BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY : Tuesday 6th November 2018.

'BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY' is a different turn here for film and television Director, Producer and Writer Bryan Singer. Here he Directs this biographical offering about the British rock band 'Queen', and in particular its front man, showman, and lead singer Freddie Mercury. Bryan Singer's previous Directorial outings take in the likes of 'The Usual Suspects', 'Apt Pupil', 'X-Men', 'X2', 'Superman Returns', 'Valkyrie', 'X-Men : Days of Future Past' and more recently 'X-Men : Apocalypse'. The film was first announced back in 2010 by Brian May in a BBC interview. Since then various Directors and lead Actors have come and gone including Dexter Fletcher to Direct and Sasha Baron-Cohen and Ben Whishaw to portray Freddie Mercury. Dexter Fletcher went on to conclude the final two weeks or so of filming as Director after Bryan Singer was fired for being persona non grata and for clashes with the cast and crew, although Singer gets the full credit as Director and Fletcher as Executive Producer. The film saw its World Premier screening in London on 23rd October, went on general release in the UK the next day, and was released here in Australia and the US last week. The film cost US$52M to Produce and has so far grossed US$156M.

The film charts the meteoric rise of Queen through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. As the film opens we see Farrokh Bulsara (Rami Malek) working as a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport. It is 1970. Farrokh is also a college student living at home with his sister Kashmira (Priya Blackburn), mother Jer (Meneka Das) and father Bomi (Ace Bhatti). They are British Indian of Parsi decent we learn from Bomi over the dinner table later on which refers to a member of the Zoroastrian community who migrated to India and Pakistan from Persia during the Arab invasion of 636–651AD.

Shortly after Farrokh goes out to a nightclub to see a local band, Smile, perform live. Post show Smile's lead vocalist Tim Staffell (Jack Roth) announces to his other two band members Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) that he is quitting Smile to join a more up & coming band with greater prospects of success. As luck would have it, Farrokh walks past Brian and Roger sitting in the back of the bands van feeling sorry for themselves and dejected, and strikes up a conversation, which ultimately leads Farrokh to offer his services as their new lead vocalist. Proving himself with a short burst of his singing ability, Farrokh is in. Shortly after, John Deacon (Joseph Mazzello) is recruited as bass guitarist.

The band changes their name to Queen, and gradually start to become known around the British club scene. After a year on the road touring around Britain, the band sells their van to finance their debut album, released in mid-1973 and self-titled. Their progressive style leads the band to be signed to EMI Records and managed by John Reid (Aidan Gillen). In the meantime, Farrokh legally changes his name to Freddie Mercury much to the chagrin of his father, and he also asks fashion store assistant Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton) to marry him having been in a steady relationship for some two years or so, and having met for the first time when he saw Smile perform. However, during the bands breakout US Tour while he is away from Mary for the first time for any real length of time, it dawns on Freddie that he is attracted to men, more so than women.

In 1975 the band lock themselves away in a remote country farmhouse to record their fourth album 'A Night at the Opera'. It is during this time that they also record their six minute opus 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Upon hearing the full version of the song for the first time EMI Executive Ray Foster (Mike Myers) rubbishes the song and says that it is way too long to gain any radio airplay, and that it does not follow the tried and true formula of pop/rock music to appeal to the record buying public.

After a very tense argument in Ray Foster's offices, the four band members walk out severing their ties with Foster and EMI for being unsupportive and not heeding their wishes to have Bohemian Rhapsody released as their first single off the new album. Freddie throws a rock through Foster's office window and the band taunts him from the street below, to which Foster retorts by saying that they'll all be forgotten about come Christmas. Freddie is good friends with London's Capital Radio DJ Kenny Everett (Dickie Beau) who has him debut the song live on the airwaves. Despite mixed reviews Bohemian Rhapsody becomes a smash hit and stayed at the #1 slot in the British Charts for nine weeks over the Christmas and New Year period 1975/'76. Shortly after the band's first World Tour, Freddie begins an affair with Paul Prenter (Allen Leech), his personal manager. Mary splits with Freddie when he comes out to her as believing himself to be bisexual, although she assures him that he is gay and that she had known it for some time.

The band's success marches on worldwide through to the early '80's. Tensions begin to surface between the other three band members and Freddie over the direction their music seems to be taking and a noticeable change in Freddie's attitude. In 1981, after a lavish party in Freddie's home, he falls for Jim Hutton (Aaron McCusker), one of the waiters at the party who has stayed back late to help clear up. After a couple of drinks early into the morning they part company, with Jim telling Freddie to look for him when he learns to like himself . . . a noticeable issue that had led to the rift between him, Brian, Roger and John.

The band's press conference to promote the release of their 1982 album 'Hot Space' is doggedly and aggressively hijacked by the press, who bombard Freddie with questions about his personal life and his sexual leanings, rather than concentrating on the music much to Brian's disdain. Freddie bites back in no uncertain terms to the gathered room of Reporters all of whom are frantically clicking away with their cameras. Shortly afterwards, he fires John Reid very unceremoniously for courting CBS Records behind his back for a solo deal worth US$4M and a commitment to two albums. At this point, Freddie recruits the band's long term Lawyer, Jim 'Miami' Beach (Tom Hollander) to carry the mantle as their Manager too, which he accepts. 

Over time Freddie's relationship with his band mates goes progressively south. He then announces that he signed a US$4M deal with CBS Records to go solo. In a heated argument in which he does his best to alienate his former band members and 'family' forever, he walks out on them all. He moves to Munich in 1984 to work on his first solo album, with which he struggles, and later by his own admission does not have the same creative chemistry with his new band as he did have with Queen. While in Munich he hosts non-stop drug and alcohol fuelled gay orgies with Paul. Paul meanwhile refuses to pass on telephone messages from Jim Beach or Mary who have been desperately trying to reach him. One night in the pouring rain, Mary pays him an unexpected visit and urges him to return to the band, as they have been offered a spot in Bob Geldof's African Famine Relief benefit concert 'Live Aid' at London's Wembley Stadium. Upon hearing that Paul withheld this news from him, Freddie instantly severs ties with him as Mary pulls away in her taxi to go home. Out of bitter retaliation, Paul goes public about Freddie's sexual proclivities on primetime Television. With AIDS spreading seemingly rapidly around the world, Freddie secretly has himself medically checked out and learns that he is infected with the disease.

Freddie hastily returns to London to ask for forgiveness from his band mates and Manager Jim Beach for his behaviour, for alienating them, and for thinking that he was better off without them. Freddie is prepared to make almost any concessions to get them back together and to get them a slot at the Live Aid Concert. They reconcile and are given a last-minute slot by event organiser Bob Geldof (Dermot Murphy). Immediately following a rehearsal for the concert, Freddie reveals to Brian, Roger, John and Jim that he has AIDS. They are devastated by this news, but Freddie puts on a brave face saying that now he will live everyday as he was meant to, and that together they will punch a hole in the sky when they perform on stage in front of a global audience of 1.4 billion people. On the day of Live Aid, he reunites beforehand with Jim Hutton and Mary, and then reconnects with his family at their home with his new 'friend' Hutton. Queen's Live Aid performance is a huge success as Freddie has the global audience eating out of his hand. By the time Queen come off stage after their twenty minute set, Bob Geldof's target of one million pounds raised for the day, is surpassed by late afternoon for the UK event alone - attributed in no small degree to the power of Queen's performance.

Freddie died on 24th November 1991 at the age of 45 from bronchopneumonia as a complication of AIDS. Just ahead of the closing credits, we are told that following his death, Jim Beach and Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon organised The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness, the proceeds of which were used to launch 'The Mercury Phoenix Trust'. The organisation has been active ever since and the current Trustees are Brian May, Roger Taylor, Jim Beach, and Freddie's closest friend and former girlfriend Mary Austin.



I enjoyed 'Bohemian Rhapsody' more than I thought I would, and I think you will too. Exploring the life of the great showman, Rami Malek puts in a convincing turn as Queen's frontman, as does Gwilym Lee as Brian May especially. Whilst their more popular songs are explored in some detail from inception to recorded end product - 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'We Will Rock You', 'Another One Bites the Dust', 'Love of My Life', much of their other equally notable back catalogue is merely glossed over, and I couldn't help thinking as well, that so too were the struggles the band endured over time, and the triumphs they celebrated. That said, we gain an insight into Freddie Mercury into what made him the man and the rock icon he was/is, his inner demons, his fears, his anxieties and the deep loneliness he felt despite his fame and fortune. As for Brian, Roger and John, we gain no such insight, but don't let that detach from the films impact because their performances are all solid too. The films closing Live Aid sequence to which all events lead us to this point on 13th July 1985 is authentically and faithfully recreated and if, like me, you grew up in the era of Queen and sat glued to your TV for every minute of Live Aid back in '85, or simply like their music which still endures to this day, then this is surely a must see film for you.

'Bohemian Rhapsody' warrants four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 8th November 2018.

The 'Festival Internazionale del Film di Roma' (aka 'International Rome Film Festival') was held in Rome, Italy, from 18th through until 28th October 2018 at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, and other venues around the ancient city. This festival of film was only founded in 2006 and whilst still quite young and new compared to many others, the importance of the hosting city as well as the strong economic investment has placed the Rome Film Festival among the world's most important film festivals, with huge media coverage and world-renowned artists attending. This year there were 266 screenings of 91 films in total from thirty countries represented.

The festival's closing film was 'Notti Magiche' ('Magical Nights') by Director Paolo Virzi. Set in Rome in 1990, the film centres around three aspiring young Screenwriters who are suspected of the murder of a famous film Producer on the night that Italy's national football team is ousted from the World Cup by the Argentinian side. The final day of this years Rome Film Festival ended with screenings of films from the official lineup in cinemas around the city, plus a concert of film scores by master composers and multi-award winning Ennio Morricone and Nicola Piovani.

'Il Vizio della Speranza' ('The Vice of Hope') Directed by Edoardo De Angelis was the winner of the People’s Choice Award, as audiences voted via app and web for their favourite film of the 2018 festival. Set in the drug-infested Castel Volturno outside Naples, the film follows Maria (Pina Turco), a trafficker of surrogate mothers whose closest companion is her pitbull terrier dog. She moves women from place to place along the river where they give birth, and then a powerful and unscrupulous madam sells their babies to the highest bidder. When one woman disappears, determined to keep her unborn baby, Maria is tasked with tracking her down, however, now pregnant with her own child, Maria begins to question her role in the illicit business.

James Gardner’s Directorial debut with 'Jelly Fish' won the Best Film award, with star Liv Hill also winning a Special Jury Prize. The Special Jury Prize for Best Film went to Peter Hedges’ 'Ben Is Back' with Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges, and the Jury Prize for Best First Film went to the psychological drama 'The Harvesters' Written and Directed by Etienne Kallos.

The Official Selection line-up this year included such titles as 'American Animals' 'Bad Times at the El Royale' which also served as the opening film, 'Beautiful Boy', 'Fahrenheit 11/9', 'The Girl in the Spiders Web' (as Previewed below for its Australian release this week), 'Green Book', 'Halloween', 'The Hate U Give', 'The House with a Clock in its Walls', 'If Beale Street Could Talk', 'Kursk', 'The Little Drummer Girl', 'Monsters and Men', 'The Old Man & The Gun', 'A Private War', 'Stan & Ollie', 'The Vice of Hope' (winner of the People's Choice Award), 'They Shall Not Grow Old', 'Three Identical Strangers', 'Boy Erased' (also Previewed below for its Australian release this week), 'The Miseducation of Cameron Post' and 'Dead in a Week : Or Your Money Back'.

This week then we have six new release movies coming to an Odeon near you. We kick off with a new instalment in an already successful film franchise taken from the pages of an equally successful set of novels featuring our titular heroine with a distinctive tattoo, her occasional lover - an investigative journalist, and a bunch of criminal types who all deserve what they've got coming. We then turn to a remake of a classic 1977 Italian horror film set in a Berlin dance academy where everything is not quite as it seems when it revealed that the academy may just be run by a coven of witches. Next up we have a black comedy set in small town America when its citizens go on the rampage when a mystery hacker releases countless personal text messages about the town's folk. This is followed up by a coming of age story of a nineteen year old lad who is sent away to gay conversion therapy by his concerned and steadfastly religious parents, and what unfolds thereafter. Next is a WWI story of a bunch of soldiers in the trenches on the front line in war torn France, who must endure a week of waiting to go on the offensive to their certain death. And we then wrap up the week with a British comedy offering about a down on her luck young woman whose life changes in unexpected ways when she inherits a pug dog.

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 and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB' (Rated MA15+) - this is the fourth instalment in the 'Millennium' series of novels and films, that first kicked off with the originator of the international best seller series Stieg Larson who penned 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo', 'The Girl Who Played with Fire' and 'The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest' - all of which were made into successful films launching the movie career of Noomi Rapace as lead character Lisbeth Salander in those first three films. In 2011, David Fincher made an American version of the first film starring Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander and Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist as an investigative journalist and occasional lover to Salander.  When Stieg Larson died in 2004 aged 50, having completed the three novels, David Lagercrantz carried the torch having penned two follow on novels so far, the first of which continues with this instalment. This time Directed by Fede Alvarez whose previous Directing credits include the 2013 version of 'Evil Dead' and  2016's 'Don't Breathe'. The film saw its Premier at the Rome Film Festival in late October, cost US$43M to make, was released in Sweden at the end of October, is released here and in the US this week and has so far received generally mixed or average Reviews.

And so to this story. Dismissed from the National Security Agency, Frans Balder (Stephen Merchant) recruits hacker Lisbeth Salander (Claire Foy) to steal FireWall, a computer program that can access codes for nuclear weapons worldwide, and which he developed in the first place. The download pretty quickly gains the attention from NSA agent Edwin Neeham (LaKeith Stanfield) who traces the activity to Stockholm. Further problems arise when the Russians steal Lisbeth's laptop and kidnap a computer geek who can make FireWall functional. Now, Lisbeth and an unlikely ally must race against time to recover the codes to avert disaster, overcome corrupt government officials, thwart cyber criminals and unravel a web of spies whilst saving the kidnapped geek. Also starring Sverrir Gudnason as Mikael Blomkvist, Sylvia Hoeks and Claes Bang.

'SUSPIRIA' (Rated MA15+) - way back in 1977 the acclaimed Italian Director, Producer and Screenwriter Dario Argento, perhaps best known for his work in the horror film genre during the '70's and '80's, released what was to become one of his most successful films - 'Suspiria', partially based on Thomas De Quincey's 1845 essay 'Suspiria de Profundis' ('Sighs from the Depths'). Now some forty years later this supernatural horror film gets a makeover courtesy of Italian Director and Co-Producer Luca Guadagnino. Costing US$20M to make, the film saw its World Premier at the Venice International Film Festival in early September, went on release in the US last week, and the UK next week, and has so far generated largely favourable Reviews. The story here unfolds as young American dancer Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) arrives in West German Berlin in 1977 to audition for the world famous Helena Markos Dance Company. When she vaults to the position of lead dancer, the woman she replaces breaks down and accuses the company's female Directors of witchcraft. Meanwhile, an inquisitive psychotherapist Dr. Josef Klemperer (Tilda Swinton) and another member of the dance troupe uncover dark and sinister secrets as they probe the depths of the studio's hidden underground chambers that lead them to believe that the academy is controlled by a coven of witches. Also starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Mia Goth and Jessica Harper who starred as Susie Bannion in the original film. Tilda Swinton plays three roles in the film.

'ASSASSINATION NATION' (Rated MA15+) - this American black comedy thriller is Written and Directed by Sam Levinson (son of Barry Levinson), received its World Premier screening at the Sundance Film Festival back in January this year, was released in the US and the UK towards the end of September, has received mixed or average Reviews and has so far grossed just US$2M. Here, the story unfolds in the town of Salem, Massachusetts, where High School senior students Lily Colson (Odessa Young) and her three best friends Sarah (Suki Waterhouse), Bex (Hari Nef) and Em (Abra) live in a malaise of text messages, social media posts, selfies and online chats, pretty much like the rest of the 'civilised' world. However, their small town world gets turned upside down and inside out when a mystery anonymous hacker starts to reveal personal messages and secrets of thousands of people. As anger spills over into full-blown violence, the four girls soon find themselves fighting for their lives and for their survival against an armed and very angry mob. Also starring Bill Skarsgard, Maude Apatow and Joel McHale. 

'BOY ERASED' (Rated MA15+) - this American and Australian Co-Production is a coming of age drama based on the 2016 memoir of the same name by Garrard Conley, and is Directed, Co-Produced, Written for the Screen and also stars Joel Edgerton. The film saw its World Premiere at the Telluride Film Festival back in early September and went on release in the US last week, where it has garnered generally positive Press. Here, Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges) is the son of Marshall (Russell Crowe) a Baptist Pastor and Nancy (Nicole Kidman) living in small town America, who is outed to his parents as gay at the age of nineteen. Jared is quickly pressured into attending a gay conversion therapy programme, or else suffer the consequences and be shunned by his family, friends, and his church. It is within the programme that Jared comes into conflict with its head therapist Victor Sykes (Joel Edgerton). The film also stars Joe Alwyn, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan and Flea. 

'JOURNEY'S END' (Rated M) - this British film is an adaptation of the 1928 stage play of the same name by R.C.Sherriff and is the fifth adaptation of that play to grace the big and small screen. Directed by Saul Dibb the film stars an ensemble cast and has so far generated generally positive Reviews since its Special Presentation screening at TIFF way back in September 2017, and its initial release in Ireland in early February this year. Now only does it get a limited release in Australia. The story here occurs in the Spring of 1918 near St. Quentin, France. The war has already dragged on for four years almost, with millions killed in the process and it will continue on for another six months at least, taking out countless lives needlessly as it does. Taking us into the heart of a WWI battle zone we follow fresh-faced teenage Second Lieutenant Raleigh (Asa Butterfield), who gets himself assigned to the command of Captain Stanhope (Sam Claflin). The drama plays out amid the tensions, anxieties and camaraderie that unite these men and their infantry colleagues that including cook Mason (Toby Jones) and battle-worn Trotter (Stephen Graham) and Hibbert (Tom Sturridge) as they begin a week where they have already heard that a huge German offensive is expected and soon. They know little else except that they can expect no reinforcements and not to be evacuated . . . . and so they await their fate. Also starring Paul Bettany and Robert Glenister.

'PATRICK' (Rated PG) - here Mandie Fletcher Directs this British comedy offering hot on the heels of her 2016 Directed 'Absolutely Fabulous : The Movie'. The story here unfolds about one Sarah Francis (Beattie Edmondson, daughter of Adrian Edmondson and Jennifer Saunders) who is a young woman whose life is just a tad on the skids. The last thing she is looking for is someone or something else to look after, especially not someone or something who dribbles, snores and eats garbage from the kitchen bin. However, like it or lump it, her Grandmother has left Sarah her prized possession in her will, a very spoilt pug dog called Patrick. As this new canine friend proceeds to wreak havoc in all areas of Sarah’s life, its not long before a sort of miracle happens as Patrick slowly but very surely begins to turn her life around. Also starring Jennifer Saunders, Ed Skrien, Gemma Jones, Bernard Cribbins and Peter Davison.

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 week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

HALLOWEEN : Tuesday 30th October 2018.

'HALLOWEEN' which I caught on the eve of that fateful night earlier this week is the eagerly anticipated, much hyped and long awaited 'recalibration' of the famed and iconic slasher horror franchise that introduced an unsuspecting world to maniacal killer Michael Myers and teenage babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) way back in 1978. That film, 'Halloween' was Written, Directed and Scored by the legendary John Carpenter, cost a paltry US$325K to make and grossed worldwide US$70M, and defined the genre that has been imitated ever since. That 1978 film was followed by 'Halloween II' an equally standup sequel in 1981, but after that instalment the franchise was on the skids. There have been a succession of films ever since - eight others in fact, with the latter two being remakes in 2007 and 2009 titled somewhat appropriately 'Halloween' and 'Halloween II' with both of the instalments being Directed by Rob Zombie that collectively grossed US$120M off the back of a combined budget of US$30M whilst remaining reasonably true to the original source films. In between time Jamie Lee Curtis reprised her role as a more mature Laurie Strode in 1998's 'Halloween H2O : 20 Years Later' and again in 2002 in 'Halloween : Resurrection'. This 2018 film was also scored once again by John Carpenter, cost US$10M to make through Blumhouse Productions, has received generally positive press, was released Stateside last week and has so far taken US$184M at the Box Office, breaking a number of records, as well a being the highest grossing movie of the franchise so far. Apparently a sequel is in the early stages of development.

And so to this 2018 offering as Directed and Co-Written by David Gordon Green which is the eleventh film in the franchise and a direct sequel to the the original 1978 film, disregarding completely the sequels and the continuity that have come in between time. Set forty years after the events of the first film, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis playing the character now for the fifth time), has been preparing all this time over the ensuing years for the return of Michael Myers (Nick Castle from the original film and James Jude Courtney). We are first introduced to a couple of true crime podcasters Aaron Korey (Jefferson Hall) and Dana Haines (Rhian Rees) who travel to Smith's Grove Rehabilitation Hospital with the intention of interviewing Michael Myers forty years after his killing spree on Halloween night 1978. At the facility they are met by Michael's Doctor and Psychiatrist handler, Ranbir Sartain (Haluk Bilginer) who explains that Michael has not uttered a single word in forty years and that he can speak, but chooses not to. Upon meeting with Michael in an open courtyard under very tight security, with other inmates looking on, Aaron pulls from his satchel Michael's mask that he wore on that fateful night. He gets no reaction from Michael who stands with his back to the reporter the whole time, but the other inmates are clearly ill at ease.

They learn that several of the inmates, including Michael, are to be transported the very next day to a new facility. Having been unsuccessful in gaining any insight into Michael's psyche or motivation for killing, they try their luck at Laurie Strode's house. They arrive unannounced and entice Laurie to open her heavily fortified home with $3,000 in exchange for her time, which she agrees to. Gaining short shrift from Laurie, the two reporters are sent packing largely none the wiser, except that Laurie has suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and has been waiting all this time for the return of the Bogey Man, a term that is quickly dismissed by Aaron.

The next night, during the transportation of Michael and other Hospital residents, the bus crashes, so allowing them all to flee the scene. Sartain, escorting Michael for one last time, is injured by a gun shot fired by a young lad out searching for his father amid the wreckage and who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Deputy Sheriff Frank Hawkins (Will Patton) is the first Police Officer on the scene and witnesses the brutal murder of a Prison Security Guard, and the lads father.

The next day, Aaron and Dana are filling up at a petrol station about to leave town. Dana asks the attendant to use the ladies toilet. Whilst sat in a cubicle, a heavy footed man enters and starts rattling the cubicle doors, before dropping a set of bloodied recently extracted teeth over her door. She screams when she realises what they are, alerting Aaron, who has already discovered the corpses of the garage mechanic and the attendant. Aaron bursts into the ladies toilet, and is violently and quickly dispensed with before the man diverts attention to Dana, and equally as quickly and violently ends her life too. Michael then retrieves his mask from the boot of Aaron's car, and puts it on over his head.

Michael drives back to Haddonfield. Meanwhile, a crime scene is established at the petrol station with the public and Laurie looking on beyond the Police cordon. Frank Hawkins recognises Laurie, and it is clear they share a connection, as the four dead bodies are brought out in body bags. Laurie goes to the house of her estranged daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and tries to warn her of Michael's escape from the transit bus and the trail of bloodshed already left in his wake, but she dismisses her concerns as the ramblings of an unhinged woman.

Halloween night duly arrives and out on the streets are party revellers, Mums and Dads and kids of all ages dressed up in ghostly and ghoulish attire - the perfect night for hiding in plain sight and doing a little bit of killing! Karen's daughter Allyson Nelson (Andi Matichak) and Laurie's Granddaughter, is one of those out partying with her boyfriend Cameron (Dylan Arnold). The couple get into a fight and part company. Meanwhile, Michael has commenced his killing spree on Halloween night in Haddonfield dispensing with a couple of stay at home wives, and then Allyson's best friend Vicky, who was baby sitting a young lad, and her boyfriend Dave (Miles Robbins).

Laurie and Deputy Hawkins convince Karen and her husband Ray (Toby Huss) to seek refuge in Laurie's house where they will be safe, in the fortress like surroundings that Laurie has spent her life preparing for. Meanwhile, Allyson is unaccounted for and can't be reached by mobile phone, because the last thing that Cameron did was throw her precious phone into a bowl of custard. Walking home with Oscar (Drew Scheid), Cameron's good friend, the pair cross paths with Michael, and Oscar meets a sticky end being impaled through the neck on an iron gate post. Allyson witnesses this and runs screaming to alert her neighbours.

Deputy Hawkins and Dr. Sartain arrive in a patrol car to collect Allyson from the scene of the crime, being comforted by her neighbours. They collect Allyson to take her to Laurie's house to be with the family unit. En route they spy Michael on foot, and Deputy Hawkins puts the peddle to the metal and deliberately hits Michael front on at speed, sending him flying backwards believed to be dead. Sartain is obsessed with trying to understand Michael's motivations after all these years of treatment, that he wonders what must be going through his mind when he is killing. Sartain turns a scalpel on Hawkins killing him before he can shoot dead Michael for sure, dons Michael's face mask, and lifts the lifeless but still breathing body of the killer into the back of the patrol car with Allyson, and drives off towards Laurie's house. Michael regains consciousness en route to Laurie's house and overpowers Sartain from the back of the vehicle. Michael drags Sartain out of the patrol car, puts on his mask again, and stamps on Sartain's head, crushing it like a Halloween pumpkin. Allyson, escapes the car and runs into the woods. Two other Police Officers arrive at the scene who had been guarding the entry to the Strode estate, and these two are gruesomely dispensed with by Michael too.

Michael arrives at Laurie's fortress, and promptly kills an inquisitive Ray. Laurie is heavily armed and poised at the ready. As Michael tries to gain entry through the front door grasping Laurie through the glass panel in a stranglehold, she is able to position her shotgun and fire at him through the glass shooting off two of his fingers in the process. She hides in a secret basement under the kitchen with Karen, hearing the sounds of heavy footsteps on the floorboards above. She fires her shotgun upwards, clearly injuring Michael with a thump to the floor. She ventures out of the basement leaving Karen. Armed with a rifle and a torch she searches through the house following Michael's trail of blood as she goes. She seals every room once it has been cleared with an automatic heavy drop down steel door. But the pair come face to face in a spare room upstairs with Michael pushing Laurie out onto the roof where she falls down into the garden below, seemingly unconscious.

By now Allyson has arrived at the house and is reunited with Karen in the basement. Michael is distracted by Allyson's panicked arrival, and when he looks down to the garden again, Laurie is gone (a nod to the original film here where the reverse occurred).  Michael has surmised that Karen and Allyson are lurking in the secret basement hideaway, and is able to gain entry. Looking down at them Karen shoots Michael and he falls forward into the basement towards them. Laurie is looking on from behind. Michael rises and grabs at Karen's foot as she is making her exit up the steps. The three women stab, and punch and kick at their assailant sending him reeling backwards again, just in time for Laurie to activate some heavy reinforced bars across the stairs so trapping Michael inside the basement. Using a rigged up gas supply which is also automatically activated by a heat lamp, Laurie throws a flaming torch into the basement which quickly engulfs the basement, the house and Michael in a ball of fire. The three women leave the burning house as sun rises on a new day, and hitch a ride in a passing pick up truck, nursing their wounds.

After all the positive publicity and marketing surrounding this film, I went into see 'Halloween' and was not disappointed. Disregarding all the previous ho-hum instalments that came after 1981's 'Halloween II', this film pays a respectful homage to John Carpenter's original and ground breaking horror slasher flick, and updates it whilst maintaining many of the touchstones that made that first offering so memorable. The body count reaches sixteen by my reckoning by the time the end credits roll which is sure to please the younger generation of fans who like their kills delivered in new and inventive ways and with plenty of gore. The film is also relevant for the present day #MeToo movement by virtue of having three put upon female protagonists overcome the dominant male antagonist for making their lives a misery for so long. There are a few jump scares in this film, but only a few, and unlike the original, this film doesn't really scare. It's dramatic, it's thrilling at times, and the brutality of the random merciless killings is horrific, but I'm not sure this is a horror film in the true sense, unlike say 'Hereditary' was. Its entertaining, packs a punch, and revitalises a franchise that lost its way a long time ago, and for that reason sure is worth the price of your cinema ticket.

'Halloween' rates four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, out of a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 1st November 2018.

In October the world bid a fond farewell to a number of stars of the silver screen and the small screen. In brief, shown below, is my passing tribute to those stars who leave an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, and in particular the world of film and television. May you all Rest In Peace, and thanks for the memories . . . . Scott Wilson, Arnold Kopelson, James Karen, Audrey Wells and Danny Leiner.

* James Karen - Born 28th November 1923, died 23rd October 2018, aged 94. Born Jacob Karnofsky, he was an American Actor of stage, television and films who amassed 204 acting credits to his name and remained active in the industry across seven decades right up to the time of his death where he was filming and lending his voice talents to a new animated television series titled 'Sticky Fingers'. His other more noteworthy film roles over the years included the likes of the Arnold Schwarzenegger debut of 1970 'Hercules in New York', and then 'All the President's Men', 'Capricorn One', 'The China Syndrome', 'The Jazz Singer', 'Poltergeist', 'Jagged Edge', 'Wall Street', 'Return of the Living Dead : Part II', 'Invaders from Mars', 'Piranha', 'Nixon', 'Up Close & Personal', 'Behind Enemy Lines', 'Apt Pupil', 'Any Given Sunday', 'Thirteen Days', 'Mulholland Drive' and 'The Pursuit of Happyness'. In between time there were also countless guest appearances on television shows including 'Starsky & Hutch', 'The Waltons', 'The Streets of San Francisco', 'The Rockford Files', 'Dallas', 'Dynasty', 'Cheers', 'Beverly Hills, 90210', 'The Practice' and 'First Monday' to name but a  few. In 1998 Karen was awarded a Life Career Award by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA.

* Danny Leiner - Born 13th May 1961, died 18th October 2018, aged 57. An American Director, Producer and Writer, who had thirty-one Directing credits to his name, six as Producer and two as Writer. He feature film debut came in 1996 with the comedy 'Layin' Low', which he followed up with 'Dude, Where's My Car' in 2000, 'Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle' in 2004, 'The Great New Wonderful' in 2005 amongst others. In between time he Directed television episodes of the likes of 'Freaks and Geeks', 'Party of Five', 'Gilmore Girls', 'Arrested Development', 'The Sopranos', 'The Office', 'Backwash' and most recently 'Selfie'.

 * Arnold Kopelson - Born 14th February 1935, died 8th October 2018, aged 83. An American Film and Television Producer, Kopelson during his career Produced thirty-one movies that have collectively accounted for seventeen Academy Award nominations and over US$3B in worldwide cinema ticket sales. He was bestowed with an Academy Award for Best Picture, a Golden Globe Award, and an Independent Spirit Award, all for his production of 'Platoon' in 1986, and also received a Best Picture Academy Award nomination for his production of 'The Fugitive' in 1993. His other notable film Producer credits include 'Porky's', 'Out for Justice', 'Falling Down', 'Outbreak', 'Se7en', 'Eraser', 'Murder at 1600', 'The Devil's Advocate', 'U.S. Marshalls', 'A Perfect Murder', 'Don't Say a Word' and 'Twisted'. He also lectured over the years on filmmaking at Harvard Business School, American Film Institute, New York Law School, the Writers Guild of America, University of Southern California, and University of California at Los Angeles, among others, and also authored several articles about film financing.

* Scott Wilson - Born William Delano Wilson on 29th March 1942, and died 6th October 2018, aged 76. With a career as a film and television Actor spanning six decades he amassed eighty-one Acting credits over those years and was the recipient of three award wins and another six nominations including a Golden Globe nod as Best Supporting Actor in the 1980 film 'The Ninth Configuration'. He scored his big screen role in 1967's 'In the Heat of the Night' and 'In Cold Blood' later that same year. Other notable film appearances over the years included 'The Gypsy Moths', 'The Great Gatsby', 'The Right Stuff', 'The Aviator', 'Johnny Handsome', 'The Exorcist III', 'Young Guns II', 'Judge Dredd', 'Dead Man Walking', 'G.I.Jane', 'The Way of the Gun', 'Pearl Harbour', 'Monster', 'The Last Samurai', 'The Heartbreak Kid', 'Radio Free Albemuth' and most recently 'Hostiles'. In between time there were numerous television appearances, perhaps the most noteworthy being as Hershel Green in thirty-two episodes of 'The Walking Dead'.

* Audrey Wells - Born 29th April 1960, died 4th October 2018, aged 58. An American Screenwriter, Director and Producer who wrote a number of successful Screenplays and Directed two films for which she had also created the script. Her works were mostly of the comedies and/or romantic film genre. Her credits take in two as Producer ('The Truth About Cats & Dogs' from 1996 and 'Under the Tuscan Sun' from 2003), two as Director ('Guinevere' from 1999 and 'Under the Tuscan Sun') and ten as Writer (including the three already mentioned, plus 'George of the Jungle', 'The Kid', 'Shall We Dance', 'The Game Plan', 'A Dog's Purpose' and most recently 'The Hate U Give'.

This week, we give you six new excuses to get out amongst the movie going public to your local multiplex or independent theatre, kicking off with a biographical offering about an iconic British rock band of the '70's and '80's and its flamboyant front man that helped define a generation, and whose influence is still being felt today. We then turn to an action thriller that sees the crew of one of Uncle Sam's submarines pitch up against the Ruskies to prevent WWIII from occurring; before a change of pace that takes us to small town Montana in the '60's and the impact that marital challenges has on the young teenage son of the couple facing those struggles. Next we have another documentary from this famed and often controversial Director, Writer and Producer this time examining the impact on the American people of the Trump administration; and then there is a South Korean offering of a historical zombie actioner nature; before wrapping up the week with a little known animated story of how three of our beloved fairytale Princesses come to be hooked up with same Prince Charming.

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 and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY' (Rated M) - in a different turn here for film and television Director, Producer and Writer Bryan Singer, here he Directs this biographical offering about the British rock band 'Queen', and in particular its front man, showman, and lead singer Freddie Mercury. Bryan Singer's previous Directorial outings take in the likes of 'The Usual Suspects', 'Apt Pupil', 'X-Men', 'X2', 'Superman Returns', 'Valkyrie', 'X-Men : Days of Future Past' and more recently 'X-Men : Apocalypse'. The film was first announced back in 2010 by Brian May in a BBC interview. Since then various Directors and lead Actors have come and gone including Dexter Fletcher to Direct and Sasha Baron-Cohen and Ben Whishaw to portray Freddie Mercury. Dexter Fletcher went on to conclude filming as Director after Bryan Singer was fired for being persona non grata and for clashes with the cast and crew, although Singer gets the full credit as Director and Fletcher as Executive Producer. The film saw its World Premier screening in London on 23rd October, went on general release in the UK the next day, and is release here in Australia and the US this week. The film cost US$52M to Produce and has so far grossed US$13M.

The film charts the meteoric rise of Queen through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unrivalled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie (Rami Malek), surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of a solo career. Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Freddie successfully reunites with his bandmates Brian May (Gwilym Lee), Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) and John Deacon (Jospeh Mazzello) just in time for Live Aid in July 1985. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. The film also stars Aiden Gillen, Tom Hollander, Mike Myers and various others portraying well knows singers and musicians of the era. If, like me, you grew up in the era of Queen and sat glued to your TV for every minute of Live Aid back in '85, then this is surely a must see film.

'HUNTER KILLER' (Rated MA15+) - this American action thriller is Directed by Donovan Marsh who has also been known to Write, Edit and Produce some of his previous big and small screen works. Here he has based this film on the 2012 novel 'Firing Point' by George Wallace and Don Keith, and from the looks of his back catalogue this is his first big screen Hollywood outing with big named stars at his disposal. Set largely in the murky depths deep under the Arctic Ocean, American submarine Captain Joe Glass (Gerard Butler) is on the hunt for a U.S. sub in distress when he discovers a secret Russian coup is being planned which potentially threatens to destabilise the order of things globally. With crew and country on the line, Captain Glass must now assemble an elite group of Navy SEALs to sneak though enemy waters and rescue the kidnapped Russian President, who has been captured by his own Defence Minister, to stop WWIII from happening. Also starring Gary Oldman, Toby Stephens, Common, David Gyasi and Michael Nyqvist in one of his last film roles having passed away in June last year. The film was released last week in the US, cost US$40M to bring to the big screen, has is far grossed US$12M and has received generally mixed Reviews.

'WILDLIFE' (Rated M) - this highly acclaimed American drama film is Directed and Co-Written by Paul Dano in his Directorial debut, and is based on the 1990 novel of the same name written by Richard Ford. Here, fourteen year old Joe (Ed Oxenbould) is the only child of Jeanette, a housewife and mother, and Jerry Brinson, a golfing professional and father (Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal respectively) living in small town Montana in the '60's. An uncontrolled forest fire rages out of control close to the Canadian border, and when Jerry loses his job, and his sense of being, he elects to join the fire fighting crew, leaving his wife and son to fend for themselves. Suddenly forced very quickly to grow up and accept some responsibility, Joe witnesses his mother's struggle as she tries to keep her head above water, and she falls for another man in her husbands absence, the fallout of which sends the already struggling family unit to breaking point. The film Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January this year, went on general release in the US in mid-October and has been universally acclaimed - in particular for Paul Dano's fine Directing efforts and also for Carey Mulligan's and Jake Gyllenhaal's strong performances.

'FAHRENHEIT 11/9' (Rated M) - here noted Documentarian Michael Moore is back at it again with all verve, vigour and vim that make his films so compelling. Here once more he Directs, Co-Produces, Writes and Narrates his way through his chosen journey this time, having predicted that Donald Trump would become the 45th President of the United States. Travelling across the country, Moore interviews the American public to get a feel for the social, economic and political impact of Trump's Presidency so far. Moore also takes a deep dive into the media, the Electoral College, the government agenda and his hometown of Flint, Michigan. This documentary explores two principle questions - how the US progressed to the Trump Presidency? and how to 'get out' of the era of the Trump administration? The title of the film is derived from the date when Trump's 2016 Presidential win was announced - the 9th November. The film Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in August this year, went on general release in the US in late September, has so far recovered US$5M from its US$6M production budget, and has received generally favourable Reviews.

'RAMPANT' (Rated MA15+) - out on limited release at selected cinemas is this South Korean historical action zombie offering from Director Kim Sung-hoon. The film tells the story of our hero, Yi Chung (Hyun Bin) who is rather partial to a bit of boozing, gambling and womanising and who in his spare time battles against 'Night Demons' to save the Joseon peoples and their nation. Yi Chung is the son of the King, and is renowned as the greatest martial artist in the world and is particular adept with a sword. Although he was handed over to the Qing Empire as a political prisoner, he returns home after ten years when his brother, the Crown Prince Yi Young (Kim Tae-woo), calls upon him after all these years to help thwart the evil bloodthirsty Night Demons that plague the country by night once and for all. Also starring Hyun Bin, Jang Dong-gun and Lee Sun-bin in other pivotal roles.

'CHARMING' (Rated G) - this animated musical comedy film is Directed and Written by Ross Venokur and was released in Spain back in April this year, cost US$20M to make and has so far grossed US$5M although no US release date has yet been confirmed. Telling the unknown, previously top secret, highly confidential and to some most upsetting story of Snow White (Avril Lavigne), Cinderella (Ashley Tisdale) and Sleeping Beauty (G.E.M.) who discover that they are all engaged to the same Prince Charming (Wilmer Valderrama). Shock horror, how could this be? After a Fairy Godmother (John Cleese) spills a large amount of charm dust on Charming, the Prince, led by the Lenore (Demo Lovato), a woman who is incapable of love, must embark on an epic journey of adventure and discovery to find his one truest of all loves. Also starring the voice talents of Sia and Steve Aoki.

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 week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-