Loved it. I was so wrong about the trailer, we had more of Tony Stark's awesome wit, alongside some rather more vulnerable moments as well. Trevor was brilliant, and having a rather more human enemy (if enhanced in a terrifying fashion) was good to bring Tony back down from 'what happened in New York.' I would have rolled my eyes at the involvement of a kid, normally, but they handled it well and there was some great dialogue between the two. All in all, a success, and the two hours absolutely flew by which is a sign of a really good film.
As you very well know, we recently got hooked on The Big Bang Theory. One of the very first things that caught our attention, and made us realise this could be a show we can get on board with, was Sheldon's view on giving gifts. It's exactly the same as ours, and although I've tried to explain it on many an occasion, I've never quite had his eloquence. --- Penny: …
I liked this, but it wasn't spectacular. A perfectly serviceable animation, nice and festive, feel-good story, with a few funny lines along the way. I did like the concept of Santa's business as a military-style operation, and the gadgets, Mission Control, and spaceship style transport were very well done.
It has cute and/or funny muppets, great one-liners, tells the story really well and catchy songs. There's little to complain about, it's one of the classics that is at this point a Christmas staple. There's little else to add, except the confusion about 'The Love is Gone' being included in some versions and not in others was very irritating. It also didn't make sense as the song is reprised at the end, but wasn't included in our version so it didn't make any sense. But I don't mind because it's not the best song on the soundtrack anyway.
A week or so ago, I posted a picture of my bulging to-do list with the promise that I would get lots of things done over the Christmas period and shrink it, substantially. That was the plan. Of course, I was unexpectedly working over Christmas, which didn't help matters, so it's no surprise to see that the list still looks rather large. However, I did manage to complete a lot …
A Christmas Carol is a perennial favourite, the complete and utter definition of a classic and rightly so. Short and to the point, not filled with excess waffle, and with a fantastic journey from start to finish, the book grabs you and won't let you go. Of course, I can't read this without picturing every step as the Muppets version, which is perhaps unfortunate to the original, but a great time for me. Some of the word for word pieces make me smile, and the songs riff through my head as I go along.
Mmm, running on Christmas Day. There were just a few people out and about, mostly those walking their dogs. Gloriously quiet and only a little bit of drizzle. I hadn't actually intended to go out, but then I saw a couple of inspiration tweets from friends, including: If everyone's doing it, then I'm in! I went out very specifically with the desire not to go fast. I haven't run for …
A couple of days ago, I posted this story of a good deed to my Google+ account. You may have already read it, in which case you don't need to do so again - it's here word for word: Today I braved the crazy Christmas shoppers in the supermarket for my own regularly scheduled food purchases. I was not looking forward to it, I've seen a fight break out in …
Here is my to do list looking quite a state. I have made it mostly hard to read because there are some quite fun and fabulous and secret upcoming things on there. Christmas provides a few days off, and I intend to get this list down to a more manageable size. It used to hover around the three quarters of a page length, and that I could deal with. I'm …
A week or two ago, I posted about my favourite Quality Street options when presented with a tin of the delicacies. I had a few messages suggesting that Quality Streets were an unknown, but Roses were more popular. For example, Amy said: I have no idea what Quality Street is but I know what Roses are and I know what Cadbury Favourites are so I’m assuming they’re along the same …
It is that time of year again, the one where the seasonal aisle in the supermarket becomes full to bursting with sweet treats - chocolate and Christmas puddings galore. In honour of the occasion, and because wherever I turn there appears to be a new tin of Quality Street, Roses or those Miniature Hero things, here are my favourite five Quality Street sweets. Fudge. Clearly, because it is just like …
The BBC have introduced a new trailer for their Christmas output - well, it's more like one of those feel-good ones that has no specific content and just a lot of famous faces beckoning you to stay with the Beeb over the festive season. Works for me! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loNQgax53Jk I can only say that seeing The Doctor playing Twister with a Cyberman may be the best three seconds of TV that …
Ah, I do love it. I love that it's a little bit kooky. The dialogue doesn't always make sense, and they quite often talk over each other. I always find myself starting to hate Tom Hanks at the end, the way he is messing her around, but they are so happy at the end that it's good times and doesn't really matter. Mr C and I were talking throughout about all the different ways this could be remade | and most of them involved Amazon!
So, yes. It is a really good film. There are plenty of bits that are unbelievable, and there's no way you can like every single one of the stories, but it is a great piece of work. The way that you can have the smallest story (such as Stacey and him from the Office) and that is just as important as the big Hugh Grant moments, it's fabulous. At the start, I mentioned that I forget what an epic cast this film has, and now I've realised that I also forget just how funny it is too. It doesn't make my cry, which is more than can be said for other members of the household, but it's good stuff.
It's getting to that time of year when the inevitable will happen. It's unavoidable, you will be sucked in. It's that dreaded period of indulgence known as: Christmas TV. Actually it's not all that bad. This is the one time of year that I buy a TV guide to help keep track of what is on and when. Most of the year I can rely on perusing the iPlayer and …
Always love Bruce saving the world. There aren't as many catchphrases in here as I thought there were but still, I love it. I still like the second one more, but this one must have been good because it broke the dreaded two hour barrier and I _didn't even notice_. Go Bruce!
If you ignore the really bad reindeer flying graphics, then the film is actually alright. It's an interesting take on the Santa story, and it has enough real life stuff to counter the quite fantastical idea of a polar bear directing the traffic. You have to suspend your disbelief, but it does promote the nice message that Santa does indeed exist.
Suddenly, over the festive holiday period, I have become obsessed with accessories. I have never been interested in that kind of thing before - except for an ill-fated venture into necklaces and nail varnish when I was in my teens. Since then, the only accessories I have really been bothered about are a ring from my dad, an engagement ring and a wedding ring. Roll on Christmas, and all of …
For a long time, the Christmas Number One single in the UK has been rubbish. I don't remember the last time there was a decent song at the top, but then again, there haven't really been an enormous amount of worthy festive songs released recently anyway. For the past few years, the Yuletide number has been dominated by the Simon Cowell sponsored X Factor winner, and that's usual a cover …
After the success of the chocolate covered pretzels, my mother and I decided that baking mince pies would be the next challenge. It is Christmas, after all. After a bit of a delay as we tried to locate some mincemeat (silly supermarket two for one offers resulting in empty shelves), and we were ready to go. Now, I cook and I bake and I enjoy it, but I'm not so …
When I first gave up Christmas, I was so anti-everything-even-slightly-resembling-the-C-word that it was a lot of effort. I blogged about it a lot, I made rules, I set up a website, I wrote articles and guidelines about how to avoid the festive season. It was exhausting and a lot of it made me very angry. Everyone has to have a cause, I guess. Now, with the benefit of several years …
Naturally, Christmas is all about chocolate, but as it is hard to consume the stuff via the internet, I have been looking at alternative advent calendars. There are quite a lot to choose from. Firstly, a totally selfish plug first, we have the Sidepodcast F1 Advent Calendar 2009. If you're slightly interested in Formula 1, each day of advent there will be a three minute podcast running through the key …
I'm all for the return of Top of the Pops and TOTP2, and I don't really think they should have disappeared in the first place. There are very few decent music programs on TV as it is, I'm pretty sure the Beeb could have adapted Top of the Pops to remain mainstream if they'd really wanted to. Of course, they didn't, and then they announced it wouldn't even be back …
The Boxing Day sales certainly were popular, especially at the Westfield Shopping Centre. The BBC have a short video of the mass hysteria as the doors to the centre opened. One woman even discusses the fact that she has travelled from afar, stayed overnight in a hotel, and was looking forward to her shopping trip more than Christmas Day itself. Needless to say, this freaks me out. Our cupboards are …
Whilst it is the norm to not even open presents until Christmas Day, nothing about me is normal. That would explain why I bought the present for myself, wrapped it, gave it to myself during a live stream of a party, and have now finished up with the present already. You know how it is. The gift I bought myself was the Mega Bloks Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Pit Stop - …
In the good old days, I used to enjoy television at Christmas. Actually, let's rephrase that, I used to enjoy television full stop. My dad has always been one for guessing plot lines before they happen, working out the twists, the jokes, even the next words out of an actor's mouth. It was quite annoying, but I guess if you can see these things, you want to share them. Since …
Although we do try and insist on no Christmas presents, some people still prefer to buy us some things - my future mother-in-law being the main culprit. Mr C returned home one Friday night with a box full of presents. Oh well. This year, if you ignore the copious amounts of chocolate and wine, there were actually some very useful bits and bobs in there. A mini tripod for the …
The judges on Strictly Come Dancing Champion of Champions saying that they wanted Denise & Ian to win when we could all see that Jill & Darren were the best by miles. Harry Potter VI topping the best-sellers chart when it's not even out for another seven months. I'm looking forward to it too, but I'm not that crazy. That having got bored of the Christmas songs we were allowed …
With Christmas fast approaching, people are really beginning to struggle with the idea of me skipping it. They don't seem to understand. So, to help out any who are still a little confused, I've laid out some of the rules here: I do not wish to celebrate anything to do with Christmas, however, I will not ruin anyone else's fun. For example, a colleague said he would sulk and not …
This Boycotting Christmas thing is much harder than you'd think. It started with me just saying I wouldn't go to the Christmas Meal. Then a colleague said that if I didn't go, he wouldn't go and then he'd have a miserable Christmas and it would be all my fault. Well, I have principles, but they don't stand up to that kind of pressure, so I agreed to go. But now, …
I can really relate to Luthor because I loathe Christmas but even though his plans were thwarted, I still thought it was a fun read. His wife seemed far too preoccupied with other people's opinion. I thought it was great, heart-warming at the end, if a little too Scrooge-some in the middle. It's a nice, short read you can get through in a day.
We had an email at work today, with an Excel spreadsheet attachment, inviting us to select our Christmas Meal Menu. I have a slight problem with this, as I am not participating in Christmas this year. Call me a Scrooge, a Bah Humbug, a grumpy old woman, all you like, but I have legitimate reasons and they are five-fold. Christmas is first and foremost a Christian festival. I am not …
I really thought this post wouldn't happen for quite some time. It's inevitable every year, but I thought I still had a few weeks left, at least. Doing the shopping today, I was surprised to find Halloween goodies decorating the entrance to the store. Orange and black was the main theme throughout and I suddenly realised that yes, it is October already. Pushing my trolley through the wonderland, with children …
I just finished reading the whole of the Heat special double Christmas issue, with all the TV listings and I'm sulking because I can't find Mary Poppins in there anywhere. I know she has to be in there someplace, but I can't find her.
The last day of work! Then two whole fabulously festive weeks off! Yesterday started out as the worst day I’ve ever known but it got so much better. Mr C and I settled down with take-out pizza and watched a rip-off of MTV where there were only a select few videos that were on loop. I mean, let’s be honest, there’s only so many times you can hear ‘Sound of …
Well, here I am once again, munching on Christmas cheesie biscuit things. I've changed my mind about the moans of the Yuletide season though, for tomorrow I am heading out to do my Christmas Shopping. I love to buy gifts for others, imagining what they will say once it's opened, and how they will run off to show people. When I'm out shopping for others, I rarely imagine what they'll …
I cannot decide whether I like Christmas or not. Last night we put the tree up and it looks amazing, it really does. However, my friend decided she wanted to spray the tree with glitter, so the whole of our room is completely covered yet there’s hardly a drop on the tree. Ah, well, we have to get into the spirit, right? No, the real reason I want to have …
