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Originally posted on www.thefancarpet.com

Abram's in talks for Star Trek 2

After months and months of speculation it looks as though JJ Abram’s will be returning to direct Star Trek 2.

Although at this point the director hasn’t officially committed to the project but it looks almost certain.

However due to the film’s long development process that the movie requires, along with Abram’s’ indecisiveness over whether to take on the project, Paramount has had to push back the release date for the Star Trek sequel.

The original June 2012 release has now been given to G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

The expected release date for the sequel has now been rumoured to be taking place in either late 2012 or the summer of 2013.

In terms of the cast, the studio has picked up the cast’s contracts, meaning Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Zachary Quinto, John Cho, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin and Zoe Sadana will all be boarding the Enterprise in the near future.

The film’s script is currently being worked on by Star Trek writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci along with new recruit Damon Lindelof.

Allen to be re-Bourne

Joan Allen is in negotiations to reprise her role as Pamela Landy in The Bourne Legacy.

Rachel Weisz who was also in talks to join the spin-off to the hit film series has now officially signed on.

There has also been reports that Albert Finney is also in talks to reprise his role in the new feature film. Although the actor’s role is expected to be smaller than Allen’s as he was last seen playing a doctor in The Bourne Ultimatum. But with the new film opening a whole new world in the Bourne series his character may be getting slightly more involved than he has done in the past.

The new set of films will see Jeremy Renner play a CIA asset who has a damaged memory coupled with excellent skills, who is without a doubt expected to prove difficult for Landy.

The movie’s big villain is expected to be played by Edward Norton who is currently close to finishing a deal to play the villainous role. Oscar Isaac has also signed on to play a character know as number 3.

The film will begin shooting in September, and is expected for release on August 17^th next year.

Me, Wales and a drama fuelled weekend ...

Well this weekend I had a rather eventful trip back to South Wales for a friends birthday and to visit my family.

The weekend was fuelled with too much alcohol, overpriced clubs/drinks, drama, a lack of sleep and crazy taxi drivers.

So Friday was when it all began when me and my boyfriend left for South Wales at 6am in order to arrive early. So after travelling for two and a half hours and feeling as though someone had sucked all the moisture out of my eyes we finally arrived in good old Newport, and surprise surprise it was raining (nothing new there). This however was not the end of the travelling as we were now required to get on the bus, now I hate the bus due to it stopping so much and being filled with people who either:

A) Smell.

B) Sit next to you even when the bus is completely empty.

So after finally arriving in Abercarn, I returned to my parents house feeling sick so therefore couldn't eat, which is something that annoys me at the best of times and annoys me even more when there's a cooked breakfast awaiting. I ate it later.

So skip forward a few hours and it was time to go out, this was after the incident of trying to dry my hair with a hot brush as my sister had taken the only hair dryer to Ibiza. Seriously who has one hair dryer in a house with three girls?

So arriving in town it was all going well, everyone was drunk, there was some drama that I stayed out of considering it had nothing to do with me, it's all ok now though! But then of course my stupid wisdom tooth decided it wanted to make another attempt to escape into my mouth and rip face/head/jaw apart ... Therefore at around 2am I left, and this was after purchasing a bottle of wine, so in our best Bonnie and Clyde (slight exaggeration) attempt me and my boyfriend smuggled it out. I have since discovered that he can apparently fit anything into his jeans ... Always a good quality in a person during a night out.

So yeah that was all fine and then it came to Saturday, and after waking up at half 8 and having minimal sleep me and the boyfriend ended up going up the pub with my auntie ... Always a wise thing to do with a lack of sleep and a trip to Cardiff in line. Seriously we should have been napping.

So at around 7 we went to my friend's house, this was after the devastating news about Amy Winehouse which had just put me into a state of mourning (it's ok I held a musical tribute the next day whilst packing).

So after a few too many glasses of wine, cocktails and shots and a little bit of drama before we left, involving me losing my wallet, only to find it in the middle of the road where I had clearly dropped whilst getting out of the car, and one piece that won't be named we finally headed off to Cardiff in a hummer limo (how exciting!!) ... Where we were told off for standing out of the roof, seriously don't make the window flip upwards if you don't want people hanging out of it!

So all was good we had a few dances and drinks and many photos, before we got charged an absurd amount of money to go to Revs, and even more absurd amount for drinks (£5 entry and £15 for a bottle of wine, which was the cheapest drink .... SHOCKING), we soon left and headed to Burger King. With another bottle of wine in my boyfriends jeans.

Now Burger King was another annoyance due to it having human faeces smeared across the men's toilets which made me want to vomit everywhere, seriously a restaurant that apparently checks its toilets every 15 minutes shouldn't have crap all over the walls! Then some nosey cow got involved in my conversation saying she didn't want to hear us talking, even though she had been listening for the last half hour. This obviously resulted in a Nikki Graham-esque "who is she?" when she refused to butt out. She was soon quiet though after she was quite loudly told to "GO AWAY."

So after this we finally got into a taxi, which was half hour late ... Typical.

Now when we got dropped off was when it all got a bit dramatic and dangerous ... After the driver shouted numerous times when I asked him to drop me off at a certain point, claiming he wouldn't do it, even though this taxi cost £80 and he was half hour late, I asked for his licence number and taxi number, which he told me was on the front of the bus and I could get it once we stopped.

So after stopping and having a bit of a to do with another passenger, I went around to get the number, where the taxi driver attempted to run me over, not once, not twice ... But THREE times! All because I wanted his number to make a complaint.

Now if he had given it to me when I asked, which he is required to do by law then everything would have been find, I would gone home passed out and then gone for Sunday lunch. But now his three attempts to run me over had obviously left me completely shook up and petrified, so the police were called.

Now the police came the next day and all has been resolved and hopefully the taxi driver with excellent people skills will not being driving his taxi much longer.

Me - 1

Taxi driver - 0

But yeah that was my weekend!

Laters!!! 

More Film News ...

Originally posted on www.thefancarpet.com

Bonnie and Clyde Return

Director Neil Burger is to tackle a new version of Bonnie and Clyde.

After the success of his recent flick Limitless, the director has been lining up a whole new selection of projects, and it has been announced that he is attached to direct a new version of the outlaws story.

The screenplay will be written by Sheldon Turner who penned the script for Up in the Air, and will be based on the book We Both Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn.

Burger and Turner are set to make a much darker version of the Bonnie and Clyde tale, which will see it be a far cry from the 1967 Arthur Penn version, which was a much more romanticised version of the duo’s story.

The book looks more closely at the facts, such as Bonnie was most likely a prostitute before joining Clyde, and that his first kill was in fact a sexually abusive prison cellmate. Not forgetting the fact that they had killed seven people and died by the age of 22.

The two have secured funding from Marissa McMahon and are expected to get the screenplay on paper soon.

Captain America Topples Potter

Super hero film Captain America has topped the US Box Office.

The film has taken an estimated $65.8 million over the weekend, helping to maintain the popularity and success of the recent Marvel comic book based films.

The film may have been helped claim its position at the top of the box office due to it being launched on the same weekend as Comic-Con, and if the figures are correct then the film’s launch puts its weekend gross ahead of recent hit film Thor.

Paramount has warned that the figures may decrease once the final tallies have been calculated.

The film pushed the boy wonder Harry Potter and his fellow Hogwarts friends down to the number two position. The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 however still took a considerable amount of money, totalling at $48 million, bringing the movies total US Box Office gross at around $274 million.

Captain America and Potter were followed by the Justin Timberlake/ Mila Kunis comedy Friends With Benefits that brought in an estimated $18.5 million.

The top five was completed with Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon at number four grossing $12 million and Horrible Bosses at number five which took $11.7 million.

We Remember: Beautiful People

Originally posted on www.differentscene.com

Another week another amazing British television series that concentrates on the LGBT community.

This week I am looking at Beautiful People a BBC television series based on the memoirs of Simon Doonan about growing up as gay teen in 1960s Reading. The television series has made a few alterations, the main one being changing the setting to 1997 along with a few name changes.

The show ran for two series between 2008 and 2009 and concentrates on Simon Doonan a young effeminate boy growing up in an eccentric family in 1990s Reading. The series takes parts in the present day before going back to the past and concentrating on a number of hilarious incidents that happened to the shows protagonist throughout his life, such as how he broke his nose and how he got the scar on his head.

Where as the first series concentrates mainly on the hilarity of these incidents allowing you to warm to the Simon and his best friend, the equally as effeminate Kylie (Kyle), as they aspire to leave Reading and head for the bright lights of London, where they can be with ‘the beautiful people.’

As the second series begins we are still treated to same odd ball circumstances that Simon faces throughout his life, but we also see the shows star begin to come to terms with the fact that he is in fact gay and doesn’t necessarily fit in with the rest of the boys at school.

Throw in some brilliant performances that come in the from of Simon’s mother Debbie Doonan and the remainder of the cast (because to be fair they are all brilliant), along with a very interesting tale about a Posh Spice doll, and you instantly get a piece of comedy gold along with a touching story of ones boys acceptance of himself, and his persistence to find somewhere he fits in.

The show is a must for any one who had a hard time fitting in when they were younger and aspire to make the most of their life. After all the real Simon Doonan went on to become the creative ambassador at New York clothing store Barneys.

As the theme tune says, (sung by the brilliant Dan Gillespie-Sells) “Dreams are foolish but don’t let them go” and that is exactly what he did.

Some Film News ...

Originally posted on www.thefancarpet.com

Swank Takes on Shrapnel

With comic con about to kick off Hilary Swank has announced that she will be staring in comic book adaptation Shrapnel.

The actress will also be adding Shrapnel to her list of producing credits as well.

Sharpnel was created by sci-fi writer Nick Sagan and Mark long, and is set in 2250 where humanity has spread across the solar system, however the majority of the colonies are under the control of the Solar Alliance, who rule with an iron-fist. Venus however remains a free world, where the last free members of humanity fight the Alliance’s intrusion.

Swank will be playing the role of former solar marine Samantha ‘Sam’ Vijaya, who helps to lead an uprising against the Alliance and the oppression they have enforced up humanity.

Shrapnel began its life as a graphic novel trilogy, but whether the film will advance into a trilogy will most likely be decided after the film’s release.

The writer, director or the release dates are yet to be confirmed.

Bonham-Carter the Lone Ranger

Academy Award nominated British acting royalty Helena Bonham-Carter has saddled up and may be joining the cast of The Lone Ranger.

Joining the actress as the newest potential signings to the film project are actors Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale and Dwight Yoakam.

Carter, who is currently wrecking havoc at Hogwarts in the last piece of the Harry Potter puzzle is apparently considering taking the role of the madam who runs a local brothel, and considering the eccentricity of the actress it sounds like a role she could truly bring to life.

Yoakman is currently in talks to play Butch Cavendish, the films villain who leads the Cavendish gang, who attack the Texas Rangers. Pepper, who is also in talks to join the film, is said to have his eye on the role of Captain J Fuller, a man who is assumed to be helping the lone ranger on his crusade against the Cavendish gang. Finally, Dale is up for the role of Dan Reid.

Carter and her other fellow potential signings will be joining an all star cast that currently includes, Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Ruth Wilson and Tom Wilkinson.

The film is expected to be released in late 2012.

Sherlock is Back!

Originally posted on www.differentscene.co.uk

Super sleuth Sherlock Holmes is back for another adventure, as he returns along with his assistant Dr. Watson later this year in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows for which the first trailer has just been released.

We last saw the detective and his assistant two years ago as they investigated a number of murders that were connected with occult rituals.

After the first film grossed an estimated $524 million worldwide, Robert Downey Jr. and Jude law will be returning to battle crime on the streets of London yet again.

A Game of Shadows will see the detective investigating the apparent suicide of the Crown Prince of Austria, which he declares as being a murder, which is only part of a much larger puzzle designed my the evil mastermind Professor Moriarty.

After acquiring the help of Sim, a gypsy fortune teller whose unwitting involvement in the Prince’s murder makes her the killer’s next target, the investigation becomes even more dangerous and leads the newly formed trio across the continent from England to France to Germany and finally to Switzerland.

But with Moriarty always one step ahead and spinning a web of death and destruction, which are all part of a greater plan that could see him changing the course of history, unless Sherlock and his companions can stop him.

With Guy Ritchie once again directing, the film will also see Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin reunite as producers, along with Bruce Berman serving as executive producer and Steve Clark-Hall co-producing.

The film will also see an array of new cast members in the form of, Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty, Noomi Rapace as Sim and Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes, the older brother of the detective.

The film will be distributed worldwide on December 16^th 2011.

Some Film News ...

Originally posted on www.thefancarpet.com

Ralph Fiennes to Direct The Invisible Woman

Hollywood star Ralph Fiennes has set his sights on his next directorial project, a film about Charles Dickens’ secret love affair.

Fiennes, who recently finished work on the final instalment in the Harry Potter franchise, playing the evil Lord Voldermort is apparently looking to adapt the Claire Tomalin novel, The Invisible Woman.

At the moment the film is in its very early stages and Fiennes is currently looking for an actress to play Ellen Ternan, who had a secret 13-year romance with the famous writer.

The wish list of actresses desired for the role include the talents of, Imogen Poots, Felicity Jones, Abbie Cornish and Carey Mulligan.

Mulligan however may be unavailable for the project due to her busy work schedule.

Fiennes himself has decided to stay behind the camera rather than stand in front of it for this project, which is expected to begin filming in the spring/summer of next year.

The actor/director is currently involved in another Charles Dickens based project, where he is playing Magwich in Mike Newell’s adaptation of Great Expectations.

Hardy as Capone?

Rumours are circulating that British actor Tom Hardy has attached himself to a film project about the rise of Al Capone.

The actor who has stared in a number of hit films in recent years, that include projects such as Christopher Nolan’s Inception, is apparently considering the role in Cicero, which could also see veteran Harry Potter director David Yates directing the project.

Cicero was first announced some time ago after The Gangster Squad first started to come together. The film’s script has been adapted from writer Walon Green’s unused TV pilot. The film’s plot will focus on a young Capone making his way up the criminal ladder.

The film is also being considered as part of a trilogy that would document Capone’s rise, reign and finally his downfall.

The film is currently in the early stages and Hardy who is currently wrecking havoc on the streets of Gotham City, as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, hasn’t signed up yet and neither has potential director Yates.

But with Yates no longer working on the Harry Potter series after the final film premiered last week, and with Hardy’s rising star status, this could definitely be a film to watch out for if it does come to fruition. So watch this space …

My unemployment/job centre frustration ....

So here I am at 3:15 in the afternoon sat on the floor drinking tea in a dressing gown and pyjamas, I am totally living the student lifestyle, the only problem is that I am no longer a student!

After 17 years of education and a nice big fat load of student debt I now finally find myself unemployed and with no money ... So much fun!

I finished uni nearly two months ago but only officially finished last week when my results came out ... Got a cheeky little 2.1 so that's always good. 

However now no one seems to want to employ me at all, I have GCSE's, A levels and a degree but the jobs I apply for doing what I want to do either don't reply or say I am not what they are looking for ... Please tell me how a recent journalism graduate with a decent degree isn't suitable for a graduate entry level journalism job? On top of that I have experience as a cleaner but no cleaning company wants me either, please tell me how I am not good enough to do a job I've done before?

So anyway after a trip to the job centre I was told I wasn't entitled to anything to help me live off because I haven't worked, which I have but due being a student I was exempt from paying tax but no one seems to care about that at the job centre. My trip was also topped off with a lovely stand outside in the freezing cold due to a fire alarm, so that absolutely made my day (detect the sarcasm?).

I just don't understand how some people who have never worked or done anything can claim so much money, yet someone who has put themselves through an education and worked can't have anything to help them until they find a job? Apparently if I had dependents I could, so no wonder so many people purposely get pregnant (and they do I've seen it myself).

So yeah here I am now ranting on a blog (that no one will probably read) because I have nothing to do except look at my little 'job diary' to show someone that I've been looking for a job, I really don't see how this folded piece of paper will help me find a job any quicker considering I was already doing exactly what they are asking me to do, but now I need to keep a record of it ... Such fun I must say!!!

Seriously this unemployment lark is getting a bit much now, the only daily company I have is the cast of Loose Women, I know more about Kate Thornton's  and Sherrie Hewson's love life than I know about my own (that's a lie but it sounded dramatic).

Anyway before I go on any further I am going to leave it at that ... At least I have a trip to Wales this week to help me through the constant boredom!!!!

Laters ....

So ....

Hello,

So its been some time since I've actually written anything on this blog that wasn't a repeat of something I had already written and had posted on another website, so here we go.

Well, to be honest there's not much to write about, considering I have now joined the mass numbers of unemployed graduates all competing for the same jobs ... It's so much fun!

I finished uni nearly two months and in that time I have applied to just about every job that's going, from cleaning and call centres to taking my luck at sub-editor jobs (unless you try you never know what will happen), but alas I have had no luck! :(

Well that may be a little bit of a lie, I had three phone calls to work as a cleaner, but since I am incapable of driving (I was born to be driven) I couldn't have the jobs, apart from that I had one phone interview and an actual one that ended in disaster, namely due to me stumbling over my words for the phone interview and the interviewer being incapable of interviewing for the other interview (never a good sign).

So here I am now going spare in my living room looking at the same four walls slowly becoming a domestic god, seriously I've cleaned this place more in two week than Kim and Aggie have cleaned in the last five years!

But yeah anyway I'm going to stop writing about my ever exciting unemployed 'house wife' status because I am assuming who ever is reading this must be close to killing themselves by now!

So I will update you on my non existent social life very soon ... I promise it'll be more interesting next time ... Well lets hope it is!!!!

Laters!!!!

More Film News ...

Originally posted on www.thefancarpet.com

More Viking Action for Skarsgard

True Blood star Alexander Skarsgard has signed on to play another Viking in new film The Vanguard.

The Vanguard, which is only a working title for the new film, currently being purchased by Warner Bros, will see Skarsgard play one of two Viking brothers who have been banished to America, and begin a quest back to their homeland of Sweden.

Skarsgard, who hit the big time as Eric Northman in HBO hit True Blood, appears to be getting plenty of film work lately as he is set to appear in big screen roles in Straw Dogs and Battleship in the next few years, and he was recently seen in Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia, which had its premier at the Cannes film festival.

The film which currently has Jonathan Liebersman attached to direct, is

Warner Bros. apparently believe the film could end up in the same vein as Braveheart or Gladiator, and currently has Jonathan Liebsman attached to direct.

Whether it will make it past the development stages however is yet to be seen.

Banderas Joins He Loves Me

Antonio Banderas has signed up to join new film He Loves Me.

The film has also added Steve Coogan, Elliott Gould, Deborah Ann Woll and Chris Messina to its line up.

The film which is directed by Little Miss Sunshine co-directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton will see Paul Dano play Calvin, a young writer who is suffering from writers block after the success of his debut novel. To get his creative juices flowing he is advised to create his ideal woman. After conjuring her up on paper, when suddenly the desired woman becomes real. Interestingly Zoe Kazan, the films screenwriter and Dano’s real-life girlfriend is playing the part of his character’s ideal woman.

The film also includes the talents of Academy Award Nominee Annette Bening, playing Calvin’s mother. Banderas will be playing the part of Bening’s dodgy boyfriend, who, as you’ve guessed it, Calvin can’t stand.

Other characters in the film will be; a pompous rival author played by Coogan, Calvin’s brother played by Messina and the writer’s therapist, played by Gould. Woll will play the part of Calvin’s ex-girlfriend.

Although there is no confirmed release date for the picture, shooting has already begun in Los Angeles.

Review: Gretchen Wilson- Here for the Party

Originally posted on www.the-experts.co.uk

Gretchen Wilson started her big time music career in 2003, after signing a deal with Epic Records, which subsequently led to the release of her debut album 'Here for the Party'.

The album became a smash hit and went five times platinum in America and even topped the country music album charts.

The album was preceded by her worldwide hit and trademark song Redneck Woman, which hit the top charts in 2004 and became the first Country number one by a female in two years.

Since this success, she has gone on to win a Grammy award and released three more albums.

The album is pure country and Gretchen has helped bring that back into female country music after years of country pop dominating the charts.

The album kicks off with the title track Here for the Party. The track is aptly titled and it sets you up for the eel of the whole album. It includes the line "gunna have some fun" and she certainly does have some fun on this album.

As the track changes into Redneck Woman, we are treated to the sounds of screwing fans which instantly makes you feel as though you are in Nashville with its self-absorbing country vibe.

Amongst all the fun and party antics of the album, the artist slows down on several occasions to sing more heartfelt and personal songs that swim with emotion such as the song When I Think About Cheatin' which tells the sad tale of cheating during a relationship.

At certain points during the album, the listener is reminded of the rocky country vocal cords of Dixie Chicks' lead singer Natalie Maines, and makes the audience realise there is still true female country talent out there.

Gretchen has a brilliant way of mixing these heartfelt country ballads with her more uptempo country rock efforts, such as Redneck Woman and When it Rains, and it really works.

The heartfelt emotion and rocking beats bring you up and down on a roller coaster ride of true women's country music.

Opinion: Gay TV Takeover?

Originally posted on ww.lgf.org.uk

Last week Brian Sewell hit the headlines after his attack on Coronation Street for its apparent unrealistic portrayal of homosexual characters within the soap, believing that there were too many. 

In his article Sewell wrote, “Is it true that the lives of heterosexual Mancunians are haplessly intertwined with transvestites, transsexuals, teenage lesbians and a horde of homosexuals across the age range? Is Manchester now the Sodom of the North?”

Well the answer to this is yes, and it’s not just up North where the lives of people from the LGB&T community have mixed with people of the heterosexual community, it’s happening all over Britain, as believe it or not in the 21st century people are out and proud and it is ok to be gay.

Sewell Mentioned in his column that there were far too many people from the LGB&T community in Coronation Street considering that only 6 percent of the population are gay.

How does he know this? How does anybody know this? That 6 percent is an estimation of how many gay people there are in the UK, as there is no official way of finding out the sexual orientation of many people, and with news items like this still being written in 2011 we may never know.

Think about it, in today’s day and age how much do we really know about the people living on our streets? 

If you’re like me, and most people in the UK today, then the answer is not a lot, so no one knows how many homosexuals are in fact living in one area, the only reason we know this on soaps is because we are given a window into the characters lives.

What is even more infuriating is the notion that having a few gay characters living in Coronation Street is deemed far-fetched or unbelievable, yet the thought of having serial killers pop up every few years is deemed perfectly fine. Tell me how many serial killers have lived on your street over the last 10 years? I can assure you it wont be as many as Coronation Street or any other soap has had. Well lets hope not anyway.

Eastenders has also come under criticism recently and wasn’t spared when it came to this article last week. The show caused outrage for showing two men in bed together, who were apparently naked (the horror), with people saying it should be shown after the watershed, but why? This is just a normal portrayal of a gay relationship. I can assure you I have seen heterosexual couples in bed together that are seemingly naked on several occasions over the years and not once have I heard uproar over that.

Apparently these people who are complaining are just thinking of the children, but how can they be thinking about the children when they want a true portrayal of a gay relationship banned until after the watershed? Surely they are just enforcing homophobic prejudices upon their children and telling them that if they are gay and lie in bed naked together with someone of the same sex then it’s a sin, where as being naked in bed with someone of the opposite sex is fine.

The recent teenage lesbian storyline shown on Coronation Street has had a significant impact on young people across the UK who are struggling with coming to terms with their sexuality, and it has shown them that being gay is nothing to be ashamed of, and we haven’t seen a sudden rise in teenage lesbians because of it have we? No, so what’s the problem?

According to Sewell there’s a new book called Primetime Propaganda by Benjamin Shapio, which argues that an exclusively liberal TV establishment shapes taste, style, politics and family life and attitudes, and complains that gay writers, directors and actors admit to promoting their own gay rights agendas.

Fair enough, maybe the writers and directors are using elements of Coronation Street to show gay characters and by doing this they are helping to portray members of the LGB&T community in a positive light, but to suggest propaganda just makes it sound as though some people haven’t progressed very much in the last 50 years.

On a final note, surely by attacking the soap and saying there are too many gay characters and suggesting that certain scenes should be shown after the watershed, isn’t the whole article that started this debate working as a piece of homophobic propaganda?