Entertainment – International

South Korean actor Lee Jong-suk says he is an Asian martial arts fiction fan

SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters) — South Korean actor Lee Jong-suk sat down with the media on Saturday (November 12) in Singapore, the fourth stop in his Asia tour to interact with fans and promote his work. In his latest hit drama “W – Two worlds”, Lee played a comic book character that came to life crossing between two parallel worlds. Lee said that he was an avid Asian marital arts fiction fan and if he […]

Brad Pitt cleared over plane behavior: source

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Brad Pitt has been cleared after a probe into allegations he mistreated one of his children, sources close to the case said Thursday. The claims centered on an alleged incident with his 15-year-old son Maddox in September on a flight from France. Pitt’s wife Angelina Jolie says he struck the child. Social workers interviewed the couple, their children and witnesses who were on the plane. The Los Angeles County […]

Arrival’ serves up alien invasion with brains

by Frankie TAGGART LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Are we alone in the universe? It is a question that has preoccupied filmmakers since “A Trip to the Moon” announced itself as the world’s first alien movie in 1902. In the century or so following the 17-minute silent French film, Hollywood’s extraterrestrials have visited in all shapes and sizes, from threatening tripods and genocidal lizards to benign humanoids. While these films have traditionally been effects-laden […]

Canadian singer, songwriter, poet Leonard Cohen dead at 82

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Leonard Cohen, the storied musician and poet hailed as one of the most visionary artists of his generation, has died at age 82, his publicist announced on Thursday. “It is with profound sorrow we report that legendary poet, songwriter and artist, Leonard Cohen has passed away. We have lost one of music’s most revered and prolific visionaries,” read a statement on Cohen’s Facebook page. Cohen, who was brought up […]

Hollywood in shock over Trump victory

by Frankie TAGGART LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Lady Gaga besieged Trump Tower. Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence penned a thoughtful essay. Miley Cyrus posted a tearful video. Hillary Clinton’s celebrity supporters were in deep mourning Thursday as Hollywood came to terms with Republican Donald Trump’s stunning election as US president. Pop princess Katy Perry, whose Twitter followers outnumber the populations of most European countries, urged her fans not to “sit still” or “weep.” “We are […]

Bruce and Beyonce lead stars in late Clinton push

by Shaun TANDON NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Top musicians from Bruce Springsteen to Beyonce to Madonna are rallying behind Hillary Clinton in the countdown to Tuesday’s election, adding A-list star power to a massive get-out-the-vote operation. Springsteen, one of the biggest concert attractions in the rock universe, warmed up an election eve rally on Monday in Philadelphia, where he hailed Clinton for her “vision of an America where everyone counts.” “Let’s all do […]

Kept the secret long enough – my review of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

QUEZON City,Philippines (November 8) – At the time of writing this review, 100, 000 seats were added to accommodate Harry Potter fans clamoring to see “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”. Before we truly begin, a standard warning: here be spoilers! For those of you living under a rock, the latest installment in the Harry Potter universe is a two-act play about an adult Harry Potter and his interaction with his middle child, Albus Severus […]

‘Doctor Strange’ takes top spot at the box office

Marvel’s latest big screen offering, “Doctor Strange” made movie magic at the box office this week, taking the number one spot at the U.S. box office Sunday (November 6). The comic book movie, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role, took in close to $85 million according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. 20th Century Fox’s “Trolls,” which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year, finally hit multiplexes, coming in second with total earnings of […]

Mirror worlds and other dimensions – my review of Doctor Strange

QUEZON City, Philippines (November 7) – As origin stories go, Doctor Strange can be counted as one of the best that Marvel has come up with. Of all of the Marvel Universe characters, Doctor Strange can be considered as the most esoteric, delving into the ancient philosophies as well as concepts like parallel universes, time-space continuum and others, more than enough to make an ordinary movie goer’s nose bleed. But kudos to the filmmakers! They managed […]

Doctor Strange’ works magic on N. American box office

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Surgeon-turned-sorcerer “Doctor Strange” cast his spell on North American audiences, debuting at the top of the box office in the latest triumph for Marvel Studios, industry estimates showed Sunday. The movie, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as world-famous neurosurgeon Stephen Strange — whose life changes forever after a horrific car accident robs him of use of his hands — raked in $85.0 million, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said. Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads […]

Bieber leads Europe MTV awards, ahead of Gaga

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AFP) — Pop superstar Justin Bieber pipped Lady Gaga at the MTV Europe Music awards Sunday, snapping up the lion’s share as megastar Beyonce came away empty-handed. In the high-energy show in the Dutch port of Rotterdam, the chart-topping Canadian singer’s legendary army of fans dubbed “Beliebers” helped him slay Gaga’s “monsters” to help him win three awards including for Biggest Fans. Bieber also won Best Song for his pop hit “Sorry” and […]

Hollywood honors Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Jessica Chastain followed her idol Elizabeth Taylor in sinking her hands and feet into cement Thursday at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre, marking a career that has brought two Oscar nominations. Eyes concealed by black sunglasses, she struggled to control her emotions as she described how her family had kindled her passion for acting — but she also acknowledged her debt to the actresses of Hollywood’s golden age. “Having my […]