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

The film awards season has officially kicked off with the 'Hollywood Film Awards' being staged on 4th November at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California. This year marked the 22nd year that this celebration of all things Hollywood has taken place, having been launched for the first time in 1997. According to the official website, the Hollywood Film Awards 'honours some of the most acclaimed films and Actors, as well as previews highly anticipated films and talent for the upcoming year'. This years awards ceremony was Hosted by Awkwafina who toppled James Cordon as the Host with the Most for the previous three years. You can gain further details and all the news from the official website at : https://www.hollywoodawards.com/

Among this years list of twenty-four category Winners and Grinners from the world of cinema, the proud and celebrated recipients were :
* Hollywood Career Achievement Award : Nicole Kidman
* Hollywood Actor Award : Hugh Jackman for 'The Front Runner'
* Hollywood Supporting Actor Award : Timothee Chalamet for 'Beautiful Boy'
* Hollywood Actress Award : Glenn Close for 'The Wife'
* Hollywood Supporting Actress Award : Rachel Weisz for 'The Favourite'
* Hollywood Breakout Actor Award : John David Washington for 'BlacKkKlansman'
* Hollywood Breakout Actress Award : Amandla Stenberg for 'The Hate U Give'
* Hollywood Film Award : 'Black Panther'
* Hollywood Animation Award : 'Incredibles 2'
* Hollywood Director Award : Damien Chazelle for 'First Man'
* Hollywood Cinematography Award : Matthew Libatique for 'A Star Is Born'
* Hollywood Film Composer Award : Justin Hurwitz for 'First Man'
* Hollywood Costume Design Award : Sandy Powell for 'The Favourite'
* Hollywood Production Design Award : Hannah Beachler for 'Black Panther'.

This week we have just three new release movies coming to your local Odeon. We launch with the second instalment in the pre-Potterverse that sees our principle young wizard protagonist face off against a mightily powerful foe with the help of a much younger headmaster from a certain school for gifted wizard types. We then turn to a crime comedy caper concerning a career criminal getting on in life who has recently broken out of jail again and goes on a robbery spree that captures the hearts and minds of the general public and a certain detective on his tail too. We wrap up the week with an acclaimed Japanese story of a poor family living hand to mouth, on the edge of their means and who resort to petty crime to sustain themselves who take in a seemingly abandoned young girl which has repercussions for the whole family.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three latest release new movies 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 most welcome 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 outing during the coming week.

'FANTASTIC BEASTS : THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD' (Rated M) - here we have the second film in the 'Fantastic Beasts' saga and the tenth film in the 'Wizarding World' franchise as created by one J. K. Rowling. This instalment is the sequel to 2016's 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' which grossed globally US$814M off the back of a US$180M Production Budget and picked up fifteen award wins and another 52 nominations around the traps including the first Academy Award of the whole franchise so far for Costume Design. Here David Yates Directs, who is no stranger to the J.K.Rowling world having already Directed 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix', 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince', 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2' and 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'. This film saw its World Premier screening in New York last week and goes on wide release in the US, UK, Australia and other territories this week.

In the closing moments of the first film, the powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). However, true to his word, Grindelwald escaped custody and has begun mustering followers, most of whom are oblivious of his true agenda - to raise wizards and witches to rule over all non-magical beings. In an effort to thwart Grindelwald's dastardly plans, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who naturally agrees to lend a hand, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the most loyal friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world. Also starring Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller, Zoe Kravitz, Carmen Ejogo, Alison Sudol, and Callum Turner.

'THE OLD MAN & THE GUN' (Rated M) - this American crime comedy film is said to be Robert Redford's final film as an Actor before he hangs up his hat for good and retires on a career that has spanned six decades both in front and behind the camera. Written for the screen and Directed by David Lowery, this film is based on the life of Forrest Tucker who died in 2004 at the age of 83 and spent his entire life from the age of fifteen in and out of prison and as a career criminal. The script is based on David Grann's 2003 article in The New Yorker titled 'The Old Man and the Gun', which was later collected in Grann's 2010 book 'The Devil and Sherlock Holmes'. Having had its World Premier screening at the Telluride Film Festival in late August this year, the film went of general release in the US in late September and has so far grossed US$10M and has received generally positive Press. At age 70, Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford) makes an audacious escape from San Quentin Prison, conducting an unprecedented string of heists that confound authorities and capture the hearts of the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck), who becomes captivated with Forrest's commitment to his craft, and a woman who loves him, Jewel (Sissy Spacek) in spite of his chosen career path. Also starring Danny Glover, Tom Waits, Elisabeth Moss, John David Washington and Keith Carradine.

'SHOPLIFTERS' (Rated M) - this Japanese drama film is Written, Directed and Edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda, Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival back in May this year where is took out the prestigious Palme d'Or, was released in its native Japan in early June, has so far grossed US$54M and has received widespread critical acclaim. Somewhere in Tokyo, Osamu Shibata (Lily Franky) and his wife Nobuyo (Sakura Ando) live a life on the poverty line. Osamu gains infrequent casual employment and Nobuyo has a low-paying job, and the family has to rely largely on the grandmother's pension . . .  as well as petty crime. As Osamu is shoplifting for groceries with his son, Shota (Kairi Jo), they come across Yuri (Miyu Sasaki), a homeless four year old girl shivering in the cold. Osamu takes her home, where the family observe the symptoms of abuse and neglect. Despite their far from ideal financial circumstances, they informally adopt her, but when a shoplifting exercise goes adrift, hidden secrets begin to emerge exposing the bonds that tie the family together.

With three 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. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-