I have some lovely new charts coming out over the coming months and I just wanted to give everyone a preview of what’s to come from Kincavel Krosses:
Posted in Crafts, Freebies, Pastimes
Tagged Crafts, Cross Stitch, Cross Stitching, Domestic Goddess, Folksy Store, Freebie, Kincavel Krosses, Stitchy Saturdays
I must apologise once more for my tardiness – I’m a week late again, but I have a semi valid excuse – I was knocked out by a virus and then went away for a long weekend at the point at which this post SHOULD have gone up.
Anyway, due to being extremely busy and extremely ill, I haven’t actually done much stitching for this challenge over the last month. I did finish the stitching for the Winter Quaker Bookmark but haven’t assembled it:
As you can see, I significantly shortened the design as my fabric was nowhere near long enough me to stitch it fully, but I think it worked out pretty well.
I’m switching to the LAST Saturday of the month for updates, so the June update will be posted on Saturday 30th June.
Film: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Released: 2012
Director: Brad Peyton
Stars: Josh Hutcherson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine
Synopsis:
Sequel to Journey to the Centre of the Earth (2008).
17-year-old Sean Anderson receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist. Unable to stop tracking the signal, he sets out with a small group on a journey to the mysterious island – a place few people have ever seen or lived to tell about. What they find is an island of stunning beauty, strange and threatening life forms, volcanoes, mountains of gold and more than one astonishing secret.
What I thought of it:
I saw the first movie some time ago and rather enjoyed it (so sue me, I adore Brendan Fraser!), and this sequel, although missing Mr Fraser, does feature Josh Hutcherson (the kid in the first film) and has bonus kudos in the form of class act, Michael Caine. Oh, and The Rock is in it too. Sorry, Dwayne Johnson, as he now prefers to be known.
Actually, I’m not even being sarcastic about Mr Johnson’s presence because he’s actually a fun addition to the cast, adding a well-balanced blend of good comedy timing and common-sense-Father-Figure-who-might-just-save-the-day. He also has a surprisingly pleasant singing voice.
No, your eyes did not deceive you – you read that correctly. The Rock sings in this movie, but don’t worry, its brief and, as I already mentioned, not unpleasant.
Now to the plot. It’s adventure by numbers really, but the threads holding it all together are from the classic novel The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, and there’s some cleverness in how they come to find the island that is very inventive. There are elements of other Verne novels present too, so there’s always the chance that some of the kids who see this film might just decide to pick up the books and try them too, which is always a good thing.
It’s a nicely entertaining way to spend an hour and a half on a rainy afternoon with the kids and there’s something in it for everyone – for the kids, there’s the sheer adventure, spectacle and excitement of it all; for Dads there’s Michael Caine (after all, a film can’t be too bad if it has Sir Michael in it!); and for the Mums who like that sort of thing, there’s The Rock popping his pecs. Admittedly, I’m not one of the Mums who lusts after Mr Johnson and his seemingly independently mobile muscles, but I still had a giggle at the scene that was obviously put in for the 3D viewers (we saw it in 2D).
There are much worse ways to kill some time and you might find you actually enjoy it more than you expected. I certainly did. And if it leads to you reading those classic adventure tales to your kids, or to them picking them up for themselves, then you’ve got many more happy hours filled in the future to boot!
Rating:
Film: A Monster in Paris
Released: 2011
Director: Bibo Bergeron
Stars: Adam Goldberg (voice), Vanessa Paradis (voice), Jay Harrington (voice), Danny Huston (voice), Sean Lennon (singing voice)
Synopsis:
Paris,1910. Emile, a shy movie projectionist, and Raoul, a colorful inventor, find themselves embarked on the hunt for a monster terrorizing citizens. They join forces with Lucille, the big-hearted star of the Rare Bird cabaret, an eccentric scientist and his irascible monkey to save the monster, who turns out to be an oversized but harmless flea, from the city’s ruthlessly ambitious police chief.
What I thought of it:
A wonderful blend of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera (coincidentally both also set in Paris!) with a touch of Frankenstein and a dash of Beauty and the Beast. The animation is gorgeous, the storyline superbly executed, and it features a song that should have been nominated for the Best Original Song at the Oscars (La Seine – it should have won it too!).
Featuring the vocal talents of Vanessa Paradis and Sean Lennon (whch blend beautifully, by the way), this is the perfect antidote to a rainy afternoon for kids and adults alike. I took Xander to see this at the cinema and he’s done nothing but talk about it and ask to see it again ever since – he’s even asked me to sing La Seine for him on numerous occasions and has started joining in with it too!
Of course, we saw the English version, but I’m certain the original French version is just as wonderful.
Rating:
And for your listening pleasure, here is the English version of La Seine:
Film: Contraband
Released: 2012
Director: Baltasar Kormákur
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Giovanni Ribisi, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster
Synopsis:
Chris Faraday once smuggled illegal items or contraband into the country on freighters. He left that life behind, got married has a family and went legit. But when his brother-in-law got involved with Briggs, a drug dealer and when he blew a deal, Briggs demands restitution which he can’t deliver. So Chris offers to find a way to pay him but the he threatens Chris’ family if he doesn’t deliver. So he gets on a freighter destined for Panama and he sets out to bring back some counterfeit currency. Briggs “goes to see” Chris’ family. When Chris learns of this he asks his friend Sebastian to take care of them which he does. He tells Chris that it would be better to bring drugs instead of the cash.
What I thought of it:
Once upon a time, there was an actor called Giovani Ribisi, and if you saw his name in a cast list, you were pretty much assured of a quirky, indie film with a strong performance from this guy. Then he went mainstream and started churning out the same character time and time again. Usually a drugged up scumbag. Here he is, as a drgged up, drug-dealing scumbag. It’s now Ribisi by numbers.
And of course, we have the least talented of the Wahlbergs taking the lead (one of his brothers is also in this film, but alas, Donnie isn’t the one as someone like him might have been able to add a possibly film-saving spark!). Marky Mark (who akways tries to leave behind his Funky Bunch persona) doesn’t act – he just frowns his way through the plot in an unconvincing manner and, unfortunately, has absolutely no chemistry with Beckinsale (who plays his wife). How can someone not have chemistry with kate Beckinsale? For crying out loud, she’s hot as Hell! I’m straight as can be and even I fancy her!
The plot is basically Gone in 60 Seconds, but without the cars and without any real structure (coincidentally, Ribisi was in that film too – I sense a pattern…). It was dull, dull, dull and there is absolutely nothing redeeming about this movie at all.
Avoid at all costs.
Rating:
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Posted in Films and Reviews, Pastimes
Tagged Baltasar Kormákur, Ben Foster, Contraband, Domestic Goddess, Film Reviews, Giovanni Ribisi, Kate Beckinsale, Mark Wahlberg, Movies
Film: Man On a Ledge
Released: 2012
Director: Asger Leth
Stars: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Ed Harris
Synopsis:
An ex-cop turned con threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The nearest New York Police officer immediately responds to a screaming woman and calls dispatch. More Officers arrive with SWAT and tactical command along with fire-fighters. The police then dispatches a female police psychologist personally requested to talk him down from the ledge. However, things aren’t as straightforward and clearcut as they appear to be.
What I thought of it:
I’d been seeing billboard posters everywhere for this film and the premise seemed alright – a man on a ledge provides distraction to the cops and the watching city whilst a heist is pulled off in the next building – so I thought I’d give it a try.
I needn’t have bothered.
As heist movies go, it’s pretty standard fare and it sticks firmly to the formula of back-and-forth between ledge and heist with a few “are they going to get caught?” moments thrown in every now and then. The back story of the characters was a bit thin, but it was enough to cover a reason for the heist (revenge – what else?).
Jamie Bell is acquitting himself well in his modest adult roles and he’s slowly making the transition between child star and adult actor, distancing himself from his beginnings as Billy Elliot. To be honest, he was pretty much the best thing in this film of the mindless, let-it-wash-over-you sort.
Ed Harris, who is a wonderful actor, just looks bored. He’s completely wasted here as the villain of the piece and shold have taken a pass on the project.
It’s enough to keep you ticking over, but you can clearly see every move coming from quite a while before it happens. If you have an hour 40 to kill and nothing better to watch, by all means give it a shot, but otherwise, don’t bother. It’s nothing new or special.
Rating:
Posted in Films and Reviews, Pastimes
Tagged Asger Leth, Domestic Goddess, Ed Harris, Film Reviews, Jamie Bell, Man On a Ledge, Movies, Sam Worthington
Firstly, please let me apologise to my fellow challengers – this post should have been up last Saturday, but I’ve been so busy lately I didn’t get round to any of my regular blogging at all.
Anyway, let me make amends by sharing the pieces I’ve been working on a little. Progress is slow because I’ve had a commission to stitch (which is now finished, but I can’t show that yet as it’s wedding invitations for someone!) and am also working on other projects, fitting them all in between real life – LOL!
The first piece is the Winter Quaker Bookmark. I’m actually no further on with this than I was last month, as I was working on the aforementioned commission and projects.
The second piece is a new start. Another Quaker-style design, this is a small kit which I plan to make into an ornament for our Yule tree this year.
Don’t forget to check back the first Saturday of May (5th May) for another update post.
I’ve been so busy lately that I’ve not had any time at all for blogging (you’ll notice a complete lack of proper blog posts recently – just a couple of film reviews).
I promise the overdue X-Stitching Christmas post (which should have gone up on Saturday just past) will go up this coming Saturday instead, so if you’re taking part, please do bear with me and check back next week. I promise that next month’s update will be on time!
Hope everyone’s been having a swell time. I’ll check back in with you all very soon – promise! 
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Posted in Pastimes, X-Stitching Xmas Challenge 2012
Tagged Christmas, Cross Stitch, Cross Stitching
Film: Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
Released: 2011
Director: Mike Mitchell
Stars: Justin Long (voice), Matthew Gray Gubler (voice), Jesse McCartney (voice), Alan Tudyk (voice), Christina Applegate (voice), Jason Lee
Synopsis:
Playing around while aboard a cruise ship en route to a music awards ceremony, the Chipmunks and Chipettes accidentally go overboard and end up marooned in a tropical paradise. They discover their new turf is not as deserted as it seems.
What I thought of it:
Let me start off by saying, I HATE the Chipmunks. I always have and always will.
OK, now that we have that out of the way, here goes…
This was my three-year-old son’s first ever cinema trip, so it didn’t matter if I thought the movie as awful (which I did!), all that mattered was that he enjoyed himself (which he did!).
This is the third in the animated/live action chipmunks movie franchise, but it was easy to pick up what had happened before – Jason lee adopted three singing chipmunks, then managed to pick up three female singing chipmunks (the Chipettes) and now they’re on board a cruise ship and will be performing at a music awards ceremony. Are you following? Yes, it’s that easy to work out. And the villain from the previous movie(s) shows up too, but you very quickly realise his connection.
The plot is simple and focuses almost entirely on how the Chipmunks and Chipettes survive on the island after accidentally going overboard, and how they all learn something about themselves and each other. It’s entirely unfunny and they all have those incredibly annoying high-pitched warbly voices that will get the hackles up on any adult (unless they’re very strange and into that kind of thin), but which the kiddies all love. However, there is something very, very wrong about animated chipmunks singing Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance and nothing will ever convince me otherwise.
So, in short, a hideous experience for parents forced to watch this with their children, but great for the little’uns who will sit goggle-eyed, laughing like loons to the very end. Mine even wanted to stay to the end of the credits.
Rating:
(Rating for adults is 1, but for kids it’s 5, so I had to take the average for my overall rating)
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Posted in Films and Reviews, Pastimes
Tagged Alan Tudyk, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, Christina Applegate, Domestic Goddess, Film Reviews, Jason Lee, Jesse McCartney, Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Mike Mitchell, Movies
Film: Kill Keith
Released: 2011
Director: Andy Thompson
Stars: Susannah Fielding, Simon Phillips, Marc Pickering, Keith Chegwin, Tony Blackburn
Synopsis:
A new host will be announced for popular breakfast show, Crack of Dawn, but someone is hunting down the people on the short list – Joe Pasquale, Tony Blackburn, Russell Grant, and last but not least, Keith Chegwin – to turture and murder them all. Will the Breakfast Serial Killer manage to murder all the prospective presenters? Who is this madman? And why is he embarking on his murderous spree? Can intrepid tea boy and wannabe presenter Danny save the day and get the girl of his dreams, none other than Dawn, the co-star?
What I thought of it:
From start to finish, this film is utter silliness. But you know what? It’s absolutely hilarious! The household names we love (and those we love to hate) are all present and correct as parodies of themselves (kudos especially to Cheggers and Blackburn!). Marc Pickering (Danny) looks like the secret love child of Alan Cumming and is brilliant as the loser who dreams of being more than just the tea boy on Britain’s favourite breakfast television show. The movie-based fantasy sequences are all brilliant.
And when it comes to seeing those aforementioned household names getting tortured, maimed and murdered, the over-the-top ick-factor is extremely high and extremely funny.
It’s nothing high-brow, it’s not particularly clever, but it will make you giggle like crazy. If you ever watched Swap Shop on a Saturday morning as a kid, you’ll love seeing Cheggers in this crazy comedy-murder-fantasy.
Rating:
