JOHN HUGHES 1950-2009

This is the first of my hero blogs. John Hughes, just thinking about him makes me get teary. I have always been such a huge fan of hot just his work, but him as a person aswell.


I watched a movie recently. It was called Don't You Forget About Me (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1331095/). The synopsis:

In 1991, filmmaker John Hughes disappeared from Hollywood. In 2008, four filmmakers went to find him.

John Hughes is a personal hero of mine, so I was desperate to see this film, and I have to say I wasn't disappointed, mainly because the contributions from his movie stars, from Ally Sheedy to Alan Ruck, were respectful, sincere and full of adoration. All of them wondering what happened to a man who they considered a dear friend.

I had to think though, if these actors and producers were such good friends of Hughes, wouldn't he have wanted to stay in touch? Wouldn't he have missed their company as much as they claim to miss his? 

One aspect of this film that I found utterly pointless was the group of wannabe film-makers, documenting their attempts to talk to the man himself. It was kind of like a secondary unneeded documentary mcguffin. It did give a glimpse in to their passion for this project though, but I found their street walking interviews with kids who obviously have no idea what they're talking about to be tacky and last-minute.

This movie being made while Hughes was still alive, provided a sense of longing optimism for the return of Hughes, as the actors that have given interviews beg him to come back, which leaves you with a depressing taste in your mouth at the end of the film as you realise he's gone and his genius has gone with him.

Notably absent was a contribution from Matthew Broderick, Molly Ringwald and Macaulay Culkin, which disappointed me considering I cried like a baby at their Oscars tribute.

I give this film a 6/20 for effort, because despite its shortcomings, it's clearly a labour of love and who can blame them for that?

Oh, and I still think Judd Nelson is a self righteous, conceited showpony. 

RIP JOHN HUGHES

FACE VS WATERMELON = HILARITY

This has got to be one of the funniest videos I have ever seen. Poor girl. Looks sooooooooo painful.


Amazing Race Watermelon Face Smash - Watch more Funny Videos

RAINBOW BARTENDING????

this bartender obviously has mad skills. multi-coloured shots from the same shaker??? genius!!!

INCEPTION

Inception....oh how I love thee.

Most mind-blowing movie I have seen in a while. I just love the concept. It's just a genius idea by Chris Nolan, even though I can tell just by watching the film that he found his own idea confusing. Still you can see that it's a labour of love and it works, absolutely, 100%, brilliance!

Let's talk about the actors:

Marion Coltillard, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Caine.

Marion Cotillard: Okay, I love her. She is perfection. In this movie she is absolutely stunning and her performance is so powerful. There was one scene towards the end where I got choked up just watching and believing her pain. Her character annoyed me at first but she is undoubtedly a complete star and I will absolutely watch a movie just because she's in it from now on.

Ellen Page: Yeah, I'm sorry but I just don't like her. She's cute and sassy and stuff but as an actress she falls short of believable for me. Juno was a pretty good film. Oscar worthy it was not, but I liked her in that role and Michael Cera just made that movie for me. In this role, she was incredibly annoying and I hated that her character was such a central part of the plot because I just kept wishing for her to be killed off. The character was annoying for sure, but played by a different, less squeaky mousey actress, she could have been likable. #

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Ah, the amazing, wonderful, talented, exceptional, incredible, delectable, collectable(?) Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He is SUCH an amazing actor. One of the finest of his generation. And his character in this movie would not have come across as strong had it been played by anyone else. He's come a long way since 10 Things I Hate About you, I couldn't really stand him in that movie but in every movie I have seen him in since I have been impressed. He's incredibly good looking too. Fab.

Cillian Murphy: He's good, yes but I'm just gonna come right out and say it: he's creepy. And it's not just because I've seen him be a psychopath in Red Eye and a naked running man(penis flapping everywhere) in 28 Days Later. Just his whole look reminds me of an evil little boy. But I was able to watch this movie without thinking about his flapping penis and it worked, he is a very good actor and his role in this movie was pretty exceptional. Could have seen it played by Matt Damon though.

Leonardo DiCaprio: I was never a big Leo fan when so many of my friends were. You know, back in the late 90's when he was seriously hot hollywood shit. But the Leo of late is a completely different actor/personality and I'm really liking the Leo these days. He played his part brilliantly in this movie, I have no words for how great he is, especially in that scene towards the end, where Marion Cotillard made me cry(If you've seen the movie you will know what I'm talking about). He really got to me in this movie and I'm so glad he did. His talent and potential are still immense even 13 years after Titanic, "I'll never let go Jack". Sigh.

Michael Caine: Can anyone say LEGEND!! I love you Mr Caine, you have my heart! I am yet to see a performance where I am not wow'd by him. He is an absolute hero and even though his role in this movie is minuscule, he still moves me. My favourite Caine role is so lame, but it's A Muppets Christmas Carol. There I said it. I love Ebinezer Scrooge.

I WANT ONE OF THOSE: WOODEN KEYBOARD

A keyboard entirely made of wood??? I want one of those!!!!

It looks devine. Imagine typing on super smooth wooden keys. This is the Hacao Wooden Ki-Board. I've seen wooden keyboards before and they all look really uncomfortable, but this one looks just right.

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

This is a list of the things that make me happy. I'll be constantly adding to this list when I find things that make me happy(finding things that make me happy is actually one of the things that makes me happy)

1. good food. and when i say good food i mean like, food that is good for you and when you eat it you just feel nourished. this is why i love tomatoes so much. i can taste the nutrition. avocados are another. asparagus. broccoli. grapes. berries. love it. happy.

2. things that remind me of being a kid. like movies, books, TV shows, etc. the secret garden is a big one. i remember when my mum bought that for me on video. the chronicles of narnia, is a massive one, i love it. i love narnia. the box of delights is another one. magical. love it. happy.

3. tea. i love tea. tea makes me so happy. as soon as i know i'm about to have a cup of tea something in my brain clicks and i am happy. i love so many varieties but my favourite is by far birt and tangs detox tea. it is amazing. i have it in my little harrods teapot and pour little cups of tea at a time. small things can have big impacts sometimes. tea. love it. happy.

4. emails. getting an email from my friend or my mum or anyone. i just like getting them. i especially like it when my inbox is full and i have heaps to sift through. I'm terrible at replying to emails which is ironic, because receiving them...i love it. technology. communication. love it. happy.

5. following on from emails...i love gadgets. i have so many gadgets on my wish list. most of which are apple. i want an iphone. an ipad. a macbook pro with final cut. a HTC desire. a heart rate monitor. and more. much much more. love it. unhappy because i dont have these things.

6. i'm equal parts ashamed and proud to admit this but money makes me happy. when i have money i am elated, ecstatic, joyous. no money makes me so depressed and stressed out. it sucks because i wish i could rise above and be like "fool, i don't need money to make me happy" but I'm not like that and i do need money to be happy. not excessive amounts...although excessive amounts would make me happy because i would be able to buy all the people i care about whatever they wanted, and seeing them happy and enjoying themselves would make me happy. oh the things i would do if i had money. money. love it. hate it. happy. unhappy. i need a cup of tea.

TOMATOES

On the journey to foodie heaven, I am compiling a list of my favourite foods. Tomatoes, once hated by myself, are right up there. Sundried, Cherry, Grape, Romano, Plum, Vine-Ripened, is your mouth watering yet???


Here's some things you might not have known about the health benefits of the humble tomato: 


-Tomatoes contain high levels of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that supports the immune system and helps maintain healthy skin and tissue lining.


-They are packed with antioxidant flavonoids and vitamin E, both of which are essential for heart health, and are a good source of potassium. 


-One medium-size tomato provides 50 per cent of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C


-they contain no saturated fatty acids, are low in salt, starch and sugars, high in dietary fibre and have a low glycaemic index.


-Tomato consumption has been associated with decreased risk of breast cancer, head and neck cancers and might be strongly protective against neurodegenerative diseases

But aside from all that, tomatoes are the richest source of an exceptionally potent antioxidant which I have become obsessed with of late, called lycopene. Lycopene is found in fruits and vegetables with a deep red colour and it's sooooooooooo good for you. A single lycopene molecule can neutralise 13 free radicals which, if allowed to build up, can cause cell damage and trigger cancer - that's twice the free radical busting power of beta-carotene, another powerful antioxidant. To put it simply...chow down on things with lycopene in them, like: watermelon, grapefruit, papaya, goji berries, red peppers/capsicums, and of course, the fabulous tomato.




My favourite combinations of tomato are:
-on seeded bread with avocado and turkey bacon


-in a salad with basil and mozzarella


-fresh tomato soup with crusty parmesan rolls


-with melted cheddar on a toasted english muffin


-in a salad with steamed brocoli and wholegrain mustard


Enjoy.

MIA PAPER PLANES-BRENTWOOD REDUX

I actually thought this was hilarious considering how M.I.A acts nowdays. If she ever saw this, she would be so pissed. Basically makes her out to be all the things she claims she isn't but that she actually is.

MIA -- Paper Planes Brentwood Redux - watch more funny videos

MOISTURISER

Moisturiser....as you enter your 20's, you need to keep your skin hydrated and fresh if you want to keep getting asked for ID at bars.

I've tried my fair share of moisturiser over the years and  my favourite ones are surprisingly the most inexpensive. The most I've ever spent on a moisturiser is $76 in australia. It was estee lauder ultra hydrating night creme and yes, it was fabulous but you can get just as good moisturisers for way way less.

Here's some of my favourites:

CLARINS MULTI-ACTIVE DAY CREAM

NIVEA REGENRATING NIGHT CREAM

OLAY REGENERIST NIGHT CREAM

CLINIQUE MOISTURE SURGE

And believe it or not:

SUDOCREM

Clinique moisture surge is absolutely amazing but as with most clinique products, it's a wee bit pricey. Worth it though because it is heaven!!! The clarins day cream is my favourite day moisturiser...it has high protection sunscreen which is VERY IMPORTANT if you want to preserve your skin. The others are night creams, the Olay one is again quite expensive but the Nivea one is a cheaper alternative and it does the job. Sudocrem is just the best thing ever! Yes I know it's for nappy rash..but ever heard the expression 'soft as a babys bum'? well, sudocrem does that to your skin. If I have a pimple, i put sudocrem on it and the next day it's almost gone. Every couple of weeks i cover my whole face in sudocrem(except for the eyes...it burns!!!) before I go to sleep and when I wake up my skin is unbelievably soft.

My favourite tinted moisturisers are:

CLARINS HYDRA-CARE

DOVE ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS

I haven't been able to find the Dove moisturiser in London but the Clarins one is everywhere.

As for body moituriser, hands down this one is the winner:

ST IVES WHIPPED SILK

It's creamy, lightweight and absorbs quickly and it leaves your skin feeling soft and hydrated for ages!!! One of the things that makes me incredibly happy is having a shower, putting a treatment in my hair, covering myself in St Ives, moisturising my face, making a cup of tea and sitting in bed watching TV or an old movie. Fab!!!!

PETRUS-PAULUS RUBENS

HERCULE ET OMPHALE - PETRUS PAULUS RUBENS

Petrus-Paulus Rubens, otherwise known as Peter Paul Rubens, is by far my favourite 16th century artist. His paintings in one word: captivating. But I always want to know more. As with almost all art, you want to know what the scene is, what's happening, what's behind this scene, what's going on outside the boundaries of the painting. His paintings have a very distinct theme and rich colour scheme.

My favourite all time painting is Hercule Et Omphale. I spent almost 45 minutes staring at the painting at the Louvre. And I know that most people would be like "45 minutes? hah! that's nothing!" but it is for me. I just couldn't take my eyes off it, it is just SO beautiful and complex.

EAT, PRAY, LOVE

Eat, Pray, Love is a book I am currently reading. When I start to read books, unless I am completely engrossed in it and cannot put it down, it tends to take me a while. Also I don't take very good care of my books, which is really bad I know, but hence my 2 month old copy of Eat, Pray, Love looks like this:

It is actually a really inspring and thoughtful book, and I am really enjoying it, but it's a bit of a handful, mostly because it's full of historical references to Italy and India. It has made me want to travel to Italy though, very much so.