Birthday's to share this week : 4th - 10th October 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Christoph Waltz does on 4th October - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 59 at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 4th October

• Armand Assante - Born 1949, turns 66 - Actor | Producer
• Liev Schreiber - Born 1967, turns 48 - Actor | Producer
• Christoph Waltz - Born 1956, turns 59 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Susan Sarandon - Born 1946, turns - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Alicia Silverstone - Born 1976, turns 39 - Actress | Producer

Monday 5th October

• Kate Winslet - Born 1975, turns 40 - Actress
• Karen Allen - Born 1951, turns 64 - Actress
• Guy Pearce - Born1967, turns 48 - Actor | Singer
• Jesse Eisenberg - Born 1983, turns  32 - Actor
• Vic Armstrong - Born 1946, turns 69 - Stuntman | Director | Second Unit Director | Actor

Tuesday 6th October

• Ioan Gruffudd - Born 1973, turns 42 - Actor
• Elisabeth Shue - Born 1963, turns 52 - Actress | Writer

Wednesday 7th October

• Simon Cowell - Born 1959, turns 56 - Television Personality | Producer | Writer | Composer
• Tim MInchin - Born 1975, turns 40 - Actor | Writer | Singer | Songwriter | Composer

Thursday 8th October

• Matt Damon - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Paul Hogan - Born 1939, turns 76 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Edward Zwick - Born 1952, turns 63 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Chevy Chase - Born 1943, turns 72 - Actor | Writer
• Sigourney Weaver - Born 1949, turns 66 - Actress | Producer

Friday 9th October

• Guillermo del Toro - Born 1964, turns 51 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Chris O'Dowd - Born 1979, turns 35 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Scott Bakula - Born 1954, turns 61 - Actor | Producer
• Brian Blessed - Born 1936, turns 79 - Actor
• Pete Docter - Born 1968, turns 47 - Director | Writer | Actor
• Brandon Routh - Born 1979, turns 36 - Actor

Saturday 10th October 

• Charles Dance - Born 1946, turns 69 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Martin Kemp - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Director | Musician

Christoph Waltz was born in Vienna, Austria to mother Elisabeth Urbancic and father Johannes Waltz, both film and television set and costume designers. His family lineage includes an actor and actress, and his great grandparents worked in the theatre too. He studied acting at the Max Reinhardt School of Drama at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. In the latter half of the 70's he studied method acting with the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, both in New York.

His career began as a stage actor performing in theatres in Vienna, Salzburg and Zurich. He became a prolific television film actor throughout the 80's and 90's, securing his debut film appearance in 1977's 'Der Einstand'. Subsequently he played in 36 television movies and 15 television series and mini-series including thirteen episodes of 'Parole Chicago' in 1979, 'The Gravy Train' in 1990 and 'The Gravy Train Goes East' in 1991. His early films include 'The Mysterious Stranger' in 1982, 'Goldeneye' in 1989 (not to be confused with the Pierce Brosnan Bond outing, but the bio-pic of Sir Ian Fleming), 'Catherine the Great' in 1995 (with an emerging Catherine Zeta Jones) and 'Ordinary Decent Criminal' in 2000 (with Kevin Spacey).

More TV films followed over the next decade interspersed with more TV series all the way up to 2009's 'Inglorious Basterds' for Director Quentin Tarantino. After thirty years making a respectable living in mostly German speaking television and film roles, his multi-award winning role as Colonel Hans Landa catapulted him into the Hollywood mainstream and international stardom. His role in Tarantino's film gained him the Best Supporting Academy Award, the BAFTA, the Golden Globe, the Screen Actors Guild Award and the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009.

After this there has been no looking back with 'The Green Hornet' following in 2011 for Michel Gondry, and then 'Water for Elephants', 'The Three Musketeers' for Paul W.S.Anderson and 'Carnage' for Roman Polanski all that same year.

In 2012 Waltz did it all again with Tarantino as Dr. King Schultz in 'Django Unchained' for which he again received much critical acclaim garnering him the Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe, BAFTA and ultimately Academy Award.

'Epic' came next in 2013 to which he added his voice talents to this animated feature, and that same year 'The Zero Theorem' for Terry Gilliam, and then 'Muppets Most Wanted' and 'Horrible Bosses 2' in 2014 followed up by 'Big Eyes' earlier this year for Tim Burton.

Next up we'll see Waltz as Franz Oberhausen in Bond 24 - 'Spectre' due for release next month, and then for 2016 'Tarzan' for David Yates, and 'Tulip Fever' with Alicia Vikander (Profiled last week). His second Directing duty after 2000's 'Wenn man such trait' is the based on a true story 'The Worst Marriage in Georgetown' in which he also starts and is currently in pre-production.

All up Waltz has 107 Acting credits, two Directing credits, two as Producer, and along the way so far he has picked up 82 award wins including the two previously mentioned Academy Awards with Quentin Tarantino at the helm, and a further 26 award nominations.

Although born in Austria, his father applied for German citizenship following his birth, and in 2010 he received Austrian citizenship too, so now holding dual passports. Waltz has three children with his first wife, and a daughter born in 2005 with his second wife Judith Helste. They split their time living between London, Berlin and Los Angeles, and Waltz speaks fluent German, French, English and can more than get by in Italian.

Christoph Waltz - good mates with QT, has acting in his DNA, often portrays charming yet sinister characters infused with dark humour, reads psychology, listens to classical music, enjoys fine art and fine wine and he worries about the digital age! With so much going on since his star began to shine much much more brightly, it's a wonder he has time to make films - let alone pick up all his awards! Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 19th March 2015.

The weeks fly by when you're having fun and watching movies, and it's even more true I think when you write about them too. Here in downtown Adelaide in South Australia, I have found two movie theatres within walking distance of my humble little dwelling that offer film festivals, current releases and live entertainment spread over ten screens in two theatres, 200 metres from each other and in the heart of a busy bustling bar, restaurant, and cafe strip . . . how good is that, and I'm wondering how to I fit in all of my favourite things? Enough though of my ramblings - what of this weeks latest film offerings?

First up there is the second instalment of another futuristic dystopian Sci-Fi world plucked from the pages of an international best seller aimed squarely at the teen market but attracting more discerning adult bums on seats too; then the action hero of the moment has churned out another formulaic hunt 'em down, beat 'em up offering that looks increasingly like this ageing protagonist is just cashing in another pay cheque; and finally a famed art house auteur making a historical piece on a shoestring budget that has quirky eccentric bold & beautiful painted all over it.

When you have caught your movie of choice in the week ahead of those films new to cinemas, or, those still doing the rounds on general release, write a comment for the legions of Odeon Online fans out there and share your thoughts in the Comments Box below this, or any other Post. Enjoy your film!

INSURGENT (Rated M) - the first book in this series by Veronica Roth - 'Divergent' hit our big screens in 2014 and was made for US$85M and brought home US$289M in the final analysis. Clearly enough of a hit to ensure this sequel, with one more to go in 2016 - although that might be split over two films too as is the way these days it would seem (think 'Potter', 'Twilight' and 'Hunger Games'). Directed now by Robert Schwentke for US$110M here we see the characters torn asunder and divided far & wide joining them now three days after we last saw them. Beatrice 'Tris' Prior (Shailene Woodley) is on the run with Four (Theo James), with Janine Matthews (Kate Winslett) as the leader of the Erudite faction hot on the heels and determined to hunt them down.

Tris and Four need to reassemble the crew and uncover what Abnegation sacrificed their lives to safeguard and why Erudite will stop at nothing to prevent them from moving forward and uncovering the truth. As the once strong and solid Faction system in a post-apocalyptic Chicago crumbles away and the powers remaining fight for power and supremacy, Tris must overcome numerous mental and physical challenges of her own that reveal secrets of her past, the key to the future, and what she must do to protect those she loves. You know it will end on a cliffhanger, so be prepared for more unanswered questions to ensure you come back for the next instalment 12 months from now. Also starring those returned from last time and a few new faces - Ansel Elgort, Naomi Watts, Jai Courtney, Ashley Judd and Maggie Q amongst others.

BIG EYES (Rated M) - quirky left field Director Tim Burton has made a little film for just US$10M based on the real life painting fraud of the 1950's and 60's of Margaret Keane - the painter of those famed pictures of waif like children with large over exaggerated bulging eyes. Struggling to make ends meet after a divorce Margaret (Amy Adams) meets up with kindly gregarious ladies man and fellow painter Walter Keane (Christophe Waltz) and before you can say 'fake or forgery' the two are an item. Recognising the talent in the paintings and using his canny marketing skills and a polished sales pitch Walter sets about selling these paintings anywhere and everywhere he can . . . signing his own name to the artwork while Margaret is at home locked up bashing out big eyed painting after big eyed painting. Oblivious to her husbands signatory ruse things come to a head that result in the couple divorcing in a bitter court battle that exposes Walter as an artistic fraud, while Margaret strives to clear her name, reclaim her artwork, safeguard her financial future and rebuild her life. Intense and colourful - like the paintings!

RUN ALL NIGHT (Rated MA15+) - you can easily be forgiven for thinking that 60 something action star Liam Neeson has phoned this one in too for the sake of a big pay day to be reminded of his previous tough guy kick-ass anti-hero offerings 'Taken' and all its sequels, 'Non-Stop' and more recently 'A Walk Among The Tombstones'. This one though seems to promise a little more as Jimmy Conlon (Neeson) is a down on his luck, no hope boozing ex-mob hit man has been that once was best mates with his mob-boss Shawn Maguire (Ed Harris). When the mob orders a hit on Jimmy's estranged son Michael (Joel Kinnaman), Jimmy must go head to head with the mob, with his old friend Maguire, corrupt cops, hired killers and other undesirables to protect himself and his son whom he hardly knows. Loyalties will be tested, Jimmy will utilise his own 'particular set of skills', heads will be cracked, bullets will be chewed, shit will get blown up, cars trashed and the body count is likely to rise in good old mob gangster style. What's not to like?

Three films this week to tease, cajole, and entice you out to your local movie theatre and in front of a big screen. Share your thoughts with your like minded friends at Odeon Online and keep going to the movies.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

The 72nd Golden Globes - winners & grinners!

All the Hollywood glitz & glamour of the Golden Globe Awards unfolded for the 72nd time on Sunday 11th January at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Hosted once again by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, the Golden Globes acknowledge excellence in film and American television, and are seen as the pre-cursor to the Academy Awards which will be held for the 87th time on 22nd February. Many of the winners & grinners walking away with a Golden Globe will be secretly hoping to snaffle a golden statue in a few weeks from now and catapult their film and/or television careers into the A-list big time! We'll see!

And so, for your reference in case you missed it, here are the main winners of the 2015 Golden Globe Awards.

    

Best Motion Picture  - Drama : 'BOYHOOD'
Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy : 'THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL'

Best Actor Performance in a Motion Picture - Drama : EDDIE REDMAYNE in 'THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING' (Australian release date : 29th January)
Best Actress Performance in a Motion Picture - Drama : JULIANNE MOORE in 'STILL ALICE' (Australian release date : 29th January)

Best Actor Performance in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy : MICHAEL KEATON in 'BIRDMAN' (Australian release date : 15th January)
Best Actress Performance in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy : AMY ADAMS in 'BIG EYES' (Australian release date : 5th February)

     

Best Supporting Actor Performance in a Motion Picture - Drama, Musical or Comedy : J.K. SIMMONS in 'WHIPLASH'

Best Supporting Actress Performance in a Motion Picture - Drama, Musical or Comedy : PATRICIA ARQUETTE in 'BOYHOOD'

Best Director : RICHARD LINKLATER for 'BOYHOOD'

Best Screenplay : ALEJANDRO GONZALES INARRITU for 'BIRDMAN' shared with Nicolás Giacobone, Armando Bo, Alexander Dinelaris Jr.

Best Animated Motion Picture : 'HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2'

Best Foreign Language Motion Picture : 'LEVIATHAN' (Russia)

Best Television Mini-Series : 'FARGO'

   

The votes then are in, the decisions made and the awards received by a handful of winners and grinners who for this year at least can lay claim to be up there amongst the best in the world of film and US TV. A bunch of movies here that have already been and gone and are now available to rent or buy, and few still yet to hit our screens. Do yourself a favour, and check out any one of these soon - you won't be disappointed!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-