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Notebook Reviews: MYSTERY MEN - Movies In Focus
Kinka Usher – 1999. Mystery Men is a solid and good-looking superhero comedy. It has all the right elements, but somehow they fail to come together in a truly satisfying way. This features a great cast – Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, William H. Macy, Greg Kinnear, Claire Forlani and a raft of others – and they all do good work, although you can’t help feel that some of them are a little wasted. It’s all a bit chaotic and ultimately, it probably should have tried to do a little less and delivered a little more.
Podcast Episode 71: HIPPO Star & Co-writer Kimball Farley On The Quirky Indie Comedy - Movies In Focus
Kimball Farley, the star and co-writer of the new off-beat indie film Hippo joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast. Directed by Mark H. Rapaport, Hippo is a black-and-white coming-of-age story set in the 1990s that explores the lives of two step-siblings. The film’s quirky tone – reminiscent of the films of Wes Anderson – is complemented by Eric Roberts’ excellent voice-over, which adds depth to the narrative’s stylised storytelling. Kimball discusses the creative process behind Hippo, its unique storytelling approach, and uncovers what makes this film a standout in modern indie cinema Listen below or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Notebook Reviews: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE - Movies In Focus
Tobe Hooper – 1974. Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a low budget and quite horrific horror pic that set the template for a plethora of other fright films. The set-up is a slow burn, but once things kick-0ff, it becomes unsettling – even though much of the violence is implied rather than seen. A visceral and powerful piece of movie-making.
Podcast Episode 70: Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez On THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT's Enduring Horror Legacy - Movies In Focus
Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, the directors of the iconic horror film The Blair Witch Project join this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast. Released in 1999, The Blair Witch Project not only essentially created the found-footage genre but it also left an indelible mark on the landscape of independent cinema. Daniel and Eduardo share their insights on the film’s production – everything from its unique marketing strategy to the challenges they faced in bringing their vision to life. This is a fascinating conversation with two filmmakers who pushed the boundaries of cinema and redefined horror storytelling. It’s an engaging discussion that will illuminate the legacy of a film that continues to inspire filmmakers and frighten audiences around the world 25 years on. that continues to inspire filmmakers and frighten audiences around the world. The Blair Witch Project Limited Edition 2-Disc Blu-ray is available from Second Sight Films on 11th November 2024 –read the Movies In Focus review. Listen below or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Blu-ray Review: THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT - Still Great 25 Years On - Movies In Focus
Horror cinema was taken to a whole new level 25 years ago when The Blair Witch Project came out of nowhere, broke box office records – and for better or for worse – single-handedly ushered in the ‘found footage’ sub-genre. The set-up is simple, but the execution is exceptionally well handled. The 1999 pseudo-documentary opens with a title card that sums up the film better than I ever could: ”In October of 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary called ‘The Blair Witch Project’. A year later their footage was found.” Stars Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard – play the young filmmakers – fictional versions of themselves who go deep into the woods during the course of their film shoot. Tensions run high when the trio get lost – and then things start to go bump on the night. The Blair Witch Project helped change film-making – and film marketing forever. It showed Hollywood that the internet was an important way to hype films, without having to spend $100 million on promotion. Audiences believed the footage contained within Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez’s low budget fright pic was real [...]
Blu-ray Review: Rutger Hauer Is On The Road To Hell In THE HITCHER - Movies In Focus
A staple of video shops when it hit VHS in the 1980s (the artwork is forever seared into my brain), The Hitcher didn’t exactly set the box office alight on its cinematic release – but its reputation grew over time and it eventually became a cult classic. The Robert Harmon directed thriller sees Jim (C. Thomas Howell), a young motorist on a cross country car trip, get more than he bargained for when he picks up Rutger Hauer’s deadly hitch-hiker. Terrorised across the West Texas plains, The Hitcher leaves a trail of death and destruction as he pursues Jim in his twisted game of cat and mouse. The kind of well-made B-movie that you just don’t get any more, The Hitcher is a tightly constructed thriller that not only features good performances – but also looks great (thanks to Mad Max: Fury Road cinematographer John Seale). Hauer was always a unique screen presence – an actor who could get across an icy cool as well as a level of intelligence and sophistication. He’s at the peak of his power here, delivering a chilly turn as the titular character – a true demon in human form. C. Thomas Howell plays well [...]
Remembering The Great Lou Reed - Movies In Focus
Lou Reed was more than a rock star. He was a street poet, a purveyor of the grit and the grime of the under-belly of New York. His music was polarizing but also deeply influential. His late 60s work with Andy Warhol’s The Velvet Underground helped shape modern music. Not in a way like The Beatles or The Rolling Stones – no – The Velvet Underground took a different route; it was musical guerrilla warfare. Stealth. 1970 saw the release of Lou Reed’s self-titled debut, while he released Transformer in 1972. It was his masterpiece. Produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, Transformer featured Walk On The Wild Side, Perfect Day, Vicious and Satellite of Love. That’s a heck of a line-up – and it’s only half the album. Berlin was a soft, almost spiritual release in 1974, while Metal Machine Music (1975) was an exercise in sonic distortion. The mellow Coney Island Baby drew on his love of Doo-wop and 1989’s New York was a mid-career masterpiece (featuring the classic Dirty Boulevard). Later releases saw a double album inspired by Edgar Allan Poe titled The Raven and his most recent release was Lulu with Metallica. Movie-wise, Reed’s music has [...]
Blu-ray Review: LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL Is 1970s TV Hell - Movies In Focus
Get ready for some late-night horror as Australian filmmakers Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes deliver the 1970s set fright pic, Late Night With The Devil. This is a pseudo-found footage film framed around a live television broadcast in which David Dastmalchian’s chat show host unwittingly unleashes a demon during a Halloween special. The majority of Late Night With The Devil is supposed to be from the existing broadcast tapes of the ‘live’ broadcast, while the between-ad break moments are purportedly from behind-the-scenes documentary footage. It uses the chat show format of the fictitious Night Owls with Jack Delroy to its advantage by weaving a variety of guests in and out through different segments. This keeps the energy levels high, and the live TV format means the pacing is fast as another ad break is just around the corner. Holding Late Night With The Devil together is David Dastmalchian’s, Jack Delroy. We’ve seen in recent years that a massive gulf exists between how television presenters appear on screen and how they conduct themselves off it, and Dastmalchian’s Delroy obviously has layers beneath the plastic sheen of his chat show host persona. This is hinted at during the in-depth prologue, but Dastmalchian’s [...]
Review: IN RESTLESS DREAMS: THE MUSIC OF PAUL SIMON - An Exceptional Look At A Musical Icon - Movies In Focus
Folk star, musical icon and world music pioneer – Paul Simon has been many things across his long career. From his early days playing teenage pop alongside childhood Art Garfunkel as Tom & Jerry to their breakthrough Simon & Garfunkel success and then his work as a solo artist, Simon’s career has encompassed many forms and sounds over the decades. Alex Gibney’s new documentary film, In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon pulls all this together in a fascinating three-and-a-half-hour documentary. Using the recording of Simon’s 2023 album, Seven Psalms as an entry point, there’s a melancholic retrospection to the film as it dips back in time, weaving the present and the past to tell Simon’s life through the trajectory of his musical career. As an album, Seven Psalms is about retrospection and the acceptance of the passage of time, knowing that the end is approaching – and we begin with an older Simon dealing with hearing loss as he makes the album in his Texas recording studio. It’s a fitting way for Gibney to bring his subject into focus as a man and as a musician. Using an exceptional array of photographs and archive footage to show Simon’s [...]
Podcast Episode 69: Scott Adkins Talks TAKE COVER, Action Movies & Batman - Movies In Focus
Action superstar Scott Adkins joins this bite-sized episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about his latest film Take Cover – a high-octane one-location action flick that’s a real must for fans of the genre. Known for his athletic turns in films like Accident Man, Undisputed, John Wick Chapter 4 and The Expendables 2, Scott has entertained audiences with his martial arts prowess and charismatic screen presence. Scott spoke over Zoom to discuss his work in action movies, CGI versus stunt work, his passion for film-making – as well as the potential of him suiting up as iconic superhero, Batman. Listen below or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Podcast Episode 68: Kevin Smith Talks THE 4:30 MOVIE & Euros Lyn Discusses THE RADLEYS - Movies In Focus
Two very different directors talk about two very different films on this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast. First-up, Kevin Smith talks about his 1980s set comedy, The 4:30 Movie and then later in the episode Euros Lyn discusses his vampire-comedy, The Radleys. Kevin Smith was one of the leading figures in the 1990s independent film scene. His self-financed low-budget comedy Clerks was a massive success and he went on to make the likes of Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl and others. Working with rep company that includes the likes of Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes and Matt Damon, Smith’s films have also had a strong autobiographical bent, incorporating moments and characters from his own life and adding his own style of acerbic wit. His latest film, The 4:30 Movie is his most autobiographical yet- a 1980s set coming of age story that not only takes place within the confines of Smith’s home state of New Jersey – but also his very own SmodCastle cinema. It’s a witty and heartfelt film that delivers the goods for fans of his work and those looking for a well-honed comedy. Kevin Smith talks about [...]
Review: Don't Bother Reading This Review - Just Go Watch JT Mollner's STRANGE DARLING - Movies In Focus
The whole point of a film review is to inform the reader as to why they should, or shouldn’t watch a film. It’s all about pointing out what’s good and what works and conversely, what doesn’t work and what’s bad. It’s a balance and a dance – one that often involves going into great detail about character motivations and plot machinations. As a writer, you’re lucky if your review is informative and educational – even more so if it also happens to be entertaining. And this is where I have a wee problem. The thing is – it’s difficult to go into any plot or character details when talking about writer-director JT Mollner’s excellent new film, Strange Darling. It’s a gloriously twisty and darkly comedic thriller that teases its audience and plays with convention and expectation. It’s a little bit like a cinematic tequila shot with salt and lime – it’s bitter, punchy, zesty and very salty. The issue that I have is you’ll ruin its surprises if you delve into the plot and its characters. Shot over a pretty substantial 32 days with a $4 million budget, Strange Darling has a lot to recommend – if I could only [...]
Notebook Reviews: THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT - Movies In Focus
Rob Reiner – 1995. The American President is an excellent romantic comedy from director Rob Reiner and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. This politically charged pic has a superb cast – Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox and others. Douglas brings a relaxed charm to proceedings as the U.S President and Sheen and Fox do particularly good supporting work in roles which predate their turns The West Wing and Spin City. A strong screenplay, well-played comedic moments – and a good old-fashioned feel-good ending make The American President recommended viewing.
Behind The Scenes: Tom Cruise & Steven Spielberg On The Set Of MINORITY REPORT - Movies In Focus
In a career filled with many great films, Minority Report stands as one of director Steven Spielberg‘s finest efforts. Visually impressive, energetically propulsive and complexly plotted – it’s a cinematic blockbuster with a grown-up edge. Released in 2002, the film was Spielberg’s first teaming with Tom Cruise (the pair would later make War Of The Worlds), and it captures both men at the peak of their powers – and it shows. An adaptation of Phillip K. Dick’s 1956 novella, Minority Report is set in the near future where murder has almost been eradicated. Along with Cruise, the Minority Report features an impressive cast working at the top of their game – Colin Farrell, Max Von Sydow, Neal McDonough, Samantha Morton, Peter Stormare, Mike Binder. Cruise is John Anderton, a cop with PreCrime – a police division which uses three ‘PreCogs’ (Dashiell, Arthur, Agatha) to foresee crimes so that they’re stopped before they’re committed. Things go bad and Anderton finds himself framed for a murder that he hasn’t committed…yet. Like Paul Verheoven‘s fellow Dick adaptation, Total Recall, Minority Report is an on-the-run thriller, where the protagonist is always one-step behind. Ironically, Minority Report co-star Colin Farrell would go on to take [...]
Notebook Reviews: PLUNKETT & MACLEANE - Movies In Focus
Jake Scott – 1999 Plunkett & Macleane is an energetic – but hugely disappointing historical buddy movie starring Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller and Liv Tyler. It sounds like a great idea, but the mix of the modern day and the 18th Century just doesn’t work. There are flashes of good cinema but most of it misses the mark. At the end of the day, Plunkett & Macleane is a bold idea that fails in its execution. A shame – because it had all the elements of being something interesting
Blu-ray Review: Albert Pyun’s THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER - Entertaining ‘80s Fantasy - Movies In Focus
Lord of the B-movie, Albert Pyun’s The Sword and the Sorcerer is a delightfully cheesy slice of 1980s sword and sorcery cinema that embraces its low-budget roots with gusto. This 1982 fantasy romp delivers exactly what genre fans want – muscular heroes, evil villains, and plenty of sword-swinging action. Lee Horsley is Talon, a mercenary out for vengeance against the evil King Cromwell (Richard Lynch) – a man who murdered his family and took control of his kingdom. Armed a trusty triple-bladed sword that can shoot its blades like missiles (!!) and his love of Kathleen Beller’s Princess Alana, Talon sets out to right wrongs as he fights his way through a horde of faceless henchmen. The cast of The Sword and the Sorcerer fully commits to the material, with Lynch chewing the scenery as the villainous Cromwell and Horsley bringing a roguish charm to Talon – think Han Solo meets Indiana Jones by way of Conan. No one was ever going to win any awards for this flick, but they make the material work with the right dedication to the tone. B-movie maestro, Pyun’s directorial debut has an energy that gallops along, covering up lot holes and budget limitations. [...]
Podcast Episode 67: Director Mikael Håfström On SLINGSHOT Starring Casey Affleck & Laurence Fishburne - Movies In Focus
Director Mikael Håfström joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to discuss his latest film, Slingshot, a space thriller starring Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne. Mikael is no stranger to crafting tense, atmospheric films, having directed works like his adaptation of Stephen King’s 1408 starring John Cusack and the Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger team-up, Escape Plan . With Slingshot, he explores themes of isolation, survival, and the human spirit in the face of overwhelming odds. In our conversation, we explore the challenges of filming a space-based thriller, working with a stellar cast, and how Mikael approached the unique visual and narrative elements of this ambitious project. So strap in and prepare for launch as we take a deep dive into the making of Slingshot. Listen to this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast below or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Notebook Reviews: A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN - Movies In Focus
Penny Marshall – 1992. There’s no crying in baseball! A League Of Their Own is an enjoyable sporting comedy. Tom Hanks delvers a great turn as the drunken coach of an all-female baseball team (made up of Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell). Sure, it gets a little sentimental at times and the present day bookends feel a bit contrived, but this Penny Marshall directed pic has some great laughs and fine moments. When all is said and done, A League Of Their Own is enjoyably pleasant entertainment.
Mel Gibson's Mark Wahlberg Thriller FLIGHT RISK Diverted To 2025 - Movies In Focus
Well, this is a bummer. Lionsgate has announced that Mel Gibson‘s airborne thriller Flight Risk has been moved from its October 18th release date into 2025. The Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery and Topher Grace starring pic will now land on U.S. screens on January 24, 2025. This new 2025 date is a little less crowded with only Mickey Mouse horror Screamboat and the Phoebe Dynevor/Rhys Ifans thriller, Inheritance currently set to open on that weekend. Gibson’s thriller would have had to fight for flight in its October 18th date where Flight Risk would have had to face-off against horror sequel Smile 2, Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner Anora the drama pic Exhibiting Forgiveness. Flight Risk is an eagerly anticipated release for Movies In Focus – and it now looks like I’ll have to wait a little longer to see Mel Gibson’s latest directorial effort. Synopsis: In this high-stakes suspense thriller, Academy Award® nominee Mark Wahlberg (Actor in a Supporting Role, 2006 – The Departed) plays a pilot transporting an Air Marshal (Michelle Dockery) accompanying a fugitive (Topher Grace) to trial. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions soar and trust is tested, as not everyone on board is who they seem. [...]
Notebook Reviews: DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE - Movies In Focus
Rouben Mamoulian – 1931 Director Rouben Mamoulian delivers an early (and controversial) screen adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale. This 1931 version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an atmospheric work that delivers all the elements that you would want from the story. The terror and tension has dimmed somewhat over the decades, but there’s still much to enjoy if you embrace this horror – especially the make-up and transformation effects. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde might not be up there with the Universal horrors of the era, but this is still enjoyable nonetheless.
Podcast Episode 66: Director Adam Nelson & Writer Chris Watt Discuss THE MIRE - Movies In Focus
Directed by Adam Nelson and written by Chris Watt, The Mire is a well-honed dramatic thriller which grabs your attention and draws you into its tense plot. Essentially a one-location, three-hander, the low-budget film knows exactly what to do with its limited resources and it keeps you hooked until its surprising finale. Returning guest Adam Nelson and newcomer Chris Watt both join this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about the origins of The Mire, how the story developed and the challenges of making a low-budget independent film. Listen to this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast below or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Notebook Reviews: THE PAPER - Movies In Focus
Ron Howard -1994. The Paper is an excellent comedy-drama from master of all trades director Ron Howard. It features a typically great performance from Michael Keaton – as well as an all-star supporting cast (Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei, Randy Quaid and Robert Duvall). It zips along at a frenetic pace and the script crackles. There are plenty of standout moments along with some strong realistic characterisation. The Paper comes highly recommended.
Notebook Reviews: THE CABLE GUY - Movies In Focus
Ben Stiller – 1996. A comedy with a dark edge, Ben Stiller‘s The Cable Guy is a solid effort but it ultimately lacks spark. Matthew Broderick is good as the hapless customer who is terrorised by Jim Carrey‘s titular Cable Guy. Broderick keeps things grounded, but Carrey’s live-wire antics go too far. I’m guessing the studio wanted to get as much for their $20 million as possible. It’s entertaining enough, but The Cable Guy isn’t as good as it should be.