Another fallen Idol

Sorry...been kind of busy lately.

Back to AI. The fallen Idol was Chikezie...I know everyone knows that by now. It could be anyone, really...because I personally think that this week performances were good. So anyone could be eliminated.

My fave performances was by David Archuleta, Brooke White, Michael Johns and Carly Smithson. I really like the song that D. Archuleta sang, it was really nice. I have no idea who is the original singer, but I like the song. The rest of the Idols performed really well too, especially D. Cook who got high praises from the judges. Ramiele Malubay was good too considering that she was not feeling well that night. It really was a great night. Looking forward for next week performances.

Again, for more news, I mean Idol news, please visit the original website.

It's over...

Yes people, it's over for Amanda Overmyer. She was voted off in the result show for American Idol Top 11. I didn't watch the show, so kind of shocked to find out that she was eliminated.

Anyway, I did watched the performance night of the top 11. I thought Amanda did quite good compared to some other contestants. Didn't quite understand what the Americans are thinking. But shows like this are always like that, unexpected things happen. Same with talent shows here in Malaysia. Pity...

In my opinion, Syesha Mercado did good on that night. Good performance, and I like her make over too. She look gorgeous.

I know I keep repeating this, but I can't help it. For more Idol news, please visit the official website.

www.americanidol.com

Hot race!

Oh yes, it will be a hot weekend. The Formula 1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix 2008 is here! See all your fave racers right here in Malaysia starting from today, 21 March 2008 until 23 March 2008.

I'm not a true fan so for me, it's okay if I watch it on TV. But for those crazy F1 fans, I'm sure you already got the tickets to watch it live at Sepang Circuit. Just prepare yourself with your mobile mini fan for the heat.

For more info, please visit the websites below.

http://www.malaysiangp.com.my/

http://www.formula1.com/

A Season for Eternity

Another book review. Wait, not a book...this is actually a manga. A great manga btw. 'Satu Musim Untuk Selamanya', directly translated as 'A Season For Eternity', is written by Ichikawa Takuji and drawn by Takata Yasuhiko. It's original Japanese edition had been published in 2004...and if I'm not mistaken, this manga published in Malaysia in 2006. So...quite a few years already. But a good book should never go unnoticed rite? That's why I'm stll reviewing it.

The manga tells a story about a single father, Takumi Aio, and his son, Yuji. They are struggling to adapt to their lives after the death of their wife/mother, Mio, 2 years ago. Suddenly on one night, while searching for Yuji's cap at the beach, they accidentally met Mio, with no memory of who she really was. So what's going on?!? Confused + happy, they took her home anyway and keep it as a secret (since it would create chaos if people knew she had came back from the grave).

What happen next? Did Takumi and Yuji managed to keep Mio existence a secret? Was she really cheated death? Was she a zombie? Or maybe just a lost spirit? Sorry, cannot tell you that. If I tell the whole story, then there would be no surprise anymore. Go buy the manga instead and enjoy the story.

The main reason I'm reviewing this book (although it had been published for quite some time) is because of the compelling and touching story. The way the writer & mangaka arranged the plot made it well-organized and easy to read & understand, although there are quite a lot of flashback. The drawing is nice too, not the average Japanese-type of drawing...but still nice.

Unfortunately, the manga is only available in Bahasa Malaysia (as far as I know). I could still find it in bookstores, so I think you could too. Only RM6.50 in Peninsular Malaysia and RM7.50 in Sabah & Sarawak. Oh, it also available in Singapore for only S$4.00.

To purchase through Internet, just go to the Gempak Starz website below.

http://www.gempakstarz.com/

Nice watch

What a nice movie! I watched 10,000 BC in cinema yesterday and I'm quite satisfied with the epic flick. The visuals are good, the acting is good, and most importantly the story is good. Quite touching in the end.

I'm quite surprised though that most of the users in the internet gave the movie negative reviews. I know the facts in the movie is not quite right but it's not a documentary, it's a movie! This is where creativity kicks in. Everyone has their own opinions anyway, so if you don't mind please leave some comments so I know what's yours.

For those who don't know, the two main characters (or lovers) in the movie are D'leh, played by Steven Strait (The Covenant) and Evolet, played by Camilla Belle (When a Stranger Calls). A very nice couple.

I had posted the trailer for this movie before on this blog. Do check them out and leave some comments okay. Peace!

The battle is on!

1 down, 10 to go. American Idol season 7 had started its elimination round for the Top 12...and David Hernandez was the one who got axed. Personally, I think his performance was good, but the judges thought that he overdid it and America seem to agree.

There are some good performances and some bad ones too on Tuesday night (American time btw). Few of my favourites were Chikezie, Brooke and Michael Johns' performances. Chikezie and Brooke got high praise from the judges (with Simon stated that Brooke performances were good for the 3rd time in a row) while Michael Johns got somewhat negative comments from the judges.

For more Idol news (and videos and photos of course), check out the official American Idol website or just simply click the link below.

http://www.americanidol.com/

The best of fantasy novel

I rarely read adult fantasy books. But one day, during my college years (not so long ago actually), I picked this one amazing book called Morningstar by David Gemmell.

Of course at that time, I didn’t know who this guy was. After doing some research, I found out that the author was a bestselling British author of heroic fantasy. Shame on me! He already had his first work of fiction published in 1984 and famous for his debut, Legend. Unfortunately, he already passed away in July, 2006.

I really enjoy reading Morningstar. This is one of my favourite books, one of the best that I had ever read so far. I only borrowed the book at the library at that time. But the story is so good that I planned to buy it.

For a better review of the book, please visit the link below. Better yet, go to your nearest bookstore and buy this book straight away. It’s REALLY good!!!

http://www.sfreviews.net/morningstar.html

Final 12 revealed

Four more contestants are out and finally we have the final 12 in American Idol season 7. The eliminated contestants are Kady Malloy & Asia’h Epperson from the girls, and Luke Menard & Danny Noriego from the boys.

I kind of disappointed when I know that Danny Noriega is out. He’s a fun person, and his performance is entertaining. But it’s a really tough competition for the boys. In my opinion, all the boys are good. So anybody could be out.

Again, I really like the performance by David Archuleta. For those who missed the show, he sang Another Day in Paradise. He’s such a talented young singer. Hope he will go far.

I’m not the kind of person who would wait in front of the TV for American Idol to start (although I made it my business to know who were eliminated) but for this season, I’m going to do just that. There’s a bunch of talented stars in it, and it will be a waste if I miss it.

Really looking forward to a great season. As usual, for more Idol news, just click the link below to the official website.

http://www.americanidol.com/

Letters from the dead

Another cool article I read from The Star (Sunday, 2 March) in the Otakuzone section. An anime called Shigofumi is now showing in Japan. Anime websites and blogs reported that this anime is the best anime series of the season.

The story revolves around silver-haired Fumika, accompanied by a talking staff called Kanaka, who delivers shigofumi (letters that people send after their deaths) to people that she has been assigned to. These letters contain things that the dead person could not say while they are alive, and are honest and direct to the point.

The way they describe it, this anime sound similar to Hell Girl, except Hell Girl help other people get revenge while Fumika help dead people give their final words to the person they want to.

The title Shigofumi comes from the combination of the Japanese words for “after death” and “letter”, which literally translates to an “after death letter”. I get this info from Wikipedia by the way.

I love anime like Hell Girl so maybe I would like this anime too. Since this anime just debut in Japan in January, so it may take a while for it to arrive at our shores.

The sweet CoCo

Sorry, a little bit late this week.

A lot to tell and a lot to post. We start with this good news. Colbie Caillat is coming to Malaysia! The American pop singer-songwriter will be here for a promo tour from March 13 to 16. I didn’t know anything about this until I read The Star newspaper on Tuesday, 4 March 2008.

According to the small article, the singer, famous for her first hit single Bubbly, will perform in a showcase that will be held at The Curve, starting at 8pm.

Just buy her album, CoCo and you will automatically get a pair of tickets to watch her live. Don’t forget to bring along the album as there will be an autograph session after the showcase.

To those lucky people who will be going to her showcase, send my regards to her please….

Books anyone?

My previous posts are all about movies, TV shows and a few about anime, game and music. So, now it’s time to be educated…with books of course! There are some books that I would like to recommend...let’s start with this one.

This book by Dean Koontz is called The Taking. This book has mystery element in it which I like. The book flows smoothly and there are several incidents in the book that really makes my imagination go wild. However, the author didn’t give any clear conclusion in the end that explains what really happened to the world. You just have to figure out yourselves with few clues left by the author. I have my own conclusion by the way.

The story explores the human behaviours (mainly the bad one of course), and the horrific events that happens in the book is basically punishments to humans.

This book is amazing as it explores the dark side of humanity. It makes you think just what will happen to this world if people keeps on killing other people, being greedy, selfish, and making money and fame out of sins. The scenario that happens in the book may not happen in real world, but it still makes you wonder.

If you’re interested, you can find this book at major bookstores near you. It will only cost you about RM40. Quite cheap for such a good book.

The pop princess is back

I have a confession to make. I love Britney Spears!!! She may not have a great vocal, but her songs are fabulous!

As many of you may know, her new album Blackout had hit stores for quite some time now. I have to say, this album is different from her previous effort. This album is more of a dance album than pop, a genre she being known for. Still, it is a great album. Ignore the media frenzy about her being drugged, brought to hospital, fighting for child custody in court, etc2, just go and grab this album and you will know what I mean. Just like one of the review I read in newspaper said, ‘this album brings out the pole dancer in you’. Haha!!

There are 12 tracks in it with 2 singles already playing in radio, Gimme More and Piece Of Me. My fave track has to be Break The Ice, in fact maybe the best song ever from Britney. I read in Internet that this song will probably become her next single. Finger cross! No lyrics inside the leaflet however, which is what I expected. But there are nice pics of Britney inside, including the controversial one in which she sits on a priest.

Other tracks include Radar, Freakshow, Toy Soldier, Hot as Ice & Perfect Lover. All tracks make you want to jump on your feet and dance. There is also one ballad, the last track in the album, titled Why Should I Be Sad written by Pharrell Williams.

What are you waiting for, go buy Blackout now!

A new star is born

Congratulation to Ayu for winning One in A Million season 2 last night. She wowed us with her great vocal and she deserves to win.

I’m not her fan but I do believe that she has the star quality to become a great singer.
She has such a great voice and her performances are filled with emotions. Love it.
As for Shila (runner-up) and Sarah (2nd runner-up), I really hope they keep on singing because both of them are great singers. I’m not a fan of Shila before but after the Grand Finale last night, I am officially her fan now. I was rooting for her last night you know. I like her unique voice and colourful performances, and I will support her like I support my fave contestants from previous season, Farah Asyikin.

For Sarah, I always like her songs (I mean her singles) and her voice. She will definitely become stronger after this competition.

All in all, it was a great night. But enough with singing competition, I want Survivor Asia version!!!

The Devil is here!

Yes, the game that everyone (well, almost) is waiting for is finally here. Devil May Cry 4 is in stores now. I don’t know about Malaysia market, but you can always order them from the game stores.

This game had received good reviews. Famitsu rate it 35 out of 40, Game Pro rate it 4.5 out of 5 and Game Informer rate it 9 out of 10. It also features a new main protagonist named Nero with Dante still making appearances in nearly half of the 20 missions. He not just shows his face you know, he’s playable. There are also 4 new characters including a new female lead, Kyrie, and 2 returning characters, Lady & Trish.

So, for DMC fans, grab this game now. Order it if you cannot find it anywhere. Is it worth the wait? You decide.

More Idol news

Four more contestants are out! They are Jason Yeager & Robbie Carrico from the boys and Alexandrea Lushington & Alaina Whitaker from the girls. It was an emotional ride for the contestants as we can see some of them were crying (you just can’t help it when it comes to elimination round).

One more week before the final 12 is revealed. The competition is going to get tougher as the talents are strong…and I must say that David Archuleta gave one of the most stunning performances that night. What a show! I may not be his fan before but after that performance, I am now!

For more Idol news, you can always visit the official website.

http://www.americanidol.com/

It’s Happening!

The Happening is a new movie by M. Night Shyamalan, the brilliant person who brought us The Sixth Sense. Strange name for a movie. Anyway, you can see the trailer at Yahoo! Movie page. There are few visuals that are quite disturbing (like when people start jumping from tall buildings…scary…). Still, I can’t wait to see this movie because it has some kind of mystery element in it. Some people may have doubt as Night previous effort (like The Village & Lady In The Water) are not fan favorites. I didn’t watch Lady but I really like Village, it’s a great love story for me. The marketing should really promote it as a drama movie rather than a horror movie.

Back to Happening, there is some kind of ‘disease’ causing chaos as people start commiting suicide! Not much info can be obtained from the trailer. All we can see is people being evacuated and confused (as we are), and people (who are ‘infected’) acting in bizarre ways. However, as confusing as it may look, it really makes this trailer interesting…it makes people want to know more.

For those who are curious, just click the link below to go to the movie page on Yahoo! okay. ;-)

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809921595/info