STRAYS : Tuesday 22nd August 2023

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'STRAYS' earlier this week, and this American adult comedy film is Co-Produced and Directed by Josh Greenbaum whose debut as a feature film maker was 'The Short Game' in 2013, which he would follow up with 'Becoming Bond' in 2017, 'Too Funny to Fail : The Life & Death of The Dana Carvey Show' in 2017 and 'Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar' in 2021. The film was released in the US and here in Australia last week, has so far grossed US$12.5M off the back of a production budget of US$46M and has generated mixed or average critical reviews. 

Reggie is an over trusting Border Terrier dog (voiced by Will Ferrell) living with his owner Doug (Will Forte), a down and out drug addict who spends his time smoking bongs, jacking off to internet porn and getting drunk. Despite Doug only keeping him around to spite an ex-girlfriend he himself cheated on, Reggie is under the impression that Doug really loves him and does everything he can to make him happy, much to Doug's constant frustration. 

After Doug is served an eviction notice on the run down shack he calls a home, Reggie accidentally knocks over some packing boxes and in the process destroys Doug's favoured bong. Doug makes several attempts to ditch Reggie in the wild, which Reggie views as a game called 'fetch and fuck' with Doug lobbing the ball into the bush for Reggie to 'fetch' and then he brings the ball home and drops it at Doug's feet he is always greeted with 'oh fuck!' And so Doug in a final attempt to rid himself of Reggie once and for all, drives a long way from home to a big city, lobbs the ball down an alleyway and then drives off as Reggie is chasing his ball. 

Losing track of Doug, Reggie runs into a street-wise Boston Terrier dog named Bug (voiced by Jamie Foxx), who looks sympathetically upon Reggie and takes him under his wing. After a night out on the town as part of Reggie's initiation into the world of stray dogs with an Australian Shepherd dog named Maggie (Isla Fisher) and a therapy Great Dane dog called Hunter (voiced by Randall Park) who permanently wears a plastic cone around his head, Reggie gradually comes to realise that Doug was not the nice owner he believed him to be. And so Reggie decides to get revenge on Doug by ripping his dick off, with the other strays agreeing to join him for support. However, he hardly knows the way home, with his only clues being a giant hamster wheel (a county fair Ferris wheel), a giant cone (a hill), and a devil floating in the sky (a billboard advertising a picture of a mail delivery man).

During the journey, the group begin to bond as they get into a number of crazy situations, culminating in them getting caught by Animal Control after a hunger induced frenzy caused them to chow down on magic mushrooms which results in them hallucinating and mauling a family of rabbits to death, thinking they were stuffed toys. 

During their captivity, Bug admits that he used to have a family own him, but was forced to escape when they tried to put him down after he bit the daughter on the ankle after she trod on his paw (though he fails to comprehend what he did wrong). Following a rousing speech by Reggie to get all the other dogs in the pound to band together to hatch a plan to escape, they all shit on the floor knowing that Willy (Brett Gelman) the Animal Control Officer will be forced to enter the pound to clean up their mess. But Willy is overwhelmed by the smell and the sheer sight of all those dog turds that he slips up and ends flat on his back so leaving the all the strays the opportunity to make a bolt for it, and they do. 

After escaping the pound, Reggie's bad habits from Doug's abuse resurface when a hallucination of Doug from the high he experienced convinces him that his mistreatment was somehow his fault, leading to a falling out between Bug and him, with Maggie and Hunter left to witness the fallout. And so Reggie goes off in search of Doug to make amends, Bug ventures off on his own into the nearby forest, leaving Maggie and Hunter to begin the long walk home back to the big city. 

Reggie makes his way back to Doug, but Doug, having grown very tired of having to put up with the dog, does what he can to kill Reggie outright with a baseball bat. Fortunately, Bug, Hunter and Maggie arrive in the nick of time. Hunter shakes off his plastic cone and attacks Doug pining him down with his front paws while Maggie and Bug each grab a leg prising them apart so that Reggie can successfully rip Doug's dick off. Hunter turns round and takes a dump straight into Doug's mouth as he writhes around while Reggie bites on his dick. In the meantime, the house has ignited, and a bloodied Doug comes stumbling out the front door with his bloodied crotch, his face covered in dog poo and his house ablaze. The dogs decide it's time to get the hell outta Dodge, as a telegraph pole comes crashing down on Doug's pick-up truck.

In the aftermath, the strays begin to move on. Maggie begins training as a Police Dog and starts a relationship with Hunter, Bug is adopted by a missing Girl Scout he helped rescue, and Reggie resigns himself to being a stray and helps other new strays adjust to their life on the streets. In a mid-credits sequence Doug is seen in hospital all bandaged up. The Doctor says that they found faecal matter in his mouth and throat and that they were unable to reattach his penis, to which Doug shouts out 'oh fuck!'. 

'Strays' will not be for everyone, and for this movie you definitely want to be leaving the kids at home. This film is filled with more F-bombs and more dogs peeing and pooping and humping than anything I have ever seen before. Not that there's anything wrong with that if taken in the context of the film and the antics of these everyday stray mutts. As a dog owner myself I found myself chuckling at some of the sight gags and the one liners that I can easily relate to, but as for laugh out loud comedy then this film, for me, failed to hit those high notes. That said, this film has heart and an endearing emotional core that help elevate it above an also-ran movie, and with a brisk run time of 93 minutes it doesn't outstay its welcome - unlike Reggie! Also starring Josh Gad, Rob Riggle, Sofia Vergara and a cameo appearance by Dennis Quaid playing Dennis Quaid.

'Strays' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 17th August 2023.

The 76th annual Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) takes place this year from Friday 18th August through until Wednesday 23rd August. Established in 1947, in is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF showcases both UK and international films (all titles are World, International, European, UK or Scottish Premieres), in all genres and lengths. It also presents themed retrospectives and other specialised programming sections. 

This years Opening Night Film is 'Silent Roar' from the UK and Directed by Johnny Barrington in his debut feature film. A teenage tale of surfing, sex and hellfire set in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, this film has its World Premiere screening. The Closing Night Film is 'Fremont' from the USA and Directed by Babak Jalali. A deadpan dramedy about an insomniac Afghan woman unable to dream the American dream.

Awards are given for the following categories : The Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film, with a £20K cash prize; The Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film; The Award for Best International Feature Film, with a £10K cash prize; The Award for Best Documentary Feature Film, with a £10K cash prize; The McLaren Award for Best New British Animation; The Award for Best Short Film; The Award for Creative Innovation in a Short Film; The Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution to a Short Film and The Audience Award.

In the New Feature Films section, the following titles are playing :-

* 'AFIRE' - from Germany and Directed by Christian Petzold. A procrastinating writer must face his insecurities in this sharp portrayal of creative hurdles, against the backdrop of a raging forest fire.

* 'ART COLLEGE : 1994' - from China and Directed by Liu Jian. Gnarly animation and slacker humour reign in this Chinese punk comedy.

* 'CHOOSE IRVINE WELSH' - from the UK and Directed by Ian Jefferies. Irvine Welsh in his own words, with Iggy Pop, Martin Compston, Danny Boyle and others paying tribute. World Premiere.

* 'CHUCK CHUCK BABY' - from the UK and Directed by Janis Pugh in her feature film making debut. Amid the vibrant neon lights of a chicken packaging factory, two women fall in love. World Premiere screening.

* 'FEMME' - from the UK and Written and Directed by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping in their feature Directorial debuts. Here this queer erotic revenge thriller is a tense neo-noir film about desire and self-loathing.

* 'THE FIRST SLAM DUNK' - from Japan and Directed by Takehiko Inoue. Exhilarating basketball action meets teenage guts in this anime adaptation of a world-popular manga series.

* 'IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?' - from the UK and Directed by Ella Glendining in her film making debut. A filmmaker examines questions of disability on a journey to find herself in others.

* 'JORAM' - from India and Directed by Devashish Makhija. Tough questions of land development and indigenous rights fuel this tense thriller featuring a woman hellbent on revenge.

* 'KILL' - from the UK and Directed by Rodger Griffiths.  Twisted grief and paranoia run through the veins of this gritty Scottish thriller.

* 'THE LYNDA MYLES PROJECT : A MANIFESTO' - from the UK and Directed by Susan Kemp. An exclusive, responsive, preview screening of Susan Kemp’s remarkable documentary in progress,  structuring this intimate and insightful portrait of Lynda Myles, invokes a form known to define, criticise, and shift paradigms in culture – the manifesto, an active document set to inspire anyone who programmes, produces or simply loves cinema today.

* 'ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY' - from France and Directed by Paul B. Preciado. Here the Director creates an electrifying work of fiction/non-fiction, a polyphonic retelling of Virginia Woolf’s 'Orlando'.

* 'PASSAGES' - from France and Directed by Ira Sachs. A love triangle makes for the thorniest and horniest film of the year. 

* 'PAST LIVES' - from the USA and Directed by Celine Song. A moving examination of South Korean diaspora told through a delicate tale of star-crossed friends.

* 'PROPERTY' - from Brazil and Directed by Daniel Bandeira. An unsparing new take on the home-invasion horror genre that will surprise and disturb.

* 'RAGING GRACE' - from the UK and Directed by Paris Zarcilla in her debut feature film. This smart, chilling debut merging gothic horror about an undocumented Filipina cleaner moving from house to house in London with her impetuous daughter Grace in tow, is saving up her meagre cash payments to get a visa and a more stable home for them both.

* 'SHOWING UP' - from the USA and Directed by Kelly Reichardt. Michelle Williams and Hong Chau star in this intimate drama exploring art-making, creativity and resilience.

* 'THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE' - from the UK and Directed by Hope Dickson Leach. Jekyll and Hyde trade London for Edinburgh in this cinematic retelling of the gothic classic from Robert Louis Stevenson. World Premiere showcasing.

* 'TRENQUE LAUQUEN: PARTS 1 AND 2' - from Argentina and Germany. Laura, a botanist, has disappeared. As the two men who felt they knew her best seek out clues to her whereabouts, they realise how little of Laura they ever really knew.
* 'UNGENTLE' - from the UK and Directed by Huw Lemmey and Onyeka Igwe. Histories of British espionage and male homosexuality intertwine in a mid-length film narrated by Ben Whishaw.

* 'YOUR FAT FRIEND' - from the UK and the USA and Directed by Jeanie Finlay. Here is a rousing portrait of author, activist and podcaster Aubrey Gordon, whose illuminating critique and lived experience as a queer fat woman powerfully interrogate the structures of anti-fat bias that damage and condescend to fat people on a daily basis.

For the full low down on the other film strands playing at the EIFF, you can go to the official website at : https://www.eif.co.uk/edinburgh-international-film-festival

Turning the attention then back to this weeks six new films coming to a big screen Odeon near you, we kick start with a biographical comedy drama that charts the story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone. This is followed up with an American psychological thriller that follows a dominatrix and her wealthy client, and the disaster that ensues when he tries to end their relationship. Next is a crime drama thriller about a group of environmental activists who plot a daring plan to disrupt an oil pipeline. Then we turn to an Icelandic and Danish film set at the end of the 19th century, in which a young Danish priest is sent to a remote part of Iceland, but the deeper he travels into the Icelandic landscape, the more he loses a sense of his own reality, his mission and his sense of duty. Following on we have an American adult comedy movie about an abandoned dog who teams up with other stray dogs to get revenge on his former owner; before closing out the week with a South Korean offering about a man who is left in space due to an unfortunate accident while another man on Earth struggles to bring him back safely.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'BLACKBERRY' (Rated M) - is a Canadian biographical comedy drama film Co-Written for the screen, Directed and also stars Matt Johnson. It is loosely adapted from Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff's book 'Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry'. Matt Johnson's two previous feature film offerings are 'The Dirties' in 2014 and 'Operation Avalanche' in 2016. This film saw its World Premiere screening at this years Berlin International Film Festival in mid-February before its Canadian release in mid-May, having so far grossed US$2.6M from a production budget of US$5M and garnering generally positive critical acclaim. 

The film is a fictional account of the creation of the BlackBerry line of mobile phones by co-founders, Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) and Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel), and investor, Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) - the three men who charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone. Also starring Martin Donovan, Saul Rubinek, Michael Ironside and Cary Elwes. 

'SANCTUARY' (Rated MA15+) - this American psychological thriller film is Directed by Zachary Wigon in only his second feature film outing following 2014's 'The Heart Machine'. This film had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in mid-September last year and received a limited cinema release in the US from mid-May this year, having so far taken US$776K at the Box Office and receiving positive reviews from critics. Set over the course of one night in a single hotel room, the film tells the story of Rebecca Marin, a dominatrix (Margaret Qualley) and Hal Porterfield (Christopher Abbott), her wealthy client. About to inherit his late father's position as CEO and fortune as head of a hotel empire, Hal tries to end their relationship, but when his attempt to cut ties backfires, disaster ensues.

'HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE' (Rated M) - this American environmentalist action thriller film is Directed by Daniel Goldhaber, who also Co-Wrote the screenplay and Co-Produces here too. This is Goldhaber's second feature film following his debut in 2018 with the psychological horror film 'Cam'. This film relies on ideas advanced in Andreas Malm's 2021 book of the same name, where he examines the history of social justice movements and argues for property destruction as a valid tactic in the pursuit of environmental justice. Set for the most part in West Texas, the film follows a fictional group of eight young individuals who decide to blow up an oil pipeline at two key locations. It explores the moral validity of extreme actions in addressing the climate crisis, the question of terrorism, and the use of property damage and sabotage as activist tactics. Starring Ariela Barer, Sasha Lane, Jayme Lawson, Marcus Scribner, Jake Weary, Forrest Goodluck, Kristine Froseth and Lukas Gage. It saw its World Premiere screening at TIFF in mid-September last year, was released Stateside in early April this year, has generated largely positive critical reviews and has so far grossed US$883K in Box Office sales. 

'GODLAND' (Rated M) - is an Icelandic and Danish Co-Production Written and Directed by Hlynur Palmason in his third feature film making outing after 'Winter Brothers' in 2017, and 'A White, White Day' in 2019. Set in the late 19th Century, here, Lucas (Elliott Crosset Hove), a Lutheran priest from Denmark is sent to Iceland to oversee the establishment of a new parish church, only to have his faith tested and challenged by the harsh conditions of rural life, including his inability as a monolingual Danish-language speaker to communicate with his assigned Icelandic guide, Ragnar (Ingvar Eggert Sigurosson). The film saw its World Premiere showcasing in the Un Certain Regard category of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and had its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September last year. The film has garnered universal critical acclaim and has generated just US$1.1M in Box Office receipts. 

'STRAYS' (Rated MA15+) - this American adult comedy film is Co-Produced and Directed by Josh Greenbaum whose debut as a feature film maker was 'The Short Game' in 2013, which he would follow up with 'Becoming Bond' in 2017, 'Too Funny to Fail : The Life & Death of The Dana Carvey Show' in 2017 and 'Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar' in 2021. When a gullible Border Terrier named Reggie (Will Ferrell) is abandoned on the streets by his selfish and ruthless owner Doug (Will Forte), an animal-hating drug addict who never wanted him, he teams up with other stray dogs including a street-wise Boston Terrier named Bug (Jamie Foxx), an Australian Shepherd named Maggie (Isla Fisher), and a therapy Great Dane named Hunter (Randall Park) to get revenge on Doug. Also starring Josh Gad, Rob Riggle, Sofia Vergara and Dennis Quaid. The film is released in the US this week also.

'THE MOON' (Rated M) - is a South Korean space survival film Written and Directed by Kim Yong-hwa, whose previous feature film output includes 'Oh! Brothers' in 2003, 2006's '200 Pounds Beauty', 'Take Off' in 2009 and 'Mr. Go' in 2013. Set in the not to distant future, Korea's first manned mission to the Moon ends in a tragic disaster when an explosion occurs on board. Five years later, a second human spaceflight is launched successfully but a strong solar wind causes it to malfunction. One astronaut, Sun-woo (Do Kyung-soo) is left stranded in space. Facing another fatal catastrophe, the Naro Space Centre turns to its former Managing Director Kim Jae-guk (Sol Kyung-gu) to help bring Sun-woo back home safely. With a production budget of about US$25M, 'The Moon' was pre-sold in 155 countries before its release date commencing with South Korea on 2nd August. 

With six new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 17th - 23rd July 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Vin Diesel does on 18th July - check out my tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 49, 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 17th July

• F. Gary Gray - Born 1969, turns 47 - Director | Producer | Actor
• Jason Clarke - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor
• David Hasselhoff - Born 1952, turns 64 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer
• Donald Sutherland - Born 1935, turns 81 - Actor | Producer | Writer  

Monday 18th July

• James Brolin - Born 1940, turns 76 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Paul Verhoeven - Born 1938, turns 78 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Vin Diesel - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Kelly Reilly - Born 1977, turns 39 - Actress | Producer
• Elizabeth McGovern - Born 1961, turns 55 - Actress
• Kristen Bell - Born 1980, turns 36 - Actress | Producer | Singer

Tuesday 19th July

• Benedict Cumberbatch - Born 1976, turns 40 - Actor
• Atom Egoyan - Born 1960, turns 56 - Producer | Director | Writer | Editor | Cinematographer
• Abel Ferrara - Born 1951, turns 65 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Songwriter
• Mark Webber - Born 1980, turns 36 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer
• George Dzundza - Born 1945, turns 71 - Actor

Wednesday 20th July

• Cormac McCarthy - Born 1933, turns 83 - Writer | Producer
• Josh Holloway - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Producer
• Frank Whaley - Born 1963, turns 53 - Actor | Director | Writer
• Diana Rigg - Born 1938, turns 78 - Actress
• Sandra Oh - Born 1971, turns 45 - Actress 

Thursday 21st July

• Juno Temple - Born 1989, turns 27 - Actress
• Charlotte Gainsbourg - Born 1971, turns 45 - Actress
• Norman Jewison - Born 1926, turns 90 - Producer | Director
• John Lovitz - Born 1957, turns 59 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer
• Michael Caton - Born 1943, turns 73 - Actor
• Josh Hartnett - Born 1978, turns 38 - Actor | Producer

Friday 22nd July

• Terence Stamp - Born1938, turns 78 - Actor | Director
• Paul Schrader - Born 1946, turns 70 - Writer | Director
• Danny Glover - Born 1946, turns 70 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Albert Brooks - Born 1947, turns 69 - Actor | Director | Writer
• Willem Dafoe - Born 1955, turns 61 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• David Spade - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer
• John Leguizamo - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer
• Rhys Ifans - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actor
• Franka Potenta - Born 1974, turns 42 - Actress | Singer
• Selena Gomez - Born 1992, turns 24 - Singer | Actress

Saturday 23rd July

• Ronny Cox - Born 1938, turns 78 - Actor
• Woody Harrelson - Born 1961, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Daniel Radcliffe - Born 1989, turns 27 - Actor 

Marc Sinclair was born in Alameda County, California, USA to mother Delora Sherleen Sinclair, an astrologer. He never knew his biological father, and was raised in New York City by his mother and stepfather Irving Vincent, an acting coach and theatre manager. He has a younger brother and sister and a fraternal twin Paul Vincent who works as a film editor. He started his acting career by accident at the age of seven when he and a bunch of mates broke into a local theatre intent on vandalising the property, but were caught before they could by the Artistic Director, who offered the lads roles in an upcoming play, or, call the Police. They opted for the former option. That was in a children's play 'Dinosaur Door' produced at the Greenwich Village Theatre for the New City. His career onstage progressed to a New York Repertory Company run by his stepfather, and from there to Hunter College - a public university and part of the City University of New York where his skills in creative writing led him to an interest in screenwriting. By seventeen with a muscle toned build he was bouncing at several hip & trendy New York night spots, and it was then that he changed his name to Vin Diesel.

After three years majoring in English at Hunter College he dropped out and headed to Hollywood to make his acting fame and fortune - but this was no easy task, and after a year as a struggling actor he returned to New York. His screen debut came in an uncredited role on the Penny Marshall Directed film of 'Awakening' in 1990 with Robin Williams and Robert De Niro. At about this time his mother gave him a book 'Feature Films at Used Car Prices' which motivated Diesel to take his destiny into his own hands. From here, in 1994 he Wrote, Produced, Directed and starred in his own semi-autobiographical short film 'Multi-Facial' about an actors struggle with the audition process. It screened at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival. Three years later in 1997 Diesel Wrote, Produced, Directed and starred in his first fill length feature film 'Strays' which played in competition at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. The next year, on the strength of 'Multi-Facial' Steven Spielberg cast him in his WWII epic 'Saving Private Ryan'.

In 2000, he secured a major role in the Ben Affleck and Giovanni Ribisi film 'Boiler Room' with his breakout role coming later that same year as Riddick in the Sci-Fi actioner 'Pitch Black'. He would reprise the role in 2004 in 'The Chronicles of Riddick' teaming up again with Director David Twohy. Diesel also Produced the film. Whilst hardly a commercial success at the Box Office barely recovering its US$110M budget, it did well enough on the DVD after sales market, prompting a further sequel in 2013, 'Riddick' which again Diesel Produced and Twohy Directed this time for a more modest US$40M. A further instalment has recently been announced.

2001 saw his action hero status reach new heights in his first outing as Dominic Toretto in 'The Fast and the Furious' Directed by Rob Cohen for US$38M and returning US$207M so guaranteeing a follow-up. Diesel skipped 2003's sequel '2 Fast 2 Furious' and had an uncredited cameo in the 2006 'The Fast and the Furious : Tokyo Drift', but has appeared in all films since - in 2009's 'Fast & Furious'; 2011's 'Fast Five'; 2013 'Fast & Furious 6' and 2015's 'Furious 7'. So far all seven films have been made for a combined US$759M and have grossed worldwide US$3,90B. 'Furious 7' currently stands at the #7 ranking highest grossing films of all time at a haul of US$1,52B. 'Fast 8' is currently filming for a 2017 release, and 'Fast & Furious 9 and 10' have been announced for 2019 and 2021 respectively.

2002's 'xXx' also helped cement Diesel's action star status with his role being reprised in 2017's 'xXx : The Return of Xander Cage'. 2003 brought 'A Man Apart' Directed by F. Gary Gray; 2005 saw the action comedy 'The Pacifier' which returned US$199M from its US$56M outlay, and then 'Find Me Guilty' for Sidney Lumet in 2006 with Diesel playing mobster Giacomo DiNorscio - the subject of the longest Mafia court case in American history. 2008 saw 'Babylon A.D.' - a SciFi action film with Mark Strong, Gerard Depardieu and Michelle Yeoh. In 2009 he wrote, Produced, Directed and starred in the 20 minute short film 'Los Bandeleros' providing a back story for the characters and events leading up to the start of the fourth 'Fast & Furious' film, so bridging the gap between that film and 'Tokyo Drift'.

2014 saw the Marvel Cinematic Universe sleeper hit 'Guardians of the Galaxy' with Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista and Diesel as the voice of 'Groot' - a tree like humanoid. The film made US$774M at the global Box Office, with a sequel now in post-production for a 2017 release.

'The Last Witch Hunter' was released in 2015 with Elijah Wood and Michael Caine which brings us up to date. Next up is Ang Lee's 'Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk' with Kristen Stewart, Garrett Hedlund, Steve Martin and Chris Tucker due in November this year, and a whole bunch of sequels due over the next five years as already mentioned within this Post, including a fourth Riddick instalment with 'Furia' recently announced. All up Diesel has forty Acting credits to his name, 22 as Producer, five as Director and four as Writer. He has seven award wins and a further 26 nominations. He has also lent his voice talents to 'The Iron Giant' in 1999, several video games based on his character Riddick, and as 'Groot' in 'Guardian's of the Galaxy' and its follow up due early next year.

In 1995 he formed 'One Race Films' - a video production company behind many of his films, and with it a subsidiary company 'Tigon Studios' - a video game development business, and another subsidiary 'Racetrack Records' - a record label, music studio and production company. He has been in a long term relationship with Mexican born model Paloma Jimenez since 2007, and together they have three children - Hania Riley (born 2008), Vincent Sinclair (born 2010) and Pauline (born 2015) named after his good friend and 'Fast & Furious' Co-Star Paul Walker who died in November 2013.








Vin Diesel - he of the deep instantly recognisable voice, avid 'Dungeons and Dragons' player for 20+ years now, deeply private in his personal life, a lover and supporter of the Dominican Republic where he filmed 'Los Bandeleros', and the action star of four burgeoning film franchises still going strong after 15+ years and that keep audiences coming back for more - Happy Birthday to you Vin, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-