If Nollywood Actress, Iyabo Ojo, had known what would befall her on the Premiere of her latest movie “Silence” at the Silverbird Cinemas, Ikeja, Lagos, she would have opted to have a re-think before heading to the Cinemas.
The whole horrible experience reportedly started when the film which was scheduled to screen on Friday at the Silverbird Cinemas in Port Harcourt, Ikeja and Uyo, was shunned by many movie-goers who trooped out to watch more hilarious and exciting films.
Consequently, the management was forced to shift the schedule and allocate another film to screen in the hall.
Then on Saturday at 12:15 pm, at same venue, the lead actress in the movie, Iyabo Ojo was present, looking lost and full of bewilderment at the poor turn-out. She walked into the cinema hall with exactly 12 people to watch the film. While the film was showing, not less than four people walked out and never came back.
Worse still, inside the hall, viewers apparently aware of her presence, talked in hush tones, criticising the quality of the movie.
One of the angry viewers expressed her dissatisfaction thus, “I thought Nollywood has gone beyond this level. Imagine poor picture, boring acting, just shouting…she has really abused the child in the movie. We have watched a good number of Nollywood films here and people kept coming back, but this is not a good movie for cinema. Let it stay at Ebinpejo Lane or Alaba, not here.”
Another fan who couldn’t hold her anger, wanted her money to be refunded.
“I think I should keep silent. You see, I knew it the moment most of the people here were not asking for the ticket of the film to buy and I thought about it, but I just made the move when I saw her around, but now, I wish I could ask her to refund my money. I don’t blame her anyway, I blame Silverbird that scheduled the yeye film.”
It could be recalled that Nigerian films have continued to record impressive turnout of moviegoers at every schedule. Movies like AY’s “30 Days In Atlanta” is still showing with huge and spiral grossing record at the cinemas. It has been screening to audiences across the nation since December 1st, 2014.
Other Nollywood movies with good records include “Folly,” “Champagne,” “Don’t Cry For Me.”
“Silence,” is a movie on child abuse, which stars talented acts like, Alex Usifo, Joseph Benjamin, Tina Mba, Faithia Balogun, Doris Simeon and Ronke Ojo but records have it that the movie is a complete deviation from the central theme and also had a poor media publicity.
