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  • 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

  • One In Ten Of Us Will Not Claim A Cancel Trip If We Are Ill

    At a time of year when many people are preparing to enjoy seasonal breaks in the UK, new research from Nationwide Building Society shows around one in ten won’t try to claw back any money if they have to cancel their trip due to illness.

    With the mercury starting to fall and the rising threat of winter bugs such as flu, there is a greater chance of cancellation, meaning hotels and planned travel arrangements may need to be put on ice. Nationwide is advising people perhaps to consider paying a little extra for flexible travel to ensure illness doesn’t ruin their plans.

    The research highlights a knowledge gap around travel insurance, with a third of people (33%) unaware that travel insurance can cover trips in the UK, assuming it is only able to be used when going abroad.

    Despite most people being aware that travel insurance can be used domestically, only around a third (38%) said they would consider using their policy to recover their costs if they had to cancel their plans due to sickness, while around one in ten (9%) willing to write-off a cancelled trip as a bad experience instead of attempting to claim any of their money back.

    Some bank or building society accounts offer services such as insurance, of these is Nationwide which costs £10 a month, provides worldwide family travel insurance, including the UK, providing your staying two nights at a commercially run premises, and covers a range of holiday hiccups – from cancelled accommodation and travel to lost luggage and theft. It will cover trips cancelled due to serious illness should a refund not be available from the provider.

    Nationwide’s Phil Smith, Head of Current Accounts, said: “One way of unpicking the fact that many would rather suffer financially than attempt to recoup their holiday expenses is to understand the resilient and hardy nature of the British. We may be quick to moan but we’re also masters of overcoming adversity. – we almost expect to get ill during the colder months, which is perhaps why we don’t consider claiming. However, it makes sense to factor this likelihood into plans at this time of year by being flexible with travel and accommodation plans.

    “It is also surprising that many people are unaware travel insurance covers holidays in the UK. While we have the NHS, there are many other factors to take into consideration, such as cover for lost luggage, missed or cancelled travel and stolen items.”

  • 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.

  • Two Gay Men In Horrific Anti-Gay Attack On Manchester Tram

    Two gay men were assaulted on a Manchester Tram in the early hours of Saturday morning (1st November) leaving one unconscious.

    Jean-Claude Manseau and Jake Heaton were singing songs from the hit musical Wicked when the pair were subjected to verbal abuse by an another passenger.

    When Manseau and Heaton got off at Piccadilly Gardens the homophobic passenger called over a group of 15 others and according to the victims proceeded to attack them physically.

    Manseau was knocked unconscious and sustained head injuries while Heaton was punched to the back of the head.

    Speaking to Manchester Evening News, Manseau said, ‘It has destroyed every bit of confidence I have. It will be a while before I go anywhere on my own. I don’t know when I’ll feel safe to go into Manchester again.

    ‘They split my forehead, my lip, broke my nose. My eyes are black and swollen. My ribs are painful, I can’t move much. My face is going to be scarred for life. That has upset me.’

    Heaton went on to say, ‘It was terrifying. They crowded around us and it probably only last a few seconds but it felt like a lifetime. It’s completely shocking. Nowadays you think people are mostly accepting of people’s sexuality, especially in a big city like Manchester.

    ‘We did nothing to provoke it. We were just having a laugh and a sing on the tram. It was definitely homophobic. Throughout it all, they were hurling abuse at us. I don’t feel safe now. You feel like you can’t be who you actually are when there are people like this walking the streets.’

    Anyone with information, please call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

  • Four Must Sees At The Fringe! Queer Art And Film Festival

    The 4th addition of East London’s FRINGE! Queer Art & Film Festival is its largest event to date having spread to a whole week of activities. It is one of this Country’s leading exponents of edgy queer cinema proudly showcasing films that may otherwise never get screened, and yet so need to reach the audience that they deserve. Amongst this year’s premieres we have chosen 4 as THE GAY UK top tips for you to go see.

    BAMBI: This very exceptional story of an unquestionably remarkable woman and her transformation from little Algerian boy to respected Parisian Literature Professor via Music Hall Star is utterly spellbinding It quite deservedly won filmmaker Sebastian Lifschitz the TEDDY AWARD for Best LGBT Documentary at the Berlin Film Festival.

    THE DOG: A compelling documentary on John Wojtowicz a loud-mouthed obnoxious New Yorker who robbed a Bank to pay for his boyfriend’s sex change. His exploits were fictionalised and made into the Oscar winning movie ‘Dog Day Afternoon.’

    THE CIRCLE: Part documentary part fiction, this is a fascinating glimpse into the post WW2 mixed fortunes of a gay community in Europe before the onslaught of freedom that was about to occur with the swinging 1960s. Another TEDDY WINNER, this is also Switzerland’s official submission for a Best Foreign Picture Oscar Nomination.

    BOY MEETS GIRL: Eric Schaeffer’s refreshing and enchanting drama about three 20 year-olds looking for love in a small backwater town in Kentucky gently challenges us to suspend our preconceived views on gender labels and be as open to what happens as these lovelorn kids are. It’s warm and often very funny and an entertaining, intelligent, sensitive treatment of an oft misunderstood subject and probably the most enlightening and best movie that we have seen on it so far.

    FRINGE! Queer Art & Film Festival runs 3rd – 9th November. For tickets and venues checkou tfringefilmfestival.com

  • Ant And Dec To Host The Brits 2015

    Ant & Dec, the primetime kings of British entertainment TV, will take over the prestigious hosting duties of The BRIT Awards with MasterCard next year. The BRITs will take place Wednesday 25th February at The O2 and will be broadcast live on ITV.

    The BAFTA award winning duo will return once again to take the helm of the biggest night in the UK music calendar having hosted in 2001, and will bring their popular humour and presenting prowess to proceedings, to ensure a truly memorable occasion.

    Ant & Dec said, ‘We’re really excited to be hosting the BRITs again next year, it is undoubtedly the biggest night in the British music calendar. We’re especially excited now we’re No.1 recording artists ourselves. We’ll be offering our advice to the fledgling pop stars backstage as to how to have a No.1 hit, as long as they’re prepared to wait 19 years for their records to top the chart like ours did!’

    Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have had an incredible career in TV broadcasting: starting off in BBC’s children’s drama Byker Grove they went on to make TV shows such as the BAFTA-award dinning Ant & Dec show which ran on BBC1 for two series, followed by a move to Channel 4 to make Ant & Dec Unzipped. Through their own production company, the duo launched SM:TV and CD:UK in 1998, and by 2000 had signed an exclusive contract with ITV1 which saw them present Pop Idol.

    In 2002, Ant & Dec were back on Saturday night TV with the launch of a new prime time show, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, before travelling all the way across the globe to host I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here which they continue to win awards for now. In 2007, the pair launched another entertainment giant with ITV1, Britain’s Got Talent. Ant & Dec have won a staggering number of awards throughout their career – including 26 National Television Awards, six British Comedy Awards and a BAFTA, and have risen through the ranks of British TV broadcasting to become two of the country’s true national treasures.

    The pair have also enjoyed an exciting music career which produced fourteen Top 20 hits including the pop smash Let’s Get Ready To Rhumble (re-released in 2013 to go straight to the top of the charts), three multi-platinum albums, as well as re-writing and recording the official World Cup anthem for the England football team in 2002.

    BRITs Chairman Max Lousada said: “Ant & Dec are two of the most popular TV broadcasters this country has ever produced and it’s a real honour to have them take centre stage once again to host the BRITs. It’s great that these two pillars of British TV will be part of a night about celebrating icons in British music.”

    The designer of the BRITs statue was recently unveiled as Tracey Emin, continuing the impressive lineage of British artists who have re-worked the famous Award with their own unique creative spin. Further campaign announcements will be made in the coming months including details for the second ever BRITs Week. The 2014 (and first ever) BRITs Week saw a host of musical events take place in the week running up to the main Awards date itself.

  • Architecture Competition To Build Tolerance In Russia

    Russia is not exactly known for its understanding nature.

    In June 2013 President Putin signed into law a bill that banned the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations to minors.” This law has since been the basis for taking away the fundamental rights of Russia’s gay citizens including banning gay pride parades, fines for gay rights groups (they’re accused of acting as a foreign agent), and denial of registration to non-government organisations.

    As a result, violent attacks on gay people or “suspect gays” are becoming commonplace in Putin’s backwards thinking country. The vagueness of the term propaganda has helped Putin write the laws to suit his own ideas of how Russians should behave. The law is even in place for foreign visitors and is accompanied with a fine, detention and deportation.

    So you can’t hold your boyfriend’s hand in public but Putin’s fine with invading neighbouring countries.

    Anybody picking up on a problem with this logic? And with Belarus planning to follow Russia’s example the future seams bleak for the LGBT community in Eastern Europe.

    HMMD.org is therefore challenging architecture enthusiasts to envision a way to promote tolerance within Russia with their latest architecture competition. ‘Designing for Tolerance’ challenges designers from around the globe to propose a temporary pavilion for the education of social, political and religious tolerance, to be erected in Russia’s Red Square, Moscow.

    Entrants are challenged with conceiving a new pavilion that can be incorporated into educational spaces, with lecture and workshop rooms as well as exhibition spaces. Participants are also urged to consider other recreational and public spaces to support these educational programs.

    The competition offers a US$3,000 first prize (2nd prize is US$ 1500 and 3rd prize US$ 500), will be judged by an esteemed panel of judges and is a chance for architecture enthusiasts to not only win some cash and acclaim, but promote a real movement for tolerance in the world’s largest country.

    Entrants can be from any country, from any background and with any level of experience. What’s important is a passion for architecture and a desire to evoke some real change in some of the less-enlightened countries of the world.

    Build a more tolerant Russia, or at least sketch out the plans to it.
    Visit hmmd.org or email hello@hmmd.org for more information or to register.

  • Top 12 Tips To Get A Bargain At A Christmas Market

    More people than ever are considering taking a trip to a Christmas market in Europe this year, perhaps buoyed by the current strength of the Pound against the Euro, now offering £1 = 1.2465 Euros compared to £1 = 1.1588 Euros this time last year.

    While some stall holders will take cards, in most instances cash is king, offering opportunities for buyers to barter and haggle. Leading travel money provider ICE – International Currency Exchange is reminding travellers to request low denomination notes when ordering their currency to maximise the chances of some good old fashioned haggling and reduce the risk of theft in busy markets, by taking a pin-protected prepaid currency card.

    Koko Sarkari, COO of ICE said,

    “There are around 100 Christmas Markets in Germany alone, 25 in France, 20 in Belgium and 18 in Italy so there’s no shortage of magical places to visit this November and December. And if you fancy some haggling, you’ll need some cash to show the stall holder you mean business. But don’t be tempted to take all your spending money in cash – that could be asking for trouble. Load some money onto a prepaid currency card such as the ICE Travellers Cashcard and then withdraw what you need at ATMs and to pay for meals out and larger purchases in shops. Unlike a credit card, if a prepaid card is lost or stolen, only the amount on the card is at risk. One of the key benefits of the ICE Travellers Cashcard is that it comes with a free back up card which can be activated through one call to our team.”

     

    Top 12 Haggling Tips

    1. Do your research and shop around – make sure you know the types of crafts and products on offer and what they should cost

     

    2. Understand the exchange rate – make sure you know how much sterling is worth

     

    3. Don’t flash too much cash – take smaller denominations

     

    4. Learn the lingo – it’s much harder to negotiate in a foreign language so try to learn a few choice words – it may help the vendor to warm to you and lower the price

     

    5. Every city has its key take-home souvenir – ask the locals who does the best or cheapest souvenir

     

    6. Set a budget and don’t be tempted to exceed it

     

    7. Don’t haggle too soon

     

    8. Make sure you’re in control of the situation and lead the negotiation

     

    9. Offer half of the stated price as your first bid

     

    10. Stand your ground

     

    11. Get the vendor to include something extra for no additional cost

     

    12. NEVER tell them your budget

  • Jack Walton Booted Off X Factor

    Hottie Jack Walton was booted off the X Factor last night after a surprise double elimination this week.

    The young Yorkshire man failed to impress the judges with his shaky rendition of Leona Lewis’s mega smash Bleeding Love.

    Despite being the most popular contestant on the programme Jack failed to rack up the votes after his performance, despite his massive fan base each given 5 free votes on the X Factor App.

    This year X Factor voting rules have changed, with X Factor app users given 5 free votes per elimination.

    He was, however, the bookies’ favourite to be booted off the show. He is the second of Mel B’s northern lads to be kicked off after Jake Quickenden was axed last week.

    X Factor continues tonight at 8:00PM on ITV 1

  • Singapore Rules To Keep Anti-Gay Laws In Place

    A challenge to the law that criminalises homosexuality has today been dismissed by Singapore’s highest court, meaning that it’s still a crime to be gay in the country.

    Lim Meng Suang and Kenneth Chee Mun-Leon, a gay couple brought a case against Section 377A of the Penal Code in 2012, arguing that the provision, which outlaws gay sex, infringed on their rights. After initial losses at the High Court of Singapore, Mr Suang and Mr Mun-Leon appealed, and their case was heard along with fellow appellant Mr Tan Eng Hong in July 2014.

    Private same-sex sexual activity between adults has been illegal in Singapore since 1938, with the Penal Code that the British exported.

    NOTHING WE CAN DO.
    In the written ruling, handed down today, the judges said, ‘While we understand the deeply-held personal feelings of the appellants, there is nothing that this court can do to assist them. Their remedy lies, if at all, in the legislative sphere.’

    Jonathan Cooper, Chief Executive of the London-based Human Dignity Trust, which provided technical legal assistance to support the challenge, said, ‘This decision means that every gay man living in Singapore remains an unapprehended criminal.

    ‘And the criminalisation of homosexuality does not only affect men. The culture of shame and homophobia it fosters forms a shadow of oppression over Singapore’s entire lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community.

    ‘The decision of the Court of Appeal to maintain the country’s anti-gay law – a poisonous remnant of British colonial rule – is a great disappointment, if not a surprise.

    ‘The Singaporean Constitution does not protect basic rights such as privacy and dignity and is therefore very limited in comparison to other Commonwealth countries we work in, which show more promise for legal challenges.

    ‘There is nowhere to go from the Singaporean Court of Appeal, meaning that this judgment is final. We must now look to the Singaporean Government, where strong leadership and progressive legislative change is required to pave the only path forward for LGBTI people.

    ‘The Singaporean Government must see, as the international business community will, that archaic homophobic laws frankly have no place in a modern hub of global finance and commerce.’

    ‘The stakes are high for multinational companies with a presence in Singapore, whose gay employees are currently at risk of prosecution simply for being who they are.

    ‘Employers with a commitment to equality and diversity face a difficult dilemma.’

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