Mark Ruffalo Wants To See “Hulk vs Wolverine” In The MCU

Now with the Fox acquisition sealed, Disney will be looking at what they can do with all the rights they just acquired. Some of which includes characters that Disney/Marvel can now add to the profitable MCU.

Marvel having already announced a host of series and movies through 2022 for the MCU has left out one notable character, Hulk. However, the actor that portrayed the green giant, Mark Ruffalo, gave fans quite a treat when he mentioned, “Hulk vs Wolverine”.

In an interview with Men’s Health, the 52-year-old gave his thoughts on where the direction is going for his character after “Avengers: Endgame”. “Kevin Feige just asked me last week if I had any more ideas or stories for the Hulk,” he said in a panel over at Tokyo Comic Con.

He later added, “And I said yeah, I think there’s still some stories to tell. And he said, ‘Well why don’t you come in and tell me about them and we’ll see if we can find a place for you in the Marvel universe?'”

He would later let the audiences know his answer for that question,  “Hulk vs. Wolverine,” he said. “I’d like to see that. Hulk vs. Wolverine.”

Honestly, we agree with Ruffalo’s answer but we do recognise the complication it might bring. First off, a new actor would be needed to step into the shoes left vacant by Hugh Jackson, who at this point is still the de facto Wolverine in the eyes of fans despite him retiring the role.

Secondly, the rights of the Hulk character in movies is actually shared by both Disney and Universal, so it will be interesting to see how the Universal side of things would feel about a “Hulk vs Wolverine” film.

However, we believed if Disney/Marvel really want it, they would have the assets and talents to make the movie happens. And wouldn’t that be a movie we’ll be throwing money at to see.


#LookingForAlaska: Movie Adaptation In The Works; Becca Thomas To Direct

“I may die young, but at least I’ll die smart.”

Sounds familiar eh? Well of course it does. It is after all from the book, “Looking for Alaska”.

Following the success of “The Fault in Our Stars” – a film that grossed $307 million on a budget of just $12 million, author John Green who was initially against the idea of the movie adaption, found himself to be a “hot item” in the movie world. Apart from “The Fault In Our Stars” it was announced early this year that Green’s “Paper Towns” will also be adapted into a movie with the same screenwriters and producers as “The Fault in Our Stars” and will be released on 24th July.

Now, “Looking For Alaska” another one of Green’s novels is being turned into a movie.

“Looking For Alaska” was Green’s first novel, and while a film adaptation has been in the works for a few years, the movie regained momentum this February when “the gang” — Neustadter, Weber, Godfrey, and Bowen — regrouped to work on the Temple Hill Entertainment project. Now it appears as though “Looking for Alaska” has found its director, as Green took to Twitter to share the news.

Oh yes, the film is definitely in the works as his caption reads: “Big announcement! The “Looking for Alaska” movie has its director, the brilliant (@beccalouthomas). IT IS REALLY HAPPENING.

Big announcement! The Looking for Alaska movie has its director, the brilliant Becca Thomas (@beccalouthomas). IT IS REALLY HAPPENING.

He also added that is he “ecstatic” about the directorial selection and he was confident that “Becca’s the person for the job.”

Rebecca Thomas is an equitably new write and director. She has only produced one feature-length film “Electrick Children” so far, but that doesn’t mean we should doubt her expertise.

“Looking For Alaska” talks about a boy named Miles “Pudge” Halter, who leaves his home in Florida to attend Culver Creek Boarding School and later finds himself in a dangerously fun adventure with his new friend Alaska Young, a gorgeous, hilarious, sexy but emotionally unstable girl.

Now that the film has Becca Thomas to helm, it is time for Green to hunt for potential casts.

Who would you like to see take on the role of Alaska and Pudge? Sound off in the comments box below.

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Producer Fred Chong Assured “Rise: Ini Kalilah” Has No Political Agenda

WebTVAsia’s brand new film “Rise: Ini Kalilah” is made with good intention. It is a patriotic film inspired by the 14th Malaysian General Election, recounting the days of the election week told from the perspective of ordinary Malaysians.

However, even though the film has only been in the cinemas for less than a week, it already received backlashes from certain groups, claiming that the movie has a political agenda and urging the crowd to boycott it.

A post shared by Rise: Ini Kalilah (@riseinikalilah)

“It is very sad because the movie is meant to spread positive message and feelings, but some people are saying that the movie has a hidden agenda, it is a political propaganda, and whatnot. It is not true. It is a patriotic movie made to celebrate change,” producer Fred Chong told Hype Malaysia.

“The backlash started when we did a 2nd press conference with Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, and some people are saying that the movie is a DAP (Democratic Action Party) film, and that people should boycott it,” Fred Chong continued.

“Even the politicians and activists who attended the gala premiere received backlashes as the movie coincidentally premiered the same day as the public caning incident. We invited the political figures to the premiere because we want them to be one of the firsts to watch the movie as they are some of the key people who contributed to the change.”

“Also, the premiere date was planned way before the public caning incident and the invitations were also sent to the politicians and activists way earlier. It is all a mere coincidence,” Chong explained.

“Perhaps it’s because we released the film at the wrong time. With all the issues on LGBT, SST, and public caning, the people are unhappy with the current government and directed their anger at this film.”

Fred Chong believes that most of the people who gives bad comments are the people who haven’t watch the film, but decided to not give it a chance because of the negative word of mouth. Nevertheless, Chong is grateful by the kind words he received on social media by the people who have watched the film.

“There are also malicious comments saying that this film was funded by the current government in an attempt to brainwash citizens into supporting them. This accusation was actually heavily supported by many online community members. As an result, those who found the film inspiring and praiseworthy choose to keep quiet to avoid getting criticised.”

The producer said that he is aware of the negative reviews by movie critics who deemed that “Rise: Ini Kalilah” are not controversial enough, but he firmly noted he didn’t mind the negative reviews as the movie was made for ordinary people and not for critics.

“The movie intends to bring Malaysians back to the moments during GE14 and celebrate the change that we have achieved. It is about the rise of the people who come together in the face of adversity and succeeded in bringing change to their country,” Chong said.

“For those saying that the movie is not controversial enough or didn’t have enough drama, well I did make a movie like that 5 years ago, it is called “Banglasia” and it was banned for being too controversial. So I don’t want the same thing to happen with this movie. Plus, it is not intended to be that kind of movie.”

On that subject, Chong said that “Banglasia” will be resubmitted to LPF (Film Censorship Board of Malaysia) by end of this year because the censorship board has a rule that the same film cannot be submitted to LPF within 5 years.

A post shared by SAIFUL APEK ®™ 🇲🇾 (@saifulapek)

“Banglasia will turn 5 by end of this year so we will submit the film to LPF for approval and hopefully Malaysians will get to see the movie by early next year,” Chong added.

“Rise: Ini Kalilah” is now showing in Malaysian cinemas and will be premiering in Singapore on 20th September.

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#PerfectIllusion: Lady Gaga To Debut Brand New Single In September!

Rejoice Little Monsters, Mother Monster is set to make her grand return to the music scene in September!

Lady Gaga took to Instagram to surprise fans with news of her upcoming single in a series of colourful mosaic Insta-posts, revealing that “Perfect Illusion” will be arriving as soon as next month. Are you super excited yet?

There’s no word yet on what the new single will sound like, but Billboard has confirmed that “Perfect Illusion” was produced by Mark Ronson, BloodPop, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, and Gaga herself. Fans will soon get their first taste of Gaga’s new non-soundtrack, non-Tony Bennett music since she last released 2013’s underrated “Artpop”.

Mark Ronson previously gave a little insight into his collaboration with Gaga and what everyone can expect from her new analog sound in her 5th studio album (let’s just call it “LG5” until we get an official title).

“She’s kind of a muso at heart. She’s the happiest when she’s sitting at a piano barking orders at the drummer, and I don’t think that’s the side of her the world has seen. They’ve seen the massive pop singles and tours and dance numbers, so it’s really great to make this very honest, authentic, analog kind of record with her,” the superstar producer said.

Just yesterday, it was announced that the 30-year-old singer will be taking on her first starring role in a feature film. The star has sign on to appear in Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut, “A Star Is Born”, which is a musical remake about an aspiring young starlet who arrives in Hollywood to pursue her dreams of becoming a star.

Get your paws up Little Monsters, it’s time to welcome our favourite singer back with a loud applause!


Hype’s Exclusive: f(x)’s Amber Talks Solo Album, Culture Shocks, & More

f(x) girls are considered household names in Korea as they captured the public’s attention through their addictive psychedelic pop songs and quirky dance moves. Led by Victoria, the 5-member girl group consists of Krystal, Amber, Luna, and Sulli. However, Amber is the first-ever f(x) member to debut as a solo singer. The Taiwanese-American member got out of her comfort zone and further proved her talent in music through her solo EP, “Beautiful”.

She debuted as a solo artiste in February 2015 with her long-awaited solo debut track, “Shake That Brass”. Having often featured as a rapper in tracks, the solo debut marks her first time performing as a solo singer.

Amber is best known for her rapping skills and outgoing personality, which is evident in the music video for “Shake That Brass”. It is the kind of song that makes everyone want to leave all their worries behind and just dance. A number of her celebrity friends were featured in the music video, including SNSD Girls’ Generation‘s Hyoyeon, GOT7‘s Jackson, g.o.d‘s Park Joon Hyung, comedienne Ahn Young Mi, Miss A‘s Min and Jia, Busker Busker‘s Brad, Rainbow‘s Woori, Crayon Pop‘s Ellin, NU’EST‘s Aron, and C-Clown‘s Rome.

Longtime Amber fans would know that the singer is a big fan of SNSD’s Taeyeon, which is why she invited her to be featured in the “Shake That Brass”. Fortunately, Taeyeon’s vocals and Amber’s smooth rapping skills worked in perfect harmony as the song instantly put people good mood, along with its fun and colourful music video.

Amber, who passed through SM auditions through singing, showcased her incredible singing skills in “Beautiful”, the title song for her mini-album. The singer explained on her Twitter account that she had held onto the song for 3 years. Unlike the usual dance-pop songs, “Beautiful” is a ballad that sends out a message about self-acceptance.

When she first debuted with f(x), her androgynous look was a hot topic among the mainstream Korean audiences. Through “Beautiful”, she sings about the kind of emotional struggle that everyone had been through at lease once in their life. However, self-acceptance is the only way to avoid being trapped in the darkness as she sings, “Any kind of scar is beautiful to me… I’m just happy, I’m happy to be myself…”

It serves as a great reminder that it is a not a must for everyone to conform to a certain standard of beauty because everyone should be happy to be themselves.

Having covered most of the events organised by our friends from M.E. Malaysia, we were given a chance to interact with Amber, who happily obliged to do an e-mail interview with us!

From the expectations for her new album to her involvement in the creative process to the culture shocks she experienced in Korea, here’s what went down during our interview:

Your solo debut is highly anticipated by the fans who have followed f(x) for years so here’s a question to kick off our interview – what can we expect from your solo debut?

My solo album is definitely something different than what people would think when they think f(x)’s Amber. Especially for this album, I took a lighter, more positive direction. I wanted to focus on what being “beautiful” meant to me.

You have co-composed and co-written some songs in the previous f(x) albums but I read that “Goodbye Summer” was actually your first self-composed track. Now that you’re debuting solo, are you involved in the creative process and what are the challenges you’ve faced so far?

I’ve been working on this album for the past 3 years. I actually have a lot of songs that I did not include in this album. For this album, I co-wrote all the songs with my team and friends, everything was very natural and always fun. We just wanted to create good music and send a good message to the people that listen to it. I think the biggest challenge was choosing which song would be best for this album. I made over 10 different track-lists and finally I came up with the track-list for this album.

Did your f(x) members help you when you were under pressure while debuting as a solo singer? If so, how?

My members have always been supporting me and my songwriting. They really pushed me to confidently give my songs to my company because I was very hesitant to show people the music I wrote.

Who have you approached and included in your solo album? What was it like for you to work with other musicians during the recording session?

I had a really hard time choosing who I wanted to collaborate with since there are so many talented artistes out there. For the song “I Just Wanna”, I decided to include my good friend, Eric Nam, since we always talked about working together and he was a perfect match for the part. For my lead track “Shake That Brass”, I had a list of over 20 people that I thought that could fit the vocal featuring part. At the last minute, I thought of Taeyeon from Girls’ Generation. I just decided to call and ask her if she would like to help me and she said yes right away. Lucky me.

How long has it been since you started working on your solo album and what did you have a mind when you found out that you were going to debut as a solo singer?

There was no set date that I started working on this album. It was an accumulation of years and years of writing and messing around with my crew. When I felt I was ready I brought all my tracks to my company and asked to go solo. It’s still surreal that my album is out, even now.

How is your album is going to sound like as compared to f(x)’s albums? What are the differences you’ve noticed?

For this album, compared to f(x), my album is very light-hearted. I didn’t purposely try to have different songs, I just wrote whatever came to my mind. But I definitely focused on my roots and re-listened to a lot of the music I heard growing up.

What would you be doing if you weren’t in f(x)?

I’d probably be pursuing something in the environmental science field. Science and how the world works really fascinates me, though I’m definitely not sharp these days because it’s been a while since I’ve been in the classroom. But I still watch a lot of science videos and try to keep up with the current events.

Due to your tomboy image and down-to-earth personality, you have gained a huge following since the debut era. So far, what was the craziest experience you’ve ever had with your fans?

I’ve never had a “crazy” experience, but I don’t really know how to react when fans cry when they see me. I want to help them and it’s so cute but I’m flabbergasted.

As someone who debuted in a K-Pop idol group, what advice would you give to someone who’s considering that path now?

I would say to be themselves and to enjoy the music.

During the US tour and playing SXSW, did you have a moment where you felt overwhelmed at all by the reactions to f(x) from fans?

I definitely feel overwhelmed when I go back to the States to perform. It’s my home field and the fact that I have so many supporters at home makes feel reassured that I’m doing something right.

What are some of the culture shocks you’ve experienced in Korea?

Bowing was the biggest thing. Bowing really makes a big difference in the Korean culture. So people get on your bowing skills!

Despite your strong exterior image and outstanding athleticism, was there a time when you feel discouraged?

I know I don’t have the typical girl looks. I do get very self- conscious at times but my friends always help me to keep my head up.

This is probably the place for you to clear off some misunderstandings – what are some of the misconceptions people have about you?

I think anything new or different for people is always going to be up for debate. I don’t represent every tomboy out there, but I’m just me, I don’t want to think too complicatedly about why I am the way I am. It’s pretty simple. I like being comfortable and having fun.

Once again, we would like to thank M.E Malaysia for arranging this interview for us.

For more information about f(x)’s Amber, visit f(x)’s official Facebook page or follow her on her social media accounts including Twitter and Instagram.

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“Violent Night” Review: David Harbour Delivers “John Wick” Style Action In This Holiday Themed Black-Comedy

What if we did a “John Wick” but with Santa Claus? It’s hard not to think this was the line of conversation of how the premise for “Violent Night” came into existence. Somebody pitched a holiday-themed film with enough edgy novelty and self-referential humour to get people through the door, and the board said: “Yes!” (possibly with dollar signs in their eyes).

From “Die Hard” to the “Bad Santa” films, there’s been a surprisingly consistent tradition of Christmas-themed action flicks. Dad’s gotta watch something, we guess? What sets “Violent Night” apart from every other film is the fact that it’s starring David Harbour of “Stranger Things” fame and is being produced by David Leitch, the man behind such hits as “Atomic Blonde”, “Nobody” and the recent “Bullet Train”.

With this season being flooded with Christmas specials and holiday films, can “Violent Night” carve out a place for itself? Or will it be lost in the endless sea of green and red? Let’s find out!

The plot of the film follows a disillusioned, alcoholic Santa Claus swearing that this is the final year of his 1100-year-old job. Simply put, he’s lost his faith in humanity and is fed up with how commercialised the holidays have become and how mindless consumerism has eaten away at the meaning of Christmas. He finds purpose once again though when he slides down a chimney of a mansion owned by the wealthy and corrupt Lightstone family. Turns out that there’s a holiday hostage situation going on when the family is seized by one very angry Mr Scrooge. When Santa sees a sweet, little girl named Trudy caught in the crossfire, he sheds his jolly demeanour and decides that for these naughty criminals, he’s delivering death!

“Violent Night” knows you didn’t come here for its gripping familial drama and poignant Christmas message. No, it does the bare minimum to set the scene before painting it with colourful holiday carnage. The Lightstone family all play painfully cliched stereotypes that we’re meant to point and laugh at as the criminals proceed to give them a rather rude wake-up call. As far as we’re concerned, their only real purpose is to highlight how much of a sweetheart Leah Brady’s Trudy Lightstone is. She’s also the emotional driving force of the film because if she wasn’t around, we sincerely doubt Santa would have stuck his neck out to save any of the other Lightstone family members.

From “Logan” to “The Mandalorian”, it just seems like the only way writers can think of humanising hardened, cynical lone wolves is by sticking them with a kid. Does it work? Yes…well enough. While writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller do try to inject some pathos into some of the characters, it’s mostly buried under an avalanche of cheesy one-liners and chuckle-worthy jokes. It seems like almost every member of the main heist crew has one fun quirk about them, which is a nice touch seeing that so many of these tough, serious-looking goons in action films live to be cannon fodder.

While the film does have a bit of a silly tone, the action is absolutely gory when it calls for it. No surprise here seeing that Leitch is involved in this project. Now, don’t expect to see the tight gun-fu of “John Wick” or the weighty ballet of blades and bullets in “Atomic Blonde”. Most of the kills in “Violent Night” revolve around David Harbour’s Santa pounding fools with a hammer or getting into gritty, ugly scraps with trained mercenaries. And boy are some of these fights glorious to watch, especially one involving Santa sticking a Christmas star into a man’s eye before lighting his head on fire!

It’s not just David Harbour that gets to have all the fun though, there is some truly brutal and innovative “Home Alone” style traps set up by Trudy that will have you whinging. What sets “Violent Night” apart from the other action films this year is one thing: Christmas magic. Do you think we’re kidding? No, “Violent Night” incorporates fantastical elements that seem innocuous on the surface but when weaponised can be used to deadly effect.

Harbour carries the role of Santa Clause quite well (still feels weird saying it out loud). It would have been easy for him to have simply phoned it in by playing up the persona of a thoroughly wasted and disengaged drifter. Instead, his performance oscillates between genuine cynical disappointment with humanity and his desire to rediscover his love for Christmas and the children. It’s hard not to see a spark of Jim Hopper in him here. Leah Brady does an admirable job as Trudy as she effortlessly dances between child-like naivete and steely resolve as she battles alongside Santa to save her family.

John Leguizamo’s Mr Scrooge has a contrived backstory that makes him hate Christmas but honestly, it wasn’t necessary. Especially seeing that it’s played straight, which just makes it even more awkward in light of the film’s ridiculous tone. Leguizamo’s character would have benefited from merely being some, money-hungry thief. Weirdly enough, most of the laughs come from Scrooge’s henchmen played by André Eriksen, Mitra Suri and Brendan Fletcher.

“Violent Night” proves that it has more going for it than a punny name. With a healthy swig of ultra-violence, a sprinkle of black comedy, a pinch of David Harbour and a drop of Christmas cheer, director Tommy Wirkola and company have crafted the perfect B-movie for the festive season. The plot is as thin as wrapping paper and most of the characters are two-dimensional props but none of that matters as long as you come in expecting nothing but mayhem and merriment.

You can now catch “Violent Night” in theatres today!

"Violent Night" proves that it has more going for it than a punny name. With a healthy swig of ultra-violence, a sprinkle of black comedy, a pinch of David Harbour and a drop of Christmas cheer, director Tommy Wirkola and company have crafted the perfect B-movie for the festive season. The plot is as thin as wrapping paper and most of the characters are two-dimensional props but none of that matters as long as you come in expecting nothing but mayhem and merriment.


21 Outlets In Resorts World Genting Ordered To Close After Covid-19 Patients Visited Those Places

Individuals who reportedly tested positive for Covid-19 have recently visited over 20 public venues in Resorts World Genting. Consequently, these affected areas have been asked to temporarily shut down.

According to a post shared on the Bentong Municipal Council (MPB) Facebook page, the premises will be closed from the 6th until 8th December in order to carry out deep cleaning and disinfection procedures.

Many stores and public spaces at Genting Highland Premium Outlets have also been included among these venues that have been asked to temporarily shut down.

According to a Facebook post shared by Genting Highland Premium Outlets, these areas are said to have been visited by a Covid-19 patient on 16th November. Following the patient’s positive test results, contact tracing has then been carried out to identify and close down all areas visited by the patient on that day.

Find out more about this issue on the statement below:

Other venues in Genting Highlands that have also been ordered to temporarily close is listed below:

1. 168 Store at Genting Grand
2. Factory Outlet Store (F.O.S), SkyAvenue
3. H&M Retail Sdn Bhd, SkyAvenue
4. Palsaik Korean BBQ Restaurant, SkyAvenue
5. Awana, Resorts World Genting
6. Vision City Entrance Zone B, Resorts World Genting
7. SkyWay Awana Station
8. Factory Outlet Store (F.O.S), Awana SkyWay Station
9. Watsons, Awana SkyCentral
10. Royal Sporting House, SkyAvenue

The mentioned public areas will possibly re-open tomorrow (9th December), following the deep cleaning and sanitisation work ordered to be carried out until today.

Sources: MPB’s Facebook page,  Genting Highland Premium Outlets’ Facebook page.

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#Halloween: The Best Horror Video Games To Play In The Dark

Despite our weird obsession with horror movies, we have the tendency to avoid playing horror video games.

It’s probably because we know that the characters in these games might end up dying like any other stupid character in a typical horror film. Accidentally killing ourselves (or rather, our characters) is the last thing we’d want to be adding to our list of failures.

Oddly enough, we always feel the urge to play these games after watching popular gaming YouTubers like Markiplier‘s and PewDiePie‘s playthroughs. They may exaggerate on the creepiness of these games, but trust them when they say that some of them will scare you sh*tless.

If you’re not afraid of the dark, cool. Then you are ready to play some creepy horror video games that will give you the fright you’re looking for this Halloween – or at any time of the year, for that matter.

Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux, OS X

Most journalists do their work with a fire-burning passion. Passion is good, but if you’re a journalist, try not to be this journalist in “Outlast”.

This is a first-person survival horror video game that revolves around Miles Upshur, a freelance investigative journalist who decides it’d be a good idea to look into a remote asylum that is infested with homicidal patients. Did we also mention that Upshur goes to an asylum situated deep in the mountains of Lake County, Colorado…ALONE? *groans* Literally asking for trouble.

Equipped with only a night vision camcorder and a notebook, you are only required to move through this place and record everything down. And no, this game doesn’t allow you to perform combat so you can only either run or hide from whatever that is coming after you. Since this game takes place in a dark place, your camcorder is only your aid, but you should only switch it on at the right time as its batteries run out pretty quickly.

Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox, PlayStation Network

“Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly” is yet another horror video game that requires players to use a camera to navigate through the game.

The story centres on Mio and Mayu, a pair of twin sisters who explore an abandoned village (bad idea, sisters!) and encounter a series of unexplainable paranormal activities. Players must use an antique camera called “Camera Obscura” to “take pictures of impossible things”.

The gameplay is slightly different from “Outlast” because the camera in this Japanese survival horror video game not only allows players to document supernatural phenomenons, but also using it as a weapon. The game would change from a third-person perspective to first-person when players are about to perform combat.

Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, OnLive

Imagine this: You wake up in a strange room with little to no memory about yourself or your past. But for some reason, you remember your name, where you live, and the worst of all..that something is hunting you. In fact, you find a letter that tells you that you’re the one who wiped your own memory and you must murder a man.

Sounds like a horrible task for an amnesiac? Well, it is.

“Amnesia: The Dark Descent” is an award-winning survival horror video game created by Frictional Games. From a first-person perspective, you will play Daniel, an amnesiac who must hide and run from monsters in the dark. Similar to “Outlast”, you can’t perform combat and being in the dark all the time will make your character go mad.

Thus, you must find light sources to restore his sanity. But here’s the catch: Standing in a light source will make you more noticeable to monsters. As such, you must balance the amount of time you spend in light and in shadow.

“Siren: Blood Curse” is the 3rd instalment of the “Siren” video game series. Though it’s a “reimagining” of the first “Siren” game, it is by far the scariest and the most intense instalment of the series.

The 3rd-person survival horror video game is split into 12 episodes. It introduces a new cast of interconnected characters ranging from an American high school student named Howard Wright to an American TV crew, who arrives in Japan searching for a lost village where supposedly human sacrifices and other occult situations take place. As the crew slowly approaches the cursed village, they stumble upon a ceremony where people are being killed and later find themselves being chased down by the undead known as the Shibito.

The game received generally favourable reviews from critics, with many praising its improved visuals and atmosphere-setting sounds. It managed to deliver the thrills and chills with its gameplay as well. If you want an experience in both gaming and horror, “Siren: Blood Curse” is well worth playing.

“Cry of Fear” is a first-person survival horror game created by Team Psykskallar. It is originally a modification for a video game called “Half-Life”, but it is now a standalone product available on Steam.

In this game, the player controls Simon Henricksson, an amnesiac main protagonist who wakes up in an unknown alley after being hit by a car. As he looks around trying to find his way home, he will encounter strange and horrific creatures that will try to kill him. Thus, the player must navigate the city solving puzzles while fighting monsters to progress.

The game has a very limited inventory system and only 6 items can be carried at a time. However, the player can carry a light source and 2 weapons at a time. Depending on the player’s actions, the game can span 7 to 8 chapters and will have different endings.

If you combine “28 Days Later”, “World War Z” and “The Road” into a video game, you will get “The Last of Us”. We still haven’t played this game yet, but we’ve seen how players become emotionally attached to it. It’s easy to understand why people would say that this game has one of the saddest video game endings ever.

“The Last of Us” is an action-adventure survival video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. In this game, the player controls Joel, a man tasked with escorting the young Ellie across a post-apocalyptic US to find  “Fireflies”, a terrorist cell looking to synthesise a cure. Along the way, you will encounter zombie-like creatures that were infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus.

The ending of “The Last of Us” is pretty depressing, but the game is considered as one of the greatest video games of all time by IGN, GamesRadar, and Business Insider. It was praised by many reviewers for its character development, story and subtext, visual and sound design, and depiction of female and LGBT characters too.

While it’s not filled with tonnes of jump scares, “Until Dawn” is still a pretty messed up game that seems to poke fun at the cliché horror storyline.

Developed by Supermassive Games, the game is penned by horror legends Larry Fessenden (of “You’re Next” fame) and Graham Reznick (of “I Can See You” fame). It revolves around 8 teenagers who are stuck in a mountain called the Blackwood Pines a year after one of the character’s twin sisters died on the same mountain. While they await rescue, they encounter a mysterious man and some terrifying creatures that will either kill them or turn them into one of the creatures.

The gameplay is pretty simple, as it focused on exploration and discovering clues that will help players to piece together the mysteries of the mountain. It greatly emphasises on its “Butterfly Effect” system, where every decision that the character makes will determine their fate in the game. Thus, prepare for a few Quick Time Events (QTEs) and timed decisions that may cause you to make the wrong choice.

Platform: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4

SOMA is probably the latest horror video game to be featured in this list. The science fiction survival horror video game, which was developed by Frictional Games, was released on 22nd September 2015.

From a first-person perspective, you will play protagonist Simon Jarrett who finds himself waking up in a seemingly abandoned underwater research facility called PATHOS-II. He has no knowledge of how he got there, but he later learns that he is in the year 2104, almost a decade he was involved in a fatal car crash that leaves his brain severely damaged.

According to Frictional Games co-founder Thomas Grip, the player would encounter “a number of strange creatures, each an embodiment of an aspect of our themes”. Instead of the conventional jump scares, elements of psychological horror are greatly utilised in this game. In a similar vein to the developer’s previous games, “SOMA” is a non-combat-oriented game that focused on puzzle-solving, exploration, and the use of stealth.

Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Even if you’re over the science fiction survival horror video game fad, “Dead Space” is still pretty terrifying.

In this game, the player controls Isaac Clarke, an engineer who is tasked on a routine mission to repair the communication array of Planet Cracker-class mining ship. He is on a mission of his own too, having received a cryptic message from a medical officer serving aboard an interstellar mining ship called the USG Ishimura. However, he’d later find himself fighting for survival in a hostile environment full of reanimated human corpses called Necromorphs.

And of course, “Dead Space” received widespread critical acclaim for its horrifying visuals and its deeply disturbing story. The combat system is vastly different from other gameplays, as it uses a strategic dismemberment combat system. The religious and sci-fi aspects of the game made it a truly great horror video game.

Platform: PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Whether it’s a movie or a game, the sequel is usually worse than the original. The sequel to “Silent Hill”, however, begs to differ.

“Silent Hill 2” is widely recognised as one of the greatest video games of all time. It centres on James Sunderland, a man who comes to the town after receiving a letter from his dead wife Mary. He roams the town and meet some equally distressed characters. Along the way, he also meets central executioner antagonist Pyramid Head who stalks James every step of the way. Apparently, the executioner represents James’ wish to be punished for his wife’s death. The game features 6 different endings, all presented as equally possible.

Though many criticised it for its difficulty in using the controls, the game was met with generally positive reviews for its creepy atmosphere, twisted graphics, compelling storyline, and terrifying monster designs. It also touched on a few taboo topics such as murder, suicide, rape, and molestation.

We’ve probably missed out a few great horror games in the list above, so tell us, what are some favourite horror video games that you’d play this Halloween? Share with us in the comments box below.

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Parents Failed To Social Distance While Waiting For Kids Outside Of School

Earlier this week, primary school students have officially began their face-to-face learning sessions in school, after almost 2 months of closure due to spikes in Covid-19 cases.

However, netizens became critical after a Twitter user known as @Adibleesimmons uploaded a photo showing a large group of parents gathering together in front of the building gate during the first day of school earlier on Monday (1st March).

“Educators have been teaching about social distancing the whole day. However, the situation was chaotic at the front school gate, with parents looking for their children, and vice versa. Hopefully there will be no MCO (movement control order) 3.0,” the netizen commented.

With over 4k retweets on social media, the comments section has been flooded with netizens expressing their displeasure towards what had transpired. Not only that, others also chimed in and shared similar situations happening in other schools as well. Some even expressed their concern as some of the children were seen not wearing their face masks properly!

Meanwhile, Adib, who is an English teacher, also took to the replies to shed light on the system implemented in the school. He clarified, “Yes, we teachers did release students in stages of 3-5 minutes intervals. But since there were so many pupils (plus parents who came late), the congestion of human traffic was inevitable.”

Is there a more effective system that could be implemented?


2013 Asia Super Showcase: It’s Happening?

Was it just a few months ago that the 2012 Asia Super Showcase happening in Malaysia? We haven’t even quite gotten over it yet and so soon, the next one is already currently in talks! Slight more than a week ago, event company Marctensia Concerts released a teaser video via their Facebook page. Die hard SNSD Girls’ Generation fans would definitely recognize that tune, no?

Which led us to thinking, “Is Marctensia bringing SNSD to Malaysia for the 2013 Asia Super Showcase?”. Your guess is as good as ours! Also, in a separate announcement, Marctensia Concerts said that the next Asia Super Showcase will be held in a new venue (perhaps bigger and better this time around?) with a line-up of three artistes/performers.

They further sparked intense curiosity when they put up a poll, asking fans to vote the artistes that they’d like to see most. Amongst the names in there are such as SNSD Girls’ Generation, SHINee, 2NE1, EXO, etc:

So, who would you like to see most? Go on and vote! We’ve already put in ours.

There hasn’t been any further information yet though. We’ll update with more details as soon as we know. Meanwhile, we’ll leave you with a video of what went on last year, the 2012 Asia Super Showcase featuring BtoB, EXO-M, and Super Junior-M:

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

The first of this year’s Asia Super Showcase has been announced! If you listened to the teaser video closely, you would’ve already guessed that these NINE GIRLS are comin’ to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Yes, it’s true – SNSD Girls’ Generation, yo:

Additionally, Malaysia K-pop fans must also not forget to give a warm welcome to Ace of Angels (aka AOA), a South Korean idol girl group and band, produced by FNC Entertainment!

Further information on ticket sales shall be announced soon.

For more information, hit up Marctensia Concerts’ Facebook page or their Facebook event page.

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GRAMMYs 2020: All The First Time Artist Nominees

It’s that time of the year again. When some of the biggest names in the music industry come together in one room to celebrate one of the most prestige award in the music business, The GRAMMYs. That is still going strong even with it being 62 years down the road.

Among the usual candidates that we expect to see in the award’s nominations, we’re also introduced to a crop of fresh talents. Some require us to Google search about what they’ve done. So before the celebration start on 27th January 2020, let’s get to know more about some of these talented first time nominees:

The “Truth Hurts” singer is the most nominated singer in the upcoming GRAMMYs with eight in total. The most interesting of those nominations is for best new artist. This is because the 31-year-old has been in the industry for years, debuting with her album “Lizzobangers” back in 2013. But it seems she was only recognise via her newest album “Cuz I Love You”, that includes her hit single “Truth Hurts” that was actually released in 2017.

Being such a common name already, it’s hard to believe the California native is just receiving her first GRAMMYs nomination. But with the runaway success of her third and latest album, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”, GRAMMYs voters can ignore her no more. Thus, making her the youngest ever artist to receive nominations in all the major award categories at the age of just 17.

What a year the “Padini” singer has had; setting records with his hit single “Old Town Road” with country star Billy Rae Cyrus, winning multiple awards at the Teen Choice Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and Country Music Association Awards. We can’t imagine him going home empty handed at the GRAMMYs.

The 32-year-old rapper started his journey with the 2012’s album titled “Dreams and Nightmares”. Which lead him to a successful career, despite being thrown in jail for several years. His latest album released in November of last year, “Championships”, was nominated for best rap album of the year.

The singer first gain public notice in 2016, when a video of her playing her song “Alaska” caught the attention of Pharrell Williams. Her latest album “Heard It in a Past Life” has since blew up, giving her the nomination for best new artist category.

The rapper, 34, has released a host of albums throughout his career and has now only received one Grammy nomination with the song “Midnight Hour” which he performed with Skrillex and Boys Noize.

The Spanish singer is quite a popular figure back in her home country, where she won multiple awards for the work she did in her two studio albums and countless singles. This is her first ever nominations as she is included in the list for best new artist and best latin rock, urban or alternative album.

The 39-year-old has a rap career that spans over 15 years with 15 albums, 7 EPs and 84 singles. But, his collaboration with fellow first-timer Lizzo in “Exactly How I Feel” has earned him his first Grammy nomination for best R&B performance.

The Cranberries, the Irish band that is best known for their hit song “Zombie”, has just received their first Grammy nomination for their 2019 album “In the End”. The album includes vocals from the band’s former lead singer, Dolores O’Riordan, who tragically died in 2018.

This singer-songwriter has a unique brand of music mixing country, folk and blues genre into one. One of his recent song, “All Your’n”, was then singled out for a Grammy nomination for the category of best country solo performance.

Don’t be fooled by his looks as the British singer is just 23 and now has a Grammy nomination. His song “Someone You Loved” is set to compete with stars like Taylor Swift’s “Lover” for the song of the year category.

The Latin pop star Columbia has his fair share of awards from Latin Grammy Awards in his career. His latest album “11.11” has earned him his first in the official Grammy for best Latin pop album.

Check out the full list of the 62nd GRAMMY Awards nominees here.


Hype’s Now Playing: V & Jin (BTS) – Even If I Die, It’s You

When it was announced that BTS (Bangtan Sonyeodan) member V will be participating in “Hwarang”, which is his first ever K-drama, Armies (as fans of BTS are lovingly known as) got into a frenzy. Months later, more good news hit fans, as it was revealed that V and fellow member Jin will be participating in the OST for the drama.

And now, the music video for “Even If I Die, It’s You (죽어도 너야)” has been released! It was made public on KBS2’s official Twitter just yesterday (Wednesday, 4th January)

“Hwarang”, which is KBS2’s latest drama, boasts a stellar cast. It tells the story of Moo Myung, a young man of low status, who turns his life around by becoming a Hwarang warrior and stars Park Seo Joon, Go Ara, Park Hyung Sik (from ZE:A), Choi Min Ho (from SHINee), Do Ji Han, Kim Tae Hyung (V from BTS), and more.

Although the music video doesn’t feature the singers, it shows several scenes from the drama. We witness the antics of the various pretty boys, and we also see them banding up together as one. The 3-minute clip does a nice job of introducing the drama to those who haven’t started watching it.

“Hwarang” is 100% pre-produced and it premiered on KB2TV on 19th December 2016. It airs every Monday and Tuesday at 10pm KST (9pm Malaysian time) and will run for 20 episodes.

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Contest: Flaunt Your 007 Swag With These #Spectre Goodies

Ever wanted to rock some James Bond swag? Here’s your chance! Thanks to our friends from Sony Pictures Malaysia, we’re giving out a couple of exclusive “Spectre” merchandise in conjunction with the movie’s upcoming Malaysian premire.

Wanna win ’em? Here’s what you gotta do:

E-mail your answers with your details (Name, IC, Contact number) to submit@hype.my.

We’ll pick 5 (FIVE) winners and each winner will win one of the following:

The more creative you are, the higher chances you will be of wining so go get ’em, tiger!

Meanwhile, “Spectre” is slated to be released in Malaysia on 5th November 2015. We’ll leave you now with the movie’s latest official trailer.

For more information on the movie, hit up its website or Facebook page.


Faizal Tahir Launches Final Album “Rojak”; Reveals Upcoming Plans For His Career

Curious to know what’s going with Faizal Tahir? We’ve got the full scoop!

All of the questions and speculations were finally answered as the singer-songwriter attended the launch of his fifth and final album titled “Rojak”, at the TSR Tower in Petaling Jaya, last week.

The 41-year-old singer was seen very calm when asked about his recent announcement, and addressed the rumour about him retiring.

“I never said that I am retiring! A lot of people out there misinterpreted that the final album signifies that I will be retiring from the industry. Last album does not mean that I am retiring. I love music so much, I would never leave music,” Faizal clarified.

He also added there was never a plan to retire from the industry and stop making music for good. After this, he’s just going to “slow things down”.

“There are several factors that made me come to this decision. One of them would be my growing family, another one is age factor. I am 41 this year, I’m afraid that I have not enough stamina to perform like in my younger days. Besides, I believe that right now is the best time for me to give back to the society,” the singer added.

The “Dirgahayu” singer also shared his views on the latest trend that is happening in the music industry today. According to Faizal, it’s getting more difficult to sell albums today, despite the amount of effort the team has put into producing the material.

“Nowadays it’s getting more difficult to ensure good sales (for physical albums), as people now listen to music more on digital platforms online, which also can be one of the reason on why I made this final decision upon releasing the album.”

“The younger generations now opt for digital platforms more nowadays. As you can see there are a lot of apps you can use to listen to your favourite songs like Spotify, Joox and also iTunes. They no longer buy physical albums,” Faizal explained.

During the session, he also shared with us what he will be up to right after the promotional cycle for the album ends. “I will be taking a short break after this. As of now I will focus on things that I think will leave a good and positive impact towards the people. For example, if I am invited to perform… (then) I would be more than happy to participate.”

Apart from that, he also plans to carry on taking part in humanitarian projects in the future, as well as continuing with his business ventures. “Basically, I enjoy exploring other ventures. Like recently I was involved with an app called “BIJAK” and invested a few, but if I feel that it is not worth it, I will stop. I don’t mind exploring different avenues,” Faizal told us.

Talking about the album “Rojak”, the album features a unique colourful compilation of track lists that are distinct from each other, much like our diverse Malaysian community. Hence, the name “Rojak” was chosen. Instead of focusing on a single genre, the album features different genres in its tracklists, ranging from genres like reggae (“Ragaman”) to powerful ballad (“Ratu”).

Specially dedicated to his fans as a final souvenir, the album also comes in a form of a special packaging. Dubbed as the “Rojak Box Set”, the special set contains the CD, and also exclusive contents such as sticker, phone grips, keychain and also special polaroids signed by the singer himself.

Pre-order for the box set will be opening anytime soon, and if fans are interested to own this limited edition set, do visit the website www.faizaltahir.com or follow Faizal Tahir’s official social media account for any updates.

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#MileyCyrus: “Tongue Tied” Video To Appear In NYC Porn Film Festival

Miley Cyrus can now add pornographic film festival to her resume.

A video featuring the “Wrecking Ball” singer will be featured in the NYC Porn Film Festival’s opening night, running alongside hardcore pornography, art videos and provocative discussions.

Cyrus’ kinky bondage-theme collaboration with artist Quentin Jones, called “Tongue Tied” which premiered last April showed the singer nearly nude as she moved seductively with strong sexual themes in a black-and-white mix pop-art.

The pop star’s original clip was only two minutes long but the NYC Porn Film Festival listing says it runs more than twice that length − so it looks like work has been elaborated and will make a fresh debut at the festival.

“As part of Cyrus’ current Bangerz tour is a two-minute video directed by mixed-media artist and filmmaker Quentin Jones, whose signature soignée graphics and splashes of paint transform a pornoriffic-almost-parody into artsploitation. Stripping the colour from our heroine’s cartoonish persona, Jones goes in on popular symbols of sex: the fishnets; the beauty mark made darker like Marilyn’s; the black collar fit for a ‘Bunny,” says ADULT magazine editor, Sarah Nicole Prickette.

She continues: “To Miley, as to a little kid, even the most dangerous object is a toy. And like a kid’s, her near-nudity is hardly erotic. She’s just happier naked. Her poses are jokes, even that infamous tongue–stuck out–remains firmly in cheek. She holds up the cardboard cut-out and winks. Get it? She’s playing with herself.”

“Tongue Tied” will be featured on the NYC Porn Film Festival’s opening night on 27th Feb. The Pornhub-sponsored festival runs through March 1st at Secret Project Robot in Bushwick, Brooklyn, with tickets available here.

If you can’t make it to the festival, you can watch the NSFW version of “Tongue Tied” here:


New Photos Of #Aquaman, #InfinityWar, #FantasticBeasts2 & #DarkPhoenix Unveiled

As 2017 draws to a close, we’re excited for the highly-anticipated movies hitting cinemas next year.

Thanks to the internet, we’ve compiled 4 never-before-seen images that were just released. Along with these exclusive photos are details regarding “Avengers: Infinity War”, “Aquaman”, “X-Men: Dark Phoenix”, and “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald”.

Things aren’t looking good for Thor at the new look of the Guardians and an Avengers together. As you can see, the unconscious God of Thunder is surrounded by Mantis and Rocket Raccoon, looking rather worried. Based on what we’ve seen in the epic trailer, it’s likely that they’re onboard the Milano.

Although Aquaman got the spotlight in this year’s “Justice League”, his standalone film will delve more into the Atlantic world. The brand new image sees a shirtless Jason Momoa as the titular character in action, ready to put those muscles to good use. We’ll say this much: it’s not going to end well for the foe attacking Aquaman.

Uh oh, it looks like Magneto is in trouble. The latest “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” movie still sees an injured Magneto down and bloody. Not only does he have a collar placed around his neck, but the powerful mutant is also surrounded by several figures pointing their flashlights and guns towards him. Erik can’t seem to catch a break, can’t he?

4. “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald”

Following the released of the first official image of the “Fantastic Beast” sequel, the new photo reunites Newt Scamander and Tina Goldstein. Dressed in black jackets against a fancy looking door, it appears that the duo are pulling off a heist. Also, we’ve notice that Tina has gotten a new hairdo. What do you think they’re up to?

Aside from “Infinity War”, we’re eagerly waiting for the other 3 films to drop their first trailer.

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May The 4th: Which “Star Wars” Show Should You Stream, Based On Your Personality

4th May is a significant day where fans gather to celebrate Star Wars Day and wish others “May the force be with you” (a common phrase for good luck). This date has since expanded into a global phenomenon where people hold events and fan-viewing parties.

There’s no better time to transport yourself to a galaxy far, far, away than Star Wars Day! Not sure where to start with the huge slate of Star Wars content available on Disney+ Hotstar? Let your personality type build your Star Wars watchlist.

If you’re often described as the person who pushes forward despite obstacles that stand in your way, “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” is the perfect show to start your Star Wars marathon.

The series follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy. Members of the Bad Batch – a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army – each possess a singular exceptional skill which makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew. In the post-Clone War era, they will take on daring mercenary missions as they struggle to stay afloat and find new purpose.

If traditional, old-school classics are what you typically enjoy in life, chances are that you’ll want to add Star Wars: Episode IV, V, and VI to your watchlist. Go back to the series of films that started it all, as this well-loved trilogy brings us back to the foundational struggle of good vs. evil that has over the years expanded into the epic galactic universe we all know and love. Catch all three episodes on Disney+ Hotstar this Star Wars Day!

If your life motto is “where there’s a will, there is a way”, “The Book of Boba Fett” is right up your alley. This 7-episode series finds legendary bounty hunter, Boba Fett, and mercenary Fennec Shand navigating the galaxy’s underworld when they return to the sands of Tatooine to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate. Portrayed as a driven and determined individual, Boba Fett sets high standards and is determined to fulfil them no matter what.

If you tend to look out for others around you, you’ll definitely want to add both seasons of “The Mandalorian” to your watchlist this May the 4th! Originally hired to capture Grogu, or more affectionately known as Baby Yoda, The Mandalorian instead protects him from a remnant of the fallen Galactic Empire. In the second season of the series, The Mandalorian and the Child continue their journey, facing enemies and rallying allies as they make their way through a dangerous galaxy in the tumultuous era after the collapse of the Galactic Empire.

If you can’t turn a blind eye to injustice or what’s morally right, you might be able to relate to Obi-Wan Kenobi. This upcoming original limited series begins 10 years after the dramatic events of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” where Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat – the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who turned to the dark side as evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. With Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen returning to reprise their respective roles, be sure to mark your calendars for 27th May to stream it exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar!


#KualaTerengganu: Photo Of Rats In Dried Chilli Tank Goes Viral; KPDNKK Responds

Eww! Photos of rats nesting inside a tank of dried chillies has gone viral on social media.

The viral images, which was first shared by Facebook user Winnie Tan, was allegedly taken at a Giant supermarket in Kuala Terrenganu. In her caption, she wrote, “Walao eh, got rats in the dried chilli container. There’s about 10 rats in there, you want people to die”.

Although the original post was deleted, another netizen, who goes by the name of John Nenen, reposted the photo, gaining over 7,600 shares.

Many concerned netizens were quick to comment and share their bad experiences with the supermarket franchise. One Facebook user wrote, “My sister and me found a cockroach in the bread of Giant kuala terengganu too, we told the worker but they seem cool, think it is ordinary for them to put a cockroach as a spice maybe”, while another said, “I found worms in the egg racks before”.

According to Bernama, the container, which has 63.8kg of dried chillies, was disposed to bring back customer confidence. State Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism (KPDNKK) director Azlan Abd Samat said that 5 KPDNKK staffs went to the supermarket to find out the actual situation.

“The pictures went viral on social media in the night. So early next morning, we went to the supermarket, and were informed by the management that 63.8kg of chilli stock has been disposed off,” he said, adding that the supermarket will start selling the dried chillies in smaller packets instead of putting it in big open boxes.

What do you think about the incident? Do you think that the new packing method can help curb the problem? Let us know in the comments below!

Sources: Malaysian Digest, John Nenen’s Facebook page, Bernama via The Malay Mail / Featured image: The Malay Mail.

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Hype’s Exclusive: This Is Why We Can Never Have Enough Of #2manydjs

Brothers Stephen and David Dewaele have got a lot going from them – not only are they part of an alternative rock/electronic band (alongside bassist Stefaan Van Leuven and drummer Steve Slingeneyer) called Soulwax, they’re also the 2 people that makes up their other project, 2manydjs. Soulwax first gained popularity after the release of their album, “Much Against Everyone’s Advice”, but they’ve been focusing on being 2manydjs ever since.

On top of that, they previously launched another project called “Radio Soulwax”, an online radio station featuring a 24 hour-long video and audio mixes they’ve put together over the last couple of years.

Hardworking right down to their very core, 2manydjs have also been keeping busy with back-to-back tours around the globe! In fact, we last saw them in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia sometime in 2010 as part of the Heineken Green Room lineup, held at KL Live. Which begs the question, what have the Belgium brothers been up to since then?

We find out when we were ushered backstage at The Freqender in Singapore over the Halloween weekend recently:

Hi guys! Good seeing you guys again. How are you guys?

We last saw you in Kuala Lumpur in 2010, actually. What have you guys been up to between then and now?

David: We watched a few films, read a few books, went for a swim, we slept, we got hungry..

Stephen: Just playing. We made a thing called “Radio Soulwax” which is like a 24-hour online thing that we did that people seemed to really like. We made a sound system called Despacio with James Murphy. We made a couple of remixes. And sleep once in awhile! Are you from Kuala Lumpur?

Stephen: Ooh :) So when you come to Singapore, do you feel like you’re coming back to your community? What’s the difference between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore?

..I feel like I’m the one being interviewed!

Out of curiosity, do you guys always deck out in suits for your sets?

David: Ahh..that question. Listen, I’m not wearing a tie at least. Cause it’s the weekend! :D

Stephen: I like it! I think we’re making an effort to look nice. It’s very comfortable by the way. We’ve been doing this since 15 years ago, since we first started out with the band.

Stephen: But he’s a good friend of ours and I love Wes (Diplo’s real name). And you know what? Wes is a good looking man.

And your opinion on the whole “EDM” movement and the “EDM” sound?

Stephen: I don’t really feel like we’re anything to do with that, you know? But also, maybe in 10 years time it’ll be something completely different. It’s a phenomenon maybe like how disco was a phenomenon or like some other things were phenomenons. And there are really good things about it but at the same time, really bad things about it. Then it becomes a really major money thing. When people start reacting negative towards it, maybe it’ll lead to great music again. My thing with this whole “EDM” thing is that I have no problems with people liking it and doing it, I just don’t think that the music is great. I don’t fee like it’s pushing itself to prove to people that it’s a really good thing. I can see why people in America like it – it’s because it’s the first time that dance music is able to create a community and that’s a beautiful thing. But musically, I would never really..

What do you guys honestly think of the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll? Is it a popularity contest? Is it still relevant?

David: Relevant! Yes, but not for us. We’ve got nothing to do with it. People get booked just for being on the Top 10o – it’s crazy. It’s business.

Stephen: Yeah. We heard that some people buy themselves votes and honestly, it’s bullsh*t. We have been in it but we don’t need to be in it. I don’t care, I really don’t care. I know a lot of DJs really, really care about it.It’s mind-boggling for me that it has become this thing and it’s also mind-boggling that nobody has taken a piss out of it. People think that DJs are gods although they’re still playing off a pre-recorded thing. Our name is 2manydjs – we’re saying, there are too many DJs!

David: Hey, real quick, what do you think we should play tonight? Techno or crazy stuff?

Stephen: I think a majority (of the DJs on the lineup) are gonna go really heavy. I think we’re gonna have to play Madonna (laughs).

Stephen: Oh, my Top 100! It might clear the room :D

Ahem. Safe to say that they didn’t clear the room that night! Thanks David and Stephen for speaking to us. And of course, nothing but gratitude for our awesome friends at The Freqender for making this interview happen!

For more information, visit their website or their Facebook page. They’re also on Twitter so go ahead and stalk them!

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Wife Forces Taiwanese Man To Sell PS5 After Failing To Convince Her It’s An Air Purifier

Gaming consoles and wives have been at war for years now with many forcing their husbands to sell their consoles.

This time it’s no different when a netizen in Taiwan shared a story on how he tried to lie to his wife about the new Sony PlayStation 5 he just bought.

Remember the viral “Plash Speed 5” animated sketch, in which a man attempts to convince his wife that his new PS5 is an internet router. As funny as it is, someone actually used the exact same trick in real life, except, the man told his wife that he bought a new “air purifier”. It does look like one…

The story came to light after a Taiwanese netizen shared a story about a second hand PS5 he recently bought online, which was questionably cheap. When the netizen met the seller, he couldn’t help but ask about the reason why he intends to sell the highly-anticipated console for such a low price.

Sadly enough, the seller paused for two seconds before replying, “My wife asked me to sell it.” The response made the netizen empathise with the seller by also staying silent and feeling sorry for him. The fact that the seller probably went out of his way to secure the PS5 as soon as it got released, makes the story even more depressing.

If you haven’t seen the “Plash Speed 5” cartoon we mentioned earlier, it will definitely give you a good laugh. Take a look at it below:


WINNERS: “Take Me Home”! Please?

Thank you for all your submissions and way creative slogans! We’ve finally got the list of winners for our One Direction “Take Me Home” CD giveaway. You guys ready to find out if you’ve won?

Congratulations, y’all! And special thanks to our friends from Sony Music Malaysia for making this contest happen.

Kindly collect your prizes from our office from 18th February 2012 (Monday) onwards. Remember to bring your IC for verification purposes. Also, we need to stress that prizes are strictly are strictly nontransferable. Hype Malaysia reserves the right to refuse the collection of prizes for those who attempt to transfer it from one contest winner (in whose name it is registered) to another person.

B-19-4 Northpoint Office Suites, Mid Valley City,

Our office hours are 10am to 6pm (Monday to Friday only).


#FluxPavilion: Debut Album “Tesla” Set For September Release

Joshua Kierkegaard G. Steele, better known as Flux Pavilion, has announced that his debut album is set for release this September.

It’s Album time. ‘Tesla’ is coming your way and will be hitting stores later this year. Released 4th September. http://t.co/qDdw5Af3J0

— Flux Pavilion (@Fluxpavilion) June 15, 2015

Known for his work on “Get Me Out Of Here” featuring Steve Aoki, “Do Or Die” featuring Childish Gambino and “I Can’t Stop”, the British DJ/producer revealed that his debut album, “Tesla” will feature collaborators like RiFF RAFF, Soulsonic Force, and Tom Cane.

Co-writers for the album will include Florence + the Machine‘s Isa the Machine and veteran producer Arthur Baker.

“Tesla is a project I have been waiting to write since I started Flux Pavilion,” he says. “One thing I love about music is how it makes me feel, and that’s what I want to capture with this record — a record that doesn’t strictly sound like you would expect, but makes you feel like you are listening to a Flux record.”

Slated for release on September 4th, Flux Pavilion will support the album’s release with a 30-date fall U.S. tour set to commence on September 18th, as well as by revealing his new artist logo.

For more on Flux Pavilion, stalk him via these platforms: Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

via Billboard / Featured Image – Flux Pavilion – Facebook

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


#GotG2: “Guardians of the Galaxy” Sequel’s Official Title Revealed By James Gunn

“Guardians of the Galaxy” fans, you may stop calling the upcoming sequel “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” right about now because director James Gunn has confirmed that the official title is, wait for it, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2“.

Gunn made the announcement on his Facebook page a couple of hours ago, saying that he could make the official reveal following Kevin Feige’s accidental reveal during Ant-Man interviews. He also joking added that he was waiting “For Kevin to mess up.”

If you watched the first “Guardians of the Galaxy“, then you’d know that “Vol.2” is an obvious reference to Guardians of the Galaxy’s soundtrack, Awesome Mix Vol. 1, and the teased Awesome Mix Vol. 2 that appeared at the film’s end. As for the storyline, well, as far as we know, the sequel involves a story of Star-Lord‘s father.

It’s also set to be more emotional that its predecessor as even leading actor Chris Pratt himself was reduced to tears upon reading the script. Of course, Chris Pratt will have a bigger role to play in the upcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy” instalment than just the leading role as he has also revealed that he knows “everything” about the sequel, including some of the tracks that will be on “Awesome Mix Vol. 2″.

I know some of the songs that are going to be on “Awesome Mix 2″. All I can tell you, because I obviously, I’m not allowed to tell anybody anything, nor would I want to, because it would be a little bit like telling a kid what’s under the tree before Christmas morning. I would encourage people not to poke holes in the paper and peek. Allow yourself the Christmas morning. Don’t ruin it. I will say that his pitch and his idea legitimately put tears in my eyes. It is so good, it’s so good. And I cannot wait to get started on it and I cannot wait for people to see what he’s going to pull off with the second movie. It’s so, so big and so good. From what I understand, they were like, heard it at Marvel and they said nothing. They’re like, “perfect.” There was no micromanaging of the idea, they just love it so much they didn’t even have a note for it. It’s going to be remarkable.

Oh man. We can’t hide our excitement even if we tried!

James Gunn, who directed 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy”, will return to write and direct “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”. The sequel will also see returning stars Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista,Zoe Saldana, Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn, and the voice casts of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel.

Calling out to all “Guardians of the Galaxy” fans!

Marvel Studios has graciously blessed us with the official plot summary for their upcoming intergalactic adventure sequel :)

The synopsis for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is as follows:

“Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2’, Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favourite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.”

The plot tells us a lot about the upcoming movie. For instance, the sequel will focus on unravelling Peter Quill aka Star Lord’s (played by Chris Pratt) parentage and finding his father. Also, many new characters will be introduced as well.

What do you guys think about the new Marvel movie? To be honest, we can’t wait to listen to “Awesome Mixtape #2” ;)

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is scheduled to hit theatres on 5th May 2017.


Fun Facts: Things You Might Not Know About #BlackHatMovie

Back in 2013, we almost died of jealousy as some lucky movie fans were able to meet “Thor” star Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis, Wang Lee Hom, and Tang Wei, who arrived in Malaysia for a movie filming. Of course, we understood that it was nearly impossible to witness them in action as the security for the filming locations was so tight that not many people knew the exact locations for Michael Mann’s action-thriller film, “Blackhat“.

Originally titled “Cyber”, the movie revolves around Nicholas Hathaway (played by Chris Hemsworth), a former blackhat hacker that was hired by the government to track down a mysterious hacker behind a high-level global cybercrime that has attacked 4 major banks from Chicago to Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Jakarta.

Although January is generally known as the dumping ground for crappy movies, some of the best films that were slotted for release in this month have proven otherwise. Thus, it seems like “Blackhat” might just change history through Mann’s introduction to the world of cyberterrorism.

Whether or not you are planning to watch this film, check out some of the movie’s fun facts below:

1. A film directed and produced by Michael Mann

Call us whatever you want but we’d still cry nerd tears when we get to see a Michael Mann film, just like how we get excited for Christopher Nolan film or a Wes Anderson film. After being named as one of the greatest directors by Total Film, there’s no denying that Mann is a great director with many critically acclaimed films such as “Thief” , “Collatereal”, “Heat”, and “Public Enemies”.

Best known for his action crime films, movie buffs can expect to see some excellent action scenes with beautiful cinematography in “Blackhat”, a film co-written by Morgan Davis Foehl and Mann himself.

2. Based on the real-life “Stuxnet” hack attack

Discovered in June 2010, “Stuxnet” is a computer worm that was designed to attack industrial programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The malware nearly ruined one-fifth of Iran’s nuclear facilities as it was able to take down the plant’s uranium enrichment capabilities. Mann took interest in this particular attack as he stated he initially wanted to produce a crime film set in Asia before the cyber attack.

The Stuxnet hack attack led him to do more research about the cyberterrorism and prompted him to tell the story of a former blackhat hacker recruited by the government officials to stop a cyber-terrorist.

3. The cast freaked out while Mann was intrigued by the cyber world’s “vulnerability”

Hemsworth plays a blackhat hacker who had served his time in prison before being recruited by his former programming partner to become a “whitehat” hacker and stop cyber terrorism. Due to his role in the film, the “Thor” star recognised the dark secrets about hacking and revealed that “people have no idea how exposed and vulnerable they are and what is possible.” Viola Davis revealed that she walked away from the film and was a little freaked out by the “vulnerability”:

I’m a sitting duck. I wish I could say more, but I am. I can’t get ahead of them, they’re far ahead of me. It’s a big, silent monster out there.

However, Mann was intrigued by humans’ “vulnerability” in the cyber world after delving deeper into his research about the hack attack. He revealed that the hackers could be anywhere and they could be “anyone sitting on a sofa with requisite computer skills and a fast enough computer can do this stuff”. Regarding a blackhat hacker’s motivations, he said, “It usually starts with the perception of a 16-year-old saying, ‘They’re telling me I can’t get into that? You want to bet?’ So there’s usually a challenge.”

4. Michael Mann worked on the screenplay for 3 ½ years

Mann was working on the screenplays for “Public Enemies” and “HBO TV series “Luck” before he began working on the screenplay for the film with screenwriter Morgan Davis Foehl. The director said that the screenplay of “Blackhat” is just one of the three screenplays he had been working on. He said both Foehl and himself “were in Washington when the story occurred to [them] on August 8, 2011.”

Thus, this took 3 ½ years for them to complete the script.

5. Mann and Hemsworth hung out with former hackers, government officials, the FBI for authenticity

As seen in the extended behind-the-scenes featurette of the film, Mann and Hemsworth was working with mathematician Christopher McKinley and former FBI Supervisory Special Agent Michael Panico so that they can bring out the authenticity of the film. McKinley provided the actor professional computer lessons by showing him how to go from point-and-tap to actual typing and how to do coding to make the hacking work.

However, the coding was not written by Hemsworth. The coding in the film is the real coding written by technical adviser Kevin Poulsen. Both McKinley and Poulsen are former hackers and they served as the technical advisers to make sure that everything in the film are authentic. “When you work with Michael Mann, he wants everything as authentic and real as possible,” added Poulsen.

As for Panico, he helped Mann to ensure that the dialogue sounded more authentic in real-life and the facts that were presented in the film are accurate.

6. 74 scenes in 4 countries (Malaysia, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Los Angeles) in 66 days

Mann managed to wrap up the filming of the film in just 66 days (around 2 months) at 74 locations across 4 countries. As we’ve previously mentioned, Mann originally wanted to shoot a crime film based in Asia but with the cyber terrorism theme, the director said he “want places that feel evocative of what the scene is about.”

I found Asia a very exciting place to go. If you can make it real for the actors, it becomes real for the audience. They’re not looking at a green screen and having to imagine. Everything is real.

According to Ranker, the production spent 15 days in downtown office towers, Koreatown restaurants, and mural-heavy barrio streets of East L.A. for various scenes in the film. The cast and crew later flew down to Hong Kong to shoot some action scenes in Hong Kong before spending the final 10 days in Jakarta.

The film made it into Malaysian newspaper headlines last year as Mann also brought the whole production team to Malaysia briefly before their filming. It was reported that the shoot in Malaysia lasted about 5 weeks and some of the scenes were shot at various locations in Malaysia including Kuala Lumpur, Port Klang, Pulau Pangkor, Manjung, Lumut, Marina Island, and Putrajaya.

7. Mann used 3,000 extras in the final climactic scene of the film

There were a total of 3,000 extras used in one particular scene in the film, which is also the final climatic scene set in Jakarta. That sequence required Mann to work with Oscar-nominated cinematographer Stuart Dryburg to re-create the annual Balinese Nyepi Day celebration with the extras.

According to LA Times, Dyburg who first worked with Mann on the pilot episode of HBO’s “Luck,” noted that they shot the scene using available light as much as possible, whether the dazzling neon of Kowloon or mostly by torchlight for the final confrontation in Jakarta.

8. Mann and Hemsworth spent some time in the steel factory and the prison

And for all the right reasons. As Chris Hemsworth is the leading role of the film, Mann had spent a huge amount of time with Hemsworth to help him portray former blakchat hacker Nicholas Hathaway. In the film, Hemsworth’s character spent some time in prison before being recruited to become a whitehat hacker. Both Hemsworth and Mann went to Illinois’ Stateville Penitentiary, which the actor said was an “intimidating and scary” place:

The first time I walked in, I thought, ‘This is another world here, with its own set of rules. It’s an incredibly intimidating and scary place. The person you go into prison as is not the same person you come out as; they are two different people. It has its own law.

The two also spent 2 or 3 days at a steel factory, where they went to work at 4:30am in the blast furnace. Mann revealed that even though it’s an unusual place, he thought the character “should be the son of a steelworker living on the South Side of Chicago” and through this temporary job, they would learn more about the workers and their attitudes about their jobs there. Hemsworth also said, “He knows what he’s looking for. It’s certainly the most prep I’ve done, and it’s been hugely beneficial. It made me think about how I’ve prepped in the past and will in the future.”

9. Hemsworth had to train for months to lose some of his “Thor bulk”

Best known for his bulky role in “Thor”, Chris Hemsworth had to get rid of some muscles he gained from the Marvel character so that it doesn’t remind the audience of his character as a the Norse God. Instead of just running on the treadmill, he revealed that he wanted to do more training and work in some martial arts because he had boxed a lot in the past and done Muay Thai.

10. Mann donated $40,00o (approximately) to The Community Chest of Hong Kong

When they were shooting various sequences in Hong Kong, the Community Chest of Hong Kong allowed the production to film for 5 evenings in the bank’s lobby area. Mann returned the kindness to the Community Chest of Hong Kong by donating nearly $40,000 USD in the name of Hang Seng Bank.

Slated for release on 16th Jan, “Blackhat” is a much anticipated film from Michael Mann.

Deadline has even reported that the film might qualify for the Oscars! How about that? :)

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


#OHHSOME Fest 2014 Featuring Your Fave YouTubers

Are you ready for Malaysia’s biggest social media festival? You better be! Because we hear that some of your favourite YouTubers are coming to our very own sunny Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!

For the past few days, local radio DJ and YouTube genius Jin Lim (of JinnyboyTV) has been teasing us about a mysteriously named #OHHSOME event. The homegrown Malaysian talent promised that he’d release more details at 3pm on 14th Nov, Friday – that’s today, and he has! Are you ready for it? ;)

I’m glad to announce, That David Choi and Wong Fu Productions will be at #OHHSOME Fest 2014! 13th and 14th of Dec @wongfupro @davidchoimusic

Yup. It’s true. These international YouTubers will be supported by our local acts such as Elizabeth Tan and Altimet.

David Choi, back in KL, what? Wong Fu Productions, back in KL, WHAT?!

We’ll let you scream your lungs out for a bit as we wait for more updates about #OHHSOME Fest 2014 ;)

For the first time, #OHHSOME Fest will be celebrating the glory of social media in Malaysia with a cross-platform event that will be the first of its kind in Malaysia. The #OHHSOME Fest organising team is made up of social media activists, social media agencies, and also homegrown brands that have all been a part of the growth of the social media scene in Malaysia.

This first-ever #OHHSOME Fest is also a joint collaboration between key pioneers behind Malaysia’s emerging social media community and Hotlink, the prepaid brand of Maxis, and it’ll be a 2-day event on 13th Dec (Saturday) from 10am – 11pm and 14th Dec (Sunday) from 10am – 6pm at Avenue K.

Among the highlights of the event are such as:

For more information, visit #OHHSOME Fest 2014’s website.


Interview: Angel Manuel Soto On “Charm City Kings”, Working With Meek Mill & More

Angel Manuel Soto is set to direct “Blue Beetle”, DC’s first film to center on a Latino superhero. He has also been making a name for himself in Tinseltown for his new movie, “Charm City Kings”. The film was also announced as the Sundance Film Festival winner of the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast last year.

Produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s production company, Overbrook Entertainment, “Charm City Kings” follows Baltimore teenager Mouse (played by Jahi Di’Allo Winston) as he navigates through the temptations of life and his desire to be apart of the dirt bike gang Midnight Clique.

Having been raised in Puerto Rico, the topic of racial inequality and toxic masculinity resonated deeply with Angel Manuel Soto. He was able to incorporated his personal experiences into the material and keep it as realistic as possible. Instead of hiring random extras, the visionary director opted to include real riders, in order for them to have a voice.

In this interview, the 38-year-old discuss his directing style, working with rapper Meek Mill, and why the 3 young male actors were perfect for their respective roles in “Charm City Kings”. Get the full scope here:

Q: How did you arrive at directing “Charm City Kings”?

A: My agents were fast enough to get this script in my hands, which was titled “12 O’Clock Boys” at that time because it’s pretty much based on Lofty Nathan’s documentary. As I was reading the script, with a ‘story by’ credit for “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins, I was surprised how much I saw of myself in the character of Mouse, not just on a personal level but his environment as well. Baltimore read like Puerto Rico, the conflicts, the street politics, the obstacles that the kids face, they read like the same temptations that I had growing up back home. I found that through the character of Mouse and the city of Baltimore, I was able to tell a story that not only spoke about me, Puerto Rico or Baltimore and its people, but it’s also a love letter to marginalised communities and disenfranchised youth elsewhere.

Q: Had you been to Baltimore before making “Charm City Kings”? What was your impression of the city given the moniker Charm City?

A: The only times I’ve ever visited Baltimore was for this film. The first time was for a couple of weeks, just seven weeks before the shoot, embedded with the characters, getting immersed in the community and dirt-bike culture. The architecture of the city of Baltimore is very peculiar, like the row houses on West Baltimore are different than the row houses in other parts of the city. You cannot fake Baltimore. I studied architecture, so I pay close attention to those details that form the urban aspects of a society.

With a story set in Baltimore, inspired by Baltimore, we would have done a huge disservice to an otherwise under-represented, vilified and criminalised community by shooting elsewhere. Given the fact that Jada Pinkett Smith and Caleeb Pinkett, the producers of the film, are from Baltimore, we wanted to be in Baltimore, to tell the story for Baltimore and about Baltimore. So, even though you can have tax breaks in other cities that have similar architecture – we really wanted to keep the authenticity intact.

Q: Had you watched the “12 O’Clock Boys” documentary before you read the script? What were your feelings about the doc and immersing yourself in the dirt bike culture it depicted?

A: I saw the documentary when it came out in 2014. When I got the script in 2017, I revisited the documentary, but that’s as far as I took it. Once I was in Baltimore, and I hung out with people with dirt bikes, I realised it’s not an exclusive club, it’s actually pretty inclusive. You see people from all over town, people enjoying the tricks, people having fun, it’s very welcoming. At least with me, they treated me as one of their own and they kept inviting me to more events. It was invaluable having that experience. It’s something that I took from my journalistic experiences around the world. I never liked to be the person that just drops into a place, shoots and leaves town. I feel there is a responsibility when wanting to give a voice to a community to be immersed in their culture, to show some respect and have their trust, so that they can become part of the process. We had the community involved, almost every day of the production. People came in, keeping us in check on how you say things, how you pronounce things. A lot of the actors and secondary actors are from Baltimore.

Q: Your use of colours, for example, the use of neon, and the different lenses gives the film a kind of magical realism quality. Why was this style important to you?

A: Personally, in terms of the movies that inform my visual language, I think I come from a neo-realistic background. Then I wanted to tap into other elements and use modern technology to capture things that otherwise would have been difficult if you only went through the neorealistic lens, and combine them in a way that feels unique and yet raw within this world. I think it does give that sense of magic realism because we’re really trying to show the soul of our characters visually as opposed to just a snippet of their lives. Katelin Arizmendi, the Director of Photography, was able to hone all those things while still keeping the energy and dynamism that a movie involving dirt-bikes required, but with a sensibility, and tact that Kate has been able to show through her body of work.

Q: Regarding showing the soul of the characters, Mouse is at a crossroads in his life. How did you develop his story, and what struck you about the choices facing Mouse at this particular point in time?

A: One of the things that I hold dear in terms of the whole production and development of the movie was that we didn’t want to make the film about bikes. This is not the Fast and Furious type of story at all, even though it allows for moments of action to happen. We felt the urgency of telling a coming-of-age story of what it’s like to be a person of colour in a marginalised community, avoiding the temptations to use familiar tropes, and show a side of this reality where most kids have hopes and dreams that go beyond the expectations of our society.

In the case of Mouse, he wants to be a vet. In the movies, we rarely see people of colour who dream of being a veterinarian, and why not? So being able to explore different tropes and different personalities within the coming-of-age story, we felt it would be poignant to showcase a different perspective. And within that, also show a world where we understand the realities, we see the news, we can watch documentaries, more times than not the life on the streets takes you to the same ending. But here, we wanted to show what life could be, given the right mentorship, where there is an understanding of the deconstruction of patriarchal structures or toxic masculinity. To take us on a journey where all those elements affect the upbringing of a child.

Life is hard, not everybody makes the right choices, but you can have other realities, and tackling that in a way where I’m not beating you over the head with issues. So that was our North Star.

Q: The central friendship between the three boys is the glue of the story, how did you cast Jahi Di’Allo Winston as Mouse, Donielle Tremaine Hansley “Lil Dee Dee” as Lamont and Kezii Curtis as Sweartagawd?

A: That casting for me was one of the most entertaining and joyous moments. We went to Baltimore, we looked for our Mouse everywhere, and we found amazing characters and talent, but I was still to find the actor that carries this character’s soul on his face. The soul is something that I see in the eyes. After that, we went on a national search and that’s when we stumbled across Jahi, Kezii and Lil Dee Dee. When we did that chemistry read, it was amazing to see how those kids connected. They were laughing and telling jokes as if they grew up together. We still had people to see, but I knew we are not going to find this chemistry, it’s such a hard thing to mimic. They’re still friends today.

Q: When you cast Meek Mill, did you think he would also provide the soundtrack?

A: To be honest, when I came to the project, Meek Mill already had that role. That was his. And then he was accused of violating his probation and ended up in prison. During that time, we started looking for different actors and I even had my eyes on one. Right around that moment, Meek is released from prison and came back into the project. Meek is a prominent rapper who hasn’t acted before. Neither had Chino Braxton who plays Jamal and Lakeyria “Wheelie Queen” Doughty who plays Queen. They all started with cold feet, but they really stepped up to the plate. Then with the music, Millidelphia and Uptown Vibes are songs that came out when we were in pre-production. At first, I didn’t know we were going to use music from Meek, but as we were shooting the scenes, it became obvious that it was the right music. We tried a bunch of other songs, but Millidelphia was so perfect, so it was a happy balance.

Q: The project is from a story by Barry Jenkins, with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith as producers, how was it working with such illustrious names?

A: Of course, that was overwhelming. The good thing about working with them is that they let us do our thing. Barry Jenkins, I met him for the first time on New Year’s Eve in Puerto Rico, so I got to show him around and show him my neighbourhood. Will and Jada, they let Caleeb and Clarence Hammond, do their thing as producers, and let us own the story. They only stepped in towards the end in the editing room and gave us a couple of notes. But they really embraced our creative impulse. They encouraged us to go with our guts when it comes to portraying the story of Mouse, so I can’t think of anyone better to pull this off with.

“Charm City Kings” premieres on 9th March at 9pm on HBO GO and HBO (Astro Ch 411 HD).

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2013 CNBLUE Blue Moon World Tour

The “2013 CNBLUE Blue Moon World Tour” is the 2013 live concert tour of South Korean rock band CNBLUE in support of their fifth EP, “Re:Blue”, which was released on 14th January 2013. The world tour commenced at the conclusion of promotional activities in Korea, with one show in Taiwan in April 2013 and will continue to Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, Philippines, and Malaysia. As of 27th March 2013, 11 shows in nine cities and eight countries have been announced.

This marks CNBLUE’s first time solo performance in Malaysia, and they’re more than prepared to show you what their world class live performance is all about!

Tickets can be purchased via AirAsia Redtix.


#BloodRunner2015: Race Kit Collection & Blood Drive

Arrrhhhwwooo! It’s about to get bloody in here.

With less than two weeks left to the big day, it’s now the final stretch till the night of the werewolves and it’s time for the brave ones to gear up! What are we going on about? Well, its Bloodrunner 2015 of course! Bloodrunner, Asia’s first-ever werewolf-themed urban obstacle race.

Happening on July 31st at Putrajaya, the survival kit for Bloodrunner 2015 is now ready, which means it’s race kit collection time! In conjunction with the race kit collection, Bloodrunner 2015 will also be hosting a Blood Donation drive and providing free eye check-ups and health screenings for all participants, friends and families.

Made possible by partners including National Blood Bank Malaysia (Pusat Darah Negara), Health Navigators, Lion’s Eye Clinic and TTDI Resident’s Association, details to the Race Kit Collection and Blood Drive are as below:

Time: 9:00am – 6:00pm (Blood Drive only from 9:00am – 3:00pm)

Venue: Pusat Komuniti Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Those interested on donating blood are required to fill in the form available on the official website.For more information, please visit Bloodrunner’s Official Website or Facebook Page.


Wife In Kelantan Accepts Husband’s Lifestyle Of Dressing Up Like A Woman

A married couple from Kelantan have become a hot topic of conversation among netizens after they shared their personal story to the public.

In this case, their story is rather uncommon among the local society, as the woman, known as Yana, is married to a man who dresses up in a feminine manner.

According to the husband on his TikTok @abe_pink86, he was determined to change his appearance despite his status as a married man. He further dished that he has been dressing up like a lady over the past few years. Nevertheless, his relationship with his life partner has been on good terms and the lovebirds are still living happily together.

In fact, Abe Pink stated that he and his wife have never thought of separating. Not only that, we could also see Yana being open and supportive in accepting her husband as he is. The man also admitted that perhaps this is a test given to him by God . With that being said, Abe Pink has asked everyone to pray for him to be guided back to the right path.

“I didn’t ask to have such a desire. I didn’t ask to be like this. Why do I need to be tested like this? Bring me back to my perfect being. Why am I being tested like this?” Abe Pink posted the question on his social media.

For those interested, check out the full video of Abe Pink’s “journey” here:

The replies space has been flooded with netizens praising the wife for her strong will in accepting Abe’s shortcomings.

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