Films I've Watched So Far This Year...

As we're halfway through the year I thought it would be cool to look back at the films I've watched in 6 months both at home and at the cinema. I think it's fair to say I've definitely been to the cinema a lot more this year than in recent years!

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At the cinema:

Jurassic World

Pitch Perfect 2

Spy

Kingsman

Cinderella

The Duff

Tomorrowland

Focus

Into The Woods

Insurgent

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At home:

Se7en

The Silence of The Lambs

The Machinist

127 Hours

The Theory of Everything

Fifty Shades of Grey

The Boy Next Door

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Have you seen any of these?

Abi :)

What I'm Watching

Thought I'd give you chums a little update on what I'm watching at the moment. I got Netflix the other week so have been watching quite a lot of programmes I wouldn't usually have access to.

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TV 

Once Upon A Time - LOVING THIS

The Fall - Finished watching this, can't wait for series 3!

Holby City - A classic for me

Britain's Got Talent - The auditions are the best bit!

House Of Cards - I have literally JUST started this!

CINEMA

Cinderella - THE DRESS WAS AMAZINGGG!

The Duff - I actually really liked this, surprisingly good and funny!

Abi :)

REVIEW: Insurgent

I watched this last weekend as part of my birthday and really enjoyed it - minus all the loud, jumpy gunshots (I'm a sensitive soul!). 

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It followed on nicely from the first film, Divergent, and what I liked most was that the relationship between Tris and Four really developed and they grew stronger as individuals too in order to fight and stand up to the evil Jeanine!

I thought Naomi Watts played a very good Evelyn (I'm not going to say what/who she is but you'll understand when you watch the film!) and I liked that Four's past was explored quite a bit, as we knew quite a lot about Tris after the first film and so I think it was right to explore Four a bit more in this film.

Another thing I really liked was the sense that everything was so dramatic and that time really was of the essence, without giving too much away, time really is running out for Tris as she's desperate to not be found as Jeanine tries to hunt her down (not personally though of course!)

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The only thing I didn't like was the ending as I felt like the film series could have just ended there, maybe the third film will follow on nicely but the cliffhanger ending I was anticipating didn't arrive.

Overall, I really did enjoy this film (as jumpy as it was for me) and I am looking forward to seeing the final chapter on screen (hopefully) next year by the sounds of it!

Abi :)

What I Did For My Birthday

Hi chums!

I had probably the best birthday yet last weekend so I thought I'd tell/show you what I got up to!

This has to be one of the nicest things to wake up to on your birthday! I got so many lovely and feel so lucky, if you haven't already and you're interested then check out what I got in my previous post!

Birthday cake!

I then drove to Cabot Circus (Bristol) where my boyfriend and I did a bit of shopping before going to the cinema and watching Focus - it was very good!

We then went to Za Za Bazaar which was lovely and then went out for a few drinks!

The next day was a lot more relaxing, we went to a spa in Gloucester where we had a back, neck and shoulder massage and full use of their pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room! After that we got a lunch which was included in our pay package so that was nice! In the evening we drove back to Somerset and went to see Insurgent, this was so good but very jumpy for someone whose not too keen on loud noises!

The last day of the weekend was spent at the beach to enjoy the sunshine! We also went to an arcade where we lost all of our money on 2p machines!!

Abi :)

I Wish...#3

1. An American candy hamper! I thought this was so cool, you don't need to travel there to taste their food, and I really love Reeses! Buy HERE
2. An Earth by day/night globe! I REALLY want this! It's so cool, and I love the whole lighting thing! Buy it HERE
3. These are so cute! I love the film UP and I thought this book was so cute and special in the film! Buy it HERE
4. I've wanted a tablet for a while but I don't actually know if I NEED it or not! Buy it HERE

Abi :)

REVIEW: The Imitation Game

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Last year the town down the road from me was buzzing: there was so much traffic and a lot of delays and  it looked as though it was a town from decades ago, the reason: they were filming The Imitation Game (eek!) A few of the local boys I know were actually extras in the film too (in the flashback scenes from the school) so that was super cool to know!

I've always been a fan of biopics and films based on real events so wanted to watch this when I saw the trailer a few months ago. The film is based on the life of Alan Turing who was a great mathematician and computer scientist and during the Second World War worked for the British Government to break German ciphers (codes). I can't really say much more than that without spoiling the film, but the film does explore Turing's relationships and sexuality which is nice as it allows the film to be more accessible to people (like me) who don't really understand coding and Enigma. 

Benedict Cumberbatch plays a very convincing Turing with mood swings and varied emotions displayed throughout the course of the 114 minute film. If you're a Downton Abbey fan (also like me!) you'll recognise Allen Leech who plays John (plays Tom in Downton) in the film and is also another very interesting character...

The film has been nominated for a whopping 8 Oscars including Best Motion Picture, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. I'd really recommend this film to anybody who loves biopics, Benedict Cumberbatch or anything to do with World War Two!

Abi :)

Review: Annie

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As some of you may know, I LOVE MUSICALS so when I saw the trailer for this film I really really wanted to see it! It's a remake of the original and some things have changed a lot, Annie herself is physically very different from the original Annie which I think is good as this film really captures the multicultural society we all live in. 

I loved the songs, my favourites include: "Tomorrow", "It's a Hard Knock Life" and "I Think I'm Gonna Like it Here" the songs aid the upbeat feel to the film, however I did feel that because the songs are quite old and already well-known, performing them in a 21st century set up seemed a little mismatched. 

I think the time in which this version of Annie is set also means that some of the characters are less realistic and believable for example Cameron Diaz's character Hannigan should (in my opinion) be a lot like Ms Trunchbull from Matilda during the majority of the film, so having an actress like Cameron Diaz playing her made this character less believable for me. 

Overall though, this is a feel good film and the songs are great to sing along to as well as enjoying a happy ending!

Abi :)

Review: Paddington

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The other day my boyfriend and I went to Bristol to soak up some of their Christmassy atmosphere, whilst there we went to The Vue to watch Paddington which I had been wanting to see for a while. We paid a little bit extra so that we had VIP seats which were leather, spacious and SO comfortable!

Although only a PG I fudging LOVED this film! I thought it was so funny (my secret inside childishness came out) and I loved how they made London look so lovely and scenic, from the streets of London to the tourist hot spots to the inside of the Natural History Museum it was cool to watch a film on screen with places I had been to and walked myself. 

Paddington himself was very cute and his clumsy ways reminded me of myself, his naive and innocent perspective and manner was very endearing too.

This is another film with a very good cast with Hugh Bonneville delivering some of the funniest lines whilst Nicole Kidman (who is one of my favourite actresses) was the 'baddy.' 

Have you seen this film yet?

Abi :)

REVIEW: Gone Girl

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I really enjoyed this film, I read the book and loved it - you can read my review on the book HERE - it was the first time in a while I'd read a book to a film before I'd watched it!

There are a few differences between the book and the film which is inevitable, there was a lot more blood than I anticipated especially towards the end of the film and the film itself it quite visually dark reflecting the dark characters and story line. 

Another thing I loved about the film was the music and underscores especially in eerie and tense moments it aided the scenes very well and added a lot of tension to the already tense moments!

As some of you may know I LOVE CATS (as stated here, here and here!) and there's a gorgeous ginger one in this film which you get to see lots in the film so I was more than delighted!

Abi :)

Lifestyle Ladies Award

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I was amazed to see that I had been nominated for this award by Hattie and I am so grateful - thankyou!

Here are my answers:

Who would play you in the movie of your life?
Hmm...Meryl Streep maybe, because she's a good, versatile actress so could do a good job of conveying all my emotions haha!

Are there any lyrics that have stayed with you through your life so far?
None that spring to mind, but usually when I listen to a song I can agree with and relate to the lyrics, loving All About That Bass at the moment!

What is your go-to film/TV show that always makes you feel better?
Mamma Mia or Pitch Perfect! I love musicals!!!

Which Disney Princess do you relate to most?
Urm..not too sure I look a bit like Belle with brown hair but that's about it haha!

Do you watch YouTubers? If so, who are your favourites?
Yup, Zoella, Fashionrocksmysocks and just some other random ones!

Would you rather be a writer, singer, painter or actor?
WRITER EVERYTIME!!

What is your favourite starbucks drink?
Caramel Frapuccino but I had a Pumpkin Spiced Latte the other day which was very nice!
If you could learn to speak any language in a minute which one would you choose?
Spanish as it's the most widely spoken language and I took it as a GCSE, I wish I could be fluent in another language!

Are you a cat person or dog person?
I LOVE CATS!!!!!!!!

If you could be any supernatural creature, which one would you be?
Urm..I don't know maybe a witch because they have a cat...I'm obsessed with cats haha!

I nominate (a different) Harriet from Confessions of Harriet!

Hope you enjoyed this chums!

Abi :)

Harry Potter TAG

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Genevieve created this and I thought I'd give it a go!

1. First experiences of Harry Potter? Probably when the first two films used to be on TV
2. Which film have you watched the most? Probably The Chamber Of Secrets as they ALWAYS seem to show that one on ITV!
3. What was your favourite Harry Potter film? Probably the fifth one, the Order of the Phoenix because it's where everything seems to get quite a bit darker
4. Favourite moment out of all Harry Potter films? Probably in the last film where you really see what Professor Snape is really like: a lovely character!
5. If you could be any character from Harry Potter who would you be and why? Hmm Luna Lovegood I thing as she always seems dreamy, happy and quirky and I thought she was very pretty too!
6. If you could learn one thing at Hogwarts what would it be? Either how to be invisible or how to travel in time...probably the last one!
7. Favourite teacher at hogwarts? Professor McGonagall, she was like a Mother to Harry and all the students really and I love Maggie Smith!

I tag anyone reading this!

Abi :)

My Favourite...Actors

Okay so about a fortnight ago I did a post on my favourite actresses so I thought it would be sensible for me to do a post on my favourite actors, they're in no particular order!

Leonardo DiCaprio 

David Tennant 

Photo from Flickr and HERE's the link to the photo by Lisby

Jonah Hill

Chris O'Dowd

Tom Hanks
Colin Firth 

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Russell Crowe 

Liam Neeson

Daniel Craig 

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Enjoy!

Abi :)

My Favourite...Actresses

Hi chums here's another favourites post with a list of my favourite actresses (obviously I couldn't give you an extensive list so these are a few that spring to mind!)

Zooey Deschanel

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Celia Imrie
Jennifer Saunders
Rebel Wilson
Sandra Bullock

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Nicole Kidman

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Meryl Streep
Emma Thompson

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Melissa McCarthy
Renee Zellweger

Hope you enjoyed this!

Abi :)

10 Rom Coms You Should Watch

I love watching rom coms, they're feel-good films and a guilty pleasure, they're great if you just want to watch a film after a hard day or for a movie day in bed! These are some of my favourites:

The Proposal

Pretty Woman

Bridget Jones's Diary

27 Dresses

10 Things I Hate About You

Sex And The City

Two Weeks Notice

Love Actually

Bridesmaids

Easy A

I especially like Bridget Jones and The Proposal as I think both are very funny films and the soundtrack in both films are also very good! As you can see I have quite a few of these films on DVD and I usually watch them before I go to sleep because (cringe) they all have happy endings so I can go to sleep feeling happy rather than crying because somebody died or something!

Abi :)

Drawings of UP!

People always seem to love the question 'what are your hobbies?' even filling in a job application usually requires you to give some insight into what you do in your spare time! I don't really have many 'hobbies' as such, I just tend to do whatever I fancy doing! Sometimes it's playing my keyboard, drawing or listening to music.

So I thought I'd share with you some drawings I've done of UP - I went through a massive phase of the film, I love it!

Abi :)

10 Things I Hate About You Poem

Been feeling kind of low recently, the sort of mood where you just want to stay in bed and watch movies all day - so I did! I watched the 10 Things I Hate About You - chick flicks always make me feel a bit better, or at least distract me from other things. I just wanted to share one of the scenes that I LOVE, I think the poem is SO GOOD and so moving - I actually cried - you have to watch the whole film though to understand the context though, so I'm sure it won't reduce anyone to tears just yet! However it might be relatable for some people.

I hate the way you talk to me 

and the way you cut your hair

I hate the way you drive my car 

I hate it when you stare

I hate your big dumb combat boots 

and the way you read my mind. 

I hate you so much it makes me sick 

it even makes me rhyme

I hate the way you're always right 

I hate it when you lie

I hate it when you make me laugh 

even worse when you make me cry

I hate it when you're not around 

and the fact that you didn't call

But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you 

not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all

If you haven't seen the film I would really recommend it! I'll leave the trailer HERE.

Abi :)

Sex and the City - Review

HI!

The other night I was feeling quite tired but it was embarrassingly early to go to bed so I decided to hunt through my collection of films: I chose Sex and the City. 

It's set in New York and follows the lives of  four women; Carrie Bradshaw, Samantha Jones, Charlotte York and Miranda Hobbes. 

And so it begins!

What I love about this film is that is shows different variations of relationships. It's a fact universally acknowledged that no relationship is 'perfect.' Miranda in particular is a career driven woman and she starts to put her job before her relationship - something which I personally feel is just seriously not okay. But the truth is, that is what some people do and the film reflects that.

So stressed is Miranda about work she doesn't even notice what's on her lip!

One of the scenes I love is when Carrie is trying to sort her wardrobe out - with the help of her friends, some sneaky champagne and a casual catwalk! 

I love that forty-something Sarah Jessica Parker looks about twelve in this scene - so adorable!

Further on in the film Steve (Miranda's husband) confesses to her that he's slept with someone else as a result of not getting enough love and attention at home due to her ridiculous work ethic. Obviously Miranda is furious - the father of her son has just cheated on her after all - but my point is what did she expect? If you don't make someone feel wanted is it not foreseeable that they'll just look for love and attention elsewhere? It may be surprising to some that as a girl I don't take Miranda's side, but I honestly hold very little sympathy for her in this scene.

I really feel for Steve in this scene - he knows he's done a bad thing and has apologised profusely

As if one crisis wasn't enough. Carrie and Big (can't get my head around this name!) decide to get married but days before the wedding Big begins to get cold feet and on the day of his wedding he desperately rings Carrie who is oblivious to her future husbands mindset and is in bliss in her Vivienne Westwood wedding dress. When Carrie finally rings Big after seeing he's not at the wedding she realises he's not coming at all...In a way I really really love this part in the film, I love the way that the girls rally round Carrie to hurl her away from anymore humiliation.

The girls rush Carrie out of her wedding - girl power!

Carrie is clearly not to be messed with

One of the lighter and funnier moments is when Charlotte drinks some shower water accidentally and ends up pooing herself in front of her friends! It even makes Carrie laugh for the first time since her (non existent) wedding day.

The facial expressions she pulls in this scene are Oscar worthy!

One of my favourite characters in this scene is Carrie's assistant Louise played by Jennifer Hudson. I love how passionate she is about love - if only there were more people like her in the World!

Doing her thaaang!

Perfectly placed sushi...

I found this sushi scene hilarious! The fact that it's (literally) the ONE time Samantha has done anything for another person and in the end she ends up eating the sushi off her own body because she's waited there for hours - sods law!

Overall, I really liked this film it definitely has the right balance between humour and some more emotional scenes which I think females in particular would have no problem relating to. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone who has maybe not watched the film - all I can say is that it's almost like a fairytale ending...

Hope you enjoyed this review - hope to do another one soon!

Abi :)

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