NikeLab Arrives In Southeast Asia With Its First Store In Singapore

The time has come. Nike has debuted its first NikeLab space in Southeast Asia on 29th July 2017 in Singapore.

NikeLab first opened its doors on June 12th 2014 and consists of 9 locations worldwide including New York, London, Paris, Milan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and more. The store is a place to showcase how Nike interacts and collaborates with other innovators as part of its larger journey of exploration, presenting a curated collection defined by product never before imagined paired with new variations of our celebrated performance styles.

Limited editions of Nike’s latest performance and sport style innovations that express the intersection of sport, design, and culture will be available. Nike’s heritage styles have also been reinterpreted through creative collaborations, and unique capsule collections from various creative partners such as designer Jun Takahashi from UNDERCOVER, will come together as a tailored assortment exclusive to NikeLab.

Long story short: NikeLab creates high-end fashion from classic footwear and apparel, but in much more limited quantities.

Located within high-fashion, multi-brand retailer Dover Street Market Singapore, NikeLab Singapore will feature the highly anticipated release of NikeLab X Pigalle’s newest capsule collection, where founder Stéphane Ashpool portrays the evolution of 90s basketball in his on-going collaboration with the brand. Every garment is thoughtfully produced to consider on- and off-court wear, delivering easy Parisian street-style elegance to silhouettes with authentic hard-court connections.

Along with the NikeLab X Pigalle collection, the new NikeLab Singapore store will also highlight the NikeCraft Mars Yard 2.0 by Tom Sachs and the CLOT x Nike Air VaporMax, two of NikeLab’s latest creative redesigns of Nike’s iconic silhouettes.

Innovation goes beyond product at NikeLab, where the brand brings to life its design principles through retail. Taking inspiration from its prized product design, NikeLab Singapore combines elevated aesthetics with minimal environmental impact in which core Nike design principles such as less is more, lightweight functionality and modularity defines spacial functionality, fixtures and materials used in its construction.

NikeLab in Southeast Asia is located within Dover Street Market Singapore at 18 Dempsey Road.

For more information, hit up the Dover Street Market Singapore website.

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#KeowWeeLoong: Malaysian Photographer Scales World’s Tallest Bridge To Pull Off Dangerous Marriage Proposal

“I can’t dance or sing like other people,” said Keow Wee Loong, who also thinks that proposing in Tokyo Disneyland is too cheesy. “Well I’m only gonna do this once, might as well do something different and epic!”

To make good on his promise, the 28-year-old Malaysian scaled the world’s highest bridge (located in China) to carry out his death-defying proposal in a very bold way. Standing on the 1,853 foot Beipanjiang Bridge, the dare devil held up a sign that read, “Will you marry me?”

Keow first met his Polish fiancée Marta Sibielak earlier in May this year. He was in Japan for a work assignment while taking some pretty cool snapshots of the Fukushima exclusion zone (yep, he’s that infamous photographer that went viral on social media). Although he lost his wallet during his trip, fate appeared to have worked in his favour.

With no money, he entered a Family Mart convenience store and spotted a white girl at the counter. “It was weird seeing a western woman working in a Family Mart in Japan. I was lost and wanted to use the wifi in the shop but I ended up talking with her,” he was quoted as saying.

After sharing about his unfortunate incident, the 24-year-old Marta Sibielak took pity on him and offered him some chicken curry. Before leaving for Fukushima, he would travel every night to that Family Mart store to send her home. That was how their romance blossomed.

According to his Facebook post, Keow had been exploring various venues across China to pull off his extravagant proposal. The original plan was to climb the Goldin Finance 117 building in Tianjin, which is the 16th tallest building in the world.

“Because my drone pilot was new, we got caught and so we moved from Tianjin to Beijing, Wuhan, Shanghai, Guizhou, Liupansui to get this done,” he told MailOnline, before deciding on Beipanjiang Bridge (which is expected to be open to public before 2017).

After filming it, Keow intially intended to screen his proposal video in one of the cinemas in Kuala Lumpur where he would come out with the ring at the end of the video. Unfortunately, that got called off at the last minute, so he decided to take his Polish sweetheart on a holiday in Bali.

Here’s the video that everybody is talking about:

Soon after Sibielak saw the video, Keow got down on one knee at the famous Kuta landmark and popped the question. “She cried after watching the video because I was in China for a month keeping this a secret from her and we actually had a few arguments during my time away. But to see her reaction the day I proposed, I knew it was all worth it,” Keow shared.

Do we even need to tell y’all that she said yes? We got to give it to him though, how can anyone refuse him after seeing what he managed to achieved.

The newly-engaged couple are currently in a long distance relationship but Sibielak is planning to move to Malaysia once she completes her studies in Japan next year.

Congrats to this wonderful pair! We have no doubt that more exciting things are yet to come ;)


#Deadpool: Ryan Reynolds Shares Set Photo Via First Instagram Post

Marvel character Deadpool successfully broke the Fourth Wall as Ryan Reynolds, who is set to portray the character in the movie of the same name, is finally on Instagram!

The “Deadpool” actor is the latest Hollywood A-list celebrity to join the online photo-sharing social platform as Robert Downey Jr. has done the same by sharing a photo with his “Avengers: Age of Ultron” co-star last month.

There’s no doubt that Reynolds will be performing his own stunts in his upcoming movie because his first Instagram post is a set photo that showed his character in a death-defying landing scene.

A photo posted by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds) on May 11, 2015 at 11:13am PDT

The photo, which was released after Reynolds’ Mother’s Day tribute, came with the caption “Stuck the landing. With my mouth”. The actor who plays the Merc With The Mouth obviously wants the comic book fans to be excited of the R-rated film.

So far, Reynolds has accumulated over 35k followers on Instagram. The number of followers is expected to increase within the next 24 hours, considering the fact that he already amassed more than 330k followers on Twitter.

Based on a script written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the movie, which will be directed by Tim Miller, stars “Gotham” star Morena Baccarin as Vanessa a.k.a Copycat, “Fast & Furious 6” star Gina Carano as Angel Dust, TJ Miller as Deadpool’s sidekick Weasel, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, “Game of Thrones” star Ed Skrein as Ajax.

Based upon Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, “Deadpool” tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

The production is currently underway in Vancouver before its release on 12th Feb 2016.

For more information, visit its official Facebook page and Twitter. Don’t forget to follow Ryan Reynolds on Twitter and Instagram for more timely updates.

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Starbucks Malaysia To Hold Its 1st Merchandise Warehouse Sale

Calling all Starbucks merchandise collectors and lovers! Get ready to get your hands on all the rare and exclusive Starbucks merchandises at the first ever Starbucks Merchandise Warehouse Sale!

You read that right! Starbucks Malaysia will be will be organising it’s first-ever merchandise warehouse sale from Friday, 28th June to Sunday, 30th June 2019, with discounts of up to 80% off.

Set to take place at Starling Mall, this will be your last chance to grab some of the most coveted Starbucks merchandises that you probably didn’t get to collect previously. But now you can and they will be sold at a very low price!

Additionally, visitors can sip on some Starbucks drinks while shopping as there will be a Starbucks kiosk on site to serve your favourite Starbucks beverages and also free coffee to be sampled.

Did you know our Rico Rinaldi + Starbucks mugs are available in 3 different designs (Penyu, Kenyalang and Harimau)? Don’t waste anytime, and get yourself one for only RM138!

A post shared by  Starbucks Malaysia (@mystarbucks) on Apr 12, 2019 at 8:56pm PDT

Other fun-filled activities at the 3-day event include:-


Crazy Rich Asians: 7 Locations In Malaysia You May Recognise In The Film

“Crazy Rich Asians” is making history as the first major Hollywood movie to feature Asian-Americans in leading roles, in addition to having an all-Asian cast.

If there’s one thing the Jon M. Chu-directed film exudes, it’s decadence, thanks to the luxury locations across Hong Kong, Singapore, and our very own country. That’s right, Malaysia was able to play host to this cast of “crazy rich Asians”.

Here are 7 Malaysian destinations to look out for in the movie:

For a short period, Carcosa Seri Negara was the home of Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh’s Eleanor Young. Besides being known as a Asian Heritage Museum, many locals and tourists alike frequent the 5-star boutique hotel for its delightful afternoon tea and its luxurious suites.

You can check out this video of breaking down the scene here:

Last year, a family of 5 opened their stunning house in Kuala Lumpur to 100 cast and crew members from “Crazy Rich Asians”. Jan and Ineke Hofstede’s Be-landa House was built on stilts among the treetops on a jungle hillside by a Toronto architect. In one scene, you’ll find Eleanor Young reading passages from the Bible while her guests gossip over tea.

Cameron Highlands is one of the best destinations in Malaysia to get away from the city and unwind. Smell the fresh air and listen to birds chirping… After a disastrous encounter with his mother and grandmother, Nick (played by Henry Golding) and Rachel (portrayed by Constance Wu) had a falling out. Some of those scenes were apparently shot at The Lakehouse.

Outstanding for its red walls, Christ Church is also one of the most popular filming locations in Malaysia. Movie-goers will get witness Nick and Rachel stopping by Malacca for a momentous moment.

A scene between Eleanor and Rachel will take place at the courtyard in Cheong Fatt Sze Mansion. Chinese merchant Cheong Fatt Sze previously build his Penang home as a tribute to his heritage and to pass it on to his future descendants. The architecture here has a juxtaposition of Eastern and Western styles. Malay Mail notes that “Scottish cast-iron balusters can be found alongside Cantonese timber lattices, while English Art Nouveau stained glass is featured with Hokkien cut-and-paste porcelain Chien Nien works”.

“We shot all the London scenes in Penang and we stripped down the whole Blue Mansion so that we could bring in our own decor pieces to make it the Mahjong hall,” production designer Nelson Coates was quoted as saying.

Nelson Coates also shared, “Due to logistics and time constraints, we even had to make Langkawi look like it was 2 different places for the bachelor and bachelorette party scenes“.

Nick’s buddy Colin Khoo throws a bachelor party fiasco while holidaying on the shipping container. Shooting for this scene took place on Langkawi Island, or “Rawa Island” as it is called in the film. For those that don’t know, Langkawi is only an hour’s flight from Kuala Lumpur.

“We took a boat around some bends in Langkawi where all of these rocks just jut out of the water. We only took a small crew, like 10 of us, to shoot the scene on the raft,” the filmmaker recalled.

As aforementioned, while the groom’s bachelor party took place at Langkawi Island, Araminta Lee’s bachelorette party scenes were shot at Four Seasons Resort Langkawi. Each beachfront villa has its own spa room and private plunge pool here. The highlight is of course, the hotel’s picturesque beachfront views.

“Crazy Rich Asians” opens in Malaysian cinemas this 22nd August.

Sources: MMO, The Star, MSN, CN Traveler, Star Online.

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(NSFW) #FalseAlarm: The Weeknd’s Violent Action-Packed MV Is Like A 5-Minute Plus Movie

Are you ready to come face to face with death?

The Weeknd – aka Abel Tesfaye – has just released a bloody, action-packed video for his latest single, “False Alarm”, continuing his trend of violent visuals, but this might just be his most sinister one yet.

There’s a reason why a parental advisory warning for “explicit content” and “graphic violence” is stated at the beginning. The singer and director Ilya Naishuller weren’t exaggerating. The music video features a very bloody, very violent of a bank heist that is shown from The Weeknd’s point of view.

“False Alarm” makes you feel like you’re in a video game, and the assignment is to execute an elaborate bank robbery. Most of the hostages have been murdered with the exception of an innocent young lady who has been handcuffed. The task at hand? Keep her safe while killing every cop in sight.

A high-speed, explosive chase ensues where the robbers are seen transporting the stolen money, hostage and themselves into another van in an attempt to escape. Unfortunately a duffel bag of cash is lost along the way. The other robber, understandably pissed, tries to shoot the singer.

Luckily, the woman saves The Weeknd by shooting the accomplice. Unfortunately, the van crashes and the last remaining robber finds himself with a shard of glass through his stomach. After the kidnapped woman escapes with the stolen money, the camera pans to a mirror showing the performer looking at himself. We also see him wearing the same cross necklace that made its debut in the “Starboy” video.

We won’t spoil the ending for you but if you’re familiar with his previous videos, you’ll know how this one ends.

We don’t know about you, but this is certainly the most violent music videos our sweet little doe eyes have view.

“False Alarm” is the 2nd single from The Weeknd’s upcoming album, “Starboy”, which will be released on 25th November.

Sources: E! News, Elite Daily, Rolling Stone.


9 Times Casting Directors Nailed The Younger Versions Of The Characters

Casting directors are the unsung heroes of the filmmaking industry, especially when it comes to casting the same character at different stages of their lives. It’s not just about finding actors of different ages who resemble the character, it also has to feel right.

You’ve probably felt thrown off midway through a show because the younger version of the character is nothing like the one you know and love. But on the flip side, there have also been moments where you can’t believe your eyes because the younger actor is an almost identical doppelgänger! Here are just some of the stellar casting choices that made us do a double take and, in some cases, actually question reality.

Ever wondered what it’d be like to meet your younger self? Ryan Reynolds does.

“[Walker Scobell is] such a little punk in the best way,” the actor mused about his co-star. “He watched ‘Deadpool 2’ 600,000 times. He knows every word to both movies. So, Walker just came in and didn’t need to do anything. All we needed to do was slap a couple of coloured contact lenses in his eyes and off we went.”

On top of the duo’s amusing yet heartwarming camaraderie, Scobell — in his first ever professional acting gig, mind you — absolutely nails Reynolds’ wide-eyed look (see above) and mannerisms. You’ll get it when you see it for yourself when “The Adam Project” premieres on Netflix this Friday, 11th March!

You might have seen Mckenna Grace as the younger version of several well-known characters in the past few years. Her impressive résumé includes Carol Danvers in “Captain Marvel”, Theo Crain in “The Haunting of Hill House”, and Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya”, but it’s her brief appearance as Li’l Sabrina that made us consider the plausibility of magic in this dimension.

Combined with the character’s signature blonde bob and red coat, Grace is a dead ringer for Kiernan Shipka, who plays the titular character in “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”. And no, they’re not related, but Shipka reportedly handpicked the young actress for the role after noticing how similar they look.

Who better to play a younger version of you than your own son, amirite?

Micheal Consuelos — who bears a striking resemblance to his dad — made his first but brief appearance as a teenage Hiram Lodge, in the ‘Midnight Club’ episode from Season 3 of “Riverdale”. The younger Consuelos would later reprise the role in the Season 5 flashback episode ‘Citizen Lodge’, which chronicles the character’s rise as Riverdale’s infamous kingpin.

This mother-daughter duo could almost pass off as twins!

In yet another instance of strong resemblance in the family, Dasany Kristal Gonzales was cast as a younger version of Daya, played by her mother Dascha Polanco for several flashback sequences in the Season 5 episode ‘Tied to the Tracks’.

The young cast portraying the Crain siblings as children definitely held their own and complemented their adult counterparts perfectly. However, if we had to pick a pair who are most similar to each other, we’d have to say that both actresses playing Shirley were absolutely spot on, from their similar facial features to Shirley’s serious and restrained demeanour.

Here’s another fun fact — Lulu Wilson played Elizabeth Reaser’s daughter in the 2016 horror film “Ouija: Origin of Evil”.

Before he became a Mad Titan hellbent on eradicating half of the universe, Josh Brolin played an uncanny version of a younger Agent K, who is portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones in the film series’ present day.

Not only did Brolin bear a resemblance to Jones at the same age, the former also picked up the elder Agent’s military-like mannerisms perfectly.

Considering it was for a brief montage during Kurt’s rendition of ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’ in the Season 2 episode ‘Grilled Cheesus’, we gotta give props to the casting department for this one. From his cherubic cheeks to the way he swept his hair to the side, Adam Kolkin — who plays the younger version of Kurt Hummel — is pretty much a carbon copy of Chris Colfer.

He definitely made an impression on his older counterpart too, as Kolkin would later play a younger version of yet another character of Colfer’s in the 2012 coming-of-age film “Struck by Lightning”!

Both the kids and grown-ups of the It film series complement each other amazingly, but these two are almost identical in every way.

Similar hairline and facial features aside, James Ransone absolutely kept up with Jack Dylan Grazer’s portrayal of the fast-talking germaphobe Eddie Kaspbrak 27 years in the future. Also, can we take a minute to talk about how even their eyebrows resemble each other’s?! Uncanny.

The casting department of the German sci-fi series definitely had their hands full, what with all the time-travelling and multiversal shenanigans going on in the show. Here are just some of the standouts, where both the young and old versions of the characters could totally pass off as each other in different stages of their lives IRL.

Ready to have your mind-blown? Catch these films and TV shows to see the resemblances for yourself, only on Netflix!

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#Johor: Elephant Found Electrocuted By Overhead Electric Line?

A video of an elephant, which allegedly died of electrocution, has surfaced online.

The incident was believed to have happened in Johor and was apparently caused by a hanging TNB overhead electric line.

In the 1-minute-30-second video, 3 men can be heard talking in a vehicle, with one of them commenting that they’ve found something unexpected. At around the 0:20 mark, the men started exclaiming loudly and a dead elephant was seen on the right of the vehicle.

After taking a selfie with the elephant, one of the men started explaining that the death was not TNB’s fault. In fact, it was believed that the elephant brushed against one of the broken transmission cables. According to Lowyat.NET forum user DDG_Ross, the particular cable then came in contact with a high tension cable, which caused the elephant to be electrocuted.

Sadly, the elephant was just at the wrong place at the wrong time :(

Details are scarce as of now, but we’ll update this post as soon as we get ’em.


YG Removes Hindu Deity Statue From BLACKPINK’s MV Following Backlash

The Hindu deity statue found in BLACKPINK (블랙핑크)’s “How You Like That” music video has been removed following massive backlash from K-fans!

For those who don’t know, the video came under fire recently for apparently disrespecting Hindu culture and religion. In the screenshot below, the sacred statue was placed on the ground during member Lisa’s solo scene.

Enraged with that, a lot of K-pop fans (especially Indian BLINKs) took to Twitter to demand the group’s home label YG Entertainment to clear the air on the issue. Not only that, some also claimed that YG was being insensitive and urged them to be more respectful on the matter. They even trended the hashtag #YGapologise and #Ganesha on social media.

Not long after that, fans noted that YG have quietly edited out the statue in the clip without re-uploading the music video. It seems like YG Entertainment reached out to YouTube and Google for permission to change the scene without losing the views.

Though there have been no clarifications provided by YG even up until the present day, we have no doubt that a lot of K-Pop fans are still happy that they took action. Check out the edited version of the MV here:


6 Types Of People Getting Ready For 2021

Are you waiting for 2020 to just end already? Yeah, same.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the start of this decade has been a rollercoaster ride, to say the least. During this same time last year, we simply could not wait for the much anticipated new year to give us the “2020 vision”. Now, all we’re waiting for is 2020 to end and for 2021 to finally begin!

We all feel the same way about ending this year and welcoming a new (and hopefully improved) year into our lives. However, not all of us are preparing for it in the same way. While we were all put into similar boats this year, each person still expects different things from their “New Year, New Me” goals.

So, with that in mind, let’s find out what types of people are getting ready for 2021:

Are we the only ones who have been hearing way too many people say something along the lines of, “waiting for 2021 so Covid-19 can finally end”? Did the Covid-19 pandemic issue an expiry date that we have no idea about? Why do some think that the Covid-19 pandemic will vanish when the clock strikes at 12am on 1st January 2021? Seriously, which version of the Cinderella story is this?!

Unfortunately, we don’t have the answers to these questions, but we can guarantee that the people who do believe this will happen are ready to celebrate their New Year’s Eve parties by pouring their sanitisers down the toilet and dumping their masks in a bin.

However, we really really REALLY insist that you don’t do this – at least not right now. Covid-19 unfortunately does not look like it’s going anywhere anytime soon, so you better hang on tightly to those essentials!

If we did a survey on what was the most popular throwback post this year, we can pretty confidently assume that it would be holiday photos from 2019. All people have been doing during the 2020 quarantine period is thinking about the holidays they enjoyed last year, while also wishfully planning every detail for the holidays they can enjoy in 2021.

So, thanks to all the travel restrictions, holiday deprived travel-holics are stuck at home and counting the days until they can fly, hike and swim into 2021 with their passports in hand! And we don’t blame them – after surviving through all this 2020 stress, a holiday sounds like a brilliant idea.

Did you get too comfortable with the 2020 lifestyle? Are you used to constantly being alone, attending business meetings without any pants on and declining every invitation to any social gathering?

Well, you’re not alone on that one. While we all definitely want the pandemic to end, there’s quite a number of us that will truly miss the “quarantine and chill” times that came with 2020. Just the thought of having to dress up, go out and actually socialise is already making us dread what the new year could hold.

So, it comes as no surprise when these home bodies are getting ready for 2021 by drowning themselves in as much of the new normal as they can. It’s all about eat, sleep, work and repeat (from home) this NYE!

If there’s one thing that any parent is hoping for in the coming year, it’s sending their kids back to school! Working from home already has its own challenges, and parents have to additionally manage both parenting and schooling their kids from home in the middle of all this as well.

During quarantine, parents need to log into their own zoom meetings, check if their kids have logged into their zoom classes, and also make sure their house doesn’t burn to the ground – all at the same time. It’s not easy juggling so many things under one roof, and that’s why most parents are already getting ready to send their kids back to school. They got the school bags packed, the uniforms ironed and the lunch boxes ready for a “Back to School” reunion in 2021.

If there’ anyone that’s NOT too cool for school, it’s a parent under lockdown.

These are the complete opposites of the Happy Home A-loners. These people claim to have had the WORST times during the Covid-19 pandemic – their words, not ours. Being stuck at home, behind a mask or inside a screen is not how they want to be living their lives and definitely not how they wanted to live out the whole of 2020.

These social butterflies are getting ready for 2021 by planning their outfits for events that haven’t even been scheduled. They are ready to party and all they’re waiting for is the party to start! Crowded dance floors, group hugs and zero social distancing – here come the social butterflies.

Gym lovers have been deprived of carrying out their usual fitness routines due to the movement control order temporarily closing down gyms. From having a fully equipped gym for all your fitness needs, to being stuck at home with a yoga mat isn’t the easiest transition for most.

Now, with the hopes of a Covid-19 vaccine being introduced in 2021, these fitness lovers are ready to get their gym freaks back on when social distancing regulations finally end. Gym freaks are carrying a “six-pack coming soon” sign and running into 2021  – because they got to keep that motivation high and get that cardio in while they can!

Some are excited, some are dreading it, and some may not have even realised that 2020 is coming to an end so soon. Well, it is 2020 after all, so who is not confused and a little all over the place, right?

This year has brought us all some additional chaos, and it looks like we’ll probably have no choice but to take it all with us into the new year as well. Nonetheless, whatever 2021 may have in store for us, we at Hype hope that you’ll make the best of it!

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Asia Super Showcase In Malaysia!

Fans of Super Junior-M, EXO-M, and BTOB, get ready to grab your tickets! Slated to rock Kuala Lumpur on 11th December 2012 (Tuesday), the “2012 Asia Super Showcase in Malaysia” is jointly organized by Marctensia Concerts and Universal Music Malaysia. Other partners include Artist Produced by S.M. Entertainment and Cube Entertainment.

Super Junior-M had their debut in 2008 and their current members consist of eight members namely Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook, Sungmin, Kyuhyun, Eunhyuk, Zhou Mi, and Henry.

[youtube id=”-uxLu4kIurE” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Malaysia ELF aka “EverLasting Friends” (as the Super Junior Official Fans are collectively known as) have long awaited the return of Super Junior-M to Malaysia after the group had their first live appearance 2011 at the Malaysian National Youth Day.

An audience of more than 30,000 showed up to celebrate the occasion with the group.

The second performing artist will be EXO-M, which is a subgroup of Chinese-South Korean boy band, EXO. EXO-M consists of six members namely Kris, Xiumin, Lu Han, Lay, Chen, and Tao. Produced by S.M. Entertainment, the group’s debut single “Mama” won them many awards around the region.

The third performing artist is seven-member boy band BtoB (Born to Beat) consisting of members Eun Kwag, Min Hyuk, Chang Sub, Hyun Sik, Peniel, Il Hoon, and Sung Jae. Produced by Cube Entertainment’s associate label Cube DC, BtoB is making waves in the Korean music scene with two hit songs; dance number “Insane” and the ballad “Imagine“:

[youtube id=”lhRkfbE85ak” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Venue: Level 15, Kenanga Wholesale City (KWC)

Ticketing:  Upper Zone – RM183 (free standing)+ showcase poster +1 showcase merchandise, Pit Zone – RM283 (free standing)+ showcase poster +1 showcase merchandise, Super Zone – RM383 (free standing)+ showcase poster +1 showcase merchandise, VIP – RM600 (numbered seating)+ showcase poster +3 showcase merchandise

VIP and Super Zone ticket buyers stand a chance to be the lucky few who get to see their idols up close. All ticket buyers will receive a limited edition poster and merchandise. The instructions and guidelines on redemption of gifts will be announced at a later date by the organizers.

For more ticketing details, please contact TicketCharge at 03 9222 8811 or visit their website.

For more information on “2012 Asia Super Showcase in Malaysia”, hit up Marctensia Concerts’ Facebook page or Twitter, or Universal Music Malaysia Chinese’s Facebook page or Twitter.


Genting’s 20th Century Fox World Theme Park May Be Delayed Till Late 2018

It was previously announced that 20th Century Fox World Theme Park Genting Highlands will open this year. Unfortunately, that’s not the case anymore.

We hate to break it to all you thrill seekers, but according to Places and Foods writer Wilson Ng, the opening date may be postponed till the end of next year. We can’t say that we’re totally surprised by this news but it’s a bummer nonetheless.

If you’ve recently travelled up to Genting, you’d notice that construction is still underway and the highly-anticipated theme park is far from completion at this point in time. While the delays can be caused by many factors, it is learned that there are plans for a bigger expansion in order to include more rides in 20th Century Fox World Theme Park Genting Highlands.

According to the official website, the 25 acres in size theme park will feature over 20 rides and attractions from popular movies such as “Ice Age”, “Rio”, “Alien vs. Predator”, “Planet of the Apes”, “Life of Pi”, “Titanic”, and “Night at the Museum”. This will be the 3rd major theme park in Malaysia after Johor’s Legoland and the newly-opened Movie Animation Park Studios in Ipoh.

Here are some recent photos taken by Genting visitors:

The other upcoming 20th Century Fox theme parks in Dubai and South Korea have also been delayed indefinitely.

Curious to know what other theme parks are opening in Malaysia? Click here.

Sources: Places and Foods, ThemeParx/ Featured image: Instagram.

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(UPDATED) Man Showed His Penis To Female Workers At Phone Shop In Kelantan

The internet community has been going nuts over a video that made its way online last night (Wednesday, 10th March). It showed a man causing a scene in public, with his private part exposed!

As revealed by Facebook page Info Roadblock JPJ/Polis, the taunting incident reportedly happened at a mobile phone shop nearby the Pantai Timor Shopping Centre in Jalan Pintu Pong, Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

In the 1-minute and 17-second long CCTV footage posted by the page, the man in the orange-coloured T-shirt could be seen harassing the female staff on duty by conducting the indecent act. Additionally, one of the workers was also spotted making a call to report the incident; that apparently angered the man.

Things got out of control when the man attempted to attack the ladies. Luckily enough, the 3 of them managed to escape and left the shop immediately. The video then ended with the man jumping off the shop desk to leave the premise. At the time of writing (Thursday, 11th March), the post has received over 298k views on Facebook.

Scrolling through the comments, some of them have called for the store owner to further improve the security control at the premise so that such incidents will not occur again. Some even suggested for the workers to store protective weapons such as a large-sized pepper spray, a baseball bat, a steering lock and even an insecticide spray underneath the counter in case similar emergency situations occurred.

Check out some of the comments (including the amusing ones) left by netizens below:

So far, the local authorities have yet to provide any updates regarding the case.

Police have arrested the alleged sexual offender after the team received a call from one of the saleswomen. According to Kelantan Criminal Investigations Department chief, Assistant Commissioner Wan Khairuddin Wan Idris, the female victim claimed that the man didn’t put his trousers on when he came to the shop. He was holding his private parts when he entered, which prompted the horrified staff to flee and call the police.

Wan Khairuddin added by revealing that the police arrived at the scene and arrested the half-nude man around 10 minutes after the incident took place. “The suspect’s mother informed the police that her child has been suffering from mental illness and depression for a long time. He has been receiving treatment and was just released from the ward a week earlier,” he said. The police then sent the suspect to the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital for an evaluation.

As reported by NST, the case is being investigated under Section 509 of the Penal Code for intending to insult the modesty of another person.

Source: Info Roadblock JPJ/Polis Facebook, NST,


#Pentagon: CUBE Entertainment May Debut A New Boy Group In 2016

Ever heard of this rumour about CUBE Entertainment debuting a new boy group in 2016?

Well, the rumour may turn out to be true.

According to Soompi, an insider told various Korean media outlets that the talent agency is prepping to debut a new idol boy group within the first half of 2016.

CUBE debuted 6-member BEAST in 2009 and 7-member BTOB in 2012. They will be debuting a boy group in 4 years (since their last one).

Details about the new group are kept under wraps, but the insider said that its tentative name is Pentagon.

It is unclear how many members will be included in the group, but fans are speculating that it will consist of 5 members because a pentagon has 5 points. All of the possible members are skilled trainees and the report said some of them are from overseas.

Some members are said to be possessing skills in composing and producing and the group’s music and concept will reportedly be different from that of their predecessors.

So far, there are only 2 boy groups debuting under CUBE Entertainment. The first boy group, B2ST/BEAST, debuted in 2009 while the 2nd boy group, BTOB, made their debut in 2012.

So, do you think that CUBE Entertainment is planning to debut a new boy group? How many members do you think that this new boy group is going to have? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.

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Edison Chen: From Sex Scandals To Love

Looks like there won’t be any more sex scandals for Edison Chen because he’s all grown up and ready to settle – or so he has made it sound. Edison’s sex life has been the source of so much talk and gossip in Hong Kong ever since his photo scandal in 2008 which involved hot female stars such as Cecilia Cheung, Gillian Chung, Bobo Chan, etc.

Now, speculation is growing on what happening with his love life – especially since he now has a girlfriend, 22-year-old Ann Hong. They met when she was a staff at one of his Taiwan boutiques and they’ve been going out for six months now. We hear that he’s even deciding whether or not he should move to Taiwan to be with her.

32-year-old Edison reportedly told Hong Kong media, “There’s a high chance that I might move to Taiwan. I will check out the properties there next month”. Ooh! And you know what happens when a man in love decides to buy a piece of property near a female he’s currently dating. Future plans!

There are rumours that he has already proposed and she said yes, and that the wedding might happen next year. But let’s not pressure Edison about this just yet. After all, it did take him a long time to come to this point of his life!


5 Facts We Learnt About ARASHI From Their “JET STORM” Tour In Singapore

While K-pop idols might be all the craze nowadays, it’s important to not forget where their roots originate from. Let’s head back east to the land of the rising sun to pay attention to what started it all.

Japan’s most biggest and arguably most successful boy group, ARASHI, has been the face of the phenomenon. Debuting in the 90s, ARASHI continues to have a growing legacy despite being in the industry for more than a grand total of 20 years. The famous five who make up the superband – Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Masaki Aiba, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Jun Matsumoto – continue to make their mark in the world, spreading the craze of ARASHI with them.

ARASHI surprised South East Asian fans when news of their “JET STORM” Tour broke. The superband was finally going to pay fans outside of Japan a visit, a rarity in their case. The “JET STORM” Tour was held in 4 cities; Jakarta, Singapore, Bangkok, and Taipei as a tribute to fans who have endlessly supported them throughout their career. Over 1,000 fans gathered at Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore to get a glimpse of the larger than life artists.

As 2020 looms over the horizon, ARASHI has come to the grand conclusion that they will be taking a hiatus at the end of the new year. Much to fans lamenting, 20 years of hard work is no joke. The members of ARASHI intend to do as much as they can for their fans this year before the dreaded hiatus takes place, so fans should keep their eyes peeled for loads of exclusive events that will most probably take place!

For the first time in 20 years, ARASHI has opened up on social media! Fans can now connect with their favourite Japanese boy band on a number of platforms; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Tiktok, and even Weibo.

Member Jun Matsumoto mentioned that the reason for doing so was so that they could be closer to fans from all around the world in real-time. Apparently the hint was at the end of the sentence, as he then teased about special events being planned on social media specifically.

On top of that, fans can furthermore rejoice as ARASHI’s discography is finally available on all streaming platforms. Gone the days of purchasing CDs and waiting for them to be shipping from Japan, as now you can get all of ARASHI’s singles on Spotify and Apple Music!

“TURNING UP!”, the latest single from ARASHI, is also their first digital single that is not available as a CD. As ARASHI looks into the future of music streaming, it makes us wonder about what they have in store for us!

With the passing of the late Johnny Kitawaga, the CEO of Johnny & Associates talent agency, ARASHI intends on honoring his memory by accomplishing as much as they can before their hiatus.

A challenge that they are gleefully rising up to with their boyish charm, ARASHI announced that their next concert will be held at the Tokyo National Stadium on 15th and 16th May 2020. As the stadium is currently undergoing renovations for the Olympics, Satoshi Ohno also mentioned what an honour it would be to perform there again. News of a Beijing concert in spring 2020 is also in the works, so fans better start booking their flights now!

ARASHI continues to set hearts on fire wherever they go, proving to be a force to be reckoned with. As fans bite their nails in anticipation of an inevitable end to this group, we can only hope for their future endeavors to be every bit as successful as they have been up until now.


#PervertAlert: Woman Outs Male Friend For Installing Spy Camera In Her Bathroom

Just because you treat people with kindness, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be rewarded the same in return.

Facebook user Moon Xyue took to the social media site on Saturday (8th July) to share not only about her friend’s betrayal but also showed proof on his perverted actions.

In her post, Moon Xyue shared that she and the aforementioned guy have been friends for a decade. She also offered him a job at a store when he was jobless 3 years ago. Despite opening up her home to the guy and his wife after they got married, Moon Xyue later found out that stealing money from the company. She added that the couple even took the staff’s commission for themselves.

To her horror, she later discovered that her male “friend” had secretly installed several pinhole spy cameras in her house toilets. “Although when I looked through the saved recordings there were no clips of me but the camera is able to livestream, so do you expect me to believe you when you say you recorded but have never seen the videos? What’s more, this has been going on since May 2016, which is more than a year!” she wrote.

Since it went viral online, Moon Xyue’s Facebook post has received close to 9000 shares. Many netizens have urged her to lodge a police report and sue the couple for their dishonesty.

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#BatmanvSuperman: Latest #Batmobile Unveiled At Licensing Expo In Las Vegas

With every Batman movie comes a new Batmobile, and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is no exception. The latest version of the Batmobile was just unveiled ahead of next year’s release of the much anticipated action film in which the 2 DC Comics caped crusaders will face off.

The latest Batmobile, which has seen several versions in past films and TV series, was revealed at the 2015 Licensing Expo in Las Vegas on Tuesday (9th June).

According to superherohype.com, also on display alongside Batman’s legendary vehicle is a fact sheet about this iteration of the Batmobile.

Single-handedly designed and fabricated in near complete seclusion by The Batman, this infamous pursuit and capture vehicle has earned its reputation as the apex predator on the mean streets of Gotham City. Over powered with an unmatched hybrid of prototype military and civilian performance technologies, this top machine has been estimated to reach speeds of up to 205 MPH. The Batmobile’s imposing defense capabilities, supported by stole Wayne Industries technologies, have been integrated with the latest in covert military grade armaments, stealth and active protective systems.

Reminiscent of a modern military tank, the inside of the car is adorned with a sleek dashboard and gadgets.

The Batmobile’s features are listed as follows:

Also on display were the film’s costumes for the Trinity, otherwise known as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

Check out the pictures in the gallery below:

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” stars Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, and Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman and Amy Adams as Lois Lane. Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane will be returning from “Man of Steel”, while Jesse Eisenberg will play Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, and Holly Hunter in a role newly created for the film.

Jason Momoa (of “Game of Thrones” fame) will also be making an appearance as Aquaman.

The recently released film synopsis reads:

Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.

Written by Chris Terrio, from a screenplay by David S. Goyer, the film is produced by Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Wesley Coller, David S. Goyer, and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.

And of course, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is directed by Zack Snyder. But you already know that ;)

The film is set to be released in cinemas worldwide on 25th March 2016.

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

Sources: CNA, superherohype.com, Collider.

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#IMSAsiaPacific: Wraps Up Fantastic Debut, Sets To Return For 2-Day Summit In 2015

The inaugural IMS Asia-Pacific (2014), which took place at the gorgeous W Singapore – Sentosa Cove on December 11th (Thursday), was a resounding success and is set to make a return next year. Attended by nearly 300 delegates, many of whom were industry icons from countries in the region, IMS Asia-Pacific was a prelude to the renowned ZoukOut dance music festival at Siloso Beach on the weekend of December 12th (Friday) and 13th (Saturday).

In partnership with Pioneer, W Hotels and ZoukOut, IMS Asia-Pacific featured speakers and global acts such as Steve Angello, Richie Hawtin, NERVO and Damian Lazarus. Six IMS After Parties were held from December 11th (Thursday) till December 14th (Sunday) in three separate locations with over 15 international and Asian artists performing.

IMS Asia-Pacific which also makes for part of an extension of the partnership between IMS and W Hotels Worldwide, which started in Ibiza back in 2007, saw inspiring talks from the President of Universal for Asia, Sandy Monteiro, plus a Keynote Address on Transformational Music by Dr Gino Yu, a doctor of music and medicine, who intrigued the room of delegates, dissecting the fascinating cultural differences between East and West which could be a challenge for the genre’s growth.

Lincoln Cheng, owner of Zouk Singapore, was referenced by speakers throughout the day and Pete Tong and Pioneer presented him with the first regional IMS Pioneer Award. Steve Angello gave a straightforward, honest and heartfelt interview about his life and career, while the NERVO girls enthused about the region, and promoter JC Ahn from South Korea made the most explosive and controversial speaker of the day.

Ben Turner, IMS co/founder and curator, states: “I think we touched a nerve today. IMS Asia-Pacific has the potential to untie and unite the industry here. It was clear people are understandably protective about their regions, but IMS AP has opened the door to an exchange of information internally to the region and externally to the rest of the world. We are delighted with the attendance and the level of conversation. We are already planning the next steps for how to expand our presence in the region.”

Arnaud Champenois, Senior Director for W Hotels, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection and Le Meridien, Asia Pacific, says: “Music is intrinsic to W HOTELS’ DNA and we are thrilled to expand our global partnership with IMS from the debut in Ibiza, to IMS Engage in Los Angeles, and now launching together the inaugural IMS Asia- Pacific at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove.”

He adds: “With nearly 30 hotels by 2020 in Asia-Pacific, W HOTELS is proud to support this platform for an engaging dialogue between East and West with industry icons and emerging talent from the music world. We are excited for the next chapter of this partnership and to continue to drive what is New/Next in music.”

The summit’s key highlights started with the first IMS Business Report for the region, which is estimated to be valued at 1/6 of the global electronic music market. This was followed by the thought-provoking Keynote Introduction by Sandy Monteiro, President, Universal Music Group, SEA, who challenged the electronic music industry in Asia to address the concerns over drug deaths at events leading to the loss of huge potential partnerships with brands in Asia.

Dr Gino Yu, a doctor of music and medicine then presented an inspirational Keynote Address on Transformational Music and intrigued the room of delegates by dissecting the fascinating cultural differences between East and West which could be a challenge for genre’s growth.

In the IMS Asia Pacific Artist Panel: East Meets West, artists NERVO and Damian Lazarus sat with local artists Arjun Vagale (India); Celeste Siam (Thailand); and Jeremy Boon [Zouk, Singapore], in an engaging session moderated by W Singapore Artistic Director, Mr. Has.

The summit then moved on to the exchange between promoters of global festivals and events from China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Japan touched on the huge growth of the music industry. In the same sitting, IMS Asia Pacific Promoter Panel, JC Ahn, the International Director of VU ENT/Global Gathering/Life In Color in South Korea, was critical of those who got into the music business for the wrong reasons in his strongly worded commentary.

The Keynote Interview between IMS co-founder BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong and Steve Angello, saw Angello talking about his passions and experiences in Asia-Pacific. Global artist Richie Hawtin later joined the debate, Get Played Get Paid, hosted by the Association for Electronic Music on ensuring artists’ payments end up in the right pocket.

The highly anticipated evening session was the Keynote Interview between global artist Paul Oakenfold and Zouk founder Lincoln Cheng, who is widely regarded by the global music industry as Godfather of Dance Music in Asia-Pacific. Cheng also spoke about his inspiration behind the superclub prior to its opening in 1991 in Singapore, and the influence of Ibiza for Zouk. At the summit, he was honoured with the prestigious IMS Pioneer Award for his work in the region.

The evening continued with the Official IMS Cocktail Party at WOOBAR, where Pete Tong played with his daughter Becky Tong for the very first time. The party was closed by NERVO.

IMS Asia-Pacific is slated to be an annual event in Singapore, and will return next year at W Singapore–Sentosa Cove as a two-day summit. The 300 delegates who attended the inaugural IMS Asia Pacific included those from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, China, India, Nepal, Australia and Taiwan.

For more on IMS Asia-Pacific, check out its website.

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#deadmau5: DJ/Producer Does Reddit AMA, Says Biggest Regret Is Twitter

A few days ago, seemingly out of nowhere, deadmau5 hosted a Reddit AMA. As it is, the mau5 (real name Joel Zimmerman) has always made himself quite available to fans as he more often than not live streams from home, allowing his “horde” (as he calls it) to stalk him while he has his studio time. He’s also extremely active on Twitter, responding to as many tweets as he possibly can in the speed of light!

With the Reddit AMA, he touched on topics like being an outsider, his new stage setup, how he feels about cars and hardstyle, and also dishes the dirt on new mau5 music.. From news on the 20-minute version of “Strobe” to his greatest regret, here are some of the things we learned:

1. He really enjoyed outing Skrillex’s phone number to the public:

3. He doesn’t appreciate people who mispronounce his name:

“how do you feel about people who pronounce your name “wang butt””

4. On wanting to play more old tracks in his live sets:

“yeah… thats a pain in the ass… its like, they give you a time slot… and you just want to play all your new stuff… you know? i figure thats what i want people to hear…. but occasionally ill sneak in a classic of course”

5. Fans can send him items in the mail to sign:

“of course, i get a pile every now and again and ship er back… the PO box is somewhere on my Facebook page still i think”

6. That 20-minute edit of “Strobe” is complete!

“it is done thankfully…. my only thing is, i hope it doesn’t subtract too much from the original…. i had to make it in such a way that the track could be at least “reproduced” in a live-ish fashion… since its for a “live PA” type show… so… of course theres the odd track mixed in that gives it a little help, but i’m happy with it!”

“that came much later in life. funnily enough, as soon as i was liscensed to drive one…. once my foot made that connection with the pedal, and the car made the connection to the road… it fell into place pretty fast!”

8. He gave a reason for why he is so outspoken publicly:

“i probably have some mental health problems.”

9. He has been making music since he was young:

“i’ve been making music since.. i was 13? perhaps? just toyed away on a piano my grandmosther left me, until i took an interest in computers and graphic design… and found a way to combine both!”

Note: He also can’t spell “grandmother” right.

10. He revealed his favourite mau5head of all mau5heads:

i love the carbon one… simply because its the lightest by far. :D i am big on comfort when it comes to donning massive headgear.

11. More mau5 music is on the way, apparently:

“i was actually thinking of a followup to Seven which is in the works… of course the contrast to the first 7 (being the dealy sins) i’d like to do the 7 virtues…. and do it all on modular synths…. which is a nice contrast to the piano only “sins” “

12. On how many nudes his fans send him per day:

“i’ve been working on getting a special project on my plate… and who knows where that will take me… i’ve always just waited for the right film for me… it wouldn’t feel right just taking any old fuckin’ movie that would be some box office smash or whatever.”

“honest answer: i don’t really feel connected to any kind of community. i don’t mean any disrespect, but i don’t think i’ve ever really felt a part of any group…. i always, and sometimes still do, loathe that i’ve never really had any connection in my passions with others… but, perhaps maybe that was the disconnect i needed to do the things i do?”

15. On his next tour, next album, and big future plans:

“we haven’t really solidified any “tour plans” this has been the hot topic these days… but… the wheels are in motion for something special, and i’m excited to unveil it when the time is right :D”

16. He can’t crack the mystery of the hardstyle kick:

“i have consulted with 7 of the worlds leading audio engineers and sound designers…. For 8 months, we rented out an isolated chamber deep inside the hills of West Virginia to solve this mystery. Night after night… scratching our heads to unlock the secrets of this EDM holy grail. 3 men were lost in the process and we resorted to cannibalism. To this day, the deep mysteries of the hardstyle kick still eludes us until further funding is available.”

17. He dropped some hints about his new stage setup:

“were passing around the stage drawings… and setup and production and all that now actually… “team beating” as i like to call them, this week. But the Guvernment nightclub finale show will be somewhat of a precursor to the newer show builds….. i’m more and more keen on taking a mixing console and a whole lot of synths on stage now as opposed to being the Ableton guy with a laptop in a massive show production.”

Note: deadmau5 is quite known for his Twitter spats. Take the one that he had with Armin van Buuren previously, for example.

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#FarahAnn: Gold Medalist Gymnast’s Outfit Draws Complains From Netizens

It was supposed to be a time for celebrations as Malaysian gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi made the nation proud by snagging a gold medal at the 28th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Singapore.

Buletin TV3 took to their official Facebook page to congratulate the 21-year-old Muslim gymnast for winning the gold medal, but the post became the subject of debate all for the wrong reasons instead.

As you may have guessed it, the post was widely discussed due to her outfit that was deemed “inappropriate” for a certain Muslim community.

Islam requires both Muslim men and women to wear clothes that will not reveal the curves and shape of her body, in protection of their honour and intergrity. However, criticisms are often targeted against women.

In this case, the gymnast became the subject of attention as several Facebook users criticised her for not covering up her “aurat” and showing off “the shape of her vagina” in leotard.

Some of the comments that criticised Farah’s outfit are as follows (via Poyo Melayu):

However, there were also other Muslim Facebook users who defended Farah and slammed the critics:

One Facebook user named Dina Nida wrote:

So disgusting reading these religious comments from the so-called future members of heaven… just ignore them… Congratulations Farah Ann, it’s not easy to get a gold medal for Malaysia.

A number of Malaysians also took to Twitter to comment on the situation, asking people to acknowledge Farah’s talent instead of getting heated over her gymnastic attire:

People, can you please acknowledge how talented and awesome Farah Ann is. She's like one of the best gymnasts I've seen so far. I'm amazed.

— Phoebe Shafinaz 🤍 (@PhoebeShafinaz) June 12, 2015

Hey, the best way to confront the Farah Ann situation is to flood social media with congratulatory messages for her.

— Kapten Kahan (@zarakahan) June 12, 2015

Tan Keng Liang, who is currently the Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Youth Chief, also went on Twitter to address the critics.

He questioned them on what a gymnast like Farah Ann should’ve worn instead:

Having impressed the judges with her style and movements, Farah emerged as the judge’s favourite and won a bronze medal in the balance beam event. She presented a great display during the floor exercise routine and collected 13.733 points to grab the ultimate win.

As at time of writing, Farah has not commented on the attacks that were targeted towards her as of yet.

Malaysia’s Minister of Youth & Sports Khairy Jamaluddin has taken to Twitter to slam the negative comments on Farah and her outfit, and defended the athlete for having made the country proud with her SEA Games 2015 win. “In her deeds only the Almighty judges her. Not you. Leave our athletes alone,” he wrote.

In gymnastics Farah wowed the judges and brought home gold. In her deeds only the Almighty judges her. Not you. Leave our athletes alone.

— Khairy Jamaluddin 🇲🇾🌺 (@Khairykj) June 12, 2015

Meanwhile, Farah herself also hit back at the netizens who criticised and condemned her “revealing” attire. All at the same time, she thanked her fans for their unwavering support.

— Farah Ann OLY (@farahannhadi) June 12, 2015

Thank you so much for all the support. I appreciate it so much. Love you all 😊😊

— Farah Ann OLY (@farahannhadi) June 13, 2015

We’re with you all the way, Farah! You go :)

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Neelofa Channels Inner BLACKPINK With “Kill This Love” Dance At AME 2019

Malaysian Blinks were impressed by the dance sequence performed by actress-host Neelofa during the opening number of Anugerah MeleTOP Era 2019 (AME 2019) which took place at Axiata Arena last night.

With “Glam” as the theme of the night, local hosts Nabil, Jihan and Neelofa did an opening performance where they danced and lip synched to several popular songs. But the performance which has gotten the most attention was the one performed by celebrity entrepreneur Neelofa.

A post shared by neelofa.fans (@lofa.world)

Donning a glittery black attire, Neelofa danced to 2 tunes, Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” and BLACKPINK’s latest hit “Kill This Love” during the opening sequence, and she certainly killed both performances.

Some fans have noted that this was the first time Neelofa has ever danced on live TV, and they also complimented the 30-year-old for maintaining her modest appearance despite dancing to banger tunes.

A post shared by Yumi Marina (@yumimarina)

Meanwhile, Jihan who is known as the queen of parody, was also complimented for her impersonation of Dato Siti Nurhaliza.


WINNERS: A Premium Super-Club Experience At H-Artistry

Thank you so much for all your submissions! Looks like we’ve got our FOUR lucky winners who will be partying it up H-Artistry in SPICE Penang (formerly known as PISA). While sipping on the signature Hennessy V.S.O.P long drinks: Hennessy Apple, Hennessy Berry, Hennessy Ginger and Hennessy Soda, of course.

There are no physical passes but your names will be on the guestlist on the event day. And the event’s deets are as follows:

Venue: SPICE Penang (Formerly known as PISA)

Also, while it’s always good to have fun at parties, it’s also always good to party safe! Here’s a little handy guide to H-Artistry Penang.


#CaptainAmerica3: A “Sherlock” Reunion As Martin Freeman Joins The MCU

A “Sherlock” reunion is happening in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Benedict Cumberbatch‘s “Sherlock” co-star, Martin Freeman, is heading to the MCU for a potentially major role in “Captain America: Civil War”.

Marvel Studios confirmed this piece of good news today by announcing that Freeman is officially part of the Marvel family.

Freeman is best known for his roles as Bilbo Baggins in “The Hobbit” trilogy and as Tim in “The Office”. The English actor earned both Primetime Emmy Award and BAFTA Award for his portrayal of Doctor John Watson in “Sherlock”. He also received many other award nominations for his role as Lester Nygaard in “Fargo”.

Due to his versatility as an actor, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said, “Martin’s range from the dramatic to the comedic has consistently impressed us. We couldn’t be more honoured or excited to have such a talented actor join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”

No details regarding Freeman’s role were revealed and the studio made his character even more vague after announcing that German-Spanish actor Daniel Brühl will be portraying a villain called Baron Zemo. If Freeman is going to portray an ally to Avengers, he could be teaming up with Cumberbatch again in the MCU. Cumberbatch, who is set to portray Doctor Strange, previously worked with Freeman in “Sherlock” and “The Hobbit”.

Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie will reprise their respective roles as The Winter Soldier and The Falcon in the movie, alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson. Chadwick Boseman will be introduced as Black Panther before his solo movie arrives.

Slated for release on 6th May 2016, “Captain America: Civl War” is a follow-up to Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, which will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. It will once again star Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man and Chris Evans as Captain America.

The story is expected to revolve around the entire MCU as the superheroes are divided into 2 sides; one that supports the government’s registration program for superhumans and one that opposes the program.

(Source: Marvel / Featured image via The Mary Sue)

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Genting To Host First Live Concert Since MCO With Jeryl Lee & Masya

Resorts World Genting is set to revive the music scene by hosting its first concert since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was implemented back in March.

Titled The Jeryl & Masya “MY SISTA” Live in Genting 2020, Jeryl Lee Pei Ling (better known as Jeryl, 李佩玲) and Siti Nurmasyitah Mohd Yusoff (better known as Masya, 玛莎) will be joining forces to serenade fans.

In case you didn’t know, the girls had previously performed together in the Arena of Stars. The upcoming concert will mark their 3rd time entertaining fans at the venue. Both Jeryl and Masya have more in common than you think.

Besides hailing from the northern states of Malaysia (Jeryl is a Penangite while Masya comes from Kedah), the pair found fame from taking part in reality singing competitions. Interestingly, the duo was also chosen to sing “Left Shoulder” – a Mandarin single released by the Chinese Embassy to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the diplomatic ties
between Malaysia and China.

To ensure the safety of concert-goers, Genting will be carrying out several procedures in compliance with the government’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Customers aged 12 years old and below and those aged 60 years old and above are highly discouraged from attending the event. In addition, all seats will be marked and arranged in accordance with physical distancing measures.

The details to The Jeryl & Masya “MY SISTA” Live in Genting 2020 are as follows:

Concert tickets will go on sale from 14th August 2020 onwards here.


#Taeyang: Expected To Collaborate With Jeff Bernat For SBS Gayo Daejun

We foresee that an awesome collaboration is on its way as BIGBANG‘s Taeyang is expected to collaborate with Filipino-American singer-songwriter Jeff Bernat for SBS Gayo Daejun.

According to Soompi, an industry official has revealed to various news outlets that Taeyang and Jeff Bernat are discussing a joint performance for the year end SBS Gayo DAEJUN. The report further revealed the 2 have been meeting up a lot to work on a secret track together.

Despite being relatively unknown in the international music scene, Jeff Bernat’s songs have earned him the title of “Genius R&B Musician” in South Korea, China, and Japan. His songs have been covered by various K-Pop artistes including former EXO member Kris (with Lay), Jooyoung, Juniel, and Jun K.

Earlier in July, the singer released an original soundtrack, “Be The One” for Korean drama “You Are My Destiny.”

Just recently, he surprised his fans by performing a English cover version of Taeyang’s “Eyes, Nose, Lips” during his concert in Korea. He later collaborated with hip-hop artiste Scary’P to release the track “Make it Official” in November this year.

With Bernat’s popularity in South Korea, a collaboration between the 2 soulful singers is bound to happen. While it’s not verified, Jeff Bernat has previously expressed his interest to collaborate with Taeyang on his Twitter account. However, the post was deleted.

Regarding the report, an official from SBS said that they’re looking at the suggestion positively.

We have suggested a special featuring for Jeff Bernat to appear on SBS Gayo Daejun and we are consulting Taeyang for the collaboration stage.

Both YG Entertainment and Jeff Bernat have yet to respond to the report but Bernat has confirmed that a new album will be released next year. As for Taeyang, he is currently promoting “Good Boy” with BIGBANG’s leader G-Dragon and will be on his world tour soon!

So, do you think Taeyang will have a joint performance with Jeff Bernat at SBS Gayo Daejun? Which collaboration do you look forward to seeing the most at the music festival? Let us know in the comments box below!

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Did You Spot All 30 Cameos In Taylor Swift’s You Need To Calm Down MV?

Taylor Swift debuted her star-studded music video for “You Need to Calm Down” last night (Monday, 17th June) and we’re absolutely living for it!

The 2nd single is taken from her forthcoming album, “Lover”. The three-and-a-half-minute visual is essentially a nonstop cameo parade, featuring Hollywood celebrities from music, reality TV, Instagram, and everywhere else.

With so many fabulous stars, how can anyone expect to calm the hell down? Especially when former frenemy Katy Perry shows up in her Met Gala burger costume to officially put an end to their long-gone beef.

In conjunction with Pride Month, a ton of LGBTQIA+ stars (and allies) have showed up to lend their support to Swift’s music video greatness. It takes a stance on equality, putting haters and homophobes on blast, and ends with a call for everyone to support her Senate petition in favour of the Equality Act.

Directed by Drew Kirsch and the Grammy winner herself, were you able to spot these famous cameos?

AGHGHGHGH I am crying and voguing at the same time! Never in a million years would I have dreamed I’d be able to call this global superstar my best friend. But she has taught me that you can be on top of the world and still be grounded, humble, thoughtful and kind. Thank you @taylorswift for letting me be such a huge part of something so special and SO important! Thanks for listening to me talk or sometimes rant about social injustices and using your platform to change people’s hearts and minds with your music. Thanks for allowing me to bring all my besties to the party, this was the most fun I’ve had on any set, though trying to pull you away from the drag queens was almost impossible. I love you to the ends of the earth and back, and I can’t wait to keep strutting through life by your side you sweet sweet angel! ps I kept the shoes ?

A post shared by  TODRICK (@todrick) on Jun 17, 2019 at 8:52am PDT

Would you like some fries to go with your burger? Here’s proof that Katy Perry & Taylor Swift are bffs once again.

A post shared by  Hype Malaysia (@hypemy) on Jun 17, 2019 at 6:18am PDT

A post shared by AHS Brasil (@ahs__brasil) on Jun 17, 2019 at 10:05am PDT

WHO GAVE US PERMISSION? Had a shamazing time at @taylorswift’s tea party for #YNTCDmusicvideo! ☕? (P.S. Tan was on set filming his new show but we’re so happy to be reunited with @todrick for this moment ?)

A post shared by  Queer Eye (@queereye) on Jun 17, 2019 at 7:58am PDT

I LOVE an Airstream. Tanny Banny was busy taking over fashion but thankfully we had @todrick ?.

A post shared by  Antoni Porowski (@antoni) on Jun 17, 2019 at 6:24am PDT

So much love for all these people and everyone in this music video. MY HEART IS COMPLETELY FULL and FILLED.

A post shared by  Adam Rippon (@adaripp) on Jun 17, 2019 at 6:57am PDT

A post shared by  Adam Rippon (@adaripp) on Jun 17, 2019 at 7:09am PDT

#BTS of the #yntcdmusicvideo with @taylorswift. #tallgirls #TransIsBeautiful #yntcd

A post shared by  laverne cox (@lavernecox) on Jun 17, 2019 at 7:01am PDT

A post shared by  CHESTER LOCKHART (@chesterlockhart) on Jun 17, 2019 at 7:15am PDT

I. can’t. calm. down. Thank you to @taylorswift and all of these incredible artists for inspiring hope and positive change in the world!!! It means the world to me and so many other people who are just trying to live their truest lives. We have so much to be proud of, but still have so much further to go. Thank you Taylor for using your platform to bring awareness to these issues and for being such a beautiful ally to the community. ?☺❤ THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN #youneedtocalmdown ?

A post shared by  H A Y L E Y K I Y O K O (@hayleykiyoko) on Jun 17, 2019 at 10:28am PDT

@taylorswift was absolute perfection! ??✨? She treated all of like queens & show us so much love & kindness! ?❤????? The??Best??Day??Ever! ?? Love herrrr ?

A post shared by  Jade Jolie (@missjadejolie) on Jun 17, 2019 at 8:26am PDT

A post shared by  Tatianna (@tatiannagram) on Jun 17, 2019 at 8:28am PDT

They include Tatianna (Ariana Grande), Trinity The Tuck (Lady Gaga), Delta Work (Adele), Trinity K. Bonet (Cardi B), Jade Jolie (Swift), Adore Delano (Katy Perry), A’Keria Chanel Davenport (Nicki Minaj), and Beyoncé impersonator Riley Knoxx as Mrs. Carter.

A post shared by mari ?✨ (@itsdelicatestyle) on Jun 17, 2019 at 7:56pm PDT

Now let’s re-watch the music video a million more times ;)

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#TheBlackLabel: Dara’s Cousin To Debut In Boy Group Under YG’s Sub-Label?

Another K-Pop boy group is going to debut!

While YG Entertainment has debuted 2 boy groups (WINNER and iKON) and a girl group (BLACKPINK) in the past 3 years, it seems like their sub-label The Black Label will be debuting another boy group in the near future.

Word on the street is that 2NE1 Dara’s cousin and a half-black member will be included in the group, and they are currently training to make sure that the group will excel in singing, dancing, rapping, and producing. A source also revealed, “Though a specific debut date hasn’t been decided, they will most likely be launching at the end of next year, or the year after that.”

The Black Label is one of YG Entertainment’s many sub-labels, and was formed in May. It is headed by Kush and Teddy Park, who recently broke up with his girlfriend of 4 years, Han Ye Seul. The company, which houses Zion.T, has been holding auditions and working hard to gather trainees in order to debut a new group.

Apart of The Black Label, YG Entertainment’s other sub-labels include HIGHGRND, a Korean indie and alternative-focused company helmed by Epik High’s Tablo; YG K+, a partnership between the entertainment powerhouse and Korean model management company K+; moonshot, a cosmetics company; and NONA9ON, a luxury street-wear brand.


Hype’s Movie Review: Is “Transformers: The Last Knight” Worth Watching?

“Transformers: The Last Knight” marks the 5th “Transformers” movie in 10 years. At this point, what haven’t we seen? For moviegoers wanting to watch a film filled with loud and expansive action sequences, you’re going to get your money’s worth.

Best known for his towering special effects achievement, director Michael Bay ups the ante again by using the same formula – loud and big spectacles. The film’s weakness, however, lies in the scattered plot, which makes little to no sense.

If there’s one thing to be said about Bay is his consistency. The man loves incorporating old myths and hidden wonders with the franchise. While previous instalments told us that the Egyptian pyramids were used to hide an ancient weapon and that the Transformers were responsible for the moon landings, this outing explores the legend of King Arthur.

In ancient England, the wizard Merlin stumbles upon a Cybertronian ship and asks the Transformers’ help to defeat a Saxon army. That discovery and subsequent alliances changes the course of history. However, their identity has been kept secret by a group called the Witwiccans.

Fast forward to the present day, Transformers are being hunted down by the Transformers Reactionary Force (TRF). Cade Yeager (played by Mark Wahlberg) and Oxford professor Dr. Viviane Wembly (played by Laura Haddock) find themselves racing against time in order the save Mother Earth from the evil Quintessa.

Quintessa, who’s also the maker of Optimus Prime, wants to revive the home planet Cybertron by sucking the life from Earth. Only one thing stands in her way – Merlin’s last living relative, Viviane, who possesses the ability to retrieve and wield the ancient staff, given to Merlin by the Transformers centuries ago.

To quote Movie Web writer Julian Roman, the plot for “The Last Knight” swings like a boomerang between different characters and locations. There are way too many plot holes that it’s almost impossible to keep track of what’s going on. After awhile, it’s probably best to just shut off your thought process and enjoy the senseless fun of alien robots battling each other.

At one point there’s even an attempt to integrate emotional moments with a father-daughter subplot (Wahlberg’s Cade Yeager and Isabela Moner’s Izabella) and romance (Cade and Viviane). Unfortunately, the characters fell flat due to the lack of chemistry onscreen between the actors.

Despite being overstaff mythology and big-budget fireworks, “The Last Knight” fails to leave an impression. Having said that, diehard fans will be pleased to know that this instalment serves as a bridge to a wider Transformers Universe.

Last we heard, Paramount is currently developing 14 more “Transformers” films. The next story will be a “Bumblebee” spin-off.

“Transformers: The Last Knight” has been released in cinemas nationwide.

For more information, hit up the movie’s website.

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Indie Artist Takahara Suiko Creates Personalised Birthday Jingle For RM50

Last week, actress-singer Janna Nick came under fire for charging RM50 for personalised wishes including birthday, anniversary or any congratulatory messages.

Her action has been condemned by netizens who see it as a dishonest and insincere move that takes advantage of her fans’ loyalty.

A post shared by Janna Nick (@jannanick)

Some local celebrities have also criticised and mocked Janna Nick’s new business, they include actor Redza Minhat, actress-singer Fazura, actress Sharifah Sakinah, indie singer-songwriter Takahara Suiko, and more.

However, Takahara Suiko who is the lead singer of experimental band The Venopian Solitude has decided to use the same approach to make money. But instead of a simple wish, she makes personalised birthday jingle for RM50.

Many fans have complimented the singer’s effort and said that her personalised jingles are worth more than some simple and random wishes. We’re looking at you Ms Janna!

According to Takahara Suiko’s Twitter, she has already completed 5 birthday jingles so far and she has 22 more to go! If that’s any indication, people seem to be gravitating towards the musician’s talents.

I would pay for this birthday jingle rather than just a plain wishes from one you call artist or just somebody that is famous 💁 https://t.co/Y71gvrdMIT

Takahara Suiko has admitted that though she is not as famous as Janna Nick, she rather people spend their money on something worthwhile and at the very least, her jingle does not disappear after 24 hours.


Form 5 Student Was Only Occupied With K-Dramas & Naps During MCO

Yesterday (Wednesday, 24th June) was the first day where schools nationwide reopened for SPM and STPM candidates following 3 months of closure.

According to Form 5 student Muhammad Fikri Mohd Fauzi, he was ‘thrilled’ to be back at school after so long. His candid replies during an interview session has managed to steal the spotlight among netizens online.

In an interview with Malaysian Gazette, Muhammad Fikri shared, “One week before school reopen, I had already made preparations. I was looking for my school uniform because it’s been awhile since I went to school. I couldn’t find it.”

Muhammad Fikri also gave a priceless answer when asked about what he did during the movement control order (MCO). According to him, “I watched K-dramas and sleep. As for studying, I prefer to do it at school rather than at home. The internet (at my house) got stuck at times.”

The interview clip featuring the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seksyen 7, Shah Alam pupil soon went viral across social media. In this case, a lot of netizens were amused by his hilarious honest answers. Check out some of their reactions here:

Internet sekat2 nak belajar, tapi tengok drama korea HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA https://t.co/0RSmhGQjlw

“Actually I was just joking. I thought they were going to cut that particular part. I was quite shocked when they released everything that I said. Shortly after the session, I got scolded by my teacher,” Muhammad Aris clarified when contacted by Astro Gempak, in response to the massive amount of reactions received.

He further added, “I’m not a fan of Korean artistes, but I do enjoy watching Korean dramas. Not to say that I’m obsessed, but instead of not doing anything, I just watch it.”

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Hype’s Now Playing: Rihanna – Kiss It Better

Been waitin’ on that sunshine, and now it’s here.

After teasing stills from the video of her new song, Rihanna has finally unveiled the sexy music visual for “Kiss It Better”, the 2nd single lifted from her album “Anti”.

There’s not much going on in the Craig McDean-directed clip, but this is certainly one of those instances where less is more. After all, there isn’t a whole lot to do when there is no backdrop at all, because Rihanna is the entire video.

Shot entirely in black and white, we see the Barbadian beauty writhing around in a sheer slip on the ground in one scene and posing topless in another. Riri is clearly comfortable in her braless and pantless state.

Aside from appearing nude under a bed sheet, the video also shows 2 pair of dice rolling up and down her lady parts and midsection as she extends her curves. Needless to say, you won’t look at a pair of dice the same way again.

This isn’t the 1st time the 28-year-old has bared her nipples for her music. Rihanna wore a completely see-through top in her music video for “Work“. Both she and Drake managed to “work” up quite a sweat while dancing in a club. Well, it was more of Riri dancing and twerking against Drake.

The pop star was supposed to perform “Kiss It Better” at the Grammy Awards earlier this year but was forced to pull out at the last minute to go on vocal rest as per her doctor’s orders.

Get ready for a whole lotta of skin and some nudity when you watch the erotic visual below:


Shazam: 2 Post Credits Scenes Hints At Sequel (Warning: Spoilers)

Warner Bros. and DC Extended Universe’s latest entry, “Shazam”, will officially debut in Malaysia next week.

However, the David F. Sandberg-directed superhero flick has already hit theatres in the US with reviews surfacing online since last week. For those wondering if you should stick around once the end credits start rolling, the answer is YES!

“Shazam” has 2 extra scenes – a mid credits scene and end credits scene – with the former meant to set up a direct sequel and the latter, a tease on where Warner Bros. and DC Films are heading next. There are major spoilers ahead, so consider yourself warned.

In Shazam’s origin story, young Billy Batson meets Wizard Shazam, who grants him the powers to become the titular superhero. The main antagonist here is Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. By the end of the movie, the baddie is seen sitting in a prison cell. There, he receives a visit from the diabolical Venusian worm Mister Mind.

Mister Mind tells the evil doctor that they need to have a discussion about the Seven Realms. Apparently, the wizard Shazam, the Seven Deadly Sins, and the Rock of Eternity aren’t the only source of magic in existence. This revelation hints that there is greater magic out there.

The next bonus scene is a funny clip (taking the cue from Marvel) where we see Shazam talking to fish. The joke scene shows the superhero is wondering out loud that by talking to fish (like fellow DC hero Aquaman), he’d be able to command billions of sea creatures from the ocean.

In speaking with IGN, the filmmaker talked about his process on creating the post credits scenes. “I think it’s probably the same decision-making that one has on all these movies, which is, what’s going to be fun, what’s going to be satisfying for the audience, what’s going to be a nice punctuation mark at the end of the movie that, again, is going to be satisfying for the audience,” Sandberg said. “So that’s the debate you always have. We had a lot of options. I think we ended up with something good.”

There were initial rumours of Black Adam and Superman possibly making a cameo or 2. However, those rumours have proven to be false. Producer Peter Safran revealed that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has never been approached to make an appearance. Although the team had considered writing Superman into the script, the idea was scrapped in order to focus on Shazam as a character.

A post shared by Shazam! Fury of the Gods (@shazammovie)

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Local Courier Caught On Fire In Cheras; Parcels From 11.11 Sale Destroyed

For those who have been waiting for their 11.11 sale items to arrive, we’ve got some bad news for you. :(

A courier truck caught fire yesterday (Tuesday, 17th November), causing the entire cargo and contents in the vehicle to be burnt completely.

As shared by Facebook user Kitty Goh, the incident took place near the Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (PGRM) building in Cheras. She added that the incident occurred in the unloading section next to the apartment. Therefore, not many people noticed it.

Kitty also uploaded a few photos on her social media, which show the entire body of the lorry burnt with holes and covered with soot on the inside of the cargo. The parcels inside the truck were also destroyed by the fire. The truck driver was seen making a call while the firefighters came to the rescue.

So far, it is still not disclosed on what had caused the fire in the first place.


“Harry Potter” TV Show: 5 Character Storylines HBO Could Explore Better Than The Films

Potterheads everywhere were recently greeted with the news that we will be getting an adaptation of the “Harry Potter” books in the form of a new TV series on HBO’s streaming service, Max. With over 20 years since the first film, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, the series will introduce a whole new cast to bring our favourite characters to life. Yeah, so don’t expect Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint or Emma Watson to be reprising their roles as the lovable trio. The idea of bringing the stories of the original novels to life in a long-form TV show is a brilliant idea! While we absolutely adore Warner Bros’ “Harry Potter” film saga, there were a number of plotlines and stories that we felt could have been explored in the films. Stories that had to be left on the cutting room floor for time’s sake.

However, shows like Netflix’s “Shadow and Bone”, HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and BBC’s “His Dark Materials” have shown us that we don’t have to sacrifice narrative depth for spectacle anymore. We can have both! With a massive budget and all the time in the world, here are some crucial storylines we want to see explored in greater detail in HBO’s “Harry Potter”.

For most people who have grown up only seeing the films, they’d probably remember Neville Longbottom as the sweet, nebbish boy who would eventually find his courage in “Harry Potter and the Death Hallows – Part 2”. To this day, we remember his iconic speech to Voldemort and his Death Eaters when all hope seemed lost. Arguably he was also the one who landed the real killing blow on Voldemort, not Harry. Interesting, eh? Well, what if we told you that there’s a possibility that Harry isn’t the Chosen One, according to Sybill Trelawney’s Prophecy, after all, but rather it was Neville?

Both he and Harry were born in July, both had lost their parents to Voldemort in some way and he was even considered at some point to be a candidate to defeat Voldemort once and for all. He witnessed his parents driven insane by Voldemort and suffered great pain, yet displayed courage and kindness over and over again. In the “Harry Potter” series, he definitely deserves a subplot that at the very least hints more heavily at the possibility of him being the Chosen One. Not unlike what “Game of Thrones” did with Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen.

One of the creepiest moments in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” was when Harry gazed into the past and learnt of Tom Marvolo Riddle’s childhood with Dumbledore visiting the young lad. He was something straight out of “The Omen”! That brief window into the past was haunting but we can’t help but feel that the film could have done more to flesh out the childhood of the main villain of the entire saga. The novel goes into far greater detail about Voldemort’s tragic past.

Imagine a whole episode dedicated to following Voldemort’s mother, Merope Gaunt, longing to escape her hellish life at home by bewitching a handsome Muggle named Tom Riddle using a love potion, only to lose it all when the spell wore off. Then, we’d see her son Tom Marvolo Riddle rise through the ranks of Hogwarts and excel at the Dark Arts, believing himself to be some amazing Pure-Blood Wizard. Oh, what we wouldn’t give to see the rage and hate on his face when he realises his biological father was a Muggle! If HBO’s “Harry Potter” went through with that, it would be amazing.

Perhaps HBO’s “Harry Potter” series could finally answer the question “Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore” failed to last year: Who killed Ariana Dumbledore? Ariana’s death is one that has haunted Albus all the days of his life. That fateful night in Godric’s Hollow, Albus and his lover Gellert Grindelwald was confronted by Albus’ brother, Aberforth, about their intention to start a global wizarding war. The three of them argued and when Grindelwald had enough, he cast a Cruciatus curse on Aberforth. This led to Albus abandoning his lover to fight Grindelwald alongside his brother in the now legendary Duel at Godric’s Hollow.

During the duel, a stray curse landed on poor Ariana, killing her in the process. One of the biggest mysteries in “Harry Potter” lore is the mystery of who really killed Ariana. “Secrets of Dumbledore” had a fantastic opportunity to finally put this to rest, or at the very least show us parts of that incredible duel. Hopefully, the series will satisfy fans with an answer, if not give us a glimpse into one of the greatest magical battles in the history of the Wizarding World. There’s certainly more than enough time for that now.

One of the things we love about Hermoine Granger was her fiercely compassionate nature and this is best shown throughout the books with her crusade for better rights for house elves. Upon seeing the cruel treatment of the house elf Winky at the hands of Barty Crouch, Hermoine realised that something had to be done. So, alongside the house elf Dobby, she launched the Society for the Promotion of Elven Welfare (S.P.E.W.). It wasn’t easy for Hermoine though, seeing that so many of the house elves were accustomed to their masters’ abusive treatment and even took pride in their status as servants.

Hermoine’s S.P.E.W. subplot throughout the books is definitely a great bit of character development for her as she learns about internalised oppression. However, we totally get why David Yates had to cut out this subplot to make time for the larger events in the books. With a longer runtime altogether though, HBO’s “Harry Potter” series could take its time to explore Hermoine, Dobby and Winky’s stories as they navigate through the social politics of the Wizarding World.

Of course, how could we forget about our beautiful Half-Blood Prince, Severus Snape? Hailing from a difficult home, Snape would grow to find comfort in his friendship with Lily Evans. However, his efforts to win over her heart were for naught for he was a Slytherin and she was a Gryffindor…like James Potter. He was also mercilessly bullied at the hands of the Marauders. This eventually led him down a dark path to join Voldemort as a Death Eater. When he learned that the Dark Lord had set his sights on Lily, he turned to Dumbledore playing the role of a double agent for years, secretly protecting Harry.

There’s so much more to Snape’s tragic story and secret mission that is told within the pages of the books. The “Harry Potter” films have unfortunately left out a tragic mistake Snape made that led Voldemort to murder the woman he loved so dear. Snape was painted in the films as more a creepy but benevolent obsessive who mourned a dead girl than a man who wished to find a way to make up for Lily’s death. HBO’s “Harry Potter” needs to make this clear to the audience. Only then, will his sacrifice in the end bear its full weight.

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Hype’s Now Playing: Guns N’ Roses — November Rain

“So if you want to love me, then darlin’ don’t refrain. Or I’ll just end up walkin’, in the cold November rain”

Just like that ten months has passed us by this 2013. Kicking off the first day of November, Hype.My has November Rain as the top song on our playlist.

A power balled written by Axl Rose, lead singer of American rock band Guns N’ Roses, the single November Rain was released 21 years ago. The ballad features a sweeping orchestral background and is one of the longest songs by the band. The nine minute long track peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and is the longest song in history to make it on the top ten of the chart.

Apart from it being the month of November, Hype.My finds November Rain to be the perfect song for the month as it suits our weather conditions here in Kuala Lumpur.


Contest: Beware, For We Have #CrimsonPeak Premiere Screening Passes

One sure sign that Guillermo del Toro‘s “Crimson Peak” is one of the most highly-anticipated horror movies of the year is when horror legend Stephen King himself tweeted that it is “gorgeous and “f***ing terrifying” and that it “electrified” him in the same way Sam Rami’s “Evil Dead” did.

Del Toro, dubbed the Spanish master of horror, is best known for his work on 2004’s “Hellboy” and 2006’s “Pan’s Labyrinth”.

After directing a non-horror movie (“Pacific Rim“) in 2013, del Toro creeped back to his Spanish horror roots through this gothic period film that he co-wrote with Matthew Robbins and Lucina Coxon.

The character-driven film is produced by Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Callum Greene, and del Toro himself. The film has been rated R as it consists of sexual and violent content.

“Alice in Wonderland” star Mia Wasikowska plays Edith Cushing, a young woman who falls in love with Sir Thomas Sharpe, a mysterious yet charismatic suitor (played by Tom Hiddleston). She is taken back to his ancestral home, but it is from there that she discovers the horrifying truth about her husband and the house that “breathes, bleeds, and remembers”.

IN THE AFTERMATH OF A FAMILY TRAGEDY, AN ASPIRING AUTHOR IS TORN BETWEEN LOVE FOR HER CHILDHOOD FRIEND AND THE TEMPTATION OF A MYSTERIOUS OUTSIDER. TRYING TO ESCAPE THE GHOSTS OF HER PAST, SHE IS SWEPT AWAY TO A HOUSE THAT BREATHES, BLEEDS…AND REMEMBERS.

“Interstellar” actress Jessica Chastain stars in the film as Lady Lucille Sharpe, the sister to Sir Thomas Sharpe, while Charlie Hunnam plays Edith Cushing’s childhood friend, Dr. Alan McMichael.

Thanks to our friends from United International Pictures Malaysia, we’re giving away exclusive premiere screening passes for “Crimson Peak”.

Deets of the premiere screening are as follows:

To win the passes, all you gotta do is tell us:

E-mail your answers with your details (Name, IC, Contact number) to submit@hype.my. Each winner walks away with 4 tickets per person!

There are limited tickets and this will be based on a first-come-first-serve basis so go on and start sending in those e-mails. The faster your are, the higher your chances will be.

Co-produced by Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures, “Crimson Peak” is slated for release on 16th Oct 2015.

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

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Contest: Win Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns Screening Passes & Goodies

This Christmas will be extra special as we anticipate Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” to recapture the magic of the original movie.

Said to be a sequel 64 years in the making, Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” is pretty much a continuation and not a remake. We see this film picks up more than 20 years after the events of the first movie.

The synopsis for Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” is as follows:

“Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ stars Emily Blunt as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn a routine task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure.

“In this all new sequel, which has a fresh sensibility yet celebrates the spirit of the original, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives after they experience a personal loss. The enigmatic nanny is joined by her friend Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light – and life – to the streets of London.”

When asked about what was the biggest challenge in taking on this role for Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns”, Emily Blunt singled out the dancing element. “I feel that I just try to approach her as I would any other character and not be caught up in the white noise of, ‘Oh my God, you are Mary Poppins‘,” she told Screen Rant.

The 35-year-old English actress added, “I think that has been my main focus, is just to approach her calmly, as I would any other character, how I would play her, with what I have given on the page? I have not watched the (original) since I saw it as a child, cause I… no one is going to outdo Julie Andrews. I think I just want to… this is just going to be my version her. The dancing has been the most daunting prospect for me.”

Our friends from Disney Malaysia have graciously provided us with some goodies to give away to our lucky readers. Do note that the merchandise will be given out to winners with the most likes and shares, and are subject to availability.

And that’s not all! On top of that, we’ve also got 10 pairs of Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” preview screening passes up for grabs ?

For more information, hit up the Disney’s Facebook page.