What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 2nd July 2015.

It's July, and we've reached the mid-point in the year already and what a first six months we've had cinematically! With big budget epic fare, small independent offerings, some great foreign language films, action, adventure, tragedy, comedy blockbusters, sleeper hits and those that have flown under the radar. What will the next six months bring - well, you'll just have to get out there to you local cinema.  But, rest assured, it all starts here, and it does so with a bang with an action adventure hero who once muttered those immortal lines 'I'll be back!' . . . and he is - here, this week!

First up we have one of the most highly anticipated, eagerly awaited films of the year that is a welcome return of a cyborg hero in this fifth instalment of a hugely successful franchise that also spawned a TV Series - you know what I'm talkin' about! Then, we have a doco about a famed British songstress who departed this mortal coil way too early, and finally a short film assured to gain cult status as it pays homage to the martial arts comedy police action films of the 80's.

With three offerings out & about at your local movie theatre this coming week paired up with the solid offerings still out on general release, you once again have plenty to choose from, so get out amongst it and go see a movie! When you have, drop your friends and like minded readers a line or two in the Comments box immediately below this, or any other Post and share your thoughts on your filmic experience. Enjoy your movie!

TERMINATOR : GENISYS (Rated M) - in 1984 a young film maker made a movie that was to find its way into our popular culture and cinema sub-conscious. His name was James Cameron, and in releasing 'The Terminator' he also established the career of an immigrant Austrian bodybuilder determined to make his name and his fortune in the Hollywood movie business - his name was Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the intervening years there have three further sequels - 'T2 : Judgement Day' in 1991 with Cameron helming again, 'T3 : Rise of the Machines' in 2003, 'T4 : Salvation' in 2009 and the most lacklustre of the franchise, and now we have a return to form with Arnie back playing our titular cyborg hero Directed by Alan Taylor on a US$170M budget. Those first four films were made for a combined US$509M and returned collectively US$1.4B.

And so to this latest iteration. This films owes more to the first two films than is does the latter two. Here John Connor (Jason Clarke) is leading the human resistance against Skynet, and sends back Kyle Reece (Jai Courtney) to 1984 to safeguard his mother Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) from a Terminator killer hunting her down. Unexpected events create an altered timelines and when Reece arrives back in 1984 he is met by a skilled confident combat ready Sarah Connor supported by a Terminator Guardian - a reprogrammed T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Hot on the heels however, are dangerous new enemies and unexpected allies as the timeline darts between 1984, to 1997 (the eve of Judgement Day), to 2017 with a T-1000, a T-3000 and a T-5000 all emerging to thwart Sarah, Kyle and the Guardian Terminator while Reece seeks to reset the future, and prevent the Genisys application from going live on-line with potentially disastrous implications for humankind. J.K. Simmons also stars. Watch it on the big screen methinks!

AMY (MA15+) - In 2010 British film maker Asif Kapadia bought us the excellent Documentary film charting the on and off track life of F1 racing great Ayrton Senna with the highly acclaimed 'Senna'. Now in 2015 his subject matter is once again the tragically short life of a another famed personality - this time from the world of music - Amy Winehouse. Featuring previously unseen footage, previously unheard tracks that the singer had recorded before her death on 23rd July 2011 from alcohol poisoning, and the content taken from over 100 interviews that Kapadia had with close family and friends, this films charts the singers early life, her influences, her relationships, the media attention, and her drug & alcohol addiction that led to her untimely death. If 'Senna' is anything to go by, this is likely to be compelling viewing.

KUNG FURY (Rated M) - Directed, Written and Starring David Sandberg this is a 31 minute crowd funded Swedish Produced English language film that pays homage to the martial arts police action movies of the 80's. Set in 1985, Kung Fury is the meanest, baddest, toughest martial arts cop in the Miami Police Force, and he is sent back in time to thwart the worst killer of all time - Kung Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, and end the Nazi grip on a war torn Europe. Full of camped up slapstick martial arts green screen silliness, this is likely to become a cult classic before you know it!

That's it then for the week ahead - two time travelling kick-ass movies both at complete opposite ends of the movie spectrum, and a doco sure to provide an intimate look inside the mind and life of a talented young artist plucked from us too soon. Whatever you choose to view in the week ahead, enjoy your film.

See you at the Odeon soon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-