Tag Archives: Catherine Balavage

Save the Children Launch ‘No Child Born to Die’

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David Beckham mentioned Save the Children’s No Child Born to Die on his Facebook page, reaching over seven million people. Piers Morgan and Stephen Fry, Alexandra Burke and Emma Freud twittered about it. Simon Cowell has backed the campaign, so has Helena Bonham Carter. The UK’s biggest names in show business, sport and journalism lined up to back Save the Children’s new campaign today – No Child Born to Die – which aims to save millions of children’s lives.

At the launch event for Save the Children’s No Child Born to Die campaign this morning:

* Alexandra Burke revealed she was “Born to Believe” and told how she was so moved by her trip to Haiti with Save the Children in 2010, that: “It was really heartbreaking…it opened my eyes up to many things..seeing what was going in Haiti and how it can be stopped…even if you put in £1 or £10 , it can make a difference. ”

* Edith Bowman – whose passionate belief in the cause was sparked by speaking to mums and children in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo , told Save the Children she was “Born to Talk…but about serious issues.” She said: “It just seems a ridiculous the number of children to be losing their lives in this day and age.”

* Amanda Mealing – who was “Born to Perform” told the launch event in central London about a newborn baby in Bangladesh who had died of septicaemia because its umbilical cord had been cut with “a sharpened bamboo stick”. She added: “I know that if I forego my one takeaway coffee a day, and (donate the money), it can make a real difference.”

* Natasha Kaplinsky who visited the Delhi slums with Save the Children earlier this month to see our life-saving work said she was “Born to Love, Learn and eat Fudge”.

Quotes from other celebrities backing Save the Children’s campaign:

* Piers Morgan announced he was ‘Born to Irritate’
* Actress Brenda Blethyn was ‘Born to Sing’ but reveals she’s never got round it.
* England footballer, Frank Lampard, is ‘Born to Play Ball’.
* Hugh Dennis is ‘Born to see Life from a Funny Angle’
* TV Presenter Dr Hilary is ‘Born to tell bad medical jokes’
* TV presenter Sarah Beeney was ‘Born to Laugh’
* Spooks star Hermione Norris confesses to being ‘Born to eat sweets’.

* Dr Abhay Bang, whose pioneering community-based methods reduced child mortality by an astonishing three quarters in 39 villages in India told the launch that empowering village women was one of the keys to success: “If you open a window of knowledge, the skills are in her hands, the knowledge is in her head, the equipment is on her shoulder, and the compassion is in her heart, she literally becomes a mobile health clinic.”

* Justin Forsyth, Chief Executive of Save the Children, said at the launch event in central London :“It is shocking in this day and age that 4000 children a day are dying of something as simple as diarrhoea or pneumonia: what a senseless waste of young lives.” He added: “We know what works, the tragedy is that just when we are beginning to make progress we risk slowing down. Our rallying cry is No Child Born to Die. We can end this massive loss of life. That is why we need every family, up and down the country to get involved…In five year’s time, we want to look back on 2011 as a turning point in the battle against child deaths.”

To sign up and show your support for the campaign visit www.savethechildren.org.uk/bornto. There you will find more information about ‘No Child Born to Die’, ways to get involved and real life stories of hope. Or Text I WILL TO 64118 (standard rates apply).

Freddie Flintoff Set To Support Corky On The Ice

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Dancing on Ice star Dominic Cork will be cheered on this weekend by England Ashes legend Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff. Cork who survived the tense skate-off last weekend will be looking to improve from last week and having the support of Flintoff will certainly spur him on.

Cork who has been a consistent performer in the competition so far, was disappointed at being in the bottom 2 last weekend,

“I felt that I had skated well enough to go through to this week’s show so finding out I was in the bottom two was devastating’

The 39-year-old continued,

“Unfortunately for Steven Arnold he left the show but it is up to me to make sure I am not in the bottom two this week”

Cork who featured for England an impressive 37 times taking 131 wickets played with Flintoff in the England set-up and at county level with Lancashire. The pair have remained close friends ever since.

Cork will be hoping that the added bonus of having his friend Freddie there will spur him on,

“Having Freddie there will make a huge difference, knowing that your friends are in the audience routing for you can help give you get that extra bit of motivation on the night”

“He is a real legend of English cricket and although he has been giving me some stick for the costumes I have been wearing he really wants me to succeed”

Flintoff has already been to visit Dominic in training this week and is excited for his former team mate, he said,

“Corky is a great bloke and I really want him to go all the way in the competition, I think it was a little unfair that he ended up in the bottom two last week”

“If he stays in the competition it means I get to give him some more stick for the costumes he wears, but I have to give him credit, it looks incredibly difficult- they make it seem so easy on televison!”

“I just want to urge everyone that watches on Sunday night to vote for Corky- he’s a legend!”

Oscar-Nominated Restrepo To Broadcast On National Geographic

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Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary Feature, Restrepo will have an encore broadcast on National Geographic.

With the Grand Jury Prize Winner for Documentary at Sundance already behind it, the film chronicles the deployment of U.S. Troops stationed at one of the most dangerous outposts in Afghanistan.

Following the announcement by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences,  National Geographic Channel (NGC) will screen the film on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The film will air in its entirety, unedited and with limited commercial interruption.

A. O. Scott from The New York Times said: ‘This one is exceptional. An outstanding new documentary. It’s a fantastic movie. See it!”

SYNOPSIS

Restrepo is a feature-length film by award-winning photojournalist Tim Hetherington and journalist/author Sebastian Junger that chronicles the deployment of U.S. troops in the Korengal Valley, one of the most dangerous outposts in Afghanistan. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, Restrepo, named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. This is an entirely experiential film. The cameras never leave the valley, there are no interviews with generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 94-minute deployment. This is war, full stop. The conclusions are up to you.

Chor Bizarre Restaurant Review: India transported into the heart of Mayfair.

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London is full of every kind of cuisine you could think of. However, few of these restaurants really give you the true experience of the country they are representing. Chor Bizarre is different. Just as all of the furniture is taken from different parts of India, the cuisine comes not just from one part of the country, but the width and breadth of it.

Chor Bizarre, located on Albermarle Street, Mayfair, captures the infamous Chor Bazaar or thieves market of South Mumbai. The restaurant is a relative Aladdin’s cave, with all the beauty, colourfulness and eclecticism of India.

It’s nothing less than perfection. My starter of Purani Dilliki Papre chaat was a dish both refreshing and spicy – a perfect balanced combination. It’s one of only three dishes on the menu that doesn’t change. It’s Indian street food and a speciality they have had for years.

Next, to a Tandoori special, which had a combination of chicken, salmon, lamb and the biggest prawn I have ever seen in my life. Almost the size of my fist. That was followed with Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Shank, with every dish having just the right amount of spice. And dessert? Tandoori Pineapple. Absolutely delicious with ginger ice-cream.

It is fair to say that the menu has so much good food, it’s almost impossible to choose what to eat. Ask for recommendations instead. The owners are lovely and knowledgeable.

Charles Metcalfe has collaborated with head chef Manpreet Singh Ahuja and they have produced wine to match every dish. In fact, I was incredibly impressed at Chor Bizzarre’s eye for detail.

Very simply, I have completely fallen in love with this restaurant. I’ll be going back again and will also recommend it to all of my friends. The hospitality is first rate, the food is delicious and the staff are first class.

One of the best restaurants in London, if not the best.

Chor Bizarre

Actress Kim Cattrall Reveals Her Secret to Younger Looking Body Skin.

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Kim Cattrall Makes the Switch to Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Body Wash & Body Lotion

Award-winning actress Kim Cattrall is revealing one of her most unexpected beauty secrets. She swapped her body products and upgraded to Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Advanced Anti-Aging Body Wash and Body Lotion for softer, smoother and younger looking skin after one use.

The striking star, best known for portraying Samantha Jones on Sex & The City, is now encouraging women to follow her lead and demand more from their body products to achieve a youthful appearance from head to toe.

“As an actress, Kim works hard to look her best on and off the big screen. We are thrilled that the Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Advanced Anti-Aging Body Wash and Body Lotion are essential parts of Kim’s beauty routine,” said Joe Arcuri, Vice President, North America Female Beauty, Procter & Gamble.

“It’s important that I keep my body skin looking smooth and radiant,” agreed Kim. “Now that I’ve swapped to Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Advanced Anti-Aging Body Wash and Body Lotion, it’s never been easier to achieve firm skin that looks younger after just one shower.”

In a study conducted by evolutionary biologist Dr. Bernhard Fink, the impact of body skin’s appearance was explored in relation to perception of age. The study indicated that, when judged independently from the face, your body skin, if maintained, is perceived up to 10 years younger than your face and adds to the overall perception of youthfulness.

Dr. Fink’s findings signal the importance of body skin and that looking young requires taking care of both your face and your body skin – and women agree. During a recent P&G survey of over 1000 women aged 35 and older, 93% believed that looking young requires taking care of both your face and body skin. However, a staggering 80% had never heard of anti-aging body wash products.

Harnessing the power of Total Effects skin care, Olay developed the Total Effects 7-in-1 Advanced Anti-Aging Body Wash and Body Lotion with innovative formulas that go beyond basic cleansing and moisturizing to remove dry skin cells and improve skin elasticity for younger looking skin. Designed to fight the seven signs of aging all over the body, the Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Advanced Anti-Aging Body Wash and Body Lotion help to improve skin’s elasticity in seven days and provide radiant skin in just one month.

No stranger to the spotlight, Kim Cattrall continually works to keep her body looking young and healthy. The Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Advanced Anti-Aging Body Wash and Body Lotion can now be credited as one of the acclaimed actress’s top beauty secrets for maintaining her famous physique.

To find out more about Kim’s partnership with Olay, log on to www.facebook.com/olay or check out www.olay.com to explore the brand’s collection of body products for women of all ages, including the now available Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Advanced Anti-Aging Body Wash and coming in February, the accompanying Body Lotion .

Mason Kayne. {Actor Interviews}

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What made you go into acting?

To be honest, I don’t actually remember making a conscious decision to go into acting. It was more like acting chose me. I had been doing it for many years as a hobby, appearing in the school shows and the local amateur dramatics. For some reason acting just seemed to suit my personality.

What’s your favourite job so far?

Ashes to Ashes of course!! We had an amazing crew, an amazing cast, amazing writing and it was just so much fun to be on!

And your least?

Hmm, I think I would have to say a short film I agreed to do when I first came out of drama school. I was keen to get clips for my showreel and just said yes to the first thing that came along. The script was terrible and the director and crew were inexperienced. There was very little hope in making it a good film. It was a rookie error to agree to it, but I’m glad that I made the mistake so that I know NOT to repeat it in the future.

Favourite actors?

I couldn’t possibly say! There are too many to list! I admire any actor that I feel safe with, anyone that I can watch and not have any doubts in my mind that I am about to be entertained.

Tell me about Ashes to Ashes

Ashes was probably the most fun I’ve ever had on a project to date. There was just this fantastic vibe to the atmosphere, like everything there just fit together perfectly. We had a fantastic cast, the crew were very professional, everyone was friendly and the storyline looked amazing. It felt like a true honour to be a part of the production.

What do you think of the industry at the moment?

If I’m honest I’m not entirely sure what to think of the industry at the moment. It seems to be lacking in a logical structure.

Gone are the days where you could start out in Rep Theatre and work your way up the ladder so I can understand how many young aspiring performers find it difficult to work out where to begin in an acting career.

These days as young actors, people seem to be very keen to pigeonhole us quite early on in our careers, or ‘type’ us so to speak, so that we end up playing similar roles. And politics in the acting game seem to be quite illogical at times too. Iit’s almost like people are terrified to take a chance of any kind these days, so they stick with safe decisions. Talent scouts no longer seem to exist either. It all seems to boil down to what drama school you went to and how successful your last show was.

Did you train? Do you recommend it?

I did indeed train but I never finished the course. One thing that was bugging me about drama school was that they focused primarily on the performing skills and neglected to teach how to function in the industry. It also bothered me how I felt like I was living in a bubble and that my fate was, to a certain extent, out of my control. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not dead set against drama training, It sure as hell doesn’t do you any harm, it just wasn’t for me. I learn better from hands-on experience, so I cannot recommend it, but I don’t discourage it either.

What is your advice for aspiring actors?

I’m of the mind that if you want to be an actor, then don’t do it. If you’re going to be an actor, then do it. It sounds petty, but that slight difference in attitude makes all the difference. Loads of people want to be actors, but only a small percentage will actually go out and do it, so get out there, dive in, explore options, make mistakes, learn from them, and for the love of God don’t let anyone tell you: “You’ll never succeed as an actor”.

What’s next?

Well, now that I’m all fired up from answering that last question, I’m going to follow my own advice from above, dive back in and I’ll see you in theatre or on screen at some point.

Conviction Review {Film}

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True stories are always hit and miss. Very easily falling into smaltz and cliché. Conviction not only sidesteps these, but also manages to make the story fun.

Betty Anne Waters (Hilary Swank), an unemployed, single mother of two boys, sees brother Kenneth (Sam Rockwell) begin serving a life sentence in 1983 for murder and robbery of a woman in Ayer, Massachusetts.

Kenneth runs out of public defenders and without a lawyer, is destined to die in prison. Betty Anne, convinced of her brother’s innocence, decides to become a lawyer – sacrificing everything else in the process. The love between Betty Anne and her brother is strong and beautiful. They come from a broken family and only have each other.

Hilary Swank is always a brilliant actress, but she also has the face of a movie star. Her bone structure and beauty make her easy to watch. Then there is Minnie Driver, always excellent, as her bolshy best friend. Accent right on the money.

Sam Rockwell is always good and Rockwell dancing to ‘My Sharona’ will probably stay with me forever. I have never seen him put in a bad performance and this is no exception. I really loved this movie. It is a good story on what happens when lies wreck lives and the justice system lets people down. Highly recommended as a film to go and see.

SPOILER ALERT

After spending 12 years studying, in 1995 with a law degree, she began focusing on her brother’s case. Using new, at the time, DNA evidence, with the help of the Innocence Project, she proved her brother’s innocence, and Kenneth Waters walked out a free man in March 2001 after 18 years in prison.

He only enjoyed six months of freedom. On September 19, 2001, he fell 15 feet off a wall, hit his head and died. The estate of the late Kenneth Waters settled a civil rights lawsuit against the town of Ayer for $3.4 million in 2009.

True Grit Preview/Review. {Film}

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You can always trust the Coen brothers to go off the beaten track. Their films always have a large dose of the absurdity of life about them. True Grit is no exception. A remake of the classic starring John Wayne – which Jeff Bridges claims he hasn’t seen and deliberately didn’t watch. Those are big shoes to fill, and Bridges, who is having nothing short of a renaissance at the moment, fills the shoes and makes the character his own with gusto.

Although I have nothing against any specific type of film, I found it truly refreshing to see a good old-fashioned western. Which is exactly what this is.

Hailee Steinfield has the kind of part that actresses double her age would kill for. A perfect role model for women and girls everywhere. And she plays it perfectly. She’s a talent to watch. The scene where she rides her horse across the river is nothing less than brilliant. Matt Damon joins in the fun by making his Texas ranger just as kooky as the rest of the characters.

The Coen Brothers have made it clear that this is not based on Henry Hathaway’s version of the movie, but the Charles Portis novel. Their interpretation is as stunning and original as their other movies. The film truly transports you to a different, harsher and harder era – when there really was a wild west and even dead bodies were nothing more than a money-making opportunity.

There are a lot of good films coming out this year.. This is definitely one.