New post up for the film All About Steve, enjoy....
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Mary Horowitz is a bit eccentric, she is back living at home as her apartment is being fumigated and works for the local newspaper creating crosswords. Mary is a bit of a loner and her parent decide she needs help to get a date so set her up on a blind one. Mary is undecided whether to go on the date or not but when her boss tells her she needs to start being more normal she decides to go on the date.
Enter Steve, he is a camera man for a big new channel and Mary find him very attractive. She gets into his truck and instantly starts talking and rambling on with all the facts she knows. Mary then jumps on Steve and starts undressing him but as they are about to get down to business Steve has a phone call from work and has to rush off. He is very pleased about this as Mary has not stopped talking once yet. Steve is polite to Mary and says that he wishes she could go on the road with him but he does leave without her.
Mary now thinks that Steve is the love of her life and dedicates a crosswords to him which sees her getting sacked so she takes it upon herself to go and find Steve and join him on the road. Unfortunately for Mary Steve is not happy that Mary has turned up as he thinks she is crazy so he tries to tell her to go home but his work colleague sticks his nose in and tells Mary that Steve has commitment issues and he does really love her.
Will Mary ever learn the truth from Steve and is he really the love of her life?
This film sounded good when I looked at t on the movie channels and I do like Sandra Bullock so I decided to give it a go, unfortunately I felt rather let down by it and thought it was more daft than funny. The storyline was only average and quite unbelievable at times and I think if they would have played it a bit straighter then I would have felt it to be slightly more realistic.
Sandra Bullock played the lead role of Mary and she was a very hard person to get to know, she at times came across as very off the wall and crazy and then in the next scene she would seem more normal and I just could not work her out. I did not like the way she kept on talking about random things and felt this was not needed for her character and she could have still been eccentric and different without this element. She dressed very strangely and very young for her age and this was very off putting at times. She did manage to deliver her lines well and despite feeling uncomfortable at times I thought she did an ok job with them. The uncomfortable parts were meant to be this as they were when she was trying to talk to Steve. Steve was played by Bradley Cooper and he did a good job with his role. He was a more normal and grounded character and I did feel sorry for him a lot of the time in the film. He tried very hard to tell Mary that he did not love her but with the help of his work colleague she just chose not to believe him. He looked good and was a strong character which was a nice refreshing change from all the other weak ones. I believed all of the lines he spoke and he did a good job in getting them across.
We did have a few support actors in the film but none of them really played a stand out part. They were the usual guys on the road and the new reader was a complete idiot and I really just wanted to punch him for the way he acted. A few of the actors included, Thomas Hayden church, Ken Jeong, Howard Hesseman and Beth Grant.
The film was shot and set in America in the present year so no real effort was needed for the sets, props or costumes. They were all good and in keeping with the storyline. I was not a fan of the clothes which Mary wore and felt they had tried to dress her too young and in trying to make her look eccentric they only made her look completely crazy, her red boots were awful too. The locations we got to see were all good and although there was no real difference between them all I was pleased that the majority of this film was based outside and not in some boring office area. The music was alright and again in keeping with the film and theme but there were no stand out tracks at all.
There are some laughs in the film but really only one or two good ones, they are more visual than spoken ones and for me the overall feel of the humour was more daft than funny. I think they had tried too hard with this film and the jokes and so they had lost their edge and did not work for me.
There are no bonus features to speak about as this is a film only review. The running time of the film is 99 minutes and the rate is a 12A. I agree with the rate and found the length was quite long enough as it was starting to get slightly boring towards the end. The DVD is available to buy from a variety of shops and also on line but I would not recommend wasting money on it.
I am going to give this film 3 stars. It was an easy watch and had one or two amusing parts but overall it was not the best I had seen for a long time and the story started to get a bit boring towards the end. For me it has to be a film to watch when nothing better on and when it is on the TV so you don’t have to spend money on it.
Monday 31 January 2011
Thursday 27 January 2011
Sumptuous Strawberry!
New post is more of the ladies, it a review for the Body Shop Strawberry bath and shower gel. Its a great buy so enjoy the review and get buying!
I have not shopped in the Body Shop for years and since my favourite brand of bath foams have not bought out any new ones recently I decided to give them a go. The first one I chose was the Strawberry Shower gel. I had to get the shower gel as they did not have this in the bath foam as I wished but I have on many occasions before used shower gel as bath foam and it has worked fine.
~~PACKAGING~~
The gel comes in a clear plastic bottle which shows off the red liquid inside. The front of the bottle has the Body Shop logo and the product name on and at the bottom of the label is a small picture of some strawberries. On the back of the bottle we have a label containing all of the product ingredients and the directions for use.
The lid is plastic and is a simple flip design, it can be unscrewed if you wish but the flip lid works perfectly fine and the liquid s easy to get out.
~~USE AND RESULTS~~
I am not a fan of showers but for the purpose of this review I decided to use this as a shower gel first. I found it worked well and was simple to use. The gel just needs to be massaged into the skin either with the hand or on a flannel and it can be used all over the body. The results I got when I came out of t he shower were good and my skin was left feeling soft and moisturised. I was also able to smell the gel on me for a good few hours after using it.
The scent is of strawberries and it is lovely. You can smell the scent from the moment you open the bottle and it only intensifies when the gel is being used. I found that I could smell it on my skin for a good few hours after showering in it. When I used this as a bath foam I noticed how the smell wafted around the whole of the upstairs of my hose and was great. The smell lasted for the whole duration of my bath, usually around 15 minutes. I was able to smell this on my skin after bathing in it but not as strong as when used as a shower gel.
When this is used as a bath foam it makes a good lather. The liquid just needs to be poured under a running tap and it immediately starts to make the lather and bubbles. They lather lasted for a good amount of time and was nice and light. When I washed my hair in the bath the lather did not go as it does with some bath foams. The results on my skin after bathing in this were lovely and I felt very soft and moisturised. My skin felt clean and I was left with a comforting feeling as I could faintly smell the strawberries.
The gel has not had any negative effects on my skin, and I have asked hubby to try this and it has not affected his sensitive skin, he was not overly keen on the scent left on him after though.
~~INFO~~
The shower gel comes in a bottle size of 60ml which is good for a trial as if like me you have never used this before and you get roughly 7 showers or 5 baths from this size. It can be bought in a larger sized bottle.
The product ingredients for those wishing to know are:-
Aqua (Water) (Solvent/Diluent), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (Surfactant), Glycerin (Humectant), Cocamidopropyl Betaine (Surfactant), Cocamide DEA (Surfactant), Coco-Glucoside (Surfactant), PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (Emulsifier), Parfum (Fragrance), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Glycine soja (Soybean Oil) (Emollient/Skin Conditioner), Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Citric Acid (pH Adjuster), Fragaria vesca (Strawberry Juice) (Natural Additive), PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate (Surfactant), Propylene Glycol (Humectant), Benzophenone-4 (Sunscreen), Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Cinnamal (Fragrance Ingredient), Linalool (Fragrance Ingredient), Citral (Fragrance Ingredient), CI 17200 (Colour), CI 14700 (Colour
The shelf life of the gel is 12months once it has been opened. The packaging is 100% recyclable.
This product has been produced without animal testing.
~~PRICE AND AVAILABILITY~~
This is only available to buy from the Body Shop, you can buy this from their online store as well as the high street shops. The small bottle which I have is priced at £2.50 which is quite steep for such a small bottle but it is currently on offer on line for £1.75 which I feel is more reasonable.
~~RECOMMENDED?~~
Yes, I am happy to recommend this shower gel as it smells wonderful, leaves skin feeling clean, moisturised and smelling wonderful. It doubles up as a bath foam which is a bonus for me. I am definitely going to be buying the larger sized bottle when next in town. The full 5 stars from me.
I have not shopped in the Body Shop for years and since my favourite brand of bath foams have not bought out any new ones recently I decided to give them a go. The first one I chose was the Strawberry Shower gel. I had to get the shower gel as they did not have this in the bath foam as I wished but I have on many occasions before used shower gel as bath foam and it has worked fine.
~~PACKAGING~~
The gel comes in a clear plastic bottle which shows off the red liquid inside. The front of the bottle has the Body Shop logo and the product name on and at the bottom of the label is a small picture of some strawberries. On the back of the bottle we have a label containing all of the product ingredients and the directions for use.
The lid is plastic and is a simple flip design, it can be unscrewed if you wish but the flip lid works perfectly fine and the liquid s easy to get out.
~~USE AND RESULTS~~
I am not a fan of showers but for the purpose of this review I decided to use this as a shower gel first. I found it worked well and was simple to use. The gel just needs to be massaged into the skin either with the hand or on a flannel and it can be used all over the body. The results I got when I came out of t he shower were good and my skin was left feeling soft and moisturised. I was also able to smell the gel on me for a good few hours after using it.
The scent is of strawberries and it is lovely. You can smell the scent from the moment you open the bottle and it only intensifies when the gel is being used. I found that I could smell it on my skin for a good few hours after showering in it. When I used this as a bath foam I noticed how the smell wafted around the whole of the upstairs of my hose and was great. The smell lasted for the whole duration of my bath, usually around 15 minutes. I was able to smell this on my skin after bathing in it but not as strong as when used as a shower gel.
When this is used as a bath foam it makes a good lather. The liquid just needs to be poured under a running tap and it immediately starts to make the lather and bubbles. They lather lasted for a good amount of time and was nice and light. When I washed my hair in the bath the lather did not go as it does with some bath foams. The results on my skin after bathing in this were lovely and I felt very soft and moisturised. My skin felt clean and I was left with a comforting feeling as I could faintly smell the strawberries.
The gel has not had any negative effects on my skin, and I have asked hubby to try this and it has not affected his sensitive skin, he was not overly keen on the scent left on him after though.
~~INFO~~
The shower gel comes in a bottle size of 60ml which is good for a trial as if like me you have never used this before and you get roughly 7 showers or 5 baths from this size. It can be bought in a larger sized bottle.
The product ingredients for those wishing to know are:-
Aqua (Water) (Solvent/Diluent), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (Surfactant), Glycerin (Humectant), Cocamidopropyl Betaine (Surfactant), Cocamide DEA (Surfactant), Coco-Glucoside (Surfactant), PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (Emulsifier), Parfum (Fragrance), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Glycine soja (Soybean Oil) (Emollient/Skin Conditioner), Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Citric Acid (pH Adjuster), Fragaria vesca (Strawberry Juice) (Natural Additive), PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate (Surfactant), Propylene Glycol (Humectant), Benzophenone-4 (Sunscreen), Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Cinnamal (Fragrance Ingredient), Linalool (Fragrance Ingredient), Citral (Fragrance Ingredient), CI 17200 (Colour), CI 14700 (Colour
The shelf life of the gel is 12months once it has been opened. The packaging is 100% recyclable.
This product has been produced without animal testing.
~~PRICE AND AVAILABILITY~~
This is only available to buy from the Body Shop, you can buy this from their online store as well as the high street shops. The small bottle which I have is priced at £2.50 which is quite steep for such a small bottle but it is currently on offer on line for £1.75 which I feel is more reasonable.
~~RECOMMENDED?~~
Yes, I am happy to recommend this shower gel as it smells wonderful, leaves skin feeling clean, moisturised and smelling wonderful. It doubles up as a bath foam which is a bonus for me. I am definitely going to be buying the larger sized bottle when next in town. The full 5 stars from me.
Wednesday 26 January 2011
A Sequal too far
New post up for the film National Lampoon European Vacation, enjoy x x
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Clark Griswold and his family are on a game show where they win the star prize a holiday and trip around Europe. Both Clint and Ellen are thrilled about this but the children are not as they would rather stay at home. The family pack up and head to the airport to start their vacation. Upon arriving in Europe they find things are not as rosy as they thought they would be and are rather disappointed with the accommodation. They try to make the best of it but once they rent a car things go from bad to worse.
The Griswold’s start by driving on the wrong side of the road and have several crashes and then things just go from bad to worse for them. Can the Griswold’s make a good family holiday or will they be overjoyed to be returning home?
I have enjoyed the previous National Lampoon films and found they have always been easy to watch and have had some good laughs in so when hubby mentioned this one I decided to give it a go as I had never seen it. Unfortunately for me it was just one sequel too far. The story was very boring and nothing really happened, we spent the whole film following them across Europe with no real purpose and for me the gags were very old and just not funny.
The lead role of Clark was played by Chevy Chase and he was probably the best one of the lot. He came back to play the part just as he had in the previous films and he was a good strong characters. He delivered his lines well and had the best comic timing. He was slightly daft at times and a bit dumb but I did manage to see past this as this is how he has been in the other films. He did work well with the role of Ellen, played by Beverly D’Angelo. There was a good connection between the couple and they made their marriage seem real. I enjoyed the fact that the same actors had returned for these role. The same cannot be said for the children, Audrey and Rusty were two completely new actors in this film, they were played by Dana Hill and Jason Lively. I really could not warm to these two characters and felt they spent the whole time moaning and being grumpy. They could have bought a lot more to the story had they been given more to work with as they were only put into the background and given very basic side stories.
There were a few good support characters in the film who really managed to bring some much needed humour. We also got a few which were not good. I did not like the way they portrayed the English as very well spoken and at the mercy of the Americans. One small role was played by Eric Idle and I just felt he had lowered his standard completely in this film and did not like how he came across. We also had appearances from Mel Smith and Robbie Coltrane but again they were not good ones and they had not been able to give as good as they could.
Despite the fact that this film takes us across Europe I was disappointed not to have seen more of the different countries and landscapes. The few which we did have were ok but nothing special and I would have liked to have seen more of the major landmarks from the different countries. It was not always easy to see which country we were currently in and for me I had to try ad work this out from some of the bad accents which we got. The special effects were also of a low standard, I could clearly see some very badly added backdrops throughout the film and thought they could have worked harder on making them look more natural and real. There were a few stunts and they were slightly better but again they all seemed like ones we had seen many times before and nothing was new or original.
The jokes were coming thick and fast in this film but they too seemed all old and dated. The visual ones were slightly better but they did verge on being daft for the majority of the film. I also felt the overall feel of this film was very dated now and I just looked old fashioned, this was mainly from the clothes and props we had. The soundtrack was also quite dated and nothing special and I am now not able to remember a single track which was used.
This is a film only review so no there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 95 minutes and the rate is a 15. I think the rate is suitable and this may appeal more to the teenage market as they might find the jokes slightly funnier.
I am only able to give this film 2 stars and I am not able to recommend it. For me the jokes were just to old and already been done so many times before. The acting was only average from the leads and the children were very weak. I have given one extra star for the use of some British actors but again they were only given dull parts to play. I do not recommend wasting time on this film and certainly not paying to see it. Just one sequel too far in my eyes.
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Clark Griswold and his family are on a game show where they win the star prize a holiday and trip around Europe. Both Clint and Ellen are thrilled about this but the children are not as they would rather stay at home. The family pack up and head to the airport to start their vacation. Upon arriving in Europe they find things are not as rosy as they thought they would be and are rather disappointed with the accommodation. They try to make the best of it but once they rent a car things go from bad to worse.
The Griswold’s start by driving on the wrong side of the road and have several crashes and then things just go from bad to worse for them. Can the Griswold’s make a good family holiday or will they be overjoyed to be returning home?
I have enjoyed the previous National Lampoon films and found they have always been easy to watch and have had some good laughs in so when hubby mentioned this one I decided to give it a go as I had never seen it. Unfortunately for me it was just one sequel too far. The story was very boring and nothing really happened, we spent the whole film following them across Europe with no real purpose and for me the gags were very old and just not funny.
The lead role of Clark was played by Chevy Chase and he was probably the best one of the lot. He came back to play the part just as he had in the previous films and he was a good strong characters. He delivered his lines well and had the best comic timing. He was slightly daft at times and a bit dumb but I did manage to see past this as this is how he has been in the other films. He did work well with the role of Ellen, played by Beverly D’Angelo. There was a good connection between the couple and they made their marriage seem real. I enjoyed the fact that the same actors had returned for these role. The same cannot be said for the children, Audrey and Rusty were two completely new actors in this film, they were played by Dana Hill and Jason Lively. I really could not warm to these two characters and felt they spent the whole time moaning and being grumpy. They could have bought a lot more to the story had they been given more to work with as they were only put into the background and given very basic side stories.
There were a few good support characters in the film who really managed to bring some much needed humour. We also got a few which were not good. I did not like the way they portrayed the English as very well spoken and at the mercy of the Americans. One small role was played by Eric Idle and I just felt he had lowered his standard completely in this film and did not like how he came across. We also had appearances from Mel Smith and Robbie Coltrane but again they were not good ones and they had not been able to give as good as they could.
Despite the fact that this film takes us across Europe I was disappointed not to have seen more of the different countries and landscapes. The few which we did have were ok but nothing special and I would have liked to have seen more of the major landmarks from the different countries. It was not always easy to see which country we were currently in and for me I had to try ad work this out from some of the bad accents which we got. The special effects were also of a low standard, I could clearly see some very badly added backdrops throughout the film and thought they could have worked harder on making them look more natural and real. There were a few stunts and they were slightly better but again they all seemed like ones we had seen many times before and nothing was new or original.
The jokes were coming thick and fast in this film but they too seemed all old and dated. The visual ones were slightly better but they did verge on being daft for the majority of the film. I also felt the overall feel of this film was very dated now and I just looked old fashioned, this was mainly from the clothes and props we had. The soundtrack was also quite dated and nothing special and I am now not able to remember a single track which was used.
This is a film only review so no there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 95 minutes and the rate is a 15. I think the rate is suitable and this may appeal more to the teenage market as they might find the jokes slightly funnier.
I am only able to give this film 2 stars and I am not able to recommend it. For me the jokes were just to old and already been done so many times before. The acting was only average from the leads and the children were very weak. I have given one extra star for the use of some British actors but again they were only given dull parts to play. I do not recommend wasting time on this film and certainly not paying to see it. Just one sequel too far in my eyes.
Seasonal Classic!
New post for White Christmas film, enjoy....
Bob Wallace and Phil Davis are serving in the Second World War together when Phil saves Bob’s life. As a result he gets talked into singing a duet with him on a new song he has written. He duet is a massive success at the end of the war and the pair see themselves going to new heights with their fame and they are soon directing shows and helping people sing and dance.
They receive a letter from a old War colleague asking them to go and watch his sister perform as they need help to get further with their career but thing take a different turn and the men end up helping the women escape from their latest show and they all end up going to Vermont.
When arriving in Vermont they discover that there is no snow and the ski lodge is deserted but they soon learn the ski lodge is owned by their old General and he needs help. Bob, Phil, Betty and Judy take it upon themselves to help out but can they get visitors to the lodge even with no snow and can they all find love so Phil can get his 45 minutes to himself each day?
I have to confess that I was made to watch this film as part of my education from hubby as it is another classic which I have never seen. I am pleased that did as it really got me in the festive spirit and despite being old and a musical I enjoyed every part of it. I did find the story rather predictable but it was still very good to watch and the acting only made this more so. The story was original for the year this was made and I loved the slight humour which was added.
The role of Bob was played by Bing Crosby and this is the first time I have seen him act, he was excellent in the role and really bought the character to life. He was natural and delivered his lines with ease. He had a good comic timing when working with the role of Phil and they seemed very at ease together. He was a sweet man who always wanted to help when he could and this was easy to see from the way he acted and spoke about people. He did bring some fun to the role and he had some good one lines. The role of Phil was played by Danny Kaye and he too was brilliant in his role. He was a more relaxed person and spend the majority of his time doing what Bob asked him to, this is why he was desperate to get him a wife and family so he cold have some time to himself each day. He brought the most comedy to the film and had perfect timing.
The roles of Betty and Judy were also great and Betty was played by Rosemary Clooney and Judy by Vera Ellen. They both worked very well with their chartacers and made them believable and pleasant to watch. They worked well with the men and there was a good on screen chemistry right from the first scene they starred in together. They did not look much like sisters but managed to see past this and just enjoy the roles for what they were. They were very different people and Judy was more of a mother hen and wanted to see Betty settled and happy before she thought about finding this for herself.
The film is a musical but I have to say I found there was not a lot of songs included, the ones we had were great and the vocals were fantastic for the age of the film. The songs were all in keeping with the storyline and despite the few corny ones I did enjoy them. I was actually surprised by how many of them I knew despite never seeing the film before. I wish the women would have showed off their vocals more and not just sang the song ’sisters’ when performing together. The dance routines were amazing and I was mesmerised when Rosemary Clooney was dancing, she was brilliant and consistent throughout, her vocals were not the best or strongest but she made up for this with the dancing. She moved with ease and it all looked natural and no special effects were used or needed.
The film is old and was made back in 1954, this is very apparent from the opening scene. The costumes and sets were all in keeping with the year and I did enjoy the gowns and dresses which the women wore throughout. The men all looked smart and sharp throughout and I found the sets looked pretty good. The backdrops were another matter and they were dreadful compared to today’s standard. Think they would have looked good when this film first came out thought. The explosions which we had at the start of the film was poor and so to were the backdrops used for the train scenes. I can forgive all of this as the film is very old and I enjoyed the story and acting.
This is a film only review so there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 120 minutes which found to be a good length and the rate is a U and I agree with this. The DVD can be bought for just a few pounds on the internet and I think it is worth buying, especially this time of year.
I am happy to give this film a good sold 4 stars. I have dropped one due to the age and the effects. The songs are catchy and the acting is great. I think this is one we should all watch to get in the festive spirit.
Bob Wallace and Phil Davis are serving in the Second World War together when Phil saves Bob’s life. As a result he gets talked into singing a duet with him on a new song he has written. He duet is a massive success at the end of the war and the pair see themselves going to new heights with their fame and they are soon directing shows and helping people sing and dance.
They receive a letter from a old War colleague asking them to go and watch his sister perform as they need help to get further with their career but thing take a different turn and the men end up helping the women escape from their latest show and they all end up going to Vermont.
When arriving in Vermont they discover that there is no snow and the ski lodge is deserted but they soon learn the ski lodge is owned by their old General and he needs help. Bob, Phil, Betty and Judy take it upon themselves to help out but can they get visitors to the lodge even with no snow and can they all find love so Phil can get his 45 minutes to himself each day?
I have to confess that I was made to watch this film as part of my education from hubby as it is another classic which I have never seen. I am pleased that did as it really got me in the festive spirit and despite being old and a musical I enjoyed every part of it. I did find the story rather predictable but it was still very good to watch and the acting only made this more so. The story was original for the year this was made and I loved the slight humour which was added.
The role of Bob was played by Bing Crosby and this is the first time I have seen him act, he was excellent in the role and really bought the character to life. He was natural and delivered his lines with ease. He had a good comic timing when working with the role of Phil and they seemed very at ease together. He was a sweet man who always wanted to help when he could and this was easy to see from the way he acted and spoke about people. He did bring some fun to the role and he had some good one lines. The role of Phil was played by Danny Kaye and he too was brilliant in his role. He was a more relaxed person and spend the majority of his time doing what Bob asked him to, this is why he was desperate to get him a wife and family so he cold have some time to himself each day. He brought the most comedy to the film and had perfect timing.
The roles of Betty and Judy were also great and Betty was played by Rosemary Clooney and Judy by Vera Ellen. They both worked very well with their chartacers and made them believable and pleasant to watch. They worked well with the men and there was a good on screen chemistry right from the first scene they starred in together. They did not look much like sisters but managed to see past this and just enjoy the roles for what they were. They were very different people and Judy was more of a mother hen and wanted to see Betty settled and happy before she thought about finding this for herself.
The film is a musical but I have to say I found there was not a lot of songs included, the ones we had were great and the vocals were fantastic for the age of the film. The songs were all in keeping with the storyline and despite the few corny ones I did enjoy them. I was actually surprised by how many of them I knew despite never seeing the film before. I wish the women would have showed off their vocals more and not just sang the song ’sisters’ when performing together. The dance routines were amazing and I was mesmerised when Rosemary Clooney was dancing, she was brilliant and consistent throughout, her vocals were not the best or strongest but she made up for this with the dancing. She moved with ease and it all looked natural and no special effects were used or needed.
The film is old and was made back in 1954, this is very apparent from the opening scene. The costumes and sets were all in keeping with the year and I did enjoy the gowns and dresses which the women wore throughout. The men all looked smart and sharp throughout and I found the sets looked pretty good. The backdrops were another matter and they were dreadful compared to today’s standard. Think they would have looked good when this film first came out thought. The explosions which we had at the start of the film was poor and so to were the backdrops used for the train scenes. I can forgive all of this as the film is very old and I enjoyed the story and acting.
This is a film only review so there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 120 minutes which found to be a good length and the rate is a U and I agree with this. The DVD can be bought for just a few pounds on the internet and I think it is worth buying, especially this time of year.
I am happy to give this film a good sold 4 stars. I have dropped one due to the age and the effects. The songs are catchy and the acting is great. I think this is one we should all watch to get in the festive spirit.
Not Shocking, just Super
New post for Avon supershock mascara, enjoy...
As I was in need of a new mascara and the Avon book had just been dropped through my door I decided to give one of their ones a try as I have had some good makeup from them in the past. The one which stood out for me was the super shock mascara, I am not sure why but I think the final decision came as it was on offer at the time.
The mascara comes in a standard black plastic tube. There is blue writing on it which has the Avon logo and the product name. there are no ingredient or directions for use on the tube. The information about the mascara come son a plastic covering which covers the mascara when first bought, this is easy to remove. The mascara has a screw lid which also doubles for the handle for the wand. The handle is a good thickness and is very easy to grip and hold and the wand / brush on the end is also a good size. The length of the brush is approximately 3cm long and ½ cm thick, it is also straight. I find the straight brushes make the mascara much easier to apply.
Application is very simple, the mascara comes out of the tube very nicely on the brush and so far I have not found any large clumps of black on it. I have found it is simple to apply this to my eye lashes and I have not had any accident as the brush is large. On the brush there are lots of small bristles which means that I am able to cover all of the eyelashes with fewer strokes. Also I find that the extra bristles means that I helps to separate the eyelashes and make me have the appearance of having extra ones. When it comes to applying to the bottom lashes this has also become easier and again I find I look like I have more as they are separated.
I am more than happy with the results that I got from this mascara. My eyes seemed more framed and even when not wearing eye liner my lashes were noticeable. They looked longer, thicker and as if I had more. I would not say that I got shocking results from this like claimed and for me I liked the fact that this can be wore daily and I don’t have to go on the school run looking like I am wearing false lashes. I found that the mascara lasted for a full days wear and did not fade, I had no incident of panda eyes even when they had watered slightly from the sunlight outside.
Removing the mascara was very simple, it wiped off with ease when I used baby lotion on cotton wool, I also found that the following morning I did not have any small smudges from bits which had not been wiped off. There is a claim that this mascara is waterproof but I have not had the need to test this, I feel that from the results I have had and how good they have been then I can believe this claim and not have to worry about a few tears when wearing.
The mascara comes in a tube size of 10ml and has a shelf life of 6 months. I have been using mine for over a month now on a daily basis and have not noticed any lack of liquid when removing the brush from the tube. The price of the mascara is £8.50 but I got this on offer for just £5. I is only available from Avon and this can be bought through your local representative or online from their store.
I am more than happy to give this mascara a good solid 4 stars and a high recommendation. It does not work as well as claimed but it does give good coverage making lashes look longer, thicker and the appearance of more of them. The price is good when on offer and this makes for the perfect daily mascara.
As I was in need of a new mascara and the Avon book had just been dropped through my door I decided to give one of their ones a try as I have had some good makeup from them in the past. The one which stood out for me was the super shock mascara, I am not sure why but I think the final decision came as it was on offer at the time.
The mascara comes in a standard black plastic tube. There is blue writing on it which has the Avon logo and the product name. there are no ingredient or directions for use on the tube. The information about the mascara come son a plastic covering which covers the mascara when first bought, this is easy to remove. The mascara has a screw lid which also doubles for the handle for the wand. The handle is a good thickness and is very easy to grip and hold and the wand / brush on the end is also a good size. The length of the brush is approximately 3cm long and ½ cm thick, it is also straight. I find the straight brushes make the mascara much easier to apply.
Application is very simple, the mascara comes out of the tube very nicely on the brush and so far I have not found any large clumps of black on it. I have found it is simple to apply this to my eye lashes and I have not had any accident as the brush is large. On the brush there are lots of small bristles which means that I am able to cover all of the eyelashes with fewer strokes. Also I find that the extra bristles means that I helps to separate the eyelashes and make me have the appearance of having extra ones. When it comes to applying to the bottom lashes this has also become easier and again I find I look like I have more as they are separated.
I am more than happy with the results that I got from this mascara. My eyes seemed more framed and even when not wearing eye liner my lashes were noticeable. They looked longer, thicker and as if I had more. I would not say that I got shocking results from this like claimed and for me I liked the fact that this can be wore daily and I don’t have to go on the school run looking like I am wearing false lashes. I found that the mascara lasted for a full days wear and did not fade, I had no incident of panda eyes even when they had watered slightly from the sunlight outside.
Removing the mascara was very simple, it wiped off with ease when I used baby lotion on cotton wool, I also found that the following morning I did not have any small smudges from bits which had not been wiped off. There is a claim that this mascara is waterproof but I have not had the need to test this, I feel that from the results I have had and how good they have been then I can believe this claim and not have to worry about a few tears when wearing.
The mascara comes in a tube size of 10ml and has a shelf life of 6 months. I have been using mine for over a month now on a daily basis and have not noticed any lack of liquid when removing the brush from the tube. The price of the mascara is £8.50 but I got this on offer for just £5. I is only available from Avon and this can be bought through your local representative or online from their store.
I am more than happy to give this mascara a good solid 4 stars and a high recommendation. It does not work as well as claimed but it does give good coverage making lashes look longer, thicker and the appearance of more of them. The price is good when on offer and this makes for the perfect daily mascara.
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Running from the Devil
New post up for the film Solomon Kane, enjoy.
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Solomon Kane is a mercenary and he has made a deal with the devil but when the devil sends his henchman to get his soul he manages to escape. Solomon seeks refuge in a monastery where he cannot be touched by the devil.
After a few years where Solomon has been living a quiet life he is asked to leave the monastery and return to his homelands but he fears that if he leaves the devil will be able to get him. He has not battled or killed for a good few years now and the priest tells him that as long as he stays this way he cannot be touched. Solomon sets of on his own but soon meets with a travelling family and they ask him to go with them and he agrees, unfortunately they are ambushed by the evil wizards men and the father and son are killed and the daughter is kidnapped.
Solomon makes a vow to the mother that he will rescue the daughter and return her home but this will mean he has to battle and kill which will result in the devil being able to take his soul. Can Solomon complete his tasks and will the devil get his reward?
This really was not my choice of film as I was expecting it to be very dark and brutal with a limited storyline but I am pleased to be able to say that I was very surprised by it and really did enjoy it a lot. The storyline was very good, it was slightly far fetched at times but I think that the added mythical element meant that they got away with the majority of it and despite not being believable it was still enjoyable. The fact that it was set many years ago, the 1600’s if I remember correctly helped with the storyline and believability of it.
The acting was very good and the lead role of Solomon Kane was played by James Purefoy. He looked excellent in the role and he made a good strong lead character. I enjoyed seeing the strength he bought to the film, not only with the fighting scenes but also with the grit and determination he used to deliver his lines. We did get to see a slightly softer side of his character when he was at the monastery and with the family and it was hear that we got to learn a bit about his past and why he became the man he did, this did help me to be able to understand him slightly more. We did have some very good support actors in the film but the one which stood out for me was that of William Crowthorne, purely for the fact he was played by the late great Pete Postlethwaite, he was a good character and very different to that of Solomon. Other actors in the film included appearances from, Ian Whyte, Mark O’Neil, James Babson and Jason Flyming, they were all very good and bought a good mix of characters to the film.
The film did have a mythical feel to it with the use of wizardry and for me it did help make the story flow better and seem more real. As this was the case we did have some special effects and CGI used and for me it was all of a very high standard and fitted seamlessly into the film. There was also a lot of effects used for the battle and fight scenes and they too were of a very high standard and at times they were quite brutal and I had to look away as the detail was so great. The costumes were all good and in keeping with the year and setting of the story, I loved the appearance of Solomon and though that when he put on the hat he looked quite scary. The props were great and also in keeping with the year of the film, it was good to see how basic life was all those years ago.
We did get some good shots of the countryside and forests during the film and they were very enjoyable to watch although I did have a hard time trying to work out what location we were supposed to have been in for this film. The music throughout was nice and fitted well although none of the tracks were really stand out ones.
I am only reviewing the film so there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 104 minutes and the rate is a 15. I do agree with the rate as there are some brutal scenes which may be hard for the younger viewer to watch. The DVD is available in a wide variety of shops and online and is now priced around the £5 mark. I do think this is a fair price for such a good film.
I am more than happy to recommend this film and give it a good 4 stars, the storyline was enjoyable and believable for the majority, the acting was superb and both me and hubby enjoyed this a lot. It s well worth a watch especially if you can catch it on Sky movies for free.
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Solomon Kane is a mercenary and he has made a deal with the devil but when the devil sends his henchman to get his soul he manages to escape. Solomon seeks refuge in a monastery where he cannot be touched by the devil.
After a few years where Solomon has been living a quiet life he is asked to leave the monastery and return to his homelands but he fears that if he leaves the devil will be able to get him. He has not battled or killed for a good few years now and the priest tells him that as long as he stays this way he cannot be touched. Solomon sets of on his own but soon meets with a travelling family and they ask him to go with them and he agrees, unfortunately they are ambushed by the evil wizards men and the father and son are killed and the daughter is kidnapped.
Solomon makes a vow to the mother that he will rescue the daughter and return her home but this will mean he has to battle and kill which will result in the devil being able to take his soul. Can Solomon complete his tasks and will the devil get his reward?
This really was not my choice of film as I was expecting it to be very dark and brutal with a limited storyline but I am pleased to be able to say that I was very surprised by it and really did enjoy it a lot. The storyline was very good, it was slightly far fetched at times but I think that the added mythical element meant that they got away with the majority of it and despite not being believable it was still enjoyable. The fact that it was set many years ago, the 1600’s if I remember correctly helped with the storyline and believability of it.
The acting was very good and the lead role of Solomon Kane was played by James Purefoy. He looked excellent in the role and he made a good strong lead character. I enjoyed seeing the strength he bought to the film, not only with the fighting scenes but also with the grit and determination he used to deliver his lines. We did get to see a slightly softer side of his character when he was at the monastery and with the family and it was hear that we got to learn a bit about his past and why he became the man he did, this did help me to be able to understand him slightly more. We did have some very good support actors in the film but the one which stood out for me was that of William Crowthorne, purely for the fact he was played by the late great Pete Postlethwaite, he was a good character and very different to that of Solomon. Other actors in the film included appearances from, Ian Whyte, Mark O’Neil, James Babson and Jason Flyming, they were all very good and bought a good mix of characters to the film.
The film did have a mythical feel to it with the use of wizardry and for me it did help make the story flow better and seem more real. As this was the case we did have some special effects and CGI used and for me it was all of a very high standard and fitted seamlessly into the film. There was also a lot of effects used for the battle and fight scenes and they too were of a very high standard and at times they were quite brutal and I had to look away as the detail was so great. The costumes were all good and in keeping with the year and setting of the story, I loved the appearance of Solomon and though that when he put on the hat he looked quite scary. The props were great and also in keeping with the year of the film, it was good to see how basic life was all those years ago.
We did get some good shots of the countryside and forests during the film and they were very enjoyable to watch although I did have a hard time trying to work out what location we were supposed to have been in for this film. The music throughout was nice and fitted well although none of the tracks were really stand out ones.
I am only reviewing the film so there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 104 minutes and the rate is a 15. I do agree with the rate as there are some brutal scenes which may be hard for the younger viewer to watch. The DVD is available in a wide variety of shops and online and is now priced around the £5 mark. I do think this is a fair price for such a good film.
I am more than happy to recommend this film and give it a good 4 stars, the storyline was enjoyable and believable for the majority, the acting was superb and both me and hubby enjoyed this a lot. It s well worth a watch especially if you can catch it on Sky movies for free.
Who's who and what's what?
New post for the film The Informant, enjoy.
Mark Whitacre works for a large company called ADM, he is a biologist but has been asked to learn the business side of the company for a promotion and to further his career. He is doing well with his job and earns a good wage but things at work start to go wrong and strange things happen.
Mark receives a call from a rival company saving there is a mole working at ADM and they want a large sum of money to reveal who it is and so the FBI get called in to investigate. Before the case can be investigated Mark reveals to the FBI about price fixing which is effecting the world’s economy. Mark is asked by the two agents to work undercover to help them reveal the scam.
Mark is pleased to be helping the FBI and he believes that once all the scam is exposed he will be inline for running the company. All is not as it seems though and just what will the FBI uncover and how will it affect Mark?
The only thing which appealed to me about this film was the fact that Matt Damon starred in it. I knew little about the storyline and was quite surprised when I discovered that it was based on a true story. I did enjoy the film and found the acting to be good from all involved but for me I just did not get the comedy side of it. There were a few good twists in the story, me and hubby both thought we had worked out how it was going to end but we were actually both wrong and loved the twist we did get.
Matt Damon took the lead role of Mark and he was good. He looked a lot more mature and he seemed to play the role with ease. There was a dodgy appearance from him but this was the 90’s fashion and the moustache he had, I did not like this but did manage to see past it. He delivered all of his lines with ease and even showed confidence in the right places and naivety when needed. He did come across as slightly dumb at times but this all became very apparent towards the end of the film and did help explain a lot. He had a good chemistry with his wife, for the few scenes that she was in and they seemed to be a very loving couple. I enjoyed the role of Investigator Brian Sheppard, played by Scott Bakula. He showed strength and determination in his character but also managed to show a more softer side when dealing with Mark. He delivered all of his lines with ease and handled the story very well.
Other good actors included, Melanie Lynskey, Tom Papa, Thomas Wilson and Eddie Jemmison, they all played quite different role and made for some good viewing.
The film was classed as a comedy but neither me or hubby got this element of the film, there were a few good one liners but no laugh out loud moments. We also did not get the fact that the film was set in the early 90’s but there was a 1960’s feel to the music and the title words which we had throughout the film telling us the date. I just thought this was odd and did not seem to fit very well together at all. The costumes were all good and they were actually quite funny. The grey suits and bright ties of the age were a joy to see again and the women’s hair styles and clothes were also quite funny. The age was apparent from the technology used in the offices and the equipment the FBI gave Mark to use. I think they did a good job getting the props and costumes to show the decade well.
There was some narration during the film from the character of Mark, this was useful at times but other times he would talk to us about irrelevant things, one part which sticks out to me was when he talked about the polar bears noses and how they hide them when hunting so they can blend into the snow, this had no real relevance on the story and seemed an odd thing to say, I don’t know if they were trying to play towards the comedy side of the film with this but it was another aspect I did not get.
This is a film only review so there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 108 minutes and we found this to be quite long enough as if made any longer I would have started to loose interest in the story. The rate is a 15 and I do agree with this. The DVD can be bought from all good shops and also the internet. I would say it is worth around the £5-7 mark but no more. It is currently being shown on Sky Anytime and Premiere so try to catch it here for free.
I am only going to give this film 3 stars despite the good acting from Matt Damon. The story was good, made better by the fact it is based on a true story but we lost the comedy element completely. It is well worth a watch but wait for the price to drop for the DVD or catch it on the TV for free.
Mark Whitacre works for a large company called ADM, he is a biologist but has been asked to learn the business side of the company for a promotion and to further his career. He is doing well with his job and earns a good wage but things at work start to go wrong and strange things happen.
Mark receives a call from a rival company saving there is a mole working at ADM and they want a large sum of money to reveal who it is and so the FBI get called in to investigate. Before the case can be investigated Mark reveals to the FBI about price fixing which is effecting the world’s economy. Mark is asked by the two agents to work undercover to help them reveal the scam.
Mark is pleased to be helping the FBI and he believes that once all the scam is exposed he will be inline for running the company. All is not as it seems though and just what will the FBI uncover and how will it affect Mark?
The only thing which appealed to me about this film was the fact that Matt Damon starred in it. I knew little about the storyline and was quite surprised when I discovered that it was based on a true story. I did enjoy the film and found the acting to be good from all involved but for me I just did not get the comedy side of it. There were a few good twists in the story, me and hubby both thought we had worked out how it was going to end but we were actually both wrong and loved the twist we did get.
Matt Damon took the lead role of Mark and he was good. He looked a lot more mature and he seemed to play the role with ease. There was a dodgy appearance from him but this was the 90’s fashion and the moustache he had, I did not like this but did manage to see past it. He delivered all of his lines with ease and even showed confidence in the right places and naivety when needed. He did come across as slightly dumb at times but this all became very apparent towards the end of the film and did help explain a lot. He had a good chemistry with his wife, for the few scenes that she was in and they seemed to be a very loving couple. I enjoyed the role of Investigator Brian Sheppard, played by Scott Bakula. He showed strength and determination in his character but also managed to show a more softer side when dealing with Mark. He delivered all of his lines with ease and handled the story very well.
Other good actors included, Melanie Lynskey, Tom Papa, Thomas Wilson and Eddie Jemmison, they all played quite different role and made for some good viewing.
The film was classed as a comedy but neither me or hubby got this element of the film, there were a few good one liners but no laugh out loud moments. We also did not get the fact that the film was set in the early 90’s but there was a 1960’s feel to the music and the title words which we had throughout the film telling us the date. I just thought this was odd and did not seem to fit very well together at all. The costumes were all good and they were actually quite funny. The grey suits and bright ties of the age were a joy to see again and the women’s hair styles and clothes were also quite funny. The age was apparent from the technology used in the offices and the equipment the FBI gave Mark to use. I think they did a good job getting the props and costumes to show the decade well.
There was some narration during the film from the character of Mark, this was useful at times but other times he would talk to us about irrelevant things, one part which sticks out to me was when he talked about the polar bears noses and how they hide them when hunting so they can blend into the snow, this had no real relevance on the story and seemed an odd thing to say, I don’t know if they were trying to play towards the comedy side of the film with this but it was another aspect I did not get.
This is a film only review so there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 108 minutes and we found this to be quite long enough as if made any longer I would have started to loose interest in the story. The rate is a 15 and I do agree with this. The DVD can be bought from all good shops and also the internet. I would say it is worth around the £5-7 mark but no more. It is currently being shown on Sky Anytime and Premiere so try to catch it here for free.
I am only going to give this film 3 stars despite the good acting from Matt Damon. The story was good, made better by the fact it is based on a true story but we lost the comedy element completely. It is well worth a watch but wait for the price to drop for the DVD or catch it on the TV for free.
Life does not always go to plan
New post up for the film Post Grad.
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Ryden Malby has always known what she wanted from life, since being little she has had it all mapped out. She has finally reached her gradation and now it is time for her to get her dream job. Unfortunately she does not get the job she wants, she has been piped to the post again by her rival at college. Ryden is very disheartened about this and seeks comfort in her life long friend Adam.
Adam has know Ryden all her life and he now loves her and wants to be with her, unfortunately the feels are not reciprocated and Ryden sees him only as a friend. Adam has managed to get into law school but he does not know if he wants to go as he does not really want to leave Ryden.
Ryden has no choice but to return home to her eccentric family and try to find work but this is not going to be easy for her as there are no suitable jobs available. How will Ryden cope now her life plan has gone off course and will she ever feel for Adam what he feels for her?
It was only by chance that I watched this film as it was being shown on Sky movies and I decided that it sounded a nice light and easy watch and overall I have to say it was just that but it did start to verge on being boring at times. The storyline was good and very believable as there are so many people who gradate college and find themselves unemployed and for that reason I did really feel sorry for Ryden but she really did herself no favours. The story would have been improved in my eyes if it was a little faster paced and we had a bit more going on as it really was all about Ryden trying to find work.
The acting was also very average and the lead role of Ryden was played by Alexis Bledel. She came across as very selfish at times and only ever thought about what she wanted from life and did not seem to care who she hurt along the way. She seemed to take her best friend for granted and showed no true feelings for him. There were times when I felt she was very wooden and was very robotic in delivering her lines and I would have liked a more natural performance for me to be able to feel an emotional connection. She did at times have me feeling sorry for her but not due to the fact she was down on her luck it was more to do with the fact I wanted her to see what she had around her and appreciate it more. There was no real chemistry between her and Adam despite the fact they had been friends for so many years and they did not gel well on screen together. Adam was played by Zach Gilford and he was slightly better in his role. He seemed a nice and honest man who really cared for his friend and felt her pain when things went wrong for her. There were times when I wanted to shake him and tell him to get on with his life and forget Ryden as she seemed to be taking his for granted. He did manage to deliver his lines slightly better and they were slightly more believable. The one aspect of Adam which I did not enjoy was the singing and guitar playing, he only ever seemed to play the same few bars and when he sang it was only very average and there were places when he went right of key and out of tune ad for me this film would not have missed this element at all.
We had some good support roles and again some very average ones, Michael Keaton played the role of Ryden’s father and I just could not work him out, I spent the whole film wondering whether he was supposed to be being funny or whether he was just lost and did not know where to take his role. One character which I did enjoy was that of Ryden’s Grandmother, she was crazy and bought a few good one liners to the film and there was one point when she did make both me and hubby laugh out loud.
The film was set in the present time and in America so no real effort was needed for the costumes or sets, the ones we did have were all very good and suited the film very well. There were no special effects or action in the film and personally I don’t think any were needed at all. The soundtrack was good but nothing special and the one song which Adam sang really was awful and worth fast forwarding if you do watch this film just to save the ear drums.
There are no bonus features to speak about as this is a film only review. The running time of the film is 88 minutes and I did find this to be quite long enough as there was not much happening in the story and the rate is a 12A, I do agree with the rate as there are one or two small scenes which are unsuitable for the younger viewer.
I am only able to give this film 3 stars, I wanted to give it more but there was the lack of storyline and I did get bored a few times during the film and found myself willing something to happen. I would have gone for 2 stars if it was not for the great character of the dying Grandmother as for me she was the best out of the whole cast. This is an easy to watch film which does not require much thinking or brain power but I would certainly advise not spending any money of the DVD and waiting for this to come on the TV.
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Ryden Malby has always known what she wanted from life, since being little she has had it all mapped out. She has finally reached her gradation and now it is time for her to get her dream job. Unfortunately she does not get the job she wants, she has been piped to the post again by her rival at college. Ryden is very disheartened about this and seeks comfort in her life long friend Adam.
Adam has know Ryden all her life and he now loves her and wants to be with her, unfortunately the feels are not reciprocated and Ryden sees him only as a friend. Adam has managed to get into law school but he does not know if he wants to go as he does not really want to leave Ryden.
Ryden has no choice but to return home to her eccentric family and try to find work but this is not going to be easy for her as there are no suitable jobs available. How will Ryden cope now her life plan has gone off course and will she ever feel for Adam what he feels for her?
It was only by chance that I watched this film as it was being shown on Sky movies and I decided that it sounded a nice light and easy watch and overall I have to say it was just that but it did start to verge on being boring at times. The storyline was good and very believable as there are so many people who gradate college and find themselves unemployed and for that reason I did really feel sorry for Ryden but she really did herself no favours. The story would have been improved in my eyes if it was a little faster paced and we had a bit more going on as it really was all about Ryden trying to find work.
The acting was also very average and the lead role of Ryden was played by Alexis Bledel. She came across as very selfish at times and only ever thought about what she wanted from life and did not seem to care who she hurt along the way. She seemed to take her best friend for granted and showed no true feelings for him. There were times when I felt she was very wooden and was very robotic in delivering her lines and I would have liked a more natural performance for me to be able to feel an emotional connection. She did at times have me feeling sorry for her but not due to the fact she was down on her luck it was more to do with the fact I wanted her to see what she had around her and appreciate it more. There was no real chemistry between her and Adam despite the fact they had been friends for so many years and they did not gel well on screen together. Adam was played by Zach Gilford and he was slightly better in his role. He seemed a nice and honest man who really cared for his friend and felt her pain when things went wrong for her. There were times when I wanted to shake him and tell him to get on with his life and forget Ryden as she seemed to be taking his for granted. He did manage to deliver his lines slightly better and they were slightly more believable. The one aspect of Adam which I did not enjoy was the singing and guitar playing, he only ever seemed to play the same few bars and when he sang it was only very average and there were places when he went right of key and out of tune ad for me this film would not have missed this element at all.
We had some good support roles and again some very average ones, Michael Keaton played the role of Ryden’s father and I just could not work him out, I spent the whole film wondering whether he was supposed to be being funny or whether he was just lost and did not know where to take his role. One character which I did enjoy was that of Ryden’s Grandmother, she was crazy and bought a few good one liners to the film and there was one point when she did make both me and hubby laugh out loud.
The film was set in the present time and in America so no real effort was needed for the costumes or sets, the ones we did have were all very good and suited the film very well. There were no special effects or action in the film and personally I don’t think any were needed at all. The soundtrack was good but nothing special and the one song which Adam sang really was awful and worth fast forwarding if you do watch this film just to save the ear drums.
There are no bonus features to speak about as this is a film only review. The running time of the film is 88 minutes and I did find this to be quite long enough as there was not much happening in the story and the rate is a 12A, I do agree with the rate as there are one or two small scenes which are unsuitable for the younger viewer.
I am only able to give this film 3 stars, I wanted to give it more but there was the lack of storyline and I did get bored a few times during the film and found myself willing something to happen. I would have gone for 2 stars if it was not for the great character of the dying Grandmother as for me she was the best out of the whole cast. This is an easy to watch film which does not require much thinking or brain power but I would certainly advise not spending any money of the DVD and waiting for this to come on the TV.
Monday 24 January 2011
An easy and enjoyable film
This mornings post is for th DVD The bonty Hunter, a comedy and well worth a watch.
Milo Boyd is an ex-cop and now works as a bounty hunter. He is thrilled when he discovers that his new job is to capture and jail his ex-wife Nicole. Nicole has broken her bail as she failed to turn up for her court hearing due to having a lead on a story for her news paper.
Milo sets off to find Nicole but all does not go to plan as Nicole asks him to help investigate the disappearance of her snitch but he does not want to. The pair are soon on the road and have a hard time trying to make it to the police station as they are being followed by people who Milo owes money to and also the witness who found out about Nicole and her story lead.
Can Milo complete his job and get Nicole to jail and what will become of their relationship now they are spending all their time together?
I have only given a very brief outline of the plot for this film so don’t think it is as basic as it sounds as there is a lot more to it but I just feel that it would be more fun for you to watch and discover the other stories which this film has to offer. I was looking forward to watching this film, mainly for the reason that Gerard Butler was starring in it as I have enjoyed all of his previous films and he is also very easy on the eye. I am very pleased to say that both me and hubby thoroughly enjoyed this film right from the start to the very end. The storyline was very good and I am glad that a lot more was added to it as it gave it a lot more depth than if it would have been a basic plot of Milo trying to get Nicole to jail. The way the story was told was very entertaining and we also had a good few laughs along the way too.
Gerard Butler played the role of Milo and he was great. He played a quite gritty character at times but we did also get to see another side of him towards the end of the film and I enjoyed seeing him in a different light. He was strong and suited the role and he seemed very at ease playing this character. He delivered all of his lines with ease and made them very believable. There was a good chemistry between him and Nicole and it made for some good fun scenes when they were having the banter and showing how much they hated each other. Nicole was played by Jennifer Anniston and she too was surprisingly good in this role. She was a hard woman at the start of the film who just wanted to get ahead with her career but as the story moved on we did get to see another more caring and sensitive side. She too delivered all her lines well and made them believable and I felt she seemed very natural in this role. I enjoyed the fact that these two character were ex husband and wife as they had a good idea about each others way of thinking and how to wind each other up and this resulted in some great laughs.
We had some good support characters in the film and some of the actors who played them included, Gio Perez, Joel Garland, Adam Rose and Dorian Missick, they were all very different and bought some depth to the story and diversity which helped make this film so enjoyable.
The film was set in America and we did get to visit a few different places along the way. The sets and scenery was all very good and realistic and I did find that the few stunts and special effects which we had were also of a high quality. There was one point in the film during one of the driving scenes when I cold clearly see that the back drop had been added but this was the only negative to the special effect throughout the whole film. The music was also very good and fitted well with the theme and storyline.
The film is classed as a comedy and I do agree with this as there are some great laughs. There is a lot of visual gags during the film but for me and hubby the real laughs came from the banter between the two lead characters. It was witting and perfectly timed and I have to give a lot of credit to the two lead actors for making it seem so natural.
The DVD does have some bonus features which include,
Join Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler on the set in Making the Bounty hunter and on location with stops along the road to learn more about shooting this hilarious comedy. Also includes the Rules for Outwitting a Bounty Hunter.
I ma not a fan of DVD extras so I have not watched these so I am not able to make comment on whether they are worth a watch or not.
The running time of the film is 1 hour and 46 minutes and I found this to be a good length with the story moving at a good fast pace from start to finish. The rate is a 12 as there is moderate violence and sex references and I do agree with this. I paid just under £ for the DVD from Amazon and I think this is a great price for such an entertaining film.
I am more than happy to give this film a good recommendation and the full 5 stars as both me and hubby thoroughly enjoyed it, the storyline is good and there are more than enough laughs to make this film worth the price tag.
Milo Boyd is an ex-cop and now works as a bounty hunter. He is thrilled when he discovers that his new job is to capture and jail his ex-wife Nicole. Nicole has broken her bail as she failed to turn up for her court hearing due to having a lead on a story for her news paper.
Milo sets off to find Nicole but all does not go to plan as Nicole asks him to help investigate the disappearance of her snitch but he does not want to. The pair are soon on the road and have a hard time trying to make it to the police station as they are being followed by people who Milo owes money to and also the witness who found out about Nicole and her story lead.
Can Milo complete his job and get Nicole to jail and what will become of their relationship now they are spending all their time together?
I have only given a very brief outline of the plot for this film so don’t think it is as basic as it sounds as there is a lot more to it but I just feel that it would be more fun for you to watch and discover the other stories which this film has to offer. I was looking forward to watching this film, mainly for the reason that Gerard Butler was starring in it as I have enjoyed all of his previous films and he is also very easy on the eye. I am very pleased to say that both me and hubby thoroughly enjoyed this film right from the start to the very end. The storyline was very good and I am glad that a lot more was added to it as it gave it a lot more depth than if it would have been a basic plot of Milo trying to get Nicole to jail. The way the story was told was very entertaining and we also had a good few laughs along the way too.
Gerard Butler played the role of Milo and he was great. He played a quite gritty character at times but we did also get to see another side of him towards the end of the film and I enjoyed seeing him in a different light. He was strong and suited the role and he seemed very at ease playing this character. He delivered all of his lines with ease and made them very believable. There was a good chemistry between him and Nicole and it made for some good fun scenes when they were having the banter and showing how much they hated each other. Nicole was played by Jennifer Anniston and she too was surprisingly good in this role. She was a hard woman at the start of the film who just wanted to get ahead with her career but as the story moved on we did get to see another more caring and sensitive side. She too delivered all her lines well and made them believable and I felt she seemed very natural in this role. I enjoyed the fact that these two character were ex husband and wife as they had a good idea about each others way of thinking and how to wind each other up and this resulted in some great laughs.
We had some good support characters in the film and some of the actors who played them included, Gio Perez, Joel Garland, Adam Rose and Dorian Missick, they were all very different and bought some depth to the story and diversity which helped make this film so enjoyable.
The film was set in America and we did get to visit a few different places along the way. The sets and scenery was all very good and realistic and I did find that the few stunts and special effects which we had were also of a high quality. There was one point in the film during one of the driving scenes when I cold clearly see that the back drop had been added but this was the only negative to the special effect throughout the whole film. The music was also very good and fitted well with the theme and storyline.
The film is classed as a comedy and I do agree with this as there are some great laughs. There is a lot of visual gags during the film but for me and hubby the real laughs came from the banter between the two lead characters. It was witting and perfectly timed and I have to give a lot of credit to the two lead actors for making it seem so natural.
The DVD does have some bonus features which include,
Join Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler on the set in Making the Bounty hunter and on location with stops along the road to learn more about shooting this hilarious comedy. Also includes the Rules for Outwitting a Bounty Hunter.
I ma not a fan of DVD extras so I have not watched these so I am not able to make comment on whether they are worth a watch or not.
The running time of the film is 1 hour and 46 minutes and I found this to be a good length with the story moving at a good fast pace from start to finish. The rate is a 12 as there is moderate violence and sex references and I do agree with this. I paid just under £ for the DVD from Amazon and I think this is a great price for such an entertaining film.
I am more than happy to give this film a good recommendation and the full 5 stars as both me and hubby thoroughly enjoyed it, the storyline is good and there are more than enough laughs to make this film worth the price tag.
The quake that shattered a family
New post for DVD Aftershock.
The year is 1976 and the town is Tangshan in china. The quiet summer evening gets disrupted when a massive earthquake shakes and destroys the town, one family is about to be destroyed when a father runs back to the home to try and save his twins. The mother has survived and has to watch on in horror as the building collapses and kills her husband and leaves her children missing. As the dust settles the twins are fond but she now has to make the heartbreaking decision of which one to save. A concrete block is on both of the children and to lift it to save one child will mean crushing the other.
Finally the mother makes the decision to save her son and the rescuers do as she wishes. The son is bought out badly injured and so too is the dead body of her daughter. The daughter gets laid next to her dead father and the mother has to leave to get medical help for her son. Fortunately the daughter is not dead and she wakes to find the destruction and devastation all around her. She gets helped by the Red Army to safety and soon she is adopted by a military family.
The mother and son return to Tangshan to try and rebuild their lives but this is going to be hard as the mother is still grieving and she son lost his arm.
The daughter now has to try and get on with her life with her new family, she tells them she has no memory of her past life and who she really is but is she telling them the truth?
Will this family every find each other and be reunited or will they forever be living with the grief and after effects of this massive disaster?
It was by chance that I watched this film as hubby chose it thinking it was going to be a disaster movie, fortunately for me it was not and there was a massive story which came from the destruction at the start of the film. The storyline was very good and not knowing anything about the film before watching made it even more enjoyable for me. The story does start with massive destruction and disaster but then moves on to show us how people and one family have tried to overcome their grief and disability. I have not used names in the above short plot summery as this was a difficult part of the film for me to follow, the names came up on screen but the way they were pronounced was very different so I did in fact watch the whole moving taking no notice of them at all and spotted the characters just from their appearance alone.
The acting was of a very high standard and thoroughly enjoyable, for the two children in the film we had a few different actors paying them as the film spanned over 31 years and they all did a excellent job, the main ones though were the actors who played them when they were grown adults, Chen Li and Jingchu Zhang. They managed to bring so much to the story and a lot of emotion and they played very strong and powerful parts. The role of the mother was also a very well cast one as she too played a good role and at the start of the film reduced me to tears with the way she portrayed the hard choice she had to make. We did have some very good support actors in the film and they managed to bring a good mix and variety of characters and ultimately give the story some depth.
The effects which were used for the start of the film were of a very high standard. I did actually find some of them hard to watch as we got to see people being crushed and killed from the earthquake and it all looked so real. I was slightly disappointed that this happened at night as the dark and dull background did make some of the scenes hard to watch but overall they were all very well made. We did have some further effects in the film but they were all only small and again they fitted effortlessly into the film and storyline.
Some may be put off slightly from this film as it is all in Mandarin with subtitles. I too was slightly dubious of watching because of this but once the film has started and after about 10 minutes I really did forget that I was reading the story and I think the film was so much more powerful and realistic due to it being spoken in the native language and if in English I think it would have lost a lot of the raw emotion and power it did have. The music was of an oriental feel and worked very well throughout and it did also help getting the emotions and tension of the story across.
I did at times feel that the film was slightly disjointed and did not flow too well, I think this was because the film would just suddenly skip a few years and we would not get told this and we had to work out the time frames for ourselves, I think if a small caption would have come on screen and given us the years then it would have made it slightly easier to follow.
The DVD does not have any bonus features on and usually this would not have bothered me but at the end of the film a few things were shown and it had me wondering whether this was a true story or not and I would have liked to have had the bonus features to have be able to see what the story was based on. I did loo on the internet and in fact discover that this is a true story and the earthquake did happen and was very accurate to how the film showed it. I am glad I took the time to research this as for me it gave the film slightly more credit and emotion.
The running time of the film is 130 minutes and this may seem slightly long to some but did actually loose track of time once I got into the story. The rate is a 15 as there are the scenes of the natural disaster at the start of the film and I do agree with this, personally I think younger viewers would have a hard time trying to follow the story. We bought the DVD for £7.97 from Tesco and I think this is a good price.
I am more than happy and quite surprised to be giving this film such a high recommendation and the full 5 stars as I felt it was a little disjointed at times and it was all subtitled. The storyline and acting was excellent, strong and powerful and this was a moving film to watch. I think this film is definitely worth just over 2 hours of everyone’s time.
The year is 1976 and the town is Tangshan in china. The quiet summer evening gets disrupted when a massive earthquake shakes and destroys the town, one family is about to be destroyed when a father runs back to the home to try and save his twins. The mother has survived and has to watch on in horror as the building collapses and kills her husband and leaves her children missing. As the dust settles the twins are fond but she now has to make the heartbreaking decision of which one to save. A concrete block is on both of the children and to lift it to save one child will mean crushing the other.
Finally the mother makes the decision to save her son and the rescuers do as she wishes. The son is bought out badly injured and so too is the dead body of her daughter. The daughter gets laid next to her dead father and the mother has to leave to get medical help for her son. Fortunately the daughter is not dead and she wakes to find the destruction and devastation all around her. She gets helped by the Red Army to safety and soon she is adopted by a military family.
The mother and son return to Tangshan to try and rebuild their lives but this is going to be hard as the mother is still grieving and she son lost his arm.
The daughter now has to try and get on with her life with her new family, she tells them she has no memory of her past life and who she really is but is she telling them the truth?
Will this family every find each other and be reunited or will they forever be living with the grief and after effects of this massive disaster?
It was by chance that I watched this film as hubby chose it thinking it was going to be a disaster movie, fortunately for me it was not and there was a massive story which came from the destruction at the start of the film. The storyline was very good and not knowing anything about the film before watching made it even more enjoyable for me. The story does start with massive destruction and disaster but then moves on to show us how people and one family have tried to overcome their grief and disability. I have not used names in the above short plot summery as this was a difficult part of the film for me to follow, the names came up on screen but the way they were pronounced was very different so I did in fact watch the whole moving taking no notice of them at all and spotted the characters just from their appearance alone.
The acting was of a very high standard and thoroughly enjoyable, for the two children in the film we had a few different actors paying them as the film spanned over 31 years and they all did a excellent job, the main ones though were the actors who played them when they were grown adults, Chen Li and Jingchu Zhang. They managed to bring so much to the story and a lot of emotion and they played very strong and powerful parts. The role of the mother was also a very well cast one as she too played a good role and at the start of the film reduced me to tears with the way she portrayed the hard choice she had to make. We did have some very good support actors in the film and they managed to bring a good mix and variety of characters and ultimately give the story some depth.
The effects which were used for the start of the film were of a very high standard. I did actually find some of them hard to watch as we got to see people being crushed and killed from the earthquake and it all looked so real. I was slightly disappointed that this happened at night as the dark and dull background did make some of the scenes hard to watch but overall they were all very well made. We did have some further effects in the film but they were all only small and again they fitted effortlessly into the film and storyline.
Some may be put off slightly from this film as it is all in Mandarin with subtitles. I too was slightly dubious of watching because of this but once the film has started and after about 10 minutes I really did forget that I was reading the story and I think the film was so much more powerful and realistic due to it being spoken in the native language and if in English I think it would have lost a lot of the raw emotion and power it did have. The music was of an oriental feel and worked very well throughout and it did also help getting the emotions and tension of the story across.
I did at times feel that the film was slightly disjointed and did not flow too well, I think this was because the film would just suddenly skip a few years and we would not get told this and we had to work out the time frames for ourselves, I think if a small caption would have come on screen and given us the years then it would have made it slightly easier to follow.
The DVD does not have any bonus features on and usually this would not have bothered me but at the end of the film a few things were shown and it had me wondering whether this was a true story or not and I would have liked to have had the bonus features to have be able to see what the story was based on. I did loo on the internet and in fact discover that this is a true story and the earthquake did happen and was very accurate to how the film showed it. I am glad I took the time to research this as for me it gave the film slightly more credit and emotion.
The running time of the film is 130 minutes and this may seem slightly long to some but did actually loose track of time once I got into the story. The rate is a 15 as there are the scenes of the natural disaster at the start of the film and I do agree with this, personally I think younger viewers would have a hard time trying to follow the story. We bought the DVD for £7.97 from Tesco and I think this is a good price.
I am more than happy and quite surprised to be giving this film such a high recommendation and the full 5 stars as I felt it was a little disjointed at times and it was all subtitled. The storyline and acting was excellent, strong and powerful and this was a moving film to watch. I think this film is definitely worth just over 2 hours of everyone’s time.
The Crazy Frog is back!
New post is a review for the childrens film Aliens in the Attic.
Tom is having a hard time at school as he is brainy so decides to mess his grades up to try and fit in. His father is not happy about this so decides they need a family vacation to try and bond and sort out the problems. They head off to Creak Landing and meet up with Granny, Uncle and Cousins. The arrogant boyfriend of Tom’s elder sister also turns up.
Things are not going to well for Tom as his cousin is bossing him around but things are about to change when the power and TV starts to go funny and Tom is sent to investigate.
On the roof of the house Tom discovers that the satellite has been destroyed and soon discovers that it was aliens who did it. The aliens soon make themselves known and start trying to control and take over the humans. It falls to Tom and the children of the house to try and get rid of the aliens and save the world but can they do this and can Tom sort out his school problems?
I was looking forward to watching this film as both me and hubby enjoy the children’s film which have been made recently as they make for some good light hearted entertainment. This one was good and we enjoyed the storyline but it was not one of the best we have seen by a long shot. The story was good and I liked the aliens but there was so much more which could have been done with the story and it cold have been developed more. The acting was good and I enjoyed the role of Tom and boyfriend Rickey and thought they were the stars of the film.
Tom was played by Carter Jenkins and he was good, he played a typical teenager having the normal problems they all face. He showed a caring side when it came to his younger sister and strength when it came to defending his family. He had a good on screen presence and delivered all of his lines with ease and made his character very believable. The role of Rickey was played by Robert Hoffman and he took to the role with ease. He came across as big headed and arrogant for the majority of the film but he changed when he was being controlled by the aliens and he took to the robotic style of the character very well and made for some very funny viewing. We had a lot of good support role which include actors, Austin Robert Butler, Ashley Tisdale, Henri and Regan Young and Doris Roberts. I love the role Doris took as the Nana as she bought so much comedy to the film ad I loved her ninja fighting scenes.
There was a good mix of character and it made for some good mixed viewing, the role of the parents was not very central to the story and I think they could have been included more to give this more of an appeal to the watching parents.
The film does have some very funny moments in it and both me and hubby loved them, there were a few times when it was verging on being daft but as we were both in the mind frame for some daft fun we loved them all and I think children will find this film very funny indeed. The comic timing was good and so to were the gags they did with the computer animated aliens. I thought that all of the actors worked well with the effects, especially young Hannah who befriended one of them as they worked closely together for a few of the scenes. The aliens looked good and reminded me of the crazy frog. They were not at all scary and I don’t think even very young children will be scared at all watching this film. They were believable aliens and even had good details and expressions and were really bought to life with the voices they were given.
The props and sets were all very good and there were no noticeably added bad drops and the computer images blended well with the humans. The music was good but not at all memorable and now after only watching this last night I cannot remember a single track which was used.
This is a film only review so there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 86 minutes and I found this to be a great length and the story moved at a good pace from start to finish so I think children should manage to sit and watch the whole things without loosing interest. The rate is a PG but I think this is suitable for all ages. The DVD can be bought for around the £5 price and I think this is reasonable.
I am going to recommend this film and give it 3 stars. I would have loved to have given it more but I think there was more which could have been done with the story and I would have liked slightly more adult humour for the parents who have to sit and watch. It is definitely one for children around the 6-10 years of age to watch as they will find it hilarious.
Tom is having a hard time at school as he is brainy so decides to mess his grades up to try and fit in. His father is not happy about this so decides they need a family vacation to try and bond and sort out the problems. They head off to Creak Landing and meet up with Granny, Uncle and Cousins. The arrogant boyfriend of Tom’s elder sister also turns up.
Things are not going to well for Tom as his cousin is bossing him around but things are about to change when the power and TV starts to go funny and Tom is sent to investigate.
On the roof of the house Tom discovers that the satellite has been destroyed and soon discovers that it was aliens who did it. The aliens soon make themselves known and start trying to control and take over the humans. It falls to Tom and the children of the house to try and get rid of the aliens and save the world but can they do this and can Tom sort out his school problems?
I was looking forward to watching this film as both me and hubby enjoy the children’s film which have been made recently as they make for some good light hearted entertainment. This one was good and we enjoyed the storyline but it was not one of the best we have seen by a long shot. The story was good and I liked the aliens but there was so much more which could have been done with the story and it cold have been developed more. The acting was good and I enjoyed the role of Tom and boyfriend Rickey and thought they were the stars of the film.
Tom was played by Carter Jenkins and he was good, he played a typical teenager having the normal problems they all face. He showed a caring side when it came to his younger sister and strength when it came to defending his family. He had a good on screen presence and delivered all of his lines with ease and made his character very believable. The role of Rickey was played by Robert Hoffman and he took to the role with ease. He came across as big headed and arrogant for the majority of the film but he changed when he was being controlled by the aliens and he took to the robotic style of the character very well and made for some very funny viewing. We had a lot of good support role which include actors, Austin Robert Butler, Ashley Tisdale, Henri and Regan Young and Doris Roberts. I love the role Doris took as the Nana as she bought so much comedy to the film ad I loved her ninja fighting scenes.
There was a good mix of character and it made for some good mixed viewing, the role of the parents was not very central to the story and I think they could have been included more to give this more of an appeal to the watching parents.
The film does have some very funny moments in it and both me and hubby loved them, there were a few times when it was verging on being daft but as we were both in the mind frame for some daft fun we loved them all and I think children will find this film very funny indeed. The comic timing was good and so to were the gags they did with the computer animated aliens. I thought that all of the actors worked well with the effects, especially young Hannah who befriended one of them as they worked closely together for a few of the scenes. The aliens looked good and reminded me of the crazy frog. They were not at all scary and I don’t think even very young children will be scared at all watching this film. They were believable aliens and even had good details and expressions and were really bought to life with the voices they were given.
The props and sets were all very good and there were no noticeably added bad drops and the computer images blended well with the humans. The music was good but not at all memorable and now after only watching this last night I cannot remember a single track which was used.
This is a film only review so there are no bonus features to speak about. The running time of the film is 86 minutes and I found this to be a great length and the story moved at a good pace from start to finish so I think children should manage to sit and watch the whole things without loosing interest. The rate is a PG but I think this is suitable for all ages. The DVD can be bought for around the £5 price and I think this is reasonable.
I am going to recommend this film and give it 3 stars. I would have loved to have given it more but I think there was more which could have been done with the story and I would have liked slightly more adult humour for the parents who have to sit and watch. It is definitely one for children around the 6-10 years of age to watch as they will find it hilarious.
Sunday 23 January 2011
Kerplunk cashes in!
As my little man is a fan of Toy Story he received this Alien freefall game from father Christmas and he loves it, well that was until he actually played it! The game is quite fun to play but it does take a long time to set it up and then you only really get about 5 minutes of game play before you have to set it all up again.
~~PACKAGING AND CONTENTS~~
The box for the game is nice and bright and has a picture of the set up game on the front, the Toy Story 3 logo can be found on the top corner and there is a picture of one of the green three eyed aliens on the side. The back of the box shows three children playing the game. The main colours to the box are red blue and green and it would be easy to spot on a toy shelf.
Inside the bow you get the plastic pocket, lots of sticks, approximately 25 which are green purple and blue plastic. They measure about 17cm long but are quite thin so small hands may have difficulty picking them up off a table. We get a bag of green aliens which look just like the alien from the film. These are quite small and only measure 2.5cm by 2cm, they too are made from plastic and we have around 30 of them. With the contents of the box we also have a dice which is white in colour and differs from a standard one as this one has the colours of the sticks on each side, there are two sides for each of the colour.
We do also get an instruction sheet but this really is not needed as the game is very self explanatory.
~~SETTING UP AND GAME PLAY~~
Before we can start a game for the first time we have to assemble the rocket. This is quite simple to do and the two clear plastic sides with all the holes in have to be clipped together and then sat in the red plastic rocket base and on the very top a red tip just needs to be pushed on. The rocket takes shape when this has been done and it is quite sturdy but not very big. It stands only 27cm high and it 8cm wide and the widest point around the middle.
The start setting up for a game the plastic sticks need to be pushed through the holes so they come out of the other side of the rocket. The colours need to be spread out and they need to be put in a lot of different ways so they are not all forming straight lines, mixing it up makes for better game play overall. Once this has been done then the tip of the rocket needs pulling out so the aliens can be tipped in. this may sound easy but believe me its not, the aliens are quite thin so you will find quite a few just come straight out the bottom and they will have to be put back in, this can get slightly frustrating for children.
When all this has been done then it comes to actually playing the game, the object of playing is to remove all of the sticks and be the one who has the least aliens at the end. The dice is to be rolled by each player and the coordinating stick and dice colour needs to b removed from the rocket. If you remove your stick and aliens drop from the bottom then you have to keep these. Once the sticks have all gone the player who has the least aliens wins. It is then time to start the whole set up process again.
~~OPINION OF THE GAME~~
When it first came to setting the game up all three of my boys were very excited and loved the idea of having the make to rocket. I did not have to tell them what they had to do them with the sticks as they looked at the picture and had worked it out for themselves. They did find it very simple to put the sticks in as the holes are a good size and even my 3 year old found it quite simple to do. When it came to putting the aliens in the first time they did enjoy this as they laughed a lot when they just dropped straight through to the bottom but after a few plays this started to really annoy them as it meant they had to wait longer to play the game.
Both me and hubby explained about the dice and what the object of the game was but the first time we played they thought the object was to get the most aliens to win but when they discover they had lost as they all had loads of them and hubby had none they soon understood it was the other way round. The dice was a good size and simple for them to use, even with very small hands and they could easily see the colours. They did manage to get the sticks easier than I thought they would and had no problem getting them out.
We had a lot of fun playing with this game and for me I had the added educational side as they had to use their maths skills to count the aliens and work out who had the most and least of them. The only downside I found to the playing of the game was the amount of time it too for us to set it up as once completed the game only takes 5 minutes to play, there is no way of making the game play longer which is a shame. We have overcome the set up problem as it s now left to me of hubby to do it for them.
~~AGE RANGE AND SUITABILITY~~
The box says that this game is suitable for ages 5 and over. I don’t really take much notice of these guides and my 3 year old had a great time playing, he was easily able to help with the setting up and he recognised the colours and fully understood what he had to do, he was actually very good and had a great steady hand to remove the sticks. I think very small children will need to be watched with the game though as the aliens are small and may be put into mouths and the sticks can be a little dangerous as they are not very rounded at the ends.
We are told that the game is for 2-4 players but again I don’t agree fully with this. Obviously you need a minimum of two players but we are a family of 5 and we all play this together and it really does not make much difference at all and I think up to 6 people could comfortable play this game together.
I think that the game would be a good choice for all fans of the Toy Story film but if they are not then you may wish to stick to the original Kerplunk one which does not have a theme so will never go out of fashion with them.
~~PRICE AND AVAILABLITY~~
This toy was a gift for my little man but I have recently seen this on offer in Tesco with a price tag of just under £10, I think full price would be around £15. I do think the full price is steep as it only has a limited life, the length of time your child like the toy Story films and think that under £10 is much better value for money. It is available in a wide range of toyshops and also online.
~~RECOMMENDED?~~
I am going to recommend this game but I can only really give it 4 stars. We have lots of fun playing it and it is a game the whole family can play together but it does have its negative side, it takes a long time to set up and the game play is only short. The Toy ~Story theme is good but it only gives this toy a limited life. I think would say the original Kerplunk game may be a better way to go for a gift unless you can get this for under £10.
~~PACKAGING AND CONTENTS~~
The box for the game is nice and bright and has a picture of the set up game on the front, the Toy Story 3 logo can be found on the top corner and there is a picture of one of the green three eyed aliens on the side. The back of the box shows three children playing the game. The main colours to the box are red blue and green and it would be easy to spot on a toy shelf.
Inside the bow you get the plastic pocket, lots of sticks, approximately 25 which are green purple and blue plastic. They measure about 17cm long but are quite thin so small hands may have difficulty picking them up off a table. We get a bag of green aliens which look just like the alien from the film. These are quite small and only measure 2.5cm by 2cm, they too are made from plastic and we have around 30 of them. With the contents of the box we also have a dice which is white in colour and differs from a standard one as this one has the colours of the sticks on each side, there are two sides for each of the colour.
We do also get an instruction sheet but this really is not needed as the game is very self explanatory.
~~SETTING UP AND GAME PLAY~~
Before we can start a game for the first time we have to assemble the rocket. This is quite simple to do and the two clear plastic sides with all the holes in have to be clipped together and then sat in the red plastic rocket base and on the very top a red tip just needs to be pushed on. The rocket takes shape when this has been done and it is quite sturdy but not very big. It stands only 27cm high and it 8cm wide and the widest point around the middle.
The start setting up for a game the plastic sticks need to be pushed through the holes so they come out of the other side of the rocket. The colours need to be spread out and they need to be put in a lot of different ways so they are not all forming straight lines, mixing it up makes for better game play overall. Once this has been done then the tip of the rocket needs pulling out so the aliens can be tipped in. this may sound easy but believe me its not, the aliens are quite thin so you will find quite a few just come straight out the bottom and they will have to be put back in, this can get slightly frustrating for children.
When all this has been done then it comes to actually playing the game, the object of playing is to remove all of the sticks and be the one who has the least aliens at the end. The dice is to be rolled by each player and the coordinating stick and dice colour needs to b removed from the rocket. If you remove your stick and aliens drop from the bottom then you have to keep these. Once the sticks have all gone the player who has the least aliens wins. It is then time to start the whole set up process again.
~~OPINION OF THE GAME~~
When it first came to setting the game up all three of my boys were very excited and loved the idea of having the make to rocket. I did not have to tell them what they had to do them with the sticks as they looked at the picture and had worked it out for themselves. They did find it very simple to put the sticks in as the holes are a good size and even my 3 year old found it quite simple to do. When it came to putting the aliens in the first time they did enjoy this as they laughed a lot when they just dropped straight through to the bottom but after a few plays this started to really annoy them as it meant they had to wait longer to play the game.
Both me and hubby explained about the dice and what the object of the game was but the first time we played they thought the object was to get the most aliens to win but when they discover they had lost as they all had loads of them and hubby had none they soon understood it was the other way round. The dice was a good size and simple for them to use, even with very small hands and they could easily see the colours. They did manage to get the sticks easier than I thought they would and had no problem getting them out.
We had a lot of fun playing with this game and for me I had the added educational side as they had to use their maths skills to count the aliens and work out who had the most and least of them. The only downside I found to the playing of the game was the amount of time it too for us to set it up as once completed the game only takes 5 minutes to play, there is no way of making the game play longer which is a shame. We have overcome the set up problem as it s now left to me of hubby to do it for them.
~~AGE RANGE AND SUITABILITY~~
The box says that this game is suitable for ages 5 and over. I don’t really take much notice of these guides and my 3 year old had a great time playing, he was easily able to help with the setting up and he recognised the colours and fully understood what he had to do, he was actually very good and had a great steady hand to remove the sticks. I think very small children will need to be watched with the game though as the aliens are small and may be put into mouths and the sticks can be a little dangerous as they are not very rounded at the ends.
We are told that the game is for 2-4 players but again I don’t agree fully with this. Obviously you need a minimum of two players but we are a family of 5 and we all play this together and it really does not make much difference at all and I think up to 6 people could comfortable play this game together.
I think that the game would be a good choice for all fans of the Toy Story film but if they are not then you may wish to stick to the original Kerplunk one which does not have a theme so will never go out of fashion with them.
~~PRICE AND AVAILABLITY~~
This toy was a gift for my little man but I have recently seen this on offer in Tesco with a price tag of just under £10, I think full price would be around £15. I do think the full price is steep as it only has a limited life, the length of time your child like the toy Story films and think that under £10 is much better value for money. It is available in a wide range of toyshops and also online.
~~RECOMMENDED?~~
I am going to recommend this game but I can only really give it 4 stars. We have lots of fun playing it and it is a game the whole family can play together but it does have its negative side, it takes a long time to set up and the game play is only short. The Toy ~Story theme is good but it only gives this toy a limited life. I think would say the original Kerplunk game may be a better way to go for a gift unless you can get this for under £10.
Did you hear about the average film
I am reviewing the film Did you hear about the Morgans which was unfortunately a let down and the best bits were shown in the trailers.
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Paula and Meryl Morgan are a separated couple, Paul is desperately trying to win back Meryl with gifts and phone calls but they are not working. Meryl is happy with her life and is very busy running her company but she does make time to have dinner with Paul so they can talk. Things don’t go too bad at dinner but when they leave they decide to have a walk.
Things take a turn for the worse on the walk as they witness a murder and have to go into protective custody. They are both not happy about this as they are being sent to a temporary safe house together. They arrive in Wyoming and it is a massive culture shock for them both. Meryl is trying hard to be reasonable around Paul but it is not working out as she planned.
Can the killer be caught so Paul and Meryl can go back to their own lives, will they ever adjust to the country life and ultimately can they work their differences out and make their marriage work?
I was not overly bothered about watching this film and I certainly was not prepared to pay for the DVD but as it came onto the movie channels I decided to give it a go. Unfortunately the best bits of the film were all shown in the trailers for it and it was a typical Hugh Grant film with his playing the bumbling unlucky in love English man. The story could have been very good if a little more effort and thought would have gone into it but as it stands both me and hubby were able to work out the ending from after only watching for 20 minutes. I did think it was a good subject for a film and there was a lot of potential which was not realised and maybe this could have been achieved if we would have had a different set of lead actors.
Hugh Grant played the role of Paul and he was just the same usual guy he plays in all of his other films. There was nothing new to this role for him and he came across as very dull and boring. His accent was overly played and I have never heard an English man talk so prim and proper before, it really was overly done for my liking and stuck out like a sore thumb. There was no depth to him and he seemed very flat with his lines and the emotions he was trying to portray. I found there was a distinct lack of chemistry between him and on screen wife Meryl and they did constantly look very uneasy together. Meryl was played by Sarah Jessica Parker and she was just as bad. She was flat with all of her lines and she never seemed to give them any emotion or feeling when delivering them. She did have a very strange appearance at time (hubby said she looked like a horse!) and she just came across as very self absorbed and only thought and cared about herself.
Fortunately we did have two very good actors in the film and they were the Sheriff and the Deputy. They were husband and wife, Clay and Emma. They were played by Sam Elliot and Mary Steenburgen. The pair bought some much needed light relief to the film and were for me the best of the whole cast. They managed to bring some normality and humour and seemed at ease and very natural on screen together.
The start of the film is shot in New York and we got a few good skyline shots of the city, they were enjoyable to watch but for me the best shots came from Wyoming, we got to see a lot of the countryside and I loved how different it was to the big city. The small town came across in an enjoyable and friendly way and I did actually comment on the fact that I too would love to live somewhere like that were technology is not the centre of everything. The sets were all good and so to were the few effects which we had.
The film does have a few funny moments in and the one memorable one is when Hugh Grant comes across the bear, this did have me giggling slightly but the main humour came from Emma and Clay with their daftness and inability to understand how Paul and Meryl were thinking and the way they found it hard to adjust to the new lifestyle. The funniest parts of the film are definitely all shown in the trailers. The soundtrack was nothing special and despite one or two tracks I am not able to remember much about it at all. The tracks I remember were quite old ones and they did fit into the story very well.
I am only reviewing the film so there are no DVD extras to speak about. The DVD can be bought for around the £7 price at the moment which I feel is still slightly too high as this is just an average film. I certainly would not recommend paying to watch this.
I can really only give this film 3 stars, I really wanted it to be good and show Hugh Grant in a different role but t failed to do so. The story was good and we did have two very good roles but overall it was slightly dull with two very weak lead actors. I would recommended renting or waiting for this to come onto your TV before deciding to watch, this is certainly not worth parting with any money for.
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Paula and Meryl Morgan are a separated couple, Paul is desperately trying to win back Meryl with gifts and phone calls but they are not working. Meryl is happy with her life and is very busy running her company but she does make time to have dinner with Paul so they can talk. Things don’t go too bad at dinner but when they leave they decide to have a walk.
Things take a turn for the worse on the walk as they witness a murder and have to go into protective custody. They are both not happy about this as they are being sent to a temporary safe house together. They arrive in Wyoming and it is a massive culture shock for them both. Meryl is trying hard to be reasonable around Paul but it is not working out as she planned.
Can the killer be caught so Paul and Meryl can go back to their own lives, will they ever adjust to the country life and ultimately can they work their differences out and make their marriage work?
I was not overly bothered about watching this film and I certainly was not prepared to pay for the DVD but as it came onto the movie channels I decided to give it a go. Unfortunately the best bits of the film were all shown in the trailers for it and it was a typical Hugh Grant film with his playing the bumbling unlucky in love English man. The story could have been very good if a little more effort and thought would have gone into it but as it stands both me and hubby were able to work out the ending from after only watching for 20 minutes. I did think it was a good subject for a film and there was a lot of potential which was not realised and maybe this could have been achieved if we would have had a different set of lead actors.
Hugh Grant played the role of Paul and he was just the same usual guy he plays in all of his other films. There was nothing new to this role for him and he came across as very dull and boring. His accent was overly played and I have never heard an English man talk so prim and proper before, it really was overly done for my liking and stuck out like a sore thumb. There was no depth to him and he seemed very flat with his lines and the emotions he was trying to portray. I found there was a distinct lack of chemistry between him and on screen wife Meryl and they did constantly look very uneasy together. Meryl was played by Sarah Jessica Parker and she was just as bad. She was flat with all of her lines and she never seemed to give them any emotion or feeling when delivering them. She did have a very strange appearance at time (hubby said she looked like a horse!) and she just came across as very self absorbed and only thought and cared about herself.
Fortunately we did have two very good actors in the film and they were the Sheriff and the Deputy. They were husband and wife, Clay and Emma. They were played by Sam Elliot and Mary Steenburgen. The pair bought some much needed light relief to the film and were for me the best of the whole cast. They managed to bring some normality and humour and seemed at ease and very natural on screen together.
The start of the film is shot in New York and we got a few good skyline shots of the city, they were enjoyable to watch but for me the best shots came from Wyoming, we got to see a lot of the countryside and I loved how different it was to the big city. The small town came across in an enjoyable and friendly way and I did actually comment on the fact that I too would love to live somewhere like that were technology is not the centre of everything. The sets were all good and so to were the few effects which we had.
The film does have a few funny moments in and the one memorable one is when Hugh Grant comes across the bear, this did have me giggling slightly but the main humour came from Emma and Clay with their daftness and inability to understand how Paul and Meryl were thinking and the way they found it hard to adjust to the new lifestyle. The funniest parts of the film are definitely all shown in the trailers. The soundtrack was nothing special and despite one or two tracks I am not able to remember much about it at all. The tracks I remember were quite old ones and they did fit into the story very well.
I am only reviewing the film so there are no DVD extras to speak about. The DVD can be bought for around the £7 price at the moment which I feel is still slightly too high as this is just an average film. I certainly would not recommend paying to watch this.
I can really only give this film 3 stars, I really wanted it to be good and show Hugh Grant in a different role but t failed to do so. The story was good and we did have two very good roles but overall it was slightly dull with two very weak lead actors. I would recommended renting or waiting for this to come onto your TV before deciding to watch, this is certainly not worth parting with any money for.
Thursday 20 January 2011
Daft and Dumb so Don't Bother
I am reviewing the film Airheads which is supposed to be a comedy but completely lacking in laughs.
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Chazz Darvey is a rocker and wants his band to hit the big time, unfortunately he is not lucky in getting them a record deal and has not even managed to get them any air play at the local radio station.
After his girlfriend dumps him he decides to take drastic action. He meets up with other band members Rex and Pip and they come up with a plan to break into the radio station and give their tape directly to the radio presenter. Things don’t got to plan though and soon they are being mistaken for hijackers as they have water pistols which look like proper guns.
Can Chazz get their music heard by the public and what will the outcome of the siege be?
I only really decided to give this film a go as it was a comedy and starred Brendan Fraser who I do quite like but unfortunately it was not as good as I was hoping it would be. The storyline was quite good and a little different from other films I have seen but there was a distinct lack of comedy and good acting for this to be a great film. I think the story was put across is rather a daft way which took the edge of it and I think had the comedy been more funny and less daft it may have worked and fitted together slightly better,
The lead role of Chazz was played by Brendan Fraser and he did an ok job with the role. He looked like a daft rocker with the long hair and dated clothes. He did at times seem a good guy but then he would come out with a daft line and make himself sound very thick. He delivered a few good lines and it was nice to see a softer side to his character at times. For me the best role was Rex, played by Steve Buscemi, he was hilarious at times. He played a stronger role and seemed more at ease with the whole situation. He looked good with the long hair and seemed very natural playing this role. The one role which I did not like and thought was a waste of time was that of Pip, he was played by Adam Sandler and he was awful. He played a very thick and dumb person and he seemed so wooden and uncomfortable all the way through the film. There was also a distinct lack of connection or chemistry between the three men despite being best friends and band members and for me they were not able to bounce off each other like they should have done.
Other actors in the film taking a few slightly better roles included, Chris Farley, Judd Nelson and Amy Locane. I definitely feel that these actors made for better viewing that the lead ones as they seemed more at ease with the comedy and one liners and they were more at ease with the delivery of their lines.
The film was made in 1994 and this is very apparent right from the start of the film. The clothes were vary dated and look quite amusing at times and so too were the props and sets used. I found that some aspects of the datedness of the film added to the humour but others didn’t and did show up the age of the film in a bad way. The sets were not too bad and the inside of the radio station was nice to see and it all looked good. We did have some very dated and old props used ad I did actually have to laugh when they needed an old tape recorder as they did not have one in the station anymore, it was fun to see this part and how they thought back then they were ahead of the time with the technology.
There are some good funny parts of the film and these mainly come from the character Rex, he was gun and toy crazy and this really helped with the way he came across and how he seemed to be slightly mentally unstable. He was the most natural with the spoken and visual gags. The one liners which Adam Sandler was given just did not work and he just appeared to be thick and daft. The humour may appeal more to the teenage market as both me and hubby just found the majority of this film daft.
There are a few effects in the film and they were good and fitting with the age of this film. The sound track was quite mixed and we had a few good tracks played but the overall rock theme did not work for me and I would have liked it to have been slightly more mixed. The songs are now old and there were no real classic ones used the in the film.
I am only reviewing the film so there are no DVD extras to speak about. The running time of the film is 92 minutes and the rate is a 15. I do agree with the rate and think this would make a good film for the 15-20 year old market to watch. The DVD can be bought for just a few pounds now on the internet but personally I would advise against paying to watch this.
I was hoping to be able to give this film a good rating but unfortunately I cannot. I am going to give it 2 stars instead of 1 as Steve Buscemi was great and gave us some good laughs but overall it was a let down and Adam Sandler was dreadful. Don’t waste your money on this film.
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Chazz Darvey is a rocker and wants his band to hit the big time, unfortunately he is not lucky in getting them a record deal and has not even managed to get them any air play at the local radio station.
After his girlfriend dumps him he decides to take drastic action. He meets up with other band members Rex and Pip and they come up with a plan to break into the radio station and give their tape directly to the radio presenter. Things don’t got to plan though and soon they are being mistaken for hijackers as they have water pistols which look like proper guns.
Can Chazz get their music heard by the public and what will the outcome of the siege be?
I only really decided to give this film a go as it was a comedy and starred Brendan Fraser who I do quite like but unfortunately it was not as good as I was hoping it would be. The storyline was quite good and a little different from other films I have seen but there was a distinct lack of comedy and good acting for this to be a great film. I think the story was put across is rather a daft way which took the edge of it and I think had the comedy been more funny and less daft it may have worked and fitted together slightly better,
The lead role of Chazz was played by Brendan Fraser and he did an ok job with the role. He looked like a daft rocker with the long hair and dated clothes. He did at times seem a good guy but then he would come out with a daft line and make himself sound very thick. He delivered a few good lines and it was nice to see a softer side to his character at times. For me the best role was Rex, played by Steve Buscemi, he was hilarious at times. He played a stronger role and seemed more at ease with the whole situation. He looked good with the long hair and seemed very natural playing this role. The one role which I did not like and thought was a waste of time was that of Pip, he was played by Adam Sandler and he was awful. He played a very thick and dumb person and he seemed so wooden and uncomfortable all the way through the film. There was also a distinct lack of connection or chemistry between the three men despite being best friends and band members and for me they were not able to bounce off each other like they should have done.
Other actors in the film taking a few slightly better roles included, Chris Farley, Judd Nelson and Amy Locane. I definitely feel that these actors made for better viewing that the lead ones as they seemed more at ease with the comedy and one liners and they were more at ease with the delivery of their lines.
The film was made in 1994 and this is very apparent right from the start of the film. The clothes were vary dated and look quite amusing at times and so too were the props and sets used. I found that some aspects of the datedness of the film added to the humour but others didn’t and did show up the age of the film in a bad way. The sets were not too bad and the inside of the radio station was nice to see and it all looked good. We did have some very dated and old props used ad I did actually have to laugh when they needed an old tape recorder as they did not have one in the station anymore, it was fun to see this part and how they thought back then they were ahead of the time with the technology.
There are some good funny parts of the film and these mainly come from the character Rex, he was gun and toy crazy and this really helped with the way he came across and how he seemed to be slightly mentally unstable. He was the most natural with the spoken and visual gags. The one liners which Adam Sandler was given just did not work and he just appeared to be thick and daft. The humour may appeal more to the teenage market as both me and hubby just found the majority of this film daft.
There are a few effects in the film and they were good and fitting with the age of this film. The sound track was quite mixed and we had a few good tracks played but the overall rock theme did not work for me and I would have liked it to have been slightly more mixed. The songs are now old and there were no real classic ones used the in the film.
I am only reviewing the film so there are no DVD extras to speak about. The running time of the film is 92 minutes and the rate is a 15. I do agree with the rate and think this would make a good film for the 15-20 year old market to watch. The DVD can be bought for just a few pounds now on the internet but personally I would advise against paying to watch this.
I was hoping to be able to give this film a good rating but unfortunately I cannot. I am going to give it 2 stars instead of 1 as Steve Buscemi was great and gave us some good laughs but overall it was a let down and Adam Sandler was dreadful. Don’t waste your money on this film.
I Heart Hollywood
Angela Clarke is happy living in New York and has settled in well after moving from England. She has a good job working for a magazine and writing a blog, she also has a very hot boyfriend, Alex who is the singer in a band. Angela is having a good time with her life but she is not happy with the weather as it is so cold in New York. She gets a break though when her Boss asks her to go to Hollywood and interview a top actor, James Jacob who is also a Brit.
Angela has a hard decision to make about the interview as she has never interviewed anyone before, let alone someone as famous as James. She also does not want to leave her boyfriend as they have only recently got back together again and she hates to be apart form him. Angela does make the decision to go and her best friend Jenny goes with her.
After arriving in Hollywood where the weather is amazing and so is the scenery she sets about making her interview one of the best pieces she has ever written. Things start to go wrong though when Angela meets James and discovers that he is not the ladies man she was lead to believe but a very nice pleasant and extremely good looking man. James start to flirt with Angela which does not help the feelings she is having for him. Can Angela get past her feelings and make the interview her best yet and will her relationship with Alex survive the separation?
I have only given a very brief outline of the plot for this book but do not think it this basic as there is so much more happening in the book but I just don not want to spoil it for those who have not read this one. I have read one of the I heart books before and thoroughly enjoyed it so had no problems with starting to read this one. The problem I had was I read the I heart Paris book first which is the book written after this one so I had an idea of where the story was going and what was going to happen but I managed not to let this put me off and I really managed to enjoy the book. The story is great and despite being about film stars and Hollywood it is quite down to Earth and very believable.
The character of Angela is a good one and she is so easy to get to know and understand. She has normal problems which we all face and I thought these made her so much more down to earth and normal. She came across as a little bit dopey at times with some of the daft things she did and the scrapes she got herself into but for me it just made the story much more entertaining to read. I found the friendship she had with jenny to be great and totally believable and I loved how close they were and spoke the truth to each other. Jenny was another good character and I found her to be so much stronger and independent to Angela and the contrast worked well.
We had some other very good characters in the story and the main ones were Alex and James. They were completely different from each other, Alex was quite and just got on with his life and James was a world famous actor and I think the difference between them is what made them both very appealing. The inclusion of Angela’s Mom and Dad was also nice as it meant we got a little background detail about her and got to know a little about her past and why she thought and acted as she did.
The book is set in Hollywood and we get a lot of detail about the City and the places visited by Angela and I found that the details we got meant I was able to easily get a good mental picture of the characters and settings. I always enjoy this in a book as it means I find it easier to follow and get into.
There is a good mix of humour and sorrow in the book, Angela has a hard time and this is explained well and given just the right amount of heart ache but there is always some funny snippet which comes out which brings the book back to the light hearted read it is meant to be. I did at times feel so sorry for Angela but then there were others when I just wanted to shake her and tell her to get on with things and I like the way I got so attached to the story and characters.
The writing style is good and means that it is very easy to read and enjoy. It is not a deep or heavy story so this for me makes an excellent bedtime read. I found the details were just enough to help me follow and keep a good mental picture but not overly detailed so got bored at any point. The story moves at a good pace from start to finish and there were no times when I felt it was dragging on.
The version of the book which I have is the paper back edition and this was published by Harper Collins and has a retail price of £6.99. It is well worth this price tag but do shop around as I managed to et this for just £2 in a small book shop when on holiday. There are other books in the I Heart series and they too are well worth reading. They don’t really need reading in order as this is a good stand alone book.
I am happy to give this book the full 5 stars as it thoroughly entertained me from start to finish. The characters are good and easy to get to know and the story is not taxing and easy to read. The mix of emotions included just adds to the read experience. I highly recommend this book.
Angela has a hard decision to make about the interview as she has never interviewed anyone before, let alone someone as famous as James. She also does not want to leave her boyfriend as they have only recently got back together again and she hates to be apart form him. Angela does make the decision to go and her best friend Jenny goes with her.
After arriving in Hollywood where the weather is amazing and so is the scenery she sets about making her interview one of the best pieces she has ever written. Things start to go wrong though when Angela meets James and discovers that he is not the ladies man she was lead to believe but a very nice pleasant and extremely good looking man. James start to flirt with Angela which does not help the feelings she is having for him. Can Angela get past her feelings and make the interview her best yet and will her relationship with Alex survive the separation?
I have only given a very brief outline of the plot for this book but do not think it this basic as there is so much more happening in the book but I just don not want to spoil it for those who have not read this one. I have read one of the I heart books before and thoroughly enjoyed it so had no problems with starting to read this one. The problem I had was I read the I heart Paris book first which is the book written after this one so I had an idea of where the story was going and what was going to happen but I managed not to let this put me off and I really managed to enjoy the book. The story is great and despite being about film stars and Hollywood it is quite down to Earth and very believable.
The character of Angela is a good one and she is so easy to get to know and understand. She has normal problems which we all face and I thought these made her so much more down to earth and normal. She came across as a little bit dopey at times with some of the daft things she did and the scrapes she got herself into but for me it just made the story much more entertaining to read. I found the friendship she had with jenny to be great and totally believable and I loved how close they were and spoke the truth to each other. Jenny was another good character and I found her to be so much stronger and independent to Angela and the contrast worked well.
We had some other very good characters in the story and the main ones were Alex and James. They were completely different from each other, Alex was quite and just got on with his life and James was a world famous actor and I think the difference between them is what made them both very appealing. The inclusion of Angela’s Mom and Dad was also nice as it meant we got a little background detail about her and got to know a little about her past and why she thought and acted as she did.
The book is set in Hollywood and we get a lot of detail about the City and the places visited by Angela and I found that the details we got meant I was able to easily get a good mental picture of the characters and settings. I always enjoy this in a book as it means I find it easier to follow and get into.
There is a good mix of humour and sorrow in the book, Angela has a hard time and this is explained well and given just the right amount of heart ache but there is always some funny snippet which comes out which brings the book back to the light hearted read it is meant to be. I did at times feel so sorry for Angela but then there were others when I just wanted to shake her and tell her to get on with things and I like the way I got so attached to the story and characters.
The writing style is good and means that it is very easy to read and enjoy. It is not a deep or heavy story so this for me makes an excellent bedtime read. I found the details were just enough to help me follow and keep a good mental picture but not overly detailed so got bored at any point. The story moves at a good pace from start to finish and there were no times when I felt it was dragging on.
The version of the book which I have is the paper back edition and this was published by Harper Collins and has a retail price of £6.99. It is well worth this price tag but do shop around as I managed to et this for just £2 in a small book shop when on holiday. There are other books in the I Heart series and they too are well worth reading. They don’t really need reading in order as this is a good stand alone book.
I am happy to give this book the full 5 stars as it thoroughly entertained me from start to finish. The characters are good and easy to get to know and the story is not taxing and easy to read. The mix of emotions included just adds to the read experience. I highly recommend this book.
A Cheap clean
The product I am reviewing here is Tesco's vitamin E cleaning facial wipes, they are a bargain and everyone should try them.
It was by chance that I came across these wipes as I was actually looking for my usual face wash when I spotted them on the shelf. I decided that I would have a closer look at the packet and after reading it decided they sounded good and ideal for slipping into my gym bag to freshen up before I got home and washed.
~~PACKAGING~~
The wipes come in a little peach coloured packet, resembling the style of a baby wipe packet. The product name and Tesco logo is on the front of the back and on the back we have all of the relevant information about the wipes.
On the top of the packet there is a clear stick film which pulls back so you can remove the wipes and then re sticks so the remaining wipes stay moist.
~~USE AND RESULTS~~
The wipes are very simple to use and you just need to use them to rub over the face and neck area. They are easy to remove from the packet and only one comes out each time so none get wasted. They are white in colour and are a good size, they measure approximately 19 x 15cm. They are a good thickness so do not rip or tear when being pulled out of the packet or used. The wipes do feel moist but not overly so, so you wont be left with wet hands after using them.
There is a scent on the wipes and for me the smell remind me of cucumber. The smell is very noticeable when the wipe is first removed from the packet but once t has been used and thrown away the smell does go away. I have never noticed a prolonged smell on my hands or face from sing these.
I mainly use these wipes just to freshen my face after a good work out in the gym, I do find they help me a lot and take away the horrible sweaty and grubby feeling I always end up with. I have also used these on the odd occasion when I have worn foundation to remove it and it does a great job and makes sure there is none left on my face. When I have initially wiped my face with these my skin feels quite damp and very fresh and within a few moments it feels completely dry but I do still get the fresh feeling remaining. There is no tingling feeling from using the wipes and I am pleased about this as I do not like having that feeling.
The one down side to the wipes would be that they cannot be used on the eyes, they would have been great if we could have done this as they are good for removing makeup.
~~INFO~~
The wipes come in a pack size of 25 and they last me about 2 weeks as only one wipe is needed for each use. The wipes are not to be flushed away and they must be disposed of in the rubbish bin.
The ingredients for the wipes include:-
Aqua, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Ceteareth-12, Tocopheryl Acerate, Polysorbate 20, PEG-35, Castor oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf juice, Parfum, Sodium Citerte, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzoic Acid
The shelf life for the wipes is 3 months once the packet has been open.
There is a claim on the packet that the wipes have been Dermatologically tested and contain no alcohol but there is no mention as to whether or not these have been made using animal testing.
~~PRICE AND AVAILABILITY~~
These wipes are a Tesco own branded product so they are only available to buy in their stores. They have the great price tag of only 48p and personally I think they are a complete bargain. They only come in the one pack size and perhaps they should consider making a larger pack so they will last for a full month.
~~RECOMMENDED?~~
I have no problems in giving these wipes a high recommendation and the full 5 stars. They are great for removing make up and freshening the face and neck area and the price tag is a bonus. The small pack size is ideal for slipping into a hand or gym bag but perhaps a larger packet would be better for in the bathroom at home. For the price you really have nothing to loose in giving them a try.
It was by chance that I came across these wipes as I was actually looking for my usual face wash when I spotted them on the shelf. I decided that I would have a closer look at the packet and after reading it decided they sounded good and ideal for slipping into my gym bag to freshen up before I got home and washed.
~~PACKAGING~~
The wipes come in a little peach coloured packet, resembling the style of a baby wipe packet. The product name and Tesco logo is on the front of the back and on the back we have all of the relevant information about the wipes.
On the top of the packet there is a clear stick film which pulls back so you can remove the wipes and then re sticks so the remaining wipes stay moist.
~~USE AND RESULTS~~
The wipes are very simple to use and you just need to use them to rub over the face and neck area. They are easy to remove from the packet and only one comes out each time so none get wasted. They are white in colour and are a good size, they measure approximately 19 x 15cm. They are a good thickness so do not rip or tear when being pulled out of the packet or used. The wipes do feel moist but not overly so, so you wont be left with wet hands after using them.
There is a scent on the wipes and for me the smell remind me of cucumber. The smell is very noticeable when the wipe is first removed from the packet but once t has been used and thrown away the smell does go away. I have never noticed a prolonged smell on my hands or face from sing these.
I mainly use these wipes just to freshen my face after a good work out in the gym, I do find they help me a lot and take away the horrible sweaty and grubby feeling I always end up with. I have also used these on the odd occasion when I have worn foundation to remove it and it does a great job and makes sure there is none left on my face. When I have initially wiped my face with these my skin feels quite damp and very fresh and within a few moments it feels completely dry but I do still get the fresh feeling remaining. There is no tingling feeling from using the wipes and I am pleased about this as I do not like having that feeling.
The one down side to the wipes would be that they cannot be used on the eyes, they would have been great if we could have done this as they are good for removing makeup.
~~INFO~~
The wipes come in a pack size of 25 and they last me about 2 weeks as only one wipe is needed for each use. The wipes are not to be flushed away and they must be disposed of in the rubbish bin.
The ingredients for the wipes include:-
Aqua, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Ceteareth-12, Tocopheryl Acerate, Polysorbate 20, PEG-35, Castor oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf juice, Parfum, Sodium Citerte, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzoic Acid
The shelf life for the wipes is 3 months once the packet has been open.
There is a claim on the packet that the wipes have been Dermatologically tested and contain no alcohol but there is no mention as to whether or not these have been made using animal testing.
~~PRICE AND AVAILABILITY~~
These wipes are a Tesco own branded product so they are only available to buy in their stores. They have the great price tag of only 48p and personally I think they are a complete bargain. They only come in the one pack size and perhaps they should consider making a larger pack so they will last for a full month.
~~RECOMMENDED?~~
I have no problems in giving these wipes a high recommendation and the full 5 stars. They are great for removing make up and freshening the face and neck area and the price tag is a bonus. The small pack size is ideal for slipping into a hand or gym bag but perhaps a larger packet would be better for in the bathroom at home. For the price you really have nothing to loose in giving them a try.
Wednesday 19 January 2011
Saturday Night Peter - Peter Kay
I am a fan of Peter Kay and I loved his first book, therefore it was no great surprise that I asked for his second book for Christmas. I am so pleased to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and it was just as good as the first one. This second book picks up right where the first one ended, when he won his comedy competition and hit the big time.
The book is spilt into chapters and they do have quite unusual titles but they do get explained in what he talks about in each of them. The book tells us a lot about the work that Peter did once he had won the competition and how he still had a lot of hard work ahead of him. He talks at length about how he found it hard with all of the travelling to the gigs and the lonely hours spent driving. I found the way he talked about doing the Edinburgh festival very funny and about how he was expected to live in a slum for the few weeks he was there. The gigs he does talk about are good ones and we get to see how they change the more famous he gets, he starts off small and then ends up doing a massive countrywide tour at the end. I learnt from this book and what he talked about just how nervous he gets before doing a gig and this was a shock to me as he is always at ease and so natural on stage and I did feel sorry for him over this as he does still suffer bad from it.
I enjoyed the way he described the way he came up with his material and how it was by accident the way his set developed as he had written and perfected a set of jokes and when he got on stage he talked about the horrendous day and journey he had had and from then on he kept this a main part of his act as he got such a good response from it. Having watched his gigs over the years I always thought there was a slight element of untruth to some of the things he would say about his family but after reading this book I now know this to be not true and all he says is exactly as it happens and his poor Grandma really did think that if she paused her TV then she would be pausing everyone else’s too!
We do get to meet some of Peters friends in this book and the main one he talks about is Paddy, I am pleased he was included in this book as they have done a lot of good work together, there are some very funny moments which involve the pair in this book and some of them did have me roaring with laughter. Peter does not talk much about his family in this book but there really is not much for him to say about them as he is mainly on the road in this book and really for me it was not an element which I really missed. He does talk about his then girlfriend, now wife and the impact his new found fame had on them both and enjoyed this, she was not a big part of the book but the little bits she was included in were good and interesting.
The book as been written in a very easy to follow way and it stays moving through his career in the one direction and does not keep switching to different years so it is very easy to follow and understand. The writing style is very good and there is a lot of humour included, some of the words may be hard for some to understand as they are written the way he says them with his think Manchester accent, I had no problem with them as hubby talks the same way! You will also find at the bottom of most pages small astrix marks which is where peter has taken the opportunity to add some funny line or explain a word or phrase he has used on that page. I did at first find this a little off putting but once I had got past the first few pages they seemed to just blend into the story and not be hard to follow and read. The humour in the book is good and very easy to understand, this book is no where near as funny as his first book but I still had a lot of laugh out loud moments, these mainly came from the sections where he had included the gags from his gig and I could actually visualise Peter of stage delivering these gags.
Peter gives a lot of good details about his gigs and I enjoyed this as it meant that I cold make a good metal picture of what he was talking about and the places he worked, it is not overly described so you will not get bored from them but there is just the right amount. There are also 2 section in the book which show photos and pictures of Peter and some of the gigs and promotional posters which were used. They are good to look at and do help with getting a mental picture of what is being talked about in the book.
I was given this book for Christmas so I have no idea of how much was paid for it, I have see this in a lot of book shops with a very varied price, ranging from £1 to £10 so do shop around for a bargain. The book is easy to spot on the shelf as it has a good cover which resembles the disco scene from the film Saturday Night Fever and the title is easy to see. The book was published by Century and the hard back edition which I have has a total of 258 pages. The text on the pages is a good size and not all cramped together so it is easy to see and read.
I am more than happy to give this book a good recommendation and the full five stars. It was very entertaining and interesting to read and you don’t need to have read the first book to be able to follow and understand this one. A definite read for all Kay fans.
The book is spilt into chapters and they do have quite unusual titles but they do get explained in what he talks about in each of them. The book tells us a lot about the work that Peter did once he had won the competition and how he still had a lot of hard work ahead of him. He talks at length about how he found it hard with all of the travelling to the gigs and the lonely hours spent driving. I found the way he talked about doing the Edinburgh festival very funny and about how he was expected to live in a slum for the few weeks he was there. The gigs he does talk about are good ones and we get to see how they change the more famous he gets, he starts off small and then ends up doing a massive countrywide tour at the end. I learnt from this book and what he talked about just how nervous he gets before doing a gig and this was a shock to me as he is always at ease and so natural on stage and I did feel sorry for him over this as he does still suffer bad from it.
I enjoyed the way he described the way he came up with his material and how it was by accident the way his set developed as he had written and perfected a set of jokes and when he got on stage he talked about the horrendous day and journey he had had and from then on he kept this a main part of his act as he got such a good response from it. Having watched his gigs over the years I always thought there was a slight element of untruth to some of the things he would say about his family but after reading this book I now know this to be not true and all he says is exactly as it happens and his poor Grandma really did think that if she paused her TV then she would be pausing everyone else’s too!
We do get to meet some of Peters friends in this book and the main one he talks about is Paddy, I am pleased he was included in this book as they have done a lot of good work together, there are some very funny moments which involve the pair in this book and some of them did have me roaring with laughter. Peter does not talk much about his family in this book but there really is not much for him to say about them as he is mainly on the road in this book and really for me it was not an element which I really missed. He does talk about his then girlfriend, now wife and the impact his new found fame had on them both and enjoyed this, she was not a big part of the book but the little bits she was included in were good and interesting.
The book as been written in a very easy to follow way and it stays moving through his career in the one direction and does not keep switching to different years so it is very easy to follow and understand. The writing style is very good and there is a lot of humour included, some of the words may be hard for some to understand as they are written the way he says them with his think Manchester accent, I had no problem with them as hubby talks the same way! You will also find at the bottom of most pages small astrix marks which is where peter has taken the opportunity to add some funny line or explain a word or phrase he has used on that page. I did at first find this a little off putting but once I had got past the first few pages they seemed to just blend into the story and not be hard to follow and read. The humour in the book is good and very easy to understand, this book is no where near as funny as his first book but I still had a lot of laugh out loud moments, these mainly came from the sections where he had included the gags from his gig and I could actually visualise Peter of stage delivering these gags.
Peter gives a lot of good details about his gigs and I enjoyed this as it meant that I cold make a good metal picture of what he was talking about and the places he worked, it is not overly described so you will not get bored from them but there is just the right amount. There are also 2 section in the book which show photos and pictures of Peter and some of the gigs and promotional posters which were used. They are good to look at and do help with getting a mental picture of what is being talked about in the book.
I was given this book for Christmas so I have no idea of how much was paid for it, I have see this in a lot of book shops with a very varied price, ranging from £1 to £10 so do shop around for a bargain. The book is easy to spot on the shelf as it has a good cover which resembles the disco scene from the film Saturday Night Fever and the title is easy to see. The book was published by Century and the hard back edition which I have has a total of 258 pages. The text on the pages is a good size and not all cramped together so it is easy to see and read.
I am more than happy to give this book a good recommendation and the full five stars. It was very entertaining and interesting to read and you don’t need to have read the first book to be able to follow and understand this one. A definite read for all Kay fans.
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