Tag Archives: Frost Magazine

Kate Adjike launches scheme to help young London gang members out of crime

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Kidulthood actress, model and singer Kate Adjike launches UK’s first scheme to help young London gang members out of crime through performing arts.

Gang members from across the Capital are being offered the “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to escape a life of crime…and appear on the Big Screen.

From today, troubled teens will be offered free lessons in singing and performance arts as part of a new charitable initiative.

They will receive 10 hour-long sessions with trained professionals where they can hone their dancing, singing and acting skills.

The most promising students will be promoted to the UK’s TV and film industry, and to theatre producers in the West End.

No qualifications are needed, but students must show a “willingness to learn and a passion for acting”.

The pioneering scheme – the first of its kind in the world – launches at Battersea-based performance arts centre, The Kate Academy, next month.

Its owner Kate Ajike hopes to help youngsters escape a life of “violence, crime and despair” by introducing them to the “beautiful arts”.

Speaking yesterday Ajike, the star of 2006 British film Kidulthood, said: “This scheme is about helping some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

“I am not for a moment condoning their behaviour, but I do understand how incredibly desperate many of these young people are.

“The vast majority do not have a way out of a life of crime, despite a genuine desire to do something with their lives.”

Ajike, a philanthropist who launched Kate Academy in 2007, added: “It is my hope that we can help a small proportion of these people – the diamonds in the rough, so to speak – and catapult them into a good, honest life in the arts.”

The scheme is open to all youngsters in London aged between 16 and 25 – including those responsible for the August riots – but only five places will be available each year.

Ajike said she hopes to help up to 500 gang members in the next few years, adding: “This is a last-chance saloon – the once-in-a-lifetime chance for gang members to escape a life of violence, drugs and street crime.”

To apply to The Kate Academy visit www.kateacademy.org.uk/apply, email hello@kateacademy.org.uk, or call 0203 4896574/ 07983 734668.

Londoner's LIfe 21 – By Phil Ryan

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The big sleep is over and now we begin to take stock of the year ahead. And for Londoners the hardest thing to come to immediate terms with are the usual high price rises on the tubes, trains and buses. It now being cheaper to travel in London by car! Honestly I worked it out. 2 people in a car popping across to say Camberwell (not of course via the congestion charge zone that’s only for the super-rich and white van drivers). Not very green I’ll grant you but very nice. Comfortable and clean. You get to listen to your own music and not the tinny wasp farting noises from the headphones of the JB sports clad gimp in the hoodie glaring at his iphone from a seat saying for pregnant ladies and the elderly. In an average sized car you shouldn’t use more than a fivers worth of fuel per trip. Cheaper than two Oyster card worth of trips. Of course there are a few drawbacks to this concept. Thanks to Camden and Westminster Councils whose Chief Executive Officers are more like Afghan warlords than public servants nowadays you can’t stop easily. Not without facing the ludicrous parking charges and restrictions they so delight in inflicting on us AFTER public consultations. Where are these public consultations? We had one in Camden once about the greatest con trick of all – the dreaded Residents Permits (or a tax to use your own street every year). The Council sent out a questionnaire using hysterically loaded questions. DO YOU WANT STRANGERS FILLING YOUR STREETS AND RAPING YOUR FAMILY? Tick A or B. You know the sort of lies they use. A bit like the new green re-cycling madness. I now have SIX bins. I’m not making this up. Everyday some trucks trundle up and down my street taking away stuff. It’s getting very specific. I saw a bin by a bus stop that said only suitable for 18th century manuscript paper with a picture of Jane Austen on it for the hard of hearing.

But in an Olympic year my favourite new London game is spotting the very tenuous Olympic links everyone is using to push prices up. Of course top of the charts are those soulless parasites the London estate agents. Every borough I’ve been in recently apparently is perfect to access the Olympic stadium from according to estate agents boards and ads. Including far flung spots like Barnet, Roehampton and Ilford presumably viewing the Olympic Park by radio telescope. Of course there are those local areas directly around the stadiums who are also twinned with Helmand Province in the safety stakes which they handily fail to point out! I’ve also realised the prices going up now will presumably not fall afterwards despite the fools and suckers buying an overpriced flat to see a waste of money that only lasts a month. That’s property in London I guess. But many new terrorized folk will at least be able to shuffle around the Stratford Westfield shopping centre or take in the empty velodrome. The great legacy is getting vaguer. But the areas are certainly being built up. Mainly ‘so called ‘luxury’ apartments with names like The Point, The Wave and The Shoe Box (I made the last one up) But take a wander around Canning Town station to see the ghastly rabbit hutches being thrown up left right and centre. With ceiling heights too low for the average hobbit and walls thinner than a cream cracker these ‘architect designed’ monstrosities will presumably fill up quicker than Cheryl Cole at her next sacking. And bizarrely they all have tiny balconies allowing them to see other people on their tiny balconies. Just a sample of the new examples of the wonderful ‘design’ we can expect over the coming property developers feeding frenzy Olympic year.

And on the subject of London’s ever changing design I have to say the new layouts around Exhibition Road in South Kensington are just very surreal. Apparently it’s all based on a Dutch concept of ‘space sharing’. In plain speak it means ripping up the pavement, covering the surfaces of the roads and streets with curious red and white flat cobblestones and then letting pedestrians ‘share’ the road space with cars. It’s akin to the way that South Africans ‘share’ the coast line with Great White Sharks. I was having tea in Le Pain Quotidien amusing myself by watching baffled tourists soiling themselves as various Buses and cars apparently mounted the side streets they were walking along and chased them. Window shopping suddenly stopped being ‘charming’ instead becoming a kind of game of chicken. It’s a very nice concept. A bit like socialism. But in practice it turns a quiet stroll into a dice with death. Very exhilarating I’m sure but not great for the terminally nervous. And as for the locals do they like it. No not really I was told. But did they care? No not really. It’s a London thing.

War Horse Review

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Frost has been privileged to see Steven Spielberg’s new film War Horse . Adapted from the hit West End play, which was in turn adapted from the 1982 War Horse book by Michael Morpurgo. It tells a story of a boy and his horse against the backdrop of World War I. The story also tells the little-known and often forgotten story about the horses used in World War I, most of which died.

Spielberg has made the impossible thing: a war movie that kids can enjoy. This film plays to Spielberg’s strengths, it may be a war movie but there is no blood and guts in sight. This is an epic, sprawling film with a cast of thousands. This is Spielberg at his best and is certainly one of his best films. It will take an incredibly tough person not to get caught up in this spectacular film. The acting is amazing from Peter Mullan and Benedict Cumberbatch, to the film debut of Jeremy Irvine (his only other acting experience was as a tree onstage!).

War Horse is cinematic perfection, with not a note out of place. Everything from the score to the costumes and sets are spot on. I will stop going on in case I make you sick, as long as you go and see it.

[Frost would also like to say happy birthday to the Duchess of Cambridge. The former Miss Kate Middleton was at the premiere last night, along with Steven Spielberg and Joey, the horse from the film, She turns 30 today.]

Sienna Miller Pregnant and Engaged!

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Sienna Miller, the heroine of hackgate, is pregnant with her first child. Miller is also reportedly engaged to Tom Sturridge, the baby daddy. 29-year-old Miller started dating 26-year-old Sturridge last March after ending her relationship with on-again, off-again ex-boyfriend Jude Law.

Sienna’s sister, fashion designer Savannah, confirmed the news on Twitter. Savannah tweeted ‘THRILLED’ about her siblings first pregnancy which was first reported by Us Weekly.

According to Life & Style magazine, Sturridge proposed to Miller when a vintage Victorian ring during a post-Christmas trip to Paris.

Congratulations to them both!

Staying Motivated When Dieting

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STAYING MOTIVATED

By Alison Clark, independent nutritionist and spokesperson for Europe’s no 1 healthy eating plan, Eurodiet.co.uk

The New Year is a great time to set positive goals and make resolutions, and many of us use this time as an opportunity to try and embrace a healthier lifestyle. Making these plans is the easy part but sticking to them can be more difficult! Follow these tips to stay motivated and make 2012 the year that you achieve your health goals.

1. Team up

Changing old habits that may have been ingrained for ten or twenty years can be hard and having the support of friends and colleagues will help you to stay focused.

* Share tips and test new recipes with friends, family and colleagues. Online communities can be hugely helpful here, Eurodiet has a Facebook community.

2. Get organised

Try to plan ahead, jot down which ingredients and products you need. This will make it easier for you to stick to your eating plan and less likely to pick up unhealthy options when you are on the go.

* Try cooking larger amounts and freezing portions for the days when you don’t have enough time to cook.

3. Clean out your cupboards

Having tempting foods in the house or in your desk will make it much more difficult for you to resist eating them.

* Give away any post-celebration goodies which are still lurking around the house – if they are not there you won’t be able to eat them!

4.Don’t be defeated on ‘Difficult days’

It is normal to have days where you find it more difficult to stick to your resolutions. The important thing is not to let these days get you down and stop you from continuing with your good work – draw a line and stay positive. It’s what you do most of the time that counts!

* If you have a sweet craving try one of the low calorie sweet options available on the Eurodiet.co.uk eating plan – like gooey vanilla caramel chocolate bars or apple crumble.

5.Identify your triggers

Next time you have a hard time resisting a second helping or you skip an exercise class, think about why it happened. Try to identify the feelings that triggered your behaviour, for example hunger, fatigue or stress. How could you change the outcome next time?

* Control your hunger by eating regular meals and ensure you have enough protein in your diet. Protein is essential for sending signals to the brain to say, “Thank you, I’m full”. Introduce healthy snacks if needed like cereal bars or fruit.

6.Make it fun!

Write a list of milestones you expect to pass on your journey towards your final goal and find ways to reward yourself as you reach each one. This will encourage you to stay on track and make the challenge more enjoyable too!

* Treat yourself to a massage, enjoy a spa day, take a new class, buy a new dress, try a new sport.

* Stay positive!

How to Get Out of Debt and Avoid Fraud

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Be careful with credit counseling agencies that don’t always deliver what they promise

More than one and a half million people file for bankruptcy every year. Many people fall behind on their bills because they’ve lost their jobs, suffered from a long-term illness, or because they were unable to manage their personal finances properly.

Fortunately, there are many resources out there that can help you put together a plan to pay off your debt, including credit counseling agencies.

Signs Your Finances Are in Trouble

You don’t have to be close to filing for bankruptcy to realize that you are in financial trouble. These are some signs that you might have too much debt:

* You are frequently late on your payments
* You are close to your credit limit on your credit cards
* You use your credit cards to make payments on other cards
* You find it difficult to save money
* You’ve been denied credit recently

How to Get out of Debt

To get out of debt and set your finances straight, carefully analyze your income and expenses. Make sure you:

* Make a budget and stay within its limits.
* Figure out your total debt and also what you owe to each creditor, your monthly payments, interest and payment due dates.
* Prioritize repayments, focusing first on things such as your mortgage, rent, and utilities.
* Make a repayment plan for each creditor and determine how long it will take you to pay off the debt. Make sure to review your credit card statements, as they will include information about how long it will take to pay off your balance, per new credit card laws that went into effect in 2010.
* Don’t incur any additional debt.

How to Choose a Credit Counseling Agency

Consider a credit counseling agency if your debt is too much to handle. These companies offer workshops on how to manage your money and advice on how to administer your debt. They can also help you create a budget and even negotiate your debt with creditors.

Many of these companies are nonprofit organizations, however be careful, as some charge excessive fees for their services and others might not even deliver what they promise. Consider these important suggestions before choosing a credit counseling agency:

* Pick a counseling agency that offers several services. This will help you avoid organizations that promote only certain services.
* Avoid credit counseling agencies that charge you for simply providing information, or agencies that demand a percentage of the amount that you are supposedly saving. Ideally, you should request the cost of their services in advance and in writing.
* Stay away from agencies that ask you to stop making payments on your debt or ask you not to contact creditors.

The Department of Justice has a list of credit counseling agencies that are approved to provide pre-bankruptcy counseling.

SOURCE GobiernoUSA.gov/USA.gov

Londoner's LIfe 20 – By Phil Ryan

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Ah the London January sales! This year they have an added importance in that according to figures they may be the last big spend before austerity 2012 is completely with us all and we have to start rooting through bins courtesy of George Osborne and his millionaire pals. However getting Londoners to give up conspicuous shopping is akin to getting fish to give up water so don’t hold your breath on the collapse of the high streets just yet. So after re-adjusting to the fact that the great vague days were finally over and I could leave the twilight zone days of Christmas behind me I headed into Town. My local Council have opted for the most pathetic decorations this year – basically about ten bare bulbs and some decaying green glitter from last year blu tacked to it – giving the entire high street the appearance of a walk in STD clinic with slightly less cheer. As usual for the holiday period I had lost track of which day it actually was – constantly checking my blackberry for re-assurance. Not that which day it was mattered technically. Everything shuts or opens incomprehensibly in London at this festive time especially our superb Transport network (this year I think they were trying a ‘use your legs replacement service’ approach). The surprise strikes from the unions seem eminently reasonable as they always are at this time EVERY SINGLE year without fail. Struggling by on a £40,000 plus salary with free travel must be a drag. And I do see that working on a day you don’t fancy is a bit of a pain. But didn’t they sign up for it when they started or are their working days a pick and mix job for them? Sweet huh? Usually I support unions but this lot are now officially beyond a greedy joke. Not I might add that I have any warm feelings to the bozos that allegedly run TFL (including I might add a lot of them on hundreds of thousands of pounds to run a lousy and uncoordinated service) That all said after just twenty three handy and in no way inconvenient changes by way of Cardiff I found myself at Bond Street tube.

A friend had invited me to meet for tea and somehow just to kill some time I found myself wandering through some shops on my way there. In a sale! Oh my god. House of Fraser looked like a scene from a Bosch painting. Grim faced loons squashed together like battery chickens rummaging through masses of ugly jumpers and shirts that are only in fashion during a total eclipse. Lines of ever grimly smiling staff carefully re-folding everything a matter of minutes later. The only thing missing were bare buttocked devils gouting fire from their eyes although I think I saw a few queuing up at the Calvin Klein concession. Still in shock I made the terrible decision to pop into HMV in Oxford Street where the staff had dropped all pretence at being anything but hacked off. Two wardrobes in shirts saying security kept bellowing “Don’t block the aisles it’s a safety hazard MOVE PLEASE MOVE it’s all about SAFETY” and glaringly waving their walkie talkies around like surrogate light sabres. The counters were manned by gimlet eyed dudes who at least seemed quite chilled when they took your money although they did all have a glassy rohipnol look about them. I suspect they’d been given something. But my favourites were the harassed looking shelf re-stockers. No sooner had they ripped open a box of whatever the manic punters gathered behind them were after they would hiss loudly “Please wait until we have put them onto the shelves” presumably muttering the words “you ravenous mindless scum” under their breath judging by their pained expressions. I saw a crowd six deep virtually slobbering as for some odd reason they waited patiently behind a makeshift nylon tape barrier as some Harry Potter boxed sets of DVD’s appeared. There was a surge for goodness sake. A surge. Some grinning HMV manager kept shouting only a few left. Which quite frankly just fanned the flames. But it clearly gave him a thrill. One punter was actually holding a wand and he looked to be about thirty four.

Making my escape I finally ended up in Selfridges which I think now holds the outright London award for amazingly surreal prices and stock next to Harrods. I looked at a tie which had been slashed from £300 to just £200. And then I ran my fingers over some shirts which would’ve made Stevie Wonder gag. Honestly, bright just doesn’t come close to describing their lime electric silk and leather splendour. But just who is wearing this mad stuff and where? Especially the latest in sartorial elegance the Swarofski crystal encrusted training shoes a snip at £700.00 a pair. They finally broke my wafer thin desire to stay and fight through hordes of slow moving crowds all in thrall to the great shop. Trying to make my way down the street was like taking part in some alternate universe flash mob comedy penguin shuffle. So I left. By taxi. Heading for Patisserie Valerie and some sanity. And as per usual I noted that everything I eventually bought wasn’t in the sale. Ho hum. But do Londoner’s feel the sales are a rip off. Probably. Would Londoners like all the visitors to the sales to naff off? Definitely. But do they worry themselves about such issues? No. It’s a London thing.

Top Best and Worst Films of 2011

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We all had our fair share on films that made us smile and made us frown. To celebrate my recent Writer of the Year award and a step to a new year, I will reveal my list of best of worst films of 2011. I, however, did not get the luxury to see some of the films I would have liked to have seen (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Artist, Melancholia etc.) and this will be a mix of UK and North American release dates.

*BEST*

1) Drive – Nicolas Winding-Refn crafts an artistically pulpy film noir that delivers heart-stopping tension but also brings some humanity to the story. Ryan Gosling is compelling as the nameless driver but it is Albert Brooks that steals the spot-light as the menacing Bernie Ross. The car chases (especially the pre-credits sequence) are brilliantly shot and the editing is fluid. The cinematography brings the darkness to the Los Angeles glamour that we all have been acquainted to from many films set in the City of Angels.

2) The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – The thought on making an English version of the novel when there’s already a Swedish TV/Movie made two years ago made us all cry in outrage. Then David Fincher came along and proved the nay-sayers wrong! Even if you’ve already read the novel or seen the 2009 foreign film, Fincher still delivers a dark and intense thriller. Rooney Mara makes a career-making turn as Lisbeth Salander and I honestly prefer her take on the character than Noomi Rapace’s (not saying Rapace’s was bad, just prefered Mara’s a bit more)

3) Black Swan – It is essentially Darren Aronofsky’s Swan Lake, though it’s about a ballerina (Natalie Portman) who gets chosen to play the lead of the new version of Swan Lake. The sense of paranoia from the cinematography, visual effects and even from Portman’s Oscar-winning performance is executed brilliantly. You really feel you are descending into madness, blurring the fine line between reality and fantasy. It’s also a body horror film, as Portman’s character slowly becomes the Black Swan. It was seriously a dark start for 2011 but it got me hooked till its perfect finale.

4) War Horse – Spielberg never ceases to amaze with his filmmaking skills (okay, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull aside). The trailer for this film came off (for me anyways) as a parody, so it’s incredible that a filmmaker like Spielberg was able to make that work! The ensemble British cast is astounding, from the likes of David Thewlis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, Emily Watson, Paul Mullan and Liam Cunningham. The score by John Williams is one of the best he’s done since Munich and the cinematography by Janusz Kaminski (Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan) is breathtaking.

5) The Tree of Life – The biggest Marmite movie you’ll come across; you’ll either love it or you hate it! I, however, loved it and found it incredibly intriguing and ambitious. The film’s story is driven thematically and visually, being an expressionistic piece of work. Brad Pitt delivers one of his best performances in his career (along with Moneyball and The Assassination of Jesse James). A personal film that asks universal questions and it is such a beautiful and majestic piece of filmmaking.

*Honourable mention; Hugo*

*WORST*

1) Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Second highest grossing film of 2011 (behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2) but it comes up to my list as the most unbearable film to watch of 2011. The human characters are ungodly annoying, Shia LaBeouf has nothing we could relate to and constantly screams more in this film than the two previous films combined! The new girl in the block, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, is completely emotionless and nothing more to show than her looks. The action sequences are better executed this time around but the Transformers gets shoved aside in favour for the human characters. The film is also way too long, the rest of the film is just filled with filler and characters that don’t need to be in the film (i.e. Sam’s parents). Michael Bay said he didn’t care for Transformers before he made the first film and it still shows he’s not suited for this film.

2) Sucker Punch – This is an unfortunate case where you give too much money and creative freedom to a film director that’s all about style and no substance. The problem is, it tries to bring a message and empower women but there’s nothing to it to get and the women are no way represented in a positive note by wearing corsets and fish nets. The film is completely incoherent (both in story and style), the action sequences have no purpose but to be there and non of our heroines have any characteristics to make them any different from another. It is a complete mess of a film and hopefully Man of Steel will bring Snyder’s reputation back.

3) Green Lantern – Talk about being hugely disappointing. The marketing for this film was far superior than the final product (I have seen an Extended Cut version was released but heard it barely made any improvements). This really could’ve set a new movie franchise for Warner Bros./DC Comics; you had a director that’s competent in action and drama (both GoldenEye and Casino Royale are proof of that) and Ryan Reynolds being the likable cocky hero. This could’ve been as exciting and epic like Star Wars but the script and creative decisions got lost in the abyss. The film looks and feels so lifeless and artificial, you cannot help but feel underwhelmed this could’ve been a great film if more time and effort was put into it. The ending teased with a sequel baiting scene but this bombed at the box-office (even though Warner Bros. were convinced it would be a success that they green-lit a sequel. . . . Beware Green Lantern’s light? I think he should beware of our expectations).

*Dishonourable mention; Cowboys & Aliens*

*BEST BLOCKBUSTER*

X-Men: First Class – The X-Men franchise nearly had the last nail to its coffin, after the dull X-Men: The Last Stand and the terrible X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Matthew Vaughn, after his huge success with Kick-Ass, comes along and tells the story of the complicated friendship between Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) and the origins of X-Men. The film is the best of the series, creating a huge sense of fun but not having the spectacle get in the way of character development (especially between the two leads). Both McAvoy and Fassbender are incredibly engaging from the start, though the project started on being another origin story but solely about Lensherr’s past and eventually becoming Magneto. Although the thing that brings the film down is January Jones as Emma Frost (strong contender for Razzie nomination) but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the hell out of this film.

*BEST TRAILER*

There was some huge decision making for which trailer would win this particular award, so it wasn’t easy to choose from previews of what is about to come in 2012. As much as the latest trailers for The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey were hugely exciting but I would go for Ridley Scott’s, Prometheus. All to do with Ridley Scott returning to the genre that got him on the Hollywood map (Alien and Blade Runner) and the fact it looks spectacular. Being an Alien prequel but not featuring any xenomorphs that we all know an love. Though it does show snippets of the origins of the derelict ship featured in the first film (and second film if you watch Special Edition version of Aliens). Also the cast looks fantastic, ranging from Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce and Idris Elba. The trailer even pays homage to the trailer of Alien (the title slowly fading in and the eerie sound effect that rings through-out the trailer).