Blast off to paradise on Elysium

In the year 2154, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. The people of Earth are desperate to escape the planet's crime and poverty, and they critically need the state-of-the-art medical care available on Elysium - but some in Elysium will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve their citizens' luxurious lifestyle. The only man with the chance bring equality to these worlds is Max (Matt Damon), an ordinary guy in desperate need to get to Elysium. With his life hanging in the balance, he reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission - one that pits him against Elysium's Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) and her hard-line forces - but if he succeeds, he could save not only his own life, but millions of people on Earth as well.

Elysium is directed by Neill Blomkamp of the critically acclaimed "District 9" of 2009 and starring Matt Damon as out-of-luck Max, Jodie Foster as Defense Secretary Delacourt, and Sharlto Copley as the deadly Kruger. Elysium now showing in all cinemas including IMAX.

Check-out reviews of Elysium by CinemaOnline and Entertainment Weekly, plus more of the movie production by The Star. Plus this watch this extended behind-the-scenes featurette:

Delve more in the future at the official Elysium website.

The Outpost Movie Recon Team (MRT) has the scoop again on movie promos and pleased to report the following intel:

TGV Cinemas is most generously offering vacations to paradise for their Elysium contest. To participate, purchase tickets online from TGV and submit your entries here.

TGV was also giving a free movie tickets last week via a rather interesting redemption mechanism. Movie fans claimed sticker vouchers were pasted to Elysium movie posters in KLCC & Kelana Jaya LRT stations to redeem them for a pair of movie tickets from TGV KLCC, 1 Utama and Sunway Pyramid last Saturday. Plus movie-goers downloading TGV's new mobile App even scored free passes for Elysium IMAX screenings! Check of photos of the campaign at Sunway Pyramid and 1 Utama from TGV's Facebook Page.

More Elysium engagements will be taking place this weekend at MBO Cinemas (above). Customers purchasing a special popcorn & drinks combo for RM13.90 will also receive an official Elysium LED torchlight (below).

Book your plot on paradise as real estate on Elysium looks to be on sale... starting from a mere $250,000,000! Take an Elysium home tour here.

Find out more from the developer of Elysium, Armadyne, and apply to be an Elysium citizen here.

Need your very own "Exo-Suit"? Contact Outpost Productions to see how we can outfit you for the future.

Disclaimer: Elysium and its trademarks are copyright to Sony Pictures and their respective owners, referenced here for fan service announcements without intent to infringe.

Mortal Instruments Movie Giveaway

See strange things? Hear unusual bumps in the night? Dream of angels & demons? Then you might be a Shadowhunter initiate. Join the Institute to hone your powers and defend mankind from hellspawn of the Downworld.

Based on the 2007 first book of "The Mortal Instruments" series by Cassandra Clare, after Clary Fray (Lily Collins) a seemingly ordinary teenager, witnesses a murder at a club, she finds out that her mother, Jocelyn, is attacked in their home in New York City and kidnapped by Valentine in his search of the Mortal Cup. She calls on a Shadowhunter named Jace and his fellow Shadowhunters, Alec and Isabelle Lightwood, to help her on her quest to rescue her mother and along the way finds out truths about her past and bloodline and becomes the person her mother feared she would become. Clary learns that Shadowhunters are half-angel warriors and that she too has the powers of one. Clary then finds herself caught in a battle between forces she barely understands. Mortal Instruments will be in Malaysian cinemas 22 August 2013, distributed by GSC Movies.

Learn more about the world of Mortal Instruments at The Institute.

The Outpost is giving away movie passes for Mortal Instruments: City of Bones screening at GSC Setia City Mall, Shah Alam on Saturday 24 August, 10.30am. Just use the PunchTab App below for a chance to win a pair of movie passes before this Sunday 18 August, 11.59pm. Click on all entry modes to increase your chances of being randomly selected by PunchTab! Selected winners will be notified to collect their movie passes by Friday 23 August.

Disclaimer: Mortal Instruments and its trademarks are copyright to their respective owners, referenced here for fan service announcements without intent to infringe.

Happy Raya with The Smurfs!

With The Smurfs being a surprise box office hit in 2011, studio executives of Columbia Pictures had good reason to bring Peyo's happy blue creatures back to the cinema. Now in 2013, The Smurfs 2 will be returning to Malaysian cinemas on 8 August together with Raya festive spirits!

In this sequel, the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) creates a couple of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties that he hopes will let him harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence. But when he discovers that only a real Smurf can give him what he wants and only a secret spell that Smurfette knows can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs, Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette (Katy Perry) and brings her to Paris, where he has been winning the adoration of millions as the world's greatest sorcerer. It's up to Papa (Jonathan Winters), Clumsy (Anton Yelchin), Grouchy, and Vanity to return to our world, reunite with their human friends Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Grace (Jayma May), and rescue her! Will Smurfette, who has always felt different from the other Smurfs, find a new connection with the Naughties, Vexy (Christina Ricci) and Hackus, or will the Smurfs convince her that their love for her is True Blue?

The Smurfs 2 has also been dubbed in Bahasa Malaysia with the voice talents of Datuk Aznil Nawawi as Gargamel, Hafizuddin Fazil  as Papa Smurf, Lisa Surihani as Smurfette, Zizan Razak as Vanity, Elfira Loy as Vexy and Era FM radio announcer Ray as Grouchy. Here's how the Smurfs sound in BM:

Local voice talents for The Smurfs 2 dubbed in Bahasa Malaysia.

Check-out The Smurfs 2 review by Cinemaonline.

Smurfs fever in Malaysia kicked off with Smurfs Global Day on 22 June 2013 where Smurfette, Papa Smurf and Clumsy Smurf met up with fans at cinema roadshows. Read-up more about this from The New Straits Times or watch the video below:

Lots more are happening for The Smurfs over this month, starting with a delighful gallery of customised Smurfs at Plaza Gurney Penang plus meet & greet sessions with Clumsy Smurf, Smurfette and Papa Smurf, all dressed to celebrate Raya!

More photos of the Smurfs figurines exhibition available at Plaza Gurney's Facebook Page.

Don't fret much if you've missed their live appearance this weekend, The Smurfs will be on GSC's Hari Raya Road Tour this coming week.

Also get a FREE movie pass for "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2” when you are amongst the first 50 customers who presents four (4) GSC “The Smurfs 2” ticket stubs / self-print tickets at these locations. Lucky customers also stand a chance to walk away with a Limited Edition “The Smurfs 2” movie premium by simply posing and snapping a photo with the characters and upload it via Facebook. Smurfs Raya packets are given away with purchase of combo popcorn and drinks combos: 

More Smurfs merchandise to won from GSC's website contest:

Want to catch the Smurfs in your own private cinema hall screening with family & friends? Not just any hall but a Beanieplex? Quickly join TGV's Smurfs 2 contest by answering a few questions online by 4 August 2013. The lucky winner's Beanieplex screening will be held at TGV Setiawalk on 10 August.

TGV also has The Smurfs 2 tumblers available as part of their popcorn combo sets for RM14.90:

Tumblers seem to be in fashion for kids, as MBO Cinemas and Cathay Cineplexes also have combo deals available for different tumbler designs. MBO's combo is priced at 13.90 while Cathay's is RM16.50 which includes a RM30 Crocs cash voucher:

UPDATE: 12 August 2013

The Outpost Movie Recon Team (MRT) has identified more Smurfy goodies for Smurf fans to bring home! Cathay Cineplexes is now selling Smurf 3D glasses for RM15, which can be used for all 3D movies at their cineplex without needing to rent glasses as typically charged by other cinemas.

Then stand a chance to win official Smurfs 2 merchandise from Cathay's Facebook Page App Contest.

Increase your chances of scoring these Smurfs 2 merchandise by joining MBO's Facebook Page Contest by creating your own lyrics for the classic Smurfs theme song.

Also meet Clumsy Smurf, Smurfette & Papa Smurf bringing some Raya festive joy to MBO Subang Parade on Monday 13 August 2013 at 3pm, 5pm and 7pm.

Further our earlier recon at toy stores, the Outpost MRT has now identified more Smurfs toys from Toys R Us, Parkson, Robinsons and Times Bookstores:

Smurf hand puppets.

Smurf plush dolls.

Smurfs figurines.

Meet the Smurfs LIVE at Robinsons Gardens Midvalley on Friday 16 August 2013, 12pm noon and at the AEON Fair in Midvalley Exhibition Centre on Friday 23 August 2013, 2pm.

For kids into building toys, Smurfs MegaBloks is also available from Toys R Us to build their very own Smurfs Village:

Young readers may wish to purchase Smurfs tie-in books from Borders and receive a free activity book.

Want to smell like a Smurf? Our MRT has found Smurfs fragrances from Hello Kitty perfume stores (Bangsar Village) and Muse by Watsons (Sunway Pyramid):

There's also a contest to win a Smurfette plush doll. Find out more from ToyLeTree on Facebook.

Smurfs merchandise has just released with McDonald's Happy Meals in Malaysia. Hopefully the toys will be more readily available for kids to be happy unlike the unfortunate recent minion mania. Gotta catch them all!

Also take the opportunity to meet the Smurfs LIVE at the following McDonald's restaurants in Johor Bahru and Klang Valley:

Wrapping up with a Britney Spear's version of The Smurfs 2 theme song "Ooo La La":

Or if you rather take a trip down memory lane with the classic Happy Smurf Song (updated for 2011 movie):

Wishing everyone a Smurfy Raya!

Disclaimer: The Smurfs and its trademarks are copyright to Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Peyo & their respective owners, referenced here for fan service announcements without intent to infringe.