Magazine Round-Up: October | Amanda Seyfried and Rosamund Pike Cover Stars.

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Glamour has Amanda Seyfried on the cover. She gives a refreshing interview inside. She reveals: “British guys are definitely funnier than American guys.”

It is Glamour’s Men Issue and they have 25 pages of men

In the Dos and Don’ts, Jimmy Choo re-release their greatest hits, men in uggs, ipad covers, Lucy Liu becomes an artist and Prince William is heading the fund-raising to help homelessness, Diesel clothes, Children in Need turns 31!,

Louise Mensch tells Glamour readers how to succeed in a man’s world. Louise is inspirational and she gives good advice.

  What a man is thinking on the first date, work habits that are making you sick, Career tips from jewellery         entrepreneur Jessica Herrin, Food versus Exercise; which is better for you? , Is being single making you broke?, How to be single, are you in drinking denial?, Celebrity tenants. You won’t want one after reading the article, Your right to abortion (a very good article, laws are being passed quietly all of the time to take away women’s rights),

50 Sexiest Men: Robert Pattinson takes the top spot again, Taylor Lautner is second.

Brad Pitt, Hugh Jackman, George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Matt Smith, Ashton Kutcher, Justin Timberlake, Darren Criss, Prince Harry, Zac Efron are also on the list.

Katherine Jenkins tells of the friend, Polly Noble’s, battle with cancer. A very inspirational story. Polly has a book out, The Cancer Journey, that I think will be brilliant after reading the article.

What a man wants in bed.

James Cordon protests that men have feelings too, and he’s right. Well written.

Gabrielle Bernstein gives her happiness guide.

Arianna Huffington has written a brilliant and informative article on the economical climate, explains what happened and if we will recover.

Steve Jones is interviewed by Celia Walden in the lunch date feature.

The rise in broody men.

Guillaume Henry tells Glamour readers how to get Parisian chic.

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld’s celebrity look book.

Bad beauty habits to kick.

Five reasons to love Emma Stone.

The truth about your lady parts: everything you want to know about your vagina.

Charlotte Ronson shows Glamour around her home.

Tatler has Isabel Lucas on the cover, and an interview with her inside.

Anna Dello Russo talks front row fashion.

Frida Giannini, Gucci creative director, gives Tatler her mood board.

Emily Blunt’s brother Sebastian joins the family business.

Sam Leith shows how not to make a speech.

There is an amusing article on fancy dress parties, and lots of pictures, Marc Jacobs dressed as a pig? Why not.

David Sedaris interview.

Super Tutors to the rescue, if you have the money, get the best with Tatler’s guide.

The wonderful Francis Wheen writes about Private Eye’s 50th anniversary, and to the next 50!

Gallerist Maureen Paley.

School pranks.

Camel Racing.

The richest man in Britain: Alisher Usmanov.

The worrying trend of parents taking drugs with their kids. Jeez….

Keith Vaz profile.

Emma Freud’s technology reviews.

Jonathan Yeo interview.

An editorial on Britain’s funniest comedians. Al Murray in the nude (!), Laura Solon, Tim Key, David Armand, Rufus Hound, Miles Jupp, Lucy Porter, Jack Whitehall, Greg Davies (as Christine Keeler, so funny).

How to keep your money safe. Clue: buy gold.

Dynasties of Dynasties: A profile of the Rothschild dynasty.

How to sleep better.

The virtues of Crème de la Mer.

Tatler homes: Scotland’s Linzee Gordon’s.

Ralph Lauren interview.

Solange Azagury-Partridge tells Tatler what she loves.

Ciara Parkes travels to Botswana.

Rosamund Pike is on the cover of Instyle, she is interviewed inside and says: “I find award ceremonies so often the low point – people delivering trite lines in a pretentious manner”.

Sexy perfume adverts.

Nicole Roberts gives her Style IQ

The wonderful world of Christian Louboutin.

15 minutes with Diana von Furstenberg

Chloe Sevigny’s fashion genius.

You can tell people are tightening their purse strings as Instyle – and other magazines- are giving advice on how to do things on the cheap or by yourself. In the ‘your look’ section they tell you how to fake a facial, become your own hairstylist, make your own jewellery.

How to stay original when people keep buying the same clothes as you.

Instyle sits down with Gucci’s Frida Giannini to celebrate Gucci’s 90th birthday.

Jessica Chastain models and is interviewed.

Inside the Kardashian sister’s wardrobes. Envy alert!

How to wear a hat.

Olivia Wilde is this month’s beauty crush.

Downton Abbey star Jessica Brown Findlay models evening make up and there is 10 things you need to know about Jessica.

Narciso Rodriguez, Michael Kors, Tamara Mellon, Oscar De La Renta tell Instyle on the inspiration behind their perfume.

Jessica Alba, up close.

Dita Von Teese goes to the Maldives so we don’t have to. Sob.

Melissa Odabash tells Instyle what she packs for her holidays.

Diane Birch shows Instyle the contents of the bag.

Part 2 here

Mike Jagger: “I spend too much time on Facebook”.

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Mike Jagger has revealed that he is addicted to social networking.

In an interview with USA Today, the legendary singer admitted that he spends too much time on Facebook and not enough time making music.

“I spend way too much time on the computer and not enough time playing the guitar. There’s an underlying problem of this screen life taking over all of your life,” he said.

“It’s easy to keep in touch with people, some of whom I wish I’d never kept in touch with. But there they are on Facebook! You can spend a lot of time on that when you should be doing something else.”

The Rolling Stone star is also on Twitter, but admitted that he doesn’t update the account himself, adding: “But, really, who does?”

Jagger said that a rumoured 2012 tour by the Rolling Stones is “not on the table”. He is focusing on Superheavy, the group he started with Dave Stewart, Damien Marley and Joss Stone.

Doctor Who 'The Wedding of River Song' Review

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And so The Doctor goes to meet his fate by the lake in Utah, bringing Season 6 of Doctor Who full circle and wrapping things up in a satisfying and rewarding conclusion.

That would’ve been nice.

Sadly, that’s an entirely different episode to the one we got – and that got on my wick, I’m afraid.

Now don’t get me wrong, ‘The Wedding of River Song’ was a fun episode full of beautiful visuals, cracking dialogue, sweet in-jokes, and nice ideas; it was far from rubbish. Indeed, had it been placed mid-season I’d probably be lauding it as a classic.

It was just as barmy and lovable as we’ve all come to expect, with Pterodactyls chasing kids, Charles Dickens on the BBC Breakfast sofa and a pit full of carnivorous skulls. I was also pleased to see the return of Dorium Maldovar – a brilliant, brilliant character who I was heartbroken to have seen killed earlier in the season. There was even a poignant and touching tribute to the late, great Nicholas Courtney. Good stuff.

No, the problem lay in the basic DNA of its existence. The point of the episode, the whole reason for its being; to resolve the death of the Doctor,… and it is here that I felt it fall flat.

Firstly, while the alternative universe is fun and clever, it is essentially a massive distraction to the business at hand. We’ve had 12 episodes of “Doctor’s Death” foreshadowing so far this series. To me, the enjoyment of all that grandiose myth-building was guessing and wondering how the Doctor could possibly escape. This is, after all, Doctor Who; he was ALWAYS going to escape.

But Stephen Moffat wasn’t interested in telling that story. Indeed, so un-troubled was he by the resolution to this 13-episode jigsaw puzzle that he tossed it away in the final 5 minutes. He was more interested in telling us the tale of,… well I’m not actually sure. It certainly wasn’t “How Amy met Rory” – he’d already done that one in the finale to Series 5.

By creating an alternate reality with a giant re-set switch, and throwing the Doctor’s death away as a cheap and obvious trick, nothing that anyone does at any point in this episode makes a blind bit of difference to the place we end up when the credits roll.

Had River not cocked things up, the Doctor would still have survived his “death”, the Silence would still be patting their collective squidgy backs at a job well done and Amy would’ve continued her lucrative perfumery career.

In fact, the only difference that the alternate reality plot made to the conclusion of the season was that River and The Doctor got married, and blabber-mouth Melody Pond could tell all and sundry that the Doctor was still alive. And I really can’t help feeling that they didn’t need 45 minutes to tell that story – 10 would’ve done.

And that’s this episode’s biggest mistake; although it was exciting and pretty and whiz-bangy, it was, ultimately, pointless. Like a cheap fairground ride, I enjoyed it while it lasted but, having stood in the queue for an hour eating candy floss, I left the podium feeling a little dizzy and wondering whether it was worth all the fuss.

It didn’t help that the climatic reveal of how the Doctor survived his date with destiny turned out to be a rather dull and obvious get-out-jail-free card. From the very second the Tessalector popped back at the start of the episode, I knew how the Doctor was going to survive. It was so blindingly obvious that I convinced myself that it was actually some kind of cunning double bluff. Imagine my crushing disappointment when it turned out to be nothing of the sort.

As a resolution to the “final end” of the Doctor, it felt cheap and unworthy. Indeed, much like the rest of this episode, it felt like Stephen Moffat had written himself into a corner with his dazzling story-arc shenanigans,… only to bottle on the finishing straight.

This has been an outstanding series of Doctor Who, easily the best since the show returned in 2005 – and potentially one of the best single seasons of the show since it’s heyday in the 1970’s. The conclusion deserved to be as epic and clever and thoughtful as the rest of the run.

But sadly, despite the craziness, the adventure and the laughs, ‘The Wedding of River Song’ left me wanting more. And not in a good way.

Amanda Knox Freed, Kercher Family: “We are back to square one.”

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The Brother of Meredith Kercher has said that the family accepted the Italian court’s decision to clear Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito of killing his sister Meredith.

Lyle Kercher went on to say that there were now fresh questions about what “truly happened” on the night she was murdered in November 2007.

“While we accept the decision that was handed down yesterday and respect the court and the Italian justice system, we do find that we are now left obviously looking at this again and thinking how a decision that was so certain two years ago has been so emphatically overturned now,” he said.

“If the two released yesterday were not the guilty parties, we are obviously left to wonder who is the other guilty person or people. We are left back at square one.

Meredith’s parents John and Arline are said to be in shock

He, Meredith’s sister Stephanie and her mother Arline had been in court hear the judge’s decision.

After the verdict they held a press conference in Perugia before flying home to the UK.
Stephanie said the court’s decision was “a shock” and that forgiveness was impossible until the family knew what happened.

“It’s very upsetting… We still have no answers. Until the truth comes out, we can’t forgive anyone. No-one has admitted to it,” she said.

She said the “biggest disappointment” was knowing that there was someone else out there who had killed her sister.

“We don’t want the wrong people put away for a crime they didn’t commit,” she said. “It may be a case of waiting another year to get the truth.”

Her mother Arline said what had happened to her daughter was “every parent’s nightmare”.

“We are still absorbing it. You think you have come to a decision and obviously it has been been overturned. I think it is very early days really,” she said.

Meredith’s father John stayed in London, from where he said the court’s decision was “ludicrous” and “crazy”.

John Kercher said the family are “shocked” and were wondering if anyone else would now be brought to justice.

He told the Daily Mirror: “It is ludicrous. How can they ignore all the other evidence?

“I thought the judge might play it safe and uphold the conviction but reduce the sentence. But this result is crazy.

“There were 47 wounds on Meredith and two knives used. One person couldn’t possibly have done that.

“What happens now? Does that mean the police need to look for more killers?”

Stephanie had said on Monday that her sister had been “hugely forgotten” in the furore over the appeal.

Miss Knox and Sollecito had been jailed for 26 years and 25 years, but have now been cleared.

The American has already started her return trip to her hometown of Seattle and was with her parents at an airport on Rome in the last hour.

Rudy Guede, 24, was convicted of the murder and had been jailed for 30 years but his trial concluded he did not act alone and his conviction was upheld on appeal but his sentence reduced to 16 years.

Doctor Who: 'Closing Time' Review

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,… or Two [Cyber]Men and a baby.

In my eyes Season 5 of the new Doctor Who was a weak and uninspiring slog, and easily poorest series since the show returned. But there was a real diamond in the rough; ‘The Lodger’.

Gareth Roberts’ adaptation of his own Doctor Who Magazine comic strip was a joyful, warm-hearted and spirited comedy episode that I loved to bits. So when it was announced that he would be penning a sequel I was pretty excited. But did he deliver? Well, yes and no,…

The Doctor is on a farewell tour, flitting around the universe to catch up on events and experiences that he’s missed out on over the years. He knows that death is on its way and he’s going to make the most of the time he’s got left. Which includes, it seems, a visit to his old mate Craig – now the proud but overwhelmed father of baby Alfie (or Stormageddon; Dark Lord of All, as he likes to be known).

But, this being Doctor Who, The Doctor’s flying visit is derailed by his discovery of Cybermen stalking around the ladies changing rooms at a local department store (ooer!) Cue slapstic monster fighting, Laurel and Hardy level bickering and frolics in the lingerie isle!

Now, for the most part, this episode is a fun and chucklesom romp; it’s Doctor Who; the Situation Comedy. All that’s needed is a wryly named coffee shop, a contractual visit to a bowling alley and a barely plausible laughter track and you’re away!

This isn’t, to my eyes, a bad thing; the programme has been many things in its time – Hammer Horror, surreal Buddhist morality tale, James Bond-esque action adventure – why not a sitcom? It wouldn’t work every week but I’d argue that the occasional flat-out funny episode is no bad thing. I mean it’s not Battlestar Galactica is it?

And it is, indeed, very funny! Matt Smith and James Corden have a brilliant chemistry, with Craig being the straight man to the Doctor’s geeky funnyman. The moment when Craig realises that they’ve been teleported to the Cybership is comedy gold, beautifully played by both. His ham-fisted interrogation of the shop girl had me in stitches.

However, the best lines were handed to young Stormageddon, ably translated by the Doctor – who speaks baby (yeah, right!) “and everybody else?,… Peasants. That’s unfortunate.”

It’s a great script of terrific comic moments and spanking dialogue.

And Cybermen. Damn, I knew you were going to bring them up.

This was not the Metal Men from Mondas’ finest hour. In fact the story would’ve probably worked better without them. All they do is stomp around the place looking mildly pathetic. Their presence is undermined by the revelation that they’re low on juice and low on spare parts. They’re not a fighting force, they’re Dads Army.

Which is a shame because they look wonderful. And the Cybermat is a welcome return from a classic series stalwart. But they’re entirely peripheral to the story and to throw away Doctor Who’s second biggest enemy as, essentially, comedy goons does nobody any favours, least of all the brilliant Gareth Roberts.

So, to me, the story didn’t deliver everything it promised; the comedy was brilliant but the action and threat were sorely lacking. Compared with Craig’s first outing, where his life, his relationship with the love of his life and, ultimately, the fate of the world was in jeopardy,… well this was a bit of a come down, really.

But as come-downs go, ‘Closing Time’ is one I’d watch again.

Find The Perfect Web Hosting.

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In our internet age it seems that everyone has their own website. Well, the smart people at least. This means that you need good hosting. It can take a long time to find the perfect webhosting and it can be a nightmare if you get it wrong. When people are coming to your website you don’t want your site to be down.

You want your hosting provider to have a connection that is fast and reliable. You need to be able to trust your web hosting, it may help to go through some
webhosting news and find out about the latest hosting details and happenings. The site also has hosting reviews. Word of mouth and recommendations are very important to finding the perfect hosting provider. If anything goes wrong you could lose customers or readers. So it definitely pays to shop around.

Frost found some good hosting, we hope you do too.

Bubbles: Short Film Perfection

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I went to see Bubbles at the Soho Screening Rooms, and it was perfection.

Short films are hard to do. Trying to tell an entire story in under 20 minutes is something not everyone can achieve, although they do try. Bubbles succeeds on many levels. When it ended, everyone at the screening was disappointed.

Bubbles is an amazing accomplishment: a short film that you don’t want to end. Beautifully shot and framed, Bubbles is a high quality film which is well-written and well-acted. A triumph for all involved.

Vanessa Bailey is wonderful in her part, sexy, beautiful and smart. Playing a role most actresses would kill for. She is definitely one to watch.

The film tells the story of three generations in a country mansion after a funeral. A photograph resurfaces that changes everything. The past becomes present, and former loves refuse to be forgotten. Leyla Pope is an outstanding talent, I cannot wait for her next film, or, indeed, a feature length version of Bubbles.

http://www.shortfilmbubbles.com/index.html

REVIEW: THE DEEP BLUE SEA

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Tom Hiddleston and Rachal Weisz

 

Director: Terence Davies
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston and Simon Russell Beale
Running Time: 93mins

DEEP BLUE SINKS ON THE BIG SCREEN

There’s an exchange at the start of Terence Davies’ adaptation of Terence Rattigan’s stage play where unfaithful Rachel Weisz says to her cuckolded husband, ‘It’s a tragedy’. To which stage super-star Simon Russell Beale replies, ‘No, that’s such a big word. It’s just sad.”

And this is the film’s main problem – it’s not a tragedy, it’s just a bit sad.

The story of a young pretty wife who cheats on her Judge husband with a young pretty pilot, only to have him be a bit of a bastard might have been relevant and boundary pushing in the 1950’s but now it feels prudish, small and out of touch.

While it does have moments or genuine intimacy and insights into relationships that would not be out of place in a modern drama, it’s when the film’s stage roots show that it suffers.

Stage actors are allowed to be bold and brassy, vocalising their emotions to the back rows, but apply that to cinema and it feels melodramatic. Where things should be told with glances, looks and clenched jaws, they are often told with screaming speeches.

There are, however, a handful of stand-out beautiful moments in Deep Blue Sea. An uptight Tom Hiddleston trying to hold his anger at bay in a lively pub, a joke in an art gallery that’s taken in wrong way or a muted exchange in the back of a car – however, these scenes all are ruined by the inevitable burst of anger and melodrama.

You feel that maybe Davies was a bit in awe of the material. After all, not only was this one of Britain’s best-loved playwrights’ best-loved plays, but it’s also being released in the year of Rattigan’s 100th birthday. Maybe Davies felt a major reimagining, or reboot as its called these days, of the play would have been sacrilege.

Which is a shame, as with three such excellent lead actors, this would have made a great stage play.