Birthday's to share this week : 24th - 30th December 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Timothee Chalamet does on 27th December - check out my tribute to this Actor Birthday Lad turning 22, 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 24th December

• Gavin O'Connor - Born 1963, turns 54 - Director | Producer | Writer  

Monday 25th December

• Nicholas Hope - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actor 
• Sissy Spacek - Born 1949, turns 68 - Actress   

Tuesday 26th December

• Steve Bisley - Born 1951, turns 66 - Actor
• Temuera Morrison - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actor | Director
• Jared Leto - Born 1971, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Songwriter | Composer
• Shane Meadows - Born 1972, turns 45 - Director | Writer | 
• Kit Harrington - Born 1986, turns 31 - Actor | Writer | Producer 

Wednesday 27th December

• Gerard Depardieu - Born 1948, turns 69 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer
• Timothee Chalamet - Born 1995, turns 22 - Actor  
• Maryam d'Abo - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actress | Producer | Writer 
• Elizabeth Rodriguez - Born 1980, turns 37 - Actress

Thursday 28th December

• Maggie Smith - Born 1934, turns 83 - Actress 
• Noomi Rapace - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actress | Producer
• Sienna Miller - Born 1981, turns 36 - Actress 
• Stan Lee - Born 1922, turns 95 - Writer | Producer | Actor | Consultant
• James Foley - Born 1953, turns 64 - Director | Writer 
• Denzel Washington - Born 1954, turns 63 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Alex Dimitriades - Born 1973, turns 44 - Actor   

Friday 29th December

• Bernard Cribbins - Born 1928, turns 89 - Actor 
• Jon Voight - Born 1938, turns 79 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director 
• Ted Danson - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Jude Law - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actor | Producer
• Danny McBride - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer
• Diego Luna - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Patricia Clarkson - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actress 
• Lilly Wachowski - Born 1967, turns 50 - Writer | Producer | Director
• Alison Brie - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actress | Producer | Singer  

Saturday 30th December

• Tracey Ullman - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Singer | Director 
• Eliza Dushku - Born 1980, turns 37 - Actress | Producer
• Bennett Miller - Born 1966, turns 51 - Director | Producer
• Tyrese Gibson - Born 1978, turns 39 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter | Writer 

Timothee Hal Chalamet was born in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, New York City, USA to American mother Nicole Flender, a real estate broker and former Broadway dancer and French father Marc Chalamet, an editor working for UNICEF. He spent his Summers as a child in France, where he learned to speak French fluently. His dream was to become a professional soccer player, and in his early teens he would coach younger players at soccer camp. Growing up in New York, he was given several roles in television commercials which he did not particularly enjoy. He graduated from these to the New York theatre environment, and from there to television work and eventually feature films. He was accepted into the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in Manhattan, and it was this experience that really gelled his appreciation for acting. He graduated from there in 2013. At the advice of Actress Claire Danes, Chalamet enrolled at Columbia University immediately following High School, and after a year of studying he briefly attended the New York University Gallatin School of Individualised Study to more actively pursue his career as an Actor. 

In 2008 Chalamet appeared in two short films - both horror offerings - the ten minute 'Sweet Tooth' and the six minute 'Clown' with Norman Reedus. 2009 saw a single episode on the television crime series 'Law & Order' and the made for television movie 'Loving Leah'. After a break from his chosen craft, four episodes on the long running comedy drama series 'Royal Pains' came next in 2012 and later that same year eight episodes on the highly acclaimed 'Homeland' with Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin and Damian Lewis playing the role of Finn Walden - the rebel son of the Vice President. 

2013 saw another made for television drama film - 'Trooper' alongside Mira Sorvino, and then in 2014 Chalamet gained this feature film debut in the Jason Reitman Co-Written and Directed comedy drama offering 'Men, Women and Children' with Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Rosemarie Dewitt, Ansel Elgort and Emma Thompson. The thirteen minute short drama film 'Spinners' followed also in 2014 before Christoper Nolan's Co-Written and Directed adventure Sci-Fi drama 'Interstellar' alongside Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Ellen Burstyn, Jessica Chastain and John Lithgow. The film recovered US$675M from its US$165M budget outlay, won an Academy Award and a BAFTA amongst its total haul of forty-four award wins and a further 143 nominations. 'Worst Friends' closed out a somewhat busy 2014 for the young Actor. 

The fantasy drama thriller 'One & Two' opened up 2015, and later that year came the crime drama 'The Adderall Diaries' with James Franco, Ed Harris, Christian Slater, Amber Heard and Cynthia Nixon and then closing out that year came the Christmas themed comedy fantasy romance offering 'Love the Coopers' featuring Steve Martin, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Alan Arkin, Diane Keaton, Amanda Seyfried, and Marisa Tomei. 2016 brought High School comedy drama 'Miss Stevens'. 

Bringing us up to date and due for release on 26th December, is Chalamet's highly acclaimed turn as seventeen year old Elio who begins a relationship with the visiting research assistant Oliver during the Northern Italy Summer of 1983. 'Call Me By Your Name' stars Chalamet in the lead role alongside Armie Hammer's Oliver, whom he bonds with over his emerging sexuality, their shared Jewish heritage and the beautiful Italian landscape. The film has already picked up 25 award wins and another 68 nominations including 23 award wins and nominations for Chalamet as Best Actor. 

Due out in 2018 is the coming of age story set one Summer in Cape Cod back in 1991 - 'Hot Summer Nights' with William Fichtner and Thomas Jane, and due for release in Australia in February is the Greta Gerwig Written and Directed comedy drama 'Lady Bird' with Saoirse Ronan in the lead role in this early 2000's coming of age story set in Sacramento, California. This film too has received much Critical praise and is nominated for four Golden Globes and three SAG Awards amongst its tally so far of 26 award wins and a further 88 nominations. 

Also due for release in early 2018 is the Western adventure drama set in 1892 - 'Hostiles' Written and Directed by Scott Cooper and also starring Christian Bale, Stephen Lang, Jesse Plemmons, and Rosamund Pike in this story of a legendary Army Captain who reluctantly agrees to escort a Cheyenne Chief and his family across dangerous territory. 

Currently in Post-Production for a release later in 2018 is the true life telling 'Beautiful Boy' in which Chalamet plays Nic Sheff, the son of David Sheff played by Steve Carell and Vicki Sheff played by Amy Ryan chronicling meth addiction and subsequent recovery through the eyes of a father who must watch his son as he struggles with his addiction and the disease. And then also in Post-Production for next year is the next Woody Allen project 'A Rainy Day in New York' opposite Selena Gomez, Elle Fanning, Jude Law, Diego Luna, Liev Schreiber and Rebecca Hall. In the meantime, Chalamet also has two stage appearances under his belt too - the first in 2011 in 'The Talls' and in 2016 in 'Prodigal Son' - both productions were in New York. 

All up Chalamet has twenty-one Acting credits to his name, and he has already garnered twelve award wins all for 'Call Me By Your Name' and another seventeen nominations so far mostly for the same film but also for the ensemble cast in 'Lady Bird', 'Homeland' and 'Love the Coopers'. For a short period of time Chalamet was dating Madonna's daughter Lourdes Leon.

Timothee Chalamet - you may not yet have heard of him, but watch this space for this young lad is clearly going places; speaks fluent French and learned Italian on the set of 'Call Me By Your Name'; plays the piano and the guitar; is the brother to Actress, Writer and Director Pauline Chalamet; and this year was the youngest Actor to ever be awarded the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for 'Call Me By Your Name'. We will watch your career take off with much interest Timothee, and may your star shine brightly. In the meantime, Happy Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 26th November 2015.

Always searching to bring current, relevant, interesting updates to these humble pages I was keen to source some early predictions on next years Oscar's race three months out from the 28th February 2016 ceremony. The Hollywood Reporter is pitching its main contenders for Best Picture as 'The Martian', 'Bridge of Spies', 'Straight Outta Compton' which have been Reviewed previously within these pages, and the others which have yet to be seen Down Under, and they are 'The Revenant' starring Leonardo DiCaprio (7th January), 'Spotlight' starring Mark Ruffalo (28th January), 'Brooklyn' with Saoirse Ronan (11th February), 'Room' with Brie Larson (28th January), 'Joy' with Jennifer Lawrence (26th December), 'The Big Short' with Christian Bale (14th January), and 'The Danish Girl' with Eddie Redmayne (28th January). These remaining seven films are yet to make their presence felt in Australia and will be Previewed in future Posts, and will be released as indicated, but can be seen in other territories depending on where you reside on the cinematic globe. Watch out for further Oscar race updates in the coming weeks.

Sticking though with the week ahead, there are five new release movies coming your way that kick start with a long standing pugilist offering that brings this spin off tale full circle where the former champ becomes the teacher to an aspiring student that brings back many memories; then there is a another sporting story grounded in scandalous truth that shocked and rocked the world for the individual caught in the middle and the world of supporters betrayed; next up a power couple share screen time for only the second time in this 70's romantic drama set somewhere on a European coast. Following this is a family festive film featuring more comedic talent that you can shake a candy cane at; and to wrap up the week an animated feature of monsters, growing pains, and hotel guests.

With these as Previewed below, and those movies still out on general release and as either Reviewed or Previewed before, there are plenty of reasons to get to you local Odeon and take in some filmic entertainment. When you have had chance to do so, share your cinematic critique with us here at Odeon Online in the Comments section below this, or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your movie.

CREED (Rated M) - in 1976, a young Sylvester Stallone, who wrote the screenplay for a film and a character that would forever becomes etched in cinematic folklore, burst onto our screens as Rocky Balboa - 'The Italian Stallion'. He was a down at heel no hope dead end lunk of wannabe Boxer from the poorer side of Philadelphia who against all the odds went onto to a world championship bout against Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). That film won three Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Directing for John Avildsen, and was nominated for a further seven awards including Best Actor and Best Writing for Stallone. It picked up another sixteen award wins and another fourteen nominations and propelled Stallone to super stardom in the years that followed. Subsequently there have been further Rocky films in 1979, 1982, 1985, 1990 and 'Rocky Balboa' in 2006. Those six films had a combined production budget of just US$119M and all up grossed US$1.27B. In the meantime and sticking with the pugilist theme, Stallone made 'Grudge Match' in 2013 with Robert De Niro and in 1978, 'Paradise Alley' - Stallone's Directorial debut, albeit about wrestling, but, a variation on a theme!

So this brings us to 'Creed', made for US$35M and Directed by Ryan Coogler, which as the name suggests is less about Rocky and more about Creed, the younger, and son of now deceased Apollo Creed who Rocky fought in both 1976's 'Rocky' and 1982's 'Rocky II'. Adonis Johnson Creed (Michael B. Jordan) never knew his famous World Champion Boxing father Apollo, but nonetheless is following in his footsteps with aspirations of becoming a boxing champion. Knowing that he needs the proper coaching to stand any chance at a title, Adonis travels to Philadelphia to seek out Rocky, now retired and running his Italian Restaurant as he was in the 2006 film. Rocky sees a lot of Apollo in his son, and so agrees to coach and mentor him with a chance at a title bout, but will the young aspiring fighter have the strength, determination and attitude that made his father a Champion. I love a good boxing movie, so I'll be there for this next instalment in the Rocky saga that is already garnering much positive press.

THE PROGRAM (Rated M) - it was only a matter of time before this controversial and meaty recent real life story of sporting scandal made it to our big screens. Based on the David Walsh book 'Seven Deadly Sins' this film tells the story of Lance Armstrong, as Directed by Stephen Frears charting his cycling rise to fame, his seven Tour de France wins and with it his cancer beating, record winning, charity fund raising, inspirational writing, clean as a whistle persona. Until of course it all came tumbling down when the truth was outed that all along he was a drug taking cheat on the grandest scale. With Ben Foster starring as Armstrong and Chris O'Dowd as the British journalist David Walsh who all along suspected something was not quite right, but couldn't prove it, but pushed forward with his investigation nonetheless with dogged determination to reveal the truth. Also starring Jesse Plemmons as disgraced drug taking cyclist Floyd Landis, Lee Pace as Armstrong's long term Agent Bill Stapleton, Guillaume Canet as Armstrong's Italian medic Michele Ferrari, and Dustin Hoffman.

BY THE SEA (Rated MA15+) - Hollywood 'it' couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie star in this mid-70's set film Directed, Produced, Written and Starring Angelina with her husband Brad. This is only their second cinematic outing together after the 2005 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' and this time they play a couple whose marriage is in crisis so they travel to France to rediscover each other, rekindle their relationship and repair the cracks that have appeared in the wedded lives. Jolie plays Vanessa, a former dancer, and Pitt is Roland, a writer who travel through France and while they linger longer at a beach side resort they begin to be drawn in by the locals and a honeymooning couple staying in the next room. Made for US$10M this has so far had a limited release only and is sure to be of interest for those who enjoy the European romantic drama films of the 60's and 70's, when this film is set.

LOVE THE COOPERS (Rated PG) - the first of the Christmas themed fare to grace our cinema screens over the coming festive season, this comedy offering boasts an all star line up comprising Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Anthony Mackie, Ed Helms, Diane Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried, June Squibb, the voice of Steve Martin and pulled together by Director Jessie Nelson. Made for US$17M this films tells the story of four generations of the one family, the Coopers, who come together for their once a year festive gathering on Christmas Eve, but this year a series of unexpected events and visitors turn their celebrations and their festive cheer upside down and inside out. What falls out of the bottom is a new found appreciation for the meaning of family, relationships and the Christmas spirit.  Sounds like a Santa sack full of laughs!

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 (Rated PG) - the predecessor of this film was released in September 2012 off a US$85M budget grossing US$359M, and so on that basis it was a foregone conclusion that a sequel would follow. And it is, just in time for the holiday season. Once again Directed by Genndy Tartakovski, this animated feature was made for slightly less at US$80M and since its release in September elsewhere has already grossed US$420M. Bringing together the voice talents of again Adam Sandler, Mel Brooks, Kevin James, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, and Fran Drescher amongst others, the Hotel has now relaxed its rules about allowing only monster guests to stay, now admitting humans too, but in doing so Drac is concerned that his half-human half-vampire grandson Dennis is growing up without showing any of his vampiric tendencies. Drac enlists the help of his mates to coach, train and mentor Dennis in the way of the vampire, but Drac's Dad, Vlad pays a visit to the Hotel and has other plans in store for young half-blood Dennis and the human guests! Another sequel is already planned on the strength of this films success already - for September 2018.

With another strong choice of films offering sport, drama, comedy, romance, animation, something for everyone, and some familiar characters seen before, I will see you, at the Odeon!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-