It’s been so long since I made the effort to see a film on or close to its opening that I can’t recall when the last one was. But “The Odyssey” seemed worth the effort. So yesterday, we identified an IMAX theater within reasonable driving distance and went to a late-afternoon screening.
“Did we pay matinee prices for this?” I asked. “I dunno,” Alan said. “I bought senior tickets.”
Oof. Although we qualify.
And you know what? It was worth the drive up to Sterling Goddamn Heights, worth the cost of the senior tickets, worth it all. A really impressive piece of work. The dialogue was in modern English, no one put on a plummy “Game of Thrones” accent, the so-called untraditional casting — i.e., actors of color playing Greeks and Trojans — bothered me not a whit. The spectacle of it all was fantastic, the ships, the sea, the battles, the landscapes. It did clock in a little long at nearly three hours, but that’s a quibble. At the end, the audience applauded, causing Alan to note that was only the second film he’d ever seen where that happened. (The first: “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.”)
Here’s really my only complaint: The volume. It was right on the brink of being punishingly loud. Halfway through I fished my earplugs out of my purse and got some relief; I could actually hear the dialogue better with the head-splitting subwoofers muffled a bit. I guess you sign up for this in a modern IMAX theater, but like I said: It hurt, almost. And the volume didn’t really improve the experience. It was just assaultive.
The manosphere is all up in their feelings over the casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, because HOW COULD A BLACK WOMAN BE CONSIDERED THE MOST BEAUTIFUL IN THE WORLD, etc. That Nyong’o is actually spectacularly beautiful doesn’t seem to occur to them. Armond White at the National Review demonstrates why you should never, ever turn to political magazines for your arts criticism:
Billed as the biggest of big movies (Titanic meets The Lord of the Rings with some Megalopolis thrown in), it continues the corruption of modern movie culture that Nolan started with The Dark Knight, which upped the scale of nihilistic violence to satisfy a hipster’s misconception of original filmmaking. Since then, he’s trained several generations to embrace mere action-spectacle as cinema, which, alone, can be stomach-turning. But it’s not cinema, which enlivens kinetic imagery and emotional response.
Homer’s ancient Greek poem The Odyssey is beside the point of Nolan’s ambition. Adapting the story of Odysseus — the king of Ithaca making an extended journey home after the Trojan War and encountering various natural and supernatural forces along the way — Nolan departs from his regular focus on moral futility. The casting of Matt Damon as Odysseus (rather than an ambiguous figure like Gerard Butler’s feral King Leonidas in 300) lets us know that this makeover is meant for liberals.
Does it now.
They also quibble about the casting of Elliot Page, born Ellen and known for her starring role in “Juno” and not much else since, although it’s been so long since I saw him that I wasn’t entirely sure it was him until the credits rolled. Well, fuck ’em. Let them be miserable and stay home. I liked this film, a lot.
Middle of the week, ugh. Wendy had me up for a couple hours last night, barfing. Missed my morning swim and felt like hot garbage all day. Like the summer isn’t short enough already.
Brandon said on July 22, 2026 at 2:22 am
John Simon was also film critic for National Review.
59 chars
David C said on July 22, 2026 at 6:04 am
It seems the key to boffo box office is to get the right wing to bitch about your movie.
88 chars
Dorothy said on July 22, 2026 at 7:48 am
We are going to see the movie at noon on Saturday. I wish I could tolerate earplugs. I might just try to pick some up anyway and see how I do. I agree that the volume at movie theaters is just extreme. There is no need for it! Must be in the contract or something when they have them showing. “We promise to make this so loud people will hear it approximately a half mile away from the theater”. Someone told me yesterday that a friend of hers saw it, and the sound the Cyclops makes was so haunting that she could still hear it over and over again after she was home from the movie.
587 chars
Deborah said on July 22, 2026 at 8:00 am
For a long time now, nearly a decade I have been disappointed that the art world hasn’t really participated in resistance or expressing the truth of what is happening in our world today. They haven’t been completely silent but they sure weren’t using their gifts to that end as much as they have in the past. It’s starting to change little by little, more artists are becoming vocal and using their art to communicate the dangers we’re facing. Finally.
453 chars
Jeff Gill said on July 22, 2026 at 8:19 am
Smiling at the fact “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” is, in fact, “The Odyssey.”
85 chars
Julie Robinson said on July 22, 2026 at 8:57 am
Can confirm the sound issue here from family members whose ears were still ringing 24 hours later. I’m sure I’ll see it someday but three hours on a large screen is too overwhelming for the senses. Our mythology loving son was in hog heaven, and the other two thought it was, in fact, pretty good cinema.
Don’t we have better things to do than fuss about Lupita and Elliot? Does Matt Damon look like an ancient Greek? It’s the usual culture wars as distraction from our actual problems.
490 chars
alex said on July 22, 2026 at 9:36 am
For me, the Odyssey is a distant memory from ninth-grade Latin class, where we read the story in (what else?) Latin. It was grindingly slow and took an entire semester, but it helped having a teacher explaining Greek mythology and providing background on everything. A three-hour movie in plain English would have been so much better.
I haven’t gone to see a movie in years but maybe I’ll see this one.
Regarding the critique at the National Review, it should be added that one should never, ever turn to the National Review for anything, full stop. It’s trying desperately to stay relevant in a movement that no longer needs to wear a gauzy veil of intellectualism to hide its ugly face.
696 chars
Dave said on July 22, 2026 at 10:02 am
We had talked of going to see “The Odyssey” but all this discussion of LOUD has helped make my decision of passing it up. My wife has hearing issues and neither of us do well with LOUD anymore, which makes us pass up things, sadly. Disappointed and yes, movies are loud.
Is Jim Banks trying to replace Lindsey Graham, although he only says whatever position that comes out of the Orange one’s mouth, I keep seeing more inane foolishness from him.
451 chars
Mark P said on July 22, 2026 at 10:43 am
I heard a piece on NPR a few years ago about why movie theaters play their sound at dangerously high levels, but, unfortunately, I can’t remember the gist, or find a reference to it. Google’s AI gives some reasons, but they sound a little ad hoc. What I did find was numerous links to sites that say the sound level in most movies, and especially imax theaters, is actually high enough to cause permanent hearing damage. That’s the main reason I won’t go to a movie theater. The youngsters think it’s great, just like deafening sound at concerts. Give it a few decades and they might regret it.
604 chars
Deborah said on July 22, 2026 at 10:50 am
I know I studied the Odyssey somewhere along the line in my schooling, but I don’t remember when exactly.
My husband is obsessed with Greek myths these days, he compares our political situation and everything he reads that’s not a Greek myth with them. It’s almost a joke with us. We’re going to the movie this evening, to a theater we can walk to, and it’s combined with a restaurant where you can order your food and take it into the movie with you. The food isn’t great but it’s a handy way to get your meal taken care of that way.
Every day we get closer to the midterms it seems like the Trump admin is getting more and more criticism, I hope it keeps up. He’s so unpopular, it’s great.
700 chars
susan said on July 22, 2026 at 11:22 am
Mary Beard on the film, The Odyssey.
178 chars
ROGirl said on July 22, 2026 at 12:28 pm
I read Ulysses in college and ended up working my way into The Odyssey since Joyce linked the structure and characters of Ulysses so closely to The Odyssey.
156 chars
Sherri said on July 22, 2026 at 12:36 pm
We just found out last night that my husband very likely has kidney cancer. He came home early from the gym saying he had blood in his urine, and had been complaining of lower back pain for a few days. We went to urgent care, where they said it was probably a kidney stone, but the only way to be sure was a CT scan. Since he was planning on traveling next week, we decided to get the CT scan, which meant transferring to the ER (in the same building).
When they did the CT scan, instead of a stone they found a 10 cm mass and some concerning nodules on his liver and lungs. They did another CT scan with contrast, and with the ER doctor consulting with an oncologist, said it was likely a cancer with some mets. We’re now waiting for the processes to get him into the oncologist within the next couple of weeks to learn more, but likely removing the kidney will be the first step.
We’re trying not to live in the wreckage of the future, but it’s challenging right now.
982 chars
Alan Stamm said on July 22, 2026 at 1:13 pm
Appreciate the earplugs tip. Pumped to see it tomorrow afternoon on an IMAX screen in Troy. (No matinee or senior discount at MJR Theaters for this revenue generator, alas.)
173 chars
Julie Robinson said on July 22, 2026 at 1:51 pm
Oh Sherri, I’m so sorry. Isn’t he just about to retire? Sending you all my good thoughts as you navigate this awful journey.
It’s bodily fluid day at our house. D has diarrhea that can’t be cyclosporiasis because we haven’t been eating any fresh fruits or veggies. Cat #1 vomited in three places. Cat #2 peed all over the lanai furniture and the cover leaked so it’s on the cushions too. Cats had vet visits two days ago and it sure seems like they’re telling us they don’t want to go back. Cool cool cool.
509 chars
Mark P said on July 22, 2026 at 2:10 pm
Sherri, I’m sorry to hear about your husband. That’s a real bummer all around.
82 chars
Colleen said on July 22, 2026 at 2:47 pm
I think I read parts of The Odessy in 9th or 10th grade.
Sherri, I am not a dr, but given my job in oncology data, I know a fair bit about cancer treatment. For many kidney cancers,surgery, either partial or complete nephrectomy, is the only treatment required. So let’s hope that will be the extent of it for your husband.
327 chars
Jeff Gill said on July 22, 2026 at 2:50 pm
Sherri, my prayers are with you both in the journey, starting with it could be something else.
It does sound like we all need to watch the SpongeBob movie. Nolan’s does not have David Hasselhoff: I checked.
209 chars
Dorothy said on July 22, 2026 at 2:56 pm
Oh Sherri that just sucks – I’m so sorry. After having gone through the vocal cord cancer last year with my hubby, I have tremendous empathy for you. Please don’t hesitate to keep us up to date, and let us know if there is anything we can do.
It’s a minor thing in light of Sherri’s news but I did find some earplugs. My daughter keeps lots of things here for when she visits, and she has a half empty (or half full) container of them in a nightstand drawer. I’ve commandeered two of them and they’re in my wallet.
516 chars
Deborah said on July 22, 2026 at 3:24 pm
So sorry to hear that Sherri, hoping for the best for your husband.
I’m hard of hearing so maybe I won’t need earplugs, just in case LB gave me a set. The theater we’re going to this afternoon isn’t Imax so maybe loudness won’t be a problem.
244 chars
David C said on July 22, 2026 at 4:46 pm
My audiologist hollered at me for not wearing earplugs when it gets noisy. She also gave me some good news today. My hearing loss is in my middle ear and there’s a good chance something can be done about it. I’ve only had hearing problems since before kindergarten. You would think someone could have mentioned that.
I hope all goes well for your your husband, Sherri.
371 chars
Candlepick said on July 22, 2026 at 7:33 pm
I had to wear earplugs at Hamnet. I’ve taken a 4-year-old to a ballet recital where she put her hands over her ears because Peter and the Wolf was too loud. (Music everyone in the audience already could hum from memory.) Entire venues are off my list permanently. Overamplification is the bane of arts appreciators’ existence.
Thank you for letting me know I need to catch a non-Imax showing of Odyssey. (Not that I don’t always carry earplugs these days.)
457 chars
Jeff Borden said on July 22, 2026 at 8:28 pm
Sherri,
Remain hopeful and positive. Great progress has been made in cancer treatment. You can do it.
102 chars
alex said on July 22, 2026 at 10:08 pm
Sherri that’s some rough news but I’m hoping for the best for both of you.
74 chars
Suzanne said on July 22, 2026 at 10:10 pm
Sherri, sorry to hear of your husband’s diagnosis. It’s a scary diagnosis and I hope for the best outcome.
110 chars
Deborah said on July 22, 2026 at 11:11 pm
Back from the Odyssey and while I liked it, I wasn’t blown away by it. The sets/scenes were amazing, special effects were stunning, cinematography was quite good, but I didn’t think the acting was exceptional, it was OK. I thought Eliot Page was the best actor of the bunch. It’s very, very, very violent, and it was definitely loud, and the theater wasn’t Imax so be prepared. It didn’t seem too long to me. I had earplugs but I couldn’t get the one in my left ear to stop popping out so that was aggravating. I’m still very glad I saw the movie, now I want to read the latest translation by a woman that came out sort of recently.
632 chars