Birthday's to share this week : 30th October - 5th November 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Toni Collette does on 1st November - check out my tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 44, 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 30th October

• Juliet Stevenson - Born 1956, turns 60 - Actress
• Clemence Poesy - Born 1982, turns 34 - Actress
• Henry Winkler - Born 1945, turns 71 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Kevin Pollak - Born 1957, turns 59 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director  

Monday 31st October

• Stephen Rea - Born 1946, turns 70 - Actor
• Peter Jackson - Born 1961, turns 55 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Rob Schneider - Born 1963, turns 53 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Dermot Mulroney - Born 1963, turns 53 - Actor | Writer | Director | Musician
• Piper Perabo - Born 1976, turns 40 - Actress | Producer
• Willow Smith - Born 2000 - turns 16 - Actress | Singer  

Tuesday 1st November

• Toni Collette - Born 1972, turns 44 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Lyle Lovett - Born 1957, turns 59 - Actor | Singer | Songwriter
• Robert Luketic - Born 1973, turns 43 - Director | Producer | Writer  

Wednesday 2nd November

• David Schwimmer - Born 1966, turns 50 - Actor | Producer | Director
• John M. Chu - Born 1979, turns 37 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Stefanie Powers - Born 1942, turns 74 - Actress | Producer  

Thursday 3rd November

• Roseanne Barr - Born 1952, turns 64 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director
• Kate Capshaw - Born 1953, turns 63 - Actress
• Gary Ross - Born 1956, turns 60 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Dolph Lundgren - Born 1957, turns 59 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Hal Hartley - Born 1959, turns 57 - Director | Producer | Editor | Composer
• Dylan Moran - Born 1971, turns 45 - Actor | Writer  

Friday 4th November

• Matthew McConaughey - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Sean Combs - Born 1969, turns 47 - Singer | Songwriter | Producer | Actor
• Loretta Swit - Born 1937, turns 79 - Actress  

Saturday 5th November

• Tilda Swinton - Born 1960, turns 56 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director
• Tatum O'Neal - Born 1963, turns 53 - Actress | Producer
• Famke Janssen - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director
• Sam Shepard - Born 1943, turns 73 - Actor | Writer | Director | Singer
• Robert Patrick - Born 1958, turns 58 - Actor | Producer
• Sam Rockwell - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actor | Producer

Antonia Collett was born in the Western Sydney suburb of Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia to mother Judith Cook who worked in a customer service role, and father Bob Collett, a truck driver. She attended Blacktown Girls High School until aged sixteen, and then the Australian Theatre for Young People in Sydney (whose other notable alumni include Nicole Kidman, Rose Byrne, Rebel Wilson and Baz Luhrmann) before going onto the National Institute of Dramatic Art, also in Sydney. Her first acting role came in a school production of 'Godspell'. Early on in her career she added the letter 'e' to her surname, and so she became Toni Collette.

In 1990 Collette secured her first small screen appearance on a single episode of 'A Country Practice'. Two years later she appeared in her feature film debut 'Spotswood' (aka 'The Efficiency Expert') with Anthony Hopkins, Ben Mendelsohn and Russell Crowe. Her breakout role came two years after that in 'Muriel's Wedding' playing the lead character of Muriel Hislop alongside Bill Hunter and Rachel Griffiths - a role for which she gained 18kgs in weight in just seven weeks. Collette won her first Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress for her performance as Muriel in this much loved film. 'Clockers' followed and then 'Cosi' with Ben Mendelsohn and Rachel Griffiths agains with David Wenham, Jacki Weaver and Barry Otto.

From this point on there was really no looking back for Collette with roles coming through thick and fast before the '90's closed out on the likes of 'The Pallbearer', 'Emma', 'Lillian's Story', 'Clockwatchers', 'Diana and Me', 'The Boys', 'Velvet Goldmine' and '8½ Women'. And then there was the critical and commercial hit 'The Sixth Sense' with Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment that put Director M. Night Shyamalan on the map with six Academy Award nominations including Colette's first, for Best Supporting Actress.

The new decade launched with 'Shaft' with Samuel L. Jackson, 'Hotel Splendide' with Daniel Craig, 'Changing Lanes' with Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson again, 'About a Boy' with Hugh Grant, 'Dirty Deeds' with Sam Neill and then 'The Hours' with Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. 

'Japanese Story', 'In Her Shoes' and then 'Little Miss Sunshine' saw another award worthy role in this critical and commercially successful little independent film. 'The Night Listener' with Robin Williams came next followed with 'Like Minds', 'The Dead Girl', 'Evening', 'Towelhead', 'The Black Balloon' and 'Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger' closing out the decade. In the meantime there has also been 2001's television film 'Dinner with Friends' and the 2006 television film 'Tsunami : The Aftermath' which garnered Collette her first Primetime Emmy nomination.

The last five years have seen multiple films across multiple genres including supernatural horrors 'Fright Night' and 'Krampus'; comedy dramas 'Foster', 'The Way, Way Back', 'Enough Said', 'Lucky Them', 'A Long Way Down', 'Hector and the Search for Happiness' and 'Miss You Already'; with comedies 'Mental' and 'Tammy', the drama 'Glassland' and the bio-pic 'Hitchcock' in between.  

The very successful 'United States of Tara' for Showtime which ran for 36 episodes over three seasons ran from 2009 through to 2011 and was highly acclaimed winning Collette further award wins and nominations as Tara Gibson diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder suffering multiple personality traits - nine in fact running throughout the three seasons. There was also the television series for CBS 'Hostages' with Dylan McDermott which ran for just one season in 2013 over fifteen episodes with the show being cancelled thereafter. Australian television mini-series 'The Devil's Playground' followed in 2014 running for six episodes in which Collette starred in four. Along the way Collette also starred in the Broadway play 'The Realistic Joneses' once again to critical acclaim wining her, and her cast a Drama Desk Special Award.

Bringing us up to date in 2016 there is the thriller 'Unlocked' for Director Michael Apted with Noomi Rapace, Michael Douglas, John Malkovich and Orlando Bloom; Australian drama 'Jasper Jones' with Hugo Weaving; and thriller 'Imperium' with Daniel Radcliffe. For a 2017 release and in post-production is Iraq War drama 'The Yellow Birds' with Jack Huston, Tye Sheridan, Jason Patrick and Jennifer Aniston' 'xXx : Return of Xander Cage' with Vin Diesel and Samuel L. Jackson; comedies 'Fun Mom Dinner' and 'Please Stand By' with Dakota Fanning; comedy drama 'Madame' with Harvey Keitel currently filming and for Director Fred Schepisi and in pre-production is drama 'Andora' with Clive Owen, Gillian Anderson and Joanna Lumley.

Collette has also lent her voice talents to 'The Priness and the Cobbler' in 1993; 'The Magic Pudding' in 2000; 'Mary and Max' in 2009; 'The Boxtrolls' in 2014 and 'Blinky Bill : The Movie' in 2015. She has 68 Acting credits to her name, four as Producer and six for her singing performances. She has garnered one Academy Award nomination for 'The Sixth Sense'; she has one Golden Globe win for 'United States of Tara' and four other nominations; two BAFTA nominations; one Primetime Emmy Award win and two other nominations; and a further 24 wins and another 42 nominations so far, including six Australian Film Institute wins and five other nominations. She also has pursued her musical interests with her band 'The Finish' for which her husband plays drums. She released there debut album 'Beautiful Awkward Pictures' in 2006 and toured Australia to promote it thereafter.

She has been married to musician Dave Galafassi since early 2003 with whom she has two children Sage Florence (born in 2008) and Arlo Robert (born in 2011). Collette is an advocate for animal rights and a supporter of 'PETA' - 'People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals'.

Toni Collette - has been in demand since starting out with no sign of that demand flagging anytime soon; is equally at ease in comedies, dramas, thrillers, horror and bio-pics; is more often that not critically lauded for her grounded, real and nuanced performances; still calls Sydney home; and despite her long flowing red hair, has shaved it off completely five times to date. Happy Birthday to you Toni, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

JACK REACHER : NEVER GO BACK : Tuesday 25th October 2016.

The character of Jack Reacher first burst onto our cinema screens in 2012 as portrayed by Tom Cruise in the title role, and now he's back, in 'JACK REACHER : NEVER GO BACK' which I saw this week. Based on the best selling series of books by Lee Child, that first outing was developed from Child's 2005 book in the series 'One Shot' as Directed by Christopher McQuarrie and Co-Produced by Cruise for US$60M with a worldwide Box Office take of over US$218M, and generally positive critical Reviews too. Now in 2016 Jack Reacher is back and Tom Cruise is reprising his role in Lee Child's 2013 novel adaptation 'Never Go Back'. Once again Co-Produced by Tom Cruise but Directed and Co-Written for the screen by Edward Zwick this time, the film was made for US$60M, and so far made back US$60M.

The film opens up as per the early trailer promoting the film. Reacher (Tom Cruise) is sat in an empty diner with his back turned towards us, when outside pull up two Police Officers, surveying the human carnage comprising four or five strewn bodies outside the diner where are amassed a bunch of onlookers. One witness recounts that the man inside took them all out single handedly within a matter of seconds, and then took a seat at the bar in the diner. The Police walk in and promptly handcuff Reacher rifling through his meagre belongings. Reacher proclaims that within 90 seconds two things will occur - first the pay phone will ring and second, the senior Police Officer will be wearing the cuffs for the part he plays in a human trafficking ring which Reacher has just brought down. And so it comes to pass!

Next up we see Reacher speaking over the phone with Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) who thanks him for alerting her to the human trafficking bust. The two develop a friendly rapport which also serves to set the scene for the relationship that will unfold. He vows to look her up when next he is in her neck of the woods, and arriving a few days later Reacher seeks her out at his old military headquarters at Fort Dyer. He walks into her office to be greeted by Colonel Sam Morgan (Holt McCallany) who delivers the news that Turner has been arrested and held on charges of espionage. Reacher instantly smells a rat!

Reacher locates Turner's designated military lawyer Colonel Bob Moorcroft who explains that Turner is being held over the suspected murder of two of her own soldiers in Afghanistan. While they're at it Moorcroft has done some digging on Reacher too and has 'evidence' that a Candice Dayton has filed a paternity suit against Reacher and claiming that he is the father of her daughter Samantha Dayton (Danika Yarosh), now aged fifteen, even though Reacher denies it vehemently. At a subsequent meeting Moorcroft meets Reacher on the street and hands over some further information, but is later found dead at the hands of 'The Hunter' (Patrick Heusinger) - an assassin. Reacher is framed for this murder given the two were last seen together, and that meeting ended rather acrimoniously.

Reacher is later called in to meet with Morgan and is promptly taken into custody for Moorcroft's murder, assigned a military lawyer, and is carted off to detention with Turner. Whilst being held over for questioning his spies out of the window two goons making there way into the prison, supposedly to transfer Turner to another facility. With some quick thinking and astute observations, Reacher grasps the situation and over powers the two goons in Turner's cell, and then he and she get the hell outta there. With Reacher and Turner on foot with the Military Police in hot pursuit, followed by The Hunter, the pair successfully evade capture but not before some close quarter hand to hand combat in the kitchen of a restaurant. By now they have deduced that Morgan is somehow involved, and so make their way to his house where they question him in no uncertain terms and download a bunch of relevant files to aid their own investigations. Later, The Hunter, arrives at Morgan's place and deduces that Reacher and Turner must have got away with something, and so he kills Morgan with the desk top telephone set, which has Reacher's finger prints all over it from his earlier visit.

One of the files downloaded to the USB stick at Morgan's place contained photo surveillance images of Samantha, and so they deduce that she must be in danger. The two hot foot it to her house where they find her two old hippy type foster parents dead, and Samantha hiding in a cupboard. The action then takes us to New Orlean's where the three now are in search of Daniel Prudhomme (Austin Herbert) who witnessed the murders of the two soldiers that Turner is accused of. They track him down in an old warehouse that is home to a bunch of drug addicts, of which he is now one, and learn that Prudhomme was part of a private military security organisation originally hired by the US Government, called ParaSource. Their US$1B contract had been cancelled and so ParaSource had fallen very quickly on hard times with mounting debts, and need to secure a new lucrative income stream.

Prudhomme comes clean with everything he knows including the cover up of the murders. Turner contacts a friend in the Military Police, Captain Anthony Espin (Aldis Hodge) to take Prudhomme into safe custody in exchange for everything he knows that will implicate ParaSource, but in doing so they are ambushed and Prudhomme is killed by ParaSource contractors. Needless to say Reacher and Turner overcome their attackers in a hail of gun fire and explosions.

Acting on information gleaned from Prudhomme, Reacher, Turner and Espin make for a local airport where a consignment of returning weapons is due to land a few hours from now. There, General James Harkness (Robert Knepper), the now CEO of ParaSource, is on hand to meet the arriving aircraft. Reacher and Turner have every reason to believe that the crates will be empty having sold them to the insurgents in Afghanistan, and upon intercepting Harkness and his goons, demand that the crates be opened. As per the flight manifest all weapons are in the crates intact, and Turner is left with egg on her face and a lot of explaining to do. Harkness demands that she be taken into custody by her own Military Police, but Reacher thinks that things just don't add up, and so opens up another crate, pulls out a rocket launcher and thumps it barrel end hard on the ground, ejecting several bags of opium. The process is repeated for all crates revealing over 50kgs of smuggled opium. Harkness is taken into custody so clearing both Reacher and Turner of their alleged crimes.

Meanwhile Harkness was able to trace a credit card transaction back to Samantha in the hotel where they were staying, and sent The Hunter to track her down. A foot chase between Samantha and The Hunter and two others ensues through the streets of New Orleans at night, whilst the city celebrates Halloween with a street carnival. Reacher and Turner make for the hotel and have to trace Samantha's steps in order to rescue her from certain death at the hands of The Hunter. Chasing through masked revellers, decorated parade floats, and the jostling crowds of party goers Reacher and Turner take out the two henchmen, leaving The Hunter with a captured Samantha dangling on a rooftop ledge. Samantha breaks free from her captor, leaving Reacher and The Hunter to fight to the death. Needless to say you'll guess easily enough who rises victorious albeit a little battered and bruised!

In the end with their names cleared Turner returns to Fort Dyer and to her former position. Reacher meets with Samantha in a diner and it is revealed that the woman who served him his coffee is her biological mother, and as Reacher and the woman didn't recognise each other despite the passing of fifteen years, that Reacher can't be her father, and that it was a planned ruse anyway to secure some easy money with which to start afresh. After a tearful farewell, Reacher thumbs a lift to the next town carrying just the jacket on his shoulders and a toothbrush in his pocket.

This instalment is enjoyable enough and a worthy follow on to that earlier film. It moves along at a good pace, is a simple enough story and is fairly predictable by the numbers leave your brain at the door fare too. Tom Cruise is convincing enough as the tough as nails take no prisoners vigilante drifter Jack Reacher, but there are no surprises here and a plot that we have seen before countless times. The action is fairly pedestrian and comes in fits and starts waiting for the big crescendo on the roof top in downtown New Orleans, and Samantha's final farewell to Reacher on the steps of her new school is soap box stuff! Watch out for the cameo of author Lee Child (Jim Grant). If you're a fan of the genre, or Tom Cruise, or Lee Child's series of Jack Reacher novels, then this is likely to be for you, but you can easily save yourself the price of a cinema ticket and wait for the BluRay or DVD in a few months time and watch it from the comfort of your own home.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 27th October 2016.

The heavily hyped, highly anticipated next instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is released this week in the form of 'Doctor Strange' as Previewed below. Representing the 14th film in the MCU, the good Doctor is a lesser known character in the rapidly expanding portfolio of Marvel superheroes to get the big screen treatment as the MCU enters its third stage which launched with the hugely successful 'Captain America : Civil War' earlier this year. Stephen Vincent Strange - world acclaimed neurosurgeon - first appeared in Marvel's Comic Books back in July 1963 created by artist and conceptualist Steve Ditko with the storyline coming from Stan Lee. Since then there have been a long line of comic books, novels, video games, cross-over animated television series and a few films including a 1978 live action film titled 'Dr. Strange' with Peter Hooten in the lead role, the animated direct to DVD 'Doctor Strange : The Sorcerer Supreme' in 2007, and a brief cameo in the 2010 animated 'Planet Hulk'. Now in 2016, after a gestation period that commenced in 1986 when a movie adaptation went into pre-production and then faltered, various Writers including David S. Goyer, Alex Cox and Wes Craven coming and going over subsequent years, and as Studios came and went, finally Scott Derrickson scored the gig to Direct. As a self-confessed fan of the mystic superhero since childhood, he had his mind set on just one Actor to play the lead role - Benedict Cumberbatch. After this outing, we'll see Cumberbatch reprising his role as Doctor Strange in 'Avengers : Infinity War' due in May 2018.

This week there are just three new cinema releases coming to an Odeon near you, but each have been critically acclaimed and therefore merit your strongest consideration when pondering what to see on the big screen in the week ahead. We kick off with the latest offering from your favourite cinematic universe that has already yielded thirteen films of superhero goodness, with this fourteenth introducing us to a new lesser known character who learns to fight mystical threats against our humble world using newly acquired metaphysical powers and a higher learning. We then move to rural Texas and a modern day game of cops and robbers in the mid-West that brings a couple of young guns up against an old hand Ranger and his trusted pardner. The week then wraps up with a French foreign language film about rape, female empowerment and revenge from a Director not too concerned about courting controversy.

As always, remember to share your views and observations with your like minded readers here, by leaving your Comment below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear form you, and in the meantime, enjoy your film.

'DOCTOR STRANGE' (Rated M) - the fourteenth instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is upon us in the guise of one Doctor Stephen Strange, a lesser known character in the comic canon, but one nonetheless who has carved out a niche following and who has been around since being created by artist Steve Ditko in 1963, with Stan Lee penning the mystical mind bending story. Made for US$165M, the early Reviews of 'Doctor Strange' have been very positive, with Marvel looking as though they have backed another winner, with Scott Derrickson in the Director's Chair and also taking a Screenplay and Story credit, and Benedict Cumberbatch playing the title role ably supported by a strong cast.

And so Doctor Stephen Strange is a world acclaimed neurosurgeon - both brilliant and egotistical. When a car accident robs him of the use of both hands and therefore his ability to perform surgery he scales the globe seeking a cure that will repair and restore the use of his hands. When this doesn't eventuate and he has lost his way in life and used up all of his accumulated wealth, he comes across 'The Ancient One' (Tilda Swinton) in a mysterious mountain enclave known as the Kamar-Taj located in the Himalayas. Here The Ancient One shows him what might be and what he is capable of, and he also learns that those others of the enclave represent the front line of defence against dark forces intent of destroying reality. 'Through the mystic arts we harness energy to shape reality' she tells him. It's not long before Strange is caught between the world he once knew, and giving that all up to defend the world against mystical threats as an all powerful sorcerer using his new found metaphysical abilities. Also starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, Benjamin Bratt, Benedict Wong and Rachel McAdams.

'HELL OR HIGH WATER' (Rated MA15+) - released Stateside in mid-August having Premiered at Cannes in May this year, and only now reaching Australian shores, this film has already received high praise from the critics and has made US$30M from its US$12M budget. Directed by David Mackenzie this modern day Western crime thriller tells the story of two brothers, Tanner (Ben Foster) and Toby Howard (Chris Pine) whose mother has recently died, leaving the family farm in West Texas facing foreclosure if the mortgage isn't paid off imminently. Needing to raise some fast cash to pay off the loan to secure the house and farm, and set themselves up, the two brothers embark on a spree of local bank robberies on the Texas Midlands Bank. What they don't count on though is that local wise, grizzled and fast approaching retirement Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and his partner in law enforcement Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) are hot on their tails and closing in. This cops and robbers saga plays out until the final showdown, when Ranger Marcus Hamilton just might prove that in fact this is a country for old men!

'ELLE' (Rated MA15+) - this French foreign language film is Directed by Paul Verhoeven in his first feature film outing in ten years and his first in French. The film Premiered in competition at Cannes earlier this year and it has been chosen as the French entry into the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards in February 2017. The film has been critically acclaimed. Telling the story of hard as nails high flying corporate Chief Executive Officer of a Paris based video game production company, Michele LeBlanc (Isabelle Huppert) who lives her love life as tough and as ruthless as her business life. Until that is, one day she is raped in her own home by an unknown assailant, which changes her life forever. When Michele, determined to track down her attacker, finally does so, what begins is a cat and mouse game of violent sexual encounters that could escalate out of control at any time, but which nonetheless she appears to be aroused by - or is this just part of her plan to exact revenge on the perpetrator?

Three highly acclaimed films then to choose from this coming week that give you ample excuses to get out to your local Odeon at least once over the next seven days. When you have done so, share a Comment with us and let us know what you thought of you movie going experience. In the meantime, I'll see you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 23rd-29th October 2016

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Emilia Clarke does on 23rd October - check out my tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 30, 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 23rd October

• Emilia Clarke - Born 1986, turns 30 - Actress
• Alex Gibney - Born 1953, turns 63 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Ang Lee - Born 1954, turns 62 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Sam Raimi - Born 1959, turns 57 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Ryan Reynolds - Born 1976, turns 40 - Actor | Producer  

Monday 24th October

• F. Murray Abraham - Born 1939, turns 77 - Actor
• Martin Campbell - Born 1943, turns 73 - Director | Producer
• Kevin Kline - Born 1947, turns 69 - Actor | Singer  

Tuesday 25th October

• Adam Goldberg - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Editor
• Gale Anne Hurd - Born 1955, turns 61 - Producer | Writer  

Wednesday 26th October

• Jaclyn Smith - Born 1945, turns 71 - Actress
• Rosemarie DeWitt - Born 1971, turns 45 - Actress
• Dylan McDermott - Born 1961, turns 55 - Actor
• Cary Elwes - Born 1962, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Writer 
• Seth MacFarlane - Born 1973, turns 43 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer | Songwriter | Animator
• Jon Heder - Born 1977, turns 39 - Actor | Producer  

Thursday 27th October

• John Cleese - Born 1939, turns 77 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer | Director
• Ivan Reitman - Born 1946, turns 70 - Producer | Director | Writer
• Roberto Benigni - Born 1952, turns 64 - Director | Writer | Actor | Singer 

Friday 28th October

• Dennis Franz - Born 1944, turns 72 - Actor | Writer
• Kevin MacDonald - Born 1967, turns 49 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Joaquin Phoenix - Born 1974, turns 42 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer
• Julia Roberts - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actress | Producer  

Saturday 29th October

• Kate Jackson - Born 1948, turns 68 - Actress | Producer
• Winona Ryder - Born 1971, turns 45 - Actress | Producer
• Robert Hardy - Born 1925, turns 91 - Actor
• Richard Dreyfuss - Born 1947, turns 69 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer
• Rufus Sewell - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actor
• Ben Foster - Born 1980, turns 36 - Actor | Producer   

Emilia Isabelle Euphemia Rose Clarke was born in London, England where she grew up in Berkshire with her business woman mother, theatre sound engineer father and her brother. The young Emilia's interest in Acting were first sparked at age just three when her mother took her along to a theatre production of the musical 'Show Boat' which her father has worked on. She was educated at the independent Roman Catholic Rye St. Antony Girls School in Headington, Oxford, and then the co-deucational independent boarding St. Edward's School in Oxford. From there she attended the Drama Centre London, affiliated to the University of the Arts, London who's other notable alumni include Michael Fassbender, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Hardy, Paul Bettany, Russell Brand and her 'Game of Thrones' Co-Star Gwendoline Christie. She graduated in 2009.

Whilst at St. Edward's Clarke appeared in two school plays, ten whilst at the Drama Centre London, and the Los Angeles Company of Angels production of 'Sense'. She gained her first small screen role on an episode of the BBC's 'Doctors' in 2009, and followed this up with the made for television movie for the SyFy Channel 'Triassic Attack' in 2010.

Her big screen debut came in 2012 in 'Spike Island' about the English alternative rock band 'The Stone Roses' gig on Spike Island, Cheshire, England in May 1990 and a group of friends who attempt, in the lead up to that gig, to get to the concert venue without transport, and to gain entry without tickets. This was followed up that same year with the twelve minute short film 'Shackled'.

2013 saw the black comedy crime caper film 'Dom Hemingway' as Written and Directed by Richard Shepard and starring Jude Law in the title role with Richard E. Grant and Damian Bichir. 'Terminator : Genisys' came next in 2015 with Clarke playing Sarah Connor to Jason Clarke as John Connor, Jai Courtney as Kyle Reece and Arnold Schwarzenegger as a re-programmed T-800 Terminator. Despite the film grossing over US$440M off its US$155M budget, a further instalment has been put on hold indefinitely, and Clarke has stated earlier this year that she would not be returning to the franchise.

'Me Before You' came earlier this year alongside Sam Claflin, which whilst earning a worldwide gross of US$207M from its US#20M budget and therefore a commercial success, received average critical acclaim only, although the performances of its two leads were generally praised. Clarke played alongside her 'Game of Thrones' Co-Star Charles Dance.

In the meantime and perhaps most significantly, Clarke has appeared in all six seasons so far broadcast of the hugely popular and much lauded 'Game of Thrones' television series for HBO. Playing the character of Daenerys Targaryen (aka 'Stormborn', 'The Mother of Dragons' and 'Khaleesi') - she is one of the shows most popular characters, and is set to return for season seven. She has won several awards and been nominated multiple times for her role in the cult series. Added to the demands of filming ten episodes per season for now six full televised seasons  on 'Game of Thrones', Clarke has appeared in single episodes of 'Futurama' and 'Robot Chicken', and starred in a Broadway production of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' in the role of Holly Golightly made famous by Audrey Hepburn in the classic 1961 film.

Next up is 'Above Suspicion' for Director Phillip Noyce with Jack Huston, Johnny Knoxville, and Thora Birch currently in post-production and due in 2017; 'Voice from the Stone' with Marton Csokas also due in 2017; the comedy 'Set It Up' due next year too, and in development for Director Oliver Hirschbiegel is WWI drama 'The Guns of August' with Charles Dance and Helena Bonham Carter also attached. All up Clarke has fifteen Acting credits to her name, she has four award wins so far and a further 22 nominations including three Prime Time Emmy nods for 'Game of Thrones' in 2013, 2015 and 2016 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Emilia Clarke - skilled at singing (ballads, blues, jazz and cabaret); athletic (rowing, swimming, running, tennis, skiing and sailing); has been ranked highly on numerous 'Top Lists' in the last five years including the #1 'Sexiest Woman Alive', 'Most Desirable Woman' and 'Most Beautiful Face', and for all her short time in the big and small screen acting business has left her mark that continues to keep her in demand, in the spotlight and her star shining brightly. Happy 30th Birthday to you Emilia, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

INFERNO : Tuesday 18th October 2016

'INFERNO' which I saw this week was written by Dan Brown, and he has so far had two other Robert Langdon adaptations committed to the big screen - 'The Da Vinci Code' in 2006 which made US$758M from its US$125M budget outlay, and 'Angels and Demons' in 2009 which returned US$486M from its US$150M budget. 'Inferno' is the third movie outing for Harvard Professor of Symbology, Robert Langdon and the fourth book of the series. 'The Lost Symbol' - the third book in the series was skipped over as it was thought by those all knowing Studio Exec's that 'Inferno' would make a more compelling transition to the cinema screen. The Langdon character is reprised once again by Tom Hanks and with Director Ron Howard at the helm. David Koepp wrote the screenplay. The film was made for US$75M and has so far made US$50M ahead of its US release date on 28th October.

The film opens up with a lone man being chased on foot by three assailants. He disappears up a bell tower and upon reaching the top with no where to turn he steps out on to the ledge overlooking the cobbled streets below of Florence. The three men chasing after him emerge, the man is caught, he turns inwards to face the men, some words are exchanged, and the man leans back and plummets to his death onto the street below. We then cut to a hospital bed where a semi-conscious Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is hooked up to a drip, heart monitors and his head bandaged. He is having visions of Hell, the plague, ravaged bodies, violence and death and rivers of blood but all in a modern day setting. He comes around and is greeted by Dr. Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) who advises him that he was admitted muttering the words 'very sorry' over and over again and with a bullet wound to the head that is likely to have caused temporary amnesia. Langdon has no recollection of the events that caused him to end up in the hospital bed, and in Florence of all places which he recognises instantly from his bedroom window.

Whilst Langdon is still in pain from his head wound and experiencing ongoing visions which he is seemingly caught in the middle of, Vayentha (Ana Ularu) an assassin, arrives at the hospital in police uniform and makes for the room where Langdon is in recovery. A hospital orderly is gunned down, and in the melee Brooks acts upon her survival instincts and gets herself and Langdon out of the hospital just in time to evade the rapid gunfire at the hand of the disguised assassin. The pair flee to Brooks' apartment where Langdon sleeps. When he wakes he freshens up but still has little memory of the events that brought him to Florence. Rummaging through his old bloodied clothes he comes across an object that he has never seen before, that requires his thumb print to open the stainless steel tube. Reluctantly the pair agree to open it revealing a 'Faraday Pointer' - a miniature projector - which reveals an image of Botticelli's late 15th Century Map of Hell which is based on Dante's 14th Century epic dark masterpiece 'Inferno'. But within the map on closer inspection are certain adjustments, hidden letters and a clue pointing to Betrand Zorbrist (Ben Foster) - the man who fell to his death at the beginning of the film.

Zorbrist it turns out was a billionaire geneticist who believed that the world is overpopulated and that rigorous measures are necessary to reduce the ever increasing population, which he sees as a modern plague. Through his seminars he has captured the interest of a group of followers around the world, and Langdon deduces that Zorbrist had created a virus capable of reducing the global populace by more than 50% - sustainable levels for a fresh start! By now the pair have been traced by the local authorities and the assassin once again, but again Langdon and Brooks manage to evade capture on foot. With Langdon's intimate knowledge of Dante, and of Florence the two embark on a cat and mouse game across the city's secret passageways, hidden vaults and network of tunnels and chambers all the while unlocking other clues as the clock counts down to the release of the virus in some hidden and secure place.

The pair are pursued at every turn by both Christoph Bouchard (Omar Sy) who claims to be working for the World Health Organisation, and Elizabeth Sinskey (Sidse Babett Knudsen) who heads up the WHO and is well known to Langdon. All the while Langdon's memory is coming back to him in flashback. In the meantime, Harry Sims (Irrfan Khan) heads up 'The Consortium' - a very special and secretive interest group who conduct dirty deeds for vast sums of money for the worlds wealthiest clients, no questions asked and confidentiality guaranteed. Sims is in possession of a video recorded by Zorbrist to be played only after the virus has been released, but since his client is dead, Sims plays the video recording, revealing the magnitude of what his client was planning. Sims approaches Sinskey with the knowledge of Zorbrist's final message, and the pair agree to work together to track down Langdon who is the only one capable of uncovering the puzzle and locating the virus stash before it is released. Bouchard however, gets to Langdon and Brooks first and wins them over with tall tales of Sinskey and how she has her own agenda for the virus.

Sims, using his own very particular set of skills tracks down Langdon who has now been captured by Bouchard, and Brooks has made off, but not before Brooks has revealed to Langdon that she was in fact Zorbrist's lover and his accomplice in the plan to release the virus, but the whereabouts of it were not known even to her. She needed him to reveal the location by following the clues and using his expert knowledge, and has since made off, evading capture by Bouchard, so ensuring the virus will be released as planned. In a run down building Sims quickly dispenses with Bouchard freeing Langdon to continue the chase for the virus. After an explanation of how Sims fits into the equation, Langdon reveals that the virus is in fact in Istanbul in the Hagia Sophia, and so the pair make off with  Sinskey in a private jet. We further learn that Langdon and Sinskey have romantic history and that she in fact asked Langdon with help in deciphering the meanings hidden in the Faraday Pointer. Langdon was kidnapped by The Consortium and given a memory loss drug and the whole hospital episode was a ruse, aimed at keeping Langdon off the scent.

The virus is hanging in a plastic bag dangling in the waters of the 6th Century Basilica Cistern close by to the Hagia Sophia. With a once a year music festival taking place within the Cistern and the gathered orchestra in place and well dressed on lookers filling the Basilica, the WHO Team, Sims, Sinskey and Langdon head down to search out the virus bag. So too do Brooks and two other enlisted foot soldiers intent on detonating two bombs in close proximity to the bag that when ruptured with aerosolize the virus. Needless to say its get pretty hairy in the closing minutes as bodies flay about in the shallow waters of the ancient Cistern and the virus is contained. It doesn't end well for the antagonists or Sims, leaving Langdon and Sinskey to return to the respective lives wondering what might have been if they had their time over again, and leaving the world's population in tact at almost eight billion and counting!

For me, after the novelty of seeing Robert Langdon in 'The Da Vinci Code' and then 'Angels and Demons' which were far better introductory films to the world of symbols, imagery, and iconology, I went in to the theatre with higher expectations and came out underwhelmed! In 'Inferno' we have a pedestrian, predictable, popcorn offering that sees the same old same old regurgitated again for the sake of some historic ancient landmarks whilst making light work of Langdon's particular set of skills to thwart a dead mans evil plot. There are too a number of liberties with the story as written by Dan Brown in his book, which I guess is Hollywood's poetic license at work here, but those that have read his page turning unputdownable novels as I have, are likely to pick up on this too. The story here takes a while to get into gear and then when it does it takes its foot off the peddle and meanders along in a by the numbers offering that make this the least engaging of the three films so far. Disappointing, particularly for another Hanks/Howard collaboration, but maybe for half the budget of its predecessors therein lies your answer? Wait for the DVD or BluRay to watch in the comfort of your own home and save yourself the price of a ticket.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 20th October 2016.

Not many people will have heard of Jim Grant, but a good many will have heard of Lee Child - the pseudonym under which Jim Grant writes his acclaimed and hugely popular 'Jack Reacher' series of books. With the release of the second Jack Reacher film this week 'Never Look Back' with Tom Cruise in the title role once again, it looks like this franchise has legs, and so I thought a little Jack Reacher synopsis was in order. The character of Jack Reacher first hit the book stands in 1997 with 'Killing Floor', followed up by a book every year since, except 2010 when two books were published. With 'Night School' due for imminent release, this marks the 21st novel in the long running history of this former Major in the US Military Police Corp now turned drifter, odd job man, and investigator of suspicious and often dangerous situations, more often than not across the USA from urban to rural locations, and occasionally overseas. Two books have so far made it to the big screen - the first Jack Reacher outing in 2012 based on 'One Shot' published in 2005, and 'Never Go Back' published in 2013. In addition, there has also been a collection of novella's and short stories which in all to date make up 32 publications featuring the character, including the yet to be released 'Night School'. To date Lee Child has sold over seventy million Jack Reacher novels putting the character firmly in the billion dollar brand category.  Lee Child has won numerous awards for his writing efforts about the exploits of his created character.

This week then, we have six new movies coming to a big screen near you. Starting off with a sequel to a very popular fictional character from a very popular series of books reprised by a popular Actor now establishing what could be a popular new franchise. Then a period piece framed around the Hollywood of yesteryear from an acclaimed and prolific Writer, Director and Actor once again with his trademark all star cast. Next up is an action comedy putting a new spin on a tried & tested formula that we have seen before that sees a meddling couple get in over their heads with a pair of highly trained secret agents; before moving onto a young models burgeoning career in over drive but at what cost ultimately to herself and those around her in this horror thriller that has split audience opinion. Sticking with the horror theme, we move to mid-'60's LA for an origin prequel about a board game that conjures up all sorts of nasties from the other side for this young family in mourning, before wrapping up with an acclaimed Australian supernatural coming of age story from a first time Director.

With more great choices as Previewed here, Reviewed previously and those others still out on general release it's a week of action, drama, jump scares with a little comedy thrown in for good measure. When you have sat through your movie of choice, remember that you are encouraged to share your moviegoing views and opinions by leaving your Comment below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear form you, and in the meantime, enjoy your film.

'JACK REACHER : NEVER GO BACK' (Rated M) - the character of Jack Reacher first burst onto our cinema screens in 2012 as portrayed by Tom Cruise in the title role. Based on the best selling series of books by Lee Child, that first outing was based on Child's 2005 book in the series 'One Shot' as Directed by Christopher McQuarrie and Co-Produced by Cruise for US$60M with a worldwide Box Office take of over US$218M, and generally positive critical Reviews too. Now in 2016 Jack Reacher is back and Tom Cruise is reprising his role in Lee Child's 2013 novel adaptation 'Never Go Back'. Once again Co-Produced by Tom Cruise but Directed and Co-Written for the screen by Edward Zwick this time, the film was made for US$96M.

Set four years after the events of that first film, Jack Reacher returns to his old military base to meet with Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) who has been working with Reacher on various cases across the country that have required his particular set of skills. Upon arriving he quickly learns that Major Turner has been accused of treason. Seeking to uncover the truth behind a major governmental conspiracy, and that Turner is innocent, he goes on the run in order to clear his name, that of Turner's whilst uncovering a secret from his past, that could change his future forever.

'CAFE SOCIETY' (Rated M) - marking Woody Allen's 47th film as Director, 'Cafe Society' was Written by him, and he provides the narration for the film too. Made at a cost of US$30M this is Allen's most expensive film to date. The film Premiered at Cannes earlier this year, was released Stateside in mid-July and so far has garnered critical praise. Set in the 1930's, Bobby Dorman (Jesse Eisenberg) leaves his home in the Bronx for all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood hoping to make it big in the movies.  He lands a job with his powerful talent agent uncle Phil Stern (Steve Carell) where he quickly falls for his secretary Vonnie (Kristen Stewart) who is tasked with introducing young Bobby to Hollywood. Coming to realise that Vonnie is Phil's mistress, Bobby returns to the Bronx heartbroken, and lands a job in a nightclub and in time Bobby meets the new love of his life, Veronica  Hayes (Blake Lively) and they eventually marry. All goes well, until Phil and Vonnie visit New York and Bobby's nightclub when old feelings are reignited. Also starring Parker Posey, Corey Stoll and Ken Stott.

'KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES' (Rated PG) - this action comedy offering from Director Greg Mottola sees the perfect and beautiful neighbourhood couple Mr. and Mrs. Jones (Tim, as played by John Hamm, and Natalie, as played by Gal Gadot) channelling a certain 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' (John as played by Brad Pitt and Jane as played by Angelina Jolie from 2005) - a couple of highly trained and elite government secret agents living in suburbia whose neighbours Jeff and Karen Gaffney (Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher respectively) suspect that there may be more to their perfect neighbours lives than meets the eye. The Gaffney's soon become entangled in a web of international intrigue and espionage with their perfect neighbours, that certainly brightens up their otherwise mundane lives but puts them straight in the path of danger, destruction and death all in the name of Uncle Sam - and doubtless with hilarious results!

'NEON DEMON' (Rated R18+) - Directed, Co-Produced, written for the screen and based on a story by Danish Nicolas Winding Refn, this horror thriller costs just US$7M to make, competed at Cannes this year for the Palme D'Or and divided audiences. The film was released back in June in the US, France and Denmark and has so far grossed just under US$4M. Starring Elle Fanning as  Jesse who shortly after her sixteenth birthday ups sticks and relocates herself to Los Angeles to pursue a career, fame and fortune as a model. Her modelling agency believes in her, telling the young Jesse she has the natural beauty and ability to go all the way to the top, but she quickly incurs the wrath of those other models within the agency and the industry at large for her fresh faced looks and natural beauty. As Jesses's career starts to take off, those other models almost are cast aside as yesterdays news and has-beens, leaving the new 'it girl' to learn new skills to ensure she maintains her position at the top of the heap and overcome the adversity thrown at her by her jealous rivals. Also starring Christina Hendricks, Jena Malone, Bella Heathcote, Abbey Lee and Keanu Reeves. This film has polarised audiences for all its extreme, gut wrenching craziness.

'OUIJA : ORIGIN OF EVIL' (Rated M) - in 2014 Stiles White in his Directorial debut brought us 'Ouija' which was panned by the critics, but it nonetheless returned US$104M from its initial US$5M budget outlay, making a follow-up a sure thing. Now two short years later and we have that follow-up in the form of a prequel to that earlier horror thriller film - hence 'Origin of Evil'. Made for US$6M this time and Directed and Co-Written by Mike Flanagan, here we are transported back to the mid-60's Los Angeles where widowed mother and her family run scam seances to earn a crust. Upon discovering a Ouija game board Doris Zander (Lulu Wilson) sees this as a way to connect with her deceased father. As the game gets underway, a dark figure manifests itself, and Doris is possessed by an evil spirit. Doris' new 'friends' from another world try to pass into this world and claim the young girl for their own. This results in the family having to play the Ouija game for themselves, confront their worst fears and rescue Doris from unthinkable malevolent forces if their lives are ever to be returned to some sort of normalcy.

'BOYS IN THE TREES' (Rated M) - Written, Directed and Edited by first timer Nicholas Verso this Australian supernatural thriller is set on Halloween 1997, and for some it's the final day of High School. Celebrating their passing of childhood into adulthood Corey (Tony Wallace), Jango (Justin Holborow) and their skater gang mates 'The Gromits' run wild with their new found freedom and the prospect of what lies ahead in their lives. When a bullied old schoolmate and former friend Jonah (Gulliver McGrath) is harassed by the other Gromits, Corey's plans for an evening of wild adventure take a different turn. With Jonah persuading Corey to walk him home, the pair step into a realm of supernatural fears, dark secrets, and old nightmares that cloud what's real and what is imagined, before they emerge at the other end with the scariest prospect facing us all - real life and everything it throws at us. Also starring Mitzi Ruhlmann as Romany. Critically acclaimed, this debut feature for Melbourne Director Verso shot mostly in the suburbs of Adelaide, has been well received at both the Toronto and Venice Film Festivals, and for a local production is one to watch out for.

Six new filmic offerings to coerce you out to your local Odeon in the coming week then offering horror, thriller, drama, action, comedy and supernatural themes to give you plenty of choice once more. Share your thoughts when you have sat through your movie of choice, and in the meantime, I'll see you at the Odeon sometime in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-