HBO Asia's New Chilling Survival Series The Head Premieres on 12 June 2020

It has been a steamy pot of sweltering heat and humidity in Red Dot Island for the last couple of weeks. That is why Red Dot Diva is looking forward to some visual relief consisting of icy land masses of Antarctica when WarnerMedia's HBO Asia premieres a new thriller called THE HEAD on 12 June at 9 PM (SG Time).

THE HEAD is about a small group of scientists called the Winterers, who are huddled in Polaris VI international polar station in Antarctica during its long freezing winter months. They are there to work on a project crucial to climate change. The team consists of members from different countries, and are led by a respected biologist Arthur Wilde (John Lynch). Then suddenly, during on of these long polar nights, communications from the station stalled, cutting the group off from the outside world.

When summer commander Johan Berg (Alexander Willaume) arrives at the station in spring, finding the team dead or missing. Johan's wife Annika (Laura Bach) is one of those missing, and with the help of apparent lone survivor Maggie (Katherine O'Donnelly), there is an urgency to find out what happened during the last 6 months of winter. Is there a killer on the loose? Or was there something stranger and more sinister that happened?

HBO's Westworld Season 3 Is Sleeker But Still An Intriguing Reboot

"A new narrative awaits" teases one of the social media promotional tagline for HBO's WESTWORLD Season 3, and after watching screeners of 4 episodes for this review, Red Dot Diva agrees that the show feels like a reboot.

In the new season, creators and writers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy (they are also the show's executive producers) have taken viewers out of the dystopian theme park into the real world, where android Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood) has escaped to, after a bloody revolution in Season 2. Within the setting of future Los Angeles, with its glistening tall buildings, iconic palm trees and modernised ghettos, the show's storyline is less convoluted, has fewer time jumps, and is also more focused on corporations vs mankind.

This show of corporate greed and control is embodied in a new villain Serac (Vincent Cassel), a trillionaire all ready to pounce on and use the data collected by Delos through the Westworld theme park. His plans are constantly foiled by Dolores, who has an agenda of her own, and so, Serac asks the intelligent android Maeve (Thandie Newton) to find and kill her fellow theme park mate.

In fact, one of the early episodes that focused on Maeve's storyline is Red Dot Diva's favourite. Thandie Newton is a deft actor, and beautifully chews up her scenes depicting both human emotion and robotic efficiency.

The Androids vs Humans Battle continues in HBO's Westworld Season 3, Premiering on March 16

It was such a thrill to be able to recognise locations from our Red Dot Island in the Season 3 trailer for HBO's Emmy® winning drama series WESTWORLD.

Hey, that drone shot is filmed at Marina One. Oooh, isn't that the National Gallery? And Oasia Hotel too? Awesome!

There will be more opportunities for fans to "spot the local landmarks" when the series returns on 16 March at 9 AM, same time as the U.S. telecast. The 8-episode season can be watched exclusively on HBO GO and HBO Asia on Starhub and Singtel TV.

In the last 2 seasons, WESTWORLD revealed a theme park in the future where androids, who were made to satisfy human's darkest desires, were becoming conscious. The battle between artificial life form and humans intensified in Season 2, with the oldest host in the theme park Dolores breaking free and entering into the real world.

Here is where Season 3 begins. In future Los Angeles (with many familiar Red Dot Island buildings and locations!), Dolores is still attempting to start her revolution against humans. Maeve, who was left as "dead" in Season 2's finale, is still in the theme park. She has been tasked by this season's Big Bad named Serac to hunt Dolores down and kill her.

Main cast members Evan Rachel Wood (Dolores), Emmy® winner Thandie Newton (Maeve), Ed Harris (Man in Black), Jeffrey Wright (Bernard), Tessa Thompson (Charlotte), Luke Hemsworth (Stubbs), and Rodrigo Santoro (Hector Escaton) return to WESTWORLD Season 3.

The series, created for television by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, will have brand new characters in this season. They are played by Aaron Paul (Caleb), Vincent Cassel (Serac), Lena Waithe (Ash), Scott Mescudi (Francis), Marshawn Lynch (Giggles), John Gallagher Jr. (Liam), Michael Ealy (Jake) and Tommy Flanagan (Conells).

Warner TV Asia Celebrates International Women's Day with Women of Wonder

Happy International Women's Day!

To celebrate this occasion, Warner TV Asia is showcasing kick-ass female superheroes and heroines whose personal journeys aim to empower women all over the world.

WOMEN OF WONDER MOVIE SPECIALS

For the month of March, Warner TV Asia is running a WOMEN OF WONDER movie special every Sunday night at 9 PM. Each movie selected shines the spotlight on the beauty and strength of feminine power.

Kicking off on 8 March, on International Women's Day itself, is the scintillating hit movie “WONDER WOMAN”. As Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), the Amazon Princess from Themyscira leaps into our screens with optimism and her unique brand of fierceness. Her adventures takes her from London to the horrifying World War I battlefield in Belgium, in a bid to save humanity and stop the god Ares from creating more chaos.

The other movies on the list are rather odd, to be honest. They are “300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE” (there are the badass Queen Gorgo and enigmatic Artemesia though),  “CATWOMAN” (sadly, not a great movie despite the famous character) and “MAN OF STEEL”. Yes, the last movie is about Superman, but in Red Dot Diva's opinion, one of the best parts of the film was a Lois Lane, who was intelligent, proactive and who actually did some actual investigating as a journalist.

To enjoy these movies in March, tune into Warner TV on Starhub Channel 515 and Singtel Channel 306.

That's not all. For weekly boosts of feminine power, so that you can get pepped up to deal with the challenges of being female, check out these TV series with engaging, relatable DC female superheoes.

The Walking Dead Season 10 Part 2, and Kingdom Season 2 Premiere During COVID-19 Pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic is unfolding worldwide in real time, two internationally popular TV shows about a zombie apocalypse, are making their return to our screens. They are part 2 of AMC's THE WALKING DEAD Season 10 and Netflix's KINGDOM Season 2.

With news streaming over the social media about people panic buying at supermarkets, hoarding food and essentials as they try to fend themselves from infection, Red Dot Diva thinks that one can pick up a few lessons on what not to do when watching these zombie shows.

Like why the rush for toilet paper? During an apocalypse, Red Dot Diva is going to gun for mineral water. After all, you can barely last 3 days without water. Also, how is anyone going to be able to cook rice, pasta, instant noodles (not talking about Mamee) without water?

Red Dot Diva also feels it is very cathartic to watch fictional characters deal with the aftermath of an outbreak. You can scream at them in frustration from the comfort of your favourite arm chair, or begin to have faith in humanity again, even though the world is going to sh**.


THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 10 Part 2 - started 24 February 2020, Fox TV Asia

The second part of Season 10 of THE WALKING DEAD, a show based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore, premiered recently on Fox channels in the SEA region on 24 February, same day as the U.S. telecast.

HBO Asia - "Watchmen" Premieres 21 October 2019, Same Time as the U.S. Telecast

“Anybody who has anything to do with any of these shitty Watchmen travesties, even as a member of the audience, will be dragged screaming to hell by their nipples,” ranted writer Alan Moore in an interview that he did with creative arts blog, Inside The Rift last year.

Well, considered Red Dot Diva to be one of those willing to be dragged straight into brim and fire, because she is all set to catch the premiere of HBO's WATCHMEN on Monday, 21 October at 9 AM (SG); 8 AM (THAI/ JKT). The new series by executive producer Damon Lindelof (Lost, The Leftovers), is neither a prequel nor sequel to the brilliant original graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. In fact, Lindelof calls his version a “remix”, and he was also the writer of the pilot episode.

So what does this “remix’ look like? Based on the trailers, the series has mostly new characters, and is set some 30 years after the events in the graphic novel. This is still a time when costumed superheroes have been outlawed, but now, a group of white supremacists have decided to put on masks in the likes to the deceased vigilante anti-hero Rorschach.

Cinemax's Martial Arts Series "Warrior" Based on Bruce Lee's Writings, Premieres on 6 April 2019

Rich Ting as Bolo,  Jason Tobin as Young Jun
Pic credit: HBO/ David Bloomer

Wuxia fans will now have a new martial arts action drama to indulge in. On April 6, CINEMAX will premiere “Warrior”, their first tentpole 10-episode series which is based on the writings of the one and only martial arts legend Bruce Lee.

Back in the 1970's, Bruce Lee tried to get his 8-page pitch called “The Warrior” to be produced, but at that time, the Hollywood studios were not confident that audiences would accept an Asian lead actor as the hero. Things have changed a lot in recent years, with more Asian actors leading Hollywood movies and TV shows, and gaining prominence for their work. With such a pedigree behind it, “Warrior” should prove to be a worthy a fix for those who love to watch martial arts shows.

How did the back story of how Bruce Lee's script finally came to fruition? This amazing journey from idea to TV series is now chronicled in Cinemax's 8-part docu-series, “Becoming Warrior”, and all 8 episodes are now currently available on Cinemax's Youtube Channel!

HBO Asia's "Grisse" - Feisty Gun-slinging Western set in the Rojakness of South-East Asia

As a child from a primarily English-speaking home, Red Dot Diva has always fantasized of being able to watch South-East Asian tales on TV or in the movies which were spoken in English. Local TV dramas and sitcoms in the 1990's helped to bring Red Dot Island stories to the forefront, but international exposure was very limited.

It has been a long time coming, but in recent years, HBO Asia has been passionate about showcasing stories from this region to the world, and Red Dot Diva is always delighted to see and support the shows that they invest in.

Tonight, 4 November (Sunday), "Grisse", another new English language original series by the cable channel will be premiering at 9 PM. Set in 1800’s Indonesia, during the time when the Dutch East Indies were busy colonizing this region, the period drama has a unique look - a South-Asian story with an Old Western aesthetic, complete with all that dirt, dust, feisty heroines, and gun battles. The series is created by Mike Wiluan, and has eight 1-hour long episodes.

Step into the town of Grisse, and you will be greeted by people from different creeds and agendas. The Indonesian rebels have taken a stand in the gritty town, leading the way to eradicate colonialism and tyranny. Occasionally fighting alongside them are the factions consisting of the Chinese, and the "Half-breeds".

HBO Asia's "Folklore" Horror Anthology Set To Give You Sleepless Nights, Premieres 7 Oct, 10 PM

October is the best season for a nice, spine-chilling scarefest, and HBO Asia will be rewarding horror fans with a 6-episode anthology called "Folklore".

Created by award-winning local director Eric Khoo, "Folklore" is a HBO Asia Original series that brings a modern or updated twist to the classic ghoulies and myths that Asians will be familiar with. The team of directors, specially requested by Eric Khoo to be part of the project, spin creepy tales that possess their own home countries' brand of horror.

Each story will be told in the local language that the episode is based on, and will also provide insights of the social issues that exist in that country.

Six episodes will air each Sunday exclusively on HBO (StarHub TV Ch 601), beginning from 7 October, 10 PM. They will also be available on HBO Go and HBO On Demand (StarHub TV Ch 602).

Non-subscribers of HBO will be able to watch the first episode "Folklore: A Mother's Love" via streaming on HBO GO for free, from 10 PM on October 7.




Here are the synopsis of the 6 episodes:

New Seasons of The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, Lethal Weapon on Warner TV Asia

Warner TV Asia, home of DC Comics' superhero shows like "Arrow", "The Flash", "Supergirl" and "DC Legends of Tomorrow", has a list of other TV series that appeal to geeky folks. Non-Arrowverse shows like "Krypton" and "Gotham" help to expand the DC Universe, and "iZombie" (loosely based on the comic book series of the same name) cater to those who like zombies but prefer something far less intense than AMC's "The Walking Dead".

Three other shows aired by Warner TV are also set to returning on screen this week. They are "The Big Bang Theory", its prequel series "Young Sheldon", and cop show "Lethal Weapon".


THE BIG BANG THEORY

Special Premiere: 25 September 2018, Tuesday, 8:10 PM
Episodes: every Friday from September 28, 8:10 PM

This will be the 12th and last season of the long running comedy series. It is in fact the longest-running multi-camera comedy series in TV history. The sitcom has told stories about eccentric geek Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and his friends, like Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) who finally gotten married. Sheldon himself tied the knot with neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) in the finale of Season 11, with surprise guest Mark Hamill officiating the wedding! It will be business as usual in this final season, with Sheldon playing fantasy role-playing games with friends that include fellow scientists Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar), Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and Howard’s wife, Bernadette (Melissa Rauch).

It's Chaos in Westworld Season 2 - Premiering 23 April 2018 on HBO Asia

The violent, dystopian world of make-believe in HBO's award-winning series "Westworld" was one of the most unforgettable, provocative shows in 2017.

The scifi show about the complex interactions between humans and androids in a futuristic theme park, had Red Dot Diva at the edge of her seat as plot twists and surprises were slowly revealed layer after layer in each episode. 

Credit had to go to the stellar cast of actors consisting of Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, James Marsden, Tessa Thompson, Clifton Collins Jr, and many more. Their performances, especially the actors who played the hosts,were nuanced and haunting.

Season 1 of HBO's original series "Westworld" wrapped up with a satisfying yet tantalizing finale that offered up a few twists (one in particular) that most fans did not expect. After those last shocking few seconds, Red Dot Diva has so many more questions about Ford, the future of Delos Incorporated now that the hosts are awake, and the repercussions of Dolores' and Maeve's actions.

Some reprieve from all that unresolved suspense came in the form of a Season 2 sneak peek released at SDCC 2016. The teaser showed a series of bloody massacres happening in the park and in Delos, with a vengeful Dolores going on a rampage.

Win a HBO 2018 Calendar to Help you Countdown till Game of Thrones' Final Season Airs in 2019

Lots of things happened in the Season 7 finale of HBO's award-winning series "Game of Thrones".

What is the repercussion of the liaison between Daenrys and Jon Snow? Is Tormund still alive? Will there be a brother vs brother, Drogon vs Viserion showdown? Who will sit on the Iron Throne when the series ends?

Unfortunately, it will be more than a year before fans will get to know the answers. The final and 8th season of "Game of Thrones" will air only in 2019. The actual premiere date has not been announced yet, but Season 8, which consists of 6 episodes, will air on HBO Asia the same time as the U.S. telecast.

The wait seems interminable, so what can fans do in the meantime until Season 8 premieres?

Game of Thrones Season 7: Diva Heads to Westeros at Cathay Cineleisure & Vivocity

The Iron Throne at Cathay Cineleisure

There may not be any "Game of Thrones" cast or crew members helping out with the Season 7 promotion in Red Dot Island this year, but there are still some pop-up activities that fans could take part in.

These events will only run from 15 to 16 July (Sat and Sun), and lead up to HBO Asia's Season 7 premiere which will air on 17 July morning, the same time as the U.S. telecast.

Red Dot Diva and Lannister Lion teamed up to check out two different parts of "Westeros" - Cathay Cineleisure and Vivocity.


CATHAY CINELEISURE
For this weekend, Cathay Cineleisure hosts the Ice Throne and Iron Throne. A few weeks ago, both thrones were on display at Chevron House, Raffles Place.

Game of Thrones' Ice Throne / Iron Throne Will Be At Orchard Cineleisure - 15 & 16 July 2017

Already parading your House banner around your housing estate? Have an army of loyal warriors on stand by? What about your own specially designed crown?

Check on all three?

Then, you are SET to sit on the life-sized Iron Throne, which will be displayed at Orchard Cineleisure on July 16, Sunday! Capture a photo of your regal moment together with some "Game of Thrones" characters, for Winter is Here!

On the day before (15 July, Saturday), a special life-sized ice carving of the Iron Throne will be exhibited at the same venue. You cannot sit on this one of course, but you can still try to win limited edition prizes on site! These premiums have been frozen in blocks of ice, and you can try to chip away to get to them.

Winter Is Here! New Game of Thrones Season 7 Trailer and Posters Offer More Hints

While gazillion "Game of Thrones" fans have been waiting impatiently for Season 7 to arrive, a new trailer was released by HBO. The cable channel had sneakily usurped the summer solstice with the battle cry that #WinterIsHere.

Needless to say, the action-filled trailer got the GoT fans going Stark crazy.

Red Dot Diva herself spotted a huge grin on her face that looked somewhat like this (minus those awesome sharp teeth):


via GIPHY

Any hardcore "Game of Thrones" fan must have watched the new trailer multiple times by now, trying to piece together the sneak peeks of various characters in different locations. There are a host of geek websites and podcasts that have broken down each teaser scene in detail, so Red Dot Diva is not going to rehash that.

All she is going to say is, not only #WinterIsHere, #WarIsComing also. Massive, fiery, bloody wars that seem to be the focus of the season, as the various houses and their alliances begin to converge.

Here are scenes that Red Dot Diva is eager to watch in Season 7:

Diva Watched Master Artist Salavat Fidai Transform Pencil Tips into Game of Thrones Microsculptures

Grand sweeping landscapes, massive battle scenes and memorable dramatic visuals are mainstays of HBO's award-winning fantasy drama series "Game of Thrones".

However, to promote upcoming Season 7 of "Game of Thrones", fans are invited to view their beloved TV show in a much smaller scale. An epicly miniscule scale, to be exact.

Together with art studio and curatorial space K+, HBO Asia commissioned microsculptor Salavat Fidai to carve 16 pieces of various images from the show, all on the tips of fragile graphite lead pencils.

The entire exhibit took 4 months for the Russian artist to complete.

The result is a special exhibition called "Game of Thrones: A Pencil Microsculpture Exhibition by Salavat Fidai", held at K+ Scotts Square till June 4, and admission is FREE!

Game of Thrones Season 7 Arrives on HBO Asia 17 July 2017, 9 AM

Winter is Coming. And so is War!

After that shocking "Game of Thrones" S6 season finale where a whole bunch of people went Kaboom!, the cruel and scheming Cersei ended up being crowned as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. From then on, things are just going to get more intense.

The convergence of the different houses in Season 7 will unfold in just seven episodes as the different players focus on King's Landing. This is ominously depicted in the first official teaser made entirely of sigils belonging to the main Houses at play - the Lannisters, the Targaryens, the Starks, the Baratheons and the Tyrells, plus one more powerful game changer - the White Walkers.

Will the Great Wall hold? Or will it all come tumbling down?

HBO Asia Premieres Carrie Fisher & Debbie Reynolds Documentary "Bright Lights" 8 January, 9 AM

It has been a difficult holiday season for Star Wars fans with the passing away of Carrie Fisher on 27 December 2016. She was well-loved and admired for her roles as Princess/ General Leia in the Star Wars movies, and her death was unexpected.

Worse still, a day later, her 84-year-old mother and Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds, passed away of a suspected stroke. The two women live next door to each other and were very close.

According to Carrie Fisher's brother Todd Fisher, his mother had said that "she really wanted to be with Carrie" just before she died. Debbie Reynolds is best remembered singing and dancing beside A-listers Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor in the movie musical "Singing in the Rain".

Meet and Take A Photo with Game of Thrones Actor Isaac Hempstead Wright on 2 April, ION Orchard, Singapore!

Red Dot Diva knows many local "Game of Thrones" fans have been eagerly waiting for this piece of exciting news!

She finally has information on when they can get to meet Isaac Hempstead Wright, the young actor who portrays Bran Stark in the award-winning HBO series!

Most fans would have already known by now that ION Orchard's Basement 4 will be transformed into Westeros on 2 - 7 April, with a VR interactive experience, displays of props, conceptual art as well as a replica of the Iron Throne. If you missed the news on what are the activities happening at the Worlds of Westeros, click here for the details.

The only time select fans and subscribers can get to meet and take a photo with Isaac Hempstead Wright, is on Saturday, 2 April, 3 - 5 PM.

Make sure you follow HBO Asia's Facebook page for updates or join in the Starhub contest where you can stand to win a chance to meet Isaac. Talk about the upcoming event with fellow "Game of Thrones" fans by using hashtags, #GOTAsiaWOW and #BranStarkInSG.

This is the first time Isaac is visiting Asia to meet his fans, so do make him feel welcome!

UPDATED:
Here's how to be one of the 20 lucky fans to get an exclusive photo opportunity with Isaac Hempstead Wright!

Hurry and go join the contest at HBO Asia's Facebook page and answer the question by typing into the comments section there. Do note the winner has to be at least 18 years of age.

Click here for more details!

Game of Thrones S6: Westeros is Coming to ION Orchard, So is Bran Stark aka Isaac Hampstead Wright!

Pic by Helen Sloane

There was much celebration (fortunately, without any poisoned wine.... yet) when Red Dot Diva found out her colleague Celine is as crazy over the HBO TV series "Game of Thrones" as she is.

When Red Dot Diva conveyed to her the breaking news that young Bran Stark aka Isaac Hamsptead Wright will be visiting the Red Dot Island for the series' Season 6 promotion, Celine was so excited, she sputtered out this inspired piece of haiku:

Winter is coming
April 2nd, Bran Stark comes
Jon Snow is still dead

*Suddenly having visions of Jon Snow dying in pools of his own blood* Nooooooooooooo!!!

But also, Yeahhhhhhh!! Bran Stark is coming (oops, that sounded lewd) will be here soon!

Making a guest appearance in Asia for the first time, 17-year-old Isaac Hampstead Wright will be meeting fans on April 2nd at the Game of Thrones Experience: "Worlds of Westeros" (#GOTAsiaWOW) at ION Orchard, Basement 4. This special interactive area is set up by HBO Asia to pump up the anticipation for Season 6 of the award-winning fantasy drama series based on the books written by George R.R. Martin. The new season will premiere internationally on April 24th, 2016.