The Book of Mormon is from the makers of South Park and has had brilliant reviews. We are going to review it next week and will be giving you our verdict, Until then, check out the videos below for some funniness.
Tickets from Stubhub.co.uk
Tag Archives: Entertainment
I Play With The Phrase Each Other | 21st Raindance Film Festival
Jay Alvarez’ debut feature is being heralded as a genuine first; the first film to be composed entirely of phone calls between characters. With a micro budget obtained via crowdsourcing and Craigslist sales, the filmmakers collaborated with a group of friends, family and first time actors in the Portland area where filming took place. In line with its niche, contemporary framing device the film was shot on an Iphone. It centres primarily on Jake (Will Hand), a young neurotic tempted to the big city by his old friend Sean (Alvarez), a wannabe poet. Sean’s life is far from comfortable and wholesome; he lives in a squalid flat and earns his money by conning naive Internet shoppers. When Jake arrives to find Sean missing and uncontactable he struggles to fit in to the cities bleak, nocturnal landscape as the lengthy phone conversations in each scene detail strained relationships with distant friends, former lovers and forgotten family.
On first impressions, I Play With The Phrase Each Other sounds like its central premise would be an obstacle to connecting with it. There is the danger of being too distant to engage or the incredibly lo-fi shooting style proving too amateurish. Thankfully on a filmmaking level every penny of the fund raising has paid off. Filmed in a stark monochrome against a backdrop of recession stricken America, the film relentlessly probes the nights and urban decay of the characters environment. I was reminded of In Search Of A Midnight Kiss and, to a lesser extent, Clerks in its visual style. Production value and cinematography are terrific and show off the filmmakers skills with such limited resources. Along with the Web Fest also taking place at Raindance this year, its films like this which really show off the advancing availability of resources and technology to today’s independent filmmakers.
Alvarez claims that the films unique structure is ‘ an announcement of youngness’ and that it would ‘scream our modern nausea’. It’s a bold claim that does initially strike very effectively. There’s a swift flow to the opening passages of the film as we are introduced to the key players and the framing device of phone calls creates a sense of distortion and isolation that feels frighteningly contemporary. An early shot boosts a central character’s bookshelf comprised of Hemingway, Thompson and Heller. There’s no disguising the scripts incredibly literary background; the dialogue is at once profane and witty with a fine line of pathos running throughout. Where things do begin to falter somewhat is in the meandering manner of the conversations themselves. Alvarez throws such a large group of characters into the mix that it starts to become difficult to keep track of who is who and more worryingly, who to care about. Characters discuss everything from employment to sexuality, media and the economy yet only a small amount of it sticks. Characters are introduced then dropped completely just as they are starting to become engaging or memorable. The cast of unknowns and first time actors do an extremely impressive job with the material that does work and lingers in the mind. One notable example is hustler Jamario, played with a volatile mix of humour and intimidation by ‘Big Dogg’, an acquaintance of the director. Its a piece of casting that rings with utter authenticity. Another is an unnamed retail manager portrayed by Robert Thrush, featuring in a running series of deadpan vignettes before a climactic and lengthy voice message plays out across a tight close up. Its a beautiful yet uncomfortable scene that really gets to the heart of the notion of disconnect via modern communication. The film is desperately crying out for other scenes of this immediacy and tenderness.
All in all I Play With The Phrase Each Other is an eye catching debut and certainly bodes well for Jay Alvarez. Although ultimately it may be a film that is easier to admire than to love.
4 Ways Mad Men’s Don Draper Would Use a Smartphone
The technology of the ’60s was nothing compared to what we have today — I mean, they were just inventing the first answering machines — and Don Draper was not impressed. He called technology a glittering lure and hinted that they were mostly just for show.
Still, it’s interesting to see how Don Draper would use the technology of today for his life in the ’60s. Read on for the four ways in which Don Draper would use a smartphone’s convenience.
1. As a Normal Phone
Image via Flickr by Tim G. Photography
Okay, okay, I know this one isn’t groundbreaking. But let’s face it — Don Draper has never experienced the simple, taken-for-granted convenience of owning a cellular or portable phone. Just think, with a phone by his side, Draper could call a taxi instead of driving drunk. Countless lives could be saved.
2. As a Camera/Slideshow Viewer
Like in his carousel photo gallery presentation, Draper has to have an itch to go back, a yearning for the nostalgic, a longing to “travel the way a child travels.” He could store photos of his terrible parents for those moments where he wants to drink and forget, or he could keep stock in all the women in his life.
In between his multiple extramarital affairs, a smartphone would allow Draper to love his kids from afar. Just how he wants it.
3. As a Way to Work Without Going to Work
Image via Flickr by mezclaconfusa
Of course Don Draper loves his office — who wouldn’t? But he sometimes likes to venture out. He takes long breaks that have nothing to do with work and everything to do with mistresses, but maybe with a smartphone, he could stay focused and enjoy the flexibility he feels he deserves.
Working away from your office, or workshifting, is one of the great features of a series of newer smartphones. The new BlackBerry smartphones, for example, claim to reinvent the idea of enterprise mobility management. Draper could have the whole creative team from Sterling, Cooper & Partners working simultaneously.
Perhaps Draper can take advantage of this technology while sitting in a booth alone, sipping a lonely scotch, while getting some work done on his newest ad campaign.
4. As a Note/Idea Saver
The popular app, Evernote, is available on pretty much any platform of computer and smartphone. This app allows you to save ideas from most websites, as well as jot down notes of your own. After you save the notes, it’s extremely easy to access from any device, including smartphones. It’s all right there on the cloud.
With Evernote, Don would be able to capture those wild epiphanies he has in his everyday life — you know, the ones that usually result in a brilliant presentation that leaves the client (and the audience) in awe, thinking, “I want to be like that guy. Minus all the negative stuff.”
Don Draper could benefit from a smartphone, even if he would first try to resist the temptation. Just think of how much safer the roads would be after one of Draper’s many happy hours.
21st Raindance Film Festival Opening Gala & How To Make Money Selling Drugs Premiere
The 21st Raindance Film Festival started with a richter scale bang. The great and the good of the International Film Industry congregated at the Vue West End in the iconic film centre of Leicester Square.
Elliott Grove, Raindance founder and champion of independent cinema, was in his element and shiny with success. Elliot looked incredibly happy and rightly so; his achievement is vast.
After the red carpet we were greeted with champagne and mingled.
Deatheater and prominent British Actor Jon Campling
Raindance founder Eliott Grove.
Catherine Balavage, editor of Frost, and James Yardley, Frost Writer.
We then headed into the cinema, grabbed our goody bags filled with popcorn and Pop Chips and waited to watch Michael Cooke’s documentary How to Make Money Selling Drug.
The controversial titled documentary, supported by addiction services is a brilliant satire on how to sell drugs, but don’t worry, it is an anti-drug film. With an excellent format of going from street dealer to kingpin, it highlights the injustice of law enforcement and social economics. I cannot rave about this documentary enough. It completely changed my thinking and is now my favourite documentary. This is a very important documentary and everyone should see it. It starts off in a light-hearted way but it carries a very serious message. It does not shy away from difficult issues. Definitely go and see it.
The Opening Night After Party Gala at Café de Paris from 9pm with a performance from the wonderfully unique and talented band, Pepe Deluxé. was also great. Raindance is now part of the London fabric, a film festival deeply in the very fabric of the British Film Industry itself. Don’t miss it.
Should You Get A Tattoo?
Tattoos used to be for sailors, then rebels and cool people and now they’re…everywhere. Which begs the question, are they still cool? Every celebrity these days seems to ink themselves regularly, no matter what their brand might be. David Beckham reminds me of that line in Cape Fear, ‘I don’t know whether to look at him or read him’.
Magazines make getting a tattoo seem as natural as getting a hair cut and it would be easier to count the people I know that don’t have a tattoo than those who do. The fact is, it is beginning to annoy me because getting a tattoo is not like getting a haircut: it is permanent, expensive, painful and carries health risks. I can say this because I, like pretty much everyone else in the world, have one. Albeit one from ten years ago when I was a teenager; the Japanese Tao for courage on my hip bone. It is tiny and can be covered by my thumb. Which is what the criteria for having a tattoo should be in my opinion: making it able to be hidden. If you don’t agree then think of some of my poor acting friends, who have lost work due to their body art, and singers with hand tattoos who can’t get hired. If the entertainment industry is not keen on people with tattoos imagine how the ‘real’ working world is like. CEO’s with lots of tattoos are not exactly common.
Megan Fox had her tattoo of Marilyn Monroe removed because it had ‘negative energy’.
In fact, not everyone can pull of tattoos. Angelina Jolie can but she is so beautiful not much could dent her beauty. It was actually Angelina who inspired me to get a tattoo in the first place. And Jolie is not immune from mistakes, she had her ‘Billy Bob’ tattoo removed after she divorced the actor. Before Jolie actresses were much more boring, after she came along it became okay to ink yourself up and actually have an opinion. Bland went out, personality came in. But that was a brief window, and you have to be a pretty big star to be work the make up artists budget for hiding it all.
Angelina Jolie shows of her tats for Vanity Fair’s Hollywood issue.
Lana Del Ray’s hand tattoo
So should you get a tattoo? Let’s break it down.
Think first about the safety concerns. There are serious medical implications in getting a tattoo. Click on this link for more of the safety concerns which include: Tattooing and piercing break the skin and may cause bleeding. They cause open wounds and infection is possible. Infections at the site may cause permanent deformity, scarring, severe illness and even death. Skin infected with resistant organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can be life-threatening.
Tattoos are also painful. Very much so. I have a very high pain threshold and I still thought it was painful.
Secondly, what do you do for a living? As much as we should not judge people by how they look, we do. It might hold back your career and even affect how other people treat you.
Thirdly, are you just doing it to be rebellious? Because tattoos are not rebellious anymore. Everyone has them; even Felicity Kendall and my aunt. That is when you know the game is over.
Fourthly, do you really want it for life? Have a very serious think about that. Removal is expensive, as you can see from the information below. Make absolute sure it is what you want, and NEVER get someones name tattooed on you. You will regret it.
THINKING OF HAVING A CHERYL COLE ROSE BUM TATTOO? LIVE TO REGRET IT AND REMOVAL WILL COST YOU £12,000
· Rapper Lil Wayne would have to spend £105k and 173 hours to get rid of all his tattoos
· David Beckham would have to spend £38k and 71 hours to be ink-free
· One Direction’s Harry Styles would need to fork out £11k to remove his tattoos
· 68% increase in Brits enquiring about tattoo removal in the past year
If you’re thinking of copying Cheryl Cole and having a rose bum tattoo, bear in mind that it could cost £12,000 and 20 hours of laser sessions to have Cole’s latest inking removed, according to new research carried out by private healthcare search engine WhatClinic.com.
They have analysed the body art of 10 of the most tattooed celebrities and worked out how much it would cost to have it all removed. The research shows that, should they ever regret their decision to go under the needle, these celebs could end up paying tens of thousands of pounds to be tattoo free.
Top of the league table of inked-up celebrities is U.S. rapper Lil Wayne, who would need more than 500 sessions totaling 173 hours with a tattoo-removal specialist to erase all his artwork – at a mind-boggling cost of almost £105,000. That’s enough to buy a top-of-the-range Porsche or double the average deposit on a property put down by a first-time buyer in the UK last year.
David Beckham’s body is not just a temple, it is also adorned with tattoos from top to bottom, meaning a staggering bill of almost £40,000 – and the equivalent of 48 football matches in time under the needle – to be tattoo free again. And One Direction star Harry Styles may be just 19-years-old, but he’s already an avid lover of body artwork. And the cost to have them removed? Almost £11,000.
While the colossal cost may not be eye-watering for celebrities, for the millions of Brits who have and love tattoos, wiping the slate clean is likely to put a strain on their finances and in many cases may be unaffordable.
There has been a 68% increase in the number of people enquiring about tattoo removal in the past 12 months alone, with the cost of removing a small, black and white tattoo starting at £400. That fits with market research showing that significant numbers of people end up regretting their tattoos – a recent poll by Harris Research showed that almost a fifth (19%) of Britons with tattoos regretted having them done.
The following table, based on average costs provided by three tattoo-removal specialists, estimates how many laser sessions and total cost for some of the most famous tattooed celebrities to have all their tattoos removed:
|
Celebrity |
Number of sittings required |
Total number of hours |
Total cost |
| Lil Wayne |
520 |
173 |
£104,720 |
| David Beckham |
212 |
71 |
£37,920 |
| Jodie Marsh |
218 |
73 |
£30,820 |
| Cheryl Cole |
104 |
35 |
£14,740 |
| Zayn Malik |
140 |
47 |
£13,500 |
| Rihanna |
218 |
73 |
£13,120 |
| Harry Styles |
182 |
61 |
£10,940 |
| Sarah Harding |
57 |
19 |
£7,660 |
| Tulisa |
66 |
22 |
£5,480 |
| Cara Delevigne |
56 |
19 |
£4,480 |
Wayne Tatzapa, founder of tattoo removal specialist, Discardead, comments: “Despite tattoo removal being an exact science there are many variables that can determine the number of sessions required to remove all trace of the tattoo.
“The time needed to remove a tattoo varies according to the individual, as do the chances of wiping out any trace of it. Skin type, the tattoo’s location and colour, scarring and the degree of density all make a difference.
“Many people don’t realise that removing tattoos can take months or even years, because laser sessions should be at least six weeks to three months apart to get the best results and minimise the risk of scarring and other side effects.”
Do you have a tattoo? Do you regret it?
Jeans For Genes Celebrity Launch Party
JEANS FOR GENES DAY CELEBRATE THEIR 2013 SUCCESS AT HUGE PRESS AND CELEBRITY LAUNCH IN LONDON
www.jeansforgenesday.org / @jeansforgenes
Renowned UK fundraising appeal, Jeans for Genes Day are celebrating their 2013 success
with a huge celebrity and press event at The Jewel Bar, London on Tuesday 3rd September 2013.
2013 has been one of the best years yet for Jeans for Genes Day unveiling their new
celebrity campaign supporters which include Melanie C, Michelle Keegan, Louise
Thompson, Lauren Goodger, Amy Childs, Tallia Storm, and Sophia Sassoon to name a
few.
Jeans for Genes Day raises money for Genetic Disorders UK and aims to change the world
for children with genetic disorders. Genetic disorders affect 1 in 25 children born in the
UK – that’s more than 30,000 babies each year. Their associated health problems mean
that genetic disorders are the biggest cause of death of children aged 14 years and under.
Taking place this year on Friday 20th September 2013, Jeans for Genes Day is the well-
known annual fundraising event which simply asks the British public, children and adults
alike to wear their jeans for the day and make a £1 / £2 donation. Jeans for Genes Day
funds the care and support of children with genetic disorders through its grant
programme. In 2013, 21 charities will benefit from the funds raised on Jeans for Genes
Day.
Jeans for Genes Day have been lucky enough to be supported by some of the UK’s most
famous celebrity faces over the years including Robbie Williams, Amanda Holden, Kelly
Osbourne, Katie Price, Coleen Rooney, Stacey Solomon and Christine Bleakley to name just
a few!
This year’s Jeans for Genes Day campaign t-shirt and limited fashion edition t-shirt are
available to purchase NOW from www.jeansforgenesday.org
Breaking Bad: The Complete Series Comes To DVD And Blu-ray
The Ultimate Breaking Bad Experience Comes to Blu-ray™ Nov 25
Collector’s Edition Full Series Set Features an All-New, Two-Hour Documentary and More Than 55 Hours of Special Features in a Collectible Replica Barrel with Commemorative Memorabilia from Creator Vince Gilligan
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment cooks up a full batch on November 25 when BREAKING BAD: THE COMPLETE SERIES comes to Blu-ray™ in its entirety. One of the most explosive series ever to air on television, the 16-disc set is this year’s must-have gift for the holiday season, complete with all 62 episodes and more than 55 hours of special features. Starring three-time Emmy® winner Bryan Cranston (Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series) alongside two-time Emmy® winner Aaron Paul (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series), the critically acclaimed drama from Sony Pictures Television boasts one of television’s most radical storylines, giving viewers a glimpse into the life of how far a man might go in order to take care of the ones he loves.
Fans who are addicted to the series and itching for another hit can now indulge in more than two-hours of never-before-seen footage in a ground-breaking series documentary exclusively in the box set, which comes packaged in a collectible replica barrel representing part of Walter White’s dark legacy. The all-new documentary chronicles the making of the final season, from filming the first table read to the very last day on set and everything in between, including Bryan Cranston inviting the camera in to his Albuquerque living room for the first reading of the final script with Aaron Paul. The box set also contains all bonus features from previously released seasons, a Los Pollos Hermanos apron and a collectible booklet with a letter from Gilligan, as well as a commemorative Breaking Bad challenge coin designed and created by Gilligan exclusively for this set as a token of appreciation to fans for making the Breaking Bad journey.
The dark series includes an exceptional ensemble cast with Anna Gunn (TV’s “Deadwood”), Dean Norris (TV’s “Under the Dome”), Betsy Brandt (TV’s “Michael J. Fox Show”), RJ Mitte and Bob Odenkirk (The Spectacular Now).
BREAKING BAD was created by writer/director/producer Vince Gilligan (TV’s “The X-Files”), who also served as executive producer with Academy Award® winner Mark Johnson (Rain Man, 1988’s Best Picture) and Michelle MacLaren (TV’s “The X-Files”). Co-executive producers of the series include Melissa Bernstein (TV’s Rectify), Sam Catlin (TV’s “Canterbury’s Law”), George Mastras (TV’s “The Dresden Files”), Peter Gould (TV’s “Too Big To Fail”), Thomas Schnauz (TV’s “The X-Files”) and Moira Walley-Beckett (TV’s “Pan Am”). Stewart A. Lyons served as Line Producer/UPM. Cranston and Diane Mercer (TV’s “Arrested Development”) are producers of the series. The series is produced by High Bridge and Gran Via Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television for AMC.
Are you a Breaking Bad fan?
Bar Chocolat Launch
Exclusive Supper Club from NOMA trained Blanch and Shock
The one-off bar is running during London fashion week – it is an immersive, multi-sensory experience inspired by the pleasure of chocolate, all brought to you by the brand new Baileys Chocolat Luxe: www.barchocolatlondon.com
Food design trio Blanch and Shock have created an amazing supper club menu offering that was served directly onto tables on Wednesday afternoon (11th of September)
With 24 carat gold on our lips as part of the dessert experience.
Capturing exciting flavour varieties and taste notes that combined are rarely seen, Wednesday’s supper club will comprise a wild pescatarian starter, garnished with flowers, samphire and pea shoots, and a meaty main. To finish the plate-less feast, a selection of cakes that perfectly accompany Baileys Chocolat Luxe will tantalize tastebuds.
The main meal is served directly on the plate. It was amazing.
Finished meal.
Dessert. Yummy. We put 24 carat gold on our lips to start. Then we had a Baileys Chocolat Luxe and helped ourselves.
The Bar Chocolat experience celebrates the beauty of food and culinary delights. It sees creatives including Bompas & Parr, Tabitha Denholm, Amelia Rope, Petra Storrs and Lou Hayter coming together to create a part immersive, part exhibition journey into the multi-sensory experience of chocolate.
We had an amazing three course meal and the exhibition was amazing too. Opening the door to smell chocolate. Tabitha’s film, the chocolate dessert, the food and experience. The starter was served on a platter of ice and the main was served directly onto the table. Dessert involved putting real 24 carat gold onto our lips. . Amazing, just amazing. We had a brilliant time.
The temporary immersive exhibition and supper club space in Covent Garden saw Pixie Geldof, Henry Holland, Lou Hayter, Gizzi Erskine, Arlissa, Charli XCX, Camilla Rutherford, Tabitha Denholm and Bompas & Parr party into the night to celebrate the nationwide release of Baileys Chocolat Luxe.
Erskine, Denholm, Hayter and Pixie and Ashley Williams took to the decks as guests took in the immersive multi-sensory experience space dedicated to the pleasure of chocolate.
Pixie Geldof used last night’s launch of Baileys Chocolat Luxe to announce that she will following the in the footsteps of friend Alexa Chung in launching her new venture with fashion designer Ashley William called Funky Offish launching soon.
Pixie said:
“Funky Offish is short for funky official – it is our take on smart casual – half funky and half official. We are so excited to announce at tonight’s Baileys Chocolat Luxe night that it will be coming very soon, I think all the chocolate might have made me too euphoric.
“At the moment we are only planning to do womenswear, but who knows what the future holds. the main thing with Funky Offish is that it is not just a label, it is a way of life and I can’t keep it in anymore.”
Other names attending the event last night included: songstress Gabriella Cilmi, PPQ’s Amy Moyneaux and Percy Parker, Game of Thrones’ Gethin Anthony, models Morwenna Lytton-Cobbald, Olivia Inge and Lilah Parsons and comedian Tom Davis.
The highlight of the night was the Baileys Chocolat Luxe drink that saw the crowd get into a chocolate-fuelled frenzy. The Bompas & Parr Cabinet Luxe installation proved a big high with the young female singers especially, the beautiful trio of Arlissa, Gabriella Cilmi and Charli XCX spent most of their time inhaling the enhanced chocolate vapour form the experimental jellymongers.
Bar Chocolate is a an experience that you must go to. One of the best things you could do during London Fashion Week. Bar Chocolate is open from 11-16 September, entry if free. Over 18’s only. Meals; Lunch £17.50 and Dinner £25. Three courses. Book via http://www.baileysbarchocolat.com
Bar Chocolate, Mercer Street Studios, 16 Mercer Street, London, WC2H 9QE
Nearest tube: Covent Garden.