Anyone for tea? … Theo Paphitis hosts #TeaWithTheo in Trafalgar Square for Red Nose Day 2015

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

The brief was to get myself to Trafalgar Square at 11:45 on Friday 27th February, find the 8’ high teapot and share a cup of Rosie Lee with former Dragon’s Den star, Theo Paphitis and some of his celebrity friends, all in the name of Comic Relief’s bi-annual Red Nose Day being held on Friday 13th March 2015.

On what was possibly the warmest day of the year so far, a crowd gathered, donning red noses, handed out by a pair of bananas… well, two bubbly members of Ryman staff dressed as bananas, mingling and giggling in the bright sunshine – I lost count of the number of selfies that were being taken around me, celebrities and the public posing together, all in the name of the Comic Relief charity. Matt Cardle, Lauren Goodger, Jake Wood, Helen Lederer, Nick Moran and Paul Bradley graciously took time out to raise awareness for Comic Relief and Red Nose Day 2015. Theo brought along the Boux Avenue Range Rover, all blinged-up, surrounded by a bevvy of TOWIE fans just itching to lick the bonnet.
Born-organiser and self-confessed shopkeeper,Theo Paphitis, shepherded his celebrity friends and warmly invited the public to grab a cup of tea (courtesy of PG Tips, served by www.coopersbeansandleaves.com from their quirky little three wheeled mobile coffee van) and chat … and chat we did.

Jake Wood (aka Max Branning – EastEnders) told me about his time on Strictly Come Dancing – a sharp learning curve when you’ve never danced before, but under the wing of professional dancer, Janette Manrara, Jake proved that he has a natural talent for Ballroom and Latin dancing – borne out through many spectacular hip-gyrating Salsas and Rumbas, taking him through to the nail-biting #SCD semi-finals. Jake explained to me that he is now mentoring Anna Kennedy, a mother from Uxbridge who set up schools and support for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and will be a contestant on a very special edition of the hit BBC series Strictly Come Dancing.

Mrs Kennedy, 54, set up Hillingdon Manor School in Harlington Road in 1999 after struggling to find suitable education for her two autistic sons and will partner Robin Windsor on the BBC 1 show, mentored by Jake and Janette. Anna, who has received an OBE for services to special needs education, will be one of six ‘everyday heroes’ taking part in The People’s Strictly for Comic Relief. The five-part series will see all the regular Strictly faces, including judges Anton du Beke, Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli and Len Goodman, and hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Jake paid tribute to the BBC, explaining the behind-the-scenes activities that go into putting a series together, along with intense training and the rush of adrenaline when performing, the format is unlike any other. I asked if he is going to continue dancing and he answered “My children loved seeing me dance in Strictly and I think they’d have something to say if I stopped now!”

When the kettle came off the boil and the teapot ran dry, we moved inside to the Trafalgar Hotel where I sat down with Theo Paphitis, Chairman of Ryman, Chairman and Owner of Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue, also sitting on the Commercial and Technology board for Comic Relief.

CDTT: Thank you for the interview, Theo! So, tell me, how did #TeaWithTheo come about?

TP: Well, I’m a director of Comic Relief, for a start, I’ve been involved with them for many years, I’ve been to many of the projects around the world that we fund to see where the money is spent that the great British public donate to and that it’s spent properly and well. I’ve been involved with it with my businesses for a number of years, both Ryman and Robert Dyas, both convenience shops involved with our communities so there’s real great enthusiasm in those six weeks leading up to Comic Relief where it gives our colleagues the opportunity to interact with our customers, have a bit of fun, be a bit silly, come off the tracks a little bit and come away from the mundane part of life and raise millions and millions of pounds, which we do every year for the charity, and help others, so it really is win-win all round.

CDTT: A great collaboration Theo, as you say, win-win. You mentioned Boux Avenue, this is a brand that’s relatively new to me.

TP: Where do you live?

CDTT: Norwich.

TP: Ah, we have a shop in Norwich, in Chapelfield. Really, Boux Avenue was probably the biggest single reason I stopped Dragon’s Den… that, and Robert Dyas, because I started Boux Avenue. And when we started Boux Avenue, we took a clean piece of paper and I said if I wanted to create an international lingerie company and I’ve got nothing at the moment, how would it be? So we designed a shop, opened a few shops to test it, created and designed the product, and we’ve been going for three years now. We’ve got 25 stores in the UK, 10 overseas already, we’re now turning over a lot of money as a business, it’s become an international brand and it’s taken a lot of my time with a lot of people involved, an international team and we’re very excited about it. In the middle of a recession, we started a retail business aimed at an international market…

CDTT: …and it worked.

TP: And it worked.

CDTT: You did an interview back in 2011 and quoted that you were going on the search for ‘Boux’, did you find her?

TP: Boux… a little French woman we met on a family holiday in Monaco, she was cute and lovely and epitomised what we had in mind for the brand.

CDTT: Well, Shane and I are going to Monaco this year, so we’ll look out for her! With my fashion editor hat on now, your style and dress sense is very elegant… do you have a stylist or does Mrs P choose your clothes?

TP: I have had a stylist for a programme I appeared on, but I dress myself – Man at Dunhill!

CDTT: (Both laugh) And do you have any acquisitions or business opportunities in the pipeline that you can tell me about?

TP: Well, Boux Avenue is growing internationally, any day now I’m going to sign a contract on another large international deal which we’ll probably announce within the next ten days, Robert Dyas is growing, Ryman is growing, we’re always on the look out for other things. We’ve had a great Christmas, a great retail year, and we’re all passionate about what we do, we all love shop-keeping, if you look on my Twitter, I’m the ‘shopkeeper’, that’s what I do. I’d give up television and everything else, but I couldn’t give up shop-keeping.

CDTT: So the reason you left Dragons Den was because the new businesses were in their infancy and you needed to give more time to ‘shop-keeping’.

TP: Yes, and Boux had launched, I risked a lot of money in that, I had to get that right and also it wasn’t fair to everybody else, my diary was becoming rubbish and the filming weeks made things very tight. I had such a marvellous time (on Dragons Den) and the BBC get knocked and knocked and knocked but actually, as I learnt about television and learnt how brilliant the BBC are, I became more appreciative of what they do… people don’t realise how good they are. So I had a wonderful time in my eight years on Dragon’s Den and it was a wrench to leave, it really was a wrench.

CDTT: I think the public miss you not being there sitting next to Peter.

TP: Well, Deborah (Meaden) has my seat now but the BBC were very generous giving me a year off television to get my businesses established and they kindly backed me, and a year to the day, they called and offered me a slot on The One Show, which is great fun. I’m back into the swing of things now that Boux is established, and Robert Dyas has gone from a difficult loss-making business to a very profitable business. So what’s new? I’ll tell you what’s new, I’m back on TV, that’s what’s new.

CDTT: So, to round things off, the person that really makes me laugh is Lee Evans, he hits my comedy button, who hits yours?

TP: Morecambe and Wise always made me laugh, David Jason, but now… and Mrs P is really going to slap me for saying this, Lemon, Keith Lemon! He cracks me up!

CDTT: And who is Mrs P’s favourite?

TP: Miranda! Miranda actually said “Theo Paphitis is my fantasy man” in one episode… my Twitter feed went mad (laughing).

CDTT: Thank you so much Theo, a fabulous interview!

TP: Lovely to meet you, enjoy your cruise and Monaco… and if you see Boux, say hello!

After the interview, I came to the conclusion this successful entrepreneur really does have a USP … a ‘Unique Spirited Person’ with a nose for business and an eye for the opportunity – plus he makes a jolly good cup of builders slosh!

Watch the Snotty Professor teapot being eased into place!

Time for tea with Theo and his celebrity friends:

Matt Cardle

Appearing at Wrexposure Music Festival on 4^th April 2015 – www.wrexposure.com/

Lowry Theatre, Salford on 20^th May 2015 – www.thelowry.com/event/matt-cardle1

Lauren Goodger

@LaurenGoodger – www.laurensway.com – promoting her range of tan, lip, hair and eyelash products, wearing a camel–coloured coat from Cherry Drop Clothing:

http://www.cherrydropclothing.uk/Drape-over-sized-coat-seen-on-Chloe-Sims-and-Kim-Kardashian-0105.htm

Paul Bradley

Best known playing Nigel Bates EastEnders, now Elliot Hope in Holby City

Helen Lederer

Losing It is the hilarious debut from Helen Lederer, one of the UK’s favourite comediennes, a ‘mid-lit’ book (apparently somewhere between chick-lit and grey-lit!)

Nick Moran

Appearing in ‘Twelve Angry Men’ at the Garrick Theatre, London, until March 15; nimaxtheatres.com/Garrick

OWN YOUR OWN RED NOSE DAY TEAPOT!

The porcelain Red Nose Day teapot featuring the Snotty Professor costs £4.99 from Robert Dyas or from the online shop, with at least £2.25 from each sale going to Comic Relief.

How to donate: www.rednoseday.com

Find out more: #TeaWithTheo #RND15 @rednoseday

Theo Paphitis – www.theopaphitis.com @TheoPaphitis

Through his appearances on Dragons’ Den, Theo has advised many young entrepreneurs and invested in several innovative businesses and brands. The Paphitis Charitable Trust distributes all of his fees from TV appearances, speeches and his book to causes close to his heart and charities associated with children. In early 2009 Theo was appointed patron for Skillsmart Retail, the Sector Skills Council for Retail, which is committed to driving up skills levels in the industry. His special areas of responsibility are as the Retail Apprentices’ Champion and for the new National Skills Academy for Retail. In summer 2009 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Middlesex. Theo lives in Surrey with his wife Debbie. They have five children and three grandchildren.

Ryman – www.ryman.co.uk

Ryman is a UK stationery retail company with over 230 outlets nationwide in the UK. The website and stores provide a wide range of stationery and office supplies for homes and businesses. Theo acquired Ryman in 1995. He introduced the Ryman Direct mail order catalogue in 1996, the Ryman website in 1998 and has turned Ryman into a successful and profitable business comprising 232 stores with a turnover of more than £120m.

Robert Dyas – www.robertdyas.co.uk

Robert Dyas is a UK retailer founded in London in 1872. The website and stores provide ranges of housewares, small electrical appliances, gardening products, kitchenwares, DIY, and consumer electronics throughout 96 stores, mainly in Greater London and South East England.

Boux Avenue – www.bouxavenue.com

Boux Avenue Ltd. is a chain of lingerie stores based in the United Kingdom. Boux Avenue launched in the spring of 2011 initially opening six stores across the United Kingdom. All the stores are located in shopping centres across the region, including Bluewater (Kent), Lakeside (Essex), St. Davids (Cardiff), Trafford Centre (Manchester), Meadowhall Centre (Sheffield) and Buchanan Galleries (Glasgow). In March 2012, a seventh store in Birmingham’s Bullring opened. In September 2014, an eighth store opened in Brighton’s Churchill Square shopping centre. The store boasts an original selling layout for the UK shopper by displaying the majority of its products in drawers as opposed to hanging rails and stands.

www.coopersbeansandleaves.com

With their quirky little three wheeled mobile coffee van, Coopers Beans and Leaves brings you high quality gourmet coffees including Lattes, Cappuccinos, Americanos, to name but a few, also offering a large range of Organic Fairtrade Clipper Teas, (always adding to the range), the “best” hot chocolate, Chai, Lynch’s Hot Apple & Schmoo Milkshakes, along with a delicious selection of home-made cakes and goodies.
#TeaWithTheo event images courtesy Shane Finn www.visual-devotion.co.uk @VisualDevotion

www.corinne-modelling.co.uk @ladycdtt

corinne.modelling@gmail.com

Playing it Cool Trailer Starring Chris Evans, Michelle Monaghan & Aubrey Plaza

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Frostie

We are huge fans of Chris Evans, Michelle Monaghan & Aubrey Plaza at Frost, so you can imagine our excitement for new offbeat romantic comedy Playing it Cool.

Playing it Cool is this generation’s ‘Swingers’ meets ‘500 Days of Summer’, a fresh and quirky story of a slight pretentious man, our ‘narrator’ (Evans), who falls for an unlikely girl, ‘her’ (Monaghan), and will stop at nothing to get her even after realizing she is already in a relationship. Like a young ‘Walter Mitty’, it tells the story of a quarter-life crisis amidst figuring out who you are and what your destiny holds.

In Playing it Cool unrequited love motivates a guy to write about his experiences…

Directed by Justin Reardon, Playing it Cool is from a screenplay by Chris Shafer and Paul Vicknair, from Wonderland Sound & Vision and Voltage Films.

Playing it Cool will be available on VOD from March 2nd 2015.

Patricia Arquette’s Oscar Speech Is a Thing of Beauty | Watch Now

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Patricia Arquette’s kick ass Oscar Speech took over the internet, and rightly so. While political statements are generally frowned upon at the Academy Awards, Arquette won the hearts of people all over the world with her demand for equal pay for women. The best reaction came from Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez, both of whom nearly fell off their seats with glee. Equal pay for women in Hollywood has been a widely debated topic since the Sony hacks. I hope that Arquette’s speech makes a difference, she has at least raised awareness to billions of people, and for that she is amazing.

She also said earlier this year that she paid her babysitter and dog walker more money than she made on Boyhood. She isn’t the only one to speak out. Hilary Swank said: “My male counterpart will get paid ten times more than me — ten times. Not double, but ten times for the same job. We only have this much left for the female actress. I mean, there’s two genders on this earth. Both are compelling, interesting, diverse, wonderful in all their own separate ways. And yet there’s an influx of male roles, and there’s just not for women.”

While Amy Pascal has said that the problem is that women accept less money than men it is not as simple as that. Pascal herself said that there are less roles for women so women are more likely to work for less just to have a job. This is a sad state of affairs that must change. Arquette has started the battle call, we must all follow through.

The Theory of Everything Review by David Evan Giles

Posted on February 23, 2015 by David Giles

The Theory of Everything is, quite simply, brilliant. In the same way that director Steven Soderbergh lifted Erin Brockovich from being a legal procedural TV movie to its position as a major motion picture, Oscar-winning documentary director James Marsh has taken what could have been an awkward mix of impenetrable science and a terrible disease and made a deeply human story that is moving, inspiring and so totally engaging that audiences often sit right through the end credits as they take in what they have just seen.

It is the humanity, the frailty, the warmth, the humour, the kindness and – to use a very old fashioned word for an unfashionable quality – the decency of the story, played by a faultless cast with such little apparent effort or strain, that makes The Theory of Everything the most memorable film in a rich field at this year’s Oscars.

Eddie Redmayne’s transformation from a slightly awkward ‘natural scientist’ (the traditional expression at Cambridge University for a ‘geek’) to the towering brain caught in an unco-operative body is little short of miraculous. This is not a star turn, where the dribbling is designed to win prizes for being ‘confronting’. Redmayne plays the man and not the disease. The character of Stephen Hawking stays vigorously alive as more and more of his body fails and what Jane, his wife played so delicately by Oscar-nominated Felicity Jones, fell in love with is still there in his eyes though his voice is gone, replaced by the American accent in a box that most of us have heard. His family and friends are brave, supportive and accepting. As played by Redmayne, Stephen Hawking inspires love because of the man he is, alive and laughing, inside the body he no longer controls.

A recent article in a national newspaper carried a cynical headline, asking that no more films be made about white, male, British geniuses. It was a painful bit of smartypantsness, because the two movies that could fall into that category this year are both brilliant pieces of filmmaking – the other film is The Imitation Game, for which Benedict Cummerbatch is also deservedly Oscar-nominated. Between them, these two films are likely to do more to wash away prejudice against homosexuality and the disabled than a thousand pages of legislation ever could. Their heroes are both great men, great minds and in great pain. They are treated by the writers and directors with enormous respect and played faultlessly by young actors reaching the top of their game. In the English-speaking world, the film culture has lately been dominated by endless sequels, remakes, stories based on comic books, gross-out comedies and cynical violence. The Theory of Everything proves that complex stories about real people can still be told and the audience is rewarded by the feeling that the human journey can still be an ennobling experience, in which we are not limited by our bodies, but only by the barriers we set up in our minds. Don’t miss this film.

Rock Choir at Abbey Road Studios – Yeah Yeah Yeah By Katy Seath

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Margaret Graham

“Rock Choir: When I had slightly more time, I was a member of Katy Seath’s High Wycombe Rock Choir. Somehow this girl makes even ‘out of tune no pitch’ people like me hit the notes, and what’s more, enjoy doing it. But we don’t just sing, we have to remember steps. Crikey. She is such a fun girl, and so good and everyone would follow her if she asked us to do it on a tightrope. I have sung with them on the pitch at Wembly, something I thought would never happen to me. But now, heights undreamed of – wish I’d been with ‘em…” Margaret Graham

Rock Choir at Abbey Road Studios – Yeah yeah yeah By Katy Seath.

Rock Choir members from Hampstead, Chiswick, Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross and High Wycombe visited Abbey Road Studios on Sunday 1st February to record Viva La Vida, Fall At Your Feet and Time After Time. They were lead by choir leader, Katy Seath

I’ve been a choir leader for Rock Choir for almost 6 years. In that time, I have seen and done some pretty ‘Rock ‘N Roll’ things – conducting on the pitch at Wembley Stadium, performing onstage at the O2, … it has all made for an exciting musical journey. So getting the opportunity to take 240 members from my choirs to the iconic Abbey Road Studios and record 3 songs seemed just another remarkable tick on the list. Yet this particular event stands out from the rest. As well as my own sense of occasion and significance, it was the members’ reactions that showed me just how special this opportunity was.

Arriving early, I was greeted by Kevin – an exceptionally friendly security guard. He gave me a quick tour of the building as he commented, ‘That’s where they recorded Dark Side Of The Moon.’ ‘Right,’ I said. I absorbed my surroundings as Kevin continued to chat before arriving at the sound desk. As a professional singer I have seen many recording studios, ranging from makeshift set ups in bedrooms and garages to fully kitted studios. But this really was the Mecca of them all.

Looking through the window, I saw the space where the choir would sing, as well as the grand piano I would play on the recording of ‘Fall At Your Feet’. Placing my headphones on, I heard the beautiful string quintet who had recorded their part the previous day. I had to get all this done in 10 minutes before the choir members arrived. No pressure then.

I split the choirs into 2 groups across the morning and afternoon, and ran to the same schedule with each. First, we stood on the steps for Abbey Road to take the all important pictures with our photographer, Darren. We grinned through the cold with Rock Choir t shirts on show, while intrigued passers by, and tourists, stood on the other side of the gate taking their own snaps on cameras and smart phones. Feeling like Rock Stars, the excitement started to build. Next, we moved inside to the famous Studio 2 (home to The Beatles recordings) where the choir received the all important briefing from Jim Hawkins.

As the choir began to file their way into the large space, I watched them taking it all in. The team at the studios are well accustomed to Rock Choir visits, so all I had to think about was conducting the singers and striving for the best sound we could make. Extra rehearsals and small lectures from me about ‘ the recording experience’ had all lead to this point. While Darren quietly moved around us to capture the moments, we warmed up, put on our head phones and listened obediently to sound engineer Simon Rhode’s gentle but cheeky voice in our ears, as he sat at the mixing desk. The choir relaxed and the performance seemed to be captured by the third take.

Witnessing the pride, focus and joy of the choir reminded me of my good fortune to work in such a magical world. Singing each week at rehearsals brings a huge amount of satisfaction, so taking our work and immortalizing it in such a way made us feel like as though we were, and are, a tiny part of history.

www.rockchoir.com

Madonna’s Still Got It Watch The Video That Proves It

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Madonna has been awesome since 1982 and she still shows no sign up slowing down. Her performance of Living For Love at the Grammys left all young pretenders in the dust. She may get a lot of ageist comments for being 56 but this proves all of her critics wrong. The video is the isolated vocals of her performance, no auto-tune. Her six-minute performance is amazing. If you don’t believe Madonna is still at the top of her game then watch and learn.

What do you think? Has Madonna still got it?

Kanye West Attacks Beck At Grammy’s Internet Responds By Attacking Beyonce

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Kanye West Attacks Beck At Grammy’s And The Internet Responds By Attacking… Beyonce

When Kanye West almost interrupted Beck onstage while he was accepting his Album of the Year Grammy award, and then later said that he should respect ‘true artists’ he showed one thing: how much of a twat he is. In fact, who can forget he did a similar thing to Taylor Swift a few years ago? (Weirdly Kanye has said that he will be collaborating with Swift soon).

Beck gave a very dignified response. Saying, ‘Come back, I need some help.’ and then later telling reporters: “[Kanye] deserves to be on stage as much as anybody.” Some reactions to Kanye’s pompousness have been bang on: David Spade calling him ‘virtually impossible’ to like, Shirley Manson calling him a ‘complete twat’ but what has really annoyed me is the large amount of people on the internet attacking Beyonce. Who didn’t even do anything apart from be in the audience, embarrassed at the events unfolding.

Post by Shirley Manson.

Instead of attacking Kanye as an artist, my Facebook feed is full of meme’s attacking Beyonce’s ‘artistry’. Some of it reeks of sexism and it is bullshit. Why not attack Kanye?

Beyonce is an artist. The meme’s say she plays no instruments. I don’t actually know if Beyonce plays any instruments apart from one: her voice. Her STUNNING voice. She is talented, she is visionary and anyone who has seen her documentary Life is But a Dream cannot be anything other than wowed by her work ethic, her talent and her vision. She is not just an artist: she is a superstar. Beck is also an artist. He writes songs and plays 16 instruments. I am a fan. There is room for them both in the music industry. They are like chalk and cheese and each has their place. To compare them is silly and stupid. They also claim that Beyonce does not write any of her songs. She doesn’t write them all, but she has written a fair amount.

So, people, enough with attacking the innocent party. There is only one person who deserves our scorn and his name is Kanye West.

Best/Worst Movies of 2014

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Owun Birkett

Wahey! It’s that time of the year where movie critics get to round up their list what made 2014 great and. . . . well, not so much! As always, I will be listing the movies in alphabetical order rather than rank them because they’re all different from each other, and feel unfair when it is like comparing apples and oranges. Lastly, I like to apologise for being late on submitting this list. So with that being said, let’s get right to it!

BEST

This critically acclaimed Australian horror movie is nothing short but brilliant! Not a single jump scare was used, it’s all about tension building and atmosphere and that’s something you don’t find in a lot of horror films nowadays. Never has a horror movie made my skin crawl from start to finish and all credit goes to writer and director Jennifer Kent (making her directorial debut). You know you’ve done something extraordinary when the director of The Exorcist declares your horror movie to be the most terrifying movie he has ever seen. Seriously, it puts The Conjuring to shame!

This is an extraordinary piece of filmmaking! Immensely innovative with its direction and execution and could be Iñárritu’s most ambitious film to date. It deals with themes about the media, society and celebrity culture in such dark but satirical perspective that it’s both hilarious and tragic. Michael Keaton delivers an outstanding performance that more or less mirrors his own career and supporting cast do equally amazing jobs. Though the star was Emmanuel Lubezki, the cinematography is mesmerising and keeps you hooked to the very end.

This is quite possibly Richard Linklater’s masterpiece. How on earth can he top this inspiring movie that deals with time and told a coming of age story like none other before? It could’ve been easily done by hiring different actors to play different ages of the same character. Though Linklater decides to go with the ambitious route; capturing 12 years of one boy’s life to adulthood. It’s mind boggling the movie is 2 hours 45 minutes long and yet feels we only scratched the surface. This is my bet to win big during awards season because all the hard work deserves to be rewarded.

Probably one of the most talked about movies of 2014. That and also quite possibly the worst date movie of 2014. David Fincher yet again takes an average novel and turns it into one of the most entertaining yet bleak thrillers. Ben Affleck is actually good as a guy being constantly scorned by the media, yet it’s Rosamund Pike who steals the show as the most bat-shit insane wife from hell. I think the amazing feat is having Tyler Perry actually being amazing and not another one of his cringe-worthy Madea performances. The movie raises questions more than answers and it is more fascinating with that in mind.

Who’d knew that a Marvel Comics property that non-comic fans never even heard of would become a smash hit AND receive critical acclaim? This film was an absolute blast and wasn’t just from the kick-ass soundtrack. The entire Guardians team from Christ Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper as Rocket and Vin Diesel as Groot all managed to make the whole thing work. Though writer/director James Gunn is the one to applaud to, as he managed to turn this sci-fi space opera something worth investing. Joss Whedon, it’s your turn to shine!

One of the most gorgeous looking movies of 2014. This hilariously stunning movie couldn’t be in better hands than Wes Anderson and he makes his best film to date. Ralph Fiennes delivers a genuinely funny performance that surprised me, and many others as we were accustomed to his serious roles from his previous work. The whole look of the movie played out as it was a pop-up book but with as much love and care you’d expect from Anderson. All the Wes Anderson regulars (from Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe etc) continue to make great performances but newcomers as Saoirse Ronan, F. Murray Abraham, Jude Law and Harvey Keitel all make a strong presence.

This may not be one of Christopher Nolan’s best movies, though I can’t deny the movie’s ambitions and scope. This is reminiscent to science fiction novels of 50s-70s, dealing about humanity and its venture to the unknown. Matthew McConaughey gives us a protagonist full of determination, even when put against all odds. Though both Mackenzie Foy and Jessica Chastain steal the show as the young and adult Murph. The visual effects are mind-blowing and Hans Zimmer’s score is refreshing with its church-organ score. This is definitely a sci-fi movie worth exploring.

Hey, another movie with Chris Pratt being on my list! If there was one movie I would pick as my favourite, this is the movie. Phil Lord and Chris Miller (same duo behind 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street) have made a genuinely hilarious and charming animated movie. Everyone thought this would be a quick cash grab for LEGO but they delivered something special. Immensely creative and not only my favourite animated movie of 2014 but one of my top favourite animated movies of all time!

I must admit, I wasn’t really a fan of The Raid: Redemption. So I walked into this one with not a lot of expectations. My god, this movie blew me away! Not only is this one of the best action movies of 2014 but one of the best action movies I’ve seen in the past 5 years. Gareth Evans is a competent director and doesn’t hold back from the brutality this movie has in store. Sure, the story is something we’ve seen from a dozen other crime movies such as Infernal Affairs (and even the remake, The Departed) but it’s all done in a refreshing way. Just be warned, this movie will make you wince from its pain-inducing action.

The first movie I watched in New Zealand and it was the biggest surprise of 2014. Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi creates a mockumentary that makes a unique and hilarious take on vampire lore. You fall for these characters as they are somewhat likeable and still come across being human than monsters. Definitely one of the funniest movies of the year and North American readers should definitely check this out when released in cinemas.

Ever imagined dealing with a school teacher from hell? Okay, a bit of an exaggerated question to ask but this movie shows us a teacher you pray you don’t come across. This film has such flair and energy that’s impossible not to get involved. Miles Teller is becoming an incredible talent and he truly shines as the emotionally tortured student on becoming the best drummer. Though not mentioning J.K. Simmons’ outstanding performance would be a crime, it is utterly electrifying that you’re preparing the unexpected.

WORST

This new Spider-Man series is anything but amazing. If the first movie didn’t make it clear that Sony Pictures had no idea what to do with Spider-Man franchise, this movie shows it clear as day (didn’t even need a hacker to prove that). This movie is not interested on telling a story with compelling characters, it’s more interested for the studio to keep the licence so it can make more sequels and spin-offs to make an easy cash grab. It’s heart-breaking that everyone’s top favourite Marvel superhero is treated this way. Edward Garfield is wasted with this directionless series and the villains were just cringe-worthy. This movie even makes Spider-Man 3 look good. . . . think about that!

This movie left me feeling uncomfortable. The movie comes across wanting to view this tragic but honourable soldier. However, it feels it is very one-sided and not having a clear direction on what story to tell. Is it an anti-war movie? Pro-war? It doesn’t really give any insight about the man, other than he wants to protect his country from the “savages” and those “savages” are purely evil (something I feel Paul Greengrass would’ve been a better director to handle this material). The movie doesn’t tell anything new and has been done better before in terms about the conflict and biopic about a military soldier (such as The Hurt Locker and Born on the Fourth of July).

Remember how The Conjuring terrified audiences and almost side-tracked with the doll that kinda went nowhere? Well they decided to make this movie and got the director of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. What we got was a horror movie with boring characters that have zero chemistry and investment whatsoever. If you find jump scares scary, this will absolutely terrify you. However, they grew tiresome and extremely irritating with each one that popped up. Anyone can make a jump scare, though that does not mean your movie is scary!

Imagine two of your favourite film series based on popular books (in this case, Harry Potter and The Hunger Games) and turn it into the most bland, generic movie you could imagine. It also reminded me of Equilibrium, though they left all the boring parts in this movie. Shailene Woodley has been in my radar since her performance in The Descendants and was also fantastic in The Spectacular Now. This breaks my heart to see her involved in this series that feels so contrived, it left very few surprises and ended up bored out of my mind.

Just to make one thing perfectly clear; Sleeping Beauty is one of my all-time favourite Disney animated movies. This movie, however, takes everything you loved about it and went with the completely wrong direction. The reason we loved Maleficent was she was purely evil, it even scared me when I was a child and didn’t hold back on killing the princess. Here, they decided turn her story into a tragic one and something I, quite frankly, thought we didn’t need. Though what shocked me was the adult subtext and kinda turns into a rape revenge story. None of the characters were developed enough to be invested and the whole movie was a complete mess.

A remake that didn’t need to be remade in the first place. The original 1987 movie by Paul Verhoeven still holds up today as being one of the best sci-fi movies of the 80s and wrote the book about action movie satire (something like Gamer failed to deliver). This was a dull, directionless remake that got neutered down to an audience friendly PG-13 rating and was worse for it. This movie also wastes talents like Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson. This movie should get a life sentence!

You know when somebody says “it’s just a kids movie”? Let me ask you this; would you let your kids watch a movie that’s based on a kids property that has one of our heroes saying this line when he first lays eyes on Megan Fox as April O’Neil “she’s so hot, I can feel my shell tightening”? The answer should be “no”! This movie is everything on what you should not do when making a blockbuster, especially based on a franchise everyone knows and loves. Director Jonathan Liebesman continues to deliver uninspired movies that have been done better. There’s absolutely no reason we should not even put enough effort to tell a basic story with characters we should care about.

This is probably the top contender of the most boring science fiction movie in recent memory. Wally Pfister’s directorial debut thinks it is making a thought-provoking sci-fi tale about technology, though when the movie’s extremist group can’t even make a logical reason why we should hate Will Caster and the technology he’s creating but instead pretty much say “technology is evil”. . . . okay, care to expand on that? None of the characters speak naturally and the third act’s action scene feels almost out of place. Sorry Wally, you aimed just a little too high with this one.

Both Boyhood and this movie are 2 hours and 45 minutes long. The former was engrossing, this one was a drag! Not the worst of the series (that still belongs to Revenge of the Fallen) but it is still lifeless and tedious. Even replacing Shia LaBeouf with Mark Wahlberg wasn’t enough to improve the things that are still wrong with this movie. This is probably the first movie that made me want John Goodman to stop talking! Also, they spent an awful amount of time explaining the ‘Romeo & Juliet’ act between the two teenage lovers and it pretty much encourages under-age love (even to the point of sex. . . . thank you Mr. Bay, that’s exactly what we wanted in a Transformers movie). When we do finally get to the Dinobots (after 2 hours and 20 minutes in), we’re beyond caring on what’s going on! This series does need to die out soon but it’s not soon enough!

Kevin Smith is one of those filmmakers I admire; he’s a symbol of everything about geek and no shame to it whatsoever. Unfortunately, the days of Clerks and Chasing Amy are long lost with this dreadful horror film. Based on a fake Gumtree ad and Smith let fans vote whether to make this film, it is a complete pretentious mess. Justin Long’s character is unlikable, so it’s hard for us to feel sorry when horrible things start happening to him. Also a certain cameo from an A-list star goes for far too long than needed. Definitely not worth the hype.

DISAPPOINTING MOVIE OF THE YEAR

Remember when Guillermo del Toro was, at one point, going to direct a two movie adaptation of The Hobbit? That’s what has been on my mind since watching the first movie and stayed with me till the end of this final entry of Peter Jackson’s trilogy. Stretching it to three movies was unneeded, the second movie had huge pacing issues. Though those issues for being too long were reversed, the 2hr 24min duration went by and actually made me say “oh, that’s it?” Those emotional moments in The Return of the King is completely missing in this movie. When characters get axed off, there’s little investment to care and it’s a real shame. The Hobbit could’ve been spectacular, instead it feels average in comparison to The Lord of the Rings (which I do admit is unfair to compare). Not terrible by any means but could’ve been so much more than it is.

MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIE OF 2015

It would be really easy to say Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens and it is definitely up there. Though choosing from the line-up was incredibly difficult. You have from Avengers: Age of Ultron, Terrence Malick’s latest Knight of Cups, and return of James Bond in Spectre. I finally narrowed it down to this sequel to one of the most influential post-apocalyptic action movies of all-time. George Miller finally returns after having his run on making those penguin movies (have to admit, I wasn’t a fan) and Tom Hardy takes over from Mel Gibson as the titular role. Co-starring Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult and Hugh Keays-Byrne (returning to series since Mad Max). The movie looks edgy, raw and unbelievably fun! Looking forward to going back on the road.

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