1. Special Report! Page 28
This year, for the first time, three major Ch 8 shows starring our biggest and brightest will be filmed entirely in Malaysia, truly Asia. You’ve probably caught the occasional Ch 8 Malaysian co-productions like The Beginning, a rehash of Zoe Tay and Li Nanxing’s Rising Expectations, remade with a mainly Malaysian cast and filmed in a Malaysian city. Then there are Ch 8 blockbusters like The Little Nyonya and Together, where the ’60s street scenes were filmed on location in Penang and Malacca. More recently, there was A Tale of 2 Cities, filmed partly in KL…though you really can’t film A Tale of 2 Cities in just one city, can you?
But this year, the move up north is starting to look like a serious commitment. Yes, only to refer to actual birds kept in cages for amusement. Which is what makes any of these towns the perfect backdrop for period dramas like Nyonya and the three upcoming Ch 8 blockbusters: Kampung Ties, where Yvonne Lim and Ann Kok are BFFs who live in a small village; Code of Honour, an Elvin Ng-Rui En martial arts school vehicle; and the tentatively-titled The Coolies’ Quarters, starring Dai Yangtian as also home to seven million Chinese viewers who, according to the head of MediaCorp Studios Malaysia, Yeo Saik Pin, are much more appreciative of our stars.
2. Stars & Cars Page 78
The Car: Toyota Celica
Price: Approx $100,000 brand new
Guess who? We reckon the tinted glass should shield this famously reticient and oh-so-cool Best Actress from the discomfort of having to wave at fans when she stops at a red light.
3. TV Synopses
The In-Laws Pages 121-122
Categorised in 8 DAYS, A Tale of 2 Cities ä¹åœ¨åŒåŸŽ, Code of Honour æ£ä¹‰æ¦é¦†, EN.
