Movies to Look Forward to in 2017

New Year, Same Me… I mean New Me! (not a chance) It’s January 2017 and the year ahead is filled with new and exciting movie releases. Some have been advertised months in advance in an effort to build up hype and in some cases high expectations. Teaser trailers and spoilers are leaked onto YouTube and within minutes have been snatched up by the various news media sites and spread across media platforms. What are these new and exciting movie? Well I’m about to tell y’all a few of them.  

Beauty and the Beast

Release Date USA: 17 March 2017

This movie is quickly shaping up to be the most anticipated release of 2017. With a star studded cast, this movie follows the original tale of Belle and the Beast. Considered to be her most influential role since playing Hermione Granger in Harry Potter, Emma Watson adorns the yellow frock and gets lost in a library of books. 

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock and you don’t know the story of Beauty and the Beast; A young prince, cursed into a beast, can only be freed by his true love. When he meets Belle, the only human girl to ever visit the castle since it was enchanted, his opportunity arrives.

Teaser trailers have been released in stages and the world first witnessed Watson’s singing voice over Christmas with the release of the ‘Belle Doll’ (a bit creepy in my opinion, it looks more like a man than Emma Watson)

For the sake of the world, fingers crossed that this movie can live up to the legendary Disney original!

Logan

Release Date Ireland: 3 March 2017

Another movie in the X-Men series, except this time instead of following a new or young superhero, we’re following a damaged and suffering Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). Directed by James Mangold, we witness a world where mutants are gone. Xavier and Logan are the only ones who remain and live in a dark world. The trailer shows snippets of intense battles and a version of Wolverine who seems like death would be a welcome friend at this point in his life.

However, a shining hope forms in the shape of a young girl, and according to some is a clone to Logan himself. But the question remains, where are her claws then?

Unlike a considerable amount of movie trailers these days, you’ll be glad to know this one thankfully doesn’t give away the entire story in 2 minutes. 

Despicable Me 3

Release Date USA: 30 June 2017

ITS SO FLUFFFYYYY!!! Who doesn’t want more of those minions and unicorns and those 3 cute girls and… you get it. Gru is back and he’s ready for more crime fighting fun, but this time he’s accompanied by Lucy (which as you can guess causes some tensions). With the first trailer released in December 2016 we were welcomed back into the world of minions and their unusually quirky personalities. The story centres around Balthazar Bratt, a child star from the 1980s who hatches a scheme for world domination. Brat is right! His name seems to live up to his personality...

Very little information has been released about this movie so far other than the trailer itself, but I suppose it’s early days yet. I’m just pretty impatient!

I know what you’re thinking, why is this 20 year old girl getting excited about a children’s animation movie? Well let me tell you, it’s 2017 and us naughties babies have never left the safe haven of Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks and the likes. (I just realised babies born in 2000 are now 2017... It's time to watch the Little Mermaid)

Deadpool - Why Was It So Popular?

Deadpool, I'm sure you'll all agree with me when I say - what a movie! Unexpected, humorous and most of all it defies the regular superhero storyline (to an extent...)

In order to understand the difference between Deadpool and various other superhero films we must go right back to the start... (Que dreamy dreamy music...)

For as long as I can remember, superhero films have followed a basic storyline  - an individual who possesses superhuman abilities faces an evil force and they must defeat it in order to protect the public.

Where can we trace the first 'superhero' back to? Before comic books hit people's shelves, media sources began to feature 'superhero' type characters, especially strips in newspapers. 1929 saw the release of the first US comic strip space pioneer; Buck Rogers.

Although, it's the Golden Age of superheroes between 1930 and 1950 that we all remember and they remain prevalent in today's society. Superheroes like Superman, Batman, Captain America, Captain Marvel and Wonder Women exploded into the world. Marvel (1939) and DC Comics (1934) have been in rivalry for decades and between the two they have created the strongest superhero characters we know today.  

So who created Deadpool I hear you ask with eagerness! Marvel created Deadpool. Why is it so popular? Well, there are various opinions on this idea, however, they all revolve around the same idea - people are attracted to the badass superhero who isn't afraid to say what he thinks.

However, there's also another huge factor which contributes to the fact that this particular movie stands out above other superhero movies; Deadpool breaks the Fourth Wall. For those who have no idea what that means, it references the imaginary boundary between the stage and audience in the theatre. Within the film, Deadpool looks straight into the camera and addresses the audience a total of 23 times, according to Josh Dickey who documents them in further detail (link to article). This technique has been known to make an audience uncomfortable, however, Deadpool's satire actions allow the audience to be drawn into the film.



As I said earlier, People have loved the 'Merc with a Mouth' for over 25 years, since Rob Liefeld created him  in 1991. His popularity within the comics laid a grounding for him when the movie was released. Let me get one thing straight - this is not a children's movie. The main reason it is not a children's movie is due to the sexual innuendos and bizarre metaphors that come out of Reynold's mouth. From insulting IKEA furniture to making fun of his previous role as the Green Lantern Superhero, there's no shortage of comedy. Deadpool also lacks a desire to protect the public - which is a taboo idea in Superhero films. Another factor that attracted people to this film was the idea that the film is grounded into today's society with references we can all understand and relate to.

There's no doubt that this movie hit our screens with a bang. Before adventuring to see it myself, friends urged me to go. This movie reached a new audience outside the usual Marvel Superhero films. A Movie Buff, just as obsessed with movies as myself, laid out this question and I decided it was time I tried to figure out the answer - Why was Deadpool so popular? Loud, rude, humorous and most of all sarky - who wouldn't want to meet someone like that...

Gilmore Girls - The Reunion!

Did somebody say reunion???

People dream of the idea that their favourite television programme will be re-launched in later years. For me that dream has come true. The announcement of the reboot of the Gilmore Girls came a few weeks ago with people around the world joyfully celebrating their return (including me!). Small snippets of news have been revealed overtime since the announcement. 

So far we know:

•  Lauren Graham (Lorelai), Alexis Bledel (Rory) Scott Patterson (Luke) Sean Gunn (Kirk) Keiko Agena (Lane) Yanic Truesdale (Michel) Kelly Bishop (Emily) Matt Czuchry (Logan) Tanc Sade (Finn) Vanessa Marano (April) have all announced they are returning to the show
• For some reason Melissa McCarthy (Sookie) has not been invited to return to the show...
• We know that Rory will be single 
• The original creator Amy Sherman-Palladino will return to produce the show. Her husband Daniel Palladino will write and direct the episodes.
• The series will consist of 4 episodes 90 minutes each, one episode based in each season of the year. 
• Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino has managed to bring back all of Rory's men! Matt Czuchry (Logan) Milo Ventimiglia (Jess) and Jared Padalecki (Dean)
• Also a few new characters will join the old cast, Berta and Alejandro a Peruvian couple. A man who never smiles. Lane's twins Stevie and Kwan who are now 9 years old. Also joining the cast is a magazine editor named Jim. A '20-something' named Damon, a 30-something named Paul, and a blue collar called Dwayne.

While this isn't a lot to go on at the moment, at least we know it's actually happening! Photos have emerged showing the outside of Miss Patty's Dance School and The Dragonfly Inn has made a return! As well as the jacket Lauren Graham stole from the set in 2007 and Scott Paterson's 'Luke's Diner' shirt! 

         

With the excitement of the Gilmore Girls reboot, I have a strong desire to binge watch every single episode. Not that I haven't watched every single episode a million times already! With that I reckon it's important to (attempt to) pick my 5 favourite episodes of the series. With 100 episodes to chose from, it's going to be a challenge! 

1) Pilot  - Episode 1 Season 1

In this episode we are introduced to the main characters of the show, the mother and daughter duo Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. We are shown the quaint town of Stars Hollow, which is bursting with creative, quirky and unique characters. Rory is accepted into the private high school Chilton and as a result Lorelai must rekindle her relationship with her parents in order to pay for her tuition. The creation of the oh so famous 'Friday Night Dinner' is used as a compromise for the fees. There's no doubt that the sound of the song 'There She Goes' by The La's at the beginning of the programme sends my mind running through the excitement of watching the entire series. 

                                                       

                2) Season 2 Episode 10

The Bracebridge Dinner. A personal favourite of mine! As much of a fan of Dean that I am, you have to applaud the serious chase that Jess pursued in order to gain the attention of Rory. In this episode, a Chicago paper who were supposed to attend their annual medieval dinner at the Inn, are trapped in a snowstorm. So, Lorelai and Sookie decide to invite their friends to have a medieval meal in the Inn and stay the night. This episode truly demonstrates the lengths at which Jess is prepared to go to in order to fight for Rory. It also shows us the strong bond between Luke and Lorel

                                                        

                                       

                                                        

                                                             3) Season 3 Episode 22

Those are strings, Pinocchio. What an episode! An episode that truly shows us how far these two woman have come. In some ways it is a new chapter into their lives; Rory graduates from Chilton and Lorelei and Sookie buy the Dragonfly Inn. Rory takes a trip to her grandparents to ask them to pay for Yale, and once again the Friday Night Dinners resume. This episode sets a fresh palette for the Gilmore Girls, both single and at new stages in their lives.  

            4) Season 4/5 Episode 22/1

Okay, I'm sorry but these episodes basically count as the same episode. This episode is one of my favourites and one of my most hated episodes. On the BIG PLUS side - Lorelai and Luke finally get together after 4 seasons of would-you-just-kiss-already! One of the biggest STOP what you're doing moments also happens in this episode - the moment Rory and Dean end up in bed together, completely ignoring the fact that Dean is married. Why Rory?? Infuriating doesn't even begin to cover it! While some people might have been happy to see them back together, I definitely wasn't one of those people! While one Gilmore Girl is heading down a momentous road with happiness and lots more coffee, the other one is attempting to rationalise her silly actions! 

                     5) Season 7 Episode 22

Bon Voyage. While it is the episode I spend most of my time crying throughout, it is definitely one of my all time favourite episodes. While it frustrated me that Rory turned down Logan's marriage proposal, it also showed me her strong character and proved to many teenage girls that they didn't need a man at their side to be successful. Rory accepts a job following Barak Obama's campaign trail (it'll be interesting to see how she developed in that job taking into account he's the current president... *Press secretary?*) As a result Lorelai is forced to cancel her 'Bon Voyage' party. Little does she know, Luke stays up all night sewing together rain coats and surprises the girls by pulling off the perfect party. At this point I'm sitting in a puddle of my own tears, which are only made worse by the speeches made by her family at the end, and worse again when Lorelai and Luke reunite. I tell you, don't watch the last episode unless you're prepared to sob like a baby.

My excitement to see the new episodes is indescribable! Ordering too much food and watching them with my mam in true Gilmore Girl style! 

Until then, always remember, you can never have too much coffee!

Old Movies Are The Best Kind Of Movies

Old Movies Are The Best Kind Of Movies

Old movies, what is it that makes them so appealing? In saying that, it's not merely movies which draw many back to their childhood or teenage years, television shows and music also have this strong pull. A television series you watched through your childhood almost becomes a comfort in later years. I read somewhere once, that re-watching your favourite TV show repeatedly can have a calming effect on you, as you know the outcome of the story. 

The development of film over the years since it's creation is a phenomenal one. Actors and actresses from their own era have individually changed the face of film through the centuries. Throughout this time various individuals stood out in their own individual way. From Charlie Chaplin who's considered one of the most important figures in film history to Leonardo de Caprio of the current era. In terms of actresses, these women have fought for the recognition of the female role in the film industry since the start of cinema. Ladies like Audrey Hepurn, Marilyn Monroe, Meryl Streep and Helena Bohen Carter have all empowered women throughout time. Hepburn and Monroe became iconic symbols for women around the world during their era, inspiring women through their glamour and sophistication. However, society chose to concentrate on their image rather than the inspirational words they had to share.

Getting back to the topic of old movies... (let's not turn this into a post about empowering women) Movies draw individuals into a new world in unique ways. Our generation is repeatedly drawn back to movies from the 80's and 90's. While our parent's generation is generally drawn back to movies from the 50's and 60's. Why is this? Is it a nostalgia for the past? Or is it curiosity towards times gone by? 

The youth of the current generation are drawn to the 'high-concept' films of the 80's. These films can be explained by one or two sentences and as a result it was easily marketable and understandable as a result. Although less experimental and original as films from the 70's, films from the 80's were more formulaic and explored new special effects newly available to them. 80's teen movies held definitive scenes; (1) a cool kid gives a geek advice (2) a moment of bottled rebellion (3) at least one surreal WTF moment (4) the ultimate happy ending (10 scenes that define 80's teen movies) These films include:

  

Looking at this short list of movies (all of which I love) they each fit into the short description of 80's movies. While the story lines were simple to each of these movies, they each managed to capture their audience. Despite the many love films that followed, Dirty Dancing will undoubtedly remain my favourite. There's something about a dance film that makes you want to get up and 'attempt' to copy their moves. 

Jumping foreward to the 90's (you know that period only 90's kids remember...) and cinema attendance had largely increased and with that the cost of film production increased significantly. At this time there was an increase of high-cost demanding actors and the introduction of home viewing allowed the audience to expand. Independent film productions were introduced which expanded the scale of film production. In reality, our generation is strongly drawn to these films due to the fact that we were born in that era. A few of these films include 

                          

Comparing the two short lists of films, it is obvious that in the 90s a stronger diversity of genres emerged. As well as this, Disney films exploded during this era establishing a strong place in the lives of children (and of course 19 year old girls of 2016). Actors and actresses gained a prominent role in society, idolised and worshipped by many, as they are today.  

Movies have captured audiences since the beginning of their creation. Old movies draw in a new audience through each generation. There's no denying my love for old movies. They allow us to compare and contrast to current films, taking both the strong and weak elements of each era. The appeal of a movie created before I was born tends to draw me in, and gives me a snapshot of times gone by. So while the movies of today will eventually become 'old movies', they will not have the same appeal as the 80s and 90s movies do for our generation. Movies transport us into a new world, allowing us to expand our knowledge and explore a new universe. Movies are and will always be an escape from reality, but also shows us the beauty of our own reality. 

24hr Broadcast 2015

After weeks of preparation and hard work I can safely say the broadcast was a huge success! It wouldn't have been possible without the relentless work done by everyone and especially the committee. I mean raising €6,000 is not a simple task! I must say we did it with an impressive amount of skill (despite the sleep deprivation)

Everything kicked off at 9pm - opening with the Guinness World Records. Which I was (un)fortunate to get roped into. Eating cream crackers under a time limit with no water isn't exactly easy... To the guys who ate an entire raw onion, I applaud you - I wouldn't do that if someone paid me!

Let's not forget the 'behind the scenes' antics. Participating in the 'Oscars' a troupe of five, we ventured off in an attempt to recreate 'The Godfather', 'The Shining' and 'Zoolander'. I have to hand it to the other groups too, I mean the videos produced were so creative and hilarious. 'Ghostbusters' would be a personal favourite of mine - definitely worth the watch!

The Oscars weren't the only behind the scenes madness. Throughout the 24hours there was an unbelievable buzz on the second floor of the Henry Grattan. At any moment a group of people could crash through the doors followed closely by a camera. Lest we forget the Go Pro Wheelie Chair Races when we almost got ran over in the middle of the corridor. Who doesn't enjoy a good wheelie chair race...

5am came and the long awaited Lego Competition went live on air. Presenting with my good friend we embarked on half an hour of lego making! 2 teams of 3 battled it out to become the ultimate lego champions. Creating a car, telling the other team what to create and finally creating their own master pieces. I humbly thank our competitors who managed to stay awake long enough to compete in our competition!

9am hit - the half way mark, and let's just say the exhaustion started to hit. Numbers began to drop and as we attempted to film another video we found ourselves collapsed in a corridor. The world was waking and we were dropping like flies. With very little energy left I decided to adventure around the corridors and rooms filming the sleep deprived students who were 'Half Way There' - I must say that was the moment that I started to wake up again.

Sitting around a table for about 2 hours eating our healthy breakfast which mainly consisted of crisp sandwiches, a box of coco rocks between us and a muffin, we eventually decided it was time to get our act together again and start filming more content. This came in the form of a Make-up Tutorial, which I must say left us all in stitches. When a lad attempts to put on a girl's make-up, it never fails to entertain! I have to admit I've re-watched it myself quite a few times!

Lunch time came and we were re-joined by many who had left to get a few hours of sleep. With that we returned to filming and a group of us joined together to make the 'Broadcast Biggest Fails', or as we liked to see it 'When Jordan Asks for more Content'! This video basically consisted of us acting the fool for a few hours. This video led to the 'Broadcast Dancing King' who caught some of the MPS committee by surprise...

With 3 hours to go we were almost €2,000 off our target of €5,000. With 21hours down, the sleep deprived and delirious students put in the last bit of effort to reach our target. With 1 hour to go we reached our target, and what a feeling that was - the hard work had paid off and this never would have been achieved without the unbelievable team work that was created in the previous weeks and the 24hrs of the broadcast itself.

On Air!

BACK WITH A   BOOM!!

PODCAST

So, today myself and my good pal Caoimhe McGowan decided to adventure into DCUfm. As it is Reading Week our own assigned shows for this week are not running, so we figured exploring the studio while it was quiet would be the best option for us.

After a crash course (no.100 at this stage) around the studio we (nervously) set off. We managed to blab on for about an hour (unfortunately for those listening) about various topics including Irish Traditions, Travel, Events and Movies. 

Myself and Caoimhe both agree that it was an hour well spent! Here's to many more shows with my bubbly companion and sidekick! 

Happy Listening!!!

That Oval Ball Competition Yoke...

Please raise your hand if you’ve spent the past 3 weekends on your sofa watching every rugby match of the world cup so far... Lunch and dinner roll into one as you attempt to throw a quick meal together in-between each match. Starting at midday, you keep track of time as you watch the clock count up 80 minutes throughout each match. It's a marathon, a sofa marathon, a marathon of who can keep their words discreet the longest (even when the referee heads to the TMO for the 100th time). It's a trek of endurance, but in fairness a pretty enjoyable one at that.

There is no doubt that The Rugby World Cup 2015 has been one of the most interesting in recent years. With Japan making history beating South Africa 34-32, Whales beating England, and Australia killing England's chance of making it out of the pool stages. The first time in the history of the rugby world cup the home team didn’t make it out of the pool stages - which cost the English economy 3 billion pounds. (Twitter reaction) All in all it's been quite a shocking turn of events for many teams. Personally, I wouldn't have it any other way! It brings the passion back into the game of rugby. The last 2 minutes of the Japan vs. South Africa match were unbelievable, I watched it on repeat a few times basking in the indescribable emotion displayed by the Japanese. We can't forget to mention the videos that made the rounds online capturing the Irish reaction to the win, you'd almost think Ireland had won the entire World Cup! (Irish Reaction)

As an Irish fan, I've quite enjoyed the matches so far. Under the incredible skill and talent of Joe Schmidt, there is no doubt that the Irish team have excelled in every shape and form over the past year. Despite losing two of their warm-up matches against Whales and England, very little was uttered against Schmidt. O'Driscoll reassured the public at the time, revealing a conversation with Schmidt "He didn't want to show their hand," he said, "He wasn't concerned at all about the results... Any time there was an open session, they would do defensive sets or fitness. They were showing nothing at all." (Interview) In spite of this reassurance, O'Driscoll is still convinced the All Blacks will beat the Irish in the final... Not quite sure how I feel about that one... 

The Irish team embarking on the world cup this year are a strong mixture of young and old, with the legendary Paul O'Connell captaining the squad. As his last journey with Ireland, there's no doubt he will want to go out on a high. Various players with the likes of Tommy Bowe, Simon Zebo and Jared Payne battle it out to make it onto the team each week. However, there's no doubt Bowe and Zebo showed their talent against Romania last week assisting and scoring 2 tries for Ireland. An undeniable trust is evident throughout the country for Schmidt. It seems the consensus is, that if anyone can take the Irish team to the final, it's going to be the legendary man himself. 

Paulie Scrum Surfing

There's something quite satisfying about watching the underdogs mess up the predictions of the entire world. Japan shook up the odds of the outcome but despite the wealth of talent across the world of rugby, the bets are still high on the All Blacks. I mean, it's like watching Kilkenny win the Hurling every year, it just gets boring!  

So, get ready for another day of sofa surfing tomorrow and here's to hoping there will be a few more shocking events along the way! It's not over yet lads! (Although maybe it is for England...)