Birthday's to share this week : 30th November - 6th December 2014.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week? Ridley Scott does, on 30th November - 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 30th November

• Mark Forster - Born 1969, turns 45 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Mandy Patinkin - Born 1952, turns 62 - Actor
• Ben Stiller - Born 1965, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Ridley Scott - Born 1937, turns 77 - Director | Producer | Production Designer
• Terrence Malick - Born 1943, turns 71 - Director | Producer | Writer
• David Mamet - Born 1947, turns 67 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Gael Garcia Bernal - Born 1978, turns 36 - Actor | Producer | Director

Monday 1st December

• Woody Allen - Born 1935, turns 79 - Director | Producer | Actor | Writer
• Treat Williams - Born 1951, turns 63 - Actor
• Bette Midler - Born 1945, turns 69 - Actress | Producer

Tuesday 2nd December

• Lucy Liu - Born 1968, turns 46 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Britney Spears - Born 1981, turns 33 - Singer | Songwriter | Producer | Actress

Wednesday 3rd December

• Julianne Moore - Born 1960, turns 54 - Actress | Producer
• Daryl Hannah - Born 1960, turns 54 - Actress | Producer
• Amanda Seyfried - Born 1985, turns 29 - Actress | Producer
• Brendan Fraser - Born 1968, turns 46 - Actor | Producer
• Jean-Luc Godard - Born 1930, turns 84 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Editor | Cinematographer

Thursday 4th December

• Jeff Bridges - Born 1949, turns 65 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Jay Z - Born 1969, turns 45 - Singer | Songwriter | Producer | Actor
• Marisa Tomei - Born 1964, turns 50 - Actress
• Tyra Banks - Born 1973, turns 41 - Actress | Producer | Writer

Friday 5th December 

• Frankie Muniz - Born 1985, turns 29 - Actor | Producer
• Nick Stahl - Born 1979, turns 35 - Actor

Saturday 6th December

• Judd Apatow - Born 1967, turns 47 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Nick Park - Born 1958, turns 56 - Director | Producer | Writer

Ridley Scott was born in the north-east of England in South Shields, and is the middle of three sons born to mother Elizabeth and father Colonel Francis Percy Scott. Frank was the eldest of the three, and Tony the youngest - both of whom are deceased. Scott's father was an officer in the Royal Engineers, and therefore absent from for much of the boys younger lives. He attended Grangefield Grammar School and then West Hartlepool College of Art where he graduated with a Diploma in Design. From there he went on to the Royal College of Art in London where he was instrumental in establishing a film department.

Graduating in 1963 he had already made a short film, 'Boy and Bicycle' starring both brother Tony and father Francis, before joining the BBC in set design work. Attending a trainee Directors course while there his first Directing role was on an episode of the iconic BBC Police drama of the time 'Z-Cars'. In 1968 he and Tony founded Ridley Scott Associates - a film and television commercial company who amongst many others brought the iconic 1974 'Hovis' bread commercial to our TV screens.

His film Directorial debut came in 1977 in 'The Duellists' and is set in the Napoleonic Wars period and stars Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine - it won an award at the Cannes Film Festival for Best Film. Next up was 1979's iconic 'Alien' which made for just US$11M brought in US$105M globally and gave him international success both commercially and critically; it spawned three sequels; a spin off series with 'Predator'; the recent prequel (of sorts), 'Prometheus' also Directed by Scott in 2012; and made a cinematic icon of Sigourney Weaver in the role of Ellen Ripley. Sticking with the Sci-Fi theme Scott gave us 'Blade Runner' as his next offering in 1982 with Harrison Ford based on the Philip K. Dick novel; 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep'. Costing US$28M to make and grossing just US$33M it was not a commercial success, but time has been very kind to this outstanding film, and it now regarded a classic and the touchstone of the genre.

With all the hoo-haa surrounding 1984 and the Orwellian angst propagated at the time, Scott Directed a US$900K television commercial for the new Apple Macintosh computer which aired during the SuperBowl of that year. That advertisement was seen too as the cornerstone and a masterpiece of modern televised advertising. As the 80's played out Scott Directed 'Legend' in 1985 with Tom Cruise and Tim Curry; 'Someone to Watch Over Me' with Tom Berenger and Mimi Rogers in 1987; and 'Black Rain' with Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia in 1989.

The 90's brought 'Thelma & Louise' in 1991 with Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon and a young Brad Pitt and was a critical and commercial success, unlike the Christopher Columbus Americas discovery telling '1492' in 1992, which cost US$47M to make and grossed just over US$7M. 'White Squall' followed with Jeff Bridges and then 'G.I.Jane' with Demi Moore and Viggo Mortensen.

As the new century clicked over, so came 'Gladiator' with Russell Crowe giving Scott one of his biggest critical and commercial successes with a worldwide gross of US$458M off a US$103M budget, and five Academy Awards including Best Film and Best Actor for Crowe. In the wake of this came 'Hannibal' in 2001 - the follow up to 'Silence of the Lambs', and then 'Black Hawk Down' later that same year with Eric Bana amongst a big name cast.

From here came more modest success with 'Matchstick Men', 'Kingdom of Heaven' and 'A Good Year' before 'American Gangster' with Russell Crowe again and Denzel Washington in 2007 bringing  critical and commercial acclaim once more. 'Body of Lies' featured next with Leonardo DiCaprio and acting stablemate Russell Crowe, and then a retelling of the much told 'Robin Hood' with Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett making US$322M off a US$155M budget. In 2012 Scott returned to Sci-Fi for the first time in almost 30 years with a 'Alien' origin story with 'Prometheus' starring Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender which again gave him critical success and a box office haul of $403M from a production cost of US$120M. 2013 saw 'The Counsellor', a relatively low budget offering at just US$25M but with an all start cast taking in Diaz, Bardem, Pitt, Fassbender and Cruz and based on a Cormac McCarthy story, it made a return of US$71M.

Being a very busy man, even at 77 this week, Scott has 97 Producer credits to his name, 34 as Director, and ten as Production Designer. Directorially, he has 'Exodus : Gods & Kings' about to hit our cinemas and starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley and Sigourney Weaver; and 'The Martian' is currently filming with Matt Damon, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean, Kristin Wiig and Jessica Chastain and is due for release in 2015; and a TV mini-series 'The Hot Zone' has been announced. As Producer, 'Prometheus 2' is in pre-production for 2016, with a 'Blade Runner' sequel, 'Potsdamer Platz', 'Emma's War' and 'David' all announced for future release.

Nominated as Best Director for Academy Awards for 'Black Hawk Down', 'Gladiator', and 'Thelma & Louise' but has yet to win  golden statue; he also has two Golden Globe nominations and a win for 'RKO-281' in the mini-series or TV movie category; and four BAFTA nominations and recipient in 1995 of the Michael Balcon Award - in total then 23 award wins and 48 other nominations throughout his illustrious career. He was awarded a KBE (Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire) in 2003 by HRH Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his services to the film industry.

He was married to Felicity Heywood from 1964 to 1975 and to Sandy Watson from 1979 to 1989 with whom he has three children between the two marriages - Jake (born 1965), Luke (born 1968) and Jordan (born 1978) - all of them work in the film & TV business either behind or in front of the camera. His current partner is actress Giamina Facio whom Scott has cast in the majority of his films since 2000. In 1995 he and brother Tony purchased London's Shepparton Studios which subsequently merged with Pinewood Studios and set about upgrading and expanding the facilities and studios into the renowned production centre it is today.

Ridley Scott - still going strong after all these years; diverse film and television portfolio; highly regarded as the Actors Director; maker of several classic movies; and a keen eye for detail and stunning visuals of the past and the future, we continue to eagerly await your next offering! Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE HUNGER GAMES : MOCKINGJAY Pt. 1 - Tuesday 25th November 2014.

On Tuesday night this week I ventured to my local Multiplex with a couple of movies buddies to see the next instalment in this franchise - the beginning of the end as the final book in the series is split into two movies (a la 'Harry Potter' and 'Twilight'). And so the third film in the series and the first half of the concluding episode - 'THE HUNGER GAMES : MOCKINGJAY Pt. 1' left me feeling underwhelmed I have to say. This film is the meat in the sandwich well & truly, sitting between the spectacle and the bravura of 'Catching Fire' and what will undoubtedly be a climactic all guns blazing epic conclusion that is 'Mockingjay Pt. 2' . . . one year from now with its release on 19th November 2015.

Directed once again by Francis Lawrence, we have all the characters we have got to know over the first two films assembled once more, with a couple of new ones thrown in as the action takes us to someplace else. Following on directly from where the last film left us, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) awakens in a hospital bed with vague memories of how she got there and who she left behind . . . the believed dead Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). Recovering she learns that she is in District 13 which it had previously been thought was destroyed long ago, but not so apparently. District 13 is overseen by President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) and is occupied by former military personnel and is housed deep underground. As a result it is relatively safe, secure, and out of sight hidden beneath a dense forest but houses a mass of military weapons, aircraft, and a large community with the necessary infrastructure to support it.

When the Hunger Games Arena was destroyed and the Quarter Quell overturned at the end of 'Catching Fire' our protagonists were carted off in opposite directions - Katniss to District 13 with Gale Hawthorn (Liam Hemsworth), Sam Claflin (Finnick Odair), Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour-Hoffman), and Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) - the latter 'drying out a mile underground'! Heading off to The Capitol captured by President Coriolanus Snow were Mellark and Johanna Mason (Jena Malone) and Annie Cresta (Stef Dawson) wife of Finnick Odair.

President Coin aided by Heavensbee want to use Katniss as their mascot for the uprising against The Capitol and everything that President Snow (Donald Sutherland) stands for. As a symbol of hope, strength, unity and power to spearhead the rebellion, Katniss is crowned 'The Mockingjay' and so a propaganda campaign is launched and broadcast to all other Districts to consolidate the rebellion efforts against The Capitol. Meanwhile The Capitol with its military strength and its own propaganda campaign has outlawed the Mockingjay, and anyone seen or heard supporting it will be punished by death. President Snow has also trashed all other Districts, killed many of their citizens and nearly razed those former dystopian communities to the ground - not much is left.

When Katniss learns via the TV propaganda campaign launched by The Capitol that Peeta and Co. are in fact still alive, a plan is hatched to break them out of there and engineer a cunning escape - if only it were that easy of course! With live pictures beamed frequently over the TV with Peeta on screen being interviewed by Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci), Katniss soon realises that her love, Peeta, must have taken leave of his senses, given the anti-rebellion drivel coming out of his mouth! How can this be, horror of horrors! But within no time as Peeta loses weight before our very eyes on the TV screen and has an increasingly gaunt appearance, conclusions are drawn that he has been tortured and forced into submission. Katniss can't believe her eyes or ears, and nor can the rest of the populace!

And so Katniss becomes the poster girl for the rebellion and with Peeta languishing in The Capitol undergoing all manner of psychological torture, her attention becomes somewhat distracted by Gale Hawthorn and the increasingly obvious path of death and destruction that President Snow seems hell bent on. All of this seems to amble along with rousing speeches delivered by Alma Coin intermittently, discoveries of more fractured District communities, snippets of televised propaganda from both sides, and a few moments of action. One of the most 'gripping' scenes comes when The Capitol is bombing District 13 and all are nestled deep below ground in their bunker when Katniss has to go rescue her sister Primrose Everdeen (Willow Shields) who has gone searching for the family cat with bombs raining down and the time counting down to the automatic closure of the meter thick bomb proof bunker doors - will they all die because of a pesky flea bitten cat . . . probably not!

And that is about as exciting and as tense as it gets! Despite that, I understand completely that this film is setting the scene for the final instalment that is to follow, and that all this posturing lays the foundation for the grand finale and the big conclusion . . . but this lumbers along, it labours, it's pedestrian and it left me wanting more that just setting the framework for a film that I have to wait another 12 months for. Even the late great Philip Seymour-Hoffman to whom this film is dedicated, seemed at odds with some of the dialogue he had to deliver and almost had a constant smirk and cheesy grin on his face that says WTF am I doing here . . . but I guess the pay cheque is good, or maybe, this is what was intended for his character - you can decide!

There is no doubt that this film will be successful. With a budget of about US$125M (a reported US$250M for the two 'Mockingjay' films combined) it has already earned a global box office haul of just a nudge under US$300M at the time of writing this, and saw the biggest opening weekend of any film so far in 2014.



-Steve, at Odeon Online-

SAFE HOUSE - archive from 18th February 2012.

Saw 'SAFE HOUSE' this week at my local independant picture house with a couple of mates. This latest Denzel Washington actioner is Directed by Daniel Espinosa and co-stars Ryan Reynolds, Brendan Gleeson and Vera Farmiga in a CIA cat & mouse romp set this time in South Africa. Also supporting is Robert Patrick, Sam Shepard, and Liam Cunningham who all add gravitas to the plot. The action comes at you hard & fast (Bourne style) and the plot is not dissimilar to something seen before (Mission:Impossible) but it is gritty (hand held camera work) and reasonably intelligent.

The story here surounds former CIA operative Tobin Frost (Washington) who has jumped the fence and turned international criminal. He has acquired a data storage devise from a rogue MI6 Agent and when together they are ambushed forcing Frost to surrender himself to the local American Embassy in Cape Town. He is quickly moved to the 'safe house' which is being guarded by Matt Weston (Reynolds) - a rookie agent recently promoted into this dead beat position.

Needless to say the 'safe house' gets attacked leaving a trail of bloody broken bodies, but Weston escapes with Front in tow. What follows is a cat & mouse game as Frost breaks free from Weston, Weston tries to re-secure Frost, Frost gains the upper hand, another safe house is revealed that provides for the ultimate showdown, and then Weston wins the day albeit not necessarily in one piece but retrieves the data storage device and learns what is contained therein - using it for his eventual gain.

Ryan Reynolds is quickly proving his acting chops and plays the reluctant hero well, but I can't help thinking that once again Denzel phone's it in with a part that he is all too comfortable with, and you have seen before in other roles before . . . and since! Brendan Gleeson is the devlish wolf in sheeps clothing as David Barlow (senior CIA and superior to Weston) but can he really be trusted and Vera Farmiga as Catherine Linklater is also with the CIA but really surplus to requirements and canon fodder in the end! 

This film cost US$85M to make and brought in a global box office haul of US$208M and it picked up one award win and seven other nominations. Entertaining enough, fast paced, well written, well acted out and worth the price of a ticket for an intelligent action drama of basic cops & robbers with a few added twists & turns that is set somewhere different for a welcome change!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 27th November 2014.

With Australian Summer Time starting officially next week on 1st December there is lots to look forward to in cinemas over the coming season aside from the great outdoors and the sunshine, surf, sand, longer days, clear blue skies, hot barbecues and cold beers. Forgive my ramblings, but there really ain't no better place that Australia in the Summertime, and to cap it all off with some great movie content heading our way it's sure to be a crowd pleaser!

For the last week of Spring then we have another veritable mixed bag of offerings that include a period piece set in the American mid-east coast in the 1930's; then there is an American middle-class tale of a family obsessing over their technology, social media, the Internet and how all this stuff at their fingertips impacts their little lives; next up is an American tale set in LA charting the clandestine camerawork of a would-be news hound in the small wee hours; then a story of another camera wielding reporter working in very different conditions and the implications this has on the family after a near death experience whilst on the job; and finally there is an Australian offering that, for me, almost defies explanation and stands for everything Aussie we would rather forget about - but it will doubtless find an audience . . . somewhere!

Five films therefore coming your way very soon. When you have chosen your pick (or two) of the bunch this week, drop me a line in the Comments Box following this Post, or any other, and let my global readership know what you thought - it's goof to share! Enjoy your filmic experience in the week ahead!

NIGHTCRAWLER (Rated MA15+) - this film is touted as possibly Jake Gyllenhaal's finest to date with him starring in the title role as Lou Bloom - the LA 'Nightcrawler' in question. This Nightcrawler however, does not belong in a Superhero movie, but here he is a drifter roaming the streets at night in search of gainful employment. Stumbling upon a camera crew shooting footage of a car accident he has a flash of inspiration and decides this is the career move he is looking for. Procuring a camcorder and a  Police radio scanner he starts trawling the streets at night looking for footage to film and to hopefully on-sell to the local TV channels. Striking up a rapport with one such local TV station his paths cross with Nina Romina (Rene Russo) - the Director of the early morning news. She takes his early tapes and stipulates the more violent, bloody and upmarket the footage is, the better, and this sets in motion for Lou a quest for more daring footage, greater risk taking and at times playing with the truth and the facts for the sake of a good story and the sell.

Written and Directed by Dan Gilroy in his Directorial debut for a modest US$8.5M this is a tense, gripping, psychological drama played out by a strong cast with a solid lead, a taught storyline and the graininess of a violence fuelled night-time urban setting witnessed to a large extent through the lens of a camcorder. There's a lot of buzz about this film, and the trailers seen so far make this a must see going into the Christmas Season, and already since it's release on 31st October stateside it has grossed US$33.5M.

SERENA (MA15+) - this is our American mid-east coast period piece set in the 1930's in North-Carolina and starring two of Hollywood's hottest properties right now - Bradley Copper as George Pemberton - a well-to-do privileged socialite intent on building a timber empire, and his soon-to-be wife and heiress Serena Shaw (Jennifer Lawrence). Based on the book of the same name by Ron Rash this also stars Rhys Ifans, Toby Jones and Sean Harris and is helmed by Danish Oscar winning Director Susanne Bier who won with Danish language 'In a Better World' at the 2011 Academy Awards. When George learns that his new wife Serena cannot bear him children things start to get complicated for the couple with more far reaching implications. The making of this film has been marred with difficulty with various edits before finding a distributor resulting in lengthy release delays before its arrival in our cinemas. In the final analysis the critics have not be kind to 'Serena' the film, although Cooper's and Lawrence's performances are passable but perhaps not enough to save the script and the somewhat wayward production. Maybe wait for the DVD release - your call!

MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN (Rated M) - this American dramedy is Directed by Jason Reitman and based on the book of the same name by Chad Kultgen. Charting the story of four social media addicted, Internet porn addled, sex hungry teenagers all suffering from their school, sport, social stresses and anxieties, and their associated parents who have similar challenges of their own in this technology gripped all ruling world. Starring the voice talents of Emma Thompson narrating, with Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler, Ansel Elgort, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dennis Haysbert, Judy Greer and Dean Norris amongst others we see lives collide at our fingertips, intertwine and situations created of our own doing that often cannot be undone in cyberspace. A morality tale perhaps on the good and evil the Internet has spawned, how we interact with it, what it means to us and how we have become so dependant on it - for better and for worse! This could be a wake up call for the tech savvy, Internet dependant age . . . or just a load of self-absorbent tosh!

A THOUSAND TIMES GOODNIGHT (Rated M) - Rebecca (Juliette Binoche) is a photo journalist who has carved out a career and a reputation for her photographic news coverage of war torn hotspots around the world. When in Afghanistan filming with a  group of female suicide bombers, a premature detonation leaves her badly injured. Returning home to Ireland to recover she is delivered an ultimatum by her husband Marcus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and daughter Steph (Lauryn Canny) asking her to choose once and for all between them as her family, or her work as a photographer. Needless to say she chooses the former, but later when accompanying her daughter to Kenya for a spot of humanitarian work, the village in which they are staying is savagely attacked by rebels, and once again Rebecca's is thrust into her former life recording the actions on camera as she used to, only this time putting herself and her daughter in the line of fire. This film won the Special Grand Prix Jury Prize at the 2013 Montreal World Film Festival amongst others so far, and is said to be a morality tale too of the fine line that exists between family and career and what happens when one is consumed by the other!

FAT PIZZA vs. HOUSOS (Rated MA15+) - brought to us by Writer, Director and Actor Paul Fenech this brings the 'Fat Pizza' and 'Housos' TV series together for the big screen where bogans rule, cultures clash and just about everyone is on the take for something or other. When pizza chef Bobo Gigliotti is released from jail after 15 years for a chainsaw assault on a Health Inspector he sets up shop again in the only place he can afford - Sunnydale. What unfolds is a clash of the titans as bogans, bikies, cultures and ethnic minorities collide over a turf war, local disagreements and who can get one over on the next man in the quickest most efficient manner. There will be pizza, thongs, trackie-dacks, burnouts, fisticuffs, Ugg boots and all manner of politically, morally and socially incorrect banter that you might find entertaining . . . or not!

There it is - another melting pot of five varied and diverse film offerings to tempt your movie going dollar in the week ahead. Check one out at least, share your thoughts and enjoy your big screen outing.

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 23rd - 29th November 2014.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week? Billy Connolly does, on 24th November - 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 23rd November

• Miley Cyrus - Born 1992, turns 22 - Singer | Actress
• Vincent Cassel - Born 1966, turns 48 - Actor | Producer
• Franco Nero - Born 1941, turns 73 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Robert Towne - Born 1934, turns 80 - Producer | Director | Actor | Writer

Monday 24th November

• Billy Connolly - Born 1942, turns 72 - Actor | Writer | Singer | Songwriter | Television Personality
• Colin Hanks - Born 1977, turns 37 - Actor, Producer | Director
• Stephen Merchant - Born 1974, turns 40 - Actor | Writer | Director | Producer 
• Katherine Heigl - Born 1978, turns 36 - Actress | Producer

Tuesday 25th November

• Christina Applegate - Born 1971, turns 43 - Actress | Producer
• Dougray Scott - Born 1965, turns 49 - Actor

Wednesday 26th November 

• Mark L. Lester - Born 1946, turns 68 - Director | Producer | Actor
• Tina Turner - Born 1946, turns 68 - Singer | Actress | Writer

Thursday 27th November

• Kathryn Bigelow - Born 1951, turns 63 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Robin Givens - Born 1964, turns 50 - Actress
• John Alderton - Born 1940, turns 74 - Actor
• William Fichtner - Born 1956, turns 58 - Actor
• Sharlto Copley - Born 1973, turns 41 - Actor | Producer | Director

Friday 28th November

• Randy Newman - Born 1943, turns 71 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Writer
• Ed Harris - Born 1950, turns 64 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Judd Nelson - Born 1959, turns 55 - Actor
• Ryan Kwanten - Born 1976, turns 38 - Actor
• Alfonso Cuaron - Born 1961, turns 53 - Director | Producer | Writer | Cinematographer | Editor
• Joe Dante - Born 1946, turns 68 - Director | Producer | Actor | Editor
• Mary Elizabeth Winstead - Born 1984, turns 30 - Actress | Writer

Saturday 29th November

• Joel Coen - Born 1954, turns 60 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor
• Andrew McCarthy - Born 1962, turns 52 - Actor | Director
• Tom Sizemore - Born 1961, turns 53 - Actor | Producer
• Don Cheadle - Born 1964, turns 50 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Garry Shandling - Born 1949, turns 65 - Actor | Producer | Writer

William Connolly was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland to William Connolly his father and mother Mary McLean. At age four his mother abandoned the young Billy and his sitter Florence when father William was away serving in the Army. From there the two young children were cared for by Aunts Margaret and Mona Connolly - his fathers sisters. He attended St. Peter's Primary School in Partick and then St. George's Secondary School in Govan.

From age twelve he knew he wanted a life as a comedian, but graduating from school at 15 with two engineering qualifications he was too young to go into the shipyards so worked as a bakery delivery lad until he turned 16 when he joined a shipyard as a boilermaker. Having completed a five year apprenticeship as a boilermaker in 1966, Connolly had a brief stint of ten weeks helping build an oil platform in Nigeria. Returning to Scotland he joined a marine engineering ands shipbuilding firm, but had ambitions to become a folk singer.

After recording one folk album with a Tam Harvey as 'The Humbeldums' the partnership fell away as Harvey left to be replaced by Gerry Rafferty (of 'Baker Street' fame) with whom Connolly enjoyed more cult status and critical acclaim than financial reward. In 1971 this partnership too brook up as Rafferty focused on a solo career, so pushing Connolly in a similar direction. 1972 saw Connolly's first solo album, with a double album follow up in late 1973 that proved his breakthrough with a much wider British audience, compared to his previous only Scottish following. It was however, his inaugural appearance on the TV chat-show 'Parkinson' with erstwhile host Michael Parkinson in 1975 that really put Connolly's face on the map.

As the 70's rolled on, so Connolly's success grew in the UK and in Canada, Australia and New Zealand - English speaking markets that embraced his humour and perspectives on life, but, the US was proving much more elusive - doe mostly to his challenging accent. Joining the cast in 1979 of 'The Secret Policeman's Ball' propelled him further into the mainstream with the likes of John Cleese and Peter Cook, and, he was heralded as one of the highlights of the album. In 1981, Connolly was invited back for 'The Secret Policeman's Other Ball' and the album and subsequent film did attract a wider US following who were by now warming to Connolly.

Throughout the 80's Connolly secured minor roles in TV movies and feature films, as well as performing on 'Live-Aid' ahead of good friend Elton John, completing his first 'World Tour', and appearing at Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday celebrations. In 1990 he appeared as a guest of Whoopi Goldberg in an HBO Special, and it is said that his performance on this show was the pivotal moment that he broke the US market. From there he moved himself and his family to Los Angeles, and shortly thereafter he and his family won Green Cards.

His first TV appearances in dramatic roles cakes in the 1975/76 Season of 'Play for Today', with his first film role in 1978 alongside Richard Burton in 'Absolution'. From here he took roles/guest appearances on 'The Kenny Everett Television Show' in 1982/83, 'Head of the Class' in 1990/91, 'Billy' in 1992, with interim bursts on 'Minder', 'City Lights' and others.  His film career began to take off with 'Water' in 1985 with Michael Caine, 'Indecent Proposal' in 1993 with Robert Redford, the acclaimed 'Mrs. Brown' in 1997 with Judi Dench, 'Still Crazy' in 1998 with Stephen Rea and Bill Nighy, 'The Debt Collector' in 1999 for which he received top billing, 'Beautiful Joe' in 2000 with Sharon Stone, 'The Man Who Sued God' in 2001 with again top billing, 'The Last Samurai' in 2003 with Tom Cruise, 'The X-Files: I want to Believe' in 2008 with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, 'Gullivers Travels' in 2010 with Jack Black, 'Quartet' in 2012 Directed by Dustin Hoffman and starring a Who's Who of English acting talent, and he has 'The Hobbit : The Battle of the Five Armies' due for imminent release and 'Wild Oats' due in 2015. He has also lent his voice talents to 'Brave', 'Open Season' and 'Open Season 2'.

He has 63 acting credits to his name for which he has won two awards and eight other nominations, including three BAFTA nominations and an Outstanding Achievement Award granted in 2012. He has released 34+ albums, 12 DVD's of his stand-up shows from across the world, he has written three plays, hosted a number of television series including his 'World Tour' series of Scotland, and then Ireland, England and Wales, and then Australia and then New Zealand, as well as other similar tours of the US including 'Route 66'. He has had more guest appearances on TV chat shows than you can poke a banjo at, and his wife Pamela Stephenson has written two best-selling biographies on her husband - 'Billy' and 'Bravemouth'.

In 1985 he divorced Iria Pressagh to whom he had been married for 16 years. In 1989 he married Pamela Stephenson with whom he remains very happily married. He has five children - two with Pressagh (Jamie and Cara) and three with Stephenson (Daisy, Amy and Scarlett). He stopped drinking alcohol on New Years Eve 1985. He underwent minor surgery in for prostate cancer in 2013 and is being treated for early signs of 'Parkinson's Disease'. He is a patron of Celtic Football Club, is a patron too of 'The National Association for Bikers with a Disability', is an accomplished banjo and ukulele player, and has been known affectionately throughout his career as 'The Big Yin' ('The Big One'), and in 2003 he was awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

On a personal note I have seen Billy Connolly live on stage numerous times in Sydney, and he really is quite brilliant! I liken him to the late great Robin Williams for his energy, his stage presence and his take on observational humour from all walks of life and all subject matter. Connolly and Williams - two of the comedy greats that I am pleased to name in the same sentence, and both of whom I have had the privilege of seeing live.

Billy Connolly - incredibly funny man; diverse acting talent; very watchable and entertaining in his TV shows; foul mouthed, bushy haired and bearded with trademark goatee; stand-up singer, poet, songwriter and entertainer - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

KILL THE MESSENGER - Tuesday 18th November 2014.

I saw 'KILL THE MESSENGER' at my local suburban cinema earlier this week with a couple of movie buddies, and largely enjoyed this retelling of the late 90's US true story exposed across the national press that shook the nation, and the upper echelons of both the government and the CIA. Jeremy Renner stars in the lead role as noted investigative journalist Gary Webb, and the film is based on his book 'Dark Alliance' and Directed by Michael Cuesta. Jeremy Renner is very watchable, and puts in a convincing turn as the journalist for the San Jose Mercury News whose brief 15 minutes of fame is quickly torn from under him as the Washington power brokers do everything they can to stop the truth from getting in the way of a good story!

The films cast list reads like a Who's Who of Hollywood talent including Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Oliver Platt, Robert Patrick, Michael Sheen, Barry Pepper, Paz Vega - all of whom have relatively fleeting, but nonetheless very important, screen time with the exception of Oliver Platt who plays Jerry Ceppos who manages the paper where Gary works, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Anna Simons the newspapers Editor. The roles of the latter two are much more pivotal as Gary Webb goes from hero to zero as his story unfolds, gets a foothold and then starts to unravel. Of course, Webb's family of Susan Webb his wife, played by Rosemarie DeWitt, and the three children are brought into the fray too and all of the performances are solid, grounded and believable in the context of the unfolding story arc.

Essentially, working for small town newspaper the San Jose Mercury News, Gary Webb is contacted by the wife of a suspected drug smuggler (Paz Vega) with a hot lead, and evidence, that high ranking officials in the government are linked to bringing crack cocaine into the USA from South America, selling it on the streets for vast sums of money with which to buy arms for the Nicaraguan Contra Rebels. In the process the US is gripped by a drug crazed portion of the populace who are buying the shit quicker than the CIA can bring it in to the country! 

Of course the more and more digging that Webb does the more he uncovers that goes high up into the Whitehouse, the CIA and the drug enforcement authorities who all have a hand in these shenanigans. Feathers get ruffled, and the more they get ruffled the more Webb keeps searching - to the point when he is hauled into a room with high level CIA officers and told to back off in no uncertain times - although of course 'they would never do anything to bring harm to his family' smirks one Agent! This is the proverbial straw that broke the camels back for Webb, and with this and enough information now to go to print, he publishes his story with the blessing of Ceppos and Simons at the paper. 

In no time the story is syndicated around the world - on the TV, the radio, the big print media publications and of course the fledgling Internet, and suddenly Gary Webb is hotly in demand for TV appearances, radio interviews, and chat shows. Naturally, the government and the CIA quickly go into defence mode and deny everything, and with this starts a smear campaign against Webb digging up just about every bit of historical dirt no matter how small and insignificant it may seem and promptly going public to now not only discredit Webb as journalist of repute in the pursuit of truth, justice and transparency, but also smear him forever as a human being, a husband, a father and a hardworking man. It gets ugly as his world starts to cave in around him from all directions, and those that did support him now turn their backs!

As the final credits role we read that certain officials in the CIA and the government stand down in the resulting enquiries, and that largely the whole sorry matter gets swept under the carpet as news breaks across the world of Clinton and Lewinski's dalliance which makes for more newsworthy fodder. Sad but true! The way that Webb is ostracised is also very sad and very telling, and for many wrapped up in this either directly or indirectly it didn't end well needless to say.

A strong cast, a solid performance from Renner, a gripping story and well told . . .  but in the end I felt a little cheated by the brisk running time that left me wanting more. I felt more of this story could have been told, and what Webb did in the years following this, and how in the fullness of time he was vindicated and his story was accepted as more factual now 15 years hence than it was at the turn of the century. Webb too was a Pulitzer Prize winner for Journalism, and various other awards in his time.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE HUNGER GAMES : archive from 5th April 2012.

With 'THE HUNGER GAMES : MOCKINGJAY Part 1' about to descend on our screens on 20th November, I dug this archival Review out of where it all began just over two short years ago. Updated to recapture the story and it's success so far, rejog your memory with what has gone before.

Saw 'THE HUNGER GAMES' this week - the much touted, much hyped, much watched antidote to 'The Twilight Saga', and, the 'Harry Potter' series perhaps for the next generation! I went in with fairly low expectations after it got a slating from David & Margaret on their 'Movie Show', but everyone seemed to be raving about it nonetheless! I was pleasantly surprised although the plot meanders a bit and it takes a goodly while to get up to speed.

Directed by Gary Ross and based on the best selling book by Suzanne Collins, there is a strong cast that includes Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland and Liam Hemsworth who all put in a convincing turn but the male & female leads of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) seem to lack any real buy-in from the audience and I struggled to empathise with their characters.

The story is that in a future dystopian world we are taken to a nation called 'Panem' which is divided up into 12 'Districts' and there is the 'Capitol' which oversees the nation. Every year two young teenage kids are selected by lottery (known affectionately as 'The Reaping') to represent their District in the 'Hunger Games' - a fight to the death last man standing competition where there are no holds barred, all manner of obstacles are created to thwart the 24 competitors, and it is survival of the fittest ultimately where only one can remain. These Games are also televised across the nation as a form of entertainment, and they also serve as a reminder of a past rebellion in the nations history that has contributed to the world they now know. The Capitol places great pomp & ceremony on these games almost like it's an Olympic Games and the rich, powerful and mighty residing in the Capitol look down on the downtrodden, poor and inadequate Districts with disdain - these Games are created too to prevent any future uprising amongst the Districts by demoralising their peoples into submission, poverty and no hope.

But of course there is always hope, and our story centres on Katniss who at the last minute takes the place of her younger sister Prim (Willow Shields) who was selected at first in The Reaping. Those that are chosen are known as 'Tributes', and when we have our 24 Tributes so a training programme begins and we get sneak peaks at the back story of certain competitors, but mostly Katniss and Peeta both from District 12, who form an alliance as the story progresses. As for the other 22 Tributes from the other 11 Districts of this future dystopian USA they are just cardboard cut out cannon fodder who ultimately succumb to a grislier ending, although some will put up a fight more than others.

President Snow (Donald Sutherland) rules Panem and presides over The Hunger Games with an ulterior motive in mind and his own hidden agenda. Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) is the Games Master who hosts the televised entertainment component with camped up devilish aplomb, and then there is Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) who acts as a coach and mentor to Katniss and Peeta.

The first two-thirds set the scene, give us some back story and provide the training sequences, the preparations, the teenage angst and anxiety and all the colour of the opening ceremony, before getting down to brass tacks and killing time! And then after being transplanted to their forest 'battlefield' our 24 Tributes have to overcome all manner of natural and man made challenges that will seem them picked off one-by-one until just one remains. There are some twists as the Games nears its final showdown which pave the way for the second instalment, which we know comes in November 2013 in the form of 'THE HUNGER GAMES : CATCHING FIRE'.

Made for US$78M it brought in US$691M at the global Box Office with it too being the biggest selling DVD of 2012 with 7.5 million units sold. The movie picked up 33 award wins and 41 other nominations including the BAFTA Children's Award win for Best Film of 2012, and a Golden Globe nomination for its Best Original Song.

Not great, but not bad either - I hope the invariable sequels do better and deliver something grittier and less polished despite the premise - you can get this film and its sequel 'Catching Fire' on DVD and Bluray now, with 'Mockingjay Part 1' released on 20th November 2014 and 'Mockingjay Part 2' to be released on 19th November 2015.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-