AKA Jessica Jones

Marvel's Jessica Jones is the second MCU property to be brought to Netflix, after Daredevil, which was released earlier this year. Jessica Jones is also noteworthy as it is the first MCU property released to have a female title character.

Krysten Ritter stars as Jessica Jones, a former superhero turned private investigator suffering from PTSD, still reeling from the aftermath of a breakup. Mike Coulter stars as Luke Cage, who will be featured in his own Netflix series early next year. Finally David Tennant stars as Redgrave, a villain with the power of mind control.

The series begins very strongly, and it gained so much momentum within the first few episodes that I wondered if it would be able to maintain this energy throughout, and I wasn't disappointed. The show is genuinely gripping from start to finish, and I watched the show at breakneck speed, to the detriment of exam revision.

The show is so much darker than previous Marvel properties, and much more violence, whereas most mainstream MCU film are targeted at a young adult or teen audience, Jessica Jones is aimed at an adult audience, and thematically it explores themes of rape, free will and sexuality.

I must admit there is something undeniably erotic about seeing two gifted humans with super strength going at it, it's something that's intrigued me for quite a while, and we finally get to see it on screen.

It seems impossible to believe that this was written by Melissa Rosenberg, who wrote all of the Twilight films, in all of their reductive post-feminist glory. More action is crammed into the first episode of Jessica Jones than into all five excruciating Twilight films.

Part of what makes this series so great is just how visceral all the action is, I've never before flinched during an MCU title, watching Iron Man attack the Hulk during Age of Ultron did nothing for me, because I knew it wasn't real. The action in Jessica Jones is scarier, because I feel every punch, every hit, because it all seems so much realer than watching computer generated characters punch each other with no gravity or weight to them.

I'm praying that we'll see a second series of Jessica Jones before The Defenders miniseries comes to Netflix, and given the buzz surrounding this series, I'm confident that we will, for me this remains one of my favorite MCU titles to date. Jessica Jones is dark, thrilling and gripping entertainment.

Mockingjay - The Final Flight

Mockingjay - Part 2 is the final installment in the Hunger Games Saga, starring all of the same cast as previous installments, this film is the final chapter of Katniss' story, and shows her final defeat of the Capitol.

Politically the themes of this film show much more depth than previous installments, rather than the film being simply about revolution, and rebellion, this film is about the nature of good, and evil, crossing the line where the oppressed become the oppressors. Where the dictated who have risen up and overthrown their dictators become the dictators themselves.

During this film Katniss realizes that the battle between good and evil is often an internal one, she sees the rebellion growing in power and influence, and she begins to question their purpose and morals. She starts to distrust the leader of the rebellion, Alma Coin and she gradually comes to doubt the sacrifices she has made.

The film also discusses the nature of victory, the fact that nobody really 'wins' a war, all victors experience loss and pain. This is discussed throughout the series as a whole, and this theme is first explored during the first film, in which Katniss and Peeta lose so much, although they are considered 'victors'. At the end of Mockingjay, Effie Trinket encourages Katniss to 'find the life of a victor'. To finally find peace.

Unfortunately Mockingjay, which could have been a glorious finale to the Hunger Games Trilogy has been split into two films, as is often the case with these films, this has left part 1 slow and quiet and lacking any real climax, however it has made part 2 even better, the final film is now chock full of action, and the vast majority of the film shows the rebellions battle in the Capitol.

I was however impressed with Mockingjay - Part 2, the film seems well thought out and well acted, and it doesn't rob us of the opportunity to say a final farewell to the characters we've grown to love over the years, even if those goodbyes are brief. Mockingjay - Part 2 is a satisfying conclusion to what has undoubtedly been one of the greatest young adult sagas since Harry Potter.

AHS: Hotel

It isn't exactly a surprise to my readers that I am a huge fan of American Horror Story, combine this with the appearance of one of my favorite songwriters now turned actress, and you have a pretty good recipe.

The cast of this years season, titled Hotel, is filled out by new and returning actors, man-god Matt Bomer makes a reappearance, as do his perfectly chiselled cheekbones, as does Kathy Bates, playing his mother. AHS regulars Sarah Paulson and Angela Bassett are back and Finn Wittrock returns after his triumphant debut in Freak Show.

New to the cast is Max Greenfield, known mostly to viewers through his work on Fox sitcom New Girl, and Naomi Campbell appearing as part of her much touted return to acting, which started with appearances in Empire.

This season is much darker than previous seasons, and in some ways the show combines the campy visuals of seasons like Freak Show, and the cold metallic drama of seasons such as Coven or Asylum. 

Visually the show is a treat, the vast majority of the drama takes place in the Hotel Cortez, a hotel owned by the mysterious and deadly yet beautiful Countess. The hotel is a beautiful art deco masterpiece featuring a magnificent three storey lobby.

This season has gotten notably more mixed reviews than previous seasons, though the ratings have been better than ever. And in some ways I agree with the reviews, whereas with other seasons, I loved them at first, and my interest slowly trailed away, this being notably true of Freak Show. The first episode of Hotel successfully piqued my interest, whilst not really giving me any idea of what the show was about.

And if the first episodes seemed slapdash, its because they were, and deliberately so, this episode has unfurled like a jigsaw, throwing the pieces out onto the floor, and then slowly putting them together, and unfurling the story that way.

This is ultimately a very good strategy, because it forces the viewer to continue watching, it provides just enough information to grab us.

Finally the most important question, can Lady Gaga actually act, it was tough for most reviewers to comment on this given that she only had two lines in the first episode, but surprisingly the answer is yes, she really can, and what could possibly make this season better, is a lot more Gaga.

Hotel is definitely one of the better seasons of AHS, and it even rivals AHS's debut, Murder House, which is no mean feat.

Panic Room

After directing 2001’s cult classic Fight Club, David Fincher decided to direct something smaller and simpler. Thus Panic Room is set almost entirely in a New York brownstone mansion, occupied by a wealthy divorcee and her daughter.

There is something highly theatrical about this piece and it could easily be adapted for theatre, the entire spectacle takes place over a night in which, after Meg Altman and her daughter, Sarah move into their new home, criminals break in looking for something hidden in the upstairs safe, they are surprised to find that the new occupants of the house have already moved in, and after the occupants lock themselves in the panic room where the safe is hidden.

Fincher and screenwriter David Koep were inspired to make this film after watching a news story about how wealthy suburban WASPs were building panic rooms to protect against interlopers. The second and third acts involve the intruders trying to coaxe the family out of the panic room in order to access the safe.

Although it was originally conceived as a standard popcon thriller, in typical Fincher style it is, in reality, far more complex than that, the film plays upon themes of mortality, suburban paranoia and the insecurity of wealth.

Throughout the film the panic room is frequently compared to a coffin, and Sarah relates being trapped in the panic room to being buried alive, this is an interesting comparison, and especially true given how the phone is disconnected and they have no way of contacting the outside world, the way Sarah compares their situation to being buried alive shows that she is losing hope, and that she feels a sense of finality in their situation.

The film also touches on themes of suburban paranoia, the very presence of a panic room shows a paranoid fear of interlopers and tresspassers, and the numerous high security features in the room, feel unnecessary, and show the paranoia of the previous owner.

FInally another theme frequently explored in this film, and throughout many other of Fincher’s works is how insecure wealth can be, although Meg, being a divorced woman is obviously fabulously wealthy, and can afford to buy such extravagant security features as a panic room and CCTV, it is apparent that her wealth, in addition to being useless in the situation in which she finds herself, actually makes her a target, and that the unnecessarily large house she buys makes her highly vulnerable.

The film stars Jodie Forster as Meg, and Kristen Stewart as her daughter, Forster manages to bring gravitas to a film which could appear frivolous in the hands of a less capable lead actress. And Kristen Stewart proves that she is capable not only of some pretty decent acting, but also of closing her mouth occasionally. This film proves that before she was artistically raped by the sheer awfulness of the Twilight Saga, that she was actually a pretty decent actor, and as child stars go, she’s really bloody good in this film.

As the three interloper who try and break in to the panic room, Forest Wittaker plays Burnham, the most compassionate of the group, and Jared Leto plays Junior, grandson of the previous owner of the house and a hardened criminal. Finally Dwight Yoakam plays the third archetype of criminal, a hardened and rutheless and mechanical assassin who rarely shows his face and who kills with little compassion. These three men represent three stereotypes of criminal, and it is interesting that they all share the same fate, in spite of their different outlooks.

Whilst it may appear to be just another popcorn flick, Panic Room is a theatrical and thought out thriller, which makes a great statement on the notion of security and mortality in an era directly after 9/11, and which features fine performances from it’s leads.

Wild

"What if I forgive myself? What if I was sorry?", these are the words of a woman who has just walked a thousand miles up the west coast of america, in order to handle the grief of her mothers death. Wild is based on the eponymous memoir by Cheryl Strayed, which rocketed to the top of bestsellers lists after being featured as part of Oprah's book club.

The film opens with Cheryl, recently divorced and planning on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to mourn her deceased mother, throughout the film Strayed reflects on her relationship with her mother, and the self destructive behavior that led up to her becoming addicted to heroin, getting divorced and hitting bottom.

Reese WItherspoon plays Cheryl Strayed, in what is almost certainly her greatest leading role since Walk the Line almost a decade ago. Her performance is deft and focused and all the more impressive given that she spends much of her screen time alone, also featured is Laura Dern as Bobbi, Cheryl's mother. The relationship between these two women is central to the film, and the chemistry between Dern and WItherspoon is impressive.

Music is also used impressively in the film, the films 'theme' is El Condor Pasa, by SImon and Garfunkel, which is used to evoke Cheryl's mother, the opening bars of this track are also used as instrumental, adding a mysterious and eerie quality to the film.

Wild is far from a revolutionary film, it doesn't do anything particularly new or different, it has highly familiar structure, which has been used repeatedly in film since it's creation by DW Griffith. This structure is frequently used badly and here it is at least successful.

Wild is worth a watch even if just to witness the incredible performances given by it's leads, it is beautifully acted and thoughtful without being ponderous.

Ray of Light

Ray of Light could be very accurately described as the favorite Madonna of all who hate Madonna, though it should be shocking that people who hate The Queen exist, their existence is an unfortunate reality.

Ray of Light is the least Madonna of all her albums, released just after the birth of her first child and after her conversion of kabbalah, the album brought electronica into the mainstream, and was her first album made entirely without using a single instrument.

The album was also recorded shortly after the completion of Evita, so her voice was at its peak given all the vocal work she did for that film.

The album is also refreshingly uncommercial, it features a song sung entirely in Sanskrit, something very few mainstream pop artists would be able to pull off.

The album begins on a strong if slightly ponderous note, Drowned World/Substitute for Love finds Madonna contemplating fame and everything she has sacrificed. Before launching into Skin and the album's’ title track. The album really finds its rhythm around the middle, with Nothing Really Matters and Frozen being album highlights.

Ray of Light is more of a concept album than a conventional LP, rather than being simply a collection of songs, Ray of Light is truly a record in the truest sense, it feels cohesive and complete, there is a sense of flow and it is a wholly defined piece of art.

The album has a unique sound, and shows Madonna at her most experimental, experimenting with electronica and synthesizers for the first time, the album is soothing and sort of sounds like one is listening to it underwater, everything is softer and slightly more muffled.

Ray of Light is a deeply progressive record and the influences of it are still being heard today, it kickstarted the record industry to embrace electronic music, and it freed mainstream artists from needing to conform to a certain sound, Madonna herself would do well to take her own advice today.

Ray of Light is a hugely thrilling album, and is one that even those most loathing of Madonna will enjoy, it is progressive, original and unique, and it is proof that pop start needn't make generic, conventional records. Ray of Light stands out as not only the best Madonna album, but as one of the greatest pop records of all time.

God Help the Girl

Twee is not a word which not nearly enough films can be described by, Gid Help the Girl can definately be described in this way, directed by Belle and Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch and starring Emily Browning and Olly Alexander this film is a delightfully quirky musical comedy.

It’s quirkiness is definitely part of its appeal, and it also allows us to forgive some of the films shortcomings, whilst the film does often feel aimless and bloated, it is too adorable and cute to truly dislike.

The films stars are really rather good despite neither of them being known as great actors, Emily Browning partly makes up for her earlier missteps such as Sucker Punch and Years and Years frontman Olly Alexander proves his acting chops in his first leading role.

God Help the Girl is the story of Eve, a girl suffering from anorexia and living in a mental hospital in Scotland who escapes to Glasgow and meets James, a struggling musician, together they start a band, called God Help the Girl, along with Cassie, a young music student.

The film suffers majorly from third act drag, and it definitely starts to feel very long after about an hour, ironically this sense of aimlessness was one of the films greatest strengths in the early on, as the meandering plot mimicked the sense of aimlessness of the main character, however the audience soon begins to tire, and I wanted to know where this story was going, thankfully the films climax is at least relatively satisfying.

God Help the GIrl is a massively flawed film, though it is enjoyable and its use of music is superb, despite its aimlessness and meandering plot the performances in this film are strong, and its a fairly enjoyable romp through an incredibly musical Glasgow.

Snowpiercer

This ecological epic from south korean director Bong Joon-ho is an incredibly powerful piece of art, simultaneously an action epic and an art house indie Snowpiercer is about the last remaining survivors of planet earth who circle the globe in a perpetually travelling train after an ice age has caused the near extinction of the human race.

The film is a massive piece of social commentary, and on the train is a sturdily defined social structure much like on our planet today, at the back of the train the tail passengers live in squalid conditions, the passengers in the middle live lives of lavish decadence while in the head, Wilford, the builder of the train lives in peaceful minimalism.

The tail passengers, lead by Curtis played by Chris Evans surge towards the front of the train hoping to ignite a revolution. The whole train is a metaphor for our societies social structure, for our class system and how the status quo is necessary to keep order.

Mason, Wilford's henchwoman is a fearsome character, played by Tilda Swinton she is a thatcherian masterpiece, with a broad yorkshire accent and ever broader teeth, Swinton's performance is predictably magnificent.

The other performances of this film are also excellent, with Joon-ho directing a fine cast of thespians including Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ed Harris and John Hurt

Visually this film is a treat, with the segments of the train playing important roles, the train itself is a fully three dimensional space, holistically realized and minutely crafted it is a space the audience longs to explore, we long to walk though the orangery and marvel at the aquarium, we long to explore the nightclubs and saunas.

What is also apparent from Snowpiercer is how much of a mash up it is of multiple genres, the film is a blockbuster with an A-list cast, yet the way in which the film analyses our current social system. Snowpiercer is a shoestring indie film, with a massive budget and fantastic cast, and this film is the perfect example of how original films can survive in spite of large budgets.

I really enjoyed Snowpiercer, it's refreshing, unique and original, and it's heartening to see how original films can thrive in our adaptation laden movie release schedule.

Gogglebox

Though Tatler is not the place one would usually expect to find television recommendations, I was pushed to watch this television titan whilst perusing the latest edition that I stumbled upon Steph and Dom, AKA the posh couple from Gogglebox.

After another recommendation by my friend from Devon I gave the show a try, and was rather delighted. My parents were horrified when I explained the concept, after all the idea of watching other people watch TV sounds horrifically meta and unbelievably dull.

However conceptually this show is genius, in Britain we manage to squeeze in, on average, around four hours of television every day, and as such many television events have a tendency to unite the nation.

From a purely voyeuristic point of view, Gogglebox offers a fantastic way to see how the other half lives, especially politically, it is fascinating to see how people of various socio-economic backgrounds react to the leadership debates, and it provided an interesting window into how people other than me think.

Gogglebox is undoubtedly the realist of reality shows, it lacks the soap opera flashiness of Keeping up with the Kardashians or Made in Chelsea, and its storyline, rather than needing to be created in the editing suite, is instead guided by the weeks television.

Its other strength is that it airs at the end of the week, and is filmed essentially in real time, so when it airs, many of the events shown have just happened, this is perhaps one of the most current reality television shows, it is particularly useful for me, because as I work in news, I don't have the luxury of burying my head in the sand. Watching Gogglebox allows me to know whats happening on TV, without having to sit through the entire Corrie omnibus.

Whilst conceptually Gogglebox should be a failure, it's possibly one of the most entertaining shows on television today, and is a fascinating look at British couch potato culture.

Big Hero Six

As the first Disney Animated Adaptation of a Marvel property, Big Hero 6 has a lot to live up to, thankfully the film delivers and is a refreshingly original addition to the Disney animated canon.

Big Hero 6 is the story of Hiro, a young robotics genius who is forced to become a superhero after his invention is stolen and his brother is killed in order to save his city and avenge his brother.

Firstly the film is gorgeous, Disney developed new computers and algorithms to animate the world seen, this is apparent as the film features some of the most stunning photorealistic animation yet seen on film, even surpassing many of Pixar's best efforts, which in itself is no mean feat.

The film is based in San Franskyo, described as a mashup of San Francisco and Tokyo, which is more accurately a japanified version of The Golden Gate city. San Fransokyo is laid out entirely like San Francisco down to the placement of the painted ladies and indeed the film makers even dug through city archives to lay out the city exactly.

The result is a world so complete and holistic, so all encompassing that it looks and feels like a real place.

This film is only Disney's second attempt at a science fiction film after Meet The Robinsons, and where Robinsons, though fantastic is a film with obvious caveats, Big Hero 6 is an entirely more well formed work.

The film reinvents the original comic book characters to make them more relatable (and more easily marketable to children) the monster Baymax is now cuddly and lovable, and the weirdos who surround our main character are now a ragtag team of endearing scientists.

It should be said that unfortunately this film is not part of the marvel cinematic universe, it would have been interesting and unexpected to tie this film in with other marvel properties, so its a shame that it is instead segregated.

Overall I really liked Big Hero 6, finding it to be beautiful, thoughtful and entertaining, this is the Disney animated movie that those who typically hate Disney will love, and is amongst the best marvel superhero films.

Ultraviolence - Lana Del Rey

What was instantly apparent from Del Rey's third full length album, and her second under her current moniker was how her sound had evolved from 2011's Born to Die. The album, whilst not a massive revolution or departure is certainly a progression. The sound is similarly dark and cinematic, but the sound is more subtle, and less starkly different from the rest of the current pop landscape.

Also evolved is Del Rey's songwriting, which has matured and developed and is now less cliched, stronger and more assured.

My opinions when I first heard 2011's Born to Die are quite different from my opinions now, at first I found it dull and bland, and it was only after listening to it for a few week that I became hooked. Ultraviolence is an entirely different animal, catchier and more gripping.

The opening tracks on the album include the title track, a harrowing melody which caused controversy upon its release last year for allegedly romanticizing domestic violence (I can't honestly see why anyone would expect anything less from a woman who described dying young as glamorous) and Shades of Cool, one of the album's highlights.

Ultraviolence is the of few albums which improve as they progress, there is often an unfortunate tendency to frontload albums with the best songs and then to fill up behind with filler, Ultraviolence thankfully doesn't go down this route, and Money Power Glory and Old Money are definite highlights from the second half of the album.

Ultraviolence is a highly solid sophomoric effort, and is an interesting maturation of Del Rey's sound, whilst she doesn't do anything particularly new with this album, it is an entirely polished LP, and shows Del Rey's talent both as a singer, and as a songwriter.

Tatler: An English Institution

Whilst it might seem strange to review a magazine, indeed reviews are more something which appear in magazines, however, for the last century, Tatler has been more than a magazine, this british institution has been advising the countries elite how to act, behave, dress and shop, teaching them where to take their holidays, and where to buy their tablecloths. It has taught Sloanes how to sext, earls how to eat and rahs how to rock and roll.

Buying a copy of Tatler is always an occasion, I personally read it almost fanatically, and this month it came with a pair of sunglasses (which I offered to my favorite Sloane in return for her driving me to go shopping). This months edition also came with the annual Watches and Jewelry  Guide, filled with gaudily large rocks which could only possibly be desired by the wives of Russian oligarchs.

Unlike most other magazines, which strive to have the most famous cover stars adorning their front pages, Tatler is often fronted by complete unknowns, young women who are entirely unremarkable save for the 'honorable' at the beginning of their names and the zeros at the end of their bank accounts.

What is also remarkable about Tatler is its sense of humor, articles like 'Turbo Sloanes are Go' and 'Whats It Like to be the Imperial State Crown?' set the periodicals tone nicely, whilst this is a magazine which caters to the country's elite, it is an incredibly self aware publication, and everything it does is done with a healthy amount of tongue in cheek.

With a circulation of less than 100 000, the only reason that Tatler exists is purely because of the wealth of its readership, advertisers flock for their adverts to appear in the magazine. Vogue readers aspire, whereas Tatler readers buy.

Tatler is the kind of magazine which is quintessentially British, the humor of the publication and its irreverence is unique to its identity, and I'm sure that for the next century, Tatler will prevail in advising the cream of British society how to behave.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Whilst watching this film, I was amazed by how iconic the movie felt, I felt as if I was watching the start of a movie franchise which would go on to become the next great spy franchise.

The film, adapted from a popular comic book series feels like a highly modernized James Bond, a version of Bond which, although less classic and less refined, was more energetic and fresher. Kingsman is the story of Eggsy, a young chav recruited into a secret spy organisation called The Kingsmen. Upon arriving at their headquarters he is set a series of tasks to determine his worth.

What was ultimately also apparent about Kingsman was the style of the film, the fashion of the film is stylish, classic and quintessentially British, and the films producers teamed up with Mr. Porter to create a clothing line based on the film, a first for the industry.

Although the film does sometimes feel aimless, and suffers from particular drag in its third act, it is never dull, and even when I was unsure about where the film was headed, it was always entertaining.

The star of the film is relative unknown Taron Egerton, who is a welcome addition to British cinema and who is able to make the relatively emotional difficult journey from east London chav to reformed gentleman by the end of the film.

The supporting cast of the film is filled out with Colin FIrth, Mark Strong, Samuel L Jackson and Michael Caine, who all give fine, if not outstanding performances.

Even if the film feels sometimes aimless Kingsman: The Secret Service is a delightfully stylish and entertaining cinematic romp, and may well be the greatest original british spy film since Dr. No, bring on the sequel.

The Future of Philips Journal

As you will probably have noticed I have been absent from the blogsphere for some months, towards the end of April I became bored, unchallenged and unhappy with the direction my blog was taking, what I had intended to be zeitgeisty, frothy amusing and entertaining had become shrill, dull and bitter, at this point I had been blogging for over two years, and was bored with it, a change was necessary.

I promptly set my blogs setting to private, stopped writing my column and decided to spend a while pondering the future of my writing, my short sabbatical ended up lasting multiple months, and as I sat in a tin can on the runway of Luton airport waiting to take of, I discovered what the future of my blog would be.

I started this blog writing film reviews, I then branched into writing television reviews and general pieces about the entertainment industry. This, I decided should be the future of my blogging. But rather than seeing this as a regression, I choose to see it as an evolution. Rather than writing solely about film and television, I shall write about multiple topics, reviewing shows, music, books, tech and even restaurants.

I hope that you will enjoy this journey.

Pornography and Cinema

“It is becoming clear to me that pornography and cinema are becoming irreversibly closer”-Philip Josse

 Beginning a post with a quote from oneself seems a little like the blog version of referring to yourself in the third person, but no matter. I reiterate my point, we have reached a fork in the road, in which as some films become more family friendly, and studio heads attempt to make every film a 12A, other, art house films are becoming darker, more serious and more sexual.

A prime example of this is Lars Von Trier's opus Nymphomaniac, a film about a sex addict discussing her past. The film is sexually highly graphic featuring copious amounts of unstimulated sex. The only actual difference between Nymphomaniac and a porn film, is that this film is not intended to be erotic or arousing, it is a film intended to be more intellectually stimulating than physically stimulating, however the content of the film is nonetheless highly graphic.

Last year also revealed a surprising amount of graphic gay content, Blue is the Warmest Colour, a lesbian drama was highly graphic and shocked audiences when it premiered at Cannes with it's graphic content. Stranger By the Lake also featured highly graphic content, and was an erotic thriller about a cruising site, situated on the shores of a lake in france.

The increased use of graphic content in film means perhaps that film audiences are losing their hypocritical puritan values, and are willing to see films with sexual content, even if in the past these films were banned or outlawed by the production code. I enjoyed many of these films, and a liberalization of the cinema industry is certainly called for.

The Many Faces of Edna Turnblad

I have some rather exciting personal news, i have been selected to play Edna Turnblad in the university production of Hairspray. While this news is hugely exciting, i do have some especially large shoes to fill, as this is a role that has been played by many legends, including, but not limited to, John Travolta and Harvey Fierstein.

John Travolta as Edna

The role was played by Divine in the original 1988 film directed by John Waters. The character is different from other interpretations of the role, and is, believe it or not, less camp than other iterations. Divine is a legend, and this in addition to being one of his final performances, was one of his best, and hugely influenced the other actors on this list. Divine's performance is what started the tradition of having each subsequent version of Edna played by a man in drag.

The second performer to take over the role was Harvey Fierstein, who was the original Edna on Broadway, and who won a Tony for his efforts. Vocally Fierstein is more gravelly than subsequent versions of the character, however he successfully took elements of Divines performance, especially his appearance, and then added other things, making the character more camp and lighter.
The third high profile performance, and the one most memorable to you readers was that of John Travolta in the 2007 film adaptation of the musical. Travolta's interpretation of the character was wildly different from either that came before it, and yet in a strange way it also pays homage to both the actors who came before him, the character is somehow even lighter than either Devine or Fierstein, and Edna is jolly, loving and full of life, she is somehow light, as if she imagines that she only weighs 40 kilos.

Divine as Edna

I have some pretty big shoes to fill, and each of these actors brought something different to the role of the voluptuous jolly Edna Turnblad.

SNL has a big fat problem

In some ways, the current state of SNL is equivalent to that of the average american family, large, bloated and stationary. Back in the heyday of SNL, cast members used the show as a stepping stone to something bigger, something where they were more important, had more creative power and more freedom, however the current cast of SNL has 14 members, though this is at least down from last year's massive 18 permanent cast members, it is still more than the shows original 8 permanent cast members.

the cast of season 39

For a show which only broadcasts no more than six or seven sketches a night, 14 cast members is still too many, and it means that certain cast members are simply getting lost, and are not truly being seen or heard, it also means that the more talented cast members are not being given enough space to shine, and talented cast members like Kate McKinnon (who is arguably the best comedian of the shows current line up) are barely seen.

The other problem with the current line up is that it is weighted down with cast members who have been there for many years, and who need to leave the cast (or be fired) in order for the show to feel fresh. Keenan  Thompson, Abby Elliott and Bobby Moynihan have all been there for over five years, and have all outstayed their welcome, Thompson in particular has been there since before 2005, and in the decade since then, his popularity has waned.

Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Tina Fey and Will Ferrell all left SNL before they became too stale, Fey in particular only reached iconic status after leaving the show, and impersonating Sarah Palin. They all became hugely popular and they all new when the gig was up, and it was time to move on, a cast of 11, without Elliott, Moynihan or Thompson would be more streamlined, and less bloated.

The first SNL cast

Weekend Update was one of the few things which was right about last season, and was one of my favourite parts of every episode of the last season, being sharp, current and witty. However i am sorry to say that now it is one of my least favourite elements. The show hired Cecily Strong as co-host, and she was great, however the 40th season came around and she was promptly fired, with the show being hosted by Michael Che and Colin Jost, neither of whom are particularly amusing, and the sketch now feels like a slightly pointless part of the show.

SNL is this season worse than it was last season, Kate McKinnon is now a beacon in a sea of comedians who are neither particularly talented, nor hugely likeable, and the show has become a shadow of its former self.

An Entirely Different View

The view is back for its eighteenth season, and following the departure of Barbara Walters, and the shows failed attempts to become more pop culture friendly and lightweight. The new show features a new set, which is cleaner and fresher, which feels more modern and less stuffy, and the hosts are now sat round a coffee table as opposed to the traditional desk and sofa format seen previously.

The new show also features three new hosts, with only Whoopi Goldberg returning, after Walters retired after working for over 50 years in broadcast journalism, hosting the view for seventeen. The View started as a politically driven, heavyweight talk shown featuring a group of intelligent female journalists and presenters discussing various political and current affairs issues. The show first took a dive following the appointment of Sherri Shepherd and Elizabeth Hasselbeck.

Hasselbeck, who was appointed first was previously known only as a contestent on Survivor, a reality show, and her blind faith in the Bush Administration and the republican party won her few fans, and the show became more about argument than discussion. Sherri Shepherd was known as an actress before her time as co-host, and she caused a furor in her first appearance in which she said that she didn't know if the earth was flat, and that Christians were the first people on earth. Being a Jehovahs Witness she also claimed to never have voted, and was a huge blow for a show which claimed to be about politics.

In the shows seventeenth season, Jenny McCarthy was hired, known for her anti vaccination views and for appearing in playboy, she was a sign that the show was lost, and didn't know whether to be about politics or pop culture, and at the end of the season Jenny McCarthy and Sherri Shepherd were both fired. The show then looked to re-orientate the show back to being politically driven.

The first decision the show made was to rehire Rosie O'Donnell, who had previously quit the show in 2007 after a fight with Hasselbeck, O'Donnell is hugely politically active, and she added a sense of gravitas to the show, being a TV veteran. The other new hosts are Rosie Perez, an actress who seems to be blessed with more intelligence than either Shepherd or Hasselbeck, and Nicole Wallace, a former white house aide and political commentator who was previously communications chief during the Bush Presidency, yet who looks less biased and more objective than her biography gives her credit for.

So i ask my readers to give The View a second chance, the show is much more interesting, more diverse and more political than in previous seasons, and the co-hosts seem to be a group of intelligent and politically minded women, who actually have something to say about current affairs

HBO GO

HBO recently announced that they are finally opening up their HBO Go service to non cable users. This is something i advocated about a year ago, as a way for HBO to become more profitable, and a greater competetor for Netflix, currently an internet only service.

Netflix is one of the fastest growing internet streaming companies today, and this is mainly down o their business model, they offer cheap accounts costing less than 10 dollars a month, available in many countries worldwide, and not linked to any specific address, meaning that it is particularly popular with young people.

HBO is currently also popular with young people, having given birth to such series as Game of Thrones, The Sopranos and Girls, however HBO until now offered no way for people to access their streaming services without signing up for a cable package, meaning that many young people used their parents accounts, and thus not paying HBO any money. Allowing access to HBO Go outright means that HBO can finally capitalize on people who only watch television on their tablets and laptops, and who don't have a permanent address, or indeed who have no interest in signing up for a cable package.

This announcement is certainly timely, coming just a few months after Netflix announced a plan to expand across the world starting in france, and Amazon announced that Amazon Prime subscriptions would allow access to a catalog of original and archive television series that included much of HBO's own back catalog, and original shows like the acclaimed Transparent. Hopefully this plan will put HBO into the future, and allow them to compete against rivals Amazon and Netflix.

source: Gawker

Five Favourite French Language Films

France is a country with a huge cinematic history, (it's also a country where i lived for two years and where my parents live to this day, in fact, four of my great grandparents were french), France has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Feature more times than any other country, today their cinematic prowess has perhaps waned somewhat, and they haven't been nominated for the award since 2009. However countries like Switerland, Belgium and Canada still produce some fantastic films, hopefully giving some validity to this list.

• La Vie En Rose

Marion Cotillard makes this film, playing the famous french singer Edith Piaf, Cotillard's portrayal is intensely lifelike, and she takes on the difficult task of playing  Piaf from her beginnings in Paris as a young singer, living hand to mouth on the streets, through her stardom to her eventual death, Cotillard is forced to play both young and old, one of the most difficult things to do, and she pulls it off with outstanding aplomb. La Vie en Rose is a nostalgic dream, that could make anyone fall in love with the music of the little sparrow.

• J'ai Tué Ma Mère

I have made no secret of my love of Xavier Dolan, finding his films to be both powerful and beautiful. J'ai Tué Ma Mère (i killed my mother) was his first feature film, made on a shoestring when he was only nineteen, this film is a revelation. Based on Dolan's own experiences growing up, the film is about a young man, living with his divorced mother, who struggles to raise him, while dealing with his burgeoning sexuality. The film is highly personal both to Dolan and to me, and I Killed My Mother is touching and heartfelt.

• La Vie D'Adele

When this film came out last year, i quickly fell in love with it, La Vie D'Adele, or Blue is the Warmest Colour is an epic three hour film, which ventures into the love story of Adele and Emma, two young women who meet and fall in love in Lille, France. The film is long, however despite it's slightly bloated running time, the film flies by, and is ultimately heartbreaking. The film is shot in a very realistic way using extreme close ups and handheld cameras, the film is largely successful thanks to the outstanding performances of its lead actors, who are both superb in this indie epic.

• Les Amours Imaginaires

 Another film from Canadian film maker Xavier Dolan, here the subject of the film is infatuation, Dolan's first three films all deal with the concept of impossible or at least implausible love stories, and here, Dolan discusses two young people, a boy and a girl, who each fall in love with the same person, only to find that neither of their feelings are reciprocated. The film features superb performances from its three leads, and encompasses a subject we can all empathize with.

• Les Choristes

This little gem was released in 2004 to much acclaim, but since then has largely been forgotten, this comedy about a borstal in which a music teacher starts a choir. The music is by far the star of this film, and despite being butchered by Beyoncé at the academy awards (you tube it, it's really funny!), i listen to the soundtrack of this film to this day. The film is beautiful and strangely poignant, and features fine performances from its varied cast.