Wow, I haven't blogged for a long long long long time. Last term was crazy busy with the ridiculous amounts of work they seem to enjoy heaping on us now we're in year 12, the school play (which turned out to be a really great experience) and trips to London/Exeter/Birmingham etc seemingly every weekend. And now Christmas is over (it was a good one) and I've just come back from 2 and a half weeks in South Africa. And I just felt like blogging. So here I am. Let's go through a few things.

- The movie 'Waitress'. I think it may have already come and gone in UK cinemas, but I saw it on the plane and LOVED IT. Seriously. I absolutely adored it. See it. Please. I'm rushing out to buy the DVD as soon as it's out. For Livs - one of the main guys in it was Captain Reynolds in Firefly and Serenity. I just looked him up.

- I also saw 'December Boys' (this blog is really going to be an aoverview of everything I saw while away) with Danile Radcliffe doing a really rather convincing Australian accent. Well done him. It was a nice film, not amazing, about these orphan boys by a beach in Australia. Amazing cinematography though.

- 'Hairspray' - seen this four times now. Possibly one of the best movies ever.

- 'The Great Debaters' - watched this on Christmas day. AMAZING film, about these students at a black colege in the American South in the 30s who start a debating team and start going to competitions all over the country. Directed by and starring Denzel Washington. SEE IT.

- 'Evening' - lovely romantic film with a ton of great actors. I want to see this again.

- 'Enchanted' - oh my God, I loved this film. Am SO buying it. Even my mum and grandmother loved it too. And it has Idina Menzel in it!!!

- 'The Jane Austen Book Club' - nice romantic comedy/drama with lots of good actors and characters, especially good if you're a Jane Austen fan. Has Emily Blunt in, who is fantastic.

- 'As It Is In Heaven' - odd Swedish (I think?) film I was kind of made to go and see. Didn't really like it.

- 'The Class' - this show has been on here for several months but I'd never seen it. I saw two episodes on the plane and honestly could not stop laughing. Frickin HILARIOUS.

- 'Pushing Daisies' - a new drama that will probably come to the UK soon. I saw the pilot. Really excellent show, much more like a movie than a TV show, about a guy who can touch dead people and bring them back to life. Stars the wonderful Kristin Chenoweth and Anna Friel. There's also something very Tim Burton-like about it and it's very very unusual. I highly recommend it, I hope I get to see more episodes.

- 'She's The Man' - I know, I know, this has been out for ages but I finally saw it in SA. Hilarious! Loved it.

- 'Step Up' - saw this again. Did you know there's a 'Step Up 2' coming soon? It's exactly like the first one but with the socio-economic classes of the main guy and girl reversed. Original!

So that's what I've been watching. I know, a lot. Actually I have also read the entire His Dark Materials trilogy again and loved it! I think I understood it much better this time.

So there are all my recommendations. See them all. Except the Swedish film.

Tallie xxx

School, Sixth Form and suchlike

Sadly NYT is over - I've been back for exactly three weeks now. I miss it and all the people like crazy, and school seems pretty dull now because everyone is my age and female. For the first time ever I'm not enjoying the all-girls thing.

But still, school is pretty good. I'm glad I was able to come back from NYT to enter into something vaguely new and exciting. I like all my subjects - psychology is my favourite at the moment, everything we do is so fascinating and I really like the teacher. Drama is also a lot of fun and we're studying The Winter's Tale, which isn't too bad. French is pretty good, it hasn't got too hard yet because we're just revising the tenses but I'm preparing myself for the A-level standard to kick in and to be totally out of my depth. English is my least favourite lesson right now because the stuff we're doing isn't that interesting - Robert Frost poetry, phonology and the difference between written and spoken language. And it's not even as interesting as it sounds. Still, the course I'm doing has lots of cool-sounding bits in it so hopefully it will get better.

I'm also assistant directing the lower school (Years 7-9) production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which I was really looking forward to, but it turns out I have no creative ideas whatsoever and I'm kind of expected to. I kind of wish I was just doing stage management, because I know I can do that, but I'm sure it will just take time for me to adjust. And tomorrow I get to do my first ever bit of casting, as we're holding auditions for the year 7s to be the fairies. Should be fun.

So right now my whole life is taken up with endless school commitments and constant missing of NYT. I kid you not, that is my entire life. However, I do have several short trips planned, two to London and one to Birmingham, which will be really good. I can't wait to get back to London again.

I've also decided I want to go to Exeter University, and I attended their open day last week. It has everything I'd want in a university, I'm just not sure what course I want to do! For the first time ever, I'm feeling uncertain about my future!

Really should be doing my homework - French exercises and a Frost poetry essay await. My life is just so darn exciting!

Tallie xxx

Another quick update, not that anyone probably bothers to read this anymore. If you do read it, comment for God's sake so that I know you do!

NYT is still fab. I have two weeks left and I'm really dreading leaving, I want to stay forever! Except of course I want to see all my friends back home. I've done two performances of my show now, seven to go. It's a lot of fun, calling the show (for those who don't know what that means, see my posts from around August last year) except that my show is stupidly technical and I have about 200 cues for a 75 minute show, which means the experience is also ever so slightly terrifying.

I honestly can't wait for university now, and the thought of two more years of school is not exactly pleasant, but I am quite looking forward to Sixth Form. The school play will be wicked, and luckily I won't have to be doing stage management for it!

Again, try to come and see my show if you can - it's a bit weird, but I think it's enjoyable, and quite funny - and as I said, I have floor space for those who need it!

Hope everyone's having a fantastic summer, and see you all in just over two weeks!

Tallie xxx

Just a quick note to update this long abandoned blog, while I have this rare opportunity to access the internet. However, I am using a Mac at the moment which takes a little getting used to.

NYT is amaaaazing, I'm having such a great time. I'm DSMing a show called 20 Cigarettes which will be performing from 15th August, and it should be an awesome play.

I hope people can come to see one of my performances, the first night wouldn't be ideal because I will be, quite frankly, shitting myself beforehand and won't have time to socialise, and there will probably be something happening with the cast after, so if people could come on Thursday 16th instead that would be fab. I have room for 3 people to sleep on my floor, as long as you bring your own bedding, and it should be wicked.

Pleeeeeease keep in touch, I can't go on the internet very often at all, but I have my phone on me all the time so you can easily contact me like that.

Hope to see you all soon!

Tal xxxxxxxxxxx

OK, so I know it seems all I ever talk about in my posts these days is movie trailers, but that's only because every time I see a new (or several new) trailers that look really good, I have an urge to share them with people. So here we go, I've done my work and found some more for you to watch:

EVENING
http://www.apple.com/trailers/focus_features/evening/
This looks amazing. Lots of really great actors and a good story, if perhaps a little confusing. Check it out.

GRACIE
http://www.apple.com/trailers/picturehouse/gracie/
This is based on Elisabeth Shue, who, not so coincidentally, plays the mother in this film. Her brother is also in it. And her husband directed it. Keeping it in the family, I see.

AVENUE MONTAIGNE
http://www.apple.com/trailers/thinkfilm/avenuemontaigne/trailer/
Fancy something a little more French, perhaps?

JOSHUA
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/joshua/
Or maybe something scary with a highly creepy kid?

ONCE
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/once/trailera/
Or something more musical and Irish/Czech?

GOLDEN DOOR
http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/goldendoor/trailer1/
A period piece is always nice, especially if it involves boats...

KNOCKED UP
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/knockedup/large.html
As is a nice classic indie romcom...

PARIS JE T'AIME
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/parisjetaime/trailer/
And this one just looks incredible.

So there you have it. Your movie viewing sorted for the rest of 2007. You can thank me later.

Tallie xxx

100 posts, yeah baby!

Firstly, this is my 100th post on this blog! Woo! That's quite an achievement.

Secondly, I know I mentioned some films I want to see in my last post, and I have scoured the depths of Apple trailers to find you the very best of this year's cinema offerings. Here are the best three, in my opinion:

1. Hairspray - http://www.apple.com/trailers/newline/hairspray. PLEASE watch this trailer. This film looks SOOO good, it's a film adaptation of a successful Broadway show. I challenge anyone to watch this trailer without similing.

2. Across the Universe - http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/acrosstheuniverse/. Another musical, also set in the 60s. It's interesting to compare the trailes for this and Hairspray, they are set in similar periods but are VERY different pieces. This film looks absolutely amazing.

3. Freedom Writers - http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/freedomwriters/. A slightly different type of film, but also looks really good. Have to wait for the DVD for this one.

If yopu have read this blog and aren't going to watch the trailers, you should be ashamed of yourself. And you're missing out.

Tal xxx

Idina, school, OC and films!

Brand new site: www.idina.com! You can listen to the new remixed version of 'Defying Gravity'... I love it! I hope her old site hasn't completely disappeared though because there was some good stuff on there.

I'm so bored with school right now and we've only been back a week! I just want to go on study leave and get on with the revision myself! I know the teachers are only trying to help, but... urgh, I just want the next couple of months to be over!!!

Last Tuesday was the last ever epsiode of The OC! I've never cried so much at anything... ever! Perfect episode, though, if slightly rushed. It ended exactly as it should, with all the loose ends tied up and whatnot.

There are SO many films I want to see that are coming out this year! Last week I managed to spend several hours on Apple Trailers watching trailer after trailer... and now I have a long list of things to see... once they come out! These include:
- In The Land of Women (with Adam Brody and Kristen Stewart, who is a really good actress and I can't believe she's only a few months older than me)
- Across The Universe (a musical type-thing set in the 1960s. Watch the trailer for this, it looks INCREDIBLE.)
- No Reservations (with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Abigail Breslin from Little Miss Sunshine)
- Freedom Writers (STILL! I missed it in cinemas, have to wait for the DVD)
- Penelope (with Christina Ricci, James McAvoy and Reese Witherspoon... gotta be good)
- Stardust (big epic fantasy adventure thing)
- The Nanny Diaries (with Laura Linney and Scarlet Johannson... looks hilarious)

So I recommend you go and watch the trailers for those. Go! Now!

Tallie xxx