Writer-director Torsten Ruether joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to discuss his boxing drama, Uppercut. The film marks Ruether’s English-language debut, adapted from his 2021 film Leberhaken, and features an impressive cast, including Ving Rhames, Luise Grossmann, Joanna Cassidy and Jordan E. Cooper.  Uppercut tells the story of Toni, a determined female boxer, and her journey with Elliott, a tough ex-boxing champion played by Rhames.  Torsten Ruether talks about making Uppercut, working with Ving Rhames and how the film developed and evolved from its early origins ..read more

Not one, but two iconic action film directors join this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast. First-up there’s Martin Campbell, the director of the acclaimed James Bond films Goldeneye with Pierce Brosnan and Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig. This is followed by a chat with Simon West, the director of the iconic ’90s Nicolas Cage pic, Con Air and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie.  Martin Campbell discusses his new film, Cleaner, a high-rise action pic starring Star Wars star, Daisy Ridley and Clive Owen. We not only talk about the practicalities of making an action fil ..read more

Director Michael Polish joins the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about his latest action thriller, Alarum. Fresh off the heels of its release, this high-octane spy flick stars Sylvester Stallone, Scott Eastwood, and Willa Fitzgerald. The film sees two married spies – Joe and Laura Travers – who find themselves hunted by intelligence agencies after discovering a mysterious flash drive This conversation covers Polish’s motivations for the project, his collaboration with Scott Eastwood, the intricate character dynamics that elevate this film beyond a typical spy pic – and the joys of online inte ..read more

The 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards nominations have been announced, and it’s great to see Irish film, Kneecap has done incredibly well, scoring a strong six nominations. Directed by Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap has not only broken box office records but also captured the imagination of BAFTA voters across multiple categories. It also needs to be noted that the film is one of Movies In Focus‘ favourites from 2024. From Outstanding British Film to Film Not in the English Language, Kneecap has proven that great storytelling knows no linguistic boundaries. The movie’s nominations also span Original Scre ..read more

Released in December 2024, Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu has been a break-out hit, garnering not only art-house critical acclaim but also strong box office – where it has made over $90 million in the U.S. and more than $140 million worldwide. The success of this latest incarnation of Nosferatu starring Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgård Willem Dafoe and Aaron Taylor-Johnson means that it’s a good time to take a look at F.W. Murnau’s original film – and it’s lasting legacy.  Released in 1922, Nosferatu (aka Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror aka Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens ..read more

Michael Almereyda – 2000. Director Michael Almereyda delivers a highly watchable screen adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Updated to modern-day New York City, this features strong performances from an impressive cast –Ethan Hawke, Kyle MacLachlan, Diane Venora, Bill Murray, Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Steve Zahn and Sam Shepard.  One particularly powerful moment sees Hawke’s Hamlet lamenting the ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’ in the action film section of Blockbuster.   Stylish and enjoyable, this version of Hamlet has plenty of visual verve and it’s an excelle ..read more

Michael Curtiz – 1942. Michael Curtiz’s Casablanca is a film that truly deserves its iconic status. It’s one of the films that set the high benchmark for how Hollywood productions are measured. The casting is outstanding – Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre – and each actor brings something special to their role.  The script by Julius and Philip Epstein, Howard Koch (along with an uncredited Casey Robinson) sparkles with wit and sophistication. The visuals are sumptuous and Max Steiner’s score is stunning – and let’s not forget Herman Hupfeld ..read more

Writer-director Janine Pipe delivers a short and punchy cinematic amuse-bouche with Charlie Foxtrot – a proof of concept short film for female-led-UK-set cop feature Indigo. Pipe’s pic follows two rural armed police officers attending a routine countryside check who stumble across more than they bargained for – and that’s when things take a brutal and violent turn. Clocking-in at less than six minutes, Pipe doesn’t mess about getting to the action, unleashing some brutal hand-to-hand combat as Kate Speak’s PC Kate Smart rises to the challenge to take down a vicious killer on her own. Punchy, w ..read more

Another year brings another EE BAFTA Awards. The 2025 ceremony, which will be hosted by David Tennant will take place on Sunday, 16 February. The long list for this year has been announced – and it’s a pretty eclectic set of films. Who makes the ultimate nominations is anyone’s guess at this point, but I do have favourites that I’m rooting for. Kneecap is one of my favourite movies of the year, The Substance was a bold film and it would be nice to see something with a bit of old-school charm like Conclave do well.  Check out the full longlist below: BEST FILM Anora The Apprentice The Brut ..read more

Simply put, Australian director Russell Mulcahy is a monumentally under-appreciated filmmaker. Not only has he made such visually arresting films like Razorback, Highlander and The Shadow – but Mulcahy has also directed some of the 1980s’ most iconic music videos: Video Killed The Radio Star (The Buggles), Vienna (Ultravox), Bette Davis Eyes (Kim Carnes), Total Eclipse Of The Heart (Bonnie Tyler) The Wild Boys and Rio (Duran Duran), I’m Still Standing (Elton John) and countless others. Big or small, every project Mulcahy makes has interesting visual verve – and his 1996 Dolph Lundgren starrer ..read more