I was introduced to Guy Richie through Snatch in the 10th grade. Yes, this was years after it’s release but I was a sheltered kid. The only adult movies I remember watching up until then were old James Bond films and the Die Hard franchise. But Snatch was special, I instantly fell in love with Guy Richie’s way of story-telling, his characters and his style of editing/filming. I quickly took a deep dive into all of his work before Snatch and have watched anything new since. I find his style is full of energy. If it wasn’t done purposely to keep our short attention spans engaged then kudos to him for figuring it out. So when I heard about The Gentlemen I was excited. It’s been years since Richie has written and directed a film. Eventually I would eagerly sit down with my popcorn with high hopes of another clever zig-zagging story about some criminals. Sadly I left the theatre disappointed and realizing it may be the only Guy Richie movie I don’t rewatch. The Cast: I will admit; the reason I watched Snatch was because Brad Pitt was on the cover. He may have brought me to the Guy Ritchie party but he wasn’t the reason I stayed. I think this movie is again trying to appeal to American audiences through a big name in Matthew McConaughey. He also pulls some UK actors from popular shows in the US like Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) and Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey). Round that out with other well-knowns: Hugh Grant (90s Rom-Com heart throb), Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) and Colin Farrell (the guy from that movie). Overall it’s an impressive cast, the a-listers and everyone else works really well together. The acting is top notch and believable, a real bright spot in the movie.  The Recap: Most of the movie is being told by Hugh Grant as a movie and blackmail pitch to Charlie Hunnam who plays Matthew McConaughey’s right hand man, in his big time weed empire. But it’s time for Matt to retire so he’s working to sell the empire to one drug kingpin (with another getting in the way) while a newspaper man is trying to sully his ‘good’ name. It’s a Guy RIchie film so there are lots of little stories going on with each character and we get to know each of them in interesting ways. Overall the story is pretty straightforward. The good:
The bad:
Why you should watch or not watch it: As of this writing the Tomatometer had it at 73%, Metacritic was at 51% and IMDB was at 81%. And I generally agree that it was a good movie but the overall feeling for me was boredom. I’d recommend a watch if you like a good crime movie, just don’t expect much. Last thought: Compared to past Guy Richie films this one felt underwhelming. Maybe because Guy Richie himself is a big wig now, but a focus on characters and settings that are very fancy and upper class rather than the underdogs I used to cheer for kept me from getting invested. I just don’t care as much about a guy trying to make a deal for billions of dollars. Now a movie with a focus on Colin Farell and his gym ‘thugs’? Now that would be entertaining! 
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What makes you feel confident? I’m sure many things just rushed to your mind. Is it that great outfit? When your skin is clear? Those naturally good hair days? Finding heels that are also comfortable? I could go on and on. For me, I feel like I can take on the world when my eyebrows look good. I am not naturally knowledgeable with make-up. When watching youtube makeup tutorials, I sit in awe thinking how impossible it all seems to do myself. So it was only a few years ago that I learned about eyebrow make-up. I have thick dark brown hair on my head but everywhere else my hair is thin and on the blonde side (which I will never complain about when it comes to my legs). So after that first time I filled in and coloured my eyebrows I’ve never looked back. One fateful evening looking for random deals on Groupon I found myself finding quite a few different places offering Microblading. I had no idea what that was so off to google I went. What is Microblading? It is a semi-permanent way to add colour to your eyebrows making them look fuller and adding shape. It does not deposit pigment very deeply into your skin which is why it will fade. How quickly it fades depends on a number of different things including: sun exposure, skin type (how you heal), ink used, and ongoing skin care routine. It can last anywhere from 8 months to 2 years. A touch-up is usually recommended between 6 and 8 weeks, as healing/scabbing can cause the pigment to be uneven. I did not add the touch up to my groupon option so I will unlikely get it. Why did I do it? I’m lazy… I loved the idea of waking up and my eyebrows already having colour and shape. Saving time in my makeup routine was very appealing. So after doing some research on what microblading was, I figured why not give it a try, especially when I could save 50% with groupon!
How long did it take? Give yourself some breathing room after the appointment... With the separate 1 hr consultation appointment a week before, I’d say in total the whole thing took just over 4 hours. 85% of the time was spent making sure the shape was perfect. The first hour and a half was just drawing with a black pencil the shape I wanted. It was all about We wanted to enhance the shape I already had and making sure that, while not exactly the same, the dimensions were similar and complemented each other and my face. Once we got started, I would lay down while she scraped away but would jump up to look in the mirror more times then I could count. We added a sharper arch and then just focused on defining and filling in the rest. She wanted to make sure that once gravity was pulling in the right direction things still looked right. At least 3 times she scraped as I was sitting up. She would start from the inside of the brow and work outwards. “You can add a hair line but you can’t take it away.” I didn’t mind all the time it took, I wanted to make sure it was right and that I would love it. Do I love it? Not at first... It felt like I was walking around with permanent marker eyebrows the first few days. It was so dark and so prominent looking. She was trying to match with my hair colour so she had mixed 4 different browns; espresso, taupe, dark brown and brown. I knew it would start off dark and that it would fade but it was sooooo very dark, and looked almost black. Plus the shape was so dramatic, compared to what I was used to. I wanted to hide at home for the week after but I had things going on, including a massage appointment the next day. It was pretty funny when I lifted my head from the hole and there was a perfect eyebrow imprint on the towel. Pretty much every woman I talked to the days following complimented the shape and talked about either wanting to try microblading or their experience having already tried microblading. Seems it's really catching on. By day 5, I couldn't take it anymore and washed my face (they recommend to wait as long as possible to clean your eyebrows). All the clumps and scabs came off easily. I felt so much more secure! It looked more natural while still being able to see more of the individual lines. After more days passed, the final scabs came off and my skin was no longer inflamed, I loved them!
 The Concept: Netflix’s answer to people who want more Project Runway and more Queer Eye. They are obviously trying to separate themselves from Project Runway but the basis premise is the same: grab some designers, give them some challenges, put on some fashion shows. Next In Fashion has its own light-hearted tone. Tan France, who is well known as the fashion guy of the Fab Five in Queer Eye, with his cohost Alexa Chung are very playful and keep the whole show fun. They keep talking about wanting to find the next big treads and fashionable ideas but either I’m very out of touch (which could be) or there wasn’t much boundary pushing with those design concepts. The Good:
 The Bad:
To watch or not to watch:
Do you enjoy Project Runway? Do you enjoy Queer Eye? Then you’ll enjoy this. Best to watch with someone who can be judgy and have fun picking apart the judges opinions and the fashions on the show. Also be prepared for so much name dropping. Might be a fun drinking game: every time a celebrity is mentioned, take a drink! Last thought: I like Project Runway better. I’m looking forward to Making the Cut which is Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn’s new show on Prime.  The Concept:
Ted Bundy is one of the most famous serial killers in United States history. He has a mystery and aura around him that as keep him and his crimes intriguing all these years. So when it comes time for a major movie to be based on him you know what everyone wants to see? His ex-girlfriend’s angst about their relationship. As of this writing the Tomatometer had it at 57%, Metacritic was at 52% and IMDB was at 67%. The Cast: The main focus of this movie is the courtroom frenzy around Ted Bundy’s Florida crimes that swept America in the 1970s. So what does this movie focus on? The emotional journey young single mother Ted dated years earlier. Liz played by Lily Collins has such deep love for Ted that when she tips the Police to him (which didn’t lead anywhere) she spends the rest of the movie feeling so deeply guilty and sad that her life is a dark drunk hole. Zac Efron plays Ted. He shines. I can’t imagine how good this movie could have been if he had good material to work with. There are a lot of other great actors who also lack the material to let them shine including: John Malkovich, Jim Parsons and Haley Joel Osment to name a few. The Recap: Ted Bundy travels across the country on a killing spree when he is finally caught in Florida and put on trial. His ex-girlfriend Liz is left in Colorado feeling like it’s her felt that Ted is in trouble because she tipped the police once that he kinda looked like a sketch. This movie struggles with whose point of view you are really following. You would think it’s Ted but you’re mostly left to hang out in Liz’s wallowing.. The good:
The bad:
Why we should watch or not watch it: No. It’s not very good. Do you want to learn more about Ted Bundy? Watch the Netflix series Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes. It is far more interesting. Last thought: I love me some Zac Efron. I was looking forward to this movie. I watched it within hours of its release and I spent the rest of the time looking at my watch.  The Concept:
This movie is about politics, love and sex. What better combination? With a spot on title; I truly see this movie as a long shot. It won’t win awards or break box office records but boy will you enjoy it. As of this writing the Tomatometer had it at 52%, Metacritic was at 58% and IMDB was at 72%. The Cast: Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron make a surprisingly wonderful couple. Their chemistry is spot on that it makes this movie so enjoyable and funny. Alexander Skarsgard plays Justin Trudeau with a really creepy laugh. Bob Odenkirk makes an appearance has the President who used to be a TV actor. Despite being a very popular president he decides not to run for a second term in favour of becoming a Movie Star! Andy Serkis doons a bunch of makeup to play a media conglomerate owner who basically seems to control the political arena. Then we’ve got O’Shea Jackson Jr. playing Seth’s best friend a wealthy *gasp* republican and June Diane Raphael and Ravi Patel who play Charlotte’s assistants. The Recap: Fred Flarsky is a journalist who truly cares about the world and refuses to submit to anyone. Charlotte Field is the Secretary of State who truly cares about the world but finds she needs to compromise in everything. Can these two figure out how to be in a relationship without compromising their values or their love? The good:
The bad:
Why we should watch or not watch it: Watch this movie. I went into this movie with low expectations and basically laughed for the next 2 hours straight. It has multiple levels of funny. Physical comedy with Seth Rogen hurting himself in multiple ways. Clever political insights with their drawings to the real world. Gross humour with cumshots and diarrhea jokes. Then it’s got the romantic story that really tugged at my heart strings. Last thought: I’d vote for Charlotte Field for President.  The Concept:
Hot off Captain Marvel, Brie Larson makes her directorial debut with Unicorn store. A movie that by itself is a beautiful story of growing up while still keeping that fantasy childlike wonder with you. With the casting of Samuel L. Jackson many won’t be able to stop from comparing it to Captain Marvel but I urge you not to. This movie tugs at the heart strings and stands on its own. As of this writing the Tomatometer had it at 63%, Metacritic was at 44% and IMDB was at 55%. The Cast: Brie Larson plays Kit, a girl just desperately trying to prove herself as not a disappointment to her parents played extremely well by Bradley Whitford and Joan Cusack. As parents they handle that balance of pushing their kid out the door to adulthood while wearing very very soft gloves. Rounding out the cast we’ve got Hamish Linklater playing a very gross, handsy boss, Karan Soni playing Kit’s high school friend she feels she is being compared to and Mamoudou Athie playing Kit’s helper soon turned love interest, if she'll let me of course. Now we also can’t forget Samuel L Jackson as the Salesman who tries to help Kit find her way to be worthy of a unicorn. The Recap: Brie Larson’s Kit begins the movie by failing out of art school. When compared to the rest of her classmates, her style is far too colourful, whimsical and well childish. She spends some time being moopy, lying about her parents house before being compared to an old high school classmate forces her to get up and become a temp at a dull advertising firm. It is long after this that she is invited to ‘The Store’ and offered the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream of having a real life unicorn. The good:
The bad:
Why we should watch or not watch it: If you are watching this movie to try to rehash Captain Marvel, this is NOT that movie, quickly open your mind or turn off the netflix. Who knows you could learn a lot about unicorns, like did you know their horns are so heavy because they are filled with love? You also have to watch it to find out if she does in fact get a unicorn in the end, cause I’m not giving that away... Last thought: The need for unconditional love is a strong one. The fear of being a disappointment is a strong one. It is these things that make this movie relatable. The requirements for owning a unicorn are especially good to learn from: 1. Build a home worthy of a unicorn, 2. Feed your unicorn in body and soul and prove financial stability, and 3. Surround the unicorn with love - that’s like hugging right? Nope needs a good support system in the home. I saw this as things we should be doing for ourselves and that last requirement was Kit’s hardest, accepting she had love along, that Virgil was there for her, that her parents didn’t think she was a disappointment, that she had good friends. The takeaway? The most grown up thing you can do is fail at something you really care about… but keep trying.  “You are the epitome of little girl goth!” states the first audience member and Christina Ricci smiles. Wednesday in the Addams Family was a role she loved playing and would take part in the Addams world again if she could. Sadly she isn’t apart of the new animated show coming out this fall. She also has nothing positive or negative to say about the musical as she isn’t involved in that either. She is sure Addams will continue to live on as it continues resonates with so many people.
She is very appreciative that people love her in Addams Family but also that she has such a wide background of roles in different genres. She really enjoys participating in conventions and expos because this is where she can see just have many different people, in different areas, respond to her work. Christina surprised her question asker when she answered Prozac Nation as her most emotional role and not Monster. WIth Monster was was able to detached more as she was older. She had learned how to safely become a method actor. Charlize Theron and Christina apparently spent most of their time in between takes laughing. Whereas in Prozac Nation she was still very young. She lost herself in that role too much. Christina cannot imagine and has not considered doing anything else. She is an actress and a producer and loves it. She does state she’d like to direct someday. In fact throughout this Q&A one thing is very clear: Christina is open to expanding her career in pretty much anyway… except a podcast, she wouldn’t trust herself with a podcast. She would love to do action movies or be a superhero though. She does find producing the most rewarding as its very exciting and you become very passionate because it is your project. Plus with having her own production company she can push who strong parts for older female actors. She satate ageism in the industry has changed and gotten better but there are less parts out there. Christina has been acting since she was 7. She had a lot of mentors growing up who were incredible people. So she wants to give advice to younger actors but also doesn’t want to be presumptuous. So the general advice she would give is to behave on set and also focus on the art not the fame. For parents of young actors she had different advice. SHe does not believe young actors should do press. It is very hard to grow and figure out who you are when other keep telling you to change. The press is especially bad for this and it's best to just stay away from it. Christina was pleasant and gracious with her answers but she wouldn’t elaborate or tell stories, meaning the volume of questions asked was huge. It seemed it was almost spit fire. Also I’m pretty sure I could quote her as saying “I don’t know” for half the questions before the host would clarify or re-word those questions in a way that got a better answer for the audience member. All in all, Christina was amazing and full of information. I can’t wait for her next project. Tidbits about Christina Ricci:
 “Celebrate Back to the Future at Calgary Expo with Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, James Tolkan, Tom Wilson, and superstar Michael J. Fox. Back To The Future fans ready the flux capacitor because this is about to get heavy. A selection of once in a lifetime packages are available as part of this rare Back To The Future Cast reunion. Choose from special presentations, autograph signings, photo ops, or all the above! There is something for every fan!” I was lucky enough to sit in on an evening with the cast of Back to the Future! It was an hour of reminiscing, laughs and special insights. I have watched these movies more times then I can count but with this I learned so much more about behind scenes then I imagined and so I recapped for you. The moderator asked them all the following questions:
What makes this movie so special? It’s 34 years since the first movie premiered, it’s 33 years since the first movie left theatres, and the arena is packed with people on the edge of their seats as the cast of Back to the Future begins answering questions. Lea begins by talking about how wonderful the script was but that its the cast’s chemistry is what made the movie so special. Tom didn’t realize how special it was until he talked with his friend. This fried voices the guy on the radio in the tow truck. For this he got to see the whole movie apparently and LOVE it. Tom believes this is because at its heart, it is a great story with characters that are funny and unique. Lea Thompson believed its because every generation can pick up on different points like; how one thing can change your life or to remember that your parents were young once. Fox ends this subject by talking about how happy he is that this movie is beyond them, that when they are gone, the movie will still be there and still be loved. Do you like each other? This group seems to genuinely get along and like each other. I’d say Christopher Lloyd and Tom Wilson are the closest as Tom was helping Christopher if he didn’t hear the questions. Lea Thompson was there to help Michael J. Fox. They walked out together and if he ever needed to stand to speak she was there with her arm or th emic. He did make a pretty good joke about not being able to hold a mic, it seemed to really put the crowd at ease with a laugh. What did you predict would happen in the future that did not? This question did not inspire the fun responses I expected but Michael did have a heartwarming story. He talked about how Nike approached him to consult about self-tying shoes like in the movie. He was very proud of how amazing they turned out and how much they would help people with disabilities. Tom was sad that erasable pens weren’t truly erasable because they still left a ghost imprint. Lea didn’t have a prediction but doesn’t believe we will ever have flying cars. People want trained pilots to do the flying not to fly themselves. I have to agree with her on that one. What of yourselves did you bring to your character? “Nothing!” Tom yells out and everyone laughs. He seems like such a nice guy that I totally believe this. I don’t see Biff’s personality in him at all. He talked a little about how he had to internalize his own personality and focus on the vocal and physical acting rather then going method. He was very uncomfortable with the car scene but Lea was there to reassure him that is was just pretend and so that is what he did: pretend. Christopher felt he was a good blend of Doc Brown. He was intrigued about how Doc would have eureka moments. Maybe because he doesn’t have many himself? James based his principal on a second grade teacher who would hit her students with rulers. I’m so glad to grow up in a time where that’s not allowed. Lea felt her old Lorraine was more her mother but that young Lorraine was a hooned version of herself being shy but on the edge of discovery. Fox made everyone laugh again with his answer. He stated he had 2 days to prepare so he read the script and learned how his character was a slacker who plays guitar, rides skateboard and wants to take his girlfriend to the woods in his truck… “Yeah I got this” was his perfect response. Any influence on your career? Lea felt that her experience influenced her directing career the most. How she learned to pack more into every shot and not waste the audience’s time. Tom believes that it affected how people viewed him. That they saw him as a bully which he understand. So he has spend time reaching out to those who have been bullied. That he wants people to remember that the movie shows how bullies don’t win. The fact you are cheering when he gets knocked out is a good thing. Christopher felt the movies made him more recognized and so has lead to so much work. Fondest and/or challenging memory? Michael had great fondest for the guitar playing scene at the dance. He loved learning the moves and the music. His most challenging? When he had to redo it for the second movie. He was a little older and his back and knees hurt, just couldn’t move the same way. James’ fondest memory was when he was asked to be in the sequels. Christophers’ most challenging was the scene where he was standing on the ledge on the clock tower. He really did not want to do it but couldn’t talk his way out of it. Favourite Line! Lea - “Oh my god its Calvin Keln. What a dream” Chris - “Rose, where we’re going we don’t need roads” Tom - “Hey McFly! Anybody home?” or “Make like a tree and get out of here” Michael - “I can see you’re not ready for that yet.” or “I’m from the future, I came in a time machine you invented!” Funny Moments Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and James Tolkan all at one point talked about how Biff in the second movie is basically Donald Trump. Lea’s reaction? How much fun it would have been to do a Melania accent. Lea Thompson seemed to be overly flattering Michael J. Fox. Maybe she has a crush? But more then once she talked about how easy it was to play a character with a crush on Fox. Lea Thompson has noticed that Back to the Future is on at Christmas now. Does that make it a Christmas movie? Michael made a joke about his fondest memory being when he woke up in Lea’s bed… oh wait that happened in the movie too! Haha he kids, he kids. Part 4? No. Tom told the story of how Robert Zemeckis agreed to 2 more movies after the first’s success but only if after he would own the rights and decide if any more sequels would happen. Both Tom and Lea were sure this wouldn’t happen. Tom was very happy about this. He felt, and I agree, that they ended the movie nicely without continuing and playing it into the ground (like some trilogies that need 7 movies). Christopher did bring up that there is a musical in the works set to premiere in London, England. He has heard some very good things about it. I guess a trip to England is in my future :) The questions ended and out came white hats for each of them! This is Calgary’s way of thanking them and offering a sort of key to the city. They all donned their hats and posed for pictures for the audience. If you got a backstage pass (for $1200!) then you could stay behind and get a meet and greet, autographs further talks. I sadly couldn't afford this as I am putting my money towards a picture of myself and Christopher Lloyd in the deloren! See you in the future!  Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime) and Frank Welker(Megatron)
Have you ever met best friends before? There is a spark between them, a magic in the way they talk to and about each out. Peter and Frank have this magic spark. Any chance they got, they were complimenting each other and basically just in awe of the others talent. So it is funny that they voice characters that are mortal enemies. Optimus Prime and Megatron are characters I think of when I have to come up with an example of those at odds. The men behind the voices are the exact opposite. More then once Frank made Peter laugh so much he couldn’t answer a question. And with the voices Frank was coming up with, I don’t blame him. There was a lot covered during this panel and the questions the audience was coming up with were great. The first regarded the inspiration behind the voices. Frank states he likes to see a visual to invoke a voice. The biggest tell for him is size. If it is a big character the voice is likely booming and a smaller character will be more high pitched. Peter drew his inspiration for Optimus from his older brother. On the day of the audition he told his brother he could be playing a a good guy truck. His brother responded by reminding him to be strong enough to be gentle, compassionate and caring. WIth those words in his ears, he went to the audition and the voice of Optimus came out. These guys love playing with their voices. Pretty much every question gave them a chance to use them. Best place they’ve used them? Once they were being escorted in a cop car and got to use the loudspeaker. “Pedestrations! This is Optimus Prime, please move aside, please let this car through.” For Frank it's when he stubs his toes and needs to curse the sky. Some other interesting facts we found out through audience questions:
What are there most memorable and favourite phrase? For Peter it is “Hold on to your dreams, your future is build on dreams.” For Frank it is “Why worry about fleshings? Why waste your time?” to which Peter quickly responded in voice: “There’s more to them than meets the eye!”  Zachary Levi may be the most energized person I have ever seen! He knows how to engage his audience and every person in that packed auditorium was on the edge of their seat. He started with just bobbing his head out from before the curtain before basically half running and dancing to the edge of the stage. He wanted to get right to questions, right to talking with the people who were their to see him. He didn’t need a host he jumped right in.
Did you know Zachary Levi is a disney prince? He is! Flynn from Tangled. Now most acting contracts have morality clauses, act good or else, but disney has been rumored to have an especially strict one. Zach did not confirm this. He did say that being a Prince meant not sucking and don’t do meth off a horses’ butt. He was very proud to be Flynn. He wanted to make sure that it was his voice (the first North American accent) that would be coming out of Flynn’s mouth regardless of where or when it happened. This meant he got to voice Flynn for ice shows, video games and the series. Did you know Zachary Levi struggles with mental health issues? He does. He is very candid about his journey with his mental illness. He truly believes that we all need to be more open about it. It is something that everyone will deal with at some point in their lives and we can all love ourselves. He’s biggest example in his life was while filming Chuck. Although he is so grateful to have been apart of such a unique show, that means so much to so many people, it was also the most difficult thing he has ever done. It lead to him doing a lot of work on himself and he wouldn’t change any of it. Also he is trying really hard for a Chuck movie! Did you know Zachary Levi tried to start his own Con? He did! It is called Nerd HQ and its an alternative convention. He has plans for it to come back and hopes it does. This is where he gets the best fan experiences because he tolled over creating these experiences. He wants to take care of the fans because they are the patrons of the arts, they support him in what he does by buying his products, watching his media and attending his events. He thinks that there are some cons (that he won’t name… in San Diego) that aren’t set up as well as they could be. Panel queues and seat selection for one. Having phone chargers and seats for another. Did you know Zachary Levi has his own supplement line? It’s called Flow! He is full of ideas and has so many projects on the go. How does he choose what to go through with? He says prayer helps him. He really just wants to make the world a better place so that is the first question he ponders. What will make the world better? Flow is one such product. He was to help people be healthy and strong. He felt most supplements were too full of fillers… so others must feel this way too. He could do something about it so he wanted to try. Did you know Zachary Levi sings? Beautifully! This is something he’d really like to work more on. He had plans to release a cover of the oldies type EP last valentine’s day but it sadly didn’t happen. He feel music makes life better and wants to record something that will do just that. So how do you end such a fantastic 45 minutes of Zachary talking directly to the audience as if we were all old friends? Why have the monitor on stage tell him “You have to leave the stage now”. Zachary and the entire auditorium burst into loud laughter and applause as he ran off to do photo ops. |
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