BLINK TWICE : Tuesday 27th August 2024

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'BLINK TWICE' earlier this week, and this American psychological thriller film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Zoe Kravitz in her Directorial debut. The film was released last week too in the US, has so far grossed US$17M from a production budget of US$20M and has generated largely positive critical reviews. 

Here animal-themed nail artist and casual cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) works an exclusive fund raising gala event with her best friend Jess (Alia Shawcat). Frida encounters billionaire tech mogul, Slater King (Channing Tatum), who is hosting the event and who recently stepped down as CEO amid a very public apology for his past behaviour toward his employees. After their shift has finished, the pair put on their glad rags and crash the after party, where ultimately Slater invites her and Jess to join him on his private island. And so Slater and his entourage fly off to the island on his private jet.

There, Slater's assistant Stacy (Geena Davis) confiscates their phones. In attendance are Slater's friends and business associates, photographer Vic (Christian Slater), private chef Cody (Simon Rex), DJ Tom (Haley Joel-Osment), and graduate Lucas (Levon Hawke), as well as three female guests - Sarah (Adria Arjona), Camilla (Liz Caribel), and Heather (Trew Mullen). The women are treated with lavish rooms, gift bags of perfume, and a high end holiday experience, enhanced by gourmet meals, cocktails and fine wines prepared by Cody, and potent hallucinogenic drugs supplied by Vic.

Frida clashes with Sarah for Slater's attention while Jess observes lapses in her memory. Frida notices that the local workers all sport the same snake tattoo on their arm, and she has strange encounters with an older maid who doesn't speak English, yet appears to recognise her and calls her 'Red Rabbit'. Later, Rich (Kyle MacLachlan), Slater's therapist, visits and receives a gift in a red bag. During a night of partying and drugs, Jess is bitten by a non-venomous snake and later confesses to Frida she wants to leave. 

At breakfast, Frida notices that Lucas smells like the perfume the women are given. While the men are away on a fishing trip, Frida discovers a room with dozens of identical red gift bags all lined up neatly around the room on rows of shelves. She is then tricked into drinking the snake's venom from a bottle by the maid and shortly thereafter begins to remember strange events. She realises that Jess is missing, although the rest of the women do not. Alarmed, Frida investigates and learns a flower indigenous to the island capable of wiping memories has been inside the food and perfume gifted to them. Frida convinces Sarah of what is happening and gets her to drink the venom too, an antidote to the flower's effects.

The men return from their fishing trip later that afternoon, as Frida and Sarah grow increasingly agitated and concerned for their ongoing safety. The pair trick the other women, including Stacy, into drinking tequila shots laced with the venom to restore their memories. Frida sneaks into Slater's office to retrieve their phones, only to find they are out of power and out of service range. Her full memories return, revealing the men have been sexually assaulting the women and then wiping their memories using the flower. When Jess's memories could not be wiped due to the venom in her system from the earlier snake bite, they killed her. She also discovers polaroids featuring different women and men with red gift bags, revealing that Slater is inviting guests to rape people regularly and gifting them perfume to use when they are away from the island.

Frida and Sarah try to buy themselves time with varying degrees of success as Camilla and Heather's memories return, leading Camilla to stab Tom to death while Heather badly injures Vic by repeatedly slamming a marble chess board into his head, before being shot dead by Stan (Cris Costa), Slater's former US Marine security guard. Slater kills Camilla and the men take refuge in Slater's villa where Slater chastises Lucas for opting to be inactively complicit in the abuse by doing nothing to help the women. Stacy attacks Frida, preferring to be ignorant of the men’s behaviour before Frida stabs her to death. Frida runs into the woods behind the villa and is chased by Stan who catches up with her and holds her at gunpoint, but is then bludgeoned to death from behind by Sarah with a rock, who takes his gun. Cody makes his way to the woods but is shot dead by Sarah. In the villa, Lucas tries to run away but due to a trap set for Slater by Frida and Sarah, is mistakenly shot in the head. Following this, Slater traps Frida in the villa and binds her hands and gags her mouth. 

It is revealed that Frida was invited to the island the year before and experienced the same events, biting off Vic's little finger and scarring her temple when she fell against a rock before her memories were wiped. The maid had recognised Frida from her fingernails painted with red rabbits. Slater laughs off his recent apology in the media and exclaims that forgetting is better than forgiveness, before leaving to retrieve Sarah. While Slater is gone, Frida cuts through her hand bindings with a shard of broken glass, and laces his vape with the memory-erasing perfume. When Slater returns with Sarah he holds a kitchen knife to her throat, but the effects make him forget the previous events, back away from Sarah and cause him to panic upon seeing the dead and mutilated bodies strewn across the floor. Slater slips and knocks himself unconscious as the villa catches fire. The two women escape, leaving Vic to die but Frida saves Slater. 

Sometime later at a similar gala dinner as to the one that opened the film, Rich, who also assaulted Frida on the island, encounters Slater who is noticeably incoherent. It is revealed that Frida has married Slater and assumed his position as CEO, all the while drugging his vape with the flower to keep him compliant. As the event's guests congratulate Frida, Rich is apprehended by law enforcement officers.

For Zoe Kravitz Directorial debut, she has hit on a winner here proving her filmmaking talents both in front and behind the camera, leaving this Reviewer keen to see what she turns her mind to next. Here she ably ramps up the tension, leverages the suspense, throws in the occasional laugh before serving up a blood soaked ending with nods to 'The Menu' and 'Get Out' especially. Channing Tatum is right on form here as the disgraced CEO tech tycoon, and Naomi Ackie and Adria Arjona add weight and credibility through their performances too. A well crafted film, with on point sound design, a cracking soundtrack and a stacked cast of A-list talent, this film is worth searching out for the underlying messages it seeks to impart, the visual spectacle and its power to keep you talking after the credits have rolled.

'Blink Twice' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 29th August 2024

The 81st annual Venice International Film Festival is held this year from Wednesday 28th August to Saturday 7th September at Venice Lido in Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the 'Big Five' International film festivals worldwide, which include the Big Three European Film Festivals, being Venice, Cannes and Berlin, alongside the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada and the Sundance Film Festival in the United States. These festivals are internationally renowned for giving creators the artistic freedom to express themselves through film. 

This years Opening Film presentation is Tim Burton's fantasy comedy horror 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Willem Dafoe, Monica Belluci, Jenna Ortega and Justin Theroux. Pupi Avati's Italian gothic horror film 'The American Garden' being the Closing Night Film.

French Actress Isabelle Huppert will serve as Jury President for the main competition, supported on the jury by, amongst others, James Gray (American filmmaker), Andrew Haigh (British filmmaker), Kleber Mendonca Filho (Brazilian filmmaker and Producer) and Julia von Heinz (German filmmaker).

There are twenty-one films in the Official International Competition all competing for the prestigious Golden Lion Award for the best film screened. Other awards include Grand Jury Prize awarded to the second best film; the Silver Lion awarded to the Best Director; the Special Jury Prize awarded to the third best film; the Volpi Cup awarded to the Best Actor and Best Actress; the Golden Osella awarded for the Best Screenplay and/or for the Best Technical Contribution and the Marcello Mastroianni Award to acknowledge an emerging Actor or Actress. Additionally, Australian filmmaker Peter Weir and American Actress Sigourney Weaver will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the festival.

Included in the twenty-one films in official competition, are the following :-

* 'Babygirl' - from the USA and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Halina Reijn and starring Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, Sophie Wilde and Jean Reno, and is about a high-ranking CEO who embarks on a forbidden romance with a captivating intern, who is significantly younger.

* 'The Brutalist' - from the USA, the UK and Hungary and Co-Written and Directed by Brady Corbet and starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Joe Alwyn, Alessandro Nivola, Jonathan Hyde, and Guy Pearce, and is about a Hungarian-born Jewish architect who survived the Holocaust, who after the end of World War II, emigrated to the US where he initially endures poverty and indignity, but he soon lands a contract with a mysterious and wealthy client, that will change the course of his life.

* 'The Order' - from the USA and Directed by Justin Kurzel and starring Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Jurnee Smollett, Odessa Young and Marc Maron. In 1983, an Idaho-based FBI agent spots a pattern in recent bank robberies, counterfeiting operations and armoured car heists terrorising communities across the Pacific Northwest. He sets out to prove it is not the work of a traditional organised crime unit, but a radical group with a charismatic leader.

* 'Queer' - from Italy and the USA and Co-Produced and Directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman and Lesley Manville. Set in 1940's Mexico City, it follows a man who, after fleeing from a drug bust in New Orleans, wanders around the city's clubs and becomes infatuated with a drug user - a discharged American Navy serviceman.

* 'Harvest' - from the UK, Germany and the USA and Co-Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari and stars Caleb Landry Jones and Harry Melling and is set in England during the Middle Ages in a time of economic turmoil where local villagers scapegoat three strangers.

* 'The Room Next Door' - from Spain and Written and Directed by Pedro Almodovar and starring Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, John Turturro and Alessandro Nivola and is about the rift between a very imperfect mother and war correspondent and her resentful daughter, as well as with the former's relationship with a female author.

* 'Joker : Folie a Deux' - from the USA and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener,  Zazie Beetz and Steve Coogan. Two years after the events of 2019's 'Joker', Arthur Fleck, now a patient at Arkham State Hospital, falls in love with a music therapist. As the duo experiences musical madness through their shared delusions, Arthur's followers start a movement to liberate him.

* 'Maria' - from the USA, Italy and German and Directed by Pablo Larrain and stars Angelina Jolie as famed opera singer Maria Callas and is set during her final years in the 1970's when she was living in Paris.

For the other titles in the Main International Competition, plus the full line-up of all the other films being showcased both in and out of competition, you can visit the official website at : https://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2024

Looking at this weeks five new movies coming to a big screen Odeon close to you, we kick off with a Sci-Fi horror offering centering around a young family who are selected to test a new home device - a digital assistant, which as it learns the family's behaviours and begins to anticipate their needs, makes sure nothing, and no one, gets in her family's way. Then we turn to a horror drama film about two troubled high school students whose connection to their favourite television show drives them to question their reality and identities. Next up we have an Irish comedy drama film depicting the rise of a Belfast-based hip-hop trio; before a New Zealand adventure comedy drama about a newly introduced father and daughter who head out into the wilderness on a camping trip for the ultimate test of family bonding, watched from afar by a deadly black beast that could be the answer to all their woes. And closing out the week we have a British biographical drama film of when Brian Epstein set foot in the Cavern Club in November 1961 to watch The Beatles perform, he saw something no one else could, a glimmer of gold.

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

'AFRAID' (Rated M) - is an American Science-Fiction horror film that is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Chris Weitz whose previous Directing credits take in his debut in 2001 with 'Down to Earth', then 'About a Boy' in 2002, 'The Golden Compass' in 2007, 'The Twilight Saga : New Moon' in 2009, 'A Better Life' in 2011 and 'Operation Finale' in 2018. This film is released Stateside this week too.

Curtis (John Cho) and his family are selected to test a revolutionary new device, a digital assistant called AIA, that takes smart homes to the next level. Once the unit and all its sensors and cameras are installed in the family home, AIA begins to learn everyone's behaviour and anticipate their needs, it soon becomes self-aware and makes sure nothing and no one gets in the family's way. Also starring Katherine Waterston, David Dastmalchian and Keith Carradine.

'I SAW THE TV GLOW' (Rated M) - this American horror drama film is Written and Directed by Jane 
Schoenbrun in what is described as the second entry to their Screen Trilogy, following the 2021 film 'We're All Going to the World's Fair'. Teenager Owen (Justice Smith) is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate Maddy Wilson (Brigette Lundy-Paine) introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show titled 'The Pink Opaque', which presents a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, the friends view of their reality and identities begins to crack. The film has garnered universal critical acclaim and has so far grossed over US$5M.

'KNEECAP' (Rated MA15+) - is a comedy drama film that is written for the screen, based on a story conceived, and Directed by Rich Peppiatt in his feature film making debut although he has helmed two documentaries previously, the first 'One Rogue Reporter' in 2014 and 'Who Killed the KLF?' in 2018, plus a number of short films and TV series. When fate brings a Belfast teacher JJ O Dochartaigh (playing himself) into the orbit of self-confessed 'lowlife scum' Liam O Hannaidh (playing himself) and Naoise O Caireallain (playing himself), the needle drops on a hip-hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish language, under the bands name 'Kneecap' they soon lead a movement to save their mother tongue. The film saw its World Premiere screening at the Sundance Film Festival in mid-January this year, the first film in the Irish language to do so, where it won the NEXT Audience Award. The film was released in its native Ireland and in the US in early August, in the UK last week, has garnered generally positive critical reviews, and has so far grossed US$949K. It also stars Michael Fassbender.

'BOOKWORM' (Rated PG) - this New Zealand adventure comedy drama film is is based on a story, and Directed by Ant Timpson in his second feature film offering following 'Come to Daddy' in 2019. Here, Mildred's (Nell Fisher) life is turned upside down when her mother lands in hospital and her estranged Magician father, Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood), returns from the US to look after her. Strawn takes Mildred camping in the rugged New Zealand wilderness to seek out the mythical Canterbury panther, and the pair embark on the ultimate test of family bonding. The film was released in New Zealand earlier in August and has generated largely favourable reviews. Also starring Michael Smiley.

'MIDAS MAN' (Rated M) - is a British biographical film Directed by Joe Stephenson who made his feature film debut with 'Chicken' in 2015, the acclaimed 2018 documentary 'McKellen : Playing the Part' and 'Doctor Jekyll' in 2023. This film tracks how Brian Epstein (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) rose to prominence by managing a series of popular recording artists including The Beatles, Cilla Black and Gerry and the Pacemakers before his sudden death in 1967 at the age of 32. Also starring Emily Watson and Eddie Marsan as Epstein's mother and father respectively, with Jay Leno and Eddie Izzard too.

With five 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-

ALIEN : ROMULUS - Tuesday 20th August 2024.

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'ALIEN : ROMULUS' earlier this week, and this American Sci-Fi horror film is Co-Written, Executive Produced and Directed by Fede Alvarez, whose previous film making credits take in 2013's 'Evil Dead' in his feature Directorial debut, then 'Don't Breathe' in 2016, 'The Girl in the Spider's Web' in 2018, and now this film. It is the seventh instalment in the 'Alien' series and serves as a standalone film set between the events of 1979's 'Alien' Directed by Ridley Scott, and 1986's 'Aliens' Directed by James Cameron. The first six films in the franchise grossed at the global Box Office US$1.35B off the back of combined production budgets of US$376M, with Ridley Scott returning to Direct 'Prometheus' in 2012 and 'Alien : Covenant' in 2017, with him taking a Producer credit on this film. Costing US$80M to produce, the film has so far grossed US$122M and has generated largely favourable reviews.

The film opens with a scene of a Weyland-Yutani space probe investigating the wreckage of the Nostromo which has laid dormant and drifting in space for a couple of decades now. From the Nostromo they collect an inanimate albeit organic rock like structure that the crew set about lasering until it breaks open revealing a Xenomorph. 

Meanwhile, on the mining space colony Jackson's Star, Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny) an orphan, works with her adoptive brother Andy (David Jonsson), an android reprogrammed by her father before he passed away succumbing to years of working the mines. After her contract is forcibly extended by Weyland-Yutani for another ten years, she agrees to join her ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux) to a derelict spacecraft to retrieve cryostasis chambers. These chambers will allow Rain and her friends, Tyler, his pregnant sister Kay (Isabela Merced), cousin Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and Bjorn's girlfriend Navarro (Aileen Wu) to in turn escape to the planet Yvaga. Andy's ability to connect with the onboard computer system is crucial for the mission. Rain is hesitant to send Andy but is convinced by Tyler and Andy to allow him to assist.

They fly Tyler's hauler the Corbelan to the derelict spacecraft, which is revealed to be a station divided into two parts, Romulus and Remus. While retrieving the stasis chambers from the bitterly cold spacecraft, Tyler, Bjorn, and Andy accidentally revive frozen facehuggers when the temperature starts to rise dramatically, and triggers a lockdown. To override the lockdown, Rain installs a chip from a damaged android, Rook (voiced by Daniel Betts and based on the physical likeness of Ian Holm who portrayed the android Ash, in the original film), into Andy, granting him access to the station while also updating his thought processing and general efficiency. Unknown to the others, this also changes his 'prime directive', making him loyal solely to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

With the group fleeing the chamber, a facehugger connects onto Navarro. Rain reactivates a dismembered Rook, who states that the station's crew was killed by the Xenomorph and its clones. While Tyler tries to remove the creature by freezing its tail, which proves successful, while Rook warns it may have implanted a 'seed' inside her. Despite Andy's attempts to stop him, Bjorn flees with a now coherent Navarro on the Corbelan. A short time later a chestburster hatches from Navarro's rib cage, killing her. The Corbelan, with Kay and Bjorn aboard, crashes into the Romulus hangar, putting at risk the station's orbit and leaving less than an hour before it collides with Jackson's planetary rings. Kay is knocked unconscious from the impact and the chestburster escapes into the ship. She regains consciousness and runs into Bjorn, who discovers and attacks the Xenomorph gestating into its adult form before dying from its acid blood which rained down on him from above. 

Rain, Tyler and Andy navigate to the bay while carefully avoiding the facehuggers. Kay escapes the Corbelan but is stalked by a Xenomorph trying to lure the others into a trap. Andy refuses to unlock the door so as not to put everyone at risk, and they watch helplessly as Kay is attacked and dragged away. Andy finds vials of a compound scientists had extracted from the Xenomorphs, which Rook calls the 'Prometheus fire', which it is intended to 'perfect' humans. Rook insists the samples must be brought to the colony and prevents the Corbelan from leaving without them. 

Rain and Tyler rescue Kay from a cocoon, but Tyler is killed and Andy is incapacitated. Badly injured, Kay injects herself with the compound during their escape. Rain returns to the Romulus, helps Andy by removing the control chip, thus returning his loyalty to Rain, and disables the ship's gravity in order to shoot the Xenomorphs while keeping their acidic blood away from the hull. They make it back to the Corbelan with moments to spare before the station crashes into the rings, and destroying Rook.

As Rain and Andy ready themselves for their journey to Yvaga, Kay, affected by the compound injection, gives birth to a rapidly growing human Xenomorph hybrid (Robert Bobroczkyi). The hybrid kills Kay and injures Andy, but Rain manages to eject the creature into Jackson's rings. She places Andy in a chamber saying that she will fix him, and records a log about their wished for arrival at Yvaga before entering stasis herself.

'Alien : Romulus' is a welcome nod to the first two films that launched this franchise some 45 and 38 years ago by retaining the very workmanlike look and feel of the crew; the muted visuals; the rampant and marauding facehuggers, chestbursters and Xenomorphs; and the combined sense of dread and urgency that was so effective in those first two instalments. Fede Alvarez has crafted a stand alone film in this franchise with nods aplenty to those first two films, while creating something fresh and interesting to those viewers unfamiliar with the original movies. The performances of Spaeny and Jonsson in particular are on point here, and Alvarez's use of practical effects over CGI adds a sense of realism to the proceedings. My only gripe at the film was how the Xenomorph and the Hybrid went from being hatched/born to being fully grown killing machines each in a matter of minutes, as the whole film plays out over the course of just a few hours - that I have to say stretches the bounds of the imagination just a little too far in my humble opinion. That said, a solid entry into the Alien canon that is worth the price of your cinema ticket.

'Alien : Romulus' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 22nd August 2024

The 25th London 'FrightFest' film festival kicks off on Thursday 22nd August and runs through until Monday 26th August. Hailed as the UK’s best, brightest, and largest independent international thriller, fantasy, and horror film festival it stages three major events each year in London and Glasgow. FrightFest staged its first event in 2000 at the Prince Charles Cinema, off London's Leicester Square. Its August Bank Holiday weekend date has remained a fixture ever since. The objective of FrightFest was to provide the UK with a horror fantasy festival similar to the market leaders in Europe, Sitges (Spain) and Brussels (Belgium). FrightFest has since evolved into a community where audiences and guests alike travel from all over the world to be part of the event's unique atmosphere - so reads the official website.

This years Opening Night Film presentation is the World Premiere of 'Broken Bird' from the UK and Directed by Joanne Mitchell with the Closing Night Film being the English Premiere of 'The Substance' Directed by Coralie Fargeat with Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid.

There are a number of films being showcased for the first time as World Premiere screenings at this years FrightFest, and briefly those titles are :-

* 'Test Screening' - from the USA and Directed by Clark Baker.

* 'The Hitcher' - from the USA in its 4K restoration and Directed by Robert Harmon in 1986 and starring Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh and C. Thomas Howell.

* 'Traumatika' - from the USA and Directed by Pierre Tsigaridis.

* 'Members Club' - from the UK and Directed by Marc Coleman.

* 'The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee' - this documentary from the UK is Directed by Jon Spira with interviews from Joe Dante and Peter Jackson amongst others.

* 'Ladybug' - from the USA and Directed by Tim Cruz.

* 'The Daemon' - from the USA and Directed by David Yohe and Matt Devino.

* 'Children of the Wicker Man' - this documentary from the UK is Directed by Justin Hardy, Dominic Hardy and Chris Nunn.

* 'Touchdown' - from the UK and Directed by Josephine Rose and starring Jason Flemyng.

* 'Scopophobia' - from the UK and Directed by Aled Owen.

* 'Year 10' - from the UK and Directed by Benjamin Goodger.

* 'Protein' - from the UK and Directed by Tony Burke.

* 'Never Have I Ever' - from the UK and Directed by Damon Rickard.

* 'Bogieville' - from the UK and Directed by Sean Patrick Cronin.

* 'Charlotte' - from the UK and Directed by Georgia Conlan.

* 'Agatha' - from the USA and Directed by Roland Becerra and Kelly Bigelow.

* 'The Freaks of Fancy' - from the UK and Directed by Elliott Leon.

* 'Boutique : To Preserve and Collect' - this documentary from the USA is Directed by Ry Levey.

* 'The Monster Beneath Us' - from the UK and Directed by Sophie Osbourne.

* 'Cara' - from the UK and Directed by Hayden Hewitt.

* 'Derelict' - from the UK and Directed by Jonathan Zaurin.

* 'Razor Blade Smile' - from the UK in its 4K restoration and Directed in 1998 by Jake West.

* 'Fright' - from the UK and Directed by Warren Dudley.

* 'Generation Terror' - this documentary from the UK is Directed by Phillip Escott and Sarah Appleton with interviews from Adam Wingard, James Wong, Joe Lynch and Rob Zombie amongst others.

* 'The Last Podcast' - from the USA and Directed by Dean Alioto.

For the full summaries of the above named World Premiere screenings, plus all the details of the other International Premiere's and UK Premiere's being showcased too, and a whole lot of other good stuff, you can go to the official website at : https://frightfest.co.uk

Turning back then to this weeks four new movies coming to a big screen Odeon near you, we begin with a psychological thriller from a first time Director with a story about a cocktail waitress who ingratiates her way into the world of a tech billionaire and is invited to his private island with a bunch of other friends but when things start to go awry she begins to question her grip on reality. This is followed by a darkly romantic horror thriller in which nothing is quite what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer's vicious murder spree. Next up is a French adventure dramatic thriller that follows a couple who must fight for survival after they become stranded on an island that was supposed to be their dream journey; before closing out the week with an Aussie romantic drama about a woman who moves back home to Australia after the loss of her London based job and the death of her husband, to rekindle a relationship with a childhood sweetheart all the while battling MS. 

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 week ahead.

'BLINK TWICE' (Rated MA15+) - is an American psychological thriller film Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Zoe Kravitz in her Directorial debut. The film is released this week too in the US and early critical reviews have given it a universal acclaim rating.

A cocktail waitress, Frida (Naomi Ackie) becomes infatuated with a billionaire tech mogul Slater King (Channing Tatum) at his fundraising gala. He subsequently invites her to join him and his friends for a dream holiday, and travels with him to his private island for a luxurious party. Wild nights soon blend into sun-soaked days, but when strange things start to happen and her friend vanishes, Frida must uncover the truth if she hopes to make it out alive. Also starring Christian Slater, Adria Arjona, Kyle MacLachlan, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis, Alia Shawcat and Simon Rex.

'STRANGE DARLING' (Rated MA15+) - this American dark romantic horror thriller is Written and Directed by JT Mollner in only his second feature film outing following 'Outlaws and Angels' in 2016 although he has many more credits as Producer, Writer and Actor to his name. A relentless predator (Kyle Gallner) tracks an injured woman (Willa Fitzgerald) through the Oregon wilderness. The woman does her best to outsmart her attacker, but with each tense moment she grows weaker and less able. He’s a man on a mission, and it’s only a matter of time before he captures his prey. Also starring Giovanni Ribisi (who also lensed this film and Co-Produces), Brabara Hershey and Ed Begley Jnr. The film saw its World Premier screening at Fantastic Fest in late September last year, and is released in the US and here in Australia this week having garnered positive critical acclaim. 

'SUDDENLY' (Rated M) - is a French survival thriller Co-Written and Directed by Thomas Bidegain and based on the novel by Isabelle Autissier. This is Thomas Bidegain's second feature film following 'Les Cowboys' in 2015. Here, Vincent (Gilles Lallouche) and Laura (Melanie Thierry) are a passionate but volatile couple who embark on a round-the-world sailing adventure to give their relationship a new start. During their trip, they decide to explore a vast deserted island which they discover off the southern coast of Chile. Caught in a violent storm, they shelter in an abandoned whaling station for the night but wake up the next morning to find their boat has disappeared. Stranded in a hostile environment with no means of communication, dwindling supplies and winter approaching they must work together in a life and death battle for survival, that will challenge their feelings and change their relationship forever. The film was released in its native France in early December last year, and only now does it get a release here in Australia

'TAKE MY HAND' (Rated M) - this Australian romantic drama film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by John Raftopoulos in his screen debut. Living in London, at the peak of her career, a model turned investment banker and mother of three Laura (Radha Mitchell) is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Following the sudden death of her husband and the loss of her job, she moves back home to Australia; where a chance meeting with her high school sweetheart Michael (Adam Demos) gives her renewed hope in love as she battles the disease. Also starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte.

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 coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

FLY ME TO THE MOON : Tuesday 13th August 2024.

I saw the M Rated 'FLY ME TO THE MOON' earlier this week at my local independent picture house, and this American romantic dramedy is Directed by Greg Berlanti whose prior feature film output takes in 'The Broken Hearts Club' in 2000, 'Life as We Know It' in 2010 and 'Love, Simon' in 2018 as well as creating, writing and producing numerous successful TV shows and series. This film was released here in Australia and the US on 11th July, had a production budget of US$100M, has so far grossed US$41M and has garnered mixed critical reviews.

The film opens up with the three man crew of NASA's Apollo 1 preparing for a launch rehearsal test in late January 1967 when an electrical fire breaks out in the cabin killing all three crew members - Command Pilot Gus Grissom, Senior Pilot Ed White, and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee, and destroyed the command module. The Director in charge of the test Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) has had to live with the memory of that ill fated day ever since. We then cut to New York City and marketing ace Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) is seen in a meeting with three men, all of whom have very clearly defined views on women in the workplace, and is there to pitch a motor vehicle campaign, which needless to say she aces too after correctly guessing the make and model of the cars the three drive. Following that meeting she is met by Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson) who works for President Richard Nixon as his 'fixer', and offers her the role of a lifetime down in Florida to fix up NASA's public image, which she can hardly refuse, and especially considering Kelly's somewhat dubious background which he says would also allow her to walk away ultimately with a clean slate. 

And so Kelly and her trusted assistant Ruby Martin (Anna Garcia) fly down to Cape Kennedy, Florida where they quickly meet with, and fail to hit it off, with Cole and his right hand man in mission control Henry Smalls (Ray Romano). After establishing themselves in situ at NASA HQ Kelly quickly unveils her marketing plans to lift awareness of NASA among the American public with extremes in her campaign ranging from Omega Watches sponsorship to having the breakfast cereal that goes Snap, Crackle and Pop replaced with Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins, who plan to blast off in Apollo 11 on 16th July 1969 - some 170 days hence, and be the first men to walk on the Moon. 

Needless to say as Kelly's various campaigns begin to prove successful, Cole's stance toward her begins to soften. However, the fly in the ointment proves to be a number of government senators who are opposed to the NASA programme and want to shut down the Apollo mission and redirect that funding to more meaningful purposes that will have a direct positive impact on the American people. And so Kelly goes to work on Senator Hopp (Gene Jones), Senator Cook (Colin Jost), Senator Hedges (Victor Garber) who of them all is walk in the park as he is already pro-NASA, but its Senator Vanning (Joe Chrest) who is the real problem child. 

And so one evening Cole decides to introduce Kelly to the love of his life Jenny - his own twin prop two seater plane - and fly them both across the border to meet for dinner with Senator Vanning and his wife Jolene (Stephanie Kurtzuba) at their home. The Vanning's are God fearing folk who believe in the word of the bible over science hence his seemingly staunch resistance to supporting NASA. Cole however, wins him over with a counter argument of how science and religion go hand in hand on this project, and on national TV Vanning pledges his support to the cause. 

Moe shows up one day unannounced with a suitcase, and discusses its contents first with Kelly before calling Cole into the meeting. He motions to the suitcase and asks Cole to look inside, revealing a bulky and heavy looking camera which Moe wants attached to the lunar landing module to take video footage that can be beamed back to Earth. Cole immediately says no, and that they are at a point where they are having to weigh every screw in an attempt to reduce the weight, and strapping a 15lb camera to the pod is totally impractical. Moe then mentions that he can always advise the President to withdraw funding to which Cole very reluctantly agrees and calls in two of his top engineers Stu Bryce and Don Harper (Donald Elise Watkins and Noah Robbins respectively) to strip the camera down to its bear bones and mount it on the pod. 

The next time Moe shows up he has a much more outlandish plan for Kelly, but she is sworn to secrecy apart from those in her inner circle, which does not include either Cole or Henry under any circumstances. She is given top secret access to a hangar in which she she is to 'stage' a fake Moon landing as a back up in the event that the real landing fails for whatever reason. And so Kelly and Ruby set to work, and they hire a Director whom they have worked with previously on ad campaigns in New York - Lance Vespertine (Jim Rash) who at first struggles with the concept, the surroundings and the 'actors' hired to portray Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins. But after a number of set backs Lance comes good as the day approaches. 

On launch day Kelly confides to Cole the plan to stage a fake Moon landing. Needless to say he is none to pleased at the prospect and storms off. Cole is advised that a component on the lunar lander camera is broken and enlist Stu and Don to investigate immediately. Reporting back that they need a component from a modern day colour TV set they jump in Coles Mustang with Kelly behind the wheel and drive off frantically to the nearest TV retail outlet only to find it closed for the pending launch. Kelly throws a garbage bin through the window of the shop while Stu enters and grabs a TV just as the Police show up. Caught red handed, Kelly turns on her charm and before you know it they are tearing back to Mission Control with a Police escort leading from in front. Stu hurriedly enters the cabin, replaces the component with just a few moments to spare before countdown begins. 

And so watched by a global audience Apollo 11 successfully launches into orbit. Some twenty-seven hours later the lunar landing module touches down on the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon. In the hangar housing the fake Moon landing mock up the cameras are set to roll, while simultaneously the cameras are also set to roll on the Moon. Watching on dual monitors in the hangar is Moe, Kelly and Ruby who once Armstrong exits the lunar lander can hardly tell the difference between the events unfolding for real on the Moon and those within the hangar. Until that is, a pesky black cat appears on the gantry directly above the fake set up, and is then chased by a Security Officer who gets his legs tangled in a rope and falls over the edge of the gantry to come to halt dangling just out of view of the camera. Meanwhile, the cat has run off and is running amok on the fake lunar landscape and ends up between the legs of 'Neil Armstrong'. 

Fortunately the footage had been cut by this time, but no one is any wiser as to which footage is real that is being broadcast to the world. It wasn't until Armstrong uttered those immortal words 'one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' that they all realise that the real Moon landing footage is being beamed around the world. And so the team, including Moe, breathe a big sigh of relief.

In the aftermath, Moe congratulates Kelly on a job well done and tells her that her history is now cleared and that she is free to start afresh. Kelly confides her back story to Cole saying that she was brought up from a very young age to sell door to door with her Mum and she would scam people into buying stuff they didn't need and that was how she ended up becoming a marketing whizz, and by the way, her real name is Winnie. Cole, having told Kelly that he never wants to see her again following her reveal about the fake Moon landing, embraces her, and they kiss. 

I must confess that I was pleasantly surprised by 'Fly Me to the Moon' which is part RomCom, part drama, part nostalgic history lesson and part conspiracy theory all wrapped into one neat little package with the chemistry between Johansson and Tatum clearly evident here, ably aided and abetted by Romano and always on top form Harrelson. This film is a real throwback to the comedies of the '60's featuring the likes of Hudson and Day, and on that level it works just fine if that's where your expectations rest. Director Berlanti has crammed enough sub-plots into the storyline here to maintain the interest, but at a run time time of 132 minutes the film at times feels a little bloated and off-kilter. That said, its worth the price of your cinema ticket to catch a movie the likes of which don't come around too often anymore these days.

'Fly Me to the Moon' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-