Television, Paper II January 14, 2010
Posted by Paula in Televisual.Tags: Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate, RTE, St Peter's College Dunboyne, The School
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My final year in secondary school is one that I would rather forget. Macbeth, photosynthesis, the formation of limestone – the memories are there but they are buried in a very dark place. It is certainly not a year that I would have wished to be captured forever on film, and not only that, but broadcast on national television.
I’m lucky that my parents didn’t make a snap decision to send me to St Peter’s College in Co. Meath then. The staff and students of St Peter’s were followed around for a full year by RTÉ cameras, and the results are being broadcast as a three-part series called The School. The final instalment, filmed during the black hole of pain that is State exam time, airs next Monday on RTÉ1.
Having watched the first two episodes, I think that The School is one of the best homegrown documentaries that RTÉ has shown in a while. It’s well worth a look, if only for the ache of familiarity (but certainly not nostalgia) that will hit anyone who attended an Irish secondary school. Addressing every adult female as Bean Ní something, getting notes to your parents in your homework diary, or receiving one of those “If I could go in there and sit the exam for you, I WOULD, but this is your problem” lectures… it’s all there.
The School can be seen on Monday, 9.35pm on RTÉ1. The first two episodes are available on the RTÉ iPlayer for the next few weeks.
I don’t want to be bailed out of anything. January 12, 2010
Posted by Paula in Cinematics.Tags: Emilie de Ravin, New Moon, Pierce Brosnan, Robert Pattinson, Stephanie Meyer, Twilight
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It seems Robert Pattinson has been advised to take action lest he be forever typecast as an other-wordly being. Remember Me, released here this April, stars Pattinson as, wait for it…a human. No Quidditch, no fangs, and sadly no shimmering upon exposure to sunlight. Pattinson is a little less superhuman and a little bit rougher around the edges this time around.
Remember Me is a love story with a handy little bad-guy-gone-good plotline thrown in too. Pattinson plays Tyler, a defiant young man who thinks nothing of getting into scraps and being bailed out of jail by his father (Pierce Brosnan). That is, of course, until he finds his soulmate (Lost‘s Emilie de Ravin).
The film seems to be directed more to those members of the Twilight/New Moon audience who are not pre-teens, given that it contains a bit of excess raunch and debauchery. Whether it will fare well at the box office without the suport of the younger Twi-hards remains to be seen.
“We’re more than just a club. We’re friends. Best friends.” January 1, 2010
Posted by Paula in Lit.Tags: Ann M Martin, Goosebumps, Scholastic, The Babysitters Club, The Babysitters Club The Summer Before
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Do the names Claudia, Kristy, Mary-Anne, Dawn and Stacey strike a chord of delight in your heart? Does the thought of Stoneybrook High, a school teeming with closet diabetics and boys called Logan, send a shiver running down your spine? If yes, then I’m guessing that you too grew up dreaming of starting your own Babysitters Club. Ann M. Martin’s 250 volume-strong book series, The Babysitters Club, was like heroin to pre-teens everywhere in the eighties and nineties. And there was always just one more that you hadn’t read…
Well, good news. Following on from 2008′s Goosebumps revival, Scholastic have announced plans for a Babysitters Club revamp. The first two books of the series will be re-released later this year. The series was given a mild re-design a few years ago, but the fancy cover art and the addition of a new babysitter, Abby (obsessed with learning Hebrew, star of Abby and the Mystery Baby and Abby The Bad Sport. Anyone remember but me?) failed to boost sales. The books will be given a few cultural tweaks this time around. It’s rumoured that Stacey’s perm will be no more, replaced simply with the term “fashionable hairstyle”.
A prequel to the series is also on its way. For those of us who sometimes wonder what the Babysitters did before they babysat, “The Summer Before” will be published this April. Scholastic promises a “moving” novel, ripe with crushes, gossip and “the joys and tribulations of being a girl”. I for one cannot wait.
Don’t call me baby December 29, 2009
Posted by Paula in Trashion, Webshite.Tags: L'Oreal Kids, Planet Awesome Kid, The Sartorialist
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I like to think that I dressed fairly well as a kid. As well as a kid could dress in the early nineties. If it was velvet, neon pink or came in the form of a scrunchie, I had it. And by god, did I wear it with style. But pictures like these, from Planet Awesome Kid, make me wonder if I could have tried a little harder. Think The Sartorialist mixed with a L’Oreal Kids ad, and you’ve got Planet Awesome Kid in a nutshell.
Parents are welcome to submit photos of their own “Awesome Kids”, as long as they provide details of where each item of clothing was purchased. Other photos are snapped by the site’s resident photographers, Andrew Adler and Amy Toland Way.
I wonder where their prime sites are for searching out potential mini-fashionistas. Creches? Showings of Disney movies at the local cinema? Playgrounds? Though there’s only so long you can lurk in a creche or playground holding a camera before being escorted off the premises. I would imagine…
Mulled Wines and Good Times: Paula and Trudi’s comprehensive recipe December 19, 2009
Posted by Paula in Misc.Tags: christmas, mulled wine, recipe
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[Originally published in the Chrimbo edition of Flux, and co-written by the lovely Trudi McDonald]
A couple of weeks ago we made the brave decision to cook for ten of our friends. As it was (fairly) close to Christmas at the time, we decided to go all out. We downloaded at least a hundred festive tunes onto t’iPod, though we ended up listening to the same ten Love Actually ones on repeat anyway. We decided to serve up some mulled wine before dinner too, because that’s what adults do.
Not only is our kitchen no more than a thin strip of lino with an oven and sink, but cooking has never been a strong point for either of us. This was all a bit of a challenge. We can hardly make toast between us, and are both stoney broke meaning our home-brewing had to be done on a very tight budget.
Not to worry though, mulling your own wine is easy, cheap and fun. And it leaves your kitchen smelling of Christmas. If you’re thrifty like us, you can leave the half-empty saucepan sitting in your kitchen for a few days to allow the smell to really permeate the room. No more €3.99 Glade Festive Scents needed this holiday season.
Don’t fear if you don’t have many resources at your disposal. Mulling can be done anywhere there’s a large saucepan and a hob. And some festive cheer.
What you need is:
(serves 8-10)
2 bottles of fruity red wine (any red wine will do really, we used €5.85 bottles from Aldi)
One large orange
10 + cloves
Cinnamon
Allspice
Cinnamon sticks
Cupful of brown or plain sugar (we used half and half)
Nutmeg (optional)
Large Saucepan
Large spoon, or ladle if you’re that way inclined
i-Pod with festive tunes, or Ryan Tubridy’s dulcet tones on the Late Late Toy Show
1. Stud the orange with the cloves, and cut into thick slices.
2. Pour the wine into the saucepan and heat on a low to medium heat (around 2 or 3).
3. Add clove studded orange and all other ingredients to taste. Just throw (or place) them in the pot, you don’t need to do any extensive measuring or chopping. If you are making it for friends, best to but an extra bit of sugar in to counteract the bitterness of the wine, and don’t put too much cinnamon in because it can be an acquired taste.
4. Leave gently heating for 20 minutes. It will take a while to heat up, but this is all part of the plan. Whatever you do, DON’T LET IT BOIL. This is the cardinal sin of mulling, according to Trudi’s mammy. It removes the alcohol from the wine and makes it taste bad, so be careful.
5. The orange will become infused with wine and everything will smell delicious.
6. After 20 minutes of mulling, turn the heat up for two or three minutes just to heat it up a little before serving. But if you see bubbling, rewind immediately. Bubbling is a sure sign of boiling.
7. Serve, using ladle, into cups and get into the holiday mood.
Mulling wine is a skill that will impress mammies, daddies and friends alike. How many university students can use the phrase, “Yeah, mulled it freshly myself only moments ago”? It is so easy to do and an inexpensive way to get into the Christmas mood. GO FER IT.
Mik Pyro, Republic of Loose December 10, 2009
Posted by Paula in Muzak.Tags: Aaagh!, Comeback Girl, Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil, Mick Pyro, Mik Pyro, Republic of Loose, The Academy Dublin
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“I’ve fucked up a lot… I’ve made a lot of bad decisions.” Republic of Loose frontman Mik Pyro talks about his struggles in the music industry and in his personal life. Originally published in December issue of Flux.
I first saw Republic of Loose in concert about three years ago, when they toured Ireland to promote their 2006 album, Aaagh!. I remember being completely taken aback by the energy that the band exuded on stage. Their movement had all the force of a full-on rock band, but their music couldn’t be categorised so easily. Indeed, a reviewer of one of the gigs from that tour said of the band, “They are unsure whether they want to be gangbangers or cowboys or gospel singers”. Whatever they are aiming to be, a live Republic of Loose show is equal measures exhausting and thrilling.
I was expecting Mik Pyro, lead singer of the band, to be equally energetic offstage. That’s why I was surprised when he answered the phone at 4pm on a Wednesday afternoon sounding like he had just woken up. He had, in fact, just woken up. “I’ve had weird sleeping patterns lately, I’m like a vampire. I was up ‘til eight or nine this morning.” The interview continues, but I get the distinct feeling that Pyro is still horizontal, and will probably pass this phone call off as a dream when he wakes up again later.
The band’s third album, Vol. IV: Johnny Pyro and the Dance of Evil was released last year, but the band has been fairly quiet on the promotion front. “We’ve been gigging around over the last year. We did Oxegen and played with U2 in Croke Park. But we’ve been taking it easy enough. It’s been a really difficult year for the music industry. We can do some work in Ireland, but we don’t have the money to go touring around the UK.”
Personal finance is a huge factor in everything the band does, from recording to promotion to distribution. They have never had a record company, and finance all their efforts out of their own pocket. “We’ve been trying to keep our profile up in Ireland, to keep things afloat, but it’s difficult. We still do it though, because we love it.”
Super Extra Miley Factor December 4, 2009
Posted by Paula in Muzak, Televisual.Tags: Danyl Johnson, Hannah Montana, miley cyrus, Olly Murs, Simon Cowell, The X Factor
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Simon Cowell has chosen the Miley Cyrus hit The Climb as this year’s X Factor winner’s song. Certainly a change in tempo from last year’s song, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing was reportedly also a contender, but I doubt anyone could beat the Glee cover of that song (or the original, I guess).
The Climb, which featured in the Hannah Montana movie earler this year, certainly fulfills all the criteria for an X Factor winner’s hit: poignant lyrics about making it/finding happiness/falling in love/defying the odds, a build up to a big final chorus, and a nice catchy melody. All Cowell needs to add is a key change, and it’ll be musical gold.
It’s an odd choice for a winner’s song, considering there’s only one female performer left in the competition. Apparently Olly and Danyl have been struggling with it in this week’s rehearsals. They’re too macho, perhaps?
Task for this week: Learn The Climb‘s lyrics by heart in time for Saturday night’s X Factor. Add key change if you wish.
The Climb – Miley Cyrus (download)
Lykke Free November 26, 2009
Posted by Paula in Muzak.Tags: Lykke Li, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
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Lykke Li is offering a free mp3 download of her ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’ cover, which she recorded earlier this year. Odd choice for a cover, but it bears so little resemblance to the original that it might as well be an original. You need to sign up to her official site to receive the download, but if you’re not willing to relinquish your details, have a listen to the song here.
Lykke Li- Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
Lykke’s choon Possibility also features on the New Moon soundtrack as Patrick mentioned a few weeks back. Check it.
Mariah in Barefaced Shocker November 16, 2009
Posted by Paula in Cinematics, Muzak, Trashion.Tags: mariah carey, precious, push novel
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Following in the footsteps of Charlize Theron in Monster, Mariah Carey will reveal herself without make-up to filmgoers everywhere. A ticket to her new movie Precious is all you need to see Carey, hideously underlit, looking decidely worse for wear.
The film, released here in February, stars Carey as a counsellor who helps a sixteen-year old mother of two to get her life back on track. Precious is based on the 1996 novel by American author Sapphire. The film’s executive producers include Oprah Winfrey and Mary J Blige.
Carey says that with some persuasion, she was happy to go without make-up. “It was cool because a lot of people say they don’t recognize me in the film. They don’t know it’s me and, to me, that was a great gift that [director Lee Daniels] gave me to be able to really go that far away from who I am.”
Whether or not the chance to escape from her diva persona was the real motivation behind Carey’s decision to bare all remains to be seen. In an interview in this week’s Sunday Times magazine, Carey discusses her new marketing and promotion model, with which she aims to sell herself to fans all over again. Her plans include strategic leaking of information over the Internet, product endorsement deals, and a number of Mariah’d product lines. Perhaps the bold choice to leave mascara and blusher at home is just all part of the plan.
An Education November 10, 2009
Posted by Paula in Cinematics.Tags: An Education, Carey Mulligan, Lone Scherfig, Lynn Barber, Peter Saarsgard
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Terming this as a “coming-of-age” film makes me think of The Karate Kid, but the term definitely suits An Education. Based on the memoir of English journalist Lynn Barber, An Education is an example of the immense personal growth that occurs as we enter adulthood.
16-year old Jenny (Carey Mulligan) wants nothing more than to be mysterious, to speak in a sultry French accent, and to spend all day smoking cigarettes. The problem is, she’s a schoolgirl living in a decidely unglamourous London suburb. It’s 1961, the Swinging Sixties have yet to start swinging, and Jenny has nothing to look forward to but Latin tests. Mulligan was 22 at the time of filming, but she slips comfortably into the role of a bright-eyed schoolgirl, playing it with charm and wit.
When Jenny meets the older David (Peter Saarsgard), she is convinced that he possesses every quality that is missing from her life. And for a while, we are convinced too. David is smooth-talking, professional, wealthy, and best of all, he can speak French. He succeeds in seducing not only Jenny, but her parents, who warm immediately to David’s flattery and his fast car.
A short time into the relationship, David’s sparkle begins to fade. After a few shouting matches and some signs that his wealth has been earned by suspicious means, David no longer seems charming and mysterious, but slightly unnerving. Jenny is clearly out of her depth, but is happy to go along with anything if it means she is that bit closer to living out her dream as a French sophisticate. Orlando Bloom was originally set to play the part of David, but got cold feet at the last minute. The more reserved Saarsgard seems a better fit for the role.
Though Barber’s memoir mentions that her parents practically “threw” her into bed with this older man, Nick Hornby’s screenplay interprets the situation a little differently. The affair, though engineered by David, is aided greatly by the naievté of Jenny’s parents, who believe everything they are told by their daughter and her suitor. Hornby’s writing captures the early sixties as an age of innocence, but risks being a little hammy at times. Luckily the roles of Jenny’s mother and father are saved by the skill of Cara Seymour and Alfred Molina.
An Education is directed by Danish director Lone Scherfig, and it set off a huge bidding war between production companies when it premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. On seeing the movie, it’s easy to see why Sony Pictures were so eager to pay an advance of millions to purchase the distribution rights. It’s a beautifully shot, beautifully acted film, and captures perfectly the youthful belief that one is always right.
An Education is currently showing in the Irish Film Institute, Templebar
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