Showing posts with label Gangster Squad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gangster Squad. Show all posts

Saturday, 11 November 2017

Birthday's to share this week : 12th - 18th November 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Ryan Gosling does on 12th November - check out my tribute to this Actor Producer Musician Birthday Boy 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 12th November
  • Ryan Gosling - Born 1980, turns 37 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer | Songwriter
  • Radha Mitchell - Born 1973, turns 44 - Actress | Producer | Writer | Director
  • Anne Hathaway - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actress | Producer | Singer   
Monday 13th November
  • Frances Conroy - Born 1953, turns 64 - Actress | Singer
  • Whoopi Goldberg - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actress | Producer | Writer | Singer | Director | Television Personality
  • Steve Zahn - Born 1967, turns 50 - Actor | Singer
  • Jimmy Kimmel - Born 1967, turns 50 - Television Personality | Actor | Producer | Writer
  • Gerard Butler - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actor | Producer | Singer  
Tuesday 14th November
  • Paul McGann - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actor | Director
  • Josh Duhamel - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
  • Brian Gleeson - Born 1987, turns 30 - Actor
  • Olga Kurylenko - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actress | Singer | Producer
Wednesday 15th November
  • Shailene Woodley - Born 1991, turns 26 - Actress | Producer  
  • Edward Asner - Born 1929, turns 88 - Actor | Producer | Singer
  • Yaphet Koto - Born 1939, turns 78 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
  • Sam Waterston - Born 1940, turns 77 - Actor | Producer
  • Roger Donaldson - Born 1945, turns 72 - Director | Producer | Writer
  • Jonny Lee Miller - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actor 
Thursday 16th November
  • Maggie Gyllenhaal - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actress | Producer | Singer  
Friday 17th November
  • Lauren Hutton - Born 1943, turns 74 - Actress | Producern
  • Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actress 
  • Sophie Marceau - Born 1966, turns 51 - Actress | Director | Writer
  • Rachel McAdams - Born 1978, turns 39 - Actress 
  • Zoe Bell - Born 1978, turns 39 - Actress | Stuntwoman | Producer
  • Martin Scorsese - Born 1942, turns 75 - Director | Producer | Actor | Writer | Editor 
  • Danny DeVito - Born 1944, turns 73 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer
  • Roland Joffe - Born 1945, turns 72 - Director | Producer | Writer 
Saturday 18th November 
  • Delroy Lindo - Born 1952, turns 65 - Actor | Producer
  • Owen Wilson - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Writer
  • Margaret Atwood - Born 1939, turns 78 - Writer | Producer | Actress
  • Linda Evans - Born 1942, turns 75 - Actress 
  • Chloe Sevigny - Born 1974, turns 43 - Actress | Director | Writer | Producer 
Ryan Thomas Gosling was born in London, Ontario, Canada to mother Donna, a Secretary and father Thomas Ray Gosling, who worked in sales for a paper mill. Because of his father's transient work in sales, the family relocated several times always staying in Ontario, and living in Cornwall and Burlington. He was educated at Gladstone Public School, then Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School and then the Lester B. Pearson High School in Burlington. He remembers hating his childhood. He was bullied at school and claims he had no friends until his early teenage years. He was suspended from school for throwing steak knives at other children, was unable to read, diagnosed with ADHD and a s a result was homeschooled by his mother for a year. Gosling performed in front of a live audience from an early age - singing with his older sister Mandi, at weddings and in his Uncle's Elvis Presley tribute act. He was also involved with a local ballet company. He says that performing boosted his confidence and was the only thing that he ever received any praise for. His parents divorced when the young Ryan was thirteen years of age, and he and Mandi lived with their mother. He dropped out of High School at age seventeen to concentrate his efforts on forging an Acting career. 

At the age of twelve Gosling auditioned for the Disney Channel's 'Mickey Mouse Club'. He was successful, out of 17,000 other young hopefuls, and was given a two year contract as a 'Mouseketeer', and as a result relocated to Orlando, Florida. His fellow cast crew included Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, and he became good friends with Timberlake in particular. He says that this two years were the greatest of his life. Following the cancellation of the show in 1995, Gosling returned to Canada and secured television appearances on 'Are You Afraid of the Dark', 'Kung Fu : The Legend Continues', 'Goosebumps', 'Flash Forward', and in forty four episodes of 'Breaker High', and at age eighteen he moved to New Zealand to film the action adventure series 'Young Hercules' as the lead character which ran for fifty episodes between 1998 and 1999. Thereafter, the young Actor wanted to turn his attention to more serious roles offering greater variety, so he decided to move away from television and concentrate on feature films.

At the age of nineteen, Gosling secured a supporting role in the American football drama 'Remember The Titans' and thereafter his first lead role in 'The Believer' in 2001 - a semi-autobiographical drama film about a young Jewish lad who becomes a Neo-Nazi. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and much praise was bestowed upon Gosling's performance although the film recouped barely one-third of its US$1.5M production budget. This led to 2002's psychological thriller with Sandra Bullock in 'Murder by Numbers' and later that year 'The Slaughter Rule' with David Morse. Whilst the latter film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance again, the film had a limited release and made less that US$15K from its US$500K or so Budget cost. The following year, Gosling played in 'The United States of Leland' with Don Cheadle, Kevin Spacey and Chris Klein about a teenage boy who murders an intellectually disabled boy and the aftermath on both families. The film only received a US release and as such made US$344K only.

Gosling really hit the mainstream with 2004's romantic drama film 'The Notebook' Directed by Nick Cassavetes and co-starring Rachel McAdams. Set during the 1940's the film tells the story of a couple who fall in love, told from the present day in flash back, by Gosling's older self portrayed by James Garner. The film garnered several award wins and nominations, made US$116M from its US$29M Budget, and has appeared on numerous Most Romantic Movies lists. 2005 saw Psychological thriller 'Stay' with Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and Bob Hoskins which was a Box Office bomb and garnered mixed Reviews at best. 'Half Nelson' followed in 2006 with Anthony Mackie, as did 'Fracture' with Anthony Hopkins, and then 'Lars and the Real Girl' seeing out the decade.

After an absence from movie making of three years, Gosling reappeared re-energised and reinvigorated in 2010 to conquer the world. 2010 launched with Derek Cianfrance's Directorial debut with 'Blue Valentine' with Michelle Williams, then crime drama 'All Good Things' opposite Kirsten Dunst and then the highly acclaimed crime drama 'Drive' Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and also starring Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaacs, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman and Christina Hendricks. The film picked up 77 award wins and another 171 nominations including one Oscar, one Golden Globe and four BAFTA nods. Also in 2011 was 'Crazy Stupid Love' with Steve Carell, Kevin Bacon, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone and Marisa Tomei, followed by political drama thriller Directed, Co-Written and starring George Clooney 'The Ides of March' which also starred Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Wright, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood and Max Minghella. The film garnered nine award wins and another 35 nominations including one Academy Award, four Golden Globe and two BAFTA nominations.

2012 saw another outing for Writer/Director Derek Cianfrance with crime drama 'The Place Beyond the Pines' with Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes and Ben Mendelsohn about a motorcycle stunt driver who turns to bank robbery as a means to provide for his girlfriend and their new child. The next year brought 1949 LA set action crime drama 'Gangster Squad' with Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Emma Stone playing the love interest to Gosling's LAPD officer who attempts to outwit mob boss Mickey Cohen. This in turn led to another role in a Nicolas Winding Refn Written and Directed crime drama 'Only God Forgives' with Kristen Scott Thomas.

'The Big Short' followed in 2015. This biographical drama comedy about the mid-2000's financial melt-down and the bursting of the housing bubble was Directed by Adam McKay and Co-starred Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Rafe Spall and Hamish Linklater and was highly regarded by Critics and audiences alike, raking in an Academy Award and BAFTA win for Best Adapted Screenplay as well as four other Academy Award nominations, four Golden Globe nods and four BAFTA nods too amongst its total haul of 37 wins and 79 nominations. The film made US$134M off its US$50M budget investment. Shane Black's Co-Written and Directed mid '70's neo-noir action comedy offering teamed up Gosling with Russell Crowe in 'The Nice Guys' receiving generally positive Reviews, and this led of course to Damien Chazelle's hugely successful and popular 'La La Land' opposite Emma Stone. This film returned US$446M at the Box Office from its US$30M Budget outlay and won six Academy Awards and was nominated for a further eight, won seven Golden Globes, and won five BAFTA's and was nominated a further six times amongst its total collection of 214 wins and 249 other nominations.

Terrence Malick's Austin set music scene drama romance offering 'Song to Song' had a long gestation period to make it to our screens and a limited release just recently and also starred Michael Fassbender, Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Holly Hunter and Val Kilmer. Also just recently released is the sequel thirty five years in the making, 'Blade Runner 2049' Directed by Denis Villeneuve with Gosling playing 'K' alongside Harrison Ford's reprised character Rick Deckard from the cult classic 1982 Ridley Scott Directed film, 'Blade Runner'. The film remains on general release and has so far grossed US241M against its US$150M Budget, and also stars Jared Leto, Dave Bautista, Robin Wright, Lennie James, Barkhad Abdi and Edward James Olmos also from the original film.

Next up Gosling is starring in the Damien Chazelle Directed vehicle 'First Man' based on the biography 'First Man : The Life of Neil A. Armstrong' with the Actor portraying the first man on the Moon, Neil Armstrong. Also starring Claire Foy, Jon Bernthal, Jason Clarke, Corey Stoll and Kyle Chandler, the film is scheduled for release in October 2018.

Aside form his Acting interest, Gosling also Wrote, Produced and Directed 'Lost River' in 2014 - his debut, in this mystery fantasy drama offering starring Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan, Matt Smith, Ben Mendelsohn and Eva Mendes. The film Premiered in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival, and received a limited release in early 2015 making just US$615K at the Box Office and receiving mixed Reviews. Gosling also formed the indie rock band 'Dead Man's Bones' in 2007 with his friend Zach Shields. They released a self titled album in late 2009 on which Gosling contributed vocals, and played piano, bass guitar, guitar and cello on the recording. They subsequently played in several music festivals and toured briefly to promote the album in late 2009.

All up, Gosling has 43 Acting credits to his name, six as Producer, one as Writer and one as Director, and he has eleven Soundtrack credits too. He has been nominated for two Academy Awards for 'La La Land' and 'Half Nelson', won the Golden Globe for 'La La Land' and had four other nominations, was nominated for the BAFTA for 'La La Land', has two AACTA Award nominations, and four SAG nominations, out of a total awards haul to date of 32 wins and a further 138 nominations. He has dated his 'Murder by Numbers' Co-Star Sandra Bullock from 2002 to 2003, his 'The Notebook' Co-Star Rachel McAdams from 2005 to 2007, and from 2011 he has been in a relationship with his 'The Place Beyond the Pines' Co-Star Eva Mendes, with whom he has two daughters - Esmeralda Amada (born 2014) and Amada Lee (born 2016).

When he's not Acting or pursuing other film interest Gosling is a supporter of various social causes, including 'PETA' (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), 'Invisible Children, Inc.' raising awareness of the Lord's Resistance Army in Central Africa and its head, Joseph Kony, and has worked with the 'Enough Project' to put an end to genocide and crimes against humanity in conflict zones in Africa especially. He has visited Chad, Uganda and Congo as part of his commitment.

Ryan Gosling, an active owner of a Moroccan Restaurant in Beverly Hills; was voted on several 'Top' lists including 50 Hottest Bachelor's, Male Star of Tomorrow, and 30 Under 30; often gets confused with that other well known Canadian Actor, Ryan Reynolds; has yet to star in a horror film or as a Superhero (although was considered for the role of 'Batman' before Ben Affleck was cast in 'Batman v. Superman') but has starred in just about every other genre; and adds a gritty, often emotionally detached realism to his roles for which he has won acclaim and which keeps us returning to the cinema. Happy Birthday to you Ryan, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online- 

Saturday, 4 November 2017

Birthday's to share this week : 5th - 11th November 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Emma Stone does on 6th November - check out my tribute to this Actress Producer Birthday Girl turning 29, 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 5th November
  • Elke Sommer - Born 1940, turns 77 - Actress
  • Tilda Swinton - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actress | Producer | Writer | Director
  • Tatum O'Neal - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actress | Producer
  • Famke Janssen - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director
  • Robert Patrick - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actor | Producer 
  • Sam Rockwell - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Producer
Monday 6th November
  • Nigel Havers - Born 1951, turns 66 - Actor 
  • Vince Colosimo - Born 1966, turns 51 - Actor
  • Ethan Hawke - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actor | Writer | Director | Producer | Singer
  • Sally Field - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actress | Producer | Director | Writer
  • Lori Singer - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actress | Producer
  • Thandie Newton - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actress | Producer
  • Rebecca Romijn - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actress | Producer
  • Emma Stone - Born 1988, turns 29 - Actress | Producer | Singer
Tuesday 7th November
  • Morgan Spurlock - Born 1970, turns 47 - Producer | Writer | Director | Actor 
  • Adam Devine - Born 1983, turns 34 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Singer | Songwriter | Director  
Wednesday 8th November
  • Richard Curtis - Born 1956, turns 61 - Writer | Producer | Director 
  • Parker Posey - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actress | Singer
  • Gretchen Mol - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actress   
Thursday 9th November
  • Lou Ferrigno - Born 1951, turns 66 - Actor 
  • Tony Slattery - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actor | Writer | Television Personality  
Friday 10th November
  • Ennio Morricone - Born 1928, turns 89 - Composer | Songwriter | Musician | Conductor
  • Roland Emmerich - Born 1955, turns 62 - Director | Producer | Writer 
  • Hugh Bonneville - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actor 
  • Walton Goggins - Born 1971, turns 46 - Actor | Producer
  • Taron Egerton - Born 1989, turns 28 - Actor  
Saturday 11th November
  • Stanley Tucci - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
  • Leonardo DiCaprio - Born 1974, turns 43 - Actor | Producer | Writer
  • Scoot McNairy - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actor | Producer
  • June Whitfield - Born 1925, turns 92 - Actress
  • Demi Moore - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actress | Producer
  • Calista Flockhart - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actress | Singer
Emily Jean Stone was born in Scottsdale, Arizona to mother Krista Jean Yeager, a housewife and homemaker and father Jeffrey Charles Stone, the CEO and founder of a general contracting company. She attended Sequoya Elementary School and then Cocopah Middle School in Scottsdale. By her own admission she did not particularly like school but having a controlling nature she was determined to do well and score 'A's' in all subjects. As a child she suffered from panic attacks which negatively impacted her social skills, but attending therapy coupled with her local theatre interests in play acting helped cure her of this ailment. She first developed an interest in acting at the age of just four, and for several years took voice coaching lessons. Her acting debut came at age eleven in a stage production of 'The Wind in the Willows', after which she was home schooled for two years, and during which time she appeared in a further sixteen productions at the Phoenix Valley Youth Theatre. She travelled to Los Angeles to audition for the Nickelodeon Produced live action sketch comedy variety show 'All That' but was unsuccessful. Following this her parents enlisted her for private acting lessons. She then attended Xavier College Preparatory Catholic Girls High School in Phoenix but dropped out after just one semester to pursue a career as an Actress. 

In 2004 Stone moved with her mother to Los Angeles and auditioned for just about every role that she felt best qualified for . . . meeting with rejection at every turn. At the same time she registered for the Screen Actors Guild but the name of Emily Stone was already taken by someone else. She initially opted to use the stage name of Riley Stone but following one-off appearances on 'Medium', 'Lucky Louie' and 'Malcolm in the Middle' she favoured Emma Stone, and that name stuck. She auditioned for the Sci-Fi action drama series 'Heroes' but was unsuccessful here too, and appeared in the illegal car racing action drama series 'Drive' which was canned after just seven episodes in 2007. Stone got her first feature film role in 'Superbad' in 2007 starring Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Bill Hader, Dave Franco and Michael Cera. Stone was praised for her performance and it garnered her a Young Hollywood Award for the most 'Exciting New Face'. 'The Rocker' followed in 2008, then Comedy Romance 'The House Bunny' with Anna Faris, Colin Hanks and Hugh Heffner; followed by 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' with Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner and Michael Douglas; 'Paper Man' with Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Daniels and Lisa Kudrow, and the commercially successful adventure comedy horror offering 'Zombieland' with Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Bill Murray and Abigail Breslin seeing out the decade.  

2010 saw Stone launch with lending her voice to the animated feature film 'Marmaduke' with an all star voice cast including Steve Coogan, Kiefer Sutherland, Owen Wilson and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Also that year saw 'Easy A' in which Stone got top billing as a clean cut high school student who uses the schools grape vine and rumour mill to progress her social and financial standing. The film also starred Stanley Tucci, Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson, Lisa Kudrow and Malcolm McDowell, garnered Stone a number of award wins and nominations including her first Golden Globe nod, and was financially successful too.  

2011 saw 'Friends with Benefits'; then 'Crazy, Stupid Love' with Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, and Kevin Bacon and then a change of pace with the historical drama offering 'The Help' which picked up eighty award wins and another 116 nominations - among them Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTA's and SAG's wins and nods. Stone starred with Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, Sissy Spacek and Bryce Dallas Howard. The film grossed US$217M off the back of a US$25M production budget. The reboot of the 'Spider-Man' franchise for Marvel with Marc Webb's rendition of 'The Amazing Spider-Man' followed in 2012 with Stone playing Gwen Stacy to Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker/Spider-Man's first love interest. Stone would reprise the role in 2014's 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' again opposite Andrew Garfield. The two films combined grossed a total US$1,47B off a budgeted US$480M with Critics saying positive things about the Stone/Garfield pairing in the film and the on-screen chemistry that exists that only serves to heighten both performances.

Historical 1949 LA set gangster and mobster action crime drama 'Gangster Squad' was released in 2013 with Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Pena and Robert Patrick with this time Critics being kind to the pairing of Stone and Gosling, but less positive about the film generally. The film recovered US$106M from its US$75M outlay. The next year saw the Woody Allen Written and Directed 'Magic in the Moonlight' with Colin Firth. In between time there had been an appearance on a single episode of '30 Rock' and 'iCarly', and Stone lent her voice talents to the video game 'Sleeping Dogs' and the DreamWorks animated feature 'The Croods' together with Ryan Reynolds, Nicolas Cage and Catherine Keener, grossing US$588M from a US$135M budget expense.

2014 was seen out with the hugely successful Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu Co-Written and Directed 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)' starring Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts, and Andrea Riseborough. The film collected 193 Award wins and another 277 nominations including four Academy Award wins and five nominations, two Golden Globe wins and five nominations, one BAFTA win and nine nominations, and one SAG win and three nominations, of which Stone was nominated at each of these prestigious Awards for her Best Supporting Actress performance. The film also took US$104M in Box Office receipts against its US$18M budget investment.

This led to a turn with Writer/Director Woody Allen again in 2015 with the release of 'Irrational Man' alongside Joaquin Phoenix, and then later that same year in the Cameron Crowe Written and Directed 'Aloha' opposite Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams, Bill Murray, Alec Baldwin, Jaeden Lieberher and Danny McBride.








After appearing in uncredited roles in 'The Interview' and 'Popstar : Never Stop Never Stopping', along came Damien Chazelle's Written and Directed song and dance drama 'La La Land' with Stone playing the female lead as Mia opposite Ryan Gosling's Sebastian with Rosemary DeWitt, John Legend and J.K. Simmons. The film was a huge critical success bagging 212 Award wins and a further 248 nominations including six Academy Awards and eight nominations, seven Golden Globe wins, five BAFTA wins and six nominations and one SAG win and one nomination. Amongst these Awards ceremonies Stone picked up the award for Best Leading Actress at each. The film also returned US$446M from its US$30M budget.

Released just a short time ago, next up for Stone was the biographical sports drama 'Battle of the Sexes' in which Stone portrays tennis legend Billie Jean King as she faces off against former mens tennis champion Bobby Riggs played by Steve Carell back in 1973 in what was back then the most widely watched television sports event in history. The film also stars Andrea Riseborough, Bill Pullman, Alan Cumming, Elisabeth Shue and Jessica McNamee. Whilst the film garnered mixed Critical Reviews and did lacklustre Box Office, Stone's performance was largely praised.

This brings us up to date, with next up for Stone is the Netflix series 'Maniac' alongside Jonah Hill which is currently in production for airing in 2018. Then there is the Yorgos Lanthimos Directed 18th Century historical biographical feature film 'The Favourite' about royal intrigue, envy, betrayal and passion in the court of Queen Anne, and starring Olivia Coleman, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult and due in 2018 too. Currently in pre-production is 'Cruella' a live action feature film following the evil exploits of Cruella de Vil, following the storyline from '101 Dalmatians' with Stone playing the title character. And finally, and also in pre-production, Stone is set to reprise her role as Eep in the animated feature follow up 'The Croods 2' due in 2020.

All up Stone has forty-two Acting credits to her name and two Producer credits for upcoming TV series 'Maniac' and action comedy feature film 'Little White Corvette'. During her career to date she has also amassed 54 award wins and another 109 nominations including the Academy Award win, Golden Globe win, BAFTA win, AACTA win and SAG win for 'La La Land' as well as other wins from around the festival and awards circuit for 'The Help', 'Birdman' and 'Easy A'. For a few years from 2010 Stone and 'Spider-Man' Co-Star Andrew Garfield were said to be romantically linked, but by 2015 they were reported to have split. She is a supporter of charitable organisations and worthy causes including for the promotion of breast cancer awareness, Earth Hour, autism awareness, and various fundraisers for the Motion Picture and Television Fund, Entertainment Industry Foundation and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Emma Stone - branded by some publications as one of her generations most talented Actresses; has appeared on numerous 'Top' lists over the years including Top 20 Rising Stars Under 30, Top 20 Actresses Under 30, 100 Most Powerful People in the World, Top 10 Best Value Stars, 100 Most Influential People in the World, Hot 100, 100 Sexiest Women in the World, 100 Most Beautiful Women, 100 Hottest Women, Top 99 Women, Most Desirable Women, Best Dressed Woman and in 2017 made it to the top of the highest paid Actress league by raking in a cool US$26M. With your trademark bright green eyes, husky voice, red hair and always playing out of your comfort zone you have proven yourself time and again as the accolades will attest to. So much achieved, and not even thirty yet! Happy Birthday to you Emma, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Saturday, 7 February 2015

Birthday's to share this week : 8th - 14th February 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week? 

Josh Brolin does, on 12th February - 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 8th February
  • Mary Steenbergen - Born 1953, turns 62 - Actress | Producer
  • Seth Green - Born 1974, turns 41 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
  • Nick Nolte - Born 1941, turns 74 - Actor | Producer
  • John Williams - Born 1932, turns 83 - Composer | Songwriter
Monday 9th February
  • Tom Hiddleston - Born 1981, turns 34 - Actor
  • Joe Pesci - Born 1943, turns 72 - Actor
  • Ciaran Hinds - Born 1953, turns 62 - Actor
  • Mia Farrow - Born 1945, turns 70 - Actress
Tuesday 10th February
  • Chloe Grace Moretz - Born 1997, turns 18 - Actress
  • Elizabeth Banks - Born 1974, turns 41 - Actress | Producer | Director
  • Laura Dern - Born 1967, turns 48 - Actress | Producer | Writer
  • Robert Wagner  -Born 1930, turns 85 - Actor | Producer
  • Michael Apted - Born 1941, turns 74 - Director | Producer
Wednesday 11th February
  • Taylor Lautner - Born1992, turns 23 - Actor
  • Damian Lewis  -Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor | Producer
  • Burt Reynolds - Born 1936, turns 79 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer
  • Jennifer Aniston - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actress | Producer
Thursday 12th February
  • Annette Crosbie - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actress
  • Christina Ricci - Born 1980, turns 35 - Actress | Producer
  • Sigfrid Thornton - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actress
  • Josh Brolin - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actor | Producer
  • Darren Aronofsky - Born 1969, turns 46 - Director | Producer | Writer
  • Michael Ironside - Born 1950, turn s65 - Actor | Producer
  • Joe Don Baker - Born 1936, turns 79 - Actor
Friday 13th February
  • Neal McDonough - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actor | Producer
  • Henry Rollins - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
  • George Segal - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actor
  • Stockard Channing - Born 1944, turns 71 - Actress
  • Kim Novak - Born 1933, turns 82 - Actress
  • Mena Suvari - Born 1979, turns 36 - Actress
Saturday 14th February
  • Simon Pegg - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actor | Writer | Producer
Josh James Brolin was born in Santa Monica, California - the son of Jane Cameron Agee a wildlife activist and James Brolin, the Actor. He was raised on a ranch and had little exposure, growing up, to the world of his fathers acting career. At 16 his parents divorced, and his father then remarried in 1986 to Jane Smithers - a film and television actress, but that partnership came to an end in 1995. In 1998 he married again for the third time to singer/songwriter/actress Barbara Streisand and they remain married to this day.

The young Brolin was never that interested in acting as a career having seen the impact of it on his family life and his parents divorce. In fact he had early thoughts on becoming a Chef, but at high school he took an acting class, and liked it so much that the notion took hold. His first screen role came in the Richard Donner Directed and Steven Spielberg Produced 'The Goonies' in 1985, and then a year later in 'Thrashin'' - a story of rival skateboard gangs. From here various television series and made for TV movies followed including 'Private Eye', 'The Young Riders', 'Winnetka Road' and he was closely considered for the role of Officer Tom Hanson in the TV series hit '21 Jump Street' which eventually went to a young Johnny Depp.

By now it was the mid-90's and a series of average films followed - 'The Road Killers' in 1994, 'Bed of Roses', 'Flirting with Disaster' and 'Gang in Blue' all in 1996, and in 1997 'My Brothers War', 'Nightwatch' and 'Mimic'. The decade closed out with 'The Mod Squad', 'Best Laid Plans' and 'All the Rage'. None of his films up to this point had met with any significant critical acclaim and the first half of the new decade brought mediocre offerings too with the likes of 'Hollow Man' with Kevin Bacon, 'Slow Burn' with Minnie Driver to whom he would later become engaged to for a brief period of just six months, 'Melinda and Melinda', 'Into the Blue' and 'Dead Girl' with Toni Collette.

2007 however, brought a change of acting fortune with Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez casting Brolin in their twin tribute to Grindhouse Cinema with his role in 'Planet Terror'. That same year came his lead role in the Coen Brothers 'No Country for Old Men' which met with huge critical acclaim, won four Academy Awards and a swathe of others. Paul Haggis cast him next with Tommy Lee Jones in 'In the Valley of Elah' and then came the acclaimed Ridley Scott offering 'American Gangster' with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.




With his acting fortunes very much on the rise he was cast by Oliver Stone to star in 'W' as President George W. Bush in this bio-pic chronicle of his life and time in office. Gus Van Sant chose him next for the role of Dan White alongside Sean Penn in 'Milk' which garnered Brolin an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor. 







After this came his lead role as the scarred anti-hero comic book character 'Johan Hex' in the film of the same name. Costing US$47M to make it tanked at the Box Office making just US$11M. He was cast again by Oliver Stone in 2010 to star with Michael Douglas and Shia LaBoeuf in the 'Wall Street' follow-up 'Money Never Sleeps', and that same year by the Coen's again in the much lauded 'True Grit' remake with Jeff Bridges. 

This led to 'MIB3' again retiming with Tommy Lee Jones, 'The Gangster Squad' again with Sean Penn, 'Labour Day' with Kate Winslett, in Spike Lee's Hollywood remake of vengeance film 'Oldboy' and the 'Sin City' sequel last year for Robert Rodriguez taking on the role of Dwight from Clive Owen in 'A Dame to Kill For'. 









Out imminently is 'Inherent Vice' Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Joaquin Phoenix which has two Oscar nods and a raft of award wins already under its belt. Next up in adventure drama 'Everest' with an all star cast due later in 2015, then crime drama 'Sicario' with Benicio Del Toro and Emily Blunt, and 'Hail, Caesar' in 2016 with Channing Tatum, George Clonney and a host of other A-list talent.

Brolin has 57 acting credits to his name, four Producer credits and one Director credit for his 2008 short film 'X'. He was nominated in 2009 for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor in 'Milk' and has a total 15 award wins and 29 nominations. He was married to Actress Alice Adair from 1988 to 1994 with whom he has two children - Trevor born in 1988 and Eden born in 1994. He remarried, to Actress Diane Lane in 2004 and they divorced in late 2013. He is an active stock trader and in fact has made a lot of money day trading from home using his own purpose built trading floor. He is also an avid car racer and surfer.

Josh Brolin - often plays the upstanding law enforcing tough guy, or the violent anti-hero, but always playing it with conviction and realism. A diverse range of films from a Actor who has been in and around the movie business all his life, and whose talents have only really come to the fore in the last seven or eight years . . . and there is still so much more to come! Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Wednesday, 25 June 2014

GANGSTER SQUAD - archive from 16th January 2013.

Saw 'GANGSTER SQUAD' last night and was expecting big things from this 'inspired by real events' telling of the Mickey Cohen story of the late 1940's underworld of an emerging LA. 

Directed by Ruben Fleisher and starring a huge cast including Sean Penn as the violence obsessed gangster kingpin Mickey Cohen; and Josh Brolin, Robert Patrick, Ryan Gosling, and Giovanni Ribisi as the Gangster Sqaud; Nick Nolte as the Chief of Police, and with Emma Watson as the love interest, this has all the elements you would expect of a film of this type. 

Mickey Cohen has moved into town and is intent on controlling all underworld activity in LA and has bought the Police, the Judges, and just about anyone else in authority that might get in the way of his goal . . . or he just wipes 'em out completely instead! Wanting to settle down to a family life in the burbs (yeah right!) he begins to think that some local competition is trying to muscle in on his turf as his business interests get hit, but, soon he comes to realise that in fact it's the Cops. And so the revenge fest begins, the bullets fly and people die! Despite all this, I felt shortchanged as this relies on bullet ballet, exaggerated Tommy Gun fire, moments of extreme violence, stylised action, and slow-mo close-ups to deliver the thrills. 


Sean Penn hams it up as Mickey Cohen with prosthetic nose and sufficient menace, and all those supporting add weight, but if you are expecting 'The Untouchables, or 'LA Confidential' then you'll be disappointed - as I was. Entertaining enough but too many copy-cat nods to 'The Untouchables'' to make this just a tad Ho-Hum!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-