Pokemon: Meet The 8 Characters From Detective Pikachu

It’s no secret that the Pokemon franchise holds a very special place in many people’s hearts. This is because many of us grew up tuning in on Saturday mornings to catch the adventures of the pokemon trainer, Ash Ketchum, and his friends. So, imagine our delight when news for a movie adaptation was announced.

Directed by Rob Letterman, the feature adaptation takes place at the metropolis, Ryme City, where humans and Pokemons live together in harmony. The story centres on 21-year-old Tim Goodman’s journey on finding his missing father, Harry Goodman.

Aiding him in the investigation is Harry’s former sidekick, a talking Pikachu, reporter Lucy Stevens, and her Psyduck. As they dive deeper into their investigation, they discover something that can potentially endanger the existence of the whole Pokemon universe.

The show is currently showing in cinemas worldwide now. Before hitting the theaters to catch it, let’s get to know the 8 characters from the movie, shall we?

Voiced by Ryan Reynolds, his character, a talking Pikachu is addicted to caffeine and currently suffers from amnesia. He is left with no memories of his past life as a detective nor any memories with his former owner, Harry Goodman. The only remaining clue left with him is a cap that has Harry’s name on it. Together with Harry’s son, Pikachu is determined to go undercover to find his former owner.

A 21-year-old, Tim Goodman visits Ryme City when he receives the news of his father’s passing. As he roams around his father’s house to say his last goodbyes, he encounters a talking Pikachu. To his surprise, he is the only person that can comprehend and communicate with the talking Pikachu. Together, they get to the bottom of this to find justice for his estranged father.

Kathryn Newton plays Lucy Stevens who interns at a top news reporting company at Ryme City. Lucy is determined to get her big break as a reporter. As soon as she received the lead to Harry’s mysterious death, Lucy insists to embark on a journey with Pikachu and Tim to locate Harry’s whereabouts. With her fine journalism skills and her sidekick, Psyduck, Tim and Pikachu waste no time to recruit her for their mission.

4. Mewtwo (Rina Hoshino and Kotaro Watanabe)

Guess who joined the #DetectivePikachu party. ?

A post shared by  POKÉMON Detective Pikachu (@detectivepikachumovie) on Feb 26, 2019 at 12:00pm PST

A duplicate of the ancient pokemon, Mew, Mewtwo was first introduced in 1998 “Pokemon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back”. In it, fans got to see how the pokemon was created solely for the purpose of destruction. The 2019 movie is a reminisce to this as it briefly explores the origins of the character.

Scriptwriter Dan Hernandez revealed that “Mewtwo brings a lot of history with that character and not everyone is necessarily familiar with that character”. Without giving much away, fans can definitely look forward to seeing this badass pokemon bring his A-game to screen.

Bill Nighy’s character in this film is the visionary behind Ryme City. The mayor of the city, Howard Clifford was inspired with the idea for Ryme City after embarking on a journey to discover a cure for his disease. There, he experiences a warm welcome and experience with pokemon. Thus, Ryme City was birthed.

Unlike his father, Roger isn’t fondly of pokemon. Even though he appears to be friendly and speaks highly of them on screen, he despises them and partly blames them for his father’s disease. He is also the president of Clifford Enterprises and the boss of Lucy Stevens.

7. Detective Hideo Yoshida (Ken Watanabe)

A close friend and colleague to Harry Goodman, Detective Hideo Yoshida is the veteran police lieutenant of Ryme City. Due to his status and close relationship, he breaks the news of his former friend to his son, Tim. He is also always accompanied by his pokemon Snubbull.

Sebastian is a pokemon trainer at Ryme City who runs a battle arena. Accompanied by his pokemon Charizard, Sebastian once battled Harry and his Pikachu. Is he involved with Harry’s alleged death? Guess, you have to watch the movie to find out.

Catch the trailer here to get a sneak peek of what to expect:

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


#ScoobyDoo: Mystery Inc. To Solve Mysteries Again In New Animated Reboot

Load up on Scooby Snacks and gas up the Mystery Machine.

Scoody-Doo and his friends aka the Mystery Inc. gang will make their way to a new city to solve mysteries again. That’s right, the “Scooby-Doo” franchise will continue to be one of those long-standing properties as Warner Bros. plans to develop a new “Scooby-Doo” animated feature film.

The original kid-centric “Scoody-Doo” series was probably one of the best comedy horror animated TV series we’ve ever seen. While it didn’t scare the guts out of us, it was so memorable that we would feel inclined to shout, “Scooby Scooby Dooooooo!” whenever the talking Great Dane came onscreen.

Based on the beloved Hanna-Barbera franchise, it centres on the Mystery Inc. gang, a paranormal investigating group formed by 4 teenagers and a talking dog – Daphne, Fred, Shaggy, Velma, and Scooby-Doo. Despite the differences in their personalities, the members of the gang stuck with each other while solving mysteries involving supernatural creatures. However, not all of them are brave souls as Shaggy and Scooby-Doo were so terribly afraid of monsters and ghouls that sometimes, they’d depend on their wits to escape from being chased by the creatures.

Following the success of the series, a number of follow-up and spin-off animated series were produced by Hanna-Barbera and its successor Warner Bros. Animation. Warner Bros. also produced 2 theatrical feature films based on the show’s supernatural theme.

The new Scooby-Doo feature will be a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation under the Warner Animation Group banner.

It will reunite Oscar-nominated producers Charles Roven and Richard Suckle who previously produced the live-action adaptation of “Scooby-Doo” and its sequel, “Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed”. BAFTA Award-winning producer Allison Abbate, who produced the Oscar-nominated features “Fantastic Mr. Fox” as well Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride” and “Frankenweenie”, will serve as a producer too.

Tony Cervone, who previously worked on “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated”, will helm the project based on a script written by Matt Lieberman. Renowned animation icon Dan Povenmire (of “Phineas and Ferb” fame) will also bring his creative sensibilities to the production as an executive producer.

The announcement was made jointly today by Warner Bros. executives Greg Silverman, Dan Fellman, Sue Kroll and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg.

In making the announcement, Silverman acknowledged:

Like countless fans, I have always loved the Hanna-Barbera cast of characters. As one of their most famous brand ambassadors, Scooby-Doo will take the lead in re-introducing this pantheon of enduringly popular animated stars on a grand scale with an exciting new movie.

Said Fellman said, “It’s always a treat to see Scooby-Doo on the big screen and to share his larger-than-life adventures with audiences. As anticipation grows throughout production, the movie’s mid-September release date should start the fall season with a burst of fun.”

Kroll also added, “It’s wonderful to be working with this talented and inspired team of filmmakers. We couldn’t ask for better producers than Charles Roven, Richard Suckle and Allison Abbate, who have such affection and respect for this property and know the Hanna-Barbera universe so well.”

Kwan Vandenberg further stated, “Scooby-Doo and his friends have the kind of universal appeal that reaches across cultures as well as generations. We expect this new take on the franchise to generate even more fans around the world.”

The new “Scooby-Doo” animated movie is currently slated for release on 21st September 2018.


Westlife To Reunite Under New Record Label; Plan Comeback Single With Ed Sheeran

It’s been a long time coming but the Westlife reunion we’ve all be waiting for is finally happening!

Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan have reportedly signed a new deal with Universal Music Group. That’s the good news. The bad news? The band will be reforming without Brian McFadden.

“The other guys have been lined up to return to the studio and record some new songs and tour dates have even been organised, so it’s definitely going ahead this time. There’s been a lot of speculation, but this time it’s a done deal and contracts have been signed,” a source told Irish Sun.

“One day it would be great to do it again but it’s not happening until you hear from the four of us, not management not anyone else. The offers are there and I think they will always be there which is nice to feel like that. Even leaving the financial element aside, it’s nice to get back onstage, that would be brilliant, you can never relive those moments until you do them again,” Nicky previously told RSVP Magazine.

Rumour has it that the quartet has also secretly co-written a song with Ed Sheeran. “Having Ed involved is a huge coup. They think he will give them a contemporary edge for their reunion. They have already recorded the song and are delighted with the results. They’re just pulling together the final promo details including a video before they unveil it. It’s going to be huge,” an insider told UK’s The Sun.

Westlife exploded into the music scene in 1999 with “Swear It Again”. The group became a foursome when Brian quit in 2004 to focus on his family and solo career. After several albums, the band went separate ways in 2012 after embarking on a farewell world tour. Now that it’s been confirmed, we can’t wait to see what these Brits have in store.

Are y’all heartbroken that Brian won’t be part of the reunion?

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


#SpiderMan: Marvel’s New Spider-Man May Not Be White (Or Peter Parker)

Sony Pictures and Marvel broke the news that they’ve reached a deal to share Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), where Sony will still control the Spider-Man film franchise and Marvel will produce. However, the new Spider-Man movie won’t arrive until 2017 and Spidey will most likely make his first appearance in the MCU through “Captain America: Civil War” in 2016.

Shortly after the news broke, Variety reported that Sony Pictures is looking for a much young actor to replace Andrew Garfield, who may or may not have already left the film franchise. Dylan O’Brien and Logan Lerman were being considered for the lead role but The Wrap’s reporter Jeff Sneider revealed that Marvel might take a different approach for the next Spider-Man.

The current Ultimate Universe version has an African American Spider-Man and he is a 13-year-old Brooklyn kid named Miles Morales. He discovers his spider powers after he was bitten by a spider 11 months before Peter Parker’s death. After Gwen Stacy told Miles about Parker’s decision to become a superhero, he decides to become the next Spider-Man in honour of Peter Parker.

Back in 2010, Sony was on the hunt for a new Spider-Man. “Community” star Donald Glover/Childish Gambino, who is an enthusiastic Spider-Man fan, became the subject of an online campaign to get him to audition for the role of the web slinger. Glover publicly endorsed the campaign as well but the role ultimately went to Andrew Garfield.

Now that Sony is back on the hunt for a new Spidey, some fans think that perhaps the time has come for the African-American Spider-Man to appear in the MCU. Sneider even talked about the possibility of having a non-white Spider-Man on the “Meet the Movie” podcast, which he co-hosts with Mark Reilly from Schmoes Know.

Listen, this is not set in stone guys, but I’m telling you right now, Spider-Man’s not going to be white. Spider-Man’s not going to be white. I’m 95% sure. Spider-Man’s going to be most likely black. But there’s a chance he could also be Latino. 95% sure, not white…I don’t think it’s going to be Peter Parker.

Take this with a grain of salt, of course. Sneider cited that since the script was not written yet, and that Marvel and Sony might just want to bring Miles Morales to the MCU.

I really feel strongly – Sony has an opportunity to beat Marvel and DC to the punch with sort of a major black comic book movie character. Like I mentioned last week, the e-mails that leaked were perceived to be racist in some quarters. I really think that is going to play into things.

However, Marvel’s official press release specifically stated that the collaboration between Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios is a way for them to “take Peter Parker’s story into the future”. It is unclear how Sony will rope Peter Parker in but perhaps they will introduce Miles Morales in an alternate universe.

In a recent interview with Donald Glover, Yahoo asked if the “Community” star wants to audition for the role of Peter Parker again. Having voiced Miles Morales in the animated TV series, “Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors” on Disney XD, Glover said:

Of course, I would always be honored to play Spider-Man. But I just want the Spider-Man movie to be dope, that’s all I want.

However, this time around, the 31-year-old actor would leave the Spider-Man campaign to the fans.

I’m leaving it to them. Campaigning’s part of life, but for me, I’ve got a lot of stuff that I’m really excited about, and dropping it all… of course it’d be an honor. But it’s fine, if it comes, if not.

Glover will be seen in Gregory Jacobs’ “Magic Mike XXL” and Ridley Scott’s “The Martian“.

Do you want to see an African-American Spider-Man in the MCU? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.


Only Have 1 Day In Cameron Highlands? Here’s What You Can Do!

The Cameron Highlands is one of Malaysia’s most well-liked vacation spots because of its clean air, stunning scenery, and temperate climate all year-round. If you’re travelling to the Cameron Highlands from Kuala Lumpur on a day-trip, don’t worry about missing out on the good stuff, because there’s so much you can do in just a day.

During our recent trip to Ipoh, we thought, why not head to Cameron for a day trip? Most people plan a longer stay at Cameron. You might think one day is never enough – but when you look closely, you’ll see that Cameron’s attractions are pretty much similar. There are tea plantations, strawberry farms, nurseries, and a mall. The only difference is the brand. So, we’re gonna spill the tea on our one-day trip to Cameron that’s definitely worth it for a short escape from reality. Also, note that the best time to head to Cameron is after the holiday seasons. Save yourself from the massive traffic all the way up there!

We’re pretty sure you’ve seen this spot going viral on TikTok and Instagram. And that’s why we decided to see what all the hype’s about. Flora Park resembles a stretch of open country in Europe, and compares with the stunning images shared on social media. As you walk in, you’ll be greeted by countless columns of vibrant blossom sprouts in the flora park, with various walkways paving the route to them. It should come as no surprise that so many couples choose this location for their wedding photography. The nursery’s perimeter is lined with numerous types of vibrant blooms that are a delight for the eyes and Instagram feed, no doubt.

To get there, you’ll have to board a jeep, as cars are not allowed into the area. Per entry is RM50 and you can stay for as long as you want. At the entrance, you’ll be given your ticket and a map to help you cover all the areas in the park. There are indoor and outdoor sections to the attraction – but if it rains, you don’t have to worry, as they’ll provide umbrellas. Here’re some of the must-visit spots:

The flight of whitewashed stairs that seems like a pathway to paradise is a must-visit spot for Instagrammable pictures. From the slope’s highest point, you’ll get a view of Flora Park’s profusion of blossoms. Some people have even said that the small pink blossoms on either side of the bridge remind them of South Korea or Santorini. But seriously, it feels like you’re not in Malaysia when you walk up those stairs.

The bright, yellow colour is impossible to ignore. In fact, as you make your way up, you can already see this yellow spot. You can also soak in the breathtaking scenery and relax before continuing. Now, this part is quite disappointing. At first, we thought the yellow flowers were real. Turns out, they’re just plastic. Fret not, cause if you were to take pictures in this spot, no one’s gonna know they’re fake.

Check out the next two locations if you’re not afraid of heights. This is a real set of stairs that lead up to the sky! One of the most well-liked locations for photography in Flora Park is this, since it’s placed close to the top of the hill and is fenced in by glass railings. Similar to the stairs, there’s another spot right at the end of the tour. But instead of glass, this spot is made to look like a bird’s nest.

All that walking will probably make you tired, and the best way to wind down is to chill by the cafe with a splendid view. While you’re there, you can have simple snacks like corn in a cup, waffles, popcorns and ice cream. However, we suggest that you have your meal before you enter the park, as the food and beverage prices are kinda high. We just ordered a hot cup of golden corn and sat for a rest, with the landscape of beautiful flowers beneath us.

This round seat is definitely couple-friendly – but also a perfect picture spot for almost anyone! You can see the Cameron Highlands’ mountains and slopes just by sitting in this location. Even Flora Park’s enormous flower farm is visible.

Besides the spots we’ve mentioned, every spot in Flora Park is perfect for clicking pictures. So be sure to have storage in your phones and cameras before you head there.

For more details, check out their Instagram page.

Cameron is home to lots of tea plantations. One of them is the Bharat Tea Plantation, which comprises three tea houses where you can enjoy tea with a beautiful view of surrounding plantations. We dined-in at tea house 2. It’s slightly spacious and has a direct view of the tea plantation. You’ll have to go there early if you want to grab a seat, as it gets packed quite fast. Of course, you can’t just go there for the view – you must try their tea. Bharat’s tea house offers a wide range of beverages and snacks.

We ordered two cups of hot tea and paired it with two slice of cheesecakes. The tea was amazing and if you’re a tea lover, you’ll definitely approve of this spot. As for the cheesecake, it was definitely cheesy and tasted so good! The strawberry jam was a bit off (tasted like fake jam). So, minus the jam, the cheesecake was scrumptious.

If you’re lucky enough, you can have your table by the glass corridor where you can sip your tea and enjoy the view. But no worries if you’re not. You can always walk up to the corridor to catch the cold breeze and amazing view. You can even walk down to the plantation – but for that, you’ll need to pay. Parking here is not an issue. They have ample parking space.

Besides tea and strawberries, Cameron is also well-known for fresh veggies. Given the cold weather and fertile grounds, the vegetables that grow here are super fresh and organic. Not to mention, cheap! There’s no specific place to shop for veggies, because you can find different grocery spots just by the roadsides and in town. The one we went to was at Brinchang and it was by the roadside. Only RM10 for five packets of veggies. It’s hard to find this kind of price back in KL. So, we grabbed two bags of veggies to bring home. While you’re at it, you can check out some pasar malam along the way.

Last, but not least, the mall. This spot can be included if you’re planning to drive down late. Walking by the newest mall, Cameron Centrum, makes you feel like you’re in the middle of a walk somewhere in Europe, because of the cool weather and the surrounding English-style architecture. When the mall first opened, it became the center of attraction for local and foreign visitors alike because of how modern and cool it looks.

Looks like it’s a new mall in Cameron Highlands. Boleh laa jalan2 kat sini. #cameronhighlands #cameroncentrum #brinchang

♬ Nothing’s Going to Change My Love For You – Westlife

Among the attractions in this mall are the tram, clock tower, and telephone booth, making it a free OOTD spot! Besides that, you can find Starbucks, Family Mart, Baskin Robbins as well as other shops to chill at. We recommend visiting Centrum Mall at night, since it’ll display lovely lights that’ll make your pictures look much more gorgeous. You can also walk about and enjoy the cool breeze.

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


Baby #Groot Dances Its Ways To Audiences’ Heart Through Hot Toys

It has been almost 6 months since the release of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” but one of its major characters, Groot still remains popular as ever. We can’t get over its cuteness even if we tried because have you seen how baby Groot dances its way to the heart of the audiences?

Since the release of the movie, most of the moviegoers must have had suffered from post GOTG Syndrome real hardcore. Everyone loves Groot and everybody wants it, so much so that it has been added to Funko Toys’ bobble-heads collection.

But of course, Funko isn’t the only toy company that will be distributing the Dancing Groot toys because Hot Toys will also release a 1/4 scale collectible based on the baby Groot’s dancing scene in GOTG.

Unlike Funko’s Groot, The Little Groot Collectible features 3 interchangeable head sculpts as well as moveable arms and body to recreate baby Groot’s dancing scene in the movie.

The interchangeable face sculpts are applied with special paint to reflect his distinctive appearance. Standing at 12cm tall, the first batch of the Little Groot Collectible can be purchased at Hot Toys’ booth (F01-12) in Hong Kong’s Toy Soul 2014 from December 19th to 21st. Malaysian fans can also pre-order the collectible now at Toywiz/Toy Garden Malaysia. It’ll be released in the first quarter of 2015.

As for the Funko Pop version of the Dancing Groot, it is currently available at Toywiz Malaysia and BigBangToyz at Publika.

For more information, visit Hot Toys’ Facebook page or pre-order your Little Groot Collectible at Toywiz Malaysia.


Hype’s Now Playing: HeyMun — Youth

Malaysian folk singer, song-writer HeyMun drops her latest single, Youth.

Currently based in Sydney, Australia, HeyMun got her shot at stardom when she won a US based competition for the Best Folk Singer/Songwriter category with her song By Sea. Coming a long way since then, HeyMun has released her latest single titled Youth together with its New York Edition music video.

Taking fans on a journey with her, the video features footages from her festival showcase in New York and her visit to Nashville to meet the founders of Unsigned Only where she won the award for Best Folk Singer, Songwriter.

Upbeat, fun and folky, Youth is light on the ears and catchy at the same time. Exuding such a happy and fun vibe, HeyMun shows off her melodic and smooth tone with Youth.

Follow HeyMun on her social networking sites for more updates: Facebook, Soundcloud, Twitter & Instagram.

Malaysian wins Best Folk/Singer-Songwriter in US Competition


#IAH: Hardwell Announces “I AM Hardwell” #UnitedWeAre Dates In BKK & SG

So, it looks like the current world #1 DJ/producer Robbert van de Corput, otherwise known as Hardwell, will be making his way to the Southeast Asian region in 2 months!

As announced by the man himself, he’ll be rocking up to Bangkok come 8th May 2015 and then Singapore on 9th May 2015 for the next edition of his “I AM Hardwell” show, “United We Are”. Did you miss the announcement?

As most of you #TeamHardwell might already know, Hardwell took over the Ziggo Dome arena in Amsterdam in January this year to celebrate the release of his debut artiste album, “United We Are“.

The party, which spanned across 2 nights, was sold out both nights!

It was also then that he officially kicked off his second world tour, “I AM Hardwell – United We Are”. And now, it’s coming to somewhere near us! Having been to his “I AM Hardwell” show in both Sydney and Vietnam last year, we’d say that this is not something you’d want to miss. What more if you’re a hardcore Hardwell fan (read: Go Hardwell Or Go Home).

No further details have been announced for the shows yet i.e. ticketing, but just to give you a taste of what to expect at either one (or both, if you’d like) of the shows, here:

We’ll update this post with more deets as soon as we have ’em ;)

For more information, visit Hardwell’s Facebook page.

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


The Simplified Guide To The Greatest Show On Earth!

As ESPN has proudly put it, “From June 12th through July 13th, the earth will operate on one time zone: World Cup.”

Come 12th June, people from all walks of life will come together to watch the greatest show on Earth – the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. Occurring only once every four years, it’s truly a football festival for the young, the old and the curious. Cafes and pubs will magically stay open till late and still be filled to the brim, businesses at restaurants and mamaks will boom in an instant, and surely, a lot of us will suffer from a severe lack of sleep by the end of it.

Come on, you know it’s true! We promise we won’t breathe a word about your long breakfasts, mysterious out-of-nowhere illnesses or “emergency leaves”.

The first game will kick off from Arena de Sao Paulo in Sao Paulo, Brazil on 12th June (Thursday) at 4am Malaysian time and the first two countries to take the pitch are none other than Brazil vs. Croatia. But that’s just for the first game. For your convenience, we’ve compiled a couple of handy guides to the matches!

As for the matches for each group and country according to time zones, it’s available here. Just make sure you remember to click the blue “Change to your time” link in there!

Where to catch the games, you ask? As follows:

As of now, we don’t know if there’ll be any viewing parties yet but we’ll update this post as soon as we know so keep checking back. Meanwhile, you best prepare yourself for the greatest show on Earth!

For more information, visit the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil’s official website or their Facebook page.


#Rihanna: Singer Slays At #BETAwards; Drops Music Video Teaser For #BBHMM

Y’all are missing out on the good stuff if y’all didn’t watch the live stream of the 2015 BET Awards.

The annual event, which was held at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday (28th June), was hosted by ABC comedy “Blackish” stars Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross. From Idris Elba to Nicki Minaj to Chris Brown, artistes and celebrities alike gathered under one roof for the BET experience. Rihanna, who is one of hip hop’s leading lady, was among the guests who attended the star-studded event.

Though the pop singer skipped the red carpet event, she stood out as one of the best-dressed celebs with her gold tuxedo dress. She kept her look simple with a sleek ponytail and wore a few bracelets, a diamond necklace, and a pair of black strappy heels.

However, her outfit wasn’t the only reason why she became a shining presence throughout the night at the BET Awards.

During the award ceremony, the badass singer confused everyone when she decided to slap duct tape on multiple celebs. She even took it upon herself to duct tape boxer Floyd Mayweather‘s mouth shut and tie his hands together. While we are sure that it was a staged moment, we were still confused by RiRi, who looked unfazed on her own actions.

Here's Rihanna duct taping Floyd Mayweather's mouth shut pic.twitter.com/FIdI5vhDzE

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 29, 2015

The stunning singer further had fans talking as she was seen throwing money at BET’s President of Programming Stephen Hill. While many assumed that there had been a fight between the two, BET confirmed to Billboard that it was also “a staged moment”. Hill even took to Instagram to post a photo of him with Rihanna and said, “We kissed and made up.”

So, what was the fuss was all about? Did someone pisses RiRi off?

Well, it turned out that all of the duct tape moments were part of the stunt to hype up the music video launch of her latest hit single, “B*tch Better Have My Money”. At the BET Awards, she announced that the music video would be released this Thursday (2nd July) and later premiered the official trailer, offering us a glimpse into the video directed by RiRi herself and Megaforce.

In the video, a classy and wealthy lady can be seen getting ready for a night out while RiRi arrives at her place carrying a massive trunk into an elevator. The former meets RiRi when she enters the elevator with her toy breed Pomeranian dog. By the time the elevator doors open again, the wealthy lady is no where to be seen but the singer emerges from the elevator carrying the dog while dragging the trunk which seems much heavier than it was moments earlier.

One can only assume that that lady owed RiRi a huge chunk of money.

We got to say, we are so ready for this video to break the Internet! Are you excited to see the music video too? Sound off your thoughts in the comments box below.

Source: EW, Billboard, E! News / Image sources: Just Jared, Yahoo!

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


#MusicBox: Hardwell & Martin Garrix Have Been Secretly “Cooking Up” Something

Oh hey, when did these 2 get into the studio together?

While you weren’t looking, Martin Garrix quietly “hinted” (by becoming real coy) when an interviewed asked him about a future Hardwell collaboration. We didn’t see any collabs in Hardwell’s debut album’s tracklist so the anticipation is still pretty high for when it might officially be released – if it even exists.

Luckily, through BBC Radio 1’s tracklisting system, eagle-eyed and sharp-eared Hardwell/Martin Garrix fans are able to finally confirm that such a collab does exist and it’s titled, “Music Box”. From what we know, although Hardwell and Martin Garrix have played it in their respective sets, the track is something that’s still in the works.

In fact, they respectively gave “Music Box” a massive premiere at Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) New York, something that DJs/producers often do to “test out” new music and gauge the response of fans. The surprise entry had their fans hunting high and low for a HQ version. Failing which, they settled with calling it “Carousel”, due to the playful melody on the track.

After which, young Martin set the banger off during his BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix and the interwebs was buzzing all over again! Mmf. Maybe it’ll be released just in time for this year’s festival season, starting with Ultra Music Festival (UMF)? ;)

Meanwhile, Hardwell recently announced his “I AM Hardwell – United We Are” shows in Bangkok and Singapore. That’s, like, right next door! Who’s going?


Exclusive: Sasi The Don’s Comeback Tune “ABCD” Is The Deepavali Anthem Of The Year

Malaysia’s leading reggae and pop music artist Sasi The Don is going back to the basics with his latest comeback single “ABCD” featuring Anuradha Sriram, one of Indian cinema’s most renowned playback singers.

Composed by Sasi and co-written by Navin the Navigator and Saran Narayan, the song which was released 5 days prior to Deepavali is essentially about celebrating the simplest things in life as the letters A, B, C and D in the song stand for Love, Passion, Gratitude, and Surrendering one’s self to their mission.

This song is a celebration of life that reminds everyone that celebration and gratitude should be a daily lifestyle and not just during festive or special occasions. It is a simple song that brings people together, drawing a message to unite the world with the saying “when stand united, we can celebrate more than when we are divided”.

For this single, Sasi The Don went back to the basics to look for those those who inspired him. Anuradha Sriram is one of the personalities who inspired Sasi to take his first step into the music world. This is also the first time that Anuradha Sriram has agreed to a collaboration with someone outside of the Indian film industry.

Learn more about Sasi’s inspiration and stories behind this Deepavali anthem in this exclusive interview.

It’s a song about going back to basics. Everyone of us will come to a point where we realise, “I have come this far and I want to push my self higher” but then it holds us back… because one can’t do everything alone. You need get back to the basics and collaborate. You need to collaborate with your emotions, your heart, your mind and conclude it all with love and the best will come.

When one can do this, you will be ready for the celebration. You can start all over again, but remember you are filled with a whole load of experience from the last time. So it’s just going to get better. So I applied this and it’s a personal experience.

A post shared by SASI THE DON (@sasithedon)

Definitely my daughter Shanaiya. She is 5 years old. I watch her grow and it reminds me that I was like her once. I watch her discover the world and I too was the same at one point. I remember teaching her ABCD and I realised it was the basic to everything in life. So I had the idea to do something with ABCD. I felt there was more to ABCD then just being a nursery rhyme.

Adults too should accept that the reality to life is simple and it’s never complicated. You just have to be inspired or inspire others. So when all these thoughts came to me. I put it all in the works of a new song. I wanted to share my ‘hypothesis’ with the world and I made it all happen in a new song.

How did the collaboration with Anuradha Sriram happen?

I have always been a big fan of Anuradha Sriram and during my youth days I use to really admire her voice and all the songs she sang in. She sang most of the big Kollywood hits and she was a real inspiration. I first met her in 2001. Back then I was her opening act for her maiden concert in Malaysia alongside Shankar Mahadevan. We only had a brief introduction at that time but it was a wonderful moment.

Coincidentally I met her again in 2010 when visiting Chennai. When I was at the airport waiting to board a flight to Mumbai, I saw her at the same departure hall. I approached her and we had a great chat. We exchanged numbers and since that time I told myself, I will one day work on a song with her. It took me 8 years, but it’s okay. It had to be at the right time. After 4 years of silence, I had to make a fierce comeback and something that everybody could celebrate to. So I contacted Anuradha Sriram and told her my vision and she was all onboard.

Why did you decide to release this song on Deepavali week and what is the song’s relation to the festivity?

I always taught that every day is Deepavali. It’s all in our hearts and our minds. The Spirit of Celebration comes from within us and the people around us. So when I was planning, I realised that everybody needs a song to celebrate and as Malaysians we can all inspire and celebrate one another. So I created the song with my producer D’Navigator.

I had this composition and idea with me for 4 years and finally I felt that it was the right time. Deepavali was a perfect time to celebrate with beautiful lights, colours, food, family and friends. The meaning of Deepavali inspires me to create this song and I wanted everyone to feel the celebration and celebrate their life everyday.

It is said that “ABCD” pays homage to Anuradha’s old songs, how so?

Back in the early years, there was a movie called “Gemini” and Anuradha Sriram sang the theme “O Poddu”. That hit song was an inspiration for me to come up with the lyrics “A Poddu, B Poddu, C Poddu and D Poddu” which is a homage to her song. I use this approach to introduce Anuradha Sriram to an industry outside of Kollywood movie scene.

The single will be included in your album “Timeless”, what else can fans expect from the album?

I have a lot of interesting songs in my new album. Fans should look forward to my new English song titled “Daddy Don”. This song is a tribute to all the fathers in the world, who do whatever it takes to put a smile their children’s faces and protect them at all times. Every daddy is a DON in their own ways.

When are you going to UK and how did the collaboration with Malaysia Airlines happen?

I will be travelling between 15th to 23rd November 2018. As I was busy building up the story for “ABCD”, I realised that I should take all my effort one step ahead and do something great for Malaysia. I approached the Times Music Group in India and showcased my single to them. They instantly loved the track and decided to release the song internationally on 15th November.

So when I got this confirmed, I contacted some of my industry mates in the UK immediately as I have a strong relationship and network with the key ASIAN and CARIBBEAN industrialists from the UK, and they managed to get me multiple opportunities, such as radio interview with the BBC and also a couple of Reggae Radio Stations, gig in London and etc. So I had to go to the UK.

I approached Malaysia Airlines, telling them about my plans and they are happy to help out. With their collaboration I am able to experience a Business Class Travel to the UK as their VIP guest and it feels great. With this I am able to share my journey in the UK with all my friends, family and fans.

As a veteran in the Indian music scene, what do you think of the current local scene right now?

The local music scene has always been great. We have good musicians, great artiste and good fans. Let’s not forget, the media that is constantly supporting the industry. Everything is in place. Malaysia is just going to get better. I just want to encourage all the current and new artiste to keep on producing songs and keep the industry going. Don’t give up. Good times will come.

Last question, what is your plan for Deepavali?

I will celebrate it with my family and friends. I need to rest and there is so much happening in these coming weeks. I look forward to Deepavali, I wish all Malaysians a happy Deepavali and that includes all readers of HYPE. Have a wonderful celebration and holiday.

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


Halcyon: Packed With Ellie Love

A month ago, when Ellie Goulding was asked about working on Halcyon in seclusion, she said, “I didn’t let stuff outside of the studio affect me whatsoever on ‘Halcyon’. I really did shut myself off to keep myself grounded. I went into the studio and once the door closed everything was inside the studio. Anything emotional was just kind of locked in with me and then anything else was outside. It was really the perfect situation because where the studio was out in the countryside and it was where I grew up and everything just knitted together so perfectly”. (Source)

There’s so much truthfulness in this 25-year-old’s (sometimes tragic) voice that it’s hard to not want to trust her with all your heart. So be prepared to instantly warm up to Ellie once again hen you pick up her second LP, “Halcyon”.

The term halcyon alone refers to a time of tranquility, peace, and happiness. After giving the album a good listen (a few times, on repeat), we’ve decided that there wouldn’t have been a title better suited for it.

Let’s start with the first single, “Anything Could Happen”:

[youtube id=”5hzgS9s-tE8″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Cute beats, check. Chirpy piano, check. Choir-ish backup vocals, check. Ellie’s ethereal voice, check. And we reckon that if a producer picks this up to remix (read: butcher), it could easily become a pumping club track. Also, we strongly advise you to pay attention to the lyrics – or Google it.

So you don’t know the secret I’ve been trying to hide.

We held our breath to see our names are written,

That was the year I knew the panic was over.

Yes since we found out, since we found out,

When we heard that “Halcyon” will also feature a collaboration with DJ/producer Calvin Harris, we were over the moon. You may remember Calvin Harris from this year’s big 2012 MTV Video Music Awards news, where he bagged two awards (“Video of the Year” and “Best Electronic Video”).

So yes, need we explain further why we were excited?

[youtube id=”jc3SXFuQl7o” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Listen to the elements in “I Need Your Love” and tell us that it wasn’t world-class genius. Synths, bass, and a dabbling with the xylophone, we love how it evokes all our senses and we can’t say it enough.

And while we’re still on the topic of Ellie’s magic in working with electronic dance music (EDM) maestros, let us introduce you to the dramatic sounding, foot-stomping “Figure 8“:

[youtube id=”njQCPLWoze4″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

A banging tune from the beginning, we held our breaths with this one while waiting for the “drop”. If we didn’t know better, we’d think that Skrillex worked on this one with her. So this one calls for a two-part props. Firstly, props to producer MONSTA for making it awesome. Seriously, can you not make out the dubstep in this one?

I’m buried in the snow, but something tells me I’m not alone.

But lovers hold on to everything, and others hold on to anything.

I chased your love around a figure 8, I need you more than I can take.

You promised forever and a day, and then you take it all away.

Props to Ellie for the beautifully written yet potent lyrics. She’s so talented, so packed with her own brand of love, and she can’t help it! This alt-pop princess is going to go a far and long way – and believe us, we’re going to be there with her every step of the way.

“Halcyon” is out now at a music store near you. We beg you to pick up a physical copy or purchase it off iTunes. Right now. To listen to/watch more of Ellie via her VEVO, click! You may also send her your love via her Twitter account.

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


Openly Gay Perez Is A Dad!

Just last month, Perez Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira Jr. was sported shopping for baby clothes. At that time, nobody made a big deal out of the sighting because, let’s face, it, only Perez would’ve done that if say, he spotted a celebrity doing what he was doing. So he got away with it all fine and dandy.

Earlier today, the owner of the celebrity gossip blog made a surprise announcement that he has become a proud father to a baby boy! Yup. Perez even accompanied the news with a picture of himself cradling the baby lovingly:

He went on to thank his readers (something he hardly does), sounding all mature and dare we say, very un-Perez-like. Still, it surprised most of his readers and even some celebrities as they took to Twitter to congratulate him. Including the likes of Paris Hilton, Kevin Jonas, Michelle Trachtenberg, Christina Perri, Carson Daly, etc.

And here’s the thing though, Perez has made no mention where the tiny tot came from. We’re pretty sure it didn’t come from a stork, as much as we’d like to believe so.

Hence, our question is, who’s the Mama, Perez?

Sources: Daily Mail, Perez Hilton, Los Angeles Times.


Concert Review: Japan Foundation KL’s MIN’YO Concert Brings Us Closer To Japan

Travelling overseas for holiday has become a luxury most of us can’t even dream of doing due to MCOs and Covid-19 having taken over our lives. Yet, despite this, the Japan Foundation KL still found a way to whisk us on holiday without having to leave the country.

In a magical display of extraordinary musical talent, the Japan Foundation KL organised a concert of MIN’YO (Japanese folk music) to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Malaysian Government’s Look East Policy on the 4th and 5th of March.

The concert featured Tanaka Shiho and Kato Erina on vocals and the Tsugaru-Shamisen (three strings instrument), Tsukuda Koshi on the Shakuhachi (bamboo flute), Kato Takuya on the Wadaiko (big drum), and Kumagai Daisuke on percussion, as well as a guest musician from Malaysia.

Going into the concert, I wasn’t too sure what I was supposed to expect. I’ve never heard of Min’yo before that night, and I’m no expert in local folk songs, let alone folk songs from Japan. But the concert was one filled with raw talent. The musicians truly embodied a care-free nature into the songs they played, reminiscent of days spent chasing your siblings down your kampung. From beautifully harmonised singing to the steady beat of traditional Japanese drums, the concert was one filled with a childlike wonder as I was taken on a trip across Japan through their music.

Enhanced by the guest appearance of Malaysian singer and musician, Alena Murang, the concert truly brought both countries together in a way only music can. The familiar melody of rasa sayang mixed with the charm of traditional Sarawakian instrument, Sape, combined with the enchanting lyrics of traditional Japanese folk songs is an experience you can never truly forget.

While Covid-19 has stopped us from visiting Japan the last few years, the MIN’YO Concert by Japan Foundation KL reminds us that the beauty of culture transcends time and space and is something you can experience no matter where you are.


People Are Boycotting “Polis Evo 2” For Bad Portrayal Of Islam

The highly anticipated local buddy cop film “Polis Evo 2” is set to be released in cinemas nationwide on 22nd November 2018, but before the movie is released, some people have already decided to boycott the movie as it is said to portray Islam in bad light.

It all started when a certain group of Malaysian Islamists  have claimed that the film brings bad image to the religion of Islam as it features a turban-wearing antagonist played by actor Hasnul Rahmat who takes on the role of a terrorist and main villain of the movie.

“When I read the synopsis of Polis Evo 2 which is directed by these so-called directors who try to give Islam a bad name, I call out to the people and ask them to boycott this trashy film,” PAS committee member Dr Riduan Mohd Nor wrote in a lengthy Facebook post.

Riduan said that he understands that Islam has always been portrayed as evil in many western movies, but he questions why Malaysia is also doing the same.

Riduan’s post certainly brings about a rise to a group of supporters who agree with his statement. According to some commenters, a turban is supposed to be a holy headpiece as it is part of the attire worn by the Prophet of Muhammad.

Nevertheless, many also came forward to defend the movie, saying that it has nothing to do with Islam or the Prophet, and it is made purely for entertainment value.

Lead actor Zizan Razak also voiced out his thoughts on the matter in one of his IG Live videos. The actor lamented, “Making the movie is not easy, it requires a lot of time, brainpower, effort and money, so when people said they want to boycott the film – how easy is that?!”

“Watch the film first, and then comment…The movie has gone through Malaysian censorship board, we’ll let them answer your questions,” the 34-year-old actor said.

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


10 Celebs’ Audition Videos You Need To Watch

As you might know, all celebrities are put through auditions prior to being considered for a film or a TV show. Only a rare few (usually the highly sought after ones) are personally handpicked for their roles, effectively bypassing the preliminary rounds of selection. The Hollywood stars you know today each went through a lengthy casting process before being given the opportunity to play iconic characters or before landing their breakthrough roles. Many have gone on to win awards after.

Of course, not all who have auditioned got the intended roles. For example, Jessica Alba lost out to Anna Hathaway for Get Smart and Scarlett Johansson didn’t do as well as Kirsten Dunst for Jumaji. But what were the auditions like for the ones that made it, you ask?

We’re featuring some previously unseen auditions for some of the world’s most well-known celebrities who have acted in blockbuster flicks such as Hugh Jackman in “X-Men” and “Wolverine”, and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. There are also videos of Miley Cyrus (for Disney’s Hannah Montana), Selena Gomez (for Wizard of Waverly Place), Blake Lively (for Gossip Girl), Megan Fox (for Transformers), and more.

1. Miley Cyrus (for Disney’s Hannah Montana)

At age 11, Miley Cyrus learned of the casting for what became Hannah Montana, a Disney Channel children’s television series about a schoolgirl with a secret double life as a teen pop star. She sent in a tape auditioning for its best friend role, but received a call asking her to audition for the lead, Chloe Stewart. After sending in a new tape and flying to Hollywood for further auditions, she was told that she was too young and too small for the part. However, the series’ producers invited her for further auditions in light of her persistence and her singing and acting abilities. The following year, Miley Cyrus received the lead position, renamed Miley Stewart after herself. Hannah Montana premiered in 2006, to the largest audience for a Disney Channel program, and quickly ranked among the highest-rated series on basic cable, elevating her wealth and fame. Its instant success helped propel Miley Cyrus to teen idol status.

2. Hugh Jackman (for Wolverine in X-Men)

In 1999, Hugh Jackman was cast as Wolverine in Bryan Singer’s X-Men, replacing Dougray Scott. But according to him, Wolverine was tough to portray because not only was he an entire foot taller than Wolverine’s actual height, he only had few lines, but a lot of emotion to convey in them. To prepare, he watched Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry movies and Mel Gibson in Road Warrior. “Here were guys who had relatively little dialogue, like Wolverine had, but you knew and felt everything. I’m not normally one to copy, but I wanted to see how these guys achieved it,” he said. Hugh Jackman also had to get used to wearing Wolverine’s claws, “Every day in my living room, I’d just walk around with those claws, to get used to them. I’ve got scars on one leg, punctures straight through the cheek, on my forehead. I’m a bit clumsy. I’m lucky I didn’t tell them that when I auditioned.”

It’s a little known fact that Emma Stone originally auditioned to star in the NBC’s Heroes as Claire Bennet. She overheard in the casting room, “On a scale of 1 to 10, you are an 11” – but the casting directors were referring to Hayden Panettiere, who was cast instead. Emma called that experience “rock bottom”, and never forgot how it felt. In 2010, she read the script for Easy A before the project was optioned for production, and kept an eye on it along with her manager until preparations were made. When she discovered that the film had gone into production, she met with Gluck to express her enthusiasm about the project. A few months later, the audition process started and Emma met with Gluck again to be one of the first actresses to audition. She was later nominated for the 2011 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role as Olive Penderghast.

Blake Lively was already popular before her Serena van der Woodsen role in teen drama Gossip Girl. We say this because she landed a major role in the 2005 blockbuster “chick flick” The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, which earned her a Teen Choice Award nomination for Breakout Movie Star. But when it came to Gossip Girl, she still had to audition like everyone else. In 2006, Blake was cast as Serena van der Woodsen, which premiered in September 2007. She played Serena van der Woodsen in the teen drama until 2012 when the show ended. As you can see in the below video, the moment she auditioned, boom, she totally disappeared into that character. Very on point.

In 2007, Megan Fox won the lead female role of Mikaela Banes in the 2007 live-action film Transformers, based on the toy and cartoon saga of the same name. She played the love interest of Shia LaBeouf’s character Sam Witwicky and was later nominated for an MTV Movie Award in the category of “Breakthrough Performance”. She was also nominated for 3 Teen Choice Awards. While those achievements were great, her audition process wasn’t easy. Word has it that Transformers director Michael Bay had Megan Fox wash his (unspecified) Ferrari at his home as part of her audition for her role in the first Transformers movie. And since he was doing “official” auditions, he apparently recorded every minute of it. Strange.

Believe it or not, Robert Downey Jr. almost didn’t make it as an A-list Hollywood star! From 1996 – 2001, he was arrested numerous times for cocaine, heroin and marijuana, and went several times through drug treatment programs unsuccessfully. After being released in 2000 from the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, he joined the cast of the TV series Ally McBeal. However, his character was written out when he was fired after 2 more drug arrests. After one last stay in a court-ordered drug treatment program, he finally achieved sobriety. In 2007, he was cast as Iron Man, with director Jon Favreau stating, “Downey wasn’t the most obvious choice, but he understood what makes the character tick. He found a lot of his own life experience in ‘Tony Stark’.” Favreau insisted on having Robert Downey Jr. as he repeatedly claimed that he would be to Iron Man what Johnny Depp is to the Pirates of the Caribbean series, a lead actor that could both elevate the quality of the film and increase the public’s interest in it.

Rachel McAdams’ breakout role came in 2004, when she co-starred in the comedy film Mean Girls opposite Lindsay Lohan. She was 25 years old at the time she was cast as Regina George, the frenemy of Lohan’s character Cady Heron and the mean and popular queen bee in the school. But that wasn’t the role she was most remembered for. She had auditioned for a role in the romantic drama The Notebook, directed by Nick Cassavetes and based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel of the same name. Starring opposite Ryan Gosling, she played Allie Hamilton. It was said that Rachel McAdams spent time in Charleston, South Carolina prior to filming to familiarise herself with the southern accent she used, and took ballet and etiquette classes. However, a lot of Allie could already be seen in Rachel McAdam’s audition tape for the role.

Prior to House, Hugh Laurie had already made a name for himself via a range of British TV dramas. His fame expended to US in 2004, when he cinched the role of acerbic physician specialising in diagnostic medicine, the grouchy and sarcastic but extremely witty Dr. Gregory House. He was in Namibia filming Flight of the Phoenix and recorded the audition tape for the show in the bathroom of the hotel, the only place he could get enough light. Laurie’s American accent was so convincing that executive producer Bryan Singer, who was unaware at the time that Laurie is British, pointed to him as an example of just the kind of compelling American actor he had been looking for. Hugh Laurie went on to play House from 2004 to 2012, for which he received 2 Golden Globe awards, 2 Screen Actors Guild awards, and 6 Emmy nominations. He was listed in the 2011 Guinness World Records as the most watched leading man on TV and was one of the highest-paid actors in a TV drama, earning £250,000 (USD409,000) per episode in House.

9. Selena Gomez (for Wizards of Waverly Place)

Contrary to popular belief, Wizards of Waverly Place wasn’t Selena Gomez‘s first TV show. In the early 2000s, Selena auditioned for Barney and Friends. She was then selected to appear as the recurring character Gianna, but only for a total of 16 episodes. She later stated that her age had led to her departure from the show, with producers feeling she was getting too old. Luckily, she cinched a role in the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place, portraying the lead role of Alex Russo. Her character, along with the rest of her family, were wizards who owned a restaurant in New York; during the course of the series, the characters learned various spells and abilities that were useful to them. The series proved to be an immediate hit, giving Selena Gomez mainstream success and earned her numerous awards and nominations.

Believe it or not, Robert De Niro was actually turned down in the below audition video. He initially had his eyes set on the part of Sonny in The Godfather and as you can see from the video, he definitely had the wardrobe down pat but perhaps he came off a little bit too confident to play the part of an unpolished mobster. Needless to say, he lost the role to James Caan. But despite the setback, he was cast instead as young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, a role for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Funny how things worked out for him because today, he’s an A-list actor and film producer, who has starred in over 90 films. Here’s a young Robert De Niro, barely 30 years old, twirling around during his audition.

Which one of the above celebs do you think had the best audition tape? Were the roles that they were given after the casting process justified?

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


Fun Facts: Getting To Know Korean-American Singer #EricNam!

Smart, talented and funny;  Eric Nam always appears to be a genuinely nice person whenever we see him on TV and we just can’t wait to see him. Oh! If you haven’t heard, the Korean-American singer is set to visit Malaysia for the first time as he will performing at the third “F.Y.I On Stage” series organised by ME Malaysia!

Most people would recognise him as one of the finalists on MBC’s “Star Audition: Birth of a Great Star” but the singer was originally discovered via his cover videos on Youtube. Through the competition, Eric became a solo male singer under B2M Entertainment after impressing the critics with his live performances. Korea’s national fairy Lee Hyori, SPICA, SS501 member Kim Kyu Jong, and Heo Young Sang are some of the artistes who are his label mates under B2M Entertainment.

Eric Nam made his highly-anticipated debut on January 23, 2013 with the title track, “Heaven’s Door” from his debut mini-album, “Cloud 9”. However, the singer has gone a hiatus ever since and made a surprise comeback with a music video for his new single “Ooh Ooh”.  The music video featured a number of his singer friends including Infinite’s Hoya (who also rapped for the song), SPICA’s Boa, U-KISS’s Kevin, and Busker Busker’s Brad Moore.

Since he will be making his way to Malaysia soon, let’s give him a warm welcome and get to know more about him through these fun facts!

Growing up in Atlanta, Eric Nam learnt how to speak in English since he was young as he was sent to study in predominantly white school. He graduated from The Lovett School in 2007 and studied Bachelor of Arts in Boston College. Through his college program, he also spent a year abroad in Laude Peking University in Beijing. Thus, he can now speak more than 4 languages, including Korean, English, Spanish, limited Mandarin, and Japanese.

Eric Nam developed his passion for music since he was young as he would memorise cassette tapes of Korean folk songs from beginning to end. He started playing piano when he was 4 years old and began singing after switching from playing piano to cello at about 9 years old. In fact, the singer revealed in an interview that he was always singing in his hometown’s church and was part of the Atlanta Boy Choir. Through the choir, he was able to tour in Italy and sing for mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

During an interview with Soompi, the singer mentioned that he used to be active member in the Soompi community. He was only 13 years old when he first joined Soompi. As a Korean who grew up in a non-Korean community, Soompi provided him a platform to communicate with other Korean-Americans as well as those who were interested in the Korean/Asian culture. Thus, it was a life-changing experience for him as he “developed the courage” to upload his own music on Soompi through his Youtube channel.

4. From Youtube to MBC’s singing competitions

As we’ve previously mentioned, Eric Nam has been posting videos of his cover songs on Youtube channel before debuting as a singer in the K-Pop industry. Through Youtube, the singer began to gain small yet humble fans who had been supporting him in the Youtube community.

All thanks to his cover version of 2NE1’s “Lonely”, Eric was given a chance to live audition in South Korea for MBC’s singing competition, “MBC Star Audition: Birth Of A Great Star 2”. From that point onwards, his career in music began to soar further than he could imagine! Eric Nam also recently became the host for the YouTube FanFest in Korea.

Eric has garnered high praises from the judges after delivering a powerful performance of John Legend’s “Ordinary People” during his first round of audition for MBC’s singing competition. Lee Seung Hwan, the legendary rock star praised Eric and said that he is “born to make music and sing” and decided to become Eric’s mentor.

He made it into the Top 5 and to flew back to USA to perform at “Kollaboration Boston 2” ( a talent competition) in April 2012. However, the singer decided to fly back to Korea to join the project group, “Namaste” with former contestants from Star Audition including Choi Jung-Hoon, Han Da-Sung, and Hong Dong-Gyun. The song “The Blue Night of Jeju Island” is said to be a gift from their mentor, Lee Seung-Hwan

6. Active as a co-host and a reporter on TV

Eric has been making regular appearances through various TV programs as well as MBC’s radio show, “Song of Hope at Noon with Kim Shin Young”. He is currently active as a co-host with LED Apple’s Hanbyul in Arirang TV’s popular show “After School Club”.

Through MBC’s “Section TV”, the singer had the opportunity to interview various Korean and international celebrities including Girls’ Generation, Miranda Kerr, Amanda Seyfried, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” cast, Robert Downey Jr. and so on.

7. Doing charity work since pre-debut era

Before making his debut in the K-Pop industry, Eric was involved with couple of charities such as doing some non-profit work in India. He spent an extensive time aboard to help the underprivileged all over Latin America and India and most recently, he participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to help spread awareness about the amyotrophic lateral sclerosi disease (ALS or Lou Gehrig”s Disease).

When it comes to work, Eric made it clear that the whacky personality he has shown on TV is just a role he has to play. Thus, there are times that people were taken aback by his work ethic as he takes his job seriously. However, it is safe to say that when he’s ready to play, he’s willing to let it all out and you’ll see the crazy and fun side of him again!

Eric already earned a job with a top consulting firm before venturing into music industry. It’s a job he enjoyed doing and his goal would ideally be able to consult top entertainment companies such as YG Entertainment or SM Entertainment for foreign stuff. Before signing to B2M Entertainment as a singer, YG even offered him a consulting job but he rejected their offer. There are times that he wish he could back to his consulting job but singing has always been his passion and he decided to stay.

10. A germaphobe with a bad habit of not cleaning

Eric is obsessed with cleanliness but the singer mentioned in an interview that he wants to be a little bit more hardworking so that he can clean his stuff. When he’s not at home, Eric has a tendency to put things away from where they belong or not doing the dishes. Thus, that’s one thing he’d want to fix to avoid his home from looking like a trash can.

So, that’s all for some fun facts about him! Obviously, there are so much more you didn’t know about him yet but we are saving the best for the last! ;)

Can’t wait to see Eric Nam this weekend? Well, he can’t wait to see you all too!

Check out his shout-out to Malaysian fans in the video:

For more information about Eric Nam’s showcase in Malaysia, visit ME Malaysia’s Facebook page as well as Eric Nam’s Facebook page.

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


#TheNewMutants: Anya Taylor-Joy & Maisie Williams Joins X-Men Spin-Off

X-Men fans, Fox has found its Wolfsbane and Magik!

Helmed by “The Fault in Our Stars” director Josh Boone, who co-wrote the script with Knate Gwaltney, “The New Mutants” will star Anya Taylor-Joy (of “Split” and “The Witch” fame) as Magik and “Game of Thrones” actress Maisie Williams as Wolfsbane.

Based on the 1982 Marvel comic created by Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, the upcoming spin-off film focuses on a group of teenage mutant heroes-in-training. This includes Wolfsbane (the Scottish character with werewolf-like transformation abilities), Magik (the younger sister of Colossus), Dani Moonstar aka Mirage, Cannonball, Sunspot, and Warlock.

According to Entertainment Weekly, sources revealed that “The New Mutants” will have a “John Hughes meets Stephen King” vibe. It was also reported that the movie is expected to begin production in July.

In other news, Joy’s “Split” co-star James McAvoy will not be reprising his role as Professor X aka Charles Xavier. The Hollywood Reporter writer Borys Kit took to Twitter to break the news. He wrote, “On NEW MUTANTS: other rumored castings – James McAvoy as Prof X – not true. He is not in movie, per sources.”

Kit also revealed that actor Nat Wolf (of “Paper Towns” fame) will not be playing Cannonball aka Samuel Zachary Guthrie.

On #NewMutants: other rumored casting – Nat Wolff as Canonball – not happening either.

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

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

Sources: Bleeding Cool, Entertainment Weekly.


Hype’s Now Playing: Snoop Dogg – California Roll (ft Stevie Wonder & Pharrell Williams)

A journey to the future with Snoop, Stevie and Pharrell.

The video for Snoop Dogg‘s “California Roll” featuring Stevie Wonder and Pharrell Williams has finally arrived. Showcasing the Snoop’s latest tribute to his home state in an elaborate time-travel vignette, the track includes vocals from Pharrell which serves as the opener to Snoop’s 13th album, “Bush”.

The video opens with moviegoers packing up a Los Angeles movie theatre in 1946, with an art deco-styled poster advertising the song’s title. As the audience take their seats, a robot comes to live and introduces himself as the pilot who will be taking them on a journey into the future.

It also includes American actress Nia Long as one of the passengers who buckles in for the adventure’s rocky start, before things get smooth, real smooth. As the scenes shifts to a black background, the video shows Pharrell, dressed in a long robe, and Stevie on a gleaming pyramid to croon about the opportunities available in California.

Snoop then join in, driving a flying yellow convertible above the pyramid-studded Hollywood Hills. The easy going track flows along with the stunning visuals punctuated by Wonder’s distinctive harmonica lines.

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


Interview: Jahi Di’Allo Winston On “Charm City Kings” & The Dirt-bike Culture

Jahi Di’Allo Winston may be relatively unknown to audiences around the world, but this young actor is slowly making his presence known in Hollywood.

The star got his first break as Young Simba in “The Lion King” broadway at the mere age of 11. After the theatre run ended in 2016, he’s been involved in several film and TV projects – including “Feed the Beast” (opposite David Schwimmer) and the Jim Jarmusch zombie satire, “The Dead Don’t Die”.

You can soon catch him in “Charm City Kings” where he plays a young boy from a poor Baltimore neighbourhood named Mouse, who longs to join a crew of amateur dirt-bike stuntmen. It is based on a story partly written by “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins and a fictional interpretation of Lotfy Nathan’s acclaimed 2013 documentary “12 O’Clock Boys”.

There’s already been rave reviews on Jahi Di’Allo Winston’s performance in this coming-of-age film. In this interview, the 17-year-old talks about how he delved into character of Mouse, the dirt-bike culture in Baltimore, and more.

Q: What was the process of getting cast at Mouse in “Charm City Kings”?

A: My agent sent me a breakdown for the role and the script, which I sort of put off reading for a little bit. But when I finally read it, I loved the simplicity of the story and yet how complex it was, as well. I went to LA to screen test. In the room in LA was where I met Donielle Tremaine Hansley “Lil Dee Dee” and Kezii Curtis who play Lamont and Sweartagawd, and that chemistry we had sort of solidified it for me, I was like, this is something special. Maybe, a week later, I got the call that they wanted me to be Mouse.

A: The chemistry between Lamont, Sweartagawd and Mouse is really the heart of the film. If those relationships don’t work then the film comes off as very contrived, manufactured and not organic at all. I think all of us knew in the room that we had something special because although we didn’t know each other before that audition, as soon as they said action, it was just magic. I think that’s the magic of getting together and all equally wanting something and wanting to do a good job at it. We carried that throughout filming the movie. We had a great time. We would go back to the hotel and play video games and laugh and talk.

Q: What did you like about Mouse as a character?

A: I liked the symbolism of it: the fact that he was sort of this minuscule being in this really large and complex world. He was literally like a mouse in the midst of this dynamic environment. It was fascinating to tell the story through his eyes. Also, the fact that he had many different facets that I could bring out and for me as an actor that was really appealing and attractive.

Q: How was Mouse’s change from being young and naïve, then falling in love, before switching to becoming a tougher character important?

A: All those things have to be there. Because we’ve all been there, at that sort of adolescent stage where we think we know everything. My goal was to convince the audience that Mouse is no different from the white suburban kid who you see in almost every other coming-of-age story. In his circumstances and systemically things are different for him, but at his core, he’s no different from any of the characters in “Stand By Me”. But society sees him as a statistic. We can change that by the way we portray this type of character and by the way we analyse who this kid is, seeing him as someone who is a fully layered, complex human being with goals and dreams, who wants validation from the girl he likes, just like every other teenage kid.

Q: What research did you do about the dirt-bike scene in Baltimore?

A: Our source of reference for the film was the “12 O’Clock Boys” documentary by Lofty Nathan. I watched it a lot of times to get accustomed to the dialect and the eccentricities of the people who live in Baltimore. And the more I did that, the better I was able to allow myself to get fully immersed into the culture of the city and its dirt-bike community. Also, us being in Baltimore every single day filming the movie was incredible. It was my first time there and it didn’t disappoint. For me, as an actor, and as an artist, I had a lot of fun being amongst the everyday Baltimore citizens, and it helped enhance my performance, for sure.

Q: Did you know a lot about dirt-bikes? Are you a fan of riding and doing stunts?

A: Not necessarily. I mean, I was hesitant before I read the script. A story involving bikes and the hood seemed like a gimmick. But when I read the script, and then found out that dirt-bike culture, which seemed mildly controversial and a taboo thing, was so loved and lauded it was really appealing to me; the love and the affection that they have for bike riding is beautiful. It’s not just a hobby for them; it’s a lifestyle. I was like, this is something that I should probably latch myself onto.

Q: And how did you latch onto the dirt-bike culture?

A: I watched a lot of YouTube videos of the kids in the city talking about bikes and their love for bikes. My dialect coach referred me to various kids who are part of the dirt bike culture in Baltimore. Dirt-bike culture is significant around the globe, but because this tale is particular to West Baltimore, I never really wanted to leave the parameters of West Baltimore. For Mouse, his everyday life is small. So, I tried to stay in the perimeters of the four blocks in West Baltimore.

Q: What did you discuss with director Angel Manuel Soto?

A: Angel and I had a lot of conversations. I spent the most time with him because we both worked every day together. We never really had any full out arguments or anything about how scenes should go, but I challenged him on some things just because I’m an actor, and I’m an artist, and I’m serious about whatever I do. For us, getting on the same page was a matter of both of us being willing to understand where the other was coming from and see that we both wanted it to be great.

Q: What was particularly memorable during the shoot?

A: Every day was memorable, but I think, overall, all of the ride scenes were memorable and stressful. Every time we did those, it was incredible being able to watch the bikers do their thing, even if sometimes it was hard to know which areas were part of our set because in Baltimore these riders are just there. I had no desire to get on a bike or learn how to ride. I was excited about being around the bikes as much as possible. I was like, “okay, y’all do your thing,” I’m here to pretend and not actually drive.

Q: You said you wanted Mouse to be just like any white suburban teenager we see in films. And this film is excellent in the way it deals with race without necessarily talking directly about race. How did you achieve that?

A: Well, I think that has more to do with our writer, Sherman Payne, director Angel and producer Caleeb Pinkett. I love that we didn’t attack race head-on because, as Caleeb says, when you’re disenfranchised, when you are poor, or impoverished in any kind of way, you’re not walking around every day thinking it’s me and my violin. You don’t even know your situation because everyone around you is experiencing the same thing. So, you don’t have any sort of idea of anything different than what your everyday experience is. Knowing that made it a lot easier because I didn’t feel like I had to come in and be didactic in any way, I was just able to be an artist and create. I hate using the word political, but every political message attached to it is there because Baltimore, in itself, is already a city that draws a lot of political opinions. And what we wanted to do is show the humanity in the town.

Q: Do you see the film as a tragedy or an uplifting tale?

A: Both. It’s all of those things. It’s supposed to be tragic and it’s supposed to be uplifting as well. I think one of the things that we were trying to do was show that not every story ends in the guy getting the girl in real life. It doesn’t happen that way. But in our film and us being artists, we are showing the what-ifs, what if it can be like this? And what if it didn’t have to end with this kid’s life being completely ruined and tragic? These communities do have a tragic element, but there’s a nuance and duality that exists there as well. And trying to find that as an artist was the most important thing. How are we able to tell the story so it’s not a woe-is-me moment and instead, makes it that people watching have a better understanding of every single person in Mouse’s situation.

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

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


#LRT: Direct Travel Between Sentul Timur & Ampang Station Begins Today (1st December)

Commuters from the Ampang and Sentul Timur LRT stations have always had the freedom to travel to and fro without interchanging at any stations, but the extension of the Sri Petaling LRT line meant that the merging system had to cease on 17th July.

Those who wanted to travel between the 2 stations had to switch trains at the often congested Chan Sow Lin station, but not anymore. According to Bernama, from today (Thursday, 1st December) onwards, you can travel directly to Ampang from Sentul Timur, or vice versa, without going through the hassle of changing rides. This is made possible due to an upgrade in the signalling system.

The system, which is technically named the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC), will be put to use for the entire Ampang and Sri Petaling Line fleet of trains. The new 6-car AMY trains, which are currently in use for the Sri Petaling Line, will also be introduced to the Ampang line, and the older Adtranz trains will be decommissioned.

Rapid Rail, the operator of the LRT lines, have also acquired 50 new trains from CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive, China, and the entire fleet will be commissioned to service the Ampang and Sri Petaling LRT lines in stages in the coming months. However, for the moment, commuters will notice a drop in the frequency of trains, as well as an increase in the waiting time in between arrivals.

During the period from 17th July until 30th November, auxiliary police personnel and Rapid KL staff have been regularly stationed at the Chan Sow Lin station to facilitate the crowd during peak hours in the morning and evening, but the introduction of the direct travel means that commuters will have a smoother ride.

For more info, visit Rapid KL’s official website and Facebook page.


#Oscars2017: FINAS Chooses Redha To Represent Malaysia In Next Year’s Awards

Redha has been chosen to represent Malaysia in next year’s Academy Awards.

The Malay movie was handpicked by Finas’ film festival committee to compete with more than 80 other foreign movies in the Best Foreign Language Film category. The Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences will then shortlist potential movies in October and proceed to announce the final 5 nominees on 24th January 2017.

“Redha” tells the tale of Danial (as played by Harith Haziq), a 6-year-old boy with autism, and the challenges faced by his family in raising him. Unfortunately, the film, which was directed by Tunku Mona Riza, did not perform well at the box office, as according to Finas, they only raked in RM498,000.

However, it was praised by critics and moviegoers. The movie also bagged the Best Female Actress (June Lojong) and the Special Jury Prize at the World International Premieres Film Festival 2016 at Manila, Philippines; the Merit Award at the Los Angeles Awareness Film Festival in America; Special Prize, nominated by the President of Tatarstan Republic, for Humanism in Cinematography; Special Prize of the Russian Guild of Cinema Critics; and Best Actor in the Full Length Feature Film (Nam Ron, Harith, and Izzy Reef) at the 12th Kazan International Muslim Film Festival 2016.

“Redha” is the 4th film that has been chosen by Finas for a place in the Oscars. Previous Best Foreign Language Film hopefuls include “Puteri Gunung Ledang” (2005), “Bunohan” (2013), and “Lelaki Harapan Dunia” (2015).

Will “Redha” be the first Malaysian movie to snag an Oscars? Guess we just gotta wait for 26th February 2017 (the day when the 89th Academy Awards are held) to know.

Sources: Cinema Online, Free Malaysia Today, Star2.


Where’s Mushu? Mulan’s Dragon Sidekick Replaced With A Phoenix

Disney debuted the teaser trailer for the live-action “Mulan” yesterday and we’re all excited for it.

Well, most of us at least. The backlash comes on the heels of the exclusion of singing and the replacement of fan favourite character, Li Shang. Another beloved character that will be replace is Mushu.

Many fans noticed the glaring absence of Mulan’s guardian dragon Mushu in the trailer and took to social media to vent their frustration. As many of you may be familiar, Mushu provided plenty of comedic relief to the 1998 animated classic.

Photos of the film’s crew – Doua Moa and Chen Tang – wearing hoodies with the the “Mulan” logo together with a phoenix motif have been circulating online.

To echo director Niki Caro’s point, this live-action film isn’t going to be a full remake of the animated movie. Instead, it’ll infuse both the Disney classic with its original source, “The Ballad of Mulan”.

As Twitter user Shawn Lee explains, “Scholars have observed analogues to the phoenix in a variety of cultures. These analogues include the Chinese Fenghuang (鳳凰) and etc. The special thing is in Chinese culture, FengHuang have two genders“.

“Phoenixes and Dragons are both famous Chinese creatures in their mythology because dragons represent men and a phoenix represent woman in China,” added another netizen. This reflects a good representation of Mulan’s journey.

“Mulan” is currently screening in cinemas.

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


#KLIA2: Kuala Lumpur’s Budget Terminal Is Sinking, According to AirAsia CEO

Oh dear, the problems are certainly “sinking in” now for KLIA2.

KLIA2, which opened in May 2014, is currently used by all LCCs (low-cost carriers) serving Kuala Lumpur except Air India Express, which operates only 4 weekly flights to Kuala Lumpur. Its latest addition was Jetstar Asia, which moved to KLIA2 on 8th July 2015.

You can imagine how busy the airport is, what with it being the hub for low-cost flights. Unfortunately, there has been recurring issues with the terminal that have raised some serious concerns.

When KLIA2 first opened in May 2014, AirAsia initially refused to move citing concerns over flight operations and security. The carrier gave in after the government said it would stop immigration and customs services at the old budget terminal. But now, the issues with KLIA2 are so obvious that cracks have started appearing in the taxiway and water forming pools that planes must drive through.

And according to AirAsia Bhd., such defects could cause flight delays, increase wear and tear on planes and pose potential safety risks.

AirAsia Bhd. CEO Aireen Omar was quoted as saying that the airport is still sinking, and though take offs and landings aren’t affected, the carrier has asked Malaysian authorities to fix the problems before passengers get hurt. She also added that although the operator, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd. (MAHB) has done some partial resurfacing, what the airport actually needs is a permanent solution.

In a separate report by The Star Online, AirAsia Bhd.’s Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes was quoted as saying:

We feel that we should have never moved in the first place. And I was right on these issues. I hope we can stop repeating these mistakes. I was really frustrated that one of our aircraft wheels have bent. And I have a picture of this on Twitter.

Tony also went on to add that such incidences would add costs to the company as a whole.

“Let’s be transparent and honest about this. Don’t continue to keep hiding and admitting what the issue is all about. Someone has got to be accountable and the board (of MAHB) has to take responsibility. We need better services,” he said.

Tony Fernandes has been quite vocal about the issues that AirAsia aircrafts and KLIA2 has been facing, and has kept his Twitter followers updated with some of his rising concerns. In case you missed it, here are some of his tweets:

The AirAsia group of airlines flew 15.2 million passengers through KLIA2 in its first year of operation, accounting for 87% of the terminal’s traffic, according to Malaysia Airports data.

According to Malaysiakini, Malaysia Airports said the depressions and ponding at KIA2 were caused by differential soil settlement in the apron and taxiway, where some of the structure is built on piling and some stands on normal ground. The settling “has been anticipated from the start of construction,” Malaysia Airports said in an e-mailed response to questions.

The airport is currently addressing the issue by patching and resurfacing problem areas and injecting polyurethane under the ground. A concrete slab to be completed by next April will provide a more permanent solution, Malaysia Airports said.

Sources: Malaysiakini, The Star Online, Centre for Aviation.


Malaysian Telcos Fined For Bad Service

How many of you have suffered “lost” conversations and abrupt end to important phone calls because your telco decides to drop you like a hot potato? How many of us have once or twice in the past once or twice this week complained about our local telcos’ calls dropping? More importantly, how many Malaysians have attempted porting from one local telco to another because of the bad service?

Well, you’ll be (sorta) relieved to hear that all three of the major local telcos – Maxis, DiGi, and Celcom, have recently been fined a whopping total of RM190,000 by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for breaching their license conditions.

Which one among the three got slapped with the heftiest fine, you ask?

DiGi was fined not one, not two, but four separate compounds amounting up to RM100,000 whereas Celcom received a fine of RM60,000 for three separate compounds. Maxis was fined RM30,000 for two separate compounds. And before you ask, “Who was the judge of this anyway?”, the compounds were issued to the telcos based on test results conducted by MCMC in several locations in Malaysia.

Upon the announcement, Dato’ Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi (Chairman of MCMC) said, “The telcos were given ample time and reminders to resolve complaints received from their customers concerning the increased occurrence of dropped calls lately. As the regulator of the industry, we have no choice but to fine them for failing to meet accepted standards and levels of service”.

Kudos to MCMC for taking charge of things!

The MCMC has slapped our local telcos once again with embarrassingly hefty fines. The stricter fines, imposed against six companies, collectively adds up to a total of almost RM1 million. Why, you ask? Due to the companies’ failure to ensure that prepaid account registrations were done right, basically.

Sounds like an honest mistake but there have been cases where individuals’ MyKad or IC numbers and names were wrongly used for registration. Thus, the telcos’ failure to ensure accurate user information in prepaid account registrations are held liable under Section 242 of Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which exists to avoid abuse of end user information.

With Celcom Axiata having had it the worst with eight fines totaling RM400,000. Ouch.

Sources: Malaysian Wireless, Digital News Asia.

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


“Identity Thief” In Cinemas 1st May

Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy pair up to lead the cast of “Identity Thief“, an all-star comedy in which a regular guy is forced to extreme measures to clear his name. With everything to lose after his identity is stolen, he’ll find out how crazed you can get trying to settle a bad credit score.

Unlimited funds have allowed Diana (played by Melissa McCarthy) to live it up on the outskirts of Orlando, where the queen of retail buys whatever strikes her fancy. There’s only one glitch: The ID she’s using to finance these sprees reads “Sandy Bigelow Patterson” – and it belongs to an accounts rep (played by Jason Bateman) who lives halfway across the U.S. in Denver.

Accused of a litany of crimes, the innocent man attempts to defend himself to police that are just as hamstrung and overworked as they are disinterested in his protestations. Left with just one option, the real Sandy Bigelow Patterson must head south to track her down himself.

With only one week to hunt down the con artist before his world implodes, Sandy hits the road to confront the woman with an all-access pass to his life. And as he attempts to bribe, coax and wrangle her the 2,000 miles to Colorado, one easy target will discover just how tough it is to get your name back:

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

“Identity Thief” will be released in a cinema near you on 1st May 2013 (Wednesday).

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


You Can Opt To Receive Syabas Water Bills Via Email From 2018 Onwards

Now that more and more people have opted to settle their bills through electronic paying methods, you can also do so with your future Syabas water bills.

Starting from 1st January 2018 onwards, Syabas (Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor) will be implementing their new online service where the public can receive their monthly water bill notification via email. This method will no doubt be more convenient to the general public.

Here are the benefits of getting your water bill via email:

To enjoy the new service, users are required the relevant information on Syabas’ Online Consumer Service Portal here.


#DurianKingTTDI: The “Black Thorn” Durian Is The King-est Of Them All!

This year’s durian season is definitely merrier with the arrival of the “Black Thorn” durian.

Also known as Ochee, the “Black Thorn” with its complex flavour, is one of the most hyped durians and supply is limited to a few stalls. Erik Ong, of “Durian King TTDI” has been smiling from ear to ear. His business is booming since connoisseurs are able to expand their palates beyond the usual crowd favourites, “Musang King” and “D24”.

Ong said that as far as durian lovers are concerned, the “Black Thorn”, with its distinct taste and seasonal varieties, is a “must have”. He said. “Although Musang King is one of the favourites among the people, the Black Thorn has a uniqueness that simply mesmerises the taste buds. It has an extremely creamy and thick orange-tinted flesh,” he said at his newly-opened durian stall at the Pasar Besar TTDI car park.

The “Durian King TTDI” stall was opened on Friday (26th June) after he received a consignment of 800kg of “Black Thorn” durians from Kedah.

“Now, I have just 200kg left for today’s sale. A kilogramme of the ‘Black Thorn’ is priced between RM35 and RM40, depending on the market,” he added.

In conjunction with the opening of his new stall, Ong gave away more than one tonne of durians daily for 3 days since Friday. This included the famous “Musang King”, “D24”, and “Udang Merah”.

“We ordered more than a tonne of various types of durian for each day. If you are lucky, you may get the ‘Black Thorn’,” he said, adding that the “first-come-first serve” event began at 8pm daily and continued as long as stocks last.

He also offered his customers a chance to win luxury holiday trips to Langkawi. All they had to do is upload a snapshot of themselves at the event to Instagram with hashtag #duriankingttdi.

The customer with the most number of likes, wins.

For more information, visit Durian King TTDI’s Facebook page.

Source: Bernama via FMT / Featured image from FMT.

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


The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – Plot, Cast & Character Details Explained

Let us take you back to a time before comic-book films completely dominated the film industry. A time when every studio was trying to find the next “Harry Potter” series. Oh yes, the Age of the YA Novel Film Adaptations. It inspired studios to go for cinematic adaptations like “The Divergent Series”, “The Maze Runner Trilogy” and “The Percy Jackson” films. For every mildly successful YA novel adaptation, there was a slew of mediocre ones that never took off like “The Host”, “Mortal Instruments: City of Bones”, “Ender’s Game”, “I Am Number 4” and on and on it goes. While never quite reaching the glorious peak of the “Harry Potter” saga, there was a time during the early 2010s when “The Hunger Games” film franchise was a household name. The story of a poor girl who inspired a revolution through her performance in a sadistic, pageant/battle royale. Truly, it was the last great YA film franchise.

Well if you were fans of books or films, we’ve got some great news for you! Come 2023, you’ll once again get to witness all the drama, beauty and brutality of the Hunger Games with the upcoming prequel to 2012’s “The Hunger Games”. Introducing “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”. We’re here to break down the plot, characters, actors and everything you need to know about the film!

The film is set 64 years before the events of “The Hunger Games” and follows the story of a young Coriolanus “Coryo” Snow. For those that may be forgotten, President Snow, played by Donald Sutherland, is the twisted mastermind Katniss Everdeen battled against throughout the franchise. A ruthless politician who knew exactly how to get under Katniss’ skin. In “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” though, we see a very different version of Snow, or should we say Coryo. Once the son of a wealthy family before becoming orphaned after the war that shaped Panem. Through his exceptional performance at the Academy, an elite school in the Capitol, he was chosen to be a mentor to a tribute from District 12, a young, beautiful singer named Lucy Gray Baird.

Together, the two of them would triumph through the tenth Hunger Games and form a strong bond. Along the way though, Coryo finds himself being corrupted by the world around him, namely by the Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul. A flamboyant and wicked woman who has an odd use for colourful snakes that we won’t spoil (it’s pretty nasty). The title of the film, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is an allusion to the story of Coryo’s divided allegiances. His lover Lucy Gray, who is part of a travelling group of musicians called the Covey, represents the songbird. Both as a symbol of her love for music and freedom. Birds, such as the Mockingjay, have often represented symbols of resistance and freedom throughout the franchise.

On the other hand, there are the snakes which represents the darker side of Coryo’s nature, one that is fostered by the cruel realities of the Capitol and Gaul’s cynical view of the world. Snow’s greatest trial in the film will come when he’s confronted with a rebel conspiracy by one of his best friends, Sejanus Plinth. A friend whom Coryo has a complicated relationship with. The choices Coryo makes throughout the film will forever shape the future of Panem and define his totalitarian rule as the vicious President Snow. There are a lot more juicy bits we won’t spoil but if you’re hungry to get more details on the plot of the film, you can check our Suzanne Collins’ book of the same name.

Before he was the white-haired monster of the series, Coryo in “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” was quite a dashing young man with golden, yellow hair. This portrayal of the character will be brought to life by Tom Blyth, who played Archie Baldwin in HBO’s “The Gilded Age”. Much like Tom Sturridge from “The Sandman”, he’s a relative unknown but we’re hoping to see great things from the man. Coryo’s protege and eventual lover, Lucy Gray Baird is played by Rachel Zegler who played Maria Vasquez in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” and will be appearing in 2023’s “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”. Hunter Schafer will also be joining the cast as Tigris Snow, who is a cousin and friend to Coryo.

The main antagonist of the film, Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul will be played by Viola Davis, who played Amanda Waller in 2021’s “The Suicide Squad” and “Peacemaker”. We think the actress is a perfect fit for the role and we can’t wait to see her brutally educate young Coryo on the nature of power and the necessity of the Hunger Games. Actor Josh Andres Rivera will be playing the role of Sejanus Plinth, the secret rebel plotting to bring down the Capitol and end the barbaric practice of the games.  Another one of Coryo’s friends, and rivals, is Clemensia Dovecote who is played by Ashley Liao in the Disney film “Secret Society of Second-Born Royals”.  While friendly at first, their relationship in the film will eventually prove to be quite…venomous.

Oh and surprise, surprise Peter Dinklage, who played Tyrion in “Game of Thrones”, also be appearing in the film as Casca Highbottom. The creator of the Hunger Games and principal of the Academy in which Coryo attends. Throughout the novel, Highbottom makes no secret of his dislike of Coryo. This is due to Coryo’s father, Crassus Snow, making Highbottom’s joke idea of a punishment into a nightmarish dystopic reality.  As fans of the series, we’re thrilled about finally being able to see how the Hunger Games came to be and the minds behind the practice.

As of now, the film is set for release in November 2023. The film will be distributed by Lionsgate and will be directed by Francis Lawrence, who directed “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and “Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” and “Part 2”.

Stay tuned for more updates on the upcoming film!


Bryan Singer’s #XMen Universe Rumoured To End With “Apocalypse” & “Wolverine 3”

While Bryan Singer‘s “X-Men” series has been lauded as one of the best superhero series in recent times, it has been rumoured that “X-Men: Apocalypse” and “Wolverine 3” will be the last movies to have any connections with the universe conceptualised by Singer.

#RUMOR I’m being told that X-MEN: APOCALYPSE & WOLVERINE 3 will mark the end of the Bryan Singer X-MEN universe he started back in 2000. Makes sense since Hugh Jackman also said Wolverine 3 will be his last film playing Logan. The end of an era. #XMEN #APOCALYPSE #Wolverine #bryansinger #HughJackman

A photo posted by Umberto Gonzalez (@umbertogonzalez) on Apr 28, 2015 at 9:01am PDT

The rumour originated from Umberto Gonzalez, who is a former Latino Review reporter. He stated that the 2 aforementioned movies will “mark the end of the Bryan Singer X-Men universe he started back in 2000”, which could mean 2 things: Singer will either step down as director, or any links to the movies directed or produced by him will be completely wiped off the slate.

If 20th Century Fox does indeed intent for the series to start anew, it is possible that it will still have links to “X-Men: First Class”, which was meant to be a soft reboot of the franchise.

Hugh Jackman has previously announced that “X-Men: Apocalypse” will be his last appearance as Wolverine. In addition, Jennifer Lawrence admitted in an interview with “MTV News” that she will be leaving the series. The departures seemed to be a foreshadow of the unconfirmed claims.

“X-Men: Apocalypse” will also bring in a huge bunch of new and young casts, such as Olivia Munn, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Sophie Turner. Meanwhile, Ian Mckeller, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Bryne, and Lucas Till will be reprising their roles.

Singer has directed “X-Men”, “X-2”, “X-Men: First Class”, “X-Men: Days of Future Past“, and will also be directing the upcoming “X-Men: Apocalypse”.

“X-Men: Apocalypse” is slated to play in cinemas on 27th May 2016.

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