Birthday's to share this week : 18th - 24th January 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week? John Hurt does, on 22nd January - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 75,  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 18th January

• Kevin Costner - Born 1955, turns 60 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Jason Segel - Born 1980, turns 35 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• John Boorman - Born 1933, turns 82 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Dave Bautista - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actor | WWE Wrestler

Monday 19th January

• Antoine Fuqua - Born 1966, turns 49 - Director | Producer
• Nash Edgerton - Born 1973, turns 42 - Stuntman | Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Editor
• Shawn Wyans - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Composer
• Logan Lerman - Born 1992, turns 23 - Actor
• Tippi Hedren - Born 1930, turns 85 - Actress

Tuesday 20th January

• David Lynch - Born 1946, turns 69 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Skeet Ulrich - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actor
• Tom Baker - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actor

Wednesday 21st January 

• Martin Shaw - Born 1945, turns 70 - Actor | Producer
• Geena Davis - Born 1956, turns 59 - Actress | Producer

Thursday 22nd January

• Diane Lane - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actress
• Linda Blair - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actress
• Piper Laurie - Born 1932, turns 83 - Actress
• John Hurt - Born 1940, turns 75 - Actor
• Matthew Newton - Born 1977, turns 38 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Jim Jarmusch - Born 1953, turns 62 - Director | Producer | Actor | Writer | Editor | Composer

Friday 23rd January

• Rutger Hauer - Born 1944, turns 71 - Actor | Producer
• Richard Roxburgh - Born 1962, turns 53 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Ewen Bremmer - Born 1972, turns 43 - Actor

Saturday 24th January

• Ed Helms - Born 1974, turns 41 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Natasha Kinski - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actress

John Vincent Hurt was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England to Phyllis Massey - an amateur actress and engineer, and Arnauld Herbert Hurt - a mathematician and later Anglican clergyman. He has an older brother - Michael - who became a Roman Catholic monk and writer and adopted the name Brother Anselm. He also has an adopted sister - Monica. He had a fairly strict upbringing - interestingly being forbidden to watch films at the nearby local cinema, or to mix with other children because they were considered beneath him, and the family.

He attended St. Michael's Preparatory School in Otford, Kent and from age 12 he moved to Christ's Hospital School in Lincoln where he boarded. By this time he had already developed a keen interest in acting as a possible career but his parents discouraged the notion leading him instead toward art teaching. Even his Headmaster dismissed the idea telling the young Hurt he would never stand a chance in such a profession! At 17 he joined Grimsby Art School, and two years later gained a scholarship to St. Martin's School of Art in London, and a year after that he secured another scholarship to RADA where he trained for two years.

In 1961 & '62 he successfully secured small parts in the television series 'Z-Cars' and 'Probation Officer' with his film debut coming in 1962's 'Young and Willing'. Throughout the fist half of the 60's he appeared in many theatrical plays whilst securing the occasional film and television role - first came 'The Contact', then 'This is my Street', and in 1966 'A Man for all Seasons' with an all star cast. Theatre continued to play and active role in his acting career, whilst at the same time carving a name for himself in television productions too.

It was probably his portrayal of Quentin Crisp in 1975's 'The Naked Civil Servant' that brought him to real prominence for his outstanding and very real performance as the troubled gay writer and raconteur which gained him a Best Actor Award at the British Academy Television Awards. This was followed up by his turn as Emperor Caligula in the much acclaimed television series 'I Claudius' with Derek Jacobi. Then came 'Midnight Express' in 1978 for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe, following this up a year later with Ridley Scott's 'Alien' stealing the film with the alien chest bursting scene which has been acclaimed as one of the most memorable scenes in film history.

After this came his turn as John Merrick opposite Anthony Hopkins in 'The Elephant Man' for which he won another BAFTA Award, as well as Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. He also starred in Michael Camino's much maligned and commercially disastrous 'Heaven's Gate', followed up by Sam Peckinpah's 'The Osterman Weekend', and then in the big screen adaptation of George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty Four'. In 1989, came 'Scandal' and then the likes of 'The Field' with Richard Harris, 'King Ralph' with John Goodman, 'Rob Roy' with Liam Neeson, 'Dead Man' with Johnny Depp, 'Wild Bill' with Jeff Bridges, 'Contact' with Jodie Foster, and 'All the Little Animals' with the young up & coming Christian Bale in the 1990's.

As the new century turned over the demand for his acting talents continued unabated with films including 'Lost Souls', 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin', 'Hellboy' and its sequel 'Hellboy II', 'The Skeleton Key', 'The Proposition', 'V for Vendetta', 'The Oxford Murders', 'Outlander' and '44 inch Chest', not to mention his roles in two epic film franchises - 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull', and his turn as the wand maker in three 'Harry Potter' instalments.

Turning 70 he continued very much in demand with roles in the remake of the classic Graham Green novel 'Brighton Rock', and then 'Melancholia', 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy', 'Immortals', 'Only Lovers Left Alive', 'Snowpiercer' and most recently 'Hercules' opposite Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Throughout, his television series appearances have included 'Crime and Punishment' in 1979, 'The Storyteller' from 1987-88, 'Watership Down' from 1999-2000, 'The Alan Clark Diaries' from 2004-06, 'The Confession' in 2011, 'Merlin' from 2008-12, and 'Doctor Who' in 2013. He has lent his voice talents to numerous productions over the years including both 'Watership Down' and 'Lord of the Rings' in 1978, 'The Black Cauldron' in 1985, 'Thumbelina' in 1994, 'The Tigger Movie' in 2000, 'Dogville' in 2003, 'Valiant' in 2005, 'Charlie Countryman' in 2013 and more. He has 'AKA Nadia' and 'ChickLit' in post-production for a 2015 release, 'Tarzan' currently filming for 2016, and 'Damascus Cover' and 'The man who killed Don Quixote' currently in pre-production.

Hurt has 196 acting credits to his name spread over six decades so far. He has 23 award wins and another thirteen nominations including two Academy Award nominations for 'The Elephant Man' and 'Midnight Express'; a Golden Globe win for 'Midnight Express' and a nomination for 'The Elephant Man'; and BAFTA wins for for 'The Naked Civil Servant', 'Midnight Express', 'The Elephant Man' and in 2012 the Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema, plus four other nominations.

He was married to Annette Robertson from 1962-64; to Donna Peacock from 1984-90; to Joan Dalton from 1990-96 with whom he has two sons - Alexander John Vincent (born 1990) and Nicholas (born 1993), and to Anwan Rees-Myers from 2005 to the present day. It was upon his fourth marriage that he gave up alcohol. He is a patron of the Proteus Syndrome Foundation (thought to be the condition his character John Merrick suffered from) and Project Harar to provide aid relief to Ethiopia for children with facial disfigurements and Derby QUAD - an arts centre in Derby. He was honoured with the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2004, and Knighted by HRH Queen Elizabeth II in the 2015 New Years Honours List for services to drama.

John Hurt - totally diverse character actor keeping it real in Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Cops & Robbers, Westerns, Comedies, period pieces, drama, thrillers, horror, animation and children's fare; known for an instantly recognisable deep gravelly voice; and often playing authoritative characters or those racked by physical torment -  you have left an indelible mark on the history of modern cinema that remains ongoing and that continues to keep us entertained and enthralled. Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-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-