PRINCE: ANOTHER ICON GONE

courtesy of fanpop.com

The world have lost several notable celebrities these past months, some we are still trying to get over. While still reeling from the shock over former WWE wrestler Chyna, the news came of Prince's death. From the mass outpouring of grief everywhere, it's like losing Michael Jackson all over again.
While not a huge fan of Prince, I really liked  his songs that happened to come my way.- the first being Purple Rain. As a child, I knew him as "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince" and I remember wondering if he was related to M.J at the time- to me they seemed alike facially and in some ways.
Its' a very sad thing that has occurred. Only a few days ago- before the tragic news of Chyna's death, there was the news of Doris Roberts' passing; the actress who played the sharp tongued and overbearing Marie Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond. Now we have lost such a talented icon, Prince- gone at 57. Like I always say at times like this... life is fragile and unpredictable and we have to spend it wisely; spread love and more than enough good deeds to prepare for the Hereafter.
The world mourns for this legendary, talented and vibrant singer, who was taken so suddenly. He is already greatly missed and will never be forgotten. Whenever I listen to Purple Rain from now on, I will imagine the little boy scribbling out the lyrics of his first song.
May his soul rest in peace.
Adieu Prince.

WHAT NOLLYWOOD NEEDS...

After my post about Nigerian Television; my mind then turned to Nollywood. When I was a child, Yoruba films reigned supreme in the Nigerian film industry; in particular, Baba Sala's works until piracy ruined everything.  In the early nineties, things changed. After an influx of Igbo films, some subtitles and some not e.g Unforgivable Sin (Zach Orji's debut film), Nneka, The Pretty Serpent (starring Ndidi Obi), Living In Bondage (starring Kenneth Okonkwo, at his best); the Nigerian audience were treated to English speaking ones; Full Moon, Glamour Girls, True Confession, Blood on my hands, Compromise, Dust To Dust, When The Sun Sets (Kate Henshaw's debut), Domitilla, Another Campus Tale, Sakobi, The Snake Girl, Festival of Fire, Goodbye Tomorrow, Mortal Inheritance, Daybreak,  Igodo.. the list is endless. Over the years, we've been treated to good and very memorable ones; thanks to ace directors like Chico and Zeb Ejiro, Tade Ogidan, the late Amaka Igwe(may her soul rest in peace) and Teco Benson. But these days, we seem to get more flops than good ones.

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.

A REMAKE AND A SEQUEL

After seeing a classic like Ben-Hur (1959); especially the epic chariot race scene , who would think such a movie would have a remake decades later? I certainly didn't! So it was to my great surprise on hearing about this upcoming movie- which will be released in August this year.

Ben-Hur starred Charlton Heston (The Ten Commandments, Planet Of The Apes, El Cid) as Judah Ben-Hur- a Jewish prince and merchant who was falsely accused of attempted murder  by his so-called best friend Messala (Stephen Boyd). His mother and sister are thrown into prison, he is enslaved and his property seized. Of course, Ben-Hur is more than justified to plan towards getting his revenge on Messala. This epic movie  won 11 Oscars (Charlton Heston bagged an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role, his co-star Hugh Griffith who played Sheik IIderim was awarded an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and William Wyler for Best Director),  3 Golden Globe Awards and the BAFTA Awards for Best Motion Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor- which went to the actor who played Messala, Stephen Boyd. With such wins, why do a remake of this epic... it's like doing a remake of Gone With The Wind.

TRAILER OF BEN-HUR- 1959 

However, in spite of my disapproval, it's a movie I can't wait to see and review. It's coming out in August and stars Jack Huston  as Judah Ben-Hur (let's see how he's going to fill Heston's hard-to-fill shoes), veteran actor Morgan Freeman  as Sheik IIderim, Toby Kebell as the Roman Tribune and Ben-Hur's betrayer Messala and Nazanin Boniadi as Esther, Ben-Hur's love interest. 

WATCH THE TRAILER: 

Then there's a memorable character coming back to the screens since her last appearance in 2004. And that is Bridget Jones; played by Zene Zellweger, who will be reprising her role in Bridget Jones' Baby. Ah... our Bridget is going to be a mother. Only, she would be in a dilemma over who the father is as she is no longer with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth).  After settling their issues in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, what could be the reason... did he get too boring for you, Bridget?

Now she's with a new beau; this time an American, Jack Qwant, played by Patrick Dempsey- at least she's not going to hook up with that two faced Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) again! This is another movie  to watch out for, especially since I'm anxious to know which story Helen Fielding adapted this from. Fans of Bridget Jones (both the books and the previous movies) will remember that Bridget Jones' Diary was adapted from Pride and Prejudice and its sequel was somewhat like Persuasion, both by Jane Austen. And it's going to be a very long wait as well... as Bridget Jones' Baby won't come out until September! Ah... who will emerge as the baby daddy???! Gemma Jones will reprise her role as Bridget's self absorbed mother, Jim Broadbent as Bridget's long suffering father and the happy addition of Emma Thompson as Bridget's doctor. 

WATCH THE TRAILER: 

"WE DON'T SELL NIGERIAN AUTHORS": SINMISOLA OGUNYINKA TALKS OF HER UNFAIR TREATMENT AT THE HANDS OF NIGERIAN BOOKSHOPS

Speaking with South African based writer; Sinmisola Ogunyinka, she talks about about her books and the efforts and challenges she faced trying to sell them in Nigeria. 

BLOG HOST: Let’s know you. 

SO: My name is Sinmisola Ogunyinka. I started self publishing in 2003. I have written 35 books, 17 of which have been self-published in paperback and hardback, others in eBook and kindle. I write Christian fiction so the genre itself is not popular amongst Nigerian readers. I’m fine with that. The genre will grow. 

BLOG HOST:  What other genre do you write?

 

SO:  I write a little of inspirational non-fiction but most of my books are Christian Romance and contemporary women’s fiction.

BLOG HOST: What was the name of your first book, what year was it published? 

SO: Sister Minister, 2003. 

BLOG HOST:  Tell your story, including the bookshops that turned you down and their reasons.

SO: I started self publishing in 2003. I don’t remember all the bookshops that turned me down because almost all the ones I went to did. But I do remember the very painful ones and the big names. Sister Minister was the one Edysil Book shop refused to even take a complimentary copy. Edysil Bookshop in Palm Groove told me they don’t sell Nigerian authors. Some of the bookshops took my books and never returned my money. Ipfy Konnections; Ikeja, Booksellers; Ibadan and Debonairs, Yaba. Also, Laterna Books asked me to submit a book for review about ten years ago and told me they’d get back after three months and never did. I went back several times but they kept posting me for another year or so. At least tell me you don’t want my book.

BLOG HOST: What year was this?  

SO: This was between 2003 and 2005/2006. These bookshops contributed to discouraging me in the early days of my writing. I can’t forget them, especially because they are big shops and names in bookselling. There have been many others who cheated or turned me down. So many.  Nowadays I sell my paperback on Jumia and Konga. At least they send me reports and remit. Then of course, I sell on Amazon’s kindle, Okadabooks, Smashwords, iBooks etc. I’m everywhere online. 

BLOG HOST: Are you at least making a profit, selling your books online? 

 

SO:  Sales are slow but I don’t get turned off for being a writer. At least I get to sell my books one by one, after trying the bookshops that failed me. 

BLOG HOST: Some writers wait ages before they get published.

SO:  I don’t even mind the wait but at least let me know what I’m waiting for. And please pay me for my work... that’s just so unfair! It’s not easy to write. You spend two years working on a book; someone picks it up and finishes reading it in a day! It’s no small task. What I do is pick up everything the traditional publishers do for my book and do it myself. My daughter did a colouring book for preschool kids. I sold about 500 copies myself, school to school. It was well packaged, editing was spot on, everything was done well. No excuses. The schools bought them. 

BLOG HOST: That’s really good. How old is she?

 

SO: She was 7 at the time. She’s 16 now. She now writes historicals and some contemporary fiction but we haven’t published any yet. My fault there. Too busy working for money (Laughs) 

BLOG HOST: Tell me a bit more about yourself. Do you have a day job? 

 

SO: My husband is a church planter and I chose writing as a career to enable me work and move with him when he had to. So I am a writer. I got trained by Jerry B. Jenkins through his Christian Writers’ Guild between 2010 and 2014. I got a B.Sc. in Economics from O.A.U (Obafemi Awolowo University) Ife, and I’ve worked on and off in accounting, office administration, real estate and human resources. Currently, I write full time. I work day and night writing (laughs)

I do editing for people, I ghost-write as well. I write movie scripts and this year I decided to start self-publishing services. I have ghost written three books so far. Edited tons of books for people. I teach writing too. I am currently working on several projects;

1.    Pitching two of my works to international traditional publishers.

2.    Converting my book- THE DAYS AFTER THAT NIGHT- into a screenplay.

3.    Writing with a writer/producer from Zimbabwe. 

My plate is quite full at the moment. I write best at night, where everywhere is quiet. During the day, I do Facebook and Twitter and Whatsapp (Laughs) 

BLOG HOST: What are the titles of some of your works? 

SO:   I have 4 series; Issues of Life Series- 5 books. Wisdom Series- 6 books. True Dream Series (Classic romance novellas for women) - 14 books. Revelation series- 1 book. Then I have contemporary women’s feature novellas:

-          The Days After That Night(2014)

-          Frail Flesh ( 2012)

-          Pepper (2009)

-          Scent of Water (2007)

-          To Where The Wind Blew (2004)

-          TISHA (2015)

 You can get them really cheap and in naira at okadabooks.com

 

BLOG HOST: When did you move to South Africa? Do bookshops sell some of your works there? 

SO:  I came to SA in 2014. I haven’t tried any of their bookshops here. I’m paranoid really. 

BLOG HOST:  What made writing your calling?

SO: I knew from the age of 10 I could write. I have a host of baby stories I wrote through secondary school. But marriage and family made me turn writing from a hobby to a career. 

BLOG HOST: Finally, what’s your favourite book? 

SO: I read a lot of romance and have come across many great ones. I don’t have a favourite book. I just love well written books. That said, I enjoyed the works of Francine Rivers, Frank Peretti, Sandra Brown and Linda Howard. 

 

Sinmisola Ogunyinka’s latest book ÌKA is available for pre-order at Amazon.com. Her previous works are available for sale at okadabooks.com, Smashwords and iBooks.