SUPERMAN : Tuesday 15th July 2025.

I saw the long awaited, eagerly anticipated and much hyped M Rated 'SUPERMAN' earlier this week, and this American Superhero film is based on the much loved DC Comics character of Superman/Clark Kent, and is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by James Gunn, who in October 2022 became the new Co-CEO of DC Studios with Peter Safran. This is the second reboot of the 'Superman' film series following on from the DC Extended Universe which kicked off with 'Man of Steel' in 2013, then 'Batman v. Superman : Dawn of Justice' in 2016 and 'Justice League' in 2017 with Henry Cavill playing the titular role in all three outings. This film is set to be the first film of the DCU's Chapter One : Gods and Monsters, cost US$225M to produce, was released internationally from last week, has so far grossed US$262M at the global Box Office and has generated positive critical reviews. 

The film opens telling us that three thousand years ago the first metahumans arrived on Earth. Then thirty years ago, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van sent their infant son Kal-El to Earth to escape the destruction of their home planet, Krypton. Raised as Clark Kent by adoptive human parents Jonathan (Pruitt Taylor Vince) and Martha Kent (Neva Howell) in Smallville, Kansas, the Kryptonian gains incredible powers from the Earth's yellow Sun. Inspired to heroism by Jor-El and Lara's farewell message, the latter half of which was badly damaged on the journey, Clark introduced himself as Superman (David Corenswet), the most powerful metahuman on Earth, to the world three years ago. Clark maintains his secret identity and a job as a reporter for the Daily Planet newspaper in Metropolis, where he works with Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) who is in a relationship with Clark and aware of his secret identity, and Perry White (Wendell Pierce) the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet.

Three weeks earlier, Superman had prevented an invasion by Boravia, an ally of the USA, of its neighbouring country, Jarhanpur. Billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) assures General Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) and others in the US government, who begin to wonder if Superman might in fact be a threat, that he can kill Superman if necessary, but the government officials stave off that threat . . . for now. Then, three minutes ago Superman loses his first fight against the mysterious 'Hammer of Boravia', who states Superman's involvement in the war as the reason for his attack. However, unbeknownst to the world, the Hammer is actually Ultraman, who is controlled by Luthor using a series of drones. 

Krypto, a superpowered dog being looked after by Superman, takes the badly injured Superman who landed with a thud badly beaten, bruised, and with a few broken bones and ruptured internal organs in the frozen depth of Antarctica. Krypto drags Superman back to his Fortress of Solitude in Antarctica, where he is healed almost back to full strength by his trusted team of robots with concentrated solar radiation. Luthor later secretly invades the fortress alongside Ultraman and the Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria), steals the farewell message from Jor-El and Lara and decodes it in its entirety, before abducting Krypto.

As Superman and the 'Justice Gang' - a team of metahuman heroes consisting Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), take on a giant fire breathing kaiju trampling through Metropolis that was created by Luthor as a diversion. At the same time Luthor broadcasts the entire decoded Kryptonian message to the world. 

To Superman's horror, in the second half of the message, his parents urge him to conquer Earth, take as many wives as needed to restore the Kryptonian race, and to stamp out those who stand in his way. Needless to say, public opinion very quickly turns on Superman. Lois Lane even begins having doubts, and so he voluntarily surrenders to the government for questioning, and because of Superman's power, Flag gives custody of the hero to Luthor. 

Luthor imprisons Superman in his artificial pocket universe where he incarcerates his enemies, including Krypto and the metahuman Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan, as a man made of four elements who could change himself, or part of himself, into any chemical compound in the universe). Using Metamorpho's baby son Joey as a hostage, Luthor forces him to create Kryptonite to render Superman powerless, which he does. Luthor's brainless blonde bimbo girlfriend Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio), who is also infatuated with Jimmy, reveals that Luthor secretly backs Boravia in return for half of Jarhanpur's territory, providing photographic evidence of the plot before being imprisoned herself, also within the pocket universe.

Luthor interrogates Superman at his lowest ebb using Malik Ali (Dinesh Thyagarajan), a felafel cart vendor and one of Superman's supporters, as a hostage and playing Russian Roulette with him, before shooting his brains out on the second spin of his revolver.  This prompts a horrified Metamorpho to help Superman escape, and the two free Joey and Krypto. 

Lois convinces Mister Terrific to help find Superman, and they enter the pocket universe, ultimately rescuing the heroes and taking Superman to the Kent farm in rural Kansas to recover. Furious at Superman's escape, Luthor has his team increase the pocket universe reactor's power to coax Superman out, creating a rift that begins to tear across the city, destroying everything in its path and dividing the city in two.

Meanwhile Green Lantern, Metamorpho, and Hawkgirl arrive at the Boravian and Jarhanpur border and prevent a second invasion from happening by taking out a seemingly far superior and heavily armed Boravian army. Superman and Mister Terrific battle the Engineer and Ultraman as the growing rift rapidly approaches Metropolis. Hawkgirl fatally drops Vasil Ghurkos (Zlatko Buric), the President of Boravia who is in cahoots with Luthor, from a great height, killing him outright. After defeating the Engineer, Superman unmasks Ultraman (David Corenswet), revealing him to be a clone of himself. Luthor is so intent on defeating Superman that he refuses to close the rift, which further splits the city in half. Superman and Ultraman engage in a long standoff within the depths of the rift, with Superman overcoming Ultraman (aided by Krypto who takes out all of the drones that allows Luthor to control him) by trapping him inside a bus being pulled into a black hole below the rift. Superman and Mister Terrific go to the LuthorCorp headquarters to shut down the reactor, so closing the rift. The Justice Gang is celebrated as heroes alongside their newest member Metamorpho. In the meantime Lois and Jimmy type up an exclusive editorial piece with White's blessing, revealing Luthor's real intentions to the global media, so clearing Superman's name.

Luthor and his cohorts are all arrested, but not before Krypto has had a very long overdue go at Luthor leaving him bashed, bruised and with a few scrapes, and everyone trapped in his pocket universe are freed, including Eve, who runs and jumps into Jimmy's arms. Later, as Superman recovers from his injuries at the Fortress of Solitude, his cousin Kara Zor-El aka 'Supergirl' (Milly Alcock) drunkenly returns to pick up Krypto. To relax during the healing process, he watches footage of his childhood memories in Smallville growing up with Jonathan and Martha as his parents on their farm in Kansas. 

Remain in your seat for the very unconvincing mid-credits sequence single shot of Superman and Krypto sat side by side on the Moon looking back at Earth, which looks as though they are sat on a soccer ball (such that you can see the complete curvature of the Moon), with the Earth only about 5,000 miles away! And there's also an end credits scene, which the die hard fans may want to hold out for. 

Since James Gunn took the helm of the DC Studios with Co-CEO Peter Safran, expectations have been very high for this first instalment in the new DC Universe, and it must be said that Writer and Director Gunn does not disappoint. Here he has crafted a very engaging and entertaining film that at once has something to say about the political climate of today, has an emotional heartbeat at its core, is a welcome nod back to the comic books upon which this character is based, does not take itself too seriously, has some real moments of levity and humour, and is greater than the sum of its parts. The action set pieces which come thick and fast are well rendered, albeit do tend to drag on just a tad too long. The performances from David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult are top notch, with the former harking back to the days when Christopher Reeve first burst onto our screens way back in 1978, and the latter portraying the megalomaniacal domineering and relentless scientific genius who has designs on ruling over a country taken by force for his own political gain (sound familiar in 2025 anyone?), with such conviction to make him relatable and believable. If 'Superman' as the first film in the new DCU sets the standard by which all future DCU films follow, then the folks at the MCU had better think seriously about lifting their game.

'Superman' warrants four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 17th July 2025

This years Fantasia International Film Festival marks its 29th edition running from Wednesday 16th July through until Sunday 3rd August in the Canadian city of Montreal, Quebec. Fantasia is a cultural and professional destination point, and since its first edition, the festival’s ever-growing popularity has attracted the attention of the international film industry alongside a legion of attendees from across the world. Every facet of the filmmaking chain is increasingly represented with in-person delegates at the festival, from Directors, Actors, Producers, studio representatives, distributors and festival programmers, who get to experience the legendarily enthusiastic, taste-making audience of Fantasia. Since its beginnings, the Fantasia International Film Festival has explored the diverse realms of genre cinema, creating bridges between the cutting edge and the mainstream, and providing a festive but professional environment where emerging artists are given exposure alongside their more established counterparts, both locally and internationally, whilst showcasing the best in Canadian and world cinema, so reads the official website.

The Opening Night feature film is 'Eddington' Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Ari Aster. In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and mayor (Pedro Pascal) sparks a powder keg as neighbour is pitted against neighbour in Eddington, New Mexico. Also featuring Austin Butler, Emma Stone, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O'Connell, Michael Ward and Clifton Collins Jr. The Closing Night film presentation is the adult animated comedy film 'Fixed' Co-Written and Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky. Here, Bull (voiced by Adam DeVine), an average, all-round good bloodhound dog who discovers he's going to be neutered in the morning! As the gravity of this life-altering event sets in, Bull realises he needs one last adventure with his pack of best friends as these are the last 24 hours with his balls! What could possibly go wrong...? Also starring the voice talents of Idris Elba, Kathryn Hahn, Fred Armisen and Bobby Moynihan.

The Cheval Noir Competition is Fantasia's flagship juried competition, a global selection of varied genre works from new and established groundbreaking and unconventional auteurs. This year there are thirteen feature films in this competitive section, and these are given below :-

* 'Blank Canvas : My So-Called Artist's Journey' - from Japan, and this drama comedy film is Directed by Kazuaki Seki. 

* 'The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin' - from Indonesia and this horror offering is Directed by Hadrah Daeng Ratu.

* 'Cielo' - from the UK and Bolivia and this drama fantasy film is Written and Directed by Alberto Sciamma.

* 'The Forbidden City' - from Italy and this dramatic romantic action film is Directed by Gabriele Mainetti.

* 'I Fell in Love with a Z-Grade Director in Brooklyn' - from Japan and this comedy romance is Written and Directed by Kenichi Ugana.

* 'I Live Here Now' - from the USA and this thriller is Written and Directed by Julie Pacino. World Premiere.

* 'Mother of Flies' - from the USA and this dramatic horror fantasy feature is Directed by John Adams, Zelda Adams and Toby Poser. World Premiere.

* 'New Group' - from Japan and this horror film is Co-Written and Directed by Yuta Shimotsu.

* 'Stinker' - from Kazakhstan and this comedy Sci-Fi offering is Co-Written and Directed by Yerden Telemissov. 

* 'Terrestrial' - from the USA and this thriller comedy film is Directed by Steve Pink. World Premiere.

* 'The Verdict' - from South Korea and Indonesia and this drama thriller is Directed by Lee Chang-hee and Yusron Fuadi. World Premiere.

* 'The Well' - from Canada and this thriller offering is Co-Produced and Directed by Hubert Davis. World Premiere.

* 'The Woman' - from South Korea and this thriller film is Co-Written and Directed by Hwang Wook. World Premiere.

The Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award will be presented to Danny Elfman, who as a renowned film composer, his name merits mention in the same breath as Hermann, Morricone, Rota, and Barry. Danny Elfman has a particular perch among the pantheon, however, as the patron saint of movie music for the freaks, geeks, monster kids, and misfits among us - the very souls that haunt the darkened halls of Fantasia. Over the last forty years since his first feature film score, Elfman has set the mood, musically, for not only Tim Burton with whom he has collaborated on many films, but for a veritable honour roll of genre-film titans.

For the full synopsis of the aforementioned films, plus the other feature feature film strands, and the short film section, plus a whole bunch of other great stuff, you can visit the official website at : https://fantasiafestival.com/en

With just three new release movies coming to a big screen Odeon close to your home this week, we kick off with an American slasher horror offering that is the fourth film in this franchise and a sequel to the 1998 film, and here we find a group of friends who are terrorised by a stalker who knows about a gruesome incident from their recent past that the group would rather keep hidden. Then we turn to an American black comedy about a suburban dad who falls hard for his charismatic new neighbour, but his attempts to make an adult male friend soon threatens to ruin both of their lives. And closing out the week we have a French biopic about a French Actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who is at the height of her fame - an icon of her time and the world's first star, who is also a passionate, free-spirited and modern woman who defies conventions.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three 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 coming week.

'I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER' (Rated MA15+) - this American slasher film is Co-Written and Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, whose two prior feature film Directing offerings are 'Someone Great' in 2019 and 'Do Revenge' in 2022. This film is a sequel to 1998's 'I Still Know What You Did Last Summer' and the fourth instalment in the 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' franchise. The third film in the series 'I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer' from 2006 did not get a cinema release instead going straight to a DVD release. The first two films therefore grossed a combined global Box Office take of US$210M against a total production budget of US$41M.

After five friends - Danica, Ava, Milo, Teddy and Stevie (Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers and Sarah Pidgeon respectively) inadvertently kill a pedestrian in a car accident, they cover up their involvement to avoid consequences. A year later, as they try to move on with their lives, a stalker sends them taunting messages about their crime. Realising that the stalker is imitating a legendary serial killer, they seek help from survivors of the Southport massacre of 1997, Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jnr.). The film is released Stateside this week too.

'FRIENDSHIP' (Rated M) - is an American black comedy film Written and Directed by Andrew DeYoung in his feature film making debut, although he has a whole stack of Directorial credits for TV series and short films. Here, suburban dad Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson), a socially awkward marketing executive who obsessively yearns to be friends with his new neighbour Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd), a charismatic but unfulfilled weatherman, but his attempts to make an adult male friend soon threatens to ruin both of their lives. The film had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September last year as part of the festival's Midnight Madness section, and was released in the US in late May. It has received positive reviews from critics, and has so far grossed US$16M. Also starring Kate Mara as Craig's wife, Tami and Jack Dylan Grazer as Craig's son, Steven.

'THE DIVINE SARAH BERNHARDT' (Rated MA15+) - this French and Belgian Co-Produced romantic biographical film is Directed by Guillaume Nicloux. Sarah Bernhardt (Sandrine Kiberlain), dubbed 'La Divine', became the first global celebrity. The acclaimed stage Actress broke social conventions through her bold character, leaving an indelible mark thanks to her daring personality and dramatic acting performances. The films depicts her long love affair with Actor Lucien Guitry (Laurent Lafitte) and her encounters with many famous people over three time periods in 1886, 1896 and 1916. She lived from 1844 until 1923 and died at the age of 78. The film was released in its native France in mid-December last year and has so far grossed US$3.1M.

With just three 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 week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

JURASSIC WORLD : REBIRTH : Tuesday 8th July 2025

I saw the M Rated 'JURASSIC WORLD : REBIRTH' at my local multiplex earlier this week, and this American science fiction action film is Directed by Gareth Edwards whose previous feature film credits take in his Directorial debut in 2010 with 'Monsters' which he would follow up with 'Godzilla' in 2014, 'Rogue One : A Star Wars Story' in 2016, and 'The Creator' in 2023. This film is a standalone sequel to 2022's 'Jurassic World Dominion' the fourth 'Jurassic World' film and the seventh instalment overall in the 'Jurassic Park' franchise. The first six films in the series have grossed at the worldwide Box Office a total of US$6,076B against combined production budgets of US$1,143B - so long live the dinosaurs! The film was released in the US last week too, cost US$180M to produce, has so far grossed US$391M worldwide and has garnered mixed critical reviews.

The film opens seventeen years ago on the remote Atlantic Ocean island of Saint Hubert in a research laboratory owned and operated by InGen in which the scientists experiment on the creation of mutated dinosaurs. One such creation is a deformed six-limbed tyrannosaur called a  'Distortus Rex' that escapes containment, kills an employee and wreaks havoc, forcing the facility personnel to abandon the lab and flee the island leaving it deserted. We then fast forward seventeen years later and learn that the Earth's climate and ecology has proven largely inhospitable to sustain the de-extinct animals, and they are forced to reside in a band around the Equator, which is more akin to the climate in which their pre-historic ancestors lived and thrived. That area around the Equator is now marked as no-travel zones to anyone and everyone by international law.

Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), an executive at pharmaceutical giant ParkerGenix, recruits Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), an ex-military covert operative, to work with paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) on a top-secret mission to retrieve biomaterial samples from the three largest remaining prehistoric specimens, which hold the key to a new heart disease treatment. The kicker is that these three samples must be retrieved from live dinosaur specimens. In a bar in Suriname, Zora recruits her longtime friend Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) to lead the expedition, and to provide the boat and the crew to get them to the island. He brings boat driver LeClerc (Bechir Sylvain), mercenary Nina (Philippine Velge), and the security chief Bobby Atwater (Ed Skrein).

They set out to Saint Hubert Island to extract samples from the aquatic Mosasaurus, the land based Titanosaurus, and avian Quetzalcoatlus. They track the Mosasaurus, which has shipwrecked a family sailing in the mid-Atlantic Ocean in the no-travel zone - Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), his older daughter Teresa (Luna Blaise) and her boyfriend Xavier (David Iacono) and Reuben's younger daughter Isabella (Audrina Miranda). Duncan is intent on rescuing the family which is in the opposite direction of the island much to the displeasure of Martin and Bobby. 

With the family safely on board, Zora successfully extracts a sample from the Mosasaur. However, it returns with a group of Spinosaurus and attacks the ship, killing Bobby and Nina in the process. Teresa in a state of panic tries to alert the Coast Guard with a May Day call but Martin attempts to prevent her from radioing, to protect the mission's utmost secrecy, then refuses to help her when she and the Delgado's fall overboard. The Mosasaur forces the ship aground, stranding the team on the island, with the family becoming separated from the original ship's crew. Now on foot and trudging through the jungle, Zora informs the remaining crew that she engaged a rescue helicopter to circle the island at sundown the next day.

Zora successfully extracts the second sample from a Titanosaurus and the third and final sample from a Quetzalcoatlus egg, by abseiling down a sheer rock wall to access its nest located in a cave. Dr. Henry and Zora become trapped inside the cave when the adult Quetzalcoatlus returns to its nest, but is distracted by  LeClerc who ultimately is devoured by the giant winged beast. 

Meanwhile, the Delgado's are stranded elsewhere and search for the 'village'. They encounter various dinosaurs along the way including an infant Aquilops, which Isabella adopts and names Dolores, a Dilophosaurus feeding on the corpse of a Parasaurolophus and a sleeping Tyrannosaurus Rex, which awakens and chases the Delgados down a fast flowing river in an inflatable raft.

The Delgado's and the expedition group reunite at the abandoned laboratory for their planned helicopter extraction. Teresa confronts Martin for attacking her on the boat, and leaving her at the mercy of the ocean and the Spinosaurs. The group questions Martin about the attack and he pulls a gun on them, steals the samples from Zora, cuffs the case to his hand and attempts to flee to the helipad. A pack of mutated raptor/pterosaur hybrids, dubbed 'Mutadons' descends on the survivors who by now have taken refuge in a network of underground tunnels that ultimately lead to the harbour, to escape.

The rescue helicopter arrives and circles for two minutes as instructed to do so by Zora, but sees no sign of life so begins to leave. Henry lights a flare, which is seen by the retreating helicopter and it doubles back, but is destroyed by the Distortus Rex, which then turns on Martin and devours him, as the sample case is flung away and lands close to Zora with Martin's arm still attached. The survivors come to a locked gate at the end of the underground tunnel, and discover a motor boat on the other side. 

The D. Rex awaits outside by the boat, and the raptor/pterosaur hybrids are stalking them in the tunnels. Isabella is the only survivor small enough to fit through the gate, and she unlocks it. The group load themselves onto the boat, while Duncan diverts the D. Rex away using a flare, but Zora fears for his life when the flare is extinguished in the near distance.

Zora, Henry, Reuben, Teresa, Xavier and Isabella narrowly escape the D. Rex in the boat when a flare beams out across the night sky. Duncan is still alive wading out through the water and Reuben turns the boat to retrieve him. With the boat now skimming across the ocean and with samples in hand, Henry asks Zora what her intentions are now that she has possession. Zora and Henry agree to distribute the new medication without a patent, making it open-source for the whole world to take full advantage of.

What Gareth Edwards has delivered here is a fairly formulaic by the numbers dino offering that does hark back in some ways to the original 'Jurassic Park' film, and yet it still treads almost the same path as the majority of instalments that have gone before. And that is that a bunch of guys and gals venture into largely unknown dino territory on some sort of expedition and the bad guys (and you know who they are from the get go) all get chomped on and spat out, and the good guys come back victorious ready for the next film in the series. So it is here, and the script writers have here pushed the boundaries of what might seem fair and reasonable to the average movie goer too. That said Scarlett Johansson delivers an admirable performance as do the principle cast, and Gareth Edwards knows how to ramp up the action set pieces, which I guess is the main reason why you go to see a movie that features prehistoric dinosaur versus human interaction writ large, and on that note 'Jurassic World : Rebirth' delivers.

'Jurassic World : Rebirth' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 10th July 2025

The 37th Galway Film Fleadh this year takes place from Tuesday 8th July through until Sunday 13th July, and is a week-long international film festival that takes place every July on the western edge of Europe in Galway, Ireland. Founded in 1989 as a platform for Irish filmmakers to exhibit their work to their peers, the central goal of the Galway Film Fleadh remains unchanged - to be a platform for the boldest new films, and to bring audiences & filmmakers from around the world together, to celebrate our shared passion for film. The festival welcomes a diversity of filmmaking from all around the world, crossing all generations and cultural backgrounds, bringing luminaries of the craft and everyday cinephiles together to share in the wonder of cinema - so reads the official website.

This years Opening Night Film presentation is 'Re-Creation' Written and Directed by David Merriman and Jim Sheridan and starring Vicky Krieps, Jim Sheridan, Aiden Gillen, Colm Meaney and John Connors. This docudrama tells the true story of the 1996 murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier at her vacation home in West Cork, and remains one of Ireland’s most shocking unsolved crimes. Ian Bailey was investigated by Irish authorities but never tried in Ireland, despite being convicted in absentia in France. 

The World Cinema Competition features films from Colombia, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Lebanon, South Korea, the UK, and Finland, and comprises eight films that have screened and won awards at Tribeca, Berlin, TIFF and other notable festivals. Those eight films are :-

* 'Khartoum' - from Sudan, UK, Germany and Qatar and Directed by Phil Cox, Anas Saeed, Snoopy Ahmed, Timeea Ahmed and Rawia AlHag. In 2022, four Sudanese filmmakers, along with a British Writer-Director began filming the lives and dreams of five very different citizens in Khartoum.

* 'Eel' - from Taiwan and Written and Directed by Chun-Teng Chu. On the outskirts of Taipei lies an isolated island, a place where time and memory dissolve into mist. Here, a mysterious young woman appears. When a young man later arrives, their lives intertwine, unravelling mysteries of longing, belonging, and transformation.

* 'The Blue Trail' - from Brazil, Mexico, Chile and the Netherlands and Directed by Gabriel Mascaro. Tereza, 77, has lived her whole life in a small industrialised town in the Amazon, until one day she receives an official government order to relocate to a senior housing colony. The colony is an isolated area where the elderly are brought to 'enjoy' their final years. Instead, she embarks on a transformative journey through the rivers and tributaries of the Amazon - a decision that will change her destiny forever.

* 'The Cowboy' - from Colombia and Australia, and Written and Directed by Emma Rozanski. Bernicia works in the ticket kiosk of a national park, doing odd jobs and loyally contributing to her family. One day, she finds a lost horse, and her life becomes profoundly connected to the animal. She experiences a great transformation – slowly channelling the persona of a cowboy.

* 'The Jacket' - from the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Lebanon and Directed by Mathijs Poppe. What begins as an intimate portrait of Jamal Hindawi - a Palestinian artist doing political theatre in Beirut’s Shatila refugee camp - transforms into a captivating journey. We discover a Lebanon rarely seen, one where hope persists despite hardship, and where community transcends crisis.           * 'Welded Together' - from France, the Netherlands and Belgium and Written and Directed by Anastasiya Miroshnichenko. Katya is a young woman who works as a welder. Abandoned as a little girl, she embarks on a personal journey to reunite with her lost family - to weld it back together, just like she welds metal at work.

* 'Mother of Snow Cranes' - from Finland and Written and Directed by Iiris Harma. Over 90 years old, Ellen Vuosalo has lived many lives. First as a Finnish immigrant in Canada, then as an American citizen and student of zoology at UCLA, and finally as a Mother of Cranes in Iran.

* 'Winter in Sokcho' - from France and South Korea and Co-Written and Directed by Koya Kamura. In Sokcho, a small seaside village in South Korea, Soo-Ha lives in a bit of a rut, rhythmed by visits to her mother, a fishmonger, and her relationship with her boyfriend, Jun-Ho. When a French man named Yan Kerrand arrives in the boarding house where Soo-Ha works, it awakens questions within her about her own identity, and that of her French father, of whom she knows almost nothing.

* 'Dragonfly' - from the UK and Written and Directed by Paul Andrew Williams. The story of two neighbours who strike up an unlikely friendship, not always to the approval of others around them. Seeing the lack of care that her elderly neighbour Elsie is receiving from so-called professionals, Coleen takes it upon herself to care for her, finally finding meaning and purpose in life. When her motivations are brought into question, a tragic sequence of events leads to a shocking, and devastating end. Starring Brenda Blethyn and Andrea Riseborough.

For the full details of the other film strands being showcased at this years Galway Film Festival, and a whole lot of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : https://www.galwayfilmfleadh.com/

Looking ahead then to this weeks five hot new release movies coming to a big screen Odeon near you, we kick off with the much anticipated first film in the DCU's Chapter One that sees this Superhero reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with that of his adoptive human family in rural Kansas. Then we have an American true crime action thriller about a father and son who identify as Sovereign Citizens, a group of anti-government extremists, who find themselves in a standoff with a Chief of Police that sets off a manhunt. Next up is a horror story about two boys who have spent their lives under the strict and overprotective rule of their father, unaware of his dark past, they struggle to understand his paranoia and increasingly erratic behaviour. This is followed by a RomCom that sees cultures collide when an introverted doctor brings his white boyfriend home to meet his traditional East Indian family; before closing out the week with a famous Japanese chef who decides to open a restaurant in Paris, seeking a third Michelin star, only to face challenges as outsider, including the sourcing of ingredients.

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 coming week.

'SUPERMAN' (Rated M) - this much hyped eagerly awaited American Superhero film is based on the much loved DC Comics character of Superman/Clark Kent, and is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by James Gunn, who in October 2022 became the new Co-CEO of DC Studios with Peter Safran. This is the second reboot of the 'Superman' film series following on from the DC Extended Universe which kicked off with 'Man of Steel' in 2013, then 'Batman v. Superman : Dawn of Justice' in 2016 and 'Justice League' in 2017 with Henry Cavill playing the titular role in all three outings. This film is set to be the first film of the DCU's Chapter One : Gods and Monsters, cost US$225M to produce and is released internationally from this week. 

Superman (David Corenswet) must reconcile his alien Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing in Smallville, Kansas as reporter Clark Kent. As the embodiment of truth, justice and the human way he soon finds himself in a world that views these as old-fashioned. Also starring Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Wendell Pierce as Perry White and Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as Jonathan and Martha Kent respectively. 

'SOVEREIGN' (Rated CTC) - is an American crime action thriller that is Written and Directed by Christian Swegal in his feature film making debut. Based off the events surrounding the West Memphis Police shootings in 2010 during which two Police Officers were shot multiple times and killed during a random traffic stop, the film follows a father  Jerry Kane (Nick Offernan) and his son Joe Kane (Jacob Tremblay) who identify as Sovereign Citizens, a group of anti-government extremists, as they venture across the country and find themselves in a standoff with a Chief of Police John Bouchart (Dennis Quaid) that sets off an intense manhunt with tragic consequences. Also starring Nancy Travis, Martha Plimpton and Thomas Mann. This film is released Stateside this week too.

'ABRAHAM'S BOYS : A DRACULA STORY' (Rated CTC) - this UK and US Co-Produced horror film is Co-Written and Directed by Natasha Kermani whose prior feature film credits are 'Shattered' in 2017, 'Imitation Girl' also in 2017 and 'Lucky' in 2020. This film follows the story of Abraham Van Helsing (Titus Welliver), and his family years after the fathers terrifying legacy with Dracula. In their new North American home, Abraham and his now wife, Mina (Jocelin Donahue), raise their two sons, Max (Brady Hepner) and Rudy (Judah Mackey). The family seems typical of the time, patriarchal, religious, tight-knit, but also emotionally cold and distant. When their haunting past creeps back into their lives, the Van Helsings’ secrets rise to the surface, forcing the boys to confront the terrifying legacy they were never meant to inherit.

'A NICE INDIAN BOY' (Rated M) - is an American RomCom Directed by Roshan Sethi in his third feature film offering following his debut in 2021 with '7 Days' and then 'World's Best' in 2023. The film follows Naveen (Karan Soni), an Indian-American doctor, who brings his fiance, Jay (Jonathan Groff), a white man and professional photographer adopted by Indian immigrant parents who have subsequently died, to meet his traditional family who must contend with accepting his white-orphan-artist boyfriend and helping them plan the Indian wedding of their dreams. The film saw its World Premiere screening at SXSW in mid-March 2024, was released in the US in early April this year, has so far grossed US$903K and has garnered universal critical acclaim. 

'GRAND MAISON PARIS' (Rated PG) - this Japanese film is Directed by Ayuko Tsukahara is a sequel to the television series 'La Grande Maison Tokyo' and its special episode 'La Grande Maison Tokyo Special'. Years after La Grande Maison Tokyo was awarded three Michelin stars, Natsuki Obana (Takuya Kimura) and Rinko Hayami (Kyoka Suzuki) open a new restaurant named Grande Maison Paris in Paris, the home of French cuisine. Obana's longtime dream was to win three Michelin stars in Paris. However, it is difficult to obtain satisfactory ingredients in a foreign country. After a failure at a prestigious gala dinner, Obana makes a promise to his former mentor that if he does not win the three Michelin stars, he will quit the restaurant and leave France. The cuisine is supervised by Kei Kobayashi, chef of Restaurant KEI, which actually won three Michelin stars in Paris. The film was released at the end of December last year, has generated largely favourable reviews and has so far grossed US$27M as at early March at the end of its theatrical run in Japan.

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 week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-