What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 7th June 2018.

The 65th Sydney Film Festival launches itself on to the cinematic consciousness on Wednesday 6th June and runs through until Sunday 17th June. With in excess of 330 films being showcased the festival opens with its screening of the New Zealand comedy 'The Breaker Upperers' Directed, Written and also starring Jackie van Beek and Madeline Sami in the lead roles. The closing night film is 'Hearts Beat Loud' Written and Directed by Brett Haley.

And in between there are twelve films in official competition; ten films competing for the Documentary Australia Foundation Award; ten short films in competition; fifteen films in Special Presentation; six films showcasing the best from new Italian cinema; 45 films in the Features section; ten new films Directed by European Women; 37 International Documentaries; six family films; eight films under the heading 'Flux : Art+ Film'; David Stratton showcasing ten films by Finland's most celebrated filmmaker Aki Kaurismaki; six films under the banner 'Sounds on Screen'; seven films titled collectively as 'Freak Me Out' and a whole heap of other cinematic content screening restored classics, Australian Indigenous films, more short films being screened before features and doco's, and a bunch of VR presentations too. For more info., go to www.sff.org.au

The films running in Official Competition this year are :
* 'Aga' : Written and Directed by Bulgarian Milko Lazarov. Australian Premier.
* 'Blackkklansman' : Written and Directed by Spike Lee. Australian Premier.
* 'Daughter of Mine' : Written and Directed by Laura Bispuri. Australian Premier.
* 'The Heiresses' : Written and Directed by Paraguayan Marcelo Martinessi. Australian Premier.
* 'Jirga' : Written and Directed by Australian Benjamin Gilmour. World Premier.
* 'Leave No Trace' : Written and Directed by Debra Granik. Australian Premier.
* 'Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.' : Written and Directed by English Stephen Loveridge. Australian Premier.
* 'The Miseducation of Cameron Post' : Written and Directed by Desiree Akhaven. Australian Premier.
* 'One Day' : Written and Directed by Hungarian Zsofia Szilagyi. Australian Premier.
* 'The Seen and Unseen' : Written, Directed and Produced by Kamila Andini. Australian Premier.
* 'Transit' : Written and Directed by German Christian Petzold. Australian Premier.
* 'Wajib' : Written and Directed by Palestinian Annemarie Jacir. Australian Premier.

Turning attention back to this week, we have five new release movies coming to an Odeon near you. We launch having already had the 11, 12 and 13 in this heist franchise, and now we have the eight, with the future prospect of the nine and ten to join the dots, aided and abetted by a fine line up of female acting talent to pull off the robbery of the century. We then move to a terrifying supernatural horror that has been touted as one of the best in years that will leave you glancing over your shoulder and looking under your bed as this offering is grounded in a reality that has scared the bejeezus out of audiences thus far. Then we have a change of pace with a road movie featuring an estranged son, his dying father and several rolls of photographic film that need to be developed interstate in the last place that does so. This is followed up by a biographical WWII drama leading up to the assassination attempt of one of Hitler's most highly regarded (and evil) henchmen, and we wrap up the week with a charmingly funny and candid documentary film about four grand dames of English film, television and theatre recounting their lives, friendship and careers over the last 50+ years.

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

'OCEAN'S EIGHT' (Rated M) - here we have the much publicised heist comedy offering out of the same mould as 2001's 'Ocean's Eleven', 2004's 'Ocean's Twelve' and 2007's 'Ocean's Thirteen' of which all were Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starred the same ensemble cast consisting of George Clooney (as the titular, charming and debonair mastermind Danny Ocean), Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Andy Garcia, Scott Caan, Don Cheadle, Julia Roberts, Elliot Gould and Carl Reiner amongst others. An 'Ocean's Fourteen' was highly unlikely as reported by Soderbergh and Clooney post 2007, but taking the story off in a another direction had credence. And so now we have 'Ocean's Eight' with Soderbergh taking a Producer credit and Gary Ross on Directing duty (whose previous credits include 'Pleasantville', 'Seabiscuit', 'The Hunger Games' and more recently 'Free State of Jones') as well as penning the story and Co-Writing the Screenplay. Here we have an ensemble cast made up almost entirely of all female acting talent with a nod or two to the original trilogy.

And so it is five years, eight months and twelve days that Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) has been holed up in the slammer planning her greatest heist yet and counting down the days to her pending release. Debbie is the estranged sister of Danny Ocean, whom she has been inspired by to assemble a crack team of like minded girls to execute the robbery of the century at New York's annual charity fundraising Met Gala, attended by the rich and famous celeb's and A-listers. The target is Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) one of those rich list A-list celebrities who plans to be wearing a neckless worth north of US$150M on the night and which Debbie and her crew aim to lift without her, or anyone else, noticing until after the fact. That crew, consist of Lou (Cate Blanchett), Nine Ball (Rihanna), Amita (Mindy Kaling), Rose (Helena Bonham Carter), Tammy (Sarah Poulson) and Constance (Awkwafina), all of whom possess a particular set of skills that make them the prefect accomplices to the perfect crime. Also reprising their roles from the trilogy series will be Matt Damon and Carl Reiner with cameo's from the likes of Katie Holmes, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Olivia Munn and Zayn Malik. James Cordon and Richard Armitage also star. The film cost US$70M to make and is released in the US this week too.

'HEREDITARY' (Rated MA15+) - this much publicised American supernatural horror film is Written and Directed by first timer Ari Aster and its is already being touted as the most scary film of 2018, and for some time before that too. The film Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January and goes on release in Australia and the US this week, and the UK next week. The story unwinds in a slow burn terrifying emotional rollercoaster of a ride when Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family passes away. Her daughter's family comprising Annie Graham (Toni Collette), her husband Steve Graham (Gabriele Byrne), son Peter (Alex Wolff) and daughter Charlie (Milly Shapiro) begin to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry as the domestic unit begins to breakdown with horrifying consequences. The more they discover, the more they find themselves trying to outrun the sinister fate they seem to have inherited. The film has garnered much positive early Reviews and has been universally acclaimed so far by audiences and Critics alike, and especially that of Toni Colette's performance.

'KODACHROME' (Rated M) - this American drama film, Directed by Mark Raso in only his second feature length outing after 2014's 'Copenhagen', and is based on a New York Times article written by A.G. Sulzberger.  The film has its World Premier screening at TIFF last September, went on release Stateside towards the end of April and now gets a limited release in Australia. The film here surrounds Matt Ryder (Jason Sudeikis), a struggling executive who finds his world in turmoil when his estranged father's nurse, Zooey Kern (Elizabeth Olsen) shows up unannounced at his place of work. Matt's father Benjamin Ryder (Ed Harris), a famed bad-boy photojournalist, is looking down the barrel of terminal cancer. Ben's dying wish is for Matt to join him on a road trip from New York to Kansas to process his last rolls of Kodachrome film before the sole remaining lab closes and those captured moments held on those rolls of film, are gone forever. Also starring Bruce Greenwood and Dennis Haysbert the film has received mixed or average Reviews. FYI, the Wikipedia explanation of 'Kodachrome' is that it 'is a brand name for a non-substantive, colour reversal film introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1935. It was one of the first successful colour materials and was used for both cinematography and still photography. For many years Kodachrome was widely used for professional colour photography, especially for images intended for publication in print media. Its manufacture was discontinued in 2009, and processing ended in December 2010.'

'THE MAN WITH THE IRON HEART' (Rated MA15+) - aka 'HHhH' in France and 'Killing Heydrich' in Canada is a French and Belgian Co-Produced biographical WWII drama film Directed and Co-Written for the screen by Cedric Jimenez and based on the French author Laurent Binet's 2010 novel 'HHhH'. The film was released in France exactly one year ago on 7th June 2017, and only now does it get a limited run in Australia. The film concerns Operation Anthropoid, the codename associated with the assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich (played here by Jason Clarke) in Prague. The title is an acronym for Himmlers Hirn heißt Heydrich ('Himmler's brain is called Heydrich'), a quip about Heydrich said to have been circulated in Nazi Germany at the time. Heydrich was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and an important figure in the rise of Adolf Hitler - he was given overall charge of the Final Solution of the Jews throughout Europe. The operation was carried out in Prague on 27th May 1942, prepared by the British Special Operations Executive with the approval of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile. Wounded in the attack, Heydrich died of his injuries on 4th June 1942. He was/is regarded by many a historian as the darkest figure within the Nazi elite and Adolf Hitler described him as 'The Man with the Iron Heart'. He also went by various other monikers including 'The Hangman', 'The Butcher of Prague', 'The Blond Beast' and 'Himmler's Evil Genius'. The film also stars Rosamund Pike as Lina Heydrich, Stephen Graham as Heinrich Himmler, Jack O'Connell, Jack Reynor and Mia Wasikowska; cost US$32M and has so far recouped less than US$3M having received mixed Reviews.

'TEA WITH THE DAMES' (Rated M) - aka 'Nothing Like a Dame' stars those iconic Dames of stage, film and television Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright and Maggie Smith all playing themselves in this very candid and very funny documentary as they gossip a little, recount their many fond memories and reminisce about their careers, their friendships and their humble beginnings in theatre land dating back more than fifty years ago. Set in the country residence of Joan Plowright which she shared with her late husband, the brilliant Laurence Olivier, for a round table chat, this insight into the stellar careers of these four great Actresses is Directed by Roger Michell (whose previous credits include 'Notting Hill', 'Changing Lanes', 'Venus', 'Hyde Park on Hudson', 'Le Week-End' and more recently 'My Cousin Rachel') and is the first time these greats have appeared on screen together.

With five new release films out 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. Meanwhile, 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 18th August 2016.

With the release of another predatory shark offering to make you think twice about stepping foot back in the water with this weeks 'The Shallows' as Previewed below, it got me thinking how much we love seeing sharks chomping down on mere humans frolicking in the water, and for how long studios have been turning out B-Grade and C-Grade horror films of the shark genre to satisfy our appetite for swimmer versus shark in just about every conceivable form you care to think about. Looking back over the years, my research uncovers more than 80 killer shark films, and so below I list perhaps the more notable and more bizarre offerings that go back to 1969 right up to the present day, and there seems to be no let up in the production of such, or the top acting talent prepared to star in them!

• 'Shark!' - 1969 - Directed by Samuel Fuller, starring Burt Reynolds
• 'Jaws' - 1975 - Directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Roy Schneider
• 'Jaws 2' - 1978 - Directed by Jeannot Szwarc, starring Roy Schneider
• 'Jaws 3-D' - 1983 - Directed by Joe Alves, starring Dennis Quaid
• 'Jaws : The Revenge' - 1987 - Directed by Joseph Sargent, starring Lorraine Gray
• 'Tintorera' - 1977 - Directed by Rene Cardona Jnr., starring Susan George
• 'The Deep' - 1977 - Directed by Peter Yates, starring Robert Shaw
• 'Shark Attack' - 1999 - Directed by Bob Misiorowski, starring Casper Van Dien
• 'Deep Blue Sea' - 1999 - Directed by Renny Harlin, starring Samuel L. Jackson
• 'Open Water' - 2003 - Directed by Chris Kentis, starring Blanchard Ryan
• 'Red Water' - 2003 - Directed by Charles Robert Carner, starring Lou Diamond Phillips
• 'Shark Tale' - 2004 - Directed by Rob Letterman, starring Will Smith
• 'The Reef' - 2010 - Directed by Andrew Traucki, starring Zoe Naylor
• 'Sharktopus' - 2010 - Directed by Declan O'Brien, starring Eric Roberts
• 'Shark Night 3D' - 2011 - Directed by David R. Ellis, starring Katherine McPhee
• 'Jurassic Shark' - 2012 - Directed by Brett Kelly, starring Emanuelle Carriere
• 'Dark Tide' - 2012 - Directed by John Stockwell, starring Halle Berry
• 'Jersey Shore Shark Attack' - 2012 - Directed by John Shepherd, starring Paul Sorvino
• '2-Headed Shark Attack' - 2012 - Directed by Christopher Ray, starring Carmen Electra
• '3-Headed Shark Attack' - 2015 - Directed by Christoper Ray, starring Danny Trejo
• 'Bait' - 2014 - Directed by Kimble Rendall, starring Xavier Samuel
• 'Sharknado' - 2012 - Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, starring Tara Reid
• 'Sharknado 2 : The Second One' - 2014 - Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, starring Tara Reid
• 'Sharknado 3 : Oh Hell No!' - 2015 - Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, starring Tara Reid
• 'Sharknado 4 : The 4th Awakens' - 2016 - Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, starring Tara Reid.

There will be plenty more to add to this list that I have not mentioned including such gems as 'Ghost Shark', 'Dino Shark', 'Snow Shark', 'Sand Shark', 'Super Shark', 'Swamp Shark', 'Monster Shark', 'Shark Zone' and 'Shark Swarm'. And to further add to this list, those recently released in 2016 or still due for release this year are 'Atomic Shark', 'Dam Sharks', 'Ice Sharks', 'Planet of the Sharks', 'Ozark Sharks', 'In the Deep', with 'Sky Sharks' due in 2017, and 'Meg' due in 2018 with Jason Statham starring.

And so to the coming week with no less than seven new films to easily tempt you out to your local multiplex. Kicking off this weeks offerings is another tale of a giant menacing fish wanting to chow down on a poor unsuspecting surfer stranded out at sea. Then we have a couple of biographical dramas of the wartime kind but separated by about 150 years - the first the US Civil War and one mans quest to lead a rebellious uprising and stake his claim, and then the US war in Afghanistan with two young dudes profiting from the nefarious sale of arms to US allies under a legal contract that flew under the radar. From here we go to a mid-'70's apartment tower in a dystopian England as things go from very good to very bad as all order and civility crumbles amongst the residents. Then we go back to College in the early 50's as one student learns much about himself and those around him that has more far reaching consequences than he ever imagined. This takes us then to a New Zealand documentary that seeks to educate and expose an 'endurance sport' possibly like no other you have ever heard off; before wrapping up with an ancient Japanese stop-motion animated feature from a fairly new but an already acclaimed studio.

With seven new films to tempt, tease and tantalise your movie going tastebuds, remember that when you have sat through your movie of choice in the week ahead to share your thoughts and views by recording your own critique in the Comments section below this or any other Post. As always we'd love to hear from you. Enjoy your film.

'THE SHALLOWS' (Rated M) - ever since Steven Spielberg's seminal 'Jaws' burst on to our screens back in 1975, it seems there has been a wave of shark disaster movies year on year every year since, with the likes of several sequels following, with derivatives including 'Deep Blue Sea', 'Open Water', 'The Reef', 'Dark Tide', 'Jurassic Shark' and the 'Sharknado' franchise to name but a few. Just when we thought it was safe to get back in the water, along comes another shark gore fest involving a secluded idyllic beach, a bikini-clad surfing maiden and a monster shark intent on a lunchtime snack of that bikini-clad damsel in distress. It's an easy premise that any Screenwriter could conjure up, and here we have Spanish Director, Jaume Collet-Serra making 'The Shallows' for a meagre US$17M and so far returning US$76M since its US release at the end of June.

Here Blake Lively plays Nancy Adams a medical student, still mourning the recent death of her mother. She decides to take some time out and travels to a secluded beach where her mother used to surf at in her youth. She meets a couple of friendly locals, and apart from the three of them the beach is deserted. They surf for several hours, and on the final wave of the day, Nancy is bumped from beneath the surf by a Great White Shark whose attention has been drawn to the area by the corpse of a Humpback Whale floating nearby. Needless to say it doesn't end well for the two friendly surfers leaving Nancy stranded in the surf clinging to a buoy while the Great White circles menacingly. I am sure you can fathom out the rest, and suffice to say critics have been generally positive in their praise for this film, Blake Lively's convincing performance, and that too of one 'Steven Seagull' that Nancy befriends during her darkest hour out on the reef!

'FREE STATE OF JONES' (Rated MA15+) - Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Gary Ross, this American period piece tells the true story of Newton Knight who lived from 1837 until 1922 as is played here by Matthew McConaughey. Knight was a poor farmer living in Jones County, Mississippi, and during the American Civil War he worked as a battlefield medic in the Confederate Army. Having decided to desert and return home to his wife and children, he became disillusioned with the Confederacy (as did many soldiers) and so organises a militia to rise up against them in an armed rebellion that ultimately proves successful. Knight and his men capture a large tract of central south Mississippi which they call the 'Free State Of Jones' where they remain until after the end of the war. Also starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Keri Russell this film also charts how the Civil War plays out, slavery and its abolition, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and what becomes of Knights great-great-great grandson in Mississippi's miscegenation laws of the late 1940's/early 50's. Made for US$50M the film has so far recouped US$21M since its end of June release Stateside.

'WAR DOGS' (Rated M) - Directed, written for the screen and Co-Produced by Todd Phillips and based on a 'Rolling Stone' article later made into a book by Guy Lawson called 'Arms and the Dudes' this is a biographical war crime comedy that tells the story of two young 20 somethings who won a major US Government contract to sell arms to US allies in Afghanistan. Starring Jonah Hill as Efraim Diveroli and Miles Teller as his partner David Packouz who set up their company AEY Inc. to supply over US$200M in ammunition, assault rifles and sundry weapons to the Department of Defence as recently as 2007 - despite the fact that both were in their early 20's and had no credentials to do so. This leads them to some very shady places and some very dodgy characters as the pair get in way over the heads. Bradley Cooper also stars.

'HIGH RISE' (Rated MA15+) - based on the 1975 novel of the same name by J.G.Ballard this Sci-Fi dystopian drama film is Directed by Ben Wheatley and stars a roll call of fine English acting talent that includes Tom Hiddleston as neurologist Dr. Robert Laing, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, Elisabeth Moss, James Purefoy and Jeremy Irons as noted architect Anthony Royal as the designer of said 'High Rise' a forty storey tower block on the edge of London that represents the epitome of modern living during the 70's. On the upper floors live societies rich and elite, while on the lower levels reside more common middle classes. The upper levels offer its residents a gym, swimming pool, spa, supermarket, sculptured roof top gardens and a primary school giving residents no reason to leave other than for work. But things take a turn for the worse as a result of ever increasing power failures and tensions between the upper and lower levels mount to such a level that society within the high rise breaks down and violence and brutality become the new norm.

'INDIGNATION' (Rated M) - based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Philip Roth, this drama period piece set in 1951 Ohio is first time Directed, written for the screen and Co-Produced by James Schamus and stars Logan Lerman as Marcus Messner - a working class atheist Jewish student from New Jersey who is transplanted to the small and conservative Winesberg College in Ohio to avoid being drafted into the Korean War from which many of his friends have returned in pine boxes. Whilst there he experiences a sexual awakening with Olivia Hutton (Sarah Gadon), gets into a heated argument with his roommates that has repercussions on his living quarters, he clashes with College Dean Caudwell (Tracy Letts) over the role that religion plays in our society, and a revealing conversation with his mother Esther (Linda Emond) changes his life forever. Commended for style and substance, and the noteworthy performances this is one to watch out for if your like your films intellectual, meandering, heavy on well written dialogue and grounded in realism, then this one is for you.

'TICKLED' (Rated MA15+) - here is a film about a subject that you couldn't make up if you tried, but New Zealand 'light entertainment' television reporter stumbled across this subject matter and decided that it was worth digging deeper into. Seeing an online video about 'competitive endurance tickling' David Farrier partners with Dylan Reeve to Co-Direct this enlightening and startling documentary about young athletic men who are restrained and tickled by one another. Seeking to learn more, they uncover that Jane O'Brien Media is behind the production and being Los Angeles based, off the pair of intrepid tickling investigators head to learn more about the production company, and those who engage in such activities. Before you know it though Jane O'Brien Media begin to make legal threats and send representatives to New Zealand to coerce the pair into ceasing their investigative project. The more that Farrier and Reeve delve into this murky sport the more bizarre it gets.

'KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS' (Rated PG) - this stop motion animated fantasy action adventure feature from Laika Studios is Directed by Travis Knight and features an impressive voice cast that takes in Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, George Takei and Art Parkinson as young lad Kubo. Set in ancient Japan, young Kubo tends to his sick mother when inadvertently he summons up a vengeful evil spirit from the past. Now on the run he is befriended by Monkey (Theron) and Beetle (McConaughey) as they strive to unlock a secret legacy to locate a magical suit of armour once worn by Kubo's late father - the greatest Samurai warrior that ever lived. On their quest that meet up with new allies; come across enemies, demons and monsters including Raiden The Moon King (Fiennes) and the evil twin sisters (Mara) who must be defeated; and of course learn some valuable life lessons in the process before he can defeat the awakened evil spirit, be reunited with his family, and fulfil his destiny.

With a veritable bevvy of new cinema content coming your way in the week ahead, what's not to like about this dazzling array of films that offers just about something for everyone? When combined with those films already out on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed here on these humble pages, you just gotta get out amongst it and see a movie in the week ahead. Tell us what you thought when you have done so, and in the meantime, I'll see you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE HUNGER GAMES : archive from 5th April 2012.

With 'THE HUNGER GAMES : MOCKINGJAY Part 1' about to descend on our screens on 20th November, I dug this archival Review out of where it all began just over two short years ago. Updated to recapture the story and it's success so far, rejog your memory with what has gone before.

Saw 'THE HUNGER GAMES' this week - the much touted, much hyped, much watched antidote to 'The Twilight Saga', and, the 'Harry Potter' series perhaps for the next generation! I went in with fairly low expectations after it got a slating from David & Margaret on their 'Movie Show', but everyone seemed to be raving about it nonetheless! I was pleasantly surprised although the plot meanders a bit and it takes a goodly while to get up to speed.

Directed by Gary Ross and based on the best selling book by Suzanne Collins, there is a strong cast that includes Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland and Liam Hemsworth who all put in a convincing turn but the male & female leads of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) seem to lack any real buy-in from the audience and I struggled to empathise with their characters.

The story is that in a future dystopian world we are taken to a nation called 'Panem' which is divided up into 12 'Districts' and there is the 'Capitol' which oversees the nation. Every year two young teenage kids are selected by lottery (known affectionately as 'The Reaping') to represent their District in the 'Hunger Games' - a fight to the death last man standing competition where there are no holds barred, all manner of obstacles are created to thwart the 24 competitors, and it is survival of the fittest ultimately where only one can remain. These Games are also televised across the nation as a form of entertainment, and they also serve as a reminder of a past rebellion in the nations history that has contributed to the world they now know. The Capitol places great pomp & ceremony on these games almost like it's an Olympic Games and the rich, powerful and mighty residing in the Capitol look down on the downtrodden, poor and inadequate Districts with disdain - these Games are created too to prevent any future uprising amongst the Districts by demoralising their peoples into submission, poverty and no hope.

But of course there is always hope, and our story centres on Katniss who at the last minute takes the place of her younger sister Prim (Willow Shields) who was selected at first in The Reaping. Those that are chosen are known as 'Tributes', and when we have our 24 Tributes so a training programme begins and we get sneak peaks at the back story of certain competitors, but mostly Katniss and Peeta both from District 12, who form an alliance as the story progresses. As for the other 22 Tributes from the other 11 Districts of this future dystopian USA they are just cardboard cut out cannon fodder who ultimately succumb to a grislier ending, although some will put up a fight more than others.

President Snow (Donald Sutherland) rules Panem and presides over The Hunger Games with an ulterior motive in mind and his own hidden agenda. Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) is the Games Master who hosts the televised entertainment component with camped up devilish aplomb, and then there is Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) who acts as a coach and mentor to Katniss and Peeta.

The first two-thirds set the scene, give us some back story and provide the training sequences, the preparations, the teenage angst and anxiety and all the colour of the opening ceremony, before getting down to brass tacks and killing time! And then after being transplanted to their forest 'battlefield' our 24 Tributes have to overcome all manner of natural and man made challenges that will seem them picked off one-by-one until just one remains. There are some twists as the Games nears its final showdown which pave the way for the second instalment, which we know comes in November 2013 in the form of 'THE HUNGER GAMES : CATCHING FIRE'.

Made for US$78M it brought in US$691M at the global Box Office with it too being the biggest selling DVD of 2012 with 7.5 million units sold. The movie picked up 33 award wins and 41 other nominations including the BAFTA Children's Award win for Best Film of 2012, and a Golden Globe nomination for its Best Original Song.

Not great, but not bad either - I hope the invariable sequels do better and deliver something grittier and less polished despite the premise - you can get this film and its sequel 'Catching Fire' on DVD and Bluray now, with 'Mockingjay Part 1' released on 20th November 2014 and 'Mockingjay Part 2' to be released on 19th November 2015.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-