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Spieth, McIlroy set for Augusta battle
Augusta, Georgia - Golf fans can look forward to the tantalising prospect of world number two Jordan Spieth and third-ranked Rory McIlroy continuing their battle for Masters glory in the final pairing in Saturday's third round.
Credit: EPA
Jordan Spieth of the US. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERTThis week's Masters had the makings of being extra special with every player in the world's top six in good form during the build-up and defending champion Spieth and four-times major winner McIlroy now occupy the top two spots on the leaderboard.
Spieth, seeking his third major title, has led after each of the first two rounds while McIlroy soared into contention with a superb one-under-par 71 on Friday when the challenging Augusta National layout was made even more difficult by gusting winds.
“It will be a fun round tomorrow,” American Spieth, 22, said after making a clutch par on the final hole to card a two-over 74. “We enjoy playing with each other. We've both played well. We've both played poorly.
“Just both seem to be on our games right now and obviously really focused on this week with a lot of fantastic players behind us.
“There's the potential tomorrow for someone to shoot a few under (par) and move up into the lead from outside the top 25. There's a potential for that with what I saw on the last six holes today, the way the course was playing.”
Spieth said the heavily-contoured greens at Augusta National had become lightning fast late in Friday's second round with putts from just two feet requiring extra care.
“A gust from one direction when you think it's going to be the other can throw a two-footer at this speed almost out of the hole,” said Spieth, who is widely regarded as the best putter in the game.
“So trying to really stay down and grind on those putts was challenging. It was very tough. I knew that even par was still a good score,” he said, referring in particular to the back nine.
“We kept reminding ourselves that even par is a good score, even par is a good score. Let's play these holes par in from here on out.”
Spieth, who completed a stunning wire-to-wire victory by four shots at Augusta National last year, battled through an adventurous round on Friday that included four birdies, four bogeys and a double at the par-four fifth.
“Dropped a few, but all in all still in the lead,” he said. “A good save at the last to kind of have a putt to see go in. But boy, that golf course changed very much throughout the day today.” – Reuters
Spieth stays top despite late stumble
Augusta, Georgia – Jordan Spieth withstood heavy winds and even stiffer challenges to remain atop the Masters leaderboard, and will take a one-shot lead into Sunday’s final round as he bids to complete a successful defence of his Green Jacket.
Credit: EPA
Jordan Spieth of the US hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during the third round of the Masters in Augusta. Photo: ANDREW GOMBERTThe 22-year-old Texan has now held the outright lead for a record seven consecutive rounds and if he can hold on for one more day will join Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus as the only men to claim back-to-back Masters wins.
Spieth, who began the third round with a one-shot advantage, ended it in the same position after a wild afternoon at a windswept Augusta National, carding a one-over 73 that featured two double-bogeys on the back nine, including one at the 18th.
An 80th Masters that had looked ready to turn into a coronation with Spieth holding a four-stroke edge with two to play but will instead be up for grabs with an eclectic mix of challengers, including a Masters debutant, a 58-year-old former champion and a 24-year-old Japanese sensation all lurking.
American rookie Smylie Kaufman, who still lives with his parents, had the lowest round of the day, returning a three-under 69 to join Spieth in an unlikely final pairing.
“That wasn’t a fun last couple holes to play from the position I was in,” said Spieth, who also had a bogey at 17 to surrender three shots over his last two holes.
“It’s not going to be fun tonight for a little while, and hopefully I just sleep it off and it’s fine tomorrow. I imagine that will be the case. It was tough.”
Sitting two off the pace is evergreen German Bernhard Langer, a two-time Masters winner who showed he still knows how to get around a tricky Augusta layout, carding a two-under 70, and Hideki Matsuyama, playing in his fifth Masters, who had 72.
Australian world number one Jason Day, the pre-Masters favourite who struggled to find consistent form through the early rounds, finally emerged as a contender as he rocketed up the leaderboard with a 71 to finish three shots off the pace.
The third round began with the spotlight firmly on two of golf’s charismatic young guns, Spieth and McIlroy forming one of the most anticipated final pairings ever featured at the year’s first major.
ALL-STAR PAIRING
Tracked by massive galleries, the dynamic duo had all the credentials of an all-star pairing with the Texan and the Northern Irishman having claimed four of the last six major championships played.
But the marquee matchup failed to deliver on the promised suspence as Spieth held firm and McIlroy quickly faded, slumping to a five-over 77 to fall five strokes back and leave his bid for a career grand slam on thin ice.
Instead it was Langer, Matsuyama and Kaufman who stole the show with masterful displays of golf in challenging conditions.
Kaufman, level with six to play, produced a sizzling finish as he drained birdie putts at the 13th, 14th and 16th.
“I’m driving the ball really well right now and if I’m going to get on the greens just as much as everybody else, I think that I’ll have a pretty good opportunity to be in contention,” said Kaufman.
“That was the goal coming into the week, just get in contention. And now that I’m here ... kind of re-adjust the goals a little bit and try to win tomorrow.”
Langer, who won both his Masters titles before Spieth was born, also made a stirring late charge with three consecutive birdies from the 13th.
He gave one back at the last but will still enter Sunday with a chance to become the oldest ever major winner and take the torch from American Julius Boros, who was a full decade younger when he won the PGA Championship at age 48.
“I believe I can,” declared Langer, when asked if he can win a third Masters. “If I play my best, I can shoot four-or-five under tomorrow… but so can Jordan Spieth.
“I said earlier on, sooner or later, it’s going to happen. One of the over 50s is going to win a major.”
– Reuters
Embarrassed Els salvages pride
Augusta, Georgia - Ernie Els, a proud professional, was embarrassed in front of the world when he six-putted the first green at the Masters on Thursday, but he proudly persevered a day later and held his head high in the second round.
Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Ernie Els, a proud professional, was embarrassed in front of the world when he six-putted the first green at the Masters on Thursday. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY SportsSouth African Els, a former world number one and four-times major champion, could not help but notice his peers looking at him as though he was radioactive when he entered the practice range to warm up on Friday morning.
“After what I did yesterday, you feel quite embarrassed ... It was a very weird, surreal feeling this morning,” said Els, who had struggled to an opening round of eight-over 80.
“I felt very bad when I got to the course ... I walked on to the range and even the players and caddies, they kind of just looked at me as if I don't have pants on or something ... Not a nice feeling.
“But they've got a good reason to look at me funny for what happened yesterday.”
Things did not augur well for the South African when he missed a tiddler at the very same opening hole for a double bogey, but he steadied the ship to shoot a one-over 73, most respectable under the circumstances at windy Augusta National.
“I was almost back to my normal self,” Els said after missing the cut at nine-over 153, using the word “haywire” to describe his horrible Thursday brain freeze.
“Working on something new (on Thursday) backfired on me, so I went back to the things I've been working on the first couple of months of the year. I've got to address whatever the issue is and see if I can make it better.”
Els, 46, knows his time at Augusta may be running out as he tries to add a Green Jacket to his collection of two Claret Jugs and two U.S. Open trophies.
He wonders whether perhaps his sub-conscious was trying too hard but has been around long enough to know that embarrassing yourself occasionally is part of the deal for all sportsmen and women in the glare of the spotlight.
“I don't think I've ever been tested by that.
“You play long enough, you make a fool of yourself somewhere, but I did it on the biggest stage.” – Reuters
Louis plays himself into Masters mix
Augusta, Georgia – South African Louis Oosthuizen was one of just five players to break par on Saturday at the Masters as the third round at Augusta National Golf Club proved to be even more difficult than previous ones.
Credit: USA Today Sports
Louis Oosthuizen hits his tee shot on the 2nd hole during the third round of the Masters at Augusta on Saturday. Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY SportsOosthuizen shot a one-under 71 to lie four-over for the tournament in tied 16th place – seven shots behind defending champion Jordan Spieth.
The 2010 Open Champion said that conditions on the course had been really tough and that there were quite a few times where the wind really got him. “I think downwind is the one that gets you, because you try and get it up in the air and it sort of knuckles it down sometimes.
“Other times it flies forever and you’re going downwind into a firm green, it’s tough. I think the way it is now, a good score is probably 74, 75. That would have been a good score out there, so I did well. I made good putts. I didn’t leave anything out there. So, I’m happy with my round.”
Oosthuizen had said on Friday that he was looking to making a score of three or four under to play himself back into contention, but that conditions on Saturday prevented that. “My game feels good. I played well yesterday, I think I hit the lip six times yesterday. I had one coming back to me, I had one do a 90-degree lip out, so everything that could have gone wrong on the greens yesterday did. Not one went in.
“I think I didn’t have one 1-putt yesterday, which was really frustrating. So, today it was better. I felt yesterday I should have shot 1-over at worst. But I am playing good. So, hopefully, tomorrow I can get a good round in again.”
The Mossel Bay-born golfer said that the wind also made putting difficult and that there were several times where he had to adjust his putt. “I mean, there was one occasion where it’s a left edge putt and you’re hitting it right edge because of the wind.
“The worst putt is the 3 and 4-footers with a little cross wind. The greens are so slick, there’s no one easy short putt. I think most of the players marked the ball for every little putt because you need to just make sure the wind does not take you in a different direction. It is tough. There are no easy putts out there.”
Oosthuizen said he was hoping to be within five or six of the lead.
As it happened, he is within seven of Spieth after the defending champion blew a potential four-shot lead with three dropped shots on the final two holes. He played a one-over 73 to take a one-shot lead from Smylie Kaufman. Hideki Matsuyama and two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer are tied for third on one-under.
Langer, who won his first green jacket in 1985 – well before Spieth or Kaufman were even born, played a two-under 70 on the day and even dropped a shot on the final hole, otherwise, he would have gone into the final round tied second.
The 58-year-old would become the oldest-ever Major winner if he stuns the rest of the field on Sunday and needs to finish sixth or better to become the oldest player in the top six.
Rory McIlroy, who went into the day one shots behind, played a 77 to be five shots behind leader Spieth. The Irishman failed to pick up a single birdie in his round, making it the first round since 2010 at a major that he has failed to play a hole below par.
– ANA
Three double bogeys cost Mickelson
Augusta, Georgia - Phil Mickelson lamented his poor course management after compiling his worst ever score at Augusta National, a seven-over 79, to miss the cut after the second round at the Masters on Friday.
Credit: EPA
Phil Mickelson lamented his poor course management after compiling his worst ever score at Augusta National, a seven-over 79, to miss the cut after the second round at the Masters. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERTOn a day when metaphorical train wrecks were not exactly a rare commodity, few made more costly mistakes than Mickelson.
The three-times champion ran up three double bogeys, at the seventh, 15th and 16th holes, to miss the cut by one stroke at seven-over 151, just his third early exit in 24 starts here.
“I just threw away a lot of shots. This is the worst I've managed myself around this course,” the 45-year-old American said.
“I love this tournament so much, and I've been playing so well, to come in and make some of those mistakes and the doubles and stuff that I made today is very disappointing.
“I know it was tough, but it wasn't as tough as I made it look. It was very playable. The guys that played well got rewarded and the guys who did dumb stuff like I did shot a big number.”
Mickelson's first double bogey, at the par-four seventh, came after he got too cute with a greenside bunker shot and left his ball in the sand.
The next debacle, at the par-five 15th, came after he prudently laid up with his second shot, only to chunk his third into the pond guarding the green.
He then compounded his misery by finding water again at the par-three 16th. One minute he had been within striking distance of the lead, the next he was making plans to head home to southern California, albeit in the luxury of his private jet.
“I love everything about the event and I just wish I was a part of it,” he said, hardly consoled by the knowledge he will be back next year.
Mickelson was not the only prominent player to run into trouble on a day when the course yielded 50 double bogeys and seven scores of triple bogey or worse.
One bad hole cost American Zach Johnson and Branden Grace, who both missed the cut by two strokes.
Johnson, the 2007 champion, ran up a triple at the par-five 13th after incurring a two-stroke penalty when his club skimmed the water as he tried to play a recovery shot out of the hazard in front of the green.
South African Grace had a quadruple-bogey at the par-three sixth, where his tee shot came up just short of the green, 20 yards from the hole.
From there he took the unusual step of progressively getting further from the hole with his next three shots as one chip after another failed to climb the sleep slope and ran back to his feet.
Other notables to bow out early included 2011 champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa and American world number five Rickie Fowler. – Reuters
Phillip Island to host MotoGP until 2026
Melbourne, Australia - The Phillip Island circuit has agreed a 10-year contract extension to host the country's MotoGP round until 2026.
Phillip Island circuit has hosted MotoGP since 1997.
Series promoters Dorna said on Monday the circuit would also stage a round of the World Superbike championship until 2027. No financial details were provided.
An estimated 85 000 spectators attended the 2015 race at the circuit near Melbourne which has hosted MotoGP since 1997.
Victoria sports minister John Eren said: “It's important to make sure that we secure these events for the long term. As we all know it's a very competitive environment; New South Wales was very keen on pinching and poaching these events off us and clearly they're not going to do that for at least the next 10 years.”
Melbourne has a contract to host the Australian Formula One Grand Prix until 2023.
Reuters
Marquez takes fourth straight Texas MotoGP
Austin Texas - Marc Marquez won the Grand Prix of the Americas for the fourth year in a row on Sunday while bitter rival Valentino Rossi was one of several riders who crashed.
Marc Marquez on his way to a fourth straight win at Circuit of the Americas. Picture: Paul Buck / EPA
Honda's MotoGP leader was again in a race of his own at the Circuit of the Americas, starting on pole position for the fourth consecutive year and pulling away after a brief tussle on the opening lap with Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo.
World champion Lorenzo finished second, 6.107 seconds adrift, and Andrea Iannone was third on a Ducati.
The win was Marquez's second in a row, and 26th in MotoGP, and left the double world champion on 66 points after three races. Lorenzo moved up to second overall on 45, with Rossi remaining on 33.
Marquez was challenged only at the start, with Lorenzo leading into the first corner before running wide and doing the same at Turn 11.
The Honda rider then had a controlled run to his 10th consecutive victory on US soil, which includes eight MotoGP races and two in Moto2, before raising four fingers in the air in triumph.
GOOD RACE
“I think I did a really good race and I feel really great on this circuit,” said Marquez. “The race was not fun but we took 25 points which was the most important.”
Rossi crashed out from sixth place on the third lap, with the Yamaha squirming away from him and into the gravel. It was the first time in 25 races that he had failed to finish in the top five.
Lorenzo fell behind Andrea Dovizioso in the battle for second place but re-took the Italian on lap five with the Ducati rider then taken out by Marquez' team-mate Dani Pedrosa on the seventh lap.
Pedrosa lost control, with the bike sliding away from under him and straight into the Ducati.
It was the second race in a row that Dovizioso had been eliminated by a rival while in a podium position. In Argentina last weekend he was felled by team mate Iannone in a final-lap drama.
Pedrosa went to apologise to Dovizioso in the Ducati garage after the race.
British pair Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith both crashed at Turn 11, with Smith's Yamaha just missing the LCR Honda rider.
Maverick Vinales finished fourth for Suzuki after a thrilling battle with team-mate Aleix Espargaro.
MOTO2
Kalex rider Alex Rins delivered a faultless performance from pole position to make his first podium finish of the young season a win, notching his third Moto2 victory his 11th career win overall on the same track where he earned his first - in Moto3 back in 2013.
Sam Lowes was second, 2.091 seconds behind the winner, with Johann Zarco, the reigning world champion and winner in Argentina last week, third, 7.737 seconds back.
"This is a difficult track for me, so a podium finish is really good," Zarco said.
Switzerland's Thomas Luthi, who topped the standings coming into the race, was seventh, and Lowes' runner-up finish was enough to vault him to the top of the standings on 47 points, one more than Rins, with Zarco third on 45.
MOTO3
Works KTM rider Romano Fenati took his first Moto3 win of 2016 - his seventh career victory - in dominant style, 6.612 seconds ahead of runner-up Jorge Navarro on a Honda.
South Africa's series leader Brad Binder powered his KTM past German Philipp Oettl on the final lap to take third, 10.535sec back.
Fenati made a superb start from fifth place on the grid, took second on lap eight, then took advantage of a mistake by Navarro to grab the lead.
"The first part of the race I was thinking that Navarro was in first and too far away," Fenati said. "But I never gave up. I pushed, I pushed very hard. I'm happy."
As he cruised home the battle for the final podium place unfolded behind him. Oettl, who started from pole for the first time in his career, moved into third when Fabio Quartararo was slowed by a late mechanical problem.
But the young German couldn't hold off Binder, who kept his nerve despite a rough ride and was too fast for Oettl on the straight.
"All weekend I've never struggled so much in my life," said Binder, who made it three podiums in three races this season after finishing second in Qatar and third in Argentina.
"When I started to get to the last eight laps I had so much chatter, I didn't know wha to do. I struggled the whole way to the end. When i saw Fabio go off, I saw Philipp wasn't too far so I only tried to keep it clean and I knew I could get him on the last lap." - Reuters, AFP
Jaguar in talks to lease Silverstone
London, England - British Grand Prix circuit Silverstone is in talks to lease the property to Jaguar Land Rover.
Jaguar could operate the site as an equivalent to Daimler's Mercedes-Benz World.
The owners of the Formula One site say a vote of its members has authorised the board to continue discussing the deal.
British media have reported that Jaguar has been considering turning the site into a “heritage centre” to show off the company's cars alongside its offices, a hotel and visitor centre.
Members of the British Racing Drivers' Club, which owns the Northamptonshire circuit and surrounding land, voted on Thursday evening to continue discussions with Jaguar Land Rover.
A spokeswoman said: “The potential deal would align Silverstone with two premier British brands and put the BRDC on a stronger financial footing.”
Jaguar Land Rover did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but it is thought that it could operate the site as an equivalent to locations such as Daimler's Mercedes-Benz World in London, which offers family days including driving experiences, guided tours and simulated rides, raising extra revenue for the firm.
Reuters
DriftCity set to rev up Cape petrolheads
Cape Town - If the sound of screeching tyres and the smell of burning rubber gets your engine revving, then DriftCity should be included in your itinerary this weekend.
Jason Webb will be there to show why he is SA's champion drifter. File photo: Supafly
It’s on from 10 am this Sunday at the Grand Parade, with cool car displays, live acts, top DJs, skaters and the DriftSquad. Cape Town’s most talented drivers will go head-to-head in a contest that combines two of motorsport’s most spectacular disciplines – drifting and gymkhana.
If you thought that drifting was only made famous by The Fast and the Furious ’s rendition of Tokyo Drift, think again. Professional drifting competitions have been held worldwide for a number of years and are judged according to speed, angle, showmanship and the lines taken through corners.
Petrolheads can expect to see a balanced mix of drift and gymkhana machines, from slightly modified Nissan 200SXs and Nissan Supras to a Nissan Silvia sport coupé, sliding around the track.
Drivers such as 2015 Regional Supadrift champion Daniel “Danger Dan” Blazer will be up against national Supadrift champion Jason Webb, while European Drift champion Steve “Baggsy” Biagioni will be act as guest judge and commentator.
Baggsy brings a wealth of international expertise as he keeps the crowd entertained with his experience in drifting and gymkhana.
Manoeuvring across a mirrored course, the drivers will have to drift their way around obstacles, through high-speed clipping zones and finally end up in the finishing box.
They will be judged on the time they took, with any infringements such as “straight lining” added to their time as a penalty.
Drivers are encouraged to “drift” the course adding their own flair to earn extra points.
Tickets are available through Computicket at R80 for adults while children under six enter free.
Cape Argus
For Cape’s drift queen, the only way is sideways
Cape Town - One of the drivers who will be setting the Grand Parade alight at DriftCity on Sunday doesn't look anything like the stereotypical petrolhead.
This petite thirtysomething is as fast and furious as any of the guys.
Firdous Asmodien is a petite thirtysomething with an honours degree in physiotherapy - but when she straps on a crash helmet and climbs into her specially modified Toyota Supra, she's as fast and as furious as any of the guys.
IOL Head of News Riana Howa spoke to Asmodien two days before her professional drift competition debut at DriftCity:
Howa: Why did you choose drifting over other forms of motorsport and what do you love most about it?
Asmodien: Drifting gives me an adrenalin rush like no other sport. It requires a unique skill that takes time, practice, discipline and perseverance to perfect. I love the danger aspect of it and being in control of a potentially life-threatening situation.
Howa: Given how male-dominated motorsport tends to be, did you find it difficult to gain acceptance in these circles?
Asmodien: Drifting is very much a male-dominated sport, but the guys in my motorsport circle have been very welcoming. I actually think as a woman it's easier to get the support you need, and at events the crowds are more lenient on women and easily impressed by our level of skill.
Howa: Who are your role models in the world of motorsport?
Asmodien: My biggest role model is James Dean from Ireland. In my opinion he's the world's top competitive drifter, yet so humble. I was privileged to spend time with him and get to know him when he came to Cape Town about two years ago to take part in Revlife, a drifting event that my husband helped organise.
Then there's Mad Mike from New Zealand - his name says it all! He never fails to impress, with crazy stunts that the average sane driver wouldn't even dream about. And not forgetting the Japanese Drift Ninja, Diago Saito, who recently shocked the purists when he chopped up a Lamborghini to convert it into a drift machine. I'm not sure who's crazier, Mad Mike with his insane drifting quad rotary or Diago for what he did to his Lamborghini supercar!
Howa: Tell us a bit more about your car?
Asmodien: My drift car is a Toyota Supra Mk4 with a three-litre, straight-six 2JZ engine, rebuilt by World Focus with a Garret GT35R turbo and 1200cc injectors, fed by two high-flow Bosch fuel pumps, that drives through a BMW 330d gearbox.
The suspension's been upgraded with rose joints and BC coilovers, as well as a steering angle kit, and the car has carbon-fibre seats and a custom bodykit designed by my husband Noer, made by Xmodz Fibreworks and finished in camo Plasti-Dip by CVP.
Howa: Your profile says you also do stunt driving for movies and ads? Please tell me more about that. Where can we see your work?
Asmodien: I have done stunt driving for a few adverts. One of my highlights was for a Black Label TV advert, filmed at Killarney about five years ago.
Howa: People often say drifting is dangerous. How do you keep safe?
Asmodien: Drifting is dangerous if the driver is unskilled or reckless, or if the car isn't properly prepared. It should have built-in safety features such as a roll cage, harness and fire extinguisher, and you should always wear a fireproof race-suit, shoes and gloves, as well as your crash helmet.
Keep practicing; the more skilled you are, the better your reflex reactions or response to a given situation. It's also advisable to take part only in drifting events sanctioned by motorsport authorities and to practice only in a safe and legal environment.
Howa: What's your advice to other women who want to get involved in motorsport?
Asmodien: I've already been approached by a few ladies who are wanting to learn how to drift and my advice is always the same - GO FOR IT!!! We need more women in the sport. First get a rear wheel drive car - I'd recommend a Nissan S13, S14 or S15, depending on what your pocket allows - get decent drift suspension and then get a good drift teacher and practice, practice, practice!!!
Howa: What can people expect at DriftCity Cape Town?
Asmodien: I've done a lot of exhibition drifting, but DriftCity will be my debut as a competitor. It's a bit nerve-wracking as I've never been 'judged' before, but I'm just going to go out there, do my best, put on a good show and have fun.
You can expect a lot of hair-raising stunts, heart-stopping thrills, roaring engines, screeching tyres, rubber smoke and - of course! - sideways action.
IOL
WHAT'S ON: Live & on TV this weekend
LIVE EVENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL
SATURDAY
National and Northern Regions 4x4 Xtrack Racing , The Gorge, Rustenburg.
MotoGP returns to the Circuit of the Americas this weekend.
, The Gorge, Rustenburg. Classes include Top Truck, Production Modified, Modified, Locker, Standard, and Open. Racing starts at 9am. Corrie Hudson on 083-327-7701 or email admin@4XTR.co.za
NORTHERN REGIONS
SATURDAY
Historic Tour Circuit Racing , Zwartkops Raceway. Classes include Formula Ford, Lotus Challenge, Pre-79 Saloons, Pre-84 Sports & GT, Historic Endurance, Pre-66/68 Sports & GT, Pre-66 legends, TransAm, ISP, Marque Cars, Thoroughbreds, ISP, SKF Champions, and ZRC Classic Bikes. Racing starts at 8am. Tanya Human on 082-390-6016 or events@zwartkops.co.za
Tar Oval Racing , Torc Oval Track, Polokwane Showgrounds. Classes include 1600 Stockrods, 1600 MS, 2l Pinto, 2.1l MS, HR, Super Saloons, SM, V8 Sprint Cars, and Rookies. Racing starts at 6pm. Marlize Weideman on 084-891-0111 or admin@energ.co.za
SA Drift Championships , The Rock Raceway, Brakpan. Gates open at 10am, with drifting starting at 4pm. Adults R65, children 6-12 R30. Abie Sada on 082-453-8271
SUNDAY
Street 2 Strip Drag Racing and Sound Off , The Rock Raceway, Brakpan. Gates open at 3pm and event starts at 4pm. Adults R30, children 6-12 R20. R50 to enter drag racing or for a dyno run. Abie Sada on 082-453-8271
KWAZULU-NATAL
SATURDAY
New Hanover 250 , Regional and Club Cross Country Championships, Torwoodlea, Pietermaritzburg. Racing starts at 10.30am. Stephanie Hohls on 083-259-3806 or normc@sai.co.za
Club Circuit Racing , Dezzi Raceway, Port Shepstone. Classes include NSF100, 150, Drifters, Open, Breakfast Run, Lotus 7, Super GTs, Tin Tops, and Porsche Challenge. Racing starts at 8am. Bob at admin@westool.co.za
SUNDAY
Jolivet Jol X-Country and Harescramble, Sutherland Farm, Jolivet. Racing starts at 11am. Karen Vorster on 082-376-8661 or info@kznracing.co.za
INTERNATIONAL
United States Motorcycle Grand Prix -Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas
E-mail your event to Jesse Adamsto be part of this listing.
THURSDAY 7 APRIL
Ignition TV:
8pm: Drive It!: The all-new Mercedes-Benz E-Class promises a superlative experience for drivers and passengers alike. Mazda continues to refine the roadster concept with the fourth generation MX-5 and the VW Kombi turns 60
SuperSport 2 & HD2:
Midnight: World Superbikes, Motorland Aragon - Race 2
1am: Argentine Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto3
2am: Argentine Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto2
3am: Argentine Motorcycle Grand Prix - MotoGP
SuperSport 6 & HD6:
11am: IndyCar Series Highlights
Noon: Nascar Sprint Cup
SuperSport 7 & HD7:
3.40pm: Nascar Sprint Cup Highlights
4.40pm: Bahrain F1 Grand Prix
SuperSport 8:
1.45am: RPM
2.45am: V8 Supercars, Round 1
8.30am: RPM
9am: 2WheelsTV
7pm: Argentine Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto3
8pm: Argentine Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto2
9pm: Argentine Motorcycle Grand Prix - MotoGP
10pm: 2WheelsTV
10.30pm: World Superbikes, Motorland Aragon - Supersport
11.30pm: World Superbikes, Motorland Aragon - Superstock
SuperSport 9:
1pm: RPM
FRIDAY
SuperSport 6 & HD6:
3am: V8 Supercars, Round 1
SuperSport 8:
12.30am: World Superbikes, Motorland Aragon - Race 1
1.30am: World Superbikes, Motorland Aragon - Race 2
Noon: RPM
3.45pm: World Superbikes, Motorland Aragon - Race 1
4.45pm: World Superbikes, Motorland Aragon - Race 2
6.30pm: Extreme Festival of Motorsport, Zwartkops
10.30pm: RPM
SuperSport 9:
2.30am: RPM
SATURDAY
SuperSport 2 & HD2:
8.55pm: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Qualifying Live
SuperSport 5 & HD5:
2.30am: Nascar Xfinity Series, Live
SUNDAY
Ignition TV:
7.30pm: Car History: Good and trustworthy, American and avant-garde, during the '60s and '70s Ford built one classic after another, always using the Ford formula - simple technique and affordable price. Car History showcases the Ford classics.
SuperSport 2 & HD2:
10am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Qualifying
SuperSport 5 & HD5:
Midnight: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Qualifying
1am: Nascar Sprint Cup, Live
SuperSport 6 & HD6:
5.45pm: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto3 Live
7pm: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto2 Live
8.30pm: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - MotoGP Live
SuperSport 8:
11am: V8 Supercars, Round 2
2pm: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Qualifying
11pm: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto3
SuperSport 9:
5.30am: RPM
MONDAY
SuperSport 6 & HD6:
7.30am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto3
8.30am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto2
9.30am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - MotoGP
SuperSport 8:
Midnight: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto2
1am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - MotoGP
3pm: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto3
4pm: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto2
5pm: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - MotoGP
TUESDAY
SuperSport 7 & HD7:
9.30pm: Nascar Sprint Cup Highlights
10.30pm: V8 Supercars, Round 2
SuperSport 8:
4.30am: RPM
7pm: 2WheelsTV
10pm: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto3
11pm: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto2
WEDNESDAY
SuperSport 7 & HD7:
2am: Nascar Sprint Cup
4am: V8 Supercars, Round 2
6am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto3
7am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - Moto2
8am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - MotoGP
9am: Nascar Sprint Cup
SuperSport 8:
Midnight: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix - MotoGP
1am: 2WheelsTV
5.30am: 2WheelsTV
Noon: 2WheelsTV
12.30pm: V8 Supercars, Round 2
7.30pm: Absolute F1, China
8.30pm: RPM
The times listed here are as supplied by SuperSport, but are subject to change.
World's fastest roadster hits 427km/h
Sealy, Texas - This, fellow speed freaks, is officially the world's fastest convertible.
Venom GT has a seven-litre twin turbo V8 producing a claimed 1067kW at 7200rpm.
On 25 March, this Hennessey Venom GT Spyder, driven by Brian Morre of the Ford Performance Racing School and timed by independent speed testing company Racelogic, set a new world record for open-top sports cars on the 4.6 kilometre main runway at the Lemoore Naval Air Station in California, with a top speed of 427.4km/h.
It beat the previous mark, set by a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport Vitesse, by more than 17km/h, to join its coupé sibling, the Hennessey Venom GT, which set a world record for a production car of 435.3km/h at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral in 2014 - a record that still stands.
Company founder John Hennessey said: "2016 marks the 25th anniversary of Hennessey Performance - I thought this would be a special way to celebrate 25 years of making fast cars faster!"
The Venom GT has a seven-litre twin turbo V8 producing a claimed 1070kW at 7200 revs and 1750Nm at 4200rpm, driving the rear wheels via a six-speed Ricardo manual gearbox. It'll blast off from 0-100 in less than 2.4 seconds and reach 320km/h in less than 13 seconds.
Want one? Get in quick - Hennessey plans to build just three 'World Record Edition' Venom GT Spyders for sale to commemorate the company's 25th anniversary, at $1.3 million (R19.1 million) each before taxes.
Kim joined the mile high club
The 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' star - who has children North, two, and son Saint, four months, with husband Kanye West - has admitted to getting intimate on an aeroplane, but would never do so on a public flight or to a short destination.
Credit: AFP
Kim Kardashian at the Tao Nightclub at The Venetian Las Vegas to celebrate her 34th birthday on October 25, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: David Becker/Getty Images/AFPAsked during a Q&A on her website's livestream if she was a member of the mile high club, she said: “Am I? Yeah.
“But like the private. I don't think like a public plane...It would have to be an international flight. It was an international, night flight when no one's like around.”
But the 35-year-old beauty insists that isn't the craziest place she has ever had sex.
Speaking to her assistant Steph, who was reading out the questions, she admitted: “Like a public movie theatre, yeah.”
Kim's confession comes after her mother, Kris Jenner, recently admitted her most embarrassing moment was when a flight attendant announced to the whole plane that she and then-husband Bruce Jenner - who is now known as Caitlyn - had joined the mile high club.
She said: “The most embarrassing moment was when I was with [Caitlyn] on a commercial airliner in first class. We joined the Mile High Club and felt we got away with it.
She added: “We had sex in the bathroom and we came out and nobody said anything.
“At the end of the flight, the flight attendant got on the microphone, 'Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Jenner! You've just joined the mile-high club. We're so proud of you, and we decided to give you a bottle of champagne! Yay!' I could not squish down in my seat low enough. I was mortified.”
Bang Showbiz
WHAT'S ON: Live & on TV this weekend
LIVE EVENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL
SATURDAY
Extreme Festival Circuit Racing , Killarney Raceway, Cape Town.
World Superbike action this weekend is at Assen, popularly known as 'The Cathedral'.
, Killarney Raceway, Cape Town. Classes include VW Cup, Formula 1600, Mike Hopkins Superbikes, Midas Clubmans, Crossley & Webb Sports & GT Cars, V8 Masters, and Makita Super Cars. Racing starts at 10am. Joy Hoskins ON 021-557-1639 or info@wpmc.co.za for more information
NORTHERN REGIONS
SATURDAY
Regional and Club Motocross , Terra Topia MX track near Dainfern. Classes include MX50cc Support, MX50cc, MX1, MX1B, MX HS, MX3, Support, MX Ladies, MX65cc, MX2, MX2B, MX85cc, and MX Pro MiniRacing. Racing starts at 8am. Noleen Roome on 082-850-1450 or noleen@mxsa.co.za
BMW Track Day , Red Star Raceway, Delmas. Event starts at 8am. Michael Broom at broombmw@gmail.com
Club Karting , Zwartkops Kart Circuit. Classes include Cadet, Micro Max, Micro Rok, Mini Max, Junior Clubmans, DD2, DD2 Masters, 125GP, X30, Clubmans, and Seniors. Racing starts at 8am. Julene Wood at julenewoodofficial@gmail.com
WESTERN CAPE
SATURDAY
Witzenberg Gymkhana , Sandy Point, St Helena Bay. Classes include Front Wheel Drive Cars: 1851cc and above, 1651cc to 1850cc, 1451cc to 1650cc and up to 1450cc; Rear Wheel Drive Cars: above 2051cc and up to 2050cc; Specials: 4x4, Turbo, Supercharged, Mid Engined, V8, Single Seaters, and Ladies. Racing starts at 10am. Pierre van der Westhuizen on 062-181-7327 or pbvdwest@telkomsa.net
Worcester Lions Blind Navigators Rally , Lions Service Centre, Klue Street, Worcester. Rally starts at 11am. Roger Manton at mantonrs@telkomsa.net
KWAZULU-NATAL
SATURDAY
Club Enduro - Xtreme Powasol Big 5 Round 2, The Nest, Estcourt. Racing starts at 8.15am. Brenda Mills on 031-701-8647 or info@powasol.co.za
NMCC Club Rally Sprints , Mooiplaats, Dalton. Classes include S2, S3 and Stock. Racing starts at 12.30pm. Annette Stow at astow@polka.co.za
INTERNATIONAL
Chinese F1 Grand Prix - Shanghai, China
World Superbikes - Assen, The Netherlands
E-mail your event to Jesse Adamsto be part of this listing.
THURSDAY 14 APRIL
Ignition TV:
8pm: Drive It! The team brings you highlights from one of the world's oldest motor shows in New York. Subaru adds a dash of individuality to the compact segment with the Impreza
SuperSport 2 & HD2:
12.30am: Absolute F1, China
7.30am: Absolute F1, China
SuperSport 6 & HD6:
12.30am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix, Austin, Texas - MotoGP
1.30am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix, Austin, Texas - Moto2
2.30am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix, Austin, Texas - Moto3
SuperSport 7 & HD7:
8pm: The Grid
8.30pm: Inside GP, China
SuperSport 8:
2am: RPM
8.30am: RPM
9am: 2WheelsTV
9.30am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix, Austin, Texas -Moto3
10.30am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix, Austin, Texas -Moto2
11.30am: United States Motorcycle Grand Prix, Austin, Texas -
11pm: V8 Supercars, Round 2
FRIDAY
SuperSport 6 & HD6:
2.20am: Absolute F1, China
3.20am: Inside GP, China
3.50am: Chinese F1 Grand Prix, Shanghai - Practice 1 Live
5.50am: V8 Supercars, Round 2
7.50am: Chinese F1 Grand Prix, Shanghai - Practice 2 Live
9.40am: The Grid
7pm: Inside GP, China
7.30pm: The Grid
SuperSport 8:
Noon: RPM
3.30pm: 2WheelsTV
4pm: RPM
7.30pm: Kings of Dirt
SATURDAY
SuperSport 2 & HD2:
1.30am: Inside GP, China
SuperSport 5 & HD5:
5.15am: The Grid
5.50am: Chinese F1 Grand Prix, Shanghai - Practice 3 Live
7.20am: Absolute F1, China
8.20am: Inside GP, China
8.50am: Chinese F1 Grand Prix, Shanghai - Qualifying Live
10.15am: World Superbikes, Assen - Superpole Live
11.15am: World Superbikes, Assen - WSS Qualifying Live
12.30pm: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 1 Live
SuperSport 6 & HD6:
12.30am: Absolute F1, China
1.30am: Inside GP, China
2am: V8 Supercars, Round 2
SuperSport 7 & HD7:
6pm: Chinese F1 Grand Prix, Shanghai - Qualifying
SuperSport 8:
2am: Kings of Dirt
10.30am: Kings of Dirt
6.30pm: Nascar Xfinity Series, Live
9pm: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 1
SUNDAY
SuperSport 2 & HD2:
4am: World Superbikes, Assen - Superpole
5am: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 1
SuperSport 6 & HD6:
Midnight: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 1
5am: Absolute F1, China
6am: Inside GP, China
6.30am: Chinese F1 Grand Prix, Shanghai - Qualifying
7.30am: Chinese F1 Grand Prix, Shanghai - Live
6pm: Inside GP, China
6.30pm: Chinese F1 Grand Prix, Shanghai - Grand Prix
SuperSport 7 & HD7:
10am: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 1
11am: World Superbikes, Assen - Supersport Live
12.30pm: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 2 Live
2pm: World Superbikes, Assen - Superstock 1000 Live
9.45pm: World Superbikes, Assen - Supersport
10.45pm: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 1
11.45pm: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 2
SuperSport 8:
7pm: Nascar Sprint Cup, Live
10.30pm: IndyCar Series, Live
MONDAY
SuperSport 5 & HD5:
7.30pm: Chinese F1 Grand Prix, Shanghai - Grand Prix
SuperSport 6 & HD6:
4am: V8 Supercars, Round 2
10.25am: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 1
11.25am: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 2
SuperSport 7 & HD7:
1am: Nascar Sprint Cup
SuperSport 8:
4am: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 1
5am: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 2
8am: Kings of Dirt
10am: V8 Supercars, Round 2
Noon: IndyCar Series
2pm: Kings of Dirt
TUESDAY
Ignition TV:
8.30pm: Tuned in SA: We have something totally different for you this week; Jade hits the tar in a Toyota Hilux Arctic Truck. We bring you a peak into the world of custom bikes and our winner's car takes one more step towards completion.
SuperSport 6 & HD6:
6am: Nascar Sprint Cup
8am: IndyCar Series
SuperSport 7 & HD7:
Midnight: Nascar Sprint Cup
2am: IndyCar Series
SuperSport 8:
3.15pm: Kings of Dirt
7pm: 2WheelsTV
9pm: Nascar Sprint Cup Highlights
10pm: IndyCar Series Highlights
SuperSport 9:
3.10am: RPM
3.40am: Kings of Dirt
Noon: RPM
WEDNESDAY
SuperSport 6 & HD6:
12.30am: World Superbikes, Assen - Supersport
1.30am: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 1
2.30am: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 2
3.30am: IndyCar Series Highlights
7am: World Superbikes, Assen - Supersport
8am: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 1
9am: World Superbikes, Assen - Race 2
SuperSport 8:
12.30am: 2WheelsTV
6am: 2WheelsTV
7am: IndyCar Series Highlights
Noon: IndyCar Series
2pm: 2WheelsTV
The times listed here are as supplied by SuperSport, but are subject to change without notice.
Rob ‘happy I found my motivation’
Rob Kardashian has lost 50lbs.
The sock designer currently weighs 248.4lbs, down from his heaviest weight of 298lbs, but wants to lose another 50lbs before his fiancée Blac Chyna's birthday in May.
He wrote on Instagram: "Looking from where I started 298lbs to my current weight now 248.4lbs. I'm focused and determined to reach my goal weight 200-205lbs .... Happy I found my motivation."
A photo posted by ROBERT KARDASHIAN (@robkardashian) on Apr 11, 2016 at 1:15pm PDT
And it is believed his motivation is his fiancée, who he recently proposed to after a whirlwind romance.
Last week Blac, 27, revealed she was planning to get Rob in shape by her 28th birthday on May 11.
Rob, 29, has battled for his weight for some time and contracted diabetes, and his sister Khloe Kardashian revealed last month he has been working on his fitness.
The 31-year-old beauty said: "He's working on his fitness journey right now and so, I'm just really happy that he's living this mantra that I preach every day."
Rob's family are said to be less than thrilled about his engagement, and are reportedly unconvinced it will last as he previously professed his undying love for exes Rita Ora and Adrienne Bailon.
Bang Showbiz
Kylie Jenner ‘always knew’ Cait was trans
The 18-year-old reality TV star admitted that she was aware her father - who was known as Bruce Jenner before her gender transition - wanted to become a woman but that they never spoke about it.
Credit: Instagram/Kylie Jenner
American reality television personality Kylie Jenner, 18.Speaking to Marie Claire she said: "I've always known. It was a secret we just couldn't talk about."
Meanwhile, Kylie previously admitted she likes Caitlyn "better" than Bruce and claimed the pair have a stronger bond now that there's no longer a "huge secret" between them.
She said: "I like her better than Bruce. We talk about make-up and clothes.
"We bond a lot more, but not only that. I feel like there's not a huge secret in the family. I feel like there was always this big secret.
"Honestly, like I'd be with my girlfriends sometimes and he would come in and be like what are you guys talking about and kind of joke around and I knew there was something, but now I feel like we hang out a lot more there's no secrets.
Now Kylie is hopeful her acceptance of the 'I Am Cait' star will help inspire other young people.
She said: "She's really living her authentic true self. And I feel like that's awesome and also I want to be someone from my generation to like be an example because I think that's so awesome.
"I think that other girls and boys my age will maybe see that I'm so accepting and be accepting of other people too."
Bang Showbiz
Come May 25, Apple to stop children's iTunes allowance
No more iTunes Allowance for kids--the service is soon to be terminated.
A feature of the iTunes store that lets parents give their kids virtual pocket money to spend is now being nixed.
Apple is phasing out a feature that let parents give their kids virtual pocket money to spend on apps and music.
But it's not because children haven't been doing their chores or have been letting their grades slip. According to the company, an iTunes Allowance is no longer necessary since Apple introduced Family Sharing features on iPads and iPhones.
Thanks to headlines regarding children running up huge bills via in-app purchases or through playing with parents' devices, Apple introduced a way to stop accidental spending while allowing children some digital freedom.
Family Sharing allows the parental account holder to sign off on potential purchases made by other family members on other devices or to buy apps or content on their own device that they can then pass on to their children.
Therefore, all remaining balances will need to be cleared, moved or spent before May 25 when iTunes Allowance is shuttered.
MTV Movie Awards: all the winners
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' was the big winner at the MTV Movie Awards in Burbank, California on Sunday.
Credit: EPA
Charlize Theron won best female performance for playing Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road at the MTV Movie Awards. Picture: Nina PrommerThe JJ Abrams-directed effort was named Movie of the Year at the star-studded event, while one of the much-hyped film's central performers, Daisy Ridley, took home the Breakthrough Performance gong.
What's more, Adam Driver was named the best villain for his own starring role in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', which was released to critical and commercial acclaim in late 2015.
Elsewhere, the event - which was hosted by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Kevin Hart - also recognised the efforts of 'Deadpool' and 'Pitch Perfect 2', which each claimed two awards.
Meanwhile, 'Straight Outta Compton' won the coveted Best True Story prize.
Charlize Theron, 'Mad Max: Fury Road'
Amy Poehler, 'Inside Out'
Chris Pratt, 'Jurassic World'
'Straight Outta Compton'
Ryan Reynolds, 'Deadpool'
Leonardo DiCaprio, 'The Revenant'
Daisy Ridley, 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'
Rebel Wilson and Adam DeVine, 'Pitch Perfect 2'
Jennifer Lawrence, 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 2'
Adam Driver, 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'
'Pitch Perfect 2'
'Amy'
Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) vs. Ajax (Ed Skrein), 'Deadpool'
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'
Bang Showbiz
Here's how Kareena Kapoor Khan took Instagram by storm!
Kareena Kapoor Khan took to the popular photo-sharing app, Instagram on 'Vogue' magazine's page (PTI - Image Courtsey)
Kareena Kapoor Khan took over the Instagram page of 'Vogue India' on Wednesday, making her debut in the world of social media.
Kareena Kapoor Khan, who has always kept her hands away from the social media, recently made her selfie-debut on photo-sharing app, Instagram.
The 35-year-old actress took over the Instagram page of popular fashion magazine, Vogue shared her first selfie. Along with the snap, the Bajrangi Bhaijaan star wrote, "Hello, Vogue's Insta crew! My first steps into social media today, can't wait for all your digi love! #KareenaKapoorKhanForVogue."
Kareena looked like a dream in the peach gown for a Lakme India photoshoot as the Ki & Ka actress took to the social networking site for the first time. Check out her posts here!
ALSO READ Check out Kareena Kapoor Khan's non-glam look in 'Udta Punjab'!
A photo posted by VOGUE India (@vogueindia)on Apr 12, 2016 at 11:10pm PDT
A photo posted by VOGUE India (@vogueindia)on Apr 13, 2016 at 1:14am PDT
A photo posted by VOGUE India (@vogueindia)on Apr 13, 2016 at 4:25am PDT
Kareena will be next seen in Udta Punjab alongside Shahid Kapoor, Punjabi actor Diljit Dosanjh and Alia Bhatt. She is playing a doctor and when her look was revealed on Thursday on Twitter , began to trend instantly. Udta Punjab, based on the drug abuse crisis that has gripped Punjab in the recent times, is one of the most awaited movies of the year and will release on June 17.
(With inputs from ANI)
Kylie to reunite with Neighbours co-star
Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce are set to reunite, 30 years after they last worked together for, a new comedy film.
Credit: AFP
Australian singer, songwriter and actress Kylie Minogue, 47.The 'Spinning Around' hitmaker and the 'Iron Man 3' star - who appeared in the long-running soap 'Neighbours' together nearly three decades ago - have both jumped on board Stephan Elliott's forthcoming project 'Flammable Children'.
The talented duo - who were both raised Down Under - will be taken back to suburban Australia in October to begin shooting the comic feature film set in the country in 1975.
Elliott - who wrote and directed 'The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert' - has revealed the flick, which is loosely based on his parents, is about six families who were living in a classic Australian beach community 41 years ago.
He told the Daily Mail newspaper: "We were the generation that used to watch our parents get completely drunk on the newly invented cask wine. But they didn't know the ropes!"
Radha Mitchell is also set to join the picture but the director has revealed there are still several roles up for grabs.
Meanwhile, the forthcoming flick will no doubt bring back some fond memories for Kylie, 47, and Guy, 48, as they haven't worked together since they played Charlene Robinson and Mike Young in the Australian soap in 1988.
Bang Showbiz
Check out Kareena Kapoor Khan's non-glam look in 'Udta Punjab'!
Kareena Kapoor Khan plays a doctor in her upcoming film, 'Udta Punjab' (Balaji Motion Pictures' Twitter Handle - Image Courtesy)
Kareena Kapoor Khan will be playing a doctor and her non-glam avatar has received a great response from her fans!
After Shahid Kapoor and Diljit Dosanjh set our screens on fire and the excitement rising, it's Kareena Kapoor's look from the upcoming flick, Udta Punjab that has become the talk of the town . The 35-year-old actress looks completely different from her past characters as she dons a doctor's avatar.
The Ki and Ka star portrays the character of a doctor in the flick, who leaves a cushy life and moves to the heartland of Punjab to tackle the drug menace. The motion poster released for Kareena's look is already trending on Twitter .
Kareena kapoor khan !!!! #UdtaPubjab https://t.co/oaPiiUohDZ
ALSO READ Shahid Kapoor rocks the 'grunge-hot' look in 'Udta Punjab'!
— Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) April 14, 2016Alia Bhatt's look will surely be released next and all her fans are waiting for it with baited breath as she plays a Bihari migrant who aspires to be a hockey player in the film.
Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, Udta Punjab portrays the real issue of drug abuse the state of Punjab has been reeling under since last few years and is all set to release on June 17.
ALSO READ 'Udta Punjab' first look teaser gives a peek into the world of drugs and music
(With inputs from ANI)
Bangalore Naatkal' review: This remake doesn't measure up to the original Malayalam superhit
'Bangalore Naatkal' review: This remake doesn't measure up to the original Malayalam superhit
MOVIE REVIEW: Z For Zachariah
Z FOR ZACHARIAH
DIRECTOR: Craig Zobel
CAST: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine
CLASSIFICATION: 10-12 PG
RUNNING TIME: 98 minutes
RATING: 3 stars (out of 5)
Theresa Smith
WITH a very slow hand, director Craig Zobel has taken Robert O’Brien’s 1970s teen lit and turned it into a melancholic adult story for the millennial.
Chiwetel Ejiofor and Margot Robbie in Z For Zachariah
WITH a very slow hand, director Craig Zobel has taken Robert O’Brien’s 1970s teen lit and turned it into a melancholic adult story for the millennial. Post-apocalyptic love triangles have become their own sub-genre though this one stays firmly in the PG territory. It emphasises nuance over OTT emotional angst, pitting religion against science and shows us how, when there are more than two humans around, trust becomes an issue.
What used to be a story about possibly the last man and woman on earth is now a love triangle in a secluded US valley shielded from a nuclear disaster.
Young Ann Burden (Robbie) has been patiently eking out a lonely existence on her family farm, living God’s will, when down the road comes strolling John Loomis (Ejiofor). A scientist who knows more about what happened than he cares to admit, Loomis thinks he has found paradise in the fecund, very green valley and Ann.
She nurses him through a bout of radiation sickness and a friendship forms, but this deepening relationship is thrown offkilter by the appearance of a younger stranger in the form of ever-so-slightly weasel-like Caleb (Pine).
This youngster is not only more age appropriate to the young Ann but, like her, is rather religious, something that makes the more pragmatic Loomis roll his eyes.
While the book was in the format of a diary, the film is a coherent third-person story that manages to wring every bit of drama out of the fairly simple set-up. The film remains a story about trust, emphasising the power dynamic between the three that is predicated on who has knowledge and who doesn’t.
As religion versus science parables go, it gets by on some fairly obvious plotting – it relies on the emotional current running between the three to show how honesty, forgiveness and power become troubling issues because the three don’t see the world in the same way, even if the world is not what it used to be. Even when the world has literally ended, being human means having all those same insecurities and worries as before because you are still you.
Ejiofor is charming as the older scientist who represents not only the power of science, but the insidious charm of power and how corrupting that can be. Robbie quietly and unflashily creates an innocent who nonetheless has her doubts about becoming an Eve and starting the cycle all over again, and all three can do with a nod and a look what lesser actors struggle to do in entire films – show internal emotion without having to say what they feel.
The pleasant tone of the first half of the film in which Zobel takes his time to set up their daily routine and allow Loomis and Ann the space to celebrate small accomplishments and grow a relationship, is contrasted by a tense and foreboding second half once Caleb puts in an appearance.
Z for Zachariah is restrained, ambiguous and mercifully free of CGI, asking questions rather than presenting you with answers. Even when it feels a bit contrived in the end, you appreciate the quiet.
If you liked The Quiet Earth, you will like this.
MOVIE REVIEW: Macbeth
MACBETH
DIRECTOR: Justin Kurzel
CAST: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Paddy Consadine, David Thewlis, Jack Reynor, Elizabeth Debicki
CLASSIFICATION: 13 V
RUNNING TIME: 113 minutes
RATING: 3 stars (out of 5)
Theresa Smith
Beautifully filmed, this is the shortest version of Macbeth I have ever seen.
Credit: jonathanolley.co.uk
Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender in Macbeth. Photography by Jonathan OlleyBeautifully filmed, this is the shortest version of Macbeth I have ever seen. The Bard’s Scottish play has been truncated for Justin Kurzel’s film version, ditching several key lines and changing some of the original plot.
The three witches still preside over the tragedy, but now they are joined by a fourth little one, who references a child we see Macbeth (Fassbender) and his wife (Cotillard) bury right at the beginning of the film. This particular reference to their childless state is an important theme that remains from the original source material, and is heavily emphasised.
Adam Arkapaw’s cinematography greatly adds to a very ominous atmosphere and the film starts in uncanny mist and ends in eerie smoke, putting you in the middle of a filthy, rain-soaked, Scotland where clearly bad things are about to happen. The battles are nasty and bloody with lots of slow-motion shots and the music is foreboding.
Macbeth fulfils his duty as the Thane of Glamis to fight on behalf of King Duncan and wins an important battle, setting off a chain of events which ends in tragedy. He takes heed of a trio of witches’ prophecy he will one day be king and tries to hurry the happy event along.
Thankfully, all of this is apparent in the imagery of the scenes, because if you just listened to this film without the visuals, you would be lost very quickly.
We see Macbeth the fearless warrior, but don’t quite get that he is ambitious, just that he is really fierce and spends most of his time on the battlefield. Lady Macbeth speaking in a French accent actually makes sense – it would have been a possiblity at the time – and Cotillard comes across as dutiful wife, but her whole going mad and then killing herself bit is lacking.
The language remains the old English we know from our books and some of the actors come off better than others. If you are familiar with the tale it makes sense, but anyone unfamiliar with the plot and dialogue is going to struggle to make sense of the convoluted lines.
Fassbender slips between a few poetic lines which make sense and lots of lines that just don’t scan at all. He and Cotillard are both so careful about what they are saying that the story feels staged rather than lived in, because they come across as saying lines, not feeling all ambitious and cunning and guilty about their actions.
While the look of the film brilliantly sets the scene – it is the Scottish moors of old and life is vicious so you have to grab it by the horns and make of it what you will – the actual storyline never makes you feel anything other than awe for the gorgeous visual background.
If you liked, Ralph Fiennes’ Coriolanus, you will like this.
MOVIE REVIEW: Z For Zachariah
Z FOR ZACHARIAH
DIRECTOR: Craig Zobel
CAST: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine
CLASSIFICATION: 10-12 PG
RUNNING TIME: 98 minutes
RATING: 3 stars (out of 5)
Theresa Smith
WITH a very slow hand, director Craig Zobel has taken Robert O’Brien’s 1970s teen lit and turned it into a melancholic adult story for the millennial.
Chiwetel Ejiofor and Margot Robbie in Z For Zachariah
WITH a very slow hand, director Craig Zobel has taken Robert O’Brien’s 1970s teen lit and turned it into a melancholic adult story for the millennial. Post-apocalyptic love triangles have become their own sub-genre though this one stays firmly in the PG territory. It emphasises nuance over OTT emotional angst, pitting religion against science and shows us how, when there are more than two humans around, trust becomes an issue.
What used to be a story about possibly the last man and woman on earth is now a love triangle in a secluded US valley shielded from a nuclear disaster.
Young Ann Burden (Robbie) has been patiently eking out a lonely existence on her family farm, living God’s will, when down the road comes strolling John Loomis (Ejiofor). A scientist who knows more about what happened than he cares to admit, Loomis thinks he has found paradise in the fecund, very green valley and Ann.
She nurses him through a bout of radiation sickness and a friendship forms, but this deepening relationship is thrown offkilter by the appearance of a younger stranger in the form of ever-so-slightly weasel-like Caleb (Pine).
This youngster is not only more age appropriate to the young Ann but, like her, is rather religious, something that makes the more pragmatic Loomis roll his eyes.
While the book was in the format of a diary, the film is a coherent third-person story that manages to wring every bit of drama out of the fairly simple set-up. The film remains a story about trust, emphasising the power dynamic between the three that is predicated on who has knowledge and who doesn’t.
As religion versus science parables go, it gets by on some fairly obvious plotting – it relies on the emotional current running between the three to show how honesty, forgiveness and power become troubling issues because the three don’t see the world in the same way, even if the world is not what it used to be. Even when the world has literally ended, being human means having all those same insecurities and worries as before because you are still you.
Ejiofor is charming as the older scientist who represents not only the power of science, but the insidious charm of power and how corrupting that can be. Robbie quietly and unflashily creates an innocent who nonetheless has her doubts about becoming an Eve and starting the cycle all over again, and all three can do with a nod and a look what lesser actors struggle to do in entire films – show internal emotion without having to say what they feel.
The pleasant tone of the first half of the film in which Zobel takes his time to set up their daily routine and allow Loomis and Ann the space to celebrate small accomplishments and grow a relationship, is contrasted by a tense and foreboding second half once Caleb puts in an appearance.
Z for Zachariah is restrained, ambiguous and mercifully free of CGI, asking questions rather than presenting you with answers. Even when it feels a bit contrived in the end, you appreciate the quiet.
If you liked The Quiet Earth, you will like this.
PanamaPapers: Film stars named in leak
#PanamaPapers: Film stars named in leak
Bollywood's Amitabh Bachchan and martial arts movie star Jackie Chan are among celebrities who featured on Monday in a massive leak of documents, some of which reveal hidden offshore assets.
Credit: REUTERS
Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai poses on the red carpet as she arrives for the screening of the film "Deux jours, une nuit" (Two Days, One Night) in competition at the 67th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes May 20, 2014. Photo: REUTERS/Regis DuvignauBollywood legend Bachchan, simply known as the “Big B” in India, was appointed director of at least four shipping companies registered in offshore tax havens and set up 23 years ago.
The authorised capital of these companies ranged from just $5 000 to $50 000 but they traded in ships worth millions of dollars, according to the Indian Express newspaper.
The Express is among more than 100 media groups which have investigated a massive leak of 11.5 million documents from Mossack Fonseca, a Panama-based law firm with offices in 35 countries.
Bachchan, who has long since resigned from the companies and has not commented on the documents, is not the only member of his famous family named in the leaks.
His daughter-in-law, actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, was also director and shareholder of an offshore company, along with members of her family, before it was thought to have been wound up in 2008, according to the newspaper.
The media adviser of the former Miss World winner has rejected the documents as “totally untrue and false”.
As with many of Fonseca's clients, there is no evidence that the Bollywood A-listers used their companies for improper purposes and having an offshore entity is not illegal.
But the documents, naming more than 500 Indians including real estate tycoons in Fonseca's list of offshore companies, foundations and trusts, come at a sensitive time in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has vowed to crack down on the “menace” of so-called black money - vast sums stashed abroad to keep them secret from Indian tax authorities.
Hong Kong film star Jackie Chan has also been revealed to have at least six companies represented by Fonseca's firm, though he too may have used the companies legitimately for business purposes rather than for tax avoidance.
The stash of records was obtained from an anonymous source by German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung and shared with media worldwide. The documents, from around 214 000 offshore entities, cover almost 40 years.
AFP
MOVIE REVIEW: 10 Cloverfield Lane
10 Cloverfield Lane
DIRECTOR: Dan Trachtenberg
CAST: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr
CLASSIFICATION: 13V
RUNNING TIME: 104 minutes
RATING: 4 stars (out of 5)
Theresa Smith
SMART, tense and surprisingly pared down, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a very entertaining take on the claustrophobic thriller.
Credit: Michele K. Short
John Gallagher Jr as Emmett, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Michelle in 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE, by Paramount PicturesSMART, tense and surprisingly pared down, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a very entertaining take on the claustrophobic thriller. It keeps you on the edge of the seat and then when you think you’ve figured out what is going on, it chucks you right off the chair.
The basic set-up is that pretty young thing Michelle wakes up in Howard’s (Goodman) cellar after a horrible accident. Howard, a very serious doomsday prepper, insists that he has saved her from a horrible end because the world out there has gone madly poisonous. Confirming that is Emmett (Gallagher), who says he saw that something bad had happened and wormed his way into the shelter.
As the three settle into a routine of sorts, Michelle remains suspicious of Howard’s motives and director Dan Trachtenberg (helped along by editor Stefan Grube) doles out the story at just the right pace to keep you questioning whether he is a psycho or a good Samaritan.
Goodman is great as the man with the key to outside – by turns menacing and sweetly magnanimous, he sets himself up in a sort of father role, creating their schedule, keeping the peace. He sticks to a very thin line between coming across as deceitful and caring and keeps you guessing. He gives us both Monsters University Goodman and Inside Llewellyn in overdrive Goodman – so we knew he could do it, but both at the same time? That’s scary.
Winstead gives us a smart heroine who keeps her head as she tries to make sense of her circumstances, constantly weighing up what she hears versus what she sees.
Gallagher JR is a tiny third wheel in comparison to the other two, but he does well as the doubting Thomas who makes Michelle question her every thought.
We experience the story very much from her point of view as she tries to piece together what has happened and questions everything. Every turn of a lock, every sideways glance, even something as simple as one person talking to another gains a sheen of horror because you can read it two ways. You think you know what is going on, but like Michelle you vacillate between the clues.
Bear McReary’s unrelenting soundtrack is by turns foreboding and lulling and the bunker is a veritable treasure trove of kitch – from the duck shower curtain to the jukebox – but what does it all mean?
10 Cloverfield Lane goes off in another direction once Michelle figures out what is going on and it really gives the game away to discuss, so suffice it to say this genre mash up works as long as you go into it blind. If you like suspense, don’t watch the trailer, just go watch the movie. Twists and turns work best when you don’t see them coming and it is rare for a film to arrive on circuit with much hoopla that doesn’t actually give the game away.
If you liked 2008’s Cloverfield’s tense atmosphere, you will love this.
Judi Dench breaks Olivier Awards record
Dame Judi Dench has won a record-breaking eighth Olivier Award.
Credit: Joel Ryan/Invision/AP
Dame Judi Dench holds her Best Actress in a Supporting Role award for her performance in the play 'The Winter's Tale' at the Olivier Awards in London, Sunday, April 3, 2016. Picture: Joel Ryan, APThe veteran actress picked up Best Supporting Actress for her role as Paulina in 'The Winter's Tale' at Sunday evening’ s ceremony at London's Royal Opera House, and her win means she has now been honoured more than anyone else since the awards - which recognise excellence in theatre - began 40 years ago.
But the 81-year-old star joked she was “livid” to have won, as it meant she had lost a bet with her grandson.
Taking to the stage, she said: “Ladies and gentlemen, I'm absolutely livid as I had a bet with my grandson ... and I'm never going to be able to forget it.”
She went on to praise the “really fantastic company and crew and stage management”, and added of the award: “It's lovely to have, but in actual fact it belongs to all those people just as much as it belongs to me.”
Elsewhere at the MasterCard-sponsored ceremony, 'Gypsy' was the big winner with four prizes, including Best Actress in a Musical and Best Supporting Actress in a musical for Imelda Staunton and Lara Pulver respectively, as well as Best Musical Revival and Best Lighting Design.
Imelda had opened the ceremony with a rendition of 'Everything's Coming Up Roses' while other performers included Cyndi Lauper - whose production 'Kinky Boots' was named Best New Musical - and Jack Savoretti.
In celebration of the ceremony's 40th anniversary, the finale saw 15 past Olivier winners, including Maria Friedman, Ruthie Henshall and Jill Halfpenny, perform 'What I Did for Love', which features in the first-ever Best New Musical winner, 'A Chorus Line'.
Michael Ball was the evening's host.
Olivier Awards with MasterCard 2016 full list of winners:
Best New Musical:
'Kinky Boots' at Adelphi Theatre
Best Musical Revival:
'Gypsy' at Savoy Theatre
Best Actor in a Musical:
Matt Henry for 'Kinky Boots'
Best Actress in a Musical:
Imelda Staunton for 'Gypsy' at Savoy Theatre
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical:
David Bedella for 'In The Heights' at King's Cross Theatre
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical:
Lara Pulver for 'Gypsy' at Savoy Theatre
Best New Play:
'Hangmen' at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and Wyndham's Theatre
Best Actor:
Kenneth Cranham for 'The Father'
Best Actress:
Denise Gough for 'People, Places And Things' at National Theatre, Dorfman
Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Mark Gatiss for 'Three Days In The Country' at National Theatre, Lyttelton
Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Judi Dench for 'The Winter's Tale' at Garrick Theatre
Best Revival:
'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' at National Theatre, Lyttelton
Best New Comedy:
'Nell Gwynn'
Best Director:
Robert Icke for 'Oresteia' at Almeida Theatre
Best Entertainment and Family:
'Showstopper! The Improvised Musical' at Apollo Theatre
Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre:
Pat Kinevane and Fishamble for 'Silent' at Soho Theatre
Best Theatre Choreographer:
Drew McOnie for 'In The Heights' at King's Cross Theatre
Outstanding Achievement in Music:
'In The Heights' - Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda at King's Cross Theatre
Best Lighting Design:
Mark Henderson for 'Gypsy' at Savoy Theatre
Best Sound Design:
Tom Gibbons for 'People, Places And Things' at National Theatre, Dorfman
Best Costume Design:
Gregg Barnes for 'Kinky Boots' at Adelphi Theatre
Best Set Design:
Anna Fleischle for 'Hangmen' at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and Wyndham's Theatre
Best New Opera Production:
'Cavalleria Rusticana'/'Pagliacci' at Royal Opera House
Outstanding Achievement in Opera:
English National Opera Chorus and Orchestra for 'The Force Of Destiny', 'Lady Macbeth Of Mtsensk' and 'The Queen Of Spades' at London Coliseum
Best New Dance Production:
'Woolf Works' by Wayne McGregor at Royal Opera House
Outstanding Achievement in Dance:
Alessandra Ferri for her performances in 'Chéri' and 'Woolf Works' at Royal Opera House
Bang Showbiz
Megan Fox pregnant with third child
Megan Fox is pregnant with her third child.
Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Megan Fox, left, and Will Arnett, cast members in 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows' take the stage during the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon 2016 at Caesars Palace on April 11, 2016 in Las Vegas. Photo: Chris izzello/Invision/APThe 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' star debuted her baby bump in a stunning Versace dress as she walked the red carpet at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, E! News reports.
The 29-year-old actress already has sons Noah, three, and Bodhi, two, with her estranged husband Brian Austin Green and whilst the pair filed for divorce in August last year, they have remained close and have been regularly spotted enjoying days out with their kids and on their own.
Meanwhile, Megan previously opened up about her two children, revealing she bans them from using technology.
She said: "I hesitate just because ... I try not to expose them to technology. It's hard to make them super nerds if I don't let them watch television or movies, or get on an iPhone or an iPad. So right now, I'm making my kids into artistic nature-hippies. We'll see what happens. At some point, they'll choose what they want to be.
"It's only challenging as a parent because so many people use that as a babysitter, and they're like, 'I just need an hour to clean the dishes - watch this movie or play Angry Birds on my phone.' It's actually really bad for their brain development, and I'm trying to breed, like, superheroes. I don't want them to get f***ed up brains. So I just suck it up, and it's hard, and one of us is always doing something. We don't get a lot of rest time, but I know it's better for them."
Bang Showbiz
Another international award for SA film
A GROUP of Pretoria-based advocates who own the film company Bosbok Ses Films have shown once again that they not only have sharp legal minds, but can also compete with the best international filmmakers.
Credit: Supplied
Nicola Breytenbach and Andrew Govender in a scene from 'Free State'. Picture: SuppliedTheir period drama feature, Free State, filmed in South Africa, has continued its winning streak by recently taking the honours for best cinematography at the Garden State Film Festival in New York.
The film, which is due to hit the box office in South Africa later this month, recently also scooped the Best Director award at the Luxor African Film Festival in Egypt.
Multi-award winning Pretoria-based director of the film, Sallas de Jager, son of senior advocate Piet de Jager, is thrilled with what the film has achieved thus far.
“This is an amazing accolade and we are really thrilled that our director of photography, Tom Marais, has been singled out for his amazing work on this film. It is testimony to Tom's dedication and passion for the medium of film. He has done us proud,” Sallas said.
He said to win is further proof that the complexities of our history resonate far beyond our borders and that our stories are universal.
Written and directed by Sallas, the film is set in the Free State province during the 1970s and examines the devastating consequences that an interracial relationship between an Afrikaans student and a handsome Indian man have on the couple and their respective families.
Free State is a collaboration between Bosbok Ses Films and Utkarsh Entertainment, in association with Indian-based company ParNam Entertainment.
Set in 1979 - the height of apartheid - it tells the story of an Afrikaans Free State woman and an Indian man who fall in love. Some of the scenes were shot in Laudium, west of Pretoria.
Bosbok Ses Films belongs to, among others, well-known advocates Piet de Jager, Rian Strydom, Jaap Cilliers and Step Guldenpfenning, of the Pretoria Bar.
Piet, who hung up his robes for a few days to attend the 5th Luxor African Film Festival with his son Sallas, said the award came as a great surprise.”In fact, I left the proceedings early to do some sightseeing and missed the announcement.”
According to Piet, they suspected they might win an award in New York, as the organisers offered to fly Tom out there and put him up in a hotel. But Tom was unfortunately in hospital at the time for an operation.
Stars of the film, South African-born Nicola Breytenbach, who now lives in New York and works as a model, and former Mr South Africa, Andrew Govender, who plays the love of her life in the film, attended the ceremony.
The film is due to be released in South Africa on April 27, Freedom Day.
Sallas and his team are meanwhile already filming their next movie, for which he also wrote the screenplay. It is a serious comedy about a middle-class young man who became a car guard after he was kicked out of his parental home. Filming is taking place around the Moot, in Pretoria, this week .
Nicola Breytenbach and Andrew Govender in a scene from Free State.
The Star
Watch: New teaser of the Tamil remake of 'Bangalore Days'
A still from 'Bangalore Naatkal'
The Tamil remake of the superhit film Malayalam film 'Bangalore Days' has been titled 'Bangalore Naatkal'.
It's finally here! The teaser of the the Tamil remake of this hit Malayalam film was just released. Bangalore Days was originally directed by Anjali Menon in Malayalam while in Tamil it is director Bhaskar. The Tamil film has been titled Bangaalore Naatkal and the cast has many prominent actors including Arya, Sri Divya, Bobby Simha, Rana Daggubati, Raai Laxmi, Parvathy and Samantha.
The teaser shows that the movie has a very colourful and vibrant look and the actors look very fresh as well. The music for the film is by Gopi Sunder who did the music for the original film as well.
The film is about three cousins and what happens in Bangalore when they go for a trip there. The movie touches on people and relationships and was a big hit in Malayalam. Even those who didn't know the language watched Anjali Menon's film as it resonated with everyone.
Watch the teaser here:
Rob and Blac to sell rights to wedding
Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna want to sell the rights to their wedding.
The 29-year-old sock designer and his 27-year-old model fiancée have been inundated with offers to air their upcoming nuptials on TV and the couple are keen; for the right price.
A source told PEOPLE: "Rob and Chyna are definitely looking to tape their wedding.
"They are figuring out the best situation and the best deal. They are in no rush, and will be tough negotiators."
The move is surprising as reclusive Rob has stepped back from the spotlight over the past few years and no longer even appears with his family on their reality TV show, 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians'.
However, the money has tempted Rob as he and Blac are being offered a reported $500,000 for their forthcoming wedding, along with $150,000 per episode to film the run up to the big day.
Rob only popped the question to the 27-year-old model last week following a whirlwind three months romance but the pair aren't wasting any time and are hoping to tie the knot as soon as next year in front of their friends and family.
Bang Showbiz
Kendall is not Harry's girlfriend: Report
The on/off couple recently fuelled speculation that they have reconciled after a picture emerged of them on a shopping trip together in Los Angeles last week and sources close to the pair insist there is still a spark between them.
Credit: John Davisson/Invision/AP
Harry Styles of One Direction performs at 106.1 KISS FM's iHeartRadio Jingle Ball at American Airlines Center, in Dallas. Photo by John Davisson/Invision/APAn insider told E! News that they have been "hanging out again" and are "off and on".
The source added: "Kendall is not Harry's girlfriend, but there's still something there. [The reconnection is] very recent.
"Kendall is very private about it and doesn't like to talk about Harry. Harry adores her and is very cute with her."
Kendall, 20 and 22-year-old Harry were first linked in 2013 and enjoyed a Caribbean holiday together after Christmas 2015.
However, it was recently reported that Kendall has been secretly dating basketball star Jordan Clarkson.
A source claimed recently: "They have been secretly dating for months and they are super into each other.
"He is super sweet and a total gentleman and Kendall loves that."
The same insider said Harry was unwilling to commit his future to Kendall.
The source said: "She really likes Harry but he's like any other young rock star and has trouble committing."
Bang Showbiz
Guy Buttery talks to Tonight
Guitar maestro Guy Buttery talks to Munya Vomo about his music and his new album
When you get hold of Guy Buttery’s latest self-titled album, don’t miss the text in the sleeve which explains that the album was made in some of the most unusual places you could find.
Credit: madphotodesign/Facebook
Guy Buttery. Photo: madphotodesign/FacebookWhen you get hold of Guy Buttery’s latest self-titled album, don’t miss the text in the sleeve which explains that the album was made in some of the most unusual places you could find. In pursuit of that specific sound that he could only hear in his mind, the guitar maestro built makeshift studios away from big cities. Any material that was made outside these temporary structures came from contributions of other artists.
“I found a lot of studios to be quite sterile. You try to be in a soundproof place where you protect yourself from outside sounds and I understand those dynamics. But on this album I decided to record in a lot of spaces, from Grammy Award-winning studios to makeshift studios. It was recorded in the US, France, Italy, the UK, Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town,” said Buttery.
“Each artist featured here was recorded in their own time. Vusi Mahlasela was recorded in his home town and the guy from Italy was recorded in his bedroom. I largely left the other musicians’ contributions to themselves.”
For 15 years, Buttery has been making instrumental music with a variety of guitars from all over the world but to date he has no name for his genre.
“It’s hard for me to define. I don’t care about being defined as an acoustic musician or world musician. I feel that the beauty of music is in the ears of a certain beholder. I think classifying it affects the way that people consume the music. I don’t want to taint anyone’s own experience,” he said.
With or without the genre specifications, the current album is already doing well, locally and internationally.
“The record is playing on US radio and they seem to place it towards world music. Yet for me, world music is supposed to be traditional and there is nothing traditional about what I do.
“There are classical elements, Indian and Maskandi ones, in my music but I would be insulting all of them if I say that I do them,” explained the multi-instrumentalist.
With standard songs that have lyrics, there is almost a feasible formula when it comes to songwriting. It is a very different case when it comes to instrumentals and Buttery shared his process.
“There is almost zero formula in terms of how I make music. It all comes out of me ad libbing on the guitar. Sometimes the ad libs happen over two years and in some cases over two hours. For example, Floop, a song off this new album, was written in under 10 minutes. I came up with these chords that agreed with each other and it worked. What’s cool for me is that there are no sort of laws for me to make music,” said the musician.
But where do people play this music?
“Some people use it for weddings. I get a varied number of reactions from my listeners. The cool thing, especially about instrumental music, is that it is open to listeners. A few years ago, I saw Vusi Mahlasela at Oppikoppi and there was an elderly Afrikaans guy next to me in the crowd who sang along to every Sepedi lyric that was being sung as tears dropped down his cheeks. It made me think how every piece of music can form a million different kind of emotions. It’s up to the listener to choose (how) they interpret it,” he said.
You also can’t help but wonder, with the layers of different sounds on each song, if Buttery has toyed with scoring for the screen.
“I have done a bit of music scoring for TV and film and that seems to be on the rise now. Last year alone I did music for four different productions. I have also worked in theatre. Sometimes music has a cinematic quality and so I take it as much as I can,” he said.
In terms of the other musicians featured on his album, Buttery describes the process as effortless.
“A lot of the collaborations happened organically although there were some pieces that I did with Vusi in mind. I didn’t know if it was going to be possible but I was really happy that he agreed to do it,” he said.
The tour for the album is under way.
“I started in Johannesburg and we are now doing Durban and Cape Town. I will be using a different group of artists at every gig,” he said.
Check out the tour dates at www.guybuttery.co.za/gigs
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