What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 1st March 2018.

Before the film industry awards season comes to its momentous climax with the 90th Academy Awards on 4th March, a series of three lesser known but nonetheless long standing awards ceremonies have recently taken place by various 'Guilds of America' honouring the best in film and television. These are of course The Producers Guild of America, The Directors Guild of America and The Writers Guild of America, who over three separately held events in late January and early February hand out limited awards to the best that the film industry had to offer in the previous year. Here is a quick summary of those winners and grinners in case you missed these headlines :-

The 29th Producers Guild of America Awards, hosted on 20th January 2018 honouring the best film and television Producers of 2017, were held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California.
* The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of a Theatrical Motion Picture, awarded to Guillermo del Toro for 'The Shape of Water'.
* Outstanding Producer of an Animated Theatrical Motion Picture, awarded to Daria K. Anderson for 'Coco'.
* Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Picture, awarded to Brett Morgen, Bryan Burk, Tony Gerber, and James Smith for 'Jane'.

The 70th Directors Guild of America Awards, hosted on 3rd February 2018 honouring the outstanding Directorial achievement in feature films, documentary, television and commercials of 2017, were held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California and hosted by Judd Apatow.
* Feature Film Award to Guillermo del Toro for 'The Shape of Water'.
* Documentary Film Award to Matthew Heineman for 'City of Ghosts'.
* First Time Feature Film Award to Jordan Peele for 'Get Out'.



The 70th Writers Guild of America Awards, hosted on 11th February 2018 honouring the best in film, television, radio and video-game writing of 2017, were held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California and the Edison Ballroom, New York City, New York and hosted by Patton Oswalt and Amber Ruffin respectively.
* Best Original Screenplay Award to Jordan Peele for 'Get Out'.
* Best Adapted Screenplay Award to James Ivory for 'Call Me By Your Name'.
* Best Documentary Screenplay Award to Brett Morgan for 'Jane'.

This week then with four new release films coming to your local Odeon, we kick off with a spy thriller about a specially trained operative with a particular set of deadly skills caught between the east and the west and one man who tries to win her trust, but at what cost? We then move to a satirical foreign language offering about a respected curator of an art museum who as a result of some questionable decisions sees his personal and professional life imploding; before moving onto a biographical film about a fading Hollywood Actress and her relationship with a young English Actor in the 1970's. We then close out with a biblical story of a man with superhuman strength betrayed by his love that ultimately has tragic consequences for more than just the two of them.

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 and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are here cordially invited to share your cinematic 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 experience during the week ahead.

'RED SPARROW' (Rated MA15+) - here Francis Lawrence Directs this American spy thriller based on the 2013 book of the same name by former CIA operative Jason Matthews. Francis Lawrence is no stranger to big screen spectacle having Directed, amongst others, 'Constantine' with Keanu Reeves, 'I Am Legend' with Will Smith, 'The Hunger Games : Catching Fire' with Jennifer Lawrence and 'The Hunger Games : Mokingjay Parts 1 and 2' also with Jennifer Lawrence. Here he teams up with his namesake Jennifer Lawrence once again with the film going on general release around the world this week, and having garnered mixed and average Reviews at best so far.

The film centres around Russian and American espionage, the central figure of which is Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) a former prima ballerina forced into an uncertain future as a result of an injury that brings her chosen career to an abrupt halt. Coerced by her uncle, Ivan Egorova (Matthias Schoenaerts) to undergo training at the Sparrow School, a secret intelligence service where she and other gifted men and women were trained in how to seduce the enemy using their minds and bodies as weapons. Egorova emerges as the most dangerous Sparrow after successfully completing a rigorous and demanding training programme which earns her the codename 'Red Sparrow'. Coming to terms with her newly learned skills and abilities, Red Sparrow must navigate the world of high stakes international espionage while negotiating with various others including 'Marble' (Jeremy Irons) a Russian double agent who provides intelligence to the CIA, and Nate Nash (Joel Edgerton) a CIA internal-operations officer who recruits and handles intelligence assets for the agency, and who tries to win her confidence as the only person she can truly trust. Also starring Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Joely Richardson, Ciaran Hinds and Bill Camp.

'THE SQUARE' (Rated MA15+) - this Swedish, French, German and Danish Co-Produced satirical drama film is Directed by Ruben Ostlund and was shown in competition for the Palme d'Or at The Cannes Film Festival in May last year where it took out that prestigious award. It subsequently screened at The Sydney Film Festival last June, TIFF in September, and went out on a limited release in the UK last August, and the US in September. Only now does it get its release in Australia having done the festival circuit and picking up 21 award wins and a further 35 nominations in the meantime. It is also in the running for the Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming Academy Awards, just a few weeks away now. Here Christian (Claes Bang) is the respected curator of a prestigious contemporary art museum in Stockholm, Sweden. He is also a divorced but devoted father of two who drives an electric car and supports good causes. His next exhibit is 'The Square', an installation which supposedly reminds the viewer of their role as responsible fellow human beings. But sometimes, art does not imitate life as Christian's foolish response to the theft of his smartphone and his wallet drags him into a shameful and regrettable situation. Meanwhile, the museum's PR agency tasked with stirring up enthusiasm for the exhibit has created an unexpected campaign for 'The Square' which it releases on YouTube and social media attracting much publicity of the wrong kind by the media, church groups and the general public sending Christian, as well as the museum, into a crisis of confidence and controversy. Also starring Elisabeth Moss, Terry Notary and Dominic West.

'FILM STARS DON'T DIE IN LIVERPOOL' (Rated M) - is based on the memoir of the same name by Liverpool born Actor, Writer and Director Peter Turner. Directed by Paul McGuigan this biographical film tells the story of Turner's relationship with fading Hollywood Actress Gloria Grahame in the 1970's, upto the time of her death from breast cancer and peritonitis in 1981 aged 57. Premiering at the Telluride Film Festival last September, and opening in the UK last November and then the US at the end of December, the film only now goes on release in Australia. Costing US$10M to make it has so far grossed US$2M, has received generally positive press and has so far garnered two award wins and fifteen other nominations including three BAFTA nods. Here Peter Turner (Jamie Bell) who was born in Liverpool in 1952, during the 1970's falls for American film stage and television Actress and Singer Gloria Grahame (Annette Benning). Grahame's first big screen debut came in 1944 and she subsequently amassed 64 acting credits including 'It's a Wonderful Life', 'Crossfire' for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, 'The Greatest Show on Earth', 'The Bad and the Beautiful' for which she won an Academy Award, 'The Big Heat', 'Oklahoma' and 'Melvin and Howard'. When her career took a downturn she returned to the stage, in England and the US, picking up support roles in films and television series in the ensuing years. It was in England that she met the young Peter Turner and found romance and happiness before being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1974, which went into remission less than a year later and Grahame returned to work. In 1980, the cancer returned but Grahame refused to accept the diagnosis or seek treatment. Choosing instead to continue working, she travelled to Britain to appear in a play. Her health, however, declined rapidly and she developed peritonitis after undergoing a procedure to remove fluid from her abdomen in September 1981. She returned to New York City where she died in October 1981. This is their story. Also starring Vanessa Redgrave, Julie Walters, Frances Barber, Stephen Graham and, Peter Turner.

'SAMSON' (Rated M) - in 1949 Cecil B. DeMille Directed and Produced the romantic biblical drama film 'Samson and Delilah' starring Victor Mature as Samson and Hedy Lamarr as his love, Delilah. Now, almost seventy years later Bruce Macdonald, here Directs this retelling of Samson the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible and one of the last of the leaders who 'judged' Israel before the institution of the monarchy. The biblical rendition states that Samson was a Nazirite, and that he was awarded great strength to help him against his enemies and permit him to perform superhuman feats, including slaying a lion with his bare hands and massacring an entire army of Philistines using only the jawbone of an ass. However, if Samson's long hair was cut, then his Nazirite vow would be violated, and he would lose his strength. This is the story of Samson's (Taylor James) youthful ambition which leads to a tragic marriage that ends in the death of his love at the hands of a cruel Philistine prince. The all-powerful Samson mounts a quest for vengeance that sees him in direct conflict with the might of the Philistine army. As his brother mounts a tribal rebellion, Samson's relationship with a Philistine temptress Delilah (Caitlin Leahy) who betrays him sapping him of his strength, and his final surrender to God will help turn enslavement into a final victory . . . but at what cost? Also starring Billy Zane, Rutger Hauer, Jackson Rathbone and Lindsay Wagner the film has taken less that US$3M at the Box Office and received generally negative press.

With four new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephiles afterwards here at Odeon Online, and meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

LADY BIRD : Tuesday 20th February 2018.

'LADY BIRD' which I saw earlier last week is a highly praised and critically acclaimed film Written and Directed by Greta Gerwig in her first solo Directorial outing. Costing US$10M to make, the film received its World Premier at last September's Telluride Film Festival, and a week later received a standing ovation when it screened at TIFF. Going on general release in the US in early November, the film has so far taken US$53M at the Box Office, and went out on wide release in Australia and the UK just a couple of weeks ago. The film has so far garnered 83 award wins and a further 190 nominations including the pending Academy Awards for which it is up for five including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. It won two Golden Globes, and was nominated for another two, and also gained three SAG Award nods, three BAFTA nods and five International AACTA nominations.

Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, the film tells the coming of age story of Christine 'Lady Bird' McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) who is studying in her last year at Catholic High School. She is seventeen years of age, lives with her parents Marion and Larry (Laurie Metcalfe and Tracy Letts respectively) in a relationship that is somewhat strained with her mother especially, as well as her adopted brother and his girlfriend. Lady Bird yearns to attend a University with culture and adventure somewhere other than Sacramento - ideally on the east coast, and anywhere but Sacramento. Her family is struggling financially - Marion works double shifts as a psychology nurse at the local Hospital to make ends meet, and Larry is unemployed from the IT industry and given his age is unlikely to find another role anytime soon. Marion's chastises Lady Bird as ungrateful for what she has, which creates a constant air of tension between mother and daughter.

Lady Birds best friend at school is Julie Steffans (Beanie Feldstein) and together they join the school theatre programme, and audition for a role each in a school musical production. They each secure a part, as does every other student who auditioned, and Lady Bird is attracted to the male lead Danny O'Neill (Lucas Hedges). Over time they grow fond off each other and begin dating. Danny comes from quite a well to do background and certainly more monied than her own family circumstances.

Lady Bird is invited to spend Thanksgiving Dinner with Danny's family, which attracts the ire of Marion. Sometime later, however, Lady Bird discovers Danny kissing another boy in a passionate embrace in a toilet cubicle, so ending their brief relationship.

At the insistence of her mother, Lady Bird scores a job at a local coffee shop, where she meets young musician and local boys High School student Kyle Scheible (Timothee Chalamet). Fairly soon the pair start dating, and Lady Bird and her bestie Julie begin to see less and less of each other and drift apart. Coinciding with this, Lady Bird befriends Jenna Walton (Odeya Rush) one of the more popular girls in school which will have something to do with her attractiveness, her maturity and her family's wealth. The pair hit it off after Jenna is reprimanded by Sister Sarah (Lois Smith) for wearing too short a skirt to school, and so the girls vandalise the Sisters car to get even.

Lady Bird then drops out of the school theatre production. One day while working at the coffee shop Danny enters and pulls up a seat. Lady Bird cannot look at him and so takes the garbage out the back to avoid any contact. Danny darts around the back and breaks down over his struggles to come out, pleading with Lady Bird not to tell anyone while she offers him a shoulder to cry on. Soon afterwards Lady Bird loses her virginity to Kyle, which ends thirty seconds later! Believing that he was also a virgin, because he said so, he then admits that he has slept with maybe six other girls, and that Lady Bird was not his first. This upsets her. Later in the bathroom at home in conversation with her mother, Lady Bird learns that her father has lost his job and has been fighting depression for a very long time and is on medication.

She begins the application process to numerous east-coast colleges. Her mother is insistent that they cannot afford the fees and the cost of tuition and that she should set her sights on a local college instead. In time after receiving several rejection letters, something positive comes through in the form of a wait list position at a New York college. Her Dad meanwhile helps out secretly with the financial aid applications. The night of the school Prom comes around and with Mum's help a dress is secured. Kyle is her date for the night and she is picked up by him with Jenna an her boyfriend too. Kyle and Jenna decide to give the Prom a miss and make for a party instead. Lady Bird states that she wants to go to the Prom and ask that she be dropped off a Julie's house. There Lady Bird and Julie make up their differences and together attend the Prom and have a blast.

On the day of her eighteenth birthday, her Dad wakes her up with a cup cake with a single candle planted in it. To celebrate her birthday, Lady Bird buys a packet of cigarettes, a lottery ticket and an edition of Playgirl magazine . . . because she now can! Soon afterwards she passes her driving test too, and then sets about redecorating her bedroom. Her mother then discovers that she has been applying to various east-coast colleges without her knowledge, but knowing full well that the family cannot afford it. Out of spite, Marion stops talking with her daughter, despite Lady Bird pleading for conversation and unequivocal apologies. She learns soon afterwards that she has gained a place at a New York college, and with the financial aid package, and some help from her father who has refinanced the house, is able to afford it.

On the day that Lady Bird flies off for the first time to attend college in New York, Marion refuses still to talk to her daughter. She drops off Lady Bird and Larry at the departure terminal and drives off, not even bidding her daughter good luck and farewell. In exiting the airport terminal and driving round the block tears of regret begin to well up in Marion who has a change of heart. She drives back to the departure terminal to be met by her husband, saying that their daughter has already left, and that she has missed her.

In New York Lady Bird unpacks her bags in her new dormitory accommodation. Her father has stashed several letters therein written by her mother to her daughter and then discarded, but salvaged by Larry. Lady Bird thoughtfully reads them all. She then gets involved in the social scene, gets drunk, wakes up in hospital, visits a Sunday church service, and then calls her parents and leaves a message for her mother saying how sorry she is and how much she loves her.

Greta Gerwig has here penned a sort of semi-autobiographical story that makes references to her growing up in Sacramento herself and some of the influences that have impacted upon her life. In doing so she has crafted an insightful warts and all look at the trials and tribulations of adolescence that propels 'Lady Bird' above the other coming of age genre fodder that we are all too often confronted with. The dialogue is grounded in a realism that keeps you invested in the characters and makes you believe what they are saying - it is sharply delivered, emotional, poignant, dramatic, funny and authentic and the wordplay between the characters never misses a beat. Saoirse Ronan delivers her third Academy Award nominated performance and its easy to see why, as she banters too and fro with her mother Laurie Metcalfe who is also up for an Oscar in a support role. Tracy Letts too gives an understated performance as the down trodden weary husband but well meaning and loving father in the all too brief scenes he shares with his family. This is a coming of age film of an ordinary girl, living in an ordinary city and with a fairly ordinary set of circumstances with the complexities of approaching adulthood and the roller coaster of emotions brought on by family, money, peer pressure, sex, school and wanting to follow your own path in life, that all combine to make this a far from ordinary package.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

BLACK PANTHER : Sunday 18th February 2018.

I saw 'BLACK PANTHER' last weekend, and herein Marvel Studios unleash another Superhero into our movie going world in this stand alone origin offering of 'Black Panther' (aka King T'Challa of the fictional African nation of Wakanda). The character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby first appeared in the comic book 'Fantastic Four #52' in 1966 and depicts T'Challa as the King and protector of Wakanda. Along with possessing enhanced abilities achieved through ancient Wakandan ritual, T'Challa also relies on his genius intellect, rigorous physical training, martial arts skills, access to cutting edge technologies and accumulated wealth to ward off his enemies. Back in 1992 Wesley Snipes first muted his desire to work on a Black Panther film, and over the following ten years the project was further developed but eventually came to nothing. Then in 2005 Marvel announced that Black Panther was one of ten characters from its portfolio that would be developed as part of its Cinematic Universe. In 2011 a Scriptwriter was hired, and in 2014 the project was greenlit. Chadwick Boseman was cast in the role of T'Challa and made his first appearance in 2016's 'Captain America : Civil War' in which his character sides with Iron Man/Tony Stark. And so here we have this eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Directed and Co-Written by Ryan Coogler for US$200M. The film Premiered in the US at the end of January and went on general release around the world last week. The film has received widespread critical acclaim, noting especially the Direction, casting, action sequences, costume design and, in a first for Marvel starring a predominantly black cast. Box Office receipts so far stand at US$492M.

The film opens with a montage of scenes depicting the history of Wakanda, and how centuries ago five African tribes went to war over a meteorite containing vibranium (Wakandan vibranium absorbs sound waves and other vibrations, including kinetic energy. Absorbing sound waves, vibrations, and kinetic energy makes this metal stronger. Captain America's shield is made from vibranium). A warrior consumed a 'heart-shaped purple coloured herb' that was affected by the metal and gained superhuman capabilities. He became the first 'Black Panther', and united all tribes (except the Jabari Tribe who declined) to form the nation of Wakanda. Over time, the Wakandans used the vibranium to develop advanced technologies and wealth but isolated themselves from the world by posing as a poor Third World country, for fear that they would be exploited and overthrown if their mineral wealth was ever discovered.

We then jump to 1992, to Oakland, California where we see a bunch of young boys shooting hoops in their apartment block backyard. King T'Chaka (John Kani) pays an unexpected visit to his undercover brother N'Jobu (Sterling K. Brown). Black market arms trader, smuggler and all round gangster Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) gained access to Wakanda secretly and stole a small quantity of vibranium. T'Chaka accuses his brother of collaborating with Klaue, a fact that is verified by N'Jobu's friend and fellow Wakandan undercover citizen Zuri (Denzel Whitaker). T'Chaka orders N'Jobu to return to Wakanda and stand trial for his crimes, but when he refuses and turns on Zuri, T'Chaka kills him, albeit reluctantly. A young lad in the back yard drops his basketball, and looks up to the sky to see two rotating circles of blue light hover above the apartment building and then disappear at great speed into the night sky.

We now are in the present day, and after King T'Chaka is killed, his son T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is the rightful heir to the throne. After extracting his love interest Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), an undercover Wakandan spy and War Dog, from a rebel convoy deep in the Nigerian jungle, T'Challa and Okoye (Danai Gurira) the head of the Dora Milaje, the all-female highly trained and very capable special forces of Wakanda, who serve as T'Challa's trusted and fiercely loyal bodyguards, return to Wakanda to be with his mother Ramona (Angela Bassett) and younger sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) for the coronation ceremony.

At the ceremony, presided over by an older Zuri now (Forest Whitaker), the Jabari Tribe's leader M'Baku (Winston Duke) challenges T'Challa for the crown, which is his right to do so. The leaders of the other tribes are all given the opportunity to challenge also but respectfully decline. The Jabari have however, a long standing axe to grind with 'T'Challa and his kind. T'Challa overpowers M'Baku forcing him to yield rather than be killed, and so the opponent is permitted to leave, and the victor is crowned King.

While this is going on, over in England, Klaue and Erik 'Killmonger' Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) are planning to rob an ancient vibranium artifact from a museum in London. They successfully do so, and make their escape. T'Challa learns of the vibranium artifact heist and that Klaue was involved, and that further, he now plans to sell it in Busan, South Korea. W'Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya), T'Challa's close friend and love interest of Okoye, and who lost both his parents at the hands of Klaue, urges his King to hunt down the arch villain and either return him to Wakanda, or kill him. T'Challa, Nakia and Okoye travel to Busan to a secret underground casino location that is the designated exchange point for the sale of the vibranium artifact. There T'Challa comes across CIA Agent Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) who is the undercover buyer of the artifact, there on his own mission. When Klaue arrives on the scene it's not long before a firefight breaks out, with the action quickly moving to  a car chase outside on the streets of downtown Busan. Klaue is apprehended by T'Challa, aided by Nakia, Okoye and Shuri remotely.

Ross interrogates Klaue with T'Challa and Okoye looking on behind a mirrored window. Klaue reveals to Ross that Wakanda is in reality no third world country as they would have everyone believe, but a super developed technologically advanced and very wealthy country - Ross struggles to believe him. Just then Erik blows a hole in the wall, and extracts Klaue. In the ensuing exchange of gun fire, Ross takes a bullet intended for Nakia and is badly wounded. In the fleeting moments as Klaue and Erik make their getaway, T'Challa notices a ring hanging from around Erik's neck that is identical to the one worn by him too. T'Challa commits to have Ross taken back to Wakanda, where their technological wizardry can save his life, rather than pursue Klaue at this time.

With Shuri attending to Ross, T'Challa confronts Zuri about the ring seen hanging from around Erik's neck. Zuri is naturally reluctant to tell him the story, but does so. He explains that N'Jobu had intended to share Wakanda's technological advancements and their weaponry with the descendants of African peoples around the world, in order that they could rise up and beat their white oppressors. When King T'Chaka killed N'Jobu they left behind his young son, Erik, so as not to add complication to their story. Erik would become a US Black Op's soldier, who by reputation for the number of enemy kills notched up during his career earned the name 'Killmonger'. Erik kills Klaue, and takes his body to Wakanda where he is marched in front of T'Challa and the other tribal elders, where he reveals his heritage and his true claim to the throne.

Erik challenges T'Challa to a ritual combat for the right to the throne, which T'Challa accepts. First Erik kills Zuri for the crime of covering up his fathers death all those years ago. He then battles it out with T'Challa overpowering him, and ultimately tossing him over a waterfall from a high cliff. With T'Challa now out of the way and presumed dead, Erik, now known as N'Jadaka ascends to the throne of Wakanda, with W'Kabi and his tribal army standing by his side. Ramonda, Shuri, Naki and a now fully recovered Ross decide that it's time to get the Hell outta Dodge and flee. Okoye decides to stay for she is loyal to the throne - no matter who sits on it. N'Jadaka orders that preparations be made at all haste to distribute Wakanda's advanced weapons to ready in waiting field operations located around the world, in order that they can now rise up in force against their age old oppressors.

Meanwhile, having trekked over mountain terrain, Ramonda, Shuri, Naki and Ross arrive at the Jabari Tribe seeking aid from their Chief M'Baku. He declines, but leads them to the unconscious body of T'Challa fished out of the waterfall before he drowned, and rescued in payment for him sparing M'Baku's life during the earlier challenge for the throne. He is however, in a comatose state. Naki feeds T'Challa the herb she extracted before she left, enabling his body to self heal. T'Challa asks M'Baku for help but again he declines, saying that his debt is now repaid - a life for a life!

T'Challa returns to do battle with N'Jadaka and to overthrow the new pretender, who has now ordered and mobilised W'Kabi and his army to attack T'Challa, and for a fleet of aircraft to head out each carrying a stash of vibranium weapons for distribution to awaiting brothers at various points around the globe. While the battle for the upper hand is ongoing, Shuri commands a reluctant Ross to remotely pilot an attack aircraft to down those others en route to the worldwide destinations before they are able to leave Wakanda's airspace. Ross, a former Air Force pilot (conveniently) abides and is successful in his mission (naturally!)

The Dora Milaje, led by Okoye flanked by Shuri and Naki arrive to battle it out with N'Jadaka who has his own Black Panther suit, making him almost invincible. M'Baku and his Tribe of Jabari eventually arrive to provide much needed support against W'Kabi and his army, who eventually yield when confronted by Okoye.

All of this commotion, leave N'Jadaka to fight it out hand to hand with T'Challa, which they do in the depths of Wakanda's vibranium mine. Using some sort of electro magnetic force, T'Challa is able to disable N'Jadaka's protective suit, for just long enough to administer a fatal wound with a vibranium dagger. T'Challa offers to heal N'Jadaka, but the wounded man declines being healed and imprisoned, for dying a free man. And so be it! In the closing scene T'Challa and Naki are back in Oakland where it all began. He has purchased the apartment block where N'Jobu died all those years ago, and the one next to it, and the one next to that too. He intends to establish an outreach centre where Wakanda's technology and scientific learning's will be introduced to the world in a controlled and coordinated way for future generations to benefit from. Watch out too for the obligatory mid-credits and end-credits sequences, and Stan Lee's cameo.

'Black Panther' shines on just about every level. It sits up there easily with the best that Marvel has so far dished up in its seventeen previous outings from its Cinematic Universe. It has action set pieces, its has moments of humour, it has heart and emotion, it has colour and depth, it has a storyline that is rooted in African culture and tradition infused with every ultra modern scientific technological gadget you can possibly dream up, and it has believable relatable characters delivered to us fully realised by an almost entirely coloured ensemble cast. All these ingredients when combined with top notch production values, excellent cinematography, a great soundtrack, and safe assured Direction by Marvel's youngest Director to date in Ryan Coogler, all add up to a rich, satisfying origin Superhero offering that has something to say in today's world that is relevant and important. Recommended viewing, you won't be disappointed.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 22nd February 2018.

The 71st Annual BAFTA Awards (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) were held on Sunday evening 18th February at London's Royal Albert Hall, and hosted for the first time by film and television personality Joanna Lumley (taking over from Stephen Fry who enjoyed a twelve year period of tenure). Awards are given for best feature length film and documentary, and for those that make them happen both behind and in front of the camera, for any nationally screened across Great Britain throughout 2017. The winners and grinners, in case you missed it, are as given below, in the main categories :-

* Best Film : 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'.
* Outstanding British Film : 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'.
* Best Animated Film : 'Coco'.
* Best Documentary : 'I Am Not Your Negro'.
* Best Film Not In The English Language : 'The Handmaiden'.
* Best Director : Guillermo del Toro for 'The Shape of Water'.
* Best Actor in a Lead Role : Gary Oldman for 'The Darkest Hour' as Winston Churchill.
* Best Actress in a Lead Role : Frances McDormand for 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' as Mildred Hayes.
* Best Actor in a Support Role : Sam Rockwell for 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' as Jason Dixon.
* Best Actress in a Support Role : Alison Janney for 'I, Tonya' as LaVona Golden.
* Best Original Screenplay : Martin McDonagh for 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'
* Best Adapted Screenplay : James Ivory for 'Call Me By Your Name'.
* Best Cinematography : Roger Deakins for 'Blade Runner 2049'.
* Best Original Music : Alexander Desplat for 'The Shape of Water'.
* Best Production Design : 'The Shape of Water'.
* Best Costume Design : 'Phantom Thread'.
* Best Special Visual Effects : 'Blade Runner 2049'.

* The Rising Star Award : Daniel Kaluuya.
* The BAFTA Fellowship Award : Ridley Scott.

Turning attention then to the films of 2018, and specifically those released this coming week, we launch with a true story of a turn of the 20th Century haunted house, but this is no ordinary house and these are no ordinary hauntings. We then move on to time repeating itself like its 'Groundhog Hog Day' all over again, but this is a Sci-Fi thriller involving an air traffic controller, his girlfriend and a wrinkle in time. Next up is a Chilean Foreign Language offering about a transgender woman, her dead lover, and being ostracised by just about everyone who suspects she had a hand in his death. Then there is a black comedy action film about a friends weekly game night taking on more than a touch of realism when one gamer decides to Host a Murder! This is followed up with a feel good tale of a true blue Aussie and his love for all things barbecue, that leads him to an international barbecue show down to win back his reputation and his honour. We then wrap up with a New Zealand film about two girls in their last year at University - one maintaining the straight and narrow pathway of no boyfriends and no going out and the other charged with looking after her best friend so she doesn't succumb to temptation.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six new release films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are here warmly invited 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 experience during the week ahead.

'WINCHESTER' (Rated M) - this based on a true story supernatural horror film is Directed by the Australian Spierig brothers - Michael and Peter - whose previous credits include the excellent 2014 'Predestination'. The 'Winchester' in question here refers to one Sarah Winchester who was the widow and recipient of her late husbands fortune - William Wirt Winchester - the firearm magnate of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. He died of tuberculosis at the age of 43 in 1881. After his death, Sarah rose to notoriety for building the property in San Jose, California, that came to be known as the Winchester Mystery House - a Queen Anne Style Victorian mansion that was/is renowned for its size, its architectural curiosities, and its lack of any master building plan. Since its construction began in 1884, the property and mansion were claimed by many to be haunted by the ghosts of those killed with Winchester rifles. Under Sarah Winchester's day-to-day guidance, its 'from-the-ground-up' construction proceeded around the clock, by some accounts, without interruption, until her death in early September 1922, at which time work immediately ceased. The house today stands as a tourist attraction, is privately owned, and is a Californian registered historical landmark.

History lesson over and so to the film. Said to be the most haunted house in the world, the Winchester House sits on an isolated stretch of land that's about fifty miles outside of San Francisco on about 160 acres. Built by Sarah Winchester (Helen Mirren starring in her first horror film in her illustrious forty+ year career) heiress to the Winchester fortune, it stands seven stories tall and contains some 160 rooms including forty bedrooms, two ballrooms as well as 47 fireplaces, over ten thousand panes of glass, seventeen chimneys, two basements and three elevators. To an outsider, it looks like a monstrous monument to a disturbed woman's madness. But Sarah is constructing a prison, an asylum for hundreds of vengeful ghosts and the most terrifying among them have a score to settle with the Winchesters. The Winchester company is fearful for Sarah's state of mind and her ability to run the company so they engage Doctor Eric Prince (Jason Clarke) to assess Sarah's state of mind. What follows is a tale of things that go bump in the night, visions of nether worldly spirits, and sightings of ghouls & ghosts that is sure to make any turn of the century sceptic hide under the bed sheets. Also starring Sarah Snook, the film was made for a very modest US$3.5M, has so far recouped US$22M but has garnered generally lacklustre Reviews.

'2:22' (Rated M) - here we have a thriller Directed by Australian Paul Currie that saw its cinematic release in the US back last June 2017 at a budgeted cost of US$3.5M pulling in a domestic gross Stateside of just US$422, making it the lowest grossing theatrically released film in 2017. The storyline here tells of two planes that almost collide in the skies above JFK International Airport after a blinding flash of light paralyses air traffic controller Dylan Branson (Michiel Huisman) for a few seconds at exactly 2:22pm. Suspended from his job, Dylan starts to notice a recurrence of sounds and events in his life at exactly the same time every day. With each passing day, the flash that hit Dylan at JFK begins to reveal itself as ripples in time, and an underlying pattern soon unfolds, drawing him into New York's Grand Central Station daily at 2:22pm. Now drawn into a complex relationship with a woman, Sarah (Teresa Palmer), Dylan must figure out a way to break the power of the past and take control of time itself. Also starring John Waters and Kerry Armstrong.

'A FANTASTIC WOMAN' (Rated M) - Premiering at the Berlin Film Festival back in February 2017 where it was in competition for the Golden Bear for Best Film, but walked away with the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay, it is also in competition for Best Foreign Language Film at this years upcoming Academy Awards. This universally acclaimed Chilean film is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Sebastian Lelio and tells of Marina (Daniela Vega) and Orlando (Francisco Reyes) who are in love and planning for their future together. Marina is a young waitress and aspiring singer. Orlando is thirty years her senior and owns a printing company. After celebrating Marina's birthday one evening, Orlando falls seriously ill and dies shortly afterwards upon arrival at the hospital. Instead of being able to mourn her lover, suddenly Marina is treated with suspicion by Orlando's family, the Doctor's, and the Police who don't trust her and believe that she may have been involved in Orlando's death somehow. Marina is however, transgender, and is looked down upon by Orlando's family as a perversion, and so now she must also battle against these prejudices for the right to be herself.

'GAME NIGHT' (Rated MA15+) - this black comedy action film is Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein and is about a bunch of couples who meet regularly once a week for a night of fun and frivolity - their game night. On one such night Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie's (Rachel McAdams) weekly game night moves up a dimension when Max's brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) arranges a murder mystery party complete with fake crims and officers of the law. So when Brooks gets kidnapped, it's all supposed to be part of the game, right? As the competitors set out to solve the case, they begin to realise that the game nor Brooks are what they appear to be. The friends soon find themselves in over their heads as each new twist leads to another unexpected turn over the course of one chaotic evening. Also starring Jesse Plemmons, Michael C. Hall, Jeffrey Wright and Danny Huston.

'THE BBQ' (Rated PG) - Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Aussie Stephen Amis, this Australian comedy offering sees true blue loveable Aussie suburban rogue everyman Dazza (Shane Jacobsen) who has a passion for the barbecue, give his neighbours an accidental dose of food poisoning at his regular Saturday barbie. With his reputation and dignity at risk, Dazza seeks to make amends by enlisting the support of a head strong and opinionated Scottish Chef known as 'The Butcher' (Magda Szubanski) that ultimately sees him entering an international barbecuing competition, where he comes face to face with some of the world best barbecue Chef's. With a guest appearance by Australian/French celebrity chef and co-host of the popular television series 'My Kitchen Rules' Manu Feildel as Dazza's barbecuing rival Andre Mont Blanc, this should get the tastebuds watering a you drool over some barbecue food porn.

'HIBISCUS AND RUTHLESS' (Rated PG) - Samoan Writer and Director Stallone Valaoga-Ioasa here offers us a comedy set in Auckland, New Zealand about two childhood friends who are both in their final year at University. The story focuses on Hibiscus (Suivai Autagavaia) as she struggles to complete her Engineering degree without any distractions. Her demanding and overbearing mother (Lafitaga Mafaufau) commands that there shall be no going out and no boyfriends and that her final year of study and her exams are the singular most important thing in her life and her focus on that needs to be her top priority. As guys start to come on strong to Hibiscus and her attention is drawn to their advances, Hibiscus enlists the support and guidance of her good friend Ruth (Anna-Maree Thomas) to keep her focused.

With six new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephiles afterwards here at Odeon Online, and meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE SHAPE OF WATER : Tuesday 13th February 2018.

'THE SHAPE OF WATER' which I finally caught earlier this week, has had much written about it already, has been hailed as one of the years best films by many Critics, has garnered a truck load of award wins and nominations, and has taken US$75M at the Box Office from its rather modest budget of just US$20M. The film Premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in late August where it was awarded the Golden Lion for Best Film in competition, and it screened too at TIFF in September before opening in the US in early December. Praised universally for its strong performances, production design, storyline, Direction and musical score, the film was Co-Written for the screen by Guillermo del Toro based on his own idea for the story, Co-Produced and Directed by him too. So far 'The Shape of Water' has picked up 84 award wins and 251 nominations, including thirteen yet to be announced Academy Awards, twelve also yet to be announced BAFTA Awards, as well as winning two Golden Globes and being nominated for five others; two SAG Awards nominations; three International AACTA Award nods; two Satellite Award wins and another eight nominations. Not a bad tally at all!

The film opens with Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) waking up, bathing, fixing herself a packed lunch, polishing her shoes and catching a bus to work from her apartment above a movie theatre. She clocks on at midnight in the secret Government laboratory somewhere in Baltimore during the Cold War era of the early 1960's where Elisa works as a cleaner. Elisa we learn early on is mute, unable to speak but able to hear perfectly. She communicates using sign language. She has three parallel scars on either side of her neck, which she has had since childhood - possibly the cause of her being mute, but the reasons for the scars is a mystery. She seems to have only two friends in the world - her neighbour Giles (Richard Jenkins) - a gay advertisement illustrator who was let go by his former employer for reasons that are unknown but he still gets contract work from his connections there. And then there is Zelda Fuller (Octavia Spencer) - a co-worker and partner in mop and broom pushing, who looks out for Eliza and acts as her interpreter in the workplace.

While going about the cleaning rounds, the facility takes receipt of a top secret casket in which is contained some kind of creature immersed in water. Elisa glimpses it momentarily before the casket is removed, and she is asked to leave the room. Later, a mystery figure appears and introduces himself as Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) to the pair of cleaners while they are cleaning the gents toilet. He takes a nonchalant leak while the pair chat to him, and as he leaves he takes his cattle prod with him which he left on the sink, dripping blood, while he relieved himself. He thanks the ladies for their time, the conversation and bids them farewell. It turns out that Strickland captured the creature from some South American river and spent months in bringing it back to Baltimore for scientific analysis. Soon afterwards alarm bells start ringing and Strickland is seen emerging from the room bleeding badly clutching his hand. Senior officials order the cleaners into the room and give them twenty minutes to mop up all the blood on the floor. While doing so Elisa retrieves two severed fingers (Strickland's) and drops them into a spent brown paper bag containing the remnants of her lunchtime sandwich.

Letting curiosity get the better of her, Elisa investigates the mysterious creature further, gaining access to the room where it is being held, under the auspices of her cleaning routines. She discovers that the creature is a humanoid amphibian (Doug Jones) half man half lizard type and over time she and it grow close. She brings it eggs to eat which he likes, plays music which he appreciates, and attempts to communicate using her sign language which the creature quickly learns to imitate.

Enter General Frank Hoyt (Nick Searcy) who orders Strickland to vivisect the creature and learn from it what he can. Strickland has a dislike for the creature and taunts it with his cattle prod for pleasure - enjoying it's reaction to the pain and watching it bleed. Standing by and keeping a watchful eye on these events as they unfold is Dr. Robert Hoffstetler (Michael Stuhlbarg) one of the Scientists within the facility. He is secretly a Russian spy, and he urges Strickland not to operate on the creature as there is so much to be learned by keeping it alive. However, concurrently, Hoffstetler is ordered by his Russian superiors to euthanise the creature.

Elisa overhears Strickland's orders to dispense with the creature and convinces Giles to help her free it. At first he refuses, but comes around to her way of thinking when he sees just how much the creature means to her. Hoffstetler meanwhile, learns of Elisa's plan to free the creature, and offers his help. Zelda too joins the escape plan. Ultimately their plan is successful, but only just, with Giles driving off the premises in a laundry van with Eliza and the creature huddled in the back as it is riddled by bullets as Strickland gives chase. He has however, no idea who the perpetrators of the cunning escape plan are, believing it to be the work of a gang of well organised men, probably pesky Ruskies!

Back at her apartment, Elisa keeps the creature in her bathtub and uses some form of water treatment compound supplied by Hoffstetler that needs to be changed every three days, plus a good dose of salt. She plans to release the creature into the nearby canal which flows through to the sea when the rains come and the water level rises. This is a few days from now. She marks the date of her planned release on a wall calendar. Meanwhile, Strickland interviews Elisa and Zelda but they claim to know nothing and sit across the table from him in all innocence. Elisa's mute status proving a real advantage here.

Back at the apartment Giles is maintaining a watchful eye on the creature, but dozes off to sleep. He awakes to find the creature eating one of his cats, and startled the creature makes a bolt for the door, and in so doing slashes Giles arm, resulting in profuse bleeding. Giles alerts Elisa and she quickly discovers the creature in the cinema below where she lives, and escorts him back to the apartment. The creature lays his hands on Giles head and his slashed arm. The next day Giles is surprised to see that his hair is growing back on his head, and the wound to his arm has healed without a trace of the prior injury. Elisa and the creature become romantically and emotionally involved.

Hoyt is becoming increasingly agitated by Strickland's lack of traction in recovering the creature. He delivers an ultimatum to do so within 36 hours or else suffer the consequences of being wiped off the face of the earth as though he never existed. Meanwhile, Hoffstetler is told that his planned extraction is scheduled for two days hence. As Hoffstetler waits to meet up with his colleagues for the extraction, they are tailed by Strickland who shoots the two senior Russian Agents dead, but not before they popped a few bullets into Hoffstetler. In his dying moments and in the pouring rain, Strickland tortures Hoffstetler for information regarding the gang who allegedly freed the creature. Hoffstetler tells him that it was not a gang, but the cleaners, and then he dies from his wounds. Strickland barges in on Zelda's home and threatens her and her husband. Her husband, terrified for his life, advises that Elisa has been keeping the creature at her apartment. He drives over to Elisa's place, breaks the door down but finds no sign of anyone. Scouting around the apartment looking for clues as to their whereabouts, he spies the hand written note on the wall calendar, for today is the planned day of the creatures release into the canal.

At the canal, down by the waters edge Giles and Elisa bid farewell to the creature. Strickland pulls up in his car and attacks all three of them, pumping two bullets into the chest of the creature and one into Elisa's stomach. They fall down motionless side by side. By now the Police have arrived accompanied by Zelda. Within a few moments, the creature is standing, having self-healed. He walks up to Strickland and with a single swipe of his hand, slices open his throat. The creature picks up the limp body of Elisa and jumps into the canal with her. As they gradually sink, the creature heals her wounds and transforms the scars of either side of her neck into gills. The pair of unlikely lovers are presumed to have lived happily ever after.

This is an engaging Science fantasy dramatic love story that has heart, emotion, danger and intrigue all in equal measure all rolled up in stunning performances from Hawkins, Jenkins, Jones, and Shannon especially who are almost faultless in their roles. Added to this the production values are top notch and del Toro's creative flair continues to demonstrate his unmatched ability to surprise and delight his audience with a fresh and new approach to other worldly old stories of fairy tales and horror, just as he has done here with 'The Creature from the Black Lagoon' influences. 'The Shape of Water' is a rich immersive beautifully realised film in every sense, matched only by his earlier 'Pan's Labyrinth' and certainly well worth the price of your ticket and worthy of its numerous award wins and nominations - you won't be disappointed.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-