#SailorJerry: 5 Ways To Spice Up Your Happy Hour!

After a long day and getting through the evening rush hour, we’d want what everybody else wants – kick back, relax, no fuss, and more importantly, no nonsense. Hence, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum has become our bestfriend! On its own, rum has traditionally been the most prolific o the world’s spirits. But wait, who would’ve thought that a straight-up, no-nonsense rum could come from the guys behind a pop clothing brand in Philadelphia?

See, the guys who started the company were Sailor Jerry fans through and through. They created Sailor Jerry Limited to keep alive the legacy of a man named Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins. So, it was a natural move to create a spiced rum in his name and when a cult following started to grow around the rum, it started to outsell anything else they made.

Why a cult following, you ask? Mainly because Sailor Jerry’s master blenders have managed to infused rum with one-of-a-kind mix of spices and other natural flavours, most notably vanilla and a touch of cinnamon. Thus, making the rum less crude and harsh, resulting in a high-quality, old-school spiced rum that’s versatile enough for a variety of cocktails to suit a person’s palate. We would know, we’ve tried it ourselves, thanks to our friends from Sailor Jerry Malaysia!

Here are some ways to arm yourselves with a trusty bottle of Sailor Jerry rum and spice up your happy hour after a long day (or week)!

3. Shave & a Haircut (Our personal favourite!)

More importantly, the above Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum cocktails are best enjoyed shoes off, kicked back, and cold (the drink, not you).

For more interesting recipes, hit up this link.


#Movies: World’s First HeliPad Cinema Returns With Moonlit Movies For November & December

After the success of last month’s Reel Classic October, Asia’s first HeliPad Cinema is set to thrill moviegoers again with a 2nd round of movie selections, themed Moonlit Movies 2016.

If you couldn’t get enough of the 360-degree panoramic view of the city while enjoying the ultimate movie experience under the stars, HeliPad Cinema is giving you another excuse to head up to Stratosphere @ The Roof again.

Similar to the previous outdoor cinema experience, Moonlit Movies 2016 will run for 10 days, between 29th November to 9th December 2016. Get ready to be captivated by a whole new line of classic films, where 1 movie will be screened per day. In conjunction with The Roof’s 3rd anniversary, HeliPad Cinema’s upcoming movies are from the years 1993, 2003, and 2013.

Due to overwhelming response, HeliPad Cinema has added more than 1 movie screening to certain dates. In case you didn’t know, tickets for Reel Classic October were sold out within 3 days! So hurry up and make your reservations early before all the tickets get snapped up.

Brought to you by The Roof, the details for HeliPad Cinema’s November Moonlit Movie Screenings are as follows:

For more information or to book tickets, head on over to HeliPad Cinema’s official website here.

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5 Things We Learned From 88 Rising’s Gig In Malaysia (Feat Rich Chigga, Joji)

Over the weekend, KL Live’s roof was absolutely blown off for two nights in a row, thanks to our good friends from Heineken! On Friday night, legendary electronic music star, Tiesto rocked the stage and reminded fans of why he will always be one of the greatest ever DJ to have graced the scene.

But 24 hours later, the boys from 88 Rising took over KL Live and completely stole the stage with sets that left the crowd wanting for more at the end of it. Joji, Higher Brothers, Rich Chigga and even their resident touring DJ, Don Krez were all present as 88 Rising made their official Malaysian debut. Here are five things we learned from the gig!

If you’ve checked out Joji’s debut EP – “In Tongues” – you’re probably as mesmerized as we are about the combination of trap sounds with distinct lo-fi vibes in it. But when you consider that this is a guy who has successfully made the transition from being a crude YouTube comedian under the ‘Filthy Frank’ and ‘Pink Guy’ banner to a ‘trap n b’ artist that’s topping iTunes charts, it just gets much better. On stage last weekend, Joji encapsulated it all by showing that he isn’t only great at producing tracks, but he’s also equally capable of enchanting a live crowd with his quirky and original persona on stage. His tracks aren’t only worth listening when you’re driving through the Federal Highway on a rainy evening. They are equally worth listening when you’re all crammed up like a sardine can in a concert venue with him on stage. Word has it that Joji is looking to release several more singles in the months to come and maybe even a new EP next year. After last weekend, we definitely can’t wait for it to come out!

There’s something really surreal about watching a bunch of multiracial Malaysians jumping and going absolutely mad to four Chinese trap rap artists from Chengdu. There was a bit of gap between Joji and Higher Brothers but when the four boys, who decided to name themselves after air-conditioner brand ‘Haier’, show up on stage, the entire crowd completely went berserk. Their songs have a wacky undertone to it – imagine an entire rap album that’s made up of songs like ‘Made in China’, ‘WeChat’, ‘7Eleven’, ‘Room Service’. But their heavy trap beats are constantly at the forefront of their tracks, which never fails to get any crowd hyped up. Multiple rappers have made attempts to breakthrough the Great Wall of China but thanks to 88 Rising’s outstanding work and trap rap’s rise to prominence, the Higher Brothers are well on their way to taking over the mainstream world.

When Brian Immanuel first broke into the rap scene as Rich Chigga, what captured most people, including the likes of Ghostface Killah, Goldblink and even Cam’ron was just the unique charisma he had in his music video for ‘Dat $tick’. While every rapper who was trying to make it in the United States wanted to wear jumpers, gold chains and pull off the ‘Bronx’ look, Rich Chigga wore a pink polo tee that was nicely tucked into his khaki shorts with a Reebok waist pack around his hips. Last weekend, in the middle of his performance, Rich Chigga decides to engage with his fans in the most Rich Chigga way. What does he do? Throw a scarf? Attempt to crowd surf? Of course not. He decided to offer a bottle of mineral water to one fan. How do you not go far in your career with a persona like that? 2018 is your year, Brian. Time to glow like that.

88 RISING’S ROLE AS A DISRUPTER IN HIP HOP

Would it be an overstatement to suggest that 88 Rising has been the biggest shift in hip hop this year? We’ve had multiple big movements, artists, albums and records emerging throughout 2017 – including Kendrick Lamar’s outstanding work in ‘DAMN’ as well as Tyler the Creator’s Flower Boy. But the work 88 Rising has put into growing its brand and the artists they represent has been phenomenal. Less than a year after Rich Chigga broke the internet with ‘Dat $tick’, he performed in the United States for the first time. A few months later, he was back in the States for his very own ‘Come to my Party’ tour. He was then joined by Joji and Higher Brothers for an Asian tour that’s still ongoing. Best part? The entire crew, including Keith Ape, will be hitting the US in February 2018 for a tour that’s destined to change the game. Chinese trap rappers rattling cages in the birth place of hip hop. That’s quite something isn’t it?

Malaysia has always been a crucial pit-stop for major artists that are looking to tour in Asia, thanks to the good work done by guys at places like Future Sound Asia (thank you for bringing 88 Rising!) and even Livescape Group. But hip hop’s growing influence across the region means that the time is perfect for more hip hop acts to be flown over for gigs. Djakarta Warehouse Project is featuring hip hop artists for the first time this year, while the 88 Rising show in Malaysia sold out an at incredible pace (crashing the ticketing website along the way as well). The demand is there. The influence is growing. It’s time to jump on the bandwagon and allow Malaysia to be infused by unparalled bars.

BONUS: Check out a short video clip I took of a bunch of multiracial Malaysians completely going crazy to Higher Brothers’ ‘Made in China’. Insane!


In Cinemas This 2014

Box office hits, Oscar nominees, Golden Globe winners — 2013 was a great year for movies as it was the year that brought us Gravity, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, 12 Years A Slave, Her, American Hustle and The Act of Killing; to name a few.

With such big hits in 2013, can 2014 match up or even outshine the 2013 list of movies? Hype.My certainly believes that 2014 will be an event greater year for movies. Out of all the movies that is set for release this 2014, here are top 10 movies that we at Hype.My are looking forward to most:

4. Captain America: Winter Soldier – April 4th.

7. X-Men: Days Of Future Past – May 23rd.

8. How To Train Your Dragon 2 – June 13th.

The picture below is a list of all the movies set for release this 2014. Which one are you looking forward to the most?


#Bricksy: Photographer’s LEGO Interpretation of Banksy’s Art

Thanks to the release of “The LEGO Movie” (and perhaps some hardcore LEGO fans like ourselves), the toys have reclaimed their former glory. They were immensely popular back in the 80s and today, they’re just as popular if not more. From the acquisition of new and younger fans (read: “The LEGO Movie”) to the fans that have matured into collectors, it’s no doubt that the success of LEGO has made it quite possibly the most famous toy in the world.

So much so that even photographers have found good uses for the minifigs and LEGO bricks. Case in point, internationally acclaimed photographer Jeff Friesen. By using LEGO bricks, he recreated well-known and controversial street artist Banksy’s famous art pieces:

With a pun, some humour and a dash of wit thrown in the works, Jeff calls this series, “Bricksy” and explains that, “Bricksy is an edgy, underground LEGO street artist. He is rumoured to have inspired Banksy’s iconic works, or is that the other way around?” Clever!

Jeff has a whole series of LEGO photography called, “The Brick Fantastic”. Check out his LEGO-inspired work here because, yes, everything (in there) is awesome.

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Angelina Jolie Loses Aunt To Breast Cancer

Angelina Jolie‘s aunt died of breast cancer on Sunday, a hospital spokeswoman in California said, nearly two weeks after the actress wrote about electing to have a double mastectomy after learning she had inherited a high risk of breast cancer.

Debbie Martin, the younger sister of Jolie’s mother, died at age 61 at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, near San Diego. Her husband, Ron Martin, told Britain’s Sky News that his wife had the same defective BRCA1 gene as Jolie.

This is, of course, cutting it way too close for the Oscar-winning film star. On 14th May,  Angelina Jolie, revealed that she had a double mastectomy in a piece in the New York Times, saying she hoped her story would inspire other women fighting the life-threatening disease. She wrote that she went through with the operation in part to reassure her six children that she would not die young from cancer, as her own mother did.

Angelina Jolie’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died of breast cancer in 2007 at age 56.


“Hey Grammy Artistes, Cover Up!”

In 2004, major US commercial broadcasting television network CBS Broadcasting Inc. (CBS) was slapped with a USD550,000 (RM1.65 million) fine by the Federal Communications Commission for airing a glimpse of Janet Jackson’s breast when her costume “slipped” while singing at the Super Bowl half-time. Albeit brief, that “moment” was seen by millions.

We don’t doubt that though judging by how huge the Super Bowl is.

As the other widely watched annual event creeps just around the corner, the broadcaster doesn’t want to taking any more chances. In a “wardrobe advisory”, CBS asked Grammy performers to cover up and to keep their, uh, body parts under wraps. The “warning” was also directed to the nominees, musicians, and other attendees who are likely to appear on camera on 10th February 2013 (Sunday).

The memo that came from the desk of the CBS standards and practices department specifically stated:

Please be sure that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered. Thong type costumes are problematic. Please avoid exposing bare flesh under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack. Obscenity or partially seen obscenity on wardrobe is unacceptable for broadcast.

This means that some of the most “epic” Grammy outfits of all time such as Toni Braxton’s 2001 Grammys dress, Jennifer Lopez’s Kleenex “barely there” Versace dress as well as more recent outfits worn by Lady Gaga and Pink are definitely “unsuitable”.

Meanwhile, to view the full  list of the 55th Annual Grammy Awards nominees, click!


#Battles: NY-Based Experimental Rock Band To Return To KL This December

It has been a little more than 6 years since New York-based experimental rock band Battles was here in Kuala Lumpur for their first gig in Malaysia.

With the release of their 3rd album “La Di Da Di”, the band will be making their way back to KL this December as part of their Asia tour.

Battles is founded in 2002 by Ian Williams (formerly of Don Caballero and Storm & Stress). It consists of Williams himself as guitarist/keyboardist, Dave Konopka as guitarist/bassist, and John Stanier as drummer.

The 3-piece rock band and their music can’t be defined by a certain adjective. Sure, the rock genre is their driving musical force, but their sounds are usally distorted and computerised beyond recognition. Their composition style is incredibly unique and instruments are used in strange ways as well.

Explaining their sound with a tangent full of adjectives still won’t do their brand of art rock justice.

Having performed in other countries like Tokyo and Berlin, Battles has a notorious reputation as a live act.

Before meeting their Singaporean fans at next year’s Laneway Festival in Singapore, Battles will first meet their Malaysian fans in Kuala Lumpur. Soundscape Records is delighted to announce that the band is coming back to KL for a one-night-only performance since their remarkable debut Malaysian show back in 2009.

Limited early bird tickets are on sale right now and it available via Peatix. One early bird ticket is priced at RM128. The price for a pre-sale ticket is RM148 while door prices are RM170 for one ticket.

Support act for the show will be announced, so stay tuned to our site for future updates.

Listen to their latest single, “The Yabba”, below:

For more information about the band, visit their official website and Facebook page.

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(UPDATE) #Proton: Car Manufacturer To Recall 100,000 Units Of Exora, Preve, & Suprima

Proton Holdings Bhd will recall almost 100,000 units of its Exora, Preve, and Suprima models to fix the CFE oil cooler hoses starting today.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Abdul Harith Abdullah, said these models face problems with their oil cooler hoses, which would break down when the cars reach an average mileage of 40,000km due to the degradation of internal hose/tube material.

“We will call the owners and the priority will be given to the cars with mileage of 40,000km and above. We hope to finish this in the next six months,” he told reporters at the preview of the new Proton Perdana in Shah Alam today (16th February, Tuesday).

Apparently, Proton has known about the problem prior to the recall but chose to keep mum about it. Instead, the manufacturer quietly replaced the items only when car owners brought their cars in for maintenance.

MMO quoted Proton CEO Datuk Abdul Harith Abdullah as saying, “We don’t like to tell or shout about our weakness. Most of the time what we did was we wait for the customers to come in to send their car in for the next service, we will log in and we can see pop up in our computer ‘Okay this car we have to change this item because of the service fix programme.'”

“If the customers doesn’t come, then the tendency is the problem happens,” he added.

Datuk Harith Abdullah also said that the “painful” admission was necessary if Proton wants to remain relevant to Malaysia.

Sources: Bernama via malaysiakini, MMO, The Star Online / Featured image from Proton.


#MalaysiaBoleh: 6 M’sian Start-Ups That Offer Services You Never Knew You Needed

Previously, we featured our favourite apps that help us keep our pledge to #eatclean on track. We’ve also talked about the best “om nom” apps that every Malaysian foodie should have. So it was only a matter of time before we turned our attention to homegrown start-ups that offer interesting services to Malaysians.

Interesting as in, services that Malaysians probably never knew about or imagined that they would need. Or, you know, services that you needed but never thought existed :)

True, this service isn’t entirely new (it has been around since September 2014) but it does come in handy once in a while! TheLorry.com is an innovative solution to all your logistical needs so if you need to move houses, or cart things for your business/company, these are your people. All you need to do is ask and they will provide you with an instant quotation in under 30 seconds, and the price is fixed and transparent. How nifty is that! TheLorry.com also partners with reputable and experienced vendors to ensure that your goods will be transported safely and securely to your final destination. Currently, they have more than 100 transporters and a network of over 450 lorries as well as vans spread throughout the nation.

For more information, visit their website.

Oh, you know us Malaysians, we love to eat. But sometimes, we resort to eating alone aka solo dining because we either don’t have the luxury of time or because we can’t seem to find anyone else who has the luxury of time. Never fear, Lunch Kaki is here! Lunch Kaki is a social networking app designed to help ordinary folks get out there and socialise with like-minded people during lunch. You can even pick a lunch buddy that fits your exact preference such as gender, age range, and proximity. Not only will it guarantee you a not so #foreveralone lunch, it’d also make networking a whole lot easier.

Pet lovers, here’s your chance to reach out to other pet lovers like you for help, and help them back in return at the same time! Petsodia is a service that’s a little like Airbnb, but for your beloved furkid(s). It was founded  in 2014 by one Patrick Chang who firmly believes that your pet shouldn’t have a bad experience just because you need to be away for business/vacation. Now, we know that pet boarding places have gained a questionable reputation due to the Petknode incident, so why not let another pet lover babysit your four-legged loved one? You can even offer to be a “pet-sitter” in return and earn some moolah while you’re at it ;)

Raya is approaching and you know what that means! You need to get your car in tip-top shape in preparation for the festive season. And we know just the app to make it easier for you – the newly launched CarBengkel. It’s an all-in-one app for your car troubles and maintenance which connects you to the nearest car workshop in your hour of need, whether you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere when your car breaks down or you simply want some help sending your car for its regular maintenance checks. The app provides a competitive solution to their automotive needs through the most reasonably priced services and repair as well as having the platform to request for quotation for any services and/or repair for their vehicle. You can also benefit from the convenient of having their car being picked up for servicing or repair.

It’s true, not all of us have enough free time in our hands to do things like picking up clothes from the dry cleaner’s 20km away or driving to DiGi to buy a new iPhone 6. Some of us are simply too busy, while others, whether they admit it or not, are lazy. Simply put, Be Malas (or Be Lazee) challenges you to do just that one thing – to go ahead and be lazy. Founded by Malaysians, Be Malas is a service that uses real people to help you with all your requests – so long as it’s legal. Whether it’s picking up your lunch or helping you with your taxes, anything you want is just a text message away. Why we love Be Malas? Because it’s a nationwide service, allowing all Malaysians to be, well, “malas” ;)

Renting a property has just been made that much more easier now that the Sawya app has been created! Said to be the only virtual property agent app in the country, it promises to deliver an awesome property renting experience with just a few clicks. Need a space you can call home for a while? If you spot anything interesting that calls out to you on Sawya, you can message the landlords directly and negotiate a suitable price. After which, to finalise the deal, you’d need to meet the said landlord in person. If you’ve got a space to rent, well, Saywa can help you with that too! All you need to do is upload pictures of your property to get on the market so that potential tenants can find you.

And there you have it! Easy peasy ways to get things done thanks to innovative Malaysians. Such visionaries ;) Got any Malaysian start-ups with awesome services that you think we need to add to the above list? Drop us the details in the comments box below!

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Birds Of Prey: Ewan McGregor Hints That Black Mask May Be Gay

To quote NewNowNext, is “Birds of Prey” simply badass or queer-baiting?

“Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn” (full title) is set to premiere soon. However, it’s interesting to note that the latest topic of discussion is surrounding Roman Sionis aka Black Mask.

Played by Ewan McGregor, the Clown Queen of Crime and the rest of the Birds will be facing off against the slightly lesser-known big-screen villain. During a recent interview, Variety quizzed McGregor on whether his Black Mask character and fellow villain Victor Zsasz (played Chris Messina) are lovers.

“So are you guys gay in the movie?” reporter Marc Malkin asked. “It’s very complicated,” McGregor said. “Their relationship is very much based…there’s a want and a need in there for sure.” Messina added, “There’s like a real love of anarchy.” McGregor then finished with, “More than likely, yes.”

So it appears that Roman Sionis and Victor Zsasz’s “speculated romance” will left up to audiences’ interpretation on how they see fit. Having said that, Comic Book Movie pointed out that Renee Montoya’s sexuality won’t be a question mark as it is already known that comedian Ali Wong plays the character’s ex-girlfriend.

“Birds of Prey” takes place after “Suicide Squad” but it isn’t sticking to a rigid timeframe. Although Jared Leto’s Joker isn’t going to be in this DC film, his presence will play a role to Black Mask’s madness.

“He has to be in absolute control,” McGregor explained. “He’s insane when he’s not in control. We only see him in his club, in his car, in his apartment – or at the end when he’s running around. But really I feel like we only ever see him in places he controls. And then Harley comes into this world and she’s uncontrollable. It drives him mad. He hates it.”

The 48-year-old continued, “It plays into the exploration of misogyny in the film. He’s only ever put up with Harley because she was Joker’s girlfriend. So that was the only reason he ever put up with her, because (Joker) was all-powerful. But as soon as (Roman) realises that Harley’s man is out of the picture, she becomes a problem. That makes him a true misogynist. Harley is trying to find her freedom – the emancipation of Harley Quinn, right? She’s trying to find her voice. She’s not getting her power from her partner anymore.”


#BonOdori2017: Annual Japanese Dance Festival To Be Held On 22nd July

Time to get your yukatas (summer kimono) out because the 41st “Bon Odori” Dance Festival is coming to town this month!

Organised by JCKL (Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur), the Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur, and the Embassy of Japan, the highly anticipated annual event will be held at Kompleks Sukan Negara Shah Alam on 22nd July.

Bon Odori (which literally means Bon Dance) is a Nenbutsu folk dance to welcome the spirits of the dead during Obon. The annual festival is a Japanese Buddhist observance that honours the spirits of ancestors, who return once an year to visit their families.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Malaysia and the Land of the Rising Sun, there will also be a special fireworks display during the one-day-only festival.

Details for  the 41st “Bon Odori” Dance Festival are as follows:

Note: Admission for the event is free! There will also be a free shuttle bus service from Shah Alam KTM station to the stadium.

For more info, hit up the event’s Facebook page and JCKL’s website.

Source: The 41st “Bon Odori” Dance Festival’s Facebook page / Featured image: JCKL.

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Review: Spector’s “Enjoy It While It Lasts” LP

Here’s an album you can’t possible not enjoy – Spector’s debut album, “Enjoy It While It Lasts”. You may remember that one time when we spoke to Chris Burman of the fun-loving band, yes? We couldn’t go without properly reviewing the album.

Their album in a nutshell? If we could give them an acceptance speech of some sort, we’d like to thank them for bringing back good, uplifting music. Honest!

Firstly, before you pop the songs into your CD player or your iTunes, you best prepare for an out-of-this-world musical adventure. At first listen, “Enjoy It While It Lasts” would remind you of the good old days of Pulp. Remember Pulp? Remember having to restrain from bobbing your heads shamelessly to those sounds? Yup. Like that.

Songs like “No Adventure” and “Chevy Thunder”, for example, are jam-packed with energy:

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

If you could filter out some rubbish that you hear on the radio these days, and just carefully pick out strings of melodies, you’d most likely get pure pop without the frills and “try hard”s, right?

Well, that’s what Spector is all about – minus the need to filter. Also, might we add that the UK indie rockers appear to have a knack for romanticizing listeners with quirky lyrics:

I could never leave you girl (leave you)

I would rather leave this world (believe me)

Ace! Now, who said that indie bands can’t dish it out when they need to?

Of course, “Enjoy It While It Lasts” is not just filled with enthusiastic tunes (which are good for long drives and rush hour traffic jams). Hidden within the LP is the ballad, “Never Fade Away”, written and sung in full Spector gusto but still sweet, nonetheless. This anthem to love would make you think, “Oh, it’s perfectly okay to wear my heart on my sleeve after all because Spector says so!”

We would know. We’re wearing our hearts on our sleeves for them. Bobbing our heads to the songs on “Enjoy It While It Lasts” all at the same time, too.

But don’t just take our word for it. Check out Spector’s YouTube channel to listen to more of their pop-infested music. For more information on the band, visit their official website.

They’re also on Twitter, you know. If you want to stalk them. But don’t tell them we said that.


6 Exciting Highlights At Asia Comic Con (ACC) 2018

Malaysia’s 1st ever Asia Comic Con (ACC) open its doors today at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre, and Hype Malaysia were there to witness the grand launch!

Launched by regional founder Krit Vitayasamrit alongside Malaysian partners and organisers, the convention gathers the best fandoms under one roof with 6 unique zones dedicated to comics, movies, series, manga, anime, toys, gaming, and cosplay.

Dubbed as Malaysia’s biggest pop culture event to date, ACC will take place for 3 whole days, starting from today, 13th July until 15th July 2018.

So if you plan on going for the Asia Comic Convention 2018 this weekend, here are some of the event’s highlights that you can expect.

Gamers, gather up! The football fever lives on in this competition which has a total prize pool worth RM50,000. Local game freaks can register online via mygameon.my/moh-skor to compete in FIFA online 3 and FIFA18, or maybe take up the fantasy challenge in Mobile Legends!

From the life-sized Magneto’s Chair to Batman’s Tumbler and Batpod, various original artworks and props from the original films and anime are on display for the first time ever.

Check out rare and premium collectibles from XM Studio which features prototype statues from Marvel and DC movie franchises such as “The Avengers”, “X-Men”, “Batman”, “Superman”, and more. Be sure to get your hands on limited edition accessories, arts and crafts from the Japanese Street which sells original products from Bandai, Pokemon Plush, Marvel Apparels, Funko Pop, Hot Wheels, and Transformers.

Enter the world of Dragon Quest, one of Square Enix’s famous game series which was created by Yuji Horii with Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball’s artist) as the character designer. Fans of the games will be able to see various three-dimensional and also miniature model of famous scenes from the iconic game.

Grab yourself a deck of cards and challenge others in a variety of popular card games like “Magic: The Gathering”, “Dungeons & Dragons”, and “Warhammer”.

Come and meet international ani-song singers like NoB who was most known for singing the theme for the “Saint Seiya” anime series and the “Super Sentai” (Japanese Power Rangers) series like “GoGo Sentai Boukenger” and “Tensou Sentai Goseiger”, and also Mao, the singer behind the iconic “Doraemon” theme “Yume wo Kanaete”.

There are also performances by Thai-Japanese idol groups Siam Dream and Sweat16, and other performers such as Higashi Kitty Band, Miracle Beats, and Luna Lorrain.

Tickets for ACC 2018 can be purchased HERE.

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Who’s Next? 2NE1 Loves? What’s Up, YG Entertainment?

Things are heating up at the YG Entertainment HQ as they’ve just released a few ambiguous teasers. Not too long ago, they sent fangirls and fanboys into a frenzy of anticipation when they steadily released Lee Hi’s debut piece by piece over social media channels. And now, they’re doing it again!

Yesterday, YG Entertainment tweeted a picture of a poster that said, “WHO’S NEXT?” and, well, nothing else aside from the list of names of their artistes who might or might not be releasing new music. Right now, so many releases have been delayed e.g. Taeyang’s (of BIGBANG) comeback album, YG Entertainment’s supposed new girl group, 2NE1’s comeback album, G-Dragon’s (of BIGBANG) full album, that it’s hard to guess who they’re referring to:

Though 2NE1’s text on the poster seem to outshine the other names. Just saying! Oh, but at least there’s a date for the reveal – 28th May 2013.

See, here’s the thing though, soon after the initial poster teaser was released, a video teaser made its way around the interwebs. Titled, “2NE1 Loves Vol.1 – CL Loves”, the video came with a link to a website here.

2NE1 LOVES Vol.1 – CL LOVES from 2ne1loves on Vimeo.

Not sure why the video was uploaded on a separate channel or why there’s a separate website for the teaser. And we’re not even sure if the video is in any way related to the poster. The “2NE1 Loves Vol.1 – CL Loves” video features mostly 2NE1’s leader, CL but it does end on a frame that includes the other three 2NE1 members, Dara, Bom, and Minzy.

Which led us to think that there might be other “volumes” waiting to be released? Yes?

The second and third teaser videos, “2NE1 Loves Vol.2 – DARA LOVES” and “2NE1 Loves Vol.3 – BOM LOVES” have been released! Same music, same concept, and a very pretty Dara and Park Bom. Check it.

2NE1 LOVES Vol.2 – DARA LOVES from 2ne1loves on Vimeo.

2NE1 LOVES Vol.3 – BOM LOVES from 2ne1loves on Vimeo.

Here comes Minzy’s version, along with an updated “Who’s Next?” poster! We’re getting warmer, aren’t we?

2NE1 LOVES Vol.4 – MINZY LOVES from 2ne1loves on Vimeo.

In addition to that, YG Entertainment stated, “Starting from the 28th to the end of this year, a lot of YGE artists plan to make their comebacks. As 28th is the starting date, CEO Yang Hyun Suk and the agency artists and staff are preparing hard for it”.

CL’s (2NE1’s leader) first solo single in five whole years? Does this also mean that the “2NE1 Loves” teasers are for an entirely different project? We have more YG Entertainment goodness to look forward to?


Hype’s Now Playing: Colbie Caillat – Live It Up

Colbie Marie Caillat is an American pop singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist from Malibu, California. She debuted in 2007 with Coco, which included hit singles “Bubbly” and “Realize”. In 2008, she recorded a duet with Jason Mraz, “Lucky”, which won a Grammy. After which, she released “Breakthrough” in 2009, which went on to earn her a nomination for “Best Pop Vocal Album” at the 2010 Grammy Awards. Long story short, to date, she has won two awards from four Grammy nominations, including “Album of the Year” (as featured artiste).

Now that’s a lot for someone who only debuted less than 10 years ago, on top of her humble MySpace beginnings!

The last time we (officially) heard from Colbie Caillat was when she released a Christmas album in 2012. So imagine our crazy excitement when we found out that she has a new single out! “Live It Up” comes right off her new EP, “Gypsy Heart Side A”. To live up to the song’s “reputation”, Colbie went all out to do something that she has probably never done before for a music video. Gotta give it to the girl; she’s got guts.

So much cray, but we’ve got so much love for her! Can’t wait to listen to her EP a thousand times over. Want it? You too can purchase “Gypsy Heart” off iTunes here.

For more information, visit her official website, Facebook page, or keep up with her via Twitter.

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The Person Nick Fury Was Going To Meet In Avengers: Infinity War’s Post-Credits Scene Revealed

During the post-credits scene in “Avengers: Infinity War“, Nick Fury and Maria Hill were on their way to meet someone. Sadly, they were turned into dust thanks to Thanos’ snap with the Infinity Gauntlet that decimated half of the population.

A user on Reddit recently revealed the person’s identity. Here’s a hint: you’ve seen the character before in “Captain America: Civil War”.

The person in question is Cameron Klein. Before Nick Fury put in a call to Captain Marvel, he was seen telling Maria Hill while driving, “Tell Klein we’ll meet him at –” right when a driverless SUV in front of them spins around and crashes.

Cameron Klein was first introduced in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” as a former S.H.I.E.L.D. technician. He remained loyal to Steve Rogers even when Brock Rumlow/Crossbones held him at gun point to the back of his head. He was also seen helping Nick Fury during the Battle of Sokovia in “Avengers: Age of Ultron”.

When Nick was instructing Maria to contact Cameron Klein to meet them in Wakanda, it probably was because his expertise was needed to launch a new rescue mission. Keeping that in mind, fans speculate that “Klein” was name-dropped in “Infinity War” for a reason.

Assuming he survived Thanos’ snap, he could be instrumental in helping the Avengers OGs in possibly traverse space and/or time in order to stop the Mad Titan in “Avengers: Endgame“.

“Avengers: Endgame” will debut in Malaysia 2nd May 2019.


“Nobody” Review: A Strong Contender For The Best Action Film Of 2021

2014’s “John Wick” heralded a renaissance of sorts for gritty rated-R action films. Proving to the world that there was still a market wide enough for dirty, blood-soaked rogues carving their way through cinema. Since then, we’ve seen blockbusters such as the likes of Charlize Theron’s “Atomic Blonde” to arthouse innovations such as “Upgrade”. Each auteur trying to leave their mark on the genre. It seems even comedian-actor Bob Odenkirk wants in on the action. He’s best known for his role as Saul Goodman on the phenomenal “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” series.

The man has amazing comedic timing and is one hell of a dramatic actor, there’s no question there. An action-hero star though? We had our reservations. Thankfully, we are happy to report that Odenkirk and company do not disappoint. Delivering on a thrilling, bullet-riddled hell of a time!

The plot of “Nobody” is most definitely not trying to reinvent the wheel here. The film follows the life of one Hutch Mansell. A retired auditor, code for badass super-operative, for some unknown organisation. He gave all of that up though so he could start a family. He’s settled into a fairly unremarkable domestic routine. That’s all broken upon his failure to defend his family in a house robbery one night. Now, he’s back to his old ways, to regain his honour and to exact vengeance upon those who wronged him. One thing leads to another and this ordinary nobody becomes the target of some very powerful men.

It’s right out of the playbook from films like “The Equalizer” and “Taken”. “Nobody” is more than aware of its generic premise and smartly plays it up for laughs. Writer Derek Kolstad, the man who penned the scripts for the “John Wick” trilogy, knows his way around the dormant-warrior trope by this time. He forsakes the need to go into lengthy exposition surrounding Hutch’s secret past. This isn’t “The Bourne Identity”, this is a loud, fun action movie and Kolstad knows it! In fact, there are moments in which the script pokes fun at the genre. Especially when Hutch’s attempt to monologue on his chequered past falls on deaf ears.

It certainly helps that the film’s pacing never skips a beat. It is relentless. In record time, it establishes the minimum amount of emotional weight and stakes needed before throwing us into Hutch’s first battle with a gang of thugs. Those accustomed of Wickian-style world-building may find this bare-bones approach to the film’s premise lazy and lacklustre. Well too bad, nerd! “Nobody” isn’t here to be narratively complex, it’s here to kick ass and take names. Which is exactly what it does.

Not unlike “John Wick”, the action in “Nobody” is nothing short of utterly visceral. It’s easy for action-films to phone it in and rely on slow-motion fight scenes and shaky-cam techniques to hide stuntmen. God forbid, they take a page out of the choppy, rapidly-edited fight scenes from the “Fast and the Furious” films. There’s none of that here. You get to see Odenkirk’s face in full view as he goes to town on wave after wave of Russian baddies coming his way.

Remember that bus scene in the trailer in which he faces down five thugs single-handedly. Believe us when we say that the fight choreography there is far more brutal and glorious than you can ever imagine. “Nobody” steers far away from the clean, untouchable male-empowerment fantasy for grounded, and frankly more engaging, street-level brawls. We’re talking broken teeth and snapped limbs. From then on, “Nobody” continues its momentum with a lethal combination of cathartic melees and satisfying gunplay.

That is until it reaches the obligatory big shoot-out. The third act is where the film falters with it abandoning its tight and nasty close-ups for a finale that’s a little more bombastic, if not explosive. We would have preferred a final confrontation with a tad more edge and intimacy. Perhaps a jaw-dropping knife fight or a winded stand-off. It attempts to make for it with a few neat siege-trap sequences but it overall feels devoid of any heft. That aside, “Nobody” does a great job in delivering the thrills and spills in the action department. Nonetheless, a promising start for a future franchise.

Without a doubt, Odenkirk’s performance as Hutch is the highlight of the entire film. He is the heart and muscle that holds this entire action-packed affair together. We’re still in utter disbelief at how Odenkirk went from playing dad-bod, sleazy lawyers to muscled-up badasses in the span of two years. It isn’t all aesthetics though. The man has put in the work and training in honing his skills as a proper stuntman as well. Most of the stunts and fights you see on-screen are his own, with minimal doubles. Odenkirk went through hell for us and it shows!

While his physical performance is impressive to say the least, the actor doesn’t quite embody the iconic stoicism of Liam Neeson or Denzel Washington. His attempts to do so at the beginning feel stiff but as time goes on, Odenkirk settles into a swagger that feels more natural. The bad guys here live only to be cannon fodder. Once again, the Eastern European / Russian crime organisation assumes the position. They are serviceable and do a decent enough job to propel the plot forward. Still, we can’t help but feel bad for Albanians and Russians.

Make no mistake, “Nobody” is here to make actor Bob Odenkirk look like a badass and we are utterly convinced. Incorporating the best of the new wave of stylistic gritty action films before it, “Nobody” proudly earns its spot among their ranks. It’s not quite the crème of the crop but the potential is certainly there. If you’re a fan of Keanu Reeves’ “John Wick” films, you owe it to yourself to give “Nobody” a watch. And who knows, we may just see Hutch and Mr Wick cross paths in a future film. You can now catch it at your local cinemas today!

So what do you think of “Nobody”? Are there any other comedians or actors you think have what it takes to become action stars? Be sure to let us know in the comments down below!

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Upfront Presents The Jungle Giants Live At The Bee

All the way from Brisbane, Australia, The Jungle Giants are made up off Sam Hales, Cesira Aitken, Andrew Dooris and Keelan Bijker. Ever since their first performance in February 2011, things have skyrocketed for the band as they have since released two EPs, gain an ever increasing fan base, undertaken countless national tours, and completed recording sessions for their first full-length release in 2013.

The album, entitled “Learn To Exist”, marks for the band’s debut album and it is a concept in itself, for the most-part an autobiographical collection of songs penned by front man Sam Hales. “Learn To Exist” also marks the beginning of a long-lasting, exuberant adventure for The Jungle Giants.

Undeniably one of the hottest indie rock bands today, The Jungle Giants will be making their way to Kuala Lumpur this April as part of the Upfront Series. Event details are as follows:

Ticketing details: RM88 (pre-sale) RM108 (At the door)

Pre-sale tickets can be purchased at Rock Corner Bangsar Village 1, The Bee, Jaya One & Publika, Pulp, Jalan Riong and VCR, Jalan Galloway.

For more on The Jungle Giants, stalk them via these platforms: Website, Facebook and Twitter.


Michelle Yeoh Spills On Wedding Plans!

At 49 years old, Malaysian icon and “The Lady” star Datuk Seri Michelle Yeoh has achieved almost everything that she has ever wanted to achieve in the entertainment industry. With the upcoming reprising of her role in the sequel to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, it’s safe to say that she’s one of the busiest actresses that we know of.

Let’s not forget that recently, Michelle Yeoh was honoured with the “Excellence in Asian Cinema Award” at the Film Asian Awards in Hong Kong. Prior to that, she was also nominated for best leading actress in the BAFTA as well as the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards. Whoa. Bursting resume much?

Which leaves us only one other thing to wonder about – does she have any future plans for marriage?

According to Michelle, she said that she is indeed planning to settle down with her French motor sport executive boyfriend, Jean Todt. The couple started dating back in 2004 and four years later, they were engaged. Basically, she left the world waiting for the sound of the wedding bells.

We are choosing the date. Actually, he has proposed to me many times. As a woman, I’m really happy to meet a man who loves me so much. But I’ve been busy with my work. If we marry, I’ll have my wedding ceremony in Malaysia.

Hear that? They’re choosing the date! And she’s coming home for her wedding! Alright, how do we pick up our invites?


#Malaysia: KLCC, Bukit Bintang, & Pasar Seni Are Top 3 Snatch Theft Hotspots

Popular tourist destinations in Kuala Lumpur are now deemed to be hotspots for snatch thefts.

According to the Dang Wangi district police, a whopping 365 snatch theft cases were reported just last month alone.

NST quoted district police chief Assistant Commissioner Zainol Samah as saying that statistics in the area showed no improvement in snatch theft cases for the same period last year. “In January, we recorded 365 snatch theft cases in the district. The figure corresponds with the same period last year. We receive around seven to eight police reports daily on snatch thefts in these areas,” he said.

He added that the KLCC vicinity, Bukit Bintang, and Pasar Seni (Central Market) are now the top 3 snatch theft hotspots, and urged foreign tourists to be more cautious when walking around in the city.

In the same NST report, Zainol revealed that the police have recently arrested 4 teenagers including 3 college students for snatch thefts cases targeting foreign tourists around KLCC. The teenagers, all 19, from Pantai Dalam were nabbed at Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Changkat last Thursday (11th February).

Snatch theft cases are, of course, not limited to the said hotspots.

Last month, a video of a snatch theft in broad daylight outside Bangsar Shopping Centre went viral on social media. The 2-minute clip, taken by the mall’s CCTV camera, showed the thief snatching a woman’s handbag and riding away on his motorcycle, dragging the woman on the ground for several metres.

The victim, a 37-year-old Japanese housewife, suffered scratches to her left arm and thigh.

We urge our readers to be extra wary of their surroundings whenever they’re out and about in the city. Always keep a close eye on your valuables and hold your bag on the side away from the street if there are motorbikes around.

Sources: NST, MMO, The Star Online, Bernama via malaysiakini / Featured image from michaelwtravels.

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#TheJungleBook: Movie Scenes Inspired By Sabah’s Forests, Says Visual Effects Artist

“The Jungle Book” is closer to home than we think because Sabah’s forests were featured in the recently released fantasy adventure film by Walt Disney Pictures. This was revealed by “The Jungle Book” visual effects (VFX) artist Helen Brownell, who visited Sabah in 2006 as a Raleigh International volunteer.

Helen, who works as a VFX Artist for The Moving Picture Company, was involved in Disney’s live-action recreation of “The Jungle Book” since 2014. When she was first told that the film would be her next project, she was instantly thrown back into her Borneo Expedition.

She drew on her memories of the Borneo landscape to re-create some of the beautiful and unique environments in the film.

In her blogpost, she explained, “Something about the jungle had always intrigued me. Even now, after 10 years, I can still vividly remember the sounds, colours and the textures of the Borneo jungle. The gibbon’s constant calls, the constant humming of insects and birds.”

Helen spent a total of 10 weeks in the Borneo jungle, experiencing Mount Kinabalu, the Crocker Range, and Imbak Canyon with her own eyes. She said that she remembers Imbak Canyon as one of the most beautiful places she has and will ever have the privilege of staying.

Fun fact: According to her IMDb profile, Helen also previously worked on 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” as a digital artist.

“During the 3 weeks we came across various wildlife. One day our camp was being stalked by a king cobra and a bear frequented our bin at night. I remember a few members of our group being astonished to find that bears live in the Jungle. I explained that in Disney’s Jungle Book (the original animation), Baloo the bear is evidence that they do!” she shared.

“Nothing can compare to the real experience of being in the jungle. But having the challenge of re-creating such an amazing environment in CGI was a real joy. So many things during the project would spark up memories of my Borneo adventure,” she said, adding that she was excited to re-create some of the beautiful and unique environments from her trip.

Check out some photos that Helen included in her blogspot:

*Pictures courtesy of The Moving Picture Company via Raleigh International.

In signing off her blogspot, Helen wrote, “If any of you have been to the Borneo jungle you will understand what I mean, and I hope that when you see the film, you really get a sense of the jungle coming to life.”

“It was nice to be reminded of my real jungle book. I can only hope to return again one day,” she added.

Meanwhile, Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan said the fact that Sabah’s jungle had been the inspiration for the movie makers was a pleasant surprise. He also said that the jungle and parks that Helen experienced during her visit were still there, adding that the state government was in fact enlarging the totally protected areas.

“The Jungle Book” was released in cinemas nationwide on 15th April 2016.

Sources: Raleigh International, The Star Online, Helen Brownell IMDb.


#Yuna: Malaysian Darling & World Music Sensation To Get Her Own E! Special

Whether she’s in Asia or America, Yunalis Mat Zara’ai, otherwise more lovingly known as Yuna, is no stranger to the media headlines. Earlier this month, the NY Times described the Malaysian-born singer-songwriter as “a poster girl for young hijabsters”. The coverage was considered by many to be a milestone for her and the Malaysian music industry.

But, despite the numerous headlines about her being both a contemporary Muslim fashion icon and a music sensation in Asia and the US, Yuna’s personal life is still a mystery to many. Well, mystery no more, we say, because this will all change when “E! News Asia Special: Yuna” premieres on 25th Nov (Tuesday) at 10pm exclusively on E! (Astro Channel 712).

The special sees “E! News Asia” host George Young spending the day uncovering Yuna’s background and how she went from law student to music sensation. She also opens up about the pressures of handling stardom on a global level, her love life, and how the hijab has become a part of her silhouette – paving the way for young, modern Muslims with global aspirations.

Viewers will also learn that her rising fame and success as an award-winning singer-songwriter did not come easy! From intense criticism for not being talented enough to moving thousands of miles away from familiarity and family in order to chase a dream in the US, Yuna has overcome many hurdles. Still, she remains true to herself and viewers will get to see her warmth and honesty through an exclusive acoustic performance.

So remember to tune in to get the inside scoop on Yuna’s life on 25th Nov at 10pm on E! (Astro Channel 712).

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“No Time to Die” Review: This Is James Bond Like You’ve Never Seen Him Before

Daniel Craig’s James Bond will go down in history as the most human of the lot. Before the actor took up the moniker of 007, Pierce Brosnan’s “GoldenEye” was the closest we had felt to the character. In lieu of previous incarnations being live-action avatars of male-empowerment fantasies. There was history. There was loss and betrayal. There were personal and world-altering stakes. Craig’s era of 007 takes the best of “GoldenEye”, and makes it more grounded and realistic. Our Bond is a man as well acquainted with warfare and suffering as he is with slick gadgets and gorgeous women.

This same complexity is also afforded to the supporting characters that make up Craig’s Bond saga. Whether they be tortured villainous souls like Le Chiffre or Raoul Silva, or compromised loved ones like Vesper and M. So many memorable moments and so many fantastic characters but alas, this is the swan song. The final mission for Daniel Craig’s Bond. Will “No Time to Die” be the quiet death of one of the great relics of Hollywood? Or will this be the grand finale that calls for an encore? We’re happy to tell you all that while Craig’s tenure as 007 has come to an end, “No Time to Die” leaves a legacy that will lasts long after the credits roll.

The film picks up right after the events of 2015’s “Spectre”, the titular organisation is still at large, Bond has hung up his hat for domestic bliss alongside his lover, Madeleine Swann. We came in expecting a long drawn-out war with the criminal organisation with a new evil head after Blofeld. None of that, though. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga, while displaying a deep, intuitive knowledge to the world of Bond, has completely wiped the board clean. The plot follows Bond chasing after a bio-terrorist named Lyutsifer Safin as he seeks to weaponise a deadly plague that kills only the intended target. Yes, yes we’re slightly rolling our eyes at the heavy-handed COVID-19 allergory but this plot-doomsday-device serves as more than just a topical checkbox. It also functions as a fitting contemplation on Bond’s role in the world.

For all his debonair charm, Bond is indeed a violent man. A single cog in an endless cycle of violence perpetuated by him and those around him. Much like the deadly bioweapon, he infects everyone who has ever dared to love him with heartbreak and loss. This feels less like a quiet ride into the sunset and more like the franchise’s version of Fox’s “Logan”. Sure there are plenty of fun callbacks, homages and cameos but they only serve to compound on the emotional weight of this tragedy. A story that feels like something Cary Joji Fukunaga was made to tell as he had both written and directed “No Time to Die”. No Bond has ever suffered quite like this iteration, so it’s only fitting that Fukunaga and company see Craig’s saga to its organic conclusion.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, there’s still lots of old-school 007 fun to be had here. In a post-“Mission Impossible: Fallout” world, “No Time to Die” still manages to absolutely thrill with its exciting car chase sequences. Motorheads drooling over the Aston Martin DB5 will definitely get a kick from seeing the car tear through narrow corridors and wide lanes with thunder and fury. One particular chase sequence within a gorgeous Norway forest had us rivetted from start to finish. That being said, some of the shootouts and gunplay do show the fracnhise’s wear and tear over the years. Sorry guys but “John Wick” and “Atomic Blonde” has spoiled us with their relentless attention to brutal detail.

Where “No Time to Die” excels without a question is in its large-scale VFX action setpieces. An elevator scene involving a daring escape remains one of the most innovative moments in the entire Bond franchise. It doesn’t quite outshine the hallway scene in “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” (because, what can?) but it was still bloody brilliant!

Daniel Craig once again proves irreproachable as the man and myth, James Bond. We’ve seen his character grow over the years from rookie agent to grizzled veteran and now we see him at his most vulnerable. While Craig carries the character’s signature swagger, he also manages to inject a weariness and melancholic sincerity to him as well. Craig makes good on his reputation and ends his time as the character on a tear-jerking high note. Playing partner to Craig’s Bond is the electrifying Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann. Finally, a worthy successor to Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd. Her on-screen chemistry with Craig is incredible as we see her wrestle with her conflicted feelings with the spy. She is no Bond Girl, she is a Bond wife!

Rami Malek’s Lyutsifer Safin has some big shoes to fill next to powerhouses like Mads Mikkelsen’s Le Chiffre and Javier Bardem’s Raoul Silva. How does he do? While Malek can’t quite carry the same gravitas and presence as previous Bond villains, he nonetheless makes an impression with Safin. A character who has more in common with a very rich and scary school-shooter than he does with evil geniuses. You do not want to be in the same room with him.

Right, much has been made about Lashana Lynch’s role as the new 007, and we’re happy to report that our fears were unfounded. Fukunaga’s brilliant direction doesn’t paint Lynch as a smug pretender. Rather she’s depicted as a fun rival to Craig’s Bond. She’s badass, whipsmart and has a great sense of humour. We like her almost as much as we adore Ana de Armas from “Knives Out” as Paloma. She steals every damn scene she’s in!

Cary Joji Fukunaga delivers a stunning finale to Daniel Craig’s era as 007. He takes the best aspects of the saga while incorporating bold new ideas to create a worthy send-off to the character. Brought to life by a mature story, fantastic performances and plenty of heart-pounding action. Those coming in blind will no doubt leave with a new appreciation for the franchise. As for fans, there won’t be a single dry eye in the theater. This is one swanswong that will leave you calling for an encore.

Be sure to check out “No Time to Die” when it hits theaters on 25th November!

Cary Joji Fukunaga delivers a stunning finale to Daniel Craig's era as 007. We takes the best aspects of the saga while incorporating bold new ideas to create a worthy send-off to the character. Brought to life by a mature story, fantastic performances and plenty of heart-pounding action. Those coming in blind will no doubt leave with a new appreciation for the franchise. As for fans, there won't be a single dry eye in the theater.


BTS Members React To Their Grammys 2021 Loss

Say it isn’t so – The boys of BTS (방탄소년단) just got robbed, y’all!

Despite the groundbreaking success of their hit song “Dynamite”, the K-pop septet ended up not bringing home the award for Best Pop Group/Duo Performance. For those who are wondering, the trophy went to “Rain On Me”, performed by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande.

Naturally, a lot of die-hard fans of the idol group (widely known as ARMYs) didn’t react too kindly to the final result. Many of them took to Twitter and trended the hashtag “#Scammys” (combination of the words scam and Grammys) to vent their disappointment. Other hashtags namely “#LightItUpBTS” and also “#BTSOurGreatestPrize” also became a trending topic online soon after the announcement was made.

“Rain on me? Really? I’d rather drown. Anyway get Dynamite to 1B!! #Scammys,” a fan wrote on Twitter. Another loyal ARMY chimed in by saying, “BTS doesn’t need the Grammys, but the Grammys need BTS. #Scammys.”

Take a look at some of their reactions here:

In response to that, the members then took to Weverse to leave beautiful supportive shout-outs to the fandom. Jin was the first to post, where he said, “ARMY, I love you, ai lav u”. J-hope also wrote the same message as his fellow teammate, while Suga assured loyal supporters of the group by stating, “Let’s work harder this year.” RM also wrote, “ARMYs are the best!”

Fans were also reminded of RM (real name Kim Namjoon)’s touching comments prior to the event. The group leader said, “Whether we get the Grammys or not, we already got what we wanted, and we want you. So that means we got everything.”

Not long after that, Jungkook also posted an update on social media, thanking fans for their never-ending support. “Thank you so much for being together with us in each and every of the moments. We will make sure to repay you for your love and support,” the maknae (youngest member) of the group expressed.

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Fun Facts: 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About SpongeBob SquarePants

The moment you’ve all been waiting for is almost here -America’s favourite deep-sea sponge who “lives in a pineapple under the sea” is coming to the surface. Whether or not you’re a diehard fan or SpongeBob SquarePants, you would’ve at least heard in passing that Paramount Pictures will soon release the sequel to the adventure comedy, “The SpongeBob SquarePants” movie.

Its 2004 prequel was based on the popular television cartoon series “SpongeBob SquarePants”, which shows the adventures of the title character and his various friends. And did you know that it will feature the same voice cast as that in the first film to portray the characters as the television show including Tom Kenny as SpongeBob and Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick Star?

But before the new movie, titled, “The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water”, is released in our cinemas (in 3D, no less!) next week, load up on some of these SpongeBob facts that you might not have known about – until now, that is ;)

1. SpongeBob was the brainchild of an actual marine biologist

Remember this name – Stephen Hillenburg. Not only was he the director of the previous movie, he’s also essentially the creator of the popular character! Stephen was a former marine science teacher (he taught Marine Biology at the Orange County Marine Institute) who has a degree in natural resource planning with a marine resources emphasis. Because he loved drawing, he created a comic book called “Intertidal Zone for the Institute”, which debuted an early version of SpongeBob.

As to why he made SpongeBob (the character, in particular) he said:

I really wanted to do something about one character, based on an innocent who is surrounded by more cynical beings…A sort of awkward, nerdy, goofball, oddball. I drew these natural sponges for a while and gave them googly eyes and it didn’t come together until I drew a sink sponge one day. I thought, ‘This is the guy.” He’s the square peg, literally, in this world of animals.

Stephen later went on to work as creative director for the Nickelodeon animated series, “Rocko’s Modern Life” and fellow animators saw the potential appeal of SpongeBob.

2. SpongeBob’s original name was “SpongeBoy”

Every cartoon character goes through a tedious naming process in order for it to have a nice ring to it and SpongeBob is no different. In fact, the show ‘s title was initially going to be named “SpongeBoy” but unfortunately, or should we say fortunately, the name was copyrighted – for a mop. Despite the fact that the show creator couldn’t use “SpongeBoy”, he made sure to keep the word “sponge” in the name of his protagonist.

Why? Simple. Purely because of the way the character looks, he was worried that children might mistake him for a block of cheese instead. Hey, can’t blame the guy.

Also, according to his driving license, he was born on 14th July 1986, which makes him a Cancer. It also means that SpongeBob is 29 years old this year. Whoa!

3. Patrick was supposed to be an angry bar owner

When the pilot episode was in progress, a starfish character entered the picture, which would later be known as the lovable dummy Patrick Star. However, the original starfish in the first “SpongeBob” story had “a huge chip on his shoulder because he was pink”. Yup, the beta version of Patrick Star owned a roadside bar and was a bully, apparently! Oh man, aren’t you glad that quickly changed?

As for the person who was chosen to voice Patrick, he’s Bill Fagerbakke, best known as “How I Met Your Mother” character Marshall’s dad. Now, Bill has a naturally deep voice, but just for his role as Patrick, he needed to be an immense rumbler.

As such, Bill himself said that he had to “swallow” his voice further for the role:

I just kinda pretend my mouth is in my chest and I just slooowww down.

The result? A complete opposite of SpongeBob SquarePants, who’s known to be a high-pitched whiner! Oh, and while we’re on that topic of Patrick, he also has a sister named Sam. She mostly makes grunting noises.

4. What is this Squidward creature is he’s not, in fact, a squid?

For those of you who have been following the TV cartoon series long enough, you’d know that Squidward Q. Tentacles has been referred to as both a squid and an octopus throughout the series run. Although it has been, for a long time now, one of the most popular SpongeBob-related arguments, here’s the thing – he’s not a squid. The only reason why he often gets confused with one, other than his namesake, is because he only has 6 tentacles. The creators have once or twice confirmed in the past that Squidward is, in fact, an octopus.

The reason they didn’t give him 8 tentacles? Because they though he would “look too burdened” and “weigh him down too much visually”.

5. The fish who goes, “My Leg!” has a name

You know that greenish-brown fish (sometimes blue or bright purple) who’s famed for screaming “My leg!” while under duress in various episode? He actually has a name and his name is Fred. He was first seen in the episode “Reef Blower”. However, he is barely seen in the episode, as he was in a car as SpongeBob zoomed past him. His name was first revealed in the episode, “Patty Hype”, but people don’t remember him much for anything else other than the running gag in which he cries, “My leg!” when something such as an explosion takes place.

Fred’s popular quote first appeared in the episode “Boating School.”

6. True story: There is actually a not-so-Nickelodeon-friendly SpongeBob SquarePants parody

Animation studio Camp Chaos produced a 2-season series on VH1 and MTV2 called ILL-ustrated in 2003 and 2004. One of the animated shorts created for the show, “SpongeBong HempPants”, was a not-too-subtle re-imagining of SpongeBob SquarePants if the characters were shaped like marijuana or the paraphernalia necessary to enjoy the drug. The shorts were never run on TV “due to concerns about sister network Nickelodeon”.

The episodes however did end up on YouTube, where they have been viewed over 6.3 million times:

The real show’s stoner-friendly reputation remains intact today, helped by the parody and the oft-repeated fact that the episode title of season 4’s 20th episode is titled “Best Day Ever”.

7. Some of Hollywood’s A-listers have appeared on the show, against the creator’s wishes

At least initially, Stephen Hillenburg was against celebrities providing guest voices for his creation, out of fear of a comparison to “The Simpsons”. He only made 2 exceptions to his own rule during the first 3 seasons of “SpongeBob SquarePants”, and they were Tim Conway and Ernest Borgnine, who played SpongeBob’s favourite superheroes, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. As soon as Stephen resigned as showrunner, Bikini Bottom welcomed the likes of Ferrell, Fey, Williams, Amy Poehler, Johnny Depp, Victoria Beckham, LeBron James, Pink, Patton Oswalt, and other established stars to get adults to watch.

And to be fair, there are adults who are fans of “SpongeBob SquarePants”. Why, you ask? Tom Kenny, who supplies SpongeBob’s high and nasal voice said:

SpongeBob’s job is to just be positive and think that every day is going to be the best day ever. The people around him either find that delightful or…just irritating.

Bikini Bottom (formerly known as Bikini Gulch, possibly known as Dead Eye Gulch, temporarily known as Bikini Bikini Bottomshire) is the main setting in the series. It’s home to almost all of the characters. The city has a proper population of about 538 and consists of various businesses, including restaurants, stores, and manufacturers. Bikini Bottom also has a stable economy, a balanced education system, questionable health care (as seen in “The Lost Mattress”) and labor laws, a structured government, and a firm law enforcement system. Heck, there are even stadiums, amusement parks, and other recreational facilities (such as “Glove World”).

Bikini Bottom was first mentioned in the “Plankton!” episode but first appeared in the “Help Wanted” episode. Here’s the thing: Bikini Bottom is an underwater city beneath the real island of Bikini Atoll.

It was also the site of many nuclear tests done by America in the 40s and 50s. Eep!

9. Stephen Hillenburg didn’t want Justin Timberlake to sing about SpongeBob

For the movie’s soundtrack, Avril Lavigne sang a Canadian punk-pop version of the theme song, while Jeff Tweedy wrote the original Wilco song “Just a Kid”, The Flaming Lips came up with the song “SpongeBob and Patrick Confront the Psychic Wall of Energy,” which frontman Wayne Coyne initially envisioned as a duet with Justin Timberlake.

Alas, Stephen Hillenburg was against the idea. He was said to have told Wayne Coyne:

I don’t want any of those sort of commercial weirdos on there. I don’t like those commercial people. I like you guys, and Wilco, and Ween.

10. Researchers named a newly discovered fungi, “Spongiforma Squarepantsii”

Researchers at San Francisco State University christened a new species of mushroom, “Spongiforma squarepantsii” in 2011, on account of its resemblance to the sea sponge. When the researchers also noted that the spore-producing area of the fungus found in the forests of Borneo resembled a seafloor “carpeted in tube sponges”, it sealed the deal.

The new mushroom is only one of two species that belong in the genus Spongiforma. It has a “fruity or musty” odour. The other one is found in central Thailand, but differs in its colour and odour.

11. “SpongeBob Squarepants” is the longest running Nickelodeon series ever!

Surpassing Rugrats’ previous record of 172 episodes, “SpongeBob SquarePants” broadcasted its 200th episode during the show’s 9th season. The show hasn’t aired an original episode since March 2014 though — it was on hiatus in order to complete production on their second movie, “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water”, set for release in March in Malaysia. The 3D sequel was initially supposed to come out one week later on 13th Feb, but Paramount Pictures moved the release date forward to avoid competition with “Fifty Shades of Grey“.

Not sure if they knew what they were talking about when they assumed that “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water” would be competition to “Fifty Shades of Grey” but the movie will be released in Malaysia cinemas come 5th March 2015.

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

Sources: SpongeBob Wikia, Mental Floss, BuzzFeed, TODAY.

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The Rolling Stones Live In Singapore!

The Rolling Stones are set to rock Marina Bay Sands at the Grand Ballroom on March 15th, 2014! The legendary English rock band announced that they will play a one-night only show in Singapore as part of their 14 On Fire tour.

The 14 On Fire tour will see Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood will be touring across Asia, Australia, and New Zealand following a mammoth run of concerts in American and United Kingdom since 2013.

Mick Jagger commented: “Can’t wait to be back on stage in Singapore, I am really looking forward to playing all your favourite songs and seeing you all very soon.”

Keith Richards added: “The best place in the world for me is out on that stage. Standby everyone…its back to where we belong, Me, Mick, Charlie and Ronnie and some friends all rocking out together. The wheels are in motion and we’re on our way…see you very soon!”

Mick Taylor, who was a member of the Rolling Stones from 1969-1974, will be a special guest for this tour. Featuring an intimate setup, the concert at The Sands Grand Ballroom allows all audience members to be up close to the band. The stage also features a large catwalk that extends out into the audience.

The band will treat their generations of fans to a set packed full of classic Stones hits such as “Gimme Shelter”, “Paint It Black”, “Jumping Jack Flash”, “Tumbling Dice” and “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll”, combined with lesser known gems, plus a couple of unexpected cover versions.

Venue: Sands Grand Ballroom, Marina Bay Sands

Ticket Prices: VIP $700, A Reserve $550 (reserved and standing). Tickets can be bought online and in person at Marina Bay Sands Theatre and SkyPark Box Office.

Here’s (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones! Enjoy!


#MTVMusicEvo: OneRepublic, Bebe Rexha, Far East Movement, & More Electrify Manila

Over 26,000 music fans moved to the same explosive dance beats at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds on 24th June 2016 for one of the biggest nights of the year in Manila – MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016.

The one-night only outdoor live music event hit an all-time temperature high with a stellar line-up of international and local acts who ignited the stage in celebration of iconic and contemporary pop music with a dance influence.

Even the rain could not dampen and bring down the fever as fans moved to the pop dance beats with explosive performances by iconic international pop band and prolific hit-maker OneRepublic, L.A.-grown electric dance trio Far East Movement, Billboard Hot 100 artist, American singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha, Korea’s favourite K-Pop idol female group, Apink, Philippine pop superstar father and son-tandem Gary V feat. Gab Valenciano and Filipino pop darlings James Reid and Nadine Lustre, MTV VJs Alan Wong, Hanli Hoefer, Yassi Pressman, and Andre Paras hosted the event.

Starting off with a dose of electrifying energy was one of the Philippines’ most iconic pop performers, Gary V. The legendary Philippine pop star opened his act in true, proud Filipino fashion to the beat of a kulintang, a traditional local instrument. Backed up by rising percussions, “Mr Pure Energy” (as how he is affectionately known) immediately got the crowds dancing to the country’s own beats before moving into a set featuring his song “Babalik Ka Rin”.

He brought his son Gab on stage in a heartfelt performance that not only told his own personal story, but to serve as an invitation from himself and his fans to welcome back MTV Music Evolution Manila for many years to come. Mr Pure Energy’s set also included some of his biggest hits, such as “Shake It Off”, “Arise” (remix version) and “Sa Yahweh ang Sayaw”, backed by no less than top dance group, The Maneuvers.

The throwback to Original Pinoy Music’s most memorable tunes then took a charming turn towards two of contemporary Pinoy pop music’s fastest rising stars, James Reid and Nadine Lustre. The young power couple opened with a duet of some well-loved singles, “Para-Paraan” by Nadine and “Huwag Ka Nang Humirit” by James.

The heartthrob Reid also wooed the crowd to renditions of “Randomatic” and “Bonfire” while Nadine brought up the energy with “Me and You” and “Paligoy-ligoy”. JaDine closed the set by creating a romantic moment for all their fans with a medley of favorites like “Bahala Na” and “Hanap-Hanap”, as well as their love team’s hit song “No Erase” from the soundtrack of their first movie together, Diary ng Panget.

The Brooklyn-born singer and songwriter whose voice has provided hooks in nearly all the current Top 40 tracks, Bebe Rexha, then took the stage. She immediately ushered in her unique brand of intensity with the hit song “Take Me Home”, epitomizing true female prowess.

Bebe’s energy was undoubtable as she immediately got fans present moving to her powerful delivery of chart toppers like “The Monster”, her composition for Rihanna and Eminem, “Hey Mama” and “Me, Myself, & I”. A hyped up crowd happily sang and danced along to “No Broken Hearts” which ended her set with a bang.

The MTV Music Evolution Manila event grounds were then driven into a wild frenzy with the energy of all the K-Pop fans screaming for their lovable Korean idols, Apink. Park Cho-rong, Yoon Bo Mi, Jeong Eun-ji, Son Na Eun, Kim Nam Joo, and Oh Ha Young. The girls dazzled the crowd in matching sailor-themed outfits as they serenaded the crowd with their top hits, including “Remember”, “Mr. Chu”, and “Luv”, bringing the sweet and innocent image and street style that they are known.

The K-Pop girl group showed how the language of music knows no barriers as they all moved in sync with 2 other songs, “Attracted to You” and “No No No” alongside a massive Pinoy audience.

Electric dance trio Far East Movement amped up the energy when they kicked off a set of their top hits. Mixing their tracks with live rap segments and synth riffs, the three artists on stage brought the crowd to whole new levels of motion—creating a sea of raised fists all moving to the same beat. Their performance featured tracks like “Push”, “G6”, “Bang It To The Curb”, and “When The Funk Drop”.

Far East Movement wrapped up their set with the audience singing along to a crowd favorite “Rocketeer”, leading into an explosive outro with their hits “Illest”, “Turn Up The Love”, and “Rattle”, where they then sent giant inflatables flying out to the audience.

The evening closed with a memorable final act – multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated quintet OneRepublic had the audience moving to the beat of their most iconic songs. Opening their set with “Love Runs Out”, fans showed their appreciation for the group’s second visit to the Philippines with arms waving in the air, all around the grounds. Lead singer Ryan Tedder showed love back to his fans from the Philippines, saying:

You are the most genuine people on earth.

Emotions ran high among fans when they were led into a stunning rendition of “Secrets”, performed side by side with the sweet hums from a cello. Ryan Tedder and Brent Kutzle then performed an intimate rendition of “Apologize” on piano and the cello before delighting everyone with crowd favourites, “Counting Stars” and new single “Wherever I Go”.

The night closed with an amazing performance of “If I Lose Myself” that completed the experience for the tens of thousands in attendance with an explosion of confetti and fireworks to cap off MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016.

Recorded live for global telecast under the MTV World Stage global series, MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016 will reach an international audience of more than three-quarters of a billion households in over 160 countries. MTV Asia VJs Alan Wong and Hanli Hoefer hosted the event, along with MTV Pinoy VJs Yassi Pressman and Andre Paras.

“MTV Music Evolution: Manila Asia Special”premieres on MTV on Tuesday, 19th July at 7pm (TH/WIB), 8pm (PH/SG), and 9pm (MY).

Repeat airings of MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016 are on:

For more information, hit up MTV Asia’s Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.

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10 Worst Movies of 2013

As mentioned in our previous post, we watched a lot of movies this year.

We’ve listed down our top 10 favourite movies of the year for you and we think it’s only right that we list down the 10 movies that we least enjoyed too. Of course, to each their own so do share if you disagree with us!


#BrownEyedGirls: Disbandment Rumour Debunked; A New Album In The Works

The latest rumour regarding Brown Eyed Girls (BEG) is probably the reason why you shouldn’t believe everything you read online.

Fans of the Korean girl group were recently thrown into shock and disbelief as Korean media outlet Sports World reported that BEG would be disbanding.

Multiple industry insiders told Sports World that the group is currently undergoing the process of disbandment as Gain is no longer working under Nega Networks. The media outlet further explained that she has joined Mystic Entertainment (A POP Entertainment) to focus on her solo career.

It was also rumoured that JeA, Narsha, and Miryo will leave the group as their contracts with their talent agency have expired. The report then went on to say that Gain’s current agency attempted to recruit the remaining members, but the plan did not carry through due to differences in opinions. Furthermore, Nega Networks is said to be having “extreme financial difficulties”, making it impossible for the group to release an album.

After the report surfaced, JeA took to her personal Twitter account to debunk the disbandment rumour:

소설같은 기사에 팬들 당황 하셨을텐데 전혀 사실무근입니다 앨범준비중에 있는데 이게 무슨소린지 ;; 너무 내용도 구체적이라 당황스럽네요 "브아걸 해체"절대 사실아니고요 혹시 그런날이 오게되더라도 이런식의 기사로 말고 저희가 직접 팬분들께 말할꺼예요

Fans were probably taken aback by the absurd news. We’re preparing our album right now, what is this? It’s more absurd as the article was so detailed. Even if that day comes, we will tell you ourselves, not like this.

Nega Networks also denied the baseless claims and stated, “We’ve never talked about it, and it isn’t even worth responding to. The group has events scheduled in July and August. We are working on their next album. This is nonsense.”

Mystic Entertainment, parent company of Apop, also commented:

It’s the first time hearing about us recruiting the rest of Brown Eyed Girls. We’ve never even discussed this.

Earlier, a representative of the group’s agency confirmed in March that “the new album production will speed up” after Gain ends her solo promotions. The reps further stated that “it is very likely that it will be their 10-year anniversary album”.


Top 10 Must Watch Movies of 2013

Some great ones, some not so great ones. Here’s a list of ten movies that we say really stood out this 2013. The list below goes from 10 to 1 and if your movie of choice is not on the list, share it with us!

Peter Jackson surprised all with a vigorous and thrilling middle episode of the eight-hour trilogy of films based on a novel of less than 300 pages. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug saw Bilbo, Gandalf and the dwarves finally done with introductory dawdling as they dive into a nonstop adventure among the honourable Elves, the humans of Laketown and the unruly dragon Smaug. This second instalment of the trilogy scored big points with each complex encounter and the building romance of the warrior Elf Tauriel and dwarf cutie Kili.

Taking us back to 1965 in Indonesia, The Act Of Killing is about the thug Anwar Congo who was hired by the Indonesian government to crush the threat of Communism which led to Anwar and his mob of gangsters forming paramilitary squads that tortured and killed thousands of innocents. Director Joshua Oppenheimer pulls off the impossible with this brutal, raw, terrifying and painfully difficult to swallow especially for those with a faint of heart but at the same time fascinating documentary that has without a doubt left a haunting effect for any viewer.

Planes, trains and automobiles collide stunningly in the fourth Fast & Furious movie that is directed by Justin Lin. Fast & Furious 6 is everything you expect it to be, from the cast to the astounding stunts in each locations, fights and of course, the chases, crushes and crashes. The movie saw the reunion of Vin Diesel, the late Paul Walker, their gang and girlfriends and DEA agent Dwayne Johnson as they blazed through Tenerife to Moscow and to London and left fans with a teaser to Fast & Furious 7. Little did we know, Fast 6 would be the last full movie with Brian O’Connor aka Paul Walker in it.

If you loved Ip Man, you’ll love this! Director Wong Kar-Wai produces a brilliant action feature, The Grandmaster that inspired by the life and times of legendary kung fu guru, Ip Man. The 2 hours and 10 minutes movie spans around the tumultuous Republican era that followed the fall of China’s last dynasty, a time of chaos, division and war, a time that was also the golden age of Chinese martial arts.

Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee nailed it with Disney’s Frozen. This musical enchantment features the voices of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell and Jonathan Groff and tells the tale of Princess Elsa who has sorcery powers that are beyond her control who ultimately casts a nuclear winter on her northern kingdom. Her sister Anna however, the normal one that falls in love at the first sight of any eligible man, confronts her and saves their realm!

Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Renner stars in this riotously funny American comedy-crime drama film directed by David O. Russell. A crime film that dances, American Hustle takes viewers back to the late 70s and tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld and his equally cunning and seductive British partner Sydney Prosser as they are forced to work with Richie DiMaso, a FBI agent.

Joaquin Pheonix plays a man who’s job is to compose love letters for other people. A hopeless romantic, he’s bruised by the failure of his marriage and has enough sentiment left behind to fall head over heels with a compute operating system who calls herself Samantha. Heart warming and romantic, Her will get viewers on an emotional roller coster that leave a sweet lingering after feeling.

3. The Great Beauty / La Grande Bellezza

Paolo Sorrentino directed this beautiful film about a journalist, Jep Gambardella who has charmed and seduced his way through the luxurious and lavish nightlife of Rome for decades. Following the iconic success of his one and only novel, he’s dubbed as permanent fixture in the city’s literary and social circles. However, Jep gets a flash from the past on his 65th birthday that takes him back to a time of timeless landscape and exquisite beauty.

Directed by Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave has a creepy impact of a museum exhibit as it portrays the diorama of atrocity, populated by varying forms of evil by two characters and kindness by another. Focusing on the times where the Southern white or pre-Civil War plantation aristocracy dubbed themselves as the chosen ones from God and ill treated their slaves, the movie stars Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

It is to no surprise that Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity is our number #1 pick for movie of the year. Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, the science-fiction thriller of sheer brilliance takes your into the unforgiving realm of space was shot beautifully and  reinvented the whole meaning of setting a modern feature film in space with nothing but just two on camera speaking roles.

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MTV Asia On A Hunt For 2014 MTV World Stage Insider

The coolest 10-day job is back with the 2014 MTV World Stage Insider, a campaign that rewards a worthy candidate with the coolest 10-day ‘job’ ever to be part of MTV’s social media team for MTV World Stage Malaysia 2014 and receive an engagement fee worth US$10,000*. The MTV World Stage Insider holds the power in introducing fans to the MTV Experience from the inside via regular updates, videos, tweets, and pictures of the concert.

This year, the chosen candidate will not only receive a once-in-a-lifetime MTV behind-the-scenes experience and the sizeable engagement fee, but to add a little cherry on top, MTV is also offering the candidate an optional MTV internship** after the 10-day engagement.

The MTV World Stage Insider search targets music fans from Malaysia and around Southeast Asia, who already have an active social presence (e.g. Instagram, Twitter, blog). Tagged as not the usual “nine-to-five” role, the hunt for MTV World Stage Insider kicked off today through MTV Asia’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts and will close at 12pm on 24th July. The chosen candidate will be announced on 6 August, with the role commencement on 7th – 16th August.

Applicants are required to submit a creative social media resume in a video, blog link or social post to MTV, telling or showing MTV what makes them the right candidate for the role; with video lengths no longer than two minutes. Applicants’ submissions with their video, blog link or social post can be on any of their social media platforms tagging to #worldstagemy and #insidews (privacy settings are to be set to public). Video, blog submissions and social posts must be titled “Hunt for MTV World Stage Insider”.

Apart from the attractive engagement fee, the MTV World Stage Insider will get to:

*Travel & Expenses will be covered by MTV Asia separately.

**The chosen candidate who impresses the MTV team during his/her 10-day stint stands to be offered an internship with MTV Asia (subject to candidate’s availability, MTV’s business requirements, mutual agreement on terms, and compliance with applicable laws (e.g. employment regulations).

***Subject to on-the-role brief on rules of engagement and scope of backstage access as an MTV ‘staff’.

Meanwhile, hit up this link for all you need to know about the upcoming 2014 MTV World Stage and this link to read about that one time we met up with your favourite MTV VJs Alan Wong and Hanli Hoefer for a little chat!


Anderson Cooper In The News – Literally

For a long time, Anderson Cooper was always the one covering the news. You may recognize him as the host of the prime time news show on CNN. Yes, the same good looking man with piercing eyes who was the news anchor for the 2003 war in Iraq and 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.

But just a few hours ago, he has swiftly gone from covering the news to being in the news.

In an open letter to Daily Beast, Cooper wrote:

Andrew, as you know, the issue you raise is one that I’ve thought about for years. Even though my job puts me in the public eye, I have tried to maintain some level of privacy in my life. Part of that has been for purely personal reasons. I think most people want some privacy for themselves and the people they are close to.

But I’ve also wanted to retain some privacy for professional reasons. Since I started as a reporter in war zones 20 years ago, I’ve often found myself in some very dangerous places. For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people’s stories, and not my own. I have found that sometimes the less an interview subject knows about me, the better I can safely and effectively do my job as a journalist.

I’ve always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love, should not be something they have to discuss publicly. As long as a journalist shows fairness and honesty in his or her work, their private life shouldn’t matter. I’ve stuck to those principles for my entire professional career, even when I’ve been directly asked “the gay question,” which happens occasionally. I did not address my sexual orientation in the memoir I wrote several years ago because it was a book focused on war, disasters, loss and survival. I didn’t set out to write about other aspects of my life.

Recently, however, I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. It’s become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something – something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true.

I’ve also been reminded recently that while as a society we are moving toward greater inclusion and equality for all people, the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible. There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand.

The fact is, I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud.

I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues. In a perfect world, I don’t think it’s anyone else’s business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted. I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don’t give that up by being a journalist.

Since my early days as a reporter, I have worked hard to accurately and fairly portray gay and lesbian people in the media – and to fairly and accurately portray those who for whatever reason disapprove of them. It is not part of my job to push an agenda, but rather to be relentlessly honest in everything I see, say and do. I’ve never wanted to be any kind of reporter other than a good one, and I do not desire to promote any cause other than the truth.

Being a journalist, traveling to remote places, trying to understand people from all walks of life, telling their stories, has been the greatest joy of my professional career, and I hope to continue doing it for a long time to come. But while I feel very blessed to have had so many opportunities as a journalist, I am also blessed far beyond having a great career.

In my opinion, the ability to love another person is one of God’s greatest gifts, and I thank God every day for enabling me to give and share love with the people in my life. I appreciate your asking me to weigh in on this, and I would be happy for you to share my thoughts with your readers. I still consider myself a reserved person and I hope this doesn’t mean an end to a small amount of personal space. But I do think visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter’s shield of privacy.

The above letter was sent to his longtime friend, Andrew Sullivan.

Since his coming out, Cooper has received truckloads of congratulations and high praises from his fellow CNN colleagues, friends, and other openly homosexual celebrities. Amongst some of the messages that poured in after Cooper’s coming out were such as Ellen the-mother-of-all-coming-out Degeneres‘ tweet:

And the “Legen, wait for it, dary” Neil Patrick Harris‘ supportive mention:

We can’t agree more. Good on you, Anderson Cooper. We, too, are proud of you coming out.

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#JustinBieber: Singer Forgets Spanish Lyrics To #Despacito; Sings “Blah Blah Blah” Instead

During The Biebs’ performance of his #1 hit “Despacito” at 1Oak in New York on Tuesday night (23rd May), he forgot the Spanish lyrics and sang “blah blah blah” instead.

Nope, we’re not kidding. He sang “blah blah blah” during the chorus. Listen for yourself:

During another chorus, the “Love Yourself” singer can be heard singing, “I don’t know the words so I say, ‘Poquito.’ I don’t know the words so I say, ‘Dorito.’ I don’t know the words so I say, ‘Poquito’.”

“Despacito” was originally released by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee in January and a remix version featuring Bieber was released digitally in April. The song also became the first mostly-Spanish-language song to lead the all-genre US Digital Songs chart.

A day prior to Bieber’s nightclub performance, Fonsi told ET Online that it was the Canadian singer’s idea to sing the song in Spanish.

Fonsi explained, “We had an English lyric for everything and he’s like, ‘No, no, no, no, I’m gonna do this in Spanish. He took the time to enunciate everything and to do it the right way. So, I think it’s a big win for Latin music and it’s awesome to have such a huge global star collaborate with us.”

Well, we think that Bieber can definitely do better than sing “blah blah blah”. We know learning and mastering a new language can be hard, but as an international artiste, it’s part of your job to prepare and practice before a performance, right?

What are your thoughts on Justin Bieber’s “improvisation”? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Sources: ET Online, TMZ, E! Online, Complex.


#MTVAwards2017: Full List Of Winners + Highlights From The Awards!

The 2017 MTV Movie and TV Awards was held in the early morning on Monday. For most Malaysians, it wasn’t easy to catch the show as we have other commitments (read: work, school, etc). If you missed it, fret not, ‘cos we’re here to update you ;)

This year’s edition, hosted by “Pitch Perfect”‘s Adam Devine, is a complete revamp of the original awards, which was known as the MTV Movie Awards. Instead of only giving out awards to movies, MTV has decided to recognise TV shows too.

A few more changes were implemented, with MTV deciding to abolish the gender-based awards. Instead of awarding actors and actresses respectively, only one award was handed out to nominees despite their gender.

Not only did “Beauty And The Beast” won “Movie Of The Year”, Emma Watson’s performance as Belle also won her the “Best Actor In A Movie” award. This was followed by “Stranger Things” as “Show Of The Year”, with Millie Bobby Brown winning “Best Actor In A Show”.

Although “Get Out” led the show with 7 nominations, they only managed 2 win: main actor Daniel Kaluuya for the “Next Generation” award and TSA agent Lil Rel Howery for “Best Comedic Performance”.

Other highlights include the release of the “Wonder Woman” full trailer, new footage for the horror movie “IT”, as well as a sneak peek for “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.

J Balvin, Pitbull, and Camila Cabello also came together for the 1st TV performance of “Hey Ma”, the original soundtrack for “Fate Of The Furious”. The performance was held to commemorate the “MTV Generation Award” win for “The Fast And The Furious” franchise.

Catch the rerun of the award show on MTV at 8pm.

So, what do you think of the winners? Did your favourites win? Leave your comments in the comment box below! :)

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