Everyone's favourite Manic Pixie Dream Girl* – Zooey Deschanel stars in a new television show called New Girl wearing geeky glasses starting on Ch 4 in the UK tonight at 8:30pm.  There has always been something about the lovely Zooey that is so quirky and adorable and its great to see that the (500) Days of Summer actress has at last landed the leading role in a successful new TV series.

New Girl has been nominated for two Golden Globes in the US – ‘Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy’ and one for Zooey Deschanel herself – ‘Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy’ so it should be well worth a look when it hits UK goggle-boxes tonight.

Here is a brief synopsis of the show from the Channel 4 website: -

US smash hit comedy featuring Zooey Deschanel as Jess Daly, an adorable and charming girl in her late 20s.  After splitting up with her boyfriend, she moves in with three single guys she has never met before.

She's not used to hanging with the boys, especially at home, but as their relationships progress, Jess and the boys realise they need each other more than they ever thought they would, and form a charmingly dysfunctional family.

Jess has been described as Adorkable – dorkish while at the same time being completely adorable – and apparently fits the bill perfectly for the term Manic Pixie Dream Girl, so it sounds like fans of Zooey Deschanel's previous work (and who isn't?) should love this.

Geek Chic

In the show, Zooey Deschanel wears Oliver Peoples Wacks prescription glasses in a tortoiseshell colour.  Oliver Peoples describe this frame as a feminine design inspired by the styles worn by Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison.  They are handcrafted acetate material and features dual plaques on the front with substantial temples.  They also include the Oliver Peoples logo plaque laminated at the temple end.

If you're looking for something similar, why not try one of these styles (click the images to find the glasses): -

Stellar 8855 – Colour C14: Brown

Ray-Ban RX5228 – Colour: 2012 Dark Havana

The SS Collection – 92002B

*Manic Pixie Dream Girl

Manic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG) is a stock character in films.  Film critic Nathan Rabin, who coined the term after seeing Kirsten Dunst in Elizabethtown (2005), describes the MPDG as "that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures".  MPDGs are said to help their men without pursuing their own happiness, and such characters never grow up, thus their men never grow up.

MPDGs are usually static characters who have eccentric personality quirks and are unabashedly girlish.  They often serve as the romantic interest for a (usually brooding or depressed) leading male protagonist.  Prime examples are Natalie Portman's character in the movie Garden State or Zooey Deschanel's role in (500) Days of Summer.  Similar roles in other films, and the TV show New Girl have also been typified MPDG.

Well well well, it's been officially confirmed that Daniel Craig will be wearing Tom Ford Sunglasses in the next installment of the James Bond franchise, Skyfall, to be released on the 26th October 2012 in UK cinemas.

When the Skyfall announcment was made on the 3rd November 2011 we did ponder whether Daniel Craig would be wearing Persol's or Tom Ford's, or something completely different (I think he would look marvellous in a pair of sparkly Chopards myself!). It looks like our ponderings were proved to be correct!

Tom Ford said:-
"I could not be happier to be dressing Daniel Craig again in the next James Bond film" said Ford, " James Bond epitomises the Tom Ford man in his elegance, style and love of luxury”.

This is not the first time Tom Ford have been called upon to provide Sunglasses for the suarve Mr Bond with Daniel Craig sporting the stunning FT108S in The Quantum of Solace as displayed below.

We're already looking forward to seeing what Mr Bond will be wearing in the first trailer, likely to be screened early next year.  More to follow…

While it is difficult to identify them from the very short sequence we see, they do look quite similar in style to the Persol PO2935S.

Watch the latest trailer below.

I finally got round to watching my Blu-Ray copy of Scre4m the other night, having picked it up during the Halloween weekend.  The fun and games of Halloween may have been and gone, but there's always time for a scary movie in my book.

I couldn't watch this movie and let this little blog post slip; its part of our passion for fashion eyewear that every time we watch a movie, we just can't ignore a good bit of glasses appreciation, especially when it comes to the Geek Chic look on someone as hot as Courteney Cox.

The Friends and Cougar Town star reprises her role as reporter-come-author Gale Weathers-Riley in the fourth Scream movie, 15 years after the original and looks as sexy as ever in her geeky Wayfarer style glasses, despite the fact that she's now into her mid-40's.

Courteney Cox apparently sports the geek chic look in her everyday life too, here she's seen enjoying an LA Lakers game in her Ray-Ban Wayfarer style prescription glasses.

If you're after the Courteney Cox look too, why not try these glasses: -

Ray-Ban Prescription Wayfarers

The official Ray-Ban Wayfarers are the style that everyone else tries to copy.  Well built, tough frames that never go out of fashion.

Wayfarer Style glasses on a Budget

If you're on a very tight budget, try the Savannah 2249 available from just £6 and yes, that does include prescription lenses with all the coatings.

Or try one of our best selling wayfarer styled frames, the SS Collection 92002b.

Or click here to see a larger selection of Wayfarer Style frames.

So what about the movie?

The movie was good fun, its so great to get all the surviving cast back together again, lets face it, the original was a groundbreaking genre defining moment in cinema that revived the whole horror movement, which was pretty much dead and buried at the time.  In truth though, horror is such a hard thing to pull off well, and after the first movie in any series, its hard to keep generating the same kind of shocks with each successive movie.  Scream 4 ends up being an entertaining popcorn thriller (in my view), yes it's clichéd, but fans of the series will love it.

See the trailer for Scream 4 below: -

Daniel Craig who is best known for sporting a pair of either Persol or Tom Ford Sunglasses in his two James Bond movies (Casino Royale & Quantum of Solace) swaps in the suave image for the role of a journalist wearing a classic pair of specs in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.  Unfortunately we're unable to identify the glasses that Daniel Craig wears as there are no clear identifying marks on the frames, so if you know what these are please drop a comment below.  The closest style we could find were these fantastic Tom Ford FT5150 spectacles.

Tom Ford FT5150

If past David Fincher films are anything to go by, (Fight Club, Se7en, Social Network, the list goes on…) then The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is sure to be a classic must see.  I certainly know of one David Fincher fan in the SelectSpecs office that will be most eager to see it!

Watch "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" trailer below.

One film I'm particularly looking forward to seeing at our local Vue cinema when I get a chance has to be 'Drive' staring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman and Christina Hendricks,  an action packed car chase heist thriller guaranteed to be a box office smash and up for gaining a SelectSpecs film of the year award!

Synopsis from Apple:

"Ryan Gosling stars as a Los Angeles wheelman for hire, stunt driving for movie productions by day and steering getaway vehicles for armed heists by night. Though a loner by nature, Driver can't help falling in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan), a vulnerable young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband Standard (Oscar Isaac). After a heist intended to pay off Standard's protection money spins unpredictably out of control, Driver finds himself driving defense for the girl he loves, tailgated by a syndicate of deadly serious criminals (Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman). But when he realizes that the gangsters are after more than the bag of cash in his trunk-that they're coming straight for Irene and her son-Driver is forced to shift gears and go on offense."

The trailer indeed looks promising with Ryan Gosling taking the wheel wearing a particularly cool pair of plastic rimmed aviators by Selima Optique, the Money 2 Aviator.

Selima Optique Money 2 Aviator Sunglasses, as worn by Ryan Gosling in Drive

Watch the trailer for 'Drive' now.

As this film was shot during the time of the Cold War era it goes to show how the Aviator style has remained at the pinnacle of popularity over the past 50+ years.

If you are looking for a similar style, we highly recommend a look at the ever popular Ray-Ban range of Aviator Sunglasses including these popular Aviator options:

Ray-Ban 3025 Aviator Sunglasses

Ray-Ban 3029 Aviator Outdoorsman

See Tom Hardy in the classic Aviator sunglasses in the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Trailer

Gary Oldman (Batman Trilogy) stars as George Smiley alongside Oscar winner Colin Firth (Kings Speech) and Tom Hardy (Inception, Dark Knight Rises) in the guaranteed blockbuster (as well as a possible Oscar winner) movie Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, a movie based on the novel and BBC TV series by John Le Carré.

Gary Oldman who stars as George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within the MI6 echelons is seen during the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy trailer wearing an old fashion pair of plastic rimmed frames very similar in style to those worn by Alec Guinness in the 1979 BBC TV series.  The closest match we could find to this style was by Blue Ribbon, and the BR5.

Alec Guinness as George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the BBC TV series.

Catch Gary Oldman in his old fashion specs in the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Trailer

Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp stars alongside Aaron Eckhart and Amber Heard in the new film "Rum Diary".

Brief synopsis from IMDB.

Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) is a freelance journalist who finds himself at a critical turning point in his life while writing for a run-down newspaper in the Caribbean. Paul is challenged on many levels as he tries to carve out a more secure niche for himself amidst a group of lost souls all bent on self-destruction.

As we can see in the trailer, Johnny Depp is featured wearing a classic pair of semi-rimless sunglasses.  Unfortunately we're unable to identify who the designer of this stylish pair is although there are rumours on the internet that they are by a French designer from the 1950's called "Raleigh".  Looking at the style I can see a brand like Oliver Peoples offering a very similar style in the future, we'll have to wait and see if they bring anything similar to the table.

If you're looking for something very similar to the style Johnny Depp wears, why not try these Ray-ban RB4109 Olympian Sunglasses.

View the trailer to Johnny Depp's new film, Rum Diary, below.

Thanks to everyone who submitted a photo of their baby or child wearing glasses or sunglasses for our latest competition to win a pair of Cébé Kanga Sunglasses.  There were some brilliant competition entries submitted and our cute-ness gauge topped out at 2,500 quebits of cute-ness before it broke and could no longer produce accurate measurements of cute-ness… needless to say, it was un-measurable.

Here is a selection of entries in no particular order.  It was incredibly difficult to pick a winner from all these fantastic entries, sadly we could only pick one; scroll to the bottom to find out who the lucky winner is.

Entry submitted by: Debbie Pickett

Entry submitted by: Emma Andersson

Entry submitted by: Geri Gibson

Entry submitted by: Helen Harris

Entry submitted by: Kelly Padwick

Entry submitted by: Lisa Snow White Prince

Entry submitted by: Rach Woodcock

Entry submitted by: Richard Bevis

Entry submitted by: Sarah Mse Gilbert

Entry submitted by: Star Heather

Entry submitted by: Stephanie Barklam

Entry submitted by: Tony Anthony Michael

Entry submitted by: Brita Bevis

Entry submitted by: Crystal Mse

And the Winner is…

Submitted by: Helen Harris

Well done Helen, we love this photo, it has a special natural quality to it.  You have won a pair of Cébé Kanga Sunglasses of your choice for your daughter; we'll be in touch shortly.

Once again, thanks for all your entries, and look out for another competition very soon.

Unbeknown to us folks here at SelectSpecs, Nicole Scherzinger also happens to be a singer and not just former Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton's current girlfriend, apparently before going solo she also used to be in a girl group known as the Pussycat Dolls….

Anyway, the interesting thing for us here is that Nicole Scherzinger is wearing a cool pair of Carrera Champions in her new music video "Wet".  This is the same style also worn by Lady Gaga in her music video "Bad Romance", Usher in "Daddy's Home", and Christina Aguilera in "Not Myself Tonight".

Carrera Champions available from £71

You can listen to Nicole's new tune below.

Warner Brothers has released the first official photographs of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman from the latest Batman film – The Dark Knight Rises (staring Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hardy).

We don't know if this will be her final costume in the film, or an earlier stage development of the character, but it's hard to see the details in this first photo anyway; what is clear however is the eyewear.  Christopher Nolan's interpretation of Catwoman appears to more based on a “tactical” look rather than the sexy costumes worn by Halle Berry and Michelle Pfeiffer in previous movies, which felt more like a fantasy universe in comparison to the newer, grittier, and more realistic Batman films.

It looks like Anne Hathaway's Catwoman will be wearing some kind of cross between high-tech sunglasses and tactical goggles; I'd put my house on these having some kind of awesome features that give her excellent night vision, or Infrared heat-sensing visibility and possibly even the ability to see-through-walls!

We're big fan's of Anne Hathaway here and think she is an absolute quality actress, but it remains to be seen if she will have the gymnastic ability to pull off some of Catwoman's moves, but if anyone has the acting ability to surprise us, it's Anne.  Just like The Amazing Spider-Man, we cannot wait for this film and I'm dying to see how, or why Catwoman ends up on Batman's Bike in the shot above.

Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments below.

Check out The Dark Knight teaser trailer below.

Movie synopsis from Apple:-
A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone high-tech, Real Steel stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.

Check out the HD trailer below.

Soon-to-be Megastar – Andrew Garfield will be taking on the role of our favourite spectacle wearing superhero Peter Parker and his alter-ego Spider-Man this time round in the re-booted movie series.  The new Peter Parker looks to be a more fashionable and trendy version of the geeky character, with a skateboard under one arm, an updated hairstyle and much nicer square plastic-rimmed glasses that are all the rage these days.

We were big fans of the previous Spider-Man movies, especially the first two and thought that Tobey Maguire was the perfect Peter Parker, so Andrew Garfield has some pretty big shoes to fill, but based on his performance in The Social Network he should be excellent.

You can see here that Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker was indeed quite different, with his overly-combed hair and broken, less-than-fashionable glasses held together by tape.  He should have checked out our value range of glasses!

At first I was a little sceptical about the idea of a Spider-Man reboot with an all-new cast, but after seeing the new trailer I'm really coming round to the idea.  Emma Stone should be great as Gwen Stacy, but it's the villians that everyone wants to know about.  Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill) will also be wearing a rounder pair of plastic-rimmed glasses in the film for his role as Dr. Curt Connors, although there’s no sign of The Lizard in the first trailer just yet.

Sadly we still have a whole year to wait for the movie, which will also be shown in 3D.  The Amazing Spider-Man will be released in Summer 2012.  Can't wait.

Get the Andrew Garfield-Peter Parker Look

If you want to look as trendy as Andrew Garfield and the new Peter Parker, why not try these stylish frames.  Click the frame images to go to the products on SelectSpecs.com.

Designer Brands

Here's a nice selection of designer branded frames that could easily be mistaken for Peter Parker's new glasses.

POLO Ralph Lauren – PH2053

Ray-Ban – RX5228

Ralph Lauren – RL6062

On a budget

If money is a bit tight just now, these budget options are great alternatives from as little as just £6 including lenses and all the coatings.

Savannah 2249 – Black

The SS Collection – 92002B

Have you ever wanted to kill your boss?  Probably everyone has had a job at some point in their life working for the boss from Hell.  Or maybe 'you' are the boss that everyone secretly wants to beat down?  Of course, I can't complain about my boss, he is my brother after all and I love him… no really.

Horrible Bosses is the new film about three friends played by Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudekis who conspire to murder their 'horrible bosses'.  The trailer for the movie (below) looks very promising and it looks set to be, possibly the comedy of the year.

But I've got to say, based on the trailer for the film, if Jennifer Aniston was my boss, the last thing I'd want to do is kill her!  Just saying… Watch the trailer below!

We grabbed these screens from the movie of the lovely Jennifer Aniston who seems to be wearing Oakley Glasses as protective eyewear as she performs her dentist duties, as well as taking the time to sexually harass her staff and patients.

The glasses Jennifer Aniston seems to be wearing appear to come from the Oakley Radar family of sunglasses, with the straight stem arms and probably the Radar Path style transparent lenses.

It is likely that the glasses featured in the movie are a custom design made for the movie, but you can pick up other variations of the frame in different colours and tints on our site here.

Other similar style glasses can be found in the Oakley Women's collection, such as the various Enduring sunglasses models.

Make sure you check out the movie trailer here, and look out for a balding Colin Farrell too.  We can't wait for this one: -

Cinema time again folks and yesterday we made full use of the Orange Wednesday promotion to see Michael Bay's new explosive blockbuster, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and of course in glorious 3D.

I know the Transformers franchise is not for everyone but if you're a bloke who loves to be blown away by stuff blowing up, stunning visual effects, and supermodels wearing not very much/just looking pretty, and you can forget about the mediocre storyline and cheesy vocabulary, then you will very much enjoy what Michael Bay is about to serve up.  It gets a 6/10 from me although I'd have to give it a 9/10 for the special effects and action scenes!

Unfortunately, Dark of the Moon contains no Megan Fox this time (boooo!) but instead we get to salivate over her supermodel replacement, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, with no acting experience she was obviously only chosen for her stunning good looks and not her ability to act.  One particular scene where Rosie caught my eye (other than her first introductory scene that rivals Megan Fox's in the first Transformers movie… you know the one) was during her introduction to Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) in the presidents office, Rosie was sporting a very geeky pair of plastic rimmed specs very similar to those found in the Ray-Ban collection.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is looking sexy in specs!

We can't be sure what brand or model they are but we do have some great similar alternatives that are worth looking at, these include the following:

A great value option – Stellar SH508 – £39.99 inc lenses and coatings

Try an option from Ray-Ban – Ray-Ban RX5225 – £93.96 inc lenses and coatings

Other notable glasses wearers in the movie also include Frances McDormand who was sporting a great pair of rounder style plastic frames similar to that of the Ray-Ban RX5184 Wayfarer.

A great choice, the Ray-Ban RX5184 Wayfarer – £93.96 inc lenses and coatings

Not seen the film yet?  Check out the trailer below:

Tom Cruise is back doing what he does best, running away from stuff blowing up, in the next installment of the Mission Impossible franchise, MI4: Ghost Protocol.

Movie synopsis from Apple.com:-
"This is not just another mission. The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in a global terrorist bombing plot. Ghost Protocol is initiated and Ethan Hunt and his rogue new team must go undercover to clear their organization's name. No help, no contact, off the grid. You have never seen a mission grittier and more intense than this."

We've caught the latest trailer from this action packed movie and as expected Tom Cruise is again wearing Oakley eye wear (as he did in the previous installments!) during one scene where he scales the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.  We've identified these Oakleys to be a custom designed Oakley Wind Jacket with a clear frame and clear lenses.  Unfortunately these are not available for purchase at this time but the standard Wind Jackets are – hopefully Oakley will add this option to their collection!

The Oakley Wind Jacket

Available from £168 in 3 colours. See the Oakley Wind Jacket here.

Following on from our recent Avril Lavigne post, which inspired OK magazine to do a piece on our glasses, we sent some glasses off to Now magazine for their latest Fashion Q&A: How Do I Work The Preppy Look?

The shoot also includes a couple of Ray-Ban Designer glasses worn by the stunning actresses including the always-popular Ray-Ban Wayfarer

You can see Skins (series five) at 10pm, Thursday nights on E4

Get the Glasses Here

If you're on a tight budget and want the preppy look with a Wayfarer style frame, these Savannah 2249 glasses are available from just £6 (yes, £6), including Lenses and all the coatings! (Also available with Red, Blue or White arms).

Or go for one of our best selling wayfarer styled frames, the SS Collection 92002b available from only £39.99

If you’re after the Real McCoy the Ray-Ban RX5121 Original Wayfarer is one of, if not THE best selling designer prescription frames on SelectSpecs, available from £93.96… Alternatively, the RX5184 New Wayfarer might be your style.

See the article in full in Now Magazine dated 14th March 2011 – available now from all good newsagents (and some bad ones).

"I OWN YOU!!!"

"I WALKED ON YOUR FACE!!!"

Here's our top glasses wearing characters from 30 Rock.

Frank Rossitano

How great is Frank with his Gazelle Glasses?  Played by Judah Friedlander Frank is one of the main writers of the TGS with Tracy Jordan – the show-within-a-show.  Frank is never without his geeky Gazelle glasses, which are a bit of a throwback to the 1980's and probably made famous by Run DMC 'back in the day'.  Frank still lives at home with his mum, he is childish and lazy and loves to play practical jokes on the other characters in the show; oh, and he wears a different trucker's hat in every episode.  We salute you Frank.

Liz Lemon

Creator of 30 Rock, Tina Fey plays Liz Lemon the head writer of TGS and has her hands pretty much full with trying to keep all her staff (like Frank) happy and preventing Tracy and Jenna – the lead actors of TGS from running amok!  She doesn't even have time to sort out her own awkward life which she somehow stumbles through each week (somewhat embarrassingly) as she searches for her dream man – Astronaut Mike Dexter – who she pretty much made up!

Liz Lemon (just like her real life counterpart Tina Fey) wears Cat Eye Style prescription glasses, which are actually not that different from the cliched "Sexy Librarian" look.

It's great to see that one of our films of the year – 127 Hours has picked up 6 nominations including a well deserved Best Actor nod for James Franco who has really put himself in the limelight with his brilliant yet lonely performance as Aron Ralston in this true story directed by the Oscar winning director of Slumdog Millionaire – Danny Boyle.

James Franco (on the left) plays the adventurous risk-taker Aron Ralston (on the right) who can be seen here on one of his many climbs wearing Snow Goggles by Smith Optics.

James Franco can be seen wearing sunglasses during several scenes in the movie including this early scene below where he takes a tumble from his mountain bike in Blue John Canyon, Utah, USA.  It's very likely that the sunglasses worn by Franco in the film are the same model worn by the real Aron Ralston at the time – such is the attention to detail in this film.  Unfortunately its very hard to tell what model they are from the footage we have, so if anyone can help ID these sunglasses, please let us know in the comments below.

The sunglasses seen in the shot below seem to have lenses suitable for High Altitudes with Infrared protection, much like some of the models provided by brands such as Cébé, Bolle, Rudy Project or Oakley, but again, its very hard to precisely ID these sunglasses too.

James Franco Wears Ray-Ban Sunglasses

In real life James Franco has been spotted wearing these Ray-Ban RB4125 Cats 5000 plastic Aviator sunglasses in colour 601/32 with a graduated tint (above).

James is also seen wearing the ever-popular Ray-Ban RB2140 Original Wayfarer as above.

James Franco in Prescription Glasses

James Franco can be seen wearing slightly nerdy looking glasses in the recent film Howl – a biopic in which he plays the writer/poet Allen Ginsberg.  Interestingly the nerdy look has been making a bit of a comeback recently with these styles of glasses being worn by many including high profile celebrities such as Johnny Depp.

James was also seen in these low-profile wire framed prescription glasses in the Spider-Man movies.

See the trailer for 127 Hours below…

Ray-Ban RX5092 Prescription Glasses

Persol PO2907V Prescription Glasses

Ray-Ban RX5069 Prescription Glasses

If you think you know what Jemaine is actually wearing, why not leave a message below.

Here are some similar styles worth trying…

Ray-Ban RX6162 Prescription Glasses

Ray-Ban RX5225 Prescription Glasses

If you want to hazard a guess to what Seth Rogen is wearing, why not leave us a message below…

By 1953, when Marilyn Monroe starred as Pola in “How To Marry A Millionaire,” the ‘sexy librarian look’ had found its archetype.  She is a kind of gender-reversed Clark Kent in this film.  Playing a woman who is embarrassed to be seen in glasses, Marilyn Monroe establishes the tantalizing aesthetic and sets the tone for the next several decades of women’s frame-styles with her catwoman frames in the film.  She quotes Dorothy Parker, saying that, “Men don’t pay much attention to a woman in glasses,” but nothing could be further from the truth in this case.  In the movie, the man who falls in love with her glasses wins her heart.  A sort of double irony, in this specific instance, is that Marilyn Monroe was extremely nearsighted in real life, and often wore glasses at times when she was out of the limelight.  Later on in the 1960’s Batman series, Julie Newmer as Catwoman and Yvonne Craig as Batgirl – both of whom have ‘librarian alter-egos cement this cliché.

‘Sexy librarian’ generally appear as some kind of permutation of Pola’s ‘catwoman’ frames, but the point is not the specfic style of the frame, but that the frames are noticeable.  When she is wearing those frames she is not trying to hide the fact that she’s wearing glasses.  She’s even flaunting it, maybe a wee bit.  

Like garters, glasses are supposed to be sexy on women because men want to take them off of that woman.  But this oversimplifies the fetish.  There is something absolutely paralyzing about the object itself – be it garter or glasses – that entrances the male gaze.  That is, after all, the definition of a fetish.  “Any object…that causes a habitual erotic response or fixation.”  Pola’s glasses fit the bill here.

The simple fact is that eyeglasses are sexy.  Or at least: they can be sexy. Some women refuse to wear eyeglasses because they think it might make them less attractive. It doesn’t. Men find eyeglasses appealing for several reasons. They add a layer of mystery. They highlight intelligence. Men are stupid: they may not notice how naturally intelligent you are unless you’re wearing glasses.  Or conversely, they may think you are intelligent simply because of the fact that you are wearing glasses with no further evidence.  Glasses draw attention to a woman’s eyes. The style of eyeglasses can reveal a little something about the woman wearing them.

In a good conversation, a woman’s eyes tend to be the part of the body that men focus on, and glasses, literally, frame the eyes. A woman wearing eyeglasses may seem more insightful and focused. The design of the frames can divulge a few intimate secrets. The woman might want to convey a sense of seriousness, but if she’s wearing animal-print frames, she’s giving the world a hint that she has a wild side. If the frames have a tint of color, it boosts the effect of the irises’ natural pigment. 

The most important part of choosing glasses is making sure you are confident in the ones you choose. Confidence shows, and is extremely sexy. Choose the frames and lenses that cry out to you, whatever look you go for. Wear your sunglasses with pride and they will add a mysterious magnetism to your look.

Why not check out this rare video of Adam West (Batman) checking out a book from Yvonne Craig (Batwoman) in a 1967 unaired pilot for the 'Batgirl' television series, or have a look at this video – The Secret Origins of Batgirl (below) where you can see Yvonne Craig wearing her librarian glasses just before changing into Batgirl.

My movie viewing habits usually consist of action, comedy or drama, however, I'm also partial to the odd animation if it's made by Dreamworks or Pixar - Movies from these studios including Toy Story and Shrek tend to be great for kids but even better for us grown ups who seem to understand some of the hidden adult jokes better than the youngsters.

So hearing about the new animated movie, Despicable Me, and the fact it was made by an unknown studio left me feeling quite concerned as to how good the film was likely to be – fortunately, Illumination Entertainment have done themselves proud, the film is of similar calibre to Dreamworks and Pixar offerings with it's eye popping visuals, breathtaking audio and a good cast of characters and voice over actors.

Synopsis from Apple.com:

"In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknown to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon (Yes, the moon!) in Universal’s new 3D CGI feature, Despicable Me. Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world’s greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes."

After watching this fantastic family movie I felt quite surprised to see many of the characters wearing eye wear of some sort, especially the super funny minions in their safety goggles!

Vector

Vector, voiced by Jason Segal, is Gru's arch enemy who works hard to prevent Gru from stealing the Shrink Ray Gun that's required to shrink the moon down to a much more stealable size.

Dr Nefario

Dr Nefario, voiced by Russell Brand, is the scientist behind Gru's despicable inventions and moon stealing plans.  He's not at all very clever and develops gadgets such as a 'fart' gun after Gru actually asks for a 'dart' gun!

The Minions

These little guys steal the show, they're absolutely hilarious and will have you in stitches with their antics.  The Minions are Gru's little helpers who work alongside Dr Nefario working on new gadgets (or generally causing a ruckus!), hence the safety goggles to keep their eyes (or eye) safe and sound.

Margo

Margo, wearing the glasses, is the eldest of the 3 kids who are looking for a new father in Gru. However, Agnes is the one that get's all the attention here with her adorable cuteness and love of "It's soooo flufffffy!!" unicorns.

Other notable characters…

There are a few other 'extras' that are worthy of a mention for wearing glasses in Despicable Me including Gru's neighbour with his John Lennon style frames.

Despicable Me is a hugely enjoyable film for the entire family, check out the trailer below:

Unfortunately, I'm a bit late to the party on Dexter, I've only just finished Dexter Series 1 & 2, and have now moved on to series 3, I really don't know how I've let this show pass me by! It's a fantastic show that just gets better with each episode!

Dexter follows the life of Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a Blood Splatter analyst for Miami Metro Police Dept by day, and a serial killer by night.  In any other TV series or film, the killer is usually the bad guy, however, in Dexter you can't help but root for the bad guy (who is actually the good guy who only massacres victims that have committed crimes or are just generally bad people – we need more people like this!).

I've noticed some sunglasses Dexter Morgan wears and I've been determined to find out what he's wearing, first impressions were that they were an Oakley frame but further investigation revealed that they are actually Ferragamo 1098 Sunglasses.

As a child growing up in the 80's, I used to absolutely love the 80's action TV series "The A-Team" alongside other favourites including Street Hawk and Airwolf, there was something great about how rediculously unrealistic the show was especially when B.A. Baracus drives a clapped out old van into a shed only to re-appear looking like an armoured tank with missile launchers and guns attached – seriously, where did they get the equipment to build such a beast?

Since growing up a little, I've caught a few glimpses of The A-Team series and it's just not the same anymore, for a start it looks dated and the story lines are just plain rediculous, so when I heard they were finally going to make a movie based on the almost 30 year old series I was both delighted and shocked by the prospect – Initial thoughts were it was likely to be just as rediculous as the series, so watching the movie and seeing a helicopter do a barrel roll just confirmed my worst fears!  Fortunately, even with moments of rediculousness, the film was an easy to watch and entertaining popcorn flick worthy of 90 minutes of my time.

The movie remake stars Liam Neeson (Taken) as Colonel Hannibal Smith, Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) as Lt. "Faceman" Peck, Quinton Jackson as B.A. Baracus, and Sharlto Copley (District 9) as Captain H.M. Murdoch. The film follows the exciting and daring exploits of a colorful team of former Special Forces soldiers who were set up for a crime they did not commit. Going “rogue,” they utilize their unique talents to try and clear their names and find the true culprit.

Sunglasses from The A-Team

A few of the characters are seen in the movie wearing various styles of sunglasses.

Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper wears a Wayfarer style frame in several scenes, one pair with clear and another with purple tinted lenses.

Jessica Biel

Jessica Biel wears the John Varvatos V723 sunglasses.

Quinton Jackson

Quinton Jackson wears the Oakley Antix sunglasses

Not seen the trailer yet?  View it below:

Today, in 2010, virtual reality has been expanded once again in the form of virtual vision glasses or goggles. These black, dark-lens glasses look like run-of-the-mill sunglasses, but once put on it becomes apparent that they are certainly not.

Virtual vision glasses are specially crafted electronic viewing and gaming devices. They can be used to watch DVDs or can be hooked up to gaming consoles for superior playing. Wearing the virtual vision glasses is just like watching a 36-inch television from two metres away. The entertainment specs have also been designed to fit comfortably over conventional eyeglasses.

Although these glasses are a growing trend in the entertainment industry, they are also finding a niche in other arenas from dental practices to military training. Their compact size allows them to be used during cosmetic dental procedures. Patients who may have a fear of the dentist, or who need a distraction in order to have work performed, can use the glasses to aid in relaxation prior to and during treatments. Because virtual vision glasses are constructed to standard eyeglasses and sunglasses size, wearing them during a procedure is no different from wearing prescription glasses.

What’s more, military paratroopers among other personnel have found a use for the glasses during training and parachute simulators. Since each pair of glasses comes fitted with AV adaptors, they can be hooked into computers as well as DVD players, and used for computer-based gaming and simulators.

Their compact design means that you can take your virtual vision glasses anywhere. Consider using them if you are a passenger in a car, train or plane. They can be used during a relaxing soak in the bathtub and even while lying in bed. Additionally, you can use the glasses with your computer, which will provide you with a larger, clearer quality picture.

The virtual vision glasses are compatible with both PAL and NTSC video graphics technologies, and are powered by an internal, rechargeable battery, which holds up to eight hours of charge. Other specs of this technological tool is that each pair is lightweight, weighing in at about three ounces. Because the glasses are equipped with a head strap, you don’t have to worry about losing them, either. Simply put them on, strap them into place and enjoy your personal and private cinema any time of day, no matter where you are.

Movie Synopsis:

Hathaway portrays Maggie, an alluring free spirit who won't let anyone – or anything – tie her down. But she meets her match in Jamie (Gyllenhaal), whose relentless and nearly infallible charm serve him well with the ladies and in the cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. Maggie and Jamie's evolving relationship takes them both by surprise, as they find themselves under the influence of the ultimate drug: love.

Movie Trailer:

If you've not seen Jackass 3D yet, beware, it's quite disgusting at times!  Here is Chris' mini review…

"Even though you know it's so wrong you just can't help but laugh as these jackasses fall over and hurt themselves in more creative and disgusting ways. There are a couple of low points but the highs are as funny as hell. The midget bar brawl, the poo cocktail supreme, the dentist, the high 5, and the gorilla are brilliant even if you are watching some of it through your fingers. As for the sweat suit and the volcano… I hope you have a strong stomach… Do I need to go on? Does it need to be in 3D? Does anything really? No… But it works well in some scenes, especially the big budget high-speed photography opening and closing scenes, which are brilliant."