HAUNTED MANSION : Tuesday 12th September 2023

I saw the PG Rated 'HAUNTED MANSION' this week, and this American supernatural horror comedy film is Directed by Justin Simien in only his third feature film making outing following his debut in 2014 with 'Dear White People' and then 'Bad Hair' in 2020. This is the second cinematic adaptation of Walt Disney's theme park attraction 'The Haunted Mansion' following the 2003 film of the same name which although it was panned by critics at the time grossed US$183M off the back of a production budget of US$90M. This film has however, done the opposite garnering mixed reviews and having so far grossed US$106M off the back of a US$157M production budget making it a Box Office failure. It saw its World Premiere screening at the Anaheim Disneyland theme park in California in mid-July before its release in the US at the end of July and here in Australia from the end of August.

The film opens with Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield), an astrophysicist who has worked on the development of a camera to film dark matter. He meets and marries Alyssa, a ghost tour guide, and becomes captivated by her belief in the supernatural, although he remains a firm non-believer himself. After Alyssa dies in a car accident, Ben gives up his career and continues to run her ghost tour in New Orleans, although his mind and his heart is barely in the work which he does mostly for the money.

Fast forward a few years and recently widowed doctor Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her nine year old son Travis (Chase W. Dillon) move from New York into the run down Gracey Manor in New Orleans with plans to renovate and upgrade it in order to turn it into a bed and breakfast, only to learn on the first night that it is haunted with an array of ghosts. 

Ben is later visited by priest and exorcist Father Kent (Owen Wilson) who hires him to photograph the ghosts at Gracey Manor. Ben is initially reluctant but goes through the motions for an upfront cash payment from Gabbie of US$2K, until he returns to his home and is followed there by a ghost Mariner who forces him to return to Gracey Manor. Upon his re-arrival Ben learns that Gabbie, Travis, and Kent have also fallen victim to hauntings, forcing them to also stay in the mansion. 

Ben and Kent go off in search of a medium and recruit Harriet (Tiffany Haddish), a psychic with seemingly genuine abilities, and steal blueprints to the mansion from haunted house historian Prof. Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito). Upon examining the blueprints back at the manor the assembled group locate a hidden seance room. Harriet is able to contact the spirit of Gracey (J. R. Adduci) who leaves a written message instructing them to talk to the legendary medium Madame Leota. Upon trying to do so, a mysterious entity forces Harriet out of the house and when Bruce arrives shortly afterwards he too is ousted from the house in the same manner as Harriet, resulting in him being admitted to hospital for a pre-existing heart condition he has. When a number of ghosts run amok at the hospital, Bruce, Gabbie and Ben get the hell outta there and make back to the manor. 

The group stays at the manor where they proceed to look for Leota's ghost. Ben ventures up into the roof space which contains all manner of old relics, ornaments and bric-a-brac where he runs into conflict with a ghostly bride, but finds a locked trunk that is shaking violently. Upon exiting the attic very unceremoniously and thereafter examining the contents of said trunk, they find a large crystal ball in which is trapped Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis). 

Leota explains that William Gracey purchased the mansion and recruited Leota to try and contact the spirit of his dead wife Eleanor every night for a full year, releasing hundreds of wayward ghosts into the manor. An evil entity then tricked Gracey into taking his own life and trapped Leota inside her crystal ball. Harriet attempts to perform a reverse seance for more answers but winds up giving Ben an out of body experience in which he comes across Gracey and the evil entity, known as the Hatbox Ghost (Jared Leto). 

After Ben returns to the here and now, the next day Bruce takes Ben to get a Police sketch artist to draw up the Hatbox Ghost. He is identified as Alistair Crump, a rich heir who was abused by his father after his mother's death and eventually expelled from the home. Upon reaching adulthood and becoming successful himself, he killed his socialite friends out of revenge for being shunned by society, before being beheaded himself by his team of rebellious servants. 

The ghost of Crump proceeds to lock the mansion down but Ben, Kent, and Travis are able to escape. They find Crump Manor which is located only about an hour away, which has become a historical site and they join a tour of the house hoping to find an artifact that actually belonged to Crump. They learn from the Mariner (who followed them) that Crump needs someone to sacrifice their life and become the mansion's one-thousandth spirit in order to escape the mansion. Travis locates Crump's hat in a makeshift graveyard under the floorboards of the mansion, which they need to use as part of a ritual to banish Crump back to the afterlife.

The three make it back to the Gracey Manor where Ben and Kent rescue Gabbie, Harriet, and Bruce, but Crump burns the hat and plans to use Travis' grief over the death of his father to have him come to the other side and be the one-thousandth spirit. Ben finds Travis and manages to convince him to let go of his father as they and Gabbie confront Crump in the graveyard. 

Kent manages to convince the other ghosts to turn on Crump and join forces with them, and Bruce hands a remnant of the hat plucked from the fire to Harriet, who recites Leota's incantation to banish Crump, but needs to do so several times as Crump is not going down easily. Crump, as he is gradually getting sucked down into the depths of hell, attempts to get Ben to give up his life willingly to see Alyssa again, but Ben says that he is at peace with losing Alyssa before kicking Crump in the face and sending him back to the underworld. Many of the ghosts decide to remain at the mansion, now living in harmony with Gabbie and Travis. Harriet regains her full psychic abilities, Kent is ordainment as a real priest, and Bruce maintains his new friendships. Ben goes back to teaching and adopts a stray cat named Tater Tot, a nod to his wife's love for the Burger King snack. The group all join together the following Halloween for a party at the manor with the merry ghosts. 

'Haunted Mansion' is a mediocre offering from the Mouse House at best and at worst it failed to raise any laughs, has a half baked storyline, and has visual effects that seem plucked out of the 1980's 'Ghostbusters' movies and Peter Jackson's 1996 offering 'The Frighteners'. To me it seemed that in spite of the best intentions by Director Justin Simien and a top notch cast, this film seemed like a cash grab for Disney Studio's looking for a big pay day off the back of one of their more successful theme park rides while targeting a whole new audience of tweens and teens unfamiliar with the 2003 film or the ride itself, which perhaps in the final analysis will sell more tickets to Disneyland, and hence job done as a lost leader!

'Haunted Mansion' merits two claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

 

THE FRENCH DISPATCH : Tuesday 14th December 2021.

I saw the 'THE FRENCH DISPATCH' at my local independent cinema earlier this week. This M Rated anthology comedy film is Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Wes Anderson whose previous film making credits take in his feature length debut with 'Bottle Rocket' in 1996, then 'The Royal Tenenbaums', 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou', 'The Darjeeling Limited', 'Fantastic Mr. Fox', 'Moonrise Kingdom', 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'Isle of Dogs'. It was set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in mid-May 2020, and get a wide release on 24th July, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was cancelled and the film was pulled from the schedule in early April 2020. The film was rescheduled for release in mid-October 2020, before being pulled from the schedule again on 23rd July 2020 for an indefinite period. Eventually the film saw its World Premiere screening at the Cannes Film Festival in mid-July this year, and was released in the US in late October. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, and has thus far grossed US$41M exceeding its production budget of US$25M.

A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper - Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun - in the fictional 20th-century French city of Ennui-sur-Blase, that brings to life a collection of stories published in 'The French Dispatch' where Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray), the editor of the newspaper dies suddenly of a heart attack. According to the wishes expressed in his will, publication of the newspaper is immediately suspended following one final farewell issue, in which three articles from past editions of the paper are republished, along with an obituary. 

After a cycling tour of the city of Ennui-sur-Blase by reporter Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson) in which he guides us through some of the history, the colourful personalities, and the key locations including the arcade, pick-pockets alley, and a noted cafe comparing each place and the residents therein to the past and the present day and observing that whilst so much has altered, just how little has changed over the years in his beautiful city, we see Howitzer critiquing Sazerac's report, while the latter tends to his bicycle. 

The Concrete Masterpiece

J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton), a writer and staffer at The French Dispatch, is seen giving a lecture at the art gallery of her former employer, Upshur 'Maw' Clampette (Lois Smith), in which she goes into fine detail about the career of Moses Rosenthaler (Benicio del Toro). Rosenthaler, is a mentally disturbed artist serving a sentence in the Ennui prison for a double murder. Allowed out of his straightjacket he paints an abstract nude portrait of Simone (Lea Seydoux), a prison officer with whom he develops a close relationship. Julien Cadazio (Adrien Brody), an art dealer also serving a sentence for tax evasion, is so impressed by the painting that he offers to buy it despite Rosenthaler's reluctance. Upon his release, Cadazio convinces his family of art exhibitors to put it on display, and Rosenthaler soon becomes a sensation in the art world. Rosenthaler, however, struggles with inspiration, and devotes himself to a long-term project. 

Fast forward three years and Cadazio, his uncles Nick and Joe (Bob Balaban and Henry Winkler respectively), Clampette, Berensen, and a bunch of artists inspired by Rosenthaler, all frustrated at the lack of further artworks, bribe their way into the prison to confront him, only to discover that his masterpiece is in fact a series of ten frescoes painted onto the concrete wall of the prison hall. Angered that the paintings cannot be removed from the prison, Cadazio and his delegation gets into a physical altercation with Rosenthaler and the other inmates, but soon appreciates the paintings for what they are, and later arranges for the entire room to be airlifted out of the prison into a private museum in Kansas, owned by Clampette. For his actions in halting a prison riot that breaks out during the reveal of the paintings, Rosenthaler is released on probation.

Revisions to a Manifesto

Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand) a journalist for The French Dispatch, reports on a University student protest breaking out in the streets of Ennui that soon escalates into what becomes known as the 'Chessboard Revolution'. While the revolution initially is inspired by petty concerns over access to the girls dormitory, the traumatic military conscription of one student, Mitch-Mitch (Mohamed Belhadjine), leads to more stringent protests. The students’ cause spreads to the working class folk of Ennui.

Despite her insistence on maintaining 'journalistic neutrality', Krementz has a brief romance with Zeffirelli (Timothee Chalamet), the self-appointed leader of the uprising, and in secret helps him write his manifesto while they are in bed together, and adds an appendix. Juliette (Lyna Khoudri), a fellow revolutionary, is unimpressed with his manifesto. After they briefly express their disagreement about its contents and the appendix, Krementz tells the two to 'go make love', which they do. A few weeks later, Zeffirelli is killed while trying to repair the tower of a revolutionary pirate radio station, and soon a photograph of his likeness becomes symbolic of the movement. Years later, Krementz adapts the story of Mitch-Mitch’s conscription, and Zeffirelli and Juliette’s relationship, for a stage play.

The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner

During a television interview, Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) recounts the story to the interviewer (Liev Schreiber) of his attending a private dinner with The Commissaire of the Ennui Police Department (Mathieu Amalric), prepared by legendary Police Officer and acclaimed Chef Lt. Nescaffier (Stephen Park). The dinner is disrupted when the Commissaire's son Gigi (Winston Ait Hellal) is kidnapped and held for ransom by the criminal underworld of Ennui, led by a failed musician called The Chauffeur (Edward Norton), who is demanding the release of an underworld accountant called 'The Abacus' (Willem Dafoe), who possesses their combined financial records. 'The Abacus' is in a solitary confinement cell at Police HQ where the dinner is being held. Wright recounts his own imprisonment in that same cell for his homosexuality, for which he was bailed out by Howitzer and offered a job at The French Dispatch.

Following a late night shoot-out at the kidnapper's hideout, Gigi is able to tap out a message in Morse Code using a coin and a radiator to 'send the cook'. Lt. Nescaffier is sent into the kidnappers' hideout to provide both them and Gigi with food, but secretly the food is laced with poison. The criminals all fall victim to the poisoned fare, and Nescaffier barely survives (because to his strong constitution) after being made to taste test it first. The Chauffeur escapes with Gigi, and leads the police on an animated foot and car chase through the city. Gigi manages to escape out of the sunroof and reunites with his father. During his recovery, Nescaffier saves 'The Abacus' from near starvation by preparing him an omelette, the prisoner having been totally neglected in the fracas. Back at the office of The French Dispatch, Howitzer tells Wright to reinsert a deleted page. In it, a recovering Nescaffier tells Wright that the taste of the poison was unlike anything he had ever eaten in his life, before they commiserate over the state of both being foreigners in France.

In the epilogue, Howitzer is seen to be laid out on his desk, covered in a sheet very dead, on his birthday. The French Dispatch staff, consisting Owen Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, Jason Schwartzman, Fisher Stevens, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Griffin Dunne and the waiter (Pablo Pauly) who delivers the birthday cake all mourn Howitzer's passing, but all set to work on his obituary and on the final issue in honour of his memory. 

'The French Dispatch' is whimsical, quirky and imaginative Wes Anderson storytelling at almost its best (although not quite up there with 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'), and that's because with an opening prologue, a closing epilogue and three stories sandwiched between there is so much to take in, so much to see and so much to read on screen that it's really difficult to keep up. That said, the set designs are impeccable and richly realised, the assembled cast of A-list Actors is straight out of the Who's Who of European and American acting talent, and the sure fired quick witted dialogue is sure to raise a smile a least for even the most hard boiled viewers. As far the three individual stories are concerned not one of these stands out as being head and shoulders above the others and whilst each stands alone on its own merits, as a whole it's hardly the sum of its parts. All credit though to Director and Writer Wes Anderson for his truly unique approach to storytelling and film making, that makes his films stand aloft in a world dominated by comic book adaptations, RomComs, and shoot 'em up take no prisoners action fare.  

'The French Dispatch' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

ZOOLANDER No. 2 : Wednesday 10th February 2016

I caught 'ZOOLANDER No. 2' at an advance screening on Wednesday evening this week, expecting big things from this long awaited and eagerly anticipated sequel to Ben Stiller's 2001 cult comedy parody on the fashion industry and all it stood for. In so doing he introduced the world to his creation of Derek Zoolander in a satire of the fashion industry that he wrote, Directed, Produced and starred in for US$28M that he turned into US$61M. Having created a comedy cult character it was almost inevitable that a follow up would eventuate, and so here 15 years later is the follow up that he also wrote, Directed, Produced and stars in, and which he made for US$50M with his stablemates from that earlier film - Hansel (Owen Wilson), Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell), Matilda Jeffries (Christina Taylor) and a few others. What needs to be borne in mind is that when Stiller first made 'Zoolander' back then he was in his early thirties, and now he is 50, and I have to say that I found this offering the poor cousin to that first instalment, and some of the gags are as dated as his character.

This latest offering centres around the 'worlds most beautiful people' being systematically assassinated all wearing Derek's famed 'Blue Steel' look as their death mask. As the film opens we see two motorbike riders giving chase to a hoodie wearing assailant for reasons that are unclear except that the guys on bikes are brandishing automatic hand guns, and the guy on foot can almost out run them, until that is, he is chased into a corner and riddled with bullets at point blank range. The assailant drops to the floor, and in his last gasps of breath takes a photo with his smartphone and posts his final 'look' to his Instagram page for all the world to see. It is Justin Bieber . . . dead, before our very eyes!

We then get a history lesson of the events since the close of the first film from 2001 onwards - the capture & two life sentences served on Mugatu, how Derek's wife was killed and Hansel's face was disfigured for life in a horrific building collapse, how Derek lost custody of his son, the bitter feud between Derek and Hansel that led to them both leaving the world they loved behind and seeking refuge in their solitude, and the legacy they left behind but eroded over the years as the fashion industry, and life, changed forever. Fast track to the present day and Billy Zane (playing himself) knocks on the door of Derek (now known as Eric Toolander) and delivers a package from Fashion Icon Alexanya Atoz (an unrecognisable Kristen Wiig) urging him to come to Rome to relaunch his career, which in turn may help Derek's cause of winning back his estranged son. Days later Billy Zane rocks up at Hansel's place with the same message, and the two meet again for the first time in fifteen years at the baggage claim carousel at Rome airport.

Atoz wants Derek & Hansel to take part in a fashion launch to relaunch their careers, which they agree to with their new found friendship and zeal to redeem their fallen fashion crowns of yesteryear. They quickly discover that the world of fashion they once knew has changed beyond all recognition - the locations, the gear, the culture, the language and the people in it and around it as they are introduced to deliciously camp All (Benedict Cumberbatch) the latest male model icon of the moment. Getting their moment on stage they are humiliated big time at the hands of All and in front of a global audience, but take it as a lesson in life and look for the positives to enable them to move on.

Needing to bring the arch criminals behind the killings to justice, Derek and Hansel are put on the case by Interpol, because Derek is the only link they have to go on given the 'look' the beautiful ones died with on their faces. The high fashion investigative division of Interpol is headed up by Melanie Valentina (Penelope Cruz) who offers to help Derek track down his son, in exchange for his cooperation with that of Hansel too. Reluctantly he agrees and quickly learns that Derek Jnr. (Cyrus Arnold) is in an orphanage in Rome. He quickly reunites with his son who is less than he expected - a fat dumpy kid known to his school mates as 'Fatlander' who his Dad is quickly embarrassed by, and promptly turns his back on. Some quick persuasive talk from Hansel and the two Derek's connect, but it's not all sunshine & rainbows, resulting in a car stack that the two walk away from unscathed, but covered in gelato.

In the meantime, Hansel receives various prank calls with cryptic 'Police' messages which ultimately call for a late night meeting in a Basilica, which Hansel, Derek and Melanie agree to attend. There they meet with Sting (playing himself) who tells them that 'The Chosen One' which those that have died have sworn to protect, is in fact Derek Jnr. whose blood line goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden and Adam, Eve and Steve as the one born so beautiful that he is in fact The Fountain of Youth. In the meantime Mugatu (Will Ferrell) has been locked up in an off shore high security fashion prison for ten years and is visited by Derek seeking further information about the killings and where his now kidnapped son may be holed up. It doesn't take much for Mugatu to turn the tables on Derek leaving the latter tied up & securely bound, and the former walking free, looking to sacrifice Derek Jnr. to the leaders of the fashion world, and bring about his revenge of Derek Snr.

In a bath house where the beating heart is to be extracted from Derek Jnr. unless Hansel, Derek Snr. and Melanie can intervene on time, it all comes to an end. There is a lava flow, a glitter bomb, a dagger implanted in Derek's cheek and then Hansel's arse, a revelation of who Hansel's father is, the truth behind the tragic death of Derek's wife, why Derek Jnr. is so fat, and Derek finding his new true love and reconciling with his son who really is 'The Chosen One' it turns out, and, can 'Blue Steel' it as good as his old man!

Also starring more cameo's that you can shake your cinema ticket at, those that I recall are Keifer Sutherland, John Malkovich, Justin Bieber, Billy Zane, Benedict Cumberbatch, Katy Perry, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Milla Jovovich and a host of others.

I have to say and it makes me sorry to report that I was underwhelmed by this film. Ben Stiller does well carrying the film with his 'Blue Steel', 'Magnum' and 'Aqua Vitae' looks from back in the day, but, there were no laugh out loud moments for me as there were in the first film. The dialogue is repetitive and derivative, there was too much going on in this far fetched by the numbers plot, and whilst the production values are good they are wasted by a film intent on cramming in as many plots, sub-plots, cameo's and worthless predictable gags as it can. Disappointing because I expected so much more, and the image here from the film just about sums it up for me. Wait for the DVD or BluRay when you may get a bigger bundle of goodies to accompany the film to make it a worthwhile experience.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 11th February 2016.

This year the 69th annual British Academy Film Awards presented by BAFTA will be held on Sunday evening 14th February at the Royal Opera House in London and hosted once again by Stephen Fry. Recognising the best in film performance and production the main contenders in the top categories are : Best Film - 'The Big Short', 'Carol', 'Spotlight', 'The Revenant' and 'Bridge of Spies'. Best Direction  - Adam McKay, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Todd Haynes and Alejandro Inarritu.  Best Actor - Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Eddie Redmayne, Bryan Cranston and Michael Fassbender.  Best Actress - Maggie Smith, Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson, Alicia Vikander and Saoirse Ronan. Best Supporting Actor - Christian Bale, Idris Elba, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Rylance and Benicio del Toro. Best Supporting Actress - Kate Winslet, Alicia Vikander, Rooney Mara, Julie Walters and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Of course there are a whole bunch of other Awards that take in all the usual categories - Original Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography, Visual Effects, Costume Design, Hair & Make-up, Editing, Animated Film, British Film etc. 'Bridge of Spies' and 'Carol' each have nine nominations - the most this year, 'The Revenant' has eight, 'Mad Max : Fury Road' has seven, 'Brooklyn' and 'The Martian' have six, 'The Danish Girl', 'Ex Machina' and 'The Big Short' each carry five, and 'Star Wars : The Force Awakens' has four. You can see more at www.bafta.org and, you can read the Reviews of most of these within this Blog. Good luck, best wishes and well done to all nominees.

And so what of this weeks latest release movies, of which one is released in Australia this week just in time for the aforementioned BAFTA and Academy Awards and tells the story of a young Irish migrant woman venturing forth to New York in search of a new life; then there is a haute couture spoof sequel that has been sixteen years in the making and reuniting that comedy classic cohort staring down right at you; followed up with the first Marvel offering of 2016 with the first feature dedicated to this character even though we have seen him before; and finally to tantalise your tastebuds there is a story of food, food and more food and a certain world renowned Chef's obsession with it!

A diverse mix of films to choose from in the coming week with plenty of great offerings still on general release and as either Reviewed or Previewed between these humble Blog Posts.  Remember to share your views and don't be backward in coming forward with your opinions of your film experience by sharing a Comment below this or any Post. Enjoy your movie this week.

DEADPOOL (Rated MA15+) - this is the next instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that will also see 'X-Men : Apocalypse' later this year and another 'Captain America' instalment. This is not the first time we have seen 'Deadpool' on the big screen, with the character making his first appearance in 'X-Men Origins : Wolverine' in 2009 when Ryan Reynolds portrayed this character back then too. Development of this first film kicked off way back in 2004 passing through several Studios and Writers along the way, although Tim Miller was hired to Direct in 2011 with filming starting in Canada in early 2015. Reynolds had always wanted to play the character of Wade Wilson/Deadpool since 2003, and stated that this adaptation of the Superhero character would be more authentic than the role he portrayed in the earlier 2009 'Wolverine' outing.

And so Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a special forces operative who  undergoes an experimental regenerative operation to cure his cancer. Things don't go quite according to plan and as result he is left badly scarred with disfigured skin and with borderline insanity, a dark twisted sense of humour,  but with the ability to heal himself . . . and quickly. Armed with new abilities and a new identity, Wilson goes on the hunt for the man who almost destroyed his life. Ed Skrein stars as Francis/Ajax, Gina Carano as Angel Dust, Stefan Kapicic as Peter Rasputin/Colossus, T.J.Miller as Weasel, Morena Baccarin as Wilson's girlfriend Vanessa Carlysle, and watch out for the trademark Stan Lee cameo.

BROOKLYN (Rated M) - another Academy Award nominated film in the race for three golden statues - Best Actress, Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay based on the novel of the same name by Colm Toibin. Premiered at Sundance in early 2015, the film was released in the UK and US in early November , with its Australian release this week just days before the BAFTA's for which it is nominated for six Awards and the Oscar's two weeks later. Directed by John Crowley and starring Saoirse Ronan as Eilis Lacey - a young Irish woman who relocates herself to 1950's Brooklyn in the hope of finding a better life. She quickly falls for local lad Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen) and begins to feel more settled in her new home town until the day comes when she must choose between the two countries and the two lives that have become intertwined. Also starring Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters and nominated for six BAFTA's, three Academy Awards, and has won 23 accolades already with another 109 nominations.

2OOLANDER (Rated M) - in 2001 Ben Stiller introduced the world to his creation of Derek Zoolander in a satire of the fashion industry that he wrote, Directed, Produced and starred in for US$28M that he turned into US$61M. Having created a comedy cult character it was almost inevitable that a follow up would eventuate, and so here 15 years later is the follow up that he also wrote, Directed, Produced and stars in, with his stablemates from that earlier film - Hansel (Owen Wilson), Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell), Matilda Jeffries (Christina Taylor) and a few others. This instalment centres around the 'worlds most beautiful people' being systematically assassinated  all wearing Derek's famed 'Blue Steel' look as their death mask. Needing to bring the arch criminals behind the killings to justice, Derek and Hansel are  put on the case by Interpol, but in the meantime  Mugatu is released from jail and is after Derek now and seeking revenge. Also starring Penelope Cruz, Kristen Wiig, Kanye West, Benedict Cumberbatch and a host of cameo's including Sting, Billy Zane, Justin Bieber and others. If this is anywhere near as good as the first, then it will be hit for sure.

NOMA : MY PERFECT STORM (Rated M) - if you consider yourself a foodie, a gourmand, a lover of food porn and a follower of gastronomy then this is the film of the week for you! Voted Best Restaurant in the world in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, Rene Redzepi's famed Copenhagen eatery 'Noma' barely knows no equal. This documentary film charts Redzepi's journey from humble beginnings to rise to the very top of the food chain as Chef and joint owner of this restaurant -  voted the world's best four times and to which people will travel from the world over to dine at. Charting the story of what drives the man to extraordinary lengths of culinary excellence, his determination, his vision, his sacrifices and what it takes to reach the very pinnacle of fine dining . . . and stay there! Directed by Pierre Deschamps, starring the great Chef, his kitchen brigade and some great food!

Four very different films to tempt you out to a movie theatre in the week ahead. When you have dined out on your movie of choice remember to drop us a line and share your experience - we'd love to hear from you! In the meantime, see you at the Odeon!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 5th November 2015.

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-