I do not grace the red carpet frequently. But I managed to this Wednesday night for the premiere of Mike Wiluan’s new film Dead Mine that’s a joint venue with HBO Asia. As the name does rather suggest, the genre is horror (horror-action to be precise) and my biggest fear, after what to wear, was whether or not I was going to be able to sit through it without passing out (to lend some context, I had to walk out of Jurassic Park because I thought it was too scary).
Clothes wise I did, just, manage to remember that I was not in Hollywood and that I was not starring in the movie. But should you wear a dress? Is that too smart? Are jeans too casual? After sending out a few desperate texts I was told on good authority that the look was ‘media, baby…you know, trying hard not to look like you’re trying hard.’
I dusted off my Adriano Goldschmied’s – from his SoHo flagship store in New York no less – threw on a nonchalantly knotted string of pearls (bought a few years ago from the pearl market in Shanghai) over a silk vest top given to me by one of my favourite Singapore aunties/adopted mother figures when she was having a wardrobe clearout. It’s Martino Midali from the 80s. I think it even qualifies for vintage status. Extra points, surely? A white, slightly stretchy and supremely comfy cotton jacket bought in the sale at Zara’s flagship store in Barcelona for the princely sum of 38 euros saved me from death by ice-cold cinema aircon.
The actors in the movie weren’t quite as lucky. The chap in the film who was the first to die (I think he lasted 15 minutes) had the hottest and best dressed girlfriend in real life. She was English (of course) and looked premiere perfect from all angles:
Plot wise, think action packed treasure hunt crossed with undead creatures. A sort of multi cultural version of Lost, there were actors from all over: Britain was represented very well by Sam Hazledine and Les Loveday, there was Malaysian Carmen Soo, (below)
who played the love interest, as well as the Japanese cult action star Miki Mizuno plus a bunch of popular Indonesian actors. Directed by Steven Shiel the movie was shot in Infinite Studios’ new facility in Batam in just one month.
The co-producers Mike Wiluan (of Singapore-based media company Infinite Studios) and Erica North of HBO:
