Birthdays to share this week : 31st August - 6th September.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Do you 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!

Check out too the spotlight on this weeks Birthday Boy on 2nd September, Keanu Reeves, at the end of this feature.

Sunday 31st August

• Richard Gere - Born 1949, turns 65 - Actor | Producer
• Chris Tucker - Born 1972, turns 42 - Actor
• Marc Webb - Born 1974, turns 40 - Director | Producer
• Jonathan LaPaglia - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actor
• Jack Thompson - Born 1940, turns 74 - Actor | Producer
• Van Morrison - Born 1945, turns 69 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer

Monday 1st September

• Lily Tomlin - Born 1939, turns 75 - Actress | Producer
• Gloria Estefan - Born 1957, turns 57 - Singer | Songwriter | Actress
• Barry Gibb - Born 1946m turns 68 - Singer | Songwriter
• Craig McLachlan - Born 1965, turns 49 - Actor | Singer

Tuesday 2nd September

• Keanu Reeves - Born 1964, turns 50 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Salma Hayek - Born 1966, turns 48 - Actress | Producer
• Mark Harmon - Born 1951, turns 63 - Actor | Producer

Wednesday 3rd September

• Charlie Sheen - Born 1965, turns 49 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Jean-Pierre Jeunet - Born 1953, turns 61 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Pauline Collins - Born 1940, turns 74 - Actress

Thursday 4th September

• Noah Taylor - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actor
• Damon Wyans - Born 1960, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Beyonce Knowles - Born 1981, turns 33 - Singer | Songwriter | Actress | Producer

Friday 5th September

• Michael Keaton - Born 1951, turns 63 - Actor | Producer
• Raquel Welch - Born 1940, turns 74 - Actress
• Werner Herzog - Born 1942, turns 72 - Director | Producer | Actor | Writer
• Paddy Consadine - Born 1974, turns 40 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Rose McGowan - Born 1973, turns 41 - Actress

Saturday 6th September

• Idris Elba - Born 1972, turns 42 - Actor | Producer
• Roger Waters - Born 1943, turns 71 - Songwriter | Singer | Composer | Writer
• John Polson - Born 1965, turns 49 - Actor | Director | Producer
• Naomi Harris - Born 1976, turns 38 - Actress

Keanu Charles Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon to an English born Showgirl and an American born geologist. He lived there for the first six months of his life, before relocating to Sydney where he lived with his mother until age three, by which time his father had already left the relationship. Reeves grew up with various stepfathers thereafter having moved to New York City and then Toronto. His biological father was born in Hawaii, and it is from here that Keanu was given his name - meaning 'cool breeze over the mountains' in Hawaiian.

He attended De La Salle College in Toronto and then Avondale Secondary Alternative School, also in Toronto, thereafter - at this latter institution he could gain an 'education' whilst working as an actor, but he was not academic and so dropped out at age seventeen before gaining a high school diploma. In his early teens he showed promise as an ice hockey player and was offered to try-out for the Canadian League for the Windsor Spitfires. He played in goal and earned the nickname 'The Wall', but gave this up too in favour of pursuing a career in acting.

At age nine he appeared in a theatre production of 'Damn Yankees' and at 15 in 'Romeo & Juliet' also on stage. His screen acting debut came in the comedy television series 'Hangin' In' and during the early 80's he gained some television commercial work, short film roles and other stage plays. His first studio movie role was with Rob Lowe in 'Youngblood' in 1986, followed up later that year with a more sizeable turn in 'River's Edge'. In fact, in 1986 Reeves had seven films released all with his name attached, and all aimed largely at the teen market. It was however, the somewhat unexpected success of 1989's 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure' and its 1991 sequel 'Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey', playing Theodore 'Ted' Logan, that catapulted Reeves into the mainstream.

In the early 90's Reeves started to straddle more mainstream offerings such as 'Point Break' and 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' with independent fare such as 'My Own Private Idaho' with close friend River Phoenix. Again though, it was to be 1994's high speed actioner 'Speed' with Sandra Bullock and Dennis Hopper that placed Reeves on the action star pedestal. He did though, and perhaps wisely, turn down the reprisal of his role as  Officer Jack Traven in 'Speed 2' despite the offer of an US$11M pay day - his biggest up to that point! Along the way he also turned down roles in 'Platoon', 'Heat' and 'Speed Racer' - those roles eventually going to Charlie Sheen, Val Kilmer and Matthew Fox respectively.

In the latter half of the 90's he continued to choose between the big action fare - 'Chain Reaction' and 'Johnny Mnemonic' which did less well at the box office than expected, and the indie features such as 'Feeling Minnestoa'. These though were backed up by 'The Devil's Advocate' and 'The Replacements' which restored some credibility, and for which Reeves would take a huge pay cut to ensure that Al Pacino and Gene Hackman could star respectively.




In 1999, he hit pay-dirt once again with his acting in 'The Matrix' and followed this up in 2003 with the release of both sequels - 'The Matrix Reloaded' and 'The Matrix Revolutions' - for which he earned US$40M in fees and 15% of the gross - to give him combined earnings from the trilogy of around US$70M. Interestingly, of that he gave away US$50M to the make-up and effects artists on those films, saying that he had enough money anyway to support himself with for the next couple of centuries.

Following this he has had a series of also-rans and film that have flown under the radar during the first decade of the new century - in terms of box office and critical acclaim. In 2013 he turned his attention to Directing for the first time, and did so with 'Man of Tai Chi', and currently has several projects under development. '47 Ronin' was his last big screen appearance earlier this year, and he has 'John Wick' and 'Knock Knock' currently in post-production for a 2015 release, 'The Whole Truth' still filming also for a 2015 release and 'Rain' - a TV mini-series announced for 2016.

He has 74 acting credits to his name including those others, such as 'Dangerous Liaisons', 'Parenthood', 'Little Buddha', 'Even Cowgirls get the Blues', 'A Walk in the Clouds', 'The Watcher', 'The Gift', 'Hardball', 'Something's Gotta Give', 'Constantine', 'The Lake House', 'A Scanner Darkly', 'Street Kings', 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', and 'Generation Um'. He has ten award wins to his name and twenty other nominations including 12 MTV Movie Awards - but, he also has several Razzie Awards and Golden Raspberry Awards too!

When he is not acting, Producing or Directing he has set up a cancer charity but has chosen not to assign his name to it, and he supports PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals), the SickKids Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer. He is a keen surfer and horse rider - both of which he does in his spare time, and both of which he learned for acting roles, and is an ardent follower of F1 and IndyCar motor sport.

He is known for his intense eyes; has kept us entertained with some truly memorable roles and some forgettable ones too; and although he turns 50 this week the dude still looks and acts the part in a very relaxed, chilled out, laid back way. Good on ya Keanu - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online, and congratulations on your first half-century! 'Point Break' also remains one of my favourite films of all time too!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 28th August 2014.

A fist full of films for your cinematic consideration over the coming week that range from the experimental, the Sci-Fi fantastic, the largely predictable, the local long arm of the law, and another Sci-Fi that you may have seen before . . . or maybe not! Down Under it is the last week of Winter and Springtime beckons with the promise of longer days and warmer evenings - but, having been in the grip of an almost continuous deluge for the last two weeks there is no better time to get out to your local movie theatre for an evening of great entertainment in front of the big screen to forget about the rain and steal yourself off to someplace else!

When you have done that drop me at line at this, your trusted filmic Blog, and let me and my other Reader know what you thought of your big screen experience by recording it in the Comments sections following immediately after every Post. Thanks!

LOCKE (Rated MA15+) - Ivan Locke is played by Tom Hardy, and he occupies all 90 minutes or so of screen time at the wheel of his car driving down an English Motorway from Point A to Point B. He will step out of his car eventually a very different man to when he stepped in, and this is the central premise of the film - handled deftly by relative newcomer Director, Stephen Knight who also wrote the Screenplay. As the film begins Locke we learn is a construction worker leaving his building site place of work - he is a respected worker and a committed family man. He jumps into his car to begin his journey and along the way through the darkness of night, his family life will crumble away and his career will implode as he unburdens himself en route with what will be the biggest mistake of his life. All this occurs through phone conversations he has with other key players in his life during his journey. These other actors are not seen, simply heard over the speaker phone in the car but give compelling voice performances to make this taught, tight and gripping from start to end. This coupled with dazzling night time lights, the darkness and solitude of Locke's vehicle, his own musings broken up by telephone calls, and his muffled sounds contemplating the magnitude of his actions should make for compelling viewing from an actor who is quickly establishing himself at the top of his form.

MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT (Rated PG) - another year and another Woody Allen film - this time a period piece set on the Cote d'Azur in the early 20's. We find Englishman abroad, Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth who is in just about a new film every fortnight right now!) who plays Chinese magician by night and a debunker of all things mystic, psychic and paranormal during the day. He crosses paths with American clairvoyant Sophie Baker (Emma Stone) engaged by rich well-to-do socialite Grace Catledge (Jacki Weaver) to connect with her dearly departed husband. Needless to say Crawford is less than impressed . . . initially, but in time comes to believe in Baker's powers - despite that fact too that as an old letch advanced enough in years to be her father, he is drawn to her beauty -  physical, mental and emotional. This looks good, and it seems that Allen has recreated the era very well, and predictably it will doubtless contain all the usual Allen touchstones with which we have become all too familiar. Is this in the same vein as his recent 'Blue Jasmine' - methinks not, but is likely to be enjoyable fluff for ardent Allen fans!

PREDESTINATION (Rated MA15+) - Directed and Written by Australian brothers Michael and Peter Spierig this is going to mess with your mind in a way that 'Inception' did - but in a good way and leave you musing over it for long after the credits have rolled. As the film opens we are in 1975 New York where a man is attempting to diffuse a bomb set by the mysterious 'Fizzle Bomber', but things go awry and he awakens in the future, in hospital and with a new face (this is Ethan Hawke, our time travelling hero of the piece) who is now a 'temporal agent' that can travel through time with a portable device he carries around in a violin case. He needs to go back to that time, but can do so with a whole new persona to go incognito (becoming 'The Bartender'), and so ultimately thwart the Fizzle Bomber and his/her evil plot. Along the way The Bartender encounters a strange man who goes by the name of 'The Unmarried Mother' (played in a career defining best by Australian Sarah Snook) from whom he must eek out the truth, and her connection with The Fizzle Bomber. There are twists & turns aplenty here to keep you guessing all the way to the end in what has been described as intelligent, original and brave film making that is sure to find it's place in the annals of Sci-Fi cult classic.

FELONY (Rated M) - Writen, Produced and Starring our own Joel Edgerton, 'Felony' is his offering to the gritty Police drama seen from the perspective of Sydney's mean streets with its dark underbelly, on both sides of the law! Following a successful drug bust, Detective Malcolm Toohey (Joel Edgerton) drives himself home after a night of celebration under the influence of alcohol, and is involved in an car accident that leaves a young lad in a coma. The following investigation sees young cop Jim Melic (Jai Courtney) and old hand Detective Carl Summer (Tom Wilkinson) working to uncover the truth or cover it up, and in doing so just how far will these three Policemen go to let the truth be told, or conceal it forever! With a strong cast that also includes Melissa George, this has some great hallmarks of a true big screen Aussie Drama that we can turn on so well when we want to!

EARTH TO ECHO (Rated PG) - this is a 'found footage' style of film involving three young lads who have spent their lives together (Tuck, Munch & Alex) - up until now, and that is all about to change when the Las Vegas suburb in which they live is to be uprooted to make way for a new highway. Spending their last week together before they all relocate with their respective families to the far flung corners of the US they experience strange and weird things happening with mobile phone signals, and all manner of sounds and messages emanating from the handsets across the suburb . . . but only within the suburb. The construction company working on the new highway believe it is their fault, and so hand out new phones to the locals thinking this will cure the problem. What Munch discovers from an image he receives is that it matches a desert some 20 miles away, and so the lads decide they had better investigate. Going undercover of darkness having spun a yarn to their unsuspecting parents, and taking local young hot chic, Emma, along too, they venture out in to the desert armed only with each other for support, their wits and a torch. They discover a small and friendly alien robot who has become stranded on Planet Earth -  they call it 'Echo', and quickly learn that our pint sized robot needs spare electrical parts to repair his space ship so he can return home (are you thinking 'E.T.' here or 'Super 8' as I am?). So the lads come to the rescue with trouble along the way in the form of Government Officials also hot on the trail of a crashed UFO somewhere in the vicinity. Needless to say all undoubtedly ends well; the lads discover something about themselves, each other and their friendship; and everyone returns home - some further away than others!

Some solid entertainment choices to tempt you out to your local multiplex this coming week! So pay a visit and let me know what you think!

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH - dies aged 90 - R.I.P.

Richard Samuel Attenborough was born in Cambridge on August 29th 1923 and died at lunchtime on Sunday 24th August 2014 following a prolonged period of illness, just five days from his 91st birthday.

Brother of David Attenborough, the acclaimed and equally renowned naturalist and broadcaster, he was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School in Leicester and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He served in the Royal Air Force during the second World War, and after pilot training was seconded to the new RAF Film Unit at Pinewood Studios where he volunteered to fly with the film unit flying several sorties over Europe filming the bombing raids. This gave him a taste for film making which later on would fuel his hunger for Directing.

His acting career began in the Noel Coward/David Lean production of 'In Which We Serve' in 1942, although he was uncredited by mistake. It was however, the 1947 adaptation of the classic Graham Greene novel, 'Brighton Rock', in which Attenborough starred as small time local crim, Pinkie Brown, that was to prove his breakthrough. Two years later in 1949, he was voted the sixth most popular actor in British cinema.

For the next thirty years he worked prolifically, with his starring role alongside many Hollywood heavyweights in 1963's 'The Great Escape' that was to prove another milestone - his big screen epic Hollywood breakthrough. This was followed up by the likes of 'The Flight of the Phoenix', 'Sand Pebbles' and 'Doctor Dolittle' starring with James Stewart, Steve McQueen and Rex Harrison respectively - the latter two roles winning him back-to-back Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actor.

His Directing debut came in 1969 with 'Oh, What a Lovely War' and then the period epics 'Young Winston' and 'A Bridge Too Far'. 1982's 'Gandhi' won him two Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture, as he also acted as Producer on that film.

He married actress Sheila Sim in 1945, and they remained married up to his death this past weekend. His eldest daughter, Jane Holland, and his granddaughter Lucy, were both tragically killed in the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami that struck Thailand while they were holidaying. In 2008 Attenborough had a pacemaker fitted and suffered a stroke later that year that left him wheelchair bound until his death. In late 2012 his wife was diagnosed with senile dementia and in early 2013 he moved into the actors nursing home, Denville Hall, to be with his wife.

In 1967, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and in 1993 was made a life peer as Baron Attenborough of Richmond-on-Thames. in 1983 he was awarded the 'Padma Bhusan' - India's third highest civilian honour and that same year the 'Martin Luther King Jnr. Nonviolence Peace Prize'. In 2006 with his brother David, he was awarded as a 'Distinguished Honourary Fellow of the University of Leicester', and in 2008 an 'Honourary Doctorate of Drama from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama'. He also has a 30,000 sq.ft. sound stage named after him at Pinewood Studios which was unveiled in 2012 - his career then almost coming full circle!

His film performances run to 78 credits and began in 1942 with 'In Which We Serve', and took in over more than half a century with the likes of 'Brighton Rock', 'The Great Escape', 'The Flight of the Phoenix', 'Doctor Dolittle', 'The Last Grenade', '10, Rillington Place', 'Ten Little Indians', 'Brannigan', 'Jurassic Park', 'Miracle on 34th Street', 'Hamlet', 'The Lost World : Jurassic Park', and 'Elizabeth'. In addition he has thirteen Producer and twelve Director credits to his name including 'Oh, What a Lovely War', 'Young Winston', 'A Bridge Too Far', 'Gandhi', 'A Chorus Line', 'Cry Freedom', 'Chaplin', 'Shadowlands' and his last offering - 2007's 'Closing the Ring'.

He was the recipient of 31 career award wins and 16 other nominations including two Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director for 'Gandhi'; three Golden Globes for Best Director for 'Gandhi' and Best Supporting Actor for 'Sand Pebbles' and 'Doctor Dolittle' with two other nominations; and six BAFTA wins for Best Actor for 'Guns at Batsai' and 'Seance on a Wet Afternoon', Best Film for 'Gandhi' and 'Shadowlands', Best Director for 'Gandhi' as well as winning the 'Academy Fellowship Award' in 1983, plus eight other nominations.

Richard Attenborough - an icon of British film history, a star of numerous Hollywood classics, active in the industry for seven decades, a respected influence to many, and the provider of a film legacy both in front and behind the camera that will live on in motion picture history, may you forever Rest In Peace in the knowledge that you have left an indelible mark on the world of cinema.

Richard Attenborough - Rest In Peace
1923-2014.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthdays to share this week : 24th - 30th August.

Is it your Birthday this week?

Do you 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!

Check out too the spotlight on this weeks Birthday Boy on 24th August, Stephen Fry, at the end of this feature.

Sunday 24th August

• Rupert Grint - Born 1988, turns 26 - Actor
• Steve Guttenberg - Born 1958, turns 56 - Actor | Producer
• Stephen Fry - Born 1957, turns 57 - Actor | Producer | Writer | TV Personality
• Marlee Martin - Born 1965, turns 49 - Actress | Producer

Monday 25th August

• Alexander Skarsgard - Born 1976, turns 38 - Actor
• Sean Connery - Born 1930, turns 84 - Actor | Producer
• Tim Burton - Born 1958, turns 56 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Tom Skerritt - Born 1933, turns 81 - Actor
• Joanne Whalley - Born 1961, turns 53 - Actress
• Elvis Costello - Born 1954, turns 60 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor

Tuesday 26th August

• Chris Pine - Born 1980, turns 34 - Actor
• Macaulay Culkin - Born 1980, turns 34 - Actor

Wednesday 27th August

• Peter Stormare - Born 1953, turns 61 - Actor
• Barbara Bach - Born 1947, turns 67 - Actress

Thursday 28th August 

• Jack Black - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
• David Fincher - Born 1962, turns 52 - Director | Producer
• David Soul - Born1943, turns 71 - Actor | Singer
• Armie Hammer - Born 1986, turns 28 - Actor
• Luis Guzman - Born 1956, turns 58 - Actor | Producer

Friday 29th August

• Richard Attenborough - Born 1923, turns 91 - Actor | Director | Producer 
• Elliott Gould - Born 1938, turns 76 - Actor
• Joel Schumacher - Born 1939, turns 75 - Director | Producer | Writer
• William Friedkin - Born 1935, turns 79 - Director | Writer
• Lenny Henry - Born 1958, turns 56 - Actor | Writer
• Rebecca De Mornay - Born 1959, turns 55 - Actress

Saturday 30th August

• Cameron Diaz - Born 1972, turns 42 - Actress
• Michael Chiklis - Born 1963, turns 51 - Actor | Producer

Stephen John Fry was born in Hampstead, London and grew up in Norfolk attending Stout's Hill Prep School and then Uppingham School from which he was expelled aged 15. He then attended Paston School from which he was also expelled, an then onto Norfolk College of Arts and Technology which he left at aged 17. Following this he was arrested for credit card fraud and spent three months in Pucklechurch Prison after which he went to City College, Norwich and then winning a scholarship, gained entry to Queens College, Cambridge. This was 1979, and at Queens he met Emma Thompson, Tony Slattery and Hugh Laurie.

His writing career began in 1981 with Hugh Laurie, and a year later his TV career took off with the broadcasting of 'The Cellar Tape' - the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue which caught the attention of Granada Television who hired Fry and his co-writers (Thompson, Slattery and Laurie) to star with Ben Elton in 'There's Nothing to Worry About', which ran for three successful series. In 1984 he was commissioned to rewrite the Noel Gay musical 'Me and My Girl' which made Fry a millionaire before the age of 30, as well as garnering him a 'Tony Award' nomination in 1987.  

After various appearances in TV series throughout the first half of the 80's, in 1986 the BBC commissioned what was to become 'A Bit of Fry & Laurie' which ran for four successful seasons from 1986 onward. Meanwhile, other opportunities presented themselves which proved to clement Fry in the British comedy pantheon including 'Blackadder II' as Lord Melchett, 'Blackadder the Third' as the Duke of Wellington and 'Blackadder Goes Forth' as General Melchett. From 1990 -1993 he starred with Hugh Laurie's again in 'Jeeves and Wooster' as the Butler and Manservant 'Jeeves' to Laurie's wealthy bumblesome playboy 'Wooster'.  

He has appeared in TV Drama Series including 'Kingdom', 'Bones' and recently '24 : Live Another Day'; has made numerous documentaries such as 'Stephen Fry in America', 'Last Chance to See', 'Gadget Man', 'Stephen Fry : Out There' and has been the Host of the award winning comedy celebrity game show 'QI' since 2003. 

He is a regular on radio - largely for BBC Radio 4; and has been the reader for numerous audio books including the J.K.Rowling 'Harry Potter' series. He has written several novels himself including 'The Liar' subsequently made into a film, 'Making History' and The Star's Tennis Balls'; and has been a regular contributor to assorted newspaper and magazine columns. He also is happy to advertise products and companies and has done so since the early 80's for the likes of Marks & Spencer, Heineken, Honda, Vauxhall, Twinings, Kenco, Virgin Media and Orange Mobile.

He is prolific on 'Twitter' and can boast over four million followers which gives him great influence amongst his group of ardent fans. He has had his own website since 1997 and is an early adopter of new technologies and the latest gadgets including, he says, just about every smartphone new to the market. He is the co-owner of 'Sprout Pictures' - an independent film and television company. He has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, has attempted suicide several times, is allergic to champagne and bee stings, and describes himself as an atheist and humanist. He kept his homosexuality a secret at school and remained celibate until 1995 he says.

Aside from his TV, stage,  radio appearances and writing credits he has had a colourful career to date on the big screen too in roles in such films as 'A Fish Called Wanda', 'Peter's Friends', 'Wilde', 'Spice World', 'A Civil Action', 'Gosford Park', 'Thunderpants', 'V for Vendetta', 'Sherlock Holmes : A Game of Shadows', 'The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug' and the upcoming 'The Battle of Five Armies' to close out Peter Jackson's Tolkien journey; with a number of others due for release in 2015 for which he has lent his voice skills including his second stint as 'The Cheshire Cat' in Tim Burton's 'Alice in Wonderland : Through the Looking Glass' due in 2016, and also the 2016 release of 'The Canterville Ghost' with Hugh Laurie. 

He has eight award wins to his credit and 14 other nominations including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for 'Wilde', and six BAFTA nominations. He hosted the BAFTA Awards in 2001 and 2002 also.

Known for his crooked nose, his large imposing stature, a distinctive voice and accentuated pronunciation Stephen Fry is ever colourful, outspoken and thought provoking, funny and quick witted, a wealth of knowledge, certainly multi-talented, as much in demand on-screen as off it, and not afraid to put himself out there! Good on you Stephen - keep doing what you're doing, and we'll keep watching and listening - Happy Birthday from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE EXPENDABLES 3 - Tuesday 19th August 2014.

Reading like a 'Who's Who' of Hollywood heavy hitters, Barney Ross is at it again with his likable gang of mercenaries doing what they do best in 'THE EXPENDABLES 3' - which I saw last night.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - just seeing these action stars of yesteryear and this year up on screen together, chewing up the scenery, guns blazing, and clearly having a damn good time during production which is evident on screen - is worth the price of your ticket alone. Screenwriter again for this outing, principle mega star, and leader of 'The Expendables' is Sylvester Stallone playing the lovable rogue Barney Ross. He is one again joined by Jason Statham (Lee Christmas) as his right hand man, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Trench in his biggest Expendables role to date, Dolph Lundgren as Gunnar Jensen the strong silent type, Jet Li as Yin Yang back for more martial arts mayhem as only he can, Terry Crews as Hale Caesar, and Randy Couture as Toll Road.

Needless to say the opening scene (like every Bond movie before) starts off with a bang as our Expendables crew lift newcomer Wesley Snipes (Doc) from a heavily guarded prison train in between one heavily guarded prison where he has served eight years already and another heavily guarded fortress somewhere in deepest darkest Russia. With the use of an agile helicopter piloted by Ross and lots of impressive weaponry, our boys overcome adversity and Doc is rescued.

 On the way home our intrepid mercenaries have to make a little side trip to some downtrodden third world country to collect a package, where more mayhem ensues, there are big explosions, rapid machine gun fire, impressive vehicle stunts, overhead cranes, shipping containers and more shit going down than you could poke a M16 at! It is here that an unwelcome discovery is made in the form of one Mel Gibson playing villain in the piece, Conrad Stonebanks - former co-founder of The Expendables who has subsequently gone rogue and become a ruthless international arms dealer who is after the same package as Ross and his cohorts. Ross believes that Stonebanks is dead by his own hand many years earlier - but not so it would seem, and as the two eyeball each other we know that revenge and closure for either is on the radar front & centre!

Realising that their new adversary is bigger and mightier than the dwindling and ageing Expendables Ross folds up his crew and tells them to ride off into the sunset and enjoy their new forced retirement - alive at least!

The next set up is Ross catching up with underworld talent scout Kelsey Grammer (Napoleon Bonaparte) to recruit new, younger, tech savvy and disposable blood to The Expendables to capture Stonebanks and deliver him to the CIA alive - represented this time not by Bruce Willis' Church, but by Harrison Ford's Drummer. Along the way recruited to the fold are the new bloods - Antonio Banderas as Galgo, Kellen Lutz at Smilee, Victor Ortiz as Mars, Glen Powell as Thorn and token ass-kickin' female Ronda Rousey as Luna. Watch out for Banderas because he hams it up beautifully, and clearly is having  great time doing so!

After the new gang are recruited they head off to where Stonebanks is holed up - some fictitious eastern European no-hope war torn country where the new Expendables and joined by the old Expendables and Drummer in the sky doing helicopter acrobatics with Trench and Yin Yang riding shotgun . . . or machine gun! This is the climatic ending that sees helicopter and tank assaults on a booby-trapped one-time office tower where the Expendables are housed, close quarter hand to hand combat, more artillery used and abused than you can image, explosions aplenty, a rapidly rising body count, and jaw dropping action backed up by quick quips and one liners that is sure to raise a smile. And then of course there is the final showdown between Ross and Stonebanks!

Having grown up with these guys in the 80's and the action films they made, this is an updated throw back to that era. It's heavy on the fire power, heavy on the body count, heavy on the ego's and heavy on the quips but it's all good fun, and I found myself chuckling and laughing out loud several times. When Arnie shouts 'Get them to the Choppa' you know he's having a blast, and when Ford says of Church (the Bruce Willis character he replaces from the previous two films) - 'he's out of the picture' - you'll understand the double meaning in this comment that I'm sure Stallone wrote in especially when Willis exited stage left!

Directed by only second time helmer Aussie Patrick Hughes - this is good fun, totally over the top, and good on Stallone for pulling such a talent pool for our entertainment and serving up a dose of nostalgia. For the fourth instalment we should expect to see Cage, Segal, and Chan in there too, and maybe Danny Trejo as the villain - now that would be something! There are those that will dismiss this for a host of reasons, but three films in, Hollywood A-listers lining up to star, and a fourth film announced - The Expendables must be doing something right, and clearly there is an audience!

  

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

TOTAL RECALL - archive from 8th September 2012.

Saw the new 'TOTAL RECALL' this week and enjoyed this Len Wiseman retelling of the 1990 Paul Verhoeven cult classic. There are many similarities to this latest incarnation and nods aplenty to that 1990 Schwarzenegger actioner that any movie geek will relish. 

This time though the action takes place on a dystopian planet Earth of the late 21st Century compared to Mars, and with the Earth almost uninhabitable only two safe havens remain - The United Federation of Britain (UFB) and The Colony (aptly Australia - a case of history repeating itself here methinks!) The two are linked by a tunnel type affair where there is high speed people carrying device that hurtles through the centre of our planet to get from one t'other!

The story principles though are practically identical except the action is ramped up using the latest CGI box of tricks to enhance the visuals and please the kids! Colin Farrell is convincing as Doug Quaid, a factory operative eking out a living working on robotic suits on The Colony and having nightmares about another possible life - but is it real or imagined? There is also Kate Beckinsale & Jessica Biel to provide the eye candy and add to the action quotient, and, confuse us as to who's who in Dougs mind as the plot twists and turns between northern and southern hemispheres. Bryan Cranston and Bill Nighy also star.

This Philip K. Dick tale has all his usual trademarks as seen in 'Blade Runner', 'Minoriry Report, and 'iRobot'  - which if you liked them you'll like this! Worth the price of your ticket, and watch out for the London landmarks and Sydney harbour!

The film picked up a small handful of awards around the circuit. It took US$26M in its opening weekend Stateside, but the skids were then well & truly applied with a closing global box office haul of US$199M against a budget to make the film at about US$125M. Hardly a resounding success then on that basis, and you could be forgiven for asking that age old question - 'why bother' - a whole new audience who know nothing of the 1990 film, a lack of new original content, and a chance to update with new eye popping technology that didn't exist back in the day . . . that's why!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 21st August 2014.

This week we have a low key offering of new releases that are far removed from the likes of what we have seen in more recent times. There are no mega budget action flicks here, no Superhero instalments, no horror, no otherworldly SciFi, no crime thrillers, no zombie gore fests, and no end-of-the-world apocalyptic offerings - just a bunch of films that are flying gently under the radar that are likely to find an audience for the stories, the stars and the spectacle they provide. We have the English lads abroad Down Under in Australia for the second big screen instalment of this very popular UK TV series; we have an explosives expert notching up his first century and on the run; we have a voyage to the bottom of the sea; an insight into the day in the life of an iconic mysterious musician; and a story of two men separated by 100 years whose lives & legacies become intertwined and from which millions will in time benefit!

If you get out to a movie in the coming week to watch one of these Previewed below, or any one of a host of others currently on general release, then drop me a line in the comments box of this Blog and let my other Reader know what you think! Enjoy your experience.

FREEDOM (Rated M) - This film is the journey of two men separated by one hundred years, both searching for freedom. The first is Samuel Woodward (Cuba Gooding Jnr.) an 1856 slave whose story we join as he and his family escape from their plantation near Richmond, Virginia. Aided and abetted by a secret underground network they escape north to Canada all the while hunted by Plimpton (William Sadler) who is relentless in his pursuit. Knowing what he, his family and his forefathers have endured for decades before at the hands and mercies of their white enslavers, Woodward must decide on a path to freedom, or a path to revenge. One hundred years earlier Captain John Newton is at the helm of a slave ship travelling from Africa to America with a cargo of slaves ready to occupy the plantations and farms of the rich landowners of the New World. On board this vessel is the great grandfather of Samuel Woodward who's fate rests in the hands of Captain Newton. The voyage will change Newton's life forever and carve out a legacy that will give Samuel inspiration one hundred years hence, as it will millions of lives for generations to come. From first time Director Peter Cousens, but no stranger to the world of stage and screen, this is likely to strike a chord with lovers of the genre.

THE INBETWEENERS 2 (Rated MA15+) - clearly the first big screen outing for these teenage likely lads was enough of a box office hit to warrant a re-run, and so with a change of scenery we find our young heroes heading Down Under to go walkabout, throw a shrimp on the barbie and open a tinnie! Directed and written by Iain Morris and Damon Beesley we have the four same lads (older now by about six months after the first film) decamping to the other side of the world for some sun, sand, sea, and shenanigans. And so Will (Simon Bird), Simon (Joe Thomas), and Neil (Blake Harrison) visit Jay (James Buckley) enjoying his gap year Down Under and arrive in our fair sun drenched land to regroup, reunite, and reward themselves with adventure. Along the way they get involved with girls, go bush, get lost, almost die, get rescued and all live happily ever after having learnt something about themselves and each other! Voila - job done!

THE ONE HUNDRED-YEAR OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT OF THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED (Rated M) - This Swedish film is likely to delight, and don't be put off by the fact that it is about an old centenarian codger trying to rekindle the last vestiges of his life before he pops his clogs! Robert Gustafsson stars as 100 year old Allan Karisson (in reality he is 50) a man who has changed the course of history and has met and befriended many world famous leaders and personalities in his time as a dynamite expert. Holed up in an old folks home where he has been removed to after blowing up a fox that ate his beloved cat, he decides on his 100th birthday that it's time already to get outta there. What ensues is a voyage of rediscovery, an adventure, a road movie, a brush with various personalities - some good and some not so good, a black comedy, a history lesson and a character study all rolled neatly into a surprisingly delightful little package. The shorts looks great, and based on the best selling book by Jonas Jonasson and Directed by Felix Herngren this might just be a sleepy little hit that looks quirky enough to inspire you out to a theatre on a cold Winter's night!

20,000 DAYS ON EARTH (Rated CTC) - this doco-movie tells the fictitious story of a day in the life of Nick Cave - the mysterious iconic musician as we chart his creative processes, his artistic influences, the people and situations that inspire him, his collaborators, friends, mentors and what makes the man tick. Directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard this is neither fact nor fiction, neither rock bio-pic nor concert epic - we chart through his life, his early years upon which he continues to draw for inspiration and his own history that shapes his songs, his screenplays and his story telling. He opens up with friends (Kylie Minogue and Ray Winstone) and a shrink (real or not Darian Leader?) and we gain an insight into the creative genius, the man at work, the performer and his private musings.

JAMES CAMERON'S DEEP SEA CHALLENGE (3D Rated PG) - Director of 'Avatar', 'The Abyss', 'Terminator', 'Titanic', 'Aliens' etc. the most successful Movie Director of all time James Cameron is also an adventurer. Having ventured to the bottom of the ocean to film the Titanic in its final resting place, he chose the bottom of the Mariana Trench for his next epic voyage of discovery - the deepest place on Earth - seven miles down under the ocean surface somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. To boldly go where no man has gone before and supported by The National Geographic magazine this charts his groundbreaking (or ocean diving) journey in a single man capsule down through the wild blue nether regions of the ocean to discover what lies beneath, and then film it all in glorious eye popping 3D Hi-Def Technicolour for us to gawp in wonder at the never before seen sights to behold. It is an epic journey not likely to be repeated any time soon because of the obvious dangers (and costs) involved, and on this basis it should be a film that all should see from an adventure, education, historical and scientific standpoint - a film for all ages!

There it is - once more five very different offerings from this weeks new releases to surprise, delight and tantalise you. What ever you choose to see over the coming week, share your experiences with us all at Odeon Online, and don't be shy!

Movies . . . see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-