Top 5 Things of the Week (July 1st – 7th)

#1 Quoted on Bottles of Happy Greens Smoothies

There are no words to describe how honoured and humbled I feel to have been quoted on the packaging of one of the tastiest and most wholesome smoothie brands in the UK. Amazing!

#2 Meet & Greet With The Cast Of We’re Going On Bear Hunt
I was fortunately asked to review the stage production of Michael Rosen’s bestselling picture book, which has just started its run at the Lyric Theatre (see previous posts). What I wasn’t expecting was the surprise at the end – a lovely lunch including gorgeous cupcakes followed by a meet and greet with the cast. I even got to shake hands with the puppet “Baby”. Awesome!

#3 The Burger Wars Officially Kicked Off in London
Shake Shack and Five Guys opened their doors in Covent Garden within 24 hours of one another and the build up to the burger wars has been epic. I’ll be posting a review of the burgers at both chains but, in the meantime, can you guess the winner? I doubt it.

#4 Gerard Butler in a Wetsuit
The gorgeous actor’s new flick, Chasing Mavericks, was released over the weekend and I was lucky enough to attend a preview screening (see my previous posts for the review). I’m a huge sucker for sporting dramas as they always leave me feeling energised and inspired, like I’m ready to take on the world. The film wasn’t the greatest but it did motivate me to do great things during my remaining week.

#5 Andy Murray’s Win At Wimbledon
I’m not a massive tennis fan and I wasn’t at Wimbledon but this was a huge moment in the UK’s sporting history and Murray has more than earned a mention in my rundown of the Top 5 Things of the Week. It felt wrong to publish this post without saying: “Congratulations, Andy Murray!”

FILM REVIEW: Chasing Mavericks

Ever fantasised about actor Gerard Butler wearing skin-tight clothing and riding a beautiful… wave? If so, you’ll love his new flick, Chasing Mavericks, which cruises into UK cinemas this weekend and is a biopic of young surfing legend Jay Moriarity. The Upcoming magazine sent me to a preview screening to see if the movie can make a splash… here’s my review.

INTERVIEW: Filmmaker Zal Batmanglij Talks New Film ‘The East’

Eco-espionage thriller The East was released in UK cinemas this weekend – the second critically acclaimed movie from director Zal Batmanglij. He co-wrote the script with lead star Brit Marling, who portrays an intelligence agent sent to infiltrate an anarchist group led by Alexander Skarsgard and Ellen Page.

The Upcoming magazine sent me for a chat with the filmmaker to learn more about the unusual inspiration behind the film. Watch the video here.