The TGV Club is a new premier concept movie theater which just opened in TGV Sunway Pyramid offering a special experience from moviegoers.

TGV graciously invited members of the media and social media influencers to experience this new offering/product that they had. We started off in the outside area near the Cantina for a selection of reds and whites, mostly from Australia (and sponsored by GAB I believe). Then it was a walk into the Lounge with a display of their SUPER YUMMY Popcorn Royale.

(photos from TGV Facebook page. My phone was running out of batt so didn’t take photos)

As you can see the lounge is pretty spacious. They removed the tables and chairs to make way for cocktail tables but one side of the area has a row of sofas (not in pic). The middle table also has ‘bar stools’ so you can sit around and chit chat or order food/drinks while waiting.

Kenny Wong, CEO of TGV Cinemas said a few words thanking us to for attending. Kenny is one of the most friendly and down to earth CEOs I’ve met (not that I’ve met many) and its quite interesting to see how much TGV has progressed since he took over the reins.

After some drinks and nibbles, we were ushered into the cinema halls (there are two) to watch Underworld : Awakening (Kate Beckinsale in black leather and skin-tight latex..mm). Kenny came in to make sure everyone was comfortably seated and we had a bit of photo taking before the movie started.

The Cinema Halls

The halls are the smaller halls with limited seats. The last two rows consists of 8 couple/twin seats while the other rows have 10 seats each. The couple seats are so big that I saw 3 guys who tested the sit and manage to sit comfortably. Each seat is also separated by a small table with a cupholder to hold your goodies.

So the big question is, how much is it la?

Its RM25 for the single seats while the twin seats are RM52 for two people. Its quite affordable considering the comfort level you get. Also I would recommend to sit in the top 4 rows for optimum viewing pleasure.

I’ve already been to TGV IMAX (watched MI4 there – awesome!) and now the TGV Club which I think will be nice for an occasional treat. Next is to try the Beanieplex!

I had this friend who had bad body odour. It was so bad that we wouldn’t sit near him when we went out because we couldn’t really stand his smell. I spotted him wearing the same shirt two days in a row and so I asked him about it. He said “I only change shirts if I wear it for more than 5 hours or I do sports. Its still clean what”. I was speechless.

FUN FACT: The No Sweat Survey commissioned by Rexona has showed that 65% of Malaysians often joke about their friends’ body odour but the brutal truth is that they are actually serious about it. In addition, a staggering 60% of people would hold their breath rather than confronting one’s unpleasant smell.

I think that is quite true. We did joke to that friend of ours about him being smelly but we sort of laughed it off as well. Thankfully, he finally realized and changed. Perhaps someone actually had the guts to tell straight up to him. Haha!

In an effort to improve the public’s understanding about sweat and it’s consequences, Rexona organized a “Don’t Sweat It with Rexona” event where the FIVE main causes of sweat were explained in 5 different stations.

*note: for some reason I lost my photos in my phone and don’t have the photos I took at the event :(  Will try to get some pics up soon* Got the pics below. Enjoy!

(1) Sweat : The first station was a Kinect games station. We could play against our friends in a game by moving around. Light movement such as this is one of the causes of sweat.

(2) Heat : Next was a setup of two beach chairs and some props – floppy hat, shades, beach ball, umbrella – with spotlights. We played dress up and pretended we were at a hot beach while the crew took photos of us using polaroids. I really do like the idea of polaroids at events, it gives a tangible souvenir of your experience.

(3) Stress : Stress is one of the causes of sweat and two inflatable dolls were in place for us to punch and release our stress.

(4) Humidity : This station is one popular station. You could get a hand massage in a closed humid corner. The bad thing is, there was only one person doing the massaging so the line was rather long.

(5) Emotions : This is a little known fact but changes in emotions can also be a trigger for sweat. Rexona treated us to the thriller Dream House starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts. There were twists and turns to this story.

Short Movie review on “Dream House”: My warning is, don’t watch the trailer. It gives quite a lot of the movie. I expected a horror, but its actually more of a drama. The movie was just ok for me and I won’t really recommend to watch it in the cinema but a friend who watched really did like it so you’d have to make the decision yourself.

I’ve actually been using for Rexona for some time now. I currently like their ‘”Powder Dry” from their Rexona Woman range (left pic). It smells like talc which I think is really fresh. At the event we were given Rexona Women Shower Clean which “has an uplifting scent that keeps you feeling shower fresh and is proven to keep you fresher and drier longer” in both the roll-on and spray type (right pic). The scent seems nice so I’ll probably use it after my current one finishes.

Thanks to TGV Cinemas, I was invited to watch the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) at TGV Cinemas, Sunway Pyramid on Tuesday, 12 July.  The cinema was packed with people and even cosplayers dressed up as Hogwarts students and key characters like Bellatrix and Severus Snape.

Photos above taken from CosPlay-FUN.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" is the final adventure in the Harry Potter film series. In the much-anticipated epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe until Voldemort is defeated. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with the evil Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.

Classification: PG13
Genre: Action / Adventure / Fantasy
General Release Date: 14 Jul 2011
Running Time: 2 Hours 10 Minutes
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Cast: Bill Nighy, Timothy Spall, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman
Director: David Yates

I seriously can’t believe it’s the end. I’m not a huge Harry Potter fan myself but I have read some of the books and watched some of the movies. I did however made a point to watch Part 1 of the Deathly Hallows before watching the movie.

*some spoilers below*

Click here to show spoiler

*end spoiler*

At any case, it was an entertaining movie regardless of whether you’re a Harry Potter fan or not. So if you didn’t get to watch it this weekend, make sure to catch it soon! Also do watch Part 1 else you might get a bit lost.

On another note, it’s been a while since I’ve watched movies in TGV Cinemas since the one in 1Utama closed and the nearest one next to me in quite far in Sunway. However, I really like the seats in TGV as its at a sharper slope so the people in front of you don’t block your view. Like I mentioned, the cinema was packed with people, some in creative costumes and the whole place was decorated in a Harry Potter theme complete with nice tickets (pictured above).

Thanks TGV Cinemas for the great experience and ending to a saga!

p/s : I wonder if they’ll be a Part 1 & Part 2 marathon movie night. That would be pretty cool.

Its only day 2 and I’m already late in my 30 Things in 30 Days Challenge. Sorry I was sick :(

Anyway, today. I’ve always been a big fan of theatrical style musicals such as Moulin Rouge, Chicago and such. My current favourite movie is Nine (2009).

Nine is a movie adapted from theater. Its a bit brooding and dark but sexy. It tells of a movie director and how four different women – his muse, his wife, his protégé, his mistress, his mom and a prostitute from his childhood – have influenced his thoughts and his style of directing/writing.

Its an entertaining movie and interesting to see how the different phases in his life melds together. Go watch it!

Have you ever wondered why certain things happened to you just at the right time and the right place? Some might call it divine intervention, some call it sourcing (based on “The Secret”), others call it coincidence.

But to them, to these people, it was all expected. They knew it was happening, and they knew it was according to plan.

The story starts off with bad boy turned politician David Norris (Matt Damon) who tries to run for Senate. It shows him campaigning against much more older and seasoned opponents. Part of his charm, I think, is how he is close to the young people. Saying that the older candidates don’t understand them, basically doing what I call “mendekati rakyat”. Then he finds his dreams dashed by photo from his bad past and his ranking in the polls dropped.

And just as you were thinking the movie is a political movie, that’s when the politics fade away.

He bumps into a mysterious lady in the weirdest place to meet a woman, who proceeds in changing his perceptions of life around him just by simple conversation and a kiss. She was a stranger to him, and yet, he bumped into her again and again, in the most unlikely places, only to be torn apart. There is always something, or someone forcing them apart.

He then has to choose between fate and let thing run as planned, or fight it and choose free will.

You really must watch this movie as I found it to be entertaining and a good movie.  The story was a unique concept on an idea that has been portrayed before but this certainly was a fresh difference. Definitely better as average so I give this a 6-7 over 10.

Now watch the trailer below :

As always, thank you to UIP Malaysia (Facebook page) for the premiere tickets to view this movie.

I’ll have to say that first and foremost, I’ve never watched a western movie. Not in the Cinema, TV or even on DVD/CD. Or, as my friend put it, “you didn’t grow up with John Wayne.”

True Grit is a adaptation of an old book  and 1969 movie. This 2010 movie, however, focuses more point of view of little 14-year-old Mattie Ross (played by relatively unknown Hailee Steinfeld), who travels to the city to avenge the death of her father, who was shot by a conman, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). Smart witted and well above the maturity of her younbg age, she persistently looks around for people and resources to help her in her quest, enlisting the help of aging, drunkard and trigger-happy US Marshall, Rooster Cogburn (played by the awesome Jeff Bridges).

The story is what I would imagine a typical Western movie to be like (minus the cliché – two men standing in the middle of the almost empty down, staring down at each other waiting to whip out their guns and start shooting) but oh so much better.

Mattie will charm you from the very beginning with her gutsy determination to make her voice and wishes heard in what must have been a time where women (especially of a young age) were not taken seriously. Rooster Cogburn will remind you of that drunk and awkward man that everyone thinks is useless and selfish but has a soft spot inside. The cocky Texas Ranger (played by Matt Damon) will make you feel like he’s too big for his britches and thinks he knows better than others.

It was rough at times (trekking through unknown Indian territory), witty at some (funny catchphrases and quotes in the movie), brutal and bloody at others (lots of guns, bullets and horse chases) and heart warming at the end. All it all, I personally thought that it really was an entertaining, good movie and well deserving of its Oscar nominations.

Movie Info

* Nominated for 10 awards in the Oscars 2011 – Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Costume Design, Best Achievement in Directing, Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Jeff Bridges), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Hailee Steinfeld) and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on a Material Previously Produced or Published.

* Interesting Movie Trivia – John Wayne, who played Rooster Cogburn in the 1969 movie, won a Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Actor. Will history repeat itself in this year’s Oscars?

Classification: 18
Genre: Drama / Western
General Release Date: 24 Feb 2011 (Malaysia)
Running Time: 1 Hour 58 Minutes
Cast: Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Thank you to United International Pictures Malaysia for the passes to this movie.

As usual, this post – and all other posts across this blog – are the personal opinions expressed by the writer and do not represent any third party’s view in any way.

One…two…Freddy’s coming for you…

I’ve always thought that kids had the creepiest voice, especially when they do that sing-song tone over and over again. Or laugh in a creepy way. Well you are going to hear a lot of that in this movie.

First and foremost, I must admit that I have never watched the first (original) version of this movie. Yea, I’m serious. My parents didn’t believe in letting their children watch horror/thriller movies. I’ve also not watched Edward Scissorhands…but that’s a review for another day.

Thanks Advertlets for tickets to the pre-screening
& Diese of BaYnN.com for her photo of the tix

Okay, back to Freddy:

This story tells of a group of teenagers who all have the same recurring dream. Its about a man whose face is disfigured, wearing a red striped sweater, a tattered fedora and instead of fingers, he has long, sharp blades on one hand.

These teens dream that he is trying to murder them in their dreams, and more often than not, the dream becomes a reality and they end up dead in the exact same way they were dreaming about.

As one by one of the teens unexplainably turn up dead, the other surviving teams band together to try and find out the the answers to their questions while trying hard not to fall asleep. Who is this Freddy? Why is he killing them?

As they dig deeper and deeper, they realize that all of them share a dark hidden past, kept secret by their beloved parents. And everytime they close their eyes, Freddy gets closer and closer.

The film stars Jackie Earle Haley (Ros as Freddy Krueger and Rooney Mara plays Nancy Holbrook, loosely based on the character Nancy Thompson in the original movie. I noticed that Katie Cassidy who acted in the TV series ‘Harper’s Island’ also had a role as one of the teens.

The beginning of the movie was a bit slow but it picked up towards the end, when the characters were getting desperate and chasing for time before their body could not handle it and started shutting down.

The music really lends the perfect environment for a horror movie. I thought the movie did have a few “sudden” moments. But personally, I didn’t think it was as scary as some Japanese, Indonesian or Thai horror movies I’ve watched. I must say the Asians does it better.

He looks more like The Mummy than a burn victim no?

Go watch the movie if you want to see how this remake compares to the first. Some parts of the story is different from the original. Think of it as a reimagining of the original, not the same story re-used. I think this movie better for the DVD collection.

Rating : 3/10

I won two tickets for Robin Hood from The Star R.A.G.E. facebook page contest. The question was rather tricky: “How many movies have director Ridley Scott and actor Russell Crowe done together?”

I answered it correctly and I got to watch a few days before the release. yay! So yea, on to the review

Genres:     Action/Adventure and Drama
Running Time:     2 hrs. 28 min.
Release Date:     May 14th, 2010 (wide)
MPAA Rating:     PG-13 for violence including intense sequences of warfare, and some sexual content.
Distributors:     Universal Pictures

I grew up watching the animated version of Robin Hood (played by a fox) and his merry men (played by various different animals) who was the champion for the weak. Stealing money from the rich to give to the poor. The hero in the forest together with his merry men taunting the evil king and his guards.

Now Ridley Scott’s version of Robin Hood is slightly different. It tells of a time of war and tribulation where the king and noblemen became richer and richer while the common folk suffered.  The story opens with the English army marching on their France enemies capturing castles in a forgot-how-many-year campaign by King Richard. Robin Longstride was a lowly archer in that army. Quick on his feet and honest.

This is a story of Robin before the ‘Hood’ – who he is before the legend, how he met his fellow merry men and how the legend came to be.

Russel Crowe carried the role well as the rugged, sword fighting, swift archery, fist punching hero covered in mud and blood, similar to his role in Gladiator actually. I personally thought Cate Blanchett was a tad too old to play the role of Maid Marion, unless the ‘maid’ part was referring to ‘old maid’ hehe! Some more it seems like most of the male characters in the movie wanted her. Weird.

The characters were all well developed, the storyline was interesting and entertaining. The only issue i have with this movie is that its a tad too long. But still worth watching :)

Rating : 7/10

Thanks again to The Star RAGE for the tickets.

Btw the answer to the question is FIVE movies : Gladiator (2000), A Good Year (2006), American Gangster (2007), Body of Lies (2008), Robin Hood (2010)

Then watch Ipron Man 2!!

p/s: I didn’t create this poster.

p/s/s : I’m going to watch Iron Man 2 tonight with the geng.

Actor in a Leading Role

• Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
• George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
• Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
• Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
• Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Matt Damon in “Invictus”
• Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
• Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
• Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
• Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Actress in a Leading Role

• Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
• Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
• Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
• Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
• Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
• Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
• Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
• Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
• Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Animated Feature Film

• “Coraline” Henry Selick
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
• “The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
• “The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
• “Up” Pete Docter

Art Direction

• “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
• “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
• “Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
• “Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
• “The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cinematography

• “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
• “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
• “The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
• “Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
• “The White Ribbon” Christian Berger

Costume Design

• “Bright Star” Janet Patterson
• “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
• “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
• “Nine” Colleen Atwood
• “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Directing

• “Avatar” James Cameron
• “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
• “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
• “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

Documentary (Feature)

• “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
• “The Cove” Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens
• “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
• “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
• “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Documentary (Short Subject)

• “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
• “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
• “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
• “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
• “Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Film Editing

• “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
• “District 9” Julian Clarke
• “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
• “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Foreign Language Film

• “Ajami” Israel
• “The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada)” Peru
• “A Prophet (Un Prophète)” France
• “The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)” Argentina
• “The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)” Germany

Makeup

• “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
• “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
• “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Music (Original Score)

• “Avatar” James Horner
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
• “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
• “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
• “Up” Michael Giacchino

Music (Original Song)

• “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
• “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
• “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
• “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
• “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best Picture

• “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
• “The Blind Side” Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson, Producers
• “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
• “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
• “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, Producers
• “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
• “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
• “Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
• “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

• “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
• “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
• “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
• “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
• “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

Short Film (Live Action)

• “The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
• “Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
• “Kavi” Gregg Helvey
• “Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
• “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Sound Editing

• “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
• “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
• “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
• “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
• “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Sound Mixing

• “Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
• “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
• “Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
• “Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
• “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Visual Effects

• “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
• “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
• “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• “District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
• “An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
• “In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
• “Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
• “Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
• “The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
• “A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
• “Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy