Birthday's to share this week : 24th - 30th September 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Nicolas Winding Refn does on 29th September - check out my tribute to this Director, Writer and Producer Birthday Boy turning 47, 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 24th September

• Brad Bird - Born 1957, turns 60 - Writer | Director | Producer 
• Kevin Sorbo - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actor | Producer | Director  

Monday 25th September

• Michael Douglas - Born 1944, turns 73 - Actor | Producer
• Pedro Almodovar - Born 1949, turns 68 - Writer | Director | Producer | Singer | Songwriter
• Mark Hamill - Born 1951, turns 66 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Michael Madsen - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Jason Flemyng - Born 1966, turns 51 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Will Smith - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer | Songwriter | Composer
• Heather Locklear - Born 1961, turns 56 - Actress | Producer
• Catherine Zeta-Jones - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actress | Singer  

Tuesday 26th September

• Olivia Newton-John - Born 1948, turns 69 - Actress | Singer | Songwriter | Producer
• Linda Hamilton - Born 1956, turns 61 - Actress  
• Jim Caviezel - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor

Wednesday 27th September

• Meat Loaf (aka Marvin Lee Aday) - Born 1947, turns 70 - Singer | Actor | Producer
• Denis Lawson - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor | Director | Writer
• Gwyneth Paltrow - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actress | Producer | Singer |   

Thursday 28th September

• Brigitte Bardot - Born 1934, turns 83 - Actress | Singer
• Mira Sorvino - Born 1967, turns 50 - Actress | Producer
• Naomi Watts - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actress | Producer  
• John Sayles - Born 1950, turns 67 - Writer | Director | Actor | Producer | Editor | Songwriter

Friday 29th September

• Ian McShane - Born 1942, turns 75 - Actor | Producer
• Luke Goss - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director 
• Nicolas Winding Refn - Born 1970, turns 47 - Writer | Director | Producer 

Saturday 30th September

• Ian Ogilvy - Born 1943, turns 74 - Actor 
• Eric Stoltz - Born 1961, turns 56 - Actor | Director | Producer
• Ezra Miller - Born 1992, turns 25 - Actor
• Angie Dickinson - Born 1931, turns 86 - Actress
• Victoria Tennant - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actress | Writer | Producer
• Fran Drescher - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director
• Monica Bellucci - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actress
• Marion Cotillard - Born 1975, turns 42 - Actress | Singer | Writer | Director

Nicolas Winding Refn was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to mother Vibeke Winding, a cinematographer and father Andres Refn, an accomplished and acclaimed Danish film Director and Editor whose works span over fifty years taking in over seventy feature films. At the age of eleven the family relocated to New York where the young Nicolas remained until the age of seventeen before moving back to Denmark to finish off his high school education. Upon doing this he promptly moved back to New York to attend The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan where he was  subsequently expelled for throwing a table against a wall. He then applied to the Danish Film School in Copenhagen for which he was accepted, but prior to his commencement, he dropped out. He grew up in a family entrenched in the world of cinema, and in particular French New Wave cinema that his parents were especially attuned to. Rebelling against his parents he was inspired by American Horror movies, and cites Tobe Hooper's 1974 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' as his inspiration to become a film maker.

Refn burst onto the screen with his Written and Directing debut crime thriller 'Pusher' in 1996 starring Mads Mikkelsen about a drug pusher, a botched deal and a large debt needing to be repaid. Refn went onto Write and Direct two follow-up films 'Pusher II : With Blood on my Hands' in 2004 starring Mads Mikkelsen again, and in 2005 'Pusher III : I'm the Angel of Death'. The first two films picked up four award wins and fifteen nominations collectively between them. The opening film in the franchise was remade in 2012 on which Refn took a Producer credit only.

Crime drama 'Bleeder' followed in 1999 starring many of the cast from the first 'Pusher' film including Mads Mikkelsen. The film had some awards success around the festival circuit. 2003 saw the thriller 'Fear X' starring John Turturro, Deborah Kara Unger and James Remar. Up next for Refn was a  slight change of pace and genre as he Directed two episodes of 'Agatha Christie's Marple' television series in 2007 - 'Miss Marple : Nemesis' and 'Towards Zero'.

'Bronson' was released in 2008 as Written and Directed by Refn about the notorious British career criminal Michael Gordon Peterson who changed his name to Charles Bronson as suggested by his fight promoter during the period when he was released from prison. This biographical crime film is loosely based on Bronson's life and was portrayed with critical acclaim by Tom Hardy. The film made US$2.3M off the back of a budget investment of just US$230K and it picked up three award wins and six nominations including a Best Actor win for Tom Hardy and a Best Film win for Refn.

'Valhalla Rising' saw out the decade in 2009 with Mads Mikkelsen again starring in this historical adventure drama set in the eleventh century Viking era. The film garnered generally positive press, picking up four award wins and nine other nominations from around the festival circuit, but it recovered only US$31K from its US$5.7M budget outlay.

Next up for Refn was his breakout movie lunching him firmly into Hollywood with 'Drive' a neo-noir crime thriller about a Hollywood stunt driver moonlighting as a getaway driver. Starring Ryan Gosling in the lead role with Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaac, Ron Perlman and Christina Hendricks the film recovered US$78M from its US$15M budget and was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and four BAFTA's from its total awards haul of 77 wins and 171 other nominations. The film was both a critical and commercial success, and was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d'Or where it received a standing ovation, going on to win Refn the Best Director's Award.

Refn teamed up with Gosling again in 2013 for the Bangkok set criminal underworld drama 'Only God Forgives' which Refn also took a Writing credit for. The film also starred Kristen Scott Thomas, was entered into competition for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, picked up thirteen award wins and another twenty nominations, and recovered just US$10M from its US$5M budget costs.

'The Neon Demon' was to be Refn's next feature film and his last one to date, which again he wrote the Screenplay for too based on his own story. This psychological horror film divided audiences and received mixed critical response. It too was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d'Or, marking Refn's third film in succession to do so. Starring Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee, Christina Hendricks and Keanu Reeves, this film recovered just US$3.5M from its US$7M budget and collected sixteen award wins and 33 nominations.

In between time Refn Directed an extended commercial for 'Gucci' featuring Actress Blake Lively, he has also Directed a series of advertisements for the 'Lincoln Motor Company' featuring Matthew McConaughey, and a commercial for 'Hennessy X.O.', and in 2015 Refn's wife, Actress Liv Corfixen wrote and Directed a documentary titled 'My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn' chronicling the 'behind the scenes' experiences of filming 'Only God Forgives' when their whole family had to relocate to Thailand for the shoot.

Next up for Refn and both in pre-production stage is planned crime thriller television series 'Les Italiens' charting the lives of an Italian/French Police squad operating in Paris; and crime drama television series 'Too Old To Die Young' exploring the criminal underside of LA, and to which Miles Teller is attached.

All told Refn has twelve Writing credits to his name, fifteen as Director and nine as Producer. He has so far been the recipient of 28 award wins and another 49 nominations. In 2008 he co-founded the Production Company 'Space Rocket Nation' - a Copenhagen based company.

Nicolas Winding Refn - is colour blind, dyslexic, teetotal, failed his driving test eight times, didn't learn to read until aged thirteen and is an avid collector of toys. Shoots his films in chronological order, without rehearsal, often using acts of extreme violence, and often films using handheld cameras. Is considered the 'Wild Child' back in his native Denmark and has an uncompromising style all of his own, and as such we look forward with eager anticipation to your next feature film and what you'll pull out of your bag of tricks for that. Happy Birthday to you in the meantime Nicolas, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-