Before Genevieve Nnaji, Tonto Dike and Mercy Johnson, there was Liz Benson, Sandra Achums and Regina Askia.
The 90′s saw the birth of the Nigerian movie industry; never mind speculations in certain quarters which claim otherwise, but the chain of events which led to what the world now acknowledges as Nollywood started with the tale of an ambitious young man named Andy whose quest for material things led him to take some very questionable actions…in case you were wondering we are talking about ‘Living in Bondage’ and boy did that movie rock many a Nigerian home! Finally we had a full-length feature movie to call our own, never mind that it was a VHS recording or that the production quality left a lot to be desired, the bottom-line line was that it was a Nigerian story produced and delivered by an ambitious set of Nigerians and just like that, Nollywood was born!
Today in line with throwback Thursday, we go back in time and recount 10 movies that have us smiling in nostalgia as we recall. Let’s take a walk…
- Living in Bondage: this movie most probably sent jitters down the spine of every 90′s child. Delivered in Igbo with English subtitles, the movie featured Kenneth Okonkwo in the lead role as Andy, the ambitious young man who sacrifices his wife, Merith in the quest for financial success. The appearance of Merith’s spirit at random and the several occult scenes probably accounts for why the movie sent chills down many a child’s spine..this wasn’t Chucky in far away United States causing havoc, this was a good, ol’ Nigerian movie with Nigerian actors who could very well be the people living next to you! Almost 20 years later and the movie remains evergreen in our minds.
- Glamour Girls: who can forget what an uproar this movie caused in 90′s Nigeria which was still a largely conservative society. It explored sex in ways a Nigerian movie never had before…matter of fact prior to this sex had never even been explored at all! First there was Zack Orji and Eucharia Anunobi’s bathroom scene and of course the infamous scene where girls had to have sex with a dog…oh the scandal! Starring Eucharia Anunobi, Gloria Anozie, Dolly Unachukwu, Barbrah Udoh and several others, the movie centered around these ladies and the outrageous things they did for money and status.
- Mortal Inheritance: also known as the movie which gave Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde her big break, the movie told the tale of two young lovers who battle tribal differences and ailing health to be together. The movie also starred Fred Amata.
- Violated: starring two darlings of the 90′s small screen, Richard Mofe-Damijo and Ego Boyo, Violated chronicled the love story of a young man of wealth and influence and a young girl of little means who had been dished many blows by life. Directed by Amaka Igwe, Violated was a movie in a class of its own at the time with other notable names like Joke Silva and Kunle Bamtefa.
- Nneka the Pretty Serpent: another movie that sent a few jitters down spines; with Nneka and serpent in one sentence then there was bound to be a few scares. Summarily, Nneka played by another screen diva of the 90′s, Ndidi Obi was a ‘mammy water’ whose main kill was to go after married men and turn them into her zombies to do with as she pleased. Ndidi played the role to the hilt and her name quickly became synonymous with such roles at the time.
- Diamond Ring: directed by Tade Ogidan with an all-star cast that included Richard M0fe-Damijo, Sola Shobowale, Liz Benson, Bukky Wright, Bimbo Akintola and then starry-eyed Teju Babyface, Diamond Ring was every inch a classic. Between Shola Shobowale’s hysterics and the race against time to save Teju’s character’s life, Diamond Ring was a movie that kept the audience entertained and raised the bar of expectations from movies.
- Most Wanted: after a series of ritualistic movies, love stories and dramatic tales, Most Wanted was a breath of fresh air…four totally hot babes who happened to be gun-totting armed robbers, what a delightful change! Starring Regina Askia, current Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) president, Ibinabo Fiberesima , Ayo Adesanya and Liz Benson, Most Wanted was in a movie genre all by itself.
- Out of Bounds: who can forget the audacious Bimbo Akintola aka Tutu, a leading church member’s daughter lying provocatively on her bed as she strummed her fingers to an imaginary guitar singing ‘don’t mess with my Tutu’ over and over again to a completely hapless Richard Mofe-Damijo aka Pastor Voke and Tutu’s parent’s mentee. The movie was a complete sell-out which centered on a well-loved pastor who had the misfortune of entangling with a few female church members..married and all!
- Domitilla: the buzz and popularity of Domitilla was such that the name quickly became synonymous with ‘prostitute’ at the time. Never before had there been such an all-out ad campaign for a movie complete with radio ads to boot. Starring Anne Njemanze in the lead title role, Domitilla told the story of the hardships and survival tactics of young girls who found themselves in the murky world of prostitution.
- Hostages: if you didn’t watch Hostages then you most probably heard of it..the first Nigerian movie to use a helicopter in it! Produced and directed by the award-winning Tade Ogidan, Hostages gained critical acclaim for its elaborate use of props and script. Although the lead acts were relatively unkown, the movie also featured other popular names like Richard Mofe-Damijo, Bimbo Manuel, Bukky Ajayi and Lanre Balogun.
0 comments: