5 Binge Worthy Netflix Shows That Will Make You Smarter

As the city faces another interruption to routine and productivity, many of us have become home-bound to our screens and itching for some mental stimulation. Since sifting through new shows can be overwhelming, we’ve compiled a list of 5 binge-worthy Netflix series that will make you smarter while still providing hours of entertainment.

Suits

Genre: Legal Drama

Witty and sophisticated, Suits follows college dropout, Mike Ross who accidentally lands himself a position at a New York law firm under charming and reputable corporate attorney, Harvey Specter.

100 Humans

Genre: Reality, Psychology, Comedy

100 Humans is a social experiment with snarky commentaries and scientific explanations that will make you laugh-out-loud and pick up new information on fascinating topics like happiness, motivation and sex.

Black Sails

Genre: Historical-Fiction, Adventure, Pirate

The show dives into pirate lore and the adventures of notorious and feared Captain Flint and his crew during The Golden Age of Piracy on an island of lawlessness.

Atypical

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family

Inspiring lessons on empathy, the story revolves around 18-year-old Sam Gardner as he navigates through high school, college applications and dating as a teenager with high functioning autism.

Money Heist (La Casa de Papel)

Genre: Foreign, Crime-Drama, Suspense

This Spanish crime drama will keep you on your feet crying out, “Dios Mio!” as you follow plots of The Professor and his band of misfits in an attempt to rob £2.4 billion from the Royal Mint of Spain.

Easter Getaways: Get your fill of culture, entertainment and history

The Easter holidays – lurking barely a month away – may just offer stressed out Hongkongers with the perfect opportunity to escape the coronavirus-laden confines of the Fragrant Harbour. Be it a solo trip to explore an ancient city, dancing the night away at Coachella or relaxing with a delicious glass of port in Portugal, here are some of our top recommendations for stress-free Easter getaways.

Istanbul, Turkey

A city bustling with a strong historical presence is just one way to describe the Turkish capital city Istanbul. From the exquisite Topkapi Palace – where you can witness the enduring legacy of the Ottoman Empire – to Byzantine highlights like Aya Sofya, Basilica Cistern, Kariye Museum and Hippodrome, these ancient monuments offer an unforgettable experience for any self-confessed history enthusiast. Beyond just its ancient allure, there are some quintessential things that cannot be missed out. For instance, ride the Bosphorus ferries – connecting from the Eminönü district to the Black Sea – to enjoy a view filled with alluring parks, mansions and palaces. Similarly, there are hammams where you can enjoy a warm and soothing Turkish bath to loosen all your muscles – isn’t relaxing one of the main purposes of a vacation. Lastly, make sure to go to Beyoglu at least once – a district known for its best dining and wining options among locals and tourists.

Toulouse, France

Located in the Southwest of France, Toulouse – also known as La Ville Rose (The Pink City) – takes something of a backseat to the more popular Paris. With beautiful pink bricks that give it its aforementioned nickname and colourful flowers blooming around the region, it is an ideal destination for both solo and group travels. The Occitane region’s capital also boasts some of the world’s best museums, cathedrals, monuments. Place du Capitole – the city’s main square, which abuts the city hall as well as the building that houses Salle des Illustres (Hall of the Illustrious) and Vieux Quartier (Old Quarter). The town’s friendly and flat lanes make it safe and easy to skate or cycle around – an activity enjoyed by many tourists and locals. With artistic churches and cathedrals like Basilique St-Sernin, Cathédrale de St-Étienne and Église Notre Dame du Taur, it is a promising destination to celebrate Easter.

Coachella Valley, California

What better time to visit California’s Coachella Valley than for Easter, which perfectly coincides with the dates of the art and music festival Coachella. Apart from that, venture onto the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, serving a 360° aerial view of the valley from more than 8,500ft, or try your hand at hiking the Indian Canyon trails, which vary from 1.2 miles to 12.3 miles. For a show-stopping experience, there is the Marvyn’s Magic theatre – described as “world-class entertainment” – to witness some phenomenal shows. Moreover, fauna aficionados will surely love The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens for its numerous interactive experiences, including feeding a giraffe and petting a kraal.

Porto, Portugal

Porto – an up-and-coming touristic destination that makes the final entry on our list of Easter getaways – is where you can witness the perfect fusion of classic heritage and modern architecture. Known for manufacturing port (a type of fortified wine that takes its name from the national name), lining the banks of the Douro River are countless city’s cellars where you can get a first-hand tasting of this famous beverage. If you’re looking to explore the location’s ancient ruins, Ribeira district – a UNESCO World Heritage site – is well worth a detour, while Oporto’s Casa da Musica’s peculiar geometric construction and the 5D theatre – Look at Porto – let you view and experience Porto in a more contemporary light. Literature buffs, meanwhile, should head to Livraria Lello, a delightful bookshop famed as much for its neo-gothic and magic-inducing aura as its books. Moreover, don’t forget to grab a Francesinha – Porto’s emblematic sandwich.

Marvel Movies: How will the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four unfold?

When Robert Downey Jr donned his now-iconic red-and-yellow armour in 2008’s Iron Man, few could have imagined that his successful portrayal of “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” Tony Stark would spawn a cinematic franchise the likes of which the world had never seen before. Indeed, since this opening instalment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – the massive movie franchise run by Marvel Studios, based off of characters from Marvel Comics – cinemagoers across the globe have fallen in love with Iron Man and his merry band of superhero friends, The Avengers.

Much of this ‘Marvel-lous’ world’s success lies in its deft ability to blend jaw-dropping action scenes, poignant storylines and irreverent humour, which have pretty much become the calling card of the Marvel movie-going experience, infecting even the most cynical critics with Marvel Fever and causing them to root for such out-of-this-world protagonists as a gamma ray-infused rage monster (The Hulk), an interchangeably-sized ex-con (Ant-Man), a talking tree (Groot of Guardians of the Galaxy), and everything in between.

It is precisely this magic formula that has allowed Marvel to far outstrip any studio competitor, leading it to spin one collective story across 22 movies and three separate phases in what is colloquially known as The Infinity Saga. This superlative success has also translated into lucrative financial gains, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe having grossed over US$22 billion worldwide to date.

However, now, with Iron Man dead, Captain America seeking post-retirement bliss and Spider-Man caught in a web of disputes that may see him exiting the MCU forever, it’s safe to assume that the recently-announced Phase Four line-up will be a very different beast from the 22-instalment saga that preceded it. While the films are almost all still in preproduction, Marvel fans the world over are already abuzz about what to expect. Kevin Feige, the franchise’s executive producer, has also added to the anticipation by dropping a few spoilers as well. So what, exactly, can we expect?

First, as confirmed by Marvel, we can expect nine different instalments – a mix of feature films and TV series – which will run from 2020 to 2022. The studio has already promised to bring back some familiar faces, including Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, in addition to introducing several brand new characters. There have also been less-than-subtle hints that this will be the most inclusive line-up in MCU history, with its first Asian superhero, first openly-queer character and first deaf superhero, all soon to finally get their fair share of the spotlight.

The most well-known of the next slate may well be Black Widow, set for release on 1 May 2020 as the debut Phase Four outing. Given that Natasha Romanov (aka the Black Widow) forfeited her life in the fight against supervillain Thanos, the upcoming prequel will undoubtedly indulge in Marvel’s penchant for time-travelling shenanigans, transporting audiences back to a time when she was hale and healthy. If rumours are to be believed, the movie will take place between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. A glimpse of the confirmed cast / character list, meanwhile, reveals that we will get a more in-depth look at the Red Room, the Russian superspy programme that spawned Romanov. Scarlett Johansson, reprising her role as the assassiness-turned-hero, will be joined by David Harbour (Stranger Things), and Academy Award, BAFTA and Laurence Olivier Award winner Rachel Weisz.

The God of Thunder also looks set to break with his traditional trope in Thor: Love and Thunder, the fourth instalment of the Thor series, which is slated for release on 5 November 2021. While the return of its star, Chris Hemsworth, and Ragnarok director Take Waititi were all but expected, the news that Natalie Portman (who acted as Jane Foster, Thor’s love interest, six years ago) would not only be reprising her role, but would take over the mantle of Thor from Hemsworth caused much uproar. Add to this the fact that Valkyrie, last seen becoming the new King of Asgard, will be looking for her Queen, and this is one movie that surely has everyone at the edge of their seats.

Meanwhile, the Sorcerer Supreme – ably portrayed by an American-accented Benedict Cumberbatch – is also set to return to theatres in Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness (7 May 2021). While its plot is yet to be revealed, the movie presents an exciting opportunity to introduce the MCU to the multiverse – where many universes coexist simultaneously. However, in a marked shift from the norm, Marvel has already announced that this will be the franchise’s first-ever horror film, so expect a higher-than-normal dose of spine-tingling thrills, all courtesy of the main villain, the chillingly-named Nightmare.

From here, the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Four line-up gets more murky, with little real information available as yet. What we do know, however, is that – come 12 February 2021 – Marvel’s first Asian superhero will be getting his very own feature film in the form of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, starring Simu Liu of Kim’s Convenience fame as the titular character. The superhero, also known as The Master of Kung Fu, is pegged to come up against the real Mandarin (portrayed by Hong Kong’s very own Tony Leung), the villain falsely embodied in Iron Man 3 by Ben Kingsley and Guy Pierce.

Another somewhat-new introduction is The Eternals, starring A-listers like Angelina Jolie, Selma Hayek and Kit Harrington. It also features the first deaf superhero, Makkari, to be portrayed by The Walking Dead’s Lauren Ridloff. While these mythical characters have been hinted at in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they haven’t been explicitly name-checked until now. According to the comic books, though, the Eternals are a race of superpowered beings created by a group of space gods called the Celestials. Thanos, the supervillain at the heart of the franchise to date, was an Eternal, and the upcoming movie will introduce others still.

Interestingly, nearly half of Marvel’s Phase Four line-up consists of small-screen series. While the studio has had TV outings before, they’ve never been a part of its cinematic universe so far. Now, though, thanks to a partnership with the newly-announced Disney+ video on-demand service launched by Marvel’s parent company, Disney, fans can expect several of their MCU favourites to hit the small screen post-Endgame. The first of these series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, is set to release in the autumn of 2020, and follows the adventures of the new Captain America, Sam Wilson, and Bucky Barnes. Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor’s brother and the God of Mischief, will also get his own spin-off show, which follows his adventures upon escaping with the Tesseract to an alternate dimension. Two other TV shows, one featuring Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye and the other with Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany’s The Vision, round out the list.

In all, while Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will likely retain many of the facets that have made its movies such box-office hits, it is refreshing to see it move away from the tried-and-tested style of its predecessors. Be it through a wider array of characters or the use of mixed-media channels, it could be that this experimental style could yield even bigger profits for the studio. While it will be seven months before we can begin to see the results of this gambol, we can, in the meanwhile, contemplate the many Marvel-lous possibilities…

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Photos: AFP

Curtain Call: Preserving Cantonese opera is an uphill task

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Hong Kong is fighting an uphill battle to preserve one of its traditional art forms, Cantonese opera.

Shrill music fills the Lyric Theatre in Wan Chai on a Monday night as theatre-goers settle in for an evening of singing, acrobatics and acting. Moments earlier, the small gathering of elderly women and a sprinkling of men had turned the Lyric Theatre’s foyer into a hive of activity. Excited chatter filled the air as groups caught up with old friends, sipped on wine and perused the programme for that evening’s show, Prime Minister of Six States/Excerpts from the Paichangxi Repertoires of Cantonese Opera.

However, by the time the first ear-splitting musical note signalled the start of the opera, the crowd had barely managed to fill half of the 1,181-seat theatre.

In many ways, this scene is representative of the current state of Cantonese opera, a performance art propped up by a passionate but relatively small – and ageing – audience. How much longer, many wonder, can it survive?

On average, at least four Cantonese operas are reportedly staged in Hong Kong every day. UNESCO gave the art form “intangible cultural heritage” status in 2009, indicating that it should be protected and preserved.

In the early days, Cantonese opera was performed in temples or in bamboo sheds used as makeshift theatres. At the start of British rule in Hong Kong, street shows of Cantonese operas were typically held in these bamboo sheds, but the number of Cantonese operas held in the structures had dwindled from 158 in 1970 to 34 by 2010.

To get to the roots of Cantonese opera you need to go back even further to the reign of Emperor Jiajing (1522-1566) of the Ming Dynasty. The art form is a mixture of Yiyang and Kun tunes of the Ming Dynasty; the Xiqin and Han opera of the early Qing Dynasty; regional operas from the provinces of Jiangsu, Henan, Anhui, Hunan, Hebei and Guangxi; and local Guangdong music.

Another recent production, The White Silk Gown (new edition), was held at the new wing of Ko Shan Theatre in Hung Hom, and featured Yu Jiulin as the 20-year-old scholar Xu Jizu. Like many performers, Jiulin discovered Cantonese opera at a young age.

“I was born in Kunshan, where Kunqu originated,” he says, referring to the oldest form of Chinese opera. “Kunqu instructors held an audition at school and they picked me. I was still young at that time – only 16 years old.” His case is atypical. Tales of Chinese legend told through song, dance and elaborate costumes just don’t seem to resonate with audiences under 30 anymore. It’s one of the main reasons why people like Dr Dorothy Ng Fung-ping are pushing to expose Cantonese opera to children in an attempt to spark an interest early on.

In 2007, the University of Hong Kong started a programme to incorporate Cantonese opera into primary and secondary school curriculums. The project was spearheaded by Ng Fung-ping, who at the time was an assistant professor at the Faculty of Education.

Ng Fung-ping and her team trained teachers on how to integrate Cantonese opera into the curriculum, developed teaching materials and introduced students to texts and performances.

To date, more than 50 schools have incorporated the programme. The spread of Cantonese opera to new audiences will soon stretch beyond the classroom with the construction of the West Kowloon Cultural District. Situated on 40 hectares of reclaimed land on the harbour front, the arts hub will feature the Xiqu Centre, one of three major performing arts venues planned for the cultural district.

But even with the construction of world-class venues to host Cantonese operas, if younger generations only watch the performances and don’t actively participate in them, there’s still a real danger that opera could shrink from public view.

“My concern is how Hong Kong educates and develops top-class artists, because the top practitioners of Cantonese opera are getting old and some have passed on,” says Ng Fung-ping. “Even if we have the audience and the venues, if we do not have the right mechanisms to produce top-level performers, then we have a problem.”

Convincing children and young adults to step up and start performing could be tricky, though. Performers undergo specialist training to make sure they can do the unique gestures and singing styles that characterise Cantonese opera.

For many performers, this requires years of study in the mainland and Hong Kong, and some even take a degree course – the first of its kind in the world – at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. Once performers have completed their training, the hard work is just beginning, as some operas can take years to go from planning phases to the stage.

For instance, it took three years of preparation to put on stage The White Silk Gown. Indeed, the movements of every cast member have to be carefully plotted and perfected, culminating in a performance that has been years in the making. When the opera draws to a close the audience slowly files out and once again the foyer is filled with chatter before people head home to share their experience with family members who might not turn away from the TV to listen.

Text: Andrew Scott

What to see and do in Hong Kong this September

It’s the typhoon season, but that’s no reason for your spirits to be dampened! We have here a list of must-see and must-do events to keep up the party spirit this September. The choices are eclectic, from art shows and Shakespeare plays to pop music concerts and beer tasting events. Read on to find the event that piques your interest the most.

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Ariana Grande in Concert

Multi-platinum-selling superstar Ariana Grande comes to town with her unique brand of pop and R&B. Listed among Time’s 100 most influential people in the world, Grande will be performing chart-toppers like Side to Side, Into You and Dangerous Woman.
21 September, 8pm
AsiaWorld- Expo arena, Chek Lap Kok, Lantau Island
HK$888-$4,888.
www.livenationlushington.net

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Musical

This Olivier and Tony award-winning musical is a feel-good favourite from Broadway and the West End. Based on the hit movie, it tells the story of three friends who hop aboard a battered bus named Priscilla in search of love and friendship. Dance floor favourites such as Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, I Will Survive and Shake Your Groove Thing are sure to get disco babies dancing.
29 September-22 October
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Lyric Theatre
1 Gloucester Rd, Wan Chai
HK$330-$995.
www.priscillahk.com

Road to Ultra

The Road to Ultra tour visits several countries in Asia this month. The Hong Kong encore touches down on the third Saturday, with Europe’s best electronic music acts headlining: DJs Kygo (Norway), ZEDD (Germany) and Hardwell (The Netherlands).
16 September, 12pm-10pm
West Kowloon Nursery Park Hong Kong
HK$990-1,480
www.hongkong.roadtoultra.com

Asia Contemporary Art Show

The 11th edition of the Asia Contemporary Art Show begins on a Thursday night with an exclusive UnionPay Private View and VIP Collectors Preview. On Friday, the HK Liquor Store Art Night officially kicks off the weekend with 2,500 works of art. Original paintings, limited editions, sculptures and photography from emerging to mid-career artists will be on display.
21-24 September
Conrad Hong Kong (Level L)
One Pacific Place
88, Queensway, Admiralty
HK$240
www.asiacontemporaryart.com

Beertopia

Are you a big fan of the amber brew? Does choosing from over 500 varieties sound like a dream come true? If so, there’s only one place to be on the fourth weekend of September: at the waterfront along with the rest of the city’s revellers. Called “Asia’s biggest craft beer event” by CNN, Beertopia partners with 25 restaurants, live music acts, shisha experts and more for a 14,000-strong outdoor party.
22-23 September
Central Harbourfront Event Space
Lung Wo Rd, Central
HK$230-$445
www.beertopiahk.com

Latino Party 5

The Mexican Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong brings back its annual bash celebrating all things Latin-American. This colourful party – well-attended by Hong Kong’s Spanish-speaking community and friends – features free-flow mezcal cocktails, Mexican canapés and raffle prizes. No Latin party is complete without a live salsa band, which will be firing up the dance floor with a reggaeton DJ from the land of Despacito. Get your dancing shoes ready for this one!
9 September, 9pm-12am
Picada, 2/F, LKF29, 29 Wyndham Street, Central
HK$250-$350
www.mexcham.hk

HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair

The region’s leading timepiece trade platform returns to Hong Kong for its 36th edition. Last year, the fair hosted more than 800 exhibitors from 27 countries and regions. This year, make a beeline for Salon de TE, which offers a curated selection of international watch brands grouped into five thematic zones including wearable tech, chic & trendy, and “renaissance moment”.
5-9 September
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai
Free admission for trade visitors
www.hktdc.com/fair/hkwatchfair-en

OneRepublic Live

Grammy Award-nominated quintet OneRepublic – hailing from Colorado Springs, USA – stops in Hong Kong at the tail end of their tour. The band’s most recent album, Oh My My, became their highest-charting debut to date, landing at No 3 on the Billboard 200. Their biggest hits include Apologize, Secrets, Counting Stars and If I Lose Myself.
19 September, 8pm
AsiaWorld-Expo Arena
Chek Lap Kok, Lantau Island
HK$688-$888
www.livenationlushington.net

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s iconic show, the three-man comedy troupe brings its antics to the Hong Kong stage. The bard’s 37 plays will be condensed to 97 minutes in a high-speed roller-coaster of comedy and tragedy that promises to have you laughing and crying at the same time.
19-24 September
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Drama Theatre
1 Gloucester Rd, Wan Chai
HK$295-$595
www.auroratheatrehk.com