BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY : Tuesday 6th November 2018.

'BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY' is a different turn here for film and television Director, Producer and Writer Bryan Singer. Here he Directs this biographical offering about the British rock band 'Queen', and in particular its front man, showman, and lead singer Freddie Mercury. Bryan Singer's previous Directorial outings take in the likes of 'The Usual Suspects', 'Apt Pupil', 'X-Men', 'X2', 'Superman Returns', 'Valkyrie', 'X-Men : Days of Future Past' and more recently 'X-Men : Apocalypse'. The film was first announced back in 2010 by Brian May in a BBC interview. Since then various Directors and lead Actors have come and gone including Dexter Fletcher to Direct and Sasha Baron-Cohen and Ben Whishaw to portray Freddie Mercury. Dexter Fletcher went on to conclude the final two weeks or so of filming as Director after Bryan Singer was fired for being persona non grata and for clashes with the cast and crew, although Singer gets the full credit as Director and Fletcher as Executive Producer. The film saw its World Premier screening in London on 23rd October, went on general release in the UK the next day, and was released here in Australia and the US last week. The film cost US$52M to Produce and has so far grossed US$156M.

The film charts the meteoric rise of Queen through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. As the film opens we see Farrokh Bulsara (Rami Malek) working as a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport. It is 1970. Farrokh is also a college student living at home with his sister Kashmira (Priya Blackburn), mother Jer (Meneka Das) and father Bomi (Ace Bhatti). They are British Indian of Parsi decent we learn from Bomi over the dinner table later on which refers to a member of the Zoroastrian community who migrated to India and Pakistan from Persia during the Arab invasion of 636–651AD.

Shortly after Farrokh goes out to a nightclub to see a local band, Smile, perform live. Post show Smile's lead vocalist Tim Staffell (Jack Roth) announces to his other two band members Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) that he is quitting Smile to join a more up & coming band with greater prospects of success. As luck would have it, Farrokh walks past Brian and Roger sitting in the back of the bands van feeling sorry for themselves and dejected, and strikes up a conversation, which ultimately leads Farrokh to offer his services as their new lead vocalist. Proving himself with a short burst of his singing ability, Farrokh is in. Shortly after, John Deacon (Joseph Mazzello) is recruited as bass guitarist.

The band changes their name to Queen, and gradually start to become known around the British club scene. After a year on the road touring around Britain, the band sells their van to finance their debut album, released in mid-1973 and self-titled. Their progressive style leads the band to be signed to EMI Records and managed by John Reid (Aidan Gillen). In the meantime, Farrokh legally changes his name to Freddie Mercury much to the chagrin of his father, and he also asks fashion store assistant Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton) to marry him having been in a steady relationship for some two years or so, and having met for the first time when he saw Smile perform. However, during the bands breakout US Tour while he is away from Mary for the first time for any real length of time, it dawns on Freddie that he is attracted to men, more so than women.

In 1975 the band lock themselves away in a remote country farmhouse to record their fourth album 'A Night at the Opera'. It is during this time that they also record their six minute opus 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Upon hearing the full version of the song for the first time EMI Executive Ray Foster (Mike Myers) rubbishes the song and says that it is way too long to gain any radio airplay, and that it does not follow the tried and true formula of pop/rock music to appeal to the record buying public.

After a very tense argument in Ray Foster's offices, the four band members walk out severing their ties with Foster and EMI for being unsupportive and not heeding their wishes to have Bohemian Rhapsody released as their first single off the new album. Freddie throws a rock through Foster's office window and the band taunts him from the street below, to which Foster retorts by saying that they'll all be forgotten about come Christmas. Freddie is good friends with London's Capital Radio DJ Kenny Everett (Dickie Beau) who has him debut the song live on the airwaves. Despite mixed reviews Bohemian Rhapsody becomes a smash hit and stayed at the #1 slot in the British Charts for nine weeks over the Christmas and New Year period 1975/'76. Shortly after the band's first World Tour, Freddie begins an affair with Paul Prenter (Allen Leech), his personal manager. Mary splits with Freddie when he comes out to her as believing himself to be bisexual, although she assures him that he is gay and that she had known it for some time.

The band's success marches on worldwide through to the early '80's. Tensions begin to surface between the other three band members and Freddie over the direction their music seems to be taking and a noticeable change in Freddie's attitude. In 1981, after a lavish party in Freddie's home, he falls for Jim Hutton (Aaron McCusker), one of the waiters at the party who has stayed back late to help clear up. After a couple of drinks early into the morning they part company, with Jim telling Freddie to look for him when he learns to like himself . . . a noticeable issue that had led to the rift between him, Brian, Roger and John.

The band's press conference to promote the release of their 1982 album 'Hot Space' is doggedly and aggressively hijacked by the press, who bombard Freddie with questions about his personal life and his sexual leanings, rather than concentrating on the music much to Brian's disdain. Freddie bites back in no uncertain terms to the gathered room of Reporters all of whom are frantically clicking away with their cameras. Shortly afterwards, he fires John Reid very unceremoniously for courting CBS Records behind his back for a solo deal worth US$4M and a commitment to two albums. At this point, Freddie recruits the band's long term Lawyer, Jim 'Miami' Beach (Tom Hollander) to carry the mantle as their Manager too, which he accepts. 

Over time Freddie's relationship with his band mates goes progressively south. He then announces that he signed a US$4M deal with CBS Records to go solo. In a heated argument in which he does his best to alienate his former band members and 'family' forever, he walks out on them all. He moves to Munich in 1984 to work on his first solo album, with which he struggles, and later by his own admission does not have the same creative chemistry with his new band as he did have with Queen. While in Munich he hosts non-stop drug and alcohol fuelled gay orgies with Paul. Paul meanwhile refuses to pass on telephone messages from Jim Beach or Mary who have been desperately trying to reach him. One night in the pouring rain, Mary pays him an unexpected visit and urges him to return to the band, as they have been offered a spot in Bob Geldof's African Famine Relief benefit concert 'Live Aid' at London's Wembley Stadium. Upon hearing that Paul withheld this news from him, Freddie instantly severs ties with him as Mary pulls away in her taxi to go home. Out of bitter retaliation, Paul goes public about Freddie's sexual proclivities on primetime Television. With AIDS spreading seemingly rapidly around the world, Freddie secretly has himself medically checked out and learns that he is infected with the disease.

Freddie hastily returns to London to ask for forgiveness from his band mates and Manager Jim Beach for his behaviour, for alienating them, and for thinking that he was better off without them. Freddie is prepared to make almost any concessions to get them back together and to get them a slot at the Live Aid Concert. They reconcile and are given a last-minute slot by event organiser Bob Geldof (Dermot Murphy). Immediately following a rehearsal for the concert, Freddie reveals to Brian, Roger, John and Jim that he has AIDS. They are devastated by this news, but Freddie puts on a brave face saying that now he will live everyday as he was meant to, and that together they will punch a hole in the sky when they perform on stage in front of a global audience of 1.4 billion people. On the day of Live Aid, he reunites beforehand with Jim Hutton and Mary, and then reconnects with his family at their home with his new 'friend' Hutton. Queen's Live Aid performance is a huge success as Freddie has the global audience eating out of his hand. By the time Queen come off stage after their twenty minute set, Bob Geldof's target of one million pounds raised for the day, is surpassed by late afternoon for the UK event alone - attributed in no small degree to the power of Queen's performance.

Freddie died on 24th November 1991 at the age of 45 from bronchopneumonia as a complication of AIDS. Just ahead of the closing credits, we are told that following his death, Jim Beach and Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon organised The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness, the proceeds of which were used to launch 'The Mercury Phoenix Trust'. The organisation has been active ever since and the current Trustees are Brian May, Roger Taylor, Jim Beach, and Freddie's closest friend and former girlfriend Mary Austin.



I enjoyed 'Bohemian Rhapsody' more than I thought I would, and I think you will too. Exploring the life of the great showman, Rami Malek puts in a convincing turn as Queen's frontman, as does Gwilym Lee as Brian May especially. Whilst their more popular songs are explored in some detail from inception to recorded end product - 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'We Will Rock You', 'Another One Bites the Dust', 'Love of My Life', much of their other equally notable back catalogue is merely glossed over, and I couldn't help thinking as well, that so too were the struggles the band endured over time, and the triumphs they celebrated. That said, we gain an insight into Freddie Mercury into what made him the man and the rock icon he was/is, his inner demons, his fears, his anxieties and the deep loneliness he felt despite his fame and fortune. As for Brian, Roger and John, we gain no such insight, but don't let that detach from the films impact because their performances are all solid too. The films closing Live Aid sequence to which all events lead us to this point on 13th July 1985 is authentically and faithfully recreated and if, like me, you grew up in the era of Queen and sat glued to your TV for every minute of Live Aid back in '85, or simply like their music which still endures to this day, then this is surely a must see film for you.

'Bohemian Rhapsody' warrants four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 1st November 2018.

In October the world bid a fond farewell to a number of stars of the silver screen and the small screen. In brief, shown below, is my passing tribute to those stars who leave an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, and in particular the world of film and television. May you all Rest In Peace, and thanks for the memories . . . . Scott Wilson, Arnold Kopelson, James Karen, Audrey Wells and Danny Leiner.

* James Karen - Born 28th November 1923, died 23rd October 2018, aged 94. Born Jacob Karnofsky, he was an American Actor of stage, television and films who amassed 204 acting credits to his name and remained active in the industry across seven decades right up to the time of his death where he was filming and lending his voice talents to a new animated television series titled 'Sticky Fingers'. His other more noteworthy film roles over the years included the likes of the Arnold Schwarzenegger debut of 1970 'Hercules in New York', and then 'All the President's Men', 'Capricorn One', 'The China Syndrome', 'The Jazz Singer', 'Poltergeist', 'Jagged Edge', 'Wall Street', 'Return of the Living Dead : Part II', 'Invaders from Mars', 'Piranha', 'Nixon', 'Up Close & Personal', 'Behind Enemy Lines', 'Apt Pupil', 'Any Given Sunday', 'Thirteen Days', 'Mulholland Drive' and 'The Pursuit of Happyness'. In between time there were also countless guest appearances on television shows including 'Starsky & Hutch', 'The Waltons', 'The Streets of San Francisco', 'The Rockford Files', 'Dallas', 'Dynasty', 'Cheers', 'Beverly Hills, 90210', 'The Practice' and 'First Monday' to name but a  few. In 1998 Karen was awarded a Life Career Award by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA.

* Danny Leiner - Born 13th May 1961, died 18th October 2018, aged 57. An American Director, Producer and Writer, who had thirty-one Directing credits to his name, six as Producer and two as Writer. He feature film debut came in 1996 with the comedy 'Layin' Low', which he followed up with 'Dude, Where's My Car' in 2000, 'Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle' in 2004, 'The Great New Wonderful' in 2005 amongst others. In between time he Directed television episodes of the likes of 'Freaks and Geeks', 'Party of Five', 'Gilmore Girls', 'Arrested Development', 'The Sopranos', 'The Office', 'Backwash' and most recently 'Selfie'.

 * Arnold Kopelson - Born 14th February 1935, died 8th October 2018, aged 83. An American Film and Television Producer, Kopelson during his career Produced thirty-one movies that have collectively accounted for seventeen Academy Award nominations and over US$3B in worldwide cinema ticket sales. He was bestowed with an Academy Award for Best Picture, a Golden Globe Award, and an Independent Spirit Award, all for his production of 'Platoon' in 1986, and also received a Best Picture Academy Award nomination for his production of 'The Fugitive' in 1993. His other notable film Producer credits include 'Porky's', 'Out for Justice', 'Falling Down', 'Outbreak', 'Se7en', 'Eraser', 'Murder at 1600', 'The Devil's Advocate', 'U.S. Marshalls', 'A Perfect Murder', 'Don't Say a Word' and 'Twisted'. He also lectured over the years on filmmaking at Harvard Business School, American Film Institute, New York Law School, the Writers Guild of America, University of Southern California, and University of California at Los Angeles, among others, and also authored several articles about film financing.

* Scott Wilson - Born William Delano Wilson on 29th March 1942, and died 6th October 2018, aged 76. With a career as a film and television Actor spanning six decades he amassed eighty-one Acting credits over those years and was the recipient of three award wins and another six nominations including a Golden Globe nod as Best Supporting Actor in the 1980 film 'The Ninth Configuration'. He scored his big screen role in 1967's 'In the Heat of the Night' and 'In Cold Blood' later that same year. Other notable film appearances over the years included 'The Gypsy Moths', 'The Great Gatsby', 'The Right Stuff', 'The Aviator', 'Johnny Handsome', 'The Exorcist III', 'Young Guns II', 'Judge Dredd', 'Dead Man Walking', 'G.I.Jane', 'The Way of the Gun', 'Pearl Harbour', 'Monster', 'The Last Samurai', 'The Heartbreak Kid', 'Radio Free Albemuth' and most recently 'Hostiles'. In between time there were numerous television appearances, perhaps the most noteworthy being as Hershel Green in thirty-two episodes of 'The Walking Dead'.

* Audrey Wells - Born 29th April 1960, died 4th October 2018, aged 58. An American Screenwriter, Director and Producer who wrote a number of successful Screenplays and Directed two films for which she had also created the script. Her works were mostly of the comedies and/or romantic film genre. Her credits take in two as Producer ('The Truth About Cats & Dogs' from 1996 and 'Under the Tuscan Sun' from 2003), two as Director ('Guinevere' from 1999 and 'Under the Tuscan Sun') and ten as Writer (including the three already mentioned, plus 'George of the Jungle', 'The Kid', 'Shall We Dance', 'The Game Plan', 'A Dog's Purpose' and most recently 'The Hate U Give'.

This week, we give you six new excuses to get out amongst the movie going public to your local multiplex or independent theatre, kicking off with a biographical offering about an iconic British rock band of the '70's and '80's and its flamboyant front man that helped define a generation, and whose influence is still being felt today. We then turn to an action thriller that sees the crew of one of Uncle Sam's submarines pitch up against the Ruskies to prevent WWIII from occurring; before a change of pace that takes us to small town Montana in the '60's and the impact that marital challenges has on the young teenage son of the couple facing those struggles. Next we have another documentary from this famed and often controversial Director, Writer and Producer this time examining the impact on the American people of the Trump administration; and then there is a South Korean offering of a historical zombie actioner nature; before wrapping up the week with a little known animated story of how three of our beloved fairytale Princesses come to be hooked up with same Prince Charming.

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 coming week.

'BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY' (Rated M) - in a different turn here for film and television Director, Producer and Writer Bryan Singer, here he Directs this biographical offering about the British rock band 'Queen', and in particular its front man, showman, and lead singer Freddie Mercury. Bryan Singer's previous Directorial outings take in the likes of 'The Usual Suspects', 'Apt Pupil', 'X-Men', 'X2', 'Superman Returns', 'Valkyrie', 'X-Men : Days of Future Past' and more recently 'X-Men : Apocalypse'. The film was first announced back in 2010 by Brian May in a BBC interview. Since then various Directors and lead Actors have come and gone including Dexter Fletcher to Direct and Sasha Baron-Cohen and Ben Whishaw to portray Freddie Mercury. Dexter Fletcher went on to conclude filming as Director after Bryan Singer was fired for being persona non grata and for clashes with the cast and crew, although Singer gets the full credit as Director and Fletcher as Executive Producer. The film saw its World Premier screening in London on 23rd October, went on general release in the UK the next day, and is release here in Australia and the US this week. The film cost US$52M to Produce and has so far grossed US$13M.

The film charts the meteoric rise of Queen through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unrivalled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie (Rami Malek), surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of a solo career. Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Freddie successfully reunites with his bandmates Brian May (Gwilym Lee), Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) and John Deacon (Jospeh Mazzello) just in time for Live Aid in July 1985. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. The film also stars Aiden Gillen, Tom Hollander, Mike Myers and various others portraying well knows singers and musicians of the era. If, like me, you grew up in the era of Queen and sat glued to your TV for every minute of Live Aid back in '85, then this is surely a must see film.

'HUNTER KILLER' (Rated MA15+) - this American action thriller is Directed by Donovan Marsh who has also been known to Write, Edit and Produce some of his previous big and small screen works. Here he has based this film on the 2012 novel 'Firing Point' by George Wallace and Don Keith, and from the looks of his back catalogue this is his first big screen Hollywood outing with big named stars at his disposal. Set largely in the murky depths deep under the Arctic Ocean, American submarine Captain Joe Glass (Gerard Butler) is on the hunt for a U.S. sub in distress when he discovers a secret Russian coup is being planned which potentially threatens to destabilise the order of things globally. With crew and country on the line, Captain Glass must now assemble an elite group of Navy SEALs to sneak though enemy waters and rescue the kidnapped Russian President, who has been captured by his own Defence Minister, to stop WWIII from happening. Also starring Gary Oldman, Toby Stephens, Common, David Gyasi and Michael Nyqvist in one of his last film roles having passed away in June last year. The film was released last week in the US, cost US$40M to bring to the big screen, has is far grossed US$12M and has received generally mixed Reviews.

'WILDLIFE' (Rated M) - this highly acclaimed American drama film is Directed and Co-Written by Paul Dano in his Directorial debut, and is based on the 1990 novel of the same name written by Richard Ford. Here, fourteen year old Joe (Ed Oxenbould) is the only child of Jeanette, a housewife and mother, and Jerry Brinson, a golfing professional and father (Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal respectively) living in small town Montana in the '60's. An uncontrolled forest fire rages out of control close to the Canadian border, and when Jerry loses his job, and his sense of being, he elects to join the fire fighting crew, leaving his wife and son to fend for themselves. Suddenly forced very quickly to grow up and accept some responsibility, Joe witnesses his mother's struggle as she tries to keep her head above water, and she falls for another man in her husbands absence, the fallout of which sends the already struggling family unit to breaking point. The film Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January this year, went on general release in the US in mid-October and has been universally acclaimed - in particular for Paul Dano's fine Directing efforts and also for Carey Mulligan's and Jake Gyllenhaal's strong performances.

'FAHRENHEIT 11/9' (Rated M) - here noted Documentarian Michael Moore is back at it again with all verve, vigour and vim that make his films so compelling. Here once more he Directs, Co-Produces, Writes and Narrates his way through his chosen journey this time, having predicted that Donald Trump would become the 45th President of the United States. Travelling across the country, Moore interviews the American public to get a feel for the social, economic and political impact of Trump's Presidency so far. Moore also takes a deep dive into the media, the Electoral College, the government agenda and his hometown of Flint, Michigan. This documentary explores two principle questions - how the US progressed to the Trump Presidency? and how to 'get out' of the era of the Trump administration? The title of the film is derived from the date when Trump's 2016 Presidential win was announced - the 9th November. The film Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in August this year, went on general release in the US in late September, has so far recovered US$5M from its US$6M production budget, and has received generally favourable Reviews.

'RAMPANT' (Rated MA15+) - out on limited release at selected cinemas is this South Korean historical action zombie offering from Director Kim Sung-hoon. The film tells the story of our hero, Yi Chung (Hyun Bin) who is rather partial to a bit of boozing, gambling and womanising and who in his spare time battles against 'Night Demons' to save the Joseon peoples and their nation. Yi Chung is the son of the King, and is renowned as the greatest martial artist in the world and is particular adept with a sword. Although he was handed over to the Qing Empire as a political prisoner, he returns home after ten years when his brother, the Crown Prince Yi Young (Kim Tae-woo), calls upon him after all these years to help thwart the evil bloodthirsty Night Demons that plague the country by night once and for all. Also starring Hyun Bin, Jang Dong-gun and Lee Sun-bin in other pivotal roles.

'CHARMING' (Rated G) - this animated musical comedy film is Directed and Written by Ross Venokur and was released in Spain back in April this year, cost US$20M to make and has so far grossed US$5M although no US release date has yet been confirmed. Telling the unknown, previously top secret, highly confidential and to some most upsetting story of Snow White (Avril Lavigne), Cinderella (Ashley Tisdale) and Sleeping Beauty (G.E.M.) who discover that they are all engaged to the same Prince Charming (Wilmer Valderrama). Shock horror, how could this be? After a Fairy Godmother (John Cleese) spills a large amount of charm dust on Charming, the Prince, led by the Lenore (Demo Lovato), a woman who is incapable of love, must embark on an epic journey of adventure and discovery to find his one truest of all loves. Also starring the voice talents of Sia and Steve Aoki.

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-