BILL PAXTON - dies aged 61 - R.I.P.

William 'Bill' Paxton, passed away following complications from recent heart surgery on Saturday 25th February. He was just 61 years of age. Born on 17th May 1955 in Fort Worth, Texas to mother Mary Lou Gray and father John Lane Paxton who worked as a businessman, timber wholesaler, museum executive and occasional Actor, the young lad was never far from the spotlight. At age eight he was in the crowd of onlookers and well wishers lining the streets to greet President John F. Kennedy just hours before he was shot and killed on that ill fated day in Dallas on November 22nd 1963. Official photographs taken on the day show a young Bill Paxton being lifted above the heads of the crowd for a better view of the passing cavalcade, which is on display at the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas. In another twist of fate, Paxton attended Arlington Heights High School, in Fort Worth with Lee Harvey Oswald - the alleged assassin of Kennedy, who was in turn shot and killed by Jack Ruby on 24th November 1963 while in Police custody for the murder of the President.

At age eighteen Paxton moved to Los Angeles and landed a job working for Roger Corman's film production company, New World Pictures, as a set dresser. He landed his big screen debut in a Corman picture - 1975's 'Crazy Mama' in an uncredited role Directed by Jonathan Demme. He later moved to New York where he studied acting under Stella Adler at New York University. From there he landed a bit part in Ivan Reitman's 1981 'Stripes' with Bill Murray, John Candy, Harold Ramis and Warren Oates. From this point on he was never out of work finding small parts on film and television series which kept him busy as a jobbing Actor. He even Directed and Wrote a couple of short films himself - 'Fish Heads' and 'Barnes & Barnes : Love Tap'. His rights of passage included a bunch of B-Grade horror films including 'Night Warning' in 1982, 'Deadly Lessons' and 'Mortuary' both in 1983, and 'Impulse' in 1984.

1984 also gave rise to his first collaboration with Director James Cameron and action hero star Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'Terminator' as a young punk in an early scene as the T-800 Terminator arrives naked in a downtown side street and his first contact with the human race is three knife wielding deadbeats who aren't long for this world. 'Weird Science' followed for John Hughes in 1985 which also starred a young Robert Downey Jnr., and then 'Commando' with Arnie again and then in 1986 in 'Aliens' for Director James Cameron as Private Hudson who uttered those immortal words 'stop yer grinnin' and drop yer linen'! A bunch of television show appearances and films including Katherine Bigelow's 'Near Dark', 'Slipstream' and 'Next of Kin' with Patrick Swayze saw out the '80's.

The new decade launched with 'Brain Dead' in 1990, and the next ten years saw the likes of 'Navy Seals' with Charlie Sheen, 'Predator 2' with Danny Glover, 'One False Move' which reunited him with Writer and Co-Star Billy Bob Thornton, the controversial 'Boxing Helena' with Julian Sands, Western 'Tombstone' with an all star cast that included Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp with Paxton playing Morgan Earp, and then in 1994 a reuniting with Cameron and Schwarzenegger in 'True Lies'.



The following year saw saw Paxton portray real life astronaut Fred Haise in Ron Howard's critically acclaimed retelling of the 'Apollo 13' mission with Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise and Ed Harris, and the following year saw Jan de Bont's equally acclaimed 'Twister' with Paxton in the lead role as over zealous tornado chaser Bill Harding opposite Helen Hunt. 'Traveller' came next in 1997 followed by another reteaming with James Cameron on his epic 'Titanic', with 'A Simple Plan' for Director Sam Raimi and Co-Star once again Billy Bob Thornton, and 'Mighty Joe Young' with Charlize Theron seeing out the decade in 1998.

2000 brought 'U-571' for Director Jonathan Moscow and Co-Starring Matthew McConaughey, Harvey Keitel, and Jon Bon Jovi, then K2 mountain rescue drama 'Vertical Limit' for Director Martin Campbell, and in 2001 Paxton made his Directorial debut with the well received 'Frailty' in which he also starred alongside Matthew McConaughey again. 2004 saw the live action big screen adaptation of the classic '60's Jerry and Sylvia Anderson series 'Thunderbirds' with Paxton playing Jeff Tracy, the founder of International Rescue. Paxton turned this hand to Directing again in 2005 with historical biographical golf sports film 'The Greatest Game Ever Played' with Shia LaBeouf in the lead role of champion of the modern game Francis Ouimet. The decade played out with Paxton starring in 55 episodes of HBO's television series 'Big Love' with Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Savigny, Bruce Dern and Harry Dean Stanton. The show garnered Paxton several award nominations including Golden Globe and Satellite Awards over successive years.

Action thriller 'Haywire' for Steven Soderbergh came next in 2011 with an ensemble cast and in 2012 the acclaimed three part post American Civil War mini-series 'Hatfields and McCoys' with Paxton starring alongside Kevin Costner. Paxton was again nominated for several awards including a Primetime Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild. 'The Colony' with Laurence Fishburne, '2 Guns' with Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, 'Million Dollar Arm' with Jon Hamm, Doug Liman's Sci-Fi action adventure 'Edge of Tomorrow' with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, Dan Gilroy's excellent 'Nightcrawler' with Jake Gyllenhaal, and then 'The Gamechangers', 'Term Life' and 'Mean Dreams' bring us up to date in terms of movie releases. In the meantime, there had also been six episodes on Marvel's television series 'Agents of 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' the acclaimed five part mini-series 'Texas Rising' - the story of how the Texas Rangers were formed, and most recently on seven episodes of Season One of television series 'Training Day' as Detective Frank Rourke following up the the acclaimed 2001 film of the same name about a rookie cop who buddies up with a corrupt partner.

Due for release in April is 'The Circle' a Sci-Fi thriller with Tom Hanks, Emma Watson and John Boyega. All up Paxton had 93 acting credits to his name, seven as Producer, five as Director, and several for his early work as Production Designer, Set Decorator, and Art Director. He was nominated for four Golden Globes, a Primetime Emmy, three Satellite Awards, two SAG Awards and in total accumulated six award wins and another thirteen nominations throughout his career. He was also an early musician, having formed a new wave band in 1982 'Martini Ranch' similar in ilk to 'Devo' - they released one album in 1987 - 'Holy Cow'. He was married to Kelly Rowan for a brief time form 1979 to 1980 and then in 1987 he married Louise Newbury with whom he had two children - James born in 1994, and Lydia born in 1997.

Bill Paxton - laid claim to being killed off by a Terminator, an Alien and and a Predator; starred in some of the most iconic films of the '80's and '90's; he played policemen, storm chasers, an astronaut, alien hunters, historical figures, punks, low-life's and men of questionable conduct and standing. Whatever the role, whatever the genre Paxton was convincing, watchable and the consummate character actor who leaves behind a legacy of great films, memorable characters and quotable one liners. He will be missed!


Bill Paxton - Rest In Peace
1955 - 2017

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE GREAT WALL : Wednesday 22nd February 2017.

'THE GREAT WALL' is the most expensive Chinese movie ever made at a budget of US$150M, is the first English language film Directed by Zhang Yimou and is best described as an epic historical action adventure fantasy monster film. It was released in China in mid-December and has so far grossed US$300M since its release in Australia on 16th and the US on 17th February. Being a US and Chinese Co-Production, the original idea for the film came from Legendary Pictures CEO, Thomas Tull and Max Brooks who wrote 'World War Z'. ILM were responsible for the impressive digital visual effects and Weta Workshops the equally impressive practical effects. To coordinate such an international cast and crew on a Chinese set, Director Zhang Yimou had a team of one hundred translators available at all times to ensure that instructions were relayed and understood promptly and efficiently by the non-locals.

Set in the China of about a thousand years ago, European warrior William Garin (Matt Damon) and Pero Tovar (Pedro Pascal) and two others are all that remain of a mercenary group of twenty searching for a fabled black powder to secure their wealth back home, but they are pursued by bandits through the mountain terrain. Escaping the bandits they make camp for the night, but one of the men sustained an arrow wound and is in bad shape. Discussing their strategy to escape capture, secure a stash of black powder and high tail it outta there, Garin and Tovar have a private conversation, when they are attacked by an unknown force that quickly dispenses with the two other men leaving nothing but a trail of blood. When the unseen monster manifests itself Garin chops of its hand sending it tumbling dead into a ravine far below, leaving the two men questioning what the hell that have just witnessed. They decide to take the dismembered arm with them, and the next day are pursued once more by those pesky persistent bandit types leading the pair to the heavily fortified Great Wall, where they are taken prisoner.

Once inside the Great Wall they are questioned by General Shao (Zhang Hanyu) and Strategist Wang (Andy Lau) who preside over a secret military sect known as the Nameless Order. Inside Garins kit bag they find the severed arm and question him about it and how he came by it. At first they don't believe that one man alone could have killed such a monster, and reveal that this is one of a horde of ancient marauding monsters known collectively as the Tao Tei who attack just once every sixty years. Theres is the stronghold with which to repel the Tao Tei and prevent the horde from breaching the Great Wall and gaining access to the cities and the world beyond. The Nameless Order are a special military force commissioned by the Imperial Court. Believing that the first attack of the Tao Tei was still some weeks away, Shao and Wang deduce that an attack must now be imminent, and give orders to prepare accordingly at all speed.

As Garin and Tovar are taken up to the heavily fortified ramparts of the Great Wall, they are ordered to sit while a guard stands over them. The pair do not know what to expect. The Nameless Order is split into five special units each with its own distinctive colours - the melee-specialist Bear Troop, the acrobatic-specialist Crane Troop, the archer-specialist Eagle Troop, the siege engine-specialist Tiger Troop, and the horse-mounted Deer Troop. As the five distinct Troops ready themselves for battle, the two prisoners can only sit wondering what is about to unfold.

As the attack begins the various Troops are mobilised and the first Taoties (in the singular) clamber over the tall ramparts. Garin and Tovar are freed from their restraints by Sir Ballard (Willem Dafoe) and immediately go into fight against the Tao Tei onslaught holding their own, slaying several monsters and saving the lives of a number of soldiers. After sustaining casualties on both sides, the Queen of the Tao Tei recalls her drones and they retreat back to their mountain lair. After the battle Garin and Tovar are praised for their fighting skills earning them the respect of General Shao and Commander Lin (Jing Tian) the leader of the Crane Troop.

The pair are invited to freshen up, clean themselves, shave and prepare for dinner in a great hall. Before doing so they learn that Ballard arrived 25 years ago just as they did now, in search of the black powder. He was taken prisoner and told he could never leave, and so has been serving his time teaching English and Latin within the confines of the Wall in which he can move about freely. Ballard sees Garin and Tovar as his free ticket off the Wall, and agrees to help them escape if they take him with them, and enough black powder which he has stashed away to ensure their fame and fortune back home.

One night two Taoties make it to the top of the Wall and take out several watchmen, unusually leaving their corpses where they fell. Shao and Lin lead a small platoon of soldiers to investigate but are ambushed and Shao is badly injured, ultimately dying from his wounds. He passes over the baton of General to Commander Lin. The next day an envoy arrives with the news that the Tao Tei are pacified by magnets which also prevents them communicating with each other and their Queen. Garin suggests capturing a Taotie to test their theory, which thwarts Tovars plan for escape with Ballard.

The next day the Tao Tei attack again, leaving Lin no alternative but to use black powder rockets to overcome the attacking hordes of advancing monsters. She was reluctant to do so because black powder had been a closely guarded secret from Westerners up until now, believing its power will be put to no good. Garin and Tovar are able to capture a live Taotie under cover of the black powder bombardment and prove the theory. The captured Taotie is taken to the capital by the envoy, and in the meantime a tunnel is discovered through the mountain at the base of the Wall with which the Tao Tei have dug access through to the capital (clever critters!) At the same time Tovar and Ballard instigate their escape and render Garin unconscious for resisting their escape efforts. Garin is promptly arrested for aiding and abetting the other two, but is released upon the testimony of a witness. In the mountains having made their escape, Ballard and Tovar are overcome by them pesky persistent bandits again, costing Ballard his life when the unsuspecting captors play with black powder grenades and throw them into the fire! Tovar is recaptured by the Deer Troop and imprisoned back at the Wall.

Knowing that the Tao Tei are advancing on the capital Lin orders a mass advance on the city using people carrying but unstable hot air balloons. Despite being granted his freedom by Lin, Garin offers to join the final advance on the capital. Wang proposes to tie black powder explosive charges to the captured Taotie and feed it with meat which in turn it will feed to the Queen. Destroy the Queen, and you destroy the Tao Tei. With the Queen and her hordes of Taotie gathered below in the square Garin and Lin climb up a nearby tower which will give them a clear shot using a black powder rocket into the feeding Queen below. Two attempts fail, and then Garin throws a magnet into the feeding horde giving Lin a clear shot with her spear. Contact is made and the Queen is blown into a thousand pieces, and the marauding horde of Tao Tei monsters are frozen to the spot dead.

Back at the Wall, Lin offers Garin all the black powder he can carry home, or the freedom of his friend Tovar. Garin chooses the life of Tovar, and so the pair are given a cavalry escort back home, watched from the ramparts by General Lin as they ride off into the sunset.

I enjoyed 'The Great Wall', but perhaps not as much as I thought I would. The action set pieces are well executed, the monster Tao Tei are well realised, and the attention to detail in the production values is first rate. The story moves along at a brisk pace, but I felt ill at ease with Damon's performance, because I couldn't help feeling that he felt ill at ease in delivering his role - after all, he is carrying the weight of a Chinese epic production on his shoulders the like of which we have never seen before. No pressure Matt! Also, I couldn't reconcile why them marauding monsters would suddenly drop dead in their tracks upon the death of their Queen, and how a magnet would render the Tao Tei useless. The Chinese Actors portrayed their roles a lot more convincingly than their American counterparts, although Pedro Pascal puts in the best turn out of the three. Catch it on the big screen for all the immediacy of the battle sequences and the spectacle of the Wall.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 26th February - 4th March 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

James Wan does on 26th February (although some publications claim 27th) - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 40, 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 26th February

• James Wan - Born 1977, turns 40 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Teresa Palmer - Born 1986, turns 31 - Actress | Producer | Writer 

Monday 27th February

• Kate Mara - Born 1983, turns 34 - Actress
• Timothy Spall - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Singer  

Tuesday 28th February

• John Turturro - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer  

Wednesday 1st March

• Roger Daltry - Born 1944, turns 73 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor | Producer
• Dirk Benedict - Born 1945, turns 72 - Actor | Director | Writer
• Ron Howard - Born 1954, turns 63 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Zack Snyder - Born 1966, turns 51 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Javier Bardem - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actor | Producer  
• Lupita Nyong'o - Born 1983, turns 34 - Actress

Thursday 2nd March

• Rebel Wilson - Born 1980, turns 37 - Actress | Producer | Writer
• Bryce Dallas Howard - Born 1981, turns 36 - Actress | Writer | Director
• Jon Bon Jovi - Born 1962, turns 55 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor
• Daniel Craig - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Producer  

Friday 3rd March

• George Miller - Born 1945, turns 72 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Miranda Richardson - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actress
• Jessica Biel - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actress | Producer  

Saturday 4th March

• Patsy Kensit - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actress  
• Adrian Lyne - Born 1941, turns 76 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Paul W.S. Anderson - Born 1965, turns 52 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Len Wiseman - Born 1973, turns 44 - Director | Producer | Writer

James Wan was born in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia and is of Malaysian Chinese descent. He relocated to Perth in Western Australia at age seven and ultimately became an Australian citizen. He attended the Lake Tuggeranong College in the Australian Capital Territory for Years 11 and 12 students (aged 16 - 18 years), moved back to Perth and then relocated himself to Melbourne, Victoria where he attended the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University from where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. By this time his mind was made up that he wanted to be a film maker (a decision he had in fact come to at age eleven), and while studying he had already begun making short films and music videos. It was whilst at RMIT that he met fellow would-be film maker Leigh Whannel, with whom he would collaborate on a number of his feature length movie projects over the ensuing years.

Wan made his first feature length film in 2000 for which he also wrote the Screenplay - 'Stygian' which won the young Director the 'Best Guerrilla Film' Award at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival. Following this Wan and Whannel had begun writing up a script for a horror film, and upon completion of the script they wanted to film an excerpt which they could then tout around the movie studios in the hope that a production company would pick up their story and run with it. That ten minute short film was titled 'Saw' and it was 2003. In 2004, having been picked up by a Lionsgate 'Saw' was released on an unsuspecting world and was an overwhelming success. Starring Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Tobin Bell and Leigh Whannel to minimise production costs, the film was shot rapidly at a cost of just US$1.2M. The film returned US$104M and spawned a franchise that has become the highest grossing horror franchise of all time that has seen all seven films gross worldwide US$874M off the back of a combined budget of US$64M. Wan served as Executive Producer on 'Saw II, III, IV, V, VI' and 'Saw 3D : The Final Chapter' released every year from 2005 through to 2010, and he also wrote the story for 'Saw III'. Wan is also Executive Producer on 'Saw : Legacy' currently in post-production for an October release this year and as Directed by the Spierig brothers.

2007 saw Wan Direct two films. The first was supernatural psychological horror 'Dead Silence' Written by Wan and Whannel and starring Ryan Kwanten and Donnie Wahlberg. The film received generally negative Reviews and just about recovered its US$20M budget outlay. This was followed up by action drama 'Death Sentence' - described by Wan as a 'raw and gritty, '70's styled revenge thriller' that starred Kevin Bacon as the protagonist with Garrett Hedlund, John Goodman, Kelly Preston and Leigh Whannel. This film also received generally unfavourable Reviews and recovered just US$17M of its US$20M production budget.

After serving as Executive Director on a string of 'Saw' sequels, Wan Directed the supernatural horror film 'Insidious' in 2010 that was written by Leigh Whannel, and starred Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey and Whannel. That film cost US$1.5M to make and returned US$97M ensuring its success as a franchise with 'Insidious : Chapter 2' being released in 2013. Again Directed by Wan that saw the cast from the first film return, on a budget of US$5M generating US$162M. 'Insidious : Chapter 3' was again Written by Whannel and Produced this time by Wan with Whannel on Directing duty for the first time. This film that served as a prequel to the previous two, was made for US$10M and returned US$113M. 'Insidious : Chapter 4' is currently in post-production for a release later this year and is Directed by Adam Robitel with Wan taking a Producer credit and Whannel Screenwriter and acting credits on the film.

Next up was supernatural horror film based on real events 'The Conjuring'. Recounting the story of the Perron family who experience increasingly disturbing events in their Rhode Island farmhouse in 1971 and paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who come to the assistance of the distressed Perron family. Starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson the film was a commercial and critical success taking US$318M from its US$20M budget, making it one of the highest grossing horror films of all time. 'The Conjuring 2' was released in 2016 as a sequel to that first film that saw Wan act as Director, Co-Producer and Co-Writer in this follow up set in 1977 as the Warren paranormal investigators (Farmiga and Wilson reprising) travel to London to investigate the case that became known as the 'Enfield Poltergeist'. That film returned US$321M from its US$40M budget costs.

In the meantime in 2014, there had been a spin-off prequel to the popular 'The Conjuring' film inspired by the doll named 'Annabelle' that had been recounted by Ed and Lorraine Warren during their investigations. Wan took a Producer role on 'Annabelle' that received less critical acclaim but nonetheless was a commercial success raising US$260M in Box Office receipts against a US$6.5M outlay. A follow up film is in post-production for an August release this year that focuses on the dollmaker and his wife and stars Anthony LaPaglia and Miranda Otto, that is again Produced by Wan.

Taking a step aside from supernatural horror thrillers Wan Directed fast cars action drama film 'Furious 7' in 2015 starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, Djimon Hounsou and Michelle Rodriguez. The film was a massive worldwide hit taking US$1.52B from its US$176M budget and standing currently as the sixth highest grossing film of all time, and the most successful in the franchise to date. 

Meanwhile Wan also had time to Produce supernatural horror 'Demonic' with Maria Bello in 2015, and in 2016 'Lights Out' with Teresa Palmer. He also Directed one episode of the rebooted television series 'MacGyver' and has served as Producer on sixteen episodes to date.

Next up for Wan is 'The Nun' which is a spin off film from the 'Annabelle' series which is a spin off film from 'The Conjuring' series and is currently in pre-production for a mid-2018 release with Wan Producing and Writing. Also in pre-production with filming due to commence soon is 'Aquaman' for the DC Extended Universe with Wan on Director duty and taking a Writing credit too. The film will star Jason Mamoa in the lead role with Nicole Kidman, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, and Temuera Morrison all attached, and is due for release in October 2018. 'Mortal Kombat' has been announced for a reboot recently and Wan is set to Produce this remake of the 1995 initial video game adaptation offering.

All up Wan has seventeen Producer credits to his name, fourteen as Writer and thirteen as Director.  He also has ten award wins and nine other nominations under this belt. In 2011 he released his own graphic novel too written with Michael Nelson, 'Malignant Man' which 20th Century Fox acquired the film rights for in 2014. Wan is adapting his source material for the big screen, the adaptation of which he will Produce, with Brad Peyton signing on to Direct.

James Wan - wrote himself into the history books and redefined the genre with several hugely commercially and critically successful horror franchises, and an epic seventh film in a street racing heist fuelled action franchise, and, is about to launch a new stand alone ocean based Superhero as part of the DCEU. When he's not Directing, he's Producing or he's Writing and he's even been known to tackle all three at once! Clearly very much in demand and proving he can jump from his trademark scare the bejeezus out of us supernatural horror offerings to big budget epic fare, and back again. A very Happy 40th Birthday to you James, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 23rd February 2017.

The 89th Academy Awards Ceremony hosted by television personality Jimmy Kimmel will be held on Sunday evening 26th February 2017 at the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California to a packed audience of the worlds cinematic screen personalities and a worldwide television audience of several hundred million viewers. Jimmy Kimmel for the previous eleven years has hosted a special edition of his late night 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' television show 'After the Oscars' lampooning the awards ceremony and the entertainment industry using various awards recipients and attendees in both live and pre-recorded sketches.

The nominations for the major categories look like this :-
* Best Picture : 'Arrival', 'Fences', 'Hacksaw Ridge', 'Hell of High Water', 'Hidden Figures', 'La la Land', 'Lion', Manchester by the Sea' and 'Moonlight'.
* Best Director : Damien Chazelle for 'La La Land', Mel Gibson for 'Hacksaw Ridge', Barry Jenkins for 'Moonlight', Kenneth Lonergan for 'Manchester by the Sea', and Denis Villeneuve for 'Arrival'.
* Best Animated Feature Film : 'Kubo and the Two Strings', 'Moana', 'My Life as a Zucchini', 'The Red Turtle' and 'Zootopia'.
* Best Foreign Language Film : 'Land of Mine' (from Denmark), 'A Man Called Ove' (from Sweden), 'The Salesman' (from Iran), 'Tanna' (from Australia) and 'Toni Erdmann' (from Germany).
* Best Actor : Casey Affleck for 'Manchester by the Sea', Andrew Garfield for 'Hacksaw Ridge', Ryan Gosling for 'La La Land', Viggo Mortensen for 'Captain Fantastic' and Denzel Washington for 'Fences'.
* Best Actress : Isabelle Huppert for 'Elle', Ruth Negga for 'Loving', Natalie Portman for 'Jackie', Emma Stone for 'La La Land', and Meryl Streep for 'Florence Foster Jenkins'.
* Best Supporting Actor : Mahershala Ali for 'Moonlight', Jeff Bridges for 'Hell or High Water', Lucas Hedges for 'Manchester by the Sea', Dev Patel for 'Lion', and Michael Shannon for 'Nocturnal Animals'.
* Best Supporting Actress : Viola Davis for 'Fences', Naomi Harris for 'Moonlight', Nicole Kidman for 'Lion', Octavia Spencer for 'Hidden Figures', and Michelle Williams for 'Manchester by the Sea'.
* Best Original Screenplay : 'Hell or High Water' by Taylor Sheridan, 'La La Land' by Damien Chazelle, 'The Lobster' by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Fillipou, 'Manchester by the Sea' by Kenneth Lonergan and '20th Century Women' by Mike Mills.
* Best Adapted Screenplay : 'Arrival', 'Fences', 'Hidden Figures', 'Lion', and 'Moonlight'.
* Best Original Score : 'Jackie', 'La La Land', 'Lion', 'Moonlight', and 'Passengers'.
* Best Visual Effects : 'Deepwater Horizon', 'Doctor Strange', 'The Jungle Book', 'Kubo and the Two Strings' and 'Rogue One : A Star Wars Story'.

All told, 'La La Land' is nominated in a record matching fourteen categories, 'Arrival' and 'Moonlight' are nominated in eight categories, 'Hacksaw Ridge', 'Lion' and 'Manchester by the Sea' are nominated for six each, 'Fences' and 'Hell of High Water' for four each, and 'Hidden Figures' and 'Jackie' for three apiece. For the full list of the winners and grinners from Hollywood's night of nights, watch out for next weeks latest release update.

This week we have four new films to entice you out to your local movie theatre, starting off with a long awaited sequel follow up to a much loved cult classic from 20 years ago that reunites this same characters twenty years on when so much but so little has changed in their lives in the ensuing years. We then have another sequel to a popular watch it and you die horror franchise based on a Japanese horror franchise; and then a true life telling of a Soviet programme only uncovered in 1991 to exterminate millions of Ukrainians in the 1930's; before wrapping up with a school yard showdown as two teachers go head to head, toe to toe and fist to fist after school on the last day of the year.

As is usually the case, your are warmly invited to share your movie going observations, thoughts and musings after you have sat through your film of choice in the coming week. Leave your constructive, relevant and current Comments blow this or any other Post - we'd love to hear from you. Meanwhile, enjoy your cinematic experience.

'T2 : TRAINSPOTTING' (Rated R18+) - eight years ago in early 2009 Danny Boyle made it known that he wanted to film a follow up to his 1996 cult classic 'Trainspotting' based on the Irvine Welsh follow up novel 'Porno' and set nine years after that original film. At that time Ewan McGregor was already keen. In the ensuing years Boyle always kept his follow up film on the back burner as other projects took hold, but in 2014 it was confirmed that Welsh and Boyle had spent a week together discussing script options that would do justice to the 1996 film, and the following year it was reported that 'Trainspotting 2' would be released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of that first film in 2016. Released in the UK in late January 2017, Directed and Co-Produced by Danny Boyle, reuniting the original cast of Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller and Kelly Macdonald and costing US$18M the film has so far made US$21M. By comparison the highly acclaimed 'Trainspotting' back in 1996 cost US$2.25M to make and it grossed at the Box Office US$72M.

And so twenty years have past since the first film as have the lives of the principle characters. We see Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) living in Amsterdam where he has resided with his wife and children for many years. He dreams of those bygone days and his exploits back home. We then move back to Edinburgh where Renton visits the only true place he can ever call home, and hoping to renew acquaintances with Frank Begbie (Robert Carlyle) serving time in prison for 25 years, Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller) now the owner of a city bar but still carrying on with his petty crimes and dodgy deals, and Spud (Ewan Bremner) trying to reconcile with his wife but suicidal. Even though much has changed in their lives, much still remains the same and so as the four old friends get to know each other again, so emotions run strong putting them on a path to potential self destruction and mortal danger.

'RINGS' (Rated M) - the original premise for this successful horror film franchise dates back to the Japanese mystery horror novel published in 1991 and written by Koji Suzuki set in modern day Japan. It was first committed to the big screen in 1995 and that film is said to be the most faithful to the original script. It was remade as a Japanese psychological horror film in 1998 which prompted an American remake in 2002 as Directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts and Brian Cox. That initial remake returned US$250M from its US$48M budget outlay and spawned a sequel in 2005 'Rings Two' Directed by Hideo Nakata who also Directed the original two Japanese films. This second American instalment yielded US$162M from a budget of US$50M. Now in 2017 'Rings' is released as the third instalment and is Directed by F. Javier Gutierrez for US$25M and follows the same premise whereby a cursed videotape is circulated and upon watching it you have seven days to live, by which time you are more than likely to have come to a grizzly end. This film regurgitates all of that for a modern era of social media, instant communication, and multi-media. Staring Matilda Lutz, Alex Rose, Vincent D'Onofrio and Johnny Galecki the film has so far taken US$58M, and has received so far generally poor Reviews.

'BITTER HARVEST' (Rated M) - is the true story of Joseph Stalin's genocidal pact against the Ukraine in the 1930's, and would rank as one of the most neglected and forgotten tragedies of the last century. This tragic truth only came to light in 1991 after the fall of the former Soviet Union and was obscured for decades by Soviet propaganda and denial by Stalin right up to his death. Directed and Co-Written by George Mendeluk the story unfolds between two lovers as they fight against Stalins advances of his communist ambitions in the Kremlin. Yuri (Max Irons) is a young artist who struggles against famine, torture and imprisonment to save his childhood love Natalka (Samantha Barks) from the 'Holodomor' - the extermination by famine programme that killed millions of Ukrainians between 1932 and 1933. Escaping from a Soviet prison, Yuri joins the anti-Bolshevik resistance as he fights to be reunited with his true love, and for the freedom of the Ukraine. Also starring Barry Pepper and Terence Stamp. The film cost US$21M to make and is released internationally this week.

'FIST FIGHT' (Rated MA15+) - this comedy offering is Directed by Richie Keen and tells the story of two teachers at Roosevelt High School on the last day of the school year on 'Prank Day'. Here mild-mannered English teacher Andy Campbell (Charlie Day) and History teacher Ron Strickland (Ice Cube) face off in the classroom over their students pranks, resulting in both of them being hauled in front of the Principal Richard Tyler (Dean Norris) and consequently Strickland getting fired for his violent classroom outburst. As a result Strickland challenges Campbell to an after school playground fist-fight to settle the score, but being the toughest, meanest most feared teacher on campus, Campbell starts back peddling quickly to avoid his appointment with a near certain beating as news of the pending showdown spreads across campus and beyond and expectations and emotions run high. Also starring Dennis Haysbert, Christina Hendricks, Tracy Morgan and Jillian Bell. The film was made for US$25M and has so far taken US$16M since its release Stateside last week, and has received mixed Reviews so far.

Four films offering a long awaited sequel to a '90's classic, horror, historical drama and comedy for your choosing this week. Get yourself off to your local picture house, catch a movie and then share your movie experience with us here afterwards, and in the meantime, I'll see you somewhere, sometime at the Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 19th - 25th February 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Miles Teller does on 20th February - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad 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 19th February

• Jeff Daniels - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Ray Winstone - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Producer
• Benicio Del Toro - Born 1967, turns 50 - Actor | Producer

Monday 20th February

• Sidney Poitier - Born 1927, turns 90 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Mike Leigh - Born 1943, turns 74 - Director | Writer
• Peter Strauss - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor | Producer
• Miles Teller - Born 1987, turns 30 - Actor
• Brenda Blethyn - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actress  

Tuesday 21st February

• Tyne Daly - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actress
• Jennifer Love Hewitt - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actress | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer
• Ellen Page - Born 1987, turns 30 - Actress | Producer
• Sophie Turner - Born 1996, turns 21 - Actress
• Anthony Daniels - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actor | Producer
• Kelsey Grammer - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer
• William Baldwin - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actor | Producer  

Wednesday 22nd February

• Jonathan Demme - Born 1944, turns 73 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Kyle MacLachlan - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actor
• Julie Walters - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actress | Singer
• Drew Barrymore - Born 1975, turns 42 - Actress | Producer | Director | Singer

Thursday 23rd February

• Emily Blunt - Born 1983, turns 34 - Actress | Singer
• Dakota Fanning - Born 1994, turns 23 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Peter Fonda - Born 1940, turns 77 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer  

Friday 24th February

• Edward James Olmos - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Dennis Waterman - Born 1948, turns 69 - Actor | Singer  
• Billy Zane - Born 1966, turns 51 - Actor | Producer | Director
• O'Shea Jackson Jnr. - Born 1991, turns 26 - Actor

Saturday 25th February

• Tom Courtenay - Born 1937, turns 80 - Actor
• Lee Evans - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actor | Writer | Composer
• Sean Astin - Born 1971, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Director  
• James and Oliver Phelps - Born 1986, turn 31 - Actors
• Tea Leoni - Born 1966, turns 51 - Actress | Producer
• Rashida Jones - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actress | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer

Miles Alexander Teller was born in Downingtown, Pennsylvania to mother Merry, a Real Estate Agent and father Michael Teller, a nuclear power plant engineer. Growing up Miles lived in various places because of the relocation necessary in his fathers career, spending time in Florida, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. He attended the Lecanto High School in Florida where he played saxophone, piano, guitar and the drums, he was President of the Drama Club and played baseball too, hoping to turn the game into his vocation of choice. He then attended the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University where he studied method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.

He began his screen acting career by appearing in a number of short films - in 2004's eighteen minute 'Moonlighters', then 2007's ten minute 'Specific Recipe', 2008's eleven minute 'The Musicians' and 2010's eleven minute 'The Track Meet'. His feature film debut came in the 2010 drama 'Rabbit Hole' for which he was singled out by Co-Star Nicole Kidman for the role and also starring Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest and Sandra Oh. 2011 saw the remake of the classic 1984 musical dance movie 'Footloose' starring Andie McDowell and Dennis Quaid with Kenny Wormald in the lead role. The film received generally positive Reviews and returned US$64M from its US$24M budget. In 2013 he starred in '21 & Over' and then his more critically lauded screen performance to date in 'The Spectacular Now' with Co-Star Shailene Woodley and also Brie Larson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kyle Chandler. The film made just US$7M from its US$2.5M budget, but was well received by Critics.

'Whiplash' came next in 2014 for Director Damien Chazelle with Teller starring as promising young student drummer Andrew Neiman enrolled at the Shaffer Conservatory in New York, with Terence Fletcher (J.K.Simmons) as his over bearing domineering and abusive jazz instructor. The film gained universal acclaim, returned US$49M from its meagre US$3.3M budget and garnered three Academy Award wins, one Golden Globe win, three BAFTA wins and a SAG win with J.K.Simmons and Damien Chazelle receiving numerous accolades. All up the film took home 91 award wins and another 134 nominations.

That same year, 2014, saw RomCom 'That Awkward Moment' with Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan and Imogen Poots, and then the first in a recurring role as Peter Hayes in the first instalment of the Veronica Roth series of books to be adapted for the big screen, 'Divergent'. This was followed up by 'Insurgent' in 2015 and 'Allegiant' in 2016, with the final instalment 'Ascendant' in pre-production for a release later this year as a television movie, due to the lacklustre Box Office performance of the 'Allegiant' film bringing in US$179M from its US$110M budget outlay.

RomCom 'Two Night Stand' was also released in 2014, and then in 2015 the reboot of Marvel's 'Fantastic Four' franchise which had seen earlier live action adaptations in 2005 and 2007. Starring Teller as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic with Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, Kate Mara as Susan Storm/The Invisible Woman and Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm/The Thing with Toby Kebbell and Vicor von Doom, this picture tanked critically and commercially taking US$168M from its US$126M budget investment, and picking up several 'Worst' awards.

Comedy 'Get A Job' followed in 2016 with Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Alison Brie, Bryan Cranston and Marcia Gay Harden, and then true story comedy drama 'War Dogs' as Directed by Todd Phillips and Co-Starring Jonah Hill and Bradley Cooper about the real life arms dealers Efraim Diveroli (Hill) and David Packouz (Teller) who win a US Army contract to supply munitions for the Afghan National Army worth about US$300M without any prior experience, credentials, contacts or expertise in this field. The film received mixed Reviews and returned US$86M from its US$40M budget.

The biographical boxing drama film 'Bleed for This' was released in the US in mid-November last year, but has not seen a theatrical release in Australia. With Teller starring as Vinny Pazienza an American professional boxing champion and Aaron Eckhart as his trainer Kevin Rooney, the film charts the story of the boxer who after a near fatal car accident leaves him with severe neck and spinal injuries and not knowing if he'll ever walk again, let alone fight. And fight he does, in one of the most incredible comeback stories from inside the ring. Although the film received generally positive Reviews, it was a bomb at the Box Office taking just US$5.5M from its US$6M budget costs.

Next up Teller is lending his voice talent to the animated feature 'The Ark and the Aardvark' due later this year, then in PTSD effected returning servicemen and women drama 'Thank You for Your Service' based on the book by David Finkel also due later this year and in post-production. 'Ascendent' the last instalment in the 'Divergent' series is in pre-production and then 'Granite Mountain' is in post-production with Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Taylor Kitsch, Jennifer Connolly, and Andie MacDowell about an elite crew of men who fought a wildfire in Arizona in 2013 that claimed the lives of nineteen of their team..

Since 2013 Teller has been in a relationship with model Keleigh Sperry. All up Teller has 27 acting credits to his name and he has garnered four award wins and 21 other nominations including the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2015.

Miles Teller - increasingly in demand and taking on more adult mature film roles, is musical, a dancer, was very academic at school, and has ambition to succeed and go the distance. We wish you well Miles and Happy 30th Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

PATRIOTS DAY : Tuesday 14th February 2017.

'PATRIOTS DAY' is another real life dramatic thriller Co-Written for the screen and Directed by Peter Berg who also brought us last years 'Deepwater Horizon' and 'Lone Survivor' in 2013 which both also starred, like this offering, his go to actor for playing the uniformed ordinary everyman caught up in extraordinary circumstances - Mark Wahlberg. Based on the book 'Boston Strong' by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge this tells the story of the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing. Costing US$45M to make the film has so far recovered US$38M since its US release at Christmas time. The film has garnered generally positive Reviews from critics and film goers alike.

The film opens up with Boston Police Department Sergeant Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg) busting down a door with his leg to get to a drug dealer inside a seedy downtown apartment. The bust goes according to plan, except that Saunders has hyper-extended his leg and now walks with a limp and a knee brace for the rest of the film. Immediately following the bust his superior officer, Commissioner Ed Davis (John Goodman) arrives and orders that Saunders reports for Marathon Supervision duties the next day wearing his Police Uniform. He tries to argue back but is quickly brought down a peg by Davis reminding him of some earlier misdemeanour for which he is serving out time on dead beat duties, and tomorrow is his last day of servitude and then he has a clean slate again thereafter. He arrives back home in the early hours of the morning having had a few beers with the boys, wakes his wife Carol (Michelle Monaghan) who dismisses him, and settles onto the sofa with another beer - he has to be up for Marathon duty in less than five hours. The next day, April 15th 2013, with his Police Uniform neatly pressed and high viz jacket on, the pair kiss and bid their farewells.

The next day cuts to an apartment where radical Islam brothers Tamerlan Tsarnaev (Themo Melikidze) and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Alex Wolff) are making final preparations for a bomb attack on the Boston Marathon. Using home made devises loaded with all manner of harm inflicting shrapnel, they load the improvised explosive devices into two back-packs and make off for their destination. We trace their journey to the proximity of the finish line, negotiating their way through the crowds of onlookers and revellers out enjoying the Patriots Day public holiday. They weave in and out of spectators young and old, security personnel, Police, and other officials and then lay their back packs at their feet, turn around and depart from whence they came. No one suspects a thing. Pacing up and down the street meanwhile is Tommy Saunders taking it all in and sharing a joke with his on-duty fellow Police Officers. Then boom, as an explosion rips through the crowd just a block away quickly followed by another with smoke billowing out from the side of the street close to the finish line.

With widespread panic all around, Saunders and his fellow Officers are close at hand to issue orders, call in all necessary emergency support and provide assistance to the injured. It's a scene of carnage as the low positioned bombs radiated out their deadly shrapnel on most victims from the waist down. There are badly lacerated legs, ankles and feet, and severed lower limbs lying on the blood soaked pavement - it's a picture of death and destruction. We follow ambulance crews and paramedics attending to the injured and needy and then move to several hospitals where emergency surgery is being performed to amputate legs - on young husband and wife Patrick Downes (Christopher O'Shea) and Jessica Kensky (Rachel Brosnahan) separated after the blast and taken unconscious to separate hospitals.

Quickly afterwards various law enforcement authorities began to gather at the scene while the emergency services go about their business. With Saunders giving orders to his fellow Police Officers on the ground, so arrives Commissioner Ed Davis, with FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers (Kevin Bacon) who survey the fall out and determine if this was a terrorist attack. Upon initial inspection DesLauriers is uncertain, but his mind is soon made up when he picks up a cluster of small blood soaked ball bearings. At this point DesLauriers assumes command and is in charge of operations. For now though he places a widespread embargo on any communication with the press or the media about a possible terrorist attack pending investigations and to avoid the news frenzy associated with acts of terror, especially on American soil.

Within no time a Command Centre is established in an abandoned warehouse where all manner of technological hardware, state of the art software, a reconstruction of the street scape and blast zone, and a whole army of analysts, surveillance experts and officials are mobilised to track down whoever did this. They begin by tapping into every camera lining the streets and those inside shops, cafes, bars and restaurants; using all the abandoned mobile phones from the scene and scanning text messages, photos and videos; and talking to witnesses at the scene, including those hospitalised. Saunders goes home to his wife, emotionally distraught at the sights he has witnessed over the preceding fourteen hours or so. In no time however, he receives a call to come into the Command Centre. There Saunders knowledge of the city and camera locations is put to the test as a person of interest is identified from the footage of the blast zone immediately before the explosions. Tracking the suspects possible whereabouts they trace back his journey in an attempt to get a clear photograph of the individual and any accomplice. It's not long before they do!

With clear photos of the two suspected bombers DesLauriers remains reluctant to go to the press without further hard evidence, but is hand is forced when Fox News announces that they have leaked photos of the suspects that they are going to release on their news channels soon. With photos of the perpetrators out there on all the news channels, the authorities hope that the people of Boston will come forward with information leading to a prompt capture . . . but it doesn't happen.

Meanwhile, the Tsarnaev brothers attempt to lay low while preparing for their next attack - in New York, but they have to get there first. They load up a car with their makeshift explosive devices in two boxes, and head out late at night. They need another weapon with which to protect themselves and so happen upon young Police Officer Sean Collier (Jake Picking) who is on night watch at a University Campus. They ambush him at gun point in his parked patrol car and shoot him twice in the face and attempt to steal his Police issue weapon, but Collier fights back from his drivers seat but is eventually overpowered with several more rounds shot into him at point blank range.

On the outskirts of the Campus, texting while parked in his new Mercedes SUV, Chinese student Dung Meng (Jimmy O. Yang) is car jacked by the two brothers and held captive at gun point. It is now 18th April, late at night, and the brothers brag to their captive that it was they who committed the Boston Marathon bombing and intend to do so again in New York. Meng is fearful for his life at the hands of the two bombers who now have him captive in his own car en route to New York. At a petrol station where the brothers stop to refill for fuel and food, Meng spies his chance to make a bolt for it and does so across the street into a convenience store and immediately calls the Police crouched behind the cashiers desk.

Saunders arrives at the scene and meets with Meng who, in his panicked pigeon English, reveals what the bombers said to him, and the number of his cars GPS tracking device so that they can follow the Mercedes. In Watertown the Mercedes is tracked down to a side street and a passing Police patrol car recognises the vehicle from the alert put out and goes in pursuit. The Mercedes is parked up in a quiet side street, that is about to turn very bloody and very noisy as an all out gun battle ensues between the two armed brothers and the gathering Police force including Police Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese (J.K.Simmons). The brothers also use their stash of homemade bombs and in the ensuing firefight several Police Officers are injured, vehicles trashed, but Tamerlan is shot by Pugliese and then ran over by his brother who makes his getaway in the Mercedes. Tamerlan dies on the operating table a short time afterwards in the hospital from his wounds.

The next day the decision is made to lock down the city completely with a house to house search for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Saunders is back on the beat aiding the house to house investigations with the full force of the Police, and the military, as marshall law is declared temporarily and for the safety of Boston's citizens. A local man discovers someone hiding under the protective sheet covering his motor cruiser boat, and blood stains at the entry point at the boats rear. He calls the authorities, who converge on the property with Saunders and a colleague being the first to arrive at the scene. It's not long before the might of Uncle Sam reins down on the occupant of the boat who is indeed Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. He is promptly arrested after a brief stand-off, and the closing credits reveal that he is sentenced to death by lethal injection and is still awaiting an appeal in federal prison.

I enjoyed 'Patriots Day' and felt it was respectful to those that died and were injured in the attack, and the authorities, first responders, survivors and investigators who all played a part in the concerted effort to bring the Tsarnaev brothers to justice as quickly as they did. The film has clearly been meticulously researched and is professionally played out without over dramatising the events or glamourising the subsequent manhunt. This is a procedural Police investigative story that holds true to the timeline, and is told from several different perspectives splicing actual footage from the event into the film that adds authenticity to the suspense and the drama of one of the most sophisticated and celebrated manhunts in history that helped reunite the people of Boston.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-