Film Fans, and movie maniacs you need to head to your local cinema this weekend to see the hottest films around. If you’re after Tom Hiddleston as a blood thirsty vampire, or Shia laBeouf wearing far less than a paper bag, well its all here in one bite size package just for you and courtesy of our friends at The Reel Deal.
So watch our resident film critic take you through whats hot on the big screen this week. Its a corker!
Did you have a New Year’s resolution? Going to hit the gym three times a week and bust that gut? Cut back on the booze and un-pickle your liver? You tried hard too didn’t you, but by about mid-January, well…
Don’t beat yourself up though. It can be tough to make big changes to your life, and sometimes making a small change can be more sustainable and have a surprisingly big impact. That’s the idea behind Plan UK’s new campaign Give Up To Give Back.
If you don’t know about them, Plan UK is a global charity that works around the world to help improve the lives of some of the most disadvantaged children. We’re talking about kids who have no access to clean drinking water, no schools, no hospitals and those affected by disasters like the recent typhoon in the Philippines. Plan UK get their hands dirty at the ground level to provide resources, help train and educate people and build vital infrastructure to improve entire communities.
Most people want to give to charity, but somehow the financial aspect of a monthly donation seems a bit scary in this day and age, so they’ll flick a few coins in a collection bucket and leave it at that. But what if by giving up something for a renewed New Year’s resolution, something small, something that would help improve your life, you then gave that money back as a child sponsor? Not only would you see your belly shrink a bit, but you could help someone who really, really needs it.
Need an idea? Then have a look at this infographic from Plan UK, and you can see how something small and seemingly inconsequential can have a meaningful effect:
See. You don’t have to go all-or-nothing to make a difference. Would you really notice one less pint on a Saturday night? Not there and then, but over the course of a month you’ll feel better for it and that money will have a monumental effect on a child’s life. What’s even better is that when you sponsor a child the money doesn’t just go to helping them, a further 55 kids will benefit directly from your money.
So don’t sweep your broken New Year’s resolutions under the rug. Instead of going large, go small and #GiveUp2GiveBack.
You can find out more about the campaign and sign up here http://ow.ly/tdt2h
Get up, get out of your seat and move to a slightly more comfy one laced with red velvet and beautifully moulded bum imprints. Yep you guessed it, its one of the cheapest and historically romantic places to go on a date. Watch out though, the back row may be a little full!
On Valentines day the cream of the romantic movie crop hits cinemas and 2014 is no exception. Today of all days has some movie lovers magic just for you, whether you’re up with a dynamic dance film (well sort of) or lonely and needing some solace in future technology, or just after some good nostalgic fun then we can guarantee there there are some top choices ready and waiting for you!
So why not check out @thereelfilmshow and their latest picks of the top films to hit the cinemas this weekend, hosted by our very own resident film critic @rebecca_perfect
Have a great Valentines Day weekend! x
If you’ve heard of the brand Holler Watches you’ll know that Mike Tysons face dominates some of the its clever marketing campaigns, with his distinct facial tattoos you know expect that this brand of stylish, hip hop inspired watches will pack a punch too.
When invited to meet the founder and owner Darren McCormick we half expected to be meeting Tyson times two, and were slightly intimidated by the thought. However, we couldn’t be more wrong. Who we ended up sitting opposite at the table was a very unassuming, softly spoken, clever man with a slightly northern twang, how refreshing!
Darren is a man who is passionate about music, loves fashion and heads up a very impressive business that helped launch the hugely popular Pandora jewellery brand in the UK. He has since been watching the rise and rise of its popularity whilst quietly working on new concepts and ideas and 2014 is now the time for him to be getting back on the promotion wagon with the two next ventures which he believes will be the next big things. First we have the aforementioned Holler Watches. A cool, young brand, impactful and stylish, to be worn as a statement piece with stars galore backing it up for endorsements. Its even opened up an opportunity for bright, young, beautiful things to become a ‘Holler Girl’ (in Belgium! – but maybe here soon too!)
Quite different is Nikki Lissoni, a softer, more elegant brand, something that has a much more subtle and worn by the likes of Nicole Scherzinger and the Made in Chelsea lot. Both aiming to be hugely successful in their own right, its clear that Darren McCormick knows how to find a diamond in the rough idea and make it a money spinner.
I love the idea of Holler tell me more!
Well it’s a unique lifestyle brand which brings together a compilation of northern soul inspired designs and something very unique for the UK marketplace. Holler isn’t just about watches, its about caps, t-shirts, and sunglasses – we like to think of it as being one of those slices of American pie, bringing the bling from across the pond and one day becoming just as popular as those developed by leading music artists in the US.
The idea behind Hollar is that you buy into it as a whole, which is a great concept and it is quite easy to see by its unique designs and funky colouring why it could very easily become the next big trend in watches and fashion, so watch this space.
Nikki Lissoni sounds more up my street…
Well if Holler was born out of his passion for music and fashion, then Nikki Lissoni could be set to follow in the footsteps of Pandora and become the next female fad. The European fashion capitals saw this gorgeous collection of medallion based jewellery, which combines a mystical backstory with contemporary design and took to it like a duck to water, hailing it as ‘revamped retro’ and perhaps the next big trend to follow on from Pandora.
Bottom line is that both these brands are set to make big business in 2014 both in the UK and abroad, so if you’re looking to give something very special to a loved one this Valentines day, then get ahead of the trends and say it with a piece of jewellery.
You can find out more information on both the Holler and Nikki Lissoni brands here.
Just when you thought Valentines Day gifts couldn’t get any more extravagant! Award winning appliance manufacturers (and cool design kings) Smeg released a very special FAB28 red velvet refrigerator (it looks so good it could almost taste as good as Red Velvet cake, seriously!
Anyway, its not all about a fancy fridge on V-Day, Smeg is also teaming up with Bentalls in Kingston-upon-Thames for a week of non-stop fun. From 7th to 14th February, Smeg will showcase their brand new, very special FAB28 red velvet refrigerator, which will be exclusively revealed to Bentalls’ customers and the UK for the very first time. To celebrate, Smeg has devised an exciting competition where one lucky person can win their own red velvet fridge and send a message of love, or even a marriage proposal, to the special people in their life thanks to a clever and innovative built-in fridge cam.
During the event, customers will be invited to use the fridge cam and pose for a photograph alongside their own personal love heart message which they need to tweet with the hashtag #lovesmegfridge and #velvetvalentine to be in with a chance to win. Also don’t forget to look out for the SMEG500R, a limited edition, Fiat-styled refrigerator, which is also debuting for the very first time.
Smeg’s brand manager John Davies says: “We’re delighted to be supporting the Bentalls store in Kingston upon Thames and are excited to show how Smeg always work hard to push the boundaries with experiential activity that engages with our customers. The latest special addition to the Smeg family, the FAB28 red velvet refrigerator is symbolic of our iconic style and with its curved edges, 50s style lettering and soft, matt texture we’re sure this will be a hit!”
But I haven’t got time for a competition, but I do have time for a new fridge! Tell me more!
With a capacity of 256 litres featuring an ice compartment with a frozen food capacity of 26 litres, the FAB28 red velvet model comes with Smeg’s automatic defrost technology as well as three adjustable glass shelves, one fruit and vegetable container and a chrome wine rack. This fridge has an A++ energy efficiency rating and a 40dB sound level which is far lower than normal conversation levels at 59dB, making it perfect for open-plan living. Priced from £1,275, the dimensions of the Smeg FAB28 measure 60cmW by 69.2cmD by 151cmH and this model is also available in 12 striking colours.
Movie lovers go WILD!!! Its Friday! Which means you can relish in the fact that you can sit back, relax, chomp on popcorn and basically be totally antisocial in a dark room! Yep if you’re not planning on a big weekend then the cinema is the perfect place to be! So our good friends at The Reel Deal have their weekly update just for you!
Presented by our very own resident film critic @rebecca_perfect she takes you through the run down of what’s hot and what’s not at the cinema this weekend. One not to be missed, so if you’re feeling indecisive then this gives you the perfect movie round up in one whole minute! What’s not to like!
So subscribe, share and love it like we do!
Have a fab film Friday lovely people and an even better weekend!!
Well it truly is Oscar season and if you haven’t had it yet then Oscar fever will well and take hold in only a matter of days. The frontrunner (in our view) in the acting categories (Best Actor/Best Supporting Actor) has to be Dallas Buyers Club. With Golden Globes well under their belts, Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto set to storm the big kahuna and walk away with a couple of Oscar shaped statues.
So in light of all this awards commotion, we headed to meet the men themselves for the press conference last week. Now if you were expecting any Wolf of Wall Street chest beating antics, then we’re sorry to disappoint. Apart from Jared Leto praising Mr McConaughey and giving his own mini monologue about the tribal chest tappings, the focus was very much on Dallas Buyers Club and its incredible journey over many years to the silver screen.
Dallas Buyers Club is the story of Ron Woodruff. A man from Texas living a simple life as an electrician. He likes, women, drugs, drink and rodeos. That is what his life mainly revolves around. The turning point comes after a work accident where he ends up in hospital and finds out that he is HIV positive (which at the time had a huge stigma with homosexuality) and only 30 days to live. This story follows his battle to use any means possible to stay alive and it is fascinating.
Apart from the incredible dedication to the character where McCanaughey had lost an amazing 47lbs to play the part. Without his determination and sheer Texan will power this film would never have been made. The script for Dallas Buyers club has been passed from actor to actor and essentially lay dormant for around fifteen years until now. Even days before shooting McCanaughey must have used his rom-com charm and Magic Mike moves to get this production going because it very nearly halted with location and timing delays. Never the less, his star power prevailed and the set was up and running on time with immense focus from all the cast and crew in what seemed to be a very short space of time. The end result, well lets just say that boy was this film worth the wait.
The performances in Dallas Buyers Club are jaw-droppingly powerful. McCanaughey seizes the screen with his alpha male attitude and ego which out sizes his scrawny frame. We see his journey from “macho” Teaxan, to outright denial of his situation, to a new position of power as he not only tries an innovative way to help himself but other sufferers as well. This is a very different performance to all the other Oscar nominees but it’s a brave performance which is very giving and totally absorbing, you end up fighting for Ron as much as he is, willing him to have that fairy tale ending where all is well, and are constantly on edge throughout pushing away the tears. Really powerful stuff.
We also see Jared Leto provide the counter balance as Rayon. The drag queen who’s vulnerability and desperation to live rather than die at the end pulls strongly on audience members heart strings. This subject topic is about desperation and will to survive, and the highly quoted line from Rayon of “a girls gotta do, what a girls gotta do” speaks volumes to this. Leto’s transformation is equally as impressive if not as shocking. He managed to get kudos from the gay community on his performance and managed to win the role by chatting up the director via skype! Even though he hasn’t seen the film, its easy to say that you can’t help but love Rayon and the way that he plays the character is with such a natural charisma that you can’t help but think he’s done this before!
Finally in the supporting role as a sympathetic doctor (Eve), Jennifer Garner also helps us understand another side to this ongoing battle against HIV. The inner hospital politics are very much the same today as they were in the 1980’s and although drug advancements have happened, there are still the same old problems of getting certain medicines to market.
Overall this film is another important watch, which is why it has been heralded throughout the award season. It is a talking point, a simply made movie with great characters, with a lot of thought, heart and fact which have been too controversial to put on to screen in previous outtings, its honest and insightful and we should all be glad that it has been made as it really does open your eyes to this disease and the stigma attached to it.
Well acted, well shot and engaging to watch. Definitely something to catch at the cinema when you can.
4 Stars
So Valentines Day is (unbelievably) just around the corner, but do you know how much love costs? If you’re J-Lo, obviously love don’t cost a thing…. but there are varying differences for the average ladi-dah, so our friends at Prezzybox developed this fantastic run down of just how much love costs, so enjoy!
Snoochie Boochies 