Rihanna 'Man Down' Official Music Video

[READ MY LOUD ALBUM REVIEW]

So Rihanna JUST PREMIERED her latest video 'Man Down', which is one of my favourite songs off her album ' Loud'. 

The video starts with Rihanna emerging from the dark and shooting a man down, only for us to wonder what happened and get shown shots from the day before... which has a very exotic style. Shot in Jamaica, the video feels very genuine and there is great beauty in the culture and the streets.

I liked the suspense as you wondered what happened which led her to shoot the man, her acting was quite convincing there is some emotion in her- I really liked how she looked on that raft- very pretty :)

It is only till the end that the video takes a dark turn when the mysterious man from the club stalks her and abuses her, which leads her to shoot him down. A very deep message is found in the video and I can say this is my favourite video off this album!

Check out the video below: 

'Miss Me' by Andy Grammer

I first heard about Andy Grammer from a Taylor Swift tweet (if she likes it, I guess I would too) and have now been addicted to his song called 'Miss Me'. Grammer started off as a busker and now he's preparing the release of his first album! There is just something really catchy about the song and he has a pretty strong voice- great live from his introduction video. 

His first single 'Keep Your Head Up' is also pretty catchy but I prefer 'Miss Me'. Andy Grammer is definitely one to watch out for and I'll definitely be checking out the album when it is released. His debut album is released in two weeks on June 14th.

Check out 'Miss Me' Below:

Cute Animals: Squirrel Monkeys

 

The last one this month are squirrel monkeys- I remember seeing them at Woburn Safari Park and thought they were really awesome- the babies are so cute clinging onto their mother for dear life... they're also very animated and jumpy!

They don't look very small but the babies can pretty much fit into your palm :D they would make great pocket pets - jokes...

See the rest of the images below:

Hansel and Gretel Paper Cut Outs by Sybille Schenker

Sybille Schenker has created a series of intricate paper cuts inspired by Hansel and Gretal which she latered turned into a book, using translucent paper to create a very mystical effect. I love how there is consistency in the images as you turn the pages and I love the woodland scenes... 

There is just something so powerful about something as simple as cutting paper to create these interesting works. See the rest of the images below:

Ryan Reynolds in DETAILS Magazine (June 2011)

Ryan Reynolds is featured in June's issue of Details Magazine where he talks about his break up from Scarlett Johansson, how he is still yet to move on from it and how they both liked to keep their private life private. 

Ryan Reynolds is also a very busy man, starring in the upcoming film Green Lantern opposite Blake Lively, Safehouse with Denzel Washington and also The Change Up alongside Jason Bateman.

Meanwhile, Johansson can be seen in 'W' magazine and also on the arm of Sean Penn. I wonder what Ryan thinks about that.

Check out the rest of the shoot below, where Reynolds is wearing shirts, jeans, t-shirts and trousers from Gucci, Calvin Klein and Prada.:

Scarlett Johansson in W Magazine (June 2011)

Scarlett Johansson can be seen in June's edition of 'W' magazine but unlike any other spread, she appears as Hollywood icons such as Buster Keaton, Marlene Dietrich and Sarah Bernhardt. Apparently she was also photographed as Elvis but that shot was unused. 

The feature is titled "Woody's other woman: A Study In Scarlett", referencing her being Woody Allen's muse, as she has been in several of his movies: Vicky Christina Barcelona, Match Point and Scoop.

I like how Scarlett is being unconvential with this shoot and there are some good clothes on display but what is going through her mind?! I mean this for one thing but Sean Penn...? What do you think?

Check out the rest of the images below:

Insidious Film Review

Went to see this impulsively yesterday, this being my officially my first 'horror'/'scary' movie at the cinema... having seen the trailer I thought this would be another typical 'Paranormal Activity' style movie (there are quite a lot fo similarities eg the baby monitor.../baby crib shots) but this movie moved into a rather strange and shocking direction for the ending which was a surprise.

~~~THOUGHTS ON PLOT~~~

Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) move into a new house with their two boys and baby girl. The day after a ladder accident, their oldest son Dalton does not wake up and supposedly entered into a coma, with mysterious occurances causing Renai to be extremely disturbed. 

Deciding the house is haunted, Josh and Renai move once again but the strange sightings have not stopped. Josh's mother (Barbara Hershey) suggests calling an old friend Elise (Lin Shaye) about the paranormal sightings. Elise tells them that 'the house isn't haunted. It's your son that's haunted'. Following Elise's instructions, the family tries to contact their son and bring him back from the spiritual realm at all costs...

Taylor Swift 'The Story Of Us' Official Music Video

[READ 'SPEAK NOW' ALBUM REVIEW]

Since winning 3 Billboard awards on Sunday, Taylor Swift has released the video to 'The Story of Us', though only recently released the music video for 'Mean' (we're so lucky!)- I love this song- it's more upbeat and edges towards dance/pop, and love the lyrics which work so well for this video.

In it, Taylor Swift encounters an ex in the library, someone she was very much in love with then after they broke up it becomes awkward - with lyrics going:

How'd we end up this way?
See me nervously pulling at my clothes
And trying to look busy
And you're doing your best to avoid me...

There is a simplicity to this video having it shot in a library, the colours are beautiful and so is Taylor Swift, especially with her hair messed up near the beginning. I loved her in those chunky glasses :D She is also becoming quite the actress with her really animated looks for example when she's fixing her hair after messing it up. 

I wasn't sure who some of the people in the library were who were randomly in the shots but they look a bit like her bandmates? :S 

The ending was also spectacular as it isn't something you'd expect and it's just so cute and funny- and VERY appropriate for the song. I am very happy with this video it seems to have the same colours as 'Back to December' so I hope they continue the videos like this! Though if 'Haunted' ever becomes a single (DYING FOR IT TO) then I'd love for it to be really dark and mysterious and she can shoot it in a castle!

Anyway, check out the music video below and let me know what you think!

Bad Teacher Film Trailer and Preview

Cameron Diaz's latest film titled 'Bad Teacher' is about a teacher who 'doesn't give an "F"' and lazes about waiting for the right man to take care of her. When she meets [rich?] substitute teacher Justin Timberlake, she goes all out trying to impress him. Seeing that his last girlfriend was well endowed, she aspires to get a boob job in order to catch his eye.

Hearing that the teacher with the best grades will get a bonus, she changes her attitude to teaching and strives to get that extra money presumably for that boob job.

This sounds like a completely typical rom com film where she wouldn't need to go through with it to get the guy as he'll be impressed with her change of heart and fall in love with her. However, it's Cameron Diaz and this is her territory. When she's blonde and looks like that you know what kind of film you're in for. 

Despite this seen before formula, there is something here which still attracts me to want to see it. Undoubtedly it's pretty trashy and blah but if you want to kill a few hours, this could be the solution.

The film is out next month, on 24th June.

Watch the trailer below:

My Autograph Collection

One of my new year's resolutions was to blog about more personal things and I guess this is one of those~ A few years ago I went through a mad phase of autograph collecting... I guess it started with receiving numerous signed photos of Christine Guldbrandsen and a signed CD that led me on to this "hobby". 

It's actually a very simple process. You find the address of the person whose autograph you want (agent or management agency address- you don't want to freak them out posting to their home) and just mail them a short letter asking for a signed photo! It is always nice to be polite and perhaps suck up a bit (or even make out that it's your birthday soon and you'd really like it as a present LOL)~ It's all good PR!

I guess my most exciting success was meeting Gemma Arterton and getting an "in person" autograph at the James Bond Quantum of Solace Premiere which fuelled me on to writing a whole batch of letters. The worse part in all this is waiting as responses can take from weeks to months but when you get a big envelope by the front door the excitement is totally worth it, especially after a year or two and you have totally forgotten you ever sent a letter out!

Cute Animals: Mountain Lion Cubs

 

These mountain lion cubs look quite similar to the cheetah babies I posted two weeks back but I guess there must be some distinct marking which tells them apart. One of these pictures was actually accidentally posted on my cheetah babies blog but I discovered it wasn't actually a cheetah baby and was a mountain lion cub so it's now been transfered here!

Check out the rest of the images below:

Taylor Swift wins at the Billboard Music Awards 2011

Taylor Swift wins three awards at last night's Billboard Music awards for Top Billboard 200 artist, Top Country artist and Top Country album. I love Speak Now, so it was well deserved! I thought she would win Top Billboard 200 artist as well given the album did so well on the #1 spot, but it was tough competition and Eminem won for Recovery 2.0. 

Rihanna and Lady Gaga both took home three as well, the overall winners being Justin Bieber and Eminem, each getting six awards. 

Taylor Swift wore an Elie Saab gown (all her dresses are starting to look the same now, but she's looks gorgeous in nude/beige...), whilst Rihanna looked stylish in white. 

Rihanna and Britney performed S&M (from Rihanna's album Loud) in raunchy outfits and ended with a fun pillow fight, with Britney being smooched by Rihanna (on the cheek :D) reminiscent of the Britney-Madonna MTV smooch.

Desperate Housewives Season 7 Recap

 

Last week was the season finale of Desperate Housewives Season 7 which is the first season of Desperate Housewives that I've watched, mainly due to the new arrival on the lane Renee Perry, played by Michelle Williams, who I enjoyed watching previously on Ugly Betty as Wilhelmina Slater. And it seems like the character of Renee captures very much the essence of Wilhelmina which makes her character that much more relateable and enjoyable to watch, just now in a different setting.

Apart from the arrival of a new gal on Wisteria Lane, Season 7 started off with the release of Paul Young from prison, a person the girls on the lane did not like due to his history on the lane and his involvement with a murder.

It was slightly puzzling trying to work out why everyone hated him given I don't know the history, but there was certainly something fishy about his plan of starting a halfway house on the lane.

Paul's evil plan of ruining the lane involved him moving into Susan's house as she is running into financial difficulty, leading her to participate in internet household cleaning erotica, but Paul soon finds out and blackmails her. The truth is very quickly revealed, in which she loses her job at the school.

The secret about Gaby's child Juanita not actually being hers is revealed, and she goes out looking for her biological daughter and when found, she becomes too attached to Grace, causing her to become mentally unstable when Grace has to leave. 

Natalia Vodianova in Calvin Klein Euphoria Fragrance Campaign

 

I loved this ad when I first saw it years ago... There was just something to mesmerising about that face and to find that it's Natalia Vodianova. I also like the follow up campaign (don't know when these are, they're from years back) love the fluidity of it all. She's a stunning model!!

Check out the ads below:

Keira Knightley in Flaunt Magazine (May 2011)

Keira Knightley appears in Flaunt Magazine's 'Populence Issue'. She wears Julien MacDonald, Christian Louboutin and Chanel for her shoot. In the magazine, she talks about performing on stage, her film 'Last Night' and potentially reuniting with 'Atonement' director Joe Wright for an upcoming movie.
  

Keira looks stunning in the lilac and fuschia cover dress with the lace head-dress, though the styling of the hair in some shots is a bit strange... loved her hair at the 'Never Let Me Go' premiere!

Check out the rest of the images below: