What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 16th May 2019.

And so perhaps the most famed and glamorous of all film festivals kicked off this week on 14th May, and runs through until 25th May. The 'Cannes Film Festival' now in its 72nd year boasts a whole swathe of mainstream cinematic releases, independent features, documentaries, short films, restored classics and various competitions. This year's main competition is overseen by acclaimed Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu who serves as Jury President aided by the likes of Elle Fanning, Yorgos Lanthimos and Pawel Pawlikowski. American film director Jim Jarmusch's ensemble zombie comedy film 'The Dead Don't Die' will serve as the opening film of the festival and is also in main competition. The closing film is the French offering 'The Specials' by Directors Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano which is being screened out of competition.

In total there are 21 films in main competition, with entries from the USA, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Brazil, South Korea and China as well as some other far flung places.
Among these are :
* 'The Dead Don't Die' - an American ZomCom Directed by Jim Jarmusch and starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloe Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Rosie Perez, Selena Gomez, Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, Caleb Landry Jones and Carol Kane.
* 'Frankie' - an American/French Co-Produced drama film Directed by Ira Sachs and starring Isabelle Huppert, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei and Brendan Gleeson.
* 'A Hidden Life' - this American/German Co-Produced historical WWII offering is Directed by Terrence Malick and stars Bruno Ganz and Michael Nyqvist (both in their final roles) as well as Jurgen Prochnow, Matthias Schoenaerts and August Diehl.
* 'It Must Be Heaven' - here this French-Canadian comedy is Directed, Written, Co-Produced, Narrated and stars Elia Suleiman and also stars Ali Suliman and François Girard.
* 'Matthias & Maxime' - is a Canadian drama film Directed, Produced, Written and starring Xavier Dolan together with Gabriel D'Almeida Freitas and Harris Dickinson.
* 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' - here this eagerly awaited US/UK Co-Produced back comedy set in the Hollywood of the late '60's is Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Quentin Tarantino and stars Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning, Damian Lewis, Bruce Dern, Emile Hirsch, Scoot McNairy, Luke Perry, Damon Herriman, Timothy Olyphant with regulars Zoe Bell, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Kurt Russell also joining the throng.
* 'Oh Mercy!' - is a French crime drama story Directed and Co-Written by Arnaud Desplechin and starring Roschdy Zem, Léa Seydoux, Sara Forestier and Antoine Reinartz.
* 'Pain and Glory' - is a Spanish drama film Written and Directed by Pedro Almodovar and stars Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas.
* 'Parasite' - is a South Korean drama film Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Bong Joon-ho and starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam.
* 'Sorry We Missed You' - is a UK drama film Directed by Ken Loach and starring largely a cast of relative unknown acting talent that takes in Kris Hitchen and Debbie Honeywood.
* 'The Young Ahmed' - is a Belgiam drama film Directed, Written and and Produced by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne and stars a cast of relative unknowns including Idir Ben Addi, Olivier Bonnaud, Myriem Akheddiou, Victoria Bluck, Claire Bodson and Othmane Moumen.

You can get the full low down on these films, plus the many more screening both in and out of competition, and all the latest news and views at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival by visiting the official website at : https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/

Turning attention back closer to home, we have five latest release movies to entice you out to your local Odeon in the coming week. We start off with the third instalment in this fast paced action thriller franchise where the world is out to kill our hero with a huge bounty on his head and only a handful of trusted friends he can turn to . . . and his faithful dog by his side. Expect plenty of guns, knives, explosions, chases, close quarter combat and a high body count. We then have a crime thriller of two sisters, cross border drug trafficking and some poor decisions on their part before they can finally put their past behind them. Next up is a story of man who wrestles with his own inner voice while trying to decipher whether or not the girl he has been seeing for the last few months has the same feelings for him as he has for her, whilst also trying to get a good nights sleep before an important interview the very next morning. This is followed up with a bio-pic of a Christian Missionary in deepest darkest India in the late '90's who is brutally murdered for allegedly converting Hindus to Christianity - a story fuelled by an over zealous journalist maybe! We then close the week with a legendary ageing rocker still going strong to sell out audiences who takes us back to his roots to the club south of New York where it all began in the hope of resurrecting the music scene to its once former glory.

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

'JOHN WICK 3 : PARABELLUM' (Rated MA15+) - here we see the third and allegedly final instalment in the 'John Wick' fast paced neo-noir action thriller film series, that launched in 2014 with 'John Wick' then its sequel in 2017 with 'John Wick : Chapter 2' and now 'Parabellum'. All three films have been Directed by Stuntman and movie maker Chad Stahelski with the first two films in the franchise grossing US$260M at the global Box Office off the back of a combined US$65M Production Budget, and positive Critical acclaim. The films title 'Parabellum' is taken from a Latin adage 'Si vis pacem, para bellum' which when translated becomes 'If you want peace, prepare for war'. The phrase is used above all to affirm that one of the most effective means to ensure peace for a people is always to be armed and ready to defend oneself. Seemingly a television series spin off titled 'The Continental' based on the characters and safe haven location for assassins and hitmen of the film series is in the works with Keanu Reeves, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch Producing.

And so following hot on the heels of the last instalment we find John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is on the run as he is being hunted down for a global US$14M open contract on his life, and for breaking a central rule - taking a life on Continental Hotel grounds. The victim was a member of the High Table - a Camorra crime lord Santino D'Antonio who ordered the open contract. John should have already been executed, except the Continental’s manager, Winston (Ian McShane) has given him a one-hour grace period before he’s officially declared 'excommunicado' ie. membership revoked, banned from all services and cut off from other members. John uses the service industry to stay alive as he fights and kills his way out of New York City, only to return for a blood bath back where it all began - at The Continental. Also starring Lance Reddick and Laurence Fishburne reprising their roles from the earlier films, this time supported by Halle Berry, Angelica Houston, Asia Kate Dillon, Mark Dacascos and Jerome Flynn.

'LITTLE WOODS' (Rated M) - this American and Australian Co-Produced crime thriller western is Directed by first time filmmaker Nia DaCosta, saw its World Premier screening at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival in April of last year, went on limited release in the US exactly one year later, and now gets a limited showing in Australia having so far grossed US$138K and garnered generally positive Reviews. The film tells the story of sisters Ollie (Tessa Thompson) and Deb (Lily James), who find themselves falling into the illegal world of the cross-border drug trade along the Canada/United States border after their mother dies and facing the consequences of poor decisions. Also starring James Badge Dale, Lance Reddick and Luke Kirby.

'ME & MY LEFT BRAIN' (Rated M) - Written, Produced, Directed and starring Alex Lykos in his first filmmaking capacity here he plays Arthur who suffers from OCD, and has spent the last couple of months spending time with Helen (Chantalle Barry), but he doesn't know for sure where he stands with her. Are they just friends, or potentially more than friends? Coming to his aid is his vivacious next door neighbour Vivien (Rachael Beck) who persuades Arthur to summons the courage to ring Helen to find out once and for all where he stands with her. But Helen doesn't answer. And so begins a long night of tossing and turning where Arthur, whilst adopting a variety of methods in an attempt to get some much needed shut eye, reflects on the time he has spent with Helen and dissects every moment of their time together to determine whether she is genuinely interested in him or not. Whilst in this deep reflective analysis of sleep deprivation, Arthur bickers with his opposing inner-voice (Malcolm Kennard), who is extremely opinionated on this particular night. Added to this, Arthur has a job interview the next morning for which he needs to be fresh, alert and well rested.

'THE LEAST OF THESE : THE GRAHAM STAINES STORY' (Rated PG) - this faith based story of Graham Staines, an Australian Missionary working in the far reaches of India to help leprosy sufferers is Directed Aneesh Daniel. The film is based on the tragic true story of Staines who, along with his two sons Philip (aged 10) and Timothy (aged 6), was burnt to death by a gang of Hindu Bajrang Dal fundamentalists while sleeping in his station wagon at Manoharpur village in Kendujhar district in Odisha, India on 23 January 1999. In 2003, a Bajrang Dal activist, Dara Singh, was convicted of leading the gang that murdered Graham Staines and his sons, and was sentenced to life in prison. He had been working in Odisha among the tribal poor and lepers since 1965. Some Hindu groups alleged that Staines had forcibly converted or lured many Hindus into Christianity - Staines' widow Gladys subsequently denied these allegations. This is that story, fuelled by an undercover investigative journalist Manav Banerjee (Sharman Joshi) forced to make a choice between his own career ambitions and the truth. Stephen Baldwin stars as Graham Staines.

'ASBURY PARK : RIOT, REDEMPTION, ROCK & ROLL' (Rated PG) - New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen performs to a sold-out crowd in this live performance documentary Directed by Tom Jones, that also examines his hometown's past. A once storied seaside resort, located about a seventy minute drive south of New York, Asbury Park suffered a race riot on Independence Day, 1970, crippling the town for the next 45 years and reducing it to a state of urban blight. A town literally divided by a set of railroad tracks, the riot destroyed the fabled Westside jazz and blues scene. But from the rubble and the flames of the burning city rose Bruce Springsteen and the fabled Jersey sound. 'Asbury Park' returns Asbury denizens Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt and Southside Johnny Lyon to the legendary 'Upstage', the psychedelic after hours club where they got their start. As part of the event, Springsteen reunites with his earliest band members to play a now legendary concert to a sold out Paramount Theatre and to trade guitar licks with the future of music in Asbury - a group of pre-teen rockers who prove the best days for the town may just lie ahead.

With five new release movies this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 9th May 2019.

The 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival has just this past weekend on 5th May wrapped up for another year. Before doing so however, on 2nd May the Festival announced the winning filmmakers, storytellers, and actors in its competition categories at this year’s awards ceremony at the Stella Artois Theatre at the BMCC TPAC (Borough of Manhattan Community College Tribeca Performing Arts Centre) with a total prize pool of US$165K awarded to those winners and grinners in the categories as given below. You can get the entire low down on this years Festival from the official website at : https://www.tribecafilm.com/

In the US Narrative Competition :-
* Founders Award for Best US Narrative Feature : awarded to 'Burning Cane' Directed by Phillip Youmans.

* Best Actress : awarded to Haley Bennett for 'Swallow'.

* Best Actor : awarded to Wendell Pierce for 'Burning Cane'.
* Best Cinematography : awarded to Phillip Youmans for 'Burning Cane'.

* Best Screenplay : awarded to Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy for 'Blow the Man Down'.

In the International Narrative Competition :-

* Best International Narrative Feature : awarded to 'House of Hummingbird' ('Beol-sae') from South Korea and USA, and Directed and Written by Bora Kim.
* Best Actress : awarded to Ji-hu Park for 'House of Hummingbird' ('Beol-sae') from South Korea and USA.
* Best Actor : awarded to Ali Atay for 'Noah Land' ('Nuh Tepesi') from Germany, Turkey and USA.
* Best Cinematography : awarded to Kang Gook-hyun for 'House of Hummingbird' ('Beol-sae') from South Korea and USA.

* Best Screenplay : awarded to Cenk Ertürk for 'Noah Land' ('Nuh Tepesi') from Germany, Turkey and USA.

In the Documentary Competition :-

* Best Documentary Feature : awarded to 'Scheme Birds' from Scotland and Sweden and Directed and Written by Ellen Fiske and Ellinor Hallin.
* Best Cinematography : awarded to Yang Sun and Shuang Liang for 'Our Time Machine' from China.
* Best Editing : awarded to Jennifer Tiexiera for '17 Blocks' from USA.

Best New Narrative Competition : awarded to 'The Gasoline Thieves' ('Huachicolero') from Mexico, Spain, UK and USA and Directed by Edgar Nito.

Best New Documentary Director Competition : awarded to 'Scheme Birds' from Scotland and Sweden and Directed by Ellen Fiske and Ellinor Hallin.

The Nora Ephron Award : won by Rania Attieh for 'Initials S.G.' ('Iniciales S.G.') from Argentina, Lebanon and USA and Directed by Rania Attieh and Daniel Garcia.

This week there are five latest cinematic releases coming to your local Odeon. We kick off with a Shakespeare biopic charting the last three years of the Bard's life after he retired back to Stratford to rekindle his relationship with his wife and two daughters and face his failings as a husband and father. Next up we have a remake of a remake but this time with two female protagonists intent on exacting out their sweet revenge on two men who had previously done them wrong. Then we turn to an American comedy about starting over in your twilight years by forming a cheerleading troupe in the retirement village where this happy group of female residents all live. This is followed up by a French zombie offering about a man who goes into hiding in a Paris apartment having woken up after a wild party to find the world had changed forever - but how long can he stick out the solitude before he goes mad, or help comes, or he dares to venture outside. We wrap up the week with a live action video game adaptation of a much loved and globally popular character, as this wise-cracking yet cute character interacts with the only human who can understand him, and they both go in search for a man who mysteriously disappeared.

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

'ALL IS TRUE' (Rated M) - this British offering is Directed by Kenneth Branagh and Written by Ben Elton and stars the famed Actor and Director Branagh as William Shakespeare. The film takes it title from an alternative name for his play 'Henry VIII'. The film was shot without any fanfare and featured as the Opening Night Gala film at the Palm Springs Film Festival in early January this year after its very limited release over Christmas 2018 and before its release in the UK in early February. It gets a limited re-release in Los Angeles and New York this week too, after which a wider US release is planned. The film has so far grossed US$1.5M and has garnered generally favourable Reviews.

It is 1613, and William Shakespeare (Kenneth Branagh) is acknowledged as the greatest writer of the age. But disaster strikes when his renowned Globe Theatre burns to the ground. Devastated, Shakespeare returns to Stratford,-upon-Avon where he must face a troubled past and a neglected family. Haunted by the death of his only son, Hamnet, he struggles to repair the broken relationship with his wife Anne Hathaway (Judi Dench) and his two daughters Susanna and Judith (Lydia Wilson and Kathryn Wilder respectively). In so doing, he is ruthlessly forced to examine his own failings as a husband and father. Also starring Ian McKellen as the Earl of Southampton.

'THE HUSTLE' (Rated M) - here we have a female orientated remake of that classic 1988 comedy 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' with Steve Martin and Michael Caine, which in turn was remake of the 1964 movie 'Bedtime Story' with Marlon Brando and David Niven. This time around, Directed by Welshman Chris Addison in his feature film debut, here we have Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson as two women, both from opposite sides of the tracks - one high brow, the other low rent, who get tricked each by two men. And so coming together, the pair plot their revenge against the men who wronged them. Also starring Alex Sharp, Tim Blake Nelson and Dean Norris, the film gets its theatrical run this week too in the US.

'POMS' (Rated PG) - here this American comedy dance offering is Directed by usual Documentarian Zara Hayes and Co-Written by her too. Rather than reporting on real world events, people and places, here she turns attention to a small group of residents living in a retirement community, and in particular one Martha (Diane Keaton) who has recently moved in. Martha decides that it would be a good idea to start a cheerleading squad with fellow residents Sheryl (Jacki Weaver), Olive (Pam Grier) and Alice (Rhea Perlman) just to prove the point that it's really never too late to follow your dreams. The film is released Stateside this week too.

'THE NIGHT EATS THE WORLD' (Rated MA15+) - this French zombie movie is Directed by Dominique Rocher and is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Pit Agarman. The film first Premiered at the Angers Film Festival way back in January 2018, before going on release in its native France in March 2018 and only now does it get a very limited look in here in Australia. After waking up in an apartment the night after a raucous party in a Paris apartment which he didn't want to attend anyway, Sam (Anders Danielsen Lie) comes face to face with his new reality. The walls are spattered with blood stains, there isn't a living being anywhere to be seen, an army of zombies has invaded the streets of Paris, and he appears to be one of the lone survivors. Petrified with fear, he barricades himself inside the building to survive, hunkering down for the long haul. He wonders how long he can last in silence and solitude as the undead congregate outside. Sam passes the lonely months by entertaining himself however possible, but there’s only so long he can hold on to his sanity - and he may not be entirely alone.

'POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU' (Rated PG) - based on the 2016 video game 'Detective Pikachu' this fantasy mystery film offering is Directed by Rob Letterman whose previous film-making credits include 'Shark Tale', 'Monsters vs. Aliens', 'Gulliver's Travels' and 'Goosebumps'. He also Co-Wrote the Screenplay. When Harry Goodman (Paul Kitson) goes mysteriously missing, this stirs his 21-year-old son Tim (Justice Smith) into action in an attempt to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds), a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a bewilderment even to himself. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to communicate with each other, Tim and Pikachu join forces  to unravel the web of intrigue and mystery. Hunting down clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City, a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon characters live in harmony in a hyper-realistic live-action world—they uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe. Also starring Ken Watanabe, Bill Nighy, Suki Waterhouse and Rita Ora the film is released in the United States this week also.

With five new release movies this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 2nd May 2019.

In April 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 . . . . Barry Malkin, Seymour Cassel, John McEnery, Steve Golin, Larry 'Flash' Jenkins and John Singleton.

* Barry Malkin - born October 26th 1938, died 4th April 2019, aged 80. Malkin was an American film Editor with thirty big screen credits to his name, many of which he Edited for acclaimed Director Francis Ford Coppola between the years of 1969 and 1997. Among his credits for Coppola were 1969's 'The Rain People' and then in 1974 'The Godfather Part II', 1979's 'Apocalypse Now', 1983's 'Rumble Fish', 1984's 'The Cotton Club', 1986's 'Peggy Sue Got Married', 1987's 'Gardens of Stone', 1990's 'The Godfather Part III', 1996's 'Jack' and 1997's 'The Rainmaker'. In between time he also worked on two 'Godfather' compilation films for television screenings - in 1977 'The Godfather Saga' and in 1992 'The Godfather Trilogy : 1901 - 1980'. His other more notable Editing credits take in 'Little Big Man', 'Big', 'It Could Happen To You', 'Lucky Numbers' and 'The Big Bounce'. Malkin was nominated for four awards including two Academy Awards for 'The Cotton Club' and 'The Godfather Part III' and a BAFTA nod for 'The Godfather Part II'.

* Seymour Joseph Cassel - born January 22nd 1935, died 7th April 2019, aged 84. Cassel was an American Actor whose career spanned seven decades right up to the present day with him scoring his first uncredited role in the John Cassavetes Directed film 'Shadows' in 1958. He went on to star in a number of Cassavetes films in the years that followed including 'Too Late Blues' followed by 'Faces' in 1968, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and then 'Minnie and Moskowitz', 'The Killing of a Chinese Bookie', 'Opening Night' and 'Love Streams'. Subsequently Director Wes Anderson also cast Cassel in a number of his films, those being 'Rushmore', 'The Royal Tenenbaums' and 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' as did Actor and Director Steve Buscemi in three of his films - those being 'Trees Lounge', Animal Factory' and 'Lonesome Jim'. Other more noteworthy appearances from his portfolio of 213 film and televisions roles include 'The Killers' with Lee Marvin,  'Coogan's Bluff' with Clint Eastwood, 'The Revolutionary' with John Voight, 'Convoy' with Kris Kristofferson, 'Tin Men' with Richard Dreyfuss, 'Colors' with Sean Penn, 'Dick Tracy' with Warren Beatty, 'White Fang' with Ethan Hawke, 'Indecent Proposal' with Robert Redford, 'Boiling Point' with Wesley Snipes, 'It Could Happen To You' with Nicolas Cage, 'Pete Smalls is Dead' with Peter Dinklage, and the recently wrapped but yet to be released 'Time Framed'. Cassel was the recipient of seven award wins and two nominations.

* John McEnery - born November 1st 1943, died 12th April 2019, aged 75. McEnery was an English Actor and Writer who trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and at the age of 20 joined the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool where he enjoyed three years of stage productions, before moving to the National Theatre Company in London in 1966. He scored his first film role playing a couple of bit parts in the highly acclaimed 1965 film production of 'Othello'. Perhaps his breakout role was in Franco Zeffirelli's 'Romeo & Juliet' in 1968 playing the role of Mercutio for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. Over the years he amassed a portfolio of 71 big and small screen credits taking in such feature films as 'Bartleby' in 1970, 'Fury' in 1973, 'The Land That Time Forgot' in 1973, 'Galileo' in 1975, 'The Duellists' in 1977, 'Little Dorrit' in 1987, 'The Krays' and 'Hamlet' both in 1990, 'Black Beauty' in 1994, 'When Saturday Comes' in 1996, and 'The Girl with the Pearl Earring' in 2004. In between time he had regular work on television mini-series and single and recurring episodes right up until the present day on 'Will Shakespeare', 'The Word', 'A.D.', 'Tusitala', 'Merlin', 'The Broker's Man', 'The Scarlet Pimpernel', 'The Bill', 'Silent Witness', 'Wallander' and 'New Tricks'.

* Steve Golin - born March 6th 1955, died 21st April 2019, aged 64. Golin was an American film and television Producer. He was the Co-Founder in 1986 of 'Propaganda Films' - a talent management, advertising, and video production company. He jointly built Propaganda into the largest music video and commercial production company in the world, winning more MTV Video Awards and Cannes Palme d'Or Awards than any other company and quickly became a home for the most sought-after young music video and commercial Directors. One of its first discoveries was David Fincher and shortly thereafter a young Michael Bay. After seeing a couple of skateboard videos he liked, Golin brought Spike Jonze on board. Other discoveries included Antoine Fuqua, Gore Verbinski and Alex Proyas. Having sold the company in the late '90's his next venture was 'Anonymous Content', located in Culver City, California, which he launched in early 2000. He guided the company's commercial division to become one of the top commercial production entities in the industry, producing spots and campaigns for numerous blue chip companies, and his management arm of the business grew to represent in excess of fifty Writers, Directors and Actors. During his career which began in 1984 he Produced 91 films and TV shows including 'Wild at Heart', 'Candyman', 'Red Rock West', 'Kalifornia', 'The Portrait of a Lady', 'Sleepers', 'The Game', 'Being John Malkovich', 'Bounce', 'Fifty First Dates', 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', 'Babel', '44 Inch Chest', 'The Beaver', 'The Fifth Estate', 'Spotlight', 'The Revenant', 'Bastille Day', 'Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot', 'Boy Erased' and most recently 'The Beach Bum'. His small screen Producer credits take in the likes of 'Mr. Robot', 'The Alienist', '13 Reasons Why', 'Berlin Station', 'True Detective' and 'Catch-22'. All up Golin won thirteen awards and was nominated a further 32 times, including the Best Motion Picture Academy Award for 'Spotlight' plus two other Oscar nods for 'The Revenant' and 'Babel' added to a BAFTA win for 'The Revenant' plus three other nominations, three Primetime Emmy nominations, two AACTA nods and six PGA Award nominations and a win for 'Being John Malkovich'.

* Larry 'Flash' Jenkins - born May 10th 1955, died 25th April 2019, aged 63. Jenkins was an American Actor, Director, Producer and Screenwriter. With five Directors credits to his name, six as Writer, twelve as Producer and forty-nine as Actor, Jenkins career in the film and TV business launched in 1978 in the made for television movie 'Crisis in Sun Valley'. From there he would star in a number of well known TV series including 'M*A*S*H', 'Quincy M.E.', 'Lou Grant', 'T.J. Hooker', 'Home Improvement' and 'The Shield' with recurring appearances over the years in the likes of 'The White Shadow', 'Bay City Blues' and 'Finder of Lost Loves'. As for his big screen roles, he also starred in 'Body Double', 'Fletch', 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off', 'Armed and Dangerous', 'Prison', 'The Presidio', plus two films that were in pre-production at the time of his death which were Written, to be Directed and also starring Jenkins being 'The Gospel Truth' and 'Anna Lucasta'. Jenkins formed his own Production companies in October 2005, 'Flashworks Productions' and 'Gold Coast Productions' based out of Los Angeles, California.

* John Daniel Singleton - born January 6th 1968, died 29th April 2019, aged 51. Singleton was an American film and television Director, Producer, Writer and Actor probably best known for Directing 1991's 'Boyz n the Hood', his Directorial debut, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, becoming, at age 24, the first African American and youngest person to have ever been nominated for that award. Since then he went on to amass nineteen Director credits, sixteen as Producer, six as Writer and seven for Acting, accumulating along the way thirteen award wins and a further 25 nominations. His other film making credits include 'Poetic Justice' in 1993, 'Higher Learning' in 1995, 'Rosewood' in 1997, 'Shaft' in 2000, 'Baby Boy' in 2001', '2 Fast 2 Furious' in 2003, 'Four Brothers' in 2005 and 'Abduction' in 2011. He also Directed episodes of television series 'Empire', 'American Crime Story', 'Rebel', 'Billions' and more recently the crime drama 'Snowfall' which he created, Wrote for, Produced and Directed three episodes.

This week then we have four latest release movies coming to your local Odeon. We launch with an American RomCom telling the unlikely story of a hapless yet gifted journo who by chance stumbles into his former babysitter and childhood crush, only to learn that she holds a position of great power and responsibility right next to the US President, and when she decides to run for the Oval Office, who's she gonna hire as her number one speechwriter? This is followed by an Aussie RomCom of an interracial couple who decide to tie the knot in ten days up in the Northern Territory, but first they must embark on an outback road trip to find the mother of the bride to be who has gone AWOL in the bush. Next up is a comedy of an Indian street magician and trickster who gets involved in all manner of international adventures, and mis-adventures too, while searching for his estranged Dad. We then close the week with a Filipino horror offering surrounding a convent, a guidance counsellor, several gruesome suicides and a dark secret contained within the four walls of this Catholic school for girls.

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

'LONG SHOT' (Rated M) - this well received romantic comedy offering is Directed by Jonathan Levine whose previous credits take in 'The Wackness', '50/50', 'Warm Bodies', 'The Night Before' and 'Snatched' most recently. Co-Produced by Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron (who also occupy the two lead roles) and Evan Goldberg, the film saw its premier screening at SXSW back in March, goes on wide release this week, and has garnered generally positive Reviews so far. 

Telling the story here of Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) who is a free-spirited and somewhat gifted journalist who has a knack for getting into trouble. Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) is the Secretary of State of the United States and as such one of the most influential women in the world - a smart, sophisticated and proven Politician. When Fred unexpectedly runs into Charlotte, he soon comes to the realisation that she was in fact his former baby sitter and his childhood crush. When Charlotte decides to make a run for the Presidential nomination, she impulsively hires Fred as her speechwriter, much to the chagrin of her trusted advisers. What could possibly go wrong? Also starring O'Shea Jackson Jnr., June Diane Raphael, Ravi Patel, Andy Serkis, Alexander Skarsgard, Randall Park, Bob Odenkirk and Lisa Kudrow.

'TOP END WEDDING' (Rated M) - this already highly acclaimed Australian romantic comedy which saw its World Premier screening at Sundance earlier this year, is Directed by Indigenous Australian Writer, Actor and Director Wayne Blair who's previous filmmaking credits include 'Septembers of Shiraz' and 'The Sapphires'. Here Lauren (Miranda Tapsell) and Ned (Gwilym Lee) are an interracial couple engaged to be married, they are in love, and they have just ten days to find Lauren's mother Daphne (Ursula Yovich) who has gone walkabout somewhere in the remote Northern Territory of Australia, reunite her parents and pull off their dream wedding. Also starring Kerry Fox.

'THE EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY OF THE FAKIR' (Rated M) - this French English-language comedy adventure film is Directed by the Canadian Screenwriter, Actor, Director and Comedian Ken Scott and is based on the 2013 book by Romain Puertolas titled 'The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe'. The story here centres around Ajatashatru 'Aja' Lavash Patel (Dhanush, aka Venkatesh Prabhu), who has lived all his life in a small Mumbai neighborhood, and who makes a living as a street magician and trickster making people believe that he possesses special magic powers. After his mother passes away unexpectedly, he sets off on a journey to find his estranged father living in Paris armed with a fake EUR100 note. There, he meets a woman named Marie Riviere (Erin Moriarty) in a furniture store whom he initially swindles, but is quickly attracted to her personality. Aja then experiences a series of wide-ranging adventures around the world, initially in an IKEA wardrobe to London, then a Louis Vuitton suitcase to Rome, and a hot air balloon to Tripoli, while being chased down by Parisian taxi-driver Gustave Palourde (Gérard Jugnot), whom he swindled out of a cab fare back in Paris. Along the way, he befriends a Sudanese man named Wiraj (Barkhad Abdi), an illegal immigrant whom he met on the way to London. The film was released back in May 2018, cost US$12.5M and has so far grossed just over US$13M. 

'EERIE' (Rated CTC) - Directed and Co-Written for the Screen by Filipino Mikhail Red this horror film is set in the Philippines of the mid-'90's, where guidance counsellor Pat Consolacion (Bea Alonzo) is an attentive ear for all students at St Lucia’s Convent. Following the unexpected and gruesome death of a student that threatens the existence of the long standing Catholic school for girls, Pat involves herself with the students in the hopes of helping them cope, and at the same time uncover the mysteries of the student's death. What she uncovers is that the student committed suicide in a bathroom stall, the very same one in which another student, Eri, died years before. What the St Lucia’s girls don’t know, however, is that Pat possesses a secret clairvoyant ability, one that allows her to become a compassionate ear to the ghost of Eri, who has never left St Lucia’s halls. Pat uses her ‘sessions’ with Eri to dig deeper into the troubling phenomenon, and piece by piece discovers that her key witness may not be as reliable as she seems while also uncovering the convent’s dark history of physical punishment and abuse that has gone unchecked for the last century or so.

With four new release movies this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

AVENGERS : ENDGAME : Wednesday 24th April 2019.

I saw 'AVENGERS : ENDGAME' at my local Multiplex on its Australian opening night and sat in a packed out theatre showing back to back sessions throughout the day - all to sell out audiences. And so if you didn't already know it, this is the direct sequel to 2018's 'Avengers: Infinity War', a sequel to 2012's 'The Avengers' and 2015's 'Avengers: Age of Ultron', and the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 'Avengers : Endgame' arrived this week following much hype, eager anticipation from legions of fans across the world, and plenty of record breaking buzz despite the plot secrecy from Marvel Studios, Directors Anthony and Joe Russo and the principal cast and crew. Following on immediately from where 'Infinity War' left off the film picks up after half of all life in the universe was killed due to the actions of Thanos once he had amassed all six infinity stones and placed them strategically in his Infinity Gauntlet, and simply clicked his fingers. The remaining Avengers and their allies must reassemble to revert those actions in one final stand to restore balance to the universe and save all humanity . . . or half of it at least!

With an ensemble cast that consists all of our much loved Superheroes and a few nefarious intergalactic villains too, and the conclusion of eleven years of MCU story telling that has so successfully interwoven individual standalone films with cross-over episodes to drive a franchise that we're invested in, Box Office records could well & truly be smashed here. Advance ticket sales amounted to about US$130M, with the potential to top the worldwide Box Office takings of US$2.05B as seen for 'Infinity War'. At a running time of three hours and two minutes, the film has so far received generally positive Reviews with Critics praising the Direction, the Acting, the sheer entertainment factor, the emotional heft and this being a fitting end to the 22 film spanning story. And all this is off the back of a production budget somewhere in the region of nudging US$400M, which must qualify this film as the most expensive of all time. At the time of publishing this Post on 27th April, Box Office receipts were at US$305M, having been released on 26th April in the US, on 25th April in the UK, and in China, Australia, parts of Asia and Europe on 24th.

The film opens up with Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) at home on his remote property on a bright sunny day. He is teaching his daughter to shoot arrows into a target while his wife and younger son prepare lunch. It's a picture of domestic bliss. His daughter shoots a bullseye, his wife calls lunch ready. As Clint retrieves the arrow from the target he momentarily looses sight of his other beloved family members. When he turns around there is an eerie silence and they are all gone, vanished into dust . . . victims too of the Thanos snap!

Up in deep space a thousand light years from the nearest 7/11 Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jnr.) are drifting, having run out of fuel, food, water and pretty damn soon oxygen. They are stranded following their defeat at the hands of Thanos. Stark sends a final farewell message to Pepper Potts using his Iron Man helmet, before falling asleep from exhaustion. Saviour however, comes perhaps when you least expect it.

Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) in the form of Captain Marvel arrives in a flash of bright light and escorts the stricken ship of Stark and Nebula back down to Earth and the Avengers Headquarters. There she reunites the pair with Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Rocket (Bradley Cooper/Sean Gunn), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle). After a somewhat frosty reception between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers and a status update from the remaining Avengers, Nebula comes forward with the strong possibility of knowing Thanos' whereabouts since the team have drawn a blank in locating him since the snap of five weeks before.

The assembled Team converge on the defenceless, unarmed unguarded garden planet where Thanos is the sole resident, and take him by surprise. Thanos confides that he used the infinity stones to destroy themselves so preventing the Team from using them to reverse his actions. In a fit of rage, Thor uses his new Stormbreaker axe to decapitate Thanos.

We then fast forward five years, and Steve Rogers is chairing counselling sessions with a self help group, Bruce Banner has merged permanently with his Hulk alter ego and Thor has become the drunken ruler (boasting an impressive beer gut) of Asgard's refugees in a remote fishing village on the Norwegian coast which he has affectionately named New Asgard. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) meanwhile escapes from the Quantum Realm not knowing what has gone down in the last five years. After learning the truth from his now adult daughter which he has been able to track down as one who survived he makes for the Avengers HQ where he is met by a surprised Rogers and Romanoff. He explains that for him only five hours had passed and suggests the Quantum Realm permits time travel. The three travel to Stark's lakeside residence where he is now happily married to Pepper Potts and the couple have a five year old daughter Morgan. They discuss with Stark the possibility that they can travel back in time to retrieve the Infinity Stones before Thanos collects them. Stark rejects this, concerned over what altering history will mean for his young daughter, but after reflecting upon the loss of sixteen year old Peter Parker (Tom Holland), he designs a working time machine that can be used to enter the Quantum Realm.

Stark drives to the Avengers HQ to reveal that he has built a stable time travel device just as Banner and Co. have been experimenting somewhat unsuccessfully on Scott Lang with his own time travel techniques. And so the regrouped Avengers split into separate teams for their mission to retrieve the infinity stones before Thanos has done so.

Banner, Rogers, Lang, and Stark travel to the Battle of New York to retrieve the Time, Mind, and Space Stones. Banner visits the Sanctum Sanctorum also in New York and convinces the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) to give him the Time Stone some five years before Stephen Strange even arrives on the scene, and Rogers overcomes undercover Hydra agents and his past self to retrieve the Mind Stone, but Lang and Stark's failed distraction enables Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to escape with the Space Stone. Rogers and Stark then are forced to travel back further to the U.S. Army's Fort Leigh in 1970, to steal both an earlier version of the Space Stone and vials of Hank Pym's (Michael Douglas) size-altering Pym Particles to enable them all to return home to their present day afterwards. The pair succeed, but not before Rogers has a close encounter with his one true love Peggy Carter, and Tony Stark bumps into his Dad, Howard Stark en route and strikes up a conversation about his pending fatherhood to the as yet unborn Tony Stark.

Back on Asgard before it was wiped out, Rocket and Thor retrieve the Reality Stone from Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). Thor comes across his mother Frigga (Rene Russo), whose wise counsel restores his conviction, and he obtains a past version of his hammer, Mjolnir, proving that he is still 'worthy' to wield it. Barton and Romanoff travel to Vormir for the Soul Stone. They learn there from its keeper, Red Skull (Ross Marquand), that it can only be retrieved by sacrificing someone they love. After a struggle between the pair, Romanoff sacrifices herself. Barton returns to the present day, with the tragic news of Romanoff's untimely death, in which the other Avengers share in his mourning.

On Morag, Nebula and Rhodes steal the Power Stone before Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is able to do so. Rhodes returns to the present with the Stone, leaving Nebula stranded behind as her cybernetic implants interface with those of her past self. Thanos leverages this fact and is able to tap into her memory banks to see present-day events. In turn, he sends the past incarnation of Nebula to the future in present-day Nebula's place.

Back at Avengers HQ with all the Infinity Stones now retrieved, Stark has been able to model a new Infinity Gauntlet in which the Stones are placed one by one. Banner steps up to volunteer to wear the Infinity Gauntlet as in doing so it gives off enough gamma radiation that Banner retorts that he was made to wear it, given his exposure to Gamma Rays that turned him into what he is today. Upon wearing it and activating the amassed Infinity Stones, the world is restored to its pre-Thanos snap. However, having come through the time machine with the other Avengers, past Nebula uses the time machine to transport Thanos and his ship from the past to the present day, whereupon he unleashes the might of his firepower upon the Avengers HQ and reduces it to rubble.

Amongst the rubble and wreckage of the Avengers HQ, Rogers, Thor, and Stark confront Thanos, though he overpowers them, even when Rogers proves that he can wield Mjolnir.

Thanos summons the entire might of his armed forces, but the revived Avengers arrive on the battlefield, along with the Sanctum Sorcerers and the armies of Asgard and Wakanda. Present-day Nebula convinces past Gamora (Zoe Saldana) to turn on Thanos, and in the ensuing standoff Nebula kills her past self. Following an epic battle between the two factions, Stark eventually retrieves the Infinity Gauntlet from the battlefield and activates the Infinity Stones with a snap of his fingers which disintegrates Thanos and his army into dust which quickly disappears on the wind.  

Enough said, right there! You'll just have to catch the last fifteen minutes to see how it all plays out, but suffice to say, the Avengers survive to battle it out another day - well most of them do!

'Avengers : Endgame' is everything you would wish for in the conclusion of a hugely successful eleven year run of twenty-two films, and then some. It delivers on many levels - the script penned by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely tightly blends action, emotion, humour and the smarts to satisfy even the most die-hard MCU fan; the deft touch in remaining true to what has gone before by Directors Anthony and Joe Russo; and for giving believable grounded performances by the principal cast and most notably Downey Jnr., Ruffalo, Hemsworth, Evans, Brolin, Rudd, Johansson and Renner plus the entire ensemble who all contribute amiably in their own small way to the bigger picture. Epic, exciting, intimate, powerful, expertly rendered down to the smallest detail, and truly a very fitting end to this phase in the MCU that still leaves the door open for some of our much loved Superheroes to return and reunite at some future date, while introducing others that we're only just getting to know. Join the legions of fans flocking to see 'Avengers : Endgame' - and see it on the biggest screen you can - you won't be disappointed. Watch out too for what is probably the last cameo appearance of the late great Stan Lee.

'Avengers : Endgame' merits five claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 25th April 2019.

The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) which this runs form Wednesday 24th April through to  Sunday 5th May is a prominent film festival held in the Tribeca neighbourhood of Manhattan, showcasing a diverse selection of independent films. Since its inaugural year in 2002, it has become a recognised outlet for independent filmmakers in all genres to release their work to a broad audience. The Tribeca Film Festival was founded by Jane Rosenthal (Film Producer), Robert De Niro (Film Actor, Producer and Director) and Craig Hatkoff (Real Estate Investor and Philanthropist), reportedly in response to the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centre and the consequent loss of vitality in the Tribeca neighbourhood in Lower Manhattan, although there are reports that its founding was underway prior to the events of 9/11. From its humble beginnings, the festival now draws an estimated three million people, including often-elusive celebrities from the worlds of art, film, and music and generates US$600M annually.

Amongst the top picks of this years feature length screenings, are :-
* 'BUFFALOED' - Directed by Tanya Wexler and starring Zoey Deutch, Judy Greer, Jermaine Fowler and Jai Courtney.
* 'CHARLIE SAYS' - Directed by Mary Harrow and starring Matt Smith, Suki Waterhouse, Hannah Murray, Sosie Bacon and Marianne Rendon.
* 'COME TO DADDY' - Directed by Ant Timpson and starring Elijah Wood.
* 'CROWN VIC' - Directed by Joel Souza and starring Thomas Jane and Luke Kleintank.
* 'DREAMLAND' - Directed by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and starring Margot Robbie, Finn Cole, Travis Fimmel, Kerry Condon and Garrett Hedlund.
* 'EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE' - Directed by Joe Berlinger and starring Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Haley Joel Osment, Kaya Scodelario, Jeffrey Donovan and John Malkovich.
* 'GEORGETOWN' - Directed by Christoph Waltz and starring Christoph Waltz, Annette Bening, Vanessa Redgrave and Corey Hawkins.
* 'IN FABRIC' - Directed by Peter Strickland and starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hayley Squires, Steve Oram and Gwendoline Christie.
* 'THE KILL TEAM' - Directed by Dan Krauss and starring Nat Wolff, Alexander Skarsgård and Adam Long.
* 'LOST TRANSMISSIONS' - Directed by Katharine O'Brien and starring Simon Pegg and Juno Temple.
* 'LUCE' - Directed by Julius Onah and starring Kelvin Harrison Jnr., Tim Roth, Naomi Watts and Octavia Spencer.
* 'ONLY' - Directed by Takashi Doscher and starring Frieda Pinto, Leslie Odom Jnr. and Chandler Riggs.
* 'THE PLACE OF NO WORDS' - Directed by Mark Webber and starring Mark Webber, Teresa Palmer, Bodhi Palmer, Eric Olsen, Sarah Wright Olsen and Phoebe Tonkin.
* 'SKIN' - Directed by Guy Nattiv and starring Jamie Bell, Danielle Macdonald, Daniel Henshall, Bill Camp, Mike Colter, Mary Stuart Masterson and Vera Farmiga.
* 'STANDING UP, FALLING DOWN' - Directed by Matt Ratner and starring Billy Crystal, Ben Schwartz, Eloise Mumford and Kevin Dunn.
* 'TWO/ONE' - Directed by Juan Cabral and starring Boyd Holbrook, Song Ang and Beau Bridges.
* 'WHITE AS SNOW' - Directed by Anne Fontaine and starring Lou de Laage and Isabelle Huppert.
* 'YESTERDAY' - Directed by Danny Boyle and starring Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, and Ed Sheeran.

You can visit the official website for much greater detail on all the films and entertainment featured in this years festival, commencing this week, at : https://www.tribecafilm.com/

This week then to tempt you out to your local Odeon we have seven new release movies, kicking off with what is probably the most keenly awaited film of the year that sees the culmination of eleven years and twenty-one previous films in this particular universe as our remaining hero survivors of a universal apocalypse seek to undo a dastardly deed by an alien with a God complex and restore balance, harmony and half the worlds populace who were turned to dust. Next up we have a drama about an outgoing divorcee who finds love on the dancefloor; followed up by an Aussie drama about a retired opera singer living in rainforest Queensland mourning the death of her husband and preparing for her farewell concert only to be visited by her late husbands now adult son, whom she asks an impossible favour of. We then turn to a semi-biographical work set in the 1920's of a famed Actress and Dancer who as a teenager is accompanied to her New York Dancing School by a guardian to ensure she stays on the straight and narrow and doesn't succumb to the temptations of a big city. This is followed up by a story of two cousins who have big plans to lay a fibre optic cable half way across the US in order to help their efforts in the high stakes game of trading the financial markets where that game is won or lost in a matter of milliseconds. Then we have a story set in the mid-'80's surrounding a son who returns home after an absence of three years living in the big city to confront his parents with the some shocking news; and closing out the week is a story of a hapless Police Officer who loses just about everything and undergoes a nervous breakdown set to the soundtrack of his late mothers favourite song by a rock legend.

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

'AVENGERS : ENDGAME' (Rated M) - as if you didn't already know it, the direct sequel to 2018's 'Avengers: Infinity War', a sequel to 2012's 'The Avengers' and 2015's 'Avengers: Age of Ultron', and the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe 'Avengers : Endgame' arrives this week following much hype, eager anticipation from legions of fans across the world, and plenty of record breaking buzz despite the plot secrecy from Marvel Studios, Directors Anthony and Joe Russo and the principal cast and crew. Following on immediately from where 'Infinity War' left off the film picks up after half of all life in the universe was killed due to the actions of Thanos once he had amassed all six infinity stones and placed them strategically in his Infinity Gauntlet. The remaining Avengers and their allies must reassemble to revert those actions in one final stand to restore balance to the universe and save all humanity . . . or half of it at least!

With an ensemble cast that consists all of our much loved superheroes and a few nefarious intergalactic villains too, and the conclusion of eleven years of MCU story telling that has so successfully interwoven individual standalone films with cross-over episodes to drive a franchise that we're invested in, Box Office records could well & truly be smashed here. Advance ticket sales seem to indicate that this blockbuster is going to be huge, with the potential to top the worldwide Box Office takings of US$2.05B as seen for 'Infinity War'. At a running time of three hours and two minutes, strap yourselves in for a wild ride as Thanos faces off against all the might and power that the Avengers and their allies can muster. The wait is over people!

'GLORIA BELL' (Rated M) - having had its World Premier screening at TIFF back in September last year, this American drama film is Directed, Co-Produced, Co-Written for the screen by Sebastian Lelio and based on a story by him too, which he Directed first time around back in 2013 in the Spanish/Chilean film titled 'Gloria'. Since then Lelio has Directed 'A Fantastic Woman' in 2017 and in 2018 'Disobedience'. This film was released in the US back in early March and now it gets a showing in Australia. Starring Julianne Moore in the title role the film tells the story of a free-spirited divorcee who spends her nights on the dance floor, joyfully letting loose at clubs around Los Angeles. She soon finds herself thrust into an unexpected new romance with Arnold (John Turturro), filled with the joys of emerging love and the challenges of dating. Also starring Michael Cera, Sean Astin, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Rita Wilson, the film has garnered generally positive Press.

'CELESTE' (Rated M) - Directed and Co-Written by Ben Hackworth this Australian drama film stars Radha Mitchell in the tile role as an early 40 something Celeste, a renowned opera diva who retired early for the man she loved and to relocate herself to a crumbling yet beautiful estate in the heart of the Far North Queensland, Australia, rainforest. Ten years after the tragic death of her husband, Mateos, in a boating accident, Celeste prepares to return to the stage for her farewell appearance. Her late husband's now estranged son Jack (Thomas Cocquerel), now 26, is still haunted by the past and arrives amidst the preparations for the performance and finds Celeste is as he remembered - beautiful, intoxicating and dangerous all at once. Celeste is keen for Jack to stay at the estate, but needs him to perform one last request in the shape of an impossible favour, to which the secrets that drove them apart will explode back to life. The film saw its World Premier screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival back in August last year and also stars Odessa Young and Nadine Garner.

'THE CHAPERONE' (Rated PG) - this partially based on a true story film is Directed by Michael Engler and is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Laura Moriarty. The film had its World Premier at the Los Angeles Film Festival in September last year and went on release in the USA at the end of March to generally mixed or average Reviews, having so far accumulated just US$223K at the Box Office. The story centres on the teenage Louise Brooks (Haley Lu Richardson) - a famed American Actress and Dancer of the 1920's and '30's who lived from 1906 until 1985 having starred in seventeen silent movies and eight sound films before retiring in 1938. She is granted an opportunity to travel to New York City to study dance at the Denishawn School, headed up by Ruth St. Denis (Miranda Otto) - an American modern dance pioneer who lived from 1879 until 1968, and the co-founder of the American Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts. But, in venturing to the Big Apple, she is to be accompanied by a chaperone in the form of Norma (Elizabeth McGovern), whose life is ultimately changed forever by the experience. Also starring Blythe Danner, Victoria Hill and Geza Rohrig.

'THE HUMMINGBIRD PROJECT' (Rated M) - Written and Directed by Canadian Kim Nguyen here he explores the ruthless under current of our ever increasing digital world. Cousins from New York, Vincent Zaleski (Jesse Eisenberg) and Anton (Alexander Skarsgård) are players in the high-stakes financial markets game of High Frequency Trading, where winning the game is measured in milliseconds. The pair have a dream to build a fibre-optic cable straight between Kansas and New Jersey, and in so doing making them millions. But nothing is as straightforward as it would seem for this flawed pair. Anton is the brains, Vincent is the brawn, and between them they push each other and those around them to breaking point on their idealistic journey. Constantly riding their backs is their former boss Eva Torres (Salma Hayek) a powerful and manipulative trader who is relentless in her determination to come between them and their plans. No matter what the cost, Vincent and Anton are determined to cut a fibre-optic cable through America, only to find redemption at the end of their line, not through money, but through family and reconnecting to the land. The film had its World Premier showing at TIFF back in September 2018, was released Stateside in mid-March, has so far taken US$492K, and has generated mixed our average Reviews so far.

'1985' (Rated M) - here this American drama film is Directed, Written, Co-Edited and based on a 2016 short film of the same name by Yen Tan. The film has been highly regarded and has picked up five award wins and a further nine nominations from around the festival circuit having Premiered at South By Southwest in March 2018. Set in 1985, in Texas, here Adrian Lester (Cory Michael Smith) hasn’t been home for three years, an absence he justifies as the price of his success claiming he just keeps climbing the corporate ladder at a prominent New York advertising agency. However, we soon enough learn that all is not as it seems with Adrian, who is clearly uncomfortable in returning to the locale of his devoutly Christian lower-middle-class family outside Fort Worth and confronting his father Dale (Michale Chiklis) and his mother Eileen (Virginia Madsen) with the tragic news that he is dying from AIDS. Also starring Aidan Langford and Jamie Chung.

'THUNDER ROAD' (Rated M) - this American comedy drama film is Directed, Written, stars, is Co-Edited and the music is also produced by one Jim Cummings based on his previous 2013 award winning short film of the same name. The film Premiered at South By Southwest back in March 2018 where it took out the Grand Jury Prize, cost a mere US$200K to make, has so far grossed US$355K, has picked up a bunch of award wins and nominations from around the festival circuit, and has received widespread critical acclaim. Following a Texan Police Officer, Jim Arnaud (Jim Cummings) who loses his mother, his marriage to Rosalind (Jocelyn DeBoer), custody of his daughter Crystal (Kendal Farr), and eventually his job. Inspired by one of the greatest songs ever written - 'Thunder Road' by Bruce Springsteen, we see officer Arnaud apply this lullaby of his mother's to his life during his ongoing and at times hilarious nervous breakdown. The film also stars Macon Blair.

With seven new release movies this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-