THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM : Tuesday 27th August 2019.

This week I saw 'THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM' which is Rated MA15+ and is an Australian and UK Co-Produced documentary, Directed by Daniel Gordon and Written by Stan Grant. Daniel Gordon is an award winning British documentary film maker, Producer and Writer. This film opened the Melbourne International Film Festival on 1st August, before its wider theatrical release last week, and follows hot on the heels of that 'other' Adam Goodes film that aired on Australian television network Channel Ten earlier last month 'The Final Quarter'.

In October 2015, Wiradjuri man and renowned journalist Stan Grant delivered a stirring speech at Sydney's Ethics Centre as part of a debate on Australian racism, discrimination, colonisation, and, the 'Australian dream'. Stan Grant incidentally is an Australian television news and political journalist, and television presenter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He is currently the ABC's indigenous and international affairs analyst and Professor of Global Affairs at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia.

His starting point for his address was the mass booing of the Australian Football League (AFL) Sydney Swans star Adam Goodes, who holds an elite place in AFL history as a dual Brownlow Medallist, dual premiership player, four-time All-Australian, member of the Indigenous Team of the Century, and representative of Australia in the International Rules Series. He was also named as Australian of the Year in 2014. Up to that point Goodes had been playing professional football for the Sydney Swans for some fifteen years, had played 372 games, kicked 464 goals and had helped steer the Sydney Swans to two Premiership Championships in 2005 and 2012 and was their leading goal scorer in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

The attacks on Goodes, began after he responded to a racist taunt by a young fourteen year old girl during the annual Indigenous AFL Round in 2013, where he physically pointed her out in the crowd and demanded that security remove her from the stadium. Immediately following the racist slur, Goodes took himself off the field of play, such was the hurt inside caused by the girls flippant albeit perhaps ignorant and uneducated remark. The girl later telephoned Goodes and apologised after he publicly held out an olive branch, albeit the girls mother shrugged it off saying that it was just a joke by a girl who didn't know any better!

From that point onwards, his outspokenness on racial issues, a couple of incidents on the field, along with commentary by some media figures, namely Sam Newman (an Australian media executive and radio and television personality. Originally famous for his contribution to Australian Football League as a player for the Geelong Football Club, he has come to be better known as a media personality who is mainly known for his controversial views on certain topics), and Andrew Bolt (an Australian conservative social and political commentator, whose current roles include blogger and columnist at the Herald Sun Newspaper and host of television show 'The Bolt Report' airing weeknights. In Australia, Bolt is a highly controversial public figure, who has frequently been criticised for his alleged abrasive demeanour and accused of inappropriate remarks on various political and social issues), plus the severe backlash on social media from almost all corners of society all contributed to him being the target of a sustained booing campaign from opposition fans wherever and whenever he played, from 2014 right through the 2015 season.

Goodes tells his story in his own words, the documentary also features players such as Gilbert McAdam and Nicky Winmar, who have both also suffered torrents of racial abuse from spectators. Also featured giving their opinions are Michael O’Loughlin (former Indigenous Sydney Swans Teammate), Brett Goodes (his younger brother), Natalie Goodes (his wife), Nova Paris (former Indigenous Athlete, Olympic Gold Medal winner and Politician), Nicky Winmar (former Indigenous AFL player), Gilbert McAdam (former Indigenous AFL player), Linda Burney (current sitting Indigenous Politician), Paul Roos (Senior Coach at the Sydney Swans from 2002 until 2010), John Longmire (current Head Coach of the Sydney Swans from 2011), Nathan Buckley (former AFL player, commentator and Coach) and Eddie McGuire (radio and television presenter and AFL promoter and President of the AFL Collingwood Team). Nicky Winmar made a famous protest stand against his own racial vilification at the hands of Collingwood supporters during a match at Victoria Park in 1993, which has subsequently been immortalised in the form of a bronze statue at the Perth Stadium. Winmar took a stand stating 'I'm black, and I'm proud to be black!' pointing to the colour of his skin under his jersey. 

Stan Grant narrates throughout and points out that when Indigenous athletes and players are vocal about racism and injustice that some fans and media personalities seem to suggest that they have moved beyond their realms of expertise and should not criticise Australian society. With the backlash and booing intensifying after he was named Australian of the Year on Australia Day 2014, this caused Goodes to take indefinite leave from the AFL to connect with his own heritage, culture and background and eventually retire from the game at the end of the 2015 season, and turning his back once and for all on the game that he truly loved and respected.

'The booing saga' sparked a national debate about racism in Australia with the focus very much upon 'white' Australians being still in the 21st Century unaccepting and biased towards our Indigenous population, and the history surrounding the early colonisation of the country by white settlers. Australia Day itself remains the subject of much conjecture and heated debate with the date on 26th January marking the day in 1770 when Captain Cook first stepped foot on what would become known as Australia and declaring it 'terra nullius' (translated meaning 'nobody's land') even though Aboriginals had inhabited the land for the previous six or so thousand years. The English then set about killing, raping, maiming and ransacking the land and its Indigenous peoples for the decades that followed. So when today Australian's celebrate Australia Day, the Indigenous community refer to it as 'Invasion Day' or 'Survival Day' and for them it has a completely different meaning.

In 2019, the AFL formally apologised to Goodes for not taking greater action to defend him against fan abuse. A compelling story about race, identity and belonging told from the perspective of a true Aussie sporting legend. This is a film that begs to be seen by as many Australians as possible; it should be screened in primary and secondary schools, sports clubs and community centres across the land to actively encourage ongoing and open dialogue about the past treatment of Australia's Indigenous population and the ever present issues confronting those communities on a daily basis. It is at times an emotional journey that Adam Goodes and Stan Grant take us on that hopefully will foster a greater understanding and empathy, unity and reconciliation through an acknowledgment of the truth and the respect that will grow from it. Since his retirement from his beloved game, Adam Goodes has seen the winds of change turn back in his favour as many supporters from all quarters of Australian society have come out publically and let it be known that they 'Stand with Adam Goodes'.

'The Australian Dream' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from  possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 29th August 2019.

Continuing with the coverage of the 76th Venice International Film Festival which launched on 28th August and runs through until 7th September, it was announced in the months preceding the festival that the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement by a Director would be awarded to Spanish Director Pedro Almodovar whose film making credits include his international break out film in 1983 'Dark Habits' and then over the following years 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown' in 1988, 'Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down' in 1989, 'All About My Mother' in 1999, 'Talk to Her' in 2001, 'Bad Education' in 2003, 'Volver' in 2006, 'The Skin I Live In' in 2011 and 'Julieta' in 2016. The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement by an Actor or Actress is awarded to English Actress, Singer and Author Julie Andrews whose film acting credits include 'My Fair Lady' and 'The Americanisation of Emily' both in 1964, 'The Sound of Music' in 1965, 'Torn Curtain' and 'Hawaii' both in 1966, 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' in 1967, 'Star!' in 1968, 'The Tamarind Seed' in 1974, '10' in 1979, 'S.O.B.' in 1981, 'Victor/Victoria' in 1982, 'Duet for One' in 1986, 'The Princess Diaries' in 2001 and its sequel in 2004 and from there she lent her voice talents to the animated 'Shrek' and 'Despicable Me' film franchises.

This years Out of Competition entries take in works of fiction and non-fiction and special screenings. Included in these are :-
Out of Competition : Fiction 
* 'SEBERG' - from the USA and Directed by Benedict Andrews and starring Kristen Stewart, Jack O’Connell, Anthony Mackie and Vince Vaughn.
* 'THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY' - from the UK and Italy and Directed by Giuseppe Capotondi and starring Claes Bang, Elizabeth Debicki, Donald Sutherland and Mick Jagger.
* 'MOSUL' from the USA and Directed by Matthew Michael Carnahan and starring Suhail Dabbach, Adam Bessa and Is’Haq Elias.




* 'ADULTS IN THE ROOM' - from France and Greece and Directed by Costa-Gravas and starring Christos Loulis, Alexandros Bourdoumis, Ulrich Tukur, Daan Schuurmans, Josiane Pinson, and Aurelien Recoing.
* 'THE KING' - from the UK and Hungary and Directed by David Michod and starring Timothee Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris, Tom Glynn-Carney, Lily-Rose Depp, Thomasin McKenzie, Robert Pattinson and Ben Mendelsohn.

Out of Competition : Non-Fiction 
* 'ROGER WATERS US + THEM' - from the UK and Directed by Sean Evans and Roger Waters. The former Pink Floyd man toured across North America, the UK and Europe throughout 2017 and 2018, which saw Waters perform to over two million people worldwide. The film was captured during his four-night stop at Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome on June 18th, 19th, 22nd and 23rd 2018, and features songs from his legendary Pink Floyd albums 'The Dark Side Of The Moon', 'The Wall', 'Animals' and 'Wish You Were Here', and from his last album, 'Is This The Life We Really Want?'
* 'CITIZEN K' - from the UK and USA and Direcetd by Alex Gibney and starring Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Vladimir Putin, Leonid Nevzlin, Boris Berezovsky, Igor Malashenko, Anton Drel and Boris Yeltsin. In 2003, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, one of the richest men in Russia, began a ten-year sentence for tax evasion. Many believed his downfall was challenging then newly elected president Vladimir Putin. During his time in a Siberian prison, Khodorkovsky became a world-famous dissident. Today, exiled in London, he continues to battle Putin’s 19-year hold on power.
* 'STATE FUNERAL' - from Holland and Lithuania and Directed by Sergei Loznitsa. Using mostly unseen archival footage from March 1953, the funeral of Joseph Stalin is seen as the culmination of the Dictator’s personality cult. The news of Stalin’s death on March 5, 1953, shocked the entire Soviet Union. The burial ceremony was attended by tens of thousands of mourners. This film bears witness to every stage of the funeral spectacle, and receives unprecedented access to the dramatic and absurd experience of life and death under Stalin’s reign.
* 'WOMAN' - from France and Directed by Anastasia Mikova and Yann Arthus-Bertrand. 'Woman' is a worldwide project giving a voice to some two thousand women across fifty different countries.  Based on first-person encounters, the project deals with topics such as motherhood, education, marriage or financial independence but also menstruations or sexuality discovering the voices of women as you have never heard them before.
* 'COLLECTIV' - from Romania and Luxembourg and Directed by Alexander Nanau and starring Narcis Hogea, Catalin Tolontan, Mirela Neag, Camelia Roiu, Razvan Lutac and Tedy Ursuleanu. In the aftermath of a tragic fire in a Romanian music club, more burn victims begin dying in hospitals from wounds that were not life threatening. A team of investigative journalists move into action to uncover massive corruption in the health system and other state institutions.
* '45 SECONDS OF LAUGHTER' - from the USA and Directed by Tim Robbins. A group of incarcerated men from Calipatria State Prison participate in a theatrical workshop with Tim Robbins’ theatre company, The Actors’ Gang. Defying racial barriers and gang affiliations, the men tap into emotions that have long been dormant while unexpected bonds emerge between former enemies, as they work towards a transformation and liberation unknown to their life behind bars.

For the full run down on all the screenings, the news and views from the 76th Venice International Film Festival, you can go to the official website at : https://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2019

This week coming to your local Odeon, we have six new release movies starting off with an Australian period piece set back in 1825 that sees a young convict girl join forces with an Aboriginal tracker to hunt down a British Officer who raped her and killed her husband and young child. We then move to a story set in the '70's in New York's Hell's Kitchen of three wives who take on the mob to earn a crust while their husbands are locked up in prison serving time. This is followed by a modern day cops & robbers caper where two hardened career Detectives are suspended for their strong arm antics who jump to the other side of the fence in a bid to make some much needed cash until their suspensions are lifted. Next up is a true story of the failed attempts to rescue the crew of a stricken Russian nuclear submarine that sank to the bottom of the Berents Sea in 2000. We then move to an Italian foreign language crime drama telling the story of a meek and mild dog salon owner who goes up against the local petty crime bully with unexpected consequences, before closing out the week with a documentary of the 1972 recording of a live gospel album by a world renowned singer and songwriter who died last year.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six latest release new movies 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 most welcome 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 outing during the week ahead.

'THE NIGHTINGALE' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian thriller is a period piece Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Jennifer Kent in only her second film making outing following 2014's highly acclaimed horror offering 'The Babadook'.  This film saw its World Premier screening at the Venice International Film Festival back in September 2018, its US release earlier this month and in Australia this week after its screening at the recent Sydney Film Festival, and has so far received generally positive Reviews, although has divided audiences with its graphic depictions of rape and murder. Kent subsequently defended the decision to depict such violence, claiming that the film contains historically accurate representations of the colonial violence and racism that took place against the Australian Indigenous people of that time. The film was produced in collaboration with Tasmanian Aboriginal elders who feel that this is an honest and necessary depiction of their history and a story that needs to be told.

Set in Tasmania in 1825, Clare (Aisling Franciosi), a 21-year-old Irish convict, is brutally raped and witnesses the murder of her husband and baby by Hawkins (Sam Claflin), a British officer, and his cohorts. Unable to find justice, she takes Billy (Baykali Ganambarr), an Aboriginal tracker, with her through the harsh and unforgiving wilderness to seek revenge on the soldiers, and gets much more than she bargained for. Also starring Damon Herriman and Ewen Leslie.

'THE KITCHEN' (Rated MA15+) - here we have an American crime film Written and Directed by Andrea Berloff, in her Directorial debut but whose previous film writing credits include 2006's 'World Trade Centre', 2015's 'Straight Outta Compton', '2016's 'Blood Father' and 2017's 'Sleepless'. It is based on the Vertigo comic book miniseries of the same name. The story here is of  the wives of three Irish mobsters, who take over organised crime operations in New York's Hell's Kitchen in the late '70's, after the FBI arrests their husbands while getting caught red handed robbing a convenience store, and they are sent down for three years apiece. The wives in question here are Kathy Brennan (Melissa McCarthy) married to Jimmy (Brian d'Arcy James), Ruby O'Carroll (Tiffany Haddish) married to Kevin (James Badge Dale) and Claire Walsh (Elisabeth Moss) married to Rob (Jeremy Bobb). Also starring Domhnall Gleeson, Bill Camp, Margo Martindale and Common, the film was made for US$38M, has so far recouped US$14M since its release Stateside earlier this month, and has received mostly negative Reviews. Sounds like a lot lesser version of Steve McQueen's 2018 film 'Widow's'.

'DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE' (Rated R18+) - this American neo-noir crime thriller is Directed and Written by Steven Craig Zahler whose previous Directing credits are 'Bone Tomahawk' and 'Brawl in Cell Block 99'. The storyline here follows two police detectives Brett Ridgeman (Mel Gibson) and Anthony Lurasetti (Vince Vaughn) who find themselves suspended by their Chief, Lieutenant Calvert (Don Johnson) without pay when a video of their strong-arm tactics is leaked to the media. With little money and no options, the embittered Policemen decide to use the criminal connections they have developed through their time in law enforcement to make cash that will sustain them until their suspensions are lifted, but as they descend into the criminal underworld they discover more than they wanted lurking in the shadows. Also starring Tory Kittles, Michael Jai White, Jennifer Carpenter, Udo Kier and Thomas Kretschmann, the film was made on a Budget of US$15M, saw its release at the Venice International Film Festival in September last year, a limited US release in March, has so far taken just US$306K and has garnered mixed or average Reviews so far.

'KURSK' (Rated M) - this French and Belgian Co-Produced English language drama film is Directed by Denmark's Thomas Vinterberg based on Robert Moore's book 'A Time to Die', surrounding the true story of when disaster struck the K-141 Kursk Oscar II-class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine of the Russian Navy on 12th August 2000. The Kursk sank during a Russian naval exercise in the Barents Sea after two explosions within the submarine. Twenty-three sailors survived those initial explosions who desperately waited for help to arrive while their oxygen ran out steadily minute by minute. The Russian government refused help from foreign governments for five days before agreeing to aid from the British and Norwegian governments, by which time all 118 seamen on board had perished. This is that story, and features Matthias Schoenaerts, Colin Firth, Lea Seydoux, Max von Sydow and Michael Nyqvist. This film saw its World Premier screening at TIFF in early September last year, went on release in France in November, in the US at the end of June and now gets a limited run in Australia following its showing at the recent Sydney Film Festival. The film costs US$40M and has garnered mixed or average Reviews.

'DOGMAN' (Rated MA15+) - is a 2018 Italian crime drama film Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written  by Matteo Garrone. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival where Marcello Fonte as the lead Actor won the award for Best Actor. Inspired by real events, it was selected as the Italian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. In a coastal village on the outskirts of an Italian city, where the only law seems to be survival of the fittest, Marcello (Marcello Fonte) is a slight, mild-mannered man who divides his days between working at his modest dog grooming salon (called 'Dogman'), caring for his daughter Alida, and being coerced into the petty criminal schemes of the local bully Simoncino (Edoardo Pesce), an ex-boxer who terrorises the neighbourhood. When Simoncino's abuse finally brings Marcello to a breaking point, he decides to stand up for his own dignity through an act of vengeance, with unintended consequences. The film was released in Italy in May 2018 and now sees a limited run in Australia having generated largely favourable Reviews.

'AMAZING GRACE' (Rated G) - American singer songwriter Aretha Franklin records her gospel album 'Amazing Grace' live at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles in 1972. She is accompanied by the Southern California Community Choir. Directed by Sydney Pollack the 'Amazing Grace' film was not released on schedule in 1972 due to difficulties syncing the audio tracks with the visual print and was relegated to a vault at Warner Bros. until 2007 when Producer Alan Elliott purchased the raw footage and attempted to sync it. The pared-down footage, now 87 minutes in length, was planned for a 2011 release. Franklin sued Elliott for appropriating her likeness without permission, however, and the release date passed. Elliott made another attempt to premiere the film in 2015 at the Telluride, Toronto and Chicago Film Festivals, but Franklin sued him again for unpublished reasons. After Franklin's death in 2018, her family made an arrangement to release the film which saw its Worldwide release back in April this year, and only now does it arrive in Australia, to widespread Critical acclaim.

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

ONCE UPON A TIME IN . . . HOLLYWOOD : Tuesday 20th August 2019

'ONCE UPON A TIME IN . . . HOLLYWOOD' which I saw this week is rated MA15+ and finally arrives amidst much fanfare and pre-release hype. This is the long awaited eagerly anticipated ninth film by Director, Writer and Co-Producer Quentin Tarantino who I'm sure needs no further introduction. This comedy drama film saw its world Premier screening at the Cannes Film Festival back in late May where it was in competition for the prestigious Palme d'Or, saw its general release in the US on 26th July and last week in Australia and the UK. On a production budget of about US$90M the film has so far grossed US$184M and has garnered largely positive Reviews. The film stars an ensemble cast that takes in Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Luke Perry, Al Pacino, Bruce Dern, Dakota Fanning, Emile Hirsch, Timothy Olyphant, Damian Lewis, Damon Herriman, Scoot McNairy, Rummer Willis, Kurt Russell, Zoe Bell, Michael Madsen, James Remar and Quentin himself lending his voice.

It is February 1969, in Los Angeles, at the hey day of hippie Hollywood where everything is changing, including the film industry's Golden Age. As the former TV star of a popular '50's Western series called 'Bounty Law' Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double and best friend Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognise anymore and are struggling to find any meaningful work that will restore Dalton's star status. In a pre-arranged meeting in a bar with Casting Agent Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino), Dalton is told in no uncertain terms by Schwarz that although he is a big fan, his Hollywood career is soon to be washed up and he should consider working in Italy on Spaghetti Westerns for which Schwarz has connections with whom he is happy to leverage. Dalton initially scoffs at the notion, believing that Spaghetti Westerns are the very bottom of the food chain.

Booth has worked with Dalton for nine or so years and is a war veteran who lives in a trailer with his well trained and attentive Pit Bull dog, Brandy, drives Dalton around town, housesits while he is away, fixes up things around his house and relies on him for work due to inside industry rumours that Booth killed his wife. Dalton has a crisis of confidence over hearing this news from Schwarz, and arriving back home, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and her new husband Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha) pull up in the driveway besides Dalton's house on Cielo Drive, and drive into their rented home right next door to Dalton's. This boosts Dalton's confidence once again, as he is hopeful with Polanski as his new neighbour, that he can wrangle his way into his good books and land a starring role in one of his upcoming movies.

Later that evening Tate and Polanski join a lavish party at the Playboy Mansion with many of Hollywood's A-listers. There they join Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch) a Hollywood hair-stylist and former boyfriend of Sharon Tate's, and Steve McQueen (Damian Lewis) who in voice over tells of the love triangle that exists between Sebring, Tate and Polanski. Meanwhile back home Dalton drinks himself into a stupor while rehearsing his lines for a shoot the next day. Booth picks up Dalton early the next morning and drops him off at the studio. Not needing his services for the remainder of the day Dalton asks Booth to fix the television aerial on his roof which blew over the night before in a storm. 

From on top of the roof while repairing the TV antenna Booth has memories of a sparring match he had on the set of 'The Green Hornet' with Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) after Lee, in front of the entire crew, was boasting that his hands were insured as lethal weapons and no man could beat him in a bout. Booth needless to say, proves him wrong but their fight is interrupted by stunt coordinator Randy (Kurt Russell) and his wife Janet (Zoe Bell) who is also a stunt coordinator who publicly chastises Booth for being a wife murderer. 

Also from on top of Dalton's roof, Booth sees Charles Manson (Damon Herriman) who drops by the home of Polanski and Tate looking for record producer Terry Melcher, who used to live there but has subsequently moved elsewhere, and is turned away by Sebring. With his work done, Booth is driving Dalton's car when he sees an attractive young hitchhiker named 'Pussycat' (Margaret Qualley) who is a member of the Manson Family, although Booth doesn't know it yet. She is seeking a ride out to the Spahn Movie Ranch out in Chatsworth, California. Picking her up, and agreeing to drive out to the ranch for old times sake, Booth explains that he is a stunt double and back in the day they shot several episodes of 'Bounty Law' there. 

Upon arriving at the ranch, Booth enquires about old man George Spahn, the owner of the ranch and whether he is still around. Pussycat tries to persuade Booth to stay, but he quickly becomes  suspicious of the large number of hippies seemingly squatting on the property, and suspects they are taking advantage of George. Booth insists on checking up on Spahn in his old ramshackle homestead and despite Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme's (Dakota Fanning) objections the now eighty year old and blind Spahn (Bruce Dern) is dismissive of Booth's concerns and orders to leave him alone having been woken up from his afternoon nap. 

Meanwhile, Sharon Tate has been out for an afternoon stroll, when she comes across a movie theatre showing her latest release 'The Wrecking Crew' with Dean Martin starring as Matt Helm. She makes her self known to the box office attendant and is granted complimentary access to the theatre to watch herself up on the big screen. The audience reaction to her scenes is positive, which makes the young Actress very happy. 

Dalton scores the role of a villain in the pilot episode of a new Western themed series called 'Lancer', where waiting for the cameras to roll he strikes up a conversation with his eight-year-old co-star, Trudi (Julia Butters). During one of his scenes with James Stacy (Timothy Olyphant playing Johnny Madrid Lancer), a hungover Dalton struggles with his lines. During a break in filming while Dalton collects his thoughts and after beating himself up in his trailer, Dalton returns to the set and gives a stirring powerful performance that impresses the shows Director, Sam Wanamaker (Nicholas Hammond), and Trudi, boosting Dalton's confidence once more.

Upon returning home from the days shoot, Booth and Dalton settle in to watch Dalton's guest appearance on an episode of 'The F.B.I.' over a couple of beers. The phone rings later on and Schwarz books Dalton to star as the lead in Sergio Corbucci's next Italian shot Western, 'Nebraska Jim'. Dalton takes Booth with him for a six-month shooting period in Europe, during which time he appears in two additional Westerns - 'Kill Me Now Ringo, Said The Gringo' and 'Red Blood, Red Skin' plus a European spy comedy - 'Operazione Dyn-O-Mite!', and ends up marrying Italian Actress Francesca Capucci (Lorenza Izza).

Upon their return home to Los Angeles, Dalton informs Booth he can no longer afford his services given his lavish life style while on location in Italy and now that he has a wife to support too. So after nine years together they agree to go their separate ways. They go out for drinks to mark the occasion and later return to Dalton's home, where Booth smokes an acid-laced cigarette given to him previously by Pussycat, while taking Brandy out for a walk. Meanwhile, Charles 'Tex' Watson (Austin Butler), Susan 'Sadie' Atkins (Mikey Madison), Linda 'Flower Child' Kasabian (Maya Hawke), and Patricia 'Katie' Krenwinkel (Madsen Beaty) pull up outside, in their smoke billowing and blowing Ford Galaxie, in preparation to murder everyone in Tate's house. Dalton hears the racket from the car, comes out, and angrily orders them to leave with a jug of freshly prepared Margahrita mix in his hand. They reverse out, and park up just down the street and out of view but Atkins hatches a plan to return and kill Dalton instead.

Kasabian, under the guise of having to return to the car to retrieve her knife which she had left behind, deserts the group and drives off. The remaining three carry on with Atkins' plan. They break into Dalton's house and confront Booth, who recognises them from the Spahn Ranch. While Booth is held at gunpoint by Watkins who proclaims 'I'm the Devil, and I came to do the Devil's business', he orders Brandy to attack and the dog instantly obeys his master and pounces into action ferociously biting Watkins in the crotch, then the arm, the hand, the leg and the face before returning to his crotch leaving Watkins in a bloody heap on the floor, at which point Booth shoots him dead. Booth then orders Brandy to attack Atkins who was already disabled by a can of dog food thrown squarely in her face, and is now being dragged around the floor writhing with a mad Pit Bull biting away liberally. Krenwinkel meanwhile was punched to the ground by Booth has got up and lunged at him sticking a knife deep into his thigh. Momentarily both are stunned, but Booth quickly regains himself and despite the knife protruding from his upper leg, repeatedly smashes her face against a telephone, glass picture frames, a wall, a coffee table and the cement surround of the open fireplace killing her. Atkins, who has now gone completely nuts and with gun in hand, crashes through a plate glass window by the pool, alarming Dalton, who was listening to music on headphones while floating on a lilo in the swimming pool, and completely oblivious to the ensuing mayhem inside his own house. By now Atkins has got up completely covered in blood from head to toe and with shards of glass sticking out of her face and fallen into the swimming pool where she is writhing about randomly discharging her gun. Dalton retrieves a flamethrower he had kept from his starring role in 'The 14 Fists of McClusky' film shoot, and promptly incinerates her to a blackened crisp.

The injured Booth is taken to the hospital by paramedics. After seeing Booth off outside, Sebring engages Dalton in conversation at the gateway to the drive of their house about what went down earlier that evening and Tate, over the intercom, invites Dalton up to her house for drinks with her houseguests, Sebring, Abigail Folger (Samantha Robinson) and Wojciech Frykowski (Costa Ronin) while husband Roman was delayed returning from London.

Anyone who is a fan of Quentin Tarantino will find a lot to like in his homage to the film making industry of yesteryear that is 'Once Upon a Time in . . . Hollywood'. Here he indulges his own upbringing, influences and touchstones with a film that meticulously recreates the Golden Age of Hollywood in every minute detail from the cars, to the costumes, the dialogue, the buildings, the furnishings, the neon, the poster art and so much more all underpinned by a strong cast, especially the never before seen pairing of DiCaprio and Pitt who both shine in their respective roles as do many of the strong big name supporting cast. A carefully interwoven story that goes behind the scenes of late 1960's film and television production together with one of the industries most shocking murder stories told with an alternative twist that when it comes does so like a steam roller in what is best described as brutally violent, yet visually stunning and outrageously funny. This may not be Tarantino's best work as it does meander in parts and the Charles Manson and Sharon Tate characters are a little undercooked, but nonetheless it does demonstrate that Tarantino is still at the top of his game, that he is supremely confident in his movie making prowess and that he knows how to craft a fine independent story that resonates with the movie going public and Critics alike. If Tarantino does hang up his hat after his tenth picture then that will surely represent a sad day in Hollywood, but at least he will have left behind a lasting legacy of great filmed entertainment, and this one is certainly up there. Brandy, Cliff Booth's Pit Bull incidentally, won the Palm Dog Award at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

'Once Upon a Time in  . . . Hollywood' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 22nd August 2019.

The 76th Venice International Film Festival is organised by La Biennale di Venezia, and will be held on the Lido di Venezia from Wednesday 28th August through to Saturday 7th September 2019. The aim of the Festival is to raise awareness and promote international cinema in all its forms as art, entertainment and as an industry, in a spirit of freedom and dialogue. In addition to the films shown within the categorised sections, the Festival also organises retrospectives and tributes to major figures as a contribution towards a better understanding of the history of cinema.

This year, Argentinian film Director, Producer and Screenwriter Lucrecia Martel was appointed as the President of the Jury. The Japanese and French Co-Produced film 'The Truth', Directed by Japan's Hirokazu Kore-eda, was selected to open the festival and is also running in the main international competition.

This years main competition entries, all of which will have their World Premier screenings, include :-

* 'AD ASTRA' - from the USA and Directed by James Gray this SciFi film stars Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler, John Ortiz and LisaGay Hamilton. 

* 'BABYTEETH' - from Australia and Directed by Shannon Murphy this drama film stars Ben Mendelsohn and Essie Davis. 

* 'EMA' - from Chile and Directed by Pablo Larrain, this drama film stars Gael Garcia Bernal. 

* 'GUEST OF HONOUR' - from Canada and Directed, Co-Produced and Written by Atom Egoyan, this drama offering stars David Thewlis, Luke Wilson and Rossif Sutherland. 

* 'JOKER' - from USA and Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Todd Phillips this psychological thriller film is based on the DC Comics character of the same name and stars Joaquin Phoenix as 'The Joker' with Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz and Frances Conroy. 

* 'THE LAUNDROMAT' - from USA and Directed, Co-Produced, Edited and lensed by Steven Soderbergh this drama film stars Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, Jeffrey Wright, Matthias Schoenaerts, James Cromwell, Will Forte, David Schwimmer, Robert Patrick and Sharon Stone. 

* 'MARRIAGE STORY' - from USA and Directed, Co-Produced and Written by Noah Baumbach this comedy drama film stars Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta and Laura Dern. 

* 'No. 7 CHERRY LANE' - from Hong Kong and Directed and Writer by Yonfan, this animated feature film stars the voices of Silvia Chang, Zhao Wei, Alex Lam, and Kelly Yao.

* 'AN OFFICER AND A SPY' - from France and Directed and Co-Written for the screen by Roman Polanski this drama film stars Louis Garrel, Jean Dujardin, Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner and Melvil Poupaud.

* 'THE TRUTH' - from France and Japan and Directed, Written and Edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda and starring Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche and  Ethan Hawke and this will be Kore-eda's first film set outside Japan and not in his native language.

* 'WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS' - from Italy and the USA and Directed by Ciro Guerra in his English-language film making debut and stars Johnny Depp, Mark Rylance, Robert Pattinson and Greta Scacchi. 

* 'WASP NETWORK' - from France and Brazil and is Directed and Written by Olivier Assayas this drama film stars Penelope Cruz, Edgar Ramirez, Wagner Moura and Gael Garcia Bernal.

For the full run down on all the screenings, the news and views from the 76th Venice International Film Festival, you can go to the official website at : https://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2019

This week we have three latest release films coming to your local Odeon, kicking off with the third instalment in a fast paced shoot 'em up all guns blazing explosive action franchise that sees a crack Secret Service Agent go head to head and toe to toe with them darn pesky terrorist types for the third time as he tries to save the bacon of the US President, but first needs to clear his own name after being framed for an attempted assassination on the President. We next turn to an Aussie doco centering on an indigenous AFL legend who found himself the subject of a racist campaign against him and the subsequent fallout on his own career and the debate it created in the ensuing years Australia wide from all corners of our society. Wrapping up the weeks new releases we have a Christian film about a basketball coach turned cross-country coach who mentors and inspires a schools least likely athlete to win, and win big.  

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three latest release new movies 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 most welcome 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 outing during the coming week.

'ANGEL HAS FALLEN' (Rated MA15+) - here we have the third instalment in the 'Fallen' franchise  following 'Olympus Has Fallen' in 2013 (about a terrorist attack and the subsequent fall of the Whitehouse), 2017's 'London Has Fallen' (about a terrorist attack on London and the subsequent fall of London) and now we have 'Angel Has Fallen' (about a terrorist attack and assassination attempt on the POTUS). Are you getting a recurring thread here?? The first film in the franchise was Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the second by Babak Najafi, and this offering is Directed by Ric Roman Waugh whose previous film making credits include 'In the Shadows', 'Felon', 'Snitch' and 'Shot Caller'.  The first two films had a combined Production Budget of US$130M and grossed between them US$376M, with this film weighing in with a budget of US$80M. The film opens in the US this week too.

Following on from the events of the previous film, Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) finds himself framed for an assassination attempt on President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman). Pursued by his own agency and the FBI, Banning turns to unlikely allies in a race against time to clear his name and uncover the real terrorist threat. Also starring Danny Huston, Tim Blake Nelson, Nick Nolte, Piper Perabo, Jada Pinkett Smith and Lance Reddick.

'THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian and UK Co-Produced documentary is Directed by Daniel Gordon and Written by Stan Grant and opened the Melbourne International Film Festival on 1st August, before its wider theatrical release this week, and follows hot on the heels of that 'other' Adam Goodes film that aired on Australia's Channel Ten earlier last month 'The Final Quarter'. In October 2015, Wiradjuri man and renowned journalist Stan Grant delivered a stirring speech at Sydney's Ethics Centre as part of a debate on Australian racism. His starting point was the mass booing of the Australian Football League (AFL) Sydney Swans star Adam Goodes, who holds an elite place in AFL history as a dual Brownlow Medallist, dual premiership player, four-time All-Australian, member of the Indigenous Team of the Century, and representative of Australia in the International Rules Series. He was also named as Australian of the Year in 2014. From 2013, his outspokenness on racial issues, a couple of incidents on the field, along with commentary by some media figures, contributed to him being the target of a sustained booing campaign from opposition fans, causing him to take indefinite leave from the AFL and eventually retire from the game at the end of the 2015 season. 'The booing saga' sparked a national debate about racism in Australia and became the subject of two documentary films, of which this is the second. A compelling story about race, identity and belonging told from the perspective of a true Aussie sporting legend.

'OVERCOMER' (Rated PG) - this American Christian drama film is Directed by Alex Kendrick and also written by him and his brother Stephen Kendrick. This is the sixth film production put out under their Sherwood Pictures banner and their second by their subsidiary company Kendrick Brothers Productions (including the third sibling Shannon). Stephen Kendrick also acts as Co-Producer and Alex Kendrick also stars in the film and Co-Edits. Here, John Harrison (Alex Kendrick) is a high school basketball coach whose state championship dreams vanish when he receives some unexpected news. Meanwhile, the largest manufacturing plant in his town closes, and he questions what his and his family's future will look like. John agrees to take a job as a cross-country coach, and, inspired by a friend's prayers, decides to help one of the least likely athletes win the biggest race of the year. The film is released Stateside too this week.

With three new release movies this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

DANGER CLOSE : THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN - Tuesday 13th August 2019.

'DANGER CLOSE : THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN' is an MA15+ Rated Australian Vietnam War film, which I saw earlier this week, and is Directed by Kriv Stenders whose previous film making credits include 'Red Dog', 'Kill Me Three Times', 'Red Dog : True Blue', 'Australia Day' and the made for TV movie remake of 'Wake in Fright' most recently. Made for US$35M the film charts the story of of the Battle of Long Tan on 18th August 1966 which took place in a rubber plantation near Long Tan, in South Vietnam, during the Vietnam War. The action was fought between the Viet Cong and People's Army of Viet Cong units and elements of the 1st Australian Task Force, with both sides claiming victory in the aftermath. The operation had ended by 21st August. The film has garnered mixed Reviews since its release last week. The term 'danger close' is a military term which refers to close air, artillery, mortar, and naval gunfire support and is included in the method of engagement of a call for supporting fire from a distance which indicates that friendly forces are within close proximity of the target.

As the film opens up it is mid-August 1966 with career officer Major Harry Smith (Travis Fimmel) of Delta Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, on operation in Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy Province in South Vietnam. He is distracted from writing a letter presumably to his wife and young family back home somewhere in Australia, by mortar and rocket attacks on his camp in the early hours of the morning. Smith we soon learn is an ex-Special Forces man, and is seemingly done with babysitting green, still wet behind the ears young conscripts from Australia and New Zealand most of whom are no older than twenty-one years of age.

Smith ventures into the tent of his commanding officer Brigadier David Jackson (Richard Roxburgh) seeking a transfer to the frontline and his former regiment but his request is given short shrift and instantly rejected, instead sending him out the next morning to locate enemy positions. Before he goes, Smith calls in to his tent a recently arrived and cocky private, Paul Large (Daniel Webber), and quite literally almost throttles him, for inadvertently firing off a single round from his rifle while on watch that night, and therefore running the risk of revealing their location.

Other soldiers including Sergeant Bob Buick (Luke Bracey) command more respect from Smith than the young Private, and as soon as Smith separates the company into patrolling scouting platoons, Buick finds himself under fierce enemy gunfire and in command, pinned down with a useless shot out radio. Meanwhile, the men on patrol are all mightily hacked off because they're missing out on a concert back at base camp featuring the specially flown in none other than Col Joye (Geoffrey Winter) and Little Pattie (Emmy Dougall) who all have to be flown out pretty damn quick smart when the ensuing exchange of mortar bombs and gunfire gets a little too close for comfort.

The story then goes back and forth tracing the skirmishes between four separated and isolated platoons all coming under intense gunfire from a relentless enemy while attempting to establish radio contact with each other; their HQ base where Brigadier Jackson and his subordinate officer Lieutenant Colonel Colin Townsend (Anthony Hayes) argue over whether to dispatch reinforcements which would potentially leave their HQ base exposed to attack; and a crew of artillery men overseen by Bombadier Ray Ngatai (Uli Latukefu) manning short range mortars and responding to shit scared radio operators in the field with coordinates with which to bomb the advancing enemy forces with pin point accuracy and so preventing our boys from being overwhelmed.

There's an air of disobeying orders that seems to be a recurring theme throughout the film. Tensions between Smith and Private Large come to an apex when Smith calls down an artillery bombardment on Buick's position as they face off against overwhelming Viet Cong odds, and, when the dust has settled and the platoon are all presumed dead Large shoves his commanding officer to the ground, enraged that he could give such an order. Smith, in turn, refuses an order to withdraw from Lt. Col. Townsend because it would mean leaving his men behind and as far as Smith is concerned it's one in, all in! Lt. Col. Townsend in turn refuses a direct order from Brigadier Jackson to remain at the camp and safeguard it against enemy attack, instead making a secret getaway to aid those succumbing to an ever advancing Viet Cong in the final contact. And six men make a swift getaway in two helicopters during a monsoonal downpour while risk getting shot down to deliver much needed back-up ammunition to Smith and his men, much to the chagrin of Townsend and Jackson. 

And so as the final battle of Long Tan rages over almost four hours of monsoon drenched blood and guts in a rubber plantation on 18th August as 108 largely inexperienced, Australian infantry men fight for their very existence against almost overwhelming odds, and a 1000+ strong battle hardened and relentless Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers that advance in wave after wave. With their ammunition running out, their casualties mounting and the enemy amassing for a final assault, the whole thing came to an abrupt climax just as night was falling, when a fleet of armoured personnel carriers came barrelling through the woods three hours after the bloody battle had begun and ninety minutes after Smith had requested reinforcements. With their machine guns blazing, the Vietnamese fled, those that didn't perish in the rapid gunfire that is.

The next day, the men are seen clearing the Long Tan battlefield of their dead and wounded and taking a roll call of the survivors. We learn that eighteen Australian soldiers were killed during those intense four hours but casualties on the Vietnamese side ran into the many hundreds, with three taken prisoner. However, both sides claimed victory that day. Smith is told by one of his subordinates that he should head back to HQ for a debrief, but he stoically replies with no, I'm staying . . . to aid in attending to his men - the living, the wounded and the dead.

As the end credits roll, we learn that in May 1968 the members of Delta Platoon were awarded the US Presidential Unit Citation for gallantry by Lyndon B Johnson for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy. South Vietnam awarded them the equivalent. The Australian military hierarchy however, took until 2016 to fully acknowledge the actions of the soldiers by honouring for the first time ten men and upgrading awards for the three previously honoured - an act of vindication lobbied for twenty years by Smith himself.

'Danger Close : The Battle of Long Tan' is probably the most significant Australian battle of the Vietnam War, known by the soldiers who were down in the mud that day clinging to their lives, by their families and loved ones, and by those others serving on the periphery, but to those back home in Australia and watching from much further afield, it has little or no significance in reality. However, don't let this fact detract you from seeing this film, which will no doubt please the veterans from that intense firefight that finally after some fifty years their story has finally been told, and with a high degree of accuracy with the real Major Harry Smith, now aged 86, consulting to the film throughout the production process. Kriv Stenders has here crafted an authentic looking film with Queensland's Gold Coast studios and hinterland towns doubling up as the Vietnamese jungle, the staged battle scenes are intense and effectively realised, and the performances are grounded and believable. This film reflects pure and simply the Australian perspective of Long Tan, and does nothing to portray the faceless yet relentless Vietnamese enemy, the reasons for being there, and the conflicts, disputes and interpretations aired subsequently by the Vietnamese as to their numbers of soldiers who fought and their subsequent body count remains a subject of some conjecture. Some of the dialogue and the emotional heft behind it is by the numbers, and exactly as to be expected from a film such as this, but nonetheless this is a movie that needed to be told and should resonate with audiences as an accurate account of a telling moment in Australian war time history. Also starring Stephen Peacocke, Matt Doran, Alexander England, Nicholas Hamilton, Aaron Glenane and Lasarus Ratuere.

'Danger Close : The Battle of Long Tan' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-