Khamis, 25 Julai 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

Beelines for minions at McD’s
Appeal hearing set for October
AGC acts against cartoonist Leslie Chew

Beelines for minions at McD’s

Posted:

LONG queues formed outside McDonald's outlets again, thanks to Gru's minions from the Despicable Me movies.

The fast food chain launched a series of palm-sized minions on July 11 in different designs which were given free with every Happy Meal.

The sale of the last set of three minions – yellow, pill-shaped creatures which spew gobbledy-gook in the movies – started at 11am yesterday.

A snaking queue was spotted at 10.40am outside the McDonald's outlet in Ang Mo Kio Ave 3.

The queue was reminiscent of the Hello Kitty craze last month. Some queues then had 200 customers, all wanting to lay their hands on a limited edition Singing Bone Hello Kitty toy with their Extra Value Meal.

The restaurant's Hello Kitty promotion also caused mayhem in 2000, when there were reports of fights and injuries. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Appeal hearing set for October

Posted:

THE appeal hearing for former law professor Tey Tsun Hang against his conviction and five-month jail sentence has been set for October.

This comes after counsel Peter Low requested for the original Aug 6 date to be postponed to give the defence sufficient time to adequately prepare for the appeal hearing – having only been notified of the date on July 17.

Following a pre-trial conference before Assistant Registrar Janice Wong at the High Court yesterday, the hearing has been set from Oct 16 to 18.

This means 42-year-old Tey, who is now in prison after being convicted of six counts of corruptly obtaining gifts and sex from former student Darinne Ko, may be released by then. Before starting his jail term in June, he had predicted he would be out by "early October" after remission.

In court documents, Low indicated that if Tey's appeal succeeds, and if he fully completes his sentence by then, Tey "fully understands" that his appeal against his sentence would be futile. But his "good name would be cleared and his reputation vindicated".

After Tey's conviction in May, the former National University of Singapore (NUS) don continued to maintain his innocence. Before going to jail, he said he was "extremely disappointed" by the judgment.

It it learnt that one of the arguments raised in the Malaysian's appeal against his conviction involved his six statements to anti-graft officers, which he said were made under duress and should not be admitted as evidence. But chief district judge Tan Siong Thye ruled otherwise.

Another argument Tey's lawyers are raising is how the judge saw his relationship with Ko. The judge ruled that Tey "chose to be corrupt" and exploited her vulnerability.

However, Tey had insisted in his defence that he was in a "mutually loving romantic relationship" with Ko, and that the gifts and sex were part of that. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

AGC acts against cartoonist Leslie Chew

Posted:

THE Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) has commenced legal proceedings in the High Court against Chew Peng Ee, better known as Leslie Chew, for a series of comic strips published on Facebook.

He is alleged to have committed contempt of court by scandalising the Judiciary of the Republic of Singapore.

The AGC said: "The present legal proceedings are aimed at protecting the administration of justice in Singapore and upholding the integrity of one of our key public institutions."

The case will be heard before the High Court on Aug 12.

Chew, 37, is the illustrator behind Demon-cratic Singapore, a Facebook page that was started in May 2011.

Centre to this case are four comics published on July 20, 2011, as well as Jan 3, Jan 5 and June 16 last year on the Facebook page, which claims that Demon-cratic Singapore is the "full name" of a fictional country, "often referred to as Singapore for short". — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

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The Star Online: World Updates

Japan to mull ability to hit enemy bases in defence review
Mexican President Pena Nieto's thyroid growth benign - official
U.S. agents 'got lucky' pursuing accused Russia master hackers

Japan to mull ability to hit enemy bases in defence review

Posted:

[unable to retrieve full-text content]TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan should strengthen the ability of its military to deter and counter missile attacks, including the possible acquisition of the ability to hit enemy bases, the Defence Ministry said, but officials denied this would be used for pre-emptive strikes.

Mexican President Pena Nieto's thyroid growth benign - official

Posted:

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A nodule on Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto's thyroid gland is benign, an official in the president's office said on Thursday.

Pena Nieto is due to undergo surgery to remove the nodule next Wednesday, in a procedure that will last an hour and a half, the president's office said in a statement on Wednesday.

The official said the operation was a simple one and that the nodule was being removed because doctors thought that was the best course of action.

Pena Nieto will spend four days recovering after the operation.

Earlier on Thursday, Pena Nieto said the nodule was detected seven or eight years ago, but he had postponed treatment, local media reported.

Thyroid surgery is recommended for several conditions, including removing nodules suspected of being cancerous as well as for benign growths, according to the American Thyroid Association.

Pena Nieto, 47, took office in December, returning Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, to power. The PRI ruled Mexico for most of the last century until its defeat in 2000 by the country's main conservative party.

(Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Peter Cooney)

U.S. agents 'got lucky' pursuing accused Russia master hackers

Posted:

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The two Russians arrested in what prosecutors call the largest online fraud case brought in the United States were caught through a combination of high-tech tools, dogged detective work and sheer luck.

The propensity of the wealthy young Russians to travel provided authorities with their big opportunity to collar them in the Netherlands last year.

The alleged moneyman, Dmitriy Smilianets, 29, has been extradited to the United States to face the indictment, unsealed on Thursday in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, while one of the most-sought alleged hackers on the planet, Vladimir Drinkman, 32, is still fighting his move from the Netherlands.

Three other suspects remain at large, and prosecutors took the unusual step of naming them in what law enforcement sources said was a slap at uncooperative Russian authorities.

People working on the case said they believe Drinkman is one of the key conspirators in a credit card fraud case involving Miami's Albert Gonzalez. Gonzalez was arrested in 2008 and is now serving a 20-year sentence for crimes including stealing 130 million credit cards from Heartland Payments Systems.

Drinkman and one of the men still free in Russia, Alexandr Kalinin, 26, of St. Petersburg, were identified only as Hacker 1 and Hacker 2 in the main indictment of Gonzalez, when the U.S. Secret Service did not know their names.

Both were publicly identified for the first time on Thursday, and the indictment just unsealed said they were prodigious hackers, breaking into everything from banks and conglomerates to retailers.

Though it took years to get those two names, people familiar with the case said, Smilianets was easier to trace. That was in part because his alleged role was to sell the massive hoards of credit cards, which brought him into contact with more people, and in part because he kept a high profile in Russia and on networking sites.

ELECTRONIC GAMING TEAM

Smilianets was most widely known as the founder of a championship electronic gaming team called Moscow 5, which travelled the world for competitions. Online, his handles included Dima Brave and Dima Bold.

"He was well known in certain circles," Smilianets' attorney, Bruce Provda, told Reuters. Provda said he intended to fight the indictment "vigorously" and was looking into the circumstances of his extradition.

Agents got information that Smilianets was travelling to Europe last year and that he would travel with a friend on the trip. When the name of his companion emerged as Drinkman, who had been one of several suspected Gonzalez collaborators, the agents reinvestigated the name and concluded that he was one of the two hackers they had been chasing.

"Here's the world's biggest hacker," a person familiar with the case said. "We got lucky."

Drinkman posted pictures of his trip, dropped other clues and left his phone on, transmitting location information and allowing agents to make an educated guess about what hotel the men were staying in.

They called the hotel and were told those guests were sleeping. The next morning, as they prepared to board a tour bus, Dutch detectives confronted and arrested them.

Drinkman's attorney did not return emails seeking comment late Thursday. The Secret Service referred questions to prosecutors.

Announcing the name of Kalinin and other suspects in Russia is unusual and a sign that U.S. officials were dissatisfied with cooperation from law enforcement in that country.

Relations between the two countries on hacking cases have been poor for most of the past decade and a half, two law enforcement sources said. Neither was authorized to discuss the matter in public.

"If the Russians aren't going to cooperate with us, fine, we're going to let everyone know," one of them said.

In addition to signalling displeasure with officials in Moscow, the arrest of those travelling and the warning to those still at large send a message that major Russian criminals should not relax, and that could serve as a deterrent to others, he said.

(Reporting by Joseph Menn; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

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The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Catty behaviour
Barely bleeding
No love for the undead

Catty behaviour

Posted:

Jackson Galaxy helps viewers avert more cat-astrophes in another season of My Cat From Hell.

WITH 15 years of experience in pet psychology, cat behaviourist Jackson Galaxy is not fond of the term "cat whisperer". The host of Animal Planet's reality show My Cat From Hell thinks what he does – communicate with cats – is not exactly the stuff catnip is made of.

"I really want to show people that they can appreciate and communicate effectively to cats, too. I don't think being a cat listener is something only a 'selected' few can do. I believe we can all do it," says Galaxy in a phone interview from Los Angeles, California. You can hear faint sounds of cat meowing in the background during the phone interview. It makes Galaxy – who looks intimidating with his long goatee and full-sleeve tattoos – sound endearing on the phone.

In My Cat From Hell, Galaxy goes from door-to-door to help couples in crisis over their pet cats. The felines he meets display some typical unruly behaviour like refusing to do their business in the litter box to more aggressive ones clawing their owners. The cat's misdemeanour then leads to a breaking point in the couple's life; ultimately, they have to decide whether to keep the cat or end their relationship. Luckily, some cat owners decide an animal intervention is needed and this is where Galaxy comes in.

Armed with a proven training method and his signature guitar case filled with cat toys, Galaxy makes it his mission to help his clients overcome their cat-astrophe. Galaxy admits he gets "bloody all the time" from his job but it's the way the owners behave that really gets to him.

"It's the people's reaction from cat's behaviour that really surprises me. It ranges from blaming the cat for breaking up their marriage to not having babies until a cat problem is fixed."

Whenever things go wrong in life, some pet owners' first instinct is to blame the cat.

"It's so intriguing to me when couples blame a cat for their relationship issues," reveals Galaxy.

When it comes to sorting out bad kitty behaviour, Galaxy says it starts with understanding your feline friend.

"You need to get into the cat's head and understand its mojo or why it behaves the way it does. If you get what makes them tick, then you will – at the very least – sympathise with what they are doing. If you're able to keep your frustration level down, then you won't give up on your cat so quickly."

He cites an example like scratching furniture as a classic nasty cat behaviour. Believe or not, Galaxy says it's simply a way for the cat to say "we belong together" to its owner.

"Cats have scent glands between each of their paws. By scratching, they are scent-marking their territory. They also do that to exercise the upper part of their body and to remove the dead nail parts. And if you sit on the couch, they scratch to complement their scent with yours," he shares.

The furniture-scratching happens when the cat does not have any other means to exercise its animal instincts.

"If you're going to say 'no' to cat, then you have to give them an alternative. You can start by putting double-sided tape or something on the couch. Then right next to it, provide a scratching post. You have to put something else that says 'yes, you can scratch on this'," Galaxy offers.

Since My Cat From Hell first aired in May 2011, Galaxy feels the show's success has allowed "cat lovers to come out in the open". "It's funny because most animal programmes are centred around dogs. I was just on a book tour recently and a lot of people came up to say it's great to be able to celebrate that we all have cats! I feel like we've made it cool to admit that, hey, we love cats," he says.

Galaxy who owns six cats, describes bonding with them as satisfying because "they insist you release a little bit of your ego". However, unlike a certain Mr. Lagerfeld, he ruled out the possibility of ever marrying one.

"Leave it to (Karl) Lagerfeld to say something like that. I mean, I adore all animals. I've never met an animal I didn't love... but in the marrying sense, I think I'll stick to the two-legged kind," he says, laughing.

Season Four of My Cat From Hell premieres tonight at 9pm on Animal Planet (Astro Ch 556).

Barely bleeding

Posted:

True Blood has been lacking bite for a while ... Here's hoping the sixth season injects new life into its veins.

I'M going to go ahead and say it: True Blood has become predictable.

Somewhere between its fourth impending apocalypse and fifth guy making googly eyes at Sookie Stackhouse, the show lost the gutsy edge it displayed when it first began, and became instead a sort of Desperate Housewives (post-first season) with supernatural creatures – you know, the kind of soapy show where you want to scream at the characters: "Just exactly how many awful things have to happen in your creepy town before y'all decide to get the heck out of there?!"

What started off as a sexy commentary on complex matters like bigotry, desire and power when True Blood premiered in 2008 has devolved into endlessly messy storylines that hardly get resolved before another complication is thrown into the pile.

Yes, Season 5 ended on a shocker, with Bill (Stephen Moyer) drinking the blood of Lilith, the original vampire, and emerging as her reincarnation. The sixth season starts off exactly there, with Sookie (Anna Paquin) and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) fleeing from a Bill who seems to have developed terrifying new powers, not to mention lost all resemblance to his former benign self.

But this being True Blood, you already know a few things: Sookie will decide yet again that her relationship with Bill is over (she tries to stake him in the season opener, so they want us to believe it's for good this time, but I ain't buying it!); her twin Jason (Ryan Kwanten) will get himself into ridiculously dangerous situations thanks to his stupidity; Sookie's (former?) best friend Tara (Rutina Wesley) will continue to be angry at everything and everyone; and, breasts will be exposed and bottoms – not to mention fangs – will be bared (though safely snipped by our local censors, of course).

Three episodes in, the show has, however, introduced a number of absorbing plot threads. TruBlood is in short supply, causing open conflict between humans and vampires, and Louisiana governor Truman Burrell (Arliss Howard) has endorsed open persecution of the undead, leading them to be interred in camps where they are tortured and studied.

Bill is trying to figure out exactly what Lilith wants of him: is he the messiah meant to save vampire-kind, or the harbinger of their doom?

Sookie, though, is hardly free from problems. The mysterious vampire that killed her parents, Warlow, is after her, and her only real protection is a surprise fairy grandfather, Niall (an enjoyably deranged Rutger Hauer). She also meets handsome half-faerie Ben Flynn (Rob Kazinsky) in the woods (come on Sookie, has that ever ended well for you?), who, like every other young male in the series, is immediately besotted with her.

Meanwhile, with the death of his lover Luna, shapeshifter Sam (Sam Trammell) is taking care of her young werewolf daughter Emma, but also has to deal with Alcide (Joe Manganiello) and his werewolf pack, who want to claim her as their own. And speaking of girl problems, sheriff Andy Bellefleur has his hands full with his four half-faerie daughters; while they've so far only been comic relief, I suspect these rapidly-aging girls have a bigger part to play in this season's story arc.

There are some things that I'm loving so far this season. The fact that Eric has stopped moping around and started being his former bad-ass self – kidnapping the gorvernor's daughter to teach him a lesson, for instance – is really enjoyable. Jessica's (Deborah Ann Woll) decision to stay with her maker Bill despite his fearsomeness is another interesting element, and develops her already fascinating character further.

The two new characters, Niall and Ben, too, have a lot of potential. It's interesting to hear about the Stackhouses' faerie lineage from Niall, and I'm pretty sure there's more to Ben than just another dishy addition to the lineup.

However, I'm frustrated by the treatment of other beloved characters. Alcide, thus far one of the most decent guys on the show, is suddenly an aggressive alpha male, seemingly for no reason. Tough-as-nails Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten), Eric's progeny, who was always one of my favourite supporting characters, has becoming annoyingly whiny since he severed their bond.

I'm also really let down by the short shrift given to Sam's storyline, not to mention totally pushing Lafayette (the amazing Nelsan Ellis) to the sidelines. There is so much we've been tantalised with about Sam's life over the last few seasons, but the show never seems to actually let them play out. Instead, we get a lame plotline about some Vampire Unity Society members who want him to come out to the public as a shapeshifter.

What all this does reveal, though, is that Sookie (and Bill) is no longer what's most interesting about True Blood. In fact, I sometimes find myself wishing there was less focus on her and more on everyone else.

Love 'em or hate 'em, at least the other characters keep you guessing. Sookie has long stopped surprising me, no matter how many loops the show's writers throw her for – a dire state of affairs for a series' lead. I'm hoping this sixth season changes my mind, but if the last few seasons are any indication, I'm not sure if I'd bet my last bottle of TruBlood on it.

True Blood airs every Saturday at 10pm on HBO (Astro Ch 411).

No love for the undead

Posted:

The Walking Dead's zombies are beneath snobbish academy.

This year's Emmy nominations reflected a lot of change in TV. Netflix got creative validation; there are more female-led dramas than ever. But one rule has become calcified: No zombies need apply.

Even as hordes of network executives and publicists hawked their wares at Comic-Con, The Walking Dead was once again shut out of the Emmys.

On lists that ran as long as seven slots, every show and its brother seemed to get a nomination – except, you know, the show that's the No 1 scripted drama in the key 18-to-49-year-old demographic. Even Scandal and Nashville made lists, for heaven's sake.

You would think the television academy, of all institutions, would understand the shortsightedness of genre elitism. For years, television has felt the sting of snobbishness, perpetually playing second fiddle to film and diminished by epithets such as "the boob tube" or "the idiot box".

Now, of course, the tide has turned; film stars, writers and directors flock to TV, sparking a creative melee that is as rich in both promise and peril as the logistical implications of Netflix.

Mad Men may have set the template for the new basic-cable-goes-scripted model that every network and streaming service is now following, but The Walking Dead made it critically acclaimed and commercially viable.

Smartly written, beautifully acted and gorgeously shot, The Walking Dead tells the same intertwined tales of physical and moral survival, of family bonds, fractured passions and social collapse that have become the hallmark of our "prestige" dramas while creating a post-apocalyptic world as vivid and detailed as ever seen on any screen, big or small.

But it's about, you know, zombies. And though the purveyors of awards have been forced with great reluctance to accept that warrior-based fantasy is as genuine and effective a sub-genre as, say, gangster epics or CIA thrillers, they draw the line at the undead.

I understand that horror is not for everyone and popularity among young people is not synonymous with quality, but members of the television academy must take degree of difficulty into consideration. Horror is the hardest genre to sustain with depth and dignity. Even Game Of Thrones has the advantage of taking place in a truly alternate universe.

Year after year, despite all its well-publicised internal drama, The Walking Dead continually transcends the confines of its own decaying flesh. It isn't even about zombies at this point.

The Walking Dead is, obviously, not the only name on the "shoulda been" list. The rise of television has been slow and steady and much-chronicled by those who cover it, but this year's nominations provide the quantifiable proof of its scope. Every category is bursting at the seams, and still there are the shadow lists of those just as deserving.

The female leads, in drama and comedy, were particularly gratifying. Just a few years ago, putting together a list of five was something of a chore (name a woman in a leading role who isn't Mariska Hargitay!). Now seven (drama) and six (comedy) don't quite cover it.

But where is Tatiana Maslany for Orphan Black? It's an amazing show and she plays six characters, people! Where, for that matter, are Julianna Margulies for The Good Wife or Keri Russell for The Americans?

Let's hear it for Laura Dern, whose excellent and revolutionary HBO comedy Enlightened got cancelled this year (please win, please win). But shouldn't Patricia Heaton have been nominated for The Middle by now?

Peter Dinklage and Emilia Clarke were nominated, but Game Of Thrones could have easily filled the supporting/drama category – Lena Headey was also fabulous this year, ditto Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Gwendoline Christie.

I could go on, and many will, as the "what-were-they-thinking?" lists jam up new and old media. Everyone will have their top causes of exultation and aggrievement, and no doubt the category issue will be re-examined.

Netflix made history, as did Kerry Washington – the fact that almost 20 years separates her from the last black woman who earned a lead actress nomination is truly horrifying. But more important, television made history too.

It has become so good that even the Emmys can't keep up. – Los Angeles Times/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

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The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

American hero
Dredd 2?
Animal instinct

American hero

Posted:

Springsteen & I is a patchwork of fan footage that matches the storytelling of the man himself.

THERE is a reason why Bruce Springsteen is called the Boss. After four decades of groundbreaking music, Springsteen continues to light up stadiums around the world while bringing new fans to his music with every album release.

"We're musicians to the bone," Springsteen was quoted as saying after he picked a Kennedy Center Honors award in 2009. "It ain't easy to get us to go home. We're travelling musicians. Everybody in that van has got the same thing in their blood and in their bones. And there's many miles to go before we sleep."

Indeed, stadiums just shrink in size when Springsteen rocks out.

Never mind that he has sold more than 120 million albums; scored Top 10 hits with such songs as Dancing In The Dark, Tunnel Of Love" and I'm On Fire; won 20 Grammys; received an Academy Award for Best Original Song for Streets Of Philadelphia; and earned accolades aplenty.

The Springsteen experience, as many fans will testify, is synonymous with the live setting. That leads us nicely to the crowd-sourced documentary Springsteen & I, which is a love letter to the 64-year-old rock legend from his devoted following worldwide.

Throughout this documentary, which was directed by British filmmaker Baillie Walsh, you will get a better understanding of why Springsteen's connection with his fans has been a strong one. Ever since he burst out of New Jersey, the United States in 1973, he has been hailed by his fans with one long, loving, thunderous syllable: "Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuce!"

What has inspired such devotion? What, at its essence, defines a Bruce Springsteen concert?

With millions of fans worldwide, the answers to those questions may vary. If anything, Springsteen & I, which narrows down more than 2,000 fan video submissions, gets close to the heart and soul of the man. This scrapbook of fan videos, star-struck backstage encounters and tall tales from concert queues, might just put everything about Springsteen – the man, the music and the myth – into sharper focus. At the very least, a cinema hall blasting Springsteen's music is a treat.

For the singer-songwriter, rock 'n' roll has always been about making contact with his audience. This movie – made for fans, by fans – is as good as it gets to a concert ticket. From smartphones to high-definition cameras, to still photographs, and good old fashioned stories, every dedicated fan has a tale in his back pocket.

Through the decades, Springsteen has described his songwriting, albums, concerts – his entire career – as an "ongoing conversation" with his fans.

Right across Springsteen & I, you will encounter some amazing stories from Springsteen fans worldwide. Take for instance, a British female fan that got hauled up on stage to dance with the Boss during his show at Hyde Park in London.

What did she do? She got spotted with a "'I'll be your Courteney Cox" cardboard sign. Elsewhere, another hardcore fan from England reminisces about being presented with a free upgrade to front row seats at a Madison Square Garden concert by one of Springsteen's entourage. Not to forget Springsteen dragging up an Elvis impersonator for a rollicking version of All Shook Up during a US concert leg in Philadelphia.

The hysteria, the tears and the adulation, every emotion is expertly captured by filmmaker Walsh in this moving, heartfelt documentary that goes behind the scenes and beyond the hype.

Just like their music hero, Springsteen fans are strivers for a human connection, searchers for dignity and believers that a world exists where they can have their say. In short, Springsteen & I is one hell of a "home video" that underlines the fact that no one works harder than Springsteen to earn his fans' support.

Springsteen & I will run exclusively at GSC Signature, GSC Mid Valley, GSC Pavilion KL, GSC 1 Utama in the Klang Valley and GSC Gurney Plaza in Penang, from July 26-28.

Dredd 2?

Posted:

WHILE last year's ultraviolent Judge Dredd flick Dredd scored mostly solid reviews and enthusiastic reception from fans, it failed to find much of an audience. The US$45mil (RM143mil) film grossed just US$36mil (RM114mil) worldwide.

But you can't keep a good Judge down, and strong home video sales may yet prove the key to a big-screen comeback for Karl Urban's grim, constantly-helmeted (as he should be) interpretation of the 2000AD comic hero.

According to Urban, who was at last week's San Diego Comic-Con, Dredd sold about 650,000 units on home video in the first week.

The science fiction entertainment news website Airlock Alpha (www.airlockalpha.com) said Urban had met with Dredd writer-producer Alex Garland to explore the possibility of a sequel.

"It's certainly my hope that we get to make more ... clearly it has found an audience," Urban said at a Comic-Con media event, referring to the home video numbers.

"I think the more people that campaign for it, the more people that e-mail, Twitter and write into (studio) Lionsgate and say 'We want to see more of this,' then the more likelihood that we'll get to see that. We certainly are doing everything we can to ensure that happens."

Lionsgate – the law is quite clear on this.

And Beverly Hills Cop 4, too

FIRST, The Shield creator Shawn Ryan tried to get a Beverly Hills Cop TV series going, starring Brandon T. Jackson as the son of Axel Foley, who was played by Eddie Murphy in the three BHC movies.

A pilot episode was made but failed to get the green light to go to series. Hope is not lost, according to the entertainment website Dark Horizons (www.darkhorizons.com).

Ryan tweeted: "Sad to report that efforts to land Beverly Hills Cop pilot at another network have failed. This iteration is dead for now. Good news for fans ... the pilot tested so well, it has caused Paramount to put another #BHC movie into development."

That's all for now – no word on whether it will feature Foley, Foley Junior or both.

Animal instinct

Posted:

Hugh Jackman returns home to Sydney to reprise the role that made him an international action star.

The Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia resembles a Japanese temple with the help of some Hollywood magic. Chinese pergolas are draped in black banners with Japanese letterings. A coffin is placed at the entrance of the garden. Surrounding the area are "moaners" dressed in black, some mingling while others are taking a coffee break.

This elaborate set has been erected for the grand funeral scene in The Wolverine. It's just after 11am on a weekday but the cast and crew have been hard at work since the break of dawn. They have only a few days to finish this scene before moving on to their next site, a suburb just outside of Sydney.

Among the hundreds of movie extras, most of them Asians, is a familiar face – the signature sideburns, the intense eyes, that body, the clenched fist and the claws – it is Wolverine. But wait, there goes another one, dressed exactly the same. Both are stunt and body doubles for the award-winning actor Hugh Jackman who plays the titular role.

But Jackman and director, James Mangold (Walk The Line, 3:10 To Yuma) rarely used the doubles during my day on the set of the movie. In fact, Jackman did most of the stunts himself, except for the really dangerous ones. "I'm not that crazy," he tells me.

The Wolverine finds Logan aka Wolverine in modern day Japan where he meets up with Yashida, a man he saved during the war. To repay Logan for saving him, Yashida promises to make him mortal. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, Logan is forced to confront his inner struggle – does he remain immortal, save humans in need and outlive everyone he knows, or does he give up his immortality?

Principal photography for The Wolverine began in New South Wales, Australia late July last year and later moved to Tokyo before the cast and crew headed back to Sydney Filming was to take place in Japan in 2011, but the devastating earthquake, the resulting tsunami and the nuclear power station catastrophe caused the filmmakers to rethink their logistics.

What is it like to finally be shooting this movie after such a long wait?

Jackman: I've waited 12 years to have this Japanese saga told. From the first week I was in the first X-Men set I had this comic and I was reading it. I remember saying, "One day I'm going to do this story". It's nice to know that despite some delays, we have started.

James, where do you see Logan in this movie and how are you putting your stamp on it?

For me, the focus of this movie has been very specific. I wanted to place this movie at the end of the timeline of all the existing movies. I didn't want to hand off to a pre-existing story. I was interested in the idea that spoke to me from the original Claremont/Miller epic, which was this idea of finding Logan at a point where he's questioning his immortality.

In fact, when I met up with Fox studios about the concept of my work, I had five words written on the back of the script, "Everyone I love will die". I felt that the story I wanted to tell was about this man who in a way felt cursed – everyone he cared about or knew, be it people he fought with in X-Men, his wife or others will be gone and he'll be all alone. His immortality is his purgatory, his own hell. And that's what I wanted to tell in The Wolverine.

What do you think makes you Wolverine?

Jackman: I could never take sole credit for being one of the loved characters of the comic book series. I'm just grateful to the fans for embracing me for playing the part. I never thought my run could last this long. I've found my character to be very fascinating and a little frustrating because I never really delivered the core of who this character really is.

Hugh, how do you stay physically fit and what's the Dwayne Johnson diet?

It gets harder by the year. I had to train a little more than usual to get that leaner animalistic look and I wanted to bulk up, which is hard because I'm naturally skinny. I called Dwayne for help on how to bulk up. I saw him in Fast & Furious 5 and he put on about 12 kilos of muscles in six months. I wanted the same, so he sent me his entire routine and I followed that. It was 6,000 calories a day! I started eating six to seven meals filled with lots of protein and brown rice and I trained for three hours a day.

The Wolverine opens in cinemas nationwide today.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

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The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

American hero
Dredd 2?
Animal instinct

American hero

Posted:

Springsteen & I is a patchwork of fan footage that matches the storytelling of the man himself.

Indeed, stadiums just shrink in size when Springsteen rocks out.

What has inspired such devotion? What, at its essence, defines a Bruce Springsteen concert?

Through the decades, Springsteen has described his songwriting, albums, concerts – his entire career – as an "ongoing conversation" with his fans.

The hysteria, the tears and the adulation, every emotion is expertly captured by filmmaker Walsh in this moving, heartfelt documentary that goes behind the scenes and beyond the hype.

Springsteen & I will run exclusively at GSC Signature, GSC Mid Valley, GSC Pavilion KL, GSC 1 Utama in the Klang Valley and GSC Gurney Plaza in Penang, from July 26-28.

Dredd 2?

Posted:

According to Urban, who was at last week's San Diego Comic-Con, Dredd sold about 650,000 units on home video in the first week.

The science fiction entertainment news website Airlock Alpha (www.airlockalpha.com) said Urban had met with Dredd writer-producer Alex Garland to explore the possibility of a sequel.

"It's certainly my hope that we get to make more ... clearly it has found an audience," Urban said at a Comic-Con media event, referring to the home video numbers.

Lionsgate – the law is quite clear on this.

And Beverly Hills Cop 4, too

A pilot episode was made but failed to get the green light to go to series. Hope is not lost, according to the entertainment website Dark Horizons (www.darkhorizons.com).

That's all for now – no word on whether it will feature Foley, Foley Junior or both.

Animal instinct

Posted:

Hugh Jackman returns home to Sydney to reprise the role that made him an international action star.

What is it like to finally be shooting this movie after such a long wait?

James, where do you see Logan in this movie and how are you putting your stamp on it?

What do you think makes you Wolverine?

Hugh, how do you stay physically fit and what's the Dwayne Johnson diet?

The Wolverine opens in cinemas nationwide today.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

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The Star Online: Business

KLCI opens in the red
RHB Research maintains Magnum fair value at RM3.89
Trading ideas: Tanjung Offshore, KNM, Encorp

KLCI opens in the red

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI opened lower at the start of Friday trading on mild profit taking of banks and selected stocks which had notched gains when the 30-stock index hit record highs earlier this week.

The KLCI opened down 2.21 points to 1,806.21. However, it managed to reduce the losses and by 9.11am, it was down 0.47 of a point to 1,807.95.

Turnover was 63.54 million shares valued at RM43.20mil. There were 98 gainers, 96 losers and 145 counters unchanged.

JF Apex Research expected the KLCI to remain range bound above 1,800 after slipping 1.58 points to 1,808.42 on Thursday.

"Asian stocks are poised for a second session of losses on Friday, brushing aside modest overnight gains from Wall Street as attention turns to corporate earnings results from around the region," it said.

Allianz was the top loser, down 15 sen to RM9.82 while RHB Cap shed five sen to RM8.50. Maxis and Public Bank foreign eased four sen each to RM7.06 and RM17.24.

Plantations were mixed after the crude palm oil futures for third month delivery fell to the lowest since 2009 on rising supplies concerns. PPB and Riverview fell 10 sen each to RM15.10 and RM4.06 but United Plantations rose 48 sen to RM27 with just 100 shares done.

BAT added 26 sen to RM60.50 and GAB gained 12 sen to RM18.30 but Carlsberg fell four sen to RM14.90.

Puncak Niaga's warrants, Puncak-WB jumped 19 sen to RM1.70 when they started trading on Friday.

RHB Research maintains Magnum fair value at RM3.89

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: RHB Research is maintaining a fair value of RM3.89 for Magnum.

It said on Friday there were no changes to its sum-of-parts based fair value at RM3.89 or RM3.40 after it goes ex-capital repayment of 49 sen per share on Aug 2 as it had previously excluded its insurance and property arm from its valuation.

RHB Research expected Magnum's 2QFY13 revenue from its number forecasts operator (NFO) operations to hover around RM670mil to RM720mil.

Assuming a normalised prize payout ratio of 68%, it believed Magnum's core earnings would fall within RM60mil to RM70mil range.

The research house said there was Magnum's associated telco unit U-Mobile was planning for an IPO by end-2013 with an indicative market cap of RM4bil to RM5bil.

"This could result in a one-off gain on disposal of MYR29.8m-MYR93.1m, which we deem positive for its share price.

"Our net profit forecasts now stand at RM258.6mil to RM281.7mil for FY13F-FY15F with DPS of 14.4sen-15.7sen pegging dividend payout ratio of 80%.

"We are downgrading our call to Neutral following the recent run-up in share price. Magnum now trades at 19.4 times FY14 P/E at par with other NFO operators in the country," it said.

Trading ideas: Tanjung Offshore, KNM, Encorp

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: Hwang DBS Vickers Research (HDBSVR) expects Tanjung Offshore, KNM and Encorp to be among the companies which could see trading interest on Thursday.

It said Tanjung Offshore was reportedly looking to undertake a major fund-raising exercise comprising a bond issue and share placement to acquire a controlling stake in a foreign oil & gas firm.

As for KNM, it disposed of its loss-making entities in Brazil for RM12 cash.

HDBSVR said Encorp bagged a RM114mil contract to construct a business centre in Cyberjaya, Selangor

On the market outlook, it said sentiment could be cautious mood and profit-taking activity could cap the Malaysian bourse performance for the time being.

"On the chart, the benchmark FBM KLCI will probably move sideways with a marginal downward bias ahead. Its key support line is presently seen at the psychological mark of 1,800," it said.

HDBSVR said regional equities were expected to be wobbly in view of concerns over premature tapering of the quantitative easing programme by the US Federal Reserve.

"Essentially, sentiment in Asia may still be restrained although leading stock indices on Wall Street ended up between 0.1% and 0.7% last night," it pointed out.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

American hero
Dredd 2?
Animal instinct

American hero

Posted:

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Springsteen & I is a patchwork of fan footage that matches the storytelling of the man himself.

Dredd 2?

Posted:

According to Urban, who was at last week's San Diego Comic-Con, Dredd sold about 650,000 units on home video in the first week.

The science fiction entertainment news website Airlock Alpha (www.airlockalpha.com) said Urban had met with Dredd writer-producer Alex Garland to explore the possibility of a sequel.

"It's certainly my hope that we get to make more ... clearly it has found an audience," Urban said at a Comic-Con media event, referring to the home video numbers.

Lionsgate – the law is quite clear on this.

And Beverly Hills Cop 4, too

A pilot episode was made but failed to get the green light to go to series. Hope is not lost, according to the entertainment website Dark Horizons (www.darkhorizons.com).

That's all for now – no word on whether it will feature Foley, Foley Junior or both.

Animal instinct

Posted:

Hugh Jackman returns home to Sydney to reprise the role that made him an international action star.

What is it like to finally be shooting this movie after such a long wait?

James, where do you see Logan in this movie and how are you putting your stamp on it?

What do you think makes you Wolverine?

Hugh, how do you stay physically fit and what's the Dwayne Johnson diet?

The Wolverine opens in cinemas nationwide today.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Metro: Central

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The Star Online: Metro: Central

Indonesia searches for missing boat people

Posted:

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CIDAUN: Rescuers searched the seas off Indonesia's Java island for possibly dozens of asylum-seekers missing after their Australia-bound boat sank, leaving at least three dead, with 157 saved, an official said.

Graft-buster hauled to court

Posted:

A COURT has charged a senior anti-corruption official with siphoning off more than a million dollars of government money to fund his casino gambling habit.

Edwin Yeo Seow Hiong, 39, an assistant director at the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), is accused of misappropriating S$1.76mil (RM4.4mil) worth of government funds.

Yeo faces additional charges under Singapore's tough anti-corruption laws for using the money to gamble at a casino and forgery after he allegedly duplicated a receipt voucher worth S$370,755 (RM926,887.50).

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also the minister in charge of the civil service, expressed concern that a senior anti-corruption officer was charged with fraud.

He said the case, the latest involving a senior civil servant, had prompted a review of supervisory procedures in government agencies.

"This case is particularly serious because it involved a senior officer in the CPIB, which is entrusted with maintaining the integrity of the system," Teo said in a statement.

"As there has been a number of high-profile cases recently, the public is understandably concerned about whether this reflects systemic issues in the public service."

One of the recent high-profile cases involved Peter Lim, former head of the country's civil defence force, who is currently serving a six-month jail term for corruption.

Lim was convicted on May 31 this year for receiving oral sex from a female executive of a defence supplier in return for business favours.

A former head of the Singapore police's drug enforcement unit, Ng Boon Gay, had also been charged in a separate sex-for-favours case but was acquitted.

Large-scale graft cases remain rare in Singapore, a thriving business hub and financial centre, and the government has jealously guarded its reputation as among the least corrupt in the world. — AFP

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

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The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

The Killers shoot for Malaysia
Electro heads rock Lion City
Successful comeback

The Killers shoot for Malaysia

Posted:

POPULAR American rock band The Killers will make its debut concert at Sepang Helipad in Selangor on Sept 22.

Led by frontman Brandon Flowers, the band is touring behind its fourth Battle Born album, which was released last year. The quartet is completed by guitarist Dave Keuning, bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci.

Formed in 2001 in Las Vegas, the group quickly established its mainstream rock credentials through its first two albums – Hot Fuss (2004) and Sam's Town (2006). Hit singles like Mr Brightside, Somebody Told Me, When You Were Young and Read My Mind have earned the band a massive global following.

Meanwhile, Battle Born, named for the band's Las Vegas studio, is a record that has a common bond with the stadium rock-influenced third album Day & Age (2008). It's a guitar-oriented rocker, with the influence of U2 creeping up on the Killers' ceaseless Bruce Springsteen fascination.

The upcoming The Killers concert here is presented by Future Sound Asia.

Tickets, at RM238 and RM358, go on sale on Saturday. They are available at selected Rock Corner outlets in the Klang Valley or online at www.boxtix.asia. More info at www.fb.com/officialfuturesoundasia.

Electro heads rock Lion City

Posted:

Still one of the most endearing electro pop bands from the 1980s, Britain's Pet Shop Boys makes a concert stop in Singapore.

THE Pet Shop Boys, the duo who brought us stomping 80s/90s electro-pop classics like West End Girls, It's A Sin and Go West, will bring its high-tech, larger-than-life show to Singapore on Aug 3.

This high-energy show is part of the Electric tour, which has been gaining rave reviews since it kicked off in May in Chile in South America before moving on to Europe. The tour heads to Asia in August.

The Times Of London enthused that the Pet Shop Boys show at the O2 in London "combined the energy of a rave with the pacing of a musical, spreading peaks and troughs over four acts and finding room for a breathtaking laser show and some truly bonkers costume changes".

The Independent was equally impressed with the duo's performance at the same venue. It said, "The Pet Shop Boys have been reinventing the pop concert as a modern art spectacle for decades, but they manage to pack more ideas into these two hours than the venue (the O2) usually sees in two months."

The band worked with Grammy-winning producer/DJ Stuart Price (Madonna, The Killers, Take That) on the tour's music arrangement while the tour's production was created in collaboration with award-winning creative director and set designer Es Devlin, who has also worked with Take That, Lady Gaga, Kanye West and Jay Z, plus the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony.

Comprising Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, the Pet Shop Boys was one of the pop groups that popularised the synth-pop phenomenon in the 1980s and went on to become one of the world's best-selling music acts, having sold over 50 million records worldwide.

The Guinness Book of Records lists the legendary British pop duo as the most successful duo in British music history. They are also three-time BRIT Award winners and six-time Grammy nominees.

The one-night-only performance at the Resorts World Convention Centre, Compass Ballroom, will feature songs from across the band's entire career, including songs from the recently released album Electric. "Electric Pet Shop Boys Live" is presented by Unusual Entertainment, in collaboration with Resorts World Sentosa.

Tickets for Electric Pet Shop Boys Live are available at Sistic (www.sistic.com.sg).

Successful comeback

Posted:

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Taiwanese girl group S.H.E. proved that they are still on top of their game when they packed Bukit Jalil Putra Indoor Stadium with some 11,000 fans last Saturday night.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Khamis, 25 Julai 2013