NEW OONI OF IFE CROWNED





Today was the formal coronation of the 51st Ooni of Ife; Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.  The splendorous ceremony was held at the Palace Square in the ancient city of Ife, Osun State and attended by Nigeria’s elite, which included the Vice President of Nigeria; Vice president Yemi Osinbanjo, the Sultan of Sokoto, Amirul Mumineen Sultan Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar IV; Governor Akinwunmi Amode- current governor of Lagos- former governor of Lagos state; Bola Ahmed Tinubu and several Nigerian artistes.
The new Ooni, looking regal in his royal robes, made a speech after giving the staff of Office by the Osun State Governor; Governor Aregbesola and watching him speak with so much sincerity and charm, it’s no wonder he was chosen as late Oba Sijuade’s successor. Sincerity and commitment are two main virtues of any ruler and that is what his majesty has. Like he said, this is a new dawn for Ife and I wish him a long and prosperous reign. 



Built in 1930 by the 49th Ooni - Oba Aderemi, will be the new home of the 51st Ooni - Oba Ogunwusi. #Oonicoronation pic.twitter.com/ANmyNWkBt6



ACTOR ANTHONY VALENTINE PASSES ON



On the 2nd of December, 2015; English actor Anthony Valentine passed away after living with Parkinson’s disease for several years. He was 76. The news shocked me because on that very day I was watching a few videos of a show he starred in many years ago and afterwards researched the cast members to see what they’ve been up to since then.

Valentine played a notable antagonist in the 1980s British T.V series Robin of Sherwood, the sinister sorcerer and devil worshipper Baron De Belleme; who sought Lady Marion’s (Judi Trott) hand in marriage from her guardians but in actually wanted to sacrifice her. My brothers and I loved that series as children so we remember just how scared we were of that particular character from the moment we saw him. But that’s just to show what a brilliant actor Valentine was; I believe it takes more hard work and effort to play a villain than a hero and Valentine played it very well.
In Robin of Sherwood, Valentine had a presence from his  very first scene, slowly moving across the room like a serpent as he listened to a bewitched Little John’s (Clive Mantle)  prophecy of “the hooded man, Herne’s son” seeking the silver’s arrow and the “Master”  demanding the sacrifice of a young virgin (Marion). He spoke in a quiet, cold voice; only raising his voice occasionally; even the hot tempered Sheriff of Nottingham(Nikolas Grace), his brother Hugo (Phillip Jackson) and Sir Gisburne (late Robert Addie) were intimidated by him. 
 And the part where Robin Hood (Michael Praed) stabs him in the stomach, he let out the most terrifying scream we ever heard; I  can never forget that scream in a million years! It was so realistic we even had to cover our ears as we watched that death scene; I’m yet to see another actor scream like that
Valentine starred in other T.V shows which included the World War II drama series Colditz

"MUST SEE" MOVIES IN 2016

Nia Vardalos and John Corbett starred in the 2002 romantic comedy; My Big Fat Greek Wedding about a  Greek woman who fell in love with a handsome American school teacher, much to the dismay of her father (Michael Constantine) as Ian Miller was not the full blooded Greek boy he hoped Toula would marry someday. Ian's determination to be accepted by Toula's family and the cultural clash between the Millers and the Portokalos made the movie even more hilarious. My favorite scene was when Toula's brother Nick and their cousin Angelo tricked Ian into saying something very funny: 





However all well that ends well; the movie ending on a happy note for Toula and Ian after all. Which was a relief because Toula's family drove the couple so crazy I envisioned Ian eventually running away screaming! But no, the wedding went well and the last scene- in a several years later jump- showed Toula and Ian escorting their little daughter Paris to Greek school. 
In 2003, there was a T.V continuation of the movie; the  CBS sitcom; My Big Fat Greek Life; but sadly short-lived  as it was cancelled after 7 episodes. As it opened with Toula (actually her name was changed to Nia, the actress' real name) and Ian (changed to Thomas and now played by Steven Eckholdt) coming back from their honeymoon, their daughter Paris was not featured. However, there were a few notable guest stars while it lasted- veteran actor John Aniston  and International composer, Yanni. And personally, while I liked the sitcom, the movie was a lot better and I really don't see why Toula and Ian's names were changed and why Toula remained working at the restaurant instead of Aunt Voula's travel agency like in the movie. 

Now on March 25 next year, we are going to be treated to My Big Fat Greek Life 2; hence we are to brace ourselves for another wedding, besides witnessing Paris Miller's own struggles with her loud and interfering (but well meaning) family. OH... we must definitely brace ourselves!







The other movie to watch out for is RISEN, directed by Kevin Reynolds, a movie about Jesus Christ but with a different approach; instead of another screen reenactment of   his birth  or the crucifixion ; the move depicts the aftermath of the Resurrection. 
Joseph Fiennes  (Shakespeare In Love, Elizabeth)  and Tom Felton (Harry Potter 1-7, Belle)  play Clavius and Lucius- a Roman centurion and his aide who are ordered by Pilate to  find Yeshua's (Jesus Christ) body after it disappeared from the tomb and prevent an uprising in Jerusalem.  As this story is told in the perspective of a non believer for once; this is sure to be a gripping movie, for once it deals with the later events instead of events before the crucifixion and centered on a main character whose outlook will be changed forever. 

 RISEN will be released on January 2016.



Tu O Nadie: The fifth version

Did you know that the beloved 1985 telenovela " Tu No Nadie" (No One But You)   has a 5th version? I recently discovered this by ...

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