Mata Batin [Movie Review] | I found the movie on Netflix while looking for a horror movie during our last staycation in Melaka. It is titled as The 3rd Eye in Netflix and the best thing is, there's a Mata Batin 2 too. I will write about that one later. 

SYNOPSIS

• Directed by: Rocky Soraya
• Produced by: Mohan Nankani, Raam Soraya, Rocky Soraya

• Written by: Riheam Juniati, Rocky Soraya, Fajar Umbara

• Production companies: Hitmaker Studios

• Distributed by: Netflix

• Running time: 107 minutes

• Release date: November 30, 2017
• Country: Indonesia
• Language: Indonesia

• IMDb: 5.1/10

The movie starts with Abel (younger sister) pointing out to Alia (elder sister) that she saw a 'guy' who doesn't allow them to live in the house anymore. Alia doesn't believe Abel and accused Abel of imagining things. And apparently, that was not the first time that Abel saying such things. 

Later that night, Abel was 'attacked' by a thief when she was about to sleep. But Alia saw someone else and she dared not saying anything to the parents.

A few years later, Alia has to return to her hometown from Bangkok for her parents' funeral. She went back with her boyfriend, Gavin. She reunited with her sister, Abel and they stayed at their parents' house that has been vacated for quite some time. Abel was a bit reluctant but she has no choice but to agree with Alia's suggestion. 

Abel encountered a ghost in the very first room that she entered when they arrived at the house. And later that night, she encountered the same ghost that attacked her when she was a little girl.

Not wanting the incidents to happen anymore and not believing that her sister is able to see ghosts, Alia brought Abel to see Bu Windu, a spiritual advisor that helped Abel when she was younger. Abel told Alia that their mother brought her there when she was younger and Bu Windu assisted Abel to control her ability to see the dead.  

As she is not a believer, Alia requested for Bu Windu to help her to enable her to see the dead too (also because she wants to prove to Abel that there is no such thing as ghosts). 

After the ritual, Alia was able to see the dead and she does not like it. 

With her new ability, she discovered more about herself and their family house, more that she had bargained for. 

Will the sisters be able to handle the truth about their lives?

MY REVIEW

Plot: 4.5/ 5.0 The twist is certainly a good one. Although it was expected, I still did not see this one coming. I love the storytelling of the movie - it keeps me on my toes. The jumpscare is not much but managed to scare my friends hahaha. 

Oh. The CGI was poor though. 

Cast: 4.6/ 5.0 I don't really know the cast but they were delivering their parts marvellously. 

Will I watch it again: I don't mind watching it again.

The pictures are taken from IMDB and other sources on the Internet. Thank you.

#MataBatin #MovieReviewbyRawlins #Horror #RawlinsGLAM #RawlinsLifestyle #Indonesia #RawlinsReviews #The3rdEye #Netflix

Thức ăn ngon @ Rasa Viet, The Sphere | I immediately fell in love with the soupy goodness of Vietnamese noodles with meatballs when I first introduced to the dish, years ago. The right blend and amount of spices, vegetables and meat in the soup never fail to arouse my appetite.

Last weekend, a friend of mine invited me for lunch at Rasa Viet at The Sphere, Bangsar. Of course, I was looking forward to the soupy goodness. I know for a fact that Rasa Viet obviously means the food will be of Vietnamese background (I googled about the restaurant when I read the name hahaha). 

Located just beside the main road with a beautiful wall of greens to ward off the noise, Rasa Viet looks so calm and inviting. It looks so instaworthy too. When I entered the restaurant, I was immediately taken to a scene from the popular 90s series 'Tour of Duty' where the soldiers visited a beautifully lit Vietnam restaurant. The decorations, the colourful lanterns and the Vietnam music literally transformed the space into a Saigon eatery. I kept on saying to my friend that I feel like I am in Saigon (I have never been there tho') hahaha. 

There are two sections of the restaurant - open-air and air-conditioned area. 

The chef cum owner was so friendly. He sat with us when we showed our interest in knowing more about the restaurant and his background. To cut a long story short, he is very experienced in Vietnamese cuisines and he sticks to the traditional ways of preparing all the dishes. He prides in NO MSG usage in his cooking - just like the original Viets is cooking their dishes. 

A good note to share - the restaurant is Muslim friendly and the suppliers for all ingredients are Halal-certified. [refer here]

DIY Sizzling Pancake (Bánh xèo)

He even spared some of his time to show us how to fold the DIY Sizzling Pancake (bánh xèo) - which is actually quite easy once you know the technique. The thing is, I have tasted the same pancake before but the pancake crumbles upon the touch. I was a bit skeptical when he started rolling the pancake but amazingly, the texture stays throughout the rolling bit. I tried rolling the pancake myself and the texture stays and it tasted so good when I ate it (I actually ate two rolls - huge ones too). 

We continued placing our orders. It wasn't long before the dishes arrive. Of course, when one in Vietnam, one has to order the drip coffee (cà phê sữa) and I prefer mine with milk. When the drink arrived, I was surprised to see that the amount was not as much as I expected it to be. We were told to let the coffee drip first and when it stopped dripping, the waiter transferred the coffee with milk into a chilled tall glass with ice. And evidently enough, the amount was little. I was a bit disappointed.

I think my disappointed face was obvious enough that the owner came along and told me the reason why the coffee was not as much. 'We are serving you with the quality of the coffee. In this quantity, the quality is preserved and later when the ice melts, you'll know why the coffee comes in such amount.'

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Cantik kan ripple effect kopi nie. Lazat tau kopi vietnam kat @rasa.viet nie. ☕️ Yang penting, kualitinya memang terbaik. Memang kaw kan @foodilifecious @mrssu_rach @zharif93 @fariesniet ? #coffeelover #HantuKopi #RasaViet #RawlinsEats #RawlinsGLAM #RawlinsLifestyle

A post shared by Rawlins G L A M (@rawlins_glam) on Aug 18, 2020 at 7:34pm PDT

Not letting my hope high, I sipped my coffee and I was amazed. The coffee is really refreshing and kaw! It gets better with each sip. 'Don't sip your coffee too much or you'll be in heaven high' I was told. 

We were served with dishes from the Spring Roll and Special Section of the menu first (The Menu). 

Summer Roll (Goi cuộn)

Vietnamese Sandwich Grilled Chicken (Bánh mi gà nướng)

Mango Salad Prawn (Gỏi xoài tôm)

Ok. Lemme dissects some of the dishes above. 

I was surprised when the roll came with peanut sauce and not the usual spicy sauce that we used to have. Then I was told that in Vietnam, spring roll is eaten with peanut sauce and not spicy sauce. The ones with spicy sauce have been Malaysianize. Hahaha

The taste? I love it - sweet and savory in one bite really awakens your tastebuds!

At first look, nothing is special about the sandwich. But when I took a bite at the bread, I was surprised at the crunchiness of the bread - it was very crunchy! Usually, the bread is a bit moist and most of the time, a bit chewy too. But this one is very crunchy and I just couldn't stop munching into the sandwich. 

That mango salad? I will say YES to anything with mango! 

Was that it? NOPE. No visit to a Vietnamese eatery is complete unless one has tasted the phở.

Meatballs Pho (Phở bở viên)

I ordered Meatballs Pho (phở bở viên) - the ones that I love to order every time I eat at a Vietnamese eatery. I was about to sip the whole broth but I was way too full when I finished singling out the meatballs. Haha. A grave mistake when eating a phở, don't eat the meatballs alone, eat it with the phở and the broth. You'll savour the phở better that way.

And here is the right way to eat a phở. First, you taste the broth. Then pour the vegetables and the two sauces. The last paste is for one to dip the meatballs on. And when you stir the phở, don't stir it too much or too high or you'll cool the phở unknowingly, leaving the phở not so tasty because it is cold. You'll want to savour it while it is hot. 

Boiled lemongrass ginger (nước sả gừng với mật ong) and traditional caramel pudding (bánh flan)

Last but not least, we were served with boiled lemongrass ginger (nước sả gừng với mật ong) and traditional caramel pudding (bánh flan). 

I have always loved the boiled lemongrass drink but this one has ginger in it. I love this version even more. And I realized I have been passing gas non-stop ever since. It seems the ingredients were working their magic well. 

The pudding was so dense and soft at the same time, while not being overly sweet. I savour every single piece of the pudding and I love the fact that the caramel sauce is not watery like the ones that I have encountered before. 

MY REVIEW OF RASA VIET

Space: Beautifully decorated and with a soothing ambience

Service: Fast and with smiles. The waiter took the time to show us to mix the dishes

Price: Worth it. Affordable 

Food portion: Large 

Taste: 5 Stars

Here is some information about Rasa Viet. 

Operational: Daily (11 am - 10 pm)

Telephone: +603 2242 1880

Address: Unit No. G-3A, Level Ground, The Sphere, No.1 Avenue 1, Bangsar South City, No.8 Jalan Kerinchi 59200 Kuala Lumpur

Type 'Rasa Viet The Sphere' when you are using Waze or Google Maps. 

Rasa Viet's Social Media Accounts

Rasa Viet Website | Rasa Viet IG | Rasa Viet FB 

#RawlinsEats #RasaViet #MakananVietnamKL #RawlinsLifestyle #Food #RawlinsGLAM

Sakral: Keramat [Movie Review] | Yet again, here's another review of an Indonesian horror film that I watched with Mahamahu over the weekend. I watched the trailer and kinda like it - with no expectation whatsoever going into the hall.

SYNOPSIS

• Directed by: Tema Patrosza
• Writer: Baskoro Adi Wuryanto

• Production companies: MD Pictures, Dee Company
• Distributed by: Antenna Entertainments

• Running time: 91 minutes
• Country: Indonesia
• Language: Indonesia
• Release Date: 20 September 2018

• IMDB: 7.0/ 10

Kamu adalah labuhan hidupku

Menjadi titik nafas terakhirku

Hingga menjadi cinta abadi

The movie starts with Melina and Daniel happily decorating a nursery when suddenly Melina's water broke and she was rushed to a hospital. She gave birth to twin girls but one of them didn't make it. When the new baby returns home, Melina was still heartbroken over the lost of her baby. The maid told her that in one of the beliefs, when a twin died, their spirit will wander around the house and it will be great to cleanse the house, to avoid dark disturbance. 

5 years later, Flora (the survived twin) grows as a moody and mysterious little girl - she never talks or laughs. Her parents are worried about her not talking or laughing and tries almost everything to make her do so. Melina, on the other hand was experiencing nightmares that were related to her loss, her doctor said and was advised to go on a vacation just to relax herself. She also sees ghosts around her.

Daniel brings his family to a vacation spot, where they met with Bianca, Daniel's former fiance before he was married to Melina. Daniel did not mentioned about the failed relationship when he introduced Bianca to Melina. 

And suddenly, Flora starts talking to Bianca and plays with her. Melina thinks that having Bianca around helps with Flora's growth. And Flora is so into Bianca that she insisted that Bianca follows them home. 

And the horrific incidents start to multiply ever since.

What is the cause of the horrific disturbance?

MY REVIEW

Plot: 4.4/ 5.0 The plot is quite straight forward, except for some twists in the movie about the origin of the disturbance. The scare scenes were not many but it certainly made me screamed and jumped in my seat. 

Oh. And the last scenes are the funniest!

Cast: 4.6/ 5.0 The cast are great in delivering their lines and scenes - even the little Flora did so well. 

Will I watch it again: I don't mind watching it again, at home. 

The pictures are taken from sources on the Internet. Thank you.

#SakralKeramat #MovieReviewbyRawlins #Horror #RawlinsGLAM #RawlinsLifestyle #Indonesia

Project Power [Movie Review] | I watched a whole lot of Netflix series and movies during the MCO and I realised there are some good movies on Netflix. When I read the info for this one, it got me intrigued. 

Superpower is the word that caught my attention. 

SYNOPSIS

• Directed by: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

• Produced by: Eric Newman, Bryan Unkeless

• Production companies: Screen Arcade, Supermarche

• Distributed by: Netflix

• Running time: 113 minutes

• Rating: R (For violence, bloody images, drug content and some language)

• Not related to Marvel Comics series Powers, though it has a slightly similar plot. 
• Country: US
• Language: English
• Budget: $85.1 million

• Tomatometer: 65%
• Metascore: 52

• IMDb: 6.1/10

The movie starts with reports of supernatural humans on the radio. Later, Robin, a teenage girl who deals power pills being saved by Frank, a New Orleans Police Officer while trying to deal the power pills. 

Art/ Major, who is on the lookout for his kidnapped daughter, confronted Newt, the power pill dealer, to find out his daughter's whereabouts and learned that source of the pills. Newt overdosed on the power pills when he swallowed too much of the pills while fighting off Art. Art stole Newt's phone and contacted Robin, who is Robin's cousin, hoping she'll lead him to the source of the Power pills. 

Frank was outed by his Captain for using the Power pill while toiling a bank robbery and he was suspended. The Captain told him to capture Art as Art is considered a threat and the source of the Power pills. 

Art then kidnapped Robin and their journey to find the source of the Power pills begin. In the midst of their quest, Frank comes in and assists their quest too. 

Along the quest, one will see a lot of amazing superpowers induced by the Power pills, but the powers will last only 5 minutes. 

Will Art finds his daughter?

Will Art also ends the Power pills source?

MY REVIEW

Plot: 4.8/ 5.0 The storyline is pretty simple - a father looking for her daughter, the sidekicks assist in his quest and the mission comes through. What excites me the most was the superpowers in the movie - the powers were derived from the animals' ability to camouflage to save their lives. And when you see the end scene where Art shows his power, you'll be amazed. 

Cast: 4.8/ 5.0 Jamie Foxx + Joseph Gordon-Levitt = great movie - in this one particularly. How Joseph has grown though hehe. And Dominique is very good in her role too!

Will I watch it again: I would!

The pictures are taken from IMDb and other sources on the Internet. Thank you.

#ProjectPower #Netflix #Superpower #MovieReviewbyRawlins #RawlinsReviews #RawlinsGLAM #RawlinsLifestyle #JamieFoxx #Action #Crime #JosephGordonLevitt

Aku Tahu Kapan Kamu Mati [Movie Review] | I love watching horror films from Indonesia and Thailand - they are scary like nobody's business (also because we are so near, I would assume their ghosts most likely similar to ours hahaha). So, I chose to watch this one when I went shopping for my supplements the other day. 

SYNOPSIS

• Directed by: Hadrah Daeng Ratu

• Screeplay by: Aviv Elham
• Novel: Arumi E
• Production companies: Unlimited Productions, Maxima Pictures
• Distributed by: GSC Movies (Malaysia)

• Running time: 92 minutes
• Country: Indonesia
• Language: Indonesia

• IMDb: 5.1/10

The movie starts with Siena being on a hospital bed, dying while the doctor and nurses were trying to surviver he, and failed. Siena was declared dead but rose up again while being wheeled by the medical assistants to the morgue. 

Her friends were mourning Siena's death when Flo suddenly saw what she taught was Siena's ghost outside their dorm. Apparently, it was not a ghost and Siena was actually looking for her hair tie in the garden.

Not everyone was happy that Siena didn't die, especially Denissa who taught that Siena is flirting with her ex-boyfriend, Brama. And when Siena started to see dead spirits near people who ended up dead afterwards, Siena was called into the counsellor's office to 'stop spreading a hoax' that was scaring the students. 

Her friends didn't believe her too, until when Brama was also killed, despite warnings from Siena not to go to a motor race. 

The ultimatum was when she saw a ghost around Flo and she decided to stop death from circling Flo.

Will she succeed in her bid to cheat Flo's death?

MY REVIEW

Plot: 4.6/ 5.0 It was not such a scary movie - the ghosts are not many and the scary scenes are almost next to none. But the lack of horror was replaced by funny moments, which was aplenty in the movie. Yup guys, it is a com-horror movie. 

Cast: 4.6/ 5.0 I am sorry as I do not know any of the cast but they were great in their performances. Well, except for the Brama character, he was a bit one-note but perhaps that was how his character is supposed to be. 

Will I watch it again: With the right companions, I don't mind watching it again. 

The pictures are taken from IMDb and other sources on the Internet. Thank you.

#AkuTahuKapanKamuMati #MovieReviewbyRawlins #Horror #RawlinsGLAM #RawlinsLifestyle

Black Water: Abyss [Movie Review] | Well, here goes another movie with people trapped in an enclosed space with a man-eating animal waiting for its meals. 

So, why did you go and watch it, Rawlins? Just because hahahaha. Also because I am from Sarawak where this reptile is aplenty. 

SYNOPSIS

• Directed by: Andrew Traucki

• Produced by: Michael Robertson, Neal Kingston, Pam Collis
• Production companies: Thrills & Spills, Cornerstone Pictures, Prodigy Movies
• Distributed by: Altitude Film Distribution, R&R Films

• Running time: 98 minutes

• Tomatometer: 48%

• Metascore: 46

• IMDb: 4.5/10

Looking at the poster, I was imagining a huge crocodile going after a bunch of people. The movie started with Eric and Jennifer bringing Yolanda and Viktor to explore a new unexplored underground cave, after Viktor's remission treatment. Eric's friend, Cash was the one who found the cave when he was involved in a search party for lost explorers weeks earlier (who in their right minds want to go visit the unexplored underground cave).

They went and yes, the system of caves was certainly unexplored. When they discovered a huge pool inside the cave, they were ecstatic. As they were about to explore the pool, the tropical storm brought in a flood and along with it, crocodile. 

The flood brought up the remains of the lost explorers and that's when the group met eye to eye with the predator. Apparently, they were in the den of the crocodiles and they were about to be the meals of the crocodile. While trying to survive one predator, more mysteries about their relationships emerged.

Will they survive the predator and their new secrets?

MY REVIEW

Plot: 3.5/ 5.0 Nothing new about the plot here. People trapped, trying to survive the ordeal and secrets emerged. When I saw the poster, I was actually looking forward to a huge predator going after the group but that was not the deal here. The crocodile's air time was very little - I was kinda disappointed about that. 

There were scary scenes, I will not lie about that. Some scenes made me jumped in my seat too. 

Cast: 3.5/ 5.0 The cast was ok but their performance was not so impressive. At some points, the scripts were a bit funny that it did not coincide with the scene. 

Will I watch it again: It is ok. Once is enough. 

The pictures are taken from IMDb and other sources on the Internet. Thank you.