DARKEST HOUR : Saturday 27th January 2018.

I saw the highly lauded and critically acclaimed WWII British drama film 'DARKEST HOUR' at the weekend, as Directed by Joe Wright, whose previous Directorial credits include 2005's 'Pride & Prejudice', 2007's 'Atonement', 2011's 'Hanna' and 2012's 'Anna Karenina' amongst a few others. The film received its World Premier screening at the Telluride Film Festival in early September last year and was also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival later that same month. It went on wide release Stateside just before Christmas and in the UK and Australia earlier in January. The film cost US$30M to make and has so far grossed US$99M, picking up a swathe of awards along the way too including so far 29 wins and 60 other nominations including six Academy Award and nine BAFTA nominations yet to be determined. Most notably, Gary Oldman has so far received 23 Best Actor award wins from around the circuit for his convincing rendition as Winston Churchill . . . and counting!

The film takes place over just three weeks in May 1940. As the film opens up, the Nazi forces are advancing rapidly on Belgium, Holland and France leaving a trail of destruction and occupation behind them. In London's Houses of Parliament, the Labour Party Opposition Leader demands the resignation of the then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) because seemingly he doesn't have the wherewithal to protect the security of Britain from the advancing threat of Nazi Germany. Chamberlain advises his Conservative Party colleagues that he wants for Edward Wood, Lord Halifax (Stephen Dilate) as his successor, but Halifax declines citing that his time has not yet come. This leaves Chamberlain no option but to choose the only other candidate that the other parties will support in a Coalition Government, Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman). King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn) reluctantly invites Winston Churchill to form a new Government but states that it must include Neville Chamberlain (whom he is a supporter of) and Lord Halifax (whom he is close and trusted friend of). Secretly King George wants Halifax to be Prime Minister.

Going into Parliament for his inaugural speech Churchill is already on the back foot with many of his political peers. His track record is not so hot - the failed Gallipoli Campaign, his support of King Edward VIII during his abdication crisis, his opposition of Indian self-government, and that he twice has 'crossed the floor' already. His first speech does not garner much support, and his point blank refusal to negotiate with Hitler on peace talks also incites the ire of many who see this as the only solution to avoid annihilation.

He firmly believes that the Germans can't be trusted, and so he meets with the recently sworn in French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud, in which Churchill discounts any claims that the Allied Forces are staring down the barrel of defeat in the Battle for France. Halifax and Chamberlain agree that France is losing their battle against the Nazi's, and the surrender of Holland and Belgium is already looming ever closer. They try to persuade Churchill to engage with an Italian Ambassador who will act as the go between in peace talks between he and Hitler.  Halifax and Chamberlain plan to resign from office if Churchill refuses to enter into peace talks with Germany, which would result in a vote of no confidence so paving the way for Halifax to become Prime Minister. Churchill goes live on radio with a broadcast stating that all is not lost in France and the Allied Forces are pushing back against the German War Machine and that everyone at home can rest easy in their beds (or words to that effect!).

Meanwhile, with the advancing Germans well into French territory, the might of the British Armed Forces is forced back into a very tight corner at Dunkirk and Calais. Acting against the advice of his War Cabinet, Churchill orders that 4,000 holed up soldiers in Calais distract the German forces away from Dunkirk in order that they can be evacuated from the beach there. It means potentially sacrificing the 4,000 Calais contingent into a suicide mission in order that 300,000 British soldiers can be rescued. A prospect that does not sit well with Halifax or Chamberlain, but Churchill has little alternative in such desperate circumstances.

He initiates 'Operation Dynamo', launching a flotilla of countless small pleasure craft and motor boats and yachts to head to Dunkirk across the English Channel with all haste to rescue the British troops trapped there. This incidentally was the very subject of Christopher Nolan's excellent 'Dunkirk' film of last year, which explored the evacuation from three perspectives - the land, the sea and the air, and Joe Wright also covered the Dunkirk evacuation in his earlier film 'Atonement'. As news filters through that Belgium has surrendered, and in all likelihood France will do so very soon too, Churchill calls US President Franklin D. Roosevelt for assistance with a number of war ships to help defend Britain from the German onslaught which now appears to be imminent. Roosevelt however, declines, citing that his hands are tied by a series of Acts passed in the 1930's preventing the United States from entering into costly disputes with far away nations.

The defeat in France, the ongoing evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk which had yet to be proven successful, and the rising probability of a German invasion onto British soil results in the War Cabinet overwhelmingly voting for a peaceful negotiation with Hitler, with certain conditions attached including that Britain shall remain independent. One evening, King George VI unexpectedly visits Churchill, and pledges his support in fighting the Germans at all costs. King George had thought long and hard about fleeing Britain for Canada to rule in exile from there in the event of a German invasion, but decided against that notion. Spurred on by the King's commitment of support, Churchill  does something he has never done before. He takes a London Underground Tube ride to Westminster. Between stations he talks to members of the British public about their mood, and their preparedness to live potentially under German rule. Overwhelmingly, the men and women, old and young that he talks to, agree to fight, rejecting all notions of a peaceful negotiation and surrender.

Arriving at Westminster to address Parliament, Churchill first gathers his Outer Cabinet and any other hangers on, to seek their support to reject any further discussions about a negotiated peace, but rather to stand up and fight. All those gathered offer their agreement. Before going into Parliament to hear Churchill's address, Halifax demands of Chamberlain his commitment to continue with their plan to dispose him.  Chamberlain, stalls and is having second thoughts, saying to wait until after the Prime Minster has spoken.

Churchill stirs Parliament with a rousing speech that culminates with 'We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and . . . ' At this, and with rapturous applause from the stalls and gallery, Chamberlain forgoes his plan to depose of Churchill, leaving Halifax rejected. Churchill departs. It is the 4th June 1940, and Churchill remains Prime Minister for the remaining five years of WWII until the Allies declare Victory over Germany in May 1945, but he was unsuccessful in securing a further term in the General Election held in July 1945. Chamberlain died of cancer in November 1940, and Halifax was offered a posting to become the Ambassador to the United States. The Dunkirk Evacuation under Operation Dynamo, was a huge success rescuing some 340,000 troops using a flotilla of some 800 civilian boats.

Kristin Scott Thomas also stars at Clementine Churchill, the rock behind Winston, and Lily James as Elizabeth Layton, the Secretary to Churchill, who joins him on his first day in office as Prime Minister.

This is Gary Oldman's film without doubt. He chews up every scene in which he appears either sucking on his trademark cigar or sipping a large Scotch or both - no matter what time of day or night, or what the circumstance may be. The accolades bestowed upon him are well deserved as he adds gravitas to the character and delivers a nuanced performance whether its his laconic sense of humour, the moments of self doubt, his mood swings, the intimate times with his wife and immediate family, his intelligence shining through in times of crisis, or his ability to wordsmith with the best orators in the land. And Joe Wright has delivered too another highly polished offering combining historical fact and fiction into an engrossing film that captures the look, feel and mood of Britain at this pivotal moment in history. Don't go into this film expecting all the action of Nolan's 'Dunkirk' - here the action is largely confined to a war of words and emotion that Churchill was renowned for, and for standing his ground even though all those others around him were trying to topple him. A film perhaps best suited to those mature enough to remember the war years or our school history lessons or those from that era, and less so for the millennials that may find the film too labouring, not enough action, and less than relevant in their world of today. If you don't see this film for any reason other than Gary Oldman's performance, then that is good enough reason.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

DUNKIRK : Monday 24th July 2017.

I saw 'DUNKIRK' in its 70mm format in one of only 159 cinemas worldwide showcasing this film in this way, and I'd have to say, that this is the only way to see this film! Back in the early '90's Christopher Nolan and his future wife, movie Producer and film collaborator Emma Thomas, were sailing across the English Channel to Dunkirk, when the young Writer and Director hit upon an idea for a film, about the evacuation of British armed forces from the war torn beaches of Dunkirk in mid-1940. He committed his idea to a 76 page Screenplay, and then put the whole idea on hold until such time as he had gained sufficient experience in making big epic blockbusting action film fare - the like of which he has more than proven he can do over the subsequent years. However, rather than making a film about the war time politics involving Churchill and his Generals; or showing the Germans on the beach head taking out allied forces with their strategically located gun placements; or paint this as a victory; or bring in Uncle Sam to save the day, he chose to make a film with an all English cast and from three perspectives - the air (involving Spitfire and Luftwaffe dog fights), the land (on the beaches of Dunkirk), and the sea (the evacuation of 400,000 troops by the Navy and any able bodied sea man who could steer a dinghy across the Channel to aid the rescue attempt).

And so armed with an ensemble cast of fine and lesser known English acting talent, Nolan has created a WWII action drama film where the dialogue is thin on the ground and there is no character backstory, instead allowing the suspense to come through the details and the authentic fact based story contained within the scenes. Nolan also made extensive use of practical effects - employing some six thousand extras, amassing a flotilla of boats that had participated in the real Dunkirk evacuation, and using genuine era-appropriate planes for aerial sequences. The film centres around the evacuation of British, French, Belgian and Canadian troops who are pinned down by German forces on the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, and their evacuation between 26th May and 4th June 1940 in what was known as 'Operation Dynamo'. The film Premiered in London on 13th July and was released worldwide last week, having cost US$100M to make it has so far grossed US$122M and has met largely with widespread acclaim.

The film is a triptych, with each separate clearly defined story overlapping through their engagement with the enemy while recounting the heroics, the ever present danger, the chaos and the gritty determination of everyday airmen, sea men, soldiers on the ground and the British general public in their concerted rescue attempts as they come under a constant barrage of attack by land, sea and air from the German forces. Told in a non-linear narrative style covering three different time periods - one on land covering a week and staged at one of two Moles protecting the outer harbour at Dunkirk from which ships were able to dock to evacuate the troops; one from the sea covering one day as the Royal Navy commandeer private boats to aid the rescue attempt across the English Channel; and one from the air covering one hour as a small squadron of three Spitfires fly across the Channel to provide air support to the men on the ground in Dunkirk. As the film opens up, an introductory text tells us that in 1940, after the invasion of France by Nazi Germany, thousands of Allied soldiers retreated to the French seaside town of Dunkirk. As the surrounding British perimeter shrinks, the soldiers await evacuation, a seemingly hopeless situation.

And so to the Mole, on land, where we meet young British Private Tommy (Fionn Whitehaed) who after a close encounter with German snipers survives and makes it behind Allied lines to the relative safety of Dunkirk beach and the amassed hordes of British and allied troops eagerly anticipating their imminent evacuation. There he meets Gibson (Aneurin Bernard) and the two stretcher an injured soldier across the beach to a waiting ship evacuating the wounded. The two lads are denied entry to the outgoing ship, but the injured man is carried aboard. Tommy and Gibson stow themselves away under the infrastructure of the Mole hoping to sneak abroad the next ship. German attack planes descend on the Mole, sinking the outgoing ship as it is about to leave the dock. In the chaos, the boys are thrown into the sea and save young Alex (Harry Styles) from being crushed as the ship sinks. They get on another boat later that night, but that is torpedoed by a German U-Boat and this time Gibson saves Tommy and Alex. The next day the three lads join a small group of Scottish soldiers who have spied a grounded fishing trawler further up the beach outside of the Allied perimeter. Hiding inside the vessel waiting for the tide to rise to refloat the boat, they are set upon by German soldiers who use the trawler for target practice shooting many holes in the boats hull, to the extent that when the boat does finally rise it lets in so much water that the men have to abandon it soon afterwards. As the vessel sinks, Gibson becomes entangled in some rigging and drowns. Alex and Tommy swim for a nearby minesweeper, but it is bombed and sinks. They are eventually picked up by Mr. Dawson's (Mark Rylance) boat in the vicinity of the sunken minesweeper that has been leaking oil heavily into the sea. They narrowly escape being engulfed in flames as a German plane is shot down and crashes into the sea in a ball of flame so igniting the oil slick. Mr. Dawson picks up a boat load of oil caked survivors and heads back for the white cliffs of England, and home.

Meanwhile on the Mole, Commander Bolton (Kenneth Branagh) has taken charge of the proceedings as the pier-master to coordinate the rescue and evacuation efforts. Together with Colonel Winnant (James D'Arcy) they discuss Churchill's rejection of Germany's offer for Britain to surrender and his commitment to see to it that 30,000 servicemen are evacuated, and that smaller civilian vessels had been ordered to aid the evacuation attempt to save the larger fleet for the defence of Britain. As the last vestiges of the British soldiers had been evacuated by a flotilla of smaller English boats of every size and description, so Winnant departs expecting Bolton to go with him. But stoically, Bolton stays behind stating that 300,000 British troops had been evacuated, and he would see to it that the French were next to be rescued.

To the sea, and Mr. Dawson does his duty to King and country without hesitation and sets of his motor cruiser (the 'Moonstone') with his son Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney) and teenage deck hand George (Barry Keoghan). Soon after departing into the English Channel they spot three Spitfire planes over head. The vessel shortly afterwards comes across a semi-sunken ship with a lone survivor sitting on the hull of the upturned vessel. They rescue him and welcome the bitterly cold soldier aboard (Cillian Murphy) who is clearly shell shocked. The soldier becomes very agitated when he learns that Dawson is heading to Dunkirk and not to England and demands that the boat be turned around immediately, saying that he cannot go back there for fear of certain death. A scuffle ensues, George is knocked below deck injuring himself badly and the soldier is ordered to sleep it off below deck. Dawson continues heading toward France. En route they witness a Spitfire ditch in the sea, and going to its rescue they haul out RAF Pilot Collins (Jack Lowden) who was about to drown in the cockpit of his rapidly sinking Spitfire. They then come across a stricken minesweeper under attack by a German bomber, and manoeuvre the vessel to take on soldiers fleeing the listing ship and spilling oil heavily into the sea - among them Tommy and Alex.

In the air, RAF Pilot Farrier (Tom Hardy) and two others - Collins and their Squadron Leader fly low over the English Channel to provide air support to the troops on the ground in Dunkirk. Along the way they encounter a Luftwaffe plane which shoots down the Squadron Leader. Farrier and Collins continue towards France monitoring their dwindling fuel supply regularly. In another mid-air skirmish the pair take out another German plane, but Collins has sustained damage to his Spitfire and is forced to ditch at sea. Farrier continues on regardless unaware of what the outcome was for his flying mate. Getting closer to France Farrier must switch to reserve fuel now. He then witnesses the bombing of the minesweeper and the sinking of the trawler on which Tommy and Alex managed to swim free. Reaching Dunkirk he takes out the German bomber aircraft that was hampering the evacuation attempts, so saving ships and lives in the process. He runs out of fuel and glides along the beach to the rapturous applause of the soldiers below, seeking a landing spot on the sand. He brings his aircraft down gently on the sand but outside of the Allied perimeter. He torches his plane and as it erupts in a ball of flame with him looking on, so he is taken prisoner by German soldiers.

'Dunkirk' adds another dimension to the history of war films in cinema just as 'Saving Private Ryan' did in 1998. Without getting bogged down in the political agenda of the WWII era, or the labouring back story of the principle cast, or the rights and wrongs as seen by either side, here Christopher Nolan has crafted a war film that is very much of a moment in time from the perspective not of heroes, but of everyday men responding to extraordinary circumstances in differing situations. We have young foot soldiers doing what they can to survive - run, hide, duck and weave; we have an ageing father doing his bit for his country to help bring his boys back home in their hour of need; we have a fighter pilot with a do or die attitude; and we have a naval commander who simply gets the job done with the minimal amount of fuss and then hangs back to do it all over again. Knowing the truth behind the Dunkirk evacuation makes this all the more a grounded story, backed up by strong performances, a stirring score by Hans Zimmer, and masterful Direction and Cinematography courtesy of Hoyte van Hoytema (who also worked with Nolan on 'Interstellar'). If I had any criticism it would be that the characters are emotionally bereft. They are all stoic, stiff upper lip, never say die middle class Englishmen with their focus squarely on the job at hand, and a such it's a little tough investing in them, and, in addition what of the role of women here - women in this film are banished to handing out cups of tea and jam sandwiches to evacuating troops below decks, but history tells us that they had more important roles to play! All that said, the film is rousing, stirring, uniquely realised, and totally immersive, and a must see on the biggest screen you can possibly find, and ideally in 70mm.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 20th July 2017.

Over the last three weeks I have brought you my pick of the movies to watch out for during the latter half of 2017. In wrapping up this feature, how could we walk past the animated family friendly feature films also slated for release between now and December? Here they are - check on firm release dates and classifications as advertised, nearer the time.
* 20th August : 'Batman and Harley Quinn' - Directed by Sam Liu and Produced through Warner Bros. Animation, this will be seen in selected cinemas for one night only before its digital release the next day and home-video and DVD shortly thereafter. Starring Kevin Conroy as Batman, Loren Lester as Nightwing and Melissa Rauch as Harley Quinn.
* 14th September : 'Captain Underpants : The First Epic Movie' - Directed by David Soren and Produced by DreamWorks Animation, this was released in the US in early June, and is based on the popular Dav Pikey series of kids books. Starring Ed Helms as Captain Underpants, with Kevin Hart, Thomas Middleditch, Nick Kroll and Jordan Peele.
* 14th September : 'The Emoji Movie' - Directed by Tony Leondis, and Produced by Sony Pictures Animation and starring T. J. Miller, James Cordon, Anna Faris, Sofia Vergara, Patrick Stewart and Christina Aguilera.
* 21st September : 'The Lego Ninjago Movie' - Directed by Charlie Bean and Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and stars Dave Franco, Justin Theroux, Michael Pena, Jackie Chan and Olivia Munn in this second spin off from 2014's 'The Lego Movie' and the first film based on an original Lego product.
* 19th October : 'The Son of Bigfoot' - Directed by Jeremy Degruson and Ben Stassen this French/Belgian Co-Production stars Cal Brunker, Joey Camen, Joe Thomas, Bob Barlen, and David Epstein.
* 2nd November : 'My Little Pony : The Movie' - Directed by Jayson Thiessen this Canadian/American Co-Production by Allspark Pictures and DHX Media, stars Emily Blunt, Sia, Taye Diggs, Zoe Saldana, Liev Schreiber and Michael Pena.
* 14th December : 'Ferdinand' - Directed by Carlos Saldanha and is Produced by Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox Animation and stars John Cena, Bobby Cannavale, David Tennant, Kate McKinnon and Gina Rodriguez.
* 21st December : 'Paddington 2' - Directed and Co-Written by Paul King, this follow up to 2014's 'Paddington' is Produced by Heyday Films and StudioCanal and is a combination of live action and CGI and stars Ben Whishaw voicing the Bear, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Brendan Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Julie Walters, Sally Hawkins and Imelda Staunton.
* 26th December : 'Coco' - Directed by Lee Unkrish and based on a story by him too, Produced by Pixar Animation Studios and starring Anthony Gonzales, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Edward James Olmos and Cheech Marin.
* 26th December : 'Rock Dog' - Directed and Co-Wriiten for the screen by Ash Brannon, this Chinese/American Co-Production comes from Mandoo Pictures and Huayi Brothers and stars Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard, Matt Dillon, Sam Elliott and J. K. Simmons. It Premiered in China in July 2016, was released in the US in February and only now comes to Australia, having grossed US$21M from its US$60M budget.

And so to this current week, there are four new movie offerings to tempt you out on a cool mid-Winter's afternoon or evening. We launch with a wartime drama about an epic rescue effort of allied troops, told with epic story telling style and featuring an epic cast; then a comedy about a road trip that turns all gourmet and flirtatious on the back roads of France; followed by a horror music box that makes its owner's wishes come true, but be careful what you wish for; before wrapping up with this doco charting the life and times of an influential Aussie rock band of the '70's that burst onto the scene with the advent of the punk rock movement.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four new releases as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are here warmly invited to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your cinematic experience in the coming week.

'DUNKIRK' (Rated M) - back in the early '90's Christopher Nolan and his future wife, movie Producer and film collaborator Emma Thomas, were sailing across the English Channel to Dunkirk, when the young Writer and Director hit upon an idea for a film, about the evacuation of British armed forces from the war torn beaches of Dunkirk in mid-1940. He committed his idea to a 76 page Screenplay, and then put the whole idea on hold until such time as he had gained sufficient experience in making big epic blockbusting action film fare - the like of which he has more than proven he can do over the subsequent years. However, rather than making a film about the war time politics involving Churchill and his Generals; or showing the Germans on the beach head taking out allied forces with their strategically located gun placements; or paint this as a victory; or bring in Uncle Sam to save the day, he chose to make a film with an all English cast and from three perspectives - the air (involving Spitfire dog fights), the land (on the beaches of Dunkirk), and the sea (the evacuation of 400,000 troops by the Navy and any able bodied sea man who could steer a dinghy across the Channel to aid the rescue attempt).

And so armed with an ensemble cast of fine and lesser known English acting talent, Nolan has created a WWII action drama film where the dialogue is thin on the ground instead allowing the suspense to come through the details and the authenticity contained with the scenes. Nolan also made extensive use of practical effects - employing some six thousand extras, amassing a flotilla of boats that had participated in the real Dunkirk evacuation, and using genuine era-appropriate planes for aerial sequences. The film centres around the evacuation of British, French, Belgian and Canadian troops who are pinned down by German forces on the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, and their evacuation between 26th May and 4th June 1940 in what was known as 'Operation Dynamo'. Starring  Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Harry Styles, James D'Arcy and Fionn Whitehead. The film Premiered in London on 13th July and gets its worldwide release this week. Expectations are high - both commercially and critically, and the film is also released in 70mm format at selected cinemas.

'PARIS CAN WAIT' (Rated PG) - 81 year old Eleanor Coppola, the wife of Francis Ford Coppola and mother to Sofia Coppola here Directs, Writes and Co-Produces this comedy about husband and wife team Anne (Diane Lane) and Michael (Alec Baldwin) - a prominent movie Producer. The couple are in Cannes attending the Film Festival with Michael's business partner Jacques (Arnaud Viard). After the Festival ends, Anne and Michael are due to fly to Paris, but this plan is scuppered by a last minute delay by a call for Michael to go to Budapest. Anne suffers an ear infection, and so the pilot suggests that Anne should not fly. Instead Arnaud offers to drive Anne to Paris, while Michael goes to Budapest and they can all rendezvous in Paris later on. What should only be a relatively short car journey soon morphs into a pleasant leisurely trip as Jacques, a French food lover, who can't resist taking any opportunity he can to stop frequently en route to sample new and interesting food delights. He  openly flirts with Anne too, which she finds quite flattering until she begins to question his motives when he uses her credit card to foot every bill for the gourmet foods they are sampling. The film Premired at the Toronto Film Festival in September last year, had its US release in May and has so far recovered just over US$5M from its US5M budget outlay.

'WISH UPON' (Rated M) - here we have a supernatural horror film from Director John R. Leonetti who has a history spanning 25 years as Cinematographer and has turned his hand on several occasions in the past to Directing, on such films as 'The Butterfly Effect 2' the prequel to 'The Conjuring' with 2014's 'Annabelle' and now this evil lurking in a mysterious music box offering. Having cost US$12M to bring to the big screen, the film has so far taken US$2.5M and has received lacklustre Reviews so far. And so we have Jonathan Shannon (Ryan Phillippe) presenting his seventeen year old daughter Clare (Joey King) a gift of an old music box that is said to bestow upon its owner seven wishes. At first dismissive, Clare becomes captivated by its dark force when her life starts to radically improve with each wish granted. Everything appears to be sunshine and rainbows until she comes to realise that with every wish she makes, the people who are closest to her die in violent and elaborate ways. Be careful what you wish for!!

'DESCENT INTO THE MAELSTROM' (Rated MA15+) - this Aussie doco charts the life and times of Radio Birdman as Written and Directed by Jonathan Sequeira. In a 1974 Sydney a group of outsiders living and touting their musical abilities on the fringe of the Australian music scene get together and form Radio Birdman, with their over riding mission being to keep compromise from their art. Radio Birdman are ultimately turned off and kicked out of venue after venue but their determination to do things their own way, against the industry norm, is unfaltering, and motivates them together to become a family as much as a band. As a new underground culture of disaffected young teens gains a rallying point when Birdman start their own venue, 'The Funhouse', and release their own records, but in the end the intensity that drives Radio Birdman causes their break up in 1978. 20 years later they reform. Radio Birdman are the greatest band you have probably never heard of! Australia's pioneers of the underground music scene with their absolute commitment to their art and do-it-yourself attitude, they changed lives and their influence is still felt today. Featuring interviews with all surviving members of the band and not shying away from the internal conflict which sometimes fuelled the band’s performances, 'Descent into the Maelstrom' is crammed full of Radio Birdman music and rare archival footage and photos, some not seen for over 40 years!

More adult oriented fare this week ranging from wartime drama to gourmet road trip comedy to horror to music doco. With these, and those other offerings still out on general release, there are plenty of reasons to get out amongst it to your local multiplex or independent theatre. Remember to share your thoughts afterwards with your like minded cinephiles here at Odeon Online, and in the meantime, I'll see you somewhere sometime in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-