Post-GE14, Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza Suggests Reforms For Arts Industry

Post-GE14, Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza Suggests Reforms For Arts Industry - With the government’s help, Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza hopes the welfare of artistes can be looked into post-GE14.

“We want artistes to be valued. If possible, it’d be great to have an institution and a body that takes care of the welfare of artistes in all aspects,” Siti shared at a buka puasa event at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur last night.

“Artistes are given guidance every step of the way and whatever problems we face, we can share them and channel them there.”

She continued: “But we don’t want to have too many bodies. Just one that’s in charge of everything and we can refer everything to that body.”

The Comel Pipi Merah hitmaker also suggested having a place for artistes to come together.

“And if possible, to have a building dedicated to artistes, like a one-stop centre for artistes. So whether you’re a singer, actor or painter, you can hone your craft there. It can become a tourist attraction too.”

The 39-year-old singer added it’s important that the institution is helmed by someone from the arts industry and must not have any political ties.

Asked if Siti herself is willing to play a part in making this dream a reality, she said she is ready to play the role of an advisor. “When it comes to giving ideas and sharing my experiences, I am ready to help.”

The May 9 elections saw Pakatan Harapan taking over the government, with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as Prime Minister.

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Celine Dion Shows Wit, Promises Hits Ahead Of Her Asian Concert Tour

Celine Dion Shows Wit, Promises Hits Ahead Of Her Asian Concert Tour - The video for Celine Dion’s latest song Ashes, off the Deadpool 2 motion picture soundtrack, shows the legendary pop diva has quite the sense of humour.

In the four-minute video, Deadpool performs a hilarious interpretive dance around Dion, wearing his full body tactical suit and high heels as she belts out the power ballad. That same sense of humour is apparent during a phone interview with the media, ahead of her first concerts in Singapore on July 3 and 4.

When asked how the 50-year-old keeps things fresh when she is almost 40 years into her career, with multiple Grammys and more than 250 million albums sold, Dion jokes: “Fresh? I brush my teeth every morning, I take a shower, I do my vocal exercise and then I do my show, I go back home and take another shower.”

Her answer may allude to the mundanity of her routine – Dion has spent the majority of the last 15 years performing regularly at two residencies at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.

She heads to Asia not long after her second residency ends on June 9 after a seven-year run. The month-long tour kicks off in Tokyo on June 26 before heading to Macau, Jakarta, Taipei, Manila and Bangkok. (Dion, who performed in Kuala Lumpur in 2008, won’t bring her tour to Malaysia.)

Dion insists that going on tour was not because Las Vegas was getting claustrophobic. “The last two summers we travelled to Europe, and we said this year we’re going to change it a little bit, and we’re going to go to places that we’ve not been before,” she says. “I want to meet some fans I’ve never met before.”

Die-hard fans will be pleased to know that the queen of power ballads has no qualms dipping into her greatest hits. “There are some (songs) from my repertoire that are pretty much – I don’t want to sound pretentious – but things that I cannot go on tour and go on stage and not sing them,” she says.

“I cannot do this show and not sing The Power Of Love, My Heart Will Go On and Because You Love Me … I hope I do the song that you want me to sing. If you want to send me a list of the songs you want me to sing, I will sing them,” she quips.

Other than her contribution to the Deadpool 2 soundtrack, there will soon be more new music from her. Her latest studio album may have been 2016 French pop record Encore Un Soir (One More Night), but she reveals that she is recording a new English album.

“I don’t know if it’s going to be ready for me to sing for you,” she says. “If it’s ready, I’m going to sing a few and, if not, I’m going to go back to Singapore and sing you my new album, I promise.”

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Celine Dion Displays Her Wicked Sense Of Humour

Celine Dion Displays Her Wicked Sense Of Humour - The music video for Celine Dion’s latest single Ashes, off the soundtrack of superhero movie Deadpool 2, shows the legendary Canadian singer has quite the sense of humour.

In the four-minute-long video, Deadpool performs a hilarious interpretive dance around Dion in his full body tactical suit and high heels, as the glamorous singer unflinchingly belts out the power ballad.

That same sense of humour is apparent during a group telephone interview earlier this year with Singapore media, ahead of her first concerts in the island republic on July 3 and 4.

When asked how the 50-year-old keeps things fresh for herself, even when she is almost 40 years into her career, with multiple Grammy awards to her name and more than 250 million albums sold worldwide, the singer jokes, without missing a beat: “Fresh? I brush my teeth every morning, I take a shower, I do my vocal exercise and then I do my show, I go back home and take another shower.”

Her answer may allude to the mundanity of her routine – the seasoned singer has spent the majority of the last 15 years performing regularly at two residencies at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

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Legendary Rock Band Guns N’ Roses To Perform In KL In November

Legendary Rock Band Guns N’ Roses To Perform In KL In November - Get your Night Train tickets ready to rock out in the November Rain, because Kuala Lumpur is set to become Paradise City when legendary Guns N’ Roses plays here in November!

The band announced the show in an update on their Facebook page, with Kuala Lumpur included in a list of upcoming shows under its currently ongoing Not In This Lifetime world tour.

The concert has been scheduled for November 14 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.

While Guns N’ Roses has played in Malaysia before, at the after-race party in Sepang in 2013, this will be the first time that the classic line-up of Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan is coming here. Slash has performed in KL solo a couple of times before as well.

Slash and McKagen rejoined the band in 2016, the first time they are playing together with Rose since the 1993 Use Your Illusion Tour. The Not In This Lifetime Tour is currently one of the highest-grossing world tours in history.

Ticket details have not been officially announced yet, but keep watching this space for further announcements.

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Here Are The TV Channels To Watch The Royal Wedding

Here Are The TV Channels To Watch The Royal Wedding - Get front-row seats to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding ceremony at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle which is set to happen on May 19.

The royal couple will be saying “I do” in the evening, beginning with the arrivals of members of the royal family and various public figures at 5pm. The exchange of vows will take place at 7pm. After they’ve been pronounced husband and wife, there will be a carriage procession at 8pm.

Don’t miss a single moment of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s union by tuning into these channels:

1. E! Entertainment (Astro Ch 712)

Look forward to light-hearted commentaries and zesty one-liners from your favourite E! presenters Giuliana Rancic, Brad Goreski and Sarah-Jane Crawford as the wedding ceremony unfolds. Telecast starts from 5pm onwards.

2. Sky News HD (Astro Ch 532)

Shot in ultra high-definition, Sky News aims to deliver every detail of the royal wedding to viewers at home. The crystal clear live coverage, which begins at 4pm, is made possible through the 51 cameras positioned around the chapel.

3. CNN (Astro Ch 511)

CNN’s top presenters like Anderson Cooper and Richard Quest have been roped in for the live coverage of the royal wedding, which begins at 4pm.  Besides witnessing the ceremony, Prince Harry biographer Angela Levin and Megan Markle’s former theater professor at Northwestern University Dr. Harvey Young will offer insights on the bride and groom’s life.

4. BBC Lifestyle and BBC World News (Unifi TV Ch 601)

BBC boasts a team of seven reporters stationed around Windsor Castle. Channel 5 News’ Kirsty Young and BBC Radio 2’s Dermot O’Leary will be based by the moat outside Windsor Castle while BBC World News’ Huw Edwards will be on the roof of the Guard Room within the walls of castle.

The three will be closest to where the action is, getting a close look of the guests as they arrive.

Radio 1 Breakfast Show’s Tina Daheley, The One Show’s Alex Jones, BBC Sport’s Ore Oduba and Countryfile’s Anita Rani will be situated around the castle, capturing the atmosphere of the people and speaking to those who has come to witness the ceremony.

BBC’s live broadcast begins at 4pm. Download and watch the highlights later on BBC Player.

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‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’: Young Han Shoots First And Scores!

‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’: Young Han Shoots First And Scores! - Oona goota, Solo?”

In case you don’t speak Rodian, that means “Going somewhere, Solo?”, a question the bounty hunter Greedo asks Han Solo at the Mos Eisly cantina in Star Wars before a hail of blaster fire ignites one of the most tiresome Star Wars debates of all time – Did Han shoot first? (Of course he did).

As it turns out, Han, and Harrison Ford, really WERE going somewhere after all – into the hearts of Star Wars fans as one of the coolest characters in that galaxy far, far away.

To be honest, though, while Han was one of the franchise’s most beloved characters, little was known of his past. We knew that he was a notorious smuggler who hangs out with a walking carpet, and that he has an old friend named Lando Calrissian, from whom he won a certain Corellian YT-1300 light freighter called the Millennium Falcon. Beyond that, little was known about his past. Until now, that is.

Solo: A Star Wars Story is the first of Disney’s non-Episode “Star Wars Story” prequel films to feature a prominent character from the Original Trilogy (the cameos by Leia and Vader from Rogue One don’t count), and happily, it manages to do Han’s backstory some justice.

Alden Ehrenreich makes for a convincing young Han, even managing to get Harrison Ford’s trademark smirk and swagger down pat while exuding the pre-requisite roguish charm and self-confidence. This is a much younger and more naive Han though – in fact, he actually starts off without the Solo part of his name at first.

A ‘scumrat’ scrounging a living on the ship-building planet of Corellia, young Han and his lover Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) dream of getting off the planet together. In the end, he manages to do so, but without her.

Vowing to go back to get her, he joins the Imperial army to become a pilot, ends up in a warzone where he meets and befriends a certain Wookie named Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo). The duo eventually join up with a bunch of outlaws led by hardened criminal Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), their first foray into the world of the criminal underground.

Never tell Disney the odds, especially when it comes to its Star Wars prequels. The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi may have been surefire box-office hits, but both of its “Star Wars Story” films so far – 2016’s Rogue One and now Solo – were considered riskier endeavours that messed with well-established characters and stories.

Sure, Rogue One turned out to be a success, but Solo was a harder sell, being an origin story about an established fan favourite. It didn’t help that the production was plagued with problems, the most major of which was the firing of original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who were replaced by Ron Howard.

So the question now is, does Solo make it out of its carbonite prison it seemingly created for itself? The answer is a resounding YES.

If you’ve always wondered how Han met Chewie and Lando (Donald Glover), how he got the Millennium Falcon, and what a 12-parsec Kessel Run is, then this is the movie for you. It breathes life into these iconic but brief mentions of Han’s mysterious past, and gives the character a backstory that neatly foreshadows his deeds and decisions in the Original Trilogy.

Delving into the criminal underworld of the Star Wars universe, it takes us into a world we’ve only caught glimpses of in the films, and establishes a new layer of villainy within the official canon. It won’t be anything new to fans of the pre-Disney Star Wars expanded universe, of course, but it is still nice to see the villainous aspects stretching beyond that of Stormtroopers and red lightsabers.

Much of the movie revolves around heists, and one train robbery in particular stands out as one of the most exciting Star Wars action sequences in recent times. Ehrenreich aside, Glover is at his most roguish, arrogant best as Lando, while Harrelson’s grizzly Beckett is a Convincing mentor for the young Han.

Of the central relationships, however, the romance between Han and Qi’ra pales in comparison with his other two ‘loves – Chewie and the Falcon. Watching the friendship between him and the Wookie grow is one of the films biggest joys, and there is more love in the way he looks at the Falcon than there is when he looks at Qi’ra.

If there’s one complaint I have, it’s that Solo gives him TOO much of a backstory. Han Solo was always one of my favourite characters because you didn’t know much about his past. You never really knew whether those things he boasted about doing (including that 12-parsec Kessel Run) were true, and that was the beauty of the character – that air of mystery, that hint of self-doubt behind all the chest-puffing bravado, and the glint of softheartedness behind that arrogant smirk.

By putting a reason behind all of these traits, Solo somehow manages the rare feat of developing a character while diminishing it at the same time.

That’s not to say Solo is a bad film. Far from it. It’s a solid action-adventure that adds another layer of intrigue to the official Star Wars canon, while also giving our favourite scruffy-looking nerf herder the spotlight for once. “Ooona goonta, Solo?”. Most definitely.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Director: Ron Howard

Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany.

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‘Deadpool 2’: Super Sweary Superhero Fun

‘Deadpool 2’: Super Sweary Superhero Fun  - Before we begin, here’s a disclaimer: DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT bring your kids to watch Deadpool 2.

Wait a minute, didn’t I write that exact same opening disclaimer in my review for the first Deadpool movie? Why do I have to do it again? What? Because everyone expects a superhero movie to be family-friendly? Because people might think Deadpool is Spider-Man? Because they might think this is Avengers 4 because the actor who played Thanos is in this one too? Sigh.

Look, it’s a DEADPOOL movie, and this is already the Merc with a Mouth’s second solo one. We’ve already been through his origin story, how Wade Wilson got terminal cancer and was turned into a horribly-scarred superhero who can’t die. We’ve seen how violent, sweary and politically incorrect he is.

Deadpool 2 basically takes what happens in the first movie and amplifies it two-fold. Which, in case you’re still not following, makes it even MORE unsuitable for children.

For the rest of us grown-ups, however, Deadpool 2 is the foul-mouthed, ultra-violent, piss-taking, blood-laden laugh-a-minute masterpiece you hoped it would be, and more.

Picking up where it left off in the first movie, Deadpool is now working as a mercenary who takes down criminal organisations for money, and is looking forward to settling down with his girl Vanessa (Morena Baccarin).

Then the time-travelling Thanos… sorry, Cable (Josh Brolin) shows up with his bionic eye, fanny pack and Winter Soldier arm and goes after a young fire-powered mutant called Russell (Julian Dennison), who apparently grows up to become a supervillain who kills Cable’s family in the future.

Deadpool decides to protect the kid, and forms his own mutant team, X-Force, comprising the luck-manipulating Domino (Zazie Beetz), sword-swinging alien Shatterstar (Lewis Tan), electromagnetic field manipulating mutant Bedlam (Terry Crews), the mysterious Vanisher, the acid-puking Zeitgeist (Bill Skarsgard) and Peter (Rob Delaney), who is as ordinary as his name suggests.

Some X-Men also show up, namely Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), who were both in the first Deadpool movie. Oh, by the way, we also find out why the X-Mansion is always so empty whenever Deadpool shows up.

There really isn’t much I can say about the movie that you shouldn’t already be expecting. From its James Bond-riffing opening sequence (complete with a Celine Dion song) to arguably the greatest post-credit scene in superhero movie history. The movie goes on the offensive (in all senses of the word) from the get go, and doesn’t let up until the final credit has rolled (keep your ears out for the final song in the closing title credit sequence).

Ryan Reynolds doesn’t just play Deadpool, he IS Deadpool. And without the burden of setting up his origin story, Reynolds hits the ground running, guns blazing, swords swinging and leaves a trail of laughs and bloody corpses in his wake from start to finish. Along the way, he lands telling blows on both Marvel and DC’s movies as well as the superhero genre in general.

While Reynolds basically carried the first movie on his own, this time around, he has an able supporting cast of heroes to share the burden. Brolin is his scowling, grumpy best as the formidable Cable (though you wonder how he can keep a straight face whenever he shares a scene with Reynolds), while Beetz’ sassy, confident, and immensely likeable Domino is the standout star amongst the new heroes. Give her a solo movie already.

There’s more to Deadpool 2 than the swearing and killing though. There’s also a romantic love story, an inspiring bromance, a touching message about family, and… ah heck, who cares. It’s Deadpool. What else are you expecting from it? Just enjoy it for all its gory, sweary glory, and remember to leave the kids at home. We’re not kidding on that one.

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Actor Shawn Yue Is A Daddy… Five Months Into Marriage With Model

Actor Shawn Yue Is A Daddy… Five Months Into Marriage With Model - Actor Shawn Yue has become a father! He made a social media announcement on May 10, saying that he and his wife, model Sarah Wang, had welcomed a baby boy. They named their son Cody.

Yue wrote: “When Dad saw you coming out today, he was truly indescribably happy.” According to Apple Daily, the child as born by Caesarean section and weighed about 3.2kg,

Yue, 36, is a star of the Infernal Affairs and Love In A Puff movie series. He and Wang, 29, were married in Australia in December 2017. They had a whirlwind ceremony during a working trip, attended by immediate family only, Apple Daily reported.

The couple’s parents are believed to be planning a make-up banquet for relatives and friends when Cody turns 100 days old. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network

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‘Lost In Space’: Familiarly Familial, Fascinating Fun

‘Lost In Space’: Familiarly Familial, Fascinating Fun - Lost In Space. If you can’t get the Footloose references in Guardians Of The Galaxy, then the title will probably go right past you.

For those of us who have passed the Big Four-Oh (and then some), Lost In Space conjures up fond memories – catchy John Williams themes, tinfoil spacesuits, recycled props from 1950s flicks, and lizards with papier mache frills stuck on to pass them off as giant monsters.

The short-lived 1960s space opera produced by Master of Disaster Irwin Allen also gave us the immortal line “Danger, Will Robinson” (Will being the youngest member of the spacefaring Robinsons, the family that was, well, lost in space) and OTT villain Dr Zachary Smith going to great lengths to either get out of work or exploit the Robinsons for his own ends.

Fond memories lead to a collective desire for revival, and a 1998 film tried to reintroduce the Robinsons to a new age, but was forgettable, and failed. John Woo directed a pilot for a new series in 2004 but it was never aired and thus, never picked up.

For years, any hope of a Lost In Space revival remained as lost as the Robinsons. But then along came this relatively unheralded Netflix series and suddenly, all was right in the universe once more.

Lost In Space. If you can’t get the Footloose references in Guardians Of The Galaxy, then the title will probably go right past you.

For those of us who have passed the Big Four-Oh (and then some), Lost In Space conjures up fond memories – catchy John Williams themes, tinfoil spacesuits, recycled props from 1950s flicks, and lizards with papier mache frills stuck on to pass them off as giant monsters.

The short-lived 1960s space opera produced by Master of Disaster Irwin Allen also gave us the immortal line “Danger, Will Robinson” (Will being the youngest member of the spacefaring Robinsons, the family that was, well, lost in space) and OTT villain Dr Zachary Smith going to great lengths to either get out of work or exploit the Robinsons for his own ends.

Fond memories lead to a collective desire for revival, and a 1998 film tried to reintroduce the Robinsons to a new age, but was forgettable, and failed. John Woo directed a pilot for a new series in 2004 but it was never aired and thus, never picked up.

For years, any hope of a Lost In Space revival remained as lost as the Robinsons. But then along came this relatively unheralded Netflix series and suddenly, all was right in the universe once more.

The premise is clearly defined: with the world facing a slow death after a Near Earth Object slams into it, a massive colonisation vessel is sent off to the nearest star, Alpha Centauri, to establish a new home for mankind.

The Robinsons are just part of this colossal undertaking, and an unexpected encounter sends them, along with other colonists, into a wormhole and off to another (fortunately habitable) planet.

How the family struggles to survive on this new world – hey, we said “habitable”, not “hospitable” – and reconnect with their mother ship makes up most of the first 10-episode season.

There’s more to it. For starters, the unnamed robot that was a huge part of the original series (and the utterer of “Danger, Will Robinson” as well as “It does not compute”, among others lines) comes into the Robinsons’ company in an entirely different way. And it’s also part of a larger mystery that unravels over the course of the debut season.

But another aspect of the new show that scores high marks is its central villain. While the original Dr Smith was a cowardly, conniving caricature (and no less beloved for it), the 2018 version is one nasty sociopath.

Played by Parker Posey, this “Dr Smith” (we learn more about her real identity as the season progresses) is manipulative, cunning, resourceful and insidious – the perfect serpent for the warped paradise in which the Robinsons have been stranded.

Her keen understanding of human nature – the basic-impulse fundamentals on which lies of convenience are spun – allows her to twist nearly everything and everyone to her will, and it is both repulsive and fascinating to watch her at work.

Still, the first season is more than just Smith vs the Robinsons and their fellow spacefarers. You get disaster, literal cliffhangers, paranoia, the series’ interpretation of A Quiet Place, and an exciting finale.

The Robinsons (and Smith) have only just begun to grow on us; let’s hope there will be more to come, and that Lost In Space will have finally found a new home after all these decades.

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A Royal Wedding And 4 Other Must-Watch TV Events In May

A Royal Wedding And 4 Other Must-Watch TV Events In May - May is set to be an exciting month, what with the wedding ceremony of the royal couple on May 19. Besides that, Dexter’s Michael C. Hall will mark his return to TV on a new drama series while Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fans must get ready to say goodbye to the comedy series.

1. E! Live From The Royal Wedding (live telecast)

Wedding bells are ringing for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle! E! will be covering the royal wedding live from Windsor Castle. Hosted by presenters Giuliana Rancic, Brad Goreski and Sarah-Jane Crawford, witness the ceremony itself as well as the arrival of members of the royal family and celebrities.

E! Live From The Royal Wedding airs on May 19 at 5pm on E! Entertainment (Astro Ch 712).

2. America’s Next Top Model Season 24

America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) just wasn’t the same without its creator Tyra Banks. Banks takes back the reins from ANTM Season 23 head judge and host Rita Ora for the reality modelling series’ 24th season. Expect more of Banks’ signature sassy catchphrases, over-the-top antics and heartwarming mentoring moments as she grooms a new group of modelling hopefuls. Supermodel Ashley Graham, celebrity stylist and image architect Law Roach and Paper Magazine chief creative officer Drew Elliot also serve on the judging panel.

America’s Next Top Model Season 24 premieres May 24 at 9pm on Foxlife (Astro Ch 711).

3. Safe

Calling all fans of Dexter star Michael C. Hall! After Dexter ended its run in 2013, Hall is back to play a lead on TV for the first time in Safe. He plays Tom, a widower still reeling from his wife’s death. Just as the father of two is trying to pick up the pieces again, his eldest daughter goes missing. He slowly discovers the dark secrets his loved ones kept from him and peels back the layers on what happened on the night of his wife’s death. Amanda Abbington, Audrey Fleurot and Hannah Arterton also star.

Safe will premiere on May 10 on Netflix.

4. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season Four

The fourth season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt will be its last one. Centred on the life of the ever-positive Kimmy who moves to New York after being held captive for 15 years in a bunker, the series will churn out six episodes first on May 30. No date has been set yet for the last half of the season. We’re definitely going to miss Kimmy’s megawatt smile and chirpy persona! Starring Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Carol Kane and Jane Krakowski.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season Four premieres on May 30 on Netflix.

5. The Great Adventurer Wesley

Based on Chinese sci-fi novelist Ni Kuang’s the Wesley book series, this adventure-sci fi drama opens with Interpol top executive Bai Lao Da’s discovery of a moving severed hand in his home. He is joined by fellow Interpol agent Wesley in his quest to learn the truth behind the mysterious hand. Their investigation leads them all the way to a tomb in Egypt, where they discover a powerful force at work. Starring Shawn Yue, Simon Yam and Gordon Lam.

The Great Adventurer Wesley is available on dimsum.

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The Royal Wedding And Four More Must-Watch TV Events This Mayc

The Royal Wedding And Four More Must-Watch TV Events This Mayc - May is set to be an exciting month, what with the wedding ceremony of the royal couple on May 19. Besides that, Dexter’s Michael C. Hall will mark his return to TV on a new drama series while Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fans must get ready to say goodbye to the comedy series.

1. E! Live From The Royal Wedding (live telecast)

Wedding bells are ringing for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle! E! will be covering the royal wedding live from Windsor Castle. Hosted by presenters Giuliana Rancic, Brad Goreski and Sarah-Jane Crawford, witness the ceremony itself as well as the arrival of members of the royal family and celebrities.

E! Live From The Royal Wedding airs on May 19 at 5pm on E! Entertainment (Astro Ch 712).

2. America’s Next Top Model Season 24

America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) just wasn’t the same without its creator Tyra Banks. Banks takes back the reins from ANTM Season 23 head judge and host Rita Ora for the reality modelling series’ 24th season. Expect more of Banks’ signature sassy catchphrases, over-the-top antics and heartwarming mentoring moments as she grooms a new group of modelling hopefuls. Supermodel Ashley Graham, celebrity stylist and image architect Law Roach and Paper Magazine chief creative officer Drew Elliot also serve on the judging panel.

America’s Next Top Model Season 24 premieres May 24 at 9pm on Foxlife (Astro Ch 711).

3. Safe

Calling all fans of Dexter star Michael C. Hall! After Dexter ended its run in 2013, Hall is back to play a lead on TV for the first time in Safe. He plays Tom, a widower still reeling from his wife’s death. Just as the father of two is trying to pick up the pieces again, his eldest daughter goes missing. He slowly discovers the dark secrets his loved ones kept from him and peels back the layers on what happened on the night of his wife’s death. Amanda Abbington, Audrey Fleurot and Hannah Arterton also star.

Safe will premiere on May 10 on Netflix.

4. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season Four

The fourth season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt will be its last one. Centred on the life of the ever-positive Kimmy who moves to New York after being held captive for 15 years in a bunker, the series will churn out six episodes first on May 30. No date has been set yet for the last half of the season. We’re definitely going to miss Kimmy’s megawatt smile and chirpy persona! Starring Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Carol Kane and Jane Krakowski.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season Four premieres on May 30 on Netflix.

5. The Great Adventurer Wesley

Based on Chinese sci-fi novelist Ni Kuang’s the Wesley book series, this adventure-sci fi drama opens with Interpol top executive Bai Lao Da’s discovery of a moving severed hand in his home. He is joined by fellow Interpol agent Wesley in his quest to learn the truth behind the mysterious hand. Their investigation leads them all the way to a tomb in Egypt, where they discover a powerful force at work. Starring Shawn Yue, Simon Yam and Gordon Lam.

The Great Adventurer Wesley is available on dimsum.

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R&B And Hip-Hop Group Ruffedge Reunites For 20th Anniversary Concert

R&B And Hip-Hop Group Ruffedge Reunites For 20th Anniversary Concert - After a hiatus that started in 2008, Malaysian R&B and hip-hop group Ruffedge is making a comeback. Their long-awaited return coincides with their 20th anniversary, and five-man outfit is scheduled to give a concert at KL Live, Kuala Lumpur, on Aug 4 to mark the occasion.

Members Cat Farish, Zain Hamid, Azan Wahab, Mode Abdullah and Sein Hussein are expected to perform their hits Khayalan, Tipah Tertipu, and Bila Rindu . In an interview with mStar, Star Media Group’s Malay-language portal, Sein shared why they were reuniting.

“For 10 years, we didn’t appear together as Ruffedge due to other work and life commitments. Now that we have the opportunity to hold a concert, we’re definitely going for it. We hope to bond with longtime fans and attract a new following at the same time,” he said.

Fans can also look forward to a new song from the group, titled Seperti Mereka.

Formed in 1997, Ruffedge is an Anugerah Industri Muzik-winning group with two hit albums Defined and Ruffera. Prior to their reunion news, Ruffedge made surprise appearances at two celebrity wedding receptions, Fazura and Shila Amzah.

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Action Comedy ‘Call Me Agent’ Shooting In Malaysia And Hong Kong

Action Comedy ‘Call Me Agent’ Shooting In Malaysia And Hong Kong - Will upcoming Cantonese spy movie Call Me Agent see the birth of a Malaysian James Bond?

Currently being shot in both Malaysia and Hong Kong, the movie is a joint production between Hong Kong’s Dramovie Group Limited and Malaysia’s Evo Pictures, with coordination by Teleview Sdn. Bhd.

Call Me Agent is co-directed by Hong Kong director Eric Lam (Final Project), who wrote the screenplay, and Malaysian director Michael Chuah (Special Forces), who also serves as producer.

The 90-minute Cantonese flick revolves around the musings of a young woman named Miu Ling who dreams of becoming a secret agent. One fateful day, she rescues an injured Agent Wing, who promises to make her his apprentice. From then on, her life is a roller- coaster of madcap adventures.

Cantopop singer Poyiu Wong of Hong Kong all-girl pop group Staries nabbed the leading role of Miu Ling, who imagines herself as a secret agent to escape from her humdrum existence.

Hong Kong actor Vincent Luk (Final Project) plays the outstanding Agent Wing who has seen better days and yearns for an ordinary life instead.

Malaysian singer Belle Lee has been cast as Agent Janli, Agent Wing’s love interest who also longs to escape her complicated life.

Meanwhile, Ipoh-born Hong Kong-based actress Mimi Chu (A House Of Happiness) plays Miu Ling’s mother, a widow who has worked tirelessly to support her family and raise Miu Ling after the premature death of her husband.

Veteran Hong Kong actor Gabriel Wong Yat San (To Love Or Not To Love) plays the main antagonist, the head honcho of a crime syndicate.

The young actors went through basic training in Hong Kong before taking on more intense training for action scenes under producer-director Chuah. “The action scenes are mostly gunfights with firearms like pistols and rifles and some hand-to-hand combat scenes. We hope to make it more realistic, so we decided to minimise the use of wirework,” Chuah said in a recent interview.

“Most of my films are set in Malaysia, and we seldom get the opportunity to see Hong Kong and Malaysian directors work together. Previously, I worked on films with Singapore (Firefly) and China (Fist Of Dragon); this is the first time I am working with someone from Hong Kong, so it is something new for me as well,” shared Chuah.

He adds that they were showcasing Malaysia as a metropolitan location, so they planned the shoot around Klang Valley with scenes spread around Putrajaya, Port Klang and other picturesque locations in KL city.

According to writer-director Lam, Miu Ling aspires to be a special agent because she wishes that she weren’t so ordinary.

“In reality, she is a very average person, a girl who has just graduated with no special skills, unlike some of her more capable peers with better results. Because of her love of movies, she thinks it looks cool to be a spy, so she continually dreams of becoming a special agent.”

Lam revealed that Call Me Agent was partly inspired by his own childhood dreams, except he wanted to be a director, not a special agent. “When I graduated, I wanted to be director. But it was not an easy thing to do, as I had neither the experience, the finances nor the connections to go about realising my dream.,” he said. “While writing my script, I retraced my steps and recalled all the milestones that led me to be a filmmaker and making Call Me Agent, which is my second movie.”

Call Me Agent is slated for release at the end of the year.

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Malaysian Magician Wows All Four Judges On ‘Britain’s Got Talent’

Malaysian Magician Wows All Four Judges On ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ - After impressing Asia with his act, Malaysian magician Andrew Lee is now casting his spell on British audiences.

Lee, a semi-finalist on season two of Asia’s Got Talent (AGT), managed to get through the audition round of Britain’s Got Talent. (The 12th season of the popular talent competition began airing in Britain from April 14.)

Asked why he was auditioning, Lee, 31, replied: “It’s always a dream to be on Britain’s Got Talent and it’s always my hope to perform for the royal family.”

His audition was judged by four renowned British personalities: reality show producer Simon Cowell, actress-singer Amanda Holden, singer-model Alesha Dixon and comedian David Walliams.

Lee got “Yes!” from all the judges, including the notoriously hard-to-please Cowell. “That was one of the most amazing things I’ve seen on this show: near death, magic … everything I love!” enthused Cowell.

For his act, Lee added a sense of danger to his card trick; he had performed a similar routine for his AGT audition. He enlisted the help of the show’s hosts Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, popularly known as Ant and Dec.

As the unwilling “victim”, Dec was asked by Lee to pick a card from a deck. Lee then tore a corner of the card to mark it before putting it back in the deck and asked Ant to shuffle it.

He made Dec wear a padded dartboard over his torso, and got ready a throwing knife, much to Dec’s consternation.

For added tension, Lee placed an eyeshield over his face, and asked Ant to toss the deck in the air. Lee then expertly threw the knife at the dartboard, pinning the ripped card to it. (Thus far, the YouTube video has garnered over 28,000 views.)

Lee, who also calls himself a mentalist and illusionist, has performed all across Asia and countries such as India, Egypt, Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar and Australia. He also performed in Genting Highlands as their in-house magician.

In previous media interviews, Lee said he picked up magic at the age of 16. It all began when he enrolled in a correspondence course from Australia.

“As I was home-schooled by my mother, picking up the skills via correspondence course felt just as natural,” said Lee, a trained nutritionist from the Global Institute for Alternative Medicine in California, the United States.

For Lee, his goal is “to entertain audiences not by merely showing tricks but wanting them to experience the wonderment of watching magic unfold before their very eyes!”

Here’s hoping that Lee goes far in Britain’s Got Talent!

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‘Deadpool 2’ And 7 Other Films To Watch In May

‘Deadpool 2’ And 7 Other Films To Watch In May - With the euphoria of Avengers: Infinity War still fresh on our minds and the movie itself still tearing up the box office globally and locally, the movies released this month seem a bit of an anti-climax, to be honest.

Then again, if there’s one hero who can slice through the all-conquering shroud of Infinity War, it’s Deadpool, who is back with his long-awaited sequel.

Also coming back to life on the big screen is our favourite inter-stellar smuggler, Han Solo, whose early days are chronicled in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Other than that, however, May does seem to be a little quiet in terms of blockbusters, compared to previous years. Oh well, you could always watch Infinity War again …

Truth Or Dare (Now Showing)

Cast: Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey, Violett Beane

Director: Jeff Wadlow

A group of college students play a game of Truth or Dare. Things start going horribly wrong when something terrible happens whenever one of them lies or refuses a dare.

Why you should watch it:

You could play truth or dare with this movie. After the movie, you need to either tell the truth about whether you liked the movie , and why, or be dared into watching it again.

In Your Dreams (Now Showing)

Cast: Carina Lau, Ng Siu Hin, Tse Kwan Ho, Stephen Tung Wai

Director: Tam Wai Ching

Heng is a 16-year-old high school student who lives an unhappy life with his alcoholic father. You Mei is a homeroom teacher whose husband is cheating on her. Finding one another, the two lonely souls form a forbidden affectionate bond.

Why you should watch it:

It was the Higher Education Institution Group winner of the 2nd First Feature Film Initiative which comes with a cash grant of HKD3mil (RM1.5mil) from the Hong Kong Film Development Fund in 2016. The script was highly recommended by Felix Chong Man Keung, award-winning screenwriter of the Infernal Affairs trilogy and Overhead trilogy. Also, Lau’s young co-star looks a lot like a younger version of her real-life husband Tony Leung Chiu Wai. Now that’s just weird.

Terminal (May 11)

Cast: Margot Robbie, Max Irons, Dexter Fletcher, Simon Pegg, Mike Myers

Director: Vaughn Stein

Not to be confused with the Tom Hanks stuck-in-an-airport flick, The Terminal, this is about two hitmen who agree to take on a sinister mission for a mysterious employer who pays handsomely, but find themselves tangled in a cagey situation along with a teacher battling a fatal illness, an enigmatic janitor and a curious waitress leading a double life.

Why you should watch it:

The trailer paints a picture of a stylish, neon-lit noir with Margot Robbie looking more psychotic than Harley Quinn. Colour us intrigued.

Deadpool 2 (May 17)

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Leslie Uggams

Director: David Leitch

After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef struggles to fulfil his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavour – finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover. Hey, don’t look at us, that’s the official plot summary we got from the YouTube trailer.

Why you should watch it:

Because nobody does bonkers, unpolitically-correct, ultra-violent comedy better than Deadpool. And in the absence of a proper X-Men movie this year, at least we’ve got the X-Force on screen.

Future World (May 25)

Cast: James Franco, Milla Jovovich, Jeffrey Wahlberg, Lucy Liu

Director: James Franco

In a post-apocalyptic world, where water and gasoline have long since dried-up, a prince from the oasis (one of the last known safe-havens) must venture out to find medicine for the ailing queen, but along the way he gets mixed up with a warlord and his robot Ash, which leads to a daring journey through the desolate wastelands.

Why you should watch it:

Because the trailer makes it look like a cross between Mad Max and Resident Evil, and Milla Jovovich and James Franco look positively mental in it.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (May 24)

Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Paul Bettany

Director: Ron Howard

A young scruffy-looking nerf herder gets caught between two comedy directors and a veteran filmmaker and ends up being stuck in a space Western. Alden Ehrenreich stars as the young Han Solo, and the story chronicles how he became the rogue smuggler that Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi first met in the cantina at Mos Eisley.

Why you should watch it:

Most Star Wars fans seem to have a bad feeling about this, but not us. In fact, we’re eager to see how Han Solo got the Millennium Falcon, how he met Chewbacca and Lando, and of course, that famous 14-, sorry, 12-parsec Kessel Run.

Isle Of Dogs (May 31)

Cast: Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Kunichi Nomura

Director: Wes Anderson

Megasaki City experiences an outbreak of canine flu, and the mayor banishes all dogs to a garbage-filled island called Trash Island. Twelve-year-old Atari Kobayashi’s pet dog Spots is the first dog to be banished. Longing to get his pet back, Atari flies across the river on his own where he meets a pack of dogs who agree to help him find Spots.

Why you should watch it:

We love Wes Anderson, and this looks like another typically Wes-Anderson-ish film with lots of sardonic humour. Plus we also love dogs.

When Sun Meets Moon (May 31)

Cast: Kathy Yuen, Daichi Harashima, Lawrence Cheng

Director: Benny Lau

Two young astrologists, Moon and Sun, meet and fall in love, but their love is not to be, as their parents disapprove of their relationship. Sun is admitted to a boarding school and has to move to another country. Will their young love be able to withstand this separation?

Why you should watch it:

Sometimes you just want a simple love story that will tug at your heartstrings and make you think about your own experience with young, puppy love. Or is that just us?

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