Concert Review: Jam Hsiao Brought The Rain & Entertained Fans With Power Vocals

It has been said that whenever and wherever Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰) appears, rain will follow.

And while rain poured heavily all over Kuala Lumpur, the heat kept on rising inside Axiata Arena – the place where Hsiao (also nicknamed as the Rain God by fans) held his “Mr. Entertainment” world tour last weekend.

The Taiwanese singer opened the show with a series of powerful ballads such as “Golden Love” (纯⾦打造) and “How To Say I Don’t Love You” (怎麼說我不愛你). Besides his unique vocals, we were also impressed with the majestic stage set up and the use of classical musicians.

Just when we thought Hsiao was ready to take a little break, he quickly changed his clothes and continued to wow the crowd with another 3 of his mega hits – “Pi Nang” (⽪囊), “The Prince’s New Clothes” (王⼦的新⾐), as well as “I Really Want To Say” (好像对你说).

The Taiwanese Golden Melody Award-winning singer also told fans that he specially selected “Melody” as a gift to them. But little does he know that his fans have prepared a little surprise of their own for him.

During his performance of “Endless Love” (新不了情), the crowd lifted up their phones with the torches on, and waved to the song’s romantic rhythm. Needless to say, the whole stadium looked like a sky full of stars, and it was a breathtaking sight.

Aside from having a set of killer pipes, Hsiao is also famed for his humourous personality and silly antics. He jokingly told the crowd that Malaysian regulation has gotten stricter.

“I was told that I would get caught if I wore short pants at my concert,” he quipped. “Also, I might get locked up for a month if I show off my bare chest!” That only drew more screams from concert-goers.

According to Hsiao, “Mr. Entertainment” is his most special concert yet. He even prepared a video presentation of how he came to become one of the “Kings” of Mandopop. At the end of the video, he offered a word of encouragement to himself and that emotional exchange made fans a little teary-eyed.

Right before the encore, Hsiao sang “The Song” from one of his albums of the same name. At one point, he suddenly stopped and continued the song without using the microphone. We don’t know about the others, but we could hear him singing acapella from where we sat. Impressive much ;)

Hsiao ended the night with a familiar playlist, which includes “Princess” (王妃), “Romance Of Alocasia” (海芋恋)，”Loving Dearly” (疼爱)，as well as “A-Fei’s Little Butterfly” (阿⻜的⼩蝴蝶).

We felt his strong passion throughout his concert. We loved how Hsiao interacted with his fans and the way he performed each song with a theatrical flair that is unique only to him. That’s why in our books, he’s one of the few performers who genuinely enjoys performing on stage.


Brian Joo x New Heights Live in KL!

You already know by now that YouTube sensations New Heights are headed our way for their first ever Malaysian performance (Yay!).  But today, the news gets bigger. And better!

Our friends from M.E Malaysia just announced that Korean popstar, Brian Joo will be joining New Heights as the guest artist for the band’s performance, “Summer of New Heights” First Live in Kuala Lumpur at Bentley Music Auditorium,Mutiara Damansara:

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

Brian Joo and New Heights met last summer while the former embarked on “Unveiled” tour in the United States. They then collaborated for a track called “Nightmare” which was released via New Heights’ album, “Something to Believe In“. “Summer of New Heights” First Live in Kuala Lumpur will be the first time they’re performing together on the same stage.

Also, due to popular demand, an additional second show has been added to the roster. Deets are as follows:

Date : 13th July 2012 (Friday) | 8PM Onwards

Venue: Bentley Music Auditorium, Mutiara Damansara

Opening Act : Once Upon a Time There Was a Sausage Named BOB

General Zone – RM 65 (show only) VIP Zone – RM 95 (Priority Entry, Autograph Session)

PREMIUM ZONE – Limited (Reheasal Pass, Priority Entry, Autograph Session)

Date: 15th July 2012 (Sunday) | 7PM Onwards

Venue : Bentley Music Auditorium, Mutiara Damansara

General Zone – RM 65 (show only), Premium Zone : RM 180 (Priority Entry, Meet & Greet Access)

Golden Access Zone : RM 380 Limited (Reheasal Pass, Backstage Pass, Lunch Invite with Artiste, Meet & Greet Access, 1st Row Seating, Priority Entry)

Meet & Greet Session will be on the same day at 4PM for Premium and Golden Access pass holders.

For more information, hit up M.E Malaysia’s Facebook page and remember to LIKE New Heights while you’re at it.

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Syed Saddiq Leads 30 Youth Icons In Effort To Change “Old Politics” Landscape

Muar MP Syed Saddiq recently held a closed meeting with a number of 30 youth icons across the nation. He’s determined to change the traditional politics and has expressed the need to shed the race-centric and old-fashioned style of political landscape in the country.

In speaking to Utusan Malaysia, Syed Saddiq shared that the meeting, titled Rundingan Muda Malaysia (Malaysian Youth Negotiation), aimed to create awareness on the younger generation’s involvement in national politics, regardless of cultural background and skin colour.

“These 30 people consist of individuals with various career backgrounds and experiences, including an agronomist from Sabah. The session went well, but we are still yet to discuss on establishing a (political) party. This was just a meeting to brainstorm ideas. There will be follow-up discussions with many more groups of young people,” said Syed Saddiq.

Meanwhile, the politician also argued that the country’s political perception are still dominated by “recycled” leaders. According to him, “They want new faces, with enough trust and integrity to lead the country. And as we can see, while we are striving for the rights of the Malay people, we still cannot compromise on this matter.”

Hendak seribu daya, tak mahu sejuta dalih.

The time is now. Masa untuk ambil alih. pic.twitter.com/ufnwQqy9Qx

— Syed Saddiq (@SyedSaddiq) September 1, 2020

He added, “For example, we can see that one-fourth of the population in Sabah are still living in poverty. Who will fight for their rights? That is why we need to give young people the opportunity to solve our country’s problems, without bringing up any racial and religious sentiments.”

Previously, the news outlet reported that seven public figures participated in a meeting with the former Youth and Sports minister. Among them include former Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) CEO, Jalil Rasheed, Muslim preacher, PU Rahmat Ikhsan, as well as the Rhodes Scholarship recipient, Ezzaty Hasbullah.


The Phantom Of The Opera Musical Is Coming To KL Next Year

Mark your calendars, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” will be premiering in Malaysia next year.

The cast of the award-winning musical is schedule to take place at Istana Budaya, starting from 15th June 2019 onwards, for a limited time. You may remember reading “The Phantom of the Opera” in school or watching the film adaptations, but experiencing it in person is going to be exceptional.

Said to be the longest running show in Broadway history, “The Phantom of the Opera” celebrated its 13,000th performance at the start of this year and also 30 years of entertainment under its belt.

With over 70 major theatre awards, including 7 Tony’s on Broadway and 4 Olivier Awards in the West End, Malaysian fans will finally get to witness the awesome musical show for the first time on our local shores.

“The Phantom of the Opera” will feature 37-strong international cast along with a full 12-piece live orchestra. Music fans can expect iconic songs such as “Think of Me”, “Angel of Music”, “Music of the Night”, “All I Ask Of You”, and of course, “The Phantom of the Opera”.

Based on the classic novel Le Fantome de L’Opera by Gaston Leroux, “The Phantom of the Opera” revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé, who becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius (known as the Phantom) living in the subterranean labyrinth beneath the Paris Opéra House.

Brought to you by Lunchbox Productions, BASE Entertainment Asia and TEG Dainty, the details to “The Phantom of the Opera” are as follows:

Tickets are now on sale via TicketCharge.

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7 Promotions To Look Out For At The Big Bad Wolf Online Book Sale 2020

The annual Big Bad Wolf Book Sale is back again in Malaysia and will be held from the 4th till the 11th of November 2020. This 8-day book sale fiesta is now launching a new e-commerce platform to make our book purchasing experience much more accessible, convenient and efficient during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Readers can now browse and purchase over 40,000 book titles and have all their favourite picks delivered right to the doorstep! Additionally, the sale also offers discounts up to 90% off the recommended retail prices. While that’s already such good news, you’ll be even happier to know that the world’s biggest book sale is also gifting readers with many other discounts and vouchers as well!

Check out the full list of exciting promotions here:

This promotion is valid for all of Big Bad Wolf’s online sale visitors who want to purchase books under the ‘Horrible Books’ category. Customers will need to select 3 books from this category to activate the promotion. There is no limit to the number of times this promotion can be activated.

2. WHITE STAR CLASSIC FAIRY TALES – BUY ANY 2 FOR THE PRICE OF ONE

This promotion is also valid for all of Big Bad Wolf’s online sale visitors. For the promotion to be valid customers need to select two books under the ‘White Star Classic Fairy Tales’ category. The promotion for this category is like a real life fairy tale in itself as customers will need to only pay for the price of one book! It should be noted that the free book will be for the book with the lower price.

3. MAGICAL DEALS – BUY 3 FREE 2 + BUY 2 FREE 1

These two promotions are available for purchases under the ‘Magical Books’ category. Customers can buy 2 books and get 1 free or even buy 3 books and get 2 free. However, the free book(s) will be applied to the book with the lowest price. There will be no limit to the number of titles that can be purchased under this promotion.

4. 8-IN-1 CHRISTMAS BOARD GAME BOOK – RM 5 DISCOUNT COUPON

This 8-in-1 board game book is the perfect seasonal gift for your loved ones! This interactive book has 8 Christmas activities that you can enjoy with your family and friends during this festive time. The original retail price of the book is RM112.50, however Big Bad Wolf has gifted us with a massive discount and brought the price down to just RM25!

And guess what, there’s more! Readers can also use the  promo code ‘XMASBOOK’ to get an additional RM5 off their purchase.

For all purchases with a minimum total of RM80, Big Bad Wolf’s online sale visitors can use the code ‘BBWRM5OFF’ to receive RM5 off their orders. Do note that only one promo code can be applied at a time for each transaction and stacking of multiple promo codes is not allowed.

For this coupon offer, customers can obtain a 10% discount for every purchase that has a minimum total of RM300. Once this minimum value is reached all you need to do is use the promo code ‘BBW10%OFF’ before checking out and completing your order. Do note that only one promo code can be applied at a time for each transaction and stacking of multiple promo codes is not allowed.

Last but not least, the Big Bad Wolf Book Virtual Sale is also offering free shipping for orders above RM180! However, this offer is only valid for order and deliveries situated within Peninsular Malaysia. A promo code is not required for this offer, as it will automatically be applied to orders above the minimum value of RM180 before checking out.

Make sure to use all the applicable promos for your purchases at this year’s Big Bad Wolf Online Book Sale! Thanks to the sale’s new e-commerce website, and also these awesome promotions, book lovers can now conveniently fill up their personal libraries while also saving more.

We can’t wait to sit back and enjoy a good read with these brand new books!

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#Johor: Man Discovers Teenager’s Body Chopped Up In Plastic Bags

Oh dear, the chopped up body of a teenage boy was found concealed in 5 separate plastic bags in a house in Tangkak, Johor.

The house owner immediately alerted the authorities upon discovering a severed foot while clearing the yard of his Kampung Kesang Laut home yesterday (Sunday, 6th November) at about 3:15pm.

“The 5 plastic bags containing body parts were found in a drain near the house while the head was discovered a few metres away, buried in the ground,” said Tangkak district police chief Superintendent Mohad Idris Samsuri.

“The victim is believed to be a male youth who may have been murdered at another location. Based on the condition of his remains, he may have been murdered 3 days ago,” Supt Mohad Idris was quoted as saying.

According to reports, the identity of the victim is to be identified. The case is currently being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.


(UPDATE) #Uber: Pregnant Mum Robbed By Driver, Lodges Police Report

A word of caution to ride-hailing passengers: Be careful when you hitch a ride from a stranger.

Facebook user Eddy Ong recently took to Facebook to share his encounter with a female victim who was robbed. According to him, the lady passenger was abandoned by the side of the road after being robbed by her Uber driver.

According to reports, the pregnant woman had book an Uber ride to Puchong Jaya from Mid Valley at approximately 9:30pm on Sunday (21st May). To her horror, she was threatened at knifepoint when the vehicle arrived at One Puchong business centre. She was then forced to hand over her valuable belongings.

Eddy Ong was driving past a road junction when he noticed the female victim waving frantically at him; asking for help. The lady shared that she frequently relies on Uber for transportation around the city and never thought such a terrifying incident would happen to her.

Serdang Deputy OCPD Supt Lee Wai Leong has since confirmed the robbery. “We have obtained information on the suspect and driver and are tracing them,” he was quoted as saying.

You can read Eddy Ong’s Facebook post here:

As at time of writing, the Facebook post has been shared more than 6700 times. Several netizens have reached out and suggested for riders to review the Uber driver’s ratings before hitching a ride. Uber has yet to respond to the above news.

What do y’all think? How can we be more careful when hitching a ride from a ride-sharing app?

Uber is unable to comment on the aforementioned case at the moment, but we did receive a response from the company.

“We are unable to comment on this specific case given that it is an ongoing investigation. We are cooperating with the authorities with their investigation and would like to assure the public takes safety very seriously.

“We facilitate millions of rides in Malaysia every week and even 1 incident like this is 1 too many. Please know that we work continuously to improve, so that riders get from point A to B safely, reliably and affordably each time.”

The Uber driver responsible for robbing a pregnant passenger on 21st May, has been apprehended.

According to The Star, the 22-year-old suspect from Kedah was arrested on Wednesday (24th May) at the Pagoh R&R in Johor after the police force was successful in tracing his whereabouts. He is currently being investigated under armed robbery and will be remanded until 31st May.

Serdang deputy OCPD Supt Lee Wai Leong also revealed that the suspect had a previous criminal record.

Sources: Eddy Ong’s Facebook via Lowyat forum, The Star, China Press.

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SF9’s LIVE FANTASY #2 UNIXERSE Concerts In KL, Singapore, and Jakarta Postponed

Seems like K-pop fans just can’t catch a break today.

Only hours after the news of Wknd Fest being postponed until further notice, more bad news came in the form of SF9’s concert.

[NOTICE] ‘2019 SF9 LIVE FANTASY #2 UNIXERSE’, which was scheduled on August 23rd in Jakarta, August 25th in Singapore, September 8th in Kuala Lumpur will be postponed due to the local promoter's insufficient preparation.

— Malaysian Kpop Fans (MKF) (@msiakpopfans) August 19, 2019

The K-pop boy group was about to hold their first concert in Malaysia, Singapore, and Jakarta but unfortunately, it seems that fault lies with the local promoters.

Fans were understandably upset about it, considering how the show was only less than 20 days away.

I heard about the SF9 situation in Jakarta, Malaysia and Singapore. Virtual hugs coming out to all the Fantasies affected by this #SF9 pic.twitter.com/3qU8ncKePf

— Kain~ (@Pollux_Kalamity) August 19, 2019

I can’t believe what I feared the most happened, I won’t see SF9 in KL 😭😭😭

— LoveWFantasyForeverP1ecedOnOHwangdo&UMinracle (@farfarlovesnu) August 19, 2019

Hang in there, Fantasies! Hopefully there will be another chance to see your oppas again.

This is the 4th K-pop event of the year to be canceled, and the second one of the day! Looks like 2019 just doesn’t seem to be a good one for K-pop fans….


Hype’s Now Playing: ZHU – Cocaine Model

“If you give me what I want, I’ll give it to you right back.”

Watching the growth and development of ZHU has become just as entertaining, fun and as enjoyable as listening to his work. Carefully crafted and thought out, ZHU recently released the new music video from his “NightDay” EP.

Following up to the announcement that he would be crafting a special “After Hours” mix on BBC Radio 1, the enigmatic producer has shared the video for “Cocaine Model” which makes for the fourth music video in his “NightDay” saga.

The video for “Cocaine Model” was shot during New York Fashion Week and features familiar New York runway fixtures including Shaun Ross and uses tastefully cut, high-end, avant-garde style cues that symbolises the “more-than-just-music” approach of the ZHU project.

Teasing fans a little more, the final 40 seconds of the video serves as a preview to some of the brand new ZHU music fans can expect to be played during his BBC Radio 1 mix on May 15th (Friday).

Watch the video for “Cocaine Model” here:

Keep up with ZHU via his social media platforms: Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Japan-based Malaysian Filmmaker To Make A Film Based On His GE14 Experience

Japan-based Malaysian director Lim Kah Wai is a well-known name in Japan as he has spent most of his life making films in the country.

Having stayed in Osaka, Japan for more than 25 years, the director recently graced the launch of Malaysia’s Japan Film Festival 2018 (JFF 2018) where some of his best works will be screened at the event.

During the launch, the director revealed that he plans to make a film based on his personal experience during the recent 14th Malaysian General Election.

“I do plan on making some Malaysian movies, especially after the recent election. The one I currently have in mind is not going to be focusing on the election completely but it is related to it,” Lim told Hype Malaysia at GSC Pavilion.

According to Lim, this will be his first ever Malaysian production film, and the concept will be about his journey during the election period where he worked as a Poll and Counting Agent (PACA) volunteer in Pahang.

“During the election, I volunteered to be a PACA in a small village in Pahang. I met many other PACAs from KL and other states. On the journey to Pahang, we had a lot of interesting conversations and something interesting even happened in the village,” Lim explained.

Lim refused to reveal the content of the conversation but he believes that it will be an interesting concept. “You’ll know what it’s about when it comes out.”

So far, Lim said that he is still in early scriptwriting process and he will be looking for producers for the film. “It’s not going to be a huge budget film, just a simple story that takes place during the election period.”

As a Malaysian residing in Japan, Lim’s films often reflect himself as most of them are usually about a foreigner in a different country. “Most of my films focuses on strangers in unfamiliar lands. So there’s a lot of cross-cultural elements, culture shock and conflicts in terms of communication and language barrier.”

He recently wrapped up his latest movie titled “Somewhen, Somewhere”, which follows an Asian girl who travels to Balkan Peninsula in Serbia and her encounters with the people and culture there.

His films “New World” and “Fly Me to Minami”, which are part of JFF 2018 line-up, also follow similar themes.

After “Somewhen, Somewhere”, Lim will start working on his next project, which will be a follow-up to “New World” and “Fly Me to Minami”. The film will be the 3rd instalment and last film of the Lim’s trilogy. The shooting will take place this Winter (mid-December) in Osaka.

“New World” and “Fly Me to Minami” will be shown in GSC Nu Sentral on Saturday, 8th September at 2:40pm and 4:50pm respectively.


BLVD House: “Crazy Rich Asians” Filming Spot Shut Down After 4 Years

Oh no! Local fancy restaurant BLVD House, one of the shooting locations for the iconic movie “Crazy Rich Asians”, had ceased its operations earlier this month after 4 years.

The sad news was announced via its official social media accounts, where they shared that the restaurant had officially closed its doors on 5th June 2020. However, the American eatery didn’t reveal any specific details on the reason behind its closure.

BLVD House is officially closing it’s doors today . We thank you for your support since we opened four years ago; thank you for letting us fill your bellies whilst you filled our hearts. We wish you every happiness and success, and we hope to cross paths with you again ❤ . Farewell our dear friends ✨ . #BLVDHouse

A post shared by  BLVD HOUSE (@blvdhouse) on Jun 5, 2020 at 2:41am PDT

“BLVD House is officially closing its doors today. We thank you for your support since we opened four years ago; thank you for letting us fill your bellies whilst you filled our hearts. We wish you every happiness and success, and we hope to cross paths with you again. Farewell, our dear friends,” they wrote on the caption.

As aforementioned, BLVD House was featured in this particular scene (video below) involving our very own Henry Golding (who starred in the 2018 film as the character Nick Young) and Constance Wu (Rachel Chu).

Prior to this, BLVD House was a notable spot for all kinds of social gatherings. Some of its signature menus include Fish & Chips, Pan Seared Salmon, Roasted Chicken and Duck Leg Confit, just to name a few.

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Adrian Teh & Hairul Azreen On Their Strong Bond In Netflix’s “Pasal Kau!”

Adrian Teh is back with another film, a Netflix Original “Pasal Kau!”, which won’t be an all-serious flick like his previous works “Wira” and “PASKAL”, but a romantic comedy with a hint of action.

Despite shifting to a lighter genre, the “Wira” director kept the action-star Hairul Azreen as his leading actor for the third consecutive time.

Certain directors have preferred actors who they will opt for whenever they can. Since all 3 Malay films directed by Adrian has Hairul as the main actor, there might be a special bond or shared work values between these two.

“I enjoy working with him, I think he’s a very professional actor. If you look at the path he’s been through with me from ‘PASKAL’ to ‘Wira’, the commitment he put into each role shows that he’s a committed actor,” the Penang filmmaker told us. He went on to say that Hairul brings a good aura to the others on set and is naturally a “funny guy” off set.

On the other side, the “PASKAL” actor said, “I gave my full cooperation because of our leader, Adrian Teh. He is punctual, disciplined, visionary and wants to bring up the Malaysian Filming Industry. I took the opportunity to do the same thing myself, so we both can bring it up together. That’s our goal.”

While it’s no doubt that the pair enjoy working together, the director’s opinion on his new female lead, Janna Nick, is also clear-cut. He confirmed that the script was written with Janna Nick in mind because he wanted a heroine that has the right elements to carry out the role.

“Pasal Kau!”, which is Adrian Teh’s first Malay romantic comedy, will be available globally on Netflix from 1st October 2020.


Thai Man Slashes Woman’s Throat After She Complained That He Was Bad At Sex

Honesty is always the best policy. But what if it gets you killed?

In the southern Songkhla province of Thailand, an unfortunate Thai woman was murdered after she complained that her partner’s bedroom skills “sucked”. She was found dead at a rubber plantation near Prawk Suwan Canal 3 days later.

Natthan Raknui, 23, and Jiraporn Theppaya, 22, first got acquainted on Facebook in July. After flirting for a couple of weeks on the social media site, the pair decided to meet up in person. On 12th August (Saturday), Natthan travelled from Phatthalung province to Songkhla on a public van.

Since the both of them could not afford to rent a hotel room, they decided to simply have sex in public. Natthan was seen ridding on Jiraporn’s motorbike to a rubber plantation. There, they had their sexual intercourse. The incident was captured on the CCTV footage obtained by the police.

Natthan confessed that he was overcome with anger when Jiraporn remarked that his sex skills were bad. After slitting her throat, he rode off on her bike and later sold it for THB7,000 (RM900). The police was able to track him down when he checked in on Facebook at Pabon Reservoir in Phatthalung.

The man who “sucked at sex” is currently charged for murder and theft.

Source: Coconuts via Lowyat Forum/ Featured image: Manager.


#TheWolfman: Universal Monster Movie Gets A Reboot

Now, if you are not satisfied with the previous reboot of “The Wolfman“, then here’s a piece of good news – Universal Pictures is now developing a new Wolfman movie for their Monsters Shared Universe!

First released in 1941, “The Wolfman” is one of the classic monsters films that had a great deal of influence of Hollywood’s depictions of the monster tales. Universal Pictures remade the film in 2010 but the film received mixed average reviews, with the president of Universal Studios regarding it as “one of the worst movies they’ve ever made ”

But now, it looks like the the studio is trying to set things right as Deadline has reported that “Prisoners” screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski will be writing the script for the reboot of “The Wolfman”.

The news came on heels of the previous announcement about an upcoming monster film that is scheduled for release on 21st April 2017. However, Universal Pictures has only confirmed that “The Mummy” will get a reboot on 24th June 2016 and it will be directed by Alex Kurtzman based on Jon Spaiths’ screenplay.

Director Roberto Orci was originally slated to produce a reboot of “The Mummy” and “Van Helsing” with Kurtzman but it was later announced that he has already left the franchise. It is not known whether Tom Cruise is attached to play the title role. It was also reported that “Fargo” TV series creator Noah Hawley is set to write one of the Universal monster movies.

No further details have been revealed about the reboot of “The Wolfman” yet but who do you think should join the cast of the film? Share us your thoughts in the comments box below! ;)

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#Dystopia: Megadeth To Rock Out In Malaysia Come 4th May 2017

One of the world’s top heavy metal bands credited with popularising the genre, Megadeth, is finally coming to Malaysia!

After a much-anticipated wait, Megadeth’s debut performance in Kuala Lumpur – organised by IME Malaysia – will see the band rock Stadium Negara on Thursday, 4th May 2017 at 8pm.

Founded in 1983, Megadeth virtually gave birth to a genre when their debut release became recognised as the “Greatest Thrash Metal Debut Album of All Time”.

“Kuala Lumpur is somewhere I’ve always wanted to hit when we’ve been trekking through Asia,” co-founder and front man Dave Mustaine was quoted saying in an interview recently. “They’re going to let us bring our brand of metal music, it’s really rewarding,” he added.

For the past 3 decades, Megadeth has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, earning numerous accolades including 12 Grammy nominations and scoring 5 consecutive platinum albums.

The tour is in support of their latest album “Dystopia”, their 1st album in 3 years and their 15th album to date. Rock critics and fans around the world are hailing “Dystopia” as a triumphant return from one of the most important bands in the scene.

The album earned a Grammy nomination for “Best Metal Performance” in 2017.

With 49,000 units sold in its first week of release, Dystopia took the #3 spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart alongside Adele and Justin Bieber. It’s the highest charting album for the band since 1992’s “Countdown to Extinction” which peaked at #2 on the chart. “Dystopia” was listed as one of the “20 Best Metal Albums of 2016” by Rolling Stone magazine.

The current Megadeth line up comprises of Dave Mustaine on vocals and guitar, David Ellefson on bass, guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and drummer Dirk Verbeuren.

Tickets to Megadeth Live in Malaysia are priced at RM428 (Deth Pitt Zone, Free Standing), RM388 (VIP, Numbered Seat), RM358 (Rock Zone, Free Standing), RM288 (CAT1, Numbered Seat) and RM198 (CAT2, Free Seating).

Tickets are available via TicketCharge online or the hotline +603-92228811 starting from 10th February 2017, 11am onwards. Fans also can purchase ticket at selected outlets for Speedy video, Victoria Music, Rock Corner, Chambers Music, PJ Live Arts, the information counter at The Mines shopping mall, and 1 Shamelin. Or outstation outlets such as Eden Ultimate (Kuantan) and Blonde Brunette (Penang).

All ticket prices are inclusive of 6% GST but exclusive of the RM4 processing fee.

For information, hit up IME Asia’s Facebook page or Twitter.


Philips AquaTrio Cordless 9000 Series Review: This Baby Can Vacuum & Mop, Then Clean Itself!

When shopping for a vacuum cleaner, people tend to look for a vacuum-mop combo. It’s not only hassle-free but also time-saving. In this day and age, who really has the time to carry out the 3-step process of sweeping, vacuuming and then mopping? Nope, thank you next.

When it comes to multitasking, the Philips AquaTrio Cordless Vacuum & Wash 9000 Series XW9383 is a stick vacuum that comes with mopping as well as handheld function. While this isn’t something new in the market, this model is the first Philips model that is able to self clean. So we were really keen on testing out just how well this cleaning system really performs.

The Philips AquaTrio Cordless 9000 Series has 2 vacuum cleaners. One that mops and vacuum simultaneously and one that can only vacuum. The huge box comes with all the necessary accessories and attachments as seen in the image when we placed all the contents on the floor.

There is the separate vacuum cleaner rod for vacuuming and mopping. The mopping stick is attached to 2 water tanks (the lower tank stores clean water, while the bigger one is the dirty tank), and is used with the AquaSpin nozzle that contains 2 ultra-soft microfiber Power Brushes. Meanwhile, the vacuum stick goes with the vacuum brush – that can swap for the mini turbo brush for pet hair or the crevice tool for vacuuming hard-to-reach places. Everything can be neatly stored together on the stand provided, which also does some cleaning, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

Using the Philips AquaTrio Cordless 9000 Series is fairly easy. The control setting has 2 power modes – low and high. One of the highlights of using the vacuum-only setup is the LED lights on the nozzle that highlight hard to detect dirt and dust that may not be visible to the naked eye. For hard-to-reach spots like the sides of a cupboard, edges of a room, or higher up places on the wall, simply switch to the crevice tool for a more thorough cleaning.

Is the vacuum-only setup necessary since there is the vacuum-mop combo? Well, it depends really, on how often you clean the floor. If you’re cleaning a very dirty floor or you’re someone who only vacuums once every couple of weeks, then you really should vacuum first as the wet-dry vacuum doesn’t offer the LED lights function and it’ll be challenging to clean hard-to-reach places.

When it comes to the vacuum-mop setup, now this is pièce de résistance. The 2 ultra-soft microfiber Power Brushes are 2 rollers moving against each other, so it can vacuum and mop at the same time. This is completely different from a lot of other stick vacuums out there. It doesn’t drag the wet mop behind, but actually scrubs the floor. Once you’ve finished, the dirty water tank is easy to remove, empty and clean.

The special feature about the Philips AquaTrio Cordless 9000 Series maintenance is its ability to self-clean itself. By placing the vacuum cleaner on practical stand, you can start the cleaning process after topping up fresh water in the clean tank. With just a push of the button, the AutoClean takes around 4 minutes to work its magic.

Having said that, you still need to clean the water tanks and remove the brushes for them to dry properly. Likewise, you’ll also need to empty the dust container from the vacuum-only device and clean the filter so that the dust and dirt doesn’t clog up. All these can be a tad cumbersome but necessary.

Still the Philips AquaTrio Cordless 9000 Series proves to be a versatile vacuum cleaner as it can not only vacuum and mop your house, but the cordless and handheld function also means you can use it to clean your car. The price tag on this device is understandably more expensive than your average cordless vacuum cleaner in the market, but you’re getting your money’s worth.

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#StripThatDown: Liam Payne Teases New Single With Shirtless Clip

The solo careers of each One Direction member are finally taking off – much to the delight of Directioners around the world.

Harry Styles and Niall Horan aren’t the only One Direction crooners with new music out. Liam Payne – who recently welcome his first child, Bear, into the world – is also debuting his first ever solo single.

Titled “Strip That Down”, Payne’s new collaboration with Ed Sheeran will debut next week (Friday, 19th May). The hip-hop banger features rapper Quavo (one third of Migos). “I just came from a video,” Quavo recently revealed to Capital XTRA DJ Tim Westwood.

“My boy Liam from One Direction. We just shot that. Crazy vid. Crazy visuals. Crazy team. Cool guy, nice guy. It’s going up. I wasn’t even supposed to say that,” he added.

The 23-year-old heartthrob took to social media to reveal a sexy new promo clip of his single. The teaser shows a shirtless Payne flexing his muscles and dancing with his back to the camera. There’s also a snippet of Payne’s catchy little “yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah” hook to wet your appetite.

Mad excited to announce my new single Strip That Down ft. @quavostuntin out May 19th #STRIPTHATDOWN ⬇ pic.twitter.com/ZVviFrJmpd

Given the racy visual, we’re assuming the handsome pop star will be venturing into something more sexual – kind of like what Zayn Malik did with “Pillowtalk”.


Lee Hi Shocks Fans With Training Details

A K-Pop idol is usually trained under a strict system before their debut. Typically, kids will have to go through various stages of auditions before being signed on as trainees. The ones who are successful will secure themselves long-term contracts with the respective talent agencies. After which, they will enter a training programme which is usually years-long.

Note: The standard training programme includes many hours a day learning music, choreography, exercising, and classes in foreign languages e.g. Japanese, Chinese, and English. Because a lot of these trainees are required to devote their time and energy to the programme, they would drop out of school.

For the people who didn’t grow up in that kind of environment or for those who aren’t exposed to that kind of culture (read: South Korean music industry), it might seem a little extreme. But for the trainees, their sole purpose is to achieve their dream of someday becoming a K-Pop idol.

One good example of how “extreme” (and some say cruel) it sounds to outsiders is the fans’ reactions to Lee Ha Yi’s account of being a trainee under YG Entertainment. 16-year-old Lee Ha Yi, better known as her stage name, “Lee Hi“, is YG Entertainment’s current “baby K-Pop idol”. She was one of the finalists of reality TV singing competition, “Survival K-Pop Star” before she was spotted by YG’s CEO, Yang Hyun-syuk, who immediately signed her as a trainee.

But she is also one of the only artistes currently in YG Entertainment who has had the least amount of training prior to debut. Whilst other trainees are given years and years of training, Lee Hi only had a few months before she released her first single. Hence, Lee Hi’s personal account of her training (released via her Star Column on Naver) has shocked fans who have read it:

My body is tired. I want to eat but I can’t so I cried again. I want to be pretty for my stages so I go to the gym to exercise again. But exercising is really tough. There was once when I could not hear in my ear suddenly, when I was in the hospital, the doctor said its sudden deaf. As I always exercise without eating, I fell sick.

When I was singing halfway, one of my ears was suddenly deaf again. I thought I would be unable to sing anymore so I was very sad. But of course it was fine after treating my sickness in the hospital.

I now only do three different exercises in the gym. I can’t reveal my weight but I have lost 6kg in total.

I eat breakfast at 10am, I eat lunch three hours later. Another 3 hours later I eat my dinner. Every day, I only eat from the menu that the coach and nutritionist have come up with. If I feel hungry in the middle of the day, I will eat half a sweet potato and three cherry tomatoes.

The first time when I had to control my weight, I don’t know why I had to live like that. But after looking at my performances, I know why. When I am exercising, I will have stronger energy so I will not be that tired compared to the first time I was practicing.

After I’ve reached the weight that I want to, I will be able to eat a lot of meat and sweet food. I love meat. When I received #1 in a music website online, I received the coach’s permission to eat meat. I ate a lot of meat and I was also snapped photos by some fans. As I am still young, there are times where I could not resist eating meat anymore, but I am currently dieting happily!

Is it too much pressure and too stressful for a 16-year-old who didn’t first start out as a trainee from an even younger age? We’ll let you decide. In any case, you have our love and support, Lee Hi!

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Rockaway Festival Presents You Me At Six Live In Malaysia

British rock band You Me at Six will be making their way to Malaysia this September! The band, made up of members Josh Franceschi, Max Helyer, Matt Barnes, Chris Miller and Dan Flint from Weybridge, Surrey, England were formed in 2004 and rose to fame with their debut album, “Take Off Your Colours”.

Inspired by American rock bands like Blink-182, Incubus and Thrice, their debut album includes chart topping singles “Save It for the Bedroom”, “Finders Keepers”, and “Kiss and Tell”. Brought to you by Livescape Asia, You Me at Six will be performing live in Kuala Lumpur.

*Tickets will be available for sale on August 1st via Ticketpro.


Hype’s Exclusive: Getting All Cute With Greyson

If you haven’t heard, young and charming Greyson Chance was in town last week for an autograph session as F.O.S Mid Valley Megamall. The turnout was incredible! And we’re talking, a total of 1,500 screaming kids plus some chaperoning adults. Non-screaming adults though, we assure you.

Also, we’ve got to hand it to Greyson for having handled the influx of Greysonators so well – he signed all (and we mean ALL) exclusive A4 posters for fans who pre-ordered his official merchandise and his new EP, “Truth To Be Told Part 1”.

But before all the madness, we snuck the little superstar away from all that screaming for a quick interview. Let’s find out what he has been up to and how he feels about being back in Malaysia so soon:

Hi Greyson! Welcome back to Malaysia. How has your week been?

“It has been busy! Kuching was incredible, as well as KK. I had a very fun time there. But today..today has been busy. And I’ve got that autograph session later..”

So much to do, so little time! If you had 48 hours in a day, what would you do?

“(Laughs) I’m sure my label would love that! More promos, more more promos. I would most likely just try to get more done in a day. I love going to the mountains to ski – so I’d love to go skiing all day if I could.”

You were really, really young when Ellen DeGeneres discovered you. What were some of the challenges that you faced when you first started out?

“I think..even now, I still face it. People underestimate me a lot because of my age. I write my own music and people are constantly very surprised by that when they hear that – because they think, oh Greyson is only 15 years old, he can’t do this, he can’t do that. And I’m kinda just like..get out of my way, let me show you that I can do it! It makes me angry because, I think now, especially in these times, no matter how young you are..if you’re determined and you want it, you can totally go out and do it if you work hard enough!”

That’s right though – you are 15 years old. Perhaps the most successful 15-year-old we know! And you’re turning 16 next year. What say we throw you a big party?

“Please don’t! I actually don’t like parties. I hate birthday parties! Because it’s just like, oh great..another year has gone by. I’m one year older. For my 16th birthday, going to dinner with my family and spending quality time with them would suffice. Just dinner. I like it simple.”

How do you feel about achieving so much (compared to a lot of artistes out there) and about being someone else’s dream at such a young age?

“It makes me feel really, well, I just love writing songs, I love making music, and I love putting on shows. And to see all of that become something like this is spectacular! And I love my fans, I love all the support that they’ve shown me. And being someone else’s dream..a lot of artistes look up to each other all the time. I look up to other artistes all the time. But to be someone else’s dream is incredible.”

If you could collaborate with three singers, which ones would they be?

“Amy Winehouse, Tony Bennet, and John Lennon. But uh, oh no, I can only collaborate with one though because the rest are dead. In all seriousness, I would love to work with Amy Winehouse if i could, if she were alive. She’s got the best voice! I really love her, wait, let me show you (pulls out iPhone and flashes his Amy Winehouse wallpaper) ..see?”

Aww! Greyson Chance really is as sweet as they come, and extremely grown up now too. We could hardly hide how impressed we were by how he was like in the flesh. And now we understand why so many Greysonators around the world are so, so much in love with the young boy!

Special thanks to our friends from Universal Music Malaysia for making this interview happen. If you haven’t checked out our exclusive video of what went on during Greyson Chance’s autograph session at F.O.S Mid Valley Megamall, here:

[youtube id=”taw5LEsxMNE” width=”600″ height=”350″]

For more information, visit his official website or YouTube channel. Don’t forget to follow him via his Twitter account!

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#Kajang: Woman Saves 3 Puppies From 3-Metre Deep Monsoon Drain

We’ve had a slew of news regarding animal cruelty in the past month, thankfully, this isn’t one of it. In fact, this news might even warm your heart and convince you that the world isn’t such a bad place after all.

A 36-year-old woman, Chen Pei Zhen, climbed down a 3-metre monsoon drain with a ladder to save 3 puppies in Kajang, according to a report by Sin Chew Daily.

Netizens found out about the good deed when pictures of the woman started circulating on several animal lovers’ groups on Facebook. The brave act was commended by animal lovers, who left encouraging messages and compliments.

I just rescued 3 puppies, no need for such a big hoo-haa.

Chen, who is from Johor Bahru, got to know about the stranded puppies when she was visiting her mother-in-law in Kajang. After stumbling upon the Facebook post about the puppies, she immediately drove to the site and loaned a ladder from a resident nearby.

“After bringing the puppies out, I clean them at a house nearby before sending them to an animal shelter,” she continued.

A resident advised Chen to not go down for fear that she would fall or the treacherous monsoon drain would sweep her away, but she was adamant on doing it.

We’re touched by Chen for such an act of compassion and bravery, and we sincerely hope that the 3 puppies will successfully be adopted :)


JT Gets Instagram, Gains 100k Followers In A Sec

It seems that there ain’t no better time to be getting yourself an Instagram account than if it was to document your entire great big 55th Annual Grammy Awards journey and musical comeback. Yes, we’re talking about you, Justin Timberlake.

The superstar has finally jumped on the online photo-sharing social media platform on 11th February 2013. Conveniently, just as he was about to step into the star-studded event’s limelight after shying away from the music industry for so long.

Immediately (read: in only one day), JT gained about, oh, only 100,000 odd followers. But like a true swaggin’ boss, he follows no one. Wait, what? Not even Jay-Z, whom he collaborated with for “Suit & Tie”? And why doesn’t Jessica Biel have a Instagram account?

In any case, most of JT’s photos have easily garnered thousands of likes within seconds of posting, although his first Instagram pic was a seemingly uninteresting shot of an empty-ish highway. But who are we to comment? Even that got him about over 4,000 likes!


#KualaLumpur: Come Hang Out At KL Tower’s New Upside Down House

Yes, yes we know. Life can sometimes turn you upside down, so can a house.

If you enjoy hanging upside down while standing on the “ceiling”, or appear as a giant in a supposedly small room, then you need to drop what you’re doing and start making plans to visit the new Upside Down House at KL Tower.

The Kuala Lumpur Upside Down House, which opened its doors to the public last month (8th June), has a height of 6.1m (20 feet) and an area of 2,000 square feet. Made of 80% steel while the rest was of wood, the medium-sized English cottage is a double-storey house complete with bedrooms, bathrooms, a living room and kitchen; except everything is upside down.

Think of beds and sofas on the “ceiling” while carpets and light-shades on the “floor”. Add to your bewildered pose and (voila!), you’ve got the perfect upside down image to upload on Instagram and other social media outlets. But before you enter this unique house, there will be a suspended bright yellow car ready to greet you upon arrival.

A photo posted by Menara Kuala Lumpur (@menarakl) on Jun 7, 2016 at 8:51pm PDT

In case you didn’t know, this art installation is now Malaysia’s tallest upside down house. If that’s not impressive enough, there’s also an upside down garden currently in the works, so city folks and tourists can soon get double doses of upside down photos.

In the meantime, be sure to take advantage of their opening promotions. The details for this tourist attraction site are as follows:

For more information, visit Kuala Lumpur Upside Down House’s Facebook page.

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DC Comics Kills Robin Off Batman Inc

For decades, Robin has been a loyal, long-running sidekick to caped crusader Batman and for so long, they’ve been known as the “Dynamic Duo”. In the latest Batman comics, Robin was in his current incarnation as “daytime Batman and also alter ego” aka Bruce Wayne’s 10-year-old son, Damian. And get this, Damian dies.

According to the DC Comics series writer Grant Morrison:

This master theme of damaged and ruined families was nowhere more in evidence than in the creation of Damian, the first “Son of Batman” to be acknowledged in the canon. In many ways, this has been Damian’s story as much as it has been the story of Bruce Wayne and it’s a story that had its end planned a long time ago – for what a son could ever hope to replace a father like Batman, who never dies? He saves the world. He does his job as Robin. He dies an absolute hero.

And so, in the eight issue of the Batman Incorporated series, Robin will be killed fighting an assassin clone from his own genetic material and Batman will not arrive in time to save him. Robin’s death is certain to affect the entire DC Comics universe. But hold up, don’t start mourning just yet.

The good news that in the comics universe, characters who are killed can easily return. Remember when a previous incarnation of Robin was killed and resurrected before? Exactly. Also, Grant did stress the fact that Batman will ultimately always have a partner.


DMTN’s Daniel Attends Hearing For Marijuana Charges

DMTN‘s Daniel and four others indicted by the prosecution regarding their various marijuana charges attended their first hearing in court today. The hearing took place on 30th April 2013 (Tuesday) at 10:50am, and Daniel is said to have admitted to all his charges with a solemn expression. It is also said that in addition to aiding in the distribution, the idol also admitted to smoking marijuana.

As he emerged after the hearing, he bowed his head as he said, “I’m sorry” to the press gathered outside. When someone asked, “Do you admit to all your charges?”, he responded, “Yes”, and left the scene with his agency staff and lawyers.

Four others who attended the hearing with Daniel include:

The other named celebrity involved, Bianca from “Global Talk Show – Chat With Beauties”, was not present at the hearing.

The six involved grew close because of their experience of attending school in the US, and have been accused of supplying, distributing, or using marijuana. They are accused of having continuously used marijuana with Daniel acting as the link in the marijuana supplying and introduction.

The English academy teacher supplied the marijuana to Daniel 15 times, which was then introduced to the others by Daniel, who acted as the link between the English academy teacher and the others involved.

The second hearing will take place during the first week of May.


Interview: Ryan Reynolds On Fighting With ‘Superheroes’ in Netflix’s “Red Notice”

In Netflix’s “Red Notice”, Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson play unlikely teammates in a battle of wits and verbal-acrobatics. The latter plays an FBI profiler who goes up against Reynold’s motormouth of an art thief. In The Rock’s character’s words, the two are tied up in a ‘marriage of convenience’.

Thus, a beautiful friendship is born, a spawn of brutal comedy and stinging irony. On-screen… (and probably off-screen) wives, indeed.

When Interpol issues a Red Notice for the world’s most wanted art thief, the FBI’s top profiler, John Hartley – played by the smackingly jovial rock of a Dwayne Johnson – takes up the task. Soon, he finds himself crossing paths with a slippery art burglar, Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds).

An unlikely alliance is formed as they attempt to outsmart “The Bishop” (Gal Gadot) once she thwarts both of their initial plans for glory. A swashbuckling adventure ensues for three macguffins, dropping the trio all across a variety of fancy parties, prison cells, jungle bungles and coliseum clashes. It’s got style and suave. It’s playing absurd games of cat and mouse. (And cat)… (And also mouse again)…

Such is the premise of Netflix’s latest action-adventure, a globetrotting adventure so massive that it conjured up a $200 million USD budget – although part of that number likely arose due to pandemic delays. Being Netflix’s most expensive feature to date, it buries the previous record holder, the Michael Bay caper, “6 Underground”, by $50 million. Only time will tell as to whether “Red Notice” will maintain its crown with Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling’s “The Gray Man” also set to hit the streaming service in the near future.

Nevertheless, that’s enough talk of figures.

The room fills with the sweet smell of an aviator’s gin. Oh, and there he is with that scarlet scent of a grin. It’s the man, the ‘myth’ who leaked that “Deadpool” test footage years ago. Was it ever confirmed? We don’t know. On the flitting colours of the cinema, he’s that wonderful performer we all know and love. Needless, to say, his comedic genius, it’s off-the-cuff…

2021 has been a stellar year for the man-with-a-mouth. Hot on the heels of playing a lovable Guy in Shawn Levy’s feel-good summer hit, along with reprising his nutty guardian job in “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” – gosh, what are they gonna go with next? “The Hitman’s Wife’s Hamster’s Bodyguard”? [teehee] – it’s safe to say that Reynolds has been putting some serious maximum effort out there.

We recently sat down with the former Sexiest Man alive after the theatrical premiere of “Red Notice” during which we discussed his brand of comedy and the struggle to maintain a straight face on set. With such great co-stars to boot, we discussed both the on-screen and off-screen dynamics along with who would absolutely demolish the other in a fight.

And hell yeah, we pit two of Reynolds’ celebrated characters in a gladiator-like sequence, in a fight to the death. Okay, maybe not in such a cruel manner, but it was a circumstance that could have ended with one member of the Reynoldverse biting the dust. Sorry, there’s a lot of warfare involved but we gotta know, right?

1. This is your second collaboration with Netflix. How do you feel about working with them once again?

Oh, I love working with Netflix! It’s bringing a marquee blockbuster quality right into people’s homes. It’s a pretty awesome place to work. They are very film-friendly. They are very director and writer-friendly. I’ve loved the two movies that I’ve been in thus far. I just finished another one called “The Adam Project”, coming out in March, which is a very personal story to me. They’ve been fantastic to work with.

2. Ryan, what was your research like to play the character of Nolan Booth? Were you inspired by other famous characters like Indiana Jones?

There was no research. It was mostly us trying to embody our real-life personas to a certain degree. I do have influences from the movies I’ve watched as a kid. Certainly, “Indiana Jones” is a big one. “Thomas Crown Affair”. But no, it’s an action-adventure comedy that’s kind of a swashbuckler. Three heavyweight personalities get together and enjoy that sort of dynamic.

3. What percentage of your character in “Red Notice” do you think could be attributed to you and how much of it was Rawson’s?

Oh, I don’t know the percentage of that. Almost every scene in the movie has some of my lines and some of Rawson’s. But he gave me great architecture and a footprint to work with him. I mean, I always write the lines for every movie I’ve done. That’s always been the case for the last ten years.

4. Audiences are accustomed to seeing you in action comedies. Do you enjoy making them as well?

Oh, yes! It’s a genre I would call home. Yeah, I love being physical. I love the whole aspect of it as I grew up an athlete. I played all the sports and all that kind of stuff. Blending that with comedy which was my other great love as a kid, it’s been a privilege to work in that genre.

Comedy is a very challenging art form and I have a great deal of reverence and respect for it. I think I always will. I’m always trying to grow and learn more. I really do owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who’ve come before me. I grew up watching the Steve Martins. The Eddie Murphys. You know, the John Candys of the world. The Gene Wilders. Peter Sellers. Those are people that have huge influences on me and shaped me in a lot of different ways.

5. The Ryan Reynolds brand of comedy is unmistakable. How similar or different is it from your off-screen persona?

You know, my off-screen persona is really vastly different. I think as a kid and as an adult, I’ve always struggled with anxiety. The sort of fast-talking, hyper-verbal, ironic kind of personality that I’ve manufactured for film really started as a defense mechanism.

When I was younger, when I felt like I was ill-equipped to deal with something, I would sort of have that part of my personality take over and kind of run the show for me. That’s something I’m grateful for. But it’s also something I think at a young age I wish I didn’t need. So, yeah, I think the real me is much, much different than that. I probably listen a lot better than the characters I play as well.

6. With Deadpool, Wonder Woman and Dwayne Johnson, “Red Notice” would feel like a huge superhero crossover for comic book fans. How did you feel when you found out who your co-stars would be and how was the experience working with them?

You know, it’s always interesting, you know, working with larger than life personalities like this and you never know how it’s going to go. Thankfully, we all knew each other. There wasn’t any of that concern. But you know, I’m also a fan of film and movie stars. And, you know, people don’t realise that just because I work in this genre or in this industry where I’ve been for almost 30 years now, I still get excited and geeked out.

7. In an interview on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Dwayne went on record to say that you ruined many takes while you both were filming “Red Notice”. Did any of those ‘botched’ takes make it into the film itself?

You know, Dwayne and I have known each other for a long time. Generally, we’re always screwing and messing around with each other on set. I would try different quotes or lines, mostly just to make Dwayne laugh or get him to screw up his take. And I was shocked to see how many of those lines stayed in the movie. That was a surprise for me.

8. Now, you’re such good friends with Dwayne and Gal. Was it ever difficult to draw a line between your friendship and maintain a stance of professionalism on the set of “Red Notice”?

No, because we wanted to exploit our personal attachments. That’s what we wanted on camera. When I go to dinner with Dwayne or we’re just hanging out, it’s the same. I’m usually saying something horrible to him and he’s usually finding something horrible to say to me, and we’re laughing about it through dinner. So, that’s what we wanted to put on screen.

9. Dwayne, Gal and you fight each other fiercely in “Red Notice”. Which one of you is the best fighter and which one is the weakest?

Tough question. You know, I would say that it’s a toss up between Dwayne and I as the weakest only because Gal is very elegant, very flexible and clearly has some significant training in this. Now, Dwayne will kill you if he gets his hands on you.

I’m not a fighter. I’m mostly, you know, a bit of a chicken. So, in the movie, you’ll see that I usually try to avoid the fights as much as possible and stick to the stealing… But the thing that I know is that I’m faster than Dwayne. So if I say something that goes a little bit too far, I always know that I can run away.

10. Are there any fun on-set moments that you could share with us?

The first day we were all together, there was one scene. The sequence where we were all in the chapel. In prison. We were only supposed to be there for five hours but it took about ten hours to shoot because we were wasting so much time laughing!

That was both good… and bad. We didn’t want to waste time like that but you could see right away that there was this kind of arcing, beautiful chemistry there. It was pretty amazing to see. That was one of the more fun aspects of shooting the scene.

11. Now, “Red Notice” is a huge blend of action and comedy and has some crazy set pieces along with some moments of pure hilarity. Now, could you tell us which part of “Red Notice” was the most fun to shoot?

Stunts are always fun and exciting to shoot but the stuff I love to shoot is, you know… verbal fighting.

I’ve always been hyper-verbal on camera my whole life. I’m not that way that much in real life. It’s where I go to stay alive, I guess. I love the verbal fighting more than the actual physical stunts. The physical stunts were fun but it’s the verbal stuff that I found more challenging.

12. Would there be a possibility of you working with your wife, Blake Lively, in the future?

Yea, that’s something I would love to do. We’ve talked about it. However, it’s easier said than done. The problem is we try not to work at the same time because we have three young kids. So, if we shot a movie together, we would be sort-of… screwed.

13. Now, here’s a fun lil’ one for ya. If “Red Notice’s” Nolan Booth and John Hartley were pit against “The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s” Michael Bryce and Darius Kincaid in “The Amazing Race”, who would triumph and why?

I would guess [Michael and] Darius Kincaid because that man’s just a stone-cold killer. Michael would be doing everything he could to stop Darius from killing anyone. I would go with that one. Darius for sure. We’re talking conmen and thieves versus actual killers. The killers are gonna win.

14. Well, Ryan, if you were an accomplished art thief like your character, which piece of famous art would you want to get your hands on and why?

Oh, boy. I wouldn’t want to steal it, but if I had to steal a piece of art, this would have to be “The Woman in Gold”, the Gustav Klimt painting. I did a movie about that exact painting years ago with Helen Mirren called “The Woman In Gold”, and that’s a beautiful piece of art. So if I had to steal one, even though I don’t believe in stealing, it would be the art of Gustav Klimt.

15. What about your character’s personality do you love the most?

I love his mischief. I love that he’s a rascal. You can’t ever trust him. I always love a character that you can’t really relax on and stay on edge with. Nolan is a guy that fits that bill.

We also booked a spot with director, Rawson Marshall Thurber, who has a pretty raw-some resume himself, having crafted some memorable laugh-out-loud comedies over the past two decades. Who could forget the time when Vince Vaughn battled Ben Stiller on the Dodgeball arena. Or when he helped usher in the new era of buddy comedies starring The Rock and Kevin Hart…

And of course, who could forget the unlikely pot-smuggling family of The Millers that spawned one of the Internet’s greatest memes!

With “Red Notice” being his third collaboration with Dwayne Johnson after “Central Intelligence” and “Skyscraper”, the director noted that he shared certain sensibilities with the actor. “Entertaining, uplifting, fun, fast, funny, thrilling“: a roll call of adjectives described by the director as what they both had in common in terms of their moviemaking tastes.

We then asked his opinion on “Red Notice” being a potential successor to “We’re The Millers” in terms of its Internet success, to which he replied, “I think time will tell. “We’re The Millers” is probably more of a straight comedy. So, it’s probably more laughs per minute. However, “Red Notice” more than makes up for it by having big spectacle and big action.”

“I think “Red Notice” is the best movie I ever made. I’m very proud of it.”

It’s clear that Rawson felt extremely pleased with his work and at that moment, we couldn’t help but extend a great bear hug across the screen.

Now, Rawson also commented on the themes of the movie, citing the film’s use of art as a commodity as something that is purely subjective and something that is “strictly and truly in the eye of the beholder. When you talk about art, two of the elements that make it so valuable are scarcity and provenance. Of course, scarcity is what makes it unique, but who’s owned it? Who’s touched it?”

When the show drops on Netflix, audiences will be happy to enjoy a surprise cameo from a certain singer-songwriter. When asked about how “that” came to be, Rawson was quick to express his admiration for the musician. “Even from the earliest ideas of the story, my earliest pitching, in my notebook, I wanted [spoiler*] at the end… I sent him a picture of my notebook with his name in it from two years prior and he said: “Absolutely!”

Now, having seen the film, we can safely say that we enjoyed the utter fun that the three leads shared along with the boisterous action and blend of comedy. So, it was only natural for us to end with the million dollar question. Will there be a “Red Notice 2”?, to which Rawson replied with a smile:

Netflix’s “Red Notice” is written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (We’re The Millers, “Central Intelligence”) and stars Ryan Reynolds (“Deadpool”, “The Hitman’s Bodyguard”), Dwayne Johnson (“Jumanji”, “Jungle Cruise”), Gal Gadot (“Wonder Woman”, “Justice League”), Ritu Arya (“The Umbrella Academy”, “Humans”), and Chris Diamantopoulos (“The Three Stooges”, “Silicon Valley”).

“Red Notice” will be issued on Netflix all around the world this 12th November 2021.

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Hype’s Now Playing: One Direction – Love You Goodbye

One Direction has just released a new song titled “Love You Goodbye”.

On 10th November, the English-Irish pop boy band released one of their latest singles from their “Made In The A.M.” album. The boys released this break-up ballad to give fans a taste of what to expect from their soon-to-be-released album.

The power ballad was composed by one of the One Direction members, Louis Tomlinson. Through this song, they sing about seeing a girl for one last time before she leaves his life. It was accompanied by a piano and dramatic drum beat that makes the track even more booming.

Oh why you wearing that to walk out on my life / Even though it’s over, you should stay the night / If tomorrow you won’t be mine / Won’t you give it to me one last time / Oh, baby let me love you goodbye.

In a recent video interview that was posted by the band on their Twitter account, Tomlinson said:

Love You Goodbye is probably the most personal, to me. It was one of those moments when the song was starting to come together, you felt a real excitement for it.

“Just the idea of the song is interesting to me. Everybody has that song after a break-up where you do have to see your ex again, and it’s kind of about that“, he added.

You can watch the full video interview here:

Wanna know why #LoveYouGoodbye was such a personal track to the band? Watch to find out. https://t.co/qYEj3RwRVNhttps://t.co/IAZdneeJ3K

— One Direction (@onedirection) November 10, 2015

The 5th studio album by the English-Irish boy band is set to be released on 13th November.

Directioners, what do you think about this heartbreaking ballad? We’re all in tears seconds after listening to it :(


Couple Jailed For Starving Cambodian Maid To Death

A Malaysian court on Thursday sentenced a couple to 24 years in jail for starving their Cambodian maid to death, one of many such abuse cases straining ties between the country and its neighbours.

Hardware store owners 44-year-old Soh Chew Tong and his wife 42-year-old Chin Chui Ling were found guilty of culpable homicide at a high court in the northern state of Penang, said prosecutor Tan Guat Cheng.

The 24-year jail term is to run from the day of their arrest in April last year, shortly after their maid Mey Sichan was found dead by paramedics. She weighed just 26 kilograms (57 pounds) and had bruises on her body. Police said she died from acute gastritis and ulcers likely caused by lack of food over a long period.

The 23-year-old had been working for the family for eight months.

The couple initially was charged with murder, which carries the death penalty in Malaysia. But the charge was reduced to culpable homicide, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in jail, Tan said.

Cases of abuse of domestic workers, who come from poorer regional countries such as Indonesia and Cambodia, have frequently surfaced in Malaysia. It is heavily dependent on foreigners as domestic helpers such locals shun the work. In response, Cambodia no longer sends its citizens as domestic workers to Malaysia, while Indonesia for years suspended sending maids.

Malaysia has promised to improve their welfare and protection, including giving them a day off. But activists say the hundreds of thousands of women remain vulnerable to sexual abuse, overwork and exploitation.

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2012 Primetime Emmy Awards Winners!

It has come and gone, with some surprises in tow. Who knew that “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” could bag yet another Primetime Emmy Award at the 64th annual ceremony? Just in case you didn’t know, the show has been winning the Emmys since 2001. A whopping number of 16 Primetime Emmy trophies to date. Gosh!

And did anyone else see Modern Family’s hard “Outstanding Comedy Series” win coming? They beat “The Big Bang Theory” to it! Check out what other surprises and shocks came with the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards which just took place this morning in Los Angeles:


Fun Facts: The Near Century-Long History About The Iconic Converse Chucks

The Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars, known to sneakerheads as the iconic Converse “Chucks”, has a rich history that goes way back. So far back, at time of production, we weren’t even born yet. And now, after many years of remaining largely unchanged, the legendary canvas kicks have finally been redesigned.

But before we introduce you to the revamped shoes, let’s take a walk down memory lane and get to know the “Chucks”. Trust us when we say that there’s actually a lot of backstory behind it ;)

1. One official name, many other ways of calling it

The Chuck Taylor All Stars or the Converse All Stars goes by many names. Often, it is also referred to as “Converses”, “Chuck Taylors”, “Chucks”, “Cons”, and “All Stars”. The “Chucks” is the brand name for a pair of athletic shoes produced by Nike, Inc. through its Converse division. Yes, Nike. Nike has owned the rights to the brand since acquiring its former competitor out of bankruptcy in 2003. But bankruptcy or not, one has to give props to the original company that has made the kicks go from the world’s most prevalent basketball sneaker to a lifestyle staple. Even if the design has gone virtually unchanged since 1949 – that’s 66 whole years!

2. The Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars was “born” in 1917

First produced in 1917 as the “All Star”, the kicks was Converse’s attempt to capture the basketball shoe market. The shoes were later formally named after Chuck Taylor (real name Charles Hollis “Chuck” Taylor) a high school basketball player and shoe salesman for Converse. Taylor held basketball clinics in high schools all over the county and while teaching the fundamentals of the game, he sold the All Star shoes. He got a salary but he never received commission for all the sales that he made or royalties from the use of his name though! Oh, and Chuck Taylor was also responsible for having improved the shoe’s design (the ankle patch idea was his!) and became the product’s spokesperon in the 1920s.

3. The Chucks became a shoe phenomenon, loved by even soldiers

When basketball debuted as a medal sport in 1936, the American team played in Chucks and won the first of 7 consecutive gold medals. Soon after, All Stars were being worn by athletes in the Olympics, and during the World War II, American soldiers began to wear All Stars while in training. Throughout the years, the Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars made a shift from athletic sportswear to casual footwear. Originally an elite basketball shoe, it evolved into the shoe of choice for many subcultures, particularly artistes and musicians. Yes, in not so many words, it became mainstream.

4. Initial Converse Chuck Taylor All Star design tweaks

In 1923, Converse decided to incorporate Chuck Taylor’s name onto the ankle patches that displayed the Converse All Star logo. Then, in the 1930s Taylor’s signature was put into the design, which is how the shoe became known as the “Chuck Taylor” All Stars. When first created, the Converse All Star had 3 main styles – a monochromatic shoe with a black canvas upper and black rubber soles, an all white shoe with blue and red trim, and an all black leather and rubber shoe. It was not until 1949 that Converse decided to make the toe guard, laces, and outer wraps white aka the appearance of the iconic black and white Converse All Stars of today. In 1957, Converse came out with the low-cut “Oxford” version and soon after started to produce the shoes in multiple colors and prints.

5. When the flood gates opened and the choices poured in

There was a time when all sneaker freakers had to choose from was either black or white, high top or low-cut. Variety was scarce and one could probably get away with dyeing the Chucks to their liking. Fortunately, today, Converse makes the Chuck Taylor All Stars in a variety of colors, styles, prints, and fabrics. In 1971, suede was first put on the Chucks. After which, Converse realised the potential in offering a variety and started making the kicks in a bunch of primary colours. That opened the flood gates for more and more crazy designs. Several special editions have been made, including DC Comics, The Ramones, AC/DC, Sailor Jerry, Metallica, The Clash, Dr. Seuss, Grateful Dead, Ozzy Osbourne, Jimi Hendrix, Drew Brophy, Nirvana, Bad Meets Evil, Green Day, Gorillaz, Matt and Kim, Black Sabbath, the Control, green, brown or camouflage edition, Super Mario and Danny Potthoff. There was even a stars and stripes pairs that was produced in 1992 (because United States), which was donated to the Smithsonian, the nation’s largest repository of its history.

6. All Stars’ stranglehold of the basketball sneaker and sneaker market

By the 1940s, the Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars were just the most popular basketball shoes. By the 1960s, roughly 90% of college and professional basketball players wore Chuck Taylor All Stars. And by 1966, Converse had an 80% share of the US sneaker market. So you see, Converse didn’t only have a grip on the basketball sneakers market, but also the sneaker market. Talk about wildly popular, talk about domination! It was a “disease” that spread so far and wide that in 1989, The Rolling Stones made the Chucks the official sneaker of their “Steel Wheels Tour”. And at its peak, Converse made approximtely 500 versions of the Chucks.

7. Until about 14 years ago, Chucks were made in the US

Despite their stranglehold on the market in the 1960s, by the 1990s Converse was in trouble. In fact, the last NBA player to wear Chucks in a game was Tree Rollins – until 1979. By then there were a number of much better shoes on the market. Props to Tree for sticking out for so long though! In any case, in 2001, like every other clothing and shoe manufacturer, Converse was forced to move operations overseas in order to remain competitive. Chuck Taylor All Stars as well as Converse’s other shoes began to be manufactured in foreign countries like China, Vietnam and Indonesia. Nike then swooped in like a hero in 2003 and bought the Converse brand name for around USD305 million.

8. Chuck Taylor, the model salesman and his impact on the brand

If we haven’t already said it enough, Chuck Taylor was an exceptional representative for Converse. Joe Dean, who worked as a sales executive for raison for nearly 30 years before becoming the athletic director at Louisiana State University, told Bob R of The Philadelphia Inquirer, “It was impossible not to like him, and he knew everybody. If you were a coach and you wanted to find a job, you called Chuck Taylor. Athletic directors talked to him all the time when they were looking for a coach.” For years, he drove a white Cadillac across the country with a trunk full of shoes, living in motels, and with only a locker in the company’s Chicago warehouse as a permanent residence. In 1968, Chuck Taylor retired and was inducted into the “Basketball Hall of Fame”. Just one day short of his 68th birthday in June 1969, Taylor died of a heart attack in Port Charlotte, Florida.

9. Apparently, a pair of Chucks is purchased every 43 seconds

We know what you’re wondering! If Converse had peviously gone bankrupt, then how popular are the shoes today? Well, according to at least one source, someone somewhere in the world buys a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars every 43 seconds. Do the math, and that works out to about 700,000 pairs sold per year. As for all-time sales, they’ve roughly estimated that about 800 million All Stars have been sold. Some estimate that 60% of the population of the US either owns and or has owned a pair of Chucks in their lifetime. Because they are a unisex design, the same sneakers are worn by both men and women, girls and boys. Not bad for a pair of shoes that has remained largely unchanged since its introduction, no? ;)

10. The debut of the Chuck Taylor II, made with Nike technology

After years and years of remaining “untouched”, in July 2015, Converse Inc. debuted the all new Converse Chuck Taylor All Star II aka Chuck II, a contemporary adaptation of the legendary Chuck Taylor All Star silhouette. For the first time, the Chuck II incorporates the Nike innovative Lunarlon technology to support the always-on creative lifestyle. This includes the Nike Lunarlon sock-liner for superior full foot cushioning and arch support, foam padded collar and non-slip gusseted tongue for 360-degree comfort and a perforated micro suede liner, for breathability during extended periods of war. With the “merge”, it retains the outward appearance of the original while employing a modern lightweight insole for increased comfort and reduced fatigue.

The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star II is now available at a retail price of RM269.90 (oxford) and RM289.90 (high top) at Converse KLCC, Converse Pavilion, as well as Solewhat and Crossover, and via the brand’s official website.

Sources: Chuck Taylor All Stars Wiki, Complex, Chucks Connection, Chuck Taylor Wiki / Featured image from Details.com.

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f(x)’s “Red Light”: Hightlight Medley + Music Video Released

One word to describe f(x)’s “Red Light” music video: FIERCE!

K-Pop girl group f(x) has once again surprised us with the release of their latest music video “Red Light”. Best known for their electronic pop songs, “Red Light” fits the electro house genre perfectly with its intense energy and rhythm. As expected, the music video is filled with beautiful individual shots intertwined together with synchronised choreography.

Previously, the group has been teasing the fans with a series of concept photos that exudes a 90s grunge vibe. The photos were posted up for five days in a row and a highlight medley video was uploaded to give us a sneak preview of the songs from their new album. Set to be released on July 7th (KST), f(x)’s 3rd full length album consists of 11 songs including “Red Light”.:

We don’t know about you but we think they are definitely ready to conquer the K-Pop world with “Red Light” now!


#AOA: Girl Group Member Choa Leaves Due To Mental Health Issues; FNC Confirms

FNC Entertainment’s K-Pop idol girl group AOA (Ace of Angels; 에이오에이) is now one member less as vocalist Choa (real name Park Cho-a; 박초아) has officially announced that she’ll be leaving the group.

The 28-year-old vocalist, who has been hiatus, took to her Instagram late yesterday to explain her reasons for leaving AOA. She detailed her struggle with depression and insomnia in her caption.

Full translation (via soompi) as follows:

I was very grateful and sorry that so many people took interest in my sudden hiatus. This is a bit late, but I want to tell you the reason why I had to rest and the decision that I came to after lots of deliberation.

Since AOA wasn’t a team that immediately received a lot of love when we debuted, I had always been grateful for the love we got and I think preciously of it.

Although I was the oldest on the team, I’m still very young and I wanted to cry a lot of times while working. However, I know that the reason you like me is because of my bright image. Although I was crying in my heart, I had to look happy. This happened repeatedly, and the more I forced myself, I found myself becoming sicker and sicker.

To treat my insomnia and depression, I tried taking medication and started decreasing my work two years ago. However, because the problem didn’t stem from being tired, I ended up stopping all of my activities.

I tried hard to get back to work while thinking of those who were waiting for me, but I felt that if the negative attention of my hiatus continued, this would be even more detrimental to the team members.

After speaking with our company, I am leaving the team called AOA today, and I’m going to be cheering on my fellow members.

Over the past eight years while I prepared to become a celebrity and worked as one, I learned a lot of things. I think that even this difficult moment is a process for me to grow. I am 28 years old this year, and going forward, I will be reflecting on my chaotic self. For the remainder of my 20s, I would like to fill them with different experiences that are befitting of my age.

As of now, I am not thinking about doing any work outside of my individual work that was already planned. Someday, when I no longer feel scared and feel that I can show a better side of me, and if there are still people who cheer me on, I would like to return. I am a lacking person, but to those who keep cheering me on and worry for me, I would like to give my sincere thanks. To the members who I have been with for so long, and to those who helped me overcome what I lack so that I can be loved, and to those who loved me and AOA, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.”

AOA originally debuted in 2012 as an 8-member group that consisted of Choa, Jimin, Yuna, Youkyung, Chanmi, Hyejeong, Seol-hyun, and Mina. Youkyung left the group on 15th October 2016 following the termination of her contract, leaving AOA to promote as a 6-member K-Pop idol girl group as Choa was on hiatus.

The group released their first full album, “Angel’s Knock”, in January 2017.

Although FNC Entertainment initially said that Choa’s departure was not confirmed, the agency has since released an official statement echoing Choa’s Instagram post. “The label will respect ChoA’s wishes to the best of our ability, and will come to a final decision after further discussion (with ChoA). For the present, we have matters to discuss regarding her desire to leave the group, her schedules from here on, and more, so we will release an official statement after we’ve come to a settlement. We ask that you please refrain from any more rumors and misunderstandings regarding this situation,” FNC wrote.

What matters most is you take care of yourself and give yourself time to heal, Choa. Fighting!

Sources: soompi, Choa, akp / Featured image: kpopbox.

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Infamous Festival Kazantip Moves To Cambodia

This year’s Kazantip will be in Cambodia!

Infamous, notorious Eastern European dance festival Kazantip − a “virtual republic” of partying on the Black Sea − had run into some trouble over the past few years. Last year, fighting in Crimea between the Russian army and separatists led to the festival being moved south-west to the Georgian coastline.

Unfortunately, the festival’s freewheeling vibe proved unpopular with the local conservative powers, so Kazantip’s “president” Nikita and his merry band have now packed up and moved their 2015 party to Koh Puos Island, in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

The 1km-squared island is owned by a Russian company and comes with seaside villas, a town centre with shops and restaurants, white sand and palm trees and, from February 18th to 28th this year, hundreds of DJs and thousands of party animals − mostly from Eastern Europe will be invading the island.

Kazantip’s website reads: “It’s a unique opportunity for successful people to participate on the colonisation of the uninhabited Kazantip island to celebrate the Kazantip lifestyle, cross limits, dance all day/night and explore the pure beauty of the Kazantip island and its citizens.”

Now if you’ve never heard of Kazantip, check out the aftermovie below for an idea of the festival.

No artists have been announced for this year’s edition just yet but last year’s line-up included Ricardo Villalobos, Helena Hauff, The Martinez Brothers and Dixon.

Multipass tickets are available for £156 (RM848) and can be purchased here.


Malaysian Spreads Mamak Culture in San Fran!

Home is where the heart is. But that’s not the case for Azaline Eusope, a fifth-generation street food vendor in San Francisco. Her heart brought her home when she decided to spread the mamak culture at a faraway land from Malaysia.

The beginning of Eusope’s Mamak business

The pastry-trained chef Azalina Eusope is one of the first few Malaysians to spread the Mamak culture in a foreign land as she introduced Malaysians’ favourite street food to the people in San Francisco. Way before she decided to spread the Mamak culture, it was just a hobby of hers to cook Malaysian food for herself, her family, and friends as those food are her comfort food. Word got out about her homecooked meals, so eventually she started her Malaysian food business as a food truck and founded “Azalina’s Malaysian” in 2010.

Eusope’s inspiration comes from her childhood memories as her grandmother used to sell coconut rice out of a basket that she carried between villages in Penang. Though she yearned to become a lawyer, she could never turn down her family business of street food for over 5 generations in one of the best street food cities in Asia.

“This is the kind of food that reminds me of my culture, my family, my memories. You can’t turn it away. It’s in your family and in your soul. Somehow it’s going to come and find you,” says Eusope.

Thus, she decided to share the Mamak-style food and Penang’s culture through  her signature dishes such as Penang Curry Bomb Buns, Malaysian Nachos, Laksa, and so on. Her Mamak business gained her the reputation in making some of the best Malaysian food in San Francisco and her jarred sauces (peanut sauce, warm coconut jam, etc) are now sold at Whole Foods Market, an American foods supermarket chain specializing in natural and organic foods.

It was a bumpy road to Eusope’s success ever since she left Malaysia to pursue her culinary dream at the age of 15. She became a pastry chef in Singapore and to date, she has been to six different countries including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Australia and Tokyo before arriving in San Francisco. Encouraged by her husband Tim and her own passion, she was driven to make the most out of her Mamak’s culture in San Francisco.

Ever since she was named one of “10 Top Upcoming Chefs” to watch out for in Bon Apetit magazine (2010), her business became better than ever even though she found herself having to work 18 to 20 hours a day to serve the signature Malaysian dishes from her Penang-style hawker stand. She was even honoured by Women’s Initiative for Self Improvement for being an “Enterprising Woman on the Rise” in 2012.

Last year, her booth was one of the winners from the Southeast Asia booth for “the warming murtabak, a pleasantly spiced stuffed pancake of sorts.”, as quoted by Eater SF. One of her most significant events in her business was catering to a private event with her signature Malaysian street food for President Barack Obama.

Azalina’s first brick-and-mortar restaurant

Azalina Eusope has been cooking her food in a shared community kitchen several times a week for limited hours. However, she had recently lost access to the kitchen and was forced to expand her business in a new commercial kitchen for Azalina’s. Thus, Eusope decided to have her first brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Twitter HQ, with a 15,000 square foot kitchen and an urban hydroponic garden to supply the herbs for her food.

Set to be opened in September 2014, Eusope intended to make her restaurant into a casual and informal eating venue with both communal and bar seatings serving lunch, dinner, snacks in between and brunch on the weekends with a solid takeout component. The chef plans to transport the Mamak culture into the restaurant, a space that will feature natural lighting and glass walls including large windowed doors that slide open onto the back patio.

Just like how Malaysians would spend their time outside at the Mamak, customers can spent their time outside at the back patio where the chef would host movie screenings and bonfires.

The next two months will be a time to challenge Azalina’s determination as she continues to work hard on raising funds to lease her own commercial kitchen. More about Azalina Eusope’s story here:

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Kim & Khloé At War With Ellen Kardashian!

Recently, “In Touch” magazine claimed that they have exclusively obtained the late Robert Kardashian’s handwritten diaries from his widow, Ellen Kardashian, whom he married two months before he died of esophageal cancer in 2003.

The entries, dated throughout 1989 and 1990, paints a sad story of Kim’s, Kourtney’s, and Khloé’s childhoods, as well as a not-so-favourable picture of Kris Jenner.

24th August 1989: “Kris was kicking and beating her and she said she was going to kill Kim! Kim was hysterical.”

15th December 1989: “Todd drove up to the back gate and parked. He went in the house and slept in my bed. Khloé & Robert were in the house. She (Kris) doesn’t leave a number in case of emergency. She doesn’t care! She left the kids and screwed all night!”

25th December 1989: “Kris couldn’t get her act together to spend Christmas with her children. I was home alone with four kids. I put them to bed and played with them.”

Ellen confirmed the authenticity of the journals and told “In Touch” magazine, “These are authentic handwritten journals I have shared, that my late husband Robert Kardashian so carefully wrote during 1989 and 1990 at a most trying and touching time of his life. They are my personal possessions and he left them to me on his passing.”

However, the Kardashians have gotten word about the alleged journals and are slamming Ellen right back in her face. Both Kim and Khloé have taken to Twitter to express their apparent “disgust” over the “false news”. Needless to say, Ellen has been repeatedly branded a liar by Khloé loud and clear via Twitter and Kim, too, hasn’t been exactly the kindest on her own Twitter account:

Sorry, Ellen. The truth is, nobody messed with the Kardashians. Not when they are only so many of them.


Japanese Tourism Ad Receives Backlash For Containing Sexual Innuendos

It’s a known fact that Japan has some of the weirdest television commercials in the world. From fast food to automobiles, Japanese ads often contain subliminal messages and odd concepts.

Recently, a tourism ad for Miyagi Prefecture has garnered much attention for its “overtly sexual” content. The clip, which stars model and actress Mitsu Dan and Miyagi’s official rice ball mascot Musubimaru, has even received complaints from members of Miyagi’s Prefectural Assembly and several women’s advocacy groups.

The ad starts with Musubimaru lying on the floor, looking rather bored. Dan soon appears in the room and gently strokes his head. Then, she whispers sexily in his ears, saying, “Miyagi, I-cha-u?” (which means “Let’s go to Miyagi.”)

After hearing Dan’s suggestion, the mascot gets a nosebleed. In Japanese pop culture, the nosebleed reaction often refers to a person having sexual thoughts. And according to Rocket News 24, the term “i-cha-u” can mean either “go” or “ejaculate” depending on context.

In another scene, Dan is seen stroking the head of a flying turtle. The actress, who is known for having a sexy aura and sultry voice, can be heard asking, “Can I get on top of you?” Then, the turtle blushes and it’s head grows in size. On top of the sexual visuals, netizens also pointed out that “turtle head” in Japanese reads “kamegashira” (“kame” for turtle and “gashira” for head), which also translate to glans – the rounded part forming the end of the penis.

In response to the complaints, the Miyagi Regional Promotion Council announced that it will take down the video, which cost some 23 million yen (approximately RM897,000) to produce, after a promotional event on 26th August in Sendai.

As at time of writing, the ad has been viewed over 4.1 million times on the Cool Miyagi Summer YouTube channel.

What do y’all think of the ad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Sources: Rocket News 24, The Straits Times / Featured image: Rocket News 24.

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Here’s What You Need To Know About Meta’s New ‘Twitter Killer’ Called ‘Threads’

No matter what some people say, competition is healthy for the market and consumers. For the longest time now, despite all the other social media sites, there has been nothing like Twitter. The blue bird’s signature message board-style of social media has a simplistic appeal to the large masses that allows users to consume short bursts of information in quick succession. However, being the only social media site that has the capacity to dominate this space, Twitter has experienced unprecedented growth as people don’t have any alternative… until now.

When they weren’t struggling with fashion week in the Metaverse or building AIs, Zuckerberg and his team were actually hard at work on a new social media platform that is said to be Twitter’s kryptonite. The news has travelled far and wide, as Elon Musk is reportedly contemplating suing Meta for intellectual property theft. Here’s what you need to know about Zuckerberg’s “Twitter Killer”, called “Threads”.

A post shared by Mark Zuckerberg (@zuck)

Twitter has been going through a rough patch, especially since Musk has virtually ruined the platform’s user experience for everyone. For decades, people have been clamouring for a new Twitter, or at least something that would go toe-to-toe with it. That is why Meta’s Threads is currently being seen as a godsend made by the minds behind Facebook and Twitter. Despite popping up seemingly overnight, Threads, according to Zuckerberg, received 10 million user sign-ups in the first seven hours.

Fundamentally speaking, Threads is a text version of Instagram, sharing the same aesthetic choices as its sister app with a 500-character limit, but you can still share links, multiple photos, and up to five minutes of videos. Many were quick to treat the new space like Twitter due to the long-standing titan losing its foothold in social media – so much so that Twitter CEO Musk threatened to sue Threads for violating Twitter’s “intellectual property rights”.

The letter accuses Meta of taking “trade secrets and other intellectual property,” as Meta has been hiring former Twitter employees over the past year. Through these stolen “secrets,” Meta has made a “copycat” that specifically targets Twitter. Though it may seem baseless, the letter has some merit for specifically targeting Twitter, as the platform recently limited the number of posts a user can read per day. Furthermore, add the fact that Threads was released ahead of its intended launch date, and Musk has reason to suspect it to be more than a coincidence. However, before you jump ship, here are a few key differences between Threads and Twitter that you need to know:

Threads strictly prohibits pornography. Whether this is a good or bad thing is up to you, but many view this as a good thing, as Twitter is flooded with incredible amounts of porn. This has been rather concerning for the decade-old titan, as they allow children as young as 13 to create an account and be exposed to this.

Threads and Instagram are linked (whether you like it or not). As mentioned earlier, Threads has a similar aesthetic to Instagram, but their connection isn’t just skin deep. Meta mentioned in a “supplemental privacy policy” for Threads that “You may deactivate your Threads profile at any time, but your Threads profile can only be deleted by deleting your Instagram account.” Many claim this function to be a massive oversight, but it might be intentional so that users may second-guess their decision to delete their account.

App that was rushed out the door. Believe it or not, Threads was virtually announced overnight. This can be for numerous reasons, as mentioned earlier, but as a result, major functions found on Twitter don’t currently work on Threads. The first and most glaring issue: according to early-adopter users, the app is extremely buggy and requires immediate patching. Furthermore, this is strictly a mobile app, and a PC version is said to be available only at a later date.

You can’t set Threads to “view only” posts from accounts you follow, and you’re only allowed to search posts and not other accounts. However, one issue that has users concerned the most is its learning algorithm, a bot that keeps track of your user experience for ads, something Zuckerberg went to a court hearing for.

As mentioned earlier, competition is healthy for everyone, as it widens the options for consumers to choose from and motivates companies to improve and one-up the competition. So here’s hoping that Meta’s Threads is here to stay; who knows, maybe this is the second wind Zuckerberg and his company are looking for.

Source: Semafor, Variety, Trusted Reviews, Meta, Wikimedia Commons