Birthday's to share this week : 3rd - 9th January 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Eddie Redmayne does on 6th January - check out my tribute to this Birthday Boy, turning 34, 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 3rd January

• Verne Troyer - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor
• Frank Langella - Born 1938, turns 78 - Actor

Monday 4th January

• Julia Ormond - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actress

Tuesday 5th January

• Diane Keaton - Born 1946, turns 70 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Hayao Miyazaki - Born 1941, turns 75 - Director | Writer | Animator | Editor
• Roger Spottiswoode - Born 1945, turns 71 - Director | Writer | Producer | Editor
• Bradley Cooper - Born 1975, turns 41 - Actor | Producer
• Robert Duvall - Born 1931, turns 85 - Actor | Producer
• Vinnie Jones - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actor
• Clancy Brown - Born 1959, turns 57 - Actor

Wednesday 6th January 

• Eddie Redmayne - Born 1982, turns 34 - Actor
• Norman Reedus - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Rowan Atkinson - Born 1955, turns 61 - Actor | Writer | Producer
• Sylvia Syms - Born 1934, turns 82 - Actress

Thursday 7th January

• Linda Kozlowski - Born 1958, turns 58 - Actress
• Nicolas Cage - Born 1964, turns 62 - Actor | Producer
• Jeremy Renner - Born 1971, turns 45 - Actor | Producer
• David Caruso - Born 1956, turns 60 - Actor | Producer

Friday 8th January

• David Bowie - Born 1947, turns 69 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor | Producer
• John McTiernan - Born 1951, turns 65 - Director | Producer | Writer

Saturday 9th January 

• J.K.Simmons - Born 1955, turns 61 - Actor | Producer
• Imelda Staunton - Born 1956, turns 60 - Actress
• Joely Richardson - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actress

Edward John David Redmayne was born in Westminster, London, England to mother Patricia Burke who managed a relocation business and father Richard Redmayne, a senior banking businessman. He has an older brother James, a younger brother Thomas, and two half brothers, Eugene and Charles. He attended the independent prep, school for boys - Colet Court in Barnes, London, and then Eton College and did so in the same year as Prince William. Leaving there he went onto Trinity College, Cambridge studying the history of art from where he graduated in 2003. He took drama lessons from an early age having been encouraged to do so by his parents, which he continued throughout school and university, including with the National Youth Music Theatre. His first stage gig was in the Sam Mendes production of 'Oliver' playing a workhouse boy.

Before turning to professional acting Redmayne modelled for Burberry with Alex Pettyfer and Cara Delevingne. He made his professional stage debut in Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' in 2002 for which he won the award for Most Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards, and then Best Newcomer at the Critics Circle Theatre Awards for 'The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?' in 2005. In 2009 he appeared in 'Red' for which he won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and he then took the play to Broadway for a fifteen week run for which he won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. He subsequently played Richard II in 'Richard II' in London's Donmar Warehouse.

Redmayne graduated from some minor television roles with his debut feature film in 2006 with 'Like Minds' starring alongside Toni Collette and Richard Roxburgh, with 'The Good Shepherd' coming next that same year as Directed by Robert De Niro with a huge cast including the great man himself with Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Alec Baldwin and William Hurt. The following year saw 'Savage Grace' with Julianne Moore and that same year 'Elizabeth : The Golden Age' with Cate Blanchett in the title role and Geoffrey Rush and Clive Owen. Redmayne had starred in 2005 in a television mini-series 'Elizabeth I' playing the Earl of Southampton -  a role that doubtless prepared him well for this one!

2008 brought 'The Yellow Handkerchief' with William Hurt again, and 'The Other Boleyn Girl' with Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana and Benedict Cumberbatch. 2009 saw 'Powder Blue' with Forest Whittaker, Ray Liotta and Patrick Swayze, and 'Glorious 39' that same year with Christopher Lee, Bill Nighy and Juno Temple, and 'Black Death' a year later with Sean Bean. As the decade drew to a close there had also been television mini-series 'The Pillars of the Earth' and 'Tess of the D'Urbevilles'.


'Hick' kicked of 2011 with Chloe Grace Moretz and Juliette Lewis, with 'My Week with Marilyn' starring Michelle Williams, Julia Ormond and Kenneth Branagh, and then Kathryn Bigelow's 'The Miraculous Year' with Susan Sarandon and Frank Langella. 2012 saw 'Les Miserables' with Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter.

2014 hailed Redmayne's Oscar winning turn as Stephen Hawking in 'The Theory of Everything', before The Wachowski's 'Jupiter Ascending' a year later with Sean Bean again, Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis. 'The Danish Girl' is up next early this year with Alicia Vikander and Ben Whishaw with 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' currently in post-production and based on the book of the same name by one J.K.Rowling who also penned that lesser known series of books about one certain young magician whizz kid Harry Potter.

All up Redmayne has 24 acting credits to his name so far. He won the Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA for his lead role in 'The Theory of Everything' and has a pending nomination for this years Golden Globes for his role in the upcoming 'The Danish Girl' as well as sixteen other award wins and a further 54 nominations. When he picked up his Oscar statue in 2015 he was the first actor to do so born in the 1980's, and, he picked up his award alongside Best Actress Julianne Moore for 'Still Alice' - his co-star from 'Savage Grace' some years earlier. He is also strongly touted for further critical acclaim and recognition with Tom Hooper's 'The Danish Girl' due in Australian Cinema's on 28th January.

In December 2014 he married Hannah Bagshaw, and in the Queen's Birthday Honours List was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to drama.

Eddie Redmayne - rising star of stage, television, film and already much lauded and highly acclaimed; deeply grounded, diverse acting range and keeps it real whether playing bio-pics, period pieces, Sci-Fi or present day drama and infinitely watchable as a result. Happy Birthday to you Eddie - from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 26th April - 2nd May 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Channing Tatum does on 26th April - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 35, 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 26th April

• Channing Tatum - Born 1980, turns 35 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Kevin James - Born 1065, turns 50 - Actor | Producer
• Jet Li - Born 1963, turns 52 - Actor | Producer
• Joan Chen - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actress | Producer | Director | Writer

Monday 27th April

• Kevin McNally - Born 1956, turns 58 - Actor | Writer

Tuesday 28th April 

• Jessica Alba - Born 1981, turns 34 - Actress | Producer
• Penelope Cruz - Born 1974, turns 41 - Actress | Producer
• Bridget Moynahan - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actress

Wednesday 29th April

• Michelle Pfeiffer - Born 1958, turns 57 - Actress
• Uma Thurman - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actress | Writer
• Daniel Day-Lewis - Born 1957, turns 58 - Actor
• Jerry Seinfeld - Born 1954, turns 61 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Television Personality
• Philip Noyce - Born 1950, turns 65 - Director | Producer | Writer | Cinematographer

Thursday 30th April

• Kirsten Dunst - Born 1982, turns 33 - Actress
• Lars von Trier - Born 1956, turns 59 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Jane Campion - Born 1954, turns 61 - Director | Producer | Writer

Friday 1st May

• Joanna Lumley - Born 1946, turns 69 - Actress | Producer
• James Badge Dale - Born 1978, turns 37 - Actor
• Wes Anderson - Born 1969, turns 46 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Jamie Dornan - Born 1982, turns 33 - Actor

Saturday 2nd May

• Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson - Born 1972, turns 43 - Actor | Producer
• David Suchet - Born 1946, turns 69 - Actor | Producer
• Stephen Daldrey - Born 1961, turns 54 - Director | Producer

Channing Matthew Tatum was born in Cullum, Alabama to mother Kay Faust, an airline employee and Glenn Tatum, a construction worker. When he was six years of age the family moved to to Mississippi where he lived rurally close to the great river. He grew up engaging in many athletic sports including soccer, American football, basketball, track and martial arts - even practising the latter under the tutelage of a 10th dan. His teenage years were mostly spent in Tampa where he attended Gaither High School, and thereafter Tampa Catholic High School from which he graduated in 1998. From there he attended Glenville State College in West Virginia on a football scholarship but dropped out to return home to work assorted odd jobs. These included working as a roofer before starting as a male stripper under the alias 'Chan Crawford'.

His first gig as a dancer was in Ricky Martin's 2000 music video for 'She Bangs' for which he earned $400. Having done some work in the fashion industry he began modelling for Armani and Abercrombie & Fitch, and then television commercials for Pepsi and Mountain Dew, and then in turn for Nautica, Dolce & Gabana, American Eagle and Emporio Armani.

His screen acting debut came in 2005's 'Coach Carter' with Samuel L. Jackson, although it was 'Step Up' a year later that gave him wider acclaim, and it was on this film that he met his future wife. In between time there was 'Havoc', 'Supercross', a small part in Steven Spielberg's 'War of the Worlds'  and then 'She's the Man'.

'A Guide to Recognising your Saints' followed in 2008 with a large ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jnr., Shia LeBeouf, Chazz Palmenteri, Rosario Dawson and Eric Roberts, and then 'Battle in Seattle' and 'Stop Loss' with Ryan Phillippe and Joseph Gordon-Levitt about soldiers returning from the Iraq War, followed up with a cameo reprisal of his role as Tyler Gage in 'Step Up 2 : The Streets' in the meantime.

Then came 'Fighting' in 2009 after which he teamed up with Director Michael Mann on 'Public Enemies' with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, playing Pretty Boy Floyd, and then the actioner  'G. I. Joe : The Rise of Cobra' and 'Dear John'. From this point forward he became determined to Produce the films in which he was starring which led him to 'Haywire' Directed by Stephen Soderbergh with again an ensemble cast with the likes of Michael Fassbender, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas and Bill Paxton. There was also 'The Vow' '21 Jump Street' with Jonah Hill, and 'Magic Mike' based on his own experiences as a Florida male stripper.

Following some busy years in 2011 and 2012 which also took in 'The Dilemma' and 'The Eagle', 2013 was to prove no different with 'Side Effects' once more for Stephen Soderbergh, the reprisal of his role as Duke/Conrad Hauser in 'G.I. Joe : Retaliation' then a cameo in 'This is the End' and 'White House Down' and a cameo in 'Don Jon' too rounding out the year. 2014 brought '22 Jump Street' with Jonah Hill again and then the highly acclaimed 'Foxcatcher' and the less well received 'Jupiter Ascending' earlier this year. 

Next up for Tatum is 'Magic Mike XXL' continuing the story of Michael 'Magic Mike ' Lane due for release later this year, and Quentin Tarantino's 'The Hateful Eight' also due in late 2015. 'Hail Caesar' is in post-production for Joel & Ethan Coen and starring Josh Brolin and George Clooney amongst an all star line-up and due in 2016, as is '23 Jump Street' and 'X-Men : Apocalypse' currently in pre-production for release later in 2016 also. In the latter he'll play the character 'Gambit' which it is announced will get it's own spin-off in 'Gambit' in 2016/17.

Tatum has so far 42 acting credits and nine Producer credits to his name, with a Writer credit too for 'Magic Mike XXL'. He has garnered nineteen award wins and 48 other nominations. He has two Production Companies - '33andOut Productions' and 'Iron Horse Entertainment'. He is married to Jenna Dewan whom he met on 'Step Up' and they celebrated their wedding in July 2009 - together they have a daughter - Everly Elizabeth Maiselle, born in May 2013. He admits to suffering ADD and dyslexia as a child and has developed a drinking habit which he states as being too much.

Channing Tatum - athletic, physical, muscular, deep voiced and often playing tough guys roles but equally at home in softer emotional roles, your rise in the last ten years has been steady but steep and is set to continue doing so - we'll keep watching! Happy Birthday to you Channing, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 19th February 2015.

With all the new release movie hiatus that kick-started 2015, things seem to have dropped a gear now that awards season is almost done and the pressure is off until the Easter Holidays when we can expect new cinema content aimed squarely at that holiday season. Until then, we'll make do with those films Reviewed in previous weeks and still doing the rounds on general release, plus a couple of new releases out in the week ahead that in all probability won't cause a huge stir, but are likely to find an audience nonetheless.

And so we have a Directorial debut from one of America's favourite political satirists, television journalists and two time Oscar Host about an Iranian journalist caught in the proverbial cross-fire while going about his work and paying the price for it; and, Director siblings who brought us one of the most groundbreaking hyped up talked about trilogies in cinema history going back to the world of extravagant Sci-Fi that they know best.

Whatever you choose to watch in the coming week ahead. share your thoughts on Odeon Online in the Comments box immediately below this Post, or any other, and be a movie critic yourself with our ever expanding global readership! Enjoy your film!

JUPITER ASCENDING (Rated M) : Written, Produced and Directed by Andy & Lana Wachowski, who of course brought us 'The Matrix' trilogy in 1999 and then wrapped it up in 2003, have spent US$176M to bring us this foray into fast paced action packed effects laden Sci-Fi with 'Jupiter Ascending'. With a strong cast to help the proceedings this might be the draw card this films needs to give it a boost as Box Office returns have generated a below expectation US$92M faring better outside of the US so far than within it. Anyway, to the story!

Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) cleans upmarket houses for a living with her mother. One day she witnesses a strange phenomenon and takes a photo, but later has no recollection of doing so or what the images in the photo mean. During a minor surgical procedure the medical staff attending to her try to kill here but she is saved by Caine Wise (Channing Tatum) who turns out to be a genetically engineered ex-military fighter and hunter who has been sent from a galaxy far far away to protect and save Jupiter - although she of course has no idea why! When all is revealed it seems that Earth (and many other planets) were seeded long ago by alien royalty who act like a cosmic corporation overseeing numerous interplanetary worlds. It seems that Jupiter by genetic reincarnation is the heir to Planet Earth, but there is an alien family who have other plans for Jupiter Jones and her supposed inheritance - hence the attempt to dispense with her while undergoing surgery! This consists of the Abrasax family (the most powerful of all alien dynasties) - Balem (Eddie Redmayne), Kalique (Tuppence Middleton) and Titus (Douglas Booth) who are at odds with what to do with little old Earth when the family matriarch passes away! The struggles and challenges that ensue could change the course of the cosmos forever, unless Jupiter, with the help of Caine and various others - Stinger Apini (Sean Bean) and Diomika Tsing (Nikki Amuka-Bird) of the inter-galactic Police Force, can overcome those who will stop at nothing to have their way!

ROSEWATER (Rated M) - Jon Stewart is the political satirist, television commentator, media critic, Writer, Producer, Host of The Daily Show, two time Host of the Academy Awards, stand-up comic and now film Director - in this his first outing as such. Here he tells us the story of London based Iranian Canadian BBC journalist Maziar Buhari (Gael Garcia Bernal) who returned to Iran in 2009 to cover the unfolding Presidential elections there, and provides his media footage to foreign publications worldwide. As a result of smuggling election campaign riot footage back to the BBC  he was imprisoned for 118 days in Evin Prison northwest of Tehran where he was mostly blindfolded and harassed, tortured and beaten in isolation for his crime of spying and espionage - the work of a traitor. He was later interviewed by Stewart for the Daily Show which was seen as further evidence that he was indeed a spy and in collaboration with the US Government and the CIA. Buhari's captor and interrogator (Kim Bodnia) for the time spent in Evin Prison was distinguishable only by the smell of rosewater - hence the films title! A poignant, relevant true story deftly handled it seems by first time Director Stewart, that lays a solid foundation for future works.

That's it for this week - two films at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. Whatever you decide to see - either of these, both of these, or any of those still doing the rounds, lets us know your thoughts and share with the cinema going, movie loving film fanatics of the world.

Movies - catch one this week!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-