June is now in full swing and the sun is shining with all its might (well some of the time anyway) so summer is definitely here and the list of up-coming cinema releases proves that it is indeed that time of year again as the blockbusters get ready to battle it out on the big screen.
Last summer we saw titans such as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Inglorious Basterds take to our cinema screens in a bid to rake in the biggest takings. This year, however, things are looking a bit on the quiet side with very few highly anticipated releases but, it’s bound to be a summer of film fun none-the-less. Let’s take a look.
May was a fairly quiet movie month with the highlights being Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Robin Hood and Tooth Fairy but, at the end of last month Sex and the City 2 was released which set ladies all over the country in a frantic frenzy to get to the cinema and catch up with the girls in this sequel. This blew all the other May releases out of the water (for the women at least).
Now, mid-way through June, we’ve seen the American remake of the British hit Death at a Funeral enter our cinemas along with the chick flick Letters to Juliet and we can look forward to comedies Get Him to the Greek and Wild Target later this month.
July is when we really see it kick off and get a glimpse of the blockbuster battle with the release of Shrek Forever After 3D on 2nd July, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse on 9th July and Toy Story 3 in 3D on 19th July. As usual the summer holidays are packed with movies to tempt the kids but, isn’t that why we love July because we all get to join in on the fun too? Apart from these, we can also look forward to quiet contenders The A-Team and The Karate Kid which will both be popular watches.
By August, we see things calm down once again with fewer anticipated releases; we can expect to be entertained by Cats and Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore 3D released on 4th August, Knight and Day and Step up 3D, both out on 6th August but, there’s little else to get excited over this month.
So, all in all we have a summer of good movies ahead of us (with 3D glasses galore) but, the murmur of excitement revolves around a very small minority of the films this year and there will likely be less people rushing to the cinema to see the latest release. My pick of the favourites this year is Toy Story 3 – it’s been such a long time coming so it’ll be really interesting to see where they go with this one and whether it can stand as a strong sequel.
Happy summer viewing.
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Sunday, 6 June 2010
Pets at Home Re-homing Weekend
Pets at Home on Newport Road in Cardiff will be holding a small animal re-homing weekend on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th June to find loving new homes for the many pets that have been given up for adoption.
Acting store manager John Tweedy said: "The re-homing weekend is a fantastic opportunity for the community to give lasting new homes for the unwanted pets while raising money for local re-homing charities."
Hundreds of animals are abandoned or given up for adoption every year but, a few years ago Pets at Home established re-homing centres in most stores to combat the problem. They take in unwanted pets from the public and find suitable homes for them; the donations made for the animals by the new owners contribute to the Support Adoption Charity which helps support re-homing centres all over the UK.
This April, 18 degus (small rodents) were abandoned in a cardboard box outside the store, there was a mixture of ages and some were estimated to be as young as three weeks old. This is the third time this has happened and staff believe it is the same people who are dumping these pets. John said: "We're disgusted at the callous treatment of these lovely animals and are shocked that this continues to happen in this day and age but, on the positive side this gives the true pet lovers of Cardiff a chance to give these poor pets a new lease of life"
Sadly, many animals pass through the re-homing centre in the Newport Road branch for various reasons; Assistant Manager Deborah Harford said: "It's a shame to see the amount of pets that people hand over to us. We usually find people giving them up because of financial difficulties, because they're moving home or simply because owners haven't done their research first and don't realise the costs and commitment involved with a pet.”
The re-homing weekend aims to find as many homes as possible for the pets in store and staff will be introducing customers to the abandoned degus, rabbits who have been unable to find new homes due to their temperaments and any other small animals that are in need of a fresh start.
John said: "We're hoping to re-home at least half of the unwanted pets in store and any more would be an added bonus. We just want to give these animals a chance to find a new owner who is committed to keeping them for life. We hope the weekend will be a huge success and that customers will support us all the way."
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Westlife Live at the CIA
It’s been two long , agonizing years since I last saw Westlife live on tour but, their performance at the CIA on Friday 21st May proved that it was definitely worth the wait.
The show ‘Where We Are’ featured some of the best songs from the album of the same name. They sang ‘What About Now’, ‘Shadows’, ‘Where We Are’ and a jazzed up version of ‘How To Break a Heart’’.
As well as the new tracks, they also played some old favourites such as ‘If I Let You Go’, ‘Uptown Girl’, ‘Tell Me What Makes a Man’, ‘When You’re Looking Like That’ and of course ‘Flying Without Wings’ which had me in tears for yet another year.
As is tradition for a Westlife gig, the boys did a medley of cover songs in the middle section. I look forward to this every time as I never know what they’re going to sing. This year we were treated to ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ (very appropriate for this tour), ‘I Gotta Feeling’ and ‘Sex On Fire’ – all were huge crowd pleasers.
The encore was definitely one of the highlights of the show as it was full of emotion that could be felt rippling right throughout the audience. The lads sang ‘I’ll See You Again’ as a dedication to both Kian and Nicky’s Fathers both of whom passed away last year. They sang with their eyes closed and with images of both of their dads coming up on the screens behind them. The emotion emanating from the stage was incredible and it was such a moving moment that I bet there was hardly a dry eye in the house. It really was a brilliant dedication and a strong testament of their ability to move between up-beat feel good songs and deep emotional ballads.
The scenery on stage and on the big screens for this tour was very varied which wasn’t always a good thing. The props and images ranged from giant multicoloured inflatable balls, an arch of red roses and an enormous robot with lighting and fireworks attached to a scantily dressed woman dancing sexily on the screens (which was obviously there just to keep the men who had been dragged along by their partners interested in the show) my only criticism of the show is that this wasn’t such a great idea as it was hardly a hit with most of the female fans and seemed a little out of context with the songs they were singing.
The vocals from all the lads were spot on as usual and the banter and chemistry between them on stage is great to watch, they really know how to put on an entertaining show; there are very few acts with the ability to make me laugh and cry in the same concert.
This year’s gig at the CIA really was amazing, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world and I look forward to next year. It’s a relief to see them back and doing what they do best.
The show ‘Where We Are’ featured some of the best songs from the album of the same name. They sang ‘What About Now’, ‘Shadows’, ‘Where We Are’ and a jazzed up version of ‘How To Break a Heart’’.
As well as the new tracks, they also played some old favourites such as ‘If I Let You Go’, ‘Uptown Girl’, ‘Tell Me What Makes a Man’, ‘When You’re Looking Like That’ and of course ‘Flying Without Wings’ which had me in tears for yet another year.
As is tradition for a Westlife gig, the boys did a medley of cover songs in the middle section. I look forward to this every time as I never know what they’re going to sing. This year we were treated to ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ (very appropriate for this tour), ‘I Gotta Feeling’ and ‘Sex On Fire’ – all were huge crowd pleasers.
The encore was definitely one of the highlights of the show as it was full of emotion that could be felt rippling right throughout the audience. The lads sang ‘I’ll See You Again’ as a dedication to both Kian and Nicky’s Fathers both of whom passed away last year. They sang with their eyes closed and with images of both of their dads coming up on the screens behind them. The emotion emanating from the stage was incredible and it was such a moving moment that I bet there was hardly a dry eye in the house. It really was a brilliant dedication and a strong testament of their ability to move between up-beat feel good songs and deep emotional ballads.
The scenery on stage and on the big screens for this tour was very varied which wasn’t always a good thing. The props and images ranged from giant multicoloured inflatable balls, an arch of red roses and an enormous robot with lighting and fireworks attached to a scantily dressed woman dancing sexily on the screens (which was obviously there just to keep the men who had been dragged along by their partners interested in the show) my only criticism of the show is that this wasn’t such a great idea as it was hardly a hit with most of the female fans and seemed a little out of context with the songs they were singing.
The vocals from all the lads were spot on as usual and the banter and chemistry between them on stage is great to watch, they really know how to put on an entertaining show; there are very few acts with the ability to make me laugh and cry in the same concert.
This year’s gig at the CIA really was amazing, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world and I look forward to next year. It’s a relief to see them back and doing what they do best.
Saturday, 22 May 2010
2012 DVD review
From the hype surrounding the release of this film, I was expecting an epic movie with the ability to make me nervous about the doom we might all be facing in 2012... How wrong I was though, I just couldn’t take the film seriously.
2012 tells the tale of the end of life as we know it as the destruction of our planet looms and the survival of the human race is limited. We follow an author called Jackson and his dysfunctional family on their mission to safety as they attempt to make it on to the Ark for a new life away from the devastation. However, space on the Ark is limited and tickets are only offered to the elite who have the best chance of keeping the human race strong so Jackson and his family have to find a way to sneak onto the Ark but, in doing so they put the whole project in jeopardy.
On paper, this film sounds pretty decent but, in reality it’s a bit of a joke. The plight of a family / group of people escaping a disaster is all too familiar and it just feels rehashed for 2012. The acting, on the whole, is fairly good but, this does little to make up for the cheese present in the plotline and don’t even get me started on the CGI; I’m not the biggest supporter of CGI but, it’s a part of our modern film diet and we all like a bit of it from time to time but, the CGI used in 2012 is so over the top and out of proportion that it is quite ridiculous to watch.
Overall, 2012 is an entertaining enough watch (if you like that kind of thing) but, it’s definitely not the best film you’ll see this year and it definitely doesn’t deserve all the hype so just don’t set your hopes too high before you press play!
Friday, 21 May 2010
The Men Who Stare at Goats DVD Review
George Clooney and Ewan McGregor star as an unlikely duo in this unusual off-the-wall comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats.
Bob Wilton (McGregor) is an ambitious young journalist who wants to prove his worth after the break-up of his marriage so, he flies out to Kuwait to report on the Iraq War.
Back at home he had interviewed a man named Gus Lacey who claimed to have psychic powers but, Bob labelled him as crazy and thought little of it until he stumbled across retired Special Forces Operator, Lyn Cassady (Clooney) on his arrival in Iraq.
On mentioning Gus to Lyn, Bob uncovers a whole new side of the armed forces as Lyn reveals that he was part of a specialist group (the Jedi Warriors) who were training psychic spies to use their abilities in cloud busting, remote viewing, invisibility and other psychic abilities.
As the pair become closer and Lyn identifies Bob as a fellow Jedi Warrior, they find themselves embarking on a strange adventure as Lyn believes he is on a mission after his vision of the Jedi Warrior founder Bill Django. On their journey together, they are kidnapped by a criminal gang, rescued by a private security firm, caught up in a fire fight between two security firms and then they find themselves stranded in the desert after Lyn crashes the car. All the while Bob is learning more about Lyn’s life as a Jedi Warrior and his strange abilities (though Bob is still not entirely convinced that Lyn isn’t just another crackpot).
The Men Who Stare at Goats is a brilliantly bizarre comedy and Clooney and McGregor have their roles down to a tee making it an entertaining and exciting watch. If you like Burn After Reading, then you’re going to love this film; even if it does leaving you wondering what the hell just happened when the credits start.
The Men Who Stare at Goats in available to buy or rent on DVD now.
Thursday, 20 May 2010
Ronan Keating Splits From Wife of 12 Years
Boyzone heartthrob, Ronan Keating, has announced his split from model wife Yvonne after 12 years of marriage.
The couple, who have three children together, are parting ways on good terms as a spokesperson for the pair read: “With great sadness, Ronan and Yvonne Keating today announce their separation.”
"The separation is amicable and they will continue to work together in order to provide the best for their children. The family ask for privacy at this difficult time."
Tickets for Boyzone’s 2011 tour ‘Brother’ at the Odyssey Arena go on sale Thursday 27th May at 9am.
Source: http://www.pr-inside.com/keating-splits-from-wife-r1903793.htm
The couple, who have three children together, are parting ways on good terms as a spokesperson for the pair read: “With great sadness, Ronan and Yvonne Keating today announce their separation.”
"The separation is amicable and they will continue to work together in order to provide the best for their children. The family ask for privacy at this difficult time."
Tickets for Boyzone’s 2011 tour ‘Brother’ at the Odyssey Arena go on sale Thursday 27th May at 9am.
Source: http://www.pr-inside.com/keating-splits-from-wife-r1903793.htm
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince PS2 game review
After having played a few of the other Harry Potter games on the PS1 and PS2, I was really looking forward to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and anticipated that it would be a thrilling and spooky game that would keep me on the edge of my seat and wanting to play more... how wrong I was.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince takes us through Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts; Voldemort is back to full power and posing a great threat to the wizarding world and Harry has to help Dumbledore find a way to defeat the Dark Lord by finding and destroying the Horcruxes whilst also keeping an eye on his nemesis Draco Malfoy who seems to be up to no good. Of course, he still has his school work and teenage relationships to keep astride of on top of all this. This story would give the game the opportunity to provide lots of exciting challenges but, it fails to follow through on this.
The majority of the important aspects of the game are all portrayed in narrative and involve little or no interaction. In fact, you don’t really do a great deal throughout the game and it all becomes very repetitive: you duel with Malfoy and his gang, learn a new potion in potions club and play Quidditch (which has to involve an annoying warm up before each match); these aspects are broken up with narrative, talking to Ron and Hermione and following Nearly Headless Nick around the castle before the repetition starts all over again.
In previous games, you have had to explore the castle to collect Witches and Wizards Cards, Beans and other objects however, in this game, all you collect are shields which you can pick up on your travels but, collecting these very quickly becomes boring.
Despite my first impressions that this would be a hard game to complete, I soon discovered that it was ridiculously easy, meaning I had finished with it all too quickly and was left feeling disappointed and slightly ripped off!
It may be that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince would be engaging on other gaming platforms but, sadly for the PS2 it’s really not worth the time of day.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince takes us through Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts; Voldemort is back to full power and posing a great threat to the wizarding world and Harry has to help Dumbledore find a way to defeat the Dark Lord by finding and destroying the Horcruxes whilst also keeping an eye on his nemesis Draco Malfoy who seems to be up to no good. Of course, he still has his school work and teenage relationships to keep astride of on top of all this. This story would give the game the opportunity to provide lots of exciting challenges but, it fails to follow through on this.
The majority of the important aspects of the game are all portrayed in narrative and involve little or no interaction. In fact, you don’t really do a great deal throughout the game and it all becomes very repetitive: you duel with Malfoy and his gang, learn a new potion in potions club and play Quidditch (which has to involve an annoying warm up before each match); these aspects are broken up with narrative, talking to Ron and Hermione and following Nearly Headless Nick around the castle before the repetition starts all over again.
In previous games, you have had to explore the castle to collect Witches and Wizards Cards, Beans and other objects however, in this game, all you collect are shields which you can pick up on your travels but, collecting these very quickly becomes boring.
Despite my first impressions that this would be a hard game to complete, I soon discovered that it was ridiculously easy, meaning I had finished with it all too quickly and was left feeling disappointed and slightly ripped off!
It may be that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince would be engaging on other gaming platforms but, sadly for the PS2 it’s really not worth the time of day.
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