IRRESISTIBLE : Tuesday 20th October 2020

'IRRESISTIBLE' which I saw at my local multiplex earlier this week is an M Rated American political comedy film Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jon Stewart. The film was released in selected theatres and through Premium Video on Demand in the US at the back end of June, has so far taken US$253K and has generated mixed or average Reviews. Stewart's only other previous film making gig was with 'Rosewater' in 2014, although he has written numerous television series and specials, has forty-eight Producer credits and thirty-four Actor credits to his name too and has hosted his own long running television show, the Academy Awards (twice) and the Grammy Awards (twice) too amongst other things. 

After the opening credits sequence in which we see still photographs of a number of ex-US Presidents all from within living memory in various states of relaxed playfulness, we cut to a scene in which the successful Democratic Party campaign consultant Gary Zimmer (Steve Carell) is in a state of despair following the results of the 2016 presidential election. Zimmer is a few days later shown a video that has gone viral of Marine Colonel Jack Hastings (Chris Cooper) turned local respected farmer standing up for the immigrant population of his hometown of Deerlaken, Wisconsin at a local town hall meeting chaired by Mayor Braun (Brent Sexton). At his Washington D.C. office surrounded by a number of his staffers, Zimmer makes the decision that if he can run Hastings as the Democratic mayoral candidate in the next town election, then he stands a good chance of convincing the people in the American heartland to vote Democrat in the next presidential election. 

Zimmer travels to Deerlaken in order to convince Hastings to run for mayor. Upon arriving, it would be fair to say that Zimmer is somewhat surprised and shocked by the cultural divide that exists between the ordinary rural dwelling townsfolk of Deerlaken compared to the cut & thrust, take no prisoners cashed up privileged existence of life in Washington D.C. After spending a day helping out on Hastings' farm, Zimmer meets with Diana Hastings (Mackenzie Davis), the 28 year old daughter of the Colonel, and he then pitches this idea to them both. Initially the Colonel is not struck on the idea, but Zimmer can be very convincing when he wants to be. After some reluctance, the Colonel agrees but upon condition that Zimmer personally runs the campaign from Deerlaken himself, because after all, the Colonel considers himself conservative with no real leanings towards politics, or experience in this field. 

Following his first introduction to a small gathered group of townsfolk at his farm in front of assembled cameras, the Colonel recruits his friends and neighbours as campaign volunteers to aid his efforts. A number of setbacks soon come to the fore including the fact that most of the town appears conservative and that the incumbent Mayor Braun is being funded directly by the Republican National Committee. The RNC sends Faith Brewster (Rose Byrne) Zimmer's arch nemesis to Deerlaken, to counteract him.

Zimmer decides he needs to take Hastings to New York to meet the powerbrokers there - especially the ones with the deep pockets prepared to donate to his campaign. Arriving at the private lavish townhouse residence of a Mr. Peeler (Bruce Altman), Hastings gives an impassioned speech to the gathered group of potential donors and how he needs their collective help to save his small town in country Wisconsin. On the flight back Zimmer is overcome with emotion recounting Hastings speech, and over the ensuing days the donations come flooding in, so allowing Zimmer to upgrade their approach and enlist the technology and the human resources to make a difference and thwart the incumbent mayor, Braun. 

As a result Hastings who was lagging behind in the polls to Braun, soon catches him up and they are fairly evenly matched. However, just as things appear to be going in Hastings favour, the campaign takes a nose dive when one of Zimmer's team members Tina De Tessant (Natasha Lyonne) advertises a pro-contraceptive platform to a group of single women who turn out to be nuns. Needless to see the media, and Faith Brewster, have a field day.

When Zimmer starts going off at his campaign mates, which he often does in public and in private but often being overheard, Diana convinces him to apologise and that if he is going to run her father's campaign, he needs to be more civil. When it begins to look like Braun is going to win the election, Zimmer tries to convince Hastings and Diana to play dirty and start exploiting the skeletons in Braun's cupboards. Diana is mortified that Zimmer would even consider playing dirty tricks and goes to Braun for advice. Braun and Diana decide to secretly reveal a bigger scandal about Braun so Zimmer will not go after Braun's brother, which was his original plan. The scandal it is later revealed is fake.

On the day of the election, only two votes are cast - one for each candidate, which confuses both Zimmer and Brewster. In the town hall where the candidates and their campaign staffers are all gathered to hear the final results it is revealed that the election was in fact an elaborate ruse orchestrated by Diana. She shot the video of her father's immigration speech so that Zimmer and Brewster would watch it and ultimately campaign to pour thousands of dollars into the election, which would help the town through its financial trouble due to the earlier closure of the military base there. Diana conceded that they were only looking to raise US$750K to keep Deerlaken's High School open, but they actually raised US$45M. Zimmer is shocked that Diana would play him in such a way and Diana then explains the town set this up because the D.C. politicians play small towns like theirs all the time. When Zimmer reveals that he was hoping that there was a spark between them, Diana rejects him. Fast forward six months and Diana and her Dad are seen laying out plans for several new buildings and businesses in Deerlaken and extensions to the High School with the US$45M in donations received. Diana becomes the mayor of Deerlaken after a special election, and in closing we are shown three possible love interests involving Zimmer with Diana, Zimmer with Faith Brewster, and Zimmer with Ann (Blair Sims - the owner of the local Cafe, who plies him everyday with coffee and blueberry streusel). 

As political satires go, this film isn't great, but it isn't bad either. There are no laugh out loud moments here, but it did raise a few smirks and chuckles along the way mostly thanks to the comedic expressions, one liners and deadpan delivery of Steve Carell playing the Democratic campaign activist with a sadistic streak but his heart is still in the right place. Rose Byrne also puts in a good turn, as the campaign activist on the other side of the fence but tarred with the same brush as Carell's character, while Chris Cooper and Mackenzie Davis's characters were left somewhat undercooked. As for the Writer and Director Jon Stewart who has crafted a career out of political satire I would have expected a story with a little more cutting edge sharpness and relevance to todays American political landscape - instead he opts for a middle of road, non-committal crowd pleaser that doesn't always land, but the twist in the tale at the end and the chemistry between Carell and Byrne are redeeming payoffs. Also starring Topher Grace and Debra Messing.

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 10th January 2019.

The 8th annual AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts) International Awards were held at The Mondrian Hotel, Los Angeles on Friday 4th January 2019 and hosted by Australian Television Presenter Renne Bargh. The AACTA International Awards honour the best achievement in film excellence from the previous twelve months irrespective of geography, and as determined by the Australian Academy’s International Chapter who vote across seven award groups. Amidst all the attendant glitterati and glamourati, this years winners and grinners were announced as :

* AACTA International Award for Best Film : 'ROMA' beating out 'A Star Is Born', 'Vice', 'Blackkklansman' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.

* AACTA International Award for Best Direction : Alfonso Cuaron for 'ROMA' beating out Bradley Cooper for 'A Star Is Born', Spike Lee for 'Blackkklansman', Warwick Thornton for 'Sweet Country' and Yorgos Lanthimos for 'The Favourite'.



* AACTA International Award for Best Screenplay : Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara for 'THE FAVOURITE' beating out 'A Quiet Place', 'Blackkklansman', 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'Roma'. 

* AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actress : Olivia Colman for 'THE FAVOURITE' beating out Glenn Close for 'The Wife', Toni Collette for 'Hereditary', Lady Gaga for 'A Star Is Born' and Nicole Kidman for 'Destroyer'.

* AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actor : Rami Malek for 'BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY' beating out Christian Bale for 'Vice', Bradley Cooper for 'A Star Is Born', Hugh Jackman for 'The Frontrunner' and Viggo Mortensen for 'Green Book'.

* AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress : Nicole Kidman for 'BOY ERASED' beating out Amy Adams for 'Vice', Emily Blunt for 'A Quiet Place', Claire Foy for 'First Man' and Margot Robbie for 'Mary Queen of Scots'.

* AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor : Mahershala Ali for 'GREEN BOOK' beating out Timothee Chalamet for 'Beautiful Boy', Joel Edgerton for 'Boy Erased', Sam Elliott for 'A Star Is Born' and Sam Rockwell for 'Vice'.

This week we have three new release movies coming to your local Odeon. We launch with a tale of divided loyalties and mounting pressures in the face of racial injustice as confronting one teenager who must learn to speak up and have the courage of her convictions. This is followed up by a comedy drama of a married couple who in order to fulfil their lives, decide to adopt not one, not two but three siblings with life changing consequences for them all. Wrapping up then, we have a documentary following the lives of five Labrador puppies from birth until two years as they are brought into the world to be trained ultimately to be Guide Dogs for the blind.

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

'THE HATE U GIVE' (Rated M) - this American drama film is Directed by George Tilman Jnr. whose previous Directing credits include 'Men of Honour', 'Notorious', 'Faster' and 'The Longest Ride'. Based on Angie Thomas's 2017 novel of the same name, and Written for the screen by Audrey Wells who died aged 58 on 4th October - the day before the film saw its theatrical release in the US. The film Premiered at TIFF in early September, was made for US$23M, has so far grossed US$33M, and has been universally acclaimed, in particular for the performance from Amandla Stenberg in the lead role.

Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg) seems to spend her life switching between two worlds - the poor, mostly black neighbourhood of Garden Heights where she lives, and the wealthy, mostly white Williamson Prep School that she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is soon shattered when she witnesses one night the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil Harris (Algee Smith) at the hands of a Police Officer. Facing pressure from all sides of the community, including a local gang 'The King Lords' who control the neighbourhood, Starr must find her voice and decide to speak up for what's right and stand her ground in the face of racial injustice. Also starring Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Anthony Mackie and Common.

'INSTANT FAMILY' (Rated PG) - released in the US in mid-November, this American comedy drama offering is Directed, Co-Produced, and Co-Written for the screen by Sean Anders, cost US$48M to make and has so far grossed US$76M and has been generally well received by Critics. The story here surrounds Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) Wagner who determine there is a void in their lives and decide to start a family. They subsequently stumble into the world of foster care adoption. Initially hoping to take in one small child, but when they meet three siblings, including a rebellious 15-year-old girl Lizzie (Isabela Moner), they find themselves speeding from zero to three kids overnight, including also Juan (Gustavo Quiroz) and Lita (Julianna Gamiz). Now, Pete and Ellie must try to learn the ropes of instant parenthood in the hope of becoming a happy family. Also starring Octavia Spencer and Tig Notaro as a pair of social workers who guide the Wagners through the foster care process.

'PICK OF THE LITTER' (Rated G) - this documentary feature film is Directed by Don Hardy and Dana Nachman who between them also Produce, Wrote and take Cinematography credits. The film charts the life story from birth of five Labrador puppies as they undergo the lengthy training process on the journey to become guide dogs for the blind. Named Patriot, Potomac, Primrose, Poppet and Phil the five guide dogs in training were born on the campus of Guide Dogs for the Blind’s San Rafael, California campus. Barely a day old before their training begins, and eight weeks later, each young pup is farmed out to 'puppy raiser' - individuals or families who’ll foster them through up to sixteen months of socialisation training and other preliminary preparations for lifelong roles in the service of a blind or vision impaired person. After their period of fostering, the dogs head back to the campus for ten weeks of 'formal guide work' with an assigned staff member who often wears a blindfold to test the dogs’ reactions to obstacles, traffic hazards and verbal commands. The successful canine graduates are then matched with the lucky few among some 1,100 applicants per year in the US alone. The film was released in the US in late August last year, has done the festival circuit, and has received generally widespread acclaim. Cute and heart warming, this is a story for dog lovers everywhere.

With three 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 in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 24th - 30th July 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Rose Byrne does on 24th July - check out my tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 37, at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 24th July

• Jennifer Lopez - Born 1969, turns 47 - Singer | Songwriter | Actress | Producer
• Rose Byrne - Born 1979, turns 37 - Actress
• Anna Paquin - Born 1982, turns 34 - Actress | Producer
• Lynda Carter - Born 1951, turns 65 - Actress | Singer
• Gus Van Sant - Born 1952, turns 64 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor
• Doug Liman - Born 1965, turns 51 - Director | Producer | Writer | Cinematographer  

Monday 25th July

• Matt LeBlanc - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• D.B.Woodside - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor  

Tuesday 26th July

• Kevin Spacey - Born 1959, turns 57 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer
• Jeremy Piven - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actor | Producer
• Jason Statham - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actor | Producer
• Helen Mirren - Born 1945, turns 71 - Actress | Director
• Sandra Bullock - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Olivia Williams - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actress
• Kate Beckinsale - Born 1973, turns 43 - Actress  

Wednesday 27th July

• Julian McMahon - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actor | Producer
• Jonathan Rhys Meyers - Born 1977, turns 39 - Actor | Producer  

Thursday 28th July

• Randall Wallace - Born 1949, turns 67 - Writer | Director | Producer  

Friday 29th July

• Stephen Dorff - Born 1973, turns 43 - Actor | Producer
• David Warner - Born 1941, turns 75 - Actor  

Saturday 30th July

• Peter Bogdanovich - Born 1939, turns 77 - Actor | Director | Producer | Writer
• Arnold Schwarzenegger - Born 1947, turns 69 - Actor | Producer
• Jean Reno - Born 1948, turns 68 - Actor
• Frank Stallone - Born 1950, turns 66 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter
• Richard Linklater - Born 1960, turns 56 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Laurence Fishburn - Born 1961, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Terry Crews - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actor
• Simon Baker - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Christopher Nolan - Born 1970, turns 46 - Director | Producer | Writer | Cinematographer
• Lisa Kudrow - Born 1963, turns 53 - Actress | Producer | Writer | Singer
• Vivica A. Fox - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actress | Producer
•  Hilary Swank - Born 1974, turns 42 - Actress | Producer | Singer

Mary Rose Byrne was born in the Sydney suburb of Balmain, New South Wales, Australia to mother Jane - a primary school administrator and father Robin, a semi-retired market researcher and statistician. She is the youngest of four - with an older brother George (born in 1976), and two sisters, Alice (born in 1973) and Lucy (born in 1972). She attended Balmain Public School, and then Hunters Hill High School - a public co-educational secondary day school. From the age of eight she took a keen interest in acting and joined the Sydney based Australian Theatre for Young People (whose noted alumni include Nicole Kidman, Toni Collette, Rebel Wilson and Baz Luhrmann), and from there the University of Sydney. In 1999, she studied acting at the Atlantic Theatre Company in Manhattan founded in 1985 by David Mamet and William H. Macy.

Her first film role came at just thirteen years of age, cast in the Australian film 'Dallas Doll' with Sandra Bernhard and released in 1994. Over the next few years she appeared in single episodes of several Australian television drama series including 'Echo Point', 'Fallen Angels', 'Wildside', 'Big Sky' and 'Heartbreak High'. Her next big screen role came with Gregor Jordan's 'Two Hands' in 1999 with a young Heath Ledger and Bryan Brown and Susie Porter.

From here the new decade launched with the award winning comedy drama 'My Mother Frank' with Sam Neill, and 'The Goddess of 1967' which won Byrne a Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival for her role as BG - a blind girl on an outback Aussie road trip with a Japanese IT worker and occasional computer hacker. Next up was here role as Dorme - a handmaiden to senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) in 'Star Wars : Episode II - Attack of the Clones' in 2002. After this came 'City of Ghosts' with Matt Dillon who also wrote and Directed, 'I Capture the Castle' with Bill Nighy, 'The Night We Called it a Day' with Dennis Hopper, 'The Rage in Placid Lake' with Ben Lee, 'Take Away' with Vince Colosimo, and the Wolfgang Petersen Trojan War epic 'Troy' with Brad Pitt, Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom.

In 2006 Byrne was cast by Sofia Coppola in the historical drama 'Marie Antoinette' with Kirsten Dunst and then 'Sunshine' for Danny Boyle, and post apocalyptic zombie horror '28 Weeks Later' with Jeremy Renner, Idris Elba and Robert Carlyle. 'Just Buried' with Jay Baruchel, 'The Tender Hook' with Hugo Weaving', 'Knowing' with Nicolas Cage, and 'Adam' with Hugh Dancy saw out the decade. In the meantime there were further television series appearances on 'Murder Call', 'Casanova', and the full five seasons over 59 episodes on US legal thriller series 'Damages' with Glenn Close which ran from 2007 until 2012.

2010 saw 'Get Him to The Greek' with Russell Brand, followed by the James Wan supernatural horror 'Insidious', as Renai Lembert - a role she would reprise in 2013 in 'Insidious : Chapter 2'. The first film returned US$97M from its US$1.5M budget outlay, and the second US$162M from US$5M. Byrne did not return for the prequel released in 2015. Turning from horror to comedy , next up was Paul Feig's 'Bridesmaids' in 2011 with Kristen Wiig, Rebel Wilson, and Melissa McCarthy before her first outing as geneticist Moira MacTaggert in 'X-Men : First Class', and again in this years 'X-Men : Apocalypse'.

'The Place Beyond the Pines' with Ryan Gosling came next in 2012 and the British comedy 'I Give It a Year' with Rafe Spall, and then 'The Internship' with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. 2014 kicked off with 'Bad Neighbours' starring alongside Seth Rogen and Zac Efron, and her role as Kelly Radner she would reprise in 'Bad Neighbours 2 : Sorority Rising' earlier this year. Also that year was 'Adult Beginners', 'This Is Where I Leave You', the third cinematic offering of 'Annie' and documentary 'Unity' in which Byrne is one of one hundred Actors providing the narrative exploring humanity's transformation shown across five segments - 'Cosmic', 'Mind', 'Body, 'Heart' and 'Soul'.

'Spy' came next with Melissa McCarthy again, and then 'The Meddler' opposite Susan Sarandon earlier this year. Next up is the made for television movie 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' and 'Home Again' both in pre-production, and 'Larrikins' due in 2018 and currently filming, to which Byrne brings her voice talents together with this of Margot Robbie, Naomi Watts, Jacki Weaver, Hugh Jackman and Ben Mendelsohn in this Australian animated feature Co-Directed by Tim Minchin.

All up Byrne has 56 acting credits, and she has so far accumulated twelve award wins and another 24 nominations. She was the face of Max Factor from 2004 until 2009, became the face of Australia's Oroton in 2014, has made numerous 'Most Beautiful People' lists over the years, is a supporter of UNICEF Australia and is an ambassador of Sydney's NIDA Young Actors Studio. She was in a six year relationship with Brendan Cowell that ended in early 2010, and in 2012 she began dating Bobby Cannavale with whom she has a child Rocco Robin born in February this year.

Rose Byrne - highly valued, much in demand and widely sought after; able to turn it on for drama, comedy, horror, Sci-Fi, period piece and thrillers and definitely not one to be pigeon holed or type cast; regards Australia as her emotional home, New York her second home but also owns a place in London with her sister; and despite failing at an 1988 audition for 'Home and Away' has done pretty well for herself. Good on ya Rose, and Happy Birthday to you - from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online- 

X-MEN : APOCALYPSE : Saturday 21st May 2016.

'X-MEN : APOCALYPSE' which I saw with my 15 year old lad at the weekend is the eagerly awaited ninth film in the hugely successful 'X-Men' franchise and is now on general release with high expectations given how the more recent films in the series have performed. With Bryan Singer back in the Director's chair having also Directed the series opening two films 'X-Men' and 'X2' in 2000 and 2003 respectively, with 2014's 'Days of Future Past' too, it seems that this instalment is in safe and confident hands. In the meantime there has been 'The Last Stand', 'Origins : Wolverine', 'First Class', 'The Wolverine' and this years 'Deadpool'. Counting those previous eight films, the series has so far made US$3.82B from a combined Budget of US$1.08B, with 'Apocalypse' costing US$178M to bring to the big screen. 'Deadpool' has be the most lucrative so far returning US$763M from an outlay of just US$58M compared to 'Days of Future Past' as the next best which returned US$748M from a US$200M outlay. The film Premiered in London on 9th May, was released here in Australia on 19th May and opens in the US on 27th May, and has so far grossed US$115M prior to its US opening, albeit very mixed Reviews from the critics.

And so to this next instalment we see En Sabah Nur, aka 'Apocalypse' (Oscar Isaac) who is the ruler over ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago and the first and most powerful mutant worshipped as a God since time began. He is both immortal and invincible having amassed the power of many other mutants along the way to becoming all powerful. As the film opens we see him in ancient Egypt about to change his body to preserve his immortality, but during the transference process to do so is betrayed by his worshippers and as a result he is entombed alive for centuries. His followers 'The Four Horsemen' are destroyed in the process while fending off those seeking to end his tyrannical reign.

We then fast forward to 1983 and Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) working for the CIA is hot on the heels of a cult who worship the ruins of what they believe is some ancient force buried deep beneath the surface of modern day Egypt but which they have been able to locate and tunnel access to. Reading the hieroglyphics on the visible part of the tomb, they unwittingly set in motion a chain of events that lead to the awakening of Sabah Nur and a resulting earthquake felt half way around the world. When Sabah Nur surfaces he quickly begins to assimilate to the world of the 20th Century and seeks to recruit four new horsemen, realising quickly that mankind has lost its way and forgotten about him. His first recruit is Ororo Munroe, aka 'Storm' (Alexandra Shipp), and then Elizabeth Braddock, aka 'Psylocke' (Olivia Munn), and then Warren Worthington III, aka 'Angel' aka 'Archangel' (Ben Hardy) and finally Erik Lehnsherr, aka 'Magneto' (Michael Fassbender). Supported by his followers each with a unique set of skills which Sabah Nur is able to further enhance and manipulate, he sets in motion a plan to destroy the known world and rebuild it in his image as he desires, and in so doing create a new world order.

Meanwhile, as this is going on Professor Charles Xavier, aka 'Professor X' (James McAvoy) is going about his daily business at his mansion home for gifted children, when he learns that Erik has resurfaced from self imposed exile and a life of domesticity somewhere in a Polish backwater following the events that unfolded at the end of 'Days of Future Past'. Seeking to connect with Erik through 'Cerebro', Sabah Nur is able to hack into the Professors own mind and discover the only power that he does not yet possess, but which he wants and needs to compete his arsenal and realise his dominance over the world. In doing so, and to protect himself, Sabah Nur simultaneously commands all world authorities to launch their nuclear weapons into outer space, so that he can go about his world rebuilding exercise unhindered and free from potential nuclear attack.

Having done this, Sabah Nur and his four newly recruited powered-up Horsemen transport themselves into the heart of the Professors mansion to kidnap him, so that the Professors mind powers can be transferred into that of Sabah Nur. A ensuing explosion destroys the mansion to a big hole in the ground with nothing left but dust and rubble, but not before Peter Maximoff, aka 'Quicksilver' (Evan Peters) is able to remove all inhabitants to safety using his supersonic speed abilities, apart from Alex Summers, aka 'Havoc' (Lucas Till) who was at the epicentre of the blast and perished.

No sooner has the dust settled then William Stryker (Josh Helman) descends and arrests Hank McCoy, aka 'Beast' (Nicholas Hoult), Raven Darkholme, aka 'Mystique' (Jennifer Lawrence), Peter and Moira, and takes them to a secret test and observation facility for interrogation believing them to have been responsible for Sabah Nur's attack. Scott Summers, aka 'Cyclops' (Tye Sheridan), Jean Grey, aka 'Phoenix' (Sophie Turner) and Kurt Wagner, aka 'Nightcrawler' (Kodi Smit-McPhee) secretly follow behind to liberate their mutant colleagues, and do so with the help of Logan, aka 'Weapon X' (Hugh Jackman in a brief non-speaking rampaging slicing & dicing killing spree) freed from the confines of a brainwashing experiment within the facility, and at the hands of Stryker.

The final showdown comes in Cairo as Sabah Nur commands Erik to use all the might of his powers to control the two Earth's magnetic poles causing widespread destruction (the Sydney Opera House scene is particularly impressive) and untold casualties. At this point the newly formed X-Men must face off against The Four Horsemen as Sabah Nur begins the process of transferring the Professor's mind into his own body. As Erik controls all they worlds metals to rise up out of the ground, the built city infrastructure, and the seabed, so Quicksilver and Mystique try to talk sense into him, and eventually he relents coming to his senses and seeing the true nature and motivation of what Sabah Nur is prepared to do to get his way, at any and all costs.

With his energy ebbing away and Sabah Nur rising all powerful, the Professor encourages Jean Grey to unleash her full, as yet unrealised, potential on Sabah Nur. She eventually musters the inner strength and determination to do so, resulting in his demise as his mortal form is incinerated into ashes. Archangel perishes in the clash, Psylocke is seen slinking off into the shadows, Storm takes sides with the X-Men realising which side her bread is best buttered on, and Magneto and Professor X kiss and make up. Once the world returns to safety and the widespread clean up operation begins, we see Erik stood floating thirty feet above the ground rebuilding the Professors Mansion by mind controlling the building materials to restore it to its former glory all in an afternoon's work! The Professor asks Erik to stay one more time, stating that he has seen so much good inside his mind, but Erik thanks him and says no, turns away and exits stage right. The new X-Men assemble in a training room, suited up for a mock battle against a number of Sentinels to prepare them for what is to come.

I enjoyed this ninth instalment in the franchise, it looks good on the screen, moves quickly through its 144 minutes running time, the effects are good enough, but in the final analysis it presents nothing we have not seen before, and quite probably served up better (I am thinking last years 'Age of Ultron' - not a dis-similar premise). Being nine films in (including this years 'Deadpool') how much more can be milked from this series I wonder at the cost of seeing huge cities torn to shreds, populations annihilated, and our fragile blue & green planet laid to waste? We have seen it in 'The Avengers' films and it's spin offs, and most recently too in 'Batman v. Superman' but at least the authorities in those films what to keep our heroes in check somehow - but no sign of that from the X-Men world order it seems. We are also introduced to new X-Men here without any real back story or sense of connectedness to them, and many of them serve just to make up the numbers contributing little to the story. At least in the latest 'Captain America' blockbuster we know all the superheroes from previous films and spin offs and can relate to them and they each serve a purpose, have a personality, a life and responsibilities, but with many of these guys there is little to relate to, except that they are good at destroying stuff, wholesale! Watch out for the obligatory Stan Lee cameo, seen here with his wife Joanie, and wait until the final credits have rolled for a closing sequence that segwey's into the next 'Wolverine' film, and the introduction of The Essex Corporation.

  

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 19th May 2016.

Last week I ran the introduction to the latest releases segment with a small feature on the Marvel Cinematic Universe Box Office successes, with the promise that I would do likewise with the DC Extended Universe this week. With 'Batman v. Superman' for DC now at a worldwide Box Office haul of US$870M and 'Captain America : Civil War' for Marvel at US$957M, and both still out on general release, the stakes are high in both camps, and the expectations of what is to come even higher. With that in mind here is the low down on the DC filmography with the Superman and Batman franchises reigning supreme and underpining that universe, here are the numbers :-

• 'Superman' - December 1978 - US$300M - with Christopher Reeve in the title role.
• 'Superman II' - June 1981 - $101M - with Christopher Reeve.
• 'Superman III' - June 1983 - US$60M - with Christopher Reeve.
• 'Superman IV' - July 1987 - US$11M - with Christoper Reeve.
• 'Superman Returns' - June 2006 - US374M - with Brandon Routh in the title role.
• 'Man of Steel' - June 2013 - US$668M - with Henry Cavill in the title role.
• 'Batman' - June 1989 - US$409M - with Michael Keaton in the title role.
• 'Batman Returns' - June 1992 - US$267M - with Michael Keaton.
• 'Batman Forever' - June 1995 - US$336M - with Val Kilmer in the title role.
• 'Batman and Robin' - June 1997 - US$238M - with George Clooney in the title role.
• 'Batman Begins' - June 2005 - US$359M - with Christian Bale in the title role.
• 'The Dark Knight' - July 2008 - US$1,003B - with Christian Bale and #24 highest ranking film of all time currently.
• 'The Dark Knight Rises' - July 2012 - US$1,085B - with Christian Bale and the #16 highest ranking film of all time currently.
• 'Batman v. Superman' - March 2016 - US$868M - with Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill in the title roles and the #45 highest ranking film of all time currently.
• Outside of these, there have been 'Catwoman', 'Constantine', 'Watchmen', 'Jonah Hex', 'Green Lantern' and 'The League of Extraordinary Gentleman' plus a host of other characters from the equally rich source material, some of which have performed reasonably well at the Box Office while others have not. Additionally, there have been numerous animated feature films, television films, short films and television series dating all the way back to the early 40's.

What does the future hold for the DC Extended Universe - already either due for imminent release, filming, in pre-production of on the slate there is : 'Suicide Squad' due August this year; 'Wonder Woman' due in June 2017; 'Justice League : Part One' due in November 2017; 'The Flash' due in March 2018; 'Aquaman' due in July 2018; 'Shazam' due in April 2019; 'Justice League : Part Two' due in June 2019; 'Cyborg' due in April 2020; and 'The Green Lantern Corp.' due in July 2020. Much to get excited about.

And so what is coming your way in the week ahead? Four new films, that's what! First up is another Marvel offering, but outside of their Cinematic Universe, but nonetheless #9 in a hugely successful franchise that sees the resurrected grand-daddy of all mutants go head to head in the world of the 20th Century, and there's only one team that can stand up and save the world. Then we have a film of transferred memories and the hunt for a package that will save the world, starring three fellas who were last together on the big screen in Oliver Stone's 'JFK'. Following on from this we have a comedy drama about a mother/daughter relationship that sees well meaning Mum going too far with the smotherly love only to be told back off - and so she channels its elsewhere, with surprising consequences; and wrapping up a doco of the musical kind definitely with strings attached!

With four new offerings, and still great content on general release as Reviewed and Previewed between these pages, get out amongst it this week to your local cinema, and when you have sat through your movie of choice, feel free to share your thoughts, observations, and ratings below this or any other Post in the Comments Box below. Enjoy your film.

'X-MEN : APOCALYPSE' (Rated MA15+) - the eagerly awaited ninth film in the hugely successful 'X-Men' franchise is now upon us with high expectations given how the more recent films in the series have performed. With Bryan Singer back in the Director's chair having also Directed the series opening two films 'X-Men' and 'X2' in 2000 and 2003 respectively, with 2014's 'Days of Future Past' too, it seems that this instalment is in safe and confident hands. In the meantime there has been 'The Last Stand', 'Origins : Wolverine', 'First Class', 'The Wolverine' and this years 'Deadpool'. Counting those previous eight films, the series has so far made US$3.82B from a combined Budget of US$1.08B, with 'Apocalypse' costing US$234M to bring to the big screen. 'Deadpool' has be the most lucrative so far returning US$762M from an outlay of just US$58M compared to 'Days of Future Past' as the next best which returned US$748M from a US$200M outlay.

And so to this next instalment we see 'Apocalypse' (Oscar Isaac) - the first and most powerful mutant worshipped as a God since time began is both immortal and invincible having amassed the power of many other mutants along the way to becoming all powerful. Having been betrayed by his worshippers, he was entombed for centuries and his followers 'The Four Horsemen' destroyed. Now waking from a forced restful slumber in 1983, the newly energised Apocalypse soon realises that the world has forgotten him, and it has changed in ways that are far from his liking. Deciding to destroy the world and rebuild it to his own vision, he enlists four new horsemen - Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Archangel (Ben Hardy), and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) to support his cause and bring about the destruction needed to rebuild a new world order. With the fate of our little blue & green planet hanging in the balance, Professor X (James McAvoy) and Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) lead a young team of X-Men to thwart their evil foe and save the Earth. Also starring Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, Kodi Smith-McPhee as Nightcrawler with Rose Byrne, Hugh Jackman and Lucas Till. Let the battle commence!

'CRIMINAL' (Rated MA15+) - this action thriller Directed by Ariel Vromen has seen mixed reviews from around the traps for its US$32M Budget for which it has so far returned US$27M having been released Stateside in mid-April, and given the ensemble cast that stars. Essentially CIA Agent Bill Pope (Ryan Reynolds) is killed on the job while escorting a hacker informant to a safe house. Desperate to find this hacker who it seems can engage all the worlds nuclear warheads at will, Pope's next line of command Quaker Wells (Gary Oldman) reaches out to Dr. Mahal Franks (Tommy Lee Jones) a pre-eminent neurosurgeon who has developed a way of transplanting the memory of a dead man into a living one. Franks believes there is only one person who can undergo such treatment, and that person is convicted criminal Jericho Stewart (Kevin Costner). And so begins a cat and mouse game involving implanted memories, the CIA, a dead mans family, and an anarchist on the hunt for a package hidden somewhere safe that only the dead man's memory can reveal. Sounds completely plausible and rational. Also starring Gal Gadot as the dead Agents wife.

'THE MEDDLER' (Rated M) - Witten and Directed by Lorene Scafaria this is a dramedy that was Premiered at TIFF in September 2015, released in the US towards the end of April, has received strong critical acclaim, but this is yet to transfer into anything resembling serious Box Office takings. Nonetheless, here we have Lori Minervini (Rose Byrne in her second release this week) a still single  successful screenwriter living in LA when her recently widowed beloved Mother Marnie (Susan Sarandon) decides to up sticks and relocate from New Jersey to LA to be closer to her darling daughter. When Mum comes on too strong with the positive advise, interference and persistent meddling in Lori's life, it is time to draw the line, and so Marnie finds new ways to channel her positivity, optimism and generosity to help others change their lives for the better, with surprising results for all concerned. Also starring J.K.Simmons.

'HIGHLY STRUNG' (Rated M) - Scott Hicks latest foray into the world of music and cinema opened the Adelaide Film Festival in October last year, and this week gets its general release. Fitting that it should premier in Adelaide as this is where the Australian String Quartet are based and have been going strong there for the last 30 years. Hicks explores the world of stringed instruments, the power and the passion behind those that play them, the desire of those to own them, how they are made, what they stand for, where and how they sound the best, and the function that each member of the quartet holds. It's a story of drama and beauty, passion, obsession and possession into a world of classical music that many of us would otherwise pass by.

With four very different films once again, promising (almost) something for everyone, there'll be no reason not to catch a movie in the week ahead. When you have done so, share your thoughts, and until then - I'll see you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

The AACTA Awards - Thursday 29th January 2015.

Sydney's 'The Star' Hotel and Casino played Host yesterday to the 4th Annual AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts) Awards at which the glitterati and glamourati turned out in all their finery to honour and acknowledge the last twelve months and all that is best in the Australian world of film & TV. Hosted this year by Cate Blanchett and Deborah Mailman with 'guest' appearances throughout by AACTA President Geoffrey Rush, it would be fair to say that (in this reviewers humble opinion) there were a few glaring omissions and some questionable decisions in the final analysis of the movie achievements for the 2014 year, as shown below.

Two things though that I was particularly pleased about were referenced by our Hosts in their opening address to the gathered crowd, the viewing nation and the world at large streaming it live or watching it delayed on TV or via the Internet. Two very simple messages that were 1) the illegal downloading of movies from the Internet and watching pirated copies is just that . . . illegal, and it will kill the industry in the fullness of time! And 2), as film loving Aussie's we need to support our own movies much more than we do. What a tragedy that last year we saw some great home grown cinema content get only a limited release and then disappear almost without a trace because no one went to see them! Tragic indeed! It seems that overseas viewers have more confidence in Australian films that we do living here! That's  pretty sad state of affairs!

Nonetheless, here is the list of the winners & grinners from the 4th Annual AACTA Awards :

Best Film : shared between 'The Babadook' and 'The Water Diviner'
Best Direction : Jennifer Kent for 'The Babadook'

Best Lead Actor : David Gulpilil for 'Charlie's Country'
Best Lead Actress : Sarah Snook for 'Predestination'
Best Supporting Actor : Yilmaz Erdogan for 'The Water Diviner'
Best Supporting Actress : Susan Prior for 'The Rover'


Best Original Screenplay : 'The Babadook'
Best Adapted Screenplay : 'The Railway Man'

Best Editing : 'Predestination'
Best Cinematography : 'Predestination'
Best Production Design : 'Predestination'
Best Costume Design : 'The Water Diviner'

Best Sound : 'The Rover'
Best Original Music Score : 'The Railway Man'
Best Visual Effects or Animation : Animal Logic for 'The LEGO Movie'

Inaugural 'Trailblazer' Award - Rose Byrne 

By my estimation then this gives 'Predestination' four awards and rightly so, and there is no question that Sarah Snook was the best choice as recipient of the Best Lead Actress Award for her work in this great film, and one of this Critic's favourites of the year. In my mind too it should have won Best Film or tied with 'The Babadook' as it is streets ahead of 'The Water Diviner' and deftly handled too by the Spierig Brothers on joint Director duty.

I have not seen 'The Babadook' as it got such a limited release here in Australia, but everything I have read and heard about this little South Australian filmed horror chiller thriller that cost just US$2M to produce, has been top notch, and it is good to see something of this genre getting the exposure it has/is. These three awards will only help further.

I was surprised to see a lack of other great Aussie fare missing from the list of nominations - films such as Joel Edgerton's Written, Produced and Starring 'Felony' picked up a solitary nomination for Best Sound only, and the Zak Hilditch Directed 'These Final Hours' didn't get a single look in! 'Healing' got a single nomination for Best Original Music, and 'Tracks' did well out of the nominations with four for Best Film, Cinematography, Costume and Lead Actress for Mia Wasikowska, but failed to score a gong!

Closing out the Awards Season we have the BAFTA's up next on 8th February and then the Academy Awards on 22nd February - stay tuned for more, and remember . . . support your home grown Aussie movies in 2015!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-