Top 10: Picks for Future Travel Destinations

I feel like I’m stagnating when I’m not planning a trip, so it should come to no surprise to anyone that I was back to planning pretty much within a month of settling down in London. America isn’t happening for me this year, but that doesn’t mean I am going to wallow in self-pity. Places to go, things to do, let’s get started – my top 10 picks for my next destinations

• Edinburgh/Scottish Highlands

This makes top of the list because it’s easily achievable – I’m looking at the end of August when we have another delightful bank holiday. It’ll be a quick visit but at least I’ll get there…Scotland is the only country in the UK I haven’t visited yet.

• Santorini, Greece

Again, achievable aim. It’s not too difficult to get to Greece from London and if I simply fly into Santorini, I cut out all that pesky ferry business. Might try and do this before I go home too, provided imanage to save enough money.

• The Serengeti, Kenya

The only part of Africa I miss is the wildlife and I would so happy to spend two weeks just on safari. Alas, it’s ridiculously expensive but I’m hoping knowing the right people might make it more afforable. Hopefully in 2013.

• Kolmanskop/Sossusvlei, Namibia (The Namib dessert)

Namibia looks amazing. I love the idea of the dessert ghost towns being reclaimed by the dessert – it’s just poignant and beautiful in a way. Completley different and desolate and awesome. I’ve decided that next time I’m due for a visit to SA, I’m not going to stay in Joburg. I’ll head off and see Namibia, Botswana (and the aforementioned Kenya) instead. Why waste the opportunity?

• Tokyo, Japan

Cherry Blossom time! That is my main motivation.

• Hawaii

Stunning beaches, dramatic landscapes, laid-back people. What’s not to love about it?

• Morocco

It seems like a fascinating places and a couple of people I know have been there, and loved it. So, hey. Why not?

• Tromsø, Norway (Northern Lights)

Definitely at the top of my bucket list. I want to do this with my mum one year. Somehow, we must make it happen. (Save! Save like the wind!)

• Machu Picchu, Peru

I do love all that ancient wonders stuff and this seems so remote and amazing. I am thrilled to discover there is potential to go in January (um…save like the wind?)

• Canadian Rocky Mountains

Cause I like me some mountains, okay? It’s a toss up between Canada and Alaska for the last spot really, but I’m going with the Rockies cause I’ve always kind of wanted to see them.

Related -
Top five places to visit in the US: New York, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, Denver.

Of course, New Zealand will be my main destination next year. Hopefully. It worries me how completely I’ve given my heart to the country… I doubt I’ll ever love another places quite as much as I love it.

Music: Read My Mind - The Killers

Let the casting of The Hunger Games begin...

About two weeks ago, I was absolutely outraged by the rumour that Cedric would play Finnick Odair in Catching Fire. Twitter nearly caught alight from my ire. It then led to pretty much a whole day of trawling IMDb at work in search of a better option (read: anyone). I mean, Finnick’s supposed to be this bronzed beach god. In no universe can that description ever apply to Robert Pattinson. Just, no.

Since then, it has emerged that he will definitely not be in The Hunger Games films but since the casting for Finnick still hasn’t been revealed, here’s my list of 10 actors who could possibly pull it off (although to be honest, it was incredibly hard to even come up with 10 and I have yet to find someone who actually feels like a perfect fit…Finnick is a difficult one to place, he’s almost otherworldly.)

Art is better than people. By the amazing AliceXZ.

To the list portion of events...

1. Bradley James
Aka Arthur Pendragon of Camelot, the most oblivious of all kings.This came to me as Abs and I were watching a Cary Elwes film (yeah, apparently Cary Elwes makes me think of Bradley…I don't understand either.) Granted, he is not the most brillant of actors but he is very pretty. He’s got that whole golden boy aura thing about him and he has stunning eyes. I could deal with this.

It's been four seasons and yet I have no idea the person I spend most of  my
time with has magic powers...even though said person is probably the least
 subtle or stealthiest  person on the planet. Good work.

2. Chase Crawford
Kinda the same boat as His Royal Obliviousness up there…I’ve never seen him in anything other than Gossip Girl so not too sure how his acting skills will hold up on the big screen. But he is very pretty also, and could pull off a more androgynous vibe which is sort of important to Finnick (is he, essentially, a veela?)

I think the only way to describe his look in most of the pics that
came up in my image search  is smoulder. I went for smile instead.

3. Ian Somerhalder
I don’t know why they’re all tv actors but bear with me here. I don’t actually watch Vampire Diaries so I have noooo idea whether he can act, but the dude has amazing eyes. And bone structure. I’m being entirely shallow with the casting of this but physical appearance is so important in this instance, surely I can be forgiven…right? He’s also early 30s which is a plus when you consider Finnick is supposed to be 10 years older than the others…and they’re all played by 20-22 year olds.

I have chosen this pic because he is on a beach.
See how much thought I'm putting into this?

4. Zac Efron
Things we know about Zac Efron: can pull off a tan, can bulk up, can be very cheeky. Could work. I mean, he's good-looking in that swoony way, and Finnick does have a bit of that going for him too.

I have also chosen this pic because of the ocean. Yeah. I'm making an effort.

5. Armie Hammer
Probably too chiseled for the role? But he was very good in The Social Network and he could probably do justice to some of that inner depth Finnick gradually reveals.

And I have chosen this pic because I have no idea what this photogapher was
thinking when he came up with this. Yes, hold two sheets of plastic. Brilliant!

6. Jensen Ackles
Because of the eyes, and the smile. Yes.

Okay, okay, I’m struggling with this list... but he is adorable.

7. Taylor Kitsch
I haven’t actually seen him in anything, I only know of him cause a friend of mine fancies him. He does kind of look the part. Oh, wait no, I lie, he was Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine... not that it says much.

Gambit, for the record, is awesome. When is he getting his own movie?

8. Kevin Zegers
Same friend fancies him too. Saw him in Dawn of the Dead but that’s about it. If Zac Efron can be on this list though then so can he. Same basic look happening.

I...huh.

9. Nicholas Hoult
Thanks to Skins we know he can play arrogant and yet be likable and vulnerable. He’s quite versatile as an actor and I think pretty solid as well. Not exactly conventional beach god material, but it could work? Maybe.

Bow ties are cool.

And, finally, dare I say it…

10. Jake Gyllenhaal
Well. He’s Jake Gyllenhaal. Right age. Cheeky. Gorgeous. We could do way worse.

Yes alright, Mr Gyllenhaal, that's quite enough.

Another possibility: Brandon Routh 

Brandon strikes me as underappreciated, mostly because his Superman film never took off, but I thought he was rather brilliant in his small bit in Scott Pilgrim so on that merit, I’ve included him in this list. 

Also, Alexander Skarsgard. Because if you look up blonde adonis and/or perfection in the dictionary, this is what you'll find:

The reason he's such a convincing vampire is because he is clearly not human. 
While everyone stands around drooling, he will destroy us all.

But, realistically, I can’t help but feel that the part will probably go to Alex Pettyfer (who is actually much more palatable when he uses his natural accent, who knew) or Garrett Hedlund (who I like, but for this? I don't know.)

This was all too hard. Let’s move on to casting Beetee…yes, he’s supposed to be in his fifties or something, but we can all agree we want Matthew Gray Gubler, right? 

Music: Oh My God - Kaiser Chiefs

Top 10: Comic Book Movies

This is a total cop-out really. Until I saw the first X-Men movie, I never liked comic book or, more precisely, superhero movies so I'm not exactly what you'd call a good judge, well-informed or anything like that. But I do know what I enjoy, and that's enough for a list.

• V for Vendetta

The great thing about this is even though I saw the film first, it never detracted from my appreciation of the graphic novel. I love them both, but in completely different ways. They're very true to each other and yet somehow they still operate as separate texts. I think the acting in the film is just phenomenal, especially Hugo Weaving who manages to evoke so much with so little to use. The visuals are also perfect. Whenever I watch this film (and I admit, that is a lot) I always end up wishing that I could believe in something that much. Oh, to have a cause! An ideal! I think it was Che Guavara who said, 'We cannot be sure of having something to live for unless we are willing to die for it.'

• Batman Begins

I didn't particularly care about Batman until this came out. Sure, I saw the Tim Burton ones with Michael Keaton and the George Clooney films - and wasn't there one with Val Kilmer? Honestly, I though they were kind of lame. Batman just seemed kinda...flat to me. Admittedly, I was only 10 when Batman & Robin was released, so it's not like I was exactly the target audience. But I think Nolan's Batman films added pathos to the character that was lacking before, and made it much more 'real.' Plus I love a believable, fallible hero. It's why I can't buy into Superman - far too perfect, it's just not right.

• The Crow

I actually always forget that this was based on a comic book. I've never read it but I have seen the film countless times and just love it. I think it's a desperately romantic film, which no doubt speaks volumes about my idea of romance, but come on. Guy rises from the dead to avenge your murder? Eternal love and devotion right there.

• X-Men 

When this film first came out on video or DVD or whatever it was, I must have watched it at least three times in the first week. I loved it. Again, it's that idea of a fallible hero - of being flawed and human (well, you know what I mean) and finding yourself capable of extraordinary things. It also carries a lot of subtext about societal pressures and difference and ostracism which can be easily related to.

•   Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

I think my favourite thing about Scott Pilgrim is that offers absolutely no explanation for its world - it just is the way it is, and you have to roll with it. You always hear people carry on about introducing responders (be they readers or viewers) to your world and providing context and blah blah blah, but with this you're just in this seemingly real Toronto, until suddenly there are people with mystical powers and epic showdowns happening all over the place. No explanation to how or anything, it just is. And I love that. It's so tongue in cheek, witty and, well, awesome. In that fab pop-culture heavy way I adore. Just love.

• Iron Man

I never expected to fall for this like I did. I didn't know anything about the character and the only bits I knew were from an Avengers cartoon I caught a glimpse of on tv maybe once or twice and didn't find particularly interesting. Up to this point, comic book movies I was familiar with had consisted of the Spider-Man, X-Men and Batman films...and they're all kinda dark and broody. Iron Man, while still dealing with heavy things, is also just a hell of a lot of fun. It's funny, it's fast and it really is just a joy to watch. Up until this year, this was hands-down my favourite comic book film.

• Thor

As with the above, I didn't really expect to have a blast going into this but that's what ended up happening. All the set photos and stills leading up to it had looked a little fake and disappointing, but in the end, I think it delivered a well-executed action film that I thoroughly enjoyed...and really, I can't ask for more. I was surprised by how funny it is actually, and that really was the clincher. Of course it has it's flaws, particularly where Natalie Portman's character is concerned, but it has Thor and Loki being all Mufasa/Scar and who couldn't want that? Also, Sif. Also also, Hawkeye cameo. (Considering how few of his films I've seen, my championing of Jeremy Renner is somewhat disproportionate.)

• X2: X-Men United

I know I'm not the only one who watches these films and then starts hoping every random twitch is signs of a mutation manifesting. 'I just had a muscle spasm in my leg, I'm developing super-speed!' The thing I love the most about this entire world is that nothing is really black and white, it's all so messy and convoluted. Good can be bad and bad can be good, and they can switch at any time without you knowing. It's handled well in this film and there's a lot of things that work fine superficially, but have so much more happening under the surface.

• The Dark Knight

This doesn't need any explanation surely? Epic film is epic. Every time you think it's ended, something else happens (a good or a bad thing depending on your mood really). Also, two words, Heath Ledger. That is all.

• X-Men: First Class

What's that? I've never mentioned this one before? It must come as a huge surprise then that it's my favourite. Why are your eyes glassing over? Fine. I won't bore you with the hows and whys. Dissertation on X-Men forthcoming as soon as I finish my other academic things :P

Honourable mention: Red. Such a clever, quirky action film with a really stellar cast who I think all did a fantastic job. I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend everyone check it out. If you need incentive, Helen Mirren assassinates people and Karl Urban fights Bruce Willis while looking really fine in a nice suit. How could you possibly go wrong?

Also: Sin City, Kick-Ass, Hellboy, A History of Violence.


Bad films of note: Any of the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man's. I'm sorry (especially to you, R, I really am) but they are dull and Spider-Man is such a whiny little shit. Oooooh noooo, a spider bit me. Mary Ann doesn't love me. No one knows who I aaaaaaam. Waaaaaah. Dude, come on. And I don't think he's supposed to be that bad in the comics really (not like Batman, who can be a real downer - I get it Bruce! Your parents are dead, you made them a promise, you don't have to keep bringing it up.). I've only really read him in a Deadpool arc, but he was actually pretty funny in that so...I don't know. I don't care enough to investigate further. Also Wanted, which is I think is probably a rare case of the movie being pretty bad, but the comic book being even worse. Pedestrian is putting it kindly. Blah. Only watch the film for James McAoy being deliciously bad-ass, and also to make fun of looms. Looms are good. Oh, and then there's Jonah Hex. It has pretty much no story. But it does have Fassbender acting crazy and Irish so, you know. You just have to ask yourself how much nonsense that's worth.


Music: Eloise - Say Anything

Everybody wants to rule the world

Not quite a return to my top 10 list-making, but here are 5 ‘bad guys’ I shouldn’t love, but do anyway. And hey, t’is a far better way to spend a Monday morning than the alternative. Come along, my loves, let’s take over the world!

• The Master

John Simm’s version, naturally. With the smart suit, and the dancing, and event-appropriate music choices, what’s not to love here? So he’s a little unhinged, it’s still good! Even when he rises Voldemort-esque from the void and impersonates Iron Man in a dodgy track suit, I still find his craziness rather endearing. Forget that Lucy woman, let’s watch the world burn (I am terrible person, aren’t I?)

The Master approves of my destructive tendencies.

• Loki

Oh, Loki. You just want to be loved, don’t you? With that burly older brother always stealing the spotlight and acting like he’s the greatest thing ever, when everyone knows brains > muscle. But don’t worry, not everyone is totally blinded by Thor’s abs, I know you’re the interesting one. You might have to work on your mythical penchant for shapeshifting, but I’m not here to judge! Hey, you know what, he’s the Scar of Asgard. And say what you will, life would certainly never be boring.

That's right, I'm talking about you.

Trust me, brother. Mwhahaha. Oh wait, I’m not cackling out loud again, am I?

Aaaand the promo poster because that smirk is just…unfh.

• Ozymandias

But only in the movie! Not in the graphic novel. He’s a totally annoying prat in that. In the movie, I find his lofty ideals sort of intoxicating, and considering what a woeful state the rest of the world’s in, who can blame him for wanting to take over? Plus he’s very pretty here, without being too terrifyingly Aryan. Also he bio-engineers his own weird pets. That’s a pretty good rainy-day pastime. (I don’t care what anyone says, Matthew Goode, you single-handedly redeemed this thing for me. Who are you calling shallow? Stop it. I do what I want, Thor!)

Yeah. Ozymandias is unimpressed with my reasoning. As he is with everything else.

Also, what is it with supervillains and the colour purple?

• The Phantom of the Opera

While he’s not evil in a hell-bent-on-world-domination way, he's still kind of a 'bad guy.' Some people (ie my mother) think the Phantom is a creepy murderer. So he hangs the odd stage hand from the rafters, does that mean he doesn’t deserve affection? Stage hands can be annoying okay, and they were totally disrespecting his genius. I am a firm champion of the Phantom’s cause – so much so that I harbour a strong dislike for Raoul. He totally ruins everything! And alright, sure, maybe the Phantom comes on a little strong with the whole wedding-dress-in-the-lair thing, but please. The dude has no social skills at all, give him a break! 

Oh forget her, Erik. She doesn’t understand your tortured genius.

Quite a sharp dresser too.

• Magneto/Erik Lensherr etc etc (too many names)

Let's face it, humans suck. They routinely do horrible things to each other. Can you blame mutants for thinking it might be better if we weren’t around? Especially mutants who have suffered first hand the cruelty we inflict upon each other? Come on, you can totally understand where he’s coming from. Ugh and to think it could so easily have been different – if Charles was just a little less self-assured, and Erik just a little less unyielding, it could have gone the other way and he wouldn’t even be on this list. But here we are. Not that I’m naive enough like Mystique to think I can come between Magneto and his totally made for each other ex-BFF. And yes, this choice has everything to do with the brilliant acting skills of Sir Ian McKellen and the fantastic Mr Fassbender. It doesn’t hurt that the latter also looks great in a turtleneck. Not at all.

Somehow I don’t look as ridiculous in my
supervillain get-up as my younger self…

…but he makes up for it in other ways.

Oh yes, he does.

And now I kind of want a comic strip with this lot trying to take over the world in an Evil League of Evil/ Pinky and the Brain kind of way. I don’t think they’d play well together. It’d be hilarious. To the Villain mobile!

Anyway! Happy Monday.

PS. I still don't understand why we're not friends, McAvoy. Life is cruel.

Music: Here in your arms - Hellogoodbye

Top 10: Things I watched this week

I've been less than consistent with this, I know. The same old excuses, I won't bore you with it. I haven't done anything exciting and I don't have anything terribly creative to contribute, so instead here's a list of ten random things I've watched in the last week (or two).

• Captain America: The First Avenger

Somewhere in the last two years, I seem to have sold my soul to Marvel. That said, this was probably my least favourite of the lot so far. It was...okay, entertaining, good production as always, but I just didn’t really care about it. It also had a significant number of Star Wars moments, so by the time it finished I kind of just wanted to watch Return of the Jedi. Still, The Avengers trailer at the end was enough to have me flailing like the pathetic fangirl I am. Loki! Tony! Hawkeye! Thor! I just hope it can live up to the hype.

• Rise of the Planet of the Apes

This type of film is kind of unsettling. On one hand, you feel compelled to identify with the humans…after all, you are human. But then you sort of want the monkeys to have their revenge. Bit of a weird situation. I didn’t actually want to see this – it just not my kind of thing. That said, I think it deserves all the good reviews it’s had. The CGI is really amazingly well-done, and Andy Serkis is disturbingly good at playing these non-human characters so believably.

• The Fountain

Um. It has Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz in it? I honestly don’t know what to say about this film. It’s so very existential. But I did watch all of it, so it has that going for it. In a nutshell, it’s about death. The film tracks three parallel stories over I don’t know how many years in a weird sci-fi-fantasy like way. It’s directed by Darren Aronofsky so really, weirdness is to be expected. Now I like weird movies, but this didn’t really do it for me. I didn’t think it was bad, but it didn’t make me think either – which is probably what it was trying to do. But I do like the film score though.

• The Young Victoria

I’m not going to lie to you Marge, I loved this. Loved. It. I think I'm developing an unfortunate love for films dealing with royalty…wonder what that’s all about. But never mind! This film is so pretty. And I thought the cast were solid. However the real question is, will Mark Strong ever not play a bad guy? It’s a dead giveaway when I see him in a film. "It was him! I don’t know what happened, but whatever it was, he did it." I do like his evilness though…but maybe that’s just because I love Septimus from Stardust so much.

• Jonah Hex

The things I watch for you, Fassbender. I sincerely doubt the people behind this gave it any significant thought. It’s barely over an hour long and would really have benefitted from some actual character development.

• Band of Brothers

So. Much. Heartache. The tears, the tears everywhere. I fully expected this to destroy me. But it is so, so phenomenally good. Luckily mum was into as well, so that gave me someone to cling to – and I really did, I was cowering behind her arm pretty consistently from the moment they made the jump at the start of ‘Day of Days'. And ‘Bastogne’, oh dear god. As a general rule I avoid watching war-based things (well, realistic modern war things.) After Saving Private Ryan had me in tears within the first ten minutes, I decided I just wasn’t cut out for this sort of thing. It thoroughly depresses me and makes me hate humanity. But I'd heard such great things about BoB and since Life showed me what an amazing actor Damian Lewis is, I just couldn’t resist. And really, this series is just packed with brilliant actors. They’re all there! You can’t recognise them, but they’re there. It is a brilliant series. I cannot recommend it enough.

• Brothers & Sisters

I’m just taking forever to get through the first season - only three episodes left! But my slowness doesn’t mean I don’t love the show. I really do. It’s consistently brilliant and often has me laughing like an idiot. Ah dysfunctional families, they’re the best kind.

• Hex

A terrible show that makes me question what I’m doing with my life. There’s a reason I never got into it the first time it was on air. It makes so very little sense. I want to give it the benefit of the doubt but I’ve just realised there’s only 6 episodes in the first season and I’m already halfway. What the hell!

• Wilfred

The only reason I paid attention to this was because I saw Elijah Wood in the ad. Fickle, me? Never. It’s based on an Aussie comedy show that I’d never heard of – not that it’s saying much, I’m not the most up-to-date with local things. But anyway, the show is basically about Ryan and his neighbour’s dog Wilfred, which Ryan sees as a man in a dog suit. I am actually ashamed to admit that I watch this because every fibre of my being tells me I shouldn’t, and I definitely shouldn’t enjoy it as much as I do. Ah well.

• Spirited

This show. It’s like someone had a photo of me on their desk and thought ‘Hey, let’s write something for her!’ With the ghost of a punk rocker, how can you go wrong? It’s quirky, a little odd and awkward, with characters that are frequently cringe-worthy. And I adore it. I’m only two episodes into the second season, hopefully I'll have a chance to catch up soon.

Music: Holiday - Green Day