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KajoPicks: 8 films about Mount Everest you must watch

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Mount Everest is the world’s highest mountain, standing at its  official height of 8,848m.

While the rest of the world calls it Everest, the mountain is called Sagarmatha in Nepal and Chomolungma in Tibet.

The name Everest was actually given by the Royal Geographical Society as suggested by the British Surveyor General of India, Andrew Waugh in 1865.

Waugh named it after his predecessor, Sir George Everest.

Even though more than 4,000 people have reached its peak since Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953, hundreds  have died doing it, which is why its no surprise that Everest always make it into popular culture.

There are plenty of books, movies and documentaries out there telling tales of courageous humans pushing their limits to conquer Everest.

Here, we narrowed down eight films from all over the world on Mount Everest to watch:

1.Everest (2015)

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On May 10 to 11, 1996, eight people died while caught in a blizzard on Mount Everest.

This movie starring Jason Clarke and Jake Gyllenhaal, is based on that 1996 disaster.

A real tearjerker, the film focuses on the two expedition groups led by Rob Hall (Clarke) and Scot Fischer (Gyllenhall).

Overall, the film was a commercial blockbuster and received positive reviews from critics.

However, journalist Jon Krakauer who was on assignment from Outside magazine and part of Hall’s expedition team was not happy with the movie.

Krakauer thinks that some of its details were fabricated and defamatory.

The storyline for Everest (2015) is mostly adapted from Beck Weathers’ book Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest.

2. Into Thin Air: Death on Everest (1997)

p19867_d_v8_aaThis TV movie is according to Krakauer’s account of what happened during the 1996 Mount Everest tragedy.

It is based on Krakauer’s memoir Into Thin Air which received considerable amount of criticism.

For those with curious minds, they could watch both Everest (2015) and Into Thin Air: Death on Everest (1997) and compare the storylines.

3.The Himalayas (2015)

The_Himalayas_(film)_posterThe Himalayas (2015) is based on South Korean climber Um Hong Gil’s life.

It focuses on his mentorship of two other climbers Park Moo Taek and Park Jeong Bok.

Sadly, Moo Taek died during an expedition on Mount Everest and his body was left in the Himalayas.

The movie is based on real-life event of Um, set aside concerns over his leg injury to lead a team to find Moo Taek’s body.

4. Poorna: Courage Has No Limit (2017)

220px-Poorna_-_PosterMalavath Poorna conquered the summit of Mount Everest at the age of 13 years and 11 months earning the title as the youngest girl in the world to do so.

The movie follows her journey in preparation for her climb.

Keeping true to Poorna’s tribe, they speak in the native Telugu language.

Poorna: Courage Has No Limit (2017) was shot in Poorna’s home village in Pakala over a period of 11 days.

It was highly praised in the media including The Hindustan Times which stated “Poorna shows you that incredible stories can be told simply. Bollywood can learn from that.”

5. Beyond the Edge (2013)

Beyond-Final-Poster-BThis New Zealand docudrama is about Norgay and Hillary’s historical ascent of Everest in 1953.

The film features original footage and photographs from the expedition, lending the movie some authenticity.

There is also an audio interview with Hillary and narration by the expedition leader John Hunt.

6. Blindsight (2006)

p178743_p_v8_aa The climbers in this documentary do not climb Mount Everest but the 23,000 foot Lhakpa Ri mountain in the shadow of the Himalaya.

Blindsight follows the story of six blind Tibetan teenagers on their journey to climb Lhakpa Ri mountain.

The group had some help for their challenge, a blind German social worker Sabriye Tenberkan and famous blind mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer.

7. Everest (1998)

1789-everest-1998-poster-a-crop-203-286This 45-minute documentary focus on a team led by mountaineer Ed Viesturs.

He is the only American to have climbed all 14 of the world’s mountain peaks.

Some of his team members are Jamling Tenzing Norgay, son of Tenzing Norgay and Spanish climber Araceli Segarra, the first Spanish woman to climb to the summit of Mount Everest.

It also features a description of the training required in order to climb to the summit of Mount Everest.

And the plus point for this documentary? Liam Neeson narrated this film.

8. Beyond the Heights (2015)

Beyond_the_HeightsAward-winning Pakistani cinematographer Jawad Sharif directed this inspiring 2015 documentary.

It follows the then 21-year old Samina Baig who became first Pakistani woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 2013.

Samina was accompanied by her brother Miza Ali Baig. Miza was  the youngest Pakistani man to conquer Everest at the age of 29.

Apart from Everest, Samina also the first and only Pakistani woman to climb all seven summits on seven continents.

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5 best award-winning dramas by Kim Eun Sook to binge watch

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Kim Eun Sook is a household name when it comes to the South Korean screenwriting scene.

First gaining attention with Lovers in Paris, she is known for writing iconic kissing scenes with romantic, almost borderline cheesy lines. These scenes would make you either swoon, cringe or even both.

One of the most standout examples being the famous ‘wine kiss’ in Descendants of the Sun (2016).

While its heroine Dr Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo) is enjoying her wine straight from the bottle, she offers some to Yoo Si Jin (Song Joong Ki) who refuses, saying that dispatched troops are not allowed to drink.

Noticing that Yoo is watching her intently, Kang says “You look like you really want to drink this” and offers him the bottle.

Yoo then says, “I think I found a way”, walks straight up to her, grabs her by the chin and kisses her.

Who wouldn’t swoon?

Admittedly, some of the Kim Eun Sook’s plotlines can be pretty cliched. Poor girl falls in love with rich boy, with the universe somehow against them. In the end, they live happily ever after.

Nonetheless, they make good guilty pleasures especially if you want a quick escape from reality into the larger than life fantasy of Korean dramas.

With more than 10 projects under her belt, we break them down to five best award-winning dramas written by Kim Eun Sook you must watch for your K-drama starter pack:

1.Goblin (2017)

Goblin is Kim Eun Sook’s second collaboration with director Lee Eun Bok after Descendants of the Sun.

It was the second highest rated drama in Korean cable television history behind Reply 1988.

Perhaps contributing to Goblin’s success was lead actor Gong Yoo’s return to the TV screen after his blockbuster movie Train to Busan.

Kim Eun Sook revealed in a talk show ‘Signal’ last year that Gong Yoo was the actor that had rejected her the most often, refusing to work with her until Goblin came along.

Gong Yoo plays the Goblin or Kim Shin who needs a human bride to end his immortality.

Some criticised the huge age gap between the two lead characters Kim Shin and Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun) – he’s 37, she’s 25 – but Goblin was a commercial success.

It was awarded the Grand Prize (Daesang) for Television honour during the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Descendants of the Sun (2016)

A -listers including Won Bin, Jo In Sung, Gong Yoo and Kim Woo Bin all said no to playing the male lead in this drama.

Some said they were uncomfortable playing the role of a soldier while others reportedly could not commit to the pre-production format of the show.

Most Korean dramas out there are shot in ‘live-shoot’ system. Meaning the storyline might be changed depending on public feedback but at the cost of long filming hours.

However with pre-production format, the drama is filmed entirely before broadcast allowing the producers to plan for its distribution better.

The risk is that if the audience ends up not liking it, there’s no way to go back to change the plot.

The pre-production format worked out for Descendants of the Sun. Being pre-produced allowed them to air it in China simultaneously with South Korea, bringing in more profits.

If you hadn’t guessed from the wine kiss, the plot is the love story between a soldier Yoo Si Jin (Song Joong Ki) and Doctor Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo).

This was also Song Joong Ki’s first project after finishing his mandatory military duty.

Besides the script, another contributor to the success of this drama was the great chemistry between the ‘Song-Song Couple’.

And they proved their off-screen chemistry was real when they married in October 2017.

Descendants of the Sun earned Kim Eun Sook her first KBS Drama Award for Best Writer.

3.The Heirs (2013)

This is Kim’s first teen drama based on the love story between a rich kid (Lee Min Ho) and a poor girl Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye).

Kim Eun Sook revealed that she wrote it specifically for Lee, calling it a teen romance for grown-ups.

She won Outstanding Scriptwriter award for The Heirs during the 2nd Asia Rainbow TV Awards in 2014.

The Heirs was the first Korean drama co-produced by American digital distribution platform DramaFever.

Watch the trailer here.

4.Secret Garden (2010)

This drama won numerous awards including Korea Content Awards: Prime Minister’s Award in the Field of Broadcasting and Korea Drama Awards for Best Writer.

Other awards were Seoul International Drama Awards: Outstanding Screenwriter and Baeksang Art Awards for Best TV Screenplay.

Another Cinderella story by Kim Eun Sook, the story follows Gil Ra Im (Ha Ji Won) a stuntwoman who falls in love with Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin), the CEO of a department store.

This was Ha’s first project after taking 4-year break from dramas.

Secret Garden was so successful that the fashion items such as Joo Won’s sequined sweater and catchphrases were all the rage back then.

And who can forget the legendary ‘foam kiss’ scene? The scene probably inspired half of the men in South Korea to lean over and kiss their girlfriends while their lips are tainted with cappuccino foam.

Watch the trailer here.

5.Lovers in Paris (2004)

Speaking of catchphrases, no other Korean drama has sparked more trends and parodies than Lovers in Paris.

Even if you have never seen this drama, you have probably seen entertainers mimicking its lead role Han Ki Joo (Park Shin Yang)’s famous line “Let’s go, baby!” in variety shows.

Kim Eun Sook co-wrote Lovers in Paris with Kang Eun Jung winning the Best TV Screenplay award together in 2005 Baeksang Arts Awards.

It is another cliched story of the poor Kang Tae Young (Kim Jung Eun) working for the rich Han Ki Joo as his housekeeper.

The series became one of the highly rated Korean dramas of all time. It also won several high-profile awards including SBS Drama Awards: Special Award in 2005.

Read more:

10 South Korean movies inspired by true stories you must watch

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KajoPicks: 5 YouTube channels to follow if you love true crime stories

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True crime stories can be morbid, gruesome to watch or read about.

Yet some of us are simply fascinated about them, especially when it comes to murder cases. Perhaps one of the reasons we are drawn to true crime stories is how they can trigger fear in us, the same way some people can enjoy a good horror movie even though they’re jumpy while watching it.

With the existence of specialised YouTube channels, videos covering the horror and depravity of all types of crime have become so accessible.

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KajoMag’s five Youtube Channels to follow if you just love true crime stories. Credit: Pixabay.

So here are five YouTube Channels to follow if you just love true crime stories:

1. BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime

Buzzfeed Unsolved is one of BuzzFeedBlue’s weekly web series.

Its creator Ryan Bergara co-hosts the show together with Shane Madej where they highlight famous unsolved crimes throughout history and present possible theories.

Even though it’s heavy material, the duo manage to narrate it with some sense of humour, making the videos so entertaining to watch.

That being said, Bergara seems to have better chemistry with Madej who replaced his former co-host Brent Bennett.

2. Criminally Listed

Putting aside the dull narrations in the videos, Criminally Listed features great listicles of true crime stories.

The channel comes up with morbidly interesting themes like “3 Cases of Teachers Killing Their Students” and “3 Haunting Family Christmas Murders”.

The Canadian-based YouTube channel brings you true crime stories every Thursday and Sunday.

3. Vintage Files

Revisit old crime scenes with the Vintage Files.

They feature solved and unsolved crime cases, sliding in some paranormal mysteries in between.

We bet videos like “5 Strange Events that Happened in WW1” and “5 Most Evil Doctors in History” are stories they never taught in any history class.

4. Rob Dyke

Internet personality Rob Dyke manages to combine comedy and tragedy in his videos featuring some of the scariest, creepiest stories in the world.

He dedicates Sunday to gruesome murders in history so watch out for his video on that.

He has a playlist of serial killer videos on his channel that he named “Anatomy of Murder”.

5. Cayleigh Elise

Cayleigh Elise brings you horrifying crime cases in her video series “Dark Matters”.

She features well-known cases like Elisa Lam (the girl whose body was discovered in the water tank of a Los Angeles hotel) to lesser known crime like the missing crew of the Sarah Joe.

Cayleigh has another playlist of videos, which can be too sad to watch for some, called “Nameless” which features unidentified victims.

On top of true crime stories, she also covers urban legends, folklore and the paranormal.

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10 South Korean movies inspired by true stories you must watch!

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South Korean movies based on actual accounts started gaining attention in the beginning of the 21st century.

Of course, not all the movies have remained true to the actual story, but some of them were so thought-provoking, that they provoked public outcry, reopening criminal cases and even changing the judicial system.

Here are 10 South Korean movies based on (or inspired by) true events you have to watch:

Silenced starring Gong Yoo.
Silenced starring Gong Yoo.

1. Silenced (2011)

Also known as The Crucible, this 2011 film is based on the novel by Gong Ji Young.

It was inspired by actual events  at Gwangju Inhwa School for the hearing-impaired where students were sexually assaulted by the school staff over a period of five years in the early 2000s.

The teachers were let off with minimal punishment. Worse still, four out of six of them were reinstated after they escaped punishment under the statute of limitations. The other two received jail terms of less than a year.

After the film’s release, there was public outrage over the lenient court rulings, prompting police to reopen the case.

A revised bill called the Dogani (Silenced) Bill was passed in late October 2011 to abolish the statute of limitations for sex crimes against minors and the disabled.

In 2012, the former administrator was sentenced 12 years in prison and ordered to wear an electronic anklet for 10 years following his release.

The movie stars pre-Goblin Korean heartthrob Gong Yoo and Jung Yu Mi.

Watch the trailer here.

2. Memories of Murder (2003)

Memories of Murder is based on the true story of the first known series of murders in South Korean history which took place in Gyeonggi Province.

Between October 1986 and April 1991,  female victims ranging from 14 to 71 were each found gagged and murdered. Some have compared the murders to those of the Zodiac Killer.

While the film itself never mentions the total body count, authorities found a total of 10 similar murders. Forensic evidence indicates that the suspect was a man in his 20s, about 165cm to 170 with a B blood type.

Spoiler alert: Just like the film murderer, the real murderer has not been caught.

Watch the trailer here.

3. Han Gong Ju (2013)

The Miryang Gang rape which happened in a South Koreas middle school in 2004  saw at least 41 male high school students gang-rape a number of middle- and high school girls over the course of 11 months.

As if these incidents weren’t bad enough, the way the police managed the case sparked more controversy as they mistreated the victims and treated the offenders leniently.

In the end, the court sent only five suspects to juvenile detention centres. Additionally, none of them were convicted of criminal charges.

Loosely-based on the incident, the movie circles around Han Gong Ju (Chun Woo Hee) who loses her friend after both became victims of a terrible gang rape incident.

Watch the trailer here.

4.Hope (2013)

Hope is based on the infamous Nayoung case in 2008.

Nayoung is the alias given to a 8-year-old girl who was found nearly dead in a public toilet. Later, authorities convicted a 57-year-old man – who had a history of sexual assaults – for raping and beating Nayoung.

The court sentenced the perpetrator to only 12 years in prison which sparked an outrage in the country due to the brutality of the crime.

Nayoung sustained irreversible injuries to her genitals, anus and intestine. Initially she had to wear a colostomy bag to replace her missing organs.

As to why a movie about such a horrendous tragedy has such an uplifting title?

Hope’s director Lee Joon Ik told Korean Cinema Today that he wanted to make a happy movie that begins with a tragedy.

“I am going to present a human drama where hope blooms at the edge of happiness and desperation, after a series of ordeals and hardships.”

Watch the trailer here.

5. Children (2011)

When five boys went out to spend the national holiday catching frogs at Mount Waryong and never returned, it was bound to create a media frenzy.

The group disappeared on March 26, 1991 but their bodies were only found 11 years later.

The initial cause of death was believed to be hypothermia. Further investigation, however, revealed that three of the skulls showed blunt-force trauma and one had been shot in the head with a shotgun.

Not only does this case remain unsolved, but the statute of limitations on this case expired in 2006.

Besides Children (2011), the incident also inspired a 1992 movie called Come Back, Frog Boys.

Watch the trailer.

6.Way Back Home (2013)

In 2004, the French immigration authority arrested a Korean housewife named Jang Mi Jeong upon her arrival at Paris Orly Airport.

She claimed she was asked by a family friend, whom she had known for more than 10 years, to bring a bag of uncut diamonds to France.

That bag of precious stones turned out to be some 17kg of cocaine.

The movie follows the case which led Jang to serve two years in prison in Martinique, an island in the Carribean Sea.

The filming of this movie took place over three weeks at a women’s prison in Martinique. It features actual guards and prisoners as supporting characters.

Watch the trailer here.

7. The Case of Itaewon Homicide (2009)

When two friends are suspected of murder, it could turn into a “he said, she said” situation which is what happened in The Case of Itaewon Homicide.

In the actual murder which was called the Itaewon Burger King Murder, Arthur Patterson and Edward Lee were accused of fatally stabbing Hongik college student Jo Jung Pil in 1997.

Lee was freed a year later due to lack of evidence. As for Patterson whose father was a former US army officer, he was released on special amnesty.

After the release of this film, Jo Jong Pil’s family demanded the case to be reopened. DNA evidence discovered by authorities revealed Patterson as the killer.

Critics praised Jang Geun Suk who played Robert J. Pearson (character inspired by Patterson) for his first English-speaking role in this movie.

Watch the trailer here.

8.Jiseul (2012)

Jiseul is set during the Jeju Uprising or Jeju Massacre, an insurgency on Jeju Island following an anticommunist suppression campaign that lasted from April 3, 1948 until May 1949.

This movie, however, does not focus on the suppression but rather on the true story of a group of villagers who hid in a cave for 60 days to escape military attack.

They struggled with cold and hunger, surviving on jiseul (potato in Jeju dialect).

The movie was the first Korean film to have won the prestigious World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

9.The Chaser (2008)

The Chaser is loosely based on Yoo Young Chul, a convicted serial killer and self-confessed cannibal.

Yoo admitted to killing 21 people, mostly prostitutes or masseuses and wealthy old men although he was only convicted of 20 as one case was dismissed on technicality.

His backstory or motives seem straight out of an episode of Criminal Minds as he says he hated the rich due to his childhood raised in poverty and his former lover working as a masseuse.

Ha Jung Woo who portrayed Je Yeong Min (the character inspired by Yoo) became The Chaser’s breakout star as he garnered high praise from local and international critics.

It even gained some props from The Dark Knight trilogy director Christopher Nolan who cited this as his favourite Korean movie.

Watch the trailer here.

10.Voice of a Murderer (2007)

This film is a fictionalised story based on the abduction of nine-year-old Lee Hyung Ho on Jan 29, 1991.

Although 87 calls were made to the parents demanding USD75,000 in ransom, Lee’s body was found 44 days after he went missing. What makes this even more tragic is that he was actually killed two days after being kidnapped.

Like some of the movies listed here, the killer was never caught.

In Voice of a Murderer, the boy’s name is Han Sang-woo, and it  focuses on the haunting and emotionless voice of the kidnapper as he taunts the boy’s parents, who become restless, frustrated and angry day by day.

Watch the trailer here.

Read more:

10 more South Korean movies based on real life events to watch

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Cumberbatch debuts as Jaeger-LeCoultre’s brand ambassador

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Actor Benedict Cumberbatch is photographed for Los Angeles Times on September 9, 2014 in Toronto, Ontario. CREDIT: Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times/Contour by Getty Images. (Photo by Jay L. Clendenin/Contour by Getty Images)
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch is photographed for Los Angeles Times on September 9, 2014 in Toronto, Ontario. CREDIT: Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times/Contour by Getty Images. (Photo by Jay L. Clendenin/Contour by Getty Images)

Jaeger-LeCoultre has named internationally renowned Benedict Cumberbatch its brand ambassador.

According to the 185-year-old Swiss watchmaker, Cumberbatch embodies the elegant and active man of today with his integrity as an actor, a family man and someone who dedicates himself with energy to charitable endeavors.

“Being a great watchmaking enthusiast I am delighted to be associated with such an outstanding watch manufacture as Jaeger-LeCoultre and to be visiting the Manufacture in the Vallée de Joux in January,” said Cumberbatch who will be making his debut at the much-anticipated Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) this month, a trade show for fine watch makers and watch lovers alike.

If you think this is the first time you’ve seen the debonair Cumberbatch and Jaeger-LeCoultre working together, take a closer look at the watch his character wears in Dr Strange.

The night of his car accident, Doctor Strange, chooses to wear his Jaeger‑LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual, a unique timepiece that will follow him during his mystical journey and keep him connected with time – past, present and future – featuring a meaningful love message on its caseback: ‘Time will tell you how much I love you ~ Christine’ played by Rachel McAdams.

He will be playing Patrick Melrose in Melrose, a five part episode series due for release later this year.

Top 18 Hollywood movies to watch in 2018

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It’s only the beginning of the year but 2018 looks ready to show us bigger and better movies than 2017.

Here are 18 movies (and its Malaysian release dates) which will have us lining up in the cinemas in 2018:

1.Maze Runner: The Death Cure (Jan 25)

Dylan O’Brien reprises his role as Thomas in this third and final installment in the Maze Runner film series.

In his final journey, Thomas is on a mission to find a cure to a deadly disease known as “the Flare”.

This time, Thomas and his friends must break into the legendary Last City, a labyrinth controlled by the World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department (WKCD).

2.Black Panther (Feb 25)

This is another exciting movie to anticipate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

For those following MCU movies, you might notice that all but one of the Infinity Stones has shown up.

The question now is: Will we get to see the final stone in Black Panther?

The plot is set after the events of Captain America: Civil War.

3.A Wrinkle in Time (Mar 8)

Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Mindy Kaling star in this star-studded movie.

It is an adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s book from 1963 of the same name which follows a young girl on the hunt for her missing scientist father.

4.Tomb Raider (Mar 15)

Here comes another reboot: This time instead of Angelina Jolie, Swedish actress Alicia Vikander is expected to bring Lara Croft’s character to life.

This edition sees Croft uncovering clues left behind by her father in England in the ancient lost Japanese kingdom of Yamatai which hides many secrets and tomb-raiding adventures.

5.Pacific Rim: Uprising (Mar 22)

It has been 10 years since the Battle of the Breach in 2013’s Pacific Rim.

The movie will continue the story of mankind’s battle against invading kaiju from where it left off in the first movie.

6. Avengers: Infinity War (Apr 26)

The third movie in the MCU Avengers series will gather the Avengers, this time to fight against Thanos.

The film is set four years after the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 when the Avengers have been broken apart following Captain America: Civil War.

7. Slender Man (May 17)

Slender Man is the horror story of our generation originally created as a creepypasta Internet meme.

Eric Knudsen, posting as “Victor Surge” joined a Photoshop Challenge where he posted photos of a tall, suited figure with elongated limbs.

Soon enough, people started claiming to see the figure whom they called ‘Slender Man’ stalking and abducting people.

A few violent acts related to Slender Man were reported including a near-fatal stabbing of a 12-year-old.

In the movie, Slender Man will continue to scare people trading computer screens with the big screen.

8. Solo: A Star Wars Story (May 24)

Do we need another Star Wars movie this year? Apparently we do.

Solo: A Star Wars Story is based on Han Solo and Chewbacca’s adventures before joining the Rebellion, including their early encounters with Lando Calrissian.

9. Deadpool 2 (May 31)

Here is the plot summary released by Twentieth Century Fox:

After surviving a near fatal knee boarding accident , a disfigured guidance counselor (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Poughkeepsie’s most celebrated French Bulldog breeder while also learning to cope with an open relationship.

Searching to regain his passion for life, as well as a new stuffed unicorn, Wade must battle ninjas, tight-assed metal men, and babysit a group of stereotypical side characters as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and creative outlets for his very open-minded sex life.

He manages to find a new lust for being a do-gooder, a sparkly Hello Kitty backpack, all while earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best 4th Wall Breaking Superhero.

Doesn’t make sense, does it?

10. Ocean’s 8 (June 7)

Take away the male cast in the Ocean’s Trilogy and replace them with an all-female cast – then you have Ocean’s 8.

In this movie, Danny Ocean’s estranged sister, Debbie, tries to pull off the heist of the century at New York’s annual star-studded Met Gala.

The cast is star-studded as well with names like Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling and Sarah Paulson rocking the screen.

11. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (June 7)

Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return to star in this sequel to 2015’s Jurassic World.

It follows four years after the closing of the Jurassic World theme park on Isla Nublar.

Interestingly, the trailer shows Howard letting go of her much-talked-about high heels and wearing boots instead.

12. Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 5)

Antman and the wasp

If you remember how Scott Lang (aka Ant-Man) took Captain America’s side in Captain America: Civil War,
Lang is now an internationally-wanted fugitive.

So we will get to see what happens to Ant-Man and what is the Wasp’s role in this Ant-Man sequel.

13. Venom (Oct 5)

When it comes to the comics universe, we know Tom Hardy as a DC villain in The Dark Knight Rises. Now he plays Eddie Brock/Venom, known in the Marvel Comics as a villain in Spider-Man.

Marvel Studio is reportedly not involved with this spin-off film and does not plan to integrate it with MCU.

But it is intended to be first film in Sony’s Marvel Universe to be set in the same world with Spider-Man: Homecoming, an MCU film.

14. Halloween (Oct 18)

Halloween

In 2017 we saw the success of IT and this year another 1980s horror movie is making a comeback.

In Halloween, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers.

Myers was the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

15. The Girl In the Spider’s Web (Oct 18)

The Millennium book series created by Stieg Larsson revolves around computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist.

Larsson’s untimely death from a heart attack in 2004 led to David Lagercrantz continuing the series.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web will mark the first time for Lagercrantz’s work to make it to the big screen.

The story follows Salander and Blomkvist fighting against spies, cyber criminals and perhaps even the government.

16. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Nov 1)

X men dark phoenix

Here comes another Marvel movie! X-Men: Dark Phoenix is set in the 1990s, a decade after the events of X-Men: Apocalypse.

The synopsis goes that X-Men, including Mystique, Beast, Storm, Nightcrawler and Quicksilver are now national heroes.

During a rescue mission in space, a solar flare hits the X-jets and the surge of energy ignites a new force in Jean Grey, the Phoenix.

17. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald (Nov 15)

This movie is still nearly a year away from the cinema but it has already caused some casting controversy.

Nonetheless, this Potter prequel saga will have Jude Law as the young Dumbledore- something that we all look forward to.

18. Aquaman (Dec 20)

Jason Mamoa as Aquaman.
Jason Mamoa as Aquaman.

So far, the year 2018 seems like a big year for Marvel. So how about ending the year with a DC Comics film?

Following the events of Justice League (which was disappointing), Arthur Curry (aka Aquaman) is now caught between two worlds.

On one side we have surface dwellers who are always polluting the Earth and on the other the underwater kingdom of Atlantis.

To be honest, who cares if Warner Bros Pictures delivers another DC flop through Aquaman? Just give us one shirtless scene of Jason Momoa and all will be forgiven.

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Syrian refugee Sohbi Shaker chases the Malaysian dream on Asia’s Got Talent

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Will 24-year-old magician Sobhi Shaker make it to the Semi-Finals?
Will 24-year-old self-taught magician Sobhi Shaker make it to the Semi-Finals?

It’s the last episode of the Judges’ Auditions and David Foster’s Golden Buzzer remains unused. Who will be deserving of the #DreamCrusher’s Golden Buzzer this season?

24-year-old Sobhi Shaker was sent to Malaysia by his family to pursue a better life. As a self-taught magician, Sobhi intends to fulfil his dream of being a full-time magician and bring his entire family to Malaysia. Will he be able to score three yeses to make it to the Semi-Finals?

Tune in to Asia’s Got Talent this Thursday at 8:30pm on AXN.

To relive the Golden Buzzer moments and for more exclusive behind-the-scenes clips, subscribe to Asia’s Got Talent Official YouTube Channel at www.YouTube.com/AsiasGotTalent. For a full recap of past episodes, visit www.AXN-Asia.com/AsiasGotTalent/Episodes.

A new episode of Asia’s Got Talent airs every Thursday at 8:30pm on AXN. To follow the journey of this season’s acts, check out #AXNAsia and #AsiasGotTalent.

Asia’s Got Talent is the 67th adaptation of the Guinness-World-Record-breaking hit “Got Talent” format, which was created by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment and is co-produced by FremantleMedia. The “Got Talent” format is officially the most successful reality TV format in history and currently airs in 186 countries.

Asia’s Got Talent is supported by presenting sponsor Traveloka, the leading travel booking app for all flight and hotel needs; sponsoring partner Great Eastern Life, the market leader in the conventional life insurance business and the largest life insurer in Malaysia by asset size; and GoDaddy, the world’s largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures.

Marina Bay Sands, Asia’s leading business, leisure and entertainment destination, is the official venue partner of Asia’s Got Talent.

T’Challa finds out the weight of responsibility in Black Panther

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Black Panther may not be coming out until 2018, but Marvel fans are already enjoying its mind-blowing trailer that was released 16 October.

While the teaser trailer gave a hint about the world of Wakanda through Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), who called it the ‘El Dorado’ of Africa, we find out more about this fictional African nation in the official trailer.

It begins with a space-age jet flying between looming waterfalls and over virgin jungle before piercing a shield that cloaks Wakanda from the rest of the world – hence the ‘El Dorado’ reference.

What follows are glimpses of King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) state-of-the-art lair/playroom on top of a cliff, an Afrofuturistic Wakanda that looks like it belongs in a Guardians of the Galaxy movie, kickass women in the forms of bodyguard Okoye (Danai Gurira), his younger half-sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) and his mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett), and of course, bad guy Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) who will be schooling T’Challa on how great power comes with great responsibility.

“What happens now, determines what happens to the rest of the world.”

Directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther drops in theatres 16 February 2018.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer sets up for an epic showdown

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We get a nice thrill of DOOM as the trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi begins with Emperor Snoke’s voiceover – presumably about the first time he saw Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) – and snippets of the New Order’s expansion plans put into action with burly AT-AT Walkers and blood-red smoke spewing machines crossing a white desert landscape.

Elsewhere, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is training on Ahch-To with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who echoes the same word – ‘raw’- when he comes to learn more of Rey’s power, and how it could be as dangerous as Kylo Ren’s.

It sets up a cliff-hanger ending where Rey says she needs someone to show her her place “in all this” and Kylo Ren offering her his hand. Will she take it this time? Will she deny him yet again?

For those who thought that The Force Awakens was just another version of A New Hope, the official trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi looks like the eighth instalment will be following a more dynamic story arc.

Judging by the trailers alone, however, we still don’t get any confirmation on whether Rey is Luke’s daughter or Kylo Ren’s sister. Meanwhile, Kylo seems as determined as ever to destroy the vulnerable parts of himself as we see him attacking the ship his mother, Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) is on.

Other showdowns we can look forward to is the one between John Boyega’s Finn, who seems to have matured in the latest instalment as he takes on Captain Phasma, who we didn’t get to see at all in The Force Awakens.

Offering a little breather in the emotional trailer is the Porg, a puffin-like creature that resides on Ahch-To.

Watch out for Star Wars: The Last Jedi to come out 14 December 2017 in Malaysia.

Aquaman crushes it in Justice League trailer

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The fourth trailer for the upcoming Justice League may have been a tribute to Superman, but it was really an introduction to what used to be a much-disparaged superhero – Aquaman.

The Internet already saw Aquaman’s reincarnation as a long-haired, savage, reclusive Arthur Curry (played by Jason Momoa) in previous trailers, but what they’re going to see in the final trailer is him seriously kicking ass as he takes on supervillain Steppenwolf’s insect-like minions with a trident, a shit-eating grin and a primal “Yay-ah!”

Fans of the Flash (Ezra Miller) can also look forward to this speedy hero coming up with the wise-cracks and the Amazon delivering on what everybody loved about her in her debut as Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) – her refusal to back down in a fight.

Underscored with a skin-tingling rendition of David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ by Gang of Youths, the members of the Justice League show what the world will have to do without Superman. Fans looking for a hint of a red cape in the trailer are going to have to wait until the movie comes out on November 17.

Whether the movie delivers the goods as its trailers promise is a whole other kettle of fish, but so far Aquaman is proving that he’s no fish out of water.

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