The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio
The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio |
- Pang Brothers enjoy scaring audiences
- More sporting action on HyppTV
- Shop, exercise with Linora on Red Hub
| Pang Brothers enjoy scaring audiences Posted: 12 Oct 2012 07:21 AM PDT Hong Kong blockbuster makers, the Pang Brothers, share their love for horror. BLAME it on Hollywood, but October has always been known as the month of macabre movies, because Halloween supposedly makes it the scariest time of the year. Since the Pang Brothers have been synonymous with horror in Asia, Celestial Movies is celebrating the month of horror with a collection of freaky flicks such as the multiple award-winning The Child's Eye (2010), Sleepwalker (2011) and The Detective 2 (2011). Dubbed genre specialists, the Hong Kong-born twin brothers Oxide and Danny won international acclaim for early works like crime thriller Bangkok Dangerous (1999) and horror hit The Eye (2002) and have since made some 30 films between them. In an e-mail interview with Oxide, we find out why the Pangs enjoy giving audiences a good scare. But, first, why do they both like filming horror movies? "Come to think of it, we both don't really know why. We have neither seen ghosts nor killed anyone. Maybe because of that, we try to do things we normally can't through movies." Acknowledging that horror movies may not be everyone's cup of tea, older twin, Oxide, said: "I think horror movies are like roller coasters, only people who like them would enjoy the ride. People who like watching horror movies do so as they enjoy the scary feeling. They love to watch them with friends so that they can share the excitement and scream together. "In contrast, those who are afraid of horror movies would never watch them, no matter how much money is spent on the production and the special effects, nor do they care how great the cast is. Basically, there is definitely a group of fans that loves horror movies, yet, the downside is there are those who won't even give it a try." Oxide also noted that the horror genre reveals a human being's fear. "We fear being alone, we are fearful of nature's mysteries. In the world of movies, the main character usually encounters spirits when they are alone. Once, I went to an amusement park with my friends in the United States. We entered 'the haunted house' and at first I thought it was nothing special. But when I got separated from my friends inside the house, I began to feel scared. The feeling of being alone sent chills down my spine. It's like falling into another universe. So, if you're alone, you will get scared even by something as simple as walking across a dim-lit alley." Having explored ghost stories, slasher flicks, psychological thrillers and stereoscopic horror features for different markets, Oxide opined: "The greatest difference is the culture. For example, western thrillers are mostly about devils. Voodoos and magic spells are very common in Thai thrillers while Hong Kong fare is mainly of spirit possession due to injustice. Hong Kong has fewer films about devils. "Despite various themes and features from around the world, the key message stays the same. Horror movies emphasise the theme of good against evil but they are interpreted differently through culture." Commenting on the oft-used plot device of karma and retribution, the 47-year-old filmmaker says most horror movies naturally employ this kind of message. "Every story needs to have an ending and retribution would be the simplest theme that an audience can appreciate. A few years ago, I made a film called Re-cycle (2006). It's a horror movie which is related to environmental protection but the message is interpreted in a different way. Most importantly, as a director, we care about how the audience perceive our message." Although the scary movies they made were based on real events or rumours shared by others, Oxide is quick to add that they have never encountered anything abnormal during production. However, there are certain conventions to follow when filming the horror genre. "Let's say we need to film R-rated movies, there are ways to create scenes which can arouse the audience's feelings. As for horror movies, there are a set of rules to frighten the audience. "Usually, horror movies rely mainly on visual and sound effects to create terrifying moments. While the methods of scaring an audience remain very much the same, we do spend a lot of time in designing 'the scare factor'. The scary moment has to be related to the story so the audience will respond to it. A good thriller is to have moments of fear which send chills down the viewer's spine even when they know that moment is about to come." Of all the movies he has made, Oxide picked The Detective series as the one leaving the strongest impression in his portfolio. "Every movie is memorable in a certain way. Recently, The Detective series gives a strong impression as it's the first time I produced a series of movies. This series is really important to me. I can't wait to have The Detective series box set released because this will complete my dream as a director." When asked about his upcoming third project of The Detective trilogy, Oxide happily shared: "The Detective 3 is basically the finale of the whole story. For those who haven't watched The Detective series (2007 and 2011) before, it is about detective Tam (portrayed by Aaron Kwok) who tries to investigate the reason behind his parents' death. This time he seeks help from a Malaysian detective (Nick Cheung). "The whole series is like a process of Tam turning into a well-established detective," explained the filmmaker who is married to Malaysian actress Lee Sinje. Oxide also spoke of his next movie, Inferno 3D. "I will be working with my brother on this new disaster film. The target audience for the movie will be from mainland China. It is mainly about firefighters in Guangzhou. There will be a lot of realistic firefighting scenes. "We want to portray the victims' fear of death during a disaster. Also, as the movie is in 3D, we hope to engage the audience in the inferno scenes so they can feel the fear," he said. Celestial Movies (Astro Ch 322) and Celestial Movies HD (Astro Ch 309) air Sleepwalker (Oct 13), The Detective 2 (Oct 20) and The Child's Eye (Oct 27) at 9.30pm. |
| More sporting action on HyppTV Posted: 12 Oct 2012 07:23 AM PDT MALAYSIA'S Internet protocol television service HyppTV has announced that the network is offering two new live sports channel for its subscribers. HyppSports HD Channel (Ch 174) has already been available for viewing on HyppTV since Sept 15, while the Fox Football Channel (Ch 173) recently premiered on Oct 1. Both channels are available for free previews throughout this month. Telekom Malaysia Berhad executive vice president of new media Jeremy Kung said the company is pleased to introduce its first edition of live sports-dedicated channels. "We have been listening to our subscribers' demands for a sports channel on HyppTV. We sincerely hope that this will be the first of many more sports content offerings that HyppTV will bring to its viewers in the years to come," said Kung at the launch of the new channels in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, last weekend. HyppSports HD Channel showcases adrenaline-fuelled American sporting action in high definition. Viewers get the chance to catch professional American football matches, professional ice hockey matches, as well as collegiate sports events. There's also the Nascar racing series to choose from. On top of that, viewers can also add Cage Fighting Championship, TNA Wrestling and the Australian Football League (AFL) into their must-watch list. Kung said that viewers can also enjoy exclusive European football matches live in HD. "The live football coverage is one of the hottest items on our subscribers' wish list. We are proud to announce that for the first time on Malaysian pay-TV, our local viewers are able to watch up to four simultaneous UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League live matches," he said. And there is more action thanks to the all-new Fox Football Channel. HyppTV is the first pay-TV network to launch the Fox Football Channel in this region. The channel features exhilarating footbal action from the Spain La Liga BBVA, the Netherlands Eredevesie, the Russian Premier League and even Argentina's Primera Division. English Premier League football fans are not left out as the channel will also feature exclusive programmes from ChelseaTV and current reigning champions Manchester City's CityTV. ESPN Star Sports executive vice president and head of sales (South-East Asia) Adam Zecha said that they are delighted to bring in the best for Malaysian football fans. "We look forward to broadcasting more than 500 matches from the 2012-2013 season on Fox Football Channel, and provide comprehensive coverage with compelling support programming and news updates around the games," he said. Channels are available for subscription at RM15 per channel or bundled at a price of RM25 per month. HyppTV is powered by UniFi and is available to viewers through its VIP package, an offering that combines the triple-play feature of voice, video and data. TM UniFi is currently being offered via three residential packages priced at RM149 per month (VIP5), RM199 per month (VIP10) and RM 249 per month (VIP20). For more info, log on to tm.com.my/hypptv. |
| Shop, exercise with Linora on Red Hub Posted: 12 Oct 2012 07:25 AM PDT Happy shopping and exercising with Linora on her show. THE Red Hub (Monday to Friday, 1pm-4pm) on Red FM is your hub of activity to keep you buzzed, to give you that kick right out of that after-lunch slump. Linora (pic) serves up dessert in the form of the latest information on a range of topics covering fitness tips to where to score the latest deals. The lovely host of The Red Hub keeps listeners entertained and in the know in The Red Steal and The Red Bootcamp segments. The Red Steal provides you the latest and greatest bargains around the country and cyberspace. Linora explores far and wide to keep you informed on the hottest dining spots and the best deals. The Red Bootcamp, on the other hand, gives tips on how to look and feel great. As with all well-rounded individuals, Linora prides herself on keeping on top of her game by having a healthy and fit body. So join her as she shares the latest findings on health and fitness. Along with insightful facts, Linora offers giveaways and prizes to give listeners a chance to try out what have been reviewed on the show. From running with Linora at the PJ Half Marathon to learning how to scuba dive at Pulau Tioman and indulging in kimchi in Seoul, South Korea, you can enjoy them with the bubbly host. All next week, from Oct 15 to 19, there will be a The Body Shop set worth more than RM250 to be won daily. In conjunction with the relaunch of the White Musk range, The Body Shop is working with Red FM to give listeners a chance to experience the products. On Friday, Linora will be joined by The Body Shop Malaysia's managing director Datin Mina Cheah-Foong, who will share what makes this range different from the previous one and also share the key points that make The Body Shop standout from the rest of the beauty brands available in the market. One of Linora's favourite taglines is "sharing is caring", so should you know of any deal happening at your favourite branded stores, update her at hub@red.fm or tweet her at twitter.com/linoralow with the hashtag #redsteal. Tune in to The Red Hub and be like Linora, share with your friends details of the show. For more information, log on to red.fm. Join the Red FM Malaysia Facebook fan page on facebook.com/redfm.my and follow it on Twitter @iloveredfm. Red FM is owned and operated by The Star. Red FM's Station Frequencies: Taiping, Kedah, Perlis and Pulau Langkawi: 98.1FM; George Town and Seberang Prai: 107.6FM; Ipoh, Perak: 106.4FM; Klang Valley, Negri Sembilan and Tapah: 104.9FM; Kuantan, Pahang: 91.6FM; Batu Pahat and Malacca: 98.9FM; Johor Baru and Singapore: 92.8FM. |
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