What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 19th April 2018.

The 'South By Southwest' Festival (aka 'SXSW') is a yearly amalgamation of film, interactive media, music festivals and conferences that takes place in mid-March in Austin, Texas, USA every year since its inaugural event in 1987. It has continued to grow in both scope and size year on year ever since. The SXSW Film Festival runs for nine days, concurrently with the SXSW Film Conference, and celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent both behind and in front of the camera. The SXSW Film Conference spans five days of conference panels and sessions, and welcomes filmmakers of all levels. The programme comprises keynote speakers, workshops, mentor sessions, panels and more with expert filmmakers and industry leaders taking part. This year, guest speakers included U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders; entrepreneur Elon Musk; Actor and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger; Mayor of London Sadiq Khan; and film Producers/Directors Barry Jenkins, Darren Aronofsky and Steven Spielberg amongst a host of others.

This year countless films saw their World Premier across various categories. Included were :
* Narrative Feature Competition : featuring ten World Premiers and ten unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling. These were 'Family', 'First Match', 'Jinn', 'The New Romantic', 'SADIE', 'Shotgun', 'Summer '03', 'Thunder Road', 'The Unicorn' and 'Write When You Get Work'.
* Documentary Feature Competition : featuring ten World Premiers and ten real world stories that demonstrate innovation, energy and bold voices. These were 'Chi-Town', 'Garry Winograd : All Things are Photographable', 'The Gospel of Eureka', '!Las Sandinistas!', 'People's Republic of Desire', 'Social Animals', 'This One's For The Ladies', 'TransMilitary', 'Weed The People' and 'The World Before Your Feet'.
* Headliners : big names, big talent featuring four World Premiers. These were 'A Quiet Place', 'Blockers', 'Boundaries', 'PARADOX', 'Final Portrait' and 'Isle of Dogs'.
 * Narrative Spotlight : high profile narrative features and twenty films of which sixteen received their World Premier screening. These were '6 Balloons', 'All Square', 'A Bluebird In My Heart', 'The Breaker Upperers', 'Brother's Nest', 'Fast Colour', 'First Light', 'Galveston', 'The Legacy of a Whitehall Deer Hunter', 'Most Likely To Murder', 'Support The Girls', 'Unlovable', 'A Vigilante', 'Wild Nights With Emily', 'WILDLING' and 'You Can Choose Your Family'.
* Visions : these filmmakers are audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema environment who demonstrate raw innovation and creativity in documentary and narrative filmmaking. Fifteen films showcased with thirteen receiving their World Premier viewing. These were '1985', 'Don't Leave Home', 'Elizabeth Harvest', 'Friday's Child', 'Meow Wolf : Origin Story', 'More Human Than Human', 'Perfect', 'Pet Names', 'Prospect', 'Relaxer', 'Thy Kingdom Come', 'Wild Honey Pie!' and 'Wobble Palace'.
* Midnighters : scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features with ten films showcased of which six saw their World Premier. These were 'Blood Fest', 'Untitled Blumhouse-Bazelevs' thriller, 'Field Guide to Evil', 'The Ranger', 'Upgrade' and 'What Keeps You Alive'.
* 24 Beats Per Second : Showcasing the sounds, culture and influence of music & musicians, with an emphasis on documentary. Twelve films of which seven were World Premiers. These were 'Being Frank : The Chris Sievey Story', 'Elvis Presley The Searcher', 'Heavy Trip', 'If I Leave Here Tomorrow : A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd', 'Rapture', 'Ruben Blades Is Not My Name' and 'A Tuba to Cuba'.

Other categories included Global : a diverse selection of international filmmaking talent, featuring innovative narratives, artful documentaries, premieres and festival favourites; Narrative Shorts : showcasing a selection of original, well-crafted films that take advantage of the short form and exemplify distinctive and genuine storytelling; Documentary Shorts : described as slices of life from across the documentary spectrum; Animated Shorts : being an assortment of stories using traditional animation, computer-generated effects, stop-motion, and everything in-between; Midnight Shorts : billed as morsel-sized bits for all of your sex, gore, and hilarity cravings. And more besides too!

This week we launch with the big screen treatment of a bestselling novel about a book written about the exploits of a group of locals on a British Channel Island during the German occupation of WWII. This is followed up by comedy offering of an average everywoman who as a result of a knock on the head comes around with a new found confidence and the rigid belief that she is the next great Supermodel. Next up is a comedy sequel seventeen years in the making about a hapless bunch of State Troopers assigned to stand guard and protect a disputed border between the USA and Canada; before wrapping up with a animated feature about a teenage vampire, his mate, their families and overcoming a perilous foe intent on destroying them all.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four 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 warmly 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 meanwhile, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY' (Rated M) - this British historical drama offering set just after the end of WWII is based on the 2008 New York Times Bestselling book of the same name by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows and is Directed by Mike Newell (whose previous film credits include 'Four Weddings and a Funeral', 'Donnie Brasco'. 'Pushing Tin', 'Mona Lisa Smile', 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire', 'Prince of Persia : The Sands of Time' and 'Great Expectations' amongst others. The film has been in gestation for eight years with various Directors and lead Actresses linked to the project including Kenneth Branagh and Kate Winslet respectively.

Beginning in London, 1946, and Juliet Ashton (Lily James), is a charismatic and free-spirited writer who receives a letter from a member of a mysterious book club started in the Nazi-occupied Channel Island of Guernsey. Exchanging letters with the local residents on the island, ultimately her curiosity is piqued, so that Juliet decides to visit the island to find out more. There she meets the delightfully eccentric members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, including Dawsey Adams (Michiel Huisman), the rugged and intriguing farmer who wrote her the initial letter. As the secrets from their wartime occupation unfold, Juliet's growing connection to the island, the book club and her affection for Dawsey will change the course of her life forever. Also starring Matthew Goode, Tom Courteney, Penelope Wilton, Katherine Parkinson, Glen Powell and Jessica Brown Findlay. The film is released in the UK this week too.

'I FEEL PRETTY' (Rated M) - here we have an American comedy film Written and Directed by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein and starring Amy Schemer as Renee Barrett, an ordinary woman who struggles on a daily basis with feelings of insecurity, low self esteem and inadequacy that prevents her from moving forward with her life. Taking a bad fall during an exercise class, she later wakes up believing she is suddenly the most beautiful supermodel and capable woman in the world. With this new found confidence, she becomes empowered to live her life without fear, flawlessly and infinitely positively, but, what will happen when she realises her appearance never changed? Also starring Michelle Williams, Rory Scovel, Aidy Bryant, Busy Philipps, Tom Hooper, Lauren Hutton and Naomi Campbell, and the film goes on general release in the US this week too.

'SUPER TROOPERS 2' (Rated MA15+) - in 2001 the pre-cursor to this film was released 'Super Troopers' which on a budget of US$1.2M grossed US$23M garnered it generally mixed or average Reviews at best. But not to be put off, and seventeen years later we have this sequel Written by the same team who brought us the first gripping instalment, and involving the same Director who also stars (Jay Chandrasekhar), as do the Writers who masquerade under the collective title of 'Broken Lizard' (being an American comedy troupe consisting of Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske). The film sees five wacky, unorthodox and unconventional State Troopers having to establish a new Highway Patrol Station in the disputed area between the USA and Canada when an international argument erupts between the two nations over the borderline separating the two countries. And so its up to Troopers Mac (Lemme), Thorny (Chandrasekhar), Foster (Soter), Rabbit (Stolhanske) and Farva (Heffernan) to save the day, maintain the peace and restore relations - hilarity will doubtless ensue! Also starring Brian Cox, Lynda Carter and Rob Lowe.

'THE LITTLE VAMPIRE' (Rated PG) - this animated children's vampire story is Directed by Richard Claus and Karsten Kiilerich and based on the stories created by German Writer Angela Sommer-Bodenburg. Here the story surrounds Rudolph (voiced by Rasmus Hardiker), a young teenage vampire, whose family is threatened with extermination by a notorious and cruel vampire hunter named Rookery (Jim Carter). As luck and good fortune would have it, he meets Tony (Amy Saville), a mortal of the same age, who has a fascination for old castles, graveyards and vampires. Rudolph brings his new friend Tony along on his adventure, which takes the two boys to Transylvania, so bringing their two families together, and helping them overcome their prejudices towards each other. En route, they face numerous dangerous challenges, and both vampires and humans must show courage and ingenuity in the face of adversity. Also starring the voices of Tim Pigott-Smith and Miriam Margolyes.

With four new release films out 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. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-