Birthday's to share this week : 28th May - 3rd June 2017

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Tom Holland does on 1st June - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 21, 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 28th May

• Sondra Locke - Born 1944, turns 73 - Actress | Director | Producer
• Kylie Minogue - Born 1968, turns 49 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Writer | Producer | Actress | Director
• Carey Mulligan - Born 1985, turns 32 - Actress  

Monday 29th May

• Annette Benning - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actress 
• Lorelei Linklater - Born 1994, turns 23 - Actress 
• Danny Elfman - Born 1953, turns 64 - Composer | Songwriter | Musician | Actor 
• Rupert Everett - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer  

Tuesday 30th May

• Harry Enfield - Born 1961, turns 56 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Duncan Jones - Born 1971, turns 46 - Director | Writer | Producer
• Joachim Ronning - Born 1972, turns 45 - Director | Writer | Producer  

Wednesday 31st May

• Clint Eastwood - Born 1930, turns 87 - Actor | Director | Producer | Composer | Songwriter | Singer
• Tom Berenger - Born 1949, turns 68 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Colin Farrell - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Brooke Shields - Born 1965, turns 52 - Actress | Producer  

Thursday 1st June

• Heidi Klum - Born 1973, turns 44 - Actress | Producer | Writer
• Sarah Wayne Callies - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actress | 
• Amy Schumer - Born 1981, turns 36 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director  
• Morgan Freeman - Born 1937, turns 80 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Director
• Robert Powell - Born 1944, turns 73 - Actor
• Brian Cox - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actor | Producer
• Jonathan Pryce - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor | Singer
• Tom Holland - Born 1996, turns 21 - Actor | Director
• Ed Oxenbould - Born 2001, turns 16 - Actor

Friday 2nd June

• Stacy Keach - Born 1941, turns 76 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Lasse Hallstrom - Born 1946, turns 71 - Director | Writer | Producer
• Dennis Haysbert - Born 1954, turns 63 - Actor | Producer  
• Liam Cunningham - Born 1961, turns 56 - Actor | Director | Producer
• Wentworth Miller - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Kevin Feige - Born 1973, turns 44 - Producer 
• Zachary Quinto - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actor | Producer  
• Dominic Cooper - Born 1978, turns 39 - Actor
• Justin Long - Born 1978, turns 39 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director 

Saturday 3rd June

• James Purefoy - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actor
• Imogen Poots - Born 1989, turns 28 - Actress

Thomas Stanley Holland was born in Kingston upon Thames, London, England to mother Nicola Elizabeth Frost, a photographer, and father Dominic Holland, a comedian, radio host, television personality, writer and author. Tom has three younger brothers - Sam and Harry, twins three years younger, and Patrick eight years his junior. Tom was educated at Donhead Preparatory School located in Wimbledon, and then Wimbledon College - a Jesuit Roman Catholic Secondary School for boys at Edge Hill, also in Wimbledon. In 2012 he attended the BRIT (British Record Industry Trust) School for Performing Arts and Technology at Selhurst, Croydon, London.

His performance career began with dance at a dance school in Wimbledon. His early potential was spotted by a choreographer visiting his dance school in 2006 as part of that years Richmond Dance Festival. After a series of auditions and two years of training in mid-2008 the young Holland made his West End debut in 'Billy Elliot, the Musical' playing the role of Michael, Billy's best mate, at the Victoria Palace Theatre. By September of that same year Holland was playing the lead character of Billy, to positive Reviews. In March 2010, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the stage musical, the current actors playing Billy in rotation, including Holland, were invited to 10, Downing Street to meet with the then British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. He finished his run in the show in late May that year.

2012 saw the release of his first feature film, but in voice only, and in the English dubbed version of the Studio Ghibli animated fantasy film 'Arrietty' with fellow voice Actors Saoirse Ronan, Olivia Coleman, Mark Strong, Geraldine McEwan and Phyllida Law. That same year he appeared in his first feature film 'The Impossible', Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona with Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor telling the story of the devastating tsunami that struck Thailand on Boxing Day 2004. Holland portrayed one of the three sons of the on-screen husband and wife team of Watts & McGregor. The film was critically lauded and picked up 27 award wins and 65 nominations including multiple award wins and nominations for Best Young Actor and Breakthrough Actor for Holland.

The following year Holland lent his voice talents to the role of Eddie in Steven Knight's Written and Directed 'Locke', with Tom Hardy as the only physical presence in the whole film behind the wheel of his car driving down a motorway in England on his way home. That same year saw dramatic romantic thriller 'How I Live Now' with Saoirse Ronan. 2015 brought the highly acclaimed period television drama series 'Wolf Hall' over six hour long episodes with Holland playing Gregory Cromwell to Mark Rylance's Thomas Cromwell, Damien Lewis as Henry VIII and Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn. Later that year came the Ron Howard's action adventure period piece inspired by the classic novel Moby Dick, 'In the Heart of the Sea' with Chris Hemsworth, Cilian Murphy, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson and Benjamin Walker.

2016 saw what might be regarded as his breakout role, albeit for only a brief but not insignificant, appearance in 'Captain America : Civil War' as the latest incarnation of Spiderman (aka Peter Parker) alongside an all star cast that you'll know already. 2016 also saw drama thriller 'Edge of Winter' with Joel Kinnaman and then the yet to be released in Australia historical action adventure biopic 'The Lost City of Z' as Directed by James Gary and starring also Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson and Sienna Miller.

Due for release later this year is historically set 13th Century Irish drama adventure 'Pilgrimage' with Richard Armitage and Jon Bernthal and 'Spider-Man : Homecoming' due mid year this year also that sees Holland get his own stand alone movie as the web slinging young hero following on directly from the events that unfolded in 'Captain America : Civil War'. 

Currently in Post-Production is historical drama Bio-Pic about Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, 'The Current War' due early 2018 with Benedict Cumberbatch as Edison, Michael Shannon as Westinghouse, Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla and Holland as business magnate Samuel Insull. Currently filming is 'Avengers : Infinity War' in which Holland reprises his role as Spider-Man, and in Pre-Production is the film adaptation of the 'Uncharted' video game series for Director Shawn Levy, and dystopian Sci-Fi adventure 'Chaos Walking' for Director Doug Liman and also starring Daisy Ridley. Recently announced for a 2019 release is a 'Spider-Man : Homecoming' sequel. 

All up Holland has nineteen acting credits to his name  and one as Director on his own three minute short film 'Tweet' featuring his family as the principal cast. So far Holland has garnered eleven award wins including the BAFTA Rising Star Award earlier this year, and another fourteen nominations all for his performances in 'The Impossible', 'Captain America : Civil War' and 'In the Heart of the Sea'.

Tom Holland - just turning 21, but already much achieved in your short film and television career, in demand, clearly on the rise and with the accolades to prove it, and seemingly with Hollywood at your feet. We'll keep watching as your further career and your big screen appearances unfold - we wish you well. Happy Birthday to you Tom, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 13th - 19th September 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Tom Hardy does on 15th September - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 38 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 13th September

• Colin Trevorrow - Born 1976, turns 39 - Director | Producer | Writer 
• Frank Marshall - Born 1946, turns 69 - Director | Producer  
• Jacqueline Bisset - Born 1944, turns 71 - Actress

Monday 14th September

• Andrew Lincoln - Born 1973, turns 42 - Actor 
• Sam Neill - Born 1947, turns 68 - Actor | Director | Producer
• Joon-ho Bong - Born 1969, turns 46 - Director | Producer | Writer  

Tuesday 15th September

• Tom Hardy - Born 1977, turns 38 - Actor | Producer
• Tommy Lee Jones - Born 1946, turns 69 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Oliver Stone - Born 1946, turns 69 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor  

Wednesday 16th September

• Mickey Rourke - Born 1952, turns 63 - Actor | Writer  
• Amy Poehler - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer 

Thursday 17th September

• Paul Feig - Born 1962, turns 53 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Bryan Singer - Born 1965, turns 50 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Neill Blomkamp - Born 1979, turns 36 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Baz Luhrmann - Born 1962, turns 53 - Director | Producer | Writer 

Friday 18th September 

• Jason Sudeikis - Born 1975, turns 40 - Actor | Writer
• Tim McInnerny - Born 1956, turns 59 - Actor
• Jada Pinkett Smith - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actress | Producer | Director | Writer 

Saturday 19th September

• Adam West - Born 1928, turns 87 - Actor
• Jeremy Irons - Born 1948, turns 67 - Actor | Producer | Director  
• David McCallum - Born 1933, turns 82 - Actor

Edward Thomas Hardy was born in the London suburb of Hammersmith to mother Elizabeth Anne Barrett, an artist and painter, and father Edward Hardy, a novelist and comedy writer. He attended Tower House School, an independent junior boys school, and then Reed's School an independent boys secondary school in Cobham, Surrey, and then onto Richmond Drama School and the Drama Centre London. At age 21 he won a modeling competition gaining a short contract with the Models One agency. His late teens and early 20's were spent fighting drug and alcohol dependency and delinquency , and he says that after seeking treatment in 2002 it was his addictions that ended his five year marriage to Sarah Ward in 2004. He has however, been sober since 2003.

His small screen debut came in 2001, securing the role of Private John Janovec in Spielberg's WWII epic series 'Band of Brothers', and that same year he gained his big screen debut too in Ridley Scott's Somalia war torn actioner 'Black Hawk Down'. The next year saw Hardy play the clone villain in 'Star Trek : Nemesis' which did little at the Box Office, but it did give him valuable international exposure.

In 2003 too Hardy took to the stage with 'In Arabia We'd All Be Kings' at the Hampstead Theatre, and 'Blood' at The Royal Court Theatre for which he was awarded the Outstanding Newcomer Award at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards. He was also nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer. That same year he knocked out three films too - 'The Reckoning' with Willem Dafoe, 'dot the i' with Gael Garcia Bernal and horror offering 'LD50 | Lethal Dose'.

The following year saw 'Layer Cake' with yet to be Bond, Daniel Craig, with a couple of TV movies to follow - 'Gideon's Daughter' and 'A for Andromeda' as well as a couple of TV series stints on 'Colditz' and 'The Virgin Queen'.

2006 through to 2010 saw thirteen feature films including 'Scenes of a Sexual Nature', 'Flood', 'WAZ', 'The Inheritance', Guy Ritchie's London crime flick 'RocknRolla', 'Bronson' and culminating in 2010's 'Inception' for Christopher Nolan. During this time too there were further TV series appearances on 'Cape Wrath', 'Oliver Twist' as Bill Sykes, 'Wuthering Heights' as Heathcliffe and 'The Take' as well as 'The Man of Mode' at The National Theatre, and 'The Long Red Road' at Chicago's Goodman Theatre as Directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Since then there have been a number of standout roles including 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' with his hero Gary Oldman, 'Warrior' with Joel Edgerton, his unforgettable role as arch villain Bane in Christopher Nolan's concluding Batman trilogy instalment 'The Dark Knight Rises', John Hillcoat's Prohibition era bootleggin' moonshine swillin' 'Lawless' with Gary Oldman again; and then 'Locke', and 'The Drop' with Noomi Rapace and James Gandolfini last year.

In 2015 so far there has been 'Child 44' with Gary Oldman and Noomi Rapace once more, and George Millers long overdue reprisal of the cult classic character Max Rockatansky in 'Mad Max : Fury Road'. Next up there is 'London Road', 'Legend' for Director Brian Helgeland in which Hardy plays both underground criminal brothers in 60's era London, Ronnie and Reggie Kray, 'The Revenant' with Leonardo DiCaprio currently in post-production, TV mini-series 'Taboo' in pre-production for 2016 and 'Mad Max : The Wasteland' recently announced.

Hardy has 48 Acting credits to his name and two Producer credits. He has won eleven awards including the Rising Star BAFTA Award in 2011, and a British Independent Film Award for 'Bronson' as Best Actor. There have been a further 37 nominations also.

Having divorced Sarah Ward in 2004, Hardy was linked to Rachel Speed from 2004 until 2009 with whom he has a son, Louis Thomas born in 2008. In mid-2014 he married Actress Charlotte Riley, and the couple announced recently that they are expecting their first child. Hardy is also an ambassador for The Prince's Trust.

Tom Hardy - muscular, toned and tattooed; deep gravelly voice; able to dramatically change his physical appearance from film to film; has a diverse range across all genres (almost); and appears to be in just about every other film out at the moment whether big studio fare or small independent stuff, but, we'll keep on coming back for more as long as you keep doing what you do best - Happy Birthday to you Tom, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 28th August 2014.

A fist full of films for your cinematic consideration over the coming week that range from the experimental, the Sci-Fi fantastic, the largely predictable, the local long arm of the law, and another Sci-Fi that you may have seen before . . . or maybe not! Down Under it is the last week of Winter and Springtime beckons with the promise of longer days and warmer evenings - but, having been in the grip of an almost continuous deluge for the last two weeks there is no better time to get out to your local movie theatre for an evening of great entertainment in front of the big screen to forget about the rain and steal yourself off to someplace else!

When you have done that drop me at line at this, your trusted filmic Blog, and let me and my other Reader know what you thought of your big screen experience by recording it in the Comments sections following immediately after every Post. Thanks!

LOCKE (Rated MA15+) - Ivan Locke is played by Tom Hardy, and he occupies all 90 minutes or so of screen time at the wheel of his car driving down an English Motorway from Point A to Point B. He will step out of his car eventually a very different man to when he stepped in, and this is the central premise of the film - handled deftly by relative newcomer Director, Stephen Knight who also wrote the Screenplay. As the film begins Locke we learn is a construction worker leaving his building site place of work - he is a respected worker and a committed family man. He jumps into his car to begin his journey and along the way through the darkness of night, his family life will crumble away and his career will implode as he unburdens himself en route with what will be the biggest mistake of his life. All this occurs through phone conversations he has with other key players in his life during his journey. These other actors are not seen, simply heard over the speaker phone in the car but give compelling voice performances to make this taught, tight and gripping from start to end. This coupled with dazzling night time lights, the darkness and solitude of Locke's vehicle, his own musings broken up by telephone calls, and his muffled sounds contemplating the magnitude of his actions should make for compelling viewing from an actor who is quickly establishing himself at the top of his form.

MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT (Rated PG) - another year and another Woody Allen film - this time a period piece set on the Cote d'Azur in the early 20's. We find Englishman abroad, Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth who is in just about a new film every fortnight right now!) who plays Chinese magician by night and a debunker of all things mystic, psychic and paranormal during the day. He crosses paths with American clairvoyant Sophie Baker (Emma Stone) engaged by rich well-to-do socialite Grace Catledge (Jacki Weaver) to connect with her dearly departed husband. Needless to say Crawford is less than impressed . . . initially, but in time comes to believe in Baker's powers - despite that fact too that as an old letch advanced enough in years to be her father, he is drawn to her beauty -  physical, mental and emotional. This looks good, and it seems that Allen has recreated the era very well, and predictably it will doubtless contain all the usual Allen touchstones with which we have become all too familiar. Is this in the same vein as his recent 'Blue Jasmine' - methinks not, but is likely to be enjoyable fluff for ardent Allen fans!

PREDESTINATION (Rated MA15+) - Directed and Written by Australian brothers Michael and Peter Spierig this is going to mess with your mind in a way that 'Inception' did - but in a good way and leave you musing over it for long after the credits have rolled. As the film opens we are in 1975 New York where a man is attempting to diffuse a bomb set by the mysterious 'Fizzle Bomber', but things go awry and he awakens in the future, in hospital and with a new face (this is Ethan Hawke, our time travelling hero of the piece) who is now a 'temporal agent' that can travel through time with a portable device he carries around in a violin case. He needs to go back to that time, but can do so with a whole new persona to go incognito (becoming 'The Bartender'), and so ultimately thwart the Fizzle Bomber and his/her evil plot. Along the way The Bartender encounters a strange man who goes by the name of 'The Unmarried Mother' (played in a career defining best by Australian Sarah Snook) from whom he must eek out the truth, and her connection with The Fizzle Bomber. There are twists & turns aplenty here to keep you guessing all the way to the end in what has been described as intelligent, original and brave film making that is sure to find it's place in the annals of Sci-Fi cult classic.

FELONY (Rated M) - Writen, Produced and Starring our own Joel Edgerton, 'Felony' is his offering to the gritty Police drama seen from the perspective of Sydney's mean streets with its dark underbelly, on both sides of the law! Following a successful drug bust, Detective Malcolm Toohey (Joel Edgerton) drives himself home after a night of celebration under the influence of alcohol, and is involved in an car accident that leaves a young lad in a coma. The following investigation sees young cop Jim Melic (Jai Courtney) and old hand Detective Carl Summer (Tom Wilkinson) working to uncover the truth or cover it up, and in doing so just how far will these three Policemen go to let the truth be told, or conceal it forever! With a strong cast that also includes Melissa George, this has some great hallmarks of a true big screen Aussie Drama that we can turn on so well when we want to!

EARTH TO ECHO (Rated PG) - this is a 'found footage' style of film involving three young lads who have spent their lives together (Tuck, Munch & Alex) - up until now, and that is all about to change when the Las Vegas suburb in which they live is to be uprooted to make way for a new highway. Spending their last week together before they all relocate with their respective families to the far flung corners of the US they experience strange and weird things happening with mobile phone signals, and all manner of sounds and messages emanating from the handsets across the suburb . . . but only within the suburb. The construction company working on the new highway believe it is their fault, and so hand out new phones to the locals thinking this will cure the problem. What Munch discovers from an image he receives is that it matches a desert some 20 miles away, and so the lads decide they had better investigate. Going undercover of darkness having spun a yarn to their unsuspecting parents, and taking local young hot chic, Emma, along too, they venture out in to the desert armed only with each other for support, their wits and a torch. They discover a small and friendly alien robot who has become stranded on Planet Earth -  they call it 'Echo', and quickly learn that our pint sized robot needs spare electrical parts to repair his space ship so he can return home (are you thinking 'E.T.' here or 'Super 8' as I am?). So the lads come to the rescue with trouble along the way in the form of Government Officials also hot on the trail of a crashed UFO somewhere in the vicinity. Needless to say all undoubtedly ends well; the lads discover something about themselves, each other and their friendship; and everyone returns home - some further away than others!

Some solid entertainment choices to tempt you out to your local multiplex this coming week! So pay a visit and let me know what you think!

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

The Sydney Film Festival 2014 : 4th -15th June.

Once again the Sydney Film Festival is about to launch later this week offering us Sydneysiders and movie going tourists, film enthusiasts and cinema geeks a feast for the senses, and celluloid overload as we seek to cram in as much moving picture entertainment as is humanly possible over a twelve day period.

The Sydney Film Festival again cements its place as the world's longest continuously running film festival now in its 61st year, and judging by this years diverse offering is sure to provide some enticing entertainment for everyone, and will be sure to please. With films from across the globe from Argentina, Australia and Austria to the UK, Ukraine and the USA and just about everywhere in between, there are over 180 screenings over the period from Opening Night on 4th June to Closing Night on 15th June.

There are feature length films, short films, documentaries, retrospectives, classics, animated films, horror films, and many from first time Directors and many being premiered in Australia. There are films in official competition, and of the 180 or so screenings, over 30 are Australian.

You can see this years entries at an number of venues across Sydney, taking in The State Theatre, the George Street Event Cinemas, the Dendy Cinema at Opera Quays, the Cremorne Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, The Art Gallery of New South Wales, and the Skyline Drive-in at Blacktown. There will also be talks and discussions at the George Street Apple Store, and a Big Screen showing all things SFF at the Martin Place Amphitheatre, and don't forget to drop into the Sydney Film Festival Hub for lively talks, presentations, food, drink, pop-ups and perspectives - upstairs and downstairs at Sydney Town Hall throughout the Festival.

Some of the highlights this year would have to be 'Locke', 'The Rover', 'Snowpiercer', 'Calvary', 'The Captive', 'Frank', 'The Two Faces of January', 'Joe', 'Palo Alto', 'Love is Strange', 'The Skeleton Twins', 'Cold in July', 'Night Moves', 'Starred Up', and 'Babylon' amongst a plethora of others. You could also catch a Robert Altman retrospective and seat yourself in front of 'Nashville' or 'M*A*S*H' or 'Short Cuts' or five of his others screening also, and if it's a Classic you're looking for then you could go for 'Rebel Without a Cause' or the original 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'.

With so much to choose from you had better get in quick. You can get more information on all films, session times, locations and ticketing etc. by checking out the official website at : SFF.ORG.AU or you can call 1300 733 733, or you can download the app : SFF 2014 APP and carry it all around with you in your pocket. Tickets are what you would expect to pay for any singular screening at $19.50 but there are bulk deals to be had, and you can package your screening up with dinner etc., and as an added bonus many events are free too!

Have a great film festival, and see as many movies as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-