What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 20th November 2014.

I am pleased to say that as Australia warms in the late Spring sun with just over a week to go until the official start of Australian Summertime, we are gearing up for a season of big films, that ramped up earlier this month with Chris Nolan's excellent Sci-Fi epic 'Interstellar' (check out my Review dated 11th November). This week we have the third instalment in a quadrilogy of films that seems to have set the standard by which many have otherwise followed of late, and features some dystopian hybrid bird thing as it's mascot, and, this is sure to be big as the franchise counts down now to its 19th November 2015 conclusion. Then the master of cult-classic bizarre and downright weird cinema making gives us his spin on weird cinema making and the people in it, around it and on top of it; and finally another real life drama from New Zealand this time about redemption, purpose and acceptance all brought together around a board game!

Three offerings then, all different but all worthy of your cinema dollar nonetheless. Check out something from this weeks new haul of releases, or any one of the other great films still on general release from weeks gone by, and, when you have drop me a line in the Comments Box below this, or any other Post, and share your thoughts with the world of moviefandom! Enjoy your film experience this week!

THE HUNGER GAMES : MOCKINGJAY Part 1 (Rated M) - the third instalment in the 'Hunger Games' franchise sees the final book carved up into two film offerings (just as with the 'Harry Potter' series and the 'Twilight' series) with Part 2 due for release on 19th November 2015. The first two films in the series cost US$208M to make and grossed worldwide US$1.56B, and the final two films have a combined production budget of US$250M, and doubtless expectations will be very high on many levels. Once again all the usual suspects are back that we have come to know with a few new characters thrown in too, and again we are Directed by Francis Lawrence (no relation!)

The action takes off where 'Catching Fire' left us at the end of last year with Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) being plucked from the 'Quaretquell' where she had just blown up the Hunger Games arena. She is whisked off to the mythical previously thought destroyed 'District 13', declared a hero and is made a symbol of hope by the people of the nation, and the figurehead for rebellion against The Capitol. District 13 is headed up by President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore). Meanwhile Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) was captured by President Snow (Donald Sutherland) who intends to use him as a symbol of hope for the peoples of The Capitol to quash any potential uprising by Katniss and her mounting Rebel army. No doubt this will involve poor Peeta getting tortured, brain-washed and manipulated to turn against Katniss and everything she now stands for . . . or will it? In doing so, with no 'Hunger Games' to fight things out like modern day Gladiators, the war takes to the streets and battle will commence . . . big time! Returning we have Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, the late great Philip Seymour-Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks, and Sam Claflin and various other new names on both sides of The Capitol fence. If the first two films are anything to go by, the action here will be ramped up as we draw closer to a conclusion, the storyline will become darker, and the characters more driven - so buckle-up for the ride!

MAPS TO THE STARS (Rated MA15+) - Canadian Director David Cronenberg who brought us amongst others 'Scanners', 'Videodrome', 'The Naked Lunch' and more recently the excellent 'A History of Violence' and 'Eastern Promises' turns his attention this time to Hollywood, and in so doing pokes a big ugly stick right in its eye! Starring Mia Wasikowska as Agatha Weiss who returns to Hollywood after a spell in a sanatorium has homecoming dreams of meeting rich and famous celebrities. She comes across Julianne Moore as a fading actress (Havana Segrand) trying desperately to re-establish her career, and who is being treated by Agatha's father, a self-help guru Dr. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack), and then there is drug addled teen-star son Benjie (Evan Bird) about to start work on yet another tween movie sequel . . . and he's been in rehab since he was nine! Into the mix is Olivia Willams as Christina as wife to Stafford and mother to Agatha and Benji, and Robert Pattinson as Jerome Fontana, an aspiring actor who has a thing for Agatha. This tangled web of intrigue with all manner of phobias, insecurities, anxieties, worries and woes confronting our dysfunctional family sets the scene for modern day horror that only Cronenberg can concoct. Sounds weird, whacky and way out there just like most other Cronenberg offerings - put it on your must-see list!

THE DARK HORSE (Rated M) - a New Zealand tale this one set in Gisborne surrounding recent mental institution escapee Genesis (Cliff Curtis) who is sheltered by gangland brother Ariki (Wayne Hapi) on the proviso that he doesn't come between him, and soon to be inducted into the gang, young nephew Mana (James Rolleston). Needless to say the gang environment is no place for fragile Genesis and young impressionable Mana. Being homeless and feeling hopeless their future hope and possible salvation comes in the form of an upcoming chess championship being staged in Auckland in just six weeks time. Genesis knows a thing or two about the game of chess, and so sets about teaching Mana and his street-smart no-hope mates everything he can over the ensuing weeks to secure their entry into the tournament, and who knows . . . maybe even win it! An emotional well told story set on NZ's meaner streets with all the challenges thrown in that gangs, hardship, homelessness, hopelessness and chess can create! I wonder if there is a chess training montage? You could be very pleasantly surprised by this little film!

Three films then to stir the senses in very different ways. Give it a go this coming week, and check out a new release movie, and then share with us your views.

Movies - catch one this week!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-