Movies In Focus

Mark Vanselow, Liam Neeson’s long time stunt double joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about his feature directorial debut, The Mongoose. 

The high-octane thriller sees Neeson play a former special forces operative who finds himself on the run from the police and caught in a cross country pursuit. The film - which opens in U.S cinemas on October 30, 2026 also stars Marisa Tomei, Ving Rhames and Michael Chiklis. 

During the course of the discussion, Vanselow talks about stunt work, the intricacies of making a chase movie, the film’s high calibre cast, his long term working relationship with Liam Neeson and much more. 

Matt Sukkar and Duke Nicholson, the director and star of the off-beat crime thriller The Deputy join this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast. 

A 1970s-tinged darkly comedic thriller, The Deputy sees a none-too-bright small town deputy uncover a local conspiracy after a routine night on the job goes horribly wrong.

The Deputy marks Sukkar’s feature film directorial debut and it also sees Nicholson (the grandson of the legendary Jack Nicholson) star in his first leading role. Along for the ride is a top tier supporting cast that includes William H. Macy, Tiffany Haddish, Stephen Dorff, Billie Lourd and Julia Fox

Over the course of this episode Sukkar and Nicholson discuss how The Deputy came to be, how cult pics like After Hoursand Assault On Precinct 13 were the inspirations for the film’s very specific tone and much more.

The Deputy is now in U.S cinemas, on Digital and On Demand now.

Ian Ogilvy is an actor who has entertained generations, having starred in a plethora of roles across film and television. He’s worked alongside iconic stars like Boris Karloff and Vincent Price in cult horror films The Sorcerers and Witchfinder General as well as having roles in everything from The Avengers and I, Claudius to Murder, She Wrote and Robin Of Sherwood. However, his most famous part is probably that of Simon Templar in The Return Of The Saint - a move which saw him take over the famed halo from Roger Moore.  

Ogilvy is now back on screens in the British action-thriller Knightfall - a film that sees him share the screen with Geoffrey Moore - the son of his Saint predecessor, Roger Moore. In the film, Ogilvy plays a spy who is pulled out of retirement to assist his daughter (Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott) who is caught up in a conspiracy. 

Ian Ogilvy joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about Knightfall, working with horror icons like Vincent Price and Boris Karloff and other aspects of his long and illustrious career. 

Director Adam Rifkin and actor James Paxton join this episode of the Movies in Focus podcast to talk about their new film, Last Train To Fortune. 

Also starring Malcolm McDowell, Mary Steenburgen, Bernadette Peters and Laura Marano, Rifkin’s film is a comedy-western that plays with the genre's well-worn tropes - but it does so with a good heart and good characterisation. As I say in our discussion - it’s like the type of film that Disney would have made and released in the 1990s. 

During the course of this episode Adam talks about how Last Train To Fortune was written by his mother Michele as part of a screenwriting competition, while James discusses how the film was originally supposed to star his father, the late Bill Paxton, when it was set to be filmed in the 1990s. 

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about his latest film, The Runner starring Gal Gadot and Damien Lewis. 

The Runner is a tense real-time thriller that sees a lawyer (Gadot) racing across London in attempt to save her abducted son at the behest of a mysterious caller (Lewis). 

Kevin Macdonald is a prolific filmmaker, adept at both documentaries and dramatic features – having directed the likes of One Day In September, Touching The Void, The Last King Of Scotland and State Of Play. 

On this episode, Macdonald discusses making an action film on the streets of London, keeping tension and continuity on a real time thriller – and I couldn’t help but ask him about his excellent 2009 political thriller, State Of Play starring Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams and Ben Affleck.

This is yet another episode when digs into the minutiae of filmmaking. 

The Runner hits Prime Video globally on September 2, 2026. 

Filmmaker Robert Gamperl joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about his enigmatic western short films, Darlin and Stubborn. A former football player (or soccer player, if you're that way inclined) and a very talented film director and director of photography, Robert discusses his love of the western and the effort that it takes to make a selection of short films which embrace the genre. 

This is yet another fascinating insight into the world of low budget films and the precise nature of short film-making - that offers up a great understanding of why the western genre continues to resonate with filmmakers of all ages.

Saddle-up and come along for the ride. 

Film historian and author, Danny Stewart returns to the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about cult films - and his books Saluting The Blood of Heroes: Behind The Apocalyptic Film and Silent Trigger: Shooting The Film. 

Danny previously joined the podcast on episode 48 where he discussed his book on the under-appreciated Kurt Russell film, Soldier. This time around he delves into David Webb Peoples’ dystopian sci-fi sports movie, Salute Of The Jugger(aka The Blood Of Heroes) starring Rutger Hauer and Russell Mulcahy’s stylish Dolph Lundgren actioner Silent Trigger. 

Always a pleasure to chat to, Danny has plenty of film knowledge to divulge and this is yet another excellent discussion that digs deep into the forgotten recesses of cult cinema. 

Singer-songwriter Sean Rowe joins this 111th episode of the Movies In Focus podcast. Rowe wrote the songs on the soundtrack to Travis Mills’ excellent 2025 western, Frontier Crucible - and these punctuate the film as transitional pieces, much like the way that Leonard Cohen’s songs cut through the icy locales of Robert Altman’s McCabe & Mrs. Miller. It’s a fantastic suite of songs, which are available as an album from his website and on streaming services like Spotify. 

This conversation goes beyond the music for Frontier Crucible - and it delves into the process of writing and recording songs, storytelling as well as performing music live on stage.   

It's a fascinating conversation with a great artist - and a wonderful insight into what it takes to be a musician.

Listen to the Movies In Focus Frontier Crucible podcast interview Thomas Jane and Travis Mills. 

Visit www.seanrowe.net

Set in Los Angeles during Christmas, Above The Line sees six Hollywood wannabes get the invite of a lifetime when a mysterious messenger gives them the opportunity to steal the Best Picture Awards belonging to an unscrupulous film producer, played by Gregg Henry. 

Directed by Jeffrey Scott Collins, Above The Line is an on-point black comedy that takes plenty of potshots at Hollywood and the film business. It’s well shot, with a few nice plot points and good performances. It’s a good comedy in its own right, but it has added zing if you know a little bit about the biz. 

Jeffrey Scott Collins joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about Above The Line, how to craft a comedy filled with twists, the ups and downs of the movie business - and of course, unscrupulous film producers.

Above The Line is available on Digital & On Demand June 26, 2026.

Over the course of the last half century, Gregg Henry has become one of the most prolific - and one of the best character actors around. A man who has notched-up five guest-starring roles in Murder, She Wrote alone and who has starred in six Brian De Palma projects as well as movies like Payback, Jason Bourne and the Guardians Of The Galaxy films - to name but a few. 

I first noticed him opposite Mel Gibson in Payback - where he more than held his own on screen against that A-list star - and I know that he always gives a great performance, no matter what role he plays

In his new film, Above The Line, Henry plays a ruthless Hollywood producer, who gets more than he bargained for when a group of Hollywood wannabes attempt to steal his Best Picture Awards on Christmas Eve. 

I was thrilled to chat with Gregg Henry about Above The Line, the changing face of movies in the 21st Century — as well what he knows about the rumblings of a new Brian De Palma film.