WHAM! 10 DAYS IN CHINA - Tuesday 28th July 2026.

I saw the M Rated 'WHAM! 10 DAYS IN CHINA' earlier this week and this UK documentary film is Directed by Mike Christie who has over forty Directing credits specialising in films, TV series and documentaries about action sports, music and arts.  This 90-minute film consists of 'newly restored footage' and personal interviews with Andrew Ridgeley, 'members of the touring party', and fans. This film has had just a little bit of troubled history in that George Michael and Director Andy Morahan took over to re-edit the original film from the one filmed by Director Lindsay Anderson titled 'If You Were There' after he was dismissed because the group considered his cut of the film to concentrate more on life in the Communist led country rather than the duo themselves. The re-edited film was retitled 'Wham! in China : Foreign Skies' which Premiered at Wham!'s farewell concert on 28th June 1986. After public screening of Anderson's cut was blocked by Michael and his estate, 'If You Were There' was finally screened publicly at the BFI Southbank in May 2024, with the co-operation of George Michael Entertainment and Ridgeley. This film was released worldwide this week before being broadcast in the UK on BBC Two and BBC Music, and has generated positive critical reviews.

In 1985, Wham! performed in China as part of their 1984/85 tour, The Big Tour. The duo, which consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, became the first Western pop group to visit the country. Their manager Simon Napier-Bell, had hatched a plan for how the duo could potentially break into the elusive US market, without the need to travel the country for months on end playing small venues to crowds of people who didn't know them from Adam. After about eighteen months of negotiations with Communist Party authorities, his patience and resilience paid off with his securing the Wham lads two gigs, in Beijing and Guangzhou, with various publicity appearance in between time and a a photo call with various western media journalists on the Great Wall. 

It's fair to say the boys hated all the media attention, especially Andrew, while George was a little more accepting. And who can blame them? Here they were, two young twenty-something year olds thrust into a strange land and being expected to act diplomatically, answer political questions, and be accepting of the cultural differences in a land that was only just beginning to open up to western influences. Running alongside the media circus, they also had film Producer Martin Lewis propose a fly-on-the-wall documentary, to be helmed by noted Director Lindsay Anderson who had previously Directed 'This Sporting Life' in 1963, 'if . . .' in 1968, 'O Lucky Man!' in 1973 and 'Britannia Hospital' in 1982. Anderson accepted, but ultimately kept on leaning towards a more culture-clash theme to the film, while the music people just wanted a glorified promotional film. Anderson was fired after the tour, having been bad tempered and cynical the whole time, and making no secret of his dislike for the music of Wham! - he was sixty-two years of age at the time however!

The duo performed concerts in Beijing and Guangzhou on 7th and 10th April respectively. The two concerts couldn't have been more polar opposite in terms of the reception from the audience. The first at the Peoples Gymnasium in Beijing on 7th April was played out in front of a crowd of some 13,000 people. The gathered audience largely remained seated the whole time; were seemingly non-plussed about how they were expected to interact with the music and George, Andrew, their backing vocalists Pepsi and Shirley and the other band members; and when they clapped their hands they did so out of time to the music and with their hands in their laps. After this very stilted reception George commented 'the first feeling was of failure, there was no way we could communicate. And when we actually found out what had gone on [with people being told not to dance] I was just furious. Obviously, I felt responsibility at the time to represent my generation from the west in a good light and pop music in a good light'. 

The next day the boys had to front up to the British Ambassador's residence in Beijing for a bit of hob nobbing with the social elite, which again made the lads feel ill at ease, but again for the sake of the gathered press and photo journalists they made the best of it. The day after was a rest day, in which the boys are seen playing a game of football against a team of locals, with Andrew proving that he's quite adept at the game while George was a lost cause. Later that day the other band members and crew flew out to Guangzhou leaving George and Andrew in Beijing to fly out early the next day. George and Andrew stayed behind for an interview with CBS News Reporter Phyllis George, which was beamed across to all the major news channels in the USA later that same day, giving them instant exposure and putting them on a trajectory to break the American market as was George's desire all along. 

The concert in Guangzhou on 10th April was much more in line with what the boys had been used to from their western audiences. Guangzhou is much closer to the border with Hong Kong than Beijing is, and as such Guangzhou had already begun to open up to western culture some two or so years earlier, and was also on the receiving end of TV and radio channels broadcast from Hong Kong, which had a far more western influence. This audience were up and dancing, arms raised above heads clapping in time with the music, and singing along, and even the police security were taking part. George, Andrew, the band and the crew were on a high after that gig. Four months after the boys left China they were playing to packed out arenas in the USA and had truly made their mark on American soil, as was the intention of Simon Napier-Bell when he set up these two gigs, over ten days in China. 

And so I saw 'WHAM! 10 Days in China' at my local independent cinema, and the film was preceded by a George Michael and Wham tribute band who played a 45 minute set and got the packed out theatre dancing and singing along in the aisles - great fun! If like me you are a product of the 1980's and grew up in the UK during the Margaret Thatcher years, on a diet of bands like WHAM!, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Tears for Fears, Heaven 17, ABC, Simple Minds, Human League and others of that ilk, then this film is a nostalgic trip down memory lane to a time that was much more simple and easy going, less complicated and less stressful. It was a time of great music that still resonates to this day, and whose influence still has a place in 2026. Whether you're a fan of WHAM! and/or the late great George Michael then this film is a must see, and even if you're not then go see it for the interesting and informative insight into the power of music and its ability to unite across cultural divides.

'WHAM! 10 Days in China' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 30th July 2026

The New Zealand International Film Festival this year takes place from Wednesday 29th July through until Sunday 9th August in the city of Auckland, located in the north of New Zealand's North Island. This is a national event whose aim it is to enhance the appreciation of, and engagement with, global art and culture by providing access to a diverse range of high-quality film. A programme of between 150-170 features is presented in Auckland and Wellington. The Festival opens in Auckland one weekend and gets underway in Wellington the next, overlapping for ten of their respective seventeen-day seasons. A smaller programme then travels to eleven further centres including Dunedin, Hamilton, Nelson,  Napier and Christchurch. The consolidation of several separately evolved Festivals into a single event known as The New Zealand International Film Festival occurred for the first time in 2009. In 2020, the Festival was rebranded 'Whanau Marama : New Zealand International Film Festival' . . . . . so reads the official website.

This years Opening Night Film presentation is 'Big Girls Don't Cry' from New Zealand and is Written and Directed by Paloma Schneideman in her debut feature film. It’s the summer school holidays of 2006 and stormy fourteen-year-old Sid (Ani Palmer) is desperate to reinvent herself. She lives with her dad (Noah Taylor) and older sister (Tara Canton) in a rural town near Omaha in the Auckland Region, the usually-sleepy beach destination that, during the summer, brings an influx of holidaymakers - a fresh audience for Sid’s performance of her ideal self. Not a girl, not yet a woman, she’s aching to be recognised as a grown up by her family, by boys, by the bewitching older girls who seem so impossibly at ease in themselves and their bodies, namely her older sister’s friend Freya (Rain Spencer). 

The Closing Night Film is 'Coward' from Belgium, France and the Netherlands and is Co-Written and Directed by Lukas Dhont. Set in the trenches of World War I, on the Western Front, a platoon of young Belgian soldiers joins the ranks of the foot soldiers fighting the Germans in the mud and dread. Among them is Pierre (Emmanuel Macchia), a tall farmer of few words who soon witnesses the atrocities of the battlefield. When away from the front, the soldiers find respite in the extravagant performances of a cabaret troupe led by the dainty son of a tailor, Francis (Valentin Campagne). His delicate appearance and his imaginative singing and dancing casts a spell on dreamy-eyed Pierre, who feels an intimate connection that he dares not speak about.

In the 'Fresh' strand of films being showcased, this section is representative of first narrative features from bold new voices in international cinema. There are fifteen films in this strand as given briefly below :-

* '9 Temples to Heaven' - from France, Norway and Thailand, and Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Sompot Chidgasornpongse. A gently funny exploration of family, faith and the tensions between Thailand’s spiritual and modernist dimensions.

* 'Ben'Imana' - from France, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Norway and Rwanda and is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo. This powerful drama wrestles with truth, justice and forgiveness during community-based reconciliation proceedings eighteen years after the horrors of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.

* 'Blue Heron' - from Canada and Hungary and Directed by Sophy Romvari. A portrait of a family in crisis told through the perspective of a young child as she struggles to understand her older brother’s increasingly unsettling behaviour.

* 'Elephant's in the Fog' - from Nepal and Co-Written and Directed by Abinash Bikram Shah. A missing daughter. A forbidden love. A community the world has never seen on screen – until now.

* 'First Light' - from Australia and the Philippines and Written and Directed by James J. Robinson. A ruthless workplace cover-up by a powerful family throws a nun into an existential crisis.

* 'Goodbye, Cruel World' - from Belgium and France and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Felix de Givry. A bullied 14-year-old sends farewell letters to his classmates and vanishes, but when a girl from his school spots him wandering the streets at night, the two begin to build a fragile, secret world of their own.
* 'If I Go They Will Miss Me' - from the USA and Directed and Co-Edited by Walter Thompson-Hernandez. A portrait of a young boy caught between his own burgeoning artistic identity and his father's rigid expectations of masculinity.

* 'La Gradiva' - from France and Italy and Co-Written, Directed and Co-Photographed by Marine Atlan. Following a high school group travelling to Naples and Pompeii, frames this story of unrequited love and adolescent turmoil against a backdrop of precious artefacts from ancient history.

* 'Sad Girlz' - from France, Mexico and Spain and Written and Directed by Fernanda Tovar. This film explores the power of female teenage friendship in the aftermath of a sexual assault at a New Year’s Eve party.

* 'Sleepless City' - from France and Spain and Co-Written and Directed by Guillermo Galoe. This film portrays a vivid depiction of the maligned, frequently misrepresented Roma shanty-towns on the fringes of Madrid.

* 'Strange River' - from Germany and Spain and Co-Written and Directed by Jaume Claret Muxart. Seeped in sunshine with rhythmic hints of fleeting childhood fantasy, this film is a sensitive, poetic and intuitive exploration of adolescent awakening.

* 'Too Many Beasts' - from France and Germany and Co-Written and Directed by Sarah Arnold. Set amid the forests and farmlands of northeastern France, this film transforms a local feud between farmers, hunters and corrupt authorities into a wildly entertaining reflection on power, class and humanity’s uneasy relationship with nature.

* 'Trial of Hein' - from Germany and Written and Directed by Kai Stanicke. Mystery swirls around Hein's return to his native island after fourteen years on the mainland. Is it really him? The villagers hold a trial, to determine if it is really him and probe into the strangers identity.

* 'We Are Aliens' - from Japan and Directed and Co-Edited by Kohei Kadowaki. This anime feature is set in an ordinary Japanese town, where two boys, Gyotaro and Tsubasa, form a friendship as primary school students but as years drag on, betrayal and rejection fracture their once special bond. Later, lingering impacts of school bullying set off a chain of events that will ultimately lead to a violent confrontation as adults.

* 'Yesterday the Eye Didn't Sleep' - from Belgium, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Rakan Mayasi. A truck in flames, a woman gone, and two sisters left to pay the price.

For the full run down of all the other film strands being screened at this years NZIFF, plus a whole lot of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www. nziff.co.nz

Turning the focus back to this weeks three new movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we kick off with the 38th instalment in the MCU that sees our forgotten Peter Parker now living alone as a full-time web-slinging hero until mounting pressure triggers a dangerous change and a powerful new enemy emerges. Then we have a Brazilian dystopian drama film in which to maximise economic productivity, the government orders elderly people to move to remote housing colonies, but a 77-year-old woman refuses and embarks on a journey through the Amazon that will change her destiny forever. And closing out the week we have a documentary that showcases restored footage that reveals the untold story of the iconic tour that helped launch WHAM!

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

'SPIDER-MAN : BRAND NEW DAY' (Rated M) - this American Superhero film is based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man and is the 38th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and the fourth instalment in the MCU 'Spider-Man' series following 'Spider-Man : Homecoming' in 2017, 'Spider-Man : Far From Home' in 2019 and 'Spider-Man : No Way Home' in 2021. These first three films, all starring Tom Holland as the web-slinging hero, grossed a total US$3.94B at the global Box Office off the back of combined production budgets of US$535M. This film is Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton who made his feature film debut with 'I Am Not a Hipster' in 2012, and which he would follow up with the likes of 'Short Term 12' in 2013, 'The Glass Castle' in 2017, 'Just Mercy' in 2019, and 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' in 2021 - also an MCU offering. This film is part of the MCU's 'Phase Six' which began with 'The Fantastic Four : First Steps' released in mid-2025. 

Following Dr. Stephen Strange's spell at the end of the last instalment - 'Spider-Man : No Way Home', the world has forgotten that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) exists. Four years later, Parker anonymously protects New York City as the hero Spider-Man and investigates a powerful new threat while his superpowers undergo a surprising and potentially dangerous evolution. Also starring Zendaya as MJ, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle aka Punisher, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner aka Hulk, Michael Mando as Mac Gargan aka Scorpion, Tramell Tillman and Sadie Sink. The film is released this week too in the US.

'THE BLUE TRAIL' (Rated M) - is a Brazilian, Mexican, Chilean and Dutch Co-Produced dystopian drama film, and is Co-Written and Directed by Gabriel Mascaro, who made his narrative feature film debut with 'August Winds' in 2014, and would follow this up with 'Neon Bull' in 2015 and 'Divine Love' in 2019. In an effort to boost the economy, the government creates distant colonies for the elderly, ensuring them a comfortable end to their lives. Teresa (Denise Weinberg), a 77-year-old, finds herself unexpectedly included in the programme due to a lowered age threshold. With only days left before her relocation, she decides to defy her fate and embarks on a journey through the Amazon to fulfill one last wish - to take her first aeroplane ride. Because permission is refused, she secretly embarks on a boat trip as an illicit passenger and has numerous encounters along the way. The film saw its World Premiere at the main competition of the Berlin International Film Festival in mid-February 2025, where it won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize. It has garnered generally positive critical reviews and has so far grossed US$345K at the Box Office, having done the rounds at many worldwide film festivals throughout last year. 

'WHAM! 10 DAYS IN CHINA' (Rated M) - this UK documentary film is is Directed by Mike Christie who has over forty Directing credits specialising in films, TV series and documentaries about action sports, music and arts. In 1985, Wham! performed in China as part of their 1984/85 tour, the Big Tour. The duo, which consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, became the first Western pop group to visit the country. During their ten-day visit, the duo performed concerts in Beijing and Guangzhou on 7th and 10th April respectively. The 90-minute film consists of 'newly restored footage' and personal interviews with Andrew Ridgeley, 'members of the touring party', and fans. The film is released worldwide this week before being broadcast in the UK on BBC Two and BBC Music. 

With three 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-

THE ODYSSEY : Tuesday 21st July 2026.

I saw the M Rated 'THE ODYSSEY' in an almost full house at a 70mm screening at my local independent movie theatre this week. This epic fantasy action film is Written, Produced and Directed by Christopher Nolan, who I'm sure requires no introduction, suffice to say his prior screen credits include his 1998 feature debut with 'Following' which he would follow up with the likes of 'Memento' in 2000, the Batman 'Dark Knight' trilogy from 2005 until 2012, 'Inception' in 2010, 'Interstellar' in 2014, 'Dunkirk' in 2017, 'Tenet' in 2020 and 'Oppenheimer' in 2023. This film is an adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic poem the 'Odyssey', that together with his 'Illiad' are regarded as the foundational works of ancient Greek literature. With a production budget estimated to be in the region of US$250M, the film is among the most costly of Nolan's career, and the first to be shot entirely on IMAX's 70mm film cameras. The film saw its World Premiere screening in London earlier this month, went on worldwide release last week, has so far grossed US$346M at the global Box Office and has garnered universal critical acclaim.

Ithaca has for many years been without its King Odysseus (Matt Damon), who disappeared following the Trojan War with seemingly no one aware of his whereabouts or if he even still lives. Many suitors, including nobleman Antinous (Robert Pattinson), actively court Odysseus's wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) to claim the throne from Odysseus and Penelope's son Telemachus (Tom Holland). Only Penelope, Telemachus, and half-blind and faithful servant Eumaeus (John Leguizamo) still believe Odysseus will return some day. 

Telemachus plans to travel with his teacher and bodyguard, Odysseus's friend Mentor (Ryan Hurst), to meet with Menelaus (Jon Bernthal), the King of Sparta, in an attempt to learn of his father's location. Antinous learns this from his lover, Penelope's handmaid Melantho (Mia Goth). He conspires with other suitors to kill Telemachus upon his return and plunder Ithaca. Menelaus and his wife Helen (Lupita Nyong'o) speak uncertainly about Odysseus's fate and can only offer Telemachus stories about him. Rumours are rife that the Greek civilisation is in decline due to attacks by murderous 'people from the sea' who do not abide by Zeus's law, by showing mutual respect between guests and hosts.

After leaving Ithaca, Odysseus and his small flotilla of Greeks land on the shores of Troy, plotting to breach its walls. After ten years, Odysseus devises a plan to hide inside a large wooden horse to sneak into Troy, with Sinon (Elliot Page) left behind to present the horse as a gift. Sinon is killed, but the deception succeeds. Under cover of darkness, the Greeks open the gates for Menelaus's older brother, Agamemnon (Benny Safdie), to attack Troy without mercy and retrieve Helen. Agamemnon and Menelaus return home early, while Odysseus's army, including second-in-command Eurylochus (Himesh Patel), follow a slower route. 

When searching an island for supplies, they follow a herd of sheep and become trapped in a cave by a Cyclops , who feasts upon several of the soldiers over the following days. Eventually, they blind  Cyclops Polyphemus (Bill Irwin) and escape, only to hear him cry out to his father Poseidon. Odysseus's crew deduces that the Cyclops is a son of Poseidon, and attribute the rough sea conditions they endure as a curse. They then land on Aeaea, where giant armour clad Laestrygonians kill most of their crew. The survivors mutiny, leaving Odysseus with their ship as they seek food with the witch Circe (Samantha Morton), who turns them into pigs. After killing a deer transformed from a man, Odysseus persuades her to change his men back. Circe warns Odysseus that to reach Ithaca, he must cross Oceanus into Hades.

Arriving in the blackened landscape of Hades, Odysseus meets the shade of Tiresias (James Remar), who predicts that, by divine will of the Gods, only Odysseus will return home, but Odysseus defies this. Odysseus also encounters Sinon's shade, who rebukes Odysseus for using him as a pawn, and reveals Antinous's treachery, as he was manipulated into taking Antinous's place in the Greek army. Lastly, Agamemnon's shade reveals that his wife Clytemnestra (Lupita Nyong'o) murdered him upon his return, as revenge for sacrificing their young daughter to Artemis for calm seas. The ghosts of Odysseus's fallen army then chase the survivors from Hades. Following Tiresias's guidance, Odysseus, Eurylochus, and various crewmen survive encounters with Charybdis, Scylla, and the Sirens. 

On Thrinacia, Odysseus warns his men not to kill the cattle of the Sun God, as Tiresias foretold Odysseus's men would die from doing so. Despite this, the starving men eventually slaughter a cow and feast on it late at night. When they try to escape the island, Poseidon's storms sink the ship, killing all but Odysseus. He washes ashore on Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron), infatuated with him, drugs him with amnesia-inducing lotus flowers.

Some seven years later, Calypso feels pity for Odysseus's longing for his family, and aids him in remembering his past life and exploits. She then advises Odysseus to construct a makeshift raft and give himself over to the sea, facing Poseidon's punishment. He miraculously washes ashore in Ithaca, and learns from Eumaeus that suitors sent mercenaries posing as priests to assassinate Telemachus and Mentor at a temple. Mentor dies, but Odysseus rescues Telemachus and kills the assassins, calling himself 'Sinon'. Telemachus guides Odysseus to the palace. After Odysseus's old dog Argos recognises him, Argos peacefully dies, and Telemachus recognises Odysseus as his father. 

During a tense feast, Odysseus shows Antinous he knows Antinous betrayed Sinon. Antinous thrashes Odysseus before Penelope intervenes. After the meal, still disguised, he confesses to Penelope his guilt for violating Zeus's law, killing innocent Trojans, and desecrating Athena's statue after killing her priestess. Athena (Zendaya) had assumed the priestess's form to punish him in visions. He further reveals that the rumoured attackers from the sea were in fact the Greeks themselves, and begs Penelope's forgiveness. Penelope announces her readiness to remarry and instructs the suitors to come to the palace the following night.

The next evening with the suitors all gathered in the palace, Penelope declares she will marry whoever can string Odysseus's bow and shoot an arrow through a row of axe heads. The suitors all fail, only for Odysseus to meet the challenge, and so revealing his identity. The hall erupts in to a closely fought battle, with Odysseus slaying the challenging suitors. Melanthius (Logan Marshall-Green), Melantho's brother, attempts to arm the men through a hole in the ceiling, only for Telemachus to confront and kill him. As the remaining suitors surrender, Odysseus kills Antinous. Odysseus relinquishes his throne to Telemachus and leaves Ithaca with Penelope to seek peace in exile, sailing west to honour his dead soldiers. The pair expect civilisation's renewal, and surmise that time will forget Odysseus's errors of judgement.

Whatever your opinion is of 'The Odyssey' you can rely on Christopher Nolan to give the script, the production values, the cast, the cinematography and the technical wizardry his all to deliver the audience another epic tale writ large in every respect. Nolan deftly brings Homer's 3,000 year old Greek poem to life in all its mythological, gritty, emotional and breathtaking storytelling, that together adds up to a film that is greater than the sum of its parts, even if he has had to take some poetic license to commit this story to film. The cast are all on point, with particular nods to Damon, Hathaway, Holland and Pattinson. My only gripe is that the American accents grate just a little, and some of the language used is too 20th/21st Century to be relatable. That said, this film needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible, and this epic story is a must see even if it's the only movie you see at the Odeon this year - you won't be disappointed, and even at its run time of just shy of three hours you're sure to be engrossed for the duration. See if you spot the nod to a classic late 1960's film.

'The Odyssey' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 23rd July 2026

The 10th Cinema Rediscovered Film Festival takes place this year at venues in and around Bristol, in South West England, and is proudly the UNESCO City of Film from Wednesday 22nd through until Sunday 26th July. With 70+ events including screenings of newly restored films (incl. seventeen UK Premieres), rediscoveries and film-on-film rarities plus projection tours, cinema walks, improv workshops, a FREE interactive BFI National Archive exhibition and lots more. The 10th edition is made possible thanks to the support of the BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, and principal sponsors Park Circus (global film distributor) and STUDIOCANAL (Europe’s leading film and television studio, with worldwide production and distribution capabilities) . . . . . so reads the official website.

This years film strands include :

* 50 Years of Aardman - in Aardman’s 50th anniversary year, Cinema Rediscovered presents a trio of events celebrating the world-famous Bristol-based animation studio with special guests Aardman co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton. Expect a deep dive into the playfully mischievous world of 'Morph', one of the first characters created by the studio who went on to entertain generations with his slapstick antics, and get insights into the creation of visionary musician Peter Gabriel’s iconic 1986 'Sledgehammer' music video featuring innovative stop-motion animation by Aardman and the Brothers Quay. Finally, there is the 40th anniversary screening of Channel 4’s 1986 cult animated shorts programme 'Sweet Disaster' showcasing five animated short films that explored Cold War anxieties through 'animated visions of the apocalypse'. Those five short films are : 'Babylon', 'Dreamless Sleep', 'Paradise Regained', 'Conversations by a Californian Swimming Pool' and 'Death of a Speechwriter'.

* Comics Come Alive - over the past few decades, the mainstream cinema has been dominated by America’s DC and Marvel Comics movie franchises. This strand brings together a selection of live-action film adaptations from a range of alternative comic-book sources - some may be familiar and hopefully some will surprise. Those included within this section are : 'Danger : Diabolik' from Italy and Directed in 1968 by Mario Bava and based on Milanese sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani’s iconic popular 1960's comic, 'Danger : Diabolik' is a stylish cult classic riffing off the Bond phenomenon, now newly restored. Then there is 'Josie & The Pussycats', 'Ghost World', 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World', 'Oldboy', 'American Splendor', and 'Modesty Blaise'.

* Reframing Film - invites you to delve deeper into the programme, experience film on film and join in conversations with creatives involved in film programming, projecting, archiving and more. Those films included here are 'Corridors of Freedom' (1987 from South Africa), 'The Movie Orgy' (1968 from the USA and Directed by Joe Dante and remastered), 'Marry the Girl' (1935 from the UK) and 'Sporting Love' (1936 from the UK), 'The Jackal of Nahueltoro' (1969 from Chile), 'Exorcist II : The Heretic' (1977 from the USA and Directed by John Boorman), 'The Adventures of Prince Achmed' (1926 from Germany), and 'Whistle Down the Wind' (1961 from the UK and Directed by Bryan Forbes).

* Restored and Rediscovered - bringing together a selection of the latest new restorations and rediscoveries presented on the big screen, many premiering at the festival and many with special guests. Those titles included here are : 'Nostalgia', 'The Unfaithful Wife', 'My Brother's Wedding', 'African Jim', 'The Sacrifice', 'The Party - Nature Morte', 'Dead Mountaineer's Hotel', 'Leaving Las Vegas', 'In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones', 'Days and Nights in the Forest', 'The Butcher', 'Accident', 'Mirage', 'The Widow', 'Pastor Hall', 'The System', 'Nadja', 'Obsession', 'Queen Kelly', 'La Paga', 'The Arch', 'Trees Lounge', 'Billy Liar' and 'In The Soup'. Many of these titles have their UK Premiere screening. 

* Rogue Hollywood - bleak, unsettling but endlessly rewarding, these films are testament to a period when some in the Hollywood mainstream went very rogue and provide a fascinating snapshot of America which resonates today. Those films in this strand are : 'Looking for Mr. Goodbar', 'Hardcore', 'Mikey & Nicky', 'Taxi Driver', 'Cruising' and 'Hustle'. 

* Vive Le Cinema - celebrate that place where we come together to share the emotional thrills and magic that only film can deliver. These four films have at their heart The Cinema: the essential space where film comes alive : 'Goodbye : Dragon Inn', 'Les Sieges de l'Alcazar', 'Closed Circuit' and 'Matinee'. 

For the summaries of all the aforementioned films being showcased, plus a whole heap of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.watershed.co.uk/cinema-rediscovered

Turning the focus back to this weeks four new cinematic offerings coming to your neighbourhood big screen Odeon, we launch with a political satire in which a young Russian filmmaker becomes an unlikely advisor to Vladimir Putin as he rises to power in post-Soviet Russia, navigating the new era's complexities and chaos. Then we turn to an Aussie horror set in the scorching summer of 1986, three best friends' celebration at a beach house turns into a blood-soaked fight for survival. Next up we have a French period drama where four cousins who inherit a house in rural Normandy, retrace the steps of their ancestors in 19th-Century Paris; and closing out the week we have a New Zealand doco about a charismatic Samoan opera star who sang his way from humble origins in Samoa onto the world's greatest opera stages.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four 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 WIZARD OF THE KREMLIN' (Rated MA15+) - this English language French political satire film is Co-Written and Directed by Olivier Assayas, and is based on the 2022 novel of the same name by Giuliano da Empoli. Assayas previous feature filmography includes 'Irma Vep' in 1996, 'Demonlover' in 2002, 'Clouds of Sils Maria' in 2014, 'Personal Shopper' in 2016, 'Wasp Network' in 2019 and 'Suspended Time' in 2024. This film had its World Premiere in the main competition at the Venice International Film Festival in late August last year where it was nominated for the Golden Lion. 

Set in early 1990's Russia, amid post-Soviet chaos, a brilliant young man, Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano), charts his path. First an artist, then a reality TV Producer, he becomes the spin doctor to a rising KGB agent, Vladimir Putin (Jude Law). At the heart of power, Baranov shapes the new Russia, blurring the boundaries between truth and lies, belief and manipulation. Only the magnetic Ksenia (Alicia Vikander) is beyond his control, tempting him away from this dangerous game. Years later, after retreating into silence and shrouded in mystery, Baranov finally opens up, revealing the dark secrets of the regime he helped build. Also starring Will Keen, Tom Sturridge and Jeffrey Wright. The film was released in its native France in late January and in the US in mid-May, has generated mixed or average reviews, and has so far grossed US$8M at the Box Office. 

'PENNY LANE IS DEAD' (Rated MA15+) - is an Australian dark comedy horror thriller film Written and Directed by Mia'kate Russell in her feature length Directorial debut. Set during the hot summer months of 1986, the story starts with a party at a beach house, at which Penny Lane (Bailey Spalding) is celebrating her university acceptance with her best friends Toni (Tahlee Fereday) and Amy (Alexandra Jensen). Uninvited guests arrive, a prank goes wrong, and events descend into mayhem and violence. Also starring Steve Le Marquand, Ben O'Toole and Fletcher Humphrys. The film saw its Premiere screening at the Adelaide Film Festival, in South Australia in mid-October last year.

'COLOURS OF TIME' (Rated M) - this French and Belgian Co-Produced period drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Cedric Klapisch, who made his feature film making debut in 1992 with 'Reins du tout' and which he would follow up with the likes of 'Family Resemblances' in 1996, 'The Spanish Apartment' in 2002, 'Russian Dolls' in 2005, 'Chinese Puzzle' in 2013, 'Back to Burgundy' in 2017, and 'Rise' in 2022. Here, four distant cousins are part of a wider family group which can be traced to the last occupant of a house in rural Normandy abandoned in 1944. Seb (Abraham Wapler), Abdel (Zinedine Soualem), Celine (Julia Piaton) and Guy (Vincent Macaigne), discover there the existence of Adele Vermillard (Suzanne Lindon), their ancestor who in 1895 aged 20 left her native Normandy for Paris in search of her mother. While exploring the house, left untouched since the 1940's, they excavate the life of their ancestor - photos and paintings from the end of the 19th Century are preserved in the house, along with letters to Adele which help them form a picture of her story. On her journey to Paris Adele becomes friends with the brothers Anatole (Paul Kircher), a painter and Lucien (Vassili Schneider), a photographer, who accompany her in the search for her parents. The film had its World Premiere showcasing at the Cannes Film Festival in late May 2025, and was released in France on that same day. The film cost US$17.5M to produce, has so far recovered US$9M and has generated positive critical acclaim.

'TENOR : MY NAME IS PATI' (Rated PG) - this New Zealand biographical documentary film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Rebecca Tansley who made her first doco in 2015 with 'Crossing Rachmaninoff' and would follow this up with 'The Heart Dances - the Journey of The Piano : the Ballet' in 2018 and 'Semele' in 2021. This film charts the story of Pene Pati and his brother Amitai Pati, and their against-the-odds journey from humble beginnings in Samoa to platinum-selling success in the trio Sol3 Mio and on to the world’s greatest opera stages. Bursting with humour, heart and soaring performances, the film reveals the resilience born of adversity, the richness of family and culture, and the rewards that come from following an unlikely dream. 

With four 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-