Blood: The Last Vampire

The live-action Hollywood adaptation “Blood: the Last Vampire” from the sensational anime of the same title is an action filled fantasy surrounding a vampire hunter named Saya (played by My Sassy Girl’s Jeon Ji-Hyun). Saya is sent to an American military base in post-WWII Tokyo on an undercover mission, where she finds the perfect opportunity for a grand showdown against the highest ranking vampire on Earth. Fans can look forward to action sequences brought to you by renowned martial arts choreographer Corey Yuen who worked on the "Transporter” franchise. Directed by Chris Nahon ("Kiss of the Dragon"), and produced by Bill Kong (“Fearless” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), "Blood: The Last Vampire" is slated to open locally on 11 June 2009.

Jackie Chan's Shinjuku Incident

Action superstar Jackie Chan flexes his acting muscle yet again in Derek Yee's "Shinjuku Incident". Chan plays steelhead who take a perilous journey to Tokyo after he lost contact with his girlfriend but unwittingly finds himself pit against the Japanese yakuza. Loyalty. Survival. Betrayal. Find out on 2 April. Trailer can be found here..

High School Musical 3 Blu-ray, DVD & VCD - OUT NOW!

High School Musical 3 Extended Edition Blu-ray, DVD & VCD is now out in Stores! Visit Scorpio East website to win attractive premiums!

Penelope Cruz garnered a win in the category of Actress in a Supporting Role in the 81st Academy Awards

Penelope Cruz garnered a win in the category of Actress in a Supporting Role in the 81st Academy Awards for her portrayal of a volatile and passionate artist in the Woody Allen romantic comedy, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. The Spanish actress’s riveting performance also won her the Supporting Actress Award in the Independent Spirit Awards announced the day before. Oscar Results>

JAI HO FOR SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE!

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, distributed locally by Golden Village Pictures, has won eight Oscars® at the 81st Annual Academy Award®, including Best Motion Picture and Best Director. The movie has collected an impressive box office of SGD$833,000 as of 22 February 2009 in Singapore on 19 prints. Oscar Results>

"THE DARK KNIGHT" ACHIEVES BOX OFFICE MILESTONE

After an astounding, record-breaking domestic run and continuing success in the overseas markets, Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight” has crossed the $1 billion threshold in worldwide box office revenue with a staggering $1,001,082,160 gross to date. “The Dark Knight” is now the second-highest grossing film domestically of all time and the fourth-highest worldwide. The movie received eight Academy Award nominations and won Best Supporting Actor and Achievement in Sound in the just concluded Academy Awards. Oscar Results>

2009 Academy Awards Results

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Winner: Sean Penn for Milk

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Winner: Kate Winslet for The Reader

Best Achievement in Directing
Winner: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Winner: Okuribito aka Departures
(Review coming soon...)

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire
(Click on the url for the soundtrack review)

Best Achievement in Editing
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Achievement in Sound
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Winner: The Dark Knight

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(Digital Domain made a huge comeback to the digital scene)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight
(He truly truly deserved the honor!)

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Achievement in Makeup
Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(A lot of girls in the audience screamed when a young suave Benjamin rides on the bike)

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Winner: The Duchess

Best Achievement in Art Direction
Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Winner: WALL·E

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Winner: Milk

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner: Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Persistence of Memory: The Films of Terence Davis

From 27 February to 1 March, the National Museum of Singapore presents four amazing films from Terence Davies – The Terence Davies Trilogy, Distant Voices, Still Lives, The Long Day Closes and Of Time and the City.


The Terence Davies Trilogy
Presented by the National Museum of Singapore in collaboration with The British Council
Fri 27 February 2009, 7.30 pm
101 mins
Gallery Theatre, Basement
National Museum of Singapore
Tickets at $8 / $6.40 (Concession)

Part I – Children
The theme is violence – social and domestic – and its effect on the main character Robert Tucker. The story is told in a series of extended flashbacks and incidents from his childhood in Liverpool, his Catholic upbringing and how they have affected his adult life. Constant bullying at school and a violent and sick father at home are events intertwined with Tucker’s view of his own sexuality. The film ends with a memory – the death of his father – where the boy appears to be trapped in his sexuality and his childhood.

Part II – Madonna and Child
Part two tells the conflict between Catholicism and sexuality, a severe and intimate portrait of Robert Tucker in middle age, trapped between his private and public personas. A dutiful son and conscientious worker, he is also a man for whom religion and sexuality have become synonymous. This dilemma produces in him an overwhelming sense of despair from which he feels there is no escape.

Part III – Death and Transfiguration
Part three completes the story in more ways than being merely the final instalment. It is a summing-up of Tucker’s life and his attitudes towards the remembered events of his life, and his coming to terms with his mortality. In this synthesis of memory, times of the past and present merge into the single moment which puts into a new perspective Tucker’s life, and the trilogy as a whole.


Distant Voices, Still Lives
Presented by the National Museum of Singapore in collaboration with The British Council
Sat 28 February 2009, 4 pm
80 mins
Gallery Theatre, Basement
National Museum of Singapore
Tickets at $8 / $6.40 (Concession)

Drawn from his own family memories, Distant Voices, Still Lives is a strikingly intimate portrait of working class life in Liverpool during the 1940s and 1950s. Focusing on the real-life experiences of his mother, sisters and brother whose lives are thwarted by their brutal, sadistic father, the film portrays beauty and terror in equal measure. Davies uses the traditional family gatherings of births, marriages and deaths to paint a lyrical portrait of family life – of love, grief, and the highs and lows of being human that is at once deeply autobiographical and universally resonant.


The Long Day Closes
Presented by the National Museum of Singapore in collaboration with The British Council
Sat 28 February 2009, 7.30 pm
85 mins
Gallery Theatre, Basement
National Museum of Singapore
Tickets at $8 / $6.40 (Concession)

The Long Day Closes focuses on Davies’ own memories of growing up in a working-class, Catholic family in Liverpool. Eleven-year-old Bud finds escape from the greyness of 1950s Britain through trips to the cinema and in the warmth of family life. But as he gets older, the agonies of the adult world – the casual cruelty of bullying, the tyranny of school and the dread of religion – begin to invade his life.


Of Time And The City
Presented by the National Museum of Singapore in collaboration with The British Council
Sun 1 March 2009, 2 pm
74 mins
Gallery Theatre, Basement
National Museum of Singapore
Tickets at $8 / $6.40 (Concession)

From the original voice of the great British auteur, Terence Davis, comes the visual poem Of Time and The City which draws on the first 28 years of the director’s life – his life in Liverpool until he left in 1973. Many of Davies’ themes from his earlier narrative pieces thread through this film – Catholicism, homosexuality, violence, death, loss, the glory of cinema, outsider-ness and childhood. But Of Time and The City also documents the memories, the City and the country which shaped those themes in the growing artist. And throughout the film, a masterful voice guides the audience with his strength, his poetry, his candour and his anger.

The 29th Annual RAZZIE® Awards

Continuing their tradition of dis-Honoring Worst Achievements in Film for 2008, "The Love Guru" won the year’s Worst Picture, Worst screenplay and Myers as Worst Actor. Paris Hilton for both Worst Actress and as part of the year’s Worst Screen Couple for "The Hottie & The Nottie". Pierce Brosnan as Worst Supporting Actor for his tone-deaf turn in "Mamma Mia!" The year’s third-biggest grossing movie "Indiana Jones And The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" won Worst Prequel while world-class worst movie-maker Uwe Boll took both the 2008 Worst Director RAZZIE® (for 3 titles) and a well-deserved special Worst Career Achievement dis-honor. Razzie Official Website is right here

March 5th re-release of Yasmin Ahmad's Muallaf

If you have missed the earlier screenings, there will be a March 5th theatrical re-release of Yasmin Ahmad’s Muallaf (The Convert) at Cathay Cineplex Causeway Point. Director Yasmin Ahmad will be here to do a meet and greet on opening weekend at the venue as well.

2 X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE 60SEC TRAILERS TO PREMIERE ON LOCAL OSCAR BROADCAST

Singapore viewers and local X-Men fans can now witness the origins of one of the year’s most anticipated movies, when Twentieth Century Fox debuts 2 trailer premieres of X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, on Channel 5’s LIVE and REPEAT telecast of this Sunday’s 81st Annual Academy Awards (local date, Monday 23 Feb 2009). For this unprecedented promotional event - the studio has created special 60-second commercial spots to launch this blockbuster film event. Wolverine and X-Men fans can catch new and additional film footages with the airing of the first 60 sec commercial spot titled, CHILDHOOD, revealing the origins of Wolverine on Monday, Feb. 23 9:00 AM during the live Oscar telecast. The second spot, titled WAR, the epic revolution that pits him against powerful forces will air during the repeat telecast on the same day at 11pm. X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE opens in cinemas Wednesday 29 April, 2009.

VANNESS WU COMING TO SINGAPORE

Former popular F4 boy band star, Vanness Wu 吳建豪 will be in Singapore on 25 February to promote his latest feature film ‘Kung Fu Chefs’ <功夫廚神>. Vanness Wu shows off his supple moves and culinary skills in this latest action comedy along side martial combat veteran, Sammo Hung 洪金寶. In addition to filming Kungfu Chefs, Vanness has most recently taken on animation, lending his voice to the lead role in Animax Asia’s original multiplatform, multimedia HD animation production ‘LaMB’.

Make Yourself Heard

Ever won a pair of preview tickets on us? Wish to share your opinions about the movie? Do generously revert with your feedback (whether it's positive or negative) and we will feature them on our Contest Page for all to view. Let our readers decide which movie they should watch for the week in addition to our in-house ratings.

VALKYRIE OPENS #1 IN SINGAPORE

The latest suspense-thriller from Bryan Singer and headed by superstar Tom Cruise, VALKYRIE, opened to an excellent Number 1 Box-Office in Singapore last weekend. The film grossed a weekend total of S$442,000. The movie has generate almost US$150 million worldwide. "Valkyrie" has performed far better than Cruise's previous effort, "Lions for Lambs", which managed a meager $63 million from domestic and foreign combined.

Slumdog Millionaire charmed local audience over Valentine's weekend!

Oscar favourite "Slumdog Millionaire" had performed breathtakingly over the weekend. As of 15 February 2009, it has garnered a box office figure of $408,021. The official movie soundtrack is also reviewed here

THE WEDDING GAME HOLDS WELL AT THE LOCAL BOX OFFICE!

THE WEDDING GAME has accumulated SGD $1.654 million at the local box office since opening on 25 January in Singapore, clinching the top position among other Chinese New Year titles this year! The movie grossed at total of SGD $83 400 over the last weekend (from 12th to 15th February) despite strong competition from other Chinese New Year and Oscar titles. THE WEDDING GAME has also done well in Malaysia, collecting an impressive box office of more than RM$3 million since opening on 25 January 2009 as well. The movie is the third Singapore movie after last year's AH LONG PTE LTD and MONEY NO ENOUGH 2 to break the $3 million mark in Malaysia.

Happy Valentine's Day

"Look For A Star" seems like a good choice for a romantic movie outing. Or if your other half prefer broody brave man, "Valkyrie" is a good choice too. On 26 Feb, check out the romance comedy that won the hearts of millions in China, Feng Xiaogang's "If You Are The One". Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Summer 2009

On April 29, Logan/Wolverine struggles to unlock the secrets to his past in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", the prequel to the successful X-Men franchise. Ben Stiller returns as the fumbling security guard in "Night of the Museum 2" coming May 21st. The crazy wave of summer releases will begin real soon.

THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS PARTNERS WITH DREAMWORKS STUDIO

The Walt Disney Studios has agreed to enter into an exclusive long-term distribution arrangement with filmmaker and DreamWorks Studios co-founder Steven Spielberg, and partner Stacey Snider, chief executive officer of DreamWorks, to distribute all upcoming live-action motion pictures produced by DreamWorks under their partnership with Reliance BIG Entertainment, part of The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, it was announced today by Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. Under the terms of this arrangement, Disney will handle distribution and marketing for approximately six DreamWorks films each year. The first DreamWorks motion picture to be released under the Touchstone Pictures banner is scheduled to hit theaters in 2010. Steven Spielberg said, “Disney is the birthplace of imagination and has always been as close to the worldwide audience as any company ever has. I am so pleased that industry leaders like Bob Iger and Dick Cook reached out to become our distribution partner. This is a major step forward for us and Reliance.”

Soundtracks Galore

A case of better late than never. We just updated our soundtrack vault with tonnes of reviews. 14 tracks of music used in the outrageously wacky action comedy "Tropic Thunder" can be found in the OST including Enigma’s "Sadeness, Pt. 1" which will remind you of the “Satan’s Alley” fake trailer. A mixture of pumping scores, hip-hop and rap filled up the soundtrack of "Pineapple Express". If you are a fan of the critically penned "The Love Guru", perhaps Mike Meyers' "Guru Pitka Chant" will also charm you.

DVD...DVD...DVD...DVD...DVD...

Opt for an action-packed weekend with "Eagle Eye", the ultimate race-against-time thriller starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan. On the Asia side, Benny Chan's "Connected" starring Louis Koo and Barbie Hsu should set your adrenalin pumping! Have fun!

CELEBRATE THIS VALENTINE'S DAY WITH

Make this Valentine's Day celebration a very memorable one with a chance to meet Singapore's Golden Couple, Fann Wong and Christopher Lee , upclose and personal at two special screenings of THE WEDDING GAME at GV VivoCity! Three lucky couples will also be winning three set of special prizes during the pre-show activities with Fann Wong and Christopher Lee. Couples who like to attend either one of the two screenings will be able to get their tickets at all Golden Village box offices and Golden Village's website: http://www.gv.com.sg/ from 5th February onwards.

RED CLIFF II HIT THE $3 MILLION MARK

RED CLIFF II has hit the $3 million dollar mark at the local box office despite strong competition from the Chinese New Year blockbusters! RED CLIFF II accumulated SGD $3.02 million as of 3rd February since opening on 9th January 2009. RED CLIFF I on the other hand acculmulated only S$2.61 million at the end of its run last year.

LOVE IS STILL NUMBER ONE!

The war between Fann Wong's The Wedding Game and Jack Neo's Love Matters reigns on, LOVE MATTERS continues to hold on strong and maintains its Number One position topping all other Chinese New Year films. As of Tuesday, 3 February, the film has earned a cumulative gross box office of S$1,350,288. On Monday and Tuesday (2 and 3 February), LOVE MATTERS was the top-grossing filmwith daily takings of $34,970 and $33,278 respectively. Compared to the other films which opened during the Chinese New Year period, Love Matters is still the Top of The Singapore Box Office! LOVE MATTERS is currently the highest grossing local film rated NC-16.

TAKEN grabs No.1 spot at US Box Office

TAKEN, the Luc Besson CIA thriller has topped the US box office with $24.7 million on its opening weekend. This figure was at least $5 million better than anticipated thanks to a strong word of mouth. Neeson stars in this action-packed international thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. When his estranged daughter is kidnapped in Paris, a former spy (Neeson) sets out to find her at any cost. Relying on his special skills, he tracks down the ruthless gang that abducted her and launches a one-man war to bring them to justice and rescue his daughter. TAKEN is slated for release locally in April 2009.

EVERYONE'S STILL GAME FOR THE WEDDING!

THE WEDDING GAME is the top grossing movie over the past weekend, from 29th January to 1st February at the local box office! The movie has accumalated SGD $1.25 million at the Singapore box office despite strong competition from other titles. THE WEDDING GAME has also done well in Malaysia, collecting an impressive box office of RM$2 million as of yesterday 1st February 2009. The movie is the third Singapore movie after last year's AH LONG PTE LTD and MONEY NO ENOUGH 2 to break the $2 million mark in Malaysia.