Bruce Lee is a person that needs no introduction, with him being one of the most respected figure in both action movies and martial arts. That being said, Donnie Yen was let down by how “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” chose to portray the martial art legend.
The film showed Lee as an arrogant braggart, who challenged Brad Pitt’s character to a fight in the film and was eventually beaten up. The scene didn’t sit well with many fans, as the “Fist Of Fury” star’s daughter has even questioned director Quentin Tarantino’s, decision in the film.
Source: The Star
Yen was in KL recently promoting the latest instalment of the “Ip Man” series, when the question of the portrayal was brought up. The 56-year-old was honest in his disappointment at the rolee, despite knowing director Tarantino. He told reporters, “I know Tarantino personally, but I’m very disappointed with how he portrayed Bruce Lee in the movie. I watched most of the movie, but after that scene, I couldn’t continue on.”
The “Rogue One” actor then went on to explain that the “Enter The Dragon” star was not only an action star and martial artist, but was also an inspiration to filmmakers around the globe. “As filmmakers, I feel we should be more respectful towards someone like Lee, who has contributed so much to our industry,” he was quoted as saying.
Source: Youtube
When the conversation turns to Hong Kong actor Danny Chan, who will play the Bruce Lee in “Ip Man 4: The Finale”, the Guangzhou native was full of praises. “Danny doesn’t just look like Bruce Lee, he has also researched and practiced Lee’s moves and fighting style intensively,” Yen said.
“Ip Man 4: The Finale” will premiere in cinema on 20th December 2019, and is directed by Wilson Yip, who also directed the previous 3 “Ip Man” film. The film will also feature British actor Scott Adkins, Vanness Wu and Wu Yue.
It’s been a while since Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split back in 2016. While Jolie seems pretty comfortable with her single status, Pitt has been hit with a myriad of love rumours, with the actor being linked to a multitude of actresses.
The latest love rumour seems to suggest that the 55-year-old actor newest flame is “Arrested Development” actress, Alia Shawkat. This rumour started to pick up steam after the two were spotted multiple times together in various events over the course of the past few months.
Source: Harper’s Bazaar
Reports of the “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” star being linked with the 30-year-old actress first surfaced back in September, when they attended the opening of a show named “A Play Is A Poem” in Los Angeles. However, news outlet failed to identify Shawkat at the time. The two then gone on to attend “The New One” play together back in October with them also being sighted at Kanye West’s “Nebuchadnezzar” opera show last month in November.
It’s no secret that the duo are close with each other, as proven by their numerous outings together. However, new reports have come out to suggest that the two are nothing more than just friends. According to People, an insider that is close to the “Ad Astra” actor insisted that there is nothing going on between the actor and actress, and that “they are absolutely just friends.”
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live
Another rumour that has gained traction over the past few weeks is Pitt getting back together with his ex-wife Jennifer Anniston. They widely considered to be a Hollywood power couple back in the 1990s and early 2000s, but broke up in 2005 and they went on to marry other people.
Now that both the “Fight Club” actor and the 50-year-old actress have been single and are on friendly terms, many fans have been shipping them together again.
“Indeed, to God we belong and to God we shall return. Allah is testing me once again. My son, Alif Johan has just passed away at my house,” said Nora as she was seen crying profusely. Nora had to cancel her business trip to Singapore and returned to Kuala Lumpur after hearing the sudden news.
“The maid told me that Alif suddenly passed out and she immediately called the ambulance. I have not been able to find out more about the exact cause of her death on the way to the hospital,” Nora’s manager Jaja further added in an interview with Harian Metro.
Soon after, Alif’s final Instagram came to light following his passing. The former “Mentor Milenia 2019” contestant uploaded a 2-minute and 35-second clip of him singing “Salam Terakhir” by Sudirman. “He participated in a local show at our university called ‘Clash Of Talent’ where he sang the song. He won the competition that night. We got chills during his performance, his voice is so beautiful,” shared college-mate Faizal to mStar.
Alif’s funeral was held yesterday (Sunday, 15th December) evening after the results of the autopsy came out earlier in the morning. It was reported that his death was not due to chronic complications or consuming of illegal substances. “I am satisfied that the results showed that there was no abnormal signs,” the award-winning songbird told mStar.
She further added by saying that at first she was against the decision of carrying out the autopsy. “If it were to me, I don’t want any post-mortem. But since he’s very young, I was afraid that he took unprescribed pills,” said Nora.
Alif’s body was safely buried right next to his late father Johan Nawawi’s cemetery. For those who don’t know, the renowned composer passed away on 24th March 2017 after suffering an apparent heart attack.
It’s safe to assume that 2019 has not been the best year for Emma Maembong due to her involvement in numerous gossips and controversies throughout the year.
However, the “Awak Suka Saya Tak” star is optimistic that each moment she went through is a process of self-improvement for herself.
Source: Instagram
“I believe there will always be a rainbow after the rain falls. In this case, all things happening right now is part of a learning process. I will definitely look forward to what the future holds,” Emma told BH Online.
She further added by saying, “In life, there will always be dark moments that we have to go through. But it has never stopped me from trying my best to become a better person. Thank God, I’m still given the opportunity to carry on with my career as an artiste and remained loved by Emmanizers (as fans are lovingly called).”
Source: Instagram
When asked about her love life, Emma assured everyone that after a series of failed relationships, she does not feel any sense of regret in being single. Not only that, she also prays that she will get the chance to meet a man who could guide her to a good path.
“I’m not really picky when it comes to choosing a partner. But at the time being, I want to put my focus on my source of rezeki (sustenance) first. I am not satisfied with my acting and I really hope to improve myself in this field,” she further added in the chat.
Source: Instagram
May 2020 bring good luck for Emma’s career as well as her life.
Cash vs e-wallet: Judging by the trend of cashless ecosystem these days, it’s no longer the question of whether or not to set up an e-wallet, but which e-wallet app to download.
We recently took part in the GrabPay Cashless Challenge to see if GrabPay lives up to its title of the Best e-Wallet at the Malaysian e-Payments Excellence Awards 2019. Here’s our experience throughout the week:
Source: Focus Malaysia
What is e-wallet? Why is it better than a real wallet?
In case you have yet to adopt the culture of virtual payment, an e-wallet is a digital/electronic wallet you use in your smartphone. By having e-wallet, you can reload cash into it. Avoid queueing up at ATM machines or the inconvenience of carrying loose change in your pockets. Payment is just one scan away! Plus, you can keep tabs on your transaction history for better management on your expenditure.
What about safety issues you asked? If your smartphone gets stolen, you can always use another phone to log out of all your existing e-wallet logins. You can also avoid making a police report when your actual wallet goes missing.
1. Conveniency: All in one
Grab is the only app that integrates its ride-hailing service, GrabFood, and GrabExpress that allows you to make cashless transactions. Lazy to drive? Call a Grab ride. Craving for street food or restaurant dining? Get food and drinks delivered to your doorstep via GrabFood.
2. GrabRewards
Many of us were frustrated when Grab revamped their GrabRewards Points system. By going cashless for a week last month, we realised that there are still other methods to earn up to 9x GrabRewards during each transaction.
When you top up your mobile prepaid. (Plus, you can even received a 20% rebate if you’re fast.)
When you perform in-store purchases (and enjoy cashback rewards in the process). E.g.: We made a purchase of RM52.85 at Watsons and received 476 points plus RM11 cashback (more on this offer at #4).
3. Upgrade your Grab e-wallet
By upgrading your Grab e-wallet, users can unlock more features to enjoy. One of the main highlights is being able to perform credits transfer by sending instant payments to friends and family members. There are 2 ways to carry out the transaction:
By scanning the recipient’s QR code in the app
Enter the person’s local mobile number
In addition, an upgraded e-wallet can reload up to RM1500 and carry out a maximum daily transaction of RM1000. A basic e-wallet for the aforementioned is only RM500. Here’s a bonus, you’ll also get 500 GrabRewards points after successfully upgrading.
Side note: The 500 GrabRewards Points ended in November.
4. GrabPay Price
In conjunction with GrabPay Price campaign, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that users can save even more when taking advantage of GrabPay’s great promos. From F&B outlets to Health & Beauty stores, here are some of the deals that were available:
Domino’s Pizza: Get a Regular Pizza for RM12.90 (N.P.: RM31.90) and a Large Pizza at RM19.90 (N.P.: RM42.90).
Watsons: Enjoy a 20% rebate (up to RM12) when shopping both in-store and online. We bought some supplements as well as some skin care products as Christmas gifts for friends and family.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: 12oz Café Mocha / Café Vanilla / Café Au Lait at just RM10 (normal price: RM12.10 – RM14.65)
In an effort to make digital payments more seamless to the everyday consumer, Grab has partnered up with over 3000 merchants. Some of the new merchants include hypermarkets (Giant, Tesco and Mydin), health and beauty retailers (Watsons and Guardian), cinema outlet (MBO Cinemas), fast food chains (Dominos), convenience stores (99 Speedmart, KK Mart, Mr DIY) and other retailers such as Zalora and Petron.
With the addition of the variety of new merchants and services now accepting GrabPay, it’s even more convenient for Malaysians to go cashless!
In case you’re in the midst of doing last minute shopping year-end festive season, take note of Grab’s Last Minute Party Deals here.
Shopee Malaysia has found themselves in hot waters when it was discovered that they had used an artwork without the artist’s consent.
This incident highlights the troubles artists have with the modern age since many of these artists’ artworks are often taken and used without the credit and proper compensation being given to their original creators.
Such was the case as seen here:
The art was taken from American artist Adam Ellis, who came to prominence during his time at Buzzfeed. His 4 panel comic strips often times depict comedic but relatable incidents, which allowed him to amass a large following.
Ellis would often time upload his work on his social media. There, his fans can interact with the artist by commenting and help spread comic stripes. However, sometimes people would use his artwork and edited it into memes. This would sometimes end up going viral on the internet.
Source: Lowyat
Though, usually free spirited and generally okay with his work being edited into memes, the artist takes a particular offence when his work are used by brands and corporations without consent. Even if his artwork was slightly edited into a meme, these brands and corporation should have the financial power to properly compensate him for his creation.
After discovering the ad, Ellis took to his Twitter account to share about his displeasure at the incident. In the post he wrote, “When are brands gonna realize that “memes” aren’t free clip art for them to use in advertisements?“
When are brands gonna realize that "memes" aren't free clip art for them to use in advertisements? pic.twitter.com/4jurEiK3Cf
Amusingly, in the thread he called out Shopee Malaysia directly, asking how he can bill them. He wrote, “Anyway @ShopeeMY lemme know where to send an invoice.” In the same thread, he later jokingly added that, “these brands need to realize they’re stealing a comic about gay Sonic/Knuckles fanart.”
Fortunately, the online shopping platform has since recognised their mistake and even contacted Ellis personally regarding the incident. In the reply, they stated that they value the artist’s work and would like to make amends by taking their discussion privately.
Hi Mr Adam Ellis, we’d like to first sincerely apologize to you for this regretful event. We appreciate the hard work that comes from being an artist, and the value of your work. We want to make this right and have dropped you a private message to discuss further. Thank you.
It’s no secret that BLACKPINK (블랙핑크) fans (known as BLINKs) are not happy with the way the girls are being dealt with.
As a result, BLINKs worldwide have expressed their disappointment towards YG Entertainment by coming up with the hashtag #BLINKsDemandForBLACKPINK, insisting for BLACKPINK’s long-overdue comeback in the music scene.
In addition, BLINKs also made headlines after a fan-made truck was placed outside of the YG headquarters building. As seen in the photo collage above, the vehicle had billboard ads that read “BLINKs are demanding for BLACKPINK”.
As a response, YG finally took to Twitter to address the ongoing speculations. They posted a statement in both English and Korean. For those who are interested, check out their statement here:
Source: Twitter
Not all die-hard fans were satisfied with YG’s response, though. In this case, most of them expressed their rage and disbelief over the entertainment agency’s promise of BLACKPINK’s comeback in 2020 as they pointed out in the statement above.
Not only that, they also demanded for other members’ solo debut as a follow-up to Jennie’s previous record-breaking success outside her group with “Solo”. Check out some of their replies here:
y’all are definitely not all ears CONSTANTLY ignoring us and the girls themselves. sick of it
All ear but no action. what can your ears do with just hearing? please really deliver. we receive lots of false promises from you such in 2018 when you said Blackpink will take over. #YG는_블링크의_요구사항을_들어주세요
To quote a fan, YG has been making a ton of “promises” but has fallen short for delivering them. There’s only so much K-pop fans will endure before lashing out.
Local news agency, New Straits Times Press (NSTP), will see over 500 of their employees out of their job, come 12th March 2020, following a retrenchment exercise by parent company Media Prima Bhd.
A few companies have been downsizing their workforce just to keep businesses afloat. This year alone, it was reported that the number of retrenched workers have climbed up to 37,260 due to a global downturn.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
The reasons for these many retrenchments may be due to low domestic consumption rates, decline in exports and disruptive business models. Additionally, the rise in technology advancement (such as robotic assistants and the internet) have resulted in many traditional labour intensive works being replaced with more tech savvy solutions.
NSTP National Union of Journalists chairman, Farah Marshita Abdul Patah, told reporters that the 543 axed employees will be from New Straits Times, Berita Harian and Harian Metro. She also stated that their bureaus will also be trimmed down from 14 to 5, with some departments around Malaysia being merged together. Each bureau will then have 2 reporters to cover their assigned areas.
According to Free Malaysia Today, the workers affected were given no choice to appeal to the termination letter. This resulted in many of the staffs feeling cheated by the present the leadership. This sentiment was also echoed by Muslim Nazari, who posted his opinion on his Facebook page regarding the incident.
As mentioned, the retrenchment exercise was part of Media Prima’s restructuring of their operations. This undertaking is expected to be completed by the first quarter of next year. Currently, the media prima staffs who lost their jobs were urged to seek Sosco for help in finding themselves new opportunities.
BTS leader RM recently made an appearance in a V Live streaming session over the weekend, after a long while.
For the uninitiated, the 25-year-old – as well as the rest of the members – will commonly film themselves on the popular live video streaming app to greet his fans (widely known as ARMYs), as well as share their latest updates.
The comments were flooded with warm messages from ARMYs towards the rap artiste. But apparently, one particular fan’s comment managed to catch RM (real name Kim Namjoon)’s attention.
Based on the screenshot above, one user known as @blackiem_ commented, “I was f**king (with someone). But we stopped because you went live,” much to his surprise. Refusing to give further reaction, he then proceeded with saying hello to other fans instead.
During the same session, the Seoul-born K-pop idol also came out with a hilarious confession; where he spilled on his tendency to lose his things. According to RM, he just just lost another pair of expensive AirPods!
“Losing AirPods is a common thing for me. To all those ear plugs popping up on my phone, are you doing well? Since this is my 34th pair, that means I have owned 33 pairs before…” he shared in the clip.
Humoured by his own clumsiness, he ended up bursting with laughter. Many K-netizens were also amused by how careless RM can be when it comes to losing his belongings. To quote Allkpop, it seems like the superstar’s ability to “keep track of his belongings is not really his cup of tea”.
For those who are interested, check out the full clip here:
It’s time to double up on the caffeine. Pepsi Co has just announced that they are planning to launch Pepsi Cafe in 2020.
The upcoming Pepsi Cafe drink is said to be a fusion of crisp taste of a Pepsi cola mixed with roasted Arabica coffee flavour. As aforementioned, the hybrid beverage will even double the caffeine.
As shown in the poster (pictured above), the Pepsi Cafe will available in 2 flavours – Vanilla and Original. The former is said to be a “sweeter and creamier” version of the latter. So if you’re a fan of both coffee and cola, this beverage is definitely the best of both worlds.
This isn’t something brand new though. More than a decade ago, Coca-Cola introduced Coca-Cola BlāK (a super edgy coffee-flavoured Coke) in 2006. It was axed after 2 years. Coca-Cola Coffee Plus made its debut in Japan 2 years ago in 2017. This goes to show that the soft drinks company has been coming up with various twists to see which one lands.
Marvel actors and actresses have a pretty good track record when it comes to body transformation; comedian Kumail Nanjiani is no exception.
The Pakistani, who is famous for his role in shows like “Silicon Valley”, is part of the cast in the upcoming Marvel film “The Eternals”, where he plays Kingo. In celebration for landing the massive role, the actor decided to spent the last 12 months in training in order to look like his comic book counterpart, and boy did he deliver.
Taking to his Instagram account, the 41 year-old uploaded a photo of what he describes as “a thirsty shirtless” photo of himself, that showed the transformation of his dad bod to a muscular six pack. In the post, he recollected his desire for the visible change and noted that he wouldn’t have done it without the help of multiple trainers and nutritionists.
He wrote, “I would not have been able to do this if I didn’t have a full year with the best trainers and nutritionists paid for by the biggest studio in the world. I’m glad I look like this, but I also understand why I never did before. It would have been impossible without these resources and time.“
“The Big Sick” actor also reserved special mentioned for trainer Grant Roberts who helped him on his journey. Others trainers that he thanked were David Higgins and his team Ellis Partridge, Tom Cheeseman and Gavin Eivers as well as Lance Callahan. However, Nanjiani’s biggest thanks went to his wife, Emily V Gordon, for putting up with his complains and his talks about workout routings.
While many Marvel fans were pretty anxious about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after the departure of Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Evans. Nanjiani and his fellow Marvel actor Simu Liu seem to have the MCU covered, with Liu set to play Shang-Chi in the upcoming film “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”.
We can’t wait to see the two actors in action in the big screen with “The Eternals” set to come out in 6th November 2020, while “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” will premier on 11th February 2021.
It was raining quite heavily before the start of the concert, but that wasn’t enough to hinder fans from arriving a few hours early to the Arena Of Stars, at Resort World Genting. Going into the hall, the crowd was delightfully greeted by a selection of Christmas classics to celebrate the upcoming Christmas day.
The Christmas melodies were sung by a trio of talented singers from New York that provided a very homely feel to the arena, as audiences find their seats. They ended their performance for the night with the Christmas classic “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”, before thanking the crowd once again for inviting them to perform at Resort World Genting.
Kicking off the Air Supply “Lost In Love Experience” concert, the soft rock duo got on stage at around 8:40 pm with their band as they opened with “Sweet Dreams” for their one-night only (15th December 2019) show. The song was sung perfectly by both Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock while featuring a heart pounding guitar solo by their lead guitarist Aaron McLain.
After a few songs, the duo continued on with one of their favourite piece, “Here I Am”, while also taking the time in between songs to thanks the organiser, crew and audiences for a wonderful show. In quoting Hitchcock, they described our local shores with “It’s always feel like home” whenever they return here.
Continuing on with “Chances”, Russell chipped in when he mentioned that this is the 8th time they’ve performed in Malaysia. He added that he and the band love it here, praising the food and the friendly people. This being their last show of the month, year and decade, he said that they couldn’t have chosen a better place than Genting.
The atmosphere at the arena was also very lively, with the crowd singing along to the song “Goodbye”. Moved by audiences’ participation, the 70-year-old singer pointed his microphone outward towards the crowd as he invited the crowd to end the song.
“I Adore You” was another crowd favourite when they started playing, as the song was fully composed by the British songwriter of the band. Coincidently, it was also the last song the duo sang before they went on their 4-minute break.
During the break, the 69-year-old stood alone on stage as he jokingly teased that he didn’t need it because Hitchcock sang all the difficult part. He then took the free time he had on stage to recite a poem that he wrote. The seasoned performer also recounted his earlier days when he was a child and took us down memory lane.
After that, the Nottingham-born musician played a sneak preview of their new song, “Son Of A Father”, while also sharing how that song came about. Sitting down, he also shared that being together for 45 years and having done 5100 shows together, have only strengthen their bond.
The two of them then recollected about their beginning on how they used to play in Pizza Parlour and Café bars before going big. They then got the show going again with “Two Less Lonely” as the cheers from the crowd got increasingly louder as the night progressed.
Source: Mega Star Arena
During one part, the pair surprised fans by making their way out from the stage and into the crowd as they sang “The One That You Love”. Those in attendance were ecstatic as they gathered up to take pictures with the singers. The singers, of course, were accompanied by a legion of security guards as they both made their way at each end of the stadium.
Upon returning on stage, they encouraged the crowd to sing the next song “Lost In Love” in acapella as they occasionally filled in the void. They then ended the night with their signature hit, “Making Love”, before the pair and their band members exited.
Source: Mega Star Arena
But wait, there was more.
The band came back on stage again at the request of the crowd, whom all screamed for an encore. They sang another of their legendary piece “Without You”, with “Shake It” being performed soon after, before officially ending the night with “All Out Of Love”.
Taking a bow, they once again thanked the staff and the crowd, as well as Resort World Genting for inviting them. Showing no signs of stopping, we sincerely hope to see them again in Malaysia in the near future, as we all could use a bit of that love.
Viu Malaysia is finally back with another original series called “Black”, adapted from the 2017 South Korean series of the same name.
If you’ve followed the original K-drama, the series chronicles a love story between the title character (a grim reaper who enters the human world) with a mortal woman (who has the ability to predict death).
Source: Instagram
However, the Malaysian version of “Black” gets a local twist, specially crafted for the series. In this case, the series shows the portrayal of popular horror folklore bunian (supernatural being) to replace the concept of grim reaper.
According to the directors, Razaisyam Rashid and Kroll Azri, “Black” can be considered as an “interesting masterpiece which has never been made in Malaysia before this. That is one of the reasons we opt for the digital platforms instead of the mainstream. It combines the elements of comedy, crime, supernatural all in one drama series.”
Source: Viu Malaysia
The synopsis of the fantasy-thriller series reads:
“‘Black’ tells the story of the titular bunian character (played by Kamal Adli) who is on a mission to track down his fugitive partner in the human world. To do so, Black inhabits the body of a deceased cop named Malik and assumes his identity in order to carry out his mission.
His life then intertwines with Sofia (Siti Saleha), a woman whose ability to foresee death becomes tha main key to his questions. As the story go, both of them become involved in a murder case that was remained unsolved for over 20 years that might link to their shared past.”
To get you all geared up, here are the main characters headlining this series:
1. Kamal Adli as Detective Malik/Black
Detektif Malik grew up and studied in England and worked as an accountant before returning back to join the Murder Investigation Unit of the Metropolitan Police Force. He often becomes the target of bullying among his colleagues for his lack of fighting skills as well as his naive appearance.
When Malik is reborn as Black, his personality becomes a total opposite of what he was known for. He becomes more sarcastic, straightforward, athletic, and (fun fact) also loves spicy food – a complete departure from Malik’s character.
2. Siti Saleha as Sofia
A feisty loner but with a soft heart, Sofia was gifted (or maybe cursed) with an ability to foresee death in a form of a shadow surrounding a human-being. The only option to avoid this is by covering her eyes with a pair of sunglasses.
Sofia had a close relationship with her father, Farid, who is estranged with her mother, Maria. As the series uncover, she learns the truth that he was killed. As a result, she embarks on a journey to find the killer.
3. Nabila Huda as Dr. Aisya
Aisya is an E.R (emergency room) doctor with a dark past no one knows about. Born by the name Karina Hani, she moved to the city with her friend Nurul Najwa (Wawa) in an attempt to run away from her tragic past.
She is portrayed as the girlfriend of Detective Malik in the earlier part of the series. She has grown to be attached with Malik. We soon learn that she is afraid that if her secrets are revealed, her life might be in jeopardy.
4. Khir Rahman as Detective Borhan
Notable for his short-tempered personality, Detective Borhan is also highly praised for his undying dedication to his career as a police officer. He is struggling to quit smoking, which plays a major part to his on-edge characteristic.
5. Zoey Rahman as Lokman
Lokman is the son of wealthy businessman Nazir’s second wife who works as a maid. He tries hard to prove to everyone that he is worthy of being the heir to his father’s company, despite his lowly origins.
Supporting casts:
Azman Hassan as Technical advisor 1 / 007
Juzzthin as Technical advisor 2 / 416
Rashidi Ishak as 444
Pablo Amirul as Middle finger man
Zahim Albakri as Hook scared man
Aleza Shadan as Dr. Rozanna
Josiah Hogan as Leo the vocal king
Riz Amin as Rahman, elder brother of Lokman
Check out the official poster as well as the trailer below:
Viu original series “Black” is available for streaming starting from Tuesday (17th December) with a total of 8 episodes.
Good news music lovers! Eric Nam (에릭남) is set to entertain fans when he drops by Kuala Lumpur in mid-January next year.
Concert organiser Onion Production has just announced Malaysia as the latest addition to Eric’s “Before We Begin” Asia Tour 2020. Mark your calendars peeps, the date is 17th January 2020.
As you may know, the 31-year-old star kicked off his music career after being signed to B2M Entertainment as a solo artist in September 2012. He debuted first EP “Cloud 9” the following year. Eric went on to release 2 more EPs – 2016’s “Interview” and 2018’s “Honestly”.
Last month, the Korean American singer-songwriter released his first English album “Before We Begin” (which the tour is named after). That being said, fans can expect him to perform songs from the EP such as pop singles like “Love Die Young” and “Congratulations”.
Originally set to take place in Zouk KL, the venue has since been changed to The Bee, Publika. Before Kuala Lumpur, Eric is expected to perform in Taiwan, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand.
The details to Eric Nam “Before We Begin” Asia Tour 2020 in Kuala Lumpur are as follows:
Date: 17th January 2020 (Friday)
Venue: The Bee, Publika
Time: 8pm – 9:30pm
Ticketing: RM250 / RM350 / RM700 (VIP)
VIP with Meet & Greet RM700 entitle you to 1*Super Early Entry Standing Ticket, 1*Admission to exclusive Meet & Greet / Photo Event, 1* Exclusive Signed Merch Item
Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday (18th December) from 12pm onwards. More information provided here.
Rage erupted among millions of Brazilians as a controversial new Netflix show depicted Jesus as gay.
Brazil is a highly religious nation, where a majority of the nation’s 200 million citizens are either Catholic or Evangelical Christian. Because of this, homophobia is also very common among Brazilians as they would often criticise LGBTQ rights.
Source: Netflix
The show named “The First Temptation of Christ” was released on the popular streaming site on 3rd December and was created by Brazilians comedy group Porta dos Fundos. The storyline showed Jesus bringing home his presumed boyfriend Orlando to meet with the Holy family.
The comedy, understandably, did not sit well with majority of the religious families found in Brazil, with many calling Netflix to remove the show from their site. Several Change.org petitions have even been demanding for the removal, with over 2 million people already signed up as at time of writing.
Source: Variety
The comedy group Porta dos Fundos, which won an International Emmy Award for another film “The Last Hangover”, told Malay Mail that they, “values artistic freedom and humour through satire on the most diverse cultural themes of our society and believes that freedom of expression is an essential construction for a democratic country.” Netflix, on the other hand, has yet to give out any statement regarding the incident.
Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, has also stepped in to give his two cents about the incident. He denounced the show calling it “blasphemous, vulgar, and disrespectful”, while also noted that he has cancelled his subscription to the streaming service because of it.
Caption: Hollywood Reporter
Do you think Porta dos Fundos has gone too far, or are they just expressing their artistic freedom? Let us know about it in the comment section below.
Aurum Theatre recently made its Malaysian debut in The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey. But instead of travelling all the way to Johor Bahru, locals in the Klang Valley now have easy access to it.
Last week, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) held the media preview for brand-new, ultra-luxe boutique cinema. For the initiated, Aurum takes after the Latin word and chemical element that represents gold. So what makes it a true cinematic luxury? It features opulent halls, contemporary continental, dining from Jin Gastrobar, plus bespoke hospitality at your service.
1. Getha Lux Suite: Exquisite designer recliners
Exclusively crafted by famed Italian architect, Marco Fumagalli, one of the highlights are the Getha Lux Suites that comes with “two-motor luxury recliners made with the company’s trademark 100% pure natural latex foam cushioning” and “nano-silver antibacterial covers, plush pillows that deliver excellent support, and a silky fleece blanket to snuggle under for absolute comfort“.
Other amenities: side table with a personal lamp, wireless & USB charger for smartphones, compartment to store one’s belongings.
The Gardens Mall GSC presently has 2 Getha Lux Suite halls
Ticket costs RM150/pax
2. 2 other lavish halls for every audience
In addition to the Getha Lux Suites, Aurum Theatre also has 2 other options that are equally luxurious and expensive. You could consider either the classic Gold Class ambience (2 Comfort Cabin halls available) that has a more cinematic journey feel, while the Escape Studios (3 themed halls available) have a more adventurous, unique, and fun setting.
Each seat costs RM120 per person.
The Comfort Cabins fast facts:
built with individual privacy panels that allows you to recline
comes with a fuzzy fleece blanket from Getha
a side table that swivels out for viewers to enjoy food and drinks
a wireless charger, personal lamp, and a drawer for belongings
Escape Studios fast facts:
no two Escape Studio auditoriums are the same – they’ve got the minimalism of Scandinavian hygge, colourful Warholesque retro pop art, and Wes Anderson-inspired visual hall
super Instagram-worthy
in-hall service call button and fleece blankets to wrap one’s self with
seating vary from LA-Z Boy rockers to IMG recliners to even four-seater couches
3. A reserved space to call your own
If you’re looking to rent a smaller venue for closed screenings, business functions, or
family gatherings, Aurum Theatre’s Private Screen room is available for renting. It can host up to 20 pax for “an intimate movie night in true sophistication, complete with food and drink served from a standalone bar with a dedicated host“.
4. Good food to soothe the soul
A golden ticket to Aurum Theatre entitles the movie-goer entry to Jin Gastrobar where you’ll get to choose from curated meal platters with vegetarian options and ala carte dishes. Aurum Pass holders are advised to show up at Jin Gastrobar 45 minutes before the movie starts in order to enjoy one’s gastronomical journey.
Alternatively, customers can also order an assortment of food directly from their seats – as aforementioned, the call button is at your service.
Who here agrees that 2019 has been filled with numerous roller-coaster rides particularly from the South Korean entertainment scene? K-drama is no exeception.
Avid fans of Korean TV series have been blessed with tons of good shows ranging from various genres like romance, comedy up to horror as well as thriller, just to name a few.
However, not all K-dramas this year have managed to win the hearts of audiences’ growing demands for something fresh. Some were heavily criticised by critics and viewers alike for several reasons.
For those who are curious, we’ve compiled a list of South Korean mini-series that were deemed as disappointing throughout the year 2019:
1. Melting Me Softly (날 녹여주오)
Many K-Drama fans jumped with joy knowing that actor Ji Chang Wook was set to lead the 16-episode for the first time ever since completing his military service. Though fans were initially thrilled with its out-of-the-box narrative, the plot failed to make sense as the story progressed.
Everyone started to point their fingers at writer Baek Mi Kyung for her lack of ideas. Not only that, most of them have came out with speculations that the tvN drama only depended on the 32-year-old’s “star power”.
2. Perfume (퍼퓸)
Main lead Shin Sung Rok has beenbusy for the past 2 years; starting from his antagonist role in “The Last Empress”, the 37-year-old also made his appearance in “Vagabond” and also “Perfume”.
It is unfortunate that the latter drama couldn’t follow the hype that “Vagabond” achieved. The failure of this drama was apparently due to its typical storyline. According to Jazmine, there’s no doubt that the 32-episode TV series can be named as one of Shin Sung Rok’s most disappointing one so far.
3. Encounter (남자친구)
Park Bo Gum and Song Hye Kyo – two of the hottest names in the Hallyu scene came together for the 16-episode drama that was aired on tvN. Even though the series garnered attention internationally, some viewers have slammed this drama for “playing safe” in terms of the scripts as well as its storyline, which they found too boring. The “Love In The Moonlight” actor has also received backlash for his lukewarm performance as Kim Jin Hyuk.
4. The Secret Life Of My Secretary (초면에 사랑합니다)
The 32-episode TV series has received massive criticism from K-drama fans for its cliche storyline. The plot was predictable but despite that, the main cast of Kim Young Kwang, Jin Ki Joo as well as Rainbow member Kim Jae Kyung were praised for bringing their respective characters to life.
5. Abyss (어비스)
Are you even surprised that “Abyss” is in the list? As Jazzmine Media pointed out, the drama was “disappointing due to its incoherent and dumb plot that viewers wondered if the writers think they were stupid enough to fall for it”.
Despite the fact that the 16-episode drama was lead by Hallyu megastar Park Bo Young as well as rising actor Ahn Hyo Seop, it couldn’t shed the fact that the overall plot was just a mere failure.
Bonus:
6. I Wanna Hear Your Song (너의 노래를 들려줘)
The drama starred gugudan’s Kim Sejeong and Yeon Woo Jin as the main characters, with T-ara’s Jiyeon as well as model-turned-actor Song Jae Rim joining in as the supporting casts.
Even though Woo Jin and Jae Rim are great actors, many were not really keen with the show’s draggy storyline. Many gave up halfway instead of waiting for its long-overdue finale. Nevertheless, we applaud the series for its heart-racing plot as well as Sejeong’s acting as a person who suffers from insomnia.
Do you agree with this list above? Share with us your thoughts.
Popular Japanese retail company, Muji, has been ordered to pay a compensation of US$89,000 (RM281,000) to Chinese company, Natural Mill, after losing an appeal to a trademark infringement case. The court has also ordered Muji to make a public apology regarding the incident.
The case in questioned was over the line “Wuyinliangpin” (“無印良品”), which the Japanese company filed for a trademark back in 2005 when they enter China’s market. The slogan covers most of the brands sold by the store, but certain textile products such as pillow cases, bed sheet and towel are not registered.
Source: Campaign Asia
According to South China Morning Post, Chinese company Hainan Nanhua (owners of the store Natural Mill) had originally registered the trademark in 2001. The company would later transfer the name right to another company called Beijing Cottonfield Textile Corp. In 2015, the two companies would eventually work together to sue Muji for trademark infringement.
Muji previously acknowledged the right to the slogan that was held by the Chinese firm for the textile products. However, the Japanese company pointed out that they had registered almost all of their products under the name legally. This resulted in them filling for an appeal to the court in Beijing. Unfortunately, things weren’t in favour for Muji.
Source: Shanghaiist
A hearing was held last month regarding the incident, with the China Supreme People’s Court in Beijing upholding the 2017 ruling. This means that Muji is forced to pay financial compensation for Beijing Cottonfield Textile Corp, with them also needing to issue a public apology for using the slogan for their online shops and retail stores.
It should be noted that China is Japan’s largest market outside of home soil. However, the store, Natural Mill, was widely considered to be a counterfeit brand modelled after Muji, with their pricing and products being very similar to the Japanese brand.
K-pop mega group EXO has just successfully wrapped their concert tour here in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend.
During the event, a concert-goer posted a short clip on Twitter. It shows an EXO-L (EXO stan) performing her prayer in a small room before entering the stadium to watch the award-winning group in action. The tweet soon became the talk of the town on the social media.
“Idk (I don’t know) who are you but yeah may Allah bless you,” the netizen known as @IzzaOnly wrote on the caption, before adding, “See her level?” emphasising on how she put her major responsibility first beforehand. The tweet has received over 14,000 likes at the time of writing (Wednesday, 18th December).
One user with the tweethandle @immabefan questioned why the girl didn’t perform her prayer at the nearby mosque instead. In response, another fan clarified by saying that the girl chose to pray there since the weather was bad at that time. Furthermore, they also weren’t allowed to enter the prayer room located inside the stadium.
Ada masjid kat luar tapi mungkin sbb hujan so she decided utk solat situ je. Surau kat dalam usually tak boleh guna selagi tak masuk
Looking at the replies, most of the local netizens have came forth with words of praise and respect towards the girl. They have pointed out that despite the joy of witnessing her favourite act live on stage, she didn’t forget to fulfil her responsibility as a Muslim.
Some fans also asked everyone to shed their shallow view when it comes to K-Pop music. They argued on how some people would say that K-pop fans are typically obsessed with everything related to K-pop that they often neglect other priorities.
Check out some of their comments here:
Itulah yg selalu kita dengar dan melihat dgn mata kasar sebenarnya apa2 pun yg penting Nawaitu.. saya respect this girl.😍
Tom Walker will be making his debut show in Malaysia on 27th March 2020.
The Manchester-bread singer-songwriter rose to fame last year when smash hit “Leave a Light On” peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart. If you’ve been following his career, get ready to experience him live.
Source: Sony Music
His debut album “What A Time To Be Alive” was titled as such “because we’ve come so far, the human race, but also, I think we keep making the same mistakes over and over again, and not learning sometimes. It’s a thought provoking title, that’s why I like it.”
Tom Walker has already been cemented as one of UK’s breakout global stars. To date, the Scottish performer has already accumulated 1.5 billion streams worldwide. Come next March, fans can also expect to hear other favourites such as “Just You and I” and “Better Half of Me”.
