Myself, Mental Health and A Great Big Walk

Happy St Patrick's Day y'all!

Today I am here to talk about three things: The 24 Hour UK Three Peaks Challenge, Depression and OCD.

I was the guest blogger for Mind recently where I talked about my own experiences with Depression and OCD as well as the reasons as to why I am taking part in UK Three Peaks Challenge for Mind this coming June. The feedback I got was lovely; albeit that certainly was not the purpose of the blog.

Talking about such things is never easy, but I guess it is a form of therapy in itself. One little blog can not change the stigma around mental health and nor can it inspire a nation. I just hope people can relate to it; like some of the fantastic blogs and articles I have read on mental health over the last few years.

I have applied to be apart of the 'OCD at School' Youth Advisory Panel of which I am very keen to be apart of. I began to struggle with OCD whilst at 6th Form and it is vitally important that we can help spread the message and raise awareness amongst the younger generations as I have seen first hand the ignorance and naivity there is amongst younger people in regards to mental health. I would urge anyone passionate in this issue to think about applying.


A message from the Peak District...

Rightio; the walk. It's 2 1/2 months away and I have still got loads to do. I need to raise a bucket load of money and I have done very little towards reaching my total. Woops! I blame uni. I am hoping to put together a charity football match towards the end of May/start of June and potentially do something else. A karaoke night perhaps? If anyone has any suggestions then please get in touch. I have had several friends promise donations of which I am very greatful; but I need more! I will leave you all alone for a long while (in regards to fundraising) if you can help me reach my target of £550. I will do a lot of things (nothing rude) in my quest for that target. I will wear stupid things, do silly challenges; whatever. Let me know and get sponsoring. PLEASE!

My sponorship page is: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=Milkwasabadchoice&isTeam=true

My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MattdoestheUKThreePeaksChallenge

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/MattWatson91

Well that is my begging done for the day. But seriously, it is going to an amazing cause. That is not me just saying it for the sake of it. Mind really does do a fanastic job in supporting people suffering with mental health problems; whether that be through helping find people treatment, offering information or simply being there to listen to someone in need. 50p, £1, £10; whatever you can afford. Please.

I will leave you with a video that you should all watch. It is made by the lovely Claire Wilkinson who is a local filmmaker and is currently putting together the already award-winning documentary 'Living With Me And My OCD' of which she has been working long and hard on for a while now and it is looking great (even if I am in it!) Claire suffers with OCD herself and is very keen on defeating the stigma surrounding the disorder. I have had the pleasure of meeting her on more than one occasion and after listening to her ideas I can guarantee that this documetary will be fantastic. You can follow Living With Me And My OCD on Twitter and Facebook, as well as visitng its own website.

Living With Me And My OCD trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thviahdlNp0

Thanks all again for reading. If anyone wants to read my blog for Mind you can find it below.

 My blog:

http://www.mind.org.uk/blog/8483_walking_the_three_peaks_challenge_for_mind

'I do like to walk. I have taken part in a couple of hikes for charity now and it is a great way to stay fit and raise money, this year for a cause that is very close to my own heart, Mind.

I cannot wait to get going. The Three Peaks is a challenge that I have wanted to do for a while and I cannot wait to see the lovely views of Snowdon, the rain around Ben Nevis and the darkness of Scafell Pike (head-torch required!) Not many know the reason why I am doing the challenge for Mind, as it is a personal one, but I finally want to open about it.

The previous two years have been an interesting one. Diagnosed with OCD at 19, after suffering with the disorder since 16, it all became too much. After finally opening up to my family and doctor, I received CBT and then later medication.

My OCD, at its peak was quite varied and I found it completely overwhelming. Repetition (words and actions), checking (taps, doors and appliances) and hygiene (washing and cleaning) were the three main types of compulsions I suffered from. My confidence and self-esteem were zapped. Having OCD I feel tired, frustrated and ultimately like a freak, when I shouldn't have. It took a while for the techniques from CBT to take effect as I was essentially re-training my brain, whilst the medication took the edge off of my anxiety.

Skip forwards two years and I have managed to cut the majority of my compulsions out. I still have my moments, but they are less frequent and anxiety-driven. However, last year something else happened; something that had been coming for a while. I was diagnosed with depression.

My doctor told me it is common that people with anxiety-disorders also suffer with depression. I began to feel very low and the feeling would not shift. It had been building its way up since the end of my second year at university. I was anxious, frustrated and riddled with negative thoughts and my opinion of myself was lower than ever, in regards to both appearance and character. It is, people tell me, a distorted view, one which has built over a long period of time and is hard to shift.
Going back to university in September did not help. The pressure pushed me over the edge - I felt destined to fail. After talking with university about my options, they were very good with me and offered support. Once again, as I still am now, I was put on medication and referred for CBT.

Being open about my illness has been something I have found difficult in the past, although when I did I found it really helped. I have always thought it was my own battle and that I had to deal with it by myself, but that is not true. CBT and medication continues, but slowly but surely, I am making forward strides. I still have bad spells and days when I feel like it is me against the world, but they are getting less frequent. Hopefully it will not be long until I feel myself again. It has been a long time coming.

Depression and anxiety can hit anyone, whatever their situation, and it can make you feel like your world has been turned upside down. Talking about it can be hard and can take time; I know that from personal experience. I have vowed to myself to be more open and this is a good starting point.

I am determined to raise as much money as possible for Mind through the Three Peaks Challenge and help raise awareness in any way I can. I have sought help and am hopefully on the road to recovery, but others are not so lucky and have no one to turn to.

Mind offers great support and information for sufferers and their families to access in times of need. It is a fantastic charity who need all the support they can get, so if you could give anything to help then please visit my Facebook page and sponsorship form.Thank you.
Matt'

OSCARS TIME!

It is that time of year again; THE OCSARS TIME! Who will win a shiney golden statue? Stay up until 1:30am on Monday morning to find out...

We tried to film a podcast for Film Trance (blatant plug) about The Oscars but it went horribly wrong. So yeah, I just fancied making some predictions for the big show on here. There is too many different awards to go through, so I've just picked out what, in my opinion, are the six of the top awards. Let me know what you think and who you reckon will will/should win.

Right...

 

BEST DIRECTOR:

Who I want to win: Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

Who I think will win: Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

With the surprise exclusion of Ben Affleck from this catagory as well as the shameful snub of Tom Hooper, Spielberg is free to pick up his latest Oscar with biopic Lincoln.

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Who I want to win: Anne Hathaway (Les Mis) or Sally Field (Lincoln)

Who I think will win: Anne Hathaway (Les Mis)

Hathaway has had a very successful awards season and no-one is looking past her to pick up yet another award tomorrow night. Yes she was only on screen for fifteen minutes, but by heck, it was a good fifteen minutes! Sally Field also deserves recognisition for her role in Lincoln as Mary-Todd Licoln. Her vunerability counterbalanced DDL's portryal of Lincoln extremely well.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Who I want to win: Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

Who I think will win: Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)


Hans Landa x2. If you loved him in Inglorious Basterds like I did, you will love him in this. A top class performance. Suave, but deadly.

 

 

 

 

Best LEADING ACTRESS:

Who I want to win: Naomi Watts (The Impossible)

Who I think will win: Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)

Naomi Watts' performance in The Impossible was EMOSH. However, I reckon we will be seeing the oldest ever Oscar winner come Sunday evening/Monday morning in Emmanuelle Riva.

BEST LEADING ACTOR:

Who I want to win: Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) or Denzel Washington (Flight)

Who I think will win: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Bradley Cooper was the man in SLP. He tackled a tough issue and brought sensitivity with a touch of light hearted humour to the role. Denzel was just superb in Flight. The pain, the self-loathing... Brilliant. I think everyone is excpecting DDL to walk away with it though. A worthy winner, but not my personal favourite performance.

BEST FILM:

Who I want to win: Les Misérables

Who I think will win: Lincoln

I love Les Mis. I loved the stageshow and I loved the film. I'm not going to compare the two, as they're different artforms, but I felt Hooper delivered bigstyle. Powerful, emotional and the songs were performed (and shot) brilliantly. Argo has cleaned up this catagory during awards season, but with Affleck not being up for best director I feel there may be a surprise on the cards.






If you can stay awake, it is being shown on Sky Movies at just before 1:30am. I think it is is on the special Oscars channel they have created.

Walk da' Walk (Update One)

Hello all.




*BLATANT PLUG ALERT WITH ADDED WEIRD FACIAL EXPRESSION*

Yes, the name of my blog has changed yet again. Why, no one asks? Well, it will no longer be a film blog (that latest long) and I will now use it for blatant plugging for the charity hike I am undertaking in the summer. Apologies in advance.

With just over four months to go until the hike I thought I'd best start doing some good ol' fundraising. Twitter, Facebook and begging are the methods I will be using most often to attempt to reach the goal of £550, which is going to be really tough. There is the possibility that me and a friend, who is doing a charity hike too, will be co-hosting a charity event later in the year, but that is yet to be determined. So, anyways...

It had been a rather wet and windy day in Cumbria...

This year it appears I will be on my own for the hike. My best friend Adam has joined me the last two years, whilst my brother and his fiancee kindly joined us last year to do the Hadrian's Wall Trek. I really enjoyed doing the treks the previous two years, albeit last years was spoilt by the horrible weather. Doing the Yorkshire Three Peaks was great the year before. The views were fantastic and despite being bitten to pieces, it was well worth it. I think this will be my last one for a while as I feel bad asking for money each year off of you lovely people. We've really appreciated the support over the past two years. One more big push would be greatly appreciated though! The UK 24 Hour Three Peaks Challenge is something I have wanted to do for a while and I'm really excited that I get the chance to do it for Mind. It's a fantastic cause and something that is very close to my own heart, so I'm chuffed that they are putting it on and I can't wait to get going with it.

Ben Nevis

The walk itself takes place between the 14th-16th June. The aim is to climb the biggest peak in each of Scotland, England and Wales inside 24 hours. I will be meeting the mini-bus at Chester Train Station on the Friday where we (the gang of us representing Mind) will all then head up to Scotland to spend the night ahead of attempted to hike up Ben Nevis the following morning. After completing the biggest of the three peaks we will then be heading South to Cumbria to climb Scafell Pike, which will have to be completed during the night. The final part of the challenge will see us head to Wales for a bright and early 4am (approximately) start to climb Snowdon, of which I have been told the views are spectacular. We are hoping to be finished for before 9am so we can have a nice celebratory breakfast and then head back to the train station. So yeah, the trek will consist of approximately 25 miles of hiking (11,000ft altogether), 3 countries and approximately 480 miles of driving in 24 hours. Good times!

This will get some plugging off of me over the coming months, so get ready for it. Any support would be great and I'd love you forever if you donated. Mind really is a fantastic charity who do an awful lot to help people who are suffering with mental health issues. Retweets on Twitter, shares on Facebook and so forth would be greatly appreciated as well. As you will see below I'm making the most out of the age of social networking. Please give my Facebook page a like and check out my fundraising page. I will also be filming the walk and any fundraisng events prior to the trek, so I will upload those to my YouTube page. If anyone has any ideas over ways I could fundraise then please let me know! So yeah, that's about it. I'm considering writing a piece for Mind closer to the time, but I might yet bottle that. Thank you for taking the time to read this and many thanks to those who have already donated/agreed to donate.



Fundraising Page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=Milkwasabadchoice&isTeam=true

(Yes, I did name my fundraising page after an Anchorman quote, and yes I do regret it.)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattdoestheUKThreePeaksChallenge

YouTube: MattWatson91

Mind: http://www.mind.org.uk/

Thank you.

Matt.

Review: Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino is never afraid to touch upon uneasy subject matters, and in his first film since 2009 blockbuster Inglorious Basterds he is at it again with slavery-based epic Danjo Unchained.

170 minutes of pure Tarantino-ness. Described by many as his most "straightforward film to date", Django Unchained may not have the twists and turns of a Pulp Fiction or Jackie Brown, but it will leave you shocked, bewildered and laughing out load in your seat like we have to come to expect from the American's films.

The story revolves around former slave turned bounty hunter Django (Jamie Foxx), who with the help of his owner turned bounty hunting partner Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), sets out to rescue his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from evil plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leanardo DiCaprio). As you would expect, this does not go according to plan and like most Tarantino films all hell breaks loose in extremely violent fashion.

Drawn out, over-the-top and ridiculously violent, but Tarantino always seems to get away with it. Some critics question Tarantino's style, but one thing that can be universally agreed on is that he gets the best out of his cast. Christoph Waltz puts in another Oscar-worthy performance as the German slave sympathising bounty hunter. Like in Inglorious Basterds Waltz portrays an incredibly charming and sophisticated character, but when he needs to be he has an incredibly sinister yet somehow humorous side to him that is perfectly delivered. Jamie Fox leads the movie well, putting in a strong performance, albeit he is out-shone by the marvellous Waltz for the first half of the film. Leonardo DiCaprio puts in a sterling performance as the villain slaveholder who owns the mammoth slave plantation Candieland. It was certainly a different kind of role for DiCaprio, but his blend of charm and ferociousness worked extremely well.

Despite its serious subject matter, humour is never far behind. The Ku Klux Klan scene involving a cameo appearance from Jonah Hill will be something that is remembered for a long time. Samuel L. Jackson is superb as the old timer slave (Stephen) who works at the Candieland plantation. Jackson's first appearance on screen is a memorial one, as he shows of his resentment towards free slave Django in an hilarious interaction with his boss Calvin Candie. One disappointment over cast selection is that of Tarantino himself. His persistence in making cameo appearences in his films is baffling. The outrageously poor Australian accent he tries to deliver will leave you cringing all the way home.

This will not be for everyone's liking, but if you are a die hard Tarantino fan you will not be left disappointed. The film falls short of the incredibly outrageous Inglorious Basterds and the classics of Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, but it is another fine piece of cinema by the a director never afraid to push the boundaries of cinema.

8/10

Review: Les Misérables

Kings Speech director Tom Hooper took on the mammoth task of directing the movie adaption of the world famous musical Les Misérables, which is based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the same name.

 For those who may not be familiar with the story of Les Misérables, it is a tale set in 19^th century France that follows a man named Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) who was imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loath of bread. After being released on parole by the prison guard Javert (Russell Crowe), he faced a life of hardship and shame for his tainted reputation as a thief. Valjean was taken in by a bishop for the night after spotting him walking the streets as no one would give him shelter or work. In the night Valijean took off with the bishops silver but was caught and taken back to the bishop who confirmed to the police that Valjean in fact was given the silver as a gift, offering him a second chance. The bishops generosity saw Valijean vow to break parole and start a new life. Eight years later Valjean had become a successful businessman and mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. However, on stumbling upon one of his former employees Fantine (Anne Hathaway), who was very ill and on the verge of arrest, Valjean vowed to look after her daughter Cosette (Isabelle Allen/Amanda Seyfried). Despite taking in Cosette and making a new life for himself, Valijean was always fighting his past.

Although the performances of Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway have deservedly stolen the headlines, this is a film full of top class performances throughout. Hathaway’s highly anticipated rendition of ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ was as good as everyone hoped it would be. Despite being only on screen for fifteen minutes, Hathaway has gained nomination after nomination during the awards season and rightly so. Her incredibly powerful performance captured the struggles of Fantine superbly. Jackman’s performance as leading man Valjean is commendable and like Hathaway he has rightly been nominated for all the big awards. His performance of ‘Valjean’s Soliloquy’ is captivatingly sinister and brilliantly shot inside the church as he vows to change his life.

One man who should not escape praise is that of Eddie Redmayne who is excellent as Marius. The raw emotion he portrayed in his performance of ‘Empty Chairs And Empty Tables’ is only matched by Hathaway’s ‘I Dreamed A Dream’. Hooper used the power of the close-up to great effect for both performances, so the audience really got to feel the emotions the characters were expressing in those moments. Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter also linked up very well as the scheming Thénardiers. Bonham Carter took a backseat to Cohen's skillful comedic performance, however the blend worked excellently despite Cohen's slightly questionable French accent.  

Russell Crowe's singing voice is one of few major criticisms that has been made about the film. Although Crowe is the weakest vocalist, his stage presence and manner sees him get away with it. As a character Javert is not meant to be liked. His ruggedness, both vocally and physically, helps turn this disadvantage in to a positive.

Tom Hooper has kicked the year of cinema off with an all mighty bang. Powerful, captivating and cinematically beautiful. The film deserves all the praise it gets.

 9/10

Review: Quartet

Dustin Hoffman got behind the camera to direct the mature, quirky comedy drama 'Quartet', starring Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon and Billy Connolly.

The film revolves around a retirement home where retired musicians go to spend the rest of their days. However they face a battle each year to keep the home open and perform an annual gala to raise the funds. The home gets a surprise new resident in the name of Jean Horton (Maggie Smith), the once world famous opera singer. Her arrival unsettles a few feathers with her diva ways and the reunion with former husband Reignald Paget (Tom Courtenay) who also happens to be a resident at the home. The gala hits problems and with ticket sales slow it is put forward that the famous opera quartet of Paget, Bond, Cissy Robson (Pauline Collins) and Horton perform their famous musical number Verdi’s ‘Rigoletto’ . Troubled relationships and problems forgetting the past mean this proposed reunion is not, at least at first, an harmonious prospect for all.

The charismatic Wilf Bond, played by the excellent Billy Connolly, brings a cheeky but harmless humour to the movie with sexual innuendos galore throughout. Michael Gambon is superb as the arrogant director of the gala and fellow resident, Cederic Livingston, a pain in the backside to all who live at the home. Cissy Robison is the sweetheart of the house, but is clearly starting to lose her memory at a rapid rate, whilst Reignald Paget plays the more serious, yet fragile, member of the quartet. Clearly still hurting from his relationship with Horton, Paget learns to let go of the past, as does Horton herself, who finds it especially hard to accept her status as a retiree.

This is not your typical retirement home and nor is it your typical mature comedy. It may be an old folks home, but its residents still exude youthful energy and charisma that is contagious. The movie is a charming, yet quirky, piece of cinema that will surprise you. You will enjoy it more than you think. I certainly did.

7/10.

The Watson Ratings: Films in 2012

I do love me a bit of IMDb ratings and if you follow me on Twitter I'll have annoyed you a lot with my rating posts, I'm sure. Apologies for that. Anyways, here are my ratings for all the films I have seen this year. Stephen, this is for you...

Pitch Perfect (Comedy/Musical; Anna Kendrick): 8/10.
The Sitter (Comedy; Jonah Hill): 5.5/10.
Life of Pi (Adventure/Drama; Suraj Sharma & Irrfan Khan): 7.5+/10.
Project X (Comedy; Thomas Mann): 5/10.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Adventure/Fantasy; Martin Freeman): 8/10.
Seven Psychopaths: (Dark Comedy; Colin Farrell): 7.5+/10.
Silver Linings Playbook (Comedy/Drama/Romance; Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence): 8/10.
Great Expectations (Drama; Ralph Fiennes): 7/10.
Goon (Comedy; Sean William Scott): 2/10.
Jack and Jill (Comedy; Adam Sandler): 2/10.
Here Comes The Boom (Comedy; Kevin James): 1.5/10.
Casa de mi Padre (Comedy; Will Ferrell): 7/10.
Argo (Drama/Thriller; Ben Affleck): 7.5/10.
Skyfall (Action/Crime; Daniel Craig): 8.5/10.
Looper (Action/Sci-Fi; Joseph Gordon-Levitt): 7.5/10.
Taken 2 (Action/Thriller; Liam Neeson): 4.5/10.
Sinister (Horror/Thriller; Ethan Hawke): 7/10.
Ruby Sparks (Romance/Comedy; Paul Dano): 6/10.
The Perks of Being a WallFlower (Drama/Romance/Comedy; Logan Lerman): 8/10.
Lawless (Crime/Drama; Shia LaBeouf): 7/10.
The Campaign (Comedy; Will Ferrell & Zach Galifianakis): 7.5/10.
Paranormal Activity 4 (Horror; Katie Featherston): 5/10.
The Expendables 2 (Action/Thriller; Sylvester Stallone): 5.5/10.
House at the End of the Street (Horror; Jennifer Lawrence): 6/10.
Anna Karenina (Drama; Keira Knightly): 7+/10.
Hope Springs (Comedy/Romance/Drama; Tommy Lee Jones & Meryl Streep): 8/10.
Total Recall (Action/Sci-Fi; Colin Farrell): 7/10.
The Sweeney (Crime/Action; Ray Winstone): 7/10.
The Possession (Horror; Jeffrey Dean Morgan): 6/10.
The Watch (Comedy; Ben Stiller): 6.5/10.
The Dark Knight Rises (Action/Crime/Drama; Christian Bale): 8+/10
Iron Sky (Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comedy; Julia Dietze): 3/10.
Keith Lemon: The Movie (Comedy; Keith Lemon (Leigh Francis): 1/10.
The Wedding Video (Comedy/Romance; Lucy Punch): 4/10.
Ted (Comedy; Seth MacFarlane): 8/10.
The Amazing Spider-Man (Action/Fantasy; Andrew Garfield): 8/10.
Men in Black 3 (Sci-Fi/Comedy/Action; Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones): 5/10.
The Five Year Engagement (Comedy/Romance; Jason Segel): 5/10.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Action/Fantasy; Benjamin Walker): 7/10.
Dark Shadows (Fantasy/Comedy; Johnny Depp): 5/10.
Silent House (Horror/Thriller; Elizabeth Olsen): 5/10.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (Drama/Comedy; Ewan McGregor & Emily Blunt): 7/10.
21 Jump Street (Comedy/Action; Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum): 8/10.
The Hunger Games (Action/Fantasy; Jennifer Lawrence): 8/10.
The Women in Black (Horror/Drama; Daniel Radcliffe): 5/10.