You may be wondering why the red suit? Well, that's so bad guys don't see me bleed.

Where do I begin? Directed by Tim Miller, Deadpool is a horribly violent and strikingly self-aware, antihero Marvel movie. But by far, the funniest Ryan Reynolds film we’ve had in quite some time! Due to its recent achievement as the most successful R-rated movie ever released, it’s no surprise the sequel has already been announced.

The mocking tone is set by the opening credits, where the list of stereotypes and clichés the film intends to portray are there for all to see, including ‘the hot chick’ and the mandatory ‘British villain’. This scene also prefigures the overall storytelling style as choppy, fast-paced and episodic, with frequent flashbacks and breaking of the fourth wall.

Once the vicious, cartoonish opening is over we are thrown into love-story territory, as we are cast back in time to where Wade Wilson had not yet transformed into Deadpool by squeezing his body into a tight, red latex suit. He meets and falls in love with Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin), a beautiful badass who comes from an even more deprived background than himself and could outdo him when it came to one-liners.

From there, Deadpool’s plot is very simple. After learning he has terminal cancer, former special forces agent Wade Wilson decides to participate in a top-secret experiment run by that British villain, Ajax (Ed Skrein). The rogue trial leaves him heavily disfigured, but with accelerated healing abilities and so he tries to hunt down the man that done this to him. Of course, with the romance element included here, there and in between.

While many Marvel movies are made for ever-growing budgets, significant storylines, hugely overblown special effects and in-your-face action, Deadpool is a very modest entry in comparison. The driving force is the dry humour and relentless sarcasm of the hero himself. However, by Deadpool’s own admission he is no hero at all. Deadpool is effectively the unreliable black sheep of the X-Men family. At points he challenges the audience to guess "whose balls" he had to "fondle" to get his own movie. His humour may be self-critical but that doesn't stop him taking sideswipes at other targets, including Beckham, for his squeaky, not so manly voice.

Deadpool’s script spent about five years on the shelf waiting to be picked up and made, and after watching the finished package it is hard to understand why its potential wasn’t exploited sooner. The movie will endear a whole new audience to the sarcastically odd character, while once again demonstrating the vast opportunity for variety in the comic book genre. “Worth the wait” only just begins to describe the outrageous and exceptionally entertaining film. There are definitely incredible things in store for the character's future. So yes, go watch it if you a little bit of childish humour and plenty of sarcasm. 

You're welcome!

I've decided this review is going to have a different tone than usual because, hey, this isn't the kind of film I normally write about. Right from the start though I want you to know, I love this film!

Let's put aside the obvious for now. Yes, I get that this movie is about male strippers or 'male entertainers' but ultimately this is a group of muscly men who are on a road trip to Myrtle Beach for their last hurrah. That's it, that's the storyline. Of course it could have a bit more of a storyline but it doesn't. Is there anything wrong with that? Not at all. Despite that, it still very clever knowing that its audience are intelligent and not just airheads, rewarding them with witty one-liners and even deep conversations.

There are large dissimilarities with Magic Mike XXL, and in my opinion its much inferior younger brother, Magic Mike. Firstly, XXL's a lot more fun and funny, making it more like a comedy unlike the first one, which was a bit confused as to what it wanted to be. There were too many plot elements in Magic Mike and there was quite a dark undertone with all the drug use and debt. XXL is the film I wanted the first one to be, but alas it was not.

The dance scenes are equally as good, if not better overall (the only exception being the infamous 'Pony' scene) and there were more of them. It is cheesy how Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) gets back into the game but what a fitting way for him to do it. Mike's in his furniture-design workshop in a welding mask when suddenly Ginuwine's Pony comes on the radio. He stops and pauses with his face obscured, gives a reminiscent shake of the head and then takes off the mask to reveal a cheeky grin as if to say "Are you kidding me?" He then busts out into dance and begins grinding and drilling (with a handheld drill) simultaneously. There are too many for me to go into detail about but you get the idea.

The reason I loved it so much though was because of its ideology. Hear me out, I know I said this wasn't going to be like my other reviews and it isn't, but for once this isn't a film focusing on the male gaze and how a male audience should react! It's no surprise that a high percentage of adult females make up the overall viewing number, arguably it has targeted a population of cinema goers that has very often been forgotten about and ignored. Surely that is something extraordinary! Instead of being made fun of and/or being the butt of the joke (apparent in the first film) women of all sizes, ages and races are quite literally worshipped but also celebrated. Jada Pinkett Smith's character Rome is the boys' MC at the convention and she refers to all women as "Queens" who should be reminded how beautiful they are by their 'Kings'. I find it refreshing and much more enjoyable than the first because of all these subtle elements.

Should you watch it? To help you make your mind up here are the words of director, Gregory Jacobs: "We always felt that we were making the movie we wanted to make and the story we wanted to see. Any of my male friends who see these movies, especially the sequel, they think its like a bromance. They'll say, 'I didn't expect to like this movie...' They are put off by the male stripper thing, of course..." Men and women in fact, be open-minded and see it, it honestly has some hilarious scenes that will have you stitches, including the wonderfully brilliant convenient store scene!

"Welcome to the end of the world"

An encounter in a Long Island diner is all it takes to spiral these two families into a world of hurt, pain and betrayal. Yet all is not as obvious as it seems and by the end of The Affair it will have you wanting more.

This US production stars two British leads - Dominic West and Ruth Wilson - and has bagged itself two Golden Globes including Best Drama, pipping Game of Thrones to the post. What makes this series so good, I hear you ask? Well, let's start with the characters.

Noah (Dominic) has it all on paper. He is married to Helen (Maura Tierney) his college sweetheart, they have four beautiful kids, and live in an exquisite New York home. Albeit, with the help of his wealthy father-in-law who he would rather not rely on but is able to teach and more recently write novels, which is what he has always aspired to do. However, when he meets a waitress in a yellow dress (Ruth) during a journey to stay with the in-laws in he makes a 'mistake' that will cost him everything and more. 

Likewise, Alison (Ruth) is a married woman stuck in an unhappy relationship with Cole (Joshua Jackson) her young love, and is dealing with the grief of losing a child. Something the couple cannot seem to recover from, as the weight continues to crush down on not just her shoulders but her entire soul. This all appears quite cliché at the moment. They meet, fall in love, leave their other halves and everything is dandy. Except that isn't how it goes.

Each episode is split into two parts. The audience are shown a series of events from both Noah and Alison's point of view and how they recall them to a detective. I won't quite spoil why this is (even though it's revealed in the second episode). It is intriguing to see all the subtle differences and the major ones, such as who approached who? The differences are even visible in the clothing worn by the characters in each account. 

Like in everything, there are always three sides to a story - one person's side, the other person's side and the truth - it's getting to the truth that's the difficult job. Reminiscent of Gone Girl in many ways, the audience are left not knowing who to root for. Between you and me, I was unable to like any of the characters. I didn't feel sorry for Alison know matter how hard the writers/directors threw a heap load of excuses and sob stories down my throat. Despite this, I still wanted to watch it. It may have been nice to have had a special one-off episode dedicated to the thoughts and actions of Cole and Helen as a result of the affair, but I suppose we can't have it all.                                                              

And of course, there is a lot of sex - both awkward and uncomfortable. It's a grown-up drama that comes with grown-up sex, not the polished, perfect, hopeful bate for adolescent fantasies you find in Game of Thrones. 

As always, the bottom line is should you watch it? If you're looking for something a bit different with plenty of backstory, mystery, and has you filling in the blanks then this is for you.

Real affairs can fizzle out quite abruptly but this one keeps you coming back for more.

Catch The Affair on Sky Atlantic at 9pm.

“If it’s in a word, or it’s in a look, you can’t get rid of the Babadook”

Every now and again a horror movie comes along that truly makes you believe the era of 'torture porn' has come to an end. Thankfully, The Babadook is one of those films that restores faith in the horror genre.

This is Australian, writer-director Jennifer Kent's first feature length film, which is hard to believe as she appears to have a fantastic skill of understanding the film language by creating and building tension and fabricating complex characters, far beyond the standard you expect from a first-timer.  

Amelia (Essie Davis) is a struggling widow trying to raise her 6-year-old son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman) alone. She is traumatised and haunted by memories of her husband's death in a car crash en route to the maternity ward prior to Sam's birth. His mother isn't the only one battling demons of her own, as too is Sam. His imagination is getting the better of him as he becomes obsessed by the spectral monsters lurking in the shadows and so builds a series of homemade weapons to destroy them.

 

Samuel discovers an odd book entitled The Babadook that has apparently appeared out of nowhere on  his shelf. Amelia begins reading it aloud but realises all too late that this isn't a child friendly book and before she knows it they are being haunted by the eerily strange creature, Mister Babadook.

The themes present in the film are elaborate and intricate. And believe you me there is much more than meets the eye as this is not your typical ghostly, paranormal tale.

As I do not want to give too much away I will keep this review short and sweet and let you experience the film without any spoilers.

The dark fairytale feel helps to create plenty of tension and a few scares here and there. Thankfully, there aren't any jump-scares for those of you with a nervous disposition. If you fancy watching a horror film with a thought provoking outcome, then this is for you. If you want gore, masked murderers and teenagers with below average intelligence running into trouble then you may want to rethink.

A matter of wife and death

After taking an unnecessary stab at recreating the Swedish hit The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and it falling a bit short thematically, David Fincher returns with a grippingly destructive adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel - Gone Girl.

It all 'begins' on the day of bar owner Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and his wife, Amy's (Rosamund Pike) fifth wedding anniversary; where as per usual Amy had left a series of clues for Nick to find but this time it is shudderingly different. Nick finds his Missouri home violated; the front door wide open; a glass table smashed and his wife missing. Upon arriving at the scene, detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) spots specs of blood and other suspicious findings and senses that all is not as it seems. 

After discovering evidence of financial struggles and domestic altercations the finger is quickly pointed towards Nick, whose actions and emotions are deemed suspicious by the ever-judging, ever-growing press. The audience sees Nick explaining his side of the story, trying to persuade the police of his innocence but they aren't buying it. Amy's account is told through extracts of her incriminating diary, flashbacks and voiceovers, which reveals an alternative view of their apparently idyllic marriage. 

Just like in The Game, the main characters adopt and project different personas, while their true selves are hidden underneath layers of deceit. Everything is a performance. They are editing and rewriting themselves for the public – and for one another.

Affleck and Pike are cleverly cast, with their contrasting styles complimenting their characters' mismatched marriage. Affleck gives a very natural performance, he is confident but not cocky and charming, yet conveys a sly sense of concealment. Pike portrays a woman with such depth and complexity as if it is almost second nature to her. Margo, Nick's twin sister (Carrie Coon) brings elements of light relief with her blunt humour and comedic timing.

At 149 minutes long, the film never drags nor does the mood drop. Mystifying, unpredictable and tantalisingly dark, should you watch it? Only if you don't mind being bamboozled by the end of it. The film asks how well did Nick know his wife? But in reality it is really asking the audience how much do they know about their partners? It's a scary thought.

Sorry I've been absent for so long... and an announcement

Hi all,

I know I've been away from my blog for an extremely long time and for this I am sorry. However, a number of things were happening in my life some good and some not so good but this is my pledge to get back into writing my reviews. 

I know I said the next review would be on 22 Jump Street but there has been a change to the plan. Unfortunately, I have not seen 22 Jump Street recently enough for me to write an accurate, informative review for you lovely folks. I did watch David Fincher's Gone Girl yesterday afternoon when I had a few hours to spare, so thought I would give you my take on that. 

Finally, as cosmetics and beauty products make up as much of my life as Film/TV shows, I thought I would start up a new blog in which I introduce you to products, either new or old and review them. For those of you that follow my Instagram page (http://instagram.com/naz2411/) you have already seen me post some pictures of some exciting products I have used, including my precious Naked 3 palette, but I want to bring those products to life by reviewing them in detail.

So there you have it, a new blog and new posts for this blog to look forward to! As always don't be afraid to post your opinions and comments as all are welcome.

University has come to an end!

I have well and truly neglected my blog for the past couple of months, hell, the last year but now that my time at uni is over with I'm hoping to get the reviews flowing again. Firstly though, I have some exciting news to share with you all!

Two months ago I handed my dissertation in (for those interested it was on whether science news is misrepresented in British tabloid newspapers), which was the single most difficult task of my life so far. Not knowing if I was writing it up correctly, worrying about not making it to 10,000 words, then going over the word count and having to cut out irrelevant rambling; these are just a few of the problems anyone who has written/going to write a dissertation will encounter.

The amount of work and effort I put in and not knowing whether it was complete rubbish or not until results were released earlier this week was extremely painful, as with all the other assignments I was yet to learn the outcomes for.

But without further ado, I am completely delighted to announce that I will be graduating on the 17 July with a FIRST CLASS HONOURS DEGREE IN JOURNALISM! Words really cannot express how amazing it felt to find out that I did exactly what I needed to do to get the First, which was to get a First in every one of my modules during this last year.

Although I am looking for jobs/internships in Journalism, I am also thinking about joining the Metropolitan Police and have an assessment day on the Tuesday before my graduation, so as you can imagine I'm still a little nervous.

In terms of the whole university experience I wouldn't change any of it. It enabled me to learn the basics of life, including how to deal with the stresses of bills and landlords. I also met my partner of nearly three years there, and have achieved more than I could have ever imagined.

Anyway, that's enough from me for one post. Keep an eye out for the next review on 22 Jump Street!

Don Juan or Don Jon?

No longer a taboo, the issue of sex/porn addiction has manifested itself in a diverse array of films recently, from Steve McQueen’s Shame to the light-hearted frivolity of Thanks for Sharing. 

Actor-turned-writer/director, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Jon) stars in Don Jon, a romantic comedy for the modern man. Jon is a latterday Lothario whose expectations of sex are shaped by porn: he feels it’s more superior to “real sex” because the women do things real girlfriends won’t.  

The New Jersey playboy mentions in a voiceover the few things he cares about in his life. These being his body, his pad, his ride, his family, his church, his boys, his girls and his porn. When he finally meets the girl of his dreams, Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), he promises to put aside his love for porn, but fails.  Jon learns Barbara is hooked on the dopey Hollywood love stories that give her unrealistic expectations of men, but she denies his defensive theory of romcoms being her porn: “They give out awards for that stuff!” Cue the obvious comeback. 

Only when he starts to connect with a night-school classmate (Julianne Moore) who has experienced both ends of the human interaction spectrum, from pleasure to extreme heartache and pain, is it that he begins to understand what it means to lose yourself in someone else. We are not shown how much progress Jon makes after this discovery, but it seems as though he may have matured and overcome his selfish, one-sided demands.  

Though this film is patently full of satire, like the extreme guido accent demonstrated by all of the cast, or Jon’s extra sleazy friends who rate women on a scale from one to ten. However, the themes which emerge; male/female expectations of partners, love and porn are not to be forgotten.     

         

This certainly won’t find a mainstream audience but it is a fresh, entertaining and well acted piece that at times, like Jon tries a little too hard, but put that down to an eager, skilled first time-director. 

The DVD release date is March 24. 

"Did you miss me?"

Well, yes actually, I did, but just like that the third series of Sherlock on BBC1 has exited our screens as quickly as it had returned on New Year’s Day. 

After two years of theorising and troubling our little heads over how Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) could have possibly faked his own death and then teased to the point where we might not ever know, creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat decide to drop another cliffhanger and cause even more speculation: *SPOILER ALERT* Moriarty is alive. 

Sunday night’s finale, His Last Vow, left me staring at my TV long after the credits had finished, with the image of Sherlock’s archenemy, Moriarty looking back at me. Moffat, who wrote the episode, is an excellent storyteller and the episode was exquisitely well done . The false ending complete with the interrupted opening bars of theme tune was brilliantly playful and clever. It was near perfect in my eyes.  

Fans and critics alike expressed their annoyance over a lack of answers in the first episode of the series, The Empty Hearse, and their grievances over a lack of crime-solving and how the second episode, The Sign of Three was too self-indulgent and crime free, but I don’t get it.          

The first episode deals with the dilemma of having to bring Sherlock back from the dead triumphantly, or exploits it to the fullest, depending on whether you were one of those critics. Having admired Derren Brown’s work for the past ten years it is wonderful to see his cameo at the very beginning of the episode, unfortunately it was in one of the conspiracies. 

Of course the second episode could have benefited from a few chops and changes, but the endless flow of wit, intelligence and originality being delivered by all of the characters helps eliminate these insignificantly small flaws. Whether it’s sharing Sherlock’s shock and terror in tackling his hardest challenge yet: delivering the Best Man’s speech at Dr Watson and Mary’s (Martin Freeman and real-life partner Amanda Abbington) wedding, or Mrs Hudson (the magnificent Una Stubbs), landlady of 221b Baker Street, finding the idea of him making a speech so funny that she could release a sound that could only be described as “torturing an owl.”     

As for the last episode, an adaptation of Conan Doyle’s The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton for the modern age, it saw the rise and fall of disturbing antagonist Charles Augustus Magnussen, played by Lars Mikkelsen (The Killing), brother of Mads Mikkelsen, (yes Dr Lecter from the TV show Hannibal) adds a sharp, cold contrast to the unhinged dramatics of Moriarty.  

Laced with surprises throughout, His Last Vow doesn’t fail to shock. Some of these include, Sherlock in a relationship and even an engagement with Janine, admitting he faked the capacity to love and only used her as she was Magnussen’s PA, and Janine selling her story to every tabloid that would listen to the second most shocking twist of the episode… Mary shooting and nearly killing Sherlock. Who knew? Mary, the deadly ex-assassin.

Not to mention how incredibly stunning the visuals are. Entering Sherlock’s ‘mind palace’ was a throughly enjoyable experience, even if he was dying. In the three-seconds before he falls unconscious we are treated to appearances from his old dog Red Beard and Moriarty who is in a straitjacket and chained to a padded cell of death.  

The fantastic news for us is not only are there plans for series four get under way as soon as Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman’s schedules permit, (hopefully that doesn’t mean another two year wait) but co-creators announced to the audience at the Bafta screening of the finale that they’ve plotted the whole of series four and five and the ideas are the best they’ve ever had! And after the genius twists and turns of the last episode, you’ll know that’s setting the bar pretty high! 

All pain, no gain

I had been hearing a lot from people about this latest Michael Bay action/black comedy, a lot of good mixed with an impressive amount of bad and thus decided it was time for me to have my opinion on the film.

Knowing the film is based on a true crime case (written up by Miami New Times journalist Pete Collins) meant that before I sat down to watch Pain & Gain I had to research every last detail. The more I discovered the more and more horrified I became.

Mark Wahlberg is Daniel Lugo, a Floridian fitness fanatic, bodybuilder and personal trainer, and former conman who believes life has cheated him out of his American dream. Inspired after a motivational seminar he decides to become "a doer" by getting rich quick with the help of two fellow gym members Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie), and recently released convict and born again christian Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson). Dwayne's character is a combination of people involved and he shows terrific comedic timing and puts in a very rounded performance. Together they plot to kidnap Lugo's rich Columbian client and torture him until he signs over everything he owns, only after many failed attempts though.    

Time and time again the audience are reminded that although the events seem unbelievable; something only a crazy person would make up, it is a mostly true story with only 'minor' details changed. Well, apart from the fact that the Sun Gym Gang members were dangerous, murderous, relentless criminals, and the way they are depicted in the film is unjust to the surviving victim and the murdered victims' families.

Michael Bay. He brought us the likes of Pearl Harbour, Armageddon and the Transformers trilogy, all of which were interesting to say the least... He has a very distinct style, he knows what he likes and he knows what he wants, unfortunately he doesn't know what the audience wants. Explosions, excessive slow-motion shots, knee height tilted shots, plastic caucasian women, stereotypes, distasteful angles, quick cuts, that orange tint added to the visuals and longer than it should be - all present, as with every Michael Bay movie.

I really thought that just looking at the case it had the potential to be such a brilliant film. Another true story converted to film that springs to mind and that worked is Donnie Brasco, starring Johnny Depp, which I really enjoyed. I can't help but feel perhaps with the work of the Coen Brothers this would have been a much, much better film, minus the disrespect. Had this not been a true case maybe it might've worked a bit better as a black comedy from the criminals' point of view. However, it is not and therefore it doesn't work for me. If you want to see it, fine, but I wouldn't waste your money.

           

"Down on Jump Street. 37 Jump Street...Wait, that doesn't sound right."

In the light of Channing Tatum's cheeky teaser picture showing the script for '22 Jump Street,' it would only be appropriate for this review to be on its predecessor.

21 Jump Street probably means very little to those in the UK, especially if they are under the age of 30. Essentially it means that Johnny Depp - heartthrob, oddball, swashbuckler - whatever you want to call him was given his breakout role. Cops chosen for their sprightly looks posed as teenagers to crack down on youth crime, but it never really took off here like it did in America. And this hilariously immature comedy is a play on that premise.

The storyline is fairly simple: Worst enemies in high school but now best friends, these two very different and useless cops (Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill) screw up one too many times and are sent undercover as students to bust a drugs ring, or as 'Ice Cube' says "infiltrate the dealers, find the supplier."
This requires them to relive their high school years, much to the surprise of Jenko (Tatum) things are the complete opposite.

More than just another stoner movie, co-written by Michael Bacall it is perhaps no surprise that this particular 'teen' comedy has the intellectual edge over films in this genre. The humour varies from slapstick to irony, then back again and then to everything in-between. It is very easy to miss a joke as they come so quickly and frequently that by the time you've finished laughing at the previous joke another is not too far behind and you're laughing again.

One of the best assets of 21 Jump Street is the Tatum/Hill partnership. On paper it just doesn't make any sense. However, on screen the pair are hysterical as that initial mismatch transforms right before our eyes into a brilliant casting decision.

As with most films in the action genre this plays on the conventions associated with them; from the overly long car chase sequence to the mostly anticipated gasoline explosion but with a twist.

This won't be everybody's cup of tea but if you're looking for a light comedy with a couple of twists along the way, and even a little bit emotionally compelling then it's worth a watch.


22 Jump Street is expected for release June 2014.

Anyone for steak?

After keeping up-to-date on Hannibal since the show started in May, I find myself missing the devilishly delightful Dr. Lecter.

The performances from all the main characters, especially Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) left me wanting more. It was always going to be a difficult task taking on such an infamous character, made memorable by Anthony Hopkins. That being said, Mikkelsen proved to be an impressively cool substitute. His demeanour came across as controlled and composed, constantly attentive, and unmistakably intelligent and dangerous, yet others were completely oblivious to his underlying nature.

Our true protagonist, Hugh Dancy is also perfectly cast as Will Graham, the clearly troubled but remarkably talented criminal profiler who is able to undertake the mindset of murderers to reveal their identity and motives. His vulnerability and instability is taken full advantage of by Dr. Lecter as he is forced to battle his crumbling mind as well as the doubtful FBI team.

Although the overall performances from the actors were of a very high standard, there was just one little thing that bothered me. I am talking about the character development of some of the supporting characters, particularly speaking Bella Crawford - the wife of Special Agent Jack Crawford. I really do not know why but out of all the underdeveloped female characters this one frustrated me the most. Maybe it was because she was only in two episodes? Or maybe it was because once we discovered she had terminal lung cancer, us and Jack were made to forget all about her? Whatever the reason was I thought it was one of the biggest weaknesses in the series.

Some critics have said that they felt that towards the beginning especially, the storyline started off as very slow and boring at times. I must argue the opposite though, as I was very much intrigued from the start, being too caught up in all the other side stories to be bored.

Beyond the fascinating story and the brilliantly portrayed (main) characters, praise must go out to what can sometimes be lost and forgotten amongst everything else -  the cinematography. Its lighting, style and camera shots are an essential part of what makes this series so good to watch. From episode one we are shown the entirety of the 'Hannibal world' and it is so dastardly bleak but wonderful to look at.

I would definitely recommend my readers to watch the show to appreciate the genius of Mads Mikkelsen. I really hope we get to see more from him because he appears to be such a talented actor. As for Dr. Lecter, I cannot wait to delve even deeper into his insane brain!

A little bit about me and my blog

Hello to whomever may happen to read my blog!

I just wanted to let you know a bit about me and about this blog before I put up my next review (Hannibal) and before it's too late to be considered an introductory post.

The reviews I write will be of whatever I have happened to have watched/read that week. So, technically they may not have just been released but I have just managed to watch them. I will be as brutally honest as I can be, in the hope that I have persuaded you to watch something or not. That's all you should really know about the blog but if you have any other questions do not hesitate to ask!

Ok, where to begin? My name is Nazia, I'm 20 and I study journalism at De Montfort University in Leicester but originally from Kent.

Growing up in a male-dominated household has meant I've grown up watching a lot of sport, and am in fact a supporter of the mighty Manchester United! Here's a random fact for you - when I was about two me and my family went to watch one of the team's open training sessions and on our way out I decided to make a run for it; across the car park and into the road where I was nearly run over by Eric Cantona. It's fine, he stopped and everything was dandy.

I'll stop rambling on now and just say one more thing - please do leave your comments and let me know whether you agreed or disagreed after watching/reading the show/film/book.

Breaking Bad? Try Breaking awesome!

Heralded by critics as one of the best TV shows ever made, raking in nearly 3 million viewers for its series five premiere, and netting seven Emmys and other numerous awards, yet this under-viewed gem of a show is almost nonexistent on UK television screens after its shambolic exposure in 2009. Here is why it’s a shame and completely wrong. 

It oozes originality. I mean in the first episode our antihero discovers he has terminal lung cancer, realises his job as a chemistry lecturer will not be enough to provide for his family when he is gone, so decides to become a crystal meth ‘cook.’ Arguably, apart from Dexter and Tony Soprano an effective antihero is hard to come by and at a time when they are incredibly common, Walter White definitely ups the ante. 

The performances are outstanding. Bryan Cranston plays Walter, who finds a new life in his death sentence. The subtlety he shows to a character who could have quite easily been overplayed means as an audience we keep rooting for him even after his desperation fades. Of course Walter can’t do it alone, and so we meet Jesse Pinkman, the luckless drug addict with few morals and former student with even less intelligence terrifically portrayed by Aaron Paul. It’s crazy to think the writers had thought of killing him off after just the first season, as he surprisingly becomes the conscience of the show.      

Like Dexter, there are elements of humour and it is understandable if this isn’t ‘your thing’ but let me make this unmistakably clear, this is not a black comedy! Critics have compared the mood and suspense as reminiscent of a Coen brothers thriller and although there is sometimes light relief after something major has happened just try not to expect it because you won’t get it! 

As well as being artfully framed and beautifully lit, the execution of the show is so flawless that most of the twists and turns will not be guessed, but yet they make perfect sense. Despite years of trying, no show has mastered the art of the cliff-hanger as well as this. 

From exuberant attempts to dissolve a body in a bath of acid, to the many moral dilemmas Walt faces as he holds the life of others in the palm of his hand, this should probably come with a ‘not for all the family’ warning. However, if you are willing to risk spending your entire week off downloading on Netflix, catching up on previous episodes and giving up your social life until it’s done then go for it, it’s definitely worth the time!