And the Eleventh Doctor is…… January 3, 2009

Matt Smith. I’m quite excited because I saw him playing Jim in The Ruby and The Smoke and I think he did a top job. I’m not saying that it will be easy for him to live up to all the past performances of the Doctor, but I think he will do a good job in his own way. You can see the Matt for yourself by watching the Doctor Who Confidential Special The Ten Doctors, by going here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00gqgtw/Doctor_Who_Confidential_The_Ten_Doctors/

Oh and Happy New Year everyone, I hope it’s a good one.

The Devil Wears Prada. December 21, 2008

I am a bit of sucker for books that have been made into films. I usually try and read the book first but in this case I hadn’t heard of the book before I saw the film. It’s not my usual choice, but I liked the strength of the characters and they all had good actors portraying them.

Then I read the book and the style just grated on me, I found the point of view of Andy, the main character overly self righteous at times. There was also a lot about  the authors worldview that I coudn’t agree with. I finished it because I wanted to see if they had changed the ending, but I have to say, it’s the first book in a long time that I won’t be recommending.

Twilight December 20, 2008

As I loved the books so much, I was prepared to be very disappointed with the film. I just didn’t think they would be able to do the characters or the story justice. I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised, especially with Robert Pattinson as Edward, I didn’t think he would be able to pull off that innate maturity Edward has, but he does it and he does it well.

It’s also really beautifully filmed and well thought out. Sticking as close as it possibly can to the book. I can’t really say much else without worrying about spoilers. However any twilight fans, I don’t think you will be disappointed and anyone who hasn’t already will want to read the book. Me, I’m just hoping they have already started filming the next installment.

Inkheart December 16, 2008

This weekend I went to see  Inkheart, I wasn’t expecting it to be that good because it had a bit too much of a blockbuster feel to it, but I was very surprised. It’s about Mo (Brendan Fraser) who is a ’silvertongue’ and can read characters out of books, the only problem is they have to be replaced by someone from the real world.

There is a really good cast, Helen Mirren is particularly good as a slightly mad old aunt and Andy Serkis makes a pretty sinister bad guy. I found all the characters really strong, although I found Jim Broadbent slightly strange as the eccentric writer for some reason. Definitely a must see Christmas movie, especially for anyone who loves books.

Here’s the trailer:

I love this song…. December 15, 2008

Mark Morriss has been a hero of mine for ages as the lead singer of The Bluetones. This spring he finally put out his first Solo record, Memory Muscle, which I have been addicted to since I bought it. It’s got more of a laid back acoustic vibe than The Bluetones and is filled with his trademark humour.

One of my favourite songs on it is Alcoholiday a cover of a Teenage Fanclub song. Here’s a video of Mark performing it live:

I saw the Bluetones play the whole of Expecting To Fly live last week and that was brilliant, they are such a quality band to see live. They also did a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s  Expecting To Fly the song the album is named after, which was a real treat for a geek like me.

Philippa Gregory… December 14, 2008

When my sister gave me a copy of the The Other Boelyn Girl I didn’t think I’d like it at all. However I was very wrong Gregory has this way of evoking the past so that the reader is completely there, totally involved with the characters and the action.

Having read two more of her books, it’s clear that they are never spoilt by knowing the historical context, because she creates her own stories and plot twists around the known events, so even if you think you know what’s coming that’s not always the case.

I’ve just finished reading The Constant Princess which focuses on the early life of Katherine of Aragon (Henry VIII’s first wife) and puts a new spin on her story. It was refreshing to read a book that  had Henry VIII in it, but didn’t focus on him.

My favourite book of hers so far is The Queen’s Fool told by Hannah who was servant to both Queen Mary and Elizabeth I. I liked it because you get to really care about the character.

I highly recommend you try one of her books if you haven’t already.

AAAAAARGH December 14, 2008

I’d just written a really long post and then accidently deleted it so wordpress autosaved immediately so now I have to write it all again……….AAAAAAAAAAAARGH

In need of inspiration December 13, 2008

I’ve been writing 1000 words a day on various stories for a about a month now. The problem is I find myself stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I stop to think about the plot, I lose the momentum and seem to just stop writing. On the other hand if I let myself just write then I keep going off on a tangent and end up with lots of writing where nothing much happens. Does anyone else have this problem?…

Ewan Mcgregor Davidoff Adventure Ad: The Alternate Version December 12, 2008

Here is a spoof version of Ewan Mcgregor’s Davidoff advert that I thought was very funny, enjoy.

For anyone who wants to know.. December 9, 2008

it seems David Tennant is still injured, but  reports say Edward Bennett is doing a great job as his understudy, it would be a bit rude of me to just copy and paste all the information here as I didn’t get it myself,  but anyone who wants to read the full statement by the RSC go here.  http://www.david-tennant.com/