PIXAR VS DREAMWORKS!

Yes I haven't blogged in a while, simply because I haven't had anything to blog about. i haven't been to the cinema in a while and no television has been worth mentioning. Yes I've been watching the new series of the sarah Jane Smith Adventours (which just keeps getting beter and better btw) and the apprentice, but I'm going to do a overall blog about them closer to the time they finish.

Anyway, yesterday I finally made my way back to the cinema where I went to see despicable me, now normally I'm unsure about seeing films by dreamworks. However before I get in to why I'll first say I really enjoyed despicable me. It was sweet, cute, funny for kids and adults alike. However it did miss out on the jokes for the grown up,s you know the type, ones that aren't really appropriate for kids but are worded in a way children won't understand for example in shrek where they mock the prince for his large castle, 'do you think he might be compensating for something?' But yes overall despicable me was a good film which i suggest others watching.

Now it got me thinking about other films from dreamworks and the reason I don't think to highly of dreamworks.

Antz (came out the same time as 'A Bugs life' wasn't as good, dull story, dull characters_
Shrek 1 (an original story with a positive message behind it)
Shrek 2 (better than the original IMO, but no more after this right?)
Shrek 3 (laughed once in the first 5 minuites of the film, after that just bored)
Shrek 4 (not seen it, but surely this is the end of it, right?!)

Shark Tale (out the same time as finding nemo, and doesn't compare to the masterpiece that is finding nemo)
Madagascar (an ok film with a range of different celebrities given their voice to these animated characters)
Over the Hedge (meh, only seen parts of this film but really nothing special)
Bee Movie (strange movie, SO ODD, weird story line and a painful watch)
Kung Fu Panda (a funny film, but after seeing it more than twice I'm done with it)
Monsters vs. Aliens
How to Train Your Dragon
Megamind (again with a range of celebrities giving their voices, although can't help but think its to similar to despicable me)

and we can soon expect a squeals to monsters vs aliens, kung fu panda, despicable me and how to train your dragon.

Now if we look at PIXAR

Toy Story
Toy Story 2
Toy Story 3
A bugs Life
Monsters INC.
Finding Nemo
The Incredables
Cars
Ratatouille
WALL-E
Up

and we can expect squeals to monsters inc and cars. Now the amount of films is different while dreamworks has a larger amount, I just can't help but feel enough time is spent of the actual story and making us love the characters. For example Toy Story, yes like shrek it has squeals to it, however the more I watched the toy story films the more I loved them, the more I saw shrek and donkey the quicker I tired of them.

Pixar are master story tellers where as Dreamworks just make as many film as they can to bring in the profit, while I enjoyed despicable me it will never compare to the charm that the likes of toy story create.

Or to sum up my point



^ from college humour


What is going to be interesting is seeing Tangled by disney (not pixar)



is it me or does this have more of a dreamworks feel to it? With the some what self aware 'hero', the animation stlye and the white horse looks a little bit like donkey in the face. Only time will tell.

Euro Pop

So I was in a lesson this week where we were talking about music from around europe, and how the british have a smug attitude of music from Europe. Which to an extent is true, if its not from the UK or from America then we're not interested. The topic came up as we were talking about Eurovision. Now I'm a fan of Eurovision, I like the songs, the performance and the whole idea of the whole of Europe coming together to sing. Now its no secret that the UK hasn't always taken the Eurovision seriously, in our class we said that because Britain disconnected from the rest from Europe, there has aways been a distance between 'us' and 'them'. The distance doesn't help matters, but it doesn't help us that 'they' tend to speak English and we don't speak any of their languages.

Eurovision has been political, but thats hardly a reason as to why people don't vote for the UK. For many in the UK the Eurovsion doesn't matter, however in places across Europe for them its as popular as X-factor is. Going back to our class I regret to say that there was alot of 'well theres an attitude that we're better than them and don't need their music because its not as good' and granted euro-pop isn't to everyones taste. However to simply snob all music from different parts of Europe is hardly a good thing. There has been an attempt to take the Eurovison song contest more seriously, back with Jade and Andrew lloyd Webber who came 5th, the best we have done in a long time! Then sadly we had whats his name from last year sining the 90's cheesy Pete waterman creation (you know its going to be bad when its called 'That Sounds Good To Me') so taking the Eurovison song contest for real is a positive move, its a sign of respect.

Something that lacked in our lesson was why Britain pushes Euro-Pop to the side, well when our main stream music medias (tav, radio, internet ect) promote such trash as the crazy frog it gives euro pop a certain image, but there are good pop songs from Europe, but they aren't promoted by Dj's in the uk. If radio 1 were to play a good pop song from Europe that wasn't in English, sure there would be some getting used to but it would open audiences mind to different types of music, it would create a healthy relationship with other music lovers across Europe. And perhaps improve the image the UK has made of it self.

When they took Jade across Europe promoting her song before the contest people grew to like her, her song, her image, and the representation of the UK actually making a effort. If our mainstream radio DJ'S were to do the same, I think we would see some change. If you look at the europeian top 40 you'll find alot of artist from the usa, the uk and different artists from across Europe, so why aren't we the same?

Now some of my favorite eurovsion entires from the past years

Advert

Remember this?



The advert was banned as it was said to promote football violence. Personally I think its a striking image, raw, full of power and strength. The dark bloody red on him looks rich and patriotic in a medieval battle cry sense. Yes I can see how this might could be seen as an advert for football violence but football hooligans hardly need a reason to fight. As a photograph I think its stunning (pity they picked wayne rooney, lets face it he's no david beckham but I understand how wayne is seen as more of a down to earth 'man's man') Now this advert had a number of complaints condemned as 'offensive', 'exploitative' and 'tacky' by MPs and church groups. I had no problem with the advert and thought it was a stunning powerful piece of art.

However, there is a recent advert which disturbed me a little bit



Now I'm no fan of football (shocked? lol) but this advert is a good one, been put together well and a lot of thought has been made about it, it shows how you can play with people across the world online, while you sit dow with a cup of tea next to your dog.

But this is what I didn't like



see the wayne holding back his dog at top? Before I watched the video advert I saw this image and the first thing came to mind, football violence and using dogs for violence. It just struck a chord with me and left a nasty connection in my mind while watching the advert. I could be wrong, perhaps the dog is just so excited about the game he wants to run up to the others players and give them a big hug. Am I being to sensitive? Should one image let the whole ad down? Let me know what you think of my thoughts. :)

Olly Murs VS Joe McElderry

Firstly I just want to point out I'm not a huge fan of either of these singers but today during a lecture we got talking about Joe McElderry and his new song. I also want to point out that rage against the machine stopped him from getting to number 1 at christmas (this made me laugh some what at the time, lol take that Simon Cowell, although I think he has his fingers somewhere in their music as well.....so I guess he won none the less. Can't beat the devil I guess)

Now while I'm not a mega fan of the x-facor I do like some of the singers that have come from it, for example I think Diana Vickers and Alexandra Burke are likeable and their songs are cathy enough to stop me turning them of the radio. While it goes without saying Leona Lewis can sing, like really sing but I just find her to be very boring with very little personality, she just seems to be very 'nice'

I've been watching little bits of the new x-factor but I've yet to see anyone thats really stood out for me, maybe that might change when we get to see them more at the judges house.

But now x-factor winner from last year Joe has finally got out his new single out since winning the contest, after Olly (who came second) who has his single out a few weeks before, Olly's song went to number one while Joe's has yet to enter the charts. I remember watching x-factor and saying what Lewi said (perish the thought I'm on the same level as that man, the very man who thought Jeward were good and says such annoying things as 'the kids will love them' this man clearly has no idea what 'the kids' are in to anymore) he said that Joe was more of a musical singer and to an extent I still believe this. During the contest I never really saw his appeal but remember my female house mates saying he was 'cute and sweet'. Cute and Sweet?! Is that what you want from an artist? How about sex appeal, charisma and some personality. On the other hand their was Olly, while Olly wasn't the strongest singer in the contest he had a like-able factor about him which people felt they could relate to. I'm having trouble trying to remember the other contestants of the time but out of those two I thought Olly was going to win, and was surprised Joe had made it, I just don't see his appeal.

Now after all this waiting they have both their new songs out

Joe


I'll keep this short.
I don't like the song, I just don't get it. Wheres the hook?
Interesting dance moves there joe.......
....yeah....finding it hard to sum up up what I don't like about it but......I don't see the appeal!?

Olly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4S9gQb9PjM&feature=channel

Ok so the song is not fantastic but it suited the time of summer, being a upbeat chilled relaxed beat to it
At first I didn't know it was Olly Murs when it played on the radio and when I was told who it was I was plesenrtly surprised, I didn't expect to like his song as much as I do
The video has the typical lad (low on the social ladder) trying to grab the attention of the posh girl (think Mandy Weslife)

side note: House mate has just walked in and said 'oh his hot' and then laughed at the difference in reaction of the mention of Joe being 'he's sweet'


In the long run think Olly will be more successful then Joe, and while Joe might be doing well at the moment but like Gareth Gates I don't think it will last long.


Speaking of male x-facor winners Shane Ward has his new song 'gotta be somebody'........yeah enough said.

Book, Music, Youtube

So I'm back from DisneyLand Paris and I had a great time with Emma and Stacey! We spent five days there and four night, although we had some trouble getting there at first as our flight had been cancelled and so we had to wait for a later one meaning we missed a day in disney, but no matter we still got there and we had tons of fun!




Now some of you who read this blog may not know that I make vlogs and upload them on to youtube. Well what does this mean? I make videos about topics, ask and answer questions and interact with those who post comments. I have uploaded a video about our disney trip, so if your interested go watch it, give it a thumbs up, leave a comment and if you like what you see subscribe.

http://www.youtube.com/user/CottonWoolWorld




Anyway, this is just a quick update blog, I'm back at university on sunday (finally!) and I'll be settled back and will be able to sit down and write down proper blogs again. My summer job has ended but I'm happy to report they will be taking me back on at christmas, so for a while I'll have to pay for the films I see at the cinema again but I'll keep up with my review blogs :)

At the moment I'm reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert



I picked up the book as its all about traverling and as I've only got one year left of university left I'm starting to wonder what I'm going to do once its over, and traverling has always been a dream of mine since I was a little kid so this book really appealed to me. My worry was that the book was going to be to 'girly' and while yes I think there are a few times where a female reader could connect more with the writer than a male I think over all both genders can enjoy it. I've almost finished the book and its certainly had its ups and downs. Its the true story of Elizabeth as she has gone threw her divroce and breaking up with a lover and leaving it all behind to spend a year away in Itaily, India and Bali. I love the part when she is in Italy, she really enjoys her self and you really feel like your with her, enjoying all the food the way as she goes. The part in India was a little bit more harder for me to get through, I know the book is about her struggle with fidning her place spiritually and dealing with her past but sometimes her negativity is a little bit to much and I know shes been threw a lot but I felt as if it was getting a little old, I felt like saying to her 'stop repetiting yourself and get over it, your in a wonderful, beautful place in the world, just find peace with yourself' which is to be fair what she basically says to her sefl (eventually). I'm now in Bali and so far it looks like its going to be a nice balence of what was good about Italty and the harder reading in India which I suppose is a good thing, as is life, ying and yang good and bad, finding a balence we can work with.


Now sicne being back from disney I've had disney songs playing non stop
*WAITING JUST AROUND THE RIVER BENDDDDDDDDD!*
*ahem*
But heres some music I've been listening to lately and think is just top stuff!







Lemmi know what you think of my youtube channel, eat pray love and my music choices for this blog!

Music Blog

I'm going to disney land paris for five days but before I go I thought I would leave you with a nice little music blog :)

I hate myself for this, but I actually kinda like this song



Its Mcfly, I've never really liked Mcfly. Well to be blunt I've never liked Mcfly. They are/were just pop roc for young teenage girls making cathy music with no real purpose. While I bet they are nice enough guys their music just hardly seemed like it went any where or made an effort to explore any different types of style. However the other day when I heard this on the radio I thought it was JLS or perhaps new kids on the block Wanted. When I said to my friend 'this isn't half bad' my friend looked at me with a sly smile and said 'you know this is Mcfly, right?'. No, no I did not know it was Mcfly. I'm not even going to bother to mention how they are jumping on the bandwagon of the vampire fad as the video says it all for me. But as for their music it does show some effort to change their style of music, and their cover for the single looks like it has a tron like fashion influence behind it (odd as the new movie Tron is coming out soon)

Side note: The other day I heard a dj refer to the new band 'The Wanted' as a 'LAD BAND' perhaps Mcfly are trying to get away from the generic pop/rock boy band and head in this direction?

Moving on to something with is wonderful, fantastic, ultimate, refreshing, out of this world good!

Janelle Monae

I wasn't sure which video to post as she has so many good ones, but I decided in the end to pick the video I first came across



If you going to get her cd's then I strongly recommend you get metropolis and archandroid, her visual style and musical style is not far off from outcast, although she has her own strong image which plays with the iconic images from the german silent movie 'Metropolis' if you have seen that film then my hat is of to you, while a good movie it is a little bit of hard work to get through and to keep watching, but is visually stunning and tells the tale of the working classes against the upper class. Her music takes you on a story and its one I can easily and happily get lost within.

Another song I have been listening to non stop is from 'My Terrible Friend' the two are very popular on youtube and have paired together to create this beauty



The lyricks are sweet, dark and oddly heart warming. So fair the two together only have five songs on their i-tunes for sale but I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more from them very soon.

Now I've been watching x-facotr (again) and I've yet to been blown away by anyone of the contestants, who knows as time goes on I might grow to like one of them. Although I'm not a huge fan of the show I do tend to watch it as it does become socially relevant and you can't help but get drawn in to watching it. However one music reality television show I don't mind watching at all is sky ones must be the music, where the singers have the chance to play their instruments and perform their own songs. For the first time on british television the artists own songs will be available on i-tunes if they make it to the semi finals. While I'm still catching up on a few of the episodes, there was one performer that stuck a chord with me



this type of music is right up my street, soft, true and pure I find myself cancelling out all other sound around me and listening in with all my attention. Good luck to her!

My Thoughts On : Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

I've got in from seeing Scott Pilgrim vs the world and to sum it in a word, the film was EPIC! Allow me to expand on that. SUPER EPIC! I first heard about Scott Pilgrim when my friend Paddy introduced me to the comics, every time he bought another volume he would let me borrow them, I'm half way through all the volumes now and I am enjoying them so much more than I expected to. What I found funny was that in the first volume was a normal story line, a girl going out with a guy, the guy likes someone else, the guy is in a band ect ect and then in the last four pages of the volume there is a video game styled battle. Scott defeats the first of the seven evil ex's and like in true video game form gets a few gold coins for his victory.

Edgar Wright (director of Shaun of the dead and hot fuzz) did a perfect job of directing the style of the graphic novel (I'm still not sure what to call it, is it a comic or graphic novel? Is there a difference?). The casting was spot on, every actor was a perfect fit for all the characters. When I found out Michael Cera was going to play scott I was a little confused, looking back at his filmography he hardly stuck out as a 'scott' type person, normally he's played a wall flower, a uncomfortable awkward indie guy and I always thought of Scott being a little bit more eccentric but now having watched the film I think Michael Cera really pulled off the role.

I loved the way the pop art video game style merged with the film, it wasn't overbearing and was a reminder to the audience where exactly the film got its influences from. I was watching a interview today where the cast were asked why wasn't the film in 3D. A question my friends and I pondered while on the car journey home. In the interview they said that they felt as if the graphics were already so well fitted to the film that if they added the 3D element that the film might have become more about the 3D, rather than the characters, story and music.

Another high note from this film was the music. I am now looking in to buying the soundtrack and I can't stop listening to this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jMruFHTwrY&feature=related

(curse you youtube won't let me add the video to my blog, but click the link and it will take you there)

As well as this song the movie is all about the music, jam packed with rocking good music its introduced me to some bands I've never heard of and I will definitely be looking in to them.

If I had only one tiny little downer about this film would be that some of the better jokes were in the trailer and it slightly gave them away, although I think they were strong enough that they still worked in the film.


Anyway, as you can have guess I really liked this film and can't wait to get it on DVD. Let me know what you think, have you read the comic? Did you think it was loyal to it?


Cotton Wool James.

My thoughts on : Salt and Marlie and Me

So last night I watched Salt. Sadly I had to miss the staff showing of it before its public release as I had to work that night. Although I've got my fingers crossed to see Scott pilgrim vs. the world next week (I might also be seeing grownups but I'm not all that fussed about that one). So what did I think of Salt? It’s difficult to say, while there was nothing wrong with it, it wasn't exactly anything special. I thought it was a lot better than Knight and Day but none the less overall it was a little predictable and generic to the spy/action genre, granted I didn't see one of the twists at the end but I think by that time I had stopped guessing and just gone with it. I'd watch it on DVD, I'd rent it and happily watch it on TV but it’s not something I'd go out and watch again in a hurry.

A movie that I watched a few days ago on TV was Marlie and me. Now for those who don't know I have two dogs, Sabre and Narla, before Sabre my family and I had another dog called Simba. Growing up I was scared of dogs, especially big dogs. To this day I can't tell you why, I had never had a bad experience with a dog but there was just something about big dogs that I didn't like. As my Dad was in the army and we moved every two years we never got a dog because my parents didn't like the idea of putting the dog in a kennel, however about a year before my Dads last year in the army I remember being called to talk to both my Mum and Dad where they asked me 'Would you like a dog' now this question was very much out of the blue and I was taken back a little, I must have been about 12? In year seven of high school, I knew my dad had always wanted a dog, but I had no idea what type. On the spot I said '......yes?'. I had no clue what I had said yes to. Soon after the search began and soon my parents finally found a breeder, we went to vist them somewhere in Manchester where we came across a litter of Rhodesian ridgebacks. I can remember being there very clearly, even though the puppies were tiny I was still uncomfortable. I recall being asked if I would like to hold one, at the time I said 'no thank you' looking back I think to myself 'YES! THEY ARE HARMELESS CUTE PUPPIES!' from there we got Simba. Getting used to a dog in the house took a little time, I had gone from not liking dogs to having a jumping puppy running in the house.

Thankfully it didn't take long for my attitude towards dogs to change. I quickly found it odd Simba not being around when he was on walks, or had gone to the vet. He became part of the family. And I a converted dog lover. It was a few years back that Simba died. It was odd because he was such a big dog, but he was still really young for a dog. There was a problem with his heart, and I don't remember the full details but it had something to do with cancer, or a tumour. It’s not really something I think to think about. But I remember being there at the vets just before he was put down. My Mum and Dad stayed in the room with him when it happened, my sister and I waited outside. I remember before leaving I gave him a kiss and a long hug, he was ill and I knew we had to but I still hated it. I closed the door behind me, I sat down and I openly cried. When we got home it felt strange him not being there. I normally sit on the floor in the living room when watching television because my legs are so lanky, Simba would always sit next to me and lean against my legs and be there. I never expected to love a dog as much as I did, I miss him.

I can't remember how long it was after Simba passed away but we did get another dog, Sabre, another Rhodesian ridgeback, he's great. His personality is different to Simba which I think is a good thing. I remember a few people say something along the lines of 'I can't believe your getting the same breed of dog' t those people I said 'my family like that breed of dog' (or in my head 'who are you to tell me what type of dog to get?|!') It was about the time I left for university that my parents got Narla (I always joke saying that she replaced me, one child had left the nest and another moved in).

Watching Marlie and Me brought back a ton of memories from Simba, plenty of good ones, but the last half an hour when Marlie starts to die hurt a lot. I think Marlie passed away a lot like Simba which made it all the harder to watch. I think because I was never a dog person and then to love Simba, getting used to him being there and then him be gone just like that made it hurt even more. Marlie and me is a fantastic film and one I think will have a stronger effect on people who have a dog and an even stronger one from those who have lost a dog. But I think even without having had a dog you can relate to the owners and cry along just as much as I did.



Simba



Sabre and Narla

Music Blog: 10/8/10

Tomorrow I'm going to a screening of Avatar: The Last Air bender which I'm looking forward to but am worried about as well. I love the animated series (and am happy to hear that another series is being made) but I am worried about seeing the movie, It hasn't got the best reviews over in America, I've not really heard that it’s a must see yet, it’s still unsure if the other two films are going to be made and I have a terrible feeling it’s going to be another Golden Compass (aka The Northern Lights) pretty to look at but overall boring. But I still have high hopes so until that review here is a music blog!

Arcade Fire

I don't know much about Arcade Fire other than their song was used for the movie 'Where the wild things are' the song is called 'wake up' and I really enjoyed it but never got in to the band. I've only seen half of the film but fell asleep just because I found it that boring (again, very pretty but just boring) I'll give it another chance one day. But working alongside the trailer their song was perfect, a little but indie, uplifting while depressing at the same time and just cool. Now I've been listening to XFM for a bit now and they keep playing their new single called

We Used To Wait


Again I don't know much about the band, but every time I hear their work I seem to like it, so this is definitely a band I am going to look more in to. What do you think of them? Are they worth my time? What songs would you suggest listening to?

The Hoosiers



With their new single 'Choices' they have a new sound. When I first heard the song I wasn't a fan but the more I listen to it the more I like it. I do however have a problem with the video. It’s just bad and looks a little cheap. I cringe at the intro where the lead acts, as much as I like the band there’s just something a little bit annoying about them when they act up, perhaps it’s just their sense of humour that I just don't get but when I watch the video I have to pass the dialogue to get to the song. None the less I like their music and have enjoyed their past videos. When I was in college I went to see them live at the Academy in Manchester. Now Academy 3 is a very small arena, you could compare it to a shed. But I prefer smaller gigs as there’s a better chance of seeing the band and getting closer to the front (although being as tall as I am I don't often have trouble seeing the front: P ). I remember on the way there NME voted them worst band of the year (a great start to the night lol, although I've always thought NME is a little bit up its own backside) but my friends and I had a great time. There was plenty of energy, and as much as I said I find the band a little annoying I do like them and from what I've seen and read about them they seem to be genuinely nice people. I look forward to see what different types of music the band experiment in to with their album.


^The Hoosiers at Academy 3 in Manchester

Eminem - Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna



Eminem is either a joker or deadly serious, now normally I'm not a huge fan of his works especially the more light hearted ones (although to my annoyance 'we made you' was stuck in my head for days) and while I really didn't like her Rude Boy I tend to normally like her songs and her videos. I like that Rihanna is experimental with her fashion and style but it doesn't define her as an artist (which could be argued with Lady Gaga). Working together they have created a dark song which deals with domestic violence, a issue close to Rihanna. In the video stars Megan Fox which is always a plus, there is a beautiful moment where Megan and her 'partner' are on fire. Just a wonderful sight. A truly dark and chilling song.

Eliza Doolittle



Ending on a happier note is skinny Genes by Eliza Doolirrle. This cute little singer is a breath of fresh air, she reminds me of better looking, better dressed version of Miquita (T4 presenter) the song is cherry, happy and just all round fun to whistle along with. I expect we'll have many hits from her to come and I can't wait to hear what else she has got to give.

My Thoughts On: Knight and Day

My Thoughts On: Knight and Day

Disclaimer: The following are my own thoughts and feeling and do not represent anyone else.

So last night I was called last minute, I was told there was a staff screening of Knight and Day at work. So at eleven at night I called my friend to see if she would like to see the film and my sister asked to come along as well. So we were there at half twelve ready to go. Now I've seen the trailer a few times now, I wasn't all that bothered about seeing the film. As much as I like Cameron Diaz I've never been a fan of Tom Cruise even before he turned to scientology and this little happening



I've seen bits of mission impossible. But what actually has he done since that has been that popular (if not a dying franchise, I'm actually shocked they're bringing it back for a fourth) He was in Tropic Thunder and War of the worlds. I can't judge Tropic Thunder but I have heard that his character may be getting a spin of movie, but is he really the type of actor that can pull of a full comedy by himself? And then there was War of the worlds which was just grey dull and boring. So it makes sense that he's gone back to the genre that he works best in. Action. I've read he was offered the role of the lead in the movie Salt (now played by Angelina Jolie) but rejected it as he thought the role was too similar to his character from Mission Impossible but by taking on the movie Knight and Day he's pretty much done the same thing. While the story lines are different, he's still fitting in to the role of action spy, not actually a huge leap from Mission Impossible. By taking on the role it’s like he’s screaming out 'I've still got it! I can still be cool, shoot guns and drive fast cars! While at the same time make a tiny effort to play different roles (while playing a similar role)'

However, putting aside my feelings for the man let’s look at the film. Overall I felt the story was a little weak and I didn't find myself caring if the day was saved. Throughout the film Cameron Diaz's character is drugged and we skip large parts of the plot. One could see this as a funny and quirky way of getting away from the boring parts of the plot to the more important parts, however to do it throughout the film just gets a little old. There’s not allot to say really about the film, it’s not exactly a bad film it’s just all the best parts are given away in the trailer and one of the better parts of the trailer was the Muse song with it. The film is funny is a sort of 'we know we're being corny' kind of way but I can't help but think when watching the film if I was watching a plot or the inside of Tom Cruises head as he slowly breaks down in to madness. (Not being cruel but the guy has a really scary smile)

To break it down
Pros: Cool driving scenes, a few nice action scenes, Cameron Diaz
Cons: Tom Cruise, green screen and CGI weren't great, everything was given away in the trailer, cheesy and not always for good, not enough mystery for a spy genre of film and confusing film title.

I wouldn't recommend paying to see this at the cinema and at best would say it would make an alright rental from blockbusters if you’re bored and can't find anything else. 5/10

My Thoughts On : The Sorcerer's Apprentice

My Thoughts On : The Sorcerer's Apprentice


Remember this?



A week before its release date in the UK tonight I watched a screening of The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Taking the original idea from Walt Disney's Fantasia, Disney re-tell the story in a modern setting with wild magic and a stable story. When I first saw the trailer for the film I thought it was just going to be another shot at trying to be the next harry potter much like Percy Jackson and the lighting thief. While I never saw Percy Jackson I know of the story and how the demi god is whiskey away to Mount Olympus (Hogwarts) where he learns to use his powers (magic). However this film is different. Rather than taking the lead character away from his home to learn how to master his spells the magic comes to him. Set in New York the main character alongside his master (Nickolas Cage) run around the city trying to outdo the villain and save the world from destruction. It was nice to see how the location didn't change the character but the events. It also cut down on storytelling time. While in the first Harry Potter films it takes time to get to Hogwarts and to build in to the magic and the action this film is different as in the first five minutes we are already in a magical battle. Quickly drawing the audience’s attention we know this film is going to involve magical goings on. It just so happens that the hero had a large space where he carries out his science experiments which went on to be the area for his magic practice but as an audience we let this coincidence slide as we're just happy to see the magic happen.

The story is interesting, not overly complex but strong enough that you can believe in it and what to be a part of the world. Enough information and history was given that it made sense and you weren't feeling as if you were missing out on anything. Seeing as this is typically a kids film it’s normally best to keep it this way, any unnecessary information would have just dragged it down. While a Disney kids/teen film it contains enough humour and action to keep an older audience happy. An all round good family film. I personally liked the links with Merlin and Morgana and like mentioned before felt the information we were given about them wasn't to over bearing.

One downside to the film I felt was that there was a big build up to a few powerful sorcerers’ (especially the ones that were keeping the big evil villain Morgana trapped away) but of these villains wasn't in the film for very long. She was a young girl who was said to put Salem on the map. She looked terrifying but sadly wasn't in the film very long and we didn't get to see much of her. It might have been better just not to have involved her at all.

Overall a good film. Nothing overwhelmingly fantastic, but certainly original in its own rights and a refreshing take on the 'magic teenager' genre of film. Not a must see but I'd definitely recommend it (after Toy Story 3 and Inception). A fun family friendly film with enough to interest the whole family. 8/10
Disclaimer: The above are my own thoughts and feeling and do not represent anyone else.

The Orginal Moment

The Orginal Moment

I'm in the middle of watching 'Garden State' and by no means is this little blog entry a film review so far the film is coming acorss deeper than it actually is and is a little pretentious. Starring Zach Braff best known for leading the televsion hit series Scrubs hes coming acorss very dry and while I understand thats how his charatcer is supposed to be, at what point am I supposed to care? Thankfully the wonderful Natalie Portman brings some emotion to the piece and I thought I would share my favorite moment in the film as of yet.



Light, upliftings and sweet. Now if you don't mind I'm going to go and make my own orginal moment.

Music Blog 3 24/7/10

Music Blog 3 24/7/10

So again I'm killing time before work and I thought I would post up another a music blog about the songs I've been blasting away on my I-Phone.

Let’s start with a guilty pleasure. Like I've said before I like to think of myself as a person with relatively good taste, however having said that we all have out little secret guilty pleasures, things we know we shouldn't like but simply can't help.

Aggro Santos feat Kimberly Wyatt - Candy



Why do I like this song I hear you ask? Good question, I have no idea. Normally I would push music like this to the side as generic rnb, dance (would I be right calling it Dubstep? Not exactly sure what type of music Dubstep is) but this song is different it’s just so annoyingly like-able. I've never heard of the artist Aggro Santos before but after a quick YouTube search I found he was the mastermind behind these lyrics from his song Culo (which is translated into arse)

'I like the arse, jelly back off Culo!
I could get loads but i'd rather choose uno,
now i wanna hit it from behind,
girl your arse is so fat i think its got its own MIND!'

He certainly likes to appreciate the female body. Maybe I'm just being a prude but the video for 'Culo' is edging on soft porn.

I only know Kimberly Wyatt as one of the *coughs* singers *coughs* from the pussycat dolls, I know she was a judge on some dance talent show hence her popularity in Britain (which I didn't watch) but I'm not sure I'd like the song as much without Kim in it. It’s going to be interesting to see what else she does. When I say this song is a guilty pleasure by no means am I saying this is a bad song (by no means is it perfect either) it’s just not a song I would normally declare a liking for.

Another song I can't stop listening to is

Jedward - All The Small Things



OMG Best Cover ever!?

Yeah I'm seriously kidding (no really I am) as you might have guessed already I am no fan of jedward. Who ever gave them the rights to sing this song should be found and hurt (alot) I had to stop the music video half way because I was getting that annoyed, skipping through it the pop culture references are there, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, (I think one was supposed to be Britney spears) not got a clue what the boat part was about. In a few shots they looks a little bit like Matt Willis (remember that guy from busted?). I think the best thing I can say about the song and video is that there hair doesn't look that bad when its down in comparison to the plain silly hair sprayed up look.

Let me redeem myself from that little joke with some good music. Working over summer at a cinema part of my jobs is cleaning up after a film has finished, as much as I didn't like the film Eclipse the soundtrack over the credits is fantastic. One song that sticks out the most is

florence and the machine heavy in your arms



Sadly there’s no video for this song at the moment but hearing this while sweeping up popcorn and empty ice cream tubs certainly makes the job more enjoyable. Behind the song is a strong drumming song which you normally find behind her works combined with her great singing range and pacing its certainly a song I can't wait to have on my i-phone come pay day.

Kelly Rowland - Commander ft. David Guetta



Again a song I wouldn't normally like has been part of my walking home from work soundtrack (yes I have a soundtrack for that, don't you?). I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of Kelly Rowlland. I remember the second time I went to T-4 on the beach in 2008 when we found out she was the main act my and friends and I were like..'what? She's only had one single since destiny’s child' We were right at the front and thought we might just leave but we gave her a chance and we were blown away. She was fantastic. She performed a destiny child Medley as well as her single work (thankfully the freemasions re-mix, the freemasions just touch music and make it golden)

Here is a link for part of her T4 performance (sadly I can't just add this video right here)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BjODjEl1vI

Anyway cutting a long story short we really liked her, the weather was great and she was a fantastic performer.


^ Kelly Rowland T4 on the beach 2008: We were THAT close!

Now with her new song Commander with David Guetta, I think it really shows that Kelly needs a good DJ behind her. Her single 'Work' was ok but a little boring until the free masons worked on it and really finished it. I think it’s also interesting in how music has changed. First European artists tried to go with the American style and now we have American artists like Kim and Kelly coming over to Europe and creating dance, dubstep, eltor (ect) music which tends to sell better in Europe.

One final song I've been listening to alot is

Callie Moore "Zen Garden" Unplugged



Callie Moore is the Sister in Law to popular youtuber Shay Carl. After he promoted his wife’s sister's channel many have flocked and subscribed to her channel where she to now make vlogs with her husband about making music, setting up a record label and just getting by in life. I was unsure about adding another vlogger to my subscription list but shes really a lovely person. Her music is clear, simple and pure. My favourite line from this song has to be
'You’re just a grain of sand in my sand garden'
Great work, and now every Tuesday she’s going to be posting more songs up so I highly recommend you check her work out.

My Thoughts on : Better Off Ted

My Thoughts on : Better Off Ted

Before I got a summer job during my time off I spent it watching all of the television series 30 Rock. Now I'm left waiting for it to return I need something to fill the void. Sure for a while I had Mary Queen of Shops (oddly entertaining, considering I have no interest in business. I supposed it’s like the apprentice when you think from a outside view you think you could a better job) but I need a comedy show to watch. I have been watching a little bit of the Big Bang Theory and while I'm a fan of the show I wouldn't go out of my way to find the episodes. I've also been watching the new series of the IT Crowd but still I need something more.

So what do I look for in a comedy? Well in 30 Rock there’s the right amount of wit, sarcasm and juvenile behaviour. I like the characters that are in charge and get away with being mean and cruel. While the boss in 30 Rock isn't a villain he does have the power and makes sure his workers know their place. A better example of my favourite type of character is Jordan from scrubs. She’s mean, cruel, sarcastic and can get away with being so, but deep deep DEEP down she’s actually a good person. So I was very happy when I came across the show called 'Better of Ted'.

Better Off Ted revolves around the concept that the characters work for a stereotypically evil company, a fact of which they are all aware. The company, Veridian Dynamics, experiments on its employees, twists the truth, and will stop at nothing to achieve its goals, as reflected in the company motto, "Money before People." It has been mentioned that Veridian has swayed presidential elections, created killer pandas and robots, and that there are only three governments left in the world which are more powerful than Veridian. The characters often try to manipulate the system in order to stop bad things from happening to them, but they are also susceptible to the potential rewards the company can offer despite the consequences of their actions, such as the company's attempt to hire Lem's mother, or the company's introduction of scented light bulbs with known flaws. Much of the comedy of the show comes from the characters' navigation of these morally ambiguous areas.
Thank you Wikipedia

So lets go through the cast

Jay Harrington as Theodore Margaret "Ted" Crisp:
Ted is the main character who leads the show by breaking the fourth wall; normally the show is about his life and what he is getting up to. He’s a likeable character, if not too much of a goodie goodie. He’s a little bit like a boy scout, always keeping to the rules and the moral compass of the show.

Andrea Anders as Linda Katherine Zwordling:
Teds love interest. In the show she is the head of product testing in Teds department. She and Ted are no Ross and Rachel, from the start the two make it very clear the two have feelings for each other but Ted says he has already used his office affair and won't have a second, through the show the two flirt and bring up the subject of being a couple. I'm just waiting for them to hurry it up and get it together with each other; we all know it’s going to happen so they might as well just get on with it. On her own she’s a strong character and has her funny moments, especially when the office is set four different 'looks' and is put in to the section of 'cat lover' the way the different groups interact creates comical situations.

Jonathan Slavin as Dr. Philip "Phil" Myman and Malcolm Barrett as Dr. Lem Hewitt: These two are the best scientists the company has, normally these two are the subject to most of the jokes. Taken advantage of and an excuse to use geek jokes. The two are a great pair and work together well, their relationship is more of a man/wife relationship at times switching roles at different times.

Portia de Rossi as Veronica Palmer:
My favorite charatcer of the lot of them. The boss of the group, she’s honest, blunt and has a sharp tounge. She has the best lines in the show

Ted: With the public's trust at stake, we all gave depositions. Veronica had done it before and so knew just what to say... or how little to say.
Female Lawyer: Were you involved in the development of this product?
Veronica: Yes.
Female Lawyer: And how would you summarize the company's reaction when they found out that the women who used this product were savagely attacked by insects?
Veronica: Ouch.
Female Lawyer: Will you elaborate on that, please?
Veronica: No.
Female Lawyer: Can you describe your job?
Veronica: Yes.
Female Lawyer: How would you describe your job?
Veronica: Cleverly

Veronica: When I was younger I would feed my sister in her sleep so she wouldn't be thinner than me

Veronica: My door is always open to you. Please, close it on the way out

God I wish I could be that mean to people and get away with it. Only kidding (or am I?) Overall the show is good, it’s funny and Its more than just filling the gap I have without 30 Rock. It’s definitely gotten better as episodes have gone on and I'm enjoying watching the series.

My Thoughts On Toy Story 3 (3D)

My Thoughts On Toy Story 3 (3D)
This will not contain any spoilers!

So as part of my new job at a cinema I get the extra of staff showings. Tonight after work we watched Toy Story 3 in 3D before it’s released to the general public (in the UK)!

The first toy story came out in 1995, followed by Toy Story 2 in 1999. I would have been around five or six at the time of the first film and I remember loving it. When they said a second one was coming out I wasn't too sure as squeals are never as good as the originals. However I was totally blown away by the second one and I still believe the second one is far superior to the first. And they have done it again with the 3rd! Looking back at the first film I don't think it’s really fantastic, yes there are loveable characters but I think because I've seen it so many times I find it easy to turn it off because I know actually what’s going to happen. But none the less the first movie is what broughts us the great bunch of charatcers we have all grown up with and love.

I'm very spectacle about CGI films, especially the family animated kind. Dreamworks seems to just create them one after another and normally there is very little wonder about them. For example while shrek was good at first I was bitterly disappointed the third film and remember only laughing at one line at the very start. None the less I'll be sure to see the final one as I've heard good things. However Pixar take their time with their time with their films, they create wonderful original characters and surround them in a fantastic world where both children and adults can enjoy.

Toy Story 3 is in a word flawless. I really can't find any fault with this film. Everything about this film was just right. I believe young children who didn't grow up on Toy Story can still enjoy this film but I don't think they will truly get the real history behind it. Growing up with the films and being nearly the same age as Andy now the final film almost feels like its time for us too to move on and start to grow up. Within the film are some almost very dark scenes where the toys are in great danger but the danger it soon solved and something light hearted and funny happens. I won't post any spoilers but there is a moment where it really tugs on your heart strings and is truly sad and you really feel for the toys. I almost want to say 'my toys' as I feel as If I know their character so well.

One thing I was a little unsure about before seeing the film was the use of Barbie and Ken. I wondered if it was just going to be a big advertising stunt, and while I imagine a toy story ken and Barbie will be on the toy selves soon (edit: Just checked, yep they are already made) they really had their own character and within a short amount of time they were quickly developed and felt as if they had always been a part of the gang. I think the Barbie doll was supposed to look like as if it was from the 80's, it looked like it had been fashioned from FAME. While Barbie and Ken had their stereotypical 'Barbie doll' moments (lil bit of a spoiler with a few lines from the film, if you don't wanna read it just scroll past the dialog)
eg

Ken: Okay, now you start.
Barbie: I...
Ken: love...
Barbie: you! Oh!
Ken: See? That time I said "love"! Okay, now me first.
[Buzz gives them a strange look]
Barbie: [overlapping] Ooh! Okay okay okay...
Ken: I...
Barbie: love...
Ken: you! You see what I mean? It changes every time!
Barbie: [laughing] You are so smart!
(thank you IMDB)

This was still funny and as the film went on we soon saw that Barbie is not just a pretty face. But I'll let you watch and find out what I mean.

Pixar are pure genius, there storytelling is simply unbeatable. This film deals with issues such as immortality and what happens when things around you change but you still stay the same. Its heart warming and I'll happily admit I did get teary eyed. I'm really happy with the way things ended and it’s finally completed the story of Toy Story. It’s a must see.


My Old Power Ranger Toy from childhood.
Not throwing this guy away, ever.

My Thoughts On Twilight Eclipse

My Thoughts On Twilight Eclipse

I feel I should start by saying that I am not saying what I about just to be funny, sarcastic or witty but am simply just saying what I think about the film and the series. I'm not saying it because it’s 'cool' to not like twilight but because its what I think. So let us begin.

I have not read any of the twilight saga books, I did try but after two chapters of twilight I couldn't bear to read any more. Bella is not a likeable person and I soon became tired of her moaning. However I have many friends who have read the books and have filled me in on any missing details. Although I feel one shouldn't have to know of a book to understand a film adaptation (much like the film called 'Watchmen' which was just really bad and I instantly dismiss the argument that you have to read the graphic novel first to really 'get' it, sod that I'm watching a film and shouldn't have to do my homework to prepare) I'm told the films do well to keep to the world that the books have created.

I have watched all three films and have yet to really see the appeal. Yes I understand that Edward and Jacob are both attractive males but surely after seeing the same two faces after a while cracks are going to appear and the truth that the pace is slow, the story is boring and very little actually happens is bound to come out, right?

Now let’s go through some of the reasons I don't like twilight. There’s Bella, Edward, Jacob, Twilight fans and the missed opportunities within the film which could make great parts.

Edward
Edward is supposed to be a perfect guy, a knight in shining armour. Strong, good looking and sensitive, I mean come on he sits through Belles poems (which edge on being your bad typical emo writings) but I don't really get him. Throughout the films he’s scared of hurting Bella, turning her in to a vamp and taking her soul. Yet somehow he continues to fight for her love, when really he knows he’s bad for her. Granted he allows her to make her own choice but he doesn't discourage her, yeah he left her in New Moon but he could have made a better effort to get away from her. Watching Bella scream, moan and go through her very 'deep' teenager 'you'll never understand me' angst was not fun, and so Edward I blame you for that.

Jacob
Now I felt sorry for him in new moon when Bella was messing him about. She basically said 'You can fancy me, you can look and think all you want but you can never touch me and I'm gonna get a high of that because I'm a self centred b****' (If you haven't gathered it by now I'm not a Bella fan) but in this film I felt no pity for him. Bella had made it clear she wanted Edward, but in every scene they shared together in this new film I'm sure they pretty much had the same lines

First Scene together:
Jacob: You love me
Bella: No I don't

Second Scene together:
Jacob: You love me; you just don't know it yet
Bella: No I don't!
*Jacob kisses Bella*
*Bella punches him in the face and she breaks her hand*
XD Stupid Bella

Kissing scene on the mountain
Bella: Kiss me
Me in the audience: What?! It was only five minutes ago you told him you weren't interested, you evil, game playing B****!
Emma and Stacey in the audience: *laugh* shhhhhh! *laugh*

Last Scene together
Bella: I'll love you till my heart stops beating
Jacob: Won't be long
Me in the audience: this film is bad! *head explodes*

Ok so my head might not have exploded but none the less you get my drift. I just wanted to shout at Jacob 'Let it go! She’s not worth it! How good can she girl smell!?’

Bella
What is this girl’s appeal? She never smiles, she’s never happy, she’s not interesting and overall not a nice person. She’s not to kind to her human friends and treats the guys interested in her like dirt. She’s a bad role model for young girls and I can't image wanting to be friends with a person like this in real life. In this film there is a constant love triangle between her Edward and Jacob. She knows she’s in love with Edward but never really makes a real effort to stop the two fighting over her, it’s like she enjoys it. If she respected them both she would tell them to get over themselves and stop acting like children fighting over a toy. She lets Edward kiss her in front of Jacob (marking his territory , like she’s a belonging and not a person, hurray for feminism) when she knows Jacob is interested in her making the situation more uncomfortable than it already was. She lets Jacob drool all over her and while she does give him a punch ( XD still makes me laugh that she hurt her hand doing so) strong words would have done allot more.

Twlight Fans
Now my friends Emma and Stacey (Hi guys! *waves*) will openly say that they were real twilight fan girls and at the time of reading the books they loved it and they really enjoyed the first two movies, while they admit to liking this third film they know they have grown up and realise the saga really isn't that good. However I blame the hard core twilight fans who made this saga as bg as it is. No, not blame, I pity. These books are aimed at girls and women who through the empty shell that is Bella find them self in a world where their life (Bella’s life) is in danger, finding love with two different men, being adored and taking what is a very boring person and making them in to something of an idol. I'm told that Bella is supposed to be relatable, however I really don't see how. She’s a terrible role model for women and young girls, yeah she goes through the motions when trying to decide who she loves (oh poor you Bella you have two great guys madly in love with you) but how is that relatable to the average girl?! This saga takes advantage of girl’s wants and fantasies. I wonder how many hard core twilight fans will openly say like my friends that the books and films aren't actually that good. I feel most fans of the series simply hope on to the band wagon and get carried away with the group experience of enjoying the idea of which team you are on. Creating the 'which team' are you on creates discussion and chat about why you like the side you do and it becomes cheap fun. But none the less why celebrate two male character types who themselves have a list of down sides, as well as wanting to be the empty shell that Bella is?!

missed opportunities
I understand this film is a 12a and that if there was allot of blood and gore then it would have to be a 15. In doing so there is the risk of losing allot of audience members. But surely telling a story, acting for the art and making a really good film isn't about making money right? (HA! Sorry I forgot we're talking Hollywood for a second then) I believe that this film had a few parts that if pushed could have made the film allot better. You would be surprised to hear that none of these scenes involve Bella, Edward or Jacob (I'd just change their scenes all together) for example. In the film we are told how Rosalie becomes a vampire. In the film we don't get any blood or real action. I'm told we don't get this in the books either but again I'm not asking them to change the story, I just want to actually see it. In the film Rosalie finds the guy who raped and left her for dead. She has a sense of wit and goes to him in a wedding dress, we see the man scared and then we cut back to the present where the audience is left to assume she killed him a painful manner. Now I'm not really a fan of blood and gore but I think this part of the film should have gone totally Kill Bill style, and had a dramatic killing scene with the wanna be vamp bride and her killed. Cinematically it could have looked iconic, just image the bride in her blood stained dressed over the body of her killer. Could be great stuff.

Overall the film lacked pace, again nothing really happened and what did happen could have happened allot faster. I still dislike the main three cast members and I think I'm going to find it hard to be impressed by the next two films. I've been told the next films will become 15's because of the content in the story but we're have to wait and see.

Ps: Great sound track

People Are Messy!

People Are Messy!

So now working at a cinema I have finally made it in to the movie industry (kinda). I work on the till, selling tickets, food and drinks and sometimes I'm on the floor where I rip tickets, check screens, clean up after there has been a showing and toilet checks. glamorous, right? It’s actually a good job, sure the hours can be hard and the pay isn't the most I've been paid befre but its good work with good people. I enjoy myself and I'm improving on the till, while I still have some areas to improve on I no longer want to be sick when being told I'll be working on it. Go Me!

One thing that I can't help but find odd though is the amount of food and drinks people leave at the end of a film. Once everyone has left the screening a few staff go and tidy up, normally it’s just sweeping up pop corn and throwing away and rubbish, but when we find full packets of sweets, untouched popcorn, full drinks and hotdogs that haven't even been started we are shocked. Going to the cinema is an expensive trip and buying a ton of food and drink you’re not going to even going to start is just mind bogerling.

Hopefully I might be seeing a staff showing of Toy Story 3 3D before its released in the UK so I'll be able to give a review and let you know what I think, although if the reviews from America are to be believed then I'm expecting good things. Only a short blog this time but I'm running out of current TV shows to watch. I've started to watch firefly which I don't love yet but can see being a grower. But if you have any TV shows that are on now that you think I should watch then let me know.

PS. Think of me when you’re at the cinema and tidy away your popcorn after a film! :)



Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author

Films I'm looking forward to see in 2010

Films I'm looking forward to see in 2010

I love watching trailers and trying to work out if I'm going to like the film, or if I'm even going to go watch them. So here is my list of films that I am looking forward to the most in 2010.

EDIT: I had done a very large blog entry, giving reasons as to why I want to see these films. However my internet decided it didn't want to play nice any more and so I'm keeping this basic. That and I'm suddenly not feeling to well, who knows I may come back later and edit it again.

Inception



toy story 3


Runaways


The Last Air Bender


Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Tribal Wifes

Tribal Wifes

Today while eating at Subway my friend asked me if I would see her differently if she was a boy. I thought about it for a second and answered

'I don't see you as either as a boy or a girl'

she gave me a weird look while taking another bite in to her sandwich

I explained 'I see you as Sammy. I see you as the individual person, not a gender'

I think she understood what I meant. Normally I try to see my friends for who they are, rather than their gender. Or at least I try to. Growing up I was part of an Army family and so we would often move around a lot. Sometimes I would have more female friends and sometimes I would have more male friends. It was during college that my friendships with two girls grew stronger and to this day are my best friends while at the same time I had male college friends. Now at university it’s gone the other way, while still the best of friends with the two girls I now have more male friends who I would say I'm closer to compared to male friends I've had in the past. Basically I've never been the type of person who is less likely to like someone because of their gender, which I suppose can be said for most people (although I do know some people who get on better who boys, and some people who get on better with girls). And if my friends are reading this, which I'm going to guess you are as you’re really the only ones who sometimes read my blogs then HIYA! *waves*

Anyway, I felt that little story was a nice intro to a review of the show I've been watching called Tribal Wife’s on BBC 2.

'Six British women swap their everyday lives for life as tribal wives in some of the most remote communities on earth. Like many women today juggling career, home and family, they feel that something is missing. By spending time in societies where female roles are very different, they hope to find answers that could change their lives.' thank you bbc i-player

This is the second series of the show now, and I can't remember for sure but I think I watched bits of the first series. Now the final episode has aired and is now on the i-player I thought I would go through the eps and note what I thought about them.

Side Note: Sorry If me saying 'the woman' sounds a rude, it’s just easier and quicker than me having to find the names on the different websites pages.

ep 1) Turkey: I wasn't a huge fan of this episode. I thought the girl picked was perhaps too young. I always thought the show was about women who have been living their life in a certain way and the chance to get away and see a different culture may make them stop and think about what’s really important. However with the first woman on the show It was more about questioning the ways of the family. They also took her to a more modern part of Turkey for a party at which she attracted the eye of one of the sons who may have been romantically interested in her. The episode became less about learning and more about the uncomfortable drama between the two.

ep 2) Gabon: This was my favourite episode of the series. The family welcomed her in right away and they treated her like she was one of them. While all the families did the same with the other 'wife’s' this community really took her in. The woman in this episode had problems with her mother from her past and while in this new community she gained a mother figure who really got her thinking about the choices her own mother made, and got her thinking she was doing the best for her.

ep 3) Mexico: There was always a moment in all the episodes when I thought to myself 'my god stop crying and get on with it' now thinking back this may have seemed a little cruel, I mean these women are away from family, friends and their home. I'm pretty easy going, but come on! Wipe your tears aside and get stuck in. Overall this was a nice episode and while the woman annoyed me a bit at first she started to grow on me, she certainly got involved with the family (even if she didn't do the whole race) I think she really took something from the trip, which I suppose is the most important thing.

ep 4) Papua New Guinea: In this episode the woman had issues with her father in the past and so she found it a little weird creating a relationship with the father of the family, but she soon started to like it and began to call him 'Daddy' (having been asked to). A very beautiful woman I found it strange to hear she had had trouble with relationships and keeping them, having been in a few relationships for a long time and then them not working she said she had issues with trust. But again I think she really learned something for her experience.

ep 5) Thailand: This single mother of two found it comforting to see the community so close. She normally saw similar things within her church but never so much with the family. She worked hard and was very respectful. To be honest I'm drawing a blank with what happened in this episode. Go watch it and remind me lol

ep 6) Ethiopia: I've just watched the final episode of the series and I can't say it had the same direction as some of the episodes. Most of the women had clear things they wanted to improve on, where as the things she learnt she couldn't really take them back and add it to her life style. perhaps not the best episode of the series to close on but none the less all round very good.

A fantastic series granting real insight in to how families across the world work and interact with one and another. I really recommend watching it.

Can Video Blogs be put in to the same category as Documentary?

Can Video Blogs be put in to the same category as Documentary?


This essay will question if video blogs can be viewed as documentary’s, who the creator of the video blog is, what the viewer is gaining from the video blog, how much of the bloggers real life are we actually being shown and how this might affect documentary as a serious media. It is John Corner who refers to the documentary as the ‘art of the record’ (Corner, cited in Ward, 2005:6) another way of defining documentary is by Winston who sums it up as ‘claiming the real’ (Winston, cited in Ward, 2005:6) what the two mean is that the documentary grants the viewer a insight and information about something real that has happened in the world, this could be a insight in to the human condition, social goings on, class, relationships, sex, where we come from, history, the past, business or a personal story. Documentary is not reality but deals with reality.

It is up to the creator of the documentary to represent the world of the film in an unbiased way and to fairy represent the chosen subject matter. However such formats of documentaries such as reality television are partly constructed. While the idea of the documentary is to portray truth, reality television shows such as “Big Brother” twist what reality is, they select a group of people that have never met and put them in a house to live with each other. At first the idea of the show was a clever social experiment however as more series of the show were made the agenda of the contestants and the makers of the show have changed. Contestants now know that when they leave the house that they will be able to make money from magazine deals and television appearances so they create an image for them self that they know will grab attention and one that can sell, however the show has also changed. While the contestants are using the show for their own desires they are also being exploited. Escoffery (2006:7) points out that ‘contestants are seen as falling victim to the manipulative powers of a ruthless fame making machine’ however the contestants know what they are going to be doing while in the show, they know they will have to play the games set by “Big Brother” and are willing to be embarrassed. Like reality television video blogs are constructed and the creator of the video blog decides what does and does not go in to the video blog, they control the reality of which they show much like “Big Brother”.

Jenkins (2006:151) explains the term ‘“blog” is short for “web log” a new form of personal and sub cultural expression involving summarizing and linking to other sites’ while the blog is no longer something new to the internet they have certainly changed since 2006. Over the past few years video blogs have become more popular since the raise of the website Youtube. Youtube presents itself as a web space where anyone can upload anything (except anything of an explicit nature). People have the opportunity to upload videos of themselves to express feelings and thoughts on whatever they want. While normally the voice of the everyday person couldn’t be heard Youtube offers a space where everyone’s can have a say and let it be known to the world. Youtube has a number of very popular video bloggers, one of the most popular is a man called Shay Carl, and he uploads daily vlogs (video blogs) with his family and friends and we the audience are carried along as he goes about his daily business. Youtube also allows the viewer to instantly post a message about the video, making it so simple and quick that it’s almost like you’re talking about to shay right away. He also takes the time to talk to the viewer to share thoughts and opinions as he goes on. The different with most popular video bloggers with the normal video blogger that is that some can become partners with Youtube. If a user becomes so popular they can request to become a partner with the site, Youtube will then pay that user depending on the amount of views that user gets. It will also give that option to display small adverts on their videos and at the side of their video. Every time a person clicks on that advert that user will then get paid. The video blogger could then be questioned as to what their intentions were for making the video blog, Shay Carl never adds any adverts in his video but does display his advert next to his video, however he is more likely to gain money from Youtube for the high amount of views he gets for his videos. Using Youtube ShayCarl and his family have become internet celebrities, by broadcasting their life, by being interesting and entertaining they show an insight in to an example of happy American family life.

Daniel Boorstin (cited in Turner, 2006:5) defines the celebrity as ‘the celebrity is a person who is well-known for their well-knownness’ The more views Shay Carl gets on his videos the more likely he is to be featured on the main page. Links to his videos are spread across the internet through social networking sites such as Facebook and twitter and so more people watch him and become more aware of him. As of the twenty second of March 2010 Shay Carl has 359,625 subscribers with a total of 96,651,024 views from his videos, this suggests that Shay Carl and his family are granting a real insight which interest people. Max Webber (Redmond and Holmes: 2007:17) suggest that natural leaders have ‘charisma’ he believes it is not something that everyone has but rather more of a physical or spiritual gift. Richard Dyer takes on this ideas and takes it further and describes it as ‘a certain quality of an individual personality by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhero or at least superficially exceptional qualities’ (Redmond and Holmes:2007:82) It is debatable if one is born with charisma or if one can learn it, but none the less It is this ‘charisma’ that Shay Carl has that makes him likeable that in end makes people watch his videos. As mentioned before documentaries do not show reality, they deal with it. His audience follows Shay Carl and his family and they feel as they if are his actually friends, he interacts with his viewers and makes them feel as if they are included as part of his special club, he refers to it as an online family.
In the introduction to McLuhan's Understanding Media he writes: ‘Today, after more than a century of electric technology, we have extended our central nervous system in a global embrace, abolishing both space and time as far as our planet is concerned’ (1964: p.3) McLuhan writes about the global village, where online different cultures and ideas can be shared where as a time before the internet that connection couldn’t be made. We are now able to talk to people from across the world in a matter of seconds. Shay Carl shares his life with people across the world everyday and is a positive example of American family life. However Rokek (cited in Turner 2006:6) believes that ‘The diminution of direct social relations is addressed by what has been called para-social interactions (that is interactions which occur across a significant social distance – with people ‘we don’t know’, such as those we enjoy the celebrities we watch and admire’ Rokek makes the point that rather that interacting with people around us, including our family and friends we would now rather interact with the life’s of others. He believes that there has been ‘a loss of community as human relation attenuate and fragment under the pressure of contemporary political and social conditions.’ (cited in Turner 2006:6) put simply living one’s own real life can be hard and difficult, but to see someone else enjoy their life and be such a positive influence on others is easier and can be more enjoyable than living one’s own life. Shay Carl and his family appear to have everything they could ever want, a happy, funny growing family, their viewers look on at this and wish to be a part of it. As suggested we are losing our connections and sense of community with our own community and are seeking it elsewhere. By becoming a part of the online extended family the audience member feels like they belong.

Shay Carl never refers to his children by their real names, instead calls them Son-tard, Princess-tard and Baby-tard. Although we know his real name and his wife’s real name they refer to themselves as Daddy-tard and Mommy-tard with these fictional names it is like they are acting as a role rather than themselves, turning the ‘ShayTards’ in to a brand name. With this pretend name they are still able to vlog about their real life but are still capable to keep something about them secret and to their self. As mentioned before documentary’s do not show reality they deal with reality. Shay Carl is able to show as much as he wants with his camera and can keep secret what he wants. His video blogs are normally very happy and have not yet shown any serious issues or problems, while the family may just be a happy positive family where nothing has gone wrong with them. It would be interesting to see if something negative happened within the family if they would cover it.

Another case study on video bloggers is the user called Charles Trippy. With his fiancé Ali they have been covering their life for over a year. They record their everyday life’s, going out, shopping cooking. All very small everyday normal events. However the purpose the documentary is to make a record an event, be it big or small. They grant us information about a subject, the vlogs from Shay Carl and Charles Trippy grant us insight to everyday normal things, and should not be brushes aside as meaningless, the viewer does learn from their vlogs and should be categorised as documentaries. While not all their vlogs may be true examples of the human condition most of their videos show more realistic human emotion, for example Charles Trippy’s video Surprise Marriage Proposal In Spain! (10.04.09 - Day 157) where he proposes to his girlfriend, the video has 1,333,188 views as of the 23rd of March 2009 and received large positive feedback from youtube users. Presenting us with a representation of reality.

Ana Vicente (2008:271) explains that ‘Digital technology cuts the costs of production and post-production processes enormously, enabling low budget filmmaking’. With the use digital technology anyone can now create films, video blogs and documentaries. Not so long ago you would have to be backed by a large film studio to create a film which would grant you a budget. While the quality between a professional film studio camera and a small handy flip cam are vastly different flip cams are still able to shoot in HD and produce quality footage. This now means that anyone can record moments that may not seem important to others on a grand scale but do portray emotional and personal importance. With websites such as youtube it is now possible to upload these videos and share through the global village and connect with others across the world. While video blogs may not affect documentaries shown on television and film financially it will have competition from more film makers who before couldn’t afford to create their film. The internet is slowly becoming major completion for film and television and if it does not converge with it then eventually it could be taken over.