And in the End...

I can only be honest with this because there's really no other to say it; this is my final blog post.

Some people have hinted towards it in comments on recent posts but many more have said time and time again that they wish I continue so trust me, this isn't a decision I've taken lightly despite being pretty much set on it now for couple of months. 

I think I've only made about 10 posts since the start of the year and it must have been after a post in March or April that I realised it was time to call it a day.

The blog was and continued to simply drift along, just sitting there, rarely used, rarely touched but I didn't want to see it just wither away into nothing. I have too much love and attachment still to let that happen and it would be insulting and unfair to people who do continue to read it. 

I've simply not been able to give it what it deserves and with venturing off to university, finding a job and facing whatever lies ahead I'd only be giving it even less so before all that comes rushing towards me, we've ended up here at my last post, fittingly my 250th - I've always said I'm someone who enjoys exhibition and putting on a spectacle :P

I think what I'm feeling now is something all (or most) blog owners feel eventually - at least I imagine most do, it's only natural - simply not finding it as alluring as they once did.

Don't get me wrong, I still love visitors and followers and I still enjoy comments and all but... posting doesn't interest me as much these days.

To coin the old cliché; it's not you, it's me :P

I've never considered for one moment to remove or delete however. Not for a second. What's in these 250 posts and (thanks to the new Blogger system for showing) 1698 comments, for me, is like an online diary. I love and cherish it. This blog will remain open to anyone and everyone.

Unless I'm forced to delete it in some unimaginable emergency or if the internet blows up, it's staying right here.

Keeping it open also fulfils yet another purpose of the blog - to help people.

I can't say for sure if I ever have - I certainly hope I have - but this way it retains an everlasting purpose... hopefully.

I know I've certainly been helped. I could go into detail about how and when and where but then I'd simply just be rabbiting on like I've done many a time and which I kinda did in my last post...

Just know that blogging has helped me, and if you've been following me for however long, you probably have as well. Another thing I've always loved about it.

It's helped me from a scared, little homosexual boy to a... braver (?), open homosexual guy! haha

It's also helped my internet grammar and punctuation ;D
Oh, I remember the days of never using capital I's and never bothering with full stops and the likes - just looking back at my first post!
I've become a much better typist \o/

But in all seriousness, despite some of the drama that's gone with blog, I would say that starting it is one of the best decisions I've ever made.

I wouldn't be who I am, perhaps not even where I am (and I do sincerely mean that), without it and all the people who have come and gone in that time. All the love and well-wishes and advice I've received... I'm forever grateful and I'll never forget it. I hope I've been good at sharing out my portion of it as well.

Lastly, like the blog, my email address won't be getting deleted either so feel free to contact me at any time. Please, don't be a stranger because you're not :)

lets-start-over@hotmail.com

I wasn't sure how to end a post of this nature but now I'd like to with a little announcement - one, final spectacle for you.

This, as I said is my 250th post but it has also been made, typed and posted on the day and date of my 18th birthday :)

Thank you for everything, everyone. I truly can't express it enough.

Love, 

Rowan <3



"The love you take is equal to the love you make" - The Beatles

Out to All

It's been a very busy few days indeed. With the exception of last night, I haven't slept well since Wednesday.

Thursday night I was really excited for PROMetheus so I only got a few hours sleep.

Really enjoyed the film, though.

Prom was... ok. Not quite my gig but at least I got to look amazing in my suit.

Though afterwards, we all went back to Melly's and got considerably drunk.

Next day, I stayed at Nicholas' house because he's just round the corner and the day after that, yesterday now, there was another party!

By this time, I was drained from the past few days, only had a few drinks and got an early taxi home.

I usually stay when he throws a party but not this time.

Just bringing you up to speed but now to the all important bit...

After seeing Prometheus on Friday, I thought it would be a good idea to go back and watch all the Alien films. My brother, who is younger to clear confusion, heard I was doing it and wanted in as well.

Must have started about 11am and finished at 8 or something. It was getting tedious towards the end. 3 and Resurrection are pretty crap.

But it was at the end of Resurrection that the thought came to me that it would be a good time to just say to my brother so indeed I did.

I waited until it finished, basically sat there and said, "I've got something to tell you", with that usual nervous feeling you get during these situations.

"Mhmmm"

"... I like guys"

"... Ok, that's fine"

Then I told him I'd wanted to say for a while coz he's my brother, I trust him and thought it would be good for him to know before I turned 18 but I've been gauging a reaction.

I think I almost offended him because he went, "Pfff, me? Nah, no way. Doesn't matter to me"

But then he told me he'd heard something about it before from a friend of his at school who has a brother in my year. Seemingly, news spread to this guys' brother who passed it on and news filtered through to my brother. 

I don't really care but jeez.

Anyway, I suppose it's better for me to tell my brother up front than have him hearing little bits and pieces of gossip flying about the place.

But at the end of the day, there we have it; what is probably my final big coming out :)

I've come quite a long way, looking back. Lauren, mum, dad, Josh, Melly, friends, my brother - That's the order.

I do have a younger sister but I don't think it'll be quite the same. I hope with her, she'll just come to understand as she gets older.

I don't want to get up on my high horse and get all dramatic about this (though I've never been great at avoiding that) but I would never have had the confidence without this blog which has seen and recorded every single time I've came out to someone. Now there's something.

Gaining confidence to tell all these people has been the one of, if not the main purpose from the very first post and now that purpose feels fulfilled.

 

No one knew when I started this blog, but now... pretty much everyone knows and I do have one of the oddest senses of achievement from it.

I can only say how much it means to have had people here to share it all with and help me through it.

Rowan <3

Oh, Brother

Recently I've been thinking a lot about coming out to my brother. Well, I've thought about it for months but more so in the past few days.

I'd like to get it out the way before I'm 18. That way, he knows and so do my parents and I think it would do me good peace of mind.


I don't think he'd have any problem with it. I often walk into his room and he's watching clips of The Daily Show or The Colbert Report. I mean how more liberal does it get? :P

And he's not even American of course.

Then there was the other week after Obama came out in support of same-sex marriage (praise the man) that my brother went, "Obama is such a legend"

I've often wondered if he was gay! No, I kid. I actually quite doubt it.

Also, I fear that my parents wouldn't be able to handle two gay kids... idk I'm getting off-topic now.

Back on-topic: I want to tell my brother because obviously, he's my brother and I trust him a lot and he doesn't deserve it to be kept from him.

I think it would be fine and I'd hope so. I've never actually had a bad coming out experience.

Scratch that, I've never had a coming out experience where the other person acted displeased. Coming out to my mum was honestly not something I'd want to go through again but how and ever.


Also, today is a really big day. One I've dubbed "PROMetheus" because my most anticipated film of the year - Prometheus - is released and later today I have my prom.

I'm going to see Prometheus with my brother actually, and perhaps a few other people. Literally leaving after this.

Prom is later. A British prom isn't quite like an American one I think. It's not really "bring a date" unless you really wanted to. It's more just one last big social gathering of the school year group so I'm quite forward to it :)

One last big hurrah.


Anyway, of course I'll post any news with regards to my brother but I have to dash now for Prometheus. Cannot wait.


Rowan <3

Exams and Announcements and etc.

My mountainous exams are now finished! :D

I kid, they've hardly been a strain. In fact, rather laid back. That's been the attitude across the board really, especially for people like myself who know they have a guaranteed place at university regardless of results. 

Studying has been minimal and that goes for my first exam which was Photography. It didn't even take place during study leave but it was an exam nonetheless. Fairly easy as well. Just write 100 words about my project and that was it.

Music listening was the first exam to take place over study leave. I've never been brilliant at that side of the course and I didn't think it went that well at the time but some teachers went over most of the answers after and, from memory, I seemed to do about average.

24 or 25 out of 40 I'd say.

It isn't a great mark but combine it with the two practical exams the following week and I'm predicting an A.

Bass went really well. My programme was all Beatles pieces that I already knew and submitted to the exam board for approval way back in August.

I played Lovely Rita all the through with one or two minor mistakes and the rest were sampled: Dear Prudence, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With a Little Help From My Friends and A Day in the Life.

So that all went well.

I'm not so great on guitar and I think it showed. As it was my secondary instrument, I only had to play two pieces, again pieces I submitted in August. Knights of Cyondia by Muse and Hysteria also by Muse.

The problem was that he sampled both of them and none of the songs really allow me to do anything special until the latter half which the examiner never got to see. I even brought in my new octave pedal for the solos in each song but we never reached them. I think my mark could have bumped up a little if I had played them in full but alas...

My final exam was Italian and it's the one I definitely had to study for the most, but didn't really.

I don't think anyone in the class did and I think what we already knew from the course got us through. It's hilarious how little we knew, though, at this stage compared to the amount we knew for French and Spanish last year.

Despite that, Paper 1 (Reading) was fairly easy but Paper 2 (listening and short essay) was really challenging. I'd take a B but I still want an A, and after my prelim score I might just scrape it.

Also, the last few days of school were eventful. Last ever music class was emotional. I don't know if I said anywhere but I arranged for the whole class to chip in and get our teacher a good bottle of whiskey.

My dad found a good bottle for £35 that would normally have cost £60 and our teacher was delighted. I can't express my respect for the man. Of the 6 years I've studied music, he's been my teacher for 4 and this was the least I could do for him.

I also got the music staff two big boxes of chocolates. Again, the least I could do for all their generosity and kindness throughout my time at the school. The staff are all so lovely; genuinely amazing people.

Aw, I'm getting all nostalgic typing this. 

Unfortunately, we didn't have music on the last day. Our last class was on the penultimate day and we played, as a class for the last ever time :(

We played Walk of Life by Dire Straits and lastly, and most fittingly, With a Little Help From My Friends.

We'd been out of practise for ages so it didn't sound great and my bass was playing up but it was still wonderful. Then we got a lovely class picture which we'll eventually frame. I didn't cry though, surprisingly :P I thought I was going to but I held it in.

We would have had a double period on the final day if it weren't for Leavers Day - a big, nonsense celebration with shirt signings and a mass plonked in the middle - though I have to say I did enjoy the shirt signing. It's good looking at all the names on there.

I'd also like to announce that I've finally accepted my course for Film and Television at university (after waiting to do so for over 2 months) so there's what I'll be up to for the next 4 years provided that the course turns out to be the right choice. I'd certainly hope so or else I'll be a bit stuck.

That's just about all I've really got to say for now. I know it's been over a month since my last post and I'm not even going to begin to insult anyone with excuses, I simply haven't been in the mood for posting...

Still, I hope all is good and I hope the weather's also good because it really has been scorching here for the past few days! Though it's Britain, we're due some sun.

Rowan <3

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School's out... forever.

School

So I write this on the eve of my last ever term at high school.

It's a strange thought.

Everything I've known and the structure I've been used to for the past 13 years is fast approaching it's end.

May 1st is the final day before study leave I think, meaning my last subject would be PE... great. However, there's talk going round that the final day is May 4th, meaning my last subject would be music. How fitting. I'd prefer that to be honest!

But the last time I'm sat in a class will be for my Italian exam on 25th May and the last time I'll be in school properly is June 14th for graduation by which time I'll be 18. Again, fitting.


I have mixed feelings about leaving which is what's persuaded me to blog about it. It marks a huge step in life, in my opinion. It kind of even marks the end of childhood in a way - at least not youth, I still have a few years of that - leaving school, going off into the big, bad world...

Of course, as a gay person I might be expected to be overjoyed about finally leaving that "rotting stinkhole that's repressed me for the past 6 years" but fortunately, that hasn't really been the case. There have been elements of it, yes. I've never felt comfortable enough to come out in school. If I had then maybe I would be referring to it as a rotting stinkhole. but since I haven't came out in school, I haven't had it very hard (though that's not to say if I did, I would've had a bad time, who knows) I've hung about with good people, mostly, and done my best to avoid the bad.

I'm just thinking what I would actually have missed out on if it wasn't for school.

Without school I would never have have known how to play bass, guitar or drums, I would never have went to Wembley, Reading or Leeds to see Muse, I would never have went on a fantastic football trip to Valencia and I certainly wouldn't have met the friends I have right now. Friends I can definitely say I'm happy with.

However, I had to take it into my own hands to find these friends. As I've said before, the people I used to hang about with, I'm still friendly with but my group now, I knew their attitudes were a lot more similar to mine which is why I joined them in the first place.

Then there's the whole thing with Stephen, who was a good friend of mine for 2 years... Without school, I wouldn't have met him and as I said, I wouldn't have had one of the best weekends of my life. Exactly the same story with Bryan.

At least he's going to the same university as me but a lot of folk going separate ways over the summer so the next 2 and a bit weeks may be the last time I see a lot of people. Others, like Josh, aren't moving away but are going to a different university so I also don't think I'll be seeing them a lot after the summer ends.

But yes, I have a lot to be thankful for at my school but one thing I will miss about it most is the music department. Nearly every teacher in that department is so kind and great fun and if there's one class I'm going to miss, it's music. Music is the only class I've had for the full 6 years of high school (excluding the likes of RE) so it's going to be quite a heavy hit for it to just suddenly stop. Our class is actually, hopefully, going to chip in to buy our teacher a bottle of whiskey! It's my suggestion. I love him and respect him so much. He's been my teacher for 4 of the 6 years I've studied music.


Leaving school isn't just about leaving high school, though. There was always primary school before that. I could sit and get nostalgic about it for hours but I won't. Just a few things I will mention, again, about friends. In fact this is before school, in nursery, where I first met Alex and a girl in my year and they have been the longest standing friends of my life, 14 years, so it will be strange not seeing them often, even if they both do just live round the corner.

They went to the same primary school but so did Louis, and luckily enough he IS going to the same university as me, and actually will be getting the same bus there as me. That's one thing I can be happy about, and I hope our friendship will continue. It may certainly end up being one of my oldest.


I said earlier in the post I've never been comfortable enough to come out at school. For 6 years I've wondered what it would be like, though and I've come to the realisation that I might just experience that in the next few weeks. After telling that roomful of people I'm gay at Nicholas' party, I doubt the news stayed there so I guess there will be a fair amount of people who do know.

I can honestly say I don't care. Two weeks is nothing. Living the dream :P


To make this relevant now, to the blog itself, which has almost been like a diary of my past 2/3 years at school and who knows how my education might have gone without it, and the people to help me when I couldn't speak to my own parents, my own family, my own friends.

This blog has accompanied me for the past 2+ years at school, and I'd say it has at least given me easier path to walk down.

There are many thoughts I have currently about leaving school, some more melancholy than happy in fact.
I'll be happy to leave the routine system but I will miss it as well because I'm used to it, I'll miss some teachers, I'll miss a lot of friends and just chatting with them in between classes, I'll miss sitting down to have lunch at our table, I'll miss music. I'll miss a lot. A lot of small things as well.

I know I'm going to get quite emotional on the final day. I can predict it now. As I sit here typing, I'm feeling it a bit and I can just tell. I'm about to take a huge step I don't know if I want it to yet. The thought of university and the whole world is genuinely quite a frightening prospect right now but it's probably just because I'm so used to this current system.

I'd actually go as far to say that as much as school bores me, I feel comfortable with it. It's the age old situation really. I'm just afraid of the unknown. Those in the lower years know what's ahead of them for the next few years but I don't.

I sound like a stuck record but it's like a goodbye to the past 13 years. That's huge.

While these final few weeks might be packed full of revision, tests and course work, I'm going to make the best of the things I know I'm going to miss right up until the second that school bell rings out for the very last time.


Rowan <3


RIP the 96 Liverpool fans who died on this day in 1989 in Hillsborough. You'll Never Walk Alone.

PUUUULLLLLL!

As is becoming the trend, Nicholas' parents were away over the holidays/Spring Break/whatever you want to call it.

And as is also becoming the trend, when that happens, a party also does. And I have to say, this was quite a big night. A lot happened for me, anyway.

I went round the night before with Josh to get things organised coz this party had been talked about for months. We hired a bouncy castle and got it set up the night before, then some other friends showed up with some Jagermeister and we got a little drunk and had some Domino's xD

Good times.

The next day, people started arriving about 3/4pm but we were courteous enough not to start drinking till mostly everyone had arrived. I had a full crate of beer and there was all sorts going around: Vodka, gin, wine, Jager, cider, sours. You name, we had it. Since the party was so big, we needed to get a lot and most had chipped in at least a tenner.

This was a bit different from any other time I've been drunk. I had quite a lot before I felt it. 3/4 Jagers, 3 beers, some apple sours (which are lovely btw) but then it suddenly hit me. Odd.

Apart from the previous night, I had never had Jager before but we started with Jagerbombs - You get a shot of Jager, some energy drink in a glass then on the count of three everyone drops the Jager in the glass and you down it in one.

Have to say, it feels like a right party when that stuff is about. Feels like even more of a party when there are disco lights and deadmau5 is playing while it happens :P

And in the room that occurred, there must have been about 10 people and I... err... came out to them all.

FUCK YOU, ALCOHOL. WHY DO YOU MAKE ME DO THIS.

But nah, as far as I remember everyone was fine about it and Melly went, "Ahh I'm so proud of you"

Soooo, I doubt what I said will remain in that room meaning that I might as well be out to my whole year at school. Whatever though. There are 2 weeks left after the holidays so fuck dem and da police.

But maybe even better than coming out to a roomful of people who were cool about it was when I pulled a guy \o/

We'll call him... Jon?

I pulled (snogged, kissed, whatever) Jon in front of like, half a dozen people. Whoops - again, fuck da police. I seem to remember going in for it. I think I said, "imagine if we pulled" and then he asked if I wanted to and I was just like, "Ok" xD
And I don't remember if that or the following happened first but we also had a really deep chat on a bed somewhere and he told me he's on anti-depressants and has attempted suicide before and I told him I used to have thoughts like that and we started crying and we hugged and it was just really weird and then someone rudely interrupted us.

Then I got all depressed, threw up and passed out, ending my night there.

Totally worth it, though.

But it has made me concerned about Jon. I found his Tumblr and what's on there has made me worry for him. I don't know if many people know about what he told me but I'm going to keep an eye out for him because he is a pretty good friend and I don't want to see any harm come his way, of course.
Btw, he isn't gay, as far as he claims. He's said that he finds some guys attractive but wouldn't go out with one. Fair enough but it's a shame... because I would.
Though that isn't why I'm concerned about him. I can empathise with how he feels and as I said, he's a good friend.


I stayed another night at Nicholas' after the party where more pizza was had and the previous few days of binging, both on drink and food, caught up with me which is why I probably didn't go home. Though I helped clean up and it took a while even with 5 of us but we eventually got it done and I left the next morning.

Since then I've just been sitting around the house, watching Game of Thrones and getting my strength back before tomorrow night where a load of us are going to see Life of Brian on the big screen (lucky us) then remaining in town till 3am where we'll got to KFC, dressed really smartly and order some chicken.
Might be quite a late night since trains and buses stop running at midnight and start again at 6. We may be stranded in town for quite some time and on a Friday night, that could be quite treacherous.

But it'll be an adventure, and hopefully a good night.

There's all the latest I guess. Peace, I'm outies.


Rowan <3

February

I know we're nearly at the end of March now and this post is rather delayed but February is something worth talking about.

It was definitely one of, if not the most, busiest months of my life.

Mostly, that came in the form of the film festival. This is what the whole point of my film group has been - preparing and getting ready for the festival.

We had the youth film festival, and the full festival followed on after that.

As a member of the group, I was lucky enough to receive free tickets for most films and over the period of both festivals, I saw 24 films. 23 being festival films, and one outwith that (The Woman in Black)

This was over a period of about 2 weeks. Was really emotional at the end having to say goodbye to everyone because I really came to love the group in the final few months. Will hopefully be going back next year, though!

But honestly, by the end of the festival, I was exhausted. (Did I mention that the festival took place at the same time I was sitting my mock exams in school?) Going into town every day was mad. Kinda lonesome as well since I didn't really go with anyone. I did meet a lovely, fellow film-goer called Simon however who I went to see a few films with.

My highlights would have to be: The Muppets, our premiere, that I actually introduced dressed as Kermit the Frog; a day I saw In the Family (a lovely LGBT film) followed by Wild Bill where I met director, Dexter Fletcher and actor, Will Poulter who you may know from Son of Rambow; and finally, a screening of Billy Connolly's Big Banana Feet. A 70's documentary on the man himself and only 1 print exists in the world.

Was the strangest seeing that. It coincided with Liverpool's Carling Cup final so I was sitting for the first part of the film on my brother's phone following the text commentary. Thankfully, we won (on penalties!) and the film was great. Went with my dad and brother.


It wasn't just the film festival that kept me busy, though. Still had a concert at the end of the month. Our Advanced Music class; another event we had been building to over the past few months.

It went great. We played 22 songs, hired a professional sound engineer and got to play some cracking music to a great crowd. We pretty much sold out the school. About 200-250 people.

I've never heard my bass playing sound so huge. It was routed through two sub-woofers and the sound engineer told me that he made it only a fraction of what it could have been o__O

I played bass for 19 of the 22 songs but started on guitar, although a few songs in, we played Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits (back on bass) and since only 5 of us out of the 20 people in the class were required, we stood up to play it (sat for the rest) The odd thing is that I wasn't really that nervous... we had only started practising it a few days before as well and there we were, just the five of us playing it live to such a crowd.

Maybe I just knew it would go well. Josh was on drums and he's a fantastic drummer so I knew he wouldn't mess up. He knows the song inside-out as well. Alex was on guitar and he's fantastic as well. Pulled off Mark Knopfler's solo with ease. It just went really well, as did the rest of the concert.

I've definitely caught the bug of performing live. That's only the 5th time I've played live music to a crowd, the previous 4 also being with my music class before Christmas, but this was the biggest and I loved it and I really want to do it again. Just don't know when or if I'll get the chance.
That's why the concert was so monumental.
There are a fair amount of people in the class who do perform live and will again on a fairly regular basis, but a good chunk of us knew this could be our one and only time so we all gave it everything and it was an absolutely wonderful experience. It gives me such a strange pleasure that I've never felt before. Just really something else. Here's the set:

Last Friday Night - Katy Perry (On guitar)
5 Years Time - Noah and the Whale
True Colours - Cindy Lauper
Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free - Nina Simone
Set Fire to the Rain - Adele
Someone Like You - Adele
I Don't Feel Like Dancin' - Scissor Sisters
Everybody Hurts - REM (On guitar)
Swallowed in the Sea - Coldplay
One and Only - Adele
(Interval)
Walk of Life - Dire Straits
Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
Fix You - Coldplay
All Bets Are Off - Narina Pallot
Dog Days Are Over - Florence and the Machine
Knocking On Heaven's Door - Bob Dylan (On guitar)
She Belongs to Me - Bob Dylan
Make You Feel My Love - Adele (Bob Dylan cover)
One Day Like This - Elbow
(encore)
Hey Jude - The Beatles
With a Little Help From My Friends - Joe Cocker (The Beatles cover)



February was, in many ways a culmination of months of build-up. In both the film group and the music class we had been working towards this month since about August of last year. I'm glad it's over because it was hectic but I'm sad at the same time because it was like nothing I've ever been through. It was magic. It's a month that I will look back at in many years and just remember so clearly and vividly as being one of the best of my life.


Rowan <3







I think Joe Cocker's version is a fantastic cover (hardly a cover really) and I'm honestly quite surprised we managed to pull it off since it's pretty difficult to perform as a group - 6/8 time signature. Lots of concentration required but such fun to play and a true concert closer :P

The Muppets

This evening, I had to introduce an advanced screening of The Muppets!

For US folk saying it's already out - It comes out in the UK on Friday but the lovely cinema I attend for my youth group managed to get a showing of it early as the start of our youth film festival.

Now, I'm not a great speaker so when we were being asked to speak before films I just asked if I could do the first one to get it out the way with. Just so happened that the first film was a sold out screening of The Muppets :P

It's been on the cards for a few weeks now and I'd have posted sooner but I've been busy and broken laptop so yeah...
Got to credit my mum though. We were asked to dress up and since I was one of the speaker's, I had to be Kermit the Frog, whose costumes aren't great online and are quite overpriced. So my mum put a lot of effort into making a Kermit head and getting green gloves and socks (just did black suit Kermit, not full green) and it would seem that everyone loved it. We walked on to rapturous applause.

The speeches went well according to my mum. Three of us spoke and apparently, I only sounded nervous at the very start although i know for a fact I mixed up my words towards the end but whatever, the speeches were mostly to show off the costumes :P
Forgot to mention, I brought my banjo along for added Kermit effect ;D

Now the film. I can't honestly claim to be a massive Muppets fan. Obviously, I know of the Muppets (who doesn't) but I've not watched a lot of them. Although, I have watched their first three films in preparation of this and I've seen Christmas Carol years ago but I really enjoyed this new one.

Basically, their old theatre is getting knocked down and a new Muppet (Walter) goes out of his way to get The Muppets back together to save it while some soppy love story between Jason Segel and Amy Adams goes on in the background. Well, I say background but the pair are in it far too much for such an average story. It would have been a lot better had it just been The Muppets trying to save the theatre without the two.
Honestly, at times I thought the movie could have been called Jason Segel + The Muppets.

But The Muppets themselves redeem it, of course. It's great to see all the old, loved characters back. Every scene that's just The Muppets is great, funny and charming. The new Muppet is fine as well. Nowhere near as annoying as Segel or Adams (who remind me of Seth Rogen and Zooey Deschanel, respectively. Bleugh)

One thing that's always a fantastic extra to The Muppets is the cameos and they don't disappoint here at all. Apart from one, and I'm sure you'd agree if you've seen it. I won't give away the rest, though.

Anyway, anyway. There's much more to love than hate about the film and I would definitely recommend going to see it. Just try and pay more attention to The Muppets than the human actors, which is what The Muppets should always be about! The same applies to Muppets' love plot being between Kermit and Miss Piggy, too.


But yeah, I'm mostly glad my speaking is out the way. I don't have to introduce any more films, I can just sit back and enjoy the festival itself and damn, I have a lot of films I want to see!


Rowan <3

Still Here

Not much to say apart from the obvious ^^

Laptop's been broke for the past few weeks and I only got it working recently.

...That's about it!


Rowan <3

Films of 2011

So here's my best and worst films of 2011. Bearing in mind, I'm no professional so I have to source these movies myself and can't go see everything in the cinema for free which is why I've only seen about 40-odd and at least 10-15 came from cramming in December.
It was my first year really, but this year I have more time and can do it... properly?

Anyway, without further ado, let's get the worst out of the way with.

10. Melancholia



9. Cowboys and Aliens



8. Insidious



7. Apollo 18



6. The Tree of Life



5. The Hangover Part 2



4. Horrid Henry: The Movie



3. New Year's Eve



2. The Inbetweeners Movie



1. Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon



So there's the worst. The surprises in there might probably be Melancholia, The Tree of Life and The Inbetweeners Movie since they were quite widely liked, and quite popular.
With Melancholia and The Tree of Life, I recognise they are well made, I just didn't enjoy them. The Inbetweeners Movie, however, is just vulgar and Transformers as the worst film of the year speaks for itself.

Now onto the much more enjoyable top 10.

10. Attack the Block



9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2



8. Tyrannosaur



7. Hugo



6. Rise of the Planet of the Apes



5. Tomboy



4. We Need to Talk About Kevin



3. Les Géants



2. Weekend



1. Trust




Now that list probably has a few films that weren't widely recognised: Tyrannosaur, Tomboy, Les Géants for the most part but they don't have to be big to be great.
Hey, even my no.1 Trust, wasn't a MASSIVE film. And don't get the wrong idea that my favourite is about the online grooming of girl. It was just such a devastating film. I wouldn't imagine the re-watch value is great but the film hits you hard and it certainly left an imprint in my mind.
Weekend comes in at no.2 for more personal reasons since it's a very, very good LGBT interest film and because it's the first 18 I ever went to see in the cinema :P

This is the first time I've ever done a top/bottom 10 of anything and it was rather tricky. There are a few films that didn't quite make it into the top 10 that I would have liked to include. Super 8, TrollHunter, Neds, 50/50, Bridesmaids could have each fit comfortably in there but just didn't quite make the cut.
But my list is as it stands.

As for 2012. I imagine it could be a little better. Prometheus is what I'm most looking forward to although there's also The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit and all these unexpected little gems that always come out of nowhere. It ought to be an interesting year for films indeed!


Rowan <3


P.S Album of 2011 is either Adele's "21" or Elbow's "Build a Rocket Boys"

Wasn't a big year for music. At least it wasn't me but I do love those albums.