Movies

ROALD DAHL’S ESIO TROT: Exclusive interview with London Mum & film producer Hilary Susan Bevan Jones

Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot is an amazing tale and its television adaptation, which was viewed on New Year’s Day by over 6.7 million people, could not have been better with stars such as Dustin Hoffman (Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, Quartet) as lovely Mr. Hoppy, and Dame Judi Dench (Skyfall, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) as lively Mrs. Silver. We had the honour to talk to film producer Hilary…
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Disney's Cinderella and "that dress"

2015’s shaping up to be a big year for Disney.   It started with box office and Oscar success for Big Hero 6 and Feast.  Now the attention turns to live action, with the arrival of Cinderella this coming Friday, 27 March.  But it’s not the film alone that’s been attracting attention.  When its director, Kenneth Branagh, and star Lily James were in town last week for its press…
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Film Review: X + Y

Coming of age films are a favourite at the cinema, from this year’s Boyhood to Stand By Me in 1986 and all points in between and before.  This Friday sees the arrival of another twist on the same theme, British movie X + Y, certificate 12A.  This time, there’s a double twist: maths and autism. London Mums’ film critic, Freda Cooper, finds out if it all adds up. The story Like many…
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Movies

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: The next biggest sitcom after Friends is now on Netflix

Comedy is certainly the most difficult genre to write and perform. It is easier to make people cry than laugh. I love comedy but after the end of the best sitcom of all times, Friends, I was left there wondering whether I would find another funny and yet engaging TV comedy series again. After years of watching many dramas, thrillers, crime stories, hospital and family dramas, I was longing for a…
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Film Review: Still Alice

The winner of this year’s Oscar for Best Actress had been predicted for months – Julianne Moore in Still Alice.  The performance had come in for plenty of praise, but there was also a general feeling that it was about time that Moore got the trophy.  It was her fifth nomination, after all. But an Oscar-winning performance isn’t always set within an Oscar-winning film.  London Mums film…
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Books

Children's picture books - Spring 2015 Overview

To those who say that the world of paper books is dying off, I’d say brace yourself because this Spring more than ever the book market is over-flooded with original new picture books all with a common denominator: incredibly quirky and colourful illustrations. The up and coming authors get younger and younger and classic authors are revisited in modern adaptations. Why do we love Picture…
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Movies

Film review: Disney live-action Cinderella & new short Frozen Fever

I don’t know anybody (boys included) who hasn’t watched the classic Disney animated film Cinderella at least twice. The expectations for a live-action feature movie were very high and have not been disappointed. The new Disney live-action Cinderella is the truest adaptation to film and more traditional retelling of the classic cartoon fairytale. Here is why London Mums’ believe…
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How to support and encourage budding screenwriters

When I was ten years old I was determined to re-make Jaws. I knew the film backwards, and had a brilliant plan to shoot it with a papier-mâché shark in Brighton. All I needed was a cast and a crew. Oddly, my fellow classmates were less than enthusiastic as I lacked a camera, film, props… in fact I had no film making equipment of any kind whatsoever. And, more importantly, I didn’t have any…
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Books

A day in Rome with Audrey Hepburn

I’m Paola, and I’m a new London Mums’ contributor based in Italy. A day in Rome with Audrey Hepburn is a book written by a friend of mine, Maurizio Canforini, a young Italian writer and theatre actor who, some months ago, decided to give me custody to the Facebook page related to his book. I invite you London Mums to join and like the page which re-visits lots of old facts and…
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Film Awards: Oscars results

The early hours of Monday morning saw the culmination of this year’s movie awards season – and the end of a fiercely competitive race for the top trophies.  The two front runners were Boyhood and Birdman.  But who won on the night?  London Mums’ film critic, Freda Cooper, has the low-down. After a disappointing showing at the BAFTAs earlier this month, the team behind Birdman had…
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