General Interest

Here comes the most eagerly anticipated movie of the year! Batman vs Superman “Dawn of Justice” is going to be an adrenaline filled smash hit and we could not be more excited. It will hit UK cinemas from Friday 25th March so book your tickets now before they’re gone! Batman vs Superman After the battle against General Zod, Metropolis has been destroyed and controversy surrounds Superman here on Earth. While some still see him as an icon of hope, many want justice for the danger and destruction he brought to Earth. Bruce Wayne sees Superman as a danger to society and fears for the future of the world with such a reckless power allowed to stay ungoverned and so Batman declares war upon him. However, a dark new threat arises from someone who has a power greater than either of them to endanger the world and cause total destruction. Continue reading →

Well the chocolate eggs were on the supermarket shelves before we even made it to New Years, so we’ve had plenty of time to prepare for Easter week. As with most things we feel that Easter is losing its magic, so we’re on a mission to bring it back! This year we want to see more people making an effort! It’s a celebration of new life and shaking off the winter blues ready for a fresh start in Spring. Flowers are blooming again and who knows, the sun might even make an appearance! From Good Friday on the 25th March to Easter Monday on the 28th March, spread hope, joy and love! Easter Tradition With a whole host of religions and belief systems flooding into the UK we appreciate that some of the traditions of Easter have been diluted, but that doesn’t mean we should drop it all together. For Christians, it is a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection after he was put to death for our sins. Schools and churches will often hold plays and Bible readings or even parades especially on Easter Sunday. Egg hunts are another tradition where chocolate or decorative eggs are hidden and children have to find them all. Continue reading →

Work off those winter blues with Sport Relief! From Friday 18th to Sunday 20th March people all across the UK will be running, swimming and cycling to fundraise for this fantastic cause. Will you be joining them? Sport Relief In the last 30 years Comic Relief have raised over £1 billion with various annual and biannual events and now is your chance to do your part for this amazing charity. Sainsbury’s will be hosting “The Sport Relief Games” this month with a whole host of events for you to get involved with us, no matter how sporty you are! If you’re near one of the UK’s largest cities you can join in with the Flagship Games where you can take part in any of the games all in one place! For the locals, there will be plenty on offer in Bournemouth and Poole so be sure to check out the listings and sign up! Continue reading →

After the huge success of the first Bournemouth Film and Comic Con in August 2015, Showmasters are back for round 2! On Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th March Bournemouth International Centre will be buzzing with heroes and villains galore! Comic Con! Bournemouth Film and Comic Con promises to bring you big name stars all underneath one roof and with such high profile guests in 2015, the anticipation is killing us! They are holding their cards close to their chests at the moment and teasing us with a slow trickle of stars like Dr. Who’s Noel Clarke and Jemma Redgrave. Wrestling legend Al Snow will also be making an appearance on both days, as will artist Davide Fabbrie. Continue reading →

So it is coming up to the time of the year again where the colour green will spread across the nation. On Thursday 17th March the Irish and Irish at heart will take time out to enjoy the national holiday, St Patrick's day! What began as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland has become an international festival celebrating Irish culture with parades, dancing, and special foods. St Patrick's Day! It all started Way back in The Fourth Century when Patrick was born, he was born into a wealthy Romano-British Family in Roman-Britain, but it wasn’t until He was 16 that he got kidnapped by Irish Raiders and Taken to Ireland to be a slave! He spent 6 Years in Ireland were he became a shepherd. After believing he found god he made his way home to later become a Priest. Patrick Returned To Northern and Western Ireland and by the 7th Century He was admired as the patron Saint of Ireland. Continue reading →

Mother's Day is one Sunday out of the year that is set aside purely for showing appreciation for the woman who brought you into this world. This year Mothering Sunday will be on Sunday 6th March so put the date in your diaries and start planning how you are going to show your mum how much you love her! Mother's...

One of the biggest book series ever released is of course, Harry Potter written by the incredibly talented J.K. Rowling. It is always a huge theme for World Book Day so be sure to get in quick before Thursday 3rd March for your costumes and accessories! Harry Potter Since the release of the first novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997 it has been a huge hit for children and adults alike. The idea of magic and mystery is exciting at any age so it’s understandable that it is the most popular character for World Book Day year after year. If you’re looking for a fantastic Harry Potter costume for yourself or your little one then you need look no further than Hollywood! We have a great range available for any size or budget. Continue reading →

The 88th Academy Award Oscars will be taking place on Sunday 28th February. Who is your favourite actor this year? What will be the best film? The suspense is killing us! Will this be DiCaprio’s year for an Oscar?! Who knows? The Oscars There are some HUGE contenders for this year’s Oscars including the running for visual effects which is a massive fantasy battle between mega hits like Star Wars, Mad Max and Jurassic World! How are they ever going to choose? The nominees for the Original Score category are longer than your arm; including “Bride of Spies” and “The Hateful Eight” and the leading actress competition is fierce. Continue reading →

Roald Dahl Costumes! When world book day comes around there is only one author on everyone’s lips and that is the legendary Roald Dahl. He inspired all ages with his tales of magic, wonder and wit. So on Thursday 3rd March why not dress your child as one of his best loved characters? BFG With the new Disney adaptation of the BFG coming soon this year, it’s the perfect time to get your costume! Transform into the friendly giant with this fantastic children’s costume which comes complete with a top and trousers, those famous ears and of course, the magic horn. Continue reading →

So who has seen the Deadpool movie in the cinema over Valentine’s weekend? I know I did and I LOVED it! If you want to see a film that will have you crying with laughter the whole way through then buy your tickets now. It will be showing in all good cinemas so there’s no excuse to miss it! Deadpool We’ve seen some glimpses of Deadpool here and there in the X-Men movies and it was about time his story was told. And boy did they give it to you straight! It’s R-Rated, there’s gore and the comical timing will have you howling. What more could you ask for from the most controversial hero/anti-hero in the Marvel universe? Ryan Reynolds had been waiting for 11 years to make this movie and his enthusiasm certainly shines through. The advertising alone has been a huge hit with the pubic with funny Valentines style images with Deadpool sprawled on a fur rug in front of an open fire and making hearts with his hands. In an interview Reynolds claimed that he stole the Deadpool suit by walking off set still dressed in it. We don’t blame you Ryan! Continue reading →

World Book Day returns for its 19 year on Thursday 3rd March and here at Hollywood we have safety in mind. As you may have seen recently there has been much talk about the safety requirements surrounding children’s fancy dress costumes. Buying fake fancy dress can be a huge problem, especially online where you cannot see what you are purchasing. Here at Hollywood we only buy from responsible suppliers such as Smiffy’s! So when you’re buying your child’s World Book Day fancy dress costume, you can do so with piece of mind here at Hollywood. Smiffy's New In! Not only will you get high quality, rigorously tested fancy dress costumes, you’ll be getting the best new products around! Check out these great new costumes especially for World Book day 2016! Madagascar Madagascar has been a huge hit with the kids (young and old) since its release so we’re sure you’ll love this new line! Bring out your kid’s wild side with Alex and the gang! You will be spoilt for choice with all 6 of the main characters available. Your little one can be Alex the lion, Melman the giraffe, Gloria the hippo, Marty the zebra, King Jullian the lemur or even one of the adorable penguins! These costumes are perfect for groups of friends or even on their own as they have so much character that each one is recognisable! Continue reading →

On Monday 22nd February Southampton Mayflower Theatre will be awash with glitter, feathers, lace and lipstick as The Rocky Horror Show explodes onto the stage! Rocky Horror Is Back! After a record breaking world tour Richard O’Brien’s classic show is back and bolder than ever! Prepare yourselves for plenty of fun, frolics and even a little bit of fornication! With...

On Tuesday 9th February churches across the nation will be celebrating Shrove Tuesday, but in homes throughout the UK everyone will be celebrating Pancake Day! Shrove Tuesday is observed as the last day before lent by Christians. This means that is the last day before 40 days of fasting to honour the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness. Pancakes were made to use up what was left in the cupboard before the fast and so Pancake Day became a national celebration and a delicious one at that! Pancake Day may not be a bank holiday, but that doesn’t stop us celebrating it in style! Pancakes races can be dated back almost 500 years in which people would run while carrying or flipping pancakes. The most famous one still held in the UK is the Olney Pancake Race where participants have to wear traditional aprons and mop caps to take part in the 379 metre course. Continue reading →

Whether you already have that special someone or you are planning on a big reveal, Valentine's Day is the perfect time to spread love and show that certain someone just how much you care. Valentine's Day St Valentine's Day has definitely accumulated plenty of traditions over the years and every year men (and women) whip out their wallets to buy their loved ones cards, flowers, jewellery and chocolates. This day of love is celebrated across the globe with couples showing their appreciation for each other. Singles also use it as an opportunity to show their feelings for the ones they admire in hopes of finding themselves a Valentine. Valentine's Day is also renowned for being a day of big gestures of love. You might plan to whisk your partner off to Paris, the city of love, for a long weekend. How about treating you both to a romantic spa day so you can relax and let professionals to do the pampering? If you’re truly wild about your special someone Valentine's could even be the day to pop the big question and propose! Continue reading →

On Friday 5th February people across the UK will be wearing red in support of “Wear It! Beat It!” for the British Heart Foundation. Help put an end to heart disease by getting together and raising as much money as you can! Wear It! Beat It! The British Heart Foundation is fighting for every heartbeat, but they need our help to beat heart disease once and for all! Wear It! Beat It! Is an event where schools, companies and individuals can get dressed up and fundraise for the cause! As with any charity event you can be as creative as you like with your money making methods. You could set up a photo booth at your work or school where people give £2 to put on funny fancy dress and have their picture taken. You could bake lots of red coloured foods and treats and have a red themed afternoon tea. The possibilities are endless! Continue reading →

Chinese New Year is the biggest of all Chinese festivals and a public holiday in many parts of the world where there are Chinese communities. Celebrations often last for 15 days, but traditionally they would begin on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month and end on the 15th of the first lunar month. Modern society makes it much harder to hold such long festivities, but both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are always alive with celebrations. Monday 8th February 2016 will mark the year of the monkey. People born in this year are said to be generous and intelligent! While China adopted the Georgian calendar in 1911, traditions have always remained. After switching calendars “New Year” did not seem a fitting name for the celebration so it became known as Spring Festival. Continue reading →

Award winning comedian Peter Kay will be hosting a series of ambitious Dance for Life parties across the nation to raise money and awareness for Cancer Research UK. Peter Kay Peter Kay is one of Britain’s best loved comedians best known for his Northern accent and his No.1 charity hit (Is this the way to) Amarillo! He cemented his fame with sell out tours, TV shows, movie appearances and his bestselling autobiography “The Sound of Laughter”. Kay is now using his comedic charms to bring together the people of the UK to raise funds for Cancer Research UK with his Dance for Life parties! Continue reading →

Burns Night is a celebration held on the 25th January to honour the life and works of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. Even though his life was tragically cut short, he was able to leave behind a legacy that would immortalise him for centuries. Who Was Robert Burns? Burns was born to a less than wealthy family, but he worked hard and got himself an education. He had a love of books which no doubt fuelled his passion for writing and poetry. He also had a passion for women that saw him father more than a dozen children to various women. A true Scottish hero! Continue reading →

The story on everyone’s lips at the moment is the tragic passing of David Bowie. He was a true, alternative inspiration to millions and it has shaken the world to its core. After a battle with cancer that he braved for 18 months, David Bowie tragically passed away on Sunday 10th January. He died peacefully in the company of his...

From Wednesday 20th- Saturday 23rd of January Bournemouth Pavilion will be hosting troublesome terrors from the past with the Horrible Histories live on stage! Prove to your kids that learning can be entertaining with an evening at the theatre. Horrible Histories Born from a book series in 1993, the hit children’s history show from CBBC is back and taking to the stage with ancient style! Groovy Greeks and Incredible Invaders will both be world premier shows using both actors and 3-D special effects to bring horrible histories to life! Whether you’re child has a history project coming up, a birthday or you just feel like treating them to an educational evening, this event is perfect. Family tickets are available so get the whole gang together and head to the Pavilion! Continue reading →