My Oscar Fashion Review

Okay, so how great were the Oscars this year? I actually really enjoyed them, I mean the relentless ad breaks began to get on my nerves but they were more than made up for by the actual show. Neil Patrick Harris was the perfect host, his jokes landed, his likeable personality shone through and the boy can sing and dance (of course with the help of the beautiful Anna Kendrick and sudden appearance of Jack Black). I am not too man enough to say I cried at a couple of moments, one been Common and John Legend's performance - it was powerful I tell ya. A few of my Oscar predictions came true, the company my friend works for won an Oscar last night (so I am now officially one step closer to been best friends with Meryl Streep - it is my destiny, I can taste it), all in all it was worth staying up till half 4 in the morning to watch, and I will do it again next year.

Now what I would normally do is praise my favourite dresses of the night and follow up with who I would re-dress. This time I thought I would do it a tad different. I didn't go against these fabulous women's choices - instead I just tweaked them a tad. Just a couple of small changes that I personally think would make them a tonne better. I am not one to against the heavyweights of Chanel and Elie Saab, this is purely my opinion. So, are you ready? Here are my tweaks.

Lupita in custom Calvin Klein 

I am not mad at this dress, I think it is beautifully made and sculpted to perfection. I can't even imagine the work that it took to sew on this many pearls perfectly. My only slight criticisms would be that I don't like the keyhole cutout on her chest or the weight/amount of material on her shoulders. The hole in the chest is way too distracting and I think actually cheapens the look, and lemme tell you there would be nothing cheap about this dress. The weight on the shoulders to me looks like a mistake, last minute decision to not have sleeves so her stylist bunched them up to create the almost cowl neck appearance. 

So what I did was I filled in the hole with more pearls, I slimmed down the material on the shoulders and for fun I filled in the neckline, bringing it right up to the chin almost. It was an experiment but I like the results.  

Zoe in custom Atelier Versace 
This dress didn't need much to make it better. It is classic Versace where it clings in all the right places with good structure around the chest and stomach. For someone who had twins not 2 seconds ago we have to applaud the body. There is just one big no no for me here - I can not stand spaghetti straps! They are ugly, cheap and you can be the thinnest person in the world but they will cut in to your shoulders, creating 2 lumps on each shoulder where it has pushed down all skin and muscle and separated it like Moses and the red sea. Plus you will forever be pulling them up.
All I did was remove the straps and you have to agree it looks so much better, the décolletage looks super hot now it hasn't been split in 3. Also a little cheeky thing I did was lift the underarms of the dress just to create a more flattering neckline.

Julianne in Chanel
I will never hate on this woman, the work she does is outstanding and that award had her name engraved on it for years now - it just had to be the right moment. My only issue with her dress was the band that ran around her hips. It elongated her torso, which I don't believe any woman in the entire world has requested from her designer. She almost has no shape in this dress, could have been the intention, but this woman has a banging body - ya got it ya flaunt it.
All I did was raise the band to her waist. I didn't bring in her waist to emphasize it, the illusion did the work for me. Doesn't it look so much better. It gives her a shorter more natural torso and legs for days. Winner.

Emma in Elie Saab
Emma can't do no wrong in my eyes, she is an example of human excellence. This dress however ... I just don't get the colour choice. I mean how would you even describe it? First of all is green or yellow? I just don't get it. The dress is beautiful don't get me wrong, the colour just doesn't give it justice. Elie Saab is a fashion house I have admired for years, the create dresses of such beauty, the epitome of feminine , so delicate - I couldn't admire them more.
I just made one simple change -  the colour. I took it from the drab yellow/green and make it a soft pink. I feel this colour compliments Emma's skin colour and hair colour so much more, it adds to the fantasy element and lets face it -  red hues were a popular colour of choice last night.

Nicole in Louis Vuitton
She is always one the people I look out for on E! Red Carpet Live. She is a fashion girl at the end of the day. She pushes the envelope with her choices and I have huge respect and admiration for that. This dress though, I love in parts and just scratch my head at others. I will start with what I like; the material, I know a lot of people won't like it or understand why. Let me let you in on a secret, you don't have to understand. Thats what make fashion fun. I like it because it is different, it doesn't require any accessories because it already is the star of the ensemble. That slit! It is perfect. Just the right height, just the right placement, enough said. What I don't like are the accessories. What is that belt? It looks like she spilt on her dress, ran to a haberdashery store before the awards, saw some shocking ribbon to distract from said spillage and strut on the carpet. It just doesn't work. Once again I applaud her choices, but even the Queen trips sometimes.
So what I changed was obviously the belt, I enjoyed the placement and the simplicity so I didn't get rid of it, instead I think a black belt would have worked so much better. It adds a more polished, finished look that I think the Oscar's asks for. Also a little change I did was a created a sweetheart neckline, I was just experimenting and I think it works. It is a very boom boom boom dress, there wasn't any extra pizazz or flirty element, and I think it is now elevated with just simple changes.

More Like Him

I may not be the manliest of men, I don’t fit the criteria that is often expected of a penis owner. However I do think I have one thing in common with a large part of the man race - insecurities. We all see every single day a new study, a magazine article, a news bulletin all about female beauty and how society is killing women because they can’t meet these standards - but we never/rarely hear about how society judges a male appearance in the same way. You have probably never seen an article about how we need to see more ‘real’ men on the covers of magazines or in movies, yet you can’t flick through a female magazine without seeing someone mention how real women aren’t represented in media. The latest Dove soap commercials all feature ‘real women’, magazines are celebrated when they put a ‘real woman’ on the cover and female TV stars are applauded when they come out and announce that they love their bodies the way they are.

It isn’t the same for men though. If a man puts on weight then the thought of the nation is that he has just given up on life. Almost every advertisement for a male product is fronted by the ‘ideal man’. He has washboard abs, a jaw that could cut glass and the perfect quaffed hair. Nothing is said about this. The only advertisements that feature slightly chubby men are adverts that are trying to be funny, like beer or pasty advertisements. Even an advert that advertises clothes for the ‘larger’ man feature a sports star who only fits the criteria because he is tall. Men that don’t meet the male beauty standard are always cast as the best friend or the man with unrequited love in film and TV, when they do eventually find love in these shows/films it is applauded because he beat the odds, not because the guy got the girl.

In recent years eating disorders amongst boys and men has sky rocketed, but not much is said about it - instead they will use it as shock statistic when they are doing a piece about eating disorders in a general way. I read somewhere that boys were killing themselves to look like the guys in ‘300’. It’s disturbing that this wasn’t talked about as much. I am not blaming the creators of ‘300’ for perpetrating this myth that men should look like this because in this story these warriors would look like this. It isn’t just that film that shows off men’s bodies this way that was purely just an example of something I found. Almost every leading man in a film or a TV show is a good looking man, a thin/buff man.

I am not going to get out my soap box and demand that all men should be represented, because no doubt someone will come along and push me off it with facts that argue mine. This is just something I have noticed. I don’t want overweight men to become a norm because that would just highlight an unhealthy lifestyle, what I do want is for it to become more freeing for men to get the help they need. When they see these men in media they need to know that it would have taken months of intense training to look this way and a very strict diet, it isn’t something that is achievable for all men. There are so many images out there of these men that all look great, like they never stepped out of a gym, we can’t all live in a gym - some of us would prefer to be at home and putting the dinner on.

This comes from a personal view because I spend too much time obsessing over men that I will never look like. It takes up much more time then it should, sometimes I even get thoughts that I will need to look a certain way to achieve certain things in life, like love or a career - and isn’t that just sad. I should be happy with what I was given but I am not. I see Zac Efron and Harry Styles (not blaming them for anything) and I want to look more like them. I want to be able wear a t shirt and not be pre-occupied with how my boobs will look in it. I want to be able to wear any clothes and feel comfortable enough to go outside in them, I think my family will agree that I dress a lot differently in the house then I do outside.

We are all celebrating the slow changes in media for representation of women, I would just like the same to happen for men. Abs do not equal beauty, the perfect tan does not equal beauty, the perfect hairline does not equal beauty. Men come in all shapes and sizes and as we age our shapes and sizes all change. I would like to see a wider range of healthy men to be represented in media, we need the pressure taken off us just like our female counterparts.

'Skinny guys are seen as weak. Bald guys are emasculated and impotent. And so it goes, men chase the unattainable standard of beauty portrayed in the media as well. We spend billions of dollars with the hope that we will be desirable and accepted by society, only to find out it’s never good enough.’ - V Pauni

Dolly

Dolly is definitely the woman of the moment right now, she is on the front cover of every paper in England, she just stormed the stage at Glastonbury and became the most talk about act of the weekend, just released a new 32 track album and announced a world tour. And can we please remember that she is 68 years old! Dolly is truly a living legend that deserves all the respect in the world. From humble beginnings living in the mountains of Tennessee she has gone on to have 41 top 10 albums and 110 singles that all charted. She has starred in 12 movies and countless TV programmes. She has won 7 Grammys and been nominated for a further 45 (currently the record amount by a female artist - level pegging with Beyonce).  Dolly is the Queen of Country and below I will list some Dolly facts that you may or not know, but you surely will love her for.

1. Dolly was only 7 when she wrote her first song and was appearing on radio from the age of 9. Her first record ‘Puppy Love’ was recorded when she was just 13 years old.

2. She has been married to her husband (Carl Thomas Dean) for over 50 years.

3. Dolly once entered a Dolly Parton look-a-like competition. She came second - to a man.

4. Dolly has her own theme park - Dollywood. She refuses to ride the roller coasters though as she is deathly afraid. 

5. She is Miley Cyrus' God Mother.

6. She supports gay marriage. On gay marriage, Parton said, “I always say, ‘Sure — why can’t they get married? They should suffer like the rest of us do!’”

7. She refused to sell Elvis Presley the publishing rights to her hit ‘I Will Always Love You.’ Elvis’ manager called Parton the day before the recording session and told her that he and Presley wouldn’t record any songs that they didn’t have at least half of the publishing rights to. “It had nothing to do with Elvis, because hopefully he was disappointed too, but I just wouldn’t let him have the publishing,” said Parton.

8. Famously said of her distinctive appearance: "It takes a lot of money to make a person look this cheap."

9. She has donated 45 million+ books to her own child literacy organisation.

10. Reportedly written over 5000 songs.

I love Dolly and I know everyone has a special place for her in their hearts; and who doesn't know the words to 'I Will Always Love You' or '9 to 5'?! She never seems to stop; she either has a movie, a CD, a tour or an appearance somewhere. Long live Dolly Parton.

“I tried every diet in the book. I tried some that weren't in the book. I tried eating the book. It tasted better than most of the diets.” 

― Dolly Parton

“I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb - and I'm not blonde either.” 

― Dolly Parton

“People always ask me how long it takes to do my hair. I don’t know, I’m never there.” 

― Dolly Parton

“I was the first woman to burn my bra - it took the fire department four days to put it out.” 

― Dolly Parton

“Figure out who you are. Then do it on purpose.” 

― Dolly Parton

Why 'The Fault in Our Stars' is important.

Reading a quick description of this book would not give it justice or entice many people to read it. The skeleton of this book is that is a love story, a love story of two teenagers each battling cancer or some variant of the disease. I will give it you, it doesn't sound like a laugh riot of a story; it does have a few laughs in it, the kind of laughs that are heartwarming and helps to push the point that even in our darkest times we can crack a smile. It is a deep, emotional, make-your-eyes-sting-from-crying kind of story. Written by the genius that is John Green, it is a story that touches you and gives you an outlook on life we don't always seek out. The slap in the face realism of teenagers suffering from incurable diseases really makes you think, well it did me. Excuse the lame cliche but life is short. I took a lot away from this book; so below I wrote a few things that I think are important messages from this book.

SPOILER ALERT . SPOILER ALERT . SPOILER ALERT . SPOILER ALERT

Death
John Green isn't afraid to explore the world of death in this story, and why should he be? It is the one certainty of life.  These characters have it forced upon them in the most cruelest way, they have incurable diseases that have a best before date stamped on the side like a bottle of milk. What shocked me the most is the speed in which it happens. Augustus' death was a huge shocker to me, to me he seemed like the healthiest of the bunch, he was getting over his illness and living a normal as normal life he could. Then it took a swift detour of a cliff. He died so suddenly leaving behind a broken hearted Hazel and Isaac. However, because they have had to face the inevitable for so long they take it, they learn from it and they accept it. They aren't by any stretch of the imagination happy about it but they deal and they are grateful for what they get. There is a great quote from the book which had me in tears:

'There are days, many of them, when I resent the size of my unbounded set.I want more numbers than I’m likely to get, and God, I want more for Augustus Waters than he got. But, Gus, my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.' Hazel Grace

Pain
"That's the thing about pain," Augustus said, and then glanced back at me. "It demands to be felt."

I am in love with this quote, it is so real and deep and its something that no one actually wants to accept. However they have had to accept it, it is their truth on a daily basis. And just like death they deal with it. No one should have to live with pain but unfortunately it is a part of life, we have to feel it to know that we feel something. This book explores pain in many different way, it has emotional pain, physical pain and mental pain. The most powerful message I got from the book is that pain is human nature, we have to go through it but it doesn't have to be the be all and end all. There is a time that the pain stops.

Love
I may not be advertising this book very well, especially to people that don't enjoy a depressing read. If you ignore the pain and death there is a timeless love story there. Through unfortunate circumstances these two beautiful people meet. They have an undeniable spark and a banter that just makes them connect. Sadly they do have a strong connection through their similarities.
When you watch them together in the film, or visualise it from the book you don't see the cancer when they are together. I see love, undeniable, gorgeous, youthful love. They each found someone that cares about them that isn't afraid for everyone to know (evident by a kiss in front of a crowd of people at Anne Frank's Museum). They are inspirational because even when we go through our darkest periods in our life there is always that light, that little bit of joy that can make you forget about the darkness.

“But I believe in true love, you know? I don't believe that everybody gets to keep their eyes or not get sick or whatever, but everybody should have true love, and it should last at least as long as your life does.”

These are three topics all explored in this story. It is a real life mixture of things that we all face, some on a daily basis. I love this story because it goes beyond the love story, it is almost like a love life. It showcases the beginning, the struggles, the happiness, the simplicity, the complications and the untimely end.
I could talk about this book for hours, and with certain friends I have. It is something I believe everyone should read. It might not change your life, it might not even move you but it tells you a story. A story that hasn't been told this way before. Written from Hazel's point of view, John Green has an amazing talent to speak for a generation that he is longer part of. It is so authentic.
It is a major tear jerker but it can also make you laugh out loud. It can make your heart ache but also flutter. What I chose to get from this book is that we all have moments of pain, we all have moments where we want to give up; but what you have to hold on to is the true beauty of life. There are people in your life that make your life what it is and you shouldn't deny yourself the pleasure of being with them.
True love isn't something I have ever experienced, but I hold out for it one day. I hold out for my Augustus Waters. Okay?

My Top 5 Final Girls

There is a lot to be said for the 'Final Girl', they are heroic, inspirational, kick-ass and respected. They go through the worst that human nature can throw at them. Often victims of circumstance and wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time, they prevail, beat the bad guy and come out with some minor injuries and whole new look on life. The 'Final Girl' is one of my favourite type of characters in any genre of film, I love to see the good guy win, or in this case the good gal. 

A writer call Carol J. Clover first coined the term 'Final Girl' in her 1992 book 'Men, Women, and Chainsaws : Gender in the Modern Horror Film'. She suggests that the viewer begins by sharing the perspective of the killer, but experiences a shift in identification to the final girl partway through the film. What I get from this is that people go into horror films to see death, we want to see the most brutal murder and be shocked by the amazing way they are done, but after a few deaths we want the bad guy to get what is coming for him. We want the woman to kick the crap out of him basically. The many theories that she has do ring true, the final girl is rarely seen in a sexual way (often a virgin), the final girl can also become masculinized and no longer the stereotypical damsel in distress anymore and also they seem to have quite a gender neutral name like Sidney or Billie. 

The whole theory really interests me. The feminist portion of my brain loves it. The woman is no longer a victim, they should be feared and never crossed. They shouldn't be treated any different to any man in any given situation. Horror films can often be seen as misogynistic, the sexually adventurous women, the drug taking women and the sexy women will die, often punished in a way that reflects their vices. However in the 80's it took a turn, yes we still have these characters been punished but so are the male equivalent. Also now it is rare for a male character to last to the end, the final girl is the only one standing covered in blood, weapon in hand and no one by her side. People can argue till they are blue in the face that the film industry is sexist but horror has taken a huge leap in recent decades - no longer is a knight on a white horse required.

So in the style of this blog I have of course created a list of my favourite final girls. I haven't picked based on anything more than that I enjoyed their performances and stories. There is no equation to which women made the list - purely my favourites.

5. Erin Harson (Sharni Vinson) in You're Next.
This one slasher horror you need to see. In recent years the slasher horror genre is complicating things, they think we need a complex storyline and a big reason why, but we don't. For fans of the genre we want to see a well played out story with a lot of effective effects. This film did just that, it has a simple storyline of two brothers who want to kill their entire family for the inheritance. One mistake one of the brothers made was bringing his girlfriend, his girlfriend who was raised on an Australian survivalist compound. She sets up traps and manages to kill everybody who wants to kill her - even one point using a blender. Erin is a great, realistic character who is genius when it comes to looking out for number one.

4. Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) in I Know What You Did Last Summer and I Still Know What You Did Las Summer
Okay it could be argued that she got what was coming to her, at the end of the day she was part of a group of teenagers that knocked over a man and then threw his body in to the water. The film could have been a very moral story of 4 teenagers who made a mistake and owned up to it, but how boring would that have been. So one year after the incident they all start getting hunted by the guy they knocked over (he didn't die dun dun dunnn). Julie wants nothing more than to make it right, however the killer doesn't care. She witnesses everyone involved die plus some people who got in the way. Mad props go out to her as she managed to survive in a world that Buffy couldn't. 

3. Marybeth (Tamara Feldman and Danielle Harris) in Hatchet, Hatchet II and Hatchet III
These are some great 80's throwback monster/psycho killer movies. Basically a boy (Victor Crowley) with horrible disfigurements is killed, however his ghost lives on. Although the word 'ghost' doesn't really fit, he is a physical being that can be hurt, dismembered and shot. Marybeth is the daughter of the man who is responsible for the boy's death. Her father is killed by a now grown up Victor years later and Marybeth feels that the best thing to do is to go find her father's body. She comes face to face with Victor on many occasions. She puts up one hell of a fight, eventually walking away with his scalp in her hand but of course that wasn't the end. However she did end the curse in the 3rd one so all is good in the world again. She is definitely an over looked character, she is brilliant, ballsy and force to be reckoned with.

2. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) in The Halloween Franchise
Arguably the original final girl and scream queen. She set the standard. Her brother is the infamous child killer, he butchered his entire family before been put in an insane asylum. She however wasn't killed and was free to live her life - or so she thought. Her brother of course escapes the asylum to finish the job. She sees all the her friends aswell as innocent bystanders get killed. She manages to escape once again after a brother/sister fight to rival anything you see on a reality TV show. Of course this been the horror genre, no one evil really dies (a sequel is always required). She meets him again on multiple occasions. What I wasn't happy about with this character is her ultimate demise. She throws her self off the roof of an asylum, no longer able to cope with her life. I would have loved to of seen some epic battle - but that might just be me.

1. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) in the Scream Franchise
For me she is the ultimate character in any horror film I have ever seen. She is the quintessential victim, she literally didn't do anything, yet her boyfriend, her boyfriend's friend, her boyfriend's mother, a classmate, her half brother, her cousin and her cousin's friend all feel she deserves to die. Except not today - today they all die. You don't up against Sidney and expect to walk away. This girl is a fighter. This girl will power walk away from all of these situations with her head held high. She has had to witness everyone she is close to be murdered or at the very least stabbed. And it was all because of her mother's past. Sidney I tip my feathered hat to you and I hope to see you again in Scream 5.

All Together Now

I have a very strong belief that I stand by through think and thin - every song in the entire catalogue of music can be improved by adding a choir. Jesus, I love a choir. There is just something about a large group of people singing in unison that gets me, I get chills. The power that radiates and the emotion that builds is like nothing else. Of course choirs are most famous for singing religious songs, I however am not religious - but I will listen to them for hours if I could. Imagine my delight when choirs are featured in films, even more so when it involves a choir competition! So, as I do, I have wrote a short list of some of my favourite choir moments from film. Sit back, enjoy and rejoice in the magic of the choir.

Sister Act 2 - Joyful Joyful

This may have been my first foray into my love of choir music. I was in a choir during Primary School and a little bit of High School but we never did this. Lauryn Hill is everything! Plus its worth a watch just for the amazing 90's fashion.

Joyful Noise - Take Me Higher

I will hold my hands up, I haven't watched this movie. However I did YouTube all the performances because my love for Dolly Parton has no boundaries. Love the fact they have taken Chris Brown songs and made them gospel. Dolly breaking into 'Forever' knocked me metaphorically off my seat.

Fighting Temptations - He Still Loves Me

This whole song and arrangement is just beautiful. It doesn't throw the message down your throat and it doesn't do anything crazy - a nice song to sway to, with one hand in the air with your eyes closed. Plus it has Beyonce - enough said.

Pitch Perfect - Bella's Finale Song

What an amazing movie this is, it has everything I require. A choir competition, sarcasm and touching moments - turn it into a horror of some sorts and it could be a perfect film. I love all the performances but it has to be the finale that knocks the ball out of the park. Who knew Anna Kendrick had such an amazing voice - they should have let her sing in Twilight.

Romeo and Juliet - Everybody's Free

In a film filled to the brim with amazing moments, this one stuck out to me. This boy's voice is so magical, it leaves me gobsmacked. Every time I watch this scene it strikes me and leaves me speechless. If you don't want to watch the entire film skip to 53 minutes to witness the beauty. 

Notable Mentions

Sister Act 2 - Oh Happy Days

Pitch Perfect - Riff Off

A Walk to Remember - Choir Scene

Joyful Noise - Man in the Mirror

The Colour Purple - God is Trying to Tell You Something

Across The Universe - Let It Be

Craig's Movie Club - A Trilogy

Roll up, roll up and gather round and take a look at this; I've only gone and watched some more films! And of course I want to impart my knowledge on any folk that may read this. Once again there were some hits and misses, some that thrilled and some that left me comatose. So lets get underway as I have some insight into 5 films that I bet you are dying to know. Once again - spoiler alert.

300: Rise of an Empire
I loved '300' I really did. It was violent, bloody and featured 300 buff, half naked gentlemen (sounds like a great night in). When I heard there was to be a sequel I was a tad excited. Except this isn't a sequel, or it kind of is - stay with me. It runs along side the original whilst also telling us what happened before and after. One thing you can not take away from the creators of the these films is just how god damn beautiful they are. Every shot has something to make your eyes widen in appreciation. Every square centimetre of the screen has been thought out and it is awe inspiring.
One of the many things I like in my films is a kick ass female. This film has two so you can understand my love for the film. My love for Lena Headey goes past Game of Thrones and The Purge - I think she is gorgeous and has an air of perfection about her. She doesn't disappoint in this film reprising her role of Queen Gorgo Then step forward Eva Green, an actress that doesn't really appear in a lot of stuff I watch, as Artemisia. A woman with vengeance on her mind and the skills to pull it off. I can't celebrate this film more, I thought it was great, beautifully shot, the special effects weren't in overkill and the actors were all stunning and talented.

12 Years a Slave 
I wasn't too sure about seeing this film for a few reasons. I knew it was an important film to see, it told a story that needed to be told and it gave an audience to a topic often held in a state of taboo. Back in the day times were awful and sometimes we don't always want to be reminded what our ancestors did, it can be shameful and uncomfortable. However I went and watched the film. It was beautifully made, the acting was top notch and I came away with an education. Some scenes were incredibly hard to watch, and thats a good thing. Two scenes that stick out to me is Chiwetel Ejiofor's character been hung and Lupita Nyong'o's character been whipped. Some could argue that these scenes were too long, we got the point now lets move on, but I applaud the director - he gave truth to a situation that is often cast off as something that 'just happened then'. I can't speak for everyone but whilst I was watching it I was incredibly uncomfortable and I was asking in my head for it to be over - I am glad they were that long though, it was necessary.
You can't talk about this film and not mention Lupita Nyong'o. She plays a young woman slave called Patsy. She is abused, used and understandably a very unhappy character. Lupita played her phenomenally. Sometimes in my head I blur fantasy and reality, she did this aswell. It was so well done that I felt like I was watching something real. The scene where she is found sneaking soap was so real and so cutting. Lupita deserved every award she received.

The Grand Budapest Hotel
It is rare these days to find a director with a recognisable style, a director that sticks to an aesthetic and brings the stories in to his world. Wes Anderson is leading the pack when it comes to this. The bright and often plain sets, mixed with very flamboyant costumes and his attention to detail make for a style all of his own. This film does take some thought; its a story within a story within a story. However, don't let this put you off. It is a great story and it had me laughing all the way through.
Ralph Fiennes really carries this film, he should be celebrated for it. He was fantastic as M. Gustave, a hotel concierge who goes above and beyond his duties who finds himself at the centre of a murder. This film is chock full of recognisable actors from Tilda Swinton to Edward Norton. Its also made a star of the young actor Tony Revolori as Zero, he was fantastic in this film with his dry acting style. Wes Anderson's films are always great, but this is probably one of my favourites.

Dallas Buyers Club
I wasn't aware of this story before I saw the film, so it was great that it was finally bought to the masses. It tells the story of a young gentleman who finds out he has AIDs. The medication he needs is not available to him so he sets up a business to buy the drugs from around the world, and he deals them to other sufferers of this terrible illness. This film got a lot of attention from many award shows - and each was deserved. The story is both sad and inspiring.
The performances in this film were second to none. For me Jared Leto was the star, he played a transgender woman called Rayon. He lost a lot of weight for the role which highlighted the stress and struggle this illness can take on the body. His final scene had me in tears, I didn't see the frontman of '30 Seconds to Mars', I saw a woman struggling with an illness that eventually was the end of her. We can't ignore the amazing work of Matthew McConaughey as the lead character, a very well deserved award for Best Actor at the Oscars. He is, like Leto, completely unrecognisable in this role. I don't normally rate much of his work, he has a very distinct style which works for what he normally does, but he blew me away in this role - I tip my feathered hat to you sir.

Her
This film did not get the attention it deserved, it was lost amongst a lot of films this year that had more of a social impact. Ironically in future decades I feel this film could have been a warning for what we are about to become. The bones of this movie is that it follows a man, who just came out of a serious relationship, and falls in love with the operating system of his home computer and phone. The operating system is basically Siri with a personality, and dangerously in this film -  a personality designed to each and every customer personally.
This film is almost foreshadowing what could easily happen and I am sure it may almost has in an extremely small quantity of people. As we become more reliant on technology we will no doubt start to develop feelings for them, give them a personality and it becomes a great alternative to human interaction. In this film we see the start, middle and end to the relationship between Theodore and his operating system Samantha. Its a a great story with a great cast, and I highly recommend it, just don't go in with a pre-conception of this man being a lonely loser. He isn't, he is our future.

Coming Of Age

One of the best genre of films in my opinion has to be the 'Coming Of Age' genre. These movies are generally centred around teenagers and young adults. They don't have the best time of it and struggle with a lot of different things, but through out it all they become better people and become more adjusted to the way people expect them to be. Funny thing for me is that I don't think I have lived a very note worthy life yet I find myself identifying with a lot that happens. I may have not done a lot of things these characters have done, but there is something there that makes me feel a bit awkward and makes me realise somethings that I didn't want to. I'll write some examples of this (really trying to open up like I promised in my '100' post haha).

Perks of Being a Wallflower - Charlie falls in love with his best friend.
Yep, been there, done that and got the goddamn heartache to prove it. Don't worry about me though, I accepted it. Charlie was shown a friendship he never felt he would experience again after the untimely death of his best friend, he fell for Sam and all the kindness she showed him. This book means a lot to me as it gave me something that I never felt a book could. The film is amazing. In my experience I fell for a friend aswell, I responded to their personality in a big way and it didn't hurt a damn bit that they are unbelievably attractive. We are great friends now and I wish nothing but the best for them. I know they read this so I won't share too much and ruin what we have.

It's Kind of a Funny Story - Craig's life gets too much
We all have those periods in our lives when life just feels like its too much. The only difference between me and Craig is that I never contemplated suicide. It wasn't an option for me. Craig is highly depressive and life is proving to be a struggle with all the pressures of being a teenager. I know from experience that teenage life sucks the big one. You are too old to make mistakes and too young to be accepted. You have to make major life decisions. It can sometimes feel too much to handle and the truth is is that it is. When I was 16 I had no idea what I wanted to do, now I am 25 and I still don't know what I want to do.

Kings of Summer - The boys want to escape their lives
Along the similar lines of Craig in 'It's Kind of a Funny Story' except they decided to make a change before it becomes to much. I recently made a decision to quit something, it was a hard decision but deep down I do think I am happier now. I had a moment of realisation that I was now free of something that I no longer wanted. Like the boys, people look at me and think I am stupid for what I did, but just like them I don't care either. This is my life to screw up not theirs. And no offence to anyone I know but I don't see anyone in a place to judge what I do.

Pretty In Pink - Duckie has to be happy for Andie even though he is in love with her
This has to be one of the hardest things to do. When you are in love with someone who doesn't love you back, yet you are their friend. He has to accept he can't be with her and he has to watch her with someone else. Yep, in my sad little life I have experienced it. You think that you are the best person for them and you don't understand why they can't see it. So instead you take a back seat and you remain their friend because that is the right thing to do. You are happy for them when they are with someone else, because at the end of the day you want them to be happy even if it isn't with you.

Some noteworthy Coming of Age Movies you need to see

Perks of Being a Wallflower

It's Kind of a Funny Story

Kings of Summer

Pretty in Pink

The Way Way Back

Juno

The Spectacular Now

The Breakfast Club

My Girl

Sixteen Candles

The Virgin Suicides

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Clueless

Mean Girls

Say Anything

Superbad

Easy A

The First Time

Almost Famous

Craig's Movie Club - The Sequel

So, no surprise here but I have been watching a few more films. Once again some were a bit lame but some were a bit fantastic. I saw some amazing acting, awesome locations and some inspirational moments - so lets go.

Carrie (2013)
We all know the old adage "Don't fuck with the original". Most of the time I agree. You can't recreate something that was perfect, for example when you make the most amazing meal and you want it again and again - it never tastes the same. Some films should remain untouched. 'Psycho' was one of these - why Vince Vaughn decided to sign on for the remake I will never know. However, 'Carrie' needed retelling. I don't want to insult anybody and diminish anyone's work but the original sucked. It was boring and was too reliant on people becoming invested in the title character. Lets all thank Jesus that someone decided to give it another shot. This movie was great. If you don't know the story I will try and quickly sum it up. Basically Carrie is a 17 year old girl, she is cruelly bullied for no reason, her mother believes Carrie is some sort of descendant of the devil and must be punished and to top it all off she develops telekinesis (the power to move things with her mind).
The ending of the film is beyond perfect, I was in awe throughout it. Carrie goes bat shit crazy when her tormentor drops a bucket of pig blood on her as she is crowned Prom Queen. The effects are top notch. Chloe Grace Moretz plays the title character and she was perfectly cast for the role. Julianne Moore plays her mother and for someone that is so naturally beautiful she plays this haggard role extremely well. This was a great retelling of a Stephen King classic, even though I have a slight moral problem with siding with someone who is basically a mass-murderer.

The Spectacular Now (2013)
When the words 'From the creators of (500) Days Of Summer' is written across a movie poster you know I will be seeing it. Unfortunately for Britain this film came and went without so much as a whisper. I could ask everyone I know about this film and I know only 1 other person would know what I was talking about. The story of the film is mainly based around an 18 year old called Sutter (nope, never heard that name before either), to cut it short he is basically an alcoholic with a lot of issues - he has no father in his life, he is failing some of his classes and his girlfriend just dumped him after a misunderstanding. Then Aimee, the beautiful Shailene Woodley, finds him passed out whilst on her paper route. It sparks up a beautiful little romance.
I have some pro's and con's for this film. It is a beautiful film and the acting is top notch. The relationship between the two main characters in incredibly believable. Some of the shots are stunning and I love all the location choices. The story is a great one and you really pull for Sutter and Aimee. Well now you have had your sugar it is time to take your medication - the ending! What was that? I get so frustrated when there is no closure as I get extremely attached to characters. She is just about to say something and BAM the credits, I even had to message a friend about my frustration. Another thing that kind of irked me was Aimee's character, don't get me wrong she is a great character with some amazing qualities, but she seems to lose some of herself when she gets in to the relationship and she becomes so all about Sutter - she breaks her arm for god sakes and apologises. Anyway regardless of this I thought it was great little film and I will definitely be watching it again.

Elf (2003)
This was my choice for the film to watch on Christmas morning with the fam. It is a great film, but let me get real on your ass for a couple of minutes - I used to hate it. I couldn't watch it, I thought it was stupid, I didn't like Will Ferrell and the story didn't interest me. I don't know what happened, maybe my heart grew 3 sizes Grinch style, but now I love it. It is such a funny film, literally laughing out loud through out, Will is amazing as Buddy and my beautiful Zooey is there. This movie is about a man called Buddy who is raised by elves and Santa Claus. As he is now in adulthood they tell him the truth and Buddy sets out to New York to find his father.
Hilarity ensues as he gets accustomed to life outside of the North Pole. His excitement of seeing Santa in a department store, his introduction to escalators and his many naive moments are what make this film so great. There is one moment that always makes me laugh and I don't think many others notice; he is walking his half-brother home and simply says 'So good news, I saw a dog today'. I think this one line just sums up everything I love about Buddy. So, I want to apologise to everyone connected to this film, I slagged it off to high heaven - but we all make mistakes.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
I had my reservations about this film, and I don't want to sound mean but I just haven't enjoyed much Ben Stiller has done since his one episode stint on 'Friends'. I think he is great at what he does, he makes millions of people laugh but I just don't. However I still went to see it, and thank the lord I did. It was so beautiful. If you are a fan of amazing landscapes and images of places you haven't seen before then this is the film for you.
The story centres around Walter Mitty (surprise), he works for a magazine, the magazine is publishing its last issue but the image for the cover is missing - so Walter goes on this great adventure to track down the photographer and get the photo. That is basically the skeleton of the story, there is so much to it. Walter is an avid day dreamer and imagines himself in amazing situations, but then it often comes crashing down on him as the realisation of his real life dawns on him. So this adventure is exactly what he needs and with it comes a lot of ups and downs. I won't ruin too much for you because you should discover this film for yourself. It was shot with such care for the locations it shows, you see some amazing sights. It is great film and I will definitely watch it again because I am sure I will discover more that I love about it. I am also a sucker for a great quote and this film is literally filled with them.

One Direction: This Is Us (2013)
I will put my hand up with no shame at all - I am a fan of One Direction. I don't understand why I should be ashamed at all. They are harmless, sing great pop songs and lets face it there is nothing wrong with 5 good looking boys looking back at you. When my friend told me she had a copy of the film I had no hesitation with setting a date for when we would watch it together. So, there I was, vodka-lemonade-lime in hand and I was ready to embrace One Direction. What I didn't expect was the film to be so good. I knew I was going to enjoy it but not to the extent that I did.
The cinematography was so good, the shots they chose were great and I really felt that I knew One Direction on such a deeper level then I did before I watched the film. We got to meet the real them, nothing felt staged and I believed everything they said. The film was obviously littered with performances, but I wasn't mad because they sang some of my favourite songs. Will I watch it again? I am not sure as I felt I got everything I could from the film, but I am so glad I watched it.

Craig's Movie Club

So, I have seen a few good films in the last few weeks. Some were amazing and some were a bit blah. As I am a blog that literally talks about anything I thought I would give some little reviews. I warn you now there are some spoilers, so here we go -

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
This film was recommended for me on Netflix, and I decided to give it a gander as I love Aubrey Plaza's work on 'Parks and Recreation' and also Jake Johnson's work on 'New Girl'. The film centres around a reporter and his two interns and them chasing a story about some guy who has advertised for some one to be his sidekick as he attempts to time travel. It isn't a film that is bogged down with science fiction, I have no knowledge of psychics and I followed it just fine. It is a really good film. The relationship that Aubrey's character develops with the time traveller is quite special and in the end you don't want him to be this crazy guy that everyone thinks he is. Also there is a cameo from the awesome Kristen Bell so I was more than pleasantly happy with this film. The ending was great - a little bit of mystery so you can decide what happened.

The Blind Side (2009)
My love for Sandra Bullock has no limit. I will stand and cheer for anything she does (even the less than stellar 'All About Steve' which I happened to enjoy). I can't believe it has taken me this long to watch this film which gave my beloved an Oscar. This film is basically about a well off family that takes in a boy from the wrong side of the tracks and looks after him. He is built like brick shit house so he is perfect for American Football. They love him as if he is their own. The story is very touching and I got a lump in my throat basically every second line that was spoken. Sandra is amazing in it and totally believable portraying this woman that actually exists, as it is a true story. I love a film that makes me cry and with this film I was snivelling wreck.

Gravity (2013)
Another Sandra film, and this time I made sure I saw it in a cinema. YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS IN THE CINEMA. The effects are awesome, I found myself questioning half way through if they didn't actually film this in space. It is so amazingly done and so real (as far as I can gather). Sandra's performance was definitely award worthy and I hope she gets celebrated for it. The film it self is quite stressful, the story is about a bunch of astronauts that become under attack from high speed debris flying at them. It destroys the ship they were on and basically a bunch of the film is Sandra just spinning around in space.
You long for the safety of her's and George Clooney's characters as they aim to board the International Space Station to use their escape pod. Some of the shots throughout the film just left me open mouthed - my favourite was the scene where Sandra takes off her suit. This is in no way perverted, it was just beautiful. The fluidity of being in space, this might resonate with some people, but it almost looked like a baby in the womb (its a weird thought but it did to me). Apparently there are some scientific inconstancies but it should no way effect your enjoyment.

Rebecca (1940)
Someone at work knew that I  was a Hitchcock fan and they asked if I had seen this film, I hadn't so they borrowed it me. The horror when I found out it was over 2 hours long nearly put me off (my attention span can last comfortably for an hour and half to two hours. However my love for Hitchcock films and my co-worker sat me in my seat for the entire duration. It is a story of a woman who marries a recently widowed man, she moves in with him and finds her self constantly in the shadow of the deceased wife. The wife's cause of death is put under scrutiny, and is also revealed that the husband did have some part in the death, but he is found not guilty. The problem for me with this film is that it could have been a hell of a lot shorter, the first hour is incredibly dragged out and there is a lot of scenes that are not necessary. I almost turned it off half way through, already thinking of a lie about how much I loved it. I am glad I didn't. The last hour is great in comparison. Would I watch it again? No. I don't need to but I am glad I have watched it.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
I feel like this is one of those films that everyone has seen and I never did. It is a classic film that is constantly mentioned in popular culture. I always remember Phoebe talking about it on 'Friends' so I wanted to see it. So finally I sat down with it, I decided to watch the colour version (I'm a fan of fashion so I wanted to see the clothes in all their glory).
The film is a lot to take. You constantly ask yourself how much one man can take, how could he not snap? Its constant disappointment after disappointment. I started to question the film's title. Then we get to meet the amazing Clarence. At the lowest point of the main character's story, George, he contemplates suicide. Clarence, the angel to yet to receive his wings comes and saves him and shows him just how much influence he has had on the people around him. It is a beautiful last 45 minutes and really makes you question your own life. The ending made me cry like a sinner in church. I am not surprised this is a classic, it was perfect.

The Youth Of Hollywood

I don't mean to sound mean but I have a disdain for anyone who is younger than me and is successful. It is a bitterness inside of me that I think comes from the fact that I don't have anything of note on my CV. If I hear of a teenager winning some major award or getting some recognition I just roll my eyes and huff. However, some people's talent blinds me from the fact they have achieved more than I ever will.

Saoirse Ronan - 5 years younger than me
This BAFTA winning actress is not just talented but also so pretty. My favourite performance of her's has to be for 'Hanna'. She kicked arse and I am so looking forward to see where she goes - I only see great things for her.

Ariana Grande - 5 years younger than me
Her voice is so close to perfection it blows my mind. She is absolutely stunning and also a great comedic actress. Already a veteran of Broadway, Television and music.

Chloë Grace Moretz - 9 years younger than me
When I was 16 I was panicking about what to do with my life and what college course to take - she already has an established acting career that has seen her make millions at the box office. So excited for her in 'Carrie'.

Emma Roberts - 3 years younger than me
Been the niece of Julia Roberts was not enough for her - she wanted her own career. She has now been acting for 13 years. She is now going to star in 'American Horror Story: Coven' and I can't wait.

Logan Lerman - 4 years younger than me
It is hard to believe he is only 21. He has such a professional head on his shoulders and he is finally making waves in the movie business. Absolutely loved him playing Charlie in 'Perks of Being a Wallflower', I pretty much love everything he does.

Dakota Fanning - 6 years younger than me
I find it hard to believe she is only 19 as I can't remember a time when she wasn't around. She got her first acting role 13 years ago and all she has done is get better and better. Loved her's and Brittany Murphy's characters in 'Uptown Girls'. She will be the Meryl Streep of the next 50 years.

Natasha Calis - 11 years younger than me
She isn't that well known but her performance in 'The Possession' last year blew my mind. She was incredible and it has stuck in my head. I don't expect a lot from children in horror movies; but she just re-wrote the rules and created a standard.

Jennifer Lawrence - 2 years younger than me
I was absolutely gutted when I found out she was younger than me. I was convinced she was a few years older. She is an amazing actress and deserved all the awards - but its her I love more. In interviews she is hilarious and so 'normal'. You know there are so many more Oscars in her future.

Taylor Momsen - 5 years younger than me
Lover her as Little J in 'Gossip Girl'. I was upset when she left to pursue a music career but it was more than made up for with The Pretty Reckless. Their debut album was perfect and I can't wait to hear another one. Also I have seen her live and she was great - way beyond her years, it looked like she has been doing it forever.

I Love Lindsay Lohan

I have been a huge fan of Lindsay ever since I saw 'Freaky Friday'. I thought she was amazing in it and total star. She was sharing her scenes with a veteran of the silver screen (Jamie Lee Curtis) and she stole the show. The 'Mean Girls' came around and everyone was in love. 'Mean Girls' was my generation's ultimate teen movie. I did become conflicted with my love for Lindsay as in the early 00's we were made to pick sides between Hilary Duff and herself, I picked The Duff (with a secret love for Lohan).

Everything seemed peachy for lil' Lohan, she was a rising star and selling millions of tickets at the cinema. We all know what happened next. She got her self in some bother, stole some jewellery, got in a few car crashes and her partying got a tad out of control. People can look and say 'oh she is just a kid' but I honestly thought it was always something deeper. Her relationship with her family was well covered and her addictions became common knowledge. She would show up late on film sets, paint the words 'fuck u' on her nails for court appearances - and thats if she showed up to her court dates.

Lindsay has become the noun and verb for a child star gone bad. Not a title she probably loves but it is what it is. She grew up infront of our eyes and we saw all her highs and lows. I have always thought that if Lindsay didn't go off the rails then Emma Stone wouldn't be as well known - she has had a few roles that would have been perfect for Lindsay.

I just watched Lindsay's first TV appearance since leaving rehab. She hosted 'Chelsea Lately' on E! and I thought she did a great job. She was funny, eloquent and was able to poke fun at herself whilst still showing respect for the help she has had. I myself cannot wait for the Oprah interview and docu-series to follow. I just want more Lindsay in my life. I want more music and I want more films.

So a little message for La Lohan - good luck with everything, you are extremely talented and you will always have a fan in me.

When I Grow Up ...

So the other day at a job interview I was asked 'What is your long term plan?' I literally did not have an answer, word vomit happened and I found myself saying 'It used to be that I wanted to be the next Beyonce'. I was mortified, it felt like I was having an out of body experience and I wanted to smack the crap out of myself. There were a few flaws to the Beyonce Plan - not having any measurable talent is probably the main reason it never happened. Without saying its obvious I won't get the job at the supermarket.

Then I got to thinking, why was that a stupid answer? Why not dream big and aim high, if people didn't then we wouldn't have the likes of Beyonce to compare ourselves to. Also it got me thinking - I DON'T HAVE A LONG TERM PLAN! I finish university next year, then what? Should I ask for more hours at the restaurant I work in? This isn't the dream I had when I was a child. Should I bite the bullet and move to the big city and see where life takes me? This seems like the best option, however I don't want to go alone and what if it doesn't work out?

I had a quite a few different dreams as a youngster and I haven't really followed any of them. Here were the pro's and con's of those choices (the con's seemed to win every time)

Teacher (Illustrated by Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher)
Pro - Summer holidays, I get to inspire people and I pretty much know what kids between 4 and 11 need to know.
Con - I don't like children and I am pretty sure they hate me - I don't have a child friendly face.

Artist (Illustrated by Andy Warhol
Pro - A life of creativity, no one to answer to and I would get to show the world what is inside my head
Con - I am not very creative and I normally hate every thing I do. Also you don't get famous until you die!

Reality TV Star (Illustrated by Kim Kardashian)
Pro - No talent required, do what you want to do and get paid for it.
Con - I am no where near interesting to fill an hour of TV a week.

Actor (Illustrated by Johnny Depp)
Pro - Travel the world and act out people's stories.
Con - I think the only role I would be suitable for is weird looking friend/homeless man

Triple Threat (Illustrated by Zac Efron)
Pro - Get to be in musicals, drama's, dance things and sell records.
Con - I can't act, sing or dance.

Fashion Magazine Editor (Illustrated by Anna Wintour)
Pro - Front row seats to fashions shows and respect in the fashion community
Con - I couldn't sit near Anna or Grace Coddington without hating myself for my appearance and clothes selection.

TV Presenter (Illustrated by Davina McCall)
Pro - Looks like fun and you get to be the face of huge TV shows
Con - I can't always talk correct English in front of a crowd - prone to sweating under pressure aswell. Not cute.

Singer (Illustrated by The Queen Bey)
Pro - Travel the world and sing infront of millions of people who love you.
Con - Only I think I can sing.

Fashion Designer (Illustrated by Vivienne Westwood)
Pro - Get to create beautiful designs and have people buy them.
Con - There is so much more to fashion design - I am studying it, its a turn off.

So those were my options and I kind of scared myself out of all of them. So I am 24 and I don't really know what to do with my life. Its both scary and exciting at the same time. I have literally no responsibilities so I can go anywhere - thing is I don't know where I want to go. Help.

Queen Victoria

Victoria Beckham was my first major crush. I fell in love with the Spice Girls just like any other normal 90's kid. They dominated everything. I couldn't even go in to a supermarket without seeing them everywhere - chocolate bars, Pepsi, lollipops, crisps, deodorant - you name it they were on it. So naturally I chose my favourite, Posh Spice was my favourite. There was something about her pout, her mini black dress and her razor sharp bob that just spoke to me. The crush began. It was hard to ignore because the Spice Girls were shoved down your throat, I didn't mind one bit. The songs, the albums and then the movie - I lapped it up.

Then one of the saddest days of this young boys life occurred - the Spice Girls broke up and went their separate ways. Luckily Victoria was a huge celebrity so she never actually went away. She married David and released some solo material. I personally loved her stuff but Britain did not (it still cuts me deep that she is the only Spice Girl not to have a solo number one). So then she went off and did what she did best - Fashion. Starting out with a denim line and sunglasses before moving on to her own brand. The fashion world has embraced her as she has become a British designer celebrated world wide. Her aesthetic is very much about the woman's shape. Simple designs that highlight curves in all the right places - if I was a woman I would definitely covert all of her handbags.

My love for Victoria shows no sign of dying down. Everything she does she does with elegance and style. She has an amazing sense of humour - if you don't believe me than just watch her one off special 'Victoria Beckham: Coming to America' - she is hilarious. No she may not smile all the time, but she herself has said that she doesn't like her smile. If you don't like something about yourself wouldn't you make sure people don't get pictures of it? She is human after all. She is a mother of four and she looks like an amazing one at that - just this week she was photographed competing in her kids sports day. In my eyes she can do no wrong and also she never has so the haters should back off.  I hope one day to meet her, but I don't she would be too happy meeting a sweating, drooling hot mess.

Death Becomes Her

I love horror movies. I really really do. I'm not 100% sure I have let people know this about me yet. My name is Craig and I am addicted to horror movies. The main reason is the death scenes. Its hard not to sound morbid, but I really enjoy them. I like the gore, the violence, the fighting, everything. Ironically I can't watch real life hospital shows - I'll watch a fake stabbing but I don't want to see a real one. The more interesting the death the better for me. I thought I would share 5 death scenes that really got my attention.

Psycho
Norman kills Marion
This is the death scene other death scenes are often compared to. For its time it was gory as hell. Blood was rarely seen in film, never mind a naked woman in a shower. The thing with this scene is that you don't see anything. You don't see the knife cut the skin and you don't see any body parts that should be kept private. Really you are as grossed out as much as your imagination will allow you. Shocking thing about this scene is that it was almost cut - because they did not allow a toilet to be shown on film back in the day, nothing to do with the brutal murder.

Scream
Ghostface kills Tatum
Out of the 40 odd death scenes in the franchise this will no doubt be one that people remember. Tatum first of all doesn't even believe Ghostface is Ghostface, then he cuts her arm and she then quickly realises. So she makes her escape - the only way out that she can find is the doggy door. So off she goes - obviously not the brightest crayon in the box, she is not the size of a dog. She of course gets stuck, Ghostface decides to lift the door, death quickly follows. This was a very imaginative way to kill someone and I am sure started out as some sick joke in a production meeting.

American Psycho
Patrick kills the prostitute
This movie is brilliant. A great portrayal of someone who just snaps, and no one even notices. There are quite a few great scenes but for me one sticks out. The prostitute manages to escape the evil grasp of Patrick Bateman, and runs away and down some stairs. I don't know if we were supposed to believe it to be some great mathematical skill or just plain luck, but Patrick drops a chainsaw down the stairwell and it meets the prostitute at the bottom. Amazing death scene.

Final Destination
Death kills Ashley and Ashlyn
Not the best film from the franchise but definitely the best death scene - as in it has stuck with me ever since. Basically they get killed by the sunbeds. It scares me because I have a small phobia of small confined places, so to imagine being trapped in one whilst it slowly burns your skin is a hell I don't want to experience. (I once did go to a sunbed place but used the standing one - I didn't tan but I was itchy for a week after, I think I'm pale for life) This scene is brilliant, its so horrible to watch and you know what is going to happen but you can't not watch. I wouldn't be surprised if some tanning salons lost some business for a while after that.

Saw
All the deaths
Saw is the King of death scenes. They have every type imaginable. You got a phobia, they will show you how it can kill you. Its hard to pick one or even a top 10, I tried and I just kept remembering more and more. The deaths get more and more extreme as the movies go on. The worst ones for me are ones that show skin being stretched, either by hooks or being glued to a car seat. Also watching people dismember themselves gets me feeling a bit weird.

The Heat - A Review

So I thought I would have a go at writing my first movie review. I picked The Heat directed by Paul Feig and starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy; two of my favourite actresses/people in Hollywood. Bullock stars as Special Agent Sarah Ashburn, an uptight FBI agent (very similar to the character in Miss Congeniality until those beauty queens warmed her heart). McCarthy stars as Det. Shannon Mullins, a foul mouthed Boston Police Officer. They are brought together to bring down a drugs lord, Ashburn is promised a promotion if she can work with Mullins and Mullins is very protective of her city and family; its very much two worlds colliding.

There have been a lot of buddy cop movies, (Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys and Rush Hour for example) but never with two female leads. A lot of elements of these macho movies are within The Heat, the oil-and-water-relationship, the violence, the language and some explosions - but this film does something different. It has to as it is two women. There is very much an emotional undercurrent as we watch these two women who are very committed to their jobs also struggle with the loneliness that comes with picking a career over families and relationships.

There is a certain formula that comes with these films so this film can be very predictable, however don't let this put you off. Mixed with in what you expect there are some hilarious scenes. With out spoiling anything I will just mention Spanx and a tracheotomy. This film could easily have been acted by men. The roles are pretty genderless, I applaud the director and producers for picking females, especially actresses of a certain age that are unfortunately looked over.

So to recap it is a very predictable movie but with a little something special thrown in. Bullock and McCarthy have an amazing chemistry and I will always watch their films, together of apart. I feel if it wasn't a cop comedy they did then it would have been some Bridesmaids knock off.  I am so happy they finally joined forces. This movie is funny (the drunk scene will be talked about for years), light-hearted and easy to follow - a perfect film if all you want to do is sit back and be entertained. Also the soundtrack is pretty stellar with the likes of Azealia Banks, Angel Haze, Santigold and Kreayshawn.

The H.B.I.C (Head Bitch in Charge)

One of my favourite type of character in any show, film, book whatever is a Bitch. They bring humour and shock. You are surprised to see how far they will go and you love it when it goes too far. These characters can seem soulless,  but for me they exude power and this is why people hate them. So, I thought I would list 10 of my favourite Bitches and some of my favourite quotes.

Janine Butcher
The ultimate soap star Bitch of all time in my opinion. She even murdered her husband by pushing him off a cliff whilst he was telling her he loved her.
'If only he hadn't been so romantic! If only he just didn't have so much love in him! If only he'd worn slip-on shoes!'

Karen Walker
One of my favourite characters of all time. She is rich, mean and no one is more important to her than herself.
'Lord. Would you look at these people. Why anybody would choose to be homeless is beyond me.'

Courtney (Jawbreaker)
The original mean girl. She even went further and accidently killed her friend - and she didn't give a shit.
'Ok, reality check, Liz is in the trunk of this car. And she is dead. That is a sad, fucked up thing, but you are going to walk into that school and strut your shit down the hallway like everything is peachy fucking keen.'

Regina George
She may not have been the original mean girl, but she is the best.
Gretchen: 'And even in fancy countries like the United States and England, seven out of ten girls have a negative body image.'
Regina George: 'Who cares? Six of those girls are right!'

Miranda Priestly
Apparently based upon the wonderful Anna Wintour. A hard as nails magazine editor.
'I said to myself, go ahead. Take a chance. Hire the smart, fat girl. I had hope. My God. I live on it. Anyway, you ended up disappointing me more than, um- more than any of the other silly girls.'

Blair Waldorf
The ultimate high school mean girl socialite - except she has a heart that constantly gets broken.
'I have been cordial to you for the last 52 minutes. Do you have any idea the psychological torture that I've endured being nice to you?'


Veronica (Heathers)
A new girl who tried to fit in, unfortunately her life spirals into a continuous cycle of hate, unintentional murder and indifference, as she exacts revenge on her enemies, also known as her best friends. 
'Betty Finn was a true friend and I sold her out for a bunch of Swatch dogs and Diet Coke heads. Killing Heather would be like offing the wicked witch of the west... wait east. West! God! I sound like a fucking psycho.'

Wilhelmina Slater
Another magazine editor, not in the same league as Miranda but still amazing.
'What Daniel's trying to say is, kiss your loved ones goodbye and expect to come home to dead pets!'

Bellatrix
She killed Sirius and tries to kill Hermione - a true bitch in my opinion.
'Neville Longbottom is it? How's mum and dad' (His mum and dad are dead; she killed them)

Angelica C. Pickles
The first Bitch we are introduced to as a child.
[pushing way towards wedding cake] 'Hey lady, you ever hear of a thigh blaster?'