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The Hangover boys are back for one final outing filled with mayhem and madness.

FOR actor Ed Helms, the decision to do the final part of The Hangover trilogy was not a difficult one. After all, he knew he would be in the company of people he loved and truly enjoyed while making the film.

Furthermore, he would be working with a script that would be ridiculous and fun to bring to life.

In an interview transcript provided by film distributor Warner Bros Malaysia, Helms attested that the actors in the film have all become friends in real life, and are often in each other’s lives.

He said: “It’s a really nice crew to be a part of. That, to me, was a huge factor in saying yes to (doing) this movie.”

In The Hangover Part III, best friends Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) come together neither for a wedding nor a bachelor party, but for a road trip. In the film’s production notes, the third part is said to conclude the madness this group of people have gone through by having three of them help Alan.

“I think Alan is the most unusual character,” stated Helms.

“We’re all archetypes. I’m kind of a nerd and Bradley’s the cool dude and Zach’s a weirdo. And those, I think, are archetypes that made the first movie so easy to jump onboard. You just kind of get these guys. And we got them as actors; we fell into those roles. We gave them our own idiosyncrasies and personalities. What Zach did with Alan was really unique and ridiculous and something only Zach can do.

“So, after two movies of that, I think you’re really wondering, ‘What is up with this guy? How does he tick? What’s his deal?’ He has no self-awareness, he’s so brazen – he’s just so presumptuous, and what happens if we peel back some onion layers on this guy?

“That was, I think, part of the approach going into this film, when Craig Mazin and (director) Todd Phillips wrote the script, it was just like, ‘Let’s get into Alan a bit more’. The movie starts out with our guys really coming to his aid in a way. And then it just all goes to Hell.”

With the exploration of this character, the third film gets to bring back elements from the first and second movie, and draw a defined connection in the narrative. According to Helms, there are two prevalent themes in all the three movies.

“(One is) fraternal love between these guys and that no matter how much they fight and bicker and beat each other up, you never question that they’re going to stay together and that they’re going to be there for each other. They really are. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s poignant, but it’s why I love them, and it’s why I’m proud to be a part of it.

“It’s why, as an audience member, even when I’m watching it, I’m like, ‘Oh, man, I want to be a part of those guys. They have such a good friendship’. I have to remind myself, ‘Oh, I am one of those guys’. But, well, but it’s a movie, you know, it’s not real, even though we obviously have a great friendship off-screen too.

“The other theme is just deviance, discord and dismay – just all this horrible mayhem. I mean, it’s in the trailer, the mayhem of bad decisions. And it’s a cool theme in this movie because it harkens back to bad decisions from I and II.”

One thing Part III does not resolve though is why Helms’ character – who is the group’s voice of reason, a dentist, a good husband and a responsible guy – turns into this really bizarre dude when certain ... chemicals enter his blood stream.

“As we got into The Hangover Part III, I was thinking, ‘Well, maybe it’d be cool if we really answered the question, what is Stu’s true nature?’ And I’m now happy to report we don’t really settle that question. We explore it more, but it just gets more mysterious.”

Adding on to the craziness that is The Hangover Part III are Ken Jeong (as Mr Chow, the maniac with really maniacal ideas and personality), Heather Graham (the former Las Vegas stripper who was once temporarily married to Stu), Jeffrey Tambor (Alan’s father) and John Goodman (as Marshall, a very bad man who’s always in a very bad mood). – Mumtaj Begum

The Hangover Part III opens nationwide on May 30.

The King: Elvis Presley performing in a 1973 concert.

From Tupelo to Timbuktu, Elvis rocked and rolled for everyone.

WE’RE driving through the backwoods of Mississippi. My wife and I have been heading north on the Natchez Trace – an old supply route that connected New Orleans to Nashville – and blazed right past a little town named Tupelo.

Elvis Presley’s Mystery Train is echoing through the car stereo. We’re on our way to see the King ... or his birthplace, at least.

Before he became the “King of Rock and Roll” and before all the screaming girls, swivelling hips and media stardom, there was a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi. That’s where Elvis Aaron Presley was born to Vernon and Gladys on Jan 8, 1935.

The shotgun shack still stands in Tupelo. This reminder of the King’s humble beginnings is the reason we’re in Tupelo on a cool spring morning. We purchase two tickets for a tour and walk to the old, white house with a porch swing, preserved to appear as it did during the singer’s boyhood years.

I don’t know if you can call a walk-through of a two-room house a “tour”, but that’s what we’ve paid for and that’s what we get. As we walk from the creaky porch into the front room, we’re greeted by a very enthusiastic woman named Gail.

Gail gives us all the details: Vernon built the house, the family stayed until the boy turned 13, the house is original, the furniture is not, and on and on. The information is fine, but oh, the delivery is just superb!

If you’ve been on a few tours, you begin to recognise the dead-eyed stare of most guides as they pitter-patter through their spiel. It’s understandable. I could be a tour guide at the site of the moon landing and I would be on auto-pilot by Day 3. Here it is. Move along. Zzzzz.

But not Gail. No, Gail could not be more excited to tell us anything and everything we want to know about Elvis Presley. The problem is that, earlier on this trip, we visited Elvis’ Graceland Estate as well as Sun Studio in Memphis (details of which will appear in future columns). Our Elvis curiosities had been well sated by that point. We’re the only two people on this two-room “tour”, and we’re not asking a ton of questions.

Not a problem for Gail. Before a pause can even consider becoming awkward, Gail launches into her own Elvis experience. She tells us she was born in Tupelo and has been an Elvis fan all her life. (Really, do you have another choice in Tupelo?)

She was fortunate enough to see Elvis in concert not once, but twice. And the second time she saw him, he came right down to her seat and flung one of his precious scarves around her neck.

Gail sort of shrieks and holds her hand against her heart while she tells us the story, almost as if she’s about to faint.

I wonder if she relives the moment the same way every time she talks to new visitors. What an experience that must be 20 times a day. And now, we’re told, the scarf is under glass at her Tupelo home. It’s conveniently located in her Elvis room, of course.

This woman is awfully sweet and I appreciate her passion. If you’re going to be an Elvis fan, plant yourself in Tupelo, build an Elvis room in your house and try not to fall over when you recall the moment when drops of Elvis’ sweat hit your neck. Surely, this is paradise for Gail.

Before hitting the highway out of Tupelo – and its churches where Elvis sat and its drive-in restaurants where Elvis once ate and its sidewalks where Elvis possibly, once, could have stood, maybe – we made one last stop: the Tupelo Hardware Store. Rock and roll history isn’t peppered with a lot of famous hardware stores, so you have to jump at the opportunity when it’s presented.

As we walk into the store – a big, red brick building on Main Street – a man at the counter perceives the smell of “tourist” wafting through the door and waves us over, hollering “You wanna hear about Elvis’ guitar?” Yes, of course we do.

The clerk proceeds to explain that we are standing on the very spot where Elvis declared his desire for an acoustic guitar hanging on the wall behind the counter. You can tell it’s the spot by the shallow crater in the floor where 50 million Elvis fans have stood to take their picture.

The story goes that Elvis’ mother, Gladys, remembered his wish and, in advance of her son’s 12th birthday, returned to the store to buy it for a surprise gift. Presto: instant rock star, right? Well, it turned out what Elvis really wanted for his 12th birthday was a bike. Oh well, things seemed to turn out OK for the boy.

While many small-town hardware stores have gone the way of – well – Elvis, Tupelo Hardware remains alive. It probably doesn’t hurt that they still sell guitars (as well as key chains and T-shirts). I chose to make my donation by purchasing a baseball cap.

But what I really wanted was a bike.

This is no Scooby Doo gang: Dave Franco, Fisher, Harrelson and Eisenberg.

Will the real Jesse Eisenberg please stand up?

HAVING only his on-screen persona as a point of reference, it is only natural to be curious what Jesse Eisenberg is like when he’s not playing someone else. Does he have anything in common with Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook – an angry but brilliant young man whose words stumble out of his mouth faster than a speeding train (The Social Network)? Or was he just playing a version of himself as the anxious, somewhat frenetic and insecure nice guy in The Squid And The Whale, Adventureland and Zombieland?

When Eisenberg calls from New Orleans, Louisiana, to talk about his new movie, Now You See Me, he starts the 15-minute interview by engaging in small talk, saying he knows where Malaysia is located as he has visited a couple of countries in Asia including Nepal, Tibet, Cambodia, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. He later adds that he likes Malaysian cuisine – “I can tolerate spicy food” – and has eaten at a Malaysian restaurant called Penang in New York, where he lives.

Throughout the interview, he remains friendly, polite and forthcoming. Perhaps what Eisenberg – who turns 30 this October – shares with the above-mentioned characters is that he’s just as intelligent and fast-talking, often punctuating long sentences with erm(s) and short pauses.

Dave Franco, his co-star in Now You See Me, says Eisenberg is very serious about acting and is self-critical. Franco states: “Jesse is amazing. I just love that guy. He is so humble as well. I don’t even know if he watches any of the things he’s done. He is just genuinely one of the nicest people I have ever been around. It was inspiring to see just how much work he puts into the role.”

In Now You See Me, audiences can expect to see a totally different Eisenberg. He plays a charismatic magician named Michael Atlas whose speciality is sleight of hand illusions. When Atlas gets on stage, he commands everyone’s attention because he is just that good. Atlas is also the leader of the group known as The Four Horsemen – comprising three other equally talented magicians (Franco, Woody Harrelson and Isla Fisher), each an expert in their own field (picking pockets, mentalist and escapist).

Together, they pull off a series of bold heists (like robbing a bank in France, while staging a show in Las Vegas), which has the authorities (Mark Ruffalo) and other magicians (Morgan Freeman) baffled, and the people they rob from (Michael Caine) frazzled.

As it turns out, Eisenberg was drawn to the role because of his character’s fearlessness. The actor shares: “I read the script while I was acting in a play in New York City. I was very nervous going to stage every night and I thought it was interesting how this character is so confident performing on stage. I thought it’d be really fun to play a character that was having so much fun on stage because I was so nervous doing my play. I also love the storyline; it was such an unexpected part. I haven’t been in a movie like this – it was thrilling to read and I thought it’d be even more thrilling to watch.”

A fully awake Morgan Freeman shows Jessica Lindsey and Melanie Laurent some tricks up his sleeve.

To research for the role, Eisenberg watched a lot of magicians perform. Several professional magicians were also recruited by director Louis Letterier to figure out the art and craft of magic for the film, delving deep into the workings of illusions. This allowed Eisenberg to spend time with them, and further his skills. According to Eisenberg, the magic performed in the film are all very possible in the near future, and their secrets are revealed to movie-goers by the end. “So, you know, nothing about it is like phony or unexplained.”

While magicians have had the luxury of practising eight hours a day for a number of years to perfect their craft, Eisenberg – in his limited time – managed to learn enough how to perform the tricks.

What is more important, the New Yorker did pick something up to help him personally. “All magicians have their own style, but there is a general confidence and command over the audience that seems to be common even in magicians who appear to be very casual. They are in great control during the performance.

“When they are performing, they are 10 steps ahead of the audience. They are aware of every possibility and I try to take on that feeling. So, now when I perform in New York, I try to have that same confidence – to be really in control and ahead of what the audience is expecting.”

Now You See Me opens nationwide on May 30.

Amped and dangerous: Love Me Butch, featuring (from left) bassist Kevin Kong, drummer Jana, guitarist Kok Wing Meng and frontman Syarul Reza.

Hujan and Love Me Butch aim to wake up the nation with their tour team-up.

IF you need to shake up the country, then the upcoming Sang Enemy Worldwide Transgression 2013 tour is what the doctor ordered.

The tour will see indie band Hujan and hardcore quintet Love Me Butch combining forces and playing five shows nationwide from May 26 to June 16. The tour will start in Melaka tomorrow at Hard Rock Cafe, then June 1 in Kuala Terengganu, June 8 in Alor Setar, Kedah and June 9 in Ipoh, Perak. Come June 16, the boys will play a final show in Bentley Music Auditorium in Mutiara Damansara, Selangor. Hujan frontman Noh Salleh said in an interview this week that the tour is mainly about the bands showcasing their latest albums; Hujan’s Sang Enemy and Love Me Butch’s Worldwide Transgression. Both albums were released last year, with Hujan, most notably, adopting a heavier sound with its new material, while Love Me Butch has kept true to its hardcore roots. “We released Sang Enemy last year and never got the chance to tour around Malaysia to play for our fans. Then Love Me Butch released their long-awaited third album last year as well. We initiated the idea of playing together and that’s how the tour came to be,” said Noh.

Formed in 2006, Hujan has moved past its floppy-haired indie roots and beefed up its sound tremendously with Sang Enemy, an album that captures an edgier side of the band.

The sudden career shift might have shocked the Hujan faithful (the Raingers), but Noh insists the band’s melodic core remains intact, especially on the single Rumah Kita and tracks like Kuala Lumpur Oh Kuala Lumpur and Ke Selatan.

After releasing independent EPs and albums, the group aligned itself with Warner Music Malaysia and have two albums – Lonely Soldier Boy (2010) and Sang Enemy (2012) – on the mainstream front.

“We’re still the same group ... except a little bit older and wiser. Right now, we’re making music that matters to us and we’re constantly evolving as musicians,” added Noh.

No strangers to career challenges, Noh reckons the rest of the band – drummer Acer, guitarist AG Coco, frontman Noh, keyboardist Dimas,and bassist Izzat – will be more than revved up to get up close to the fans.

“Going on tour is always a big test. This is where the music needs to hold up. I’m really looking forward to feeding off the energy from the crowd,” he explained. For Love Me Butch guitarist Kok Wing Meng, the tour is about fans getting the best of both worlds.

Getting heavy: Indie rock outfit Hujan, featuring (from left) keyboardist Dimas, drummer Acer, frontman Noh, bassist Izzat and guitarist AG Coco.

“We’re really excited for this upcoming tour. Our fans can watch us play and also get the chance to watch Hujan perform. For us, this tour gives us the opportunity to play for newfound fans,” said Kok in an interview.

Formed in 1998, Love Me Butch has come a long way since the early days of the defunct Posse Records, which released its Enter Posthuman debut in 2001.

The band, to its credit, has taken control of its career path with its own label One Armed Productions, which handles the business and music side of the Love Me Butch story.

Between This Is The New Pop, which was released in 2005, and last year’s Worldwide Transgression, the group has seen its profile rise as one of Malaysia’s most consistent bands.

The rest of the region (and Japan) has taken notice of Love Me Butch’s music, and the band has networked hard and picked up album distribution deals abroad.

But there is nothing like a homegrown crowd to give the band a real buzz. Those crazy scenes at Urbanscapes 2012 underlined Love Me Butch’s appeal beyond the hardcore crowd. Kok added the upcoming tour also gives Love Me Butch the opportunity to explore places and expand its fanbase.

“We’re taking a risk by going to some places where we’re not too sure about our fanbase. But it’s a good risk to take. We just want to go out there and play our music,” said Kok.

Love Me Butch also includes vocalist Syarul Reza, bassist Kevin Kong and drummer Jana Nair.

Most recently, the band concluded a seven-show tour in Manila, Philippines.

Meanwhile, Hujan performed at Midem Festival in Cannes, France back in January. Noh said the band is just eager to go “back to their roots”.

“We used to be a performing band and we would travel around Malaysia to play for anyone who’d pay us. We missed the experience of being a touring band and we can’t wait to get back on the road again,” said Noh. Speaking of nostalgia, Noh added fans can look forward to both bands playing a full set each and they are not counting out their old stuff.

“Yes, of course we’re going to play some old songs for our long-time fans.”

Hujan and Love Me Butch’s Sang Enemy Worldwide Transgression 2013 Tour tickets are priced at RM40 each for pre-sale and RM45 (door). Presale tickets/info are available at morningrocket.com. The tour schedule: May 26 – Hard Rock Café Melaka, Melaka, 4pm, June 1 – Motel Desa, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, 4pm, June 8 – Dewan Kedah Indian Association (K.I.A), Alor Setar, Kedah, 4pm, June 9 – Dewan Silveritage, Medan Gopeng Ipoh, Perak, 4pm and June 16 – Bentley Music Auditorium, Mutiara Damansara, Selangor, 4pm.

Forever young: Luo wooed the crowd with evergreen hits.

Taiwanese singer-songwriter Luo Da You, 60, shows no sign of slowing down.

For a veteran musician who keeps referring himself as an “old man”, Taiwanese singer-songwriter Luo Da You certainly didn’t come across as one with his spirited concert at the Arena of Stars, Genting, recently.

As his trademark deep and low-pitched vocal chords reverberated through the stadium, what was evident was his expressive and intense singing style that could give some of today’s generation of singers a run for their money.

The concert was relatively fuss-free, devoid of any elaborate spectacle that has come to define many shows these days. Luo’s voice was the masterpiece, as with his self-penned Mandopop hits, which lyrics are laced with witty and heartfelt commentaries on social and political issues of the time.

Emerging from behind the stage in a military-like grey jacket, Luo started off the show with the number Zhui Mong Ren (Can Dream) – which he called on people to continue chasing their dreams and aspirations – before moving on to Mu Tong (Cowherd) on the piano.

“The songs I’m performing tonight are from my 30-plus years of composition. So those of you here who have been keenly following my albums from the early days must also be of a certain age now,” he joked with the audiences.

Fans went wild when he sang the deeply-poignant Ni De Yang Zhi (Your Look).

He went on to describe the title of his next number, named after the first person whom “we learn to call after we are born into this world.”

“Some are now elderly, some may be lying ill in bed, and some no longer around us. But no matter how old we are, our mothers will always be above us,” said Luo as he sang the apt number Mu Qin (Mother). The lyrics were moving, and left me feeling warm and fuzzy, reminiscing the times shared with mum.

Such is the power of Luo’s lyrics and the message that comes across – simple yet evocative, and which resonates with people.

Even his political and societal satires contain intelligent meanings.

Backed by a seven-piece band throughout the show, he belted out Hai Sang Hua (Flower On The Ocean) and Gun Gun Hong Chen (Red Dust) before launching into a modified version of his popular hit Dong Fang Zhi Zhu (Pearl Of The Orient) – with jazz infusion.

The fresh twist may have caught audiences by surprise, yet it worked. Against a backdrop of the Hong Kong skyline on screen, this song was written as a tribute to the former British colony. Why, Luo even danced and swayed a little, much to the crowd’s delight, which he joked that it certainly wasn’t easy for an old man to perform this way.

Luo lavished generous praises towards the band, made up of mostly Malaysians with only two Taiwanese members, as well as the audience for travelling up at the highlands to watch him sing.

As the crowd screamed for an encore, he re-emerged on stage to drive home the message about perseverance. “I was raised in a good environment where my parents had sent me to study medicine in the US. However, I came back to Hong Kong to make music instead, and wrote my parents a letter reassuring them that I’ll do fine.

“Music-making is a journey riddled with difficulties, but I know that I’ve not let my late parents down. My point is, however tough the path you’ve chosen, you must walk till the end.

“So jia you (try your best) – have the fighting spirit and strive to do better,” were his words of encouragement, before ending the night with Ai De Zhen Yan (Proverbs Of Love).

CANNES: The Cannes film festival was hit by a second suspected jewellery heist on Thursday after a diamond necklace worth 2 million euros disappeared during a star-studded party, according to upmarket jeweller De Grisogono.

Fawaz Gruosi, the founder of the Swiss firm, said the necklace was part of the company's 20th anniversary collection paraded by 20 models at the glitzy event at the Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes outside Cannes on Tuesday night. Sharon Stone and Paris Hilton were among the guests.

Gruosi said 80 bodyguards, local police, hotel security, and De Grisogono staff had been on duty but when a check was made at the end of the night the diamond necklace was missing.

"We don't know exactly what happened ... it was one of the most beautiful items we had," Gruosi told Reuters Television.

"The police are trying to figure out what happened."

A Cannes police source said authorities were investigating whether it was a theft, a problem of inventory or a loss, the source said.

Another Swiss jeweller, Chopard, had gems worth $1.4 million stolen in the first week of the 12-day festival on the glamorous French Riviera, which attracts thousands of actors, filmmakers and journalists.

Police said the Chopard jewellery had been in the safe of a room at the Suite Novotel hotel in central Cannes, which had been rented by an employee of the jeweller.

The entire safe was removed from the wall and taken during the night of May 16. Someone entered without forcing the door or using the magnetic key card, a police source said.

A spokesman for Chopard, a sponsor of the Cannes festival, later played down the report, saying the value had been exaggerated.

Jewellers and fashion houses use the world's largest film festival at Cannes as a promotional showcase, lending gowns and accessories to celebrities who are photographed on the famed red carpet and at parties along the palm-lined Croisette waterfront. -Reuters

LOS ANGELES: U.S. actor Steve Forrest, who was best known for a leading role on the short-lived 1970s television drama "S.W.A.T.," has died at the age of 87 in Thousand Oaks, California, near Los Angeles, his wife Christine said on Thursday.

Forrest appeared in 1954's "Prisoner of War," which also featured Ronald Reagan, who was later elected U.S. president. In 1960's "Flaming Star," he played alongside Elvis Presley and Barbara Eden.

Forrest's older brother, Dana Andrews, was the star of 1940s films "Laura" and "The Best Years of Our Lives." Forrest died peacefully on May 18, his family said in a statement.

No cause of death was given. He gained a following as Lt. Hondo Harrelson on the ABC crime drama series "S.W.A.T.," which ran for 37 episodes from 1975 to 1976 and was produced by Hollywood titans Leonard Goldberg and Aaron Spelling.

Forrest made a guest appearances in the 2003 film adaptation of the series. The actor, who fought in the U.S. Army at the Battle of the Bulge in World War Two, got his big break when actor Gregory Peck saw him in a theater production in 1950, which led to a contract with film studio MGM.

Forrest also starred in the 1965 British TV spy thriller series "The Baron," which was one of the country's first color television programs.

He was born William Forrest Andrews on Sept. 25, 1925, in Huntsville, Texas. He was the youngest of 13 children. Forrest is survived by his wife, three sons and four grandchildren. -Reuters

CANNES: A trip to space with Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio raised 1.2 million euros for charity at a glitzy fundraiser at the Cannes film festival on Thursday.

At the 20th annual event organized by amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, DiCaprio emerged as the mystery guest to accompany the winner on a Virgin Galactic flight into space. DiCaprio stars in the film "The Great Gatsby," which opened the 66th Cannes film festival.

Actress Sharon Stone said the winning bidder would spend three days in training with DiCaprio in New Mexico before blast-off.

"You don't get to go to outer space every day with a handsome movie star," said Stone, dressed in a tight-fitting white dress with a gold snake trim down the back.

The bidding started at 1 million euros.

The auction brochure for the star-studded gala held at the five-star Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, near Cannes, said DiCaprio and the winning bidder would be among the first 1,000 people to leave the planet.

The winner, Vasily Klyukin, 37, a Russian living in Monaco, said he had always wanted to go into space.

"I want to be a bit daring," Klyukin, who works in real estate, told Reuters. "I will have to give up smoking now for sure!"

After the successful bid from Klyukin - who also bought a gold and diamond necklace for 400,000 euros - Stone announced two other tickets were available on the flight. They raised another 1.8 million euros.

The auction raised 25 million euros, more than double last year's sum of 11 million euros.

The amfAR gala is the biggest fundraising event at the world's largest film festival. The benefit was first hosted by Elizabeth Taylor.

The list of stars attending Thursday's event included DiCaprio, Cannes jury members Nicole Kidman and Christopher Waltz, singers Kylie Minogue and Janet Jackson, and actors Adrien Brody, Jessica Chastain and Goldie Hawn.

The evening featured performances by gold-clad Shirley Bassey singing "Goldfinger" and British pop band Duran Duran.

Introducing the event, supermodel Heidi Klum said it raised more than 10 million euros a year for AIDS research.

Other auction items included tickets to Hollywood events, a Damien Hirst painting, an Annie Leibovitz family portrait, the chance to star in four movies and a private performance from Simon Le Bon and John Taylor of Duran Duran. -Reuters

PETALING JAYA: Reality TV show The Apprentice Asia has taken off with one contestant being “fired” by AirAsia boss Tan Sri Tony Fernandes after a premiere that saw two teams competing to sell fish in their first challenge.

The show, which made its debut Wednesday on AXN, saw the 12 contestants being split into two groups of men and women in the first challenge to sell fish at a local market here.

Both teams made losses in their sales but the men’s group, Team Mavericks incurred a bigger loss.

Hence, one of its members had to face being eliminated from the show or “fired” by Fernandes.

F&B company founder Hendy Setiono, from Indonesia, was sent packing last night, after his team was defeated by the women’s team, Team Apex.

The show takes on an elimination competition format whereby the 12 contestants, made up of Asia-based business executives, will go against each other for the opportunity to work for one of Fernandes’ businesses.

Nine years after The Apprentice first aired in the United States, the Asian version has finally hit small screens here.

The Apprentice in the United States was a hit as winners were given the golden opportunity of working for flamboyant mogul Donald Trump.

However, over the years, its audience steadily dec­lined from more than 20 million viewers for season one (2004) to less than five million for season 10 (2010).

Nevertheless, Fernandes declared that what had happened in the United States was “irrelevant” as Asians were more interested in seeing an Asian candidate and local competition.

Fernandes is known for turning the ailing AirAsia outfit around and trailblazing the rise of the budget airline industry in Asia.

He also founded the no-frills Tune Hotels chain in 2007 and is the majority shareholder in English football club Queens Park Rangers.

These business interests fall under the entrepreneur’s leisure and entertainment corporation Tune Group, which was established in 2007.

The Apprentice Asia can be viewed on AXN every Wednesday.

New ball park: Chester Bennington has a big challenge ahead with his frontman role in Stone Temple.

It isn’t always good news when a new singer joins an established band.

THE sound of knives being unsheathed by naysayers has already echoed, and that’s just after poor Chester Bennington got his vocal chords to rattle on a single new Stone Temple Pilots (STP) song, with the recent release of Out Of Time. It might be a case of oil mixing with water, but during STP’s recent unveiling of Bennington at California rock radio station KROQ’s annual Weenie Roast do, the Linkin Park frontman just about survived a 40-minute set that included the grunge giant’s hardest hitters like Plush, Dead And Bloated and Vaseline, along with Out Of Time.

Measuring up to one of the most dynamic and assured voices in rock since the 1990s, it is always going to be a mountain to climb being compared to the fired Scott Weiland. The new single is, at best, inoffensive and non-existent ... it’s really a garden variety rock track, sans the hooks STP has made a career out of writing.

This won’t be the first time a band with stature has had to think of the unthinkable by replacing a lead singer. When guitarist Ritchie Blackmore felt frontman Ian Gillan wasn’t pulling in the same direction, communication between the two eroded to the point the singer put his hands up and left the band at the peek of its prowess.

The herculean task was left to then-relative unknown David Coverdale to step in, but in the case of the Yorkshireman, he simply grabbed the mike stand and razed the stage with an opening salvo with the band’s followup album Burn in 1974. While Gillan was missed, Coverdale – the impending Whitsnake frontman – wrote his own chapter in the band’s history book.

Likewise Brian Johnson’s entry into AC/DC. For older fans of Australia’s premier international rock act, Bon Scott holds a special place in their hearts, and who’d argue, hearing the late rocker’s rasp on the likes of Highway To Hell, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, T.N.T. and Whole Lotta Rosie. But Johnson just picked up the baton and continued with the race, and along the way, carved his name into the band’s annals. Back In Black? Nuff said.

Success stories have been few and far between though.

Ignominy is what greeted (Ian) Gillan when he made the ill-advised decision to front Black Sabbath. Nine out of 10 fans of the Birmingham metal merchants will immediately pan 1980’s Purple-meets-Sabbath excursion Born Again, claiming it a black spot in the band’s career. Ronnie James Dio was always accepted, but never Gillan.

Stumbling out of the haze of the 1980s, sleaze rock’s finest Motley Crue found itself at the dawn of the 1990s trying to live up to the weight of expectation, but all was not well. By then rid of a lifetime’s worth of excess, founding singer Vince Neil was slowly drawing himself out of the loop till the band finally parted ways with him.

Enter John Corabi, who probably had no idea that he was jumping out of the proverbial frying pan into the fire, going from no-name singer to Motley’s frontman. Attempting to cash in on the grunge and industrial movement of the mid 1990s, Motley Crue was a commercial disappointment and to the fans, a forgettable phase in the band’s long-running career. What was Motley’s next move? Bring in Neil again, but of course.

For bands like Iron Maiden, who brought in Wolfbane’s Blaze Bailey after Bruce Dickinson left, Judas Priest employing Tim “Ripper” Owens upon Rob Halford’s temporary departure, or Alice In Chain’s enlisting William DuVall following Layne Staley’s fatal overdose, it was simply a case of business as usual, despite some brickbats.

The same could be said for keyboardist Ray Manzarek (who died earlier this week) and Robby Krieger of The Doors roping in The Cult’s Ian Astbury (for legal reasons, variously dubbed as Doors of the 21st Century, D21C and Manzarek-Krieger) for a series of shows beginning in 2002, and Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor acquiring the services of former Free and Bad Company frontman for the Queen + Paul Rodgers touring circus and sole album The Cosmos Rocks.

But the band to really take the cake with its lead singer shenanigans is Van Halen. It must be like pulling teeth working with a creative core of band-leading brothers. STP’s Weiland learned it the hard way, but much before that, David Lee Roth was an early casualty, earning the wrath of both Eddie and Alex Van Halen for his endless partying.

Once the band’s best days seemed to be on the wane, the Van Halen brothers grabbed Sammy Hagar (of Montrose fame). That lasted a good number of years as well with a shared haul of critical acclaim and commercial success. But the VH beast reared its ugly head again and Hagar was unceremoniously forced to make way for Extreme’s Gary Cherone, who zipped in and our of the fold faster than anyone could say “jump”.

Everyone in Van Halen has been discharged at some point (except the brothers), even long-standing bassist Michael Anthony, who had to give way for Eddie’s son Wolfgang. Diamond Dave’s been in and out through the years (three reunions and counting), and his most significant return was for last year’s impressive A Different Kind Of Truth . As it stands, he’s still in Van Halen ... but it’s early days yet, ain’t it?

All together now! The musical ensemble performing the infectious number Ipoh Town. (Pic below) Best friends Leong (Ho Soon Yoon, left) and Ming (Jon Chew) don their hats for a night in town.

As a love letter to Ipoh, Broken Bridges offers strong performances and stirring music.

IPOH. The capital of Perak, named after a tree. Renowned for its chicken rice, hor fun, and its pretty women.

It is also the setting for Broken Bridges, one of Malaysia’s most prominent musicals. First staged in 2006, the show won many Cameronian Arts awards, and has influenced many local productions. Due to popular demand, the show is being restaged in KLPac this year, and proves to be an entertaining watch. While its plot is a little weak, a strong cast and a wonderful repertoire of songs make up for it.

Broken Bridges is directed by Joe Hasham, and written by Lim Chuang Yik and Teng Ky-Gan. Choreographed by Lex Lakshman Balakrishnan, and featuring Llew Marsh as music director, the production’s principal cast comprises Jon Chew, Ho Soon Yoon, Colin Kirton, Monti, Anrie Too, Melissa Ong, Nick Dorian, Teoh Siew Thung, Tria Aziz, Sani Zainal Abidin, Priscilla Wong and Theresa Leahy.

Spanning five decades, Broken Bridges is a tale of the conflict between tradition and ambition. It tells of small-town boy Ming, who dreams of a bigger and better life anywhere else but Ipoh. Ming wants to chart his own destiny, but this is frowned upon by his father, Wong. Despite his father’s disapproval, Ming leaves Ipoh for a high-paying job in Singapore, returning many years later with his own plans for Ipoh. This sets the stage for a conflict of ideals: what’s wrong with trying new things? What’s wrong with keeping the old?

And will Ming be able to fix the “broken bridge” between his father and him before it’s too late?

The production’s staging was good, and its costumes well done. What was extremely impressive was how well it captured the intricacies of small-town life, effectively transporting its audience to a bygone era, where RM1.50 could buy 10 mugs of beer and staying up until 10pm was considered late.

The songs were well done. Melodically, Broken Bridges succeeded with some very catchy and memorable tunes although some of the lyrics were predictable. Highlights included Ming’s poignant One Chapter Closes; the romantic Day By Day, and the powerful group number Just This Once, an impressive musical arrangement. The choreography was decent.

The show’s best song, however, was undoubtedly the ear-worm Ipoh Town, the show’s theme, which will remain in your mind long after the Broken Bridges is over.

The production also featured strong performances. Chew shone as Ming, and did a great job portraying his character’s desperate longing for bigger and brighter things. Ho complemented him well as Leong, infusing his role with a sweetness and simplicity that was delightful to watch. Kirton and Monti, reprising their roles from the 2006 Broken Bridges production, did a great job in depicting the contrasting parenting styles of their fatherly characters. And Too, as Ming’s interest Mei Ling, delivered a powerful performance during the show’s climax, which would undoubtedly have left audiences at the edge of their seats.

The only weak part about Broken Bridges, however, was its storyline. Its characterisation was a little off. It was slightly frustrating that none of its characters took any responsibility for their problems, preferring instead to disown their children, run away or take very drastic steps. As such, a lot of interesting potential story developments were wasted.

Siew Yee, introduced as an early love interest for Ming, felt unnecessary, appearing for a song and some comic relief before completely disappearing without a mention in the second act. Similarly, Mei Ling, introduced as an intelligent woman critical of the status quo, suddenly gives in to self-doubt and societal convention by the end of the musical. While this is not an impossible development, it seems a strange direction to take the character. The show’s message also seemed a little unusual. Broken Bridges seemed to advocate complacency, as every time a character tried to break from the norm, the results were shown to be negative.

Indeed, the happiest character, Leong, achieves this state by giving up on his dream and accepting his lot in life. I do not think this message was intentional, but it felt a little jarring.

Story quibbles aside, however, Broken Bridges is still a worthy restaging of one of the most beloved Malaysian musicals. n Broken Bridges plays daily at Pentas 1 of Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac), Jalan Stratchan, off Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur till May 26. Night shows are at 8.30pm, with a matinee show on May 26 at 3pm. The show then moves on to Stage 1, Penangpac with shows from June 1-8 (except for June 3). Ticket prices are RM190, RM150, RM110 or RM80 for adults, and RM40 for students, the disabled, TAS Card holders and seniors above 65. For more information, call 03-4047 9000 (KLPac) or 04-899 1722 / 899-2722 (Penangpac), or visit ilassotickets.com for ticketing.

Canadian singer JD Fortune, who fronted INXS for six years from 2005 to 2011, hardly left his mark on the group’s legacy.

MORE often than not, it’s the rock music scene that throws up the best soap operas when it comes to line-up changes. It’s the frontmen – departing and incoming – that seem to attract the most attention.

The revolving door policy of Van Halen lead singers, arguably, remains the industry standard. Can a new lead singer bring about instant success or continuity? That’s a no guarantee with the sort of disastrous team-ups witnessed and horror albums cranked out. Then again, we also have seen some fantasy line-ups – one-shot projects – that have made sense and also left us baffled in recent times.

The Cinderella story: Journey

Lead singer problems? No worries. Just ask Journey’s lead guitar wizard Neal Schon who searched online for a replacement. Enter Filipino singer-songwriter Arnel Pineda, who has been Journey’s lead vocalist since late 2007. Pineda has come a long way since he was discovered on YouTube by Schon. Once a struggling musician in the Philippines, Pineda was scooped from obscurity and offered the Journey dream job. He has now recorded two albums with Journey and the band’s fans, through time, have embraced him.

A new beginning: Audioslave

What happens when two established 1990s rock bands take a break from the scene? Well, nobody needs to sink like a stone. Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell joined his friends from Rage Against The Machine – Brad Wilk, Tom Morello and Tim Commerford – and came up with Audioslave in 2001.

With three albums in seven years, these guys went beyond expectations. In the end, they lost steam and went back to their respective bands. But Audioslave, to say the least, managed to carve out an identity for itself.

R&B superstar John Legend and hip hop group The Roots came together for a collaborative studio album Wake Up! in 2010.

A real grower: John Legend and The Roots

Two big names in the studio can sometimes backfire. But not this lot. Back in 2010, R&B superstar John Legend and hip-hop group The Roots came together for an album of socially conscious/message songs from the 1960s/70s.

Considering the spontaneous nature of the project and spirit of brotherhood, the resulting album Wake Up! turned out to be a real grower.

Legend, more renowned for his hot buttered soul, sounded surprisingly urgent on this album, and credit to The Roots in delivering gritty and accomplished performances from start to end.

The pale imitation: JD Fortune

Replacing Michael Hutchence, who died in 1997, is still a mountain of a task. But the remaining members of INXS went ahead with a circus act to find a new lead singer.

Canadian singer JD Fortune came up tops in the reality show Rock Star: INXS, a money-spinning audition to find the new voice of INXS.

At best, Fortune was a decent pub singer with a drug problem. Fortune recorded one full INXS album (Switch) in 2005 and a handful of tracks later on.

Rock legend Lou Reed (centre) with the members of Metallica received mixed results for their art rock experiment Lulu in 2011.

In 2011, Fortune found out he was no longer with INXS through a posting on the group’s official website.

The bad idea: Lou Reed and Metallica

This train wreck of a collaboration takes the cake. It all started at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s 25th Anniversary Concert in 2009 when Lou Reed joined Metallica on stage for a version of Sweet Jane. Both parties then fancied making an album together. Reed wanted to put his theatrical piece Lulu, inspired by German expressionist writer Frank Wedekind, on record. Metallica, acting like school boys, jumped at the chance to work with Reed. The Lulu album, released in 2011, fell flat. File under: Dreadful.

Cute couple: Ok Taecyeon (right) from South Korean boyband 2PM and Taiwanese artiste Emma Wu Ying Jie are paired in We Got Married (Global Edition). Can they live happily ever after?

Two celebrities are put together to see if they can survive as a ‘married couple’ in the hit reality show We Got Married.

We Got Married (Uri Gyeolhon Haesseoyo in Korean) is a South Korean idol romance reality show that pairs up young Korean celebrities, notably from K-pop boybands and girl groups, to show how their lives would be like as married couples.

In the latest season, the producers of We Got Married decide to expand the series to include foreign celebrities. The We Got Married (Global Edition) features 2PM’s Ok Taecyeon, 24, paired with Taiwanese artiste Emma Wu Ying Jie (nicknamed Gui Gui, formerly of girl group Hey Girl), 23, while FT Island’s leader Lee Hongki, 23, is paired with Japanese actress and film critic Fujii Mina (The King Of Dramas), 24.

Each week, the two couples have to complete various missions, then reveal their thoughts and feelings about living together in a series of candid interviews. The couples try their best to communicate by conversing in a mix of English, Mandarin, Korean and Japanese.

Well known for his playful nature, Hongki got to showcase his romantic side when paired with the gentle and elegant Mina. “I think my personality has been changing, and I’m becoming a better guy because I have been influenced by Mina’s good heart,” the frontman of rock band FT Island said in an e-mail interview. Hongki recently made his big screen debut in Passionate Goodbye as a rowdy pop idol who does community service at hospices.

Fans find the natural chemistry between Mina and Hongki endearing. Mina said she loves that Hongki has qualities she does not. “I tend to think a lot before I act whereas Hongki is free-spirited and spontaneous. Hence, there is a lot to learn from him. Getting to know him better on the show, I also saw his considerate, honest and warm side. And, he always looks so handsome when he sings,” shared Mina, who recently surprised Hongki by showing up with a bouquet of flowers at the press conference to launch his debut film, Passionate Goodbye, which is set to be released in Korea on May 30.

Meanwhile Gui Gui tries to win over her partner Taecyeon with her mischievous antics. “We often played the rock-paper-scissors game! I tried to bully him all the time, but I always ended up being bullied. There were occasions when we used body language to communicate with each other, and it was a really interesting experience,” shared the singer-actress.

Ever the gentleman, Taecyeon tried to tackle the communication and cultural gap by impressing Gui Gui with a variety of thoughtful gestures. “Emma is very cute and fun. I think we are very different, that’s why it is fun to watch how we interact with each other on the show,” said the dashing rapper who even introduced his “wife” to his friends to liven up the show.

How will Taecgui and Hongkimina (abbreviated couple names given by fans) fare as “married couples” on the show? Only time will tell. n We Got Married (Global Edition) airs on ONE HD (Astro B.yond Ch 393) every Friday at 8.40pm.

The singer of Call Me Maybe has a new song.

Every time Carly Rae Jepsen performs her disco-pop ditty Call Me Maybe, she thinks she is going to be sick of it.

One of the biggest breakout tracks of last year, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and earned the Canadian singer a Grammy nomination for “song of the year”, and was recently named the “top digital song” at the Billboard Music Awards.

With fans demanding to hear it at every live show, it is completely reasonable for the 27-year-old Jepsen to tire of it.

But she says she always stops short of feeling that way. “I’ve definitely heard it and performed it a lot, so every time I perform it live, I think I’m going to be sick of it. But then I see the audience sort of take it over and sing it with me and that always makes it way more fun,” she says in a phone interview from Los Angeles.

She recently debuted her new song, Take A Picture on American Idol. She also performed at the Singapore Social Concerts last night alongside US pop-soul singer Cee Lo Green and South Korean star Psy.

Jepsen has been touring as the opening act for Canadian pop sensation Justin Bieber and says she is thrilled to finally be able to do a full show to showcase her second and latest album, Kiss.

She says: “Opening spots are kind of like a teaser to what the full CD is like. So it’s exciting for us to get to show all of the songs from the album and we might even play a couple of new ones as well.”

Jepsen, a Canadian Idol runner-up in 2007, got her big international break last year when Bieber tweeted about Call Me Maybe and posted a sing-along video on YouTube with Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale and other friends, which later went viral.

The video received more than 60 million hits, propelling her to international fame by the time she released Kiss.

The star, who says she never tires of being asked about Bieber, says: “I’ve had an amazing adventure on Justin’s Believe Tour and he is totally one of my greatest supporters to date, so I don’t ever get tired of acknowledging that and also thanking him, because he really did change my life and my career.”

Before Bieber gave her a leg-up in her career, she was a struggling musician juggling eight minimum-wage jobs. She says her rocky road to stardom means she has learnt to appreciate fame and success more than others and that keeps her grounded.

“You see so many stars take off and you go, ‘Wow, that person’s so lucky’, and then three years later, you see them have a total mental breakdown and that seems so tragic.”

Jepsen, who is currently dating American songwriter and producer Matthew Koma, is in fact glad that she did not get her break earlier.

“It wasn’t like I was 13. I was of the age where I felt I had gone through the hard work of trying music and having it totally not work and realising how hard it was, that made me really appreciate what happened this past year.”

The “one-hit wonder” tag is one she is working hard to avoid. Her next album will offer new material that is “dancier ... and even slightly folk”, she says. She counts singer-songwriters such as James Taylor, Melissa Etheridge and Sinead O’Connor as some of her favourite acts.

One of the biggest lessons she has learnt on her musical journey is learning to accept that it is okay for life to sometimes spin a little out of control.

“When I was little, I used to be super stressed out about schooling and wanting my life to be as perfect as I could try to make it,” says the self-professed perfectionist, a trait she chalks down to being a “school principal’s daughter”.

“Now I’m learning how awesome imperfection can be, to embrace imperfections and to be okay with life being a little chaotic, because it can still be really fun.” – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Pitbull has taken his blend of American pop music fused with Latin beats from the clubs of Miami to international pop charts, but he now is crossing into film with his first acting role as an animated character in the upcoming movie, Epic.

Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Perez, has become a staple in the pop music field with lively dance-floor tracks including recent chart hits Feel This Moment with Christina Aguilera and Live It Up with Jennifer Lopez.

The rapper, 32, plays street-smart frog Bufo in Epic, a movie that explores a secret universe where the natural world is battling evil forces.

Pitbull talked to Reuters about his film debut, working with Lopez and the origins of his numerous nicknames.

What do you make of this whole animation world you got a chance to work in?

Before I didn't understand what it meant to put a voice to animation and see it come to life. But I'm always game for trying new things. I love how those artists could see my voice on the character before it was even drawn up.

How did the animators bring your influence to the character of Bufo the frog? Did they capture your essence?

They captured a piece of my essence, absolutely. The suits, the business/hustler, knowing how to navigate his way through the good and bad. Bufo knows how to play the middle. It's business, not personal for him. I think they captured about 75 percent of my essence. The gestures, the hand movements, the way he walks - I think they watched me a lot in the studio when I was there.

"I promise you, it's just the beginning." -- Pitbull

Many musical artists have made their way to film. Why haven't you transitioned sooner?

It's all about timing. I've had projects on the table but I didn't have the time to do them. This caught me at the right time ... I hope there's a sequel because I would love to see more of Bufo in number two. I have a lot of good ideas for them, ideas that would capture the rest of that 25 percent of the essence they may have missed.

Your stage moniker 'Pitbull' is named after a dog that tends to get a lot of bad press unfortunately.

Pitbulls are misunderstood and that's the same thing with me when I first came into the music business. Being Cuban-American made me politically incorrect. My whole life was trying to make people understand that we all come from the same place.

It's the same with the dog. The pitbull is a very loyal, very loving dog that doesn't understand the concept of losing. I believe in fighting hard for what you believe in and never giving up.

How important is your Cuban heritage?

It's very important. I'm Cuban-American, first generation. The Latin culture is everything. But I'm very careful to not let that box me in. I want to represent (my heritage) and I'm proud of who I am, but it's about letting others know that we are just like everybody else.

We don't want people to judge us, we want people to understand us, to see that we've gone through the same things everybody else has gone through and suffered the same struggles.

What were some of the pivotal moments in your career that really changed things for you?

The record that took it global was I Know You Want Me (in 2009). Before that, I lived in the clubs and in the streets as far as my music. But that song took it to the next level. Give Me Everything (in 2011) was a turning point. This record coming out (on May 28) called Outta Nowhere will be another turning point I think.

How so?

It's a different side of me. It's going to show everything that we've been speaking about here - motivation, believing in yourself, not giving up. With this record, I wanted to come out of nowhere, which is why the name is perfect.

Live It Up is your third collaboration with Jennifer Lopez, following On The Floor and Dance Again. What's your partnership like?

Jennifer is a hard worker, very professional, gorgeous and she's a walking empire. Anytime I'm around her, I'm watching, learning, studying. It's a natural combination, like a student and teacher. I'm a student all day. I think it would be an honor for Jennifer to watch me grow and say, 'That kid did learn.'

With all your recent success, do you feel like you've gotten the respect you deserve? Do you feel more relaxed now and less needing to prove yourself?

No, I'm never relaxed. I think complacency is a cousin of death. As far as respect, whether they do or don't, to each his own. But I do tell you this much, this is just the beginning. I promise you, it's just the beginning.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oklahoma country singer Blake Shelton is planning a televised benefit to raise money for victims of the massive tornado that swept through Moore, Oklahoma, this week, music magazine Billboard reported Wednesday.

The Voice judge Shelton (pic), a native of Ada, Oklahoma, which is 75 miles (120 km) northwest of Moore, said he would have more information on the NBC concert in the next 24 hours.

"I'm hoping it will raise a lot of money. Obviously it will be televised and will happen really quickly," Shelton told Billboard after the conclusion of Tuesday's The Voice.

Representatives for NBC and Shelton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The singer opened Tuesday's reality singing competition show with his ballad Over You, which he sang with wife Miranda Lambert as a tribute to the tornado's victims.

Shelton, who serves as a judge along with Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, R&B star Usher and pop singer Shakira, said he hoped to "call in some really big favors" for the benefit.

The huge tornado tore through the Oklahoma City suburb on Monday, ripping apart two elementary schools and a hospital and killing 24 people, including nine school children.

Country singer Toby Keith, a native of Moore, appeared on CNN on Tuesday night as he returned to his hometown

"Always when these things happen, music people get together. I've had 500 text messages from people all over the music world saying 'What are we going to do? We want to help...'" a visibly shaken Keith said on the Piers Morgan Live program.

"I'm in and Moore knows I'm going to be here, hopefully in the next couple days we can sort it out," he added.

Celebrities have been quick to take to social media to voice their support for tornado victims, urging people to donate to the American Red Cross and Salvation Army.

Basketball player Kevin Durant, one of the stars of the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA team, has pledged US$1 million for tornado relief through his family foundation and encouraged his 4.1 million Twitter followers to help raise relief funds.

NBC's star-studded telethon with Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel for the victims of Superstorm Sandy in November 2012 helped raise more than US$23 million, while ABC's Day Of Giving event raised more than US$10 million for the American Red Cross.

In the aftermath of the death of Alan's father, the wolfpack decide to take Alan to get treated for his mental issues. But things start to go wrong on the way to the hospital as the wolfpack is assaulted and Doug is kidnapped. Now they must find Mr. Chow again in order to surrender him to the gangster who kidnapped Doug.

The Hangover Part III stars Bradley Cooper, Heather Graham, Zach Galifianakis, John Goodman, Ken Jeong, Justin Bartha, Ed Helms and Jamie Chung.

We have 40 pairs of tickets to a special screening. All you have to do is print this page and bring it along with you to our redemption table at GSC Paradigm Mall.

Please note that tickets will be given on a first come, first served basis. Each person will be given only one pair of tickets.

Redemption Details

Date: 29 May 2013 (Wednesday)

Time: 8.00pm

Venue: GSC Paradigm Mall

Screening Details

Date: 29 May 2013 (Wednesday)

Time: 9.00pm

Venue: GSC Paradigm Mall

Rules & Regulations

1. This redemption is open to all eCentral fans.

2. Print out the contest page and redeem it at the venue given in this article.

3. Each page entitles you to two movie tickets only. Each person is allowed to redeem only once.

4. Tickets are given out on a first come, first served basis.

5. Queue-jumping and reserving places in line during the redemption are strictly prohibited. The organizers reserve the right to refuse tickets to anyone found doing so.

6. Tickets are not exchangeable for cash.

7. This movie is not yet rated.. Movie ratings will strictly apply for this movie. The organizers reserve the right to refuse entry to the cinema hall to those not within the permitted age limit. No exceptions will be made at any time for any reason.

8. I hereby expressly consent to the collection, collation, use and/or disclosure of all my personal data by Star Publications (M) Berhad for the purposes of the The Hangover Part III contest.

9. For enquiries, please e-mail ecentralmy@gmail.com

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Soul music legend Aretha Franklin postponed three June concerts, the singer's spokesman said on Wednesday, a week after health issues caused her to cancel two shows in May.

Spokesman David Brokaw said the "Queen of Soul" did not give a reason for postponing concerts in Clarkston, Michigan, as well as Ottawa and Montreal, Canada, which were scheduled for late June.

"She's going to resume her schedule in July," Brokaw said.

Franklin, 71, canceled concerts in Chicago and Connecticut last week to undergo undisclosed medical treatment between May 20-26, organizers said.

Catherine O'Grady, the director of the Ottawa Jazz Festival, where Franklin was scheduled to perform on June 26, told the Ottawa Citizen newspaper that Franklin was too ill to perform.

"It's doctor's orders. She's really not well," O'Grady said.

Franklin, a towering figure in popular music during the 1960s and 1970s with hits including Respect and Chain Of Fools, was forced to cancel a concert tour in 2010 to undergo surgery for an undisclosed health issue.

She performed via satellite during last week's finale of TV singing contest American Idol. Franklin sang a medley of her songs with the finalists.

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Part of an exhibition displaying outfits and photographs of Marilyn Monroe was stolen while being transported to the Czech Republic from Italy, the event's curator said on Wednesday.

The exhibition, commemorating the 50th anniversary of her death, was created by the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo in Florence last year.

Ferragamo was the actress' favourite shoemaker and she owned a dozen pairs of his hand-made shoes.

Curator Jan Trestik said a truck carrying mannequins and photographs was raided in an apparently coordinated attack in the central Czech Republic on trucks carrying luxury goods from Italy.

David Sebek, spokesman for Prague Castle, which is due to host the show, said most of the exhibits, including her dresses, had already arrived intact.

Prague police spokesman Tomas Hulan said officers were investigating the case but refused to give any details.

Flying high: Changmin (left) and Yunho at their TVXQ! Live World Tour Catch Me In Kuala Lumpur concert.

The TVXQ! Live World Tour ‘Catch Me’ In Kuala Lumpur concert was a blast for the faithful.

It was a sight to behold last Saturday evening as 9,000 fans packed Stadium Malawati in Shah Alam, Selangor to support their favourite South Korean act TVXQ.

Colour of the night, you ask? A sea of pearl red (official fan colour)!

It has been six years since TVXQ last played here and the TVXQ! Live World Tour “Catch Me” In Kuala Lumpur, organised by JPM Music, was a hyped up event. True to their word, the boys rocked the stadium for three hours with their hottest hits.

Heart-thumping tunes like Rising Sun and ‘O’ Jung Ban Hap brought a wave of nostalgia and memories of the time when TVXQ was still a five-piece boyband and played its first two concerts here: Rising Sun 1st Asia Tour at Bukit Jalil Putra Indoor Stadium, Kuala Lumpur in 2006 and 2nd Asia Tour Concert ‘O’ at Stadium Merdeka, KL in 2007. The group’s first show even had Super Junior as guest performers. Imagine some 20 boys dancing on stage; that was quite an unforgettable sight!

Then in 2009, TVXQ lost three of its members (Kim Jaejoong, 27, Park Yoochun, 26, Kim Junsu, 26), who broke away to form the trio JYJ. After a brief hiatus, TVXQ made its comeback as a duo comprising Jung Yunho, 27, and Shim Changmin, 25.

But the stage at Stadium Malawati did not seem stark by comparison, because TVXQ wasted no time in winning its audience over with one hit after another.

The dashing pair made a stellar entrance on trapeze wires and never looked back, as Changmin took the opportunity to showcase his higher register, and Yunho proved himself quite the dance machine. The two could sing and dance up a sweat, then disappear off-stage for a costume change and reappear as fresh as ever with impeccably-coiffed hair.

The multi-purpose stage, which cost the organiser more than RM1.5mil to build, brought TVXQ closer to fans. The duo came from all directions and were the life of the party as they were suspended by wires and hooks, elevated by cranes and poles, and transported about in toy planes and Segways. Fans gleefully lapped it all up as the boys zipped around them and flew overhead in all sorts of contraptions.

Apart from a cool sequence where they got to show off some swordplay skills, there were also cute moments where the South Korean lads bounced about on stage while playfully swatting gigantic insects like bumblebees, ladybirds, grasshoppers and the like.

The show went rather smoothly, barring a few hiccups, like when Yunho cut his left hand on a wire, or when he had to jump some 1.2m onto the stage as his plane got stuck and wouldn’t land as smoothly as Changmin’s did.

But Yunho quickly endeared himself to local fans by declaring his affection with “Aku cinta padamu (“I love you” in Malay),” Changmin followed up with apologies, “We feel very sorry to have kept you waiting for six years.”

And, the fans, in turn, replied by chanting the group’s Korean name “Dong Bang Shin Ki” (which means Rising Gods From The East in Korean) and holding up hand banners by MTFS (Malaysia TVXQ Fans Support) bearing the message “Urineun hangsang yeogie isseoyo” (“we’re always here”).

Returning for an encore, TVXQ whipped fans into a frenzy with more favourites like Mirotic and Hiyaya Summer Days. Then the boys, who had already played in South Korea, Hong Kong and China, were quickly whisked off the same night for their next destination – Japan.