The Minions Marketing Strategy

In 2010, Illumination Entertainment and producer Chris Meledandri published a genius idea that would go on to create havoc amongst children, couples and families alike. They released Despicable Me, but that wasn’t the idea; it was the invention of Gru’s Minions. You know them tiny, yellow, beefy robot things that squeak in chipmunk pace, wear goggles and have different hairstyles? Yeah, them. The first major publication of the Minion was in the following trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsiayV5LuD0.  Three years on, the Minions have built up a legacy similar to that of the Toy Story franchise. Under construction is a new ride titled ‘Minion Mayhem’ at Universal Studios Florida and there are countless amounts of Twitter pages in dedication (@MinionFM, DM_Minions).

Youtube screenshot

They speak their own language but have the same tone qualities as humans. Their language is essentially like the unique communication that babies have with one another. For example, when my nephew says something like “agoo googoo lala ma?” and my niece’s response is something like “aga! aga! aga!”, they’ve probably plotted a plan to smash my Xbox. The loyal nature of the Minions - despite the fact that they work for a villain in the movie - makes them come across as very innocent (North Korea reference?) Pre-release, the producers of the movie pushed to promote the Minions and I remember wanting to watch the movie to see them alone. When I finally watched Despicable Me, I thought the movie had a great plot with educational value, a charming lead character in Gru, and the cutest baby in the world in Agnes. However, I only made these judgements after watching these movies (obviously, Sahil). My point is, the reason that I wanted to watch the movie was to see more of the Minions and I’m sure that I wasn’t the only one. The Minions became something that couples-in-love would begin to refer to, toddlers and kids would begin to imitate and toy stores would begin to produce in abundance. Despite not having any real relevance in the plot, the Minions became an image worldwide.

The simple yet genius move was the decision to turn the Minions into not just an image, but a brand. We have t-shirts, inflatables, soft toys, battery toys, apps, phone covers, the Minion song and so much more. Miranda Cosgrove – who by the way is the weakest point of the movie – recently threw this picture on Instagram when she was here for the premiere of the sequel: http://instagram.com/p/au356cPsxH/. Can you imagine any other animated figure of recent times that has this sort of power? The hype for Despicable Me 2 is even greater than Monsters University from what I can see, and this has to be due to the clever emphasis on Minion promotion. I can’t describe my happiness at the fact that the same makers are going to release a Minions spin-off movie later this year but for now, I can’t wait to go and watch them cause mayhem in Despicable Me 2. Now imagine, how much [more] success would the Madagascar franchise have if they did the same thing with King Julian?

Mamma Mia!

For legal reasons, I can't have my review of Mamma Mia! on the blog. So, do me a huge favour...click on the link below: 

Taken from abbaofficial.wordpress.com

http://www.lastminutetheatretickets.com/blog/index.php/43448/review-of-mamma-mia-novello-theatre-london/ 

Safe x

Veer Zaara

Almost 10 years ago, Yash Chopra (referred to as Yashji) directed a love legend that attempted to change the modern, common and traditional person’s perception on India-Pakistan politics. Since its release in November 2004, I can proudly confess that I have probably watched the movie over a hundred times. Veer-Zaara is, without a doubt, the best Bollywood movie of the modern generation; and quite possibly, of all time. The greatest love stories are those that are improbable in society’s eyes. Look at Romeo/Juliet, Ennis/Jack and Shrek/Fiona for examples. Similarly, the story of an Indian army officer falling in love with a traditional Pakistani girl is improbable and heavily frowned upon. It’s a risky move, because I am not from either country, but I want to present this movie as a political example of how modern Indian and Pakistani stereotypes should be with one another.

Yash Raj Films ©

Veer Pratab Singh: a happy, simple and charming man who gets on with life and his work. He visits his home town whenever he has time but has fully devoted himself to his job. Zaara Hayaat Khan: quite a fun, bubbly girl who cares greatly for those that are close to her. Both characters don’t really stand out as individuals. What stands out is that one is Indian, one is Pakistani and they fall in love with each other. The simple characteristics of both characters are juxtaposed by the complex background of their story. This contrast is one of the many attempts to not only show equality between the two countries, but to show similarity; Yashji presents love as something that should not have any set requirements. The song ‘Aisa Des Hai Mera’ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDheWYmNEhQ) is a beautifully shot example of Yashji's political message. Throughout the song, Veer guides Zaara on an educational journey about India and Indian people. None of his patriotic three verses are relevant to Yashji’s overall intentions but in Zaara’s only verse (at 5:46), we begin to see them more clearly. She responds to Veer by saying that the Indian soil, the Indian weather, the Indian people, they all seem very recognizable to her. They remind her of her home, Pakistan. Stories with such sensitive topics need to be directed with maturity (Karan Johar’s attempt at Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna being an example) and Yash Chopra has proved himself to be -  potentially - the only director that could have arranged the presentation of such a story. One of Shahrukh Khan’s most incredible moments as an actor is in the final scene where he reads his 786 poem. A poem about how he felt at home in his time at a Pakistani prison. A few of the supporting characters are very important to the message of this story and it’s [not] ironic that they are all ‘Pakistani’. Saamiya (played by Rani Mukherjee) is the modern Pakistani woman who challenges traditional views on the India and Pakistan feud. She’s revolutionary in her attempt to free Veer and send him back to his
country. Her rival in the movie, Zakir Ahmed (played by Anupam Kher), is the complete opposite and in the name of his country, fights to keep Veer rotting in hell. By the end of the movie, Zakir realises that his country are in desperate need of people like Saamiya and as he retires as a lawyer, one presumes that he has retired his old school views and grudges against India.

The only small problem I have with this movie is that on one hand, Yashji presents India as the colourful and perfect nation; on the other hand, he presents Pakistan as the unforgiving, conflicted and corrupted one. I imagine this didn't go down too well in the Pakistani community. I’d like to have seen at least one character from Veer’s home that has a problem with him loving and marrying a Pakistani. In a sense, I regret taking a political agenda in this review because I am taking away value from the romantic quotient. Veer-Zaara will make you want to fall in love; the moments involving the title characters have gone down as some of the most iconic scenes and dialogue of all time. If you are reading this and you're not Indian-Pakistani, then read up on the history and treat yourself to this beautiful example of a Bollywood movie. To those people that are however, no one is asking you to fall in love with each other; but this movie is an example of how you can work together to avoid hatred passing down to your newer generations. If you don’t want to take advice from someone who isn’t Pakistani or Indian, take it from someone who comes from a country that is currently under ruthless attack.

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Why Bollywood?

Over the last few years, I have had a highly defensive approach when informing people about Bollywood. Many people have questioned the concept behind my love for the industry, asking “…but you’re not even Indian?” and the answer has always been tough to explain. Decades ago, Bollywood was the only film fraternity that was accessible to the countries surrounding India. Afghanistan was one of those countries and when my family moved to India, they had already developed an interest for Bollywood movies, music and stories. During the 10 years that they spent there, my parents interest turned into a habit, a hobby. Instead of the usual channels 1-5, I grew up watching Bollywood movies and Indian TV shows on those channels that are under the ‘International’ option of your Sky TV guide (Zee TV, B4U, Star Plus etc.). I watched, watched, and watched. Back then, Indian channels were not established enough to have English subtitles but I continued to watch and eventually, I was able to fully understand the Hindi language. A trip to India and I’m now able to fluently speak the language too. This was all in the generation where Shahrukh Khan (Indian superstar and incredible actor) was releasing hit after hit. I developed a very deep, emotional attachment with his movies and the industry as a whole. Tomorrow, I'm publishing my first ever review of a Bollywood movie and I truly hope you are inspired enough to watch the movie soon after. 

BLKKK SKKKN HD

Everyone and anyone that’s heard of Ye will know that he’s taken shit to new levels in recent months. Levels that are surprising even by his standards. I was at that sold out Hammersmith show where he sang shit about corporations, the Grammys, Jay-Z etc. Now, I’m cool with whatever he does most the time as long as he acknowledges – as he’s done in previous shows – his loyal and consistent fans. Shit, I was even cool with him dissing Justin Timberlake but what wasn’t cool was the way he reluctantly came back out (as most artists do at the “end” of their show), performed the last song with no effort and dropped the mic without once acknowledging his fans; that ain’ like Ye. The following night, this happened and it needs no explanation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7Jkw6k54HA

Youtube screenshot

I forgave Kanye on the basis that he’s going through a weird process which will come out creatively on his next album and ultimately justify the crazy, revolutionary behaviour. That next album has dropped and he's titled it Yeezus. The first track I checked out was the Saturday Night Live performance of Blk Skn Head (Black Skinhead) and yeah, he’s done it again. The tribal-like drumming, followed by a cry of Kanye’s famous ad-lib “HAAAAAAAAN” and a heavy breathing backing on the track was the near-perfect way to start this performance. The concept of the title was made clear as soon as the camera turns to him; his deranged movements and use of the microphone echoing likewise. I caught some of his lyrics but he was losing his breathe and they were hard to understand. I figured I’d just wait for the actual single to release before commenting further on the song. I turned off the song until it leaked and I was eager to listen to the audio.

I was disappointed that he didn’t include the ad-lib on the track and instead replaced it with stupid noises of an ape being ticked but apart from that, this track boasts masterful production and insanely powerful lyrics. The build-up to the climax of both verses and hooks make you take slow steps until you’re eventually running into the Kanye zone. The deep bass on the “Four in the morning” hook is crazy and if you’ve spent good money on some headphones or speakers then treat yourself to this example of sick production. Considering the concept of the song, the references to King Kong and Iraq are genius. His description of himself as devoted and possessed further creates his intended image of a skinhead. Yeezy has a Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd style undertone to his voice and we usually hear it in the ad-lib. It would have topped off this song incredibly but I’m glad that we get to hear some of that undertone at the end when he chants “God” repeatedly.

This track is dope. It shows Ye’s passion and anger towards the ever-present theme of racism and anti-black America. With a crazy blend of production, this is a true theme song. 

Born Sinner

jcolemusic.com ©

Villuminati

Fire start to the album with Cole setting the tone and content of the album from the word go and spitting raw bars. What makes Cole so real is that he recognises the power of the music industry that only those involved - I’m guessing – can understand. A song with juxtaposing verses and some dope production: “Sometimes I brag like Hov. Sometimes I’m real like Pac. Sometimes I focus on the flow to show the skills I got. Sometimes I focus on the dough look at these bills I got”. 9/10

Land of the Snakes

Cole is acknowledging the difference in his life before and after he made it as a rapper. By the end, “This the shit I used to roll down Lewis Street with” becomes very lifeless and that last verse about his encounter with a girl he smashed at uni is Cole at his self-reflective best. He talks about how guilty he feels not just for smashing that girl but also for being enticed by the commercial, materialistic aspect of the music world. Reference to Lost Ones is very relevant and understandable.  8/10

Power Trip [Feat. Miguel]

Cole and Miguel are a magical duo and they proved that with All I Want Is You. First single on his album and it’s no Work Out style track which we can be thankful for. Cole tells a story about his obsession with a girl and the effect she has on him. Cole said this was a sequel to Dreams, in which case he probably shouldn’t have directly mentioned the prequel at all but we can see the link. Not as intense as Dreams but equally as advanced lyrically. In an ideal world, Miguel would have featured on Dreams and that way, the Power Trip video would make a lot more sense; still though, an unconventional single and typically good storytelling by Cole. 8/10

Mo Money [Interlude]

Another show of Cole’s real and raw nature as a rappe. This is what makes him stand out. The more you earn, the more you want to earn even more. This is a fitting interlude and the repeated use of the phrase ‘Mo money…’ is clever. 7/10

Trouble

We all know that Cole does his very best to not only advise the women out there but to understand the female perspective; identified in Lost Ones and Daddy’s Little Girl. The theme of this song is about his lack of commitment and his stereotype of these “cool bitches” whose “mans don’t know” about what they get up to. I’m personally tired of the female perspective and I think he should have just stopped at Lost Ones which is the ultimate song. However, it says a lot that I’m getting tired of such an underused theme in hip-hop and the song has a sick ending with the child asking his mother “did you fuck J. Cole?”… 7/10

Runaway

This song got to me man and I’m sure there are a lot of guys out there who can relate. I was hoping for a new song about Cole’s guilt towards a girl he loves after hearing them lines on Last Call “I know my girl be prayin lord just keep his pants zipped up…at least give the nigga common sense to wrap his dick up”. The song is a combination of Cole's need for a stable social image, his love and guilt towards his girlfriend and his Yeezy-like view on society today.  Cole is digging deep here and expressing huge levels of guilt through his music as he raps “How the fuck did my life become a damn love song?” The production on this track compliments the way Cole sings the chorus pretty well. 8/10

She Knows [Amber. Coffman]

Some dark and menacing piano production with Cole making clever references to an “apple pie”. A comparison to Adam and Eve (props to Rap Genius). This tracks got a generic chorus but some decent verses. His links between music and sex are genius.  8/10

Rich Niggaz

Real, raw and something we all feel; he begins by identifying a couple of rich guys and wonders what type of shit they’ve had to do to become rich. Convinced that they either have had to sell themselves (“how much for your soul, and uh…) or that they’ve inherited the money from Daddy. Then he goes on to speak about how worried he is that he may get lured by this world, this lifestyle, this money. It all makes so much sense that he’s released this album via stream and I think deep down he’s making deep references to how he almost sold himself in first album on some of those songs like Work Out, Mr Nice Watch, Can’t Get Enough (all of which I liked, believe it or not).  8/10

hotnewhiphop.com ©

Forbidden Fruit [Feat. Kendrick Lamar]

Possible continuation to She Knows or at least very similar with regards to some contents; the forbidden fruit metaphor extends far and the song itself is a sick collaboration. Simplistic production with a few pulls of the guitar strings and Kendrick’s dark voice assisting the chorus. After a while, you’ll love this song cos that happened with me and it’ll happen with you. Kendrick and Cole are the two killing the game for real. Cole is a lot more relaxed on this track compared to the last few songs. Would have liked a Kendrick verse though… 9/10

Chaining Day

Friday Night Lights this reminded me of. This whole album is basically him regretting what he has become and I guess, as a result, hoping it’ll never happen again. Cole cleverly sings “This is the last time, I swear this is the last time, I know I said that shit the last time” and it reminds you of when a little boy tells his parents he’ll never get into a fight again. As soon as this song finishes, we hear “Ok I lied” and go on to the next track which shows the cyclic nature of the lifestyle J Cole lives where commits a bad deed, repents and says he’ll  change and then…does it again. Decent song. 7/10

Ain’t That Some Shit [Interlude]

This is Cole on some Who Dat and Cole World shit, man. Roll the windows down and drive your Vauxhall Corsa breaking all speed limits with this song playing; no, don’t do that. I’m feeling the hook on this track and both verses flow smoothly. Plus, the production is crazy. Cole shouldn’t feel like he can’t make these kind of songs cos truth is, he’s good at them. Disappointed not to see some more light hearted tracks on the album like this one but I guess he’s got a point to prove to those who thought he took his foot off the pedal with Sideline Story. 8/10

Crooked Smile [Feat. TLC]

I like TLC’s contribution in this song and Cole hits the right themes again on this track. The second verse is beautifully written; identifying the self-damaging aspect that most women have when they over analyse how they look and why they look the way look. Same with the first verse where he feels for girls “killing themselves to find a man that’ll kill” for them. I know I said I didn’t want to see much female perspective stuff but this song is necessary as it identifies the psychological aspect of the female perspective whereas Trouble is speaking about girls who become sluts and shit. 8/10

Let Nas Down

Wow. This is that song! The best track on the album comes with Cole rapping about how he heard that Nas is disappointed with his first album and presumably Work Out or Can’t Get Enough singles. This could possibly be reason for the themes on this album, a moment that woke him up; from being dubbed as the new ‘Nas’, to being told that he’s making the wrong type of music from Nas himself. It must have been peak for him if that did happen and this song is just so real and sad from Cole’s perspective. 10/10

Born Sinner [Feat. @Fauntleroy]

“You knew me before the fame, don’t lose me the more that I change” is the line to pretty much sum up this album. Cole’s looking at his life before he got big and after; acknowledging that he’s changed as an artist and as a person. The religious references in this song and throughout the whole album are relevant and metaphorical. The verses are deep, personal and raw and they're complimented with an appropriate chorus. Album goes out on a high. 8/10

So basically: J. Cole’s made a banging second album where he’s repenting for becoming materialistic, commercial and attracted by the lifestyle of being a star. He’s gone back to raw, real bars where he recognises his mistakes and understands what he needs to do; Cole acknowledges the sacrifices he has to make but admits that it’s hard. I’d have liked to see a song like Can’t Get Enough or Lights Please, maybe even something like Cole World but I guess that’s what he doesn’t wanna be doing. It’s now down to see what Cole releases next to determine the value of Born Sinner’s long term content. 8/10! 

The Purge

Sometimes, I watch a trailer and I'm completely taken aback by the seemingly amazing concept and I can’t wait to watch the movie and I'm building up hype with my friends and the excitement is unbearable and I watch the trailer over and over again and it’s all just so hectic and crazy. Most of the time. This is usually justified by an amazing movie; such as Life of Pi and Inception. Thus, my excitement justified. On the other hand, I've been made to look like a fool for being so excited; such as the ridicule known as The Devil Inside (For real though, it looked so good). Going into The Purge, I was excited man. The concept of having an annual do-whatever-crime-you-want day is genius. My friends and I were constantly thinking of what we would do if we had that luxury (!) and I even jumped on the #ThePurge bandwagon on Twitter. Fair to say, expectations were high.

guardian.co.uk ©

Let’s get the goods out the way first: the film has got a very good concept at its base and there’s no denying that. Furthermore, the build-up to the annual Purge was really well executed and along with Ethan Hawke and his family, I was also very nervous for the fictional clock to hit midnight. The early scene with random citizens announcing their Purge plans for the day on the local radio station was an intimidating way to start the movie; notably with the caller who was planning to murder his boss. 

All my pre-movie excitement and frustration is reflected in how fast I’m eating my popcorn; Hawke’s family sit anxiously with me awaiting the buzzer which announces the start of the Purge and I get flashbacks of the similar moment in The Hunger Games and how exciting that was. The buzzer goes off and…

...the movie - like this unnecessary long gap - goes downhill. I know that was lame but I was tempted. We understand why Zoey (the daughter) is frustrated but why the hell is that girly-looking little boy frustrated? Why is he scaring his Mum with that frightening remote control baby doll? Yeah, I get that he doesn’t understand the need for The Purge but it just does not explain why he’s so miserable, feminine and stupid. The short-lived magical appearance of Zoey’s lover was short-lived, why? There was no need for him to start going ape shit and start shooting at Hawke. This is what happens when an inexperienced director decides to direct his own writing and this is a great example of why writers and directors should be kept well apart from one another. Seriously, I don’t even think they should greet each other until the red carpet. A great concept ruined from the very offset because of poor decisions by DeMonaco. How about if Hawke was a politically involved character or a negative stereotype? What if the attacks on his house and his family were more personal, as opposed to just a few crazy individuals looking to take down some homeless man? Also, not the smartest decision to cast a black actor for that role.

The constant reference to America and Americans gets you thinking a while but the effect of this movie should have been a lot greater. Instead, I left the cinema laughing at the bleeding face and broken nose of Grace (the blonde lady who saved her neighbour's life and then wanted to kill her after). Also, if you want to kill someone, why must you scare them first? It just makes no sense! Just fuckin’ kill them.

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The Godfather II

This movie is something, really something. Having been raised in strict discipline and culture where you’re taught that the most important thing was and will always be, is family, the story becomes immediately identifiable. It’s insane how similar the Italian culture is with the Asian culture. The Godfather Part II is my favourite Western movie of all time and I say this with all due respect to some amazing movies such as The Godfather, The Truman Show, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Fight Club, The Lion King (!) and few more.

The sheer brilliance of this movie varies incredibly, from the directorial decisions (starting and ending the movie with focus on Michael Corleone’s expressions; masterfully executing the nature of the family business; effortlessly moving from ‘present’ to ‘past’ through a change in lighting, music and atmosphere, etc.) to the versatility of the orchestra (peaceful and calm whilst we’re in the ‘past’, loud and happening when we’re in the ‘present’) right down to the excellent, near-perfect performances from Pacino, De Niro and Robert Duvall. My future reviews will certainly speak about these elements that contribute into making an amazing movie.

Screenshot

However, for this movie, I want to speak about why it is particularly special to me and, perhaps why it could be special to you too; it’s pretty hard for me to write much about this without making my father come across as a complete nutcase or making myself come across likewise but I’ll definitely give it a go.
In life, I have two contrasting brothers, an innocent sister, a beautiful mother and an authoritative father so the context of the family in the movie is very similar to that of my life. Where it gets deeper and closer though, is in the idea that my father, just like Vito Corleone, has been a highly-regarded figure in our society for years; I've grown up to watching my father help, advise and loan money to members of our family, a selection of close and distant friends and sometimes even complete strangers. The way Vito kept his dignity and pride in the moment he lost his job at the supermarket is something I have always witnessed in my father’s eyes when he is faced with hardship, difficulty and injustice; the way Vito was respected and feared once he had announced himself as a worthy figure in the local area is something I have always witnessed when people have communicated with my father; the way Vito is referred to as ‘Don Corleone’, similar to how my father is referred to (he’s not a Don, though. Relax!). However, credit for these thoughts in my head and these suggestions of similarity goes to Robert De Niro and his impeccable abilities as an actor.

This isn’t the first time I’ve compared my father to a De Niro character; his stark and ambiguous performance as Jimmy Conway in Goodfellas has had me sit down and analyse my father’s movements, expressions and characteristics for hours and hours. His performance as the young Vito could well be the greatest acting performance of all time considering the pressure of comparisons with Marlon Brando. As an actor myself, I've been incredibly inspired by De Niro in this movie specifically. It’s in the realness of his acting, the detail, the honesty, the rawness. Just writing about his performance brings a smile of admiration to my face. Make a note of his expressions, movement and speech in the scenes with the landlord whom failed to recognise him. I’ve realised that it’s not his characters that are similar to my father; it’s the way De Niro has bought them to life.

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Stan

There's something real intriguing about the way Eminem uses names in his song titles: Maxine, Kim, Hailie’s Song. The same applies to 'Stan', which is probably my favourite song of all time. I'm pretty sure I've heard it every day in the last 2/3 years. It’s an incredibly daring song to make at such an early stage of your career; risking backlash from his fans that might have thought Slim doesn't appreciate them, doesn't write back to them. On top of this, creating a character such as Stan could weirdly have inspired others to behave in exactly the same way as him. This song is so artistic, so theatrical and so fucked up. I'm gonna’ write about why this song is so good so load it up, and read ahead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSLZFdqwh7E

Youtube screenshot

Dido's 'Thank You' sample is ideal for the opening and chorus sections of this song. Dido's got that eerie and haunting thing going on with her voice and it's such a memorable passage. The way Stan’s verses build up in anger, pain and cynicism is truly poetic; starting off, we could argue that he’s a pretty normal dude that’s simply a fan of Eminem. I have friends who have Em tattoos (2^nd verse), have attempted to contact Eminem and have posters on their wall (including myself!). The only hint of craziness in the first verse is arguably in the “if I have a daughter, guess what I’ma call her? I’ma name her Bonnie” line but even that, isn’t incredibly crazy because I have a cousin who has named their son Messi. So when we hear “truly yours, your biggest fan, this is Stan” then you’re with not much but an insight into Stan’s character. Second verse is where shit gets incredibly real; Stan using his little brother as a guilt trip for not meeting Em: kinda weird. Stan admitting that he cuts himself for an adrenaline rush: very weird. Eminem has cleverly written this second verse knowing that it is up to this point that he will begin writing a response to Stan in the last verse. The suggestion that Stan is gay comes at the end, which is crazy considering the homophobic claims against Em in the past. I don’t think he’s gay though, just obsessive. If it were up to Stan, he would lock himself in a room with Em for the rest of his life and that’s what he means by “I loved you Slim, we could’ve been together” in the incredibly written final verse. Easily the most powerful verse and in my opinion, one of Em’s most amazing verses of all time; the thunder is louder, the rain is stronger and Stan is angrier. I've listened to this final verse so many times and every single time - without fault - I am taken aback. The way he’s put together the verse makes it extremely vivid in your imagination and not many songs have the ability to do that.

I spoke of the song being daring earlier, but the last verse is extremely pivotal in helping to show Eminem’s side of the story; not just for obsessive fans, but to others who think he doesn’t appreciate, the last verse justifies how hard it is living the life of Eminem. The song is unique, the song is scary, the song is poetic, and the song is…everything that could be identified with goodness. You know what? There’s a first verse Stan in each and every one of us and what’s crazy is that there’s probably some second and third-verse Stan’s around as well on some level; especially in this mad, stalker-ish Twitter-era.

I recently performed, what was called a ‘Dramatic Reading of Stan’ at University: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuapUnIA2a0

My Valued Judgement

So, I'm blogging now. I took a module in my third year at uni called 'Theatre Criticism' and it opened my eyes up to how amazing it feels to simply share your view. The idea of this blog is to recommend. To inform, inspire and persuade. It might be a classic movie, a timeless song or an amazing marketing campaign. Let's see how consistent I remain.