Good deed of the day!

A woman in America helps rescue 3 baby bear cubs after they got stuck in a dumpster!

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No Doubt about It!

I am so happy that No Doubt are back. And, I am even happier that their new song, Settle Down, sounds just like a classic No Doubt record, and that they didn't go all dancey just to fit in with today's charts. True Originals.

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I am Catwoman, hear me roar!

My favourite part of The Dark Knight Rises!

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Friday!

Tickets booked for the Luxury Screen at the Eye Cinema in Galway. If you're gonna do it, might as well do it in style.

Speaking of doing it in style, above is a new one sheet, created for Empire magazine, but by favourite current designer, Olly Moss.

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Getting Higgy with It!

Last weekend I had the great honour to meet Professor Rolf-Dieter Heuer, CERN director general, at The Royal Irish Academy last Saturday. He was there as part of a panel discussion on the importance of finding the Higgs Boson, and my friend Katy and I were hired to record the event.


It was so great to see the massive turn out at the event, especially seeing as Ireland is the only European State currently not a member of CERN, which means that any Irish Citizens are not eligible to work there. And at a cost of 11 million euro to join, it is hardly a waste, when we think of the billions spent to bail out the Irish banks.


The entire set of interviews with the panel, in conversation with Dr. Claire O'Connell can be found on The Irish Times website.


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Brave, a review...

GUEST BLOG POST by Patrick O'Loughlin.

My boyfriend recently won tickets to see a preview of “Brave” at the Galway Film Festival this past Wednesday and brought me along. It’s been out in the States for the past few weeks but won’t hit Irish cinemas for another 3 so it was really cool to be in one of the first audiences in the country to see it.

“Brave” is Pixar’s 13^th feature film and the studio’s first period piece. Whatever I was expecting “Brave” to be, my expectations were way off. The foundation of the story is that Merida (Kelly McDonald) is a princess who is destined to become married to a suitor. Her pushy mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) is adamant that this has to happen. Merida is too much of a free spirit for her life to be so determined for her by those around her out of her and tries her hardest to change her destiny. That’s ALL I’m going to say, because to say anymore would ruin the bizarre chain of events that run throughout the rest of the film.

I guess what I was expecting from this film was something different from Pixar. I thought it was going to be a lot more serious than the studio’s previous films and while it does indeed try to do this, the absurdity which ensues kind of turns the film into something more formulaic. On one hand it feels like the old Disney films like Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Robin Hood while on the other, it feels like something I’ve seen many times before (albeit in a fresh enough way). I don’t want to go into too much detail in case someone by chance actually manages to read this and hasn’t seen the film, but once you see it I think you’ll understand. Or maybe not. It’s just like, my opinion, man.

My intent is not to bash this film, however. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I guess I just can’t ignore some of its faults. The high points were the voice acting, the animation, the 3D (I saw this in Dolby Digital 3D) and how surprisingly deep it is in some parts. The cons were the somewhat out of place second half of the film with regards to the first half (which I did enjoy don’t get me wrong, it just felt kind of clunky and didn’t gel too well) and Merida’s 3 little brothers. They just flat out annoyed me.

All in all I do recommend this film quite highly. But if you’re going in expecting something drastically different from Pixar’s previous efforts, than you might be a little disappointed. Either way, I think you’re going to have a good time.

7/10

Patrick O'Loughlin is an aspiring screen writer. He has a passion for foreign languages, Sumo Sundays at Yo-Sushi and fluffy bunny rabbits. You can find more of his interests and insights on his blog, The Lights Still On.

Marina, and the diamond ideas!

Last night Ciara and I were lucky enough to catch Marina Abramovic; The Artist is Present, at The Lighthouse, Dublin.

The documentary follows Marina as she prepares for a retrospective of her work at the World famous MoMA, New York. Along with 5 of her most famous performance pieces being recreated by young artist, she is also unveiling a new piece, The Artist is Present. Put simple, The Artist is Present states that along as the exhibition is running, the artist will be present, meaning that for 6 days a week, from opening to closing, Marina will be there, and it invites members of the public to sit across from her as long as they wish, with harrowing results.

I really cannot recommend the film enough. Marina is the star, obviously, it is her film after all, but she has a monumental gravitational pull, even through the screen, to the audience, her charisma and passion shines through.

 As a short side note, can you believe Marina is sixty three? Yes, 63! Just goes to prove that art is not only good for the mind, but also for the body too!

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Chilled Peppers

I went to see the Chili Peppers in Croke Park last week, and it was such an odd experience. I went because my lovely friend Ciara invited me, and she herself had won tickets. So we were seated to the right of the stage, and while the gig was good, it was so odd going to see a band that you really have no interest anymore. And by the empty seats in the stadium, I wasn't the only person bored with the RHCP.

Having said that they put on a good show, the sound was a bit off, but you get that at large stadiums. On the other hand, sitting a concert was a revelation. We could run in and out to the bar, the toilets and snack bar, all with the knowledge that we wouldnt have to forge our way back through the crowds. Maybe its just a sign that Im getting older?

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50 Shades of Queen!

To celebrate the Queen's recent Diamond Jubilee, Pantone enlisted the help of agency Leo Burnett London to come up with something to celebrate the Queen, and her love of colour coordination.


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Who Knew?

But seriously though, I am so happy that Anderson has decided to come out. Good for him.

Better late than never as they say.

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Blast from the Past

How fabulous are these pictures? Taken of early Victorian rides from around Britain and America. I'm not entirely sure how safe they would be, but theres no denying the look great!

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(I love the sign in this picture, "Not as rough as last season!"

Wedding Bells!

Yesterday myself and Pa went to his Sister's Wedding, it was great day, and I was so happy tpo be asked along. He is a caricature of the two of us. It's amazing!

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Man Friday!

Nothing to cheer you up for the weekend, like a hairy skater!

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Glasnevin

During the week I made my first visit to Glasnevin Graveyard, Dublin. Its an odd place, so beautiful and peaceful, and yet you are surrounded with mortality. They offer tours of the graveyard, where local celebrities and important political figures are pointed out, but we decided to just explode the place at our own pace.

We found this little fella just outside the gates of the graveyard, he almost made it.

The picture really don't do it justice, I highly recommend that if you are ever in the area, call in, explode, discover, and appreciate.

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Terrorized!

Another Gem from mine and Pa's travels in Paris. Its called Tower of Terror for a reason!

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Paris J'Taime

Apologies for the lack of posts lately, I have been off on my travels. But I am home once again, and have lots more stories to share.

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