What Would Happen If Ryan Murphy's Shows All Crossed Over?

Love him or hate him, Ryan Murphy has created some of the most exciting and innovative American TV of the last ten years. 'Nip/Tuck', 'Glee', 'American Horror Story', 'The New Normal'... At first glance, these shows all appear to be completely different from one another and while they do each have their own distinctive style, all of Ryan Murphy's shows share a desire to push the boundaries of what is seen as normal or acceptable. The similarities don't stop there though. Ryan Murphy even employs many of the same actors such as Nene Leakes and Sarah Paulson to appear on his shows for different roles.
  Now just imagine it. Instead of casting these series regulars in different parts, what would happen if Ryan Murphy crossed his shows over so that these beloved characters pop up in each others storylines? What if the kids from Glee sang on Nip/Tuck and the cast of The New Normal met the residents of Briarcliff Mental Institute? Here are some of my ideas for what could happen if Ryan Murphy's hit shows all took place in the same universe. Sure most of them are ridiculous but that's the whole point!

Five Films To Change Your Mind About Anime

The other day, me and a friend were trying, with not much luck, to select a film to watch. When I asked her if she wanted to watch an anime she replied "no, I don't like anime films." So of course, I asked her which ones she had seen. "I haven't" was her reply. Now, how in the bloody hell can you say you don't like something unless you try it first? That's like saying you don't like films that are in black and white because they're not in colour, something someone else I know has said... fool! Well these people are simply missing out on some of the best movies ever made. So I challenged my friend to watch at least one anime film, to help change her opinion on this incredible genre, and if you haven't seen any anime then I challenge you to do the same. Here is a list of my five favourite anime that you need to see.

Bastille's Pompeii - Youtube Faceoff

Live Lounge is great and all but what I love most is trawling through Youtube to find the best cover versions of my favourite songs by unsigned or small-time artists. If you put the time in, you'll find so many different and innovative interpretations of the biggest hits right now... but who has the time for that I hear you say? Have no fear for that's what our Youtube Faceoff is all about. Previous posts have looked at artists as diverse as Britney Spears, Adele, Kesha and One Direction. Today it's Bastille's turn!

With bands like Bloc Party and Maximo Park losing popularity in recent years, its about time that indie fans had a new act to get excited about. Bastille have been bubbling under for quite a few months now but with the release of 'Pompeii', the band have delivered an anthem that's put them high on the charts and on every radio station. I loved previous singles 'Overjoyed' and 'Flaws' but 'Pompeii' is the breakout hit that's really won the mainstream over. Check out the official video now before Bastille become the biggest thing in music this year. Trust me, you won't be able to escape them

Whatever Happened To RnB? - Lumidee

Remember when Kanye West was just a producer and Mary J.Blige wore that horrendous grey wig in the 'Family Affair' promo? In this weekly feature, I take a look back at some of the best RnB artists of yesteryear, sharing their signature videos and underrated hits, as well as looking at what they’re up to nowadays. Previous posts have focussed on Destinys Child's live Superbowl Halftime Show comeback, the top 5 RnB covers by Youtube sensation VanJess and Jay-Z's Top 5 guest raps, as well as the Honeyz comeback as part of the 'Big Reunion'. 

Today we're going to take a look back at singer/songwriter Lumidee, who recorded her debut album back in 2003 after being discovered by local producer DJ Tedsmooth. The title 'Almost Famous' proved to be quite ironic as lead single "Never Leave You (Uh Oh)" was huge but became the singers only big hit to date. This was such a tune back in the day and marked Lumidee out as a unique artist who stood apart from the more generic RnB artists that populated the charts at the time. The guest raps by Fabolous and Busta Rhymes were good but what I loved most about this track is the dancehall beat and Lumidee's unique vocal. 

Someone Give Anna Faris A Decent Part Already!

Want to make a crap film better? Just call Anna Faris. For years now, the gifted actress has toiled away in a number of awful comedies, despite her beautiful looks and amazing comic timing. The comedian has even proved her acting chops in more serious fare such as 'Lost In Translation' and 'Brokeback Mountain' but Faris is yet to receive the standout role of her career. In the meantime though, I've loved watching Faris somehow elevate awful material into something that is at least watchable and is even occasionally brilliant. Someone give her a decent part already! 

To celebrate the talent of Anna Faris, I've decided to share her five standout roles with you now, so join me to relive the highlights of a career which is constantly held back by weak scripts and horrendous directing.

Whatever Happened To RnB? - Honeyz

Remember when Mariah was kidnapped by gangsters with bad breath and Destiny's Child was stranded on a desert island? In this weekly feature, I take a look back at some of the best RnB artists of yesteryear, sharing their signature videos and underrated hits, as well as looking at what they’re up to nowadays. Previous posts have focussed on Destinys Child's debut single No, No, No and their live comeback appearance at the Superbowl Halftime Show this year, as well as the top 5 RnB covers by Youtube sensation VanJess and Jay-Z's Top 5 guest raps. 

Today's post is all about 90s girl group Honeyz, who infamously imploded more than once before their career finally ended just a few short years after the release of their first single. The girls were set to take the world by storm with a string of top 10 hits and a contract with Def Jam but unfortunately, it seems that it was never meant to be. It's a shame because the Honeyz had genuine talent and were one of the few girl groups we've ever had in the UK who could even begin to rival US RnB superstars like Destiny's Child and TLC. Since the groups demise, past members of the Honeyz have reunited as part of the ITV 'Big Reunion' show and are now successfully touring the UK once more. With all the current interest in their past hits and questions about their future, now is the perfect time to look back at some of the Honeyz biggest singles to see why there were so popular in the first place. 

The Five Best Scenes From 'Stoker' Director Park Chan-Wook

With all the excitement that surrounded the Oscars this February, it was easy to forget that something very special was about to occur in the realm of world cinema. Yes, that's right. The acclaimed director of 'Oldboy' and 'Thirst' is back with a new psychological thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Matthew Goode in his first English language film. The majority of Asian directors who have made the move to Hollywood have had little success so far, aside from Ang Lee of course, but the reviews for Park Chan-Wook's latest are in and 'Stoker' is as disturbing and beautifully shot as any of his South Korean offerings. If you're interested in the effects of violence and revenge on the human psyche then you're in the right place, as this list of Chan-Wook's five best scenes should provide some insight into the auteurs fascination with the limits of morality in contemporary society. Deep stuff. Let's get started with what is arguably Chan-Wook's signature film, Oldboy.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus tells the story of two magicians who challenge each other with two apprentices who do battle in a very unique and spectacular venue until a champion emerges. That venue is 'Le Cirque Du Reves' the circus of dreams, a place that only opens when the sun sets and closes before it rises, like a night circus of sorts...hey, that's the name of the book! 

Hitchcock 2012 Review

Alfred Hitchcock is widely regarded as one of the greatest, if not the greatest director of all time. In a career that spans over 40 years he is synonymous with creating some of the most iconic films ever, from Vertigo to Rear Window. But in 1959, he was having trouble finding his next film project. Hitchcock needed something new, something exciting because he had a lot to live up to. The film 'Hitchcock' explores this period, when he was going through some tough times while making his most famous film, 'Psycho'. 'Hitchcock' is part of the current wave of films that are based around the production of real films, a subject I find fascinating, but is it any good?

The 10 Best Britney Unreleased Tracks

Out of all the pop artists that I've become obsessed with in the past ten years, Britney Spears is perhaps the one singer who has a surprisingly impressive back catalogue of unreleased hits. Most songs are usually kept back by the label for a reason but in Britney's case, its often because the style of the tracks didn't fit with her image of the time. As a result, many of the unreleased songs from later in her career are actually quite dark and experimental so combined with her best remixes, there's a huge selection of quality material to check out once you become bored of the album releases. It was hard to be selective but here are my 10 favourite unreleased Britney tracks and B-sides.