Archive for January 2012

Home Archive for January 2012

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Contest Factory for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Pimp My Cube.

Pimp My Cube is searching for the worst, most pathetic and messy cubicle or office that may have bad furniture, old technology, messy, unorganised, dirty, dark and/or any other attributes that make it a bad space to work it. They want you to upload videos of your cube/office/workspace whilst explaining the details about why it is horrible and why it is so important that Contest Factory come and 'pimp' your cube.

Here's how it works:
- Once the video is entered, invite your friends, family and coworkers to share in your misery and vote for your video.
- You get sweepstake entry points for registering, voting, commenting and inviting others to register - so if you have any co-workers who are just as miserable about their work space as you are, then get them to enter too!
- The grand prize will be selected by CF judges based on various criteria, including: most votes, best (though I guess this actually means worst) video and most compelling story.
- The contest has a total grand prize value of approximately $1200
- The prize is to update your office/workspace/cube with one of three prize packages: a new high end computer sysyem; a new desk, chair and decorations, or a new entertainment package with a high end stereo, espresso machine etc.

So far, there aren't very many entries so the chances of you winning are very high! It's really easy to make and upload a video - just use your phone or a webcame. Your video should be fun and witty - anything goes really! The better the story, the funnier the video - the higher your chances are of winning.

There is also a second sweepstake prize - a $200 gift card will be awarded to the registered user chosen by a random draw at the end of the contest period. This contest closes on the 31st of January 2012 so you've got plenty of time!

Visit 'Pimp My Cube' 's website and upload your videos for a chance to win these amazing prizes. Once your video has been approved, remember to get your family and friends to vote for yours to be in with the best chance of winning.

Good Luck to everyone!

Check out their website here: Pimp My Cube Contest

LIVE ONLINE Q&A WITH ANGELINA JOLIE.
Behind The Scenes Photo With Angelina Jolie

What's Hot? is proud to be hosting a live online Q&A with Angelina Jolie on Thursday January 12th at 8pm EST/5pm PST to discuss her writing & directorial debut in The Land of Blood and Honey.This exciting and interactive event gives fans the chance to ask Ms. Jolie questions about the film LIVE!

In addition, there's a free Blood and Honey poster up for grabs for one lucky reader! Simply comment on this post for the opportunity to win it!

About the film:

In the Land of Blood and Honey has been nominated for a Golden Globe® for Best Foreign Language Film. Set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War that tore the Balkan region apart in the 1990s, the film tells the story of Danijel (Goran Kostić) and Ajla (pronounced Ayla) (Zana Marjanović), two Bosnians from different sides of a brutal ethnic conflict. Danijel, a Bosnian Serb police officer, and Ajla, a Bosnian Muslim artist, are together before the war, but their relationship is changed as violence engulfs the country. Months later, Danijel is serving under his father, General Nebojsa Vukojevich (Rade Šerbedžija), as an officer in the Bosnian Serb Army. He and Ajla come face to face again when she is taken from the apartment she shares with her sister, Lejla (Vanesa Glodjo), and Lejla’s infant child by troops under Danijel’s command. As the conflict takes hold of their lives, their relationship changes, their motives and connection to one another become ambiguous and their allegiances grow uncertain. In the Land of Blood and Honey portrays the incredible emotional, moral and physical toll that the war takes on individuals as well as the consequences that stem from the lack of political will to intervene in a society stricken with conflict.

Film Still

If you have any questions for Angelina Jolie, leave them in the comments box ASAP and I'll see if I can pass them on for you! If any of your friends are fans of Jolie, then tell them about this and send them the link!

As a recently born Dickens fan I was highly excited about the new BBC adaptation of Great Expectations. I have heard my dad natter on and on about how both the original film and the book are brilliant but I never really got round to them. BBC dramas are usually absolutely brilliant as they really capture the essence of 'period-drama'. Some say that they're quite dull and boring because they're all the same but I had a feeling that Great Expectations was going to be different.

Without having ever read Great Expectations I was quite surprised at the ease at which I was able to follow the plot. At the moment, I am reading Bleak House, another Dicken's novel, and whilst it's not too complex it is insanely long and you can really hear Dicken's point of view of society at the time shining through. I suppose applied to Great Expectations as I could really sense Dicken's views on the classes and the way children were brought up.

In short, Great Expectations is about a boy, Pip, who lives in the marshes. The story begins with Pip helping an escaped convict by stealing him a file and a piece of pie. The convict is soon captured though he touched by the boy's good heart and does not say who helped him get the file. Close to his home is Satis House, where Lady Haversham and her adopted daughter live. One day, quite out of the blue, Pip is invited to Satis House and is told to come and play with Estella once a week. Pip is under the impression that Miss Haversham intends Pip to marry Estella and that is why he is invited round and is very disappointed when suddenly Miss Haversham gives Pip 'what he wants' and pays for his apprenticeship at the forge. Pip goes back to his life as a blacksmith until one day he is called back to Satis House. He is told that Estella is to leave for London and realises that Lady Haversham has just been stringing him along, when in fact, she had abosutely no intention of letting him wed Estella. Not long after, Pip receives a letter telling him he has a benefactor who is going to pay for him to go to London and learn to be a gentlemen. Pip is convinced that it is Lady Haversham's work and again, it is so that he will be a good suitor for Estella. So Pip departs for London and his new life as a young gentlemen of Great Expectations, but things are plain sailing, nor are they as they seem.

Young Pip and the 'haunted' Satis House

I have to say, the thing that struck me most was just how beautiful Douglas Booth is. He is far to hot for Dickens adaptation though that was a ploy by the BBC to encourage teenagers to watch it. Douglas booth is a fairly unknown, British actor/model, though after this adaptation he's sure to have the job offers rolling in. In addition, Booth is all set to star in Romeo and Juliet in 2012 alongside Gossip Girl's Ed Westwick. He fitted the character of Pip perfectly, transforming effortlessly from a blacksmith to a true London Gentleman. Pip doesn't get treated very well throughout this story and his face and mannerisms just made your heart melt and you couldn't help but love him and his good and pure heart. Lady Haversham was played by Gillian Anderson, and at 43, she's the youngest actress to play the character on screen. Her interpretation of Lady Haversham was truly chilling and she captured the character perfectly. Every movement and every word was eerie and ghostly. The makeup was fantastic, she literally looked as white as a sheet and the burn on her hand looked disgustingly real, even her lips were just perfect. Kudos to the costume and make-up department. Ray Winstone portrayed Abel Magwitch and at the beginning he was absolutely terrifying but by the end he had softened by heart - the mark of a truly brilliant actor. There were also appearances from David Suchet and his hardened attitude was very different from the Peppy Poirot that I'm used to. Vanessa Kirby played Estella and she was the only character who I thought didn't look the part even though she acted it very well.

I cannot say how accurate the television adaptation is in relation to the book; however, if you just take the short three-part series by itself it was absolutely superb. I was captivated from the very beginning and each day I found myself waiting for the next part. This series had me shocked and astounded and I even broke down in tears at one point. It is an absolutely beautiful drama that touched my heart and is easily my favourite BBC adaption to date. The costumes, the music, the acting - everything was superbly British and Dickens-esque. This was the perfect Christmas drama and if you haven't already watched it, catch up on BBC iPlayer now! In fact .. I think I'll be off to watch it again.