Fun Facts: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Stephen Hawking

In conjunction with the upcoming release of the Stephen Hawking biopic, “The Theory of Everything”, we’ve shortlisted a few interesting facts you probably didn’t know about him. With the help of some research, of course. From the day he was born till the day he received his first award, here are some important things you need to know about the most brilliant and celebrated physicist of our time.

Stephen Hawking was born on 8th January 1944 aka the 300th anniversary of Galileo’s death. Galileo was an Italian physicist, mathematician, engineer, astronomer, and philosopher, also known as “the Father of Modern Science”. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and groundbreaking astronomical observations. Little did everyone know, Stephen would later go on to achieve great scientific things too.

Despite financial constraints, both his parents attended the University of Oxford. His father, Frank, studied medicine and his mother, Isobel, studied philosophy, politics, and economics. Stephen has 2 younger sisters Philippa and Mary, and an adopted brother, Edward. His family was considered highly intelligent and somewhat eccentric; meals were often spent with each person silently reading a book. They all lived in a frugal life in a large and poorly maintained house and often travelled in a converted London taxicab.

At 8 years old, he attended St Albans High School for Girls for a few months; at that time, younger boys could attend one of the houses. He officially began schooling at Byron House School but he failed to learn to read and write while he was there. When he was 9 years old, his grades ranked among the worst in his class and it wasn’t because he was unintelligent – it was because he was simply quite a slacker. He later put more effort in his studies and brought his grades up. But only to about average.

The bright side was that Stephen showed interest in how stuff worked from an early age. He often disassembled clocks and radios although he’d break them in the process because he wasn’t good at putting them back together so they could work again. His curiosity and independence in studying these things gave his teachers and his peers the impression that they had a future genius among them. They nicknamed him, “Einstein”.

Stephen managed to get into Oxford university on a scholarship when he aced the exams, with an almost perfect score in physics. His father had hoped that he would study medicine but Stephen had different ideas – he took on physics and chemistry instead. For the first 18 months of his Oxford university education, he was bored and lonely because he found the academic work “ridiculously easy”.

6. Curbing loneliness (due to being too smart)

In his isolation and boredom, he decided to join the university’s rowing team. However, he didn’t have what one would call a large or athletic build so he was a coxswain – a position that does not row, but rather controls steering and stroke rate. It was during his time in rowing that the first signs of his motor neurone disease showed – he became increasingly clumsy and had difficulty rowing.

7. Finding Jane and finding out about his disease

All at the same time, his relationship with Jane Wilde, a friend of his sister, blossomed. This happened shortly before his was properly diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). By October 1964, the couple were engaged. He later said that it gave him something to live for and despite the disease’s progression, he could return to his work with enthusiasm. They went on to have 3 children, Robert, Lucy, and Timothy.

8. Beating the odds in true Stephen style

When Stephen was properly diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the doctor gave him a life expectancy of 2 years. That was when he was 21 years old. Stephen Hawking is 72 years old this year. He basically “outlived” his doctor’s prediction by 51 whole years. In those 51 years, he received many notable accolades for his groundbreaking studies and work.

9. Regaining his voice after a near death experience

In 1985, he contracted life-threatening pneumonia. He was so ill that Jane was asked if his life support should be terminated. She refused. Stephen got a tracheotomy instead, which required round-the-clock nursing care and removed his speech. During recovery, he initially raised his eyebrows to choose letters on a spelling card to communicate. He later received a computer program called the “Equalizer” in which he uses a switch to select phrases, words, or letters from a bank of about 2,500 – 3,000. The voice has an American accent.

Despite being the world’s most successful physicist with remarkable distinctions such as being the first to theoretically predict that black holes emit radiation, Stephen Hawking has not yet been awarded a Nobel Prize. He did, however, receive these awards:

“The Theory of Everything” is not the first screen adaption of Stephen Hawking’s life or achievements. In the past, there has been several documentary films and TV series about him, one of which was called, “Hawking“, which starred Benedict Cumberbatch. Writer Anthony McCarten started working on the “The Theory of Everything” project as far back as a decade ago.

Filming only began in Cambridge in September 2013.

The film stars Eddie Redmayne (of “Les Miserables” fame) as Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones (of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” fame) as Jane Wilde.

“The Theory of Everything” is slated for a 8th January 2015 release.

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(UPDATE) #LSR2015: A “Love And Sex With Robots” Conference Is Happening In Malaysia?

In today’s strange findings, a “Love and Sex with Robots” conference is slated to happen in November this year. In Malaysia.

First reported by MMO, citing news.com.au, the “Love and Sex with Robots” 2015 (LSR 2015) conference will see an attendance from academics to discuss the legal, ethical and moral questions on everything from “teledildonics” to “humanoids”. It will be chaired by City University London’s Prof Adrian Cheok and Intelligent Toys Limited’s chief executive officer Dr David Levy.

On the “Love and Sex with Robots” website, it states that LSR 2015 will be held on 16th November in the Black Box and White Box arts complex in Medini Mall in Johor’s Iskandar economic region. It’s right next door to Legoland Malaysia.

An introductory note on the website read:

Within the fields of Human-Computer Interaction and Human-Robot Interaction, the past few years have witnessed a strong upsurge of interest in the more personal aspects of human relationships with these artificial partners. This upsurge has not only been apparent amongst the general public, as evidenced by an increase in coverage in the print media, TV documentaries and feature films, but also within the academic community.

The LSR 2015 congress has planned several sessions to cover various topics including robot emotions, humanoid robots, clone robots, entertainment robots, robot personalities, teledildonics, intelligent electronic sex hardware (???), robot personalities, roboethics, and more.

What makes it even more confusing is that the “Love and Sex with Robots” website features the logo of Tourism Malaysia’s “Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015” (MYFEST) campaign.

Think that this entire idea sounds wrong? Not according to Dr David Levy, who also wrote the 2008 book “Love and Sex with Robots: The Evolution of Human-Robot Relationships ”.

He’s “absolutely convinced” sex with robots is a positive thing for the “millions and millions” of people around the world who don’t have satisfactory relationships.

Dr David Levy also thinks they could be the cure for everything from loneliness to paedophilia by helping to “wean” paedophiles off having sex with the children they’re attracted to.

If you’ve got a robot that looks like a human, feels like a human, behaves like a human, talks like a human why shouldn’t people find it appealing?

Um, because it’s not a real human relationship, Dr David Levy.

On the other hand, Prof Adrian Cheok, an Australian academic who specialises in human-computer interface, said that they really don’t know how human society will react but the worst case scenario is that people begin to have a robot partner rather than a human partner.

He also added that he thinks most people will prefer to have “real human relationship” and with only a minority opting for robots over humans.

The congress is a part of ACE (Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology) 2015 Conferences, while the website also features the logos of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the SIGCHI society for human-technology and human-computer interaction.

Well, we kinda knew that we had good reasons to be confused!

According to a new MMO report, neither our Tourism Minister nor our Tourism Malaysia chairman knew about the “Love and Sex with Robots” conference.

Expressing shock upon hearing that the organiser’s website had used Tourism Malaysia’s “Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015” (MYFEST) campaign“ logo, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz said that it’s an “obscene idea to organise such a conference in Malaysia”. MMO quoted him as saying, “By using our logo, the organiser is implying Tourism Malaysia endorses the event. The organisers will be told to remove the logo immediately.”

Tourism Malaysia chairman Wee Choo Keong also said that he wasn’t aware of such event and that he will look into the matter. He added that “not by any measure” would Tourism Malaysia have approved the use of their campaign logo for such an event. As such, Tourism Malaysia will take appropriate action against the organiser as soon as they have more information.

As at time of writing, the “Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015” (MYFEST) campaign“ logo is still up on the “Love and Sex with Robots” website.

Sources: news.com.au, MMO (1), Love and Sex with Robots’ website, MMO (2).

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#KLIA: Sri Lankan High Commissioner Attacked By 5 Men At Airport

What a scary episode for Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ibrahim Sahib Ansar.

Ibrahim was reportedly at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Sunday (4th September) when he was allegedly assaulted by no less than 5 individuals.

According to various reports, Ibrahim was at the airport to send off Sri Lankan Primary Industries Minister, Daya Gamage, who was also in town with former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for the International Conference of Asian Political Parties. Mahinda’s attendance had apparently drawn protests.

It is understood that the mob got violent when Ibrahim refused to reveal the whereabouts of Mahinda. The assault was captured on the airport’s CCTV system, showing Ibrahim (seen in an orange shirt) being chased down and cornered by a group of Tamils. After being punch in the head, and kicked in the stomach, 2 policemen came and break up the fight before escorting the assailants away.

Ibrahim was rushed to the Gleneagles Hospital for medical attention after the scary incident. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry has since released a statement, condemning the act of violence in “the strongest terms”.

“The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Kuala Lumpur is coordinating with local law enforcement authorities in Malaysia and other relevant local authorities to identify perpetrators and assist with investigations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka is seized of the seriousness of this incident and is taking all necessary action in this regard through diplomatic channels,” it said.

Selangor CID chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Adnan Abdullah confirmed that the 5 men who assaulted Ibrahim has been detained and will be investigated under Section 147 of the Penal Code for rioting.

New Indian Express reported that Indian Malaysians had been demonstrating against Mahinda outside the Putra World Trade Centre, calling him a “war criminal who had committed numerous crimes against humanity”.

Sources: News Today via New Indian Express, The Star.


A Total Of 1,443 Thai Royal’s Consort Explicit Photos Were Leaked To A Journalist

Sineenat “Koi” Wongvajirapakdi was previously put under the spotlight when the Thai King reinstated all of her titles and privileges back to her before flying her to Germany to rejoin him.

The Thai royal consort has become the talk of the town once again when her explicit photos were leaked to Andrew MacGregor Marshall, a journalist who specialises in Thai politics and affairs.

According to Andrew’s Twitter, he received an anonymous SD card containing up to 1,443 photos taken from Sineenat’s previous phones. The journalist claimed that most of the photos are sexually explicit and it might be possible that she took it to send to King Vajiralongkorn.

He stated in one of his tweets, “Most of the images are photographs she took of herself, and dozens of them are sexually explicit. It seems probable that she had taken explicit photographs of herself to send to Vajiralongkorn.” Andrew added that he had received the photos right before Koi was released from prison and flown to Germany to rejoin the King with all her titles and privileges restored.

Back in August, Andrew made a decision to not even publicly mention that he had received the photos, however, he is coming out now due to the fact that others have also received the images and circulated it. The journalist wants to highlight that the leak proves an “ugly power struggle in the palace due to Vajiralongkorn’s chronically complicated sex life.”

In an earlier tweet, he said, “Koi’s return was bitterly opposed by palace factions supporting Queen Suthida and Princess Bajrakitiyabha and it is highly probable the images of Koi were leaked in an effort to sabotage her return as Vajiralongkorn’s consort.”

Check out the whole Twitter thread below:

In relation to this, explicit photographs of the Thai King’s third wife, Srirasmi Suwadee, have also been leaked over the years. Nonetheless, after their divorce in 2014, Srirasmi is forced to live under house arrest and has decided to take on life as a nun. Read about it here.

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Time To LOL At The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow

The superstars of Australia’s biggest laugh-fest will be making their way to town and it’s set to be absolute chaos! Described as the Christmas of comedy festivals, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) Roadshow will be travelling around the world to spread joy and laughter to all! MICF will be making its way to our shores on July 4th and 5th, exclusively at the PJ Live Arts Centre in Jaya One.

Featuring five comedians — Harley Breen, Rony Chieng, Joel Creasey, Anne Edmonds and Luke McGregor, who each have their own style and flair, there will be something for everybody at the roadshow. According to the Sunday Times of Western Australia, “the MICF Roadshow has such chalk and cheese personalities delivering such a wide assortment of gags, it has everyone’s humour covered”.

Going around quite a bit, MICF visited 109 shows in over 60 regional towns and cities across Australia in 2013 before ending the roadshow with a sell-out international leg in Singapore, Hong Kong and India. Just like any other comedy shows, viewers should expect a hint of coarse language, sexual references and potentially offensive material during the roadshow.

Details to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow are as follows:

Date: July 4th (Friday) and July 5th (Saturday)

RM450 for 6 economy seats
RM550 for 6 premium seats
(RM400 & RM500 respectively for Live card members)

Tickets can be purchased online at www.tix.my or via +6017 2-BUY-TIX | +6017 2289849 (12pm – 7pm daily) +60 3 79600439

For more information, visit PJ Live Arts.


Sam Worthington Arrested For “Drunken Tantrum”

36-year-old “Clash of the Titans” star, Sam Worthington, got into a fight with a doorman at a restaurant in Atlanta last Saturday. The brawl ended with Sam getting arrested. Sigh. This isn’t the movies, Sam!

According to the cops, when the Avatar actor showed up at the restaurant he appeared to be highly intoxicated, hence the guards didn’t allow him entry.  Apparently, Sam was cussing at the doorman and shoved him twice. He then got into a scuffle after failing to provide the ID needed to get into the club. The doorman then pepper sprayed and handcuffed him until the police arrived.

After which, he was arrested. We also hear that the whole fight was recorded on surveillance video! Alright, bring it. Let’s see who’s right or wrong.


Contest: The #ProjectAlmanac Premiere Screening Passes Winners

Thanks for quickly sending in your submissions for our “Project Almanac” premiere screening, peeps! Let’s not forget that this awesomeness was only made possible by our friends from United International Pictures Malaysia ;)

Project Almanac (formerly “Almanac”, “Welcome to Yesterday” and also known as “Cinema One”) is an upcoming American sci-fi adventure film directed by Dean Israelite and written by Jason Harry Pagan and Andrew Deutschman. Filmed in 2013, the movie is co-produced by Michael Bay and was originally planned for an early 2014 release.

The release date was later moved to 30th Jan 2015.

We hope you’re ready for it because we’ve got the winners list! They are as follows:

Congratulations, peeps! That’s 4 premiere tickets per winner.

IMPORTANT: As stated in our contest T&C, winners are required to redeem their tickets at the cinema. Please present your IC for identification purposes. Tickets are strictly non-transferable. Hype Malaysia reserves the right to refuse the collection of tickets for those who attempt to transfer it from one contest winner (in whose name it is registered) to another person.

Deets of the premiere screening are as follows:

The collection of tickets start from 8:30pm onwards.

For more information, visit the movie’s website.

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Hype’s Movie Review: #TerminatorGenisys Isn’t Too Bad, But Lack Of Originality Kills It

Arnold Schwarzenegger is old, but he is definitely “not obsolete”.

The actor returned to the “Terminator” franchise to reprise his role as T-800 in “Terminator Genisys”, the first part of a new, rebooted “Terminator” trilogy. The science fiction fantasy may be a pop-cultural classic, but longtime fans aren’t too happy about Paramount Pictures’ latest attempt to revive the franchise, with some calling it officially dead.

At this point, its reboot is seen as an useless attempt to replicate the success of James Cameron’s first “Terminator” film in 1984.

“Terminator Genisys” is not the best “Terminator” film to date, but we’ve got to give props to the studio for reintroducing the iconic characters to the audiences, no matter young or old. It may even surpass your expectation if you have tried to avoid from watching the short clips that sort of spoiled the movie-watching experience.

The Alan Taylor-directed movie begins with the same premise as the original movie, introducing a post-apocalyptic world where the war between humans and machines reached a climatic moment in 2029. The Resistance, led by John Connor (played by Jason Clarke), are close to victory until they realise that Skynet has a new weapon that will erase the history and terminate the whole human population.

Before the Resistance destroys Skynet, the self-aware, artificial intelligence system sent a Terminator back in time to kill Sarah Connor (played by Emilia Clarke), the mother of the resistance leader. To prevent that from happening, Sergeant Kyle Reese (played by Jai Courtney), who is John’s top soldier, volunteers to be sent back in time to protect his mother.

With such a repetitive and boring introduction, we thought that a predictable plot has once again plagued the franchise. However, the director managed to keep us awake by bringing in a few surprises. While the plot is not as twisted as we had expected it to be, it’s good to see that the movie is finally breaking away from what happened in the earlier films.

When Kyle is being sent back in time, he sees an alternate timeline that shows his happier, younger self before Judgement Day. As if that isn’t too confusing for him to interpret, he arrives in Los Angeles in 1984 only to find out that Sarah no longer requires him to protect her. She’s also not a college student who works as a waitress to earn extra income. She is fearless and strong, which is completely different from what John had described to Kyle.

While Kyle is being pursued by a Terminator disguised as a police officer, she comes to his rescue along with T-800, her own Terminator that she calls “Pops” (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger).

Kyle is not completely useless in the movie, he is somewhat involved in changing the future. Even though Sarah now has her own guardian who can protect her, there is still something wrong with the timeline that Kyle is sent back to, especially after experiencing what he saw before arriving in 1984. In order to find out if the Judgement Day had already happened, Kyle suggested for Sarah to travel forward to 2017 instead for their last chance to take down Skynet.

Having watched Jai Courtney playing in “A Good Day to Die Hard” and “Divergent“, I didn’t expect to see much from him, but I was definitely excited to see if he could tackle the role well. He is, after all, going to play Captain Boomerang in David Ayer’s upcoming DC Comics film “Suicide Squad“. Fortunately, his acting didn’t disappoint and I will admit that I was attracted to his charm at certain point of this movie. He just needs to be given a more interesting story to work with because he can come off as slightly irritating.

As usual, Schwarzenegger managed to deliver his trademark one-liners and give his best deadpan look. The production did a stellar job at recreating the original villain and the younger Schwarzenegger by using CGI. While it wasn’t explained why the original T-800 has been programmed to save Sarah’s younger self, they developed a strong emotional attachment that made the older Terminator seem more humane and caring. He also acts as a parental figure to Sarah, who becomes surprisingly emotional whenever he’s hurt.

J.K. Simmons may have a smaller role in the film, but he’s a fun, surprise addition to cast. We’re not gonna tell you what he does in the film, but we will say we hope that there are more stories to be told about him, especially after he delivered his stunning albeit silly performance. Not even Matt Smith (of “Doctor Who” fame), whose role is as small as Simmons, can make this film as interesting as Simmons did. But then again, that could be because Smith’s role wasn’t written well.

All in all, everything actually worked pretty well with the new plot and we found ourselves enjoying it till the last part of the movie. But having watched the previous films in the franchise, the lack of originality and cheesy dialogues inevitably killed “Terminator Genisys”. It’s just a heavy case of been-there-done-that. Also, it’s time to drop catchphrases like “I’ll be back” and “Come with me if you wanna live”. They are super duper iconic, but way overused. They may be respectful nods to James Cameron’s earlier movies, but at one point, it just seemed like this movie is copying what made the original film so successful.

George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” and Christopher Nolan‘s “Batman” trilogy are perfect examples of successful reboots, but why can’t “Terminator: Genisys” a successful reboot as well?

Repetition is not what we want to see in its upcoming sequels and we can only hope that after altering John’s character, the writers are planning something bigger for the new trilogy. If this is just the beginning of a better storyline, we are ready to throw our money at the studio for the upcoming “Terminator” films.

Slated for a release on 2nd July 2015, “Terminator Genisys” is the first in a planned trilogy based on a screenplay written by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier. The film also stars Dayo Okeniyi, and Courtney B. Vance.

For more information, visit the movie’s official Facebook page.

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7 Superhero Films That Could Be In Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 5

The recent San Diego Comic-Con gave fans a ton of exciting news when Marvel Studios announced the full slate for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

A total of 10 movies and Disney+ shows from Phase 4 will spread out across 2 years, up until the end of 2021. That means anything coming after will be Phase 5. The good news is, we already know at least half of the movies that could be release from 2022 onwards.

“We debated what we should announce today. Should we announce 4 and 5? We’ve planned them out, we’ve got five years down the road and I was like, I think eleven projects in two years is plenty, having not mentioned anything for two or three years,” Marvel CEO Kevin Feige said.

Feige mentioned 11 projects in 2 years, despite only 10 of them appearing on the official timeline. This suggests that Mahershala Ali’s “Blade” must be the 11th. As expected, a couple of them are going to be sequels.

Since Sony Pictures and Sony distributes the “Spider-Man” films, “Spider-Man 3” could still appear in Phase 4 in 2021, which is 2 years after “Far From Home”. But if not, then it’s almost certain to be included in Phase 5.

Although Feige name drop The Fantastic Four and X-Men, it doesn’t guarantee that they are going to be in Phase 5. Having said that, it is Marvel’s eventual goal to integrate the mutants into the MCU.

Feige even said that the MCU’s version of the X-Men “will be quite different than what’s been done before” in previous movies. Plus, the next time the Avengers assemble on the big screen? It will be a “very different team than we’ve seen before”. Don’t forget, we have a new Captain America in Sam Wilson and a female Thor (played Natalie Portman).

In addition, Paul Rudd and Peyton Reed have also voiced out about wanting do “Ant-Man 3”, but no official plans are in the works yet.


This Female DJ Sold Her Dirty Panties For A Lofty RM13,000

Famous Indonesian DJ, Dinar Candy, shocked the internet recently when she decided to sell her unwashed panties for a very high price.

The 27-year-old is not only well-known for her spinning abilities, but more importantly, she is also well-known for the way she dresses and presents herself to the public.

A local portal reported that Dinar first sold her used underwear for the price of Rp50 million (RM13,000) last month. The piece was then bought by an Indonesian YouTuber, Bobby Stuntrider, who frequently includes Dinar in his videos from time-to-time.

However, that wasn’t the only time she made profit through her questionable business. Apparently, the DJ sold another one of her used lingerie to a comedian for the price of Rp20 million (RM5,000) when she was attending an event.

It was reported that Dinar had no other choice but to sell her personal belongings. She said, “I didn’t have a job for 7 months, so I thought of selling my used underwear and there was someone who wanted to buy them. I thought he was bluffing (dealing on Instagram), but then he actually deposited money into my bank account.”

When the news went viral about her controversial act, the people from her hometown were outraged and criticised her for being ill-mannered. A few of them even went out of their way to meet with her father and complained to him.

Dinar’s father, Acep Ginayah Sobiri, however, didn’t bite the bullet at all despite knowing his daughter’s wrongdoings. When people questioned him about it, Acep took it lightly and joked that he would like to sell his underwear for a cheaper price.

He stated, “I told them I wanted to sell the underwear I was wearing for the price of Rp10 million (RM3,000). As long as she is not selling herself, selling (her) panties isn’t a problem.”

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#TreatYoSelf: Start Making Plans For The 12 Long Weekends In Malaysia Next Year (2017)

Seriously, who doesn’t love long weekends, right? The longer, the better.

Have you used up most of this year’s annual leave already? Don’t worry, because 2017 is less than 4 months away. Here’s the awesome part: next year’s official calendar together with the list of holidays is out. Y’all know what this means right? It’s time to start planning for a year of awesome vacation weekends!

Next year is already looking quite promising because we’ll be having a total of 14 national public holidays and several long weekends that are spread pretty evenly throughout 2017, with the exception of a few “dry months” in March, April, July, and November.

The 9 official long weekends are as follows:

However, there are 3 public holidays which falls on the mid-week:

Thanks to the cheatsheet from TripZilla, you can best utilise those precious 2017 leaves and increase your long weekends from 9 weeks to 12 weeks. All you need to do is apply 4 days of vacation leave for an additional 3 long weekends. Yay!

These are the following days to apply for leave to increase your long weekends (see the blue highlights above):

Side note: There’s a typo error in the chart for 22nd and 23rd September.

With that said, here are the 12 long weekends you can look forward to in 2017:

To recap, the 14 national public holidays are:

*Dates shown are only preliminary and could be subject to change.

Stay hyped wanderlusters and start planning your holiday trips. You can thank us later ;)


Dark Skies: Aliens. Do They Exist?

For the longest time, we’ve always found it hard to believe that aliens exist. Until we watched “Dark Skies”. Unlike the friendly extraterrestrial “E.T”, the film focuses on beings that visit the Earth for one purpose and one purpose only – invasion. Action films usually depict Alien invasions to be catastrophic events that include cities coming under siege, explosions, and the destroying of monuments.

The film opens with your average struggling suburban family of four, the Barretts – father, mother, and two sons (Jesse, played by Dakota Goyo, and Sam, played by Kadan Rockett).  When we say struggling, we mean financially. As with most preconceptions about financially struggling families, this one too is unraveling at seams.

Oh, you know the works. Constantly arguing parents, the older son exploring the joys of being a teenager, and the younger one disturbed by nightmares. For the first 20 minutes or so, everything that happens in their home seems normal for a family like theirs until a certain “Sandman” comes into existence and weird occurrences start taking place.

First it’s the grand monuments and juggling of food items in the kitchen and the wiping out of family photos. Then it’s the house alarm going off for no apparent reasons and the “black out”s experienced by several members of the family. Coupled with possessions, strange allergies, unexplainable markings on the kids’ bodies, and other strange phenomenon e.g. CCTVs around the house conveniently going static at late into the nights.

Yes, we’re well aware that at this point, it’s sounding a whole lot like something out of one or more of the “Paranormal Activity” film installments.

[youtube id=”w0FzdInI75c” width=”600″ height=”350″]

So like all thriller-type slightly disturbing movies, the family (namely, the parents) then set out to find out what it is that’s bothering them and their kids. At first, the father (played by Josh Hamilton) refuses to believe in the idea of aliens but after he “sees” the “Gray” with his own eyes, he’s inclined to take up his wife’s (played by Keri Russell) offer to seek advice from an “expert”. The expert tells them that they have an option to keep their family safe from these “Gray” thingamajigs who are known to take the first person (in the family) that they made contact with.

Do the parents succeed in nurturing togetherness in their vain attempts to keep their sons safe? More importantly, do you think you’ll ever believe that aliens exist? Find out when the movie is released in a cinema near you on 28th February 2013 (Thursday).

For more information, visit the movie’s official website.

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#ArtDepartment: To Go Separate Ways After 5 Years As A Duo

Known to be the busiest duo in the house and techno circuit, Toronto based DJ duo, Art Department, have announced a split after a five-year-long partnership. It was said that Kenny Glasgow will be leaving the duo to produce music under his own name while Jonny White will stay on to continue the project on his own.

“This kind of a project is like a creative marriage and after five years we just feel like there’s more we need to do in other areas,”

From the announcement of their separation on Facebook, Jonny White mentioned that he will include Glasgow’s solo album release on his label No. 19 Music. Although, they’re not working together anymore, the duo will still remain friends as they’re parting on good terms.

They also revealed that they will be involved in a new non-profit project label – a social experiment which aims to raise money to keep safe and protect the wildlife in South Africa.

“Kenny has nearly completed his own solo body of work that I really believe in, and he should by all means pursue those goals. Of course Art Department is not the same Art Department without Kenny, that’s something that cannot be duplicated. It will take a new shape, but this is an exciting chapter for both of us as friends and artists.”

As sad as this news is, fans will still be able to catch Jonny and Kenny live for the last few times at EDC New York, EDC Las Vegas, Movement Detroit, Groovefest, and Tomorrowland in Brazil.

Till then, let’s enjoy Art Department’s “Catch You By Surprise”.

For more information, hit up their Facebook page.

Source: dancingastronaut , edmsauce/ featured image via mixmag


(UPDATE) #FrozenFever: Disney Not Over “Frozen” Yet, Will Release Short Film

What, you thought it was all over? Not quit.

Disney loves their 2013 animated film hit, “Frozen” so much that the company currently doesn’t have any plans to “Let It Go”. In fact, they’re continuing to explore possibilities of a hugely lucrative animated film, staring with a 7-minute short film next month.

This is largely due to the fact that “Frozen” has garnered such strong sales of merchandise that it has continually generated revenue and is a big part in strong earnings for The Walt Disney Company in the most recent quarter. Company Chairman and CEO Bob Iger made it clear that they’ve every intention of expanding and exploiting the momentum.

I don’t think that we can underestimate the impact that “Frozen” has had across our company and all of our businesses. Do we think “Frozen” has legs? We absolutely believe that this is the beginning of a long-term franchise.

The fact that the “Frozen” soundtrack has continued to drum its infectiousness in the audiences’ heads long after the movie was released (Let it go, let it go, can’t hold it back anymore), coupled with characters that both kids and adults alike can’t seem to forget (Olaf the snowman who loves summer), has kept the animated film well, alive, and fresh in people’s memories.

To prove a point, “Frozen” was released end 2013. It’s 2015 now.

In any case, we definitely haven’t seen the last of “Frozen” yet as Disney recently revealed that there would be an upcoming 7-minute “Frozen”-themed short film titled, “Frozen Fever”. The shot will be released along with Disney’s upcoming live-action “Cinderella” movie next month.

The short brings back “Frozen” directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, as well as voice stars Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad. From what we know the story will centre on Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) celebrating a birthday, but Elsa has a cold, which can only mean bad things for the recently unfrozen kingdom of Arendelle.

The short, Bob Iger said, should generate further growth for consumer products buying.

Alright, Disney, shut up and take our money!

The trailer for “Frozen Fever” has been released. The trailer shows Elsa, Anna, and Olaf, amongst others, preparing for Anna’s big birthday celebration.

“Frozen Fever” will debut in theatres exclusively ahead of Kenneth Branagh’s live-action Cinderella on 13th March.

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Sophia Fredskild Travels Through Different Eras In “Forever Mine”

Malaysian-Danish singer-songwriter Sophia Fredskild returns with her 2nd English single titled “Forever Mine”, a continuation of her debut tune “Waiting for Love“.

Since “Waiting for Love” is a song about waiting for the right person to come into your life, then “Forever Mine” continues the story with the person finally appear in your life and you want that person to be with you forever – hence, the song title.

“Forever Mine” is the 2nd song from a trilogy of love songs, and Sophia took 1 hour to write the song. Unlike the 1st song, “Forever Mine” is more upbeat and pop-ish with catchy and feel-good vibes.

Shot over 2 days, the music video shows Sophia in different eras such as the rock n’ roll era, disco era, modern era, and futuristic era, implying that she wants to be with this person through these periods and time and stay together forever.

Like “Waiting for Love”, “Forever Mine” will also have a Malay version titled “Cinta Selamanya” which will be released sometime in July this year.


RIP Michael Clarke Duncan

Michael Clarke Duncan is anything but a “small time” actor. You may remember him best for his Oscar-nominated performance as a death row inmate in “The Green Mile” and other box office hits such as “Armageddon”, “Planet of the Apes”, and “Kung Fu Panda”.

On the 13th July 2012, the muscular, 6-foot-4 former-bodyguard-turned-actor suffered a myocardial infarction and never fully recovered. He was being treated for the heart attack at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for months.

And just a few hours ago, Michael Clarke Duncan died. He was only 54 years old.

Oddly, it was just in spring of 2012 (a few months ago) that he had appeared in a video for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in which he spoke of how much better he felt since becoming a vegetarian three years ago:

[youtube id=”iGh2_qgYJd8″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

In a statement released by publicist Joy Fehily on behalf of Michael’s fiancée and reality TV personality, Rev. Omarosa Manigault, it said, “Manigault is grateful for all of your prayers and asks for privacy at this time. Celebrations of his life, both private and public, will be announced at a later date.”

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Michael Clarke Duncan’s family and friends.


#LukThep: “Child Angel” Dolls Take Thailand By Storm, Authorities Worried

The biggest current craze in Thailand has, quite literally, the makings of Chucky.

Thailand, with a population of people that are mostly Buddhists, has been gripped with a strange obsession with life-size dolls. Known as the “luk thep” or “child angel” or “angel doll”, these dolls are believed to bring good fortune.

Bangkok Post quotes 27-year-old small business owner Jirunya “Prince” Supaorus, who named her “luk thep” “daughter” Nong Reaksap as saying, “People look at me and think I am crazy. I really don’t care what they think. They don’t know what I’ve been through and how much the doll has helped me.”

The strange phenomenon involves people “adopting” realistic-looking dolls for up to hundreds of dollars and getting them blessed with holy prayers by monks or holy men. But it’s not easy to achieve “success” – the doll must be kept happy for good luck and wealth will follow. Hence many “luk thep” owners care for the dolls as if they were real children.

Amongst the privileges now available for “luk thep” are such as shops are selling clothing, jewellery, and beauty treatments for the dolls. In fact, about a week ago, CNN reported that Thai Smile Airways, the low-cost subsidiary of Thai Airways, recently instructed its staff to allow passengers to purchase a seat for their dolls. The airline said in an internal memo that it will serve “luk thep” meals on board if their owners have bought a ticket for them.

Also, these dolls have to be secured with seatbelts for take-off and landing. You know, like normal human beings.

But the fad has drawn concern and warning from from authorities and psychologists in Thailand. According to VOA News, police officers on Tuesday carried out raids in Bangkok against doll vendors suspected of avoiding import taxes. 3 vendors were arrested and authorities seized more than 100 “luk thep” dolls, mostly imported from China.

Others worry that the modern incarnations may be put to evil use i.e. drug smuggling. About a week ago, police at Chiang Mai Airport intercepted a “luk thep” inside a black suitcase that was being used as a drug mule. Underneath that sweet exterior police say they found 200 tablets of yaba – a methamphetamine-based drug produced in Thailand.

Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-ocha has since urged people not to “get carried away” with the dolls. He said the dolls are all about superstition and are not indispensable, and advised people not to spend money on them if they cannot afford it.

Eep. Drug smuggling aside, we don’t know about you but seeing ultra realistic dolls lurking around in our homes would definitely make our skin crawl. Would you have bought the idea? Let us know what you think.

Sources: The Straits Times, Bangkok Post, VOA News, CNN, The Independent / Featured image from The Independent.

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Black Panther’s Box Office Numbers Is A Middle Finger To Conventional Wisdom

Why is it we hardly see movies with non-white leads? Why is it we hardly see movies with strong female characters? Why is it we hardly see R-rated comic book movies?

Conventional wisdom suggests that these movies would most likely turn out to be box office bombs. Well, over the past couple of years, we’ve gotten three comic book movies that are giant middle fingers to conventional wisdom, first with “Deadpool”, then with “Wonder Woman” and now with “Black Panther”.

“Black Panther”, the 18th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has earned an incredible US$ 192 million in a three-day, Fri-Sun weekend and is likely to gross around US$ 218 million in the four-day, Fri-Mon weekend… in the US alone! That’s the biggest February opening weekend of all time.

Other records shattered by “Black Panther”, in the US:

“Black Panther is also the fifth highest Fri-Sun opening weekend ever, behind the likes of “The Avengers” (US$207 million), “Jurassic World” (US$ 208 million), “The Last Jedi” (US$ 220 million) and “The Force Awakens” (US$ 248 million).

If we factor in the global market, “Black Panther” has already grossed more than US$ 361 million and the film isn’t even released in China and Russia yet!

“Black Panther” is not just a great film, it is an important one. It is a film that has a black lead, mostly black supporting cast and strong female characters. It is a film that is helmed by a black man with a largely black crew. And it is a film that discusses important political themes. If you haven’t seen it yet, what is wrong with you? Go and catch it NOW!


4 Tips On How You Can Travel Like A Pro Without Overspending

Travelling is always exciting, educational and eye-opening. However, holiday goers still need to ensure they have the right essentials for a safe, worry-free and comfortable trip no matter where they go, be it an adventure to Nepal or a romantic escapade to Paris.

We’ve compiled some basic tips on how to travel comfortably and in style without burning a hole in the pocket. After all, wouldn’t you want a chance to save and spend on souvenirs like the Eiffel Tower keychains for friends and family?

Big enough to hold all your essentials, your suitcase also needs to be sturdy and durable. If shopping is involved, the stylish navy, red velvet or blossom pink Urbanlite Ledge 28-inch luggage is big enough to stash your haul. Select luggages that comes with 360-degree spinner wheels for a fluid motion across different terrains, and will not wake the neighbourhood up when you lug it across cobblestones at midnight. It’s also always good to have quality combination lock to keep your belongings safe and protected.

You will be amazed at how much space you can save with different packing methods. Globetrotters have shared tips on how to pack neatly, some suggesting to fold and pack your clothes standing upright so you can include more pieces. Alternatively, packing organisers like the vacuum bag or pretty-looking packing cubes will help organise your clothes and accessories into smaller bags.

If you are visiting a cold country, getting the right winter clothing is a must. Find cosy ones and still look fashionable like the down jackets that are light-weight and insulated with down feathers, winter coat or floral embroidered knitted sweaters for Insta-worthy pictures. If it is a family affair, you can always match winter accessories with your children including gloves, cute winter hats and wool socks. Your travel dates may only be in December but be a smart shopper and get them now at off-season prices. Why wait till winter to buy those warmers and pay premium for the same item?

Save the hassle of driving around looking for your travel essentials because you can get them all from Universal Traveller’s official store on Shopee. From travel adapter, outdoor backpacks, locks, and pouches to snow boots, shoe bags, heat packs, luggage scales and children’s luggage, they are just a click away.

Universal Traveller will be having its first Super Brand Day on Shopee on 16th May. The celebrations, however, will kick off 13th May and end 17th May with thematic days so Malaysians can enjoy crazy discounts up to 70%, deals and exclusive offerings.

Check out the Universal Traveller Super Brand Day on Shopee at https://shopee.com.my/m/super-brand-day.


BIGBANG’s Seungri & NHR DJs Rock The YG Republique After-Party At Zouk KL

If you haven’t already heard, BIGBANG’s maknae (youngest member) Seungri (승리) and his friends caused a frenzy at the YG Republique Kuala Lumpur launch at TREC Kuala Lumpur last Friday, 11th August 2017.

And understandably so, for his personal guest list of South Korean buddies included songwriter/actor/TV personality Jung Joon Young and F.T. Island’s Choi Jong Hoon, as well as Seungri’s Natural High Record (NHR) DJs Danu, TPA, Glory, and jaw-droppingly gorgeous K Plus models Yeon Hui and Soh Hee.

But the excitement didn’t stop at the YG Republique Kuala Lumpur launch alone! While the opening of the YG Entertainment-owned F&B joint proved to be a milestone for Malaysia, Seungri was also about to achieve another milestone of his own – to play at Zouk KL, arguably the best club in Kuala Lumpur, for the first time ever.

Armed with K-Pop remixes, EDM tracks, and a squad of NHR DJs, Seungri was all geared up to take over the decks at the superclub. Fans arrived at the club early to secure a spot with the best view of the DJ console at Zouk Main Room, the heart of Zouk KL. With its altar-like console, massive array of LED lights (over a million bulbs), and visual displays, the venue was set to provide the most epic party featuring some of South Korea’s finest.

The night kicked off with the NHR DJs warming up the crowd (some were holding the BIGBANG yellow crown fan sticks, even!) with a selection of dance choons.

And yes, VIPs (as BIGBANG’s fans are lovingly known) have, by now, grown quite accustomed to dance music-influenced tracks, considering BIGBANG’s reputation for experimenting with their sound. So it goes without saying that although Seungri was the star of the show, fans were equally excited to watch the NHR artistes rock their debut performance in Kuala Lumpur.

Seungri arrived shortly after midnight to take over the decks from the NHR artistes. He opened his set with a remixed version of one of BIGBANG’s most popular songs of all time, “Fantastic Baby”.

Shortly after, F.T. Island’s Choi Jong Hoon was spotted in the DJ console during Seungri’s set, rocking out as the K-Pop idol dished out high energy track after high energy track without skipping a beat. The F.T. Island leader and guitarist took the opportunity to get up close and personal with the fans up front, offering “fingers hearts” and just about a tonne of fan service, much to the fans’ collective glee.

Champagne continued to pour for Seungri and his squad as the night went on. And he may be away from home but he certainly didn’t forget to plug his fellow YG Entertainment label mates. His setlist included songs from “monster rookie” group Blackpink (“Boombayah”) as well as 2NE1 (“I Am The Best”). Oh, his songs selection is YG stan approved, we’re sure. Of course, you can’t have a Zouk KL party featuring Seungri without “BANG BANG BANG”. And that’s exactly how Seungri decided to end the night!

Special thanks and much love to our friends from Zouk KL for having us at the YG Republique Kuala Lumpur launch after-party!

For more information on Zouk KL, hit up their website or their Facebook page.

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Everyone Loses It After Selena Gomez Talks About Marrying Bill Murray

Selenators are shocked when their queen Selena Gomez announced on Instagram that she and 68-year-old actor are getting married. It was a joke of course!

The 26-year-old singer-actress recently made her debut at the Cannes Film Festival to promote her latest film “The Dead Don’t Die” which also features Bill Murray.

My first time in Cannes! I’m so honored to have been a part of this movie with Jim and the whole cast. By the way Bill Murray and I are getting married.

A post shared by  Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on May 16, 2019 at 9:21am PDT

Pictures of the two co-stars sharing some warm moments on the red carpet have gone viral on social media with many people wondering if the two are a couple.

Reports suggest that this was Selena’s way of getting back at the people who like to poke their noses into her personal life, and it is also a way to promote her new movie.

Selena Gomez and Bill Murray as a couple would be such a power move pic.twitter.com/jpbw0SDgcu

— 21st c. tears (@oncle_jazz) May 16, 2019

Needless to say, the reactions on social media were hilarious!

the fact that Selena Gomez & Bill Murray are getting married hits me so hard. meeting the right person at the wrong time sucks!!

So how about Selena Gomez and bill murray getting married…. I’m fucking shook 😳

— Peaches The Irritable (@JerrySawyer1995) May 20, 2019

In today’s episode of weird couple crossover, Selena Gomez and Bill Murray are apparently getting married.

At a press conference for the movie, Selena Gomez told ET Online, “I think our world is going through a lot. I would say, for my generation, specifically, social media has really been terrible.”

“It does scare me when you see how exposed these young boys and young girls are and they’re not really aware of the news or anything going on. I think it’s dangerous for sure. I don’t think people are getting the right information sometimes.”


#Crayola: Crayon Brand’s Facebook Page Hacked, Flooded With Porn

Hot on the heels of what is deemed to be some of the biggest hacking stories (read: The Fappening, Sony Pictures) within a year, another brand has come face-to-face with a similar form of intrusion. Perhaps not comparable in terms of magnitude but it’s hacking all the same.

With a wide range of art products under their umbrella such as chalk, crayon, colouring pencils, markers, paints, and modelling clay under their umbrella, Crayola has always been a popular parents’ choice as well as kids’ choice brand. So popular that the company is synonymous with childlike innocence and all Crayola-branded products are marketed as nontoxic and safe for use by children.

However, earlier this week, their official Facebook page was given an unexpected NSFW (Not Safe For Work) paint job.

A bunch of hackers managed to smuggle not-so-child-friendly images ranging from sexual innuendos to pornographic cartoons into their page, including one image that “imagined” what Disney cartoons might look like “If Disney Was For Adults”. Obviously, the lewd images weren’t for the colouring book crowd, if you know what we mean:

Uhm, a bit too early to be teaching children about “the birds and the bees” when they can barely grasp a crayon properly, no?

Luckily, the company was quick to act on it. Upon finding that hackers had infiltrated their page, Crayola quickly scrubbed their feed clean and posted up an apology to their 2.4 million Facebook fans. “Our sincere apologies to our Facebook community for the inappropriate and offensive posts you may have seen here today. Please be assured the official Crayola page has been restored. We can’t thank our fans enough for the feedback and support we received while working to resolve the issue … you truly are the best and we look forward to an exciting and creative 2015!,” the crayon-maker wrote.

The company also quickly took to Twitter to apologise:

We’re aware of the situation on our official FB page, which was hacked today, and making every effort to stop the unauthorized posts.

We don’t condone the inappropriate & offensive content being posted to the fraudulent Crayola FB page & sincerely apologize to our fans.

Phew, thank goodness for quick action on their part and that all is fine and well right now.

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Kat Von D’s Crazy Stalker

Famous tattoo artist Kat Von D has a crazy fan that has been stalking her on Twitter and in person. What’s creepier is that the former “LA Ink” star claims that stalker Micheal Nunn appeared at her workplace, tried to get in touch with her online, and on April 29th, he even tried calling her from the street outside her place.

On May 5th, the stalker sent a box of candy to her, following which, he tweeted her phone number after she asked him to stop bothering her. Uh. The dude is really something. Obviously, Kat couldn’t take it anymore so she filed a police report.

In the police report, Kat claims that he has “delusional and paranoid tendencies, including a belief the FBI is watching him and that celebrities want to harm him”. Hmm. We wonder what Joel aka deadmau5 aka Kat’s off-and-on-again boyfriend thinks about all this!

As stated in the restraining order, Nunn must stay 100 yards away from Kat and he is required to stop contacting her on the internet. Later this month, a hearing will determine whether it should be made permanent.


(Video) Singaporean Influencer Tammy Tay On How Much She Earns Via OnlyFans

Singaporean influencer, Tammy Tay, surprised everyone when she posted on her Instagram @ohsofickle on 21st July about joining OnlyFans. Her decision left most wondering the reason behind the 30-year-old’s sudden desire to pursue the platform, which she answered on an episode of “Just Saying” with The Backstage Bunch recently.

In the 15-minute video, the single mother-of-two explained that her salon was unable to operate due to Covid-19 restrictions last year, prompting her to apply for a six-figure loan to pay her staff and rent. Although the salon was able to reopen in 2022, she struggled to recover from the loss caused by the prolonged period of inactivity.

A post shared by Tammy Tay (@ohsofickle)

The founder of Fickle Beauty, explained her decision, saying “I gotta make ends meet, I gotta do something without much investment. I’ve seen people do OnlyFans, and I’ve heard a lot about OnlyFans.” She mentioned how one of the OnlyFans content creators had inspired her to venture into the social platform as well.

Despite not posting explicit content on her account, the content creator confirms she is paid well for her exclusive photos and even reveals how she tactically raises her price. “To unlock it (the content), it’s like forty dollars and then if I stop replying halfway, they’re like why aren’t you replying and I’ll say that someone else is tipping me more so I have to prioritise them first,” she explains.

“The (six digit) loan is (supposed to be paid off in) five years. But if I do OF (OnlyFans), I probably could pay it off in ten months or less,” the influencer went on. She also expressed her gratitude for joining OnlyFans, claiming that she would not have been able to pay off her loan if she hadn’t.

“I cannot find a job that can pay me well enough. If I have a degree, I honestly would be able to find a job but I have none of that. If you ask me to write a resume, it’s all my own businesses and it’s not a proper resume,” she elaborates. Another perk of starting an OnlyFans is not having to invest some capital like her other businesses.

As of now, the influencer is unsure whether she will continue to use the platform after she has paid off her loan. “It’s worrying because you run out of content and you can only do so much. So, I’m not sure how long I can last on the platform,” she shares. As of now, Tammy is comfortably earning 5 digits a month (with the majority of income from Pay Per View).

Neetashini Kanendran contributed to this article


AirAsia & Vertical Aerospace To Launch Air Taxi Service For AirAsia Super App

Back in the day (whenever that is for you), people used to imagine that we’ll get flying cars in the future. Think about it, one day, flying cars will be a necessity for our great-grandchildren. Who needs roads when you can just hover your way to your destination? Then again, you’d need to look out for air traffic.

Though we still have a long way to go, we are getting closer to achieving that future. For now, instead of owning your own flying car, how about going for a ride in a flying taxi? Yup, that’s ride. Tony Fernandes recently shared his latest project to develop an urban air mobility platform in the city. Here’s what we know:

AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes posted a series of photos on his Instagram sharing with the world the latest project for the AirAsia Super App and Air Asia Ride; Electric Air Taxi. More specifically, these aircrafts are known as the VX4 eVTOL made by Vertical Aerospace. AirAsia is apparently partnering up with Vertical Aerospace to create a platform for these air taxis to be used in Malaysia.

This project has actually been reported back in February but nothing was confirmed at the time but now the 58-year-old has confirmed that AirAsia has signed a memorandum of understanding to lease about 100 of the VX4 eVTOL aircrafts. The AirAsia CEO posed together with Stephen Fitzpatrick, the founder of Vertical Aerospace as proof that they’ve sealed the deal.

According to Tony’s Instagram post, customers will be able to book these electric air taxis through the AirAsia Super App and Air Asia Ride app. How will it be done? There’s currently no specific information on when this service will be operational and if customers need to go a specific landing area to board their ride.

A post shared by Vertical Aerospace (@verticalaerospace)

What we do know is the distance these things can travel. It will take about 17 minutes to travel from KLIA 2 to Kuala Lumpur city and Bangkok Airport to Bangkok city in 11 minutes. That’s actually pretty impressive. What do you guys think? Will you be using the air taxis to go to your destination?

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#Heineken: This Season’s Surprises To Set The Tone For 2015 Unveiled

This festive season, the world’s #1 international premium beer is inspiring consumers to explore new frontiers and push their boundaries further to make the most out of 2015. Ever progressive and innovative, Heineken takes the festive season celebration up a notch with exciting elements set to reinvent consumers’ year-end festivities.

For starters, Heineken has unveiled the Heineken Jukebox – designed to hand pick a playlist of songs based on the new adventure consumers select to embark on in the New Year. An innovative infusion of music and adventure, the Heineken Jukebox is set to engage with consumers, not only for that moment, but also for the rest of 2015 as the playlist accompanies them on their adventure.

Located at selected bars and bistros this December, consumers can select from 8 different adventures they would like to embark on in the upcoming year. Upon choosing their adventure for 2015, the Heineken Jukebox will select a list of songs to match their chosen adventure which consumers can enjoy via the Spotify interface.

Each playlist will feature 40 unique tracks that resonate with their chosen adventures, aimed at motivating consumers to get up, make those plans, and take on new adventures in the New Year. Consumers can continue to enjoy their playlist either online or offline through the Spotify app.

Discover the Heineken Jukebox at the following outlets:

Every adventure has its song. What’s yours for 2015? ;)

Preview the playlists online by logging on to Heineken’s Facebook page.


#CaptainAmerica3: Civil War Meme Takes Tumblr By Storm

There’s a war coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it’s not going to end up well. Through the trailers of “Avengers: Age of Ultron“, you’d know that the entire Avengers team is not pleased (no, not really) with Iron Man. What has he done? We don’t know but what we do know is that two teams of Marvel superheroes will be led by Captain America and Iron Man respectively to fight each other in the third and upcoming “Captain America” film,

So, what caused the brawl between Iron Man and Captain America?

Titled “Captain America: Civil War”, the 3rd Captain America film will be based on the Civil War storyline in the Marvel Universe, where the mayhem begins with the Superhero Registration Act, a proposition that will force those with superhuman abilities to reveal themselves to the world and register their identities. Marvel superheroes are forced to pick a side: Join Iron Man’s side if you want to support the programme or join Captain America’s side if you oppose the programme.

With the absence of Spider-Man, the Tumblr community has come up with their own explanations of the cause of the civil war.

In 2012’s “The Avengers”, Captain America and Iron Man were already seen having an argument over the smallest things and we are expected to see more of that in the upcoming “Avengers” film. For this Civil War meme, Tumblr users came up with the smallest, most ridiculous arguments the two could have, based on the current pop culture. All these arguments eventually “led” to the beginning of the superhero civil war.

If you are not on Tumblr, check out some of our favourite Civil War memes below:

3. Fans’ favourite OTP: Spider-Man & Deadpool:

4. The Vampire Diaries: Team Damon vs Team Stefan:

5. The Hunger Games: Team Peeta vs Team Gale:

6. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Team Angel vs Team Spike:

Last but not least, our favourite Civil War meme goes to…

Sorry Iron Man, but we believe “gif” is actually pronounced as “jif”, as confirmed by the creator of the gif.

“Captain America” is slated for release on 6th May 2016 and the film marks Daniel Bruhl’s debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chadwick Boseman will also make his debut as Black Panther through this film.

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(Photos) Malaysia’s Biggest Maze Park Is Shaped Like A Heart

Perak isn’t just a food heaven but is also one of the hot tourism spots in Malaysia thanks to a wide variety of attractions. From historical sites like Kellie’s Castle, to theme parks like Lost World of Tambun and even nature’s hidden gem, the Mirror Lake – there’s certainly a lot to explore.

Now, we also know that Perak is one of the biggest mining sites in Malaysia but what does mining sites have got to do with attractions? Well, for Perak, just like it’s name, they are seeing the silver lining in everything.

One of the last surviving mining sites in Malaysia, which happens to be in Perak, has added another attraction in its vicinity – a park. Not just any park, mind you, but the biggest maze park and it is shaped like a heart!

The site is known as Tanjung Tualang Tin Dredge No.5, or TT5 and the park encompasses a total area of 55,000 square feet. Besides getting the opportunity to explore a total of 83 years of history in the area, there are also heaps of other fun activities for you to participate in.

Other than the Dredge Tour and hands on panning experience, TT5 organises community programs you can enjoy such as:

You can also organise family days and team-building programmes in the area. The attraction looks magnificent through aerial view, and might we add – the whole park is Insta-worthy. But our favourite part of the park would be the mini petting zoo! There are cute fluffy bunnies as well as farm animals like goats, cows and chickens. Wouldn’t that be a great experience for families with children to enjoy?

So, take photographs with picturesque backgrounds while getting to know more about the mining history in Malaysia in TT5 sometime soon!


85th Annual Academy Awards Live On FOX!

The Oscars® will feature special appearances by Academy Award® winner Charlize Theron, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter!) at the upcoming 85th Annual Academy Awards ceremony. This will be Gordon-Levitt, Radcliffe and Tatum’s first time appearing on the Oscar show.

The ceremony will be hosted by actor and singer Seth Macfarlane who will be appearing on the Oscars stage for the first time. Macfarlane made his feature directorial debut this summer with the box office success “Ted“.

[youtube id=”tT2_76ZcSU” width=”600″ height=”350″]

He also co-wrote and produced the film, and voiced the title character.

Adele will perform the Oscar nominated theme song from the latest James Bond movie, “Skyfall” from the film of the same name. Adele’s exclusive Oscar show performance will be the first time she will have performed Skyfall anywhere live, and will also mark her first US television performance since the Grammys last year.

Meanwhile, Norah Jones will perform “Everybody Needs a Best Friend” from the motion picture “Ted”. This will also be Jones’ first time performing on an Oscar show.

Be sure to catch the glitz and glamour besides cheering for your favourite actors as they strive for glory LIVE on FOX Movies Premium (Astro Ch 413) and FOX Movies Premium HD (Astro Ch 433) on 25th February 2013 (Monday). Watch the stars parade their designer attires as they dress to impress during the Red Carpet which begins at 8:30am and the awards ceremony which starts shortly after at 9:30am.

For the full list of the 2013 Oscar nominees, click!


TGV To Launch The World’s 1st Surround Sound Music Touring Circuit

Music lovers will now be able to enjoy an intimate live performance by their favourite artists complete in surround sound, thanks to TGV Cinemas!

The cinema chain will be partnering with Lakefront Xperience (LFx) to launch the world’s first ever live music touring circuit with rising hip-hop star Zamaera to kick off the tour with her new upcoming EP.

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“The idea of LFx is for the audience to enjoy an intimate show with surround sound paired with larger-than-life visuals for an unforgettable and immersive acts,” said LFx founder Bryan Tan.

Since video content is very easily accessible with the emergence of VOD platforms like Netflix, iFlix, Viu and more, TGV is enabling a different kind of content for audience to enjoy in the cinemas.

So with the exclusive partnership between LFx, audience can now enjoy the first-of-its-kind live music performances, making live shows more immersive, interactive, and experiential than ever before.

Though music produced in surround sound is commonplace in movie scores, it has never been done for live music acts. However, artists who wish to perform in LFx would need to produce elements of their music in surround sound in professional studios prior to their performances. The artists will also need to design the visual element  of their acts to fully utilise the massive theatre screens in the hall.

“When it comes to surround sound, you’re bringing a different concept to the show, one that you were not necessarily perform the same if it was outside of a cinema. You can do all sorts of music genre from rock to jazz, but you’re tailoring and designing it so that you can get the best out of the surround sound. So this allows the artist to be very creative,” said Tan.

Currently, TGV is looking to implement LFx in 9 locations across Malaysia including Klang Valley, Penang and Johor. According to Tan, TGV and LFx are still finalising the touring circuit which is set to kick off in early March featuring Malaysian female rapper Zamaera.

Thanks to the comfort and convenience offered in TGV Cinemas, the live shows will be equipped with the latest visual and sound technologies, allowing the audience to experience a musical immersion like no other. But like every cinema rules, audience are not allowed to record the music session and upload it on to social media.

Audience are allowed to bring in drinks and food from the cinema while enjoying the show – similar to when they’re watching a movie. Ads will be played before the show starts, and the cinema chain is looking at standardising each live performance for 1 hour max. “It’s like watching a regular movie, but the only difference is that you’re watching a live show instead.”

Artists who wish to perform live in TGV will need to let the cinema known the kind of shows that they wish to deliver. TGV will then curate and slot the artist at suitable times. Like movie showtimes, the artist’s show will appear on TGV showtimes pages such as Now Showing or Coming Soon, and audience can book tickets for the show straightaway from TGV website.

According to Tan, the preparation for the live show will be faster than normal and it saves cost. For performers, LFx brings “plug and play” technology to the table, allowing live music performers to setup and perform in any TGV Cinemas location within Malaysia so that they can tour the nation easily.

“Touring is always such a huge and costly endeavour, but together with TGV Cinemas, we are able to make these live music performances more accessible and cost-effective for the performers as well as the audience,” Tan added.

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2 New Updates On MySejahtera: More User-Friendly Interface Now Available

We know how frustrating it can be going through the laggy interface of the MySejahtera application especially when you’re supposed to show your vaccination and risk status to shop owners and security guards at malls. This would tend to cause anxiety for many individuals, provided the fact that there’s a long queue behind you waiting to get into the outlet.

It’s very similar to the situation of putting loose change back into your purse at payment counters with a long line of people who are waiting to get their payment done! Well, now, you could use the MySejahtera application hassle-free as there are two integral updates to the application itself. These were announced by the current Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin via his Twitter page.

The first update would be a check-out button. The current scenario that MySejahtera users are facing is the fact that they can only scan a QR code at public places or outlets for checking in. The new update would enable them to check out after leaving the premises. This was done in an effort to efficiently execute contact tracing especially, with the high rise in Covid-19 cases in the nation.

Via his Tweet, Khairy said, “A check-out button has also been added in the latest update of MySejahtera, to improve contact tracing. After leaving a place, please remember to check-out. You only need to press a button – no scan needed.”

The second update would be the user-friendly interface which enables users to display or show their risk level and vaccination status when requested to do so. Previously, the risk level and vaccination status were on two different pages. So, it involved a lot of impatient taps and scrolls on their respective mobile devices.

Now, all they have to do is to go to the newly-minted “Profile” section on the application to display their risk and vaccination status. In reference to this, Khairy said, “The MySejahtera team will push a new build tonight making it easier for people to display their risk level and vaccination status – this will ease living with Covid. Will further update and improve the app over the coming weeks.”

Well, this move is quite essential given the current situation where we can’t totally destroy the virus, but rather, find ways to live with it. Covid-19 is here to stay but we must be extra vigilant towards our health and safety. Make sure you get vaccinated quickly and update your MySejahtera application regularly to obtain the latest updates regarding the current state of the pandemic in the country!


10 Things You Need To Know About “Maleficent”

At some point or another in our lives, we’ve probably watched or have at least heard of the 1959 Disney classic, “Sleeping Beauty”. For some of us, it was one of the first animation films we watched as kids. Aside from the film’s damsel in distress, Princess Aurora, other notable characters that are hard to forget are such as the three good fairies (Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather) as well as the extremely evil but also extremely powerful Maleficent.

So evil, she sits on the same pedestal as the Evil Queen in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. Except, she has a cloak with a bat-like collar and horns that were based right off the devil. In fact, her name itself is a derivative of the Latin word, “maleficentia” which means “evil-doing”. Brr! But enough about the animation film. Here are some things you need to know about the live-action Maleficent.

Well, mostly about Angelina Jolie, who stars as Maleficent but hey, who’s complaining? Enjoy:

1. Tim Burton was originally in the running to direct the live-action Maleficent.

2. Angelina Jolie had a huge role in developing Maleficent’s on-screen look for the live-action movie. Her horns were made by artisans who specialise in fetishware. The heaviest version of the horns was heavy enough to break her neck!

3. Lady Gaga’s look in her music video for “Born This Way” inspired the prosthetic cheekbones Jolie wore for the film. And the contacts she wore while filming were based off of goat eyes, which have horizontal pupils.

4. Vivienne Jolie-Pitt (who plays Maleficent-cursed Princess Aurora as a young girl) is the five-year-old daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. She was picked for the role because, as Jolie says, none of the other young actors would go near her dressed as Maleficent: “It had to be a child that liked me and wasn’t afraid of my horns and my eyes and my claws. So it had to be Viv.”

5. American singer Lana Del Rey was handpicked by Angelina Jolie herself to record a version of the Sleeping Beauty classic “Once Upon a Dream” for the movie:

6. The project was developed by Brad Bird, director of “The Incredibles”, “The Iron Giant” and most recently, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”.

7. Angelina Jolie has been a massive fan of the Sleeping Beauty story ever since she was a child. “Since I was a little girl, Maleficent was always my favourite. I was terrified of her, but I was also drawn to her. I wanted to know more about her. She had this elegance and grace, yet she was wonderfully, deliciously cruel,” she said.

8. Seven-time Oscar winner Rick Baker designed the special makeup effects for the movie. His credits range from “The Exorcist” to “Men in Black 3”.

9. Maleficent is the directing debut of special effects artist Robert Stromberg. Stromberg has won two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction for “Avatar” and Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland”. The movie has the biggest budget for any first-time director.

10. When asked about working with Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning (who plays the older Princess Aurora in Maleficent) said:

I remember during rehearsals at Pinewood Studios, I didn’t know that I was going to meet her that day. We were doing costume fittings and then everyone started saying, “She’s here!  She’s here!”  and I was like, “My god!”. The knot was growing in my stomach. And then, I turned the corner, and there she was. She was there in no horns or anything. She was normal, with normal clothes. Because we’re both big huggers, she gave me a giant hug, right away. She shook my shoulders and said, “We’re gonna have so much fun working together.” To have Angelina Jolie just hug you right away was really impactful. It’s funny because, even though I still get butterflies when I see her, and even though we’ve worked together, you can’t help but feel that way. People see that intensity that she has in photographs and on red carpets, and that force around her, but then you meet her and she’s just a girl. We would just talk about normal girl things. We talked about prom. I got to see her sensitivity. She’s super playful. All her kids were on set and she’d yell, “Cut!,” and she’d be in her whole outfit and pick up Vivie and Knox on each hip. She was such the opposite of what I thought she would be.

Bonus: Maleficent is set for an official worldwide release on 30th May. Interestingly and coincidentally, 30th May is also the 55th anniversary of Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty”. Mind..blown.

Maleficent opens in cinemas nationwide tomorrow, 29th May. Book your tickets via GSC or TGV now. We’ll race you!

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#ZacEfron: Actor To Play Serial Killer Ted Bundy In “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile”

Zac Efron has landed himself the lead role of documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger’s (of “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” fame) upcoming independent film, titled “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile”.

He will be playing Ted Bundy (otherwise known as Theodore Robert Bundy), a notorious American serial killer and rapist who assaulted as well as murdered numerous young women and girls during the 1970s.

“Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile” was first unveiled at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and it follows the dysfunctional relationship between Bundy and his long-time girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer aka Liz. Screen Rant noted that the film will be told from Liz’s perspective. The screenplay earned writer Michael Werwie earned him the Nicholl Fellowship prize and it made the Black List (an annual list that names the best un-produced scripts in Hollywood) in 2012.

In speaking of casting Efron as Bundy, producer Nicolas Chartier said, “I have been trying to work with Zac Efron for a long time. From his dramatic turn in ‘Paperboy’ to his hilarious performance in ‘Neighbors’, he continues to impress audiences and critics alike with his extraordinary versatility and range. We couldn’t be more excited to see him in this amazing role.”

Efron will be seen next in Paramount Pictures’ remake of “Baywatch” alongside Dwayne Johnson. Besides that, he is starring in Michael Gracey’s “The Greatest Showman” with Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams.

What do you think of the casting news? Yay or nay? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!


Hype’s Weekender: Good Vibes Festival + #MH17 Online Memorial + #ALSIceBucketChallenge + More

We had one of the most amazing weekends as we caught Empire of the Sun, Ellie Goulding, Banks and more at Good Vibes Festival. The festival which took place at Sepang Go Kart Circuit, saw local acts like Indiego & Co., Ko Pi Go, Kyoto Protocol, Danger Disko and Lapsap rock the house at the Green Stage (Heineken Star Club). Despite the heavy downpour in the evening, festival goers had a fantastic time dancing around as they watched their idols on stage.

Empire of the Sun performed at the red stage at 10.00pm and put on a solid performance for fans. From the crazy lights to spectacular costumes, it felt like it was a giant circus on stage and boy, it was fantastic! Ellie Goulding then closed the show with her amazing performance. From her energy to her beautiful voice to her interaction with the crowd, Goulding was the best end to such a glorious festival.

2. #MH17: Netizens Create Online Memorial

Friday, August 22nd, was declared Malaysia’s National Day of Mourning. United in grief, Malaysians paid respect to the lives lost on Malaysia Airlines downed Flight MH17 as their remains were transported back home on Friday. In respect, remembrance and honour of the 298 passengers onboard Flight MH17, netizens have set up a virtual memorial which is accessible via Facebook. The e-memorial page contains details of all the passengers and cabin crew.

In order to raise awareness about ALS, otherwise known as the Lou Gehrig Disease, a fatal neurodegenerative disease that attacks the brain and the spinal cord, former Boson College baseball player, Pete Frates, 29, from Massachusetts started the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge which has become one of the most successful viral campaign of our time. People from all across the world has taken part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and ever since the challenge went viral, the challenge has reached a stunning $70.2 million in donations. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has seen, Malaysia’s very own Khari Jamaluddin, some of the world’s best DJs/producers, celebrities, industry greats and also YouTubers partake in it.

A group of local musicians has restored our faith in humanity. #MIMSForHumanity (Malaysian Independent Music Scene) is an alliance of 8 local independent acts that have come together to make a stand for the oppressed, to highlight and alleviate human suffering while instilling empathy in Malaysians regardless of race, nationality and religion. The acts: AZUREFORJANNE, Blister, Kyoto Protocol, Massacre Conspiracy, MuddMonkee, Roshan Jamrock (of K-town Clan), Sayla (of Dose Two) and Shake N’ Bake joined forces to create a song “Make Your Stand” to express the need to make a stand against all of the oppression that the world has been facing.

K-pop fans were blessed with some lovely news last week. Korean group Super Junior  has confirmed that they will be making their comeback this August! Best known for their songs “Sorry, Sorry” and “Mr. Simple” a teaser image of the boys dressed in cowboys outfits for their new album, Mamacita, has been released. Their comeback is slated for August 29th. *screams!!*

Last week sure was fantastic. We can’t wait to see what this week has in stored for us! Happy Monday everyone! :D


10 Years Of Zouk Club Kuala Lumpur

It seems like only yesterday ZOUK KL opened its doors to the Kuala Lumpur club scene. But 10 years on and with more accolades than ever, ZOUK KL still stands strong and firm as the pace setter for the local scene.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this Thursday, May 15th, 2014 Zouk KL is rewarding its loyal clubbers with an exciting and rewarding trip down memory lane!

ZOUK: Goldfish & Blink + Hypeembeats, B.A.T.E. and Nick Haydez•PHUTURE: Luqe & RJ Funk MC Fendi•VELVET UNDERGROUND: KEN, Radzi & MC Point•BARSONIC: Twilight Actiongirl•ARISTO: Shazz & Friends

To give you a taste of what you can expect at Zouk KL’s 10th anniversary, here’s what went down last year:

For more information, check out the event page.

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6 Upcoming Movies & TV Series In 2022 Based On Popular Video Games

There has been countless movie and TV series adaptations of popular video games over the years. The more recent ones being Uncharted, Halo and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The thing about movie and TV series adaptions of video games is that they don’t always get them right.

Some are good adaptions while others have been forgotten over time (for very good reasons). But there’s still hope for an actual good adaptations of these beloved video games so let’s see which movies and TV series adaptations that are coming out later this year.

A post shared by Nintendo of America (@nintendoamerica)

The cast for the animated ‘SUPER MARIO BROS’ movie includes…

– Chris Pratt as Mario– Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach– Charlie Day as Luigi– Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong– Keegan Michael-Key as Toad– Jack Black as Bowser pic.twitter.com/mgVPIPC837

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 23, 2021

Starting off our list is a movie that has received some controversy for the casting of the main character Mario. The movie will be produced by Illumination in association with Nintendo, with distribution by Universal Pictures. It is the third feature film adaptation of Nintendo’s Mario video game series.

Fans were already excited and curious to find out if Mario’s English voice-actor Charles Martinet, who voiced Mario since 1992, would be reprising his role. To everyone’s surprise, MCU star Chris Pratt was announced as the voice of Mario. The movie is expected to be released in December 2022.

Update: It has since been postponed to 2023.

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So many things to be said about the “Cyberpunk 2077” game that was released back in 2020. The video game was highly anticipated by fans worldwide but met with a disastrous launch due the game suffering from numerous bugs and performance issues, particularly on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions.

But all is good now (we think) and it was announced back in November 2021 that the video game will have a Netflix anime adaptation series that is expected to arrive later this year in 2022.

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“Borderlands” is an action role-playing first-person looter shooter video game franchise set on the abandoned fictional planet of Pandora where people search for a mysterious relic. The movie is set to have the same setting as the video game.

“Borderlands” the movie will star Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart in the lead roles as Lilith and Roland, and will also include Jamie Lee Curtis and Jack Black. The movie is expected to be released by Lionsgate some time in 2022.

“The Division” is a role-playing game released in March 2016  that is set in a near future New York City in the aftermath of a viral pandemic (sounds too close to home). In June 2016, it was announced that a movie adaptation is in the works.

The movie adaptation will star Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain. Netflix purchased the distribution rights to the upcoming movie, and will exclusively release the feature through its streaming service. The movie is set for a 2022 release.

Check out this quick teaser of Sonic Prime, coming to @netflix! pic.twitter.com/rxdujSEtwu

— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) May 3, 2022

Sonic Prime is an upcoming animated TV series based on the video game franchise. Although there is no specific release date, the series was announced back in January that it will be coming to the small screens in 2022 on Netflix.

Not much is known about the animated adaptation. Other than it being in pre-production, the animated series will feature 24 episodes that will focus on the journey of self-discovery and redemption of our favourite blue hedgehog. So far, no cast has been revealed by the production so we’re just going to have to wait.

We’re not entirely sure how this one will look like in movie form as it was said to be a live-action adaptation. But regardless, “Minecraft” is an all-time favourite by many gamers of all ages all over the world.

The movie was originally set for a 2022 release but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the release date is currently unknown but there is still a chance of it being released by the end of the year. To get more excited, it was recently announced that “Aquaman” star Jason Momoa will star in the movie.

A post shared by The Last of Us HBO – Status (@hbosthelastofus)

We couldn’t possibly end this list without some honorable mentions. The “The Last Of Us” video game took the world by storm since its release back in 2013. The sequel was even voted as one of the top video games of 2020.

Fans were both excited and scared when it was announced that the video game series will have a TV series adaptation. The series stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. The “The Last Of Us” series is expected to be released in 2023.

2. Assassin’s Creed – Netflix Series (TBA)

After the controversial movie adaptation starring Michael Fassbender in 2016 was released, fans were wondering if there was ever going to be a sequel for the movie based on the video game franchise. It is confirmed that there will be no movie sequel in the (near) future.

However, Netflix announced that there will be multiple series adaptation of the video game. Not much is known about the series in terms of plot or what they mean by “multiple” (it could be spin-offs) and casts for these series are yet to be revealed. Only time will tell.

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Concert Review: How We Felt About Ronan Keating’s Solo Concert Compared To Boyzone

It was a wonderful Valentine’s Day date with Ronan Keating on Friday (14th February). Despite the many concert cancellations due to coronavirus, the “Love At 6118” show went on as usual.

The singer shared that he previously performed in Resorts World Genting 15 years ago! In between that period, he has made multiple trips to Kuala Lumpur with his former bandmates – Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch, and Keith Duffy.

At approximately 8:40pm, the lights dimmed and Keating kicked off his 18-song setlist with some of his earliest singles “Loving Each Day”, “The Way You Make Me Feel”, and “If Tomorrow Never Comes”. He was accompanied by a 3-men band, consisting of a guitarist, drummer and pianist – all of whom sang backup vocals too.

Dressed in jeans and a brown jacket over a collared shirt, the 43-year-old Irish singer jokingly asked if the guys were getting as much love as the ladies that night. “Don’t forget us, we guys have hearts too,” he said – much to the amusement of the crowd in the Arena of Stars.

Since the concert was titled “Love at 6118 – A Valentine’s Special with Ronan Keating”, audiences were treated with love songs from start to finish. What made this night special was Keating performing nostalgic duets we haven’t heard in a long time (the LeAnn Rimes duet “Last Thing on My Mind”), all time favourite “When You Say Nothing at All”, and his brand new song, “One Of A Kind”.

“One Of A Kind” is the first single taken from his upcoming 11th studio album “Twenty Twenty” (out 1st May). Here’s a fun fact: the song was written by Westlife members Shane Filan and Markus Feehily; plus it features Emeli Sandé. Even though the British songstress wasn’t present to perform the duet with Keating, her recorded vocals was played during the concert. The only drawback was that it sometimes overpowered Keating’s vocals.

Although the handsome pop star was just here in Malaysia in June 2019 for Boyzone’s encore farewell concert, he said, “I cannot fly all the way here from London without singing Boyzone’s songs now can I?” Judging from the loud cheers, fans didn’t mind listening to the boyband’s discography one bit.

We liked the fact “Father and Son” started off more stripped down, which gave us an intimate vibe. The lyrics of a father not understanding his child’s desire to break free really hit a soft spot with yours truly. The Boyzone hits included “Love Me for a Reason”, “All That I Need”, “Baby Can I Hold You”, and Keating’s personal favourite – “You Needed Me”.

One of the other highlights came when the singer-songwriter surprised everyone by walking down from stage during the “Picture Of You” number. Fans at the VVIP section rushed in-front to shake Keating’s hand and to give him a fist pump. Someone even gifted him with a bouquet of roses.

Shortly after “Brown Eyed Girl”, Keating exited the stage for a few minutes before returning to the stage to perform 3 more songs for his encore set. The night ended on a high note with his 2000 hit “Life Is A Rollercoaster”. All in all, it was a good mixture of everything. The intimacy of this concert was more enjoyable this time around and Keating’s vocals was sufficient in bringing us on a journey that ended too soon.

For many, it was their best Valentine’s Day yet ;)

Keating did teased that he may be returning to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore for another concert that will likely focus on songs from his new record. Sign us up for that one!


New K-pop Idol Group S.I.S Is Set To Charm Malaysians

South Korean rookie girl group S.I.S will be coming to Malaysia for the 1st time from 31st August to 2nd September 2018 for their “S.I.S First Charming Tour in Malaysia”.

Consisting of members Jihae (Leader), Dal (Main vocal), Minzy (Rap), Gaeul (Sub-vocal), Anne (Sub-vocal), and Sebin (Sub-vocal), the group recently debuted on 25th August 2017 with the single “I’ve Got a Feeling”.

A post shared by Yi Pin Studio (@yipin_studio)

Their group name stands for “Serendipity in Stars”, and it also serves as a short form for the word “sister”, referring to the group adorable “little sisters” image.

Brought to us by YiPin Studio, S.I.S will be stopping by at a couple of places in Kuala Lumpur. The venues include:-

Pre-Order is open NOW! Grab our limited items & opportunity to meet with lovely S.I.S face-to-face.Click link below 👇to place your pre-order.https://t.co/Uv9FpKrxHwClosing date : 27/8/2018#SISinMY #SIS #에스아이에스 #yipinstudio #kpop pic.twitter.com/p78gSNNGa5

— Yi Pin Studio (@YiPin_Studio) August 20, 2018

Visit YiPin Studio Facebook for more details.

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#TheNewMutants: X-Men Spin-Off Has Found Its Sunspot & Mirage

The “X-Men” franchise is shaping up to be something spectacular both on the big screen and small screen.

With shootings for “The New Mutants” expected to start next month, the main cast has finally been announced. In case you didn’t know, the new spinoff will shine the spotlight on a younger generation of mutant heroes.

As aforementioned, the Josh Boone-directed film will feature a number of lesser-known “New Mutants” characters including Magik, Wolfsbane, Dani Moonstar, Cannonball, Sunspot and Warlock. Rosario Dawson is in talks to play Dr. Celia Reyes, a mentor to these young heroes.

The Hollywood Reporter recently confirmed that “The Originals” actress Blu Hunt has been chosen to take on the role of Dani Moonstar. Meanwhile, “13 Reasons Why” actor Henry Zaga will be portraying Sunspot. Only the casting for Warlock remains to be announced.

Here are the characters confirmed for 20th Century Fox’s “The New Mutants” so far:

1. Roberto da Casta aka Sunspot (played by Henry Zaga)

Rio’s very own @zagahenry will play Sunspot #newmutants #xmen #brazil

A post shared by Josh Boone (@joshboonemovies) on Jun 1, 2017 at 6:25am PDT

Sunspot is a Brazilian self-styled ladies man. He has the ability to absorb and channel solar power.

2. Dani Moonstar aka Mirage (played by Blu Hunt)

After an exhaustive search we have found our #danimoonstar – thrilled to have @bluhunt in our #newmutants family!

A post shared by Josh Boone (@joshboonemovies) on Jun 2, 2017 at 11:49am PDT

She’s a Native American who can create illusions drawn from fears and desires of the human mind.

3. Illyana Rasputin aka Magik (played by Anya Taylor-Joy)

As the younger sister of Colossus, she has learned the ways of sorcery and uses teleportation discs to travel.

4. Rahne Sinclair aka Wolfsbane (played by Maisie Williams)

This Scottish mutant can turn into a werewolf, although her powers clashes with her religious beliefs.

5. Sam Guthrie aka Cannonball (played by Charlie Heaton)

Hails from Kentucky, Cannonball is able to propel himself through the air, which makes him invincible to any attack.

What are your thoughts on the casting news? Yay or nay? Leave us a comment below!

“The New Mutants” is slated for release on 13th April 2018.

Sources: Movie Web, The Hollywood Reporter.

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