IT is a beautiful day, and from the deck of a gorgeous, 964-square-metre four-bedroom villa, you overlook an infinity pool and the Gulf of Thailand, with the beach just a stroll away.

FROM the Odyssey to Gulliver's Travels, the idea of being shipwrecked on a beach where curious things take place is embedded deep in the human psyche.

EVEN as there have been film actors crossing over to theatre in the West, one director has been successful in getting Asian film stars to act in front of a theatre audience as well.

THERE'S a lot to appreciate in the Singapore Lyric Opera's new production of La Boheme, as helmed by veteran Australian director Andrew Sinclair.

IT'S hard to be too critical of a movie that aims low and succeeds in living down to expectations, but that's exactly what Armored - a heist flick featuring an ensemble cast and two heavy-duty trucks - manages to do.

WITH a running time of just over an hour, the Irish movie Kisses doesn't ask for too much of your day.

WHILE the documentary By The People - The Election of Barack Obama has disappointingly little new insight on the magnetic 44th President of the United States of America, it does a decent job of recapturing the inspirational fervour of the campaign that got him there.

IF you want a roof above a concert but still want size and versatility, nothing comes close to the Indoor Stadium, but coming up with a stage presence that can fill the venue is something else entirely.

Although they were plenty of male and mixed-gender groups that won Grammy awards last Sunday, there's no doubt that the girls made a huge impact, with Beyonce bagging a record of six Grammys, and Taylor Swift hot on her heels with four.

I'VE been thinking about what to drink at Chinese New Year - the Year of the Tiger.

This is a statement from the International Practitioners of Ancient Divination (iPAD) - a consortium of geomancers who specialise in fortune-telling and quick-fix home renovations.

NO other genres needs expansion chapters more badly than role-playing games (RPGs).