tnppostwoman.com archives

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

Germaine Says: Going back to nature and better still, organic ingredients are beauty’s new rules of thumb.

Demi Moore admitted early this year to using leeches as part of her beauty regime to “detoxify blood” and retain her youthfulness. The Indecent Proposal star also famously transformed her fledgling career and bagged a cute and younger husband after shelling out a reported £260,000 (S$651,000) on plastic surgery.
 
The latest buzz on the mill is Victoria Beckham religiously uses nightingale poo to combat acne. Now that takes the icing on the cake.

Other suspicious ingredients that reportedly promote an improved appearance include snake’s venom which works like Botox, snail secretion for cell regeneration and bull’s semen for shampoo commercial-worthy mane. Sounds far-fetched? Apparently not.

Whether it is to prolong their careers or simply for vanity’s sake, celebrities are not alien to resorting to alarming antics for beauty. Isn’t it true that humankind gravitate to hope, even if it were just a semblance of it? So as long as a product or treatment offers significant results that one longs for, surely there is no harm just trying it. After all, these questionable ingredients have been processed and (manufacturers’ guarantee) thoroughly sterilised before being pumped into products. How deep will you delve for an wrinkle-free and unblemished complexion?

Tell Us: Does the relentless quest to eternal youth and perfect complexion warrant such ‘extreme’ acts? Should we frown at unconventional ingredients to enhance aesthetics?

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

I feel that nature’s gifts are not intended to change what nature has given us.Of course i am referring to our looks.Apparently humans are not bounded by this ideology ,judging from the vast number of stars who have probed into various facets of nature in the hopes of obtaining wonder cures for their ailments or imperfections. Ultimately, the stars are not necessarily nature lovers and most of them do not care what happens to nature. It’s a mercenary world out there, money talks,If there are stars after specific rare elements of nature for their selfish endeavors, there will be bounty hunters out in the wilds to fulfill their needs.

Do ponder for a moment what kind of effects human beings are placing on mother nature. Forests are razed and fields are impoverished all in the name of the greater good.Whose greater good? Humanity’s or the world’s ? We are slowly but surely destroying the world we’re living in. The stars merely form a tiny subset of humanity and their notoriety merely serves to illustrates the selfishness of mankind.I certainly feel there is no need for stars to go to great lengths to provide more longevity for their mortal shells.The celebrity world may be a harshly realistic one, but why are celebrities fueling skin deepness to such great extents?

We should certainly frown at such dubious ways of maintaining beauty.Even if we ignore the celebrities, at least spare a thought for the wildlife and animals out there. The next snail you spot may land up on a plate as a piece of tasty escargot after it’s secretion has been removed in the name of cell regeneration purposes in beauty products. How’s that to prove our love of nature?

Peng Tie Lun

Seto Says: Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. That, to me, pretty much sums up the uphill task in trying to get local music on-air.

It’s a tricky balance - between good quality local fare and listener ratings. But cable broadcaster Rediffusion is taking a bold first step in introducing the first 24-hour station, called RediStar, dedicated to playing only local music. Some say it’s a welcome move because any exposure is good exposure. But some say, why segregate between local and non-local?

Admittedly, Rediffusion has the luxury of not worrying if listeners decide to switch channels on a whim. Unlike free-to-air which is heavily-dependant on market forces, Rediffusion has a ready
bank of paid subscribers who would naturally want to make full use of their subscription fees.

But what’s more important is, will plying the airwaves with local music expand the scene? Will the music translate from a smaller cable channel to mainstream radio, and dare we hope, into album sales? I’d like to think of it as a crucial first step, the way college and indie stations in the US (and of late, the Internet) have helped to give some bands their first real break.

Tell Us: Will you tune in to the new 24-hour station dedicated to local music? Do you think this will be a boost to the local music scene?

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

Singapore is a tiny red dot on the world map,that dictates the fact that any local artiste who intends to makes it big has to strike it out overseas. Our local artistes who has gone global is a very impressive one for a country our size. That list includes Electrico, A-do,Kit Chan,Joi Chua, Tanya Chua, Mavis Hee,Ho Yeow Sun, Huang Yida, JJ Lin, Eric Moo and Stefanie Sun. All of them made it with a combination of factors, selling themselves to the global crowd, heavy airplay on local and international radio, appearances as well as album sales. It goes without saying that the radio is a an important chain in an artiste’s quest for popularity.A high percentage of album sales and artiste recognisation stemmed from casual encounters with an artiste’s music on the radio.Radio gave many artistes their big break and it goes without saying that local artistes need our support in whatever capacity possible.The fact that the new station is on a paid radio channel means that it’s shut off from many would-be listeners. It may not make immediate financial sense but i believe the station should have been on a free station.That will significantly enlarge the potential target audience and give the local artistes the exposure they crave for.

As it is,too few people will have access to the station and the boost to the local music scene will be minute.

Peng Tie Lun

Germaine Says: So the F1 weekend has finally come and gone.

And what a jam-packed three days of glamourous parties, fine dining and celebrity-spotting it has been. From the F1 party at Attica, to the Vertu party at IndoChine, to the Motor Racing Golf & Gala Dinner on Sentosa. And celebrities like Michelle Yeoh, former F1 driver Damon Hill and 2008 Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza were spotted. Not to mention the slew of eateries around the F1 track which revved up their menus with special F1-related weekend deals.

But in terms of our shopping and nightlife sector, how much have we benefitted from having our first night race on the streets of Singapore? Retailers in the Marina area lamented empty stores and quiet malls as Singaporeans stayed away because of the road closures.

I think we should take things into context. Of course, with hosting a huge event like this, there will be inconveniences on a local scale. But this is the premier motor-racing event in the world and hosting this has put us on the world map with countries like Japan, Italy, Brazil and of course, our neighbour Malaysia. And at the dollar being targetted is not yours but the tourists who come to witness this event.

What’s a few days of inconvenience compared to such bragging rights?

Tell Us: How do you think hosting the F1 race here has helped our entertainment sector? Should we host more races in the future?

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 one of the volunteers in orange overalls,I was standing under the sweltering heat for days on end to end,Hence i can’t claim to be any kind of expert on the FnB options around the vicinity.All i had was packed food and Nuts bars for days.The last thing i would be doing would be to spend my hard earned dollars on overpriced tourist baits.However i do have a few observations to mention.On my way to the track side, i did not notice any significant crowd increment in Citylink Mall nor Marina Square. Throngs of people were there doing their thing as usual. I did not witness any huge crowds at any of the food outlets either.Then again i am always there around noon and the crowd really gets overwhelming at night, closer to race hours.We have all heard of the exorbitant charges some restaurants and hotels have been charging for prime viewing spots during race time, but i don’t think that pocket of a few hours will give our FnB outlets any kind of sig! nificant boost.

As for the other topic, i do believe international events such as IOC 05′ and GP:SG 08′ should be hosted whenever possible for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, tourists may not spend that much on food, but they definitely need a place to stay.The boost to our hotel industry is a massive boon.International VIPS who bump into town for our events may like what they see and see Singapore in a better light.Those global heavyweights can certainly play a part in strengthening our economy with their massive investments!Secondly, it gives our amenities such as the much heralded Singapore International Airport more airtime and that rise in profile will benefit Singapore in both a long and short termed basis.If we can handle such massive crowds, it’s virtually a badge of pride for our operations. Thirdly,it challenges Singapore’s otherwise arguably rigid administration to loosen up and pursue new perspective and angles. Creating the race track in the middle o! f town has to be a innovation we should be proud of.To fit in a long race track in the middle of town entailed a huge shift in mindsets and point of views.We made it happen! Fourthly,there is no better way to tickle sporting afficionados than to present to them their sporting heroes in blood and flesh right in front of them. If you told someone else we would host a night GP a decade ago, we’ll probably get laughed in our faces. Look whose laughing now?

Peng Tie Lun

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:  Now Bollywood wants to make English films. With big stars no less.

While their actors like Aishwarya Rai are trying to crack - mostly unsuccessfully - into Hollywood, the industry wants to try another tack on the international market. Now, the future trend seems to be making English films as an alternative to their masala musicals that these English audiences don’t get.

Amitabh Bachchan’s latest film, The Last Lear, has been causing all sorts of excitement just because one of Bollywood’s biggest stars has done an art house film. It is not the first time India has made an English film. There have been a slew of Indian-made English films for the last 10 to 15 years - both good and truly horrifying - that have hit the silver screen.

But these films do not have the commercial heft of their Bollywood counterparts. There are no songs, no dances and no soap opera style plotlines that stretch three hours and deal (gasp!) with real-life themes.

While such English films may appeal to an international audience and the Indian diaspora, I believe they will not replace the standard Bollywood fare. Bollywood is about pure escapism, fantasy and leave your brains at the door entertainment. Fans would not want reality to get in the way of their fun.

Tell Us: Do you think English Bollywood films can be mainstream? Will they replace the song and dance movies that Bollywood is famous for?

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

Being the true-blue Bollywood fan that I am, I always look forward to all the typical masala
films that are churned out at the box-office every week. But there are some off-beat made in english films that have caught my attention in the past.

‘BLACK’ starring the legendary icon Amitabh Bachchan and pretty actress Rani Mukherjee
was one such film. With some brilliant performances and a touching story, director Sanjay
Leela Bhansali had a winner. The film was widely appreciated by the Indian audience and was declared a hit with the masses. It swept all the major honours at award functions that year and was also considered to be India’s official entry to the Oscars.

However, not all films in this genre are accepted. ‘THE NAMESAKE’, for one, failed to pull in the crowds that yearn for the normal dose of love stories and song and dance sequences. Even with a stellar cast of Tabu and Irrfan Khan, who are considered to be heavyweights in the acting field this film did not surpass its expectations. Such films will definitely try to make a mark but they will never replace the original stereotype of Bollywood movies, where its all make-belief, and there’s always a happy ending.
Amelia D’Souza

May Choon Says: Barely seven months after declaring that he would quit Hong Kong showbiz “indefinitely”, sex-scandal heartthrob Edison Chan now wants to go back.

Why? Because breaking into Hollywood is harder than he imagined, according to Infernal Affairs director Andrew Lau who met the actor recently.

Edison shifted his work base to the US in February, after nude photos of him and other female celebrities were stolen from his computer and circulated on the Internet.

One would expect him to shine in the land of sex video leaks, but it somehow didn’t work in his favour.

Just look at how his hyped-up appearance in the Batman movie The Dark Knight turned out to be a meagre three-second, one-liner scene.

Andrew said during a recent TV talk show in Hong Kong that Edison has been constantly enriching himself and going for auditions, but the Hollywood culture is different and makes it harder for him to get roles.

The director added that Edison has become more restrained and mature these days.

“I don’t know if he’s a good boy, but he is a capable, talented boy.”

As for when is it a good time for Edison to return, Andrew said he hopes it can be within the next two years, after the scandal blows over totally.

Meanwhile, we hope the reformed bad boy uses this hiatus to take stock of his lifestyle and properly plan his next career move. And stay away from the ladies, please.

Tell Us: Will you give Edison Chen a second chance? Do you think it’s cowardly of him to run away when the scandal erupted and now, yearn to return because life in Hollywood is too tough? Or do you feel he’s also a victim and should be forgiven?

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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LETTER VIA EMAIL

As the Chinese saying goes, human beings aren’t saints,there is no way they can totally avoid making mistakes. Edison, with all his notoriety, surely can’t be held totally accountable for this unwanted episode of his life.As naive as he was to send his ‘goodies’ infested laptop to a random repairman, he is very much a victim just like Gillian is. Surely the last thing he expected to happen is to see his barely dressed torso be plastered all across tabloids and dailies alike.For a while he was the talk of the town and i don’t blame him for making a hasty exit.It’ll take more than a man to stand still to face all the emotional assault and trauma.

It’ll take a brave producer to star Edison as a male lead in any kind of movies given his current reputation ,i am not at all surprised to see his lean pickings in Hollywood, the last thing many advertisers and producers will want is to include a questionable character in their cast. It’s simply attempting to juggle a very hot egg.If the producer can weather the storm with him, there may be light at the end of the tunnel for them. If things don’t work out, the producer can well be dragged down the abyss of no return along side Edison.Looks like tinseltown isn’t the hotbed of action Edison hoped to be!

The entertainment scene, just like it’s political counterpart have murky reputations at best.Edison isn’t an angel and shouldn’t be expected to behave like one. Just because he’s a household name doesn’t mean he should suffer excessively for such indiscretion.He is not the first hunky male actor to sleep around and won’t be the last. Let’s throw away our spectacles of indignance and stop pretending that we didn’t’ find the episode sensational and enjoyable. Welcome back, Edison!
Peng Tie Lun

NO, I will definitely not give Edison a second chance! I have seen those lewd pictures he has taken of all his female companions and without doubt, I find him repulsive. Even worst, he kept those pictures to show off to his friends. For those female, they have loved him enough to share those passionate moment, and it is unthinkable that those moment has been exposed to the public due to his carelessness. He is fully responsible for the humiliation caused to all his female friends. Even when those female can get on with their life, but it will never be the same again. All of them are so young and they have a long road to travel and Edison has made it harder for them to grow up and older.
This really shows who that Edison is, a consuming selfish bastard who don’t deserve our forgiveness. There are many celebrities worthy of more exposure in showbiz and we can go without this man.
 Lily Leong

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

May Choon Says: Local movie buffs, you’re spoiled for choice this month, thanks to two closely watched local movie sequels hitting the big screen.

First, there’s Jack Neo’s Money No Enough 2, the second part to his money-spinning Money No Enough. Then there’s wonder-boy Royston Tan’s 12 Lotus, the follow-up to his smash getai hit 881.

Both movies are highly anticipated, especially since their first instalments were huge box office successes. But have they lived up to the hype?

The reviews so far have been a mixed bag. Lianhe Zaobao said Money No Enough 2 is “funny and realistic enough”, but The Straits Times slams Jack for being a “one-trick pony”. Likewise, The Straits Times praises 12 Lotus’ “boisterous mood” and musical interludes, but The Business Times gave the movie a C+.

Tell Us: What is your verdict on these two movies? Do they live up to the hype or have local critics been too harsh?

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

Having watched both movies, I must say that both directors made the sequels in identical veins as the first movie. However having been outstanding in their initial foray, the follow up was always going to take some beating.

The audience for the two movies might be drastically different as one is shot in a more artistic and experimental manner and the other is a more television-like and direct style. There are both pros and cons to their approaches.

For Roystan, his vision of the movie was to make classical opera and ge tai appear modern and psychedelic, that would help attract the younger generation who are used to the artsy fartsy. The tai-tais and ah peks would also flock to this movie because the 7th month and last year’s 881 would have whetted their appetite for more hokkien songs and flashy costumes.

In providing the asthetics, Roystan did admirably and many people who wanted the music to be good were not disappointed. However the plot was neglected somewhat in the middle of the show and ended up being a bit draggy and sketchy. This happens to alot of sequels but the failing was not too serious over here. Plus the fact that there is a certain harmony between the main characters, overall it made a positive experience. Certainly the critics were not as harsh on 12 Lotus as they were on Money no enough 2. Yet because 881 was such a resounding success that to live up as its hype was difficult and Roystan did not manage it but did come close.

Jack Neo who is an veteran entertainer and has hits like Home Run and Granny Liang under his belt, was always going to face more pressure from the critics and general public. His method was always to take the more pertinent issues in society and protray them on the big screen to reflect how ordinary citizens really feel.

Perhaps his maturity as a director made him realized that comedy alone will not be enough to draw the audience this time round. He has included some reflective moments with the relationship of the 3 brothers who were played by Jack, Henry and Mark and their on screen mother.

Somehow that made for the more poignant moments in the movie and since the comic relief is so similar to that of his monday variety show, it seemed less of a comedy but a social documentary. In the end, it is still the actors who bailed the show out of jail and made the viewing so much more endurable. I have to agree with the critics that it did not live up to the hype of its predecessor as Singapore’s highest grossing movie.

Despite viewers’ consternation towards too much products placement, Jack blatantly flooded his movie with so many local brands that it became a personal challenge to spot and point out these products as the movie goes along. Although I regretted paying the cinema fare to watch the show, I might have enjoyed it when it comes onto the TV as our saturday night movie. Lets not discount Jack’s ability to produce another blockbuster in the future as like many Singapore, he has demostrated the Singaporean mentality of never giving up! Ai pia, jia eh yah! ( must fight then can win)
Ong Kok Wah