Enter The Upside Down At The Stranger Things - The Encounter At Bugis+ Mall (30 June to 1 August 2023)

The supernatural world of Stranger Things, Netflix's popular horror series with an 80's vibe, will manifest on the 7th floor of Bugis+ from 30 June to 1 August 2023. The immersive retail experience called STRANGER THINGS - THE ENCOUNTER is a partnership between Netflix and designer toys and collectibles studio Mighty Jaxx.

Get your 80s' gear ready, and pretend you are Eleven or Mike. Then, gather your gang to take down the dangerous creatures all set to destroy your entire world. You might even want to call upon the Hellfire Club (Red Dot Diva salutes to her fave character, Eddie *sob*) as backup. You will need help, especially when the evil Vecna has plans for world domination.

What you can expect at STRANGER THINGS - THE ENCOUNTER? Check out the list below:

HBO's The Last Of Us: From Game To TV (by Atty)

HBO's game to TV adaptation series The Last Of Us is a rare beast. The 9-episode live action series is an engrossing odyssey of survival during an apocalypse when humankind is rapidly being infested by a type of cordeyceps fungus.

Just like in the game created by Naughty Dog, the show's viewers follow the journey of a weary man named Joel (Pedro Pascal) and snarky teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they travel to a revolutionary militia group called The Fireflies. Ellie is immune from the fungus' effects, and the Fireflies are supposed to be able to create a vaccine with Ellie's help. While making their way through the ruined landscape of the US, Joel and Ellie fight off dangerous people as well as the infested, also known as clickers.

There have been several attempts to adapt popular game franchises to live action shows, but most of these endeavours never quite hit the mark. Live action adaptations like Resident Evil and The Halo lacked compelling storylines, and were not able to create the sense of urgency or horror you get when you are playing the games. One of the better adaptations is Netflix's The Witcher, which has managed to please most fans - at least for the first season. Fan favourite Henry Cavill's screen presence as main character Geralt of Rivia has helped make the show somewhat bingeworthy.

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".

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!

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.

SDCC 2013 Recap: Breakfast With The Walking Dead. Graaaiiinnnssssss! (Part 1)

Nothing beats encountering a starving zombie in a cramped elevator early in the morning.

But that was exactly what happened to Red Dot Diva on Day 2 of San Diego Comic-Con this summer.

The invite for "The Walking Dead" breakfast press event came as a surprise in Red Dot Diva's email inbox. How could she say no to it?? The event was way too special and too rare a chance to pass up. Especially for someone from the tiny Red Dot Island.

So on that Friday morning, she dragged herself out of bed and managed to find her way to Hotel Andaz at Gaslamp.