As reported last week, the 57th annual
New York Film Festival ran from 27th September up to 13th October. Since its inception in 1963, the New York Film Festival has brought new and important cinematic works from around the world to the Lincoln Centre. In addition to the Main Slate official selections (as highlighted last week), the festival includes a spotlight on documentary, newly restored classics, special events, filmmaker talks, panel discussions, revivals and restorations, a showcase on short films and much more besides.
To round out this years coverage of the NYFF, those films appearing in the 'Spotlight on Documentary' section take in a series of dispatches from the front lines of non-fiction cinema featuring incisive portraits of iconic figures, intimate reports from inside the American prison system, New York stories both personal and political, and more. Included in the thirteen films being showcased here, were :
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'45 SECONDS OF LAUGHTER' - from the USA, and Directed by Tim Robbins who here captures a series of extraordinary sessions in which a group of inmates at the Calipatria State maximum-security facility take part in acting exercises that enhance bonding and emotional connection.
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'63 UP' - from the UK, and Directed by Michael Apted in his one-of-a-kind British film series here returns once again to a group of individuals whose lives have been charted on film every seven years from the age of seven onwards, and are now more introspective than ever at 63 years of age.
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'THE BOOKSELLERS' - from the USA, and Directed by D.W. Young whose elegant and entertaining documentary is a lively tour of New York’s book world, past and present, from the Park Avenue Armory’s annual Antiquarian Book Fair; to the Strand and Argosy book stores, still standing against all odds; to the beautifully crammed apartments of collectors and buyers.
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'BORN TO BE' - from the USA, and Directed by Tania Cypriano this remarkable documentary captures the emotional and physical journey of surgical transitioning, as experienced by patients at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital under the guidance of groundbreaking surgeon Dr. Jess Ting.
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'BULLY. COWARD. VICTIM. THE STORY OF ROY COHN' - from the USA and Directed by Ivy Meeropol here this thorough and mesmerising film takes an unflinching look at the life and death of Roy Cohn, the closeted, conservative American lawyer whose first job out of law school was prosecuting filmmaker Ivy Meeropol’s grandparents, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.
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'COLLEGE BEHIND BARS' - from the USA and Directed by veteran filmmaker Lynn Novick whose intimate documentary film chronicles a handful of ambitious and inspiring incarcerated students as they work towards their college diplomas in the Bard Prison Initiative.
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'CUNNINGHAM' - from Germany, France and the USA and Directed by Alla Kovgan this painstakingly constructed new documentary charts the artistic evolution of choreographer Merce Cunningham and immerses the viewer in the precise rhythms and dynamic movements of his work through a 3D process that allows us to step inside the dance.
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'MY FATHER AND ME' - from the UK, and Directed by Nick Broomfield this distinctly personal, complex and moving film about his relationship with his humanist-pacifist father, Maurice Broomfield, a factory worker turned photographer.
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'OLIVER SACKS : HIS OWN LIFE' - from the USA and Directed by Ric Burns here we get to know Oliver Sacks, from his childhood with a schizophrenic older brother, to his years as a champion bodybuilder and motorcycle aficionado, to his remarkable accomplishments as one of our foremost neurologists.
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'STATE FUNERAL' - from Holland and Lithuania and Directed by Sergei Loznitsa who here has unearthed a wealth of astonishing, mostly unseen archival footage of the 'Great Farewell' in the days following the death of Joseph Stalin in March 1953 to create an ever-relevant meditation on the horrors and absurdity of totalitarianism.
For the rest of this, plus what went down at this years New York Film Festival and all the coverage, you can visit the official website at : http://www.filmlinc.org/nyff
This week then we have seven latest release new films coming to tease you out to your local Odeon. We kick off the week with a couple of sequels, starting with a ZomCom follow-up that first launched in 2009 that was a critical and Box Office success, and this time around we see those same four lead Actors reunite with the same Director for another road trip of zombie bashing across the American heartland; and the second follow-up comes to us from the House of the Mouse that saw its first outing in 2014 and was a huge Box Office success with this film continuing Disney's
'Sleeping Beauty' theme. We then turn to a biographical drama film about a child Actress who rose to international stardom at a very young age to see her worldwide success continue up until the time of her death in 1969 despite the many challenges she faced in her personal life. Next up is a drama film concerning a young woman's pregnancy to a man who died tragically five years previously and the fall out experienced by both sets of parents. This is followed by an Aussie outback crime thriller about two estranged brothers who fall victim to a scam in their small town when they reunite at the funeral of their father; and then we have another biographical film charting the intrepid first all female team of the 1989 Whitbread Round The World Yacht race; before closing out the week with a historical retracing of a young girls secret diary from WWII that has been the source of inspiration to readers ever since and right up to the present day, as this documentary commemorates what would have been her 90th birthday year.
Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the seven 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 week ahead.
'ZOMBIELAND : DOUBLE TAP' (Rated MA15+) - here we have the long awaited ZomCom sequel to 2009's
'Zombieland' film which was Directed by Ruben Fleischer, starred Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin, and was a critical and commercial success grossing US$103M off the back of a US$24M production budget. Apparently a sequel was muted even before the release of the first film, but then things languished in development Hell for a number of years before being officially green lit in early 2018.
And so in this next instalment set ten years after the events of the first film, we witness the comedic and action mayhem that stretches from the White House and through America's heartland, as our four intrepid and fearless zombie slayers Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) come up against many new kinds of zombies that have evolved over the ensuing years, as well as some new human survivors including Nevada (Rosario Dawson) and Madison (Zoey Deutch). But most of all, they have to face the growing pains of their own irritable and snide, cobbled together family. Also starring Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch, Avan Jogia, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, this film cost US$42M to make and is released in the US this week too.
'MALEFICENT : MISTRESS OF EVIL' (Rated PG) - this Walt Disney produced dark fantasy adventure film is Directed by the Norwegian film maker Joachim Ronning, and is a sequel to the 2014 film
'Maleficent' which was Directed by Robert Stromberg and took US$786M at the global Box Office off the back of a US$180M budget. Set some five years after the first film, Maleficent (Angeline Jolie reprising her role) is leading a relatively peaceful life as the protector of the Moors. But her life takes an unexpected turn when Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson) proposes to Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning) and she accepts. Unknown to all, Phillip's mother, Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer), plans to use the wedding to divide humans and fairies forever. With Maleficent and Aurora finding themselves on opposite sides of an impending war, the two question whether they can truly be a family. Also starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sam Riley, Ed Skrein, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville, Robert Lindsay, Warwick Davis and David Gyasi.
'JUDY' (Rated M) - this already highly acclaimed biographical drama film about American actress and singer Judy Garland is Directed by prolific English Theatre Director and occasional film and television Director Rupert Goold, and it is an adaptation of the Olivier and Tony nominated West End and Broadway play
'End of the Rainbow' by Peter Quilter. The film saw its World Premier screening at the Telluride Film Festival back in late August, before going on wide release in the US in late September, in the UK earlier this month and in Australia this week. It is the Winter of 1968 and showbiz legend Judy Garland (Renee Zellweger) arrives in the London of the Swinging Sixties to perform a five-week sell-out show at The Talk of the Town nightclub. It has been some thirty years since she shot to global stardom in
'The Wizard of Oz', and even though her voice has weakened, its dramatic intensity has only grown. As she prepares for the show, battles with management, charms musicians, substance abuse, poor time management and reminisces with friends and adoring fans, her wit and warmth continue to shine through. Even her dreams of love seem undimmed as she embarks on a whirlwind romance with Mickey Deans (Finn Wittrock), her soon-to-be fifth husband. Also starring Rufus Sewell, Michael Gambon and Gemma-Leah Devereaux as Judy's daughter Liza Minnelli. The film has so far taken US$22M at the Box Office, garnered generally positive Press, with Zellweger's performance gaining particular praise.
'STRANGE BUT TRUE' (Rated M) - this American psychological noir thriller is Directed by Rowan Athale in only his second feature film outing after 2012's
'The Rise', and is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by John Searles. The film saw its World Premier showing at the Edinburgh Film Festival in late June this year, and was released in the US earlier last month. And so, it has been five years since high schooler Ronnie Chase (Connor Jessup) died in a tragic car accident on his high school prom night. But the shock of his death is reignited when his ex-girlfriend, Melissa (Margaret Qualley), visits Ronnie's mother Charlene Chase (Amy Ryan) and brother Phillip (Nick Robinson) and tells them she believes she's pregnant with Ronnie's child. Ronnie's family tries to dismiss Melissa's incredible claim - and is plunged into a web of lies, fears, and unrelenting suspense. Also starring Greg Kinnear, Blythe Danner and Brian Cox.
'LOCUSTS' (Rated MA15+) - here Australian film maker Heath Davis Directs and Co-Produces his third feature film following
'Broke' in 2016 and
'Book Week' in 2018. This outback crime thriller saw its World Premier Screening at the Gold Coast Film Festival back in April this year, and now goes on a limited release in Australia having been shown at numerous film festivals on its journey. When estranged tech entrepreneur Ryan Black (Ben Geurens) returns to his post mining-boom hometown for his father’s funeral, he’s reluctantly reunited with his ex-con brother Tyson (Nathaniel Dean). But when the pair become entangled in an extortion scam at the hands of desperate small-town criminals, Ryan is forced into extreme measures, exposing the dark underbelly of the sleepy former mining town. Also starring Jessica McNamee, Andy McPhee, Justin Rosniak, Steve Le Marquand and Damian Hill (in his last film role, having died in September 2018).
'MAIDEN' (Rated M) - Directed by Documenatarian and TV Director and Producer Alex Holmes this is the gripping story of the first all-female crew to take on the male-dominated Whitbread Round-the-World yacht race. The film follows the crews sea faring exploits as Skipper Tracy Edwards made history in 1989 when her boat ‘Maiden’ crossed the start line of this notoriously gruelling race. A former ship’s cook, Edwards decided the only way to break into this all-boys club was to take up the challenge with an all-female crew. She set about recruiting a team and raising the money to refurbish and equip a beat-up old boat. Overcoming many setbacks, including resistant sponsors, and with chauvinistic reporters betting on their failure, 'Maiden' – with Edwards at the helm – finally set out on the nine month 33,000-mile voyage. The difficulty of their undertaking is vividly demonstrated in footage shot by sports networks as well as the crew themselves.
'ANNE FRANK : PARALLEL STORIES' (Rated M) - here Academy Award winning Actress Helen Mirren retraces Anne Frank's life, marking what would have been her 90th birthday, through the pages of her remarkable and enlightening diary, and intertwined with the lives of five woman who, as teenage girls, were also deported to concentration camps but escaped the Holocaust. Those other women were Arianna Szorenyi, Sarah Lichtsztejn-Montard, Helga Weiss and sisters Andra and Tatiana Bucci. Anne Frank was deported to Auschwitz and then to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where she died of typhus between February and March 1945. Directed by prizewinning Italian TV journalists Sabina Fedeli and Anna Migotto, they used innovative storytelling techniques to focus on Anne Frank’s role as a witness,
'because her approach to life … the depth of her writing … makes her able to speak directly to young people today'.
With seven new release movies this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead, at your local Odeon.
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
And so in this next instalment set ten years after the events of the first film, and following an opening narrative to bring us duly up to speed with the passing events of the last decade, we open up with a zombie showdown involving Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) going head to head with a bunch of marauding zombies on the now overgrown lawn of the White House. Needless to say its a complete bloodbath as our four intrepid zombie killing heroes win the day using assault rifles, pump action shotguns, crowbars and pistols to thwart their flesh hungry aggressors. 
Taking up residence in the deserted White House, Columbus decides to propose to Wichita and uses the First Lady's Hope Diamond ring to seal their engagement. Meanwhile Little Rock has thoughts of escaping her surrogate family and finding a man, settling down and starting her own family, but these notions are quickly rebuffed by her father figure Tallahassee. Early the next day, Tallahassee finds a brief hand scribbled note from Wichita and Little Rock, stating they have left because Little Rock feels Tallahassee still treats her like a child, and Wichita’s fear she has become far too attached to Columbus.
A few weeks later, resigned to their new found female-less lives, Tallahassee and Columbus are riding Segwey's around a desert shopping mall, when Columbus comes across Madison (Zoey Deutch) who has spent the last ten years or so of her life living inside the freezer of a frozen dessert restaurant chain. Madison pretty quickly manages to put Tallahassee off side, but she warms to Columbus, who invites the dumb ass blonde bimbo to come live with them at the White House, much to Tallahassee's chagrin. That first night Madison seduces Columbus.
The next morning Wichita returns to the White House alone and upon discovering that Columbus slept with Madison is none too pleased. Wichita goes on to explain that Little Rock left for Graceland with a hippie named Berkeley (Avan Jogia), and commandeered Tallahassee's prized modified Presidential limousine affectionately known as 'The Beast' with them. She also informs the group of more agile and durable 'super zombies' that she has come across, who are stronger, faster and able to withstand multiple attempts at killing them. Fearing for Little Rock's safety, the group head toward Graceland in a beat up minivan much to Tallahassee's disgust.
'Zombieland : Double Tap' has plenty going for it that will make it an enjoyable couple of hours spent at your local movie theatre, but at the same time it doesn't steer too far away from the original premise that made the first instalment so critically and commercially successful. The story is coherent enough, the zombie bloodletting is gore inspiring and there are enough undead kills to satisfy the most die hard fan, the chemistry between the lead characters is clearly evident, the comedic humour yields a number of laugh out loud moments, and there is the occasional tongue in cheek emotional interlude to counter balance the manic zombie attacks. What lets this film down is that it is largely simply a rehash of what went before, going through the all too familiar motions for the sake of fountains of blood spatter and gory zombie deaths, interspersed with the odd laugh, and a plot that is a thinly veiled road movie of reckoning on various levels, and that's about it. It is worth staying in your seat for the funniest element of the film that comes as a mid credits sequence featuring Bill Murray promoting 'Garfield 3'.
