What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 15th March 2018.

With Hollywood's annual awards season drawing to a close on Sunday evening 4th March with the 90th Academy Awards Ceremony honouring the very best in cinematic achievement for 2017, we should also not forget the other notable awards ceremony that took place just 24 hours before, also in Tinsel Town. The 38th Golden Raspberry Awards honour the very worst in cinematic achievement for 2017 as decided by more than one thousand voters making up the Golden Raspberry Foundation who all cast their ballots online from all over the world across nine categories. In case you missed out on the winners and grinners from this erstwhile awards presentation having been swept along by the glitz, glamour and heady excitement of the 90th Oscars, shown below are the main recipients of these not so prestigious barely sought after awards :-

* Worst Picture : awarded to 'The Emoji Movie'.
* Worst Director : awarded to Tony Leondis for 'The Emoji Movie'.
* Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel : awarded to 'Fifty Shades Darker'.
* Worst Actor : awarded to Tom Cruise as Nick Morton in 'The Mummy'.
* Worst Actress : awarded to Tyler Perry as Mabel 'Madea' Simmons in 'Boo 2 : A Madea Halloween'.
* Worst Supporting Actor : awarded to Mel Gibson as Kurt Mayron in 'Daddy's Home 2'.
* Worst Supporting Actress : awarded to Kim Basinger as Elena Lincoln in 'Fifty Shades Darker'.
* Worst Screen Combo : awarded to Any Two Obnoxious Emoji's in 'The Emoji Movie'.
* Worst Screenplay : awarded to Tony Leondis, Eric Siegel and Mike White for 'The Emoji Movie'.

Turning attention to this week, we have a reboot of a hugely successful video game film franchise with an updated story and an updated heroine to take us on another epic action adventure of daring do on a journey of discovery to unearth a mythical ancient tomb and her long lost Dad. We then turn to another reboot of a vigilante revenge film that saw five previous instalments dating back to the early '70's dusted off with a big screen action star playing one man judge, jury and executioner on those that wronged him and his family. Next up we have a sequel to a horror offering of ten years ago that sees a family persecuted by three masked assailants in a deserted trailer park one lonely night with deadly consequences on both sides of that terrorising fence. With a change of pace we go to a party hosted by an Aussie film and TV personality who has invited his comedic and singer friends to crack jokes and sing songs all night long around the barbecue with beer in hand; before moving to an award winning documentary about the plight of tens of millions of displaced refugees from around the world looking for a place to call home. We then wrap up with a story of a song inspired by a young mans relationship with his father, and his faith, that went on to become the highest selling record of all time for its genre.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are here cordially invited to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon experience during the week ahead.

'TOMB RAIDER' (Rated M) - here we have a reboot of the 'Tomb Raider' franchise that launched into the cinematic world in 2001 from its video game origins dating back to 1993. That first outing starred Angelina Jolie as our titular action adventure heroine Lara Croft, with the film being Directed by Simon West for US$115M and grossing US$275M. On the strength of this, a second film was released in 2003 titled 'Lara Croft Tomb Raider : The Cradle of Life', with Jolie reprising her role but this time Directed by Jan de Bont for US$95M and raking in US$157M. Now fast forward fifteen years, and its reboot time for this film franchise, which as a video game has sold over 63 million copies worldwide, and has made Lara Croft one of the most recognisable and notable video game protagonists in existence. And so Norwegian Director Roar Uthaug has helmed this latest instalment based on the 2013 video game of the same name as worked up by game developer Crystal Dynamics. Costing US$90M to make, the film has so far grossed US$14M from its Asian release last week.

And so in 2018 Alicia Vikander portrays the fiercely independent, free spirited, reckless and carefree action adventure loving Lara Croft. She is the only daughter of eccentric archaeologist adventurer Lord Richard Croft (Dominic West) who went missing some years previously, now believed to be dead. When she is arrested for a relatively minor infraction, Richard's business partner Ana Miller (Kristen Scott Thomas) posts bail and advises her that if she does not claim her inheritance, her father's estate will be sold off. Reluctantly she agrees, which sets in motion a chain of events that takes Lara on a journey in the hope of solving the mystery of her father's disappearance to his last known destination - a fabled tomb on a mythical island located somewhere off the Japanese coast. The stakes couldn't be higher as Lara must rely on her sharp mind, blind faith and stubborn spirit to venture into the unknown, and thwart the nefarious organisation known as Trinity, and one Mathias Vogel (Walton Goggins) also in search of the tomb. Also starring Derek Jacobi, Nick Frost and and Daniel Wu.

'DEATH WISH' (Rated R18+) - another reboot of a tried and tested franchise here, that has its roots dating back to the early '70's with the 1974 vigilante revenge action film of the same name based on the 1972 book by Brian Garfield. That 1974 film starred Charles Bronson in the lead role of architect Paul Kersey who becomes a vigilante after his wife is murdered and his daughter sexually assaulted during a home invasion. Directed by Michael Winner that film cost US$3M to make and grossed US$22M, resulting in four successive films being made through until 1994 with Charles Bronson returning for them all with Michael Winner helming the first three in the series. Now in 2018 Writer, Producer, Actor and Director Eli Roth helms this rebooted sixth offering whose previous Directing credits include 'Cabin Fever', 'Hostel', 'Hostel : Part II' and 'The Green Inferno'. This time around Bruce Willis stars as Chicago Hospital trauma surgeon Paul Kersey who sets out to get revenge on the men who attacked his family killing his wife Lucy (Elisabeth Shue) and badly injuring his daughter Jordan (Camila Morrone). Also starring Vincent D'Onofrio, Dean Norris, Mike Epps and Kimberly Elise, the film cost US$30M to make, has so far grossed US$25M and has received generally negative press so far.

'THE STRANGERS : PREY AT NIGHT' (Rated MA15+) - this horror film is a sequel to the 2008 Bryan Bertini Directed film 'The Strangers' about a young couple who are terrorised by three masked assailants over the course of an evening at a remote summer home. Made for US$9M that film grossed US$83M, and so now ten years later we have the follow up featuring those same three masked assailants who stalk a family spending an evening at deserted mobile home park. Sounds like a recipe for disaster and blood curdling thrills and chills. Made for US$5M the film has so far recouped US$11M since its US release last week, and is helmed this time around by British film Director and Writer Johannes Roberts who seems most comfortable in the horror genre. The film stars Christina Hendricks, Martin Henderson, Bailee Madison and Lewis Pullman as the victims to the three stalking characters of Dollface, Pin Up Girl and Man In The Mask.

'THAT'S NOT MY DOG' (Rated M) - here we have lovable and affable Australian Actor, Comedian and Television Personality Shane Jacobson playing himself in this Aussie comedy film Directed by Dean Murphy that is Co-Produced and Co-Written by Jacobson too. The film celebrates the Aussie love of joke telling centering on Jacobson who throws a party inviting the funniest people that he knows, who from start to finish tell jokes and sing songs in their own trademark style. Featuring a wealth of local comedic and singing talent all playing themselves there is Paul Hogan, Jimeoin, Steve Vizard, Tim Ferguson, Paul Fenech and a whole host of others all giving it their funniest best shot over a barbie and a beer. The film goes on limited cinematic release before a television special and a book release.

'HUMAN FLOW' (Rated M) - this Documentary from Chinese Director, Writer, Cinematographer, Artist and Activist Ai Weiwei is a German produced film from Amazon Studios that charts the human refugee crisis that is altering the face of our planet. Filmed over the course of one year and across 23 different countries the film tells the unflinching, heartbreaking and crucially relevant story of over  65 million people around the world who have been forced from their homes to escape famine, climate change and war. The greatest displacement of the global population since World War II, here filmmaker Ai Weiwei examines the monumental scale of the global refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact. Weiwei follows a chain of urgent human stories that stretch across the world, taking in Afghanistan, France, Hungary, Turkey, Greece, Germany, Kenya, Jordan, Gaza and Iraq amongst others. The film has picked up six award wins and eleven nominations, including a Golden Lion nod at last years Venice Film Festival.

'I CAN ONLY IMAGINE' (Rated PG) - is a film based on the story behind the most played contemporary Christian song of all time 'I Can Only Imagine' by Christian rock band 'MercyMe'. The song was written and composed by lead vocalist Bart Millard, and was inspired by the death of Millard's father (who died in 1991, when Millard was just eighteen years of age) and considers what it would be like in Heaven and to be standing before God. The song has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over two million digital downloads, and is the first (and so far only) Christian single to reach that milestone. Directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin, the film stars J. Michael Finley as Bart Millard in his film debut, and Dennis Quaid as Arthur Millard, Bart's father, and tells a complex father and son story.

With six new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online, and meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-