Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself...

This is a formal welcome to this side of my likkle world on the internet where I will be sharing my opinion on stuff, with spoilers and reviews on most of the film and television content I consume (not all of it, I watch too much, and most of it isn't even worth the energy.) I will try to have a balance between films and television series, the good, the bad and the worst of the worst; so I will not be that biased.

Hi, allow me to reintroduce myself. I'm Riley Hlatshwayo, and I'm here to destroy, dismantle and deliver fresh and funny reviews, banter and whatnot. I want to engage and be engaged by you. This is a safe space.

On that note, I have realised that most of the people on my Facebook share my views that people deserve good TV and the people who are paid to create these things should be giving them to us, d'uhh; however, most South African reviewers and YouTubers rarely have anything nay to say about productions created by South African filmmakers, even when they suck. So I promise, I will ruin your perspective, and I apologise beforehand because in this God-awful world, the last thing we should suffer is bad television.

While on the spirit of reintroduction, I've decided to hop onto an old Movie Love Tag I found online, with a few questions of my own here and there. I did one for my book blog last year, and that was fun. I've shared my favourite films, televisions shows and I feel this is a nice way of getting to know one another, so hop on if you can, and comment below if you wanna.

Let's get to it, besties. I present to you, Riley Hlatshwayo in HD.

A movie you could not live without.

Black Swan takes the cake every day and every night, thank you.

Favourite shows.

Pose, Schitt's Creek, Elite, Recipes for Love and Murder, Glee

A movie you found meaningful and prolific.

A Monster Calls, for many reasons but one: I resonated with the main character. There is something about the power of storytelling, of using one's imagination as an escape from a tragic situation. This boy's mother is sick, dying, and he cannot do anything to stop it. This monster, who may or may not be a figment of his imagination, arrives and requests from him a story. I have been that boy, and this film broke my heart, but it was so profound and beautyful still.

Least favourite show.

At the top of my head? Riverdale. I will not qualify this answer.

Your favourite horror movie.

I’m sorry, but I cannot choose. There’s just sooo many, but I’ll sum it down to five.

-the Candyman films, all of them from the 90’s to the recent one by Nia DaCosta

-A Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise

-The Outsider (TV Series)

-Pet Sematary (both the original and remake)

-The Fear Street Trilogy

A movie you thought would be a lot better than it actually was.

Jupiter Ascending was really beautyful to look at. The icono/cinematography was out of this world, but there was still something about it that felt lacking, like it could have been better.

Favourite genre.

Horror, Pysch-Thriller, LGBTQ-themed, Sci-fi, RomCom

The last good movie/show you saw.

The Batman, and Moon Knight

Favourite television characters.

Whew, there’s so many to count ey.

-The women of Pose FX: Candy, Blanca, Elektra, Lulu, Angel.

-Tahani, Jason and Chidi (the entire squad actually) from The Good Place.

-Moira Rose from Schitt's Creek.

-Fiona Goode and Myrtle Snow, from American Horror Story: Coven.

-Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

A movie you hate.

Swiss Army Man. Burn that film with fire, thank you very much.

Most re-watched show/favourite show to binge watch.

Glee takes that spot, with Schitt's Creek following close behind.

What are you currently watching?

I’m watching a lot of Netflix content lately. I am currently in between three things: Our Father, the documentary, the third season of Gotham, and the new Rebel Wilson comedy, Senior Year.

Do you prefer watching things week-by-week or binge-watching.

I’m a binge-watcher. I hate waiting for new episodes, it’s enough to get me off watching something.

Favourite Film/TV adapted from books.

I have noticed that filmmakers have a great liking towards adapting Jojo Moyes’ books, and they do justice to the story. I have no choice but to like them. The Last Letter from your Lover is beautyful. I also loved The Hate U Give, My Sister’s Keeper and Holding the Man.

A movie you really want to see.

The newest A24 film with Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Show you could never get into.

Le Casa de Papel? Money Heist, is what it’s generally known as. You could never pay me to watch that.

A movie/series everyone has seen, but you still haven’t.

A series that I haven’t seen that everyone else has is The Walking Dead. Hannibal used to be there, too, but I watched a couple of episodes some time back and I need to go back, that’s beautyful and cringe television there. I was so uncomfortable. Film? The new Fantastic Beasts film, and I probably won’t watch it anytime soon, sorry (not sorry).

Show you fell out of love with.

I have a love/hate relationship with the latest slew of seasons from Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story. The standard has dropped, and it’s disorienting considering how beautyful the first few seasons are.

Guilty pleasure show.

Guilty pleasures are that for a reason, right, so don’t be extra when I mention that mine is Tyler Perry’s The Have and the Have Nots. I always watch that television series when I get a chance, and I never finish it because I get annoyed and anxious when I watch it too much, so I pace myself (by a couple of years).

Do stick around for more content. I promise you will not be disappointed. This is only the beginning.