ON THE MOVIE 'OCTOBER 1'

Cast: Sadiq Daba, Kayode Aderupoko, Kehinde Bankole, Nick Rhys and introducing Demola Adedoyin.

Director: Kunle Afolayan

Synopsis:  A police inspector is sent to Akote town to investigate the rape and murder of some young girls. As the body count escalates, he realises he has a serial killer in his hands and that the murders are linked to a very disturbing secret. 

                       

Veteran actor Sadiq Daba makes a triumphant comeback in this dark thriller penned by Tunde Babalola and directed by Kunle Afolayan, his second thriller following The Figurine. October 1 is a carefully woven murder mystery set in an ethnically diverse community. The costumes and props were carefully selected to depict Nigeria in the 1960s and historical facts were well presented via conversations among the characters and old radio and video footage.

The location was excellent, depicting a picturesque rural setting and the lives of the people of that period.  The plot does not follow the formula of most Nollywood movies- improbable scenarios or predictable twists. At first, there were a few holes in the story but then were skilfully filled, except for one… Danladi’s background.

Daba was well-cast as Inspector Danladi Waziri. As an actor from the old school, the audience would expect a lot from him and get it. However- no offence to the actor- his Hausa accent was a tad exaggerated in the film and his character’s background was rather scanty. He mentioned a son in passing and it was left at that, the audience doesn’t hear more about the son or any member of Danladi’s family.  He’s brilliant and observant but wears a worn-out, almost melancholic look on his face most of the time. The audience can’t help but feel there’s more about Danladi but it was never revealed- except his confessed disillusionment over an execution he drunkenly described as “not my finest hour.”

Danladi’s sidekick, Sergeant Sunday (Kayode Aderupoko) first appeared to be the comic relief, not surprising as the actor is well known for his comic roles in Yoruba films.  His Nigerian Standard English is very awkward- he should have simply been made to speak Pidgin English instead. He serves as Danladi’s interpreter and go-between with the king and the community. But then we see him later as trying to be Danladi’s voice of reason. Far more schooled than his superior in his community’s norms and culture, he clashes with Danladi over an arrest that was in many ways impossible, not caring if he lost his job over it. 

Director Kunle Afolayan’s small but significant role of   Agbekoya proved yet again he’s versatile as an actor as well as a director. His character’s surly demeanour and abrupt answers to Danladi’s questions suggested he knew more than he was letting on and the heartrending epic scene between him and Danladi was enough to make the audience applaud him and weep along with him at the same time. 

Newcomer (Demola Adedoyin) debut was excellent. He played the recently graduated prince with confidence like he was made for the role. Kehinde Bankole was also brilliant as the school teacher, Miss Tawa as well as Fabian Lojede who played the dependable and down-to-earth Corporal Omolodun. 

Scottish actor Nick Rhys’ performance as Waziri’s patronising British superior was also memorable. He represented the British top shots at the time- giving his subordinates instructions and at the same time looking down on them. However, we are glad to see him rather put out by the appearance of Mrs Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (Deola Sagoe in a brief and very unnecessary cameo). 

The movie’s running time is 145 minutes, an achievement since most Nollywood movies’ stories are usually split into two or more DVDs. Afolayan and Babalola left no stone unturned to give the Nigerian audience a thoroughly excellent movie. New viewers of October 1 would be especially touched by the last scene... Danladi staring at the portrait of Nnamdi Azikiwe placed after Queen Elizabeth II’s was removed; symbolising the hopes and aspirations of Nigerians as they entered the new era of Independence. 

However, the audience would also be left to wonder, like Danladi. By not making the identity of the killer public, who was really being protected here?

This movie is one of the few that proves that we owe Nollywood more than a chance. It is worth a few hours of your time.

                                     

GIRL POWER! : MY TOP TEN ACTION HEROINES

These days, in literature, television, comics and of course movies; we get more and more action heroines. We've become more accustomed to strong, independent women who can fight back, think for themselves, stand up for themselves and have better things to do than trail after men who believe it's their main duty to be their protectors. Well, no boys... damsels in distress are slowly becoming a thing of the past! Action heroines slowly began springing up from the 60s and now in this digital era, the list of action heroines have gotten really long. As such, it took a lot of effort to narrow down the list to 10 and some people may not agree with the ranking! Here they are, in my opinion, the top 10 action heroines:

10.    

MAX GUEVARA  a.k.a X5-452

Wonderfully portrayed by a much younger Jessica Alba, Max was one of many genetically enhanced children-trangenics- trained to be super soldiers in the science fiction T.V series, Dark Angel . I was immediately taken in by Max, not just because of her abilities but  her strong personality and her determination to survive, find her 'siblings'  at the same time evading Manticore, the establishment she and the other children escaped from. I would describe Max as diamond in the rough; while she wasn't above petty theft and at times appeared a person with no scruples , she was protective of the people she cared very much about and didn't like using guns if she could help it. But Max also had a vulnerable side, which she rarely allowed to see; most times in the series, her inner thoughts were expressed through voice overs at the beginning and end of each episode. Max was a fighter; going through all difficult obstacles to achieve her goal.

9. 

                                                               BUFFY SUMMERS 

Buffy Summers played by Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy, The Vampire Slayer  is another action heroine I adore, but not at first sight however. I thought she was a tad sarcastic and cynical for such an important post,  but as the series progressed saw her differently, apart from a fierce ass kicking young woman.  Her 'vampire slayer' status and her doomed love affair with her most significant lover, the vampire-with-a-soul Angel, added more spice to her character. 

8.

BEATRIX KIDDO  a.k.a The Bride a.k.a Black Mamba 

Beatrix (played by Uma Thurman) is more of an anti-heroine. Her first appearance in Kill Bill Vol. 1 was in the aftermath of a massacre in a church, her face all bloodied and a calm voice telling her his action was 'not sadistic'. We immediately sense that this woman would be on a revenge mission and a bloody revenge mission it was! Beatrix did not allow anything or anyone to stand between her and the man she ultimately wanted to kill... Bill; ironically the father of her baby and the man who shot her on the head. Beatrix went through the ordeal of a 4 year coma, being pimped out by an unscrupulous male orderly (even in her comatose state), was able to persuade a retired master  swordsmith to make her one of his much coveted swords before hunting down her enemies, one by one. Before the events of the movie, she had to undergo rigorous training from a misogynistic martial arts trainer; earning his reluctant respect (and an extra technique) in the end.  Her versatility in martial arts, sword fighting, use of weapons and her cold blooded determination to achieve her aim, including fighting her way out of a casket after being buried alive, makes her a very memorable action heroine. 

7.  

                  

                                                            MARION RAVENWOOD

I love this lady a lot because nothing and nobody can shut her up! Played by Karen Allen in Raiders Of The Lost Ark & Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull several years later) 

is a woman you don't want to mess with. Tough as nails, feisty, stubborn, self sufficient and utterly non- submissive even with threats or a  gun to her head, Marion Ravenwood has all it takes to survive in a man's world. Cynthia Rothrock she is not, but she definitely has a way with words and sly tricks. Even after Indy's unfair treatment of her; (he ditched her a week to their wedding), she still managed to have a life of her own and raise her son- first with another man whom she married and then on her own after he died. She is such a spitfire that no one is in doubt that this is a woman to be reckoned with. Definitely cannot be described as a damsel in distress! 

6.                            

GIACINTA 'JINX' JOHNSON 

Played by Halle Berry in the Bond movie Die Another Day; Agent Johnson is the quintessential action heroine. In the movie, she's a sassy but well trained  NSA operative who crossed paths with 007 and being a liberal woman, wasted no time sleeping with him after he hit on her. Later on, we see that she's not a person who loses her head in an emergency, is quick with her weapon and can hold well under torture. She's also witty besides sassy; exchanging banter with  James Bond and then with Miranda Frost, whom she later battled in an epic sword fight on a plane. Besides that, she's fiercely independent, telling Bond 'I don't like being tied down.' That's more than obvious, this lady is not one to be pinned down by anyone! It's just too bad this character wasn't given her own spin off franchise that was originally planned. 

5. 

PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA (later on General) 

The main female protagonist in the Star Wars franchise is one of the earliest female action heroines, thus a model for action heroines after her. Even after all these years, Princess Leia (played by Carrie Fisher to date)remains an icon. She's royalty yet a woman of action; skilled in weapons' use and combat and  more than willing to join in a fight rather than take a backseat.She coolly faced Darth Vader even at the threat of death, blasted her way through star troopers and went out of her way to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, eventually strangling that ugly beast. Even the way she accepted the bombshell that Luke Skywalker-whom she shared a close bond with- was her twin brother and their mutual enemy, Darth Vader, was their father was admirable. No hysterical screams or protests, just simple acceptance after the initial shock. And her skills as a born leader is shown again in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, where she is now a General- leading the Resistance against the First Order. And of course...the Force is strong in her! 

4.                            

GUINEVERE 

Played by Keira Knightley in King Arthur, she's completely different from the previous incantations of King Arthur's Queen, who were usually damsels in distress. From the moment she was rescued from a torture chamber by Arthur and his men, she was revealed to be a young woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind, strong willed, skilled with a bow and arrow and is a trained warrior- fiercely participating in the battle between her people- the Britons- and the Saxons. 

3.

                                                               COLONEL WAI LIN

Played by Michelle Yeoh in the Bond movie, Tomorrow Never Dies, Wai Lin is another very good example of an action heroine. Like Agent Johnson, she  crossed paths with 007, but unlike Jinx, she made it clear to him in the beginning that she had better things to do than sleep with him- yet saying so in a graceful, dignified way.  She was  well skilled in guns but she made more use of her spectacular martial art techniques to defend herself from the bad guys. She also refused to let Elliot Carver use her as bait. The bastard had a gun to her head to make 007 back down but what did she say? "What are you waiting for? Shoot him!" 

 This character too was meant to have her own franchise but the idea was dropped, which is a pity. 

2.                  

ELLEN RIPLEY 

Another iconic action heroine in science fiction; played by Sigourney Weaver in Alien (her big break), Aliens, Aliens 3 and Aliens: Resurrection. Ellen is a heroine who had to face a lot of challenges and battles, first of which fighting off a vicious Alien after it killed her colleagues in the first movie of the franchise.She's a woman of guts and steel, ready to sacrifice herself to save others and uses her fists as well as her guns. Anything or anyone that stands in her way, she fights back! 

And now NO. 1... WHO IS... 

                                                              SYDNEY BRISTOW 

The main character in the T.V series Alias, is the ultimate action heroine. Sydney (played by Jennifer Garner), has everything an action heroine should have. Strength, both physical and mental, able to break walls in achieving her assignments and nerves of steel, though she did have her moments of vulnerability. Sydney had to face a lot of heartache and pain  but she had far more strength to face them than she  thought. And she was more than excellent in her fighting skills and use of weapons,  her use of aliases to get herself in and out of tricky situations and going the extra mile to rescue and protect the people she loves.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC's GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY

Image: www.movieguide.org

If anybody asked me the first time I watched THE SOUND OF MUSIC; I wouldn't know. This movie was an "often watched" one when I was a child; mostly on weekends. Dad would pop in the tape in the VCR and my brothers and I would watch the beautiful woman (Julie Andrews) appearing on the mountain and burst into song- a sight we were never tired of! The nuns didn't have to give their differing opinions about Maria- the main one being "Maria is not an asset to the abbey"- it was obvious to us even then that Maria stood out, despite her protests the abbey was her home and life. So we were rather glad the Reverend Mother (Peggy Wood) sent her off "only for a little while" to experience the world by being a governess to the Von Trapp children (Lisel, Fredrich, Louisa, Brigitta, Kurt, Marta and Gretl). Little did Maria know her life would be changed forever after meeting their handsome and initially forbidding father, Captain Von Trapp( Christopher Plummer).

Image: www.theguardian.com

Maria proved to be the family's guardian angel as she made some positive changes in the household, befriending and earning the trust of the children, teaching them to sing and there's the epic scene where she stood up to Captain Von Trapp and accused him of shutting out the children; drawing him back to their arms. I think the  part where  he realised she was right and apologised to her afterwards was when I started liking him; I couldn't see why any father would treat his children the way he did, even if he was still grieving their mother (how I hated that whistle he initially used to summon them). Hence it was wonderful watching the change from a cold man to a warm father.
Even a heart warming story like this wouldn't be complete without a little conflict, the conflict was in the shape of the elegant Baroness (Eleanor Parker) who immediately saw what the Captain felt for Maria before he even realised it himself and her subtle move of keeping them apart only brought them closer and I must say, the woman showed maturity by gracefully admitting defeat and leaving them to be together.

 To this day, the scene where Captain Von Trapp admitted his love to Maria at the gazebo is my favorite and the song 'My Favorite Things' was actually the inspiration behind this blog's title.
And there's the other conflict, the Nazis occupying Austria and the Captain, refusing to be one of them- "and joining them... unthinkable"- hence their flight from Austria to Switzerland and the beginning of a new life. As this is a true story, to the uninitiated fans; the Von Trapp family became professional singers, their legacy still continuing to this very day; one of which includes a music institute.

I have The Sound of Music on DVD presently and I rejoice with the cast as they celebrate its 50th Anniversary. I remember its last anniversary where Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews appeared on OPRAH (still handsome, still beautiful) but was more enthralled when the children were summoned, via whistle! It's so great to see them all together again to celebrate this wonderful classic's anniversary. The Sound of Music is a tale of faith, unexpected turns of life and importance of family. It will always be a delight to me and millions of fans over the world and I wish it a very happy golden anniversary.





The Lonely Goatherd - The Sound Of Music, Sung by Julie Andrews as Wonderful Original Maria from Isaac Sarayiah on Vimeo.

SABRINA: SABRINA AND LINUS

1954 Plot: 

A chauffeur's daughter is hopelessly in love with the younger son of the Larrabee household;  womanising, fun-loving and irresponsible David. Alas, David only sees her as the little girl living above the garage with her father and barely talks to her. Sabrina goes to a cooking school in Paris and returns a refined and confident young woman and David (though engaged for about the fourth time) is smitten with the 'new improved' Sabrina- to his family's dismay as it would mean the loss of an important business deal between the two families. 
 So the older Larrabee son- workaholic and humourless Linus- decided to divert Sabrina's attention from David towards him with the plan to abandon her once David recommitted himself to Elizabeth after getting the wrong impression of Sabrina.
But the plan backfired big time; Sabrina- after some initial confusion- did fall in love with the much more mature Linus and Linus refused to admit that he was genuinely in love with Sabrina but her sweetness made him repentant enough to confess the whole scheme- hurting her. 
More for Sabrina's happiness than his brother's, Linus told David to go to Paris with her but was a shock when David informed him and the family he was going to marry Elizabeth after all. Finally acknowledging his feelings, Linus rushed off to find Sabrina and shared an emotional reconciliation on the ship already on its way to Paris. 



1995 Plot: 

Sabrina is in love with David Larrabee who hardly notices her and her concerned father, John Fairchild- hopes she'll forget the player during her time as an intern at Vogue in Paris. While she's away- David courts Elizabeth Tyson; the daughter of a very wealthy family and they get engaged. 
Sabrina returns with beauty, refinement and confidence; to David's amazement and delight and becomes smitten; to Linus and their mother's dismay as it would mean the loss of a huge business merger between the Larrabees and the Tysons. So Linus diverts Sabrina's attention away from David but it ends up with Linus getting to know Sabrina more than he ever did and becoming aware of how most people see him while Sabrina saw there was more to the dour workaholic she'd known all her life and falls in love with him, however, Linus doesn't or wouldn't admit he loved Sabrina. Instead, he confessed what he'd been doing and Sabrina returned to Paris heartbroken. David- finally mature and self-aware- recommits himself to Elizabeth and they and Mrs. Larrabee trick Linus into admitting he loved Sabrina- urging him to go after her, which he did after convincing John Fairchild he would make his daughter happy and in return was given Sabrina's address. 
Sabrina finds Linus on her doorstep and they are reconciled.

This is my favourite movie of all time, so much so that I don't like one version above the other, no... not at all! Sabrina is a modern-day Cinderella story with an incredible plot and interesting characters; a true classic. 
However, in Sabrina, it's not a wicked stepmother and two step-sisters barring the heroine's path to true love, it's class difference. The object of her affection is the son of a rich household, she's the daughter of their chauffeur. Her father however is a man of dignity who is well respected and feels that people should know their place. According to him: 

'I like to think of life as a limousine. Though we are all riding together, we must remember our places. There's a front seat and a back seat and a window in between.' 

Let's compare the portrayal of Sabrina and Linus and the relationship of the two characters- the original and the 'years late' remake.  

Sabrina Fairchild was played in 1954 by Audrey Hepburn and Linus Larrabee was played by Humphrey Bogart- shocking since this particular actor was not known for being in romantic comedies. Hepburn played Sabrina with a moving aura of innocence and sweetness; with a touch of sensitivity and tender emotion that I won't be surprised if a huge number of male fans were in love with her and her character. 

Bogie, like I said, was not a romantic comedy actor (I'd seen him previously in The African Queen, Dark Passage, Casablanca and Key Largo) but to my surprise, he played the stuffy workaholic very well. It was when Linus began courting Sabrina that I really sat up, wondering how he was going to shed the gruffness and be romantic. 
I wouldn't say he did but he adopted a sort of rugged charm when he was around Sabrina and after a while he was like a man who felt he was getting soft and trying very hard to disguise it. 

Sabrina and Linus were a very unlikely pair but I disliked David (William Holden)  so much that even though I thought Linus was very stuffy, I hoped the newly sophisticated  Sabrina would loosen him up and realize there was more to life behind a desk and have some fun for once. Their first scene together in the movie is when he finds her under one of the numerous cars in the garage and helps her up to her apartment by slinging her over his shoulder, lightly scolding her for her supposed carelessness. 
When she returned from Paris a few years later, he didn't acknowledge her greeting but warned his infatuated brother: 'The last  pair of legs that were something  cost the family $25,000.' I  wasn't pleased with that, it was like he was likening Sabrina to the bimbos David was involved in the past- all legs and no class or brains and of course, wanting David to stay committed to Elizabeth. He's not hostile with Sabrina- deciding to

handle her with kid gloves by meeting her at the tennis court in David's stead (armed with glasses and a bottle of champagne) and realised from his discussion with her that she was no gold-digging predator- just a young woman in love with his brother since she was a little girl. 

The kiss he gave her (according to him was 'from David') was a hint there was more to come between them- to us viewers that is! 

Anyhow, he had the plan- to divert Sabrina from David and make her fall in love with him. Once David and Elizabeth are safe, he will dump her with money and 'gifts' including an apartment in Paris to 'soften the blow.' However, he's not happy, not because it was a mean thing to do to Sabrina but because it was disturbing his work at the office and feeling he would make an ass of himself trying to court a woman several years younger than him. Sabrina was surprisingly relaxed around him, recalling how she used to watch him going to work as a child and urged him to try and change his outlook.

He's at first cynical, saying that 'Paris is for lovers' but finds himself unable to resist Sabrina's innocent charm and their tentative friendship turned rather playful, with him speaking the lines of French he'd learnt from her (in a rather bad accent) and Sabrina turning down the brim of his hat. But the tender look he gave Sabrina when they were dancing and the scene in the car where he quietly asked Sabrina to sing La Vi en Rose to him: 'Suppose you sing that song again. Slowly.' clearly showed he was falling in love with her. 

And Sabrina felt her feelings shifting which got her worried and confused- she urged David to kiss her repeatedly and voiced her refusal to go out with Linus again... she was confused and frightened at how he was affecting her but of course, David didn't know that at first. One would think that he would probe Sabrina about why she didn't want to hang out with Linus anymore but was just plain clueless. It's amazing, David- with his boyish charm and sentimentality- was suddenly a turn-off for her, she was now longing for the gruff, unsentimental yet mature  Linus. But it's understandable she's confused since she's been in love with David for most of her life (I'm sure the viewers- like I did- saw that love was actually an infatuation). 
Linus' love for Sabrina was evident when he confessed to her the real reason why he'd been hanging out with her but since he was denying his feelings (probably because he'd never been in love before or maybe it was pride) he mostly likely acted on remorse and guilt and he had to watch the disillusionment on Sabrina's face. And Sabrina- though heartbroken and hurt- leaves the office with dignity with a parting that clearly showed the huge class difference between them had finally sunk in: 'Goodnight Mr. Larrabee. I'm sorry I can't stay to do the dishes.' That's enough to shame anybody! 
Linus finally gave himself away when he punched David who was dishing out nasty remarks about Sabrina but in actual fact, David was trying to see what his brother felt for Sabrina and Linus, realising the trick, had to smile ruefully before grabbing his hat and umbrella and running off to catch up with Sabrina on the boat. 'If you'll excuse me, it appears I have a previous engagement,' he said solemnly but the way he ran out of the office showed how he was eager to get to the woman he loved!

At the boat, Sabrina was puzzled to receive a request to turn down the brim of a hat (like she did with Linus' previously) and startled to see Linus himself who showed her he was ready to live life to the fullest with her by hanging his umbrella on the coat of a passing stranger and without a word, Sabrina walks into his arms and the movie ended on a happy note; probably in Paris they had a quiet wedding! 

                                 

1995 Sabrina. This time Sabrina is played by Julia Ormond and while people would say she's not Audrey Hepburn, she was enchanting as Sabrina Fairchild;  with an air of innocence sophistication and grace just like Hepburn before her. But she's more modern - instead of training to be a cook, she becomes a skilled photographer after her stint at Paris Vogue. 

Linus Larrabee is played by Harrison Ford- a more ruthless Linus Larrabee, a workaholic too, with zero sentimentality and no charisma. 

David (Greg Kinnear) gives her a lift home, wondering who 'the hot girl' is but Linus recognised her instantly and welcomes Sabrina home matter-of-factly and doesn't even say she looks beautiful, while David is stunned and keeps repeating her name until Linus, exasperated asked, 'Why does he keep saying that?' 

Neither brother hardly noticed Sabrina as a child except for a few instances; so how come Linus was quick to recognise her and David didn't? Probably because David always saw beautiful faces while Linus saw people. But he was more into the family business than women; so he didn't have a jaw-dropping moment like David on seeing the 'new improved' Sabrina, except to say how grown up she looked. 

Linus and Sabrina started out a bit like wary adversaries. Linus antagonised Sabrina with 'the kiss from David' and she did what any insulted woman would do- she gave him a much-deserved slap. However, though her action was justified, Sabrina immediately apologised- horrified she did such a thing but Linus acknowledged he had it coming. In the 1954 version, the subject of money to be paid off to Sabrina to leave David alone was handled tactfully and playfully, Sabrina gave Linus the message she wouldn't take a penny from the family; here Sabrina eyed Linus over her champagne glass and firmly said no to his barely veiled offer of a million dollars.  
In this version, there is more compassion for Sabrina by the Larrabees- at least by Mrs. Larrabee. In the original version, Mr Larrabee was contemptuous of 'the garage girl', wondering why his chauffeur would give a classy name like Sabrina to his daughter and Linus retorted in her defence, 'What would you suggest... Ethel?' 
Mrs. Larrabee subtly tries to put Sabrina in her place the night she comes back by asking her to cook something for the family on a chosen day- 'to see what she'd learnt'. 1995 Mrs. Larrabee wanted to find a way to nicely tell Sabrina David was 'jerking her chain' and did not approve of Linus' plan. 'I didn't teach you this,' she said later. 
While Linus realised Sabrina was no gold digger, to him the situation was just worse- it would surely make David forget Elizabeth (who too is a modern woman- although from a rich family and is a paediatrician)  and it's bye-bye to the business merger. So he began his ruthless quest- 'I like Sabrina. I always have. But I'm not about to kiss off a billion dollars; I don't care what she did to her hair.' 
Both Linuses don't care she's the chauffeur's daughter, they are more concerned about the business deal that will come with the marriage between David and Elizabeth. And like the first Linus, this one handled Sabrina with kid gloves- taking her to the family's summer cottage in Martha's Vineyard to take photos under the pretence he wanted to sell it and hence needed photos for a catalogue. The whole trip is different from what he imagined, Sabrina does not pine for David and they learn a lot about each other. Linus finds out how Sabrina got her name and listens to her outlook on life while  Sabrina  sees the man beneath the gruff millionaire and finds herself more relaxed around him, even tells him how people see him: 'the world's only living heart donor' and 'he thinks morals are paintings on walls and scruples are money in Russia.' And without flattering him, simply said he was good at what he did- running the family business. 
When they returned from their outing and Sabrina said goodnight to him, Linus just sat in the garden, staring at nothing... one day Sabrina had gotten to him and now he was as stunned as David but more by the woman than her beautiful face and found himself doing an unselfish deed for once: donating a family owned 1800 building he'd shown Sabrina at the Vineyard to the town to be used as a halfway house, no tax advantage. 

They go out for dinner and a show and Sabrina manages to make Linus smile and laugh, which was delightful to see. This version, it seemed, was more about Linus- the possibility of how a gruff man could change by the love of a woman, a woman he could both talk to and gaze at. Sabrina gets uncomfortable when Linus asks her to say in French, 'I'm looking at what I want.' when she sees David on their return to the estate, the magic she felt with him is gone, to her shock and dismay- she can't understand why. David has finally noticed her but she was suddenly having feelings for his brother. 
The same scenario- Linus cannot go on with his plan, out of guilt (and love) and no doubt felt now that he knew Sabrina better, it turned out David was not right for her rather than the other way round, but since she loved him she could make him a better man. But Sabrina is upset and accepts a ticket to Paris from Linus- a small pound of flesh. Linus is shocked to see that David is marrying Elizabeth after all and upset at the idea of Sabrina hating him for what he did. His mother gave him her blessing to go after Sabrina after assuring him she'll get over it, 'No mother could be prouder, but I think it's time you ran away from home.' 

Sabrina is astonished to see Linus, wary about trusting him again but then comes the heartfelt speech ending:

'Save me, Sabrina fair. 

You're the only one who can.'

Then the hug and the reconciliation kiss and the movie ended with them watching the view, in each other's arms. 

                      



Sabrina is a beautiful, classic love story and both versions depicted how a girl held a long cherished dream she hoped would be a reality. It didn't, because another man- whom she made a better man- swept her off her feet instead and gave her more than she ever imagined. The film should have been named Sabrina and Linus instead- the story was about both of them, overcoming obstacles and receiving their personal growth and unexpected love... with each other.

"CREEPY DOLL" MOVIES

                                                                              

   THE CHILD’S PLAY FRANCHISE (1988-2013)

  Child’s Play came my way in Junior secondary school.  By a stroke of fate I watched Child’s Play 2 first but several class mates had given me the “low down” on Chucky- that it was a doll possessed by the devil. That wasn’t true of course; I found out in the first film later that he was a doll possessed by a serial killer, Charles Lee Ray; who dabbled in the occult and voodoo. Even if I watched it first and saw the parts where it was vaguely hinted it was Andy( Alex Vincent) behind the killings, I wouldn’t have believed it anyway- not after the dramatic scene where Charles (Brad Dourif; who also voiced Chucky from then on) took a doll out of its box and chanted some voodoo words and the camera close-ups on the doll’s face. The whole time I wondered when exactly would they finally believe Andy’s story and that scene was unforgettable- Andy’s mother Karen (Katherine Hicks) discovers the batteries were still in the doll box and Chucky had been moving his head and chanting, “Hi, I’m Chucky and I’ll be your friend to the end!” all that time... without the batteries. She is nervous and tests Chucky by lighting a fire and threatening to throw him in if he didn’t speak and surprise, surprise... he snarled at her in Charles’ voice; beats her off, bites her  arm and flees! One theme I saw there was scepticism, who was going to believe a story about a possessed doll? So many people in the movie were inclined to think Andy needed professional help. I played this movie on my laptop for my colleagues to watch in the staff room and they were spellbound; the Geography teacher said something like this could actually happen but every one else said ‘Rubbish!’

‘Ah, but evil is real; the devil is real but we have God’s protection,’ was the answer. Any how, Child’s Play made a huge impression in my country.

 I don’t know people’s opinions about Child’s Play 3 here but my brothers and I didn’t enjoy it as much as we enjoyed 1 & 2. We saw there’d been a several year jump since 2; Andy was now a teenager (played by Justin Whalen), people viewing him with suspicion and his mother still at the mental institution. Chucky decides to try his luck on a younger child and kills a few people here and there. Andy gets his first kiss and there’s a showdown where Chucky is ripped to shreds. I don’t know... it just didn’t have what 1 and 2 had, an aura of suspense.

Bride of Chucky was unexpected and a disappointment. Oh there was the violence but it wasn’t as dark as part 1 and 2 and Seed of Chucky was complete rubbish; half the movie was spent guessing if Glen (Chucky & Tiffany’s spawn) was a boy or a girl and the movie, like most horror movies, ended ambiguously. I remember thinking if Don Mancini should bring in a new Chucky story, he should at least let Andy be the one to kill Chucky once and for all. But with the way Seed of Chucky ended (the human Glen finding his father’s arm in a box); I gave up on the idea.

 Then came Curse of Chucky; Don Mancini returning his story back to its dark roots. The viewers are introduced to Chucky's new main victim Nica (Brad Dourif's real life daughter, Fiona Dourif), got to see an important part of Charles’ past and then... oh joy!!! We see  grown up Andy at long last (a now 32 year old Alex Vincent) aiming a shotgun at Chucky and saying, ‘Play with this!’ and pulling the trigger. 

Will there be a new one? If so, I hope Andy is in it again; let him be the one to end Chucky’s circle! 

                                                             MAGIC (1978)

I dimly remember Anthony Hopkins’ (I didn’t know his name at the time) 1978 movie Magic where he played a disturbed ventriloquist “dominated” by his dummy, Fats (charming name by the way). I’ve been scared of ventriloquist dummies since then; it’s almost like they have a mind and a life of their own as opposed to puppets. And Fats is very memorable, he was the creepiest craved figure I’ve ever seen. No wonder the initial trailer  was pulled away from T.V, apparently it was far too creepy and children at the time were having nightmares because of it.

Magic is described as a horror love story and it was adapted from William Goldman’s novel of the same name (he wrote the screenplay as well). Fats, the dummy isn’t possessed like his much later counterpart Chucky; it was more like Corky (Hopkins) was possessed by Fats. A ventriloquist provides the voice of the dummy and chooses it personality- it could be childlike, solemn, funny or cheeky; Fats was quite insolent. What was the odd connection between Corky and Fats and why did he choose to give Fats such a personality to begin with? Apparently, Corky has multiple personality disorder; Fats is his supposed to be his instrument but he was actually a means of unleashing his ‘other’ personality - a dominant, homicidal personality who controls him. Yeesh... sounds somehow like The Ventriloquist in the Batman comics!

Like Psycho, his ‘other personality’ is jealous of Corky’s lover, Peggy. Corky imagines Fats ‘telling’ him to kill and he does; his agent and Peg’s husband. He and Peg have a fight and Fats ‘orders’ him to kill her. But Corky, who we can see is really mental, commits suicide instead; to save Peggy and I guess himself ...from Fats’ ‘influence’.

Peggy has a change of heart and goes looking for Corky; but her voice has creepily changed to a female version of Fats’ voice... to this day, I still don’t understand why. Psycho’s ending was easier to understand than Magic’s. 

                                                      PINOCCHIO’S REVENGE (1996)

First off, I don’t like the title because I felt children who saw this would probably see the character Pinocchio from the actual kids’ story in a negative light from then on. And the movie’s plot is a real head scratcher; at the end of the film we (my family and I) couldn't draw a proper conclusion.

A lawyer, Jennifer (Rosalind Allen) gets hold of a wooden doll (or is it puppet?) that was buried with a boy and his father was executed for the murder but the lawyer felt the man was hiding something important that could’ve cleared him. The lawyer’s daughter, Zoe mistakes it for a present for her and takes it for herself; talking to it like she talks to her dolls. But then things start happening to people who upset the child... a bully is pushed in front of a bus, her mother’s boyfriend is injured then later killed. The child says Pinocchio did it, but the viewers don’t see him do it. We see scenes of her talking to Pinocchio and he answering back but a video tape at her therapist’s office of her doing so with no one else around, it  glaringly showed the child is talking to herself!

Zoe’s babysitter ended up beaten to death with a poker, again we don’t see who is doing it.

The climatic fight in the house; Jennifer sees Pinocchio with his strings cut and standing in the room... she runs for her life , he catches up with his knife in hand and they struggle and at the last minute she body slams him and he crashes onto a glass table. But hold on, it’s not Pinocchio... it’s Zoe lying there. Zoe is placed in psychiatric care; she doesn’t look nor speak to her mother and Jennifer still believes Zoe wasn’t the one who attacked her that night nor was responsible for the killings.

Like I said, a head- scratcher. What really happened?

Was the doll possessed by the devil? The accused child killer...  if it was truly the doll who killed his son, he obviously kept quiet about it because of course no one will believe it. But, why did he bury the doll with the boy in the first place if it was responsible for the murder? Was he possessed by the doll or simply insane?

Who pushed the bully, who killed David and Sophie; who did Jennifer really fight with that night; Zoe or Pinocchio? Did Zoe have hidden mental problems or did the doll drive her insane, like it probably drove the child killer insane?

What happened to the wooden doll in the end?

The movie was just left like that, with the viewers trying to decide who the real culprit was.