A trend in film, all the drafts kicking about and anything else that springs to mind.

First off, it's raining. Does anyone else find it hard to concentrate when you can hear the rain outside? It makes me just want to snuggle up and listen.

Second, I want you to listen to this, AKA my friend Olivia singing a self penned song. It's a bit avant-garde-folky and her voice is very reminiscent of Kate Bush, but it's very catchy so I hope you like it, because I do!

Anyway, what I actually came to talk about is the upcoming number of films that are being made, where the source material is the sort of "hipster" type books that get reblogged on the Tumblr machine all the time. Namely The Great Gatsby, On The Road and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Gatsby is the one of the films I think is going to be absolutely excellent. Directed by Baz Luhrmann -the master of hollow dedecance, aka Moulin Rouge and Rom+Jul - and starring Carey Mulligan, my secret girl crush and the perfect Daisy, and Leonardo DiCaprio, who is just a don, I genuinely am looking forward to this film. The Great Gatsby is genuinely one of my favourite pieces of literature ever...along with Romeo and Juliet, incidentally, and I seriously am not dreading this film adaptation. Which is pretty high praise coming from me, because I hate film adaptations.

In my opinion, On The Road (the film) can only get better. I found the book needlessly boring and repetitive, with an incessant emphasis on how boring life is...which of course made the book boring. I know that's the intention, and as social record it's great, but as a story? As entertainment? Not for me, thanks.
So really, the film can't lose out. Especially with Garrett Hedlund (fit) as Dean, and Sam Riley (cheekbones!) as Sal...oh, and a host of famous supporting actors, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams...and my secret crush Tom Sturridge. I'm immediately turned off when I see Kristen Stewart's name on the list, but having only seen her as Bella in the first Twilight film I guess I'm biased.
The problem is that a limitation to the text will be magnified a million times over on the big screen...the screenplay might have to be jazzed up a bit. But then it might lose the message underneath, so idk.


AND FINALLY

Fake poster by this person here

As you can see, it stars Logan Lerman as Charlie and Emma Watson as Sam, which is clearly going to attract a teens-to-twenties audience. I haven't read the book, but "In that moment, I swear we were infinite" sounds like such a lovely line that I can't wait to get around to it. And I have to soon, if I want to have read the book before the film comes out this year. I'm not quite sure whether it'll work in film format, though. It's quite hard to get across Charlie's mindset without words, from what I've heard. Anyway, I'm ambivalent about this one because I haven't read the book.

So there's my wordy, unecessary pre-film expectations review!

Other things of note:
- I just went into my edit posts section and I have about 30 unfinished posts going back to December 2008.
- I ought to put more pictures into my blog.
- I have two pieces of coursework, an extended essay and an oral exam to prepare for.
- Which involves reading nothing but strictly syllabus related for weeks.
- Which is very sad.

Anyway, will you guys be checking out any of these films at the theater? Have you read the books? 

See you soonies :)

Emma x

Rainy days and sundays,

Ah, what a fabulous day it is. Raining, revision,doing my sister's physics homework for light relief, and a two hour nap because computing is honestly kinda brain numbing.

Anyway, a few pics from our Southport jaunt:

I mostly just put this in so y'all can see my new hair colour.

This is the only time in my life I've got a jump picture right first time.

I love feet photos.

Love these guys, seriously.

Anyway, I'm coming off my weekly-update thing and just updating whenever I can, i.e. more often, we cool with dat? Yep? Good.

Rain,

This week:

- Rain so heavy that my entire road flooded
- Broken camera (lack of photos)
- New TV



- My Dad independantly verifies that I'm Amy Pond in disguise.
- I subscribe to fuckyeahredhair because I have a bit of a ginger fetish
- I redye my hair an even brighter red
- Shopping for baby socks makes me broody



- We decide we're going to hire a caravan for ROAD TRIP '11 despite being skint and unable to drive...yet.
- I have exams in English Lit and History. No need to panic its ONLY MY ENTIRE UNIVERSITY APPLICATION AT STAKE. I need an A in English to read it at uni. Panic stations, everybody!
- I realise I hate compulsive liars with an absolute passion, but only because they have alot of power over me. I'm incapable of a decent lie, no exaggeration.
- I watch a dodgy youtube version of the Harry Potter clip at the MTV awards and nearly die of excitement.



- I have a mildly traumatic experience at dog training. Heel, Dusty...I said heel! HEEL! THAT'S NOT HEELING!!!
- I realise how far ahead of the times my school was, for Britain, vis a vis our fabulous amazing Show Choir.

Less of the listing, please, it's boring.

So it's tuesday evening and I've broken the back of the AS exams...4/6 is good. And I finally feel like I'm qualified to explain my revision techniques.

• Keep your revision hours low. I get up at 10, have breakfast, revise for 2 hours, have an hour long lunch break and then revise solidly for as long as I can bear it, usually between 4 and 6. Different hours work for different people - I have a friend who does 7am till noon without a break - but don't over do it or you'll burn out.
• Mix cramming and long term revision. If you revise your subjects too early in the exam period you'll forget everything...depends on the exam, but it's usually easier to do the majority the day before and just sneaky bits earlier - maybe you have a maths exam tuesday and history on friday, do a tiny bit of history on monday but mostly maths. This is good because it breaks up the monotony a bit, but you also do most of your revision in a big block.
• Make every second count. Don't revise for revision's sake. If you're not learning anything, it's not revision. End of. It's a million times better to do an hour of concentrated revision than a whole week of revising key terms you don't need to define or concepts that are above and beyond what the syllabus requires. And above all, stick to the syllabus! Exam boards won't ask you to discuss what you haven't been told to learn.
• Music...or not. I have to have music when I work. Didn't used to when I was younger, but now it keeps my mind focused and stops me getting too bored. Some people insist on complete silence. When I was younger I used to blast heavy metal, because it blocked everything out and made me focus. Each to their own, it's just a case of working out what makes you tick.
  
• Know what you don't know. This links to the thing about making seconds count...prioritize things you don't understand, know your weaknesses, et cetera. That said, don't forget to go over your strong areas. I tripped up in History because I didn't revise Liberal Reforms, believing I knew them. And I did, but not nearly well enough to make a difference.

OKAY, boring studying aside please!

The hunt for a uni is getting rather difficult. Although I'm def applying to Cambridge, and I'm going to open days for Exeter, York and Nottingham, it's SO HARD to find an ABB course for English in a decent uni. Plus the tariff scores confuse me no end, it's so annoying. What we need is a comparison website of all the entry requirements, so we do.

If it wasn't for the fact that I never have a minute to spare these days, I totally would.

ANYWAY, Friday was AB-FAB! Why? We went to the beach! Which for a bunch of girls from Birmingham (google it. It's pretty damn landlocked for such a small country) is a big event. We went, we talked, we ate chips, we wasted money on the penny arcade, we got matching tacky bracelets and above all, in true british seaside style, I got royally sunburnt. Pics to follow when they're uploaded :)

I'm also hearing rumours that I'm getting a new camera for my birthday. Excitement abounds!

Anyway, that's all for this week. 20 mins until I'm late posting.

Emma x