Birthday's to share this week : 14th - 20th May 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Tim Roth does on 14th May - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 56, 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 14th May

• Francesca Annis - Born 1945, turns 72 - Actress
• Cate Blanchett - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Sofia Coppola - Born 1971, turns 46 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actress
• George Lucas - Born 1944, turns 73 - Producer | Writer | Director | Editor 
• Robert Zemeckis - Born 1952, turns 65 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Tim Roth - Born 1961, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Director  
• Danny Huston - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actor | Director

Monday 15th May

• Chaz Palminteri - Born 1952, turns 65 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Grant Heslov - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director  

Tuesday 16th May

• Danny Trejo - Born 1944, turns 73 - Actor | Producer
• Pierce Brosnan - Born 1953, turns 64 - Actor | Producer 
• Jim Sturgess - Born 1978, turns 39 - Actor | Singer
• Debra Winger - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actress | Producer  
• Tori Spelling - Born 1973, turns 44 - Actress | Producer | Writer | Singer

Wednesday 17th May

• Trent Reznor - Born 1965, turns 52 - Composer | Songwriter | Actor | Writer  

Thursday 18th May

• Hugh Keays-Byrne - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor | Director
• Yun-Fat Chow - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actor | Writer
• Miriam Margolyes - Born 1941, turns 76 - Actress 
• Tina Fey - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Singer  

Friday 19th May

• Grace Jones - Born 1948, turns 69 - Singer | Songwriter | Actress
• Claudia Karvan - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actress | Writer | Producer 
• James Fox - Born 1939, turns 78 - Actor
• Peter Mayhew - Born 1944, turns 73 - Actor 
• Morten Tyldum - Born 1967, turns 50 - Director | Producer  

Saturday 20th May

• Anton Corbijn - Born 1955, turns 62 - Director | Photographer
• Timothy Olyphant - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Producer
• Louis Theroux - Born 1970, turns 47 - Writer | Producer | Television Personality
• Cher (aka Cheryl Sarkisian) - Born 1946, turns 71 - Singer | Actress | Producer 

Timothy Simon Roth was born in the south London suburb of Dulwich to mother Ann, a painter and teacher and father Ernie, a Fleet Street journalist, painter and a member of the British Communist Party until sometime in the '70's. His father was born with the surname of 'Smith' in Brooklyn, New York and he later changed his surname to 'Roth' as used most commonly by those of German and Jewish decent in the 1940's out of support for the Holocaust victims, and because the English were less welcomed in the countries to which he travelled with his work.  The young Tim attended the boys grammar Strand School in south London's Tulse Hill area before studying sculpture at London's Camberwell College of Art from which he dropped out to pursue an acting career instead.

At the age of 21 Roth scored his screen debut in the made for television film 'Made in Britain' playing white supremacy skinhead Trevor in 1982. Next up was another made for television film 'Meantime' in 1984 as Directed by Mike Leigh and also starring Gary Oldman and Alfred Molina. More of the same followed in 1985 with the Agatha Christie whodunit 'Murder with Mirrors' starring also Bette Davis, John Mills and Leo McKern, an then 'Coppers' in 1988. In between time there were feature films including Stephen Frears 'The Hit' with Jim Broadbent and Terrence Stamp, 'A World Apart', 'To Kill a Priest' with Ed Harris, Christopher Lambert, Timothy Spall and Pete Postlethwaite, and then closing out the decade was Peter Greenaway's 'The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover' with Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon and Ciaran Hinds. In 1986 he also starred in 'King of the Ghetto' - a four part BBC2 television series about racial tensions in London's East End in the '80's.

The new decade launched with Robert Altman's 'Vincent & Theo' in which Roth starred as Vincent Van Gogh and later that same year Tom Stoppard's 'Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead' with Gary Oldman playing Rosencrantz and Roth playing Guildenstern alongside Richard Dreyfus and Iain Glen. 'Jumping at the Boneyard' followed in 1991 with Samuel L. Jackson. In 1992 maverick Writer and Director Quentin Tarantino cast Roth in his debut film 'Reservoir Dogs' as Mr. Orange, which kicked off a collaboration that has spanned up until QT's latest offering, taking in 1994's 'Pulp Fiction' and 1995's 'Four Rooms'. It was 'Reservoir Dogs' that really exposed Roth to an American audience, from which he has never looked back.

The rest of the '90's saw the likes of 'Bodies, Rest & Motion'; period piece 'The Perfect Husband'; Brooklyn Soviet Jewish crime drama 'Little Odessa'; then 'Captives';  Scottish historical biographical adventure film 'Rob Roy' with Liam Neeson, John Hurt, Brian Cox, Eric Stoltz and Jessica Lange; Woody Allen's 'Everyone Says I Love You' with Goldie Hawn, Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts and Edward Norton; 'Gridlock'd' with Tupac Shakur and Thandie Newton; 1930's Harlem set gangster film 'Hoodlum' with Laurence Fishburn, Andy Garcia and Vanessa Williams; murder mystery 'Deceiver'; fantasy romance offering 'Animals with the Tollkeeper' with Rod Steiger, John Turturro and Mickey Rooney; and then in 1998 'The Legend of 1900'. 

In 1999 Roth Directed his first feature film - 'The War Zone' a grim and gritty look inside an English family plagued by incest and sexual violence. The firm starred Ray Winstone, Tilda Swinton and Freddie Cunliffe and received much critical acclaim for its portrayal of the subject matter and picked up nine award wins and ten more nominations.

The 2000's clicked over with Roland Joffe's historical biographical drama 'Vatel'; Nora Ephron's 'Lucky Numbers' with John Travolta; Tim Burtons' reimagining of 'Planet of the Apes' as General Thade; Werner Herzog's 'Invincible'; a new spin on 'The Three Musketeers' with 'The Musketeer'; English Civil War drama 'To Kill a King' with Roth portraying Oliver Cromwell; John Sayles American political satire 'Silver City'; Wim Wenders road movie drama 'Don't Come Knocking'; gambling crime drama 'Easy Money' featuring an ensemble cast; Francis Ford Coppola's 'Youth Without Youth'; Michael Haneke's English language remake of his own earlier 1997 Austrian version of 'Funny Games' with Naomi Watts; and Louis Leterrier's Directed second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe 'The Incredible Hulk'.

'Pete Smalls Is Dead' opened up 2010 with Peter Dinklage and Steve Buscemi, followed up by 'Arbitrage' in 2012 with Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon; 'Broken' with Cillian Murphy and comedy crime thriller 'The Liability' both that same year. In 2013 espionage thriller 'Mobius' was released and this was followed by 'Grace of Monaco' with Nicole Kidman as Grace and Roth as Prince Rainier. In time for the 2014 World Cup 'United Passions' was released about FIFA - footballs governing body, with Roth playing FIFA President Sepp Blatter who was the eighth President of the Association from 1998 through until 2015. 'October Gale' came later that year as did highly acclaimed historical biographical drama 'Selma' with David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Oprah Winfrey, and Tom Wilkinson. Mexican drug cartel drama '600 Miles', then 'Chronic' and then first person actioner 'Hardcore Henry' with Roth playing Henry's father. Action comedy 'Mr. Right' with Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick and then Quentin Tarantino's post American Civil War Western 'The Hateful Eight' featuring an ensemble cast that included Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Michael Madsen, Walton Goggins, Bruce Dern, Damian Bichir, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Zoe Bell.

Bringing us up to date is just released in the USA '1 Mile To You'. In between time there have been notable television series appearances on 48 episodes of 'Lie to Me' with Roth playing the lead character of Dr. Cal Lightman in this mystery crime drama series in which Roth is a world leading expert in facial expressions and involuntary body language. The series ran for three season from 2009. There was also the two part television mini-series 'Sea Wolf' in 2009, the six part historical mini-series 'Klondike' in 2014, and the three part mini-series 'Rillington Place' with Roth playing the role of John Christie the infamous 1940's and early '50's London serial killer.

Next up for Roth is an appearance on the next season of acclaimed television series 'Twin Peaks' which picks up 25 years after the events of the first two series, and due to go to air later this year. Currently in post-production is 'The Jesuit' - an action crime drama offering with Ron Perlman, Brian Cox, Neal McDonough and Paz Vega; gambling debt crime comedy 'The Brits Are Coming' also in post-production with Uma Thurman, Stephen Fry, Maggie Q and Sofia Vergara and 'The Padre' currently filming and due in 2018 with Nick Nolte and Luis Guzman.

All up Roth has one hundred Acting credits to his name, three as Producer and one as Director. In his time he has been nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award and a Golden Globe for 'Rob Roy' but he did win the BAFTA for his performance. All up Roth has accumulated a total eighteen award wins and a further 22 nominations. Roth has been married to Niki Butler since 1993 with whom he has two sons - Timothy born in 1995 and Michael born in 1996. He has an older son Jack who is also an Actor, born in 1984 to Lori Baker. Roth survived years of child sexual abuse at the hands of his paternal grandfather which he didn't reveal until the time of his Directorial debut with the release of 'The War Zone' which dealt with similar issues within a family.

Tim Roth - part of 'The Brit Pack' back in the '80's with Gary Oldman, Daniel Day-Lewis, Colin Firth and Paul McGann; has an ever increasing number of tattoos marking significant events in his life; often plays in historical dramas; often plays in Quentin Tarantino films (four and counting) but missed out in 'Inglourious Basterds' due to scheduling conflicts; often plays slightly twisted unhinged characters; is often convinced that he'll never score an acting gig again in between roles; and despite his London accent can do various accents very well which has helped him secure many a film with European and American auteur Directors. Never dull, never predictable, never repetitive, Happy Birthday to you Tim from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 13th-19th November 2016

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Zoe Bell does on 17th November - check out my tribute to this Birthday Girl 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 November

• Whoopi Goldberg - Born 1955, turns 61 - Actress | Producer | Writer | Singer
• Frances Conroy - Born 1953, turns 63 - Actress | Singer
• Joe Mantegna - Born 1947, turns 69 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Art Malik - Born 1952, turns 64 - Actor
• Steve Zahn - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actor | Singer
• Gerard Butler - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Singer 

Monday 14th November

• Paul McGann - Born 1959, turns 57 - Actor | Director
• Josh Duhamel - Born 1972, turns 44 - Actor
• Olga Kurylenko - Born 1979, turns 37 - Actress  

Tuesday 15th November

• Shailene Woodley - Born 1991, turns 25 - Actress
• Edward Asner - Born 1929, turns 87 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Yaphet Kotto - Born 1939, turns 77 - Actor | Writer
• Sam Waterston - Born 1940, turns 76 - Actor | Producer
• Roger Donaldson - Born 1945, turns 71 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Jonny Lee Miller - Born 1972, turns 44 - Actor  

Wednesday 16th November

• Griff Rhys Jones - Born 1953, turns 63 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Television Personality
• Maggie Gyllenhaal - Born 1977, turns 39 - Actress | Producer  

Thursday 17th November

• Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio - Born 1958, turns 58 - Actress | Singer
• Sophie Marceau - Born 1966, turns 50 - Actress | Writer | Director
• Rachel McAdams - Born 1978, turns 38 - Actress
• Zoe Bell - Born 1978, turns 38 - Actress | Stuntwoman | Producer
• Martin Scorsese - Born 1942, turns 74 - Director | Producer | Actor | Editor
• Danny DeVito - Born 1944, turns 72 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer
• Roland Joffe - Born 1945, turns 71 - Director | Producer | Writer  

Friday 18th November

• Delroy Lindo - Born 1952, turns 64 - Actor | Producer
• Owen Wilson - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Damon Wayans Jnr. - Born 1982, turns 34 - Actor | Writer
• Chloe Sevigny - Born 1974, turns 42 - Actress  

Saturday 19th November 

• Kathleen Quinlan - Born 1954, turns 62 - Actress
• Meg Ryan - Born 1961, turns 55 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Jodie Foster - Born 1962, turns 54 - Actress | Director | Producer
• Charlie Kaufman - Born 1958, turns 58 - Writer | Producer | Director
• Jason Scott Lee - Born 1966, turns 50 - Actor
• Adam Driver - Born 1983, turns 33 - Actor

Zoe Bell was born on Waiheke Island, New Zealand to mother Tish, a nurse, and father Andrew Bell a doctor. She grew up on the island, off Auckland, and studied gymnastics as a young age, and at fifteen tae kwon-do. Being an active kinda gal, she also took part in dance, high diving, scuba diving and athletics activities. She attended the Auckland Girls Grammar School, and then the co-educational public Selwyn College, also in Auckland. She has a younger brother Jake, and a foster brother Leonhard, who is living back in his native Germany. Her career in the film and television stunt business kick started in 1992 when her father treated a stuntman for a head injury. With a contact phone number given by the injured patient, she landed her first stunt job on the long running New Zealand medical soap opera 'Shortland Street', by jumping out of a running car. 

This led to regular work in 'Hercules : The Legendary Journeys' from 1995-1999, and then 'Xena : Warrior Princess' from 1998-2001. Both series were filmed in New Zealand, and in time Bell graduated to be stunt double for lead Actress Lucy Lawless. In between time she did stunt work on a number of television shows including 'The Chosen', 'Young Hercules', 'Jacksons Wharf', 'Amazon High' and 'Jack of All Trades'.

Her breakout stunt work came as double for Uma Thurman in Quentin Tarantino's 'Kill Bill : Volumes 1 and 2'. This in turn led to her stunt doubling for Sharon Stone in 2004's 'Catwoman' where she performed a high fall of over 200 feet. More stunt work followed on J.J.Abrams 'Alias' and in movies 'Poseidon' and 'Penny Dreadful'. Another gig with Quentin Tarantino followed with his collaboration with Robert Rodriguez on the 'Grindhouse' double feature in both 'Planet Terror' and 'Death Proof' in which Bell receives both Acting and stunt credits. In 'Death Proof' Zoe Bell plays stuntwoman Zoe Bell who rides on the bonnet of a 1970 Dodge Challenger at full speed  holding on with just two leather straps, whilst being pursued by mad bad ageing Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) in his 'death proof' Hollywood stunt car, intent on killing her and her two other travelling companions. Truly memorable!

Four episodes on 'Lost' in both acting and stunt roles followed in 2008 with 'Bitch Slap' marking the start of a busy 2009 which saw Bell coordinate stunts, choreograph fight scenes, perform stunt work and act too on that film. 'Angel of Death', 'Gamer' with Gerard Butler, and the roller derby 'Whip It' for Drew Barrymore all saw acting credits, before a return to Quentin Tarantino with dual roles in 'Inglorious Basterds' performing stunt work for Diane Kruger and Melanie Laurent. More stunt work followed on 'The Proposal' for Sandra Bullock, and 'The Final Destination' saw out the decade.

Straight to DVD 'Game of Death' with Wesley Snipes came next in 2012, with 'The Baytown Outlaws' and 'Django Unchained' for Quentin Tarantino again coming that same year and all in acting roles. So too were 'Hansel and Gretel : Witch Hunters' with Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton in the title roles, and then 'Oblivion' with Tom Cruise. A stunt credit on 'Iron Man 3', and then acting credits on 'Raze', 'Hawaii Five-O', 'Mercenaries', as Six-Horse Judy in Quentin Tarantino's 'The Hateful Eight' and 'Camino' saw out 2015.

This year there has been the Hollywood themed thriller 'Douglas Brown', lakeside horror thriller 'Freshwater', Sci-Fi drama 'Paradox' with short films 'No Touching' and 'Miner' both in Post-Production and 'Unspoken : Diary of an Assassin' currently filming. All up Bell has 35 Acting credits to her name, 24 stunt work credits, and seven as Producer. She has so far accumulated five award wins and nine other nominations for both her stunt work and her acting roles.

Zoe Bell - affectionately known as 'Zoe the Cat'; has stunt doubled for some of the best Actresses in the business; is now considered as Quentin Tarantino's stunt muse; is grounded, keeps it real, speaks her mind and has successfully transitioned from playing parts behind the scenes doubling up as someone else to playing the part on her own merits in front of the camera - whilst still performing her own stunts no matter what. As tough as nails! Happy Birthday to you Zoe, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE HATEFUL EIGHT : Saturday 30th January 2016.

Quentin Tarantino's 8th film - 'THE HATEFUL EIGHT' is set in Wyoming, in the depths of Winter around Christmastime, about ten miles or so from the town of Red Rock and for the most part in a little mountain stagecoach stopover called Minnie's Haberdashery. Plagued by some controversy early on this QT penned and Directed film was leaked to the media in script form in January 2014 having announced some months earlier that his next film had been written and it would be another Western, but not, as many had thought, a follow up to 'Django Unchained'. As a result QT cancelled the movie and let it be known in a lawsuit against those who leaked his screenplay, that they were to blame and that he was none too pleased! However, time is a great healer, and within a year, and after a successful live read of the script to a gathered audience in LA, filming began near Telluride in Colorado in early December 2014. Made for US$44M and so far raking in US$103M after its release in the US in late December, in the UK on 8th January and here in Australia on 21st January, the film has already scored 22 award wins and 70 nominations including three Oscar and three BAFTA nods still pending for Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, Best Score and Best Cinematography.

With a running time of almost three hours, this is a long drawn out film, but rest assured your patience will be rewarded. Split into six distinct chapters and featuring frequent collaborators including Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Zoe Bell and James Parks, the first half of the film is a characters study where little happens other that learning about the characters back stories, what drives them, and how they all come to be together at Minnie's Haberdashery caught in a blizzard that prevents their onward journey. Set sometime in the mid 1870's this is post US Civil War - but only recently, and the scars of that war still run deep amongst those we are about to meet.

In a snow covered mountain landscape we are introduced first up to a six horse drawn stagecoach where driver O.B.Jackson (James Parks) is at the reins, with only John Ruth a.k.a 'The Hangman' (Kurt Russell) inside and he is shackled to Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who he intends to bring to justice at the end of the hangmans noose in Red Rock and collect his $10,000 bounty reward on her head. En route the Stage encounters Major Marquis Warren a.k.a. 'The Bounty Hunter' (Samuel L. Jackson) on the road having lost his horse but sitting atop three dead bodies he is taking to Red Rock to claim an $8,000 bounty reward. He negotiates with John Ruth to let him aboard to escape the bitter cold and continue the journey, and it turns out they share some history going back eight months or so to a dinner party.

As the three get acquainted along the way and exchange war stories and tales of bounty collection, because the two are in the same business after all, it turns out that Warren is the recipient of a personal letter from President Abraham Lincoln that instantly makes him a point of interest as a black man in a white mans world. Later on through some mishap involving the letter and Domergue, the Stage comes to an abrupt halt and they find themselves with another stray caught in the snow and a long way from home - Chris Mannix 'The Sheriff' (Walton Goggins), who is seeking a ride to Red Rock where he will be sworn in as the new Sheriff. Reluctantly Ruth agrees, and again further back story is revealed of Mannix's family history and his war time stance against the blacks, and despite his ill feeling toward Warren, he is grateful for the ride.

In time with the blizzard conditions worsening, the Stage draws up at Minnie's Haberdashery which is known to Warren, but not the others. Minnie is however, nowhere to be seen which raises the suspicions of Warren instantly, but he is accepting (for now) of the explanation of the man left in charge, Bob, a.k.a. 'The Mexican' (Demian Bichir). Whilst O.B. and Warren tend to the horses with Bob outside, Ruth and his hostage Domergue and Mannix take refuge inside. Here we are introduced to Englishman Oswaldo Mowbray a.k.a.'The Little Man' (Tim Roth), Joe Gage a.k.a 'The Cow Puncher' (Michael Madsen) and General Sanford Smithers a.k.a. 'The Confederate' (Bruce Dern). And now our eight, are assembled!

Again, our characters stories are explored and unfolded as pieces of the jigsaw puzzle come together and we learn more of the dynamic of these eight individuals thrown together by circumstance and chance. The slow burning unfolding storyline continues as Ruth sets his ground rules for bringing Domergue to justice at Red Rock. Mowbray we learn is the official hangman who will see Domergue swing in a few days time once the blizzard eases, by which time Mannix will be instituted as Sheriff of Red Rock to oversee the proceedings, and pay out the rewards owing to Ruth and Warren for their collective $18,000 for which the two have made their own pact to safeguard each other to protect their investments. Who can they all trust and are there hidden agendas amongst this bunch of miscreants thrust together?  Ruth is very untrusting of just about everyone, and Warren has his suspicions already with Minnie being absent from her beloved mountain Haberdashery - where ordinarily Mexican's are not allowed to tread, yet there is a Mexican in charge!

As we ease in to the second half of the film cowpoke Gage has been alienated by Ruth, Warren has fallen out with 'The Confederate' because they were on different sides of the field at the Battle of Baton Rouge during the Civil War, Mannix has a distrust for Warren because he's black and believes his letter from Lincoln is a forgery, Warren's suspicions of Mexican Bob grow deeper, and Domergue needles away at Ruth, Warren, Mannix and Mowbray because they all potentially have a hand in her upcoming hanging. As the tension rises, sides are taken, truths are revealed and personalities exposed so there is the first blood letting, but, in self defence, which makes it OK in such august law abiding upstanding company!

By now the tension is ramped up as the body count slowly but surely begins to rise and Warren's suspicions are confirmed over Mexican Bob, Gage and Mowbray but to what end he still does not know except that they all seem to be in that one place at that one time with Domergue, so who is she in cahoots with?

At this point after further bloodletting, we have to go back to earlier in the day with a voice over narrated by QT himself to plug in some story gaps and introduce us to several new characters. These too have a major part to play in the story that unfolds later that day and some of which we have already seen, but this time from a different perspective. Here as the Stagecoach rolls in to Minnie's with Six Horse Judy at the reins (Zoe Bell) complete with Kiwi accent which is quickly explained, and Jody Domingray (Channing Tatum) the agenda slots into place as does the connection with Domergue and those others in the Haberdashery that we have met already.  Here once more the tension mounts and the body count rises leaving just three standing (well, hardly, as they all have bullet wounds that in fact prevent them from standing!), but ultimately justice is served but not in the way that was originally intended, and an unlikely bond is forged, but, will it stand the test of time given the wounds inflicted . . . fade to black!

Once again QT has delivered a great story with razor sharp dialogue, quick wit, and strong performances from Russell who chews up the first half, giving way to Jackson who owns the second half. Each character is allowed the time to evolve and unfold as we become acquainted with their history, personalities, motivation and incentives, and each is as colourful and diverse as the next. Goggins as Mannix is your archetypal cowboy that he portrayed also in 'Django Unchained' and looked at ease in his role and delivers it with conviction, Madsen as Gage as is laid back as ever and plays the smiling assassin, and Roth grated on me a little and was trying too hard for my money to emulate 'Dr. King Schultz' - the Christoph Waltz character from 'Django Unchained' but with an English aristocratic accent and mannerisms, that I though was just too familiar! Jennifer Jason Leigh as Domergue spends the whole film chained to the arm of Ruth and is well & truly put thorough the wringer at his hands being punched, smashed with a rifle butt, scalded with a bowl of steaming hot stew, shot, and mostly blood soaked with either her own, or someone else's. Worthy of all the Best Supporting Actress nominations she has so far garnered - she plays it stoic, menacing and emotional all at once.

With Ennio Morricone's score (his first Western soundtrack in 35 years), stunning snow scenes, his trademark eye for detail, award worthy dialogue, a rich story, strong performances and believable characters, QT has crafted another great film that you should see on the big screen while you can. With two Westerns in the can, will he surprise and delight us with a third - this Reviewer certainly hopes so!

-Steve, at Odeon Online

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursdays 14th & 21st January 2016.

Even Bloggers have to take a holiday occasionally, and that time has come as I bid you farewell for a couple of weeks and ride off into the sunset for a family break this summer holiday. Of course just because I am off-line for a couple of weeks the movie world doesn't come to a grinding halt, and nor should your readership of Odeon Online. There are a handful of new movies coming at you in the next fortnight that are certainly worthy of your attention and close scrutiny, and begin to set the tone in the lead up to February's Academy Awards. To ensure you don't miss out on the opportunity to see a latest release, here is a brief snapshot of what you can expect at your local Odeon over the coming two weeks.

CAROL (Released 14th January - Rated M) - Directed by Todd Haynes and based on the Patricia Highsmith novel 'The Price of Salt' this is a romantic drama film set in 1950's New York City and starring Cate Blanchett as Carol Aird and Rooney Mara as Therese Belivet - the former going through a troubled divorce connecting with the latter, an aspiring young photographer. Released in November in the UK and US, this film was made for under US$12M and so far just about recouped that, Along the way it has picked up numerous awards and nominations, many of which are still pending a determination, with many critics hailing this as one of the best films of 2015.

THE 5th WAVE (Released 14th January - Rated M) - this SciFi thriller is Directed by J. Blakeson and is based on a trilogy of novels by Rick Yancey and is the first in the series with 'The Infinite Sea' its follow up published in late 2014 and the third in the set 'The Last Star' will be released later this year. The films stars Chloe Grace Moritz as our heroine Cassie Sullivan  who is on the run and trying to save her young brother as the world succumbs to an alien attack that has seen four previous increasingly deadly attacks that are all but wiping out civilisation one step at a time. As aliens inhabit humans and it becomes harder to tell who's who in the zoo, who exactly can Cassie really trust when life depends on it?

THE BIG SHORT (Released 14th January - Rated M) - is also garnering much positive press and is a biographical comedy drama set in the lead up to the global financial crisis of late 2008 and the causes of this worldwide financial meltdown. Based on the book of the same name by Michael Lewis this film is Directed by Adam McKay for US$28M and has since bought in US$40M. Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt and Marisa Tomei this tells the story of three groups of individuals who uncover the foundations of the financial crisis brought about by the greed of the banks and finance institutions, the growth in the housing market and the unpredictable credit bubble of that time, but who all managed to profit from it when countless others went under . . . and then some. This film too has already picked up several award wins and has numerous other nominations still pending.

GOOSEBUMPS (Released 14th January - Rated PG) - Directed by Rob Letterman, and based on the best selling books of the same name our story here surrounds Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) who has moved from the big city to the small town and is finding it hard to adjust and not to happy about his new surroundings. Until, he discovers his beautiful next door neighbour Hannah (Odeya Rush) and he discovers that her father is R.L.Stine (Jack Black) - the author of the successful 'Goosebumps' books. When Zach accidentally unleashes the monsters from the Goosebumps tales, it falls to Hannah, her father and Zach to hunt them all down, capture them and return them to the pages of the books from whence they came. Made for US$58M this films has so far returned US$121M.

DIRTY GRANDPA (Released 21st January - Rated MA15+) - Directed by Dan Mazer, here we have young stressed out and uptight lawyer Jason Kelly (Zac Efron) just a week from getting hitched to his boss' masterful and controlling daughter, ensuring him though a quick succession through to promotion and partnership in the firm. However, duped by his grand daddy Dick (Robert De Niro) young Jason finds himself driving down to Florida with the foulmouthed bad tempered lecherous old man for a weekend of wild parties, bar brawls, loud karaoke and good times whilst stressing about his upcoming nuptials whilst being shown how to live large by the old geezer!

THE HATEFUL EIGHT (Released on 21st January - Rated R18+) - QT's eighth film is another Western and also written by him too, as they mostly are. With an all star line up taking in his regulars Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Kurt Russell and Zoe Bell, there is also Jennifer Jason Lee, Walton Goggins, Bruce Dern and Channing Tatum. This film unfolds over six chapters as eight strangers are thrown together in a remote Wyoming stagecoach stopover during a blizzard where their stories are all told, but who can you trust with the truth and with a gun when you're on the run and need to get someplace else. We're in for some sharp dialogue and some sharp shooting' so saddle up! Made for US$40M it has made US$33M since its Christmas Day release in the US.

THE DANISH GIRL (Released on 21st January - Rated M) - already the subject of many an award win and many more nominations and pending nominations for Eddie Redmayne once again and hot on the heels of last years success, as well as his co-star Alicia Vikander,  for the Director, the Screenplay, the Score and much more besides. This film is Directed by Tom Hooper, and is set in 1920's Copenhagen and is based on the book of the same name by David Ebershoff. This biographical drama centres around Einer Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) and his wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander), as Einer becomes Lili Elber - one of the very first male to female sex reassignment surgery recipients. Also starring Amber Heard, Matthias Schoenaerts and Ben Whishaw.

Plenty then to keep you occupied, amused and entertained at the movies in the next couple of weeks.  Head on down to your local Odeon, where you won't see me, but you will see a great movie, and when you have done so drop us a Comment or two below this or any other Post and share your own views, opinions and observations of the film recently experienced.

Get to the Odeon, and catch a movie!

See you in a few weeks!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

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

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Channing Tatum does on 26th April - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 35, at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 26th April

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

Monday 27th April

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

Tuesday 28th April 

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

Wednesday 29th April

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

Thursday 30th April

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

Friday 1st May

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

Saturday 2nd May

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 22nd - 28th March 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Quentin Tarantino does on 27th March - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 52, 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 22nd March

• Reece Witherspoon - Born 1976, turns 39 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• William Shatner - Born 1931, turns 84 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Matthew Modine - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• M. Emmet Walsh - Born 1935, turns 80 - Actor
• Bruno Ganz - Born 1941, turns 74 - Actor
• Stephen Sondheim - Born 1930, turns 85 - Composer | Songwriter | Writer
• Andrew Lloyd Webber - Born 1948, turns 67 - Composer | Songwriter | Writer | Producer

Monday 23rd March

• Michele Monaghan - Born 1976, turns 39 - Actress
• Catherine Keener - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actress | Producer

Tuesday 24th March

• Jessica Chastain - Born 197, turns 38 - Actress | Producer
• Lara Flynn Boyle - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actress
• Kelly LeBrock - Born 1960, turns 55 - Actress
• Keisha Castle-Hughes - Born 1990, turns 25 - Actress
• Curtis Hansen - Born 1945, turns 70 - Director | Producer | Writer

Wednesday 25th March

• Paul Michael Glaser - Born 1943, turns 72 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Elton John - Born 1947, turns 68 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Producer
• Aretha Franklin - Born 1942, turns 73 - Singer | Actress | Producer
• Sarah Jessica Parker - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actress | Producer

Thursday 26th March

• Keira Knightley - Born 1985, turns 30 - Actress | Singer
• Martin Short - Born 1950, turns 65 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer
• James Caan - Born 1940, turns 75 - Actor
• Alan Arkin - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actor | Writer | Producer

Friday 27th March

• Quentin Tarantino - Born 1963, turns 52 - Writer | Director | Producer | Actor
• Michael York - Born 1942, turns 73 - Actor

Saturday 28th March

• Vince Vaughn - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Nick Frost - Born 1972, turns 43 - Actor
• Brett Ratner - Born 1969, turns 46 - Director | Producer
• Richard Kelly - Born 1975, turns 40 - Writer | Producer | Director
• Michael Newell - Born 1942, turns 73 - Director | Producer
• Lady Gaga - Born 1986, turns 29 - Singer | Songwriter | Writer | Producer | Actress
• Dianne Weist - Born 1948, turns 52 - Actress

Quentin Jerome Tarantino was born in Knoxville, Tennessee to mother Connie McHugh a nurse - aged 16 at the time of Quentin’s birth, and father Tony Tarantino - an American/Italian Actor and Musician. Quentin’s parents separated before he was born. At age four the young Quentin relocated to Torrance, California with his mother . , . and later to Harbor City - a Los Angeles neighbourhood. Here he attended Flemming Junior High School and then Narbonne High School in Harbor City for the first year but ultimately dropped out of school at age fifteen to attend full time acting classes at the James Best Theater Company in Toluca Lake. After two years, however, he became bored with the acting school and so left, landing a job at ‘Video Archives ’in Manhattan Beach where he met fellow colleague, movie geek and future collaborator Roger Avery.

Later on while attending a Hollywood party he met Lawrence Bender who encouraged Tarantino to write a screenplay which led to his Directing debut in 1987 with ‘My Best Friend’s Birthday’. The final reel of film stock was mostly destroyed during editing in a fire that ripped through the lab, but the screenplay was later further adapted to create the foundation for ‘True Romance’.






Fast forward to 1992, and Tarantino’s first Hollywood film ‘Reservoir Dogs’ was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. It was an overnight sensation and the stuff of movie legend which instantly propelled QT into the limelight. Having written the dialogue heavy screenplay in less than four weeks, his friend Bender dispatched it to Director Monte Hellman who assisted in the funding process to bring the story to the big screen with Harvey Keitel jumping on board as Co-Producer and taking an Actor credit too.

With ‘True Romance’ optioned for the big screen too, this arrived in cinemas in 1993, and next up his base story for ‘Natural Born Killers’ was further developed by a team of screenwriters and then Directed by Oliver Stone, with credit given to QT for the storyline. Already QT was flavour of the month, if not the year, and offers began flooding in, including the chance to Direct ‘Speed’ and ‘Men in Black’ but instead he decamped to Holland and wrote the screenplay for ‘Pulp Fiction’.

‘Pulp Fiction’ wowed audiences and critics the world over, and for his efforts he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and got the nod for Best Director as well as five other nominations including Best Picture. He also won the prestigious Palme D’Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival to top it all off. After this came his collaboration with three other Directors including friend Robert Rodriguez on ‘Four Rooms’ which was met with less glowing reviews.

‘From Dusk till Dawn’ came next which was Directed by Rodriguez but for which QT wrote the script and took an acting role whilst launching the big screen career of one up & coming George Clooney. The film spawned two sequels and most recently a television series. As the 90’s closed out he Directed his next feature film - a tribute to the Blaxpoitation Films of the 60’s and 70’s with ‘Jackie Brown’ with those stars of yesteryear - Pam Grier and Robert Forster

As the new decade came in QT hunkered down to write his tribute to the Japanese/Western inspired revenge flick ‘Kill Bill’ starring at its lead - Uma Thurman. With an initial running time of over four hours he decided to release this over two volumes, and so ‘Kill Bill : Volume 1’ was released in the latter half of 2003 and ‘Kill Bill : Volume 2’ in the first half of 2004. He collaborated with Rodriguez again on 2005’s ‘Sin City’ for which he took a ‘Guest Director’ credit.

His partnership with Rodriquez continued in their dual project in 2007 releasing their tribute to 70’s and early 80’s ‘Grindhouse Cinema’ with the release of ‘Grindhouse’ - two films released as a single package with specially filmed movie Previews separating the two movies. ‘Planet Terror’ was Directed by Rodriguez and ‘Deathproof’ by QT. Not huge commercial successes but garnered positive audience reviews for followers of the genre(s). As the decade closed out, QT released his next film - an alternative take on the outcomes of WWII following the exploits of a rogue group of Jewish American guerrilla soldiers, with 'Inglorious Basterds' which at the time became QT's greatest Box Office success at a global take of US$321M and hit #1 at the Box Office worldwide. He garnered two Academy Award nominations here for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director.

2012 brought his tribute to spaghetti westerns and the slave trade of the American deep south with a resurrection of the 'Django' character from the 60's and 70's with his release of 'Django Unchained', Starring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and acting stablemate Samuel L. Jackson, this film superseded 'Basterds' as QT's greatest commercial success with a haul of US$425M and won him the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, which he also won at the Golden Globes and BAFTA's.

Coming toward the end of 2015 is 'The Hateful Eight', another Western, but not linked to 'Django'. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Bruce Dern, Channing Tatum, and Walton Goggins with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Zoe Bell, this all star ensemble cast combined with a harsh Wyoming Winter, raging blizzards, bounty hunters, and a confined space are sure to give us a QT experience not to be missed.

Tarantino has so far 23 Writer credits to his name, thirty Actor credits, twenty Producer credits and sixteen Director credits as well as his credited abilities as Cinematographer and his control over the Soundtrack of his film which in themselves have become a touchstone. He has two Academy Award wins for his Screenplays for 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Django Unchained' and three other nominations, he has two Golden Globe wins for his Screenplays of 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Django Unchained' and three other nominations, and the same haul for the BAFTA's as for the Golden Globes. All up this amounts to 122 award wins and 103 other nominations.

He has been romantically linked to Mira Sorvino, Sofia Coppola, Julie Dreyfus and there have been rumours and speculation also about Uma Thurman whom he refers to as his 'muse'. He is not a believer in guns, violence and drugs even though his films feature drug use and often stylised violence with extreme acts mostly occurring off-camera. He does not believe that violence portrayed on film spills over into society. So much has been written and recorded about QT's rise to fame in the last twenty years and the undeniable impact he has had on modern cinema, that I cannot possibly do it justice herein.

And so, Quentin Tarantino - multi-talented cinematic auteur, always pushing the boundaries, trademark film maker, keeping it real, outspoken, wildly energetic, deeply passionate and a walking encyclopedia of all things film and television - we love what you do, await eagerly for your next offering and will keep watching as long as you keep writing and making movies - and long after that too! Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-