MONTHLY MOVIE PICKS: MAY

I'e decided to start a new little series called Monthly Movie Picks where I'll just give a run through of the movies I'm looking forward to watching in the upcoming month. 

So for the month of May my movie picks are:

An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection.

UK Release: May 11th

I'm a Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer fan so of course I'll be wanting to watch this movie! The name may suggest a thriller but to me it looks more like a comedy with the usual twist Tim Burton gives to all his movies. ****

A look at love through the eyes of five interconnected couples experiencing the thrills and surprises of having a baby, and ultimately coming to understand the universal truth that no matter what you plan for, life doesn't always deliver what's expected. UK Release: May 23rd

This movie really does have a star-studded cast including Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Brooklyn Decker, Denis Quaid, Chris Rock and the list could go on....and on...I can just tell it's going to be an almighty comedy! ****

Agent J travels in time to MIB's early years in the 1960s, to stop an alien from assassinating his friend Agent K and changing history. UK Release: May 25th

This looks like a lighthearted Sci-fi comedy much like all the other Men in Black movies. I'm a little confused why Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Tim Burton are in the credited cast list though.... ****

In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.

UK Release: June 1st 

This movie comes out on June 1st so technically it isn't in May, but by the time my June picks are rotten it will be too late so I included it here. This movie is probably the movie I'm most excited to see; it looks like an epic production with a great cast. Charlize Theron's part are sure to be some of the best in the entire movie. 

Well that's it for my May movie picks. What movies are you most looking forward to this month?

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THOR

Okay so i realise my blog has been very Marvel related lately, what with Captan America, The Avengers and now Thor, but honestly, the reason is simply because I've found myself becoming a fan of the movies.

So Thor, some of you are probably sat there shaking your heads wondering why I have only just gotten round to watching it and after watching I am thinking the exact same thing. What a brilliant movie! In typical Marvel fashion, there is a lot of action, a lot of villains and a lot of complex characters all rolled into one feature length movie. 

For those of you unfamiliar with the story of Thor; it is set realm of Asgard where Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is set to be the new king taking over from his father Odem (Anthony Hopkins), but after proving to be too arrogant he is banished to Earth without power or his trusty hammer. Following this, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor's brother, is the only remaining ere to the throne and so does everything in his power to keep Thor on earth, including sending dark forces to kill his father and his brother. 

Whilst on Earth, Thor meets Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and a relationship sparks between them that completely changes Thor as a character turning him from arrogant to a defender of Earth. This was the most predictable part of the movie, I knew from the second Jane was introduced that she would be a love interest for Thor, however they did have great on-screen chemistry.

One thing I need to mention are the graphics and visuals which are quite something. One scene in particular shows you and entire view of Asgard and that scene is just spectacular, as well as others, mainly away from the Earth scenes. 

Another thing, make sure you watch the end credits to Iron Man, The Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America because they all build a story of what you can expect in The Avengers. I didn't even realise there were end credits (I won't make that mistake again) and having just watched them now, I wish I had known about them before I went to watch it. For those of you who also didn't realise there were end credits, here's a video with the scenes from each of the movies:

Back to Thor, I would totally recommend this movie to anyone, even if you aren't a Marvel fan, because it's a really easy watch with brilliantly shot scenes and a great cast including the above mentioned and Stellan Skarsgard, Clark Gregg, Idris Elba and Colm Feore. The story isn't overly complex and it definitely isn't out of this world, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it all the same.

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CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

Okay so before anyone says anything, I get that I'm a bit late with this one (a lot late), but I only today got around to watching Captain America: The First Avenger and it was so so good! 

The story is basically about a small and thin guy called Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) who repeatedly tries to sign up for the army to fight in the second world war, but each time gets turned away because of his size and his medical conditions. That is until Dr Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) sees how determined he is and how willing he is to protect his country, and so gets him into an experimental program to which he will be injected with muscle generators and 'Vita Rays'. 

Steve is then transformed into a large muscular figure who has strength and speed on his side (the opposite to his previous self). He is transformed into the 'Captain America' figure performing day after day to recruit and make people aware of the war but in doing so finds himself fighting to save his friend and the country. 

I think this movie really does capture a sense of the war but should be taken with a pinch of salt in parts as it is very out of this world and sometimes impossible. I like how we get to see the transformation of Steve Rogers and also how he and the other characters interact is just genius. Tommy Lee Jones plays the army general and is a very outspoken and almost witty character coming out with some of the best lines in the entire movie - I found myself laughing frequently! Hayley Atwell's character seems none other than a role to fall at the feet of Captain America and act as his romantic interest which she does well but to some extent she does come access as rather needy. Stanley Tucci's role is far too short which is a shame, and Dominic Cooper's role is played out to be all important however, he doesn't really get all that much screen time with his bad American accent and terrible moustache. Hugo Weaving plays the Red Skull well and of course his part is somewhat of a main role so it is to be expected. 

Overall a great movie with a great and surprising cast. I found it easy to watch and didn't get confused (much!). I wasn't sure if it would be my type of thing but after watching I'm so glad I gave it a go because I really did thoroughly enjoy it. I'm excited to see The Avengers when that comes out!

Have you watched Captain America: The First Avenger? Are you a fan of Marvel movies? 

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DARK SHADOWS OVER THE LONE RANGER

I haven't really mentioned this before but I am a huge huge fan of Johnny Depp's, I think he is a brilliant, adaptable actor who seizes to amaze me every time I watch one of his roles. My favourite of his roles is undoubtedly Jack Sparrow (typical answer I know but he is just brilliant in all the POTC movies), with his role of the Mad Hatter coming a close second. He just seems to take each role and bring them into his own every time which is rare in a lot of actors/actresses. 

Anyway, the reason I wanted to post about him is because I recently found out about the release of the Tim Burton movie Dark Shadows due for release in May of this year. Now the movie is about Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) who broke the heart of the witch Angelique Bouchard and so was turned into a vampire and buried alive. He is then accidently released and goes back to find his home which is by now occupied by the Collins family, which is lead by the mother Elizabeth Collins (Michelle Pfeiffer), who all have various secrets about them. When I found out Johnny Depp was in this movie I was excited, then when I found out Michelle Pfeiffer was too I was even more excited!

The movie is based around the 1966 gothic soap opera Dark Shadows and honestly wouldn't normally be my cup of tea but I am always willing to make an exception if Johnny Depp has a starring role. The movie also stars Eva Green, Helena Bonham-Carter and Chloë Moretz which I think will make for a great and interesting movie. 

*****

Another thing I'm super excited about is the release of the first promo photo for The Lone Ranger movie starring none other than.....Johnny Depp as Tonto! 

(via Marie Claire)

Jerry Bruckheimer tweeted 'Tonto and The Lone Ranger Ride Again!' alongside this photo which gives us a tiny insight into what to expect. One thing I noticed immediately; does Depp's make-up look familiar to anyone else's? A certain Mr Sparrow maybe? Even with this similarity, I'm still super excited for this movie to get underway and then for its eventual release. 

Are any of you Johnny Depp fans? Are you excited for the release of Dark Shadows and The Lone Ranger?

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January Favourites

This is my first ever monthly favourites post and I'm definitely not an expert so just bear with me. Here are some of my favourite things from the month of January; I'll warn you now, there is a lot! 


Hair

Tangle Teezer (bright pink) - This has been a part of my life since Christmas and all I can say is that it has saved me from many painful brushing experiences. Read my full review here. 

Batiste Dry Shampoo 'Tropical' - I have a love hate relationship with this dry shampoo. I'll admit, it does refresh my hair like it claims and the smell is just amazing and lasts all day, BUT, and this is a big but, it leaves that typical dry shampoo grey tone to my hair which takes forever to brush out. I do still use this though because it does work, I just wish it didn't take so long to brush away.

Aussie Mega Shampoo and Conditioner - This shampoo and conditioner combo is amazing. I have never been able to find a shampoo and conditioner that I like until I found Aussie. Since using these, my hair has been so soft and has felt so thick and clean (not that my hair isn't usually clean haha). Also can I just mention the smell, I mean seriously, whoever thought to make a shampoo that smells like Calpol medicine is a genius! One thing I would say is the prices of these seem to fluctuate loads; one week they will be cheap and the next the price will have shot up - I saw in one store they were £6.99 each!! 

Got2B 'Guardian Angel' Heat Protection Spray - After hearing so many good things about this product, I finally bit the bullet and end out and got some. After using it throughout the month I've actually noticed that my hair is looking in better condition and not so damaged from my hair straighteners. This has now definitely become a staple piece in my hair care products and at £3.09 from Wilkinsons it's quite inexpensive too!



Makeup

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick #03 - This is a real everyday lipstick. It's matte, nude/pink and very very moisturising I've found. The wear is quite good and it lasts quite a while before reapplication is in order. This has been my everyday lipstick and I just love it! I think the packaging is very sleek and sturdy and Kate Moss' signature on the lid just adds to the sleek look. 

My eye look using the NYC quartet

NYC 'The Best of Broadway' Metro Quartet Eyeshadow - I'm not a makeup expert and I certainly don't have all the top brands and what not, but for my everyday look through January I've found myself reaching for this little palette which has four warm brownish tones that I find look natural but still noticeable. 

Collection 200 Lasting Perfection Concealer Shade Deep 4 - Pretty much every beauty blogger and YouTube guru raves about this concealer so I thought; why not give it a try. Well, all I can say is, why didn't I try this sooner! This concealer is thick and creamy in its consistency and it blends really well so it isn't even noticeable. It lasts all day usually, so no annoying touch-ups or anything. This has now taken over from my Rimmel Corrector Stick Concealer! 

MISC.

Rimmel Pro 'Aqua Cool' and NYC 'Gramercy Glitz' - I love both of these nail polishes separately but together they just look so good! In all honestly the glitter polish looks good worn this way with any colour underneath but this is the colour I've loved most in January. 

I'm also loving Rimmel Pro Super Wear top coat because it is just amazing! My mum gave it to me when I ran out of my old one and now I'm just shocked that I hadn't discovered it before. It makes your nails so shiny and it lasts for agessssss. 

Sarah Jessica Parker 'NYC' Perfume - This perfume has a very floral scent and has been my go-to perfume for a few months now. The scent is just so wearable and it's by far my all-time favourite everyday fragrance - I say that because I have two which are also favourites but I try to limit my use (Chanel No5 and Boyfriend) because of the price and availability. 

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Burlesque - Both these movies have been favourites of mine both throughout December and January so I thought it only fair that I included them in my first ever favourites post. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is my favourite of the whole series of movies and I think Jack Sparrow is my all time favourite movie character! Burlesque is a current obsession of mine because I love Cher and I love musical movies (read my full Burlesque review here).

Body of Proof and Once Upon a Time - Body of Proof is on its second season now and I'll admit, at first, I wasn't really that much of a fan. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed watching it but it didn't really come high in my priorities but lately I have started being way more excited for each new episode and Dana Delany is a brilliant actress! Once Upon a Time however is a new show and immediately I knew I loved it! My favourite character is Rumplestiltskin (hence why I chose that poster) but I do think the whole cast rate brilliant (read a full review here).

Tess Gerritsen's The Apprentice - I finished this book on the 1st of January so that counts right? Anyway, Tess Gerritsen is an amazing writer and this book just had me hooked from the very beginning. These books are where the television series Rizzoli and Isles came from and if you love them you will love these books - even if you don't, these books are brilliant!


Well that's all for my January Favourites; sorry it was such a long post but this month I've found so many things I love, and I felt the start of the year needed a long post!


xoxo

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Slightly Obsessed?

So as some of you may or may not know, I love watching American television shows and movies and when we moved into our  new house last year, the first thing I did was sort out my movie/television corner. in my bedroom. I add to it all the time but today I stood and looked at it and thought it was pretty much up-to-date and finish as of this day so I thought why not show it to you lovely people...

My movie/television corner is just off my bedroom where my wardrobes are and it is not for the faint hearted! So here we go!

All of my movies are in alphabetical order - except for the smaller of the three stands because they are my most recent buys and it's sooooo much effort to take every DVD out and re-order them...I will do it eventually haha. My blu-rays and television series are in no order whatsoever, but they are stood so I can see them all clearly.

No on to the scary part of the corner which is the posters; there is a lot! I try to switch out my posters every so often to keep up with new shows I watch and to take down posters of the shows I don't watch anymore due to them being cancelled - which happens all the time! I have a few movie posters but generally most are television shows which I watch weekly. As you can probably see I have more than a few Private Practice, The Vampire diaries and Kate Walsh posters because well I love these two shows and Kate is awesome so why not?!

This post has actually inspired me to go and alphabetise the rest of the movies so I think I'll leave this here and go and get on with that. I hope you enjoyed seeing a big part of me and what I love and I'd love to hear your favourite television show, movie, actor and actress.

xoxo

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