MYC! - Sing Thy Hearts Out!

After yesterday's entry about the tragic butchery of a well-loved pop song, I suppose that it's time to delve into more serious stuff. Well, if you call karaoke serious stuff, that is.

The merry gang at MYC! had our annual karaoke singfest yesterday (25th August) and boy oh boy, there was an abundance of hidden talents just waiting to be discovered. Carpooling our way to Neway Karaoke Box in 1Utama in the afternoon, we spent the next four/five, or to some, six hours doing what is a merge of vocal warm-ups and competitive singing. So the game plan was as such: there were five categories - best female, best male, best MYC staff, best intern and best duet.

Here are the photos of the prima donnas of the night:

Her sweet and breezy voice rocks!

Cover model, aspiring singer...dude! (His promise to treat us [me] something sweet never materialized)

Best MYC! staff. That was a no-brainer...right?

This pint-sized has powerful vocals.

This is what a three-way handshake looks like.

If 'Love Story' Was a Horror Movie

If Taylor Swift's song Love Story was something out of a bad B-grade horror movie, the lyrics would probably be something like this:

                                                   Video taken from here

I was so freaked out, when I first saw you, I close my eyes and the nightmare starts

I'm standing there alone in the crowd, you were everywhere

See the lights, see the party, the ballgowns

I see you make your way through the crowd coming towards me

Little did I know

That you were watching me, trying to get close

And my daddy said "stay away from Juliet"

And I was crying on the staircase begging you "please just go!" and I said

* "Stalker freak just go, and please leave me the hell alone

   I have no choice, all there's left to do is run

   You're not a prince and I'm not a princess

   You're just confused, crazy and obsessed."

So I sneaked out of the room to avoid you, I kept quiet 'cause I'd be dead if you knew

I close my eyes to escape this nightmare for a little while.

'Cause you're a stalker freak, i was your latest victim

My daddy said to "stay away from Juliet"

But I was everything to you 'though i was begging you to leave me alone and I said

(Repeat *)

Someone please save me and try to get me outta here

This part is difficult but he's coming for the kill

I'm so afraid I won't make it out of this mess, he is so confused, thinks I'm his princess.

I got tired of waiting, wondering if help is ever coming around

I feel like surrendering, when i met you on the outskirts of town and I said

"Oh please just spare me I'm not running anymore

I keep running but you're always right behind, is this in my head? I don't know what to think."

He knelt to the ground and pulled out a gun

And said "marry me Juliet, you'll never have to be alone

I love you and that's all I really know

I've kidnapped your dad, go pick out a white dress - It's our love story baby just say yes."

P/S: I emphasise once more the words bad B-grade horror movie. But I kinda fail as a songwriter  *rolls eyes*

The Best Romantic Comedies, Like, Ever!

It is with great pleasure that I revisit the realm of romantic comedies to come up with a list of the best rom-coms, like, ever. And believe me, it's not easy to narrow it down to a meager FIVE from three-thousand-seven-hundred-and...oh, I don't know, I lost count. 

Also, a nod of acknowledgement to those who'd contributed to the list in any possible way (you know who you are).

Photo taken from here

She's the Man - Based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, She's the Man stars Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum (in his pre-G.I. Joe days). Viola Hastings is a high school soccer player at Cornwall. When the female soccer team at her school gets the ax, she requests to join the boy's soccer team but she is rejected (by the boy's team's coach) and ridiculed by her goalie (ex) boyfriend Justin (Robert Hoffman). What does a girl do to seek retribution from being discriminated/humiliated but to join the soccer team at Illyria? She accomplishes the feat by impersonating her twin brother Sebastian (who leaves at the beginning of the movie for a music competition in London with his band). However, Viola soon finds herself falling for Duke (Tatum), team Illyria's striker who is also her/Sebastian's roomie. And then, there's trouble in the form of Justin, Monique (the real Sebastian's flaky bimbo girlfriend) and Olivia (whom Duke has a crush on). And through all this, Duke has no idea whatsoever that 'Sebastian' isn't really Sebastian but Viola in disguise. Oh the merry mess!
Memorable line - "Girls with a$$es like mine don't talk to guys with faces like yours" - Monique Valentine *chortles*

Photo taken from here

The Proposal - Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock! What's there not to like! Bullock plays Margaret, an uptight executive editor-in-chief for a book-publishing company while Reynolds plays Andrew, her assistant. However, one day, she is informed that she is about to be deported back to Canada due to an expired visa. To avoid deportation, Margaret forced Andrew to marry her...which he agrees, under the condition that she promises to give him a promotion. A visit to the Immigration office to settle the matter causes an INS agent becomes suspicious and announces that they would be asked questions about each other separately and if their answers do not match, Margaret would be deported and Andrew sent to jail. To make matters worse, Andrew has to fly home to Alaska for his grandmother's 90th birthday with Margaret in tow. As expected, family dynamics as well as lots of mayhem soon ensue.

Memorable scene - Definitely Margaret's encounter with Gammy (Andrew's grandmother) in the woods. Gammy does some dodgy tribal dance to the rhythm of some rap music and ropes Margaret in to join her. Utterly hilarious.

Photo taken from here

Just Go With It - Everybody is always pretending to be somebody they are not just to impress  somebody, and this notion is at the core of the movie. Adam Sandler plays Danny Maccabee, a successful (and single!) plastic surgeon who pretends to be stuck in an unhappy marriage to woo unsuspecting women. The only one who is aware of his shenanigans is Katherine, his office manager (played by Jennifer Aniston). When he meets and falls for a sixth grade math teacher, Palmer, Katherine finds herself an unwilling partner in crime as she is forced to play multiple characters to help Danny win Palmer. And then, just as other romantic comedies go, soon brews mutual attraction, then the usual boy-decides-to-marry-another, girl-leaves-heartbroken, then boy-decides-to-not-to-marry-another-after-the-momentous-epiphany-that-he-loves-girl, then boy and girl meet again, get married and live happily ever after. If only real life was this simple, right?
Memorable scene - The entire movie's hilarious, so deciding on just one is difficult. Well, one of my favourites is the part where Katherine forces Danny's cousin Eddie, to invite Palmer to dinner (so that Katherine and Danny could join Katherine's acquaintance Devlin for dinner). When Eddie asks what is he going to say to her all night, Katherine says "you spout crazy nonsense for hours in Eurotrashanese [...]". Eddie grudgingly agrees and asks if he does good, can he sleep in the bed with her. Katherine says (with much bewilderment) "No! Why! You've got a great private room!" And then the camera pans to the toilet, where the bathtub is set up like a bed with a pillow and comforter.

Photo taken from here

You've Got Mail - Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks! Pairing up for the third time since Joe Versus the Volcano in 1990 and Sleepless in Seattle in 1993, You've Got Mail follows the story of Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly. Both frequent the same coffee shop, shop at the same place, and even own competing bookstores - the former runs a chain of mega bookstores and the latter, the owner of a small, independently-owned bookstore. They are actually business rivals in real life (Joe's decision to open a new branch of his 'Foxbooks' risks putting Kathleen's small bookstore out of business), although, unbeknownst to them, they have been corresponding with each other over the internet for quite some time, both unaware of each other's identity (Joe uses the screen name 'NY152' while Kathleen uses the name 'Shopgirl'). They tell each other everything about their lives, including their private feelings, which gradually turn into affection for one another. But hey, what happens when identities are finally revealed?

Note - All this corresponding with a stranger and falling for her/him thing only works in movies, however. Rarely in real life would you find someone who is actually who she/he says he is and not some hamsap stalker or deranged lunatic.

Photo taken from here

(500) Days of Summer - One of the most awesome romantic comedies ever, (500) Days of Summer stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. The movie employs a non-linear storyline, or in other words, the story jumps from past to present on a frequent basis, so I suppose that this could get rather hairy sometimes, although it's really worth it in the end. Anyway, it tells of Tom, an aspiring architect working as a greeting card writer and his almost-manic scrutiny of his failed relationship with a girl named Summer (Deschanel). It is just his pure dumb luck, I guess, that he falls for a girl who thinks that true love belongs only in fairytales. However, the movie's cute, indie, kitschy and goes against almost all the other stereotypical romantic comedies that Hollywood seems to offer to the masses these days.

Memorable line: "It's love, not Santa Claus," says a bewildered Tom to Summer, who scoffs at the idea of love.

P/S: Numerous friends told me that About A Boy is pretty awesome too, but it stars Hugh Grant. That should tell you about the type of movie this is  *shudders*

But hey, I'm just being my normal biased self here, so feel free to check out the aforesaid movie  :)

Funny Things Caught on T-Shirts

This is no longer the era of t-shirts that read 'Winnie the Pooh' or 'Mickey Mouse' that are usually accompanied by sad imitations of the aforementioned cartoon characters that your mother buys from pasar pagi. Oh, don't get me wrong, these still exist, just overtaken by customized t-shirts that people tend to go for these days. Tees are now accompanied by carefully-chosen words that reflect the wearer's personality, among many other things, spruced up by glitter and diamante.

Apart from the more random ones like 'I *heart* my boyfriend' and 'Baseball Buddies', here are 5 sayings on personalized tees that really stood out:

1. Money Talks. Mine Always Says 'Goodbye'.

(saw this on a guy walking with his girlfriend at Sunway Pyramid. Both of them were loaded with shopping bags, I might add!)

2. Fat people are harder to kidnap.

(on the t-shirt of a friend. And yeah, he's a big guy. With lots of bling)

3. Don't Curse.

(seen on a guy at a football game - seriously, 'curse' and 'football game' belong in the same universe laa)

4. It's Not PMS, It's Just You (with an arrow pointing to the left).

(good words to wear when you're feeling absolutely b*tchy)

5. I'm not following you. I'm following the smell of coffee.

(perfect for stalkers who need an excuse)

A Local Guide to Creepy What-nots

So, when hearing horror stories from your friends (either around the campfire sharing s'mores or at the mamak going through glasses of teh tarik), surely you tend to get a lot of advice about what to do and what not to do. Of course, there are some silly ones, but still, they kinda make sense when you take a minute to think about them. Well, here's five of my favorite eerie do's and don'ts, although I claim no knowledge of their origins.

P/S: This is supposed to be a fun article - I'm not seeking to make fun of anybody's beliefs or religions. Ergo, if you're feeling a bit pantang talking about ghosties and what-nots, JUST MOVE ON ALREADY. 

Photo taken from here

1. Now here's something you hear a lot - don't stand at the corner of the lift. Apparently it is said that spirits like to lurk there (this is exemplified in various horror movies regardless Western or Asian. Imagine this: some poor unsuspecting soul enters the lift and presses the button. Then (s)he sees, from her/his peripheral vision, a dark shadow - usually the apparition of a long-haired woman in white or a child bouncing a ball or an old couple who bare their gums at you).
2. This is for the Chinese people out there who subscribe to the practices associated with the Hungry Ghost Festival (this is a lengthier and more formal way of saying 'celebrating the Hungry Ghost Festival'; the last time I used the word 'celebrating' alongside the said festival, a friend retorted "it's not a happy occasion, thus not a celebration"). So anyway, it is said that once you start offering food during this day you will need to keep up with it. They say that the same spirits would come looking for you again the following year. 
3. Karak Highway, the place of many eerie sightings. Some people claim that the so-called sightings are merely products of one's overworked imagination and all that, but some are convinced that the highway's really haunted. The verdict, I'd say, is still out there. But just to be on a safe side, make sure your phone's battery is always fully/half-charged and make sure your car's in tip-top condition.
4. If you hear anything odd when you're alone (either at home or at the office), do not call out or even worse, ask "is anybody there?" It is said that the spirits might be just horsing around and by calling out you're actually acknowledging their existence and in the process, they would only be too happy to keep bugging you.
5. When you drive along a lonely road at night, don't stop to pick up beautiful ladies dressed in white (for obvious reasons). Ladies, even if the man at the roadside is a hottie, stopping the car is not advisable. 

Standing Still and Looking Pretty

For as long as anybody could remember, there has always been this avid fascination with Hollywood movies, no matter how poorly-received they turn out to be. What was once the most important in any movie (the storyline) has taken the back seat to make room for A-list actors/actresses with too much botox and zero acting abilities. Surely deep down you agree? Ever go and watch a movie and think to yourself, "God this man/woman can't act!"?

Well, there you go: gorgeous people with no acting chops.

1. Kristen Stewart - So what she's the actress everybody's raving about? In case you didn't know, past movie credits include Panic Room, Zathura and heaven forbid, The Twilight Saga. When I first heard she was playing Bella Swan, the protagonist from my then-favourite set of books, I almost wept. Seriously, anybody who'd suffered through the past three movies (Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse) would know what I mean. She just walks around looking mopey and emotionless, and when, in any of the aforementioned three movies, she is being attacked by the baddie, you almost want to cheer. For the bad guy.
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger - He has to be in the list. The former bodybuilder/model/governor of California, his more well-known roles include Conan in the '80s and, of course, the Terminator series. His bulging muscles, I'd like to think, make up for his lack of facial expressions and acting skills. The only plus is that his Austrian accent has mellowed down since his Conan days (it was Bad back then - with a capital 'B')
3. Jessica Simpson - She should've just stuck to singing. Or rather, whatever it was she did at the start of her career before she and Nick Lachey split up. At least there had been some semblance of a real singer. And then, post-Nick Lachey, there was The Dukes of Hazzard and Blonde Ambition which cemented her status as a ditzy blonde bimbo with breathy vocals and all that. Afterwards, there was her foray into Country Music *coughs* And oh, if you must know, there was also her famous 'chicken or fish' comment on The Newlyweds.
4. Robert Pattinson - 'Model, singer, actor', reads his resume. He had a small part as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire before he clinched the role of Edward Cullen, the sparkly pretty-boy vampire who spends most of his time being broody and who falls in love with a mortal teenager (played by Kristen Stewart). Since then he was in Remember Me and Water for Elephants. Let's just face it, though, he's actually too pretty for rugged roles, and people seem to know him more as 'Edward Cullen' than his real name.
5.  Megan Fox - A male friend of mine was horrified that I hated Megan Fox in the first two Transformers movies as well as Jennifer's Body. From a guy's point of view, she's eye candy, all pouty-lipped and buxom-y. But if you'd noticed, she rarely does anything of significance except to stand still and look pretty. Real acting, I should remind you, is performing in a way that you capture the imagination of the audience. Real acting is like Casablanca or The Godfather - you empathize with the character, you relate to them, you weep a little (drooling over Ms. Fox doesn't count).  So yah, acting-wise, she fails on all counts. Obviously. 

Of Rom-coms and Sappy Disasters

When I hear the word 'romantic comedies' (rom-coms), the first name that pops into my mind is Hugh Grant (this is neither a compliment nor an insult). I shudder, truly. Being an international star for the past fifteen years, the man goes through nothing but romantic comedies. In fact, he's famous for them. OK lar, it isn't really fair to say all this guy does is rom-com (he did play a doctor in Extreme Measures, but it was received with mixed reviews). So, that movie aside, I sincerely believe that he could do rom-coms effortlessly, even in his sleep.

That's why this is a list of his more bearable movies (I said bearable, not acceptable or entertaining). I watched them once and refused to watch them again for fear of getting sucked back into mushy-dom.

Photo taken from here

Four Weddings and a Funeral - Wikipedia described Hugh's character as a "debonair but faux-pas-prone Englishman" and I couldn't agree more. Because the whole movie's literally about four weddings and a funeral, all he ever wears are suits. Ugly, totally unimaginative suits. Anyway, the movie is about Charles (Hugh's character) and an American woman (played by Andie MacDowell) who bumps into each other at four weddings and a funeral. But yes, Hugh has also been described as "endearingly awkward" in the movie. I mean, is he anything but?

Photo taken from here

Mickey Blue Eyes - Same old, same old, but with an extra twist: gangsters! But Hugh plays the kind of character you'd expect him to play - British and stylish with not a hair out of place and eyes like a lost puppy. This time he plays an auctioneer who proposes to his girlfriend only to be turned down. It turns out that his girlfriend's family is deeply involved in a mafia crime family and she doesn't want him to get sucked into a life of crime. Amidst all the fumbling and bumbling, count on his character to get involved with a serious crime that brings the FBI to his doorstep. It's more crime-comedy than rom-com, and Hugh Grant in crime-comedy is like oil and water, isn't it?

Photo taken from here

Music and Lyrics - Yet another romantic comedy. So Hugh is a former pop music idol who belonged in the fictional 80's band PoP! His career has since then nosedived and now now he earns a living singing his old hits to his middle-aged fans. This is the part where I roll my eyes. What's with Hugh Grant and middle-aged women! His voice being...OK is his only saving grace, methinks. But really, as rom-coms go, boy falls for girl, girl leaves boy, boy projects his puppy-eyed stare onto our side of the idiot box (that makes women go all warm and fuzzy and mushy), then boy gets back together with girl lives happily ever after

*heavy sighs*

Photo taken from here

Notting Hill - OK, this rom-com I kinda like. But really, the character Hugh plays (Will Thacker) is so stereotypical I want to smack the director over the head: he's British, he owns a bookstore and he's the awkward and bumbling type. But Julia Roberts is a nice addition - she plays a Hollywood actress who goes into his bookstore to get a book and they find themselves attracted to one another. However, I must say that I draw the line at cheesy phrases like "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy asking him to love her". Absolutely puke-inducing.

Photo taken from here

Two Weeks Notice - This is a typical Hugh Grant sort of movie, where he plays an "immature billionaire real estate tycoon", a greedy and reckless lout of a playboy (adjective overload, sorry). Sandra Bullock, on the other hand, is a liberal lawyer specializing in environmental law. In exchange for his word to protect the Coney Island community center she agrees to work for him as his Chief Counsel. But again, the storyline is as predictable as my pinkie finger, but I ran out of the more bearable Hugh Grant movies and after much contemplating, I decided on this.

*Sighs* Well, if you'd noticed, Hugh Grant only ever plays two types of characters in his very impressive span of fifteen years as a Hollywood star - the bumbling English idiot or the suave businessman who is also a jerk.

Don't get me wrong, though - I have no qualms against these kind of characters, but Hugh, please go get yourself killed or chopped to pieces (in the movies) already! (It might also give your career the boost it sadly needs right now)

A Guide to Surviving Horror Movies, Pt. 2

As you're bound to realize, ladies and gentlemen, the previous post was done in quite a hurry, so what you have is, sadly, an incomplete list. A jumble of useless advice about horror movies have been racing top-speed in and out of my head lately, and I'm just itching to put them down. So bear with me as we revisit this, all right?

• It's late at night (cue the howling wind and thunder and lightning) and if your dog suddenly starts howling for no reason, don't say "what's the matter, girl? Wanna go out?" Tragic accidents are bound to happen during stormy nights.
• When you're trap in an old house, stay away from the basement or the attic. Better still, just get out of the house.
• If your friend suddenly begin to develop a fascination for blood or become increasingly hairy, get away from them as soon as possible. At this point, the saying 'friendship forever' no longer applies.



Photo taken from here

• Anniversary nights of terrifying rituals/horrible murders/tragic accidents should be regarded with fear. Never try to throw a party in the victim's honour, even if your intentions are good.

• Closets are never a good place to hide. Under the bed or in the bathroom aren't really the best ideas either.
• If anything besides water (read: black goo, foul liquid) ever comes out of the tap, calling the plumber would be rather pointless. Just vacate the house.
• Take heed of warning from young children and animals. They usually know more than you do. If your child or pet starts exhibiting odd behavior (crying or barking for no reason), just run already.
• Never attempt to bring your dearly beloved, recently departed cat or any family member back to life. 
• Don't stop in small towns with only one pump at the gas station.
• If you hear weird noises coming from under your bed, curb that curiosity, do yourself a favour and don't look under the bed.
• Never trust the exorcist when he says things like "it's over". They lie.

Photo taken from here

• Don't take back roads to save time. Always stay on the highway, or better still, endure the jam. The back roads are called short 'cuts' for a reason.
• Be extra nice to the weird/unpopular kid in school - they could be your only hope of survival. Worse case scenario: you're next on their to-kill list.
• If your friends wants to hang out in the cemetery, don't go.
• Don't succumb to peer pressure, even when they are passing around the bottle. Remember, say no to human blood.

Photo taken from here

A Guide to Surviving Horror Movies

Being horror-movie aficionados, it is only logical to have amassed a wealth of do's and don'ts along the way. So yes, ladies and gentlemen, here's my part of the list, gathered from the many years of suffering through (often) lame horror movies.

Photo taken from here

• Never pick up hitchhikers. They could be ax-murderers or phantom riders.
• Don't go to the basement, especially when the power's gone out. I know you have a flashlight, but it might just flicker and die out on you.
• Beware of strangers with chainsaws, machetes or in general, anything that could be used to carve you up like a turkey.
• If your car runs out of gas at night, don't go to the nearest farmhouse/kampung house for help. Chances are that you'd meet someone who either chop you into pieces or lock you up.
• Always listen to the crazy townsfolk who say that the area is cursed. Take the first bus out of town.
• Don't try to be the hero; it will get you nowhere. Based on my horror-movie experience, everybody dies. Even the hero.
• Always check on the history of a house before buying it; it might be built above a cemetery or something.
• If you found out that there's a curse placed on your family, disown them, change your name and move away immediately.
• Self-sacrifice is always a bad idea. The person you sacrifice your life for would usually end up dead anyway.
• If you hear a strange noise and a friend suddenly disappears, abandon the friend and just run. The friend can take care of him/herself.

Photo taken from here

• Puzzle boxes are difficult to solve for a reason.
• Never open the closet door, especially if you hear weird scratching or heavy breathing from the other side.
• Skeptics are always proven wrong in painful and fatal ways. Be the believer.

Nails

I visited Katy Perry's blog the other day and saw a couple of posts that inspired my topic for today: NAILS! Or to be more precise, fingernails! Although I'm not really particular about her fashion sense, her nail arts are a different story all together.

Gone are the days that nails are merely painted. These days people do weirdly amazing (sort of an oxymoron, I know, but still) stuff with their nails, and I don't mean merely adding another hue or some sparkly bits - I'm talking about the whole shebang: cute portraits, tiny plastic objects. Hence, Katy Perry's nails.

Photo taken from here
Not only can you eat sushi - you can even put them on your nails these days. They kinda look like an intricately painful process. I wonder how Katy gets around having to last one whole day taking extra care not to mess up her nail decos.

Photo taken from here
A tribute to the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, her nails are adorned with pictures of Prince William and Kate Middleton. In all its eccentricity, it's a rather patriotic gesture from the Fireworks chanteuse who's married to comedian Russell Brand.

Photo taken from here
The Smurfs! There's one of Papa Smurf, another of Brainy Smurf and then a few of Smurfette, of which she provided the voice for in the upcoming movie, The Smurfs. Check out also the premiere of the movie where she wore a Smurfette dress here.

Photo taken from here
Some say gumball, some say sprinkles...to each your own, I guess. But they are pretty, are they not? An explosion of colours at the least expected places. But the amount of glue used to stick all those mini ball-thingies together shouldn't be all too good for the nails in the long run.

Photo taken from here
Mr. Katy Perry himself! Oh, err, I mean, Russell Brand. This was before they actually got hitched anyway. First glance, though, I thought they were of the lead singer from The Rasmus, Lauri Ylonen and I thought to myself, why on earth...? This particular thought was followed by whoops, that's Russell! That said, there's a resemblance, no?

Photo taken from here
Ahh, Halloween! Every ghoulie's favourite time of the year! The coolest thing to do next to dressing up as a ghoul/witch/spaceman/vampire/Freddy Kruger at a costume party is to wear Halloween on your nails  :)

P/S: The art of having individual art for every nail is called 'Minx'. Basically, rather than nail polish, heavy-duty stickers are put on your nails. These stickers are usually personalized graphics with photo-quality designs said to last for about 4-8 days. And in Malaysia (especially in Malaysia) I don't think they come cheap anyway. And just FYI, I heard they're available at Bangsar Village 2  :)

TV Junkie

Ever rush home from tuition just so you could catch your favourite TV show on telly? Or worse, find the need to skip classes on certain days so that you could feed your Gossip Girl addiction?

For you fellow TV Junkies out there, here are my most anticipated TV series coming to Malaysian shore premiering in the US in the fall, or more accurately, September - November (you don't necessarily have to wait a year or so for the TV shows to arrive in Malaysia - be creative, OK)

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• The Secret Circle - Fans of TV's The Vampire Diaries, do take note: TSC is based on yet another one of LJ Smith's works (the books in the trilogy are The Initiation, The Captive and The Power so go and get these if you must) It differs slightly from Smith's work, although the core concept is the same. Set in the fictional town of Chance Harbor, Washington, it tells of six teenagers who discover that they come from a long line of witches (the trilogy has twelve members in the town of New Salem, Maine but oh well, having twelve young adults on set would be messy). Members of the cast include Britt Robertson (Life Unexpected), Thomas Decker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) and (hell yesss) Gale Harold (Queer As Folk).

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• Once Upon A Time - Loosely inspired by classic fairytales, Once Upon A Time has characters like Snow White, Prince Charming, Rumplestiltskin and Jiminy Cricket, among others. A woman is drawn to a small town in Maine, where she soon discovers that the town is actually a parallel world in which fairytale characters look like normal people and do not remember their true identities or anything else about their past lives. Notable casts include Jennifer Morrison (House), Joshua Dallas and Jamie Dornan (Marie Antoinette).

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• Ringer - Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) in the lead role, the series is about twin sisters Bridget and Siobhan, who have been at odds and found their lives unraveling at the same time. On a boat trip together, Siobhan disappears mysteriously and is presumed to be dead. Bridget, who is a recovering alcoholic, is running from the mob, and in order to stay alive, takes on her sister's identity and soon discovers that there is more to Siobhan's life than she imagines. Also starring Kristoffer Polaha (Life Unexpected) and Ioan Gruffudd (King Arthur, Fantastic Four).

Photo taken from here

• Grimm - The series puts a new twist/modern spin to the stories of The Brothers Grimm. Set in Portland, Oregon, a homicide detective finds out that he is the descends from a group of hunters called 'Grimms' who fight supernatural forces. Being the last of his kind, he has to protect humanity (why, I wonder, do they have to be so dramatic/ambitious and want to save the whole world?) from the sinister folklore/storybook characters that have crossed over to the real world.

Photo taken from here

• New Girl - I don't usually root for sitcoms, but this, I cannot resist, because it stars Zooey Deschanel as the main character, Jessica. As she tries to get over her breakup with her model boyfriend, she moves in with three single guys, who, with Jessica's friend Cece, teach Jessica about love and life. New Girl also stars Damon Wayans, Jr. (Happy Endings) and Max Greenfield (Veronica Mars, Ugly Betty).

A Girl's Response to the Post 'Childhood Superhero'.

*writer's note: this is not, in any way, a superhero post, although the title seems to indicate so*

Friends think I'm weird because I didn't watch Transformers or Power Rangers while growing up. Sadder still, I missed the Ultraman and Doraemon era too (now now, don't be sexist, many girls I know watch Transformers and Ultraman and the likes too)

Not to say I'm a brat or anything, but growing up, I watched stuff like:

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She-Ra: Princess of Power - introduced as Force Captain Adora, She-Ra is the twin sister of Adam, or better known as He-Man. The spin-off from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power was aimed primarily at young girls to counter He-Man's popularity with the boys. She was one of the first superheroes I was introduced to, and for a long time, just like any other young girl, I wanted to be just like her.

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Jem and the Holograms - Jem was a rockstar, and a super cool one at that. Running from 1985-1988, Jem and the Holograms tells of the main character, Jerrica and her rockstar alter-ego Jem, who belonged in a band called The Holograms. She was able to transform into her alter-ego with the help of a synthesizing and holographic talking computer called Synergy. But yeah, Jem contribute to my punk phase with her funky pink hair, painted face and awesome wardrobe.

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The Smurfs - Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1981, the Smurfs are small blue creatures who wore white hats in the style of a Phrygian cap and white stockings/trousers (except Papa Smurf, who wore red). I was introduced to the Smurfs when I was but a wee child, and always thought that Clumsy Smurf was adorable  :)

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Star Wars: Ewoks - Not many people know that there's actually an Ewok animation. Well, like the rest of the Star Wars universe, the Ewoks are created by the great master George Lucas and ran from 1985 to 1986. Set in the Ewok village on the forest moon of Endor, the series tells of the adventures of Wickett and his friends Princess Kneesa, Teebo and Latara during the years before Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (yes, Star Wars fan here...the old trilogy, at least)

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Care Bears - Did you know these bears made their debut on American greeting cards back in 1981? They only had their own TV series in 1985; alongside these TV series are three feature films (1985-1987). Furry, cute and cuddly creatures who protect and guide young children, the Care Bears live on Care-A-Lot. Each Bear's identity is depicted through the badges on their bellies/chests.

P/S: Maybe I am a brat - notice that all the aforementioned cartoons are either American, Canadian or British. Justifiably, growing up overseas didn't give me much choice in the first place anyway. But if it helps, I did go through my Sailormoon phase when I was about ten.

PP/S: Also, if you were wondering, the previous Ultraman post wasn't mine!

Malaysian Horror Movies

In the spirit of being Malaysian, I watch Malaysian movies from time to time. I rarely expect much, but some movies do exceed my expectations. Being the horror movie aficionado that I am, here's my list of my favourite Malaysian horror movies.

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• Karak - Based on urban legends and eerie sightings along the Karak Highway in Pahang, this movie is KRU Studio's first foray into the supernatural genre. It tells of four college students on their ways back to Kuantan. Getting stuck in a traffic jam, they decide to take the shorter and creepier alternative back route that requires them to cut through the Karak town to fatal consequences.

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• Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam (PHSM) - Both the first and the second one share a certain mystique old Malay feel. Directed by Suhaimi Baba, PHSM tells of a dancer, Meriam and two friends who fall in love with her. Due to a cruel twist of fate Meriam ends up dead but later returns in a form of a vengeful female spirit (a pontianak) to seek revenge on those who had wronged her in the past.

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• Senjakala - Directed by Ahmad Idham, the movie tells of a woman, Karlisa who returns to her mother's kampung, Kampung Senja Lama after the death of her fiance. There, she meets and falls for a mysterious man, Arman, the black sheep of the kampung folks and the keeper of the 'saka' (a demon passed down from generation to generation in the family). However, things appear to be more complicated than they seem as Karlisa learns of her family's connection to the 'saka'. 

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• Sini Ada Hantu - Coming from James Lee, this is a breathe of fresh air after his first foray into the local horror scene in 2008 with his movie Histeria. Anyway, Sini Ada Hantu is part comedy, part horror. Using the story within a story formula common to other Asian horror movies, the movie tells of two van drivers on a last-minute assignment of delivering a coffin (with a dead body inside) to their boss's hometown for the funeral ceremony. Along the way, they took turns exchanging ghost stories - 1) Hantu Pokok Pisang; 2) Hantu Nombor Ekor and 3) Hantu Jepun, and soon, odd things begin to happen to the two drivers.

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• Khurafat: Perjanjian Syaitan - Of forbidden pacts made with the devil and consequences of such pacts, Khurafat is the story of Johan, a medical assistant, and his new wife, Aisyah. Their marital bliss comes to an abrupt end when mysterious apparitions begin to haunt them. Added to the mess is the mysterious woman whom Johan keeps encountering on hospital grounds as well as the return of his ex-girlfriend Anna to complicate his marriage.

Childhood superhero

This will be a childish post about my childhood superheroes.

I know most of us have memories of Batman or Superman or whatever man..

When I was young, my superhero is  Ultraman, Kamen Riders and Super Sentai's !! Yes Yes its the Japanese superheroes that had my attention.

We all change but heroes will remain as heroes. 

With the advancement of technology, all my superheroes has changed. 

What is Ultraman? They are superheroes from another planet that posses a human to protect earth from falling to the hands of Aliens and monster. 

Here is the evolution of the first Ultraman to the current Ultraman. 

First gen Ultraman

Ultraman Zero

My next superhero is Kamen Riders. I would understand if a girl does not know what Kamen Rider is, but if a guy does not know what Kamen Rider is..sigh you don't have a childhood. (my mere opinion)

Kamen Riders are modified humans that were chosen to protect earth. They posses the power to transform or better known as HENSHIN into a godly like character to protect earth. 

This is the my favorite Kamen Rider and a comparison with the latest Kamen Rider.

Kamen Rider Black RX ( ahhh memories) Below is Kamen Rider Fourze. Latest Kamen Rider

Finally, it would be the super sentai's. Well in USA, the Super Sentai's are known as Power Rangers. 

I prefer the Japanese version because it is more original and more fun to watch. 

Super Sentai's are superheroes that consist of 6 or 7 members and they all fight against the invasion of aliens.

They have a super big robot that will help them fight against giant aliens.

So this is the latest super sentai and the first super sentai.

Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger

Goranger (first ever sentai)

So these are my favorite superheroes? Do you have any superheroes that you fondly remember of?

And yes I know this is childish but it is still something worth remembering. =)

Child Stars - Then and Now

Oh the Monday Blues *dramatic sigh*

Right, let's get down to work, ladies and gentlemen; first entry of the week is always a tricky one. I was up almost all night jotting down ideas for this week's entries and ended up classifying them as either 'too age-inappropriate', 'too radical', 'too boring' or just plain 'weird' (don't get me wrong; blogging is fun, but not if you're plagued with writer's block).

OK, so starlets of the 80s/90s.

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1) Haley Joel Osment - Mr. Haley Joel "I-See-Dead-People" Osment is on the top of my list because truth be told, he made quite an impression as Cole Sear in The Sixth Sense. Fans would probably remember him in Forrest Gump (1994). Since then, his more known movies include Pay It Forward (2000) and Secondhand Lions (2003).

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2) Drew Barrymore - She was only 7 when she played the adorable Gertie in the movie E.T., and in 1984, she played Charlie McGee in Firestarter, which was based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. One of the most recognizable child stars of Hollywood, Barrymore went on to star in Poison Ivy (1992), Ever After (1998) and Charlie's Angels (2000).

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3) Edward Furlong - He played the young John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Daniel Vinyard in American History X (1998). Like most of the child stars of his time, he had a long battle with alcoholism and drug abuse; a string of lesser-known movies followed, and he was almost unrecognizable when he played baddie Shane Casey in multiple episodes of CSI: NY in 2006 and 2010.

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4) Lindsay Lohan - Although I don't really like the direction she's taken her life these days, I've decided that I shouldn't allow my personal feelings cloud my judgment. Honestly, though, her earlier movies are good, especially the remakes of The Parent Trap (1998) and Freaky Friday (2003). Between launching a clothing line, shoplifting, posting/skipping bail for and her rehab stints, she has signed on to play Kim Gotti, wife of NYC mobster John Gotti in Gotti: Three Generations alongside John Travolta, scheduled to start filming this year (2011).

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5) Christian Bale - Before he played the wealthy millionaire-playboy-in-a-batlike-costume Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008) or the grown-up John Connor in Terminator Salvation (2009), he was Jim Graham in The Empire of the Sun (1987) and Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island (1990). His other noted movies include The Secret Agent (1996) and American Psycho (2000).

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6) Kirsten Dunst - She was only 12 when she played the vampiress Claudia alongside more well-known names like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire in 1994 (for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress). She also achieved international fame from her portrayal of Mary Jane Watson in the Spiderman trilogy (2002-2007) and Marie Antoinette (2006).

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7) Frankie Muniz - I simply adored him in Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006). An actor, writer, musician, producer and racecar driver, Muniz also played the title role in the movie Agent Cody Banks (2003) and its sequel, which opened a year later. He was also in Stay Alive and guest-starred in an episode of Criminal Minds in 2007.

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8) Natalie Portman - Before she played a ballerina in Black Swan, Natalie Portman was an orphan taken in by a hitman in Leon (1994), Padme Amidala, mother of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia in the new Star Wars trilogy (1999-2005) and the tragic Anne Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008).

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9) Macaulay Culkin - He's one of those child actors that, no matter how much stubble he tries to grow, still remains as baby-faced as always. He was only 10 when he played Kevin McCallister in Home Alone (1990) and its subsequent sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Fans would also remember him in Michael Jackson's Black or White video and in Kings (the 2009 TV series alongside Christopher Egan and Ian McShane, based on the biblical story of King Saul and David).

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10) Neil Patrick Harris - Dr. Doogie Howser himself *lecherous grin* He was only 16 when he won the lead on Doogie Howser, M.D., and since then he's gone on to star in How I Met Your Mother as Barney Stinton and the movie Beastly, playing the blind tutor Will Fratalli. Fans of Glee would also remember him as Bryan Ryan, a former McKinley High Glee Club member.