ron howard

Alan Ladd Jr Dies Aged 84

Famed studio chief and film producer Alan Ladd Jr. Ladd has died at the age of 84. Born on 22 October 1937, Ladd was the son of Shane actor Alan Ladd and he started his Hollywood career as a Hollywood agent in the 1960s. Moving to London in the [...]

March 3, 2022

Behind The Scenes: John Wayne, Clint Eastwood & Don Siegel On The Set Of THE SHOOTIST

Directed by Don Siegel, The Shootist would become the legendary John Wayne‘s final film. The 1976 release sees Wayne play J.B. Books, an ageing gunfighter who is dying of cancer. Wayne would pass away from stomach cancer in June 1979, just [...]

October 17, 2021

Notebook Reviews: GUNG HO

Ron Howard – 1986. Director Ron Howard‘s Gung Ho is an excellent culture clash comedy which sees blue collar Pennsylvania colliding with Japanese business culture. The always excellent Michael Keaton is great as the car factor foreman [...]

September 4, 2021

Uncovering Curiosities: Ron Howard’s THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK – THE TOURING YEARS

You’d think that every story about The Beatles has been told, explored and extrapolated upon over the last half century. In truth, they probably have, but Ron Howard’s 2016 documentary, The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years [...]

June 30, 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

Review: LADDIE: THE MAN BEHIND THE MOVIES Is A Heartfelt Portrait Of A Hollywood Mogul

Laddie: The Man Behind The Movies is a richly textured and heartfelt documentary which looks at the life and career of studio chief and film producer Alan Ladd Jr. Ladd, the son of Hollywood star Alan Ladd might not be a household name, but his [...]

April 20, 2021

Notebook Reviews: RANSOM

Ron Howard – 1996 Ransom is a top-notch thriller from Ron Howard, and it’s a film which shows his versatility as a director. Mel Gibson is great in the lead (playing somewhat against type) and Rene Russo is good, if underused. There are [...]

February 17, 2021

Trailer For Ron Howard’s HILLBILLY ELEGY Starring Amy Adams & Glenn Close

Netflix has dropped the first trailer for Ron Howard‘s eagerly awaited Hillbilly Elegy. When you watch it you’ll have a hard time believing that Amy Adams and Glenn Close won’t get a boatload of awards nominations between them. [...]

October 14, 2020

Trailer For Music Documentary ONCE WERE BROTHERS: ROBBIE ROBERTSON AND THE BAND

One of the greatest groups of all-time, The Band delivered a scorching selection of music across their work and their music with Bob Dylan, right-up to their legendary swan song which was beautifully captured in Martin Scorsese’s The Last [...]

July 15, 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: ED TV

Ron Howard – 1999 The always reliable Ron Howard delivers this first-rate satire, which is dressed-up as a romantic comedy in ED TV. Matthew McConaughey is excellent as the laidback everyday guy who gets his life turned into TV show. It also [...]

April 9, 2020

Closed Competition: Win Ron Howard’s PAVAROTTI On Blu-ray

In his latest documentary Pavarotti, two-time Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard celebrates the life of the beloved opera star Luciano Pavarotti, who sold over 100 million records in his lifetime. Pavarotti is available now on Digital [...]

November 18, 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

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

So Long Solo: SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY So Low In Box Office Debut

It looks like this Star Wars Story won’t have a happy ending. Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story has seriously underperformed on it’s opening, scoring $83 million at the US box office and just $65 million in foreign territories. [...]

May 28, 2018

I’ve Flown From One Side Of This Galaxy To The Other: ACTING WITH AN ICON – SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY

Not ready to go Solo? Watch this: Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” an all-new adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy. Through a series of daring escapades deep [...]

May 23, 2018

Here’s A Few Clips From SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY For You

I know I’ve changed my tune – but I’m liking what I see from Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story. Alden Ehrenreich might – just might – be able to pull it off. We’ll find out on 24 May 2018! Board the [...]

May 10, 2018

Becoming Solo: New SOLO: A Star Wars Story Featurette

The six-year-old locked deep inside Movies In Focus really wants to see Solo: A Star Wars Story. What ’80s kid wouldn’t want more Han Solo? I’m older and supposedly wiser now, but I’m cautiously curious about this. I enjoy [...]

April 30, 2018

New Trailer & Poster For SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY – It’s Actually Looking Good

Movie In Focus has been harsh on Solo: A Star Wars Story. I’ve had a no ‘Ford no Solo’ stance since this Star Wars spin-off first announced – but I’m willing to admit that this is a well cut trailer (I may have even [...]

April 9, 2018

Read The Official Synopsis For SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY

Solo: A Star Wars Story hits screens on 25 May – and we still know nothing about it. We haven’t seen a trailer or any official imagery from the film. But rest easy – we now have an official synopsis, a synopsis which tells us [...]

January 17, 2018

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