AN ONYE EZE PRODUCTION
MOVIE TITLE: 30 MINUTES FROM HELL
CAST
CLEMS OHAMEZE- ACTED AS UDE
CHARLES AWURUM- ACTED AS OKEKE
KINGSLEY OGBONNA- ACTED AS MAX
MCSMITH OCHENDO- ACTED AS EZE
EVE ESIN- ACTED AS SUZAN
ISAAC OTUTU- ACTED AS IKUKU
IYKE ILOKA- ACTED AS ZANZA
NONI IGBOANUGO- DAN
STORY/ SCREEN PLAY: AMAYO UZO PHILIPS
PRODUCER- MARTINS ONYEBUCHI ONYEMAOBI
DIRECTOR: AMAYO UZO PHILIP
RELEASE YEAR: 2015
BUDGET:
DURATION: 2HOURS 20 MINUTES (140MINUTES)
LOCATION: LAGOS
SYNOPSIS
The movie ’30 minutes from hell’ centers on the wish of a wealthy man before his death which basically is, that his family members should do a low key burial ceremony for him rather than a loud burial ceremony where his money would be squandered. Even after his death, his soul is restless. From hell he monitors all his property and wouldn’t want anyone not even his family near it. What could be the cause of this? Find out in the plot.
PLOT
A very wealthy man- chief Ude (CLEMS OHAMEZE) dies and people gather to pay him last respect. His coffin is being carried by undertakers to the place he would be laid to rest. A lot of families and friends gather to be a part of the low-key ceremony. Three of late Ude’s brothers Okeke (CHARLES AWURUM), Max (KINGSLEY OGBONNA), Eze (MC SMITH OCHENDO) are waiting in the village for his corpse to reach the house before they bury him. They wonder what is delaying his corpse from arriving on time. Seeing how boring the burial ceremony is, the three brothers are disappointed at the wish of their late brother- Ude. Meanwhile, two female friends in the village on their way stop to gossip about the late wealthy man who refuses to be buried like his other rich counterpart and they are puzzled as to what could be the reason. The undertakers on still on their way to drop late Ude’s corpse, but they dance around with his corpse and then throw his coffin up, then suddenly, they feel a strange move in the coffin and they drop it on the floor. They open the coffin and chief Ude wakes up which makes the undertakers and all that are mourning flee. Ude in his coffin laments in anger how he has been in the mortuary for three months because they refuse to bury him. Still lamenting, he says when they decide to bury him; they are throwing his corpse up and down like a small boy, as well as using the band to hit his coffin. He calls them mad people. He decides to go and wait for them in the village where they want to bury him and then vanishes.
The three brothers of late Ude while waiting for the arrival of his corpse decide to take a drink. Meanwhile, the two female friends stop again on the road to gossip. They are puzzled as to why they are yet to bring late Ude’s corpse. One of them says it is probably traffic; they continue their walk until they reach late Ude’s compound.
Late Ude on his way to the village stops a tricycle and tells the motorist to take him to the park, the motorist seeing a cotton wool in his nose tells Ude that he looks like a dead man, Ude replies him and lets him know that he is a dead man; the motorist immediately flees. Ude stops another tricycle and the motorist again flees realizing that he is a dead man. Ude finally gets a tricycle that carries him to where he is going to. The motorist alights for Ude and he demands for his money from him, but Ude tells the motorist that in the land of the dead, they don’t use his type of currency. Two lookers -male and female sensing the conflict between Ude and the motorist, walk up to them to mediate, they charge Ude to pay the motorist his money. Ude again tries to let them know that he is a dead man. The motorist thinks Ude is trying to play a fast one on him, so he makes an attempt to hit him but when he does, he notices that Ude is untouchable. Ude now upset with the motorist, displays some form of power and he runs off, while the two lookers also run off. Ude walks for a while and then disappears to the site where they intend to bury him. On getting there, he notices they are not there yet, so he decides to join them where they are.
Ude’s younger brother Dan (NONI IGBOANUGO), Ude’s widow- Suzan (EVE ESIN) and another mourner are in Ude’s big house. The widow is confused on how to tell her in-laws about the corpse of her late husband but they tell her not to worry assuring her that they would be her witness.
A villager runs into the gathering where the burial ceremony of Ude is to hold. He tells late Ude’s brothers that their late brother is on his way to the house. Ude’s brothers think the villager is on drugs so they shun him. Shortly after, Ude walks into the compound and the crowd disengages. His brothers step back all trembling and puzzled at what is happening while Ude stares deeply at them as he goes to lie on the table. His brothers decide to move closer to where he is lying to know if he is still dead or alive. Seeing his eye lids are closed, they decide to call their younger brother Dan and Ude’s widow- Suzan. After several attempts to reach them, Ude’s widow- Suzan, finally picks her call and narrates her experience about her husband corpse to her in-laws, but she is puzzled when they tell her that his body is already where they are. She relays their message to Ude’s younger brother Dan who is with her. Meanwhile the two friends stop again to gossip about Ude. One of them says he is a cultist while the other one says he didn’t die. They both decide to go back to the compound self-witness how the story unfolds.
Meanwhile the other three brothers of Ude are stilll around Ude waiting for Dan and Suzan to come around so that they can bury him. In their wait, Ude tells them to bury him quickly, they look around searching for where the voice has come from. They shun the voice, oblivious that its Ude’s and continue their conversation. They plan to get another coffin to bury him quickly. Ude on hearing that it is coffin that is delaying his burial decides to go get one himself. He vanishes and his brothers tremble again and run off.
Ude appears to a coffin vendor and tells him that he wants to buy a coffin. The coffin vendor cognizant of his death runs off immediately refusing to sell market to a dead man. Ude selects a suitable coffin and then vanishes with it.
Ude’s widow- Suzan and younger brother finally get to the compound where the other three brothers are but do not see Ude’s corpse, his brother tells them that Ude has gone to buy a coffin that will be used to bury him. In their bewilderment, Ude appears to all of them with a coffin on his head, he drops the coffee and enters into it, leaving the coffin open. They all tremble and push the eldest of them Okeke (CHARLES AWURUM) to go and close the coffin, he attempts it but the coffin refuses to close.
They call on the herbalist to mellow Ude’s spirit down. The herbalist comes around and performs some incantations and tries closing the coffin but Ude gives him a slap. He immediately runs off with his followers. Ude closes the coffin himself, vanishes and lands into the ground dug for him. Meanwhile, the two females are still on their way to the place of the burial when they sight the herbalist and his followers running, they immediately run off as well.
The brothers of late Ude and his widow- Suzan are discussing late Ude’s property and their own share. Ude’s elder brothers want to take over Ude’s property from his late wife forcefully, while the Suzan shuns them. Ude’s younger brother Dan seems to be on the side of Ude’s widow- Suzan. Dan tells his elder brothers to be calm about it that things are not done that way again. Okeke- the eldest of them accuses Dan of sleeping with late Ude’s wife- Suzan and that is the reason for his utterances and refusal to support them instead of Suzan. In anger, Dan walks out from their midst. Ude’s widow- Suzan is infuriated and drives the other brothers of Ude out as well. They shun her and stay back, she threatens to deal them if she enters the house and comes back to find them still in the compound. Suzan gets off her chair, this terrifies the other three brothers and they run off.
The three brothers gather to react to how Suzan treated them on their last visit. They decide to battle her either physically or spiritually. They plan on chasing her out and stripping her of their late brother’s inheritance on the basis that she has no child and they are Ude’s brothers.
Ude’s widow- Suzan employs a new gateman Zanza (IYKE ILOKA) and orders him not to allow anyone in except she allows the person. She tells him that all visitors mist fill a form which she must see before they are granted entry.
Max (KINGSLEY OGBONNA) and Dan (NONI IGBOANUGO) stumble on each other. Max complains to Dan about Suzan’s character and tells Dan their intention but he refuses to join them in their acts. Max is irritated and insults Dan, but Dan walks away leaving him puzzled
Suzan is with her close friend- Genia (OLUCHI EKEH) and tells her what has been happening between her and her in-laws. Suzan tells Genia that she would deal with them but Genia advices her to dialogue first with them and Suzan agrees to her suggestion. Dan goes to visit Suzan but the gateman tells him to wait a minute so he can inform his boss-Suzan. Dan enters without waiting for the gateman to get a reply from Suzan and the gateman tries to stop him. Suzan sights Dan from afar and tells the gateman to let him pass. Suzan introduces Dan to Genia and vice versa after which Daniel tells her the problem he is having with his brothers on the issue of property and because of her. Suzan tells Dan that she would personally handle them. She calls her house help- Janet (QUINCY ONWUKA) and tells her to make food for Dan. Meanwhile, Dan’s brothers Okeke and Max are discussing about Dan and his refusal to be a part of their plan. Okeke says he would deal with both Suzan and Dan his brother.
The three brothers again- Okeke, Max and Eze, go to Suzan’s house. The gatemen- Zanza tells them that the new rule is that all visitors must write their name first in a piece of paper before seeing his madam, they initially flare up but later write down their names reluctantly. Suzan sees the form, smiles and then tells the gateman to let them in. Meanwhile, the two female gossips are seated outside talking about how late Ude’s brothers are fighting over his property. One of them says that late Ude’s wife is tough with them. They talk about Dan the younger brother of Ude being on the side of Suzan and they suspect both Dan and Suzan are having an affair. After dialoguing with the brothers of her late husband, Suzan feigns acceptance to their terms. She picks up a phone and pretends to dial the number of a DPO; she tells him that there are robbers in her house. On hearing this, the three brothers flee. On their way, they discuss how dangerous Ude’s widow is and suspect her of killing their brother. They make up their mind to deal with her. Suzan on her part makes up her mind to also deal with them. She calls the gateman-Zanza and tells him never to let them in again.
Ude is in hell fire and he is scratching his whole body and calling for help.
The eldest of the brothers- Okeke calls for meeting with his other brothers so that they can discuss how to handle Suzan. Dan is infuriated when he realizes that the meeting is about Suzan. He tells them never to get him involved in their act against Suzan and then walks away. The remaining brothers look at him and they conclude that Susan used charm on him. They make up their mind to go extra mile in order to subdue their late brother’s widow.
Dan visits Susan and the gateman lets him enter freely without giving him a form to fill. Susan welcomes Dan and he tells her that his brothers are disturbing him on her case. Suzan calls the house help- Janet and tells her to go get Dan a chair, a drink and then tells her to go to the market afterward.
Okeke goes to an herbalist- Ikuku (ISAAC OTUTU) to seek help in removing Susan from their brother’s property and make her submit to their will. Meanwhile, Dan is still in Susan’s house and Susan expresses her love for Dan and Dan does the same. They discuss a little about Dan’s brothers and Susan says she would frustrate whatever plans that they have. They push issues regarding them aside and enter the bedroom. Okeke is still with the herbalist- Ikuku who tells him that they can’t harm Susan because the spirit behind her is very strong. Okeke tells him that they have no intention of hurting her, that all they want is for her hand to be weak so that she can release some of their brother’s inheritance to them. Ikuku agrees to help them and tells him to drop 20, 000 naira for all he will use to make his demands come to pass. Okeke agrees to his request and tells him he will be back in two days’ time. Ikuku in return assures Okeke that Suzan would leave the inheritance for him and his brothers.
Dan and Susan leave the bedroom after which Susan hands him a key to one of their vehicles. She tells Dan it’s his second inheritance after inheriting her. Dan and Susan move towards the car. He enters and immediately runs out. Susan asks him what the problem is and he tells him that her late husband is in the vehicle. Puzzled Susan looks inside the car to see if Ude is truly there but sees no one. Daniel tells Susan to believe what he is saying. He tells her that her late husband called him a thief. Susan tells Daniel that it is just a figment of his imagination. To cheer him up, Suzan tells him that they should both go in and relax for a while after which he can comeback for his car.
The three brothers- Okeke, Max and Eze gather together and split the twenty thousand among themselves in order to be able to pay the herbalist. Dan is still in Susan’s house and tells her that nothing can ever separate them. Ude is in hellfire and he hears and sees all their utterances and acts. He is mad at Dan’s display of affection to his wife. He is crying.
Susan’s house help–Janet hands over the food of the gateman- Zanza to him. He calls her name Jany and she reprimands him for that. She tells the Zanza never to call her that but call her full name instead.
Okeke is back at the herbalist’s place- Ikuku who gives him a substance that he and his brothers would rub on their eyes when going to see Suzan. He also tells Okeke and brothers not to talk to anybody on their way till they see Susan. After relaxing at Susan’s place, Dan is set to leave. He thanks Susan for the car gift and Susan tells him that more gifts are coming. Dan replies that he can’t wait to have them. As he drives out, he stumbles on Okeke. In anger, he stares at Dan as he drives past and promises to deal with him. Meanwhile, Ude is still calling for help in hellfire as the fire gets hotter. Suddenly, Ude appears to his brother- Dan in his car and again calls him a thief, Dan immediately runs out of the car leaving the door ajar. He hangs around a place and calls Susan to narrate what happened. He tells her where the car is and where he put the key after which he runs away. Susan is puzzled and takes a tricycle to where the car is and drives it back to the house.
The three brothers Okeke, Max and Eze are seated together, they plan on going to Susan’s place the next day. Okeke tells that he saw Dan driving one of late Ude’s cars when returning from Ikuku shrine but Max and Eze are not surprised.
The next day, the three brothers go to Susan’s house. On their way, they do not reply greetings because of Ikuku’s instructions. At Susan’s place, the gateman- Zanza refuses them entry and sends them away. In anger, Eze tells Zanza that the house is for their late brother Ude. Zanza quickly goes inside to report them to his madam- Suzan while Okeke and Max get upset with Eze for nullifying the charm. Okeke in anger says he wont drop the smallest of his coin again that Eze should pay for everything for destroying the voodoo. Frustrated that their efforts are futile, the three of them leave Susan’s premises. When Susan comes out, she sees no one and insults them.
Ude still in hell is begging God to forgive and forget his sins. He pleads with God to let him out for a while and promises to return back afterwards. He threatens to deal with those chasing after his property. He again pleads with God to give him just 30 minutes.
Dan is with Susan. She hands him a bag containing 20 million naira and tells him to purchase another car with it since her late husband doesn’t want him to drive the other vehicle. Dan is thankful to Susan and appreciates her a lot for her kindness. Meanwhile, Ude in hell sees everything and insults his brother- Dan for taking his money and also trying to inherit his property.
Okeke is seated outside his compound. He is moody. His wife notices his mood and asks him what the issue is. He tells her that Susan wants to take over their brother’s entire property, that, instead of sharing it properly, she is sharing it with Dan alone, but his wife advices him to leave Susan alone with her late husband’s property rather than chasing after it. This infuriates Okeke and he shouts at his wife. Their daughter hearing their argument from the room tries to intervene after hearing the reason for the conflict, but her father insults her as well. Okeke afterwards orders them into the house.
Susan tells Dan to move into her house. Dan exclaims sensing how much more trouble it may cause between him and his three other brothers. Susan tells Dan not to worry, that as a widow, she is choosing him over his brothers. She tells him to make it genuine with the laws of the land while Dan says he would think about it
Okeke goes back to Ikuku the herbalist and explains what happened. He pleads with him to beg the gods on their behalf to prepare another charm portion for them. Ikuku tells him that the gods can’t sell on credit. Okeke replies that he has the full money with him for the work. Ikuku tells him that he would prepare a stronger portion for him. He collects the money from Okeke and assures him that the woman would submit to him and his brothers.
Dan finally accepts Susan’s proposal and agrees to live with her. While talking, Susan reveals to him that she is responsible for the death of his late brother- her own husband- Ude and she says it is because of him. Daniel exclaims after hearing this and she shushes him.
Ude again in hell pleads with God to give him some few minutes to go deal with those trying to scatter the wealth he suffered to make.
The three brothers – Okeke, Max and Eze are on their way again to Susan’s place. They use signs to communicate to one another till they get to her place. Meanwhile Ude watches them from hell and calls them wicked people. He again pleads with God to give him 30 minutes.
Daniel and Susan are still together and they profess their love to each other. Susan tells him that her former husband is boring but with him she feels fulfilled.
Susan’s gateman- Zanza opens the door and sees the three brothers again- Okeke, Max and Eze. They refuse to talk to Zanza. When Zanza asks who they have come to see, they point at the gate. Zanza goes inside to tell Susan. Susan in anger makes an attempt to go deal with them but Daniel tells her to sit down with the promise of handling the matter. The three brothers sighting Daniel initially refuse to talk to him, but when he calls late Ude’s house his house, they all voice out in shock. Dan again tells them that he is married to Susan and his wife doesn’t want to see them in the house again. He walks out on them and tells Zanza to shut the gate.
The three brothers are still in shock over Daniel’s claims and utterances. They set out to device another plan to get Susan and Daniel.
Okeke in his frustration of being unable to make Susan succumb, transfers the aggression to his family. His wife and daughter shun him and enter the house while Okeke leaves the compound in anger.
Ude is still begging God to give him 30 minutes to deal with those that are fighting for the wealth he suffered to make while on earth. In his pleads, he finally hears his name and he gets that 30 minutes request and he vanishes.
The two female friends while on their way to fetch water stop to gossip more on the happenings in late Ude’s family. One of them says that all the brothers are fighting to get an inheritance from his property. She tells the other lady that Dan is now married to Susan and as a result now owns the entire property of Maxi Ude. As they are gossiping, Ude appears to them with strokes of canes on him, after listening to their gossip, he tells them they are lying. They look around to trace the voice and see late Maxi Ude and they run off. On their way, they stumble on Ude’s two brothers- Max and Eze who are on their way to their elder brother’s compound- Okeke, they tell them that they have just seen their dead brother- Ude, but the two brothers tell them that they are going bizarre and then walk away.
Okeke is in his compound and is still upset with his inability to get a share from his late brother’s inheritance. His wife and daughter call him to eat but he shuns them. As they are pleading with him, Ude appears to him. He asks him why he is after his money. Ude asks Okeke if he made the money with him, but Okeke replies that he is dead and that he should go his own way. He tells Okeke to confess to his wife- Obidia and daughter- Nma. Okeke tells Obidia and Nma that he went to the herbalist- Ikuku to get a charm that will make Susan surrender all Ude’s property to him and his other brothers. After his confession, Ude orders Okeke to lie down after which he flogs him to death. Obidia and Nma are weeping over the death of Okeke, Max and Eze are now with them. They ask what happened and both Obidia and Nma tell them that their late brother- Ude flogged him to death. Confused, they run to Ikuku’s place for help. Meanwhile, Ude appears to Ikuku and kills him also. The two brothers realize that their late brother has come for a revenge mission.
Susan is chatting with her friend Genia. She is happy that Suzan is happy and tells her that is the reason for killing her husband- Ude. Suzan tells Genia that they would be celebrating 6 months of her husband’s demise and as well contribute to the church. Susan tells Genia that she and her husband are waiting for the presiding reverend father.
The two female gossips are together and one of them tells the other that late Ude after killing his brother Okeke has gone to kill Ikuku as well. She says that Ude is probably killing those that have a hand in his death.
The reverend father is now in Susan’s house. Suzan tells him that she and her new husband- Dan will donate a million naira to the church as well as celebrate the remembrance of her late husband- Ude. The reverend father is happy and tells Susan that she is better with Dan than Ude who was very stingy during his time on earth. He again thanks the couple on behalf of the church for their generosity.
The two brothers Max and Eze are running helter-skelter. Eze tells Max that they should go to Susan’s house to confess. They change direction towards her compound.
Ude goes to his house and asks Zanza about the whereabout of Susan, but he is unable to speak as he is in shock. Ude disappears into the compound and sees his brother Dan, the reverend father, Susan and her friend- Genia. The reverend father tries to rebuke Ude and he silences him. Ude calls him a bad-minded reverend father, and tells him it is impossible for him to rebuke him. He flogs him to death first, then Genia, Dan and then his wife- Susan; after which he drops the bundle of cane on them. Ude hears a sound and he notices that is time is almost elapsing. He pleads for few more minutes in order to beat the remaining two brothers- Max and Eze. Just then, they walk in and see that Susan and others are ead. They try to run away but come face to face with Ude. They plead with him but he kills Max first and then Eze. He weeps and says they all killed him because of the wealth which he suffered to make. He says they will all burn in fire like him. He disappears afterwards.
THE END
ABOUT AMAYA UZO PHILIP
Amayo Uzo Philip is the director of the movie.