we shall return to Oz

The first preview for Disney's Oz: The Great and Powerful has been released and my first impression is meh.

It stars James Franco (doing his best Johnny Depp impression) as a magician, who after becoming trapped in a storm wakes to find himself in a foreign land called Oz. Here he encounters three witches played by Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams and then something happens

As you can tell I’m not very excited about this movie, it may have something to do with the fact that once again Disney are telling me that because I have brown hair I am an evil witch.

Thanks Disney!

dance me to the end of love

The Daily Life is proving to be one of my favourite internet spots. It is an eclectic mix of pop culture, food and odd topics; much like my brain. Todays oddities were Liz Lemon and Troy Barnes rapping and more importantly a top 20 list of movie dance madness!

I love dancing. Choreographed, drunken, I love it all.

The list was pretty good, covering the expected dirty dancing etc. If you are interested to know what they think click here...

More importantly, here are my top 5 cinematic dance moments:

5. Mary Poppins - Step in Time

Mary Poppins would have to be one of the best musicals ever. Wonderful accents, ceiling tea parties and pigeons. Could you ask for anything more? Yes! rooftop dancing. Kick your knees up, step in time!

4. Nice moves Potter.

I love Harry Potter. I love this scene.

        I love his dancing the most.

3. Grease 2 - We're Gonna Score Tonight

What can I say, this movie is amazing.

2. Romy & Michelle

For my 10 year high school reunion I intend to behave like Heather and dance like this.

                                            And now drumroll please......

                                  my number one best movie dance scene ever is

1. Toy Story 3

This is how you finish a movie.

Take This Waltz

A few weeks ago I went to see Take This Waltz and since then I have been trying to figure out whether or not I liked it, loathed it or just maybe loved it.

The film is about Margo (Michelle Williams), who upon meeting a handsome neighbour starts to question her comfortable existence.  I'm very easily won over by self indulgent movies and this one has a very Sofia Coppola feel to it*. It threatens to question the idea of taking chances vs playing it safe, however like Williams's Blue Valentine it feels a little watered down.

It does have a great cast, with Seth Rogen (Husband), Luke Kirby (Handsome man) and Sarah Silverman (Best Friend) rounding out the mains. Rogen and Silverman are particularly lovely, and I would have preferred to watch the film from their perspective.

I think my issues with the movie are due to the fact that Margo is a very unlikeable character, by the end I was rooting for her to fail.

I really did love parts of this movie.

There is a wonderful version of Leonard Cohen's Closing Time, accompanied by dancing and vintage dresses.

Maybe I was wanting too much? Maybe I've just become a cynical movie goer? Maybe it was just crappy?

My favourite beard loving movie critic David had this to say about it:

 "it does have these sort of rather strange and seemingly slightly clunky elements of coincidence and contrivance and what have you, but it seemed to me that maybe it's a little bit like a Leonard Cohen song"

I do love Leonard but I just don't know about this.


* meaning RIDICULOUSLY self indulgent 

Les Misérables

The preview for the new Les Mis has been released, and those who love Susan Boyle or Anne Hathaway are beyond excited. This adaptation is the latest film from Tom Hooper, his last film The King's Speech went on to Oscar glory and the internet is predicting a similar fate for this one.

Unfortunately I do not really care for musicals that take place outside of Greece, however the preview has taught me a few things:

1. The new Universal logo is pretty snazzy.
2. Hugh Jackman is in it and has one hell of a beard.
3. Russell Crowe is a terrific singer. Case in point 30 Odd Foot of Grunts.
4. It might encourage people to start wearing bonnets/pirate hats again. They look good on everyone!
5. Kids are adorable when running and covered in dirt.
6. All the men have mastered the 'pout and stare into the distance' look. Do they offer classes for this?
7. Anne Hathaway does not look good with short hair and is one ugly crier.

I love ugly crying

When Dawson cried over Joey leaving him for Pacey
 everyone knew she had made the right decision. 

Wah Glee

Wah Wah 

I know how she feels, I too have watched Bride Wars.
 Anne, I wouldn't recommend walking past anything
 reflective until your hair grows out either...

Ugly crying aside, I guess this looks ok.

Girls gossip, broke and new.

Stop the press! In 2011 Kristen Wiig proved that women can be funny and since then we have seen women take over the small screen. At the end of last year we meet a kooky new and 2 broke girls but this year everyone is just talking about Girls. Girls is a new HBO show from up-and-coming writer/director/actor Lena Dunham, which is being hailed as Sex & The recession City.

After four episodes I am not overly impressed by Girls. I think I understand what they are trying to do, as I too am a girl in my mid twenties who two years since graduating university is still just floating and occasionally accepting money from my parents to pay the rent. I get it, Life’s hard for educated white middle class Gen Yer’s. We have all been told we can do whatever we dream of so we never really settle on one thing, we jump from one idea to the next whether it be about employment, housing or men.

What erks me about Girls isn’t the idea or story but rather the easy road it appears to be taking. It is as if some marketing genius said ‘yeah I love it, it’s 4 girls like Sex & the City, its crass like Bridesmaids so let’s just add some stereotypically hipster bullshit and I think we have a winner’. Yes that’s what I hate about Girls, the hipster bullshit. The show looks as if it was shot through instagram as all the colours are muted to make it seem serious, seriously douchy. I get the impression they think they are making something really edgy and that bugs me too. The girls talk about abortions, cruel boys and sexual disappointments but everything is handled in such an american way* that I'm left feeling like I've seen it before.

Oh and what it the obsession with cupcakes and hipsters??? In 2 Broke Girls the super quirky Kat Dennings wants to make a career out of them and here, first episode in, Hannah just must have a cupcake for breakfast whilst taking a morning bath (also who takes a morning bath). I love cupcakes but AHHHHHHHH

But with all that said, I know I will keep watching because I really want to like this show. Maybe that’s what they are banking on.

* 'An american way' means they don't really tackle the issue and yes it is an insult.