Monthly Archives: December 2010

The Social Network. {Film Review}

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It is rare that a movie is looked at as a joke, but destroys all predictions and exceeds all expectations. This movie is by far the most (unexpectedly) damn good movies of this year. Who’d thought a movie about the creator of Facebook would be this interesting?

As you can probably tell from the trailers and the poster artwork, it’s a movie about the creation of Facebook. Though that’s only the plot-device for the narrative, and is instead a character study of Mark Zuckerberg (played brilliantly by Jesse Eisenberg). The character is beautifully ironic, he creates a website for friends all over the globe to connect with each other and yet he struggles to maintain his friendship to others (as little he has). He’s more of an anti-hero, focusing on his ambitions than his personal relationships. It becomes satirical, and one of the terrific things the character has been portrayed. Supporting cast from Andrew Garfield, Armie Hammer Jr. (as identical twins) and Justin Timberlake all deliver terrific performances. Garfield brings much emotional weight to a character that has been deeply trodden on, as he slowly gets involved with deception and betrayal.

The writing for the film is absolutely fantastic. Aaron Sorkin (known for creating The West Wing) writes one of the most exciting screenplays I’ve heard in 2010. It delivers with so much wit and charm, that it’s hard not to find this compelling and absorbing. The delivery from the actors is electric. It can be hard to take all in with such a quick pace, but it adds to the character traits each person has. It also should get enormous recognition to director David Fincher. After the very well made but slightly shallow Benjamin Button, you can tell Fincher is in familiar territory. The way he inter-cuts the court cases with the story of Facebook’s creation, it makes you wanting to know what happens next. It’s something that made Zodiac so exciting and intense to watch, also a film about obsession and achieving success.

Overall; One of the top best films of 2010. A solid piece of filmmaking that drags you in from the very start. A case-study on how to produce drama in an exciting and interesting way. Predicting a strong award contender, even should get nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director. Extremely recommended in the highest order!

5 stars!

By Owun Birkett

Tron: Legacy {Film Review}

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It has been nearly 30 years since Tron hit the screens, which turned out to be a box-office flop (along with The Thing and Blade Runner that year) but then has become a cult-classic and has been cherished by its fans. Now we have a mega budget sequel, having to please the fans of the first film but also intriguing new fans. It is, unfortunately, not a masterpiece or anything more than just your average sci-fi/adventure movie.

The good points to this film are the visual effects. The Grid feels familiar but up-to-date with our current technology (unfortunately, Tron feels incredibly dated with its visual effects). The suits and light-cycles have been given a 2.0 upgrade, and all look relatively cool and flashy. The action sequences are well done, wide enough to see and intense without being chaotic (again, Michael Bay should take notes). The music by Daft Punk is undeniably awesome. It is atmospheric and makes the film a lot better for it. It feels retro, but being contemporary. The 3D in this movie is very well done, not poorly rendered (Clash of the Titans) or hard to watch (Alice in Wonderland) but it’s more atmospheric 3D (Avatar) and works incredibly to its advantage. The 3D only happens as soon Sam enters The Grid, with the scenes in the real world are filmed in traditional 2D format. Yet all that is far and between to what I have to bring up the bad points.

I don’t want to go into detail about the story, but it is predictable and stupid basically. There’s the Disney cliché’s of Sam growing up to be a rebel, even one night hacks into Encom and escapes by parachuting off from the roof (errrr why? wouldn’t it been better if you gone out the same way you came and not attract yourself even more?). The first film had a simple and easy to follow structure to know what was the purpose of Clu, Tron etc. In this film, however, they mention things but they don’t give enough detail exactly how or what happened (like how did the new ISOs actually exist?). If Clu and Tron are given tasks to do, then what tasks the programs in the crowd do? Olivia Wilde plays the token hot girl, given nothing to do but deliver exposition. Garrett Hedlund is not a particularly interesting protagonist, he’s just a one-dimensional character and not very developed. Michael Sheen as Castor is really wasted in this film, he absolutely chews the scenery and acts like a gay David Bowie/Billy Idol and his character is pointless (same problem I asked earlier; if he’s a program, what is his function?). The only good performance is Jeff Bridges, though he plays him like The Dude in The Big Lebowski. The CGI effects for the young Jeff Bridges/Clu is really off-putting. It’s the definition of uncanny valley; it looks rubbery or plastic and I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief. I won’t say much, but the story is full of plot-holes.

Overall; a hugely disappointing film. Whilst partially entertaining at times, and an amazing score by Daft Punk; I couldn’t help but say to myself “is this the best they could come up with after 30 years?”. It feels more suitable than as a theme park ride than a movie.

3 stars!

By Owun Birkett

JCB LAUNCH ULTIMATE BIG BOYS TOY IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS .

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JCB has spent over £20m on the design and development of its new range of diggers and has created the ultimate boys toy for Christmas.

With snow having covered parts of the country and forecasters predicting the coldest winter Britain has seen in the last 100 years, design chiefs and engineers working on the new range at JCB have come up with a novel idea – the world’s first digger with an in-cab hot water dispenser to make the perfect brew!

The new backhoe loader, JCB’s flagship 3CX Eco model, which costs from around £47,500 is also equipped with a cool box, heated front windscreen and power brakes as well as a new EcoDig hydraulic system and promises to be the ultimate gift for the man who has everything.

In addition to multi million pound investments, JCB employed innovative design to offer a 16 per cent increase in fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

Offering a massive 440 nM of Torque, a bucket volume of 1.3 cubic metres and a lift capacity of 4638 kg the new 4CX Eco delivers incredible performance, power and productivity.

“Driver comfort is paramount and we are always looking at new, innovative ways to improve things,” explains Tim Burnhope, JCB’s group managing director for product development and commercial operations. “We have a proud tradition of product innovation and being first to introduce the latest technology and this is just another example. In fact, we believe it’s a world first!”

He continues: “We continually challenge our engineers to raise the bar when it comes to improving the operators’ working environment and our team has excelled itself this time. Digger drivers often spend a considerable amount of time in their cabs and the fact that they will now be able to enjoy more cups of tea and coffee is bound to be a real winner!”

The idea for the digger with the in-cab hot water dispenser came about after JCB conducted research with customers and operators across the UK and found having the ability to make hot drinks easily on freezing cold days was very important.

Tim added: “We all know that a happy operator is a more productive operator and so we felt everyone wins with our new innovation.”

All JCB 3CX and 4CX Eco backhoe loader models are now available with an optional hot water dispenser, capable of producing tea, coffee or soup, which locks securely into an area at the side of the cab. The machine uses the 12V supply directly from the machine and has been designed to fit into the existing cab layout.

However, in addition to the hot water dispenser, the new backhoe range also features a whole host of environmental and performance-enhancing benefits.

The new JCB EcoDig hydraulic system, which utilises three hydraulic pumps, can help cut fuel costs by up to 16 per cent, saving customers up to £3,536 over three years, and also boasts enhanced performance to further boost productivity. The models also come with JCB EcoRoad options of Smooth Ride System (SRS) and TorqueLock which can reduce fuel consumption by up to 25 per cent whilst increasing speed by up to ten per cent. Power brakes provide proportional braking, resulting in reduced effort, and the redesigned pedal box, with improved ergonomics, helps operators maintain roading speeds, contributing to a further one per cent saving in fuel consumption.

Tim concludes: “The new JCB backhoe loader range is our most efficient. It has been designed with the environment and productivity in mind and ultimately the machines work harder, yet require less fuel and driver effort.”

Celebrity wildlife hero Brian May supports BUAV's call for an end to the UK's role in cruel monkey trade.

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Rock guitarist Brian May and TV wildlife expert Bill Oddie have joined the BUAV in its call on the UK Government to stop supporting the cruel trade in wild-caught monkeys. Brian May and Bill Oddie joined a host of MPs, primatologists and other scientists who attended an event at the House of Commons for the BUAV’s Stop the Baby Trade campaign to end the cruel trade in monkeys for research. The event was hosted by Leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas MP, with guest speaker, field biologist and conservationist Ian Redmond OBE.

Brian May and Bill Oddie were shocked to learn about the cruelty and suffering involved in the capture of wild primates. Despite a UK ban on the import of wild-caught primates since 1997, there is not a similar ban on their offspring. Since 2009, over 2,000 monkeys born to wild-caught parents have been imported into the UK. The majority of these came from Mauritius which is the UK’s main supplier of primates.

Dr Brian May CBE said:

“The imprisonment and abuse of wild animals must stop. BUAV has uncovered evidence of monkeys ripped from their jungle homes and families, and forced to produce babies who will be shipped to laboratories around the world. The UK plays a major part in allowing this cruel trade to continue by importing monkeys from countries such as Mauritius for British laboratories. On behalf of the Save-Me foundation, I call on the Government to cut all ties with this cruel trade immediately, and fully support the BUAV’s campaign to Stop the Baby Trade.”

Bill Oddie OBE said:

“To me this issue is not whether or not animals should ever be used in medical research, it is about the utterly unacceptable and blatantly cruel conditions in which monkeys are trapped, transported and kept. I fully support the BUAV’s campaign to Stop the Baby Trade.”

Caroline Lucas MP has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM 957) calling on the Government to completely disassociate the UK from the cruel trade by banning the use of primates born to wild-caught parents, as well as those from facilities which trap wild primates for breeding purposes. The EDM has to date been signed by 80 MPs.

Other famous supporters of the campaign include comedian Ricky Gervais and celebrity designer Meg Mathews.

http://www.stopthebabytrade.org

EDM:

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=41946&SESSION=905

BRITONS VOTE CHERYL COLE, PETER KAY AND JAMIE OLIVER AS THEIR TOP CHRISTMAS DAY HOST.

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The nation’s sweetheart Cheryl Cole, funny man Peter Kay, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, comedian Dawn French and Domestic Goddess Nigella Lawson have been voted Britons top Christmas Day hosts according to new research out today. Four out of ten adults stated they would love to receive an invitation to spend Christmas Day with one of these celebrities because they would be guaranteed a day of laughter, good food and entertaining conversation which are the three essential ingredients to make Christmas Day a success.

Making up the remainder of the top ten Christmas Dinner hosts was witty music mogul Simon Cowell, showbiz duo Ant & Dec, Friends star Jennifer Aniston, heartthrob David Beckham and singer Katy Perry.

The Travelodge poll of 6,000 Britons also revealed due to the hardship of this year 68% of adults want the warmth and love of a conventional family Yuletide gathering at their parent’s house this year – whilst a fifth of Brits, want to re-capture the magic of their childhood Christmas at their grandparent’s house this festive season.

In search of family love, over the next two days 45% of Britons will defy the peril of the big freeze and drive an average 122 miles in order to celebrate a traditional Christmas in the bosom of their family. Respondents reported they will spend an average eight hours this festive season driving to visit family.

Further findings revealed in the lead up to Christmas this year, a fifth of British couples argued regarding which side of the family they were going to be spending Christmas Day with. On average four heated arguments took place between couples before a final decision was made.

Over a quarter (27%) of couples surveyed stated they will be having two Christmas dinners this year, consuming a whopping 3086 calories – because they feel obliged to visit both set of parents on Christmas day.

Over half of the nation (51%) believes it’s important to spend Christmas Day with the family because that is the true essence of Christmas. Only seven per cent of Britons are spending Christmas day with their friends rather than their family this year.

The report also revealed a fifth of Britons have avoided the calamity of their family’s spare room and the prospect of sleeping on the floor and sofa by booking themselves into a nearly hotel on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

One in ten adults surveyed stated their biggest bug bear when visiting their family is there is nowhere to sleep and they cannot bear the prospect of spending the night on the sofa or floor.

Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge Spokeswoman said, “It seems Britons will be driving home to the bosom of their family this Christmas despite the big freeze. In today’s climate Brits are longing for love and support from their families and are keen to re-establish family ties. Although when it comes to staying over a growing number of Brits are opting to stay in a local hotel so that they can get a good night’s sleep. We have seen a surge in Christmas bookings within the last few weeks and in our recent £10 sale, rooms were getting booked by the second for the Christmas period.”

Combat the side effects of Christmas. {Health}

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Christmas is one of the happiest times of year, but it can leave some of us depressed, tired and piling on the pounds. NHS Choices has put together www.nhs.uk/healthychristmas to help us through the season.

According to NHS Choices, rich food and too much alcohol can take their toll on our physical and mental health over Christmas. We may eat up to three times our recommended daily calorie intake at one Christmas meal and gain around five pounds by the New Year. In addition, both men (54%) and women (41%) are likely to binge drink during the festive season (Source: Drinkaware) which can end in awkward or dangerous incidents and poor health that last beyond the season.

NHS Choices drink-by-drink guide, based on a standard (175ml) 12% volume glass of white wine and 4% strength pint of lager, shows how quickly alcohol can affect your mind and body.

You should bear in mind that some people (e.g. young people, those with smaller builds, women and various others) may experience the effects of alcohol at lower levels than the “typical” levels suggested below. If you have developed a tolerance to alcohol you may find that some of these effects do not apply to you. In that case you should certainly consider whether it is time to cut back on your drinking or whether you may need to seek help.

As well as advice on the risks of binge drinking, the NHS recommends that men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units a day and that women should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day. ‘Regularly’ means drinking these amounts every day or most days of the week. See www.nhs.uk for more information

Typical effects:

One glass of white wine or a pint of lager (approx. two units)

· You’re talkative and you feel relaxed.
· Your self-confidence increases.
· Driving ability would already be impaired – which is why it is best not to drink and drive at all.

Two glasses of white wine or two pints of lager (approx. four units)

· Your blood flow increases.
· You feel less inhibited and your attention span is shorter.
· You start dehydrating, one of the causes of a hangover.

Three glasses of white wine or three pints of lager (approx. six units)

· Your reaction time is slower.
· Your liver has to work harder.
· Your sex drive may increase, whilst your judgment may decrease.

Four glasses of white wine or three and a half pints of lager (approx. eight units)

· You’re easily confused.
· You’re noticeably emotional.
· Your sex drive could now decrease and you may become less capable.

Binge Drinking

Binge drinking usually refers to drinking to get drunk, or drinking a lot of alcohol in a single session, that puts you at greater risk of harm. Researchers normally use – as the best indicator of binge drinking – drinking more than eight units of alcohol in one go for men, and more than six units for women. This is a really helpful guide – even though tolerance and the speed of drinking in a session varies from person to person. The important thing is to pace yourself, to avoid drinking more than you are used to, and to avoid drinking until you get drunk.

This is even more important if you are out in risky or unfamiliar circumstances. You can be at risk from others, and may not be able to look after your friends. You can easily lose control of what you do or say and may make risky decisions, thinking you’re invulnerable. From a health perspective, binge drinking increases the risk of heart attack and, if you’re sick when very drunk, you could breathe in your own vomit and suffocate.

Download the free alcohol tracker app to easily monitor your drinks on the move: nhs.uk/tools/pages/iphonedrinks

Chris Sorek, Chief Executive of alcohol awareness charity, Drinkaware, says: “For some people the festive season is seen as a guilt-free time to relax and over-indulge. For others, the pressures of present-buying, turkey-roasting and family gatherings can see them reaching for a drink to de-stress.

“To avoid the pitfalls of excessive festive drinking, like weight gain, a disturbed night’s sleep and looking foolish the day after the night before, it’s important to keep an eye on how much you drink. Adopting simple tips like eating a meal before you start drinking, pacing yourself by alternating alcoholic drinks with water and soft drinks and not drinking every day can help avoid the short and long term health risks associated with drinking to excess.”

As part of its guide to a healthy Christmas guide, NHS Choices has tools to help keep track of how much alcohol you drink and information and advice on coming out of the festive season healthy at www.nhs.uk/healthychristmas.

JACOB’S CREEK AND BBC SATURDAY KITCHEN WINE EXPERTS BRING A LITTLE SPARKLE TO CHRISTMAS

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Leading Australian wine brand and award-winning wine duo demystify bubbles ahead of the festive period

Can’t spot a Prosecco from a Cava; don’t know a Brut from a Demi-Sec? Well fear not because BBC Saturday Kitchen wine experts, Peter Richards and Susie Barrie, have joined forces with the UK’s best-selling sparkling wine brand1, Jacob’s Creek, to produce the ultimate guide to fizz, ‘A Taste of Sparkling’, just in time for those Christmas celebrations.

This eye- and ear-friendly vodcast objectively guides you through the sometimes confusing world of sparkling wine. Taking in everything from Asti to Champagne, it helps you make sense of sparkling wine; from how to open the bottle correctly, to when to serve different sparkling wines, and with what.

We enjoy more sparkling wine at Christmas than at any other time of the year, so when better to make sense of the world of fizz and impress your family and friends? Peter and Susie run the Winchester Wine School and, like Jacob’s Creek, their mission is to help you get the most out of your fizz whatever the occasion.The vodcast is a simple way to bolster your wine knowledge with small interesting snippets that capture the imagination. Did you know, for example, that due to the number of bubbles in a bottle of Champagne, the pressure inside the bottle is the same as that in the wheel of a double decker bus? No? Then this vodcast is for you.

http://db.tt/Pnaf9DO Jacob’s creek podcast.

As Susie says, “For many of us, shopping for wine is a complicated and intimidating experience, with most decisions based on price and familiarity. Like us, Jacob’s Creek wants to help people expand their horizons and discover new wines and tastes that they may not have tried before”.

Visit www.jacobscreek.co.uk/united-kingdom/news/a-taste-of-sparkling to start your sparkling wine adventure.

WILLIAM AND KATE ROYAL WEDDING SET TO BE MORE POPULAR THAN CHARLES AND DIANA’S.

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National Express brings in extra staff to cope as half price Royal Wedding coach tickets go on sale.

Coach operator National Express is preparing for a huge surge in bookings of coach tickets to London following the announcement that Prince William and Kate Middleton are to marry on 29 April 2011, and are already booking out extra vehicles to meet demand.

The company is slashing 50% off the price of its advance tickets travelling to London from anywhere in the UK for travel between 27 April and 1 May 2011 and bookings are now being taken. National Express has already had hundreds of enquiries since the wedding date was announced, from travellers wanting to book tickets to get to London to enjoy the atmosphere and excitement of the royal wedding. They have had enquiries from as far a field as Mexico and has brought in extra staff to man phones and process ticket sales.

The move will be the biggest peak time fare reduction ever offered by National Express and MD Andrew Cleaves predicts it will be the company’s busiest ever period. Andrew comments: “For Charles and Diana’s wedding in 1981 we transported over 8,000 people to the capital for the occasion but we expect to far exceed those numbers this time. The Easter Holiday is one of our busiest times of the year anyway and with the extra Bank Holiday more people than ever will making the most of the break.

“We have never cut our prices by this much before for a major event but it is such a significant national celebration, we want to help as many people get there as we can. We recently transported over 50,000 from around the country to Birmingham for the Pope’s recent visit and we expect this will be the next busiest event in the country.”

National Express experience an average 100% increase in coach ticket sales to London for major Royal events and sales can be up to 300% higher than average from key royal fan base locations such as Cheltenham and Cornwall.

While Kate will be arriving at the Abbey in her own royal coach, National Express coaches also cover a number of ‘regal’ locations around the UK including Royal Leamington Spa, Caernarfon, Queens Parade in Bloxwich, Princes Rd bus station in Wells, Kings Head in Chacewater and Royal Well Bus Station in Cheltenham.

The coaches carrying visitors to London for the festivities will arrive at Victoria coach station, which is on the royal wedding route and just a short walk to Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.

National Express (and its former companies) has been carrying people right into the heart of London by coach to enable them to celebrate every single Royal event that has taken place over the past 80 years including the Coronation, the Abdication, the Silver Jubilee, all the Royal Weddings, Trooping the Colour, Royal birthdays and Royal funerals.

National Express provide Britain’s only scheduled national coach network, serving more than 1,000 destinations with 19 million passenger journeys each year across the UK. National Express provide Britain’s only scheduled national coach network, serving more than 1,000 destinations with 18 million passenger journeys each year across the UK.

The discount is available in all National Express ticket outlets – at the National Express call centre (+44 (0) 8717 81 81 78) nationalexpress.com, over the counter at all National Express coach stations and nearly 1000 other ticket agents across the UK.