Saturday, November 28, 2015

Diva's Movie Review: "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2" Plods To A Series' End

"Real or not real?"

This phrase and question echoed throughout "The Hunger Games: Mockingay - Part 2", the finale of the series of movies adapted from the novels of the same name by Suzanne Collins.

Carrying on right after a still-brainwashed Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) attacked Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) at District 13's rebel base camp, the movie is mainly about the insurgents' planned siege of the Capitol in the bid to save Panem from President Snow's (Donald Sutherland) dictatorship.

Here's a Red Dot Diva warning - the movie's pace is slow.... very slow, and angsty, with short bursts of action happening only in two main parts. To get through the movie, one requires a lot of patience. The final instalment clearly suffers from the case of Two-Parter-citis. "Mockingjay" the movie would have been more compact and more effective if it was just one film.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

#TBT: Diva's Biceps Hunt at AsiaPop Comic Con Manila 2015

It's Throwback Thursday! (yes, actually it's Friday here already on Red Dot Island but Red Dot Diva is allowing the slow-pokes to catch-up. :P)

To add on to the occasion, it is also Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.! *gobble gobble*

As the year is winding down to the last 5 weeks, Red Dot Diva looks back on one of her most epic biceps hunt of 2015.

The fabulous haul of biceps happened at Asia Pop Comic Con (APCC) Manila 2015 during a merry September weekend. The pop-culture convention held at the World Trade Centre was the first for the organizers Al Ahli Holding Group, and had a wide range of guests including comic creators, cosplayers, toy designers and celebrities.

With the help of fellow Glam Alliance Bloggers pal, Ed from toysetc as cameraman, the APCC Manila Biceps Hunt was ceremoniously captured on camera.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Nanoblock Exhibition at Liang Court by Christopher Tan - 21 & 22 November 2015


Nanoblock lovers, there will be a special exhibition by Christopher Tan at Liang Court, this weekend, 21 to 22 November 2015.

Based in Malaysia, Christopher is an award-winning, full-time Nanoblock artist with an international cult following. Recently, Christopher was conferred the title of "Tatsujiin" (Master of Nanoblock). His detailed masterpieces range from the tiny to large-scale sculptures, and cover a wide range of subjects from everyday items, buildings & structures to pop-culture icons.

Christopher's Nanoblocks were recently showcased in exhibitions held in Hong Kong and Malaysia. At the Hong Kong show in 2014, he constructed the largest Nanoblock piece - a staggering 250,000-brick recreation of the city of Rio de Janeiro.




Now, fans who have previously only managed to admire them through photos on social network will now be able to admire these actual pieces in real life as well as meet Christopher in person!

Monday, November 16, 2015

HBO Asia's Jakarta-based Supernatural Thriller "Halfworlds" To Premiere on 29 November 2015


Cable channel HBO Asia has been busy these past few years!

Their latest Asian-based production, "Halfworlds" is set for a premiere date on 29 November 2015.

"Halfworlds" is HBO Asia's fourth production and Red Dot Diva really appreciates their constant effort to create as well as develop stories that are recognizably Asian but are also set to appeal to a wider audience. For those who have not caught up with HBO Asia's recent works, their first original title was "Dead Mine" in 2012, followed by their first prime-time series "Serangoon Road" and a four-part horror mini series "Grace".

An eight-episode supernatural thriller set in the dark and mysterious alleys of Jakarta, "Halfworlds" is about the Demits - a host of demons huddled in a covert society, who have lived among humans for centuries. When Sarah, a street artist uncovers the secret and tips the balance, a chain of events sets off, leading to a clash between the two sides. 

Friday, November 13, 2015

Gamestart Asia 2015: Where Diva Explored The World of Gaming


Gamestart Asia 2015 kicked-off with a bang yesterday at Suntec Convention Centre.


There was a grand official ribbon-cutting ceremony by special guests and an industry/ business conference.


The gaming convention occupied 2 halls this year, which offered far more space for fans to wander and try out the gamut of titles available.

Red Dot Diva (together with Ed from Toys-etc and Andre the Red Dot Dude) was at the Media Preview yesterday and from the looks of it, this year's convention had definite buzz to it.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Royal Selangor Launches Gorgeous Star Wars Collectors' Items at Suntec City

Premiere pewter manufacturer and retailer Royal Selangor, officially launched their new Star Wars product line yesterday at Suntec City, and Red Dot Diva was there to view the collection.

Without a doubt, the craftsmanship of the 16 Star Wars products shown was beautifully detailed, and they all looked gorgeous, especially the armoured characters like Darth Vader and Boba Fett. This was due to the metallic nature and look for pewter, of course.

Red Dot Diva had a little chat with Royal Selangor's Training Executive Vance Khaw about the Star Wars collection, which consisted of iconic characters and emblems from Episode IV, V and VI.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

The Artimus Gives His Lowdown on NYCC vs SDCC


East side vs West side... Well, you know how that usually goes!

Red Dot Diva has had the opportunity to experience both San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) and New York Comic Con (NYCC) more than once, and because she has such a wide range of interests, she still has difficulty deciding which one she likes more! 

Both have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. It really depends what kind of fan you are, what your budget is and what you are really looking for.

Diva's geek pal, The Artimus made his way to NYCC for the first time this year. He has attended SDCC several times so here is his lowdown on what he thinks about the different aspects of the two biggest comic conventions in the USA.

Monday, November 2, 2015

Gamestart Asia 2015: Things A Gaming Noob Can Enjoy at the Show


Some very exciting things are in store for those who are heading to Gamestart Asia 2015 two weekends from now!

This year's edition is a pumped-up version of last year's inaugural show, and will occupy double the space at Suntec Convention Centre, and held over 3 days (13 to 15 November 2015), including a business conference day for those who want to get to know more about the ins and outs of the gaming industry.

To build interest leading up to the convention, the organizer Eliphant Pte Ltd, has even joined hands with developer Seow ‘Sonic’ Zong Hui to build their very own game app. Have you all downloaded and played the Gamestart app already?

Naturally, local gamers are excited about attending the show so that they can get their hands dirty on the new and upcoming titles, as well as cheer for their favourites at the Capcom Pro Tour Asia Finals. But, what if you are gaming noob like Red Dot Diva?

If you are kinda tech-savvy, or generally interested in the visual arts form of story-telling, Red Dot Diva suggests a few interesting things that might capture your interest at Gamestart Asia 2015.