• 'My Wife and Kids' (2001) sitcom starred Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin. Photo: Buena Vista Television
    'My Wife and Kids' (2001) sitcom starred Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin. Photo: Buena Vista Television
  • 'Treasure Planet' (2002) is a sci-fi adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's famous adventure novel 'Treasure Island'. Photo: Disney
    'Treasure Planet' (2002) is a sci-fi adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's famous adventure novel 'Treasure Island'. Photo: Disney
  • 'Metro' (1997) stars Eddie Murphy. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures
    'Metro' (1997) stars Eddie Murphy. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures
  • 'Unstoppable' (2010) is an action thriller starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. Photo: 20th Century Fox
    'Unstoppable' (2010) is an action thriller starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. Photo: 20th Century Fox
  • 'One Hour Photo' (2002) is a psychological thriller starring Robin Williams. The role earned him a Saturn Award for Best Actor. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures
    'One Hour Photo' (2002) is a psychological thriller starring Robin Williams. The role earned him a Saturn Award for Best Actor. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures
  • 'Ultimate Airport Dubai' (2013) is a documentary series offering a closer look into DXB. Photo: Arrow Media
    'Ultimate Airport Dubai' (2013) is a documentary series offering a closer look into DXB. Photo: Arrow Media
  • 'Gargoyles' is an animated TV series that ran from 1994 to 1997. Photo: Disney
    'Gargoyles' is an animated TV series that ran from 1994 to 1997. Photo: Disney
  • 'Broadcast News' (1987) stars Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks and William Hurt. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards including for Best Picture. Photo: 20th Century Fox
    'Broadcast News' (1987) stars Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks and William Hurt. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards including for Best Picture. Photo: 20th Century Fox

Eight hidden-gem films and TV shows to watch on Disney+ Mena


Faisal Salah
  • English
  • Arabic

Streaming service Disney+ launched in the Mena region on Wednesday with thousands of shows, films, and documentaries to choose from.

While most people will undoubtedly be excited to access the libraries of Marvel and Star Wars, there's a whole treasure trove of other titles worth a watch.

Here are eight films and TV shows to seek out.

'My Wife and Kids' (2001-2005)

There's clearly an audience for long-running sitcoms on streaming services, with excitement for shows such as Seinfeld and Friends on Netflix and The Office (US) on Amazon Prime Video.

My Wife and Kids is a sitcom from the early 2000s about a middle-class, black family in the US that provides plenty of laughs.

The show is led by Damon Wayans (arguably the funniest Wayans brother) and centres on the life he shares with his wife, son and two daughters.

A golden era of US TV comedy is encapsulated in the five seasons.

'Treasure Planet' (2002)

One of the best things about having a streaming service from Disney is being able to watch great animated films. After all, they are a cornerstone in many of our childhoods.

One animated film that perhaps did not get the attention it deserves is 2002's Treasure Planet.

Known as one of the studio's "most expensive failures", the film had the misfortune of being released just after one of the biggest films of the year (and well, all-time), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, who directed Hercules five years earlier, the film is a retelling of the Treasure Island story in a futuristic, science fiction setting. The mixture of classical hand drawn and (at the time) new 3D animation gives this film a unique feel.

'Metro' (1997)

In today's cinematic landscape, action cinema is either large and packed full of stunts (think Tom Cruise films), or more low budget and straight to video.

In 1997, the market for low-cost budgeted action flicks was healthy, and thus we have the rarely mentioned Metro starring comedic powerhouse Eddie Murphy.

No stranger to action comedies, he previously starred in the successful Beverly Hills Cop film series as Axel Foley. In Metro, Murphy is less bombastic than Foley, but more confident and grounded as he tries to take down a murderer on the loose.

'Unstoppable' (2010)

In 2012, tragedy struck when British director Tony Scott died.

The man behind films such as True Romance and Top Gun left a huge legacy behind.

His last film was Unstoppable starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. It centres on a runaway train, and all the attempts to stop it to avert a catastrophe.

Unstoppable has gained a cult following over the years with fellow director Quentin Tarantino once calling it one of his top 10 films of the last decade.

'One Hour Photo' (2002)

Robin Williams is remembered most for his comedic roles; though he was a prolific dramatic actor, earning four Oscar nominations and winning Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting.

However, a genre that Williams did not veer into was horror. Until One Hour Photo.

The lovable Williams excels as a reclusive photo technician who becomes obsessed with a family whom he has develops photos for over the years.

A true hit that captures a darker side of the tragic actor.

'Ultimate Airport Dubai' (2013)

Dubai International Airport is one of the world's most important travel hubs as well as one of the busiest.

This 10-part documentary series from National Geographic provides a glimpse into the day-to-day operations of the airport.

From managing take-off delays, to inspecting suspicious smugglers, the show is equal parts informative and entertaining.

'Gargoyles' (1994-1997)

In the early 1990s, youngsters had a thirst for edgier, cooler material.

From professional wrestling to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, everything had to have attitude. And plenty of it.

One show that struck a great balance of being both moody and fun was 1994's Gargoyles.

The animated series follows a group of stone gargoyles who come alive at night in New York City and take on roles as secret night-time protectors.

The show ran for three seasons from 1994 to 1997.

'Broadcast News' (1987)

Romantic comedies were not always how we know them today.

In the late 1980s, they were more grounded, palatable even, instead of the cheese-fest the genre has morphed into.

Broadcast News is one of the best examples.

The film centres on a love triangle bubbling in a broadcast newsroom, with Holly Hunter, William Hurt and Albert Brooks starring as the lead characters.

The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards including for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Screenplay.

They don't make them like they used to.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

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Updated: July 05, 2022, 9:44 AM