There is a certain British and Australian movie magazine that shall remain nameless but to which I have subscribed ever since it was first published in Australia, and I have every one of its so far 177 monthly editions sitting on my bookshelves at home. Being a movie Blogger too I read Reviews and Previews and general film stuff from numerous other sources too including newspapers, magazines, books, Blog sites, the Internet, on TV and the radio too, and the world of cinema is often the topic of conversation with family, friends, colleagues and anyone prepared to listen. What interests me too is what divides opinion about films and how one source can rave about the best film ever seen, and the other will pan it. I see it all the time, and even in the same publication a film might be awarded four stars at the time of release by one critic and then three months later on Blu-ray the same film gets two stars, or the reverse will apply. It just goes to prove that there's no right or wrong answer when it comes to movies and only you can decide what's hot, what's not, what's in and what's out. Just go along to be entertained and for $20 worth of escapism wrapped up in action, adventure, romance, comedy, drama, horror, science fiction, documentary, thrills and adventure you can be your own best judge, whilst doing your bit to keep film alive.
With that in mind therefore, over the coming week we have five new films coming to your local big screen complex that offer just about everything from romance, comedy, drama, action and zombies, although not in the same film you understand . . . well, maybe! First off there is a true life tragedy, emotion and equal rights story with the back drop of the US Police force; then a lesser known French tradition manifesting itself in New York with life changing consequences; a family survival action drama manifesting itself in south-east Asia when it all goes pear shaped for the locals and the tourists; everything you need to know about thwarting the walking dead with a Swiss Army Knife, a magnifying glass, some aluminium foil and the Boy Scouts Guide to Survival; and finally a home grown Aussie comedy of family, relationships and acceptance.
With another great choice, be sure to catch a film in the week ahead, and when you have done so record your thoughts, observations and assessment below this or any other Post in the Comments Box, and tell the Odeon Online Blogosphere what you thought. Enjoy your film.
FREEHELD (Rated M) - this drama film is Directed by Peter Sollett and is based on the 2007 short documentary film of the same name by Cynthia Wade and written for the screen by Ron Nyswaner. It stars a strong cast; an Oscar winning pedigree that saw it pick up the Golden Statue in 2008 for Best Documentary Short as well as a bunch of other wins and nominations around the festival circuit; and a true life story of gay rights, equality and endearing love.
This film sees lesbian Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore) as a New Jersey Police Lieutenant working in Ocean County. She has a domestic partner Stacie Andrea (Ellen Page), and when Hester is terminally diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005 she actively and repeatedly fights against the New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders to allow her pension benefits to pass to her life partner upon her death. Along the way sympathetic and hard-nosed colleague and police partner Dane Wells (Michael Shannon) provides support, as does activist Steven Goldstein (Steve Carrell) who rallies fellow police officers, the general public willing to be engaged, and anyone else willing to show empathy for the pair's fight for equality - in life and in death!
5 to 7 (Rated M) - first released at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2014, this film received a limited released in April 2015 and has finally made it Down Under. Written and Directed by Victor Levin, this film set in New York sees twenty-something aspiring writer Brian Bloom (Anton Yelchin) hit it off with older French woman Arielle Pierpont (Berenice Marlohe). She is a thirty-something, sophisticated, smart, intelligent . . . and married to diplomat Valery (Lambert Wilson), but that's OK because in France it is tradition to engage in 'cinq a sept' affairs whereby a married persons whereabouts will not be questioned the two hour period after work at 5:00pm and before home at 7:00pm. And so it is with Arielle and Valery, that allows her to carry on with Brian no questions asked. As their relationship grows so the web of intrigue grows too as Brian meets Jane (Olivia Thrilby) an Editor, and mistress to Valery. Looking on is Sam (Frank Langella) and Arlene (Glenn Close) as parents to Brian who sees the problems that exist but grateful that someone has an interest in their son. With romance, drama, comedy, entangled lives and a back drop of New York this could almost be a Woody Allen feature.
NO ESCAPE (Rated MA15+) - this actioner was Directed by John Erick Dowdle, Written by him and his brother Drew Dowdle and Produced by the latter too for the sum of US$5M and already this has grossed US$54M having had its LA Premier in mid-August. Here we have a family in crisis as father Jack (Owen Wilson) takes an opportunity to move himself and his family to south-east Asia to head up a water processing plant there for the company he works for. It doesn't take long for a coup to erupt and Jack is caught in the midst of bloody unrest, political upheaval, death squads, violence, rape, pillage and torture and needing to employ all the survival instincts he can muster to protect himself and his wife Annie (Lake Bell) and daughter Lucy (Sterling Jerins). Along the way to save himself he encounters British tourist Hammond (Pierce Brosnan) who has a 'particular set of skills' that might just come in handy when you need to rescue your loved ones holed up in a foreign hotel during a coup, and you just gotta get sharpish to the local US Embassy no matter what.
SCOUTS GUIDE TO THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE (Rated MA15+) - I caught the trailer for this a few weeks ago, and thought it looked like a lotta fun as far as zombie action horror comedy films go, although I'm not sure there's much to top 'Shaun of the Dead' really! This one however, is Directed by Christopher B. Landon and stars a clutch of teenage lads who decide to join the Boy Scouts and soon have to save their small town from being over-run by marauding flesh eating walking dead zombies. Mustering all their Boy Scout knowledge and derring-do to thwart the undead enemy there is Ben (Tye Sheridan), Carter (Logan Miller), Augie (Joey Miller) and befriended waitress Denise (Sarah Dumont) who must save the day, all of humanity and life as we know it. 
NOW ADD HONEY (Rated M) - Directed by Wayne Hope and Written by his wife Robyn Butler who also stars, this Australian comedy has some strong talent behind it to bring their small screen experience and expertise to the big screen with this offering of a dysfunctional family who are descended upon by an overly bronzed movie starlet from Hollywood, Honey Halloway (Lucy Fry). She exists, for now, in that twilight zone between teenage sensation and young adult big time stardom and is forced to stay with her Aussie cousins to adjust, transition, reconnect and keep it real. Clearly there will be clashes, emotion, fun, frivolity, drama and it will all work out in the end with lessons learned, family ties firmly knotted and relationships cemented with the likes of Portia de Rossi, Erik Thomson and Hamish Blake thrown into the mix with varying degrees of success I would suggest.
Yet again, a completely diverse range of cinematic content coming your way in the week ahead. Get out amongst it and see a movie this week and then share your thoughts with us all here. In the meantime, enjoy your film of choice.
See you at the Odeon.
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
