I've Been Thinking... - What I Saw at the Cinema in January: Rogue One and La La land.

Hi!!!

I've said this a lot recently, but last year I really got back into going to the cinema. I really want to continue that this year, because I really enjoy it, and I made a good start by going twice in January. Here's my thoughts on the movies I saw last month, both of which are still running at most cinemas.

The first film I saw at the cinema in 2017 was Rogue One: A Star Wars Story which is set shortly before the events of ‘A New Hope’, ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ and reveals how the Rebellion got their hands on the designs for the Death Star with the help of former criminal Jyn Erso.
 I went with my Uncle B - we hadn't been to the cinema together in about a million years so it was lovely to spend that time together.

I love Star Wars, and this is one of my favourite films in the franchise.

I find that during most of the Star Wars films, I get bored for at least fifteen minutes or so in the middle, but that didn't happen with Rogue One. I found it engaging, entertaining and I really liked the plot and I think they have the pacing for this one spot on,

The characters were all interesting and individual and I'm really glad I went to see it. I was concerned it would take away from the actual main Star Wars films, but I think it just adds to them - its nice to see more of that universe.

When I first saw the trailer for La La Land, I very excitedly told my best friend Elf Girl about it because she loves musicals just as much as me. It follows the lives of Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a jazz pianist, and the romance that begins between the two of them, which is threatened when they finally find success.

 I enjoyed the film a lot. I think the characters are great, I really like the songs and the score in general and I like that it features dance routines like those from old school Hollywood musicals. There are gorgeous moments in this movie.

 I wasn't keen on some elements of the cinematography -  namely the ridiculously fast, makes-your-eyes-go-out-of-focus panning - but other aspects of it I found to be really beautiful. I'm not mad about the structure - its split into seasons - and in some ways I don't think it is quite all that certain reviewers, critics and people in general say it is, but I did like it all the same and would recommend you go and see it.

There are links here and here to screening times for Rogue One and links here and here to screening times for La La Land.

I hope you enjoyed these mini reviews of two of January's biggest films.

Have you seen these movies? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future content? Please leave a comment below and I'll get back to you.

Thanks for reading, and if you go and see either of these films, I hope you enjoy them.

I hope you have an incredible day!

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking... - I Saw The Magnificent Seven... It Was Magnificent.

Hi!!!

Good morning, folks. This week I have been quite busy so when plans were made to fill yesterday afternoon with lunch, shops and a cinema trip, I was absolutely delighted. Elf Girl and I went to see The Magnificent Seven at our local cinema yesterday and I'm here to tell you all about it.





The Magnificent Seven is an excellent film. The cast are stellar and the characters they played were awesome (when we left the cinema, we tried to pick favourites and couldn't because they were all great). It has a great soundtrack, which features many elements of the original, the costumes were impressive and the director deserves a huge pat on the back because it was filmed wonderfully.

Plot wise, it is quite similar to the original in terms of essential components - bad guy taking money from people in a small town (except in this it is in America, not Mexico), and a team with various talents and backgrounds forms to try and stop him - with a little extra flair, which makes for very entertaining, and a uniquely familiar, viewing experience.
It has all of those classic elements that make a good Western film. It has hats and horses and guns, it has beautiful landscape shots, it has saloons and gun twirling and jokes every now and then. It has a sense of camaraderie and fun as well as tension.

I personally LOVED it and would recommend that you go and see it this weekend.

I hope you enjoyed this mini-review of The Magnificent Seven.

Have you seen it yet? Do you want to? What are your favourite Westerns? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading.

Have an awesome day!

GingerSnaps xxx



Recent Reads - Books - 'Paper Towns' Review.

Hi!!!

Well, today's post is a first. I've never written a book review on my blog. But here I am today, writing one. I feel like such a momentous occasion should be marked by reviewing something like 'War and Peace' or 'Les Miserables' but alas, it is not and couldn't be, because I have read neither. I am instead reviewing a book I never thought I'd read - 'Paper Towns' by John Green.

So, why did I think I'd never read it? Let me explain.

I went to see the movie of 'The Fault in Our Stars' a few years ago for someone's birthday and I wasn't *quite* as amazed as everyone said I'd be.
 I came to two conclusions about John Green - I didn't like the way he named his characters (some of the names just seemed a bit pretentious) and I thought that some of the things they did were so far from what anyone would do, let alone teenagers (the cigarette metaphor, anyone?).

And, to be honest, I never thought I'd read it because it's young adult. Which I know is ridiculous of me, and snobby of me, and 'ooh I'm too cool' of me, isn't it? *hangs head in shame*.

However, I decided that this year I should actually read one of his books, rather than judge them by Hollywood or my own silly poorly founded opinions.

 

 

Paper Towns was recommended to me by my dear friend Elf Girl and as I trust her judgement in these things, I decided that it would be the one I would read.

 

The basic plot of 'Paper Towns' is as follows...

 Quentin Jacobsen (Q) has spent a lifetime loving Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. One night, she cracks open a window and climbs into his life - dressed like a ninja, summoning him to join her in a campaign of revenge - and he follows. Q arrives at school the next day to find that she has disappeared. Q soon learns that there are clues in her disappearance and that they have been left for him and he decides to follow them back to her.

 

Turns out, I actually love 'Paper Towns'. It is a great book.

The plot is really interesting and intelligent and filled with intricate details (Margo's clues for Q being the source of many). At times it is hilariously funny and I stopped to read some of the jokes again and again. And the names did bother me, but only for the first chapter or so, and yes, sometimes the dialogue was a little off base, but not by much.

 I really like the characters in 'Paper Towns', I like their friendships and their in-jokes and their craziness and their beer swords, and I like the many sides of them too. Q grows as a person in front of the readers eyes without them realising, and the lessons he learns are lessons carefully planted for the reader, too.

 

And yeah, maybe a name like Margo Roth Spiegelman is a lot to say all at once but, you know what? I've been looking at 'Paper Towns' merchandise since I finished it, and I've been talking to anyone that'll listen about it, and I think John Green is a very good author.

 

So, I like a John Green book. I love 'Paper Towns'. I'd give it a very enthusiastic and hearty four stars. And I'd recommend it to you, even if you think it won't be up your street.
 There's this part in the book where Q describes himself and his friends as "Young. Goofy. Infinite" and I love that because it fits so beautifully with their spirit, and it captures the spirit of the book as a whole.

 

Buy it here.

Thanks for reading my first ever book review. I hope you enjoyed it.
Have you read Paper Towns? Do you have any book recomendations for me? Would you like to see more book reviews? Any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments. Oh and do you have any opinions on the series title or suggestions for a new one?
Speak soon, lovely people.

I hope your day is glorious!

 

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking... - Why You Should Go And See Suicide Squad.

Hi!!!

I've been to the cinema more this year than any other year that I can remember - there have been so many new releases that I've wanted to go and see. My friends and I went to see Suicide Squad last Saturday and I thought you might like to here my thoughts on it.

There's been a lot riding on Suicide Squad, the 'movie event of the year'. This is for a number of reasons, one being the huge fan bases the character's in this film have, even though they've never been featured on film before.

 

I ABSOLUTLEY LOVE THIS FILM (sorry for the loud shouting, I just really do).

I think Margot Robbie gives a perfect performance as Harley Quinn, one of the greatest characters in film this year - she's out there, she's crazy, she's fearless and funny and all that kind of stuff. I also loved Will Smith as Deadshot - he played the super cool hitman brilliantly. Jared Leto's Joker is very impressive and great to watch. The other character's are very good, too. They may well be the 'worst heroes ever' but they some of the most interesting, daring and entertaining characters in cinema. Someone tell Taylor Swift that I've found different squad goals.

The plot is engaging and entertaining - I didn't look at my watch once, I didn't want it to end, really. It's not often that I'll think about a film for days after, it happens when I'm very impressed. This film and it's characters have cropped up in my head so often these past few days. I'll certainly buy the DVD release when it comes out.

 

I'd recommend it to you all. It's funny, sharp and unique and I really enjoyed it.

 

You can see the trailer here.

 

Well, thanks for reading.

Have you seen Suicide Squad? Do you have any cinema recommendations for me? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

I hope you enjoyed. Speak soon.

 

Have an awesome day!

 

GingerSnaps xxx

It's Showtime!!! - Theatre Reviews - The Ambassador Box Experience at The Harold Pinter Theatre.

Hi!!!

As you may well know, I recently went to see Sunny Afternoon at the Harold Pinter theatre. I usually get tickets in the stalls but was treated to the Ambassador Box Experience, which I'll be reviewing for you today (if this was any other blog, this would be sponsored but we all know that isn't the kind of ship I run).

We arrived ten minutes before the start of the show (which was a bit stressful for me, not gonna lie. I don't like to be late to important things) but we had been told that you can access the seats in the experience from half an hour before the show begins, which impressed me because it gives you plenty of time to get settled.
 I'd had seats in the box before but that was for a pantomime when I was very, very young so I can't say that I have anything to compare it to, sorry.
Anyway, we were shown to our seats by a member of staff who was incredibly kind and helpful, as I found all of the staff at the Pinter to be. You get some added extras as part of the experience - savoury snacks, Belgian chocolates and some Cava. I can say for certain that all were enjoyed very much (whoever does the theatre's weekly big shop gets a gold star from me). The seats were super comfortable and there was loads of space. The view from seats in the box takes some getting used to, especially if you normally sit in the stalls, like I do, but I felt like I had a good view of the majority of what was going on onstage, as most of the action is central or on the platform. And you can't really complain because there are seats with a restricted view around the rest of the theatre (I would assume) - at least I had the option of leaning on the little rail, too.

 

So to recap - the staff were very accommodating and helpful, the seats we had were incredibly comfy, I had a relatively good view of everything, the snacks/drinks/extras were of high quality, show was fab and I was really happy with the Ambassador Box Experience. Plus, I had extra room to dance and air guitar at the end.

I would definitely recommend it to you, if you ever get chance. It really is a great experience and you do feel very special. Five stars.

Ta Dah! As always, thanks for reading. After hardly doing any theatre-y content for a year, I'm glad to be back at it.
Have you been to the theatre lately? Have you seen Sunny Afternoon? Have you ever had tickets for seats in the box? If you have any comments or suggestions for future posts then be sure to let me know.
Happy weekend to you and yours.

Have a fantastic day!

 

GingerSnaps xxx