The Karate Kid

I loved The Karate Kid which was released back in 1985 and I still do, so I was pretty perplexed when I heard that there was a new Karate Kid film on the block. After the huge success of Karate Kid two other follow ups were produced but they were all car crashes. There was even The Next Karate Kid starring a fresh faced Hilary Swank but that was a huge flop. So when I spotted a link in Twitter for the trailer of the new movie I was not expecting much. Take my words the all new Karate Kid looks like a lot of fun. It stars Jaden Smith better known as son of Will Smith and co-star of The Pursuit of Happyness. He plays Dre Parker whose perfect life is interrupted when he is uprooted to Bejing after his actress mother, played by Taraji P. Henson lands a role in a big movie. However things do not go smoothly for Dre when he makes an enemy out of the school bully who proceeds to make his life a living hell. Totally isolated he has no one to turn to till he meets his messiah in the form of Mr Han played by Jackie Chan. Mr Han introduces him to the philosophy of Kung Fu and teaches him how to empower himself. The film is produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett themselves and I say they have done a cracking job.


The Karate Kid is released in the US in June 2010.


Check out the trailer and tell me what you think.

Merry Xmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all. For those of you in Australia and Asia I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Good tidings to you all.

The Beautiful Life Returns

Remember when models ruled the world in the 90s with Naomi, Linda, Christy and Cindy? Yep who can forget when that gorgeous quartet rocked the runway at the Versace show to George Michael's Freedom. That was a moment etched in pop culture history with fashion meshing with music. During that decade everyone became obessed with models and not a magazine went by without a model appearing on the cover. The term supermodel was born and granted to a select few and they became very famous and rich. Following the media and public's appetite for tall and skinny creatures a show was created that showed the fabulous life of a model. Enter Models Inc which was launched in 1994 and starred Linda Gray from Dallas and Carrie-Ann Moss who go on and kick ass in The Matrix. The show was not a huge  success and ran for one season.

The Beautiful Life  is the baby of Ashton Kutcher (he is the executive producer)  and it made it's debut this season on CWTV with Mischa Barton as top billing. However the show was axed after only two episodes and I was devastated as I was really getting into it. It seemed that although we love shows about models in reality shows such as America's Next Top Model, fiction shows about them are not as well received. Today I  logged onto Perez Hilton and found out that The Beautiful Life is being relaunched by Ashton Kutcher on YouTube. That's right, all five episodes will be available to watch online. The objective is to prove that an online show can get more viewers than one that is aired on TV. If the shows turn out to be a hit then this will give Ashton the green light to make more episodes specifically for the web. How exciting! I love to seeing people taking life by the hands and really going for things they believe in.

Let me give you a bit of background on The Beautiful Life aka TBL. Forget Mischa, TBL is actually about Chris Mathews played by Benjamin Hollingsworth, a small town boy from Iowa who falls into modelling as a way to make some extra cash for his struggling family. He moves into a model house in Manhattan where he meets Raina Mayer played by Sara Paxton, an up and coming model who I guess is like a new Christy Turlington. How can I describe Raina? Well she is gorgeous, kind, gutsy and humble; kind of like Mother Theresa in stilettos. The two teenagers are instantly attracted to each other but as you would have it work keeps getting in the way. There is also a small matter of a huge family secret that Raina is carrying. Other characters are Sonja Stone played by Mischa Barton who is making a comeback to modelling after an unexplained six month hiatus. Marissa Delfina played by Ashley Madekwe, a Brit chick who will stop at nothing to get to the top and that includes knocking Sonja off her perche. Cole Shephard played by Nico Tortorella is a seasoned model who holds a torch for Raina. Issac Taylor played by Corbin Bleu plans to replace modelling with a career in music but finds himself in a dangerous relationship with cougar, Vivienne played by Jaime Murray who is interested in more than his modelling abililites. Then there is former supermodel, Claudia Foster played by Elle McPherson who owns the modelling agency they work for and determined to make it a success no matter what. The Beautiful Life is a rather voyeristic look into the crazy and ultra competitive life of the modeling world.


Read my preview of The Beautiful Life here.


You can watch the full pilot of the show above and you can catch all the rest of episodes right here.

TGI Friday

Another week, another dollar and a whole heap of snow has landed on my street. It looked really pretty when it set in the early hours of the morning but now it is gradually turning to ice and looking grim. Anyway enough doom and gloom, here are the blog posts that have rocked my world this week.

Pbleepd
Not only is it the end of the year it is also the end of the decade and the Pbleepd posse look at the top 20 dancers of all time.

Michelle O. Style
Can you believe it is almost a year since the Obamas took over the world in the form of Barack and Michelle? This tribute blog takes a retrospective look at Michelle O. mania.

Sianyland
The (official) London Blogger Meet Up got together a few weeks back and Sian was invited to talk at the event. Find out how it went and what went down at the event.

Black Women in Europe
Every Black person I know plans to see the Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, have a read of this commentary by Black Women in Europe.

Bangs and a Bun
New Years Eve is the thorn in my side; to go out or not to go out? So I was glad to read this blog and find out that I am not the only one who thinks the hype of NYE is over rated.

Picture taken from Pbleepd.

In the Editor's Chair - Sarah Diouf

Welcome to In the Editor's Chair where I feature editors from niche and underground magazines. Meet 22 year old Sarah Diouf who is the brains and driving force behind GHUBAR magazine; a publication which covers fashion and style from a global perspective. As Paris is regarded as the capital of fashion then it is very fitting that GHUBAR (which means dust in arabic) is based in there. An undergraduate in marketing and communications, an intern at an accessories company as well as holding down a part time job at a department store, I do wonder how she manages to find the time to produce a magazine but she certainly makes it happen. The past issues of GHUBAR have featured an eclectic mix of music artist, fashionistas as well as trend pioneers. The December GHUBAR is a double issue which celebrates their one year anniversary and contains a article on blogs and looks at punk culture. Sarah took some time out to tell me all about GHUBAR and other things.  

How did you get into journalism?
Lol. I didn't. I'm actually studying marketing and communication which is my major but I fell in this adventure by passion. 

Describe the concept of GHUBAR magazine.
GHUBAR stands for difference. We live more than ever in the cross cultures era, and GHUBAR is a magazine built around inter-breeding and multiculturalism. Our hope and aim is to make people realize there are different standards of beauty out there and they are just waiting to be recognized, since it is not the case in all the current paper magazines. Difference is our crenel. We promote all types of beauty; any girl or boy can read the magazine without feeling forgotten. This is what is actually happening today and not only in the Press but in most of the medias. Everybody seem to forget we are in 2009 and that the 00's girls are not all straight blond, with blue eyes, fitting in a size 2. Sometimes we have to get back to what is called "standards", as you will see in the November issue, to also make people understand we are not the voice of all communautarisms. We want everybody to feel concerned. It is about finding the balance.

The design is very glam, how did you decide on the art design of the publication?
Thank you. Well, I’m doing the whole magazine layout myself and I have to say, it was not what is it is now at the beginning. But I’m learning everyday and getting critics and feedback from people we work with on each issue really helps. I wanted the magazine to look like a real one, not just like a news website. So Carl, the webmaster and I had a long months chat about the global website layout and what was possible or not to do. I especially wanted to set up the magazine myself since Carl and I are working very closely, it was the best way. about the design, we have to keep in mind that we are on the internet and the fact that images have stronger impact than writings. So we have to keep in mind that we are on the internet and the fact that images have stronger impact than writings.

Who is behind Ghubar magazine?
I think now you know. (laughs)
 
How many members of staff work on the magazine?
We are  15; Maxime, the art director, Laura, Lala, Gregory, Mboko, the fashion editors, Tene, artists interviews, Raphaelle, Elodie who do communication and press relations, Laetitia, Maya, Claude, the photographers, Carl, the webmaster, Clara, graphist, Emily, who just joined us as a production assistant and myself.

Describe a day in the life of Sarah Diouf.
It depends on the week actually. I’m going to school and I’m also interning in a luxury accessories rental company, so it depends on the week actually. But I woke up in the morning, grabbed a juice bottle and set off to work. On Saturday I’m selling tablecloths (no kiddin!) in a luxury store called Le Bon Marché, a student job I have held for almost three years now. On Sunday, it is all about GHUBAR and I’m on set with the team.

Which blogs do you check out regularly?
My friend's. Three of them don't live with me in Paris so it is a good way for me to follow their adventures.

Kristina www.yourprivateshopper.blogspot.com
Brooke www.glamourouseccentric.com
Marquis www.lateboots.blogspot.com
Ugo www.astonmozie.com
and mine of course.  www.ghubar-magazine.blogspot.com

What magazines do you read?
All I can, from fashion to economy...but mainly French ones regularly. I wish some magazine were not so expensive (when they come from abroad, there’s always taxes). But when I can, I jump on some Japanese and English magazines because they are different from any others. Now I have to say I have kind a crush on this new mag that has just dropped in France called Grazia, and if I am not a huge fan of the way the threat their covers (...) but some inside subjects are very interesting.

What tips do you have for anyone who wants to become a magazine editor?
Lol. It is funny how often this question is asked. Well, just do it!

The new issue of GHUBAR magazine is out now, check out their website here.
You can read the GHUBAR blog here.
You can follow Sarah on twitter here.

Check out the backstage shoot of the December cover below.

GHUBAR DECEMBER09 ISSUE COVER SHOOT BACKSTAGE from ghubar magazine on Vimeo.

My Space - Amber McNaught from Forever Amber

Amber McNaught is a very busy lady, what with a media empire to run and an expensive shoe habit to feed. Media Midas consist seven websites that include thefashionpolice.net, shoeperwomen.com, hey-dollface.com, writingworld.org, grumpybloggers.com and rubinman.co.uk. There is also Amber’s personal blog, Forever Amber where she talks about personal matters that concern her. This can range from the lovely items she has purchased to her daily adventures and no decent blog would be taken seriously without the odd ranting here and there. So where does Amber write her blog? I set out to find out.

Describe the concept of Forever Amber.
Forever Amber is basically a personal journal. I’d been keeping paper journals since I was about 12 years old, so this seemed like the natural extension of that. I have other blogs devoted to fashion, beauty and shoes, so Forever Amber is a space to write about anything and everything else that occurs to me, from random tales from my day-to-day life or the occasional rant.

Where do you scribe?
I have a home office in the spare bedroom and do almost all of my blogging from there. I will occasionally take my laptop downstairs (or into bed) but I’d say 98% of my blogging is done from my desk – very boring.

Why that place?
I work from home, so the office has everything I need – well, everything except an endless supply of coffee, anyway. I’m also very easily distracted, so coffee shops or other typical writing venues are out for me – I need to minimize the distractions.

What is on your desk at the moment?
Other than my laptop, phone and printer I have a mug of coffee, a bottle of water a set of earplugs (Noise drives me mad when I’m trying to work. Or any other time, really.), a couple of little ornaments that were gifts from my parents, and a SAD lamp: I really hate the winter.

What form of inspiration do you have on the wall i.e. photos, magazine cuttings or extracts?
My walls are embarrassingly bare at the moment: must sort that out in the new year.

Do you keep a tidy office or are you a messy worker?
I’m a complete neat-freak, so I run a tight ship. That said - my husband who also works from home and occupies the desk next to me - is the exact opposite, so one half of the room is normally tidy while the other half looks like we’ve just been robbed.

You can read Amber's blog here.  

You can follow her on Twitter here.  

24 Hours London by Marsha Moore

I like to do my fair bit of travelling so travel guides produced by Rough Guides and Lonely Planet come in very handy. While Lonely Planet is geared towards the solo traveller, Rough Guides is the book for quirky characters who just love to do their travels off the beaten path. While I was hot footing it around Atlanta, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto oh yeah and New York (I am such a show off aren't I?) last summer I had roughly a few days to get to know each city. A momentous task when you consider how wide spread Atlanta is and how cramped NYC is. I kept thinking how useful it would have been to have a structured guide to the cities. Enter 24 Hours London which is a round-the-clock guide to what to do in the Capital. All the gems of London are revealed hour by hour, plenty of best kept secrets and a wide range of activities that will suit anyone from a speed junkie to someone who likes the easier pace in life. As a Londoner born and bred I started this book thinking that there would was very little that anyone can tell me about my beloved city but I was left feeling very surprised. So I decided to catch up with author, Marsha Moore to talk about this dynamic new guide to London. 

Tell me about the concept of 24 Hours London.
There’s so much to do in London, it’s hard to know where to start!  24 Hours London breaks down the day and night, hour by hour, and lets readers choose from the best London has to offer. From running up walls to hunting down ghosts or just kicking back and relaxing at an underground loo-turned-pub; readers can see the top picks for what's happening city-wide at any moment in time. It’s a bit like having a ready-made itinerary for 24 hours. 

How long did it take you to research the book?
I’ve lived in London for almost six years (I’m Canadian), and I consider each one of those six years as research. I love the diversity of London and I really enjoy exploring, so when it came time to sit down and write the book, I already had a good sense of what I’d like to include – activities for both tourists and locals, a different take on the usual tourists-track sights. The actual writing took about six weeks, and then the lengthy process of editing and fact-checking was a few months. The listings are fairly short and snappy, with just enough information to give people a sense of what there is to do without going into information overload. The hardest part was making sure all the factual information was correct – you wouldn’t believe how difficult it can be to pin down some businesses on their actual opening hours.

How did you land your book deal?
The book deal happened in a rather roundabout way. I’d met a publisher (Prospera Publishing) who was seeking non-fiction projects. Since I love London, most my ideas were London-related. There’s already a lot of London material out there, so we needed something different; something that didn’t already exist.  Most London guides list a mind-boggling number of activities and sights to see, but there didn’t seem to be a guide to help people decide what to do, when. A few more brainstorming sessions later, and the 24 Hours London idea was born. I wrote up some sample hours to give my publisher a sense of how it would look and the project developed from there. The book was released in November 2009 and we’ve had a lot of positive feedback from many people, including the Mayor of London. We’ve just partnered with London Interesting to develop an iPhone application of 24 Hours London, which I think is pretty cool. 

What authors do you admire and why?
I love Peter Mayle (A Year in Provence) for the wonderful way he captures the atmosphere and spirit of a place, as well as Sarah Turnbull (Almost French) who writes with wit and humour of the challenge of understanding and integrating into another culture. On the fiction side, I really enjoy the fast-paced Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. The wonderful story-telling of the Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger leaves me in tears every time I read it. 

Describe a day in the life of Marsha Moore
It’s not exactly what you’d call exciting, but I love my work day! I work from home, so I have to be really strict with myself or I find that it’s night and I’m still in my pyjamas. I’m up at 7:30 a.m, have a very strong cup of coffee and browse the Internet for 30 minutes while waking up. Then it’s into my office at 8 a.m, where I work on my fiction writing until lunch. I usually go for a run to clear my head and get out of the flat; otherwise, I might never leave. I’m back at my desk until four, working on a mixture of non-fiction and promotion. Evenings are spent eating (usually chocolate), reading and obsessively checking my email (what can I say, I’m an Internet addict!).

24 Hours Paris is out in March, is this the start of a new brand? Will we see 24 hour guides to other cities?
It is the start of a new brand! We’ve had such a good response to the London guide that we’re really excited to get 24 Hours Paris into bookstores. It was great fun to write and research 24 Hours Paris and I’m already starting on New York, with plans to extend the series to include other cities. Watch this space. 

You can buy 24 Hours London on amazon here. 

Check out the 24 Hours London blog.   

You can check out Marsha's website and read her blog. 

You can follow Marsha on Twitter here.


Check out the book trailer to 24 Hours London below.