What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 30th November 2023.

The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) returns for its 34th edition this year running from Thursday 30th November until Sunday 10th December, and promising an unparalleled cinematic experience filled with record-breaking firsts. This year, the festival proudly presents a diverse selection of 101 films from fifty countries, SGIFF is set to showcase the rich tapestry of international cinema, continuing its tradition of celebrating the art of storytelling through films, bringing together filmmakers, cinephiles, and audiences alike for an enriching and unforgettable cinematic journey. 

The festival opens with 'Tiger Stripes' from Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Indonesia and Qatar and is Directed by Amanda Nell Eu and tells the story of twelve year old girl Zaffan who is carefree until she starts to experience horrifying physical changes to her body.

A highlight of the Festival each year, the Asian Feature Film Competition is dedicated to uncovering exhilarating new cinematic visions by Asian Directors making their first to third feature films. This section takes in the following titles :-

* 'A Journey in Spring' - from Taiwan and Directed by Tzu-Hui Peng and Ping-Wen Wang.

* 'Critical Zone' - from Iran and Germany and Directed by Ali Ahmadzadeh.

* 'Dreaming & Dying' - from Singapore and Indonesia and Directed by Nelson Yeo.

* 'Hesitation Wound' - from Turkey, France, Romania and Spain and Directed by Selman Nacar.

* 'Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell' - from Vietnam, Singapore, France and Spain and Directed by Thien An Pham.

* 'Last Shadow at First Light' - from Singapore, Japan, Philippines, Slovenia and Indonesia and Directed by Nicole Midori Woodford.

* 'Monisme' - from Indonesia and Qatar and Directed by Riar Rizaldi.

* 'Morrison' - from Thailand and France and Directed by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng. 

* 'Snow in Midsummer' - from Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan and Directed by Keat Aun Chong.

* 'The Tenants' - from South Korea and Directed by Eun-Kyung Yoon. World Premiere screening.

* 'Tomorrow Is A Long Time' - from Singapore, Taiwan, France and Portugal and Directed by Zhi Wei Jow.

* 'Vali' - from India and Directed by Manoj Shinde. World Premiere screening.

What are the latest cinematic marvels that have resonated with festival audiences? Foreground presents six genre-driven works that have captivated the film festival circuit. This section highlights the following feature films :-

* '24 Hours with Gaspar' - from Indonesia and Directed by Yosep Anggi Noen.

* 'A Normal Family' - from South Korea and Directed by Jin-ho Hur.

* 'All of Us Strangers' - from the UK and Directed by Andrew Haigh.

* 'Art College 1994' - from China and Directed by Jian Liu.

* 'La Chimera' - from Italy, France and Switzerland and Directed by Alice Rohrwacher.

* 'Poor Things' - from the USA, UK and Ireland and Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.

For the other film strands being presented, and a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can head to the official website at : https://sgiff.com/

With seven new movie offerings hailing from all corners of the globe this week, there is sure to be something for everyone. Kicking off with a British drama that tells the story of the future for the last remaining pub in a village of Northeast England, where people are leaving the land as the mines are closed, where houses are cheap and available, thus making it an ideal location for Syrian refugees as the pub landlord befriends one of those refugees. Then we turn to a New Zealand comedy drama about a 17 year-old student who is forced to get off the fence he has actively sat on all his life to stand up for himself, his family and his future in this heartwarming story of identity. Next up is an Italian drama concerning two young boys who spend their childhoods together in a secluded alpine village roaming the surrounding peaks and valleys before their paths diverge. This is followed by an American comedy about two unpopular queer high school students who start a fight club to have sex before graduation. Up next is a Japanese creature feature set in Japan in the immediate aftermath of WWII when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster. Following on from this we have an American Christmas offering about the greatest story ever told - that of the birth of JC; before closing out the week with an American animated musical comedy that is the third instalment in the franchise that has Poppy learning that Branch was once part of the boy band 'BroZone', but when one of the brothers is kidnapped, Branch and Poppy embark on a journey to reunite his two other brothers and rescue the one kidnapped.

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

'THE OLD OAK' (Rated MA15+) - is a UK, French and Belgian Co-Produced drama film Directed by Ken Loach whose previous feature film credits take in his debut in 1967 with 'Poor Cow' and which he would follow up with the likes of 'Kes' in 1969, 'Riff-Raff' in 1991, 'Carla's Song' in 1996, 'My Name Is Joe' in 1998, 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley' in 2006, 'Looking for Eric' in 2009, 'I, Daniel Blake' in 2016 and 'Sorry We Missed You' in 2019. 'The Old Oak' is Ken Loach's last film having announced his retirement at the age of 87. This film Premiered in main competition at this years Cannes Film Festival in late May, was released in the UK at the end of September, has so far grossed US$1.2M off the back of a US$3.8M production budget and has generated largely positive reviews.

Pub landlord TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner), living in a previously thriving mining community in County Durham in North East England, struggles to hold onto his pub and keep it as the one remaining public space where people can meet in the town. Much of the younger population have since left and what was once a thriving, proud community struggles to keep old values alive. But there is growing anger, resentment, and a lack of hope. Houses are cheap and available. This makes it an ideal location for the Syrian refugees that have been accepted by Britain in recent years. Meanwhile, tensions rise when Syrian refugees are placed there, but Ballantyne strikes up a friendship with one of the refugees, Yara (Ebla Mari). 

'UPROAR' (Rated M) - this New Zealand comedy drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Paul Middleditch and Hamish Bennet. Set in New Zealand in 1981, when the arrival of the South African rugby team sets off nationwide protests against apartheid and racism. Josh Waaka (Julian Dennison), a quick witted 17-year-old of mixed race who has been a passive bystander all his life and who has struggled to to fit in to his all-boys private school, is inspired by the protests in his home town of Dunedin. Josh however, discovers a newfound passion for performing to find his own voice, and so with the aid of a kindly teacher Madigan (Rhys Darby), a close friend and his loving family (Minnie Driver and James Rolleston), a more confident Josh embraces his Maori heritage before taking a stand for himself, his family, and his future. 

'THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS' (Rated M) - is an Italian drama film Written for the screen and Directed by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch and is based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Paolo Cognetti. The film charts the friendship between two men, Pietro (played by Luca Marinelli as an adult) and Bruno (by Alessandro Borghi as an adult) who spend their childhood together in a remote Italian Alpine village and reconnect later as adults. The films title is a reference to the concept in Buddhism and ancient Indian cosmology that the world is composed of nine mountains and eight seas, specifically eight concentric circular mountain ranges separated from one another by eight seas, with the ninth and tallest mountain, Mount Meru, at the centre. The film saw its World Premier screening at at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022 where it won the Jury Prize, was released in its native Italy last December and only now does it get a release in Australia having so far grossed US$11M at the Box Office and generated positive reviews.

'BOTTOMS' (Rated MA15+) - this American satirical teen sex comedy film is Directed by Emma Seligman, from a screenplay she co-wrote with Rachel Sennott. Emma Seligman's made her feature film making debut with 'Shiva Baby' in 2020, and here she focuses on two girls, PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edbiri), who start a fight club as a way to lose their virginities to cheerleaders. Their bizarre plan works. The fight club gains traction and soon the most popular girls in school are beating each other up in the name of self-defence. But PJ and Josie find themselves in over their heads and in need of a way out before their plan is exposed. It Premiered at South by Southwest in mid-March this year and was released Stateside in late August, has so far grossed US$12.3M off the back of a production budget of US$11.3M and has garnered generally favourable critical reviews. 

'GODZILLA MINUS ONE' (Rated M) - is a Japanese kaiju film Written, Directed, and with visual effects by Takashi Yamazaki. It is the 37th film in the Godzilla franchise and the 33rd film produced by Japan's Toho Studios. Here, in post war 1946 Japan and the country is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, mutated by the horrific power of the Bikini Atoll nuclear tests. Starring Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, and Kuranosuke Sasaki, the film was produced for US$15M, was the closing night film at this years Tokyo International Film Festival on 1st November, was released in Japan on the 3rd of this month, is released in the US and Canada this week too, and in the UK and Ireland from mid-December. The film has been critically acclaimed in its home country of Japan.

'JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM' (Rated PG) - is an American Christmas family musical adventure film Co-Written for the screen and Directed by Adam Anders in his feature film making debut. You know the story here - a young woman carrying an unimaginable responsibility; a young man torn between love and honour; and a jealous king Herod (Antonio Banderas) who will stop at nothing to keep his crown. This live-action Christmas classic weaves melodies into new pop songs in a music-infused retelling of the timeless story of Mary (Fiona Palomo) and Joseph (Milo Manheim) and the birth of Jesus. 

'TROLLS BAND TOGETHER' (Rated G) - this American animated musical comedy film is Directed by Walt Dohrn who Co-Directed 'Trolls' in 2016 and Directed 'Trolls World Tour' in 2020. The first two films in the franchise cost a combined US$250M to produce and grossed worldwide a total US$396M and are based on the Good Luck Trolls created by the Danish woodworker Thomas Dam. A month after the events of the second film, Poppy (voiced by Anna Kendrick) and Branch (voiced by Justin Timberlake) have officially started a relationship. As the two grow closer, Poppy discovers that Branch was once a part of the boyband phenomenon, BroZone, with his four older brothers. When one of his brothers, Floyd (Troye Sivan), is kidnapped by wannabe pop-star siblings, Velvet (voiced by Amy Schumer) and Veneer (Andrew Rannells), Branch and the rest of the siblings must reunite to rescue him. Also starring the voice talents of Camila Cabello, Eric Andre, Kid Cudi, Daveed Diggs, RuPaul, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Anderson Paak. The film has so far grossed US$146M from a production budget of US$95M since its release in the US earlier this month. 

With seven 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-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 26th December 2019.

The 32nd European Film Awards were presented in Berlin, Germany on Saturday 7th December by the European Film Academy - an initiative of a group of European filmmakers who came together in Berlin on the occasion of the first presentation of the European Film Awards in November 1988. The Academy, under the name of European Cinema Society, was officially founded by its first President, the Swedish Director Ingmar Bergman, as well as 40 filmmakers from all over Europe. The European Film Awards takes place every second year in Berlin, while they are presented every other year in another European city. In 1996, German film maker Wim Wenders took over the presidency from Ingmar Bergman. With the awards the Academy actively pursues attracting the interest of the audience in European cinema, promoting its cultural and artistic qualities, and regaining the public's confidence in its entertainment value.

This years winners and grinners at the 32nd European Film Awards were as follows :-

* Best Film 
Awarded to 'THE FAVOURITE', beating out 'Les Miserables', 'An Officer and a Spy', 'Pain and Glory', 'System Crasher' and 'The Traitor'.
* Best European Comedy
Awarded to 'THE FAVOURITE', beating out 'Tel Aviv on Fire' and 'Ditte & Louise'.
* Best Director
Awarded to YORGOS LANTHIMOS for 'THE FAVOURITE', beating out Roman Polanski for 'An Officer and a Spy', Pedro Almodovar for 'Pain and Glory', Celine Sciamma for 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' and Marco Bellocchio for 'The Traitor'.
* Best Actress
Awarded to OLIVIA COLEMAN for 'THE FAVOURITE'.
* Best Actor
Awarded to ANTONIO BANDERAS for 'PAIN AND GLORY'.
* Best Documentary
Awarded to 'FOR SAMA', Directed by Edward Watts and Ward el-Kateab.
* Best Animated Feature
Awarded to 'BUNUEL IN THE LABYRINTH OF THE TURTLES' Directed by Salvador Simo.
* Best Screenwriter
Awarded to CELINE SCIAMMA for 'PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE'.
* Best Cinematographer
Awarded to ROBBIE RYAN for 'THE FAVOURITE'.
* Best Editor
Awarded to YORGOS MAVROPSARIDIS for 'THE FAVOURITE'.
* Best Costume Designer
Awarded to SANDY POWELL for 'THE FAVOURITE'.
* Best Make-Up and Hairstyling
Awarded to NADIA STACEY for 'THE FAVOURITE'.
* Best Production Designer
Awarded to ANTXON GOMEZ for 'PAIN AND GLORY'.
* Best Composer
Awarded to JOHN GURTLER for 'SYSTEM CRASHER'.
Best Sound Designer
Awarded to EDUARDO ESQUIDE, NACHO ROYO-VILLANOVA, and LAURENT CHASSAIGNE for 'A TWELVE-YEAR NIGHT'.
* Best Visual Effects
Awarded to 'ABOUT ENDLESSNESS'.

* The European Discovery Critics Award
Presented to 'LES MISERABLES' Directed by Ladj Ly.
* The Peoples Choice Audience Award
Presented to 'COLD WAR' Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski.
* The University Award
Presented to 'PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE' Directed by Celine Sciamma.
* The European Achievement in World Cinema Honorary Award
Presented to JULIETTE BINOCHE, the Fresh Actress, artist and dancer.
* The Lifetime Achievement Honorary Award
Presented to WERNER HERZOG, the German Director of film and opera, Producer, Actor, Author and Screenwriter.

For the full low down on all the glitz and glamour of the 32nd European Film Awards, you can visit the official website at : https://www.europeanfilmawards.eu

Turning to Christmas week, we have six latest release new movies gracing your local Odeon on Boxing Day. We kick start the filmic festive season with this black comedy satire on Nazi Germany during WWII brought to us by New Zealand's finest and funniest film maker working today. Then we turn to a sequel of a 2017 film that was a sequel to a 1995 film featuring a group of teenage kids thrust into a video game and emerging as avatars of themselves destined to locate a pair of aged lost friends and escape the game back to their own reality. We then join a whole bunch of felines based on a long running and hugely successful stage play of the same name, featuring an A-list cast made to look like said felines with a specific mission in mind . . . sounds puuurrrrrr-fect! Next up is a British story from an acclaimed Director about a family struggling with life in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, but just as some light at the end of the tunnel emerges so too is there a risk that the tunnel is going to cave in at any moment. This is followed up by a French historical drama about two women on a remote island - one about to enter an arranged marriage and the other sent over to paint her portrait - and the relationship that develops between the pair over time. And we close out the week with another French offering about a famed cinema Actress living in Paris and the publication of her memoir, her Screenwriter daughter with whom she has a somewhat fractured relationship, and the truths that emerge when the daughter visits her mother from the US.   

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. 

'JOJO RABBIT' (Rated M) - judging by the trailers for this American satirical black comedy that is a send up of Nazi Germany during WWII, this film looks hilarious. Directed, Co-Produced, Written and starring New Zealand's very own Taika Waititi, whose last film outing was the highly acclaimed 'Thor : Ragnarok' and before that 'The Hunt for the Wilderpeople'. This film is based on Christine Leunens's 2008 novel 'Caging Skies', and had its world Premiere showing at TIFF in early September where it won the top prize, the 'Grolsch People's Choice Award' before its wider release in the US in mid-October and in New Zealand in late October. The film has divided Critics, however, most seem to be praising the performances, the humour, the screenplay and the heart-warming story. Made for US$14M the film has so far grossed US$26M.

Here lonely German lad Johannes 'Jojo' Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis), a Hitler Youth recruit finds out that his single mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic. He must then question his beliefs, while dealing with the intervention of his imaginary friend, an idiotic version of Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). The film also stars Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, and Sam Rockwell.

'JUMANJI : THE NEXT LEVEL' (Rated PG) - is an American fantasy adventure comedy film Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Jake Kasdan, and is the second sequel to the 1995 film 'Jumanji', following 2017's 'Jumanji : Welcome to the Jungle' and the overall fourth instalment of the Jumanji franchise. Jake Kasdan also Directed 'Jumanji : Welcome to the Jungle' which grossed US$962M at the worldwide Box Office off the back of a US$90M budget investment, and before that 'Sex Tape', 'Bad Teacher' and 'Walk Hard : The Dewey Cox Story' amongst a few others. Unknown to his friends, Spencer (Alex Wolff) kept the pieces of the Jumanji video game and one day repaired the system in the basement of his grandfather Eddie's (Danny DeVito) house. When Spencer's friends Bethany Walker (Madison Iseman), Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain), and Martha Kaply (Morgan Turner) arrive, they find Spencer missing and the game running and decide to re-enter Jumanji to save him. Spencer's grandfather Eddie and his friend Milo Walker (Danny Glover) hear the commotion and inadvertently get sucked into the game too before any of Spencer's friends can select their avatars. With a new quest offered to them by Nigel Billingsley (Rhys Darby), the teenaged friends must help Eddie and Milo get used to their in-game avatars, get them to help find Spencer and Bethany, and escape Jumanji once again and for all. Also starring and reprising their roles from the previous instalment are Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Nick Jonas with Awkafina and Colin Hanks also joining the castlist.

'CATS' (Rated G) - is a British and American Co-Produced musical fantasy film based on the stage musical of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which saw its Premier West End show in May 1981 and, which in turn was based on the 1939 poetry collection 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cat's' by T. S. Eliot. The film is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written for the screen by Tom Hooper—in his second musical film following 2012's 'Les Misérables', and whose other notable film credits include 'The King's Speech' and 'The Danish Girl'. Here Hooper has amassed an ensemble cast to bring to life a tribe of cats called the 'Jellicles' who over the course of a single night, must make what is known as 'the Jellicle choice' and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. With a Production Budget of US$90M the live action cast includes James Cordon, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Ian McKellen, Rebel Wilson, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, Francesca Hayward, Ray Winstone and Les Twins. The film was released in the US last week, has so far grossed US$11M and has received generally negative press, and following many poor reviews, Universal Studios notified movie theatres on opening day that an updated Digital Cinema Package with 'some improved visual effects' would be available for download on 22nd December, urging them to replace the current print as soon as possible. Studio executives and theatre owners said that the decision to release a modified version of a film already on general release was 'unheard of'. Make of that what you will!

'SORRY WE MISSED YOU' (Rated MA15+) - this British, French and Belgian Co-Produced drama film is Directed by the acclaimed English film maker Ken Loach, who at the tender rage of 83 is still making award winning films. Some of his more noteworthy back catalogue of films include 'Kes', 'Riff-Raff', 'The Wind that Shakes the Barley', 'Looking for Eric', and 'I, Daniel Blake' most recently. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where Loach appeared to promote the film at Cannes, stating that it would be his final film to compete at the festival. It received the audience award for best European film at the 2019 San Sebastian International Film Festival in September. Ricky Turner (Kris Hitchen) and his wife Abby (Debbie Honeywood) and two kids Seb (Rhys Stone) and Lisa Jane (Katie Proctor) have been fighting an uphill battle against debt since the 2008 financial crash. An opportunity to wrestle back some independence appears with a shiny new van and the chance to run a franchise as a self employed delivery driver. It's hard work, and his wife's job as a carer is no easier. The family unit is strong but when they are pulled in different directions everything reaches breaking point. The film has received generally positive Reviews since its release in France, Belgium and the UK at the back end of October.

'PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE' (Rated M) - here this French historical drama film is Directed and Written by Celine Sciamma. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Queer Palm at Cannes, becoming the first film Directed by a woman to win the award. Sciamma also won the award for Best Screenplay at Cannes. The film has thus far accumulated ten award wins and another thirteen nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit and has garnered universal Critical Reviews since its release in France in mid-September. Set in France in 1760, arriving on an isolated island of the Brittany coast, Marianne (Noemie Merlant) is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Heloise (Adele Haenel), a young woman who has recently left the convent. Because she is a reluctant bride-to-be, Marianne arrives under the guise of a companion, observing Heloise by day and secretly painting her by firelight at night. As the two women observe each other from a distance, intimacy and attraction are ignited as they share Heloise's first moments of freedom. Heloise's portrait soon becomes a testament to their love.

'THE TRUTH' (Rated PG) - this French drama offering Written and Directed by Japan's Hirokazu Kore-eda is his first feature film set outside of his native Japan and not in his native language. Kore-eda is the highly acclaimed Director behind last years multi-award winning 'Shoplifters'. The film saw its world Premier screening at the Venice International Film Festival in late August, was released in Japan in early October, and arrives in Australian cinema's at Christmas time, having generated generally favourable Reviews along the way. Fabienne (Catherine Deneuve) is one of the great stars of French cinema. She reigns amongst men who love and admire her. However, she has a somewhat challenging relationship with her daughter Lumir (Juliette Binoche), a Screenwriter. When Lumir and her husband Hank (Ethan Hawke) return to Paris with their young child, things come to a head with the release of Fabienne’s memoir, and as a consequence the reunion between mother and daughter quickly turns confrontational as truths are told, accounts are settled and love and resentment are confessed.

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 17th November 2016.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Hogwarts, along comes what is said to be the first in a five film franchise spin-off of that hugely successful 'Harry Potter' universe. Created by J.K.Rowling over seven novels and eight films that have seen Rowling go from rags to riches in a relatively short period of time, amassing her a personal fortune, it is reported, somewhere close to £600M from her book sales and film rights for which she retained final script approval and creative license on the 'Deathly Hallows' instalments. Her 'Harry Potter' books have become the best selling book series in history selling a combined 400 million copies, worth in the UK alone close to £240M making her the UK's best selling living author. Now in 2016 we return to the 'Potterverse' with 'Fantastic Beasts and where to find them' written by Rowling under the pseudonym of Newt Scamander and first published in March 2001. Set in a New York City of 1926 where Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is visiting some seventy years before Harry Potter's story first started, but which is referenced in 'Philospsoher's Stone'. It is Scamander who researches, rescues, and documents said fantastic beasts, exotic creatures, and strange animals. Directed by David Yates who helmed the final four 'Harry Potter' films to critical and commercial success, it seems that 'Fantastic Beasts' is in safe and familiar hands, and waiting for you to find them!

This week there are four new films aimed largely at a more mature audience that range from epic blockbuster to small independent fare and across action fantasy, Sci-Fi horror, buddy cop black comedy and social drama. Starting off with the return to all things wizardry that takes us in a familiar yet new direction in this prequel to a much loved critically acclaimed and commercially successful series of books and films, that might just go the same way. Then we have a buddy cop movie of two crooked detectives who get the tables turned on them when they least expect it - delivered by a noted Director who likes his comedy served black and cold. We then move to a Sci-Fi horror offering of a synthetic being running amok and a consultant sent in to decide what to do before it goes all pair shaped for everyone! And then we wrap up, with a social drama with something to say about the state of Britain's welfare and wellbeing system.

Whether you choose to see any of the four films as Previewed below, or those as Previewed in prior weeks or Reviewed here within these humble Blog pages, remember to share your views and opinions of your own movie going experience, with your like minded cinephiles here. Leave your Comment below this or any other Post - you'll always get a response, and of course, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Meanwhile, enjoy your film.

'FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM' (Rated M) - takes place in the 'Potterverse', albeit some 70 years or so before the advent of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Grainger and their exploits at Hogwarts across eight groundbreaking films taken from the seven source novels by one J.K.Rowling. 'Fantastic Beasts . . . ' was written by J.K.Rowling and published in 2001 under the the pseudonym of the fictitious author Newt Scamander about the magical creatures in the Harry Potter universe. It claims to be Harry Potter's copy of the textbook of the same name as referenced in 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' - required reading for first year students to Hogwarts. The Screenplay for the film was written by Rowling in her screenwriting debut, and Co-Produced by her too. This is the first spin-off of the Harry Potter series and said to be the first of five films. Directed by David Yates who also Directed to critical acclaim and huge commercial Box Office receipts 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix', '. . .  and the Half Blood Prince' and '. . .  and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2', this film was made for US$180M and goes on general worldwide release this week.

Set in 1926 New York and Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrives in The Big Apple nearing the end of his travels around the world to seek out, rescue and document the fantastical and magical creatures that share our world, albeit generally hidden from view. He's in NYC for only a brief time, but his plans are scuppered when he encounters a No-Maj (American for 'Muggle') named Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) who inadvertently lets several of Newt's fantastic beasts escape from his deceptively nondescript leather brief case. This is in breach of the Statute of Secrecy which comes to the attention of Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) a downtrodden and demoted member of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) who sees this latest development as a chance to regain her former place in that hallowed organisation. Little does she know that Percival Graves (Colin Farrell) who is the Director of Magical Security at MACUSA is suspicious of both Newt and Tina. Joining forces with Newt, Tina and Jacob is Queenie (Alison Sudol), Tina's younger sister. The four fugitives from the law must now track down and recapture the escaped beasts before they come to harm, but little do they also know that their mission puts them on a collision course with the dark forces that could have more far reaching consequences for them all. Also starring John Voight, Ron Perlman, Johnny Depp, Ezra Miller and Samantha Morton amongst other fantastic beasts - if you know where to find them.

'WAR ON EVERYONE' (Rated MA15+) - Written and Directed by John Michael McDonagh, who brought us the excellent 'The Guard' and 'Calvary', has delivered here another black comedy but instead of being set in Ireland as were those two features, here this time the action takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The film was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival in February this year, was released in the UK and Ireland in early October, and now arrives in Australian cinemas. Telling the story of two corrupt buddy cops in Albuquerque, Detectives Terry Monroe (Alexander Skarsgard) and Bob Bolano (Michael Pena) who set up to frame and blackmail every criminal low life that makes the sorry mistake of crossing their paths. However, things take an unexpected turn for the worse when the two Detectives come across a perpetrator in the form of a British 'Lord', James Mangan (Theo James) who just happens to be more dangerous and more scheming than they are. Also starring Tessa Thompson and Paul Reiser.

'MORGAN' (Rated MA15+) - this Sci-Fi horror offering is helmed by first time Director Luke Scott (son of Sir Ridley, who takes a Producer credit), was released in early September in the US and UK, cost US$8M to make, has so far made US$9M and has received average Reviews only. Telling the story of Morgan (Anya Taylor-Joy), a synthetic bioengineered being, who started walking and talking after just one month in existence, much to the surprise and delight of its creators. When Morgan violently attacks one of its handlers, corporate troubleshooter Lee Weathers (Kate Mara) is sent in to the secluded, remote and ever so secret facility to investigate. Weather's task it to observe and make a determination to keep Morgan alive or not based on calculated risk. When Morgan breaks free and tries to evade capture using her particular set of skills, the facility goes into lockdown and the staff find themselves at the mercy of an unpredictable and dangerous synthetic being. Also starring Toby Jones, Brian Cox, Paul Giamatti, Michelle Yeoh, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Rose Leslie. Said to be beautifully shot, with strong performances from the gathered ensemble cast, but we may just have seen this done better in last years 'Ex Machina'.

'I, DANIEL BLAKE' (Rated MA15+) - eighty year old English film and television Director Ken Loach has been making films with social messages at their heart for five decades, and he came out of self-imposed retirement to make this film - his 26th feature film - which won the Palme D'Or at this years Cannes Film Festival and from around the festival circuit has so far picked up five other wins and a nomination. Using non-professional acting talent Loach has crafted a warts and all look at the British welfare system, job prospects and being cast aside before even hitting the ripe old age of sixty. Here stand-up comedian Dave Johns is Daniel Blake a 59 year old carpenter and widower living in England's north-east when he suffers a major heart attack. His cardiologist orders him not to work for fear of him developing an irregular heart beat which could be life threatening. Daniel is an active kind of chap, and in seeking Employment and Support Allowance, but is told be some joker masquerading as a healthcare professional that he is in fact fit for work. Caught between a rock and hard place, Blake takes on the bureaucratic red tape in an attempt claim Jobseekers Allowance. At the same time he befriends single mother Kate (Hayley Squires) who is in a similar situation but with two children in tow. Together the pair go the distance fighting the system, but not without its challenges! Raw, revealing and relevant this is a film of contemporary Britain in all its sad social injustice.

Four very different films to choose from then to keep you entertained in the week ahead. Share your views with us here, when you have sat through your movie of choice, and in the meantime, I'll see you at the Odeon sometime in the coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-