CAPTAIN MARVEL : Tuesday 12th March 2019.

Here we have the twenty-first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 'CAPTAIN MARVEL', and the first film in the MCU to feature a female led Superhero. This much hyped eagerly anticipated film which I saw earlier this week, is said to be the second most keenly awaited blockbuster of 2019 behind 'Avengers : End Game' with advance ticket sales placing it in third place of any MCU film to date behind 'Avengers : Infinity War' and 'Black Panther'. Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck for US$152M, development of the film began in 2013 and was officially announced in late 2014, with Brie Larson publicised as Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel) at San Diego's Comic-Con in 2016. The film saw its Worldwide Premier in London on 27th February, its US Premier in Hollywood on 4th March and went on general release in Stateside on 8th March, two days after its Australian release. The film has so far grossed US$525M and has garnered generally favourable Reviews.

Set in 1995 on the Kree Empire (a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race resembling humans almost exactly) planet of Hala, Starforce (a crack team of super-powered individuals) member Vers (Brie Larson) has recurring visions of an older woman with whom she shares some sort of affinity. Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) is mentor and commander to Vers, and head of Starforce. He trains her to control her fighting abilities, while the Supreme Intelligence (Annette Benning) an artificial intelligence and ruler over the Kree prompts Vers to maintain her emotions in check.

Following a little pep talk with the Supreme Intelligence (whom Vers recognises as the same woman from her visions) she is granted her first mission with Starforce, accompanied by Korath (Djimon Hounsou), Minn-Erva (Gemma Chan), Att-Lass (Algenis Perez Soto), Bron-Char (Rune Temte) and of course Yon-Rogg. Together they venture to the planet Torfa to rescue a Kree scout named Soh-Larr who has infiltrated a group of Skrulls (alien shapeshifters who can transform themselves into exact replicas of other beings at will).

This leads to a Skrull ambush led by Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) which results in Vers being captured, separated from the rest of her group and taken aboard an Earth bound ship and subjected to a probe of her memory. After successfully thwarting her sworn enemy, Vers manages to escape in a pod which crash lands on Earth through the roof of a Blockbuster Video Store late at night.

Early the next morning this overnight activity has attracted the attention of desk jockey S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg, both of whom were de-aged by 25 years for the purposes of the 1995 setting), whose questioning of Vers is interrupted by an attack by several recently arrived Skrulls on the hunt for their escaped prisoner.

During the chase involving Vers hunting down the shapeshifting Skrulls both of whom are being hunted down by Fury and Coulson, Vers recovers a crystal containing her extracted memories dropped by a Skrull she tussled with aboard the subway train, while Fury kills a Skrull replicating Coulson. Talos meanwhile has assumed the identity of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Keller, and after performing an autopsy on the dead Skrull, orders Fury to work alone to learn more of this shapeshifting alien race, although of course he has ulterior motives for doing so.

Fury mentions to Keller that he has a lead on Vers and tracks her down to a remote bar, which she had seen before in her visions and which clearly holds some significance. There the pair sit around the table while they both fire questions at each other seeking some clarification of one anothers history, motivations and what next having made their acquaintances. Using his S.H.I.E.L.D. Security clearance he takes Vers to the classified Pegasus US Air Force Base that she has memories of from her visions. Once there, they forcibly break into the archives room and Vers learns from various retrieved files that she was an Air Force pilot presumed dead in 1989 after crashing a plane with an experimental engine designed by a Dr. Wendy Lawson (Annette Benning), whom she recognises as the woman from her visions.

Talos, disguised as Keller, arrives at the Pegasus Air Force Base with a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents who quickly hunt down Fury and Vers, but the pair successfully manage to evade capture and escape in a cargo jet together with Dr. Lawson's stowaway cat, Goose. They fly to Louisiana to meet with Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) a former fellow Air Force Pilot who flew with Vers, and who was the last person to see Vers and Lawson alive. Vers and Fury arrive at the Rambeau homestead to be greeted by Rambeau's eleven year old daughter Monica (Akira Akbar) who refers to her supposedly dead friend as Carol Danvers and sets about recounting her backstory to the long lost friend. Shortly afterwards Talos arrives at the Rambeau family home and reveals that he comes in peace and that the Skrulls are refugees searching for a new home and Lawson was a Kree renegade helping them.

Talos persuades Danvers, Fury and Rambeau to listen to the recovered black box recording from Lawson's plane, prompting Danvers to regain her memories of that fateful day and remember the events leading up to, including and after the experimental plane went down. Lawson tried to destroy the engine's energy-core before being killed by Yon-Rogg for working with the Skrulls. When Danvers destroyed it she absorbed the energy from the explosion and lost all of her memory in the process.

Talos then leads the group, including Goose the cat, to Lawson's cloaked lab ship orbiting Earth, where numerous Skrulls are in hiding and protecting the Tesseract, the source of the energy-core. By now Yon-Rogg and his Starforce team are hot on the heels and infiltrate the lab ship capturing Danvers, where she is connected up remotely to the Supreme Intelligence to await her fate. During their conversation which is very one sided against the mere human Danvers taken in and nurtured by the Kree, Danvers is able to remove a Kree implant that was suppressing her powers giving her full access to her abilities. 

During the ensuing battle, Fury retrieves the Tesseract and Goose, who is revealed to be a Flerken, an alien creature resembling the common house cat, but which have a pocket dimension inside their mouths which can be used to consume and store almost anything. She swallows the Tesseract before scratching Fury's left eye and blinding him. Yon -Rogg orders the support of Kree official Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) who fires a series of intergalactic ballistic warheads towards Earth, which forces Danvers in her shiny new red and blue livery to defend against with all her might. This forces Ronan the Accuser to flee to another dimension stating that he will be back to finish the job he started on another day.   

Meanwhile, an escaping Yon-Rogg darts off in an escape pod chased by Danvers who forces her quarry to crash land some where in the desert on Earth. She quickly overpowers him and has him return to Hala against his will, empty handed and with a warning to the Supreme Intelligence not to mess with her or the Skrulls again. Danvers flies off to help the Skrulls find a new homeworld, and gives Fury a modified pager to contact her in the event of any dire emergency. Meanwhile, back at his desk Fury drafts an initiative paper aimed at targeting other heroes like her, because if there's one out there, there's sure to be more. He changes the name after finding a photo of Danvers in her Air Force jet, which bears her call sign 'Avenger'.

Watch out for the Stan Lee cameo appearance, and in whose name this film is dedicated, and the mid-credits and end-credits sequences too, which bring us forward to the present day and take us back to Fury's 1995 empty desk, and that cat!

'Captain Marvel' is a worthy addition to the MCU, and an enjoyable mid-'90's romp aided and abetted by a feel good 'buddy cop' partnering between a younger and still finding his feet Nick Fury and the emerging super powers of Carol Danvers coming to terms with her destiny. In this time of the 'MeToo' movement, this film resonates with female empowerment, overcoming adversity and women finding their place in the world, and for that reason it strikes a chord that couldn't be more relevant. There's also just the right amount of humour between Fury and Danvers to provide a grounded levity before the action set pieces click in. Whilst the story backs and forths to the point of near confusion in the first half, hold tight, because it does all come together in the end and makes sense. What didn't make sense to me however, is unlike all the other Superheroes we have seen on the big screen - both MCU and DCEU, Captain Marvel, aka Carol Danvers aka Vers is indestructible and wields unprecedented power it seems. She can glide effortlessly through great balls of fire, survive unharmed and unscathed by even the biggest explosions (refer intergalactic ballistic warheads), live to tell another day from falling out of an escape pod somewhere above the Earth's atmosphere and hurtle towards the Earth crashing into bed rock and simply dusting herself off, she can thwart photon blasts, being buried under crashing iron and steel infrastructure, kicked, punched, thrown aloft and never, does she have a torn piece of clothing or a hair out of place. She well and truly might just be the saviour of the known universe, and perhaps the only match for Thanos! Watch this space! Certainly worth the price of your ticket, worth seeing on the big screen, and it's great to see Samuel L. Jackson looking so much younger, leaner and fresher, and for the most part with both eyes intact.

'Captain Marvel' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 1st March 2018.

Before the film industry awards season comes to its momentous climax with the 90th Academy Awards on 4th March, a series of three lesser known but nonetheless long standing awards ceremonies have recently taken place by various 'Guilds of America' honouring the best in film and television. These are of course The Producers Guild of America, The Directors Guild of America and The Writers Guild of America, who over three separately held events in late January and early February hand out limited awards to the best that the film industry had to offer in the previous year. Here is a quick summary of those winners and grinners in case you missed these headlines :-

The 29th Producers Guild of America Awards, hosted on 20th January 2018 honouring the best film and television Producers of 2017, were held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California.
* The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of a Theatrical Motion Picture, awarded to Guillermo del Toro for 'The Shape of Water'.
* Outstanding Producer of an Animated Theatrical Motion Picture, awarded to Daria K. Anderson for 'Coco'.
* Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Picture, awarded to Brett Morgen, Bryan Burk, Tony Gerber, and James Smith for 'Jane'.

The 70th Directors Guild of America Awards, hosted on 3rd February 2018 honouring the outstanding Directorial achievement in feature films, documentary, television and commercials of 2017, were held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California and hosted by Judd Apatow.
* Feature Film Award to Guillermo del Toro for 'The Shape of Water'.
* Documentary Film Award to Matthew Heineman for 'City of Ghosts'.
* First Time Feature Film Award to Jordan Peele for 'Get Out'.



The 70th Writers Guild of America Awards, hosted on 11th February 2018 honouring the best in film, television, radio and video-game writing of 2017, were held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California and the Edison Ballroom, New York City, New York and hosted by Patton Oswalt and Amber Ruffin respectively.
* Best Original Screenplay Award to Jordan Peele for 'Get Out'.
* Best Adapted Screenplay Award to James Ivory for 'Call Me By Your Name'.
* Best Documentary Screenplay Award to Brett Morgan for 'Jane'.

This week then with four new release films coming to your local Odeon, we kick off with a spy thriller about a specially trained operative with a particular set of deadly skills caught between the east and the west and one man who tries to win her trust, but at what cost? We then move to a satirical foreign language offering about a respected curator of an art museum who as a result of some questionable decisions sees his personal and professional life imploding; before moving onto a biographical film about a fading Hollywood Actress and her relationship with a young English Actor in the 1970's. We then close out with a biblical story of a man with superhuman strength betrayed by his love that ultimately has tragic consequences for more than just the two of them.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are here cordially invited to share your cinematic thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon experience during the week ahead.

'RED SPARROW' (Rated MA15+) - here Francis Lawrence Directs this American spy thriller based on the 2013 book of the same name by former CIA operative Jason Matthews. Francis Lawrence is no stranger to big screen spectacle having Directed, amongst others, 'Constantine' with Keanu Reeves, 'I Am Legend' with Will Smith, 'The Hunger Games : Catching Fire' with Jennifer Lawrence and 'The Hunger Games : Mokingjay Parts 1 and 2' also with Jennifer Lawrence. Here he teams up with his namesake Jennifer Lawrence once again with the film going on general release around the world this week, and having garnered mixed and average Reviews at best so far.

The film centres around Russian and American espionage, the central figure of which is Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) a former prima ballerina forced into an uncertain future as a result of an injury that brings her chosen career to an abrupt halt. Coerced by her uncle, Ivan Egorova (Matthias Schoenaerts) to undergo training at the Sparrow School, a secret intelligence service where she and other gifted men and women were trained in how to seduce the enemy using their minds and bodies as weapons. Egorova emerges as the most dangerous Sparrow after successfully completing a rigorous and demanding training programme which earns her the codename 'Red Sparrow'. Coming to terms with her newly learned skills and abilities, Red Sparrow must navigate the world of high stakes international espionage while negotiating with various others including 'Marble' (Jeremy Irons) a Russian double agent who provides intelligence to the CIA, and Nate Nash (Joel Edgerton) a CIA internal-operations officer who recruits and handles intelligence assets for the agency, and who tries to win her confidence as the only person she can truly trust. Also starring Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Joely Richardson, Ciaran Hinds and Bill Camp.

'THE SQUARE' (Rated MA15+) - this Swedish, French, German and Danish Co-Produced satirical drama film is Directed by Ruben Ostlund and was shown in competition for the Palme d'Or at The Cannes Film Festival in May last year where it took out that prestigious award. It subsequently screened at The Sydney Film Festival last June, TIFF in September, and went out on a limited release in the UK last August, and the US in September. Only now does it get its release in Australia having done the festival circuit and picking up 21 award wins and a further 35 nominations in the meantime. It is also in the running for the Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming Academy Awards, just a few weeks away now. Here Christian (Claes Bang) is the respected curator of a prestigious contemporary art museum in Stockholm, Sweden. He is also a divorced but devoted father of two who drives an electric car and supports good causes. His next exhibit is 'The Square', an installation which supposedly reminds the viewer of their role as responsible fellow human beings. But sometimes, art does not imitate life as Christian's foolish response to the theft of his smartphone and his wallet drags him into a shameful and regrettable situation. Meanwhile, the museum's PR agency tasked with stirring up enthusiasm for the exhibit has created an unexpected campaign for 'The Square' which it releases on YouTube and social media attracting much publicity of the wrong kind by the media, church groups and the general public sending Christian, as well as the museum, into a crisis of confidence and controversy. Also starring Elisabeth Moss, Terry Notary and Dominic West.

'FILM STARS DON'T DIE IN LIVERPOOL' (Rated M) - is based on the memoir of the same name by Liverpool born Actor, Writer and Director Peter Turner. Directed by Paul McGuigan this biographical film tells the story of Turner's relationship with fading Hollywood Actress Gloria Grahame in the 1970's, upto the time of her death from breast cancer and peritonitis in 1981 aged 57. Premiering at the Telluride Film Festival last September, and opening in the UK last November and then the US at the end of December, the film only now goes on release in Australia. Costing US$10M to make it has so far grossed US$2M, has received generally positive press and has so far garnered two award wins and fifteen other nominations including three BAFTA nods. Here Peter Turner (Jamie Bell) who was born in Liverpool in 1952, during the 1970's falls for American film stage and television Actress and Singer Gloria Grahame (Annette Benning). Grahame's first big screen debut came in 1944 and she subsequently amassed 64 acting credits including 'It's a Wonderful Life', 'Crossfire' for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, 'The Greatest Show on Earth', 'The Bad and the Beautiful' for which she won an Academy Award, 'The Big Heat', 'Oklahoma' and 'Melvin and Howard'. When her career took a downturn she returned to the stage, in England and the US, picking up support roles in films and television series in the ensuing years. It was in England that she met the young Peter Turner and found romance and happiness before being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1974, which went into remission less than a year later and Grahame returned to work. In 1980, the cancer returned but Grahame refused to accept the diagnosis or seek treatment. Choosing instead to continue working, she travelled to Britain to appear in a play. Her health, however, declined rapidly and she developed peritonitis after undergoing a procedure to remove fluid from her abdomen in September 1981. She returned to New York City where she died in October 1981. This is their story. Also starring Vanessa Redgrave, Julie Walters, Frances Barber, Stephen Graham and, Peter Turner.

'SAMSON' (Rated M) - in 1949 Cecil B. DeMille Directed and Produced the romantic biblical drama film 'Samson and Delilah' starring Victor Mature as Samson and Hedy Lamarr as his love, Delilah. Now, almost seventy years later Bruce Macdonald, here Directs this retelling of Samson the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible and one of the last of the leaders who 'judged' Israel before the institution of the monarchy. The biblical rendition states that Samson was a Nazirite, and that he was awarded great strength to help him against his enemies and permit him to perform superhuman feats, including slaying a lion with his bare hands and massacring an entire army of Philistines using only the jawbone of an ass. However, if Samson's long hair was cut, then his Nazirite vow would be violated, and he would lose his strength. This is the story of Samson's (Taylor James) youthful ambition which leads to a tragic marriage that ends in the death of his love at the hands of a cruel Philistine prince. The all-powerful Samson mounts a quest for vengeance that sees him in direct conflict with the might of the Philistine army. As his brother mounts a tribal rebellion, Samson's relationship with a Philistine temptress Delilah (Caitlin Leahy) who betrays him sapping him of his strength, and his final surrender to God will help turn enslavement into a final victory . . . but at what cost? Also starring Billy Zane, Rutger Hauer, Jackson Rathbone and Lindsay Wagner the film has taken less that US$3M at the Box Office and received generally negative press.

With four new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephiles afterwards here at Odeon Online, and meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 1st June 2017

The 70th annual Cannes Film Festival has just wrapped closing twelve days of film extravaganza down on the French Riviera running from 17th until 28th May inclusive. Spanish film Director and Screenwriter Pedro Almodóvar was the President of the Jury for the Festival and Italian Actress Monica Bellucci hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. 'Ismael's Ghosts' by French Director Arnaud Desplechin, was the opening film for the Festival, and 'The Square' by Swedish Director Ruben Ostlund, was the closing film.

This year there were nineteen films in Official Competition all competing for the much prized Palme d'Or. Among those were : 'In the Fade' by Director Faith Akin and starring Diane Kruger; 'The Meyerowitz Stories' Directed by Noah Baumbach and starring Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson; 'Okja' by Director Bong Joon-ho and starring Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Dano; 'The Beguiled' by Director Sofia Coppola and starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning; 'Wonderstruck' by Director Todd Haynes and starring Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams; 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' by Director Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman and Alicia Silverstone; 'You Were Never Really Here' by Director Lynne Ramsay and starring Joaquin Phoenix; 'Good Time' by Ben and Josh Safdie and starring Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Jason Leigh; 'Happy End' by Director Michael Haneke and starring Isabelle Huppert; and competition winner of the Palme d'Or 'The Square' Directed by Ruben Ostlund and starring Elisabeth Moss, Dominic West and Claes Bang.

In official competition the other winners and grinners were : Grand Prix awarded to French drama film '120 Beats Per Minute' by Director Robin Campillo; Best Director awarded to Sofia Coppola for 'The Beguiled'; Best Actress awarded to Diane Kruger for 'In the Fade'; Best Actor awarded to Joaquin Phoenix for 'You Were Never Really Here'; Best Screenplay awarded to Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou for 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' and Lynne Ramsay for 'You Were Never Really Here'. Nicole Kidman was awarded a special 70th Anniversary Prize, had three films in competition this year, and a special 70th anniversary screening of Jane Campion's mystery television drama series 'Top of the Lake : China Girl' being the second season of the acclaimed series which Kidman stars in and which goes to air in September this year. Kidman was also unofficially crowned this years 'Queen of Cannes'.

Coming back down to Earth, this week there are just three new release films coming to your local multiplex or independent theatre. We kick off with this eagerly awaited fourth film in this Extended Universe for one particular female Superhero that we have seen before on the big screen just last year, but here she gets her very own origin story and what a whip cracking yarn it promises to be. We then move to bronzed babes and buffed bodies patrolling the beach, saving lives and catching crims in this big screen feature film based on a popular long running television series of the nineties, before wrapping up this week with a late '70's story of one middle aged Mum bringing up her young teenage lad with the help of her two 'adopted' and much younger mother figure friends.

When you have sat through your film entertainment of choice sometime somewhere in the coming seven days, be reminded to share your thoughts with your like minded cinephiles here at Odeon Online. Simply leave your relevant, concise and pertinent views, opinions and observations of any of the three movies as Previewed below, or those as Reviewed and Previewed between these humble pages previously, in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you as always, and meanwhile, enjoy your filmic experience.

'WONDER WOMAN' (Rated M) - the beginnings of the DC Comics Superhero known as 'Wonder Woman' first appeared in the October 1941 edition of All Star Comics #8 and her origin story tells us that she was sculpted from clay by her mother Queen Hippolyta and given life by Aphrodite, along with superhuman powers as gifts by the Greek Gods. The character is a founding member of the Justice League, demigoddess, and warrior princess of the Amazonian people. In her homeland, she is Princess Diana of Themyscira, and outside of it, she is known by her civilian identity Diana Prince. And so now 'Wonder Woman' gets her very own feature length stand alone movie, having taken seventy years to first appear in 2016's 'Batman v. Superman : Dawn of Justice' although by then Diana Prince was a fully formed bona fide Superhero. This stand alone feature Directed by Patty Jenkins takes us back one hundred years or so to the origins of the character at the time of the First World War, albeit she is an immortal warrior over five thousand years old. The film cost US$120M to make, is released in the US and China this week too, and is the first Superhero film to be Directed by a woman with a female protagonist. 'Wonder Woman' is the fourth film in the DC Extended Universe after 'Man of Steel', the aforementioned 'Batman v. Superman : Dawn of Justice' and 'Suicide Squad'.

Set at about the time of the First World War, the Amazon princess Diana (Gal Gadot), who is living on the remote island of Themyscira, meets American military pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) when he washes ashore having crashed his aircraft somewhere offshore. After learning from him about the ongoing events of World War I, and the huge conflict that is erupting around the world, she leaves her home for the first time, venturing to London and the battlefields of Europe to bring an early end to the war, and in so doing becomes 'Wonder Woman' realising her full powers and her full potential. Also starring Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta; Robin Wright as General Antiope, the sister of Hippolyta and Diana's aunt; David Thewlis as Ares, the treacherous son of Zeus and half-brother of Diana; and Danny Huston as General Erich Ludendorff, an ambitious and iron fisted general of the German Army. The film is Co-Prodiced by Zack and Deborah Snyder and the story was Co-Written by Zack Snyder. Wonder Woman will also be back in this November's release of 'Justice League'.

'BAYWATCH' (Rated MA15+) - this film is based on the hugely popular and internationally successful American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson that ran for eleven series over 242 episodes from 1991 through until 2001. The show led to a spin-off, 'Baywatch Nights' from 1995 to 1997 over two seasons, and three direct to video films: 'Baywatch the Movie : Forbidden Paradise' in 1995; its sequel 'Baywatch : White Thunder at Glacier Bay' in 1998; and 2003 reunion film 'Baywatch : Hawaiian Wedding'. Now in 2017 and at a budgeted US$69M 'Baywatch' the big screen feature film is upon us. Directed by Seth Gordon, and starring Dwayne Johnson as Mitch Buchannon (formerly played by Daivid Hasselhoff) the overzealous, keen, athletic leader of an elite group of lifeguards patrolling Emerald Bay in Florida, and Zac Efron as  Matt Brody, a disgraced former Olympic swimmer turned wannabe lifeguard who is seen as a PR lifeline to convince the city not to further cut its funding to the Baywatch squad. At the upcoming try-outs for new lifeguard positions, Matt Brody is one of three hopefuls but he soon clashes with headstrong Mitch Buchannon. However, the pair must soon put there differences aside when drugs, the murder of a city dignitary, and an unscrupulous business woman threaten the local Baywatch community. Also starring Kelly Rohrbach as C.J. Parker (formerly played by Pamela Anderson). The film has so far taken US$29M since its release in the US on 25th May and has received less than positive press so far.
 
'20th CENTURY WOMEN' (Rated M) - Mike Mills wrote and Directed this semi-autobiographical comedy drama film for just US$7M which was released Stateside on 28th December 2016 and has so far recovered US$6M. The film has won ten awards and been nominated for a further 68 including Best Original Screenplay at this years Academy Awards and two Golden Globe nods for Best Motion Picture and Best Actress for Annette Benning. Set in Santa Barbara in Southern California in 1979, this film tells the story of Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) a young teenager and his relationship with his determined single mid-fifty year old mother Dorothea Fields (Annette Benning). She enlists the help and support of household lodger Abbie (Greta Gerwig) a free spirited new wave artist and Julie (Elle Fanning) a street smart and overly confident neighbour to aid in Jamie's upbringing and introduction to the world at a time of cultural change and rebellion. Also starring Billy Crudup, the film has received positive Reviews from Critics.

Three films this week all with women at the core - 'Wonder Woman', '20th Century Women' and 'Baywatch' featuring scantily clad swimsuit wearing lifesaving babes that any self respecting guy would want their life saved by, no doubt! Whatever your chosen realm of movie escapism is this week, be sure to share your thoughts with us here afterwards, and in the meantime, I'll see you somewhere, sometime, in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 26th March - 1st April 2017

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Warren Beatty does on 30th March - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 80, 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 March

• Keira Knightley - Born 1985, turns 32 - Actress | Singer
• Alan Arkin - Born 1934, turns 83 - Actor | Director | Producer | Writer
• James Caan - Born 1940, turns 77 - Actor
• Martin Short - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Alan Silvestri - Born 1950, turns 67 - Composer | Songwriter | Conductor
• Martin McDonagh - Born 1970, turns 47 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Francis Lawrence - Born 1971, turns 46 - Director | Producer

Monday 27th March

• Julian Glover - Born 1935, turns 82 - Actor
• Michael York - Born 1942, turns 75 - Actor
• Stephen Dillane - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor
• Quentin Tarantino - Born 1963, turns 54 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Holiday Grainger - Born 1988, turns 29 - Actress

Tuesday 28th March

• Dianne Weist - Born 1948, turns 69 - Actress
• Julia Stiles - Born 1981, turns 36 - Actress | Director  | Writer
• Mike Newell - Born 1942, turns 75 - Director | Producer
• Brett Ratner - Born 1969, turns 48 - Director | Producer | Actor
• Vince Vaughn - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Nick Frost - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Richard Kelly - Born 1975, turns 42 - Director | Producer | Writer

Wednesday 29th March

• Eric Idle - Born 1943, turns 74 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer | Songwriter
• Brendan Gleeson - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actor
• Christopher Lambert - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Michael Winterbottom - Born1961, turns 56 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor
• Ed Skrein - Born 1983, turns 34 - Actor
• Lucy Lawless - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actress | Singer

Thursday 30th March

• Warren Beatty - Born 1937, turns 80 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
• Paul Reiser - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Robbie Coltrane - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actor | Singer

Friday 31st March

• Richard Chamberlain - Born 1934, turns 83 - Actor
• Christopher Walken - Born 1943, turns 74 - Actor | Singer
• Ewan McGregor - Born 1971, turns 46 - Actor | Director | Producer | Writer | Singer

Saturday 1st April

• Barry Sonnenfeld - Born 1953, turns 64 - Director | Producer | Actor | Cinematographer
• Tomas Alfredson - Born 1965, turns 52 - Director | Actor | Writer | Editor
• David Owelowo - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actor | Producer
• Asa Butterfield - Born 1997, turns 20 - Actor
• Ali McGraw - Born 1939, turns 78 - Actress

Henry Warren Beaty was born in Richmond, Virginia, USA to mother Kathlyn MacLean, a drama teacher, and father Ira Owens Beaty, a public school administrator and part time Real Estate Agent. At age eight the family moved to Arlington, Virginia. Beaty became interested in film even before his teenage years, often joining his older sister - actress, singer, dancer, author and activist Shirley MacLaine, to the theatre.  Having seen his sister rise to early prominence in Hollywood, he was himself encouraged to find work somewhere doing something in the industry, initially as a stagehand at the National Theatre in Washington D.C. before commencing his senior year at high school. At Washington-Lee High School in Arlington he was a star football player having been allegedly offered football scholarships to ten different colleges. He rejected them all to study liberal arts at the acclaimed Northwestern University. Having completed just a year, he moved to New York City where he enrolled at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, under Stella Adler. In early 1960, Beaty enlisted in the California Air National Guard, and was discharged a year later due to a physical disability.

At the start of his acting career Beaty changed the spelling of his surname to Beatty. In the lead up to his first big screen role, Beatty saw out the late '50's with a string of television series appearances. These included the popular anthology series of the time 'Studio One', 'Kraft Television Theatre' and 'Playhouse 90'. He became a regular on the sitcom 'The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis' during its first season. In 1961 Beatty gained his breakout big screen role in Ella Kazan's romantic drama film 'Splendor in the Grass' opposite Natalie Wood. The film was a critical and commercial success gaining Beatty a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor, and a Golden Globe win for New Star of the Year - Actor.

The remaining '60's saw 'The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone' opposite Vivien Leigh; 'All Fall Down' for Director John Frankenheimer with Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden and Angela Lansbury; 'Lilith' with Jean Seberg, Peter Fonda and Gene Hackman, 'Mickey One' for Director Arthur Penn; 'Promise Her Anything' with Leslie Caron and an uncredited Donald Sutherland; 'Kaleidoscope' with Susannah York; and then 1967 classic biographical crime drama 'Bonnie and Clyde' for Director Arthur Penn again and with Beatty playing Clyde Barrow and Faye Dunaway his partner in crime Bonnie Parker. That film returned US$70M (back in 1967) off its US$2.5M budget outlay and was hailed a critical success too. It is said that 'Bonnie and Clyde' opened the floodgates for violence in cinema and was seen as groundbreaking for its time having influenced many films since. The film won two Academy Awards and a further eight nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Lead Role nominations for Beatty, who also Produced the film. It also picked up seven Golden Globe nominations and three BAFTA nominations in its total awards haul of 22 wins and 27 nominations.

The '70's kicked off with 'The Only Game in Town' opposite Elizabeth Taylor - a Box Office bomb recovering just US$1.5M from its US$10M outlay with very average critical Reviews at best too, and saw Director George Stevens retire from his craft completely. Next up was the Robert Altman Written and Directed Modern Western 'McCabe and Mrs. Miller' with Beatty starring as gambler John McCabe opposite Julie Christie's Constance Miller, for which the Actress picked up an Academy Award nomination for her role. '$' came next with Goldie Hawn and Gert Frobe, followed by the political thriller 'The Parallax View' Directed by Alan J. Pakula.

The latter half of the decade saw 'Shampoo' that was Produced, Co-Written, and starred Beatty together with Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Lee Grant, and an early appearance by Carrie Fisher. The film took US$60M at the worldwide Box Office from its US$4M budget, and picked up numerous accolades including a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Lee Grant, plus three other nominations, together with five Golden Globe nods and a BAFTA nod too. That same year saw 'The Fortune' for Director Mike Nichols with Jack Nicholson and Stockard Channing. 'Heaven Can Wait' which Beatty Co-Directed, Produced, wrote the Screenplay for and also starred in was a critical and commercial success again, taking US$82M at the global Box Office off the back of its US$15M budget investment. The film won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction, and another eight nominations - four of which were for Beatty for Best Picture (as Producer), Best Actor, Best Director and Best Screenplay. The film also won three Golden Globes, and all up garnered nine award wins and a further thirteen nominations. Co-starring with Beatty were Julie Christie once again, James Mason, Charles Grodin, Jack Warden, and Dyan Canon.

During the '80's Beatty starred in just two films. 1981 saw the hugely successful epic historical drama film 'Reds' which  he Directed, Produced, Co-write the Screenplay for and starred in as journalist John Reed alongside Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Paul Sorvino and Gene Hackman. The film was not a huge commercial success raking in just US$41M from its US$32M budget, but it was hailed a critical success picking up three Academy Award wins for Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Supporting Actress for Maureen Stapleton, plus another nine nominations of which three others went to Beatty for Best Picture, Best Lead Actor and Best Screenplay. He also won the Best Director Golden Globe plus six other nominations from a total awards haul of 22 wins and 34 nominations. 1987 saw a film that couldn't have been more polar opposite. The action adventure comedy 'Ishtar' was a huge Box Office failure and was dubbed as one of the worst films ever made. Co-starring Dustin Hoffman and Charles Grodin the film made just US$14M from its US$51M budget, and it was the last films that Writer/Director Elaine May made, and it was nine years before she took another Screenwriting credit.

1990 saw Beatty back in the Directors chair with Producing and acting credits too in 'Dick Tracy' - the primary coloured action comedy film based on the iconic 1930's comic strip character of the same name. Featuring an ensemble cast that saw Beatty in the title role with Al Pacino, Madonna, Charles Durning, Dick Van Dyke, Kathy Bates, Dustin Hoffman, William Forsythe, Mandy Patinkin, Paul Sorvino, James Caan, and Catherine O'Hara amongst others, the film took US$163M at the Box Office from its US$46M budget and received generally mixed critical Reviews. Beatty had always hoped that the film would lead to a franchise, but the lacklustre Box Office and legal wranglings over film and television rights have thus far prevented otherwise. 'Dick Tracy' did win nine awards and another 32 nominations, including three Academy Award wins, two BAFTA wins and four other Academy Award nods, four Golden Globe and five BAFTA nominations.

'Bugsy' followed in 1991 - the story of Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel known as one of the most infamous and feared gangsters of his day, and the driving force behind the development of the Las Vegas Strip. Beatty starred as Bugsy in this Barry Levinson Directed film that was Co-Produced by Beatty and saw him star alongside his love interest Virginia Hill (Annette Benning), with Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Elliott Gould and Joe Mantegna. The film took close to US$50M from a $30M budget and was very well received critically, picking up two Academy Award wins and another eight nominations including Best Lead Actor for Beatty, plus the Best Picture Golden Globe and a another seven nominations from its total haul of twelve wins and 34 nominations. He would Co-star with Annette Benning again in 1994 in the romantic drama film 'Love Affair' which was again Produced by Beatty and written for the screen by him too. Despite its strong cast that also included Katherine Hepburn (in her last screen role), Gary Shandling, Pierce Brosnan, Kate Capshaw, Harold Ramis and Ray Charles the film grossed just US$18M from its US$60M budget costs.

The 1998 political comedy film 'Bulworth' was Directed, Produced, Written and starred Beatty once again, and he came up with the story too. Starring as Senator Jay Billington Bulworth who seeks political re-election while dodging a hired assassin, the film also starred Oliver Platt, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Paul Sorvino, Jack Warden, Sean Astin, William Baldwin, George Hamilton and Larry King. The film had a limited theatrical release, was controversial for its outspoken take on late 20th Century American politics but received generally positive critical acclaim and just about made back its US$30M budget costs. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, and Beatty picked up three Golden Globe nominations too for Best Picture, Best Performance by a Actor and Best Screenplay.

The new decade saw 'Town & Country' with an all star cast that took in Beatty in the lead role as super rich architect Porter Stoddart, with Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, Garry Shandling, Andie McDowell, Nastassja Kinski, Charlton Heston and Josh Hartnett. The film was plagued by production issues, script rewrites and reshoots that saw the films final release three years after filming commenced. The film was a critical and commercial disaster taking just US$10M from its production costs of US$90M excluding marketing and distribution.

Following the disastrous outing that was 'Town & Country' it would be fifteen years before Beatty ventured either in front of the camera or behind it for a motion picture, despite various appearances in documentary films or short films. Released last year (and later this year in Australia), 'Rules Don't Apply' is a fictionalised real-life romantic comedy drama film set in the Hollywood of the late '50's with Beatty staring as movie mogul, businessman, investor, pilot and philanthropist Howard Hughes. Beatty also Directs, Produces, wrote the Screenplay and devised the story for the film which includes such names as Paul Sorvino, Matthew Broderick, Martin Sheen, Candice Bergen, Annette Benning, Lily Collins, Ed Harris, Oliver Platt, Alec Baldwin, Steve Coogan, Amy Madigan and Haley Bennett in the line up. The film has received mixed critical Reviews and a Box Office of just US$4M so far from its US$25M budget investment. The film picked up three award wins and another ten nominations.

All up, for a career spanning seven decades Beatty has just 32 acting credits to his name. But in addition he has thirteen Producer credits, another eight as Writer and six as Director. He has two Academy Award wins - the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from 2000, and a Best Director Award for 'Reds', plus thirteen other Academy Award nominations. He has four Golden Globe wins including the Cecil B. DeMille Award from 2007 plus another eight nominations, and he has two BAFTA Award nominations and the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award win in 2002. All up for his efforts he has accumulated 38 award wins and a further 51 nominations. Beatty is the only person in Academy Award history that was twice nominated by the Academy as an Actor, Producer, Director and Writer of the same film for 'Heaven Can Wait' in 1978 and 'Reds' in 1981.

He has been married to Actress and frequent Co-star Anette Benning since 1992 with whom he has four children - Stephen (born Kathlyn, in 1992), Benjamin (born in 1994), Isabel (born in 1997) and Ella (born in 2000). He is a long time supporter and activist for the Democratic Party, and has been the recipient of more political, charitable and film industry awards, accolades and honours than I could possibly record here.

Warren Beatty - truly an outstanding career both in front of the camera and behind it; a real Hollywood legend and movie making royalty; is neighbours with good friend and occasional Co-star Jack Nicholson; is well known for his high profile romantic relationships that have received much media attention over the years, up until settling down with Benning; and has turned down more high profile film roles with Directors of repute, than films he has starred in. A very Happy 80th Birthday to you Warren, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-