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Check out the official City Under the Moon website: <a href="http://cityunderthemoon.com/">http://cityunderthemoon.com/</a></div>
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You can follow Hugh Sterbakov on twitter here: @darhkhugh</div>
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Not had enough of the Sterbakov? Official website: <a href="http://hughsterbakov.com/">http://hughsterbakov.com/</a></div>Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-52812188475609157742012-05-14T08:34:00.000-07:002012-06-07T07:15:34.867-07:00RECOMMENDED: Mystery Science Theater 3000<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ever end up cracking jokes with your friends because the movie you're watching is just too awful? I think many people who have watched a lot of films, have come across some really bad stuff, especially if you're interested in old sci-fi and horror, and what else can you do but turn it off or entertain yourself by making fun of the bucket of poopy you have been confronted with? Maybe you'd turn it off, but life isn't so easy for Joel or Mike. <br />
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Joel was the first victim of an evil scientist, he got sent into space and was forced to watch terrible movies. Troubled by his fate, Joel builds robots to keep him company and prevent him from going completely insane. Later on in, about five seasons on, the same fate befalls Mike, who gets pestered by Pearl and her two minions Brain Guy and Bobo (one of the most annoying chimps ever!) To make their punishment less agonizing, both guys end up riffing on the movies with their robot pals Tom Servo and Crow (there's also the derpy Gypsy and the very quiet but important Cambot).</div>
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At first, I mostly just enjoyed watching them tear down the movies, but gradually I came to like Mike (I haven't watched any of Joel's episodes yet) and the robots and enjoy their little segments in between the movie scenes, maybe even more so than the riffing. The jokes in the segments aren't always particularly funny, it's a little hokey and it's all got a very home-made feel about it, but that's exactly why it's so enjoyable. The banter between the robots and Mike is silly and endearing, you come to regard them as the go-to friends for when you're in the mood for a bad Star Wars wannabe film and it feels friendly and familiar every time you see them sat at the front in the ever recognizable sillouhette. <br />
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Mystery Science Theater 3000 ended in 1999 but both formations have continued to take the mickey out of bad movies. Cinematic Titanic consists of most of the earlier cast, they seem to stick to the more traditional riffing of trashy horror flicks and you can also go see them live. Rifftrax is made up of Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy (the Crow and Tom Servo I'm familiar with) and besides a vast library of shorts, such as public service announcements, they also riff on more familiar movies such as Twilight and Transformers. So, always wanted to watch Twilight, but felt like you couldn't live with the embarrasment? Try downloading the Rifftrax version and play it along with the movie, guaranteed fun (and astonishment at just how bad the movie really is)! <br />
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Mystery Science Theater 3000 is really worth checking out if you have a big interest in movies, especially bad ones! Or if you love adorable robots! You know what it's like to watch a bad movie and be in stitches with your friends about it and you know you want more - check out Mystery Science Theater 3000!<br />
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DVD's are available from <a href="http://www.shoutfactory.com/browse/204/mystery_science_theater_3000.aspx#axzz1ural2PVt">Shout! Factory </a>and you can also download episodes to rent or buy on iTunes, Xbox Live and PSN. I'd recommend the third-rate Gremlins rip-off 'Hobgoblins' to start you off, or perhaps 'The Final Sacrifice', a cult-based 'thriller' that's guaranteed to have you cheering on the mighty beer-swilling Canuck RRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOWSDOOOOOWERRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! <br />
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Mystery Science Theater 3000: <a href="https://www.mst3k.com/">https://www.mst3k.com/</a><br />
Cinematic Titanic: <a href="http://www.cinematictitanic.com/">http://www.cinematictitanic.com/</a><br />
Rifftrax: <a href="http://www.rifftrax.com/">http://www.rifftrax.com/</a>Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-26911269742985209852012-05-07T13:00:00.001-07:002012-05-07T13:01:00.768-07:00MAKE-UP TUTORIAL: Draculaura from Monster HighHey there! I've finally done a make-up video again. It's taken me some time, but it's a fun one, especially for all those Monster High and Draculaura fans out there. Please let me know what you think and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel! You can now also follow me on Twitter @MissDaiquiris.<br />
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<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-65294448045996972452012-04-28T03:51:00.000-07:002012-04-28T03:54:38.906-07:00GAME REVIEW: Crow for iPhone/iPad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Even though I love having an XboX, I tend to play a lot of games on iPhone, and most of them are fun to keep you occupied for a few minutes. But once in a while a game comes along that blows my socks off. 'Crow' by indie developer Sunside Inc. is one of those games. Straight from the intro, I was hooked. <br />
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The story goes as such: you're a crow and you're a minion of the Dark Lord. There's certain enemies he wants you to defeat for him. Meanwhile, as you're flying around, you collect tokens that let you buy certain powers, or protection. But it's not that straight-forward. There's choices to be made, you're not just a pawn for evil. The gameplay is very easy and intuitive, that's not to say the bosses don't get harder to defeat. I love the fact that you're actually playing as a crow. The way it moves and soars through the sky are so realistic, it's not hard to identify with the creature. <br />
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The visuals of the game are stunning. Even just flying around, high above the land, is a pleasure. I mostly just love the atmosphere of the game. It's dark, magical and I guess the best way I can explain it is, it is just such an immersive experience. It is more than just a game, it's a whole world, like stepping into a legend and becoming part of it. I'd say 'Crow' was possibly the best iPhone game yet. It's totally worth the $2.99 it costs. </div>
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Check out the trailer for a closer look:</div>
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<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pM291-_9C0w&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-67944643422826368752012-04-20T11:13:00.000-07:002012-04-20T11:13:43.243-07:00REVIEW: Tiny Furniture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Aura has just graduated from college, her relationship is over and on top of all that she's moving back in with her mother and younger sister. She's in that awkward stage of life that so many girls find themselves in their early twenties. Not yet ready to really start on your own, too grown-up to make living with your family still work. Uncertain what to do with her life, what do with her newly acquired and potentially useless degree, not sure which people to be friends with. Even though the situation could be worse, it does lend itself perfectly to insecurity-fueled melodrama.<br />
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That combined with the movies' tagline "Aura would like you to know she's having a very, very hard time" had me slightly worried "Tiny Furniture" was going to be a Sylvia Plath-esque tale of self-pity. But instead, I was slowly drawn into Aura's life through her various awkward encounters, new-found friendships and clipped, dead pan conversations. It gives the viewer an intimate look into this girls' life for a couple of weeks and I started to recognize a lot of myself in her. Her non-perfect body, the odd and off-kilter friendships that seem to be built on a few weeks of intense bonding and then become uncomfortable and slightly unhealthy, her slight neuroticism, trying to decide whether you're still a child or an adult. I think every aspect will be very recognizable to a lot of people of Aura's age group.<br />
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"Tiny Furniture" was written and directed by Lena Dunham, who also plays the main character, after she found herself in the portrayed situation. Her mother and sister are played by Lena's real-life mother Laurie Simmons and sister Grace Dunham. This really helps making the interactions very natural and realistic.<br />
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I don't think "Tiny Furniture" will be to everyone's liking, but if you're one of those people who finds it hard to stop listening in on stranger's conversations, or if you like dead-pan humor of the likes of Woody Allen, it is worth a watch. Also, if you liked Tiny Furniture, check out the new HBO series "Girls", also written and directed by and starring Lena Dunham and Jemima Kirke (Aura's friend Charlotte). <br />
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<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-63958552429033436522012-04-12T14:37:00.001-07:002012-04-12T14:46:56.131-07:00Lady Gaga - Pop Singers Don't Eat..So, yesterday Lady Gaga sent a tweet that I just couldn't believe she actually pressed the send button on. Just to be clear from the start, I'm not a "hater". At first I really liked her and I would like to continue being one of her fans, but it's these type of things she comes out with that just make me think she either doesn't care, doesn't have a single braincell in her pretty head, or she's just too up herself to realize the statements, one-liners and guru-esque wisdoms she is so kind to grace her little monsters with are just completely contradictory.<br />
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Here is the tweet I'm talking about:<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/ladygaga/statuses/189809689570189313">https://twitter.com/ladygaga/statuses/189809689570189313</a><br /><br />
First of all, who really cares that she is eating a salad but dreaming of a cheeseburger? You're a grown woman, you've just been exercising your ass off, have a cheeseburger if you want one. I get that as a popstar, she wants to look good and that's fine. I think most people know that a body like hers doesn't just come naturally. Although, taking that into account, I don't see why the hashtag IWasBornThisWay makes sense. I was born what way exactly? I was born this way, but need to dye my hair, do back to back spinning classes and eat salads when I'm actually more hungry than that?<br />
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But that's not really the worst. It's obvious she's decided to tout that phrase around as often as possible to be inspirational and alluring the her fan base which consists generally of outcasts. People who are in a vulnerable state, who feel insecure about themselves, their sexuality, looks, weight, and Lady Gaga is there as a friend, confidante and fellow societal pariah. She's someone they look up to, aspire to be like and want as a spokesperson. Now then, knowing what her fans think of her and want from her, it's even more grating when she uses this to end her tweet: #PopSingersDontEat.<br />
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Excuse me? Pop singers don't eat? That's a joke right? Even if it was a joke, has she no filter? No inclination in the back of her mind that this might come across wrong? Everyone, little monsters, accept who you are. You were born this way, you're perfect the way you are. But if you want to be like me, you have to starve yourself. You see, pop singers don't eat...<br />
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I can just imagine this thirteen year old girl or boy, recently rejected by their crush, feeling like they don't fit in, feeling like they're not pretty enough. Maybe once or twice they already even threw up after their lunch thinking it might make them skinnier, or at least not put on weight, so they can fit in with the popular crowd. But no, they turn to their hero instead. Lady Gaga will tell me I'm fine as I am. I don't need to be popular. I was born this way! I can just see that a tweet like that will push someone vulnerable right over the edge into a full on eating disorder.<br />
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But Gaga doesn't even seem to notice the misstep. She just tweets along happily, taking in all the compliments from her fans about how good she is for keeping in shape and how perfect she is. I'm just so fed up of her message of acceptance. She speaks about gay rights, yet the only gay people I've ever seen her around are stereotypical queens even Bubba from Texas wouldn't be too afraid of because they're just so cartoonish. She's against bullying, yet she's bezzies with one of the most foul, meanest assholes on the internet, Perez Hilton, who does what for a living? Oh yes! He bullies people, even 2-year olds can't escape his venom. (Here's Adam Sandler's little daughter being attacked: <a href="http://perezhilton.com/2007-07-02-how-do-we-say-this-delicately-3#.T4dMfNWyics">http://perezhilton.com/2007-07-02-how-do-we-say-this-delicately-3#.T4dMfNWyics</a>) She talks about accepting yourself for who you are, yet if you compare photos of her from before she was famous the difference is pretty staggering. And what I think is the most ridiculous of all is her constant praising of Jesus. If she had any idea of what Christianity was actually about, I think she'd be embarrassed to profess her love for him in front of an audience like hers. <br />
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It seems to me like she was one of those girls who was unpopular in high school, bullied and did everything she could to get in with the popular kids. So she bleaches her hair, dresses like a hooker and giggles along with their petty little put-downs and tries her hardest to conform to what they say is "cool". While, when she's around her old friends she claims to still be one of them. Only difference is, is that now she's in showbiz it's not the gum-chewing bimbos that rule the school, it's rich, gay men who want a barbie doll to play with. <br />
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In summation, I just hope she grows up and quits the bullshit. Pick a side. Either be religous, hang out with bullies and give a nice big finger to your devotees or stick to your original story and really make it ring true. But for some reason, I just don't see that happening until she gets her head out of her ass and realizes that she isn't a messiah.Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-62034729869544573992012-03-18T15:38:00.000-07:002012-03-18T15:45:01.663-07:00MOVIE REVIEW - The Kid (1921)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm fairly new to the world of silent cinema. I had seen a few shorts before, some Laurel and Hardy sketches mostly and the classic horror movie 'Nosferatu', but Charlie Chaplin's 'City Lights' made me fall in love with the media. Because I was only familiar with silent slapstick and horror, I never realized before that this form of old-fashioned film-making would be so well suited to bringing a touching story to life. I love how Chaplin mixed hilarious comedy with romance and sentimentality. The Tramp is immediately likeable and you want him to succeed in his efforts, whether he's trying to get a girl or bringing up a little boy as his own, you're there with him all the way.<br />
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The Kid was Chaplin's first feature length film and was extremely well received. It follows The Tramp as he finds an abandoned baby and tries to figure out what to do with the boy. He decides to raise him as his own and names him John. Because he's so poor, he works together with John in little schemes to earn money. When the boy becomes ill, a doctor finds out that The Tramp isn't his real father and has John taken away to an orphanage. Distraught, The Tramp pursues them to try and get his son back. Meanwhile, the woman who left the baby has become a big star and uses her wealth to do charity work helping the poor.<br />
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The Kid, as it says at the start of the film, is a picture with a smile and perhaps a tear. The relationship between The Tramp and his adopted son is very sweet and touching. They struggle, but you can tell that he really cares for the boy. I think the choice of subject, a childhood filled with poverty and hardship, was a very personal one for Chaplin. This was his first full length film, which he wrote, produced, directed and starred in and you can really feel all the effort he has put in it. The story sparks off the screen. The jokes are hilarious, bright and light-hearted despite the desperate situation, but the emotional scenes just tear right into you. A lot of credit is due here for the young Jackie Coogan (Uncle Fester in the 1960's Addams Family t.v. show). He's such an excellent actor in this movie. He's endearing as the little rascal that he is, but when it comes down to the more emotional parts in the film, like when he gets taken away, his performance is just heart-breaking. The interaction between the Tramp and John seems so realistic, it's hard to believe that they're not really father and son.<br />
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What I think is so special about Chaplin's films, is that The Tramp always goes through a sort of transformation. Or it's more a realization and testing of his true character. For example, John gets into a fight with a bigger boy and the other boys father threatens The Tramp that if John wins, he himself is gonna have to fight this much bigger and burlier man. So, instead of letting his boy win (which he was totally going to), The Tramp holds down his son in order to prevent himself having to get into a fight. Beside this being a really funny scene, it's also a pivotal point in the plot that shows how much The Tramp hates to fight, making it all the more heroic when he does so to win his son back. <br />
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I've only seen three of Chaplin's films so far, (the Kid, the Circus and City Lights) but I'd say this was probably my favourite. It's nice to see The Tramp try his hand at romance, but a father-son relationship is a much more difficult thing to get right and he succeeded with excellence. I know that silent films are back into fashion a bit now, with 'The Artist' having done so well, so hopefully more people are willing to check out older movies. I used to think that silent movies would be harder to get into because of their lack of dialogue, but I think that that's exactly why a story can hit you so much harder. You pay more attention to the surroundings, to the physicality of the acting and the interactions between the actors. More often than not the music is enough to convey the mood and with great performances like in 'The Kid' you don't even notice the fact that they aren't talking, because like they say, a picture paints a thousand words. Even if you're not certain you'll be able to get into silent film but you're willing to spend an hour finding out, check out The Kid. (Make sure you watch a remastered copy, it'll look great.) It's not just one of my favourite Charlie Chaplin movies, it's probably one of my favourite all together. <br />
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<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-44978008627011058752012-03-12T15:21:00.004-07:002012-03-12T15:22:41.162-07:00RECOMMENDED: Monster High<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Monster High is a franchise that mostly revolves around it's merchandise; cool looking dolls made by Mattel based on old Universal monsters and other horror characters. For example, Frankie Stein (Frankenstein, obviously), Draculaura (Dracula), Ghoulia Yelps (a zombie) and Blue Lagoona (granddaughter of the Creature from the Black Lagoon). The dolls all have their own outlandish clothing-style and little attributes to do with the characters. Although the dolls are what caught my attention at first, Monster High is worth checking out even if you're not interested in collecting awesome but freaky Barbies.<br />
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So far there have been three books, there's a web-series of very short Flash cartoons, an interactive website and a couple of iPhone apps. The books and the web-series seem to be set in a different kind of world. First of all, in the book (I'm currently reading the first one, written by Lisi Harrison) the monster girls, their families and love interests, have to figure out a way to blend in with the "normies" of the world. Frankie Stein, a very new 15-year old, wishes she could just be herself instead of having to cover her green, stitched-up skin with thick pancake make-up and always wear turtle-necks or scarves to cover her bolts.<br />
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While in the book she struggles to cope with hiding her true self and is trying to find a way for the normies to accept her and her friends the way they are, in the web-series the girls get to flaunt their unique looks and identities because they go to a school filled with monsters. In the very short (about a minute and a half each) episodes we see them come across all sorts of problems and situations that you might expect a monster to come across in high school. How exactly do you tell that zombie-boy you fancy him when you can't even really utter a single audible word? How do you put on perfect make-up any emo girl would be jealous of, without a reflection? The cartoons are very heavily laden with puns that wouldn't be out of place in an episode of Tales from the Crypt and have plenty of references to classic (Universal) horror films, to make a monster film fan happy. I like that even though the franchise is there mostly to sell stuff, enough effort has gone in to the details of the characters and story lines to not make it feel like they're just cashing in on a growing population of nerdy chicks. <br />
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So, if you like the look of the dolls but aren't willing to fork out any of your money for a just a toy, check out the web-series and you'll quickly find out whether you like the characters or not. The book is really worth a read as well, it's quite a lot like any other story about teenagers in high school, apart from that it's cooler because it's got monsters in it, so you don't have to feel like a weirdo for reading things aimed at people ten years younger than you. (Not that you should anyway..) I think all together Monster High is a very enjoyable, silly and light-hearted collection of characters and stories and it's at least worth a few minutes of your time to check it out!<br />
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<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-38234940398276857982012-02-16T17:59:00.001-08:002012-02-16T17:59:27.634-08:00MOVIE REVIEW: The Muppets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Note: 'The Muppets' was released late in 2011 in the United States and will see a DVD/Blu-Ray release there next month.</i><br />
<i>After much anticipation it has finally made it's way to European cinemas over the last couple of weeks. </i> <br />
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When I heard there was a new Muppet movie coming out, I was very excited. Since it was going to be written by Jason Segel, who claims to be a huge Muppet nerd, I expected something that was at least pretty good. Most people I know had grown up with the Muppets in some form or another. I started of with watching "Muppet Christmas Carol", then "Muppets Tonight" hosted by Clifford, and from there on the other movies (although, I've not seen all of them yet, including "Muppets Take Manhattan" which was a source for one of this movie's plot points) and episodes of "The Muppet Show". Despite a few T.V. outings, including the decidedly average "Muppets Wizard of Oz", it seemed like they were out of the public eye for a while and that younger generations would be missing out on these wonderful characters, were it not for this new movie.<br />
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In "The Muppets" we follow Mary, her fiancee Gary and his rather unusual brother; Walter, who for reasons that will become immediately apparent is the world's biggest Muppet fan. Gary is planning to take Mary to L.A. for their ten year anniversary, but since the Muppet Theater is located there he's also taking Walter. During a tour of the now run-down theater, Walter slinks off into Kermit's old office, disappointed and sad at the state of things. While he's there he finds out that Statler and Waldorf are showing the theater to Tex Richman, a wealthy oil magnate, who has plans to buy and then tear down the place because there's oil underneath. Though, if the Muppets can raise ten million dollars, they could buy back the theater. Walter is shocked and together with Gary and Mary they visit Kermit to try and convince him to do something about it and raise the money. All together they set off to get the old gang back together to put on one last show.<br />
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I was surprised at how much "The Muppets" was about the original musical variety show instead of a new, stand-alone adventure. The movie and it's promotional campaign seem so much about reviving the Muppets' popularity, I would have expected it to be less hinged on past occurrences and more on reintroducing the characters and establishing them to a new audience. While watching it, there were so many references to specific details from the shows and there was only a short amount of time spent to explain what kind of characters these Muppets actually are. Not that I'm complaining, it felt like a Muppet movie made for the fans, by the fans. It felt like a celebration, a big Muppet party full of great songs and all your best friends. A nostalgic callback to the opening sequence of "The Muppet Show" and the inclusion of more obscure characters such as Uncle Deadly and Bobo the Bear, Hobo Joe - all these details written into the script could have only come from a real Muppet devotee and could only be there to please the old fans. Even Walter is all the die-hard fans wrapped up into one enthusiastic and loveable new Muppet.<br />
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But despite the back references and hardcore Muppet-nerd moments, Walter provides a terrific window into the magic of Muppet fandom for newcomers. He is your way in to this wonderful world, explaining why they're so great and beloved. Besides that, I think a lot of the Muppets are just instantly likeable, especially to kids. Like Fozzie, for instance, he's silly and tells bad jokes even children can chuckle at, not necessarily because they're funny, but because of how bad and cheesy they are and Swedish Chef too, even grown-ups don't know what he's on about, so his strange behavior and silly face can make anyone laugh. <br />
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I loved how much all the characters were still the same. I've read some complaints about Kermit not being his happy-go-lucky self, but I feel that he never really was such a peppy personality anyway, he was caring, tried to run a chaotic show and was always kind, warm and idealistic. Considering he originated as an avatar for Jim Henson and his personal, hopeful philosophy, I'm not surprised with how things are these days that Kermit is a bit sad and nostalgic. It's so nice to be able to see Jim's spirit live on and that Kermit has not changed into something else (in no small part thanks to the sensitive and caring performance of Jim's successor and one-time protege, Steve Whitmore, who has played Kermit for around twenty years). All the scenes where we get to see them all again were fun: Miss Piggy as the editor of plus-size Vogue (that's such an idealistic Muppet thing as well, like there would ever actually be a plus-size edition of Vogue..); Gonzo with his own business and Animal in anger management training. I liked that his storyline made Animal into more of a person instead of just this rampaging, although of course hilarious, beast and then there was a funny but kind of sad scene with Fozzie now performing with these horrible imposters "the Moopets" in a dingy Reno club.<br />
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What I'm really glad about is how well the new songs and characters worked alongside the old-school Muppets. I'm not surprised that "Man or Muppet" received an Academy Award nomination for best original song. The Moopets were fun, although I felt they were underused. I would have liked to have seen more of them and hopefully will when the DVD comes out. 80's Robot was cool - who doesn't like a retro robot? I liked Jason Segel and Amy Adams in it as well, the storyline with Gary and Mary offset with Walter's Muppet adventure works really well. It's funny that in the scene where Mary is sad/annoyed that Walter has to come along on their anniversary trip I'd much more agree with her if Walter was a human being instead of a Muppet, but because he's the way he is I felt more sorry for him. (It makes me wonder whether Walter being a puppet has put him at a disadvantage in this universe. Nobody seems to treat him differently. Is there an unspoken rule that his 'puppethood' is to go unmentioned, much like when The Muppets make appearances at real life events such as the Grammys and the BAFTAs?)<br />
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There weren't really any things that annoyed me while watching the movie, or anything that jarred me. I didn't mind that suddenly the Muppet Theater is in L.A. instead of in England where it was actually filmed, I liked the new characters and loved Walter. The songs are catchy, fun and sweet. A lot of the celebrity cameos seemed unnecessary, but because they were so brief that isn't even really an issue. I liked that the man version of Walter was played by Jim "Sheldon" Parsons and Jack Black was pretty good, definitely less irritating then he has been every other time I've seen him lately. I liked Emily Blunt as Miss Piggy's receptionist, just arrogant and over-styled enough to fit the roll and Rashida Jones was good as the network executive. But the real stars were undoubtedly the Muppets. I really loved this movie. Thinking about it days after watching it, it still brings a smile to my face. I think it's nice that it's proved so popular with kids too. Every time I go into a toy store lately (yes, I go into toy stores a lot!), there's always a kid begging their mum or dad to buy them a Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Kermit, Animal or even Swedish Chef. I think it's not only a really fun, sweet and warm-hearted movie, it has really done the Muppets and their legacy justice and has done a great job of bringing these wonderful characters back into the spotlight. <br />
<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-7910209990690128292012-02-10T15:59:00.000-08:002012-02-10T16:04:25.969-08:00RECIPE: Sage and onion bread rollsI got this recipe from the Hairy Bikers' Best of British TV show. I love watching cooking programs and I think they are by far the best. Unlike some shows that go for a fancy "new cuisine" kinda thing, the Hairy Bikers actually cook, talk about and eat food that I'd actually want to eat instead of be weary of it's peculiar ingredients and names that I can't even pronounce. Call me unsophisticated, when it comes to food, nothing goes above a great comforting meal that fills your stomach and lightens your mood, and these delicious bread rolls are just the perfect accompaniment to such a plate of food.<br />
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My first ever attempt to even make bread, they turned out wonderful on my first try. I slightly altered the recipe, because I didn't really need eight rolls. Because they are so tasty though, I tried making it to the original recipe and somehow it didn't turn out right. So here's my adapted recipe for the Hairy Bikers' sage and onion bread rolls.<br />
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Here's what you need:<br />
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- 75 ml of whole milk (and a bit more for glazing)<br />
- 75 ml of water <br />
- 200 g of strong white flour (and a bit extra for kneading)<br />
- half of a 7 g sachet of fast action dried yeast (the original calls for a whole sachet)<br />
- 1/2 tsp caster suger<br />
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt<br />
- 8 g of butter<br />
- 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil (and some extra for greasing)<br />
- 1/2 a large or one small onion, peeled and chopped<br />
- about 4 tbsp full of dried sage (the original uses fresh sage leaves which I didn't have. If you want to use fresh, go for about 10 leaves)<br />
- freshly ground black pepper<br />
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Here's what you do:<br />
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1. Heat the water and milk until lukewarm.<br />
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2. Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the yeast, sugar and salt.<br />
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3. Make a well in the middle and stir in the water and milk with a wooden spoon or your hands. Make it into a ball and knead it for about 10 minutes on a floured surface.<br />
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4. Once kneaded, place your ball of dough into an oiled bowl and cover with oiled clingfilm (loosely) and leave to rise for about 45 minutes to an hour.<br />
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5. In the meantime you can fry the onion with the butter and oil until soft. If you like, you can add some fresh garlic. Just before it's done, add the sage to your frying onions and mix it through. Add lots of black pepper and leave it to cool.<br />
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6. When the dough has risen, flatten it with your hands and add the onions and sage on top. Then knead the dough until it's all nicely incorporated. This will get very messy, if it's too wet add a little bit of flour.<br />
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7. Divide the dough into four little balls and place them against each other on some baking paper on a baking tray. Again, cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise for another 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C.<br />
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8. Brush the rolls with some milk and scatter some sage on top. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool a little before serving. They're delicious warm with some butter.<br />
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Enjoy! <br />
<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-46944694979686637962012-01-22T16:54:00.000-08:002012-01-22T16:54:46.310-08:00HOWARD HAWKS DOUBLE BILL: Bringing Up Baby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Bringing Up Baby is our second movie in this Howard Hawks double bill. An immensely enjoyable screwball comedy, it just goes to show what a versatile and talented director Howard Hawks was. Filling his oeuvre with so many classics, from the 1932 Scarface to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes starring the lovely Marylin Monroe and Jane Russell. Now we go from Rio Bravo, made in the late 1950's to one of his earlier efforts. While both movies are now considered masterpieces, unlike Rio Bravo, Bringing Up Baby was a commercial failure. <br />
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In Bringing Up Baby, we follow David Huxley (Cary Grant) who has been trying to get hold of the last bone for his Brontosaurus skeleton which he's been trying to assemble for the last four years. He is about to marry Alice Swallow (Virginia Walker), a stern, boring woman who won't even let their honeymoon get in the way of David's work and his attempt to impress a Mrs. Random (May Robson) who has intentions of donating a million dollars to the museum he works for. On that same day David meets Susan Vance. From the get-go things go wrong, she putts his ball on the golf-course, then proceeds to drive away in his car instead of her own. It is obvious that while she's a stunning beauty, she's also a terrible klutz who not only gets herself into trouble but all of those around her. Misunderstanding Davids profession, she practically forces him to help her take care "Baby", a leopard that she's supposed to give to her aunt. They go to her house in Connecticut and as you might expect, all sorts of misunderstandings and mishaps occur, causing the flaky Susan to fall in love with the awkward David.<br />
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Boy, could I ever have a wrong perception of actors. Because of their huge star-quality and dignified status, I always assumed that Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant were big serious actors. I'd never seen a movie with either of them in before and the image I had of them was so wrong! I expected Cary Grant to be like Clark Gable, or more precisely, Rhett Butler. And because Katherine Hepburn is always talked about in terms of outspokenness, strong character and her roles as powerful, sophisticated women, I assumed a certain infallibility and coldness. But both we're so charming, silly and loveable in this movie. Immediately I took to the characters. The stumbling, awkward David reminded me very much of Ross in Friends, another geeky paleontologist who's unassuming charms have a real effect on the women around them. And to stick with the Friends comparisons, Susan is not unlike Phoebe. Both are a bit crazy, silly, get into weird situations but always seem to see the fun of it and their enthusiasm is infectious. It's interesting to think of this movie as a look into how things might have been if Ross and Phoebe had gotten together. <br />
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Bringing Up Baby is a movie full of absolutely hilarious scenes, there's not many movies I've laughed out loud at more than this one. Nearly every shot lends itself to another joke. It's full of physical, visual and verbal comedy, lending itself to a very iconic scene where most likely for the first time the word "gay" is used in the way it is used today. The performances are excellent. Grant and Hepburn deliver their lines with such crispness and their acting is so vivid you nearly forget you're watching this movie in black and white. Of course I wouldn't want to see it in colour, the fact that it is in black and white not only transports you back into time but makes it a visually stunning movie. Bringing Up Baby is a must-see for anyone who likes a romantic comedy, slapstick or just likes a laugh really. I don't know why it was such a box-office failure in the first place, but I think it's fifteenth place in the American Film Institutes list of the hundred funniest films of all time is more than deserved. Make sure you see it!<br />
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<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-50921067752263536262012-01-18T15:18:00.000-08:002012-01-18T15:24:23.752-08:00HOWARD HAWKS DOUBLE BILL: Rio Bravo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the Texas town of Rio Bravo, Sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) manages to capture Joe Burdett, who shot an innocent bystander, with the help of his deputy Sheriff, Dude (Dean Martin). They keep him in the towns jail, where he's watched over by Chance's other deputy Sheriff, Stumpy (Walter Brennan). One of Chance's friends arrives in town, together with supplies and a not-so-eager young gunslinger, Colorado (Ricky Nelson). He brings the news that the town is surrounded by ranger Nathan Burdetts' men, preventing Chance from being able to take Joe to Presidio where he will be sentenced. Meanwhile, a beautiful young woman arrives in Rio Bravo by the name of Feathers (Angie Dickinson), who appears to be a card-cheat.<br />
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Rio Bravo has a very classic "western" feel about it. There's the dusty, little town of Rio Bravo filled with gamblers, drunks and beautiful women. There's the Sheriff, a man who rules the town with a quiet but demanding presence, and his two deputies. One needs help getting off the bottle after a girl left him and the other limping, old but still up for a good fight. The story at times is hard to follow. So many characters are involved I sometimes lost track, but I think what's so good about a movie like this is that you don't need to know exactly what is going on to understand the story. It's a pleasure just to watch the characters interact and build their relationships, to take in the atmosphere of the place and get drawn into their little world.<br />
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Rio Bravo does this very well. It's slowly paced, but never gets boring because there's just so much to see in between the action. I think what really draws you in are the performances. I wasn't really sure I'd like John Wayne. I'd seen him on the Dean Martin show and found him a bit preachy and old-fashioned, but he makes such an interesting character of Chance. Even though he is the man in charge, he's never in your face about it, but instead lingers in the background, observing what his pals and what his enemies are up to. Of course, when the need arrives, he steps up and performs his duties, but he lets his deputies share the lime-light. What really surprised me was the slowly unfolding romance between Chance and Feathers. I didn't really expect a romance to be part of the story, and if there was it would be between her and Dude. There's a big age difference between the two characters, but I found their interactions very sweet and touching. At times Chance is stubborn and stand-offish, but when he is alone with the girl there's a subtle change in his attitude and behavior. He seems kinder around her.<br />
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Feathers is a great character too. She seems tough and hardened by her criminal past, or at least her previous association with a famous card-cheat, but she's not afraid to open up and show her true feelings. At times she cries, frustrated by Chance's inability to tell her how he feels, but she never seems like a weak female character. At any point during the film you get the feeling that if the mood takes her, she could take on each and every one of the men in town.<br />
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Then there are Chance's deputies, Dude, Stumpy and eventually Colorado. All great characters. Dude, with his alcohol problems, doesn't seem so different from Dean Martin, but I never really though of him during the movie other than Dude. Once one of the best gunslingers, he is a bit of loser now, but in the duration of the story he has some kick-ass moments, showing he still has the ability to be what he used to be. Stumpy is some great comic relief, who's desperate to prove he still has a use beyond being the one who guards and takes care of the prisoners. He's old and wants to do too much and his enthusiasm and grouchiness leads to some funny scenes. He never turns into an unbelievable cartoon character though. Stumpy comes off as a pretty cool old dude. And then there's Colorado, the newest addition to Chance's team. He's such a good shot he never feels the need to show off.<br />
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Of course, when you have a movie that has Dean Martin and then teen-idol Ricky Nelson in it, you're gonna have to have some songs. This leads to probably my favorite scene in the movie. They're all sitting around in the jail when Dude breaks into the song "My Rifle, My Pony and Me". Then him and Colorado sing "Get Along Home, Cindy", where even Stumpy joins in. Chance lingers in the background, obviously enjoying this sight of camaraderie between his deputies. Another noteworthy piece of music is ""El Degüello" (the Cutthroat song), the movies hauntingly beautiful theme. This musical scene shows exactly what is so good about the movie. If you don't think you like westerns (like I did), give Rio Bravo a go. Directed by the legendary Howard Hawks, Rio Bravo is a real classic western. It's cliche enough to be easy to get into, but it has some really enjoyable scenes, awesome action and wonderful characters. <br />
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<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-90323846021499997732012-01-15T12:39:00.000-08:002012-01-15T12:49:41.318-08:00AXE-WIELDING MANIACS: Point Pleasant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I started watching Point Pleasant after it was already cancelled, being shown it by someone who had the show on DVD. Of course you know you're set up for disappointment trying out a show you know was doomed from the start, but the premise seemed worth it. FOX only aired the first eight of the thirteen episodes made, abandoning the show without giving the viewers a decent ending. On the boxset though, and with current reruns, you can watch the remaining episodes as well, giving light to a quite surprising ending.<br />
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Point Pleasant starts when Christina washes up on shore after a heavy storm. She ends up staying at one of Point Pleasant families' house, trying to find out who she is and what happened to her mother, who grew up in the town. Slowly the plot unfolds as Christina is troubled by her strengthening powers which seem to point to her evil destiny and she struggles to decide between her fate and her wish to be good. Her presence has a disturbing effect on the people around her, turning the quiet, idyllic coastal town into a hub of lies, deceit and lust.<br />
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While the show has a very heavy religious theme, it is more like a Sunset Beach than Seventh Heaven.What drew me in was it's dark, Gothic feel and sense of pending doom combined with the back-stabbing, cheating, secretive people of Point Pleasant. I liked that it was exactly those awful qualities humanity possesses that taunted with Christina's inborn evil, teasing and drawing it out. While a show with such a theme could so easily come across as preachy and an advertisement for being a goody-two-shoes, it never seems to tell you "Hey, look at these people, they're despicable and they're exactly what you should avoid to be." It glamorizes the darker side of being human and giving in to your worst qualities just like a soap would do, making Point Pleasant not only edge-of-your-seat material, but also highly entertaining. <br />
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It's said that just that, the ridiculous character relations where what made the audience dwindle. But I don't see why, when most of them will have been drawn to it because of it's connections with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Tru Calling. It was co-created by Marti Noxon, who wrote some of the more soap-opera like BtVS episodes, so I would have thought that that should not have been a problem. It's a shame the show got cancelled because instead of rushing to an ending it had potential to become something really interesting. I would have liked to have seen where they could take it, either to see what happens after Christina's decision, or to give it some more time before she had to make a choice.<br />
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(Does this image remind you of an iconic cancelled T.V. Show? No, me neither.. Up next week: Twin Peaks!)Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-11805221192401162492012-01-01T09:59:00.001-08:002012-06-07T07:16:09.760-07:00AXE-WIELDING MANIACS: PopularSometimes you come across a T.V. show that really grabs your attention. It makes you think, feel, laugh, care about the characters. But so often these great shows don't get the chance they deserve. For one reason or another they get cancelled after just one or if they're lucky, two seasons. A lot of these programs have the potential to become, or already are, something really special and exciting. The T.V. world today is impatient and wants an instant smash-hit. There's no time to let an audience build or pride in producing creative, left-field entertainment that, if given a chance, could acquire a cult-status with a steady following of loyal fans.<br />
I watch Lucifers dreambox quite a lot, but instead of feeling like I was numbing my brain with mindless garbage, some of these shows gave me a real sense of enjoyment. Over the next few weeks in "Axe-wielding Maniacs" I'll be talking about some of my favorite prematurely cancelled shows, starting of with Glee's predecessor, Popular.<br />
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Popular: Created by Gina Matthews and Glee's co-creator Ryan Murphy, Popular focuses on life in high-school. The two main characters, Brooke and Sam, are from different "groups". Brooke is popular, the schools sweetheart and prom-queen, while Sam, an aspiring journalist, tries her hardest to be different. When their single parents fall in love and get married, they are forced to live under the same roof and end up growing close and even become good friends. The other members of their stereotypical cliques also start of as polar opposites. Brooke, head-cheerleader of the Glamazons, is joined by bitchy, manipulative Nicole who aids Brooke in her popularity, while also being massively jealous, the Southern Mary Cherry, slightly unhinged daughter of a rich business woman who can get anything done with her money and the hair-twirling Latina Poppy Fresh. On the other side of the divide are Harrison John, he used to be friends with Brooke and still has a crush on her, but is now Sams partner in crime, Carmen Ferrara, who wants nothing more than to be popular and even ends up joining the Glamazons, despite her friends' dissaproval, and animal rights activist Lilly Esposito, who rejects the idea that popularity should be the main goal in life.<br />
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You can tell Popular was co-created by the same person involved in Glee. It tackles very similar issues such as the desperate wish for peer approval and also the fall of a prom-queens status, issues with being gay and being accepted for who you are, striving for your own goals no matter what. It even has a near identical story-arc involving three almost indistinguishable characters. Brooke McQueen/Quinn Fabray, the blond prom queen and captain of the cheer-leading team who used to have eating-issues, used to date the schools popular, but friendly quarterback Josh Ford/Finn Hudson. Josh Ford/Finn Hudson tires of his girlfriends need to be the best and falls in love with the outsider Carmen Ferrara/Rachel Berry, a very talented girl but not without her own body hang-ups and insecurities, thinking that her boyfriend still prefers his more "beautiful" ex over them.<br />
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But while Glee seems very much stuck in a push-and-pull of a parody and not offending it's millions of fans who seem to actually want the thing they started out making fun of, Popular became more and more a commentary on the ridiculous image those teenage drama/comedy shows portray of life in high-school. It shows the harshness of being a teenager by overemphasizing the silly problems they come across in the usual programs aimed at teens with their cartoonish characters and ridiculous plotlines offset by some real painful situations and more realistic insecurities.<br />
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I enjoy watching Glee, but after having known Popular first, I can't help but wish they'd given that the time and effort that has gone into promoting it's musical successor, just to see where they could have taken it.Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-32133643308544569352011-12-26T14:21:00.000-08:002011-12-26T14:24:35.540-08:00REVIEW: 2011 Christmas Specials Doctor Who/ Absolutely Fabulous<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Doctor Who - The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe </b></span></div>
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In the latest Christmas Special, the Doctor crashes into Earth after escaping from an exploding spaceship. Madge Arwell happens to be nearby when she hears the crash and goes to investigate. It turns out the Doctor has landed during Christmas in 1938. After Madge asks if she'll see the stranger again, the Doctor answers to just make a wish. Three years later, when she finds out her husband, a bomber plane pilot, died during an attack, she does just that.<br />
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Because of evacuations Madge and her two children have to move and it just so happens that the caretaker is none other than our favourite Timelord. He does his best eccentric uncle act, decorating the house with all sorts of wonderful and crazy toys and ornaments and leaving a massive present under one of the coolest Christmas trees ever. Already intrigued, when Madge's young son Cyril goes down to check out the gift at night, he can't resist opening it when it starts glowing. What he finds inside can only be described as a magical winter wonderland. When the Doctor and Cyril's older sister Lily realize the boy has gone into the world, they follow him, only to find out that the world the Doctor assumed was harmless has a bit more up it's sleeve than snowy Christmas trees. Often in the Christmas specials, Doctor Who seems to go for homages to great, classic writers. Last year it was Charles Dickens, this year there were nods to C.S. Lewis' ever popular "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". <br />
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"The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" was very cheesy and predictable. From the start it was clear they were going for heartstring-tugging fare and not what a lot of fans prefer, an action packed, alien-of-the-week story. I don't always think the CGI in Doctor Who looks that good, I don't generally enjoy watching stories full of computer effects anyway but I thought the show looked really good, the decorations, the winter world, even the special effects were a feast for the eyes. Although I do wonder how the Doctor always manages to get hold of all this stuff, but I guess the answer would simply be "timetravel". Another thing I wondered was what happened to the other guys on Reg Arwells airplane, we don't see them when he gets out to meet his wife and there's no mention of them whatsoever. Maybe because it was a Christmas special I'm more inclined to ignore these little details the show often fails to explain.<br />
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The story was sappy and I could see every plot twist coming for miles, but I did like that it had the feel of an old-fashioned Christmas story. There was not really any good or bad, just someone in trouble, a heroine and warm fuzzy feelings. Even though I felt like a sucker for tearing up at the sad bits, it did do just that. Even though I'm sure it wasn't many peoples favorite episode (neither did it come close to any of mine) I liked it. There's nothing wrong with a bit of sentimental, easily
digestible fluff for Christmas day and I don't think it pretended to be
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Absolutely Fabulous - Identity </b></span></div>
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For something else entirely, there was the much anticipated Christmas special of Absolutely Fabulous. Six years since the show ended, the first episode of a new three-part series aired on Christmas day. Now, I have to say, I've not seen all of the previous series so it came as a bit of a surprise to see that Saffy had been in prison. Upon her release she asks Edina if one of her prison friends can stay with them for a while. It turns out that the girl coming to stay was Patsy's drug dealer and that Patsy still owes her a fortune. While they get the money together, Saffy gets put into the akward and uncomfortable situation of the drug dealers "wifey", a role she's not willing to fulfill much to Eddie's disappointment.<br />
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It was great to be able to see a new episode as it aired. I only really became a fan of the show recently, so it doesn't feel like they have been away for six years to me, but I couldn't really tell a difference in quality. All the regulars where there, the jokes were spot-on and even though they have all aged (apart from June Whitfield, strangely) the dynamic between the characters were exactly the same. Despite clearly deliberate references to trends that acknowledge the six-year gap, it just felt like it all fit. I liked the story a lot, it was fun to see Patsy give Saffy some credit for being "top dog" in prison, Saffy's drug dealer friend was appropriately arrogant and threatening, the scenes about Patsy trying to get her pension were really funny, especially the girl looking up her details had some wonderful lines and ofcourse the always eye-catchingly dressed Bubble had plenty of scene-stealing moments.The whole episode had that slightly uncomfortable but hilarious mood that makes Absolutely Fabulous such a great show. You could tell everyone involved was excited to do new episodes, it was very lively and vibrant. I'm very much looking forward to the next episode on New Year's day.<br />
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<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-21711475050635636652011-12-14T04:14:00.000-08:002011-12-14T04:14:59.083-08:00CHRISTMAS MOVIE REVIEW: The Snowman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Snowman is a short film based on Raymond Briggs' picture book. It was first broadcast four years after the book was published and has been an annual staple of the British Christmas T.V. schedule ever since. As with "Father Christmas", this is the first time I've watched it.<br />
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It starts out on a winter morning when it has been snowing. James, a little boy, runs out and builds a snowman. At midnight, the snowman comes to life and James shows him around the house. Then, the snowman takes James on a magical journey where they fly over to the snowmen party where the boy also meets Father Christmas (the same one as from the other animation).<br />
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During the whole 26 minutes, not one word is spoken. The story is told by the visuals, orchestral music and the iconic song "We're Walking In The Air". The music is beautiful and the way it helps the tale along reminds me of "Peter and the Wolf". The animation look just like the books illustrations have come to life. I really like the hand-drawn quality of it. You can see all the lines and shadings move, making it look very lively and full of character. <br />
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"The Snowman" has a very different mood than "Father Christmas". While the latter is cheerful and cosy, I felt a kind of melancholy all throughout "The Snowman". I wasn't really quite sure what to think about it. I wasn't sure if I even liked the story. James seems like a sweet and lonely boy. When the snow comes in the morning he's playing by himself and has no friends there to have snowball fights with. Because of that the ending seems even more poignant and the whole story feels very bitter-sweet. Now James found such a wonderful friend, they only had so little time to spend together. I think maybe that's the reason why this story is so special to so many people. It shows that you really have to live in those magical moments and cherish the people you care about, whether as a child or adult, when they happen because they'll be gone before you know it. In the morning James still has the scarf he got from Santa, reminding him of his special adventures with his friend, just like anyone will have memories or even items left over from their childhood, their friendships to remind them of their importance and reality.<br />
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For myself, I'm still not certain whether I'd want to watch it every Christmas because it so much struck a chord with me, as I think it will do with anyone really. That is also the exact reason why this is such a good story, it tells a lot and makes you feel so much in such little time. Definitely one I think everyone should watch at some point, but maybe not make it the only feature during your celebrations. <br /> <br />
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<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-62420032930460260972011-12-13T09:42:00.000-08:002011-12-13T09:43:51.176-08:00CHRISTMAS MOVIE REVIEW: Father Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This beautifully animated short based on 1970's picture books written and illustrated by Raymond Briggs is a British Christmas classic. This is the first time I've seen it, but probably everyone over the age of 25 in the U.K. is familiar with it. Actually, this Christmas Eve it will be 20 years since it first aired.<br />
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"Father Christmas" shows us what Santa Claus does on his time off all the rest of the year. This year he decides to go on holiday. We follow him to France, Scotland and Las Vegas, until he has to go back to prepare for Christmas Eve.<br />
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What I loved about this story is that Father Christmas (voiced by British comedian and director Mel Smith) seems so human and real. He likes food, booze and girls. In Las Vegas he even gambles a little. While just stating it like that, it might sound a bit crude but it's quite the opposite. Santa is a sweet, cheerful old man who knows how to enjoy life. All his misadventures have cute and funny outcomes that both kids and adults will chuckle at. The hand-drawn animation is full of warmth and personality, everything look so cosy and Christmassy, it makes me want to put on a cheesy reindeer sweater and cuddle up on the sofa with a hot cup of cocoa.<br />
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In the U.S. a sanitized version was released where all the smoking, drinking, show-girls and even Santa's bum was edited out. I can just imagine how much this will have ruined the movie. It erases all that Father Christmas is and enjoys and you're left with nothing. Well, I guess you're left with a typical American goody-two-shoes Hallmark postcard version, but who would prefer that? I doubt any kids will.<br />
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"Father Christmas" is a silly story full of heart that for the 28 minutes it runs, kind of makes you believe in Santa Claus again. So, if you're planning on watching it this December, make sure to get the original version and you'll be in for a treat. I loved it!<br />
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Next up: Another Raymond Briggs classic: "the Snowman". <br />
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<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-32693045086817497642011-12-05T18:26:00.001-08:002011-12-05T18:59:17.344-08:00REVIEW: Lady Gaga - Marry the NightLady Gaga has released her latest video from the Born This Way album, clocking in at 14 minutes, it has already received nearly 10 million views in just four days. Gaga is wheeled into a mental hospital, starting the video of with a "Girl, Interrupted" theme and then taking us through another psychologically dramatic sequence, not dissimilar to "Black Swan", featuring Lady Gaga herself and other ballerinas in skin-colored latex dresses and fetish ballet shoes.<br />
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It's a lush dive into an aspiring stars madness with plenty of kinky outfits, exploding cars, shots of a wet, naked Gaga and Flashdance-esque dance school choreography. <br />
Marry the Night is one of the album's better songs, but it doesn't seem to be the main focus in this video. I don't think it's one of her best videos, but it shows her progress into a more all-round artist. I love that Lady Gaga is aspiring more and more to make short films that tell a story she feels the need to tell. Like she says at the start (in other words), so what if this isn't what it's really like? It's a fantasy, a fetishized version of herself and where she comes from. It's not an idealized version of the truth, but one that speaks to the imagination and grabs your attention.<br />
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The nods to popular movies about young women slipping into mental illness really strikes a chord with me. We all know Lady Gaga isn't your everyday girl-next-door and her need for attention and fame could be a sign that maybe she isn't all that stable either. Her portrayal in this video seems to ring more true about what she had to go through to get where she is now than what we already know. I loved her acting in this video, she's fragile and vulnerable. Whenever we see her in the public eye, she's strong-minded and opinionated. I think Marry the Night shows a more personal side of Lady Gaga and I really like that she's opened up like that. I look forward to seeing what she'll come up with next and where she'll take her visual art next. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cggNqDAtJYU&ob=av2e">Watch here. </a><br />
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<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-42967839005253552352011-11-29T06:28:00.001-08:002011-11-29T07:35:50.523-08:00STYLE TIPS: How to update last year's party dressWith the party season just around the corner it's time to get your outfit sorted! A new dress is always welcome, but isn't it a shame to waste that perfect LBD (or other colour) from last year? Ofcourse nobody wants to be wearing the same clothes in two years worth of Christmas photographs, but there's a cheaper, more creative alternative to splashing your money on new threads. And not only that, you can add your own touch and create something nobody else will have and totally fits your style! <br />
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If you take a look at the current trends, you'll see a lot of lace, sheer fabrics, embellishments and stars. All these things you could easily incorporate into your own look. Wanting to add some sexy, sheer touches to your strappy dress? You could wear a pretty blouse underneath or over it, changing it from showing off your skin to a flirty hint at what's underneath.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.missselfridge.com/wcsstore/MissSelfridge/images/catalog/18Q01JBLK_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media.missselfridge.com/wcsstore/MissSelfridge/images/catalog/18Q01JBLK_large.jpg" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Chiffon dress at Miss Selfridge £39</td></tr>
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The same goes for adding lace. Another way to add some lace is to sew a collar onto your dress. This will make it feel very feminine and vintage. If you're not a dab hand with a needle and thread you could wear some lace gloves, pin on a lacy flower brooch. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.look.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/scaled_300px_wide/peacocksdress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.look.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/scaled_300px_wide/peacocksdress.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl Lowe for Peacocks £35</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Embellishments will take a bit more time to add, but the results can be stunning. Adding pearls, sequins or rhinestones will really glam up a plain outfit. If you're not handy enough, or not patient enough, to sew on your embellishments you could glue them on with a glue-gun or use a tool for adding on your rhinestones. Be careful that you use glue that is compatible with your fabric and also strong enough so that your hard work won't come of with the first washing! This is a really fun way to decorate your dress because you can add all kinds of designs and use all kinds of items. They don't need to be the classic pearls or shimmers, you could add buttons, beads, studs, anything you'd like. You could add pearls in a bow shape along the neckline for a cute, vintage look, place rhinestones all over for a stunning sparkling effect or studs for a harder edge. This really is a good way to put your own personal stamp on your clothing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rise Boutique jewelled neck dress at Tesco £55</td></tr>
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And then finally, maybe the biggest current trend, stars! They're fun, festive and can be anything from flirty to edgy. Easy ways to add stars to your existing wardrobe is to find some transfers to iron on, or make a mold out of cardboard or plastic so you can paint them on yourself. You can't really do either of these well on sheer fabrics. It's best to try this out on items made out of cotton or jersey. Of course you could always just add some jewellery or accessories with stars!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.matalan.co.uk/pws/images/catalogue/products/s2480296c120/prod/s2480296c120_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media.matalan.co.uk/pws/images/catalogue/products/s2480296c120/prod/s2480296c120_1.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Star Pussy Bow dress at Matalan £24</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The easiest and still inexpensive way to update your wardrobe is to add new accessories. A statement necklace, some fingerless gloves, a cool hat, all these things will jazz up last years outfit without much effort but with maximum effect. Have fun and be creative! <br />
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<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-74930218389745226352011-11-14T12:51:00.000-08:002011-11-14T13:31:01.250-08:00MOVIE REVIEW: The Black Cauldron<div>
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The Horned King is after the black cauldron, an ancient weapon which contains incredible demonic powers. He plans to raise an army out of dead soldiers to conquer the world. Meanwhile, a young boy called Taran wants more than anything to be a great warrior, but he is only a pig keepers assistant to the enchanter Dallben. One day, taking care of the adorable Hen Wen, the pig starts to act scared. Dallben gets the clairvoyant creature to do her thing and it turns out that the Horned King knows of her powers. Afraid for Hen Wens safety, he send the boy and pig to hide in a little woodcabin. On their way though, the Kings dragon grab Hen Wen. Taran promised the enchanter that he'd make sure the evil king doesn't get his hands on her, so he goes after them to the very scary looking castle where the Horned King dwells. </div>
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The Black Cauldron is a lot darker and scarier than other Disney movies I have seen. It doesn't have any songs and it lacks that frivolity Disney is so well known for. It might not be everyones cup of tea, certainly too scary for most of their usual little fans I'm sure, but it is a good movie. This thrilling adventure takes you from a little farmers shack, to dark castle dungeons, to a world full of hidden fairies. </div>
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The Horned King is an evil, heartless villain of the highest caliber and his deathless army is creepy enough to give anyone nightmares. Were it not for the "good" characters, it might all seem a tad too gloomy. Taran and the people he meets on his way are all very likeable. The magical Princess Eilonwy and the middle-aged minstrel Flewwddur Fflam provide a touch of lightness in this otherwise dark tale. I even quite liked Gurgi, a small, whiny creature not unlike Harry Potters'"Dobby". </div>
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What makes this a good story is Tarans courage and willingness to help his newfound friends no matter what. Good versus evil is such an age old story, Disney has made so many of these tales, but because the Horned King appears so demonic and unbeatable, Taran has to be even braver and take bigger risks than anyone could expect of a little boy and that works really well. His quest really draws you in and at times has you at the edge of your seat. </div>
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The animation is beautiful, like I said this movie is very dark. Most of the scenery looks very ominous, they wouldn't look out of place in an Iron Maiden video.</div>
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I can see why the Black Cauldron isn't a big classic like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or the Little Mermaid, it just won't appeal to as big an audience. I imagine this is one of the few Disney movies that would appeal to boys more than girls. Maybe not for the little ones, but worth a watch! <br />
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<br />Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-23267982569194215572011-11-11T10:34:00.000-08:002011-11-11T14:39:30.102-08:00RECOMMENDED: Grimm<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.undertheradarmag.com/uploads/review_images/grimm-nbc-tv-show.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 536px; height: 278px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://www.undertheradarmag.com/uploads/review_images/grimm-nbc-tv-show.jpeg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Recently started on NBC, Grimm is a police drama with a difference. Homicide detective Nick Burkhardt has a gift that he acquired from his dying aunt. He's the last in a long line of Grimms, people who can see the real monsters behind their human disguises. That's right, the fairytales weren't just stories to warn kids about the results of bad behavior, they really happened! And now it's up to Nick to search them out and kill the bad ones. </div><div> </div><div>It sounds like one of those things that I couldn't believe nobody had thought of yet. So far, NBC have aired a pilot and a second episode and tonight the third is on. The show was created by Stephen Carpenter, Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt, who have all at some point worked on Angel. And ofcourse David Greenwalt was also co-executive producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and co-creator of Angel. Grimm could be easily described as a mix between Buffy and CSI. I was gripped from the first little bit I saw of it and I think it's one of the more interesting new shows to come along. It's scary, exciting and perfect if you were that little kid sat in the library reading the real versions of the Brothers' gruesome tales. If you're interest is sparked, check out the free previews on iTunes or check out NBC's page for it: <a href="http://www.nbc.com/grimm/">http://www.nbc.com/grimm/</a>. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div>Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101528297837094191.post-16019959492825762542011-10-31T14:47:00.000-07:002011-11-11T14:39:48.281-08:00The Gone and the Restless: The Fog<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9vwBpb5HdXk" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>Miss Daiquirishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734242510972010958noreply@blogger.com0