What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 18th January 2024

The 40th Sundance Film Festival which this year runs from Thursday 18th until Sunday 28th January, is an annual film festival organised by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the US, and takes place each January in Park City, Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah; and at the Sundance Resort (a ski resort near Provo, Utah), and acts as a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival consists of competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films, both feature films and short films, and a group of out-of-competition sections. Sundance began in Salt Lake City in August 1978 as the Utah/US Film Festival in an effort to attract more filmmakers to Utah. In 1981, the festival moved to Park City, Utah, and changed the dates from September to January, and the festival was rebranded The US Film and Video Festival. In 1991, the festival was officially renamed the Sundance Film Festival, after Robert Redford's character the Sundance Kid from the film 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'.

There are four main official sections, with the line-up of competition films as given below :-

 

US Dramatic Competition

* 'Between the Temples' - Directed by Nathan Silver.

* 'Didi' - Directed by Sean Wang.

* 'Exhibiting Forgiveness' - Directed by Titus Kaphar.

* 'Good One' - Directed by India Donaldson.

* 'In the Summers' - Directed by Alessandra Lacorazza.

* 'Love Me' - Directed by Sam and Andy Zuchero.

* 'Ponyboi' - Directed by Esteban Arango.

* 'A Real Pain' - Directed by Jesse Eisenberg.

* 'Stress Positions' - Directed by Theda Hammel.

* 'Suncoast' - Directed by Laura Chinn.

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

* 'Brief History of a Family' - from China, France, Denmark and Qatar and Directed by Jianjie Lin.

* 'Girls Will Be Girls' - from India, France, USA and Norway and Directed by Shuchi Talati.

* 'Handling the Undead' - from Norway and Directed by Thea Hvistendahl.

* 'In the Land of Brothers' - from Iran, France and the Netherlands and Directed by Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli
* 'Layla' - from the UK and Directed by Amrou Al-Kadhi.

* 'Malu' - from Brazil and Directed by Pedro Freire.

* 'Reinas' - from Switzerland, Peru and Spain and Directed by Klaudia Reynicke.

* 'Sebastian' - from the UK, Belgium and Finland and Directed by Mikko Makela.

* 'Sujo' - from the US, Mexico and France and Directed by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez.

* 'Veni Vidi Vici' - from Austria and Directed by Daniel Hoesl.

US Documentary Competition

* 'As We Speak' - Directed by J.M. Harper.

* 'Daughters' - Directed by Angela Patton and Natalie Rae.

* 'Every Little Thing' - from Australia and Directed by Sally Aitken.

* 'Frida' - from the US and Mexico and Directed by Carla Gutierrez.

* 'Gaucho Gaucho' - from the US and Argentina and Directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw.

* 'Love Machina' - Directed by Peter Sillen.

* 'Porcelain War' - from the US and Ukraine and Directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev.

* 'Skywalkers : A Love Story' - Directed by Jeff Zimbalist.

* 'Sugarcane' - from the US and Canada and Directed by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie.

* 'Union' - Directed by Stephen Maing and Brett Story.

World Documentary Competition

* 'Agent of Happiness' - from Bhutan and Hungary and Directed by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbo.

* 'The Battle for Laikipia' - from Kenya and the USA and Directed by Daphne Matziaraki and Peter Murimi.

* 'Black Box Diaries' - from Japan, the USA and the UK and Directed by Shiori Ito.

* 'Eternal You' - from Germany and the USA and Directed by Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck.

* 'Ibelin' - from Norway and Directed by Benjamin Rae.

* 'IGUALADA' - from Columbia, the USA and Mexico and Directed by Juan Mejio Botero.

* 'Never Look Away' - from New Zealand and Directed by Lucy Lawless.

* 'A New Kind of Wilderness' - from Norway and Directed by Silje Evensmo Jacobsen.

* 'Nocturnes' - from India and Directed by Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan.

* 'Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat' - from Belgium, France and the Netherlands and Directed by Johan Grimonprez.

For the other film strands being showcased with the sections of 'Premieres', 'Next', 'Midnight', 'Spotlight', 'Special Screenings', 'Episodic' and '40th Anniversary Screenings', plus a whole lot more besides, you can go to the official website at : https://festival.sundance.org/

Turning the attention then back to this weeks five new movies gracing a big screen Odeon near you, we kick off with a biographical sports drama offering telling the true story of an overbearing father who pressures his sons to excel at any cost, and then follows the Von Erich brothers as they attempt to make names for themselves in the very public sport of professional wrestling throughout the 1980's. This is followed by a British romantic fantasy drama film about a screenwriter who is drawn back to his childhood home and begins a relationship with a mysterious neighbour as he then discovers his parents appear to be living just as they were on the day they died, 30 years prior. Next up we have a biopic that follows the life of Priscilla Beaulieu and her complicated romantic relationship with Elvis Presley. Then we turn to Filipino romantic drama Sci-Fi film concerning a man who gets the extraordinary opportunity to rewind time and save the life of the woman he loves. And closing out the week we have an animated French film that is the sequel to a 2017 film that reunites the animal crew for a new global adventure in search of an antidote to a mysterious, toxic pink foam covering the jungle sent by a mysterious supervillain.

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.

'THE IRON CLAW' (Rated MA15+) - is a biographical sports drama film Written and Directed by Sean Durkin in his third feature film outing following his 2011 debut with 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' and 'The Nest' in 2020. This film is based on the life of professional wrestler Kevin Von Erich and the Von Erich family - an American professional wrestling family. This film saw its World Premiere screening at The Texas Theatre in Dallas in early November last year, before going on release in the US from just before Christmas having so far grossed US$25M from a production budget of US$16M and garnering positive critical reviews. The film is released this week here in Australia and in the UK from 9th February. 

Based on he true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who make history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980's. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports. Starring Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich, Harris Dickinson as David Von Ehrich, Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich, Maura Tierney as Doris Von Erich, the wife of Fritz and Lily James as Pam Adkisson the wife of Kevin. 

'ALL OF US STRANGERS' (Rated MA15+) - this British romantic fantasy film is Written and Directed by Andrew Haigh, and based on the 1987 novel 'Strangers' by Taichi Yamada, and is the second feature adaptation of the novel, after the 1988 Japanese film 'The Discarnates'. Andrew Haigh's previous feature film credits take in his 2009 debut with 'Greek Pete', followed by 'Weekend' in 2011, '45 Years' in 2015 and 'Lean on Pete' in 2017. This film had its World Premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in late August last year, was released in the USA on 22nd December, is scheduled for release in the UK on 26th January, has garnered critical acclaim and has so far grossed US$866K at the Box Office. One night in his near-empty London tower block, screenwriter Adam (Andrew Scott) has a chance encounter with mysterious neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal), puncturing the rhythm of his everyday life. As a relationship develops between them, Adam finds himself drawn back to his childhood home, where his parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy) appear to be living just as they were on the day they died 30 years ago.

'PRISCILLA' (Rated M) - is an American biographical drama film Written, Directed and Co-Produced by Sofia Coppola, and is based on the 1985 memoir 'Elvis and Me' by Priscilla Presley (who serves as an Executive Producer here) and Sandra Harmon. Sofia Coppola's prior feature film credits take in her debut with 'The Virgin Suicides' in 1999 followed by 'Lost in Translation' in 2003, 'Marie Antoinette' in 2006, 'The Bling Ring' in 2013, 'The Beguiled' in 2017 and 'On the Rocks' in 2020. Here then, when teenage Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) meets Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) at a party, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments - a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a vulnerable best friend. Through Priscilla’s eyes, we see the unseen side of a great American myth in Elvis and Priscilla's long courtship and turbulent marriage, from a German army base to his dream-world estate at Graceland, in this story of love, fantasy, and fame that ultimately all came crashing down. The film saw its World Premiere at last years Venice International Film Festival in early September, was released in the US from late October, has received generally favourable reviews from critics and has so far grossed US$21.5M from a production budget of about US$20M.

'REWIND' (Rated M) - is a Filipino language romantic drama Sci-Fi film Directed by Mae Czarina Cruz who has been churning out Romantic Comedies or Romantic Dramas at a rate of one a year for the past fourteen years or so. Here, Mary (Marian Rivera) loves John (Dingdong Dantes) for as long as she can remember. But after years of marriage, John's priorities shift, leading to a strained relationship with Mary, which causes a tragic accident that takes away Mary's life. Until one day, John gets an extraordinary proposition - to rewind time and save the life of the woman he loves.

'THE JUNGLE BUNCH WORLD TOUR' (Rated PG) - this French 3D computer animated Superhero comedy film is based on the animated series 'The Jungle Bunch', and is a sequel to the 2017 film 'The Jungle Bunch'. Directed by Benoit Somville, Yannick Moulin and Laurent Bru, here a vicious beaver blankets the jungle with a dangerous pink substance that explodes when coming into contact with water. With the rainy season approaching, the miscellaneous team of animals will have to travel the world from the North Pole to the Far East, crossing mountains, deserts and oceans in search of an antidote, far from their favourite jungle! 

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-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 25th October 2018.

The Adelaide Film Festival drew to a close last Sunday 21st October after eleven days of showcasing the finest cinematic content from Australia and internationally. Included in the formalities were ten films all in official competition vying for the University of South Australia Feature Fiction Award and a AU$20K cheque to the winning Director in recognition of their creative achievement. The awarding jury bestowed importance upon bold storytelling, creative risk-taking, idiosyncratic voices, and overall fabulous films in the award to the successful film. You can learn a whole lot more from the official Adelaide Film Festival website at : https://adelaidefilmfestival.org/

In competition this year, were :-
* 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' - Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.
* 'Beautiful Boy' - Directed by Felix Van Groeningen.
* 'Burning' - Directed by Lee Chang-dong.
* 'Celeste' - Directed by Ben Hackworth, and an Australian production.
* 'Capharnaüm' - Directed by Nadine Labaki.
* 'Emu Runner' - Directed by Imogen Thomas, and an Australian production.
* 'Girl' - Directed by Lukas Dhont.
* 'Memories of My Body' - Directed by Garin Nugroho.
* 'ROMA' - Directed by Alfonso Cuarón.

* 'The Seen and Unseen' - Directed by second time feature film maker Kamila Andini who trained in Melbourne and grew up in Indonesia, this Australian, Indonesian, Netherlands and Qatar co-production took out the University of South Australia Feature Fiction Award and pocketed a cheque for AU$20K.

This years award winning film tells the story of inseparable 10-year-old twins Tantri (Ni Kadek Thaly Titi Kasih) and Tantra (Ida Bagus Putu Radithya Mahijasena) living in Bali, who are as equally at home playing in the fields as they are stealing hens eggs from the local shrines. When, however, Tantra gets seriously sick and falls into a coma, and with her brother's life teetering on a knife edge, Tantri escapes into her night-time dreams where the two young siblings bid their fond farewells through costumed play, song, dance and shadow puppetry.

This week we have six new release movies coming to your local Odeon. We launch with a slasher horror offering that is the eleventh in the franchise, but ignores the events of the previous nine films and establishes a timeline that is set directly forty years after the events of the first film. Featuring that same Actress portraying that same character ready and waiting for the return of the masked serial killing machine, but is she smart, quick and strong enough to thwart the evil murdering menace? Sticking with the Halloween theme, we have a lauded British horror offering that draws its inspiration from the '60's and '70's era and is a collection of three separate chilling and sinister stories that all link back to one man. We then change pace completely with a story of a father and son relationship that is well & truly tested by the teenage sons drug addiction, the the lengths that the father will go to in order to save his son. Then we have an Aussie dark comedy about an English teacher about to sign his first book, but rather than bask in the celebration, his world may just come crumbling down around him for a whole raft of reasons. We then move a story of a teenage lad who forges an unlikely relationship with an out to pasture has been race horse and their voyage of discovery and adventure across the vast American landscape together, before concluding the week with an '80's set crime drama featuring Jamaican crims on the lam in London in this offering from an acclaimed Actor who is here Directing his first feature film.

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.

'HALLOWEEN' (Rated MA15+) - and here we have the eagerly anticipated, much hyped and long awaited 'recalibration' of the famed and iconic slasher horror franchise that introduced an unsuspecting world to maniacal killer Michael Myers and teenage babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) way back in 1978. That film, aptly titled 'Halloween' was Written, Directed and Scored by the legendary John Carpenter, cost a paltry US$325K to make and grossed worldwide US$70M, and defined the genre that has been imitated ever since. That 1978 film saw an equally standup sequel in 1981 titled 'Halloween II', but after that instalment the franchise was on the skids. There have been a succession of films ever since - eight others in fact, with the latter two being remakes in 2007 and 2009 titled again 'Halloween' and 'Halloween II' with both of the instalments being Directed by Rob Zombie that collectively grossed US$120M off the back of a combined budget of US$30M whilst remaining reasonably true to the original source films. In between time Jamie Lee Curtis reprised her role as a more mature Laurie Strode in 1998's 'Halloween H2O : 20 Years Later' and again in 2002 in 'Halloween : Resurrection'.

And so to this 2018 offering as Directed and Co-Written by David Gordon Green which is the eleventh film in the franchise and a direct sequel to the the original 1978 film, disregarding completely the sequels and the continuity that have come in between time. Set forty years after the events of the first film, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis playing the character now for the fifth time), has been preparing all this time over the ensuing years for the return of Michael Myers (Nick Castle from the original film and James Jude Courtney) in what she believes will be her final confrontation with the masked and relentless serial killer when he returns to Haddonfield, Illinois, to dispense with her once and for all for escaping his killing spree on Halloween night back in 1978. But this time, she is better prepared. Also starring Judy Greer, Andi Matichak and Will Patton. The film was also scored once again by John Carpenter, cost US$10M to make through Blumhouse Productions, has received generally positive press, was released Stateside last week and has so far taken US$96M at the Box Office.

'GHOST STORIES' (Rated M) - also out just in time for Halloween is this British horror anthology Written and Directed by Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson and is based on their 2010 Westend stage play that ran through until 2015 before taking the production to Australia where it ran countrywide for a year. The film Premiered at the London Film Festival in October 2017, went on general release in the UK in early April, has so far taken US$4M and has garnered generally positive Reviews. Here Professor Phillip Goodman (played by Co-Director and Co-Writer Andy Nyman) devotes his life to exposing phony psychics and fraudulent supernatural and other worldly goings on in his popular television show. His scepticism however, soon is tested when he gets word of three chilling and inexplicable cases featuring disturbing visions in an abandoned asylum, a car accident deep in a forest and the spirit of an unborn child. Even scarier though is the fact that each of the macabre stories seems to have a sinister connection to the Professor's own life. Described more as a horror of British yesteryear in keeping with Hammer and Amicus rather than the slasher and body horror offerings of the present day, the film also stars Martin Freeman, Paul Whitehouse and Alex Lawther.

'BEAUTIFUL BOY' (Rated MA15+) - this American biographical drama film is Co-Written for the Screen and Directed by Belgian film maker Felix Van Groeningen in his English language debut. Based on the memoirs 'Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction' by David Sheff released in 2008, and 'Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines' by Nic Sheff the film was made for US$25M, Premiered at TIFF last month, went on release in the US on 12th October and has received generally positive Press. Telling the real life story of teenager Nicolas Sheff (Timothee Chalamet) who seems to want for nothing in his life - he's a good student attaining solid grades at school, he's the Editor of the school newspaper, an aspiring actor, a keen artist and a promising athlete. However, when Nic's addiction to meth threatens to destroy him, his desperate father David Sheff (Steve Carell) will resort to whatever means he can to save his son, and his family. Also starring Amy Ryan, Maura Tierney, Timothy Hutton and LisaGay Hamilton.

'BOOK WEEK' (Rated CTC) - here we have an Australian dark comedy drama filmed in the Blue Mountains just west of Sydney, and Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Heath Davis in only his second feature length film, following 2016's 'Broke'. When it looks like his novel is going to be published after his sixth attempt, High School English teacher Nicholas Cutler (Alan Dukes) thinks his life is finally about to turn the corner. But what is meant to be the best week of his life quickly spirals out of control and turns into the week form Hell. A girlfriend’s ultimatum, a student in trouble with the Police, a very sick brother-in-law and the prospect of living a life of unfulfilled dreams, force Mr. Cutler to re-examine just what’s most important in his life. Also starring Nicholas Hope, Steve Bastoni, Steve Le Marquand and Susan Prior.

'LEAN ON PETE' (Rated M) - this British drama film is Written for the Screen and Directed by Andrew Haigh who previous offering was 2015's highly acclaimed '45 Years'. The film screened in main competition at the Venice International Film Festival back in September 2017, was released in the US in early April this year, the UK in early May, was made for US$8M and has so far grossed US$2.5M and has generated generally favourable Reviews. Based on the 2010 novel of the same name by American author Willy Vlautin, the story here surrounds Charley Thompson (Charlie Plummer) a fifteen year old lad living with his single father Ray Thompson (Travis Fimmel), who finds casual work caring for an ageing and ailing racehorse named 'Lean On Pete'. When his father dies, likely pushing him into foster care, and he learns that Pete is bound for the slaughter house, Charley and the racehorse begin a journey of adventures and challenges across the new American frontier in search of a long lost aunt, and a new place to call home. Also starring Steve Buscemi, Steve Zahn and Chloe Sevigny.

'YARDIE' (Rated MA15+) - this British crime drama offering is based on the 1992 highly acclaimed novel of the same name by Victor Headley, and is Directed in his feature film debut by renowned Actor, Producer, Musician and DJ Idris Elba. The film Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January this year, and went on release in the UK in late August. Now it gets a limited released in Australia having garnered generally mixed or average Review along the way so far. Reeling from his brother’s death in a shooting when he was a child in his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica in the 1970's Dennis Campbell, aka 'D' (Aml Ameen), is hired by Jamaican crimelord and reggae producer King Fox (Sheldon Shepherd) ten years later to deliver a package of cocaine to British gangster Rico (Stephen Graham) who resides in the London suburb of Hackney. But when Dennis finds out that the man who killed his brother all those years ago is also living in England, he is torn between revenge against the murderer, and the duty he has sworn to do.

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-