MORGAN AWYONG

FIVE FEET APART (FILM REVIEW)

It’s an almost unshakeable formula – a doomed romance featuring a character with a chronic disease is sure to turn the taps on. So, I guess if having one character doomed to die makes viewers bawl, imagine two! In the line of terminal romance tear-fests like A Walk to Remember, Midnight Sun, and (most similarly)…

ASIA’S GOT TALENT SEASON 3 – GETTING THAT GOLDEN BUZZ

Talent platforms make for huge entertainment, and Asia’s Got Talent seems to have struck gold with the region. AXN’s programme hits its stride with their third season of Asia’s Got Talent, with returning judges David Foster, Anggun, and Jay Park. With the amount of entries signing up, it’s also clear that the impact of the…

EXTREME JOB (FILM REVIEW)

It felt like somebody’s birthday party. Plus there’s fried chicken. Between the snacks crackling and the people chuckling, the atmosphere at the premiere was buzzing with cheer. I haven’t witnessed such an easy sense of mirth at a screening for years now, no doubt helped by the continuous rain of laughter at the antics onscreen….

SANTORINI, GREECE: THERA NO BETTER SUNSETS

When it comes to travel brochures, claims can sometimes be just hype. Santorini’s sunsets are legendary – and luckily for good reason. While I’m not the sort to idly sit and watch our nearest star dip below the horizon, the island’s unique landscape and vantage makes this daily routine into a dramatic spectacle that you’ll…

VIRAL (FILM REVIEW)

Viral is really an updated version of The Ring, but minus the finesse and scares. In the midst of playing an augmented game called Ghost Hunt, Tang (Ploy Sornarin) captures a spirit photo and excitedly shares it with her friends. One by one, they start seeing the female ghost in their environment. Supposedly. The thing…

GOING BACK TO BLACK & WHITE

We have to admit, there’s something about black and white that makes a photo timeless. When done right, the image seems to transcend boundaries, making it more universal and compelling. It also gives a certain purity to the subject that can be a great start to conversations. Image Credit: @jontyphotography Canon EOS 5D Mark III | EF24-105mm…

THE FAVOURITE (FILM REVIEW)

Emma Stone has never sat well with me as an actress. I guess you can say she was never my favourite. Her goofiness felt larger than her talent, and her roles thus far have banked on that trait. It’s endearing to some, but mostly cloying to me. But what do you know – in Yorgos…

PEGASUS (FILM REVIEW)

Let’s face it – most racing shows are testosterone showcases. Sure, they’ll weave a back story through the plot to keep the indulgence a little more reasonable, but it’s usually a limp romance story on the side. Then in flies Pegasus. Coming out of nowhere, writer and director Han Han has created a surprisingly good…

WHEN GHOST MEETS ZOMBIE (FILM REVIEW)

Singapore’s latest supernatural romantic comedy is… horrifying.

JORDAN – 7 ACTIVITIES FOR THOSE VISITING THIS DESERT GEM

The deserts are alive in Jordan – dotted by the wandering Bedouins and incredible monuments. While Petra might be the poster child, everyone should attempt to experience these 7 unique experiences from this country, that will leave one with a memorable and romantic desert adventure tale. Read about tombs, castle, canyoning and more, on my…

MOJIN: THE WORM VALLEY (FILM REVIEW)

I found it mildly amusing that the director’s name (Fei Xing) can literally be translated to “do not cross here”, because quite frankly, it’s almost like a warning to his production. The Mojin franchise is based on the bestselling novels of Zhang Muye, about the colourful adventures of three tomb robbers that seek out legendary…

EDITOR’S CHOICE: TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2018

I don’t like to play favourites. Especially when there’s so much love to give for the movies of 2018. But for Catchplay, I sat down and plowed through the commercial hits of the year, and generated one entry for each genre. Read the list here: http://bit.ly/2CBuQJU What do you think of my reasons for picking…

BURIED ALIVE (SUZZANNA: BERNAPAS DALAM KUBUR) (FILM REVIEW)

Asian spirits frighten because their appearances always allude to a terrifying cause of death. In the case of the sundel bolong from Javanese folklore, it is a woman with long flowing hair which covers a bloody hole in her back. It is believed that they were those who got pregnant out of wedlock, and died…

KUNG FU MONSTER (FILM REVIEW)

Remember that old saying about cooks and broth? Kung Fu Monster is an excellent demonstration of this proverb. Rife with a cast that vies for screen time, the script trips over itself with its littering of superfluous side comments. Assembling a motley of knavish characters, the effect becomes even worse, as they throw liners that…

PLAN YOUR PATTERNS

No question about it – our eyes are built to spot patterns. Like the ever-popular leading lines, patterns hold our attention in a pleasing way, and can be used to direct attention to another focal point or in some cases, act as the subject! Image Credit: @jooshengg Canon 5D Mark III | EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Patterns…

THE DEVIL FISH (FILM REVIEW)

Urban legends have a way of getting under our skin, primarily because they draw their horror from the familiar. Shared over lunch or gone viral on social media, these modern lore stay in limbo – suspended between reality and the supernatural, as people debate their authenticity. Like the popular Tag-Along franchise, The Devil Fish is…

INTIMATE STRANGERS (FILM REVIEW)

The smartphone changed our lives forever. And as a character remarks in Intimate Strangers, it’s like a black box of its owner, full of messages, emails and media they’ve collected. So is it any surprise that the content within might shock some of our closest friends or loved ones? An adaptation from the 2016 Italian…

EOS WORLD SPOTLIGHT: CALVIN SEAH

Architecture has become an urban photographer’s art gallery. Different styles, with their lines, forms and colours, dominate the city landscape, and become muses for everyone’s representation. Canon EOS 5DS | Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM | 17mm | 6secs – 1.6secs | f/10 | ISO 100 The photo was combined from three exposures Calvin Seah, who has…

CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA (REVIEW)

Sabrina Spellman was a teenage witch from the good ‘ol Archie Comics that gave the cartoons some extra bite and imagination. Media incarnations have stayed faithful to the iconic character, depicting a sassy blonde who works harmless cantrips in the name of good. Catering to a generation of audience who enjoy their entertainment with a…

THE ROPE CURSE (FILM REVIEW)

A suicide is tragic enough, but there’s something extra about the image of a hanging body that never fails to chill one to the bone. So it’s not surprising that in parts of Fujian and Taiwan, that a ritual has been created to combat the horror of a person hanging by choice. It is given…

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (REVIEW)

Let’s get this out of the way. The hype for this film lies not in any revolutionary scares or monsters, but a gripping, masterful storytelling that brings forth the worst kind of haunting – that from within oneself. In essence, this is really horror in lyrical prose – an oeuvre to loss and the terrifying…

FROM BEHIND THE LENS TO BEHIND THE SCENES

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be part of the team behind-the-scenes at Canon? Andry Tan is not only a Canon Professional Services (CPS) personnel but also an avid photographer. What is it like to turn your passion into a career? We chat with Andry to find out. Andry at the 15th Asian Games to…

EOS WORLD SPOTLIGHT: SIMONE CASTROVILLARI

There’s something about Simone Castrovillari’s pictures that not only keeps you riveted to the moment, but also wonder about the story behind his photos. From form to face, his captures of athletes truly embody the energy and excitement of sports. Simone Castrovillari taking a break at the stands Whether it’s the Olympic Games or other…

HELLO, MRS. MONEY (FILM REVIEW)

It’s got the twisted mishaps of Hangover, the misdemeanor of Ted, and just a touch of that Crazy Rich Asian OTT display – except all wrapped up and tied with a Mainland Chinese bow on top. Hello, Mrs Money is a non-stop madcap riot, milking each unfortunate scenario made by bad decisions. And given how…

7th

I never got the chance to sing it for you but the song came on on the bus home, blooms in hand. There’s supposed to be 7 but I only had 5 because fate wasn’t good at math. Your birthday is also my cheat day, and I could roll like a cat in the sun…

HELL FEST (FILM REVIEW)

The film gets one thing right – the sets. Otherwise, Hell Fest is really Halloween (including a very Michael Myers killer) without the gumption, impact or style. Horror films are not known for character development. But Hell Fest tests the boundaries of how much they can take with a crew of horror-film cliches. There’s the…

DOWN A DARK HALL (FILM REVIEW)

The movie establishes itself quickly. Angsty female lead. Gothic mansion. The classic “that area is out of bounds” line. 20 minutes in, you’ll find that Down A Dark Hall has a familiar tone to it. The way it introduces the characters, their relationships, some snappy cliches, and a painfully coerced romantic storyline – you have…

ALONG WITH THE GODS: THE LAST 49 DAYS (FILM REVIEW)

By now, you would have probably heard of this unexpected hit of a South-Korean title. Yes, it already had all the makings of a blockbuster, but it exceeded even projections by pundits. Surpassing 10 million viewers in only 15 days, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds tripled returns of the US$36 million investment on…

MEET THE CANON PHOTOMARATHON XVI JUDGES

Year after year, thousands of photographers gather together for the Canon PhotoMarathon in a bid to shoot a winning photo. The participants may find it challenging trying to complete all three themes within an allocated time, but the judges don’t have it easy either! With Canon PhotoMarathon XVI Singapore 2018 (CPMSG2018) just a few weeks away, we…

BATAM, INDONESIA – A DOSE OF JAVA

Batam is an island often picked for its laid-back pace, and a spot to enjoy the power of Singaporean currency translated into massages, seafood and those buttery kueh lapis. It’s not exactly known for a lot of culture, but that can occasionally change. With more than 100 million in Indonesia coming from the Javanese ethnic…