T.V. Review: True Blood

Originally published 23/09/09 on http://www.cookiefilmfilm.blogspot.com/ and 16/09/09 on http://www.girlsguideto.com/

"I'm gonna do bad things to you."

 The vampire epidemic sweeping the world has spawned books, movies, roughly a billion Twilight-obsessed fansites, and now, it's infecting our television screens. If you, like me have been truly bitten, I suggest you revel in this media bloodbath and sink your teeth into HBO's new hit drama, True Blood.   Based on the hugely popular Southern Vampire Mysteries series by Charlaine Harris, this show is Twilight for grown-ups. It has it all; southern belles, fabulously fierce queens, shifters, deities, serial killers, vampire night clubs and most importantly, naughty X-rated vampy action. The plot line reads like a fang-banger's wet dream: following the invention of True Blood (a yummy synthetic blood substitute) vampires have come out of the coffin, they are now fully fledged American citizens with their own rights, nightclubs and even a gritty political group in form of the American Vampire League. The series follows our heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, a cute and kind of ditzy southern chick with some rather unusual abilities (Anna Paquin) and a menagerie of her family, friends and neighbours from the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, as they encounter their first vampire.
 The vampire in question, is a certain Bill Compton, (played by Brit, Stephen Moyer), who has decided to return to his hometown after the death of his last relative. Bill's reappearance in Bon Temps and Sookie's apparent perchant for dangerous situations and acquaintances sees them becoming Bon Temps' first inter-racial vamp-human power couple, much to the discomfort of most of its inhabitants. Needless to say they embark on some, 'unusual', but nonetheless gripping adventures, with the assistance of their loyal friends and Bill's vamp buddies.
 One thing that marks this as different from all those Dracula wannabes is the talent of its actors (don't get me wrong, I liked Twilight but I definitely found the acting lacking in some places) in contrast, True Blood has some fantastic talent. Their ability to not only portray real emotion, deliver biting, witty conversation and comedic lines but do it all with a semi-decent 'hillbilly accent' astounds me every week. Sookie and Bill are likeable enough as an almost nauseatingly sweet prom-style couple (who would have thought that a vampire could be such a gentleman?) but the show's real gems lie in the supporting cast; Jason Stackhouse, Sookie's gorgeous but more than slightly dim brother, (Ryan Kwanten), has some of show's best oneliners; "I want to lick your mind"; Lafayette Reynolds, (Nelsan Ellis), shines as the fantastically gay short order cook-construction worker-vampire blood dealer-entrepreneur-go-go dancer extrodinare; Eric Northman, the owner of the wonderfully cheesy Fangtasia nightclub, is a beautiful 1000+ year old, tall, Viking, drink of water, who definitely has that whole arrogant bad-ass thing going for him (brought to life by sexy Swedish import Alexander Skarsgard); and Pam (Kristin Bauer) tops up the shows sarcasm scale as Eric's brilliantly dead pan and fashion-feisty sidekick. If the intriguing plot bombs and the fantastic combination of sex, drama and campy, funny bits aren't enough to tempt you then I have two words for you: Eye Candy.

Verdict: As the shows rapidly-expanding fanbase might suggest, this one's a keeper. A great mix of themes and a variety of characters means that you'll almost certainly find something to like and someone to root for. To anyone with a case of the vampire-wearies, I prescribe a heavy dose of True Blood. You won't be hating on vampires for much longer.

Film Review: (500) Days of Summer

Originally published 23/09/09 on http://www.cookiefilmfilm.blogspot.com/ and 10/09/09 on http://www.girlsguideto.com/



"This is a story of boy meets girl. But you should know up front, this is not a love story"



 4 Stars

 

Zooey Deschanel stars as the enigmatic (if not slightly kooky) Summer; a girl who doesn’t believe in fate, love, or even dating. Cue the boy; Joseph Gordon-Levitt, lovesick of course, and completely adorable, albeit in a bumbling sort of way. He’s the kind of boy who doesn’t think his life is complete until he finds The One (you know, the type of guy that all us regular girls dream of; cute, sweet, funny, romantic etc.). For him, everything falls into place when he meets what he thinks is his soulmate. Now all he needs to do is convince her that they really are meant to be together (really).
  In the same vain as He’s Just Not That Into You, (500) Days Of Summer offers a refreshingly different perspective on the rose-tinted rollercoaster of love and heartbreak. After all, not all relationships end in church bells and a two-up two-down suburban.
  Beautifully shot and with a summery, indie soundtrack that will transport you straight to a little '80s, boho café in Paris, the author’s note has you laughing before the film even begins: ‘The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Especially you Jenny Beckman. Bitch.’

Verdict:  This offbeat rom-com gives the reality of love, and life after love without it’s usual chaser of cynicism, and anyone who has loved and lost will definitely recognise themself in our male protagonist. A divine little indie chick flick with a twist, this is definitely one to watch.

Article: Impulse Control

Originally Published 13/01/2010 on http://www.bellesmanifesto.blogspot.com/ and 6/08/10 on http://www.girlsguideto.com/



Vidal Sassoon had nothing on Jill

10 Things To Avoid For An Easier Life.

1) Drunken Texting - Drunk words are sober thoughts right? Wrong. Even if you do spend your lunch breaks lusting over your boss, I highly doubt that he will appreciate an in-depth description of your underwear at 3am. His wife may also resent it.

2) Buying Clothes in the Wrong Size – Don’t. Yes that dress might be "gorgeous" / "just like the one Scar-Jo wore in that film" / "perfect for the Christmas party if i diet a bit", but if it’s two-sizes-too-small then don't buy it. It’ll never see the light of day, just take up precious closet space.

3) Skipping Bums and Tums to Watch Desperate Housewives – Slumming on the sofa with a bar of Galaxy and staring at Eva Longoria will only make you feel guiltier about missing your weekly exercise. Be good, wait for the Sunday repeats.

4) Leaving That Important Report Until the Night Before It’s Due - Yes it’s boring but you’ll feel SO much better if you get it out of the way early, (and a lot less guilty about going out for cocktails with the girls).

5) Changing Yourself For a Man - Have you ever read He’s Just Not That Into You? No? Read it. If he doesn’t like you now then no amount of haircuts, crash dieting or new and interesting hobbies will change it. Accept it. And move on. It’s his loss.

6) Blindly Following Every Fashion Trend You Lay Your Eyes On - That sequined tutu may have looked amazing on the catwalk in Milan but there’s no chance in hell you’ll be able to rock that on a high street in Bognor Regis.

7) Work Flings - We all love the thrill of a workplace romance; secret kisses in the hallways, flirty inter-office emails, what’s not to love? Try sexual flashbacks and awkward glances over the boardroom table when your 'passionate affair' goes south.

8) Argument-Fuelled Revenge – OK, he may have called your best friend heavy but playing Frisbee with his prized Rocky collection will only result in more arguments and a lot of guilt sex.

9) Cutting Your Own Hair – Unless you want to look like The Joker, this is one thing best left to the professionals (as is dying, perming and any other complicated follicle artistry).

10 ) Those Last Few Chocolates - Yes you may have eaten half of the box but no that doesn’t mean you have to eat the rest. Put them away. They won't feel lonely, they'll feel happy that they didn't suffer the same painful death as their friends.