What about STAR?

STAR (Musical Drama)

DURATION: 2016 – Present

NETWORK: FOX

CREATORS:  Lee Daniels, Tom Donaghy.

STARRING: Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny, Brittany O’Grady, Amiyah Scott, Quincy Brown, Benjamin Bratt and Queen Latifah.

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ABOUT: Three talented singers, desperate for a new start and with ambitions of stardom, navigate the cut-throat music business on their road to success.

10 WORDS REVIEW: Catchy music, great story-line but it is way too stereotypical.

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i looked forward to STAR to the way I look forward to New Years Eve – with anticipation and I have to say – I was not impressed.

I mean, it was cool and all – I loved the music (a little) and it had some really strong characters (especially QUEEN LATIFAH) – BUT that was the exactly problem – it should’nt just be some, ALL CHARACTERS SHOULD BE STRONG!

STAR doesn’t start off great, and relies heavily on the highly stereotyped characters. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with a series having diverse characters, but this feels way too forced.

I didn’t want to compare it to Empire, but common, even Empire started off BETTER!

Lets just hope the series finds its purpose before its too late.

RATING – 5.0/10

GRADE: C-

to watch the trailer to the original FOX series, click HERE or simply play the video below;

What about GOOD BEHAVIOR?

GOOD BEHAVIOUR (Drama)

DURATION: 2016 – Present

NETWORK: TNT

CREATOR:   Blake Crouch

STARRING: Michelle Dockery, Juan Diego Botto, Terry Kinney, Lusia Strus.

ABOUT: A lady con artist, newly sprung from jail, gets entangled in a dangerous relationship with a killer

10 WORD REVIEW: A thrilling drama, very exciting and always keeps you guessing.

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Good Behavior starts off on a high and maintains that momentum; its sexy, the concept is fascinating but not too fascinating that it becomes unbelievable. Michelle Dockery is a goddess on screen – her representation of the character is exact.

but there’s something wrong with the series , i don’t know what it is yet but its there!

RATING – 7.5/10

GRADE: B

to watch the trailer to the original TNT series, click HERE or simply play the video below;

THE WEDDING PARTY (Movie Review)

ABOUT: The Wedding Party focuses on the extravagant, crazy and doubt-filled union of Dunni Coker and Dozie Onwuka; two love birds who realise that having the perfect Nigerian wedding is just never possible, not when family is involved.

RELEASE DATE: December 16th, 2016.

CREATORS:  Mo Abudu, Tosin Otudeko, Kemi Adetiba

DIRECTOR: Kemi Adetiba

STARRING: Sola Sobowale, Ireti Doyle, RMD, Alibaba, Adesua Etomi, Banky Wellington.

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10-WORD REVIEW: A hilarious and relateable experience that still warms the heart.

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At first, I had doubts about this movie, I wont lie. It wouldn’t be the first time a Nigerian movie has disappointed me. But to my surprise, THE WEDDING PARTY proved to be hands down the greatest work to come out of Nollywood. Stellar casting, even better directing – visually titillating and the storyline was on fleek.

This review wont be complete if I don’t praise the cast separately (especially the actors who played the parents), – DAAAAAMN! Everyone did their job weeeeelllll!!!!!!!!!

All in all, this was a lovely movie, not perfect – BUT IT WAS CLOSE! – I’m impressed!

 

Best Scenes: Scenes featuring both mother inlaws, especially Sola Sobowale. (Great comeback for an even greater actress)

RATING – 9.1/10

GRADE: A

 

to watch the official trailer to the original EbonyLife Movie, click HERE or play the video below;

what about ‘THE GET DOWN’?

THE GET DOWN (Period Musical Drama)

DURATION: 2016 – Present

NETWORK: Netflix

CREATORS:  Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis

STARRING: Justice Smith, Shameik Moore, Jaden Smith,, Herizen F. Guardiola

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ABOUT: Set in the late 1970s, when New York was at the brink of bankruptcy and disco was dying out, the rise of hip-hop is told through the lives, art, music and dance of a group of young people in the South Bronx.

FEW WORDS REVIEW: a highly contagious series with a great story-line and even better music.

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My first thought – a Netflix show about the Bronx in the 1970’s, well this is gonna be some racy bullcrap!

My thought after watching –

This series is completely amazing – I mean, it totally went beyond my expectations.

There is enough drama to keep you at the edge of your seats, mature content for adult viewers and of course, the one thing i look for when watching something on screen;

The ‘OMG I’m falling in love with this show’ moments!

And this would not have been possible if not for the amazing cast – Justice and Herizen especially.

‘The Get Down’ has become one of my favourite binge-worthy shows this year, right behind OITNB and DareDevil – its real, its raw, its sexy, its funny, its got scenes that feel almost too real (like you just time-travelled to the past), the characters look so free in their costumes and its got music that will get you grooving like there is no tomorrow.

Then there’s the relatable themes in the series – child abuse, teenage love, drugs, graffiti, sexuality, rebellion and politics.

I’m not gonna lie, ‘The Get Down’ could get a little childish sometimes; and it could also get freaking REAL some other times..

I guess it all depends on how you like your shows…

 

RATING – 8.0/10

GRADE: B+

 

 

to watch the trailer to the original Netflix series, click HERE or simply play the video below;

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING (Movie Review)

ABOUT: The Fundamentals of Caring follows Ben, a retired writer who becomes a caregiver after suffering a personal tragedy. After 6 weeks of training, Ben meets his first client, Trevor, a foul-mouthed 18-year-old with muscular dystrophy. One paralyzed emotionally, one paralyzed physically, Ben and Trevor take an impromptu road trip to all the places Trevor has become obsessed with while watching the local news, including their holy grail: the World’s Deepest Pit. Along the way, they pick up a sassy runaway and a mother-to-be who help test the pair’s survival skills outside of their calculated existence as they come to understand the importance of hope and true friendship.

RELEASE DATE: June 24, 2016.

CREATOR:  Rob Burnett. Based on the novel by ‘Jonathan Evison’

DIRECTOR: Rob Burnett

STARRING: Craig Roberts, Paul Rudd, Selena Gomez,

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10-WORD REVIEW: A generic story told in the most original of ways…

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I actually expected this movie to be a cross between ‘The Fault In Our Stars‘ and ‘Me before you‘, but in some ways, I think it was better than the two combined.

ME BEFORE YOU (Movie Review)

GENRE: Romantic Drama

RELEASE DATE: June, 2016.

CREATORS:  Jojo Moyes, Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber

DIRECTOR: Thea Sharrock

STARRING: Emilia Clarke, Sam Clafin.

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STORY: Louisa “Lou” Clark (Clarke) lives in a quaint town in the English countryside. With no clear direction in her life, the quirky and creative 26-year-old goes from one job to the next in order to help her tight-knit family make ends meet.

Her normally cheery outlook is put to the test, however, when she faces her newest career challenge. Taking a job at the local “castle,” she becomes caregiver and companion to Will Traynor (Claflin), a wealthy young banker who became wheelchair bound in an accident two years prior, and whose whole world changed dramatically in the blink of an eye. No longer the adventurous soul he once was, the now cynical Will has all but given up. That is until Lou determines to show him that life is worth living. Embarking together on a series of adventures, both Lou and Will get more than they bargained for, and find their lives—and hearts—changing in ways neither one could have imagined.

REVIEW:

So, if I’m being honest here – this Jojo Meyes book adaptation was 50% good as it was 50% not-so-good.

Lets talk about the not-so-good features first shall we?

I’ll start with the beginning, which I felt was kind of rushed; but then I learnt it was no different from how the book is, so I let that go. Also there was the obvious lack of chemistry between the main actors; don’t get me wrong, I didn’t expect a lot of mushy heart stuff, but I did anticipate a more believable ‘loving’ and certainly, Emilia and Sam didn’t satisfy…

The romance was on fleek though which is weird because I don’t get how there can be romance without chemistry.

And finally, the reason for my disappointment, and I’m sorry to say this but the story-line was way too cliche.

Then there’s the GOOD parts of this movie

• The dialogue was perfect.
• The soundtrack was one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of listening to in ages. (I mean, Ed Sheeran AND Imagine Dragons!!!???)
• Humour-wise, I was completely satisfied, both Emilia and Sam should really consider careers in comedy.
• Also, there were a few (not a lot) scenes that tried their best to tug at the heartstrings of viewers; but I guess it just wasn’t enough.

All in all, this was an average work.

 

RATING – 6.0/10

GRADE: C

 

To watch the ‘Me Before You’ trailer, click HERE or simply play the video below;

What about BRAINDEAD?

YEAR: 2016

NETWORK: CBS

SEASONS: 1 (Cancelled)

CREATOR: Robert and Michelle King

STARRING:

• Mary Elizabeth Winstead
• Danny Pino
• Aaron Tveit

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ABOUT:

“BrainDead” follows a young, fresh-faced Hill staffer (Winstead) getting her first job in Washington, D.C. and discovering two things: The government has stopped working, and something mysterious is happening to the brains of a growing number of Congressmen and Hill staffers.

 

REVIEW:

While this show has its faults; like complete ridiculousness and terrible premise; its still manages to have all the qualities of a good political thriller.

The acting is just fun to watch; the music is not half bad, and there’s enough material there to actually keep viewers attention.

I wont lie, when I first heard Braindead was a work of the creators of The Good Wife, I was expecting another GIRL POWER political drama, but I guess this is close enough.

LETS NOT FORGET THEIR VERY CREATIVE OPENING SONGS!

Actor to watch: Winstead

Scenes to watch: Scenes featuring the insects

 

 

RATING – 6.6/10

GRADE: C

 

For the official series promo of ‘Braindead’ click HERE or simply play the video below;

What about STRANGER THINGS?

STRANGER THINGS (TV Supernatural Drama)

YEAR: 2016

NETWORK: Netflix

SEASONS: 1 (Ongoing)

CREATOR:

• The Duffer Brothers

STARRING:

• Winona Ryder
• David Harbour
• Finn Wolfhard

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ABOUT: Stranger Things is the story of a young boy who vanishes into thin air. As friends, family and local police search for answers, they are drawn into an extraordinary mystery involving top-secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one very strange little girl.

REVIEW: Likeabe characters in a very risky situation. Thats still the greatest trap on television till today. The 1980’s feel of the movie was on point that it sucks you in instantly, and it was actually pretty scary, NO not the average kind..

RATING – 8.6/10

GRADE: B+

 

To watch the promo to the Netfix original series, click HERE or play the video below;

What about DEAD OF SUMMER?

DEAD OF SUMMER (Horror Teen-Drama)

DURATION: 2016

NETWORK: Freeform

SEASONS: 1 (Cancelled)

CREATORS: Ian B. Goldberg, Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis

STARRING:  Elizabeth Mitchell, Elizabeth Lail, Zelda William, Mark Indelicato.

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STORY: It’s the 1980s, school is out for the summer, and when Camp Stillwater’s dark, ancient mythology awakens, what was supposed to be a summer of fun soon turns into one of unforgettable scares and evil at every turn. (IMDb)

REVIEW: Its funny, its pleasing to the eyes and the casting is perfect. But it does not pull off its genre too well. For me, this series would be a lot better if it wasn’t horror. Its got all it takes to be a fun loving camp drama – but what do I know?

RATING – 6.0/10

GRADE: C

 

For the official series promo, click HERE or play the video below;

What about GREENLEAF?

GREENLEAF (TV Drama)

DURATION: 2016 – Present

NETWORK: OWN

SEASONS: 1 (Ongoing)

CREATOR: Craig Wright

STARRING: Oprah Winfrey,  Merle Dandridge, Kim Hawthorne, Lynn Whitfield and Keith David.

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STORY: After 20 years, a young woman returns to her family along with her teenage daughter; a family where God comes first and the patriarch is a powerful Man of God, but the heart of most in that home are not of God!

REVIEW: Greenleaf starts strong and stays strong, though its unclear where the series is going, what is clear is that we’re going to be entertained and intrigued to the bones. The acting (props to Keith and Lynn) is above believable and definitely not over the top, the directing makes absolute sense, the plot is fine as hell and the setting gives me a tv-boner.

RATING – 8.0/10

GRADE: B+

 

To watch the first look at the OWN MegaChurch Drama, click HERE or simply play the video below;