Following the hit, 2001's Cats and Dogs, a new team of filmmakers tried to copy the success of that American- Australian production. Done at a budget of US$60 mil­lion (RM186 million), Cats and Dogs grossed around US$200 million worldwide. Not bad. The charming idea of human's favourite pets work­ing as secret agents must have been very entertaining.

  YES, you heard right. Paramore is all set to rock Kuala Lumpur on Oct 19 at Bukit Jalil National Stadium. Brought in by prepaid mobile ser­vice Tune Talk, the rock band from Tennessee will be performing songs from their three albums at our shores after performing in several venues in Australia and New Zealand.

  Making others smile   SOME people gripe, some people moan - and some just don't care and bulldoze their way in. We're talking about buffet lines at buka puasa events.

Making others smile SOME people gripe, some people moan - and some just don't care and bulldoze their way in. We're talking about buffet lines at buka puasa events.

ROCK star by day and geeky love­struck husband by night. Japanese drama fans may re­member Yuichiro Sakuraba played by Nagase Tomoya, a character in the comedy-drama Mukodono, also known as My Son-in-Law/ The Husband. Sakuraba shines on stage in all his glamour glory while unbeknownst to fans, he is in fact a geek at heart off stage who loves baggy shirts and quar­ter pants, holds his hair back with a hairband, and wears glasses.

GET ready for the exciting return of The Amazing Race Asia Season 4 (TARA 4) with 10 new teams as they begin the most incredible journey of their lives. Set to premiere on AXN on Sept 23, TARA 4 showcases the ultimate engage­ment as the new racers from across Asia set out to prove their mettle, bringing their friendship, relationship and kin­ship to a brand new level.

While Avatar has managed to gross over US$2.7 billion (RM8.5 billion) at the worldwide box office late last year and early this year, it seems as if the producers are still not satisfied and released a 'special edition' just months after Avatar first concluded its run.

SPEND a little time with Estragon and Vladimir as they wait for the elusive Godot at Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) from today till Sept 5. Known as the most significant English language play of the 20th century, Waiting For Godot is the work of Irish avant-garde writer, dramatist and poet Samuel Beckett.

I was tempted to start this column the usual clichéd way: a cute story on how I was offered the job, how I rehashed my memories looking for a good anecdote and a seemingly profound lesson that was learnt, how I spent sleepless nights just thinking of a proper byline and pseudonym, and voila, a weekly column to challenge your intellect and tantalise your senses! The problem? I was never good with clichés.

Battle Studies, John Mayer, Sony Music • First impression/Expectation: Battle Studies was going to be another hit album by John Mayer. • The real thing: It was as good as predicted. Light, breezy and at the same time meaningful, the album consists of songs, mostly written by Mayer.

THIS coming Tuesday, Malaysians will rejoice, as not only is it a public holiday, but the auspicious date Aug 31 will mark our 53rd year anniversary celebrating the country's Independence. Merdeka! So people, fly your 'Jalur Gemilang', big or small, in front of your houses, on your cars or at your office cubicle! If you don't have a flag, buy one now! Go out and celebrate our freedom! However, if you're too tired to go out, it's completely understandable, what with the fasting, the heat and all.

WHEN you try to visualise Botswana, Africa, you'd probably picture a vast and dusty safari wonderland filled with beautiful wildlife, exotic tribes and quaint little huts.

STEP Up 3D breaks conventional boundaries of ur­ban dance flicks with cool moves and captivating 3D effects.

LEEHOM. The name alone is enough to turn heads and stop traffic. And why not? Already, he has been making head­lines for appearing at Usher's concert in Bejing as a special guest where the American star had taken the trouble to memorise Leehom's The Only One (Wei Yi) and perform it in Mandarin.

Uninvited and desperate THIS Ramadan has brought out the ugly in some members of the entertainment fraternity. As previously mentioned in Hear, Say... about gatecrashers at numerous industry breaking fast events, two other major events recently were dogged by this very problem. Both the Melodi Raya hosted by TV3 and Yok Sahur by Murai.com.my held on a Friday night, bore the brunt of freeloaders.

TAKE a whole new look into the world of Sting as he embarks on another musical project, remaking past hits of himself and his former band, The Police. The twist that he offers this time to fans, is that the songs are backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. His latest offering Symphonicities is Sting's 10th studio album and is released as a companion to his cur­rent tour of the same name in North America and Europe.

IT'S hard to pick a favourite among HBO's True Blood characters because quite honestly, they are all just really, re­ally good. Out of all the main characters however, it can't be argued that Lafay­ette Reynolds is the most entertaining. A charming character, Lafayette is very flamboyant in style, has an abso­lutely toxic but entertaining mouth and hilarious dialogues. To top it all off, he's also got a mysterious past, present and future.

AARON Kwok is not clowning around when he declared that Ronald McDonald was one of his muse for playing the role Sunny in City Under Siege. "I play a clown in a circus named Sunny, which requires me to bring laughter to people. But apart from being the circus clown, Sunny is also someone who is childlike in his action and think­ing, a character that I've never played before," he told the media at an interview recently.

ALTHOUGH she's still around eight months' pregnant today, the elegant Amber Chia was beaming with pride the day her other 'baby' was born. With a big smile on her face, Amber was happy and excited with the launch of the Am­ber Chia Academy which was set up af­ter she received many queries over the years from fans who have been asking on how to become a model.

MEMORIES made during recess at school would easily be the most re­membered experience for any stu­dent. It is during these 15 minutes that students meet friends from other classes, catch up with school gossip and let loose from the hours of learning in class.

IT wasn't just a memorable concert for Malaysian fans recently - it was also a walk down memory lane with the four familiar faces who have banded together to form the Big Four.

IT wasn't just a memorable concert for Malaysian fans recently - it was also a walk down memory lane with the four familiar faces who have banded together to form the Big Four.

LEGENDARY guitarist Slash had recent­ly proved his guitar playing prowess at Sunway Lagoon's Surf Beach on Thurs­day, Aug 5. Together with thousands of fans, the talented ex-guitarist of rock band Guns N' Roses rocked it out at the sandy con­cert venue, despite the threat of rain and sweltering heat.