#JurassicWorld: Official Trailer Released Earlier Than Planned

A park will open soon and it’s a park you’ve never seen before. But how different is it from the usual theme park you’ve ever been to? Well, let’s just say the dinosaurs are the ones that will draw you into visiting the new theme park called “Jurassic World”.

A teaser trailer for Colin Trevorrow’s sci-fi terror adventure, “Jurassic World” was released by Universal Pictures on 23rd November, giving us a glimpse into the new Jurassic World owned by Masrani Corporation.

The teaser trailer runs for 15 seconds, the same length as the preview for the teaser trailer. As compared to the preview, the teaser trailer revealed more details about the theme park and the leading roles of the film played by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. “Guardians of the Galaxy” star Chris Pratt joined the cast of the film to play Owen, a rugged ex-military dude while “As You Like It” star Bryce Dallas Howard will play Claire, a scientist who created the genetically modified dinosaurs.

“Jurassic World” is set to take place 22 years after the events of “Jurassic Park” at Isla Nublar. The remote island now features a full-fledged dinosaur theme park, which was originally envisioned by John Hammond, a character played by the late actor Richard Attenborough. The full plot of the film has not been released as of yet but it was revealed that the focus will be on a new attraction in the park that gravely backfires despite its effort to re-spark visitor interest.

As seen in the teaser trailer, Universal Pictures is set to release the official trailer of “Jurassic World” on this Thursday, November 27th.

However, Universal Pictures broke its promise and surprised us with the release of the full trailer ahead of its expected Thanksgiving Day premiere.

Producer Frank Marshall tweeted that the official trailer of the film is a “Thanksgiving surprise”, but some fans speculated that the trailer may have been released to avoid hackers from leaking it ahead of its release. But of course, it could really just be an awesome surprise from Universal Pictures and we are forever grateful for that!

Forget what you’ve seen in the teaser trailer, because the official trailer has given us an overall idea of how things will go horribly wrong with the new hybrid dinosaurs plan. Although the new Jurassic Park looks absolutely amazing and futuristic, the new hybrid dinosaur escapes from the lab and makes it almost impossible for everyone else to escape the remote island. Like what Chris Pratt said, the hybrid dinosaur is a highly intelligent animal that will “kill anything that moves”.

Yup, you can’t run even if you tried. Watch the terrifying trailer below!

Directed by Colin Trevorrow, the script is written by Derek Connolly and himself. Steven Spielberg returns to executive produce the latest instalment of his groundbreaking Jurassic Park film series while Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley returns as producers.

Slated for release on 11th June, 2015, the film also stars Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Irrfan Khan, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jake Johnson, Omar Sy, BD Wong, and Judy Greer.

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

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#EXO: Chanyeol First Member To Remake 90s MV In “90: 2014”

After the success of their first reality show, “EXO Showtime”, K-Pop idol boy group EXO is back with a new reality program called, “EXO 90: 2014”, in which the members will remake 90s MVs!

Earlier in August, program creator Mnet announced that EXO will be back for their new program, “EXO 90: 2014” and released still cuts from the set of EXO’s “90s Time Slip” MV. Here:

According to a staff member, the members showed their sense of responsibility as they tried their best to recreate the MV perfectly. The show also serves as a platform for audiences to take a look back at the K-Pop culture through the 90s remake MVs.

In fact, the concept of the show is to put the spotlight on 90s music and remake MVs for 90s hit songs but set in present time aka 2014 versions. EXO will be interacting with the seniors from the old school idol groups and they will be given tasks to recreate the MVs based on the hit songs from the past.

On August 11th, Mnet uploaded 2 new teaser videos of the show, featuring EXO members interacting with their first guest H.O.T’s Kangta.

It was also revealed that Chanyeol will be the first member to remake a 90s MV for the show.

In another teaser video, the members are seen recreating the scene from the Korean hit TV series, “Reply 1997”, in which the members leave voice messages for their fans on phone.

The highly anticipated reality program will be aired on 15th August. We say “highly anticipated” because we definitely are highly anticipating it! The show is expected to achieve a 40% viewer rating as Chanyeol has previously stated in a press conference that he will shave his head if it doesn’t.

So, the question is, do you want to see Chanyeol’s shaved head? Meanwhile, EXO is expected to perform in the Singapore leg of their “The Lost Planet Tour” come 23rd August! Who’s going?


#Avatar2: James Cameron Confirms 4 “Avatar” Sequels Starting Christmas 2018

This year’s CinemaCon is definitely full of good news for movie junkies.

James Cameron and 20th Century Fox announced that instead of doing 3 sequels, he and his team of 4 screenwriters will be producing 4 sequels for the “Avatar” franchise. “Avatar 2” is expected to hit the big screens on Christmas 2018, with the following releases slated for 2020, 2022, and 2023.

Regarding his plans about the franchise, Cameron explained that each sequel will be standalone films that act as a complete saga and it will be a “massive cinematic process”. He further added that his team realised that there were just “too much stories” and “too much visuals” for one movie.

“I’ve been working the last couple of years with a team of 4 top screenwriters to design the world of “Avatar” going forward. So far what I am seeing on the wall, in terms of imagery, is way beyond the first film,” said Cameron during his presentation.

James Cameron surprised #CinemaCon audiences by announcing 4 #Avatar sequels, targeting 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023. pic.twitter.com/sOHYHH43Hd

— 20th Century Studios (@20thcentury) April 14, 2016

The studio and Cameron’s team have been trying to find new ideas to make sure “Avatar” is still fresh in people’s mind. And we don’t blame him, really, because it has been 7 long years since we watched the last one. As such, initiatives like building a Pandora-themed ride in Disneyland and a partnership with the Cirque du Soleil for an “Avatar”-themed performance are in consideration.

Lastly, he mentioned that the studio will be collaborating with Darkhouse to create a series of graphic novels.

We sure hope that James Cameron and 20th Century Fox will not be delaying the releases again like it they did previously. Are you psyched for the new “Avatar” sequels? Let us know in the comment box below :)

Sources: Birth.Movies.Death, Screen Rant, Variety.

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Kaskade: First Single, “Never Sleep Alone”, Off Upcoming Album Revealed

“I see what’s happening to my peers who are signing to majors and it was important for me to avoid some of that.”

In December 2014, it was announced that Warner Bros. Records was staking its claim in the EDM world by signing one of the genre’s biggest players, Kaskade. The 44-year-old DJ/producer was only too happy to oblige when he was approached to start his own independent label named, “Arkade”.

It was also revealed that the 3-time Grammy nominee inked a 2-album deal with the company, which means that he had no time to waste with regards to putting out new music as soon as possible!

After releasing albums on independent labels like Om Records (People Under the Stairs, Bassnectar) and Ultra Records, Kaskade has now confirmed that he’s preparing to launch his 8th major studio album, and he’s finally letting us hear its first single.

The track, “Never Sleep Alone”, features vocals from Tess Comrie that fit the soft, melodic, translucent, “Kaskade feel” that we’ve fallen in love with over the years. The song pulls influence from several different electronic sub-genres including trance, electro, and even future house.

First played during his surprise “Holy Ship!” b2b set with Skrillex, the drop in “Never Sleep Alone” delivers a larger festival-vibe than traditional Kaskade, and should be featured throughout his summer DJ sets.

Meanwhile, Kaskade is preparing to play a host of American festivals including Coachella, EDC New York, Summerfest, Electric Forest, and Lollapalooza. Safe to say that people will be heairng this a lot out there ;)

His new album is set to drop on Warner Bros. and Kaskade’s own label, Arkade. No further information on the release have been released yet but stay tuned for more deets!


Lukas Graham Went On An Eating Spree In Malaysia, Loves Durian!

Guess what guys? The Danish pop band behind the hit song “7 Years” and “Love Someone” is currently in Malaysia!

That’s right, Lukas Graham just touched down Malaysia last night and they’re already enjoying the country so far.

The band is here for a private showcase that is taking place in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow night. But since, they’re only going to be here for a while, the members have gone on a eating spree around KL last night, trying out all sort of local food at Jalan Alor.

Surprisingly, out of all of the food that lead singer Lukas Forchhammer has tried, the one he likes the most is the king of fruits, durian.

“The durian taste really, really good. You just need to watch out for the prickly edges, and if you have a weak stomach, don’t smell it. I don’t. I like it,” he said on Warner’s Music IG story.

The band members also tried out mangosteen, satay, grilled fish, wantan mee, chicken wings and more at Jalan Alor. So many yummy food items to keep the stomach satisfied; no wonder Lukas and his companions were all smiles.

We’re really glad that Lukas Graham are enjoying their visit in Malaysia!


#THG: No CGI Used To Replace Philip Seymour Hoffman (Plutarch Heavensbee)

The film’s director prefers to use raw footage of the late actor rather than CGI to “replace” him.

We’ll be seeing less of Philip Seymour Hoffman in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay” films than initially expected as director Francis Lawrence has revealed that he didn’t utilise CGI to finish Hoffman’s remaining scenes.

Hoffman had almost completed his turn as Plutarch Heavensbee for the final 2 instalments of “The Hunger Games” franchise, “Mockingjay – Part 1” and “Mockingjay – Part 2”, when he died on 2nd Feb from mixed drug intoxication. Lawrence said that the creative team shied away from using “digital trickery” to replace Hoffman.

Lawrence talked to HuffPost Live about rewriting the script after production resumed on Mockingjay following the actor’s untimely death. “He had two scenes with dialogue that were left and we decided we didn’t want to try any kind of digital trickery with him, so we rewrote his scenes and gave his dialogue to other actors. So there was one scene from Part 1 and one scene from Part 2, so we shot both movies back to back,” he said.

Lawrence said it would have been disastrous to use technology to recreate such a talented actor’s performance.

“He was one of the greatest actors, I think, of all time and I just think to try to fake a Philip Seymour Hoffman performance would have been catastrophic and I would never want to do that,” Lawrence said. “I just think this was the best way to be able to get around such a horrible thing.”

We’ll leave you now with the final trailer for “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1“, slated to open in Malaysia this week:

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

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CONTEST: Deploy G.I.Joe Retaliation Goodies!

While we wait for G.I.Joe: Retaliation to be released in our cinemas (not much longer now!), what say we tempt you with some limited edition movie merchandise, thanks to our awesome friends from United International Pictures Malaysia? We were just (like, just) told that we’ve got:

Up for grabs, for THREE lucky winners. Yes, that would be ONE limited edition G.I.Joe: Retaliation Thermos plus ONE limited edition G.I.Joe: Retaliation Sunshade per winner.

Want ’em? We promise we’ve made it really, really easy for you to win ’em! Here’s what you gotta do:

Most creative answers win! Oh, also, good luck!

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


Russell Peters’ Notorious World Tour 2012

We promised that we’ll update it as we go along and here we are!

After all that buzz, the details for Russell Peters’ “Notorious World Tour 2012” have finally been released. Our personal source says that the most affordable tickets are RM128 (Bronze) and the price goes up to RM438 (Platinum) for the more “first class” (read: closer to Russell Peters) ones:

Small price to pay to watch him live, we say. He is, after all, Canada’s biggest comedy export and international comedy rockstar (his two shows in Dubai this year sold out in eight minute s). Plus, he promised new materials for his tour. Chance of a lifetime, no?

So, you ready to get hurt from LOLing or what?

For more information, go bug LOL Events Sdn Bhd here or visit Russell Peters’ official website.


Smart Just Got Smarter With Samsung SMART TV

Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn. Bhd., the global leader in digital media and convergence, today, reinforced its commitment to push the boundaries of innovation and consumer experience with its showcase of the latest range of interactive SMART LED and Plasma TVs alongside a new range of home entertainment systems and Blu-ray players.

Working across its home entertainment product portfolio, Samsung has removed the barriers that exist between devices and content to deliver a smarter, simpler and more connected life for consumers.

Samsung’s range of futuristic SMART TV 2012 offers consumers three life-enriching, highly interactive solutions in form of SMART Interaction, SMART Content, and SMART Evolution.

Samsung’s cutting-edge SMART TV technology is set to forever redefine home entertainment. SMART Interaction is an intuitive platform offering Motion Control, Voice Control, and Face Recognition commands for the TV, eliminating the need for a remote control.

With SMART Content, families will enjoy enhanced content and connection abilities from device to device and web storage to device that is easy and convenient. SMART Content turns the TV into a lifeline, in and outside the home through new and enriching experiences.

The SMART Evolution feature allows consumers to easily enjoy the benefits of the latest TV technology year after year without purchasing a brand new unit. Consumers will enjoy new experiences from year 2013, as the future TV kit allows their TV to be re-born each year with the newest technology.

Samsung’s SMART TV features the slim bezel complemented by a stylish arch flow stand and large screen size of up to 60 inches. Inside, a dual-core processor powers the TV, allowing users to multitask by surfing the web while using or downloading multiple apps simultaneously. A variety of content is available through Samsung Apps, the industry’s preferred TV apps platform.

Its Micro Dimming Ultimate allows viewers enjoy richer colours, brighter pictures and higher contrast ratios by analysing and automatically adjusting the picture quality. The technology also eliminates the “halo” effect and image distortion caused by diffused light.

“The lifestyles and demands of the new age consumer today are rapidly changing and the technological landscape is fast advancing. Consumers are looking for innovative products that enrich and accommodate their lifestyles, be it for entertainment, personal or corporate needs, and this creates exciting growth opportunities for new markets,” said Mr. Kwon Jae Hoon (Managing Director of Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn. Bhd.)

He went on to add, “Samsung envisions the TV as the central screen of the home, bringing family members together in this individualized era. Unlike other devices, the TV has the largest screen and the power to deliver families truly unique and touching experiences. “

“With Samsung SMART TV, television will be the center of the family, sharing people’s memories and events. As a family member, TV will understand you and your family. This is the future of SMART TV.”

For more information, visit their website or their Facebook page.

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TVXQ! Surprise Roadshow A Success!

JPM Music’s surprise roadshow held for TVXQ! fans at Tropicana City Mall last Sunday proved to be a great success as Malaysia’s Cassiopeia came out to show their love for the band and pick up some fantastic TVXQ! goodies. With the impending arrival of K-Pop’s beloved kings and their spectacular “Catch Me” Live World Tour just weeks away, JPM Music and joint presenter Magnum hosted the roadshow as a special treat to true TVXQ! fans.

The event which included a singing competition, Q&A sessions and a lucky draw, gave Cassiopeia chances to get their hands on highly sought after TVXQ! Press Conference passes. Numerous fans plucked up the courage to belt out TVXQ! tunes on a public stage but it was sisters Leong Mun Chi and Leong Rui En, performing the popular title track “Catch Me”, who most impressed the judges as they sang and danced their way to a win.

Runner up, Niky Teoh, earned herself a pair of Premium Rock Zone tickets for her performance of the song, “Humanoids”. Jimmy Yek’s rendition of “Mirotic” won him a TVXQ! album whilst Ho Chi Yin and Liew Lee Yen’s creative use of balloons in their performance got each of them a Premium Rock Zone ticket.

Also winning themselves a Premium Rock Zone ticket each were sisters Jazreen Azman and Jazmeen Azman who played special acoustic guitar performances of, “Maximum” and “Hey! Don’t Bring Me Down” and Norateelah Roslan who showed off her best TVXQ! dance moves.

The Q&A sessions which were held at various times during the course of the day, saw fans walking away with the latest official TVXQ! concert poster. 30-year-old Mazniffa Mustaffa emerged the winner of the special press conference pass in the lucky draw. She’s just one of the many fans who are proof that you don’t need to be a giddy teenager to appreciate timeless pop acts like TVXQ!.

As the concert nears, the excitement builds and it’s clear that Cassiopeia are ready for a fantastic evening of U-know and Max’s spectacular vocals and impressive dance moves!

For more information, visit JPM Music’s Facebook page.


Yahoo’s Users At Risk

As if facing a slump and struggling to revive itself isn’t an all-time low for Yahoo! Inc. was bad enough, more than 400,000 Yahoo user names and passwords were stolen and published by anonymous hackers today.

The intrusion was confirmed to have happened via “Yahoo Voices”, part of its news service. Voices is an online publishing tool (formerly known as “Associated Content”) which was acquired by Yahoo only two years ago.

Hackers later posted online (on a page that has been offline for a few hours now) what they say is login information for more than 450,000 Yahoo users and also added that it was meant to be a “warning”:

We hope that the parties responsible for managing the security of this subdomain will take this as a wake-up call, and not as a threat. There have been many security holes exploited in Web servers belonging to Yahoo! Inc. that have caused far greater damage than our disclosure. Please do not take them lightly.

This breach puts other websites at risk as well, since they’ve exploited Yahoo’s vulnerability. Google, AOL, and Microsoft have since advised all affected users to reset passwords for their accounts i.e. Gmail, AOL, Hotmail, MSN, and Live.com.


CMCO 3.0: 14 SOPs You Should Keep In Mind For These 2 Weeks

A new set of rules came into play following the extension of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) which was enforced this week.

The one that got the most attention is the fact that interstate and inter-district travels are now allowed as it has never been permitted in previous CMCOs.

People have mixed feelings about the travel ban lift, but let’s focus on what we can and cannot do during CMCO 3.0. Check out the guidelines below:

1. Interstate and Inter-district travels are no longer banned.

Travel is only restricted when travelling to and from Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO), where it is only allowed (with police permission) in the case of emergencies such as medical treatment or death.

2. Passenger limit will depend on the vehicle’s capacity.

There will no longer be a limit for private vehicles and the number of passengers will depend on the vehicle’s capacity. Public transportation can also operate based on vehicle capacity (taxis, e-hailing, buses, etc.)

3. Businesses to operate between 6am to 12am.

Businesses for daily necessities including supermarkets, shopping malls, grocers, laundromats, petrol stations are allowed to operate between 6am to midnight. Farmers markets and night markets can also operate to midnight, under the watch of authorities.

Pharmacies will be open from 8am to 12pm, while clinics, hospitals and petrol stations along highways, will continue to open for 24 hours. For Sabah, all businesses are required to close at 10pm, except eateries which can close at midnight.

4. Restaurants and food delivery services to operate between 6am to 12am.

Dine-in and food delivery can be done from 6am to midnight.

5. Dine-in limit is based on the table size.

There must be a 1m social distance between customers based on the table size but no table limit were stated in the guideline. For Sabah, dine-in is permitted but tables can only seat half the capacity (eg. A table for four can only seat two people)

6. Meetings for work and official purposes are allowed at half capacity.

Official and work meetings at offices, hotels, or other institutions are allowed but the meeting room must not have more than half the capacity. Social distancing measures must be taken and face masks must be worn.

7. All education sectors are closed (except International exams)

Schools, colleges and universities will stay close and continue Open and Distance Learning (ODL) except for students taking international exams

8. Tuition, music, dance, and language classes are allowed in green zones

These types of classes can only operate within green zones. Child cares, nurseries and kindergarten can also operate with authorities’ permission.

9. Conferences and seminars can only take place in green zones.

Conferences, seminars, training workshops, lectures and exhibits can only take place within green zones. On the other hand, service training can only be done at training institutes.

10. Only non-contact sports activities are allowed.

Both indoor and outdoor non-contact sports are allowed, but contact sports are still not permitted. Social distancing is required for both static activities (1-3m distance) and dynamic activities (3-5m distance) Public sporting facilities can operate at a 50% capacity.

11. Cinemas, indoor playgrounds, and theme parks are only allowed in green zones.

Cinemas, theme parks, and indoor playgrounds are allowed to operate in green zones. However, concerts and live events with an audience are not permitted. Nightclubs are also still banned from operating.

Any kinds of social gatherings such as feasts, ceremonies, receptions, birthday parties and more are not allowed.

13. Marriage solemnisations ceremonies are allowed with a limit of 30 guests.

For Muslims, Marriage solemnisation ceremonies or “akad nikah” at Islamic Department Offices are allowed. For non-Muslims, marriage solemnisation ceremonies can take place at National Registration Department, associations buildings and house of worships.

Up to 30 guests are allowed depending on the limits set by state religious authorities or the space available.

14. Mosques, Suraus, and non-Muslim houses of worship allowed to open.

Activities at mosques and suraus are allowed to take place within the limits set by the state religious authorities. On the other hand, non-Muslim houses of worship can open within the limits set by the Health Ministry (MoH), National Security Council (MKN), or state government.

Check out this easy-to-refer infographic made by MalaysiaKini for the CMCO 3.0 guidelines:

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#Fast9: Writer Chris Morgan Hints At Han’s Possible Return

The highly anticipated “The Fate of the Furious” aka “Fast 8” has yet to arrive in cinemas but new details about “Fast 9” is already making fans excited.

Recently, screenwriter Chris Morgan revealed that Sung Kang’s Han might return to the franchise. Han, who originally died in “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” (2006), returned to the series in “Fast & Furious” (2009), “Fast Five” (2011), and “Fast & Furious 6” (2013) after Morgan altered the timeline.

When asked about Han, Morgan, who has written every “Fast & Furious” movie except for the first 2, said that he has been thinking of altering the timeline again so that he could bring the beloved character back to the franchise.

“Now, that’s funny because I’ve actually been thinking about that a lot. So it’s interesting that you and I are on the same wavelength there. But I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out. I love Sung, he’s one of my favorite people on the planet,” he told /FILM.

Prior to his appearance in “Tokyo Drift”, /FILM noted that Sung Kang’s Han actually appeared in Justin Lin’s other movie, “Better Luck Tomorrow” (2002). In that movie, Han was a thief who smoked a lot. But as he moved into the “Fast” series, he quit smoking and started snacking on junk food to keep his hands (and mouth) busy. He is also romantically linked to Gal Gadot’s Gisele Yashar.

Besides that, it was revealed that the name Han Seul Oh is a nod to Han Solo of “Star Wars”. However, Lin confirmed that it’s a fake name, so his last name is never revealed.

As much as we love Han, we don’t think bringing him back would do any good to the final trilogy. Heck, it might even spoil his epic death and legacy. In case you forgot, he was killed by Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw, the brother of Owen Shaw.

“The Fate of the Furious” is slated for release on 14th April 2017. Meanwhile, “Fast 9” and “Fast 10” are set to premiere on 19th April 2019 and 2nd April 2021 respectively.

For more info, hit up the franchise’s Facebook page.


Fun Facts: Everything You Need To Know About #AvengersAgeOfUltron

Try and you shall succeed. But try and stop us from talking about Marvel‘s upcoming superhero film, “Avengers: Age of Ultron“? Well, that ain’t going to happen, unless you know everything about this movie as well.

You see, it’s not just the star-studded cast that makes us want to watch this superhero film; it’s the way the studio built the Marvel Cinematic Universe by connecting all the dots from its past, current, and upcoming superhero films and TV series. In addition, the amount of trailers and exclusive clips that the studio has released in the past few months are a sure sign that it is one of the most highly anticipated films in 2015.

Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, the movie is slated for release in Malaysia on 23rd April 2015.

The official synopsis of the film is as follows:

Marvel Studios presents “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

Robert Downey Jr. returns the film to reprise his role as Iron Man while Chris Evans is portraying Captain America. Evans’ Captain America will be coordinating the team that consists of Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye, and Mark Ruffalo’s The Hulk.

Whether you’re a Marvel fan or not, here are some of the things you should know about “Avengers: Age of Ultron”:

(This article contain potential spoilers, so read it at your own risk)

1. A total of 3 stunt doubles were hired for Scarlet Johansson as she was pregnant during filming

Scarlett Johansson, who played Black Widow in the movie, gave birth to her first child with husband Romain Dauriac in September 2014. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that she was already pregnant when they were promoting Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier“.

Thus, the actress remained relatively out of the spotlight as the studio hired 3 stunt doubles on hand to step in whenever the action got too intense. According to Chris Evans, all the stunt doubles looked so similar to Johansson that he thought he was talking to the real ScarJo.

2. Captain Marvel had a cameo in early drafts of the script

Marvel’s first female-driven movie “Captain Marvel” will only hit the big screen on 2nd November 2018. However, the studio already planned to include her cameo appearance in other films. In fact, the character was originally scheduled to appear in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” as well!

According to Badass Digest, the character was included in the early draft of the script and director Joss Whedon shot visual FX plates to have Captain Marvel fly into the Avengers HQ at the end of the movie. However, the idea was ditched by the studio as Feige said the rushed introduction may affect the potential impact of the character.

He further revealed, “The way we reveal Scarlet Witch (in costume) at the end of the movie? Those were Captain Marvel plate shots.”

3. The mystery woman featured in the trailer will not appear in the movie

When the studio released the 2nd trailer of “Avengers: Age of Ultron”, tonnes of new footage were featured in it. One of the scenes showed a mysterious woman who was disrobing beside a pool of water in a cave. Fans speculated the woman would be a significant character as she could be related to the titular character of Marvel’s “Black Panther“.

However, it was revealed that she will not appear in the final cut of the movie at all. Her scene has been deleted because the director cut the film from being 3 and a half hours long to 142 minutes for theatrical release.

Feige told Cinema Blend, “That was just interesting imagery as part of a dream sequence… It was part of when Thor was looking around at the oddity and the strangeness happening, and it was just an image marketing grabbed.”

The deleted scene will most probably be included in the film when the Blu-ray comes out,

4. Klaw, the villain from Marvel’s “Black Panther” will appear

One of the major villains, who commonly pitted against the titular character of the “Black Panther” solo movie, will be featured in “Avengers: Age of Ultron”. Just like the mysterious woman, he was featured in the 2nd trailer of the film. Best known for portraying Gollum in the “Lord of the Ring” franchise, Andy Serkis will portray the said character, Ulysses Klaw.

Similar to Captain America’s shield, Ultron was made out of Vibranium, a powerful metal that can only be found in the fictional African country of Wakanda. Ultron will most likely cross path with Klaw as both Panther and himself lived in the country of Wakanda. Serkis’ role will be relatively small in the film, but it will help set his character up in the “Black Panther” solo movie.

5. James Spader was the director’s first and only choice for the role of Ultron

Whedon stated in an interview with Lorraine Cink from Marvel’s “The Watcher” that James Spader was the first and only actor he considered for the role of Ultron. He described that Spader has a “hypnotic voice that can be eerily calm and compelling while also being very human and humorous”.

Instead of speaking with an accent, Spader used his natural speaking voice for the role. His impressive performance even received cheers and applauds from the cast after his first take on his first day on set. Since Ultron was described as 8-9 feet tall, the actor had to wear a costume that consists of an antennae-like contraption made out of a thick piece of wire and 2 red balls that represented the placement of Ultron’s eyes. The balls were attached to the top that went up his entire back and 3 feet above his head.

Elizabeth Olsen, who portrays Scarlet Witch in the film, admitted she was often distracted by his intense performance that her “Godzilla” co-star Aaron Taylor-Johnson would yell, “Red balls! Look at his balls, Lizzie!” at her in order to get her to look in the right direction.

6. It took almost a year for the director to convince Aaron-Taylor Johnson to play Quicksilver

Whedon spent nearly a year trying to get Aaron Taylor-Johnson to play Quicksilver. The latter revealed that he was concerned over the studio’s intensity contracts and its time constraints. He ultimately agreed to join after learning that Olsen would portray her onscreen twin sister.

In addition, Quicksilver’s appearance in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” has been surrounded by controversy from the beginning as he was supposed to appear in “X-Men: The Last Stand” and the first “Avengers” film. Both Marvel and Fox faced licensing complexities, resulting in Quicksilver’s omission from both films. They formed a resolution by announcing that Quicksilver would appear in both movies under certain circumstances:

Thus, Taylor-Johnson’s “Kick-Ass” co-star Evan Peters, who portrayed Quicksilver in Bryan Singer’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past”, would not be featured in the “Avengers” franchise.

Entertainment Weekly revealed that someone very important will not make it out of the sequel alive.

The rumours, which originated from a Bleeding Cool report, suggested that a character will die protecting an Avenger. There are conflicting reports making rounds on the Internet and many theories regarding the surprise death have surfaced online. Whether or not the character will make it out alive, the mystery will only be solved if you’re going to watch the movie.

8. Saiorse Ronan was once considered to play Scarlet Witch

Before Elizabeth Olsen joined the cast as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, it was revealed that Marvel used “The Lovely Bones” star Saoirse Ronan as the “prototype” for Whedon’s version of the character.

Ronan expressed an interest in the role, but The Hollywood Reporter stated that she had passed on the offer and reported that Olsen entered negotiations to play the character instead.

9. In the comics, Ultron is created by Dr Hank Pym a.k.a Ant-Man

In the comics, Ultron is created by Dr Hank Pym a.k.a the original Ant-Man. However, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner are the ones who created Ultron in the movie.

Pym will get his own separate story in the “Ant-Man” solo movie.

10. The Vision was created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner in the film

Paul Bettany, who voiced Tony Stark’s artificial intelligence program J.A.R.V.I.S., will portray a new character called the Vision. In the movie, he was created by Stark and Bruce Banner, which also explains his colour combination of red, green, and golden. Red and golden are the combinations of Tony Stark’s Iron Man armour and green is the colour of Hulk.

However, the comic books showed that the Vision was created by Ant-Man‘s Ultron to fight against the Avengers. He later betrayed his own creator and helped the Avengers destroy Ultron instead. Since then, the Vision has become one of the Avengers and was later rebuilt by Tony Stark himself.

According to Bettany, there’s a lot of distrust that has to be navigated by the Vision to make sure that the Avengers feel safe to have him around as their ally. Is he good or evil? That’s for us to find out in the movie.

11. No post-credit scene, but Stan Lee will make a cameo

Whedon confirmed that the film does not have a post-credit scene, citing that the end-credit shot couldn’t top the post-battle shawarma scene from the first “Avengers” film.

It didn’t seem to lend itself in the same way, and we wanted to be true to what felt right. The first rule of making a sequel is take the best moments and do something else. Don’t do the “Indiana Jones” gun trick again differently. Just go somewhere else. Don’t try to hit the same highs, because people will sense it. We all came at it separately – we don’t want to chase that. That was a jewel and a weird little quirk.

There is nothing at the very end. And that’s not a fake-out. We want people to know so they don’t sit there for 10 minutes and then go, “Son of a b*tch! I’ll kill them!”

However, Feige noted that a short, epilogue-like scene will pop up shortly after the credits start. In fact, during the Salt Lake Comic-Con, Stan Lee revealed that he will make a cameo in the film and it is his favourite cameo so far.

12. The storyline is not based on the 2013 Marvel comic series of the same name

The movie was named after a 2013 Marvel comic series “Age of Ultron”. However, Feige said that its storyline will not used in the film.

We came up with a few titles, but every month a new comic book appears, and “Age Of Ultron” is a great title. We had a few other “of Ultrons”, but that was the best one. So we’re borrowing that title, but taking storylines from decades of Avengers storylines.

13. According to Idris Elba, he will appear as Heimdall again

Idris Elba starred in the “Thor” franchise as Heimdall, the guard of Asgard. He revealed in an interview with Telegraph that he filmed a scene with Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hidldeston in “Avengers: Age of Ultron”.

He wasn’t meant to talk about it, but revealed it nonetheless:

I’m in Avengers. And I’m doing a scene with Chris Hemsworth (who plays Thor) and Tom Hiddleston (who plays Loki), and they’re like, (whispers) – “Aren’t you (meant to be) in Ibiza?”

However, Entertainment Weekly revealed that they only saw a vision of Elba’s Heimdall. In fact, Hiddleston himself confirmed to EW that he will not appear in the final cut.

He’s not in it. Here’s the thing: I don’t think there’s anything else Loki could contribute to ‘The Avengers,’ narratively. Joss gave me so many wonderful things to do in that 1rst film that we’d only be trying to repeat ourselves, and probably less well in the 2nd one.

14. Julie Delpy and Linda Cardellini have secret roles in the movie

A number of mysterious women were featured in the trailers of the movie, including Korean actress Claudia Kim who was spotted hanging out with the team in the Avengers HQ. Linda Cardellini and Julia Delpy were also featured, but their identities are being kept as a surprise.

EW revealed that they won’t be playing major superheroes from the comic book universe, but they will turn out to be some very meaningful supporting characters.

15. The most VFX shots for a Marvel movie

This movie has over 3000 VFX shots, which is the most VFX shots for any Marvel movie to date. It is followed closely by “Guardians of the Galaxy”, which held the record for having 2,750 VFX shots.

It will be the last time the current Avengers cast will be seen together as the team members may change in the upcoming Marvel films. Thus, a “never-before-seen” character will be introduced in the movie.

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

(Sources: comicbook.com, Telegraph, EW (1) (2), comingsoon.net, Marvel (1) (2), Blastr)

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Interview: SonaOne, Alif & Joe Flizzow On Def Jam, Bunga, & Important Advice

The music industry recently welcomed the birth of Def Jam Southeast Asia. The biggest hip-hop label in the world is set to showcase several Southeast Asian rappers to the whole world.

Many were excited at the good news when it was announced that the whole roster of Joe Flizzow’s Kartel Records has join forces with Universal Music Malaysia to form Def Jam Malaysia and Def Jam Singapore. Cue mic drop!

The announcement was made during a special press conference held at The Bee @ Publika last Friday (27th September). We got to witness live performances from the multi-talented lineup of Def Jam Malaysia and Singapore including Abubakarxli, Fariz Jabba, Yung Raja, SonaOne, Alif and of course, Joe Flizzow himself.

During the event, we managed to catch up with the Mr. President himself as well as SonaOne and Alif. The trio spilled the deets on their Def Jam venture, important advice to share to up-and-coming singers, challenges they’ve faced and the music industry as a whole.

This is not a job This is not a hobby @allisamazing @defjamsea

A post shared by  SonaOne (@itssonaone) on Sep 27, 2019 at 11:00pm PDT

Can you explain more on Def Jam Recordings and also the venture?

SonaOne: Sure! Def Jam is the 1st hip-hop label in the world. So, this thing has been around since 1982. I was not even born around that time. But basically, hip-hop today will not be this big if it wasn’t for Def Jam. They were the 1st label to promote the music and also its culture and has given the biggest classic acts like LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Kanye West and Rihanna. Def Jam is the biggest rap label in the world.

So for me, this whole venture overall is a dream come true for me. If anybody asked me last year, “What’s your next plan?” – my answer would be this (venture) was not part of it. I didn’t expect that we will go all the way to this level. For me, it’s dope and I think it’s gonna be a good opportunity for us Southeast Asian rappers to showcase our talent to the world.

In conjunction with the new venture, what do you think are some of the important things artistes need to look out for when signing a contract?

Alif: Make sure you don’t sign the contract immediately. If you’re unsure, then get a 2nd opinion. Until you’re confident and sure enough, then you can proceed with signing the contract.

Joe Flizzow: For me, you must get yourself comfortable with the contract. Contract nowadays comes in 360-degree format deals. In this case, they take care of everything – the management, the publishing, every aspects. Even if you ask a lawyer, anything is possible if you’re familiar with what you’re signing up for. In addition, now you can craft a contract to your liking, and that is the MOST important thing.

When I sign artistes (to Kartel), I’ll ask them, “What do you want to achieve from this contract?”. Different people wants different things. A contract is an agreement, you know? You need to make an agreement for anything. So, always know what you want to out of the label. Always know your strengths, weaknesses and what will the contract should help you in a way that you can become more comfortable to concentrate on your music.

What do you hope to achieve with Def Jam that you weren’t able to achieve with other labels?

SonaOne: I’m keen on what Def Jam can help me achieve. I hope to put Southeast Asia on the map. Honestly, I’m tired of people suggesting that I should expand my career abroad. It’s not that I don’t want to. It’ll be nice but for me, Malaysia is home. I’ve been always busy doing stuff here, helping so many different artistes. I think it’s a matter of time until I can get in the position that I don’t have to go everywhere. Instead, we can have the world come to us.

Alif: We don’t know yet. Because it’s new. But we have been doing collaborations regionally already. So now there are more opportunities do even more projects with the birth of this label.

Flizzow: I want Def Jam to be that platform where Malaysian artistes can go to an international market, to be able to collaborate with several artistes across the region, make music together and create a signature Southeast Asian sound – and together we are united as one to represent this sound to the world.

Def Jam Malaysia and Singapore is now open for business. #DefJamSEA

A post shared by  Joe Flizzow (@flizzow) on Sep 28, 2019 at 5:37am PDT

What do you think are the biggest misconceptions when it comes to hip-hop music?

Alif: Lyrics are not good enough. Suggestive. But for me that’s not really a concern though. Hip-hop is a form of musical expression. If you listen to any songs from any other genre  there’s a lot more repetitive lyrics for instance. So, I feel that music is a form of expression. I respect other’s opinion because at the end of the day, I know what I’m doing. And if they don’t like it then what can I do, right?

Flizzow: I think right now. there are no misconceptions because the understanding of the culture is there. Compared to 20 or 30 years ago, if you play hip-hop music in the family car and your mom will go like, “What is this?”. But today’s normal, the demographics of hip-hop is so much wider than what it used to be. People – of all society, races, religion and colour – listen to hip-hop. So, I believe misconceptions are only for people that are not knowledgeable (when it comes to the genre).

What are the perks of signing this agreement?

SonaOne: The perks for me is the brand itself. The fact that I am a part of something that is huge, that has been in the culture forever.

Alif: I got my family members at Kartel with me. So that’s cool.

SonaOne, you’ve achieved mainstream popularity through collab with Joe Flizzow in the song “Apa Khabar”. Tell us more about your career prior to “Apa Khabar”.

SonaOne: I have been working on music my entire life. We wrote “Apa Khabar” 2 years before it came out in 2014. Additionally, I also wrote the AIM award-winning song “No More” 5 years before it was officially released. Back then, I would cater to audience’s needs. That’s one of the reasons it took quite long for me to release more new music. But now, I don’t really care whether the mainstream audience would accept my music or not. Because for me, I just want to make a good music. Because if I make good music, people who like good music are gonna listen to it. So, I’m not trying to force people to listen to my music. It should be natural.

Alif, congratulations for your song “Mimpi” with K-Clique. Did you expect the popularity of the song?

Alif: The collab project with K-Clique was almost a year in the making actually. The song “Mimpi” was the 2nd one actually. Talking about the group, I knew that K-Clique was poppin’ already. But, I did not want to make a viral song. I know how to make viral songs, but that’s not my thing. I wanted to make songs that can stand the test of time. So, I feel that “Mimpi” is a great song, it’s a great feat for the group as well.

Apart from Joe who has collaborated with big names like Amy Search, Yassin and also Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza, we’ve rarely seen you guys collaborated with other artistes outside Kartel. Is it tougher to collab with singers outside your label?

SonaOne: I won’t deny that it is difficult because it varies when we work with different artiste. Because you know, almost all artistes have their own team, like us. So you have to go through the specific channels. Sometimes it doesn’t work out at all.

But for me, it’s not really an issue. In fact, I have a lot of collaboration with other artistes but I guess it’s just that not all people know about it. But I’ve done that a lot already. In fact, I’m open to any projects with all artistes regardless of genre.

Any thoughts on any rising hip-hop artistes like Bunga and K-Clique?

Alif: I love Bunga! I think she has so much potential. And we’ll just have to wait and see-lah what she turns into. I’m excited for her.

SonaOne: I love it! Bunga’s really dope! I met her when we were doing “16Bars” together in Bangkok, Thailand. So, I get to know her a little bit. She’s a sweet girl, very talented. And I know that she’s gonna have a promising career ahead.

K-Clique, man! I caught on to K-Clique like a year plus ago. And I told everybody, “You guys must watch out, man. These boys are gonna blow up.” And look at them now! I’m very happy with what they have achieved.

Any plans you’d like to share with us for your upcoming projects with Def Jam Southeast Asia?

Joe Flizzow: Well, Yung Raja is releasing his next single “Mad Blessings”, Caprice has a song coming out with BadBoii, Fariz Jabba will come out with a new single, SonaOne has an EP coming out, I got a whole album in the works. I’m currently working with this artist from Bangkok in addition to my collab project with Jay Park.

Much thanks to the good people at Universal Music Malaysia and also Def Jam Recordings Malaysia and Singapore for making this session to happen.

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Malaysia’s Hip-Hop Concert 16 Baris Live Is Back For Its 2nd Installment

Rap legend Joe Flizzow is bringing his famous cypher show LIVE on stage once again with the 2nd installment of 16 Baris Live this coming August!

For those who missed the 1st 16 Baris Live at Publika last April, no worries, as the 2nd edition is set to raise its bar by featuring not only the best of the best local hip-hop acts but also some of the best rappers from the Southeast Asian region.

Since the 1st edition of 16 Baris Live was so overwhelming (to the point that hundreds of people ended up waiting outside of The Bee, Publika), Joe decided to hold the 2nd concert at a wider open space which is the National Tennis Center in Kuala Lumpur.

Some of the rappers who will be presented in the upcoming hip-hop fest are Aman RA, Ashtin, B-Heart, Benzooloo, Dan Shiv, Deekid, Frank Loco, Juzzthin, Kid Raw, M2A, Sheezay, Waris, and more while the returning perfomers include Altimet, SonaOne, Airliftz, Alif, Fariz Jabba, Lil J, Kayda, Yung Raja, and Zamaera.

Brought to us by Tune Talk, entry fee is Free but visitor will need to register to get the tickets. Tune Talkers are allowed to redeem their tickets from today onward while non-users will only be able to get their tickets starting from 1st August.

16 Baris is a collaboration between Kartel Records and Rocketfuel Entertainment, aiming to showcase up-and-coming Asian talent hailing from all over Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore who freestyle in 16 bars.

Check out the 1st 16 Baris Live at The Bee, Publika.


12.12 Sale: Lazada & Shopee’s Amazing Deals For The Year-End Sale

Sad that this year’s biggest online shopping sale is over? Fret not, our local e-commerce platforms are bringing back more lucrative offers and more exciting things to expect, come this 12th December 2020.

The 12.12 online shopping sale will see Lazada setting up their customers with “Buy 1, Get 2” deals for the festive season, while Shopee is celebrating their fifth anniversary by giving back to their loyal shoppers. Here’s what to expect from their 12.12 sale:

The holiday season is approaching closer to us and Lazada has decided to subsidise its customers for their festive shopping. Shoppers can look forward to the e-commerce platform’s “Buy 1, Get 2” deals, which will bring discounts up to 90% and 12 times money-back guarantee come this 12.12.

Moreover, Lazada’s “Big Brands Surprise: 50% off” will allow consumers to get half-price vouchers when they shop from 12pm to 2pm on 12th December. Besides shopping, customers can show their love during this season by giving donations through Lazada’s digital giving platform, LazadaForGood, to non-profit organisations (NGOs), including UNICEF, Zoo Negara, Hospis Malaysia, and more.

Moreover, Lazada’s Shoppertainment signature programs and games will return again to give shoppers continuous entertainment while enjoying sweet deals. The Chief Discount Officer (CDO) show, starring Ain Edruce, will be livestreamed on 11th December from 9pm– 11pm on the Lazada app, and simulcasted on TV3.

Learn more about “Lazada 12.12 Grand Year-End Sale” here.

As part of its fifth anniversary, Shopee is introducing #ShopeeGivesBack which is aimed to create awareness through donating to various charities, including SIMPLYSITI Di Hati, Pertubuhan Kasih Neelofa, Malaysia AIDS foundation and more. Celebrities such as Siti Nurhaliza, Neelofa, Erma Fatima, and more, are joining Shopee this “12.12 Birthday Sale” with the sole mission to help underserved communities across the country.

The e-commerce platform is also combining games and entertainment into their new live game show, “Shopee Kotak Duit”, which users can stream and win up to RM12,000 in cold hard cash. That’s not all, the fun continues with Shopee’s 12.12 Birthday Bash countdown live show, which will be broadcasted.

“Shopee Kotak Duit” game show will be be aired through Shopee Live at 9pm every Monday to Thursday by Dato’ Ac Mizal and Fahrin Ahmad. As for the latter, it will be broadcasted via Shopee Live, Astro Ria, Astro Gempak and YouTube on 11th December from 9pm onwards and will feature an exciting lineup including Sheila Majid, Faizal Tahir, Misha Omar and other household names.

Moreover, from now until 12th December 2020, users can enjoy free shipping with a minimum spend of RM12 and RM1 deals during “Shopee’s Shocking Sale”. The e-commerce platform is also rewarding loyal customers offline this 12.12, with instant discounts and cashbacks when Malaysians pay with ShopeePay at offline outlets that accept the e-wallet.

To find out more about “Shopee 12.12 Birthday Sale”, click here.

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Vans Pres. “Go Skateboarding Day” 2013

Last year, Vans held their annual event, “Go Skateboarding Day” at the Putrajaya Challenge Park, which turned out to be a huge success! Internationally, “Go Skateboarding Day” is the day when all skateboarding enthusiasts get together to skate at their local skate venues or even their favourite street spots to express their passion for the sport in any and every way in their unique skateboarding styles.

“Go Skateboarding Day” 2012 saw fans from all over Malaysia and even as far as Korea and Singapore!

On 21st June 2013, the world will celebrate “Go Skateboarding Day” but Vans Asia Pacific will be holding their annual “Go Skateboarding Day” event on 22nd June 2013 (Saturday). This year’s event will be held at Fahrenheit Mall in Kuala Lumpur and just to give you a taste of what to expect, here:

[youtube id=”634DvrXVhyE” width=”600″ height=”350″]

For more information, visit Vans Malaysia’s Facebook page.


Stranger Vibes: How Netflix Turned Good Vibes Festival 2019 Upside Down

Folks, hold on to your Farrah Fawcett hairspray and boxes of Eggos! It seems like there was something a-lurking in the Resorts World Genting last weekend… and it’s not anything pretty!

For the annual Good Vibes Festival (GVF), Netflix Malaysia decided to spice things up a little bit this time around.

#StrangerVibes featured a special installation of iconic scenes from Stranger Things for fans to observe and even take photos during key scenes. With a total of 5 recreated sets, the backdrops are ideally designed to bring GVF attendees back to Hawkins with our favourite characters!

So, what did Hawkins Highlands look like? Look no further, folks! Here’s a list of all the sets available at the “Stranger Things” exhibition.

The main attraction of the installation was none other than the iconic Byers’ Living Room. The simultaneously heart-warming yet hair-raising scene of Joyce Byers communicating with her son through Christmas lights, only to learn that she was in grave danger, is still etched in our minds!

Fans lined up for hours, waiting for their turn to experience the magic of the moment.

P/S: There was also a bonus before entering the room! Wallpapered just like the Byers’ home, the Stranger Wall featured photos of all the characters in scenes from Season 1.

Who could forget the arcade, where Mad Max made her debut by absolutely crushing it in Dig Dug?

This installation was not only complete with bright colours of the 80’s, but also featured nostalgic arcade games such as Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Dig Dug, and even Stranger Things the Game! GVF attendees waited impatiently in line to get their try at beating the high scores to win exclusive prizes, channeling their inner Mad Max as they smashed the buttons on the game machines.

Don’t be too scared, this Demogorgon doesn’t bite! The talented cosplayer, Saakira Izumi, made a return with the handmade costume of the terrifying creature of season 1.

While the Demogorgon did promise not to eat anyone, it did look demogorgeous posing next to everyone for the camera!

The looming dread from the poster of Season 1 was the driving force for many to binge the series. Now complete with a “Highlands” touch, fans could pose with their own Stranger Squad to look like they’re about to pedal their way to save Hawkins from the Mind Flayer!

Speaking of posters, the gorgeous fireworks scene from Season 3’s poster was what caught all our eyes this year! However, with a closer look, you’d see that the scene is actually the KL skyline that is receiving a Hawkins touch!

Recreated with similar colours, the poster’s detail is what makes it truly extraordinary. Also, doesn’t Kuala Lumpur look good, even in the Upside Down?

Lyn Hui, a Penang born and raised artist rose to fame with her illustrations of “Stranger Things” catching the attention of many, including Finn Wolfhard himself! With her own take on the season, her illustrations were chosen to lead the Stranger Things Fan Wall, along with several other artists from Malaysia and worldwide.

Lyn Hui’s drawings were even turned into temporary tattoos, stickers on GIPHY, and enamel pins for fans to collect!

Of course, the cherry on top of the cake came at night. Once the bright skies of The Ranch in Genting finally turned dark, that was when the true horrors of the night came to be.

Complete with ominous mist, we see the Mind Flayer in all of its’ terrifying glory waiting to strike on the roof of Starcourt Mall. Guess it’s time to pull a Nancy and shotgun (pun intended!) the nearest vehicle in sight….

Were you in the Highlands during the past weekend? If so, did you get lost in halls of Starcourt Mall? Which was your favourite set out of everything; the enticing arcade with games of nostalgia or the comfy yet unsettling Byers’ living room? Or was it a hug from the Demogorgon? Let us know in the comments below!

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Director Todd Phillips Explains Joaquin Phoenix Vs Heath Ledger’s Joker

There’s no question that Heath Ledger has set the bar super high with his Oscar-winning portrayal of Joker.

Many are wondering if Todd Phillips’ “Joker” will emulate Ledger or will it differ completely? It’s already been confirmed that Joaquin Phoenix’s version will have nothing to do with Gotham City’s mob. But fans are asking, what more?

During the recent Venice Film Festival (where the film received an 8-minute standing ovation from audiences), Phillips went into detail about the difference between Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck and the iconic DC villain in 2008’s “The Dark Knight”.

“I don’t think it was this Joker’s goal to watch the world burn. This Joker had an entirely different goal in mind. In the beginning of the movie he’s sitting here doing this (forcing himself to smile and frown) in the very first scene, and it’s a guy searching for identity,” the 48-year-old said.

The filmmaker added, “I think he becomes, mistakenly, a symbol, and really what he was looking for was adulation. He was never looking for the world to burn, this Joker. As for the past ones, that’s a different thing. But our guy, that wasn’t his goal.”

Phillips also emphasised that the latest Arthur Fleck truly believes that his purpose on earth is to bring laughter to people. “He thought he was put here on this Earth to make people laugh and bring joy to the world, and he made a few bad decisions along the way, but no, his goal was not that. I think he became a mistaken leader, so to speak, or a symbol. Even (Robert) De Niro, (who plays) Murray (Franklin), says it to him. And Arthur says, ‘No, I’m not political.’ He just didn’t get what he was creating,” he shared.

You can check out 8 more fun facts about “Joker” here.


Jawed Karim: The Guy Who Appeared In The First YouTube Video

In case y’all weren’t aware, YouTube was officially launched back on 14th February 2005. The first ever video on the site was uploaded on 25th April 2005, titled “Me At The Zoo”.

The 18-second clip features a young man who shared his experience visiting animals at the zoo. Are you curious about the identity of the person who appeared on the first YouTube clip?

Many feel that it is a “must” for up-and-coming YouTubers to get to know Jawed Karim as he is one of the creators of this popular online video-sharing platform! Jawed, along with Steve Chen and Chad Hurley – all whom are former PayPal employees – co-founded the page in 2005. So what birthed the idea of developing the site?

According to the 40-year-old internet entrepreneur, the idea to launch the site started following pop star Janet Jackson’s infamous performance during the 2004 SuperBowl. At that time, it was difficult to search for the controversial video on the web. That’s where the trio came up with the brilliant idea of launching a site that enables users to share their videos in one platform.

However, Jawed is less popular compared to his co-founders Steve and Chad as he is not included in YouTube’s list of staff members. He had previously agreed to act as an advisor only because he wanted to focus on his studies at Stanford University. Due to his smaller role in the company, he held less shares compared to both his friends.

Despite that, it was reported that Jawed received USD64 million (~RM272.7 million) worth of shares after Google successfully acquired the company in 2006. Although he is less popular compared to Steve and Chad, Jawed is still recognised as the first person to appear on YouTube.

Interestingly, “Me At The Zoo” is the only video available on his account, with 98 million views. Word has it that he will only upload the next one once he reached 10 million amount of subscribers.

To date, Jawed’s channel has gained over 898k subscribers online.


Keeping It Real With adidas Originals

Thanks to adidas Malaysia, we were given the opportunity to speak to three of the world’s most talented hip hop icons and influentials DJs last Friday.

DJs and turntablists in their own right, DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest/Lucy Pearl), DJ Maseo (De La Soul), and DJ Shortkut (Beat Junkies/I.S.P/Triple Threat) tells us about the changing times in music, about what they really think of hip hop, and about their other secret passions in life.

Hi guys! How you feeling? When did you guys get in?

Maseo: “We got in just..the day before yesterday.”

Have you seen much of Kuala Lumpur yet? Because right now you’re already at the place to be – our landmark, the Petronas Twin Towers.

Ali: “I went to the mosque at Masjid Jamek yesterday. I’m fasting right now.”

So you guys are traveling a lot, right? What have you guys been listening to, what’s on your playlist?

Maseo: “For me, I’ve just been gearing myself up for this. Thinking about, and knowing that there would be freedom to play what we want to play. So I’ve just been getting a hold of music to cater to all y’all. I’m really excited about being here with Ali and Shortkut – this is like an extension of a dream. We’ve played together before but never as a trio. We’ve performed together especially in the Bay Area but never as a trio.”

Gone were the days where hip hop was constantly linked to, you know, “ghetto” and “gangsta”. How else do you think hip hop has changed over the past two decades?

Ali: “For me, and this is something that I noticed from DJing – I think what’s missing in the music now is love. You could watch the energy shift not just from the music or the sound of the music, but also the lyrics. It was a lot more love-driven back then. But now, the lyrics are now just about how ‘fresh’ or ‘dope’ an MC is. I don’t know what it’s attributed to but it’s just something I’ve noticed.”

Shortkut: “The record labels that put this stuff out, I mean, I feel like sometimes they need to be responsible for the content of these music that they’re putting out to the youth. It’s making someone who’s 10 years old listen to these lyrics. They’re growing up too fast, numsayin’?”

Maseo: “Hip hop these days, it’s highly pornographic and a lot of drug usage. Or exemplification of drug usage. It’ll make a transition eventually, I’m sure.”

That’s true. Music’s always changing! Speaking of which, with so many sub genres coming out every year, how would you as a DJ and an artiste stay relevant to the changing times of music?

Maseo: “I’ve always remained a student to this art form. I’ve always stayed in the position of learning. And behind learning, you learn what to do and what not to do.”

Shortkut: “Especially as a DJ, it’s sometimes a struggle to keep up with the times and stuff. As the years go by, I grow with the music. I try to learn and at the same time, I’m a student but also a teacher.”

Ali: “The best way I’ve been able to stay relevant is to stay true to myself and stay real. As long as you have integrity and sincerity and you’re passionate, that tends to reign supreme over everything else. I try to be open-minded and also make sure that I’m playing for people who are open-minded.”

Aside from being a world-renowned DJs and hip hop icons, what else are you guys passionate about?

Maseo: “My children. Absolutely. I’ve been a parent since the beginning! (laughs)”

Maseo: “When I go back home, I’m a serious parent. I’m a serious father, entrepreneur, and I take care of business. You know, as a disc jockey, our challenge is to make you dance. We’re the ultimate masters of the ceremony. It’s a good feeling, you know what I mean?”

Ali: “I’m passionate about education. I don’t have children so..you know..”

Maseo: “(laughs) But he’s grooming! He’s passionate about education!”

Ali: “Yeah! I’m passionate about education and unity. And you know, for speaking out against oppression. There’s a lot going on in the world so, because I don’t have children, I try use my music to channel that passion to people, bridge people, and bring people together.”

Shortkut: “I’m pretty much..I mean, I’m a father as well. I’m just thankful to make a career doing what I love and take that back home, you know?”

Alright. We’re almost done and I’m down to my last question so, complete the following sentence, “If I wasn’t a DJ, I would be..”

Maseo: “I would’ve probably gone to the military and the marines. Or be some big time general (laughs). And I’d most likely end up brainwashing or dictating some kids on how they should be in the marines – but I’m glad I didn’t make that choice (laughs).”

Shortkut: “I would probably be a cook. My family comes from a long line of cooks so I would’ve probably done that. Something like that. Yeah!”

Ali: “You know, I was on my way to being a lawyer. That was something I was striving towards. My mom didn’t have a lot of money so I was putting money aside to go to law school. But I got a recording contract and..”

So legendary, so dope. It was truly inspiring to have met three of the world’s biggest names in hip hop. Thank you, Maseo, Ali, and Shortkut for keeping it real and for speaking to us. Honoured!

For more pictures from the event, click!

For more information on adidas Originals’ “Breathe and Stop” tour, here.

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#Hyundai: Free Labour On Lube Change & Free 20-Point Inspection On Cars

If you happen to own a Hyundai vehicle that is no longer under warranty, Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) has some good news for you.

Hyundai service centres are now offering free labour on lube change service (engine oil and oil filter) as well as a free 20-point inspection on cars which include brake pads, bearings, tyres, windshield wipers, radiator fluid, spark plug, and more.

“We are constantly looking at ways of improving our after sales service as well as reducing the cost of ownership for customers and making ownership of a Hyundai, not only pleasant but also affordable. We would like to maintain a long-term relationship with our customers as long as they own a Hyundai car,” Lau Yit Mun, Managing Director of HSDM. He added that customers can save up to RM100 per service.

New Hyundai owners will also get to enjoy great savings too. Under the new “My Hyundai Care Programme”, those who purchase a Hyundai model this year will get to enjoy cost savings of up to 15% and time saving of 30%. The 3 packages available are Care Basic, Care Advance and Care Advance Plus.

During the promotional period between 1st June and 1st August, customers with vehicles that are less than 5 years old will get up to 20% discount on selected parts and 10% discount on labour charges.

You can find out more about the promotion via the My Hyundai Care App or call Hyundai’s Customer Careline at 1-300-13-2000.


#Hakkasan: Money Siphoned From 1MDB Used To Fund Popular Las Vegas Club?

Investigations into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) saga, said to be the world’s biggest financial scandal, has taken another turn as it has now been “proven” that at least USD10 million of the funds were used to finance a top Las Vegas club.

Hakkasan Nightclub is a prestigious brand into a all-encompassing nightlife experience offering top musical talents across various genres. The club, located at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, was launched in 2013 as a result of a partnership between British nightlife entrepreneur Neil Moffitt and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund manager Khadem Al-Qubaisi.

Described by Forbes as “the largest of its kind in North America”, the 5-storey, 80,000-square-foot club has the capacity to hold close to 7,500 patrons. Peak nights the club would commonly see 6,000 to 7,000 partygoers.

Now a major player in the Las Vegas club scene, the popular haunt often engages some of the world’s top 100 DJs/producers and electronic music sensations to perform such as Hardwell, Dada Life, Axwell^Ingrosso, Steve Aoki, Krewella, The Chainsmokers, Above & Beyond, Borgeous, 3LAU, W&W, Chuckie, Calvin Harris, and Tiësto, just to name a few.

In fact, Scottish music maestro Calvin Harris and Dutch DJ/producer Tiësto both hold residencies at Hakkasan Nightclub.

We're excited about our upcoming weekend lineup featuring @Tiesto, @HARDWELL & @WandWmusichttps://t.co/fnzITewzYr pic.twitter.com/DmPhpfuTcM

— Hakkasan Las Vegas (@HakkasanLV) July 25, 2016

The club has also seen attendance from some of the entertainment industry’s A-listers such as Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Rita Ora, Paris Hilton, Selena Gomez, Kate Upton, Taylor Swift, Pharrell Williams, Jennifer Lawrence, Christina Aguilera, Drew Barrymore, Rosario Dawson, and more. It is, after all, the hottest club in Las Vegas.

Hakkasan Nightclub is so hot that last year, the company, Hakkasan Group, opened the extravagant Omnia Nightclub at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

After which, Hakkasan Group announced that they were planning a global expansion into Southeast Asia and United States with 2 new restaurants and a nightclub in Indonesia and the introduction of Michelin-starred Yauatcha to Houston, Texas, and Honolulu, Hawaii.

It’s safe to say that their ambition is simply astounding. Unfortunately, its former chairman, Khadem Al-Qubaisi, was arrested by United Arab Emirates officials last week.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cited “people familiar with the matter” as saying that the authorities believe that the 45-year-old Emirati tycoon, Al-Qubaisi, is a key figure in the alleged scheme to siphon USD3.5 billion from 1MDB.

According to the US government complaint, he received some USD470 million siphoned from 1MDB and prosecutors have since identified several properties he allegedly purchased with that money including a USD51 million penthouse in New York’s Walker Tower and two mansions in Los Angeles worth a combined USD46 million.

Sarawak Report also detailed (complete with documents) how capital siphoned from 1MDB could have been used to fund Hakkasan.

Meanwhile, Hakkasan has denied receiving funds from 1MDB.

Brandon Roos, Hakkasan’s vice president of legal affairs, in a letter to WSJ, said that the company had conducted its own “internal review of funding documentation” and that they “remain fully confident that Hakkasan received capital from a legitimate fund in the Middle East that isn’t connected to entities involved in the 1MDB affair”.

Brandon added that the Justice Department had confirmed Hakkasan is “not the subject or target of their 1MDB investigation”.

Sources: Magnetic Mag, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal (1), Hakkasan, Omnia, Best of Vegas, New York Post, The Guardian, Las Vegas Sun, The Real Deal / Featured image: pitchengine.com.

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Ray Fisher Refuses To Work On Future Productions Involving DC Films Head

Is Ray Fisher officially done starring as Cyborg in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU)?

While that is still up in the air, the 33-year-old actor has firmly put his foot down, declaring that he won’t work on any future films associated with DC Films President Walter Hamada.

This announcement suggests that Ray will probably end his tenure as the half-machine, half-human DC superhero. However, viewers will still get to see him in Zack Snyder’s four-hour director’s cut of “Justice League” on HBO Max in 2021.

Earlier this morning, the actor tweeted, “Walter Hamada is the most dangerous kind of enabler. He lies, and WB PR’s failed Sept. 4th hit-piece, sought to undermine the very real issues of the ‘Justice League’ investigation. I will not participate in any production associated with him.”

The public was initially made aware of this controversy when Ray accused director Joss Whedon together with producers Geoff Johns and Jon Berg of misconduct during the shooting of “Justice League”. On 11th December, WarnerMedia released a statement confirming that investigation was concluded and “remedial action” had been taken towards the trio. Details on the ramifications were not disclosed.

In speaking to Forbes, accused Joss Whedon of not only exhibiting “gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable” behaviour but also attempted to digitally alter his colour skin tone in the film. Then-DC Films President Geoff Johns and producer Jon Berg apparently allowed this behaviour to continue. Unfortunately, things did not improve when Walter Hamada became DC Films president in 2018.

“Walter Hamada chose to insert himself into this situation by trying to throw Joss Whedon and Jon Berg under the bus to protect Geoff Johns. He has a long-standing work relationship with Johns and an even longer one with Toby [Emmerich] from their time together at New Line. (New Line is a subsidiary of Warner Bros.) Emmerich made Hamada the president of DC Films and Johns is providing content for Hamada to produce. It stands to reason that he would have a vested interest in trying to protect both of them,” he said.

“In July, Ray Fisher’s representatives asked DC Films President Walter Hamada to talk to Mr. Fisher about his concerns during the production of ‘Justice League’. The two had previously spoken when Mr. Hamada asked him to reprise his role as Cyborg in Warner Bros.’ upcoming ‘Flash’ movie, together with other members of the Justice League. In their July conversation, Mr. Fisher recounted disagreements he’d had with the film’s creative team regarding his portrayal of Cyborg, and complained that his suggested script revisions were not adopted. Mr. Hamada explained that creative differences are a normal part of the production process, and that a film’s writer/director ultimately has to be in charge of these matters. Notably, Mr. Hamada also told Mr. Fisher that he would elevate his concerns to WarnerMedia so they could conduct an investigation.

“At no time did Mr. Hamada ever ‘throw anyone under the bus,’ as Mr. Fisher has falsely claimed, or render any judgments about the Justice League production, in which Mr. Hamada had no involvement, since filming occurred before Mr. Hamada was elevated to his current position. While Mr. Fisher never alleged any actionable misconduct against him, WarnerMedia nonetheless initiated an investigation into the concerns he’d raised about his character’s portrayal. Still not satisfied, Mr. Fisher insisted that WarnerMedia hire an independent third-party investigator. This investigator has attempted multiple times to meet with Mr. Fisher to discuss his concerns but, to date, Mr. Fisher has declined to speak to the investigator. Warner Bros. remains committed to accountability and to the well-being of every cast and crew member on each of its productions. It also remains committed to investigating any specific and credible allegation of misconduct, which thus far Mr. Fisher has failed to provide.”

Ray was supposed to reprise his role as Cyborg in the “Flash” movie – directed by Andy Muschietti (“It”) – but it’s unlikely to happen now.


Concert Review: LANY Inspired Malaysian Fans With Plenty Of Memorable Moments

To immerse in the full LANY sensation requires one to experience them in person – and on Sunday night (6th November) we, along with thousands of fans, were treated with “A November To Remember” extravaganza at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.

In case you weren’t aware, the “A November To Remember” tour marks the LANY (an acronym for “Los Angeles New York”)’s 3rd performance in Malaysia. The audiences were treated to hit single after hit single, a brand new song that has become a crowd favourite, some unexpected moments, lots of interaction from lead vocalist Paul Klein and an adrenaline rush that lasted hours after the encore.

LANY kicked off their Asia tour last month and have since performed in Tokyo, Taipei, and Bangkok, before flying down to our local shores. Although the American pop rock band may not be a household name in Southeast Asia, they have been growing at a rapid pace. This is evident when the local press pointed how LANY’s concert venue in Kuala Lumpur have been getting bigger over the years. (P/s: Their last concert venue was in KL Convention Centre.)

The energetic group opened the concert with a bang with opening numbers “you”, “Thick and Thin”, and “Super Far”. Huge video screens and cool lightings definitely helped enhanced the aesthetics and set the mood for each song. Fans were encouraged to sing their hearts out when Paul quipped, “Malaysia, you’re so f**king loud and I love it!”

A post shared by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy)

To our surprise, concert-goers were no stranger to LANY’s new track “Congrats”, which they’ve been playing throughout their “A November To Remember” tour over the past couple of months. The angsty tune about being wronged by a former flame or friend is certainly a crowd pleaser. It also helped that the band included lyrics to the song for fans to singalong. On top of that, the middle screen played a series of funny memes while LANY performed “Congrats”.

We also liked how the setlist was evenly-balanced with songs from their self-titled album “LANY” (“Hericane”, “13”), “Malibu Nights” ( “I Don’t Wanna Love You Anymore”, “Taking Me Back”, “Thru These Tears”), “Mama’s Boy” (“Cowboy in LA”, “Sad”), and “gg bb xx” (“Ex I Never Had”, “Dancing in the Kitchen”). After performing the Kelsea Ballerini duet “I Quit Drinking”, Paul launched into a solo rendition of “Mean It” (their collab with singer-songwriter Lauv).

One would assume that Paul and his band would be out of breath after performing 20 songs, but the energy from LANY never wavered and Paul made sure that even those in the upper section were acknowledged. It fact, the night got progressively better. Despite Leslie Priest stepping away from the band to focus on other music pursuits, touring musicians Eric “Puff” Scarborough and Kim Vi more than make up for his absence, with Jake Goss pounding away on his drums. However, Paul is the heart and soul of the concert. His masterful ability to interact with the crowd as the vocal frontman is second to none.

Besides “Congrats”, our favourite performances came toward the end with “Malibu Nights” and their earlier hits (“Parents” and “ILYSB”) during the encore. As aforementioned, it’s hard to fully describe a LANY concert. For that 1.5 hours, Paul felt like a long-time buddy, talking about love, friendship, heartbreak, and breakups. It didn’t feel like a Hollywood megastar talking to an audience, but rather a musician trying to inspire music lovers and making everyone feel less alone than when they walked in.

Our favourite performance during #LANY Live In Kuala Lumpur #anovembertoremember #paulklein #jakegoss

♬ original sound – hypemalaysia – Hype Malaysia

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Yuna Gushes About Henry Golding’s Performance In Crazy Rich Asians

An early VIP screening for “Crazy Rich Asians” was recently held in Los Angeles, and guess who was in the audience to support Henry Golding? It was fellow countrywoman, Yunalis Zarai, better known as Yuna.

Here for team malaysia goooo henry!! @henrygolding @CrazyRichMovie #weouthere pic.twitter.com/2zQPCJxmoB

🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽@CrazyRichMovie was so good! I laughed I cried and it was so much fun & WTH Henry you’re a freakin star! uhh watch out hollywood💁🏻♀ pic.twitter.com/IygjXWI7zE

So what did the Malaysian songstress thought of the Jon M. Chu-directed movie? “@CrazyRichMovie was so good! I laughed I cried and it was so much fun & WTH Henry you’re a freakin star! Uhh watch out Hollywood,” she tweeted after watching it yesterday (Tuesday, 24th April).

Clad in a simple black and grey ensemble, Yuna even managed to take a photo with the man of the hour himself, who opted for a smart casual look. The 2 beloved entertainers were accompanied by Yuna’s bestie, Didi Ramlan.

The only thing crazier than love is family. #CrazyRichAsians pic.twitter.com/dYXP7T4JIl

— Crazy Rich Asians (@CrazyRichMovie) April 23, 2018

In case you haven’t heard, Golding recently made history by becoming the first Malaysian to appear on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”. Click here to watch his interview where he gave Malaysia a shout-out ;)

Based on a best-selling novel, “Crazy Rich Asians” will be out in cinemas this August.


Grammy Awards: 20 Years of Winners

One of music’s biggest award shows is just around the corner!

Prepping you for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards that’s set to take place on January 26th, 2014 (Sunday), Hype.My has made a list of Grammy Award winners from the past 2o years!

Record of the Year and Song Of The Year (“Rolling In The Deep”), Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album (21) and Best Pop Solo Performance (“Someone Like You”)

Best Pop Vocal Album (The Fame Monster) and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (“Bad Romance”)

Album of the Year and Best Country Album (Fearless) and Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance (“White Horse”)

Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (“Viva la Vida”) and Best Rock Album (Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends)

Best New Artist, Song of the Year and Record of the Year (“Rehab”)

Song of the Year and Record of the Year (“Not Ready to Make Nice”) and Album of the Year (Taking the Long Way)

Best Rap Album (Late Registration), Best Rap Solo Performance (“Gold Digger”) and Best Rap Song (“Diamonds of Sierra Leone”)

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Song of the Year (“Daughters”)

Album of the Year and Best Rap Album (Speakerboxxx/The Love Below) and Best Urban/Alternative Performance (“Hey Ya!”)

Best New Artist, Album of the Year (Come Away With Me), Record of the Year and Song of the Year (“Don’t Know Why”)

Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song (“Fallin’ “), Best R&B Album (Songs in A Minor) Best New Artist

Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (“Beautiful Day”)

Album of the Year and Best R&B Album (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill), Best New Artist, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song (“Doo Wop (That Thing)”)

Best Rap Solo Performance (“Men in Black”)

Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance (“Blue”)

Album of the Year and Best Rock Album (Jagged Little Pill) and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song (“You Oughta Know”)

Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (“All I Wanna Do”) and Best New Artist

Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance (“I Will Always Love You”) and Album of the Year (The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album)

Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male (“Tears in Heaven”), Album of the Year (Unplugged) and Best Rock Song (“Layla)

Who will be joining these list of A-listers this year? We can’t wait to find out. Tell us your predictions by commenting!

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#BalletIlluminations: Singapore Dance Theatre Brings Ballet Tour To Malaysia

Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) will return to Malaysia this May to share their love and passion for dance with the Malaysian audience, through Ballet Illuminations!

After 5 consecutive years of successful performances at Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac), SDT has been invited back to present a selection of classical and contemporary favourites from the repertoire. SDT will present 4 choreographic works presented for the first time at klpac from 1st – 3rd May 2015 at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac).

SDT will perform in Pentas 1 at klpac on 1st May at 8.30pm, 2nd May at 3pm, and 8:30pm and 3rd May at 2pm. This performance is made possible with the support of YTL Corporation Berhad, National Arts Council, and klpac.

SDT will also be performing at the Penang Performing Arts Centre (penangpac) from 8th – 10th May.

Ballet Illuminations (klpac) will feature a medley of diverse and exquisite works by award-winning choreographers, showcasing the finest examples of choreography to the Malaysian audience. The performance line-up includes stunning works of choreography by world-renowned choreographers in the likes of George Balanchine, Singaporean Choreographer Choo-San Goh, Natalie Weir, and Ma Cong.

The annual Ballet Illuminations is a perfect display of versatility and talent that is synonymous with SDT’s unique identity as a company that is equally adept at these challenging and varied genres of dance.

Be captivated as Singapore Dance Theatre brings to the stage a fine mix of classical and contemporary ballet at this year’s Ballet Illuminations!

Tickets can be purchased via TicketPro or call or walk-in: klpac @ Sentul Park (+603-40479000).

Ballet Illuminations (klpac) is a joint collaboration between Singapore Dance Theatre and klpac.

For more information, visit their website or Facebook page.


E! Live From The Red Carpet 2014 Soundtrack With Janelle Monáe & Others

E! celebrates the 2014 awards season like never before!

This year, coinciding with the most comprehensive awards show coverage in the world, E! is bringing on four of today’s hottest and most sought after music artists for an exclusive Live from the Red Carpet 2014 soundtrack. Each of the four selected artist will be doing their own rendition of E!’s 2014 theme song, Simply Irresistible by Robert Palmer.

India pop-punk singer Charli XCX will be showcasing her cover for E!’s Golden Globes coverage this weekend, while rock n’ roll band The Royal Concept will rock out later on this month. Fitz & The Tantrums, also part of the E!’s soundtrack will culminate a pop and soul number before R&B superstar Janelle Monáe closes the season on E!’s award show soundtrack at the 2014 Academy Awards.

The Awards season starts on January 13th, 2014 (Monday) with the 2014 Golden Globe Awards. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic Live From the Red Carpet from 8.00am to 9.30am, with Kelly Osbourne and Ross Mathews giving fashion play-by-plays throughout the show.

Catch all this action only on E!, Astro channel 712!

Red Carpet Action at 2014 Golden Globe Awards

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Hype’s Movie Review: “San Andreas” Is A Predictable But Enjoyable Disaster Film

We know, we know, we’ve had a slew of disaster movies in recent times and some of them have proved to be quite a disappointment.

Take the cliche-ridden “Poseidon” for example. The movie was so bad that it was nominated for a Razzie Awards in the Worst Remake or Ripoff category. To be fair, the producers aimed to sell the movie for its special effects as it was jam packed with so many CGI special effects that the audience can’t help but be awed by it. Guess the producer got what they wanted then, as they were nominated for an Oscar in the “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” category.

But let’s not forget “The Impossible”, the 2012 film which was based on real events that happened during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. “The Impossible” was a completely opposite of “Poseidon” (though both movies showed you what the sea is capable of if you dare to incite its wrath), as it focused more on the characters than the special effects. The movie told the story of the Bennett family when they were separated because of the tsunami. The characters were well fleshed out, and the acting got so real at times that I thought I was experiencing the aftermath of the tsunami too.

“San Andreas” is neither here nor there. The movie exists for the sole purpose of showcasing the many talents of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which it definitely did. Don’t take that as a sign that the movie is not worth watching, because if you’re looking for something just to entertain yourself, this is it. No complicated plots that require you to squeeze your brain juice, but also not too much action that it gets your eyes crossed.

The movie begins with a heart thumping scene, where a random teenager, Natalie (Morgan Griffin), tumbles down a cliff while driving up a winding highland route. Fortunately, she is miraculously saved by Ray Gaines (played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson). You see, Ray is a helicopter pilot from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Search and Rescue Team, and based on the conversations in the movie, you get to know that he is awesome at doing his job.

You get a bit of family development during the 1st half of the movie, where the audience find out that Ray has a close relationship with his daughter Blake (played by Alexandra Daddario) even though his estranged wife Emma (played by Carla Gugino) is seeking for divorce. Why? You’ll find out further into the movie, where familial relationships get touched on and unexpectedly, it makes you feel for the characters.

Fast forward to the climax, the Earth (okay, not the whole thing, only from Los Angeles to San Francisco) starts moving because of a shifting tectonic plate. Shockwaves start to emit and the earthquake causes mass destruction, destroying human-built structures and causing tsunamis. People start to get hurt, human lives are lost, and our main family gets separated.

“San Andreas” tells the story of Ray who travels through one end of the disaster zone to another end, all in the name of reuniting his family. You will also go through Blake’s turmoil as she struggles to find a way to see her family again. Throughout the journey, you get to witness the street smarts of Blake, who actually acts as the saviour rather the usual damsel in distress. Instead, her traveling companion, Ben (played by Hugo Johnstone-Burt) and Ollie (played by Art Parkinson) are the ones who needed saving.

The movie is pretty straightforward, with a standard plot that you will find in every disaster movie. Here’s the formula: Family experiences internal problems, family drifts apart, family gets separated during disaster, family goes through the healing process, family ends up with a happy ending. It’s the same for “San Andreas”, but what makes it different from the rest is that it does not try too hard to be something that it is not. It positions itself as a light entertainment movie and that’s what you get with it.

If you enter the theaters expecting to watch a mind-boggling and earth-shattering movie, prepare to be disappointed. “San Andreas” is not that kind of movie, and it does not intent to make you think it is. If you enter the cinemas to just have fun, you’ll be thoroughly entertained for 2 and a half hours.

Oh, Ioan Gruffudd (Dr. Reed Richards from the 2005 “Fantastic Four” movie, in case you didn’t recognise the name) makes an appearance as Emma’s boyfriend/soon-to-be-husband Daniel Riddick. Nothing much there, but I guarantee you that you will start to develop strong feelings towards the character halfway through the movie. Not going to reveal if that’s a positive or negative thing, so go watch the movie if you want to know ;)

Released on 29th May 2015, “San Andreas” is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

For more information, visit the movie’s official website, Twitter, and/or Facebook.


#KPop: Triple H Receives Backlash For Controversial “365 FRESH” MV

CUBE Entertainment’s newest sub-unit – Triple H (트리플 H) – made their highly anticipated debut with their 1st mini-album, titled “199X”, yesterday (Monday, 1st May) and their music video for “365 FRESH” has already gained over 1.5 million views!

However, the trio, which consists of HyunA as well as PENTAGON’s Hui and E’Dawn, are being criticised for being “overly sexual”.

While “365 FRESH” is a funky, upbeat track, the music video sees the trio living their remaining days to the fullest with a bag of money they found in a stolen car. The video’s concept kinda reminded us of Troublemaker’s “Now” and “On The Road”, a Hollywood film starring Kristen Stewart and Garrett Hedlund.

Upon watching the video, many netizens pointed out that it has several scenes that are “inappropriate” for national broadcast. For example, in one scene, a topless HyunA is seen sleeping in between Hui and E’Dawn. Also, fans noted that some of HyunA’s outfits are too revealing. One netizen commented, “Do people expect a good song from HyunA? she got only popular for selling sex, not her talent.”Besides that, some netizens claimed that E’Dawn portrays a suicidal teen. At the beginning of the video, the PENTAGON member tries to “suffocate” himself by placing a plastic bag over his head. He even wants to get hit by a car later on.

“The suicide scenes I feel are a little reckless considering suicide rates in Korea,” a netizen wrote.

A YouTube user also suggested an interesting theory behind the video’s storyline. She said, “The MV features someone who is suicidal (E’Dawn), someone who gambles with their life (Hui), and someone who took a life (HyunA).”

Our take? The music video does have several controversial elements but that doesn’t mean it’s not well-crafted. The visuals in the video are pretty good and we actually like the plot. It’s interesting to see a K-Pop video that addresses social issues instead of focusing on the choreography.

And yes, some of HyunA’s actions are pretty suggestive but that has always been her concept. This video is actually not as sexual as her previous works (i.e. “Because I Am The Best”, “Now”).

What do you think of “365 FRESH”? Feel free to share your thoughts with us and discuss ’em in the comments below :)

Sources: All Kpop, Soompi/ Featured image: YouTube screenshot.

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Syed Saddiq Criticises Government’s Injustice Towards Politicians Breaking SOPs

Syed Saddiq has another bone to pick with Malaysian politicians who have been failing to follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) during the RMCO.

During a Dewan Rakyat session yesterday (Tuesday, 18th August), Seputeh MP, Teresa Kok, revealed that the Minister of Plantation, Industries and Commodities, Datuk Dr Khairuddin Aman Razali, visited Turkey between the period of 3rd to 7th July.

Teresa then claimed that the minister had violated the mandatory 14-day quarantine rule when he attended a Dewan Rakyat session on 13th July. “We know that whoever travels abroad needs to undergo quarantine for 14 days. But this minister didn’t comply with the rules,” said the politician. She proceeded to question whether the government, especially the Healthy Ministry, would take action against him.

Syed Saddiq took to Twitter on the same day to vent out his disappointment towards the government’s bias in charging extremely high fines to the common people for breaking quarantine rules and SOPs but not doing the same for ministers and politicians who openly committed the same offence.

tak perlu ikut SOP.tak perlu kuarantin.tak perlu bayar denda, kalau kena pun paling minimum.

Makcik didenda RM8,000 kerana melanggar perintah kuarantin.

Ridiculous! Mana keadilan? Mana rasa tanggungjawab? https://t.co/SVvuPDund8

— Syed Saddiq (@SyedSaddiq) August 18, 2020

However, Harian Metro reported that Datuk Khairuddin’s Covid-19 test result came out as negative. According to a source, the test was taken after he arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and it took 5 hours for them to obtain the result.

“He went to Turkey (a country under the green zone category) on 3rd July after getting the permission of PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. The minister will address the issue himself in the near future,” the insider stated.