ANTON YELCHIN - dies aged 27 - R.I.P.

Anton Viktorovich Yelchin died tragically, aged just 27, on the morning of 19th June 2016, in what is described as a freak car accident at his home in Los Angeles, California. Due at a rehearsal later that day, when he was a no-show his friends drove over to his house and found him pinned against a brick wall and security gate by his car, dying in the process from blunt traumatic asphyxia. The Jeep Grand Cherokee car which caused his death was a 2015 model that had been recalled for a roll away risk. Truly tragic circumstances.

Born in Leningrad, Russia on 11th March 1989 to ice skating champions Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin his family were subjected to political and religious oppression, and so at the age of just six months, his family relocated to the USA having gained refugee status.

His first acting role came at the age of nine, when he was cast in 'A Man is Mostly Water' with a part on 'E.R' that same year.  This was quickly followed up with 'Delivering Milo' with Albert Finney, 'Along Came a Spider' with Morgan Freeman, 'Hearts in Atlantis' with Anthony Hopkins, and then a heap of television series including 'Taken', 'The Practice', 'Without a Trace', 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and 'NYPD Blue' - all before he was even 15 years of age. More big Hollywood fare followed with 'House of D' with David Duchovny, 'Fierce People' with Donald Sutherland, 'Alpha Dog' with Bruce Willis, 'Charlie Bartlett' with Robert Downey Jnr. and 'Middle of Nowhere' with Susan Sarandon. In between there were further television appearances on 'Huff', 'Criminal Minds' and 'Law & Order : Criminal Intent'.

In 2009 J.J. Abrams cast Yelchin as Pavel Chekov in the reboot of the Star Trek franchise in 'Star Trek' - a role he would reprise again in 2013 in 'Star Trek : Into Darkness' and again in the yet to be released 'Star Trek : Beyond' due later this year, and with an all star cast. It is perhaps for this role that he is best well known fitting into the shoes created by Walter Koenig in the original Gene Roddenberry television series of the '60's and seven of the first series of feature films up until 1994.

Immediately following the Star Trek reboot in 2009, came another reboot of a hugely successful franchise founded in the early 80's, with 'Terminator : Salvation' with his role as Kyle Reece opposite Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. 'Like Crazy' came next with Jennifer Lawrence, then the Roland Joffe Directed 'You and I', followed by Jodie Foster's 'The Beaver' with Mel Gibson, then the remake of the classic horror 'Fright Night' with Colin Farrell, and 'Odd Thomas' based on the Dean Kootz novel with Willem Dafoe.

'Only Lovers Left Alive' with Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston, '5 to 7', 'Cymbeline', and 'Burying the Ex' for Joe Dante, 'Dying of the Light' for Paul Schrader, 'Experimenter', 'Broken Horses', 'The Driftless Area' and 'Green Room' bring us up to date, with the latter only being released in Australia last month. In the meantime there were further television series appearances, a number of short films, and his voice talents as 'Clumsy' in 'The Smurfs' and 'The Smurfs 2', and 'From Up On Poppy Hill' 

Yelchin has 65 acting credits, with five films still yet to be released - those being - 'Star Trek : Beyond', 'Rememory' with Peter Dinklage, 'Thoroughbred', 'We Don't Belong Here' and 'Porto'. He had six award wins to his name and another eleven nominations.

So much achieved at just 27 years of age from an acting career already spanning 18 years. With a diverse acting range from cute & cuddly Smurfs to zombie beaters, to neo nazi horror, to near future terminators, to going boldly where no man has gone before to RomCom, action and Mexican drug cartels, Yelchin was up for anything and everything and was a rising star, in demand, and will be sorely missed by those closest to him, those that had the pleasure of working with this young gifted talent, and by us - the film going public.

Anton Yelchin - Rest In Peace
1989-2016

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 14th - 20th February 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Simon Pegg does on 14th February - check out my tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 46, 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 14th February

• Simon Pegg - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Writer  
• Alan Parker - Born 1944, turns 72 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Freddie Highmore - Born 1992, turns 24 - Actor

Monday 15th February

•  Jane Seymour - Born 1951, turns 65 - Actress | Producer 
•  Jessica De Gouw - Born 1988, turns 28 - Actress

Tuesday 16th February

• Elizabeth Olsen - Born 1989, turns 27 - Actress  
• Ice-T - Born 1958, turns 58 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer | Songwriter | Composer
• Christopher Ecclestone - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actor

Wednesday 17th February

• Hal Holbrook - Born 1925, turns 91 - Actor
• Lou Diamond Phillips - Born 1962, turns 54 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Michael Bay - Born 1965, turns 51 - Director | Producer | Cameraman
• Dominic Purcell - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actor | Producer
• Jerry O'Connell - Born 1974, turns 42 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Born 1981, turns 35 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director 
• Rene Russo - Born 1954, turns 62 - Actress | Producer
• Brenda Fricker - Born 1945, turns 71 - Actress

Thursday 18th February

• Cybill Shepherd - Born 1950, turns 66 - Actress | Producer
• Greta Scacchi - Born 1960, turns 56 - Actress 
• Molly Ringwald - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actress
• John Travolta - Born 1954, turns 62 - Actor | Producer
• Matt Dillon - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actor
• George Kennedy - Born 1925, turns 91 - Actor
• Milos Forman - Born 1932, turns 84 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor

Friday 19th February

• Ray Winstone - Born 1957, turns 59 - Actor | Producer  
• Jeff Daniels - Born 1955, turns 61 - Actor | Director | Writer
• Benecio Del Toro - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actor | Producer 

Saturday 20th February

• Miles Teller - Born 1987, turns 29 - Actor
• Sidney Poitier - Born 1927, turns 89 - Actor | Director
• Mike Leigh - Born 1943, turns 73 - Director | Writer
• Peter Strauss - Born 1947, turns 69 - Actor | Producer
• Brenda Blethyn - Born 1946, turns 70 - Actress 

Simon John Beckingham was born and raised in the small Gloucestershire village of Brockworth, in England to mother Gillian Smith, a civil servant, and father John Henry Beckingham, a jazz musician. When he was seven years old his parents divorced and he adopted the surname of his stepfather after his mother remarried. He attended Castle Hill Primary School, Brockworth Comprehensive Secondary School and The Kings School, Gloucester. At 16, Pegg moved to Stratford-upon-Avon studying English Literature and Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon College. In 1991 he graduated from the University of Bristol with a BA in Theatre, Film and Television.

Thereafter he moved to London and started carving out a career in stand-up comedy. From here he secured a number of roles in television series including three episodes on 'Six pairs of Pants' in 1995, 'Faith in the Future' across 15 episodes from 1995-1998, six episodes of 'Asylum' in 1996, twelve episodes of 'We Know Where You Live' and six episodes of 'Is It Bill Bailey' in 1998.

His first film role came with 'Tube Tales' in 1999 - a series of nine chapters within the film each Directed by someone of note - including Bob Hoskins, Jude Law and Ewen McGregor amongst others. This was followed up by 'Guest House Paradiso' with Adrian Edmonton and Rik Mayall. Other film roles followed in 2001 with 'The Parole Officer' and '24 Hour Party People' in 2002, with television appearances on 'Hippies', and the Spielberg/Hanks collaboration 'Band of Brothers'.

In 1999 Pegg's breakthrough came with 'Spaced' which he created and starred in with good friend Nick Frost and Directed by Edgar Wright. He gained a British Comedy Award nomination for his role in 'Spaced' and as a result of this experience he and Edgar Wright co-wrote 'Shaun of the Dead' which was released in 2004. On the strength of this he was invited to appear in a cameo role on George A. Romero's 'Land of the Dead', before 'M:I 3' as Benji Dunn with Tom Cruise in 2006 - a role he has so far reprised twice.

After 'Big Nothing' in 2006, Pegg and Wright finished their second collaboration together with 'Hot Fuzz' starring Pegg and Frost as Police partners investigating a series of macabre deaths in a small sleepy English village. That year also came 'Run Fat Boy, Run' and a cameo once again in George A. Romero's 'Diary of the Dead', with 'How to lose friends and alienate people' in 2008.

2009 saw Pegg star as 'Scotty' for the first time in the reboot of the 'Star Trek' movie franchise at the hands of J.J.Abrams. The next few years saw 'Burke and Hare' as Directed by John Landis, and extra terrestrial offering 'Paul' with Nick Frost once again, and a Benji Dunn reprisal in Mission : Impossible - Ghost Protocol' in 2011.

'A Fantastic Fear of Everything' followed in 2012 and then his second outing as Scotty in 'Star Trek : Into Darkness' a year later with J.J. Abrams once again. Completing his 'Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy' in 2013 with 'The World's End' Directed by Edgar Wright and starring Nick Frost and a host of other British acting talent, he moved onto a cameo in Nick Frosts starring vehicle 'Cuban Fury' and then 'Hector and the Search for Happiness' with Toni Collette, Rosamund Pike and Stellen Skarsgard.

'Kill Me Three Times' was up next in 2014 with Luke Hemsworth and shot in Western Australia and Victoria, with 'Man Up' in 2015, 'Mission : Impossible - Rogue Nation', 'Absolutely Anything' and a small but eternally grateful role in 'Star Wars : The Force Awakens' for J.J. once more rounding out last year.





In the meantime, Pegg has lent his voice talents to the likes of 2009's 'Ice Age : Dawn of the Dinosaurs' as 'Buck' and will do so again in the upcoming next instalment in 2016 with 'Ice Age : Collision Course'. There was also 'The Chronicles of Narnia : The Adventures of the Dawn Trader' in 2010, 'The Adventures of Tin Tin : The Secret of the Unicorn' playing one half of the Thomson Twins to Nick Frost's other, and then 'Boxtrolls' in 2014. Next up for Pegg is 'Star Trek : Beyond' due for release in July this year and is co-written by him, and in which he'll reprise his role again of Scotty.

So far Pegg has 81 acting credits to his name, 23 Writer credits and eight Producer credits and along the way he has accumulated ten award wins and seventeen other film nominations from around the traps.

In mid-2005 Pegg married his long term girlfriend Maureen McCann with whom he has a daughter Matilda, born in 2009. Nick Frost was best man at their wedding. Pegg supports the 'HeForShe' gender equality campaign for womens rights.

Simon Pegg - self confessed 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek' geek; grounded in horror, comedy and Sci-Fi; a lover of 'The X-Files'; long term collaborator with Nick Frost and Edgar Wright; a great export of British film and television to Hollywood mainstream, fame and fortune on the page, on TV, at the cinema and behind the camera, Happy Birthday to you Simon, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 14th - 20th June 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Zoe Saldana does on 19th June - check out the tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 37, 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 14th June

• Will Patton - Born 1954, turns 61 - Actor
• Diablo Cody - Born 1978, turns 37 - Writer | Director | Producer

Monday 15th June

• Courteney Cox - Born 1964, turns 51 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Helen Hunt - Born 1963, turns 52 - Actress | Producer | Director | Writer
• Neil Patrick Harris - Born 1973, turns 42 - Actor | Producer
• Ice Cube - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter
• Jake Busey - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor
• James Belushi - Born 1954, turns 61 - Actor | Producer

Tuesday 16th June

• James Bolam - Born 1935, turns 80 - Actor
• Arnold Vosloo - Born 1962, turns 53 - Actor | Producer
• Daniel Bruhl - Born 1978, turns 37 - Actor

Wednesday 17th June

• Jason Patrick - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actor | Producer
• Greg Kinnear - Born 1963, turns 52 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Thomas Haden Church - Born 1960, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Louis Letterier - Born 1973, turns 42 - Director
• Ken Loach - Born 1936, turns 79 - Director | Producer | Writer

Thursday 18th June

• Barbara Broccoli - Born 1960, turns 55 - Producer
• Isabella Rossellini - Born 1952, turns 63 - Actress | Producer | Director | Writer

Friday 19th June

• Zoe Saldana - Born 1978, turns 37 - Actress
• Kathleen Turner - Born 1954, turns 61 - Actress
• Gena Rowlands - Born 1930, turns 85 - Actress
• Paul Dano - Born 1984, turns 31 - Actor | Producer

Saturday 20th June 

• Danny Aiello - Born 1933, turns 82 - Actor | Producer
• Josh Lucas - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor | Producer
• John Goodman - Born 1952, turns 63 - Actor | Producer
• Martin Landau - Born 1928, turns 87 - Actor | Producer
• Stephen Frears - Born 1941, turns 74 - Director | Producer
• Christopher Mintz-Plasse - Born 1989, turns 26 - Actor | Writer
• Robert Rodriguez - Born 1968, turns 47 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Editor | Cinematographer | Cameraman | Composer | Songwriter
• Nicole Kidman - Born 1967, turns 48 - Actress | Producer

Zoe Yadira Saldana Nazario was born in Passaic, New Jersey to mother Asalia Nazario, a Puerto Rican, and father Aridio Saldana from the Dominican Republic. She grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York speaking English and Spanish. Zoe has two sisters Cisely and Mariel and a half brother Nipo. At nine years of age, the young Zoe's father died in a car crash, at which point the family moved to the Dominican Republic, where she developed a keen interest in dance in its many forms. After her 10th grade year she returned to New York with the family and began performing with the Brooklyn based 'FACES' Theatre Group. Following a performance of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' in which she took part, the teenage Saldana was recruited by a talent agency, which gave rise to her 2000 big screen debut in 'Centre Stage'.

Her small screen debut came the year before in two episodes of 'Law and Order'. On the strength of the New York set Ballet Dance Academy film 'Centre Stage' Saldana left school and appeared in the Brittany Spears comedy/drama/road movie 'Crossroads' and later that same year in 'Drumline'.

The next year in 2003 came 'Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl' playing Anamaria - a female pirate. From there followed 'The Terminal' with Tom Hanks as Directed by Steven Spielberg, and then 'Haven' with Orlando Bloom and then 'Temptation'.

2005 produced average fare 'Constellation', 'Guess Who', ' Dirty Deeds', and then 'Premium' and 'The Heart Specialist' in 2006 and in 2007 'After Sex' and 'Blackout'. 'Vantage Point' was a bigger hit in 2008 with an all star cast, although Saldana's character is killed off early on in the piece.

2009 however, was the year that was to propel Saldana into the stratosphere - literally, with two epic Sci-Fi adventures that established her star status. The first was J.J.Abrams reboot of the 'Star Trek' franchise in which she payed the role of Nyota Uhura. Seeking support, advice and guidance along the way from two women of influence - Nichelle Nichols who made the role famous and her own back in the 60's television show and in the first run of successful spin-off movies, and the second, her own mother - a self confessed Trekkie! That film made US$386M. Then of course there was the history making James Cameron epic Sci-Fi adventure 'Avatar' in which she played the lead female character of Neytiri. Grossing an all time record breaking US$2.7B the film picked up numerous awards including The Saturn Award for Best Actress - not so bad for an all CG character!

'The Losers' was next in 2010 and then 'Takers', 'Death at a Funeral', and 'Burning Palms' with 'Colombiana' in 2011 as a professional assassin and then 'The Words' a year later. 'Blood Ties' and 'Star Trek : Into Darkness' followed in 2013 with the latter once again Directed by J.J.Abrams and once again reprising her role as Uhura, with this film going on to outstrip its 2009 predecessor with a global Box Office haul of US$468M. 'Out of the Furnace' with Christian Bale and 'Infinitely Polar Bear' with Mark Ruffalo followed.

The unexpected smash hit of 2014 was Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' which grossed US$774M  with Saldana playing Gamora - this time in green rather than her 'Avatar' blue! 

Next up for Saldana is 'Nina' due for release later in 2015 playing the role of legendary jazz singer Nina Simone. Then there will be 'Star Trek 3' currently filming and 'Live by Night' in 2016 and currently in pre-production there is 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' for a 2017 release and then 'Avatar 2, 3 and 4' due in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Saldana has 45 acting credits to her name, two Producer credits and two Director credits and she has garnered eleven award wins and another 41 nominations so far.

In June 2010 Saldana became engaged to long term boyfriend and business partner in 'My Fashion Data Base' Keith Britton but that relationship ended in late 2011 with Bradley Cooper becoming the love interest until early in 2013. Mid-year she married Marco Perego and in November 2014 their twin sons were born Bowie Ezio and Cy Aridio.

Zoe Saldana - a self confessed lover of the Sci-Fi genre; athletic, determined, personable, respected and beautiful; pushing the boundaries of her capabilities; and earning many friends and fans along the way - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

LEONARD NIMOY - dies aged 83 - R.I.P.

Leonard Simon Nimoy passed away on Friday 27th February 2015 at his Los Angeles Bel-Air home. Aged 83 he had suffered chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and had been hospitalised earlier in the week with breathing difficulties. Known for his role as Mr. Spock in the cult television series 'Star Trek' and it's numerous animated series, film franchise, and video game spin-offs he will forever be etched in our subconscious as the intergalactic philosopher spouting logical words of wisdom when his Captain, James T. Kirk, needed it most. 'Live long and prosper' was as much his credo as the Vulcan Spock as it was in his life, and so the tributes have poured in for this accomplished Actor, Writer, Director, Producer, Poet, Photographer, Singer and Tweeter.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts on 26th March 1931, he began acting at age eight in a local theatre, but his parents who were of Ukrainian Orthodox Jewish origin, wanted him to attend College so he could get a steady, stable career. It was his grandfather however, who encouraged his acting. His first major role came at age 17 in the stage play 'Awake and Sing'. He took acting classes at Boston College and then Pasadena Playhouse, and in 1953 joined the United States Army Reserve serving for 18 months during which time he wrote, narrated and MC'd several shows. He left as a Sergeant in 1955.

His first film role came in 1951 in the comedy drama 'Queen for a Day' and a year later he took top billing in the 'Kid Monk Baroni' believing it was his ticket to the big time - not so though, and so he picked up bit parts in minor films and television shows for the next ten or so years. 'Zombies of the Stratosphere' in 1952, 'Old Overland Trail' in 1953, 'Them!' in 1954, 'The Brain Eaters' in 1958 and 'Deathwatch' in 1966 were some of the 'memorable' movie outings.





These were interspersed with a continuous stream of television work with the likes of 'West Point', 'Highway Patrol', 'The Silent Service', 'Broken Arrow', '26 Men', 'Dragnet', 'Sea Hunt', 'Wagon Train', 'The Virginian' and 'Gunsmoke'. In between these multiple appearances on these shows, there were one off appearances too on 'Bonanza', 'Rawhide', 'The Twilight Zone', 'Laramie', 'Perry Mason', 'General Hospital', 'Dr. Kildare', 'The Outer Limits' and 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'

1966 however, brought the role that would change his life forever and propel him (perhaps literally) into the stratosphere, and the hearts and minds of Sci-Fi geeks everywhere for the next fifty years. 'Star Trek' and his role has half human half Vulcan Mr. Spock became one of the most popular television series of all time spawning an animated series, a film franchise that began with 'Star Trek : The Motion Picture' in 1979, an updated series 'Star Trek : The Next Generation', numerous video games and a reboot of the film franchise in 2009 with 'Star Trek' and in 2013 'Star Trek : Into Darkness' both Directed by J. J. Abrams and starring Nimoy as Spock Prime to Zachary Quinto's Spock.

In between his numerous outings as Spock on either the big screen, small screen or video screen he appeared in numerous episodes of the television series of 'Mission : Impossible' and other film including 'Catlow' in 1971, 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' in 1978 and numerous television movies. He also lent his instantly recognisable voice talents to many other film projects too including 'The Pagemaster', 'Rashi : A Light after the Dark Ages', 'Sinbad : Beyond the Veil of Mists', 'Atlantis : The Lost Empire', 'Land of the Lost', 'Transformers : Dark of the Moon' and 'Zambezia' most recently in 2012.

Nimoy has 134 acting credits to his name and twelve Directing credits including 'Star Trek III : The Search for Spock' and 'Star Trek IV : The Voyage Home', '3 Men and a Baby', 'The Good Mother' and 'Holy Matrimony'. His took writing credit too for  'Star Trek IV : The Voyage Home' and 'Star Trek VI : The Undiscovered Country'. Also an accomplished poet, singer and photographer with many published works across these three fields, and two biographies also to his name - 'I Am Not Spock' in 1975 and 'I Am Spock' in 1995.

A legend on screen for his Vulcan Spock persona, and off it too to his legions of fans across the world who will miss the indelible contribution made to film and television science fiction, and other works spanning seven decades - Leonard Nimoy - live long and prosper . . . wherever you now may be!


Leonard Nimoy - Rest In Peace
1931 - 2015

-Steve, at Odeon Online-