What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 9th November 2017.

The 7th AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts) Awards takes place in Sydney on 6th December this year, with the who's who from the world of cinema and television, in front and behind the camera all vying for awards recognition. The official list of nominees was announced last week, and in terms of the film industry, in competition for the major prizes are :-

* BEST FILM : 'Ali's Wedding', 'Lion', 'Berlin Syndrome', 'Jasper Jones' and 'Hounds of Love'.
* BEST DIRECTION : 'Jeffrey Walker for 'Ali's Wedding', Garth Davis for 'Lion', Cate Shortland for 'Berlin Syndrome' and Ben Young for 'Hounds of Love'.
* BEST LEAD ACTOR : Osamah Sami for 'Ali's Wedding', Sunny Pawar for 'Lion', Stephen Curry for 'Hounds of Love' and Ewen Leslie for 'The Butterfly Tree'.
* BEST LEAD ACTRESS : Helana Sawires for 'Ali's Wedding', Teresa Palmer for 'Berlin Syndrome',  Emma Booth for 'Hounds of Love' and Sara West for 'Don't Tell'.
* BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR : Don Hany for 'Ali's Wedding', Dev Patel for 'Lion', Hugo Weaving for 'Jasper Jones' and Jack Thompson for 'Don't Tell'.
* BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS : Frances Duca for 'Ali's Wedding', Nicole Kidman for 'Lion', Susie Porter for 'Hounds of Love' and Jacqueline McKenzie for 'Don't Tell'.
* BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY : 'Ali's Wedding', 'Hounds of Love', 'The Butterfly Tree' and 'The Death and Life of Otto Bloom'.
* BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY : 'Lion', 'Berlin Syndrome', 'Jasper Jones' and 'Don't Tell'.
* BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY : Greig Fraser for 'Lion', Michael McDermott for 'Hounds of Love', Stefan Duscio for 'Jungle' and Geoffrey Hall for 'Red Dog : True Blue'.
* BEST VISUAL EFFECTS OR ANIMATION : 'Deepwater Horizon', 'Doctor Strange', 'The Lego Batman Movie' and 'Game of Thrones : The Spoils of War'.
You can go to the official website at : aacta.org for the full run down on this years nominees in every category, and more.

Turning to this weeks current release movies coming to a big screen somewhere near you, we have an all star cast in this lavish remake of a classic whodunnit 1930's novel set aboard a train, that sees this fourth screen adaptation of this famed story; then we have a BioPic about an inner city riot of fifty years ago that went down as one of the worst in American history; then another BioPic about an intrepid amateur explorer who gets lost in the remote South American jungle and his struggles too survive; followed by another BioPic about a man and the two women in his life who together create the first female Superheroine (that we know and love to this day) almost eighty years ago; before wrapping up with a tale of man who thinks little of himself and his journey of discovery to realise that he is worth a whole lot more.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release films 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 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 big screen Odeon experience during the coming week.

'MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS' (Rated M) - the classic 1934 Agatha Christie murder mystery novel upon which this film is based has been committed to the big and small screens a number of times over the years, most notably in 1974 as Directed by Sidney Lumet and starred an ensemble cast. That film was nominated for six Academy Awards and won one - for Best Supporting Actress going to Ingrid Bergman. It was also nominated for ten BAFTA's and walked away with three  for Best Supporting Actor and Actress to John Gielgud and Ingrid Bergman respectively, and Best Music. All up the film won nine awards and received a further sixteen nominations, and at the Box Office returned US$36M from its US$1.4M budget outlay. The films cast included Albert Finney as the super sleuth gentleman detective Hercule Poirot, Sean Connnery, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Michael York, Richard Widmark, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Vanessa Redgrave and Jacqueline Bisset. In 2001 a made for television movie was released of the same name, featuring the same storyline, and the same title but set in the present day and starring Alfred Molina as Hercule Poirot, Peter Strauss and Leslie Caron. Then in 2010 the popular long running television series 'Agatha Christie's Poirot' with David Suchet as the detective aired in Season 12, Episode 3 'Murder on the Orient Express' which featured the acting talents of Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Chastain, Barbara Hershey, Toby Jones, David Morrissey, and Eileen Atkins. There has also been a BBC Radio 4 serialisation of the book and a video game adaptation over the years too.

And so now in 2017 we have this latest lavish reiteration of Christie's famed novel with Kenneth Branagh on Directing duty and starring as the hirsute Belgian detective Hercule Poirot with a ensemble cast for this production that takes in Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi, Josh Gad, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Olivia Coleman and Lucy Boynton amongst others. The film was released in the UK last week, and goes on wide release in the US and Australia this week. The storyline, as if you need reminding, is that set sometime in the 1930's famed detective Hercule Poirot is taking a well deserved rest in between super sleuthing on the Orient Express train. While on board he meets an interesting array of international and multi-cultural characters, one of whom is Samuel Ratchett (Johnny Depp) who pleads with Poirot to act as his personal bodyguard while travelling on the train for fear of his life. Poirot cordially declines the invitation, and the next morning winds up dead - stabbed to death. When the train is caught in a snow blizzard and the journey is halted, Poirot goes into unexpected investigative mode as the clues begin to mount up, everyone is a suspect and time is running out before the killer potentially strikes again.

'DETROIT' (Rated MA15+) - this historical biographical crime drama film is Directed and Co-Produced by Kathryn Bigelow and Written by Mark Boal with whom the Director collaborated on two of her previous films - 2008's 'The Hurt Locker' and 2012's 'Zero Dark Thirty'. The film is based on the 1967 Detroit Riot (aka The 12th Street Riot) and research tells us that this was one of 159 race related riots that swept across the USA throughout the 'Long Hot Summer of 1967'. This riot was a violent public disorder that turned into a civil disturbance in Detroit, Michigan. It began in the early hours of Sunday July 23, 1967. The catalyst to the event was a police raid of an unlicensed, after-hours bar just north of the corner of 12th Street and Virginia Park Avenue, on the city's Near West Side. Police confrontations with customers and observers on the street evolved into one of the deadliest and most destructive riots in the history of the United States, lasting five days. To help bring an end to the disturbance, Governor George W. Romney ordered the Michigan Army National Guard into Detroit, and President Lyndon B. Johnson mobilised both the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. The result was 43 dead, 1,189 injured, over 7,200 arrests, and more than 2,000 buildings trashed. Furthermore, The Algiers Motel Incident occurred in Detroit, during the night of July 25–26, 1967 during the racially fuelled 12th Street Riot. At the Algiers Motel, approximately one mile east of where the riots began, three teenage civilians, all black, were beaten and killed by police. Nine others, comprising two white females and seven black males were badly beaten and humiliated by members of a riot task force composed of the Detroit Police Department, the Michigan State Police, and the Michigan Army National Guard. The incident occurred after reports were received that snipers, a gunman, or group of gunmen had been seen at or near the motel. This is the foundation of the film, starring John Boyega, Will Poulter, Jack Reynor, Anthony Mackie and John Krasinski. The film opened in the US back in late July, cost US$34M to make and has so far recovered US$22M and has received generally positive Reviews, and there is even early Oscar buzz around the film.

'JUNGLE' (Rated M) - here we have a biographical jungle survival drama film Directed by Aussie Greg McLean whose previous credits include 'Wolf Creek', 'Wolf Creek 2', 'Rogue' and the recently released 'The Belko Experiment'. The film is based on the book 'Jungle : A Harrowing True Story of Survival' by Yossi Ghinsberg an Israeli adventurer, author, entrepreneur, humanitarian, and motivational speaker now living in Australia. Ghinsberg is most known for his survival story when he was stranded in an uncharted part of the Bolivian Amazon jungle for three weeks in 1981. Teaming up with some unknowns that Yossi (here portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe) meets in La Paz, Bolivia to begin a trek into the heart of the Amazon rainforest in search for an alleged lost Indian tribe. Their journey turns into a nightmare as the darkest elements of human nature and the deadliest threats of the untamed jungle force them to fight for survival. Also starring Alex Russell, Thomas Kretschmann, Joel Jackson and Yasmin Kassim the film Premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival back in August and now goes on limited release.

'BRAD'S STATUS' (Rated M) - Directed, Written, Co-Produced and also starring Mike White, this film tells the story of Brad Sloan (Ben Stiller) a middle aged guy living in a comfortable Californian home, with a comfortable job, and a loving comfortable wife Melanie (Jenna Fischer). His reality does not, however, quite match up with his career expectations and his life goals when he graduated from College back in the day. He keeps reminding himself of what might have been and he often compares himself to his four College buddies who have gone on to be successful, well paid career professionals. When Brad takes his teenage son Troy (Austin Abrams) on a tour of New England Colleges, he is forced to reconnect with his former College buddies, one of whom especially he is seeking to leverage a favour from - a teacher at Harvard, Craig Fisher (Michael Sheen). The experiences with his friends and his road trip with his son, compel Brad to re-evaluate the choices he made in life and whether or not he is in fact the failure he thinks he is, or he is the most successful in the group. Also starring Luke Wilson, Jermaine Clement and Mike White as Brad's three other College friends. The film Premiered at TIFF in early September, went on general release across the US the following week, has so far grossed just US$3M, and has received generally positive Reviews.

'PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN' (Rated MA15+) - here this historical biographical drama film Written and Directed by Angela Robinson takes us back to the very creation of the female Amazonian superheroine 'Wonder Woman' in the early '40's. Make no mistake about the title though - this is no extension of the DC Extended Universe, but an insight into what inspired and motivated the creator of this hugely successful comic character, William Moulton Marston (played here by Luke Evans). A Harvard psychologist and inventor Dr. Marston is working with his wife Elizabeth Marston (Rebecca Hall) on the invention of the lie detector. When William hires a new Assistant Olive Byrne (Bella Heathcote) to complete work on the lie detector, in time Olive falls for both William and Elizabeth, and eventually moves in with them, breaking off her engagement in the process. With two inspirational women in his life, he creates one of the most loved comic book characters of all time, although the road to fame and fortune is not without its challenges along the way. The film Premiered at TIFF in early November, was released Stateside in mid-October, has so far taken just US$1.5M and has garnered generally favourable Reviews noting in particular the performances from the three principle leads.

With five new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, taking in a remake of a classic 1930's whodunnit; a historical retelling on an inner city Riot; another historical BioPic about a guy lost in the jungle; and another historical BioPic of the man who created the first female Superheroine; and a journey of self awareness and discovery for a man and his son. Remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephiles afterwards here at Odeon Online, and meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 21st September 2017.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) which has just wrapped on eleven days of showcasing international feature films, short films and documentaries, ran this year from 7th to 17th September inclusive, and this year marked its 42nd year having been founded in 1976. Over that time TIFF has grown to become one of the worlds most publicly attended film festivals, with an audience of fast approaching half a million annually. TIFF is now regarded as one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the world, with the movie industry press over the years claiming that it 'is second only to Cannes in terms of high-profile pics, stars and market activity' and that it had 'grown from its place as the most influential fall film festival to the most influential film festival, period'. This year a total of 339 films were shown over the eleven days, with the opening film chosen as the historical sports biopic 'Borg McEnroe' as Directed by Janus Metz Pedersen and starring Sverrir Gudnason as Bjorn Borg and Shia LaBeouf as John McEnroe. And, of those in competition, the winners are grinners are highlighted below for your future movie going reference :-

* The People's Choice Award Winner : 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' - Directed by Martin McDonagh, starring Frances McDormand, Woody Harrleson, Peter Dinklage, Sam Rockwell and Abbie Cornish about a frustrated and grieving mother who antagonises the local Police force to call to attention the lack of progress in searching for her daughter's murderer.
 * The People's Choice Award First Runner Up : 'I, Tonya' - Directed by Craig Gillespie, starring Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan and Bobby Cannavale about controversial Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding in this tragic and comedic examination of one of the biggest scandals in US sporting history.
* The People's Choice Midnight Madness Award Winner : 'Bodied' - Directed by Joseph Kahn, starring Calum Worthy, about an exploration of the world's most artistically brutal sport — battle rapping, when a progressive graduate student finds success and sparks outrage when his interest in battle rap as a thesis subject becomes a competitive obsession.
* The People's Choice Midnight Madness First Runner Up : 'The Disaster Artist' - Directed by James Franco, starring James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Brie Larson and Jackie Weaver about eccentric filmmaker Tommy Wiseau and his friend, actor Greg Sestero, whose notoriously awful film 'The Room' has become one of the most beloved cult classics of all time . . . for all the wrong reasons!
* The International Jury Award Winner : 'Sweet Country' - Directed by Warwick Thornton, starring Sam Neill, Bryan Brown, Ewen Leslie and Hamilton Morris about an Aboriginal stockman and his wife, accused of murder, try to stay ahead of a fervent posse in the harsh outback of the Northern Territory, in this Australian outback Western inspired by true events.
* The International Federation of Film Critics Award Winner (FIPRESCI) : 'Ava' - Directed by Sadaf Foroughi, starring Mahour Jabbari, Bahar Nouhian and Leili Rashid, about a 16-year-old girl living and growing up in Tehran and her relationship with her family that is challenged after her mother takes her to a gynaecologist in order to ensure she’s still a virgin.
* The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema Award Winner (NETPAC) : 'The Great Buddha+' - Directed by Huang Hsin-Yao, starring Cres Chuang, Bamboo Chen and Leon Dai about a security guard and his best friend who become entangled in a web of dark secrets after stumbling upon videos that document the promiscuous meetings of a wealthy factory owner.

For the full listing of the films screened during the eleven days of TIFF 2017, simply Google 'TIFF 2017' and all will be revealed across a myriad of websites, including the official site.

With the focus returning to this coming week, there are six new release movies coming to an Odeon near you. We launch with a sequel to an action spy comedy that took the world by surprise first time around, and looks like doing it all over gain as the action is ramped up a notch or two and the star power in front of the camera is equally ratcheted up. We then go to an unexpected dinner invitation for a stranded massage therapist that has far reaching consequences for herself and one other ruthless businessman in particular. Next up is an Australian drama that sees three worlds collide on our national holiday; and then a horrific day at the office unwinds during the 9 to 5 that has eighty dutiful employees whittled down to one in a macabre experiment; followed by a story of man suddenly released from captivity whose only knowledge of the outside world is via a televised fictional toy bear; before wrapping up with those world popular coloured interlocking animated brick characters turning on the ninja action to thwart an evil enemy and save the day.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six new release films 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 cordially 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 meanwhile, enjoy your big screen cinema experience during the coming week.

'KINGSMAN : THE GOLDEN CIRCLE' (Rated MA15+) - 2015's first instalment in this growing action spy comedy franchise 'Kingsman : The Secret Service' was both a critical and commercial success taking in US$415M from its US$81M budget outlay. Now some two years later Matthew Vaughn returns to the Director's chair for this hotly anticipated, eagerly awaited, much hyped sequel, on which he also Co-Produces and Co-Writes the screenplay based on the comic book series of the same name by Mark Miller and Dave Gibbons. Released in the UK and the US this week also, the film once again has an all star cast, that this time sees hands stretched across the sea as the US unites with the UK to thwart an evil international foe. Taron Egerton returns as Eggsy, Mark Strong as Merlin, Colin Firth has risen from the dead as Harry Hart joined this time around by Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, Pedro Pascal, Vinnie Jones, Michael Gambon, Bruce Greenwood, Elton John, Sophie Cookson and introducing Julianne Moore as a notorious criminal mastermind.

The film here unwinds when the headquarters of The Kingsman is destroyed and the world is held to ransom by Poppy Adams, a notorious criminal mastermind and global entrepreneur associated with 'The Golden Circle', a secret New World Order organisation. Members of Kingsman find new allies when they discover a spy organisation in the United States known as The Statesman. In an adventure that tests their strength, cunning and wits, the elite secret agents from both sides of the Atlantic must pull together to battle a ruthless enemy and save the day, save the world and all humanity. Vaughn has confirmed that he has a treatment already in mind for a third film in the franchise and has indicted Dwayne Johnson might be the ideal candidate to play the arch villain next time around.

'BEATRIZ AT DINNER' (Rated M) - Directed by Puerto Rican Miguel Arteta who previous credits include 'The Good Girl', 'Youth in Revolt', and 'Cedar Rapids' here brings us a comedy drama film that was Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January this year, was released in the US back in early June, and now gets its Australian release having grossed US$7M so far. Starring Selma Hayek as Beatriz - a Mexican immigrant who has rebuilt her life as a holistic healer and masseuse who travels by car to the coastal home of her very well off and well to do client Kathy (Connie Britton). Upon leaving, her old Volkswagen breaks down, and so Kathy extends the hand of friendship and invites Beatriz to stay the night and attend a business dinner that she is hosting at her home that evening. When the guests arrive, belly's are being filled and the wine flows, so Beatriz finds herself in an ever increasing heated war of words with a ruthless real estate billionaire mogul, Doug Srutt (John Lithgow) who is more interested in money than he is in people. Their round table conversations results in life changing circumstances that neither could have ever imagined. Also starring Chloe Sevigny and Jay Duplass.

'AUSTRALIA DAY' (Rated MA15+) - this drama film is Directed by Kriv Stenders who previous film credits include 'Red Dog', 'Kill Me Three Times', 'Red Dog : True Blue' and the upcoming mini-series of the classic Australian novel and film of 1971 'Wake in Fright' which goes to air later this month. The film had its World Premier at the Sydney Film Festival earlier this year, and now gets its general release having done the festival circuit. Here the lives of three Australians on the run from varying cultural and social backgrounds collide in the steamy streets of Brisbane. Persian-Australian Sami (Elias Anton) is running from an angry gang of white lads for allegedly sleeping with one of their sisters. April (Miah Madden) is a desperate Indigenous girl running away after killing her abusive father. And Lan (Jenny Wu) is a Chinese sex slave running from captivity in an illegal brothel. Also caught up in this dramatic web of intrigue are a guilt-ridden Aboriginal Police Officer (Shari Sebbens), a detective on a manhunt (Matthew Le Nevez), and a bankrupt cattle farmer (Bryan Brown). These three stories will intertwine, intersect and culminate on the hot summer day that is January's Australia Day Public Holiday.

'THE BELKO EXPERIMENT' (Rated MA15+) - Directed by Australian Greg McLean who is perhaps most noted for his 'Wolf Creek' and 'Wolf Creek 2' Australian outback horror movies, here brings us another horror offering this time set in Bogota, Colombia. The film Premiered at TIFF in September 2016, was released in the US in mid-March, has so far recovered US$11M from its US$5M budget outlay and now gets its limited release in Australia. This films tells the story of what starts out as an ordinary day at the office for eighty personnel employed at the Belko Corporation Offices in Bogota. When the shutters go down and those eighty are trapped inside a voice over tells them that within the next thirty minutes two colleagues must be dead, or else more will be killed randomly. Attempts to escape are futile, and the next announcement over the intercom is that thirty must die within two hours, otherwise sixty will die at random. And so the announcements and the killings continue as friends turn into enemies, new (short-lived) allegiances are formed, and only the strongest survive leaving just two men standing, and ultimately, one alone! Starring John Gallagher Jnr., John C. McGinley and Michael Rooker. The film was written by James Gunn - he of 'Guardians of the Galaxy' fame.

'BRIGSBY BEAR' (Rated M) - Directed by Dave McCary and Written and also starring Kyle Mooney, this film had its Premier at this January's Sundance Film Festival and was released in the US in late July, and so far has taken US$516K at the Box Office. Telling the story of James Pope (Kyle Mooney) who has led a life of forced captivity in an underground home with parents Ted and April Mitchum (Mark Hamill and Jane Adams respectively) where his only connection with the outside world was a television show called 'Brigsby Bear'. When the Police descend on the Mitchum household and arrest Ted and April who are proven not to be James' real parents and have held him in captivity since he was baby, they also advise James that Brigsby Bear is not real and was a television show created exclusively for his benefit by the Mitchum's. As a result of James' changed circumstances and the Brigsby Bear television show coming to an unexpected and abrupt halt, James takes it upon himself to finish the storyline, but to do that means coming to terms with a new life and a new world he knows nothing about. Also starring Greg Kinnear, Claire Danes and Andy Samberg.

'THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE' (Rated PG) - 'The Lego Movie' was released in 2014 and was the first in what is becoming a successful computer animated adventure comedy film franchise. That film cost US$60M to bring to the big screen and raked in US$493M. A spin-off film 'The Lego Batman Movie' was released earlier this year costing US$80M and recorded a US$312M Box Office take. Now in late 2017 we have the second spin-off, 'The Lego Ninjago Movie' a computer animated action comedy martial arts offering which is Directed by Charlie Bean, Paul Fisher and Bob Logan. Telling the story of the battle for the city of Ninjago as young Master Builder Lloyd Garmadon, aka the Green Ninja (voiced by Dave Franco) along with his friends and fellow ninja's Kai (Michael Pena), Jay (Kumail Nanjiani), Nya (Abbi Jacobson), Zane (Zach Woods) and Cole (Fred Armisen), are led by Master Wu (Jackie Chan). Together they must defeat the evil warlord Garmadon (Justin Theroux), who just happens to be Lloyd's estranged father. Pitching father against son, the epic battle tests these brave yet undisciplined modern-day ninjas as they learn to control their egos and unite to unleash the inner power of Spinjitzu. Olivia Munn also stars. The film is released in the US and other territories this week too. A third spin-off 'The Billion Brick Race' is in development, and 'The Lego Movie Sequel' is due for release in February 2019.

With six new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, taking in an action comedy spy sequel, an unexpected dinner date, an Australia Day drama, a survival of the fittest horror offering, a television show created for an audience of just one who knows nothing different and an animated action comedy martial arts offering, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephiles 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-