King of Musan King
Out in cinemas 21 January (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Jack Neo, Mark Lee, Yeo Yann Yann
Mao Shan (Neo) is an ambitious durian business owner with goals of expanding his business overseas, while Mei Lian (Yeo) is a mother of three who was dumped by her husband, Jin Shui (Lee) for a Vietnamese woman, and left to tend a durian plantation inherited from her late father. Mao Shan decides to help Mei Lian’s durian farm business, and in the process, develops feelings for her. Trouble ensues when Mei Lian’s estranged husband reappears into her life, thereby creating a love triangle between the three. Things get further complicated when Jin Shui tries to influence Mei Lian’s children against Mao Shan, as the latter fights to save both their businesses and win Mei Lian’s heart.
SAFRA members enjoy 1-for-1 Weekend Movie Tickets at Shaw Theatres till 26 Mar 2023. Purchase a full priced ticket online at $14.50 and enjoy the second ticket for free! For more info, go to safra.sg/promotions/1-for-1-shaw.
Jack Neo: King of local box office
Having directed a myriad of films over a span of almost two decades, the 62-year-old filmmaker will play the role of a durian plantation owner.
Singaporeans need no introduction to the country’s most commercially successful filmmaker, Jack Neo.
Neo’s career debuted on television in 1980 and he has become one of the most prolific and recognisable celebrities in Singapore for his comedic roles in film and television – most notably with cross-dressing roles such as Liang Po Po and Liang Xi Mei.
His first directorial film was That One Not Enough, a romance comedy film in 1999.
Many of his films have received box office success locally and the filmmaker has shown a penchant for franchise series films. His most successful movie, the Ah Boys to Men franchise, had broken many domestic box office records.
This Chinese New Year, Neo has once again released a movie, centred around what Singaporeans are no stranger to – durians.
The movie will feature fellow Singapore comedians Mark Lee and Henry Thia, which will be the first time since 2008 where Neo, Lee and Thia will be acting together. Other cast members include Malaysian actress Yann Yann Yeo as Mei Lian and Glenn Yong, an actor in the Neo’s Ah Girls Go Army movies and recently listed in the Top 100 most handsome faces list by TC Candler, as one of Mei Lian’s children.
Babylon
Out in cinemas 19 January (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Brad Pitt, Margo Robbie, Diego Calva
In the late 1920s, the age of silent film is coming to an end and transitioning into the sound film era. Manny Torres (Calva), a Mexican American living in Los Angeles, wants to join in the party and adopt hedonism, the pleasure and self-indulgence that everyone in Hollywood is living. His eyes are caught by an aspiring actress named Nellie LaRoy (Robbie) who is about to be shot into fame. A suave silent film star, Jack Conrad (Pitt) is about to leave his third wife and, unknowingly, experience his swan song. The film traces the rise and fall of these characters as they navigate through an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.
Circle Line
Out in cinemas (Available at Shaw Theatres)
Stars: Jesseca Liu, Andie Chen, Peter Yu, Patrick Pei-hsu Lee
Dubbed as Singapore’s first modern-day creature movie, Circle Line tells the story of a group of passengers on the last train home which unexpectedly veers off-course and crashes into an abandoned tunnel. Trapped underground with no forms of communication, the passengers try to make sense of things and look for a way out. Among them are Yi Ling (Liu), a withdrawn single mother and her son, Lucas. Chief engineer Calvin (Chen) and his team must race against time to formulate a rescue plan, all while a mysterious creature lurks in the darkness and attacks the defenceless passengers.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch S2
Out now, Disney+
Stars: Dee Bradley Baker, Michelle Ang
The Bad Batch, or Clone Force 99, composed of Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Fives, and Omega, continue their journey navigating the Empire after the events of Order 66 and the fall of the Republic. Season 2 kicks off months after the bombardment of the cloning facility on Kamino. The team of defective clones will take on a variety of new and thrilling mercenary missions that will bring them to unexpected places and come face to face with familiar friends and foes.
The Last of Us
Out now, HBO
Stars: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Nick Offerman
Based on the popular 2013 post-apocalyptic video game by Naughty Dog, the highly anticipated drama television series takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. A pair of hardened survivors, Joel (Pascal) and teenager Ellie (Ramsey), must face an arduous journey across a desolate post-pandemic America, where they will experience a brutal journey filled with suspense, danger, and heartbreak.
Kaleidoscope
Out now, Netflix
Stars: Giancarlo Esposito, Rufus Sewell, Paz Vega
This eight-part heist drama television series is loosely inspired by the events of a $70 billion dollar bonds heist during Hurricane Sandy in Manhattan, New York and centres around master thief Leo Pap (Esposito) and his team attempting an elaborate and epic heist to crack into a seemingly unbreakable vault that contains loot worth a historical $7 billion dollars. The short series has a unique twist where viewers will get their own randomised order of episodes to stream the series.
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