Weighing in | 50 Shades of Grey





It has been about a week and a half since I, like the majority of the world, dipped my toe in, bit the bullet and dove straight in to see 50 Shades of Grey at my local cinema. As a film buff I see most of the films that come out, and I have to say the hype surrounding this particular novel (if you can call it that) to film adaptation, in fact my local newspaper (The Evening Express) estimated that around 15,000 Aberdonians were set to flock to the cinemas on opening weekend to see it (which I of course avoided at all costs due to my intense hatred of crowds!) Since then I have seen various reviews, rants and general posts about the '50 Shades Experience' mainly revolving around issues of consent, domestic violence and feminism all of which have been very interesting to read, the world would be a very boring place if everyone were the same wouldn't it? So today I thought I would leap on the bandwagon and share my own views on this phenomenon that has men and women a like up in arms, going gaga and flocking to the cinemas!
 

First let's start with the film. The film itself? I didn't hate it. Of course being Oscar season it doesn't exactly fit in to the typical melodramas we have been saturated with and it was sort of a refreshing change of pace. The dialogue was cheesy, given it was taken directly from the book the majority of the time I really expected nothing but, the acting wasn't fantastic (I guess some of those scenes would have been pretty difficult to film so...solid effort I suppose) and the storyline itself is a basic Mills and Boon / Twilight crossover and so I'm not entirely sure where the success of this particular piece of smut came from but ho hum the public are mysterious creatures sometimes. If you are swithering about whether or not to see it, I wouldn't waste a tenner on it (if like me you have an Unlimited card go for it) as I do feel it is rather pricey. On a little side note I feel the cinemas have missed a trick here, give 50 Shades book owners a discount? Or free Ann Summers discount voucher with every ticket purchased? That's just the PR lady in me though I suppose.
 

With all of the comments of domestic violence circulating the blogosphere, internet and world given its popularity, I went in fully expecting to come out with my feminist hat on bemused at how such a violent film could be made in this day and age yet be so wildly popular with women in particular but it is here where we enter a rather grey area (HA!) The film and the book a like cover themselves incredibly well from revolving around an abusive relationship, and despite the naivety of the central female character I have to say that this is not a violent tale. Everything in the film is consensual, and when I say everything I mean EVERYTHING (in fact there was even an incredibly in depth contract read, reread and then agreed to) and it really comes down to a case of sexual experimentation, taste and character development, something we would never criticize people in the real world for (each to their own and all that jazz) As a feminist, I applaud the central character for being open minded enough to give everything a go and despite the overpowering and at times intense male presence in the film I think she held her own incredibly well, she ruled out everything she was uncomfortable with, did not run to his beck and call and was able to maintain her individual identity throughout the course of their relationship (brief I may add)

 

Even though there are sighs, hos and hums from the film critics and publics all over the world it appears this saga is here to stay (having signed on for another 2 films, and why not it's a money making machine?!) and I for one am excited to see the characters develop and delve ever deeper into the realms of female sexuality, experimentation and BDSM which as a nation we are quick to brush off and shy away from (I am also looking forward to seeing how much Ann Summers sales upsurge in!)
 

Until next time folks, feminism hat is well and truly on!

 

H.Elizabeth xx

Christmas at the Cinema | St Vincent Review

For those of you who were wondering, yes I am still very much a cinema geek dating back to my 'cinephile' post a little while back I can tell you with great certainty that nothing has changed. In fact now that my life has a bit of routine in it since leaving university earlier this year I'm a more active cinema goer than ever, and my unlimited card has certainly been through the ringer these past few weeks with the latest in Christmas releases, from Paddington and Horrible Bosses 2 to the Hobbit and the Hunger Games my cinema life has never seen so much action!

But today I wanted to tell you about an unexpected gem that I suspect may go overlooked by many a cinema goer in the coming weeks and just as a word of recommendation from me I highly suggest you see Bill Murray's latest acting endeavour 'St Vincent' 

St Vincent Movie Poster 2014

Now I know what a lot of you will be thinking, Bill Murray is often viewed as a love him or hate him kind of actor and well I love him and my mother hates him, but in this film I can't imagine anybody not being able to muster at least a smirk at his comedic performance as inappropriate aging childminder Vincent!

I will try not to give too much of the story away but in the opening scenes we are introduced to the crass, elderly veteran Vincent de Van Nuys (Bill Murray) who lives out his days drinking hard liquor, wasting his money at the race tracks and generally making others around him a bit miserable. Of course when introduced to his new neighbours, Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and her 12 year old son Oliver (Jadeb Lieberher), is nothing but his typical grumpy self. Following unexpected difficulties at school, Oliver finds himself in the care of Vincent after an opportunity to squeeze some cash from single mother Maggie presents itself.

Vincent and Oliver go on to share in all kinds of debauchery and archaic experiences including a few stints at the race track, broken noses and of course Olivers introduction to Daka (Naomi Watts), a 'lady of the night' Throughout the course of the film Vincent and Oliver forge an unlikely friendship which is both heartwarming and endearing to witness. The film has scenes of laughter, love and heartbreak and  I would recommend it to anyone who would like to avoid the shiny shiny of the many blockbusters we have thrust in our faces these days in favour of a gem of a film.

Hopefully this encourages at least one of you to give the film a go, if you do go see it let me know or if this has convinced you to see it drop me a comment below! If this isn't up your street I also highly recommend Paddington, the final Hobbit movie or if it's still in of course do not miss The Imitation Game! Are there any films, cinema, DVD or television you've been loving lately, I always love to hear about new releases, be sure to leave a comment, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd like to see more Granite City posts come find me on Bloglovin.

Happy watching until next time folks!

H.Elizabeth xx

Granite City Girl's Christmas Tag

Since it's Christmas time the bloggosphere appears to be overwhelmed with festivities, from the blogger gift exchange and gift ideas for him and her, to all of the festive make up collections and of course who can forget all of the gingerbread syrup products we've all been drooling over.

So I was quite chuffed to be tagged to do this post by Kate of Girl With Bambi Eyes as this year I've been feeling particularly festive!

These days I get more into the Christmas spirit. (Me and my Dad in 1993)

1. What is your favourite Christmas movie/s?

Elf, I still remember seeing this in the cinema when it first came out and I am still as much as in love with it now as I was then. I think cinema wise you get to see a different side to Will Ferrel's acting and it's a completely unique take on the traditional Christmas story. It also helps to be set in New York which I have had a love affair with since a very young age and will continue to until I visit ALL OF THE STORES to get it out of my system!

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
My mum HATES me for this and accuses me of lack of excitement but I always wait until Christmas morning, it's not that I'm not enthused by gifts but I like the wait, plus it feels like Christmas lasts that little bit longer.

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
My favourite memory from my childhood at Christmas was leaving out a Turkish Delight and glass of Coke for Santa (judging by those Coke ads Santa is an advocate!) At least when he came to my house he got something a little bit different!

4. Favourite Christmas food?
I love gingerbread if we're talking simple festive foods, I love that bit in the Grinch where they give him a Christmas cookie but he eats the plate, the gingerbread looks amazing. In fact the entire who feast in the Grinch looks amazing! If we're talking favourite part of Turkey dinner, I'd have to say roast potatoes with cranberry sauce, delish!

5. Favourite Christmas gift?As a kid I got an amazing Barbie dream house, I was very much a girly girl back then too, I remember it was mainly pink and white and it had blue roofing and I was jealous of her interiors and truth be told I still am,  Barbie has got taste!

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

Cinnamon scents are my favourite scents ever, I love anything tasting of cinnamon and extra bonus if its apple and cinnamon.

7. Do you have any Christmas traditions?
I must still be in bed before midnight, otherwise it just throws off Christmas, even if it's 11.55pm it must be before! We also always watch Elf when we're putting up our tree, truth be told that is quite a recent tradition that Nick and I have implemented over the last 3 years. Oh and when we're opening present I always sit on my blanket on the floor, some childhood traditions you just don't let go of!

8. What tops your Christmas tree?
A silver glittery star, I like to keep it traditional when it comes to our tree and those angels often freak me out!

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you asked for but never got?
Probably a puppy, I was never too disappointed though I got some amazing gifts, and I still do!

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

I love watching people open their gifts on Christmas morning, I also love sitting eating my breakfast on Christmas morning while this is happening, food and presents have to be the best combo ever!

This tag has been so much fun to do I really do recommend you give it a bash if you're a bit low on the festive spirit this season so with that in mind I tag all of you bloggers and even non bloggers to give this a bash on your facebooks, blogs, social media or even writing it down will help.

Of course if you've enjoyed reading this or if you'd even like to share some of your Christmas memories, drop me a comment below, send me a Tweet or of course if you'd like to keep up with the latests on my Aberdeen antics, little life posts and such like, come find me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks!

H.Elizabeth x

October Wishlist | Autumnal Wants

It has been a wee while since I've done a post like this, but I suppose it's because I've had far more interesting things to blog about as of late. But alas we are back, and here are my top picks, wants, wishes and lust after list items for this Autumnal month.

#1 A statement coat

I've been seeing a lot of reds, corals and forest greens for Autumn this year and I have recently endeavoured to get away from dull dark clothing colours and add a pop of colour to my Autumn/Winter wardrobe and what better way to do that than with a siren red jacket?!

#2 A new hair do (No pic  since I don't know what I want)

As much as I do love my strawberry blonde Summer locks, they appear out of place and quite lack lustre in the Autmnal weather we've been having (any excuse for a good hair change) so I've been dreaming of an Auburny / Red to see my head through the cold Winter months. Stay tuned for my eventual big reveal!

#3 Maleficent on DVD and in my life!

This film, I need in my life. I saw it in the cinema 3 times and with the date of October 20th being the release date and pending I'm getting myself awfully hyped up! Anyone else?

#4 Heated Rollers

And my quest for voluminous locks continues. Yes I'm still loving a good bouffant hair do and with my velcro rollers working wonders for special occassions and evenings out, I can only imagine what I may achieve with heated rollers.

#5 A pair of good (bonus for sensible) shoes

Walking to work everyday is so good, I get woken up on the way to work, get some good exercise going but the only things that aren't thanking me are my feet! Sometimes I just don't want to have to change shoes arriving at work so I just need a good pair of sensible yet not scary shoes to walk daily in, is that really too much to ask!?

So there you have it, my Autumnal wishlist, if there is anything on here you can potentially help me out with finding for example my lusty statement coat to see me through Winter storms and rain, drop me a comment below, Tweet it at me on Twitter or if you'd just like to keep up and see more of me come find me on Bloglovin.

Until next time, see you folks!

H.Elizabeth x

Cinema Outings | February, March 2014

Hello guys, today I thought I would share some of my monthly cinema outings with you guys since you already know how much of a cinema geek I am.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to go to the cinema as much as I would have wanted this past month because of coursework, wedding planning amongst other personal activities, so I'm afraid we are just going to have to make do with the main four I have seen this month.

Wolf of Wall Street

Let's start strong with the widely renowned 'Wolf of Wall Street' A twisted true story of the corruption that lives at the top of the career pedestal that is Wall Street. Following in the footsteps of 80's classic 'Wall Street' starring Michael Douglas, 'Wolf of Wall Street' shocks and awes with tales of  greed and excess from the biographical works of Jordan Belfort. I am a great lover of tales of money, excess and grandeur and the air of reality surrounding the 'Wolf of Wall Street' made this cinema treat that much sweeter. As I said much like the beloved 'Wall Street' but with more boobs.
Wolf of Wall Street Trailer

Lego Movie

I went in with high hopes, I really did but something didn't quite click for myself and the Lego Movie. Perhaps it's because of THAT song I just couldn't get out of my head, the shaky plot line or the potential that I feel was just wasted, unfortunately this will not be at the top of my 'to buy' list.
Lego Movie Trailer

The Book Theif

A very pleasant surprise came to me in the form of the cinematic adaptation of 'The Book Theif' seeing yet another WWII film release in the cinema made me want to snooze, but with some swaying my mother persuaded me to watch it with her and thank goodness I did. From the off there are tears, tension and terror, as we journey through newly occupied Nazi Germany through the eyes of a young girl and her family.
The Book Theif Trailer

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Reminiscent in parts of good old Monty Python skits The Grand Budapest Hotel is a comical and visual feast not to be missed by fans of Wes Anderson. Even if not to go for the storyline, the visuals are so perfectly placed offering the audience a delicious confection images and Ralph Fiennes dazzles as the camp and witty Mr Gustave H, whose performance is good enough to go see the movie alone, a far cry from his renowned performance as Voldemort that's for sure!

The Grand Budapest Hotel Trailer

Of the four my favourite is absolutely 'The Wolf of Wall Street' in fact I loved it so much so I have even went and bought the full autobiographical work of Jordan Belfort.

Are there any films you've been loving lately, cinema, DVD or TV, I'd love to hear your thoughts, drop a comment below come chat on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up to date with the latest posts on Granite City Girl come follow me on Bloglovin

H. Elizabeth

Ghost comes to Aberdeen

As some of you know (from my 20 things post) I have a fairly close relationship with my Mum (the daily phone calls was a hint) she is a wonderful, hardworking woman who deserves nothing less than the best, therefore every Christmas I work to find the perfect annual gift to give her and for Christmas 2013 I found myself giving her the gift of a Ghostly theatrical performance!

Since a young age I have shared many cinema going and movie watching experiences with my mother, but none, more so, than of the Hollywood blockbuster and romantic comedy genre ( mostly of the Patrick Swayze persuasion I may add!) With some of her most loved films being Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman and of course Ghost it was natural that I take her to the live stage shows when they occasionally appear in Aberdeen, and this year was no exception.

 

(My copy of the programme)

On purchasing the tickets for 'Ghost' the West End spectacular about 6 months ago, I went in with not only skepticism but exceedingly high hopes, the transition of a Hollywood classic to a theatrical stage show is not an easy feat to accomplish, but tackled the right way can lead to something mesmerising.

From arriving at our well picked (if I do say so myself) seats in the stalls I was in awe at how my small local theatre had been transformed into a clear window display of the New York skyline, from then on I was hooked (my NYC love knows no bounds) Although, we were intrigued as to how they could turn one of our favourite movies into a musical performance having known only one song from the actual film, but I must say their original songs 100% delivered and I think struck the perfect balance between cinema and stage show.

Perhaps the most impressive and jaw dropping aspect of all; other than the male lead's washboard abs.. it had to be mentioned; was the special effects. NEVER and I mean NEVER have I seen a show who used so many clever lighting tricks and special effects to simply add to a shows performance. Bodies floated with what appeared to be no strings, the actors ghostly bodies appeared while at the same time leaving their physical bodies behind, and most impressively our buff Sam was shown to pass through physical objects, as if the scene had literally jumped out of our much loved Hollywood blockbuster and onto stage... more impressive in real life if you ask me!

(Musical numbers from the show)

As I do not want to spoil anything for those who may not have seen the film, or those who may even now be wishing to see the stage show, I'll end here, but I will say this...bring your tissues ladies and gentlemen, there won't be a dry eye in the house.

Most importantly, my mum had a blast and I couldn't have been happier! So until the West End decide to make a Pretty Woman Musical I may have to get a bit more imaginative with future gifts!

As always your comments are welcome and you can always catch me on Twitter or follow me on BlogLovin

H.Elizabeth

  Stay tuned for my Ghost | What I Wore post coming soon.
 (Recent theatre visits include: Dirty Dancing, The Full Monty and The Rocky Horror Picture Show)

Quirks of a Cinephile

Today I'm going to reveal something a few of you don't know about me, I am a major Cinephile.

A 'Cinephile' for those who don't know is someone with an intense interest in cinema and film, I personally have gone to the cinema every week, at least once a week since I was about 5 or 6 years old. It's a passion I have shared with my parents  for years, with the interest actually stemming from their...encouragement (can it be called that?)

Those who know me often have to suffer through those Cinephilic quirks which have came to define my personality and enhance my...qualities as a person, here is a taster of what it can be like as a friend of a Cinephile:

#1. First of all as a cinema fanatic and being an avid viewer of many many films over the years, I have a movie reference for pretty much everything, discussing McDonalds will remind me of Pulp Fiction and even my shopping style is reminiscent of scenes from Confessions of a Shopaholic. So if you ever are in a situation where you meet me, you can guarantee I'll have a movie reference for that exact moment.

#2. Watching a film with me can literally take hours and hours if you're a chatterbox, that film will be paused and rewound more times than Leo DiCaprio has cried on screen ever!

#3. I remember life milestones by the film that was released that year, for example the year I met my first boyfriend was the year I went to see Juno in Vue Cinema (significant as it isn't my regular cinema) and the day I was accepted into my college course, I went to see Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, a surprisingly handy way to remember my life!

#4. Cinema is my temple of worship, many of my pet peeves were born in the cinema, loud crunchers, erratic movements and misuse of the 'silent' phone option being a few. You need to be a truly special person to achieve cinema-going status with this Cinephile!

#5. Not only am I a Cinephile, I am an analytic Cinephile, meaning that when I see a movie I spend days deconstructing the plot and searching for plot holes to determine whether or not I shall ever watch it again (Iron Man 3 is a big no no unfortunately)

#6. My house is full of film related memorabilia, mainly Star Wars and Avengers related, one of my favourite websites for this is called Sideshow Collectibles which I recommend for any film fans looking to add some character to their homes (pun intended)

#7. My favourite films are often related to consumerism, greed and excess, one of the most recent cinematic wins I have witnessed from this category is, 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' and 2013's 'Filth' as well as recent indie flick, 'The Bling Ring'

#8. A film debate with me can turn very nasty very quickly.. you were warned..

#9. I have had a Cineworld Unlimited card since they were released originally as Virgin cinemas (I think)

#10. And lastly on my Cinephile quirk list, a wee bit more personally, I have collected every cinema ticket stub I have been able to for the past 10+ years.....

Now you have seen into my quirky mind and read about one of my greatest loved past times, I hope this doesn't send you running! As always all comments are appreciated, it'd be nice to hear from some fellow Cinephiles, or I'd love to hear about your own quirks?

(a couple of the oldest in my collection)


H.Elizabeth