Mami Wata is Magnificent

By: Arc

I finally got to see Mami Wata in an eight-person-filled cosy lounge at Broadway Cinema in Robin Hood’s village Nottingham. True to its title and mysticism, the movie casts a spell on you. It would be wrong to call this a “movie”, this is not a singular work of art, the Obasis created an exhibition. Prisca (Evelyne Ily, Mon Dieu, I could stare at her all day) is your tour guide as you travel through this magnificent monochromatic museum, exploring emotionally evoking themes with the sound of crashing ocean waves soothing your soul.

Do you remember dissecting The Joys of Motherhood in your Literature in English class (SS1A or B), trying to figure out the layers of meaning behind Buchi Emecheta’s words? This movie is our new literature textbook, we can spend hours decoding it, lifting several meanings, and picking out topics for debate.

Continue reading

Jagun Jagun: Great cinematography but bland storytelling

By: Arc

Warning: do not watch with English audio, you will be sorry and miss out on the beauty of the Yoruba language.

The Yoruba epic cinematic universe is taking shape, Top 5 epic Yoruba movies and where to watch them, and the latest Oduduwa kingdom adventure is action-packed and deserves a 7/10. It features the usual suspects (Toyin Abraham, Asiwaju baby was shunned for bad PR?), and they did their jobs.

If you are looking for an educative cultural showcase littered with wise sayings, great visuals, and enchanting soundtracks, this is the movie for you.

Continue reading

Hotel Labamba is proof that not all movies should be in cinemas

By: Cassy

This movie, produced by Laide Daramola and directed by Biodun Stephens, had A-listers like Adedimeji Lateef, Bimbo Ademoye, and Lilian Afegbai in acting roles. The director, Biodun Stephens had directed movies like ‘A Breaded Life’, ‘Sista’, and ‘Introducing the Kujus’, all critically acclaimed movies, so one might enter the cinema to see Hotel Labamba with high hopes.

Continue reading

Praise for Ebuka Njoku’s Yahoo+

By: Arc

You do not need a budget of 100 million or Osas as a lead actress to make a good movie. This film stands out as a beacon for all aspiring directors and producers, this is how you start. Submit your piece to a film festival, (Eastern Nigeria International Film Festival, ENIFF), source for distributors, ask, get turned down, and ask again till you get One to believe in your Film. Have an okay run in the cinemas and then release to Netflix to reach a supposedly wider audience. To review this movie, one must bear in mind that this narrative film is the first feature of a director working on a budget. There remains a lot of room for improvement, and I will be overtly generous to score this 3.8/10.

Score Points

Continue reading