Unusual Illumination

In Sydney will celebrate the Chinese New year, having placed two huge orange tigers executed in style origami, in city center. The project is developed architectural company LAVA, Laboratory for Visionary Architecture.

Orange Tigers in Sydney

As is known — 2010 of the Tiger; besides, origami concerns China. Dimensions of an original figure: 2,5m in height, 7m at length. Tigers are similar to huge lanterns — thus authors have decided to unite design and technologies, the East and the West.

Figures are made of processed materials and highlighted by special economical illumination. Tigers will sit on the area before Customs from February, 11th till March, 14th.

VIA «The Architecture With a Grin»

There are few people who haven't heard of Bethany Hamilton. She was the 13-year-old amateur professional surfer who had her arm bitten off by 4.3 m tiger shark while surfing off the coast of Hawaii. She lost 60 per cent of her blood, but miraculously survived and returned to the world of professional surfing a champion. Her inspirational tale is the subject ofSoul Surfer; a film that follows her personal struggle to overcome her debilitating injury.
Directed by Sean McNamara (Raise Your Voice, Bratz), this is notJawsmeetsBlue Crush, but rather a Disney-esque version of events. Sure, this is a fairytale, so heart warming sentiments and inspirational monologues are to be expected. But somewhere between lines like “love is bigger than any tidal wave or fear” the film succumbs to family movie cheesiness. Written, produced and directed by McNamara,Soul Surferis elevated by a trio of strong performances from AnnaSophia Robb as Bethany and Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt as her parents. Robb is beyond convincing and beautifully balances Bethany's vulnerability and inner-strength. Quaid and Hunt are fantastic as the supportive and highly likable parents. Their love for each other and their family has a tangible presence and one of the best scenes is when the Hollywood veterans take to the waves for a surfing/bonding session. Plus, Hunt is undoubtedly one of the most naturally beautiful women in the bizz. At 47 she rocks a bikini and in close-ups it’s clear to see she hasn’t had a spot of work done; she’s aging gracefully and looking all the better for it.
Also good is Jack Nicholson's daughter Lorraine Nicholson as Bethany's best friend Alana Blanchard and formerHerculesstar Kevin Sorbo in a meaty role as her dad Holt Blanchard. The Blanchard’s were close friends of the Hamilton family and responsible for saving Bethany's life that day when they dragged her to shore and used a leg rope as a tourniquet. These days Alana is better known for having thebest assin international surfing.Based on Bethany's autobiography of the same name, the surfer has always attributed God and her faith for getting her through the traumatic ideal and back on the board. The Christian elements of Bethany's life are certainly not skipped over. In fact, they're perhaps covered too extensively and the powerful Christian themes are likely to ostracise some viewers. American Idol winner Carrie Underwood's performance as a Christian councillor doesn't help. Her big screen debut is so terrible, you would be happy to throw yourself into the mouth of a tiger shark to escape her wooden and preachy portrayal. Her sense of superiority and righteousness would be excruciating enough, but Underwood sports heavy makeup throughout the film which seems especially ridiculous when she's working in the slums of Indonesian in the aftermath of the Boxing Day tsunami. A Christian missionary with more eye shadow than Hedwig from the Angry Inch strips any sort of believability from the situation.
Despite its shortcomings,Soul Surferisn't a wipe out. It's an inspirational, family-friendly film that might over-do the cheese, but that doesn't mean it can't please.
Soul Surferis out Thursday, May 26.

VIA One thumb up

Work it: (L-R) Mollie King, Una Healy, Vanessa White, Frankie Sandford and Rochelle were playing a short set at Metro Radio Live at Newcastle Arena - a kind of urban indoor one-day pop festival
However, one person who had most definitely overcome her nerves was Nicola Roberts, who made her live solo debut last night, just days after saying she was dreading going on without her Girls Aloud bandmates.
Talking to MTV earlier this week, she'd revealed: 'I'm nervous and I'm dreading the night before. I know I'm going to be like losing half a stone in weight overnight, so I'm going to have to get myself into the zone.'
She added: 'There does feel like there is a little bit of extra pressure, because it is just me and it feels a little bit like, is that enough, is it enough to just look at that?'
Solo debut: Nicola Roberts got over her nerves to play her first ever live gig without Girls Aloud at the show
Dainty doll: The star threw some shapes as she performed and totally won the screaming crowd over
However, she seemed to quash her butterflies and impressed the crowd, singing debut solo single Beat Of My Drum in a tiny red and pink dress accessorised with a kooky headscarf and multicoloured strappy heels.
Other acts playing the bash included dubstep queen Katy B, Chipmunk, Sophie Ellis Bextor, The Feeling, The Wanted, rapper Example, hot new band The Overtones and Amy Winehouse's goddaughter Dionne Bromfield.
Meanwhile, Nicola has been explaining why she chose to take such a different direction musically with her new single.
Strutting her stuff: Mollie was wearing titchy high-waisted orange shorts and a low cut see-through blue vest top that showed off her black bra
Working with hot underground music producer Diplo, she explained: 'I tried to drum in to him that I wanted these quirky dollops of sound like M.I.A. (who he's worked with before) or Major Lazer (his Jamaican dancehall project).
'Don’t try and make this record come back like a commercial, just-for-radio song with 500 dance synths all over it ‘cause it’s not where I’m trying to go.'
Scouse beauty Nicola also says she feels like she's unleashed her singing voice properly for the first time too.
On song: Frankie belts out one of The Saturday's singles wearing tight striped shorts and a blue top with a distressed denim top half, as Una sports ripped denim and a low cut purple top showing off her red bra
She said: 'I was sick to death of singing the quiet, whispery parts. I was like, no, f*** this, I’m going to sing!'
Talking to MTV, Nicola said it was good that it was so different to Girls Aloud: 'It was important my first single was different to anything else around.
'I love that it’s a song everyone can sing and dance along to.
Earning her stripes: Rochelle has teamed her jeans with a leather jacket and a midriff-exposing tiger print top
Thighs the limit: Una strikes a pose at the Newcastle Arena
Nicola Roberts will be releasing her debut album ‘Cinderella’s Eyes’ in October.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror is reporting that Girls Aloud are heading back into the studio in January.
But apparently, the girls are ditching their former producers, hitmakers Xenomania.
A source said: 'At the moment the Girls are really excited about their new beginning, although they are scratching their heads over who will create signature hits for them.
'They’re excited they’re going to be making a fresh start together on this next adventure of their lives.
'In six months time it’ll be back to work as normal – they are itching to get back in the studio.'
An audience with...Sophie Ellis Bextor was also on the bill at the bash
The band are reportedly set to reform to celebrate their 10th anniversary next year at a special festival for the London 2012 Olympics at the O2 Arena.
Nicola though is onstage again for a hometown gig at Liverpool's Radio City Live tonight, before playing T4 On The Beach on 10 July.
Beat Of My Drum is then released on 18 July.
Meanwhile, MTV Music show On Set With Nicola Roberts is on at 2pm tomorrow.
And the next Metro Radio Live is on 7 July and features JLS and Olly Murs.


source: dailymail

VIA Keeping it brief: The Saturdays play live in tiny shorts as Nicola Roberts gets over nerves to make solo onstage debut

We're so in love: The pair even colour co-ordinated their outfits for the occasion
The pair even colour-coordinated their outfits, with Chantelle opting for a black vest top and white jacket, while Alex went for a black and white pinstriped suit.
Chantelle and Alex have also been trying to validate their relationship with some flirting on Twitter.
After Chantelle's PETA photocall outside the Houses of Parliament earlier this week, which saw the former Big Brother star dress up as a sexy tiger, Alex tweeted her: 'Well done for today babe. Wanna get with me in a cage? X'
Chantelle later replied: 'Aww thanks baby! erm...ok! haha. mwah X'
Close: The couple held hands as they left the party at London's York Hall
The couple were recently seen enjoying a luxury spa break at the five-star spa The Grove in Hertfordshire where they apparently 'got to know each other better.'
Moving on: Chantelle and Alex's apparent romance comes a few months after they split from their respective exes Rav Wilding and Katie Price
source: dailymail

VIA What showmance? Alex Reid and Chantelle Houghton attempt to silence doubters with loved-up display at DVD launch

John Cameron Mitchell

I’ve just finished a colossal feature article on John Cameron Mitchell for my newspaper’s weekend magazine and, if possible, writing that story has made me love him more. More than Tiger blood even. I will post an online version of said feature once its run in print, but in the meantime, here’s an update on his next project – an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s How To Talk To Girls At Parties.

Seriously, Cameron Mitchell and Gaiman collaborating? I haven't heard of a duo this awesome since... well, lets just say I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. How To Talk To Girls At Parties is an award-winning sci-fi short story written by Gaiman in 2006 and is set in 70s Britain, when two teenage boys go to a party to meet girls and find out they’re actually aliens. I quizzed Cameron Mitchell about the project at the end of our interview, so he only limited time to talk about it. Alas, here’s what he had to say:

Jane Storm: Now, I heard you're directing Neil Gaiman's short story, How To Talk To Girls At Parties. What can you tell me about that?
John Cameron Mitchell: I’m on the verge of starting the script with Neil (Gaiman). We’ve been talking about it a lot and we’re on the same page. It’s like British with aliens and that goes back to my roots of sci-fi and B movies as a kid.

Jane Storm: It's an awesome lil' story. Were you a fan of Gaiman's work before coming onboard this?
John Cameron Mitchell: I’ve always been aware of him, but not his work. It’s fun to get to know it and I’ve been a fan of comic books as a kid but dropped it when Reagan came in. It’s fun to see that adult comic underground he exemplifies, you know, along with Alan Moore and Frank Miller. They use the comic book super hero themes but it has these different ideas and adult humour.

This is pretty different territory for Cameron Mitchell but as he proved with Rabbit Hole, he’s a director who’s willing to try new things. I mean, after a film about a transgender rock singer and another which pushed the boundaries of explicit sex in mainstream cinema, who would have picked him for a muted drama about parental loss and love? Then to follow that up with a B-movie-esque teen sci-fi... the man is versatile. How To Talk To Girls At Parties hasn’t been tagged with a release date yet (even the basic dets aren’t on IMDB Pro) and with rumours still swirling around about whether it will be live-action or animated, it’s clear we will have a long wait before we get any more solid info on how the project is progressing. The bottom line is, stay tuned.

Note: The second image is a limited edition poster by Camilla d'Errico based on Gaiman's short story.

VIA Gay man directing Gaiman