Birthday's to share this week : 16th-22nd October 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Jon Favreau does on 19th October - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 50, 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 16th October

• Angela Lansbury - Born 1925, turns 91 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Tim Robbins - Born 1958, turns 58 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer | Songwriter
• Gary Kemp - Born 1959, turns 57 - Actor | Singer | Songwriter  

Monday 17th October

• Lawrence Bender - Born 1957, turns 59 - Producer | Actor
• Rob Marshall - Born 1960, turns 56 - Director | Producer | Choreographer
• Eminem (aka Marshall Bruce Mathers III) - Singer | Songwriter | Producer | Actor
• Matthew Macfadyen - Born 1974, turns 42 - Actor
• Margot Kidder - Born 1948, turns 68 - Actress
• Felicity Jones - Born 1983, turns 33 - Actress  

Tuesday 18th October

• Jean-Claude Van Damme - Born 1960, turns 56 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Zac Efron - Born 1987, turns 29 - Actor | Producer | Singer  

Wednesday 19th October

• Michael Gambon - Born 1940, turns 76 - Actor
• John Lithgow - Born 1945, turns 71 -  Actor | Producer | Singer
• Jon Favreau - Born 1966, turns 50 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Trey Parker - Born 1969, turns 47 - Writer | Producer | Director | Actor | Animator | Singer | Songwriter | Composer 

Thursday 20th October

• Timothy West - Born 1934, turns 82 - Actor
• Thomas Newman - Born 1955, turns 61 - Composer | Songwriter | Musician
• Danny Boyle - Born 1956, turns 60 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Viggo Mortensen - Born 1958, turns 58 - Actor | Producer
• Snoop Dogg (aka Calvin Cordozar Broadus) - Born 1971, turns 45 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Writer | Actor | Producer  

Friday 21st October

• Ken Watanabe - Born 1959, turns 57 - Actor | Producer
• Catherine Hardwick - Born 1955, turns 61 - Director | Producer | Writer | Production Designer
• Carrie Fisher - Born 1956, turns 60 - Actress | Writer | Singer

Saturday 22nd October

• Catherine Deneuve - Born 1943, turns 73 - Actress | Singer
• Saffron Burrows - Born 1972, turns 44 - Actress
• Christopher Lloyd - Born 1938, turns 78 - Actor
• Derek Jacobi - Born 1938, turns 78 - Actor
• Jan de Bont - Born 1943, turns 73 - Director | Producer | Cinematographer
• Jeff Goldblum - Born 1952, turns 64 - Actor | Producer
• John Howard - Born 1952, turns 64 - Actor
• Bill Condon - Born 1955, turns 61 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Spike Jonze - Born 1969, turns 47 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Cameraman
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Born 1975, turns 41 - Actor | Television Personality  

Jonathan Kolia Favreau was born in Flushing, Queens, New York to mother Madeleine - an elementary school teacher who died in 1979 from leukaemia, and father Charles Favreau - a special needs education teacher. Favreau graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1984, and attended Queens College at the City University of New York from 1984 through to 1987 before dropping out. For a short time he worked for the New York based global investment bank, securities trading and brokerage company Bear Sterns on Wall Street, before returning to Queens College in early 1988. By that Summer he dropped out for good before completing his degree, and headed to Chicago to chase down a career in comedy. There he honed his craft at the ImprovOlympic Theatre and Training Centre, and the Improv Institute which subsequently closed its doors in 1994.

His first big screen role came as a Chicago cab driver in 'Folks' in 1992 for Director Ted Kotcheff with Tom Seleck and Don Ameche. This was followed up with an uncredited extra role in the Danny DeVito Directed and starring 'Hoffa' with Jack Nicholson in the title role. In 1993 he gained his first significant role in 'Rudy' alongside Sean Astin in the lead role as Daniel E. Roettiger and Favreau playing D-Bob in this sports-bio set in the college football world of the University of Notre Dame in the mid-'70's. On set he met Vince Vaughn who had a small role to play in the film. In 1994 he starred in 'PCU' (Port Chester University) alongside Jeremy Piven and David Spade, and then Joel Schumacher's 'Batman Forever' with Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carey and Chris O'Donnell. 'Notes from Underground' followed that same year in 1995. In the meantime there had been appearances on the likes of 'Seinfeld', 'Chicago Hope', ' The Larry Sanders Show' and 'Fallen Angels'.

1996 saw his debut as a Screenwriter with his penned 'Swingers' with Favreau playing alongside Vince Vaughn, and Directed by Doug Liman. 'Swingers' was made for just US$200K and grossed close to US$5M. Before the end of the decade came 'Persons Unknown', 'Dogtown', end of the world Sci-Fi action drama 'Deep Impact', Peter Berg's 'Very Bad Things' and television series appearances on 'Tracey Takes On . . .', 'Friends' and made for television movies 'Desert Breeze' and 'Rocky Marciano' with Favreau playing the lead role as the undefeated world heavyweight boxing champion.

The new decade launched with 'Love & Sex', 'The Replacements' and this his Directorial debut with 'Made' in 2001 in which he also starred, wrote and Produced, and hired his mate Vince Vaughn to star alongside. The film received positive Reviews and just about recovered its US$5M budget outlay from the worldwide Box Office. Marvel's 'Daredevil' with Ben Affleck came next in 2003, then 'The Big Empty' and then his second outing as Director with the Christmas themed 'Elf'. 'Something's Gotta Give' with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, and then 'Wimbledon', 'The Break Up' with Vince Vaughn and former 'Friends' Co-Star Jennifer Aniston. In the meantime Favreau Directed 'Zathura' - the follow-up to 'Jumanji' which whilst faring reasonably well critically, did less so commercially.

2008 saw Favreau Direct, Co-Produce and star in the first outing for Marvel's 'Iron Man' with Robert Downey Jnr. in the lead role. This first film in the hugely successful and popular franchise returned US$586M from its US$140M budget. He followed this success up again in 2010 with 'Iron Man 2' making US$624M from its US$200M budget, and in 2013 acted as Executive Producer on Shane Black's 'Iron Man 3' and reprised his role as Happy Hogan, now Head of Security for Stark Industries. This third instalment made US$1.22B from its US$200M budget costs.

Three RomCom's followed in quick succession with 'Four Christmases', 'I Love You, Man' and 'Couples Retreat' - the first and last of these both with regular stablemate Vince Vaughn, before the Sci-Fi Western 'Cowboys and Aliens' Directed and Co-Produced by Favreau with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford starring.

There were then support acting gigs in 'John Carter', 'People Like Us', 'Identity Thief', 'The Wolf of Wall Street' and 'Entourage' with his turn as Writer, Producer. Director and Star in 'Chef' in 2014. In the meantime he took an Executive Producer credit on the hugely successful 'The Avengers' in 2012, on last years 'Avengers : The Age of Ultron' and the upcoming 'Avengers : Infinity War Parts 1 & 2' due on 4th May 2018 and 3rd May 2019 respectively.

Bringing us up to date this year there has been crime drama 'Term Life' with Vince Vaughn again, his highly acclaimed live action/CGI retelling of Disney's classic 'The Jungle Book' which Favreau Directed, Co-Produced and lent his voice talents to and which grossed US$967M from its US$175M budget. Next up is his reprisal of his 'Iron Man' role as Happy Hogan in 'Spider-Man : Homecoming', and the recently announced Disney live action/CGI remakes of 'The Lion King' and 'The Jungle Book 2' with Favreau set to Direct both. Television Sci-Fi drama comedy series 'Orville' is due in 2017 with Favreau as Executive Producer. Meanwhile, he has lent his voice talents to 'Rocket Power', 'Dilbert', 'Buzz Lightyear of Star Command', 'Family Guy', 'Rugrats', 'Open Season', 'Robot Chicken', 'G-Force', 'Zookeeper', 'Star Wars : The Clone Wars' and 'The Jungle Book', and he has appeared on episodes of 'My Name is Earl', 'Monk' and 'The King of Queens'.

All up Favreau has 65 Acting credits to his name, 22 Producer credits, twenty as Director and six as Writer. He has three awards wins and eight other nominations. He married physician Joya Tillem in late 2000 with whom he has three children - Max (born in July 2001), Madeleine (born in April 2003) and Brighton Rose (born in August 2006). Looking purely at his Marvel adaptations which he has either Directed or Co-Produced, the combined worldwide gross Box Office receipts amount to close to US$5.35B and add to that 'The Jungle Book' then this sum rises to close to US$6.32B . . . that's a pretty good track record methinks!

Jon Favreau - he Stars, he Produces, he Directs and he Writes; is as equally comfortable making big action epics or small independent features; and now seemingly at ease too with the latest cutting edge moviemaking technology to further enhance our cinematic experience. A proven track record of keeping us entertained on the big screen and the small screen, in front of the camera and behind it, and we just keep coming back for more - Happy 50th Birthday to you Jon, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 1st - 7th March 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week? 

Daniel Craig does on 2nd March - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 47, 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 1st March

• Harry Belafonte - Born 1927, turns 88 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Roger Daltrey - Born 1944, turns 71 - Singer | Songwriter | Producer | Actor
• Javier Bardem - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actor | Producer
• Ron Howard - Born 1954, turns 61 - Director | Producer | Actor
• Zack Snyder - Born 1966, turns 49 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Dirk Benedict - Born 1945, turns 70 - Actor | Producer
• Justin Bieber - Born 1994, turns 21 - Singer | Songwriter | Producer | Actor
• Lupita Nyong'o - Born 1983, turns 32 - Actress | Producer

Monday 2nd March

• Bryce Dallas Howard - Born 1981, turns 34 - Actress | Writer | Director
• Daniel Craig - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actor | Producer
• Jon Bon Jovi - Born 1962, turns 53 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor

Tuesday 3rd March

• George Miller - Born 1945, turns 70 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Jessica Biel - Born 1982, turns 33 - Actress | Producer
• Miranda Richardson - Born 1958, turns 57 - Actress

Wednesday 4th March

• Len Wiseman - Born 1973, turns 42 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Paul W. S. Anderson - Born 1965, turns 50 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Adrian Lyne - Born 1941, turns 74 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Scott Hicks - Born 1953, turns 62 - Director | Producer | Writer

Thursday 5th March

• Dean Stockwell - Born 1936, turns 79 - Actor
• Matt Lucas - Born 1974, turns 41 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Television Personality
• Eva Mendes - Born 1974, turns 41 - Actress
• Samantha Eggar - Born 1939, turns 76 - Actress

Friday 6th March 

• Rob Reiner - Born 1947, turns 68 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Singer | Songwriter | Composer
• Tom Arnold - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Alan Davies - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actor | Writer | Television Personality

Saturday 7th March

• Matthew Vaughn - Born 1971, turns 44 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Bryan Cranston - Born 1956, turns 59 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Peter Sarsgaard - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor | Producer
• Cameron Daddo - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actor | Producer
• Rachael Weisz - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actress | Producer

Daniel Wroughton Craig was born in Chester, Cheshire, England to Carol Olivia Williams - an art teacher, and father Timothy John Wroughton Craig a publican and former Merchant Navy midshipman. He attended primary school in the small country towns of Frodsham and Holyoke and then Hilbre High School in West Kirby. At 16, he moved to Calday Grange Grammar School also in West Kirby as a sixth form student - but only briefly. His interest in acting started at age six and his mother took him to acting classes at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre. He appeared in several school productions, including 'Oliver', 'Romeo & Juliette' and 'Cinderella'. He moved to London at 16 following his brief time at Calday Grange Grammar School, having been accepted into the National Youth Theatre to tour Manchester and then Valencia and Moscow. 

He joined the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he studied for three years graduating in 1991 having studied with the likes of Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis, Joseph Fiennes and Alistair McGowan. In 1993, Craig appeared in a Royal National Theatre production of 'Angels in America', but it was in 1992 that his big screen debut came in the adaptation of the Bryce Courtenay novel 'The Power of One'. For the next few years he worked in television starring in 'Anglo Saxon Attitudes', 'Boon' and 'Covington Cross' in 1992 and then 'Sharpe's Eagle', episodes of 'Zorro', 'Drop the Dead Donkey', 'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, 'Between the Lines' 'Heartbeat' and 'Screen Two' all in 1993. Over the following years he appeared in 'A Kid in King Arthur's Court' with Kate Winslet, 'Saint Ex' with Bruno Ganz, 'Elizabeth' with Cate Blanchett, and a few others that flew under the radar to close out the decade.

From here on things began to ramp up for Craig with 'Love & Rage', 'I Dreamed of Africa', 'Some Voices' and 'Hotel Splendide' all in 2000. It was however, he role opposite Angelina Jolie in the 2001 'Lara Croft : Tomb Raider' that brought him to Hollywood's attention with the Sam Mendes Directed and Tom Hanks and Paul Newman starring 'Road to Perdition' that followed in 2002. His starring role in 'Layer Cake' in 2004 added further shine to his rising star which was followed up by 'The Jacket' with Adrien Brody and Keira Knightley, 'Munich' starring Eric Bana and Directed by Steven Spielberg, 'Infamous' with Toby Jones, and then his first outing as James Bond, 007, in 'Casino Royale'  Directed by Martin Campbell.

Cementing his role as Bond for the first time with a Box Office haul of US$600M and numerous award wins and nominations, before his next outing as everybody's favourite spy he appeared with Nicole Kidman in 'The Invasion', and again with Nicole Kidman in 'The Golden Compass'. 2008 followed up with 'Quantum of Solace' for Bond once again bringing in US$586M and again a slew of award wins and nominations - but not quite the success of its 'Casino Royale' predecessor. 

'Defiance' was next with Live Schreiber and Jamie Bell later in 2008, 'Cowboys and Aliens' with Harrison Ford in 2011, 'Dream House' in 2011 also with Naomi Watts and Rachael Weisz, 'The Adventures of Tin Tin' for Director Steven Spielberg to which Craig gave his voice talents to Red Rackham and Sakharine, and then the Hollywood remake of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' with Rooney Mara for Director David Fincher.

Craig's third outing as James Bond came in 2012 with the hugely successful 'Skyfall' which also marked the 50th anniversary of the franchise that kicked-off with 'Dr. No' in 1962. 'Skyfall' to a global Box Office of US$1.1B+ making it the most financially successful Bond film of all time and putting it in the Top 10 of most successful films of all time . . . currently sat in ninth place.






2012 saw Craig playing perhaps the role of his life as James Bond saving (the real) HRH Queen Elizabeth II as part of an opening ceremony sketch for the London Summer Olympic games which was seen by a global audience of in excess of 1.5 billion television viewers.  From late 2013 to early 2014 Craig and his wife Rachael Weisz starred in the Broadway play 'Betrayal'. 'Spectre' is currently filming for a late 2015 release which will be Craig's fourth starring role as Bond with 'Bond 25' recently released to which Craig has committed. In the meantime 'The Girl who Played with Fire' has been announced with David Fincher on Directing duty and Craig reprising his role as Mikael Blomqvist.

Craig has 65 acting credits to his name, and a total 12 award wins and 23 other nominations. In 1992 he married actress Fiona Loudon and divorced two years later in 1994. This led to a seven year relationship with German actress Heike Makatsch which ended in 2001 and then Satsuki Mitchell from 2005 until 2010. In late 2010 he began dating long term friend and former co-star Rachael Weisz (whose birthday it is later on this week on 7th March) and the two were married in mid-2011. Craig has a daughter - eighteen year old daughter Ella from his first marriage. He supports several charities such as 'S.A.F.E. Kenya' using street theatre to tackle social issues, HIV/AIDS, water supply and violence against women. Also 'Opportunity Network' is supported to provide education access to New York's low income students, and Craig has worked too with former co-star Judi Dench on International Women's Day causes.

Daniel Craig - blond haired, blue eyed, rugged appearance, muscular framed, deep smooth voiced and the man who reinvigorated Bond into a Box Office sensation. Firmly established now as a bona fide cinematic draw card, and all round nice guy, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

COWBOYS AND ALIENS : archive from 31st August 2011.

Saw 'COWBOYS and ALIENS' last night! Based on a lesser known comic book this film cost US$163M to make and bring to the big screen and in the final analysis made just a little more than that at US$175M despite the pedigree of its Director and lead cast. Here we have Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford; James Bond and Indiana Jones; the Old West and the Final Frontier battling it out in an 1873 Arizona setting where them pesky good for nothing aliens is holed up in dem dar mountains gettin' up to all sorts of no good! Time to assemble a posse, saddle up the horses and take care of business!

So I'm thinking - has this genre ever been done successfully on the big screen before and I'd be hard pressed to answer that question let alone say 'yes'! That said, John Favreau puts in a solid effort as Director eeking out a strong enough FX laden old west tale underpinned by a fistful of dollars to make the action and the storyline convincing and two 'A' listers to give it gravitas - but judging by the worldwide take, audiences stayed away!

This is a simple enough story of Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) who is on the run from the law and suffering a bad dose of memory loss. Waking up in the desert Lonergan is wearing a strange bracelet and has an odd looking wound and no recollection of how he acquired either. After dispensing with some low life drifters Lonergan heads for the nearest one-horse town of Absolution to have his wounds treated and to gain some R&R. He is noticed as a wanted man and subsequently a scuffle ensues with Sheriff John Taggart (Keith Carradine) resulting in him being knocked unconscious by a mystery woman Ella Swanson (Olivia Wilde). Being locked up with local drunk Percy Dolarhyde (Paul Dano) in no time Dolarhyde's father and local wealthy cattleman Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) arrive to have young Percy set free, and in the process so too Lonergan.

At this point there is an alien attack and all intergalactic hell breaks loose in the street, and which Lonergan's shiny new bracket falls off his wrist and becomes the weapon of choice to thwart them darn pesky aliens! During this conflagration an alien ship is downed and an injured alien makes an escape, hotly pursued by a posse of men wanting to know what just happened! Meanwhile Lonergan slinks away unseen into the night.

What follows are a series of alien attack set pieces and derring-do as humans and aliens are picked off on either side and often in gruesome bloody fashion. Throughout this Lonergan's memory starts to come back with images of stolen gold, double crossing his gang and perhaps where the aliens are holed up. The aliens it seems are mining gold resources and experimenting on humans to understand their weaknesses and in turn eradicate all human life on planet earth. The aliens are however, not indestructible and can be overcome with Lonergan's bright shiny bracelet thingy, a deftly thrown hunting knife, and a few fatally delivered gun shot wounds. And so it's on for young & old to move the alien varmints outta town and off the planet, and so the gathered posse heads for the hills to find the alien lair and kill or be killed.

Needless to say casualties ensue on either side but in the final analysis it's Humans 1/Aliens 0 and there is butt kicking and plenty of fun to be had as those aliens get their comeuppance. Surviving the onslaught Lonergan walks away free with Dolarhyde Senior and the Sheriff attempting to persuade him to stay and help rebuild the town. Declining the invitation but still a wanted man the Colonel and the Sheriff promise him that they will claim that he was killed in the alien attack, and so Lonergan rides off into the sunset . . . and all is good again, in the Wild West!

This is a good fun, entertaining sub-genre offering mashing up a Wild West yarn with some Sci-Fi hokey-pokey alien shenanigans and certainly worth the price of a ticket! Of course this is now out on DVD and BluRay and whilst it won't go down in history as genre defining, it's a little out of the box and still a little gritty, hard-nosed and rough edged to make it a worthwhile viewing in front of your own small screen at home.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-