Showing posts with label Atonement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atonement. Show all posts

Saturday, 15 July 2017

Birthday's to share this week : 16th - 22nd July 2017

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Juno Temple does on 21st July - check out my tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 28, 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 16th July
  • Phoebe Cates - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actress 
  • Will Ferrell - Born1967, turns 50 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
  • Scott Derrickson - Born 1966, turns 51 - Writer | Director | Producer 
  • Corey Feldman - Born 1971, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter | Writer | Director
Monday 17th July
  • Donald Sutherland - Born 1935, turns 82 - Actor | Producer | Writer
  • David Hasselhoff - Born 1952, turns 65 - Actor | Writer | Singer 
  • Jason Clarke - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actor | Producer 
  • F. Gary Gray - Born 1969, turns 48 - Director | Producer | Actor
Tuesday 18th July 
  • Paul Verhoeven - Born 1938, turns 79 - Director | Producer | Writer
  • James Brolin - Born 1940, turns 77 - Actor | Producer | Director
  • Vin Diesel - Born 1967, turns 50 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
  • Elizabeth McGovern - Born 1961, turns 56 - Actress | Producer
  • Kelly Reilly - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actress | Producer
  • Kristen Bell - Born 1980, turns 37 - Actress | Singer | Producer  
Wednesday 19th July
  • George Dzundza - Born 1945, turns 72 - Actor 
  • Abel Ferrara - Born 1951, turns 66 - Director | Writer | Producer | Actor | Songwriter
  • Atom Egoyan - Born 1960, turns 57 - Director | Writer | Producer | Editor | Actor | Cinematographer 
  • Benedict Cumberbatch - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actor | Producer  
Thursday 20th July
  • Cormac McCarthy - Born 1933, turns 84 - Writer | Producer
  • Josh Holloway - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actor | Producer
  • Diana Rigg - Born 1938, turns 79 - Actress
  • Sandra Oh - Born 1971, turns 46 - Actress | Producer  
Friday 21st July
  • Charlotte Gainsbourg - Born 1971, turns 46 - Actress | Singer
  • Juno Temple - Born 1989, turns 28 - Actress
  • Norman Jewison - Born 1926, turns 91 - Director | Producer
  • Ross Kemp - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actor | Television Personality | Producer
  • John Lovitz - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Singer
  • Josh Hartnett - Born 1978, turns 39 - Actor     
Saturday 22nd July
  • Terence Stamp - Born 1938, turns 79 - Actor | Writer | Director
  • Danny Glover - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actor | Producer | Director
  • Paul Schrader - Born 1946, turns 71 - Writer | Director | Producer
  • Albert Brooks - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor | Writer | Director 
  • Willem Dafoe - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actor | Producer | Writer
  • John Leguizamo - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer
  • David Spade - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Singer
  • Rhys Ifans - Born 1967, turns 50 - Actor 
  • Franka Potente - Born 1974, turns 43 - Actress | 
  • Selena Gomez - Born 1992, turns 25 - Actress | Producer | Singer | Composer
Juno Violet Temple was born in Hammersmith, London, England to mother Amanda Pirie, a film and television Producer, and father Julien Temple, a film, documentary and music video Director. Juno spent the first four years of her life living in the US, an then her parents moved the family back to England where she grew up in Taunton, Somerset and attended Enmore Primary School, then the co-educational independent boarding and day Beadles School in Petersfield, in Hampshire, and then the independent co-educational boarding and secondary day school - King's College, Taunton. From the age of four she had already decided that she wanted to become an Actress, and by fifteen she told her parents that she had serous acting aspirations. She has two younger brothers - Leo and Felix. 

The young Juno began her acting career as a child Actress in the 1997 bio-pic 'Vigo : Passion for Life', as Directed by her father about French film Director Jean Vigo who lived from 1905 to 1934 and was an influence on the French New Wave cinema of the late '50's and early '60's. However, her part ended up on the cutting room floor, but all was not lost. From here she was cast by her father again at the tender age of eleven in the 2000 film 'Pandaemonium' which also starred Andy Serkis, John Hannah and Linus Roache about the early lives of English Poets - William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Her next big screen role came in 2006 in 'Notes on a Scandal' with Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett and Bill Nighy and this was followed up a year later with Joe Wrights acclaimed 'Atonement' with James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan and Benedict Cumberbatch. 'St. Trinian's' comes next in 2007 - for which she would reprise her role in 2009 in 'St. Trinian's 2 : The Legend of Fritton's Gold'. 

In the meantime there was historical drama film offering 'The Other Boleyn Girl' featuring an all star cast comprising the likes of Eric Bana, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Kristen Scott Thomas, Mark Rylance and Benedict Cumberbatch; then 'Wild Child'; the Harold Ramis Written and Directed comedy 'Year One' with Jack Black; 'Mr. Nobody' with Jared Leto, Rhys Ifans and Diane Kruger; boarding school dramatic thriller 'Cracks' with Eva Green and Imogen Poots; and then early WWII dramatic thriller 'Glorious 39' with Bill Nighy, Eddie Redmayne, Christopher Lee and Hugh Bonneville seeing out the decade.

2010 saw things really take off for Temple with Noah Baumbach's Written and Directed 'Greenberg' with Ben Stiller, then 'Kaboom', followed by 'Dirty Girl' and a couple of short films - the fifteen minute 'Swerve' and the seven minute 'Bastard' for Writer and Director Kirsten Dunst. 'Little Birds' came next in 2011, then historical actioner 'The Three Musketeers' for Paul W. S. Anderson with Luke Evans, Orlando Bloom, Mads Mikkelsen, Logan Lerman and Mathew Macfadyen, and 'Killer Joe' followed up these for William Friedkin with Matthew McConaughey and Emile Hirsch.


2012 opened with 'Small Apartments' with an ensemble cast consisting the likes of Billy Crystal, James Caan, Matt Lucas, Dolph Lundgren, Johnny Knoxville, Peter Stormare, Rebel Wilson and Saffron Burrows. Romantic horror drama came next with 'Jack & Diane', then a turn in Chris Nolan's epic 'The Dark Knight Rises' followed up by fantasy comedy thriller film 'The Brass Teapot'. 

'Afternoon Delight', 'Magic Magic', the Bio-Pic of Linda Lovelace's life 'Lovelace' with Amanda Seyfried, Sharon Stone, Peter Sarsgaard, James Franco, Robert Patrick and Chloe Sevigny, and then fantasy horror drama 'Horns' alongside Daniel Radcliffe saw out 2013.





Disney's 'Maleficent' with Angelina Jolie and then the Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez Directed 'Sin City' follow-up 'Sin City : A Dame to Kill For' with an all star cast including Mickey Rourke, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Josh Brolin, Ray Liotta, Eva Green, Jessica Alba and Rosario Dawson amongst others wrapped up 2014. The next year saw the period piece based on the Thomas Hardy novel 'Far from the Madding Crowd' with Carey Mulligan and Matthias Schoenaerts before 'Safelight', an uncredited appearance in 'Meadowland', then 'Len and Company' with Rhys Ifans, and Boston gangland Bio-Pic 'Black Mass' about the criminal life and times of James 'Whitey' Bulger with Johnny Depp in the lead role and an ensemble cast taking in Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon and Peter Sarsgaard.

2016 saw Temple star in all ten episodes of Season One of the Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese Co-Written '70's New York music industry drama 'Vinyl' and she followed this up with northern English set drama film 'Away' with Timothy Spall. Then came two episodes on 'Drunk History' whereby historical re-enactments by A-list acting talent are presented by inebriated storytellers. Bringing us up to date is the historical Bio-pic of Madelyn Murray O'Hair - an outspoken and opinionated activist and founder of the American Atheists whose activities led to her kidnapping in 1995. The film, 'The Most Hated Woman in America' was released on Netflix earlier this year.

Recently released Stateside is 'One Percent More Humid', and due for release in December this year is the latest Written and Directed offering from Woody Allen, 'Wonder Wheel' starring Kate Winslet,  Justin Timberlake and James Belushi, with 'The Pretenders' that has wrapped filming and is due for release in 2018 and is Directed and stars James Franco.

All up to date, Temple has 43 Acting credits to her name. She has two award wins and two nominations, and included in these is the BAFTA Rising Star Award given in 2013. She was romantically involved with her 'The Brass Teapot' male lead Michael Angarano, and the pair lived together in Los Angeles for a time, but this relationship ended subsequently.

Juno Temple - a child Actress whose done good, a star on the rise, clearly in demand, and already with a varied body of work. So much achieved in your seventeen active years in front of the camera that the future shines brightly, and the movie going public will continue to watch your ascent with much interest. Happy Birthday to you Juno, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Saturday, 18 April 2015

Birthday's to share this week : 19th - 25th April 2015

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

James McAvoy does on 21st April - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 36, 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 April
  • James Franco - Born 1978, turns 37 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
  • Tim Curry - Born 1946, turns 69 - Actor | Singer
  • Hayden Christensen - Born 1981, turns 34 - Actor | Producer
  • Ashley Judd - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actress | Producer
  • Kate Hudson - Born 1979, turns 36 - Actress | Producer
Monday 20th April
  • Jessica Lange - Born 1949, turns 66 - Actress
  • Andy Serkis - Born 1964, turns 51 - Actor | Producer | Director | MoCap Aficionado
  • Ryan O'Neal - Born 1941, turns 74 - Actor | Producer
  • George Takei - Born 1937, turns 78 - Actor | Producer | Writer
  • Leslie Phillips - Born 1924, turns 91 - Actor | Producer
Tuesday 21st April
  • James McAvoy - Born 1979, turns 36 - Actor | Producer
  • Toby Stephens - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actor
  • Charles Grodin - Born 1935, turns 80 - Actor | Writer
  • Tony Danza - Born 1951, turns 64 - Actor | Producer | Director
  • Andie MacDowell - Born 1958, turns 57 - Actress | Writer
Wednesday 22nd April
  • Jack Nicholson - Born 1937, turns 78 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
  • John Waters - Born 1946, turns 69 - Director | Writer | Actor
  • Lee Tamahori - Born 1950, turns 65 - Director
  • George Cole - Born 1925 - turns 90 - Actor
Thursday 23rd April
  • Dev Patel - Born 1990, turns 25 - Actor
  • Lee Majors - Born 1939, turns 76 - Actor | Producer
  • John Hannah - Born 1962, turns 53 - Actor | Producer
  • Michael Moore - Born 1954, turns 61 - Director | Producer | Writer
  • Judy Davis - Born 1955, turns 60 - Actress
Friday 24th April
  • Barbra Streisand - Born 1942, turns 73 - Singer | Actress | Writer | Director | Producer
  • Kelly Clarkson - Born 1982, turns 33 - Singer | Actress
  • Shirley MacLaine - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actress | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer
  • Djimon Hounsou - Born 1964, turns 51 - Actor | Producer
  • Richard Donner - Born 1930, turns 85 - Director | Producer
Saturday 25th April
  • Al Pacino - Born 1940, tun 75 -  Actor | Producer | Writer
  • Hank Azira - Born 1964, turns 51 - Producer | Actor
  • Renee Zellwegger - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actress | Producer |writer
  • Talia Shire - Born 1946, turns 69 - Actress | Producer 
James McAvoy was born in Glasgow, Scotland to mother Elizabeth Johnstone, a psychiatric nurse and father James McAvoy Snr. a builder. At age seven his parents divorced, and as his mother suffered from poor health it was determined best that the young James should live with his maternal grandparents in the Drumchapel area of Glasgow.His mother came and went intermittently, but he lost all contact with his father whom he has not seen since those early childhood years. He has a sister, Joy, and a half-brother, David. He attended St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in Jordanhill, Glasgow, and while at school, aged sixteen, there was visit by Actor/Director David Hayman which sparked his interest in acting. As a result, Hayman, offered him a role in his upcoming 1995 film 'The Near Room' which was to be this young Actor's screen debut.

He joined the 'PACE Youth Theatre' although never considered acting as a career choice, and in fact had been accepted to join the Royal Navy, when he was offered a place at the 'Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama', from which he graduated in 2000 and relocated to London thereafter. By this time he had already appeared in an episode of TV's long running 'The Bill' series and movies 'An Angel Passes By' and 'Regeneration' in 1997.

The start of the decade brought German slasher horror flick 'Swimming Pool' followed up by the Stephen Fry Written and Directed 'Bright Young Things' with the likes of Peter O'Toole, Jim Broadbent, Dan Aykroyd and Emily Mortimer. 'Bollywood Queen' followed with 'Wimbledon' next in 2004 starring the likes of Paul Bettany, Kirsten Dunst and Sam Neill. During this time too there were numerous television appearances including 'Band of Brothers', 'Murder in Mind, 'White Teeth', 'Foyle's War', 'Frank Herbert's Children of Dune', 'State of Play' and 'Early Doors'.

Running concurrently were various stage plays that came and went up and down the country with 'The Tempest', 'Romeo and Juliet', 'West Side Story', 'Lovers', 'Out in the Open' and 'Privates on Parade' amongst others. None of these stage appearances did the young actor any harm at all, and in fact brought him to the attention of Director's Joe Wright and Sam Mendes, and it was while working for Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks on 'Band of Brothers' that he met his good friend and future co-star Michael Fassbender.

It was however, McAvoy's role on thirteen episodes of the highly acclaimed comedy drama 'Shameless' in 2004/05 that really started to bring the Actor acclaim, for which he was nominated for the 'Best TV Comedy Newcomer Award'. Further acclaim followed with 2005's 'The Chronicles of Narnia' in which he plays the faun 'Mr. Tumnus', and then 'Inside I'm Dancing' - for both films he was nominated the Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor Awards respectively by the London Film Critics Circle. 2006 and 2007 proved to be breakout years - first with 'The Last King of Scotland' starring opposite Forest Whitaker's Idi Amin, and then 'Atonement' for Joe Wright and starring Keira Knightley and Saoirse Ronan - both films bringing huge critical acclaim and multiple award wins and nominations.

In between there was 'Starter for 10', 'Becoming Jane' and 'Penelope' which fared less well. Following 'Atonement' came comic book actioner 'Wanted' with Angeline Jolie and Morgan Freeman and Directed by Russian Timur Bekmambetov. A critical and commercial success this led to 'The Last Station', 'The Conspirator', and then his first outing as the young Professor Charles Xavier in 2011's 'X-Men : First Class' Directed by Matthew Vaughn and starring also Michael Fassbender. He reprised this role again last year in 'X-Men : Days of Future Past' this time for Director Bryan Singer. The two films grossed in excess of US$1.1B, with 'X-Men : Apocalypse' now in pre-production for a 2016 release.

There was 'Welcome to the Punch', Danny Boyle's 'Trance' and 'Filth' in the meantime all of which delivered more award wins for the Actor. Bringing us up to date there has been 'The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby' film series 'Him', 'Her' and 'Them', a cameo in 'Muppet's Most Wanted', 'Victor Frankenstein' currently in post-production for release later this year, and voice talent work over the years on 'Arthur Christmas', 'Gnomeo & Juliet' and 'Strings'.

McAvoy has 43 screen acting credits to his name, a Producer credit for 'Filth' and eleven awards wins and 23 other monitions including a Golden Globe and BAFTA nomination for 'Atonement', a BAFTA nomination for 'The Last King of Scotland' and the BAFTA Rising Star Award, as well as two BAFTA Awards, Scotland, for 'Filth' and 'The Last King of Scotland'.


In 2006 McAvoy married his 'Shameless' co-star Anne-Marie Duff in a quiet ceremony, and together they have a son Brendan, born in 2010. He lives a modest life which he says is just the way he likes it and is seemingly not caught up or bogged down by the trappings of fame and fortune. He enjoys the fantasy genre and is a devout follower of Celtic Football Club. His role in 'The Last King of Scotland' drove him to support the Ugandan childrens charity 'Retrak' and the 'British Red Cross' for the work they do there too.

James McAvoy - a talented unmistakable Scot, with a diverse body of work amassed already and able to play intense believable characters on the big screen, the small screen and on stage - keep it comin' young Jimmy, and we'll keep watching - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-