What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 22nd December 2022.

Once again, Christmas is upon us and as such it would be remiss of me not to wish my global readership all the very best wishes for a Merry, Happy and safe Christmas, wherever you are in world, whoever you share it with and whatever it is you do to celebrate the occasion. Thanks for your continued support over the past twelve months - it is your readership that makes my reviews and previews of the latest release new movies all worthwhile, and I look forward to doing more of the same throughout the coming year. Until then, Merry Christmas, best wishes and complements of the season, from Sydney, Australia.

This week then we have just two new release movies coming to a big screen Odeon near you. Kicking off with an American thriller that sees a world weary detective hired to investigate the murder of a West Point cadet in 1830. And closing out the week we have a Hong Kong film that is based on a shocking case in real life when a young man partnered with his friend to murder and dismember his parents, and the court case that followed.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the two latest release new films 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.

'THE PALE BLUE EYE' (Rated MA15+) - this American thriller film is written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Scott Cooper and is adapted from the 2003 novel of the same name by Louis Bayard. Scott Cooper's previous film making credits include his debut in 2009 with 'Crazy Heart' starring Jeff Bridges in his Academy Award winning role, then 'Out of the Furnace' in 2013 with Christian Bale, 'Black Mass' in 2015 with Johnny Depp, 'Hostiles' in 2017 with Christian Bale again and 'Antlers' in 2021 with Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons. This film is released this week, before streaming on Netflix from 6th January and cost US$72M to produce. 

Here then, Christian Bale (who also serves as Co-Producer) stars as world weary veteran detective Augustus Landor who is tasked with investigating a series of murders at the US Military Academy, West Point, in New York in 1830. But after the body arrives at the morgue, tragedy becomes savagery when it is discovered the next morning that the young man's heart has been skilfully removed. Disheartened by the cadets code of silence, Landor enlists in his investigations one of their own - an eccentric young cadet with a disdain for the rigours of the military and a passion for poetry, Edgar Allen Poe (Harry Melling). Also starring Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Toby Jones, Timothy Spall and Robert Duvall. 

'THE SPARRING PARTNER' (Rated MA15+) - this Hong Kong true life crime drama film is Directed by Cheuk Tin Ho in his feature film making debut. This tense and compelling true-story based on the shocking 2013 trial of a young man, Henry Cheung (Yeung Wai-lun) who brutally murdered, dismembered, and cooked his parents in a microwave oven with the help of a friend Angus Tong (Pui Tung Mak). Pleading not guilty in a trial which dominated local headlines, this searing drama explores the events which unfolded as lawyers clashed and nine jurors grappled with the truth, trying to understand this tragic event which took the media by storm. The film has garnered generally positive Reviews. 

With two new release movie offerings 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 at your local Odeon in the coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-