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

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Edgar Ramirez does on 25th March - 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 19th March

• Ursula Andress - Born 1936, turns 81 - Actress
• Glenn Close - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Harvey Weinstein - Born 1952, turns 65 - Producer | Director | Writer
• Bruce Willis - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actor | Producer | Singer  

Monday 20th March

• Carl Reiner - Born 1922, turns 95 - Director | Producer | Actor | Writer
• William Hurt - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actor
• Spike Lee - Born 1957, turns 60 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• David Thewlis - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Michael Rappaport - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Holly Hunter - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actress | Producer
• Ruby Rose - Born 1986, turns 31 - Actress

Tuesday 21st March

• Rosie O'Donnell - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actress | Producer | Writer | Singer
• Timothy Dalton - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actor
• Gary Oldman - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Matthew Broderick - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer
• Scott Eastwood - Born 1986, turns 31 - Actor | Producer  

Wednesday 22nd March

• William Shatner - Born 1931, turns 86 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer
• M. Emmet Walsh - Born 1935, turns 82 - Actor
• Bruno Ganz - Born 1941, turns 76 - Actor
• Matthew Modine - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actor | Producer | Director | Cinematographer
• Reese Witherspoon - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actress | Producer | Singer   

Thursday 23rd March

• Amanda Plummer - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actress
• Catherine Keener - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actress | Producer
• Michelle Monaghan - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actress | Producer
• Jaume Collet-Serra - Born 1974, turns 43 - Director | Producer
• Daniel Espinosa - Born 1977, turns 40 - Director | Producer | Writer  

Friday 24th March

• Patrick Malahide - Born 1945, turns 72 - Actor | Writer
• Jim Parsons - Born 1973, turns 44 - Actor | Producer
• Kelly LeBrock - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actress
• Lara Flynn Boyle - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actress | Producer
• Jessica Chastain - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actress | Producer
• Keisha Castle-Hughes - Born 1990, turns 27 - Actress 

Saturday 25th March

• Sarah Jessica Parker - Born 1965, turns 52 - Actress | Producer | Singer 
• Paul Michael Glaser - Born 1943, turns 74 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Edgar Ramirez - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actor | Producer
• Lee Pace - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actor

Edgar Filiberto Ramirez Arellano was born in San Cristobal, Tachira, Venezuela, South America to mother Soday Arellano, a lawyer, and father Filbert Ramirez, an officer in the military service. He graduated from the Andres Bello Catholic University - a private and one of the largest universities in Venezuela, with its main campus in Caracas, in 1999 with a degree in mass communication. He had intended to pursue a career in international relations, and whilst at university he worked as a would-be journalist, reporting mainly on politics. He then became an Executive Director of 'Dale al Voto' - a foundation in Venezuela set up to engage and build the political understanding and reach of young people. For this, Ramirez and his team created campaigns that would appear on radio, television and in cinema. He also took charge of international promotions for the Viart Film Festival - a short film festival held in Caracas open to all students from Spanish speaking countries. Around about that time, Screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga was invited to attend the Viart Film Festival, and he saw Ramirez work in a short film being presented. He was so impressed that he offered Ramirez the chance to audition for 'Amores Perros' which he declined. The film Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu went on to international acclaim. Hindsight is a wonderful thing! At this point Ramirez decided to reignite his interest in an acting career.

During the '90's Ramirez appeared sporadically in a number of television and film roles locally in Venezuela - kicking off with short lived television series 'Cuando Ilega el amor' in 1990, then 'Aqui esp-p-pantan', a horror fantasy comedy from 1993 involving ghosts terrorising a young couple who have recently moved into their house, and this was followed up in 1999 by '. . . sol y lluvia' about a young Venezuelan woman's dreams and aspirations of becoming Miss Venezuela. 2002 saw 'Plan B' a Venezuelan action crime drama in which Ramirez gained his first lead role. In 2003 he followed this up with a string of appearances on the romantic drama telenovela 'Cosita Rica' which ran from 2003 through 2004 for a total 270 episodes. In 2003 there was also Christmas drama 'Yotama se va volando', and then 'A Dot and a Line' the following year,

2005 saw Ramirez break into the Hollywood scene with his appearance in Tony Scott's 'Domino' inspired by the bounty hunting exploits of Domino Harvey, with Keira Knightley in the lead role, with Mickey Rourke, Delroy Lindo, Lucy Liu, Christopher Walken, Jacqueline Bisset, Mo'Nique and Ramirez as Choco - Domino's love interest. In 2006 he appeared in action crime offering 'El Don' and then Mexican film 'Elipsis' with Ramirez in the lead role once more.




The following year saw Ramirez appear alongside Matt Damon in the hugely successful Jason Bourne series in 'The Bourne Ultimatum', Directed by Paul Greengrass, in the role of Paz, a Blackbriar assassin, and later that same year in 'Cyrano Fernandez' in the lead role in this romantic action drama offering loosely based on the French play 'Cyrano de Bergerac'. The year after, 2008, he appeared in Steven Soderbergh's 'Che' - the biopic of the Argentine Marxist revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevara with Benicio del Toro in the title role, and Ramirez appearing with an all star cast as Ciro Redondo (a Cuban revolutionary who fought amongst Ché Guevara). 'Vantage Point' followed that same year with again an all star cast including William Hurt, Matthew Fox, Forest Whittaker, Dennis Quaid and Sigourney Weaver, with Ramirez cast as Javier, an ex-special forces soldier forced to kidnap the American President in order to get his brother back.

Ramirez saw the decade out with his turn as 'Carlos' about the life of the 1970's Venezuelan revolutionary Carlos the Jackal (Ilich Ramírez Sánchez), covering his first series of attacks in 1973 until his arrest in 1994. This highly acclaimed three part mini-series which ran out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010 for its full five and half hour run time, garnered many award wins and nominations along the way, including Best Actor Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and SAG nods for Ramirez and multiple wins too, including France's Cesar Award for Most Promising Actor.

Up next in 2011 was Colombian vengeance action drama 'Greetings to the Devil', followed by the sequel to 2010's 'Clash of the Titans' with 'Wrath of the Titans' in which Ramirez plays Ares, the God of War, alongside Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Toby Kebbel, Bill Nighy and Rosamund Pike. French film 'An Open Heart' was next in 2012 with Juliette Binoche, before his turn in Kathryn Bigelow's multiple award winning 'Zero Dark Thirty' with Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Mark Strong and James Gandolfini.

2013 saw Ramirez star in Venezuelan historical biopic 'The Liberator' - the story of Simon Bolivar as portrayed by Ramirez, who fought in over one hundred battles against the Spanish Empire in South America, rode over seventy thousand miles on horseback in the process and his military campaigns covered twice the territory of Alexander the Great. He never once conquered in battle, instead, he liberated, believing in freedom for all! Working with Director Ridley Scott came next in 'The Counsellor' with Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt, Bruno Ganz, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz, and then 'Deliver Us from Evil' for Director Scott Derrickson with Eric Bana playing real life New York Police Officer Ralph Sarchie investigating a number of paranormal crimes who joins forces with Ramirez Mendoza character - a somewhat unconventional Priest versed in the way of exorcism and demonic possession.

Extreme sport crime drama actioner remake of the classic Kathryn Bigelow 'Point Break' opened 2016, with Ramirez playing the Bodhi character previously portrayed by Patrick Swayze, with Luke Bracey playing Johnny Utah as played by a young Keanu Reeves back in 1991. The film received less that favourable Reviews generally and made US$134M from its US$105M budget outlay. David O'Russell's biographical dramedy 'Joy' followed with Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano the inventor of the miracle mop, Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper with Ramirez playing Tony Miranne, Joy's ex-husband.

'Hands of Stone' was released last year with Ramirez playing Panamanian former professional boxer Roberto Duran. The film received a fifteen minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival last year, but this and Robert De Niro, John Turturro, Usher and Ellen Barkin also starring wasn't enough to save it from mixed critical Reviews and poor Box Office taking back just a quarter of its US$20M budget. Also last year came 'The Girl on the Train' with Emily Blunt and most recently 'Gold' with Matthew McConaughey bringing us up to date.



Next up for Ramirez is Sci-Fi crime fantasy 'Bright' for Director David Ayer and with Will Smith, Joel Edgerton and Noomi Rapace due later this year, then 'Love Child' for Director Todd Solondz with Penelope Cruz, and then television true crime series 'American Crime Story' with Ramirez set to play Gianni Versace in Season Three. Recently announced for 2018 is the pilot season for 'Black or White, Never Grey' running over thirteen episodes of the crime drama offering set in 1989.

Ramirez supports the 'Don't Shoot' campaign for Amnesty International which strives to eliminate the number of injuries and deaths caused by the irresponsible use of guns. He also took part in '5 Senses of Action' - an organisation which benefits children with special needs, and he has acted as the United Nations Children's Fund Goodwill Ambassador in the past too. All up Ramirez has 34 acting credits to his name and five as Producer. He has eleven award wins and a further ten nominations including Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy and SAG nods for 'Carlos'.

Edgar Ramirez - fluent in five languages - Spanish, English, French, Italian and German; had his US$150K watch collection stolen from his home in Caracas; has a deep fascination with human nature and all its virtues and flaws; is disciplined, structured, organised; believes in God, kindness and love; and is able to channel his personal feelings and beliefs into the roles he portrays with a convincing realism. Happy 40th Birthday to you Edgar, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

JOY : Tuesday 5th January 2016.

I saw 'JOY' earlier in the week as Directed, Produced, Written for the screen and based on a story by David O'Russell in another collaboration with his two often used principle stars Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. This film is based loosely on the life of Joy Mangano and is a comedy drama with heart, emotion, tension and a degree of quirkiness that carries this along nicely, delivered by an excellent cast, and is about, at its foundation, the humble household mop! Made for US$60M this film had its New York Premier on 13th December and was released pretty much worldwide at Christmas, having so far made US$55M. Already it has picked up a couple of awards, has been nominated for many others and has many also still pending an outcome, including two Golden Globes.

In the event that you are unfamiliar with the story, it is a semi-autobiographical take on the life of Joy Mangano who is an American inventor, businesswoman and entrepreneur who invented, amongst other things, the self-wringing Miracle Mop which she developed in 1990 and within ten years was selling US$10M worth a year at US$20 each . . . not bad! Here Joy is depicted by Jennifer Lawrence who we meet as a struggling single Mum with two children living in her own mortgaged home with ex-husband of two years Tony (Edgar Ramirez) living in the basement; recently separated Dad, Rudy (Robert De Niro) moving in because his third wife has kicked him out; her mother Terri (Virginia Madsen) a paranoid TV soap opera addicted man hater since she and Rudy split who also rarely gets out of bed, and her grandmother Mimi (Diane Ladd). Added to this Joy works at Eastern Airlines, leaves because of a work restructure and can't afford to pay the bills on her increasingly dilapidated house. It is all a picture to behold! Joy has a half-sister too, Peggy (Elisabeth Rohm) who has grand ideas of running her own business but nothing ever materialises and puts-down Joy at almost every opportunity, often in front of her children.

Rudy owns and runs an auto mechanical workshop, but is 20 years behind the times and struggling to make ends meet. He is active on some dating hot line and connects with recently widowed wealthy Italian Trudy (Isabella Rossellini) and the two hit it off and become an item (yes, it's the Rudy & Trudy show!) Joy grew up with fertile imagination and even at a young age was a would-be-inventor we learn, but then she grew up and all her hopes & dreams got swept along in the current of adult life and the baggage it brings - ex-husbands, divorcing parents, kids, mortgages, career! Then, one day as a result of a wine glass spillage, she has a brain wave for a new kind of mop not previously seen before.

She draws up the plans, develops a prototype, tests it, persuades Trudy to financially back her project and tries to sell it around the traps with minimal success only. She tries to register a patent through Trudy's lawyer and learns that there is a similar product under development out of Hong Kong for which she would need to pay a US$50K royalty in order to put her mop into mass production. She pays and finds a plastics manufacturer in California to mass produce the handle. All is going well but she has still hardly sold any, and has now taken over Rudy's automotive workshop as her production line and hired a small workforce to assemble the finished product.

With money going out like there's no tomorrow and next to nothing coming in, the prospects do not look good for Joy, as Rudy & Trudy start to exert pressure wanting to see some returns. Joy is then introduced to Neil Walker (Bradley Cooper) a senior Executive at the fledgling QVC home shopping television channel (Quality, Value, Convenience) who gives her a break with the mop but insists that his best salesman pitch it on screen. He does so, and the mop bombs (because he's guy and what does a guy know about mops and household chores!). When she thinks all is lost Joy once again picks herself up and persuades Walker for a second shot if she can pitch the mop herself to the television audience. Reluctantly he agrees having already spent US$200K on advance orders upon his advice, that at this point have failed to materialise and for which Joy had to second mortgage her home. She is an instant success and the phones in the studio ring off the hook with orders for the Miracle Mop at US$19.95 each.

Happy Days, but it doesn't all end there, as the California based manufacturer keeps putting up their price, the family move in like circling vultures wanting a piece of the pie, she is given dodgy advice from all quarters, and now the patent for her mop may be invalid having been given poor advice by Trudy's lawyer friend! She files for bankruptcy when the brown stuff hits the fan and there seems no alternative. But Joy is made of sterner stuff, and you can't keep a good woman down. She pours over her contracts with her various business associates and discovers some truths that she can leverage, which she does, and successfully so, which ultimately gets her back on her feet, and back in front of the cameras at QVC. As a result Joy sold 18,000 mops in just half an hour on the growing home shopping network and went on to appear in over 120 hours a year selling her own invented products that range from slimline coat hangers, to home fragrances, to performance shoes and over 100 products to date.

Joy built her own business empire off the back of the home shopping network with sales in excess of US$150M a year, and in the process helps out young inventors looking for a break, just as she did years before. She cared for her growing children and ageing family all the way through despite family in fighting, lawsuits claiming the rights to the company she built, and many business challenges. Tony her ex-husband remained close and became a top business advisor together with long term loyal childhood friend Jackie (Dascha Polanco).

I enjoyed the film, and can easily watch Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence who clearly share an on-screen chemistry and have been regular co-stars over successive films, mostly with this Director. The story keeps this rags to riches determination against the odds story grounded and interesting and there is plenty going on to maintain the attention throughout the film - most of it relevant to the mop in hand story, and some of it not! It is the quirky side stories that maintain the momentum across four generations of the same family that propel what would otherwise be a fairly pedestrian film, which as a result is greater than the sum of its parts. Worthy of your $20.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Saturday 26th December 2015.

It is that time of year again when the big jolly guy with the white beard, the big red coat, and the big sleigh comes knocking on your door to wish you all the best for Christmas and compliments of the Festive Season. Hoping that he brings you a swag of movie goodness in your Christmas stocking this year, all I can say to my global audience at Odeon Online is thanks very much for your support and readership over the past twelve month, all the very best to you and yours for a very Happy, Safe and Relaxing Christmas, and I very much look forward to sharing more of the same movie news, Reviews and Previews with you in the year ahead.

In the meantime and for the coming week there is another haul of new movie content to keep us entertained when you are stuffed full of turkey and Christmas Pudding and think there is no end in sight to over eating, over drinking and over doing. Fear not, you can take solace in a movie theatre and catch a couple of autobiographical movies featuring some big name casts guided thoughtfully by a couple of big name Directors; then an English history lesson dating back a hundred or so years with some names of historical repute and a big subject that did much to change the course of history; then a couple of old guys letching it up with the young girls in a mountain resort and remembering what might have been; and a French coming of age story that examines the choices we make and the consequences of those, on those closest to us. After this, we have dad & step-dad battling it out for supremacy in the family unit; and then two animated features to close out holiday week that are likely to please the young and the young at heart.

With such compelling choices in the week ahead, as well as more to choose from already on general release, there is little excuse to get out amongst it at your local Odeon. When you have done so, drop us a line and share your thoughts and observations here in a Comments Box below this or any other Post. Meanwhile, enjoy your film.

JOY (Rated M) - Hot off the closing film in 'The Hunger Games' series, Jennifer Lawrence is here teaming up once more with Writer/Director and Producer David O'Russell in this latest biographical comedy drama offering about the life and times of Long Island single mother of three, struggling would be business woman and inventor of the Miracle Mop Joy Mangano (played by Lawrence). The story traces the life of the divorcee across four generations as she builds her business empire off the back of the Miracle Mop and is confronted with the challenges of life and bringing up three youngsters on her own, her family, her expanding business, those she can trust, those who betray her, those she loves and those she leaves.

An emotional roller coaster of a film Joy grows through the years from her inner strength, her strong will and determination, her imagination and her sense of loyalty, family and love to equip her with the the challenges that will confront her. Also starring familiar stable mate Bradley Cooper, as the Executive at The Home Shopping Network who gives her new invention an airtime boost, Robert De Niro as Joy's father, Edgar Ramirez as Joy's ex-husband, Virginia Madsen as Joy's mother, Diane Ladd as Joy's grandmother, and Isabella Rossellini as Joy's backer and Joy's fathers girlfriend. On the strength of previous collaboration and what we know Lawrence, Cooper and O'Russell are capable off - this has to be up there as one to watch this holiday season.

SUFFRAGETTE (Rated M) - This is a British period piece Directed by Sharon Gavron, that any self respecting school kid studying English Modern History will know all about - this Reviewer included! Set in the very early 20th Century it tells the story of The Suffragette Movement for Women's Suffrage and their fight to win the right to vote and share an equal footing with men, for the first time in the history of the nation. It is a story that changed the course of British History and centres around two real life characters - Emmeline Pankhurst (played by Meryl Streep) who led the Suffragette Movement and rallied women to stand up for their rights and Emily Davison (Natlaie Press) who so believed in her cause that in protest she threw herself under the horse of King George V at the Epsom Derby and died of her wounds. The film also stars Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Marie Duff, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson and Samuel West as fictional characters, although the film is based on fact and traces the years of political struggle, violent protest, personal sacrifice and emotional turmoil suffered by women before the British Government gave way and recognised women's rights in 1928.

YOUTH (Rated MA15+) - Starring Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel, this is an Italian production Written and Directed by Paolo Sorrentino in his second only English language film. Caine plays Fred Ballinger and best mate to Keitel's Mick Boyle who are ageing seventy somethings holidaying in a plush resort in the Swiss Alps and recounting their lives. Fred is an accomplished albeit now retired composer of classical music and Mick is a film maker working with a bunch writers to develop his next screen play. Fred's daughter in turn is married to Mick's son and while reflecting on their lives things go pear shaped as Fred is approached to perform for HRH The Queen & Prince Philip, Mick completes his screenplay but his long standing lead actress turns it down with news that shocks him to the core, the married son & daughter split while holidaying with them too leaving the oldies to pick up the pieces. Reminiscing about love & loss, the past and the future, life and death, commitment and betrayal, and age and youth these age old emotional struggles confront the old boys before giving in to their fate. Already doing very well on the Awards circuit with multiple wins and nominations, this films also stars Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano and Jane Fonda.

THE BELIER FAMILY (Rated M) - A French comedy drama made for US$11M and has already grossed US$69M since its late 2014 French Premier in Paris, this film is Written and Directed by Eric Lartigau and has done well too on the Awards circuit picking up a number of wins and nominations along the way. Part of the Belier family is sixteen year old Paula (Louane Emera) who has become an essential and indispensable part of the household as the interpreter for her deaf parents and brother on a daily as needs basis. Discovering that she has a gift for singing, Paula's music teacher encourages her to take part in an acclaimed singing contest in Paris, with the prospect of fame and fortune if successful through a career path and a college degree.Paula however, is torn between her duty and her love of her family and a sense of doing there might thing by them, and stepping out on her own, taking a risk and making something of, and for herself as she embarks upon adulthood.

DADDY'S HOME (Rated PG) - Directed by Sean Anders this is the second time that Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell have shared screen time - the first being 2010's action comedy offering 'The Other Guys'. This time, Brad Taggart (Ferrell) is a mild mannered radio executive married to Sarah (Linda Cardellini) and is building a nice little family unit with the two children from Sarah's former marriage to Dusty Mayron (Wahlberg). Brad is determined to be the best possible step-dad on the planet and all is going good, until Dusty rocks up back in to town and starts to complicate Brad's plans. Dusty is a cool dude, street smart, the fit & athletic type, a home improvement expert, can turn is hand to just about anything, and is a loveable rogue, a rough diamond. Pretty soon Brad's previous confidence turns to insecurity, self doubt and fear that he might lose what he has. Needing to win back his family and restore his former place, it's on between Brad & Dusty, and may the best man win!

THE GOOD DINOSAUR (Rated PG) - Made for US$200M this is the second Pixar released film this year after 'Inside Out', and was released in the US a month ago after its 10th November World Premier in Paris, since which time it has grossed so far US170M. Aimed squarely at the family market this film is a dino tale that assumes the world was not hit by a meteor 65 million years ago, and that dinosaurs did not become extinct but survive to this present day. And so young Arlo (voiced by Raymond Ochoa) is caught in a fierce storm one day, washed downstream and awakes bruised, battered and bewildered wondering WTF just happened! And so begins and adventure survival story as Arlo seeks to be reunited with his parents Momma Ida (Frances McDormand) and Poppa Henry (Jeffrey Wright) meeting up with various other characters of the dino kind including Butch (Sm Elliott), Ramsey (Anna Paquin), Thunderclap (Steve Zahn) and Spot (Jack Bright) a young human kid that Arlo becomes mates with. Directed by Peter Sohn who also lends his voive talents, this film has been in a troubled disjointed production stage for six years, but is finally here, and seems well worth the wait by all accounts.

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS : THE ROAD CHIP (Rated PG) - This is the fourth film in the franchise that launched in late 2007, and off the US$210M budget to make the first three, the world wide grosses have well exceeded US1.1B to date, not counting this instalment. This time Directed by Walt Becker the principle characters from the previous films are all here and have returned again. So this time around it seems that Dave (Jason Lee) is planning to get hitched down in Miami to his girlfriend, causing his good buddies to believe that it will be hasta la vista and thanks for coming afterwards for his loyal friends. Needing to prevent this from happening, the Chipmunks embark on  road trip, with only three days in which to get there and prevent this potential disaster from happening. Also featuring Justin Long, Christina Applegate and Anna Faris, this will be an acquired taste, but on the strength of the previous films in this series, is likely to do well.

As expected for any Christmas and New Year season the movie theatres are full of new content to appeal to all tastes and age groups. If none of these appeal, check out my previous Reviews and Previews for what was recently released and what is still doing the rounds at your local Odeon. In the meantime Merry Christmas!

See you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 9th - 15th August 2015

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Jennifer Lawrence does on 15th August - check out the tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 25, 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 9th August

• Gillian Anderson - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actress
• Anna Kendrick - Born 1985, turns 30 - Actress
• Rhona Mitra - Born 1976, turns 39 - Actress
• Audrey Tatou - Born 1976, turns 39 - Actress
• Melanie Griffith - Born 1957, turns 58 - Actress | Producer
• McG - Born 1968, turns 47 - Director | Producer
• Sam Elliott - Born 1944, turns 71 - Actor | Producer
• Eric Bana - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Director

Monday 10th August

• Antonio Banderas - Born 1960, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Brenton Thwaites - Born 1989, turns 26 - Actor
• Rosanna Arquette - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actress | Producer | Director

Tuesday 11th August

• Viola Davis - Born 1965m turns 50 - Actress | Producer
• Chris Hemsworth - Born 1983, turns 32 - Actor
• Ian McDiarmid - Born 1944, turns 71 - Actor
• Hulk Hogan - Born 1953, turns 62 - Actor | Wrestler

Wednesday 12th August

• George Hamilton - Born 1939, turns 76 - Actor | Producer
• Casey Affleck - Born 1975, turns 40 - Actor | Producer | Writer

Thursday 13th August

• Paul Greengrass - Born 1955, turns 60 - Director | Producer | Wreiter

 Friday 14th August

• Steve Martin - Born 1945, turns 70 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• James Horner - Born 1953, turns 62 - Composer | Songwriter
• Wim Wenders - born 1945, turns 70 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Mila Kunis - Born 1983, turns 32 - Actress
• Halle Berry - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actress | Producer
• Marcia Gay Harden - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actor

Saturday 15th August

• Jennifer Lawrence - Born 1990, turns 25 - Actress
• Debra Messing - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actress | Producer
• Natasha Hentsridge - Born 1974, turns 41 - Actress
• Nicolas Roeg - Born 1928, turns 87 - Director | Cinematographer
• Ben Affleck - Born 1972, turns 43 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Alejandro Gonzales Inaritu - Born 1963, turns 52 - Procucer | Director | Writer.

Jennifer Shrader Lawrence was born and grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, USA to mother Karen Koch - the manager and owner of a children's camp, and construction worker father Gary Lawrence. She has two older brothers - Ben and Blaine. Lawrence attended Kammerer Middle School in her home town and graduated two years ahead of time wanting to pursue a career in acting. Whilst at school she participated in softball, modelling, hockey and cheer leading, and having grown up just 15 minutes from a horse stud too she became proficient in horse riding, but none of these really interested her above her desire to act. She convinced her parents to take her to New York to locate a talent agent, which they did and with relative ease given the prowess for the craft that the young Lawrence was able to demonstrate.

Having been spotted by an acting agency her first television role came in an episode of 'Monk' in 2006, and then 'Cold Case' in 2007, with two on 'Medium' in 2007/08, with a minor role that same year in 'Garden Party' which was her big screen debut. From 2007-2009 she appeared in 'The Bill Engvall Show' over multiple episodes. During this time there was a meatier role in 'The Poker House', Directed by Lori Petty in 2008, which was her first starring role and for which she won an LA Film Festival Award. 'The Burning Plain' came next also in 2008 with Charlize Theron and Kim Bassinger which received mild critical reviews but failed commercially, and despite this she won an award at the Venice Film Festival for Best Emerging Actress.

What is often described as her breakout role came next in 2010 with 'Winter's Bone' which picked up the Best Picture Award at Sundance, and for her role she gained an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. 2011 delivered 'Like Crazy', a romantic drama; 'The Beaver' with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster; and then 'X-Men : First Class' in her first outing as Raven/Mystique.






2012 was however, the game changer, as Lawrence snagged the lead role as Katniss Everdeen in the first of 'The Hunger Games' series which she was initially reluctant to take on given the enormity of the role, the physical requirements, and the expectations behind the film adaptation of the successful books. The extensive training regime she had to undertake paid off with a worldwide gross Box Office take of US$691M.

That same year also saw 'Silver Linings Playbook' with Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro in David O'Russell's acclaimed film. At just 22, Lawrence won both the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Actress and was the second youngest actress to do so. Also that year came the psychological thriller 'The House at the End of the Street' and a year later she reprised her Katniss Everdeen role in 'The Hunger Games : Catching Fire' which outstripped the opening film with a Box Office haul of US$865M.

'American Hustle' followed in 2013 with Christian Bale, Jeremy Renner, Bradley Cooper and Amy Adams which garnered further acclaim with Best Supporting Actress nominations at The Golden Globes, Academy Awards and BAFTA's. 2014 saw a reprisal for her Raven/Mystique character in Bryan Singer's US$748M blockbuster 'X-Men : Days of Future Past', and then Katniss Everdeen in the first of the final 'The Hunger Games' films 'Mockingjay - Part 1' which cashed in at US$752M.


Next up is the final instalment of 'The Hunger Games' franchise with 'Mockingjay - Part 2', with 'Joy' also due for release later in 2015 and starring with Bradley Cooper for the fourth time. 'X-Men : Apocalypse' is filming currently for a 2016 release, with 'The Rose Project' and 'Passengers' in pre-production and 'It's What I Do' recently announced.






So far Lawrence has 28 acting credits to her name, one Academy Award win and two other nominations; two Golden Globe wins and another nomination; one BAFTA win and a nomination plus 114 other award wins and 113 other nominations from around the traps, and, she's still only 25! When Lawrence is not acting, she actively supports the 'World Food Programme', 'The Thirst Project', 'Feeding America'; is an ambassador for the Special Olympics and has launched the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation. Earlier this year she was ranked by the Guinness World Records as the highest grossing action heroine too for her role in 'The Hunger Games'. She was romantically linked to Actor Nicholas Hoult for a time and for a brief period more recently to Coldplay front man Chris Martin.

Jennifer Lawrence - husky voiced, immense acting range, Hollywood power player, sultry, beautiful, talented, in demand, a rising star, influential and inspirational - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 4th - 10th January 2015

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week? Bradley Cooper does, on 5th January - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy 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 4th January

• Julia Ormond - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actress
• Dyan Cannon - Born 1937, turns 78 - Actress | Director | Writer
• Julian Sands - Born 1958, turns 57 - Actor
• Michael Stipe - Born 1960, turns 55 - Singer | Songwriter | Producer | Actor

Monday 5th January

• Bradley Cooper - Born 1975, turns 40 - Actor | Producer
• Robert Duvall - Born 1931, turns 84 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Vinnie Jones - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actor
• Roger Spottiswoode - Born 1945, turns 70 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor
• Hayao Miyazaki - Born 1941, turns 74 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor | Animator
• Diane Keaton - Born 1946, turns 69 - Actress | Producer | Director

Tuesday 6th January

• Trudie Styler - Born 1954, turns 61 - Producer | Actress
• Eddie Redmayne - Born 1982, turns 33 - Actor
• Norman Reedus - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actor
• Rowan Atkinson - Born 1955, turns 60 - Actor | Writer

Wednesday 7th January

• Nicolas Cage - Born 1964, turns 51 - Actor | Producer
• Jeremy Renner - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor | Producer
• David Caruso - Born 1956, turns 59 - Actor
• Linda Kozlowski - Born 1958, turns 57 - Actress

Thursday 8th January

• David Bowie - Born 1947, turns 68 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Actor
• John McTiernan - Born 1951, turns 64 - Director | Producer | Writer

Friday 9th January

• J. K. Simmons - Born 1955, turns 60 - Actor
• Imelda Staunton - Born 1956, turns 59 - Actress

Saturday 10th January

• Fran Walsh - Born 1959, turns 56 - Producer | Writer
• Walter Hill - Born 1942, turns 73 - Director | Producer | Writer

Bradley Charles Cooper was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and grew up close by in Jenkintown. His mother Gloria Campano worked for an affiliate of the NBC, and father Charles Cooper was a stockbroker with Merrill Lynch - he passed away early in 2011. He attended the Germantown Academy from which he graduated in 1993, and then went onto Villanova University for a year and then Georgetown University at which he gained a BA honours degree in English in 1997. He learned to speak French fluently and spent six months in France as an exchange student. In 2000, he received a Master of Fine Arts at the now named Actors Studio Drama School at New York's Pace University.

Cooper's professional acting career kicked off in 1999 with a guest appearance on 'Sex and the City', and the he worked as a Presenter on the travel adventure show 'Globe Trekker' (aka 'Pilot Guides' and 'Lonely Planet'). His first film role came with a 'Wet Hot American Summer' with the likes of Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks and Amy Poehler and was both a critical and commercial failure. From here he gained a regular slot as character Will Tippin on the successful 'Alias' television action drama series alongside Jennifer Garner. He gained a small role in 2002's 'Changing Lanes' with Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson but his performance appears only on the DVD and Bluray versions of the film. 2002 also brought the films 'My Little Eye' and 'Bending all the Rules' with numerous television roles and guest appearances that included 'The $treet', 'Miss Match', 'Touching Evil', 'Jack and Bobby', 'Kitchen Confidential' and 'Nip/Tuck'.

After a couple of made for TV movies, he starred in 2005's 'Wedding Crashers' with Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughan and Christopher Walken, following this up with RomCom 'Failure to Launch' with Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. What followed were mostly typecast comedies all with varying levels of acclaim including 'The Comebacks', 'The Rocker', 'Yes Man', 'He's Just Not That Into You' interspersed with occasional dramatic roles in horror thriller 'The Midnight Meat Train' and suspense drama 'Older than America'.

2009 proved to be a turning point with the first in the hugely successful 'The Hangover' series which all up generated US$1.4B in Box Office receipts and DVD/Bluray sales off a total production budget of US$218M, and spawned two sequels in 2011 and 2013. Cooper earned US$600K for the first instalment, US$5M for the second and US$15M for the third. That same year saw 'All About Steve' with Sandra Bullock, 'New York, I Love You' and psychological horror 'Case 39' closing out the year.

2010 saw the big screen reboot of the popular 80's action adventure television series 'The A-Team' with Cooper playing 'Face' alongside Liam Neeson and Patrick Wilson. 'Limitless' came next with Robert De Niro and Abbie Cornish in a positively received film that was certainly successful commercially and generally critically too. After this the second 'Hangover' offering gave way to 'Hit and Run' followed up by the much acclaimed 'Silver Linings Play Book' with Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro for which Cooper received Lead Actor nominations at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and the BAFTA's.

Romantic drama 'The Words' followed in 2012 with Zoe Saldana and Jeremy Irons and 2013 saw 'The Place Beyond the Pines' with Ryan Gosling, the third 'Hangover' with the now all too familiar cast and plot lines, and concluding the year 'American Hustle' with Christian Bale, Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence again, and, for which he received nominations in the Best Supporting Actor category at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and the BAFTA's.

Next up was his voice adaptation as 'Rocket' the Racoon in Marvel's sleeper hit 'Guardians of the Galaxy' which has so far earned a largely unexpected US$773M, followed by another turn alongside Jennifer Lawrence in the recently released 'Serena'. Coming up in 2015 is Cooper's lead role in the anticipated Clint Eastwood Directed 'American Sniper' due imminently , 'Joy' currently in pre-production seeing him reunited again with co-stars Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro and Directed by David O'Russell (who Directed him in the acclaimed 'Silver Linings Play Book' and 'American Hustle') and two as yet untitled projects for Cameron Crowe and John Wells due later in 2015.

Cooper has 49 acting credits to his name and five Producer credits so far, he has 20 award wins and 49 other nominations. He was married for a brief time to actress Jennifer Esposito from 2006-2007 and has been romantically linked to Actresses Renee Zellweger and Zoe Saldana and most recently to model Suki Waterhouse. He gave up alcohol at the age of 29, is a dog lover and a keen cook and likes to eat (a lot as he says) - and with Italian heritage he grew up making fresh homemade pastas, sauces and concocting dishes out of whatever he has lying around.

Bradley Cooper - definitely on the up & up, known for a cheeky grin, piercing blue eyes, trademark five day growth of stubble, and more recently playing more dramatic characters that stretch, challenge and ultimately reward us all - Happy 40th Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-