Look out for Echo Beach and Moving Wallpaper Starring Jason Donovan and Martine McCutcheon
January 9, 2008
Echo Beach is the new upcoming Soap Opera with a twist. It stars actress Martine McCutcheon and aussie singer/soap star Jason Donovan and is due to get its first airing on Thursday 10th January on ITV 1.
Echo Beach follows the lives of Daniel Susan and Mark whose affairs of the heart are played out amongst teenage angst, family loyalties and tested friendships. Events unfold against the backdrop of romantic Cornwall, its rugged coastline, endless beaches and handsome surfers.
Martine McCutcheon is Susan Penwarden, a woman with a past. Hugo Spear plays Mark Penwarden who will stop at nothing to run Daniel Marrack (Jason Donovan) out of Polnarren. The town’s younger residents are played by some of Britain’s hottest young talent.
You would be forgiven for thinking that this is just another run of the mill soap opera, but in fact there’s something much, much more clever going on here. You see, not only will viewers get to watch the show Echo Beach, there will be another show called ‘Moving Wallpaper’ which follows straight after. This show follows the fictional ‘behind the scenes’ filming of Echo Beach from the production office. So not only do we have a fictional soap opera but there’s a fictional behind the scenes of the show too! Confused yet?
As if that wasn’t enough to take in there’s also going to be the ‘Mole’ a secret saboteur who is filming everyone getting the real dirt and catching them out when they least expect it! These clips will be screened on ITV.Com and are set to be a humorous look at the bits you didn’t see first time round.
If they manage to pull this off this could be one of the most exciting and innovative shows to hit UK screens in a long time. The concept of a show within a show is brilliant and there are some top notch actors involved in the whole thing. Not only have you got the two main stars (Jason and Martine) but in the moving wallpaper show we have the fantastic actor Ben Miller playing the role of producer Jonathan Pope which should be really fun to watch. There are also some great younger actors including Marcus Patrick from Hollyoaks.
ITV Says that “Eagle eyed viewers will see jokes, characters and stories crossing from one show to the other” so we can expect to be kept on our toes through out both episodes. I can’t wait for this and I really hope it takes off, it’s a bold and brave new concept that looks like it could be a whole lot of fun to watch! Tune in tomorrow for the first show, and catch up with the latest happenings by visiting the official Echo Beach (and moving wallpaper) site on ITV : http://www.itv.com/Drama/contemporary/EchoBeach/default.html
Knocked Up DVD Review Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen
January 8, 2008
I kept meaning to see ‘Knocked up’ when it came to the cinema but for some reason never did get there so the other night I sat down and watched it on DVD and found that for once I actually DO agree with the movie critics out there and absolutely love this movie!
Seth Rogen plays Ben, a slacker who has spent the last few years of his life sat at home living off the compensation money from an accident involving a postal truck and his foot. He and his friends spend their days getting drunk, high and cataloguing nude movie shots on their webpage which they are convinced is going to make them millions. Katherine Heigl however is on the opposite side of the scale as Alison; she’s a workaholic desperate to get herself a spot in the limelight presenting an entertainment show. Living with her considerably well off sister and her husband (Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd) she has every inch of her career meticulously planned out. Read more
The Hills Season 3 Finale Live From Hollywood Review
December 11, 2007
One of America’s hottest reality shows ‘The Hills’ celebrated its finale episode in style last night in a special event live from Hollywood. As well as thousands of lucky Hills fans they also had a bunch of rather special guests gathered there including some of the stars from the series including Lauren, Whitney, Audrina and the oh so gorgeous Brody Jenner.
There was a live ‘build up’ show before the final episode aired and we got the chance to see some of the regulars make their entrance as well as taking part in a couple of quick interviews before they entered the club. Then we got to see the actual episode, this wasn’t exactly the greatest hills episode ever I have to say. It was nice to see Lauren get her chance to go to Paris though after turning it down last season to spend time with her then boyfriend Jason (Silly girl!) and I’m looking forward to watching the Paris episode when it airs soon. That was Laurens BIG Announcement that we had been promised by the way… after much speculation over what she could possibly be announcing and all sorts of rumours cropping up around the net THAT was what we waited to hear… is anyone else just a tad disappointed that she didn’t announce something major? I’m not sure what I was expecting to be honest, pregnancy? Marriage? The demise of ‘Speidi’ forever perhaps?
Speaking of Spencer and Heidi, the season left their future together a bit unclear, with Heidi saying that she needed a little time out from the relationship and heading back to her family’s home for some much needed time away from Spencer, we were left on a cliff-hanger as to whether or not they would call it quits on their relationship or get back together. Well, as some of you may have already seen on some of the celebrity gossip sites out there they have recently been spotted shopping for Christmas tree’s together and looking very loved up as usual so rumour has it that although the wedding may have been postponed for now, the couple are still very much together (Bet you can all sleep easy now knowing that!)
I’m really hoping that Brody and Lauren will get together, I don’t know why but I really think they’d make a cool couple, if he could force himself to be just a tiiiiiny bit less of a ladies man that is! Lauren is right to be playing a bit hard to get though, Brody needs to make the decision to get with her himself, she cant try to change him completely or pressure him into anything, he has to WANT to have a relationship with her. We’ll see I guess!
SO, that was the hills finale for you, not really anything massively exciting or enthralling to talk about but a pretty cool way to end the show none the less I thought.
Roll on Season 4!
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Review Commentary and Analysis
November 30, 2007
I have watched all of the Harry Potter movies so far and think that as the series progresses they keep getting better and better. Order of the Phoenix is no exception. This wonderfully dark chapter of the Harry Potter story is actually probably my favourite of the series so far!
The movie begins with an altogether more dark and dramatic feel from the very first scene; from there we follow Harry through yet more troubles as he tries to convince people that ‘He who shall not be named’ has really returned. In his quest to do this we see him face the Ministry of Magic and a new strict school teacher Dolores Umbridge. He also takes on the challenge of becoming a teacher himself forming a secret ‘army’ with his classmates hidden deep within the walls of Hogwarts. Read more
Hairspray 2007 DVD Review Commentary and Analysis
November 29, 2007
I love musicals, either at the theatre or on DVD I just can’t get enough of them. I haven’t actually managed to see the stage version of Hairspray or the original movie for that matter but I pretty much thought that I would love this new version when I did finally get around to watching. Turns out I was wrong, I bought this on DVD yesterday and I have to say that I thought it was completely awful.
Now I realise that I’m probably the only girl in the world who thinks the movie sucked, but despite a really great cast I just couldn’t get into it! John Travolta was great as Tracy’s mum, and I absolutely loved the accent he put on for this film along with the big personality he brought to the table. The main problem for me though was the storyline. I found it boring and although some of the songs were really good they just weren’t good enough to carry the whole film! I’m also a huge fan of Michelle Pfeiffer but I found her to be irritating beyond belief in Hairspray and after her great performance in Stardust earlier in the year I think that maybe I was just expecting more.
I just went and looked on Rotten Tomatoes and this movie scored a whopping 93% so I’m thinking that I have either completely missed the whole point of the film, or maybe I’m just a big old grump! Either way, I just couldn’t stand the tacky feel of this movie and the bright glaring costumes actually made my head hurt at times.
It’s very strange for me to have this kind of reaction to a musical, usually I love the fact that they are being re vamped and made into film format, as it makes them so much more accessible to those who aren’t able to get to see the shows. Although few rarely live up to their theatre version most give a fun exciting take on things and offer those who can’t get to the theatre the opportunity to see the next best thing. So I’m sure it must just be me ‘not getting’ the complete feel for Hairspray, and I’d love for some of you to reply and let me know what you enjoyed about it…
PS I Love You Heads to Cinema in December! Starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler
November 24, 2007
A year or two ago I interviewed a brilliant writer called Cecelia Ahern (Above.) She writes books that are filled with genuine human emotion, fun, magic and sadness and her first and arguably best book PS I Love You has just been made into a movie.
The cast includes Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler and James Marsters and it looks set to be just as stunning as the original novel.
The plotline revolves around Holly and Gerry a perfect couple whose happiness is destined to be short lived. Gerry dies and leaves behind a broken and frail Holly to cope without him. What she soon realises though is he has made sure that a part of him is still with her in the form of letters sent at different intervals over the year, designed to help her remember who she is and to face the world without him it shows how well Gerry knows Holly and just how much she needs the letters and help from her close friends to get her through the hardest time of her life.
I can’t wait to see this movie, but I’m a little bit scared that it won’t live up to the book. Cecelia Ahern painted such a wonderful image of Holly and Gerry that I don’t know if it can ever be as good as I remember! I am excited about the directions they could take, if it will be as much as a tearjerker as the book and just how well the two main leads do at portraying Holly and Gerry. I must admit, Hilary Swank wouldn’t have been my first choice as the role of Holly.
Have you read the book? We want to know your thoughts on the upcoming movie release and whether it will be able to live up to expectations!
Check out the link below to visit Cecelia’s official website for full news on PS I Love You
http://www.ceceliaahern.ie/ps_i_love_you/
Also click HERE to read my interview with Cecelia from last year.
Review : Long Way Down With Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman
November 20, 2007
Long Way Down is the follow up series to ‘Long Way Round’. The new TV show sees Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman ride their motorbikes from Scotland all the way down through South Africa. This time, unlike before they have a full team with them made up of cameramen, medics and security as parts of South Africa are notoriously dangerous. I thoroughly enjoyed the first series, watching Ewan and Charley tackle the big trip and not quite knowing what to expect was half the fun of it all. This time it does all feel a little choreographed at times and a bit too ‘controlled’. Although despite that, the show is still great entertainment. I absolutely love Ewan McGregor, and Charley is great fun, the two of them seem to have a really strong friendship and do rely on each other completely to get through each day. Read more
Roadkill / Joy Ride 2001 DVD Review Steve Zahn Paul Walker Leelee Sobieski
November 16, 2007
Roadkill or ‘Joy Ride’ as I believe it is known in the US has been one of my favourite horror/thriller movies for a long time so after re watching it last night I decided that it was about time to write a review and explain to everyone just why I love this movie so much and why it definitely isn’t the ‘B Movie’ it has been wrongly portrayed as.
The movie is written by Clay Tarver and JJ Abrams (LOST) and is a strange but workable combination of comedy and tension. Paul Walker plays Lewis, a laidback kinda guy who gets the opportunity to drive his childhood sweetheart Venna (Played by Leelee Sobieski) across the country to their home town for the summer. On the way he has to pick up his brother Fuller, an off the rails and brilliantly funny character played by Steve Zahn.
As the pair head towards their destination to meet Venna they decide to play a trick on an unsuspecting truck driver who goes by the alias Rusty Nail on CB Radio. They tune in and Lewis puts on his best woman’s voice as the fictional ‘Candy Cane’ to fool Rusty Nail into a meeting in a hotel room. Of course when Rusty Nail arrives at the room to find a rather butch and obnoxious man there and his beloved ‘Candy Cane’ nowhere in sight he isn’t exactly best pleased and so begins his twisted saga of revenge, chasing the brothers for miles in his truck in scenes very reminiscent of ‘The Hitcher’ and Jeepers Creepers.
‘Rusty Nail’ himself is voiced by none other than Ted Levine, who starred as ‘Buffalo Bill’ in silence of the Lambs and Big Bob Carter in The Hills have eyes. His unmistakable voice is PERFECT for this movie making you shudder as he frequently drawls the immortal words “Caaaaandy Cane” into the CB.
This isn’t a scare a minute horror movie, or one that is filled with violence, blood and guts, it plays on tension, a good plot and doesn’t make that fatal mistake of taking itself too seriously. Everyone in the film understands the kind of movie they are making; it’s a teen horror that doesn’t rely on the usual cheap scares and over the top acting and instead pulls something out of the bag that is altogether very different. In my opinion it is better than Jeepers Creepers, which although everyone raves about was only actually any good for the first half of the movie until ‘The Creeper’ gets revealed wouldn’t you agree? Unlike that, Roadkill (or Joy Ride depending on how you want to refer to it) is consistently tense and fun throughout the films entirety. It never loses pace, and it never once becomes boring or tedious leaving the audience on the edge of their seats and desperate to catch a glimpse of the brilliantly unstable Rusty Nail.
As you can tell, I love this movie and would recommend it to anyone, not as a serious pretentious horror movie but as a genuinely FUN and watchable film that everyone should have in their collection. Of course, I’m sure everyone out there has their own views and I’d love to hear what you think if you have watched it!
The Pursuit Of Happyness DVD Review Starring Will Smith and Jaden Smith
November 7, 2007
Will Smith plays struggling salesman Chris Gardner a man who is desperate to provide for his young son Christopher and overcome the challenges in his life that seem to be hell bent on destroying them leaving them homeless and destitute.
When Chris realises that people no longer seem to be interested in buying the bone scanning machines he travels the city selling to hospitals and medical units he finds himself put in one of the most difficult situations a father can face. Struggling to keep his family afloat he throws himself into his job, working all hour’s god sent to try and sell enough just to buy food for his son and keep a roof over their head. When they are forced to leave their apartment the severity of the situation sets in and Chris realises that he is going to have to risk everything to try and gain back some sort of normality for himself and Christopher. Read more
Christmas is coming so expect more Doom and Gloom on Eastenders!
November 5, 2007
If you are from the UK like me, you will already understand the point of this article. The British soap opera Eastenders is renowned for its miserable Christmas storylines. There’s usually a death and a big drama in amongst our favourite Londoners festivities and apparently judging by recent rumours this year will be no different!
First of all let me just start by saying that despite the fact that Eastenders has some of the most miserable storylines ever at this time of the year, like the rest of the British public I just can’t resist watching. Along with ‘Hollyoaks’ its one of my favourite soap opera’s and I enjoy nothing better than sitting down and tuning in to the show after a traditional Christmas dinner!
Last year’s Christmas special in Albert Square saw Pauline Fowler meet her untimely end in the middle of the square and this year, although I’m not 100% sure if there will be a death in amidst the gloom there is sure to be plenty of drama with the ‘Big Reveal’ of Stacey and Max’s affair! (Pic below)
I’ve loved this storyline and it’s been great to watch recently, especially with the hour long special last week, should Shaun have told Tanya what he knows about her husband though? Hmm I’m not sure but I do think he’s rather tasty with this whole ‘bad boy’ attitude he’s working lately! (Pic of Shaun below)
Billy Mitchell and his wife Honey are rumoured to be facing serious money troubles this Christmas when Phil decides to sell their home, surely one of the Albert Square residents will come to their rescue? More ‘Mitchell Family’ problems are set to occur with newcomers Ronnie and Roxy (Who I think have been a brilliant addiction to the show) fighting over the same man.
There is sure to be more going on in the run up to Christmas so I for one will definitely be tuning in to the show religiously as usual to keep up with things. How many of you will be watching this years Christmas special, and what would you like to see happen?
