What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 9th December 2021.

The 24th British Independent Film Awards were presented on Sunday 5th December to highlight and reward the best, most innovative, and creative independent filmmaking and filmmakers in the UK. Identifying and encouraging emerging talent, the BIFA supports and celebrates the independent film community and promotes British film and talent to the public. Each year, the BIFA voters view the 300+ entered films. After a rigorous discussion-based selection process the long list and nominations are decided by confidential vote. The winners in most categories are decided by independent juries, newly appointed each year and not involved in the nominations process. These juries, comprised of leading professionals and talent from the British film industry, meet to discuss the nominated films and the winners are decided by secret ballot.

The winners, grinners and nominees in each category, are as given below :-

Best British Independent Film

* Awarded to 'AFTER LOVE', beating out 'Ali & Ava', 'Boiling Point', 'The Nest' and 'The Souvenir Part II'. 

Best Director

* Awarded to ALEEM KHAN for 'After Love', beating out Clio Barnard for 'Ali & Ava', Philip Barantini for 'Boiling Point', Sean Durkin for 'The Nest' and Joanna Hogg for 'The Souvenir Part II'.

Best Actor

* Awarded to ADEEL AKHTAR for 'Ali & Ava', beating out Riz Ahmed for 'Encounter', Stephen Graham for 'Boiling Point', Jude Law for 'The Nest' and James Norton for 'Nowhere Special'.

Best Actress

* Awarded to JOANNA SCANLAN for 'After Love', beating out Caitriona Balfe for 'Belfast',  Carrie Coon for 'The Nest', Claire Rushbrook for 'Ali & Ava' and Ruth Wilson for 'True Things'.

Best Supporting Actor

* Awarded to TALID ARISS for 'After Love', beating out Richard Ayoade for 'The Souvenir Part II', Lucian River-Chauhan for 'Encounter', Ciaran Hinds for 'Belfast' and Ray Panthaki for 'Boiling Point'.

Best Supporting Actress

* Awarded to VINETTE ROBINSON for 'Boiling Point', beating out Judi Dench for 'Belfast', Jo Hartley for 'Sweetheart', Nathalie Richard for 'After Love' and Tilda Swinton for 'The Souvenir Part II'.

Breakthrough Performance

* Awarded to NELL BARLOW for 'Sweetheart', beating out Lauryn Ajufo for 'Boiling Point', Max Harwood for 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie', Jude Hill for 'Belfast' and Ellora Torchia for 'IN THE EARTH'.

Best Screenplay

* Awarded to 'AFTER LOVE' by Aleem Khan, beating out 'Ali & Ava' by Clio Barnard, 'The Nest' by Sean Durkin, 'Benediction' by Terence Davis and 'The Souvenir Part II' by Joanna Hogg.

Best Documentary

* Awarded to 'POLY STYRENE : I AM A CLICHE', beating out 'Cow', 'Dying to Divorce', 'I Am Belmaya' and 'Keyboard Fantasies'. 

Best International Independent Film

* Awarded to 'FLEE', beating out 'Compartment No. 6', 'First Cow', 'Petite Maman' and 'Pleasure'. 

Cinematography

* Awarded to MATTHEW LEWIS for 'Boiling Point', beating out Matyas Erdely for 'The Nest', Magda Kowalczyk for 'Cow', Annika Summerson for 'Censor' and Haris Zambarloukos for 'Belfast'.

Best Editing

* Awarded to HELLE LE FEVRE for 'The Souvenir Part II', beating out 'Cow, 'Belfast', 'Censor' and 'IN THE EARTH'.  

Best Effects

* Awarded to STEVEN BRAY and MIKE KNIGHTS for 'DASHCAM', beating out 'Censor' and 'The Electrical Life of Louis Wain'. 

Best Music

* Awarded to CONNIE FARR and HARRY ESCOTT for 'Ali & Ava', beating out 'Pirates', 'Encounter', 'IN THE EARTH' and 'Belfast'.

Best Sound

* Awarded to JAMES DRAKE, ROB ENTWISTLE and KIFF MCMANUS for 'Boling Point', beating out 'Cow', 'Censor', 'IN THE EARTH' and 'Encounter'.

Best Production Design

* Awarded to STEPHANE COLLONGE for 'The Souvenir Part II', beating out 'Boiling Point', 'Belfast', 'The Electrical Life of Louis Wain' and 'Censor'. 

The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director

* Presented to ALEEM KHAN for 'After Love', beating out Prano Bailey-Bond for 'Censor', Cathy Brady for 'Wildfire', Celeste Bell for 'Poly Styrene : I Am a Cliche' and Marley Morrison for 'Sweetheart'.

Best Debut Screenwriter

* Awarded to CATHY BRADY for 'Wildfire', beating out Prano Bailey-Bond for 'Censor', Aleem Khan for 'After Love', Marley Morrison for 'Sweetheart' and Reggie Yates for 'Pirates'.

In addition RIZ AHMED was named the recipient of the Richard Harris Award back in late November. The Richard Harris Award honours an Actor or Actress who has contributed significantly to British films throughout their career. It has previously been bestowed upon, amongst others, Kristin Scott Thomas, Judi Dench, Vanessa Redgrave, Daniel Day-Lewis, Helena Bonham Carter, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julie Walters, John Hurt, Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent and Glenda Jackson.

For further details and the complete list of all winners and nominees, you can go to the official website at : https://www.bifa.film/

Turning attention to this weeks five new films coming to an Odeon near you, we kick off with an anthology story set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional twentieth century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in a magazine. Next up is a coming of age tale about a high school senior who embarks on a journey of self-discovery when a letter he wrote for a writing exercise falls into the hands of a grieving couple whose son took his own life. This is followed by a film based on truly possible events as two low-level astronomers embark on a grand scale media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet heading directly for Earth. Then there is a reboot of a highly successful action horror franchise set in 1998, and exploring the secrets of the mysterious Spencer Mansion and the ill-fated Raccoon City. And closing out the week we have a Japanese anime film about a high school student who struggles to survive with a young swordsman after it's revealed that she is trapped inside an online game, where if your hit points drop to zero, your brain will be destroyed in real life.

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 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 coming week.

'THE FRENCH DISPATCH' (Rated M) - is an anthology comedy film Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Wes Anderson whose previous film making credits take in his feature length debut with 'Bottle Rocket' in 1996, then 'The Royal Tenenbaums', 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou', 'The Darjeeling Limited', 'Fantastic Mr. Fox', 'Moonrise Kingdom', 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'Isle of Dogs'. Following a delay from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film saw its World Premiere screening at the Cannes Film Festival in mid-July this year, and was released in the US in late October. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, and has thus far grossed US$38M exceeding its production budget of US$25M.

A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper - Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun - in a fictional 20th-century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in 'The French Dispatch' where Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray), the editor of the newspaper dies suddenly of a heart attack. According to the wishes expressed in his will, publication of the newspaper is immediately suspended following one final farewell issue, in which three articles from past editions of the paper are republished, along with an obituary. The film stars an ensemble cast taking in Owen Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Lea Seydoux, Henry Winkler, Frances McDormand, Timothee Chalamet, Cecile de France, Christoph Waltz, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Liev Schreiber, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe and Saoirse Ronan. 

'DEAR EVAN HANSEN' (Rated M) - is an American coming of age musical film Directed by Stephen Chbosky whose previous film making credits take in 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' in 2012 and 'Wonder' in 2017, and is based on the 2015 stage musical of the same name by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul. The film saw is World Premier at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September as the opening night film and was released in the US later on that same month having received negative reviews from critics, who compared it unfavourably to the stage musical. Here then, Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role from the successful Broadway stage show as Evan Hansen, a high school senior with Social Anxiety disorder who aches for understanding and belonging following the suicide of a classmate amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media era. Also starring Julianne Moore, Amy Adams and Kaitlyn Dever, the film has so far grossed US$17M off the back of a US$28M production budget. 

'DON'T LOOK UP' (Rated M) - this American satirical Sci-Fi black comedy is Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Adam McKay whose prior film making credits include 'Anchorman : The Legend of Ron Burgundy' and its sequel 'Anchorman 2 : The Legend Continues', 'Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby', 'Step Brothers', 'The Other Guys' and then a change of tack to more dramatic territory with 'The Big Short' and 'Vice'. Here then, two low level astronomers Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Dr. Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) attempt to bring to the attention of mankind, via a media tour to raise awareness, of an impending disaster that will destroy Earth, by way of an approaching comet. The film stars an ensemble cast taking in Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Timothee Chalamet, Cate Blanchett, Rob Morgan, Tyler Perry, Ron Perlman, Matthew Perry, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Himesh Patel, Ariana Grande and Gina Gershon. This has a limited cinema release from this week before streaming on Netflix from 24th December, and cost somewhere in the region of US$75M.

'RESIDENT EVIL : WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY' (Rated MA15+) - this action horror film is Written and Directed by Johannes Roberts whose previous films include 2016's 'The Other Side of the Door', 2017's '47 Metres Down', and 2019's '47 Metres Down : Uncaged'. This film serves as a reboot of the 'Resident Evil' film series and the seventh live-action film overall, which was loosely based on the video game series of the same name. Since 'Resident Evil' first appeared in 2002, this franchise has seen 'Apocalypse' in 2004, 'Extinction' in 2007, 'Afterlife' in 2010, 'Retribution' in 2012 and 'The Final Chapter' in 2017, and together with this latest instalment the series has so far racked up US$1.253B at the global Box Office from combined production budgets of US$313M. Once the booming home of pharmaceutical giant Umbrella Corporation, Raccoon City is now a dying Midwestern town. The company’s exodus left the city a wasteland, with great evil brewing below the surface. When that evil is unleashed, a group of survivors must work together to uncover the truth behind Umbrella and make it through the night. Starring Kaya Scodelario, Hannah John-Kamen, Robbie Amell, Tom Hopper and Neal McDonough, the film saw its World Premier in Paris in mid-November, went on release in the US on 24th November, in the UK last week, has so far grossed US$25M off the back of a US$25M production budget and has garnered mixed Reviews. 

'SWORD ART ONLINE PROGRESSIVE : ARIA OF A STARLESS NIGHT' (Rated M) - is a Japanese animated science fiction action adventure film based on the 'Sword Art Online : Progressive' light novels written by Reki Kawahara which serve as an expanded retelling of Sword Art Online's Aincrad storyline. The film is Directed by Ayako Kono, and is the second film after 'Sword Art Online The Movie : Ordinal Scale' of the Sword Art Online series. The film depicts the story of the encounter between young swordsman Kirito and high school student Asuna, covering the events on Aincrad's first floor, and in particular Asuna's initial struggle to cope with the realities of being trapped inside her new world - that of the game of Sword Art Online where thousands of players have already died. The film Premiered in Japan in late October. 

With five 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 at your local Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 15th March 2018.

With Hollywood's annual awards season drawing to a close on Sunday evening 4th March with the 90th Academy Awards Ceremony honouring the very best in cinematic achievement for 2017, we should also not forget the other notable awards ceremony that took place just 24 hours before, also in Tinsel Town. The 38th Golden Raspberry Awards honour the very worst in cinematic achievement for 2017 as decided by more than one thousand voters making up the Golden Raspberry Foundation who all cast their ballots online from all over the world across nine categories. In case you missed out on the winners and grinners from this erstwhile awards presentation having been swept along by the glitz, glamour and heady excitement of the 90th Oscars, shown below are the main recipients of these not so prestigious barely sought after awards :-

* Worst Picture : awarded to 'The Emoji Movie'.
* Worst Director : awarded to Tony Leondis for 'The Emoji Movie'.
* Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel : awarded to 'Fifty Shades Darker'.
* Worst Actor : awarded to Tom Cruise as Nick Morton in 'The Mummy'.
* Worst Actress : awarded to Tyler Perry as Mabel 'Madea' Simmons in 'Boo 2 : A Madea Halloween'.
* Worst Supporting Actor : awarded to Mel Gibson as Kurt Mayron in 'Daddy's Home 2'.
* Worst Supporting Actress : awarded to Kim Basinger as Elena Lincoln in 'Fifty Shades Darker'.
* Worst Screen Combo : awarded to Any Two Obnoxious Emoji's in 'The Emoji Movie'.
* Worst Screenplay : awarded to Tony Leondis, Eric Siegel and Mike White for 'The Emoji Movie'.

Turning attention to this week, we have a reboot of a hugely successful video game film franchise with an updated story and an updated heroine to take us on another epic action adventure of daring do on a journey of discovery to unearth a mythical ancient tomb and her long lost Dad. We then turn to another reboot of a vigilante revenge film that saw five previous instalments dating back to the early '70's dusted off with a big screen action star playing one man judge, jury and executioner on those that wronged him and his family. Next up we have a sequel to a horror offering of ten years ago that sees a family persecuted by three masked assailants in a deserted trailer park one lonely night with deadly consequences on both sides of that terrorising fence. With a change of pace we go to a party hosted by an Aussie film and TV personality who has invited his comedic and singer friends to crack jokes and sing songs all night long around the barbecue with beer in hand; before moving to an award winning documentary about the plight of tens of millions of displaced refugees from around the world looking for a place to call home. We then wrap up with a story of a song inspired by a young mans relationship with his father, and his faith, that went on to become the highest selling record of all time for its genre.

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 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 experience during the week ahead.

'TOMB RAIDER' (Rated M) - here we have a reboot of the 'Tomb Raider' franchise that launched into the cinematic world in 2001 from its video game origins dating back to 1993. That first outing starred Angelina Jolie as our titular action adventure heroine Lara Croft, with the film being Directed by Simon West for US$115M and grossing US$275M. On the strength of this, a second film was released in 2003 titled 'Lara Croft Tomb Raider : The Cradle of Life', with Jolie reprising her role but this time Directed by Jan de Bont for US$95M and raking in US$157M. Now fast forward fifteen years, and its reboot time for this film franchise, which as a video game has sold over 63 million copies worldwide, and has made Lara Croft one of the most recognisable and notable video game protagonists in existence. And so Norwegian Director Roar Uthaug has helmed this latest instalment based on the 2013 video game of the same name as worked up by game developer Crystal Dynamics. Costing US$90M to make, the film has so far grossed US$14M from its Asian release last week.

And so in 2018 Alicia Vikander portrays the fiercely independent, free spirited, reckless and carefree action adventure loving Lara Croft. She is the only daughter of eccentric archaeologist adventurer Lord Richard Croft (Dominic West) who went missing some years previously, now believed to be dead. When she is arrested for a relatively minor infraction, Richard's business partner Ana Miller (Kristen Scott Thomas) posts bail and advises her that if she does not claim her inheritance, her father's estate will be sold off. Reluctantly she agrees, which sets in motion a chain of events that takes Lara on a journey in the hope of solving the mystery of her father's disappearance to his last known destination - a fabled tomb on a mythical island located somewhere off the Japanese coast. The stakes couldn't be higher as Lara must rely on her sharp mind, blind faith and stubborn spirit to venture into the unknown, and thwart the nefarious organisation known as Trinity, and one Mathias Vogel (Walton Goggins) also in search of the tomb. Also starring Derek Jacobi, Nick Frost and and Daniel Wu.

'DEATH WISH' (Rated R18+) - another reboot of a tried and tested franchise here, that has its roots dating back to the early '70's with the 1974 vigilante revenge action film of the same name based on the 1972 book by Brian Garfield. That 1974 film starred Charles Bronson in the lead role of architect Paul Kersey who becomes a vigilante after his wife is murdered and his daughter sexually assaulted during a home invasion. Directed by Michael Winner that film cost US$3M to make and grossed US$22M, resulting in four successive films being made through until 1994 with Charles Bronson returning for them all with Michael Winner helming the first three in the series. Now in 2018 Writer, Producer, Actor and Director Eli Roth helms this rebooted sixth offering whose previous Directing credits include 'Cabin Fever', 'Hostel', 'Hostel : Part II' and 'The Green Inferno'. This time around Bruce Willis stars as Chicago Hospital trauma surgeon Paul Kersey who sets out to get revenge on the men who attacked his family killing his wife Lucy (Elisabeth Shue) and badly injuring his daughter Jordan (Camila Morrone). Also starring Vincent D'Onofrio, Dean Norris, Mike Epps and Kimberly Elise, the film cost US$30M to make, has so far grossed US$25M and has received generally negative press so far.

'THE STRANGERS : PREY AT NIGHT' (Rated MA15+) - this horror film is a sequel to the 2008 Bryan Bertini Directed film 'The Strangers' about a young couple who are terrorised by three masked assailants over the course of an evening at a remote summer home. Made for US$9M that film grossed US$83M, and so now ten years later we have the follow up featuring those same three masked assailants who stalk a family spending an evening at deserted mobile home park. Sounds like a recipe for disaster and blood curdling thrills and chills. Made for US$5M the film has so far recouped US$11M since its US release last week, and is helmed this time around by British film Director and Writer Johannes Roberts who seems most comfortable in the horror genre. The film stars Christina Hendricks, Martin Henderson, Bailee Madison and Lewis Pullman as the victims to the three stalking characters of Dollface, Pin Up Girl and Man In The Mask.

'THAT'S NOT MY DOG' (Rated M) - here we have lovable and affable Australian Actor, Comedian and Television Personality Shane Jacobson playing himself in this Aussie comedy film Directed by Dean Murphy that is Co-Produced and Co-Written by Jacobson too. The film celebrates the Aussie love of joke telling centering on Jacobson who throws a party inviting the funniest people that he knows, who from start to finish tell jokes and sing songs in their own trademark style. Featuring a wealth of local comedic and singing talent all playing themselves there is Paul Hogan, Jimeoin, Steve Vizard, Tim Ferguson, Paul Fenech and a whole host of others all giving it their funniest best shot over a barbie and a beer. The film goes on limited cinematic release before a television special and a book release.

'HUMAN FLOW' (Rated M) - this Documentary from Chinese Director, Writer, Cinematographer, Artist and Activist Ai Weiwei is a German produced film from Amazon Studios that charts the human refugee crisis that is altering the face of our planet. Filmed over the course of one year and across 23 different countries the film tells the unflinching, heartbreaking and crucially relevant story of over  65 million people around the world who have been forced from their homes to escape famine, climate change and war. The greatest displacement of the global population since World War II, here filmmaker Ai Weiwei examines the monumental scale of the global refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact. Weiwei follows a chain of urgent human stories that stretch across the world, taking in Afghanistan, France, Hungary, Turkey, Greece, Germany, Kenya, Jordan, Gaza and Iraq amongst others. The film has picked up six award wins and eleven nominations, including a Golden Lion nod at last years Venice Film Festival.

'I CAN ONLY IMAGINE' (Rated PG) - is a film based on the story behind the most played contemporary Christian song of all time 'I Can Only Imagine' by Christian rock band 'MercyMe'. The song was written and composed by lead vocalist Bart Millard, and was inspired by the death of Millard's father (who died in 1991, when Millard was just eighteen years of age) and considers what it would be like in Heaven and to be standing before God. The song has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over two million digital downloads, and is the first (and so far only) Christian single to reach that milestone. Directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin, the film stars J. Michael Finley as Bart Millard in his film debut, and Dennis Quaid as Arthur Millard, Bart's father, and tells a complex father and son story.

With six new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online, and meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-