My 10 favourite Christmas movies

Here's a list of my 10 favorite Christmas movies:

1) It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
I bet this movie is on everybody's Top 10 list. A charming little movie with a happy ending...who can resist watching this on Christmas. the story is about an angel who helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.

2) Gremlins (1984)
Not a typical holiday movie but still fun to watch. A boy gets a furry, cuddly gift for Christmas and it turns out to be a nightmare for the whole town.

3) Home Alone (1990)
Another fun movie to watch in Christmas. Chris Columbus' comedy classic is about an eight year-old who is accidentally left behind when his whole family goes on holiday. Alone for Christmas, the boy has to defend his home against some bumbling burglars.

4) Die Hard (1988)
A rare action movie during Christmas...Bruce Willis plays a New York cop has to save everybody held hostage by terrorists in a building including his wife.

5) A Christmas Story (1983)
Nice little movie.....Ralphie has to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder BB gun really is the perfect gift for the 1940's.

6) A Christmas Visitor (2002)
This is a TV movie but stands out over the rest of the crappy holidays movies shown on Hallmark channel every year. A couple decides not to celebrate Christmas for 11 years after their son dies in the war. However one year a stranger visits and teaches them the meaning of forgiveness, redemption and letting go.

7) Scrooged (1988)
A comedy version of The Christmas Carol. With the help of the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, Frank Cross (Bill Murray) learns to change his selfish, cynical ways.

8) The Polar Express (2004)
Great animated movie. Watch it on 3D if possible. On Christmas Eve, a doubting boy boards a magical train that's headed to the North Pole and Santa Claus's home.

9) Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Another holiday classic. Young Natalie Wood plays Susan, a girl who believes that the Santa in Macy's Departmental Store could be the real thing.

10) White Christmas (1954)
The movie which introduces the whole world to the famous song. Nobody sings White Christmas like Bing Crosby. A successful song-and-dance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont Inn.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

The Top 10 Most Pirated Movies in 2010

TorrentFreak has reported that Avatar is the most pirated film of the year, with 16,580,000 downloads on BitTorrent alone. According to the website, "Never before have we seen this many downloads of a movie in a single year. This honor previously belonged to last year’s winner Star Trek with 10,960,000 downloads, but Avatar quashed this previous record."

The top ten most downloaded movies on BitTorrent in 2010 is as follows:

1. Avatar - 16,580,000
2. Kick-Ass - 11,400,000
3. Inception - 9,720,000
4. Shutter Island - 9,490,000
5. Iron Man 2 - 8,810,000
6. Clash Of The Titans - 8,040,000
7. Green Zone - 7,730,000
8. Sherlock Holmes - 7,160,000
9. The Hurt Locker - 6,850,000
10. Salt - 6,700,000

The Origin of TRON

For those of you old enough to remember, the first Tron movie was release in 1982. The movie was praised for its visual effects which combined live-action and animation, and is one of the first movie of its time which utilizes the green-screen technique.

The movie was a box office success, grossing $33 million in the United States. and developed into a cult classic, eventually spawning a franchise, consisting of video games, comic books and an animated TV series.

And finally 28 years later, the sequel "Tron: Legacy" is finally out.

Before you watch it, you might want a recap of the first movie.

Young Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn

Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is a software engineer who works for ENCOM. He has developed several video games. However, his colleague, Ed Dillinger (David Warner) has stolen Flynn's program and presented it as his own. Dillinger was eventually promoted to senior executive while Flynn was reduced to running a video arcade.

Bruce Boxleitner with his geeky gigantic frames

Flynn hacks into the ENCOM mainframe which is protected by the Master Control Program (MCP). Somehow the MCP takes control of a laser which digitizes Flynn and sends him into the ENCOM mainframe.

Cheezy effects and costumes

Flynn finds that the digital world is being ruled by the MCP and his evil chief henchman Sark. Fkynn is captured by "Programs" and forced to participate in the gladiatorial games. With help from Tron, a security program, Flynn sets out to destroy the MCP.

The Light Cycles

To complete the whole story, you might also want to check out:

Tron: Betrayal

Tron: Betrayal

This is a 2-part comic book which servers as a sequel to the first Tron movie.

The story is set in 1983 where Kevin Flynn has become the CEO of Encom. Flynn is secretly building The Grid. The story also serves as an introduction of the isomorphic programs or ISOs.

Kevin creates Clu2, an updated version of Clu which was introduced in the first movie. Clu2 becomes more prejudiced against the ISOs, and feels that they are a threat to his "perfect system". As things get complicated, Flynn is going to need the help of his old friend, a security program named Tron.

Tron: Evolution

Tron: Evolution

This is a video-game which serves as a prequel to the movie Tron: Legacy and sequel to the graphic novel Tron: Betrayal.

The game gives you the backstory behind Clu2's fall from grace and introduces Quorra. In the game, you will attempt to unravel the source behind the latest viral attacks on the ISOs by the mysterious program, Abraxas.

If you are still confused, let's take a look at the Chronology of Events (thanks to Tron's official website):

Early 1970's

• Dr. Walter Gibbs leaves academia to found a garage start-up company he calls ENCOM.

1980

• ENCOM creates its first mainframe.
• The Grid forms within the mainframe as a place where programs can freely interact and games are played by programs.
• Dr. Walter Gibbs creates the Master Control Program (MCP) to regulate the mainframe at ENCOM.
• Kevin Flynn earns his doctorate from Cal Tech. He is immediately hired by ENCOM where he quickly climbs the corporate ladder to become a lead software developer.
• Using ENCOM's facilities, and without the knowledge of his superiors, Flynn designs several games, developing Space Paranoids, Matrix Blaster, Vice Squad, Light Cycles, and numerous other titles.
• Ed Dillinger fires Kevin Flynn, his rival at ENCOM, and takes credit for the games Flynn created under the radar.
• Money comes rolling in to ENCOM as a result of the games Kevin Flynn designed.
• Flynn and Dr. Lora Baines begin to date. It ends after a few months.

1981

• Ed Dillinger quickly climbs the corporate ladder at ENCOM based on the success of the games he "stole" from Kevin Flynn and he becomes Senior Executive Vice President of ENCOM.
• Dillinger demotes Dr. Walter Gibbs, founder of ENCOM. Gibbs uses his free time to begin research on practical applications of quantum mechanics and lasers.
• The Master Control Program evolves and gains control in the Grid. It begins consuming programs beyond its network in the real world and sends unneeded ones into the Game Grid to ultimately be destroyed.
• Flynn buys an old arcade, calling it Flynn's Arcade, uses his own games as the focal point of his business.

1982

• Kevin Flynn hacks the ENCOM mainframe with his search program Clu to find evidence of Ed Dillinger's wrongdoing.
• The Master Control Program, the overlord of the system at ENCOM, finds and derezzes Clu before he could access the data he was looking for.
• Alan Bradley, a high-level programmer at ENCOM, has suspicions and creates a program named Tron to monitor the Master Control Program to ensure it stays in line.
• Alan Bradley complains to his co-worker and girlfriend, Dr. Lora Baines, about Ed Dillinger and losing network access at work due to a hacker. Suspecting Kevin Flynn is the hacker, Lora convinces Alan to help warn him. Together, they break into ENCOM so Kevin Flynn can gain access to the mainframe.
• Kevin Flynn is detected in the Grid by the Master Control Program while at a terminal in the Laser Bay.
• After being digitized by a laser into the Grid by the Master Control Program, Kevin Flynn teams up with Alan Bradley's and Lora Baines' program avatars in the system — Tron and Yori. Together, they overcome the MCP and stop the corruption of the digital realm.
• When Kevin Flynn is digitized back to the real world, Kevin Flynn has the evidence that he, not Ed Dillinger, wrote the games the company was famous for.

1983

• Kevin Flynn becomes the Chief Executive Officer of ENCOM and begins work on a new digital realm - the TRON system. He recreates many programs based on familiar ones in the ENCOM system but with his own flare and ingenuity.
• Flynn hires Alan Bradley as Chief Operating Officer of ENCOM.
• The first program Kevin Flynn creates is a simple resource distribution platform called Shaddox.
• Flynn recreates CLU, now as a control program, to watch over the TRON System when he is not inside.
• Sam Flynn is born to Kevin Flynn and Jordan Canas.

1985

• ENCOM has gone public and become the largest video game company in the world.
• Flynn retires from game design to pursue digital research exclusively and focuses his energies on the TRON system — easily traveling in and out of the system by laser technology.

1986

• ENCOM becomes an established powerhouse in computing and game culture.

1988

• Flynn writes and publishes a book "Digital Frontier."
• Flynn claims to have stumbled upon an incredible discovery that could change the world and promises to reveal details "soon."

1989

• In the real world, Flynn disappears completely, leaving his son and company adrift.
• Guardianship of Sam goes to his paternal grandparents.
• With Kevin Flynn gone, the ENCOM board votes Alan Bradley as interim Chief Executive Officer.

1990

• Many sightings of Kevin Flynn are reported, but none are confirmed.
• The Flynn Lives! movement begins in earnest.

1994

• First Flynn Lives! meeting is held in Dayton, Ohio. The group organizes efforts to find the truth behind Kevin Flynn's mysterious disappearance.

1995

• Sam's grandfather dies.

1998

• A letter from Kevin Flynn to a founding member of the Flynn Lives! Movement gains media attention, but is subsequently proven a hoax.

2000

• Sam's grandmother dies.

2001

• A $5,000 reward is offered by the Flynn Lives! group to anyone who can provide proof that Kevin Flynn is alive.

2002

• Conflict is brewing in the TRON system.

2006

• Alan Bradley is stripped of his power as Chief Executive Officer of ENCOM, but is allowed to remain in the company as a figurehead, the Chairman Emeritus.

2007

• The "Albino Cow" sighting of Kevin Flynn sparks renewed interest in the Flynn Lives! group.

2008

• Uninterested in the family business, Sam Flynn chooses a path of extreme sports and daring stunts.
• Sam Flynn's preferred vehicle is his father's old Ducati motorcycle.

2010

• ENCOM is the largest multinational computer technology company in the world.
• Flynn Lives! Organization reveals new information about Kevin Flynn and follows traces of evidence of his mysterious disappearance.
• A mysterious message is sent to Alan Bradley's old pager — the phone number it came from is the now-abandoned Flynn's Arcade.

How do cinemas make money

Have you wondered how cinema operators make their money?

Cinemas have 3 major sources of revenue: the movie tickets, the concessions, and the onscreen advertisements.

Tickets
When you pay $10 for your ticket, who gets that money? Basically most of the money goes back to the movie studio. The movie studio leases the movie to a cinema for a set period of time. In the first couple of weeks of the movie opening, the cinema only gets to keep about 20–25% of the collection. The percentage decreases on each week that a movie is in the cinema. If the screening was arranged by an independent distrbutor, he also takes a slice.

Concessions
Everybody buys snacks at the concession stand. Without the concession stands, cinemas could not stay in business. For a $5 popcorn that they sell, the cost is only 50 cents. A $3 Coke costs only 10 cents to the cinema. Imagine the amount of money they make from the other snacks.

Onscreen Advertisements
Sometimes studios also pay cinemas to show trailers. Advertisements that play before the main movie also make money for the cinemas. Advertisers will pay the cinemas to screen their ads. If the movie is a blockbuster, the cinema might charge higher.

Costs
The costs of running a cinema include the price of leasing the building (or floor space), equipment and maintenance, the cost of leasing the actual films, and the cost of paying their employees.

For more info, here's an interesting article on The Cost of Going To The Movies.

The Season of the Witch is Here

The new movie "Season of the Witch" will open in cinemas on 6th Jan 2011.

Nicholas Cages plays a 14th-century knight who has been assigned to transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks suspect her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.

Hollywood has always had a fascination with witches whether they are scary or funny or sexy. The following are the 10 things that scares me the most about movie witches.

1) Witches who disguises themselves as a friend. 

The witch and her poison apple

In "Snow White", the evil stepmother disguises herself as an old woman and offers Snow White an apple which has been poisoned. When Snow White eats the apple, she immediately falls into a deep sleep.

2) Sexy witches who preys on men.

The sexy witches from The Craft

 In "The Craft", a group of teenage girls practice witchcraft and they all soon conjure up various spells and curses to get what they want, especially men!

3) Witches who cannot be seen. 

A scene from The Blair Witch Project

 In "The Blair Witch Project", three film students set out to make a documentary about a local urban legend - The Blair Witch. Lost in the woods, they soon discover that the infamous witch might not be a legend after all. The true horror in the movie is in the darkness and unknown, where you know something is lurking but cannot be seen.

4) Old, ugly witches.

One of the 3 Stygian witches in the 1981 version of Clash of The Titans

In "Clash of the Titans", Perseus has to find the Stygian witches, three old and wise blind women who share one eye. When I saw the original in 1981, the witches gave me nightmares with their ugly looks and crackling voices.

5) Witches who hates children.

Angelica Houston before and after make-up

In the movie version of Roald Dahl's "The Witches", Angelica Houston hates children and starts turning them into mice.

6) Finding out your wife is a witch.

Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell in Bewitched

 Although she may be as hot as Nicole Kidman, trust me it's no fun to be married to a witch. Darrin finds out the hard way when he discovered his wife is a witch in the movie "Bewitched".

7) Witches who keeps weird flying monkeys as pets.

The Witch and one of her Flying Monkeys

Possibly one of the best movies about witches of all time, "The Wizard of Oz" features the Wicked Witch of the West send a pack of flying monkeys after Dorothy.

8) Witches who perform gruesome murders.

A gruesome scene from Suspiria

I first watched "Suspiria" when I was a young boy and I was terrified by the amount of blood in the movie. Dario Argento's masterpiece follows the story of a young ballerina who arrives at a prestigious dance school in Germany only to discover it is run by a coven of witches. The murder scenes are gruesome and definitely not for the faint of heart.

9) Witches with bad hair.

Helena Bonham Carter

The infamous witch in the "Harry Potter" series is definitely Bellatrix Lestrange, played by Helena Bonham Carter. Ballatrix is aArguably Lord Voldemort's most loyal and pure evil Death Eater. The most distinguishable feature of Bellatrix is her untamed mane of hair with white streaks at the side.

10) Witches who talks and cackles too much.

The witches from Hocus Pocus

In Disney's "Hocus Pocus", Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy plays the Sanderson sisters, who, comes back to life after three hundred years to steal the lives of young children before the black flame candle is out or perish forever. In the movie, the sisters talks and cackles too much, and even sings at one point.

Nominations for the 68th Golden Globe Awards

Best Motion Picture - Drama

Black Swan (2010)
The Fighter (2010)
Inception (2010)
The King's Speech (2010)
The Social Network (2010)

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Burlesque (2010/I)
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Red (2010/I)
The Tourist (2010)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network (2010)
Colin Firth for The King's Speech (2010)
James Franco for 127 Hours (2010)
Ryan Gosling for Blue Valentine (2010)
Mark Wahlberg for The Fighter (2010)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Halle Berry for Frankie and Alice (2010)
Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole (2010)
Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone (2010)
Natalie Portman for Black Swan (2010)
Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine (2010)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Johnny Depp for The Tourist (2010)
Johnny Depp for Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Paul Giamatti for Barney's Version (2010)
Jake Gyllenhaal for Love and Other Drugs (2010)
Kevin Spacey for Casino Jack (2010)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Anne Hathaway for Love and Other Drugs (2010)
Angelina Jolie for The Tourist (2010)
Julianne Moore for The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Emma Stone for Easy A (2010)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Christian Bale for The Fighter (2010)
Michael Douglas for Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)
Andrew Garfield for The Social Network (2010)
Jeremy Renner for The Town (2010)
Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech (2010)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Amy Adams for The Fighter (2010)
Helena Bonham Carter for The King's Speech (2010)
Mila Kunis for Black Swan (2010)
Melissa Leo for The Fighter (2010)
Jacki Weaver for Animal Kingdom (2010)

Best Director - Motion Picture

Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan (2010)
David Fincher for The Social Network (2010)
Tom Hooper for The King's Speech (2010)
Christopher Nolan for Inception (2010)
David O. Russell for The Fighter (2010)

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

127 Hours (2010): Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy
Inception (2010): Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right (2010): Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko
The King's Speech (2010): David Seidler
The Social Network (2010): Aaron Sorkin

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

Burlesque (2010/I): Samuel Dixon, Christina Aguilera, Sia Furler("Bound to You")
Burlesque (2010/I): Diane Warren("You Haven't Seen The Last of Me")
Country Strong (2010): Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey, Troy Verges("Coming Home")
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010): Carrie Underwood, David Hodges, Hillary Lindsey("There's A Place For Us")
Tangled (2010): Alan Menken, Glenn Slater("I See the Light")

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

127 Hours (2010): A.R. Rahman
Alice in Wonderland (2010): Danny Elfman
Inception (2010): Hans Zimmer
The King's Speech (2010): Alexandre Desplat
The Social Network (2010): Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

Best Animated Film

Despicable Me (2010)
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
L'illusionniste (2010)
Tangled (2010)
Toy Story 3 (2010)

Best Foreign Language Film

Biutiful (2010)(Mexico/Spain)
Le concert (2009)(France)
Kray (2010)(Russia)
Io sono l'amore (2009)(Italy)
Hævnen (2010)(Denmark)

Best Television Series - Drama

"Boardwalk Empire" (2009)
"Dexter" (2006)
"The Good Wife" (2009)
"Mad Men" (2007)
"The Walking Dead" (2010)

Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy

"The Big Bang Theory" (2007)
"The Big C" (2010)
"Glee" (2009)
"Modern Family" (2009)
"Nurse Jackie" (2009)
"30 Rock" (2006)

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

"Carlos" (2010)
"The Pacific" (2010)
"The Pillars of the Earth" (2010)
Temple Grandin (2010) (TV)
You Don't Know Jack (2010) (TV)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Idris Elba for "Luther" (2010)
Ian McShane for "The Pillars of the Earth" (2010)
Al Pacino for You Don't Know Jack (2010) (TV)
Dennis Quaid for The Special Relationship (2010) (TV)
Édgar Ramírez for "Carlos" (2010)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Hayley Atwell for "The Pillars of the Earth" (2010)
Claire Danes for Temple Grandin (2010) (TV)
Judi Dench for "Cranford" (2007)
Romola Garai for "Emma" (2009)
Jennifer Love Hewitt for The Client List (2010) (TV)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy

Alec Baldwin for "30 Rock" (2006)
Steve Carell for "The Office" (2005)
Thomas Jane for "Hung" (2009)
Matthew Morrison for "Glee" (2009)
Jim Parsons for "The Big Bang Theory" (2007)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy

Toni Collette for "United States of Tara" (2009)
Edie Falco for "Nurse Jackie" (2009)
Tina Fey for "30 Rock" (2006)
Laura Linney for "The Big C" (2010)
Lea Michele for "Glee" (2009)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama

Steve Buscemi for "Boardwalk Empire" (2009)
Bryan Cranston for "Breaking Bad" (2008)
Michael C. Hall for "Dexter" (2006)
Jon Hamm for "Mad Men" (2007)
Hugh Laurie for "House M.D." (2004)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama

Julianna Margulies for "The Good Wife" (2009)
Elisabeth Moss for "Mad Men" (2007)
Piper Perabo for "Covert Affairs" (2010)
Katey Sagal for "Sons of Anarchy" (2008)
Kyra Sedgwick for "The Closer" (2005)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Scott Caan for "Hawaii Five-0" (2010)
Chris Colfer for "Glee" (2009)
Chris Noth for "The Good Wife" (2009)
Eric Stonestreet for "Modern Family" (2009)
David Strathairn for Temple Grandin (2010) (TV)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Hope Davis for The Special Relationship (2010) (TV)
Jane Lynch for "Glee" (2009)
Kelly Macdonald for "Boardwalk Empire" (2009)
Julia Stiles for "Dexter" (2006)
Sofía Vergara for "Modern Family" (2009)

The typical Malaysian audience

I attended the Gala Premiere of Peter Pan musical at the Sunway Lagoon Amphitheatre last Friday (26 November 2010).

While the performance was great, I just had to blog about the negative experience I had.

Firstly, the seats were not numbered. So in the typical Malaysian attitude, people started booking seats for their friends, who turned up half an hour late. There were many people who came early but could not find seats because some fucking inconsiderate people put their bags on the seats to book for their friends. I think the Sunway usherers should stop people from doing that.

The show was supposed to start at 8pm but somehow it was delayed for one whole freaking hour. The announcer first made an announcement that the show will start in 15 mins. Then 15 mins later, he announced that the show will start in 5 mins. 10 mins passed nothing happened. Then the announcer came on again and said the show will start in 5 mins. If you are not going to start the show, then don't announce it so. You think we don't know how to read time?

And guess what, after 45 mins delay, I can still see the audience strolling into the theatre like nobody's business. Hello! the ticket says start at 8pm and you walk in at 8.45pm. You think this is your grandfather's house ah?

It's people like these who gives Malaysians a bad name.

My favourite channels in DETV

When I was initially asked to review the DETV IPTV service, I was thinking “shucks I’m not really a fan of Chinese drama series”. However after more than 1 month going through their channels I discovered that DETV has a lot of other interesting programs besides the drama series.

So far my favorite channels are CH 155 and CH 260. I will review each channel below.

Ch 115 – Hunan TV World

Hunan TV World is provided by Hunan Broadcasting System (HBS) which is China's second biggest television network after CCTV. Hunan TV is a comprehensive channel which includes famous variety shows, outstanding reality shows and iconic dramas and is set to be one of the most dynamic Chinese entertainment television brands with distinctive entertainment character.

My sister loves watching Happy Shopping. This program is hosted by Wang Han, Fang Qiong and Barbie Tsu. The program showcases the latest fashion across the world, specifically Asian. There’s also lots of entertainment, games, celebrity interviews.

 
As for me, I prefer Men’s Style This program is hosted by Tang Xiao and Ma Rui. I believe this is a new program launched by Hunan TV for men. The program highlights the unique charm of men in modern society, discussing the most topical issues of fashion, lifestyle and much more.

Ch 260 – Enlight Media

Enlight Media is one of the largest private entertainment program producers and publishers in China, producing four hours of entertainment news, music, fashion and reality shows daily. As one of the largest movie and television drama companies in China, Enlight invested in and distributed five full length motion pictures and over 200 hours of television drama in 2007. It also maintains an entertainment video library with over 50,000 hours of content and a video website.

The programs that I like to watch are Music Chart which showcases the latest Chinese music videos. This is something which I rarely get to see on Astro since I canceled my subscription to their Chinese Package (too damn expensive!)

The other interesting program which my mum loves watching is call Healthcare Tips which showcases recipes and tips using Chinese herbs as cures to common illnesses.

The other program of interest is call I Love Watching Movies. This is a half-hour program which previews upcoming cinema releases.

There are also a lot of other programs which can be found in these 2 channels which I am still exploring. As you can see the programs cater to everybody in the family, young to old. There are so many other channels which I have yet to explore.

My conclusion is that DETV is definitely giving Astro a run for its money. And I cannot stress enough about the streaming of the programs. You can pause, fast-forward, rewind anytime you want. Who needs to buy a PVR now?

Behind The Scenes with Peter Pan

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the backstage of the Peter Pan musical last Saturday. The musical will be held in the Amphitheatre in Sunway Lagoon. This is a collaboration between Sunway Lagoon and the UK producers. This is the first time that the theme park will be showcasing a musical.

During the backstage session, I got to meet the main cast who are all from UK.They performed 2 numbers for us. I realized that the songs are not from the original musical. What the producers have done is to select songs from other musicals and performed it to the context of the story. This would be much better because all the songs are recognizable and the audience can sing along to them.

The Grand Premiere is on Friday 26th November.

The entrance to the Amphitheatre

Inside the Amphitheatre

The stage and props

The cast of Peter Pan

The cast of Peter Pan

Bloggers taking pictures with the cast

The bios of the cast as follows:

MARK ILES
(Peter Pan)

Mark trained on the three-year musical theatre course at Arts Ed London, graduating in 2003.

Mark’s credits include: The Diction Teacher, cover Cosmo and Dexter in Singin’ in the Rain (UK tour): Angel in Rent (English Theatre, Frankfurt): Ensemble, cover Goran in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (West End and UK tour): Jimmy in the new musical The Ghost and Mrs Muir (workshop): Jo in The Selfish Giant (UK tour); Molina in Kiss of the Spider Woman (Emery Theatre, London): Dancer in Stars in Their Eyes Live (UK tour and Her Majesty’s Theatre, London): Ensemble in Oliver! (West End’s London Palladium): Ensemble in Evita (New Theatre, Oxford and Hexagon, Reading): Ensemble, cover Dandini in Cinderella (Mayflower, Southampton): Ensemble, cover Mrs Fridge in Santa Claus and the Return of Jack Frost (Mayflower, Southampton). Mark is thrilled to be performing in Kuala Lumpur and would like to thank his family and friends for their continuing love and support.

LJ NEILSON
(Wendy)

LJ trained at the prestigious Italia Conti School for the Performing Arts in London. On leaving LJ worked Internationally playing various roles in 18 productions on board MV Aurora for P & O Cruises.

Even though still at a young age LJ has already made her mark on the West End stage. On leaving the ships LJ embarked on a West End career taking her form west End musicals from We Will Rock You, London’s Dominion Theatre, Grease and Fame at The Piccadilly Theatre London.

LJ has recently married in a wonderful ceremony in South Africa.

MICHAEL MORGAN
(Mr Darling & Captain Hook)

Michael comes from Blackpool in The United Kingdom and is from an old theatrical family. Michael’s Grandmother & Great Aunt appeared in many West End & touring musicals - & it was their great love & Passion for the profession that fuelled his ambition to perform. Michael has appeared in repertory seasons in Leeds & Crewe including: “Chase Me Comrade”, “Loot”, “Black Comedy”, “She Was Only An Admiral’s Daughter”, “Anna of the Five Towns”, “The Boyfriend”, “Sunday in the Theatre With Sondheim” (Birmingham Hippodrome).

Michael has appeared extensively in pantomimes touring productions & the West End including: “Snow White” (Theatre Royal Lincoln & Southsea), “Aladdin” (Cambridge Arts Theatre),”Cinderella” (Horsham & Chipping Norton), “Jack & the Beanstalk” (Horsham), “Sleeping Beauty” , “Dick Whittington” & “Sinbad the Sailor (Theatre Royal Lincoln). “Hans Anderson”, “Pinnochio”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “Salad Days”,”West Side Story” (Krupke) – which took him from New York to Paris, Berlin & Rome. Three years in the national tour of “Me & My Girl”. Two years in “Oliver!” at the London Palladium in London’s West End. A year in the national tour of Ken Hill’s “Phantom of the Opera”. Christmas season in “Me & My Girl” at the Alexandra Theatre Birmingham. A year in the national tour of Gershwin’s “Crazy For You”. Seven national tours of”Annie”.

Television work includes: “The Trip” with Steve Coogan, “It’s Now or Never”, “Forty Something”, “The Darling Buds of May”, “Sherlock Holmes”, “A Touch of Frost”, “Call Up he Stars”, “The 12th Kingdom”, “Brookside” & “Heartbeat”.

Michael appeared in the films “De-Lovely” & “Quills” (with Kate Winslett & Michel Caine). He is delighted to be returning to Malaysia to appear in “Peter Pan,” as he played Mr. Sowerberry in the Malaysian Premier of “Oliver!” at Genting Highlands in 2005.

Michael has two daughters – Natalie who is currently starring in “Flashdance” in the West End & Danielle, who runs a Theatre-School in Cheshire and is the mother of his grandson Jacob.

PETER JAMIESON
(Smee)

Peter trained at the famous Sylvia Young Theatre School in London’s West End. Theatre work includes West End runs in Grease playing the mooning T-bird Roger at the Dominion Theatre London, followed by a two year national tour of the show Crazy for You playing Moose at Wimbledon Theatre London followed by a years national tour. Peter created, played and sang the role of Ratcliffe for Walt Disney’s live version of Pocahontas at Disneyland Resort Paris. Other work includes Eddie in A Slice of Saturday Night (Lincoln Theatre Royal) Woof in the European tour of Hair, Charlie Brown in Snoopy! The musical (Cambridge), Herb in Godspell (London) Judas in Godspell (Ipswhich), Nick and Tom in Rock Hard (Millfield Theatre, London). Mushnick in Little Shop of Horrors (Regents theatre Ipswich), Governor and Knife Grinder in Oliver (Theatre Royal Lincoln) Badger in The Wind in the Willows (National Tour). Peter created the role of Stewie in the horror musical Teen Scream (Edinburgh Festival) Smee in Peter Pan (Genting Highlands Kuala Lumpur). Peter has recently completed a season at Lincoln Castle open air theatre in The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged. Peter has extensive experience in children’s Christmas shows and Pantomimes. Pantomimes include Muddles in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Dick Whittington, King Crumble in Jack and the Beanstalk, King Jasper in Sleeping Beauty, Dandini in Cinderella, Gepetto, Fox and Stromboli in Pinocchio, Friar Tuck in Robin Hood, Ugly sister Buttercup Hardup in Cinderella and Marzipan the evil henchman in Snow white and the Seven dwarfs.

Peter's T.V credits include David in Grange Hill, 1st Witness in Crimewatch, Gino in Holby City, Fame School and various Corporate/Training films. Recording work includes Ratcliffe in Pocahontas-Walt Disney Productions, Boyblue, Jack and Tom in the new musical The Magic Horse and various jingles for Docklands radio. Peter is so happy to be returning to this beautiful country once again to be working with two of his very dear friends.

Peter Pan is coming to KL

You have not seen Peter Pan until you see the live musical in stage. Finally this West End musical is coming to KL. Hope I get a chance to see this here.....

Peter Pan the Musical is the very first theatrical production organised by Sunway Lagoon. Produced and choreographed by talents hailing from London’s famous West End theatre district, this musical tells the well-known and affectionate story of a boy who would just never grow up. The iridescent display of song and dance will take place twice daily and three times on Fridays and Saturdays.

Peter Pan the Musical is directed by Chris Colby and it aims to appeal to a wide variety of audiences. Colby will be directing an international cast line up who are no strangers to the famous London West End theatre scene. In conjunction with the Grand Premiere on November 26, Sunway Lagoon will once again open its doors to the Nite Park, which is aptly set with the festive and whimsical, yuletide theme.

“The story of Peter Pan resonates well with people from all walks of life because it is not just about staying young forever, it is about staying true to yourself and having fun while making the best out of any situation. Sunway Lagoon is the perfect venue for Peter Pan – The Greatest Adventure because it is a place where the young and old come to release their inhibitions, have fun and be themselves,” said Colby.

Altitude sucks

I admit I only watched this movie because of the cool poster.

How disappointed I was after spending 10 bucks on the movie. This movie sucks big time. The first half of the movie just shows the 5 people arguing and bitching about each other on the plane. In the end the monster shows up looking like some paper-mache that a 5year-old kid did at school. I wish the monster would quickly eat everybody up and end our misery.

The ending of the movie was also ridiculous.

OK I'm not even going to waste my time writing a long review for this movie. See this movie at your own risk!

Introducing Malaysia’s latest IPTV Service

If you have read my last post, you will probably know why IPTV is a much reliable TV service than satellite.

So today I’m going to tell you about Malaysia’s latest IPTV-based service, DETV. I received the decoder this morning for testing. The decoder connects to the internet either using WiFi or wired. It offers component video, composite video and S-video output as well as two channel stereo sound output.

Here is a picture of the decoder.

And here’s the remote.

After I connected my router to the decoder, it detected my IP address straight away. Then the Main Menu is automatically displayed.

As you can see from the screen-shot, there’s several options to choose from.

TV Channels has a whole bunch of channels with programs running based on a schedule. The good thing is that it stores the programs up to about 72 hrs. So you don’t have to worry about missing the beginning of the program.

DVD Buffet is based on video-on-demand. Here you can find dozens of Taiwan and China drama series. Tv buffs will have a hard time tearing themselves from the screen. And the good thing is that you can pause, rewind, fast forward all the programs.

TV Channels has a whole bunch of channels with programs running based on a schedule. The good thing is that it stores the programs up to about 72 hrs. So you don’t have to worry about missing the beginning of the program.

List of dramas in the Drama Paradise section.

There is a screen for you to select the episode that you want to see. The good thing is that the episdoes that you have watched is highlighted so you will not forget....sort of like a bookmark.

I have yet to explore all the programs that DETV has to offer. But looking at the useability and functionality of the service, I believe it’s going to pose a big threat to Astro.

Now, only if they have some English channels…..

For more info on DETV services, you can go to their website or join their Facebook page.

IPTV vs Satellite TV

With our internet connection getting faster nowadays, many media companies are jumping on to the bandwagon of Internet TV or IPTV. So the question that most people will pose is that how is IPTV compared to old, reliable Astro? IPTV or satellite TV?

IPTV services are delivered using the architecture and networking methods of the Internet, instead of through traditional radio frequency broadcast or satellite.

Of course the reliability and speed of the line will depend on your internet service provider. To be able to watch HD movies over the internet, you will probably need high-speed broadband which will be quite costly at the moment. However using a dedicated 1Mbps line is sufficient to deliver a good quality movie to your TV.

The main advantage of IPTV is that it has both a download and upload link. This means that users can send back information to the media operator. This is important when you are doing things like online shopping, multi-player games etc.

Best of all is that the programs can be on-demand rather than linear programming like the traditional TV channels. This means that you only pay for what you watch.

In terms of setting-up, all you need is an internet line which connects to a set-top box. That's it....no need to climb up you roof to install that satellite dish. And of course raining will not interrupt your viewing pleasure.

Celebrities who have lost their millions

You know the saying, greed can conquer all? Well in this case it can, quite literally. It appears to more successful you are, the more you can gamble although in some cases the gamble doesn’t always win. We as the viewing public have a tendency to discover a slight delight at those who swan around in their mansions and then suddenly lose all of their worldly processions, from their platinum watches, Lamborghinis and their own theater seating. We have searched high and low through some of the most well-known faces in the world, and have devised a list, purely for your own enjoyment, of those celebrities who have gone from riches to rags.

Early Bankruptcies:
Whoever thought that the introduction of the credit card would encourage many to become bankrupt may be right, to a degree. However greed began way before the days of the plastic; with Buffalo Bill in the late 1800s. His West End shows made him a very rich man in his day, although his generosity rather than greed saw him file for bankruptcy in 1914.

Everyone loves the likes of Cinderella, Snow White, Pinocchio, Winnie the Pooh and other famous Walt Disney Characters; you would imagine that the creator would have been a very wealthy man indeed. Quite the contrary, in fact in 1921 he was forced to file for bankruptcy after the financial backers of his company Laugh-O-Gram pulled out; just as well really otherwise out Disney favorites would all be but a figment of our imagination.

Even previous U.S. President Abraham Lincoln suffered a slight loss of money back in 1833 after he was declared bankrupt. He spent nearly two decades paying back his friends and thirty years to reach his ultimate goal of becoming the President.

Who else has been declared bankrupt?
American actress and formal model, Kim Basinger is not only known as the lead female in the film Batman in 1989, or for her Golden Globe performance in 1984’s The Natural, or for her widely recognized role in L.A. Confidential. She also had to file for bankruptcy back in 1993, when she was ordered to pay $8.1 million to Main Line Pictures, for backing out of an agreement to star in the film Boxing Helena. This however didn’t stop the actress from continuing her acting, having appeared in a number of films since then.

Perhaps not a celebrity, but still an intriguing story to tell; John Wayne Bobbitt may be a name familiar to some of you, but if you are still in the dark, then the man who had his penis sliced off by his wife may jog your memory. It goes without saying that indeed he and his wife Lorena suffered from a difficult relationship, before the penis incident. He had to endure 12 hours of surgery to have it sewn back on, but due to the incredible doctors bills he had to file for bankruptcy. Since the episode, John has since attempted to make a name for himself in the porn industry whilst having several run-ins with the law.

Winner of six Grammy Award, and having sold more than 40 million records worldwide, it is difficult to believe that Toni Braxton had to file for bankruptcy in 1998. Toni was in $3.9 million debt, although many believed that her file for bankruptcy was to get out of a contract with LaFace. All of her household processions were taken, such as fridge-freezers, televisions and theater seating, she also had to sell her two Grammys to pay off her creditors; although this didn’t deter her from continuing with her career, having later signed a contract with her label, worth $25 million.

Star of American sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, Gary Coleman was described as “one of television’s most promising stars”, although being promising doesn’t always mean he is going to have the best control of his finances, in fact in his case it didn’t. He began well, suing his parents and business advisor for misappropriation of his $3.8 million trust fund in 1989 and then filed for bankruptcy just a decade later.

The well known ‘Hollywood Madame’, Heidi Fleiss began managing a prostitution ring aged just 22 in 1987, and by 1990 she began to run her own ring. She netted her first million dollars just a few months into running her prostitution ring; although by 1993 she was arrested for a number of offences including pandering. By September 1996 she was sentenced to 37 months in prison for tax evasion, and was released three years later. She went onto file for bankruptcy after her release; and has since appeared on the U.K’s Big Brother, opened a Laundromat and has plans to open a legal brothel.

The Too Legit to Quit singer made it big in the 1980s and 1990s with his rap songs, dancing and entertainment. By 1996 he became known as the star who quite literally lost it all, being $13.4 million in debt. His fame brought about an indulgent lifestyle including a $30 million mansion; he now works as a preacher and television host, a far cry from his days on top of the pop charts.
Mike Tyson, the man known for biting the ear off Evander Holyfield’s ear during a boxing match.

The American Boxer made his professional debut aged just 18 years old; although his career made a downward spiral, all at the hands of his personal life which became in tatters. He managed to burn $300 million, through his divorce and lavish lifestyle, he filed for bankruptcy in 2003, owing in excess of $27 million. He was previously convicted of rape on an 18 year old girl in 1991; he served three years in prison.

Anyone remember the loveable Screech Powers in Saved by the Bell? Actor Dustin Diamond played the playful character, put on our screens for us all to love. Yet since the end of the School Show, rather surprisingly Dustin found it difficult to find any work at all. He wasn’t bankrupt, yet his fame died as quick as it had begun, with Dustin reverting to the world of Porn, Reality TV and even selling T-Shirts to help him earn some money.

One of the biggest American stars of the 1980’s, Burt Reynolds once owned several mansions (one would do for us mere mortals), a ranch in Florida and a Helicopter. His downfall however was not being able to spot a dud-deal when he sees one. After investments in restaurant chains were thrown quite literally down the toilet, Reynolds declared himself bankrupt in 1996, owing $11.2 million. This hasn’t quite stopped his acting appearances, having found roles on The Longest Yard, and Dukes of Hazard.

Here is a tip, if you are in a hit TV show, the best idea is to stick at it until the very end. Something Mischa Barton chose to ignore when leaving the OC; whose regretting it now? Most of the main actors went on to amazing ventures after the finale of the TV series in films and continuous acting, yet Mischa went on a lifestyle of drinking, partying and late nights. Sounds good, but it can eventually get you down, and lead to a spiral of depression. She was arrested for driving under the influence, procession of marijuana and driving without a license back in 2007, she was released on a $10,000 bail. She has also been sued by her landlord for failing to pay the $7,000 rent of her apartment, whilst her credit cards have been declined.

Meat Loaf, aka Michael Lee Aday is an incredible musician, and one of the most successful singers in the world. That said, his biggest downfall is, like many, a lack of management in finances. Two of his managers, Dellentash and Sonenberg both got caught stealing money, and then went on to sue him for breach of contract when he tried to leave them for new management. He had to file for bankruptcy not just once, but twice in 1983 and 1986. This never stopped his drive for taking his career to another platform, something which was later achieved with his album Bat out of Hell II.

Where would any list be without the input of one of the most famous music families in the world? The Jackson family we bound to make an appearance at some point, and in this case the biggest losers of their fortune, Michael and La Toya make the list. The siblings may not have had a great deal in common, however one thing which stuck was their inability to keep on track of their spending habits leading to bankruptcies. La Toya attempted a singing career which stemmed through the 1980s and 1990s, although flopped miserably. By the 1990s her finances were left in tatters, leading to her filing for bankruptcy in 1995, and managed to escape a $650,000 payout to Moulin Rouge for terminating her contract early.

As with a lot of things Michael Jackson did, he was always able to put people’s efforts to shame. Described as having a billionaire’s spending habit, with a millionaire’s budget, Michael created an ultimate fairyland of empires, something which at the time may have seemed great but in reality was his biggest downfall. He was once worth $350 million, yet his wealth diminished leaving him in debt of $10 million to the Union Finance and Investment Corporation. He escaped bankruptcy however by signing a deal with Sony, and his debts were sold to Colony Capital LLC, who later took the Neverland Ranch, which gained the King of Pop $35 million. At the time of his death he still owed the LLC, although the amount is unknown.

The world’s most expensive music videos

Ever since the 1980s, music videos have become part and parcel with newly released songs themselves; allowing artists to create an image to determine how the song should be received. Music videos began as fun, a simple way to show off the song in its full glory, however since the turn of mid-1990s and the early 2000’s, music videos have gripped the western world. The amount of money spent on music videos have increased dramatically over the years, and yet the classics still remain on top. Just what has happened to the world of celebrity, have they either lost their sense of imagination, or perhaps put on their brain and decided that spending millions of dollars on music videos just isn’t worth it? The average cost of a music video is about $100,000 to $200,000, which in itself is enough to buy an unbelievable amount of theater seats. Compare that to the millions of dollars which only the top artists have the luxury to play around with, silly money some may say; although perhaps it is a sign of making it in the music industry, to spend over $1 million on a single music video.

We have come up with the list of the twenty most expensive music videos ever made, then you can decide whether they were worth the money.

20) In at 20 is the King of Pop that is Michael Jackson (you may notice a little more of the music genius in this list...). His Black and White music video was released in November 1991, and starting off this list cost $1.5 million.

19) Japanese singer-songwriter, Ayumi Hamasaki has been dubbed the Empress of Pop, a title well deserved for a music video costing $1.6 million (in line with Michael Jackson, the Empress of Pop is a well justified title). Her song entitled Green was released in 2008, and holds a firm place as the 19th most expensive music video of all time.

18) Number 18 is held firmly by TLC, with their music video to their single Un-pretty costing a nice $1.6 million to make. Known as one of the greatest trio of music singers of all time, there is no question that Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins, Lisa ‘Left-Eye’ Lopes and Rozonda ‘Chilli’ Thomas would make an appearance on this list, so sit back and enjoy watching on your home theater seating.

17 & 16) Once again Ayumi Hamasaki makes an appearance with her music videos to Fairyland and My Names Woman costing an impressive $2 million each, thus meaning that as well as being the Empress of Pop, this Japanese singer is the only non-western artist to appear on the most expensive music videos list.

15) Also costing a cool $2 million was George Michael’s Freeek! Released in 2002, and directed by Joseph Kahn, there is little wander that the music video cost so much with the visions of Kahn, known to make impressive videos for the likes of Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Janet Jackson.

14) Missy Elliot’s illusively named She’s a Bitch also cost the impressive figure of $2 million to create. The video which consists of special effects along with a slightly impressive wardrobe saw the female rapper creep up the most expensive music videos list.

13) Will Smith, funny man turned actor, turned singer turned actor made the $2 million music video mark with his summertime song Miami. Will Smith is notorious for spending a fair buck or two on his music videos, as well as earning a mint from his acting, so there is no question that he should make it onto the list. Will had a vision to include morphs in his music video, costing $14,000 each morph.

12) Backstreet Boys make it onto the list with their music video for Larger Than Life which cost $2.1 million, just beating the likes of Missy and Will to the 12th position. Containing sci-fi themed effects and animations, the budget seems very apparent to the title.

11) Michael Jackson has made it to the 11th spot, with another expensive video Bad. Created in 1987, he began the phenomenon of incredibly priced music videos to the eagerly awaiting viewing public. Costing $2.2 million the music video seemed just like a mini movie, lasting for 18 minutes.

10) This is where the big bucks begin to enter the list (and you thought we were already in the big bucks?). Canadian singer Celine Dion has released many well known songs including the infamous My Heart Will Go On, however It’s All Coming Back to Me Now is her most expensive music video to date, costing a cool $2.3 million. Directed by Nigel Dick, which was shot between June and July 1996 in the Palace of the Czech Emperor; the full version lasts 7.44 minutes, whereas the single version lasts 5.30 minutes in length.

9) Number nine is held by Busta Rhymes (that wasn’t done on purpose). His hit What’s it gonna be? Featuring Janet Jackson, this music video cost a total of $2.4 million. Again the morphing theme comes into play with Busta and Janet morphing into various shapes and forms. Each morph cost $30,000, whilst Busta’s glass costume cost $40,000. Directed by Hype Williams was inspired by the mover The Terminator, something which, of course would have a lasting effect on many.

8) The starlet herself was bound to make an appearance at some point, featuring the rap mogul Jay Z; Mariah Carey’s Heartbreaker cost a rather large fortune to many, and yet remains at number eight on the list. Costing $2.5 million, the video directed by Brett Ratner created Mariah Carey into two conflicting roles, one an innocent and sweet Mariah and another an evil darker haired Mariah. The video took on the role of a mini chick flick movie, which saw a man caught between two women, inspired by the 1973’s Enter the Dragon, as well as the number one hit musical Grease. The video was premiered on Making the Video, created by MTV in August 1990.

7) The 1980s Rap icon, known for his famous ‘You Can’t Touch This’ has incredibly made it onto the list with his lesser known single, Too Legit to Quit released in 1991. The video itself contained many celebrity appearances as well as Michael Jackson’s glove, shown on a Michael Jackson lookalike. The video cost $2.5 million to make, earning his rightful place on the most expensive music videos list.

6) Record producer, rapper, actor and men’s fashion mogul; P Diddy, aka, Puff Daddy, aka, Sean John, aka, Sean Combs holds on tightly to the number six spot. His single Victory, featuring The Notorious B.I.G and Busta Rhymes, was adapted through Bill Conti’s ‘Going the Distance’ which featured in the movie Rocky. Set in the year 3002 CE, the video saw cameo performances fromD Danny DiVito and Dennis Hopper. The video lasts eight minutes long, perhaps worth the $2.7 million spent to create it.

5) Making the massive leap from a mere $2.7 million to a rather large $4 million, Guns N’ Roses have proven that they have what it takes to make it into the big bucks. Their single Estranged was released in December 1993, lasting a movie length nine minutes long. The definitions of illusion and disillusion appear within the video, highlighting the personal life of Axl Rose separating from his then girlfriend, thus the separation and divorce theme very relevant indeed during the filming of the video.

4) The queen of pop, Madonna dominates the lower half of the most expensive music videos of all time, reaching number four with her $5 million music video for Bedtime stories. Directed by the very pricey Mark Romanek, who contributed in making the video one of Madonna’s most artistic, created in December 1994. Madonna explained that her vision was inspired by female surreal painters, such as Frida Kahlo and Leonora Carrington.

3) Madonna has made it again at number three on the list with her Express Yourself music video, filmed in 1989 and cost $5 million, it has often featured as one of the Top 100 Music Videos created. The video was influenced by the film Metropolis, created by Fritz Lang; it also divulged into the support of the empowerment of women.

2) Madonna’s Die Another Day music video made it to number two, narrowly missing out on the number one spot, yet dominating the list throughout. Hailed as one of the best music videos created by Madonna; the video created by Trackor who used special effects to create the second most expensive music video of all time. The video and single was released in 2002, highlighting Madonna dominating the pop charts for twenty years. It cost $6.1 million; a lot considering it was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for the worst original song, although it remains one of Madonna’s most popular songs.

1) The most expensive music video of all time is held by no other than the ultimate King of Pop and his younger sister – Michael and Janet Jackson, for their single Scream. Costing $7 million the cost would surely make anyone scream. The money paid for a Grammy won in 1996 for the best music video and a Billboard music Award. Scream is directed at the tabloid media, and a personal response from the way in which they reported the coverage of the child sexual abuse accusations made against Michael. Janet became part of the project to show her support for both the song and her brother, a very touching sign of sibling support. It has also been suggested that the song was directed at Michael’s Dad, Joseph, regarding the physical abuse towards his children and his secret fatherhood of another woman’s child.

The video lasts 4.46 minutes and was choreographed by the man himself, Michael Jackson and directed by Mr. Expense himself, Mark Romanek. The concept was left entirely to Mark, something unusual to many Michael Jackson videos, which tend to see the involvement of the King of Pop himself. The video was set on a spaceship, and saw the Jackson siblings attempting to escape from the media, and Earth to a place where they could have fun and enjoy themselves.

Janet is seen to take on a dark persona, differing to what the public is used to, with the public witnessing a stronger, controlled Janet. The video also influenced many other artists such as TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’, and Chris Brown and Lil Mama’s ‘Shawty Get Loose’.

Best Picture Winner: The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker

Stars gather to cover 'We Are the World' for Haiti

More than 75 mega-stars gathered Monday to re-record the 1985 charity anthem "We are the World" in the same Hollywood recording studio where the original was cut 25 years ago.

Pink, Celine Dion, Natalie Cole, the Jonas Brothers, Kanye West, Tony Bennett, Jennifer Hudson, Akon and other musical luminaries stood shoulder to shoulder on risers at Henson Recording studios, singing their hearts out and hoping to help Haiti.

Quincy Jones, who produced the 1985 anthem, announced last week that he planned to redo the song to benefit recovery from the deadly Jan. 12 earthquake in Port-au-Prince.

Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, the original "We Are the World" thundered up the charts when it was released on the radio and in record stores in March 1985.

An unprecedented number of top pop musicians gathered at A&M the night of Jan. 28, 1985, following the American Music Awards, to record the tune. The song featured 45 American superstars, including Jackson, Richie, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan and Cyndi Lauper.

The record raised more than $30 million for USA for Africa, a nonprofit organization founded by the singers to fund hunger relief in African nations.

True to her diva reputation, Barbra Streisand recorded her solo over and over, completely absorbed in the recording process and stopping only to correct her pitch.

While reporters watched a video feed of the session in a nearby room, stars like Kayne West mingled outside with friends, greeting his buddy, Snoop Dogg with a hug.

Julianne Hough from "Dancing with the Stars," who is also a country singer, was only 3 years old when the original tune came out. She said she felt honored to lend her voice to the effort and sing next to so many talented musicians.

"It's just iconic. Celine (Dion) is just so gracious and amazing and such a pro," she said.

The session was all the talk at Sunday night's Grammy festivities. Music producer RedOne said being asked to participate was "the biggest honor a musician can ever do."

"Having Quincy, our father of music ... and Lionel Richie asking me to contribute and help, I said of course, because this is not about me," he said. "It's about Haiti."

500 days of SpiderMan ???

Marc Webb, the director of the romantic-comedy "(500) Days of Summer" has been appointed the director of the next "Spider-Man" movie.

Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios made this announcement yesterday following the departure of Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire, the director and star who worked on the previous three Spidey films. The fourth installment is set for a 2012 release and will focus on a younger version of the superhero.

Webb said in a statement he was not taking over the series from Raimi but instead wanted the "opportunity for ideas, stories and histories that will add a new dimension, canvas and creative voice to Spider-Man."

Maybe we will get to see 500 days in the life of Spider-Man?

Happy New Year 2010

Wishing all my readers Happy New Year 2010!!

I would like to apologise for the lack of postings. I started a new job recently and has been really tied up. I hope I can find some time at night to write some more.

Happy Moviegoing!!!