Birthday's to share this week : 19th March - 25th March 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Edgar Ramirez does on 25th March - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 40, 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 19th March

• Ursula Andress - Born 1936, turns 81 - Actress
• Glenn Close - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Harvey Weinstein - Born 1952, turns 65 - Producer | Director | Writer
• Bruce Willis - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actor | Producer | Singer  

Monday 20th March

• Carl Reiner - Born 1922, turns 95 - Director | Producer | Actor | Writer
• William Hurt - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actor
• Spike Lee - Born 1957, turns 60 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• David Thewlis - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Michael Rappaport - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Holly Hunter - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actress | Producer
• Ruby Rose - Born 1986, turns 31 - Actress

Tuesday 21st March

• Rosie O'Donnell - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actress | Producer | Writer | Singer
• Timothy Dalton - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actor
• Gary Oldman - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Matthew Broderick - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer
• Scott Eastwood - Born 1986, turns 31 - Actor | Producer  

Wednesday 22nd March

• William Shatner - Born 1931, turns 86 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer
• M. Emmet Walsh - Born 1935, turns 82 - Actor
• Bruno Ganz - Born 1941, turns 76 - Actor
• Matthew Modine - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actor | Producer | Director | Cinematographer
• Reese Witherspoon - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actress | Producer | Singer   

Thursday 23rd March

• Amanda Plummer - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actress
• Catherine Keener - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actress | Producer
• Michelle Monaghan - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actress | Producer
• Jaume Collet-Serra - Born 1974, turns 43 - Director | Producer
• Daniel Espinosa - Born 1977, turns 40 - Director | Producer | Writer  

Friday 24th March

• Patrick Malahide - Born 1945, turns 72 - Actor | Writer
• Jim Parsons - Born 1973, turns 44 - Actor | Producer
• Kelly LeBrock - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actress
• Lara Flynn Boyle - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actress | Producer
• Jessica Chastain - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actress | Producer
• Keisha Castle-Hughes - Born 1990, turns 27 - Actress 

Saturday 25th March

• Sarah Jessica Parker - Born 1965, turns 52 - Actress | Producer | Singer 
• Paul Michael Glaser - Born 1943, turns 74 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Edgar Ramirez - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actor | Producer
• Lee Pace - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actor

Edgar Filiberto Ramirez Arellano was born in San Cristobal, Tachira, Venezuela, South America to mother Soday Arellano, a lawyer, and father Filbert Ramirez, an officer in the military service. He graduated from the Andres Bello Catholic University - a private and one of the largest universities in Venezuela, with its main campus in Caracas, in 1999 with a degree in mass communication. He had intended to pursue a career in international relations, and whilst at university he worked as a would-be journalist, reporting mainly on politics. He then became an Executive Director of 'Dale al Voto' - a foundation in Venezuela set up to engage and build the political understanding and reach of young people. For this, Ramirez and his team created campaigns that would appear on radio, television and in cinema. He also took charge of international promotions for the Viart Film Festival - a short film festival held in Caracas open to all students from Spanish speaking countries. Around about that time, Screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga was invited to attend the Viart Film Festival, and he saw Ramirez work in a short film being presented. He was so impressed that he offered Ramirez the chance to audition for 'Amores Perros' which he declined. The film Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu went on to international acclaim. Hindsight is a wonderful thing! At this point Ramirez decided to reignite his interest in an acting career.

During the '90's Ramirez appeared sporadically in a number of television and film roles locally in Venezuela - kicking off with short lived television series 'Cuando Ilega el amor' in 1990, then 'Aqui esp-p-pantan', a horror fantasy comedy from 1993 involving ghosts terrorising a young couple who have recently moved into their house, and this was followed up in 1999 by '. . . sol y lluvia' about a young Venezuelan woman's dreams and aspirations of becoming Miss Venezuela. 2002 saw 'Plan B' a Venezuelan action crime drama in which Ramirez gained his first lead role. In 2003 he followed this up with a string of appearances on the romantic drama telenovela 'Cosita Rica' which ran from 2003 through 2004 for a total 270 episodes. In 2003 there was also Christmas drama 'Yotama se va volando', and then 'A Dot and a Line' the following year,

2005 saw Ramirez break into the Hollywood scene with his appearance in Tony Scott's 'Domino' inspired by the bounty hunting exploits of Domino Harvey, with Keira Knightley in the lead role, with Mickey Rourke, Delroy Lindo, Lucy Liu, Christopher Walken, Jacqueline Bisset, Mo'Nique and Ramirez as Choco - Domino's love interest. In 2006 he appeared in action crime offering 'El Don' and then Mexican film 'Elipsis' with Ramirez in the lead role once more.




The following year saw Ramirez appear alongside Matt Damon in the hugely successful Jason Bourne series in 'The Bourne Ultimatum', Directed by Paul Greengrass, in the role of Paz, a Blackbriar assassin, and later that same year in 'Cyrano Fernandez' in the lead role in this romantic action drama offering loosely based on the French play 'Cyrano de Bergerac'. The year after, 2008, he appeared in Steven Soderbergh's 'Che' - the biopic of the Argentine Marxist revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevara with Benicio del Toro in the title role, and Ramirez appearing with an all star cast as Ciro Redondo (a Cuban revolutionary who fought amongst Ché Guevara). 'Vantage Point' followed that same year with again an all star cast including William Hurt, Matthew Fox, Forest Whittaker, Dennis Quaid and Sigourney Weaver, with Ramirez cast as Javier, an ex-special forces soldier forced to kidnap the American President in order to get his brother back.

Ramirez saw the decade out with his turn as 'Carlos' about the life of the 1970's Venezuelan revolutionary Carlos the Jackal (Ilich Ramírez Sánchez), covering his first series of attacks in 1973 until his arrest in 1994. This highly acclaimed three part mini-series which ran out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010 for its full five and half hour run time, garnered many award wins and nominations along the way, including Best Actor Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and SAG nods for Ramirez and multiple wins too, including France's Cesar Award for Most Promising Actor.

Up next in 2011 was Colombian vengeance action drama 'Greetings to the Devil', followed by the sequel to 2010's 'Clash of the Titans' with 'Wrath of the Titans' in which Ramirez plays Ares, the God of War, alongside Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Toby Kebbel, Bill Nighy and Rosamund Pike. French film 'An Open Heart' was next in 2012 with Juliette Binoche, before his turn in Kathryn Bigelow's multiple award winning 'Zero Dark Thirty' with Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Mark Strong and James Gandolfini.

2013 saw Ramirez star in Venezuelan historical biopic 'The Liberator' - the story of Simon Bolivar as portrayed by Ramirez, who fought in over one hundred battles against the Spanish Empire in South America, rode over seventy thousand miles on horseback in the process and his military campaigns covered twice the territory of Alexander the Great. He never once conquered in battle, instead, he liberated, believing in freedom for all! Working with Director Ridley Scott came next in 'The Counsellor' with Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt, Bruno Ganz, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz, and then 'Deliver Us from Evil' for Director Scott Derrickson with Eric Bana playing real life New York Police Officer Ralph Sarchie investigating a number of paranormal crimes who joins forces with Ramirez Mendoza character - a somewhat unconventional Priest versed in the way of exorcism and demonic possession.

Extreme sport crime drama actioner remake of the classic Kathryn Bigelow 'Point Break' opened 2016, with Ramirez playing the Bodhi character previously portrayed by Patrick Swayze, with Luke Bracey playing Johnny Utah as played by a young Keanu Reeves back in 1991. The film received less that favourable Reviews generally and made US$134M from its US$105M budget outlay. David O'Russell's biographical dramedy 'Joy' followed with Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano the inventor of the miracle mop, Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper with Ramirez playing Tony Miranne, Joy's ex-husband.

'Hands of Stone' was released last year with Ramirez playing Panamanian former professional boxer Roberto Duran. The film received a fifteen minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival last year, but this and Robert De Niro, John Turturro, Usher and Ellen Barkin also starring wasn't enough to save it from mixed critical Reviews and poor Box Office taking back just a quarter of its US$20M budget. Also last year came 'The Girl on the Train' with Emily Blunt and most recently 'Gold' with Matthew McConaughey bringing us up to date.



Next up for Ramirez is Sci-Fi crime fantasy 'Bright' for Director David Ayer and with Will Smith, Joel Edgerton and Noomi Rapace due later this year, then 'Love Child' for Director Todd Solondz with Penelope Cruz, and then television true crime series 'American Crime Story' with Ramirez set to play Gianni Versace in Season Three. Recently announced for 2018 is the pilot season for 'Black or White, Never Grey' running over thirteen episodes of the crime drama offering set in 1989.

Ramirez supports the 'Don't Shoot' campaign for Amnesty International which strives to eliminate the number of injuries and deaths caused by the irresponsible use of guns. He also took part in '5 Senses of Action' - an organisation which benefits children with special needs, and he has acted as the United Nations Children's Fund Goodwill Ambassador in the past too. All up Ramirez has 34 acting credits to his name and five as Producer. He has eleven award wins and a further ten nominations including Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy and SAG nods for 'Carlos'.

Edgar Ramirez - fluent in five languages - Spanish, English, French, Italian and German; had his US$150K watch collection stolen from his home in Caracas; has a deep fascination with human nature and all its virtues and flaws; is disciplined, structured, organised; believes in God, kindness and love; and is able to channel his personal feelings and beliefs into the roles he portrays with a convincing realism. Happy 40th Birthday to you Edgar, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

DELIVER US FROM EVIL - Thursday 24th July 2014.

When I saw the shorts for this film I was sufficiently motivated to see 'DELIVER US FROM EVIL' that I went along to my local multiplex last night with a couple of mates in tow. I don't mind a good supernatural horror chiller from time to time and there are plenty that occupy a rightful space in that canon, but, this ain't one of them! I was underwhelmed by this Scott Derrickson Directed and Screenwritten film that we are told in the opening credits is 'inspired by real events' as recounted in the book 'Beware the Night' by now retired NYPD cop Ralph Sarchie, whom Eric Bana plays in this film.

Derrickson has a solid enough pedigree with 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' and 'Sinister' amongst others in the same genre, but this film falls flat on many levels. Promoted as a Police action horror set in New York's present day Bronx, this story surrounds two cops - Sergeant Ralph Sharpie (Bana) and his adrenalin junkie knife toting partner Butler (Joel McHale). Called out to a random job late at night they encounter a wife beating that under normal circumstances would be routine, but this time there is more than meets the eye when the crazed, half naked husband sets about the two cops before running into the night. Cut to the Bronx Zoo and a woman randomly tosses her young child into the lion's den for no apparent reason - except that we discover later on that a hooded man is painting out a hieroglyphic type message inscribed on the wall in that same lion's den . . . in the middle of the night! All is clearly not what it seems as CCTV footage will reveal later.

What unfolds as we move forward is a story of demonic possession that is at first of course dismissed by a world weary Sharpie who has seen more than his fair share of horror on the streets of the Bronx bought about by mere mortals, and nothing as cooked up as being supernatural! Until of course things start to go bump in the night in his own home, and he starts to hear things and see things that naturally, no one else can! Added to these unexplained occurrences more similar Persian/Latin hieroglyphic paintings are uncovered, strange happenings are reported, certain persons of interest are behaving very strangely and the map of how all this is pieced together starts to unfold. En route, Sharpie reluctantly enlists the help of local Castilian priest, Father Mendoza (Edgar Ramirez) who has his own weighty baggage and is somewhat unconventional in his approach to his faith, but, who is fortunately well versed in the art of exorcism and nether worldly stuff! So it's up to Sharpie, Butler and Mendoza to uncover what is going on, explain these events and chase down our possessed protagonist before all Hell is let loose.

Derrickson has thrown just about every cliche he can at this, and we've seen it all before - creaking floorboards, flickering lights that slowly extinguish, flash lights that fade and die, static on the walkie talkies, doors that slam locked shut of their own volition, scratching sounds behind walls and under the floor, toys that suddenly spring into a menacing life all their own, repugnant smells, and images of bloodied bodies momentarily on screen to create a fright. And then of course most of the action takes place in dank, dark, dirty underground bunkers or obligatory basements, or some apartment where the main protagonists do their gruesome stuff - but none of this creates any scares, and those that do come do so from your everyday situations and encounters that are from this world, and not some other supernatural dimension.

Three are a few gruesome deaths where the claret flows, but again there is nothing you haven't seen before, and Bana does an OK job, but it is only OK. The closing exorcism inside a Police Station cell is handled reasonably well, and Santino (Sean Harris) as the possessed ex-Royal Marine is well made-up and carved-up to make his possession convincing enough, but really, everything else is fairly pedestrian!

You don't need to blow $20 on the price of a cinema ticket to see this film - wait a few months for the DVD or Bluray that might give you more of a total package that you can watch in the comfort of your own home with the lights out. But, don't expect too much!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 24th July 2014.

This week we have a veritable slew of new releases to tempt you out on a cool Winter's evening to your local independent cinema or multiplex. No less than seven hot new movies are sure to offer something for everyone and ensure there is no shortage of new cinematic content to ease that dollar from out of your wallet. There is big screen action, horror, comedy, drama, science-fiction and documentary offerings that will ensure all tastes are catered for, whilst not forgetting the other big screen entertainment released in the recent past that is still out there on general release.

When you've been out there this coming week sitting in a dark room with a bunch of strangers taking in  a good dose of aural and visual overload, enjoy your cinematic experience, drop me a line and tell my other Reader what you think.

DEVIL'S KNOT (Rated M) - Directed by Atom Egoyan and starring an American accented Colin Firth, and Reece Witherspoon amongst other fine talent, this film appears to over promise and under deliver. The story recounts the real life events surrounding the 'West Memphis Three' young teenagers who were convicted in the mid-90's of killing three young boys (Michael Moore, Stevie Branch and Christopher Byers) . The speculation over this case continues on to this day, and perhaps this is the motivation for the film - giving the case further exposure and reason to cast more doubt over the convictions maybe! Essentially the three teenagers in question were supposed Devil worshippers who allegedly did away with the three younger lads as part of a satanic ritual. The three teenagers, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jnr. were convicted even though evidence was lacking and they pleaded their innocence throughout. Baldwin and Misskelley were sentenced to life imprisonment and Echols to death, although after subsequent forensic testing, a revaluation of the evidence and a new hearing in 2011 the case took a new twist and the three were released. The case continues however, with the real killer still at large. The film I believe presents nothing new that we haven't seen before, and so you'll have to make up your own mind if you can decipher the story presented here and make something of the assessments handed down.

DELIVER US FROM EVIL (Rated MA15+) - this supernatural horror chiller stars Eric Bana as New York City cop Ralph Sarchie investigating a number of inexplicable, disturbing and brutal crimes. When he keeps drawing up blanks he joins forces with Father Mendoza (Edgar Ramirez) who is well versed, somewhat unconventionally, in the occult, the supernatural and the art of exorcism to counteract the malevolent forces seemingly at work in their fair city. This is Directed by Scott Derrickson, and is based on the real life experiences of Sarchie as bone-chillingly and neck-tinglingly recounted in his book. There have been many films of this genre and this subject matter in more recent years, but Eric Bana is always solid, and the shorts I have seen make this worthy of your consideration if you like your supernatural horror chiller served with blood, gore and raw emotion.

HERCULES (Rated PG) - by my reckoning this is the 22nd Hercules movie to grace our screens since 1958 and that includes a number of animated features too. Arnold Schwarzenegger started his acting career credited as Arnold Strong in 1969's 'Hercules in New York' and now in 2014 we have Arnie wannabe Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson flexing his pecs and doing the Herc thing! This is the story of Hercules the man, the myth, the legend and son of Zeus who has been granted nothing by his father other than to walk the Earth and suffer because of his heritage. Gaining solace only in his thirst for battle, bloodshed and death he encounters other similar 'lost souls' with whom he unites to become a band of paid mercenaries never questioning their tasks, only how much is it worth to them. However, the time comes when they are recruited by the King of Thrace and his daughter to train their army to do battle with an evil warlord intent of overthrowing their Kingdom and claiming it for his own. Also starring the talent of John Hurt, Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, and Joseph Fiennes this is Directed by Brett Ratner who has a strong pedigree which might just lift this swords and sandals story to a new level.

SNOWPIERCER (Rated MA) - Directed by South Korea's Boog Joon-ho in his first English language feature this is an audacious deftly handled telling on the big screen of the French graphic novel 'Le Transperceneige'. Set in 2031after an earlier experiment to halt global warming has gone horribly wrong for our dearly beloved green Earth, and created a desolate windswept frozen white planet in which practically all life has been wiped out. Except of course for those riding 'The Snowpiercer' - a massive train powered by perpetual motion, which means that it will never stop! It travels the Earth on a single winding track across continents track taking a year to circumnavigate the planet. On the train are all that is left of civilisation - at the back end are the poor living in carriages of squalor while at the front end are the rich and powerful with all the trappings of the good life - restaurants, bars, clubs, schools and social riches. There is a class system that has evolved over the years but the downtrodden poorer classes at the back are repressed, and once again revolt in an attempt to free themselves ultimately, get off the hurtling train and explore Earth's frozen barren snow strewn landscape which just might, be warming up! There is much that has been lauded already about this film starring the august talent of Chris Evans, John Hurt, Ed Harris, Jamie Bell and Tilda Swinton in the main leads backed up by some of South Korea's finest acting talent which elevates this above your usual end of the world apocalyptic block buster disaster action offering.

MRS. BROWN'S BOYS D'MOVIE (Rated M) - I am not a fan of the TV series that has spawned this big screen spin-off, and I am guessing that everything is here on the big screen that you have already seen on the small screen. Irish widow Agnes Brown is a fecking opinionated, nosy, potty mouthed, cantankerous old woman who clearly feels that the world (or at least hers) could not function without her. Selling fruit and veggies at a local Dublin market her world is about to implode when heartless, greedy corporate property developers threaten the market and her stalls existence. Going on the defensive she enlists the support of her local community, friends, relatives, blind Ninja's and a Tourettes suffering lawyer to stop injustice being done. Starring Brandan O'Carroll in the lead role this is sure to please followers of the TV Series, but might just wallow where the 'Kath & Kim' movie did too!

ONCE MY MOTHER (Rated PG) - Australian filmmaker Sophia Turkiewicz was just seven years old when she was abandoned by her Polish mother, Helen, to an Adelaide orphanage for two years. Being old enough at seven to remember, she never forgot, nor forgave, this act of betrayal. Now in mid-life Sophia seeks to reconcile that act, understand her mothers motives and come to terms with the troubled relationship she has had with her mother and her new family ever since. In doing so, and in making this film, Sophia uncovers Helen's escape from a wartime Siberian Gulag, her survival against all the odds and the truth surrounding Stalin and the Allies. Along the way Helen ends up in a Polish refugee camp in Africa having travelled thousands of miles with other Poles where thousands perished en route. She remains there for six years and this is where Sophia is born. Eventually she secures passage with baby Sophia aboard a boat bound for Australia and arrives in Adelaide - she knows no body, has no money, cannot speak the language and has a baby in tow! With Helen now suffering dementia Sophia documents this amazing story while there is still time to recover those memories from her Mother, and reconcile their relationship before it's too late. A mesmerising real life telling of heartbreak, betrayal, abandonment, relocation, survival, desperation, loss and eventual awakening and reconciliation.

WORDS AND PICTURES (Rated M) - flamboyant English prep-school teacher Jack Marcus (Clive Owen)  and a new straight laced art teacher Dina Delsanto (Juliette Binoche) cross swords at a private school and an unlikely courtship ensues. Enjoying the cut & thrust and the battle of the classroom they initiate a hearty debate amongst their students through a competition as to which is more powerful . . . words or pictures? In doing so though they must also fight their own internal battles as these two troubled souls needs to shake off their baggage if they are to truly connect. Also stars Bruce Davison and Navid Negahban and Directed by Fred Schepisi. If 'Dromcom's' are right up your street (Drama, Comedy, Romance) with a back drop of the education system, then this could be for you!

Seven is your lucky number this week, and you could if you wish see one a day for the next seven days until my next Preview Post, and then tell us all about it in your 'Guest Reviewer' spot on Odeon Online! Enjoy the films, however many you take in.

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-