What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 13th December 2018.

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards were held at Sydney's Star Hotel and Casino on Wednesday 5th December 2018, and as the official website states, these are a continuum of the AFI Awards, which have honoured screen excellence in Australia since 1958. The AACTA Awards recognise film, television and documentary screen craft excellence - including Directing, Producing and Acting, through to Cinematography, music and score composition and costume design - across more than fifty Awards each year. The AACTA's are Australia's highest film and television Awards which began in their now current format in August 2011, following the AFI's launch of the Australian Academy. and are held annually in Sydney, Australia in recognition and celebration of Australia’s highest achievements in film and television, as judged by the industry itself.

This year, amidst all the glitterati, glamourati, and the paparazzi the proud winners and grinners of the big screen awards were presented to the following :-

* AACTA Award for Best Feature Film : 'Sweet Country'
* AACTA Award for Best Indie Film : 'Jirga'
* AACTA Award for Best Direction : Warwick Thornton for 'Sweet Country'
* AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor : Hamilton Morris for 'Sweet Country'
* AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress : Angourie Rice for 'Ladies in Black'
* AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor : Simon Baker for 'Breath'
* AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress : Nicole Kidman for 'Boy Erased'
* AACTA Award for Best Original Screenplay : David Tranter and Steven McGregor for 'Sweet Country'
* AACTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay : Joel Edgerton for 'Boy Erased'
* AACTA Award for Best Cinematography : Warwick Thornton for 'Sweet Country'
* AACTA Award for Best Original Musical Score : Christopher Gordon for 'Ladies in Black'
* AACTA Award for Best Sound : 'Breath'
* AACTA Award for Best Costume Design : Wendy Cork for 'Ladies in Black'
* AACTA Award for Best Feature Documentary : Paul Damien Williams for 'Gurrumul'
* AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects or Animation : Animal Logic for 'Peter Rabbit'
and, The AACTA Longford Lyell Award for Lifetime Achievement was awarded to Bryan Brown.

This week then sees the release of four new films coming to your local Odeon. We launch off with a re-cut, re-edited, and partially re-shot version of a strictly adults only anti-hero superhero film of earlier this year that re-wrote the rule book in all of its bloody violence, foul mouthed, wise arsed glory. This version has been toned down for a family audience this festive season, whilst still retaining many of the touchstones that has made this franchise so popular. Next up is a tale of mid-nineteenth century Ireland with the backdrop of the Great Famine and one mans struggle to seeks justice, or revenge or both on those that did him, and his family, wrong. We then go to a revenge action thriller concerning a one woman army out to wreak bloody vengeance on those that killed her husband and her daughter - and there's plenty of miscreants lining up it seems on both sides of the law. Wrapping up the week is an animated feature film concerning multiple web-slinging superheroes with arachnid like tendencies who inhibit an alternate universe to their live action counterparts.

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

'ONCE UPON A DEADPOOL' (Rated M) - in 2016 the Marvel character of Deadpool aka Wade Wilson burst onto our screens in this origin feature of the fourth wall breaking potty-mouthed wise-cracking indestructible anti-hero superhero. A huge financial success raking in a Box Office haul of US$783M off the back of a US$58M Budget, critically acclaimed, multi-award winning and record breaking 'Deadpool' was Directed by Tim Miller and starred Ryan Reynolds as our titular hero who hunts down the man who gave him mutant abilities and caused his scarred physical appearance. Of course, off the back of this success came 'Deadpool 2' earlier this year as Directed by David Leitch for US$110M and bringing home US$734M in which our hero forms the team X-Force to protect a young mutant from the time-travelling soldier, Cable. 'Deadpool 3' is currently in development.

And so 'Once Upon a Deadpool' is a re-cut PG version of 'Deadpool 2' said to be more family friendly and less potty-mouthed with a Christmas twist, that also includes twenty minutes of new footage not previously seen. Those scenes mostly take in Deadpool's bedside dialogue with Fred Savage in a homage to Savage's starring role as the Grandson in the 1987 bedtime-story classic 'The Princess Bride'. Other than these additions to frame the story, and some additional light hearted child friendly themeing, the bulk of the film is a re-edited, supposedly toned down version of 'Deadpool 2'.

'BLACK '47' (Rated MA15+) - this Irish historical period offering is Directed and Co-Written for the screen by Lance Daly and is based on a short story made into a short film called 'An Ranger' by Pierce Ryan and P.J. Dillon. The film saw its World Premier screening at the Berlin Film Festival back in March this year, was released in Ireland in September and now goes on a limited release here is Australia this week. Telling the story set in 1847 during the Great Famine of 1845-1849, of an Irish Ranger Martin Feeney (James Frecheville) who returns from war to find that his mother has died in the famine of starvation, and his brother has been hanged by the British having stabbed a bailiff during the family's eviction from their home. When his plans to emigrate to America fails, he starts a vendetta against the establishment in Ireland. Also starring Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Jim Broadbent, Freddie Fox and Barry Keoghan the film has received generally positive Reviews and has so far grossed US$2M.

'PEPPERMINT' (Rated MA15+) - here French film Director and Cinematographer Pierre Morel, whose previous Directing credits include 'District 13', 'Taken', 'From Paris With Love' and 'The Gunman', delivers us an American action vigilante movie that has been described by one Critic as 'Death Wish' on steroids'. Released in the US in early September, the film cost US$25M, has so far recovered US$49M but has received generally negative Press along the way. In this story Riley North (Jennifer Garner) awakens from a coma after surviving a brutal attack that killed her husband and daughter. When the system shields the murderers from justice, Riley sets out to transform herself over  a period of five years, from law abiding citizen to urban killing machine using all the close quarter combat tactics in the guerrilla playbook. Channelling her frustrations at the system and the injustice served into motivation, the young widow spends years in hiding teaching her mind, body and spirit to become an unstoppable force. Eluding a drug cartel underworld headed up by Diego Garcia (Juan Pablo Raba), the Police in the form of Detectives Stan Carmichael and Moises Beltran (John Gallagher Jnr. and John Ortiz respectively) and the FBI Agents Lisa Inman and Barker (Annie Illonzeh and Method Man respectively), Riley embarks on a deadly quest to deliver her own personal form of justice by utilising her own set of very particular skills.

'SPIDER-MAN : INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE' (Rated PG) - here we have a computer animated feature film based on the famed Marvel Comics character and produced by Columbia and Sony in association with Marvel. Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman the film cost US$90M to make, is released Stateside this week too and has generated widespread Critical acclaim for the quality of innovative animation, the story line, humour and voice acting. The film is set in a shared multiverse called the 'Spider-Verse', which features different alternate universes. Bitten by a radioactive spider, teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into Spider-Man. Juggling his high-school demands with his new found super powers, he must now use his new skills to battle the Kingpin, aka Wilson Fisk (Liev Schreiber), a hulking madman who can open portals to other dimensions. Miles however, is one only of many Spider-Men (or Spider-Persons to be PC), including Peter Parker (voiced by Jake Johnson). Hailee Steinfeld voices Gwen Stacey aka Spider-Gwen, Lily Tomlin is May Parker, Zoe Kravitz is Mary Jane Watson and Nicolas Cage, Brian Tyree Henry, Oscar Isaac, Mahershala Ali, Kathryn Hahn and of course the obligatory cameo by the late great Stan Lee. A sequel is already in the early stages of development together with several potential spin-offs based on the buzz surrounding this feature. The film has been nominated for an early 2019 Golden Globe Award in the Best Animated Feature category.

With four 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-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 11th February 2016.

This year the 69th annual British Academy Film Awards presented by BAFTA will be held on Sunday evening 14th February at the Royal Opera House in London and hosted once again by Stephen Fry. Recognising the best in film performance and production the main contenders in the top categories are : Best Film - 'The Big Short', 'Carol', 'Spotlight', 'The Revenant' and 'Bridge of Spies'. Best Direction  - Adam McKay, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Todd Haynes and Alejandro Inarritu.  Best Actor - Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Eddie Redmayne, Bryan Cranston and Michael Fassbender.  Best Actress - Maggie Smith, Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson, Alicia Vikander and Saoirse Ronan. Best Supporting Actor - Christian Bale, Idris Elba, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Rylance and Benicio del Toro. Best Supporting Actress - Kate Winslet, Alicia Vikander, Rooney Mara, Julie Walters and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Of course there are a whole bunch of other Awards that take in all the usual categories - Original Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography, Visual Effects, Costume Design, Hair & Make-up, Editing, Animated Film, British Film etc. 'Bridge of Spies' and 'Carol' each have nine nominations - the most this year, 'The Revenant' has eight, 'Mad Max : Fury Road' has seven, 'Brooklyn' and 'The Martian' have six, 'The Danish Girl', 'Ex Machina' and 'The Big Short' each carry five, and 'Star Wars : The Force Awakens' has four. You can see more at www.bafta.org and, you can read the Reviews of most of these within this Blog. Good luck, best wishes and well done to all nominees.

And so what of this weeks latest release movies, of which one is released in Australia this week just in time for the aforementioned BAFTA and Academy Awards and tells the story of a young Irish migrant woman venturing forth to New York in search of a new life; then there is a haute couture spoof sequel that has been sixteen years in the making and reuniting that comedy classic cohort staring down right at you; followed up with the first Marvel offering of 2016 with the first feature dedicated to this character even though we have seen him before; and finally to tantalise your tastebuds there is a story of food, food and more food and a certain world renowned Chef's obsession with it!

A diverse mix of films to choose from in the coming week with plenty of great offerings still on general release and as either Reviewed or Previewed between these humble Blog Posts.  Remember to share your views and don't be backward in coming forward with your opinions of your film experience by sharing a Comment below this or any Post. Enjoy your movie this week.

DEADPOOL (Rated MA15+) - this is the next instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that will also see 'X-Men : Apocalypse' later this year and another 'Captain America' instalment. This is not the first time we have seen 'Deadpool' on the big screen, with the character making his first appearance in 'X-Men Origins : Wolverine' in 2009 when Ryan Reynolds portrayed this character back then too. Development of this first film kicked off way back in 2004 passing through several Studios and Writers along the way, although Tim Miller was hired to Direct in 2011 with filming starting in Canada in early 2015. Reynolds had always wanted to play the character of Wade Wilson/Deadpool since 2003, and stated that this adaptation of the Superhero character would be more authentic than the role he portrayed in the earlier 2009 'Wolverine' outing.

And so Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a special forces operative who  undergoes an experimental regenerative operation to cure his cancer. Things don't go quite according to plan and as result he is left badly scarred with disfigured skin and with borderline insanity, a dark twisted sense of humour,  but with the ability to heal himself . . . and quickly. Armed with new abilities and a new identity, Wilson goes on the hunt for the man who almost destroyed his life. Ed Skrein stars as Francis/Ajax, Gina Carano as Angel Dust, Stefan Kapicic as Peter Rasputin/Colossus, T.J.Miller as Weasel, Morena Baccarin as Wilson's girlfriend Vanessa Carlysle, and watch out for the trademark Stan Lee cameo.

BROOKLYN (Rated M) - another Academy Award nominated film in the race for three golden statues - Best Actress, Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay based on the novel of the same name by Colm Toibin. Premiered at Sundance in early 2015, the film was released in the UK and US in early November , with its Australian release this week just days before the BAFTA's for which it is nominated for six Awards and the Oscar's two weeks later. Directed by John Crowley and starring Saoirse Ronan as Eilis Lacey - a young Irish woman who relocates herself to 1950's Brooklyn in the hope of finding a better life. She quickly falls for local lad Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen) and begins to feel more settled in her new home town until the day comes when she must choose between the two countries and the two lives that have become intertwined. Also starring Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters and nominated for six BAFTA's, three Academy Awards, and has won 23 accolades already with another 109 nominations.

2OOLANDER (Rated M) - in 2001 Ben Stiller introduced the world to his creation of Derek Zoolander in a satire of the fashion industry that he wrote, Directed, Produced and starred in for US$28M that he turned into US$61M. Having created a comedy cult character it was almost inevitable that a follow up would eventuate, and so here 15 years later is the follow up that he also wrote, Directed, Produced and stars in, with his stablemates from that earlier film - Hansel (Owen Wilson), Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell), Matilda Jeffries (Christina Taylor) and a few others. This instalment centres around the 'worlds most beautiful people' being systematically assassinated  all wearing Derek's famed 'Blue Steel' look as their death mask. Needing to bring the arch criminals behind the killings to justice, Derek and Hansel are  put on the case by Interpol, but in the meantime  Mugatu is released from jail and is after Derek now and seeking revenge. Also starring Penelope Cruz, Kristen Wiig, Kanye West, Benedict Cumberbatch and a host of cameo's including Sting, Billy Zane, Justin Bieber and others. If this is anywhere near as good as the first, then it will be hit for sure.

NOMA : MY PERFECT STORM (Rated M) - if you consider yourself a foodie, a gourmand, a lover of food porn and a follower of gastronomy then this is the film of the week for you! Voted Best Restaurant in the world in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, Rene Redzepi's famed Copenhagen eatery 'Noma' barely knows no equal. This documentary film charts Redzepi's journey from humble beginnings to rise to the very top of the food chain as Chef and joint owner of this restaurant -  voted the world's best four times and to which people will travel from the world over to dine at. Charting the story of what drives the man to extraordinary lengths of culinary excellence, his determination, his vision, his sacrifices and what it takes to reach the very pinnacle of fine dining . . . and stay there! Directed by Pierre Deschamps, starring the great Chef, his kitchen brigade and some great food!

Four very different films to tempt you out to a movie theatre in the week ahead. When you have dined out on your movie of choice remember to drop us a line and share your experience - we'd love to hear from you! In the meantime, see you at the Odeon!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 18th-24th October 2015

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Ryan Reynolds does on 23rd October - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 39 at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 18th October

• Jean-Claude Van Damme - Born 1960, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Editor
• Zac Efron - Born 1987, turns 28 - Actor | Producer
• Howard Shore - Born 1946, turns 69 - Songwriter | Composer
• Bob Weinstein - Born 1954, turns 61 - Producer | Writer

Monday 19th October

• Jon Favreau - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actor | Director | Producer | Writer
• Michael Gambon - Born 1940, turns 75 - Actor
• John Lithgow - Born 1945, turns 70 - Actor | Producer
• Trey Parker - Born 1969, turns 46 - Producer | Writer | Actor | Singer | Songwriter
• Jason Reitman - Born 1977, turns 38 - Actor | Producer | Director
• John le Carre - Born 1931, turns 84 - Writer | Producer

Tuesday 20th October

• Viggo Mortensen - Born 1958, turns 57 - Actor | Producer
• Danny Boyle - Born 1956, turns 59 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Thomas Newman - Born 1955, turns 50 - Composer | Singer | Songwriter
• Timothy West - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actor

Wednesday 21st October

• Ken Watanabe - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Carrie Fischer - Born 1956, turns 59 - Actress | Writer
• Catherine Hardwicke - Born 1955, turns 60 - Director | Producer | Writer

Thursday 22nd October

• Saffron Burrows - Born 1972, turns 43 - Actress
• Catherine Deneuve - Born 1943, turns 72 - Actress
• Derek Jacobi - Born 1938, turns 77 - Actor | Producer
• Spike Jonze - Born 1969, turns 46 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Cinematographer
• Jeff Goldblum - Born 1952, turns 63 - Actor | Producer
• Christopher Lloyd - Born 1938, turns 77 - Actor
• Jan de Bont - Born 1943, turns 72 - Director | Producer
• Bill Condon - Born 1955, turns 60 - Director | Producer | Writer

Friday 23rd October

• Ryan Reynolds - Born 1976, turns 39 - Actor | Producer
• Sam Raimi - Born 1959, turns 56 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Ang Lee - Born 1954, turns 61 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Philip Kaufman - Born 1936, turns 79 - Director | Producer | Writer

Saturday 24th October

• Kevin Kline - Born 1947, turns 68 - Actor
• F. Murray Abraham - Born 1939, turns 76 - Actor
• Martin Campbell - Born 1943, turns 72 - Director | Producer

Ryan Rodney Reynolds was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to mother Tammy, a retail salesperson, and father Jim Reynolds, a food wholesaler. He is the youngest of four brothers, two of which serve as Police Officers. He graduated from Kitsilano Secondary School in 1994 and attended Kwantlen Polytechnic University for a short time and dropped out to pursue an acting career.

His acting career began on the small screen in 1991 when he picked up a role in 'Fifteen' (aka 'Hillside') which ran until 1993 over 65 episodes. This then led to 'The Odyssey' from 1993-1994 over fourteen episodes. Over the next few years there was television work on single episodes of 'The Outer Limits' on two separate occasions, 'The Marshall', 'The X-Files' and 'The John Larroquette Show' before landing a long term gig on 'Two Guys and a Girl' from 1998-2001, running for 81 episodes.

His big screen career kicked off in 1993 with 'Ordinary Magic' with a bunch of made for TV movies to follow including 'My Name is Kate', 'When Friendship Kills', 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch', 'In Cold Blood' and 'Tourist Trap' - all before the decade drew to a close.

The new decade brought 'Big Monster on Campus', 'We All Fall Down' and 'Finders Fee' with James Earl Jones and Robert Forster, and then the title role in National Lampoons 'Van Wilder : Party Liaison' in 2002. 'The In-Laws' in 2003 came next with Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks, then 'Foolproof' that same year and then his first comic book adaptation in 'Blade : Trinity' with Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson and Dominic Purcell. After this, Reynolds lent his voice work to the animated series 'Zeroman', before taking on the role of George Lutz in the 2005 horror remake of 'The Amityville Horror'.

Next up was 'Smokin' Aces' in 2006 with Ray Liotta, Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia and Jeremy Piven, with 'The Nines' and 'Definatley, Maybe' in 2008, and 'Fireflies in the Garden' later that same year with Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson and Julia Roberts. 'Chaos Theory' and 'Adventureland' were next in 2009 with Kristen Wiig, Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg. That year too came his first appearance as Deadpool in 'X-Men Origins : Wolverine' with Hugh Jackman of course, with 'The Proposal' and Sandra Bullock and then 'Paperman' to follow with Jeff Daniels, Emma Stone and Lisa Kudrow.

2010 saw him in 'Buried' in this critically acclaimed film starring the man inside a coffin for the duration of the movie. His turn a year later as another Superhero, Hal Jordan, in 'The Green Lantern' for Director Martin Campbell and with an all star cast brought in just US$220M off a US$200M production budget. He didn't enjoy the experience and failed to connect with his Director and ultimately was pleased that the film failed at the Box Office so he wouldn't have to reprise his lead character in a sequel.

A return to more comedic fare came with 'The Change Up' in 2011, and then 'Safe House' with Denzel Washington with his voice talents being lent to 'The Croods' and 'Turbo' both in 2013 and  'R.I.P.D.' followed as a commercial and critical flop at a US$130M production budget. 'The Voices' was next, as was 'The Captive' in 2014, and this year there has been 'Mississippi Grind', 'Woman in Gold' with Helen Mirren, and most recently 'Self/less' with Ben Kingsley. Next up is 'Deadpool' reprising his role from the earlier 'X-Man Origins' film in this standalone feature as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and 'Criminal' both in post-production for 2016, and the animated 'The Croods 2' for 2017 for which he will once again lend his voice talents.

Reynolds has 62 acting credits to his name, and four Producer credits to date, and he has so far won six Awards and a further 26 nominations for his efforts.

He was married to Scarlett Johansson from September 2008 until July 2011, and in September 2012 he married former co-star and Actress Blake Lively with whom he has a daughter, James Reynolds, born in December 2014. He was engaged to singer Alanis Morissette from 2004 until 2006.

Ryan Reynolds - comic Actor, action star, comic book hero for both DC and Marvel, voted 'Sexist Man Alive' in 2010, often plays a regular Joe and remains a likeable, affable, handsome boy next door kinda guy, Happy Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-