What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 12th March 2015.

Having moved to South Australia recently and taking up residency in Adelaide, and full time work, I have suddenly become more appreciative of the time that I hitherto had available to dedicate to your favourite movie Blog . . . Odeon Online. Now I find myself gainfully employed in this great city and scratching around finding time to write my Blog Posts and provide you with the filmic feedback you have become accustomed to. Undeterred by this minor set back, I carry on regardless in the hope that I can do justice to your insatiable appetite for all things from moviedom!

And so to this weeks new release movies coming to a theatre near you from this Thursday. First up an already much touted, much lauded 70's American stoner pot-infused beach side whodunit with an all star cast and an acclaimed maverick Director at the helm; then another future offering from an increasingly rising star Director creating unique dystopian experiences that have surprised and delighted audiences for their creativity and unique story lines; onto a real life mid-80's kidnapping involving a Beer Baron and a bunch of hapless miscreants who win the biggest ransom monies ever paid; and then we close out with two comedies made on either side of the pond that are likely to find an audience and divide them at the same time!

With this synopsis done, and your film choice(s) made for the week ahead, when you have seen your chosen movie, drop us a line or two at Odeon Online in the Comments section following this or any Post and share your thoughts and opinions with our ever expanding readership. Enjoy your film!

INHERENT VICE (Rated MA15+) - based on the book of the same name by Thomas Pynchon, this is the latest offering from Director, Producer and Screenwriter Paul Thomas Anderson lining up a strong cast to deliver this 70's stoner story of pot-addled Private Detective Larry 'Doc' Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) who in his drug infused stupor takes on three cases at once that all intertwine but seemingly go nowhere. Destined to collide, confuse and cajole you into thinking that this should all makes sense when it probably doesn't, Larry is on the case of his ex-girlfriends real estate developer boyfriend Mickey Wolfmann (Eric Roberts) whose wife is manufacturing a plot to have him committed to a mental institution.

Subsequently, Doc meets up with a member of the 'Black Guerrilla Family' who hires him to find a guy he met in jail, and who owes him money and just happens to be the bodyguard of Mickey Wolfmann! Next up Doc is hired by the wife of Coy Harlingen (Owen Wilson) who is missing and whom she believes is dead, but this is really not the case as we later discover. A drug smuggling boat appears on the scene that has links back to the mental institution that Wolfmann gets admitted to by his estranged wife, and the last time that boat sailed Doc's ex-girlfriend was aboard! If all this sounds confusing there are further plot twists and turns to throw you off the scent involving Detective Christian F. 'Bigfoot' Bjornsen (Josh Brolin) who works for the LAPD and Doc's Attorney Sauncho Smilax (Benicio del Toro), a stash of heroin, police paid killings for cash, baseball bat collections and more smoke & mirrors than you could shine a torch at! Sounds like it could be mind-bending fun . . . if you can get your head around it!

CHAPPIE (Rated MA15+) - Neill Blomkamp is back Directing his own story that he made into a short film back in 2004 - 'Tetra Vaal' and hot on the heels of 'District 9' in 2009 and then 'Elysium' in 2013, both starring his acting stablemate Sharlto Copley who takes the lead role here as 'Chappie'. Set in the not too distant future and again in Johannesburg, crime is managed on the streets by a mechanical police force (you can be forgiven for thinking 'Robocop' here!). As the people begin to rebel against robotic law enforcement, one such droid (Chappie) is stolen and reprogrammed with the ability to think for itself, and have feelings and emotions. This is done by Deon Wilson (Dev Patel) who has to go against the company producing the robots in the first place and a rival inventor Vincent Moore (Hugh Jackman) who has developed an inferior product dependant on human operation, unlike Chappie. As Chappie learns and adopts more and more human traits so the opposition against it/him grows to the point where despite his law enforcement success there are those who see him/it as a threat to humanity and are determined to ensure that Chappie is both the first, and last, of its kind. Containing many of the Blomkamp trademarks we have come to expect, this latest offering looks like it could be a lot of fun, combining action, a future vision and heart.

KIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN (Rated M) - back in November 1983, Dutch Beer Baron, Chairman of the Board and CEO of the global beer brewing giant Heineken International, Alfred 'Freddy' Heineken (Anthony Hopkins) was kidnapped and held for ransom. In a plot that was in the making for over two years the perpetrators of this crime Cor Van Hout (Jim Sturgees), Willem Holleeder (Sam Worthington), Jan Bollard (Ryan Kwanten), Martin Erkamps (Thomas Cocquerel)  and Frans Meijer (Mark van Eeuwen) successfully pulled off the kidnapping crime of the century that resulted in the payment of the biggest ransom ever paid (16 million Euros). For a number of years the childhood mates got away with their crime spreading themselves far and wide, but were eventually captured and punished for their crimes with prison sentences. This films tells that story starring some big names and Directed by Daniel Alfredson, but if it is enough to maintain your attention and give you enough of a thrill given the subject matter only you can decide.

MANNY LEWIS (Rated M) - Aussie comic Carl Barron stars here as famous fictional stand-up comedian Manny Lewis who has confidence, respect and success at the hands of millions of loyal fans for whom he can perform every night as part of his comedic routine. But can he connect on a personal and emotional level with one single woman? Meeting Maria (Leeanna Walsman) with whom he is first introduced to over an adult chat line and then coincidentally face to face in a cafe over a latte, neither of them are aware of their previous telephone 'introduction', as in time their relationship begins to blossom. When Manny discovers Maria's 'other life', he is at the same time invited to break into the potentially lucrative American market, and so must decide which path to take that will allow him to move on and be truly happy!

TOP 5 (Rated MA15+) - Chris Rock here Writes, Directs and Stars at Andre Allen - a hugely successful stand up comedian with a successful trilogy of comedy films behind him in which he stars as an action talking bear hero. His reality TV Star fiancee tries to persuade him that they should broadcast their upcoming wedding on  her TV show, and at the same time he has to be spend a day with reporter Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson) who is interested in Allen's move into serious film making despite the opposition from his legions of fans that he should return to stand-up and his action bear comedy film franchise. From what I have seen this is a series of comedy sketches loosely knitted together to form some sort of story that passes off for a film of rediscovery, awakening and realisation   with as much cursing, abuse, disrespect and non-PC one liners that you are likely to expect from Chris Rock! I'm sure it will find an audience!

That's it for this week then - five films to tease you out on an early Autumn evening in Adelaide, Sydney or wherever you may happen to reside in close proximity to a movie theatre. Enjoy the experience, share your views and keep watching!

Movies - see one this week . . . at least!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-