Monday 30 March 2015

INSURGENT - Saturday 28th March 2015.

The first book in the Veronica Roth dystopian post-apocalyptic world trilogy - 'Divergent' reached our big screens last year at a cost of production at US$85M and took a worldwide gross of US$289M, and on the basis of that success, and its entertainment value, I saw its follow-up last night - 'INSURGENT'.

For me this series so far tops the other in a similar vein - 'The Hunger Games' which is nearing the end of its run with the final instalment due later this year. 'Insurgent' gives us more grounded characters with back stories we can relate to, a more believable story line, greater complexity and improved production values. The entertainment factor here gives us so much more, and I enjoyed this offering and look forward to the final chapter, 'Allegiant' (also to be split into two instalments surprise surprise!) in March 2016.

Taking over from Neil Burger in the Directors chair, this time around we have Robert Schwentke who was given a US$110M budget to play with, which after a week of release has so far taken US$118M at the global Box Office.

As the film opens we are just literally hours down the track from where the first film left off and Tris (Shailene Woodley), Four (Theo James), Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and Peter (Miles Teller) are on the run through the forest eventually finding refuge in an Amity camp. They wait up there to let the dust settle and reacquaint themselves with the land and the company of various other divided Factions. Meanwhile Jeanine (Kate Winslet) has her foot soldiers sifting through the debris of the destroyed Abnegation Faction for an artifact buried therein that is believed to have its origins with the founders of the city and which contains the secrets to overcoming the Divergent's once and for all. Problem is, only a Divergent can open the mythical box, and so Jeanine orders that all Divergents be rounded up and bought in to open the said Pandora's Box of tricks! Eric (Jai Courtney) and Max (Mekhi Phifer) are dispatched to lead the search and bring back any and all Divergents who will be tested to open the box . . . at no matter what cost!

As Eric and Max close in, so begins another cat & mouse game with Tris &Co on the run and the four split further as loyalties are tested and it's every man for himself. Tris and Four remain together with Caleb in tow, with  Peter having betrayed them to Eric & Max. As they evade their foe and seek to head back to the city aboard a train, they are set upon by the Factionless and a fight breaks out. After, when the dust has settled Four reveals his names as Tobias Eaton, and is advised that he has been sought after for a very long time now. With safe passage back to the Factionless enclave deep in the bowels of the city Four is confronted by his estranged Mother, believed to have died when he was six. She now heads up Factionless and wants revenge on Jeanine, but she may have a hidden agenda to take control of what remains afterwards, and is seeking to amass an army to overthrow Erudite.

As Four rebels against his Mother, the next morning he leaves with Tris and Caleb for Candor to reunite with their Dauntless colleagues, but Caleb announces he cannot continue and is not cut out for such heroic acts of bravery, adventure, risk & derring-do! Leaving Tris and Four to continue their journey they arrive at Candor, and momentarily all is good in the world until overcome by leader Jack Kang (Daniel Dae Kim) who intends to send them both to Erudite to stand trial for their crimes, believing that Jeanine is true & just. Needless to say it's not long before he is proven wrong!

With several Divergents captured and tested to open the box at Jeanine's hands, the body count is rising and her patience is wearing thin. Ordering again a greater sweep of all Divergent's Tris comes to terms with the fact that the only way to stop the murdering is for her to give herself up and put an end to Jeanine's power crazy ways. Doing so against the wishes of Four she slinks away to Erudite and is promptly strung up with various cables, electronic gadgetry and mind control mechanisms that will test her to her limits in an attempt to open the box.

Being 100% Divergent it seems it's down to Tris to do or die and she is the only one who can open the box having been through all Faction 'sims' and been successful . . .  maybe! As it plays out Tris has to come to terms with her own history, the guilt she carries around, the burden of what she has become and what she may truly represent, and the love she has for Four. In the final set piece there are a few surprises in store, a number of questions are answered and there is the big reveal that sets up the next instalment quite nicely with just the right amount of action and without too much melodrama.

Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Zoe Kravitz, Maggie Q, Ashley Judd are all there too and the visuals of a war torn battle scared trashed and wrecked city skyline that once was Chicago now surrounded by an enormous wall is very well rendered and impressive in its imagery. This is a worthy follow up to last years 'Divergent' and sets up 'Allegiant' nicely with just the right air of expectation and the promise of new things for our characters who will continue their journey.

  

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

HANNA : archive from 3rd August 2011.

Saw 'HANNA' last night because I thought this looked quite intriguing, has a strong cast, a proven Director in Joe Wright at the helm, and pace, emotion and gritty set pieces. The film was made for US$30M and made about US$64M at the global Box Office so not a huge success, but along the way it picked up five award wins and 24 other nominations.

The story surrounds Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) and her father Erik Heller (Eric Bana) who have been holed up in the frozen backwoods of remote Finland, ever since Erik said goodbye to his life as a CIA operative about 13 years or so earlier. Since Hanna was knee high to a grasshopper she has been trained religiously and diligently by Dad as a ruthless skilled assassin but with intelligence, an education and the smarts to survive on her own. Cut off from the outside world Hanna has not experienced music, film, electricity, the Internet or McDonald's, let alone other human contact. Hanna even has several identities all drummed into her over the years with intricate history detail that she can call upon as she travels across Europe and further afield. Erik's focus has been clear, and his mission with Hanna has been to prepare for the inevitable day when his teachings will be duly required to serve then both well.

Erik harbours a closely guarded secret and knows that the day will come when senior CIA Official Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett) will finally catch-up with him and attempt to take him out . . . unless he and Hanna can get to her first! With the day fast approaching Erik advises Hanna that she is now 'ready' and so sets in motion a chain of events that will bring those searching for them out of the woodwork all guns blazing.

A game of cat & mouse ensues across Europe as Hanna finds herself up against the authorities, against travelling tourists, against hired killers instructed to take her out, and against the wonders and dangers of everyday life that she has never experienced before, and, with Wiegler hot on her tail. With the intention of meeting up with her father in Berlin, Hanna must overcome adversity and put her particular set of skills to the test on many occasions so that she can move ahead and accomplish the mission. As the plot moves on there are a few twists & turns as you would expect, moments of tension, some intense action, and it is delivered in a gritty style that reminded me of 'Bourne' with a few truths emerging that will help piece this puzzle together.

A lot of this has been seen before in 'The Professional' but it's an interesting take on the orphan brought up to be a killing machine by a lone parent living in the middle of nowhere until the teenager can wreak revenge on the establishment. Some good set pieces and a thumping Chemical Brothers soundtrack, this alternative coming of age story is OK only, and you can easily wait for the DVD, or catch it now on TV as I did again only recently.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Saturday 28 March 2015

Birthday's to share this week : 29th March - 4th April 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Michael Fassbender does on 2nd April - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 38, 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 29th March
  • Elle Macpherson - Born1964, turns 51 - Actress | Producer | Supermodel
  • Lucy Lawless - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actress
  • Brendan Gleeson - Born 1955, turns 60 - Actor
  • Christopher Lambert - Born 1957, turns 51 - Actor | Producer
  • Michael Winterbottom - Born 1961, turns 54 - Director | Producer | Writer
  • Eric Idle - Born 1943, turns 72 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Comedian | Singer | Songwriter
Monday 30th March
  • Warren Beatty - Born 1937, turns 78 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
  • Robbie Coltrane - Born 1950, turns 65 - Actor | Writer
  • Paul Reiser - Born 1957, turns 58 - Actor  | Producer | Writer
  • Richard Dysart - Born 1929, turns 86 - Actor
Tuesday 31st March 
  • Ewen McGregor - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
  • Christopher Walken - Born 1943, turns 72 - Actor
  • Richard Chamberlain - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actor
  • Paul Mercurio - Born 1963, turns 52 - Actor
  • Howard Gordon - Born 1961, turns 54 - Producer | Writer
Wednesday 1st April
  • David Oyelowo - Born 1976, turns 39 - Actor | Producer
  • Barry Sonnenfeld - Born 1953, turns 62 - Director | Producer | Actor | Cinematographer
  • Asa Butterfield - Born 1997, turns 18 - Actor
  • Ali McGraw - Born 1939, turns 76 - Actress
Thursday 2nd April
  • Linda Hunt - Born 1945, turns 70 - Actress
  • Christopher Meloni - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actor
  • Michael Fassbender - Born 1977, turns 38 - Actor | Producer
Friday 3rd April
  • Eddie Murphy - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Director | Comedian | Singer
  • Alec Baldwin - Born 1958, turns 57 - Actor | Producer
  • Ben Mendelsohn - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actor
Saturday 4th April 
  • Robert Downey Jnr. - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actor | Producer
  • Hugo Weaving - Born 1960, turns 55 - Actor | Producer
  • Barry Pepper - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actor | Producer
  • Craig T. Nelson - Born 1944, turns 71 - Actor | Producer
  • David E. Kelley - Born 1956, turns 59 - Writer | Producer
Michael Fassbender was born in Heidelberg, Germany to mother Adele from Larne, County Antrim, in Northern Ireland originally, and father Josef, a German. At the age of two the family moved to Killarney in County Kerry where his parents operated 'The West End House' - a restaurant where Josef worked as a Chef. He has an older sister Catherine, with whom he spent many a Summer Holiday in Germany where he learned to speak the language fluently. In Killarney he attended the Fossa National School and then St. Brendan's College - a Catholic School for boys. At 17 he discovered his love for acting in a school play, and at 19 he relocated himself to London to study at The Drama Centre where he subsequently dropped out in 1999 and toured instead with the Oxford Stage Company. 

As a budding young Actor, like many before him, he supported himself initially by working jobs such as bartending and delivering the post while auditioning for screen roles. His first screen role came in the acclaimed Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg Co-Production 'Band of Brothers' before going on to 'Hex' for Sky One Television. In late 2003 he starred in a radio serialisation of 'Dracula' and in 2006 starred in a stage production of Quentin Tarantino's 'Reservoir Dogs' which he also Produced and Directed.

His first big screen role came in 2006 in the heavily stylised but lauded fantasy action sword & sandal drama '300' as Directed by Zack Snyder. Next up in 2008 he played the infamous Irish Prisoner on hunger strike, Bobby Sands, in 'Hunger' for Director Steve McQueen - a role for which he slimmed down dramatically on a 600 calorie a day diet. Next up came his role as a British Officer in Quentin Tarantino's 'Inglorious Basterds' in 2009 and then 'Fish Tank' that same year - both well received and applauded for his performances. Less so however, was 'Blood Creek' also in 2009 and Directed by Joel Schumacher.

A comic book adaptation came next in 2010 with 'Jonah Hex' starring Josh Brolin, John Malkovich and Will Arnett and with such a strong cast it should have done better, but it did nothing to ignite the critics or the Box Office. Following this was the war torn bloody Roman era slaughter fest  'Centurion', and then the complete polar opposite alongside Mia Wasikowska in 2011's 'Jane Eyre' adaptation.

Returning to comic book fare but this time with much more success, came 'X-Men : First Class' in 2011 playing the young Magneto of 1962 era. That year he also worked with David Cronenberg playing Dr. Carl Jung in 'A Dangerous Method'. Closing out the year with his second collaboration with Steve McQueen in 'Shame' for which he gained much critical acclaim with nominations from the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, the BAFTA's and more.

In 2012 he worked with Steven Soderbergh on 'Haywire' and then Ridley Scott on 'Prometheus' as android David. The following year he reteamed with Scott on 'The Counselor', and thereafter on his third outing with Steve McQueen on the award winning '12 Years a Slave' which garnered him further critical acclaim and awards nominations.








2014 brought 'Frank' and 'X-Men : Days of Future Past' in which he reprised his role as Magneto, the younger. Next up this year is 'Slow West' with 'Trespass Against Us', 'The Light Between Oceans' and 'Macbeth' currently in post-productions for a later in 2015 release, as is an as yet untitled Terrence Malick production based around the country music scene that has a huge all star cast! He plays too the lead role of Steve Jobs in the Danny Boyle film 'Steve Jobs' currently filming, and then Magneto for a third time in 'X-Men : Apocalypse' and 'Assassins Creed' due for release in 2016, as is the recently announced 'Prometheus 2' which will see him playing the android David once more.

Fassbender has 48 acting credits to his name and four Producer credits. He has 66 award wins and another 68 nominations which all up include the Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Academy Awards for '12 Years a Slave', two Golden Globe nominations for '12 Years a Slave' and 'Shame' and the BAFTA nomination for '12 Years a Slave' and 'Shame' also.


Michael Fassbender - just 38 years of age, on the big screen for just ten years, but already a solid portfolio of films, much in demand, highly lauded and very watchable - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-


Thursday 26 March 2015

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 26th March 2015

You can tell it's fast approaching Easter, because there is another raft of new cinema content creeping into our multiplexes to get Mum's & Dad's, Son's & Daughter's, Husbands and Wives and kids of all ages out to the movie theatre's over the coming two week school holiday/long weekend period.

This week we have some serious gritty drama from war torn streets of a country divided for many years over its politics, religion and beliefs; an award winning foreign language film likely to cause a stir in its country of origin; a much loved animated classic given a fairytale live action makeover; a woolly stop motion animated feature from that English studio who have done this stuff before and have little left to prove; an animated feature of an alien invasion on our humble planet that goes awry and sees an unlikely partnership evolve that means so much more than either could have imagined; then a comedy about a hapless multi-millionaire who in convicted to do jail time but must learn to man-up on the outside or take the consequences on the inside (as it were!); a unlikely pairing of two male leads together for much of their lives and then torn asunder and rebuilding what they can of their fractured lives; and finally a film about a touchy subject and its ramifications on family and loved ones that doesn't take its subject matter too seriously nor too lightly.

With such a plethora of new films about to hit our Odeon's this week there really is something for everyone, and no excuse not to get out amongst it and sit in front of a big screen for a few hours and enjoy the film of you choice. When you have done so, share your thoughts, observations and opinions with the global audience at Odeon Online and make a Comment below this, or any Post. Enjoy your filmic experience!

'71 (Rated MA15+) - Written by Gregory Burke and Directed by French first timer Yann Demange, this film was released last week in Australia but to a limited showing only. Nonetheless is has received critical acclaim for its portrayal of 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland, which began in 1969 and went through until 1997, from the perspective of a new recruit foot soldier effectively caught behind enemy lines and needing to get outta there before paying the ultimate price. With Belfast the centre of all the attention, the action and the troubles, we have here a city that is divided by Politics (the Loyalists on one side and the Republicans on the other) and Religion (the Protestants on one hand, and the Catholics on the other) and for almost thirty years opposing factions fought it out with guns, bombs, knives, death and destruction to make a point and gain the upper hand.

When teenager Gary Hook (Jack O'Connell) joins up and is promptly dispatched to Belfast he and his new recruit grunts serving in the British Army are sent to an area of Belfast where these opposing factions live side by side. Supporting the Royal Ulster Constabulary in routine house inspections, the new squaddies are alerted to an ever increasing mob of angry protesters who are congregating outside a house under inspection. When things get out go hand it all goes pear shaped and Hook and his fellow troops come under attack with rocks, human faeces, knives and anything that will maim and impair. Hook is wounded and separated from the remaining troops who scatter and are collected up to return to base. Not Hook though - he is on foot, scared, injured and alone in an extremely hostile and volatile environment with little means to protect himself. How this plays out you'll have to see for yourself, but suffice to say Demange has (re)created a tight tense and taught drama which O'Connell delivers through his performance to make this real, believable and in the moment.

LEVIATHAN (Rated M) - from the streets of war torn Belfast, to the corrupt streets of a small Russian coastal town, this Golden Globe winning, and Academy Award and BAFTA nominated film, charts the story of Kolya (Aleksey Serebryakov), his wife Lilya (Elena Lyadova) and their teenage son Roma (Sergey Pokhodaev). When corrupt Mayor Vadim (Roman Madyanov) arrives in town he eyes Kolya's property and small business and wants it for himself and so sets in place a trumped up and highly suspect repossession order at a fraction of its worth. As relationships are tested, emotions strained and the fabric of the family ripped apart, so Kolya enlists the services of good friend and former Army colleague Dmitri (Vladimir Vdovichenkov) who now has a legal practise in Moscow, and the two mount their own campaign to stop the Mayor and dig up as much dirt on him as they can. As the fighting factions go head to head who will gain the upper hand, and what will Kolya have left at the end?

LOVE IS STRANGE (Rated M) - this film was released Stateside mid-last year sometime and has taken a while to reach our shores Down Under. That said, here we have two strong male leads playing a same-sex couple Ben and George - John Lithgow and Alfred Molina respectively. Having been together for 39 years the couple decide to get married and having done so, George, who is a Catholic School music teacher, advises his employer and when the Archdiocese gets wind of this news, he is promptly fired! No longer able to afford their New York apartment, the couple are forced to split and bunk up with various friends and family. Living apart but still together the couple must find time for themselves in their new surroundings and accommodate, and be accommodated by, the new people in their lives whilst finding a new, cheaper, place to live. A learning experience for everyone. Also starring Marisa Thomei and Written/Directed by Ira Sachs.

INFINITELY POLAR BEAR (Rated M) - Mark Ruffalo must be one of the busiest Actors in Hollywood right now, because here he is again this week in another offering - this time in the Maya Forbes Directed tale of Cameron Stuart a bipolar manic-depressive father who almost single handedly is raising his two daughters - Amelia and Faith (Imogene Wolodarsky and Ashley Aufderheide respectively, and apparently both excellent!), whilst trying to win back the heart, confidence and respect of his wife (Zoe Saldana) by showing some control, responsibility and maturity. With strong performances from the principle players and very well crafted by Writer/Director Forbes this is tough subject matter told in a beautiful, nuanced, passionate thought provoking way that won't be for everyone, but is sure to find an audience as did 'Still Alice' and 'The Theory of Everything' more recently.

GET HARD (Rated MA15+) - Oh dear - what has Will Ferrell got himself into this time? I am sure that 14 years olds will flock to see this film of multi-millionaire hedge-funder James King (Will Ferrell) who has been convicted to serve ten years of hard labour in San Quentin jail for tax evasion.  Looking down the barrel of hard jail time King enlists the help, support, advice and guidance of local car wash operative Darnell Lewis (Kevin Hart) to prepare him for the trials and tribulations of life behind bars. Thinking that Lewis is a hardened criminal who has served time in the past, which of course he hasn't, King gets strung along because there is the promise of a pay cheque if Lewis can help protect him on the outside when he is on the inside. Lewis of course has never served time and is largely clueless to a life of internship, but plays along with the ruse acting up as the crim with a wrap sheet for his own material gain when really this is a case of the blind leading the blind, the dumb and dumber, and the stupid is as stupid does! One for the 14 years olds for sure! Enjoy seeing Ferrell mixing it up in Da Hood wit all da young dudes!

A LITTLE CHAOS (Rated M) - Here Alan Rickman stars in, and Directs his second feature film taking us back to the 1680's and the court of King Louis XIV, and most notably the completion of the grand gardens at the Palais de Versailles. Commissioning visionary landscape artist Sabine De Barra (Kate Winslet) who dismisses convention and prefers to act on her own modern instincts in the design of the gardens she comes to blows with the more classical designer Le Notre who has hired her to help complete the task in hand. In time she is drawn to Le Notre and must juggle her feelings for him, her own vision for the gardens and the etiquette of the Court of the King. She is however, made of sterner stuff which comes into its own when her fractured past is revealed, her feelings for Le Notre emerge and her need to garner support from the King and his followers becomes important to her own future success and well being. Starring Rickman as Louis XIV, Matthias Schoenaerts as André Le Nôtre, and Stanley Tucci as Duke Philippe d'Orleans, this is a fictionalised historical story that might just diminish an otherwise solid period piece.

CINDERELLA (Rated G) - Kenneth Branagh gave up a second outing as Director of the 'Thor' franchise to Direct this live action retelling of the classic fairytale that was told way back when by Disney in the form of the ever popular animated feature film 65 years ago, in 1950 would you believe? Here we have an all star cast that possibly reboots that timeless tale for a whole new audience, that includes Lily James as Cinders herself, Cate Blanchett as the evil stepmother, Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother, Richard Madden as Prince Charming, Stellan Skarsgard as the Grand Duke, Derek Jacobi as the King and a list of others ably supporting. You know the story all too well of that I am sure, so no spoilers here and no need to retread old ground, except to say that in Ken Branagh the story and Disney's investment should be in safe, secure hands given the man's track record of Directing, his firm grasp of historical period stories, his ability to frame a set piece, and his know-how on big spectacle. The film was made for US$95M and at the time of writing had already grossed worldwide US$256M.

SHAUN THE SHEEP : THE MOVIE (Rated G) - Shaun the Sheep first hit our screens and our subconscious in 'A Close Shave' - that Wallace & Gromit film of 1995. Since then Shaun has helmed his own spin off TV series which has seen his wool price soar, and now he arrives on our big screens  courtesy of this talented stop-motion animators at Aardman. Here we seen Shaun taking a day off from grazing the farmland and in doing so bites off a little more than he can chew as he gets mixed up with the farmer, a caravan, a steep hill  and the big city. Before you know it, it's Shaun to the rescue and with the help of his flock he needs to bring everyone home to the farm to live happily ever after. With the voice talents of Justin Fletcher as Shaun and Directed by Mark Burton and Richard Starzack this is a feel good, laugh out loud warm and fuzzy movie for young and young at heart that is likely to capture your attention from whoa to go and is unlikely to disappoint - especially if you have seen Aardman's previous Wallace & Gromit instalments that are now classics of the genre and the art.

HOME (Rated PG) - Directed by Tim Johnson for Dreamworks Animation this has many familiar elements but delivers on emotion, heart, substance and a moral lesson for perhaps the younger viewers, who should be dragged along by their parents to see this lesson in life whilst watching a cracking yarn that could be ranked as one of Dreamworks finest animated features yet. When Planet Earth is 'invaded' by the alien race 'Boov' led by Captain Smek (Steve Martin) who are on the run from their mortal enemy, they begin relocating the earthlings to a desert planet to make way for themselves. One bright young girl however, manages to evade capture - 'Tip' (voiced by Rhianna) who is now on the run and searching for Mum Lucy (voiced by Jennifer Lopez) when she is befriended by alien 'Oh' (voiced by Jim Parsons) who has been banished by the Boov for revealing the location of the alien race to their sworn enemy. As the two form an unlikely friendship many adventures ensue and they both come to realise that what makes them so different draws them together and from this they can both learn to adapt and accept and appreciate the true meaning of 'home'. Again, one for young and not so young and a lesson in life here that could well be worth the price of your ticket . . . and then some!

It's a big week then for movies that offers something for all ages going into the Easter Holidays. When you have seen your movie(s) of choice. don't be shy - share your thoughts, views, observations and opinions with us all and be interactive in Cyberspace and at Odeon Online.

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Saturday 21 March 2015

Birthday's to share this week : 22nd - 28th March 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Quentin Tarantino does on 27th March - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 52, 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 22nd March
  • Reece Witherspoon - Born 1976, turns 39 - Actress | Producer | Singer
  • William Shatner - Born 1931, turns 84 - Actor | Producer | Writer
  • Matthew Modine - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
  • M. Emmet Walsh - Born 1935, turns 80 - Actor
  • Bruno Ganz - Born 1941, turns 74 - Actor
  • Stephen Sondheim - Born 1930, turns 85 - Composer | Songwriter | Writer
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber - Born 1948, turns 67 - Composer | Songwriter | Writer | Producer
Monday 23rd March
  • Michele Monaghan - Born 1976, turns 39 - Actress
  • Catherine Keener - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actress | Producer
Tuesday 24th March
  • Jessica Chastain - Born 197, turns 38 - Actress | Producer
  • Lara Flynn Boyle - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actress
  • Kelly LeBrock - Born 1960, turns 55 - Actress
  • Keisha Castle-Hughes - Born 1990, turns 25 - Actress
  • Curtis Hansen - Born 1945, turns 70 - Director | Producer | Writer
Wednesday 25th March
  • Paul Michael Glaser - Born 1943, turns 72 - Actor | Producer | Director
  • Elton John - Born 1947, turns 68 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Producer
  • Aretha Franklin - Born 1942, turns 73 - Singer | Actress | Producer
  • Sarah Jessica Parker - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actress | Producer
Thursday 26th March
  • Keira Knightley - Born 1985, turns 30 - Actress | Singer
  • Martin Short - Born 1950, turns 65 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer
  • James Caan - Born 1940, turns 75 - Actor
  • Alan Arkin - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actor | Writer | Producer
Friday 27th March
  • Quentin Tarantino - Born 1963, turns 52 - Writer | Director | Producer | Actor
  • Michael York - Born 1942, turns 73 - Actor
Saturday 28th March
  • Vince Vaughn - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actor | Producer | Writer
  • Nick Frost - Born 1972, turns 43 - Actor
  • Brett Ratner - Born 1969, turns 46 - Director | Producer
  • Richard Kelly - Born 1975, turns 40 - Writer | Producer | Director
  • Michael Newell - Born 1942, turns 73 - Director | Producer
  • Lady Gaga - Born 1986, turns 29 - Singer | Songwriter | Writer | Producer | Actress
  • Dianne Weist - Born 1948, turns 52 - Actress
Quentin Jerome Tarantino was born in Knoxville, Tennessee to mother Connie McHugh a nurse - aged 16 at the time of Quentin’s birth, and father Tony Tarantino - an American/Italian Actor and Musician. Quentin’s parents separated before he was born. At age four the young Quentin relocated to Torrance, California with his mother . , . and later to Harbor City - a Los Angeles neighbourhood. Here he attended Flemming Junior High School and then Narbonne High School in Harbor City for the first year but ultimately dropped out of school at age fifteen to attend full time acting classes at the James Best Theater Company in Toluca Lake. After two years, however, he became bored with the acting school and so left, landing a job at ‘Video Archives ’in Manhattan Beach where he met fellow colleague, movie geek and future collaborator Roger Avery.

Later on while attending a Hollywood party he met Lawrence Bender who encouraged Tarantino to write a screenplay which led to his Directing debut in 1987 with ‘My Best Friend’s Birthday’. The final reel of film stock was mostly destroyed during editing in a fire that ripped through the lab, but the screenplay was later further adapted to create the foundation for ‘True Romance’.






Fast forward to 1992, and Tarantino’s first Hollywood film ‘Reservoir Dogs’ was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. It was an overnight sensation and the stuff of movie legend which instantly propelled QT into the limelight. Having written the dialogue heavy screenplay in less than four weeks, his friend Bender dispatched it to Director Monte Hellman who assisted in the funding process to bring the story to the big screen with Harvey Keitel jumping on board as Co-Producer and taking an Actor credit too.

With ‘True Romance’ optioned for the big screen too, this arrived in cinemas in 1993, and next up his base story for ‘Natural Born Killers’ was further developed by a team of screenwriters and then Directed by Oliver Stone, with credit given to QT for the storyline. Already QT was flavour of the month, if not the year, and offers began flooding in, including the chance to Direct ‘Speed’ and ‘Men in Black’ but instead he decamped to Holland and wrote the screenplay for ‘Pulp Fiction’.

‘Pulp Fiction’ wowed audiences and critics the world over, and for his efforts he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and got the nod for Best Director as well as five other nominations including Best Picture. He also won the prestigious Palme D’Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival to top it all off. After this came his collaboration with three other Directors including friend Robert Rodriguez on ‘Four Rooms’ which was met with less glowing reviews.

‘From Dusk till Dawn’ came next which was Directed by Rodriguez but for which QT wrote the script and took an acting role whilst launching the big screen career of one up & coming George Clooney. The film spawned two sequels and most recently a television series. As the 90’s closed out he Directed his next feature film - a tribute to the Blaxpoitation Films of the 60’s and 70’s with ‘Jackie Brown’ with those stars of yesteryear - Pam Grier and Robert Forster

As the new decade came in QT hunkered down to write his tribute to the Japanese/Western inspired revenge flick ‘Kill Bill’ starring at its lead - Uma Thurman. With an initial running time of over four hours he decided to release this over two volumes, and so ‘Kill Bill : Volume 1’ was released in the latter half of 2003 and ‘Kill Bill : Volume 2’ in the first half of 2004. He collaborated with Rodriguez again on 2005’s ‘Sin City’ for which he took a ‘Guest Director’ credit.

His partnership with Rodriquez continued in their dual project in 2007 releasing their tribute to 70’s and early 80’s ‘Grindhouse Cinema’ with the release of ‘Grindhouse’ - two films released as a single package with specially filmed movie Previews separating the two movies. ‘Planet Terror’ was Directed by Rodriguez and ‘Deathproof’ by QT. Not huge commercial successes but garnered positive audience reviews for followers of the genre(s). As the decade closed out, QT released his next film - an alternative take on the outcomes of WWII following the exploits of a rogue group of Jewish American guerrilla soldiers, with 'Inglorious Basterds' which at the time became QT's greatest Box Office success at a global take of US$321M and hit #1 at the Box Office worldwide. He garnered two Academy Award nominations here for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director.

2012 brought his tribute to spaghetti westerns and the slave trade of the American deep south with a resurrection of the 'Django' character from the 60's and 70's with his release of 'Django Unchained', Starring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and acting stablemate Samuel L. Jackson, this film superseded 'Basterds' as QT's greatest commercial success with a haul of US$425M and won him the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, which he also won at the Golden Globes and BAFTA's.

Coming toward the end of 2015 is 'The Hateful Eight', another Western, but not linked to 'Django'. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Bruce Dern, Channing Tatum, and Walton Goggins with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Zoe Bell, this all star ensemble cast combined with a harsh Wyoming Winter, raging blizzards, bounty hunters, and a confined space are sure to give us a QT experience not to be missed.

Tarantino has so far 23 Writer credits to his name, thirty Actor credits, twenty Producer credits and sixteen Director credits as well as his credited abilities as Cinematographer and his control over the Soundtrack of his film which in themselves have become a touchstone. He has two Academy Award wins for his Screenplays for 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Django Unchained' and three other nominations, he has two Golden Globe wins for his Screenplays of 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Django Unchained' and three other nominations, and the same haul for the BAFTA's as for the Golden Globes. All up this amounts to 122 award wins and 103 other nominations.

He has been romantically linked to Mira Sorvino, Sofia Coppola, Julie Dreyfus and there have been rumours and speculation also about Uma Thurman whom he refers to as his 'muse'. He is not a believer in guns, violence and drugs even though his films feature drug use and often stylised violence with extreme acts mostly occurring off-camera. He does not believe that violence portrayed on film spills over into society. So much has been written and recorded about QT's rise to fame in the last twenty years and the undeniable impact he has had on modern cinema, that I cannot possibly do it justice herein.

And so, Quentin Tarantino - multi-talented cinematic auteur, always pushing the boundaries, trademark film maker, keeping it real, outspoken, wildly energetic, deeply passionate and a walking encyclopedia of all things film and television - we love what you do, await eagerly for your next offering and will keep watching as long as you keep writing and making movies - and long after that too! Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Friday 20 March 2015

INHERENT VICE : Tuesday 17th March 2015.

Paul Thomas Anderson is a Director, Writer and Producer who has given us over more recent years a varied back catalogue of films including 'Boogie Nights', 'Magnolia', 'Punch Drunk Love', 'There Will Be Blood' and now his latest offering 'INHERENT VICE', which I saw earlier this week. Based on the novel by Thomas Pynchon from which Anderson wrote the screenplay, he spent US$20M bringing it to the big screen with a solid cast involving some of Hollywood's finest acting talent. This film picked up two Academy Award nominations, a Golden Globe nomination and all up 20 award wins and another 51 nominations. Does this make it a great film . . . well no, and I came away a little bewildered by the 'Inherent Vice' experience, and, now sit on the fence over this one!

The film is set in 1970 around the beach town of Gordita Beach in LA County, and the opening shot is between two beach houses looking out at the breaking waves on the shoreline from the street. We are introduced to Larry 'Doc' Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) waking on the sofa from a stoner sleep who is a by-product of the peace lovin' 60's who seems to spend his life smoking on a joint and in a dope fuelled haze. Into his apartment saunters Shasta (Katherine Waterston) an ex-girlfriend who has now moved on and is seeking Doc's help out with her current boyfriend - sleazy but successful real estate developer Michael Z. Wolfmann (Eric Roberts), whose wife is trying to have 'The Wolfmann' committed to an asylum.

Doc is a private investigator and so he agrees to take the case to help out Shasta. At his 'office' the next day he meets with a member of the 'Black Guerrilla Family'  - Tariq Kahlil and is hired to find a member of the Ayran Brotherhood,  Glen Charlock, who Kahlil got know in jail, and who now owes him money and just happens to be a bodyguard of 'The Wolfmann'. When Doc investigates one of Wolfmann's property developments on the outskirts of town looking for Charlock he visits the only property on that development - a brothel, and after meeting 'employee' Jade is promptly knocked unconscious with a baseball bat from behind. He comes round in the yard out the front under the baking sun and next to the corpse of Charlock, surrounded by Police looking down at him. Brought in for questioning by Detective Christian F. 'Bigfoot' Bjornsen (Josh Brolin) Doc gets roughed up and threatened before released with no charge when his lawyer arrives on the scene, Sauncho Smilax (Benicio Del Toro).

Next up Doc is approached with a third case by Hope Harlingen (Jen Malone)  to locate her missing, believed dead husband Coy (Owen Wilson). The two come face to face and Coy is clearly not dead, but he is a police informant who fears for his safety and just wants to go home. Back at his office he meets up with Jade from the brothel who apologises for giving him up to the police and warns him about 'The Golden Fang'. Jade tells him that The Golden Fang is a drug smuggling ring, but lawyer Smilax tells him about a suspicious boat called 'The Golden Fang' that somehow Shasta is connected to. Finding a building that looks like a golden fang Doc visits an obscure dentist, Dr. Rudy Blatnoyd (Martin Short) who has a fetish for young girls, new drugs and a whacky lifestyle . . . but quickly winds up dead - with fang like bites to his neck!

Doc eventually comes across Mickey in the insane asylum that has a connection with The Golden Fang where Mickey confesses about being upset about all the negativity he was getting about his real estate business. To make amends Mickeys wants to give away all his money. Penny Kimball (Reece Witherspoon) is the Assistant District Attorney and gives Doc a confidential file on a police funded killer who knocked off Bigfoot's former partner. The killer had links to The Golden Fang and Charlock was involved somewhere along the way too.

As all this plays out it gets worse for Doc before it gets better needless to say. He continues to suck on marijuana joints at every opportunity and is rarely seen on screen without chewing on a spliff! He has a few run-ins with Bigfoot, straddles about in his usual drug induced stupor, at times he can seemingly hardly string a sentence together, and clings on to the last vestiges of the 60's looking up at the rock face of the looming 70's. There a couple of moments of comic laughter as the plot twists and turns and you wonder if Doc knows what the hell is going on, the performances are solid and Brolin is probably the stand-out playing a hard-nosed mean S-O-B Private Dick at work whilst being a down-trodden under the thumb husband at home, and I got the feeling that Phoenix was just playing Phoenix with a huge serve of mutton chops!

This film has a QT's 'Jackie Brown' vibe about it almost and it all comes together in the end but not before it twists and turns all over the place, and wraps you up in knots with interwoven stories, characters of varying questionable backgrounds and the spaced out psychedelic angst of a new dawning decade. This film was frustrating for me, probably 20 minutes to long and at times I felt it plodded along and lost its way. That said, this is very different film offering that we don't see much of anymore and if you can sit through the stoned out dazed antics, ramblings, stumblings and confusion of its unlikely hero then this might be for you!



-Steve, at Odeon Online-