What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 24th June 2021.

This past week has seen three international film festivals draw to a close. Running from 9th June through to 20th June was the 20th Tribeca Film Festival staged in New York; running almost concurrently was the 24th Shanghai International Film Festival held from 11th June until 20th June and is considered by many to be the second largest film festival in Asia after the Tokyo International Film Festival; and then there was the 61st Annecy International Animation Film Festival which occurs in the French town of Annecy, and which this year ran from 14th June through to 19th June. 

The 'Annecy International Animation Film Festival' abbreviated as AIAFF, was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of June in the town of Annecy, France. Initially occurring every two years, the festival became an annual event in 1998. It is one of the four international animated film festivals sponsored by the International Animated Film Association. The festival is a competition between cartoon films of various techniques (animated drawings, cut-out papers, modelling clay, computer generated imagery, etc.) classified in various categories, namely, feature films, short films, films produced for television and advertising, student films and films made for the internet (since 2002).

This years feature films once again comprised an international line up, consisting the following :

* 'FLEE' - is an international Co-Produced animated documentary film Directed and Co-Written by Jonas Poher Rasmussen with Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau both serving as Executive Producers. The film had its World Premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival in late January this year, where it won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Documentary section. 'Flee' won the top Cristal Award for a feature film, as well as the Gan Foundation Award for distribution, and its composer Uno Helmersson received the award for Best Original Music in a feature film.

* 'HAYOP KA! THE NIMFA DIMAANO STORY' - is an  adult animated romantic comedy film from the Philippines and US and is Directed and Co-Produced by Avid Liongoren.

* 'JIANG ZIYA : THE LEGEND OF DEIFICATION' - is a Chinese 3D computer-animated fantasy adventure film Directed by Cheng Teng and Li Wei. Featuring the mythological and fictional version of the popular Chinese figure Jiang Ziya, the plot is loosely based on the novel 'Investiture of the Gods' by Xu Zhonglin. It is a follow-up to 2019's 'Ne Zha' and the second instalment of the 'Fengshen Cinematic Universe'.

* 'LAMYA'S POEM' - is a US and Canadian Co-Produced film Directed by Alex Kronemer.

* 'JOSEE, THE TIGER AND THE FISH' - is a Japanese animated romance comedy drama film, based on a Japanese short story of the same name by Seiko Tanabe. The film is Directed by Kotaro Tamura.

* 'THE CROSSING' - is a German, French and Czech Republic Co-Production that is Directed by Florence Miailhe. This film collected the Jury Distinction Award for a feature film. 

* 'MY SUNNY MAAD' - from the Czech Republic, France and Slovakia and Directed by Michaela Pavlatova. This film picked up the Jury Award.

* 'SNOTTY BOY' - from Austria and Germany and Directed by Marcus Rosenmuller and Santiago Lopez Jover.

* 'THE APE STAR' - from Sweden, Norway and Denmark and Directed by Linda Hamback.

* 'THE DEER KING' - is a Japanese fantasy novel series written by Nahoko Uehashi. An anime film adaptation is scheduled to premiere in September this year, Directed by Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji.

* 'POUPELLE OF CHIMNEY TOWN' - from Japan and is an animated fantasy film Directed by Yusuke Hirota, featuring character designs by Atsuko Fukushima. The film is based on a picture book authored by Japanese actor and comedian, Akihiro Nishino, whom also wrote the film's screenplay and was the film's Executive Producer.

For the full details of the 61st Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the other categories showcased, the winners and the also rans plus a whole lot more, you can visit the official website at : https://www.annecy.org/home

The Winter Solstice has come and gone this week which means it's all down hill to Summer, and while it's still mid-Winter what better way is there than to spend a couple of hours in a dark place with a bunch of a strangers staring at a big screen catching a movie of your choice. And so to that end, this week we have six latest release new movies coming to your local Odeon, kicking off with a sequel to a successful 2017 film that this time sees the bodyguard continue his 'friendship' with the hitman as they try to save the assassins wife and thwart a megalomaniac from over throwing Europe. This is followed by a film version of the Broadway musical in which a sympathetic New York bodega owner, saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life. Next up is a story that unfolds a year after the loss of a young lads father, so he and his mother move to Western Australian to live with boys estranged grandfather. Then we turn to filmmaker Edgar Wright who explores how one rock band can be successful, underrated, hugely influential and criminally overlooked, all at the same time, as he charts a musical odyssey exploring five weird and wonderful decades celebrating the inspiring legacy of your favourite band's favourite band. Next is a Brazilian offering about a caretaker for luxury condominiums who relies on her resourcefulness and her eye for opportunity over three summers as her employers are caught in major corruption scandals. And we close out the week with a German animated feature about a young boy who embarks on an enchanting journey together with a couple of sidekicks to rescue his little sister from the evil Moon Man.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six 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.

'THE HITMAN'S WIFE'S BODYGUARD' (Rated MA15+) - Directed by the Australian Patrick Hughes this action comedy film is the sequel to 2017's 'The Hitman's Bodyguard' which he also Directed as well as 'Red Hill' in 2010, 'The Expendables 3' in 2014 with 'The Man from Toronto' set for a 2022 release. The first film collected US$177M at the global Box Office from a budget of US$69M making this sequel inevitable I guess, but that initial success is no guarantee of further acclaim, as this instalment has so far garnered largely negative Reviews and has taken US$25M off the back of a US$60M production budget since it opened in the US last week. 

And so here, the world's most dangerous and deadly odd couple, bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) and hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) are back in action for another life-threatening mission. Still unlicensed and under scrutiny, Bryce is forced into action by Darius's even more volatile wife, the infamous international con artist Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek). As Bryce is driven over the edge by his two most dangerous protectees, the trio get in over their heads in a global plot and soon find that they are all that stand between Europe and a vengeful and powerful madman Aristotle Papadopoulos (Antonio Banderas). Also starring Morgan Freeman, Richard E. Grant, Frank Grillo, Gary Oldman and Tom Hooper. With a cast that good, what could possibly go wrong??

'IN THE HEIGHTS' (Rated PG) - is an American musical drama film based on the stage musical of the same name by Quiara Alegria Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda which opened on Broadway in March 2008. Originally set to be adapted into a full length feature film in 2008, when that version fell through, the project was eventually started back up in 2016, with Jon M. Chu set to Direct. Chu has previously helmed other features including 'Step Up 2 : The Streets', 'G.I.Joe : Retaliation', 'Now You See Me 2', and 'Crazy Rich Asians'. And of course Lin-Manuel Miranda is the man behind the immensely successful stage play 'Hamilton' who also Co-Produces here. In Washington Heights, New York the scent of warm coffee hangs in the air just outside of the 181st St. subway stop, where a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies a vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is a likable and magnetic bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), who saves every penny from his daily grind as he hopes, imagines and sings about a better life. Also starring Corey Hawkins, Jimmy Smits and Marc Anthony. The film has garnered universal critical praise and has so far taken US$22M at the Box Office off the back of its US$55M budget since its release in the US earlier this month.

'BUCKLEY'S CHANCE' (Rated PG) - this Canadian and Australian Co-Produced drama film is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Tim Brown whose previous film making outings are 'The Cradle' in 2007, 'Devil in the Dark' in 2017, the video 'Treasure Hounds' that same year with 'The Retirement Plan' due in 2022 with Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman. And so here, following the loss of his father, the young boy Ridley (Milan Burch) is forced to move to the Australian outback to live with his estranged Grandfather Spencer (Bill Nighy). During his adventures he becomes lost and befriends a dingo excluded from its own pack. A strong bond is formed in the harsh Australian outback as the two try to make their way home. Also starring Martin Sacks and Victoria Hill.

'THE SPARKS BROTHERS' (Rated M) - is a documentary film Directed and Co-Produced by Edgar Wright whose prior film making credits take in the likes of 'Shaun of the Dead', 'Hot Fuzz', 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World', 'The World's End', 'Baby Driver' and the yet to be released 'Last Night in Soho'. The film is about Ron and Russell Mael, members of the pop and rock duo 'Sparks' who are still going strong having formed in 1967 albeit under a different name, and have subsequently released twenty-four albums with a 25th currently in production. Possibly their most successful hit was 1974's 'This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us'. Featuring interviews and conversations with film, TV and music personalities including Beck, Flea, Bjork, Jonathan Ross, Mike Myers, Vince Clarke, Andy Bell, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Nick Heyward and many others. The film saw its World Premier screening at the Sundance Film Festival in January of this year and was released Stateside last week to universal critical acclaim.

'THREE SUMMERS' (Rated PG) - this Brazilian dark comedy drama is Directed and written for the screen by Sandra Kogut. Unfolding over the course of three consecutive summers - 2015 to 2017 - the film follows Mada (Regina Case), a fifty-something caretaker for a cluster of luxury beach-side condos owned by a wealthy Rio de Janeiro family, as she invests in a roadside snack kiosk while tending to the every need of her condescending employers. She becomes a bystander in a major money-laundering scandal, which eventually launches a whole new career for herself. With every dizzying new turn of events, Mada manages to retain her high spirits, her sense of loyalty to those who deserve it - and her eagle eye for opportunity. It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the September 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.

'MOONBOUND' (Rated PG) - this German animated feature film is based on one of Germany's most popular children's books and is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Ali Samadi Ahadi. The film tells the story of Pete who embarks on a magical journey to the moon to find his little sister Anne. Together with June bug Mr. Zoomzeman and the Sandman they seek to rescue Anne from the evil Moon Man.

With six 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 in the coming week, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 2nd November 2017.

In October, the world bid a fond farewell to a number of stars of the silver screen, the small screen, stage, and music industry. Most notably these were Tom Petty, Roy Dotrice, Brent Briscoe and Rosemary Leach, may you Rest In Peace. Featuring a fine body of collective works across cinema, television, theatre and music, below is a brief passing Tribute by way of our last respects.

* Tom Petty - Born October 20th 1950, died October 2nd 2017, aged 66 - Singer | Songwriter | Musician | Record Producer and Actor. Founder of 'Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' that released numerous hit singles and albums from 1976 through until 1987 and then subsequently released six albums with the band between 1991 and 2014. In between time he played with George Harrison's 'The Travelling Wilburys' partnering with Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison. Earlier this year Petty toured with 'The Heartbreakers' in a 40th Anniversary Tour of the US culminating on September 25th - one week before his death. As an Actor, he appeared in cameo in 1978's 'FM', in a bit part in 1987's 'Made in Heaven' and in 1997's 'The Postman' with Kevin Costner. He also appeared in several episodes of 'It's Garry Shandling's Show' and 'The Larry Sanders Show', as well as an episode of 'The Simpson's' and as a regular over the years on 'King of the Hill'.

* Roy Dotrice - Born 26th May 1923, Died 16th October 2017, aged 94 - Actor. With 120 Acting credits to his name he was a star of radio, stage, television and film with his more notable big screen appearances being 'The Heroes of Telemark', 'Lock Up Your Daughters', 'Amadeus', 'Swimming with Sharks' and 'Hellboy II : The Golden Army'. Among his small screen credits are television series appearances on 'Treasure Island', 'The Wars of the Roses', 'Space 1999', 'Dickens of London', 'Magnum P.I.', 'Hart to Hart', 'Remington Steele', 'The A-Team', 'The Equalizer', 'Beauty and the Beast', 'Going to Extremes', 'Picket Fences', 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith', 'Spider-Man', 'Life Begins' and 'Game of Thrones'. He won the BAFTA Television Award in 1969 for Best Actor in 'Misleading Cause' and was nominated for a Grammy Award and two others. He also gained an entry into the 2004 Guinness Book of World Records for the highest number of character voices by a single Actor for providing the voices for 224 characters in the first instalment of the George R. R. Martin series 'Games of Thrones' from the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series for which he voiced all audiobooks in the series. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) by H.R.H. Queen Elizabeth II in 2008.

* Brent Briscoe - Born May 21st 1961, died October 18th 2017, aged 56 - Actor | Writer. With 91 Acting and three Writing credits to his name, Briscoe had appearances in such noted films as 'Sling Blade', 'U Turn', 'A Simple Plan', 'The Green Mile', 'Man on the Moon', 'Mulholland Drive', 'Spider-Man 2', 'In the Valley of Elah', 'Jayne Mansfield's Car', and 'The Dark Knight Rises'. There were also numerous small screen appearances too over the years including more popular television series including 'Deadwood', '24', 'House', 'Grey's Anatomy', 'Bones', 'Medium', 'Desperate Housewives', 'Parks and Recreation' and most recently 'Twin Peaks'.

* Rosemary Leach - Born 18th December 1935, Died 21st October 2017, aged 81 - Actress. Appeared in numerous film, television and stage roles over her career gaining five BAFTA nominations. Her film roles included 'That'll Be The Day', 'Room With A View', 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood', 'The Baroness and the Pig',  and on many television series and episodes including 'The Prince of Denmark', 'Rumpole of the Bailey', 'The Jewel in the Crown', 'The Charmer', 'The Buccaneers', 'The Tomorrow People'. 'Berkeley Square', 'My Family', 'Holby City' and 'Casualty', plus, numerous made for television movie too over her career spanning six decades.

This week we have five new films to Preview kick starting with the eighth instalment in a hugely successful games of life and death horror film franchise; then a sequel featuring unruly mothers getting up to all manner of mischief over the festive season; followed by a West Australian music festival RomCom featuring an eclectic mix of characters. We then wrap up with two very different animated features - one a biographical drama about a world renowned painter whose death in 1890 is shrouded in mystery, and the other a musical fantasy aimed squarely at young kids featuring characters from a well known television series.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are here warmly invited to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon experience during the coming week.

'JIGSAW' (Rated MA15+) - based on the hugely popular and commercially successful American horror film franchise 'Saw' which burst onto our screens back in 2004, here we have the eighth instalment released just in time for Halloween (as have all the others that have gone before). That initial film spawned sequels year on year through until 2010, culminating in 'Saw 3D' that year that was intended to be the closing chapter in the series. Whilst the franchise received mixed Reviews by Critics, it was nonetheless financially viable, posting a worldwide Box Office take from the first seven films of a combined US$874M off the back of a Budget total of just US$78M making it one of the highest grossing horror film franchises of all time. Originally conceived by James Wan and Leigh Wannell, who together wrote the story for 'Saw', 'Saw II', and 'Saw III' with Wan Directing the very first film, this eighth film is Directed by the Australian Spierig Brothers - Michael and Peter whose previous Directing credits include 'Daybreakers' and 2014's excellent 'Predestination'. The film cost US$10M, was released in the US last week and has so far taken US$29M at the Box Office.

In this instalment we once again have bodies turning up littering the city with each one having met with a particularly gruesome and seemingly calculated end. As the investigation proceeds it becomes apparent from the gathered evidence that the grisly demise of the victims bear all the trademarks of one prime suspect - the infamous John Kramer, also known as 'Jigsaw' - but he died ten years previously. And so the hunt is on for a mystery sadistic madman who collects a bunch of unrelated but hardly innocent victims and subjects them to various games of life and death. Featuring an uncredited Tobin Bell as John Kramer/Jigsaw with Matt Passmore, Callum Keith Rennie, Cle Bennett and a bunch of hapless victims.

'A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS' (Rated MA15+) - the precursor to this film, 'Bad Moms', was released less than eighteen months ago, was Directed and Written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore and grossed US$184M off the back of a US$20M production Budget. On the strength of that success a sequel was almost inevitable, and here we have it. With Lucas and Moore back on Writing and Directing duty, with this festive seasonal comedic sequel romp they are doubtless hoping to repeat the success of the first instalment. Here Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn reprise their roles from the first film as Amy, Kiki and Carla respectively. They are seemingly still under appreciated and over burdened mothers, but this time glaring down the barrel of an impending Christmas in company with their own respective mothers, and their own demanding families - as if this time of year isn't stressful and hard work enough. Starring Christine Baranski as Amy's Mom, Cheryl Hines as Kiki's Mom and Susan Sarandon as Carla's Mom I'm sure that there'll be enough festive cheer to go round for all comers.

'THREE SUMMERS' (Rated M) - this Australian RomCom is Written and Directed by Ben Elton and had its World Premier screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival back in August this year, and now goes on general release. Set during a fictionalised Western Australian summer music festival, known as 'Westival' over three consecutive years, the feisty lead singer of an Irish folk band (Rebecca Breeds) meets a folk-music-hating Theremin player (Robert Sheehan) and they fall in love. A bunch of characters and festival goers and performers sit on the periphery of their romance including a fiercely Aussie Morris Dancer (Michael Caton), an Indigenous dance act, a group of wine-guzzling empty nesters, a power happy security guard, a wannabe girl rock band and some musical asylum seekers. All of these stories collide under the watchful eye of community radio super star, Queenie (Magda Szubanski), who welcomes these characters back three summers in a row.

'LOVING VINCENT' (Rated M) - here we have a real labour of love, Directed and Written by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman this is a biographical animated drama film that is said to be the first fully painted animated feature film. Taking seven years to bring to the screen and using a team of 125 classically trained painters over more traditional modern day animators, each of the films 65,000 frames is an oil painting on canvas using the same technique as Vincent van Gogh - the subject matter of this film. The story here surrounds the mystery about the death of the famed painter in 1890 and how a loyal friend to Vincent, Postman Roulin (voiced by Chris O'Dowd) finds out that his friend shot himself somewhere up North. He has in his possession a letter from Vincent to his beloved brother, Theo, which was returned as undeliverable. On hearing the news about Vincent he sends his hot-blooded son, Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth), on a mission to deliver the letter by hand to Theo and find out what really happened to Vincent. Also starring the voice work of Robert Gulaczyk as van Gogh, Saoirse Ronan, Helen McCrory and John Sessions.

'MY LITTLE PONY : THE MOVIE' (Rated G) - this animated musical fantasy offering is likely to please the legions of young kids who have an appetite for such films while dragging their parents along because they have to, and so boosting the Box Office take which currently stands at US$43M. Released Stateside in early October, Directed by Jayson Thiessen this film is based on the animated television series 'My Little Pony : Friendship Is Magic' developed by giant toy manufacturer Hasbro. Featuring an ensemble voice cast the story here surrounds a menacing force that conquers Canterlot, leaving the the Mane 6 to embark on an unforgettable adventure beyond Equestria where they encounter new friends and exciting challenges on their journey to use the magic of friendship to save their homeland. The voice talent takes in the regulars from the television series plus Emily Blunt, Zoe Saldana, Sia, Kristen Chenoweth, Michael Pena, Taye Diggs and Liev Schreiber.

With five new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, taking in another instalment in a horror franchise, a festive season comedy about mothers and their mothers; a Aussie music festival RomCom; a painstakingly painted animated drama feature for the adults, and another animated feature for the little people amongst us. Remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephiles afterwards here at Odeon Online, and in meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-