Bye for the fortnight!

I'm off to Florida for 2 weeks so will obviously be absent from blogging for a bit. I shall bring bak lots of pictures for everyone and some sweets for those who see me in real life (sorry net friends, can't reach you to give you them!) So to say goodbye, here is a picture of two of the coolest gay guys on the planet and Hitler's Xmas tree!

Wall-E review.

The entire world has been evacuated after over-pollution and is left as basically one giant rubbish pile. After 700 years of monotonous cleaning and garbage square pressing, one waste disposal unit known as Wall-E has been leftover. He's somehow developed a personality and spends his days collecting bits of rubbish for his own amusement and watching an old tape of Hello Dolly! One day, an earth evaluation robot, EVE, lands on earth to look for lant life and Wall-E is immediately smitten. His infatuation leads to some attempts at wooing before being whisked away to the ship where humanity has stayed since leaving their home planet.

Pixar don't do bad film-making. Nothing in their films is sloppy or lacking detail. They are probably the most consistently excellent studio in film. I wasn't very ecstatic about their last film Ratatouille despite it's universal praise. It was a great film but not the best they'd ever made (that honour falls upon Monsters Inc. in my book) so I tried to be apprehensive about Wall-E. But after seeing the trailer and clips I couldn't contain my excitement. I wasn't let down. The film opens upon a landscape of the planet. At first it appears to be a cosmopolitan view of city skyscrapers but on closer inspection, they turn out to be horrific piles of rubbish, towering over everything in site. Everywhere you look there are signs advertising Buy N Large, a corporation that has taken over the world and supplies humanity with everything they think they need. The one moving thing amongst the chaos is a bulky but adorable Wall-E. He is a masterpiece of animation. Like Aardman animation's Gromit, most of his expression is shown through his eyebrows. It's amazing how so much feeling can be expressed through so little. When you see him try to woo the more advanced EVE, there is a real element of silent physical comedy to him. He's bumbling and occasionally stuck in pratfalls and you love him for it. The first 20 minutes are almost void of spoken words, Wall-E and EVE communicate through beeps and robotic whirls (supplied by the guy who did Star Wars' sound effects!) The film is billed as a robot love story and it feels genuine. Their courtship of sorts is sweet but never saccharine. You're willing for Wall-E to win EVE's heart (or whatever the mechanic equivalent is) When the action moves towards the humans, there is a serious message conveyed. Congratulations to Andrew Stanton the director (Finding Nemo) for doing successfully and subtly what Al Gore did with a screaming round or preachiness. The humans on the ship barely live. Morbidly obese due to degrading bone loss over the years, they have their smallest whims taken care of by robots and don't even walk on their own. It's a hard hitting message of the terrors of consumerism and the need for immediate environmental action. It will probably go over the heads of younger viewers who just want to see a cute robot. Some people - like my cousins - might be bored by the so called lack of action but this isn't a film about action. It's a character piece, with a love story and moral message thrown in for good measure. The human characters are given less to do than the robots. You don't care as much for them.

It's a visual treat all the way through, or as my sister would call it, an eyegasm. So many scenes make you sigh with awe, such as Wal-E and EVE's dance through the skies with the help of a fire extinguisher, or the neon lights of the space-ship's human deck. The colours and movements are expertly realised and beautiful in every way. I can't believe some people still see animation as a lesser film medium. Wall-E is one of the best movies of the year and deserves the animation Oscar now. I wish they still allowed animation to be eligible for Best Picture. Pixar have surpassed themselves again, I feel a little sorry for their next film Up! For sheer heart and ambition, you can't go wrong with Wall-E.

"Young and sweet, only Seventeen..."

I went to see Mamma Mia last night with my ABBA loving auntie. It was so much fun. It didn't take itself seriously, everyone was laughing and cheering, the cast looked like they were having fun and the songs were excellent of course. Julie Walters steals the show, Pierce Brosnan gives it his all even if he can't sing and Amanda Seyfried was luminous. If you don't like musicals, you'll hate it in all it's cheesy glory but if you're willing to embrace that I happily recommend it. I've adored ABBA all my life. I saw the stage show of Mamma Mia when I was 12 or 13 and it was one of my favourite experiences ever. Here are my favourite ABBA songs, some are from the film.

Dancing Queen.

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Mamma Mia!

Lay All Your Love On Me.

Knowing Me, Knowing You.

Chiquitita.

Voulez-Vous.

Song of the day.

Have you ever randomly found a song you've never heard before, listened to it then suddenly stopped, because that song made the hairs on your arm stand on end, made you think how odd it was that something so simple could move you and haunt you? This happened to me a couple of days ago. Why have I never heard of them before?

The biopic of your life.

I'm stealing this from LiveJournal because I thought it was really interesting On their Writer's Block question of the day, LJ asked who would you want to play you in a movie of your life. I completely cheated and went for an I'm Not There style biopic with multiple actors. It would be a lot interesting than my normal life. So, here is my life.

Me:
Early years - Abigail Breslin. There aren't a whole lot of brilliant young actresses out there and I wouldn't want Dakota Fanning playing me. Breslin does the naivety mixed with precociousness well, which was me to a tee as a single figured kid. My early years weren't exactly horrific, I'm not an Asda bestselling misery lit book! I was bullied in my final years of high school though, which would be interesting to see from a third person perspective. I was so scared every day of being beaten up, Breslin would be good for those years.
Teenager - Ellen Page. As I've gotten older, I've become more sarcastic and guarded. I'm not Juno MacGuff but we do have a lot of things in common (except for the pregnancy and use of the words 'for shizz') Ellen is a lot prettier than I am but you're supposed to cast someone prettier than yourself in your biopic - just see Walk The Line.
20s to 30s - I've got gotten to these points yet obviously but I would want good actresses with gradually changing personalities and views of the world. Hopefully I'll still be a big geek when I'm older and keep my passions for literature alive.
30s to 40s - Emma Thompson/Diane Lane. Thompson is one of my personal heroes and Diane is just gorgeous. I'd like to be beautiful when I'm older. Well maybe not beautiful but confident and self fulfilled.
Later Years - Helen Mirren. If I get to 63 and look as good as Dame Mirren, I'll be delighted.

My Family:
Mum - Alison Janney
Dad - Peter Mullen
Sister - She wants to be played by either Helena Bonham Carter (because she's her favourite actress and they're both bonkers and eccentrically dressed) or Catherine O Hara (they're both funny ladies). Personally I'd rather have her played by Saoirse Ronan, because it gets the age thing right. My sis has a dark Briony style side.
Grandmothers - My paternal grandmother would be a shorter Dianne Weist, she's friendly and always makes you feel welcome. I actually asked my maternal grandmother this once, she picked Vanessa Redgrave. Good choice.
Grandads - Richard Briers and Brian Blessed. It's too perfect actually, except for the accents.

My Friends:
They're a colourful bunch, I don't know if any actresses would do them justice. I'd let them pick, my friend Pam actually has a striking resemblance to Alison Janney but she's taken. I'd pick Olivia Thrilby, Evanna Lynch and Rupert Grint.

The Film:
I'd love the cinematography would bedone by Roger Deakins, he can make the mundane beautiful and that would help if you lived in the same place as me, it's pretty but dull. Music, no question, would be James Newton Howard, preferrably with lots of violins like in The Village. I don't know who I'd like to direct it - Peter Weir, Kenneth Branagh, M Night Shyamalan, Guillermo Del Toro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet - too many choices! They'd all bring a lot more intrigue to my life.

My favourite movie posters.

Guilty Movie Pleasures!

I am a firm believer in loving the silly things in life, especially when it comes to movies. I remember looking at Roger Ebert's 10 favourite movies and wondering if he secretly liked slushy movies or badly made action films and just didn't admit it. I am here to stand up and say my name is Kayleigh and I love the cheesiness!

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

Yes, it's awful. It's choppily edited, full of terrible CGI and completely outlandish, but it is based on a video game that features the biggest boobs since Pamela Anderson. I just can't help myself. Angelina Jolie does an excellent job with the rather sexist and underwritten role of Lara and gets the accent right too. The tongue is firmly in cheek and Jolie has fun bouncing around on bungee ropes shooting a gun. I despise most action films but this one is pretty likeable. Charm is irresistable for me in films.

Phantom of the Opera.

Not only is this a guilty pleasure, it's in my top 10 favourite films ever! Don't shoot me down here, I know how camp it is. I love musicals even though they go against every cynical bone in my body. Based on Lloyd Webber's musical, which in turn is adapted from one of my favourite books, it's full of over-the-top campness, beautiful costumes and sets, interesting singing (not necessarily good. I don't know a lot about opera), pretty people and full blown, bodie-ripping, obsessive romance. To be honest though, I can't understand why Gerard Butler is supposed to be hideous in the film. Even when you see the scarring, you go "Meh, still would." He simply looked like he had a bad case of sunburn.

Love's Labour's Lost.

Another musical here, based on the Shakespeare play. This is the Branagh adaptation that is considered his low point, because he turned it into a 1930s style musical. It's a brave move which I love. I cannot stand Alicia Silverstone in it (why would any man fall for her, she's a cow!?) and some casting choices are questionary, but everyone looks like they're having fun and the Cole Porter songs work so well with the story. Branagh films the musical sequences well but keeps them part of the story. It's fun, pure and unadulterated fun! The entire film is on YouTube for those interesed.

Sweet Revenge.

Also known as the film every female John Sessions fan needs to own. It's awfully made, cheaply filmed for American cable TV, unoriginal, cheesy, predictable and by all rights I should despise it. As soon as you hear the plot - woman hires actress to seduce her ex husband so she doesn't have to pay alimony - you know what will happen. The problem is it's so sweet and charming, I just can't help it. I like a lot of depressing films - Dogville, Mulholland Drive - but when I need to smile or stop myself from crying, I want to watch something fluffy and romantic and Sweet Revenge fills in that gap for me. It's got romance, a French setting and Sessions half naked in a bed! If that isn't a guilty pleasure, I don't know what is!

Half Blood Prince pictures.

As a self confessed HP fangirl, these pictures get me very excited. It also hints that a trailer can't be too far away. Half Blood Prince is where decisions need to be made, the most upsetting ending in the series and more romantic entanglements than a Shakespearean comedy. How great does Evanna Lynch look here? She is Luna in every way. I am also happy to see Jim Broadbent as Slughorn. He's one of my favourite actors and the exact person I imagined in that role. Distinct lack of Ron here, wonder why. Anybody else not like Ginny? She comes across as a bit of a slut in this book. Pardon my fangirlness here, but Draco! He's lovely isn't he? Roll on November!

"I had rather a fool make me merry than experience make me sad."

I've been on a bit of a Branagh splurge lately, watching 4 of his movies in as many days. Today I went into Dundee and found his 5th Shakespearean adaptation on sale in HMV. Noticing that the cast contained Bryce Dallas Howard and Romola Garai, I just had to have it.

With the setting changed to Japan in the 1880s, the story concerns cousins Rosalind (Howard) and Celia (Garai). Rosalind's father Duke Senior (Brian Blessed) is kicked out of court and sent into exile by his brother Frederick (also played by Blessed) into the Forest of Arden. Rosalind and Celia follow, accompanied by the court jester Touchstone (Alfred Molina). During this all, Rosalind befriends Orlando (David Oyelowo), the man she oves, whilst dressed as a man, and tries to train him in the ways of wooing.

I have absolutely no idea why the film is set in Japan, there's no real reason or explanation for the move other than it looks pretty. Boy, does it look gorgeous! The buildings, the costumes, the setting, it's all stunning to look at. It's definately a case of style over substance. The comedy is very of it's time. Howard is a beautiful woman and makes the world's most unconvincing man. She's too fair and porcelain skinned to pass as male. How anybody falls for it is anyone's guess. The homoerotic intentions between the 'male' Rosalind and Orlando are ignored and it's a little weird to see Orlando so willing to accept this strangely effeminate man's wishes for love demonstrations. Howard and Oyelowo make a lovely couple, both are love struck and joyful and light up the screen, even though it would probably be considered a little out of place for a mixed sex relationship to exist in such a setting. Branagh is famous for his colour blind casting choices (watch Much Ado About Nothing) Romola Garai is hilarious as Celia, over-the-top and having a hoot. She's so underrated. She got no attention for this film and none of the lion's share of acclaim her Atonement cast members got. Another casting stand out is Alfred Molina, an actor I adore. He's the perfect fool.

There are a few problems with the film. So much is squeezed into the script that there's barely time to breathe. There's not one but four love stories, one of which is an incredibly annoying story of a love sick fool Silvius and the detestable Pheobe. It gets a little contrived and reaches a point where you just want to see Rosalind and Orlando get together. It's not Branagh's best film I've seen (that's probably Peter's Friends or Much Ado...) but it's a beautiful and enjoyable romp.

"You are the destroyer of worlds!"

Well, that's series 4 of Doctor Who over and I am pretty good. 75% satisfied, 25% majorly pissed off. I just need to vent a few things out of my system because I'm on a high and need to do this so my parents won't kill me. Fangirl squeeing, ranting and spoilers below.

I just need to say this now. I hate Rose Tyler. No, more than that, I loathe Rose Tyler. If I could, I would wipe all traces of her from the show. She's the most annoying, clingy, dull, selfish, self absorbed character. To be a little bit mean here, I think she's a grubby chav, and Billie Piper couldn't act. So you can understand how pissed off I was when they bloody brought her back from that so called inescapable alternate universe. She moaned, talked about getting the Doctor back for herself, complained about being left out (even though she's done nothing exciting IMO) and to top it all off, got her own human Doctor! It was stupid, soppy, unfair, sloppily put together and just really annoying.

To be fair, that twist was pretty cool. I was slightly disappointed at first that the ever safe Russell T Davies decided not to let him fully regenerate, but when Donna helped to create the other version, I squealed with excitement (naked Doctor - ooohh!) So glad to see a twist I hadn't expected. Donna came into her own and saved the entire bloody universe! She rocks, my favourite companion of the new series. No complicated and silly romantic plot twists, no pining for what she couldn't have, Donna was simply a great friend and bloody good fun. I will mourn for her.

To see her memory wiped, completely erasing the amazing things she's seen and done, turning her back into that twit from the Xmas episode, was heartbreaking. It was a truly poignant moment and when she simply tossed the Doctor aside, unaware of their time together, I teared up. She was a truly better person with the Doctor.

It was also good to see the entire team around the TARDIS. It was a family - 2 Doctors, the amazing Donna, Jack, the slightly underused Martha, the also excellent Sarah Jane (I need to start watching her show), Mickey, Jackie and the chav. I'm not a fan of the Daleks, they're overused and getting thin, so what a way to see them go! I love Donna so much right now, I didn't want her to end like that. It was heartbreaking and kudos to Davies for not going down the sunset happy route for her - but why the hell give one to Rose? So the flaming bag of poo will not be deposited on BBC Cardiff's doorstep, but a little anger will be held. I am going to write my own series 5 if anyone is interested in knowing more. I want to hear suggestions for plots, locations, creatures, etc, because I want it to be a bit of a group thing. Until the Xmas special! The door is open Stephen Moffat, I welcome you.

They look familiar...

I love watching impressionists and have a massive amount of respect for people who can imitate others. This might be because I can barely master my own accent. It's the same principle as watching actors do a biopic - you need to perfect every mannerism or the effect fails. People shouldn't consider impressionists low brow actors, they have a lot of talent. Anyway, here are a few of the actors/impressionists I love.


(French and Saunders. Two very funny ladies who never fail to make me laugh. This is them at their best, also look out for Jeremy Irons as Snape.)


(Ronni Ancona. She was the main woman on Alistair Macgowan's show. Her Renee Zelwegger impression is uncanny but I can't find a clip of it. Look it up if you can.)


(Rory Bremner. Probably the best Tony Blair impression ever, his George Bush isn't bad either.)


(Jon Culshaw.)


(Phil Cornwell and John Sessions. You knew it was coming. This is from the hilarious and utterly bonkers Stella Street, in which the 2 leads play almost every role - Ronni Ancona also joins in with some bits - such as David Bowie, Jack Nicholson, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino and the Rolling Stones. Sessions does a better Keith Richards than Johnny Depp.)

Plans for Summer.

I always end up making tons of plans for Summer then never following them through. But this time, it's my final Summer as a free teenager, with no responsibilities. I'm determined to make it as fun as possible. There's so much I need to see, do and get done. Here are a few of them:

* Finish writing something. Anything. A short story, script, book, poem, whatever. I just want the wonderful satisfaction that comes from finishing something.


* Read. I want to get my To Be Read pile down to single figures, it's getting ridiculous. I am just completely addicted to buying books, I literally can't stop myself. It doesn't help when temptation is thrown in my way, I have £25 in book tokens and a WH Smith token to spend. I am still waiting for my book list for university, but if it's as good as last year (Shelley! Spark! Pope!) then I'll be happy. I am also taking part in the Empire Book Club, but the first book is The Catcher in the Rye, which I loathe.


* Shakespeare research. I want to read as many of his plays as possible. I just finished reading The Tempest and have Hamlet on standby. I want to see some more of the film adaptations too, especially the Branagh directed ones. Since his work is so crucial to the English literature course, I want to get a head start. I love his work. So far I've read Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream (my favourite.), Othello, The Tempest, Antony and Cleopatra and Macbeth (hated it).


* Watch movies. I am trying to expand my tastes in movies, I welcome any recommendations, especially films pre 1960 or foriegn ones.


* Go to Florida. This is my family holiday this year. We've already been in 2006 and I loved it for all it's cheesy, tackiness and horrible humidity. I will be taking a few books of course, but hopefully the theme parks will take up a lot of my time. I adore rollercoasters. I also want to see The Dark Knight on IMAX.


* The Edinburgh Festival. Fringe is the biggest arts festival in the world. It is amazing in every way, so vibrant and full of life. I went last year with my friend Laura and we're going back this year with a bigger group. My sister wants to see Sweeney Todd, I want to see Paul Merton's Impro Chum (even though he's a wanker) and Laura wants to see the same show we saw last year, Potted Potter. It was hilarious, a truly geeky experience for the HP fangirl.