What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 30th July 2020.

Last week I reported on four major studio films that have had their planned release dates pushed back once again because of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent halting or delays experienced by movie production houses, and only the partial reopening of cinemas worldwide. Those four films were 'Tenet', 'No Time To Die', 'Wonder Woman 1984' and 'The Conjuring : The Devil Made Me Do It'. This week I continue in a similar vein, and announce another four major films that have seen their already publicised release dates pushed back yet again.

'THE FRENCH DISPATCH' - Directed, written for the screen, Co-Produced and based on a story by Wes Anderson, this American comedy drama film stars an ensemble cast including Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Timothee Chalamet, Lea Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Jeffrey Wright, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, Liev Schreiber, Christoph Waltz, Saoirse Ronan, Henry Winkler, Bob Balaban, Freddie Highmore and Kate Winslet. Originally slated for a July 24th 2020 release, this was pushed back to October 16th 2020 and has now been pushed back indefinitely, with no future release date as yet announced.

'A QUIET PLACE : PART II' - Directed, Co-Produced and Written by John Krasinski this follow up to the hugely successful 2018 horror film 'A Quiet Place' stars Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Djimon Hounsou and John Kransinki seen in flashback considering that he was killed off at the end of the first film. Initially intended to be released in cinemas on March 8th 2020, this was subsequently pushed back to September 6th 2020 and has now been pushed back further to April 23rd 2021.

'TOP GUN : MAVERICK' - this action drama film is a direct sequel to the 1986 Tony Scott Directed film 'Top Gun' that launched the career of Tom Cruise into the stratosphere. Directed by Joseph Kosinski and Co-Produced by Tom Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer and Christopher McQuarrie this film sees Tom Cruise reprise his role as Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, and Val Kilmer reprise his role as Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky joined by Ed Harris, Miles Teller, Jon Hamm and Jennifer Connelly. Originally intended for a July 24th 2020 release, this was subsequently delayed until December 23rd 2020 and has now been delayed once again to July 2nd 2021.

'HALLOWEEN KILLS' - this American slasher horror film is a direct sequel to 2018's 'Halloween' and is the twelfth instalment in the 'Halloween' franchise. As with the 2018 film, this offering is once again Directed and Co-Written by David Gordon Green and is based on the characters created by John Carpenter for his seminal 1978 film 'Halloween' and its 1981 follow up 'Halloween II'. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her role as Laurie Strode from the 1978 original, the 1981 sequel and the 2018 reboot, with Nick Castle and James Jude Courtney also reprising their roles as the knife wielding maniac killer Michael Myers and Anthony Michael Hall, Judy Greer, Nancy Stephens, Charles Cyphers and Andi Matichak. Originally scheduled for an October 16th 2020 release, this has been delayed by a year until October 15th 2021, with the final third instalment 'Halloween Ends' now pushed back until October 2022.

This week we have five latest release new films to tempt you out to your local Odeon on a chilly mid-Winters day in late July. We kick off with the story of a road rage incident that turns very ugly as one man starts a relentless pursuit against a female driver who cut in on him at a red stop light. We then turn to a love story surrounding a pair of single dog walkers in their sixties who get to know each other over the course of a year while out walking their pooches; and this is followed up by a tale of the effect that positive thought has on one young widow as a result of a stranger coming into her life, but he harbours a secret that could have a lasting impact on her life. Next up is a film about a bunch of teenage rebels who fight against the system and who unleash their own brand of justice upon the bad people they come across; before closing out the week with a Spanish foreign language offering telling the story of a struggling single mother juggling her cancer ridden mother, a legal case at work where she is employed as Deputy Legal Counsel and a new love interest.     

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or 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.

'UNHINGED' (Rated MA15+) - this American thriller film is Directed by Derrick Borte whose previous film making credits take in 2009's 'The Joneses', 2013's 'Dark Around the Stars', 2015's 'H8RZ', 2016's 'London Town' and 2019's 'American Dreamer'. Costing US$33M to make, the film has had its cinematic release date pushed back and brought forward several times in the hope of being amongst the first to test the waters as cinemas reopen. The film opened in Europe, Latin America and Asia mid this month, in Australia this week and is slated for its US release sometime in August, and has so far grossed US$252K.

Here Tom Hunter (Russell Crowe) stalks and harasses single mother Rachel (Caren Pistorious) who is running late for work, and her young son Kyle (Gabriel Bateman) in his car as a result of a road rage incident at a red stop light. Following this altercation, Rachel finds herself and everyone she loves at the mercy of a man who considers himself almost invisible and is looking to make one last mark upon the world by teaching her a series of deadly lessons. What follows is a dangerous game of cat and mouse that just goes to show that you never can tell who's in the car next to you and the extent they're prepared to go to to make a point.

'23 WALKS' (Rated M) - in his first feature film outing in twelve years, here Director and Writer Paul Morrison has followed up his earlier works 'Solomon and Gaenor', 'Wondrous Oblivion', and 'Little Ashes' with this heart warming romantic comedy drama of love discovered later on in life. Starring Dave Johns as Dave and Alison Steadman as Fern who are both in their sixtes and who get to know one another over the course of walking their dogs twenty-three times during one year, and mostly on London's Hampstead Heath, and gradually begin to fall in love. Also starring Tilly (Dave's dog) and Harry (Fern's dog) amongst other human characters. 

'THE SECRET : DARE TO DREAM' (Rated PG) - this American drama offering is Directed and Co-Written for the screen by Andy Tennant whose prior movie making credits include his debut in 1995 'It Takes Two' followed by the likes of 'Anna and the King', 'Sweet Home Alabama', 'Hitch', 'Fool's Gold', 'The Bounty Hunter' and 'Wild Oats' in 2016. Based on the best selling self help book from 2006 by Rhonda Byrne 'The Secret', the film tells the story of Miranda Wells (Katie Holmes) who is a hard-working young widow struggling to raise three children on her own. A powerful storm brings a devastating challenge and a mysterious handyman, Bray Johnson (Josh Lucas), into her life. Bray's presence and his belief in the power of positive thinking re-ignites the family's spirit, but he carries a secret, which could change everything. Also starring Jerry O'Connell and Celia Weston.

'JUVENILE DELINQUENTS' (Rated MA15+) - Directed, Written and Produced by Neil Goss in his film making debut, the story here follows a bunch of broken late teenagers facing incarceration for a crime they were forced to commit. As a disparate and desperate group they decide not to accept their destitute destiny and so set about making a new one by forcing redemption onto bad people. The Juvenile Delinquents (JD's) form a new dysfunctional family as they manoeuvre around problems brought about by their youth, competitive spirit, irrational behaviour and the horror at times of their new lives. Starring Demitra Sealy, Silvia Dionicio, Sean Stolzen, Amanda Greer, Corynn Treadwell, Phil Blevins and Cha-tah Ellem.

'LITIGANTE' (Rated M) - this 2019 drama film is Directed, Written and Produced by Colombian film maker Franco Lolli in only his second feature film outing which opened the Critics' Week at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Silvia (Carolina Sanin) is a single mother (by choice) raising her five year old son Antonio (Antonio Martinez) with daytime childcare help from her gay best friend Sergio (David Roa), as well as her sister, Maria-Jose (Alejandra Sarria), and mother, Leticia (Leticia Gomez). But the rapidly-metastasising return of Leticia's lung cancer, means the juggling act for Silvia and her family will be even harder. Added to this, she's been swept along by a simmering corruption charge at the municipal department where she's employed as the deputy legal officer, and there is a budding new romance occurring with radio journalist Abel (Vladimir Duran), which only adds to the pressure and the strain that she's under. Something's gotta give!

With five 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-