What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 23rd January 2020.

In case you missed all the buzz of this years 77th Golden Globe Awards honouring the very best in film and American television from 2019, which were held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 5, 2020, with Ricky Gervais hosting the ceremony for the fifth and allegedly final time, below is the run down of all the winners, grinners and also rans from the world of cinema.

* Best Motion Picture : Drama.
Awarded to '1917', beating out 'The Irishman', 'Joker', 'Marriage Story' and 'The Two Popes'
* Best Motion Picture : Musical or Comedy
Awarded to 'ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD', beating out 'Dolemite Is My Name', 'Jojo Rabbit', 'Knives Out' and 'Rocketman'.

* Best Performance in a Motion Picture : Drama | Actor
Awarded to JOAQUIN PHOENIX for 'JOKER', beating out Christian Bale for 'Ford v. Ferrari', Antonio Banderas for 'Pain and Glory', Adam Driver for 'Marriage Story' and Jonathan Pryce for 'The Two Popes'.
* Best Performance in a Motion Picture : Drama | Actress
Awarded to RENEE ZELLWEGER for 'JUDY', beating out Cynthia Enviro for 'Harriet', Scarlett Johansson for 'Marriage Story', Saoirse Ronan for 'Little Women' and Charlize Theron for 'Bombshell'.
* Best Performance in a Motion Picture : Musical or Comedy | Actor
Awarded to TARON EGERTON for 'ROCKETMAN', beating out Daniel Craig for 'Knives Out', Roman Griffin Davis for 'Jojo Rabbit', Leonardo DiCaprio for 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' and  Eddie Murphy for 'Dolemite Is My Name'.
* Best Performance in a Motion Picture : Musical or Comedy | Actress
Awarded to AWKWAFINA for 'THE FAREWELL', beating out Ana de Armis for 'Knives Out', Cate Blanchett for 'Where'd You Go, Bernadette', Beanie Feldstein for 'Booksmart' and Emma Thompson for 'Last Night'.

* Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture : Actor
Awarded to BRAD PITT for 'ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD', beating out Tom Hanks for 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood', Anthony Hopkins for 'The Two Popes', Al Pacino for 'The Irishman' and Joe Pesci for 'The Irishman'.
* Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture : Actress
Awarded to LAURA DERN for 'MARRIAGE STORY', beating out Kathy Bates for 'Richard Jewell', Annette Benning for 'The Report', Jennifer Lopez for 'Hustlers' and Margot Robbie for 'Bombshell'.

* Best Director
Awarded to SAM MENDES for '1917', beating out Bong Joon-ho for 'Parasite', Todd Phillips for 'Joker', Martin Scorsese for 'The Irishman' and Quentin Tarantino for 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'.
* Best Screenplay
Awarded to QUENTIN TARANTINO for 'ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD', beating out Noah Baumbach for 'Marriage Story', Bong Joon-ho for 'Parasite', Anthony McCarten for 'The Two Popes' and Steve Zaillian for 'The Irishman'.
* Best Foreign Language Film
Awarded to BONG JOON-HO for 'PARASITE', beating out 'The Farewell', 'Les Miserables', 'Pain and Glory' and 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire'.
* Best Animated Feature Film
Awarded to 'MISSING LINK', beating out 'Frozen II', 'How to Train Your Dragon : The Missing World', 'The Lion King' and 'Toy Story 4'.
* Best Original Song
Awarded to '(I'M GONNA) LOVE ME AGAIN' from 'ROCKETMAN' by ELTON JOHN and BERNIE TAUPIN.




* The Cecil B. De Mille Award which is an honorary Golden Globe Award bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for 'outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment' was awarded to TOM HANKS.
* The Carol Burnett Award which is also an honorary Golden Globe Award bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for 'outstanding contributions to television on or off the screen' was awarded to ELLEN DEGENERES.

For the full run down on the film and television awards presented, the nominees, the winners, the pics and the inside word, you can also visit the official website at : https://www.goldenglobes.com

Turning attention back to this weeks six latest release new movies to grace your local Odeon screen, we start off with a biographical drama film centering on America's most beloved neighbour and highly acclaimed pre-school television programme host as he is interviewed by a journalist hoping to uncover some dirt only to find none and ultimately coming to terms with his own inner demons. Next up we have a Sci-Fi horror adventure about the crew of a vessel stranded seven miles down on the ocean floor only to come under attack by mystery creatures awakened by an underwater earthquake. We then have a true story of a man wrongly accused of murder, sentenced to death and the young upstart defence lawyer who battles against the odds to clear his name. This is followed up by a comedy centering on two female business partners who run their own successful beauty products business but have financial woes, and an industry mogul who wants to buy out their business - sounds too good to be true, and it might just be as the two life long friends relationship is put to the test. We then close out the week with two very different biographical docos - the first charting the fifteen year journey of an Australian heavy metal band as they strive for recognition at some of the worlds largest music festivals; and finally charting the life, times and influences on Mexico's most famous painter and artist who died in 1954 but has since found the acknowledgement, acceptance and recognition for her many artworks and what she stood for.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six 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 week ahead.

'A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD' (Rated PG) - is a 2019 American drama film directed by Marielle Heller and inspired by the 1998 article 'Can You Say ... Hero?' by Tom Junod, published in Esquire. Heller is an American Director, Writer and Actress of film, television and theatre whose previous film making credits include the highly acclaimed and multi-award winning 'Can You Ever Forgive Me' in 2018, based on the confessional memoir of Lee Israel as portrayed my Melissa McCarthy. This film is about the beloved television icon Fred Rogers who lived from 1928 through until 2003 and who was an American TV personality, musician, puppeteer, writer, Producer, and Presbyterian Minister. He was the creator, showrunner and host of the preschool TV series 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood', which ran from 1968 to 2001. His work in children's television has been widely lauded, and he received over forty honorary degrees and several awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002 and a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 1997. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1999.

Here Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) is an investigative journalist who receives an assignment to profile Fred Rogers, aka Mr. Rogers (Tom Hanks). He approaches the interview with scepticism, as he finds it hard to believe that anyone can have such a good nature. But Roger's empathy, kindness and decency from America's most beloved neighbour soon chips away at Vogel's jaded outlook on life, forcing the reporter to reconcile with his own painful past. Also starring Chris Cooper, Susan Kelechi Watson, Maryann Plunkett and Enrico Colantoni, the film has been praised by critics, has won three awards and been nominated for another 55 so far, many of which are still pending decisions, and has grossed US$61M off the back of its US$25M production budget since its release in the US in late November.

'UNDERWATER' (Rated M) - here this underwater action adventure Sci-Fi horror offering is Directed by William Eubank in only his third feature film outing as Director following 2011's 'Love' and 2014's 'The Signal', both of which were also Sci-Fi features. Set 5,000 miles from land and seven miles below the surface of the ocean, the crew of underwater researchers who are looking at a month long stay on the ocean floor, must scramble to safety and navigate their way across that ocean floor after their subterranean laboratory is destroyed by an earthquake that has awakened some kind of mysterious and ravenous creatures that appear to be none too pleased by their seemingly unwelcome presence. Staring Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, Jessica Henwick, T.J. Miller,  John Gallagher Jnr., Gunner Wright and Mamoudou Athie. The film cost US$80M to make, and was released Stateside earlier this month, and has so far taken US$27M.

'JUST MERCY' (Rated M) - this American true story legal drama is Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton in his fourth feature film after 2012's 'I Am Not a Hipster', 2013's 'Short Term 12' and 2017's 'The Glass Castle'. Following this outing Cretton is slated to Direct 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' for the MCU Phase 4 due for release in 2021 and currently in pre-production. This film tells the true story of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), who, with the help of young defence lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan), appeals his murder conviction having been wrongfully imprisoned for the 1986 murder of eighteen year old Ronda Morrison in Monroeville, Alabama. His conviction was wrongfully obtained, based on police coercion and perjury, and in the 1988 trial, the judge imposed the death penalty, even though the jury imposed a sentence of life imprisonment. From 1990 to 1993, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals turned down four appeals and in 1993, after McMillian had served six years on Alabama's death row, the Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that he had been wrongfully convicted. This is his story. Also starring Brie Larson, Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall, O'Shea Jackson Jnr. and Rob Morgan, the film saw its World Premier screening at TIFF in early September last year, went on limited release on Christmas Day in the US (to qualify for awards season recognition), has garnered generally favourable Reviews so far, has taken US$23M at the Box Office before its much wider release from mid-this month. 'Just Mercy' is based on the 2014 memoir of the same name, written by Bryan Stevenson.

'LIKE A BOSS' (Rated M) - Directed by Puerto Rican film maker Miguel Arteta whose previous big screen offerings include 2002's 'The Good Girl', 2011's 'Cedar Rapids', 2014's 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day', 2014's 'Beatriz at Dinner' and 2018's 'Duck Butter' most recently, here brings us this American comedy film about best friends Mia Carter (Tiffany Haddish) and Mel Paige (Rose Byrne) who run their own cosmetics company called appropriately 'Mel & Mia's', which is a business they founded from nothing. But their business is also struggling financially, and the prospect of a buyout offer from industry titan Claire Luna (Salma Hayek) proves too tempting to pass up. The beauty business takes a turn for the worse when their benefactor starts stealing from them, and Mia and Mel's lifelong friendship is put to the ultimate test. Also starring Jennifer Coolidge and Billy Porter, the film was released in the US earlier this month to largely negative Reviews and so far recouped US$19M from its US$29M budget outlay.

'VIVA THE UNDERDOGS' (Rated MA15+) - Directed, lensed, written and edited by Allan Hardy in his first full length film, this documentary film follows the self-managed Australian heavy metal band 'Parkway Drive' on their fifteen year long underdog journey, to see if they can go from small-town surf rats to international festival headliners. From searching out surf spots and sleeping on the streets for their first international tour to evolving their sound and re-setting the benchmark in metal with every new album, the five high-school bandmates have always done it their own way, chasing adventures, having fun and breaking boundaries year after year.  Now, Parkway Drive put it all on the line to create the biggest most explosive show for their loyal fan base. Self-funded, self-managed and committing to over one hundred tour dates, with a forty strong crew and six semi-trailers filled with cutting edge audiovisual equipment & pyrotechnics, is it enough for the five high-school mates to defy the odds and earn their spot at the top of the world’s biggest rock festivals? A decade of behind the scenes personal footage, coupled with unprecedented access to the bands most explosive live tours and world’s biggest music festivals, this doco offers up an incredibly honest and candid look at Parkway Drive’s journey, good-times, battles, triumphs and sacrifices. The current and long term band members are Winston McCall on vocals, Jeff Ling on lead guitar, Luke Kilpatrick on rhythm guitar, Jia O'Connor on bass guitar and Ben Gordon on drums.

'FRIDA : VIVA LA VIDA' (Rated CTC) - this biographical documentary is Directed and Written by Italian Giovanni Trolio and highlights the two sides of Frida Kahlo’s spirit on one side, the revolutionary, pioneering artist of contemporary feminism and on the other; the human being, victim of her tortured body and a tormented relationship. Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter known for her numerous portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. She lived from 1907 until 1954 and Kahlo's work has subsequently been celebrated internationally as emblematic of Mexican national and indigenous traditions and by feminists for what is seen as its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form. With acclaimed Italian Actress and Director Asia Argento providing the narration, the two faces of the artist are revealed by pursuing a common thread consisting of Frida’s own words as captured in letters, diaries, and private confessions. The film alternates interviews with original documents, captivating reconstructions, and Frida Kahlo’s own paintings kept in some of the most amazing museums in Mexico. This film is not to be confused with the 2002 biographical drama film 'Frida' with Salma Hayek portraying Frida Kahlo in her Academy Award nominated role as the famed artist.

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-