Birthday's to share this week : 2nd - 8th April 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Hugo Weaving does on 4th April - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 57, 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 2nd April

• Christopher Meloni - Born 1961, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Pedro Pascal - Born 1975, turns 42 - Actor
• Michael Fassbender - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actor | Producer
• Jesse Plemons - Born 1988, turns 29 - Actor
• Linda Hunt - Born 1945, turns 72 - Actress  

Monday 3rd April

• Cobie Smulders - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actress | Singer
• Alec Baldwin - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actor | Producer 
• Eddie Murphy - Born 1961, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer | Director
• Ben Mendelsohn - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actor |   

Tuesday 4th April

• Craig T. Nelson - Born 1944, turns 73 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• David E. Kelley - Born 1956, turns 61 - Writer | Producer
• Hugo Weaving - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actor | Producer
• Robert Downey Jnr. - Born 1965, turns 52 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter
• Barry Pepper - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actor
• Estelle Harris - Born 1928, turns 89 - Actress   

Wednesday 5th April

• Hayley Attwell - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actress 
• Roger Corman - Born 1926, turns 91 - Producer | Director | Actor | Writer 
• Peter Greenaway - Born 1942, turns 75 - Director | Writer | Editor | Actor
• Mitch Pileggi - Born 1952, turns 65 - Actor

Thursday 6th April

• Billy Dee Williams - Born 1937, turns 80 - Actor 
• Barry Levinson - Born 1942, turns 75 - Producer | Director | Writer | Actor
• Michael Rooker - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Paul Rudd - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Singer  
• Zach Braff - Born 1975, turns 42 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer
• Sofia Boutella - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actress

Friday 7th April

• Francis Ford Coppola - Born 1939, turns 78 - Producer | Director | Writer 
• Ted Kotcheff - Born 1931, turns 86 - Director | Producer | Actor
• Jackie Chan - Born 1954, turns 63 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Stuntman | Singer  

Saturday 8th April

• Taylor Kitsch - Born 1981, turns 36 - Actor | Director | Writer | Producer
• John Madden - Born 1949, turns 68 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Robin Wright - Born 1966, turns 51 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Patricia Arquette - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actress | Producer 

Hugo Wallace Weaving was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, Africa to mother Anne Lennard, a tour guide and former teacher and Wallace Weaving a seismologist. At a year old the family returned to England where they lived in Bedford and then Brighton, and then onto Melbourne and Sydney in Australia and then a time in Johannesburg, South Africa before returning back to England. While there, he attended The Downs School, a preparatory school located in Wraxall, near Bristol, Somerset and then Queen Elizabeth's Hospital independent boys school in Clifton, Bristol. In 1976 his family relocated back to Sydney, where Weaving attending the independent boys school, Knox Grammar School. After leaving school he studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney from where he graduated in 1981.

Weaving secured his first film role in a bit part in 1981's ' . . . Maybe This Time', and this was followed up in 1983 with 'The City's Edge'. In the meantime Weaving starred as English Cricket Captain Douglas Jardine in the seven part miniseries 'Bodyline' recounting the events of the 1932-33 English Ashes Test tour of Australia. 'For Love Alone', 'The Right Hand Man', television mini-series 'The Dirtwater Dynasty', made for television movie 'A Long Way From Home : Dadah Is Death' with Julie Christie and John Polson, and then television three part mini-series 'Bangkok Hilton' with Nicole Kidman, Denholm Elliott and Noah Taylor saw out the decade. 

The '90's kicked off with his AACTA Award winning turn in the Jocelyn Moorhouse Written and Directed 'Proof' with Russell Crowe. This was followed up by the likes of Ned Kelly send-up comedy 'Reckless Kelly' for Director and Co-star Yahoo Serious, then comedy crime thriller 'Frauds' with Phil Collins, and 'The Custodian' with Anthony LaPaglia, Naomi Watts, Barry Otto and Bill Hunter. Perhaps his breakout role however, came with 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' in which Weaving starred as drag queen Anthony 'Tick' Melrose aka Mitzi Del Bra alongside Terence Stamp, Guy Pearce and Bill Hunter again. Based on its US$2M budget the film grossed US$30M, spawned a stage show, became a cultural touchstone for the LGBT community especially, and reaped in numerous award wins and nominations including an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. 

In 1995 Weaving voiced the character of Rex, the Sheepdog in the hugely popular 'Babe' which won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and picked up six other nominations, together with a Golden Globe win for Best Motion Picture and four BAFTA nods too amongst its total haul of nineteen wins and 24 other nominations. The film took US$254M from its US$30M budget outlay, and as a result of this success Weaving reprised his voice role in the 1998 George Miller Directed, Written and Produced sequel 'Babe : Pig in the City'. Ten part television mini-series 'Bordertown' with Cate Blanchett followed in 1995, and then 'True Love and Chaos' with Ben Mendelssohn, Noah Taylor, Miranda Otto and Naveen Andrews. 1998 saw RomCom 'Bedrooms and Hallways' and then his AFI Award winning turn in crime drama thriller 'The Interview' with Tony Martin and Michael Caton. In between there was further television work on short-lived mini-series and a couple of short films too.

All this led to his starring role as Agent Smith in the ground breaking Sci-Fi actioner 'The Matrix'. Weaving would reprise his role in the two sequels both released back to back in 2003 'The Matrix Reloaded' and 'The Matrix Revolutions'. The first instalment won four Academy Awards and two BAFTA's among its haul of 37 award wins and 45 nominations, with the two subsequent films bringing home another ten award wins and 59 nominations. All up the three films grossed US$1.63B from its combined US$363M budget outlay. Weaving also voiced his character in the video game release 'Enter the Matrix'.

'Strange Planet', 'The Old Man Who Read Love Stories', 'Russian Doll' came before Weaving's recurring role as Elrond in Peter Jackson's immensely popular and successful 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, kicking off with 'The Fellowship of the Ring' in 2001, then 'The Two Towers' in 2002 and culminating with 'The Return of the King' in 2003. The three films were made for a combined budget of US$281M and grossed worldwide US$2.9B. All up the three film series won seventeen Academy Awards, took a further eleven Oscar nominations, and all up won 438 award wins and took another 375 nominations. Subsequently Weaving his lent his Elrond voice talents to three video game releases - two in 2006 and one in 2009. 'Peaches', 'Little Fish' with Cate Blanchett and Sam Neill and then dystopian political thriller 'V for Vendetta' based on the limited edition DC Comics series of the same name was released in 2006 and took in an all star cast including Natalie Portman, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, Eddie Marsan and Tim Pigott-Smith.

The following year Weaving lent his voice talents to hugely successful franchise opener 'Transformers' as Megatron, the leader of the Deceptions who transforms into a silver Cybertronian jet. Weaving voiced Megatron for the first three films - taking in 2009's 'Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen' and 2011's 'Transformers : Dark of the Moon'. These first three films took US$2.67B at the global Box Office against a budget investment of US$545M with 'Transformers : Age of Extinction' released in 2014 and 'Transformers : The Last Knight' due for release imminently. 'The Tender Hook' and 'Last Ride' saw out the decade, with Weaving lending his voice talents once again to George Miller's Academy Award winning animated 'Happy Feet' as Noah the Elder, a role he would reprise in 2011's sequel, 'Happy Feet 2'.

2010 kicked off with Joe Johnston's horror fantasy 'The Wolfman' with Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Asa Butterfield, and Emily Blunt, with more voice work following on 'Legends of the Guardians : The Owls of Ga'Hoole'.  'Oranges and Sunshine', 'The Key Man', and the Marvel adaptation introducing us for the first time to 'Captain America : The First Avenger' as Johann Schmidt/Red Skull followed. The Sci-Fi multi-dimensional, time travelling 'Cloud Atlas' that divided Critics and just about clawed back its US$130M budget featured an ensemble cast headed up by Tom Hanks and Halle Berry and ended up picking up seventeen award wins from around the traps and another 72 nominations. 

Weaving then reprised his role of Elrond in Peter Jacksons adaptation of 'The Hobbit' launching with 'The Unexpected Journey' in 2012 and culminating with 'The Battle of the Five Armies' in 2014. Weaving's character did not appear in the middle instalment 'The Desolation of Smaug' in 2013. The three films were made for a combined US$675M and grossed worldwide US$2.9B and picked up seven Academy Award nominations and a total awards haul of 45 wins and 200 other nominations.

In between time there was 'Mystery Road' with Aaron Pederson, 'The Mule' with Leigh Whannell, 'Healing' with Don Hany, 'Strangerland' with Nicole Kidman and most recently Jocelyn Moorhouse's 'The Dressmaker' with Kate Winslet, Mel Gibson's 'Hacksaw Ridge' with Andrew Garfield, and just out 'Jasper Jones' with Toni Collette. This brings us up to date with drama television series 'Seven Types of Ambiguity' due for airing later this year in Australia, and historical drama film 'Black 47' with Jim Broadbent and Stephen Rea currently filming. 

All up Weaving has 84 Acting credits to his name and two as Producer. He has so far accumulated 23 award wins and another 25 nominations. Aside form an extensive film and television career he has also appeared in numerous stage plays for the Sydney Theatre Company more recently in 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' in 2012, 'Waiting for Godot' in 2013 and 'Macbeth' in 2014. Weaving has been with his long term partner Katrina Greenwood since 1984 with whom he has two children - Harry (born in 1989) and Holly (born in 1993). Harry has followed in his fathers footsteps and has become an Actor too under the name Harry Greenwood. Weaving is an ambassador for 'Voiceless' the animal protection institute campaigning for animal rights.

Hugo Weaving - a diverse and successful career on film, television and stage; has starred in four mega franchise films series - 'The Matrix', The Lord of the Rings', 'The Hobbit' and 'Transformers' as well as an eclectic collection of local independent fare. Continues to be in demand, like a fine wine is maturing with age, has an instantly recognisable voice, loves working in Australia, and is always surprising us with his roles. Happy Birthday to you Hugo, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 10th - 16th January 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Liam Hemsworth does on 13h January - check out my tribute to this Birthday Boy, turning 26, 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 10th January

• Walter Hill - Born 1942, turns 74 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Fran Walsh - Born 1959, turns 57 - Producer | Writer | Songwriter

Monday 11th January

• Amanda Peet - Born 1972, turns 44 - Actress
• John Sessions - Born 1953, turns 63 - Actor | Writer | Producer
• Jason Connery - Born 1963, turns 53 - Actor | Producer | Director

Tuesday 12th January

• Rob Zombie - Born 1965, turns 51 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Singer | Songwriter | Composer
• Oliver Platt - Born 1960, turns 56 - Actor
• Anthony Andrews - Born 1948, turns 68 - Actor
• Kirstie Alley - Born 1951, turns 64 - Actress | Producer | Writer

Wednesday 13th January

• Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Born 1961, turns 55 - Actress | Producer
• Orlando Bloom - Born 1977, turns 39 - Actor | Producer
• Patrick Dempsey - Born 1966, turns 50 - Actor | Producer
• Michael Pena - Born 1976, turns 40 - Actor | Producer
• Liam Hemsworth - Born 1990, turns 26 - Actor
• Bill Bailey - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actor | Writer | Composer | Television Personality

Thursday 14th January

• Lawrence Kasdan - Born 1949, turns 67 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Carl Weathers - Born 1948, turns 68 - Actor | Director
• Jason Bateman - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Steven Soderbergh - Born 1963, turns 53 - Director | Producer | Writer | Cinematographer | Editor
• Faye Dunaway - Born 1941, turns 75 - Actress
• Emily Watson - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actress

Friday 15th January

• James Nesbitt - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actor
• Ryan Corr - Born 1989, turns 27 - Actor
• Mario Van Peebles - Born 1957, turns 59 - Actor | Director | Producer | Writer | Singer | Songwriter

Saturday 16th January

• John Carpenter - Born 1948, turns 68 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Composer
• Debbie Allen - Born 1950, turns 66 - Actress | Director | Producer | Singer | Choreographer
• Kate Moss - Born 1974, turns 42 - Actress | Supermodel

Liam Hemsworth was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to mother Leonie van Os, an English teacher, and father Craig Hemsworth, a social services counsellor. He has two older brothers Chris, aged 32, and Luke aged 35 - also both very active on the acting circuit domestically and internationally. While in Year 8 at school (aged 13-14) the family moved to Phillip Island - a small island just south of Melbourne. There he spent time surfing and hanging out with his two older brothers, and in high school began to consider a career in acting and following his two older siblings down that same path. He started to act in school plays, and after finding an Agent to represent him he started to audition for roles from the age of sixteen onwards.

At seventeen he secured a number of guest appearances on Aussie soaps 'Home and Away' and 'McLeod's Daughters' and that same year in 2007 he began regular work on 'Neighbours' which gave him 25 episodes into 2008. That year he scored more regular work on the children's TV show 'The Elephant Princess' which ran for 26 episodes for him, and then two episodes on 'Satisfaction'. In 2009 Liam moved to Los Angeles with his brother Chris to pursue his acting career prospects there.

He picked up a small part in the Alex Proyas 2009 film 'Knowing' with Nicolas Cage, Ben Mendelssohn and Rose Byrne and filmed in his native Melbourne which doubled for Boston. This was his big screen debut. That same year came British psychological horror thriller 'Triangle' with Melissa George, and later on he was due to star with Sylvester Stallone in the first 'The Expendables' instalment but his role was cut at the last minute, although he did make it into 'The Expendables 2' a couple of years later. Immediately following this news, he was asked to test for the lead role in 'Thor' at the behest of Director Kenneth Branagh, but Liam lost out to brother Chris. Instead he scored 'The Last Song' with Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear and Kelly Preston. Liam and Miley had an on-screen love interest which spilled over into a real life love interest over the next three years as they were 'on', then 'off' and then back 'on' again eventually getting engaged in mid-2012 only to call it all off in mid-2013.

In 2012 Liam appeared in the role that would really put him on the map, playing Gale Hawthorne in the first of 'The Hunger Games' series through three successive films culminating with 'Mockingjay - Part 2' in November 2015. After 'The Expendables 2' in 2012 also, there was 'Love and Honor', 'Paranoia' with Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman and Amber Heard as Directed by Australian Robert Luketic which bombed at the Box Office, before straight to DVD 'Empire State' with Dwayne Johnson. 

2014 brought 'Cut Bank' with Billy Bob Thornton and John Malkovich which had a very limited release, and then late last year the Jocelyn Moorhouse Directed Australian revenge comedy drama 'The Dressmaker' with Kate Winslett and Hugo Weaving which picked up four 2015 'AACTA' Awards.

Next up is 'By Way of Helena' with Woody Harrelson and William Hurt due out later this year and 'Independence Day : Resurgence' in post-production for a mid-year release this year - released 20 years  and set 20 years after the first offering and starring Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

All up Liam has 21 acting credits for his 26 years, has five award wins and another fourteen nominations. He is an ambassador for the Australian Childhood Foundation and actively supports and advocates that every child has the right to be brought up in a secure safe home.

Liam Hemsworth - steadily carving out an acting career away from the shadows cast by Chris and Luke; a vegan and loving it; already has a major  film franchise under his belt and is about to star in a US$200M Roland Emmerich blockbuster sequel - only good can come of it! Happy Birthday to you Liam, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 29th October 2015.

Unless you've been sleeping under a rock, this past week has seen the 30th Anniversary since Marty McFly and Doc Brown went 'Back to the Future' and arrived in the Californian town of Hill Valley on 21st October 2015 from back in 1985. Arriving in 2015, Screenwriter Bob Gale and Director Robert Zemeckis imagined a world for us in 2015 that saw 'Jaws 19' playing at the local multiplex, hover boards had replaced the more manual skateboards, self-lacing Nike's were the latest fashion footwear, Princess Di was now Queen and cars could fly. Not quite the reality that was envisioned although there were future things too that have become commonplace from that movie and some that just might be in the next 30 years. That date, 21/10/15 is now history already, and if you haven't seen those movies you can do so in the newly released 30th Anniversary Trilogy Blu-ray and DVD and the book - 'Back to the Future : The Ultimate Visual History'. Go forward into the past, and check these out!

This week five new movies are coming to an Odeon near you with a raft of talent, a mix of genres, and hailing from near and far. There is a 50's outback revenge drama where the locals are likely to get stitched up, in more ways than one; then an intelligent screwball comedy of a couple of newly acquainted Noo Yawk chicks who paint the two red, live it up, go large, try to launch a restaurant and try to get payment on a debt amongst other things; then an immortal slayer of witches who in the present day needs to save the world from a long time dead revengeful foe. Next up two non-committal folk hook up in a purely platonic relationship to reform each other and in the process fall for each other with romantic comedic consequences . . . maybe; and finally an acclaimed foreign language black comedy of two hapless salesmen reflecting on life, love and our very reason for being.

When you've made your weekly trip to the local cinema, don't forget to share your thoughts afterwards with your own personal critique in the Comments Box directly below this or any other Post. At Odeon Online, we'll be pleased to hear from you. In the meantime, enjoy your movie.

THE DRESSMAKER (Rated M) - This Australian film features drama, revenge and comedy as Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse with the Screenplay written by her too and based on the 2000 released novel of the same name by Rosalie Ham. The film was shot in Melbourne and out & about in country Victoria and is set in the 1950's with influences in the classic Western with Moorhouse describing her film as Clint Eastwood's 'Unforgiven' . . .  with a sewing machine! The film had its world premiere at TIFF on September 14th was screened at the Adelaide Film Festival on 16th October and is released this week. It has an all star cast that reads like a Who's Who of Aussie acting talent.

The story centres around Myrtle 'Tily' Dunnage (Kate Winslet) who after years away returns to her outback home town of Dungatar having worked for a famed seamstress in Paris. He mother Molly (Judy Davis) is sick, hence why Tily has returned home for the fist time since being sent away at age ten by her mother, because of false accusations surrounding a murder.  Now as an expert dressmaker herself Tily delights the locals with her haute couture creations and transforms the townsfolk whilst exacting her revenge on them for their sins of the past. Also starring Liam Hemsworth, Hugo Weaving, Sarah Snook, Rebecca Gibney, Barry Otto, Kerry Fox, Gyton Grantley and Shane Jacobsen.

MISTRESS AMERICA (Rated MA15+) - No, this is not Captain America's bit on the side (although there is a Superhero[ine] angle here) but rather a screwball comedy Directed by Noah Baumbach, Co-Written and Co-Produced by him and Greta Gerwig, and also starring Greta Gerwig too. Here, Tracy (Lola Kirke) is a lonely college freshman in New York's Columbia University struggling to discover the cosmopolitan party lifestyle she imagined, or connect with those who would allow her to experience adventure and the hi-life she envisioned. Soon enough however, she is taken in by Brooke (Greta Gerwig) as her soon to be step-sister and pretty soon the two have hit it off and are getting on like the proverbial house on fire! Greta lives in the heart of NYC in Times Square and is outgoing, adventurous, well networked and hi-spirited and Brooke becomes intoxicated by the life she is now experiencing and which she imagined for herself. Baumbach Directs here with the aplomb that he demonstrated in 'Frances Ha' in 2012, and already Gerwig could be an early Oscar contender here.

THE LAST WITCH HUNTER (Rated M) - With a production budget of US$90M it would be reasonable to assume great things from this epic sword swinging, shotgun shooting witch slaying offering from Director Breck Eisner and starring Vin Diesel in the lead role as 800+ year old Kaulder. Our hero here has been hunting down witches for centuries who walk amongst us, but we just don't know it, and he is the last of kind, so no pressure there to save the known world! He was cursed way back in the 14th Century when he took down the Witch Queen (Julie Engelbrecht) who moments before popping her clogs by his hand cursed him with immortality and an existence out of reach of his loved ones in the afterlife. Accompanied by his friend the 36th Dolan (Michael Caine) who is cursed by an unknown foe, Kaulder must team up with Chloe (Rose Leslie) to help break his curse and to thwart the resurrected Witch Queen who has her own plans for the future of humanity . . . and it ain't good! Elijah Wood also stars as the 37th Dolan . . . whatever that means?

SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE (Rated MA15+) - This RomCom is Directed and Written by Leslye Headland and stars Jason Sudekis as Jake as well mannered good natured ladies man about town who teams up with serial cheater and non-committal Lainey (Alison Brie) who both help each other to reform their no good, failed romantic ways with a purely platonic relationship. Naturally, yes you've guessed it, at the same time they fall for each other, but, can their relationship prosper and survive while they are sleeping with other people? This is a story that there is every chance you have seen a hundred times at least before, and will find predictable to the Nth degree methinks!

A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE (Rated M) - this Swedish black comedy film Directed by Roy Andersson is his third in his 'life trilogy' following his 2000 released 'Songs from the Second Floor' and 2007's 'You, The Living' and was released a year ago in September 2014 at the Venice International Film Festival where it picked up the Best Film Award, and in November 2014 in Sweden. It is also Sweden's entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category at next years Oscar Ceremony. The story here surrounds two hapless novelty salesmen Jonathan (Holger Andersson) and Sam (Nils Westblom) as they contemplate the human condition through a series of real and imagined ramblings and wacky episodes that explore what makes us the same and what makes us all so different.

Five very different films once again in the week ahead that are sure to offer something even for the most discerning appetite, except for the younger audience maybe! When you've made you choice, paid your money, finished your popcorn, sat through your film of choice, remember to share your thoughts and tell a friend what you saw at the movies!

See you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-