What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 23rd February 2017.

The 89th Academy Awards Ceremony hosted by television personality Jimmy Kimmel will be held on Sunday evening 26th February 2017 at the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California to a packed audience of the worlds cinematic screen personalities and a worldwide television audience of several hundred million viewers. Jimmy Kimmel for the previous eleven years has hosted a special edition of his late night 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' television show 'After the Oscars' lampooning the awards ceremony and the entertainment industry using various awards recipients and attendees in both live and pre-recorded sketches.

The nominations for the major categories look like this :-
* Best Picture : 'Arrival', 'Fences', 'Hacksaw Ridge', 'Hell of High Water', 'Hidden Figures', 'La la Land', 'Lion', Manchester by the Sea' and 'Moonlight'.
* Best Director : Damien Chazelle for 'La La Land', Mel Gibson for 'Hacksaw Ridge', Barry Jenkins for 'Moonlight', Kenneth Lonergan for 'Manchester by the Sea', and Denis Villeneuve for 'Arrival'.
* Best Animated Feature Film : 'Kubo and the Two Strings', 'Moana', 'My Life as a Zucchini', 'The Red Turtle' and 'Zootopia'.
* Best Foreign Language Film : 'Land of Mine' (from Denmark), 'A Man Called Ove' (from Sweden), 'The Salesman' (from Iran), 'Tanna' (from Australia) and 'Toni Erdmann' (from Germany).
* Best Actor : Casey Affleck for 'Manchester by the Sea', Andrew Garfield for 'Hacksaw Ridge', Ryan Gosling for 'La La Land', Viggo Mortensen for 'Captain Fantastic' and Denzel Washington for 'Fences'.
* Best Actress : Isabelle Huppert for 'Elle', Ruth Negga for 'Loving', Natalie Portman for 'Jackie', Emma Stone for 'La La Land', and Meryl Streep for 'Florence Foster Jenkins'.
* Best Supporting Actor : Mahershala Ali for 'Moonlight', Jeff Bridges for 'Hell or High Water', Lucas Hedges for 'Manchester by the Sea', Dev Patel for 'Lion', and Michael Shannon for 'Nocturnal Animals'.
* Best Supporting Actress : Viola Davis for 'Fences', Naomi Harris for 'Moonlight', Nicole Kidman for 'Lion', Octavia Spencer for 'Hidden Figures', and Michelle Williams for 'Manchester by the Sea'.
* Best Original Screenplay : 'Hell or High Water' by Taylor Sheridan, 'La La Land' by Damien Chazelle, 'The Lobster' by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Fillipou, 'Manchester by the Sea' by Kenneth Lonergan and '20th Century Women' by Mike Mills.
* Best Adapted Screenplay : 'Arrival', 'Fences', 'Hidden Figures', 'Lion', and 'Moonlight'.
* Best Original Score : 'Jackie', 'La La Land', 'Lion', 'Moonlight', and 'Passengers'.
* Best Visual Effects : 'Deepwater Horizon', 'Doctor Strange', 'The Jungle Book', 'Kubo and the Two Strings' and 'Rogue One : A Star Wars Story'.

All told, 'La La Land' is nominated in a record matching fourteen categories, 'Arrival' and 'Moonlight' are nominated in eight categories, 'Hacksaw Ridge', 'Lion' and 'Manchester by the Sea' are nominated for six each, 'Fences' and 'Hell of High Water' for four each, and 'Hidden Figures' and 'Jackie' for three apiece. For the full list of the winners and grinners from Hollywood's night of nights, watch out for next weeks latest release update.

This week we have four new films to entice you out to your local movie theatre, starting off with a long awaited sequel follow up to a much loved cult classic from 20 years ago that reunites this same characters twenty years on when so much but so little has changed in their lives in the ensuing years. We then have another sequel to a popular watch it and you die horror franchise based on a Japanese horror franchise; and then a true life telling of a Soviet programme only uncovered in 1991 to exterminate millions of Ukrainians in the 1930's; before wrapping up with a school yard showdown as two teachers go head to head, toe to toe and fist to fist after school on the last day of the year.

As is usually the case, your are warmly invited to share your movie going observations, thoughts and musings after you have sat through your film of choice in the coming week. Leave your constructive, relevant and current Comments blow this or any other Post - we'd love to hear from you. Meanwhile, enjoy your cinematic experience.

'T2 : TRAINSPOTTING' (Rated R18+) - eight years ago in early 2009 Danny Boyle made it known that he wanted to film a follow up to his 1996 cult classic 'Trainspotting' based on the Irvine Welsh follow up novel 'Porno' and set nine years after that original film. At that time Ewan McGregor was already keen. In the ensuing years Boyle always kept his follow up film on the back burner as other projects took hold, but in 2014 it was confirmed that Welsh and Boyle had spent a week together discussing script options that would do justice to the 1996 film, and the following year it was reported that 'Trainspotting 2' would be released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of that first film in 2016. Released in the UK in late January 2017, Directed and Co-Produced by Danny Boyle, reuniting the original cast of Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller and Kelly Macdonald and costing US$18M the film has so far made US$21M. By comparison the highly acclaimed 'Trainspotting' back in 1996 cost US$2.25M to make and it grossed at the Box Office US$72M.

And so twenty years have past since the first film as have the lives of the principle characters. We see Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) living in Amsterdam where he has resided with his wife and children for many years. He dreams of those bygone days and his exploits back home. We then move back to Edinburgh where Renton visits the only true place he can ever call home, and hoping to renew acquaintances with Frank Begbie (Robert Carlyle) serving time in prison for 25 years, Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller) now the owner of a city bar but still carrying on with his petty crimes and dodgy deals, and Spud (Ewan Bremner) trying to reconcile with his wife but suicidal. Even though much has changed in their lives, much still remains the same and so as the four old friends get to know each other again, so emotions run strong putting them on a path to potential self destruction and mortal danger.

'RINGS' (Rated M) - the original premise for this successful horror film franchise dates back to the Japanese mystery horror novel published in 1991 and written by Koji Suzuki set in modern day Japan. It was first committed to the big screen in 1995 and that film is said to be the most faithful to the original script. It was remade as a Japanese psychological horror film in 1998 which prompted an American remake in 2002 as Directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts and Brian Cox. That initial remake returned US$250M from its US$48M budget outlay and spawned a sequel in 2005 'Rings Two' Directed by Hideo Nakata who also Directed the original two Japanese films. This second American instalment yielded US$162M from a budget of US$50M. Now in 2017 'Rings' is released as the third instalment and is Directed by F. Javier Gutierrez for US$25M and follows the same premise whereby a cursed videotape is circulated and upon watching it you have seven days to live, by which time you are more than likely to have come to a grizzly end. This film regurgitates all of that for a modern era of social media, instant communication, and multi-media. Staring Matilda Lutz, Alex Rose, Vincent D'Onofrio and Johnny Galecki the film has so far taken US$58M, and has received so far generally poor Reviews.

'BITTER HARVEST' (Rated M) - is the true story of Joseph Stalin's genocidal pact against the Ukraine in the 1930's, and would rank as one of the most neglected and forgotten tragedies of the last century. This tragic truth only came to light in 1991 after the fall of the former Soviet Union and was obscured for decades by Soviet propaganda and denial by Stalin right up to his death. Directed and Co-Written by George Mendeluk the story unfolds between two lovers as they fight against Stalins advances of his communist ambitions in the Kremlin. Yuri (Max Irons) is a young artist who struggles against famine, torture and imprisonment to save his childhood love Natalka (Samantha Barks) from the 'Holodomor' - the extermination by famine programme that killed millions of Ukrainians between 1932 and 1933. Escaping from a Soviet prison, Yuri joins the anti-Bolshevik resistance as he fights to be reunited with his true love, and for the freedom of the Ukraine. Also starring Barry Pepper and Terence Stamp. The film cost US$21M to make and is released internationally this week.

'FIST FIGHT' (Rated MA15+) - this comedy offering is Directed by Richie Keen and tells the story of two teachers at Roosevelt High School on the last day of the school year on 'Prank Day'. Here mild-mannered English teacher Andy Campbell (Charlie Day) and History teacher Ron Strickland (Ice Cube) face off in the classroom over their students pranks, resulting in both of them being hauled in front of the Principal Richard Tyler (Dean Norris) and consequently Strickland getting fired for his violent classroom outburst. As a result Strickland challenges Campbell to an after school playground fist-fight to settle the score, but being the toughest, meanest most feared teacher on campus, Campbell starts back peddling quickly to avoid his appointment with a near certain beating as news of the pending showdown spreads across campus and beyond and expectations and emotions run high. Also starring Dennis Haysbert, Christina Hendricks, Tracy Morgan and Jillian Bell. The film was made for US$25M and has so far taken US$16M since its release Stateside last week, and has received mixed Reviews so far.

Four films offering a long awaited sequel to a '90's classic, horror, historical drama and comedy for your choosing this week. Get yourself off to your local picture house, catch a movie and then share your movie experience with us here afterwards, and in the meantime, I'll see you somewhere, sometime at the Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 4th August 2016.

With the release of the latest DC Extended Universe 'Suicide Squad' this week, that marks the third film in the DCEU canon after 2013's 'Man of Steel' and this years 'Batman v. Superman : Dawn of Justice', I did some research to bring you a quick snapshot of DC films down through the years. The first full length feature film appeared in 1951 with 'Superman and the Mole Men' with legendary George Reeves playing Superman. 'Batman' came next in 1966 based on the television series with Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin respectively. 'Superman', 'Superman II', 'Superman III', and 'Superman IV' with Christopher Reeve playing our hero played out in 1978, 1980, 1983 and 1987 with a 'Supergirl' spin off in 1984. 'Swamp Thing' and 'The Return of Swamp Thing' came along in 1982 and 1989, with the Tim Burton Directed 'Batman' bursting on to our screens in 1989 with various sequels 'Batman Returns' in 1992, 'Batman Forever' in 1995 and 'Batman and Robin' in 1997. 'Steel' also appeared in 1997, with 'The Road to Perdition' in 2002, 'Catwoman' in 2004 and 'A History of Violence' in 2005 before Christopher Nolan's trilogy kicked off with 'Batman Begins' also in 2005, with 'The Dark Knight' in 2008 and 'The Dark Knight Rises' in 2012 with Christian Bale in the title role. In between time there was 'Constantine' in 2005, 'V for Vendetta' and 'Superman Returns' in 2006, 'Watchmen' in 2009, 'The Losers', 'Jonah Hex' and 'RED' in 2010, 'Green Lantern' in 2011, and 'RED 2' in 2013. Added to these there have been thirty-three short films since 1941, thirty-seven animated features since 1993, seven LEGO films since 2013 and a raft of television films, serial films, television series and unofficial fan films. Excluding 'Suicide Squad' released this week and Previewed below, there are a further eight live action feature length films slated in the DC Extended Universe for release in the next five years with 'Wonder Woman' and 'Justice League : Part One' due in 2017. How's that for longevity and a prolific track record?

And so to the coming week. There are five new movies coming your way that merit your attention and viewing consideration. Starting off with an eagerly awaited comic book adaptation that assembles a mad, bad bunch of incarcerated career crims to save the world by any means necessary. Then two loveable but hapless PR girls make the transition from successful small screen series to the big screen in this film that sees them dodging the police and debunking off to the south of France to lay low amidst a media frenzy, and getting to like it. Then, taking a hair cut is the fourth instalment in a semi-successful comedy franchise that combines a blow dry and highlights with taking the law into your own hands to protect those around you; followed by a doco of the female form, body image, real inner beauty and how women are perceived outwardly in todays photoshopped world. And then we wrap up with a Swedish foreign language film that is the sequel to a hugely successful and popular film of 2004, that sees a small community brought together by the power of song.

With comedy, documentary, drama and action there is another mixed bag of cinematic content to ponder over this week. When you have done so, and seen your movie of choice, feel free to share your filmic thoughts and observations with your like minded readers here at Odeon Online, by leaving a Comment or two below this or any other Post - we'd love to hear from you. Enjoy your film.

'SUICIDE SQUAD' (Rated M) - after much hype and eager anticipation the long awaited third instalment in the DC Extended Universe is upon us with the assembled mad, bad, disparate 'Suicide Squad' antiheroes bursting on to our screens the world over during the coming week. Made for a cool US$250M, Directed by David Ayer and Co-Produced by Zack Snyder this film stars an ensemble cast of Actors and Supervillains, poised at the ready to wreek havoc and bloody mayhem on an unsuspecting Gotham City. These titular characters first appeared in 1959 published by DC Comics but received a make over and a modern touch in 1987 by John Ostrander, upon which this film is based, and having been written for the screen by David Ayer too. This latest version sees our anti-hero strike force of imprisoned death row supervillains operating covertly under the jurisdiction of the US Government on high-risk black-ops missions in exchange for leniency of their prison sentences . . . assuming they survive their missions of course.

And so here we have a secret government intelligence agency headed up by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) who creates a task force of our deadly, dangerous, despicable super villains, affectionately known as 'The Suicide Squad' for a top secret mission to thwart an unknown but powerful enemy. With nothing to lose, Waller assembles a team of incarcerated criminal low lifes all with a particular set of skills that consist Deadshot/Floyd Lawton (Will Smith) an expert marksman and assassin; The Joker (Jared Leto) who needs no introduction; Harley Quinn/Harleen Quinzel (Margot Robbie) a former psychiatrist who used to treat the inmates at Arkham Asylum until she turned as mad as those she was treating. She is also madly in love with The Joker. Then there is Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) the field leader of The Squad applying the wishes of Waller although not always agreeing with them; Boomerang/Digger Harkness (Jai Courtney) an assassin who uses deadly boomerangs to dispense with his prey; El Diablo/Chato Santana (Jay Hernandez) who can command flame at will; Killer Croc/Waylon Jones (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) with a reptilian skin condition and an animalistic criminal with a tendency to eat his enemies; Enchantress/June Moone (Cara Delevingne) an archeologist possessed by an evil ancient force that transformed here in to a powerful sorceress; Katana/Tatsu Yamashiro (Karen Fukuhara) expert in martial arts and sword play wielding the mystical 'Soultaker' blade; and Slipknot/Christopher Weiss (Adam Beach) an expert with ropes. You can be sure that with these cats on the prowl, there will be death, destruction and diabolical goings on writ large. Watch out too for Ben Affleck starring in a cameo as The Batman - it just had to be of course!

'ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS : THE MOVIE' (Rated M) - based on the much loved BBC Television sitcom series originally devised by Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French the highly acclaimed show ran for five successful seasons and 39 episodes starting off in 1992 for three seasons until 1996 and then a further two seasons from 2001 through to 2004. In between there were several hour long specials, and three marking the 20th anniversary of the series leading up to the 2012 London Olympic Games. Now in 2016, we have the first full length feature film that reunites Edina 'Eddy' Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) with Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) with regular stablemates Saffron 'Saffy' Monsoon (Julia Sawalha) and Mother (June Whitfield). Directed by Mandy Fisher, this film sees our hapless besties clubbing, drinking and shopping their way around all the top spots in London town whilst Eddy's PR Agency is in a state of rapid decline with little interest and little funds to support their lifestyle. Something drastic needs to occur in the form of a miracle! Whilst enjoying an elite party Eddy inadvertently knocks Supermodel Kate Moss off a balcony and into the River Thames where she is presumed dead. Needless to say the paparazzi whirlwind created as a result sees the girls flee to southern France to lie low on the Riveria where they soon get accustomed to the lifestyle there with intentions of remaining permanently. What can possibly go wrong? The film stars a whole host of cameo talent including Rebel Wilson, Barry Humphries, Lulu, Emma Bunton, Joan Collins, Cara Delevingne, Jerry Hall, Sadie Frost, John Hamm, Dawn French, Graham Norton, Stella McCartney, La Roux and Jean Paul Gaultier amongst others. The film has so far grossed US$46M.

'BARBERSHOP : THE NEXT CUT' (Rated M) - I have not seen any of the previous three films in this franchise that kick started in 2002 with 'Barbershop', that returned in 2004 for 'Barbershop 2 : Back in Business' with a spin off in 2005 with 'Beauty Shop'. After an absence of over ten years, Calvin Palmer Jnr. (Ice Cube) who owns the southside Chicago Barbershop in question is back with its regular cutting crew, but on the block and in Da Hood not all is what is once was. For starters the once male dominated Barber Shop now allows the fairer sex in for various hair and beauty treatments much to the chagrin of the male customers. But all the banter between the boys and the girls is all taken in good humour, but out in the community things have become worse as a bunch of gun totting no good gang members roam the streets. It's time for Calvin and his scissor wielding, clipper bearing Posse to bring about some much needed change in Da Hood. Cedric the Entertainer, Common, Nicki Minaj star in this instalment as Directed by Malcolm D. Lee for US$20M, and so far returning US$55M since its release Stateside in mid-April.

'EMBRACE' (Rated MA15+) - Adelaide Director and world renowned body image activist Taryn Brumfitt is the founder of the 'Body Image Movement', which sets out to recognise the importance of body diversity and to redefine beauty ideals. Acknowledging her own struggle with crippling body image issues, the Writer/Director appears naked in the poster for her film 'Embrace'. Furthermore, she is horrified that the Australian Board of Film Classification warrants to give her film an MA15+ rating stating that "From test screenings, the number one piece of feedback we have had is: ‘I want my daughter to see this’" Banning audiences under the age of 15, she believes, is a terrible mistake, especially considering that "seventy per cent of girls are dissatisfied by their own body. Fifty per cent of 5-12-year-old girls want to lose weight". The film features up close and personal images of naked women of all shapes and sizes, but this has to be taken in the context of the film and what Brumfitt is trying to achieve from it. Filmed from her own perspective as she travels the globe armed with a camera and microphone interviewing experts, women in the street and known personalities about the ever increasing rates of body image issues that we are bombarded with everyday at the cinema, on television, in the press, magazines, social media and advertising bill boards, as she seeks to determine answers and find solutions.

'AS IT IS IN HEAVEN 2 : HEAVEN ON EARTH' (Rated M) - the original 2004 Swedish film 'As It Is In Heaven' to which this is the follow-up was highly acclaimed the world over, was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award, won two awards and was nominated for another eleven. It was Directed by Kay Pollack and starred Michael Nyqvist and Frida Hallgren. For this sequel, Kay Pollack is once again on Directing duty trying to reignite the success of the first instalment, without Nyqvist but with Hallgren once again playing Lena. Here Lena is expecting Nyqvist's baby and he is recently deceased. Heavily pregnant, her waters break whilst she is singing to a gathered audience and what follows is a comedy of errors that sets the tone for the remaining film as Lena sets about transforming a rag tag bunch of would-be singers into a troupe capable of pulling off Handel's 'Messiah'. Of course along the way there will be added complications, further challenges culminating in a celebration of life, love, music, dance and the power of determination.

Five new films to tease you out Mid-Winter to your local multiplex. Share your views when you have done so here at this Blog, and in the meantime, I'll see you at the Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 18th February 2016.

Sunday evening 14th February saw the 69th British Academy Film Awards as presented by BAFTA and hosted for the eleventh year by Stephen Fry from the Royal Opera House in London. This years winners & grinners saw two films scoop the majority wins with 'The Revenant' walking away with five awards and 'Mad Max : Fury Road' with four. In summary, the highlights were : Best Film - 'The Revenant', Best Leading Actor - Leonardo DiCaprio for 'The Revenant' (finally!), Best Director - Alejandro G. Inarritu for 'The Revenant', Best Sound and Best Cinematography for 'The Revenant'. Best Lead Actress went to Brie Larson for 'The Room'; Best Supporting Actor went to Mark Rylance for 'Bridge of Spies' and Best Lead Actress went to Kate Winslet for 'Steve Jobs'. Best Original Screenplay went to 'Spotlight', Best Adapted Screenplay to 'The Big Short' and Best Original Music to 'The Hateful Eight'. Finally, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Make-Up and Hair, and Best Editing all went to 'Mad Max : Fury Road'. Sincerest congratulations and a big well done to all those winners, and those nominees too. The Oscar's await in less than two weeks. You can recap on my Reviews and Previews of all of these films within these Blog pages, or go to www.batfa.org

This week there are six new release films to tease and tempt you out to a movie theatre kicking off with a couple of autobiographical offerings from the present day world of NFL and some medical revelations that threaten a national game, and a historical tale of a Hollywood Writer imprisoned on allegations of treason. Then there is a story of an ageing English couple whose life is turned upside down by an event that occurred fifty years ago which poses questions, might provide some answers, but reveals some hidden truths that they must both reach beyond. Following this is a Biblical story of what happened during the first forty days after Christ's crucifixion, and then two comedies to close out the week - two girls on the hunt for men, drinks and good times in NYC and then two guys on the hunt for a man, drugs and bad times in Miami!

So much choice and so little time! When you have sat through your movie of choice in the week ahead, share your movie thoughts, views and opinions with your friends here at Odeon Online by leaving a note in the Comments section below this or any other Post - we'd love to hear from y'all! In the meantime, enjoy your movie!

CONCUSSION (Rated M) - released Stateside at Christmas, this latest Will Smith vehicle has so far received luke warm reviews but has made US$42M off its US$35M budget. This biographical sports medical drama is based on the article written for GQ magazine in 2009 called 'Game Brain' by Jeanne Marie Laskas, and was written for the big screen and Directed by Peter Landesman.

Here we have Will Smith starring s Nigerian forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu who conducts the autopsy on NFL player Mike Webster (David Morse) and determines that he died from severe brain damage. Investigating further he comes to the conclusion that Webster suffered from long term chronic traumatic encephalopathy as a result of repeated blows to the head incurred during his NFL career. Attempting to bring this to the attention of the NFL he meets with brick walls, denial and dismissal, until further cases are revealed amidst the NFL player fraternity, and eventually the sport has to sit up and take notice. Also starring Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, Eddie Marsan and Paul Reiser.

TRUMBO (Rated M) - Sticking with the biographical theme, here we have another, this time Directed by Jay Roach and based on the book 'Dalton Trumbo' by Bruce Alexander Cook. This film is a period piece dating back to the mid-20th Century and the golden age of Hollywood when real life top Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) was blacklisted in 1947, along with numerous other contemporaries of the time, for allegedly perpetrating propaganda in the Hollywood films of the time. He refused to testify at The United States Congress and so was locked up for eleven months in a federal prison in 1950. This is his story and how using the power of words and wit he won two Academy Awards to expose the farce of the black list which engulfed the likes of John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Otto Preminger, and columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren). Also starring Diane Lane, Elle Fanning and John Goodman.The film cost US$15M to make and was released stateside in early November, and has so far recouped US$8M, and has garnered two award wins and 23 nominations together with an Academy Award nomination for Bryan Cranston for Best Actor, two Golden Globe, one BAFTA and three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

45 YEARS (Rated M) - here we have a romantic drama film that is based on a short story and adapted for the big screen and Directed by Andrew Haigh, and starring Charlotte Rampling as Kate Mercer and Tom Courtenay as Geoff Mercer, a retired reasonably well off married childless couple living in England's Norfolk. Married for 45 years, on the eve of a big celebration get together with friends Geoff receives a letter from Switzerland advising him that the body of his girlfriend of almost 50 years ago has been discovered under the melting ice of a glacier that she fell into way back then and perished. Asked to return to identify the body he must decide between foregoing his anniversary party and the chance to see his earlier love again in all likelihood preserved in the ice, together with haunting memories that come flooding back, whilst answering all the questions that Kate will inevitable have. At the Berlin International Film Festival last year Rampling won the Silver Bear Award for Best Actress and Courtney won it for Best Actor, and Rampling too has an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Could well be a surprise performer.

RISEN (Rated M) - is a Biblical epic retelling of the first forty days following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as Directed by Kevin Reynolds. Here long serving Roman military tribune Clavius (Joseph Fiennes) is tasked by Pontius Pilate (Peter Firth) to explore rumours that a Jewish Messiah Jesus (Cliff Curtis) has risen from the dead, and he is tasked to locate the missing body. With a possible uprising in Jerusalem imminent, Clavius and his trusted aide Lucius (Tom Felton) begin a journey to disprove talk of a risen Messiah, but in so doing begin to question their own beliefs and spirituality and the truth behind what it is they are seeking.

HOW TO BE SINGLE (Rated M) - Directed by Christian Ditter this RomCom was released in London on 9th February, Stateside three days later and has so far grossed US$28M towards its US$38M budget. Starring Dakota Johnson as college graduate Alice who decides that at this point in her life she needs a break from studies, her boyfriend, life as she knows it and it's therefore time to live a little. Moving to NYC as a paralegal, she is excited by a life of freedom and adventure in the Big Apple and so befriends co-worker Robin (Rebel Wilson) who lives life large, enjoys one night stands, drinks plenty, party's hard, and does just about everything to excess. It's not long before Robin becomes Alice's guide around town and new best friend while learning quickly how to score free drinks in a bar, meet men aplenty and enjoy the single life to the max. Also starring Alison Brie and Leslie Mann.

RIDE ALONG 2 (Rated M) - the 2014 original movie Directed by Tim Story was made for US$25M and made US$155M although no thanks to me, so it was inevitable that a sequel would hit our screens sooner or later.  Now two short years later, here it is again also Directed as before by Tim Story and starring Ice Cube as Detective James Payton and sidekick Kevin Hart as rookie Officer Ben Barber. This film benefits from a bigger budget at US$40M and has so far raked in US$108M, so God help us all if this prompts the Producers to green light '3'. Travelling to Miami the dynamic duo are following up a hot lead to a drug syndicate that brings them in connection with a Homicide Detective, and a Computer Hacker A.J. (Ken Jeong) who just happens to have evidence to implicate a respected local businessman Antonio Pope (Benjamin Bratt). I am sure that much wise crackin', gun totin', cringe inducin' soft porn teen fodder action will follow - just don't expect me to Review this film!

With six new films out in the week ahead, there is plenty of choice once again coming to a cinema near you, as well as a whole raft of other great movie content still out on general release and worthy of your cinema going dollar. Be sure to catch something this week, and share your thoughts.

See you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON - Tuesday 15th September 2015.

I'm a product of the 80's and I was aware in the latter half of that decade of the emergence of a radical new band of Gangsta Rappers blazing a trail across the music scenes telling in no uncertain terms the stories of their lives, the violence, the injustice, the hardship and their life experiences - they were Niggaz Wit Attitude (N.W.A.) and hailed from the south Los Angeles suburb of Compton. 25+ years on the story of these groundbreaking yet notorious boys from da hood is told in F. Gary Gray's biopic of their lives in 'STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON' which I saw this week.



Director F. Gary Gray has crafted a strong telling here of the rise and fall of that revolutionary California hip hop group that rose to prominence for mostly the wrong reasons given their outspoken vocals, the messages in their lyrics, their views and opinions, their frequent run-ins with the Police and the party hi-jinx as their star status began to rise. Gray also Produces, as does Ice Cube and Dr. Dre and the film was made for US$28M and at the time of writing this review Box Office receipts have topped US$180M.

As the film opens it's 1986 and friends Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), DJ Yella (Neil Brown), MC Ren (Aldis Hodge), and Arabian Prince (Brandon Lafourche) form the band N.W.A. and release their first single under their own label, Ruthless Records. Spotted by has been music manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) he throws Eazy-E a line about how he can open doors, pave the way and put the newly formed act on the map. After the small time concert circuit in their very early days they begin to develop a following and are eventually picked up by Priority Records who provide the resources for the band to cut their first album - 'Straight Outta Compton'.

Such is the success of their first album, that the group embark on a national tour playing to larger crowds in larger venues and increasingly living large, although at this point it is only Eazy-E who has a formalised contract with Heller - none of the others do not, which in itself starts to create friction and in-fighting. At a concert in Detroit, the band is told by the local Police not to sing their smash hit 'Fuck tha Police' fearful that this will incite a disturbance and potentially a riot. Needless to say, the boys do, having been egged on by the crowd, and yes, a riot ensues during which our N.W.A. are cuffed up and thrown in the back of a Police truck on trumped up charges, which they dodge of course and are released.

Shortly after, things come to a head between Heller and Ice Cube resulting in the latter's resignation from the group to pursue his own singing and acting career. Ice Cube's first solo album - 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted' was released in mid-1990 and met with big critical and commercial success outstripping the reception received from the earlier N.W.A. offering 'Straight Outta Compton'. What followed was a tit for tat campaign between N.W.A. and Cube with each side dissing each other in their lyrics resulting in more acrimony, more ill feeling and more angst between the former friends who drifted further and further apart as a result.

As N.W.A. cut their second album 'Niggaz4Life', Dr. Dre becomes more disillusioned with Heller and gets entwined with Suge Knight (R. Marcos Taylor) and the two form 'Death Row Records'. With his new freedoom and seemingly the world at his feet Dre records his own solo album 'The Chronic' released in late 1992 as well as Producing new up & coming talent - the likes of which included Snoop Dog and Tupac Shakur. Dre's lyrics too on his new solo album diss Eazy-E, leaving the latter out in the cold with no new revenue stream, a band in disarray and mounting debts. This leads to a confrontation with Heller, at which Eazy-E fires Heller for embezzling funds from the bands coffers.

A chance meeting at a nightclub between Eazy-E and Ice Cube allow the two to reconcile their differences and talk about the band reforming out of the shadow of Heller now. Next up Eazy-E reaches out to Dr. Dre who also agrees to getting the guys together, and soon afterwards the are reunited with DJ Ren and MC Yella to begin work on a new album. Eazy-E though is not in the best of health and collapses at the house with his friends. Fast forward to a hospital bed and Eazy-E is confronted with the news by the Doctor that he has tested positive from the AIDS virus HIV and has six months to live. One by one, his fiends come by to visit, show support, and rally round before his death in March 1995. The film wraps with Dr. Dre confronting an out of control Suge Knight at the 'Death Row' Studios saying he is done and is walking way to form his own label - 'Aftermath Entertainment'. Subsequently Dre signs up the likes of 50 Cent, Eminem, Busta Rhymes and Kendrick Lamar, and goes on to create Beats Electronics which he sold to Apple in mid-2014 for US$3B. Ice Cube pursued a successful film and television acting and music career that is still going strong today.

I said at the beginning that I was aware of N.W.A. back in the late 80's & early 90's, but, was never a follower of this genre of music. However, I found this a fascinating story and got sucked in by the strong performances, the arc of how the boys from da hood grew from nothing but found their voice through their experiences, the prejudices, the violence, the guns, the drugs, the culture in which they grew up that came out in their music and lyrics, and ultimately found an audience . . . and a very significant one at that. But within ten years they came and went - passed away, moved on, faded out and some with greater success than others.

This is well told; well acted with solid performances especially from those portraying Dre, Cube, Eazy-E and Heller; and as well the music paints a picture of the social commentary of the time - gun crime, racial and social unrest, Police violence, injustice and prejudice, AIDS, sex, drugs and rock & roll, and the Rodney King riots. At 147 minutes this is a long film which toward the end I felt a little drawn out and perhaps overly long, and the stories of how MC Ren, DJ Yella and Arabian Prince contributed in those early years and after were skirted over and had little significance over their more prominent band members.

That said, this is worth checking out, and for anyone around in the 80's and 90's who remembers that era and lived through it this is a great slice of nostalgia and well delivered.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-