Thank God is another weekend. With all the troubles in the country during the week, from bandits’ never ending killings to kidnappings of citizens, including school children, to unknown gunmen ‘wahala’ to ‘civil war’ threats and last-last Twitter ban, the week was really a ‘one day one trouble’ week.
To get your mind a bit off all these troubles currently besetting ‘Naija’, it may not be a bad idea catching some funs with some of these old Nollywood movies below:
1. Narrow Path
The movie illustrated the dilemma of a young lady called Awero, who must choose between two eager suitors: Odejimi, who is a brave hunter and Lapade, a wealthy man but she found herself in a mess on her wedding day with Odejimi
The movie was adapted from The Virgin, a novel written by Bayo Adebowale, it starred the likes of Sola Asedeko, Segun Adefila, Ayo Badmus, Khabirat Kafidipe, Joke Muyiwa and others, it was produced and directed by Tunde Kelani in 2006.
2. Osuofia in London
Osuofia (Nkem Owoh) a bamboozled villager living in Nigeria receives word on the demise of his brother Donatus in London, England.
However, in his will, Donatus has left Osuofia his huge estate as sole beneficiary. Osuofia makes his way to London only to find his late brother’s English fiancée Samantha (Mara Derwent) is not quite sure about following the Nigerian tradition of becoming part of the ‘inheritance herself. Cultural misunderstandings result in a comedy of errors.
The movie featured the likes of Nkem Owoh, Mara Derwent, Charles Angiama, Cynthia Okereke, Victoria Summers, Francis Odega, and others. It was produced by Kingsley Ogoro in 2003 and the sequel was released in 2004.
3. Aki and Pawpaw (Aki na Ukwu)
Two brothers cause complete chaos at their home, in their school, and basically in their whole village. A Nigerian comedy movie which features the likes of Osita Iheme, Chinedu Ikedieze, Oby Kechere, Amaechi Muonagor, and others. It was produced in 2002 and was directed by Amayo Uzo Philips.
4. The Figurine
The movie narrates the story of two friends who finds a mystical sculpture in an abandoned shrine in the forest while serving at a National Youth Service Corps camp, and one of them decides to take the artwork home. Unknown to them, the sculpture is from the goddess ‘Araromire’ which bestows seven years of good luck on anyone who encounters it, and after the seven years have expired, seven years of bad luck follow. The lives of the two friends begin to change for good, as they become successful and wealthy businessmen. However, after seven years, things start to change for the worse.
The Figurine: Araromire is a Nigerian supernatural suspense thriller film, written in 2009 by Kemi Adesoye, produced and directed by Kunle Afolayan, who also stars in the film as one of the main protagonists. It also starred the likes of Ramsey Nouah and Omoni Oboli and others.
5. Mard
The film opens in India. It is the early 20th century when India remains part of the British empire. The opening sequence shows a group of British soldiers plundering an Indian fort and taking its riches by air to England. They are stopped by the valiant Raja Azad Singh (Dara Singh) who is immensely strong and manages to lasso the light aircraft, subdue several English soldiers and recover the stolen jewels. Around this time, Raja Azad Singh’s wife Rani Durga) Nirupa Roy gives birth to a baby boy, who is named Raju. Raja carves the word mard (man, intending to convey strength and bravery) into the newborn’s chest, noting proudly that the baby is smiling throughout, and can apparently feel no pain. (His words, mard ko dard nahin hota, meaning “a true man feels no pain”, are a recurring dialogue throughout the movie.)
The British commission conducts an investigation, led by a sympathetic and liberal Englishwoman, Lady Helena; the investigation uncovers the atrocities of the English troops and results in several officers being officially reprimanded. Lady Helena is a close confidante of Raja Azad Singh and is generally supportive of Raja and the idea of India gaining independence from British rule.
Mard is a 1985 India Hindi Language action film, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Amrita Singh and was directed by Manmohan Desai.
6. Rules of Engagement
In 1968 during the Vietnam War, a disastrous American advance leaves the U.S Marine Lieutenant Hayes Hodges wounded and his men dead. His squadmate Lieutenant Terry Childers executes a North Vietnamese prisoner to intimidate a captive officer into calling off a mortar attack on Hodges’ position; sparing the officer’s life, Childers rescues Hodges. In 1996, Hodges, now a colonel is set to retire after 28 years as a JAG officer. At his pre-retirement party at the Camp Lejeune Officers Club, he is honored by his old friend, Colonel Terry Childers, now the commanding officer of a Marine Expeditionary Unit.
It is a 2000 American war and legal drama film, directed by Willaim Friedkin, written by Stephen Gaghan, from a story by Jim Webb, and starring Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L Jackson plays the U.S Marine Colonel Terry Childers, who is brought to court-martial after men under Childers’ orders kill many civilians outside the U.S. embassy in Yemen.
7. Issakaba
The Issakaba boys led by Ebube had to fight against armed robbers who terrorize their society. The armed robbers possess certain mystical powers that they use in their robbery activities. Because of this, Ebube and his team of Issakaba boys have also acquired powers that enable them to fight against robbery. The movie is full of action, horror, and drama.
Issakaba is a 2000 Nigerian movie inspired by true life events that were directed by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, It features Sam Dede,Chiwetalu Agu, Pete Eneh, Susan Obi, Mike Ogundu and others,
8. Baby Police
Dada, a mischievously sadistic six-year-old, constantly bothers his neighbors with stealing and pranks. Dada’s mother is at her wit’s end when her brother visiting from Lagos offers to take Dada to the big city to teach him some discipline.
The movie starred the likes of Ijeoma Angel Boniface, Okey Billy Boniface, Osita Iheme and others. It was produced in 2003 and directed by Amayo Uzo Philips.
Enjoy your weekend with those oldies and still blockbusters movies. Ciao!