Category Archives: films

Why I’m Not Going to See Toy Story 4 in the Cinema

So apparently I want to branch out from already being a ‘bad’ blogger to also being a ‘bad’ Disney fan, but hear me out on this one.

I think we can all agree that this has been a mega year for new movies. From Avengers Endgame already smashing a tonne of box office records to the highly anticipated Star Wars Episode IX coming soon, film boffs will most likely be spending more time in the cinema in 2019 than ever before. And out of all these films, I think Disney has had the most fingers in the pie than any other production companies, with some huge films having already hit the big screen and many more still to come.

This is all very exciting for Disney fans; we’ve seen some of our favourite animated classics have a reimagining as live actions, and also some pretty huge sequels, one of which closest to the hearts of my generation being Toy Story 4. 90’s kids like myself have grown up with the adventures of Andy’s toys, many of us sobbing FAR too many tears over *that* scene in Toy Story 3, so we were all good and ready when a fourth film was announced to be hitting our screens.

I was ready to go and see it, don’t get me wrong, and I am excited for when I finally do see it, but I’m not going to the cinema for it, and here’s my reasoning..

While the experience of some films is heightened by seeing it on an enormous screen in a pitch black theatre with surround sound and no talking, I personally think that other films are somewhat ruined by it, and Toy Story 4 is one of those for me. Give me all the action and adventure on the big screen, give me stunning cinematics and world class special features, but when it comes to a feel-good family animation, to be quite honest I’d rather be curled up on my sofa at home with a blanket and pile of snacks, being able to laugh out loud when I want to without getting evils from the rest of the guests.

And as awful as it sounds, I truly do get bored watching some films in the cinema. If its not a super gripping storyline or visually incredible, I find myself sat in the dark wishing it would hurry up and be done with sooner so I can get out of there, which I probably wouldn’t be thinking if I was watching it at home – y’know, unless it was a rubbish film in the first place.

So there’s one hell of an unpopular opinion for you I’m sure, but its something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately and honestly, I stand by it. Anyone else feel the same? Let me know in the comments!

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Disney Fan Theories – The Best and The Worst

As with every major fandom, the Disney world is filled with theories and fan fiction, and they range from surprisingly plausible to utterly ridiculous, fuelled mostly by the internet.

Now I haven’t come up with any of these theories myself, they’re all ones I’ve seen online or heard from others, and because they are so spread over the goo ol’ world wide web, I can’t credit the original person because I simply have no idea who that might be, but here are a few of my favourites, and some of the theories that really grind my gears.

The Best

Riley has gender identity conflicts (Inside Out)

During the 2015 Pixar movie, we get to see inside the heads of two characters other than Riley herself, and that’s Riley’s parents. Both parents have the same 5 emotions – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust – that Riley does, but in Riley’s mum’s head, all of her emotions have female personas, and Riley’s dad’s emotions all have male personas. Nothing unusual about that, right? Well no, except Riley’s emotions take on both male and female personas, and the theory behind this is that Riley doesn’t identify as one specific gender, and this is Pixar’s little nod to all those people in the world who feel the same. I personally really hope that this is true.

Emily from Toy Story 2 is Andy’s mum

In TS2, we hear the sad tale of how Jessie is abandoned by her kid, Emily, but some fans believe that Emily grew up into our favourite cowboy-loving kid’s mum. You see, the cowboy hat that Andy wear as he plays with Woody is the same style as that sported by cowgirl star of the second film, and its possible that this hat belonged to his mum, or was at least bought by her in a nostalgic moment. I just love thinking that not only did Jessie find a loving home after Emily, but that she did actually make it back into Emily’s life.

The Worst

Tarzan is Anna and Elsa’s younger brother

Personally I find the whole ‘Anna and Elsa’s parents were going to Rapunzel’s wedding when their ship sunk’ thing a little bit overplayed, but when I read an addition to this theory that suggested that they did, in fact, survive the shipwreck, and washed up on the island as per the opening scene of Tarzan, making him their younger brother, I just thought that this was too much. For starters, the Tarzan ship went down in flames, on relatively still water, rather than the crazy storm shown in the movie dragging the ship under, but also Tarzan was a baby at the time of the crash, and unless the queen gave birth onboard the ship, in which case we would have seen that she was pregnant as she left, they would have had the baby before leaving, which they did not. Sorry, I’m not buying it.

Carl died at the start of Up

So some people believe that Carl actually passes away before the big adventure of the movie takes place, and that from the balloons going up, we’re actually following Carl’s adventure into the afterlife. I’m sorry, but that’s a big ol’ nope from me, this film is already sad enough.

Hit me up with your favourite (or least favourite) fan theories!

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What I’ve Watched Lately

Since going back to a 9-5 job, rather than the 8-8 shifts I was working before, I’ve definitely found that I’ve had more time to enjoy some of the simpler things in life, like just spending an evening watching TV, taking advantage of my Odeon Limitless card, or binge watching things over a weekend; its been great.

Over the last few weeks especially, I feel like I’ve watched a lot of pretty great things, and so I figured I’d share some of them with you!

TV

Hunted

I know it was the third season this year, but up until now I had never seen any of the Channel 4 programme. Well, my parents started watching it and were hooked, so Matthew and I decided to give it a spin too – although Matthew had seen some of a previous series. Well, we also ended up pretty obsessed too. Not only did we catch up to my parents in the current series, but I also went back and watched the entire first season in a few sittings, and am now getting started on season 2 – its just so more-ish! I really thought that I wouldn’t get sucked into it but wow..

Death in Paradise

I love a good murder mystery, and despite having watched Death in Paradise on BBC since the show first started, they’ve just released the earlier series on Netflix, so now I’m going back and rewatching it from the start as well as waiting for each new episode on Thursday evenings. Its so unrealistic in terms of the number of murders occurring on a small Caribbean island, but also just so entertaining, and what’s great about re-watching it is I can’t remember who did it from the first time round!

Movies

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

If I didn’t have Odeon Limitless, this would not have been a film that I would have bothered paying for as I wasn’t massively interested in it at first, but I actually thought it was brilliant! The storyline was always going to be just a little far-fetched, but the cast were amazing – I mean, The Rock, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, it was never not going to be funny. If you’re on the fence, just watch it, I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did.

The Circle

This is a Netflix original movie, and one that I have scrolled past time and time again while looking for things to watch, but Matthew actually bothered to read its little synopsis and so we decided to try it out because let’s face it, Tom Hanks is great in everything, right? Well its another one that really surprised me. From the first 15 minutes or so it doesn’t feel like its going to be much, but from then onwards I was pretty glued to the screen. For a fairly low budget film, its got a cracking cast, an interesting story and I was actually pretty upset when it was finished because I wanted more.

Black Panther

This movie was all the reviews had it cracked up to be and then some. I’m not going to spoil anything for those who haven’t seen it yet but Marvel are gonna find it hard to beat. The casting, the costumes, the cinematography, the underlying message of the film, it was all completely spot on and I think it deserves every accolade coming its way.

Have you watched anything good lately?

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The Disney Favourites of my Childhood

I was born in 1994, which was the year that The Lion King was released, and my first Disney trip was actually while my mum was still pregnant with me, so its pretty safe to say that Disney has been ingrained in me from birth.

I was lucky enough to be born at a time that meant my childhood was filled with some absolute Disney bangers, and I remember watching so many of them, although at that time it was all VHS. The films and the characters from this time all still hold a really special place in my heart, and many of them are still firm favourites of mine, but there are a few in particular that stand out for me.

Sleeping Beauty

Aurora was my favourite princess while I was a kid. I let this slip from my memory a little but my mum reminded me a few years ago and it all came back to me. I remember having a Sleeping Beauty towel (which may still be in our garage somewhere) and I had an Aurora doll, in the pink dress, although I’m firmly Team Blue, and think I may have been as a child as well. Aurora may have been replaced as my favourite princess (oh hey, Rapunzel) but I’ll always remember this.

101 Dalmatians

Animal lover from the start, those spotty pups were particular favourites of mine, and I even had 101 Dalmatian wall stickers all over my bedroom walls and door – in fact, the ones on my door stayed there right up until I redecorated in 2009.

Esmeralda

I loved The Hunchback of Notre Dame as a child, and I had a playset that had the festival tent and various other props, as well as an Esmeralda doll which I adored. Of course at that age I had no idea about some of the darker aspects of the story, I just thought Esmeralda was the best.

Meeko

I seem to recall Pocahontas being a favourite of both mine and my sister’s, but the love affair with Meeko was all mine. I remember being so incredibly excited meeting him in what I’m guessing must have been Wilderness Lodge, where this iconic photo was taken after I pretty much rugby tackled him to the ground.

To this day I have such a strong attachment to this little raccoon.

Pluto

We did a lot of Disney trips when I was little, and although thinking back on it, it would possibly be construed as animal abuse, every time I met Pluto I had to pull on his big red tongue. He never seemed to mind though!

Hercules (but mainly Meg)

A truly iconic film of my childhood, if you ask me. I wasn’t so interested in Herc himself, but I loved Pegasus and Meg, even if I didn’t appreciate her sass as a kid. Does anyone else remember the Disney Channel Hercules series? I remember being so upset that Meg wasn’t in it!

And of course there’s not a single photo of me and Mickey where I’m not grinning my little dimples off! Are there any characters you remember strongly from your childhood?

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The Bits of Love Actually No One Talks About

Despite being a true lover of Christmas, I’m not really one for Christmas films, with the one exception of Love Actually. It’s festive, it’s feel good and it’s full of famous people, and I challenge anyone to not enjoy even just a tiny part of it.

Photo credit: Cosmopolitan

And while the movie is packed with lovely moments, romance in the air and Christmas is all around us (and so the feeling grows), there are details of the film that never seem to come up in conversation when you chat about how warm and fuzzy it makes you feel.

Harry is a scumbag, and Mia is the worst

She openly comes onto a married man, and while he plays the innocent and bewildered part, he acts on something that he knows is wrong, breaking the heart of his wife who does nothing to deserve such behaviour. Get in the bin.

Liam Neeson is cool with his stepson being gay

When Sam tells his stepdad that his troubles in life are due to him being in love, Daniel asks ‘and what does she – he – feel about you?’. Sure, Sam is in love with a girl, but the question is still open.

How Sarah has to cope with the stress of a loved one suffering from mental illness

We all cringe at the sound of that Nokia 3310 ringtone, and we all wish that she will get the guy she’s been secretly in love with forever, yet everyone seems to overlook the fact that she is going through so much with her brother, and in caring for him she loses out on such a big part of her own life. Not all heroes wear capes.

How inappropriate is it to tell your best friends WIFE that you’re in love with her

If he had really wanted a chance, he would have grown a pair and told her before they were even engaged, let alone married. But sure, show up on the doorstep, get her to lie about who’s there and make some ridiculous gesture that actually makes you look like a tosser, that’s cool too.

The abuse of power and sexual harassment of the president

This is more relevant this year than ever. Natalie is put in a position that no woman should ever be put in, and not only does she feel awful for it straight away, she does actually lose her job over it. I do, however, appreciate that Hugh Grant makes a point of calling out the president for being a bully, but that’s just not quite enough.

Why are a bunch of primary schools having their Christmas show on Christmas Eve?

If my school had told me we’d have to give up Christmas Eve-evening for a production involving lobsters, I’d be pretty mad.

Do you have any Love Actually pet peeves?

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My Favourite Movies of 2017

2017 is drawing to a close, and while I feel like this has all happened very suddenly, a whole year has gone by since the last time every other conversation you have contains the question ‘where has this year gone?’.

As always, its been a year of box office hits, record setting, rising stars and red carpets as more movies have hit the big screen – some raved about, some not so much! – but there have been a number of stand of films that I feel like I haven’t had enough of an opportunity to rave about, so here goes..

Baywatch

Yes, we all knew this film was going to be a bit of a joke, but that didn’t stop me from loving it. It was funny, the cast was brilliant and despite the storyline being totally ridiculous, I was still rooting for the Baywatch team the whole way through.

Going In Style

I feel like this movie didn’t get much attention at all despite a stellar line up including Micheal Caine and Morgan Freeman. The storyline was unique, and although it was all in the interest of fun it did highlight some issues facing the older generation and I’m really glad we went to see this.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Finally the Pirates franchise is back where it should be. I was starting to lose faith after the last movie, but Disney have clawed their way back to the level these films should be at, and better yet we’ve got Orlando Bloom back!

Wonder Woman

I always proclaim that I’m a Marvel > DC kinda gal, but I really loved this film. The cinematography alone blew me away but I also thought that it had a great plot, a great cast and Gal Gadot is a true star in my eyes.

Beauty and the Beast

I know this film had Disney fans feeling all kinds of mixed things but I thought the movie was great. It was so true to the original animated film but also had so much more than that, without drawing away from the main story.

Murder on the Orient Express

When I saw this film announced, I was excited but I also had my doubts. For starters, I didn’t know how turning a well known plot into a big screen film was going to turn out, and I also questioned Kenneth Branagh as Poirot. Well its safe to say that I don’t have those doubts anymore. It was perfect; an absolute star studded cast, with Branagh playing the lead like it was made for him and although its a story I know the ending to I would see this again and again and again.

And we’re not even done with the year! I’ve got my Star Wars: The Last Jedi ticket booked for Thursday, I’ve yet to see Thor Ragnarok and also coming soon is Pitch Perfect 3 and The Greatest Showman, both of which are films I can’t wait to watch. What were your favourite new releases this year?

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Bringing the Movies Home*

We all know that going to the cinema these days is not exactly cheap. Chances are, you’re paying about £10 for your ticket alone, and then comes the popcorn craving, which of course means you’re gonna need the biggest drink they’ve got going, and suddenly you’re £20+ down. Ouch.

And sure, going to the cinema is the only way (legally!) to see the latest and greatest movies making their way to the screen, but personally I much prefer to be curled up on my own sofa when it comes to enjoying cinematic greatness. Luckily for us, technology is moving forward every day, and our TV screens are only getting bigger and better; first it was HD, now it’s 4K and OLED, and as I’m just about old enough to remember TVs being as deep as they were wide, screens like this Panasonic 4K Oled TV just blow my mind with how thin they are now, while still being packed with all these amazing features!

As a fan of a good movie marathon, over the years I’ve learned a lot about how you can make home seem like the cinema, just without saying goodbye to your bank balance in the process..

Get yourself cosy

I’ve always wondered why cinemas aren’t a lot more comfortable. For me, a blanket is a must, and I’ll probably be in my pyjamas, but you can do whatever you like – you could even build a movie den with duvets and cushions!

Have all your snacks at the ready

Cinema popcorn might cost a small fortune but at home you can make it for a fraction of the price, plus you can get more creative! Whatever snacks you get, be sure to have everything sorted before you hit play so you don’t have to pause the movie magic when you get peckish.

Limit the tech

There’s nothing worse than that person in the row in front at the movies who checks their Snapchat midway through the film, so if you can turn off your tech at the cinema, why not at home too?

Consider having a break

If you’re running a back to back marathon, don’t forget to allow time for toilet breaks or meals between films, especially if you’re trying to squeeze in a lot of films!

Set the mood

Turn the lights down, pull the curtains and shut out any distractions; this is your movie time.

Make the most of new technology

As I mentioned earlier, the tech behind making and watching movies has improved dramatically over even just the last few years, and if you have the tech, use it! I’m talking surround sound/sound bars for the ultimate sound experience, HD and Bluray for the ultimate visual experience, even 3D in some cases!

What do you do to have the ultimate movie night?

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My Disney Sequel Challenge: Part 1

So last month I introduced my Disney Sequel Challenge, where I decided it was time for me to work my way through the sequels to Disney’s animated classics. Long story short, I’ve watched the first five movies from my list, and here’s what I thought!

Bambi II

To be honest, this was the film I was least excited to watch, simply because I haven’t watched Bambi in a long time and I’ve always thought it to be a little sad, but I actually really liked this! Following the death of his mother, Bambi is now under the care of his father, who has to learn to be a good father while also taking care of the forest, and Bambi has to learn how to follow in his fathers footsteps, while getting over the loss of his mother. It’s a very sweet sorta coming of age type tale, and I enjoyed it quite a lot.

Cinderella II: Dreams Come True

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie! I had expected it to be set further in the future but it actually continues on from where the original film leaves off, and rather than jumping straight into the traditional ‘prince and princess have children’ thing, the story actually followed the tales of Cinderella adapting to palace life and finding her own way to be royal. I also love how the story was told by the mice and the fairy godmother and included parts of their stories too!

Cinderella III: A Twist In Time

Again, this movie was set just a year down the line from the original, but rather than a continuation of the story, this one twisted the original story into an almost not-so-happy ending for Cinderella. While the first sequel was quite good, I felt this was one too many, and was almost too predictable in terms of storyline. It did feature a lot more musical numbers that the second film, and I enjoyed that, but I’m in no rush to watch this one again.

Peter Pan: Return to Neverland

So this was a classic next generation sequel, featuring Wendy as a mother of two, and set during World War II. Its almost the reverse of the original tale; Wendy’s daughter Jane is too busy having to grow up, and doesn’t want to believe in Peter Pan anymore. Controversially, Peter Pan isn’t one of my top Disney films, so the sequel wasn’t that exciting for me, but I did like the historical setting and accuracy, plus the ending had me in tears..

Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventures

Another classic next gen sequel – Lady and Tramp’s son feels out of place as a house dog and longs to be a street dog, despite having no knowledge of his father’s past. This was another one that was just a tad too predictable, but it had a lot of songs and cute pups – albeit animated – so it wasn’t all bad!

So that’s the first five down, and I’m enjoying being able to watch my favourite Disney characters without knowing exactly what’s going to happen! Next month I’ll be tackling the next five, so stay tuned!

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My Disney Sequel Challenge

I’m gonna go and admit something controversial: I haven’t seen every Disney movie.

Sure, when it comes to the animated classics, I’m all over those films, but would you believe that I’ve hardly watched any of the sequels? If its not counted in the official list of classics, then I’ve never really been interested. I’ve never seen the princesses with their children, or anyone returning to Neverland; in fact I think its only the Lion King and Lilo and Stitch sequels that I have watched!

So I’ve decided to set myself a little challenge and make a little blog series out of it: Lottie Watches Sequels. Every week I’m going to try and watch 4 sequels to classic Disney movies – in order of when the original film was released – and each month I’ll be sharing my thoughts and feelings on them! If you’ve wondered about them yourself, this is the list I’ve compiled:

  • Bambi II
  • Cinderella II: Dreams Come True
  • Cinderella III: A Twist in Time
  • Peter Pan: Return to Neverland
  • Lady and the Tramp II: Scamps Adventures
  • 101 Dalmatians II: Patch’s London Adventure
  • The Jungle Book 2
  • The Fox and the Hound 2
  • The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
  • Beauty and the Beast: Belle’s Magical World
  • Aladdin and the King of Thieves
  • Aladdin: Return of Jafar
  • Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame II
  • Mulan II
  • Tarzan II
  • Kronk’s New Groove
  • Atlantis: Milo’s Return
  • Brother Bear 2

I’m pretty excited to get started on these! While I’ve never really been interested in them before, I’m excited to meet some new characters and see some of my favourite stories continue, plus I’d love to see if the whole ‘sequels are never as good as the original’ rule also applies to Disney films. Stay tuned, folks!

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What Wonder Woman Wears

First up, I just want to prefix this post with a little disclaimer: I am a strictly Marvel > DC kinda gal, so I apologise up front if I say anything that isn’t accurate to the greater DC world, but Wonder Woman is the first DC movie I’ve watched in probably about 5 years or so! Also, there’s no spoilers here!

So I went to see Wonder Woman at the weekend; despite being a Marvel fan through and through, I actually thought the trailer looked pretty good, and while I’d rather chew off my leg than watch anything Batman or Superman related, I was pretty open to some kick ass girl power.

Seeing it over a week after its release date, of course I saw an initial response throughout social media, and to be honest, a lot of these tweets and posts were of very little interest to me as they discussed the plot and rated (or slated!) the film overall. What did keep catching my eye, however, were the people discussing the outfit that teenage boys reading comic books have dreamt about since 1942.

‘How anti-feminist’, ‘Why is she fighting in such a skimpy outfit’, ‘This is a step back for strong female characters’. SHUT. UP.

I’m gonna spell something out for all the people missing the point on feminism: women can wear whatever the hell they like. Does it matter what she’s wearing, if she’s inspiring a whole new generation of girls to become superheros?

I, in fact, loved that the Amazons wore what they wore. It displayed their fierceness, it showed how their bodies were strong and toned, not just skinny, and these are ideals that are so much more important for both children and women.

Would it make any difference if she was in a turtleneck and mom jeans? You’d probably find people complaining that she was too covered up and wasn’t allowed to express herself.

She saved lives. She stood up for herself. She made a difference. She had a heart and a conscience and a brain. Her outfit makes absolutely no difference in her achieving any of these results.

On another level, let’s talk about how this is the first major superhero movie to be directed by a woman. Patty Jenkins smashed it. Also, can we talk about how Gal Gadot was PREGNANT during part of the filming for this movie? I mean, if that isn’t totally incredible then what is?

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8 Reasons Cher Horowitz Is a Great Role Model

Clueless might be over 20 year old now, but we all know that as a chick flick, its as timeless as Paul Rudd himself. And while to the untrained eye, Cher might come across as a stereotypical 90s spoiled blonde, when you read between the lines, I think we can all stand to remember some of the important messages she portrays.

She wears whatever she wants

Who can honestly say they wouldn’t love her a catalogued computer system that puts together outfits for you? Not to mention she owns whatever she wears and that kind of confidence is something everyone should have.

She actually knew what she was talking about

While her school debates weren’t always the most eloquent, if you actually listen to some of the topics that she speaks about, she’s not chatting rubbish.

She always had the best intentions

Making over Tai may have had ups and downs for everyone involved, but ultimately she did it to help a new girl fit in and gained a true friend from it.

She had boy standards

She knew she wasn’t interested in any of the boys at her school, and she was totally ok with that, rather than chasing random guys for no reason.

And she wasn’t afraid to say no

Telling Elton to get stuffed and getting out of the car after he tried to force himself on her is a hugely important thing to portray for young girls to learn from.

She did mind that Christian was gay

Even when she did fall for a boy, only to discover that they were both interested in guys, she wasn’t at all phased and stayed really good friends with him, rather than getting mad.

She always looked after her dad

After losing her mum at a young age, Cher took it upon herself to make sure that her dad was eating right, supported him with work and cared for him endlessly.

She just wanted people to be happy

Setting up her teachers, welcoming Tai, championing a school charity project.. You can call her a bit ditsy or think her self-centred at times, but Cher ultimately was just a nice person who wanted to make a difference.

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My Most Hated Movies

Have you ever watched a film and as the credits roll just sat back and thought ‘those are a few hours of my life that I am never getting back’?

From overhyped openings to straight to DVDs releases, they’re the movies that you can’t even describe as funny-bad, and these are a few that I’ve had the painful experience of watching.

Cowboys and Aliens

What even happened in this film? Like I know I sat and watched it one afternoon, but did it even have a storyline? I don’t remember anything, just how painfully dull it was.

Marley and Me

Someone actually gave me this on DVD for my birthday one year. I mean, is that the worst and cruellest present yet? If I can give you one piece of advice, I would be don’t ever watch it, especially if you’re a dog lover.

Diary of a Teenage Girl

Netflix lists this as a comedy, and I guarantee you it is not. I watched it on a plane once and even midway through an 11 hour journey from LA it wasn’t worth it.

The Lifeguard

Generally I like anything with Kristen Bell in, but this was all sorts of awful.

127 Hours

I remember this film as the most painful cinema experience of my life. I spent the whole first part of the movie on edge waiting for the inevitable moment, and then the rest either bored out of my mind or grossed out. I get that its a real story and everything but no no no.

These are just a selection of a few that I’ve had the misfortune of actually watching through, but if you’ve got any recommendations to NOT watch, drop me a comment!

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My Change of View on Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast Live Action Funko

It feels like forever since the announcement that divided Disney fans worldwide – a new, live action movie of Beauty and the Beast. And despite all that time, its now only 2 months away from cinema release, and the closer we get to it, the more I find myself thinking about it.

The cast had me squealing with joy. Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, partnered with the legened himself, Sir Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, along with Emma Thompson and Josh Gad; it all had me buzzing for the first trailer I watched it with excitement. I loved the side by side comparison with the original animated trailer, the dark castle and music.

What I wasn’t sold on entirely, like many others, was Emma Watson. Unfortunately, all I could see in the brief time she was on screen was Hermione Granger, and this had me a little worried for how much I would enjoy the film. It had nothing to do with her appearance – in fact I adored all the artwork and clips being released – it was just that little scene where she entered the castle and said ‘hello’. That was it.

Now I know this opinion has bothered a lot of people, so before you think I’m gonna be a negative ninny, I want to tell you how my mind has been changed..

A few weeks ago, a sound clip of Emma singing Something There was released. This is one of my favourite songs from the film, and I braced myself as I pressed play.. I actually loved it. Having never heard Emma Watson sing before, I was always a little dubious of her casting, but it was everything I wanted it to be, and in those 30 seconds, I felt my whole attitude towards the movie change. I guess the fact is, much like the moral of the story, you can’t judge a book by its cover..

Are you excited to see it?

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A Christmas Gift To You!*

Free DisneyLife Trial

Happy Christmas Eve gang!

As I finished work yesterday, the Christmas holiday has finally properly begun for me, and while I’ll still be running around the shops this afternoon due to some of my Christmas presents not arriving on time, this time of year is for curling up with family and watching endless movies while munching on party food and leftovers.

With that in mind, I’ve teamed up with the guys over at DisneyLife, and got your Christmas movie watching sorted with a 7 day free trial, so you can watch as many of your favourite Disney films and shows, including The Santa Clause, The Muppet Christmas Carol and Beauty and the Beast – The Enchanted Christmas, and if you’ve already had your fill of Christmas, there’s always the endless amount of animated classics, live action favourites, Disney Channel box sets and the CUTEST series of Tsum Tsum shorts, which I’m currently obsessed with!

Its totally free, so there’s nothing to lose! Sign up today here!† Once your week is up, you can either cancel your subscription with the click of a button, or continue to enjoy Disney galore for the now lower price of only £4.99 a month.

I wish you all the most magical of Christmas Days, full of food and love and presents and chocolate and cheese!

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† Free trial only available for new subscribers or those who have not been a subscriber in the last 4 months. If you do not cancel within 7 days, you will be charged £4.99/month.
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Thoughts I Had During Rogue One

Rogue One Spoiler Free

Once again, the movie gods saved all the major films to the end of the year, and in my eyes, the whole of 2016 has been leading up to the moment that I got to see ‘A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..’ on the big screen once more.

Not seen it yet? Don’t worry, there are no spoilers here!

DUNNNN DUN DUN.. What?!

So I decided that I liked the opening how it was, but I kinda really wanted that theme tune blaring out..

I am loving all these new places

Its so nice to not see the same planets cropping up all the time, and also to see the diversity of climate on different planets and moons

Is this Poe’s Mexican cousin?

Do I like him though?

That is one sassypants droid

K-2SO makes this film!

What’s this, another desert-ish planet?

Surprise surprise, there’s sand again..

This blind guy is BADASS

Yes the force is with you, you crazy awesome dude

I’m gonna need to watch this a second time to work out everyone’s names

There are a lot of names flying around, and I’m not entirely sure who’s is who right now..

Ok, I like him now

Poe’s Mexican cousin has redeemed himself in my eyes

I AM LOVING THIS

Its Star Wars, but not Star Wars and I can’t keep my eyes off the screen and I already want to see it again and its not even over

Were R2 and C-3PO really necessary?

I love a cameo, but I don’t know if that added anything

Scarif looks like a pretty place for a holiday

If I was the Emperor, I’d build a base there too just for those beaches

I’m not crying, you’re crying

I am one with the force, the force is with me. I am one with the force, the force is with me..

THAT ENDING THOUGH

AHHHHHHHHH

I loved it, I really did. I’m so glad I didn’t watch any of the trailers for it as I wanted to go in with a totally open mind, and I think that was for the best. I’m also really happy that they didn’t keep it too Star Wars – the soundtrack was perfect and the casting was spot on as always, just with its own little unique quirks.

I think if I could say one bad thing about the movie, its that I don’t really think its suitable for children as much as the other Star Wars films, which is a shame as a new generation of Star Wars lovers was created last year, and I imagine a lot of children would be wanting to see this film as a result, but without spoiling it, I’d probably advise that parents see it first before taking small children!

Have you seen it yet?

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Reasons Why I Loved Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

Its the movie Potter fans have been waiting for; a prequel like no other.


Like any good Hufflepuff, I was pretty excited to see my house being represented well, and apparated down to the cinema on the day the film was released, and here are a few of the things that I thought made this movie properly magical – don’t worry, its spoiler free!

It wasn’t Harry Potter

While my excitement for this movie came from my love of the Harry Potter, this film felt nothing like a classic Potter.

There were no ‘for the sake of it’ references

You know how when you get sequels/prequels that are set in totally different times, one of the writers decides to put in a bunch of references to an original character that isn’t really necessary and you know they’re just trying and failing to be ‘relevant’? Nope, there was none of that and it was fab.

New vocabulary

Again, rather than just sticking to all the wizarding terms we’re grown to understand, there are a lot of new phrases and references that we’ve not heard before, which given how most language changes over time, is perfectly understandable given the date of this setting vs the Hogwarts years we know all to well

Eddie Redmayne

He just plays the part so well. A number of actors could have produced a number of different portrayals of Newt, but boy does Eddie hit the nail on the head!

Magical effects

With technology as it is these days, its easy for film makers to fall into the trap of overdoing their special effects, which results in unnecessary and unrealistic scenes, but while this film is packed with magical moments, at no point so any of these spells look out of place.

The beasts

Its quite easy to fall in love with adorable creatures in films, but when they’re also magical and full of personality, I defy anyone not to walk out of the cinema not wanting a niffler.

It gives you all the feels

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll gasp out loud.. You’ll love every second of it.

Have you seen it yet? Let me know what you thought!

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My Day at the Moana Masterclass

If you follow me on Twitter and Instagram, you may have seen that last weekend I was lucky enough to travel up to London to go to the Moana Masterclass, put on by The Guardian, and it was such an incredible day!


Despite being up at 5.30am, I was so hyped for the day that I didn’t get a wink of sleep on the train like I normally would – although the shrieking children across the aisle from me may have had something to do with that – and I arrived at Waterloo feeling super excited. In all the excitement, however, I managed to forget to put a memory card in my camera that morning, so I’m afraid all my photos from the day were taken on my phone as I had no time to buy one in my dash from Waterloo to the cinema!


The event was at Picturehouse Central – the cutest cinema located just off Shaftesbury Avenue – and it was outside there that I met my company for the day, Sophie, Cara and Courtney, and we headed inside to join the queue of people waiting to be lead in. The queue time consisted of a great deal of Disney discussion, as you’d expect, interrupted only by the guy coming to check our tickets.. and hand out 3D glasses. At this point my heart dropped a little as I had no idea we’d be shown the movie in 3D, and I’ve never enjoyed watching things in 3D, but I tried to keep an open mind.

We were taken to a screen right at the top floor of the building – hello three sets of escalators! It was a fairly small room, which was great because we were in the third row and felt fully emerged in the whole thing. After a little introduction, we went straight into the good stuff – the latest short, called Inner Workings, which was a brilliantly funny cautionary tale about embracing life – then the movie began..

I’m not gonna spoil the story, but I had tears streaming from the first minute. As well as the film meaning a lot to me personally, it was just so perfect. I’d probably go as far as saying its the most visually stunning film I have ever seen; Disney have absolutely out-done themselves on this one. As for the 3D, I actually thought it only made the film better! Unlike other films, it didn’t feel like I was watching something in 3D, it just gave the scenes a more natural feeling of depth, and I would actually recommend seeing it in 3D if you have the change!

Everything about the film was perfect, the casting, the music, the visual effects, and it left me speechless, feeling totally in awe.

After the showing, we had a break for lunch, which, while the food was good, the organisation was a little poor as there wasn’t space for everyone to get around the buffet, and we had to stand as there wasn’t enough seating for everyone in the lounge that it was done in, but we filled the time talking more Disney, then went back into the screen for the Masterclass with John Musker, Ron Clements and Osnat Shurer.


For starters, seeing Disney legends so close was just so awesome. They started with a presentation about their inspiration for the film, and all the research that went into ensuring cultural accuracy, then went on to talk about the casting, music and all the stages of production from storyboards to finishing effects. As John and Ron are famous for their hand-drawn animation, it was really interesting to hear about their first experience with digital animation on this film.


After their presentation, there was a short Q&A session. We learned a little about how John and Ron both got into Disney animation in very different ways, they talked a little about some of the Easter Eggs in the film (look out for them!) and they also gave some advice for those looking to get into animation and film making. As a total dunce when it comes to animation and visual effects, I just sat and listened to what was being asked and answered, but if you want to know a little more, keep an eye out on Courtney’s blog as I’m sure she’ll be posting a more detailed account from the eye of an illustrator!

Honestly, it might sound like I’m just gushing about this but that’s because it was such an incredible experience and I had the greatest day. I feel so lucky to have been able to see the film before general release, and it was more perfect than I could have ever dreamed, and I just feel so honoured to have been in a room with such legends from the world of Disney. There’s one quote from the day that stuck in my head the most, and its a quote from an elder that the team met on one of their many research trips:

“We’ve been swallowed by your culture. One time, can you be swallowed by our culture?”

Let yourself be swallowed by this film. You’ll enjoy every second of it.

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Why Moana is Special to Me

Moana has probably been the most anticipated Disney film of the year, and this could be for many reasons: its the first ‘princess’ character since Frozen, the cast is pretty incredible and the trailer had most people’s jaws on the floor. Every time Disney let us in on a new snippet of information, its met by excitement all round, and even though the movie isn’t coming out until next month, I’m already incredibly grateful for this film. (I’m sat writing this having listened to How Far I’ll Go from the soundtrack for at least an hour and crying intermittently cos y’know hormones)

If you’re a fairly new reader of this little blog of mine, you may not know much about my family. You see, my uncle is Samoan, and therefore so are my three beautiful little cousins.

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Ok, so they’re a little older now than they were in this photo, but they’re still some of my favourite people in the world, and the release of Moana, a polynesian princess, means that they have a Disney princess that they can identify with.

Now you could argue that Moana isn’t technically a princess, she’s the daughter of a chief – well so are my girls, technically.. Fun little fact for you: my uncle is actually a chief! So yes, they may live in the UK and not on an island in the Pacific, but they have more in common with Moana than most other little girls have with their favourite princesses!

I think if I had one wish for this film, its that it could have come out a few years ago when the girls were younger and more into princesses, but they’re still set up with a fancy dress idea for life, haha!

I really hope this film lives up to all the hype, I couldn’t be more excited for it!

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Guest Post – Top 5 Summer Films

Today’s post is brought to you by the lovely Llinos from The Lilac Linnet, go check out her blog for more – I even featured in one, read it here!

It’s definitely summer now, despite all the rain, and on a lovely light evening you may be looking for a good film to watch while you enjoy some ice cream.  Here are my top picks of some films to watch over summer.

Date Night

This is one of my favourite ever films EVER.  I love Tina Fey and this film has it all for me.  It’s such a fast moving plot about a couple who take another couple’s table reservation in a swanky new restaurant, and the crazy stuff that happens to them after that!  There’s a lot of action and humour, I can’t recommend it enough.

Clueless

Ladies, do I need to say anything about this one?  It’s a loose adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma and is just so pink and kitcsh that it’s ideal to watch on a summer evening.  Tell me you didn’t lust after Alicia Silverstone’s wardrobe!

Erin Brockovich

This film is so uplifting, all about the power of one woman and a small company against a huge corporation and it is just KICK ASS.  I can’t watch it without crying.  If you want to be inspired, go for this one.

Mona Lisa Smile

Another Julia Roberts pick, this is about a girls school where the pupils have been raised to be wives and mothers and nothing else.  That all changes when their new teacher arrives.  It’s quite an emotional ride with some great acting, a brill one to watch with the girls this summer.

The Duchess

I am a big history geek and I could not write this list without featuring a full on period drama, with swoonworthy costumes and an emotional rollercoaster of a plot… Georgiana Spencer marries the Duke of Devonshire, but it is a loveless match and he moves his mistress into their home.  It’s definitely one to watch with the girls and a box of tissues.

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Thoughts I Had While Watching Zootropolis

Hands up who’s seen Zootropolis? *raises hands*


If you haven’t, don’t worry, this is spoiler free, but seriously, book those tickets and go go go!

‘I could watch this 100 times and still not spot all the tiny little details that Disney have put in’

I’m surprised I didn’t pull a muscle trying to watch everything all at once.

‘Ok, I already want to watch this again and I’m only 10 minutes in’

I want to spot all the details!

‘Tiny hamsters in tiny business suits. This is the best thing ever’

This should be a real thing.

‘I didn’t know Josh Gad did a voice in this!’

He didn’t..

‘Is Idris Elba doing an English or American accent or both?’

I still don’t know the answer to this. I’m not even sure he knows the answer.

‘Judy Hopps is really rocking that uniform’

Clothes have never suited an animal more.

‘Do I have a girlcrush on an animated rabbit?’

She’s just such a pretty rabbit! Those purple eyes..

‘I just love Ginnifer Goodwin’

Yep, basically.

‘Oh my gosh is that a carrot logo on the back of her phone?’

Move over Apple..

‘Pig Hero 6 ahahaha’

Sow funny. Get it..

‘I definitely need a carrot recorder pen’

You can genuinely buy these from The Disney Store.

‘The references Disney sneak in for the parents are brilliant’

Living proof that Disney isn’t just for kids.

‘Ok, now I need the tsum tsums’

I hate buying merch before a film comes out, but I guess its acceptable now..

Do you agree with me on any of these?

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Disney’s Silver Era Tag

This one’s a little overdue, but its a another of the lovely Amy’s Disney Era Tags; we’re onto the Silver Era, and it’s a big one!

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The Silver Era includes Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, Sword in the Stone and The Jungle Book – some real classics!

1. Any unseen films?

Nope, seen them all many times!

2. What is your favourite film of the era?

This is a tricky one! Sleeping Beauty was always my favourite princess as a kid, and I still love it to this day, but I have a lot of strong feelings for 101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp, Cinderella and Peter Pan!

3. What is your least favourite film of the era?

Controversially, Alice in Wonderland. I enjoyed reading the book but for some reason the film just don’t do that much for me.

4. Who is your favourite main character?

Its a tie between Aurora and Cinderella!

5. Who is your favourite villain?

Maleficent, but only since the live action movie I think. I’m not a big fan of villains really.

6. Who is your favourite sidekick?

Oh the mice! Jaq or Gus Gus for sure!

7. What is your favourite song?

Once Upon a Dream. My favourite for twirling to!

8. What do you consider to be the most underrated film of the era?

I think that The Sword in the Stone is forgotten about so often, which is sad. While its featured in most of the Disney parks, people often forget the significance of the prop.

9. What is your favourite thing about this era?

The hand-drawn animation films are always more special if you ask me, I think thats a big part of this era. There’s also a bunch of really great songs that comes from this era!

10. What is your least favourite thing about this era?

I’m really not sure there’s anything I really dislike about these films!

°o°

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Days til Disney Countdown – 14 days to go! (With Elsa, Anna and Olaf!)

There are loads of fun ways to count down the days til your next Disney trip, from big cross-off calendars to movie marathons.

The girls and I, however, decided that in order to share the countdown with everyone in the group, we’d have a bit of dressing up fun..

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To celebrate 2 weeks until our trip, we’ve spent our day dressing up as our favourite characters and re-inacting scenes from the classics – using a little artistic licence in places!

We printed our outlines of Mickey, and each decorated a few each 🙂

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Frozen is the girls’ (and everyone’s, really) favourite film at the moment, so this was an obvious choice for the first day of the countdown, and while Bella lacks Elsa’s ice white hair, Soph is a spitting image of Anna. Liv, meanwhile, plays a silly little Olaf, and yes that’s a sweet potato nose due to a lack of a carrot!

Two weeks til Disney!!! 😀

°o°

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Pixar

So my Disney DVD collection has been growing and growing, and I can now proudly say I own all the Disney Pixar films! 🙂

In chronological order they are:

1. Toy Story (1995)

2. A Bug’s Life (1998)

3. Toy Story 2 (1999)

4. Monsters Inc (2001)

5. Finding Nemo (2003)

6. The Incredibles (2004)

7. Cars (2006)

8. Ratatouille (2007)

9. Wall-E (2008)

10. Up (2009)

11. Toy Story 3 (2010)

12. Cars 2 (2011)

13. Brave (2012)

14. Monsters University (2013)

°o°

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