THEGAYUK

Category: Entertainment

  • FILM REVIEW | Who’s Afraid Of Vagina Wolf?

    ★★ | Who’s Afraid Of Vagina Wolf?

    Anna has just turned 40. She’s a chubby Cuban/American lesbian filmmaker, lonely, depressed and with more than a generous helping of self-pity that she loves to wallow in. At her birthday party to mark her entry into middle-age she wears a giant vagina costume which may get her the odd performing gig at a trendy museum but it isn’t going to get her laid tonight. Undaunted and back in her friend’s L.A. garage next morning where she has been living for some months now, she maps out her annual birthday goals. They are the exact same ones she has had for several years and never even gets close to achieving. She wants to a) make a movie, b) lose 20lbs and c) find a girlfriend.

    She thinks she may start on the third one just a few nights later at a screening of one of her Short Movies which seems to delight a very attractive girl in the audience. Katya is stunningly beautiful but she is also a bit of cold fish and a pretentious cultural snob. Nevertheless in conversation with her later Anna is so mesmerised by the fact that Katya is even spending time with her, she listens to the younger girl egg her on to make a new movie. Anna only agrees as she thinks this may be a way to get into the girl’s panties.

    To impress her potential girlfriend Anna decides to make an all-lesbian version of Edward Albee’s classic ‘Who’s Afraid or Virginia Woolf’ and encouraged by Katya describes the project as ‘a post examination of lesbo-phobia’. I’m not sure about that, but what I do know when this film about making a film gets to this part, it’s all downhill from now on. There was the possibility that this remake of one of Elizabeth Taylor’s Oscar-winning roles would be good as Guinevere Turner (The L Word) would be playing Martha, but as Katya persuades the love-smitten Anna to tone down all the famous histrionics, then that lost all of its steam too.

    This movie is based on the real life of its writer/director/star Anna Margarita Albelo who bears a passing resemblance to Lena Dunham (‘Tiny Furniture’ ‘Girls’) whom I am guessing she may aspire to be.

    However, unlike Ms Dunham who is a Golden Globe/Emmy-winning all-rounder gifted powerhouse, the very inexperienced Ms Albelo lacks her fine sense of humour and her talent to act. In this piece, she is sadly her own worst enemy as her stilted writing may have fared slightly better if her role had been played by a real actress.

    Full of good intentions this micro-budget movie had some potential especially when the cast also included Carrie Preston (‘The Good Wife’) and also young Agnès Olech who did a fine turn as Julia the girl who really fancied Anna, But for a comedy it took itself way too seriously which really dampened the humour. There is one moment that is funny for the wrong reason when Katya is trying to be deep and profound with Anna and says ‘Remember what Jean-Luc Goddard said and shit on your audience as much as possible!’. For the record, M. Goddard did not say that, but I must admit that occasionally it felt that Anna had believed he did.

    For the record, by the end of the year, Anna achieved two of her goals. I’ll leave it to you to find out which two.

  • FILM REVIEW | Interstellar: Bigger Than It can handle, And What We Can Handle

    ★★★ | Interstellar

    There’s a lot of hype surrounding the new film Interstellar, which opens on Friday.

    It’s directed by Christopher Nolan, the man who brought us the billion-dollar grossing films (each!) The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Returns. He also brought us 2000’s smart and highly intellectual film Memento and 2010’s highly confusing Inception. Also upping the hype around Interstellar is that it stars recent Academy Award winners Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, multiple Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain, as well as Oscar winners Michael Caine, Ellen Burnstyn, and in an uncredited/unbilled but pivotal role in the film, Matt Damon. Also by the look of the trailer, it looks visually and experimentally stunning. It’s on the path to be this year’s Gravity.

    Interstellar is a lot of things. But according to Nolan, it hinges on the provocative question of humanity’s place in the stars. Interstellar means ‘occurring or situated between stars,’ and that’s basically what the movie is all about. It’s also about Black Holes, distance galaxies, uninhabitable and habitable planets, spaceship travel, and what drives the plot is the relationship a father has with his daughter.

    Set in the near future when an agricultural crisis has hit Earth and there is not enough food to eat and the population is slowly dying. The land is very dry and there are massive sandstorms that engulf the planet. With the possibility of the extinction of humans, a dangerous and daring mission takes place to look for planets outside of the universe where humans can move to, survive, and most importantly, reproduce. It’s a mission that goes above and beyond the barriers of time and space, defying not only gravity but inter-galaxy travel as well. It’s an experimental mission that’s not only very dangerous, but life altering as well.

    Cooper (McConaughey) is a former test pilot and engineer who’s now a farmer because that is what is needed in this decaying, dry new world. The only crop that is left on earth is corn, so this is what he grows at his vast farm, with the help of his father-in-law Donald (John Lithgow) and his two children – teenage son Tom (Timothee Chalamet) and daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy). Cooper hears of some sort of experimental space project going on in his area, so he drives off attempting to find it, at the same time finding Murph in the back of the car when she was told to stay home. She’s as much of a space geek as her father.

    They find the compound, or actually, the compound finds them, and they both get whisked into the underground bunker. It’s actually a fortress made up of scientists and engineers, led by Professor Brand (Caine). He leads the project for the search of a planet in perhaps another universe that can sustain the human race. A project which includes a newly built spaceship.

    So Cooper (without the blessing of his daughter) and Brand’s scientist daughter Amelia (Hathaway) and two others blast off into space, into the darkness, on a mission that seems impossible. But what Cooper doesn’t know is that 13 other astronauts had previously attempted the mission, and all have not been heard from since. And to add drama to the story, Amelia was in love with one of them.

    It’s the space mission (and Cooper and Murph’s relationship) that drives Interstellar. And what a drive it is. Nolan takes us into space and beyond like no other filmmaker has. We are transported into another universe, through black holes, to other planets. One planet has waves the size of the Empire State Building, while another is caked in ice, where they find one of the 13 astronauts alive – Dr. Mann (Damon). And this is when Coopers’ and Amelia’s mission strays off it’s course, in a detrimental way. One hour on this planet equals 20 years on Earth, so the more time spent there, the more time Cooper’s children grow up, and old, without him.

    What Interstellar tries to do is use the magnitude and grandeur of space as a backdrop for exploring the relationships that Cooper has with his children, especially his daughter. It’s also about all kinds of things – our lives on earth, what will happen when our earth can no longer sustain us, who are are, and it makes us look at the relationships we have. It basically asks us to examine, all this, and more, in its 169 minutes. London-born Nolan successfully puts the audience into space, and McConaughey successfully makes us believe that he’s got the passion for being in space, but Interstellar leaves us mere mortals behind in a film that is a bit overwhelming, mind-bending, demanding and a bit confusing. And the sound quality is not the best, the music and noise at times drown out what the characters are saying in a few crucial scenes. And with two recent air space accidents in the last couple weeks, no one is really in a rush to get to space.

    Written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan, Interstellar is a movie bigger than it can handle, and what we can handle.

  • REVIEW: Chris Stein/Negative: Me, Blondie and The Advent of Punk, Somerset House, London

    Fittingly it’s Deborah Harry’s opening line in the programme notes that sums it best.

    ”I had no idea that Chris was a voyeur when I met him”

    Currently running til 25th January 2015 at Somerset House to mark the 40th anniversary of Blondie, Chris Stein/Negative: Me, Blondie and The Advent of Punk is a showcase of unpublished photographs by Chris Stein, the hugely successful 70’s band’s co-founder.

    Blondie were undoubtedly one of the most influential bands of their generation with a sound encompassing punk, new wave, hip hop and reggae and in Deborah Harry happened to have one of the most iconic front women of all time. It is no accident that Harry is regularly cited as heroine by so many indie and alt rock musicians that followed.

    Unsurprisingly she dominates the work on show and her beauty, sensuality and good old fashioned star quality is the exhibition’s main selling point. There is a mix of candid outtakes, a snapshot taken backstage with David Bowie a particular highlight and unseen pictures from magazine shoots. This is no one woman show however. Images of other figures from the NYC punk and new wave scene such as Iggy Pop, The Ramones and Joan Jett loom large. At it’s best Stein’s work is stark and unsentimental, documenting the people and places he knows well with the sharp eye of an insider.

    Perhaps the most haunting portrait on show is of writer William S Burrows, taken in the late 80’s. Conservatively dressed, arms folded and with head cocked, he radiates defiance and fierce intellect.

    The exhibition also serves to chart the progress of Blondie from their formation in 1974 to the huge international fame a few years later. But while the band travels to Europe and beyond, they remain rooted in New York. A series of city street scenes and urban landscapes show that Stein is as interested in the harsh beauty of the city as the people that populate it.

    There is a high possibility that anybody vaguely acquaintanced with Blondie’s music will rush home to play Parallel Lines on repeat for the rest of the day. And that is no bad thing. But the power of this exhibition is in capturing a time long past but that still has a hand in shaping alternative pop culture hugely today.

    Find out more visit Somerset House

    5 November 2014 – 25 January 2015

    Daily 10.00-18.00 (last entry 17.15)

    Open until 21.00 (last entry 20.15) on Thursdays from 27 November

    24 & 31 December 10.00-16.00, 25 & 26 December-closed, 1 January 12.00-18.00

    East Wing Galleries, East Wing

    Free admission

  • Top 10 Campest Christmas Films Ever

    CHRISTMAS is the campest of all the holidays we celebrate : it’s the season of both joy and sheer excess, and should always be a great deal of fun. To help you have a gay old time we have trailed our extensive Film Library to give you.

    A L’INTÉRIEUR aka Inside. If you are big fan of horror flicks, then this is a real sick Christmas one for you. If this not a genre you like then STOP READING NOW. This exceedingly nasty French movie made in 2009 starts with a baby dying in utero in a car crash. This becomes one total bloody fest as one very pregnant woman attempts to stop a stranger in her manger from cutting her unborn baby out of her tummy before it’s fully cooked. It’s on this list as it is as camp as hell. Literally.

    BUY IT

    A MERRY FRIGGING CHRISTMAS. We’ve included this brand new one even though we haven’t seen it …yet … as its one of the last movies that the late great ROBIN WILLIAMS made. This mad-cap comedy also stars Candace Bergen, Oliver Platt, Lauren Graham, and Jeffrey Tambor.BUY IT

    ERNEST SAVES CHRISTMAS. Santa travels to Orlando to pick his successor before his magic runs out. When he arrives, he just happens to meet Ernest, a bumbling taxi driver who is filled with holiday joy. Ernest drops Santa off so he can meet with the next Santa, Joe Carruthers but forgets Santa’s magic bag in the trunk. This very silly comedy is a great way to just laugh that excessive Christmas Day dinner off.BUY IT

    GO. This is a wonderfully funny action flick that follows several separate storylines on one very strange Christmas in Los Angeles and Vegas. For purposes here it’s worth noting that the most Christmassy of the storylines involves insanely hot Timothy Olyphant as a drug dealer in nothing but sweatpants and a Santa hat who holds Katie Holmes hostage. BUY IT

    GREMLINS. THE star of ”Gremlins” the mogwai is a small, furry, fictitious creature that looks something like a cuddly teddy bear with the ears of a rabbit, a Bambilike nose, eyes as round and deep and dark as glass buttons, a sweet disposition and a physical nature more unstable than hydrogen gas. When Rand gives one to his son Billy (who fervently does not believe in Santa) as Christmas gift, all hell lets loose in their small town. Silly fun.

    BUY IT

    MEET ME IN ST LOUIS. Christmas without Judy Garland would be unthinkable and the best one we think to watch over the holiday is this classic film: one of her very best. After all. MGM promoted this as ‘Technicolor Romance of Gaiety and Song’. Exactly

    MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. The original version 1947 earned this Santa Claus Edmund Glenn a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, in a movie that never leaves a dry eye in the house.

    BUY IT

    THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. In Tim Burton’s delightful animated movie Jack Skellington, king of Halloweentown, discovers Christmas Town, but doesn’t quite understand the concept. A wee gem of a film.BUY IT

    THE SILENT PARTNER. This camp almost forgotten Canadian gem from 1978 stars Christopher Plummer as a very hammy psychopath Santa Claus whose attempt to rob a Bank is foiled when the timid Teller (a very young Elliot Gould) beats him too it. Also stars an almost unrecognizable John Candy and Suzannah York.BUY IT

    WHITE CHRISTMAS. This list would not be complete with one of the all-time camp Christmas movies that in 1954 Paramount claimed was ‘the most fabulous music and mirth show in motion picture history’. Starring Bing Crosby & Danny Kaye but our favorite track is Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen singing the original version of Sisters.BUY IT

  • THEATRE REVIEW | DV8: JOHN, The Lyttleton Theatre

    ★★★★★ | DV8: JOHN, The Lyttleton Theatre

    Lloyd Newson’s DV8 Physical Theatre Company have been presenting innovative dance pieces for the best part of three decades and have won a plethora of awards. I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if their latest piece, John, now playing at the Lyttleton Theatre were to bring them a whole lot more.

    The programme note tells us that the piece we are seeing is not what Newson had originally planned, a work about assisted suicide. The emphasis changed when a close friend of Newson’s died unexpectedly, and he decided he needed to do a work about love and life rather than death. They interviewed several men for the project, but when John came into their office, it became clear that the new work would predominantly follow John’s story, and so the present piece was born.

    It starts as a monologue about John’s traumatic council estate childhood under the shadow of a violent, rapist father. Anna Fleischle’s ingenious, revolving set is put to brilliant use as characters move from one room to another. At first movement is fairly natural, but it becomes more stylised as the story evolves, though always as a response to speech. Rather than being set to music, in this case, the movement is a reflection of language and the words being spoken.

    Later the set doubles for the gay sauna where much of the second part of the piece is played out, perfect in its depiction of the endless cruising from sauna to steam room to restrooms. Much of the choreography is unbelievably complex. In the group scenes, you feel that if one member of the company were to misplace a foot or a hand, then the whole delicate balance would be destroyed. That never happens of course, and one of the joys of this production is seeing the way bodies fuse together, meld into one and then just as easily drift apart, something of a Newson trademark.

    Endlessly fascinating, but ultimately incredibly moving, it not only examines John’s reasons for having sex with men, but also unflinchingly examines why men may or may not take risks with their sexual health. Their stories are told without judgement, without prejudice.

    I won’t give anything away, but the ending with John caught once more alone on the stage was incredibly moving. It runs for one hour and twenty minutes without an interval, but time had gone so fast, it was hard to believe it was actually the end.

    A true collaboration, one should also mention the excellent lighting of Richard Godin and the sound design of Gareth Fry. Every single one of the performers should be commended for their commitment, for their skill, and for the beauty of the movement. So too should Lloyd Newson, who has yet again come up with a starkly original and thought-provoking piece of theatre.

    John is on now at the Lyttleton Theatre and almost half the tickets for each performance will be £15 as part of the Travelex Theatre Scheme

    On 9 December John will be broadcast live to over 550 UK cinemas and many more worldwide as part of National Theatre Live. Details at www.ntlive.com

    Runs until 13th January 2015

  • THEATRE REVIEW | STOMP – Sheffield Lyceum and National Tour

    ★★★★ | STOMP – Sheffield Lyceum and National Tour

    Mixing tap dancing, street dance, percussion, juggling, humour and incredible feats of physical performance, STOMP enters its 25th year with a show which utilises everything from paint pots to bin lids to create rhythmic set pieces which are dazzling, fresh, funny and exhilarating.

    Initially, one did wonder, having only seen the odd set piece from STOMP before on TV variety shows, how they would be able to fill a continuous one hour forty minute show without it becoming repetitive, but they were able to move from one set piece to the next seamlessly, always managing to add something new and different from what had come before. Using everything from brooms, sinks and dustbin lids through to shopping trollies, cigarette lighters and giant rubber rings, the variety of set pieces was more than enough to keep the show rattling through its running time, and the show arrived at its curtain call before you knew it and before you wanted it to.

    You couldn’t help but admire the sheer physicality of the performers, whose stamina throughout their relentless performance was undeniable. Their precision and sense of timing was impeccable, demonstrated nowhere better than in a routine involving a rapid flickering of cigarette lighters creating an effect which was reminiscent of a string of Christmas lights. The physical prowess of the performers impressed as they undertook what can only be described as a percussionist parkour; utilising and clambering over the set and props and leaving you in no doubt that they were giving it their all.

    With a static backdrop, covered in objects which transform into impromptu percussion instruments, the set was straight forward, but both the set and the performance were enhanced by some subtle but very intelligent lighting which also worked as a distraction tool, allowing the performers to disappear and reappear elsewhere, adding to the energy and vibrancy of the piece. The sounds of the beats, bangs and stomps, as the cast belted them out, were so loud that they resonated in the chest and added to the excitement of the performance.

    The show was also peppered with a lot of humour. A few looks, glances or exaggerated gestures exchanged between the cast members conveyed a simple narrative and each individual performer managed to develop an unassuming on-stage persona, which separated out the cast members from each other.

    The show was far better than expected and the combinations of skills on display were both impressive and enjoyable. STOMP is certainly deserving of their reputation after 25 years of tours and performances and the show has much more to it than you might expect.

    STOMP is at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until 8th November 2014 (http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/ ) before continuing on its national tour. For details, visit http://www.stomp.co.uk/location/uk/

  • THEATRE REVIEW | MY PERFECT MIND, The Rep – Birmingham

    ★★★★★ | MY PERFECT MIND, The Rep – Birmingham
    Epically Humorous and Uncompromisingly Sincere

    Told by An Idiot’s “My Perfect Mind” stuns The Door of The Birmingham Rep, with its simplistic yet meaningful set and with its mastermind-like quality of acting. This astonishing play is an account of the actor Edward Petherbridge suffering from a stroke and his recovery, with help of a friend, Paul Hunter who does everything in his power to accommodate Edward’s imagination and fantasy.

    “My Perfect Mind” draws inspiration from the story of Edward Petherbridge’s second rehearsal of King Lear, where he suffered a severe stroke, which left him almost paralysed. Upon recovery, Edward comes to an enlightening discovery. Though his mobility had suffered from this event, all the lines for his part, King Lear, lived in his memory still.

    King Lear is one of Shakespeare’s most enigmatic and profound plays starting off with this 80 something King abdicating his land and rule by splitting it into three parts to give to his three daughters: Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. He asks of them, as an exchange for this gift, their expression of love to him. Goneril and Regan obey, but Cordelia upon being asked what she feels about her father, she merely says: “nothing”, which makes the old king banish her. Later on, in the play Lear loses his rule, goes insane and is banished. Shakespeare loved happy endings.

    The 90-minute play was filled with powerful energy and with a plethora of characters coming from one actor – Paul Hunter. Hunter had an incredible ability to multipart with astonishing speed, parts of which seemed to give Edward the Wonderland of Lear. Every time a new character emerged they asked Edward what he was doing? To which he always replied with “I am performing King Lear”, then Hunter, in character, acted impressed and amazed every time. Hunter blew the audience away with his gift of shape shifting between characters and with his unrivalled ability to seduce the crowd with laughter, particularly when he switched from David to Carol.

    Petherbridge’s story shone brightly on stage, as he played himself and the situation so vividly, it appeared we were witnessing the event real-time. His roaring delivery of speeches and then his sweet old-man like voice provided us with an emotional journey of discovery and recovery. We were left wishing we could hear Edward perform “King Lear” for real. The dramatic device Edward used with splashing paint over the wall was epic, as he belted Lear’s storms speech.

    One conclusion I can draw from this experience and it is somewhat ironic. King Lear goes through the play receding in his mental capacity and suffering bitterly, yet Edward used King Lear as a form of recovery. The fact that he still remembered the part, post-stroke, gave him a great sensation and by fate, he falls into the delightful direction of Kathryn Hunter and on the tour of “My Perfect Mind” depicting his story so magnificently.

    04 – 08 November 2014

  • FILM REVIEW | Snails In The Rain, Four Stars

    Snails In The Rain | ★★★★

    Every day on his way to University, linguistics student Boaz stops at the Post Office to check his mailbox to see if there is a letter telling him he has been awarded a Scholarship to continue his studies in Jerusalem. One day however, inside the box he finds a letter he has not been expecting, is a note from a secret male admirer who says that watching Boaz from afar is the highlight of his day.

    The place is Tel Aviv and the year is 1989 when homosexuality was secretive and closeted and encounters only happened in the dark shadows of night. It was also the time before computers and emails when the mail was still the main way to communicate. Boaz has been happily living with Noa his adoring girlfriend for over a year now, and his life is seemingly as perfect as it can get. Now when these unsolicited letters start arriving he gets thrown off kilter and they suddenly reignite memories he had chosen to forget when he almost hadam intimate encounter with another man during his Military service.By the time the third letter has arrived, Boaz’s curiosity to the author’s identity has turned into paranoia, as he believes that every man he encounters in the street, on the bus, in the library is staring at him in a lustful manner. The fact that Boaz is played by Yoav Reuveni a rather stunning ex-international male model turned actor would make this a totally feasible assumption. It is however Noa, who suspicious of Boaz’s sudden change in attitude at home, who finds the letters and correctly puts two and two together to work out who the real writer is.

    Boaz is now desperately struggling with his sexual identity so much so that when the 4th letter arrives and demands that he agrees to a pre-arranged way of signaling if he is in fact interested in returning his admirers affection, that he gets in such a state that he is about to explode. Or do something to vent out his anger and confusion that he may somehow regret.

    This rather intriguing drama about repressed homosexual feelings and desire acutely brings back an era when lust was often hidden and unrequited. The movie was based on a short story by Yossi Avni Levy who is (most intriguingly) currently the Israeli Ambassador in Serbia. It was directed and written by Yariv Moser (who co-starred in it too) best known for his two excellent documents ‘My First War’ and ‘The Invisible Men’. Moser’s decision to cast first-time actors paid off well as Mr. Reuveni in particular turned in a pitch perfect turn as the perturbed Boaz.

    And knowing how to keep his audience completely glued to the screen Moser heightens the air of homoeroticism with having Boaz constantly take showers at the drop of a hat too.

    Highly recommended.

  • FILM REVIEW | Mood Indigo

    ★★★ | Mood Indigo

    Have you ever want to like something so much, looked forward to seeing something so much, eager with anticipation?

    And then it happens and its, umm, well, it’s, not quite what you thought or expected?

    A film that includes the inimitable Amelie actress Audrey Tautou and the quirky actor from Populaire, Romain Duris, and has a storyline that reads like a William Burroughs script, and I really expected something kooky, something off the wall?

    I’d read about it before it came out – in itself a long protracted event as it seemed to take forever to get a UK cinema release. Based on a popular French novel by Boris Vian, it takes place in a fantasy version of Paris, where cars fly, pianos make cocktails and people stretch whilst skating – and not just their muscles!

    I hate to spoil the stories when doing a review of a film or DVD, so I won’t go into details on this score apart from the well-publicised basics – boy meets girl, falls in love, marry and then girl becomes seriously ill as a flower starts to grow in her lung… as it does.

    The boy then has to use all available funds to buy a flower to help heal his girl and takes all sorts of odd jobs to fund this. The rest is available on the DVD for you to watch.

    One word used a lot in reviews and write ups on this film is “whimsy” and it’s a great word to sum this up – it is whimsical in the extreme but it lacks some of the finesse of either Amelie and Populaire – though both actors and the rest of the cast and crew give it their all and do a good job.

    The director is responsible for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Be Kind, Rewind and it kind of shows, the story takes all kind of twists and turns, but the special effects are not up to the expected level and seem amateurish and at times awkward. The story doesn’t follow the normal narrative trail but seems to waver as it moves towards its end.

    I didn’t hate this film, how could you? But I didn’t love it and ended feeling disappointed and a little let down. Whether this is down to me and my high expectations or the film and its production, I’m not sure… As always, I’d urge you to watch and decide for yourself. I do think its worth watching, but don’t expect the usual Tautou or Duris fair….

    I’d give it a 3 out of 5 stars, I wish it was more

  • Majority Think Cheryl Should Be Dropped From X Factor

    Majority Think Cheryl Should Be Dropped From X Factor

    A new X-Factor poll has revealed that 59% of heat magazine readers think Simon Cowell should drop Cheryl as a judge.

    CREDIT: ©SYCO /THAMES TV/ITV
    CREDIT: ©SYCO /THAMES TV/ITV

    A survey of over 1,000 visitors to heatworld.com asked if Simon was to drop a female judge, it should be Cheryl, with 58 per cent saying the judges bickering is “overshadowing the acts”, and 54 per cent calling Mel B “the most honest judge”.

    Speaking exclusively to heat last week, axed X Factor contestant Jake Quickenden said that he felt the contestants weren’t being treated fairly by the judges.

    “Simon is the king of mind games, but it would be better to get some constructive criticism rather than just arguing among themselves. I liked Mel, because she was straight with you – she wouldn’t bulls**t you like what may happen with the others.”

    Back in June, Simon said he was pinning all his hopes on Cheryl, 31, returning as the big name on the panel.

    “The pressure is going to be on Cheryl this year. There’s a real buzz,” he said. “People are already talking about it and I think that’s partly because Cheryl is back. All eyes are going to be on her, but she knows that and she’s ready.”

    “The X Factor is one of the toughest shows on TV to get right,” says heat’s TV editor Boyd Hilton. “The show needed more ‘characters’, like it had in 2010, when it was getting 14million viewers watching acts like 1D, Wagner and Katie Waissel. The emphasis this year has clearly been on trying to mix quality acts with big personalities. Unfortunately for those who watch the show for talent, some of those personalities aren’t great singers.”

    However, the heat survey isn’t all criticism – 70 per cent said they are enjoying The X Factor more than Strictly this year. And while Strictly is scoring two million more in the ratings, The X Factor’s 7.5million viewership is still impressive. “The Saturday live shows have been very long, so the show finishes after 10pm,” says heat’s Boyd. “It’s nigh-on impossible to beat Strictly’s Saturday ratings with that scheduling. Interestingly, X Factor does better on a Sunday with the hour-long show, in which you can catch up with Saturday night anyway.”

    Other statistics:

    38% think Simon is the best mentor, Louis is considered the worst mentor with just 3% of votes. He’s also considered the ‘most boring’ judge.

    78% think Simon’s return has improved the show.

    Mel B is the meanest judge according to heat readers with 60% of votes.

    47% think Andrea Faustini is set to win this year’s show with 22% saying they would buy his album.

  • Starbuck Ventures In To Marketing Towards Gay Community

    A hilarious new viral ad campaign from the World’s biggest coffee shop chain, Starbuck to target the gay community.

      • The brand new ad features Ru Paul’s Drag Race 6 stars Adore Delano and Bianca Del Rio.
      • The clip is called Coffee Frenemies
      • Originally released with OUTTv

    After hearing the details for her full-on day job Adore Delano, spots a coffee shop and goes inside only to find a queue. She asks a number of people in line if she can sneak ahead – that is until she meets with Drag Race winner, Bianca Del Rio, who swiftly rebuffs her request at jumping, but not before ordering a Skinny Latte Extra Foam from the counter.

    Just before Bianca goes nuclear on Adore, coffee is served and thus the World is saved for another day.

    Starbucks is the latest in highstreet brands and high profile names targeting the gay community a very profitable business – as in the UK – the LGBT+ community is worth over £96 BILLION alone.

    Natwest, Coca-Cola and Chevrolet are just some of the big brands to tap into the market, with big budget commercials.

    Last year Coca-Cola was praised for the inclusion of a gay male married couple in a campaign called Reasons To Believe, however, the company was later criticised for removing the couple from the Irish version of the advert.