What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 4th April 2019.

In March 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 . . . . Luke Perry, Larry Cohen and Jan-Michael Vincent.

* Luke Perry, born Coy Luther Perry III on October 11th 1966, died March 4th 2019, aged 52. Perry moved to Los Angeles shortly after high school in 1984 to pursue a career in acting. Come 1988, and Perry had already auditioned for 256 acting gigs before receiving his first accepted role. After moving to New York, his earliest roles were on daytime soap operas - one episode on 'Loving' and ten episodes on long running NBC series 'Another World'. In 1990 he scored his breakout role as Dylan McKay on the popular 'Beverly Hills, 90210' until 1995 and then he reprised this role for the closing three seasons from 1998 to 2000 starring in 199 episodes overall. In the meantime Perry took roles in feature films including 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', 'The Fifth Element' and 'The Florentine'. During this time he also lent his voice talents to multiple animated series including 'Biker Mice from Mars', 'Mortal Kombat : Defenders of the Realm', 'The Incredible Hulk' and 'The Night of the Headless Horseman'. The 2000's saw a raft of direct to video release films with a few limited theatrical releases including 'Dishdogz', 'Redemption Road', 'Red Wing' and his last film due for release mid year this year is Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'. During these years he also starred in a raft of television series with recurring roles, taking in ten episodes on 'Oz' and 35 episodes in its follow up series 'Jeremiah', thirteen episodes on 'Windfall', ten episodes on 'John from Cincinnati', five on 'Body of Proof' and most recently on three seasons over 48 episodes of 'Riverdale' with a fourth season announced just weeks before his death. All up Perry had 95 Acting credits to his name, seven as Producer, one as Director and one as Writer. He was the recipient of two award wins and another six nominations.

* Larry Cohen, born Lawrence George Cohen on July 15th 1936, died March 23rd 2019, aged 92. Cohen was an American film Producer, Director and Screenwriter perhaps best known as a B-movie auteur of horror and science-fiction films mostly during the 1970's and '80's. During his career he amassed 86 film and television writing credits, twenty Producer credits and 21 as Director. His Directing credits included the likes of 'It's Alive' and its 1978 sequel 'It Lives Again' and its follow up 1987 'It's Alive III : Island of the Alive'. Then there has also been 'The Stuff', 'A Return to Salem's Lot', 'Deadly Illusion', 'The Ambulance', 'As Good As Dead' and his last feature length film 1996's 'Original Gangstas'. His Screenwriting career launched back in the late '50's and continued right through until 2009 taking in such credits more recently as 'Phone Booth', 'Cellular', 'Captivity', 'Connected' and 'Messages Deleted'.

* Jan-Michael Vincent - was born July 15th 1945, died February 10th 2019, aged 73, although his death was not made public until March 8th. He was an American Actor, probably most well known for his role in four seasons of television series 'Airwolf' which ran from 1984 though to 1987 as Stringfellow Hawke opposite Ernest Borgnine. Additionally, perhaps his most famed film roles were in 1972's 'The Mechanic' opposite Charles Bronson, and 1978's Californian surfing classic 'Big Wednesday'. In a career that launched in the late '60's Vincent starred in the likes of 'Damnation Alley', 'Hooper', 'Defiance', 'Hard Country', 'Last Plane Out', 'Hit List' and 'Buffalo '66'. Among his television work he appeared in single and multiple episodes of 'Dragnet', 'Lassie', 'Bonanza', 'The Survivors', 'Tribes', 'The Persuaders', 'Police Story', mini-series 'The Winds of War', 'Hotel' and 'Nash Bridges'. Vincent battled drug and alcohol addiction for much of his life. He was arrested for possessing cocaine in 1977, '78, and '79 and in 1984 and '85 was arrested for taking part in two separate bar brawls. He was charged with assault in 1986 but acquitted, was arrested for drunk driving in 1988, and during the '90's was involved in three serious car accidents which almost cost him his life. In 2000 he violated his probation, appeared drunk in public three times, assaulted his future wife and was sentenced to sixty days jail time. He was involved in another car accident in 2008. In 2012 he had his right leg amputated just below the knee after contracting a leg infection. He walked thereafter with a prosthetic limb. All up Vincent had 84 acting credits to his name, and he collected two award wins and another five nominations including two Golden Globe nods.

Turning attention then to this week, we have five latest release movies coming to your local Odeon. We launch with another Superhero offering, this time from the DC Extended Universe that introduces us to a new character  - a young teenage kid who is able to turn into an adult Superhero version of himself just by uttering one simple word. Then we turn to the second rendition of this horror film based on a story by acclaimed and prolific horror author Stephen King that gets a new updated treatment compared to the 1989 film version about a mysterious burial ground found in the woods behind a rural home. Next up we have a crime thriller set back in the late '80's which sees a former hit man now dying of cancer on the run from his former Boss, as he tries to get back to his home town with a former hostage whom he has rescued in tow. This is followed by a mid-'90's set coming of age story about a young lad who gets involved with a group of skateboarders and is led astray. We then wrap up the week with a biographical drama about the last three years of this famed Irish poet at the end of the 19th Century, who despite his fame and popularity was disgraced and died practically friendless and penniless.

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.

'SHAZAM' (Rated M) - here comes the seventh instalment in the DC Extended Universe based on the DC Comics of the same name which first appeared in 1939 under his original name 'Captain Marvel' and subsequently changed to 'Shazam' in 1972 due to trademark conflicts over another character named 'Captain Marvel' owned by Marvel Comics. He is the alter ego of Billy Batson, a boy who, by speaking the magic word 'SHAZAM' (an acronym of six 'immortal elders', being Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury), can transform himself into a costumed adult with the powers of superhuman strength, speed, flight and various other abilities. The film cost in the region of US$100M to bring to the big screen, is Directed by David F. Sandberg, is released in the US this week too and has so far received generally favourable Reviews with some describing it as one of the best Superhero films.

One year after Steppenwolf's invasion (last seen in 'Justice League') troubled fourteen year-old orphan Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is set to move in with the Vazquez family and their other five foster kids. One day, Billy gets on a subway car and finds himself transported to a different realm where the ancient wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) seeking a successor, gives him the power to transform into a godlike adult superhero (Zachary Levi) by uttering the word 'Shazam!' Billy and his new foster brother and best friend Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) must discover Billy's new powers and how to use them to prevent the villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong), who has powers of his own, from committing various dastardly deeds.

'PET SEMATARY' (Rated MA15+) - based on the 1983 horror novel of the same name by Stephen King, this is the second adaptation of that novel - the first coming in 1989 also titled 'Pet Sematary' which was made for US$11.5M and grossed US$58M which spawned a sequel in 1992 'Pet Sematary Two' which grossed just US$17M. Now in 2019, based on the source material with a new treatment, this offering is Directed by Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer, saw its World Premier at SXSW recently and has garnered generally positive Reviews with some Critics hailing it as one of King's best movie adaptations. Here the story follows Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), who, after relocating with his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz) and their two young children, Ellie and Gage, from Boston to small town Maine, discovers a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the forest near the family's new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his unusual neighbour, Jud Crandall (John Lithgow), that sparks a perilous chain reaction that sets forth an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences! The film is released in the US this week too.

'GALVESTON' (Rated MA15+) - this American crime thriller saw its World Premier screening at South by Southwest back in March 2018, got a release in the US back in October last year and only now does it gain a limited showing in Australia. Directed by French Actress, Screenwriter, Director, singer and pianist Melanie Laurent in her English language Directorial debut, here she weaves a story set in 1988 centering around Roy (Ben Foster), a heavy-drinking criminal enforcer and mob hit man whose boss set him up in a double-cross caper not knowing that he had been diagnosed earlier with terminal lung cancer. After killing his would-be assassins before they could kill him, Roy discovers Rocky (Elle Fanning), a young escort being held captive, and reluctantly takes her with him on his journey back to his hometown of Galveston. Determined to find safety and sanctuary there, Roy must find a way to stop his boss from pursuing them while trying to outrun the demons from his and Rocky's past lives. The film has a fairly short running time of just 94 minutes and has generated mixed or average Reviews.

'MID90s' (Rated MA15+) - here this American coming of age comedy drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jonah Hill in his Directorial debut. The film saw its World Premier screening at TIFF back in early September, went on general release in the US in October, has so far grossed US$8M and has garnered largely positive Reviews so far. Set in the mid-'90's, we join thirteen year-old Stevie (Sunny Suljic) who lives in Los Angeles with his aggressive, fitness-obsessed older brother Ian (Lucas Hedges) and single mother Dabney (Katherine Waterston). One day Stevie rides his bike past Motor Avenue Skateshop, admires the macho mateship of skateboarders outside, and returns the next day. Back home, Stevie trades with his brother for a skateboard, brings it to the shop and befriends young skater Ruben (Gio Galicia), who introduces him to the others in the group -  Ray (Na-Kel Smith), 'Fuckshit' (Olan Prenatt) and 'Fourth Grade' (Ryder McLaughlin). Although an inexperienced skater, Stevie is drawn to the group and aspires to imitate their daredevil behaviour and anti-social attitudes. This is his story.

'THE HAPPY PRINCE' (Rated MA15+) - recounting the final three years in the life of Oscar Wilde, here Rupert Everett Directs, Writes and stars in his Directing debut as Oscar Wilde, the famed Irish poet and playwright. Following his highly publicised trial in 1895, in which Wilde was convicted of 'gross indecency' he was sentenced to two years prison hard labour. During this time the majority of his friends turn their back on him. In 1897 he was released, and he went into exile in France suffering from poor health and died three years later, practically without friends and destitute. The films title is a reference to the children's story by Wilde 'The Happy Prince and Other Tales' first published in 1888, which the poet would read out loud to his children. Also starring Colin Firth, Colin Morgan, Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson and John Standing, the film saw its Premier at the Sundance Film Festival back in January 2018, was released in the UK mid-last year and only now does it get a turn in Australia. The film has made US$2.2M and has received generally favourable Reviews.

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-

Birthday's to share this week : 29th October - 4th November 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Ben Foster does on 29th October - check out my tribute to this Actor Producer Birthday Lad turning 37, 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 29th October

• Kate Jackson - Born 1948, turns 69 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Winona Ryder - Born 1971, turns 46 - Actress | Producer
• Richard Dreyfuss - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer
• Rufus Sewell - Born 1967, turns 50 - Actor
• Ben Foster - Born 1980, turns 37 - Actor | Producer 

Monday 30th October

• Henry Winkler - Born 1945, turns 72 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Kevin Pollak - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Juliet Stevenson - Born 1956, turns 61 - Actress 
• Clemence Poesy - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actress | Writer | Director  

Tuesday 31st October

• Piper Perabo - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actress | Producer
• Willow Smith - Born 2000, turns 17 - Actress | Singer
• Stephen Rea - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actor 
• Peter Jackson - Born 1961, turns 56 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | 
• Dermot Mulroney - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer | Musician
• Rob Schneider - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director   

Wednesday 1st November

• Lyle Lovett - Born 1957, turns 60 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor | Composer | Producer | Director 
• Robert Luketic - Born 1973, turns 44 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Toni Collette - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actress | Producer | Singer  

Thursday 2nd November

• Stephanie Powers - Born 1942, turns 75 - Actress | Producer | Writer
• David Schwimmer - Born 1966, turns 51 - Actor | Director | Producer 
• Jon M. Chu - Born 1979, turns 38 - Director | Producer | Writer 

Friday 3rd November

• Gary Ross - Born 1956, turns 61 - Writer | Director | Producer
• Dolph Lundgren - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Dylan Moran - Born 1971, turns 46 - Actor | Writer
• Lulu (aka Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie) - Born 1948, turns 69 - Singer | Actress
• Roseanne Barr - Born 1952, turns 65 - Actress | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer
• Kate Capshaw - Born 1953, turns 64 - Actress   

Saturday 4th November

• Loretta Swit - Born 1937, turns 80 - Actress | Singer
• Ralph Macchio - Born 1961, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Matthew McConaughey - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter
• Sean 'Diddy' Combs - Born 1969, turns 48 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Producer | Actor | Writer | Director 

Benjamin A. Foster was born in Boston, Massachusetts to mother Gillian Kirwan and father Steven Foster - restauranteurs. He described his parents as 'free spirited Vietnam protesting hippies'. When he was four years old the family, together with younger brother Jon, relocated themselves to Fairfield in Iowa as a result of a burglary on their home while they were present in the house. Whilst living in Fairfield, Ben attended the Maharishi University of Management featuring a consciousness based education system that includes the practice of Transcendental Meditation technique (which he still practices to this day). Foster began his career as a jobbing Actor from the age of sixteen having dropped out of High School and moving to Los Angeles to chase his dream. However, he discovered acting much earlier on in his life when he wrote, Directed and starred in his own stage play at age twelve - which came second place in an international competition. By age fourteen he has attended the Interlochen Theatre Arts Summer Programme at Interlochen in Michigan, so it almost became inevitable that in time he'd move to Tinsel Town.

He gained his first acting gig in the direct to video release of 'Kounterfeit' - an action crime thriller from 1997 with Hilary Swank. This was followed up that same year with all 26 episodes on the Disney family comedy television series 'Flash Forward' which ran from 1996 through to 1997, with Foster playing a lead role as Tucker James. He followed this up with a single episode on 'You Wish' and then made for television films - 'I've Been Waiting For You', 'Breakfast with Einstein' and '1973' in 1998 with two episodes on 'Freaks and Geeks' and then feature film 'Liberty Heights' closing out the decade in 1999 as Written and Directed by Barry Levinson and also starring Adrien Brody.

2000 launched with a single episode on 'Family Law' and then RomCom 'Get Over It' with Kirsten Dunst, Colin Hanks, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana, and Martin Short. TV movie 'The Laramie Project' based on a true crime murder story also starred Peter Fonda, Laura Linney, Steve Buscemi, Clancy Brown and Christina Ricci. This in turn led to two episodes on 'Boston Public' then comedy crime caper offering Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld 'Big Trouble' with Tim Allen, Stanley Tucci, Tom Sizemore, Johnny Knoxville, Rene Russo, Zooey Deschanel and Sofia Vergara. 'Bang Bang You're Dead'; 'Northfork' with James Woods, Nick Nolte and Daryl Hannah; '11:14' with Colin Hanks, Patrick Swayze, Hilary Swank and Barbara Hershey, 'The Punisher' based on the Marvel Comics character of Frank Castle, aka 'The Punisher' played by Thomas Jane with John Travolta, Will Patton, Roy Schneider and Rebecca Romijn; and then 'The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things' took us up to mid-decade.

2005 saw 'Hostage' - the action crime drama with Bruce Willis, and running concurrently over 23 episodes was the critically acclaimed television series 'Six Feet Under' between 2003 and 2005. These were followed up by 'Alpha Dog' based on a true crime story Directed by Nick Cassavetes and with an ensemble cast taking in Bruce Willis, Harry Dean Stanton, Justin Timberlake, Emile Hirsch, Anton Yelchin, Sharon Stone, Amanda Seyfried, Amber Heard and Olivia Wilde. Foster's performance gained him a Breakthrough Performance Award win at the Young Hollywood Awards. 2006 also saw his turn as Warren Worthington III/'Angel' in 'X-Men : Last Stand', and then the James Mangold Directed Western drama '3:10 to Yuma' alongside Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. David Slade's vampire horror thriller '30 Days of Night' came next in 2007 with Josh Hartnett, Danny Huston and Melissa George, and in between time there were appearances on television series 'The Dead Zone' and 'My Name Is Earl'.

2009 brought 'The Messenger' Directed and Co-Written by Oren Moverman to critical acclaim about an injured American soldier returning from a Tour of Duty in Iraq who becomes involved with with the widow of a fallen officer. Also starring Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton the film was nominated for two Academy Awards, and picked up seventeen award wins and a total 46 nominations including a number of Best Actor wins and nominations for Fosters performance. Sci-Fi action horror 'Pandora' with Dennis Quaid and Norman Reedus closed out the decade.

'Here', then the remake of
the classic early '70's Charles Bronson actioner 'The Mechanic' in 2011 as Directed by Simon West and starring Jason Statham as Arthur Bishop/The Mechanic followed, with '360' and gritty crime drama 'Rampart' Directed again by Oren Moverman and starring Woody Harrelson, Sigourney Weaver, Jon Bernthal, Brie Larson and Cynthia Nixon all came along that same year.

2012 saw crime drama action film 'Contraband' with Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Giovanni Ribisi, then in 2013 the biographical drama 'Kill Your Darlings' about the intertwined lives of three great poets - Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs and starring Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, and Jack Huston. The David Lowery Written and Directed 'Ain't Them Bodies Saints' with Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, and then the true story of Navy Seals on a mission to take out a notorious Taliban leader, when their capture or kill objective goes horribly wrong on a remote mountain side - 'Lone Survivor'. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Eric Bana and Directed by Peter Berg the film was nominated for two Academy Awards and picked up a SAG Award for best stunt ensemble among its haul of five wins and sixteen nods.

Stephen Frears sports biopic of the failed Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, starred Foster as the seven time cycling champion ultimately outed for his banned substance abuse that fuelled his multiple victories, his fame and his fortune. Also starring Chris O'Dowd, Jesse Plemons, Dustin Hoffman and Lee Pace 'The Program' had a limited release but garnered Foster much critical praise for his impressive portrayal of the doomed cyclist. Historical seafaring search and rescue film 'The Finest Hours' was released in 2016 with Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Eric Bana, John Ortiz and Holliday Grainger.

2016 also saw the modern day Western set in America's West Texas rust belt about a couple of down on their luck brothers who resort to desperate measures to save their family ranch from the bank foreclosing. 'Hell or High Water' also starred Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham and was nominated for four Academy Awards, three BAFTA's, three Golden Globes amongst its combined tally of 39 Award wins and another 160 nominations. This was followed by action adventure fantasy film 'Warcraft' as Directed by Duncan Jones and starring Travis Fimmel, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Clancy Brown and Ruth Negga. Costing US$160M this video game adaptation grossed US$433M making it the highest grossing video game film adaptation of all time. 'Inferno' based on the Dan Brown book of the same name about Professor of Symbology Robert Langdon played for the third time by Tom Hanks, and his attempts to foil a deadly global plot masterminded by a wealthy industrialist intent on wiping out half the worlds population because it can't sustain itself. Foster plays that guy.

Bringing us up to date are the French comedy Directed, Co-Written and also starring Guillaume Canet 'Rock'n Roll' with Marion Cotillard and the soon to be released Western drama set in 1892 'Hostiles' with Christian Bale, Jesse Plemons, Stephen Lang, Peter Mullan and Rosamund Pike. Also due soon and in post-production is 'My Abandonment' and hitman revenge film 'Galveston' with Beau Bridges and Elle Fanning due later in 2018.

All up Foster has 53 Acting credits under this belt so far, and one as Producer on 'Rampart'. He also has a stage credit for appearing alongside Gillian Anderson in 2014 in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' at London's Young Vic Theatre, later transferring in 2016 to New York's St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn. He has so far garnered seven Award wins for 'Hell or High Water', 'The Messenger' and 'Alpha Dog' plus a further thirty nominations.

Foster was in a long term relationship with Actress Robin Wright from early on in 2012, becoming engaged to be married two years later, only to call it all off in late 2014. They reconciled their differences a few months later only to abandon the relationship for good by August 2015. Fourteen months later in October 2016 he became engaged to Actress Laura Prepon, and the couple celebrated the birth of their first child together, a daughter in August of this year.

Ben Foster - described by some Critics as giving powerful 'unhinged' and 'intense' performances that even 'make a bad film worth seeing'; often plays crazy, violent roles; has a soft, mellow and calming voice; was ranked highly on the '30 under 30' Actors list and the '10 Actors to Watch' list and has already gained the accolades and recognition to prove it, and, is only improving with age and is increasingly in demand. With a varied body of work across the small screen, the silver screen and the stage taking in just about all genres (except a song and dance number . . . yet!), we'll stay tuned for your further offerings. In the meantime, Happy Birthday to you Ben, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-