kiss kiss bang bang

Remembering Shane Black’s KISS KISS BANG BANG Starring Robert Downy Jr & Val Kilmer

Famed screenwriter, Shane Black made his directorial debut in 2005 with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Black’s film, based on Brett Halliday’s novel, Bodies Are Where You Find Them is a near flawless modern noir and the script sizzles with [...]

December 9, 2021

Powerful Trailer For Val Kilmer Documentary VAL

From when he first came to prominence in the 1980s, Val Kilmer has always been an actor who was difficult to pin down. From Real Genius and Top Secret! to Top Gun, The Doors and Batman Forever and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Kilmer has always made [...]

July 7, 2021

Documentary VAL Set To Explore The Life & Career Of The Mighty Val Kilmer

The mighty Val Kilmer is set to be the focus of a new documentary titled, Val which was produced by A24 and acquired by Amazon Studios in the U.S. and Latin America. A24 will distribute the film throughout the rest of the world and there are [...]

May 28, 2021

Uncovering Curiosities: Joseph Ruben’s PENTHOUSE NORTH

Actors don’t get any better than Michael Keaton – they really don’t. Keaton doesn’t work nearly enough and it is always welcome to see him on screen. He gets the lead role in director Joseph Ruben’s 2013 thriller Penthouse [...]

April 17, 2021

Behind The Scenes: Shane Black Directs Ryan Gosling & Russell Crowe On The Set Of THE NICE GUYS

A wonderful slice of entertainment, 2016 The Nice Guys is Shane Black doing what he does best (although maybe not pushing himself). The film riffs on his previous back-catalogue, mixing in a 1970s groove to keep things feeling fresh. It’s a shame [...]

April 8, 2021

Uncovering Curiosities: Stephen Rick’s THE SUPER

The great Val Kilmer takes on the title role in 2017’s The Super, a horror-mystery-thriller set in a high-rise New York apartment building. It’s great to see Kilmer back on form, offering-up a tremendously chilly performance as the [...]

March 17, 2021

Top Christmas Movies: KISS KISS BANG BANG

2005’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang saw Shane Black directing Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr in this wonderful action comedy. Kilmer was post-Batman, Downey was pre-Iron Man and they share great chemistry in this witty Christmas Noir. At the time of [...]

December 8, 2020

Uncovering Curiosities: Robert Altman’s THE LONG GOODBYE

Elliott Gould plays Raymond Chandler’s iconic and laconic private detective, Philip Marlow in this screen adaptation of The Long Goodbye. Robert Altman directs this film, which oozes 70s cinematic style. Altman’s film sees Marlowe investigate [...]

September 11, 2020

Remembering Shane Black’s KISS KISS BANG BANG

Shane Black’s 2005 directorial debut, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a near flawless modern noir. Black’s script sizzles with wit and one-liners and Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer are perfect as the leads. Kilmer was post-Batman, Downey was [...]

April 24, 2020

The Top 100 Films Of The 21st Century…So Far

Movies In Focus was inspired to put together a Top 100 Films Of The 21st Century list after reading the recent piece in Empire which listed the top movies of the century as voted for by the magazine’s readers. It was a pretty damning list [...]

January 21, 2020

Movies In Focus’ Top Christmas Movies

As curmudgeonly as Movies In Focus can be, I do appreciate Christmas (it’s probably my favourite time of the year). I thought it was about time that I put together a list of my favourite Christmas film, so I rolled-up my sleeves and dug into the [...]

December 19, 2018

Review: Val Kilmer Dials Up The Creepy In Horror-Mystery THE SUPER

Val Kilmer returns to the screen in The Super, a horror-mystery-thriller set in a high-rise New York apartment building. It’s great to see Kilmer back on form, offering-up a tremendously chilly performance as the superintendent who appears to be [...]

October 6, 2018

A New Christmas Favourite? New Festive Trailer For DADDY’S HOME 2

I get the feeling that Daddy’s Home 2 might become a festive favourite in the Movies In Focus household. If all goes well then it could be up there with Christmas Vacation, Scrooged, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, It’s A Wonderful Life, Batman [...]

November 1, 2017

Blu-ray Review: Russell Crowe And Ryan Gosling Are THE NICE GUYS

Shane Black’s The Nice Guys is a witty slice of 1970s throwback noir. It might not be as good as 2005’s similarly themed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, but it packs an entertaining punch. Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling play Jackson Healey and Holland [...]

September 26, 2016

Man of Iron Dwayne Johnson Toplines Shane Black’s DOC SAVAGE

Movies In Focus remembers when Doc Savage was going to be an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie (way back in the late nineties/early noughties) – now in 2016 it’s a Dwayne Johnson vehicle written/directed by Shane Black. I’d still rather see [...]

May 31, 2016

Trailer: Ryan Gosling And Russell Crowe Are THE NICE GUYS

The Nice Guys is Shane Black doing what he does best. This trailer for the buddy comedy starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling sparkles with great dialogue, funny moments and violence. There are hints of Black’s master work Kiss Kiss Bang [...]

December 5, 2015

Robert Downey Jr. Should Save Movies And Not Help Kill Them

I like Robert Downey Jr. He’s a great actor with a tremendous screen presence and you have to admire how he pulled himself through his drug and alcohol troubles to become the highest paid actor on the planet. He’s made more money than he’ll [...]

May 2, 2015

New Poster: Will Robert Downey Jr Rule With THE JUDGE?

Robert Downey Jr has had a great decade or so. He kicked things off by starring in Shane Black’s fantastic Kiss Kiss Bang Bang in 2005 and then hit the big time when he was cast as Tony Stark / Iron Man two years later. A couple of Sherlock Holmes [...]

August 29, 2014