What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 7th January 2016.

The 73rd Golden Globe Awards will be announced at another lavish ceremony on 10th January at the Beverly Hilton Hotel hosted once more by Ricky Gervais. Up for grabs are a whole host of awards that for the eventual winners & grinners are often seen as a sure sign of success at the subsequent Oscar Ceremony to be held for the 88th time on 28th February. In the Best Film and Director categories this year the nominations for Best Film - Drama are : 'Mad Max : Fury Road', 'Room', 'Spotlight', 'Carol' and 'The Revenant'. Those nominated for Best Film - Musical or Comedy are : 'Trainwreck', 'Joy', 'Spy', 'The Martian' and 'The Big Short'; with Best Director going to one of the following : Todd Haynes for 'Carol', George Miller for 'Mad Max : Fury Road', Tom McCarthy for 'Spotlight', Ridley Scott for 'The Martian' and Alejandro Inarritu for 'The Revenant'. A number of these films only get there Australian release this month - those being 'The Revenant' as Previewed below on 7th January, with 'Carol' and 'The Big Short' on 14th and 'Room' and 'Spotlight' both on 28th. You can see the full list of nominees and hopefuls for all film and television categories at : goldenglobes.com

Turning then to this week there are just two new movies due for their Australian release - the first being a early American frontier story of survival and revenge from an accomplished Director and an acclaimed cast; and the second a sibling comedy with strong writing credentials and acting chemistry from the two female leads to ensure this finds an audience wanting to party!

And so, when you have seen any one of these films, or any one of the many top movies still out on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed previously amongst these pages, be sure to share your own views and opinions with your fellow readers by leaving your own critique in the Comments section below this or any other Post. Meanwhile, enjoy your movie.

THE REVENANT (Rated MA15+) - Acclaimed Director, Producer and Screenwriter Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is hoping to scoop his fourth Academy Award for this his seventh feature film after winning Best Motion Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for last years 'Birdman' as well as the astonishing other 94 award wins and 124 nominations he so far has under his belt. This film which had its Worldwide Premier on December 16th, a limited release on 25th December and its worldwide release this week has already garnered seventeen award wins and another 88 nominations, many of which are still pending. I think on this basis we are in for the first must see movie of 2016 without doubt. In the event that you didn't know already, Wikipedia describes a revenant as 'a visible ghost or animated corpse that was believed to return from the grave to terrorise the living'.

And so to this story which has its foundation on real events so we are told. Set way back in 1823 in the mid-west America, essentially this is a survival and revenge story after a group of hunters and trappers under the guidance of Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson)  are brutally attacked and ambushed by Arikara Indians. Fleeing the fray fur trapper Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is badly mauled by a Grizzly Bear and left for dead. As a result Glass's young son, Hawk (Forrest Goodluck), is killed by John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). Fitzgerald concocts a story that neither Glass nor his son could be saved from the ravages of the wilderness, but when Glass does in fact survive so begins a trail of revenge on the man who killed his son that takes in over 300 kms of Canadian wilderness, the harshest of Winter conditions, unforgiving terrain, blood thirsty natives, untrustworthy colleagues, and French soldiers. Shot largely using natural light, and allegedly in chronological order for a US$135M budget this film is likely to be as tense, gripping, raw, jaw dropping and emotional as any as you'll likely to see this year.

SISTERS (Rated CTC) - Directed by Jason Moore, written by Paula Pell and starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler this comedy was made for US$30M and has so far grossed US$69M since its December 18th opening Stateside. When sisters Maura and Kate Ellis (Poehler and Fey respectively) learn that their mother and father Bucky and Deana Ellis (James Brolin and Dianne Wiest respectively) are to put the family home in Orlando on the market and move into a Condo, and they have just one week in which to clear out their old bedroom. Sifting through the junk and the memories of their old home the recently divorced Maura and impetuous Kate decide to throw a last party in their former home to relive the good old bad old days with their former classmates and long lost friends. However, as the party to end all parties rages increasingly out of control the girls need to save themselves and the house from oblivion, otherwise, there may nothing left to sell when the fog clears. Also starring John Cena and John Leguizamo.

Just two new films for the week ahead and both at completely different ends of the cinematic spectrum. Once you have made your choice and sat through either of both of these, share your views - we'd love to hear from you.

See you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-