What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 3rd November 2022.

The 30th Raindance Film Festival this year is being held from Wednesday 26th October through until Saturday 5th November. The Raindance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the UK. Holding the 30th festival in 2022, Raindance is based in the heart of London’s buzzing West End film district. The Festival is officially recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences USA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the British Independent Film Awards. 

The Festival Sections comprise world-renowned programme of the best UK and international independent films; House of Raindance consisting of talks and panel discussions; Raindance VRX programme for virtual reality and new media and networking events. Each year, Raindance attracts 16,000 visitors including 500 industry professionals into London.

The Opening Night film was the International Premier of 'Corner Office' Directed by Joachim Back and starring Jon Hamm as Orson, a corporate drone trying to move up in his entry-level job, discovers a secret room in his drab, soul-crushing office building on his first day in the job - a discovery that causes problems with his new colleagues. The Closing Night Gala film presentation is the International Premier of 'Pinball : The Man Who Saved the Game' Directed by Austin and Meredith Bragg in their feature film debuts. This is the story of journalist Roger Sharpe who has mastered one thing in life - pinball. But when a police raid destroys the only machines he can find in 1970's New York City, he learns the game is illegal. Roger reluctantly fights the ban while falling in love with a single mother. Inspired by true events.

Included in this years strands are :

Debut Features

* 'Broadway' - from Greece, France and Romania and Directed by Christos Massalas. Having escaped from her wealthy and controlling family, Nelly, a dancer in a strip club, is rescued by charismatic gangster Markos. The two soon become lovers until he’s arrested and imprisoned, and a mystery man, wanted dead by Athens’ most dangerous mafia, takes an important place in the gang. UK Premier.

* 'Pamfir' - from Ukraine, France, Poland, Germany and Chile and Directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk. In western Ukraine, on the eve of a traditional carnival, Pamfir returns to his family after months of absence. When his only child starts a fire in the prayer house, Pamfir must reconnect with his troubled past to repair the damage – a risky path with irreversible consequences. UK Premier.

* 'Roving Woman' - from the USA and Poland and Directed by Michal Chmielewski. The driver Sara, has been kicked out of her home amidst a break-up, steals a car, then seemingly falls in love with its owner setting out on a road trip to find him. International Premier.

* 'Falcon Lake' - from France and Canada and Directed by Charlotte Le Bon. Bastien and Chloe spend their summer vacation with their families at a lake cabin in Quebec, haunted by a ghost legend. Ready to overcome his worst fears to earn a place in Chloe’s heart, the holiday becomes a turbulent pivotal moment for the young boy. UK Premier.

* 'Gentle' - from Hungary and Germany and Directed by Laszlo Csuja and Anna Nemes. Edina, a female bodybuilder, is ready to sacrifice everything for the dream she shares with life partner and trainer Adam: to win the world championship. Expensive steroids and supplements, force her to take a job as an escort which makes her realise the difference between her aspiration and true self. UK Premier.

Homegrown

* 'Swede Caroline' - from the UK and Directed by Finn Bruce and Brook Driver. In this British mockumentary, we follow Caroline, a competitive giant vegetable grower, as she readies herself for the big annual National Veg Championship. However, Caroline finds her life turned upside down when her prized marrow plants are stolen and the two private detectives she’s hired are kidnapped. World Premier.

* 'Goldfish' - from the UK and Directed by Pushan Kripalani. A young woman in her early 30's returns home after much time away to help her mother deal with the onset of dementia, despite their troubled relationship. Aided by a community she once shunned, she discovers her mother anew. European Premier.

International Features

* 'To Leslie' - from the USA and Directed by Michael Morris. A West Texas single mother wins US$190K in the lottery and squanders it just as fast, only learning the value of sharing after she’s drank all her cash away. Leaving behind a world of heartbreak, and with her charm running out, she fights to rebuild her life and find redemption. UK Premier.

* 'Una Femmina - The Code of Silence' - from Italy and Directed by Francesco Costabile. Rosa is a restless girl who lives with her mother’s relatives in a remote South Italian village. When the truth emerges about her mother’s mysterious death, Rosa seeks revenge against her own blood. However, when your family belongs to the ‘Ndrangheta mafia, a single failed step can lead to death. UK Premier.

* 'Swallow' - from South Korea and Directed by Hee-il Leesong. When Hoyeon’s mother inexplicably disappears, he is forced to abandon his mundane corporate life to search for her. What he is not prepared for are the details of his mother’s violent and revolutionary past which he uncovers along the way. World Premier.

For the full details of the other strands being showcased, the official competition nominees, plus a whole host of other great stuff, you can go to the official website at : https://raindance.org/festival/

This week there are six new movie releases to tease out to your local picture palace, starting with a deeply personal coming-of-age story about the strength of family and the generational pursuit of the American Dream, set in 1980 New York. This is followed by a story of two strangers who transform each other's lives, a psychological thriller, and a tale of love pitted against evil. Next up is an Aussie drama horror offering about an Instagram influencer who doesn’t just have a follower count – she’s also got a body count. And we close out the week with three films from New Zealand, these being a biographical film about a trailblazing Maori leader who spends her life breaking boundaries, speaking for the rights of Maori, and fighting for the land. Then we turn to a comedy drama about an anxiety fuelled young woman  on her way from Wellington to New York for an internship at a prestigious architecture firm when a moment of panic causes her to miss her flight, and closing out this weeks releases we have a documentary examining the widespread abuse inside an infamous west coast Christian Community cult and the institutional failures that have allowed it to continue.

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

'ARMAGEDDON TIME' (Rated M) - this American period drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by James Gray, whose previous film making credits take in the likes of 'Little Odessa' in 1994, 'The Yards' in 2000, 'We Own the Night' in 2007, 'The Immigrant' in 2013, 'The Lost City of Z' in 2016, and 'Ad Astra' in 2019. This film saw its World Premier showcasing at the Cannes Film Festival in mid-May this year and received a seven minute standing ovation from the gathered audience. It was released Stateside last week, cost US$15M to produce and has generated favourable reviews.

Set in 1980 Queens, the film follows Paul Graff (Banks Repeta), a sixth grader who dreams of becoming an artist. As Paul builds a friendship with classmate Johnny Davis (Jaylin Webb), who’s mercilessly targeted by their racist teacher, he finds himself increasingly at odds with his parents Esther and Irving Graff (Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong respectively), for whom assimilation is key to the family’s Jewish-American identity. Paul feels on firmest ground with his kind grandfather Aaron Rabinowitz (Anthony Hopkins), whose life experiences have granted him a weathered compassion. Also starring Jessica Chastain. 

'THE WONDER' (Rated M) - is a period drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Sebastian Lelio whose previous film making credits include the multi-award winning 'Gloria' in 2013, the multi-award winning 'A Fantastic Woman' in 2017 which also won the Best Foreign Language Film of the Year Academy Award, 'Disobedience' in 2017 with Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams and Alessando Nivola and 'Gloria Bell' in 2018 with Julianne Moore and John Turturro. Here then, it is 1862 Ireland and eleven year old Anna O'Donnell (Kila Lord Cassidy) has stopped eating but remains miraculously alive and well. English nurse Lib Wright (Florence Pugh) is brought to a tiny village to observe the young girl. Tourists and pilgrims mass to witness the girl who is said to have survived without food for months. Is the village harbouring a saint 'surviving on manna from heaven' or are there more ominous motives at work? Also starring Tom Burke, Toby Jones and Ciaran Hinds, the film saw its World Premier at the Telluride Film Festival in early September, is release in the UK, the US and here in Australia this week before streaming on Netflix from the 16th November. The film has garnered generally positive reviews. 

'SISSY' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian drama horror offering is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes who also Co-Directed 'For Now' in 2017, and also stars Hannah Barlow. Cecilia and Emma were tween-age BFFs who were going to grow old together and never let anything come between them, until Alex arrived on the scene. Twelve years later, Cecilia (Aisha Dee) is a successful social media influencer living the dream of an independent, modern millennial woman . . . until she runs into Emma (Hannah Barlow) for the first time in over a decade. Emma invites Cecilia away on her bachelorette weekend at a remote cabin in the mountains, where her high school bully Alex (Emily De Margheriti) proceeds to make Cecilia's weekend a living hell. The film has generated favourable critical Reviews.

'WHINA' (Rated PG) - is a New Zealand biographical film Co-Written and Directed by James Napier Robertson and Paula Whetu Jones. The film tells the story of Dame Whina Cooper, the beloved Maori matriarch who worked tirelessly to improve the rights of her people, especially women. Flawed yet resilient, Whina is the story of a woman formed by tradition, compelled by innovation, and guided by an instinct for equality and justice whose legacy as the Te Whaea o te Motu (Mother of the Nation) was an inspiration to an entire country. Starring Miriama McDowell as the young Whina, Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne as the teenage Whina and Rena Owen as the older Whina Cooper, and also with James Rolleston and Vinnie Bennett. The film has generated positive critical acclaim since its release in New Zealand in late June. 

'MILLIE LIES LOW' (Rated MA15+) - this New Zealand comedy drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Michelle Savill is her feature film making debut. When a broke and anxiety-ridden architecture graduate, Millie Davies (Ana Scotney), misses her flight from Wellington, New Zealand to New York for a prestigious internship, she decides to fake having made it to New York, while lying low in her home town until she can come up with the cash to buy another ticket. Meanwhile Millie must convince everyone she really is in the Big Apple and not living in a tent in her Mum’s Wellington backyard, via an elaborate series of antics and evasions. The film has generated critical praise since its release in its native New Zealand in early November last year. Also starring Rachel House, 

'GLORIAVALE' (Rated M) - this New Zealand documentary film is Produced and Directed by Fergus Grady and Noel Smyth and is Written, lensed and Edited by Noel Smyth too. The pairing of Grady and Smyth previously helmed 'Camino Skies' in 2019. This film documents and examines the Gloriavale Christian Community located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island where it has a population os some six hundred members. The filmmakers follow the story of the Ready family, who were excommunicated from Gloriavale, and begin mounting a legal case against the leaders of the community for the widespread abuse experienced there by many current and former members. The film saw its debut screening at the New Zealand International Film Festival in early August before its wide release in New Zealand later that month. 

With six 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-

AD ASTRA : Tuesday 24th September 2019.

'AD ASTRA' is an M-Rated American Sci-Fi adventure offering that has so far received universal acclaim following its World Premier screening at the Venice International Film Festival on the 29th August, and which I saw at my local independent movie theatre earlier this week. Directed, Written and Co-Produced by James Gray whose previous film making credits include his 1994 debut 'Little Odessa' and then 'The Yards', 'We Own the Night', 'Two Lovers', 'The Immigrant' and 'The Lost City of Z' most recently, the meaning of the title when interpreted from its Latin phrase means 'to the stars'. To that end, Gray described his desire for the film to be 'the most realistic depiction of space travel that's been put in a movie', and whether or not he has succeeded in that aim, only you can decide. The movie cost in the region of US$100M to make and has so far grossed US$51M since its worldwide release last week.

Set sometime in the not too distant future, Earth’s solar system is struck by random yet repeated mysterious power surges, potentially threatening all of human life. After surviving an incident caused by once such surge, which sees Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt), plummet uncontrollably from miles above the Earth's surface, the son of famed astronaut Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), is advised by U.S. Space Command that the surges have been traced to the 'Lima Project'. The Project was launched to search the far reaches of our Solar System for intelligent life forms, under Clifford's leadership – from whom nothing has been heard of for sixteen years since reaching Neptune.

Informed that Clifford may still be alive, Roy accepts a mission to travel to Mars to try and establish communication with him, joined by his father’s old associate Colonel Pruitt (Donald Sutherland). Roy McBride and Pruitt board a commercial flight bound for the Moon, and upon arrival are escorted by US military personnel to the Space Command base. 

En route in three lunar rovers, accompanied by security officers for their safe passage to another remote base on the dark side of the Moon, they are ambushed by scavenging pirates, who kill most of the group, except for McBride and Pruitt. However, upon reaching the base, a dying Pruitt is placed into intensive care, but not before handing over a Top Secret and highly classified memory stick to McBride which will shed further light on his mission. McBride now has to go it alone onto Mars.

He transfers to the ship 'Cepheus' on a highly confidential nineteen day flight to Mars. En route, the ship receives a May Day signal from a Norwegian biomedical research space station obviously in distress. Despite protests from McBride to maintain their course for Mars, the captain overrules McBride and goes to the aid of the alleged stricken vessel. Initially it seems abandoned as no one is responding to the radio communications, but a rogue baboon test subject has escaped, smashing through the captain's helmet visor and chewing off his hand down to a bloody stump before McBride is able to neutralise it. A second baboon attacks, but Roy locks the door frantically behind him and depressurises the chamber, killing it instantly. He attempts to save the captain and tapes up his badly damaged helmet before carrying him back to the Cepheus but he is declared dead on arrival. A brief service is held where the dead captain's body is ejected into space. The Cepheus lands on Mars just as another surge strikes, forcing manual intervention. The interim captain is overcome by nerves and is unable to fly or take commands, so leaving McBride to land the ship.

McBride is escorted to the underground Space Command base on Mars which is secure from the impacts of the power surges where he meets facility Director Helen Lantos (Ruth Negga). There he is tasked with recording voice messages read from a pre-written script to send to the Lima Project, in the hope of connecting with Clifford, and upon hearing his sons voice will trigger a response. After several seemingly failed attempts, McBride goes off-script during a recording session with an emotional appeal to his father. He is almost instantly removed from the mission, and is led to assume that a response had been forthcoming, but his personal connection now presents a risk to himself and the overall success of the mission.

Whilst being temporarily held in a 'comfort room' awaiting his transportation back to the Moon and then home to Earth, he is visited by Lantos, who advises him that she was born on Mars, has been to Earth only once in her life as a young child, and is the daughter of crew-members aboard the Lima Project. She hands McBride classified footage showing that Clifford's crew mutinied by attempting to return to Earth, resulting in him turning off their life-support systems, and that her parents were among the crew killed. She tells McBride that the crew that brought him to Mars are leaving to destroy the Lima Project base with a nuclear device on board their ship.

The two decide between them that McBride should confront his father himself, and so Lantos sneaks McBride to an underground lake beneath the rocket launch site to give him access to the ship, although the clock is ticking on the countdown. McBride climbs aboard as the rocket takes off, and is discovered by a surprised and startled crew soon afterwards. The crew are instructed to dispense with McBride despite his best attempts to forewarn them all that he is non-hostile. A fight breaks out, and the crew of three all die, leaving McBride to his own devices in complete solitude for the long journey onto Neptune - some two billion miles away. 

The isolation and stress of the mission without any mental or physical stimulation takes its toll as McBride has memories of his relationships with his father and his estranged wife, Eve (Liv Tyler). After several weeks he arrives at the Lima Project. While approaching the Lima Project ship in a small module, another surge damages the module making it impossible to dock securely, forcing McBride to enter the ship via a space-walk. Finding the ship abandoned and its dead crew floating in zero gravity, he lays down the nuclear payload. His father is looking down on him from above as the ship's only survivor. Clifford explains that the surges originate from the ship's malfunctioning anti-matter power source, damaged during a mutiny. Clifford has continued to work alone on the project throughout all the passing years, refusing to lose faith in the possibility of discovering non-human intelligent life.

McBride tries to convince his father to return home with him to Earth, but Clifford dismisses the notion saying that he is already at home, and has been for the past twenty years, and that his relationship with his young son and wife were only ever going to be temporary. Despite his father's protests, McBride arms the nuclear payload with a three hour detonation time, and prepares to return to his ship with Clifford. Once outside the Lima Project ship Clifford uses his spacesuit thrusters to launch himself into deep space, unwilling to return to Earth. Still tethered onto his son, the pair struggle, with Clifford pleading to his son to let him go. Reluctantly, McBride releases his father who drifts off into deep space.

McBride is able to propel himself back onto his own ship, using a dismantled piece of the Lima Project ship's hull the size of a door to shield himself through Neptune's rocky ring. Without enough fuel to return, he uses the shockwave from the nuclear explosion to propel the ship home. Before the Lima Project ship was destroyed McBride downloaded as much data as he could from his fathers findings from all those years of space travel. The data retrieved suggests that humans are the only intelligent life in the universe, inspiring McBride to reconnect with those closest to him, and he returns to Earth with a whole new found positive outlook on life.

I have to say that I was somewhat underwhelmed by 'Ad Astra'. Sure Brad Pitt gives another great performance as the stoic, completely focused, deeply committed, utterly dependable and infinitely reliable astronaut treading in his fathers footsteps, and proving himself worthy to his peers, the US Government, the world ultimately and to his own Dad to be called Clifford McBride's son. At its core, this is a film about the impacts of an absentee father, and the lengths one man must go to in order to reconcile that fact and lay that ghost of the past finally to rest. Visually, the film looks great too from the opening sequence, to the Moon Space Command Base, the rover chase scene, and the passing of McBride's ship as it cruises past Saturn, Jupiter and finally reaches Neptune. But for all that visual splendour, it's nothing more than we have come to expect in this day and age of cutting edge technologically advanced CGI that we have seen before in the likes of 'Interstellar', 'Gravity', 'First Man', 'The Martian' and even '2001 : A Space Odyssey'. In the final analysis its a film about a man with daddy issues who has lost his way in the world and who catches a ride from Earth, to the Moon, to Mars and onto Neptune and back again to prove that humans are the only intelligent life form in the infinite universe and finally to say farewell to his old man, interspersed with a few action set pieces to maintain the interest. And there you have it! Also starring LisaGay Hamilton and John Ortiz.

'Ad Astra' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 19th September 2019.

The 44th annual Toronto International Film Festival was this year held from 5th to 15th September. Starting out in 1976 as a collection of films from other festivals — a 'festival of festivals' if you will, the Toronto International Film Festival has gone on to become one of the worlds most beloved cinematic events, universally regarded as an ideal platform for filmmakers to launch their careers and to premiere their latest works. The Festival has been described as 'the most important film festival in the world — the largest, the most influential, the most inclusive'.

The opening gala was announced as the Canadian documentary film 'Once Were Brothers : Robbie Robertson and The Band', Directed and Co-Edited by Daniel Roher, with the festivals closing night film being the screening of the biographical film 'Radioactive', Directed by Marjane Satrapi and starring Rosamund Pike, Sam Riley and Anya Taylor-Joy. In addition to its regular film awards, the festival announced prior to commencement that Meryl Streep will be the inaugural recipient of the TIFF Tribute Actor Award, a new lifetime achievement award to honour distinguished work in film acting. Congratulations Meryl.

This years top awards in the final analysis, from the plethora of international and Canadian films being showcased, were as follows :

People's Choice Award (the film rated as the year's most popular film with festival audiences)
* 'JOJO RABBIT' - this American black comedy is Directed, Co-Produced, Written for the Screen and starring by Taika Waititi, with Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant and Alfie Allen.
People's Choice Awards - First and Second Runner's Up
* 'MARRIAGE STORY' - this American comedy drama film is Directed, Co-Produced and Written by Noah Baumbach, and, 'PARASITE' is a South Korean black comedy thriller Directed and Co-Written by Bong Joon-ho respectively.

People's Choice Award - Documentary (film rated as the year's most popular documentary film with festival audiences)
* 'THE CAVE' - this Syrian Danish Co-Production is Directed and Co-Written by Feras Fayyad.
People's Choice Award - Documentary - First and Second Runner's Up
* 'I AM NOT ALONE' - this Armenian and American Co-Production is Directed, Co-Produced and Written by Gavin Hovannisian, and, 'DADS' an American documentary Directed and Co-Produced by Bryce Dallas Howard and her father Ron Howard respectively.

People's Choice Award - Midnight Madness (the film rated as the year's most popular film in the festival's 'Midnight Madness' stream of underground and cult films)
* 'THE PLATFORM' - this Spanish satirical science fiction film is Directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia.
People's Choice Award - Midnight Madness - First and Second Runner's Up
* 'THE VAST OF NIGHT' - this American fantasy Sci-Fi thriller is Directed by Andrew Patterson, and, 'BLOOD QUANTUM' is a Canadian horror film Directed and Written by Jeff Barnaby respectively.

Platform Prize (awarded to films of 'high artistic merit that also demonstrate a strong Directorial vision')
* 'MARTIN EDEN' - this Italian and French Co-Produced historical romantic drama film is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written for the Screen by Pietro Marcello.
Platform Prize - Honourable Mentions
* 'ANNE AT 13,000 FT.' - is a Canadian drama film Directed, Co-Produced and Written by Kazik Radwanski, and, 'PROXIMA' a French drama film Directed and Co-Written by Alice Winocour.

Best Canadian Feature Film
* 'ANTIGONE' - is a drama film Directed, Written, lensed and Co-Edited by Sophie Deraspe.
Best Canadian Feature Film - Honourable Mention
* 'THE BODY REMEMBERS WHEN THE WORLD BROKE OPEN' - is a drama film Directed and Written by Elle-Maija Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn. Elle-Maija Tailfeathers also stars.

Best Canadian First Feature Film (awarded to the film judged to be the best Canadian feature film made by a first-time Director)

* 'THE TWENTIETH CENTURY' - is a comedy drama film Directed, Written and Edited by Matthew Rankin.

For more on the winners and grinners from this years Toronto International Film Festival, plus all the latest news in wrapping up the festival line up, visit the official website at : https://www.tiff.net

This week there are six latest release movies coming to your local Odeon, and we kick off with the latest and possibly the last instalment in this all American action thriller franchise that first ventured onto our cinema screens 37 years ago starring our tortured yet very resourceful Vietnam War vet anti-hero as he fights the establishment, drug barons and anyone he considers the enemy using his very particular set of skills. Next up is a Sci-Fi thriller about a daring Astronaut who must travel to the far reaches of the solar system to try and locate his missing father and save all of humankind back on Earth in the process. Then we turn to a comedy offering about three sixth grade best buddies who are invited to a party and seek advice in various forms only to have that backfire on them leaving their friendship fractured. These are followed up by a live action rendition of a popular animated kids television series that sees this adventurous explorer deep in the Peruvian jungle in search of a lost civilisation, and her parents; and then we close out the week with two animated offerings featuring a displaced Yeti and a small band of kids who vow to take him back to his home on top of the world; and finally a town inhabited by various ugly dolls and play things who come across another town where the residents are all near perfect waiting to be shipped out to the children of the world, but can one now exist without the other?

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.

'RAMBO : LAST BLOOD' (Rated R18+) - here we have what is likely to be (judging by the title) the last in the 'Rambo' action thriller film franchise that Actor, Director and Writer Sylvester Stallone has made his own. The franchise launched in 1982 with 'First Blood', then in 1985 with 'Rambo : First Blood Part II', then in 1988 with 'Rambo III' and in 2008 with 'Rambo', with 'Last Blood' marking the fifth instalment. The series of four films so far were made for a combined US$153M and grossed worldwide US$728M and gave rise to an animated television series, comic books, novels, video games and a Bollywood remake. Created by David Morrell in his debut 1972 novel 'First Blood' Stallone has played the title character of John Rambo in all films as a US Army Green Berets veteran who is traumatised by his experience in the Vietnam War, and uses the skills he gained there to fight police, enemy troops, and drug cartels. Stallone Co-Wrote the screenplays of all five films, and Directed 2008's 'Rambo'.

Here in only his second feature film Directing gig, after 'Get the Gringo' with Mel Gibson in 2012, Adrian Grunberg was announced as Director in August 2018 after ten years of to-ing and fro-ing on again off again Writing and Directing false starts. But now we have John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) who travels to Mexico to save his niece Gabrielle (Yvette Monreal) who suddenly has been taken hostage by a sadistic Mexican cartel headed up by Hugo Martinez (Sergio Peris-Mencheta). Paz Vega and Adriana Barraza also star. The film is released in the US this week too.

'AD ASTRA' (Rated M) - this American Sci-Fi adventure offering has so far received universal acclaim following its World Premier screening at the Venice International Film Festival on the 29th August, and was Directed, Written and Co-Produced by James Gray whose previous film making credits include his 1994 debut 'Little Odessa' and then 'The Yards', 'We Own the Night', 'Two Lovers', 'The Immigrant' and 'The Lost City of Z' most recently. Made for circa US$85M and getting its US release this week too, the story here surrounds Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) who travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his lost father, a renegade Scientist, Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) and to ultimately unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of humans on Earth. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and its place in the cosmos. Also starring Donald Sutherland, Liv Tyler, Ruth Negga, LisaGay Hamilton and John Ortiz. Gray described his desire for the film to be 'the most realistic depiction of space travel that's been put in a movie'.

'GOOD BOYS' (Rated MA15+) - Directed by Ukranian born American first timer Gene Stupnitski and Co-Written by him too with his business partner Lee Eisenberg, this American comedy film saw its World Premier screening at South by Southwest in early March this year, went on general release in the US in mid-August, cost US$20M to bring to the big screen, has so far grossed US$92M and has garnered largely positive Press so far. The film here surrounds three sixth grade student best buddies Max (Jacob Tremblay), Lucas (Keith L. Williams) and Thor (Brady Noon). When Max is invited to his first kissing party, he asks his best friends Lucas and Thor for some much sought after advice on how to pucker up. When they hit a dead end, Max decides to use his Dad's (Will Forte) drone to spy on the teenage Hannah (Molly Gordon) who lives next door. When the boys ditch the drone and it is destroyed, they skip school and hatch a plan to secretly replace it before Max's Dad can learn the truth. But, the truth will out leading to the boys drifting apart before reconciling and promising to be besties forever.

'DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD' (Rated PG) - based on the popular kids television series 'Dora the Explorer' here this live action adventure comedy film is Directed by James Bobin whose previous film making credits include 'The Muppets' in 2011, 'Muppets Most Wanted' in 2014, 'Alice Through the Looking Glass' in 2016 and now this Australian filmed adaptation. Having spent most of her life exploring the Peruvian jungle, nothing could prepare Dora Marquez (Isabelle Moner) for her most dangerous adventure yet - high school in Los Angeles. Accompanied by a ragtag group of teens and Boots the monkey, Dora embarks on a quest to save her parents - father Cole Marquez and mother Elena (Michael Pena and Eva Longoria respectively) while trying to solve the seemingly impossible mystery behind the hidden Incan city of Parapata. Also starring Temuera Morrison, Adriana Barraza, Eugenio Derbez with the voices of Danny Trejo and Benicio del Toro. Released in the US in early August, the film has so far taken US$91M off the back of a US$49M production budget and has generated largely positive Reviews.

'ABOMINABLE' (Rated G) - this computer animated adventure film is an American and Chinese Co-Production between DreamWorks Animation and Pearl Studio and is Written and Directed by American Animator Jill Culton, whose previous Directing outing was 2006's 'Open Season'. Here teenager Yi (Chloe Bennet) comes across a young Yeti (or Abominable Snowman) on the roof of her apartment building in Shanghai (as you do!). She and her cheeky friends Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor) and Peng (Albert Tsai) give him the name 'Everest' and so begins a journey to return the magical creature to his family at the highest point on Earth. But the group of young friends will have to stay one-step ahead of Burnish (Eddie Izzard), a wealthy man intent on capturing a Yeti, and zoologist Dr. Zara (Sarah Paulson) to help get Everest back to his rightful home. The film had its World Premier screening at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, goes on release in the US on 27th September, in the UK on 11th October and here in Australia this week.

'UGLY DOLLS' (Rated G) - here is a computer generated animated musical adventure comedy film Directed by Kelly Asbury and based on a story penned by Robert Rodriguez. Asbury's previous Directing credits include 'Spirit : Stallion of the Cimarron', 'Shrek 2', 'Gnomeo & Juliet' and 'Smurfs : The Lost Village' most recently. In the adorably cute and somewhat different town of Uglyville, weirdness is lauded, strangeness is celebrated and beauty is embraced as being more than skin deep. After travelling to the other side of a mountain, Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) and her Ugly Doll friends discover the town of Perfection, where more conventional dolls receive training before embarking out into the real world to find the love of a child. Soon, the Ugly Dolls learn what it means to be different and ultimately coming to the realisation that they don't have to be perfect to be amazing. Also starring the voice talents of Janelle Monae, Pitbull, Charli XCX, Ice-T, Jane Lynch, Emma Roberts and Nick Jonas, the film saw its release Stateside in early May, in the UK in mid-August, cost circa US$50M to make, has so far grossed US$28M and has met with mostly unfavourable Reviews.

With six new release movies 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 24th August 2017.

With this weeks latest Tom Cruise starring and Doug Liman Directed 'American Made' as Previewed below, I was thinking how many movies have been released over the years with the word 'America' or 'American' in the title? It seems one helluva lot as my research would indicate. Could it be that the good ol' USofA is so patriotic, so intent on self promotion, and so wrapped up in its own national pride that it needs to remind the rest of the world how out there front and centre Uncle Sam is, lest we should forget when we visit a movie theatre. Here is a cross section of some of those more memorable 'America(n)' feature films that have graced our big screens over the years that have borne the moniker of the country, just to remind us how truly great it really is.

* 'American Graffiti' - released 1973 - Directed by George Lucas, starring Harrison Ford, Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfus.
* 'American Gigolo' - released 1980 - Directed by Paul Schrader, starring Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton.
* 'American Buffalo' - released 1996 - Directed by Michael Corrente, starring Dustin Hoffman and Dennis Franz.
* 'American Pie' - released 1999 - Directed by Paul and Chris Weitz, starring Jason Biggs, Eugene Levy and Chris Klein.
* 'American Psycho' - released 2000 - Directed by Mary Harron, starring Christian Bale, Reece Witherspoon and Chloe Sevigne.
* 'American Splendor' - released 2003 - Directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman, starring Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis.
* 'American Gangster' - released 2007 - Directed by Ridley Scott, starring Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
* 'American Hustle' - released 2013 - Directed by David O. Russell, starring Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.
* 'American Sniper' - released 2014 - Directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller.
* 'American Ultra' - released 2015 - Directed by Nima Nourizadeh, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart and Bill Pullman.
* 'American Made' - released 2017 - Directed by Doug Liman - starring Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson and Jesse Plemmons.
* 'American Assassin' - to be released 2017 - Directed by Michael Cuesta, starring Michael Keaton, Dylan O'Brien and Taylor Kitsch.
* 'An American Werewolf in London' - released in 1981 - Directed by John Landis, starring David Naughton, Griffin Dunne and Jenny Agutter.
* 'The American President' - released in 1995 - Directed by Rob Reiner, starring Michael Douglas, Annette Benning and Martin Sheen.
* 'How to Make an American Quilt' - released 1995 - Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, starring Winona Ryder, Anne Bancroft and Ellen Burstyn.
* 'An American Werewolf in Paris' - released 1997 - Directed by Anthony Waller, starring Tom Everett Scott and Julie Delpy.
* 'The American' - released in 2010 - Directed by Anton Corbijn, starring George Clooney.
* 'Once Upon A Time In America' - released 1984 - Directed by Sergio Leone, starring Robert De Niro, James Woods and Elizabeth McGovern.
* 'Coming to America' - released 1988 - Directed by John Landis, starring Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall and James Earl Jones.
* 'Air America' - released 1990 - Directed by Roger Spottiswoode, staring Mel Gibson, Robert Downey Jnr. and Nancy Travis.
* 'Made in America' - released 1993 - Directed by Richard Benjamin, starring Whoppi Goldberg, Ted Danson and Will Smith.
* 'Team America : World Police' - released 2004 - Directed by Trey Parker, starring an ensemble cast of voice talent.
* 'Captain America : The First Avenger' - released 2011 - Directed by Joe Johnston, staring Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan and Hugo Weaving.
* 'Captain America : The Winter Soldier' - released 2014 - Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, starring Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan and Robert Redford.
* 'Capatin America : Civil War' - released 2016 - Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jnr. and an ensemble cast of Marvel characters.

This week then there are six new movies coming your way of which five are based on real life true story retellings of a biographical nature some of which are big budget big name offerings and others are more low budget independent type fare. That said, these bios feature the stories of a drug and arms smuggler pilot; an intrepid explorer in search of a lost civilisation; a prolific Canadian folk painter; the King of Norway during WWII facing an impossible ultimatum; an Australian cycling team's journey on the pro-tour circuit; and wrapping up with a Aussie suspense thriller that might make you think twice about pitching your tent in secluded bushland.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six new releases 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 warmly 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 meanwhile, enjoy your cinematic experience during the coming week.

'AMERICAN MADE' (Rated MA15+) - here we have a biographical drama film Directed by Doug Liman whose previous credits include 'Swingers', 'The Bourne Identity', 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith', 'Fair Game', 'Edge of Tomorrow' and the very recently released 'The Wall'. Here this story surrounds the life and times of Adler Berriman 'Barry' Seal - an American smuggler of drugs and arms, aircraft pilot, dealer, and money launderer who flew flights for the Medellín Cartel - an organised network of drug suppliers and smugglers originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated throughout the '70's and '80's in Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Central America, and the USA, Canada and Europe. At the height of its operations, the Medellín Cartel smuggled tons of cocaine each week into countries all over the world and brought in up to US$60M daily in drug profits. For a time, the Medellín Cartel supplied at least 84% of the United States and 80% of the global cocaine market. Barry Seal was employed by the Cartel as a pilot and drug smuggler transporting numerous shipments of cocaine from Colombia and Panama to the USA and earned as much as US$500K per flight. This is that outrageous albeit true story. Released in the UK and Australia this week, and not in the US until the end of September, the film has so far met with generally positive Reviews, and cost a budgeted US$80M to bring to the big screen.

So history lesson over, here Barry Seal is portrayed by Tom Cruise a former TWA commercial pilot who flew for the company from 1966 through until 1974. Seal is in turn recruited by the CIA to help in the war on drugs off the back of the emerging communist threat in Central America and soon finds himself in charge of one of the biggest covert CIA operations in the history of the United States. The operation spawns the birth of the Medellín Cartel and almost brings down the Reagan White House administration. Barry Seal was ultimately gunned down and killed in February 1986 by Colombian assassins sent by the Medellín Cartel with a price on his head of US$500K for the murder or US$1M to kidnap him and return him to Colombia. The film also stars Domhnall Gleeson, Jesse Plemmons and Sarah Wright.

'THE LOST CITY OF Z' (Rated M) - here we have another biographical drama adventure film Written and Directed by James Gray and based on the 2009 book of the same name by David Grann. Here this story surrounds the life and times of Percival Harrison Fawcett - a British geographer, artillery officer, cartographer, archaeologist and explorer of South America. Along with his eldest son Jack, Fawcett disappeared in 1925 during an expedition to find 'Z' – the name he gave to a lost ancient city, which he and others believed to exist and to be the remains of El Dorado, in the jungles of Brazil. And so turning to the story at hand in the early 20th Century, British explorer Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam) journeys into the Amazon jungle, where he discovers evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilization that may have once inhabited the region. Despite being ridiculed by the scientific brains of the time back in London, which views indigenous populations as savages, the determined Fawcett, supported by his loving wife Nina (Sienna Miller), son Jack (Tom Holland), and fellow explorer Henry Costing (Robert Pattinson), return to his beloved jungle in an attempt to prove his case. Fawcett and his group disappeared sometime in mid-1925 somewhere in the jungles of Brazil and were never seen again. The film also stars Angus Macfadyen, Ian McDiarmid and Franco Nero, cost US$30M to make and has so far recovered US$17M since its US release in mid-April. The film has received generally positive press.

'MAUDIE' (Rated PG) - here is another biographical romantic drama film Directed by Aisling Walsh about the life and times of popular and prolific Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis who lived in Nova Scotia from 1903 until 1970. This is a simple tale recounting the meeting of local fish monger Everett Lewis (Ethan Hawke) and Maud Dowley (Sally Hawkins) who suffers from severe arthritis, when she answers an advertisement for a house keep, taking the job in exchange for room and board because her brother had sold the family home that he had inherited upon the death of their parents. Fairly soon love blossoms and the two marry. In an attempt to maintain a clean house, Maud begins to paint a shelf, and then a wall with flowers and so on, until one day one of Everett's customers is so taken by her artwork that she commissions a piece of Maud's work. From humble beginnings, Maud becomes a beloved figure in the local community and renowned as an artist. The film cost under US$6M to make, and has so far taken US$8M since its Canadian release in mid-April and its US release in mid-June. The film has preformed well on the film festival circuit picking up eight wins so far and another two nominations and has received largely positive Reviews.

'THE KINGS CHOICE' (Rated M) - and here we have yet another biographical drama film, this time of a historical WWII nature and a Norwegian offering that was nominated as a Best Foreign Language Film entry into this years Academy Awards. Directed by Erik Poppe, this film tells the story of a chain of events in early April 1940 when German Nazi troops arrive in Norway's capital city, Oslo, and demand of the King - surrender or die! With the might of the Nazi army hunting them down, the Royal Family flee the capital with King Haakon VII (Jesper Christensen) and his son Crown Prince Olav (Anders Baasmo Christiansen) heading off in one direction, and his wife Crown Princess Martha (Tuva Novotny) and other children seeking refuge in Sweden. After three days of trying to evade the German's, King Haakon refuses to bow down, even if his decision costs him his life, and that of his family and potentially countless Norwegians too. This little known story of these dramatic events in the history of Norway has received much critical acclaim as much for the Directing as the performances by the principal cast, the storytelling and the cinematography. The film cost US$8M to make and has so far grossed US$9M.

'KILLING GROUND' (Rated MA15+) - Written and Directed in his feature debut by Tasmanian Damien Power this Australian suspense thriller wowed audiences when it Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Following a gestation period of about ten years from when Power first had a notion for the film to when it became a reality on the big screen, 'The Killing Ground' was filmed in bushland about an hour out of Sydney. The story centres around a young couple Ian (Ian Meadows) and Sam (Harriet Dyer) out on a camping trip during the height of an Aussie Summer but told from three different perspectives and in a non-linear style - the young and in love couple on a weekend getaway in the bush, a family in peril comprising Dad Rob (Julian Garner), Mum Margaret (Maya Strange) sixteen year old daughter Em (Tiarnie Coupland) and toddler son Ollie, and and a pair of rednecks psychos German (Aaron Pedersen) and Chook (Aaron Glenane) with an appetite for blood. Ian and Sam's weekend break however, takes a more sinister turn and a battle for survival when they discover young Ollie wandering aimlessly all alone about the bush caked in blood and dirt, and discover that a particularly disturbing crime has been committed on the occupants of a neighbouring, yet deserted tent.

'ALL FOR ONE' (Rated M) - we round out the week with yes, you guessed it, another biographical drama this time in the world of long distance sport cycling as told by Directors Marcus Cobbledick (who also writes here) and Dan Jones. Telling the story of GreenEdge, Australia's first unisex ProTour cycling Team who come together through their renegade spirit and a determination to win against all odds on the international circuit. The film offers candid insights into the first five years of their collective journey, bearing witness to the ethos of the team as embodied by all of them - from the strongest to the most embattled rider members of the Team. Out of a culture that seeks to harness a deeply human approach to sport, unlikely champions rise, and seemingly impossible team and personal goals are realised.

With six new releases this week to tempt you out on a cool Winter evening, of which five are of the biographical persuasion and one a work of fiction, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephiles 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-