american graffiti

Review: Oscar Winners Richard Dreyfuss & Mira Sorvino Tackle A Crime Story In The Revenge Thriller THE LAST JOB

The Last Job (aka Crime Story) took me by surprise. I was expecting a by-the-numbers revenge thriller with Richard Dreyfuss seeking revenge on those who wronged him. Yes, that’s the general plot to writer/director Adam Lipsius’ thriller [...]

September 1, 2021

The Mighty George Lucas

Writer-director-producer George Lucas turned 77 years old on 14 May 2021. Nobody has influenced cinema and popular culture over the last five decades quite like Lucas. THX 1138, American Graffiti, Star Wars and Indiana Jones have inspired [...]

May 14, 2021

Behind The Scenes: Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz & George Lucas On The Set OF HOWARD THE DUCK

Critically mauled on release, this box-office turkey shouldn’t have much to recommend, however it’s good old fashioned fun, and whilst not in the same league as other 80s gems as Gremlins and Back to the Future, there is much to enjoy in [...]

April 1, 2021

Uncovering Curiosities: Willard Huyck’s HOWARD THE DUCK

Howard the Duck is an iconic film. The problem being that it is an iconic film for all the wrong reasons. Released in 1986, Howard (which is based on a 1970s Marvel Comic) had a huge budget, it was produced by Star Wars mastermind George Lucas and [...]

March 25, 2021

Trailer & Poster: The Smiths Inspired Drama SHOPLIFTERS OF THE WORLD

Movies In Focus is getting Airheads meets American Graffiti vibes from this trailer for Shoplifters Of The World. Written and directed by Stephen Kijak, the 1980s-set film details a group of friends dealing with the break-up of their favourite band [...]

March 6, 2021

Notebook Reviews: TWO LANE BLACKTOP

Monte Hellman – 1971 Monte Hellman’s Two Lane Blacktop is a well-regraded cult film and while it’s not bad, the whole endeavour is very superficial. Hellman’s film looks great and the cast is intriguing – [...]

October 2, 2020

Uncovering Curiosities: Federico Fellini’s I VITELLONI

Federico Fellini’s I Vitelloni is a comedy-drama which charts the lives of a group of 20-something friends in an Italian seaside town. Narrated by Franco Interlenghi’s Moraldo, the main focus of I Vitelloni is Franco Fabrizi’s [...]

September 7, 2020

Admitting When You’re Wrong – SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY

I’ll throw my hands up and say that I didn’t think Solo: A Star Wars Story was a good idea. The way I looked at it, who wanted to see a Han Solo movie without Harrison Ford? Add some production squabbles and reshoots and it seemed like [...]

August 10, 2020

Behind The Scenes: George Lucas On The Set Of THX 1138 With Robert Duvall & Francis Ford Coppola

George Lucas’s 1971 feature film debut, THX 1138 is a beautifully composed esoteric science fiction film. Adapted from his own 1967 short Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, the film follows Robert Duvall‘s THX 1138 as he attempts [...]

June 28, 2020

Where Were You In ’62?

George Lucas’ American Graffiti is cinematic perfection. The 1973 film, written by Lucas, Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck effectively created Hollywood’s fascination with nostalgia. Made for just $700,000, the film grossed a massive $115 [...]

April 30, 2020

Notebook Reviews: AMERICAN GRAFFITI

George Lucas – 1973 American Graffiti might just be George Lucas’ true masterpiece. A flawless teen comedy-drama, this 1973 film has it all (great script, acting sound and direction). This realistic interpretation of youth is wonderful [...]

April 17, 2020

Blu-ray Review: Francis Ford Coppola’s Masterpiece APOCALYPSE NOW Final Cut

Francis Ford Coppola‘s Apocalypse Now isn’t just a movie – it’s a cinematic legend, a cautionary tale of how a director’s passion and drive was almost their undoing. The making of the film is now tied to its cinematic [...]

October 22, 2019

George Lucas On The Set Of AMERICAN GRAFFITI

When most people hear the name George Lucas they think of Star Wars. Yes – the Star Wars movies are great (even the prequels) but Lucas’ masterwork is American Graffiti. The 1973 movie starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, [...]

June 22, 2019

Blu-ray Review: Is The George Lucas Produced HOWARD THE DUCK Really A Turkey?

April 26, 2019

Blu-ray Review: Federico Fellini Looks At The Struggles Of Youth In I VITELLONI

September 2, 2018

Review: SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY Beats The Odds & Delivers Unabashed Fun!

June 2, 2018

Phil Lord & Christopher Miller Ditched From The HAN SOLO Movie UPDATE: Ron Howard Takes Over

Updated Below! To lose one Star Wars director may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness. I could speculate all day long and make stuff up just to get hits – but the simple story is that Phil Lord and Christopher [...]

June 21, 2017

All Hail George Lucas!

Nobody has influenced cinema and popular culture over the last five decades quite like George Lucas. THX 1138, American Graffiti, Star Wars and Indiana Jones have inspired countless filmmakers over the years and they continue to be mined and [...]

May 14, 2017

John Carpenter: Hollywood For Carpenter

The Films Of John Carpenter have always been a group of films that have intrigued and inspired me. I was in my teens before I discovered that he himself was inspired by the work of Howard Hawks, a director that, by that time in my life I had grown [...]

March 13, 2012