https://www.scmp.com/rss/16216/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Altars of Madness Morbid Angel Earache Since heavy metal was forged in Britain in the late 1960s, bands pushed the genre into ever heavier and faster realms. By the late 1980s, US groups such as Slayer and Venom had evolved heavy metal into thrash metal, speeding it up and introducing lyrics that focused on evil, satanism and psychopathy. But 1989 was a year in which metal would undergo another evolution: a new sub-genre, death metal, was born. That genre arrived safely thanks to Altars of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1689903/altars-madness-revisited-birth-death-metal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1689903/altars-madness-revisited-birth-death-metal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2015 14:30:45 +0000 "Liang mian! Liang fen! Suan la fen!" screams a 60-year-old woman in a residential community tucked away on a busy road in Chongqing. It's the middle of the afternoon, lunch was a few hours ago, and the temperature is reaching its peak for the day, between 40 and 45 degrees Celsius. There's no wind to provide relief. The residential community is a relic from an earlier period: steep stone steps must be scaled to reach it, lush green trees surround each building and the songs of the birds drown... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1293898/real-zing-why-chongqings-spicy-noodles-are-good-hot-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1293898/real-zing-why-chongqings-spicy-noodles-are-good-hot-day?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Ride the Lightning Metallica Megaforce Records Encounter two metal fans of any age in any country on earth and there is one sentence that's guaranteed to provoke an animated debate between them. The words 'Metallica's 1990s records are far superior to their 1980s output' are the spark for such a fire: like the nature versus nurture debate, opinions are fierce and those on one side rarely succeed in getting those on the other to budge. Incredibly, however, fans have been debating the decline of... https://www.scmp.com/article/1004167/album-1984?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1004167/album-1984?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band John Lennon Apple/EMI 'I can't explain/So much pain/ I could never show it/My mummy's dead.' The final lines delivered on John Lennon's solo debut, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, summarise the tone of the album, which is one of the most emotionally raw recordings the former Beatle ever produced. Apart from the album's lyrical content, its musical style is also unrestrained. The song structures are simple and the production is an unrefined, honest recording of a man... https://www.scmp.com/article/999520/album-1970?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/999520/album-1970?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Rumours Fleetwood Mac Warner Bros Rumours, whether intentional or not, is an incredibly apt title for Fleetwood Mac's most successful album to date. Recorded throughout 1976 and released in 1977, it reflected a year of intense heartache, confusion, drugs, alcohol and, of course, lies, rumours and gossip. Fleetwood Mac's line-up over the years has always been fluid, but at the time of recording Rumours there were just five members, four of whom made up two separate inter-band couples: one... https://www.scmp.com/article/983298/album-1977?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/983298/album-1977?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:00:00 +0000 May 24-29, 31, June 1-5, 7-12, HK Arts Centre How would the story of Romeo and Juliet end if Juliet was given a chance to rewrite the romantic tragedy? And what does a world in which a boy's daydreams become reality look like? The answers can be found at the Faust Festival. Stage productions by members of Faust International Youth Theatre aged between four and 18 will entertain the whole family. To answer the above questions, a ticket to either Shakespeare's Rose Rebels or Ernie's... https://www.scmp.com/article/967436/faust-festival-2011?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/967436/faust-festival-2011?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 May 2011 16:00:00 +0000 May 12-14, 9pm, Duetto; May 17, 8.30pm, Hemingway's Bar Comedy, much like any other form of entertainment, goes through fads and fashions. The trend in Britain lately has been 'edgy' comedy: stand-up that scares and titillates the audience by pushing the boundaries of decency. Russell Brand and Frankie Boyle have done very well out of it. But the tag doesn't always sit well with comics. 'My comedy is always billed as edgy,' Ava Vidal (right) says. 'I really hate that.' Vidal's PR profile... https://www.scmp.com/article/966802/ava-vidal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/966802/ava-vidal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 May 2011 16:00:00 +0000 May 7-11, Cheung Chau, free As the old story goes, many years ago residents of Cheung Chau were at their wits' end with a plague that had diminished the population of one of Hong Kong's most beautiful islands. In an era of pirates and disease, residents decided to make a show of support to the gods, Pak Tai, in particular. Portraits of him were paraded around the island, and no small amount of fuss was made. Within a day, it is said, the plague was cleared, and even the pirates thought twice... https://www.scmp.com/article/966817/cheung-chau-bun-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/966817/cheung-chau-bun-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 May 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The Beach Boys Pet Sounds Capitol The combination of LSD and The Beatles' Rubber Soul reportedly yields quite astounding results. But when Brian Wilson sat down with the album and a tab of acid, he set the framework for one of pop music's greatest albums, and one that continues to influence bands in almost all of rock's many sub-genres today. After hearing Rubber Soul in December 1965, Wilson was so moved that he ran to his wife yelling that he wanted to 'make the greatest rock album of all... https://www.scmp.com/article/966485/album-1966?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/966485/album-1966?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Apr 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Cultural Centre May 6-8, 8pm The French seem to have a stranglehold on the art of mime thanks to the efforts of the late, great Marcel Marceau, and so it comes as no surprise that the art form is being showcased during the ongoing Le French May celebrations. The duo of Patrice Thibaud and Philippe Leygnac have created intricate mime routines in which the slight-figured Leygnac's attempts at executing classical and jazz dance performances are consistently interrupted by his rather more robust... https://www.scmp.com/article/966223/cocorico?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/966223/cocorico?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The two concepts of beauty and art have never lived far from one another and are, indeed, rarely spotted alone. It could be said that beauty can exist without art: natural landscapes or a human body, for instance, are not works of art, but we pore over them nevertheless. Perhaps a more interesting question then, is whether art can live without beauty. To judge art from a historical viewpoint, it can easily appear that the works with most longevity are the beautiful ones (no doubt art historians... https://www.scmp.com/article/965636/time-debate-over-beauty-and-art?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/965636/time-debate-over-beauty-and-art?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Lyric Theatre, HKAPA May 3-15, Tues-Fri 8pm, Sat 2pm, 8pm, Sun 2pm, 7pm For 15 years Riverdance has offered people the opportunity to step out at night to watch a bunch of dancers parade on stage without the need to explain themselves to their better halves. Now this time is ending. To many, perhaps, it will be a relief that the production's final tour marks the putting-to-bed of waist-high flares, the continuation of something of an Irish stereotype and Michael Flatley's pedestal, but that... https://www.scmp.com/article/965631/riverdance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/965631/riverdance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:00:00 +0000 April 11-May 3, 10am-10pm, Times Square If it wasn't for the Austrian firm Lomography, classic Hong Kong toy cameras such as the Diana F and the Holga may have faded into obscurity, along with the dream-like, over-saturated images they produce. Creating faithful reproductions of the plastic-lensed snappers, along with a range of its own lo-fi cameras, Lomography single-handedly inspired the modern analogue photography movement and encouraged a new approach to taking pictures. The result,... https://www.scmp.com/article/964345/times-squares-lomography-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/964345/times-squares-lomography-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Get ready for an invasion of all things Gallic: as its name suggests, Le French May will subject Hong Kong to an array of French cinema, arts and music during May - and even earlier, with celebrations starting on April 15. Le French May promises some rather diverse music acts, including classical works by Renaud Capucon and Frank Braley, who will perform Beethoven sonatas at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts from April 25-27. Violinist Laurent Korcia will perform a selection of classic... https://www.scmp.com/article/742550/le-french-may?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/742550/le-french-may?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Apr 1-3, 10am, 2pm, 4.30pm, Academy for Performing Arts Scotty and Lulu will be familiar faces to many Hongkongers perhaps too young to be reading this, thanks to their long presence on the city's television stations. The pair have been entertaining children in the city since 1994 and are now poised to join up with the HK Happy Crew to bring their interactive brand of entertainment to youngsters in person. Asked once to describe their entertainment style, Lulu simply replied 'exhausting'. ... https://www.scmp.com/article/742544/scotty-and-lulu-outer-space?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/742544/scotty-and-lulu-outer-space?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000 It takes something unidentifiably special to propel a video to the most-viewed spot on YouTube, but teen idol Justin Bieber managed to achieve just that with his music video for Baby. But more than just the most-viewed video, with half a billion views and counting, Baby is also the most discussed video and even the most disliked video ever to have graced YouTube. Quite the hat trick. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, party planner to the stars, and released his debut album in 2009... https://www.scmp.com/article/741786/justin-bieber?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/741786/justin-bieber?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Mon, 7pm, University of Hong Kong There's a scene in the blockbuster movie Apollo 13 in which a Nasa employee drops a bunch of parts on a table in front of some engineers and demands they get a square through a circle: if they don't, three astronauts will be left to the worst possible fate. It is not often that similar situations come up in most people's lives, but for some that's a regular enough part of their job. Tom Logsdon is one of those people and will be giving a talk on his life as... https://www.scmp.com/article/741780/fly-me-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/741780/fly-me-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber are by now recognisable to millions around the world - and many more people will be unknowingly familiar with his relentlessly catchy tunes. Responsible for decades of West End musicals including Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Starlight Express and Evita, Lloyd Webber is an institution of the theatre. He was knighted in 1992 and raised to the peerage in 1997, so he may now be addressed as the Right Honourable Lord Lloyd-Webber. But the wait to see each of his... https://www.scmp.com/article/741110/music-andrew-lloyd-webber?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/741110/music-andrew-lloyd-webber?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Mar 21-23, 7.30pm, Hong Kong Arts Centre The town of Whoville is under threat, and it is up to Horton the Elephant to come to the rescue. Alongside Horton is the Cat in the Hat, although, as fans of Dr Seuss will already know, the infamous feline may be less of a help than a (rather amusing) distraction. So Seussical, a musical based on the books of Dr Seuss, opens on Monday. Audiences will find out what happens to the town of Whoville, as well as the answers to many Seussical riddles. ... https://www.scmp.com/article/741106/so-seussical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/741106/so-seussical?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Sun, 4.30pm, 6.15pm, Mariners' Rest The Hong Kong Literary Festival is again upon us, giving readers the chance to catch up with notable authors, speakers and poets. Benjamin Zephaniah is all three, and his concert-like performances offer a refreshing alternative to regular literary readings. Zephaniah's work ranges from dub poetry to children's books, via teenage novels and Rastafarian writing. His first novel, Face, was well received and tells the story of a teenager whose face is... https://www.scmp.com/article/740419/benjamin-zephaniah?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/740419/benjamin-zephaniah?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Mar 16, 5pm-midnight, various locations Hong Kong has done well to position itself as the world's purchasing capital for many things - wine being the most recent example - and art is no exception. If it's a broad selection of art from around Asia and further afield that you're after, the city is the place to be. If you're looking to spend a lot of money, too, you're also definitely in the right town. ArtWalk is the largest and most idiosyncratic art festival a city could manage. Guests buy a... https://www.scmp.com/article/739659/artwalk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/739659/artwalk?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Albert Einstein can safely be described as one of the megastars of the 20th century. Most will know him for his 1905 smash hit E=MC^2 although his catalogue of successes ranges much wider than this alone. Both popularly and critically acclaimed, Einstein wowed audiences with a double whammy, developing not just the General Theory of Relativity but also his next big hit, the Special Theory of Relativity. And now, between April 18 until the end of August, his legacy will be brought to Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/article/739001/albert-einstein-1879-1955?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/739001/albert-einstein-1879-1955?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Mar 11-12, 8.30am until late, Convention and Exhibition Centre Hong Kong is regularly accused of not having much of an arts and culture scene. Even grey old Shenzhen has a cool modern art district made out of old industrial buildings, akin to the districts found in east Berlin, east London, east New York or Beijing's 798. Thankfully, Singapore has been trying to up its game in the culture stakes, which is good news for Hong Kong's own art scene, as the mentality appears to be 'anything... https://www.scmp.com/article/738996/semi-permanent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/738996/semi-permanent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Initially composed as a seven-minute interval filler for the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin in 1994, Riverdance has morphed into an international Irish dance phenomenon. Original choreographer - and subsequently dance magnate - Michael Flatley may have long left the show, but for almost 20 years the production has continued to impress audiences at performances by three separate troupes simultaneously touring the globe. Having played to more than 20 million people worldwide, the Irish dance... https://www.scmp.com/article/738360/riverdance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/738360/riverdance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Ferry Pier 2, Central, Sat, Sun, 12pm-4pm The Rainbow Warrior II may not be a household name up there with the likes of Spider-Man or Batman, and the Warrior certainly possesses no super powers. But it is a hero which has done more to defend the earth than any comic book creation. A boat owned by Greenpeace, the Rainbow Warrior II (right) has travelled the world to inform people of the destruction of the earth's environment, and is now on a farewell voyage before the conservation organisation... https://www.scmp.com/article/738355/rainbow-warrior-farewell-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/738355/rainbow-warrior-farewell-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Feb 11-17, 10am-10pm, Lam Tsuen Wishing Square The annual trip to the wishing trees in Lam Tsuen, until recently, was one of the best-preserved traditions in Hong Kong. Over Lunar New Year, hopefuls could come to one of two banyan trees in the village to write wishes on joss paper before attaching an orange and throwing it up into the tree's branches, in the belief that, should the orange get stuck, the wish will come true. But as with many traditions in Hong Kong, the festivities have been... https://www.scmp.com/article/737751/hong-kong-well-wishing-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/737751/hong-kong-well-wishing-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The Blue Lotus by Herge Casterman The Blue Lotus marks Tintin's first exploits in the Far East, following the young adventurer's visits to the Congo, the US, the then-USSR and Egypt, among others. It is the conclusion of a two-part comic series that began with Cigars of the Pharaoh, in which the story's quiff-haired hero continues his pursuit of a drug-smuggling cartel from Egypt to Shanghai. For author Georges Prosper Remi - better known as Herge - The Blue Lotus also represented a departure... https://www.scmp.com/article/737486/book-1936?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/737486/book-1936?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Until Jan 30, 7.30pm (also 2pm, Jan 29-30), Cultural Centre Journey to the West may be one of the best-known stories in Asia, but it's also one that many people largely know nothing about. 'Something to do with a journey to the West,' is often given as an explanation, which is quite understandable, given the complexity and length of the original opus. If reading all 100 chapters of Journey to the West doesn't appeal too much, a more passive option is available. Monkey and friends are coming... https://www.scmp.com/article/736816/monkey-king?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/736816/monkey-king?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000 1. Runaway - Kanye West This song has become a bit of a power ballad for me. I listened to it recently, before one of the biggest presentations of my life. 2. Praise Him - Udaipur Convent School Nuns and Students I travelled around India last year after watching the Darjeeling Limited film, and fell in love with the culture. This song played at a really beautiful point in the film. 3. Just Like Honey - The Jesus and Mary Chain I recently had a HK Honey exhibition and was thinking... https://www.scmp.com/article/733092/michael-leung-director-studio-leung-and-creative-director-hk-honey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/733092/michael-leung-director-studio-leung-and-creative-director-hk-honey?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000 1. Norwegian Wood - The Beatles I love everything about this song, although I don't know what Lennon is singing about. Every chance I get to fiddle with a guitar, I find myself playing the intro of this song. 2. Into Your Arms - Starmarket Excellent Swedish indie rock outfit from the late 1990s. This is a strong track to start an awesome album, Four Hours Light. Every time I hear this song, it takes me back to 1999. 3. For Once in My Life - Stevie Wonder My wife and I are big Stevie fans.... https://www.scmp.com/article/732461/ephraim-bano-rock-band-merriweather-deer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/732461/ephraim-bano-rock-band-merriweather-deer?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Most people by now must have seen Parkour (or 'le Parkour') in action. Inspired by the physical skills of the Congolese, the discipline was defined in France and has now been exported worldwide thanks to the awe-inspiring moves pulled off by Parkour enthusiasts on YouTube and elsewhere. The most recent incarnation of the movie Casino Royale treated audiences to a stunning display by the founder of Parkour, Sebastian Foucan, at the beginning of the film. Casino Royale was credited with... https://www.scmp.com/article/731500/ngong-ping-france-parkour-extravaganza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/731500/ngong-ping-france-parkour-extravaganza?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 G/F, 11A Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 2376 0562 The vibe: Tsim Sha Tsui's Ashley Road is a mash-up of all kinds of bars and restaurants, from cheerful wine bars mimicking Lockhart Road to Jimmy's Kitchen, a restaurant with old-world charm and a touch of decadence rarely seen in the district. Ned Kelly's, in keeping with the street, carves its own niche. The themed pub celebrates the life of notorious Australian bushranger Ned Kelly, who in 1880 was hanged for the murder of three policemen.... https://www.scmp.com/article/731499/ned-kellys-last-stand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/731499/ned-kellys-last-stand?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, predicted in 2006 that the future of consumption would be one of 'freemium' - while most basic services would be free, we would be paying for a value-added alternative. Anderson was talking about the Web and media businesses, but the premise also applies to Hong Kong's bar scene. In the same year, M1NT was established on Hollywood Road. It made a name for itself as one of Hong Kong's most desirable nightclubs. Basic membership was about... https://www.scmp.com/article/730739/best-clubs-bar-none?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/730739/best-clubs-bar-none?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 B/F, The Peninsula, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 2315 3355 The vibe: many bars in Hong Kong claim exclusivity, whether through membership, high prices or a tight door policy. Salon de Ning does it by being the most secluded, hidden bar in the city with a perfectly welcoming attitude. If the location in the basement of the Peninsula doesn't already inspire a feeling of intrigue and mystery, then walking through the doors will. Salon de Ning (right) replicates the glamour of 1930s Shanghai... https://www.scmp.com/article/730737/salon-de-ning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/730737/salon-de-ning?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Elements, 10am-10pm daily, until Dec 31 Paper art, with the possible exception of origami, is not a genre that conjures up much wonder compared with sculpture, painting or modern art - that is, until you see the work of Ingrid Siliakus. Siliakus creates incredible reproductions of famous designs or complex geometric patterns from single sheets of paper simply by cutting and folding. Employing the precision of an architect, traditional tools such as a folding bone and bamboo skewers, plus a... https://www.scmp.com/article/730738/paper-architecture-elements?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/730738/paper-architecture-elements?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Michael Lau may not be an instantly recognisable name to all, but his influence on street style in Hong Kong certainly should be. Unusually for a toy designer, Lau has been credited with shaping not only Hong Kong's skateboarding and hip hop culture, but street culture throughout Asia and in the US as well. Made from vinyl and standing as high as 30cm, Lau's toys are not designed with young children in mind but rather - thanks to their wonderfully deformed shapes and hip hop styles - adult... https://www.scmp.com/article/730025/michael-lau-gardener-10th-and-kindergardener?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/730025/michael-lau-gardener-10th-and-kindergardener?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 28/F, The Peninsula, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui Tel: 2315 3188 The vibe: perched high up in The Peninsula, Felix is one of Hong Kong's landmark bars. It boasts floor-to-ceiling windows facing Hong Kong Island on one side and Kowloon on the other. Philippe Starck was commissioned to create the bar's interior and, given the venue's guaranteed customer base, could have opted for a rather bland imagery. But, instead, Stark ran at the oceanic theme. The small bar above the main restaurant... https://www.scmp.com/article/729360/felix?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/729360/felix?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Daily until Dec 26, 10am-10pm, Open Piazza, G/F Olympian City 2 A tall story has it that if the world were designed like Hong Kong, the global population could fit into less than 10 per cent of the earth's land mass. It seems hard to believe, however, that Hong Kong, with its financially driven reclaim-and-build attitude, could serve as a shining example of how to best treat the world's resources. Perhaps Yann Arthus-Bertrand - famed for founding the Altitude Agency, the world's first press... https://www.scmp.com/article/729361/earth-above?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/729361/earth-above?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 The Nightmare Before Christmas Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey Director: Henry Selick Halloween is a holiday fraught with contradictions: scary on one hand and silly on the other. No film better encapsulates this dichotomy than Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. The stop-motion film follows Jack Skellington, an undead champion of Halloween Town, a fantasy place home to all the ghouls associated with the festival. Jack rips up a storm on earth... https://www.scmp.com/article/729001/film-1993?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/729001/film-1993?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Oct 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Halloween doesn't have to mean a hedonistic night on the town. The city's big theme parks are also hosting Halloween events, but here are three different ways to mark the festival. Avenue of Stars Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, Tsim Sha Tsui. Sun, 8pm-10pm, free. Inquiries: 2734 8892 Ever wanted to dress up and ride a motorbike down the Avenue of Stars? Well, Halloween is the next best thing for now, as organisers have prepared a motorcycle parade incorporating fancy dress with powerful bikes.... https://www.scmp.com/article/728689/nightmare-scenarios?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/728689/nightmare-scenarios?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:00:00 +0000 It seems that no matter where you are in the world, autumn is the time when people celebrate the morbid, the wicked and the deadly. In Mexico there is the Day of the Dead, a chance to eat and party in remembrance of dearly departed friends and family members. Celebrations can include street carnivals in which men chase crowds while setting off firecrackers. In England there is Guy Fawkes Night, a chance to create and then burn a life-sized effigy of the man who tried to blow up parliament in... https://www.scmp.com/article/728688/esprit-de-corpse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/728688/esprit-de-corpse?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Sun, 12pm, West Kowloon Heliport When writing the latest Batman opus, the directors had a vision: the caped crusader would dive from a hovering helicopter into Victoria Harbour, marking one of the coolest entrances to Hong Kong in cinema. Of course, the plan was changed when the production team arrived and actually took a look at the harbour. But what's too good for Batman is just fine for the rest of us, and so Hong Kong gets the honour of hosting Asia's first-ever Flugtag: the infamous... https://www.scmp.com/article/726707/flugtag?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/726707/flugtag?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:00:00 +0000 G/F, 9 Star Street, Wan Chai Tel: 2529 0199 The vibe: tucked away at the somewhat quiet end of Star Street, Cinecitta has long been a bar for those in the know, and for those looking for a refined drink away from the crowds. In a slight departure from other watering holes in the area, which often aim to blend wine and light meals with a casual daytime cafe culture, Cinecitta is a smarter, sit-down affair. Its sleek design, exposed metal and clean lines mean customers are more likely to be... https://www.scmp.com/article/726706/cinecitta?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/726706/cinecitta?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:00:00 +0000 In the four days following the Manila hostage killings, more than 500 Philippine Airlines passengers due to fly from Hong Kong and southern China to the Philippines cancelled their bookings. 'We've had cancellations of flights from September through to December,' says Dina May Flores, the airline's manager for Hong Kong. And that's the impact from just one carrier. Philippine tourism, however, may well bear the fallout from last week's tragedy for far longer, as televised images of the bungled... https://www.scmp.com/article/723645/holding-pattern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/723645/holding-pattern?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:00:00 +0000 The summer holidays are drawing to a close, but Hong Kong should, thankfully, still be blessed with a few weeks of more manageable sunny days as the oppressive heat starts to wane. And what better way to make use of such weather than an all-day beach party? Billed as a 'last minute' party, the event organised by Destroyed HK - the bunch behind several other beach parties this year - appears to have a long list of treats for revellers: an all-day open bar, lucky draws, eight DJs including ... https://www.scmp.com/article/723097/destroyed-hk-beach-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/723097/destroyed-hk-beach-party?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Perhaps the Power Rangers made a longer-lasting impression on the minds of many. Perhaps expats in Hong Kong may have overlooked the Masked Rider as the show only ran for two years on US television. But it is the Masked Rider - the Power Rangers' crime-fighting brother - who is still alive and kicking hard enough to warrant a live show in Hong Kong. For US viewers at least, the Masked Rider first appeared on screens in an episode of the Power Rangers TV series. However, the motorbike-riding... https://www.scmp.com/article/722496/masked-rider-fest-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/722496/masked-rider-fest-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Why does British food have a reputation for being so bad? Because it is bad! Those are not the most encouraging words to hear just before tucking into lunch at one of Hong Kong's smartest British restaurants, Alfie's by KEE, but head chef Neil Tomes has more to say. 'The past 15 years or so have been a noticeable period [of improvement] for food in England,' the English chef says, citing the trend in British cuisine for better ingredients, preparation and cooking methods, and more appealing... https://www.scmp.com/article/721358/drool-britannia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/721358/drool-britannia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Academy Lyric Theatre, 1 Gloucester Rd, Wan Chai, HK$220-HK$450, HK Ticketing. Inquiries: 2584 8500. Until Aug 8, 3pm, 7.30pm 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' Elmo asks the audience during his current stage show. It's a question the scruffy muppet is trying to figure out for himself, too, as the Sesame Street production tours the world, entertaining children during their summer holidays. Perseverance, confidence and self-belief are the central themes of the show, reminding viewers... https://www.scmp.com/article/720774/sesame-street-live-when-elmo-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/720774/sesame-street-live-when-elmo-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000 It may have taken longer than usual to warm up this year, but there is no doubt that the hot season is here. It can be measured as much by the bar crowds as with a thermometer. Every inch of outdoor space is staked out in summer and many drinkers swap their regular pint for a refreshing cocktail. At first glance, this year looks no different for the after-office crowds, pre-dinner drinkers and party-goers. But take a peek at what's being poured into this summer's fancy glasses and it will... https://www.scmp.com/article/720351/thats-spirit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/720351/thats-spirit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000 The Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children packed in the brands and drew 50 tai-tais to its swish goodie-bag fund-raising lunch at the San San Trois restaurant in Central on Wednesday. Jewellery company David Yurman flashed its wares at a 'rare' discount and then treated guests to a fashion show during the lunch attended by socialites such as Angela Tsang, Christine Wong, Angie Ting, Candice Chan, Jacqueline Liu, Tania Wong and Vivian Tan. A fine time seemed to be had by all,... https://www.scmp.com/article/719795/socialites-show-touch-class-when-comes-goodie-bags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/719795/socialites-show-touch-class-when-comes-goodie-bags?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000