What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 6th April 2023.

Since 2012 the Sun Valley Film Festival has invited fans and filmmakers to America’s first ski resort to celebrate the magic of storytelling. Every (Northern Hemisphere) Spring the Festival celebrates with a slate of cutting-edge films, industry panels, engaging Coffee Talks with entertainment luminaries, a Screenwriters Lab led by award-winning writers, and a series of parties culminating with the spectacular SVFF Awards Bash. This years Festival ran from Wednesday 29th March through until Sunday 2nd April and is held in the ski resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho. The Sun Valley Film Festival invites guests to be a part of the legacy of storytellers, artists and filmmakers that have defined the town’s rich cinematic history. From screenings in the snow to an unforgettable reception at Hemingway’s restored hunting lodge, SVFF captures the spirit of a bygone era, one that comes alive for one magical weekend each March as it celebrates the shared wonder of film. In tandem with the town’s cinematic past, the Festival’s intimate accessibility attracts industry icons who return year after year, creating a community of artists that define the Festival’s unique atmosphere. With over 4,000 annual attendees, SVFF is quickly becoming known as the Festival for Filmmakers - a boutique event beloved by film fans and auteurs alike.

This years slate of feature films included the following titles :-

* 'Air' - from Director, Co-Producer and star Ben Affleck, with Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina and Marlon Wayans.

* 'Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out' - from Director and Co-Producer Jake van Wagoner and starring Emma Tremblay, Jacob Buster and Will Forte.

* 'Bad Press' - from Directors Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler and starring Angel Ellis, Jerrad Moore and Lanzy Krehbiel-Burton.

* 'Birth/Rebirth' - from Director Laura Moss and starring Marin Ireland, Judy Reyes, A.J. Lister and Breeda Wool.

* 'Bobi Wine : The People's President' - this Documentary from Directors Christopher Sharp (who also Co-Produces) and Moses Bwayo (who is also Co-Cinematograhper).

* 'Deep Rising' - is a Documentary from Director Matthieu Rytz and is narrated by Jason Momoa.

* 'Dreamin' Wild' - from Director, Co-Producer and Co-Writer Bill Pohlad and starring Casey Affleck, Zooey Deschanel, Walton Goggins, Noah Jupe, Beau Bridges and Chris Messina.

* 'Fancy Dance' - from Director, Co-Producer and Co-Writer Erica Tremblay and starring Lily Gladstone, Isabel Deroy-Olson, Ryan Begay, Crystle Lightning, Audrey Wasilewski and Shea Whigham.

* 'Flamin' Hot' - from Director Eva Longoria in her feature film making debut, and starring Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Matt Walsh and Tony Shalhoub.

* 'Fremont' - from Director Babak Jalali and starring Anaita Wali Zada, Jeremy Allen White and Gregg Turkington.

* 'Joyland' - from Director and Writer Saim Sadiq and starring Ali Junejo and Alina Khan.

* 'King Coal' - from Director, Co-Producer, Co-Writer and Co-Editor Elaine Sheldon and narrated by Elaine Sheldon. 

* 'Land of Gold' - from Director, Writer, Co-Producer and star Nardeep Khurmi and also starring Pallavi Sastry and Caroline Valencia.

* 'The Longest Goodbye' - this Documentary is from Director and Co-Writer Ido Mizrahy.

* 'Midday Black Midnight Blue' from Directors, Co-Producers and Co-Writers Samantha Soule and Daniel Talbott and starring Chris Stack, Samantha Soule, Will Pullen, Addie Johnson Talbott, McCaleb Burnett, Shane McRae, Dale Soules, and Merritt Wever.

* 'Nascondino' - this Documentary is Directed by Victoria Fiore.

* 'Showing Up' - from Director, Co-Writer and Editor Kelly Reichardt and starring Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, Maryann Plunkett, John Magaro, Andre Benjamin, James Le Gros, and Judd Hirsch.

* 'Surrounded' - from Director and Co-Producer Anthony Mandler and starring Letitia Wright, Jamie Bell, Jeffrey Donovan, Brett Gelman and Michael K. Williams.

* Wild Life' - this Documentary is Directed and Co-Produced by E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin and stars Kristine Tompkins, Rick Ridgeway, Jimmy Chin and Yvon Chouinard. 

This years Honourees for the Vision Award was presented to Actor and Producer Josh Brolin; the Pioneer Award was presented to Actor, Writer, Producer and Director Emilio Estevez; with the Rising Star Award being presented to Sophie Thatcher.

For the full run-down on the aforementioned films, plus all the details of the SVFF Short Films and a whole lot more good stuff, you can visit the official website at : https://sunvalleyfilmfestival.org/

This week then we have seven new release movies coming to a big screen Odeon near you, kick starting with a sports bio drama that follows the history of a shoe salesman and how he led Nike in its pursuit of the greatest athlete in the history of basketball. This is followed by a big screen adaptation of the popular tabletop role playing game that sees a charming and handsome thief and a band of would-be adventurous types join forces to find a long lost relic, but things don't go quite according to plan when they cross paths with various miscreants. Next up and based on a true story, we follow the Chief Exorcist of the Vatican as he investigates a young boy's terrifying possession and ultimately uncovers a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep covered up. Then we turn to a story of a geriatric ward in a small Yorkshire hospital that is threatened with closure, and how the local community come together to fight back. Following on from this we have a film that charts the travels of a curious grey Sardinian donkey across the Polish and Italian countryside, as he experiences the highs and lows of society, all the while never losing his innocence. Next is an Aussie offering that follows a high schooler and talented dancer who rebels against the discipline required for her to succeed following an unexpected accident. And closing out the week we have an animated film telling the story of The Super Mario Bros. on their journey through the Mushroom Kingdom.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the seven latest release new films 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 week ahead.

'AIR' (Rated M) - this American biographical sports drama film is Directed by and stars Ben Affleck whose previous film making credits take in 'Gone Baby Gone' in 2007, 'The Town' in 2010, 'Argo' in 2012 and 'Live by Night' in 2016. This film saw its World Premier screening as the Closing Night film of SXSW in mid-March recently, has so far garnered generally positive reviews and is released Stateside this week too.

The film reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike's fledgling basketball division which revolutionised the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time. Starring Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, the Nike shoe salesman who ultimately signs the young rookie Michael Jordan to a deal to wear their shoes; Ben Affleck as Phil Knight the Co-Founder of Nike; Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Michael's mother with Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina and Chris Tucker.

'DUNGEONS & DRAGONS : HONOUR AMONG THIEVES' (Rated M) - is an American fantasy heist action comedy film Directed and Co-Written by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, based on the tabletop role-playing game 'Dungeons & Dragons'. This film is not connected to the original trilogy of films that launched with the feature film 'Dungeons & Dragons' in 2000, then the made for TV 'Dungeons & Dragons : Wrath of the Dragon God' in 2005 and the direct to video third film 'Dungeons & Dragons 3 : The Book of Vile Darkness' in 2012. Here then, a charming thief Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine) and a band of unlikely adventurers (Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, Justice Smith and Sophie Lillis) embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people (Hugh Grant, Daisy Head and Jason Wong). The film was originally set to be released on 23rd July 2021 but due to scheduling conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, and various other studio delays a release date of last week in the US and this week in Australia was finally set upon, having seen its World Premier screening at SXSW earlier in March. It has garnered generally positive critical reviews, and cost US$151M to produce. 

'THE POPE'S EXORCIST' (Rated MA15+) - this American supernatural horror film is Directed by Julius Avery whose previous feature film credits are 'Son of a Gun' in 2014, 'Overlord' in 2018 and 'Samaritan' in 2022. This film is based on the Italian Catholic Priest and Exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth of the Diocese of Rome and who lived from 1925 until 2016, and who claimed to have performed thousands of exorcisms throughout his life, as recounted in his memoirs 'An Exorcist Tells His Story' and 'An Exorcist : More Stories'. Chief Exorcist of the Vatican Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe), investigates a young boy's terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden. Also starring Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe and Franco Nero, and is released in the US next week on 14th April. 

'ALLELUJAH' (Rated M) - this British drama film is Directed by Richard Eyre who made his feature film Directorial debut back in 1983 with 'The Ploughman's Lunch' which he would then follow up over the successive years with the likes of 'Iris' in 2001, 'Stage Beauty' in 2004, 'Notes on a Scandal' in 2006, 'The Other Man' in 2008 and 'The Children Act' in 2017. This film is based on the Alan Bennett play of the same name and saw its World Premier screening at TIFF in mid-September last year, before its release in the UK in mid-March, having garnered mixed reviews. Here then, when the geriatric ward in a small Yorkshire hospital is threatened with closure, the hospital decides to fight back by galvanising the local community, and so they invite a news crew to film their preparations for a concert in honour of the hospital's most distinguished nurse. What could possibly go wrong? Starring Jennifer Saunders, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Russell Tovey, David Bradley and Bally Gill. 

'EO' (Rated MA15+) - is a Polish drama road movie Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jerzy Skolimowski that won the Jury Prize at the May 2022 Cannes Film Festival, was nominated for the Best International Feature Film at the recent Academy Awards and all up has scored another twenty award wins and a further fifty-three nominations from around the awards and festival circuit. The film follows a a grey donkey with melancholic eyes, named Eo who performs in a circus but when that circus suddenly closes down unexpectedly he is cast aside. On his journeys he encounters good and bad people, experiences joy and pain, endures the wheel of fortune as it randomly turns his luck into disaster and his despair into unexpected bliss, but not even for a moment does he lose his innocence, as we explore a vision of modern Europe through his eyes. The film has garnered universal critical acclaim and has so far taken US$2.3M in Box Office receipts.

'THE RED SHOES : NEXT STEP' (Rated PG) - this Australian family drama film is Directed by Jesse Ahern and Joanne Samuel with the former in his Directing debut and the latter helming on her second feature film following 2020's 'The Legend of the Five'. Here then, we follow high schooler and talented dancer Sam Cavanaugh (Juliet Doherty), who is about to dance the lead in ‘The Red Shoes’ ballet when her older sister Annie (Daniele Clements), a brilliant dancer, is struck by a car while on Facetime with her. Guilt-ridden, Sam quits the academy, returns to high school, runs wild with new friend Eve Leary (Lauren Esposito), and lands herself in community service, which requires her to clean studios at the academy, providing a constant reminder of the tragedy. When Gracie (Primrose Kern), ‘The Red Shoes’ principal, is injured, Sam is pressed by her ballet teacher Ms. Harlow (Carolyn Bock) to take over the role and dance with Ben (Joel Burke), an old friend, long-time crush, and renowned dancer.

'THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE' (Rated G) - is a computer animated fantasy film not to be confused with the critical and commercial failure of the 1993 live action fantasy adventure film 'Super Mario Bros.' that starred Bob Hoskins, Dennis Hopper and John Leguizamo. This film is Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and is based on Nintendo's 'Mario' video game franchise. With help from Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy), the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario, an Italian Brooklyn based plumber (Chris Pratt) travels through the Mushroom Kingdom with the princess and an anthropomorphic mushroom named Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) to find Mario's brother, Luigi (Charlie Day), and to save the world from a ruthless fire-breathing Koopa named Bowser (Jack Black). Also starring Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong. The film is released Stateside this week too, and in Japan on 28th April. 

With seven new release movie offerings 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 coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

JOHN WICK : CHAPTER 4 - Tuesday 28th March 2023.

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'JOHN WICK : CHAPTER 4' this week, and here we have the continuing saga in the 'John Wick' franchise that is once again Directed and Co-Produced by Chad Stahelski following his earlier successes with the 2014 debut in the series 'John Wick', then 2017's 'John Wick : Chapter 2' and 2019's 'John Wick : Chapter 3 - Parabellum'. Those first three films grossed globally a total US$587M off the back of combined production budgets of US$145M. Originally set for worldwide cinematic release on 21st May 2021, 'John Wick 4' was delayed first due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then Keanu Reeves's commitments with 2021's 'The Matrix Resurrections'. This film saw its World Premier in London on 6th March and was released worldwide from last week, having garnered positive critical reviews and grossed so far US$153M off the back of a US$100M production budget. 

The film opens up with the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) returning to his underground hideaway where John Wick (Keanu Reeves who also Executive Produces here) has been recovering after being shot by Winston (Ian McShane) at the end of the last film, and is in training to get back into shape so that he is best prepared to exact his revenge on the High Table. We next see John riding horseback across the desert sands of Morocco chasing after three horsemen, whom he eventually guns down, before meeting with the Elder, who sits above the High Table, and whom he also shoots dead. 

Responding to this development, the Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard), a senior member of the High Table, summons the New York Continental Hotel Manager Winston and his concierge, Charon (Lance Reddick) to his very plush offices overlooking the city skyline and down across to the Continental. De Gramont explains to Winston that the High Table has given him unlimited resources to find and kill John Wick. He berates Winston for his failure to assassinate John when he had the chance to do so. As a consequence, De Gramont strips Winston of his duties as Manager, declares him as 'excommunicado', destroys the Continental, and shoots Charon in the chest, killing him. We next see De Gramont in Paris where he enlists Caine (Donnie Yen), a blind, retired High Table assassin, to kill his old friend John, threatening to murder his daughter if he declines, or fails to do so.

John takes refuge at the Osaka Continental Hotel, run by his long term friend Shimazu Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada). De Gramont's right-hand man Chidi (Marko Zaror), supported by many High Table assassins and Caine, arrive to investigate the hotel, looking for John. Koji's daughter Akira (Rina Sawayama), the hotel's concierge, evacuates the hotel just before Chidi announces that the High Table have 'deconsecrated' it, resulting in a battle royale between Chidi's men, Koji's men, John and Akira. 

John fights through waves of armoured assassins, and a showdown with Caine is interrupted by a bounty hunter who calls himself 'Mr. Nobody' (Shamier Anderson). He helps John's escape after determining the contract money for killing him falls short of his expectations. Caine allows a wounded Akira to flee after killing her father, but upon leaving she swears to exact her revenge on Caine, to which he responds with 'I'll be waiting'. 

John returns to a snow covered New York and meets with Winston at Charon's gravesite. Winston advises John to invoke an old High Table tradition and challenge De Gramont to a duel. Winning will free him of all obligations to the High Table. The over rider is that John can only request a duel on behalf of a crime family. And so John travels to the Berlin headquarters of Ruska Roma, with whom he had severed all ties, to request readmission. His adoptive sister Katia (Natalia Tena) allows John to rejoin in exchange for dispensing with Killa (Scott Adkins), a High Table senior who murdered her father. Although Killa sets up an ambush at his nightclub with both Caine and Nobody there too, John still manages to kill him, but not before taking a beating himself, and wins back his status within Ruska Roma.

Winston takes John's formal challenge to De Gramont, who is initially dismissive of the notion but then reluctantly accepts when he realises he has no choice. As part of the deal he asks that the New York Continental be rebuilt funded in totality by the High Table, with him being reinstated as Manager, should John win, to which De Gramont reluctantly agrees.

In Paris, John and De Gramont decide the parameters of their duel in a meeting moderated by the Harbinger (Clancy Brown), the Table's emissary. De Gramont nominates Caine to fight in his place. The duel is to take place with duelling pistols on the following sunrise just after 6:00am at Sacre-Coeur, with John and Winston being executed should either fail to appear on time. 

The Bowery King arrives in Paris and meets with Winston and John to give John a weapon and a new ballistic three piece suit.

De Gramont hatches a plan to prevent John from arriving at the duel in time by placing a US$26M bounty on his head, which leads to a frenetic sequence around the Arc de Triomphe with John fighting off hordes of assassins on his way to Sacre-Coeur, including Nobody, who negotiates a bounty increase to US$40M with De Gramont when it looks as though his plan is failing. During their confrontation, John prevents Chidi from killing Nobody's dog, and so a stunned Nobody decides to abandon his pursuit of John, and subsequently kills Chidi on the steps leading up to the Sacre-Coeur. 

After Caine and Nobody assist John in the 220 steps that leads to Sacre-Coeur by taking out another horde of assassins and De Gramont's henchmen, they reach the summit just in time for the duel. Caine takes his place opposite John for the duel, while Nobody watches on from the sidelines with his trusted dog by his side. Each inflicts serious wounds on the other through two rounds of duelling, first at a distance of thirty paces then twenty paces. The third round at a distance of just ten paces, comes to a halt when Caine mortally wounds John with a shot to the gut. Demanding the right to administer the coup de grace, De Gramont immediately steps up and swaps places with Caine. However, as Gramont stands over John pointing the loaded pistol at him, Winston perks up with 'you idiot, he didn't fire his third bullet', with which John shoots and kills an unsuspecting De Gramont with his single pistol bullet cleanly in his forehead. 

The Harbinger grants Caine and John their freedoms from all obligations to the High Table, Winston is reinstated as the Continental Hotel Manager and the hotel will be rebuilt at the High Table's expense. John stands, and turns to Winston and asks that he takes him home. After collapsing on the staircase, John has a vision of his life and marriage before peacefully succumbing to his wounds. Later, back in New York, Winston and the Bowery King say their farewells to John at a gravesite where he is buried next to his late wife, Helen, with the tombstone reading John Wick, Loving Husband, next to his wife's which reads Helen Wick, Loving Wife. 

'John Wick : Chapter 4' certainly ups the ante on the action set pieces, the majestically choreographed fight sequences, the bullet ballet and the trademark gun fu that our titular action hero is renowned for. The body count, which must stretch well into the couple of hundred here all at the hands of one single man, is relentless and I have to say repetitive, with my mind wandering towards the end and thinking when will all this wrap up? And despite John getting thrown off high balconies, crashing through a second storey window and landing on a car roof below, getting hit by various cars and hurled against others and being thrown down 220 steps to land in a crumpled heap at the bottom, he seems to get up, dust himself down, and carry on with killing the bad guys with nary a scratch to show for it - like he's Superman - and maybe he is, until he's not! Including the credits (which you have to sit through if you want to catch the end credits scene) this film borders on three hours, which is easily thirty minutes longer than it needed to be, but that said it never leaves you wanting as it lurches from one action sequence to the next, to the next and so on right up to the satisfactory conclusion that for now at least, seems to put a lid on this franchise that has redefined the action genre and set the standard by which all other films of the ilk will be judged. 

'John Wick : Chapter 4' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 30th March 2023.

The 47th Hong Kong International Film Festival kicks off on Thursday 30th March and runs through until Monday 10th April. As one of the oldest film festivals in Asia, the global reputation of the HKIFF was built on the pioneering work of programming Asian films and its retrospectives when Asian and Hong Kong cinema were not well known to the international community. Built on a solid reputation for programming, the HKIFF became the model for many subsequent film festivals around the region. Today, the HKIFF has grown to be Hong Kong’s largest cultural event and is one of Asia’s most reputable platforms for filmmakers, film professionals and filmgoers from all over the world to launch new work and experience outstanding films. Screening over 280 titles from fifty countries the HKIFF reaches an audience of over 600,000, with 4,500 business executives attending the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market.

This years Opening Night films are the Asian Premier of 'Mad Fate' from Hong Kong and Directed by Soi Cheang and the World Premier of 'Elegies' also from Hong Kong and Directed by Ann Hui. The Closing Night film is the World Premier of 'Vital Sign' from Director Cheuk Wan-chi.

Ten films make up the Gala Presentation, these being :

* 'Aftersun' from the UK and USA and Directed by Charlotte Wells.

* 'All the Beauty and the Bloodshed' from the US and Directed by Laura Poitras.

* 'The Beasts' from Spain and France and Directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen.

* 'Corsage' from Austria, Luxembourg, Germany and France and Directed by Marie Kreutzer.

* 'The Eight Mountains' from Italy, Belgium and France and Directed by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch.

* 'Plan 75' from Japan, France, the Philippines and Qatar and Directed by Hayakawa Chie.

* 'Saint Omer' from France and Directed by Alice Diop.

* 'Stars at Noon' from France and Directed by Claire Denis.

* 'Subtraction' from Iran and France and Directed by Mani Haghighi.

* 'World War III' from Iran and Directed by Houman Seyedi.

For the details of the Firebird Awards for the Young Cinema Competition (Chinese language); Young Cinema Competition (World); Documentary Competition; and the Short Film Competition, plus all the other film strands being showcased at this years HKIFF, you can go to the official website at : https://www.hkiff.org.hk/

Turning attention back to this weeks four new cinematic offerings coming your way, we kick off with a South Korean comedy crime drama about a young woman who decides to give up her newborn child to a church for adoption but discovers that there is an active group which steals these children for sale. Next up is a Sci-Fi comedy drama that tells the story of the host of a failing children's science show who tries to fulfil his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut by building a rocket ship in his garage, and a series of bizarre events that occur that cause him to question his own reality. Next up we have a Biblical drama retelling of the story of after being called on by the Lord, Abraham's faith is tested on his three day journey to sacrifice his son; before closing out the week with a French animated feature set in an ancient Greek port city where the wrath of Poseidon threatens its populace, but a young, adventurous mouse and the cat who adopted her help the aged Jason and his Argonauts in their quest to save the city.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four latest release new films 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 week ahead.

'BROKER' (Rated M) - this South Korean drama film is Written, Directed and Edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda whose previous Directorial credits take in the likes of 'Nobody Knows' in 2004, 'Still Walking' in 2008, 'After the Storm' in 2016, 'Shoplifters' in 2018 and 'The Truth' in 2019. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it screened in late May last year and won the Ecumenical Jury Award and the Best Actor Award for Song Kang-ho. It went on release in its native South Korea in early June, has so far grossed US$18M and has generated largely positive Critical reviews. The film has collected ten award wins and another twenty-seven nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit.

Sang-hyeon (Song Kang-ho) is the owner of a hand laundry and volunteers at the nearby church, where his friend Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won) works. The two run an illegal business together, Sang-hyeon occasionally steals babies from the church's baby box (a place where people (typically mothers) can bring babies, usually newborn, and abandon them anonymously in a safe place to be found and cared for) with Dong-soo, who deletes the church's surveillance footage that shows a baby was left there. They sell the babies on the adoption black market. But when a young mother So-young (Lee Ji-eun) comes back after having abandoned her baby, she discovers them and decides to go with them on a road trip to interview the baby's potential parents. Meanwhile, two detectives, Soo-jin (Bae Doona) and Lee (Lee Joo-young), are on their case and on their trail. 

'LINOLEUM' (Rated M) - is an American Sci-Fi comedy drama film Written and Directed by Colin West in only his third feature film outing following his debut in 2012 with 'So It Was with Us' and 'Double Walker' in 2012 with seven short films in between. Here, Cameron Edwin (Jim Gaffigan), the host of a failing TV science show for children, has always had aspirations of being an astronaut. When a mysterious satellite coincidentally falls from space and lands in his backyard, his midlife crisis manifests into a plan to rebuild the machine into a rocket. As surreal events start to unfold around him, he slowly comes to the realisation that there's more to his life story than he once thought. Also starring Rhea Seehorn, Katelyn Nacon and Tony Shalhoub. The film was released in the US towards the end of February and has so far grossed just US$65K, but has generated mostly positive critical reviews.

'HIS ONLY SON' (Rated PG) - Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by David Helling in his feature film debut, this US Biblical drama offering chronicles one of the most controversial moments in all of scripture - when the Lord God (Daniel da Silva) gave Abraham (Nicolas Mouawad) the ultimate test by commanding him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac (Edaan Moskowitz), on the mountain of Moriah. Answering age-old questions as to why the Lord would require such a sacrifice, His Only Son profoundly explores mankind's relationship to God. This film is released Stateside too this week.

'ARGONUTS' (Rated G) - is a French animated adventure comedy film Written and Directed by David Alaux, Eric Tosti and Jean-Francois Tosti. In Yolcos, a beautiful and prosperous port city of ancient Greece, the population is threatened by the wrath of Poseidon (voiced by Paul Borne). A young mouse named Pattie (Kaycie Chase) and the orange cat who adopted her, Chickos (Emmanuel Curtil) will help old Jason (Michel Tureau) and his Argonauts to save the city by facing numerous mythical creatures and colourful adventures along the way. The film was released in its native France at the end of January, in the UK in mid-February and various other European nations up to now having so far grossed US$9.2M.

With four new release movie offerings 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 coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 23rd March 2023.

South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organised jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas, USA. It began in 1987 and has continued to grow in both scope and size every year. The SXSW Film Festival runs for nine days, which this year ran from Friday 10th March until Sunday 19th March, simultaneously with the SXSW Film Conference, and celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent both behind and in front of the camera.

This years Opening Night film was 'Dungeon's & Dragons : Honour Among Thieves' Written and Directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, with the World Premier showcasing of 'Air' Directed by Ben Affleck chosen as the Closing Night film.

Of the two feature film award categories held - Narrative Feature Competition, which showcases eight World Premieres, eight unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling; and Documentary Feature Competition screening eight World Premieres with eight real world stories that demonstrate innovation, energy and bold voices, the winners and also rans, are as follows :-

* Narrative Feature Competition, winner : 'Raging Grace' Written and Directed by Paris Zarcilla in this UK produced horror film. This film beat out seven other international features, all of which had their World Premiers at SXSW, these being : 'I Used To Be Funny', from Canada and Written and Directed by Ally Pankiw; 'Late Bloomers' from the US and Directed by Lisa Steen; 'Mustache' from the US and Pakistan and Written and Directed by Imran J. Khan; 'Parachute' from the US and Co-Written and Directed by Brittany Snow; 'Pure O' from the US and Written, Directed and Co-Produced by Dillon Tucker; 'Scrambled' from the US and Written and Directed by Leah McKendrick; and 'Story Ave' Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Aristotle Torres.

* Special Jury Award for Performance, presented to Courtney Eaton for her role as Riley in the US drama romance feature film 'Parachute' Co-Written and Directed by Brittany Snow. 

* Special Jury Award for Cinematography, awarded to Eric Branco for 'Story Ave', this US drama film Co-Written and Directed by Aristotle Torres.

* Documentary Feature Competition, winner : 'Angel Applicant' from the US and Written, Directed and Co-Produced by Ken August Meyer. This film beat out seven other documentaries, all again having seen their World Premier screenings at this years SXSW. Those other films were : 'Another Body' from the US and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Sophie Compton; 'Geoff McFetridge : Drawing a Life' from the US and Co-Written, Produced and Directed by Dan Covert; 'Join or Die' from the US and Written, Produced and Directed by Rebecca Davis and Pete Davis; 'Pay or Die' from the US and Directed and Produced by Rachael Dyer and Scott Ruderman; 'Queendom' from France and the US and Co-Produced and Directed by Agniia Galdanova; 'Riders of the Storm' from Austria and Produced and Directed by Jason Motlagh and Mark Oltmans; and 'You Were My First Boyfriend' from the US and Written and Directed by Cecilia Aldarondo and Sarah Enid Hagey.

* Special Jury Award for Innovation in Storytelling, presented to 'Another Body' from the US and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Sophie Compton. 

For the other feature and short film sections, including details of 'Headliners', 'Narrative Spotlight', 'Documentary Spotlight', 'Midnighters' and 'Visions' plus the other award recipients and a whole heap of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : https://www.sxsw.com/festivals/film/

This week we have just three new cinematic offerings coming to a big screen Odeon near you, kicking off with the fourth instalment in this fast paced action thriller franchise that sees this legendary and almost indestructible hit man taking his fight against the High Table to earn his freedom as he seeks out the most powerful players across the global underworld. This is followed by a fantasy offering in which a young intern starts work at a mysterious London firm with unconventional employers, including a CEO who wants to disrupt the ancient magical world with modern corporate practices. And closing out the week we have an Aussie romantic drama set during the summer of 1999, when an 18-year-old amateur ballroom dancer has an unexpected and intense 24-hour romance with a friend's older brother.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three latest release new films 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.

'JOHN WICK : CHAPTER 4' (Rated MA15+) - here we have the continuing saga in the 'John Wick' franchise that is once again Directed and Co-Produced by Chad Stahelski following his earlier successes with the 2014 debut in the series 'John Wick', then 2017's 'John Wick : Chapter 2' and 2019's 'John Wick : Chapter 3 - Parabellum'. Those first three films grossed globally a total US$587M off the back of combined production budgets of US$145M. Originally set for worldwide cinematic release on 21st May 2021, 'John Wick 4' was delayed first due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then Keanu Reeves's commitments with 2021's 'The Matrix Resurrections'. This film saw its World Premier in London on 6th March and is scheduled for a worldwide release from this week. 'John Wick Chapter 5' is already in development with a release date yet to be confirmed.

In this instalment, John Wick (Keanu Reeves who also Executive Produces here) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, and with the price on his head ever rising, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and in the underworld that turn old friends into new foes, from New York to Paris to Japan and Berlin. Also starring Ian McShane, Lance Riddick, Laurence Fishburne, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgard, Hiroyuki Sanada, Scott Adkins, Clancy Brown and Natalia Tena.

'THE PORTABLE DOOR' (Rated PG) - is an Australian family friendly fantasy film Directed by Jeffrey Walker in only his third feature film outing following 'Dance Academy : The Movie' in 2017, and 'Ali's Wedding' also in 2017, although he has Directed numerous TV series to date including multiple episodes of 'Neighbours', 'Rake', 'Difficult People', 'Modern Family' and 'Young Rock' most recently. This film is adapted from 'The Portable Door', the first book in Tom Holt’s J.W. Wells & Co. series. Here then, Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson) and Sophie Pettingel (Sophie Wilde), are lowly, put-upon interns who begin working at the mysterious London firm J.W. Wells & Co., and become increasingly aware that their employers are anything but conventional. Charismatic villains Humphrey Wells (Christoph Waltz), the CEO of the company, and middle manager Dennis Tanner (Sam Neill) are disrupting the world of magic by bringing modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices, and Paul and Sophie discover the true agenda of the vast corporation. The film is released in Australia from this week on Stan and in the UK on Sky Cinema and the US on MGM+ from 7th April. Also starring Miranda Otto, Rachel House, Jessica De Gouw and Damon Herriman.

'OF AN AGE' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian romantic drama film is Written and Directed by Goran Stolevski in only his second feature film after 'You Won't Be Alone' in 2022. Set during the Summer of 1999, seventeen year old Nikola 'Kol' Denic (Elias Anton), a Serbian born Australian amateur ballroom dancer enters a brief 24 hour intense romance with Adam Donegal (Thom Green), the brother of his ballroom dance partner Ebony Donegal (Hattie Hook). This film saw its World Premier screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival in early August last year, was released in the US in early February and is now released this week in Australia having garnered generally favourable reviews and collected US$557K at the Box Office. 

With three new release movie offerings 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-

65 : Tuesday 14th March 2023.

I saw the M Rated '65' earlier this week, and this American Sci-Fi action thriller film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods in their third feature film pairing that has previously brought us 'Nightlight' in 2015 and 'Haunt' in 2019. The pair also penned the script for 2018's multi-award winning and nominated 'A Quiet Place'. With a budget of US$91M this film was released Stateside too last week, and has so far grossed US$24.5M, having garnered mixed or average Reviews along the way. The film was originally slated for release at the end of April last year, before being moved several times to its current release window. 

The film opens up on the planet Somaris, and there we find pilot Mills (Adam Driver), his wife Alya (Nika King) and their young daughter Nevine (Chloe Coleman) discussing a two year deep space expedition that Mills has been offered. While he is reluctant to be away from his family for such an extended period of time, he feels compelled to take the job in order to pay for Nevine's treatment for her much needed life threatening illness. We then fast forward to sometime in to that two year journey, and while Mills is sleeping his spacecraft hits an uncharted asteroid belt and ultimately crashes on an uncharted planet, with his ship split in two. He comes round, ventures outside and finds that the atmosphere is breathable, but also finds signs of 'alien' life.

However, his thirty-five passengers on board who were all in cryo-sleep have perished in the crash landing. After surveying his surrounds and deducing that all is lost, he contemplates suicide, until a beacon reveals that there is in fact one solitary survivor - a young nine year old girl named Koa (Ariana Greenblatt). Mills instantly decides to care for Koa and get her back home, but the pair have trouble communicating because they speak different languages. 

Mills soon discovers that the other half of the ship contains a functioning escape shuttle and sends several distress messages for rescue. Mills tells Koa that they're going to the mountain where the shuttle is located, which is about 12kms away. He lies though about her parents being alive to encourage her to go with him. As they steadily make their way across the terrain, they bond, while Mills protects Koa from attacking dinosaurs, having deduced that they are on Earth some 65 million years ago. 

The pair hunker down near a cave opening to rest up for the night protected by motion sensors dotted around them. Koa watches a number of video replays of Nevine, who died mid-way through Mills journey, before the pair fall asleep. Mills is woken by the motion sensors to find a giant T-Rex sniffing around the cave's entrance in the pouring rain. Mills shoots at the T-Rex injuring it, and then they retreat further inside the cave. A rockfall separates the pair, leading the two to fend for themselves before reuniting outside, with Koa going forward and Mills having to retrace his steps. Mills also discovers that an asteroid, whose debris caused his ship to crash, will strike Earth in about twelve hours, resulting in a catastrophic extinction event.

The two reach the ship, but Koa is angry and upset when she discovers that Mills lied to her about her parents still being alive. Mills opens up to Koa about losing Nevine and promises to protect her. In the escape pod they learn that rescue is on the way, and they are given the coordinates to aim for. The two board the escape shuttle, but the asteroid's debris which is now raining down all around them causes it to fall down the mountain, and land the wrong side up. Mills and Koa manage to fend off two large T-Rex, but the predator that they injured prior starts attacking them in the ship eventually righting it for take-off. Mills runs across the terrain to distract the T-Rex which follows him into a steaming geyser field, where the pair manage to kill it in a hot geyser blast. The two quickly return to the ship and blast off towards rescue as the asteroid collides with Earth, causing a catastrophic shockwave across the planet.

'65' can hardly be described as redefining the creature feature or the dinosaur movie in the way that 'Jurassic Park' and then 'Jurassic World' did. It's not great, but it's also not bad either despite a number of plot holes and lack of dialogue between the two protagonists, which leave Directors Woods and Beck with little option but to throw action set pieces at Mills and Koa - some of which land while others feel like they serve as fillers to move the story along. Adam Driver is convincing enough, but Ariana Greenblatt plays second fiddle here with next to no dialogue and to run around scared for her life, only to pull something out of the bag when you least expect it. And of course when the ending comes it is predictable and you always knew that they were gonna get the hell outta Dodge by the skin of their teeth. At a brisk running time of ninety-three minutes the film at least doesn't outstay its welcome.

'65' warrants two claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-