What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 1st October 2015.

Last week I mentioned that the Adelaide Film Festival kicks off in mid-October with a raft of local, national and international films in competition and being showcased for the first time, gaining their Australian Premier and in some cases a Worldwide Premier. Every genre is offered crafted by the likes of Scott Hicks, Jocelyn Moorhouse, Todd Haynes, Peter Greenaway and starring such acclaimed names as Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Kate Winslet, Hugo Weaving, Anthony LaPaglia, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Lily Tomlin, Colin Farrell, John C. Reilly, Michael Keaton, and Mark Ruffalo amongst others. What's not to like? Check out more at : http://adelaidefilmfestival.org

This week there are four new movie releases kicking off with a survival, search & rescue mission stretching across millions of miles from the most acclaimed Sci-Fi Director of our time; Shakespeare retold for the first time on film in decades in his bloodiest play; an ageing boss man teaching a young boss woman new tricks in the on-line business world; and an iconic album refreshed and given the insightful epic big screen treatment.

Get along to your local multiplex or local independent theatre in the week ahead, and catch a film, any film, and when you have done so share your thoughts with a few observations, views and opinions in the Comments box immediately below this or any other Post. In the meantime, enjoy your movie.

THE MARTIAN (Rated M) - Ridley Scott is back doing his Sci-Fi best with his latest offering about to hit our big screens with this adaptation of the 2011 novel by Andy Weir of the same name. Co-Produced by Scott this films features an all star cast and was made for US$108M, and filmed on a huge sound stage in Hungary and in Jordan where a desert wadi served as a back drop for the red planet. The film premiered at the recent Toronto International Film Festival on September 11th and is being released worldwide this week.

This film sees a manned mission to Mars go awry when a fierce storm on the Red Planet forces the crew to abandon their mission and head home, leaving co-astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) behind, believed dead. Of course he's not, and so Watney finds himself alone, stranded and millions of miles away from home, on a hostile planet, with very limited resources and no way of getting back to whence he came. Using all his wits, ingenuity, skills, experience and spirit to survive, and signal those back on Earth that he is indeed alive & kicking this is a story of incredible bravery and strength of character in the face of the most impossible odds, and how a whole planet back home gather together to bring their man home. Also staring Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Sean Bean and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

MACBETH (Rated MA15+) - Based on Shakespeare's great play, this British big screen adaptation is Directed by Australian, Justin Kurzel and stars Michael Fassbender as the tortured Scottish King, Macbeth. Whilst famed and revered for his fighting prowess on the battlefield and the leadership of his armies, this Duke receives a foretelling by three witches that one day he will become King. Consumed by ambition and growing increasingly impatient he is spurred on by his wife Lady Macbeth (Marion Cotillard) and so murders the King and seizes control of the throne, but subsequently becomes racked by paranoia, guilt, remorse and increasingly tyrannical. Also starring are David Thewlis, Sean Harris, Paddy Considine, and Elizabeth Debicki this is an updated retelling of a classic story told in all its bloody, violent, savage and emotional glory.

THE INTERN (Rated M) - I do wonder about Robert De Niro's filmic choices sometimes, and this would be one of those occasions. When I think of the legend De Niro I think of 'Taxi Driver', 'Casino', 'The Deer Hunter', 'Raging Bull', 'Goodfellas', 'Heat' and 'Cape Fear' and less about 'Analyse This/That' and 'The Fockers' trilogy, and so it is with his latest offering! This film is Directed by Nancy Meyers and cost US$40M to make and here De Niro is Ben Whitaker a retired 70 year old widower and former Business Executive. Realising that retirement ain't all it's cracked up to be, he enlists in a local community outreach programme where seniors will intern at the firm of Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway) - the founder and CEO of 'About the Fit'  - an online fashion company. Pretty soon Whitaker becomes Mr. Popular around the office with his younger co-workers, including Ostin, and as the story unfolds the moral of this comedy is make time for family, respect you elders, recognise experience, and acknowledge the wisdom of others - lessons in life for us all methinks! Rene Russo and Adam DeVine also star.

ROGER WATERS THE WALL (Rated M) - I was at College when this groundbreaking album - 'The Wall' by Pink Floyd went to #1 as the 70's clicked over into the 80's. I still have that double album on vinyl, I have the CD, I watched the 1982 Bob Geldof starring movie of the album numerous times, and I've downloaded the album digitally, and after 35 years this record is still as fresh now as it was then. It has stood the test of time, and so with Rogers Waters the former front man for the concept band performing the album in its entirety coupled with his intimate immersive insights and unscripted Q&A with former band mate Nick Mason, this is a not to be missed music film event of a true classic iconic album that still has something to say, and still has a worldwide audience. This film has a limited release, so catch it when & where you can.

As is often the case, there is plenty of variety in this weeks latest release offerings - SciFi, Shakespeare, Comedy and Music, and there's also plenty more great content still out on general release as Reviewed and Previewed within the pages of this Blog. When you have checked out your film of choice, share your thoughts with your fellow readers here, and then we'll do it all again next week.

See you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

SICARIO : Saturday 26th September 2015.

SICARIO - there is a very strong pedigree behind this film, which I saw last night, that should assure it of a high degree of success. Director Denis Villeneuve, Cinematographer Roger Deakins, and stars Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio del Toro, Jon Bernthal and Victor Garber, this film was made for US$30M and was in competition for the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year and is out on general release now. 'Sicario' is cartel slang for 'hitman', and in the context of this film surrounds the drug war between the US and its border with Mexico. This, as you know, has been the subject of many a film over the years, but, already this film has garnered much interest and much acclaim for its gritty, raw, emotional and violent portrayal of the impact that the war on drugs has on those associated with it - directly and indirectly.

Our film opens with an FBI crack team descending (by tank) on an unassuming single storey house in the Phoenix, Arizona suburb of Chandler. That team is lead by Kate Mercer (Emily Blunt), and as that crack team burst through the walls of the house those inside are caught unaware and off guard. There is an exchange of gun fire, those inside are quickly dispensed with but not before one of the target lets off a shotgun round narrowly missing Mercer and exploding into the wall behind. She hits the ground, shaken but not stirred, and is OK when her armour wearing colleagues come into check on her.

Her partner Reggie Wayne (Daniel Kaluuya) turns to survey the damage in the room, and thorough the shotgun hole in the wall behind Mercer notices a bloodied face starring out at him behind a veil of plastic. They begin to rip away at the recently clad wall and reveal more bodies standing upright - all dead, all bloodied, all encased in plastic sheeting. Within hours the forensics team arrive and later via a CNN news broadcast it is revealed that the now dubbed 'House of Horrors' contained 46 such carcasses within its walls. At the same time, the other FBI Agents are checking the remaining property and in a shed in the back yard there is a heavily padlocked underground bunker. Attempting to open it, it explodes destroying everything in close proximity, including two Agents. This sets the tone for what is to come - less that five minutes into the film, and the body count is already at 48!

Mercer is a seasoned idealistic by-the-book thumper - someone who has been kicking down doors for years and is recognised for her results, her commitment and her strong work ethic. She is soon enlisted by Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) having been recommended by her boss Dave Jennings (Victor Garber), into an elite government task force to wage a relentless and merciless war on the Mexican drug cartels who operate either side of the border between the two countries. Mercer is told very little except that she is instrumental in their objective and her track record speaks for itself. Along the way they will be guided and supported by a mystery Agent, Alejandro Gillick (Benicio Del Toro), who has history with Graver. After a briefing Mercer is advised she is to board a private jet with Graver to El Paso, and on this plane she meets Gallic for the first time, but he says very little, only adding to the mystery. Being a strictly by-the-book girl she wants answers but becomes increasingly frustrated when none are forthcoming.

The flight takes the three to Juarez over the border into Mexico, and not in fact El Paso, where we learn that a cartel king pin is to be pulled from prison there are moved to the US. In a convoy of five black armoured 4WD's we are taken through the back streets of sprawling city that is  gateway for drug trafficking. There is the sound of distant gun fire and explosions, and the convoy by now with a heavily armed police escort, passes by several dismembered corpses hanging under a railway line - a sign put there by the drug barons to ward off these who would cross them. The tension of this sequence will have you on the edge of your seat as we gain a drivers eye view of the perils of this embattled city, the carnage all around while seemingly ordinary people try to go about their daily lives, and the fact that those in the convoy are being pursued by those who want the prisoner back for themselves and will stop at nothing to succeed. Things come to a head at the border crossing when because of a broken down vehicle, all traffic has come to a grinding halt, and here again, Mercer is caught in the cross fire, wondering whatever happened to due process and procedural protocols.

From here, we start to learn more of Gillick's back story and why he is what, and who, he is. He has his own agenda too against the particular drug lord they are chasing down, but to get to him they must go through various others first, and it is here again that we are thrown further into the intrigue of how this team are allowed to operate the way they do and with no questions asked. The end justifies the means, and in this Graver and Gillick are unrelenting and guarded with what they are prepared to reveal to Mercer and Wayne. As they get deeper and more is uncovered so Mercer begins to question her own values and morals as well as those around her and those in positions of authority. She plays along albeit reluctantly, but is often sidelined by the others who are more attuned to the bigger picture.

One night in a bar Mercer and Wayne hook up with an old friend and colleague of Wayne's, Ted (Jon Bernthal) and the three drink, dance and Ted & Mercer get in on. Back at Mercer's apartment as the two are getting down & dirty Mercer notices an elastic arm band that ties him to the drug cartel and money laundering activities. Before going any further, a fight ensues, and Ted attempts to strangle Mercer, almost succeeding, but not before Gillick comes to her aid. Upon further 'questionning' Ted reveals all to Gillick in order to protect himself and his family.

As the team uncover the whereabouts of a secret underground tunnel linking Juarez with the US, so they get closer to the end game. Heavily armed, night vision goggles poised, they enter under cover of darkness and proceed to take out those therein. The team becomes split with Graver returning, mission accomplished while Mercer heads off confronting Gillick taking possession of a police car that has just unloaded a sizeable stash of cocaine at the hands of a police officer on the take.

Gillick uses the vehicle and the police officer to give chase to Manuel Diaz (Bernardo P. Saracino) a lynch-pin in the drug cartel who is en route to see his boss and cartel leader Fausto Alarcon (Julio Cedillo). The showdown comes at the mansion of Alarcon when Gillick takes out the armed security one by one with calculated surgical precision, and more tension to keep your heart racing.

After all this is done and the dust has settled, Mercer is forced to sign off on the mission that all was conducted above board, by-the-book and in line with expected protocols. She cannot bring herself to do it and refuses, but in the privacy of her own apartment and with a loaded gun pressed up under her chin, she signs, reluctantly and in tears. Gillick walks away with the signed papers, job done. Mercer was but a pawn in this game of chess - a means to an end, that allowed Graver, Gillick and their team to accomplish their mission, above the law, no questions asked.

'Sicario' is a powerful film on many levels. Roger Deakins lensing of the film is as always first rate - from the aerial sweeping vistas of the Mexican border country, to the raw underbelly of Juarez, to the night vision perspectives and the chase sequences - all flows with his meticulous artistry and vision. Blunt goes from strength to strength and shows again she is a female acting force to be reckoned with, Del Toro delivers a fine nuanced performance that will leave you wondering what he'll do next throughout the film and always commanding your attention, and Brolin adds gravitas as the lead guy on the team that no one questions and no one doubts his abilities, his decisions and his ethics.

This is one of the best films of the year so far - dark, brooding, menacing, fast paced and at times nail biting - a must-see.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

EVEREST : Wednesday 23rd September 2015.

EVEREST, which I saw earlier this week is based on the real life events that unfolded on Mount Everest on May 10th 1996 as two commercial climbing expeditions reach for the summit of the highest place on Earth only to be confronted by a blizzard that came out of nowhere and engulfed the climbers in both parties with such a severe snow and ice storm rarely before seen by man. This story Directed by Icelandic Balthasar Kormakur was made for US$55M and filmed in the Italian Alps, in Iceland and in Nepal at Everest Base Camp amongst other mountainous locations. At the time of writing the film has made so far US$43M and has received generally positive reviews.

As this film opens we learn that climbing this famed mountain is no longer the domain of hardened determined adventurers who first set out to conquer its peak - Mallory in the 1920's tried three times and died 800 metres from the peak in the process, and Hillary got there with Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Since then though and in more recent decades Everest has become the domain of commercial organisations seeking to satisfy the ever increasing hunger of the mountain climbing tourist wanting to cross Everest off their bucket list. As a result a whole industry has sprung up around it, and Kathmandu has become the burgeoning epicentre for those setting out on the adventure of a lifetime.

We are quickly introduced therefore to Adventure Consultants leader Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) as he flies out to take a group of climbers to the summit - each of them having paid US$65K for the privilege. He bids farewell to his wife Jan (Keira Knightly) at the airport - heavily pregnant with their first child and off he goes. saying he'll be back in time for the birth. Arriving in Kathmandu he meets up with his clients - Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), Doug Hansen (John Hawkes), journalist John Krakauer (Michael Kelly) and Yasuko Namba (Naoko Mori) and others.

The first night they attend a briefing with Hall and he informs them that 'Human beings are not designed to function at the cruising altitude of a 747. Your bodies will be literally dying'. He tells them that they are entering a formidable, dangerous place where conditions can change almost instantly and many others have perished before them, but, he will look after them, be their guide every step of the way, and if they do as he says they'll all return safe & sound.

The next day they ascend to Base Camp after making a beautiful trek through lower mountain forest, over sweeping ravines and fast flowing rivers, with the park of Everest looking down on them. At base camp their are welcomed to the Adventure Consultants 'Office' a large tent where they have equipment and supplies stored, their communications, maps, guides and the wherewithal to get up, and back. Helen Wilton (Emily Watson) meets & greets them all - she is the Office Manager, Administrator and all round Girl Friday and she is there with Doctor Caroline Mackenzie (Elizabeth Debicki). After settling in, more briefings follow. It is the end of March and Hall announces their plan is to 'summit' on 10th May - the forecast is good, but there will be a limited 'window' of opportunity on that day. In the meantime they will exercise and make various familiarisation treks to the other camps to get acclimatized, used to the frozen terrain, and what they will have to endure as they rise.

At Base Camp Hall catches up with 'The Mayor of Base Camp' Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal) from Mountain Madness - another similar outfit to Halls Adventure Consultants. They laugh & joke, share drinks together but they are rivals in business, and in this particular climbing season competing with a raft of other tourist climbers wanting to make the ascent at the same time. Base Camp is overrun, and so into their preparations Hall seeks to partner with Fischer to make the climb together, to look out for each other, to provide safety in numbers and to speed their climb during the limited time they have. Fischer agrees.

As the day approaches and their preparations and training is complete, they set out climbing through Camps II, III and IV. At Camp IV Hall rallies his team at about midnight, and stepping outside their tents on a beautiful clear night they gaze up at the last leg of their journey as the peak of Mount Everest stands proud in all its glory, with only a whisper of a breeze visible at the summit from where they stand. Hall gives the order that they leave in 30 minutes and that they will need to have reached the peak by no later than 2:00pm that afternoon to ensure their return to Camp IV before nightfall.

Along the way they are delayed when they discover that guide ropes have perished and need to be replaced, or have not yet been installed, and so need to be before they can proceed. Beck experiences problems with his vision, and so sits to rest and is ordered back to Camp if things don't improve within half an hour. At the Hilary Steps they encounter a bottleneck of other climbers causing further delays. Namba reaches the top with Hall, and plants her Japanese flag. Behind them Beck still sits below on The Balcony still having vision trouble, Hansen is short of breath but determined to touch the peak having tried and failed twice before and 2:00pm has now been and gone. Hansen pleads with Hall to allow him to continue and against his better judgement Hall agrees and they climb together. By now it is past 3:00pm, and the weather is closing in, snow is falling, the wind has picked up and dark menacing clouds loom ever closer.

Fischer meanwhile is still heading towards them suffering from high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) - by now it is 3:45pm and blizzard conditions surround them all. What follows is ever worsening weather that engulfs the mountain and rips through Base Camp leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake. With a lack of supplementary oxygen a number of the climbers from both expeditions perish from the harshest of conditions that disorientate them, effect their judgement, impair their vision, and hamper their descent. Rob is left on the mountain side cowering into a rock overhang seeking some shelter from the gathering storm - he falls in and out of consciousness as night falls and the blizzard takes further hold. By now Namba, Hansen, Fischer, Andy Harris (Martin Henderson) another Adventure Consultant guide and Beck have all perished. Wilton and Mackenzie meanwhile monitor the situation by satellite radio from Base Camp maintaining contact with Hall on the mountain whose health is deteriorating rapidly. Guy Cotter (Sam Worthington) is with them and tries to take a rescue party to recover Hall and the others but is beaten back by the weather and sits it out until conditions improve.

The next morning as the sun comes up and the blizzard subsides, Beck miraculously awakens from his tomb of snow & ice and is able to hobble into Camp IV where he is attended to - learning this news that he is still alive his wife Peach (Robin Wright) contacts the American Embassy in Kathmandu and orders a chopper flight to rescue him. Later we see him arrive home and we learn that severe frost bite cost him both his hands and his nose. Hall died on the mountain having said his farewell to Jan through radio and satellite phone via Base Camp.

This is a visually stunning film as you would expect given the mountain terrain that we see from the top as well as from the bottom. The characters you can relate to given that we are provided with a sufficient enough back story to understand what motivates them and what their strengths and weaknesses are, and as a result we care for them because we know this is a real story that occurred not so long ago (within the last 20 years). Then there is the harsh unforgiving environment with all its power, its energy, its beauty and its unpredictability that has cost so many climbers their lives but still keeps many coming back or wanting to cross it off their bucket list.

Certainly worth the price of a ticket and whilst I only saw this in 2D, I would think that the 3D experience will only add to the spectacle, the emotion and the power of this film.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 27th September - 3rd October 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Alicia Vikander does on 3rd October - check out the tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 27 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 27th September

• Gwyneth Paltrow - Born 1972, turns 43 - Actress
• Meat Loaf - Born 1947, turns 68 - Actor | Singer | Songwriter
• Denis Lawson - Born 1947, turns 68 - Actor

Monday 28th September

• Naomi Watts - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actress | Producer
• Hilary Duff - Born 1987, turns 28 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Mira Sorvino - Born 1967, turns 48 - Actress | Producer
• Brigitte Bardot - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actress | Singer

Tuesday 29th September

• Luke Goss - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer
• Ian McShane - Born 1947, turns 73 - Actor | Producer
• Nicolas Winding Refn - Born 1970, turns 45 - Director | Producer | Writer

Wednesday 30th September

• Eric Stoltz - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Angie Dickinson - Born 1931, turns 84 - Actress
• Marion Cotillard - Born 1975, turns 40 - Actress | Singer
• Monica Bullucci - Born 1964, turns 51 - Actress

Thursday 1st October

• Julie Andrews - Born 1935, turns 80 - Actress | Singer
• Randy Quaid - Born 1950, turns 65 - Actor | Producer
• Zach Galifianakis - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Writer

Friday 2nd October

• Sting - Born 1951, turns 64 - Actor | Singer | Songwriter

Saturday 3rd October

• Clive Owen - Born 1964, turns 51 - Actor | Producer
• Denis Villeneuve - Born 1967, turns 48 - Director | Writer
• Neve Campbell - Born 1973, turns 42 - Actress | Producer
• Alicia Vikander - Born 1988, turns 27 - Actress

Alicia Amanda Vikander was born in Gothenburg, Sweden to mother Maria Fahl, an actress, and father Svante Vikander, a psychiatrist. At five months old her parents separated and for the most part thereafter was raised by her mother, although she had access to her father every other weekend with whom she would grow up enjoying the company of his other five children. She studied ballet at the Royal Swedish Ballet School in Gothenburg from the age of nine and at fifteen moved to Stockholm where she trained to become a principal dancer. At the Gothenburg Opera she appeared in several musicals including 'Les Miserables' and 'The Sound of Music'. By the age of sixteen she was travelling the world to fine tune her acting craft. Due to injuries over the subsequent years her career in dancing became sidelined as her career in acting began to take hold, although for a short time she was considering a move into the legal profession gaining a place at law school, which she also sidelined in favour of acting - a wise choice in the long term it would appear!

At home in Sweden she gained early work on a number of television shows and made for TV movies - 'Min balsamerade mor' in 2002, 'En decemberdrom' for three episodes in 2005, the mini-series 'Levande foda' in 2007 and then on the longer running 'Andra Avenyn' for 39 episodes from 2007-2008.

From 2007 there were a number of short films in her native country launching with 'Darkness of Truth' and 'The Rain', 'My Name is Love' in 2008, and 'Susans Iangtan' in 2009. Her feature film debut came in 2010 in the acclaimed 'Pure' for which she won the Best Actress Award at the Swedish Guldbagge Awards - the equivalent there of the Academy Awards or the BAFTA's.

After this was her lead role in 'The Crown Jewels' in 2011, however, international recognition came in 2012 playing the role of Kitty in the Joe Wright Directed British adaptation of 'Anna Karenina' alongside Keira Knightly, Jude Law, Domhnall Gleeson and Emily Watson. The film picked up numerous awards including a Breakthrough Performer Award for Vikander at the Hamptons International Film Festival. She followed this up that same year with the Danish period piece 'A Royal Affair' with Mads Mikkelsen which gained a Best Foreign Language Film nomination at the 2013 Academy Awards. That year, she was also nominated at the BAFTA's for a Rising Star Award but missed out to Juno Temple.

2013 saw her star in Bill Condon's 'The Fifth Estate' about the rise of WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange as portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. The film also starred Stanley Tucci, Anthony Mackie and David Thewlis. Next up was the Swedish film 'Hotell' for which she won the Best Actress Award at the Marrakech International Film Festival.

'Testament of Youth' came next with Vikander in the lead role as Vera Brittain recounting her WWI memories as a war time nurse. This was followed up that same year with Aussie crime drama 'Son of a Gun' with Ewan McGregor and Brenton Thwaites, and then 'Seventh Son' with Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, and Djimon Hounsou. 'Ex Machina' came earlier this year in the Alex Garland Directed film in which she stars as humanoid robot Ava, alongside Domhnall Gleeson again, and Oscar Isaac. Most recently there has been 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' Directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer as the reprised 60's Agents Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakin respectively.

Coming soon is 'Burnt' with Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Uma Thurman and Emma Thompson due before the end of the year, as is 'The Danish Girl' with Eddie Redmayne and Ben Whishaw. 'Tulip Fever' is currently in post-production for 2016 and stars Dane DeHaan, Christoph Waltz and Judy Dench, 'The Light Between the Oceans' due next year too and starring Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz, and currently filming is the fifth instalment in the Bourne franchise as Directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne with Tommy Lee Jones and Vincent Cassel and due in mid-16.

Vikander has 26 acting credits to her name and has won seven awards and another seven nominations to date - she expects big things from next years Academy Awards too where she may have multiple films in contention. Recently split from Michael Fassbender, Vikander seems more intent on keeping busy, chasing the Oscar dream and polishing her celebrity status as her star continues to rise.

Alicia Vikander - young, beautiful, talented, determined, committed, hard working, in demand, already much praised and with the Hollywood world at your feet - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 24th September 2015.

The Adelaide Film Festival kicks off in mid-October featuring over 180 films for a ten day period from October 15th until 25th with local South Australian content, Australian films, and international offerings with ten films in competition all receiving their Australian Premier screening. Those that are kick off with Cate Blanchett's latest offering 'Carol' after gaining critical acclaim at Cannes earlier this year, with others 'Freeheld', 'Office', 'Lamb', 'Father', 'Gold Coast', 'Tanna', '316', 'Neon Bull' and 'Looking for Grace'. Scott Hicks new film 'Highly Strung' gets its World Premier at the Festival Opening Night Gala, with 'Youth' starring Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz and Jane Fonda bringing the festival to a close on 25th. If you are in the Adelaide locale in the latter half of October head on to the Palace Nova and Mercury Cinemas for more films in a ten day period than you can shake a choc top at.

This week however, there are six new cinematic offerings with which to tease, tempt and tussle you to a movie theatre kicking off with those damn pesky drug barons down Mexico way looking to create a snow storm as one fanciful FBI Agent seeks to bring it all crashing down. Then there is a past master of the horror genre who went off the rails a bit, but seemingly is back on track with this tale of outback country shenanigans with things that go bump in the night with an old couple up to no good down in the woods today! Then there is murder, mystery, mayhem and music in a sleepy English town where this grizzly story unfolds before the townsfolk can move on with their lives; and after this, two stories with the back-drop of the 70's - one in SanFran and the other in deepest darkest Melbourne but both totally separate; and wrapping up, an origin story involving a much loved character setting out on his own voyage of discovery.

So many films, so little time, but when you have made time to watch any one of the below Previewed films remember to drop a Comment below this or any other Post and showcase your filmic views, opinions and observations to the wider Bloggersphere. Enjoy your film.

SICARIO (Rated MA15+) - there is a very strong pedigree behind this film that should assure it of a high degree of success. Director Denis Villeneuve, Cinematographer Roger Deakins, and starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio del Toro, Jon Bernthal and Victor Garber this film was made for US$30M and was in competition for the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year and is going out on general release now. 'Sicario' is cartel slang for 'hitman', and in the context of this film surrounds the drug war between the US and its border with Mexico. This, as you know, has been the subject of many a film over the years, but, already this film has garnered much interest and much acclaim for its gritty, raw, emotional and violent portrayal of the impact that the war on drugs has on those associated with it - directly and indirectly.

Our story here surrounds an idealistic FBI Agent Kate Mercer (Emily Blunt) who is tasked with chasing down a Mexican drug lord. She is operating under the watchful eye of an undercover assassin with a mysterious and questionable past and who is almost beyond the law, Alejandro (Benicio del Toro), and has been engaged by a special government task force to fight the ever escalating war on drugs, led by Matt Graver (Josh Brolin). As the Team get deeper and deeper into the war between duelling drug lords, so Agent Mercer must question her own moral compass, the fine line between right and wrong, and all the things she believes in to survive the battle she has been thrust in to. A must watch, and slated as one of the films of the year.

THE VISIT (Rated M) - M. Night Shyamalan has failed to ignite the success of his early offerings with  'The Sixth Sense' and 'Unbreakable', and so this time around he has Written, Produced and Directed and taken his destiny into his own hands with this dark horror thriller comedy that he made for a lean US$5M of his own hard earned cash and has so far realised a return of US$39M. The film sees brother and sister Tyler and Becca respectively (Ed Oxenbould and Olivia DeJonge) who get packed off to outback Pennsylvania to spend a week with their maternal grandparents Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) and Nana (Deanna Dunagan) whom they have never met, while Mum (Kathryn Hahn) sails off into the sunset on a cruise with the new boyfriend. Once grandparents and grandkids get acquainted, all is going swimmingly until things start to go bump in the night and some strange happenings with the oldies start to occur, that make the young kids wonder if they'll ever make it home.

LONDON ROAD (Rated MA15+) - From 'Fury Road' to 'London Road' with 'Locke' and 'Legend' in between Tom Hardy is snapping up just about every role there is going - action epic, violent bio-pic, small independent and now art-house musical murder mystery. Directed by Rufus Norris, 'London Road' tells the true life story of a street in Ipswich, in England that back in 2006 became the centre of attention across the nation for all the wrong reasons. When the bodies of five women were found in Ipswich the residents of London Road found themselves at the centre of a multiple murder case - in their own back yards and on their doorsteps! The events that unfolded during the investigations surrounding the serial killing murders of five prostitutes who used to work the nearby streets, and the arrest and subsequent conviction of Steve Wright were picked up by the National Theatre and turned into a stage play that was originally Directed by Norris, who has now committed the story to celluloid and turned it into a musical - but not perhaps the kind you would expect! Using word for word dialogue of those real residents embroiled at the centre of the murder case and interviewed at the time, their stories come together through conversation, emotion, observation and anecdotes to showcase how they rallied around and came out the other end. Tom Hardy stars with Olivia Coleman and Anita Dobson.

CUT SNAKE (Rated MA15+) - This Australian thriller is Directed by Tony Ayres and takes its title from the Aussie saying 'as mad as a cut snake' - meaning stay away because that critter is mightily pissed off! And so it is here, as this film takes us back to the mid-70's Melbourne where Sparra Farrell (Alex Russell), a young guy in his mid-20's living a quiet life, working an honest job and has hooked up with a lovely young girl Paula (Jessica de Gouw). Things are going well as he tries to put his violent, darker past behind him and build a new life . . . until Pommie (Sullivan Stapleton) turns up. This ex-cell mate is a charismatic, foreboding man who quickly turns Sparra's life on its head and he finds himself heading into those bad old ways he has earlier turned his back on, and all the while he has Paula to consider and what she means to him.

THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL (Rated MA15+) - Written and Directed by Marielle Heller and based on the semi-autobiographical graphic novel of the same name by Phoebe Gloeckner this takes us back too to the mid-70's but this time San Francisco, where 15 year old would-be cartoonist Minnie Goetze (Bel Powley) gets it on for the first time with her mothers boyfriend Monroe (Alexander Skarsgard), and despite the twenty year age difference between them she relishes her first sexual experience, the awakening within her, and her desire for more. This coming of age story in the time of free-love, sex, drugs, and the American way she records in an audio diary and through her animated scribblings which move this unique story along in a non-judgemental emotional funny and provocative way. Krsiten Wiig stars as Charlotte - Minnie's mother. This has already garnered much positive press for its strong storyline, it's fresh approach to the teenage sexual awakening genre, solid performances and it has won several awards around the festival circuit on its way to our cinemas.

PAN (Rated PG) - Director Joe Wright has taken US$150M and turned this Peter Pan story into an origin tale that takes us way back when young twelve year old Peter (Aussie newcomer Levi Miller) was wet behind the ears and totally clueless about the ways of the world and what fate held in store for him. Whisked away to Neverland, Peter finds fun, adventure, excitement and danger around every corner but he meets new friends James Hook (no hook as yet, Garrett Hedlund) and Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara) who will help him thwart the pirate Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman) whilst discovering his true identity and purpose in life so sending him on his way as the much loved Peter Pan.

Six cracking reasons to get out amongst a bunch of like minded strangers to a warm dark place with a bright light, deafening surround sound, pre-show ads that go on for way too long, and a candy bar full of sugary tasty snacks that you don't really want, but you'll buy anyway. When you've done all this, share your thoughts . . . and then do it all over again next time!

See you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 20th - 26th September 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

David Wenham does on 21st September - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 50 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 20th September

• Jon Bernthal - Born 1977, turns 38 - Actor
• Gary Cole - Born 1956, turns 59 - Actor
• Sophia Loren - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actress
• Asia Argento - Born 1975, turns 40 - Actress | Director | Writer

Monday 21st September

• Bill Murray - Born 1950, turns 65 - Actor | Writer
• Luke Wilson - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Stephen King - Born 1947, turns 68 - Writer | Producer | Actor
• David Wenham - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actor
• Ethan Coen - Born 1957, turns 58 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor
• Jerry Bruckheimer - Born 1943, turns 72 - Producer

Tuesday 22nd September

• Tom Felton - Born 1987, turns 28 - Actor
• Scott Baio - Born 1960, turns 50 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Nick Cave - Born 1957, turns 58 - Writer | Composer | Actor

Wednesday 23rd September

• Anthony Mackie - Born 1978, turns 37 - Actor
• Jason Alexander - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Director
• John Woo - Born 1946, turns 69 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Alex Proyas - Born 1963, turns 52 - Director | Producer | Writer

Thursday 24th September

• Brad Bird - Born 1957, turns 58 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Kevin Sorbo - Born 1958, turns 57 - Actor | Producer

Friday 25th September

• Pedro Almodovar - Born 1949, turns 66 - Director | Producer | Actor
• Will Smith - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actor | Producer
• Mark Hamill - Born 1951, turns 64 - Actor | Producer
• Jason Flemyng - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Michael Madsen - Born 1958, turns 57 - Actor | Producer
• Michael Douglas - Born 1944, turns 71 - Actor | Producer
• Catherine Zeta-Jones - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actress
• Heather Locklear - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actress | Producer

Saturday 26th September

• Linda Hamilton - Born  1956, turns 59 - Actress
• Olivia Newton-John - Born 1948, turns 67 - Singer | Actress
• Jim Caviezel - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actor

David Wenham was born in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville to Kath and Bill Wenham. Growing up a Roman Catholic he attended the Christian Brothers High School, in Lewisham, Sydney. He has an older brother, Peter, and five older sisters - Helen, Carmel, Anne, Kathryn and Maree . . . not so bad for a Roman Catholic family!

He attended the University of Western Sydney and graduated from the Theatre Nepean there, shortly after which he began acting. He secured his first small screen role in 'Sons and Daughters' in 1987, and from this point on he never really looked back. From here there was a string of television movies, and television series including 'Police Rescue', 'A Country Practice', One of Us', 'Blue Heelers', his award winning turn in 1997's 'Simone de Beauvoir's Babies' and then 'SeaChange' in 1998/99.

His big screen debut came in 1992 in 'Seeing Red' with 'Greenkeeping' following that same year. Other films followed as did television appearances until 'Cosi' in 1996 with Toni Collette, Barry Otto, Ben Mendelssohn, Rachel Griffiths, Colin Friels and Jakki Weaver - almost a 'Who's Who' of Aussie Acting talent. 'Idiot Box' came next and then 'The Boys' with with Toni Collette once more and then Alex Proyas' 'Dark City' with Kiefer Sutherland, Rufus Sewell and Wiliam Hurt. As the 90's drew to a close there was 'A Little Bit of Soul', and 'Molokai' before opening the new decade in 2000 with 'Better Than Sex'.

2001 brought 'Russian Doll' with Hugo Weaving; Baz Luhrmann's 'Moulin Rouge'  with Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor; 'The Bank' with Anthony LaPaglia, and 'Dust' with Joseph Fiennes.

Following this there was more substantial fare with the likes of 'The Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers' and then 'Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King' as Faramir. 'Gettin' Square' with Sam Worthington and Timothy Spall came next, and then 'Van Helsing' and Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale. 

2005 saw 'Three Dollars'  and John Hillcoat's Aussie Western 'The Proposition' with Noah Taylor, Guy Pearce and Ray Winstone. In Zack Snyder's '300' he portrays 'Dilios', the only Spartan to survive The Battle of Thermopylae enabling him to reprise his role in the 2007 video game and the 2014 sequel '300 : Rise of an Empire'. 

In the meantime, there was 'Australia' for Baz Luhrmann again with Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman and Michael Mann's 'Public Enemies' in 2009 with Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Channing Tatum and Jason Clarke. Then there was 'Pope Joan', 'Oranges and Sunshine' with Emily Watson and more recently 'Paper Planes'. In between time Wenham has lent his voice talents to 'Legends of the Guardians : The Owls of Ga'Hoole' and 'Blinky Bill : The Movie' released just this week. In addition, there has been a whole bunch of television series - 'Killing Time' in 2011, 'Top of the Lake' in 2013, and 'Better Man, 'The Code' and 'Banished' more recently. 

Next up there is 'Beyond the Known World', 'Goldstone', 'Lion', 'Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Men Tell No Tales' all currently in post-production, and 'Force of Destiny' recently completed. All up Wenham has fourteen award wins and a further thirty nominations under his belt. He also has a number of stage acting credits to his name including 'Jerry Springer : The Opera' and 'The Crucible'.

Wenham has had a long term relationship with Kate Agnew since 1994 and with whom he has two daughters - Eliza Jane born December 2002 and Millie born in November 2008.

David Wenham  - voted Australia's Most Sexiest Man Alive; a former BINGO caller and insurance clerk; goes by the nickname of 'Daisy'; was the subject winner of the 2000 'Archibald Prize' for portrait painting; and, was the reader of the poem titled 'The Crocodiles are Crying' at Steve Irwin's funeral just a few short years ago. Happy Big-5-Oh! to you Dave, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-