What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 1st January 2015.

The new year is upon us, and with it Odeon Online takes this opportunity to wish all of our readers, film lovers and movie goers heartfelt best wishes for a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2015 filled especially with films that will makes us laugh, make us cry, makes us think; that will shock, surprise and delight; and that will inspire, motivate, lift us up and set our hearts racing! Happy New Year to you all!

And so, to the latest offerings to grace our big screens on the first day of what is going to be an exciting year in moviedom. After the tranche of new releases seen in December and the big budget grand scale offerings that opened only last week on Boxing Day, there are just a couple of films to entice us out to a movie theatre in the coming week. The two new releases this week have one thing in common - one English gentlemanly Actor who is getting about a bit right now, and featured as a CGI Dragon only last week in a massive finale to a hugely successful series, and now this week two more new films spinning off the projector reel, and they couldn't be more different! One is an animated feature that is a spin-off from another successful trilogy, and the other is a WWII true story action drama thriller that tells the story of how the Allies war effort was aided by the work of one man and his team in cracking some fairly important Nazi codes at the time.

If it's one of these two you choose, or any of the others great films released in December that appeal, be sure to drop your thoughts down in the Comments section immediately following this Post, or any Post for that matter, and share your views, opinions, and experience with your fellow readers and film followers at Odeon Online. Enjoy your film!

THE IMITATION GAME (Rated M) - the man in question is Benedict Cumberbatch who is touted here as giving a career best performance as Alan Turing in a film that tells his story and how he and his team sought to break the Nazi's ever changing Enigma Code by which the German submarines communicated with each other during World War II. Directed by Norwegian Morten Tyldum, and Written by Graham Moore the story of Turing unfolds from his boarding school years in the latter half of the 1920's where he suffered bullying and emotional turmoil, through to his arrival at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire which was the home of the Government Code and Cypher School and where Turing based himself to work on cracking the German cyphers - Enigma and Lorenz. From there the film traces his eventual down fall in the early 50's as a result of the investigation by the Police into his alleged homosexuality - still illegal at that time!

Grounded in historical fact as much as possible, the film also stars Keira Knightly as Joan Clarke, Matthew Goode as Hugh Alexander, Rory Kinnear as Detective Robert Nock, Charles Dance as Commander Denniston and Mark Strong as Stewart Menzies. In life, Alan Turing was never really given the credit he deserved for his efforts in helping to bring an end to the second world war probably two years ahead of time, and possibly four, and he was ostracised from society because of his sexual leanings and in the end paid the ultimate price for it. It wasn't until last year in fact that Turing was 'pardoned' for his 'crimes', and the film will go some way to perhaps setting the record straight, although maybe with a little poetic license thrown in. Made for just US$15M it has so far grossed more than double that but has already garnered 34 awards wins and 60 award nominations, including five Golden Globe nominations and much praised heaped on both Cumberbatch and Knightly. Can you hear the Oscar buzz already?

PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR (Rated G) - having starred in three previous CG animation outings of the popular 'Madagascar' franchise, the four hapless penguins now get their own star vehicle in this spin-off that seems sure to please. Produced by those talented guys at Dreamworks and starring the voice talents of Benedict Cumberbatch as Classified, John Malkovich as Dave, Peter Stormare as Corporal and our four friendly penguin characters Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski (Chris Miller), Private (Christopher Knights) and Rico (Conrad Vernon) this sees the penguin chums joining a secret undercover organisation called 'The North Wind' headed up by Classified, but not before the cross paths with the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine (aka Dave, aka John Malkovich) who has had one too many run-ins with penguins in the past at various zoos, and is now hell bent on revenge against all penguins of the world including our band of four. The North Wind who Skipper, Kowalski, Private & Rico have joined forces with have been tracking Dave for some time in an attempt to bring him to justice. The action takes us from Fort Knox to Venice, almost back to Madagascar via the Sahara Desert, onto Shanghai and back to New York City before Dave finally gets his comeuppance at the hands of the four penguins and The North Wind. One for all the family, and having cost US$132M to make, it has already raked in US$232M which says something!

Grab a movie then over new year week and start 2015 as you mean to go on - at the movies, being entertained with escapism, drama, comedy, suspense, thrills, chills and emotion. Whatever your choice, enjoy the experience and do your bit to keep cinema alive! Happy New Year!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE HOBBIT : THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES : Monday 29th December 2014.

I sat in a packed theatre last night with a bunch of mates to see Peter Jackson's final instalment in 'The Hobbit' series and the culmination of 15 years of his life dedicated to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, and bringing two great works of literary art to the big screen spread over six epic films. Much has been said already about this final chapter 'THE HOBBIT : THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES', and it seems that critical opinion has been divided so far from what I've read and heard. Come what may, as of 30th December the film has already amassed a global Box Office haul of US$573M against it's production budget of US$250M, and from this standpoint there are certainly plenty of bums on seats in the movie theatres generating a solid return in ticket sales already. In all likelihood this final chapter will top US$1B by the end of its cinematic run taking the trilogy well beyond US$3B - with DVD and TV rights still to go!

I enjoyed this film, as did my movie buddies, and like the other five instalments of the two books this is a must see on a big screen. Peter Jackson knows how to deliver spectacle on an epic scale, and six films in and using all the cutting edge technology at his finger tips he does not disappoint, and, does so with a deft touch having honed his skills admirably along the way during the last decade and a half.

Naturally this film continues immediately where 'The Desolation of Smaug' left off, and we see the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch) circling over Laketown after the Dwarves have banished it from the Lonely Mountain. Needless to say Laketown is torched - there is death, widespread destruction and mayhem before Bard The Bowman (Luke Evans) takes down Smaug using the black arrow from atop a burning bell tower. Meanwhile the helpless Dwarves and Bilbo look on from inside the mountain as the town succumbs to fire and The Master of Laketown (Stephen Fry) comes to a sticky end trying to escape with his stash of gold. As this unfolds already Bilbo (Martin Freeman) notices a change in Thorin (Richard Armitage) as the 'dragon sickness' begins to take hold, and his obsession with his reclaimed gold, riches and wealth becomes all consuming and more important than life itself. Things will only get worse before they get better!

As word begins to spread across the lands that Smaug has been destroyed and the mountain reclaimed so the Elves and the Orks converge on Erebor to stake their claim and take what is believed to be theirs. As Thorin sinks deeper into his despair in searching for the lost Arkenstone and obsesses more about his gold and his new power as the Dwarf King, so he distances himself from the other Dwarves and eventually Bilbo too. The Orks summons a second army from Gundabad to converge on Erebor taking out Dale where the displaced people of Laketown are now taking refuge in the shadow of the Lonely Mountain.

At this point the army of Elves have arrived as has Gandalf (Ian McKellen) recently rescued by Galadreil (Cate Blanchett), Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Saruman the White (Christopher Lee) from Dol Guldur. Sadly, this is all we see of Galadriel, Elrond and Saruman and I can't help feeling Cate, Hugo and Chris were short changed in this outing when perhaps their ongoing involvement could have been a little more meaty! Overcoming the Orks (temporarily) Bard attempts to convince Thorin to allow the folk of Laketown into Erebor for safe shelter from the advancing army, but Thorin is so wrapped up in his own  obsessive little world that he will have none of it and would rather bring on war than risk sharing a single gold coin with anyone else, despite the earlier commitments he has made!

And so it's on for young and old, man and beast as the Elves and the Men prepare to storm the Lonely Mountain. As they prepare to do so the Orc reinforcements arrive with Goblins and giant war hunger bats and other grizzly creatures to wipe out everything in their path. At which point Thorin's cousin Dain arrives (Billy Connolly - almost unrecognisable in his make up, except for his dead give-away voice which is  delight!) with his Dwarf Army bringing up the rear. During this conflagration of converging opposing forces Thorin hallucinates in a nightmare of voices, memories and visions eventually snapping out of his obsessive stupor and sees the error of his ways and what it has almost cost him. He musters his fellow Dwarves and Bilbo and together they all jump headlong into the fight with Dwarves, Elves and Men all doing pitched battle with the marauding Orcs and their Goblin followers with a bunch of giant swooping eagles who come out of nowhere to help save the day for our tiny friends, bringing said battle of five armies to a somewhat abrupt halt!

It's bloody and it's messy but on screen it is a spectacle to behold as the might of the battling armies spread forth leaving death and destruction on all sides. The magnitude of this is well conceived and well delivered in all its CGI glory. Meanwhile we have other smaller hand to hand fights as Thorin seeks to destroy Orc leader Azog (Manu Bennett) at nearby Ravenhill aided by Dwalin (Graham McTavish), Kili (Aidan Turner) and Fili (Dean O'Gorman) where ultimately is doesn't end well for any of them. As this is going on so Legolas (Orlando Bloom) is fighting it out with Azog's right hand Orc, Bolg (John Tui), and you can guess which one of these two survives to fight another day!

In the end the Orcs are vanquished and retreat, their leader is slain, but there are casualties on all sides - Dwarves, Elves and Men, but Erebor is saved and with it the riches contained therein. Bilbo returns to The Shire accompanied by Gandalf and we learn that 13 months have passed by since he set out on his epic journey. Gandalf leaves Bilbo saying that he will maintain a watchful eye on the little Hobbit, and in the closing scene we see the older Bilbo (Ian Holm) sixty years hence reflecting on his previous journey and toying with the gold ring still in his possession when Gandalf knocks on his door, and he springs up to greet his old friend.

Jackson has been criticised for spreading a relatively short concise story (unlike the 'LOTR' tome) into a three instalment film event spanning over seven hours of run time, but in the final analysis I think he can be forgiven for his enthusiasm, his commitment and his energy in delivering another filmic event on a grand scale, and, for dedicating such a large proportion of his life to this labour of love. So far, US$2.55B in combined sales for this series, and counting, says something . . . and the movie going public are voting with their wallets - good on 'em! This is a fitting end to the series, sets up the first film in the 'LOTR' trilogy with a few well placed references, and whilst at times the CGI is just a little off kilter and some of the dialogue a little questionable, I am happy to recommend this film to you.

   

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

HUGO : archive from 23rd January 2012.

Saw 'HUGO' tonite at my local multiplex. Martin Scorsese's first family film and he has created a layered, beautiful, rich, rewarding film that easily ranks up there with his earlier master works 'Goodfellas', 'Casino', 'The Departed' and 'Taxi Driver' but for very different reasons.

A great cast including child actors Asa Butterfield in the lead role at Hugo Cabret and Chloe Grace Moretz as his young friend Isabelle ably supported by Ben Kingsley in the role as the historically cinema significant Georges Melies, Jude Law as Hugo's father, Sacha Baron Cohen as Gustave, the Train Station Inspector, and various other names including Christopher Lee, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths and Ray Winstone.

Set in the 1930's Paris we see the young orphaned Hugo living in the train station  maintaining the clocks to ensure they run on time and are kept in good working order - a kills he learned from his mechanically minded father and uncle. He leads his live in secret, living in the tunnels and passageways that wind their way through the labyrinth that is the busy Gare Montparnasse train station. The one thing that connects Hugo with his dead father (Law) is the automaton that his father began work on but never completed. Over the years Hugo has salvaged the necessary parts to almost complete the task but the one piece needed to bring it back to life is still missing and it's crucial whereabouts remain unknown - the heart-shaped key to restore (mechanical) life.

Working in the train station is an old toy marker, George Melies (Kingsley) who runs a small shop, and who Hugo has a brush with resulting in him being introduced to his god-daugher Isabelle (Grace Moretz). What follows is a series of coincidences that sees Melies contribution to modern cinema finally realised after almost 30 years, the heart-shaped key located and the automaton beautifully restored to 'life', the discovery of who really invented the automaton, and a wonderfully realised final set-piece that (almost) restores faith in humanity.

This film is Scorsese's nod to the early history of cinema focusing on Georges Melies enormous contribution to the craft bound together by early friendships, a Paris train station, machines, magic, tragedy & loss. The opening tracking shot is stunning and captures you from the get-go, and from this point on we are on a beautifully realised joy ride that will surprise and delight with every frame.

Oscar worthy for sure and this will not disappoint. At a cost of about US$160M to bring to the screen, this just about recovered it's budget with a haul of US$186M. At the awards ceremonies though for that year it garnered five Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction, as well as five other nominations including Best Direction for Martin Scorsese, Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also picked up the Best Director Award at the Golden Globes and two other nominations, and at the BAFTA's is picked up Best Production Design and Best Sound Awards and eight other nominations. All up 'Hugo' collected 62 award wins globally and a further 138 nominations.

Fantastic film making proving Scorsese is a master story teller at the top of his game, and for me it was one of the top films of the year. At the time my recommendation was to catch this on the big screen, but you'll now have to make do with the biggest small screen you can find at home and watch it on DVD/Bluray.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 28th December 2014 - 3rd January 2015.

It's New Year week - do you celebrate your Birthday this week? Anthony Hopkins does, on 31st December - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy at the end of this feature.

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

Sunday 28th December

• Denzel Washington - Born 1954, turns 60 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Stan Lee - Born 1922, turns 92 - Writer | Producer | Actor
• Alex Dimitriades - Born 1973, turns 41 - Actor
• Sienna Miller - Born 1981, turns 33 - Actress
• Noomi Rapace - Born 1979, turns 35 - Actress
• Maggie Smith - Born 1934, turns 80 - Actress

Monday 29th December

• Patricia Clarkson - Born 1959, turns 55 - Actress | Producer
• Mary Tyler Moore - Born 1936, turns 78 - Actress | Producer | Singer | Television Personality
• Jude Law - Born 1972, turns 42 - Actor | Producer
• Jon Voight - Born 1938, turns 76 - Actor | Producer
• Ted Danson - Born 1947, turns 67 - Actor | Producer
• Andy Wachowski - Born 1967, turns 47 - Director | Producer | Writer

Tuesday 30th December

• Tracey Ullman - Born 1959, turns 55 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director

Wednesday 31st December 

• Barbara Carrera - Born 1945, turns 69 - Actress
• Val Kilmer - Born 1959, turns 55 - Actor | Producer
• Ben Kingsley - Born 1943, turns 71 - Actor
• Anthony Hopkins - Born 1937, turns 77 - Actor | Producer | Director | Composer

Thursday 1st January

• Frank Langella - Born 1938, turns 77 - Actor
• Verne Troyer - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actor

Friday 2nd January

• Cuba Gooding Jnr. - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actor | Producer
• Todd Haynes - Born 1961, turns 54 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Taye Diggs - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor | Producer
• Paz Vega - Born 1976, turns 38 - Actress
• Kate Bosworth - Born 1983, turns 32 - Actress | Producer
• Tia Carrere - Born 1967, turns 48 - Actress | Producer

Saturday 3rd January

• Victoria Principal - Born 1950, turns 65 - Actress | Producer
• Dabney Coleman - Born 1932, turns 83 - Actor
• Robert Loggia - Born 1930, turns 85 - Actor
• Mel Gibson - Born 1956, turns 59 - Actor | Producer | Director

Philip Anthony Hopkins was born in Margam, Port Talbot in South Wales on New Years Eve to mother Annie Muriel Yeates and father Richard Arthur Hopkins. He was not an academic child but did immerse himself in painting, drawing and learning the piano at school. He was enrolled at Jones' West Monmouth Boys School and then Cowbridge Grammar School. At age 15 he briefly met Richard Burton who greatly influenced the young Hopkins and coincidentally was also from Port Talbot. As a result he attended the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff where he graduated from in 1957. After completing his obligatory national service he relocated himself to London where he further studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

His first stage appearance came in 1960 at the Palace Theatre, Swansea in 'Have a Cigarette'. In 1965  he was seen by Lord Laurence Olivier who invited him to join the Royal National Theatre where he went on to become Olivier's understudy. His small screen career started off in 1967 in a BBC televised play 'A Flea in Her Ear' and that same year he appeared in the short film 'The White Bus' (aka 'Red, White and Zero'). However, 1968 saw his first big screen role playing King Richard I in 'The Lion in Winter' with Peter O'Toole, Katherine Hepburn and Timothy Dalton which went on to take out three Academy Awards that year. He continued to tread the boards, but progressively moved toward more television and film roles starring in this earlier years in the likes of 'The Looking Glass War', 'Hamlet', 'When Eight Bells Toll', 'Young Winston' for Director Richard Attenborough, 'The Girl from Petrovka', 'Juggernaut' and then 1977's 'A Bridge Too Far' again Directed by Richard Attenborough and with an all star cast. In the meantime there had been numerous television series and made for television movies, the most notable of which was the TV Mini-Series 'War & Peace' in which he starred in all seventeen episodes running over 1972 and '73.

The 1980's opened up opposite John Hurt in 'The Elephant Man' followed by 'A Change of Seasons' and then as William Bligh in 'The Bounty' with Mel Gibson, Laurence Olivier, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson and Edward Fox. 'The Good Father', '84, Charring Cross Road' and again various television series and made for TV films also featured - 'A Married Man', 'Strangers and Brothers' and 'Hollywood Wives' amongst others.

It was the 1990's however, that really saw Hopkins movie career take off with the hugely successful and highly acclaimed Jonathan Demme Directed 'Silence of the Lambs' in 1991 which won the 'Big-5' Academy Awards including the Best Actor Award for Hopkins. He was nominated a further three times in the 90's for the golden statue - for 'Remains of the Day', 'Nixon' and 'Amistad'. There were other notable films too during the decade that included 'Howard's End', 'Dracula', 'Chaplin', 'Shadowlands' with Richard Attenborough Directing once more, 'Legends of the Fall', 'The Edge', 'The Mask of Zorro', 'Meet Joe Black', 'Instinct' and 'Titus'.

As the new century rolled over Hopkins reprised his role as Dr. Hannibal Lecter twice again - in 2001's 'Hannibal' Directed by Ridley Scott, and then Brett Ratner's 2002 'Red Dragon'. What followed included 'The Human Stain', 'Alexander' for Oliver Stone who also Directed Hopkins in 'Nixon', 'Proof', 'Fracture', 'The World's Fastest Indian', the CGI animated 'Beowulf' and his own Written, Directed and Starring 'Slipstream' in 2007.

More recently there has been 'The Wolfman'. 'The Rite', Marvel's 'Thor' and it's sequel 'Thor : The Dark World', '360', 'Hitchcock' as the great Director himself opposite Helen Mirren, 'RED 2' and 'Noah' most recently. 

Coming up there is 'Autobahn' and 'Kidnapping Freddy Heineken' due in 2015, 'Solace' in post-production currently and 'Go with Me' presently filming. The 'Westworld' Television series is filming too for 2015 and 'The Dresser' television movie is in pre-production now.

All up Hopkins has 127 acting credits to his name, three Directer credits for which he also composed his own music scores and a total 51 worldwide award wins and 44 other nominations. The Academy Awards were mentioned before, and in addition there are six Golden Globe nominations and the 2006 Cecil B. DeMille Award win; two Primetime Emmy Award wins for 'The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case' and 'The Bunker' and two other nominations; and four BAFTA Award wins for 'War & Peace', 'Silence of the Lambs', 'Shadowlands' and The Academy Fellowship win in 2008, plus four other nominations.

During his career he has played British Prime Minister David Lloyd George; English King - Richard the Lionheart; two US Presidents - John Quincy Adams and Richard Nixon; German Dictator Adolf Hitler; renowned artist Pablo Picasso; renowned film Director Alfred Hitchcock; and renowned literary scribe Charles Dickens, amongst other real life characters.

He was married to Petronella Barker from 1967 to 1972; to Jennifer Lynton from 1973 to 2002; and to Stella Arroyave from 2003 until the present day. He has a daughter - composer and actress Abigail Hopkins, born in 1968. He has both British and American citizenship and his charitable and philanthropic efforts extend to his Presidency of the National Trust's 'Snowdonia Appeal' to which he personally donated one million pounds sterling. He is  patron of his hometown YMCA and is a volunteer teacher at Santa Monica's Ruskin School of Acting. Additionally he is a prominent member of 'Greanpeace' and a patron of the 'Rehabilitaion for Addicted Prisoners Trust'. He is a reformed alcoholic having given up on Christmas day 1975, he has quit smoking and has been vegetarian now for some years, and he is a piano virtuoso. In the Queen's Birthday Honour's List in 1987 he was awarded the CBE (Commander of the British Empire); in 1992 she bestowed upon him in the New Year's Honour's List the KBE (Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire); and in 2008 he was made a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Anthony Hopkins - owner of deep blue piercing eyes and a deep smooth voice, often playing restrained archetypal English roles, character actor and known for roles of historical personalities, trademarked as bringing to life one of cinemas most chilling characters, and still much in demand and still turning it on for us at 77 - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Friday 26th December 2014.

Merry Christmas to the national and international readership of this Blog, and best wishes to you all for a happy, healthy and safe festive season from your friends at Odeon Online.

And so the biggest day in the movie release year is upon us with another raft of new film content coming to our big screens on Boxing Day. December kicked off with ten new release movies and then the brakes were applied in successive weeks in anticipation of the Christmas week releases to capitalise upon the holiday season and some eagerly awaited offerings that once again are sure to offer something for everyone.

For the week ahead then we have the epic final chapter in a monumental saga that has been fifteen years in the making; one of Australia's favourite sons has turned Director for the first time to deliver us a tale of WW1 in the wake of Gallipoli; Disney Studio's have come good with their animation to deliver us a heart warming futuristic story that ticks many boxes; then there is probably Hollywood's most grumpy old man who forges an unlikely friendship with his polar opposite in almost every sense, that is being touted as a long-term best for this grumpy old Actor; we then have an English period piece about a renowned ageing painter as he struggles in his later years to come to terms with what is going on all around him; and finally, and next up is the third instalment in another successful franchise that reunites a familiar cast and a Hollywood great that we sadly lost earlier this year.

There it is then, six new films to tempt, tease and tantalise your taste buds with big screen entertainment that will deliver on spectacle; be sure to  surprise and delight; make you laugh and maybe make you choke back a tear and all will certainly entertain in 2D or 3D over the coming week. Drop me a Comment when you've chosen your filmic entertainment in the week ahead and sat through the experience, and share your views and opinions with your favourite movie Blog and the cinema going world. We'll be pleased to hear from you!

THE HOBBIT : THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES (Rated M) - Peter Jackson's closing chapter in his 'Hobbit' trilogy brings to an end over fifteen years of film making that started the J.R.R. Tolkien saga with the first instalment of the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy in 2001 and which went on to yield US$2.92B in Box Office receipts off a US$281M production budget. This series of three has so far cost US$745M to bring to the big screen and has made (out of the first two films) US$2.13B, so looks set to surpass the global haul from all three L.O.T.R films if past performance is anything to go by.

Following on from where 'The Desolation of Smaug' left off, we see the same bunch of characters led by Bilbo recapture Erebor as Smaug has fled and in so doing destroys Laketown. With Bilbo and the dwarves led by an increasingly obsessive and distant Thorin, they must now protect The Lonely Mountain with the help of the Elves, Men and The Great Eagles against an oncoming army of Orcs unleashed by the evil enemy Sauron. Effects laden, CGI heavy with huge set-pieces culminating in the battle to end all battles (until the next one), 'The Battle of Five Armies' has already earned US$358M since its US and European release earlier in December. A must see, with expectations running high and given what we know Peter Jackson is more than capable of.

THE WATER DIVINER (Rated M) - Russell Crowe here delivers his Directorial debut, and stars in this telling of Water Diviner Joshua Connor (Crowe) who makes the journey from his native Australia to Gallipoli in search of his three missing sons in the aftermath of that tragic battle in World War 1. Four years have passed since, and in travelling to Turkey he forges a relationship with the owner of the hotel where he is staying in Istanbul, Ayshe (Olga Kurylenko) and enlists the help of Australian Lt. Col Cyril Hughes (Jai Courtney) and his Turkish opposite Major Hasan (Yilmaz Erdogan) to search for his missing boys. Will his water divining skills enable him to devine his missing-in-action-presumed-dead sons and so bring them home to Australia to be laid to rest in peace in there. This of course is the crux of the story intertwined with beautiful Turkish scenery, some Hollywood screen magic, and a story of endless hope, courage, faith, determination, love and friendship amidst the backdrop of tragedy, loss and death on an unfathomable scale.

ST. VINCENT (Rated M) - this Comedy Drama stars an A-List Hollywood Actor known for being grumpy and who has become very selective in the roles he now plays, and with whom. Originally intended for Jack Nicholson who turned it down, the role ended up with Bill Murray who puts in a tour-de-force as Vietnam Vet Vincent who has led a squandering stubbornly self-satisfied life which in his twilight years have left him with next to nothing. When Vincent's new neighbours need a babysitter for teenage son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), Vincent agrees, but for a fee. What unfolds is an unlikely friendship between these two polar opposites as Vincent downloads on Oliver his adult experiences of alcohol, gambling, bad food, loose women and over indulgence in life. What Oliver offers Vincent is an inward looking view of a lonely existence and a secret past that perhaps he would prefer laid to rest but must now confront - particularly as life events take an unexpected turn for the worse for Vincent leading both to move in a direction that neither they or those around them could ever have imagined. Directed and Written by Theodore Melfi and starring too Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts and Chris O'Dowd.

MR. TURNER (Rated M) - this is the story of 19th Century English landscape and seascape painter J.M.W. Turner as played by Timothy Spall. Set during the last 25 years of his life this is a detailed, nuanced, finely balanced film that sees Turner at the height of his fame, popularity and output but torn between his ever faithful housekeeper and mistress of 40 years, Hannah Danby (Dorothy Atkinson) and his seaside landlady with whom he forms a relationship, Sophia Booth (Marion Bailey) and eventually resides in Chelsea unbeknownst to most, and where he eventually dies. During this time, the film charts the many exploits and idiosyncrasies of Turner - the man, the artist, the eccentric, the socialite and the obsessive. Spall gives a career defining performance in this Mike Leigh Directed film that could well be the sleeper hit at the upcoming Academy Awards.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM : SECRET OF THE TOMB (Rated PG) - Directed by Shawn Levy this film stars two Hollywood greats who very sadly passed away earlier this year - Mickey Rooney as Gus reprising his role from the first film and Robin Williams who has appeared in all three as Teddy Roosevelt. Ben Stiller is back at Larry Daily the night watchman at New York's Museum of Natural History only now he has gained promotion to 'Director of Night-time Operations'. The 'tablet' which gives the museum artifacts the power to become animated at night-time is beginning to lose its powers, and as such those exhibits are beginning to exhibit some strange behaviours. Investigating further Larry learns that the tablet's powers are not infinite and that 'the end will come', only now sooner rather than later. The only way to prevent this is to travel to London to the British Museum of Natural History and the origin of the tablet that can only be regenerated by moonlight. As the tablets powers begin to wane so does the staying power of the animated exhibits who begin to age and turn back to wax. As the tablet falls into the wrong hands of an  historical English figure, a race against time begins in the London museum and across the city as Larry and his friends seek to retrieve the tablet before it crumbles away to dust forever, and any chance of retaining its magic disappears completely. Starring also Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Ben Kingsley, Dick Van Dyke and a host of historical figures, animals and set pieces this is sure to please for a number of reasons, including those aforementioned two late great Hollywood legends.

BIG HERO 6 (Rated PG) - Disney Studio's have pulled out all the stops to bring this animated feature to life and in doing so have created a delightful story with heart, great visuals, an east meets west backdrop and the rich pedigree of Marvel Comics. Following on from their recent success too with 'Frozen' this is set in a futuristic San Fransokyo and sees an oversize inflatable health-care robot called 'Baymax' (a mix of the 'Michelin Man' and 'Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man') who was designed to be activated upon hearing the word 'ouch' and continues administering aid until the 'patient' proclaims 'I am satisfied with your care'! This is all good until our hero of the piece - young Hiro (voiced by Ryan Potter) whose recently killed older brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney) was working on various robotic devices with his friends GoGo, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Fred and of course Baymax at the local University. Hiro himself is a robot whizz and so he and Baymax adopt each other with a view to continuing brother Tadashi's work. But all is not well as they soon discover, and someone else is mass producing robots for potential unsavoury gain, and so Baymax is re-programmed by Hiro to thwart the no-good enemy, discover the truth behind his brothers death, and ultimately continue the good work his brother had initiated. This film is Directed by Don hall and Chris Williams and stars the voice talents too of Scott Adsit as Baymax, Damon Wyans Jnr. as Wasabi and James Cromwell as Professor Callaghan amongst others. There is an animated short film shown before the main event and remain seated through the credits for additional footage that lays the foundation for a possible sequel.

Wow - some big releases this coming week as you would expect for Boxing Day. Get out there and see something on the big screen and take in the spectacle of what these films have to offer - something for everyone, young and young at heart. Plenty of choice - enjoy your movies, enjoy Christmas, best wishes, and we'll report next week for the first of 2015's new releases.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 21st - 27th December 2014.

It's Christmas week - do you celebrate your Birthday this week? Samuel L. Jackson does, on 21st December - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy 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 or 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 21st December

• Samuel L. Jackson - Born 1948, turns 66 - Actor | Producer
• Kiefer Sutherland - Born 1966, turns 48 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Jeffrey Katzenberg - Born 1950, turns 64 - Producer
• Ray Romano - Born 1957, turns 57 - Actor | Producer
• Jane Fonda - Born 1937, turns 77 - Actress
• Julie Delpy - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director | Editor

Monday 22nd December

• Vanessa Paradis - Born 1972, turns 42 - Actress | Singer
• Ralph Fiennes - Born 1962, turns 52 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Hector Elizondo - Born 1936, turns 78 - Actor
• David S. Goyer - Born 1965, turns 49 - Director | Producer | Writer

Tuesday 23rd December

• Nick Moran - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Estella Warren - Born 1978, turns 36 - Actress

Wednesday 24th December - Christmas Eve

• Ricky Martin - Born 1971, turns 43 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor
• Stephanie Meyer - Born 1973, turns 41 - Writer | Actor

Thursday 25th December - Christmas Day

• Sissy Spacek - Born 1949, turns 65 - Actress
• Annie Lennox - Born 1954, turns 60 - Singer | Songwriter | Actress

Friday 26th December - Boxing Day

• Jared Leto - Born 1971, turns 43 - Actor | Writer | Songwriter | Producer | Director
• Temuera Morrison - Born 1960, turns 54 - Actor
• Steve Bisley - Born 1951, turns 63 - Actor
• Phil Spector - Born 1939, turns 75 - Songwriter
• Fred Schepisi - Born 1939, turns 75 - Director | Producer | Writer

Saturday 27th December

• Gerard Depardieu - Born 1948, turns 66 - Actor | Producer | Director

Samuel Leroy Jackson was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee as an only child. His father, Henry Jackson lived away from home in Kansas City, Missouri and died from alcoholism - he met him only twice. His mother, Elizabeth Montgomery was a factory worker and later a supplies buyer for a local hospital and she raised Samuel with the maternal grandparents and extended family. He graduated from the Riverside High School in Chattanooga where he acme proficient over the years in playing the French horn and trumpet. He went on to Morehouse College to study marine biology, and after joining a local acting group to earn extra points he switched his major to drama.

Following public speaking classes he appeared in 'The Threepenny Opera' and various stage plays and TV movies before making his feature film debut in 1972 in 'Together for Days'. His early roles prompted him to relocate to New York City in 1976 where he appeared in stage plays including 'The Piano Lesson' and 'Two Trains Running', but, at the same time he developed a liking for alcohol, heroine, and then cocaine resulting i him being unable to continue with this splays as they moved on to Broadway. 

During his early career he was mentored by Morgan Freeman and introduced to Spike Lee who would go on to Direct him in several films throughout the years, including bit parts in his earlier offerings - 'School Daze' in 1988 and 'Do the Right Thing' in 1989. Martin Scorsese game him a small role too in 1990's 'Goodfellas'. During this time his drug addiction deepened, and had previously overdosed on heroine several times before moving onto cocaine. His family subsequently entered him into a New York drug rehabilitation clinic which he came out of successfully, and went straight into filming 'Jungle Fever' again with Spike Lee . . . starring as a crack cocaine addict - a role he described as 'cathartic' and which won him much critical acclaim including a 1991 Cannes Film Festival 'Supporting Actor' Award.

After this he received multiple offers including 'Juice', 'Strictly Business', 'Patriot Games' and then 'Jurassic Park' with Steven Spielberg, and 'True Romance' with Tony Scott and his first brush with Writer/Director Quentin Tarantino. Following this Tarantino specifically wrote the role of Jules Winnfield for Jackson in 'Pulp Fiction' which went on to give him Best Supporting Actor Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, and the BAFTA win.

More film offers began to flood in during the mid-90's which included 'Kiss of Death', 'Die Hard : With a Vengeance', 'Hard Eight', 'Trees Lounge' and 'A Time to Kill' in 1996 which gave him another Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.  The latter half of the 90's played out with 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' with Geena Davis, 'Jackie Brown' reunited with Quentin Tarantino, 'Sphere' with Dustin Hoffman, 'The Negotiator' with Kevin Spacey, 'Deep Blue Sea' with Director Renny Harlin and then as Mace Windu in George Lucas' reboot of the Star Wars franchise in 'Episode 1: The Phantom Menace'.

As the new century turned over Jackson was more in demand than ever opening with 'Rules of Engagement', 'Shaft' and 'Unbreakable' with Bruce Willis again all in 2000. He reprised Mace Windu three more times in 'Attack of the Clones', 'Revenge of the Sith' and the CGI animated 'The Clone Wars', and in the meantime took on 'Changing Lanes' with Ben Affleck, 'xXx' and its sequel 'xXx : State of the Union' with Vin Diesel, 'Basic' with John Travolta, 'S.W.A.T.' with Colin Firth, 'Kill Bill, Volume 2' with Tarantino again, and the voice of Frozone in the successful animated feature 'The Incredibles'.

2006 brought cult actioner 'Snakes on a Plane' - a role he took because of its title rather than the intricacies required from a nuanced performance, 'Black Snake Moan' and '1408' in 2007, and a busy year in 2008 with 'Jumper', 'Soul Men', 'Lakeview Terrace', 'The Spirit', 'Gospel Hill' and his first uncredited appearance as Nick Fury in 'Iron Man'. Since then he has reprised the role of Nick Fury in 'Iron Man 2', in 'Thor', 'Captain America : The First Avenger', 'The Avengers', 'Captain America : The Winter Soldier', the upcoming 'Avengers : Age of Ultron' due for release mid-2015 and in the TV Series 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D'.

He worked with Quentin Tarantino again narrating several scenes in 'Inglourious Basterds' and then in 'Django Unchained' and is currently filming with him once more in the 'The Hateful Eight' due out later on in 2015. Meanwhile he teamed up with Spike Lee once more in 'Oldboy' with Josh Brolin, the rebooted 'RoboCop' with Gary Oldman, with 'Kite' and 'Big Game' bringing us up to date. 'Kingsmen : The Secret Service' with Colin Firth is due out imminently, 'Cell', 'Barely Lethal' and 'Avengers : Age of Ultron' are all currently in post-production for a 2015 release, 'The Hateful Eight' and 'Tarzan' are currently filming, 'Moose' is in pre-production, and 'Nick Fury' and 'xXx : The Return of Xander Cage' have been announced. He has lent his voice talents to numerous animated features and video games, has 159 acting credits to his name, and has thirty award wins and another sixty award nominations under his belt. These include the Academy Award nomination for 'Pulp Fiction', four Golden Globe nominations for 'Jackie Brown', 'A Time to Kill', 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Against the Wall', and the BAFTA win for 'Pulp Fiction'. 

He is an avid golfer, a basketball fan of the Toronto Raptors and Harlem Globetrotters and a keen follower of Liverpool Football Club. He launched a campaign in support of Alzheimers Disease research in mid-2013 and also 'One for the Boys' advocating testicular cancer checks. He made a conscious decision to of bald, began a vegan diet and subsequently lost 40lbs in weight (18kgs). He has been married to LaTanya Richardson since 1980 and they have a daughter Zoe, born in 1982.

He is also acclaimed as the highest grossing film actor of all time with his movies grossing (depending on what you read) in excess of US$5.6B (The Movie Times), US$9.3B (The Numbers), US$8.3B (Box Office Mojo) and US$7.4B (The Guinness Book of Records). He is a prolific actor because he loves acting and loves the film making process and what he believe he can bring to the role and the character portrayed. 

Samuel L. Jackson - often mistaken for Laurence Fishburne; eaten alive by both a shark and a dinosaur; still the epitome of wise-ass bad-ass cool even at 66; known for your deep authoritarian voice and use of whiplash MoFo quips; often portrays violent and intimidating but always entertaining and keeping it real - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 18th December 2014.

The last couple of weeks have seen a big haul of new release movies to satisfy almost every taste, but this week - just one week out from Christmas, there are slim pickings to be had indeed! It is hardly surprising though given that last week, and this to a great extent, is the cinematic meat in the proverbial sandwich nestled between capturing the early December school holiday market, and the big screen fare that will be released next week on Boxing Day of which there will be a another mega haul of movies all competing for the festive filmic family attention. More of that next week of course!

And so for this week it seems I can tempt you with just one family offering that is a remake of an earlier film from 1999 that is a remake of an earlier film still from 1982 that saw a spin off  in 1995 that is the big screen adaptation of the hit Broadway stage musical. Up for its umpteenth reincarnation therefore this 2014 offering has some big Hollywood names both behind and in front of the camera, and is sure to please . . . the little people amongst us!

Knowing then this remake hits the big screens near you this week and there is stall a raft of great cinema content out there from previous weeks, I invite you to share your thoughts, comments and critique with Odeon Online and the reading world by sharing your valued views and opinions in the 'Comments' box immediately below this, or any other Blog Post. Enjoy your film . . . whatever you choose!

ANNIE (Rated PG) - and so this film gets yet another makeover, and once again for a whole new audience who will be unfamiliar with those that have gone before. 'Annie' was released in 1982 and Directed by John Huston starring Aileen Quinn as our young heroine; then in 1995 came 'Annie : A Royal Adventure' Directed by Ian Toynton and starring Ashley Johnson in the title role; then in 1999, came 'Annie' once again and this time Directed by Rob Marshall and starring Alicia Morton in the lead role; and now in 2014 we have, yes you guessed it, 'Annie' Directed by Will Gluck and starring Quvenzhane Wallis as little Annie with heavyweights Cameron Diaz as the Harlem living Miss Colleen Hannigan the mean spirited foster Mum to Annie, and Jamie Foxx as Will Stacks - a hard nosed tough as nails cashed-up cell phone tycoon running for the Mayor's seat of NYC.  This film has all the clout of husband and wife Producers Will Smith & Jada Pinkett-Smith and rapper Jay-Z behind it too, so no doubt it will get the wise-ass, street smart, jive talking treatment from those throwing down the cash!

The plot sees our Annie changing race, and changing allegiances, when she is saved from getting mown down by a truck on her journey home by Will Stacks. Stacks is running for Mayor of the Big Apple but his campaign is not faring too well, mostly on account of his dislike for people generally. Having saved her life and this being caught on camera the footage goes viral and so his popularity begins to soar. He sees this as an opening to milk Annie for all she is worth and wing his way into the big chair as the head of the city, and so he offers to formally adopt Annie after their bond for each other has strengthened. And so the plot winds on into familiar territory aided by Rose Byrne as Grace Farrell (Stacks loyal PA) and Bobby Cannavale as Guy (political advisor to Stacks) when Annie feels betrayed by Stacks and runs off, Stacks has to come clean about his ulterior motives; and the two kiss and make up and all live happily ever after following the big action chase set piece to round out the film. Being a musical there will be foot tapping numbers aplenty to keep you interested, but you would have to ask yourself the question - is this Annie outing really necessary - only you can decide!

I did tell you it was a slim week for movies! Still doing the rounds though, too which you can now add 'Annie', there is something for every taste almost and plenty to choose from. Get out there and keep cinema alive, and then share your thoughts with your favourite Blog - Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 14th - 20th December 2014.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week? 

Brad Pitt does, on 18th December - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy 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 or 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 December

• Sophie Monk - Born 1979, turns 35 - Actress
• Rebecca Gibney - Born 1964, turns 50 - Actress

Monday 15th December

• Don Johnson - Born 1949, turns 65 - Actor | Producer
• Alex Cox - Born 1954, turns 60 - Actor | Director | Writer

Tuesday 16th December

• James Mangold - Born 1963, turns 51 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Ben Cross - Born 1947, turns 67 - Actor
• Shane Black - Born 1953, turns 53 - Producer | Writer | Director | Actor
• Benjamin Bratt - Born 1963, turns 51 - Actor | Producer
• Miranda Otta - Born 1967, turns 47 - Actress

Wednesday 17th December

• Milla Jojovich - Born 1975, turns 39 - Actress | Singer
• Giovanni Ribisi - Born 1974, turns 40 - Actor
• Bill Pullman - Born 1953, turns 61 - Actor
• Eugene Levy - Born 1946, turns 68 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer | Songwriter
• Bernard Hill - Born 1944, turns 780 - Actor
• Peter Farrelly - Born 1956, turns 58 - Writer | Producer | Director

Thursday 18th December

• Brad Pitt - Born 1963, turns 51 - Actor | Producer
• Steven Spielberg - Born 1946, turns 68 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Ray Liotta - Born 1954, turns 60 - Actor | Producer
• Casper Van Dien - Born 1968, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Steve Austin - Born 1964m turns 50 - actor | Producer | WWF Wrestler
• Keith Richards - Born 1943, turns 71 - Singer | Songwriter | Producer | Actor
• Robson Green - 1964, turns 50 - Actor | Television Personality | Extreme Fisherman
• Rachel Griffith - Born 1968, turns 46 - Actress
• Katie Holmes - Born 1978, turns 36 - Actress | Producer

Friday 19th December

• Jennifer Beals - Born 1963, turns 51 - Actress
• Jake Gyllenhaal - Born 1980, turns 34 - Actor | Producer

Saturday 20th December 

• Jonah Hill - Born 1983, turns 31 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Todd Phillips - Born 1970, turns 44 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Jenny Agutter - Born 1952, turns 62 - Actress

William Bradley Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma and raised in Springfield, Missouri and is the eldest of brother Douglass and sister Julie. His mother, Jane Etta Hillhouse was a school counsellor, and father William Alvin Pitt was a trucking company manager. He attended Kickapoo High School where he was an active participant in golf, swimming, tennis and the school debating society. After graduating from school he attended the University of Missouri majoring in journalism and advertising. Two weeks before graduating he left to relocate to California, to Los Angeles where he took acting lessons and worked odd jobs to sustain himself. 

During his early career in Los Angeles toward the end of the 80's Pitt struggled to establish himself. In 1987 he had uncredited roles in 'No Way Out', 'No Mans Land' and 'Less Than Zero' as well as TV appearances in 'Another World', 'Growing Pains', 'Dallas' and '21 Jump Street'. His first leading film role came in 1988 in 'The Dark Side of the Sun' although the film was not released for another ten years - as being a Yugoslavian/US co-production it was mothballed due to the war in Croatia. In 1989 he had support roles in 'Happy Together' and 'Cutting Class', and a handful of other television appearances.

The early 90's brought TV Movie 'Too Young To Die' which gave him some acclaim followed by 'The Image' and 'Across The Tracks' in 1991 and six episodes of the short-lived 'Glory Days'. His breakout role though was in Ridley Scott's 'Thelma & Louise' opposite Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis in 1991 and charted him on a course as a bonafide sex symbol. That year came too 'Johnny Suede' and 'Cool World' the year after. Robert Redford cast him in 'A River Runs Through It' that was described by one critic as 'career defining'.

'Kalifornia' followed in 1993 and a small part in 'True Romance'. As the mid-90's approached so Pitt's career notched up to top gear with 'Interview with the Vampire' in 1994 and then 'Legends of the Fall' for which he garnered his first Golden Globe nomination. 1995 saw him team up with Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow in David Fincher's 'Seven' which brought much critical and Box Office acclaim. That same year Terry Gilliam cast him with Bruce Willis in the SciFi '12 Monkeys' where he was lauded for his performance which in turn won him his first Golden Globe Award and his first Academy Award nomination.

In the latter half of the 90's there was 'Sleepers' with Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman; then 'The Devil's Own' with Harrison Ford; then 'Seven Years in Tibet' with David Thewlis, and 'Meet Joe Black' with Anthony Hopkins. Closing out the decade he worked with David Fincher again on the now cult-classic 'Fight Club' with Edward Norton.

2000 saw Guy Ritchie's 'Snatch' in which Pitt almost steals the show with his broad gypsy accent in this boxer diamond heist film. This was followed up by 'The Mexican' with Julia Roberts; 'The Spy Game' reuniting him with Robert Redford again, and then in 2001 Pitt was cast in the remake of the 60's Rat Pack film of the same name 'Ocean's Eleven' with an ensemble cast including Clooney, Damon, Garcia, Gould, Cheadle and Roberts. This was well received by critics and Box Office alike eventually spawning two sequels - 'Ocean's Twelve' and 'Ocean's Thirteen' which between all three took a global Box Office haul of over US$1.1B. In the meantime Pitt starred as Achilles in 'Troy'.

'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' with future wife Angelina Jolie came along in 2005, with 'Babel' in 2006 opposite Cate Blanchett gaining a Golden Globe nomination for Pitt and a swag of other Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. What followed were more noteworthy roles too in the likes of 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford'; 'Burn After Reading' Directed by the Coen Brothers; 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' Directed by David Fincher again and starring Cate Blanchett with whom he had worked before too. This film received thirteen Academy Award nominations with Pitt receiving Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Academy Award nominations for his performance. Quentin Tarrantino cast him next up in 2009's 'Inglorious Basterds' which received eight Academy Award nominations.

'The Tree of Life' with Sean Penn won Director Terrence Malick the Palme D'or at Cannes, and 'Moneyball' received six Academy Award nominations including a Best Actor nod for Pitt. 'Killing Them Softly' followed, as did zombie apocalypse 'World War Z' grossing US$540M and giving Pitt his biggest commercial Box Office success to date off a US$190M budget. A sequel has been announced with Pitt's Production Company 'Plan B Productions' involved. '12 Years a Slave' and 'The Counsellor' saw him reunite with Ridley Scott in the latter film, and World War II actioneer 'Fury' is his most recent release so far earning US$181M off US$68M. He has lent his voice talents to 'Megamind', 'Happy Feet 2' and an episode of 'King of the Hill'.

Pitt has 71 acting credits to his name so far, thirty Producer credits, 54 Award wins and another 93 nominations. He shared the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture as Producer for '12 Years a Slave' and has four other nominations to his name; he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for '12 Monkeys' and has four other nominations; and won the BAFTA for Best Film again as Producer for '12 Years a Slave' and has four other nominations.

He had a relationship with Gwyneth Paltrow and was married to 'Friends' star Jennifer Aniston from 2000 - 2005, and has been in a long term relationship with Angelina Jolie eventually marrying earlier this year. They have six children - Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne.

Pitt is active in humanitarian, charitable and political causes including the support for 'Proposition 71' into stem-cell research; the 'ONE Campaign' combating AIDS and poverty; he has personally with Jolie donated US$1M to those effected by the crisis in Darfur; he founded the 'Make It Right' Foundation to build sustainable housing in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina; he and Jolie founded the 'Jolie-Pitt Foundation' to aid humanitarian causes around the world donating to 'Global Action for Children', 'Doctors Without Borders', 'The Daniel Pearl Foundation', the Haiti Earthquake fund and a U.N. Refugee agency supporting Pakistanis displaced by the Taliban. He also supports same sex marriage.

Brad Pitt - bonafide movie mega star, Actor, Producer, supporter of worthy causes, married to one of the world's most beautiful women, family man, diverse, daring and outspoken - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-