Gone Girl Book Review

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Gone Girl has been the literary sensation of the past few years. It was published in June 2012 and it soon made the New York Times Best Seller list and has sold over two million copies. It has sparked a Hollywood film and a vast amount of copy cats. I came late to the Gone Girl party. The film was out in the cinemas and I did not know whether or not to go and see it or read the book first. In the end I went to the cinema first. Our excellent film writer Owun’s review of Gone Girl is here. The film is brilliant, with great performances from Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.

Seeing the film first did not ruin the experience of reading the book. The book is deeper, less Hollywood and, obviously, has more information. The author, Gillian Flynn, also wrote the screenplay. She did a good job but there are differences between the film and the book. Not bad differences, I think she did an amazing job.

A lot of people told me not to read the book or watch the film as I am recently married. However, although the book has great observations on marriage and relationships, I really don’t think anyone in a good marriage could possible relate to the book or the film. So, read it and enjoy: it won’t destroy your marriage.

The book is engrossing and I have tried very hard to not give any spoilers. Although I am sure everyone knows, from the title alone, that this is a book about a man who’s wife goes missing. Did he kill her or not? But this book became a literary sensation not only because it is well written, but also because it is original with great twists. It is an intense thriller and hard to put down. Join the Gone Girl fan club, I know I have. Gone Girl is available to buy here.

Immediate Media Co Partners With Leading Independent Publisher Network Handpicked Media

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Exciting news in publishing: Handpicked Media, whose independent publishing platform Frost Magazine is proudly part of, has teamed up with Immediate Media. The press release is below and we are very excited.

The Handpicked Media team.

Immediate Media Co, the special interest content and platform company, announces a partnership with Handpicked Media to provide sales agency support for the leading social content marketing and blog network.

The partnership sees Immediate’s commercial division provide agency sales support to Handpicked. Immediate already provides similar services for a roster of clients including BBC Worldwide, Eye to Eye Media and LPG Inc.

Handpicked represents over 300 independent websites and blogs, reaching over 10 million unique users a month. The partnership will allow Immediate to use its commercial infrastructure to unlock the value of these influential bloggers and sites.

As a social content marketing platform, Handpicked Media has curated a growing network of influential blog sites across a range of lifestyle channels since it was launched in 2009 by media entrepreneur Krista Madden. It manages the interaction between its network and a range of consumer brands, offering clients an array of opportunities to reach a very targeted and highly engaged social audience. Key content channels within the Handpicked network include Entertainment, Lifestyle, Beauty, Fashion and Food.

Immediate Commercial Director Duncan Tickell says: “Handpicked has a network of fantastically engaged audiences with its roster of blog and independent media sites. These highly passionate and engaged audiences are complementary to our existing portfolio and offer our commercial partners a new and exciting way in which to connect with them”.

Handpicked solutions include social media strategy, blogger outreach, content creation, events and integrated campaigns for a range of brand partners including Intel, Vodafone, P&G and Hilton.

Krista adds: “We are really pleased to be working with the successful team at Immediate Media, their range of brands is a perfect fit for the Handpicked audience. We both see the benefits of creating great content with context and scale across our popular communities. ”

Immediate is home to internationally famous brands including Radio Times, Gardeners’ World, BBC Good Food, Olive, You & Your Wedding, Perfect Weddings and Made For Mums.

Follow them at @Immediate_Media

Yes Please By Amy Poehler Book Review

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Yes Please is Amy Poehler‘s first book, and what a corker it is. I loved this book. I mean, really loved it. Yes, I know this review is starting to look like a gushing fan letter and not a proper review but a woman like Amy Poehler can do that to you. I loved her on Saturday Night Live and Parks And Recreations. The book starts off with Poehler talking about how hard writing a book is:

“Everyone lies about writing. They lie about how easy it is or how hard it was…No one tells the truth about writing a book…the truth is, writing a book is this: hard and boring and occasionally great but usually not. Even I have lied about writing. I have told people that writing this book has been like brushing away dirt from a fossil. What a load of shit. It has been like hacking away at a freezer with a screwdriver.”

She goes on to talk about how she wrote the book on set, when her children were sleep, at airports and even on the notes section on her iPhone. It is a corking start and everyone who has ever written a book will relate to it. Poehler goes on to talk about improvisation, sexism, marriage, divorce, pregnancy and motherhood. She is a hard-working, talented woman who has gone for what she wants and knows that she is worth it. Amy Poehler leaned in. Amy Poehler is the coolest woman in the world. Well, she may have to share her crown with best friend Tina Fey but you get the point.

The book is split into three parts: Say Whatever You Want, Do Whatever You Like and Be Whoever You Are. A lot of the book is advice like ‘treat your career like a bad boyfriend’ but all of the book is well-written and funny. I rushed through the book and nothing else mattered while I was reading it. Hence why I did not go to sleep that night until 4am. This book is a must read for both men and women. There is definitely a reason it is on the Amazon Bestseller List: it rocks.

After reading this book I felt inspired, happy and thoroughly entertained. This is the non-fiction book of the year. I love, love, love it. I am pretty sure you will to. You can buy it here.

Not That Kind of Girl By Lena Dunham Book Review

Posted on December 28, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Where to start? I guess with the fact that this book is not what I thought it would be. It’s not bad, it’s just not what I expected. Let’s get the controversy out of the way: I don’t believe Lena molested her sister. The passage about ‘spreading open her vagina’ makes for very uncomfortable reading but, in my opinion, is very different from sexual abuse. Same gender curiosity in young children is different from sexual abuse, many have said that if this book was written by a male things would be different, but not if the male did what Lena did to his brother. Young children don’t even know what sex is. So, end of.

The thing is, I don’t relate to Lena Dunham. Or at least I thought I did until I read this book. I don’t get the drug use, I am very anti-drugs and always have been. I don’t even care if I come across as boring but mentioning casual drug use as if it is not a thing to me is irresponsible. Many people think drug use is ‘cool’ and ‘artistic’ but it’s not. Drugs ruin lives and society. Now go ahead and judge me for my controversial view: I don’t care. The book is full of sex: masturbation and sexual encounters. This also makes for uncomfortable reading. Not bad reading, just uncomfortable. Dunham seems to want to punish herself with jerks and bad sexual encounters. It’s a version of self-loathing and it made me want to pick her up and hug her. Then of course there is the fact that Dunham was raped. Rape is never fun to read about, but Dunham’s courage in telling her story is commendable. The book is full of brutal honesty.

I know that in many ways this review will seem like a bad review, it’s not. I still think Dunham is talented, amazing, brilliant: a trail blazer. We are similar in age and I also made a web series about young twenty-somethings struggling to find their way in life, though with less success than the juggernaut that is Girls. We are both writer/producers/actors/directors and I always thought that Dunham was so together. I think she is now and that is what is interesting about this book. After all of the self-loathing, punishing herself dating/having sex with men who treated her terribly and other self-destructive behaviour the book comes beautifully full circle: she no longer runs away from people and herself, she in many ways, becomes a grown up. She finally stops causing herself pain. While I related more to Amy Poehler and her awesome book, Yes Please, there is something here to learn. Dunham is unvarnished, naked, almost embarrassing in her honesty. Dunham has been called the voice of her generation many times. Truth is, she doesn’t speak for me or many people that I know. But the thing is: it doesn’t matter. She is still paving the way for women, still creating waves in the film and TV industry, still making progress in a brutal, sexist industry. It doesn’t matter that I don’t 100% relate to her: she is still awesome. I may not write endlessly about my vagina the way Dunham does but then, maybe my vagina just isn’t that interesting. There is a lot of stories of bad sex in this book, and I hope that other women who read it don’t think this is par for the course. It shouldn’t be.

This book is certainly worth a read. It really made me think and feel. This is essentially a collection of autobiographical essays which Dunham was paid £2.3m for by Random House. It is not as good as it could have been, and Dunham could have done with more editing, but she is certainly a talented writer and I am sure there will be more to come. As Dunham says in the book: “There is nothing gutsier to me than a person announcing that their story is one that deserves to be told, especially if that person is a woman,”

Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s Learned is available here.

Le Fear II: Le Sequel Review By Jason Croot

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Frostie

After reading BFI advice on writing a review of your own film I thought why not!

Le Fear II: Le Sequel is a 90 minute 100% improvised feature film about the making of a film. Based in London U.K it follows the journey of hapless 22 times film director Carlos Revalos [Kyri Saphirs] who is about to embark on his biggest movie yet Le Fear II: Le Sequel a film noir horror love story. Carlos’s journey starts with a meeting with the shrewd movie executive Dirk Heinz [Andrew Tiernan] who agrees to back Carlos’s film as long as Revalos puts up some of his own cash as collateral, one other condition is that Carlos intertwines his movie with Nollywood [Nigeria] the fastest growing film industry in the world. Dirks Secretary Helga [Shona McWilliams]does the paperwork and the deal is done commence the movie.

The world’s worst director Carlos Revalos meets the world’s worst film producer Efi womonbogo [Seye Adelekan] the clash of the titans or rather the clash of the tits, because these guys each are as clueless as the other about filmmaking. Efi has his entourage, Africa special effects [Roxy Sternberg], Femu [Schee Bell] the runner and Witch Dr Charles [Sean Earl McPherson] none of which really have a clue what to do. Carlos has his film crew Jacques the French cinema photographer, [Hadien Mekki], Jessie [Leila Reid], the production assistant Chafarafa the Script Supervisor [Jay Croot] Berwyn [Catherine Balavage] the stunt coordinator and Queenie [Victoria Hopkins] the Makeup artist. Hollywood meets Nollywood this is where the fun begins, and Conflict time! Everything Carlos wants, romance, film noir and horror is not delivered by Efi who has a different take on it with his motley crew. Africa the vibrant special effects girl, who apparently worked on big movies, Efi Tells Carlos “Avatar and Pride and plagiarist”. Africa brings Carlos nothing but cheap sci-fi effects which she believes is the best thing since sliced bread. That’s the problem with the Nollywood guys they believe their shit is good shit, and Carlos the man who has his own money on the line £500000, is in deep lumber. Bring on the Piece de résistance the actors within the film. We have the fiery French actress Racquel [Denise Moreno] and the green drama school first time film actor Oliver[Jack W. Carter] they cause poor Revalos’s pain to deepen not only is he combating of a motley crew from Nollywood he has disgruntled actors to please now can it get any worse? YES. The film set is not a beautiful purposed built location but a make shift set the input of Efi, “I wanted to make a film noir not a camping film” Jacques tells Carlos. The plot thickens and Carlos calls Dirk to sort out this rabble “Dirks going to have your arse” Carlos tells Efi who replies “My ass is he gay?” Dirk arrives and puts Carlos straight, the movie continues we now bring in two other actors within the movie these hired by Efi Vanessa [Vampire] Eleanor James Dr Strange [Julian Lamoral Roberts] Bmovie actor, Vanessa drives Berwyn the stunt coordinator barmy and proceeds to act more like a L’Oreal shampoo advert than scare people. We also have a student filmmaker Mickey [Warren Taylor] who is filming behind the scenes of the film within the film.

The night scenes have to be the most classic and funniest ones we have Witch doctors, Lesbian Vampires, Alien Explosions and a very angry actress “SUSHI DE MERDE Carlos you are a piece of shit little man! I’m going back to Paris right now” Carlos now one actress short of a picnic or rather of making his worst movie, and now without a location when disgruntled land owner Tom Dickinson[Ian Cullen] arrives and kicks them off “my land what are you doing in my land are you filming one of those pornographic films?” Efi replies “I swear on my father’s grave and my mother’s goat”

Le Fear II: Le Sequel will go down in history if Carlos can manage to complete it won’t be the classic he longed for but his worst yet. Bring on a new actress Racquel replacement Lucy Lou [Aiko Horiuchi] a Japanese actress brought in by Efi she joins the madness. “Can we use it?” Carlos asks Jacques about the new location, “Yes but I don’t want my name on that movie” Jacques replies “At this stage fuck your name” Carlos tells him the film gets more crazier and continues to deliver humour right until the end.

Summary Comedy is complex some people laugh at Dad’s Army, Fawlty Towers and Porridge all classic British Comedies others won’t get the humour of those classics! some will love Flight of the conchords and Curb your enthusiasm and others won’t, you can’t make everyone laugh no matter how good the comedy is, Le Fear II: Le Sequel has already made a few people smile and laugh and we hope to continue to do so, I’m not going to say we created the best film within film the world but we have made a film that me and the producers are very proud of we are proud of the cast and how hard they worked to create the humour the crew and how hard they worked to get the camera lighting and sound to be as good as it is the editor who has done a great job and the musicians who have supplied us with a great soundtrack.

I will leave you with some other funny lines from the film Le Fear II: Le Sequel

Cast Lines

Carlos Revalos [Kyri Saphiris]

“They Buy a bloody blow up doll, stick some sparklers up its arse, and call it special effects of a high budget production”

Dirk Heinz [Andrew Tiernan]

“You’ve got a fucking film to make, so pull it out of the bag”

Lucy Lou [Aiko Horiuchi]

“My English is very little”

Jacques [Hadrien Mekki]

“You’re just crazy fucking English people who want to drink tea; I just want to make a good film”

Racquel [Denise Moreno]

“If we die what happens? Because I don’t feel I’m going to come out this film alive”

Africa [Roxy Sternberg]

“It’s beyond Hollywood, Nollywood, Woody Allen my gosh we have it”

Dr Strange [Julian Lamoral Roberts]

“If Crossed I get cross if cross I need Blood”

Jessie [Leila Reid]

“Can you teach Carlos to keep the fire inside of him”

Vanessa [Eleanor James]

“I’m a professional actress I have been in god knows how many movies”

Queenie [Victoria Hopkins]

“Do you like it wet? I bet you do I bet you like it real moist Don’t you?”

Berwyn [Catherine Balavage]

“Oh I’m swishing my hair like I’m in a 1970’s fucking porn film”

Witch Dr. Charles [Sean McPherson]

“Ring Nigerian now £5, no problem”

Twitter https://twitter.com/Lefear2lesequel @lefear2lesequel

Facebook Like Page https://www.facebook.com/Lesequel

Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/163431550389968/
IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1982759/

[Editorial note: Frost Magazine founder and owner Catherine Balavage played Berwyn in Le Fear, Le Sequel]

Frost’s Editor Writes Wedding Planning Book: The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Aidan

Getting married and feeling daunted? Our editor, Catherine Balavage, has written an excellent wedding planning book. It covers very aspect of getting married from engagement to the honeymoon. This is Catherine’s second book, the first one was about acting and was very well-received.

The book is available in print, ebook and Kindle. The Kindle version is only £2.99. It is also a perfect gift for anyone who wants a wedding book for Christmas.

Buy The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity here.

The Quintessentially Foundation & The Crown Estate’s ‘Fayre of St James’

Posted on November 29, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Frost joined 500 other Londoners, including, Hugh Grant, Leona Lewis, Gabrielle Aplin, Tamsin Egerton, Charlotte Tilbury, Lady Ella Windsor, Olivia Inge and Nick Frost for the Quintessentially Foundations and The Crown Estate’s ‘Fayre of St James’ in association with Quaglino’s. It was tons of fun and we had an amazing night. The drinks were superb and the canapés were delicious. We had our picture taken in the Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Photo Booth created by world-famous photographer Rankin and hobnobbed with the great and good of London.

The evening included a charity Christmas concert, with traditional Christmas carols and hymns and readings from Tamsin Egerton, Hugh Grant and Nick Frost, followed by the switching on of the Jermyn Street Christmas lights by Leona Lewis and the elegant Christmas party at Quaglino’s. Guests enjoyed sumptuous canapés and Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve cocktails, with live entertainment from X Factor hopefuls Only The Young and a Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve photobooth created by world-famous photographer Rankin. The evening raised over £200,000 for Rays of Sunshine, the UK charity committed to granting wishes to the seriously and terminally ill children between the ages of three and eighteen.

When: Thursday 27th November
Where: St James’s Church, Piccadilly and Quaglino’s, Mayfair
What they ate: American Crab Cake with Bloody Mary Dressing, Mini Lemon Meringue Pie, Wild Mushroom and Truffle Risotto
What they drank: Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Flower cocktail, Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Going for Gold cocktail, champagne

What they wore:
Roxie Nafousi wore a combination of Amanda Wakeley and Dior, whilst Alice Neylor-Leyland wore a beautiful dress by Valentino. Cheska Hull was dressed in Coast and Natalie Coyle was wearing Ted Baker and Steve Madden.

VIP Guests included: Hugh Grant, Tamsin Egerton, Leona Lewis, Gabrielle Aplin, Tamsin Egerton, Nick Frost, Charlotte Tilbury, Lady Ella Windsor, Olivia Inge, ,Ben Goldsmith, Jemima Jones, Astrid Harbord, Ben Elliot, Dylan Jones, Henry Conway, Francis Boulle, Cheska Hull, Adam Deacon, Roxie Nafousi, Preeya Kalidas, Tanya Burr, Natalie Coyle, Noah Huntley and X Factor’s Only the Young.

What Your Bridesmaids Really Think About Your Wedding

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Frostie

Frost was quite surprised at the results of a survey done by Vashi.com They surveyed 1,000 bridesmaids to spill the beans on what really goes on behind the scenes. The results are in and you wouldn’t believe what it reveals.

Seven out of ten bridesmaids say they have been forced to wear an unflattering dress to make the bride look prettier!

Unfortunately, it looks like Bridezilla isn’t too thoughtful when it comes to how she treats her closest friends on the wedding day.

72% of respondents felt they’d been lumbered with a questionable outfit. Yikes.

More than a fifth (22%) of bridesmaids insisted on altering their outfit before participating in the wedding.

One third of the bridesmaids surveyed were given a choice in deciding what they’d wear on the big day.

43% of bridesmaids admitted to going to a wedding that was a ‘bit naff’ (lacking taste/style), with only 9% of them envying the bride on her big day.

A third (37%) revealed that they had been at a wedding where they felt the bride and groom were mismatched and should not be tying the knot.

More than half (54%) explained that they had been a bridesmaid at a wedding where they were delighted that they were not marrying the groom themselves!

A fifth (20%) have actually picked up a new man at a wedding where they were bridesmaid!

6% have secretly fancied the groom

3% admitted to being romantically involved with the groom before he met his bride.

Celebrity jeweller and founder of Vashi.com, Vashi Dominguez says, “”We’ve all looked at wedding photos and thought, ‘What are the bridesmaids wearing!?’ Well, now we know the answer. In seven out of ten cases, the bridesmaids are convinced they’ve been lumbered with a dress to make the bride look prettier. I’m sure most brides do not see it that way. They’d say they chose bridesmaid dresses that went well with the wedding dress! The solution is for everyone to relax – no bridezillas or bridesmaidzillas required. Brides should enjoy the process and involve their bridesmaids more in choosing their outfits.”

If you are getting married then get your hands on a copy of The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity. It has great advice on planning your perfect wedding and is written by our editor, Catherine Balavage. It is also available in Ebook format and is a great guide for wedding planning.

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