What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 27th August 2026

The 83rd Venice International Film Festival this years takes place from Wednesday 2nd September through until Saturday 12th September. It will run on the Lido di Venezia, in Italy, and is officially recognised by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Association). The aim of the Festival is to raise awareness and promote international cinema in all its forms as art, entertainment and as an industry, in a spirit of freedom and dialogue. One section is devoted to enhance the restoration works on classic films as a contribution towards a better understanding of the history of cinema . . . so reads the official website.

This years Opening Night Film presentation is 'Ink' that is Co-Produced and Directed by Danny Boyle, and is adapted by James Graham from his own 2017 stage play. This biographical docudrama is set in 1969, as rising media tycoon Rupert Murdoch (Guy Pearce) acquires the daily newspaper 'The Sun', and his partnership with editor Larry Lamb (Jack O'Connell) turns the paper into Britain's most influential tabloid. Also starring Claire Foy. World Premiere. The Closing Night Film is 'God Laughs' which is Co-Written for the screen and Directed by Giovanni Veronesi. Set in 17th-Century Tuscany, it follows Friar Leopold of Casamacchia (Pierfrancesco Favino), who preaches the Gospel with joy and portrays a God close to humanity who can laugh. However, his popular message attracts hostility from the Church. Pope Innocent X (Carlo Cecchi) assigns Cardinal Maculani to investigate, sparking a clash between faith and power. World Premiere.

American Actress, Producer and Director Maggie Gyllenhaal will serve as Jury President for the Main Competition, of which there are twenty-one films all competing for the prestigious Golden Lion. Among the line-up are the following titles :-

* 'Bucking Fastard' - from Ireland and the USA this drama film is Written and Directed by Werner Herzog. Sisters Jean (Kate Mara) and Joan Holbrooke (Rooney Mara), in search of an imaginary land where true love is possible, start digging a tunnel through a mountain range. Also starring Orlando Bloom and Domhnall Gleeson. World Premiere.

* 'Bunker' - from France and Spain and Written and Directed by Florian Zeller. This psychological thriller film centres around an architect's marriage which is put to the test after he accepts a project to build a bunker for a billionaire. Starring Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Stephen Graham, Paul Dano, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Mark Gatiss. World Premiere.

* 'Company' - from the USA, Canada, Romania, Italy and the UAE, this mystery film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and stars Casey Affleck. Set on a winter night in 1975, the film sees a mysterious woman who arrives uninvited at a holiday gathering and tell the story of Tom, an aging hermit who rescues a stranded Actress during a Colorado blizzard more than 20 years earlier. To pass the night, the Actress recounts an older tale of a farming couple who take in a troubled young drifter as a series of grisly murders spreads fear across the frontier. Starring Nick Nolte, Ben Mendelsohn, Scoot McNairy, Adelaide Clemens, Emily Alyn Lind and Caylee Cowan. World Premiere.

* 'A Good Little Soldier' - from France and this drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Stephanie Brize. The film follows Carla (Alba Rohrwacher), a 43-year-old high-performing Executive newly recruited as HR Manager of a major insurer, tasked with rebuilding its brand in a corporate environment where vulnerability is not an asset. Also starring Vincent Lindon. World Premiere.

* 'Ink' - refer above under Opening Night Film presentation.

* 'Look Back' - from Japan, this coming-of-age drama film is Written for the screen, Directed and Edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda. The overly confident and popular student Fujino (Natsuki Deguchi) and the shut-in with severe social anxiety Kyomoto (Aju Makita) couldn’t be more different, but a love of drawing manga brings these two small-town girls together. World Premiere.

* 'Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?' - from Japan, the USA, Thailand and Vietnam, this war drama film is Written, Directed, photographed and Edited by Shinya Tsukamoto. Allen Nelson (Rodney Hicks) grew up in New York, joined the Marines at age eighteen to escape poverty, and served in Vietnam in 1966. Traumatised, he became homeless before Veteran Affairs treatment. He dedicated his life to anti-war advocacy, giving 1,200+ lectures in Japan. Also starring Geoffrey Rush, Mark Merphy and Tatyana Ali. World Premiere. 

* 'Primetime' - from the USA and this thriller film is Directed by Lance Oppenheim. The film follows the production of the reality television series 'To Catch a Predator', which in 2006 featured host Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson) confronting child sexual predators who would arrive at a sting house and typically get arrested as a result. Also starring Merritt Weaver, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, Bokeem Woodbine, Anna Faris, Tony Revolori and Alex Winter. World Premiere.

* 'Wild Horse Nine' from the UK, the USA and Chile, and this black comedy film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Martin McDonagh. Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA officers Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island by their bureau chief, MJ (Steve Buscemi). Amongst the Island's iconic statues, and as the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies, Chris's newfound bond with a pair of rebellious students threatens to send everyone’s trip to this remote paradise sideways. Also starring Tom Waits and Parker Posey. World Premiere.

In addition, American Actress Ellen Burstyn and American Actor, Producer and Director George Clooney will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the festival. Italian Director and Producer Luca Guadagnino is the recipient of the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award dedicated to a personality who has made a particularly original contribution to the contemporary film industry. Italian Actress Serena Rossi is the recipient of the Campari Passion for Film Award created to honour the talent, dedication, and bold artistic vision of those who transform passion into a driving creative force.

For the details of the other feature films being showcased in the Main Competition, plus the other competitive strands, and non-competitive sections being screened, together with a whole lot of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.labiennale.org

Turning the attention then back to this weeks major haul of ten new release movies coming to a big screen Odeon near you, we kick off with a post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi in which survivors of a deadly pandemic traverse a post-apocalyptic landscape to find the origin of a mysterious radio transmission. Then we turn to an erotic comedy thriller where a fresh faced unmotivated twenty-something lands an exciting job for a renowned artist, icon and provocateur where his fantasies come true as she taps him to become her sexual muse. Next up is a drama offering whereby the estranged sons of a reclusive novelist are called to meet him after he becomes convinced he is about to die. Following on we have British gangster film that is the seventh film in the series that sees our protagonist battle ruthless mercenaries throughout Ibiza as he avenges his friend's death. Up next is a Norwegian drama offering that is part of a trilogy of films in which a woman's infatuation with her French teacher ignites tensions within her family; before turning to a French comedy where a man plans to spend a peaceful summer in his in-laws' home, but upon his arrival, a conflict erupts between his fiancee's family and the villa's caretaker couple. This is followed by a South Korean animated drama film where a bullied girl transfers schools hoping for peace, but her past trauma isolates her until she discovers a series of secret letters hidden around the school. And closing out the week we have a trio of Aussie doco's - the first of which traces Lisa Jones Engel's (primatologist turned animal welfare advocate) journey questioning the justification of harming animals and humans for science. Second up we have a struggling Director who documents his journey making a 'mockbuster' in six days, descending into the chaotic world of low-budget filmmaking; and third and finally we have a  cinematic portrait of Italian Australian pop icon Tina Arena, unravelling five extraordinary decades devoted to music.

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

'THE DOG STARS' (Rated MA15+) - is a post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi film that is Co-Produced and Directed by Ridley Scott, who I'm sure needs no introduction. Suffice to say some of his more acclaimed prior feature film making credits take in the likes of 'Alien' in 1979, 'Blade Runner' in 1982, 'Thelma & Louise' in 1992, 'Gladiator' in 2000, 'Black Hawk Down' in 2002, 'American Gangster' in 2007, 'Prometheus' in 2012, 'The Martian' in 2015, 'House of Gucci' in 2021, 'Napoleon' in 2023, and 'Gladiator II' in 2024. This film is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Peter Heller, and is released this week too in the US.

Set after a devastating flu pandemic that has almost wiped out all of humanity, the film centres on Hig (Jacob Elordi), a former civilian pilot, and Bangley (Josh Brolin), a hardened former Marine and military survivalist who has carved out an efficient but isolated homestead in a brutal post-apocalyptic world. When a mysterious radio transmission spurs Hig to venture into the unknown they must confront external threats in search of the hope and humanity he still believes exists, and a better life beyond where they currently live. Also starring Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Benedict Wong and Allison Janney. 

'I WANT YOUR SEX' (Rated MA15+) - this American erotic comedy thriller film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Co-Edited by Gregg Araki who made his feature film making debut in 1987 with 'Three Bewildered People in the Night' and which he would follow up with his Teenage Apocalypse trilogy of films being 'Totally F***ed Up' in 1993, 'The Doom Generation' in 1995 and 'Nowhere' in 1997, then 'Mysterious Skin' in 2004, 'Smiley Face' in 2007, 'Kaboom' in 2010 and 'White Bird in a Blizzard' in 2014. Here, when fresh-faced Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder. Also starring Mason Gooding, Daveed Diggs, Johnny Knoxville, Charli XCX and Chase Sui Wonders. The film had its Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in late January this year, was released in the US at the end of July, has so far grossed US$1.5M at the Box Office and has garnered generally favourable critical reviews.

'& SONS' (Rated M) - is a US, UK and Canadian Co-Produced drama film that is Co-Produced, Directed and Co-Edited by Pablo Trapero, was written for the screen by Sarah Polley and is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by David Gilbert. Andrew, or A.N. Dyer (Bill Nighy), as he is known to the world, is a famous novelist whose first novel became an instant classic and created a cult following around its elusive author. One morning, Dyer wakes up convinced he must mend the broken relationships in his life and summons his sons to be with him. It has been almost twenty years since an incident tore apart the family. When the sons arrive, each burdened with their own struggles, Andrew reveals something so astonishing it couldn’t possibly be true, or could it? For two decades, Andrew hasn’t written a word, or left his home. In that time, he fathered a child outside his marriage, lost his long-suffering wife, and grew estranged from his two older sons. The death of an old friend jolts him into confronting his mortality, compounded by his alcoholism. Summoning all his children for what may be the first and last time, Andrew draws Richard (Johnny Flynn) and Jamie (George MacKay) back into the family fold, their resentment still raw. Expecting a bid for forgiveness, they instead hear a revelation about their half brother Andy Jr. (Noah Jupe) that rewrites everything they thought they knew about their family. Also starring Imelda Staunton, Dominic West and Arthur Conti. The film premiered at TIFF in early September last year, and was released Stateside last week. 

'RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER : RETRIBUTION' (Rated CTC) - this British gangster film franchise is Written and Directed by Julian Gilbey, Will Gilbey, Ricci Harnett, Zackary Adler, Andrew Loveday and Nick Nevern. The franchise and its first two films are based on true events featured in the autobiography of Inter City Firm hooligan turned gangster Carlton Leach before later films focus on the lives of drug dealers Pat Tate (Craig Fairbrass) and Tony Tucker (Terry Stone) who were gunned down in 1995. The first film 'Rise of the Footsoldier' in 2007 and is based on the autobiography of Leach who had risen from a football hooligan to becoming a bouncer, hired muscle and later part of the Essex firm of the 1990's and his involvement with Pat Tate and Tony Tucker. The sequel 'Rise of the Footsoldier Part II : Reign of the General' was released in 2015, with 'Rise of the Footsoldier : The Pat Tate Story' in 2017, 'Rise of the Footsoldier : Marbella' in 2019 and 'Rise of the Footsoldier Origins' in 2021 are prequels to the original and do not feature Carlton Leach, but are loosely based upon the lives of Tucker and Tate. 'Rise of the Footsoldier : Vengeance' was released in 2023. This next instalment in the franchise is Co-Written and Directed by Nick Nevern and has Pat Tate (Craig Fairbrass) travelling to Ibiza, Spain to seek revenge and track down criminals who murdered his friend. During his journey, Tate is caught in a deadly conflict involving arms traffickers, mercenaries and the CIA. The film is released in the US this week too.

'OSLO STORIES TRILOGY : DREAMS (SEX LOVE)' (Rated PG) - is a Norwegian drama film Written and Directed by Dag Johan Haugerud. In between 'Sex' (2024) and 'Love' (2024), it is the second part of a trilogy by Haugerud that deals with the complexity of human relationships, sexuality and social norms. The film follows Johanne's (Ella Overbye) infatuation with her French teacher Johanna (Selome Emnetu), which ignites tensions within her family, as her mother and grandmother confront their own unfulfilled dreams and desires. This film was released in its native Norway in October 2024, and was selected for the Main Competition at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, where it had its International Premiere in mid-February and won the Golden Bear. The film has generated positive critical reviews. 

'THE PARTY'S OVER' (Rated M) - this French and Belgian Co-Produced comedy film is Co-Written and Directed by Antony Cordier whose prior feature film credits are 'Cold Showers' in 2005, 'Happy Few' in 2010, and 'Gaspard at the Wedding' in 2017. Mehdi (Sami Outalbali) had planned to spend a quiet summer in his in-laws' sumptuous home. But as soon as he arrives, a conflict breaks out between his girlfriend's family and the villa's overworked live in caretaker couple over a financial dispute. As Mehdi comes from a modest background, he thinks he can lead the negotiations between the two parties and bring everyone back to their senses. But things start to escalate completely out of control as ego, class privilege, and polished manners collapse into chaos. Also starring Laurent Lafitte, Elodie Bouchez, Ramzy Bedia, Laure Calamy and Noee Abita. The film had its World Premiere in the Directors Fortnight section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival before its general release in France in late September last year, and only now is it released here in Australia.

'YOUR LETTER' (Rated PG) - is a South Korean animated drama film Directed by Kim Yong-hwan and is based on Korean comic of the same name written and illustrated by Hyeon A. Cho. After summer vacation, Sori Lee (voiced by Lee Su-hyun) transfers to a new school and finds an anonymous letter in her desk drawer with an introduction to the school and a clue to finding the next letter. 'If you want to keep reading, find my second letter!' While following the clues in the letters and searching all over the school like on a treasure hunt, Sori keeps running into a same-aged student named Dong-soon (Kim Min-ju). Sori and Dong-soon quickly become friends as they search for the letters together. As she finds one letter after another, the special connection continues, and Sori’s curiosity grows for the mysterious sender. The film Premiered at the Ottawa International Animation Festival in late September 2024, was released in its native South Korea in October last year and only now does it get a limited release here in Australia from this week, having been released Stateside on 17th August. It has so far grossed US$1.4M.

'SENTIENT' (Rated M) - is an Australian documentary film Co-Written and Directed by Tony Jones, the Australian TV news and political journalist, radio and television presenter, and writer. The film investigates laboratory research on animals and follows Dr. Lisa Jones Engel, a primatologist turned animal welfare advocate, as it questions whether harming animals and ourselves in the name of science is justified. The film Premiered in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at this year Sundance Film Festival in January.

'MOCKBUSTER' (Rated M) - this Australian documentary film is Co-Written and Directed by Anthony Frith. Here, Australian filmmaker Anthony Frith is contracted to American mockbuster film production studio and distributor The Asylum, known for their 2013 film 'Sharknado'. He has to Direct a film called 'The Land That Time Forgot', a 'lost-world dinosaur epic' set in his hometown of Adelaide, South Australia, on a shoestring budget, and to be completed in six days. 'Mockbuster' is a behind-the-scenes documentary showing Frith's progress through the making of the film. 'Mockbuster' had its World Premiere at the 2025 Adelaide Film Festival in late October last year, as did 'The Land That Time Forgot'. The film is a 'double-feature' Directorial debut for Anthony Frith. 

'TINA ARENA : UNRAVEL ME' (Rated M) - is an Australian documentary film Directed by Adrian Russell-Wills whose previous doco's are 'Boxing for Palm Island' in 2010, '88' in 2014, 'Black Divaz' in 2018 and 'Kindred' in 2023. Marking fifty years in the music industry, this film is an intimate cinematic portrait of one of Australia’s most enduring artists, tracing a career shaped by reinvention, resilience and an unmistakable voice. Tina Arena has been in the music business for fifty years, and after twenty-five albums, she’s had enough eras to make other pop stars envious. Born in suburban Melbourne to Sicilian parents, Filippina Arena became Australia’s darling in 1976, aged eight, on Channel Ten’s prime-time variety show 'Young Talent Time'. Behind Tina, the power balladeer and queer icon, this film unravels her vulnerable yet tenacious private self in candid, dryly funny conversation. Also appearing in new and archival interviews are Tina’s two sisters; her mentor Johnny Young; and collaborators and admirers including Celine Dion, Marc Anthony, Ronan Keating and Jessica Mauboy. In bringing herself undone, Tina movingly shows how music has made and mended her. 

With ten 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-

THE END OF OAK STREET : Tuesday 18th August 2026.

I saw the M Rated 'THE END OF OAK STREET' earlier this week, and this American Sci-Fi survival film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by David Robert Mitchell who made his feature film Directing debut with 'The Myth of the American Sleepover' in 2010 and has since had only two other features, 'It Follows' in 2014 and 'Under the Silver Lake' in 2018. This film was released last week too in the US, cost in the region US$85M to produce and has so far grossed US$64M having garnered generally positive critical reviews along the way. 

The film opens on a scene of a street party on Oak Street in the town of Flowervale, Michigan, on what appears to be a beautiful sun drenched summers day. We are quickly introduced to Denise Platt (Anne Hathaway) and her husband Greg (Ewan McGregor) and their mid-teenage daughter Audrey (Maisy Stella), their younger son Brian (Christian Convery) and their dog Starbuck. The couple's marriage is somewhat strained, and Denise privately contemplates divorce, while Greg, having lost his regular job within the last few weeks secretly works as a local pizza delivery driver just to earn a few bucks until he can get back on his feet. 

Sometime later, Denise who is an aspiring novelist takes a draft of her first novel to local neighbour Mrs. Huddleston (Anne Gee Byrd) for a proof read, and who thinks her novel has merit and should continue writing. Before Denise leaves, Mrs.Huddleston invites her into her backyard to observe a peculiar looking plant that has suddenly sprouted up in the last three days and stands about six feet tall. Denise takes a photograph and at the library, the librarian, Mrs. Valcourt (Emily Kuroda), identifies the plant as a species that went extinct two hundred million years ago. The next morning, a big pile of animal dung subsequently appears in neighbour Mel Jacobs (P.J. Byrne) yard, and he fumes at Denise and Greg saying that it is their kids doing. Greg defuses the matter by offering to help Mel clean up the mess. Radio broadcasts report increased solar-flare activity. During a storm later that night, Greg returns home from a pizza delivery, when a huge white light suddenly engulfs Oak Street, joined by a change in atmospheric pressure, and a power and water outage. The next day still none the wiser as to what, how or why last nights incident occurred, Denise, Greg and their two kids leave their house to search for Starbuck, who has gone missing from his outdoor kennel. 

They soon discover that Oak Street is seemingly surrounded by a prehistoric landscape from which dinosaurs emerge, and kill people throughout the neighbourhood. The family proceeds to board up their windows and Audrey theorises that the flashes of light were wormholes that transported the entire neighbourhood millions of years into the past. 

Holed up in their home, the family gather to discuss their situation. Denise seems to accept their fate that they could potentially be stuck there for the rest of their lives, while Greg believes in the power of divine intervention and that God will help them find a way back to their normal lives. 

That night, Greg reveals he knows Denise is considering divorce, and confronts her about her draft manuscript which he says he has read and is about their life and struggles together, while also coming clean about losing his job. Meanwhile, Brian sees Starbuck outside his bedroom window and ventures outside to get him, with Audrey following. They witness Mel being killed by pterosaurs on the roof of his house. They encounter Jeannette Christiansen (Jordan Alexa Davis), Brian's neighbourhood crush, who joins them after revealing her parents have been killed. Elsewhere, Denise and Greg, while trying to find the children, see a flash of light and follow it to a house containing a wormhole. They refuse to leave without their children, and the wormhole disappears. A herd of dinosaurs pursue them, but they take shelter in a car, reconcile, reunite with the children, and offer to look after Jeannette.

The following morning, an Allosaurus attacks the group homing in on Denise. Greg comes to her rescue but is subsequently killed protecting the others, who are able to flee, obviously distraught and heartbroken over the sudden death of their husband and father. They observe the wormhole again in the distance above Mrs. Valcourt's house and make their way onto the roof. They observe that the wormhole appears and disappears at regular intervals. Jeannette jumps in and disappears, but when Brian attempts to follow, he misses the opening and falls to the ground injuring his leg in the process. A Tropeognathus grabs at his leg, but Starbuck appears and attacks the creature. The group attempt to take shelter inside Mrs. Valcourt's house, but it is infested with erythrosuchids, one of which Mrs. Valcourt manages to shoot dead with a shotgun before being overwhelmed and killed by the others. Escaping back to the roof, the group then to jump into the wormhole together.

Jumping through the wormhole together, the three come crashing down into a swimming pool in the pouring rain. The irate owner comes out screaming for the three to get the hell outta there, while Denise shouts 'what year is it?' 'What sort of a question is that? the home owner yells back, 'it's 1982!' Having returned about twenty minutes before Oak Street is transported mysteriously away, Denise calls from a local phone box, a handful of Oak Street residents to leave the neighbourhood prior to the white light appearing, while Jeannette runs to warn her parents. Denise also contacts Greg to make his next pizza delivery to a distant bus stop, where they will be waiting. When Greg arrives, he is embraced by Denise and his kids. The white light appears again, engulfing the suburb as Oak Street disappears and is replaced by the prehistoric landscape. Two years later, the military and authorities have contained the area while scientists study both the prehistoric environment and its wildlife in attempts to determine how and why the wormholes appeared. Denise has become a hero for warning residents and has published a book titled 'The End of Oak Street', based on her experiences, which has made the family moderately well off financially. The film ends with the Platts and the Christiansens enjoying a barbecue together, with a pair of matching Jeannettes.

'The End of Oak Street' as a creature feature harkens back to the halcyon days of Spielberg's 'Jurassic' offerings, in as much as the marauding dino effects are well realised, the action sequences will maintain your interest, and the Platt's family dynamics are relatable. That said, I felt that the background CGI was questionable, some of the dialogue clunky, and the behaviour of the characters is at times ambiguous. For a throwback film of the ilk that trademarked the 1980's and early '90's, this disposable popcorn movie is sure to please despite the plot holes, and at a brisk running time of 99 minutes it doesn't outstay its welcome. 

'The End of Oak Street' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 20th August 2026.

The 54th edition of the Norwegian International Film Festival is held this year from Saturday 22nd August through until Friday 28th August in the town of Haugesund in Rogaland County, Norway, on the southwest coast of the country. The town, with a population of 47,000, lies about 60 kms north of the city of Stavanger and about 120 kms south of the city of Bergen. The festival goes back to 1973 and is therefore the oldest one in Norway, and as such has for several decades celebrated film and film art by being a meeting place for the Norwegian and Nordic film industry and the general public. The festival is an arena for film-professional and film-political discussions and a display window for national and international cinema.

The Opening Film presentation is the Norwegian film 'Beloved' Directed by Erik Poppe and centres around Asle and Gerd who meet in a small coastal town on Norway's westernmost edge, facing the open sea. They have a son, and for a time their happiness seems complete. But Asle, a sailor, is restless and drawn back to the sea, while Gerd remains in the village, alone with their child. The distance between them grows, raising the question - how much distance can love endure?

Amanda, the national film award, saw the light of day in 1985. At the outset it was a film and TV award, but from 2005 and onwards it became a pure film award. For the first 20 years the ceremony was – except for the Nordic Amanda in 1993 – a co-operative effort between the Norwegian International Film Festival and the TV channel NRK. The awards recognise achievements across Norwegian cinema, including Acting, Directing, Screenwriting and technical filmmaking disciplines. The Amanda competition covers Norwegian feature films, theatrical documentaries and short films made for public exhibition. The Amanda Award consists of a statuette designed by the sculptor Kristian Kvakland.

There are six films in competition for the Amanda Award as follows :-

* 'A Mouse Hunt for Christmas' - this comedy family film from Norway is Directed by Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken. A family from the city has borrowed their aunt's abandoned house to celebrate an old-fashioned Christmas in the country, unaware that the house is already inhabited! A very unusual family of mice have also decorated and are ready for Christmas, and they are not interested in visitors. So there is only one thing to do - set the traps, sharpen your senses and defend the house with whiskers, clever inventions and mouse powers.

* 'Don't Call Me Mama' - from Norway this drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Nina Knag. Eva, a respected teacher and married to the town's Mayor, has her life turned upside down when she meets the young asylum seeker Amir, a talented poet who awakens feelings she cannot control. What begins as a mentorship develops into a forbidden relationship with increasingly serious consequences. What will happen to Eva's family, career and reputation?

* 'Flophouse America' - from Norway and the Netherlands, this documentary film is Directed by Monica Stromdahl. In a rarely intimate portrait, we meet 12-year-old Mikal, who was born and raised in the hotel room he shares with his substance-addicted parents. Mikal's greatest wish is for them to stop drinking. But what does it take for someone to truly change? As a result of the housing crisis in the USA, many move into cheap, dilapidated hotels—the so-called 'flophouse' hotels. Three years of footage have become an uncompromising and unforgettable film, dedicated to children in vulnerable situations.

* 'Seasiders - Tales from a Rugged Coast' - from Norway this documentary film is Directed by Elin Sander, Elisabeth Kleppe, Henrik Hylland Uhlving, and Produced by Elin Sander and Elisabeth Kleppe. This is a nostalgic, witty, and wild tribute to life along the Norwegian coast, and to the people who have clung to islands, islets, and fishing villages since time immemorial, and has been assembled from unique archival treasures spanning nearly a hundred years.

* 'Sentimental Value' - from Norway, this drama film is Directed by Joachim Trier. Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. Nora turns it down, but soon discovers he's given the part to an eager young Hollywood star. The two siblings must now navigate a complicated relationship with Gustav while dealing with an American actress dropped right into the middle of their complex family dynamics. Starring Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Stellan Skarsgard and Elle Fanning. Academy Award winner.

* 'Trango' - from Norway and this documentary film is Co-Produced and Directed by Christopher Carvasal. Inspired by one of the greatest feats in climbing history, the legendary climber Robert Caspersen and his team embark on an adventure to the Himalayas with a dream of being the first to ascend one of the world’s highest cliffs, Trango Pulpit. The Norwegian expedition of 1984 was groundbreaking - a milestone in international climbing history - but it also had a dark side that would cast a shadow over the entire climbing community. Trango chronicles two expeditions 15 years apart, exploring the extreme risks, personal sacrifices, and the lifelong pursuit of achieving impossible dreams in the world’s most brutal mountain terrain.

For the complete line-up of feature films, documentaries and short films being showcased, plus a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can go to the official website at : http://www.filmfestivalen.no

Turning the focus back to this weeks big haul of nine new movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we begin with a neo-Western crime thriller in which this beekeeper, musician, and anchor of his community, reunites with former foster daughter after many years apart, and fends off threats to his honey producing business. Then we have a biographical psychological drama film from a first time Director where a woman, after an abusive childhood, escapes into competitive swimming, sexual experimentation, toxic relationships, and addiction before finding her voice through writing. Next up we have an Icelandic family comedy drama offering that captures a year in the life of a family as the parents navigate their separation. Following on we have a biographical comedy drama film that sees nineteen-year-old Anthony Bourdain stumble into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen, setting off a summer that shapes the course of his life. Then we turn to an action thriller where, framed for the murder of his billionaire boss, a vengeful man uncovers an international conspiracy as he battles a gang of thugs aboard a cargo ship. Next is a comedy film that has three friends going on a spa weekend that descends into chaos when their disastrous friend joins. To follow we have a supernatural horror offering that is the sixth instalment in this franchise and here sees a young mother raising her daughter in the house she grew up in, discovers she can travel into a place where she possesses an ability to bring what lives there back to the real world. And closing out the week we have two musical films - the first a coming of age road trip comedy in which three buddies drive cross-country in a van, causing mayhem and mischief while racing to LA for their big break - opening for Green Day on New Year's Eve; before wrapping up with a doco that explores the world of Metallica through the lives of their fans, including the band members themselves. 

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the nine latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'THE RIVALS OF AMZIAH KING' (Rated M) - this American neo-Western crime thriller film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Andrew Patterson in only his second feature film offering following 2019's critically acclaimed 'The Vast of Night'. This film had its World Premiere screening at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival in mid-March 2025 and is scheduled for a wide cinema release in the US this week also. It has generated largely favourable critical reviews. 

Set deep within the backwoods of rural Oklahoma, charismatic and musically gifted Amziah King (Matthew McConaughey) herds a bluegrass-playing band of misfits while overseeing the premier honey-making operation in town. He is also the unofficial Mayor of his rural community. When Amziah's estranged foster daughter Kateri (Angelina LookingGlass) unexpectedly returns, Amziah leaps at the possibility to renew connection and create a family business. But the honey game is ruthless, and Amziah's rivals threaten to destroy everything he has built. Also starring Kurt Russell, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan, Tony Revolori, Cole Sprouse and Owen Teague. 

'THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER' (Rated R18+) - is an American biographical psychological drama film Co-Produced, Written and Directed by Kristen Stewart, in her feature film Directorial debut, and is based on the 2011 memoir of the same name by Lidia Yuknavitch. Here, a young woman, Lidia Yuknavitch (Imogen Poots) finds escape from an abusive home through competitive swimming in the 1980's. After her athletic dreams are derailed, she navigates love, loss, addiction, sexuality, and her own self-destructive impulses while discovering her voice, and healing, through the transformative act of writing, and the power of water to heal. Also starring Thora Birch, Michael Epp, Earl Cave, Tom Sturridge, Charlie Carrick, Jim Belushi and Susannah Flood. The film had its World Premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of last years Cannes Film Festival in mid-May 2025, was released Stateside in early December last year, in the UK in early February this year, has so far grossed US$363K and has received generally positive reviews from critics.

'THE LOVE THAT REMAINS' (Rated MA15+) - this Icelandic family comedy drama film is Written, photographed and Directed by Hlynur Palmason who made his feature film Directorial debut in 2017 with 'Winter Brothers' and thereafter 'A White, White Day' in 2019 and 'Godland' in 2022. Here, Anna (Saga Garoarsdottir), an artist, and Magnus (Sverrir Guonason), a fisherman, live with their three children and charismatic sheepdog (Panda) in the quiet grandeur of the Icelandic countryside. As the fractures in their marriage come to the surface, the couple try to hold onto the afterimages of a life together and make sense of a deep and lingering devotion. The film had its World Premiere in the Cannes Premiere section of the Cannes Film Festival in mid-May 2025, where the lead animal Actor, Panda, won the Palm Dog Award. It was released in its native Iceland in mid-August last year and only now does it get a showing in Australia, having generated positive critical reviews.

'TONY' (Rated MA15+) - is an American biographical comedy drama film that is Co-Written and Directed by Matt Johnson whose prior film making credits take in his debut in 2013 with 'The Dirties' and which he followed up with 'Operation Avalanche' in 2016, 'BlackBerry' in 2023 and 'Nirvana The Band The Show The Movie' in 2025. In 1975, a 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain (Dominic Sessa) wants to be a writer but takes a summer job at a Cape Cod restaurant in Provincetown, Massachusetts, learning under the tutelage of a Brazilian-born restaurateur, known only as Chef (Antonio Banderas). The film is based on the early chapters of Bourdain's 2000 memoir 'Kitchen Confidential'. Also starring Emilia Jones, Rich Sommer and Leo Woodall. The film saw a limited release in the US from 7th August before going wide from this week also, and has generated positive critical reviews.

'MUTINY' (Rated MA15+) - this UK and US Co-Produced action thriller film is Directed by Jean-Francois Richet whose previous feature film making credits take in his debut with 'Inner City' in 1995, and which he would follow up with the likes of 'Assault on Precinct 13' in 2005, 'Blood Father' in 2016, 'The Emperor of Paris' in 2018 and 'Plane' in 2023. Here, after witnessing his billionaire boss's murder and being framed for the crime, Cole Reed (Jason Statham, who also Co-Produces here) boards a cargo ship on a one-man crusade to avenge his boss's death only to discover an international conspiracy. Also starring Annabelle Wallis, Jason Wong and Adrian Lester. The film is released Stateside this week too.

'SPA WEEKEND' (Rated M) - is an American comedy film Written and Directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore whose previous Directorial pairing have given us '21 & Over' in 2013, 'Bad Moms' in 2016, 'A Bad Moms Christmas' in 2017 and 'Jexi' in 2019. This film follows three best friends, Jane (Leslie Mann), Coco (Michelle Buteau) and Sophie (Anna Faris), as they embark on some much needed and welcome pampering during a luxury spa break in Palm Springs. But when their train wreck friend, Mel (Isla Fisher), turns up, the relaxation quickly descends into chaos with hilarious consequences. The film is released this week too in the US.

'INSIDIOUS : OUT OF THE FURTHER' (Rated M) - this American supernatural horror film is Written and Directed by Jacob Chase, who made his feature film debut with 'The Four-Faced Liar' in 2010 and which he would follow through with 'Come Play' in 2020, and 'Bad Boy' in 2025. This film serves as a sequel to 2023's 'Insidious : The Red Door', and is the sixth instalment in the 'Insidious' franchise, with the first five films in the series grossing a total US$732M at the worldwide Box Office off the back of combined production budgets amounting to just US$43M. Gemma (Amelia Eve), a young mother raising her daughter in her childhood home, discovers she can travel into the Further, a purgatorial realm of lost souls. When something evil comes after her, she realises she can bring what lives there back to the real world. Once the demons realise her power, our world becomes their playground. Also starring Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson Sellers and Lin Shaye, and is released this week also in the US.

'NIMRODS : A GREEN DAY COMEDY' (Rated MA15+) - is an American coming of age road comedy film that is Written and Directed by Lee Kirk who made his feature film debut with 'The Giant Mechanical Man' in 2102 and would follow this up with 'Ordinary World' in 2016. This film is based on 'Green Day's' limited success as an American rock band before the release of their breakout album 'Dookie' in 1994. In the film, three teenagers travel from Kansas City to Los Angeles under the false pretense that their band 'Analog Dogs' is opening for Green Day on New Year's Eve. The film stars Mason Thames, Mckenna Grace, Fred Armisen, and Green Day as themselves - Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool, had its World Premiere screening at TIFF in mid-September last year, was released in the USA last week, and has garnered generally positive reviews.

'METALLICA SAVED MY LIFE' (Rated CTC) - this documentary film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed. by Jonas Akerlund - a Swedish filmmaker and musician who is best known for his work in music videos, and for helming a number of concert and documentary films plus the feature films 'Spun', his debut, in 2002, 'Horsemen' in 2009, 'Small Apartments' in 2012, 'Lords of Chaos' in 2019 and 'Polar' in 2019. This film documents die-hard fans of Metallica and how the band give each of them a sense of identity and hope. It covers four decades of fandom and the found family each has from other Metallica 
fans. What connects them all together is the sense of community, and one fan summarises it as 'Metallica is all of us together. It belongs to all of us'. The film also covers some of the struggles the band has gone through, like James Hetfield's (the bands singer and guitarist) insecurity and time in rehabilitation. Also starring other band members Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo. The film Premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in mid-June 2025, and only now does it get a limited showing in Australia. 

With nine 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 week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

ICE CREAM MAN : Tuesday 11th August 2026.

I saw the R18+ Rated 'ICE CREAM MAN' this week, and this American slasher horror film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and starring Eli Roth, whose prior Directorial credits take in the likes of his debut with 'Cabin Fever' in 2002, then 'Hostel' in 2005, 'Hostel : Part II' in 2007, 'The Green Inferno' in 2013, 'Knock Knock' in 2015, 'Death Wish' in 2018, 'Thanksgiving' in 2023 and 'Borderlands' in 2024. The film was released Stateside last week too, and this is the first film in Eli Roth's founded horror label 'The Horror Section', has garnered generally negative critical reviews and has so far grossed US$4M from a production budget of US$5.5M.

The film opens up at a little league baseball game in the town of Bayleen Bay on a warm summer's day four days or so before the summer holiday break. Right on cue an ice cream truck pulls up close by as the game comes to an end, and many of the children rush over to the truck to avail themselves of the cooling sweet treats. The truck is seemingly owned and operated by a mysterious silent man. Jared Mayfair (Charlie Zeltzer) is lactose-intolerant and so avoids eating the treats and is unsettled by the Ice Cream Man, whom he sees following him as he cycles his way home. He also notices the children who have eaten the treats are in a trance like state, and watching old black and white cartoon videos depicting the cartoon mascot on the truck whose head swivels round as if watching him. 

Much later that night, the truck drives through the neighbourhood with its seemingly innocuous tune playing through the loudspeaker awakening the children who have previously that day eaten the ice creams. Possessed, they proceed to gruesomely murder their parents in all manner of gory ways. The next day, Jared and fellow classmates Tommy (Shiloh O'Reilly) and Mia (Kiori Mirza Waldman), who have also not eaten the treats, notice a strange behaviour in their fellow school mates. The truck arrives at the school, and the children suddenly begin killing their teachers and any other adults in town in the most violent ways possible, while force-feeding treats to any non-possessed children. 

Jared, Tommy, and Mia manage to evade their murderous classmates and barricade themselves in the school. In the meantime, Jared's teenage sister Lizzie (Sarah Abbott) wakes up in the morning having eaten the ice cream intended for Jared the day before and is partially paralysed and unable to move her arms. She is able to manoeuvre herself off her bed and make her way to her bathroom where she plunges her electric toothbrush down her throat to induce her to vomit up the treat. When Jared calls for help, Lizzie instructs him to meet her at the local church before some neighbourhood children attack the house. Lizzie's ex-boyfriend Chris (Dylan Hawco) saves her and both drive to the church. 

As Bayleen Bay descends into blood soaked and burning chaos, Jared, Tommy, and Mia escape from the school and seek refuge in the church's basement. There they discover a walk-in freezer filled with the Ice Cream Man's treats and find the local priest (Benjamin Byron Davis) hiding behind the stacked up boxes.

The priest explains that the Ice Cream Man is Jonathan Smiley (Ari Millen), a once kind-hearted man who visited Bayleen Bay decades ago and was unjustly blamed for hurting local children to cover up the actions of the town's predatory priests. Jared's grandfather, an influential lawyer at the time, ran the case against Jonathan, and the children were pressured to lie, which led to Jonathan's conviction. While in prison, Jonathan had been visited by a necromancer who promised him to take revenge on the town in exchange for his soul.

To stop Jonathan, the kids must kill the necromancer and the siren accompanying him in his unmarked grave, buried on the far reaches of the cemetery under an old tree. First they have to chop off the necromancer's head, and then remove its hood and have the head stare into the eyes of Jonathan, without looking at the head themselves. When Jonathan arrives at the freezer, the priest sacrifices himself to give the kids enough time to run. Jared, Tommy, and Mia reunite with Lizzie and Chris and convince them to drive to the cemetery to find the necromancer's grave. As they dig up the bodies, the children kill Chris before force-feeding treats to Mia and Tommy, so possessing them too. Cornered by Jonathan, Jared and Lizzie stab the bodies in the grave, and dismember the necromancers head. Lizzie hears a phone ringing under the garments of the siren, and removing its hood reveals to be her own mother Alison (Karen Cliche). Lizzie then calls out to Jared, who by now is holding up the head of the necromancer and has removed its hood too, revealing it to be his father Marty (Eli Roth). The priest is revealed to be the necromancer, having tricked them to help finish the job for Jonathan, for while Jared's grandfather was the convicting lawyer who helped put Jonathan in prison, his young son and future wife were two of the children who lied on the stand in the court room and were also instrumental in sending Jonathan away. 

While the guilt-ridden and heavily traumatised Jared and Lizzie are left surrounded by the violence and wreckage, Jonathan leaves the now-decimated Bayleen Bay in his ice cream truck with the possessed children trailing behind, his revenge complete as he goes to wreak terror on the unsuspecting populace of the next town.

For all the blood, gore, gruesome killings, viscera and murderous mayhem inflicted on unsuspecting adults by their seemingly walking dead children, this film is sure to please the die hard fans of this genre, and which Eli Roth is renowned for (think. 'Cabin Fever', 'Hostel 1 and 2' and 'The Green Inferno' in particular). Putting that aside however, this film is nothing more than a splatterfest without any real semblance of plot or storyline, one dimensional characters, poor dialogue, barely adequate performances, a completely uninspiring antagonist who from memory doesn't utter a single word of dialogue throughout the whole 86 minute runtime and a complete lack of any sense of suspense or tension or even the occasional jump scare. The practical effects are reasonably well executed here and they come thick and fast in the first hour or so in a relentless binge of chopped up bodies, decapitations, smashed in heads, and entrails being pulled from still living victims, amongst many other creative kills that Director Roth has a penchant for, but in the end it just becomes repetitive and tedious.

'Ice Cream Man' merits two claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-