Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Website of the week - E.L.F. Cosmetics




Get your Halloween makeup early here at E.L.F. (Eyes.Lips.Face.) Cosmetics. Shipping is only $1.98 (or free if you spend $75+). If you spend $20 you get a free subscription to Lucky Magazine, but best of all - their products only cost ONE dollar.

UK site:

France/French site:

US site:

Monday, October 26, 2009

Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991)



The film that officially signaled Disney's animation renaissance (following The Little Mermaid) and the only animated feature to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination, Beauty and the Beast remains the yardstick by which all other animated films should be measured. It relates the story of Belle, a bookworm with a dotty inventor for a father; when he inadvertently offends the Beast (a prince whose heart is too hard to love anyone besides himself), Belle boldly takes her father's place, imprisoned in the Beast's gloomy mansion. Naturally, Belle teaches the Beast to love. What makes this such a dazzler, besides the amazingly accomplished animation and the winning coterie of supporting characters (the Beast's mansion is overrun by quipping, dancing household items) is the array of beautiful and hilarious songs by composer Alan Menken and the late, lamented lyricist Howard Ashman. (The title song won the 1991 Best Song Oscar, and Menken's score scored a trophy as well.) The downright funniest song is "Gaston," a lout's paean to himself (including the immortal line, "I use antlers in all of my de-co-ra-ting"). "Be Our Guest" is transformed into an inspired Busby Berkeley homage. Since Ashman's passing, animated musicals haven't quite reached the same exhilarating level of wit, sophistication, and pure joy. --David Kronke

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Website of the week - Epguides.com



It is sometimes hard to figure out when your favourite shows will be on. The schedules always seem to be changing. This site is an excellent guide for what was on, what is on and will be on.

http://epguides.com/

Simply look up your show by letter (or browse) OR you can see the scheduled grid, read some tv news, see what seasons are out on dvd (or will be), make your own program calendar, see who'll be a guest on late night, even check out UK Radio programs. Even if you are outside the US, you can still use this site to check air date(s) (to see what episodes are available for download.)