What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 27th April 2023.

This years 'Hot Docs' documentary film festival marks its thirty year anniversary, and is running from Thursday 27th April through until Sunday 7th May, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Hot Docs was founded in 1993 by the Documentary Organisation of Canada, a national association of independent documentary filmmakers. In 1996, Hot Docs became a separately incorporated organisation with a mandate to showcase and support the work of Canadian and international documentary filmmakers and to promote excellence in documentary production. Each year, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America's largest doc festival, conference and market, presents more than two hundred cutting edge films from around the world. Hot Docs is not-for-profit organisation dedicated to advancing and celebrating the art of documentary and creating production opportunities for documentary filmmakers.

Of the two hundred or so documentary films being showcased, twenty-five are being shown in 'The Special Presentations' section over the duration of the festival. These are as detailed below :-

* 'Black Barbie : A Documentary' - from the USA and Co-Produced and Directed by Lagueria Davis. International Premier.

* 'Blix Not Bombs' - from Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden and Directed by Greta Stocklassa. North American Premier.
* 'The Deepest Breath' - from UK and Ireland and Directed by Laura McGann. Canadian Premier.
* 'The Disappearance of Shere Hite' - from the USA and Co-Produced and Directed by Nicole Newnham. International Premier.
* 'El Equipo' - from the USA and Co-Produced and Directed by Bernardo Ruiz. Canadian Premier.
* 'Food and Country' - from the USA and Co-Produced and Directed by Laura Gabbert. International Premier.
* 'Igor Levit - No Fear' - from Germany, and Directed by Regina Schilling. North American Premier.
* 'Innocence' - from Denmark, Israel, Finland and Iceland, and Directed by Guy Davidi. Canadian Premier.
* 'Invisible Beauty' - from the USA and Directed by Bethann Hardison and Frederic Tcheng. Canadian Premier.

* 'Is There Anybody Out There?' - from the UK and Directed by Ella Glendining. Canadian Premier.
* 'It's Only Life After All' - from the USA and Co-Produced and Directed by Alexandria Bombach. Canadian Premier.
* 'Joan Baez I Am A Noise' - from the USA and Co-Produced by Miri Navasky, Karen O'Connor and Directed by Miri Navasky, Karen O'Connor and Maeve O'Boyle. Canadian Premier.
* 'Love to Love You, Donna Summer' - from the USA and Co-Produced by Roger Ross Williams and Directed by Roger Ross Williams and Brooklyn Sudano. Canadian Premier.
* 'The Man Who Stole Einstein's Brain' - from Canada and Directed by Michelle Shephard. World Premier.
* 'Periodical' - from the USA and Directed by Lina Lyte Plioplyte. International Premier.

* 'Praying for Armageddon' - from Norway and Directed by Tonje Hessen Schei and Michael Rowley. North American Premier.
* 'The Rise of Wagner' - from France and Directed by Benoit Bringer. World Premier.
* 'Stephen Curry : Underrated' - from the USA and Co-Produced and Directed by Peter Nicks. International Premier.

* 'Still : A Michael J. Fox Movie' - from the USA and Co-Produced and Directed by Davis Guggenheim. Canadian Premier.
* 'Theatre of Violence' - from Denmark and Directed by Lukasz Konopa and Emil Langballe. North American Premier.
* 'Time Bomb Y2K' - from the USA and Directed by Marley McDonald and Brian Becker, and Produced by Brian Becker. Canadian Premier.
* 'Total Trust' - from Germany, the Netherlands and China and Co-Produced and Directed by Jialing Zhang. North American Premier.
* 'We Are Guardians' - from Brazil and the USA and Directed by Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene and Rob Grobman and Co-Produced by Chelsea Greene. World Premier.
* 'Who's Afraid of Nathan Law?' - from the USA, Hong Kong and UK and Co-Produced and Directed by Joe Piscatella. World Premier.
* 'Without Precedent : The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella' - from Canada and Co-Produced and Directed by Barry Avrich. World Premier.

For the synopsis of each of the aforementioned documentaries, plus a whole lot more good stuff including the full run down of all films being showcased, you can visit the official website at : https://hotdocs.ca/festivals/hot-docs-festival

This week, to tease you out to your local Odeon, we have four newly released movies hailing from all four corners of our world, and which kick start with an American sports comedy offering that sees a group of friends who made it their life-long mission to go to the Super Bowl and meet NFL superstar Tom Brady. This is followed by a film set in South America in 1960 in which a lonely and grumpy Holocaust survivor convinces himself that his new neighbour is none other than Adolf Hitler. Next up is a British romantic action comedy that is a merry mash up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action as it follows a schoolgirl martial artist-in-training who believes she must save her older sister from her impending marriage. And closing out the week there is an Australian offering that tells the story of two siblings who find hidden beneath their bedroom floor a land of enchantment in need of protection from an ancient enemy, but they soon face epic challenges as they embark on a quest to unite five mystical treasures and save the kingdom.

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 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 coming week.

'80 FOR BRADY' (Rated M) - is an American sports comedy film inspired by a true story that is Co-Produced and Directed by Kyle Marvin in his first feature film making effort. Costing US$28M to produce the film has so far grossed US$40M, was released in the US in early February and has garnered mixed or average Reviews. Just two days prior to the films release famed NFL quarterback for the New England Patriots for twenty seasons and then the Tampa Bat Buccaneers for his final three years, Tom Brady, announced his retirement after twenty-three seasons. 

Four best friends Lou (Lily Tomlin), Trish (Jane Fonda), Maura (Rita Moreno) and Betty (Sally Field) live life to the fullest when they make it their mission to embark on a wild trip to see their hero, Tom Brady (Tom Brady who also Co-Produced here), play in the 2017 Super Bowl for the New England Patriots against the Atlanta Falcons at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. 

'MY NEIGHBOUR, ADOLF' (Rated PG) - this Israeli, Polish and Colombian Co-Production is Co-Written and Directed by the Russian born Israel raised Leon Prudovsky in only his second feature film offering following 2009's 'Five Hours from Paris'. South America, 1960. A lonely and grumpy Holocaust survivor Mr. Polsky (David Hayman) convinces himself that his new neighbour Mr. Herzog (Udo Kier) is none other than Adolf Hitler. Not being taken seriously, he starts to do some investigative digging of his own to prove his claim, but when the evidence still appears to be inconclusive, Polsky is forced to engage in a relationship with the enemy in order to obtain undeniable proof. The film has garnered mixed or average reviews.

'POLITE SOCIETY' (Rated M) - is a British romantic heist action comedy drama film that is Written and Directed by Nida Manzoor in her feature film making debut. The film saw its World Premier screening at the Sundance Film Festival at the end of January this year, is released in the UK, US and here in Australia this week and has generated mostly positive critical reviews. Here, London schoolgirl Ria Khan (Priya Kansara) practises martial arts in order to become a stuntwoman. But when her sister Lena (Ritu Arya) drops out of art school and gets engaged to Salim Shah (Akshay Khanna) after barely a month with plans thereafter to relocate to Singapore, Ria decides she and her friends must pull off the most ambitious wedding-heist in the name of independence and sisterhood. 

'THE SECRET KINGDOM' (Rated PG) - this Australian family adventure film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Matt Drummond in his third feature film making outing following 'Dinosaur Island' in 2014 and 'My Pet Dinosaur' in 2017. Here then, following a tragic accident, an anxious young twelve year old boy Peter (Sam Everingham) and his nine year old sister Verity (Alyla Browne) relocate with their family faraway to a stately old house—one that was once-grand, but is now cracking at the seams. Upon exploring the local area, they discover an ancient artefact that leads them to an incredible adventure in an underground world. As Peter and Verity’s journey begins, they encounter fantastic creatures and distant lands beyond their wildest imaginations, but soon discover that not everything is at it seems. Aided by an army of pangolins, Peter and Verity must battle the evil Shroud (Gabrielle Chan) to fulfil the prophecy and save time. 

With four 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 week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-