Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

---

• Sweet gesture hits sour note online
• Yahoo asked for 189 user details
• Insurgents storm villages in Zamboanga, killing six people and taking 20 hostages

Sweet gesture hits sour note online Posted: WHEN German couple Dana and Stefan invited strangers to their Singapore home for dinner last month, the response was overwhelming. Their online "open invitation" for six guests at an authentic German meal went viral, with 400 sign-ups. Netizens lauded the gesture as being "sweet" and "heartwarming". But all was not as it seemed. The dinner was the first of four hosted by expatriates as part of the sixth FairPrice Finest Festival, the supermarket's annual food celebration. And the marketing ploy has left a sour taste for some, with sign-up rates plunging after the link with FairPrice was revealed about a week after the first invite. The second dinner, hosted by a French chef, drew just 19 people. Only seven signed up for yesterday's meal, hosted by a trio of Italian friends. Netizens speculated that the hosts were merely "paid actors" in a "staged marketing gimmick", prompting organisers to clarify that they had "volunteered after hearing about the idea through word of mouth". The first video invite was a "teaser" and deliberately left unbranded to "generate interest", said Victor Ng, chief creative officer for Havas Worldwide Singapore, the marketing agency in charge of the festival. The brand association was made clear for subsequent dinners. Marketing campaign or not, several guests to the dinners were won over by their hosts' sincerity. Celes Fernandez, 34, who attended the first dinner, had no idea FairPrice Finest was behind it until it was "briefly mentioned" by her hosts over beef roulade and whipped cream pudding. "But the couple were really very genuine – throughout dinner we were just sharing our cultures and where we like to hang out," the personal assistant said. For scientists Dana, 27, and Stefan, 30, who have been living here for the past two years, the dinner was a chance to give back to their host country. In 2010, another publicity campaign backfired when a "bear" spotted at an Ulu Pandan bus stop led to an actual search by Singapore Zoo officials and animal welfare activists. But it was later revealed to be a mascot that was part of a stunt by electronics firm Philips to launch a new shaver. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Yahoo asked for 189 user details Posted: Following the footsteps of tech giants Google and Facebook, Yahoo has published its first report detailing the requests it gets from governments to reveal user information. The Singapore government made requests on 189 individual accounts in the first six months of this year, said Yahoo in a report published over the weekend. Yahoo added that government data requests were generally made in connection with criminal investigations. The company complied with 59% of these requests. It also revealed that of all the government requests received, it disclosed "non-content data" in 73% or 53% of the requests. Such data consists of items such as information captured at the time of registration and includes name, location, and IP address, login details and billing information. Other transactional information such as who e-mails are being sent to and received from are also included. In two instances, Yahoo released detailed data to the Singapore government. This includes text within e-mails and Messenger services, images on its photo sharing site, Flickr, and even Yahoo Calendar event details. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Insurgents storm villages in Zamboanga, killing six people and taking 20 hostages Posted: ZAMBOANGA: Philippine troops are locked in a standoff with hundreds of Muslim gunmen who killed six people and took at least 20 hostages in the south in a bid to derail peace talks. A night-time curfew was imposed in this southern port city as armoured security forces surrounded between 200 and 300 Moro National Libera­tion Front (MNLF) gunmen holed up in six coastal villages on its outskirts. "We want an independent Min­danao," one of the gunmen, Asamin Hussin, told local ABS-CBN television, referring to the southern third of the mainly Catholic nation. The gunmen launched their attack before dawn as the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which split from MNLF in 1978, prepared to resume peace talks aimed at ending a 42-year-old rebellion that has claimed 150,000 lives. The city of one million people woke to loud explosions as troops exchanged fire with the gunmen. Heavily armed soldiers and police streamed into the streets firing machine guns at the rebels, sending terrified residents running from their homes clutching small children and scant belongings, ABS-CBN footage showed. "They were trying to march on the city hall and we cannot allow that," military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ramon Zagala said of the gunmen, adding that two of them had been arrested. The men have been identified as belonging to a faction led by MNLF founder Nur Misuari, Zagala added. The fighting quietened down in the afternoon, but there were sporadic sniper fire and mortar shell explosions as the gunmen dug in, military officials said. City authorities later declared a curfew between 8pm and 5am. "There will be no movement (by the security forces). As much as possible we will solve the case in the most peaceful manner," Interior Secretary Mar Roxas told reporters, adding that third parties – whose names he would not disclose – were trying to initiate negotiations. City officials said two security forces and four civilians were killed, and 24 people wounded, while 1,500 others had fled their homes. At least 20 people have been taken hostage and are being used as "hu­­man shields," Zagala said. Scores of others remained trapped inside their homes in the besieged villages. The long-running Muslim insurgency in the Philippines has led to a proliferation of armed groups that have left parts of Mindanao in a constant state of lawlessness. Misuari has criticised a preliminary peace deal signed last year by the government and the MILF, saying it marginalised his group and a peace treaty it signed in 1996. Rommel Banlaoi, executive director of the Manila-based security think-tank Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence, and Terrorism Re­­search, said the action was likely de­­signed to sabotage the peace talks. "Misuari's motive is to convey a message (that) the signing of the peace agreement between the government and the MILF will no longer guarantee the end of war," said Banlaoi. Jose Lorena, a senior Aquino adviser on the peace talks, dismissed Mi­suari's concerns Monday. "It is an inclusive process, not just MNLF or MILF. Whether we like it or not, there is only one people and one area," said Lorena. Yesterday's attack came a month after Misuari declared "independence" in Mindanao and called on his forces to "surround and secure all military, police and all other installations." — AFP

You are subscribed to email updates from Regional Feed To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: World Updates

---

• Colombia's Santos vows to thwart Nicaragua's 'expansionist plans'
• Egypt tightens Sinai security, assesses militant threat
• Dismantling Syria chemical weapons arsenal would be tough task

Colombia's Santos vows to thwart Nicaragua's 'expansionist plans' Posted: BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Monday he will do everything in his power to prevent Nicaragua's "expansionist" ambitions over domestic territory and called an international court ruling that gave waters to Nicaragua inapplicable. After years of diplomatic wrangling, the International Court of Justice in November drew a demarcation line in favour of Nicaragua, reducing the expanse of ocean belonging to Colombia and sparking a diplomatic dispute that led both sides to send armed vessels to patrol the contested waters. Colombia has been angered by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's plans to allow foreign companies to explore for oil in Caribbean seas that Colombia maintains are its own and Santos has ordered his navy to remain in the disputed waters. Santos said Nicaragua also wants to push its maritime borders closer to the historic city of Cartagena. "Colombia is confronting, and will confront, such expansionist pretensions with all the determination and rigor it requires," Santos said in a televised national address. "What I guarded as a sailor and defended as a minister, I will protect until the ultimate consequences as president," said Santos, a former defence minister and navy cadet. Describing the court ruling as "not applicable," Santos said he would oppose any attempt by Nicaragua to extend its sea frontier toward Colombia and has a series of technical and judicial arguments ready to press its case, which he declined to reveal. Any sign that Colombia is headed for victory in the dispute could give a boost to Santos whose approval ratings are just 21 percent, according to a recent Gallup opinion poll. He must say by November whether he will run for a second presidential term in elections next May. In a strongly worded address sure to raise the hackles of leftist Ortega, Santos said the ruling would only be applicable if it was accompanied by an international treaty which would be subject to congressional approval required by Colombia's constitution. The government has already withdrawn from the so-called Bogota Pact, a treaty under which signatory countries agreed in 1948 to recognize rulings by the International Court of Justice and to find peaceful solutions to their conflicts. Santos, 62, a Harvard-educated scion of one of Colombia's most influential families, stopped short of saying he would not abide by the ruling and he has stated in the past that Colombia would not go to war to resolve the dispute. The Hague-based World Court's decision increased the size of Nicaragua's continental shelf and economic exclusion zone in the Caribbean, which gives it access to underwater oil and gas deposits as well as fishing rights. Ortega has already begun to carve up areas to offer for oil and gas exploration, enraging Colombians. But he has also indicated he may be willing to discuss the maritime boundaries set out in the court ruling. In 2007 the court ruled that three large islands in the maritime area - San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina - belong to Colombia. The islands are a popular holiday destination for Colombian and foreign tourists. (Additional reporting by Peter Murphy; editing by Christopher Wilson)

Egypt tightens Sinai security, assesses militant threat Posted: CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt has tightened control of crossings from the Sinai peninsula and continued assaults on militants after an Islamist group based there said it tried to kill the interior minister in Cairo last week, the state news agency reported on Monday. The group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis claimed responsibility on Sunday for Thursday's suicide bombing aimed at Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim. It promised more attacks in revenge for a crackdown on Egypt's Islamists, raising fears that militant violence in Sinai could spread across the country. The Egyptian military on Saturday launched a major assault on militants in North Sinai, killing or wounding at least 30 people in clashes close to the Palestinian Gaza Strip. The assault continued on Monday, with security forces killing nine and arresting 10 "armed elements" near Sinai cities of Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah, state news agency MENA reported early on Tuesday, citing security sources. MENA said Ibrahim decided to boost security surveillance and tighten control of crossings from Sinai to other Egyptian regions in conjunction with a broad security campaign in the peninsula. Earlier, state television said one supporter of deposed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood was killed and 10 people were injured in clashes between soldiers and supporters of the group in North Sinai on Monday. Security sources later said two people were killed in the clashes. In two separate incidents in central Sinai, three soldiers were injured when gunmen opened fire, according to MENA, while security sources said two soldiers were killed in attacks by gunmen in Sinai. Islamist militancy has risen sharply in the often lawless region adjoining Israel and the Gaza Strip, and elsewhere in Egypt, since the army deposed Mursi two months ago following mass protests against him. Thursday's daylight attack was the most spectacular so far. A suicide car bomber blew himself up next to Ibrahim's convoy as he left his Cairo home for work in an armoured limousine. The bomber, a passerby and an unidentified person were killed and more than 20 were wounded. Security officials said they were assessing the threat posed by Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, which is said to have 700 to 1,000 members and is considered the second-largest Islamist militant group in Sinai behind Salafiya Jihadiya, which has an estimated following of around 5,000 members. Some officials doubt Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis is capable of mounting attacks outside Sinai. Security officials told Reuters they were especially concerned that the group, whose name means "supporters of Jerusalem", will use stolen government vehicles for car bombs. ATTACK ON TAMARUD CO-FOUNDER In another development, unidentified gunmen on Monday opened fire on the car of the co-founder of a movement that helped bring down Mursi. The Tamarud movement's website said Mahmoud Badr's car was stolen in the attack on the outskirts of Cairo and that he was unharmed. It also said the gunmen seized papers related to the committee entrusted with amending the constitution that Mursi had signed into law. Badr is a member of the committee. Mohamed Haykal, another founding member of Tamarud, told the website of state newspaper Al-Ahram that "thugs" were responsible for the incident and that it was not a political attack against Badr or Tamarud. He added that the papers did not contain information of great importance. Badr was a vocal supporter of the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood following Mursi's removal from power. The Tamarud movement said it secured 22 million signatures for a petition calling on Mursi to step down. It mobilised mass protests against his rule that prompted the army to install a new government. Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis counts Grad rockets among its weapons and produces homemade bombs used against Egyptian security forces and soldiers, security sources said. Rocket-propelled grenades are often fired at buildings housing security forces. Last year, the group claimed responsibility for rocket attacks launched on Israel from Sinai. It has also claimed responsibility for at least 10 attacks in the past two years on a gas pipeline linking Egypt, Israel and Jordan. Sinai's eastern border with Israel and Gaza is a particularly sensitive one. Israel made its concerns known when Islamist militant groups expanded into a security vacuum left by the fall of Egypt's veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Since the army toppled Mursi - and especially since security forces killed hundreds of supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood when they smashed protest camps in Cairo on August 14 - there have been online calls from radicals to abandon attempts to achieve Islamist rule by democracy and instead step up violence. (Editing by Will Dunham and Mohammad Zargham)

Dismantling Syria chemical weapons arsenal would be tough task Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Any deal with Syria to hand over its chemical weapons in the middle of a chaotic civil war would be difficult for inspectors to enforce and destroying them would likely take years, U.S. officials and experts caution. Syria's strongest backer, Russia, proposed on Monday that Damascus save itself from a U.S. military strike over its alleged use of chemical weapons by putting its stockpiles under international control. The proposal was welcomed by Syria and seized upon by the secretary-general of the United Nations. U.S. President Barack Obama said the offer was a potential breakthrough but had to be handled with scepticism. Syria has never signed a global treaty banning the storage of chemical weapons and is believed to have large stocks of sarin, mustard gas and VX nerve agents. The actual use of chemical weapons is banned by a 1925 treaty to which Damascus is a signatory. Accounting for Syria's chemical arms cache - believed to be spread over dozens of locations - would be difficult, as would be shielding arms inspectors from violence. "This is a nice idea but tough to achieve," said one U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity. "You're in the middle of a brutal civil war where the Syrian regime is massacring its own people. Does anyone think they're going to suddenly stop the killing to allow inspectors to secure and destroy all the chemical weapons?" the official said. Amy Smithson, an expert on nuclear, biological and chemical weapons at the James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies in Washington, said a lack of hard data on Syria's chemical weapons inventory would complicate verification. She pointed to years of cat-and-mouse manoeuvring between U.N. weapons inspectors and then-president Saddam Hussein in neighbouring Iraq as an example of what could happen in Syria. "The Iraqis lied through their teeth. They did everything they could to hide these ultra-secret weapons programs," Smithson said. "Libya also did not come completely clean when it forfeited their weapons of mass destruction program." CHEMICAL WEAPONS MOVED AROUND Syria's Scientific Studies and Research Centre, oversees chemical weapons facilities in Dumayr, Khan Abou, Shamat, and Firaqlus, according to the U.S. Centre for Strategic and International Studies. Brigadier General Mustafa al-Sheikh, a Syrian army defector, told Reuters this summer that most of the chemical weapons have been transported to Alawite areas in Latakia and near the coast. Some chemical munitions remain in bases around Damascus, he said. The United States has been watching Syria move around its chemical weapons since last year. General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress last week he thinks Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces are doing that to keep them secure. But the Syrian government's motives are unclear and U.S. officials privately acknowledge those movements complicate identification of chemical weapons sites. "While Assad controls the chemical stockpiles, they've been moved over time," a second U.S. official said, also speaking on condition he not be named. "Security and relocation of those weapons with a very fluid situation on the ground with the opposition forces (fighting) could pose challenges." Experts say it would take months to locate and secure Syria's chemical weapons and years to destroy them - and there is always the possibility some are left over. "You're always going to have the problem of the bomb in the basement," said Joseph Cirincione of the Ploughshares Fund group, which opposes the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. "It's possible that the regime would hold some back that you wouldn't know about … But there's ways of getting at that," he added, pointing to past efforts to cross-check stockpiles against production records. For Obama, who is waging an uphill battle to win domestic support for military action, a U.N. deal could prevent a potentially devastating defeat in Congress. But even as he described Russia's proposal as potentially positive in a NBC television interview, Obama said: "I think you have to take it with a grain of salt initially." (Additional reporting by Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Alistair Bell and Lisa Shumaker)

You are subscribed to email updates from World To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

---

• Japanese feast for film buffs
• Fans choose their 'Fifty Shades' actors
• Tsai Ming-Liang wins at Venice Film Festival

Japanese feast for film buffs Posted: The Japanese Film Festival returns for its 10th year. This time around, it will be extended to Sabah and Sarawak as well. TALK about Japanese-Malaysian relations! This year's Japanese Film Festival is opening with Ken & Mary, a movie about a Japanese man who travels to Kuala Lumpur and finds himself paired up with a truck driver who is happy to converse in nonsensical Japanese. Shot in Malaysia in 2011, we will be catching this film before our friends in Japan. This is the world premiere for the movie – it is scheduled to be released in Japan in November. Fans of Malaysian comedian Zizan Raja Lawak, take note: he appears in the movie as a colleague of the daughter of the Japanese man who is hell bent on breaking off her engagement. Organised by The Japan Foundation in Kuala Lumpur, the film festival is now in its 10th year. Usually held in Klang Valley and Penang, this year's film festival has been extended to Kuching, Sarawak and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The festival offers nine movies, from comedy to animation and everything in between. (The film festival in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu will showcase eight movies. Dearest is showing only in Klang Valley and Penang.) The 2013 Japanese Film Festival will be held at Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) in Kuala Lumpur (Mid Valley and Pavilion) and Petaling Jaya, Selangor (One Utama) from Sept 12 to 17; Penang (Gurney Plaza) from Sept 19 to 22; Kuching (CityOne Megamall) from Sept 26 to 29; and Kota Kinabalu (Suria Sabah Mall) from Oct 3 to 6. Movie tickets are priced at RM6 each, with the exception of Detective Conan: Private Eye In The Distant Sea, which can be purchased at the prevailing ticket price. As usual, tickets can be purchased from as early as two days prior to the screening from GSC box office or online. Below is a quick look at the selection of movies that will be screened at the 2013 Japanese Film Festival. Ken & Mary (2011, 87 min) When his plane has to make an emergency landing, Ken Katakura finds himself stranded in a remote part of Malaysia. He has to make his way to Kuala Lumpur to stop his daughter from getting married, so he hooks up with a truck driver who is strangely partial to Japan and speaks nonsensical Japanese. Malaysian actor Zizan Raja Lawak makes an appearance in this movie which also stars Takenaka Naoto, Hu Bing and Kitano Kii. At River's Edge (2011, 104 min) Skilled swordsman Sakunosuke is ordered to kill someone. It should be easy enough, but then he finds out that the target is Sakuma, his childhood friend, and also his brother-in-law. Does work, or friendship and family win? Starring Higashiyama Noriyuki, Rinko Kikuchi, Katsuji Ryo and Kataoka Ainosuke. The Chef Of South Polar (2009, 125 min) This chef has never quite done anything like this before. He has to cook for an eight-man team for one-and-a-half years, the duration of their research expedition in the South Pole. Trivia: there is one man who is addicted to Ramen. More trivia: someone else on the team is training to participate in a triathlon when he returns to Japan. Starring Sakai Masato, Namase Katsuhisa, Kitaro, Kora Kengo and Toyohara Kousuke. The Kirishima Thing (2012, 103 min) The most popular student in school is going to withdraw from after-school activities, but "uncool" film club member Maeda doesn't care and continues to shoot a zombie movie. But then it all escalates into something with unexpected consequences. Starring Kamiki Ryunosuke, Hashimoto Ai and Ohgo Suzuka. Until The Break Of Dawn (2012, 129 min) Ayumi is a "Connector" who links the living with their dearly departed. But soon he has doubts as to whether these people are better off without making the connection, especially after the mysterious deaths of his parents. Starring Matsuzaka Tori, Kiki Kilin and Sato Ryuta. Oblivion Island: Haruka And The Magic Mirror (2009, 100 min) While praying at the shrine for the return of the hand mirror her late mother gave to her, Haruka is distracted by a small fox-like creature who runs off with her house key. She gives chase, is sucked into a warm pool when she dips her hand in it, and lands in the World of the Neglected, home to objects long forgotten. Starring Ayase Haruka, Sawashiro Miyuki and Tanimura Mitsuki. The Great Passage (2013, 133 min) The eccentric Mitsuya Majime is transferred to the Dictionary Editorial Department thanks to his unique perception of the meaning of words. Then along comes a woman who most inconveniently renders him tongue-tied. Starring Matsuda Ryuhei, Miyazaki Aoi and Odagiri Joe. Detective Conan: Private Eye In The Distant Sea (2013, 110 min) (priced at prevailing ticket price) The corpse of a Self-Defense Force member has been found, minus the left arm. A spy has infiltrated the Aegis vessel and Conan is forced to stand up against the dangerous "Spy X". Starring Takayama Minami, Yamazaki Wakana and Koyama Rikiya. Dearest (2012, 111 min) (only showing in Peninsular Malaysia) After the passing of his wife, 53-year-old prison officer Eiji receives a letter from her requesting that her ashes be strewn out at sea. Strangely, she has never mentioned such a thing while she was alive. Looks like a journey to her hometown is long overdue. Starring Takakura Ken, Tanaka Yuko, Sato Koichi and Otaki Hideji. For more information and showtimes, visit www.jfkl.org.my or gsc.com.my.

Fans choose their 'Fifty Shades' actors Posted: The coveted lead roles in the Fifty Shades Of Grey film have been cast, but fans are far from happy. So just who should play Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele? LAST week, fans of the erotic novel Fifty Shades Of Grey had a meltdown when it was announced that Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson have been cast as the leads, Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele respectively, in the movie version. Fans felt these two actors just do not embody the essence of the characters created by E.L. James. Of course, everyone who has read the books has his or her own opinion on who should play these characters. With that in mind, we asked four writers from The Star to tell us their dream cast. "HOLY cow!" was my first response (and incidentally, an oft-used phrase by the book's heroine) when I found out about the casting of the movie adaptation. For the uninitiated, Charlie Hunnam is confirmed to play masochistic billionaire entrepreneur Christian Grey, while Dakota Johnson will take on the role of naive literature student Anastasia Steele. Since Anastasia is socially awkward, who better to play the character than Kristen Stewart who is kind of awkward herself? Last night, I reread some passages from the novel (which I got as a birthday gift from a good friend, and yes, I fast-forwarded to the naughty bits). At their very first meeting, Anastasia described Christian as: "So young – and attractive, very attractive. He's tall, dressed in a fine grey suit, white shirt and black tie with unruly dark copper-coloured hair and intense, bright grey eyes ..." It's no secret that author E. L. James based Christian on Twilight's Edward Cullen (hence the "unruly hair" bit). I'm not familiar with Hunnam's body (heh) of work – though I thought he did a passable job in Pacific Rim – but he does not exactly scream out "Robert Pattinson" in terms of physicality. As Christian needs to be a seducer, the first actor I had in mind was Alexander Skarsgard; he certainly has the requisite height and dangerous criteria nailed down. (The 37-year-old star of True Blood was reportedly deemed too old – and perhaps too Nordic? – for the role.) As for Anastasia (who is described as a "quiet beauty"), I envisioned Alexis Bledel (of Gilmore Girls fame) or Mila Kunis. After all, who better than these two to convey repressed sensuality and innocence with their big doe eyes? But since James made the ultimate call in terms of her cast, who am I to say anything? Still, holy cow! – William K.C. Kee CHRISTIAN Grey – a multibillionaire entrepreneur – is beautiful, brilliant and intimidating. Now who else can channel these qualities other than the swoon-worthy Michael Fassbender? In fact, you've already seen him as the brooding Byronic hero obsessed with a young virginal girl in the form of the mysterious Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre, the 2011 British romantic drama directed by Cary Fukunaga. Fast-forward Mr Rochester to 2013, suit him up in Tom Ford, seat him in his ultra-luxurious, 20-storey global enterprise and he's your Mr Grey. It's easy to cast any of Hollywood's six-pack-sporting dreamboats, but the vastly talented Fassbender – who has honed manly, menacing and mischievous to an art – will nail the erotic and tormented personality of Grey with his intensity, while looking insanely hot. Alexis Bledel played goody-two-shoes teen Rory Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, and in Mad Men she is depressed housewife Beth Dawes, who has an affair. At 32 Bledel – who has demonstrated her chops in playing chaste and complicated – looks a whole lot younger and can credibly slip into the role of the gorgeous Anastasia Steele or Ana – Christian Grey's prime obsession. In the book Ana is an innocent 21-year-old college student and described as "a pale, brown-haired girl with blue eyes too big for her face". It's like describing Bledel who seems drenched in sweetness. With delicate features and wide-eyed innocence Bledel not only has a vulnerability that will leave Mr Grey craving to whip her into submission, her endearing presence will see her perfectly pull off the role of the shy female protagonist. – Sandra Low WHEN I first heard that Charlie Hunnam had been cast as Christian Grey, my first reaction was "Thank goodness it's not Ryan Gosling!" Back when E! was showing (on repeat) their top picks for the role, I cringed each time his face popped onto the screen because he is so not even remotely close to being Christian Grey. My personal pick would be the beautiful Josh Duhamel but unfortunately he was not even in the speculated list. Duhamel has that clean-cut boyish look and I would love to see him in vulnerable mode when Mr Grey gets dumped. He looks good in a suit and I'm sure he wouldn't look too bad without it either. I half-expected Kristen Stewart to get the role of Anastasia Steele, but I guess the world has had enough of her after five instalments of Twilight and endless episodes with Robert Pattinson. With her understated but alluring look, I have to say that I am actually looking forward to seeing Dakota Johnson as Ana Steele. – Tan Karr Wei OKAY, first of all let me state that I have not (completely) read any books in the Fifty Shades trilogy, but nevertheless I'm totally invested in the selection of the male lead for its film adaptations. Why? Just because. Anyway, I feel that Chris Pine would make the perfect Christian Grey because ... (I can't even complete this sentence, I'm having heart palpitations just thinking about it). Chris is so good-looking (just like how Christian is described in the books), and those piercing eyes ... don't get me started on that. And the way he looks in a three-piece suit? Seriously. This man should come with a warning. People are going to scoff at my choice but I think Kristen Stewart would make a good Anastasia Stele. Yeah, I know that Kristen can't act, but who said anything about Fifty Shades being Oscar material? I find Anastasia socially awkward and I can't think of an actress who is more awkward than Kristen (there's Jennifer Lawrence, but please, that girl is way out of this trilogy's league). Kristen could so totally pull off the moments when Anastasia is being weird and confused (like I said, I didn't read the whole book but whatever chapter I flipped through, Anastasia was either weird or confused or both) around Christian. – Sharmila Nair

Tsai Ming-Liang wins at Venice Film Festival Posted: The Malaysian-born Taiwanese filmmaker has been awarded the Grand Jury Prize for his film, Jiaoyou. Filmmaker Tsai Ming-Liang, 55, received the new Grand Jury Prize in the 70th Venice International Film Festival yesterday for his film Jiaoyou (Stray Dogs). Reports say that Tsai, who was born in Kuching, Sarawak, but has been based in Taiwan for many years, earned rousing applause from audiences at the festival's closing ceremony. "I thank all the jury members and the public in Venice for slowing down their pace to watch my movie," he was quoted as saying, in reference to his trademark film style, which is usually slow yet beautifully framed. This is not the first time that Tsai has won a prize at the festival. In 1994, he won the Golden Lion, the festival's top prize, for Vive l'Amour. Lee Kang-Sheng (left) and Lu Yi-Ching in a scene from Stray Dogs. Jiaoyou premiered in Venice on Thursday and tells the story of a disgraced father named Hsiao Kang – played by Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng, who has starred in almost all of Tsai's films in the past two decades – who works as a "human billboard", holding advertisements on a busy road in Taipei, Taiwan. Meanwhile, his two children roam the city, idling the day away. At night, the little family sleeps in an abandoned building. One day they meet a woman, and the story of their lives start to unfold. The film, running at 138 minutes, also stars Lee's real-life niece and nephew Lee Yi-cheng and Lee Yi-chieh, as well as Yang Kuei-mei and Lu Yi-ching, who are also regular faces in Tsai's films. In a press conference in Venice earlier in the week, Tsai said that Jiaoyou would be his final film; Jiaoyou took him three years to make. "I can't make movies for consumers and for a system that is too fast and only thinks about money," he was quoted as saying. "It just stifles my creativity." As many as 55 films were screened at this year's festival in the official selection – 20 of those films were up for the Golden Lion. This year, the panel of judges was chaired by famed Italian director Bernado Bertolucci. The festival ran from Aug 28-Sept 7. List of winners at the 70th Venice International Film Festival:  Golden Lion for best film: Holy GRA, a documentary by Gianfranco Rosi (Italy) Silver Lion for best director: Alexandros Avranas for Miss Violence (Greece) Special jury prize: The Police Officer's Wife by Philip Groning (Germany) Coppa Volpi for best actor: Themis Panou in Miss Violence by Alexandros Avranas (Greece) Coppa Volpi for best actress: Elena Cotta in A Street In Palermo by Emma Dante (Italy, Switzerland, France) Prize for best screenplay: Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope for Philomena by Stephen Frears (Britain) Marcello Mastroianni award for best young actor or actress: Tye Sheridan in JOE by David Gordon Green (US) Lion of the Future for best debut film: White Shadow by Noaz Deshe (Italy, Germany, Tanzania) Grand Jury Prize: Jiaoyou by Tsai Ming-Liang (Taiwan, France)

You are subscribed to email updates from Movies To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

---

• Japanese feast for film buffs
• Fans choose their 'Fifty Shades' actors
• Tsai Ming-Liang wins at Venice Film Festival

Japanese feast for film buffs Posted: The Japanese Film Festival returns for its 10th year. This time around, it will be extended to Sabah and Sarawak as well. TALK about Japanese-Malaysian relations! This year's Japanese Film Festival is opening with Ken & Mary, a movie about a Japanese man who travels to Kuala Lumpur and finds himself paired up with a truck driver who is happy to converse in nonsensical Japanese. Shot in Malaysia in 2011, we will be catching this film before our friends in Japan. This is the world premiere for the movie – it is scheduled to be released in Japan in November. Fans of Malaysian comedian Zizan Raja Lawak, take note: he appears in the movie as a colleague of the daughter of the Japanese man who is hell bent on breaking off her engagement. Organised by The Japan Foundation in Kuala Lumpur, the film festival is now in its 10th year. Usually held in Klang Valley and Penang, this year's film festival has been extended to Kuching, Sarawak and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The festival offers nine movies, from comedy to animation and everything in between. (The film festival in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu will showcase eight movies. Dearest is showing only in Klang Valley and Penang.) The 2013 Japanese Film Festival will be held at Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) in Kuala Lumpur (Mid Valley and Pavilion) and Petaling Jaya, Selangor (One Utama) from Sept 12 to 17; Penang (Gurney Plaza) from Sept 19 to 22; Kuching (CityOne Megamall) from Sept 26 to 29; and Kota Kinabalu (Suria Sabah Mall) from Oct 3 to 6. Movie tickets are priced at RM6 each, with the exception of Detective Conan: Private Eye In The Distant Sea, which can be purchased at the prevailing ticket price. As usual, tickets can be purchased from as early as two days prior to the screening from GSC box office or online. Below is a quick look at the selection of movies that will be screened at the 2013 Japanese Film Festival. Ken & Mary (2011, 87 min) When his plane has to make an emergency landing, Ken Katakura finds himself stranded in a remote part of Malaysia. He has to make his way to Kuala Lumpur to stop his daughter from getting married, so he hooks up with a truck driver who is strangely partial to Japan and speaks nonsensical Japanese. Malaysian actor Zizan Raja Lawak makes an appearance in this movie which also stars Takenaka Naoto, Hu Bing and Kitano Kii. At River's Edge (2011, 104 min) Skilled swordsman Sakunosuke is ordered to kill someone. It should be easy enough, but then he finds out that the target is Sakuma, his childhood friend, and also his brother-in-law. Does work, or friendship and family win? Starring Higashiyama Noriyuki, Rinko Kikuchi, Katsuji Ryo and Kataoka Ainosuke. The Chef Of South Polar (2009, 125 min) This chef has never quite done anything like this before. He has to cook for an eight-man team for one-and-a-half years, the duration of their research expedition in the South Pole. Trivia: there is one man who is addicted to Ramen. More trivia: someone else on the team is training to participate in a triathlon when he returns to Japan. Starring Sakai Masato, Namase Katsuhisa, Kitaro, Kora Kengo and Toyohara Kousuke. The Kirishima Thing (2012, 103 min) The most popular student in school is going to withdraw from after-school activities, but "uncool" film club member Maeda doesn't care and continues to shoot a zombie movie. But then it all escalates into something with unexpected consequences. Starring Kamiki Ryunosuke, Hashimoto Ai and Ohgo Suzuka. Until The Break Of Dawn (2012, 129 min) Ayumi is a "Connector" who links the living with their dearly departed. But soon he has doubts as to whether these people are better off without making the connection, especially after the mysterious deaths of his parents. Starring Matsuzaka Tori, Kiki Kilin and Sato Ryuta. Oblivion Island: Haruka And The Magic Mirror (2009, 100 min) While praying at the shrine for the return of the hand mirror her late mother gave to her, Haruka is distracted by a small fox-like creature who runs off with her house key. She gives chase, is sucked into a warm pool when she dips her hand in it, and lands in the World of the Neglected, home to objects long forgotten. Starring Ayase Haruka, Sawashiro Miyuki and Tanimura Mitsuki. The Great Passage (2013, 133 min) The eccentric Mitsuya Majime is transferred to the Dictionary Editorial Department thanks to his unique perception of the meaning of words. Then along comes a woman who most inconveniently renders him tongue-tied. Starring Matsuda Ryuhei, Miyazaki Aoi and Odagiri Joe. Detective Conan: Private Eye In The Distant Sea (2013, 110 min) (priced at prevailing ticket price) The corpse of a Self-Defense Force member has been found, minus the left arm. A spy has infiltrated the Aegis vessel and Conan is forced to stand up against the dangerous "Spy X". Starring Takayama Minami, Yamazaki Wakana and Koyama Rikiya. Dearest (2012, 111 min) (only showing in Peninsular Malaysia) After the passing of his wife, 53-year-old prison officer Eiji receives a letter from her requesting that her ashes be strewn out at sea. Strangely, she has never mentioned such a thing while she was alive. Looks like a journey to her hometown is long overdue. Starring Takakura Ken, Tanaka Yuko, Sato Koichi and Otaki Hideji. For more information and showtimes, visit www.jfkl.org.my or gsc.com.my.

Fans choose their 'Fifty Shades' actors Posted: The coveted lead roles in the Fifty Shades Of Grey film have been cast, but fans are far from happy. So just who should play Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele? LAST week, fans of the erotic novel Fifty Shades Of Grey had a meltdown when it was announced that Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson have been cast as the leads, Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele respectively, in the movie version. Fans felt these two actors just do not embody the essence of the characters created by E.L. James. Of course, everyone who has read the books has his or her own opinion on who should play these characters. With that in mind, we asked four writers from The Star to tell us their dream cast. "HOLY cow!" was my first response (and incidentally, an oft-used phrase by the book's heroine) when I found out about the casting of the movie adaptation. For the uninitiated, Charlie Hunnam is confirmed to play masochistic billionaire entrepreneur Christian Grey, while Dakota Johnson will take on the role of naive literature student Anastasia Steele. Since Anastasia is socially awkward, who better to play the character than Kristen Stewart who is kind of awkward herself? Last night, I reread some passages from the novel (which I got as a birthday gift from a good friend, and yes, I fast-forwarded to the naughty bits). At their very first meeting, Anastasia described Christian as: "So young – and attractive, very attractive. He's tall, dressed in a fine grey suit, white shirt and black tie with unruly dark copper-coloured hair and intense, bright grey eyes ..." It's no secret that author E. L. James based Christian on Twilight's Edward Cullen (hence the "unruly hair" bit). I'm not familiar with Hunnam's body (heh) of work – though I thought he did a passable job in Pacific Rim – but he does not exactly scream out "Robert Pattinson" in terms of physicality. As Christian needs to be a seducer, the first actor I had in mind was Alexander Skarsgard; he certainly has the requisite height and dangerous criteria nailed down. (The 37-year-old star of True Blood was reportedly deemed too old – and perhaps too Nordic? – for the role.) As for Anastasia (who is described as a "quiet beauty"), I envisioned Alexis Bledel (of Gilmore Girls fame) or Mila Kunis. After all, who better than these two to convey repressed sensuality and innocence with their big doe eyes? But since James made the ultimate call in terms of her cast, who am I to say anything? Still, holy cow! – William K.C. Kee CHRISTIAN Grey – a multibillionaire entrepreneur – is beautiful, brilliant and intimidating. Now who else can channel these qualities other than the swoon-worthy Michael Fassbender? In fact, you've already seen him as the brooding Byronic hero obsessed with a young virginal girl in the form of the mysterious Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre, the 2011 British romantic drama directed by Cary Fukunaga. Fast-forward Mr Rochester to 2013, suit him up in Tom Ford, seat him in his ultra-luxurious, 20-storey global enterprise and he's your Mr Grey. It's easy to cast any of Hollywood's six-pack-sporting dreamboats, but the vastly talented Fassbender – who has honed manly, menacing and mischievous to an art – will nail the erotic and tormented personality of Grey with his intensity, while looking insanely hot. Alexis Bledel played goody-two-shoes teen Rory Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, and in Mad Men she is depressed housewife Beth Dawes, who has an affair. At 32 Bledel – who has demonstrated her chops in playing chaste and complicated – looks a whole lot younger and can credibly slip into the role of the gorgeous Anastasia Steele or Ana – Christian Grey's prime obsession. In the book Ana is an innocent 21-year-old college student and described as "a pale, brown-haired girl with blue eyes too big for her face". It's like describing Bledel who seems drenched in sweetness. With delicate features and wide-eyed innocence Bledel not only has a vulnerability that will leave Mr Grey craving to whip her into submission, her endearing presence will see her perfectly pull off the role of the shy female protagonist. – Sandra Low WHEN I first heard that Charlie Hunnam had been cast as Christian Grey, my first reaction was "Thank goodness it's not Ryan Gosling!" Back when E! was showing (on repeat) their top picks for the role, I cringed each time his face popped onto the screen because he is so not even remotely close to being Christian Grey. My personal pick would be the beautiful Josh Duhamel but unfortunately he was not even in the speculated list. Duhamel has that clean-cut boyish look and I would love to see him in vulnerable mode when Mr Grey gets dumped. He looks good in a suit and I'm sure he wouldn't look too bad without it either. I half-expected Kristen Stewart to get the role of Anastasia Steele, but I guess the world has had enough of her after five instalments of Twilight and endless episodes with Robert Pattinson. With her understated but alluring look, I have to say that I am actually looking forward to seeing Dakota Johnson as Ana Steele. – Tan Karr Wei OKAY, first of all let me state that I have not (completely) read any books in the Fifty Shades trilogy, but nevertheless I'm totally invested in the selection of the male lead for its film adaptations. Why? Just because. Anyway, I feel that Chris Pine would make the perfect Christian Grey because ... (I can't even complete this sentence, I'm having heart palpitations just thinking about it). Chris is so good-looking (just like how Christian is described in the books), and those piercing eyes ... don't get me started on that. And the way he looks in a three-piece suit? Seriously. This man should come with a warning. People are going to scoff at my choice but I think Kristen Stewart would make a good Anastasia Stele. Yeah, I know that Kristen can't act, but who said anything about Fifty Shades being Oscar material? I find Anastasia socially awkward and I can't think of an actress who is more awkward than Kristen (there's Jennifer Lawrence, but please, that girl is way out of this trilogy's league). Kristen could so totally pull off the moments when Anastasia is being weird and confused (like I said, I didn't read the whole book but whatever chapter I flipped through, Anastasia was either weird or confused or both) around Christian. – Sharmila Nair

Tsai Ming-Liang wins at Venice Film Festival Posted: The Malaysian-born Taiwanese filmmaker has been awarded the Grand Jury Prize for his film, Jiaoyou. Filmmaker Tsai Ming-Liang, 55, received the new Grand Jury Prize in the 70th Venice International Film Festival yesterday for his film Jiaoyou (Stray Dogs). Reports say that Tsai, who was born in Kuching, Sarawak, but has been based in Taiwan for many years, earned rousing applause from audiences at the festival's closing ceremony. "I thank all the jury members and the public in Venice for slowing down their pace to watch my movie," he was quoted as saying, in reference to his trademark film style, which is usually slow yet beautifully framed. This is not the first time that Tsai has won a prize at the festival. In 1994, he won the Golden Lion, the festival's top prize, for Vive l'Amour. Lee Kang-Sheng (left) and Lu Yi-Ching in a scene from Stray Dogs. Jiaoyou premiered in Venice on Thursday and tells the story of a disgraced father named Hsiao Kang – played by Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng, who has starred in almost all of Tsai's films in the past two decades – who works as a "human billboard", holding advertisements on a busy road in Taipei, Taiwan. Meanwhile, his two children roam the city, idling the day away. At night, the little family sleeps in an abandoned building. One day they meet a woman, and the story of their lives start to unfold. The film, running at 138 minutes, also stars Lee's real-life niece and nephew Lee Yi-cheng and Lee Yi-chieh, as well as Yang Kuei-mei and Lu Yi-ching, who are also regular faces in Tsai's films. In a press conference in Venice earlier in the week, Tsai said that Jiaoyou would be his final film; Jiaoyou took him three years to make. "I can't make movies for consumers and for a system that is too fast and only thinks about money," he was quoted as saying. "It just stifles my creativity." As many as 55 films were screened at this year's festival in the official selection – 20 of those films were up for the Golden Lion. This year, the panel of judges was chaired by famed Italian director Bernado Bertolucci. The festival ran from Aug 28-Sept 7. List of winners at the 70th Venice International Film Festival:  Golden Lion for best film: Holy GRA, a documentary by Gianfranco Rosi (Italy) Silver Lion for best director: Alexandros Avranas for Miss Violence (Greece) Special jury prize: The Police Officer's Wife by Philip Groning (Germany) Coppa Volpi for best actor: Themis Panou in Miss Violence by Alexandros Avranas (Greece) Coppa Volpi for best actress: Elena Cotta in A Street In Palermo by Emma Dante (Italy, Switzerland, France) Prize for best screenplay: Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope for Philomena by Stephen Frears (Britain) Marcello Mastroianni award for best young actor or actress: Tye Sheridan in JOE by David Gordon Green (US) Lion of the Future for best debut film: White Shadow by Noaz Deshe (Italy, Germany, Tanzania) Grand Jury Prize: Jiaoyou by Tsai Ming-Liang (Taiwan, France)

You are subscribed to email updates from Movies To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

---

• 'Sex And The City' actress to star in 'Hannibal'
• The X-Files turns 20
• The truth is (still) out there

'Sex And The City' actress to star in 'Hannibal' Posted: Cynthia Nixon joins Season Two of serial killer drama. AS if Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) didn't already have enough to deal with on Hannibal, a new addition is sure to make things more difficult for him. Cynthia Nixon is joining the second season in the recurring role of an FBI investigator, an individual with knowledge of the casting told TheWrap. She will play Kade Prurnell, who works in the office of the Inspector General in FBI Oversight. She is charged with looking into the events that went down on Season One and Jack's role in them. Nixon starred as attorney Miranda Hobbes on Sex And The City, as well as its two big screen spin-offs. Her most recent TV credits include the miniseries World Without End, The Big C and a guest spot on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Aside from Fishburne, Hannibal stars Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen. – Reuters

The X-Files turns 20 Posted: Star2 takes a loving look at the TV show that made us see aliens, monsters, conspirators and the FBI in a whole new light. TRUST no one. The truth is out there. I want to believe. Memorable catch-phrases from The X-Files, a series that has been hailed as one of the greatest TV dramas of all time, and certainly one of the most influential. It generated conversations, sparked debates and arguments, sent millions of minds racing to process the possibilities and conspiracies served up each week. It also sent me racing home one night a week, so that I could be fed and ready to tune in when the show came on. TV viewing options were still relatively scarce back then, and somehow the prospect of watching the show as it was broadcast appealed to me much more than watching it recorded. The X-Files even broadened our horizons. In the fourth season episode Teliko, for example, a pigment-draining mutant came to the United States on a flight from Burkina Faso. Intrigued by the country's name, I looked it up. Yes, the show really stretched it from time to time (episode: Squeeze). A short while later, when my cousin announced to the family that she was engaged to a nice young man from Burkina Faso, a place we'd probably never heard of, both my dad and I told her "Wrong! We have heard of it ... from The X-Files!" In the course of its nine seasons, two movies and associated ventures (comics, books, video games, albums – which fan doesn't own a copy of Songs In The Key Of X – card games, magazines, its "sister show" Millennium and direct spinoff The Lone Gunmen), it more than won a place in the hearts and imaginations of fans of the pretenatural; it became part of our lives. Whether that part was confined to an hour a week, or an inspiration to research the extraordinary and bizarre (and unexplained), a compulsion to devour every last scrap of information – which required considerable effort in a time when the Internet was in its infancy – The X-Files had an effect on us all that no other TV show since has managed to recapture. It fed numerous hungers in us: that craving for creepy thrills; the slightly paranoid portions of our psyche convinced that government and big business were hiding things from … and doing things to … us; it successfully served up memorable standalone featured creatures and spun a compelling mythology for its overall story arc (although one that grew densely layered and complex and occasionally inaccessible towards the end). Was the primary 'villain' of The X-Files' mythology arc, William B. Davis's Smoking Man, just a ... differently motivated individual? It gave us not only endearing and enduring protagonists in Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, their immediate circle of colleagues (assistant director Walter Skinner, the Lone Gunmen, Deep Throat, X) but also adversaries who weren't necessarily all bad, just differently motivated (Alex Krycek, the Smoking Man, Marita Covarrubias). Even the bizarre menagerie of crazies, misguided individuals, sad figures, mutants and monsters who trooped past our eager eyes week after week held some appeal, if not allure. Okay, maybe not in the case of the Peacock family. The X-Files was different, it was daring for its day (remember, this was a time before CSI made it all right to show dismemberment, decapitation and evisceration in graphic detail on network TV), and it built upon its inspirations (shows like The Night Stalker, The Twilight Zone and The Invaders) to create something unique, the likes of which we may never see on TV again. To mark the 20th anniversary of the series' first broadcast (Sept 10, 1993), we've put together a collection of highlights and fond reminiscences of the series and take a look at what all our old friends are up to these days. The whole truth may not be in here, but the fun certainly is – so step right in, and don't mind the liver-eating mutant in the corner; he's just nesting. – DA Related stories: The truth is still out there Whereabouts Known Monsters or messengers Favourite moments They were all on XFiles really

The truth is (still) out there Posted: Twenty years after its introduction, the influence of The X-Files can still be seen in TV shows and other mediums. THE X-Files lasted nine seasons, spawned two feature films, a spin-off TV show and one "sister" show, three comic-book series, three lines of novels, and more merchandise than the number of cigarettes the Cigarette Smoking Man could ever possible smoke. However, the extent of the show's influence extends way beyond its own universe. Take a look at many of today's TV series and you'll see just how influential the show has been on many of the showrunners that followed (for instance, Joss Whedon has described Buffy The Vampire Slayer as a cross between The X-Files and My So-Called Life). The more obvious ones and recent ones would probably be Fringe and Warehouse 13, both of which feature two government agents – one male, one female, one a believer, one a sceptic – investigating cases with a paranormal twist in them. You know you've made it as a pop culture icon when you get parodiedon The Simpsons. Supernatural has also been compared to The X-Files, mainly because of the "monster of the week" format many of its episodes follow, while Lost's lengthy and incredibly convoluted over-arching mythology bears more than a striking resemblance to The X-Files' own crazily long and complicated story arcs. Also, you know you've made it as a pop culture phenomenon when The Simpsons does a parody of your show. Mulder and Scully (voiced by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, naturally) made their appearance on the show in Season Eight's The Springfields Files episode back in 1997, in which Homer Simpson spots a UFO, and our two agents show up to investigate. Even Star Trek, the mother of all sci-fi franchises, was not immune to the X-effect. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine aired an episode called Trials And Tribbleations, in which Commander Benjamin Sisko was interviewed by two agents from the Federation Department of Temporal Investigations – Agents Dulmer and Lucsly (see what they did there?) – effectively blowing the collective minds of sci-fi geeks everywhere. Still, there is a reason The X-Files is now known as a "franchise" rather than just a TV series. Here's a look at the other members of the X-Family. – MC TV spin-offs There have been two shows directly associated with The X-Files itself – Millennium and The Lone Gunmen. The former was the only one that was a direct spin-off of the show though. It featured the trio of eccentric hackers and conspiracy theorists that Mulder used to go to for help during cases, but unfortunately only lasted 13 episodes in 2001 before being unceremoniously cancelled. Although its finale ended in a cliffhanger, the best part about being a spinoff of another still ongoing show is that you get to get some form of closure in the original series – many of the loose ends were tied up in the ninth season X-Files episode Jump The Shark. The same thing happened with Millennium, even though this particular show wasn't exactly a spin-off. The show starred Lance Henriksen as Frank Black, a forensic profiler who could somehow see through the eyes of serial killers. I remember being really excited at seeing the words "Created by Chris Carter", and expecting Mulder and Scully to pop up in the show (hey, I was a young and idealistic fanboy back then). Although that never really happened, the show was still a pretty good watch – dark and thrilling at the same time, it showed us how scary serial killers could be, even before Agent Hotchner and his BAU from Criminal Minds were even created. Though not a direct spinoff, Millennium was nevertheless set in the same X-universe, so when the show was cancelled, The X-Files duly provided a chance for Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) and the Millennium Group to tie up their own loose ends, in the oh-so-obviously named Millennium episode. The films The problem with making a movie out of a popular TV series, especially one that has a mythology as long and bloated as The X-Files, is trying not to make it seem like you are just taking a two-hour episode of the TV show and showing it on a bigger screen. When The X-files: Fight The Future was being filmed, the filmmakers did their utmost best to assure fans that this would be different from the TV show. In addition to the usual guys (Mulder, Scully, Skinner, The Well-Manicured Man, The Lone Gunmen, and The Smoking Man) including casting well-known faces Martin Landau and Blythe Danner, and filming in various different locations to give the show a "grander feel". When the film was eventually released in 1998, it DID turn out to be slightly more than just another episode of the TV show, but only just. The most memorable part of the movie turned out to be the much-hyped kiss between Mulder and Scully, which turned out to be yet another anti-climax when it was interrupted by a bee sting. As for the second movie, X-Files: I Want To Believe, at the time, I wanted to believe that it would be good. But as I wrote in my review back in 2008, the screenplay would probably have ended up in one of Mulder's file cabinets in that basement office of his, filed away as an X-File in its own right. Sure, it was worth it just to hear THAT theme song again, and at the time, it was definitely great to see Mulder and Scully back together again so long after the show ended (six years, to be exact); but there was a sense of anti-climax with this movie, and it played more like a two-hour episode of the show instead of an actual movie, and even then, it would have ranked as one of the weaker episodes. Comics and books If you've been longing for more X-Files stories beyond the second movie, then the only way you can get your fix is through the new X-Files: Season 10 comic book that was recently released by IDW Publishing. Now into its third issue, the comic continues on from the events of second movie, and sees Mulder and Scully living in hiding together as Mr and Mrs Blake. Of course, this doesn't last long, and familiar faces soon start popping up - in the first three issues alone, we see Skinner, the Cigarette Smoking Man, Agent Doggett and a bunch of acolytes out to get Scully. This isn't the first comic-book version of The X-Files, of course. From 1995 to 1998, Topps Comics published the first official line of comics for the show, and then in 2010, there was even a Wildstorm/IDW crossover between The X-Files and 30 Days Of Night, in which Mulder and Scully go to Alaska to investigate a series of possible vampire-related murders. Other X-Files merchandise: >       The X-Files Collectible Card Game (1996) > The X-Files Game for PC and Macintosh, and PlayStation (1998) > The X-Files: Unrestricted Access, a game-styled database (2000) >       The X-Files: Resist Or Serve video game for PS2 (2004) >       The X-Files action figures by McFarlane Toys, released to coincide with Fight The Future (1998) >       The X-Files PALZ by Palisades, cute caricature toys including M&S, Flukeman and the Conundrum (2005) Related stories: The XFiles turns 20 Whereabouts Known Monsters or messengers Favourite moments They were all on XFiles really

You are subscribed to email updates from TV To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Business

---

• Ogawa World surges on Shenzen-listed Xiamen takeover plan
• Hong Leong Bank in focus as KLCI surges nearly 17pts
• RHB Research overweight on rubber glove sector

Ogawa World surges on Shenzen-listed Xiamen takeover plan Posted: KUALA LUMPUR: Shares of Ogawa World had one of its best share price performance, surging to a high of RM1.05 on Tuesday after Shenzen-listed Xiamen Comfort Science & Technology Group Co. Ltd has launched a takeover at RM1.05 cash a share. At 10.05am, Ogawa was up 15 sen to RM1.01. There were 3.82 million shares done at prices ranging from RM1 to RM1.05. The FBM KLCI surged 23.76 points to 1,770.79. Turnover was 472.17 million shares valued at RM383.85mil. There were 409 gainers, 70 losers and 199 counters unchanged. Ogawa said on Monday that Xiamen's unit Comfort Enterprise (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd was offering a premium of 19 sen or 22.9% above last Friday's closing price of 86 sen. Ogawa said that several shareholders who owned 53.9% of Ogawa or 64.62 million shares had given their irrevocable undertakings to Xiamen to accept the offer.

Hong Leong Bank in focus as KLCI surges nearly 17pts Posted: KUALA LUMPUR: Shares of Hong Leong Bank was in focus among key banking stocks on Tuesday, as sentiment perked up on firmer external economic news as Asian markets rallied. At 9.49am, it had risen 26 sen to RM14.26 on a turnover of 92,200 shares done. The FBM KLCI rose 16.97 points to 1,764. Turnover was 384.73 million shares valued at RM271.21mil. There were 383 gainers, 57 losers and 174 counters unchanged. To recap, Hong Leong Bank Bhd's earnings rose 6.5% to RM1.856bil in the financial year ended June 30, 2013 from RM1.743bil in the previous financial year, which was restated. The banking group had a proposed a final dividend of 30 sen a share. Its revenue rose 3.3% to RM4.006bil from RM3.877bil. Gross loans and financing grew by 7.3% year-on-year to RM97.2bil. Customer deposits expanded to RM123.6bil. For the fourth quarter ended June 30, 2013, its earnings rose 2.6% to RM416.43mil from RM405.64mil a year ago. Its revenue rose 2% to RM(74.98mil from RM955.68mil. Earnings per share were 23.74 sen compared with 24.42 sen.

RHB Research overweight on rubber glove sector Posted: KUALA LUMPUR: RHB Research is optimistic on the rubber glove sector as market conditions are tilting in favour of glove makers. The research house said on Tuesday it was Overweight on the sector due to favourable raw material prices, the strengthening US dollar, minimal impact from a potential natural gas cost hike, and resilient gloves demand. "We have Buy calls for Hartalega, Top Glove, Kossan and Supermax," it said. On Hartalega, it will start work on its next generation integrated glove complex (NGC) in August 2014, which will increase annual total capacity to 43 billion pieces by 2020. "We are also positive on the new development of its new Coats product, which could potentially create a new market niche. Maintain Buy with our FV now at RM7.95 pegged to an unchanged FY15 price-to-earnings of 20.0 times," it said. As for Top Glove, it is scheduled to release its FY13 results on Oct 11 and it does not foresee any major surprises. "Going forward, we continue to believe that its increase in nitrile production capacity will further boost earnings. Maintain Buy with fair value of RM7.08, based on existing 17.0 times FY14F P/E," it said. On Kossan, RHB Research said it registered commendable 1H13 results, which are in line with its expectations. The performance was mainly due to the company's higher production efficiency, which was driven by improved automation in its plants. "Given recent market conditions, we have revisited and revised our assumptions. We maintain our BUY call on the stock, with our fair value now at RM7.53, pegged to an unchanged 14.0 times FY14F P/E," said the research house. RHB Research Supermax recorded healthy Q2, 2013 results that came in line with its expectations, due mainly to the increased automation in its plants that have boosted operational efficiency. "We also understand that its two new plants are well on track to be fully commissioned by 1Q14. We maintain our Buy recommendation, with our FV now at RM3.01, pegged to an unchanged 12.0 times FY14F P/E," it said.

You are subscribed to email updates from Business News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my