1D 3D: THIS IS US REVIEW
by Josie Richards
Pop star sensations One Direction recently starred in their own movie, '1D 3D: This is Us', which came out on the 29th August 2013. The movie is about their lives on the road whilst on their sold-out tour. It includes them in their home towns, in concerts and in different countries.
Personally, I loved it! It was well thought-out, the camera shots were really effective and the music that was incorporated into the movie was extremely well done. The animation and 3D effects were amazing. The film showed the boys returning to their hometowns and their family revealed how hard it is for their sons to be away on tour and creating music. Also, Harry Styles’ mother said that since finishing 'The X-Factor' he has only visited his mother’s house four times!
I thought that the film - not only because it is One Direction - was incredible! It was not a boring concert movie but was a funny, creative, heartfelt and overall well-directed movie. I would definitely recommend it to anyone!
Pop star sensations One Direction recently starred in their own movie, '1D 3D: This is Us', which came out on the 29th August 2013. The movie is about their lives on the road whilst on their sold-out tour. It includes them in their home towns, in concerts and in different countries.
Personally, I loved it! It was well thought-out, the camera shots were really effective and the music that was incorporated into the movie was extremely well done. The animation and 3D effects were amazing. The film showed the boys returning to their hometowns and their family revealed how hard it is for their sons to be away on tour and creating music. Also, Harry Styles’ mother said that since finishing 'The X-Factor' he has only visited his mother’s house four times!
I thought that the film - not only because it is One Direction - was incredible! It was not a boring concert movie but was a funny, creative, heartfelt and overall well-directed movie. I would definitely recommend it to anyone!
'WICKED'
by James Beattie
What is ‘Wicked’?
Well, it is a musical based on the classic film and novel ‘The Wizard of Oz’. It is a prequel, which means it takes place before the original story we know, of Dorothy and Toto in Oz. It is about how Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, becomes wicked; she was actually nice before her sister drove her to use her powers for evil!
‘Wicked’ isn’t just for children; it has been a huge West End success for years now, and everyone loves it. I mean, whoever has the chance to be in ‘Wicked’ I would take it - even if you had the chance to be on ‘Eastenders’, I would go with ‘Wicked’ for its awesome spectacle and great music.
It is coming to the Birmingham Hippodrome on tour this summer, so get your tickets now!
What is ‘Wicked’?
Well, it is a musical based on the classic film and novel ‘The Wizard of Oz’. It is a prequel, which means it takes place before the original story we know, of Dorothy and Toto in Oz. It is about how Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, becomes wicked; she was actually nice before her sister drove her to use her powers for evil!
‘Wicked’ isn’t just for children; it has been a huge West End success for years now, and everyone loves it. I mean, whoever has the chance to be in ‘Wicked’ I would take it - even if you had the chance to be on ‘Eastenders’, I would go with ‘Wicked’ for its awesome spectacle and great music.
It is coming to the Birmingham Hippodrome on tour this summer, so get your tickets now!
ADDICTED TO 'GLEE'
Our FLAIR reporters are pretty obsessed with 'Glee'. They are in fact uber-Gleeks.
This issue, they bring some of their favourite facts and details about stars of the sensational all-singing, all-dancing show to life.
This issue, they bring some of their favourite facts and details about stars of the sensational all-singing, all-dancing show to life.
Kurt Hummel
by James Beattie
We all love Kurt as a character in ‘Glee’ – so here are a few facts to get to know him better.
Name: Kurt Hummel
Age: 18
Relationship Status: Engaged
Hair colour: Brown
Eye colour: Blue
Height: 5’11”
Address: 415 Whitman Avenue Lima, Ohio and 45802, New York
by James Beattie
We all love Kurt as a character in ‘Glee’ – so here are a few facts to get to know him better.
Name: Kurt Hummel
Age: 18
Relationship Status: Engaged
Hair colour: Brown
Eye colour: Blue
Height: 5’11”
Address: 415 Whitman Avenue Lima, Ohio and 45802, New York
Pet: Pavarotti (a dead canary)
Website: hirehummel.com
Fiancé: Blaine Anderson (soon to be Hummel)
School: NYADA
Previous school: McKinley High
Past Relationships: Brittany, Blaine
Kurt Hummel’s mom died when he was young. His dad is called Burt Hummel and he was diagnosed with cancer, but now it has been cleared. Kurt used to have a crush on Finn Hudson. He attempted to get his dad and Finn’s mom together in order to get closer to Finn; this brought their parents together and now they are married.
Chord Overstreet
by James Beattie
Chord Paul Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series ‘Glee’.
Name: Chord Paul Overstreet
Born: February 17th 1989 (age 24)
Height: 1.83 m
Siblings:
· Nash Overstreet
· Harmony Overstreet
· Summer Overstreet
· Skye Overstreet
· Charity Overstreet
Parents: Julie Miller and Paul Overstreet
Awards: Teen Choice award for Choice TV: Male Scene Stealer
Occupation: American actor, singer and musician
Relationship status: In relationship with Ashley Benson
Songs performed on ‘Glee’:
· Fire and Rain
· Billionaire
· Lucky
· (I had) The Time of my Life
· Baby
· Red Solo Cup
Relationship status in ‘Glee’: Mercedes; Brittany; Quinn.
Religion: Christian
by James Beattie
Chord Paul Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series ‘Glee’.
Name: Chord Paul Overstreet
Born: February 17th 1989 (age 24)
Height: 1.83 m
Siblings:
· Nash Overstreet
· Harmony Overstreet
· Summer Overstreet
· Skye Overstreet
· Charity Overstreet
Parents: Julie Miller and Paul Overstreet
Awards: Teen Choice award for Choice TV: Male Scene Stealer
Occupation: American actor, singer and musician
Relationship status: In relationship with Ashley Benson
Songs performed on ‘Glee’:
· Fire and Rain
· Billionaire
· Lucky
· (I had) The Time of my Life
· Baby
· Red Solo Cup
Relationship status in ‘Glee’: Mercedes; Brittany; Quinn.
Religion: Christian
Heather Morris
by Georgia Groves
Heather Morris has been a regular actress on ‘Glee’ for the past three seasons; she plays the part of Brittany Pierce. She goes McKinley High School and was part of the cheerleading team, ‘The Cheerios’. She thinks she is not intelligent but she is actually the smartest person in the school.
The character of Brittany has been in a relationship with Kurt Hummel, Artie, Sam Evans and Santana. She is part of a singing and dancing club called ‘Glee’, who compete in regional and national competitions. They won some of these competitions.
But how many of you devoted fans of the show know the real Heather Morris?
Heather was born in California; however, she spent most of her child years in Arizona. From a young age, she discovered her talent for dance. She was born February 1st , 1987 (meaning she is 26). Her occupations include being a Dancer, Actress, Singer and Model. She has recently given birth to a baby boy, Elijah, and so will sadly not be returning as a regular in Season 5 of ‘Glee’.
by Georgia Groves
Heather Morris has been a regular actress on ‘Glee’ for the past three seasons; she plays the part of Brittany Pierce. She goes McKinley High School and was part of the cheerleading team, ‘The Cheerios’. She thinks she is not intelligent but she is actually the smartest person in the school.
The character of Brittany has been in a relationship with Kurt Hummel, Artie, Sam Evans and Santana. She is part of a singing and dancing club called ‘Glee’, who compete in regional and national competitions. They won some of these competitions.
But how many of you devoted fans of the show know the real Heather Morris?
Heather was born in California; however, she spent most of her child years in Arizona. From a young age, she discovered her talent for dance. She was born February 1st , 1987 (meaning she is 26). Her occupations include being a Dancer, Actress, Singer and Model. She has recently given birth to a baby boy, Elijah, and so will sadly not be returning as a regular in Season 5 of ‘Glee’.
BEFORE THEY WERE FAMOUS...
by Benjamin Fraser
Many celebrities have changed their names in order to become famous. Check out the images below - how many of these 7 famous stars can you name from their birth names alone?
Many celebrities have changed their names in order to become famous. Check out the images below - how many of these 7 famous stars can you name from their birth names alone?
AMAZING TV SHOWS
Waterloo Road
by Anya Sharma-James and Georgia Groves
Waterloo Road is an amazing TV drama, aired every Thursday at 8:00-9:00 on BBC 1. It is set in a failing comprehensive school in Greenock, Scotland.
The current cast includes:
Philip Martin Brown as Grantly Budgen (until episode 6)
Mark Benton as Daniel Chalk (unknown episode onward)
Naveed Choudhry as Tariq Siddiqui (episode 7 only
Kane Tomlinson-Weaver as Harley Taylor
Melanie Hill as Maggie Budgen
Heather Peace as Nikki Boston (until Spring Term)
Georgie Glen as Audrey McFall
Victoria Bush as Sonya Donnegan
Laurie Brett as Christine Mulgrew
Shane O'Meara as Connor Mulgrew
Kirstie Steele as Imogen Stewart
Tommy Knight as Kevin Chalk
Carl Au as Barry Barry
Abby Mavers as Dynasty Barry
Brogan Ellis as Kacey Barry
Rebbeca Craven as Rhiannon Salt
Marlene Madenge as Lula Tsibi
Angus Deayton as George Windsor
Shaun Prendergast as Robert Bain (episode 1, episode 8 to 10)
Richard Mylan as Simon Lowsley
Zoe Lucker as Carol Barry (episode 7 to 10)
by Anya Sharma-James and Georgia Groves
Waterloo Road is an amazing TV drama, aired every Thursday at 8:00-9:00 on BBC 1. It is set in a failing comprehensive school in Greenock, Scotland.
The current cast includes:
Philip Martin Brown as Grantly Budgen (until episode 6)
Mark Benton as Daniel Chalk (unknown episode onward)
Naveed Choudhry as Tariq Siddiqui (episode 7 only
Kane Tomlinson-Weaver as Harley Taylor
Melanie Hill as Maggie Budgen
Heather Peace as Nikki Boston (until Spring Term)
Georgie Glen as Audrey McFall
Victoria Bush as Sonya Donnegan
Laurie Brett as Christine Mulgrew
Shane O'Meara as Connor Mulgrew
Kirstie Steele as Imogen Stewart
Tommy Knight as Kevin Chalk
Carl Au as Barry Barry
Abby Mavers as Dynasty Barry
Brogan Ellis as Kacey Barry
Rebbeca Craven as Rhiannon Salt
Marlene Madenge as Lula Tsibi
Angus Deayton as George Windsor
Shaun Prendergast as Robert Bain (episode 1, episode 8 to 10)
Richard Mylan as Simon Lowsley
Zoe Lucker as Carol Barry (episode 7 to 10)
THE BIG BANG THEORY
by Thomas Anning
‘The Big Bang Theory’ is a fast-paced, hilarious sitcom, all about four nerds (Sheldon, Leonard, Raj and Howard), two of which live in the same apartment. A very pretty girl lives next door (Penny) whose arrival turns all of the scientists’ worlds upside down. As they turn their attention towards the blonde Nebraskan, Sheldon tries to make them to focus on the “important” facts of the universe.
‘The Big Bang Theory’ is a fast-paced, hilarious sitcom, all about four nerds (Sheldon, Leonard, Raj and Howard), two of which live in the same apartment. A very pretty girl lives next door (Penny) whose arrival turns all of the scientists’ worlds upside down. As they turn their attention towards the blonde Nebraskan, Sheldon tries to make them to focus on the “important” facts of the universe.
Sheldon Cooper Occupation: Theoretical Physicist Catchphrase: “Bazinga!” Acted by: Jim Parsons Leonard Hofstadter Occupation: Experimental Physicist Catchphrase: N/A Acted by: Johnny Galecki Penny Occupation: Waitress, ever unsuccessful actress, student Catchphrase: “What’s the gist physicist?” Acted by: Kaley Cuoco Howard Wolowitz Occupation: Engineer/ Astronaut for NASA Catchphrase: “Raj, there’s no place for truth on the internet.” Acted by: Simon Helberg Rajesh Koothrappali Occupation: Astro physicist Catchphrase: “I’m Koothrappali and I know it.” Acted by: Kunal Nayyer |
THEATRE REVIEW: THE B.A.D. PRODUCTION
Jiggling, Sitting and Looking at:
The B.A.D. production
(Of a few very good plays)
Reviewed by Toby Lam
Welcome to the first series of ‘Jiggling, Sitting and Looking at’ and in this series we are going to look at the Year 8’s production, entitled ‘The year 8 Coarse Acting Show’, by B.A.D (Bromsgrove Amateur Dramatics).
The comedy itself contained 6 plays: Streuth; A Fish in Her Kettle; A Collier’s Tuesday Tea; The Affair; All’s Well Ends as You Like It; and Trapped.
The B.A.D. production
(Of a few very good plays)
Reviewed by Toby Lam
Welcome to the first series of ‘Jiggling, Sitting and Looking at’ and in this series we are going to look at the Year 8’s production, entitled ‘The year 8 Coarse Acting Show’, by B.A.D (Bromsgrove Amateur Dramatics).
The comedy itself contained 6 plays: Streuth; A Fish in Her Kettle; A Collier’s Tuesday Tea; The Affair; All’s Well Ends as You Like It; and Trapped.
Streuth
This was a funny and well-prepared comedy made by B.A.D. about a mysterious murder where Henry D’Arcy is killed by an unknown man. The investigator followed pieces of evidence, slowly finding out what happened as the jigsaw came together. It follows and repeats a great line of classic comedy and the outcome is great. With a surprise at the end it is one of the best plays in the set! A Fish in Her Kettle This was another classic French play, badly translated into English for all to enjoy. And, as a one-off, it featured a special performance with a proper French actor, French accent and all, who had just arrived from France that morning! They worked really hard to perform to you as most of them don’t know any English. But with the romantic French love story, you initially didn’t realise how bad their English was! You were still able to enjoy an engaging story about a man cheating on his wife and his great love story with another woman. A Collier’s Tuesday Tea This was a traditional English mining folktale, about the tragedy of the miners’ deaths down the pit, and how a lovely Sunday roast can turn into a disaster, when the leg of a table detaches itself accidently whilst a family were digging into a roast. The result of these events happening simultaneously was very jolly and funny but also entailed sad and crazy tragedies, brilliantly presented by the B.A.D. The Affair After all of these funny French and English plays, we took a rather long break and enjoyed a great French opera, also translated into English and also preformed as a one-off special performance. The opera was going to be performed with 550 instruments, including 30 bassoons! And it was the best of the set, the yolk of the eggs, or the carrot of the vegetables (if you are a vegetarian)... It’s a love story about a man’s second wife falling in love with the man’s first wife’s son, who comes and challenges the man, which ends up with everyone eating mushroom pies together. Although the story line might sound ridiculous, this was the best play out of the six others. All’s Well Ends as You Like It Normally after the interval, a somewhat consistent line has been achieved, with little left to shock you. But this made me laugh lots. Written by one of the greatest playwrights in the world, William Shakespeare, yet translated into modern language, this play was great. The best part of the play was the fact that you could chose your own ending. My ending was a happy one, but if you didn’t like that specific one, you can always change it yourself! The play was set in a forest where a duke has escape and where a pair of lovers meet each other. The play is funny although the jokes are hard to get. Trapped Lastly, there was ‘Trapped’, a story about a retired major fighting for his family fortune (with his girlfriend) that ends up getting trapped in his own house. The play ends with an exciting fight between the major and the villain. Although this is the last play I still enjoyed it as much as every other one! |
MIRANDA
For a strange reason this term every student in Bromsgrove seems to be hooked to the BBC’s sitcom Miranda. On TV every Monday at about 9:30pm it seems to be spreading around the school like wild fire. The latest series features Miranda’s love for Garry, so get ready for a show full of comedy, self-deprecating humour over Miranda's weight, and “such fun”.
Here are a few links to familiarise yourself with our funny friend.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00w7dv9
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=miranda
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=miranda
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00w7dv9
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=miranda
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=miranda
THE SIMPSONS
By Jenny Jo
‘The Simpsons’ is an American TV show and it is made by Matt Groening. The Simpsons family includes: Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson, Bart Simpson, Lisa Simpson and Maggie Simpson. They live in Evergreen Terrace, Springfield. Homer Simpson’s favourite word is D’OH and his favourite food and drink are ‘Lard Lad’ Donuts and ‘DUFF’ Beer. I really like ‘The Simpsons’ because it makes me laugh and smile. My favourite part is when Homer strangles Bart; I don’t know why I like this so much, maybe it is because I love Bart’s face. |
JACK AND FINN HARRIES
By Josie Richards
Jack and Finn are twins who post videos on YouTube. They started posting videos in their gap year on their channel ‘Jack’s Gap’. Their videos include: Boredom, Twin Mail and Twin telepathy. Jack did a naked bungee jump when he reached 1,000,000 subscribers. They are really funny and have lots of random videos. Their most famous video is Twin Mail which is when they open mail that their fans have sent them. They normally receive moams and bracelets in their mail. They are now at university but still post videos on their YouTube channels. Pets: Jack has a pet lizard called Sid who he had to re-home when he moved to university and Finn has a fish tank but no fish. They have featured in other YouTubers videos such as Danisnotonfire and Caspar Lee. Also they have travelled all over the world. They have become very famous from their videos and they had to get an agent. I like them because they are funny, random, entertaining and watching them is a good way to spend time. They tried hard to become famous and eventually they achieved it. |
LORD OF THE RINGS FILM REVIEW
By Niklas Matthies
The film adaptation of ‘Lord of the Rings’ is about a all-pwerful ring that can only be destroyed by being thrown into a volcano. 19 rings of power were created: 3 for the Elves. 7 for the Dwarves. And 9 to the Human kings. And 1 ring to rule them all. But the rings corrupted their masters, and the ‘one ring’ became a manifestation of Sauron, the ultimate evil in the world. As the ring is Sauron’s source of power, a group of Hobbits, the Fellowship, set out on a journey to destroy it. It’s a great film with battles, orcs, Wizards and epic fights. My favourite character is Aragorn, played by Viggo Mortensen, but there are other characters like Legolas, Gandalf, Gimli, Boromir etc. who are very strong. |
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON REVIEW
‘How to Train your Dragon’ by Cressida Cowell is a funny, intriguing story you won’t be able to put down. This is the first book in a series about Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. Set in the time of the Vikings, this particular story is about Hiccup taming his first dragon and attempting to enter the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. However all goes awry when the Green Death shows himself after hundreds of years of lying beneath the depths of the ocean. Will Hiccup be able to defend the isle of Berk from the Green Death’s ravenous wrath using his tragically toothless dragon Toothless?
These fantastic books now come with free collectors cards and here is a link to the official ‘How to Train your Dragon’ Books Website: http://www.howtotrainyourdragonbooks.com/ |
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON:
How to be a Pirate Review
by Jagveer Uppal
This is a sequel to my last book review on ‘How to Train your Dragon’. In this book, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the 3rd and his friend Fishleggs find the coffin of Hiccup’s famous pirate ancestor Grim Beard the Ghastly. And that’s when they run into Alvin-the-supposedly-Poor-but-Honest Farmer. Both he, Hiccup, Toothless (Hiccup’s dragon) and Fishleggs get into a load of trouble under the sea, on an outcast boat in a hidden sea cavern, trapped with a huge ( but Dumb) strangling beast! And worst of all, they’re on the dreaded Isle of The Skullions. It’s funny, gripping and I can almost guarantee that you may have to literally pry the book out of your hands. |