tnppostwoman.com archives

Charlene Says: Whether it’s sex scandals or legal tangles or just being plain diva, female celebrities - both locally and overseas - have dominated the headlines in 2008.

Take Britney Spears and her almost 360 degree turnabout and comeback, or Miley Cyrus and her semi-nude Vanity Fair pictures.

Even locally, you had Patricia Mok who was labelled a diva after a tantrum at a film set. Or Caldecott darling Fann Wong who surprisingly pulled in a Best Actress win at an LA film festival. And even if you didn’t remember the whole debate over whether Miss Singapore Universe should go on, you definitely would’ve remembered Shenise Wong’s scary, oops I mean scaly, merlion dress.

And of course, how do you not talk about the year’s celebrity events without a nod to Edison Chen’s bevy of girls - Gillian Chung, Cecilia Cheung, Bobo Chan, etc - who became hot property online, and in not a good way.

Of course, I could hope these women celebrities would just get their act together next year but who wants them boring, serious and drab. What would we have to talk about in 2009?

Tell Us: Who are the female celebrities - Singaporean, from the region or Hollywood - who caught your eye this year?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

Jeanmarie Says: So have you caught Twilight fever yet? If not, what are you waiting for? This week, prepare to be inundated with media coverage on the popular book series-turned-movie that has captured the imagination of millions around the world.

I picked up Twilight, the first of four novels, out of curiosity and it was love at first bite. Definitely darker and sexier than Harry Potter, the other page-to-screen juggernaut that Twilight is often compared to.

Having recently seen director Catherine Hardwicke’s film version, I’m glad to report Twilighters won’t be disappointed. Especially since Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen and Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan are perfectly cast, have such sizzling chemistry and hold court from start to finish.

Here in Singapore, I’ve discovered fans from surprisingly myriad groups: Parents and their teenage kids, single and married adults, straight and gay. Yep, Twilight isn’t just for adolescent girls. The forbidden love story between a human teenage girl and her vampire paramour apparently came to author Stephenie Meyer - a Mormon mother of three hoping to earn enough money to pay off her minivan - in a dream. Appropriately, her hero Edward has now become the stuff of every woman’s dream.

I can’t wait to start devouring the next three books, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn - just as I’m already counting down to the movie sequel.

Tell Us: Are you a fan of the book series upon which the movie is based? Do you think the film will live up to all the hype and expectations?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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I am an avid fan of the Twilight saga who looks forward to watching the movie very much. But the trailer shows wrong quotes at wrong scenes, and I personally feel that the movie might not turn out to be so great after all. Most avid Twilight fans who had higher expectations might not be satisfied with this movie.

Vicky Ng

as a fan of the twilight book , i agree that the movie will live up to its book popularity.
even for those youngsters out there who never read the book ,they will be attracted by the looks of the actors

twiguy wannabe

Twilighters

Fan-pires

Obsessive Cullen Disorder

Hate it, love it, call it whatever you like, the Twilight series has garnered thousands of Twi-hards worldwide and even the odd celebrity (Ryan Seacrest). Everyone would , of course, have Emmett-sized expectations of the movie Twilight.

Make one wrong scene and the producers would be receiving hate mail for a decade.

In the beginning, I had my doubt, just like any other fan. (even if the book came with a picture of our beloved vampires, our imagination would conjure up a totally different Cullen Family).
However, after the cast had been vampified, they had no problems winning Twilighters over. Team Peter/Carlisle, anyone?

The cast aside, the movie packs enough punch to bruise even Edward (not that we would want to do that). The fighting cenes were fantastic, i mean vamp-tastic, with enough special effects to keep the guys spellbound. the love scenes were so emotionally charged that every girl was “dazzled”.
Watching the movie was like watching Twilight the book unravel from our imagination to onscreen. It has lived up to our impossible expectations.

How about a round of applause for our favourite vampires?

Gill

i am so totally obsessed with twilight ive seen it 23 times now and that’s nojoke! im serious. the book s will live up to the expectation to the movies because they r really good! ive read them all cant wait till midnight sun comes out! i am obsesseed of robert pattinson i go to hot topic just to get stuff that has him on it i have a t- shirt book mark and also a life size poster he is sooooooooooooooooo hot!!!!!!!!!

jobrolover

I watched the movie twice in two consecutive days. It was an awesome movie, definitely. I heard about Twilight from a friend who was reading the book. We were unaware that there was going to be a movie about it. But she told me it was a good book.

And being a youngster myself, the book will definitely be up to standard with the book. After watching the movie, I could not wait to get the books for myself.

The movie was definitely a 5-stars movie. One word to describe Twilight, AWESOME!

Nurul Jannah Abdul Aziz

THIS IS WORST LOUSIEST UNREALISTIC SLOW AND BORING MOVIE! HOW CAN A VAMPIRE COME OUT DURING DAY TIME! VAMPIRE PLAYING OUTDOOR SPORTS IS VERY STUPID AND RIDICULOUS! THE MOST SICKENING PART IS THE LEADING ACTRESS SHE IS SO STIFF AND DUMB - FEEL LIKE KICKING OFF THE SCREED! WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME WATCHING IT AND GOT PART TWO? WANT TO CHEAT MORE MONEY FROM US? TELL THE DIRECTOR TO STOP THIS PRODUCTION !

Connie Pauline Chan

I’m a late Twilighter, as I only started in October this year, however I fell in love quickly with the books, and have already read all of them numerous times!

I was really lucky you know, I didn’t have to wait too long but just a 3 - 2 months, and as a Harry Potter fan too, seeing how they produced the movie so much like the book, I was really excited to see how Twilight would be.

I definitely swoon over Edward Cullen, who doesn’t! And of course seeing Robert Pattinson in his ‘Edward’ self, he just totally fits the whole role, his crooked smile, simple, yet beautiful, and his hair, and his face, and his built, I couldn’t think of a better Edward, and it surprises me how well he could take this role seeing to his performance as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter & GoF.

I first saw the trailer, and I nearly peed in my pants, that scene where he swoops down and save her, and that part, between them both, “Say it, say out loud. Say it.” “Vampire.”

I simply couldn’t wait to watch it!
But as leaks slowly gets out, I happen to see that very 8 minute preview of when Bella visited his house. That’s when I really got disappointed.

I mean, how far off is that scene? I don’t know why did they have to add that scene, and Alice (Ashley Greene) also disappinted me, she was bubbly, and she was enthusiastic about Bella’s appearence, and in that scene, her face, it was so indifferent! She didn’t skip over like how Alice would, she didn’t squeal and have that excitement in her voice. I think Jasper did well in his “I must keep control” posture, though.

From than on, my expectations really dropped, I know it won’t meet any of it at all. I was really disappointed you know, seeing that scene. It just made me so sad to see that few add-ons, and the lack of enthusiasm in the film, where was supposed to be needed.

I happen to get the premiere tickets to the movie on 9 December. The show started.

Regardless of all those disappointments I’ve had, for every Twilight fan, the anticipation after waiting so long, that wait is over, and every single minute in there, every single detail, it just means so much, and you just appreciate everything. Who cares about the add-ons, you just want to admire at their beauty, at their lines, at that romance.

I’ve already seen the disappointing scenes, and I already expected them, so it didn’t hit me half that much as it did when I first saw it (which I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing :P), however I came out of the movie really pleased, to have finally watched it.

After some thinking, it is still rather disappointing though, for the wait, and it comes out this way.

Imagine this.
You are not even a Twilight fan, you don’t follow the saga at all, you just happen to catch it with your friends.
Look at the minimal amount of information they give there. I think for a non-Twilight person, they might actually be clueless, which leads to one of the reasons why they read the book, to find out more.

Why, for that scene, they add the whole ‘italiano craze’, when they could’ve used that scene to explain more things.
It’s just too fast, all the events, one minute he hates her, and the next, he loves her, and she loves him, and they confess, and you know, everything’s too fast paced. Too fast, too little things.

The main thing too, about the whole book, was the romance, was the sweetness between Edward and Bella, but I felt very little from there, only at that prom scene, but still, again, I felt just that much, and it’s not enough to satisfy the hunger of a person who’ve waited for this movie! And expected so much!

Sigh, yes it is fast, and yes it is actually you can say, very disappointing for a fan, and actually a headful of question marks possibly for a person who’ve not read the book, but than again, I appreciate for them to make this film, for them to have at least tried their best to put the contents of that book into the movie.

I just felt that they could’ve done it the ‘Harry Potter’ way, you know, they could fit one whole book (with that amount of page, and action!) into a 2 and a half hour show, and possibly 3, and see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow, a split into 2 movies! I’m sorry if I’m comparing here, but I’m sure you know too, how ’similar’ Harry Potter is to Twilight. If Twilight is as important, they ought to know how important it is, for a non-fan to know how to follow, without having to read a book.

If you’re going to base a movie on a storybook, following the storyline is very important. We know there are some scenes that cannot be followed, still, the least you could do is to try and meet up with how a fan would feel, would expect.

We don’t expect the exact following of every single chapter, you know, just not the events jumping from one to another. I have to admit though, they did a very good job jumping, as in to say, jumping at the right areas, so it does not clash in anyway, or seem weird.
Ah, still, even though I wish the movie could improve, I think it’s wonderful.

I hope the best for Chris Weitz for his new directing in New Moon than, I can’t wait!

Teresa Zhou Minghui

Yes, love the books. Yes, love the movie. Yes, Love Rob.

Joanna Maria

Jeanmarie Says: Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr are generally considered the creme de la creme of Hollywood heartthrobs. But if you’ve seen pictures of them recently, you’ll be thinking twice because those days may soon be over.

Of late, they’ve been sporting furry caterpillars, sorry, moustaches on their top lips for film roles and have sparked talk that this sort of follicular accessory will become a stylish trend because it supposedly makes its wearer that much more masculine, serious and gentlemanly.

I think it just makes them look hum sup (lecherous) - in a ’70s porn actor kind of way. And having to kiss a man with one is a total turn-off.

The trend emerged in the ’70s and I think it should stay dead and buried in that era. Maybe I’m such a hater because I associate moustaches with my dad, who is by no means a chee ko pek but had one ever since I was born and I could never figure out why. He finally got rid of it a few years ago.

It took him 30-odd years to come to his sartorial senses, and I certainly hope Brad and gang don’t take that long to get their razors out. Until then, I’m writing off these hairy ah pehs and going for more clean-shaven hunks.

Tell Us: What do you think of the Hollywood actors’ new look? Can Asian men pull off moustaches?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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I have to say that it all depends on the features of that guy. Facial hair on some men makes them look older while others looks sexier. However, I would prefer a guy without facial hair. He will look so much cleaner and neater. Ok, well, maybe a little bit of facial hair is alright. Too much of facial hair is utterly disgusting. It makes guys look like they have not been bathing for ages. Gross. Same goes for white men too.

Nurul Jannah Abdul Aziz

Seto Says: Being a comeback kid is hard. Just ask two artistes on opposite ends of the music spectrum - Britney Spears and Axl Rose.

Both have highly-anticipated albums dropping during the festive period. For Spears, it’s her way of proving yes, the cache of Video Music Awards trophies she picked up earlier this year wasn’t a fluke and she still has what it takes to be the princess of pop. For Rose, it’s his way of proving yes, he can resurrect the Guns N’ Roses brand name as one of the top rock bands in the past few decades.

Will they succeed? Only time will tell. Reviews for both Spears’ first single (off her new album Circus) and Rose’s new disc Chinese Democracy have been mixed.

But musical comebacks aren’t so easy. Sometimes fans are so put off, they may not bother sticking around. And in an online-dependant climate where album sales are declining, it’s hard to rely on fans anymore. For Spears, her fans are tired of her continuous personal problems and run-ins with the law. For Rose, his fans are just tired of waiting for an album that was supposed to have been out years ago.

Tell Us: What do you think of Britney Spears’ Circus or Guns N’ Roses Chinese Democracy? Are these megastars still worth listening to or are they has-beens?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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As a huge Guns N Roses fan all I can say is I found the album just ….. blah with a few listenable radio friendly tracks. Nothing in Chinese Democracy is going to end up a favourite rock anthem like Sweet Child O’ Mine.

If Axl needs more than a decade to come up with this then I’m certainly NOT going to wait another 15 years to listen to his next album. No doubt Axl still has that voice and can still sing his balls off, he sounds so “careful” like he is singing for the Pope in Chinese Democracy. So much for trying to live up to its name of being the Most Dangerous Band in the World.

I miss that I don’t care about you attitude that made Guns N Roses so huge.

I just hope Axl, Slash and all the former members will just “Get in the Ring” and let bygones be bygones as what made Guns N Roses so great was all their unique personalities and talents combined.

Metal Maiden

Jeanmarie Says: The new James Bond movie Quantum Of Solace is out this week, making it Daniel Craig’s second stab at the franchise.

But even though it’s setting UK box office records, it’s also been getting mixed reviews for being inferior to Casino Royale.

Maybe that’s the reason why Quantum opened first in Europe and will only reach the US next week - the producers were probably concerned that a highly-negative reaction in the US would scare off the rest of the world.

Those looking for non-stop action will not be disappointed. The rest of us expecting the trademark sly quips, cool gadgets or even a decent sex scene will be wondering if we stepped into the wrong cinema hall.

And remember the brouhaha surrounding the casting of Craig as the super-cool spy? He redeemed himself admirably in Casino Royale, but without a buzzed-about scene like the one with him emerging from the ocean in his trunks (which he has retired for good) in Quantum, he gives a performance worthy of a Madame Tussauds waxwork.

It’s hard to believe that producers can bring themselve to rave about how he’s “the greatest Bond”. Hello, what’s Sean Connery then?

Craig has confirmed he’ll be back for a third go-around because we all know Bond movies never die, but I’m already over him.

Tell us: Is Quantum Of Solace on your must-see list this year? Or do you disagree with the producers, who call Craig “the greatest Bond”?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number. 

Raven Says: Madonna’s epic divorce from Guy Ritchie could leave the Lock Stock director with more than US$150 million but he’s said that he doesn’t want a cent of her money.

Yet, the split looks set to get ugly. Madonna’s lawyers plan to portray him as a cruel, selfish husband who often put her down and once said she was a “granny” compared to her backup dancers. Madonna has also launched her own attacks. Onstage during her ongoing tour, before singing her song Miles Away, she said: “This song is for the emotionally retarded. Maybe you know some people who fall into that category. God knows I do.”

So Mister Madonna is understandably annoyed. When you’re talented and famous in your own right, but married to the woman with the biggest shadow on the planet (rivalling Oprah?) what are you going to do? Stay there silently while she throws you punches in view of the whole world?

Even after you’ve created flop films around her and supported her forays into acting, to the detriment of your own career? Ouch. That’s gotta sting. Yes, he’s got his own money, but compared to Madonna’s billions, it seems paltry.

But are we surprised at this split? After all, how many men can stand having a wife who is more successful, more famous and owns more moolah than them?

Tell Us: Are you surprised at the Madonna-Guy Ritchie divorce? Can couples, where the wife is much more successful or rich than the man, survive such a power imbalance?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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LETTERS VIA E-MAIL

Can the world’s most successful female artist, director, writer , entertainer ever maintain a matrimony. I doubt so. even in this so called new age world of the metrosexual, a man is a man and having a wife With such accolades will be tough or nearly impossible to live with and sustain a marriage,

Madonna has for 25 yrs enthralled, entertain and morph from singer/songwriter to even childrens book author. She has and will always be morphing and changing and seeking new challenges.

Raising Malawi is definitely one of her main concerns now and that brought us into the saga of David Banda, her recently adopted son. Definitely Guy Ritchie was hardly in this picture.

It would be almost a miracle for her at 50 now to even get the so called the man of her dreams. But she may still find her
most complementing life partner yet. Being a British and much younger then her by a decade, I too was nearly believing that this fairy tale marriage would last, further knowing that it was a chance planned meeting btw her and her Guy by Truddie/Sting at a private meeting.

Nevertheless she has been a mother and a wife, roles that we would have never thought of her to be more than 20 yrs ago.

But even by Industry standards her 8 yrs marriage is still a miracle, Not claiming to be a Madonna expert, judging from her romances And past relations , a short marriage to Sean Penn(another strong headed individual), a short affair with Carlos Leon(Lourdes Dad), another fairy tale affair with Warren Beatty (who took Anette Benning as a wife eventually), these are the major publicized affairs of her life, it seems to show that this well known control Chautesse is a woman of her own rights and calls her own shots.

In her own right Being who she is , MADONNA is indeed a truly challenge in itself. Any man who sought her should know she is larger…much larger in the real world, and needs to be who she is.
And this in itself will pose to be a big issue in her relationships.

As Guy said, he seeks a homely down to earth marriage and family , and he is married to the World’s most Famous woman.
He should have thought better.No…I mean he should have known better.

The fight for her millions will be a careful orchestra between their High profile Divorce Lawyers. We can only watch in disbelief the course it is going to take. One more go for the tabloids.

Anis Ishin

Jeanmarie Says: For the first time in its 60-year history, there’s a brand new category at the Emmy Awards this year - best host for a reality or reality-competition show. Ryan Seacrest (American Idol), Heidi Klum (Project Runway), Jeff Probst (Survivor), Howie Mandel (Deal Or No Deal) and Tom Bergeron (Dancing With The Stars) are the nominees.

But what’s wrong with this picture?

Well, TV hosts - second-class citizens compared to actors - have never left that much of an impression or been honoured for their work, so why start now? Perhaps I’m oversimplifying, but their jobs look easy enough, especially as they repeat their script week after week. Different names, but same signature catchphrases. Does that require much talent?

And how can you fairly compare Seacrest and Bergeron, who helm live competition telecasts, to the rest of the nominees whose shows are filmed in advance? I guess I’m still uncomfortable with the tenuous link between the Emmys and reality TV.

Ever since the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences started handing out trophies for best reality show five years ago, it already seemed to me like a desperate bid to boost flagging viewership using a suddenly-popular genre.

Worse still, how on earth can The Amazing Race win five times in a row? With such predictable and biased results, I’d rather the category be opened up to public voting. Then maybe The Amazing Race’s Phil Keoghan - who was shockingly snubbed for best host - would stand a chance.

Tell Us: Do you think an Emmy category recognising reality TV show hosts is well-deserved and long overdue? Or does it seem like a ratings gimmick?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

Sheela Says: Celebrities are such a yawn when they display their political stripes.

Call me cynical, but every four years, the stars will come out and wax lyrical about a presidential candidate.

And they barely make an impact as far as I am concerned.

Take the recent Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado for instance.

Most of Hollywood’s A, B, C and D-listers came out to fete the new Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

If they are not waving flags and wearing badges for their idol, they are taking digs at his rival John McCain.

Like Madonna did during the launch of her Sticky & Sweet tour in Cardiff recently, with a video interlude juxtaposing Adolf Hitler, Robert Mugabe and Republican presidential nominee John McCain to the track of Get Stupid.

Towards the end of the song, she had images of John Lennon, Al Gore and Mahatma Gandhi with footage of Obama.

Thank you, we get it Mads - like a sledgehammer to the head, we got your message.

Do American celebrities honestly think that if they back a political candidate, their fans and viewers are going to be swayed during the elections?

As it has been shown time and again, for all their influence in American society, celebrities have had little success influencing the ballot boxes.

They can sell soap to their fans, but selling a candidate, well, that’s another story entirely.
For the rest of the world, do we really give a hoot who these fellas actually support or vote for in the upcoming US Presidential election?

All their political posing is mere watercooler chatter for us.

Maybe some of these celebrities do actually believe they can do some good.

But I am more inclined to believe that like most celebrities, it is all about how much publicity they can get out of this.

Tell Us: Do you really care whom the celebrities support in the upcoming US presidential elections? Or do you think such famous backing actually hurts and hinders the campaign of the candidate involved?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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LETTERS VIA EMAIL

I feel the Stars, well publicised antics is actually hurting Mr Obama’s Crediblity. Actually i also don’t care who the celebrities support during the upcoming Presidential Elections as i feel Mr John Mccain is the right person to be the President of United States.

MrJohn Mccain is more qualified than MrBarrack Obama. His experience in handling miltary issues will be a huge plus point over Obama. In 1997, Time Magazine listed John Mccain as one of the Top 25 “Most Influential People in America.” This is before anyone heard of Mr Obama back then.

As an adult Mr Obama, admitted that during high school he used marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol, which he described at the Saddleback Church Civil Forum on the Presidency as his greatest moral failure. Whereas Mr John Mccain,took on the tobacco industry in 1998, proposing legislation that would increase cigarette taxes in order to fund anti-smoking campaigns, discourage teenage smokers, increase money for health research studies, and help states pay for smoking-related health care costs.

Even our ministers go through strict guidelines to ensure they are well qualified for their posts so that we singaporeans are assured that our country is in good hands. Our Prime Minister has valuable Miltary Experience which i feel makes a good leader. Americans should vote for the more qualified canidate instead for the more popular one who is endorsed by celebrites.

What Obama lacks in leadership qualites and political experience to John Mccain cannot be made equal by the support of the celebrites. John Mccain is the right candidate to lead the United States.
 Sivaram

Jeanmarie Says: Forgive me for balking when I first heard that yet another Star Wars movie, titled Star Wars: The Clone Wars, was hitting the screens.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed Episodes 4, 5 and 6 - an iconic trilogy which showed us a world of light sabres and the powers of Yoda-speak. But after Episodes 1, 2 and 3 - no thanks to a surly Hayden Christensen - I felt enough was enough. And when director George Lucas said he would not pursue making Episodes 7, 8 and 9, I heaved a sigh of relief.

Besides, in 2003, Lucas had already partnered with the Cartoon Network to produce Star Wars: Clone Wars, a 25-chapter animated series set between Episodes 2 and 3.

Now, we have this animated movie, called Star Wars: The Clone wars, which opens in cinemas this week. And there’s more because this movie is meant to be a percursor to yet another TV series (a 3-D animated series called Star Wars: The Clone Wars… again!) which will debut later this year. There is even talk of a live-action Star Wars TV series, probably in hopes of emulating successful Battlestar Galactica series.

Is it just me or is Lucas taking his Star Wars franchise too far? Why mess with the original trilogy that managed to enthral so many fans? Or are there that many diehard Star Wars fanatics out there who are happy to lap up everything with a Star Wars stamp?

Tell Us: Would you watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars? Do you think George Lucas should stop making more Star Wars clones?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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LETTERS VIA E-MAIL

Ever since i was 17 in 1999, i waited impatiently for every 3 yrs for the next Star Wars movie.

I eagerly await the next star wars flim, The Clone Wars

Now as a 26yr old adult, i still want more star wars flims as Star wars is one of those films that always fascinated me and provides a visual treat for the eyes. It has no blood, sex scenes and has no vulgar language making it one of the most family themed movies with good action scenes and carries a good message at the end of the day.

In 2005, when i went to catch Revenge of the Sith on the very first day, i was pleasantly surpursied to see, mini Darth vaders, X wing Pilots and even a Darth Maul. For those kids, Star wars characters took their attention and they enjoyed dressing up this roles. Why, i even saw 40 yr old uncles dressed up as Han Solos and some Princess Leias among the ladies as they is always a kid in us. Star Wars may not win oscars anymore but it sure makes a good cinema outing for the entire famliy.

When Geroge Lucas finished his Star Wars EP 4 movie he said “There’s a whole generation growing up without any kind of fairy tales. And kids need fairy tales - it’s an important thing for society to have for kids.” Give the kids out there an inspiration to imagine!!!
Siva Ram

Jeanmarie Says: You either love or hate James Bond theme songs, and I think I’m somewhere in between.

So far, there seem to be more high notes (Garbage’s The World Is Not Enough, A-ha’s The Living Daylights, Duran Duran’s A View To A Kill) than low (Madonna’s Die Another Day, Tina Turner’s Goldeneye). And when intense speculation surfaced that Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis or Duffy were going to provide vocals to the theme song for the new Bond movie Quantum Of Solace, I could just imagine it joining the former list.

But the high-profile gig eventually went to R&B diva Alicia Keys and The White Stripes’ rocker frontman Jack White - who wrote, produced and played drums on the track. It is the first duet in Bond soundtrack history, and I’m sure it will sound just as unique as the decision to put these two together.

I’m just hoping they take it one step further than Chris Cornell’s You Know My Name, the catchy but critically-panned theme song for Casino Royale - at least they’ve got star power and street cred on their side.

But what’s with the title Another Way To Die? I’m disappointed White didn’t show more imagination - after all, he has penned songs with wacky names like Seven Nation Army, Blue Orchid and Icky Thump.

And why does every other Bond theme song need to have the word “die” in it? Well, I suppose it’s easier to rhyme with than “quantum” or “solace”.

Tell Us: What do you think of the Alicia Keys-Jack White collaboration? Which Bond theme songs did you absolutely love - or hate?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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I have been following the career of Alicia Keys since her 2003 album: The diaries of Alicia Keys. The album was to me one of the best R & B collections for a few years. Having shot to prominence, she continued her good work with titles like Unbreakable and No One. Besides her music career, she demostrated her passion for world issues like AIDS and poverty by being an ambassador for Keep a Child Alive, helping kids with the disease in Africa.

In landing this chance to perform the Bond’s theme, she definitely deserves the attention and would help turn the lesser known eccentric Jack White into a success. Jack’s recent hit, Consoler’s of the Lonely, may be what caught the eyes of the producers. Both singers have the substance to make Another Way to Die a hit, and because they have very contrasting styles, that might add another layer of flavor to the song. The producers might also have in mind ! the good girl-bad boy combination of Keys and White to further intrigue the public.

Golden Eye by Tina Turner is my one 007 theme song that is best forgotten. It has the dubious effect of putting people to sleep or worse, incur a nightmare for those unwitting listeners. Californian paper, Metro critisized it for being ” more appropriate for an elevator ride than a roller coaster ride”. Though opinions are divided over Madonna’s Die another Day, I believe it is still one of the better Bond songs in recent years. It was even nominated for Golden Globe’s Best Original theme Song. You have to turn back the years for a truly wonderful 007 theme: Paul MacCartney’s Live and Let Die in 1973. A good theme song brings out the best from the movie and leaves you in a pensive mood everytime you come across it.

The 3 previous songs with the word Die in them sat relatively well with the critics so we might expect much more from this latest James Bond song to die for.

Ong Guan Hong

In response to Strange Bond? I like to say that i am a James Bond fan since young.However, i do not love or hate any songs from the Bond movies.Why should there be love or hate because all the songs are different.

I like to say that i am looking forward to this new collaboration between Alicia Keys and Jack White in the song title “Another Way To Die”.Such collaboration should not be considered odd but new and creative since this is the first in history in the new James Bond movie title “Quantum of Solace”.

Such collaboration to me is a Special Bond instead of Strange Bond.I am looking forward to watch the latest Bond movie when it hits town.

Ace Kindred Cheong

It’s fairly odd to pair R&B princess Alicia Key and rocker Jack White bonding for the upcoming Bond theme. Such collaboration seems never happen before but its good to see the new evolution takes place. Possibly this bond track will attract the younger listener as not many Bond tracks able to survive in the contemporary Top 40 charts, exceptionally the succes of Duran Duran A View To A Kill , Madonna’s Die Another Day and Tina Turner’s Goldeneye.

Anyway my all time favourite bond song has to be the Queen of Pop Madonna Die Another Day for its so unique modern sounding but yet retains the classic bond essence and it got good hooks. And of course the worse Bond track song ever is Sheryl Crow Tomorrow Never Dies cos it sound so lacklustre, boring and bland. Also it has bad lyrics.

Maddy Asri

What do you think of the Alicia Keys-Jack White collaboration? Which Bond theme songs did you absolutely love - or hate?

I was there when Sean Connery gave us the world’s most famous british secret agent. I fell in love with Agent 007 just like millions of fans world wide. Recounting the soundtracks back then, they were always a shade paler than the cinematic product. Perhaps the only music that survived the 60s era was the original James Bond theme.

However from the end of the 60s when Nancy Sinatra took on the mantel of serenading for James Bond’s fans, there was a period of productivity and creativity with memorable results. That period of fertility extended into the 80s.

However in recent years, a combination of poor tunes, uninspiring lyrics and weird choice of singers have casted the 007 songs in obscurity. In Alicia Keys and Jack white, we have a pair of extremely marketable singers with diversing genre. Their crowd appeal and publicity generating factor cannot be underestimated. I would say that they were chosen to revive this struggling accompaniment of the more illustrous big screen buddy.

Admittedly Amy Winehouse would also have been a good choice as she has got the Americans dancing to her tune. Yet a serial adddict would not be the ideal person to help you sell your songs to world nor would she be in the right frame of mind at present.

Alicia Keys has a proven record at the billboards and legion of fans would be waiting in anticipation for her rendition of my most beloved spy flick’s theme. They would more than willing to overlook the relative ignominy of Jack White’s career. Those on the fence about Keys would be curious about this combination and might just lend a listening ear to this duet.

Jack white has a strong musical background having been part of a few successful bands and has proven himself albeit to smaller crowds that he possesses powerful and engaging vocals. This could be his break and perhaps that was what the producers had in mind when they chose him.

By just picking established singers, expectations would be high and they can only go downhill in terms of criticisms picked up. Despite being a wildchild and his eccentricities well documented, White has never gotten into serious trouble. Add Alicia’s squeaky clean image to that and you surely will have parents trying to push the soundtrack album to their kids.

In deciding a first duet for over 30 years of Bond music, it shows the music producers are getting desperate with recent bombs. They are trying to inject some creativity back into the 007 piece. Yet much would depend on the songwriters in coming up with a decent score plus some befitting lyrics. With those two, you are only as good as hot air. Everything should be tied in nicely with the movie itself so that those who go visit the theatres have a comprehensive experience.

You cannot have a song that does not describe the mood of the movie. Look at Golden Eye and the Living Daylights for examples of songs being so dissociated from the movie that they even spoil the movie experience. That brings me to my worst Bond song, as both Tina Turner and Norwegian Group A-ha did not have the charisma to bring out the best of poorly written songs. Their career plummeted after performing for our Secret Agent.

Call me old school but who can forget Sinatra’s You live Only twice and Paul’s Live and Let Die. Everytime I hear Paul MacCartney’s beautiful piece, scenes of James Bond’s pursuit of Mr Big and his romance with Solitaire would course through my mind. It sets my mind free and for that 4.15 minutes I leave all reasons behind and allow my imagination to bring me to secret islands and handsome spies with a license to kill.

Hng Pek Khee