What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 18th January 2024

The 40th Sundance Film Festival which this year runs from Thursday 18th until Sunday 28th January, is an annual film festival organised by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the US, and takes place each January in Park City, Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah; and at the Sundance Resort (a ski resort near Provo, Utah), and acts as a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival consists of competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films, both feature films and short films, and a group of out-of-competition sections. Sundance began in Salt Lake City in August 1978 as the Utah/US Film Festival in an effort to attract more filmmakers to Utah. In 1981, the festival moved to Park City, Utah, and changed the dates from September to January, and the festival was rebranded The US Film and Video Festival. In 1991, the festival was officially renamed the Sundance Film Festival, after Robert Redford's character the Sundance Kid from the film 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'.

There are four main official sections, with the line-up of competition films as given below :-

 

US Dramatic Competition

* 'Between the Temples' - Directed by Nathan Silver.

* 'Didi' - Directed by Sean Wang.

* 'Exhibiting Forgiveness' - Directed by Titus Kaphar.

* 'Good One' - Directed by India Donaldson.

* 'In the Summers' - Directed by Alessandra Lacorazza.

* 'Love Me' - Directed by Sam and Andy Zuchero.

* 'Ponyboi' - Directed by Esteban Arango.

* 'A Real Pain' - Directed by Jesse Eisenberg.

* 'Stress Positions' - Directed by Theda Hammel.

* 'Suncoast' - Directed by Laura Chinn.

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

* 'Brief History of a Family' - from China, France, Denmark and Qatar and Directed by Jianjie Lin.

* 'Girls Will Be Girls' - from India, France, USA and Norway and Directed by Shuchi Talati.

* 'Handling the Undead' - from Norway and Directed by Thea Hvistendahl.

* 'In the Land of Brothers' - from Iran, France and the Netherlands and Directed by Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli
* 'Layla' - from the UK and Directed by Amrou Al-Kadhi.

* 'Malu' - from Brazil and Directed by Pedro Freire.

* 'Reinas' - from Switzerland, Peru and Spain and Directed by Klaudia Reynicke.

* 'Sebastian' - from the UK, Belgium and Finland and Directed by Mikko Makela.

* 'Sujo' - from the US, Mexico and France and Directed by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez.

* 'Veni Vidi Vici' - from Austria and Directed by Daniel Hoesl.

US Documentary Competition

* 'As We Speak' - Directed by J.M. Harper.

* 'Daughters' - Directed by Angela Patton and Natalie Rae.

* 'Every Little Thing' - from Australia and Directed by Sally Aitken.

* 'Frida' - from the US and Mexico and Directed by Carla Gutierrez.

* 'Gaucho Gaucho' - from the US and Argentina and Directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw.

* 'Love Machina' - Directed by Peter Sillen.

* 'Porcelain War' - from the US and Ukraine and Directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev.

* 'Skywalkers : A Love Story' - Directed by Jeff Zimbalist.

* 'Sugarcane' - from the US and Canada and Directed by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie.

* 'Union' - Directed by Stephen Maing and Brett Story.

World Documentary Competition

* 'Agent of Happiness' - from Bhutan and Hungary and Directed by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbo.

* 'The Battle for Laikipia' - from Kenya and the USA and Directed by Daphne Matziaraki and Peter Murimi.

* 'Black Box Diaries' - from Japan, the USA and the UK and Directed by Shiori Ito.

* 'Eternal You' - from Germany and the USA and Directed by Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck.

* 'Ibelin' - from Norway and Directed by Benjamin Rae.

* 'IGUALADA' - from Columbia, the USA and Mexico and Directed by Juan Mejio Botero.

* 'Never Look Away' - from New Zealand and Directed by Lucy Lawless.

* 'A New Kind of Wilderness' - from Norway and Directed by Silje Evensmo Jacobsen.

* 'Nocturnes' - from India and Directed by Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan.

* 'Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat' - from Belgium, France and the Netherlands and Directed by Johan Grimonprez.

For the other film strands being showcased with the sections of 'Premieres', 'Next', 'Midnight', 'Spotlight', 'Special Screenings', 'Episodic' and '40th Anniversary Screenings', plus a whole lot more besides, you can go to the official website at : https://festival.sundance.org/

Turning the attention then back to this weeks five new movies gracing a big screen Odeon near you, we kick off with a biographical sports drama offering telling the true story of an overbearing father who pressures his sons to excel at any cost, and then follows the Von Erich brothers as they attempt to make names for themselves in the very public sport of professional wrestling throughout the 1980's. This is followed by a British romantic fantasy drama film about a screenwriter who is drawn back to his childhood home and begins a relationship with a mysterious neighbour as he then discovers his parents appear to be living just as they were on the day they died, 30 years prior. Next up we have a biopic that follows the life of Priscilla Beaulieu and her complicated romantic relationship with Elvis Presley. Then we turn to Filipino romantic drama Sci-Fi film concerning a man who gets the extraordinary opportunity to rewind time and save the life of the woman he loves. And closing out the week we have an animated French film that is the sequel to a 2017 film that reunites the animal crew for a new global adventure in search of an antidote to a mysterious, toxic pink foam covering the jungle sent by a mysterious supervillain.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or 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 IRON CLAW' (Rated MA15+) - is a biographical sports drama film Written and Directed by Sean Durkin in his third feature film outing following his 2011 debut with 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' and 'The Nest' in 2020. This film is based on the life of professional wrestler Kevin Von Erich and the Von Erich family - an American professional wrestling family. This film saw its World Premiere screening at The Texas Theatre in Dallas in early November last year, before going on release in the US from just before Christmas having so far grossed US$25M from a production budget of US$16M and garnering positive critical reviews. The film is released this week here in Australia and in the UK from 9th February. 

Based on he true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who make history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980's. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports. Starring Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich, Harris Dickinson as David Von Ehrich, Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich, Maura Tierney as Doris Von Erich, the wife of Fritz and Lily James as Pam Adkisson the wife of Kevin. 

'ALL OF US STRANGERS' (Rated MA15+) - this British romantic fantasy film is Written and Directed by Andrew Haigh, and based on the 1987 novel 'Strangers' by Taichi Yamada, and is the second feature adaptation of the novel, after the 1988 Japanese film 'The Discarnates'. Andrew Haigh's previous feature film credits take in his 2009 debut with 'Greek Pete', followed by 'Weekend' in 2011, '45 Years' in 2015 and 'Lean on Pete' in 2017. This film had its World Premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in late August last year, was released in the USA on 22nd December, is scheduled for release in the UK on 26th January, has garnered critical acclaim and has so far grossed US$866K at the Box Office. One night in his near-empty London tower block, screenwriter Adam (Andrew Scott) has a chance encounter with mysterious neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal), puncturing the rhythm of his everyday life. As a relationship develops between them, Adam finds himself drawn back to his childhood home, where his parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy) appear to be living just as they were on the day they died 30 years ago.

'PRISCILLA' (Rated M) - is an American biographical drama film Written, Directed and Co-Produced by Sofia Coppola, and is based on the 1985 memoir 'Elvis and Me' by Priscilla Presley (who serves as an Executive Producer here) and Sandra Harmon. Sofia Coppola's prior feature film credits take in her debut with 'The Virgin Suicides' in 1999 followed by 'Lost in Translation' in 2003, 'Marie Antoinette' in 2006, 'The Bling Ring' in 2013, 'The Beguiled' in 2017 and 'On the Rocks' in 2020. Here then, when teenage Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) meets Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) at a party, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments - a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a vulnerable best friend. Through Priscilla’s eyes, we see the unseen side of a great American myth in Elvis and Priscilla's long courtship and turbulent marriage, from a German army base to his dream-world estate at Graceland, in this story of love, fantasy, and fame that ultimately all came crashing down. The film saw its World Premiere at last years Venice International Film Festival in early September, was released in the US from late October, has received generally favourable reviews from critics and has so far grossed US$21.5M from a production budget of about US$20M.

'REWIND' (Rated M) - is a Filipino language romantic drama Sci-Fi film Directed by Mae Czarina Cruz who has been churning out Romantic Comedies or Romantic Dramas at a rate of one a year for the past fourteen years or so. Here, Mary (Marian Rivera) loves John (Dingdong Dantes) for as long as she can remember. But after years of marriage, John's priorities shift, leading to a strained relationship with Mary, which causes a tragic accident that takes away Mary's life. Until one day, John gets an extraordinary proposition - to rewind time and save the life of the woman he loves.

'THE JUNGLE BUNCH WORLD TOUR' (Rated PG) - this French 3D computer animated Superhero comedy film is based on the animated series 'The Jungle Bunch', and is a sequel to the 2017 film 'The Jungle Bunch'. Directed by Benoit Somville, Yannick Moulin and Laurent Bru, here a vicious beaver blankets the jungle with a dangerous pink substance that explodes when coming into contact with water. With the rainy season approaching, the miscellaneous team of animals will have to travel the world from the North Pole to the Far East, crossing mountains, deserts and oceans in search of an antidote, far from their favourite jungle! 

With five new release movie offerings 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 at your local Odeon in the coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-