hit me baby one more time

Reading through BBC news online as I do every morning, I stumbled across an article that both amused and perplexed me. It concerns a domestic violence case in New Zealand. Now before you shrug your shoulders and think 'how on Earth can this sick person find such a thing amusing', hear me out. Naturally as one would expect, the husband pleaded innocent to the charges, but what struck me as most unusual was the alibi he gave. He stated that he and his wife were merely dancing the kolbasti, a traditional dance, which he said used moves that resemble punching, kicking and even choking.

This sounds so unbelievable I'm not sure whether to believe the guy or not. One doesn't make this stuff up right?
Have a look for yourself - does this look like fighting or dancing to you?

C'est chic?

Steven Meisel has always been known for his edgy fashion spreads, but has he gone too far now? His latest fashion spread to appear in Italian Vogue is inspired by the BP oil spill catastrophe. The spread has beautiful model Kristen McMenamy clothed in couture drenched in oil lying helplessly on the shore. Does this send out a message or is this just distasteful? Many argue about the artistic credibility of fashion photography. Sure they do have artistic value, but the essence of them is to sell, to advertise. Refinery29, the online fashion magazine, believes the spread to be wasteful and hypocritical, disgusted by the idea of luxury items being flown in to be muddied, photographed and then advertised. Captions such as 'Oil is the new black' are particularly horrendous and insensitive. Or could it be Meisel's attempt at irony - portraying the tragedy and grittiness of an ecological disaster in a usually glamorous magazine. Is this a creative eye-opener or is this just opportunistic advertising? What are your thoughts? Well have a glance at the Look Book and judge for yourself.

If you're interested in reading what others have to say about this controversial shoot, check out Newsweek's article.

dream a little dream of me

The credits were rolling, people were leaving but I couldn't budge out of sheer awe. Because Inception's release was two weeks after the premier in London, I had already read a few criticisms about Nolan's latest masterpiece. Although not all the press was positive I was nevertheless determined to sit through 3 hours of Leo DiCaprio. Now having seen the film, all I can say was that I sat there agape at the cinematic spectacle taking place before my eyes. It may have perhaps been because of Leo's intense eyes, or Joseph Gordon Levitt's beautiful face, or Cillian Murphy's gorgeous jawline. Or perhaps it may have been because the likes of Michael Caine and Leo DiCaprio were gracing the corridors of UCL's library. But most likely, I was enthralled by the plot, the effects and the outstanding performances of all the actors.

Sleeping, in spite of mountains of research, still remains one of life's mysteries. The more intriguing side of sleep are one's dreams. Why are they there? What purpose do they serve? Do they mean anything? After 3 years of studying Psychology I can only say that I am still none the wiser. Inception explores the phenomenon of dreams and how they are linked to our subconscious. What I think makes the plot of this film so effective is the fact that it addresses man's vulnerability and susceptibility in a sleeping state and nothing is more intriguing to us than the techniques of psychological manipulation. Like a dream, Nolan creates a labyrinth for the spectator's mind using layers of dreams or levels of the subconscious. The characters, struggling to hold their grasp on reality add another touch of mystery and intensity to the film. All in all I think Inception was definitely worth the wait and I cannot recommend it more, however I do have to say that Toy Story 3 is still a little higher in my books, but that's probably just my inner child speaking.

you've got a friend in me

After weeks of hesitation I finally decided to give Toy Story 3 a go. At first I thought adding another Toy Story film to the franchise was entirely superfluous. Toy Story 1 was brilliant, its sequel even more so, but was a third really necessary? Sequels are dangerous. Trilogies are even more risky. An example of the ever-mounting failures of trilogies can be vividly seen in Spiderman, Shrek and not to mention Pirates of the Carribean (WHY OH WHY?). Thus with these disconcerting thoughts in mind I was a little antsy during the opening scene of the film. Toy Story was, after all, one of the major films of my childhood and if its numero tres failed, it would fail me as well as my inner child. However after the build up of all this anxiety I am more than happy to proclaim that Toy Story 3 not only exceeded my expectations but was better than the previous 2 films.

Watching Toy Story 3, I was dragged back into the world of Woody and Buzz - their trials and tribulations, ups and downs, fights and loves, and their (in particular Woody's) undying loyalty to his kid, Andy. I laughed, I gasped, and almost shed a tear. It was like meeting old friends you never knew you missed until you met them again. Andy, now grown up was a character I identified with. Having first encountered Woody and Buzz's charming characters at a young age I understood and experienced the distance growing between toy and child in the transition to adulthood. Andy, getting ready for college has to decide what to do with his toys. This heart-wrenching story made me think of my favourite toys back in the day and what I had decided to do with them. Did I store them in the attic to pass on to others down the family or did I sell them, or even donate them? The film made me look back at how I used to be and what I am now, highlighting the inevitable abandonment of childhood. All I can say is that this may be the best film of the year, at least for me. Lighthearted and all-around beautiful, I hope this snags an Oscar. After all I think we've had enough brooding males, death and parent-child complexes in award-winning movies to last us a life time.