31 - Christian Speed Dating vs Fantasy

As part of our ongoing journey through all aspects of Film, TV, Theatre and many other forms of media, Gino sits down with multi-award-winning production designer Karabo Legoabe. Karabo has a Naledi Award, an Independent Theatre Award and was listed as one of the Top 200 Young South Africans by Mail & Guardian in 2021.
She studied drama at the National School of Arts then received her Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Arts Honours at Wits University majoring in Production Design and Arts Management.
Her career as a designer spans more than 9 years. She has designed sets and costumes for various theatre and television productions produced by The Market Theatre, The Baxter Theatre, Soweto Theatre, The Dance Factory, Rainforest Productions, Imagine Creative and UJ Arts Centre. 
On top of all this she also manages all operations for the arts & culture department of UJ. Amazing! 

To name just a few of her most notable productions: Dying Screams of the Moon, written by Zakes Mda and directed by John Kani, Ingozi, a drama series on SABC 1, Ukutshona ko Mendi… Did we dance (Market Baxter Theatre) Poeto-Type and Secret Ballot (Kiri-Pink-Knob Productions) Asinamali, Thula Thula and 6 Characters in Search of an Author (Market Theatre), Ukhamba (short film by Imagine Creative) and What the Water Gave Me (UJ Arts Centre).
 

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Today, Gino chats to Kari Sekati, co-founder of Stage Fabrics, supplying wardrobe and styling to both individuals and the TV and Film industries. From single day shoots for an ad to months spent on the set of a feature film, it all seems a far cry from Kari's background of business management and property investment.

Kicking off in 2017, Stage Fabrics was built on a friendship through school at LISOF. The two young women have business, marketing and more importantly fashion qualifications which became the foundation of the business. They have a profound array of experience in the styling and fashion field, including actual garment manufature, worked on TVC’s, Films, TV Shows, PR Shoots, Brand Marketing, Online and Social Media platforms, as well as for film study work.

Kari talks about pre-and post-production and time on set including her memorable shoot with a lion. She shares advice for up and coming stylists, and successfully avoids the concept of Gino in a tank-top. 

STADIO Higher Education | Accredited Tertiary Education

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

In this episode Gino relates the ups and downs of having a few days off in Dubai. With useful tips on where to shop, how to save money and the best way to get about, this episode is your one-stop advice shop.
 
Established in the 18th century as a small fishing village, Dubai grew into a regional trading hub in the early 20th century and grew rapidly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries with a focus on tourism and luxury. It has the second-most five-star hotels in the world , as well as the tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, at 828 metres.

Between eating, drinking, lounging in the pool and sleeping, Gino found time to get together three movie reviews while travelling to and from this popular tourist destinatioin.
 
If, like Gino, you need to get a liquor licence, do it online at OnlinePortal (licensedxb.com)
And as far as getting about is concerned use Careem, The everything app | Careem

Gino's airline movie choices are Barbie, Mary J. Blige’s “Real Love” and Insidiuos: The Red Door.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

It's almost Valentine's Day and you still haven't got anything for your beloved. Better get a move on. But can you afford it? In this episode Gino looks at what you could or should be earning in the Media industry.
 
The episode is divided into three categories: Creative, Marketing and Social Media. Within these categories, Gino talks about the remuneration for various job titles. These are further broken down into beginner's, medium experience and heavyweight salaries, as well as the difference between Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The salary figures Gino talks about come from the digital communications recruitment agency, Ad Talent Africa, and should really be taken as a guide, rather than a definitive salary. As always it is up to you as to what you agree on with your employer.

See the link below for the full Salary 2024 listing.
Salary Survey 2024 - Ad Talent Africa

Link to Pearl Shozi episode Buzzsprout
Link to Chad Pop episode Buzzsprout

Now, get out there and get that special someone something for Valentine's Day.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

We have all heard of speed dating, but did you know that Christian speed dating was a thing? This week we are joined by Chantel Andile who tells us all about an upcoming event; Christian Speed Dating brought to you by Kingdom Matters. Chantel takes us through what's involved, how to get tickets, what's expected and why it's happening.

Chantel is also into movie fantasy, her favourite at the moment being the Marvel Cinematic Universe which she is busy revisiting, following the MCU's timeline as opposed to release dates.

Here's the MCU chronology if you feel the need to follow Chantel. 

1. Captain America: The First Avenger
2. Captain Marvel
3. Iron Man
4. Iron Man 2
5. The Incredible Hulk
6. Thor
7. The Avengers
8. Thor: The Dark World
9. Iron Man 3
10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
11. Guardians of the Galaxy
12. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
13. Avengers: Age of Ultron
14. Ant-Man
15. Captain America: Civil War
16. Black Widow
17. Spider-Man: Homecoming
18. Black Panther 
19. Doctor Strange
20. Thor: Ragnarok
21. Ant-Man and the Wasp
22. Avengers: Infinity War
23. Avengers: Endgame
24. Spider-Man: Far From Home
25. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
26. Eternals
27. Spider-Man: No Way Home
28. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
29. Thor: Love and Thunder
30. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
31. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
32. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
33. The Marvels

So, which is your fav, DC or Marvel? Lets us know.

Then, finally, Gino and Chantel talk about The Harder They Fall.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Gino opens up about his biggest heartbreak and how he has since turned to soppy love movies when he faces tough times.
Our story takes us back to 17 years ago with a boy who was cool in his school marimba band. At the same time there was a girl who was hot in her school marimba band. Like Romeo and Juliet they came together, although not in Verona, Italy, but at the National Marimba Competition held annually in Boksburg.  A classic love story in the making. . .   

Gino's Hot Heartbreakers:

1. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) - A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career
2. The Notebook (2004) - An elderly man reads to a woman with dementia the story of two young lovers whose romance is threatened by the difference in their respective social classes.
3. P.S. I Love You (2007) - A young widow discovers that her late husband has left her 10 messages intended to help ease her pain and start a new life.
4. Moulin Rouge - A poor Bohemian poet in 1890s Paris falls for a beautiful courtesan and nightclub star coveted by a jealous duke.
5. The Great Gatsby - A writer and wall street trader, Nick Carraway, finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his mysterious millionaire neighbor, Jay Gatsby, amid the riotous parties of the Jazz Age.

      6. Catch A Fire - A drama about terrorism in Apartheid-era South Africa, revolving                  around a policeman and a young man who carries out solo attacks against the                        regime.
      7. The Truman Show - An insurance salesman discovers his whole life is actually a                    reality TV show.
      8. Pearl Harbour - A tale of war and romance mixed in with history. The story                             follows  two lifelong friends and a beautiful nurse who are caught up in the horror               of an infamous Sunday morning in 1941.
      9. Remember The Titans - The true story of a newly appointed African-American                     coach and his high school team on their first season as a racially integrated unit.
   10. Precious - In New York City's Harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate              teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative                      school in hopes that she can re-route her life in a better direction.

We hope these 10 titles will help you through those times when you need more than just a tissue.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Are you sitting comfortably?
Because this episode is really three seperate sections  all joined together by the supernatural.

The first part tells the strange story of a young Emalahleni (Witbank) girl who kept appearing to strangers on the anniversary of her tragic passing.

The second part is the story behind a documentary Gino discovered on Apple TV, about a poltergeist in north London, UK.

And last but not least, just when you thought it was safe, Gino unleashes his Hot Horrors, a list of 10 movies that left him with the jitters.

if you have your own list of horrors, feel free to email Gino on justginosa@gmail.com or head over to our African Couch Potato pages on social media to give us  the details.

Don't forget to send voicenotes of your movie recommendations in our DMs and we will play them on the show before the review.  

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Ok, enough of 2023, time to look ahead, but ask yourself, has Hollywood run out of fresh ideas? 2024 looks like a year of many familiar titles. . .  This week Gino singles out some of the hot new releases coming at you in 2024. 

1. Mean Girls, a remake of the 2004 comedy, came out just recently.
2. Argylle with John Cena, Dua Lipa and Samuel L. Jackson comes out in February.
3. Madame Web is from the Spiderverse and stars Dakota Johnson as the female hero      who can see into the future.
     In March:
4. Dune: Part Two
5. Kung Fu Panda 4
6. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
7.  Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. This time, instead of fighting each other, they may be on the same side against a deadly hidden threat that terrorises our world.
   In May:
8. The Fall Guy, Ryan Gosling stumbles onto our screens alongside Emily Blunt.
9. IF, A young girl begins to see everyone's imaginary friends who have been left behind as their real-life friends have grown up, with Ryan Reynolds… who also brings Emily Blunt with him.

   The end of May feels like deja vu because it’s just repeats, or adaptations.
10. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road.
11. Garfield, The Talking Cat.
12. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes which follows War for the Planet of the Apes, where the chimpanzee leader, Caesar, died.
   In June:
13: Bad Boys 4 with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
14. Inside Out 2 for the kiddies.
15. A Quiet Place: Day One which, despite being called ‘day one’, is actually the third instalment of the movie franchise and this time it stars Lupita Nyong’o.
   In July:
16. Despicable Me 4 kicks off the second half of 2024 when it gets released on the 3rd.
17. Deadpool 3 with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

   In August:
18. Borderlands Kevin Hart gets up to mischief alongside Jack Black in this outer space action comedy.
   In September:
19. Beetlejuice 2, with Michael Keaton still leading it, and, Tim Burton still directing it.
20. Transformers One with Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Laurence Fishburne.
   In October:
21. Joker: Folie a Deux, this time it is a musical. . .  and the Joker has a girlfriend played by Lady Gaga.
   In November:
22. Venom 3 from the world of Spiderrman.
23. Gladiator 2, with Denzel Washington joining the list of characters.
   In December:
24. The Karate Kid kicks its way back into our lives.
25. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
26. Mufasa: The Lion King, the story of Simba’s dad. . .  before he was Simba’s dad.

So, plenty to look forward to in the coming months. . . 

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

There's nothing better thank kicking back and settling down with a great comedy, and so this week Gino runs through 20 of the greatest Black Comedies of All Time. And if that doesnt tickle your funny bone, there's two extras to get you laughing into 2024.
Here we go!
 
1. Friday (1995) - Ice Cube, Chris Tucker and Nia Long
2. Coming to America (1988)
3. Barbershop (2002) - Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer and Eve
4. A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) - Martin Lawrence, Lynn Whitfield and Bobby Brown
5. Life (1999) - Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence
6. Cool Runnings (1993) - The heroic Jamaican bobsled team

7. The Nutty Professor (1996)
8.  White Men Can’t Jump (1992) - Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson 
9. Rush Hour (1998) - Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan
10. Bad Boys (1995) - Martin Lawrence and Will Smith
11. Brown Sugar (2002) - Taye Diggs, who is in the Best Man
12. Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005) - Tyler Perry
13. I Think I Love My Wife (2007) - Chris Rock and Kerry Washington

14. Norbit (2007) - Eddie Murphy and Thandie Newton
15. Hitch (2005) - Will Smith
16. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - also Will Smith
17. Central Intelligence (2016) - Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart
18. Blue Streak
19. About Last Night (2014) - Kevin Hart and Michael Ealy
20. ATL (2006) - TI 
21. Drumline (2002) - Nick Cannon
22. Why Did I Get Married? (2007)

Did we miss one? Let us know what you would have included.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Welcome to the first podcast of the year, on the first day of the year. 1 January 2024. Happy New Year to all of you, wherever you are.
Let’s take a look at 2023.

Episode 01 of African Couch Potato - the Mash-up entered the digital arena on the 18th of July, Nelson Mandela's birthday.
It is now listened to from Johannesburg to San Francisco, from Toronto to Tokyo, Across Africa, the United States, through Europe and into Asia - not bad for six months.

We are available on over 15 different streaming/podcast platforms and so far have featured 14 in-studio guests - not bad for six months. 

We already have a good list of recommendations from you, the listener, and we will get to them as soon as we can. Keep sending them in - it is good to keep Gino busy.

Our local recommends while you are still doing the holiday vibe include:

On Netflix,
  The Queenstown Kids
  Can You See Us
  Love, Sex and 30 Candles
  Miseducation, Netflix
  Runs In The Family
  Yoh! Christmas
  Magenta Coal
  Six In The City

On Prime,

  My Girlfriend’s Father
  Courting Anathi
  The Honeymoon

On Showmax
  Adulting 2 
  1802

We wish you all a very Happy New Year, and trust that one of your New Year's resolutions is to keep on binging.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023