Confessions Of A Filmaholic

I am a self confessed film addict.

If I could sit and watch movies all day everyday I would. 

From Disney classics to psychological thrillers to comedies..I AM OBSESSED. 

I don't think I would be the person I am without the things I've learnt from films and the influences that movies over the years have had on me. 

For a long time now I've been interested in acting and writing, so observing some of the incredible work of other people inspires me even more to get involved in that industry.

Ready for my Top 10?

Here we go-

My Top 10 Favourite Films (so far):

1. Pulp Fiction- I do not know how I lived for 16 years without watching this film. A Quentin Tarantino  classic, full of violence, drug abuse and other wonderful elements which make the whole thing incredibly inappropriate but all the more fantastic. Along with some golden comedy moments which you can't help but laugh at! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

2. GoodFellas- This film has made me want to be part of the Mafia. Following the risky yet rewarding life of a first class gang of gangsters. Action packed from start to finish and gives an awesome insight into the world of gangsters.

3. The Little Mermaid- Slight change of genre with this one. My favourite Disney princess is Ariel therefore this is my all time favourite Disney classic. I know all of the words to the songs and I could watch it over and over again. I want to be a mermaid. No shame. 

4. Leon- This film is underrated and not well known enough for my liking! A top class assassin trains a teenage girl to be like him..WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE?! Again..pretty violent, but an amazing love story too! 

5. An Officer and a Gentleman- Speaking of love stories..this 80s classic makes me cry every time. A beautiful love story with twists and heartbreak. Nothing like a man in uniform!

6. Tangled- Yes, another Disney one! I can't remember how many times I've watched this film, I know the fill dialogue and all of the songs off by heart. Rapunzel's hair is truly fabby. 

7. Forrest Gump- If you haven't seen this film you must have been living under a rock for your whole life. One of the best films ever made in my opinion. A heart wrenching story of the incredible story of a mentally challenged man, all told by him,on a bench, at a bus stop, to the general public!                                                                                                                                                                                                  

8. Love Actually- This is one of my favourites to watch at Christmas time! Love, sex, romance, heartbreak..everything that makes Christmas wonderful..just kidding! But its a great film to sit down and get into the Christmas spirit with!

9. Harry Potter- Yes, I am guilty of adoring every single Harry Potter film! I want magic to be real so badly that watching the films makes me overwhelmingly happy! If you haven't yet watched them, I would highly recommend exposing yourself to the magical world of magic!

10. The Game- This is one of the biggest plot twists in a film I have ever witnessed! A man is encouraged to take part in a 'game' of which he doesn't know anything about, and things start getting weird. Amazing psychological thriller.

Now obviously only a few of these films are appropriate for young children, but I would highly recommend all of these films to everyone. 

And if you're also obsessed with movies, I'm sure you'll agree..they're not a waste of time, but an educational experience that no one should miss out on! 

WATCH FILMS!

'til next time..

Hannah xxx

10 Things To Do This Summer

I've seen a few videos on YouTube with this theme and I've decided it could potentially be helpful to a lot of people.

Summer is a time for relaxing and making memories with your friends in the nice weather with no worries about school on your shoulders.

But one of the worst things about summer is not knowing what to do.

There has been many a time where I will text my friend,

'Wanna do something today?'

and get the reply,

'Yeah sure, where?'

and reply,

'Uh..I dunno?', another day wasted.

So, HERE WE GO!

10 Marginally Productive And Enjoyable Things To Do This Summer:

1. Go to a theme park with some friends- I did this yesterday, and it was by far one of the best decisions I've ever made.

2. Spontaneously choose a city and take a train there and explore for the day with friends.

3. Have a BBQ with your friends.

4. Go camping with your friends.

5. Go to a music festival.

6. Go on a long walk with your friends and take HUUUNDREDS of photos.

7. Make smoothies and milkshakes of all different flavours.

8. Learn a musical instrument.

9. Stay up for 24 hours watching all of your favourite movies.

10. Sleep outside under the stars (check the weather beforehand).

These are just a few possible ideas, to keep up with what I'm going to be doing this summer visit my YouTube channel where I will be posting vlogs regularly (I'll add a link at the bottom).

Let me know how it all goes!

Until next time...

Hannah xo

MannaH YouTube Channel

Handling GCSE Stress

One of the most daunting elements of growing up especially during secondary education has got to be exams. 

From the moment you enter Year 7 all you hear is,

'This will prepare you for your end of year exams' 

From the moment you enter Year 8 all you hear is,

'If you thought last year was difficult, this will prepare you for your end of year exams'

Year 9 is where the pressure is piled on as you begin studying your 'option' courses. Thrilling. 

And from Year 9 onwards all you are faced with is the realisation that everything that you will do for the next 3 years will ultimately determine the REST OF YOUR LIFE, right?

Well, that's what we're led to believe. I can assure you that the pressure doesn't stop there. 

I have just finished my GCSE exams and I am awaiting Results Day. Help. 

In January I was given a 'Revision Timetable' a booklet allowing me to track every hour of every day for the next 4 months in order to plan my 6 hours a day of revision efficiently. And did I use it? Not once. Ok, I have to admit, now that I am filled with such dread and anticipation to find out my exam results I do wish I'd tried harder-BUT, despite that, I know that if I had worked any harder, I would have been even more miserable than I already was. 

Some days I managed to force myself through 3-4 painful hours of what I guessed was activity academic enough to be considered 'revision'. I came to the conclusion that the only way to handle exams and be happy with my life at the same time was to strike a BALANCE. If I've learnt anything over the last 5 years, its that life needs to be lived with balance. Compromise is a goddess.   

Without further ado I present to you..

My Top 10 Tips For: How to handle GCSEs

1. Don't over work yourself- Find out how long you can concentrate for, and never force yourself to work more than that, despite whatever hours your school may set you.

2. Organise yourself, but not with a strict timetable- Don't commit to a timetable or I guarantee you will restrict yourself and your motivation levels will be z-e-r-o. Write a list of the work you need to do, and the time you need to do it in, and make time on the days that you're motivated. 

3. Eat and drink frequently- You will not be able to concentrate on your revision if you're daydreaming about the chocolate biscuits that you KNOW are in the cupboard...go fetch them and munch away whilst working. 

4. Don't listen to music- As much as everyone loves music, me especially, if I listen to music whilst working I end up singing or getting distracted browsing Spotify, trust me..its a trap.

5. Free time- Give up one day a weekend or an evening to spend time with your friends or any other leisure activity you're interested in, yes work is important but so is relaxing.

6. Try and get a part time job- For me, having my job was a God send. This gave me a solid few hours where I was out doing something productive, therefore not feeling guilty for just relaxing, but it still gives you time away from school work. 

7. Revise with friends- Testing other people on facts etc enables you to reinforce your knowledge.

8. Give yourself things to look forward to- For example..revise for an hour, and then make cake! Everyone's happy!

9. Start revising early- When your school tells you to start revising, yes it may be 4 months until your exams, but get into the routine sooner rather than later and the rest becomes easier.

10. DON'T PANIC- Yes exams are important and you need to work hard, but ultimately failing isn't the end of the world, you can always retake.  

So, I hope these tips are somewhat helpful, I guess theses won't fit everyone's taste. But on reflection, they kept me happy and hard working simultaneously. 

Until next time.

Hannah.