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20.12.2018 thu Macau Daily Times | Edition 3196 | 20 Dec 2018 Travelog: Virgin Galactic tourism Wine: The Great White North Music: Book: Pandemic by Robin Cook Movies: Anna and the Apocalypse Heart to Mouth by LP rganised by Alliance Française de Macao and supported Oby Macao Foundation, Baroque Music Festival 2018 pre- sented a pentalogy of concerts, fascinating and outstanding in equal measures, at several historic venues across the City of the Name of God. Now in its fourth edition, the festival has become a highlight in the musical calendar of Macau, attracting an increa- sing number of local residents and foreign visitors. X2 PÁTIO DA ILUSÃO illusion DRIVE IN Jocelyn Noveck, AP onsider it an early Christ- mas gift: “Anna and the UST IN TIME FOR HRISTMAS A ZOMBIE HOLIDAY MUSICAL CApocalypse” is the zombie J C , horror holiday musical you di- dn’t know you needed. (the perfectly cast Mark Ben- Just imagining that first pit- ton), who’s raising her alone, ch meeting is entertainment that she plans to postpone uni- AP PHOTO in itself. “It’s ‘High School versity and travel to Australia. Musical’ meets ‘World War He is NOT amused. Z!’ No no, it’s ‘Glee’ meets Dad’s the janitor at Anna’s ‘Shaun of the Dead!’ Hold on high school, which is run by ... it’s Christmas! OK, ‘Love a misfit headmaster, Savage Actually’ meets ‘The Walking (Paul Kaye, whose sneers be- Dead!’” come nastier by the minute.) Whatever its cinematic antece- The first part of the movie — dents, “Anna,” which boasts an we’ll call it the “High School appealing cast of fresh-faced Musical” section — introduces newcomers and a quirky Sco- us to the typical slate of teen ttish sensibility, is charming, characters and their struggles. often clever, and unexpectedly To name a few, there’s Anna’s moving, too. And who’s to say best friend, John (a highly we’re not ready for a zom- likable Malcom Cumming), bie horror holiday musical? the nice guy who secretly lo- Compared to your average TV ves her; there’s army brat Nick newscast these days, it’s posi- (Ben Wiggins), the conceited tively relaxing. bully who’s dated and dum- The film, directed by John ped her; there’s Steph (Sarah McPhail with catchy origi- Swire, who also choreogra- nal songs by Roddy Hart and phed the musical numbers!), Tommy Reilly, has a sad backs- a brooding aspiring journalist Ella Hunt in a scene from the film “Anna and the Apocalypse” tory. It’s based on a BAFTA- neglected by her wealthy pa- winning short film, “Zombie rents. Everyone’s coping with her. It’s the film’s most enter- re that for a second.) death for our spirited band of one hell of a show.” And so Musical,” by Ryan McHenry, the usual teenage pressures as taining number. The dialogue can be quite teenagers seeking to escape the she does. By the end, you may who died at age 27 of cancer in they seek to define themselves Finally Anna and friend John, funny, as when the teens con- deadly bite and reunite with lo- find yourself wiping away a 2015 just as his project was on and prepare for imminent adul- also dancing away the morning, template the fate of their fa- ved ones, if they’re alive. For few tears. Somehow, this amu- the way to becoming a feature thood. meet up in a playground, where vorite celebrities. Justin Bie- Anna, it’s about finding her singly chaotic mashup of gen- film. (He shares a writing cre- What they don’t expect is, um, they have a head-spinning en- ber’s a zombie, one of them father. Her face streaked with res finds a way to strike a final dit here with Alan McDonald.) a zombie apocalypse. It ha- counter with a zombie dressed exclaims. Ryan Gosling? “Ali- blood, killing zombies with note that’s simple and true. The new film has the undeniab- ppens suddenly one day. Hea- as a snowman. Panicked, they ve, dead, the guy’s still cool,” nothing but an oversized candy le asset of Ella Hunt in the lead ding out of the house, Anna head to the bowling alley whe- another reasons. But the idea cane for a weapon, Anna fights “Anna and the Apocalypse,” role, charismatic and touching puts her headphones in and re they both work. There, alas, that Taylor Swift might be a with the tenacity and fury of a an Orion Pictures release, is as teen heroine Anna. At 18, sings cheerfully of a beautiful they find a lot more zombies. zombie is too much for one: Scottish Katniss Everdeen. rated R by the Motion Picture Anna is ready to graduate high new morning. “What a time to Director McPhail finds inven- “Tay-Tay’s fine!” And yet, this being a musical, Association of America “for school in her small Scottish be alive,” she sings, and dan- tive ways to stage zombie gore, The latter part of the film, and she still finds time to sing. zombie violence and gore, lan- town of Little Haven, and keen ces, oblivious to the murderous including, yep, zombie heads it does get to feel a bit long, Her back up against the wall, guage, and some sexual mate- to experience the world. As we zombie mayhem happening in popping up in the bowling ball becomes a more traditional she sings that if she’s gonna rial.” Running time: begin, she’s informing her dad the suburban streets around dispenser. (We’ll let you pictu- zombie narrative, a fight to the die anyway, “I’ll give them 97 minutes. BOOK IT tTUNES ‘PANDEMIC’ RINGS WARNING BELL LP, DIMINUTIVE SINGER WITH BIG ABOUT GENE-EDITING TECHNOLOGY VOICE, LAYS IT OUT hen there’s a scientific blaming his genealogy for here’s a re- very,” suggests breakthrough, Robin it. His wife, Laurie Montgo- ference to Adele at her pour- AP PHOTO WCook doesn’t just stand up mery, has unexpectedly been Tshape-shifting AP PHOTO it-on best. and cheer. He uses his fertile named the chief medical exa- tucked into the The shape-shif- imagination and writes a no- miner, making her his boss lyrics of “When ting doesn’t end vel about its possible perils. both at home and at work. I’m Over You,” there. Other In his latest medical thriller, Stapleton’s investigation re- the second song cuts call to mind “Pandemic,” Cook dramati- veals that a hospital in New on LP’s new al- everything from zes the scary side of a mira- York performed the woman’s bum, “Heart to the power-an- cle molecule called “CRIS- heart transplant at the request Mouth,” and it them R&B vibe PR/Cas9,” which can easily of the Dover Valley Hospital didn’t get there of Beyonce to be custom-tailored to seek in New Jersey. Dover also by accident. the smoldering out and alter genes in hu- paid all her medical bills. Over the course vibrato of Gra- mans and animals. Realizing that “something of a dozen new ce Slick, the The story begins when a weird is afoot,” Stapleton songs, the di- commanding Je- seemingly healthy young drives out to Dover and recei- minutive singer fferson Airplane woman with a transplanted ves a warm welcome from its works in enough singer. heart boards the subway in owner, Wei Zhao, a Chinese different styles LP, “Heart to Mouth” (BMG/Vagrant) LP really is that New York City but suffers “Pandemic” (Putnam) by Robin billionaire businessman who to draw compa- good. abrupt respiratory distress Cook holds a double Ph.D. in mo- risons to some of the world’s greats — “Heart to Mouth” succeeds because she and dies before she reaches lecular biology and genetics. and yet she doesn’t sound quite like any sings with such uncloaked passion and her destination. Wei, a body-building enthusiast who admires of them. urgency. Her big voice conveys the same Jack Stapleton, a medical examiner who Arnold Schwarzenegger, makes an intriguing It works because LP is an enormous talent. don’t-care-what-you-think confidence appears in 10 of Cook’s previous novels, does villain. The novel also offers an intriguing Her heart-baring vulnerability makes this as the album’s cover photo, in which an autopsy. He suspects that an unknown, flu- look at the subterranean world of medical exa- a rock-solid follow-up to the widely-prai- the singer slouches in an orange chair like virus is responsible for her death. He is du- miners, but “Pandemic” goes far beyond just sed “Lost on You” — and arrives in time against an orange background, wearing ty-bound to identify and stop the virus before it entertainment. to earn best-of consideration for 2018. an orange polyester suit that doesn’t enti- can cause a pandemic and kill millions. By graphically showing what could happen On “Dreamcatcher,” close your eyes and rely cover the sailing ship tattooed across Stapleton welcomes the challenge as a “diver- were CRISPR/Cas9 to fall into the wrong hear Stevie Nicks. On “Girls Go Wild,” the her chest. sion” from his many personal problems. To hands, the author rings a much needed warning playfully bouncing bass lwine echoes early Sure, she may not care what you think. name a few, his daughter has just been diag- bell about gene editing technology. Madonna, but with better singing. And the But she has put it all out there this time. nosed with autism and his mother-in-law is Waka Tsunoda, AP show-stopping heartbreak ballad, “Reco- Scott Stroud, AP 20.12.2018 thu MUSIC REVIEW Jacky I.

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