THE POPE'S EXORCIST : Tuesday 18th April 2023.

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'THE POPE'S EXORCIST' earlier this week at my local independent movie theatre, and this American supernatural horror film is Directed by Julius Avery whose previous feature film credits are 'Son of a Gun' in 2014, 'Overlord' in 2018 and 'Samaritan' in 2022. This film is based on the Italian Catholic Priest and Exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth of the Diocese of Rome, who lived from 1925 until 2016, and who claimed to have performed thousands of exorcisms throughout his life, as recounted in his memoirs 'An Exorcist Tells His Story' and 'An Exorcist : More Stories'. The film cost US$18M to produce, has so far brought in US$38M at the global Box Office, has generated mixed or average reviews and was released first in India earlier this month and then in the US and here in Australia last week.

The film opens up in mid-1987 and Father Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe), acting as the Pope's personal Exorcist pulls up at an Italian village on his Lambretta scooter where a man is allegedly possessed by a demon. With the help of a local priest, Amorth enters the room where the man is tied up, shouting obscenities in English although he has never uttered a word of English in his life up to this point. While exorcising the man, using a Saint Benedict sacramental Medal, Amorth drives the demon into a pig, which is then killed with a shotgun, leaving the man in a crumpled heap on the bed seemingly to recover.

This 'exorcism' gets Amorth into some seemingly serious trouble with a Church tribunal, since he acted without permission from his superiors. One tribunal member is a friendly African bishop, Lumumba (Cornell John), but another is an overly zealous American cardinal, Sullivan (Ryan O'Grady) who is skeptical of demonic possession, and readily discounts all of Amorth's counter arguments. Amorth replies that evil does exist, and that he did not perform a true exorcism, but instead, some psychological theatre to help the mentally-disturbed man. Amorth goes on to explain that 98% of cases can be attributed to mental or scientific reasons, but the remaining 2% are down to pure evil. However. disgusted by the accusations made by the panel before him, he walks out of the tribunal hearing.

The Pope assigns Amorth to visit a possessed boy named Henry (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney) in Spain. Henry, his mother Julia (Alex Essoe), and his rebellious teenage sister Amy (Laurel Marsden) had traveled from America to take possession of a mysterious old Spanish abbey which was Henry's father's sole bequest to his family after he died tragically in a car accident in which Henry was present in the back seat, and saw his father impaled. The traumatised Henry has not spoken since the accident, which was one year ago now. The group of workmen, who were restoring the abbey so the family could sell it, leave after a mysterious fire breaks out in the basement. Hereafter, Henry starts behaving bizarrely and self-harms. His mother takes him to a local hospital but various blood tests and MRI scans show nothing to be out of the ordinary.

Henry, mercilessly possessed, requests a priest, and when the local Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto) arrives, Henry obscenely chastises him and sends him hurtling through the air to come crashing down against a cupboard and saying 'wrong priest'. Amorth arrives and with no alternative, enlists Esquibel as his assistant, though Esquibel is untrained as an exorcist. Amorth states the importance of prayer and staying the course despite the distractions that Henry might throw his way. However, Esquibel makes several mistakes as an assistant exorcist, including attempting to strangle Henry when he derides him, and mocks him for his sins.

The pair attempt to exorcise Henry, without success, as he utters blasphemous rantings throughout the ritual. Furthermore, without the demon's name, their attempts prove futile. Amorth finds Julia has not been a religious believer since childhood, but he convinces her to pray after she reveals she believed a guardian angel was always by her side during her early school years.

Meanwhile, back in Rome, the Pope (Franco Nero) becomes gravely ill while reading documents about the Spanish case, and is rushed into hospital. Amorth locates a well on the abbey grounds going down to an underground cavern sealed off by the Church as being demonically dangerous. He learns that a founder of the Spanish Inquisition, an exorcist, was possessed, which let him infiltrate the Church and in turn conduct much evil. Amorth also discovers that the Church covered this up centuries ago, and eventually learns the name of Henry's demon, Asmodeus, which will help with the exorcism.

Amorth and Esquibel participate in a Confession and Absolution, mutually confessing, and absolving each other of their sins - with Amorth, an Italian partisan, who survived World War II and vowed to serve God in gratitude, when later a mentally-ill woman asked for Amorth's help, and subsequently died by suicide when he did not help her due to pride, with Esquibel fornicating with a young woman he later abandoned. The two prepare themselves and Amorth instructs Esquibel to wear a Miraculous Medal necklace. During the exorcism, they are tormented by visions of the women whom they failed. The exorcism succeeds only when Amorth offers himself to be possessed, which coincides with Asmodeus's earlier stating that he wants to destroy Amorth.

Amorth attempts to hang himself, but Asmodeus doesn't allow it, preferring that Amorth infiltrate and destroy the Church from within. However, Esquibel helps Amorth drive away the demon that emerges from a well as the Blessed Virgin Mary elevating before him, as well as the demonic manifestations of the two women who so troubled the men. The Pope makes a full recovery, as does Henry who has returned to the USA with his mother and sister. The triumphant pair visit Rome, and find Sullivan has taken extended leave in Guam, being replaced by Lumumba. Amorth and Esquibel are escorted to a special Church archive with many of the relics recovered from the cavern. Lumumba tells Amorth that he will be visiting 199 other evil sites, depicted on a world map Amorth discovered at the abbey, to combat the Devil, to which Amorth replies that it will be a life's work and that he will need an assistant, to which Esquibel acknowledges his support.

'The Pope's Exorcist' is entertaining enough but it doesn't offer the viewer anything new that we haven't seen many times before. There are plenty of plot holes here too, for example, I really can't believe that Amorth rode his Lambretta scooter all the way from Rome, through northern Italy, through southern France and down into Spain; or how Julia gets slammed head first into a bathroom sink that shatters and she gets up with nary a scratch; or how Henry and Amorth seem to recover from their demonic possessions almost instantly; or . . . . well, you know what I'm sayin' here! The film is however, elevated by Russell Crowe's performance as the often quirky, not too serious, scooter riding, whisky guzzling albeit dodgy accented Father Amorth who saves the day to battle it out on another occasion as the open ended conclusion paves the way for a potential sequel. The scares here are few and far between and the tension rarely amounts to much, but stylistically and visually the films looks the part, with particular credit going to Crowe and the twelve year old DeSouza-Feighoney who add a certain gravitas to the proceedings.

'The Pope's Exorcist' 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 6th April 2023.

Since 2012 the Sun Valley Film Festival has invited fans and filmmakers to America’s first ski resort to celebrate the magic of storytelling. Every (Northern Hemisphere) Spring the Festival celebrates with a slate of cutting-edge films, industry panels, engaging Coffee Talks with entertainment luminaries, a Screenwriters Lab led by award-winning writers, and a series of parties culminating with the spectacular SVFF Awards Bash. This years Festival ran from Wednesday 29th March through until Sunday 2nd April and is held in the ski resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho. The Sun Valley Film Festival invites guests to be a part of the legacy of storytellers, artists and filmmakers that have defined the town’s rich cinematic history. From screenings in the snow to an unforgettable reception at Hemingway’s restored hunting lodge, SVFF captures the spirit of a bygone era, one that comes alive for one magical weekend each March as it celebrates the shared wonder of film. In tandem with the town’s cinematic past, the Festival’s intimate accessibility attracts industry icons who return year after year, creating a community of artists that define the Festival’s unique atmosphere. With over 4,000 annual attendees, SVFF is quickly becoming known as the Festival for Filmmakers - a boutique event beloved by film fans and auteurs alike.

This years slate of feature films included the following titles :-

* 'Air' - from Director, Co-Producer and star Ben Affleck, with Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina and Marlon Wayans.

* 'Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out' - from Director and Co-Producer Jake van Wagoner and starring Emma Tremblay, Jacob Buster and Will Forte.

* 'Bad Press' - from Directors Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler and starring Angel Ellis, Jerrad Moore and Lanzy Krehbiel-Burton.

* 'Birth/Rebirth' - from Director Laura Moss and starring Marin Ireland, Judy Reyes, A.J. Lister and Breeda Wool.

* 'Bobi Wine : The People's President' - this Documentary from Directors Christopher Sharp (who also Co-Produces) and Moses Bwayo (who is also Co-Cinematograhper).

* 'Deep Rising' - is a Documentary from Director Matthieu Rytz and is narrated by Jason Momoa.

* 'Dreamin' Wild' - from Director, Co-Producer and Co-Writer Bill Pohlad and starring Casey Affleck, Zooey Deschanel, Walton Goggins, Noah Jupe, Beau Bridges and Chris Messina.

* 'Fancy Dance' - from Director, Co-Producer and Co-Writer Erica Tremblay and starring Lily Gladstone, Isabel Deroy-Olson, Ryan Begay, Crystle Lightning, Audrey Wasilewski and Shea Whigham.

* 'Flamin' Hot' - from Director Eva Longoria in her feature film making debut, and starring Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Matt Walsh and Tony Shalhoub.

* 'Fremont' - from Director Babak Jalali and starring Anaita Wali Zada, Jeremy Allen White and Gregg Turkington.

* 'Joyland' - from Director and Writer Saim Sadiq and starring Ali Junejo and Alina Khan.

* 'King Coal' - from Director, Co-Producer, Co-Writer and Co-Editor Elaine Sheldon and narrated by Elaine Sheldon. 

* 'Land of Gold' - from Director, Writer, Co-Producer and star Nardeep Khurmi and also starring Pallavi Sastry and Caroline Valencia.

* 'The Longest Goodbye' - this Documentary is from Director and Co-Writer Ido Mizrahy.

* 'Midday Black Midnight Blue' from Directors, Co-Producers and Co-Writers Samantha Soule and Daniel Talbott and starring Chris Stack, Samantha Soule, Will Pullen, Addie Johnson Talbott, McCaleb Burnett, Shane McRae, Dale Soules, and Merritt Wever.

* 'Nascondino' - this Documentary is Directed by Victoria Fiore.

* 'Showing Up' - from Director, Co-Writer and Editor Kelly Reichardt and starring Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, Maryann Plunkett, John Magaro, Andre Benjamin, James Le Gros, and Judd Hirsch.

* 'Surrounded' - from Director and Co-Producer Anthony Mandler and starring Letitia Wright, Jamie Bell, Jeffrey Donovan, Brett Gelman and Michael K. Williams.

* Wild Life' - this Documentary is Directed and Co-Produced by E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin and stars Kristine Tompkins, Rick Ridgeway, Jimmy Chin and Yvon Chouinard. 

This years Honourees for the Vision Award was presented to Actor and Producer Josh Brolin; the Pioneer Award was presented to Actor, Writer, Producer and Director Emilio Estevez; with the Rising Star Award being presented to Sophie Thatcher.

For the full run-down on the aforementioned films, plus all the details of the SVFF Short Films and a whole lot more good stuff, you can visit the official website at : https://sunvalleyfilmfestival.org/

This week then we have seven new release movies coming to a big screen Odeon near you, kick starting with a sports bio drama that follows the history of a shoe salesman and how he led Nike in its pursuit of the greatest athlete in the history of basketball. This is followed by a big screen adaptation of the popular tabletop role playing game that sees a charming and handsome thief and a band of would-be adventurous types join forces to find a long lost relic, but things don't go quite according to plan when they cross paths with various miscreants. Next up and based on a true story, we follow the Chief Exorcist of the Vatican as he investigates a young boy's terrifying possession and ultimately uncovers a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep covered up. Then we turn to a story of a geriatric ward in a small Yorkshire hospital that is threatened with closure, and how the local community come together to fight back. Following on from this we have a film that charts the travels of a curious grey Sardinian donkey across the Polish and Italian countryside, as he experiences the highs and lows of society, all the while never losing his innocence. Next is an Aussie offering that follows a high schooler and talented dancer who rebels against the discipline required for her to succeed following an unexpected accident. And closing out the week we have an animated film telling the story of The Super Mario Bros. on their journey through the Mushroom Kingdom.

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 week ahead.

'AIR' (Rated M) - this American biographical sports drama film is Directed by and stars Ben Affleck whose previous film making credits take in 'Gone Baby Gone' in 2007, 'The Town' in 2010, 'Argo' in 2012 and 'Live by Night' in 2016. This film saw its World Premier screening as the Closing Night film of SXSW in mid-March recently, has so far garnered generally positive reviews and is released Stateside this week too.

The film reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike's fledgling basketball division which revolutionised the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time. Starring Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, the Nike shoe salesman who ultimately signs the young rookie Michael Jordan to a deal to wear their shoes; Ben Affleck as Phil Knight the Co-Founder of Nike; Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Michael's mother with Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina and Chris Tucker.

'DUNGEONS & DRAGONS : HONOUR AMONG THIEVES' (Rated M) - is an American fantasy heist action comedy film Directed and Co-Written by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, based on the tabletop role-playing game 'Dungeons & Dragons'. This film is not connected to the original trilogy of films that launched with the feature film 'Dungeons & Dragons' in 2000, then the made for TV 'Dungeons & Dragons : Wrath of the Dragon God' in 2005 and the direct to video third film 'Dungeons & Dragons 3 : The Book of Vile Darkness' in 2012. Here then, a charming thief Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine) and a band of unlikely adventurers (Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, Justice Smith and Sophie Lillis) embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people (Hugh Grant, Daisy Head and Jason Wong). The film was originally set to be released on 23rd July 2021 but due to scheduling conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, and various other studio delays a release date of last week in the US and this week in Australia was finally set upon, having seen its World Premier screening at SXSW earlier in March. It has garnered generally positive critical reviews, and cost US$151M to produce. 

'THE POPE'S EXORCIST' (Rated MA15+) - this American supernatural horror film is Directed by Julius Avery whose previous feature film credits are 'Son of a Gun' in 2014, 'Overlord' in 2018 and 'Samaritan' in 2022. This film is based on the Italian Catholic Priest and Exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth of the Diocese of Rome and who lived from 1925 until 2016, and who claimed to have performed thousands of exorcisms throughout his life, as recounted in his memoirs 'An Exorcist Tells His Story' and 'An Exorcist : More Stories'. Chief Exorcist of the Vatican Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe), investigates a young boy's terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden. Also starring Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe and Franco Nero, and is released in the US next week on 14th April. 

'ALLELUJAH' (Rated M) - this British drama film is Directed by Richard Eyre who made his feature film Directorial debut back in 1983 with 'The Ploughman's Lunch' which he would then follow up over the successive years with the likes of 'Iris' in 2001, 'Stage Beauty' in 2004, 'Notes on a Scandal' in 2006, 'The Other Man' in 2008 and 'The Children Act' in 2017. This film is based on the Alan Bennett play of the same name and saw its World Premier screening at TIFF in mid-September last year, before its release in the UK in mid-March, having garnered mixed reviews. Here then, when the geriatric ward in a small Yorkshire hospital is threatened with closure, the hospital decides to fight back by galvanising the local community, and so they invite a news crew to film their preparations for a concert in honour of the hospital's most distinguished nurse. What could possibly go wrong? Starring Jennifer Saunders, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Russell Tovey, David Bradley and Bally Gill. 

'EO' (Rated MA15+) - is a Polish drama road movie Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jerzy Skolimowski that won the Jury Prize at the May 2022 Cannes Film Festival, was nominated for the Best International Feature Film at the recent Academy Awards and all up has scored another twenty award wins and a further fifty-three nominations from around the awards and festival circuit. The film follows a a grey donkey with melancholic eyes, named Eo who performs in a circus but when that circus suddenly closes down unexpectedly he is cast aside. On his journeys he encounters good and bad people, experiences joy and pain, endures the wheel of fortune as it randomly turns his luck into disaster and his despair into unexpected bliss, but not even for a moment does he lose his innocence, as we explore a vision of modern Europe through his eyes. The film has garnered universal critical acclaim and has so far taken US$2.3M in Box Office receipts.

'THE RED SHOES : NEXT STEP' (Rated PG) - this Australian family drama film is Directed by Jesse Ahern and Joanne Samuel with the former in his Directing debut and the latter helming on her second feature film following 2020's 'The Legend of the Five'. Here then, we follow high schooler and talented dancer Sam Cavanaugh (Juliet Doherty), who is about to dance the lead in ‘The Red Shoes’ ballet when her older sister Annie (Daniele Clements), a brilliant dancer, is struck by a car while on Facetime with her. Guilt-ridden, Sam quits the academy, returns to high school, runs wild with new friend Eve Leary (Lauren Esposito), and lands herself in community service, which requires her to clean studios at the academy, providing a constant reminder of the tragedy. When Gracie (Primrose Kern), ‘The Red Shoes’ principal, is injured, Sam is pressed by her ballet teacher Ms. Harlow (Carolyn Bock) to take over the role and dance with Ben (Joel Burke), an old friend, long-time crush, and renowned dancer.

'THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE' (Rated G) - is a computer animated fantasy film not to be confused with the critical and commercial failure of the 1993 live action fantasy adventure film 'Super Mario Bros.' that starred Bob Hoskins, Dennis Hopper and John Leguizamo. This film is Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and is based on Nintendo's 'Mario' video game franchise. With help from Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy), the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario, an Italian Brooklyn based plumber (Chris Pratt) travels through the Mushroom Kingdom with the princess and an anthropomorphic mushroom named Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) to find Mario's brother, Luigi (Charlie Day), and to save the world from a ruthless fire-breathing Koopa named Bowser (Jack Black). Also starring Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong. The film is released Stateside this week too, and in Japan on 28th April. 

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-