#Schumi: F1 Champ Could Take Up To 3 Years To Recover

A French doctor treating stricken former Formula One champion Michael Schumacher said Thursday that the German ace was making progress, but will need years to recover.

Jean-Francois Payen also praised Schumacher’s wife Corinna for the devotion she has shown to the racing driver since his devastating ski accident in December, in which he suffered life-threatening brain injuries.

45-year-old Michael Schumacher was skiing in the French Alps last December when he fell and hit his head on a rock. The 7-time world champion from Germany was placed in a medically induced coma to help reduce swelling in his brain as he underwent treatment in Grenoble and then in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Payen, who treated Schumacher at the Grenoble hospital where Schumacher was taken after the accident, told RTL radio:

I have noticed some progress but I would say we will have to give him time. It is like for other patients. We are in a time scale of one to three years, so you need patience.

After being in a coma for 6 months, Schumacher is now at his home at Gland in Switzerland and Payen said he still sees the 45-year-old at a hospital in Lausanne and at his home.

“It is to see how he progresses and then tell his wife and his children what changes I have observed. He is in very favourable conditions. His wife is surrounded by excellent advice and has put everything needed in place so that he can advance,” he said.

He added that Corinna Schumacher had played a key role in her husband’s progress. “It is someone very linked to Michael, but who has a lucidity and a desire to make him advance which is an extraordinary point. For years she will do this same work. She is a very good person,” he said.

Investigators probing last December’s accident said Schumacher had been going at the speed of “a very good skier” at the time of his crash in the resort of Meribel.

Meanwhile, French F1 driver Jules Bianchi, remains in critical condition in hospital in Japan after suffering severe brain injuries when his car skidded off a wet track on 5th October.


BlackBerry Launches “Stop Missing Out!” Campaign

Who said BlackBerry users can’t have fun? And we’re talking, fun with our local celebrities, up close and personal!

If you feel like you’ve always been the one to miss out on all the fun stuff in life, then fret not. BlackBerry Malaysia is now offering their Malaysian customers the opportunity to not only connect and stay connected, but to also join in on the fun!

So, BlackBerry fans and lovers, listen up!

Because people like you will stand a chance at winning fantastic outings and activities with some of Malaysia’s top entertainers and celebrities via none other than BlackBerry Malaysia’s “Stop Missing Out!” campaign. The campaign, scheduled to run for a month, was initially announced at yesterday’s BlackBerry Curve 9320 and BlackBerry Curve 9220 smartphones launch but will only start on the 1st June 2012 (Friday).

How’d you like to go on a movie outing with sweet Liyana Fizi? Or belt out a few songs, maybe some oldies, at a karaoke with Bunkface? Fancy a pampering session with the gorgeous Julie Woon? Well, you know what they say – dreams CAN come true. Right?

To stand a chance at winning a movie outing, pampering session, karaoke, futsal game, or a day of shopping with the celebrities, all you have to do is simply send a picture that best describes how the BlackBerry smartphone keeps you connected and connect with the people and things you love.

Some of the celebrities involved in the “Stop Missing Out!” campaign include:

For more information, keep your browser pointed to www.StopMissingOut.com.my from the 1st June to the 2th June 2012. We’ll leave it to BlackBerry Malaysia to unveil all the prizes they have on offer on a daily basis!

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Angelina Jolie Talks About Giving Up Acting For Directing

Hollywood A-lister Angelina Jolie says she plans to give up acting after a “few more” films and switch her focus to directing.

She walked the red carpet in Sydney with husband Brad Pitt this week at the premiere of her new movie, World War II epic “Unbroken”, which was filmed in Australia. It was her second foray behind the camera after the critically acclaimed 2011 “In the Land of Blood and Honey” and she said directing was where she saw her future.

The 39-year-old Hollywood still-a-siren told Sydney Morning Herald of acting:

I’ll do a few more, but I’ll be happy to let that all go at some point. I love directing, I’m much happier directing. I like following a project all the way through. I like spending two years on something and learning about it… I like being pushed mentally to have to learn so much and be a part of every single aspect of a production.

The “Malificent” star’s new movie is based on the true story of a US Olympic athlete-turned-Japanese prisoner of war, Louis Zamperini, who competed in the 5,000m at the 1936 Games in Berlin before becoming a bombardier in World War II.

When his plane crashed over the South Pacific, he spent 47 days adrift on a raft with a crew mate before being captured by Japanese soldiers in the Marshall Islands. He was held in a prisoner of war camp for more than two years, enduring beatings and torture, before his return home.

Angelina Jolie, who has been acting since she was 7, said her preference for being behind the camera did not mean she thought any less of acting or actors. “I love actors, I love watching actors work, and I like to shine a light on them. I actually prefer it when it’s not me,” she told the newspaper.

When asked if she had to play tyrant at any point in time, she replied, “Oh sure. That’s what you want from a director. My job is to make the film great, not to make friends with everybody.”

Since wrapping up “Unbroken”, she has directed both herself and Brad Pitt in the yet-to-be-released “By the Sea”.

“To direct myself was hard, to direct him (Pitt) was a challenge and to be in the scenes with him doing very heavy, heavy drama was difficult,” she told The Australian newspaper.


#NMF: Penang’s Northern Music Festival To Feature 60 Bands; Phase 1 Line Up Announced

Indie band lovers, we’ve got news for ya’ll ;)

The long-awaited Northern Music Festival (NMF) is finally back and this time, it’s bigger than ever! The music event will be held in culturally rich Penang on 12th and 13th November 2016.

Featuring 4 stages – The Wildchild Stage, The Wanderlust Stage, The Electrify Stage, and The Vagabond Stage – over the span of 2 days, the NMF is said to be “the next platform for local independent bands to showcase their music and talents”. A total of 60 bands will be playing at the event, and the organiser has revealed the line up for the first phase.

The first phase of bands includes SevenCollar T-shirt, OAG (an acronym for Old Automatic Garbage or Orang Asia Genius), Oh Chentaku, 2dB, Tres Empre, Restraint, An Honest Mistake, and more.

The festival will also have various vendors selling arts and crafts, food and beverages, local and international clothing brands, and merchandises.

Festival tickets are already on sale via Northern Music Festival website.

Watch the promo clip for the festival below:

For more information, visit Northern Music Festival’s Facebook page and website.

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Jessica Chastain Plays 2 Characters In X-Men: Dark Phoenix

For the longest time, Jessica Chastain’s role in “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” has been a mystery.

Many assumed that the Oscar nominated actress was playing Princess Lilandra of the Shi’Ar Empire when it was revealed she was taking on a character named Smith – an “otherworldly shapeshifter”.

[P/s: There will be spoilers from the final instalment of the Fox franchise as we dived into Chastain’s character, so read at your own risk.]

Now that “Dark Phoenix” has finally hit theatres, we finally know that the 42-year-old actress plays 2 characters in the movie. When she first appears onscreen, Chastain is a suburban wife named Margaret. Curious at what is bothering her agitated dog, Luna, she leaves her dinner party to investigate her backyard.

There, she’s attacked and killed by a group of shape-shifting alien race called the D’Bari. Led by their leader Vuk (who takes on Margaret’s form), the villains seeks to obtain Jean Grey’s power to resurrect the D’Bari race and begin again after their home planet was destroyed by the Phoenix Force.

Longtime “X-Men” fans will notice that the movie version of Vuk is rather different from the comic books. Vuk was originally depicted as a male while the D’Bari aren’t even shape-shifters in the comics. But adjustments had to be made during reshoots in order to coincide with the storyline.

“My character changed a lot, which is an interesting thing because I’m not playing someone from the comics,” Chastain revealed. “So it was always every day trying to figure out, ‘Who am I? Who is the mystery that is this character?’ And then understanding with the reshoots, ‘Oh, it’s changing again.’ It was a constant evolution . . . So yeah, my character changed.”

Writer/director Simon Kinberg also shared that Vuk in the movie took inspirations from Lilandra, Emma Frost and Mastermind. “There were a lot of things from the original Dark Phoenix saga that I left out in order to serve as the more emotional and go really deep with Jean, things like the Hellfire Club and Lilandra and her relationship with Charles that I felt like deserved their own entire movie,” he said.

“I started looking at different characters in the D’Bari mythos and Vuk was a character who became part of not just the Dark Phoenix story but sort of the X-Men universe. The character is still the sort of compendium of a lot of different characters that people would know from comics,” the filmmaker added.

“Dark Phoenix” is currently playing in cinemas.


Katy Perry: Breathtakingly Beautiful & Inspiring

There’s a place on earth that’s like a giant fairy tale candy land and evidently, that place is in the “Part of Me” movie.

She has already made international headlines and global news following her amazing breakthrough single, “I Kissed A Girl”. She continued to top charts and raise the bar for her artiste peers with “California Gurls”, “Firework”, “Hot N Cold”, “Teenage Dream”, “E.T.”, “Part of Me”, and “The One Who Got Away”.

Uh, did we miss any of Katy Perry‘s songs out?

Don’t expect to hear much about her growing up (although there were smatterings of it) because clearly, “Part of Me” was staged to market her world tour. Sort of like an “after movie” tossed with lots of behind-the-scenes footage, if you will.

There was also the breakdown of her marriage to comedian Russell Brandt, which was highly publicized. It got the world buzzing and, well, that’s part and parcel of being a super mega (dare we say, universal?) star. What we didn’t expect to see was the documentation of the sudden decline of her love life. When the usually cheery and quirky Katy Perry cried, we almost wanted to reach out to her.

But instead, she plastered on a bright smile and carried on with her breathtakingly beautiful performance. To sing, dance, and inspire the largest crowd, in the Brazil leg of her tour.

Truth be told, “Part of Me” sucks you into Katy Perry’s year-long tour and leaves you with sparkles in your eyes – be it from tearing with pain and joy or from the setup of the concert production. Cotton candy clouds, colourful costumes, pyrotechnics, strange but cute dancing creatures, upbeat “feel good” song after song, you name it. Let’s not forget the way she communicates with her fans seamlessly, reminding them to believe – just like she did when she was just a young Christian girl.

In short, it’s hard to not smile and sing along. Oh come on now, we know you know the words. Admit it.

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

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#ZoukClubKL: Malaysia’s Superclub Is Ranked 38th Club In The World

Superclub Zouk Kuala Lumpur (KL) is now ranked the #38 club in the world, taking a big leap of 14 places to its new ranking on UK’s DJ Mag’s Top 100 Clubs 2015 global poll!

The results were announced last Friday by the UK cult magazine, a bible for global club and electronic dance music culture. This is the first time that Zouk Club KL has broken into the Top 40 since the multi-venue nightspot made its 2011 debut on the global club polls.

Each year, DJ Mag puts together a list of the cream of the crop nightspots from around the world – voted online by users – reflecting what they truly enjoy, as well as the establishment’s popularity on a global scale. Zouk KL was previously ranked #65 (2011); #66 (2012); and #52 (2014).

Upon the announcement, Zouk Club KL founder and executive director Cher Ng said:

It’s a great achievement by the Zouk KL team, underlining their passion and strong commitment in offering the best. We aim to be one of the Top 30 clubs in the world by 2017.

Zouk Club KL’s success and quick rise in popularity among global audiences are boosted by its progressive showcase of electronic dance music presented by a scintillating roster of international and Asian acts; intuitive programming; the embracing of digital technology to support its intricate eco-system of consumer amenities and services; tourist-friendly policies, and more.

In fact, the club has seen the likes of Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Paul van Dyk, Above & Beyond, Ferry Corsten, Cosmic Gate, Shogun, and many more taking over the decks in the past.

Each week, Zouk Club KL draws about 15,000 visitors, including tourists. That works out to about 800,000 visitors waltzing past its velvet ropes annually, of whom 100,000 or 20% are tourists.

Some Zouk Club KL fun facts to commemorate this occasion:

Zouk Club KL, which celebrated its 11th anniversary last week, will relocate from its current location at Jalan Ampang to KL’s new lifestyle precinct TREC along Jalan Tun Razak by the second quarter of 2015.

For more information, hit up TREC’s official website or Zouk Club KL’s interim website.


#Oscars2017: The 89th Academy Awards’ Full Winners List

For a brief moment, the 89th Academy Awards belonged to “La La Land”, who led the field with 14 nominations. But in a shocking turn of events, it was “Moonlight” who scooped up the award for Best Picture.

“La La Land” didn’t walk away empty handed though. The musical film was still the most awarded film despite the wild ending- taking home 6 Oscars including Best Director and Best Actress. “Well, I don’t know what happened,” the host, Jimmy Kimmel, said. “I blame myself for this. Let’s remember it’s just an award show, we hate to see people disappointed but we got to see some extra speeches.”

COVER STORY: Damien Chazelle and Barry Jenkins on that #Oscars shocker: The morning-after interview https://t.co/AGwhyhh3lV pic.twitter.com/RuGcxuICnc

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

#Oscars: The complete winners list https://t.co/uVQpdFPQv1 pic.twitter.com/YeYk1YbwS8

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 27, 2017

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Congrats to Fantastic Beasts on its Costume Design #Oscars win! pic.twitter.com/jeLZ7tP28q

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

Big news just bubbled up! Congrats to Team #Piper on winning @TheAcademy Award for Best Animated Short Film. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/auInDUBXt2

This behind-the-scenes footage shows how CGI helped bring "The Jungle Book" to life. pic.twitter.com/SevjXTwrSb

— Insider (@thisisinsider) February 23, 2017

For more Oscar-related news, visit the official website here.

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Hype’s Now Playing: Calvin Harris − Slow Acid

Calvin Harris takes us on a trippy techno route.

It’s pretty safe to say that Calvin Harris‘ album, Motion, is definitely going to list itself as one of the top dance albums this year. The 15-track album features some major hits including “Under Control,” “Summer,” and “Blame.”

However, the DJ/producer has smartly balanced out these radio friendly bangers with some songs that fans would not necessarily expect from him. Keeping his sound multi-dimensional, “Slow Acid” takes a trippy acidic techno route that cruises slightly below the speed limit. The cinematic music video accompanying the track sports both action and thriller elements, creating brilliant contrast in tone to his previous visual works such as “Summer.”

Stepping out of his usual sound, mainstream fans may not be able to step into a grove with this song immediately. Though, we are certain that it will grow on them after they’ve heard it a couple of times. It’s also lovely to see Calvin Harris take such risk in expanding his style in front of such a large demographic. His album, Motion, is slated for release on November 4th and can be pre-ordered here.


Mad Excited For DJ Lisa Lashes!

With Dash Berlin’s #musicislife World Tour 2013 just three more sleeps away, we can almost taste the excitement in the air. While all you party people are gearing up for the long night of dancing, we stole the world’s #1 female DJ, Lisa Lashes away for a little one-on-one! She’ll be making a guest appearance on 15th June 2013 (Saturday) and as you can tell, she’s mad excited:

Hi Lisa! How is it going? Where are you right now and what are you currently up to?

“I’m currently in Bali after finishing a HeavensGate Indonesia tour with Alex Morph and Woody. Going through lots of emails and chilling by the pool as I have a lot to do when I get back to the UK including back on a plane to see you guys in KL, EDC in Vegas, block booking studio time so I can go and be creative hen I’m back in the UK.”

So, you’re coming back to Kuala Lumpur for your gig at Sepang International Circuit. What has been your best memory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia?

“I always have fun times in Malaysia as it’s a beautiful place filled with beautiful welcoming people and it’s an honor to be invited back yet again. I’m so looking forward to playing at the International Circuit too as it will be a first time experience for me.”

[youtube id=”FE35DOgW_C0″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

You’ve been such a prominent figure in the electronic dance music scene and over the years, your style of music evolved. What inspired that shift from hard house to trance?

“I’ve always been very versatile with my music playing main sets, back room sets, which were different styles of music. Hard House I moved away from over four years ago as it’s always good to keep changing the way you think about music and music preferences have changed for me over the years as I’m sure they have for most people who are artistic.”

Has that shift been well received by the fans who have been lovingly devoted to you since your “Queen of Hard Dance” days? What has their feedback/response been like?

“I’ve not had any complaints so far and to be honest, there have been lots of positive results especially in the UK as the scene that was so big many years ago is just not there anymore. Things move on and I’m glad I’ve been allowed to express this in my music after so many years.”

While we’re still on the topic (of music and styles), pray tell – what is currently on your playlist/iPod right now?

“As I’ve been on a beach in Bali, I’ve been listening to Bruno Mars and some chilled Kruger and Dorfmeister so nothing too crazy.”

Describe the perfect Lisa Lashes day off.

“I’m doing it now in Bali sipping an iced Strawberry milkshake in the sun with my feet dipped in the pool.”

Leave a message/shoutout for Hype Malaysia readers and your Malaysian fans!

“Hope you all get your dancing shoes polished off and ready for the big party. Let’s make it an event to remember.”

Yes, let’s. See you this weekend, Lisa! Also, special thanks to our friends from Global Sound Masters for making this exclusive interview happen.

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Hype’s Movie Review: #BeautyAndTheBeast Tells An Enchanting & Aesthetically Appealing Tale

Disney started adapting their animated movies into live-action starting from 2010’s “Alice in Wonderland”. This was followed by “Maleficient”, “Cinderella”, and “The Jungle Book”. Many had split opinions of the movies, with some praising the remakes and others seeing it as a “money-grabbing” attempt. The latest movie in line is “Beauty and the Beast”, which started production in 2014 and will finally be in theatres this year.

But is it worth the watch? Will it ruin your childhood memories, or will it bring up the good times you had? We’ll break it down for you.

This fairy tale needs no introduction. We all know how it goes. To rescue her father Maurice from the hands of the fearsome Beast, Belle has to take his place as prisoner. Unbeknownst to her, he is actually a handsome, young prince under a curse, and the curse will only break when another person learns to love the Beast for who he is within.

With that out of the way, we have to say that there’s nothing groundbreaking in this adaptation. What we saw in the 1991 original is what we get in this remake.

Visually, it is extremely appealing – nothing less than what we expected from Disney. For a live-action movie, the narrative gets tedious at times, but the aesthetic helps retain its magic. From the charming small town where “Beauty and the Beast” is set to the mountains surrounding the area and the menacing castle the Beast is bounded to – everything is magical. It transports us to an alternative world and convinces us that we are part of it for 2 hours. It felt like we could touch the trees and pat the animated objects if we just stretched our hands. Trust us, watch this in IMAX 3D if you want the full experience.

Although the numbers have all been remade into modern versions, it is as equally captivating as the original. We experienced a festival on-screen and the music certainly complemented the movie. The “Be Our Guest” number and theme song certainly did not disappoint. We have a feeling that the songs will become hits among the audience, like how every single person on Earth hummed “Let It Go” (at least it felt that way to us). The cast looked eager belting out the track and we grew fond of them.

Emma Watson is a good actress, that much we can say. Maybe it’s her first time singing in a movie, maybe she felt pressured by the expectations, but she seemed a little too stoic. The opening scene sees her with an awkward smile on her face, as if she’s trying her best to convince the audience that she’s happy being where she is.

One of the most memorable scenes in the movie was when the living objects came together to charm Belle with a dinner performance. Sadly, Watson did not seem entirely convinced. Her expressions come across as unsure and her eyes faltered a little as she tries her best to persuade the audience that she’s impressed.

She performs the best when faced with a challenging situation. We see the fire in Belle when she has to save the Beast from the pitchfork-wielding villagers or when she stands her ground in rejecting Gaston’s multiple advances.

The actors were well casted, but the one who stood out was Gaston, portrayed by Luke Evans. He started off as an endearing character. Annoying, yes, but we learned to accept him as he is because his narcissism seemed adorable at times. We enjoyed seeing him rebuffing the advances of the young impressionable ladies while basking in the attention of the villagers. We liked how natural it was for Evans to look at a mirror and extol his own virtues – particularly his strength and looks.

That was until he did something unforgivable. At that moment, we hated him with every fibre of our body and all we hoped for was an equally torturous punishment. The character switched from “harmless airhead” to “dangerous villain” within moments. With every passing second, we can’t help but hope that he gets mauled by the Beast at the end of the movie.

Oh, and how could we not talk about the objects which came to life? All of them were equally memorable, be it the squabbling pair of Lumiere (Ewan Mc Gregor) and Cogsworth (Ian McKellen) or the mother-son pair of Mrs. Potts (Emma Thompson) and Chip (Nathan Mack). The objects have always served as one of the most lovable parts of the original and their charms were retained in this remake.

Much has been said about the gay character of LeFou – with some happy over the fact that there’s finally someone representing the community in a Disney movie; while others disappointed that the character is one which is often ridiculed. Our thoughts? Without spoiling the show, we would say that it was done just right.

Our final verdict? If you enjoyed the original, this will transport you back to your childhood. If you didn’t like the original, this adaptation won’t change your mind.

Yes, there are parts that made us scoff, like how miraculously Belle fell for the Beast, or how easily the villagers’ opinions were swayed. But do keep in mind that it’s a Disney movie, and it is a fairy tale, after all. Leave your cynicism outside the theatre for a moment and you will enjoy the movie.

“Beauty and the Beast” is set to be released in Malaysian cinemas on 30th March 2017.

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

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#CupNoodlesMart: New Store In Penang Offers More Than 70 Types Of Cup Noodles

Lucky you, Penangites. The mother of all instant noodles stores has arrived in Penang.

Cup Noodles Mart officially opened its doors last week and guess what? It offers over 70 different types of cup noodles to suit various taste buds!

Located at Butterworth, Cup Noodles Mart is open everyday from 11am to 11pm. Thanks to the many flavours available (with cup noodles imported from Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan and Thailand), you’ll be spoilt for choice. The best part is, you won’t have to rely on friends traveling overseas anymore since Cup Noodles Mart is now closer to home.

The variety of instant noodles include Seafood flavoured noodles, Hot Chicken flavoured ramen, Dang Gui Duck flavoured instant noodles, Super-hot Pot Beef flavoured instant noodles, and Lobster flavoured instant noodles. In addition, the tasty and savoury Soup Darren noodles are also available here!

Of course, that’s not all. Cup Noodles Mart also offers a selection of snacks and desserts too, including strawberry and green tea ice cream as well as Thai yogurt milk.

The details to Cup Noodles Mart are as follows:

For more information, check out Cup Noodles Mart’s Facebook page.


Hype’s Exclusive: Freaks In White With Steve Aoki

The closing of the past year and the welcoming of the new year got super slick with “The White Party (TWP) Series presents Steve Aoki” at KL Live last Wednesday. Entertained by a superstar DJ who is known for his exhilarating performances, outrageous stage dives, and dope remixes, partygoers were treated to an insane party that night. And by insane, we mean water spraying, boat rafting and of course, the legendary cake throw.

Dim Mak Records founder DJ Steve Aoki stopped by Kuala Lumpur to promote the release of his latest dance music album “Neon Future 1” before heading to Jakarta for DWP and Singapore for Zoukout. Giving fans a night to remember, Aoki said in statement, “I love this city very much. To be back in the heart of Kuala Lumpur is mind blowing. I hope my fans enjoy my new tracks from Neon Future.”

Having collaborated with producers and vocalists such as Will.I.Am, Diplo, LMFAO, Afrojack, Deorro, Lil Jon, Iggy Azalea and more, the Los Angeles based DJ is no stranger to Kuala Lumpur and is highly respected and loved by the fans here. Themed “The White Party (TWP)”, Aoki’s latest visit to Kuala Lumpur saw fans and clubbers all dressed in white for an epic night of partying with the DJ.

TWP Series organised by Play Club KL and KC&Friends aims to bring a bigger clubbing experience to a bigger scale at more premium heights here in Kuala Lumpur. TWP Series featuring Steve Aoki marks the inaugural of TWP here in Kuala Lumpur and we are looking forward to more great parties from the series.

Flooded with party goers and fans alike, the first TWP party was a blast and of course, with much thanks to our buddies from Play Club KL, we managed to chat with the Dim Mak boss himself. We find out what Aoki has been up to since we last saw him earlier this year during WOW Music Festival 2014.

Hey Steve! Welcome back. How are you doing and are you excited to be back here?

Hey! Thank you. Yeah I am, I’m a little tired right now, but it’s good to be back here.

You come to Malaysia quite often (we totes love that btw), what is it about KL that you love most?

I love the crowd. The crowd is definitely the most memorable part of coming out here. I’ve been playing KL for a long time and I remember back in 2008, I did a Dim Mak festival here for 5,000 people and that was back 2008. It feels like such a long time ago and I just really love coming here. You’d be surprised coming from America, you don’t know what it’s gonna be like to come to Malaysia, but Malaysian kids, they know their dance music and they’re always so excited which is great for us DJs.

Speaking of crowds and shows, which do you honestly prefer – performing or producing?

I think at the end of the day, it’s performing. Because whenever I finish a song, it’s an incredible feeling but in my mind, I’m finishing it so I can translate it into a better performance. Completing a track leads to me wanting to have a more successful show, you get what I mean?

And in relation to producing, you released your 2nd album “Neon Future” back in September. Could you tell us a little more about the album – what inspired it and where did the concept come from?

“Neon Future” is about an Ethiopian future that embraces technology and you know, strives for a transcending future. It’s going to be 2 features, the first one was released in September and Part II will be out in Spring 2015.

You recently played Stereosonic in Australia, did you hear about Perth based photographer Jarrad Seng impersonating you? What did you think about that?

Oh yeah yeah. We’re going to post up a video I think maybe, tomorrow. I met up with him and we kinda fooled people again. Difference is this time round, I was taking pictures of him. I was the photographer and then I would take everything off and be like “HEY! I’m the real Steve Aoki!” Haha. He’s a smart kid, so it was really fun working with him.

Haha it’s really cool that you got onboard with it and played along. Last one, if you were  the lead actor in a romantic comedy, who would you pick to be the female lead?

Thank you and hope you have fun tonight!

Once again, big thanks to Play Club KL for organising this interview for us and massive thanks to Steve Aoki for taking the time out to chat with us despite being so tired!

Check out the gallery below for more pictures from The White Party (TWP) Series featuring Steve Aoki:

Keep updated with Steve Aoki via these platforms: Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

*All pictures courtesy of the event organisers.

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Director Adrian Teh Reunites With Hairul Azreen For “The Assistant”

Adrian Teh, the man behind the blockbuster hits “Paskal” and “Wira”, is back with another action-packed film under the Sony Pictures Entertainment Malaysia brand, and it’s titled “The Assistant”.

The movie stars Iedil Putra and Hairul Azreen taking on the lead roles. Interestingly, “The Assistant” also marks the 33-year-old actor’s fifth collaboration between himself and also the movie director. Talk about a match made in heaven!

The action-thriller tells the story of Zafik (played by Iedil Dzuhrie) who was wrongfully imprisoned. After losing everything, he meets Feroz (Hairul Azreen) who seems to always show up at just the right time. As time goes on, will Zafik find out Feroz’s true motives? Apart from the two aforementioned actors, the film also stars Henley Hii as Sam and Farali Khan as Sofia.

In commenting about the collab with local studio Act 2 Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment Malaysia Managing Director Simon Foo said, “We’re big fans of Adrian’s work and are proud to be a part of bringing this stunning, action-packed film to moviegoers across Malaysia. We value the role local films play in enriching the tapestry of our local film industry and starting new conversations and it is our hope that Malaysian audiences join in our enthusiasm.”

A post shared by ACT 2 PICTURES SDN BHD 再来一个电影有限公司 (@act2pictures)

Simon added by saying, “‘The Assistant’ is a movie that exemplifies how a good local film should be made and is, without a doubt, a must-watch for those who enjoy a good thriller with a captivating story, great pacing, and an abundance of action.”

During the Q&A session with the press, Adrian was also asked on whether he’s concerned about his movie getting released around the same time as the long-awaited superhero movie “The Batman” (starring Robert Pattinson). In response to this, he bluntly said. “If you want to avoid Hollywood movies, then don’t show them!”

Adrian then continued, “It would be very difficult to compare with ‘Batman’ on a global scale, But locally, I believe that as long as we use the right promotion strategy, there may be opportunities, and I hope the local audience can. Please support me a lot!”

“The Assistant” will debut on cinemas on 10th March 2021.


Astro-On-The-Go Now Available Worldwide!

Living abroad and missing home? Can’t go without access to local movies, dramas, live sports, and news? Astro has just answered your prayers!

With the launch of Astro-On-The-Go International, Malaysians living abroad can now feel closer to home. The new service enables Malaysians to tune in to their favourite local movies, dramas, live sports, and news coverage even while they’re oceans apart.  Astro-On-The-Go International will not be made available only on laptops, but smartphones and tablets too, from anywhere in the world.

According to Datuk Rohana Rozhan (Astro CEO), “The boundaries of geography shouldn’t apply with technology. As such, we are making local contesnt available to Malaysians living abroad, making Malaysian culture, music, and content internationally accessible”. She also mentioned that along with the Astro-On-The-Go International launch, two homegrown channels (Astro Awani and Astro Arena) are available for a free preview.

Oh, what? Homesick? We say, homesick no more!

For more information or to register for Astro-On-The-Go International, hit up their official website.


Genting Sues Fox, Disney For $1 billion Over Malaysian Theme Park

Walt Disney Co and 21st Century Fox Inc were sued by Malaysia’s casino resort Genting Malaysia Berhad (GENM.KL) for more than $1 billion on Monday, for pulling out of an agreement to sponsor a Fox World theme park outside Kuala Lumpur.

According to Genting, Disney is now calling the shots as it is now finalising its acquisition on 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets, thus it refused to be associated with Genting’s gambling business.

“Unlike Fox, which was perfectly happy to have the Park situated a stone’s throw from the casinos of Resorts World Genting so long as it could continue to extract financial concessions from GENM, Disney wanted no association with a gaming company like GENM due to Disney’s ‘family-friendly’ brand strategy,” read the suit.

The theme park which is running years behind schedule, was initially slated to open in 2016, but it has been repeatedly delayed.

It is revealed that Genting has spent more than $750 million developing the theme park, which is intended to be on par with the Universal Studios Singapore at its sister’s resort, Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore.

In the suit, Genting also states that Fox has used the delays as justification to cancel the deal. However, Genting alleges that the delays were Fox’s fault.

Genting is seeking damages in excess of $1 billion in an attempt to recoup its investment, as well as “consequential and punitive” damages.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter

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Hype’s Now Playing: Darren Ashley — Breathe In

Malaysia’s very own electro pop music composer, Darren Ashley, first started off his career in the music scene as the drummer of Busco. The band which won first place on MTV’s Battle of the Bands Asia and MRSC’s Songwriting Competition has since been featured on various channels including MTV, Hitz.fm, 8tv’s Quickie, August Man and Newman magazine.

Despite his busy schedule, Darren’s passion for music led him to venturing into other parts of his interest in arts. Discovered and recognised by Bo of Cosmic SpaceMunkys, Bedroom Sanctuary, Darren began to produce and perform his original materials and has gone on to be featured on Hitz.fm, Flyfm, Xfm. He was also in the top 20 of 8tv’s One In A Million and has had the honour to be featured on DJ Blink and Goldfish’s album and on a new track by H3.

Now back with something new, Darren has released his first track of 2014 titled Breathe In. The track which bound to get your grooving along to it, features a yodelling that takes listeners by surprise, in a good way of course. If you’ve not heard the track yet, here it is!


#XMenApocalypse: Xavier Reborn As James McAvoy Finally Goes Bald

Professor Charles Xavier is known for his iconic bald head in the “X-Men” universe. But in Bryan Singer’s rebooted “X-Men” film franchise, actor James McAvoy, who portrays the young Xavier, grew his hair out to the 1970s appropriate hippy length.

After losing his legs in “X-Men: First Class” and being in the wheelchair in “X-Men: Days of Future Past“, Xavier is now losing his hair in “X-Men: Apocalypse“, as revealed by the director in the Instagram post below:

#Xavier reborn (in process ) #jamesmcavoy #XMEN #XMenApocalypse @xmenmovies

A photo posted by Bryan Singer (@bryanjaysinger) on May 8, 2015 at 5:16pm PDT

The photo, which was uploaded by Singer, is our first look at McAvoy in his traditional bald-head character. This is also the first time that McAvoy has gone bald for a film role. Though Patrick Stewart is best known for his portrayal of the character, the actor stated that he may not return to reprise his role in the forthcoming film.

Production of the film is currently underway in Montreal, with Singer and Kodi Smit-McPhee offering us a first look at the new Nightcrawler. The character can be seen sporting a 1980s look as the movie will set its story in the 80s. The movie is also said to be one of the last movies to have any connections with the universe conceptualised by Singer.

McAvoy will return to the film alongside Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, and Lucas Till. Oscar Isaac will portray the titular villain while Olivia Munn will play Psylocke.

Newcomer Lana Condor joined the cast as Jubilee while Sophie Turner, and Alexandra Shipp will play the younger versions of Jean Grey, Cyclops, amd Storm respectively. Ben Hardy was recently confirmed to be playing Angel and Evan Peters may show up as Quicksilver again.

Slated for release on 27th May 2016, “X-Men: Apocalypse” is based on a screenplay written by Simon Kinberg, Mike Dougherty, and Dan Harris.


Creative Accommodation, Because Standard Hotels Are Too Mainstream

Travellers, we can all agree on one thing – good accommodation choices when you travel that are cheap are hard to come by these days. And this doesn’t apply to just foreign travellers alone, it applies to locals too. Take for example, our beautiful Langkawi island, the Jewel of Kedah. An average hotel booking can set you back at least RM200 per night. Imagine how much that would cost if you want to stay for about 3 nights maybe. RM600. On just hotel alone. And let’s not even get into the cost of accommodation in KL city.

Of course, some might argue that you’re paying for the luxury or comfort but do you really need those if you’re going to be out all day anyway? Essentially, all you need are clean sheets, hot water, and maybe air-conditioning. As such, we’ve found some interesting budget places (read: capsule/tube/container hotels) in Malaysia where you can enjoy the needed essentials, marvel as its uniqueness, and yet not have to splurge an absurd amount of money.

Got a holiday to Langkawi in the pipeline yet you don’t want to have to spend so much for time away on a local island? Then boy have we got an ideal place to stay for you!

Inspired by Austrian Dasparkhotel, by architect Andy Strauss, this abstract hotel where you live in a concrete tube, takes minimalist accommodation to the maximum. What, you didn’t think you’d ever find a concrete tube an ideal room? Then be prepared to be surprised. The tube opens up to the outdoors so you can chill out in your spout and admire the immediate sea views – but don’t get tunnel vision!

With 3 salt-water Jacuzzis, giant day-bed sun-loungers, full café, bar, and a restaurant all on the water’s edge, the hotel make for a place you won’t want to leave. Activities including Jet-skiing, cruises, jungle trekking and lots more can be organised from the comfort of your cask. But if you want to take a 5-minute walk to the tourist hotspot, Cenang Beach, golden sand, and duty-free shopping awaits.

The best part is that all the tubes come with a dressed king-size bed, ample storage underneath, light, plug sockets, fan and most importantly, a free kick-ass Langkawi sunset. There is no need for air-conditioning since these enormous concrete pipes have excellent thermal qualities, but there are cube rooms available (with air-conditioning) for those who aren’t ready to dive into the duct.

Rates start from RM98 onwards, including breakfast.

For more information, visit their official website.

Capsule by Container Hotel, Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) Sepang

The first airport capsule hotel in Malaysia has arrived. Located at the new Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA 2), Capsule by Container Hotel allows transit travellers, backpackers, or frequent flyers to book a place to crash overnight or recharge during a long transit before catching the next flight.

Cosy and smart, the hotel is as minimalist as you can imagine, which bodes well for its “hassle-free, value-smart lodging” style. It has a very industrial feel as it comes complete with shipping crate-style walls – almost like a warehouse.

Think it’s too tiny? You’d be surprised to find that each capsule comes with a few convenient amenities. More than enough if you’re planning to just sleep, if you ask us: 2 pillows, foldable table, hangers, individual ventilation, privacy blind, personal locker/drawer, reading light, power socket, phone (self-setting alarm calls enabled). There are also a few common/shared areas such as the Capsule bar, lounge, library, locker rental, washroom/shower, etc. Of course, some facilities come with a small fee but at least they’re the pay-per-use type.

Guests can stay up to 3 hours (cost RM45), 6 hours (cost RM70), or 12 hours (cost RM90) per day.

Time Capsule Retreat, Sungai Lembing Pahang

The Time Capsule Retreat is a privately owned retreat that quite frankly, checks all the things we ask for in a unique accommodation. First of all, it’s completely of grid as it’s situated in Sungai Lembing in Kuantan, pretty far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Secondly, the retreat is made up of 8 standard sewer pipes that have been turned into “rooms”. From these “rooms”, you can soak in the cocktail blend of relaxation and excitement while admiring the immediate forest surroundings.

Of course, it’s not all just about being with nature alone. The Time Capsule Retreat also has endless eye-candy to boggle the brain, a funky social scene, and a diversity of entertainment.

Activities including ATV, waterfall, jungle trekking , mining museum, mining tunnels, crystal clear river, hanging bridge, and lots more can be organised from the comfort of your cask. But if you want, you may take a 5-minute walk to the center of the town for famous local Kuantan foods. Oh yum!

All the tubes come with a dressed queen-sized bed, light, plug sockets, air-conditioning, and most importantly, a beautiful view. Shampoo and towels are not provided.

Container Hotel, Jalan Delima Kuala Lumpur

What? Sleep in a freight container? Well we never..

But let’s hear them out. The idea of Container Hotel was inspired by the concept of “Kyosho Jutaku”. In Japanese it means living large on a tiny footprint, by building a nice and compact house utilising only a very small space. With this concept, they further incorporated the ideas of green feature using recyclable materials and architecture design to develop their very own Container Hotel.

The Container Hotel is an eco-friendly hotel that emphasises on going green, sustainability, and promoting art design. They provide convenient, comfort, and competitive services to allow our guests to indulge in the best. They also provide a communication hub that allows their guests (both foreign and locals alike) to exchange their travelling experiences, journey, and ideas.

Think you might not fit in? The Container Hotel has a few room variants to cater to individuals, couples, and groups. Each room comes with complimentary bottled water and WiFi access. As a guest at The Container Hotel, you’d also get a hot/cold shower/bath and air-conditioning. We don’t know about you but we’d try it just for the fun of it!

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(Video) What MAPS Perak Looks Like After Being Abandoned For 2 Years

There’s something really sad and (definitely) creepy about abandoned places, especially when the venue is huge. So many questions unanswered, so many stories left untold and a future that will never happen.

We’ve all heard of the famous abandoned water-park Mimaland that was permanently closed in 1994 after a 20 year run. It even had its own horror movie. Adding to the list of closed and abandoned theme parks is MAPS Perak (Movie Animation Park Studio of Perak).

“Will it end up like Mimaland?” is the question on everyone’s mind since its closure. Let’s recap what happened: MAPS is (or was) a theme park in Ipoh, Perak that opened in 2017 and was the first fully animation-based theme park in Asia which contains attractions based on animations such as DreamWorks Animation and The Smurfs. The attraction was built at the cost of RM520 million.

After 3 years of operation, MAPS Perak officially closed down in 2020. It was meant to be temporary but to this day, things have remained quiet. It was said that the main reason why the park is no longer operational was due to not having enough visitors and mismanagement. The Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing lockdowns over the past 2 years probably sealed its fate as well.

So what’s the latest status of MAPS right now? A video posted on Twitter by user @IpohAjer shows the current state of MAPS after being abandoned for 2 years.

Keadaan terkini MAPS Perak. Taman tema ini juga pernah beroperasi selama 3 tahun sebelum ditutup pada 2020 kerana mengalami kerugian yang sudah tidak dapat dibendung.

Credit video : naemJD pic.twitter.com/r604MsJ9sM

The video was originally posted on YouTube by naemJD who posted a series of abandoned places around Malaysia on his channel. The full YouTube video has gained 32.k views while the shorter version on @IpohAjer’s Twitter reached over 500k views. In the full length video, we can see how eerie the place has become.

The whole theme park has been unattended for 2 years and definitely gives off an apocalyptic or dystopian feeling by the looks of it. Netizens previously mentioned that the abandoned theme park will be turned into a popular paranormal spot.

Netizens reacted to the video with some reminiscing the times they’ve been there while others think there should be another horror movie based on and filmed at MAPS just like Mimaland. It’s strange and sad how this theme park that had so much potential ended up as a ghost town.


(UPDATE) Youths Pull Cruel Prank On McDonald’s Malaysia Outlet

In other boycott McDonald’s news, the pranks (in bad taste) have clearly begun.

Yesterday, this Facebook page posted up a 3-minute-long video depicting a group of youths pulling a prank on a McDonald’s fast food restaurant staff has gone viral on Facebook, irking many users in the process. In the video, the youths were seen driving up to a drive-through counter at a McDonald’s restaurant and ordering some food. They were laughing and cheering throughout the entire 3 minutes, repeatedly and confidently announcing that they were about to pull a prank.

Following which, when it was their turn to pay, they rolled up to the cashier’s counter & screamed anti-Israeli sentiments before promptly driving away.

As at time of writing, the above video has been shared and liked more than 10k times. Netizens who have seen it were clearly disgusted by the prank, condemning them for being immature.

This is coming just too soon after McDonald’s Malaysia posted up an official media statement yesterday (Friday, 8th August) which said that some of their outlets have been subjected to the acts of vandalism to the extent that they had to shut down operations for the day. The fast-food company then reiterated that it doesn’t channel any sales, profits, or franchise fees from its restaurants/business to support any political causes or any conflicts in any part of the world.

We wish to state very clearly that McDonald’s Malaysia does not support nor condone the current conflictin the Middle East. Like all Malaysians, our utmost sympathies go out to the innocent victims in Gaza.

While we understand and respect that the act of boycotting is an individual decision, nevertheless we are disappointed that McDonald’s Malaysia has been unfairly targeted. We urge Malaysians to remain calm and to refrain from carrying out any acts that may harm any parties.

We wish to reiterate our stand that McDonald’s Malaysia does not channel any sales, profits or franchise fees from our restaurants to support any political causes or conflicts in any part of the world. We have been consistent and transparent in communicating our position, but unfortunately the information that we share have been misinterpreted by certain parties.

As a consequence, our employees who are practically all Malaysians have had to endure harassments, threats, and verbal abuse. Some of our restaurants have also been subjected to acts of vandalism to the extent that we had no choice but to shut down our operations for the day. The reality is that our employees and franchisees have done nothing wrong, and it is grossly unfair that they should be targeted in such a way.

Let us all remind ourselves that we are Malaysians and we share a common bond. We can agree to disagree respectfully. But most important of all, let us all continue to pray for the end of the conflict and continued peace in Gaza.

The location of the McDonald’s branch that the youths pulled a prank on could not be determined.

Malaysians, is there a real point in resorting to such measures to boycott McDonald’s Malaysia, a franchise holder? As Malaysians, we’re made of better stuff than just silly meaningless pranks which will in turn hurt others who are innocent, don’t you think?

According to The Star Online, which quoted 25-year-old IT specialist Jeremy Chiam, there were also people who threw slippers, spat at McDonald’s Malaysia employees, and vandalised McDonald’s Malaysia outlets. The Masjid Jamek outlet has even gone to the extent of getting Rela personnels to guard their outlet.

We’ve also found some images from this site, depicting what has been happening at several McDonald’s outlets nationwide:

There are certainly better ways to help the Israel Gaza conflict aside from pulling silly pranks, boycotting unnecessarily, or spreading hoaxes.

What’s happening there is horrific and heartbreaking, and we wish it didn’t have to befall upon anyone. If essentially, your cause is to help, why not play your part by visiting Viva Palestina Malaysia to find out what you can do to help? There’s also Candies4Gaza, which is a page dedicated to the children of Gaza.

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


KDrama: 6 Brand New Original Korean Dramas To Watch On Netflix

Fans of K-drama will swoon all over again with the line-up from Netflix’s ensemble of Hallyu’s best content this summer and fall!

“There’s just so much love for Korean content in this region, especially in Southeast Asia. Netflix started adding Korean titles 3 years ago and we’ve seen how that has attracted new audiences who are discovering the Netflix viewing experience for their K-drama viewing,” said Minyoung Kim, Director of Content, Korea, Netflix.

“Fan favourites like “Korean Odyssey”, “Something in the Rain”, “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” are all part of our growing library and today, we are pleased to be working with Korean talent and creators on the second season of original titles like “Kingdom” and “My First First Love”,” Minyoung Kim added.

Since 2018, Netflix’s library of Korean content is a growing library of popular romantic comedies like “Romance Is A Bonus Book” to thrillers like “Memories of the Alhambra”. In 2019, Netflix’s new original Korean original films and drama continues to ramp up with hits like “Abyss”, “Arthdal Chronicles” and “One Spring Night” – all of which are exclusively available to Netflix members in Malaysia.

There’s no time like now for fans to refresh their watch-list as Netflix is bringing a host of new Korean original titles. Our 6 picks cover a variety of stories and genres including drama, sci-fi, thriller, horror, comedy and romance:

“Svaha” is a mystery thriller, starring veteran actor Lee Jung-jae (“Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds”, “Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days”) and up-and-coming actor Park Jung-min, best known for his performance in the indie film “Bleak Night” and “Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet”.

The film is a tapestry of subplots woven like a puzzle with Pastor Park, (played by Lee Jung-Jae) hired to expose a religious cult. He learns of a young girl’s murder whose body was found following a tunnel accident and starts to connect the pieces to his investigation. Unfolding in parallel, the obsession of another young girl Geum-hwa by religious fanatic Na-han (played by Park Jung-min) slowly builds a mystery that rattles and confuses Pastor Park.

“Chief of Staff” is a drama series about the world of political aides who are normally outside the spotlight. It portrays aides as the real players in politics, whose desire for power can sometimes be stronger than that of the lawmakers they serve.

Jang Tae-jun, played by Lee Jung-jae, is the chief of staff to a four-term lawmaker. He graduated at the top of his class from the police academy, but he did not want to be a police lieutenant. As Chief of Staff, Jang is excellent at everything he does. He makes the impossible possible. If it were not for Jang’s persistent intuition and cool judgement, the lawmaker could not have become the floor leader of his party. Jang would not stop there, though. The bigger dreams he has are hidden in his soft smile.

Kang Seon-yeong, played by Shin Min-ah, is a lawyer-turned-politician, serving as the spokesperson for her party. Kang is resolute and gentle, and always carries herself with confidence and strong determination. The fact that she became a lawmaker by proportional representation challenges her future in politics at times, but she is not swayed by what others think, nor gives up because she fears.

“Chief of Staff” is directed by Kwak Jung-hwan (“Ms. Hammurabi”, “THE K2”, “The Slave Hunters”) and written by Lee Dae-il (“Life on Mars”, “Bring It On”, “Ghost”).

“Designated Survivor: 60 Days” is a Korean adaptation of the popular American TV series “Designated Survivor”. It follows the main storyline of the original format, but features more of the Korean reality. It delves into the story of a politician, who ascends from the position of Minister of Environment to President, as an explosion at the National Assembly kills everyone in the Cabinet who is ahead of him in terms of the presidential succession.

Park Mu-jin, played by actor Ji Jin-hee from the popular TV series “Daejanggeum” or “Jewel in the Palace”, is a scientist-turned-politician who struggles to fit in politics. Park is the acting president for 60 days, and during this period, albeit inexperienced and unwilling, he tries to uncover the truth behind the attack.

Lee Joon-hyuk, best known for his performance in the highly-praised TV series “Stranger”, plays an independent lawmaker, Oh Young-seok, who is not only charming but also full of confidence and young energy, which comes off as a stark contrast to Park.

A new character has been added to “Designated Survivor: 60 Days”. Han Ju-seung, the Chief Presidential Secretary, is played by Heo Joon-ho whom Netflix fans will recognise from the first season of “Kingdom”. Han is very calm and composed, and tends to draw a clear line between private and public matters, which in turn creates tension between him and Park.

Netflix Korean original series, “My First First Love”, directed by Oh Jin-seok, is launching a second season on 26th July, which in fact marks the 100th day since the first season premiered in April.

The new season launch was also announced by the 5 main cast, namely Jisoo, Jung Chae-yeon, Jinyoung, Kang Tae-oh, and Choi Ri, on their respective social channels. Each member took a selfie video with greetings to the fans.

The upcoming season of “My First First Love” will continue to portray how the five characters grow as young adults. The love triangle involving Tae-o, Song-i and Do-hyeon will put them in a spot where they would need to figure things out between friendship and love. Hun and Ga-rin, meanwhile, take one step closer to their career dreams.

“Love Alarm” is a Netflix original series, set to launch in the third quarter of this year. It is a story of friends who find themselves caught in between what they truly desire and what a mobile app says they would want. The app is designed to send an “alarm” when someone who has romantic feelings for you comes within a 10-meter radius.

Kim Jo-jo, played by Kim So-hyun is a girl with positive spirit despite some painful family history, and she finds a new love by using the app. Hwang Sun-oh, played by a new face Song Kang, likes Jo-jo, and he has it all. He has the look of a model and grew up in a rich family. Lee Hye-yeong, played by another rookie actor Jung Ga-ram, is good friends with Sun-oh, and he also likes Jo-jo, even before Sun-oh.

“Vagabond” is an action-packed Korean espionage drama series, starring Lee Seung-gi and Bae Suzy. It is a story about a stuntman Cha Dal-geon, played by Lee Seung-gi, who gets involved in a tragic airplane crash and ends up discovering a national corruption scandal in the process. Bae Suzy plays Go Hae-ri, the oldest daughter of a deceased marine, who decides to work for the National Intelligence Service as a secret ops agent in order to support her mom and younger siblings, although she had rather hoped for a simpler life, being an ordinary civil servant.

“Vagabond” is Lee and Bae’s second time playing opposite each other since their leading roles in “Gu Family Book” premiered in 2013. Before acting, the two were also famous for their singing career. Lee Seung-gi has numerous hit songs that earned him the title ‘ballad prince,’ while Bae Suzy, whose stage name is Suzy, was a member of the K-pop girl group, Miss A.

Vagabond boasts some spectacular filming locations outside Korea, such as Lisbon, Portugal and a few spots throughout Morocco. Its production quality is also top notch, packed with detailed cinematic action scenes and impressive VFX.

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


Hype’s Now Playing: The Chemical Brothers ft. Q-Tip – Go

The Chemical Brothers are here to make you go!

Five years since their last studio album, The Chemical Brothers have now released “Go” the first official single off their upcoming album, “Born in The Echoes”.

The brothers’ last album “Further” was released to critical acclaim and even received a nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album at the 2011 Grammy Awards.

Having recently announced that their new album, “Born In The Echoes“, will be released on July 17th via Astralwerks, the album will comprise of 11 tracks featuring collaborators including Beck and Q-Tip. As the hype builds around the upcoming album, the British duo have now shared the official first single off the album.

Titled “Go”, the track featuring Q-Tip  is accompanied by a music video directed by Michael Gondry. Q-Tip’s smooth and rapid lyrics blends perfectly with The Chemical Brothers’ sound, making the track groovy with some futuristic synths.

For more on The Chemical Brothers, hit up their social media platforms: Website, Facebook, and Twitter.


Check Out The Hilarious Honest Trailer For Malaysian Movie “Paskal”

If you’re a movie buff, then you would definitely know about the American web series “Honest Trailers” by online movie magazine and YouTube channel Screen Junkies.

Created in 2012, “Honest Trailers” is a parodic trailers that basically tell you the truth about your favourite movies and TV shows.

Now, get ready to watch the Malaysian version of it as MGAG – which is basically Malaysia’s version of 9GAG – has debut its very 1st honest trailer, and the movie they’re focusing on is Adrian Teh’s critically acclaimed action movie “Paskal”.

The video starts off exactly like Screen Junkies’ “Honest Trailers” with people’s comments popping up on screen asking them to make the honest trailer for the movie “Paskal”. However, it seems that some unrelated comments also appeared on the screen.

Calling itself “Jujur Trailers” (hmm, shouldn’t it be “Treler Jujur”), the 2-minute duration video gives a brief synopsis on what the movie is about, but beware for the minor spoilers and some curse words. (LOL!)

Like the reception of the movie, the honest trailer for “Paskal” also received generally positive reactions from fans. Many are amused by the team’s creative and smooth editing skills, and also the witty and hilarious dialogues.

It is unsure if MGAG will face any lawsuit issue for the video but according to them, “We didn’t copy honest trailer, honest trailer copied us!! #doneclaim.”

Anyway, netizens are hoping that MGAG team will be creating more “Honest Trailers” in the future, making it a constant series like the original version but focuses only local productions.

What local movie or series do you want MGAG to do next?


#AnimaxACMY: Anime Frenzy As Animax Carnival Malaysia Returns

Get set to be electrified, as Malaysia’s most exciting and anticipated anime and Japanese pop culture convention – Animax Carnival Malaysia 2016 is back!

Organised by Asia’s top anime channel, Animax (Astro Channel 715), the carnival is set to bring local fans a slice of authentic Japanese culture for free with 2 days of anime-themed activities, held at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre Hall 2 and 3 on 26th and 27th March 2016 from 10am to 6pm daily.

Following a smashing success of more than 25,000 visitors during last year’s carnival, Animax is set to make this year’s carnival extravaganza even bigger and wilder with more thrills and excitement.

Animax Carnival 2016 will feature free live performances from 3 renowned ani-song artistes: angela, GARNiDELiA, and yanaginagi. Fans will be able to catch them perform hits from popular anime series and get up-close and personal with them during the fan meetings.

To get into the groove of these powerhouses’ amazing performance before the real deal, tune in to Animax (Astro Channel 715) during the date and time featured below:

The search for Malaysia’s best cosplayer continues with the return of the annual Animax Cosplay Competition. Like past years, Animax will set the stage for cosplay aficionados from all across Malaysia to showcase their costume-making talents and emulation of their favourite anime characters. Participants will stand a chance to win exciting prizes such as Sony XperiaTM Z5 and Sony PlayStation 4.

The Animax Cosplay Competition will be held on 26th March 2016, 1pm at the carnival. Below are the registration details for the competition:

For more information on the Animax Carnival Malaysia 2016, hit up their website or Facebook page.

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(UPDATE) #DNCE: Joe Jonas & Gang To Perform In Kuala Lumpur This August

Get ready KL-ites, DNCE is set to serve some “Cake by the Ocean”.

As part of their upcoming Southeast Asian tour, the Joe Jonas-fronted band has included Malaysia into their list of pitstops. This will mark DNCE’s first performance in our country!

Led by Jonas, the music quartet – bassist & keyboardist Cole Whittle, guitarist JinJoo Lee, and drummer Jack Lawless – was formed in 2015. Since releasing their critically-acclaimed self-titled debut album, DNCE has released a number of hit songs such as “Toothbrush”, “Body Moves”, and their latest collaboration with Nicki Minaj, “Kissing Strangers”.

The dance-rock group will be in Kuala Lumpur on 8th August, before moving on to Thailand (10th August), South Korea (12th August), Hong Kong (14th August), Singapore (15th August), and Philippines (17th August). Concert tickets for their KL stop will go on sale next week (Tuesday, 4th July) via My Ticket Asia.

*Do note that early birds will also get a free DNCE album upon purchase of any tier tickets. However, only limited quantities are available. The lucky few will be contacted via email (album collection will be on the event day itself).

Tickets are officially on sale and you can purchase them here as well.

Stay tuned to Universal Music Malaysia’s Facebook page for more updates.


#Travel: Vietjet Launches “Zero Dollar” Tickets For Southeast Asian Routes

As the tourist and shopping season approaches, Vietjet is offering 100,000 “Zero Dollar” tickets to fly across key destinations in Southeast Asia including Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Yangon with tickets priced from USD0.

The promotion is in line with the airline’s “It’s 2pm, Let’s Vietjet” programme, and will run for a limited time only, from 27th – 29th July at 12pm – 2pm (Vietnam time). Tickets are valid for the travel period from 1st August to 31st December 2016 (except on Vietnamese national holidays).

Tickets can be booked between 12pm – 2pm (Vietnam time) at www.vietjetair.com (also compatible with smartphones at https://m.vietjetair.com) or www.facebook.com/vietjetvietnam (just click the “Booking” tab). Payments can be easily made with debit and credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, JCB, and American Express.

Following the launch of its maiden flight route in Kuala Lumpur last month, Malaysians can also enjoy the unique and one-of-a-kind flying experience of the Vietnamese airline.

Vietjet continues to increase its modern fleet, expand its domestic and international network in order to meet increasing travel demand of tourists, individuals and businessmen. With its high-quality services, special low-fare tickets and diverse ticket classes, Vietjet offers its passengers enjoyable flights with dynamic and friendly flight crew, comfy seats, amazing hot meals and special surprises from the airline’s inflight activities.

How about it? Time to book that holiday? ;)

For more information, visit their website or Facebook page.


3rd Linkin Park Fan Dies Of Suicide After Chester’s Death; Chester Laid To Rest

After a mother of two and a 15-year-old boy allegedly took their own lives following the death of Chester Bennington, yet another Linkin Park fan has committed suicide.

Chester Bennington was found dead on 20th July 2017 at a private residence in Palos Verdes Estates in Los Angeles, which law enforcement officials confirmed was the rock star’s home. His death was later confirmed by a Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner spokesperson, who said that the singer hanged himself in his bedroom.

The deceased fan comes from Deleware and goes by the name of Melissa Mintz on Facebok. On 15th July 2017, just 5 days before Chester took his own life, Melissa commented on a Linkin Park Facebook post saying, “hi. Hate to bother you. Im in a dark place. Suicidal of sorts (no ploy or lie). The ONLY thing thats keeping me alive is your show in NJ on 8/1. IT would mean life or death if you could find it in your heart to give me an autograph or to meet you. Im living for you and its urgent.”

As seen in the screenshot above, several Linkin Park fans replied after her comment pleading for her to not do it. Unfortunately, it was all in vain.

Shortly after Chester’s death, Melissa’s brother shared the tragic news of Melissa’s passing. He wrote, “It is with great sorrow that we inform you that my sister Melissa has unexpectedly passed away. We hope that she has now found the peace & happiness that she so well deserved. She will always be in our hearts forever. Here is a toast to you. May her memory be a blessing.”

Meanwhile, Chester Bennington was laid to rest over the weekend near his home in Palos Verdes at the South Coast Botanical Garden. His family and closest friends gathered for the private funeral service, and many of those in attendances were musicians who’d played or toured with Chester and Linkin Park throughout the years. As seen in the picture above, a full stage, including a drum kit, was set up for musical tributes to be performed.

And in a bittersweet yet fitting touch, those who attended the funeral were given wristbands and tickets that were designed to look like VIP concert passes.

A post shared by Austin Carlile (@austincarlile)

beautiful ceremony.. a lil piece of u has & will be in every song i sing on stage forever. @chesterbe @linkinpark #chesterbennington pic.twitter.com/IXHMxDbvMn

— blackbear (@iamblackbear) July 29, 2017

We’ll miss you, Chester. You will live on in your music forever <3

Sources: ultimate-guitar.com, reddit, Complex, Austin Carlile, TMZ / Featured image: Getty Images.

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#DanielCraig: British Actor Is Reportedly Returning For 5th “James Bond” Movie

It was reported that Daniel Craig will reprise his role as James Bond for the series’ 25th instalment.

Apparently, the 49-year-old English actor is reportedly reaching a deal with the franchise’s longtime producer Barbara Broccoli.

Craig has played the iconic spy in 4 films since 2006. After the release of “Spectre” in 2015, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” actor stated that he would “rather slash my wrists” than perform the role of Agent 007 for a 5th time.

According to The Mirror via Screen Rant, the movie’s producers have expressed interest in getting singer Adele on board as well. An insider said, “Craig and Adele together are the winning team, the ultimate choice, the money spinners. It’s taken time but Daniel has come round and the strong con–sensus [sic] in the Bond offices is that Mr Craig is 007 again. As for Adele, she’s more of an unknown quantity but loved being part of Bond, so the signs are positive.”

Previously, it was rumoured that “James Bond” producers were finding a new actor to replace for Daniel Craig. The list of British A-listers include “The Dark Tower” star Idris Elba as well as “Mad Max: Fury Road” actor Tom Hardy.

Broccoli or Craig’s representatives have yet to officially comment on the news. So stay tuned more updates!


#QZ8501: The Tragic Aftermath Of AirAsia’s Flight #QZ8501 + Day 4 Of SAR/SAL

AirAsia’s ill-fated Flight QZ8501 carrying 155 passengers and 7 crew members was traveling to Singapore from Surabaya when it suddenly disappeared from the radar. Search and rescue efforts almost immediately kicked in and a multi-national search scoured the seas for any signs of debris or survivors. On the third day of the SAR/SAL operations, debris and bodies were found in the Karimata Strait around 110 nautical miles south west from Pangkalan Bun.

The Indonesian authorities later confirmed that they were indeed from the plane.

AirAsia has since released a statement regarding the find:

AirAsia Bhd Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, who also present at the Surabaya Crisis Centre, said at a news conference, “It is the worst feeling, one could have, but we stay strong for the families out there, so that we can look after them.”

Today, we enter day 4 of the search operations. Yesterday, Air Chief Marshal FH Bambang Soelistyo of BASARNAS, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency told a press conference that an air force plane spotted a “shadow” on the seabed believed to be the missing AirAsia jet. “At 12:50 the air force Hercules found an object described as a shadow at the bottom of the sea in the form of a plane,” he said.

As such, the SAR/SAL teams are out there to locate the plane wreckage as well as to retrieve more debris and bodies. A 24-hour rescue operation has since been launched.

According tothe Wall Street Journal, Indonesia’s search-and-rescue agency has obtained a sonar image that it says may be the body of the missing AirAsia jet on the floor of the Java Sea. The agency said the image appears to show an airplane upside down on the ocean floor in 24 meters to 30 meters of water. The image was obtained Tuesday by an Indonesian Navy ship that is part of the search-and-recovery effort, the agency said in a release early Wednesday morning.

Our deepest condolences, thoughts, and prayers go out to all who are effected by this tragedy.

For those who are seeking information about relatives or friends who may have been on board AirAsia’s Flight QZ8501, AirAsia has set established an Emergency Call Centre. The number is+622129270811 or 031-8690855 or 031-2986790 (Surabaya).

AirAsia’s Facebook page also offers timely updates on the SAR/SAL operations. Go here

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#CelebrateSG50: Singapore To Usher In 2015 With A “Big Bang”

VIPs in the region, you might want to head over to Singapore for New Year’s Eve.

K-Pop idol boy group BIGBANG, Malaysian singer Siti Nurhaliza and Singapore’s Stefanie Sun and Kit Chan are just some of the celebrities who will be performing at this year’s “Celebrate SG50” countdown show, which will take place from 8pm at The Float @ Marina Bay on New Year’s Eve (31st Dec).

Other artistes who will be performing during the 7-hour extravaganza include the Dim Sum Dollies, John Molina, The Sam Willows, Julie Tan, Dick Lee, and Pravitha. The 8 Dukes of Caldecott Hill – Romeo Tan, Desmond Tan, Zhang Zhen Huan, Ian Fang, Shane Pow, Jeffrey Xu, Aloysius Pang and Xu Bin – will also be at the event.

We hear that BIGBANG will hold a full concert after the 8-minute midnight fireworks display, which will mark the arrival of 2015.

They will be followed by DJ Tinc, who will keep the party going from 1 – 3am. The star-studded show will be hosted by Yasminne Cheng, Jean Danker, Justin Ang, Vernon A and Joanne Peh.

The island-wide celebrations will link up other satellite town locations like Bishan Park, Boon Lay Place and Punggol East.

“This is a show that will unite the nation as we count down together to 2015, a significant milestone in Singapore’s history,” said Mr Benard Lim, MediaCorp Managing Director for TV. “We hope to have everyone in Singapore joining us at these locations, or watching the show from their living rooms or watching wherever they are on Toggle via live streaming. For a more engaging and exciting viewing experience, Toggle Now will also carry a live feed from backstage.”

Tickets from S$28 are available at all SISTIC outlets from 26th November. More information can be found on this portal.


#MissMalaysiaWorld2016: Tatiana Stripped Of Title; Shweta Replaces

Tatiana Kumar Nandha, who was crowned as Miss Malaysia World 2016/17 in August 2016, has been stripped of her title.

The unprecedented move was decided on as Tatiana allegedly made “offensive comments” online. The decision was announced yesterday (Monday, 6th March) via the pageant’s Instagram.

1st runner-up Shweta Sekhon, 19, will be replacing her as Miss Malaysia World 2016/17 instead.

“It has come to our attention that there is a breach of our Code of Conduct and contract by the reigning Miss Malaysia World 2016 Tatiana Kumar. We wish to announce that, after due consideration, with effect 6/3/17, Ms Tatiana Nandha Kumar will no longer be the title holder for Miss Malaysia World 2016. We are also pleased to announce that Ms Shweta Sekhon (previously 1st runner-up) will now be the winner of Miss Malaysia World 2016/17.”

It was signed off by Dato’ Anna Lin, the former national director and licensee for Miss Malaysia World 2016. Lin held the position from 2013 until 2016, but stepped down on January 2017 after her term ended.

When contacted by The Star, Lin explained that Tatiana and her family had made offensive posts against the Miss Malaysia World organisation. The posts were allegedly made on the Internet and social media, but they did not specify the issue.

“There are certain formalities, and she has also breached one involving an important sponsor. This has led to the contract being terminated,” Lin explained.

Tatiana’s father has confirmed that they received a legal letter about the termination on 3rd March, but refused to comment further. However, he insisted that she has done nothing wrong.

Tatiana previously represented Malaysia in the Miss World pageant in Maryland, the United States.

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#WarnerBros: Margot Robbie To Executive Produce Harley Quinn Spin-Off

Margot Robbie will be back as Harley Quinn very soon!

According to an exclusive report by The Hollywood Reporter, the Aussie actress has 2 Warner Bros. projects at hand: a “Suicide Squad” spin-off featuring her bat-wielding character Harley Quinn that she will executive produce and an adaptation of Dean N. Jensen’s “Queen of the Air”, to which she is attached to star.

Besides that, Robbie has signed a first-look producing deal with Warner Bros. to develop and produce feature films through her LuckyChap Entertainment, alongside partners Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara, and Sophia Kerr.

The first-look deal underlines the studio’s renewed focus on female-driven storytelling and it aims to increase female voices, among other under-represented sectors, which was led by the studio’s president, creative development and worldwide production Greg Silverman.

Though Warner Bros. has yet to announce any details for the Harley Quinn spin-off film, it was previously reported that Robbie will be starring in a new DC film featuring an all-star cast of female DC characters and “Birds Of Prey” have been mentioned in ongoing discussions.

We can’t wait to see more female-centric films. First in our list would be Gal Gadot’s “Wonder Woman” ;)

What do you think about an all-female DC superhero movie? Which DC female character you would like to see on the big screen? Let us know in the comments below!


3 Possible Storylines We Could See From The New “Harry Potter” TV Series

Good news Potterheads! A new live-action TV series of “Harry Potter” is now in early development. The executives at WarnerMedia have made multiple conversations with possible writers taking on various approaches that would bring such a beloved property or franchise to the small screen. A lot of ideas have also been put into discussion.

Even if it’s news that executives at HBO Max and Warner Bros. are involved with meetings to search for a writer and pitch for a TV series version of “Harry Potter”, not a single writer or talent are attached as of now. This is because conversations are currently in very early stages without any deals being made. HBO Max and Warner Bros. said in a statement that “There are no ‘Harry Potter’ series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform“.

Making an expansion to the world of “Harry Potter” remains an important asset for HBO Max and Warner Bros. moving forward. Last we heard, author J.K. Rowling received quite the backlash from the LGBTQ community after exclaiming that transgender people should be defined based on their biological sex.

With that all out of the way, here’s what fans of the books and movies can expect or foresee from this new TV format of the well-loved franchise and also possible storylines the show could explore.

Ever since “Star Wars” made its first spin-off live-action TV series, “The Mandalorian”, more future spin-offs are set in motion to explore more on the universe of “Star Wars”. Maybe “Harry Potter” could also use this format to make exploration on the magical world revolving around the series. Some stuff like exploring the backstories of certain characters like Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Professor Snape, Lord Voldemort, and many more. The TV series could also explore so much more of the natural fantasy surroundings of the world, or even how Hogwarts came to be. More importantly, it could also solve some issues as well as some controversy Rowling was known to stir up in the past.

Since the controversy was brought up, the TV series could probably dwell into the idea of representation, something Rowling has been shoving into her stories without any clarification or context as to how she came about them. For instance, you have Dumbledore, who was apparently gay but with no reference to that at all in books, which is very insulting to those who are LGBTQ+ individuals. Maybe this could be an opportunity to discover Dumbledore’s past and eventually discover his sexuality since this is what Rowling established for his character months after the final book in the series was published. Make it make sense Rowling.

There could also be an explanation of some of the representations regarding other races which Rowling also had the lazy idea of just including them without mentioning them in her stories. You have a Jewish student who was in Ravenclaw. Furthermore, in the “Harry Potter” universe, there is apparently a school for sorcery and magic situated in Japan with a name that makes absolutely no sense in Japanese, so maybe Rowling or the writers of the series could also explore these in the TV series. “Harry Potter” also included two Indian characters, Parvati and Padma, which can probably broaden some other cultures into the mix. If Rowling wanted to add half-baked representation in her already completed work and be outspoken about them, she should really redeem herself by actually representing them correctly.

Remember in 2016 when there was a play called “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”? this is actually a short story written by Rowling herself where it takes place after the final book. It involves Harry’s son Albus Severus, who is a Slytherin being constantly bullied, and now befriends Draco Malfoy’s son. Worth mentioning that Malfoy is Potter’s main nemesis in the franchise. However, this short tale was met with some criticism, especially how it portrayed a typical toxic friendship between the two boys. Queerbaiting was also the main issue as well. The TV series could use this opportunity to explore these issues and improve on them.

Not only that, but a TV series revolving around this short story can expand more on its own without relying on source material. A bit risky to expand without some reference, but it can help still keep the series grow more widespread and create more lore for diehard “Harry Potter” fans. Just like “Star Wars”, more and more content can keep the franchise alive for a long time.

One storyline some fans might want to see is a story about the Marauders, which is a group consisting of people such as Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter, all of who are members of Gryffindor. The Marauders were only briefly seen before Harry Potter was born through flashbacks. This could be a good chance to cover some ground for their story. Focusing on this group can answer some questions like how and why they formed their group in the first place, their whole relationship in Hogwarts, how they created the Marauders map, and how their engagement with the First Wizarding War went.

This also could be a great setup as to how James and his wife Lily, started raising Harry when he was a child, until their tragic end. It could also serve to help show Professor Snape’s past conflict and why he became the way he was (even though that was all witnessed through the montage of flashbacks in the last movie).

The infamous villain Lord Voldemort has a tragic backstory that hasn’t been fully explored. Voldemort’s real name was Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was a half-blood wizard born to a rich Muggle, Tom Riddle, and a witch, Merope Gaunt. Riddle was unfortunately abandoned by his mother and was raised at Wool’s Orphanage. Bearing similarities to Harry, he became a wizard when he was 11 years old upon Dumbledore’s visit to his orphanage. His affinity with dark arts alarmed Dumbledore.

There is quite a lot to unpack when it comes to his backstory. This is why a TV series is a great way to dive deeper into his early days as to how he became one of the darkest villains known to men. Could there be some redeemable qualities to Voldemort? He may be an unapologetic villain but there may have been some sentimental reasoning laying within.

With the “Harry Potter” property containing so much lore, the possibilities are just endless.

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BBC: Daniel Radcliffe May Star As “Grand Theft Auto” Creator

From “Five Nights at Freddy’s” to “Warcraft” to “Assassin’s Creed“, a number of popular video game franchises have been receiving the Hollywood treatment as they will be made into live-action feature films soon.

Following the success of video game-based movies like “Tomb Raider” and “Resident Evil“, BBC Films is set to develop a drama about the top-selling video game franchise, “Graft Theft Auto”. It will revolve around a fight between the creator of GTA and a Miami lawyer who wanted to ban video game violence.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Harry Potter” franchise star Daniel Radcliffe is in talks to star in the movie as Sam Houser, the co-founder and president of Rockstar Games.

Based in New York City, Rockstar Game is known for publishing various popular video game franchises, including GTA, “Max Payne”, “Manhunt”, “Midnight Club”, “Red Dead”, etc. However, Houser’s company came under repeated attacks from Jack Thompson, an activist attorney who waged a legal war against the company for the glorification of violence in the video game series.

During Thompson’s time as an attorney, he is known for his legal efforts against what he perceives as obscenity in modern culture, including rap music, the Howard Stern show, and the Neil Rogers show. He is also an anti-video-game activist, particular violence and sex in video games. In July 2008, he was disbarred by the Supreme Court of Florida for inappropriate conduct.

Thompson’s role has not been cast yet, but British filmmaker Owen Harris, who is best known for his work in “Black Mirror” and “Misfits”, is set to direct the film based on a script written by James Wood. Jim Spencer will produce while Mark Hedgecoe will exec produce.

The movie was previously titled “Rockstar Games”, but the studio may change the title again.

The movie, which is based on David Kushner’s book “Jacked: The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft Auto”, will begin shooting 20th April.

Radcliffe will be seen next in Fox’s “Victor Frankenstein” and the sequel to Lionsgate’s “Now You See Me“.


#CDM25: Kiki Comes Clean, Cries, & Asks For Forgiveness

Yesterday, #CDM25 went viral and dominated local as well as international social media platforms. Just in case you didn’t read/watch the news, a woman was caught on camera spewing verbal abuse and repeatedly hammering an senior citizen’s vehicle with a steering wheel lock following a minor car accident. Her brand new Peugeot with the car registration number plate, “CDM 25” was hit.

In the video, she was seen/heard demanding for a RM2,000 compensation:

She received an onslaught from netizens, with some exposing her identity, contact details, home address, information of the bridal company where she works, and her Facebook account.

Now, according to The Star Online, Kiki (real name Siti Fairrah Ashykin) has come out to say that her Facebook page called “Kiki Kerja Kahwin” was hacked. With that, the alleged apology post didn’t come from her. “I deactivated my Facebook account yesterday (Tuesday) and haven’t been posting anything on my company page since. Somebody hacked into my account,” she said.

But it still begs the question, “Why was she so angry in the first place?”.

I couldn’t think at the time. It was on the spur of the moment. It was a huge mistake on my part. After that incident, we went to the police station in Kuantan and settled things amicably. I calmed down and immediately apologised to the man. I even met his wife and hugged her. The uncle accepted my apology and told me not to do that anymore. At first, when the video went viral on Tuesday, I opted to remain silent. But since #CDM25 trended on Twitter and people started to curse at me, I couldn’t keep quiet any more. I accept whatever abuse that is hurled at me because I made a terrible mistake.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the police would be investigating the matter as it was classified as a road-bullying incident. On the other hand, the senior citizen, 68-year-old former medical assistant Sim Siak Heong, said that although he was and still is traumatised by what happened, he has decided not to press charges.

He also mentioned that he’s ready to forgive Kiki.

As for a real apology, however, she made one via an exclusive interview with ntv7 last night. She cried, admitted that it was an incident that would be hard for anyone to accept, and pleaded to all Malaysians to forgive her. Watch the full interview here.

What do you guys think? Do you think Kiki deserves a break? Should she be forgiven?

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Enjoy Cash Rebates Up To RM23 With These 4 Petrol Promotions

It is indeed very common these days to make various payments using the e-Wallet platform. It saves you the convenience of carrying loose change around.

For the next 2 months, electronic payment platforms such as Touch ‘n Go e-Wallet, Maybank QR Pay, Setel App and Hong Leong Bank credit card are offering cash rebates at petrol stations in Malaysia.


#EmmaWatson: Is She Or Is She Not Dating Prince Harry?

We know, right? When we initially came across some headlines this morning, it sent shocks through our systems too. And in case you missed it, rumours are now flying about with regards to Emma Watson’s and Prince Harry’s love lives. Or should we say, their love life?

Word about their “relationship” initially surfaced when Australian publication Woman’s Day wrote that Prince Harry has been going out on secret dates with “Harry Potter” star-turned-UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson. The magazine was thoroughly descriptive, explaining how they came to know each other i.e. Prince Harry wrote Emma an e-mail.

Woman’s Day can exclusively reveal the pair are having secret dates with each other and are getting to know each other quite well.

When Harry heard she had split from her British rugby player boyfriend Matthew Janney at the end of last year, he called on mutual friends to help him hook up with the actress.

He then sent Emma a short email saying that he would “like to get to know her” and invited her out.

Although 12 other friends went along too to make Emma feel a little more comfortable, the pair hit it off!

“Harry didn’t want her to feel like she was put on the spot,” explains one insider. “A party also shows he’s fun and not stuffy.”

“He’s smitten – and it’s more than Emma’s looks.”

It doesn’t seem very farfetched since Emma met Prince Harry’s older brother, Prince William at a cancer charity event last May – a gala dinner that was held to celebrate the work of The Royal Marsden Hospital of which Prince William is the president. The question is, is it true?

Is Emma Watson really dating the fifth in line to the throne (once Kate Middleton gives birth to her second child)?

Huffington Post Entertainment seems to think otherwise, calling it a “wonderful piece of fan fiction” and stating that the piece of “news” is a “dream up universe” by Woman’s Day.

The tabloid has crafted a tale in which the prince had a mutual friend set him up with the 24-year-old actress, and followed up with an email that said he would “like to get to know her”. While the pair went on a group date with 12 other pals they apparently “hit it off,” and now Harry is just “smitten”.

Our take? Only time will tell if this rumour was indeed true. besides, the British Royal Family aren’t exactly new to fairytale marriages e.g. Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Prince William and Kate Middleton. And as far as fairytales go, we’d only believe this “Prince Harry and Emma Watson are dating” story if there were pictures to prove it!

As they all say, “Pictures or it didn’t happen!”

Meanwhile, Emma Watson will be seen next in the live-action adaptation of the Disney classic, “Beauty and the Beast”, where she will be doing some singing and yes, be well on her way to becoming a princess.

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