Review: Rise of the Guardians (2012)

Directed by Peter Ramsey

 

"When the evil spirit Pitch launches an assault on Earth, the Immortal Guardians team up to protect the innocence of children all around the world." - IMDB

 

So I took my little brother, Logan, to see this on Christmas Eve because I'm just an awesome sister and I thought It'd be nice to spend some time together since it was Christmas! He'd been dying to see it since it came out and let me note that he's 7 so you don't think that we're two teenage weirdos who like to watch kids films together...

 

Anyway, I really liked the film! (I'm so good at writing reviews right...)

It's primarily a kid's film but even at 19, I really enjoyed it! Logan also said "it was the best film ever!" It was funny, entertaining and kept you gripped all the way through. Jude Law voiced Pitch who was the evil Bogeyman which just made the film really. Although he was the villain, his smouldering voice was still there!

Although the plot made me a little worried that Logan and other children watching would take it to heart (The Guardians had to stop the children from not believing in them) it turned out well and I found it really interesting. The characters fitted in well, and the film portrayed them brilliantly. I like films that tell stories of different characters and I liked this one because we got to find out how the tooth fairy and the sandman etc. (characters who founded our childhood) worked and lived. The characters were really believable which I think made the film as good as it was. It wasn't too over the top or not enough, just in the middle. Just right!

 

Although most of the characters were created and portrayed well, I didn't understand why they made Santa Claus, or North, Russian. We usually see Santa as English or American and in the back of my mind I was thinking that it wasn't actually Santa and when Logan asked if that was the real Santa etc. I didn't know what to say!

I'm guessing it was supposed to be a Christmas film, but it didn't feel very 'Christmassy'. It was set around Easter time for a start, and the other characters featured more than Santa. There were a couple of snow days, created by Jack Frost, but why would you have a snow day at that time of year? I think the time when the story was set was wrong, and even though a lot of it was set in Santa's workshop, it didn't feel like that was one of the strong/main points.

 

I'm having a bit of a creative block right now but I hope this has been good enough. If you have any questions or anything, feel free to ask! (Find Me)

Hope you've had a good Christmas!

Job Hunting

So I felt like it was time for a rant and what can I rant more about than job hunting?

I feel like I'm going to be a mess by the end of this and probably sat in a corner, rocking...

 

But anyway, let me put you in the picture; Months before I turned 16, which is the legal age to start work, I started looking for a job, unknowing that I needed my national insurance number, as I knew that some places employ people who are 14/15. Obviously I had no luck, but as soon as I got my NI number in August 2009, I was off. I was in the job market and desperately looking for a job. I was constantly handing out CV's and applying online but I got nothing. Not even an interview. Most of the places I'd applied to, I never heard anything at all.

 

Everyone said that I didn't have enough experience, which was fair enough because I didn't have any, but how am I meant to get experience if I couldn't get a job? I understand the fact that employers don't always want to train people from scratch but how do they know that I'm not a better employee than someone who had experience?

 

Being me I never gave up and I finally go my first (and only) job, just after I'd turned 17 in Sports Direct (never work there by the way) and started work in December 2010, on £3.64 an hour, which is basically slave pay. I'll never understand why I got so little. Don't be thinking "well obviously it was your age. That's minimum wage..." because a lot of my school friends also worked in Sports Direct, but another store, and they all got £4+.

So I'd finally got myself some experience in retail and after 6 months I couldn't take the slavery anymore and left. Yes I wouldn't have the money anymore but I scraped £100 a month, if I was lucky, and in this day it doesn't go anywhere.

 

I'd started looking for jobs before I left, in the hope that I wouldn't have to be unemployed, or not for very long anyway. I had several interview stages for Republic in the White Rose and I thought I had it so I left Sports Direct because I really couldn't take anymore, but in the end, I didn't get the job in republic. I shouldn't have been surprised to be honest and this became the story of my life.

 

So I've now been unemployed for around 18 months, during which time I've NEVER stopped applying for jobs and I've still got nothing. I've had a few interviews for different places but I haven't been successful. Granted I've given up handing out CV's but 99% of places nowadays just tell you to apply online so I just feel like it's a waste of time and effort.

One thing that really annoys me though, and which I don't and will never understand, is how all of my friends are getting jobs so easily. I apply to the same/similar places as them and put in as much effort as the next guy, and they just seem to get jobs as if it's like breathing. I really don't know how they do it! This just makes me feel even more like a failure and that I don't know why I bother applying because I feel like I'm trying to walk up a down escalator.

 

I know that the job market today is tough, but I feel like I never give up trying, which I don't, and I just get nowhere! I feel like I'm stuck in a circle, and I'm never going to get anywhere in life. I don't know if it's something I'm doing wrong or what! I always make sure I write/say what the employers want to hear, and never lie or anything like that so what else do/can I do?

 

So yeah, it really stresses me out! If anyone can help me out, I'd be grateful!

I really really need a job by next September because I'm thinking of moving out with a few friends from uni into a student house, and by the time I've paid for rent, bills and food, and whatever else, I'm going to need some other way of finding money for myself as my loan won't stretch that far!

 

Rant over. If you've read all of this, you deserve a medal!

Film Review: Elf (2003)

Directed by Jon Favreau

 

"Buddy was a baby in an orphanage who stowed away in Santa's sack and ended up at the North Pole. Later, as an adult human who happened to be raised by elves, Santa allows him to go to New York City to find his birth father, Walter Hobbs. Hobbs, on Santa's naughty list for being a heartless jerk, had no idea that Buddy was even born. Buddy, meanwhile, experiences the delights of New York City (and human culture) as only an elf can. When Walter's relationship with Buddy interferes with his job, he is forced to reevaluate his priorities." - IMDB

 

So let me just start off by saying that Elf is one of my Christmas films. I love it so much! It's funny, heartwarming and definitely spreads Christmas cheer!

It's a film for all ages; I just finished watching it again and it never fails to make me chuckle (and I'm19) and I will confess to owning it on DVD... Unashamed!

 

The film really makes you believe that he is a real elf, and you forget that Will Ferrell is just a normal(ish) human being! Okay, so the storyline may not be believeable, but watching the film, you really do believe it and his story.

Buddy is a hilarious character and definitely larger than life. He's really childlike and reminds me of Brennan in Stepbrothers (2008), also played by Ferrell. I think that the casting as a whole is done really well. I couldn't think of anyone different to play the roles. The actors/actresses play their roles perfectly.

 

The one thing I don't like though is there's a sequence near the beginning where Buddy talks to a snowman and other creatures. They're made of clay models (I think) with stop animation. I think that it doesn't really fit into the film as it's the only thing you see like this in the whole film. It makes me cringe a little bit and detracts from the idea of the plot.

 

I definitely reccommend you to watch Elf if you haven't. There's something in it for everyone and I promise you'll enjoy it!

My Day at Britain's Got Talent 2013 Auditions

Excited after my audition with my BGT sticker. Getting in a bit of practise before my audition. The Britain's Got Talent banner. My sticker!

 

So on 4th December, at 6.30am, Paige and I set off to Manchester for my Britain's Got Talent audition. It was a mental day of Alan (my guitar) causing havoc on the train during rush hour, falling on people on the bus, trying to find the venue, being filmed for TV, watching all the mental, too far out there acts rehearse and making sure everyone was listening, going to the 'German' market in Manchester and doing it all and getting home for 2pm!

 

I auditioned for last year's too but I didn't get past the first, producers round, so I though I'd give it a go again! I love going down to audition, any chance to perform I'll grab, and it's such an exciting experience! There's such a buzz in the room and even just seeing all the signs and things is so exciting! I like auditioning for BGT because it doesn't take ALL day, like XFactor, just a couple of hours, but it isn't anywhere near as mental!

I won't find out if I've got through until the end of February so finger crossed, but to tell the truth, I'm not getting my hopes up, you have to be either really amazingly good or ridiculously rubbish to get through on that show!

 

Oh, and producers, if you happen to stumble across this, I will not give up auditioning until you put me through - heads up!

I'm Loving: Nail Art

Please visit my Pinterest page for all sources.

I'm sorry for the size of this image, I had it bigger but it was too wide for the page. If you click on it, it should take you to a bigger size!

 

So I've been obsessed with nail art for a while now, but I'm not as addicted as I used to be! When I first bought my nail pens, I'd do my nails every night!

I always look for inspiration via the interweb - usually Google images or Youtube - and I found the Pinterest website through a Google search I once did. I found an awesome page where a girl pinned nail art from all across the internet and after a while, I decided to create my own page so I could pin my favourites that I had found.

These are just a few of what I have pinned so far, and I guess I best point out that these aren't my work, visit my page for their owners!

Definitely trying out some of the Christmassy ones in the next few weeks! I quite like painting my nails for themes and events; I did the Mcfly symbols for their tour earlier in the year!

 

So I just thought I'd share these little nuggets of creativeness with you since I haven't posted in a while and my most recent posts have all been film and other reviews!

I've finished uni now for Christmas so I have some more spare time on my hands to post!

 

Bye bye for now!