Tag Archives: entertainment

OMG its Valentines Day!! So you better head to the cinema! Here’s why! @thereeldeal #film #movie #whattowatch

Screen Shot 2014-02-13 at 18.03.13Get 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

Advertisement

Its that time of the week again, yep you guessed it, its #filmfriday with @thereelfilmshow

Screen Shot 2014-02-07 at 00.16.37

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!!

Get ready for the unusual hustler ride with #dallasbuyersclub #review #film #movie

Screen Shot 2014-02-06 at 12.42.41

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.photo

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.Screen Shot 2014-02-06 at 12.42.26

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!

Screen Shot 2014-02-06 at 12.41.56

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

Its #filmfriday need your weekend film fix? Then there’s one place to get it from! @thereelfilmshow @rebecca_perfect @avenueboutique #movies #film #cinema #whattowatch

Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 08.37.57

Calling all film fans! Stuck for something to watch at the cinema this weekend? Well we’ve got a treat for you! We’ve teamed up with the fantastic @realfilmshow to bring you a brand spanking, fun piece of video content that will answer all your “what should I do at the weekend?” questions. 

PLUS! We loved that we spotted presenter @rebecca_perfect wearing one of our featured fashion pieces from Avenue Boutique! Check it out!!!

Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 08.40.14

 

So make sure you subscribe to what looks to be the hottest film fix for all of you fanatics out there!

Have a great weekend!

 

What are you watching this weekend? @thereeldeal2014 #filmshow #gonein60secs #film #movie #cinema

Screen Shot 2014-01-17 at 00.42.40Happy start to the weekend Snoochers!

We’ve got a special treat just for you our very own Film Critic Rebecca Perfect has started work on a fantastic new film show due out in February, its called The Reel and aims to bring you all the fun of film in one bite size chunk! In the meantime they’re giving you a weekly round up of what’s hot and what’s not at the cinemas every Friday.

We thought we’d share the first pilot episode with you… we hope you like it, caveated with a  small amount of technical glitches which are being sorted for its next episode, its a small nugget of information about what to watch at the weekend and we here at Snoochie Boochies think it could be the start of a very good (and useful) thing.

Also start following @thereeeldeal2014 on Twitter and subscribe to their YouTube channel, you won’t be disappointed we promise!

Have a  great weekend all!

You’ll be howling at sheer brilliance of The Wolf of Wall Street! Here’s why… #film #review #filmreview

Screen Shot 2014-01-10 at 10.36.41

After you’ve picked yourself up from your chair following the three plus hour rollercoaster ride of entertainment that is The Wolf of Wall Street, you’ll reflect (for hours, possibly even days) on what this film contained before coming to the inevitable conclusion that Di Caprio and Scorsese have a) the best bromance in Hollywood, and b) that The Wolf of Wall Street really is a modern day masterpiece.

Unbelievably, this is a true story and follows the rise and fall of Jordan Belfort a Long Island penny stockbroker who served 36 months in prison for defrauding investors in a massive 1990s securities scam that involved widespread corruption on Wall Street and in the corporate banking world, including shoe designer Steve Madden.Screen Shot 2014-01-10 at 10.35.59

Now this all sounds like thrilling, serious stuff, and of course it is, but cleverly intertwined with this is the knowledge that Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his merry band of stockbroker men, lived the most zany, outlandish lifestyle that really does only exist in the movies until their time is up.

Martin Scorsese is back to his very best in this punchy screen sensation that reminds us of the great and the good films from the late 1980’s and early 90’s. It’s hard not to describe this as Goodfellas meets Wall Street where DiCaprio plays our modern day Gordon Gekko to perfection! Although The Wolf of Wall Street is not for the feint hearted (it contains lewd behavior, copious amounts of drug taking, full frontal nudity and enough swearing to send your granny to an early grave) you cannot help but love and laugh through every minute of it!Screen Shot 2014-01-10 at 10.35.11

Proving he’s the most qualified and under awarded man in Hollywood history Leonardo DiCaprio pulls off another stellar performance as Jordan Belfort, from the wide eyed rookie stock broker taken under the wing of Rothschild Bank to the greedy owner of his own unorthodox company, we see a true transformation of character right before our eyes, that will have us laughing and crying at the same time, and secretly urging him to come out OK in the end.

Jonah Hill again is perfectly cast as Belforts’ sidekick Donnie Azoff, the ‘loveable douchebag’ who supports his colleague and mentor to the end (sort of) and is often happy to remain the brunt of the jokes and rakes in the rewards of living this lavish lifestyle laid out for him. Margot Robbie is a surprise as the trophy wife Naomi Lapaglia who dons a fantastic New York accent and bombshell look to not only bring Jordan Belfort to his knees in lust, but to also secure her place as Hollywood hot property. Screen Shot 2014-01-10 at 10.34.12

The only downside to The Wolf of Wall Street is that there are some excellent cameos throughout that you just wish would have hung around longer. Jean DuJardin plays the shrewd and straight talking Swedish banker who appears in the latter part of the film, and is a world away from his silent Oscar winning star in The Artist. But the real master cameo performance is Matthew McConaughey as Belforts’ first boss Mark Hana. In only a fraction of screen time, he captures the essence of the craziness of life on Wall Street in the late 80’s and hooks Di Caprio’s impressionable character onto the biggest drug of all, money. Its outlandishness will have you howling in your seat with laughter and re-creating a certain ‘chest chant’ for days to come!Screen Shot 2014-01-10 at 10.35.24

The Wolf of Wall Street may be sexist, brash, punchy and full of what was wrong with the world pre-crash, but you’ve got to admit once watching this film, that they had one hell of a ball in their work hard, play hard lifestyles. The costumes, the humour, the references and the brilliant acting all captures this era perfectly, and with this creates, as previously stated, a modern masterpiece, three hours promises to whizz by like three minutes and you’ll be grinning and laughing all the way home. This film really has set the bar for 2014.

4.5 Stars

Forget your Christmas Cooking disasters 2014 is a new year to cook with @smeguk #cooking #recipe #food

 

Screen Shot 2014-01-06 at 15.27.21

So did you to cook the turkey to perfection this year? or did you get ribbed by your family around the table for that slightly over smoked bird? Oh well, either way 2014 is a new year with new goals in work, life and well…cooking! And in terms of the latter, award winning appliance manufacturer Smeg (yes, the one with the uber cook refrigerators everyone wished they had) you can create a new, exciting dish a professional chef would be proud of, from succulent roast pork to melt-in-the-mouth extra lemony sponge cake all because of its brand new recipe card collection? 

 Recipe Cards?? Old School….

Yep, old school style, modern means, via Smegs website,  you can concoct nine delicious, classic British recipes which have been cleverly designed by a qualified home economist to help you produce the tastiest dishes using Smeg’s top-of-the-range, built-in or freestanding cooking appliances (or of course, your own!). SFP390X

The last recipe from this collection, Rotisserie sweet chilli chicken, has just been completed and is now available online. Simply go to www.smeguk.com now where you can download each recipe card and 26 other online recipes from around the globe, which range from party food and starters to sweets and desserts.

 But I just want to start cooking right now…

Oh, ok then, well here’s the recipe just for you!! x

 

Rotisserie sweet chilli chicken

Rotisserie chicken

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1.6kg whole fresh chicken, finely grated zest 1 lime, 2 tsp dried chilli flakes,1 tbsp sunflower oil

2 tbsp runny honey, flaked sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C on the Rotisserie Grill setting. Place a baking tray lined with foil on the bottom shelf of the oven. This will collect any juices that drip from the chicken.

2. Mix the lime zest with the chilli flakes, a good pinch of salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the oil and honey until combined.

3. Place the chicken on a board. Do not remove the string holding the chicken together. Carefully thread the rotisserie rod down through the centre of the chicken.

4. Skewer each end with the clip forks and secure by tightening the screw on each fork. Brush the chilli mixture all over the skin of the chicken until it is evenly coated.

5. Place the rotisserie rod securely on to the rotisserie support according to your oven manual. Spit roast the chicken with the oven door closed for 1 ¼ hours or until the skin is deep golden brown and the chicken is thoroughly cooked. The juices should run clear.

6. Carefully remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a board. Remember, it will be extremely hot and juices could splash. Loosely cover the chicken with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the rotisserie rod and carve the chicken to serve.

Rotisserie works in combination with the grill element whilst constantly turning the food

New Year, New Job, New Start in the Big Smoke @capitalliving #placestorent #london #wheretolive #propertysearch

Screen Shot 2013-12-31 at 15.49.24

Happy New Year to all of you wonderful readers, we hope you’ve had a great night celebrating and are optimistic and excited about all that 2014 has to bring. If, after you’ve recovered from your hangovers, you’re starting a brand new job (and life) in London, then hopefully this post will be very helpful to you.

 

Like many before you, the prospect of starting a new job and life in our Capital may be a little daunting, with its busy lifestyle, super savvy Londoners and endless string of bars, nightclubs, cultural sites and so on. So, when we met up with Capital Living owner Adam Goff, we finally found something that might just make the adjustment to city living that little bit easier.

Screen Shot 2013-12-31 at 15.47.55

What is Capital Living?

Well, in short it’s the answer to all your London living needs. If you’re a professional coming to London to live, there is always the risk of paying a fortune for living somewhere not so nice, and with Capital living, they run a professional house share which provides everything that is needed for you to enjoy minimum fuss and maximum lifestyle in London.

Sounds good, tell me more…

Ok, so to keep it simple you pay one monthly bill which basically includes everything except your laundry and food. Which is great because you get the highlights of things like Sky TV +HD Flatscreen TV thrown in, your Council Tax paid for, a weekly housekeeper and there are no hidden charges. Capital Living also position its properties a short walk from the nearest tube stations, so your commuting time is efficient for wherever you have to get to! It really does almost sound too good to be true, and that’s what we thought until we actually visited Adam in one of the properties, which was incredibly impressive! Screen Shot 2013-12-31 at 15.48.33

But who do I live with?

Well, this is the clever part, sometimes you just have to uproot and head to the Big Smoke all on your own, and that often means you’ll know little or no one which can again be a hugely daunting prospect! We’ve all been there and in fact Adam has been there himself too, which is why as well as the property renting side of things, he knew that it was important that he built communities. This is a really nice personal touch, as you are placed in properties which fit to not only your financial capabilities and location specifics, but also your compatibility with other ‘members.’

Screen Shot 2013-12-31 at 15.53.27

Capital Living doesn’t like to refer to its tenants as ‘tenants’, to help build this community and make you as the consumer feel that you’re getting the service you’re paying for, everyone is treated like part of a members club, which may sound a bit odd from the outset, but actually fits the abode you are renting. There are also social mixers which take place on a regular basis which allow you to instantly meet new people, which can often be quite difficult in London, and all members have access to an active and engaging online forum on Facebook where you can share stories, photos from some of the mixers and generally stay in touch with the rest of the community.

Where did the idea come from?

Screen Shot 2013-12-31 at 15.48.03Well, its founder Adam Goff has always been a savvy entrepreneur ever since he left university. From a humble online student ticketing service through to mobile phone assistance and eventually property, he’s gained knowledge and know how along all of his entrepreneurial journeys, making each business a little bigger and better than the last. The real turning point to kick start Capital Living however, came from his own experience of moving to London from the Midlands, the idea of huge rent and bills in the most sort after locations came hand in hand with small dingy flats with dodgy landlords. Thinking about what he would want out of living in London, Adam carved out his ideal renting plan and got to work. Soon after, Capital Living was born, and with his team, like his other projects its just seems to be getting bigger and better.

The Big Snoochie Summary

So, you live in these lovely properties with like minded people, who following careful research from Capital Living, seem to have similar interests and lifestyles to you, there are no hidden charges so you can manage your money wisely, so what’s the catch?Screen Shot 2013-12-31 at 15.55.33

Well, we struggled to find a catch really, its like being placed in an up market house share, which if you’ve dreamed of living in London gives you the setting and lifestyle that you can only imagine comes with a big city rather than the over priced nightmare flatshare dives which happen far too often.

The only real catch is that to maintain this standard of living, you initially have to meet Capital Living’s criteria for application, which first and foremost starts by being a professional in London.

So if you think that Capital Living might be right up your street, we would definitely encourage you to try a new way of flat hunting in London, its unique, luxurious and comes with an affordable price tag too, so give it a whirl and get in contact with Adam and the team here.

Why say thank you this Christmas when you can SING IT?!!! #bigthankyou @tesco

Screen Shot 2013-12-29 at 22.35.28

So are you lot on to your second or third Christmas dinner yet? Need to say thank you to those family members who have slaved away for hours to cook that perfectly stuffed Turkey, roast those potatoes and sizzle those sprouts? Then Tesco has the perfect thank you gift, which should put a smile on everyone’s faces in time for 2014.

The supermarket giant has launched  the #Big Thank You campaign, providing fun ways to say thank you for the little things that matter to you at Christmas, using short songs.  (The Big Thank You videos can be watched and shared here.)

They’ve already had a whopping 200,000 views and shares between them and its not hard to see why… here’s one of our favourites, its the Instagram thank you…

Thank you’s are a changing and look set to go even more digital in 2014, so… 

Tesco’s jumped on the band wagon, and decided to join the social media fun by  providing a series of short YouTube videos for a fun way to share a thank you through entertaining songs.

With videos featuring a singing trio whose songs cover everything from Christmas socks to sprouts and cooking the dinner, the campaign has been running from Christmas day. There are 15 short clips which can be emailed, tweeted or posted to family and friends.

Screen Shot 2013-12-29 at 22.35.03

But what about tradition we hear you say… 

It’s a traditional part of Christmas day to call friends and family and to say thanks for the gifts received, but this year we did it online more than ever. With over 90% of 16-24 year olds and 74% 25-44 years olds on social media, it’s clear that many of us will be spreading the Christmas cheer online.

Tesco has been emailing their millions of Clubcard customers the Big Thank You videos to offer their singing services, as well as sharing them through Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.Screen Shot 2013-12-29 at 22.45.28

This is all young people nonsense no? 

And it’s not just youngsters who’ll be on social media during this festive period either, as 19% of 65-74 year olds are also online tweeting and posting. Tesco expect to see grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles all sharing the Big Thank You videos with relatives. And, with record numbers of us expecting to unwrap tablets – 60% of us have one our wish list** there will be a tuneful way to say thank you with your new gift.

Get sharing and Sing a song of Thank You’s! Thanks to Tesco! 

The Big Thank You videos can be watched and shared here.

Have a happy and safe New Years everyone and bring on 2014!! x

Its Burgundy Wednesday which can only mean #Anchorman2 is out today! Here’s our review #film

Screen Shot 2013-12-17 at 14.12.26

Back in 2004, Anchorman birthed a fan-favourite character in Ron Burgundy and has since gone on to become a cult hit, blossoming into an oft-quoted piece of pop culture. 9 years later, Ron and the team are back by popular demand for another helping of improvised one-liners, celebrity cameos and Brick…being Brick, and the sequel is a worthwhile, if at times over-indulgent follow-up.

Directed by Adam McKay, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues takes place in 1980’s New York, with Ron (Will Ferrell, who co-wrote the screenplay with McKay) now married to co-anchor Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate). When Ron loses out on a promotion to his wife and is unceremoniously fired, he accepts an offer to join rivals GNN – the first 24-hour news network – and quickly reassembles his old team, including Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), Champ Kind (David Koechner) and weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell). Only slick anchorman Jack Lime (James Marsden) stands in their way of success.

At its best Anchorman 2 is a hilarious, inspired comedy that manages to tap into what made the original work, effectively giving us more of the same. As the old adage goes, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, and that certainly applies here. With that said, there is an unexpected but very welcome satirical through-line offering up a light commentary on the importance of good journalism that’s tackled in entertaining fashion.    Screen Shot 2013-12-17 at 14.12.50

With many scenes given the improvised treatment (the first cut was 4 hours long), unsurprisingly not every gag hits its mark. Some of those unamusing moments involve an over-indulgence in Brick’s eccentricities, whilst other lapses occur when Ron interacts with African-American boss Linda Jackson (Meagan Good). Particularly when you consider how much the film gets right, it’s disappointing that the filmmakers felt the need to resort to humourless racial jokes.Screen Shot 2013-12-17 at 14.13.20

Thankfully, Ferrell’s charm helps to ease the uncomfortable nature of these lazily written scenes, and needless to say he’s at the forefront of the film’s best moments as well. Indeed, If God put Ron Burgundy on this Earth to have salon quality hair and read the news (Ron’s words, not ours), then similarly Ferrell is the man who has been ordained to play him. Elsewhere, Carell’s lovable oddball Brick scores many laugh-out-loud moments, though scenes with Kristen Wiig’s love interest come off as awkward as opposed to funny, whilst Rudd and Koechner both deliver solid turns returning to their supporting roles.

It’s rare for comedies to get a sequel and even rarer for those sequels to be any good. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues proves to be one of the few exceptions, and though it doesn’t quite outdo its predecessor there is plenty of new material for fans of the first film to laugh at. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait another decade for the inevitable conclusion to the trilogy.

3.5 Stars