BILL PAXTON - dies aged 61 - R.I.P.

William 'Bill' Paxton, passed away following complications from recent heart surgery on Saturday 25th February. He was just 61 years of age. Born on 17th May 1955 in Fort Worth, Texas to mother Mary Lou Gray and father John Lane Paxton who worked as a businessman, timber wholesaler, museum executive and occasional Actor, the young lad was never far from the spotlight. At age eight he was in the crowd of onlookers and well wishers lining the streets to greet President John F. Kennedy just hours before he was shot and killed on that ill fated day in Dallas on November 22nd 1963. Official photographs taken on the day show a young Bill Paxton being lifted above the heads of the crowd for a better view of the passing cavalcade, which is on display at the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas. In another twist of fate, Paxton attended Arlington Heights High School, in Fort Worth with Lee Harvey Oswald - the alleged assassin of Kennedy, who was in turn shot and killed by Jack Ruby on 24th November 1963 while in Police custody for the murder of the President.

At age eighteen Paxton moved to Los Angeles and landed a job working for Roger Corman's film production company, New World Pictures, as a set dresser. He landed his big screen debut in a Corman picture - 1975's 'Crazy Mama' in an uncredited role Directed by Jonathan Demme. He later moved to New York where he studied acting under Stella Adler at New York University. From there he landed a bit part in Ivan Reitman's 1981 'Stripes' with Bill Murray, John Candy, Harold Ramis and Warren Oates. From this point on he was never out of work finding small parts on film and television series which kept him busy as a jobbing Actor. He even Directed and Wrote a couple of short films himself - 'Fish Heads' and 'Barnes & Barnes : Love Tap'. His rights of passage included a bunch of B-Grade horror films including 'Night Warning' in 1982, 'Deadly Lessons' and 'Mortuary' both in 1983, and 'Impulse' in 1984.

1984 also gave rise to his first collaboration with Director James Cameron and action hero star Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'Terminator' as a young punk in an early scene as the T-800 Terminator arrives naked in a downtown side street and his first contact with the human race is three knife wielding deadbeats who aren't long for this world. 'Weird Science' followed for John Hughes in 1985 which also starred a young Robert Downey Jnr., and then 'Commando' with Arnie again and then in 1986 in 'Aliens' for Director James Cameron as Private Hudson who uttered those immortal words 'stop yer grinnin' and drop yer linen'! A bunch of television show appearances and films including Katherine Bigelow's 'Near Dark', 'Slipstream' and 'Next of Kin' with Patrick Swayze saw out the '80's.

The new decade launched with 'Brain Dead' in 1990, and the next ten years saw the likes of 'Navy Seals' with Charlie Sheen, 'Predator 2' with Danny Glover, 'One False Move' which reunited him with Writer and Co-Star Billy Bob Thornton, the controversial 'Boxing Helena' with Julian Sands, Western 'Tombstone' with an all star cast that included Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp with Paxton playing Morgan Earp, and then in 1994 a reuniting with Cameron and Schwarzenegger in 'True Lies'.



The following year saw saw Paxton portray real life astronaut Fred Haise in Ron Howard's critically acclaimed retelling of the 'Apollo 13' mission with Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise and Ed Harris, and the following year saw Jan de Bont's equally acclaimed 'Twister' with Paxton in the lead role as over zealous tornado chaser Bill Harding opposite Helen Hunt. 'Traveller' came next in 1997 followed by another reteaming with James Cameron on his epic 'Titanic', with 'A Simple Plan' for Director Sam Raimi and Co-Star once again Billy Bob Thornton, and 'Mighty Joe Young' with Charlize Theron seeing out the decade in 1998.

2000 brought 'U-571' for Director Jonathan Moscow and Co-Starring Matthew McConaughey, Harvey Keitel, and Jon Bon Jovi, then K2 mountain rescue drama 'Vertical Limit' for Director Martin Campbell, and in 2001 Paxton made his Directorial debut with the well received 'Frailty' in which he also starred alongside Matthew McConaughey again. 2004 saw the live action big screen adaptation of the classic '60's Jerry and Sylvia Anderson series 'Thunderbirds' with Paxton playing Jeff Tracy, the founder of International Rescue. Paxton turned this hand to Directing again in 2005 with historical biographical golf sports film 'The Greatest Game Ever Played' with Shia LaBeouf in the lead role of champion of the modern game Francis Ouimet. The decade played out with Paxton starring in 55 episodes of HBO's television series 'Big Love' with Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Savigny, Bruce Dern and Harry Dean Stanton. The show garnered Paxton several award nominations including Golden Globe and Satellite Awards over successive years.

Action thriller 'Haywire' for Steven Soderbergh came next in 2011 with an ensemble cast and in 2012 the acclaimed three part post American Civil War mini-series 'Hatfields and McCoys' with Paxton starring alongside Kevin Costner. Paxton was again nominated for several awards including a Primetime Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild. 'The Colony' with Laurence Fishburne, '2 Guns' with Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, 'Million Dollar Arm' with Jon Hamm, Doug Liman's Sci-Fi action adventure 'Edge of Tomorrow' with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, Dan Gilroy's excellent 'Nightcrawler' with Jake Gyllenhaal, and then 'The Gamechangers', 'Term Life' and 'Mean Dreams' bring us up to date in terms of movie releases. In the meantime, there had also been six episodes on Marvel's television series 'Agents of 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' the acclaimed five part mini-series 'Texas Rising' - the story of how the Texas Rangers were formed, and most recently on seven episodes of Season One of television series 'Training Day' as Detective Frank Rourke following up the the acclaimed 2001 film of the same name about a rookie cop who buddies up with a corrupt partner.

Due for release in April is 'The Circle' a Sci-Fi thriller with Tom Hanks, Emma Watson and John Boyega. All up Paxton had 93 acting credits to his name, seven as Producer, five as Director, and several for his early work as Production Designer, Set Decorator, and Art Director. He was nominated for four Golden Globes, a Primetime Emmy, three Satellite Awards, two SAG Awards and in total accumulated six award wins and another thirteen nominations throughout his career. He was also an early musician, having formed a new wave band in 1982 'Martini Ranch' similar in ilk to 'Devo' - they released one album in 1987 - 'Holy Cow'. He was married to Kelly Rowan for a brief time form 1979 to 1980 and then in 1987 he married Louise Newbury with whom he had two children - James born in 1994, and Lydia born in 1997.

Bill Paxton - laid claim to being killed off by a Terminator, an Alien and and a Predator; starred in some of the most iconic films of the '80's and '90's; he played policemen, storm chasers, an astronaut, alien hunters, historical figures, punks, low-life's and men of questionable conduct and standing. Whatever the role, whatever the genre Paxton was convincing, watchable and the consummate character actor who leaves behind a legacy of great films, memorable characters and quotable one liners. He will be missed!


Bill Paxton - Rest In Peace
1955 - 2017

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 25th - 31st January 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week? Christian Bale does, on 30th January - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 41, 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 25th January

• Tobe Hooper - Born 1943, turns 72 - Director | Producer | Writer

Monday 26th January

• David Strathairn - Born 1949, turns 66 - Actor
• Scott Glenn - Born 1941, turns 74 - Actress
• Ellen DeGeneres - Born 1958, turns 57 - Television Personality | Writer | Producer | Actress
• Odeon Online - Born 2014, turns 1 - Movie Blog of choice!

Tuesday 27th January

• Mimi Rogers - Born 1956, turns 59 - Actress | Producer
• Bridget Fonda - Born 1964, turns 51 - Actress
• James Cromwell - Born 1940, turns 75 - Actor | Producer
• Frank Miller - Born 1957, turns 58 - Writer | Producer | Director | Actor
• Alan Cumming - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer

Wednesday 28th January

• Alan Alda - Born 1936, turns 79 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Frank Darabont - Born 1959, turns 56 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Elijah Wood - Born 1981, turns 34 - Actor | Producer
• Rosamund Pike - Born 1979, turns 36 - Actress

Thursday 29th January 

• Katherine Ross - Born 1940, turns 75 - Actress
• Oprah Winfrey - Born 1954, turns 61 - Television Personality | Actress | Writer
• Heather Graham - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Tom Selleck - Born 1945, turns 70 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Edward Burns - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Marc Singer - Born 1948, turns 67 - Actor

Friday 30th January

• Christian Bale - Born 1974, turns 41 - Actor
• Gene Hackman - Born 1930, turns 85 - Actor
• Phil Collins - Born 1951, turns 64 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor
• Vanessa Redgrave - Born 1937, turns 78 - Actress | Producer

Saturday 31st January

• Minni Driver - Born 1970, turns 45 0 Actress | Producer
• Portia de Rossi - Born 1973, turns 42 - Actress
• Justin Timberlake - Born 1981, turns 34 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor | Producer
• Anthony LaPaglia - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actor | Writer | Producer
• Philip Glass - Born 1937, turns 78 - Composer | Songwriter
• Dexter Fletcher - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actor | Writer | Director | Producer

Christian Charles Philip Bale was born in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales to English parents. His mother Jenny James was a circus performer and his father David Charles Howard Bale was a commercial pilot and talent manager. His childhood years were spent in various locations from Wales to southern England to Portugal to the United States. He attended Bournemouth Boys Grammar School and left at 16. The next year he moved to Los Angeles with his father when his parents divorced in 1991. 

His first screen acting role came in a fabric softener television commercial in 1982 and then a 'Pac-Man' breakfast cereal advertisement a year later. In 1984 he played for the first time in a theatre production opposite Rowan Atkinson in 'The Nerd' on London's West End. With work coming in as an up & coming Actor he auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and the Central School of Speech and Drama and was offered a place by all three institutions to study his craft but was convinced by his parents at the time to continue working - a decision he regrets still to this day!

His big screen debut came in in 1986 in the television film 'Anastasia : The Mystery of Anna' which quickly led to a starring role in in the television mini-series 'Heart of the Country', and then the fantasy film 'Mio in the land of the Faraway' opposite Christopher Lee. It was the 'Anastasia : The Mystery of Anna' movie that brought the young Bale to the attention of Steven Spielberg who cast him in his breakout role in 1987's 'Empire of the Sun'. This brought Bale much critical acclaim, winning too the inaugural award by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures for the Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor.

The success of 'Empire of the Sun' Bale found hard to adjust to and almost gave up acting as a career choice there & then. Kenneth Branagh however, convinced him to take a role in the 1989 big screen telling of Shakespeare's 'Henry V' with a critically acclaimed all star cast. From there he starred with Charlton Heston in 'Treasure Island', in Disney's 'Newsies' with Robert Duvall, 'Swing Kids' with Kenneth Branagh again, and then 'Little Women' with Wynona Ryder who introduced Bale to his future wife in 1994. He returned to Disney in 1995 to provide the voice for Captain John Smith in the animated feature 'Pocahontas' and in 1997 he played alongside Ewen McGregor in 'Velvet Goldmine'.

He saw out the decade and saw in the new with another big screen adaptation of Shakespeare in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' with again an all star cast and 'All the Little Animals' with John Hurt. This was followed up by his turn as Patrick Bateman in 'American Psycho'. In it Bale inhibited his character of the deranged murdering Wall Street executive for which he trained obsessively to develop his body and prepare his mental state to match that of his character as depicted in the Brett Easton Ellis book.

Next up came 'Shaft' alongside Samuel L. Jackson, 'Captain Correlli's Mandolin' with Nicolas Cage and then in quick succession came 'Laurel Canyon', 'Reign of Fire' and 'Equilibrium'. 2004 saw Bale back to prominence as Trevor Reznik in 'The Machinist' - a role for which he slimmed down drastically by 63lbs (27kgs) to a body weight of just 128lbs (55kgs) by taking a crash diet and going without sleep for prolonged periods.

His next role was the polar opposite requiring Bale to regain all those lost kilos and bulk up considerably gaining 105lbs (45kgs) in muscle in six months to play the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Christopher Nolan's 2005 'Batman Begins'.  The success of this brought two hugely successful sequels in 2008 with 'The Dark Knight' and then again in 2012 with 'The Dark Knight Rises'. The three films together and as a complete package, and singularly, were received to both critical and commercial acclaim generating US$2.5B in Box Office and after sales receipts off a total production cost of US$585M.

In the meantime, and since, there has been 'The New World' and 'Harsh Times' in 2005; 'Rescue Dawn' and 'The Prestige' in 2006; '3:10 to Yuma' and 'I'm Not There' in 2007; and then 'Terminator : Salvation' and 'Public Enemies' in 2009. 'The Fighter' in 2010 with Mark Wahlberg brought more critical success, leading to 'The Flowers of War' in 2011, 'Out of the Furnace' and 'American Hustle' in 2013 and most recently 'Exodus : Gods and Kings' with Director Ridley Scott in 2014 and still on general release. Next up is Terrence Malick's 'Knight of Cups' with Cate Blanchett due for release later this year, and an as yet untitled project for the same Director which is currently in post-production. Then will come 'Creed of Violence' and 'Jungle Book : Origins' for 2016/17.

Bale has 48 acting credits to his name and a total 59 award wins and a further 58 nominations. He won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for 'The Fighter' and was nominated for Best Actor for 'American Hustle'. The same was true of the Golden Globes and he was nominated similarly at the BAFTA's.

He has been married to Sandra 'Sibi' Blazic since 2000 and together they have a daughter Emmaline born in 2005 and a son born in mid-2014. He is an active supporter of 'Greenpeace', the 'World Wildlife Fund' and he and his wife sit on the Board of Trustees of the 'Dian Fossey Gorilla Foundation'.

Christian Bale - intense character Actor going to extraordinary lengths to portray the physical, mental and emotional states of his roles; often teams up with Christopher Nolan and Terrence Malick; a natural at putting on an accent - American especially; and often plays either historical roles or those of fractured, obsessive, detached and lonely characters and always with conviction and intensity. Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

The Odeon Online Top 20 movies coming your way in 2015.

2015 is going to be BIG at the movies in what is shaping up to be a year of sequels, reboots, Sci-Fi, dystopian worlds and several epic adventures set to hit our big screens that may well topple the US$1B Box Office mark as their predecessors have done before them. Along the way there are a few crime capers, real life stories, Westerns, comedies, thrillers and chillers and animated features that are all likely to tease and please as we wait in eager anticipation for 12 months of strong cinematic content that has already kicked off and has hit the ground running.

Take your pick of any of these movies, and the whole raft of others that will roll out as 2015 progresses - this year, see as many as you can!

January 1st : 'THE IMITATION GAME' - Benedict Cumberbatch never better in this WWII Enigma Code breaking drama of Alan Turing who led the team that helped save the lives of millions and bring the war to a premature end. Already reviewed and awarded five claps by this Blog. Oscar worthy stuff!

January 15th : 'BIRDMAN' - Michael Keaton in a career best as the retired film Superhero trying to reignite his former fame and fortune through a Broadway play. Directed by Alejandro Inarritu and starring Edward Norton, Emma Stone and Naomi Watts this is already gaining all the buzz as one of the best movies in a very long time featuring outstanding performances, a great story and some nifty camerawork. Oscar worthy stuff also!

January 22nd : 'AMERICAN SNIPER' - Clint Eastwood Directs Bradley Cooper in this true story of crack shot US Army sniper Chris Kyle and his four tours of duty in Iraq in which he had 160 confirmed kills, and, the impact this has on his life and those close to him. Oscar worthy stuff too!

January 29th : 'FOXCATCHER' - starring Steve Carell playing it straight with Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo this is a story of Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz and his brother David hired by billionaire businessman John du Pont (Carell) to lead his own wrestling team to success whilst training from his adapted farm  - the 'Foxcatcher Estate' of the title in readiness for the 1988 Seoul Olympics . . . but this comes at a price to all involved! Oscar worthy stuff again!

January 29th : 'THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING' - Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking from his days studying for his Doctorate at Cambridge through his diagnosis with MND, his marriage to Jane Wilde (his first wife) and his life beyond all expectations confined to a wheelchair but nonetheless still sharp, brilliant and engaging. Oscar worthy stuff once more!

February 12th : 'FIFTY SHADES OF GREY' - this hugely successful best selling book (70 million copies sold) makes it to the big screen and is likely to do well because of it, and it's erotic content which has been toned down to get it to the screen. Starring Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey and Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele.

February 19th : 'JUPITER ASCENDING' - the Wachowski's are back in full Sci-Fi mode after their earlier mega-successful 'Matrix' franchise with a down at heel human chick Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) set to inherit the Cosmos with the help of intergalactic man hunter Caine (Channing Tatum) - but needless to say it won't be as simple as it sounds as other interplanetary bad guys have their own designs on what should be going down when the time comes. Also starring Eddie Redmayne, and Sean Bean.

March 19th : 'INSURGENT' - the second outing in this series rolling hot on the heels of last years 'Divergent', sees the same characters reunited as Tris (Shailene Woodley) is on the run with Four (Theo James) trying to find her now divided comrades and the reasons behind the death of her parents, their own history and what they were protecting.

March 19th : 'IN THE HEART OF THE SEA' - Ron Howard Directs Chris Hemsworth in this true story of the incidents that inspired the classic story 'Moby Dick'. Set in 1820 the 'Essex' whaling ship was pressed by a whale of such huge and revengeful proportions that it pushed the crew to their absolute limited as they struggle to survive out at sea for 90 days. Brendon Gleeson, Cillian Murphy and Ben Wishaw also star.

April 23rd : 'THE AVENGERS : AGE OF ULTRON' - the first of several films from the Marvel stable this year ('Ant Man' out on July 17th and 'The Fantastic Four' out on August 7th) and you know this is just going to be massive! Writer/Director Joss Whedon is back reuniting Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow and Nick Fury against intelligent robot Ultron (James Spader) who is hell bent on world domination, and more thank likely, beyond! It's going to be epic in every sense!

May 14th : 'MAD MAX : FURY ROAD' - the fourth instalment in this franchise helmed by George Miller and shot in Namibia has taken a very long time to get to the big screen after several earlier failed attempts. Tom Hardy is Max Rockatansky starring with Charlize Theron as Furiosa, and following the events of 'Beyond Thunderdome' sees the last vestiges of the human race fighting it out with each other over the necessities of life in a parched desert landscape.

May 21st : 'TOMORROWLAND' - based on another Disney theme park attraction (think 'Pirates of the Carribbean') this futuristic Sci-Fi offering is Directed by Brad Bird and stars Britt Robertson as Casey Newton, a gifted teenager thrown together with George Clooney as Frank Walker an ageing cantankerous inventor as they embark on a journey to locate a place in time and space that only exists in their memory . . . or so they think, and, what will the consequences be when and if they get there?

June 12th : 'JURASSIC WORLD' - twenty or so years have past since 'Jursassic Park' went haywire and all manner of ancient beasts were let loose on an unsuspecting world. Now 'Jurassic World' is updated, renewed and ready to throw open it's gates as John Hammond had originally intended in the initial film(s). Directed by Colin Trevorrow with Chris Pratt in the lead role as a staffer researching a Velociraptor whilst at the same time those pesky scientists have created a new kind of dinosaur in the lab . . . it's not gonna end well methinks for the staffers, the tourists, the owners and probably this poor little dinosaurs!

July 1st : 'TERMINATOR : GENISYS' - just to see Arnie utter those immortal words 'I'll be back!' will be worth the price of a ticket alone. This is the fifth film in the franchise and this reboot is the first of a planned trilogy. Arnie is back doing what he does best and we are back to those characters we know from before - Sarah Connor, John Connor, Kyle Reece, the T-800 and T-1000 and, The Terminator. The shorts are reminiscent of T2, and this has to be another must see for your film diary.

August 13th : 'THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E' - Guy Ritchie Directs this retelling of the classic 60's TV spy series, set also in the 60's with the backdrop of the Cold War and two opposing sides having to join forces against an evil enemy playing with nuclear weapons and technology. Starring Hugh Grant as Waverly, Henry Cavill as Napoleon Solo and Armie Hammer as Ilya Kuryakin we know that Ritchie has the pedigree from the recent 'Sherlock Holmes' movies to deliver.

November 13th : 'THE HATEFUL EIGHT' - Quentin Tarantino back in full Western mode with a story of eight red-neck travellers holed up together taking refuge from a blizzard. As the storm takes hold out travellers are stranded in a old shop on a mountainside, and gradually they come to realise they may not make it to their ultimate destination. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Kurt Russell, Channing Tatum and Jennifer Jason Leigh this is sure to please as only QT can!

November 19th : 'THE HUNGER GAMES : MOCKINGJAY Part 2' - after a lacklustre Part 1 (for me anyway) this had better pull out all the stops and deliver us a grand finale that is a fitting closure to what has gone before. You know the story, you know what is coming and you know what is needed - let's hope we are not disappointed!

November 19th : 'SPECTRE' (aka Bond 24) - Bond, James Bond is back! After the hugely successful 'Skyfall' Daniel Craig is back as our titular MI6 spy hero with Director Sam Mendes and Ralph Fiennes as 'M', Ben Wishaw as 'Q' and Christophe Waltz as enemy #1 Oberhauser. Bond is tracking down the sinister 'Spectre' organisation from his past that potentially could destroy everything he has fought to protect. Any sign of Blofeld, and his cat, anyone?

December 17th : 'STAR WARS : THE FORCE AWAKENS' - if you haven't seen the recently released trailer for this then you have been caught napping methinks! J.J. Abrams is on Director duty for Episode VII that sees us 35 years into the future after 'Return of the Jedi' with many of that former cast reunited with new players for this next instalment. You can expect C3PO, R2D2, the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Chewbacca and heaps of new great stuff! Roll the opening credits!

December 26th : 'MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE 5' - plot details at this point are just about non existent! What we do know is that filming is currently drawing to a close having begun in Vienna about four months ago and this next instalment is Directed by Christopher McQuarrie and stars once again Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, Jeremy Renner as William Brandt, Ving Rhames as Luther Stickel, Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn with Alec Baldwin heading up the CIA this time around. Light that touch paper!

Wow - that's a big year, and there is so much more to look out for too including - 'Unbroken', 'Poltergeist'(remake), Point Break'(remake), 'The Gambler'(remake), 'The Gunman', 'Black Sea', 'Black Mass', 'The Kingsmen', 'Ted 2', 'The Riot Club', 'The Second Best Marigold Hotel', 'Ex Machina', 'Chappie', 'Pan', 'Cinderella', 'Mordecai' and 'The Martian' plus a host of animated features too amongst others.

As always, look out for all the latest news, Reviews and Previews here at Odeon Online, and feel free to share your comments with our rapidly expanding worldwide readership, by using the 'Comments' box below this and all Posts.

Enjoy your movies, and, see as many as you can in 2015.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-