Sunday 31 August 2014

Trailers for Upcoming Films I'd Like To See

So this is a little segment I've only just brought back. Here I highlight a few film trailers for films that look interesting. I often highlight indie movies but I'll show anything that looks like something I would watch and give a little reason why. I think it's really important to showcase a wide variety of diverse films. Here we go, here are my picks for this week!


The Pretty One 

This looks like a really interesting concept for a film. Though I doubt it'd be at my local cinema, I'd definitely watch this film.







They Came Together

This looks like a lot of fun. It seems like a self aware, fun-poking, genre teasing movie. I'm not the biggest fan of cheesy romance flicks but this tongue in cheek humour could be what does it for me.








The Right Kind of Wrong

Though, if you like rom coms, then The Right Kind of Wrong could be the one for you. As a blogger and author I like the fact that one of the prominent characters is both. It doesn't look too bad as a film. That said, he does seem to invade the woman's privacy somewhat. I think I'd be interested in seeing the film to see how the protagonist treats women.





Authors Anonymous

Again, as an author, this looks like the kind of film I'd want to watch. I love the indie vibe and it'd be great to see a film about unpublished writers trying to make it.

Wednesday 27 August 2014

Recommended Reads!

Hello little darlings,
It's Wednesday!
Do you know what that means?
Of course you do! You know that recommended reads is the weekly segment where I highlight a few cool things around the internet so that you may enjoy them too.
Here are my picks for this week:

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Anne Rice Has Read This Blog!

So, I forgot to make a post about this (mainly because I was running about and squealing like a little girl) but it was honestly such a highlight of this year for me. I thought that I simply had to let you all know what happened. I wrote a little piece about the news of Universal acquiring film rights to the works of Anne Rice and how excited I was about it.

Anne Rice saw my post.
She shared it on her Facebook page.
Which means that Anne Rice, the Anne Rice, read my blog.
My favourite author, whose work ultimately shaped and was featured in my dissertation, has been on my blog.

One of my idols has read my blog.
She liked it.
She shared it on her personal page to her followers.
She knows my blog exists.
#FANGIRLING.


I'm going to get over this NEVER. 
I have so much love and respect for Anne Rice and her work so to know that she, even for a second, took the time to read my blog has brought me such joy. I cannot wait to read her next book and I cannot wait to see Universal adapt her books for the screen.

Monday 25 August 2014

No More Song Of The Day?!

Hello there petals!

So, as you may have noticed, I haven't been doing any of my song of the day posts for a while. I've been having a good think about this matter.

I want there to be a focus on quality rather than quantity. If I did a song of the day for every day of the year, that's 365 posts. Although they aren't that hard to put together, it means putting together 365 extra blog posts in a year and finding the time to post them all. I usually would put together one month worth of music in one night but I often found myself falling behind. If I'm away from the blog I found it descending into a blog just of song of the day posts and that didn't look good or substantial. Instead I'd rather to have the occasional song and more of a focus on actual content. 

Therefore I will still have songs, but I'm going to reduce the posts to one per week. I'll post one every Tuesday (or Tunesday as we can now call it) so you'll still get cool music recommendations, just not as often. My hopes in doing this are clear: I really just want to blog to look and feel better so that I'm providing you with good content rather than clutter.

Thank you for understanding,
Gabrielle

Sunday 24 August 2014

Thoughts from 512 Hours, the Marina Abramović Exhibition

I recently, whilst out in London, stopped by the Serpentine Gallery to witness 512 Hours, the Marina Abramović Exhibition. As the exhibition comes to a close, I wanted to collect and share my thoughts on the experience.

I would have taken photos for this blog, but any sort of recording material or technology was not permitted inside. I had to leave my bag, belongings and coat in a locker before entering. When I turned up it was about 4pm on a week day and yet there was still a queue of about 40 people waiting outside the building by the time we arrived. The gallery was first come, first serve and there was no limit to how much time you could spend there within the venue opening hours. You could literally stay from when the doors opened until they closed.  This made an interesting sense of uncertainty: would we get in? How long would the wait be? We didn't know what we would see or experience once we were in. The information that we had been given was minimal. I was familiar with some of Abramović's previous work so I had a vague idea: I assumed that there would be a performance space, there may be random items and we, the exhibition-goers, would have the option to participate somehow. My assumptions proved to be correct. Our hands were stamped and we were sent in. Our possessions were put away in a locker and we were handed a heavy pair of headphones that cancelled out the noise around us. Then, we entered...

The first/central room had a few platforms, upon which people were standing, huddled silently in clusters. Some held hands, some closed their eyes, it was like a joint prayer. Some were facing the other people, some faced the walls. Some people took the opportunity to position themselves, others were lead. Marina herself directed some people through the building, leading them. It was thrilling to see Marina in the flesh. I had somewhat hoped to have the opportunity to be lead and directed by her. Marina and some of the exhibition assistants would lead you around to new spots, perhaps coaxing you out of your shell if you'd been standing awkwardly to the side, figuring out what to do. To the left, there was another room. This was the room that I spent the least time in. People appeared to start walking from one side of the room to the other, but those who were walking moved so slowly that it almost appeared as if they were not moving at all. The third and final room was the most interesting and definitely the most stimulating. I spent the most time here. The room was filled with little camper beds with brightly coloured blankets and also tiny, wooden school style chairs and desks. Some people were in the beds in a sleep-like state of relaxation. Upon the desks was a sheet of paper, a pencil and a pile of rice and green lentils. Some were laid back in the beds, eyes closed. Some took to the little desks, sitting down and fashioning something out of the items on the desk. Many stood in the doorway, watching, or just unsure of what to do. I had a lot of respect for those in the beds. To be laid back in a bed in a seemingly relaxed state seems quite an intimate thing so when you've got about thirty people watching you 'sleep' I can imagine that it would feel strange, almost intrusive and unsettling. I wasn't brave enough to put myself into a little bed.

In this little room, all full of beds and desks, I felt so awkward just standing there as a spectator. Eventually, when a desk became vacant, I sat down and got to work fashioning a crude image of my home. I sat there for a while before settling on the image of my house. Something about the little desk made me think of being a little girl at school all over again so my house seemed like a familiar thing to draw. As soon as I was sat in a chair, a definite part of the experience, I felt more comfortable and less self conscious somehow. I was an artist. I was creating something. I could feel people watching me creating an image that was privilege to my mind alone, the meaning of it entirely mine, and I knew they probably felt just as uncomfortable as I had. I spent a good ten minutes or so creating clear cut lines of rice against the lentils. My idea was that nothing could be mixed, the lines had to be clear. I created the image of the house upon the piece of paper so that it felt more rooted, solid like a house. With the remaining rice and lentils, I mixed them and made a heart shape off of the paper in some crude 'home is where the heart is' sort of image. I knew, from having seen it happen before, that once I vacated my seat one of the exhibition assistants would dismantle my work, resetting everything to a single piece of paper, the pencils and a mixed pile of rice and lentils. All my work to create those clear-cut lines would be ruined. There was something therapeutic in making some sort of art you knew would be instantly destroyed. Whilst I was sat there, creating crude and simple images, I felt viewed and that gave me a strange sense of purpose whilst I was there. I was participating. I was very much a part of this experience and I was somehow contributing more than I would be by just standing there.

The event had something interesting to say about obedience. If we all went in, no one taking part or listening to direction from Marina or the gallery assistants, nothing would happen. It relied on participation or obedience. Those of us who are socially anxious may enter without knowing what to do. We're aware that it's an art exhibition. Most of us will, when approaching art, try hard-handedly to find the meaning as if it is a problem to be solved. If there is ever a meaning, it is personal. It is derived from what you do within the gallery walls. If you stand on the sidelines it'll be about what you see. If you get involved it will be more about what you think, feel and experience. What I found most interesting about the experience was how it almost instantly separated people: are you the kind of person who watches on the sidelines or are you someone who gets involved? People seemed to relate to and appreciate different rooms differently. Abramović created this wonderful artistic void within 512 Hours where participation was crucial and she really took a back seat so that we became arguably the biggest part of the performance. I personally found it to be a very calming experience and wish I could have gone back again to see if I felt differently, to see how others fared, and if people responded differently. I truly hope that this has inspired people to seek out and respect performance art or to create art of their own.

Saturday 23 August 2014

40,000 Views!

Huzzah!

We've passed another milestone. Within the last 24 hours this blog passed the 40,000 views mark. I'm still ever so impressed by this little blog and how it is still pulling in new viewers and readers from all over the world. I'm forever thankful for every one of you stopping by and taking a moment out of your day to read my words. 40,000 views is hard to even fathom and so, dear reader, since you're one of 40,000 you have my utter gratitude.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thursday 21 August 2014

DIY TIME!

I think you know the drill by now. It's time to get crafty!
This is a DIY master post. I do one each month and they simply contain info on cool DIY projects you could do. Some are from blog posts or YouTube tutorial videos etc. Either way, the idea is to inspire you to to and make new things because DIY is fun and important.
Here are my picks for the month:

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Recommended Reads!


Hello little loves,
Do you know what time it is?
It's time for recommended reads!
Yes, that weekly segment I do where I write out a short list with some links for cool things that you should check out.

You're welcome.

Friday 15 August 2014

Trailers for Films I'm Excited To See.

Okay so I haven't done a post like this in a long time.
Months, actually.
I used to throw these together: a collection of trailers for upcoming films that I'm hoping to go see with my reasons for wanting to see them. So here it is! Here are four picks for you this week. I'm going to try to make this a more regular thing so expect to see more of these in the future.

Stonehearst Asylum

Originally titled 'Eliza Graves', this film has taken quite some time to be made. Featuring my woman crush, Kate Beckinsale, it's a film about a man who seeks work experience at an asylum and, of course, things get dark. This looks like a wonderful Gothic thriller - right up my alley!







Horns

I'm really enjoying the post-Potter careers of some of our favourite Hogwarts alumni. It's really great to see Daniel Radcliffe take on such a darkly comic role. This film seems to come with enough mystery and black humour to gain my interest.








Laggies

I feel like this trailer speaks to me on a personal level. I mean, I'm a well-educated woman with a degree but a crappy job. I'm the sort of person trying to move forward with my life. Something about this film and not being a 'proper' adult whilst also not really being a teenager any more seems like an interesting film.






Magic In The Moonlight

Who can resist the dual charms of both Emma Stone and Colin Firth in one film?
This seems like a really interesting plot with some great scenery and costumes. Yes - I'd gladly watch this.

Thursday 14 August 2014

Bird Box: The Movie?

So, I recently posted my review for Bird Box by Josh Malerman calling it the best book I've read all year. Therefore, I am sure you can understand my excitement to know that it may soon become a movie.

Universal Pictures has acquired the rights to the film and rumour has it that a writer is already attached to the project as well as a director. Rumour says that the director will be Andy Muschietti, director of films such as Mama. Writer for the project will apparently be Eric Heisserer who has worked on projects such as Final Destination 5, The Thing and the Nightmare on Elm Street reboot. I am really excited about the potential of a film and really hope the project goes ahead. When reading it I thought that, if I were a director, this would be a book I've love to adapt and direct. I instantly thought that it would make a wonderful film.

If you want to read this stunning horror novel, click the widget below and it'll link you to the book on Amazon:

Book Review: Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Ok, I'm not even going to build up to this. This is the best book I've read all year.

I read it.
My partner borrowed the book from me and read it overnight.
My father read it and got it back to me within a day.
This is the most difficult book to pale down.
I found myself reading it around my work shifts, rushing out on my break to devour the final chapters.

The book follows Malorie, a woman who starts the novel on a crucial day in her survival. Today, for the first time in years, she is going to have to leave the house. She doesn't say why. She doesn't say where they're going. All we know is that she, and her two children, have to wear blindfolds because, once they leave the house, they cannot open their eyes. Something, some great event, has happened and most of the global population have died because of it. This is how the novel opens.

Malerman so skilfully moves us through the story. This book so perfectly encapsulates a sense of hysteria on a personal and wide-scale level. I love post-event style books and films where people are trying to get by, to survive, and adapt to the new world in which they live. The book hops around in time to explore events years apart. This novel is perfectly pitched and sustains suspense with marvellous success that it's hard to believe that this is Malerman's first novel. It is an absolute triumph! I can't remember the last time I read a book by a new author and craved a sequel so desperately.

This is THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ ALL YEAR.
Here's a link to where you can buy it.
Trust me:


Wednesday 13 August 2014

Recommended Reads

Hello treacle!
Once more, it's time for recommended reads.
It's a weekly segment where I point out a few things that I've spotted around the internet lately and share them with you.
It's fairly standard.
It just gives you something to look at other than Instagram for, like, a second.

So, here are my picks of the week:


Monday 11 August 2014

Review + Response + Recap: Masters of Sex: Season Two, Episode One.

Last year, this quickly became one of my new favourite TV shows. I tuned into the first episode of Masters of Sex for the cast, I stayed for the SCIENCE.

In episode one of the second season, entitled Parallax, we see what happens to Virginia and Bill after that cliffhanger ending from season one.

Virginia Johnson is such a wonderful female character. In this episode we see her dealing with the repercussions of the study and having to combat sexual objectification in the workplace. She is doing her best to advance her career whilst also supporting a family and entertaining her romance with Bill Masters. Lizzy Caplan, usually known for comedic roles, is really showing herself to be a great dramatic actress.

Beau Bridges does a great job as Barton Scully in some very disturbing scenes detailing what happened to people during electro shock therapy. His character is trying to 'cure' himself from homosexual urges rather than comfortably admitting to his sexuality. These scenes are deeply disturbing whilst serving as a candid reminder of how we've treated the queer community and what they've been through, even though this was only decades ago.

Libby is still kicking ass, sticking up for her husband and his work after widespread criticism.
She has blossomed lovingly into her new role as a mother. Bill Masters, however, is struggling to live up the the role of being a father. In one scene he puts a record on so that he cannot hear his newborn son crying and then continues his work.

Allison Janney broke our hearts last season with her tragic character of Margaret Scully, a woman trapped in a loveless, sexless relationship. Here we see her now, worse than ever, emotionally broken because her husband cannot even attempt to have sex with her without flipping her over and thinking of a man.

Jane is trying to urge Virginia to follow their respective dreams of singing and acting in Hollywood. Virginia has taken to pushing diet pills to earn more money since her career has been damaged by the sex study. Julianne Nicholson is wonderful as Dr Lillian DePaul, another heart-wrenching character.

The episode ultimately ends with Masters and Johnson both having different definitions of what is happening between them. Virginia appears to openly place more emotional significance upon what they have despite having resisted to do so for so long. It sets up a really interesting framework for this second season as Bill and Virginia will probably struggle to really define the meaning of the relationship they share. I'm really excited to see what happens in the rest of season two and the first episode was a really strong instalment that gives me hope for future episodes.


Anne Rice Film Rights Bought By Universal

Are we to see Lestat take to the screen once more? Recent news says that it could be a possibility.

Universal have invested in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles as part of a plan to resurrect the horror/vampire genre. Investment from a major studio could be great for Anne Rice's work. The Interview with the Vampire movie was a hit, Queen of the Damned less so. A reboot of the franchise could certainly be promising. In previous Vampire Chronicles films the casting and plots haven't always been faithful to the books (this is a real understatement) and so I am personally excited for this news. Anne's son Christopher Rice is even set to work on upcoming screenplays of his mother's work. Anne often talks on her spectacularly popular Facebook page about potential dream casting for her characters, often stating an interest in Stephen Amell for the role of Lestat. I'm hoping Anne has decent involvement in future projects around her own work.

I love Anne Rice's work and am really excited for the potential of more films. May they come soon, may they be good.

Sunday 10 August 2014

Review + Response: Guardians of the Galaxy

So, this review is a little overdue. I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy at a preview showing as soon as I could. I went to see it before the general release.

Peter 'Starlord' Quill has an excellent scene in the opening of the film where he dances around on an abandoned planet. See Marvel, that's how you do a dance scene in a film. Not like that other one in Spiderman 3 which we shall not speak of...

I've got to be honest. I now find the X Men franchise to feel a little stale. My interest in Spiderman had peaked. I like The Avengers, but not to the extent that I feel other fans do. I found myself with a serious case of superhero fatigue. Guardians of the Galaxy, however, I adored. The characters aren't really superheroes. They're all somewhat relatable or, in the case of Groot, adorable.

Lee Pace is utterly and spectacularly unrecognisable as Ronan. Karen Gillan is spectacular as Nebula from her character portrayal to the costume and special make up effects on her character. As a director, James Gunn seems to have had a lot of fun crafting this film. The characters are great and the movie is genuinely funny. This feels like a fresh new franchise that I can really be excited for. It's really good to see Marvel developing passion projects that they're excited about rather than churning out stuff that's guaranteed to be a success. Guardians of the Galaxy is perfect for people who love Avengers and also fancy some Star Wars vibes. It doesn't take itself too seriously and boasts some seriously cool set and character designs. The sound track is awesome. We ordered a copy after leaving the cinema.

Aliens and 80s music - what more could you want?

Saturday 9 August 2014

Silver Lining Search: July

So here we are on the ongoing quest for positivity. I've got to be honest, I worked a lot in July and so I forgot to add to this post as the month went by so it'll be a little more brief than usual but hey - I didn't forget and at least I tried. Also, yes, it's a little late but obviously I've been working about 6 days a week so I'm behind on a lot of things. Oh well, here are my silver linings:

  • I had the chance to hang out with some old friends I'd not seen in ages.
  • I spent some of the vouchers I'd won at work. I bought Birdbox by Josh Malerman. So far it is one of the best books I've read this year.
  • It was my anniversary with my beloved!
  • My partner and I headed out to celebrate our anniversary in London. We had a walk around Camden and then saw a play. The play we saw was The Crucible with Richard Armitage as John Proctor. It was such a wonderful and ambitiously dark performance and we both loved it. For dinner we found a beautiful little Italian restaurant and curled up with each other to wind down.
  • I had a real heart to heart with my supervisor and I think he's now aware of how he treats his staff. I think that perhaps all it took was one person standing/speaking up for the rest of the team. Any progress is good progress.
  • I took part in Camp NaNoWriMo and, even though I won't be finishing the novel this month, it sets me up well for November. Yes, I'll be doing NaNoWriMo in November as well!
  • I had a big job interview. The job was way over my head but the fact that I was even considered for it was huge for me. 
  • I've really bonded with my co-workers this month inside and outside of work itself. We had a great night out and a lot of fun. I'll be sad when I have to leave.
  • The sun came out... The sun everywhere makes life better.
  • I entered a big competition to win the trip of a lifetime. Let's just hope I win it...

Wednesday 6 August 2014

Recommended Reads.


Hello my little strawberry tarts,
It's time for recommended reads, isn't it?
Yes it is.
Recommended reads is that glorious weekly segment where I offer up a few recommendations of things spotted around the internet lately in the hopes that you'll enjoy them too.
So... ENJOY.
Here are my picks for this week:

Tuesday 5 August 2014

Review + Response: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes


So, the last film that I went to see was Dawn Of The Planet of The Apes and it was no monkey business. This is a serious sequel in a world that has taken a dark turn as we are updated on what happened years after the last film where the global population has been utterly decimated. I really love 'post-event' books and films so it was a real joy to see urban landscapes that have literally be
en claimed/reclaimed by nature and altered the face of the earth as we know it.

I am still so impressed with Andy Serkis as an actor and the process of acting involved in creating non-human characters. The set design of the ape village was utterly stunning. It was far more ambitious than the first film and it really begins to show how the apes are setting up their own civilisation. Now, they have horses, a thriving community and a code of conduct. They even appear to be setting up their own education system. Here we really see a society in the making. It makes some really interesting comments about evolution: our common ancestors somehow surpassing us as a species with a hold on the world.

The film features some excellent fight scenes from start to finish, all set against some visually stunning backgrounds. That said, it's not the sort of film I'd rush out to see again but it was certainly a strong step in a saga.

Visually, this was a stunning film. Though, can we take a moment to point out the clear Lion King parallel moment between Caesar and Koba that resembled the Scar and Mufasa moment over the stampede? It was like that scene but in reverse - I mean, come on, Koba even has the scar over the eye. If only The Lion King had featured a similar moment in which Mufasa had lived.... Sorry. I'm still not over it. Those Disney wounds run deep...