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'Judge Rinder': 'Big Brother' Housemate Luke Marsden Makes An Appearance In The Courtroom (PICS)

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Judge Rinder received a surprise visit from a former reality star in Thursday's show.

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Big Brother’ housemate Luke Marsden, who you may recall from the ninth series of the reality show, paid a visit to Judge Rinder’s courtroom in a dispute over a PlayStation 4.

Luke claimed that he lent his friend Andy, who also appeared on the show, his games console to try out, but when it was returned it was damaged, and the game he lent him was also missing.

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Luke on 'Judge Rinder'


He also confessed to being something of a PS4 addict, telling the ever-stern TV judge: “Gollum from ‘Lord Of The Rings’ refers to the ring as his precious, so I referred to the games console as my precious.”

Unsurprisingly, Judge Rinder seemed unimpressed with this admission, reminding Luke: “It didn’t end terribly well for Gollum, if I remember.”

He also compared the court case to a ‘Carry On’ film, after Luke said when his console was returned it had a “sticky controller” and “pulsating problems”.

Oo-er.

judge rinder
Don't mess with Judge Rinder


In the end, Luke was a lot more successful in his court case - receiving £325 from his friend in damages - than he was in the ‘BB’ house.

During his time on the reality show, Luke raised eyebrows for his unlikely relationship with Rebecca Shiner, which made for one of that year’s more interesting storylines.

Since leaving the house, and ending their brief romance, Luke has become a radio presenter, while Rebecca is now a regular on Television X’s adult channels.

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Rebecca and Luke in the 'BB' house


Luke isn’t the only former ‘BB’ star to enter Judge Rinder’s court room, though, with Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace bringing a case against her former ‘Big Brother’ housemate Michael Cheshire to the show over an unpaid debt.

Find out more about Judge Rinder below...



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Zig And Zag Set To Make TV Comeback... But Not As We Remember The ‘Big Breakfast' Puppets

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Fresh from the news that Chris Evans is set to revive ‘TFI Friday’, his old ‘Big Breakfast’ buddies Zig and Zag are also returning to our screens, although not quite as we remember them.

Yep, almost two decades after the two puppets from outer space brightened up our weekday mornings on the Channel 4 breakfast show, the pair are getting their very own animated series.

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Zig and Zag


Yes. Animated. Which makes us ever so slightly concerned for the welfare of those puppets.

Creators Ciarán Morrison and Mick O’Hara, who also provide the voices for the pair, have penned 26 new animated adventures, which will air on CBBC.

The new series will see Zig and Zag crash land in the suburbs and set themselves up in a ‘half spaceship/half house’ before getting up to all sorts of mischief.

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The all-new Zig and Zag will be animated


According to the show’s blurb: "Zig & Zag will take young viewers along with them on their hilarious adventures as the crazy pair attempt to experience everything planet Earth has to offer.”

The alien brothers from planet Zog first popped up on Irish TV screens in the late 80s on the kids' TV show ‘Dempsey's Den’ before becoming huge stars thanks to their antics on ‘The Big Breakfast’ in the 1990s.

Little has been seen of the pair since, although they did put in an appearance on ‘Big Brother's Little Brother’ in 2010.

‘Zig And Zag’ will air on CBBC in early 2016



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'Life On Marbs': New ITVBe Reality Show Will Follow 'Rich And Famous' In Marbella... And Maybe Some 'TOWIE' Stars Too!

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We’ve seen vajazzling in Essex, tashing on in Newcastle and a slew of fabulous one-liners courtesey of Mark-Francis in Chelsea, but for the new reality show on the scene, viewers will be taken somewhere a bit more exotic.

ITVBe have confirmed that new show ‘Life On Marbs’ will hit screens later this year and will focus on the “luxury lives” of the “rich and famous”, living in Spain’s party capital, Marbella.

The Sun have reported that, following on from the success of ‘TOWIE’ specials in the Spanish resort, cast members from the docusoap could end up putting in cameo appearances in ‘Life On Marbs’.

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'TOWIE' stars in Marbella


A spokesperson tells the newspaper: “With a wealth of new characters to get to know including club promoters, designer-clad housewives, millionaire bachelors and entrepreneurs, the series will reveal what life is really like in Marbella.

“Viewers of ‘Life On Marbs’ may also get to glimpse some of their ITVBe favourites soaking up the sun and maybe making cameo appearances.”


And to think, both Elliot Wright and Chloe Sims announced at the end of the last series that they’re leaving Essex behind to start a new life in the Spanish sunshine.

Very interesting…

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Elliot and Chloe in some not-at-all staged photos on a beach in Marbella


The ‘TOWIE’ cast’s frequent trips to Marbella have led to the creation of the catchphrase “no carbs before Marbs”, referencing their efforts to look trim on the beach.

Let’s just hope that this new lot know how to dress for the beach more appropriately than the ‘TOWIE’ cast. Yes we’re looking at you, Bobby Norris...



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‘Top Gear': James May Slams Twitter Users Who Sent Sue Perkins Death Threats

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James May has taken to Twitter to slam ‘Top Gear’ fans who sent death threats to Sue Perkins, when reports claimed she would replace Jeremy Clarkson on the motoring show.

James sent his posts on Wednesday afternoon, starting with the tweet: “If you're one of the people sending death threats to @sueperkins could you please do the world a much bigger favour by killing yourself.”

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James May


He then added: “Obviously I don't actually want people to kill themselves but, really, we don't want them as fans.”







Sue was on the receiving end of a number of vile tweets when bookies tipped her as a possible replacement for Jeremy Clarkson.

After stating that she wouldn’t be fronting ‘Top Gear’ any time soon, Sue later took to Twitter again, announcing that she was leaving the site after receiving a number of threats.

“My timeline has been full of blokes wishing me dead,” she wrote. “This morning someone suggested they’d like to see me burn to death.

“All of which goes to say that I am off Twitter for a bit. Love and peace x.”

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Sue Perkins


Following Sue’s decision to take a break from the site, her partner Anna Richardson came up with a fun way to put a smile back on the ‘Bake Off’ presenter’s face.

The TV personality urged fans to upload snaps of themselves holding signs with kisses on.

Plenty of fans answered her call, and their photos succeeded in cheering Sue up.

“THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUE SMOOCHES!! @sueperkins sends big love back and says Thankyou. Now she's off for a cuppa in the sun...x,” Anna wrote later in the day.

There’s been plenty of debate about who could take over from Jeremy Clarkson on ‘Top Gear’.

According to reports, stars including Chris Evans and Jodie Kidd could be in line for the job, however the favourite to replace Jezza is Dermot O’Leary, who announced he'd left ‘X Factor’ earlier this year.

Is Dermot’s timing just a coincidence? Watch this space…



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Beth Ford: A Natural Voice

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If you asked most teenagers about their musical influences, you wouldn't necessarily expect musical theatre as the answer. However, this is exactly the influences and inspiration cited by young singer Beth Ford who has just launched her own website ahead of her debut single release later this year.

Beth's favourite musical is Les Mis which is how she first came to hear the vocal ability of her main inspiration, Alfie Boe. Upon seeing the DVD of Les Mis 25, Beth was overwhelmed with the music and Boe himself, so much so that her parents got her VIP tickets for Boe's Bring Him Home tour. The concert date was January 2011 and Beth soon found that the VIP element involved a meet and greet with Boe before the performance. Also at that meet and greet was another young singer, Flo Bannigan and Alfie invited the pair to sing Impossible Dream with him at that afternoon's soundcheck. To say they were excited was an understatement but the result was beyond their wildest dreams. The video below shows Alfie and conductor James Morgan exchanging glances of appreciation at Beth's voice and Alfie was so impressed that he invited the girls to sing in the concert with him.



Beth cites this as the moment that gave her the confidence to further explore and develop her voice; as she says

"if Alfie hadn't have done that, I would never have had the confidence to keep going"
.

As inspiring as this was, that wasn't the last of Alfie's generosity. Beth and family had tickets for Alfie's concert at Llangollen and when his management got wind of this, they were all invited backstage during the interval. Beth still has the unopened Mars Bar Alfie gave her!

As exciting as this was, before this, of course, lay years of singing at local events. Beth started singing in public with her local church choir, Jigsaw at age 5 and she also had her first solo at this young age! From then, she has been singing with the Voice in a Million Choir and the Walsall Youth Choir amongst others. In addition, Beth regularly performs at an Open Mic night in her home town of Bloxwich and always gets lovely comments about her pure, natural voice. This quite often leads to further performances; most of her appearance invitations can be traced back to those open mic nights.

In this day of reality TV and the seemingly never ending ways of making it to the big time quickly, many people will want to know why Beth hasn't tried and has no interest in, Britain's Got Talent or similar. Quite simply, Beth prefers to hone her talent in a natural progression - she knows she can sing so being told that she can sing in such a public way does not hold any attraction for her. She wants to make it on her own merits and not just because she appeared on a TV talent contest. This isn't the confidence of youth talking either as this quote from Rebecca Newman, The People's Soprano shows:

'Beth's interpretation of these songs is very relaxing and sung with an elegant simplicity - without pretence or ego - which is so refreshing!'


Now, Beth is starting to take her first steps into the world of recording and releasing which she first got into through her singing teacher Gary Hill who worked at Birmingham Music Academy which has its own recording studio, Progress Studio. The result was the unreleased I'm Always Chasing Rainbows and Beth is giving you the chance to download and hear her naturally gifted voice - for free! Click here for Beth's website and download I'm Always Chasing Rainbows now.

This article first appeared on www.thoughtsofjustafan.com.

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Roald Dahl's 'The Twits' Takes to the Stage

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For a theatre that has been so focused on plays with a political message of late - Hope, God Bless the Child, Teh Internet is Serious Business, 2071 - the programming of a Roald Dahl adaptation at the Royal Court is an odd choice, especially during a General Election. Perhaps they were wishing for a runaway smash like Matilda. If so, they haven't made it.

There is a delicious darkness to Roald Dahl's original book about a vile and dirty couple who are rotten to the core. You relish their horrid plots and laugh at their wickedness. I desperately wanted this adaptation to capture that spirit but the result is not good, patchy at best.

Visually, The Twits is sumptuous. Chloe Lamford has recreated the Twits' grim home wonderfully, with its grubby kitchen and overgrown tangled garden.

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The impressive production design is complemented by some terrific performances from a cast that give it everything. Jason Watkins and Monica Dolan throw themselves into the roles of Mr and Mrs Twit. They are full of grisly pleasure, wringing every drop of enjoyment possible out of torturing their caged monkeys, unsuspecting passers-by and even each other.

However, director John Tiffany's decision to play this for laughs reduces the Twits to a more pantomime couple, more Punch and Judy. There's lots of smashing each other with pots and pans and rolling on the floor. Dahl's darkness gets lost in this attempt to lighten it up, and that's a mistake. Kids like being scared and they know when they're being patronised.

Glyn Pritchard, Cait Davis, Oliver Llewellyn-Jenkins and Aimee-Ffion Edwards also shine as the family of monkeys trapped inside their cage, forced to perform cruel sketches that needle at the deepest insecurities in their audience, whilst all the while plotting their escape from the clutches of The Twits.

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In this adaptation from Enda Walsh, the monkeys become the heart of the show, its main characters. But there's just not enough to make you care as though there are some great ingredients, this show is missing the most crucial one of all - an engaging plot.

The flimsy story sees the Twits lure in a team of fairground workers with the promise of returning to them the fairground they swindled from them some time before. Implausibly these caravaners take up home in The Twits' back garden for the best part of a year waiting for this fairground, which they are perpetually promised is 'just up the road.' I mean, why don't they just leave?

And frankly if they are stupid enough to believe the Twits are going to give them their fairground back then they really do deserve their fate.

Only their dreadful fate seems to have been more inflicted on us, the audience. The two hour play is little more than a series of sketches. There's no forward momentum, little purpose and the whole piece just lacks any kind of narrative drive.

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Again and again, the caravaners are forced to sit down in the corner whilst the Monkeys and the Twits put on shows, set up grisly Christmas lunches and serve up magpie pie. It just goes on and on and on without any discernible point.

It is numbing and quite disheartening to have such darkness watered down and served up so blandly. As a result, the play just drags and you find yourself willing the end to come. Such a shame. Read the book again instead.

Royal Court Theatre, London to May 31, 2015

Image Credits:

1. Jason Watkins (Mr Twit) and Monica Dolan (Mrs Twit), The Twits, Royal Court Theatre © Manuel Harlan

2. Oliver Llewellyn-Jenkins (Monkey Son) and Glyn Pritchard (Monkey Dad), The Twits, Royal Court Theatre © Manuel Harlan

3. Jason Watkins (Mr Twit) and Monica Dolan (Mrs Twit), The Twits, Royal Court Theatre © Manuel Harlan

4. Jason Watkins (Mr Twit) and Monica Dolan (Mrs Twit), The Twits, Royal Court Theatre © Manuel Harlan

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'Wonder Woman' Film: Patty Jenkins To Replace Michelle MacLaren As Director?

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Well that didn’t take long. The upcoming film adaptation of ‘Wonder Woman’ has found itself a new director, according to reports.

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On Wednesday, it was confirmed that ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Breaking Bad’ director Michelle MacLaren - who had been previously announced to be directing the film - was stepping down from the project, due to “creative differences”.

Luckily, it doesn’t sound like producers had to look far to find her replacement, reportedly snagging another female director to take over at the helm.

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Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman


The Hollywood reporter has claimed that Patty Jenkins - best known for directing the film ‘Monster’, which earned Charlize Theron the Academy Award for Best Actress - will be taking over from Michelle.

Patty had been previously slated to direct the 2013 sequel to ‘Thor’, but ultimately quit, again due to “creative differences”.

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Patty Jenkins


The stand-alone ‘Wonder Woman’ film will follow on from the upcoming ‘Batman vs Superman’ film, which will re-introduce audiences to the character, arguably the most well-known female superhero ever.

‘Wonder Woman’ is reportedly slated for release in June 2017, though Michelle claimed last year that the film had neither a completed script nor an official release date so far.

Gal’s casting as Wonder Woman has already caused controversy, after the Israeli actress came under fire for posting a message of support to Israeli soldiers in the middle of the Israeli-Gaza conflict.

Superhero fans can look forward to seeing her in character as Wonder Woman for the first time in ‘Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice’, which is due for release in March 2016.



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Carbs: What Is the Difference Between Good Carbs and Bad Carbs!?

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In this video I talk about a very popular and sometimes confusing topic. CARBS! I explain the difference between simple and complex carbs aka fast and slow. I also explains the do's and don'ts of adding this vital nutrient into your diet and why TOWIES 'No carbs before Marbs' motto is NOT the long term answer to your best body.



Click here:
http://amandabyram.com/ to read Amanda's health blog, travel reviews and more!!!


Follow Amanda on Twitter:
@amandabyram and @byrambod


Like and Follow Amanda on Instagram:
@amandabyram

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https://www.facebook.com/amandabyramofficial

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Laverne Cox Poses Nude For Allure: 'Orange Is The New Black' Actress Wants To Make Transgender And Black Women 'Feel Beautiful' (PICS)

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Orange Is The New Black’ actress Laverne Cox has sent out a strong message about loving the skin you’re in by posing naked in an amazing new photo shoot for Allure magazine.

Laverne - best known for her role as Sophia in the Netflix prison drama - has stripped off for the magazine’s annual Nude issue, alongside stars including Nicole Beharie and Jordana Brewster.





She says: "I'm a black transgender woman. I felt this could be really powerful for the communities that I represent.

“Black women are not often told that we're beautiful unless we align with certain standards. Trans women certainly are not told we're beautiful. Seeing a black transgender woman embracing and loving everything about herself might be inspiring to some other folks.


“There's beauty in the things we think are imperfect. That sounds very cliché, but it's true.”

In a behind-the-scenes video, the actress also discusses how she prepared in the lead-up to her nude photo-shoot, joking: “My friends were like, 'You should be juicing, darling, and fasting'… I had mac and cheese last night.”

AMAZING.

Since finding worldwide fame thanks to her role in ‘OINTB’, Laverne has become an advocate for transgender rights, receiving an award from GLAAD last year for her work as a spokesperson for the LGBT community.

She’ll be appearing in the third series of ‘Orange Is The New Black’ when it arrives on Netflix in June.

A fourth series of the award-winning show has also been confirmed to be in the works.

Head over to Allure.com to see more photos from this year’s ‘Nude issue’.



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Cannes Film Festival 2015: Amy Winehouse Documentary To Receive Premiere, Along With Cate Blanchett And Michael Fassbender Films

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The schedule for the 2015 Cannes Film Festival has been revealed, and film fans have plenty to look forward to.

This year's event begins on 13 May, and plenty of Hollywood stars will be descending on the town in the South of France, to showcase their latest films.

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The first 'Amy' poster


This year, there’ll be all kinds of red carpet opportunities, but one of the hottest tickets of the week is set to be a special midnight screening of the upcoming Amy Winehouse documentary, which has been created by Asif Kapadia, who masterminded the ‘Senna’ film.

‘Amy’ is due in cinemas in July, but at Cannes, a selection of critics and industry bods will be given an early first look at the doc.

A new version of ‘Macbeth’, starring Michael Fassbender and French actress Marion Cotillard will also premiere at the prestigious event, along with Cate Blanchett’s latest movie ‘Carol’, which is an adaptation of a Patricia Highsmith novel.

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Will Michael's Macbeth win rave reviews?


Last year’s festival gave us plenty to talk about, and British actor Timothy Spall won the biggest accolade of the week, when he was awarded with the highly-coveted Best Actor Palme D’Or prize for his role in ‘Mr Turner’.

Sadly, not every movie did quite so well, and Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut ‘Lost River’, and ‘Grace Of Monaco’ starring Nicole Kidman, both received scathing reviews from critics.

See the full Cannes Film Festival schedule here, and keep up to date with all the latest pictures and gossip on our dedicated news page.



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Britney Spears Labels Audience Member ‘F***ing A**hole' During Las Vegas Show (VIDEO)

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Britney Spears didn’t take kindly to a cruel jibe from a section of the audience at one of her recent ‘Piece Of Me’ shows in Las Vegas.

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Footage has emerged of the ‘Toxic’ singer calling someone in the crowd ‘fucking assholes’ during the residency gig at Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino, although it’s not entirely clear why.

One theory is she overheard someone call her a 'fat bitch', which can be heard in the Instagram clip below, although she must have superhero hearing if she managed to catch that from the stage.

"Fucking assholes" - Britney. I think she heard you @kdb448

A video posted by Grant D (@grantadamd) on





Either way, Brit was NOT happy, and we can’t say we blame her, after all who needs haters when you’ve got so-called fans like that?

Luckily, some true fans had her back on Twitter following the gig...

















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Kanye West And Kim Kardashian Make Time's 100 Most Influential People List (VIDEO)

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Kim Kardashian’s star power clearly just keeps on growing, after she and husband Kanye West were both featured in Time’s 100 Most Influential People list.

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The annual list - which honours the world’s best and brightest individuals - has been broken down into five categories: ‘Pioneers’, ‘Artists’, ‘Leaders’, ‘Icons’ and ‘Titans’, which is the label that has been applied to both Kim and Kanye.

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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West


Explaining why Kanye has made the list, entrepreneur Elon Musk writes: “Kanye does think. Constantly. About everything. And he wants everybody else to do the same: to engage, question, push boundaries.

“Now that he’s a pop-culture juggernaut, he has the platform to achieve just that.”


Earlier this year, Kanye delivered a speech to students at Oxford University, where he spoke to the 350-strong audience about class divisions and materialism, receiving a standing ovation at the end of his address.

Kim's influence is written about in the magazine by US TV icon Martha Stewart, who claims: "Despite the flamboyance, the self-aggrandizement and the self-promotion... Kim comes across as an enviable big sister in a clan where everyone seems to love one another.

"There seem to be very few barriers to further explosive success."


Meanwhile, the ‘Artists’ category on Time’s list include Julianne Moore and Bradley Cooper, while Emma Watson and ‘Orange Is The New Black’ actress Laverne Cox have both been named among the ‘Pioneers’.

The ‘Icons’ list name checks Bjork and Taylor Swift, who are in good company alongside Pope Francis and Malala Yousofzai.

Kanye also appears on the cover of the magazine, while Bradley Cooper, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Misty Copeland, and Jorge Ramos each get their own covers too.

kanye

Check out the full list in the new issue of Time magazine, on sale 27 April.



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Film Reviews: A Little Chaos - The Salvation - Home From Home: Chronicle of a Vision - Child 44

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'A Little Chaos', Alan Rickman's wigs and powder self-indulgent costume drama set in a Versaille garden , 'The Salvation', Kristian Levring's revenge westen clings precariously to the coat tails of the Spaghetti westerns, 'Home From Home; Chronicle of a Vision', is a visionary and compelling prequel to 'Heimat' and 'Child 44, a multilayered thriller set in Stalin's Soviet era should be like an all revealing Matryoshka doll but is self-confusing and has been banned by the Russian Ministry of Culture.

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Director: Alan Rickman
Cast: Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Stanley Tucci, Helen McCrory
Genre: Comedy Drama
Language: English
Country of Origin: UK 2014 116 mins
Rating: ***

Alan Rickman's second time behind the camera after 'The Winter Guest' sees him opt for a sly wigs and powder costume drama amongst the flowers of Versaille.

Landscape architect Andre Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts), employed by King Louis XIV (Alan Rickman) to transform the gardens of Versailles loves symmetry and scale. Sabine De Barra's (Kate Winslet), a modern woman out of her time who rolls up her sleeves and gets on with it, has flair and spontaneity so it's quite a risk for Le Notre to employ her to design a water feature in a spare corner of Versailles which will thrust her into the heady atmosphere of Louis XIV's OTT Court. Let witty theatrics begin with a majestic and comedic sweep of court gossip, intrigue and sexual antics. Wishful thinking. For that to be forthcoming the script needs revision.

Joan Bergin's rich costumes, Ellen Kuras's excellent cinematography, Stanley Tucci's delightful take on the King's bisexual brother and some witty exchanges between Alan Rickman and Kate Winslet don't make up for the lack of energy in what is a drawn out self -indulgent theatrical work that glides along scene by scene and wildly misses out on all it could be.
Released by Lionsgate 17th April


Director: Kristian Levring
Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Genre: Western Drama
Language: English, Danish , Spanish with English subtitles
Country of Origin: Denmark, UK 2014 91 mins
Rating: ***
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'A revenge story hanging on the coat tails of the Spaghetti westerns.'

It's 1871 and ex-pat Danish soldier Jon (Mads Mikkelsen) with his brother Peter (Mikael Persbrandt) meets his wife Marie (Nanna Oland Fabricius) and son Kresten (Toke Lars Bjarke) off the train. Overjoyed at their reunion the family join the stage coach to journey to the family farm near Black Creek but the rape and murder of Jon's family and Jon's killing of the two perpetrators, one of whom is the brother of Black Creek's once good man but now a baddie, Delarue (Jeffrey Dean Morgen) means all breaks loose and we've got a revenge western. Law and order as expected is nil. Mayor Keane (Jonathan Pryce) bows and wimpers and sheriff Mallick (Douglas Henshall) really should have stayed in Shetland as the local plod. And when Eric Cantona popped up in a bit part I thought he was going to give 'that look' to camera and offer an ice cold K......... It was certainly needed.

It's beautifully filmed by Jens Schlosser with the camera taking in the breathtaking scenery (it was filmed in South Africa) but it hangs on the coat tails of the Spaghetti Westerns and lacks the surreal touch and tongue-in-cheek one-liners unique to the likes of the Sergio Leone trilogy. Perhaps Kristian Levring had visions of High Noon but a High Noon it aint.
Released by Warner Bros 17th April



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Director: Edgar Reitz
Cast: Jan Dieter Schneider, Antonia Bill, Maximilian Scheidt, Ruediger Kriese, Marita Brewer
Genre: Drama
Language: German with English subtitles
Country of Origin: Germany 2013 225 mins.
Rating: ****

'Hypnotic, compelling and visionary.'

Gernot Roll's majestic black and white wide compositions capture the beauty of an unrelenting landscape that dominates rural Prussian life in the mid 1800s. Edgar Reitz's compelling 'Home From Home: Chronicle of a Vision', the prequel to 'Die Andere Heimat' is a stunning panoramic insight into a family drama and love story set against the background of the fictional village of Schabbech, a time when whole villages emigrated to South America to escape the famine and Prussian feudalism that ruled their lives.

The story centers on the Simon family, blacksmith Johann (Ruediger Kriese), his wife Margarethe (Marita Brewer) and their two sons, Jakob (Jan Pieter Schneider), the intellectual dreamer immersed in his books who yearns for adventures on an unknown continent, studies the languages of the native South Americans and records his attempts to escape the rural drudgery in a diary that reflects the aspirations and philosophies of a whole era. Jakob draws all into his dreams--his parents, his belligerent brother Gustav (Maximilian Scheidt) who's recently returned from the Napoleonic Wars and Henriette (Antonia Bill), the daughter of a gem cutter who's drawn to Jakob's dream of a world where the sun never sets and its people talk in fascinating tongues. Dreams can be shattered, revolt's in the air against the baronial laws and Gustav's return will shatter Jakob's world and his love for Henrietta.

Some may criticise Jakob's voice-over from his diary as a guide to the audience, the odd blob of colour, a mistaken gesture which doesn't work and Jakob's miraculous multi-linguistic talent without tutelage but that doesn't detract from Edgar Reitz's compelling and majestic panoramic view of Prussian rural discontent with naturalistic lead performances whose characters believe that 'any fate is better than death'.
Released by Artificial Eye/Curzon Film Releasing 17th April

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Director: Daniel Espinosa
Cast: Tom Hardy, Joel Kinnaman, Naomi Rapace, gary Oldman, Joel Kinnaman
Genre: Drama Thriller
Language: English
Country of Origin: Czech Republic, UK 2015 137 mins.
Rating: ***

'The Russian Ministry of Culture's not happy with this depiction of the Stalin era. '

Stalin's Soviet Russia, a Bolshevik Utopia is the setting for 'Child 44', Daniel Espinosa's period political thriller. It's 1953 Moscow characterised by an empty GUM store, paranoia and suspicion and military might displayed in Red Square parades overseen by distant rhythmical Politburo applause. There's no crime in paradise, murder's a capitalist disease.

War hero Leo Demidov (Tom Hardy) raised the flag over the Reichstag building in 1945, an honest man with a conscience who's drawn into a murder case when the mutilated naked body of a boy is found by the railway tracks in Moscow and Major Kuzmin (Vincent Cassel) gets Leo Demidov on the case. The party line is that it was an accident which fellow cop and rival Vasili (Joel Kinnaman) enthusiastically endorses. It all kicks off now in Stalin's Utopia. The state accuses Leo's wife Raisa (Noomi Rapace) of being a traitor and they're exiled to a god forsaken provincial town and link up with General Mikhail Nesterov (Gary Oldman) to catch the serial killer.

With a fabulous cast, strong performances and a link to Andrei Chikatilo, the Butcher of Rostov, you'd expect the Matryoshka doll touch gradually wetting the appetite as plot within plot within plot is revealed. Tom Hardy excels and gets into the character but Richard Price's multilayered script based on Tom Rob Smith's 2008 first book of a trilogy is muddled and lacks tension, intrigue and suspense. It doesn't grip and how do you do a convincing Russian accent?

Ironically Russian Culture Minister, Vladimir Medinsky has banned 'Child 44' as it distorts Soviet history.
Released by eOne 17th April

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Naomi Campbell Shows James Corden How It's Done On ‘The Late, Late Show' (VIDEO)

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If you’re going to get a lesson in how to strut your stuff like a supermodel, then you might as well aim high when it comes to picking a tutor.

James Corden thought exactly this, when he decided to have a catwalk lesson during his ‘ The Late, Late Show’.

naomi campbell james corden
Werrrrrrrrk!


Luckily, a certain Naomi Campbell was on hand to show him how it’s done.

“Look straight forward, face is poised… Be more humble,” she instructed him. “Give a good stare!”

We can’t be sure whether fashion houses will come calling, but James’s efforts weren’t bad at all.

Naomi is the latest in a long list of A-list guests who’ve graced James’s chat show sofa.

So far, everyone from Mila Kunis to Josh Gad - aka Olaf the Snowman - have made appearances on ‘The Late, Late Show’, while Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson have assisted with musical skits.

See Naomi’s catwalk lesson above…

MORE 'LATE, LATE SHOW':








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Amanda Holden Flashes A Cheeky Tattoo Of Fellow 'Britain's Got Talent' Judge Simon Cowell On 'The Graham Norton Show' (PIC)

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Amanda Holden has paid her boss and fellow ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ judge Simon Cowell the ultimate compliment - by getting a tattoo of his mug.

And this being Amanda, she opted not for an inking on her arm or shoulder, but decided to get Simon’s face tattooed on her thigh, obviously.

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And the 44-year-old was only too happy to hitch up her Gucci dress to give everyone a peek at her body art, which, we’ll sure you’ll agree bares an uncanny likeness to the music mogul.

amanda holden
Amanda Holden


What. A Minx.

Amanda unveiled her inking during a recording of the ‘The Graham Norton Show’, which will air on BBC One tonight (Fri 17 April).

And we’re hoping for Amanda’s sake that the tattoo is non-permanent or we think her husband Chris Hughes might have something to say about it.

We’re pretty sure Simon will too.

Speaking of Simon, last week he showed his funny side by winding Amanda up as part of Nick Grimshaw’s ‘Call Or Delete’ feature on Radio 1.

The 55-year-old called Amanda up live on Nick’s breakfast show and pretended she was being replaced by Cheryl Fernandez-Versini for some of this year’s ‘Britain’s Got talent’ live shows.

Despite attempting to show some restraint and respect for Si - whose role as a ‘BGT’ producer means he’s also her boss - Amanda couldn’t help giving him a piece of her mind.



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MORE 'BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT':



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'Star Wars 7': Carrie Fisher Reveals Princess Leia's Inconic Buns Hairstyle Won't Return For 'The Force Awakens'

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The ‘Star Wars’ saga is seeing a whole slew of its iconic faces returning for the upcoming seventh instalment ‘The Force Awakens’, with Chewbacca, R2-D2 and even Harrison Ford reviving his role as Han Solo.

However, in a bit of devastating news for fans of iconic futuristic hairstyles, Carrie Fisher has revealed that while she will be back to play Princess Leia, her iconic buns hairstyle will not.

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Speaking at the ‘Star Wars Celebration’ in California on Thursday, Carrie was quizzed about the memorable hairstyle, which became synonymous with her character over the course of the original trilogy.

princess leia
Princess Leia as we know and love her


Digital Spy have quoted her as saying: “The buns are tired now - so no you're not going to have the futuristic buns.”

Luckily, although she’s ditched the buns, it sounds like the character will have another memorable hairstyle instead, though Carrie is keeping it under her hat (see what we did there?) for now.

carrie fisher
Carrie on stage at the 'Star Wars' event


She added: “We have an alternate thing that I think you'll be into - it is not the metal bikini, I promise.”

During the event, the first full trailer for ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ was also unveiled, which saw Harrison Ford playing Han Solo for the first time since ‘Return of the Jedi’ in 1983.

So far, little is still known about the film’s plot, although according to some reports, it could be curtains for one “major character”.



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‘Finding Neverland' Musical: Gary Barlow's Broadway Show Receives Mixed Reviews

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‘Finding Neverland’, a new musical written by Gary Barlow, hasn’t exactly received rave reviews across the pond.

The show debuted on Broadway earlier this week, and despite Gary’s confidence in the project, it hasn’t got off to a good start.

gary barlow
Gary Barlow


‘Finding Neverland’ is a stage adaptation of the 2004 film of the same name, and it stars 'Glee' actor Matthew Morrison in the lead role.

Sadly for Gary - and Harvey Weinstein who masterminded the project - things are off to a shaky start.

Here are what the critics have to say…

Vulture:

“‘Finding Neverland’ demonstrates about as much insight into creativity borne of loss as a Facebook memorial candle. [...] Their [Gary Barlow and co-writer Eliot Kennedy] ‘Finding Neverland’ score consists of bland power ballads and charming Carnaby Street pop, both of which are severely mismatched to the dour tone and Edwardian setting.”


The Hollywood Reporter:

“Bombastic and exhausting, the show confuses childishness with an affinity for the child inside, at times recalling Wicked in its busily assaultive hyperactivity, but without that show's catchy songs or engaging central character dynamic.”


Variety:

“[Matthew Morrison’s character] then he drops in a few lines from what seems to be his signature song, “If the World Turned Upside Down,” which he sang in the prologue. The lyrics (co-written, as was the music, by Gary Barlow of “Take That” and Eliot Kennedy) are well-nigh unfathomable.”


New York Times:

“The stage version of “Finding Neverland” is no replica of the film, though it might have been better if it were. Instead, it heightens the screenplay’s sentimentality, tidy psychologizing and life-affirming messages by thickening their syrup and corn quotients in ways presumably deemed palatable to theatergoing children and their parents.”


Associated Press:

“‘Finding Neverland’ gets off to a slow start and takes a detour into the surreal by the fifth song when Barrie invites everyone — except the pompous and rich — into his mind for some dancing and singing. It's a bold and great scene but that story-telling technique is quickly abandoned.”


Earlier this week, Gary - perhaps prematurely - revealed his plans for another musical stage show.

“The Take That musical has got to happen,” he told The Sun. “I think it’s a great story. I watched Jersey Boys and it’s not too dissimilar to our story. I would love to get that on stage.”

Similar to The Jersey Boys, eh?

We must have missed the bit where Frankie Valli quit The Four Seasons and sauntered off to a festival with a pair of tracksuit-wearing Manchester lads.

See pictures from the 'Finding Neverland' opening night below...



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When Soap Stars Go To Hollywood: The ‘EastEnders', ‘Coronation Street' And ‘Hollyoaks' Stars Who've Made It Big Over There (PICS)

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In recent months, we’ve noticed something of a trend in Soapland.

Admittedly, shows such as ‘EastEnders’ and ‘Coronation Street’ might not seem like the obvious place to look, when it comes to seeking out up-and-coming stars but in actual fact, they’ve provided Hollywood with plenty of new talent.

‘Hollyoaks’ is no different, and stars from the channel 4 soap have gone on to star in US hit smashes, including ‘Game Of Thrones’ and ‘Revenge’.

It’s not just British stars who are at it either, and ‘Neighbours’ has seen more than a few of its young stars jet off to LA to impress the movie business bigwigs.

Check out the stars who’ve swapped soaps for Hollywood below...



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Susanna Reid's Best Moments From 'Good Morning Britain' To 'Strictly Come Dancing': 11 Times She Won At Life

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Remarkably, it’s now been a year since Susanna Reid settled herself down at the ‘Good Morning Britain’ desk for the first time.

Over the past 12 months she’s made the headlines for her fits of giggles live on telly, her cheeky flirtations with male interviewees and - surprisingly, at least to some - her hard-hitting discussions with the likes of David Cameron.

susanna

Even outside of her role on ‘GMB’, we loved watching her on ‘Strictly’, as well as her decade-long stint at the helm of ‘BBC Breakfast’.

To honour one of our absolute faves, here are 11 of the moments that Susanna Reid won at life…



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‘Emmerdale' Spoiler: Betty Eagleton Actress Paula Tilbrook Leaving The ITV Soap After 21 Years

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Paula Tilbrook, who plays Betty Eagleton on ‘Emmerdale’, has announced she is to leave the ITV soap after more than two decades.

The actress, who has already filmed her final scenes, says she’s happy to be leaving the soap ‘on a high’.

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Although producers are keeping schtum about how Betty will leave the village, they have said she will get the send-off she deserves.

betty eagleton
Paula Tilbrook AKA Betty Eagelton


Speaking after filming her final episode, Paula told ITV: "I have been at Emmerdale for 21 years and I've loved every moment.

“Today is both the saddest and the happiest day of my life. Happy because I've got everyone here with me, but the sad part is I'm leaving.

“But there is a great atmosphere and it is nice to go out on a high."

The 85-year-old actress made her ‘Emmerdale’ debut as Betty in 1994, making her the longest-running current female character on the soap.

Series producer Kate Oates said that Paula had created a soap icon in Betty.

"It's impossible to overstate how much everyone at Emmerdale will miss Paula,” she said. “In Betty, she's created a British television icon: someone who has lit up our screens and touched our hearts.

"Off screen, she is an integral part of the Emmerdale family: an inspiration to those she works with, as well as a fabulous raconteur and hilarious storyteller. We are sad to lose her from the programme, but wish her the happy retirement she so deserves."



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