Directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Christina Applegate, Dylan Baker, Meagan Good, James Mardsen, Greg Kinnear and Kristen Wiig.

“All the best bits get reheated and served up lukewarm.” Kyle Smith, New York Post

“If the original Anchorman is ‘The Onion’, Anchorman 2 has inadvertently become ‘FOX News’.” Patrick Kolan, Shotgun Critic

“This movie is so lazy it might as well star Adam Sandler.” Jon Niccum, The Kansas City Star

“The whole thing goes down like a second giant tumbler of scotchy scotch scotch: familiar, comforting and, ultimately, numbing.” Christy Lemire, Christylemire.com

“It goes here, it goes there, it does this, it does that; occasionally it remembers that Ron has goals and desires and that the film needs to end at some point, and after 100 minutes or so, end it does.” Matt Zoller Seitz, Rogerebert.com

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues opens in cinemas islandwide on Feb 20. Book your tickets at Cathay Cineplexes, Filmgarde Cineplex, Golden Village or Shaw Theatres.

Tell us again, how did the name Mogwai come about? 
(chuckles) We got it from the film Gremlins—there’s not much of a story to be honest.

It’s been about 17 years now. Are your fans growing old with you or are you finding new ones?
I think both. There have been a lot of people listening to us since we started as well as new people who have discovered us along the way. People our age, older and younger as well, which is great.

How has the musical landscape changed since you started in 1995?
It’s definitely changed. It’s much easier for people to obtain music when they can do it online. Back then, any song you wanted to hear, you had to buy the record—it was much simpler. However, it would be much harder for us to get known outside Europe and America hadn’t it been for the Internet. I think there’s more good than bad.

Is touring a breeze now that you’ve had so much experience or otherwise?
It’s neither hard nor easy. Yes, I think there are some parts that are still difficult--it’s still pretty tiring to travel. 

Do you make it a point to stay in shape?
Sometimes we do. The last tour I did a lot of running. Maybe this time I’ll do it again.

Do you have someone taking care of your diet?
No, we do all that ourselves when we feel like doing it!

Your most memorable moment on stage?
(laughs) No one has thrown anything on stage! A few times people will come on the stage, but most of it is because they’re drunk and come off as more annoying than memorable. I think the good experiences come from playing really good concerts—first time we ever played our big gig was opening for Pavement, that was really special.

How long do you guys plan to make music?
As long as people are interested in hearing the music—that’s the main thing. It’s not physically demanding to play music.

In interviews, you typically describe your music as “just a piece of music, there isn’t much meaning to it”. Tell us more about that.
Yes that’s true. The music has meaning to us but it’s hard to describe it to the listeners. You can’t possibly describe it in just a few sentences to them.

How is your new album "Rave Tapes" different from your previous records?
I think it’s a different record from the ones before. There’s a little bit more spark and electronic sounds to it.

The band cut an album called “Zidane” back in 2006. Are you guys big fans of football?
Yeah we are! But I think only Martin plays actively these days. I support Celtic, the biggest club in Scotland. 

Mogwai performs at Hostess Club Weekender on Feb 22. $118 from eventClique. Door sales at $150. For more information, check out their Facebook page.

Can you compise a tweet about your exhibition?
Solo exhibition 100 Faces features a bold new style that will invite viewers to re-think paintings, exclusively at Sundaram Tagore Gallery. (Exactly 140 characters!)

What will art goers see at the show?
This new body of work focuses on three series: Faces, Stacks and Portraits, and will attempt to challenge the ways in which viewers approach and perceive paintings. The Portrait series comprises eight paintings of predominantly smooth, white surfaces that have been poked, jabbed and scraped to reveal swaths of opulent colors hidden beneath the surface. There’s also a Stacks series, three chromatic pillars of piled up paintings with their edges exposed. Curious viewers may attempt to see the face of the painting, but only the collector who owns the entire stack will actually get to see it.

How does the new exhibition relate to your past works?
In the past, I mostly experimented with Western-influenced painting techniques, such as building layers upon a surface. I started rethinking my art practice to bring in my experience of Eastern philosophy, which is expressed beautifully in Chinese paintings where the empty spaces are often the focal point or essence.

What's a typical day in your life?
My early morning routine includes yoga, breathing exercises, morning walks, feeding stray animals and reading books. After that, I have breakfast and get to my studio at around 11. I often work for the entire day in the studio, then head back home for dinner and playtime with my pets before going to bed by 11pm. I don't watch TV these days.

100 Faces is on through Mar 2 at Sundaram Tagore Gallery.

How does ReferralCandy work?
Suppose you run an online store. ReferralCandy allows you to automate your own customer referral program. After customers make a purchase, they’re given a referral coupon to share with friends. When their friends make purchases, the customer gets referral rewards.

How did the idea come about?
It started during lunch with a friend who owned a shop. How could he get new customers to his store? We knew his existing customers loved him—surely there had to be some way to build on that. The conversation got around to social networking sites. Could there be a way to reach out to the friends of his customers? There wasn’t anything on the market that was easy to install and run, so we decided to build it ourselves.

Is Singapore good for start-ups?
Yes, especially if you’re a tech start-up. There is an incredible amount of untapped talent here, and the environment is very pro-business.

Is it a dog-eat-dog world in business?
There certainly are some zero-sum games in the world, but technology is not one of them. If you come up with a powerful idea, the Internet gives you the ability to create value and make a huge impact on a global scale.

What are common issues (for both men and women) that you’ve heard over and over again?
Vaginismus (painful or impossible vaginal penetration) remains the number one reason couples come to see me. Others include low sex drive, sexual problems after having a baby, and erectile difficulties—just to name a few. For the younger male population, I’m noticing complaints about the ease and duration of erection related to frequent porn use. By being overly-dependent on porn for arousal, many men are not learning about their bodies and their masturbation patterns are preventing them from being comfortable and confident with their sexual performance.

Is there anything Singaporeans should do to be better lovers?
We’ve become so dependent on being plugged in that it’s so common for people to check their phones, even during sex. Singaporeans should learn to do one thing at a time. People who can’t slow down and focus their attention on themselves and on their partners will have less fulfilling sexual experiences in the long run.

Noticed anything new and trending in the world of sex?
Google Glass. The word that came to mind was spectatoring, which does not necessarily help with being present with a partner.

Any sex advice?
First of all, it’s not just about penetrative sex. There are many ways in which you can be sexually intimate, like with sex toys. It’s important to be comfortable and confident in your sexuality by yourself. Secondly: Learn. There’s a ton of information out there. The more you know, the less afraid you’ll be. Also, seek help early. Sex is not necessarily a taboo topic. Many people do recognize the role of sex in one’s wellbeing and are seeking professional support.

I get inspired when I’m traveling on the airplane, bus or train. Sometimes ideas also strike when I’m watching a movie—so I have to take out my notebook and write in the dark.

There’s no distinction between my weekends and weekdays because I’m constantly working, either as a teacher or as a filmmaker.

I’ve been reading Pablo Neruda’s poems, and some books by local writers that I real ly like, like Daren Shiau’s Heartland—one of my favorite novels.

I made my first video installation when I was a teenager. I did video at O-level, which scared the hell out of my teacher, because nobody had ever done it before.

I’m annoyed at myself when I’m late and I’m annoyed at other people when they’re late—which is why I’m annoyed at myself when I’m late.

I don’t like to think of myself as being very old.

True happiness is when you’re completely at ease with yourself and with what you’re doing.

The only dream I can remember is of a vampire chasing me. I realized I was dreaming and told myself that if I closed my eyes and jumped on the spot twice I would wake up. Yes, I watched a lot of Hong Kong vampire films.

It’s so much more enjoyable to watch other people’s films than to watch your own. I’ve learnt that filmmakers don’t sit in their own film screenings. They introduce the film and walk out.

I can never finish anything. Even right now when I watch my films, I’ll feel like re-editing them. People think I’m very melancholic and quiet. But most of the time I’m observing and listening.

I have a love-hate relationship with Singapore. When I’m here I feel stifled and claustrophobic—I don’t like that big city feeling.

But I cannot make films anywhere else. When I’m out of Singapore, I don’t connect in a deep way with the place and the people.

Somehow, there are things in Singapore that hold me back and stop me from leaving. There are always so many more opportunities when you’re in your own country.

Just when we thought 2013 was a wrap, a few intriguing restaurants popped up in town, all of which were headed by Thai chefs: Le Du, Rock and Sheepshank. Obviously Thai chefs aren’t exactly new: guys like Ian Kittichai have even managed to achieve some level of international fame. But for three exciting kitchens to open up back-to-back with the spotlight firmly on their local chefs does mark a seismic shift in Bangkok’s dining scene. No longer is it the obligatory to have Stefano or Jean-Michel coming out to greet your guests, while a faceless army of Thais chop the carrots. Nor is asking about the chef in a Thai restaurant, which were traditionally manned by “cooks,” met with bewilderment. So, how did Thai chefs get their big breakthrough? Well it seems it's down to better education and a lot of very hard work in prestigious kitchens abroad.

SCHOOL’S COOL

“In the past, almost every chef in five-star hotels was farang,” explains Chef Van Rohitratana of Escapade, who says the problem stems from the Thai perception that being a chef was a lowly profession. “I think the change started with cooking TV shows in the early 2000's like Dae Jang Geum and Top Chefs. They made it OK for parents to send their kids to culinary schools and some even sent them abroad.” Van also feels the 2008 financial crisis, which he believes led to a drop in the quality of food served by hotels played a part. Young chefs were quick to spot an opportunity. Van says, “You had these kids coming back from studying abroad and they wanted to open their own standalone restaurants. You had a whole new generation starting to cook.”

“You had a whole new generation starting to cook”

In 2007, the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school opened, attracting another group of wannabe chefs, the moneyed kids. But while this showed just how cool being a chef had become, it also produced a lot of chefs with limited experience, who went on to open restaurants with dad’s money. Needless to say, that crowd did little to enhance Thai chefs' reputations. But other chefs began coming back home from abroad, and they had experience in Michelin-star kitchens, such as Tee Kachonklin, who at 26 years old opened La Table de Tee in 2011, after working at Roussillion, in London.

BK ASKS

What’s your worst cooking disaster?

Fai Thanannapassara, 27, news anchor

"I was trying to make khai toon (steamed egg in Chinese style) for the first time for breakfast and I thought I could pull it off very easily in a microwave oven. So, I cracked two eggs in a heat-safe bowl, placed it in the oven and waited. After a few seconds, the bell rang. As proud as one could be with my first attempt at a new recipe, I opened the machine, expecting a well-cooked dish, but then boom! Tiny bits of very hot steamed egg went all over my face. No breakfast, a swollen face and late for work. I still have no idea what could have gone wrong."

Chalermphan Phairoj, 25, cinematographer

When I was in the US, whenever I tried to cook something, I would always put butter in it. One day, I turned the heat up to maximum and put in the butter. Immediately, the smoke got really bad throughout the room, then the fire alarm went off. After a few minutes, the police came and everyone was shouting like it was an emergency. Who knew it was just a chunk of butter?

WORKING FROM THE BOTTOM

“I would never recommend that anyone who just finished culinary school open a restaurant immediately,” Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn, of Le Du says. He and chef Worathon “Tae” Udomchalotorn have the kind of resume we’re used to seeing from the foreign chefs that lead Bangkok’s five-star hotel kitchens: they completed degrees from the highly-esteemed Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants, such as the renowned Red Medicine in California, where Worathon worked as a Chef de Partie.

“I didn’t care if I didn’t get paid when I was a trainee,” says Worathon. “I just knew I had to work with at Michelin restaurants to improve.”

While chef is a respected career path in Europe, it’s also one of the most grueling jobs out there. Those who want to be a chef usually start their career at the age of fifteen through vocational training and slowly work their way up. For example, Ian Kittichai, of Issaya, started as a lowly dishwasher at the Waldorf Hotel in London. 

“Being a chef is hard, hard work,” says Chef Nan Bunyasaranand of Little Beast, who started her career at 19 in a hotel kitchen in Bangkok. “All I did was chop onions for three months. I cried during the first week. I came home and begged my parents to just send me to CIA right away as I didn’t want to just chop vegetables. But luckily, they realized that being a chef is a long-term commitment.”

She was a trainee in three more restaurants before getting sent off to CIA, then worked at the prestigious Jean-Georges Restaurant (New York) and Thomas Keller (New York). “Every aspect of the kitchen is vital, from peeling the grapes to differentiating white pepper from very white pepper. When a stainless steel table has a scratch, you have to polish it with Scotchbrite to make all the scratches go in the same direction.”

“If you read the profile of most of the chefs in the world, no one just graduated from a culinary school and made it big” 

Chef Nhoi Ouypornchaisakul, consultant of Rock restaurant, graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Colorado, USA, and worked in mostly French restaurants in the US for five years before coming back to Thailand to work in closed-down Parata Daimond and David Thompson’s Thai restaurant, Nahm. She says, “Once I knew I wanted to cook, I realized that everyone has to pay their dues. I’ve had chefs throw dishes at me. I’ve been getting screamed at since I was a trainee.”

“If you read the profile of most of the chefs in the world, no one just graduated from a culinary school and made it big. Everyone started from picking off the vegetable leafs or cleaning the kitchen at one point,” says Little Beast’s Nan. Van of Escapade explains that this is key to being able to lead everyone in the kitchen: “Experience gives me the feeling of being a khon krua (kitchen staff). When you have your own restaurant, you’ll know everyone’s duty as you already passed through what they’re passing through. You’ll know how to communicate with them.”

Perhaps counterintuitively, working for others is also named by the chefs we spoke to as the source of their creativity. Coming out of school, everyone is doing the same recipes the same way. It’s by working in a real kitchen that chefs develop a personal style. “It takes time to develop your own vision and sensibility,” says Rock’s chef, Nhoi. 

BK ASKS

What’s your worst cooking disaster?

Pavida Chitprasertsuk, 23, marketing executive

"For a Christmas party, I was trying to make a fabulous croquembouche (pastry puff tower) for my guests. It already took eight hours to make, but the real disaster came when everyone was about to arrive and all the balls just fell over. I tried to stay calm and made the caramel, but I was in hurry so I pretty badly burnt my hand."

Varittha Akarithakij, 27, business owner

"I was trying to impress my dad by making him some Chinese herbal soup because he was sick. I left the soup for a while, so I needed to reheat it in the microwave oven. After the alarm rang, I took it off the machine and then it exploded into my face. It was a big bowl and so I was taken to the hospital right away. It was bad and I stayed in the hospital for days. It took months for my face to recover."

CHANGING ATTITUDES

Of course, there’s still room for Thai chefs to grow—and maybe it comes down to us to help them along. Too often, diners still get hung up on the nationality of their chef. There was an outcry when David Thompson started cooking Thai food in Bangkok, and similarly, foreign chefs are expected to be the best at foreign food. “When they see me, diners will go, ‘This is the chef?’” says Nan, of Little Beast.

“Twenty percent of the customers in Bangkok don't even call if they don't show up for their reservation” 

“Thais also love celebrities too much,” she adds. “If an actor or actress opens a restaurant then he or she is called a chef. Or if someone graduates from a cooking school, puts on a sexy tank top and bakes a cake on YouTube, I think that’s very disrespectful of our profession. And it doesn’t push our food industry forward.”

With Thai restaurants, the chef is seldom mentioned at all. Supanniga was described as the food cooked by owner Eh Laowaridge’s grandmother. Similarly, recent opening The Never Ending Summer, backed by starchitect Duangrit Bunnag and Naree Boonyakiat, is meant to evoke the dishes of the partners’ childhood. In both cases, the restaurants were presented with a focus on the bourgeois households whose food they were meant to evoke, with no mention of the chefs actually cooking it. 

According to Ian Kittichai, diners too need to show more respect in general. “Twenty percent of the customers in Bangkok don’t even call if they don’t show up for their reservation. For the food and restaurant scene here to grow and flourish, diners need to be more aware of and respect the effort and hard work all of the restaurant staff.”

The Thai chefs who have risen to the fore are blazing a path for those dreaming of a career in the kitchen. But they also come with a warning: becoming a chef is a long, painful process. 

Essentials

Issaya Siamese Club

4 Soi Sri Aksorn, Chua Ploeng Rd., 02-672-9040-1. www.issaya.com. Open daily 11:30am-2:30pm, 6-10:30pm

Escapade Burgers & Shakes

112 Phra Arthit Rd., 081-406-3773. Open Tue-Sun 4pm-midnight

Rock Restaurant & Bar

7/1 Paholyothin Soi 9, 082-688-8200. Open Tue-Sun 5pm-midnight.

Little Beast

44/9-10 Thonglor Soi 13, 02-185-2670. Open Tue-Sat 5:30pm-1am; Sun 11am-4pm

Le Du

339/3 Silom Soi 7, 081-562-6464. www.ledubkk.com Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, 6-11pm; Sat 6-11pm

Further Reading

Is the Michelin Guide coming to Bangkok?

The man with the most Michelin Stars in the world, Joel Robuchon, is hiring for this Bangkok eatery

Your family’s love can help you get through storms in life. Love can give you the strength to move on no matter what you’re facing.

My mom had a breakdown after she broke up with my dad. She fell into serious depression, and couldn’t take care of simple things like cooking for us. I was nine then. I went to my neighbors and asked them if they could talk to her. When she saw what I’d done, I think she realized how much her kids really loved her. She picked herself up and moved us all to the US.

Hardship made me grow up fast. I used to be a self-centered kid who would get everything I wanted. But seeing my mom and my sister work so hard to earn a living in the US, it made me realize that our lives weren’t the same as when we were in Thailand. So I started working part-time with them.

I feel for students who work part-time in Thailand. The minimum wage here is so low compared to the work. They won’t be able to send themselves to school or college like those who work in the US. I sent myself to college and I graduated in animation. But here, it’s nearly impossible.

Singing wasn’t my thing at the beginning. I just sang for fun at my friend’s restaurant until it became a job. 

I love R&B from the Motown era. I love to listen to old songs. Those songs are really charming and sincere. It’s the base of every musical genre that exists today.

Life is a rollercoaster, not a space rocket. It’s impossible for your life to get higher and higher and more successful all the time. I always remind myself of this fact to stay humble, sane and happy no matter where I am today.

The highest peak of my existence was when I was chosen to sing with Boyd Kosiyabong in Los Angeles, where he arranged a Christian concert. He then asked me to sing for him on “What Will I Do” on the album Rhythm & Boyd E1EVEN1H in Thailand. I jumped at the opportunity right away. 

I nearly gave up on music. I had no job for months after I worked with Boyd. I was so stresssed out, I even thought of going back to the US. I’d go for long walks to clear my thoughts. One time I ended up walking from BTS Phra Khanong to Rama 9 Road.

Don’t let yourself be buried in fear. You must put yourself up to what you want to do, and do it to the end. If you don’t give up, it will happen someday. 

Never stop improving. Don’t let yourself be flattered with compliments saying you’re already good at what you do. If you keep doing the same thing, people will eventually pass you by. 

I love performing. It’s lucky that my work isn’t really work. It fulfills me every time. It’s a natural high.

Touring is dangerous for artists in Thailand. We need to go everywhere by van and everything depends on the driver. There was a night that we finished a concert at 3am and had to come back to Bangkok. Our driver was nodding off, his head dropping several times, so I asked him to stop. 

Once, I was on stage when I hit the microphone so hard, one of my front teeth cracked into small pieces. I ran to the dentist the next morning but I’m still afraid of bringing a microphone too close to my mouth!

I cherish honesty in friendships. I don’t have many friends here with whom I can talk openly. So I always cherish those I have as they always stand by me every time I need someone to talk to.

Guys must be the one to yield in relationship. I heard that from a pastor I met at a wedding. I think it’s true, but to be honest, I’m still trying to be that kind of guy.

Making something worth being remembered for is exceptional. I wish I could do something like that, even if it’s on a small scale. 

Life is short. Don’t work too hard to the point where you have no time to enjoy your beautiful life with the ones you love, especially your parents. You don’t want to look up one day and realize they’re gone.

Spending money alone is useless. Sharing it with others and giving it away will make your life meaningful. 

Directed by José Padilha and starring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish and Samuel L. Jackson.

“The real problem with this remake is its lack of big, brass, robo-balls.” Chris Tilly, IGN

“Throughout, one character refers to the new RoboCop as ‘Tin Man’ and to the film’s credit, it desperately wants to have a heart. Oh, if it only had a brain.” Chris Hewitt, Empire

“Context is the name of the game when it comes to Robocop in 2014, and instead of having something decent to say about modern America, Padilla is obsessed with detonating scenery.” Cameron Williams, The Popcorn Junkie

“The shocking body horror, cutting satire and emotional impact of the original have been ruthlessly stripped away, leaving a soulless metallic carcass designed by committee to amplify external gloss and maximise commercial profit.” Ben Rawson-Jones, Digital Spy

“Ultimately, despite Padilha’s admirable efforts to put a human face to this story, the film misses both opportunity and the point. It’s perfectly enjoyable, but nothing special.” Cat Collins, SciFiNow

Robocop is out in cinemas islandwide now. Book your tickets at Cathay Cineplexes, Filmgarde Cineplex, Golden Village or Shaw Theatres.

Directed by and starring George Clooney, with Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville and Cate Blanchett.

“It’s like a men-on-a-mission movie tailor-made for audiences who found “Inglourious Basterds” too irreverent.” Scott Foundas, Variety

“Something less than monumental, The Monuments Men wears its noble purpose on its sleeve when either greater grit or more irreverence could have spun the same tale to modern audiences with more punch and no loss of import.” Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter

“If some cataclysmic event were threatening the cultural legacy of America, it's hard to imagine anyone would make an attempt to save "The Monuments Men" from the flames of war.” Drew Taylor, Indiewire

“It’s one of those movies where you think, “Okay, when is this story going to start?” then you check your watch and realize you are forty-five minutes in.” Jordan Hoffman, Screen Crush

“Perhaps The Monuments Men should have been, ironically, even bigger: not a two-hour movie in which the filmmakers try to cram in too much information, too many emotions and too many incidents, but a 10-or-12-hour cable miniseries, with each episode focused on finding a different work of art and the whole thing giving the story and characters room to breathe and develop.” Don Kaye, Den of Geek

The Monuments Men will be out in cinemas islandwide on Feb 20. Book your tickets at Cathay Cineplexes, Filmgarde Cineplex, Golden Village or Shaw Theatres.