nicolas winding refn

artwork for Fantasia International Film Festival 2026

Get Ready For Fantasia International Film Festival 2026

The 30th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival will kick-off on July 16 and run through to August 2, 2026. The physical festival takes place in Montreal, Canada – but Movies In Focus will be covering things remotely. Who says [...]

July 7, 2026

Uncovering Curiosities: Michael Mann’s THIEF

Michael Mann films have always been about restraint and precision and this was never more evident than in Thief. Mann made his big screen directing debut with this 1981 film which sees James Caan as a career criminal whose well planned existence [...]

August 29, 2021

Behind The Scenes: Nicolas Cage & Director Panos Costamos On The Set Of MANDY

Director Panos Costamos‘ 2018 Nicolas Cage starrer, Mandy is a cosmic piece of cinema which plays like a half-remembered dream which was fuelled by a night of excessive experimental drug taking (I would imagine). Once Nic is uncaged he [...]

July 19, 2021

Uncovering Curiosities: Panos Costamos’ MANDY

Director Panos Costamos throws away the rule book for revenge movies and fashions a dream-like piece of cinematic carnage with his 2018 movie, Mandy. It’s a cosmic piece of cinema which plays like a half-remembered dream which was fuelled by a [...]

May 21, 2021

Behind The Scenes: Ryan Gosling & Nicolas Winding Refn On The Set Of 2011’s DRIVE

Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive is great filmmaking at its best – a story of enormous depth, told simply, which is visually stunning without being overly showy. There’s also that soundtrack. The film still holds-up a decade on. Drive is a [...]

January 20, 2021

Behind The Scenes: James Caan & Michael Mann On The Set Of THIEF

Michael Mann’s Thief isn’t an all guns blazing cops and robbers drama. It’s a thoughtful and direct crime movie, with a great lead performance from star James Caan. The 1981 thriller sets up the themes that Michael Mann would continue [...]

October 24, 2020

Uncovering Curiosities: Paul Schrader’s DYING OF THE LIGHT

Paul Schrader’s best screenplays have always been about internal struggles and he returns to this theme again with Dying Of The Light. The 2014 film features Nicolas Cage’s best performance this decade, as Evan Lake, a terminally ill CIA agent [...]

September 30, 2020

The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences Has No Idea What Cinema Is (Updated)

Update: The Academy has now back-tracked the below decision and awards for all categories will be given out live when the show airs on 24 February. Here’s the official statement: ”The Academy has heard the feedback from its membership [...]

February 14, 2019

Review: Nicolas Cage Stars In Neo-Modern Medieval Fantasy MANDY

Panos Costamos throws away the rule book for revenge movies and fashions a dream-like piece of cinematic carnage with Mandy. It’s a cosmic piece of cinema which plays like a half-remembered dream which was fuelled by a night of excessive [...]

October 14, 2018

Unleash The Terror: The Line-Up For The 2016 MAYHEM FILM FESTIVAL

Movies In Focus is a huge admirer of the Mayhem Film Festival. The festival, which is the brain-child of Chris Cooke and Steven Sheil is a great horror-tinged festival held every October at Nottingham’s Broadway Cinema. Each year it manages to [...]

September 10, 2016

Trailer For Nicolas Winding Refn’s THE NEON DEMON

Nobody is ever going to tell Nicolas Winding Refn what to do. He might have flirted with the mainstream with Drive but Only God Forgives showed that he wasn’t going to sell his soul to Hollywood. It’s difficult to tell what The Neon Demon will [...]

April 16, 2016

Trailer For Ryan Gosling’s Directorial Debut LOST RIVER

Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut, Lost River had a ‘mixed response’ when it opened at the Cannes Film Festival last year. Many of those who criticised the film said that it was a bit too much like Nicolas Winding Refn’s polarizing [...]

February 6, 2015

Blu-ray Review: James Caan In Michael Mann’s Classic Crime Drama THIEF

February 1, 2015

Review: Nicolas Cage In Paul Schrader’s CIA Thriller DYING OF THE LIGHT

Paul Schrader’s best screenplays have always been about internal struggles and he returns to this theme again with Dying of the Light. The film features Nicolas Cage’s best performance this decade, as Evan Lake, a terminally ill CIA agent who [...]

December 20, 2014

New Neontastic Poster For ONLY GOD FORGIVES

The success of Drive means that everyone is (im)patiently waiting for Ryan Gosling‘s re-team with director Nicolas Winding Refn. Only God Forgives looks like it might just live-up to those high expectations. This is a pretty nifty poster is [...]

April 18, 2013

Ryan Gosling Looks Rough In The New Poster For ONLY GOD FORGIVES

The chicks will still love him. Only God Forgives reteams Ryan Gosling with his Drive director, Nicolas Winding Refn. Only God Forgives opens next year. Source: [...]

November 19, 2012

ONLY GOD FORGIVES Ryan Gosling

Nearly everyone loved Drive, the Nicolas Winding Refn directed thriller starring Ryan Gosling. The pair reunites for the revenge thriller Only God Forgives, which sees Gosling star as a man who travels to Bangkok to avenge the death of his brother, [...]

March 29, 2012