DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS : Tuesday 10th May 2022.

'DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS', which I saw at my local Multiplex this week, is an M Rated American Superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of Doctor Stephen Strange and is the sequel to 2016's 'Doctor Strange' which grossed US$668M off the back of a production budget of circa US$200M and is the 28th feature film and part of Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This film is Directed by Sam Raimi who replaced Director Scott Derrickson from the first instalment. Originally slated for release in early May 2021, it was pushed back to early November 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before it was further shifted to the end of March 2022, and in October 2021, it was shifted once more to its current May 2022 date with the World Premier on 2nd May and its world wide release last week. On a budget of US$200M, the film has so far grossed US$533M and has received generally positive Critical feedback. 

Set a few months following the events of 'Spider-Man : No Way Home', the film opens up with teenager America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) and an alternate version of Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) being chased by a demon in the space between universes while searching for the Book of Vishanti (the greatest known source of white magical knowledge on Earth that contains spells of defensive magic). Strange is killed before he can reach the Book of Vishanti and Chavez accidentally creates a portal that transports herself and Strange's corpse to Earth-616, where that universe's version of Strange is attending the wedding of his former love interest Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams). 

Sipping Martini's post ceremony Strange springs to the rescue of  Chavez from an octopus demon with help from the Sorcerer Supreme, Wong (Benedict Wong). Chavez later explains that the demons are hunting her because she has the power to travel through the multiverse, although she is unable to control when and where she travels to and from. 

Recognising witchcraft runes on the now slaughtered octopus demon, Strange consults Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) for help but realises that she is responsible for the attacks. After acquiring the Darkhold (also known as The Book of the Damned, a textbook of black magic) and becoming the Scarlet Witch, Maximoff believes that controlling Chavez's powers will allow her to reunite with Billy (Julian Hilliard) and Tommy (Jett Klyne), the children she created during her time in Westview, New Jersey. When Strange refuses to surrender Chavez, Maximoff attacks Kamar-Taj in Kathmandu, Nepal and the main HQ for the Masters of the Mystic Arts, killing many sorcerers. 

Chavez accidentally transports herself and Strange to Earth-838, taking in a multitude of multiverses to arrive there, while Maximoff uses the Darkhold to 'dream-walk', taking control of her Earth-838 counterpart, who lives a suburban life with her own Billy and Tommy. With Wong strung up and powerless, a surviving sorceress sacrifices herself to destroy the Darkhold and break the dream-walk. Enraged, Maximoff then forces Wong to lead her to Mount Wundagore (a mountain which holds the power of the Darkhold and features a shrine sitting atop dedicated to the Scarlet Witch), a forbidden ancient ruin, to reestablish the dream-walk.

On Earth-838 Strange and Chavez pay a visit to the Sanctum Sanctorum in that universe's version of New York City. There they are greeted by Sorcerer Supreme Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and brought before the Illuminati, a group consisting of Mordo, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Blackagar Boltagon (Anson Mount), Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), Reed Richards (John Krasinski), and Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart). They explain that through reckless use of their universe's Darkhold in an attempt to defeat Thanos, Earth-838's Strange triggered a universe-destroying 'incursion' whereby two universes collide with one completely destroying the other. After defeating Thanos, the Illuminati killed their Strange to prevent him from creating more damage and danger to their universe. Mordo is of the belief that Earth-616's Strange is as dangerous, whereas Charles Xavier is prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt and a second chance. 

Maximoff re-establishes her dream-walk at Mount Wundagore and arrives in her Earth-838 counterpart's body before they can pass judgment. Despite their best valiant attempts she slaughters all of the Illuminati except Mordo. Strange and Chavez meanwhile escape aided by Earth-838 counterpart of Strange's ex-fiance Christine Palmer, here a scientist working with the Illuminati.

Strange, Chavez, and Palmer enter through a doorway that leads them to a space between universes to find the Book of Vishanti, the polar opposite to the Darkhold, but Maximoff appears and destroys it. She then takes over Chavez's mind, using her powers to send the others to an incursion-destroyed universe. Back in Earth-616, Maximoff begins the spell to take Chavez's powers. Strange defeats the destroyed universe's Strange in a blackened out wasteland that was that universe's version of New York City and the Sanctum Sanctorum. 

That version of Strange had become corrupted by his universe's Darkhold, but Strange then uses it to dream-walk in the corpse of the deceased alternate Strange that Chavez was with when she jumped through the portal into Earth-616 initially. With Wong's help, Strange saves Chavez from Maximoff and encourages Chavez to use her powers. 

She transports Maximoff to Earth-838, where she sees Billy and Tommy retreat from her in fear while crying for their real mother. Maximoff relents and uses her powers to bring down Mount Wundagore, destroying all copies of the Darkhold throughout the multiverse and seemingly sacrificing herself in the process, along with the zombiefied Strange. Chavez returns Strange and Palmer to their respective universes.

Later, when peace has returned to Earth-616 Kamar-Taj is in the throes of being repaired as the surviving sorcerers, joined by Chavez, continue with their training. Strange having just exited from the Sanctum Sanctorum falls to the ground in agony as he develops a third eye as a result of using the Darkhold and dream-walking into a corpse. In a mid-credits scene, Strange is approached by a sorceress who introduces herself as Clea (Charlize Theron) who warns him that his actions have triggered an incursion that he must help fix. Strange follows her into the Dark Dimension. 

Sam Raimi's 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' has his trademark touches all over it, from the humour to the horror, and the drama to the thrills, here he explores various worlds within the multiverse that make for an entertaining and enjoyable watch, and, at at little over a very respectable two hour run time. The film is certainly a feast for the senses, but it misses out on an emotional heartbeat in favour of wham bam thank-you Ma'am action set pieces and mind bending CGI eye candy, that sure enough help propel the story along and I guess there's nothing wrong with that either. With twenty-seven MCU films before it, here the Studio and Raimi have delivered perhaps the most supernatural, dark fantasy tinged with elements of horror offering to date replete with the Director's touchstones from his forty year plus filmmaking career. Cumberbatch and Olsen provide the standout performances in their roles, as you would expect now given how settled they both are in their respective capacities, but Wong could have done with a little bit more meat on his characters bones, and I was left wanting to see more of him. As for the numerous cameo's - they're all on point despite many of them coming to a sticky end, albeit in an alternate universe which means that we're likely to see them again!

'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

LOGAN : Tuesday 7th March 2017

I caught 'LOGAN' last week at my local multiplex. Hugh Jackman has been playing the character of James 'Logan' Howlett aka 'Wolverine' aka 'Weapon X' for the past seventeen years and has appeared in nine 'X-Men' films including this latest release which he says will be his last outing as the titular wisecracking adamantium clawed Superhero. He first appeared in 2000's 'X-Men' and then in 2003's 'X2', then in 2006 in 'X-Men : The Last Stand'. In 2009 Logan got his first stand alone feature in 'X-Men Origins : Wolverine' and was Directed by Gavin Hood bringing in US$374M at the global Box Office. 'X-Men : FirstClass' followed in 2011, then 'The Wolverine' in 2013 another stand alone feature Directed by James Mangold and bringing in US$415M in worldwide receipts. 'X-Men : Days of Future Past' was released in 2014, and 'X-Men : Apocalypse' in 2016. All up those first eight 'X-Men' films in which Wolverine/Logan has appeared have generated US$3.6B at the Box Office from a budget outlay of US$1.2B. Now 'Logan' is back in his final instalment (allegedly) and is once again Directed by James Mangold and this time on a US$97M budget in this third stand alone offering and the tenth film in the 'X-Men' franchise. Early reports have been very positive, with some saying it is the best 'X-Men' film to date, and so far the film has taken US$439M at the global Box Office.

Set in a near future world of 2029, where the mutant population is dwindling, with no new mutant births in over twenty years. With it Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) dreams of a brave new world featuring a new stage of mutant evolution, but those dreams have slowly died. James Howlett aka Logan aka Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) has settled into a life as a hard drinking limo driver somewhere on the Mexican border. He scrapes together a meagre living while hustling medication for an increasingly infirm and ageing Professor X whom he cares for in a ram shackle abandoned smelting plant shared with Caliban (Stephen Merchant) who also looks after and attends to the ailing Professor whose strong telepathic powers have now become unstable and unpredictable with his advancing years. Logan too is ageing and his powers aren't what they used to be, as the adamantium fused to his bones is slowly poisoning him and working against his healing powers. Caliban is an albino mutant who has the ability to sense and track other mutants, but is adverse to sunlight as it burns his fragile skin.

After some introductory scuffles in a car park where Logan's prized stretched limo is being carjacked by a bunch of heavies, Logan proves that he still has what it takes to dispense with pesky criminal types. A short time later we see him being approached by Gabriella (Elizabeth Rodriguez) a former nurse at Alkali-Transigen (a biotech company responsible for the Weapon X programme). She wants Logan to escort her and an eleven year old girl, Laura (Dafne Keen) across the border and over to a place in North Dakota called 'Eden'. She is prepared to pay and offer Logan US$20K cash up front with the balance of US$30K on safe delivery at the other end. Logan is very reluctant and refuses at first.

In the meantime Logan is tracked down by Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook), Transigen's relentless, calculating and cybernetically enhanced Head of Security, who seeks Logan's support in locating the young girl and returning her to Transigen. Logan refuses Pierce too.

After accepting the job from Gabriella, Logan finds her dead at their designated pick up point and no sign of Laura. Logan takes the cash anyway and disappears back to his secluded hideaway. Tending to an ailing Charles Xavier, they are interrupted by Pierce and his bunch of similarly cybernetically enhanced heavies, The Reavers. Laura appears having stowed away in the boot of Logan's limo, and disappears into the now long redundant smelting plant quickly followed by three Reavers. What follows is Laura proving who and what she really is - a mysterious young mutant who is very much like Logan, which is hardly surprising given that she was cloned from his blood, and using Logan's DNA Transigen weaponised clones of him. And so Laura quickly dispenses with the three goons, emerging carrying the head of one of those Reavers.

With Caliban captured, the three narrowly escape in Logan's limo leaving a trail of bloodshed, death and destruction in their wake. But Pierce, using Caliban's mutant tracking powers to follow them, is never far behind them. In a quiet moment, Logan and Xavier watch a video on Gabriella's phone showing that she hatched a plan to evacuate as many children out of the Tnansigen facility as she could, Laura included. They were breeding mutant children using DNA samples from several mutants, but as the children grew up and became stronger and more powerful, so they were increasingly harder to control. As that project became obsolete, so the order was given to terminate this children, hence the escape plan.

Taking the action to Oklahoma City en route to North Dakota, the three stop off at a hotel casino to freshen up, acquire a change of clothes and change their bullet hole ridden limo for a vehicle less obvious. There Logan finds one of Laura's comic books of the 'X-Men' and inside notices a reference to a safe haven for mutants known as 'Eden'. He deduces that no such place can exist as it is a place of fiction appearing in a common book and the work of someones imagination.

When returning from sourcing a new car, the Reavers and Pierce have caught up with the three mutants in the hotel, during which time Xavier suffers a seizure and telepathically freezes all those within the hotel casino and in the immediate vicinity. Logan is able to battle through Xaviers freezing seizure and inject him with a suppressant, but not before taking out all the gathered Reavers in the room where Xavier and Laura were being held.

While on the road having left the carnage of Oklahoma City behind them, they encounter a family on the highway who have a road traffic accident involving several horses they were carrying in a trailer behind. The threesome help by rounding up the horses, and out of gratitude the family invite them back to their homestead for dinner. Logan is keen to avoid this type of interaction, but is overruled by Xavier in favour of a comfortable charitable evening of home cooked food and a a warm welcome.

Logan and the husband of the family are distracted by a burst water main that take them off property to fix it. In the meantime, Pierce and his goons have caught up with the family and a real clone of Logan, X-24 (also played by Hugh Jackman in a younger version of himself) takes out the entire family and stabs Xavier through the chest inflicting life threatening wounds. Logan appears as X-24 is carrying off Laura heavily shackled. Logan and the feral clone of himself go head to head in an intense close quarter fight sequence, that sees the X-24 impaled on a combine harvester by the husband of the family who discovered his slaughtered wife and children, before succumbing to X-24's razor sharp claws himself.

Caliban meanwhile sacrifices himself by detonating two hand grenades in the back of the truck where he is being held captive by Pierce and Dr. Zander Rice (Richard E. Grant), the brains behind the Transigen projects, and whose father Logan killed when he escaped from the Weapon X programme at Alkali Lake.

Laura and Logan bury Xavier, and then Logan collapses exhausted. He wants to abandon the worthless trip to Eden, but Laura convinces him to see his commitment out. X-24 is far from dead meanwhile having been administered a regeneration serum to aid and speed up his healing process. Logan and Laura duly arrive at Eden and are greeted by the other escaped mutant children. Logan is nursed back to a degree of health through two days of almost solid sleep and small doses of a healing serum administered by one of the teenage children, Rictor (Jason Genao).

At this point Logan agrees to part company with the group of mutant children, and waking the next morning from his deep slumber he finds Eden deserted and the children gone. Through a telescope perched high in a look out he spies the Reavers in the forest in the distance in hot pursuit of the children. He has no alternative but to go to their aid. Gaining ground and in close proximity, Logan injects himself with an overdose of the healing serum which sends him into a rage, in which he quickly dispenses with many Reavers before the serum wears off. Leaving only Rice, Pierce, X-24 and a few remaining Reavers, the children use their combined powers to dispense with Pierce and the last of the Reavers. Logan shoots Rice and kills him, and then goes head to head with X-24 in a brutal bloody battle to the end.

The upshot of all of this, is that the mutant children make it to safety we have to assume as they cross the border in search of a new beginning, and those that will give them safe harbour.

The critics and the audiences have praised 'Logan' and deservedly so. This is not your usual run 'o' the mill Superhero movie. The performances from Jackman, Stewart and Keen especially are all first rate. Jackman portrays Logan as the broken, weakened, vulnerable ageing man - a shadow of his former cigar munching wise cracking invincible self that represents probably his best performance as Wolverine/Logan in his seventeen year run. Stewart too lets down his guard completely as an equally broken man no longer in control of his emotions or his senses, rambling on, unsteady on his feet, and devoid of any greatness that he portrayed in previous 'X-Men' instalments. And as for young Keen - she could turn on a dime from sweet innocent young girl to menacing strength and ruthless killer in a heartbeat, and delivers her role convincingly. The story is well conceived, brutally acted out with slice and dice action sequences that deliver a high body count but not in the traditional Superhero way, but in a more grounded realistic way, and decidedly more adult oriented fare that delivers on just about every level. Catch it on the big screen while you can - you won't be disappointed.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

GREEN ROOM : Tuesday 17th May 2016.

'GREEN ROOM' which I saw in the week is Written and Directed by Jeremy Saulnier, and so far this low budget limited release horror thriller has garnered much critical acclaim which has yet to transfer to big Box Office receipts, but nonetheless is worthy of your attention. With it's worldwide Premier at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival - one year ago now - and a limited release in the US in mid-April this year, the film arrived on Aussie shores mid this month and so far has generated US$2.8M from its budget outlay of US$5M. You'll have to hunt this film down though if you are tempted to see this well crafted and original film, because it is at selected cinemas only, and I had to traipse half way across Sydney to catch it . . . but it was worth the journey. The film has picked up six award wins and three other nominations from across the circuit too.

The story here concerns the members of a young punk band 'The Ain't Rights' - Pat, Sam, Reece and Tiger (Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawcat, Joe Cole and Callum Turner respectively) who are wrapping up a largely unsuccessful tour with a view that after their last gig they are all going to go their separate ways. We join them in the American Pacific Northwest travelling to the  Oregon coast to perform a gig which subsequently nets them about $6 each for their performance. None too pleased they take their anger and frustration out on Tad (David W. Thompson), a young radio host who coordinated the gig for them. Determined to set things right Tad organises another gig for them at a club just outside of Portland, tucked away in the murky forest backwater along the last chance highway and past the no-hope turn-off to shitville. He tells them that the gig will pay them $350. They climb into their truck which is their home away from home on wheels and contains instruments, bedding, clothing and their worldly possessions it seems, and head off for the gig later that afternoon. They are told that the audience will be boots and braces types - skinheads - but just to play whatever they choose. They open up with a cover of the Dead Kennedy's 'Nazi Punk's Fuck Off' which enrages the gathered audience but who are won over by the originality of the subsequent songs.

After the gig, the band pack up their gear and make a hasty retreat from their Neo Nazi confines, but Sam forgets she left her phone to recharge in the Green Room, and so Pat goes back to collect it. Barging into the Green Room he observes Amber (Imogen Poots) and Werm (Brent Werzner) standing over the body of a dead girl, with a knife protruding from her skull. Quickly the four band members are hurriedly locked into the Green Room with Amber and the corpse, by Gabe and Big Justin. Game (Macon Blair) leaves to call his boss and the owner of the club Darcy Banker (Patrick Stewart), leaving an armed Big Justin (Eric Edelstein) to keep the four friends and Amber at bay. They over power him however, and now the captor is held captive at gunpoint by the five. When Darcy arrives he attempts to calm the situation through the closed heavily locked door of the Green Room by lulling the five into a false sense of security, telling them the police have been called and the situation diffused, but he is concerned about the unregistered gun that Reece now holds, and for that reason they should give it up.

What follows is a game of wits as the four band members are fearful for their lives whilst Amber is the gung-ho nothing to lose one amongst them determined to make right by her dead friend laying on the floor in the same room. Darcy does his best to negotiate his way into the room and out of this mess, intent on eliminating the witnesses at the hands of his white supremacist Neo Nazi red laced skinhead followers. Whilst the gang inside the Green Room are held captive it all gets heated as tempers become more and more frayed, and Big Justin is held in an arm lock with a gun pointed at his head for good measure. The gang discover a bunker immediately below the floorboards as night begins to fall, and the venue has been cleared under the auspices of a power outage, so leaving Darcy and his henchmen to go about their business of dispensing with the five witnesses.

An attempt to negotiate and the five to be let loose from their confines goes horribly wrong when Pat tries to hand over the offending weapon to Darcy on the other side of the door.  The result is that his outstretched arm is savagely attacked and mutilated with knives and machetes. Just about recovering the situation within the Green Room, Amber takes a box cutter blade to Big Justin's stomach very effectively seeing him off in one swift slice.

The five eventually make it out of the Green Room and into the darkened deserted club, only to be greeted by pit bull dogs who quickly dispense with two of the band members whilst gun fire dispenses with another. This leaves Pat, Sam and Amber to get the hell outta Dodge with their lives still intact and their bodies in one piece, but Darcy is still hell bent on covering those tracks with a crime scene in the forest that makes the whole cause and effect look very different. With his arm now wrapped in gaffer tape the three remaining attempt to escape once again with further gun shots, pit bull attacks and bloody swipes of a machete resulting in Sam buying the farm, but not before two of Darcy's henchmen have succumbed too at the hands of Amber and Pat.

With only Amber and Pat remaining a face off occurs in the bunker discovered below the Green Room which was accessed by a hole ripped in the floor boards. Armed only with the hand gun and a box cutter which Amber has already proven herself with, two other young red laced henchmen have been ordered to kill on sight, while Gabe cleans up the evidence of the dead bodies in the club. Pat and Amber overcome the two killing them, and seize Gabe when he inadvertently returns to the Green Room to clean up in there not knowing what has just gone down. He says that he just wants to go back to prison, and intends to give himself up to the Police. They lead him out of the club at gun point as dawn breaks outside and all is calm, but not yet over.

They walk through the forest and hear gun shots in the distance - the two send Gabe off to alert the Police which he willingly agrees to do. They come across Darcy and two of his men with the bands truck and the corpses of the other band members being made to look like they were attacked and killed by wild dogs. Needless to say it doesn't end well for Darcy and Co. at the hands of Pat and Amber who are determined to see that justice is duly served.

This is a well crafted, original story that is thrilling, horrific, tense and at times even funny. It is well cast with believable performances not the least of which is Patrick Stewart as the level headed but deviously sinister gentleman club owner hiding some very dark secrets and who will stop at nothing to protect his interests. But, what he and his kind did not count on was four young punks and a girl witness with a particular set of skills who will not go silently into the night, and in this respect both Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots hold their own too and give equally strong grounded performances. Taught, twisted, riveting, and riotous - this will not be for everyone, but for those who are looking for something fresh, genre defining, life or death, intense and emotional, then you can't go far wrong with this one.


-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 12th May 2016.

With the recent Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe going head to head at your local Odeon with those Superhero types doing battle royale in both cinematic comic camps, I thought it a good time to review the Box Office haul of first Marvel, this week, and DC next. In terms of the thirteen official movies in the MCU canon, here are the stats for those that grossed over US$500M - ten out of the first thirteen.

• 'The Avengers' - May 2012 - US$1.519B and #5 highest ranking film of all time.
• 'The Avengers : Age of Ultron' - May 2015 - US$1.405B and #7 highest ranking film of all time.
• 'Iron Man 3' - May 2013 - US$1.215B, and #10 highest ranking film of all time.
• 'Guardians of the Galaxy' - August 2014 - US$771M.
• 'Captain America : Winter Soldier' - April 2014 - US$714M.
• 'Captain America : Civil War' - April 2016 - US$705M and still on general release. 
• 'Thor : The Dark World' - November 2013 - US$644M.
• 'Iron Man 2' - May 2010 - US$623M.
• 'Iron Man' - May 2008 - US$582M.
• 'Ant-Man' - July 2015 - US$519M.
• The MCU production budget for the combined films totalled US$2.33B, returning worldwide receipts of $9.77B which is sure to have brought a smile to Tony Stark's face given that he has featured in many of them, and Stan Lee also, in all. 

Added to this let's not forget those Marvel films that have so far sat outside the MCU that include the hugely successful 'X-Men' franchise that across seven so far released films have grossed US$3.05B with 'X-Men : Apocalypse' due for release later this month. Then, there is everyone's favourite young web slinger 'Spiderman' who across five films has spread his net far & wide grossing a staggering US$3.96B, and this years 'Deadpool' which in its own right did US$762M. Into the mix should go the less successful Blade Series, Fantastic Four Series, Ghost Rider Series, The (Incredible) Hulk Series, 'Daredevil', 'Elektra', 'Howard the Duck' and various others - all up amounting to 43 films grossing US$18.45B off a combined budget of US$5.35B. With Phase 3 of the MCU now live with the release of 'Captain America : Civil War' and going strong on general release worldwide right now, we can still look forward to 'Doctor Strange' in November this year, with 2017 bringing 'Guardian's of the Galaxy, Volume 2', 'Spider-Man : Homecoming', and 'Thor : Ragnarok' with 2018 and 2019 already filming or in pre-production that include two further 'Avengers' instalments, an 'Ant-Man' follow-up, and several standalone films introducing new characters from the rich source material. Get excited . . . get very excited!

This week, however, there is a mega-haul of seven new films to tempt, tease and delight audiences young and older, that cover just about every genre from action, to horror, to comedy, drama, documentary and animation covering all tastes and all bases. First up we have a French set terror based thriller involving two unlikely protagonists thrown together to thwart an unknown enemy on a day of national celebration that could turn very ugly for everyone. Then a wartime bio-dramedy exposing what those journo's really get up to when they are far way from home and when the bullets fly and people die. Next up a pair of horrors - one of the psychological kind set in an English mansion slap bang in the middle of nowhere with a nanny and a child of a very different kind, and the other of the neo-Nazi kind in backwater no-name last-hope rural America where it all goes pear shaped when a gigging punk-band get more then they bargained for when their tour comes to an end. Following this but sticking with Nazi's is a revenge film that sees an ageing dementia suffering terminator in a cross country search for the man who killed his family seven decades before. Slowing down the pace is a documentary insight of high fashion and art colliding at the haute couture event of the year, before wrapping up with the feature length animated film of a very popular video game series of some avian types with anger management issues.

With so much diversity heading your way with this weeks latest releases, you'll be hard pressed to limit your movie of the week to just one! When you have sat through your movie of choice, drop your like minded movie goers a line in the Comments section below this or any other Post and share your experience with those of us here at Odeon Online. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your film.

'BASTILLE DAY' (Rated M) - for the historians amongst us, you'll know the significance of 14th July to the French - for it is Bastille Day, marking the date in 1789 when troops stormed The Bastille - a medieval fortress and prison in Paris. It was an important event marking effectively the beginning of the French Revolution. It wasn't until 1880 however, that it officially became a national public holiday, and has as such been celebrated every year since then.  So, history lesson over, what about this film which mirrors recent tragic terrorist events in Paris but this is sheer coincidence as filming took place before those events in late 2014, with the movie in the can by Christmas that year. All that said, 'Bastille Day' is Directed by James Watkins, and stars Idris Elba in the main lead doing all he can to prove that he might be a shoe-in for James Bond when Daniel Craig sips his last shaken not stirred Martini.

Set in Paris around the Bastille Day celebrations, this is an action thriller that sees Sean Briar (Elba) - a maverick CIA Agent having to team up with an American pick-pocket and fast talking con-artist Michael Mason (Richard Madden) who steals a bag which contains more that he bargained for. When things go belly up Briar comes to realise that Mason is just a pawn in a much bigger game, and is also most likely to be his best and only asset in bringing down the crims and revealing the source of corruption that they are now both being hunted down for. Having to rely on each other, this mismatched pairing come to realise they are both targets in a game of cat & mouse that unfolds quickly aided by the power of the Internet and social media.  The film has so far received mixed reviews, but is likely to be a lot of shoot 'em up adrenalin packed fun as long as you don't go with higher expectations. Also stars Kelly Reilly and Jose Garcia.

'WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT' (Rated MA15+) - this biographical Iraq war dramedy is based on the Kim Barker memoir 'The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan' and is Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, was released in early March in the US and has so far grossed US$23M of its US$35M cost to bring to the big screen. Set back in 2002, we have here the true story of Kim Barker (Tina Fey) - a cable news producer who disillusioned with her going nowhere career, decides to shake things up and takes an assignment in war torn Kabul, Afghanistan. Like a complete fish outta water and dislodged from the comforts of her small cubicle office and her home, she is quickly adopted in the 'Kabubble' by Scottish photojournalist Iain MacKelpie (Martin Freeman) and Aussie reporter Tanya Vanderpoel (Margot Robbie) who show her the ways of the warlords, the militants, the battlefield tensions, and the night-time partying that she soon learns to adapt to, turn to her advantage, and grows to enjoy - turning herself into a successful correspondent in the process. As a result she outstays her original assignment, not by months, but by years - really, WTF? Also starring Alfred Molina and Billy Bob Thornton.

'GREEN ROOM' (Rated R18+) - Written and Directed by Jeremy Saulier this low budget limited release horror thriller has garnered much critical acclaim which has yet to transfer to big Box Office receipts, but nonetheless it should be one to watch out for.  The members of a young punk band 'The Ain't Rights' - Pat, Sam, Reece and Tiger (Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawcat, Joe Cole and Callum Turner respectively) are wrapping up a largely unsuccessful tour with a view that after their last gig they are all going to go their separate ways. Enticed into some one-horse backwater Oregon town by night club owner Darcy Banker (Patrick Stewart) after the gig they witness the violent murder of a girl, and so the band lock themselves away in the Green Room with the friend of the victim Amber (Imogen Poots). What unfolds is a do or die fight to the death as the band strive to survive while Darcy and his neo-Nazi skinhead followers want them eliminated for what they have seen, and the harm they can therefore cause if not silenced. But, what they did not count on was four young punks with a particular set of skills who will not go silently into the night! Taught, riveting, and riotous - this will not be for everyone, but Stewart in particular is a delight playing evil for all its worth and clearly loving it.

'THE BOY' (Rated M) - sticking with the horror genre, here we have the psychological kind Directed by William Brent Bell and made for US$10M and so far returning US$64M since its late January release Stateside. Greta (Lauren Cohan) takes a job as a nanny for a well-to-do English family, after fleeing an abusive relationship back home in Montana. Upon arriving at the remote home of the Heelshire family, Greta is introduced to their 'child' Brahms. Greta is somewhat taken aback that Brahms is in fact  porcelain doll, life-size, but a doll nonetheless, that the Heelshire's treat like a child in memory of their son who died some 25 years earlier aged eight.  Before the Heelshire's depart for a family holiday they leave Greta with a strict set of rules that she must abide by when caring for Brahms. When she ignores these rules a series of unexplained and disturbing events occur that lead her to believe that Brahms is in fact alive and everything is not quite what it seems. Things will go bump in the night . . . and worse.

'REMEMBER' (Rated MA15+) - this German and Canadian drama thriller co-production is Directed by Atom Egoyan and receives a limited release only in selected cinemas, but is well worth seeking out for its intriguing story and strong performances from some of cinemas elder statesmen. Released at the Venice and then the Toronto International Film Festivals in September last year, in Germany on NYE and then the US in early March, it has only now reached our Australian shores. Telling the story of two Holocaust survivors from Auschwitz - Zev Guttman (Christopher Plummer) and Max Rosenbaum (Martin Landau) who now in their 90's live together in a New York nursing home, Max upon the death of Zev's wife, reminds him of the man responsible for the death of their families when they were imprisoned up in the camp seven decades ago. Max has drawn up a plan and convinces Zev despite his onset of dementia, to avenge their families by hunting down and finding the man responsible - Blockfuhrer Otto Wallisch who after the war came to America and adopted the name Rudy Kurlander (played by Bruno Ganz, Heinz Lieven and Jurgen Prochnow). What follows is a cross-country revenge story as this ageing terminator is intent of finding the right Rudy Kurlander and exacting his own form of justice.

'THE FIRST MONDAY IN MAY' (Rated M) - the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art is the backdrop for this documentary film Directed by Andrew Rossi tracing the year long preparations leading upto the launch of their most attended fashion exhibition in history - 'China : Through The Looking Glass' - an exploration of the Chinese-inspired Western fashions of Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton. Andrew Rossi captures the impact of high fashion and celebrity at the Met Gala, one of the biggest hottest ticket global fashion events chaired every year by Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour. Featuring a veritable who's who of renowned artists in many fields such as fashion designers Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier and John Galliano as well as a host of celebrity icons including Baz Luhrmann and Rihanna, the movie questions whether fashion should be seen as art.

'THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE' (Rated PG) - based on the popular video game of the same name this is an American/Finnish 3D animated feature co-production Directed by first timers Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly and Produced by Sony Pictures Imageworks for US$80M. The film was released in France on 5th May, is released in Finland on 13th May and gets its US release on 20th. With an all star voice cast that includes Peter Dinklage as Mighty Eagle, Jason Sudeikis as Red, Danny McBride as Bomb, Josh Gadd as Chuck, Sean Penn as Terrence, Bill Hader as Leonard, and Kate McKinnon as Stella the story revolves around Red, Chuck and Bomb who begin a quest to find out why their idyllic island home populated by happy flightless birds is invaded by mysterious green pigs. Although for these three outcasts who do not live such a happy idyllic life and are more temperamental, more angry, and more volatile than their easy going flightless feathered friends, the quest is on to uncover why the green little piggies have been so welcomed to the flock, when they are really getting under the skin of three angry feathered friends.

With so much great choice coming to a cinema near you, and so many other great films still doing the rounds there is no excuse not to get yourself out to see a movie in the week ahead. Share your thoughts when you have done so, and in the meantime, I'll see you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-