Birthday's to share this week : 22nd - 28th February 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week? 

Emily Blunt does, on 23rd February - check out the tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 32, 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 22nd February

• Jonathan Demme - Born 1944, turns 71 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Kyle MacLachlan - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actor
• Nigel Planer - Born 1953, turns 62 - Actor | Writer
• Julie Walters - Born 1950, turns 65 - Actress | Singer
• Drew Barrymore - Born 1975, turns 40 - Actress | Producer | Director | Singer

Monday 23rd February

• Emily Blunt - Born 1983, turns 32 - Actress | Singer
• Dakota Fanning - Born 1994, turns 21 - Actress | Singer
• Kristen Davis - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actress | Producer
• Peter Fonda - Born 1940, turns 75 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer

Tuesday 24th February

• Billy Zane - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actress | Producer 
• Edward James Olmos - Born 1947, turns 68 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Ben Miller - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Dennis Waterman - Born 1948, turns 67 - Actor | Singer

Wednesday 25th February 

• Tom Courtenay - Born 1937, turns 78 - Actor
• Neil Jordan - Born 1950, turns 65 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Lee Evans - Born 1964, turns 51 - Actor | Writer
• Sean Astin - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Tea Leoni - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actress | Producer

Thursday 26th February

• James Wan - Born 1977, turns 38 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor

Friday 27th February

• Timothy Spall - Born 1957, turns 58 - Actor 
• Joanne Woodward - Born 1930, turns 85 - Actress | Producer

Saturday 28th February 

• John Turturro - Born 1957, turns 58 - Actor | Director | Writer
• Mike Figgis - Born 1948, turns 67 - Director | Producer | Composer | Editor | Actor | Cinematographer

Emily Olivia Leah Blunt was born in Roehampton, South West London to mother Janice Dixon - a teacher and former Actress, and Barrister Oliver Simon Peter Blunt who is a QC and one of the highest profile Barristers in the UK. She is the second of four children - those others being Felicity, Sebastian and Suzanna. She attended Ibstock Place School and independent co-education school in Roehampton and at 16 she moved to Hurtwood House School - a private sixth-form co-educational residential school, near Dorking, Surrey, England, which is renowned for its performing arts programme, and at which she excelled in sport, singing and cello.

From age seven the young Emily developed a stutter, and despite many attempts by her parents to cure her of this affliction, it wasn't until age twelve when an acting teacher asked her to portray a character using a different voice that she finally was able to move on successfully.

in 2000, she was signed up by an Agent who took her off to London's West End and the BBC where she gained roles in 'Foyle's War' in 2003, 'Agatha Christie's Poirot' in 2004 and 'Empire' in 2005 for TV. Around the same time she could be seen treading the boards opposite Judi Dench in 'The Royal Family' at The Theatre Royal in 2001/02, in 'Vincent in Brixton' at The National Theatre in 2002 and in 'Romeo and Juliet' at The Chichester Festival Theatre in 2002 also.

Blunt made her screen debut in 'Boudica' (aka 'Warrior Queen') in 2003 - a television drama, and later that same year she gained acclaim for playing Catherine Howard in the extended television film of 'Henry VIII'. Her breakout role came in 2004 in 'My Summer of Love' with more success opposite Bill Nighy and Miranda Richardson in 'Gideon's Daughter' for which she won the Golden Globe.

Next year came 'The Devil Wears Prada' opposite Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway for which she once again received critical acclaim with both BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress. 'Irresistible' came out that same year with Susan Sarandon and Sam Neill. 2007 proved to be a busy year with four release films - 'Wind Chill', 'Dan in Real Life' with Steve Carell, 'Charlie Wilson's War' with Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and 'The Jane Austen Book Club'. 'The Great Buck Howard', 'The Young Victoria', 'Sunshine Cleaning' and short film 'Curiosity' all came before the end of the decade.

The new decade heralded a reteaming with Bill Nighy for 'Wild Target', as well as 'The Wolfman' with Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins, 'Gulliver's Travels' with Jack Black, and then 'The Adjustment Bureau' with Matt Damon in 2011 and a cameo in the all star cast of 'The Muppets'. 2012 proved productive too with 'The Five Year Engagement' with Jason Segel, 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen' with Ewan McGregor, 'Your Sister's Sister' with Rosemary DeWitt, and then 'Looper' with Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

'Arthur Newman' followed in 2013 with Colin Firth and in 2014 'Edge of Tomorrow' with Tom Cruise and most recently 'Into the Woods' with Meryl Streep once more. Next up for 2015 is 'Sicario' with Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro, and then currently in pre-production for 2016 are 'Barton & Charlie & Checco & Bill' and 'The Huntsman' with Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron.

Blunt has 36 acting credits to her name and she has garnered 15 award wins and another 34 nominations including the Golden Globe for 'Gideon's Daughter' and four other nominations, and two BAFTA nominations.

For three years Blunt was romantically involved with crooner Michael Buble from 2005 to 2008. In later 2008 she met Actor John Krasinski and the couple married in mid-2010. They have a daughter Hazel, born in February 2014. Her brother-in-law is Actor Stanley Tucci who is married to Blunt's sister, Felicity. She enjoys horse riding, television cooking shows, is an alto singer and a Grade 8 cellist.

Emily Blunt - going from strength to strength with the mould broken and taking on action adventure, Sci-Fi, period pieces, crime comedy and romance with a 'unique set of skills' that also includes big screen, small screen and stage, and, various musical capabilities too. Much achieved already and much to come - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 8th January 2015.

In Australia the mercury continues to rise by the day with predictable clear blue skies, sunshine and humidity all the way as we approach the height of Summer. It seems that a cool air conditioned cinema is one of the few places to escape the soaring temperatures, and what better way to do so than watching one of the many great new films currently on general release, or coming your way in the week ahead.

For this week we have four new offerings - two of which are sequels - one of the action revenge genre and the other a buddy buddy comedy; one is a big name musical that might pack a few scares and some solid CGI; and the other a documentary about a recently departed legendary film critic that is likely to resonate with anyone who has more than a remote interest in films and what this guy had to say about them . . . including the author of this Blog!

There then you have it, and when you have cooled down, or warmed up (depending on which Hemisphere you live in) and seen any one (or more) of this weeks new releases Previewed below, drop a note in the Comments section immediately below this Blog Post and share your thoughts and opinions of your film experience with the rest of the growing readership of Odeon Online. Enjoy your movie!

INTO THE WOODS (Rated PG) - this film comes with a very strong pedigree - both in front and behind the camera! Firstly the source material is from those master story tellers of old - The Brothers Grimm, and combines the tales of Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) and Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone) into a modern updated tale that melds all these characters into one neat little package surrounding a cursed baker and his wife who long for a child but are unable to conceive because of a curse placed on them by the local Witch (Meryl Streep). Then we have Disney Studio's doing what they do the best - animation, musical and good storytelling transferred to the big screen. Next comes Director Rob Marshall, who has based the film on the Tony Award winning stage musical of the same name by James Lapine who wrote this screenplay, with music by Stephen Sondheim - a great package indeed!

So, offering to lift the aforementioned spell The Witch tasks the baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt) with sourcing four items that have special significance for her - a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold. When these items are finally procured after various mishaps and misadventures, each of our fairy tale heroes discover that life is not so 'happily ever after' at all and they each have to face their own further challenges, emotional upheaval and ruinous circumstances that lead to further tragedy, doubt and uncertainty. Along the ensemble cast includes Cinderella's Prince (Chris Pine), Jack's Mother (Tracey Ullman), The Wolf (Johnny Depp), Frances de la Tour (The Giant's Wife) and Annette Crosbie (Granny) amongst others. Made for US$50M and so far having taken US$97M at the time of writing, this film has already picked up five award wins and a further 25 award nominations including three Golden Globe nods.

TAK3N (Rated M) - Bryan Mills is back again doing what he does best as the trying to be retired covert operations expert in the third and probably final instalment of this successful franchise for which the first two films brought in US$603M in worldwide receipts. Liam Neeson returns as our titular hero, but only agreed to do so if nobody in this film was 'taken' and he was paid the princely sum of US$20M. Well, voila, here we are, but this time while attempting to re-establish his home life after the events of the previous two films Mills is back reconciled with his wife Lenore (Famke Janssen), but before you know she winds up d-e-a-d! In no time at all the local Police arrive on the scene and caught seemingly red handed Mills is arrested - or at least that's what the local boys in blue attempt to do . . .  unsuccessfully! Having been framed for murder, and learning that his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) is next on the hit list Mills plays a fast paced game of cat & mouse with all manner of law enforcement agencies who have him on the run and guilty as all hell until proven innocent. With Mills employing his 'particular set of skills' to thwart the real bad guys and elude the long arm of the law whilst clearing his name and protecting his one remaining asset (daughter Kim) you can be sure this actioner will deliver on body count, creative deaths, close quarter fight sequences, ingenious weaponry, car chases and explosions aplenty before the credits roll for the last time . . .  possibly! Also starring Forest Whittaker and Dougray Scott.

DUMB AND DUMBER TO (Rated M) - it was back in 1994 that Jim Carey and Jeff Daniels as Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne respectively first emerged on the scene courtesy of Writers/Directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly. That film then was new & fresh - the gross out humour, dumb-arse laughs and sheer stupidity of these two characters made for just US$17M it grossed US$247M twenty years ago and help cement the fame of these two Actors. Now fast forward to 2014 and the pair are reunited and as stupid and dumb-arsed as ever having hardly grown up at all, but this time Harry has learned that he has a daughter, and so the pair embark on a road trip to find her with no doubt hilarious and disastrous results for all. Should be a laugh a minute . . . or not, and might appeal to teenagers who never saw the original and have nothing to compare it to!

LIFE ITSELF (Rated M) - this is a biographical documentary as made by Steve James celebrating and chronicling the life of legendary film critic Roger Ebert who died in April 2013 following a prolonged battle with cancer of the thyroid and salivary glands. Ebert was 70 when he died but made such an impact of the world of film review writing that he was the first writer to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1975, and approaching his death his movie reviews were syndicated to over 200 newspapers at home in the US and internationally. He also wrote numerous books and collected works of his film reviews. He was/is the only film critic to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and his long running 25 year partnership with Gene Siskel with whom he hosted many television film review shows was hugely successful and influential. This film captures the essence of the man through his prolific film writing career, to his battle with alcoholism, and his struggles with cancer that left him physically disabled and to which he eventually succumbed. With contributions from Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog, immediate family, close friends, former colleagues and collaborators this is an insightful film that pays fitting tribute to the great man, the legacy he leaves behind and his life behind the camera and in front of his keyboard.

Once more, four very different offerings to entice the price of a movie ticket from out of your wallet. Something for everyone, and when you have seen one of these, or any of those currently doing the rounds as Previewed or Reviewed in previous weeks, then drop a Comment, and share with the world!

Movies - see as many as you can in 2015!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-