What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 4th November 2021.

The 34th Tokyo International Film Festival is currently in full flight having opened on Saturday 30th October and ending on Monday 8th November. This festival is one of Asia's competitive film festivals, and the only Japanese festival accredited by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations). TIFF has played an integral role in Japan's film industry and cultural scene since it was founded in 1985. TIFF aspires to be recognised as one of the four major film festivals in the world and in the same league as Cannes, Venice and Berlin. This year the Opening Night film was 'Cry Macho' Directed, Co-Produced and starring Clint Eastwood, with the Closing Night film being 'Dear Evan Hansen' Directed by Stephen Chbosky.

In Official Competition at TIFF this year The International Competition Jury will award the Tokyo Grand Prix, Special Jury Prize, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Artistic Contribution and the Audience Award from a line up of fifteen films. The winners will be announced at the Closing Ceremony, with the Tokyo Gran Prix winner collecting prize money of US$30K. Those films are :-

* 'Arisaka' - from The Philippines and Directed by Mikhail Red. World Premier screening.

* 'Californie' - from Italy and Directed by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kauffman. Asian Premier.

* 'Crane Lantern' - from Azerbaijan and Directed by Hilal Baydarov. World Premier screening.

* 'The Daughter' - from Spain and Directed by Manuel Martin Cuenca. Asian Premier.

* 'The Dawning of the Day' - from Sri Lanka and Directed by Asoka Handagama. World Premier screening.

* 'The Four Walls' - from Turkey and Directed by Bahman Ghobadi. World Premier screening.

* 'Hommage' - from Korea and Directed by Shin Su-won. World Premier screening.

* 'Just Remembering' - from Japan and Directed by Matsui Daigo. World Premier screening.

* 'La Civil' - from Belgium, Romania and Mexico and Directed by Teodora Ana Mihai. Asian Premier.

* 'One and Four' - from China and Directed by Jigme Trinley. World Premier screening.

* 'The Other Tom' - from Mexico and the US and Directed by Rodrigo Pla and Laura Santullo. Asian Premier.

* 'Payback' - from The Philippines and Directed by Brillante Ma Mendoza. World Premier screening.

* 'Poet' - from Kazakhstan and Directed by Darezhan Omirbaev. World Premier screening.

* 'Third Time Lucky' - from Japan and Directed by Nohara Tadashi. World Premier screening.

* 'Vera Dreams of the Sea' - from Kosovo, North Macedonia and Albania and Directed by Kaltrina Krasniqi. Asian Premier.

The Gala Section premieres the latest films ahead of their Japanese release. Ten films will be showcased this year which include much-talked-about films in international film festivals around the world, the latest films from internationally renowned auteurs, and entertainment films that were massive hits in their home countries. Those titles are : 'Churuli', 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye', 'The French Dispatch', 'Gensan Punch', 'The Hand of God', 'Last Night in Soho', 'Limbo', 'Memoria', 'The Power of the Dog' and 'Raging Fire'.

The World Focus section presents notable works from various international film festivals and the latest films that have yet to be released in Japan. The eight films showcased here are : 'The Box', 'Libertad', 'Veneciafrenia', 'Il Buco', 'Murina', 'Swan Song', 'Terrorizers' and 'Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash'.

Asian Future is a competitive section that features up-and-coming Asian Directors who have Directed no more than three feature-length films. The top film will be awarded the 'Asian Future Best Film Award' and prize money of US$10K. Two Japanese films have been selected this year. All ten films competing in the section will have their World Premiere showcasing. Those films are : 'American Girl', 'Asu', 'The Brittle Thread', 'The Brokers', 'The Coffin Painters', 'The Last Birds of Passage', 'The Nighthawk's First Love', 'Somebody's Flowers', 'When Pomegranates Howl' and 'World, Northern Hemisphere'.

For the complete run down of scheduled films and a whole lot more from this years 34th Tokyo International Film Festival, you can go to the official website at : https://www.2021.tiff-jp.net/ 

This coming week then we have four latest release new films coming to you local Odeon, and we kick off with the 26th instalment in the MCU that sees a race of immortal beings with superhuman powers who have lived on Earth for thousands of years hidden in plain sight, reunite to battle the evil Deviants. This is followed by a story of a violent gang war from the perspectives of mobster Dickie Moltisanti and his teenage nephew, Anthony Soprano, in the midst of Newark's 1967 riots. Next up, and in the world of international crime, an Interpol agent attempts to hunt down and capture the world's most wanted art thief, with the help of the world's second most wanted art thief. And closing out the week is a documentary  about a legendary cookbook author and television superstar, who changed the way Americans think about food, television, and even about women.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or 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 coming week.

'ETERNALS' (Rated M) - this much hyped epic superhero film is based on the Marvel Comics characters of the same name, is the 26th film in the MCU and the third film in the MCU's Phase Four. Directed and Co-Written by Chloe Zhao whose prior film credits are 2015's 'Songs My Brother Taught Me' her debut, then 'The Rider' in 2017 and the critically acclaimed 'Nomadland' in 2020. Originally set for release on 6th November 2020, it was then moved back to 12th February 2021 and then to this week in the US, UK, Australia and other international territories due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film cost US$200M to produce and has so far generated mixed or average Reviews. 

Starring an ensemble cast that takes in Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie that following the return of half the global population in 'Avengers: Endgame' ignites 'the emergence', the Eternals (an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth) —an immortal alien race created by the Celestials (their mythology is that they are members of the first lifeforms created in and by the original universe, and have contributed to the creation of the Multiverse including the evolution of life therein) who have secretly lived on Earth for more than seven thousand years, are forced into reuniting to protect humanity from their evil counterparts, the Deviants (an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth instigated by the alien Celestials, and wage war against their counterparts, the Eternals), after an unexpected tragedy forces them out of hiding in plain sight. 

'THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK' (Rated MA15+) - is an American crime drama story Directed by Alan Taylor whose previous film making credits take in his debut 'Palookaville' in 1995, 'The Emperor's New Clothes' in 2001, 'Thor : The Dark World' in 2013 and 'Terminator : Genisys' in 2015. In the meantime he has also Directed multiple episodes of 'Homicide : Life on the Street', 'Sex and the City', 'The Sopranos' and 'Game of Thrones'. Co-Written by and based on characters created by David Chase this film serves as a prequel to Chase's HBO crime drama series 'The Sopranos', and takes place during the 1960's and '70's in Newark, New Jersey. The film follows a young Anthony Soprano who is growing up in one of the most tumultuous eras in Newark's history, becoming a man just as rival gangsters begin to rise up and challenge the all-powerful DiMeo crime family's hold over the increasingly race-torn city. Caught up in the changing times is the uncle he worships, Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), who struggles to manage both his professional and personal responsibilities, and whose influence over his impressionable nephew will help make the teenager into the all-powerful mob boss we'll later come to know - Tony Soprano (Michael Gandolfini, and the son of James Gandolfini who played Tony Soprano in the TV series). The film has garnered largely positive critical acclaim, has so far recouped US$12M off the back of a US$50M production budget, saw its World Premier showcasing at the Tribeca Film Festival in late September and went to general release in the US on 1st October along with a month-long simultaneous release on HBO Max. Also starring Jon Bernthal, Leslie Odom Jnr., Corey Stoll, Vera Farmiga, Ray Liotta and Billy Magnussen. 

'RED NOTICE' (Rated M) - is an American action comedy film Written, Directed and Co-Produced by Rawson Marshall Thurber, whose prior film making credits include his debut 'DodgeBall : A True Underdog Story' in 2004, 'We're the Millers' in 2013, 'Central Intelligence' in 2016 and 'Skyscraper' in 2018. The film gets a limited cinematic release from this week, before going to air on Netflix from 12th November. With a budget somewhere in the vicinity of US$180M it represents the biggest investment made by the streaming service in a feature film to date. Here then, when Interpol issue a Red Notice — the highest level arrest warrant to hunt and capture the world’s most wanted criminals, the FBI’s top profiler John Hartley (Dwayne Johnson) lands the case. His world wide pursuit finds him in the middle of a daring robbery where he’s forced to team up with the world’s greatest art thief Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds) in order to catch the world’s most wanted art thief, Sarah Black aka 'The Bishop' (Gal Gadot). 

'JULIA' (Rated PG) - this American documentary film is Directed and Co-Produced by Julie Cohen and Betsy West with Ron Howard serving as Executive Director. The film chronicles the life of Julia Child, who lived from 1912 until 2004 and was an American cooking teacher, author, and television personality. She is recognised for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' (published in 1961) and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was 'The French Chef', which premiered in 1963 and aired over 145 episodes through until 1973. All up Julia Child claimed fifteen TV series, eight DVD releases, published eighteen books and in 2009, a feature film 'Julie & Julia' adapted by Nora Ephron from Child's memoir 'My Life in France' saw Meryl Streep played Child. The film won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical or Comedy. This film has garnered mostly positive Reviews, saw its World Premier screening at the Telluride Film Festival in early September, and now gets its release in the US and here in Australia from this week. 

With four new release films 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 at your local Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Odeon's closed, productions halted, movies delayed : the impact of the coronavirus - Part 2

Usually on a Wednesday I would report on the latest release new movies coming to an Odeon near you in Australia during the week commencing tomorrow. But as cinemas all around the country and elsewhere are temporarily closed, this week and for the foreseeable future this is not to be. So, as the world remains in lockdown, self isolation is the new de rigueur, and the vast majority of the worlds countries are suffering from the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak that has seen large social gatherings forbidden, stores and businesses shut their doors indefinitely, millions of people now working from home or stood down, the global economy on an ever descending downward spiral, borders closed, airlines grounded, and all but essential services and retailers still operating. And, as at the time of writing, there still remains no end in sight! What we do know, as history tells us, that this pandemic will pass, eventually, but who knows when, and who knows what the world will look like on the other side?

And so last week I reported on all the latest big movies that were slated for release over the next six months or so, that have subsequently been pushed back to some future date either later on this year, or next year, or at an as yet undisclosed date. This week I turn attention to all of those movies that were in production at the time the global pandemic was announced and as a consequence have taken a hiatus from their filming schedule until such time as a sense of normality is restored.

So, in case you were wondering what the production status is of the big movies that were filming at the time the outbreak took hold, here is what we know of them so far :-

* KING RICHARD' - is a biographical drama film Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and stars Will Smith as Richard Williams, Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams, Demi Singleton as Serena Williams with Jon Bernthal, Liev Schreiber, and Dylan McDermott. Filming commenced in Los Angeles in January, but was halted temporarily in March. The film remains slated for a 25th November 2020 release.

* 'THE LAST DUEL' - this historical drama thriller film is Directed by Ridley Scott, and is based on the book 'The Last Duel : A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France' by Eric Jager. The screenplay is Co-Written by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Nicole Holofcener and stars Matt Damon in the lead role supported by Adam Driver, Jodie Comer and Ben Affleck. Filming began in France on 14th February and was due to move to Ireland in March, but production was halted on the 13th March for an unidentified period. The film is due for release 8th January 2021.

* 'SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS' -  is a Superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Shang-Chi. Produced by Marvel Studios it is intended to be the 26th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi (Marvel's first film with an Asian lead Actor). Also starring Tony Leung, Awkwafina and Ronny Chieng. Filming began in Sydney, Australia in February but was halted on 13th March, with a release date now scheduled for 7th May 2021.

* 'THE MATRIX 4' - is a Sci-Fi action film and the fourth instalment in 'The Matrix' franchise beginning with 1999's 'The Matrix' and continuing with two sequels, 'The Matrix Reloaded' and 'The Matrix Revolutions' (both in 2003). The film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Lana Wachowski, one of the two Wachowskis who Directed the previous three films. Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Lambert Wilson reprise their roles from previous films in the series. Production began in San Francisco on 4th February, but later on in March production was halted. The film is set for a release date of 21st May 2021.

* 'JURASSIC WORLD : DOMINION' -  is a Sci-Fi adventure film Directed, Co-Written for the screen and based on a story by Colin Trevorrow, who also Directed 2015's 'Jurassic World'. This sequel to the 2018's 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom', it is the sixth film in the 'Jurassic Park' franchise and the final film in the 'Jurassic World' trilogy. The film stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Jake Johnson, Omar Sy, Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, Isabella Sermon, and B.D. Wong who all reprise their roles from previous instalments. Principal photography began on 24th February in British Columbia, then moved to England, and on 13th March production was halted for an indefinite period. The film is due to be released on 11th June 2021.

* 'THE BATMAN' -  this Superhero film is based on the DC Comics character of the same name, who we all know and love. Produced by DC Films it is developed as the tenth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and a reboot of the 'Batman' film franchise. Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Matt Reeves the film stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman with  Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell. Filming began in London, England in late January but was halted indefinitely. The film is slated for a 25th June 2021 release.

* MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE 7' - this action spy film is Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Christopher McQuarrie, and starring Tom Cruise, who reprises his role as Ethan Hunt once again. It is the seventh installment of the 'Mission : Impossible' film franchise and the third film to be Directed by McQuarrie after 2015's 'Rogue Nation' and 2018's 'Fallout'. The cast includes Henry Czerny, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Vanessa Kirby, all of whom reprise their roles from the previous films, along with Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, and Nicholas Hoult, who will join the franchise. Filming was due to begin on 20th February in Venice for three weeks before moving to Rome for another six weeks however, due to the coronavirus pandemic becoming more pronounced in Italy, production in the country was suspended. The film is due to be released on 23rd July 2021.

* 'ELVIS' - this Biopic is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written for the screen by Baz Luhrmann and charts the life and career of Rock 'n' Roll legend Elvis Presley. Starring Austin Butler as Elvis with Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker and Olivia DeJonge, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Rufus Sewell. Filming began in Australia in January, but was subsequently put on hold when Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were both positively diagnosed with Covid-19. The film is scheduled for release on 1st October 2021.

* 'FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM 3' - this third instalment in the fantasy spin-off and prequel series to the 'Harry Potter' franchise is Written by J.K.Rowling and Directed once more by David Yates. Starring Eddie Redmayne as our young wizarding hero Newt Scamander with Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Zoe Kravitz and Jessica Williams reprising their roles from the previous films. Production was due to begin in late March, with much of the schedule being filmed in Brazil. However, photography didn't even get started and has been delayed until an undisclosed date. The release however, is still slated for 12th November 2021.

* 'UNCHARTED' - based on the popular action adventure video game series that launched in 2007, the main series of games follows Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter who travels across the world to uncover various historical mysteries. The film is Directed by Ruben Fleischer and stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Victor Sullivan with Antonio Banderas. Filming was due to start in Berlin, Germany in mid-March but was halted for a minimum of six weeks when much of Europe closed its borders and countries were forced into lock down. The film is now slated for release on 8th December 2021.

* 'AVATAR 2 and 3' - these epic Sci-Fi films are the first two of four planned sequels to the hugely successful 2009 film 'Avatar' and is once again Directed, Co-Produced, Co-Written, and Co-Edited by James Cameron. Featuring an all star cast many of whom are reprising their roles from the first film, namely Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang, with Sigourney Weaver returning in a different role, joined by the likes of  Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Oona Chaplin, David Thewlis, Vin Diesel, and C. J. Jones. 'Avatar 2' started production and began preliminary shooting in mid-August 2017, with Manhattan Beach, California as the main shooting location, and principal photography started in late September 2017, simultaneously with 'Avatar 3'. On November 14, 2018, Cameron announced filming with the principal performance capture cast had been completed. It was then reported that live-action filming for 'Avatar 2 and 3' would commence in New Zealand in the spring of 2019. Filming for 2019 concluded in late November, and would continue in 2020 in New Zealand. Come mid-March this year and it was announced that the filming of the Avatar sequel films in New Zealand had been postponed indefinitely and that production would remain in Los Angeles. However, virtual production will continue in Manhattan Beach, California while visual effects will continue at Weta Digital in Wellington. 'Avatar 2' is set for a release date of 17th December 2021, and 'Avatar 3' on 22nd December 2023.

* 'NIGHTMARE ALLEY' - is a psychological thriller film Directed, Co-Produced, and Co-Written for the screen by Guillermo del Toro and based on the 1946 book of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham. Featuring an all star cast that takes in Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, Rooney Mara, David Strathairn, and Holt McCallany, filming began on 21st January and was halted on 13th March indefinitely. No release date for the film has yet been publicised.

* 'RED NOTICE' - is an action comedy thriller film Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot filming began in Atlanta, Georgia in January and was then due to move to Italy. When the pandemic became more virulent in Italy it was announced on 14th March that production would be shut down for at least two weeks . . . and counting! Originally scheduled for a June 12th 2020 release, this subsequently got moved to 13th November 2020, the film was then picked up by Netflix who have as yet not revealed a planned release date.

* 'THE LITTLE MERMAID' - this live action remake of Disney's classic animated feature film from 1989 which gave rise to a direct-to-video sequel, a prequel film, a spin-off television series, a musical, several video games, theme park attractions, and other merchandise is Directed by Rob Marshall. Based on the story by Hans Christian Anderson and starring Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Idris Elba, Megan Fox, Alan Cumming, Halle Berry, Lupita Nyong'o amongst others, filming was due to commence in April, but was halted in March, with no planned release date yet announced.

* 'HOME ALONE' - this reboot of the 1990 classic Christmas comedy film of the same name will be the sixth instalment in the franchise which saw the first two, and undoubtedly the most successful in the series, Directed by Chris Columbus and starring Macauley Culkin in the lead role as the eight year old kid left 'home alone' during the Christmas holidays. Filming was due to take place in Montreal between February and April but come mid-March and Disney announced a wholesale halt to its production schedule until further notice. Archie Yates has been cast in the lead role, with allegedly a reprisal of the Kevin McCallister character by Macauley Culkin also making an appearance. No release date has yet been announced.

And so this just about brings you up to date with many of the movie productions whose filming has been temporarily halted for who knows how long that this pesky virus thing continues to hang around for. Stay tuned, keep it here and remain safe . . . indoors!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-