What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 30th June 2016.

At the mid-way point in the year now, I got to thinking about the big blockbuster fare we have seen so far in 2016, and where these sit in the grand scheme of Box Office rankings. Judging by the Top 10 released so far this year with their current all time placing and total haul as shown, a couple of things seem to ring true. Firstly, we appear to have an insatiable appetite for comic book heroes, secondly, we have an almost unquenchable thirst for well made animation and CGI, and finally only one of these is based on a real story. In order of all time Box Office rankings so far, taken from Box Office MoJo, there is :-

• 'Captain America : Civil War' - #12 with US$1.148B
• 'Zootopia' - #25 with US$1.017B
• 'The Jungle Book' - #37 with US930M
• 'Batman v. Superman : The Dawn of Justice' - #46 with US$873M
• 'Deadpool' - #62 with US$779M
• 'The Revenant' - #141 with US$533M
• 'X-Men : Apocalypse' - #146 with US$524M and still on general release.
• 'Kung Fu Panda 3' - #150 with US$519M and still on general release.
• 'Warcraft : The Beginning' - #218 with US$412M and still on general release.
• 'Finding Dory' - #228 with US$398M and still on general release.

For your further interest those films released in late 2015 but still doing the rounds into 2016 that also made a significant contribution were 'Star Wars : The Force Awakens' at #3 with US$2.068B, 'Spectre' at #43 with US$881M, 'The Hunger Games : Mockingjay Part 2' at #96 with US$654M and 'The Martian' at #101 with US$630M. A big year so far with big films doing big things at the Box Office. With more comic books heroes and more animation and cutting edge CGI coming our way in the latter half of the year, we'll have to go see for ourselves and pay our money to determine what's hot and what's not at the movies as the year plays out. 

To this weeks new release films then. These kick-off with three master story tellers - combining their talents as Author, Director and Studio to bring us a tale of good versus evil, little and large, young and old coming together where the real world clashes with one of fantasy in this live action rendition of this much loved childrens classic. Then, an action comedy buddy teaming where a couple of unlikely school buddies reunite after two decades to thwart an evil enemy to save the world, before wrapping up with two foreign language films about two women of different generations in Sicily connected by one absent man and a game of cat and mouse that ensues as they begin to bond; and a story of one mans struggle to find work in recession struck France, support his family and the moral questions he has to deal with when he does eventually get a job.

Four films offering something different once again, which when combined with those still out on general release and doing the rounds equates to plenty of choice across all genres and all age groups. When you have sat through your movie of choice in the coming week, share your thoughts and observations by recording your Comment below this or any other Post - good, bad or ugly - there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the movies - just the emotion it stirs up in you and the entertainment/enjoyment factor you gained as  a result. Meanwhile, enjoy your film.

'THE BFG' (Rated PG) - The childrens book upon which this film is based was released in 1982 by Roald Dahl and since its release has sold in excess of 40 million copies in the UK alone and sits in the 'Top Lists' of must read children books in many countries. In 1989 the book was made into an animated feature film by Cosgrove Hall Productions, with the voice of David Jason as the 'Big Friendly Giant'. It has since been made into a theatre production, and now in 2016 it gets the full Disney treatment with master story-teller Steven Spielberg on Director duty with a budget of US$140M to bring this beloved story to the big screen in this live action version. The film Premiered out of competition at the recent Cannes Film Festival, and is released in the US on 1st July, and here in Australia the day before. With three key ingredients - Dahl, Disney and Spielberg - this has to be a recipe for success methinks!

The story here surrounds ten year old orphan girl Sophie (newcomer Ruby Barnhill) who encounters the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance), and whilst initially scared at first by the towering giants 24 foot tall frame, soon comes to realise that he is in fact a gentle giant, quite charming, kind hearted and means her no harm, unlike the other giants who have a habit of eating children. As a result this BFG is ostracised by the other giants, and as the relationship between the young girl and the towering giant grows so the unwelcome attention of lesser meaning giants is drawn. These include 'Bloodbottler' (Bill Hader) and 'Fleshlumpeater' (Jemaine Clement) amongst others. The two decide that they must travel to London to meet with The Queen (Penelope Wilton) and convince her to rid the world of the bad giants, who have been attacking the human world, once and for all, but before they can do so they must travel through the wonders and perils of Giant Country.

'CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE' (Rated M) - Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber and Co-Wriiten for the screen by him too, this action comedy buddy film was made for US$50M, has so far grossed US$84M and stars as its leads Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, so promises quite a lot, but the film has divided critics. The film follows two guys - one being the guy most likely to succeed at school in the form of athletic wisecracking liked by everyone Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) and the other Robbie Weirdicht (Dwayne Johnson) as the overweight downtrodden bullied klutz that nobody likes and everybody hassles because they can. Fast forward twenty years and Calvin is married to his high school sweetheart and works as an accountant, which he hates and gets passed over for promotion. Robbie meanwhile goes by the name now of Bob Stone, has worked out the gym everyday of his life, and is a hulking mass of muscle working for the CIA. The two come together again as a result of a pending High School Reunion, and subsequently Stone enlists Calvin's accounting skills to break some satellite codes, and prevent these falling into the wrong hands. As a result of their pairing, you can count on shoot outs, explosions, bad guys getting wasted, cars getting trashed, and stunts aplenty as the action and the comedy collide, and the world is saved . . . once again! Also tarring Amy Ryan, Aaron Paul with cameos from Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy.

'THE WAIT' (Rated M) - this Italian drama film ('L'ATESSA') was Premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in September last year, released in Italy later than month, in France in December and now reaches Australian cinemas. Directed and Co-Written for the screen by Piero Messina and based on two works by Luigi Pirandello, this tells the story of young woman Jeanne (Lou de Laage) who arrives unexpectedly at the large rambling Sicilian villa of Anna (Juliette Binoche) under the auspices of spending the Easter break with her  boyfriend Giuseppe. Anna is Giuseppe's mother and is not expecting Jeanne, and furthermore Giuseppe is not there and is not expected, but this truth is kept from Jeanne. Whilst Jeanne is invited to stay and wait for her boyfriend, the two begin to form a bond as they both come out from under their respective shells . . . but where is Giuseppe, and why is he not responding to Jeanne's calls and left messages? Binoche's performance especially has been critically hailed, as has the backdrop of the Sicilian scenery, so this could be one to watch out for if you like your foreign language films intense, emotional and with a few surprises in store.

'THE MEASURE OF A MAN' (Rated M) - this French drama film ('LA LOI DU MARCHE') Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2015 where it was in competition for the Palme D'Or. Directed and Co-Written by Stephane Brize, it tells the story of Thierry (Vincent Lindon) who at age 51 was laid off his job as a factory worker. After eighteen months without work and being given the runaround by recruitment companies, training providers, and employment agencies he secures a job as a store detective. Having struggled to make ends meet and support his disabled son who is in need of round the clock care, he finds himself in a position in his new line of work of having to make decisions about people in very similar situations as his own, with all the moral dilemma's this throws up in working class France. A humbling film of very real life situations experienced by many, for which Lindon has received several Best Actor Awards for his portrayal of Thierry, and the film has garnered all up seven award wins and another seven nominations from around the traps.

Four films this week to tempt you out to your local movie theatre on a cold Southern Hemisphere winter evening to sit in a warm dark place and be entertained for two hours for just $20 or your local equivalent. What's not to like about that prospect? I'll see you at the Odeon in the week ahead!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

INDEPENDENCE DAY : RESURGENCE - Friday 24th June 2016.

'INDEPENDENCE DAY : RESURGENCE' which I saw on Friday evening is the sequel to 'Independence Day' which opened in July 1996 and went on to take out the highest grossing film of 1996 worldwide, grossing US$817M, and by September of that year ranked as the sixth highest grossing film of all time. Now 20 years later, it sits at the #55 spot. Made for US$75M back then and Directed by the 'Master of Disaster' himself Roland Emmerich and Co-Written by him too, that film propelled Will Smith into the stratosphere (literally) together with his other co-stars that included Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, Judd Hirsch, Vivica Fox and Mary McDonnell. Along the way the movie picked up an Oscar for Best Visual Effects and 32 other award wins and another 33 nominations. And now twenty years later, in terms of real time, and movie time, the long awaited sequel has arrived. Made for US$165M and released worldwide just last week, Roland Emmerich is once again in the Director chair with a Co-Producer and a Co-Writer credit too, and, with a number of that original line up returning again with their cans of 'whoop-ass' to thwart them pesky alien Mo-Fo's out of the sky and into oblivion . . . maybe! The film has so far taken US$143M over its opening weekend worldwide.

This time Jeff Goldblum is back as is Bill Pullman, Brent Spiner, Judd Hirsch, Vivica Fox and Robert Loggia (who died after filming wrapped, and to whom the film is honoured), joined by Liam Hemsworth, William Fichtner and Charlotte Gainsbourg but alas no Will Smith. Smith's character in the first film, Steven Hiller, we learn was killed nine years ago when testing a new experimental fighter jet designed using alien technology. Now hailed a national hero, his memory lives on, and manifests itself in the film through his son Dylan Hiller (Jessie Usher) - also an acclaimed pilot and captain of the Earth Space Defence (ESD) which rose out of the events of the 1996 attack.


It seems that 20 years ago when the invading aliens were wiped out, they sent a distress signal to their other fleets in deep space before finally succumbing to the might of Uncle Sam, and secreting themselves away elsewhere around our fragile green planet. Over those intervening years, The United Nations has rebuilt itself and created the ESD programme based at Area 51 using recovered alien technology as an early warning system and as its defence against future alien hostilities. Earth now also has early warning bases on the Moon, on Mars and on Rhea - one of Saturn's moons.

With the advent of global celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of that 1996 alien attack the now President of the USA Elizabeth Lanford (Sela Ward), orders an attack and destroy directive on a vast spherical ship that appears through a worm hole over the Moon Base. However, David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) now Director of ESD is not convinced that this spherical ship is hostile, having boarded a fully intact downed alien ship laying dormant in Africa and come to the realisation that it sent an intergalactic distress signal back to its home world 20 years before. But, the President blows it into oblivion before any form of contact can be made choosing to shoot first, and ask questions later.

Almost simultaneously, the ESD report that its base on the Saturn Moon has gone . . . . without a trace, and before you can say 'Uncle Sam' a space ship measuring 3,000 kms in diameter emerges and wipes out the Moon Base killing all and destroying everything in its path on its journey toward Earth. Before doing so however, Levinson and ESD pilot Jake Morrison (Liam Hemsworth) in the latters space tug, retrieve a vital container from that downed spherical ship which they take back to ESD HQ at Area 51. Here ex-President Whitmore (Bill Pullman) and Dr. Brakish Okun (Brent Spiner) who has just woken from a twenty year coma, have been experiencing visions of alien logograms since their close encounters with the alien kind of twenty years ago and set about trying to interpret these and decipher their meaning - with some success.

In the meantime, the 3,000kms wide alien spacecraft enters Earths atmosphere with is own gravitational force and begins to devastate much of Asia with Singapore getting flattened. With its own gravity many buildings and structures are lifted high into the air, and as Levinson comments 'what's goes up, must come down' . . . and it does - on London, in spectacular fashion! When the alien super ship comes to rest it does so over the Atlantic Ocean and much of the USA with further widespread death and destruction, all delivered with Emmerich's trademark gravitas. It promptly begins drilling mid-ocean with the aim of sucking out the Earth's core to harvest the heat source to power its own vessels, but in so doing will throw out our planets magnetic fields, which in turn will destroy us. Levinson had seen earlier evidence of this in the African ship he boarded, but at the time did not understand the significance of that activity which mysteriously halted when the attacking aliens were thwarted twenty years earlier.

Back in Area 51, Dr. Okun cuts open the container retrieved by Levinson and Morrison and out rolls another spherical orb of artificial intelligence that is able to communicate directly, and advise that it is friendly and had come to warn Earth of the attack now happening and help evacuate humanity to a refuge planet. The sphere tells its own story of how it is the sole survivor from a world also wiped out by this aliens now attacking the Earth, and that their Queen is now coming to wipe it out too once and for all, knowing that the sphere is the last threat to their existence. And so Hiller is tasked with a counter attack on the Queen with the full and unrelenting force of ESD, but this attack doesn't go quite according to plan resulting in the bulk of the attack squadron being wiped out . . . except our heroes of course.

The Queen now rapidly advances to retrieve and destroy the sphere now locked inside an isolation chamber within Area 51, believed to be safe and secure. A decoy mission is quickly planned and rapidly executed to sidetrack the Queen out into the open and therefore exposed to attack using ground and what's left of the air forces. The Queen however, is not the Queen for nothing and when she's pissed you don't want to get in her way, as many find out to their ultimate cost. Whitmore, bows out with his final salute to Uncle Sam and flies the space tug loaded to the gunnels with nuclear warheads into the Queens space ship and destroys it, destroying himself in the process. The Queen escapes and quickly tramples on everything and everyone and breaks through to the isolation chamber and the sphere. But in the heat of the desert and with the force of her own gun ships piloted now by Hiller, Morrison and Whitmore's daughter (also a trained fighter pilot conveniently), the Queen is destroyed, and with it the Atlantic drilling is halted with minutes to spare before our core is punctured, and the mother ship begins its retreat.

Strap yourself in for death and destruction writ large as only Roland Emmerich knows how to deliver, but beware, this does not equate to a great movie by any means. Yes, it's big on spectacle and this is handled well, but really, there is nothing new here that we have not seen before in other large scale disaster epics, alien or otherwise, over the last two decades. As for the story - it's a bit muddled, hurried and convenient, and you need to suspend belief as to the geography and science behind some of what we are being led to believe here . . . even with Hollywood's poetic license! This film lacks the emotional gravitas delivered so well by Will Smith twenty years ago and the grounding of the real world as it was back then, opting for a parallel world of 2016 with over zealous fantasy and seriousness. It is also served up with a good dose of cheese too throughout, and particularly in the closing scenes where Uncle Sam whips ass with the help of a token African War Lord and a Chinese female fighter pilot, an attempt at another rousing speech by ex-President Whitmore as they go once more into the breach, and an outed Scientist (Dr. Okun) who proclaims that with the help of what the sphere can teach us we'll take the fight to the aliens uniting the galaxies across the cosmos, in what will be 'Independence Day 3'. See it at your local Odeon for the big screen experience, but you can easily wait for the big screen experience in your own home too.

 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week - 26th June - 2nd July 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Sam Claflin does on 27th June - check out my tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 30, at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 26th June

• Paul Thomas Anderson - Born 1970, turns 46 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Chris O'Donnell - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Sean Hayes - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Jason Schwartzmann - Born 1980, turns 36 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Composer | Singer | Songwriter
• Robert Davi - Born 1951, turns 65 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director

Monday 27th June

• J.J.Abrams - Born 1966, turns 50 - Producer | Director | Writer | Actor | Composer | Songwriter
• Tobey Maguire - Born 1975, turns 41 - Actor | Producer
• Sam Claflin - Born 1986, turns 30 - Actor

Tuesday 28th June

• John Cusack - Born 1966, turns 50 - Actor | Writer | Producer
• Bruce Davison - Born 1946, turns 70 - Actor | Director
• Mel Brooks - Born 1926, turns 90 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
• Kathy Bates - Born 1948, turns 68 - Actress | Director | Singer 

Wednesday 29th June

• Gary Busey - Born 1944, turns 72 - Actor | Singer | Songwriter  

Thursday 30th June

• Vincent D'Onofrio - Born 1959, turns 57 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Rupert Graves - Born 1963, turns 53 - Actor | Producer  

Friday 1st July

• David Prowse - Born 1935, turns 81 - Actor
• Trevor Eve - Born 1951, turns 65 - Actor | Producer
• Dan Akyroyd - Born 1952, turns 64 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer 
• Genevieve Bujold - Born 1942, turns 74 - Actress
• Debbie Harry - Born 1945, turns 71 - Actress | Producer | Composer | Singer | Songwriter
• Pamela Anderson - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actress | Producer
• Lea Seydoux - Born 1985, turns 31 - Actress  

Saturday 2nd July

• Margot Robbie - Born 1990, turns 26 - Actress | Producer
• Lindsay Lohan - Born 1986, turns 30 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Larry David - Born 1947, turns 69 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer

Samuel George Claflin was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, England to mother Sue - a classroom assistant, and father Mark, a finance officer. He has two older brothers, Benjamin and David, and one younger, Joseph - also in the acting profession. He grew up in Norwich, Norfolk and had more than a keen interest in football as a young lad - so much so that he was considering playing professionally until a broken ankle shattered that dream. He attended Costessey High School, where he made a decision to pursue acting after making a successful appearance in the school play, and having been encouraged to do so by his parents and drama teacher. In 2003 he studied performing arts at Norwich City College before attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, graduating in 2009.

In 2010, Claflin gained his small screen debut in 'The Pillars of the Earth' based on the Ken Follet novel of the same name. This eight part mini-series starred the likes of Donald Sutherland, Eddie Redmayne, Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Matthew Macfadyen and Hayley Attwell, cost US$40M to make, took a year to make and was Co-Produced by Tony & Ridley Scott amongst others. That same year he appeared in the made for television movie 'The Lost Future' with Sean Bean, and a four hour series 'Any Human Heart' with Jim Broadbent, Tom Hollander, Kim Catrall and Hayley Attwell.

The following year, he appeared in the television film 'United' playing Duncan Edwards - the English football player for Matt Busby's Manchester United team of the mid-'50's who died tragically aged 21 in the Munich Air Disaster of February 1958 with seven of his team mates.

After this Hollywood came knocking with his role in 2011 in the fourth instalment in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise 'On Stranger Tides' in the role of Philip Swift - a missionary captured by Blackbeard who falls in love with Syrena - a beautiful mermaid.

In 2012 he appeared in the six part BBC television series 'White Heat', and his first appearance as Prince William, the childhood friend of Snow White in 'Snow White and the Huntsman' with Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron - a role he would reprise in the sequel released earlier this year with 'The Huntsman : Winters War'. That same year Claflin starred in 'The Quiet Ones' - a supernatural horror film which was released in 2014. Although it received only average reviews, it did make US$18M off its meagre US$200K budget outlay - so commercially a solid enough return.

2013 saw the release of 'The Hunger Games : Catching Fire' with his strong supporting role as Finnick Odair - a role he would reprise in the two concluding films of the franchise - 2014's 'The Hunger Games : Mockingly Part 1', and 'Part 2' in 2015. 'The Riot Club' came next also in 2014 with the backdrop of a fictitious elite all male exclusive dining club at Oxford University that prides itself on hedonism, and a firmly held belief that money can buy anything. Claflin's performance in the film was critically praised. 

Later that year he appeared as the male lead of Alex Stewart, opposite Lily Collins as Rosie Dunn in 'Love, Rosie' based on the novel 'Where Rainbows End' by Cecelia Ahern. The film took less that US$5M and was not so well received. Most recently, Claflin has starred in 'Me Before You' - released earlier this month with Emilia Clarke in the lead role opposite. This romantic drama film sees Claflin's character William Traynor paralysed from the neck down and wheelchair bound. The film has so far grossed US$85M.

Next up is 'We Happy Few' - a RomCom based in a 1940's WWII torn Britain and starring Bill Nighy, Richard E.Grant, Eddie Marsan and Gemma Arterton, and Directed by Lone Scherfig, who also Directed Claflin in 'Riot Club'. The film is in post-production for release later in 2016.  'My Cousin Rachel' is currently filming for 2017 with Rachel Weisz and Iain Glen and based on a Daphne Du Maurier novel, with 'Friday' recently announced. 

All up Claflin has nineteen Acting credits to his name. He has eight award nominations and one award win. In July 2013 he married British Actress, Laura Haddock who is currently filming the next 'Transformers' offering 'The Last Knight' for Director Michael Bay with Mark Wahlberg and Anthony Hopkins. The couple live in London and have a young son together, born in December last year.

Sam Claflin - keeping it grounded, keeping it real, keeping it true; is out to prove himself; is determined not to be typecast; has a self confessed 'thing' about Chris Hemsworth; and clearly is on the rise, and more and more in demand. Happy 30th Birthday to you Sam from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 23rd June 2016.

The curtain fell on the 62nd Sydney Film Festival on Sunday evening 19th June, and with it the winners of those films in competition were duly announced. In official competition were twelve films from around the world as highlighted previously, with the AU$63,000 prize money going to Brazilian film 'Aquarius' Directed and Written for the Screen by Kleber Mendonca Filho. Based in the seaside town of Recife in Brazil, the films tells the story of 65 year old retired music critic Clara (Sonia Braga) who is the last resident in the beachside two-storey built in the '40's Aquarius apartment building. All other apartments in the block have been acquired by a development company with new plans for the site. Clara refuses to sell - politely at first making various counter offers, but as the developers become more and more aggressive and hostile, so a battle of wits erupts between both parties sat on opposing sides of the fence. Meanwhile life goes on for Clara, and in it we see her intellect, her family, her friends, her sex life as she reflects on her life - past, present and future. The five judges were unanimous in their decision to award the top prize to this film, with Jury President, Simon Field stating 'Aquarius is a compelling and relevant statement about contemporary Brazil and the power of an individual standing up for what she believes'. Screened in competition at Cannes this year, and successful in Sydney where the film had its Australian Premier, the film is scheduled for a wider release later in the year . . . one to watch out for!

Coming to a cinema near you in the week ahead then, are four new films that kick start with another alien invasion of epic Biblical proportions that threatens our fragile planet after we have come to terms with the last one twenty years earlier. Just as we thought it was safe to look up to the skies once more, our worst global destruction nightmare has come back to whoop Uncle Sam's backside in this sequel of big, bad, mean, ugly, no good alien types - bring it on! Next up and coming back down to Earth but in the Palaeolithic Period is another sequel and the fifth instalment in this successful animated franchise that sees a bunch of familiar characters trying to escape a natural disaster that may have far reaching implications on our planet, and along the way having themselves another adventure. Then a sports comedy period piece set against a backdrop of 1980 college baseball, guys, booze, girls, more booze, drugs, hi-jinks and pranks, more booze, wild parties, pot, booze, male bonding, girls, booze, rituals, and booze and all over a three day lead up to the start of semester. And wrapping things up a foreign language offering of five teenage sisters growing up fast when their world suddenly changes and their individual and collective determination, resilience and loyalty to each other is tested.

With such a diverse offering of new cinema content you'll just have to get out to a theatre in the week ahead to catch a new movie. When you have done so, remember to share your movie going experience here at Odeon Online with your fellow readers by leaving a Comment below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you. In the meantime, enjoy your film!

'INDEPENDENCE DAY : RESURGENCE' (Rated M) - when the original film 'Independence Day' of which this is a sequel opened in July 1996 it went on to take out the highest grossing film of 1996 worldwide, grossing US$817M, and by September of that year ranked as the sixth highest grossing film of all time. Now 20 years later, it sits at the #55 spot. Made for US$75M back then and Directed by the 'Master of Disaster' himself Roland Emmerich and Co-Written by him too, that film propelled Will Smith into the stratosphere (literally) together with his other co-stars that included Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, Judd Hirsch, Vivica Fox and Mary McDonnell. Along the way the movie picked up an Oscar for Best Visual Effects and 32 other award wins and another 33 nominations. And now twenty years later, in terms of real time, and movie time, the long awaited sequel has arrived.

Made for US$200M and released worldwide this coming week, Roland Emmerich is once again in the Director chair with a Co-Producer and a Co-Writer credit too, and, with a number of that original line up returning again with their cans of 'whoop-ass' to thwart them pesky alien Mo-Fo's out of the sky and into oblivion. . . or will they? This time Jeff Goldblum is back as is Bill Pullman, Brent Spiner, Judd Hirsch and Vivica Fox, joined by Liam Hemsworth, William Fichtner and Charlotte Gainsbourg. It seems that 20 years ago when the invading aliens were wiped out, they sent a distress signal to their other fleets in deep space before finally succumbing to the might of Uncle Sam, and secreting themselves away elsewhere around our fragile green planet. Over those intervening years, The United Nations has rebuilt itself and created an Earth Space Defence programme based at Area 51 using recovered alien technology as an early warning system and as its defence against future alien hostilities. What us mere mortal Earthlings didn't count on however, is that those aliens would be back - bigger, badder and more pissed off than ever, hell bent on wiping us out once and for all! Strap yourself in for death and destruction writ large as only Roland Emmerich knows how to deliver.

'ICE AGE : COLLISION COURSE' (Rated PG) - the first film in this hugely successful animated franchise launched in 2002 with 'Ice Age' from Blue Sky Studios and it returned US$383M from its US$59M outlay. Since then there has been 'Ice Age : The Meltdown' in 2006, 'Ice Age : Dawn of the Dinosaurs' in 2009, 'Ice Age : Continental Drift' in 2012 - all increasingly well received. The first four films were made for a combined US$324M and have collectively returned US$2.81B with 'Meltdown' sitting at #93 in the all time highest grossing movies list, 'Continental Drift' at #45 and 'Dawn of the Dinosaurs' at #42. Not a bad effort it must be said. This time around largely the same voice cast return as Scrat continues his search for the elusive acorn which sends him on a trajectory outside of Earth's atmosphere where his actions inadvertently set in motion a series of potentially Earth altering events. To save themselves Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo), Diego (Denis Leary), Ellie (Queen Latifah), Buck (Simon Pegg) and Shira (Jennifer Lopez) amongst others, leave their home land and embark on a journey to new and distant lands to save themselves - along the way getting up to all sorts of (mis)adventures, scrapes and challenges, and meeting up with a whole new bunch of characters.

'EVERYBODY WANTS SOME !!' (Rated MA15+) - Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Richard Linklater for US$10M this college sports comedy is set back in 1980 at the fictitious Southeast Texas State College on the cusp of a new semester - three days and 15 hours before to be exact, so plenty of time for freshman Jake (Blake Jenner) to get to know his new college buddies, check out the chicks, score some weed and get drunk! Moving into his new house with other members of the Southwest Texas Cherokees college baseball team, he quickly gets acquainted with Billy (Will Brittain) whom Jake will share a room with, Plummer (Temple Baker), Roper (Ryan Guzman), Dale (Quentin Johnson), Finnegan (Glen Powell), Brumley (Tanner Kalina), Jay (Juston Street) and Willoughby (Wyatt Russell). And what better way to get acquainted than to head out drinking, meet some girls, party hard, play some pranks, and then do it all over again tomorrow, and the next day. Praised for its simple, smart storyline; its faithful reproduction of the era; its soundtrack and the good old dose of nostalgia this serves up, this could almost be seen as a follow-up to Linklater's 1993 'Dazed and Confused' tribute to the last day of school for a bunch of 1976 high school graduates.

'MUSTANG' (Rated M) - this Turkish language film has received much critical acclaim for Writer and Director Deniz Gamze Erguven, and in the process picked up an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, along with 38 wins and 46 other nominations. The story is set in a rural northern Turkish community and on the last day of school five sisters (all non-professional actors chosen deliberately) frolic around on the beach with some male classmates. Overseen by a nosey interfering neighbour who reports the orphaned girls antics to the domineering Aunt and Uncle, the surrogate parents instantly confiscate 'all instruments of corruption' such as close fitting clothes, mobile phones, computers, make-up, magazines and all the trappings enjoyed by mid-teen years girls almost everywhere. As a consequence, the girls are quickly taught life lessons in good housekeeping skills and how to prepare for marriage as they become prisoners in their own home, and marriage is prepared with would-be local male suitors. With fierce determination, safety in numbers, a strong resilience and a overwhelming sense of loyalty toward each other will the sisters overcome the fate that awaits them?

Four films once again that couldn't be more different in their themes, genres, and target audience. That said, coupled with those films still doing the rounds and out on general release, there is something that is sure to suit almost all styles, tastes and age groups. So, get out amongst it to your local movie theatre and enjoy your movie of choice. I'll see you, at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

ANTON YELCHIN - dies aged 27 - R.I.P.

Anton Viktorovich Yelchin died tragically, aged just 27, on the morning of 19th June 2016, in what is described as a freak car accident at his home in Los Angeles, California. Due at a rehearsal later that day, when he was a no-show his friends drove over to his house and found him pinned against a brick wall and security gate by his car, dying in the process from blunt traumatic asphyxia. The Jeep Grand Cherokee car which caused his death was a 2015 model that had been recalled for a roll away risk. Truly tragic circumstances.

Born in Leningrad, Russia on 11th March 1989 to ice skating champions Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin his family were subjected to political and religious oppression, and so at the age of just six months, his family relocated to the USA having gained refugee status.

His first acting role came at the age of nine, when he was cast in 'A Man is Mostly Water' with a part on 'E.R' that same year.  This was quickly followed up with 'Delivering Milo' with Albert Finney, 'Along Came a Spider' with Morgan Freeman, 'Hearts in Atlantis' with Anthony Hopkins, and then a heap of television series including 'Taken', 'The Practice', 'Without a Trace', 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and 'NYPD Blue' - all before he was even 15 years of age. More big Hollywood fare followed with 'House of D' with David Duchovny, 'Fierce People' with Donald Sutherland, 'Alpha Dog' with Bruce Willis, 'Charlie Bartlett' with Robert Downey Jnr. and 'Middle of Nowhere' with Susan Sarandon. In between there were further television appearances on 'Huff', 'Criminal Minds' and 'Law & Order : Criminal Intent'.

In 2009 J.J. Abrams cast Yelchin as Pavel Chekov in the reboot of the Star Trek franchise in 'Star Trek' - a role he would reprise again in 2013 in 'Star Trek : Into Darkness' and again in the yet to be released 'Star Trek : Beyond' due later this year, and with an all star cast. It is perhaps for this role that he is best well known fitting into the shoes created by Walter Koenig in the original Gene Roddenberry television series of the '60's and seven of the first series of feature films up until 1994.

Immediately following the Star Trek reboot in 2009, came another reboot of a hugely successful franchise founded in the early 80's, with 'Terminator : Salvation' with his role as Kyle Reece opposite Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. 'Like Crazy' came next with Jennifer Lawrence, then the Roland Joffe Directed 'You and I', followed by Jodie Foster's 'The Beaver' with Mel Gibson, then the remake of the classic horror 'Fright Night' with Colin Farrell, and 'Odd Thomas' based on the Dean Kootz novel with Willem Dafoe.

'Only Lovers Left Alive' with Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston, '5 to 7', 'Cymbeline', and 'Burying the Ex' for Joe Dante, 'Dying of the Light' for Paul Schrader, 'Experimenter', 'Broken Horses', 'The Driftless Area' and 'Green Room' bring us up to date, with the latter only being released in Australia last month. In the meantime there were further television series appearances, a number of short films, and his voice talents as 'Clumsy' in 'The Smurfs' and 'The Smurfs 2', and 'From Up On Poppy Hill' 

Yelchin has 65 acting credits, with five films still yet to be released - those being - 'Star Trek : Beyond', 'Rememory' with Peter Dinklage, 'Thoroughbred', 'We Don't Belong Here' and 'Porto'. He had six award wins to his name and another eleven nominations.

So much achieved at just 27 years of age from an acting career already spanning 18 years. With a diverse acting range from cute & cuddly Smurfs to zombie beaters, to neo nazi horror, to near future terminators, to going boldly where no man has gone before to RomCom, action and Mexican drug cartels, Yelchin was up for anything and everything and was a rising star, in demand, and will be sorely missed by those closest to him, those that had the pleasure of working with this young gifted talent, and by us - the film going public.

Anton Yelchin - Rest In Peace
1989-2016

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

DEMOLITION : Wednesday 15th June 2016.

I saw 'DEMOLITION' at my favourite Sydney movie theatre on Wednesday evening last week as part of the Sydney Film Festival screenings. Due in Australian cinemas on 14th July, released in the US on 8th April and screened at TIFF in early September 2015, it would be fair to say that this film has so far found only a limited audience and received luke warm reviews for the most part. It is a shame because the film promises so much with a strong Director at the helm in Jean-Marc Vallee who most recently brought us Reece Witherspoon's 'Wild' and Matthew McConaughey's 'Dallas Buyer's Club', and a strong cast in the three principle leads. The movie theatre was well attended which gives an indication of the pulling power of Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead and the calibre of the Director, but that said, the woman sat next to me got up and walked out within 20 minutes! Make of that what you will!

The story here centres on Davis Mitchell (Jake Gyllenhaal) a successful investment banker who has worked since aged 27 in his father-in-laws business. Driving in the car with his wife Julia (Heather Lind) at the wheel, Davis is talking on his mobile phone on loud speaker with her Dad and his boss Phil (Chris Cooper) when unexpectedly and from nowhere the car is smashed sideways on with Julia's side taking full impact. We cut to the hospital where Davis and Phil are given the news of Julia's death as a result of massive head trauma. Phil is devastated as any grieving father would be, Davis however, processes this in a different way, detached and without emotion, he escaped almost unscathed. He siddles up to a vending machine in the Hospital waiting area to buy a packet of peanut M&M's, but delivery is halted mid-way through and his money is gone. Using his phone, he takes a photograph of the vending company details.

After the funeral, at her parents home where there is a wake for Julia, Davis retires to the study and begins to draft up a handwritten complaint letter to the vending company explaining his experience at the Hospital. Before getting to the point however, he feels compelled to record his life story detailing the facts that brought him to that Hospital and that vending machine in the first place. Davis throws himself back into work, but is hardly able to concentrate, his mind wandering and emotionally disconnected. Phil offers encouragement and words of wisdom, security and support, which inwardly Davis shrugs off almost with disdain and contempt.

Moments before her death, in the car Julia asked Davis to fix a leak in the home fridge using a tool kit given to him a few Christmas's ago and that he had all but forgotten about, not being a very handy toolkit kinda guy by his own admission. One evening home alone, he notices the leak in the fridge, searches out the tool kit and begins to dismantle the fridge . . . completely, until it is a mass of component parts on the floor - a process he clearly finds therapeutic. Having been told once by his father-in-law 'if you want to fix something, you have to take it apart and put it back together again' - advice he clearly takes to the extreme, and so he begins to dismantle anything that captures his interest - his desk top computer at work, the cubicles in the gents toilets because of a squeaking door, a newly delivered espresso machine ordered by his wife and still in the box. He even pays some building contractors to allow him onto a condemned house in his business suit so that he can help physically pull down a house. All of these actions, and his day to day observations he sees as a metaphor of his life - that they have some hidden meaning that he didn't appreciate until now.

In the meantime, he pens several other letters to the vending machine company, never expecting to get a response but because he finds this some form of release to express himself in writing to a complete stranger whom he is never going to meet. Until of course upon receiving four letters the customer service representative from the vending company calls - at 2:00am in the morning. They strike up a conversation and Davis feels an instant attraction to the womans voice, and tracks her down to her place of work. That woman is Karen Moreno (Naomi Watts), who by now knows everything about Davis through his letters and feels equally attracted to him, although she is in a relationship with the vending company owner, and has a 15 year old rebellious son Chris (Judah Lewis).

After several aborted attempts to meet, they do so, and Karen is attracted by his free thinking and reckless spirit. Davis starts to chase Karen and as their relationship starts to strengthen, so does his relationship with Chris who is battling his own adolescent challenges, not the least of these being over his own sexuality. This gives rise to a some moments of dialogue that are real laugh out loud moments that pack a punch, and show what young Judah Lewis might be capable of as an Actor in the future.

Meanwhile, Phil has taken it upon himself to set up an honorary scholarship fund in Julia's name and as her legacy, using her life insurance monies, but he needs Davis' signature on a release document for it to proceed and to which Davis procrastinates much to Phil's chagrin. Then there is Karen's declining relationship with her vending machine owner boyfriend, the growing pains that Chris is experiencing and all the while Davis is yet to shed a tear for his dearly departed wife. He is in denial, and clearly enjoying his new found freedom, dismantling objects that take his fancy, and there is a new girl on the scene.

Davis decides that it would be a good idea to demolish his own modern house in the suburbs, and buys a bulldozer off e-Bay to assist him and Chris in the process. When the bulldozer stalls and they fail to get it restarted they set to the kitchen and lounge with sledgehammers, crow bars and pick axes . . . great fun, and incredibly therapeutic as they trash the place wholesale. Davis seems hell bent on demolishing the life he once knew and starting afresh, but during this process makes a startling discovery that brings him back down to Earth and results in a confrontation with Julia's parents. At the same time Chris attends a party and gets badly beaten up. That same night, Davis visits Karen's home and walks in unexpectedly to find her boyfriend having returned home from an interstate trade show, and promptly gets beaten up too.

The film draws to a close with Davis reconciling with Julia's parents, and he making a gesture to keep Julia's memory alive in a public place and for the public (and children especially) to enjoy. As for his ongoing relationship with Karen we are left guessing, but Chris invites him to witness a controlled building demolition event at 11:00am one morning, which he attends with Chris looking on through binoculars, smiling. Another metaphor!

I enjoyed this film but more for the chemistry between Davis and Chris especially, and can see that it won't be for everyone. It lumbers along at times, and it is hard to really connect with a man who refuses to mourn the death of his wife, recognise the grief of those others around him, or show any emotion, feeling, or heart for his new personal circumstances despite the tragedy of it all. Despite this Gyllenhaal gives a compelling strong performance as the detached soul seeking to rebuild a new life after demolishing the old; Chris Cooper makes up for the emotion as the father racked with guilt over the all too premature loss of his daughter; and Naomi Watts provides the anchor to keep Davis grounded with what and who he really is. All of that said there are moments here that will shock, surprise, make you laugh out loud and make you cringe with an ending that is just a little too sugar coated for me. Worth a look for sure, but you can save yourself the price of a movie ticket and wait for the BluRay and DVD release too.

 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-