[Upcoming Movie] Oz The Great and Powerful (2013)

by Daniel Chiam 

This fantasy adventure film is the prequel to the infamous story; The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. It will be directed by Sam Raimi (who directed the Spider-Man trilogy 2002-2007) with the estimate budget of $200 million. It is the story of how Wizard of Oz came about to Land of Oz in the first place.

James Franco (Your Highness) will play the character of Oscar Diggs, otherwise known as Wizard of Oz. The 3 witches are played by Mila Kunis (Ted) as Theodora, Rachel Weisz (The Bourne Legacy) as Evanora and Michelle Williams (Shutter Island) as Glinda.

Oscar who is a small time circus magician has lost his way to the Land of Oz and was reluctantly drawn into the problems of the land. The witches was not convince that Oscar is not the great wizard that everyone is expecting and now Oscar must find who is able to help him. 

Looking at the trailer and knowing that the film is by Walt Disney, be prepared for a massive usage of computer-generated imagery, and tho I was hoping the film to be more darker theme, it still has to carter for the younger ones.

I always have that something for Mila ever since I fell in love with her exotic look in That 70's Show. Now that she's Theodora, Wicked Witch of the West, I really hope to see her outshine herself, if not better than her role in Black Swan.

Oz: The Great and Power coming in March* 2013

*Date is subject to change

Image source 1,2,3

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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How Often Should You Wash Your Jeans?

by Max Law from MaxMayo.com

So be honest: When was the last time you washed your favorite jeans?

Some people wash it after each wear. Some people wash it every few weeks. And some people, wash it once or twice a year.

Here's a piece of advice: Only wash your jeans when it starts to smell.

"Isn't that not very hygienic?" You might ask.

Given the nature of denim fabric, most dirts will "drop off" your jeans by itself. Bacteria are not that likely to live on denim, but when it does, it will smell – that will be your signal. 

A research even proved a jeans worn for 15 months is no dirtier than a jeans worn for 13 days. So, you don't really have to wash it as frequent as your other clothes.

Washing gives character to your jeans, but over-washing makes your jeans fade and fray faster. Your jeans will end up looking too washed out and pale.

Here's a new jeans:

New Jeans. Before any wash.

And here's the jeans after 2 years:

That is how a 2-year-old jeans should look like after frequent wear and disciplined washing. If your jeans looks waaaay beaten up, you might have washed your jeans too frequently.

This is not good:

I used to wash my jeans after every wear (which is bad), but now I'll just stick to once after 3 to 4 wears, which will normally be every 2 months (I don't really wear jeans that often nowadays).

Hope my post is helpful to you. :)

Source: Image 1, 2, 3, 4

Checkout Max at MaxMayo.com and follow him on twitter @maxmayo for more updates and fashion tips!

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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My Malaysia Story: Mikhal Anindita

by Mikhal Anindita from Indonesia

Hi, my name is Mikhal and I am from Indonesia. I have been in Malaysia for quite some times now, and I had just graduated not long ago and is currently back in my homeland to work.

The idea of coming to Malaysia for study was my dad’s idea. The expenses of studying in Europe and America is just too expensive, and it would be a financial burden in the long run. My dad once applied for Monash Master scholarship before, but he couldn't make it. So perhaps, I am just fulfilling his unfulfilled goal in Monash.

Malaysia is a lot similar to Indonesia. The language, the weather, the environment, the people and in many ways, I don’t feel like I have stayed far away from home after all. Although I do find that Malaysian really stick to their own ethnicity. Chinese with the Chinese, Indian with the Indians and Malay with Malays. Perhaps it was the language barrier. When you speak only your own language, you are limiting your circle of friends.

It’s a lot different with my hometown, where we only use one main language to communicate. Even though the difference is still there, but at least we still can communicate to each other well. Overall, Malaysian are friendly and I have no problem making friends with any Malaysian that I've encountered.

Being away from home made me realize how much I love to travel and visiting new places. Not necessarily have to be somewhere far, even exploring the corners of KL for the first time can made me happy.  Usually I go around with my friends around KL and PJ during the weekend, and tourism spots during the holiday.  I remember, I went to Genting, Bukit Tinggi, Langkawi, Penang, Melaka, Ipoh, Cameron Highlands, Fraser Hill, Broga Hill, Tioman, Perhentian & Redang.

Fraser Hill

I like Malaysian food.  Err... actually I like most kind of food, haha. I am the kind of person who love to try new type of food. Personally, I love tasty and spicy food (typical Indonesian), and here in Malaysia, I can still find those food. Though I will miss the food back home after awhile, but I still can live with Malaysian food.  I love Indian roti and hokkien mee. I wonder if the Malaysian can make their chili saude spicier? Hahaha,  all of the chili sauce that I tried here tastes like tomato sauce.

Oh, and I love how food is available 24 hours in Malaysia! How people can eat anytime, even if it is in the middle of the night.  The habit of having supper, another meal after dinner, tempt me a lot. It impacted my physical body a lot. :'(  I wonder how Malaysian girls keep their body slim? Not just slim, but also skinny, with their eating habit.

I have too many good memories in Malaysia. Arranging and celebrating every friend's birthday is one of them.  Although after few years it becomes a habit, it is always a good feeling that people, other than your family, remember and care for you. It's not about the gift, not about the cake, it is more to the warmth and the gathering.

It's an awesome opportunity to know everyone that I've met in Malaysia. Do keep in touch with me, that's why they create Facebook and Twitter, right? Hope to see everyone of you again and wish you all a greater success ahead! :)

Love Miksuper!

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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[Movie Review] Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

by Daniel Chiam 

Fans DEMAND for Retribution! ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ 2/10

I made a quick recap of the previous 4 installment of Resident Evil if you never watched any/some of it, or just to refresh your memory of what happened before Resident Evil: Retribution. 

This is by far the most disappointing, uncreative, uninteresting and unimaginative Resident Evil EVER! The story line and plot is crap. Script was just horrible and even the humor felt like it was force to be insert into the script. The fight scenes was uncreative, lazy and uninteresting at all!

It's a zombies actions movie for goodness sake. How can you messed up the zombies and made them look so uninteresting and so not scary at all! There was just too many flaws, too many loop holes and worse, NOTHING IS MAKING SENSE AT ALL in the movie!

I am truly disappointed with Paul Anderson the director. I went and watch with the lowest expectation ever and hopefully something simple could really impress me, but I ended up with further disappointment. Other than the hot girls, there's really nothing good I can say about the movie at all. 

Overall, the 5th installment was finished just for the sake of "lets get it done with so we can all called it a day and head to the bar for some beers. It's on me!". SO EFFORTLESS! If possible, I really hope they could give RE a much more worthy ending in the 6th installment. PLEASE!

Thanks to Sony Pictures Malaysia and Nuffnang for the invitation.

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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Quick Recap of The Previous 4 Resident Evil Series Before 'Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)'

by Daniel Chiam 

Let's do a quick recap of the previous 4 installment of the Resident Evil series to get a better pictures before we get to Resident Evil: Retribution. Lets go!

Resident Evil (2002) ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10
Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. 

Alice is working with Umbrella Corporation, the organization that secretly created the T-Virus (a genetically constructed mutating virus) for the purpose of biological weapon. Alice was trying to expose the conspiracy but ended up trying to contain the outbreak of the T-Virus at a secret underground facility called The Hive with a band of Umbrella Corporation commandos. The virus infected all the people who work in the facility and turned them into a flesh eating undead. Later they found out the T-Virus has an anti-virus to reverse the mutation in early stage. Alice managed to escape from The Hive to the surface. She was captured and knocked unconscious afterwards. When Alice woke up, the virus  already spread to the surface of Raccoon City after Umbrella reopened The Hive.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 4/10
Directed by Alexander Witt.

Alice was being experimented by the Umbrella. She now posses superhuman strength, speed and agility. The character Jill Valentine and Carlos Olivera was introduced. Alice's mission along with other survivors is to evacuate from Raccoon City before a nuclear missile completely destroyed the city. In order to do that, they need to help save a little girl named Angela whose father is the scientist that created the T-Virus to get the location of the helicopter. At the end, Nemesis appeared and fought with Alice. Alice and few of the survivors managed to escape with the helicopter, but it was caught in the blast wave and crashes. Umbrella employees found Alice's body, badly burned. Three weeks later, Alice awakens in a water tank. Appeared to be experimented by Umbrella scientist Dr. Isaacs. She attacks him, and fights her way out of the facility. Finally, Alice was taken away by Carlos who disguise as Umbrella employee. Alice was let escaped on purpose and then Program Alice was activated.

Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 5/10
Directed by Russell Mulcahy.

Umbrella is cloning Alice to produce a cure for the T-Virus but was failed many time. The T-Virus was unable to be quarantine back in Raccoon City and is now spread to all around the world. After 5 years, the rest of the world eventually turned into deserted wastelands. Alice was separated from her previous group and is now travelling alone, she encountered Claire Redfield's convoy who was in trouble of being attacked by infected crows. Alice uses her psionic powers to defeat the crows. Alice shared with Claire that there is a 'safe zone' in Alaska which is free from infection and became the new direction for the convoy. They were ambush and attacked by the Umbrella and zombies at Las Vegas. Alice was almost being shut down remotely by the Umbrella but failed. They tracked down the Umbrella secret location and went there to get the helicopter to get to Alaska. Alice decided to deal with the Umbrella instead and letting Claire and the remaining survivors to take off with the helicopter. Alice fought with Dr. Isaacs who has mutated into a powerful Tyrant, and she was saved by her own clone at the end. Alice send out a warning declaring that she is coming for the new Umbrella chairman, Albert Wesker in Japan. 

Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 4/10
Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson.

The film start with Alice clones attempt to kill Wesker at his base in Tokyo. Wesker escapes and destroys all of the clones with the base. The real Alice boarded his aircraft beforehand and Wesker uses a serum to remove all of Alice's powers before the aircraft crash. Alice travels to Alaska to find the survivors from previous film and only found Claire who suffers from amnesia. Both travel to LA and found a group of survivors living in a prison surrounded by zombies. Alice found out that Arcadia (or the safe haven in Alaska) is actually a tanker ship and is close to the LA's shore. Majini zombies was being introduced, a zombie that can dug tunnel and also Axeman, a huge zombie that carrying an axe. Zombies managed to break into the prison and Alice along with everyone escaped using the sewers to reach Arcadia. Claire suddenly regains her memory, and reveals Arcadia was an Umbrella trap to gather survivors to be used as test subjects. Wesker appeared and was infected by the T-Virus. Alice is able to defeat both Bennett and Wesker with help from K-Mart. Alice resolves to turn Arcadia into a real safe haven and broadcasts a new message for any other survivors. The final scene, Alice see an approaching Umbrella assault helicopter squadron.

I've managed to do a marathon in a day for all the 4 movies, and I find that aside from the zombies and the actions, Resident Evil's plot and story line is a little bit too straight forward and uninteresting at all (aside from the first one which I still think is the best one among all so far).

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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