What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 26th September 2019.

The 45th Saturn Awards as presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films honours the best in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and other genres belonging to genre fiction in film, television, home media releases, and local theatre productions from March 1st 2018 through to July 7th 2019, and was held on September 13th 2019, in the historic nightclub Avalon Hollywood in Hollywood, California.

'Avengers : Endgame' led the nominations for films with fourteen, followed by 'Aladdin' with nine, 'Us' with eight, 'Aquaman' and 'Mary Poppins Returns' each with six, and 'Bad Times at the El Royale' and 'A Quiet Place' each with five. Numerous others films across the qualifying genres also received four, three and two nominations also.

And so the winners and grinners from this years Saturn Awards were as follows :

* Best Comic to Film Motion Picture, awarded to 'Avengers : Endgame'

* Best Science Fiction Film, awarded to 'Ready Player One'

* Best Fantasy Film, awarded to 'Toy Story 4'

* Best Horror Film, awarded to 'A Quiet Place'

* Best Action or Adventure Film, awarded to 'Mission : Impossible - Fallout'

* Best Thriller Film, awarded to 'Bad Times at the El Royale'

* Best Animated Film, awarded to 'Spider-Man : Into the Spider-Verse'

* Best Independent Film, awarded to 'Mandy'

* Best International Film, awarded to 'Burning'

* Best Actor, awarded to Robert Downey Jnr. for Tony Stark/Iron Man in 'Avengers : Endgame'

* Best Actress, awarded to Jamie Lee Curtis for Laurie Strode in 'Halloween'

* Best Supporting Actor, awarded to Josh Brolin for Thanos in 'Avengers : Endgame'

* Best Supporting Actress, awarded to Zendaya as MJ in 'Spider-Man : Far From Home'

* Best Performance by a Young Actor, awarded to Tom Holland for Peter Parker/Spider-Man in 'Spider-Man : Far From Home'

* Best Director, awarded to Jordan Peele for 'Us'

* Best Breakout Director, awarded to Ari Aster for 'Hereditary'

* Best Writing, awarded to Bryan Woods, Scott Beck and John Krasinski for 'A Quiet Place'

* Best Production Design, awarded to Charles Wood for 'Avengers : Endgame'

* Best Editing, awarded to Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt for 'Avengers : Endgame'

* Best Make Up, awarded to John Blake and Brian Sipe for 'Avengers : Endgame'

* Best Special Effects, awarded to 'Avengers : Endgame'

* Best Costume Design, awarded to Michael Wilkinson for 'Aladdin'

* Best Music, awarded to Marc Shaiman, for 'Mary Poppins Returns'.

And so this week we have five new release movie offerings coming to your local Odeon. Kicking off with a ZomCom set in small town America where the dead rise up from their graves and go on the rampage leaving the local Police and the living to save the day from an ensemble cast of the undead and those very much alive. We then turn to a drama film surrounding a young lad whose mother is killed in a bombing incident, a stolen painting, and how both changed his life forever. Next we turn attention to a horror film set in the late '60's about a discovery of a book, whose stories contained therein start to take on a deadly and very real life of their own. With a change of pace next we have an Australian biopic of a true story of the first, and so far only, female jockey to win the famed Melbourne Cup horse race; before closing out the week with the story of a young lad from Cambodia who seeks a better life in Bangkok only to be sold as slave labour on a Thai fishing boat where violence and death are all too commonplace.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release new movies 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 most welcome 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 outing during the week ahead.

'THE DEAD DON'T DIE' (Rated MA15+) - this American ZomCom is Directed and Written by Jim Jarmusch whose previous film making credits take in 1984's 'Stranger Than Paradise', 1986's 'Down by Law', 1995's 'Dead Man', 1999's 'Ghost Dog : The Way of the Samurai', 2003's 'Coffee and Cigarettes', 2005's 'Broken Flowers', 2013's 'Only Lovers Left Alive' and 2016's 'Paterson'. The film saw its World Premier screening at this years Cannes Film Festival in May where it was the opening night film and also in competition for the prestigious Palme d'Or, went on general release in the US in mid-June, has so far grossed US$14M and has received generally mixed or average Reviews so far.

With an ensemble cast that takes in Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Steve Buscemi, Tilda Swinton, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Iggy Pop, Chloe Sevigny, Rosie Perez, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane, Tom Waits and RZA, the story centres on the sleepy small rural town of Centerville, where something is amiss. The moon hangs large and low in the sky, the hours of daylight are becoming less predictable, and animals are beginning to exhibit somewhat disturbing behaviour. News reports are scary, and scientists are concerned, but no one foresees the strangest and most dangerous repercussion that will soon start plaguing Centerville. With the dead rising from their graves and feasting on the living, the citizens must band together and wage war on the marauding undead to survive.

'THE GOLDFINCH' (Rated M) - this American drama film is Directed by the Irish theatre, television and film Director John Crowley whose previous film making credits include 'Boy A', 'Is Anybody There', 'Closed Circuit' and 'Brooklyn'. This story is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Donna Tartt, and is lensed by the acclaimed Roger Deakins. The storyline here follows Theodore Decker (Oakes Fegley) who was thirteen years old when his mother was killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Now eight years on the older Theo (Ansel Elgort) has seen this tragedy alter the course of his life, sending him on a spiralling odyssey of grief and guilt, reinvention and redemption, and even love. Through it all, he holds on to one tangible piece of hope from that terrible day - a 1654 painting by Dutch painter Carel Fabritius of a goldfinch chained to its perch, which he retrieved directly in the aftermath of the fateful bombing. Also starring Nicole Kidman, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson, Jeffrey Wright, Aneurin Barnard and Finn Wolfhard. The film saw its World Premier screening at TIFF earlier this month, went on general release Stateside on 13th September, cost US$45M to make, has so far recovered just over US$6M and has garnered mixed or average Reviews at best.

'SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK' (Rated M) - this American horror film is Directed by Norwegian film maker, Producer and Screenwriter Andre Ovredal whose previous screen credits include 'Trollhunter' and 'The Autopsy of Jane Doe'. Here Guillermo del Toro is given a Co-Producer credit together with a co-credit for devising the story based up on the children's book series of the same name by Alvin Schwartz. Here, the shadow of the wealthy Bellows family has loomed large in the small town of Mill Valley, Pennsylvania for generations. It is 1968 and in a mansion that young Sarah Bellows turned her tortured life and horrible secrets into a series of scary stories. These terrifying tales soon have a way of becoming all too real for a group of unsuspecting teens who stumble upon Sarah's spooky home. Starring Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Zajur, Natalie Ganzhorn, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows and Javier Botet, the film was released in the US in mid-August, cost US$28M to make, has so far grossed US$93M and has generated mostly positive Press.

'RIDE LIKE A GIRL' (Rated PG) - in her first full length feature film debut here acclaimed Australian Actress Rachel Griffiths Directs and Co-Produces this true story of Michelle Payne - the first female jockey to win the famed 'race that stops a nation' - The Melbourne Cup in 2015. As a little girl, Michelle Payne dreams of the impossible, winning The Melbourne Cup — horse-racing's toughest race run over two-miles. The youngest of ten children, Michelle is raised by single father Paddy (Sam Neill) on a horse farm near Ballarat in Victoria. She leaves school at fifteen to become a jockey (like eight of her other siblings) and after early failures she finds her feet, but a family tragedy, followed by her own near fatal horse fall all but bring a premature end to her dream. But with the love of her dad and her brother Stevie (played by her real life brother Stevie Payne who has Down Syndrome), Michelle (Teresa Palmer) is determined not to give up. Against staunch medical advice, and the protests of her siblings, she rides on, and meets the Prince of Penzance - the horse she would ultimately ride to victory. Together they overcome impossible odds for a shot at her dream - to ride in the 2015 Melbourne Cup, at odds of 100 to one. Also starring Magda Szubanski, Mick Molloy, Aaron Glenane, Sophia Forrest and Sullivan Stapleton.

'BUOYANCY' (Rated M) - Directed by Aussie Rodd Rathjen in his first feature length film outing following a number of largely successful short films, his film here spoken in Khmer and Thai won the Panorama Prize by Berlinale's Ecumenical Jury. Telling the story of fourteen year old Chakra (Sarm Heng in his first film appearance) who leaves the heavy toiling in the Cambodian rice paddies to go in search of factory work in Bangkok. After paying smugglers to ferry him over the border, the boy is instead traded to a seafood trawler as a slave where the violence and murder meted out on his fellow captors is a routine occurrence, all under the watch of ruthless and sadistic captain Rom Ran (Thanawut Kasro). Chakra learns to grow up very quickly and soon realises that his only bid for freedom may mean becoming as violent as his captors. The film has been lauded for it gripping portrayal of the South East Asian fishing industry punishing reality, and the nuanced performance of its first timer lead in youngster Sarm Heng.

With five new release movies this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends 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-

HACKSAW RIDGE : Tuesday 8th November 2016.

'HACKSAW RIDGE' which I saw in the week, and with which I'm pleased to announce that Mel Gibson is back - finally - and in the Director's chair for the first time since his acclaimed 'Apocalypto' in 2006 which he also Co-Wrote and Co-Produced. Since then he has starred in six films only, and most recently 'Blood Father' released only a few months ago to critical praise but lacklustre Box Office. Hollywood turned their back on Gibson for reasons that are well known and well documented, and so too did the movie going public, but in 'Hacksaw Ridge' it seems the Actor, Director, Producer and Screenwriter has served his time and there has been widespread applause for this, his latest Directorial offering which Premiered at the Venice Film Festival in early September to a ten minute standing ovation. After languishing in film development hell for a very long time, and having turned down the film twice before, Gibson finally agreed to helm the movie in 2014. Made for US$40M and filmed entirely in Sydney and rural New South Wales, Australia, this film features a string of fine Australian acting talent, and is already touted for Academy Award recognition come next February.

The film begins at a rural home in the Virginian hills, in the small town of Lynchburg where two young brothers are fighting - Desmond and Harold Doss, both not even ten years of age. They live with their mother Bertha (Rachel Griffiths) a religious homemaker and housewife, and father Tom (Hugo Weaving) a WWI veteran who is deeply scarred by the after effects of war and the loss of three of his closest friends whom he still mourns over in the local cemetery. He's a hard drinking man, and for him its seems there ain't much good in the world anymore. As the boys fight Desmond picks up a brick and knocks Harold over the head with it, knocking him unconscious. Horrified, Bertha and Tom take the limp bodied Harold into the house fearful he may die. He doesn't, but Desmond retreats to a picture located in another room of the Lords Prayer and the Ten Commandments, and his eyes are drawn to the sixth Commandment - Thou Shalt Not Kill. Fifteen years later and Desmond is all grown up, a young adult (Andrew Garfield) and we see him attend to an accident outside his local church involving a man pinned under a car with a badly lacerated leg injury. This results in him accompanying the patient to the local hospital and coming face to face with nurse Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer). For Desmond it is case of love at first sight and he is smitten. He agrees to give blood just to strike up a conversation. In no time at all, his feelings for Dorothy are reciprocated and the pair are prancing around like star crossed lovers and a wedding date is set!

One evening over the family dinner in the Doss household, Harold (Nathaniel Buzolic) announces he has enlisted, much to the chagrin of his father. This prompts Desmond to do likewise. But because of his firm religious beliefs as a conscientious objector, he intends to serve as a medic having gained an interest in all things medical from his nurse fiance, Dorothy. He is posted to Fort Jackson in Carolina where he meets his fellow grunts, among them Smitty (Luke Bracey) and is put under the command of Sergeant Howell (Vince Vaughn). He performs in all physical exercises very well and passes all necessary tests, except he will not carry a weapon and nor train on Saturday's, being the Sabbath for the Seventh Day Adventist that he is. This incurs the ire of Sergeant Howell and his superior Captain Glover (Sam Worthington) who try everything in their power to get Doss to quit the Army and return home. They see his religious beliefs as a mark of cowardice and seek to have him discharged on psychiatric grounds. This fails and so they turn his fellow soldiers on him in an attempt to have their bullying and beatings make him leave of his own volition. This also fails, and just makes Doss more determined to serve his country as he wants to, but not to bear arms.

The time comes when Desmond's squad is to be issued with weekend leave passes, during which time the wedding is set for he and Dorothy. However, he is arrested for refusing to carry out the orders of his Sergeant and his Captain by not carrying a weapon, despite his exemplary record in all other areas. Doss is thrown in a military prison pending a Court Marshall hearing at which he is likely to be found guilty and as such spend the entire war in a prison cell. Dorothy gets wind of this and visits him pleading with Desmond to plead guilty so that he can be released without charge. Not prepared to compromise his beliefs for his sake and Dorothy's he pleads not guilty.

His father Tom meanwhile, dressed in full WWI military uniform, barges in on the proceedings with a letter from his former WWI commanding officer with whom he fought in France, and who is now high up in the echelons of the Military. The letter states that it is written in the US Constitution that Desmond is protected if he chooses not to carry a weapon. As such the case is dismissed, he is granted permission to go into battle as a medic, and promptly marries Dorothy.

It's not long afterwards that Howell, Glover, Doss and the squad from Fort Jackson are combat ready and sent forthwith to the war in the Pacific to take part in the Battle of Okinawa, an island 550kms off the Japanese coast, and strategically well placed for the final assault on Japan, if the Americans can take possession. The gathered American forces have come under intense attack that has seen countless casualties on both sides. Needing to scale the sheer cliff face of the Maeda Escarpment (aka as 'Hacksaw Ridge'), Doss meets up with two other battle weary medics who give him some advice to stay alive. After making their first ascent they are met with a constant barrage of heavy artillery attack with intense close quarter gun fire, mortar explosions, flame throwers, grenades and bayonets incurring heavy casualties on both sides. Doss manages to rescue a number of injured men, even those that looked like lost causes, whilst dodging enemy attack at its most ferocious.

That night when the days fighting has subdued, what's left of the squad dig into fox holes for the night, Doss and Smitty share a quite moment in which Doss recounts the reason why he refuses to handle a gun. He almost shot his father, after he held a gun to his mother, and since that day he has been steadfast in his belief to never again hold a firearm. After a restless night, interrupted by the nighttime sounds of rats chewing on the corpses of the dead, and the moans of those wounded on the battlefield, the Japanese mount another relentless attack. Smitty is killed and the American's go into retreat waiting for another artillery attack from its warships located just off the coast. The overhead bombardment has the desired effect on the Japanese forces but not before more extensive bloodshed, torn limbs, lascerated bodies and scorched remains is seen on both sides.

With the squad now retreated back down the Ridge, Doss remains at the top refusing to leave. He spends the next day and that night retrieving wounded soldiers from the battlefield, whilst dodging occasional enemy gunfire and scout troops picking off lone survivors. He is alone out there, but is determined in his mission to save as many as he can, by rappelling them down the edge of the cliff to safety - mostly Americans but the occasional Japanese soldier too. This he continues despite his bloodied and ripped raw hands, his physical exhaustion and the ever present dangers of his own death. Time after time he prays to his Lord - 'help me find one more', 'help me find one more', 'help me find one more'!

He comes across a wounded Howell who is unable to walk having sustained injuries to both legs. Under gunfire from advancing Japanese troops, Doss drags Howell backwards on a make shift stretcher so that Howell can take out those Japanese aggressors. He does so barely with enough time to bind himself and Howell and throw himself and his injured Sergeant off the cliff edge, to be retrieved by Glover and others below. Doss is hailed a hero when they return to the safety of their own base, and the full magnitude of Doss' efforts is realised.

The next day is a Saturday and the Sabbath for Doss. Acknowledging his beliefs now Glover asks Doss for his forgiveness, and says that his fellow soldiers, having witnessed Doss's efforts, believe in some form of Devine intervention that will protect them when they advance again on Hacksaw Ridge. But it means Doss going into battle on his Sabbath day, and without him, the men won't go. He agrees and with extra reinforcements, the Americans turn the battle around in their favour. Doss sustains a leg injury from a grenade thrown by Japanese officers pretending to surrender, and is gradually lowered down the cliff face on a stretcher clutching the Holy Bible given to him by Dorothy when he first joined up.

As a conscientious objector Doss single handedly saved the lives of more than 75 men under a barrage of constant enemy fire whilst upholding his firm religious beliefs. He was discharged from the US Army in 1946 and spent the next five years recovering from his own injuries (he was shot three times) and illness. Dorothy died in 1991, and Desmond died in 2006 aged 87, having been awarded the Medal of Honour in November 1945 by President Harry S. Truman, as well as The Bronze Star and Purple Heart, and numerous other commendations and awards.

This is a stirring film on many levels. Its sets the scene for the best part of the first half as the emotions and the tension come to the boil before the main event that Gibson has staged with gritty relentless realism not seen in a wartime movie since 'Saving Private Ryan'. And it is in the battle scenes that Gibson once again shows us his abilities to stage gut wrenching, bloody, brutal and violent action grounded in a reality that is seldom seen elsewhere - just as he did in 'Braveheart' and 'Apocalypto'. This is one of the must see films of the year - for a strong and memorable performance from Andrew Garfield, for a little known true story of one mans courage of his convictions amidst great adversity, and for Mel Gibson's return to form as a Director of repute. Be warned however, that the battle scenes are long, confronting, graphic and intense - a depiction of the horrors, immediacy, chaos and carnage of warfare that Gibson doesn't shy away from, and nor should he!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-