tom hanks

Notebook Reviews: A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

Penny Marshall – 1992. There’s no crying in baseball! A League Of Their Own is an enjoyable sporting comedy. Tom Hanks delvers a great turn as the drunken coach of an all-female baseball team (made up of Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, [...]

September 7, 2024

Notebook Reviews: RADIO FLYER

Richard Donner – 1992. Radio Fyler is a solid, though unspectacular fantasy-drama from director Richard Donner and producer Michael Douglas. This had a troubled production and Donner was drafted in after writer David Mickey Evans had been in [...]

July 25, 2024

Return Of The King: Austin Butler & Tom Hanks In The Trailer For Baz Luhrmann’s ELVIS

Movies In Focus is no fan of Baz Luhrmann‘s cinematic style. It’s too in your face, too OTT. Therefore I’m not particularly looking forward to Elvis, his new movie starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. Taking away my dislike [...]

February 18, 2022

Notebook Reviews: YOU’VE GOT MAIL

Nora Ephron – 1998. You’ve Got Mail is an enjoyable romantic comedy from director (and co-writer) Nora Ephron. This hit comedy is light and breezy and there’s no denying that there’s plenty of fun to be had. The film [...]

January 20, 2022

Director Mike Nichols

Born in Berlin, Germany on 6 November 1931, Mike Nichols started his entertainment career in the 1950 as a standup comedian alongside partner Elaine May. He made his directing debut with 1966’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, a drama [...]

November 6, 2021

A Man & His Dog: Tom Hanks Hits The Post-Apocalyptic Road In The Trailer For FINCH

This trailer for Tom Hanks starrer Finch is echoing a lot of other films. I’m getting vibes of The Martian, I Am Legend (in all its incarnation), The Midnight Sky and Hanks’ own Castaway. Not get me wrong, this doesn’t look bad [...]

September 20, 2021

Brian De Palma – Master Of Suspense

The great Brian De Palma was born on 11 September 1940. He has always been a director that defies convention. He’s an outsider that managed to get into the Hollywood system and subvert it. In the early days his love of the thriller led to him [...]

September 11, 2021

Behind The Scenes: Tom Hanks & Paul Greengrass On The Set Of CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

Tom Hanks is at the top of his game in Paul Greengrass’ 2013 film Captain Phillips – it’s Hanks’ best ever performance. It’s the most pure acting that he’s ever given on screen. Usually, Hanks’ high calibre acting roles [...]

May 10, 2021

Notebook Reviews: THE ‘BURBS

Joe Dante – 1989 The great Joe Dante‘s The ‘Burbs is brilliant. This black comedy features one of Tom Hanks‘ best performances and it has the perfect amount of comedy and macabre humour to make it something special. The [...]

May 10, 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

Notebook Reviews: THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES

Brian De Palma – 1990 Movies In Focus has a pretty controversial take on this one: Brian De Palma‘s The Bonfire Of The Vanities is hugely underrated adaptation of Tom Wolfe‘s epic novel – and one of De Palma’s best [...]

March 17, 2021

Trailer For Tom Hanks & Paul Greengrass’ New Netflix Western NEWS OF THE WORLD

Here’s the trailer for News Of The World, the new western from Tom Hanks and Paul Greengrass. The film hits Netflix in the UK on 10 February 2021. Movies In Focus was hugely impressed by Hanks and Greengrass’ 2013 film Captain [...]

February 1, 2021

Teaser Trailer For NEWS OF THE WORLD – The New Western From Tom Hanks & Paul Greengrass

The last time that Tom Hanks and Paul Greengrass teamed-up to make a film, we got the brilliant Captain Phillips. I expect the same type of quality from News Of The World, a new western set for release this Christmas (I wouldn’t count on [...]

October 7, 2020

Behind The Scenes: Steven Spielberg Directing Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep On The Set Of THE POST

With Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep amongst its talent, you have to as yourself the question – how come The Post is good, but not great? The ’70s set Richard Nixon/Washington Post true story has some solid moments but it’s a [...]

October 1, 2020

Stephen King Adaptation THE GREEN MILE Is Still Magic More Than 20 Years On

Frank Darabont followed his acclaimed 1994 release, The Shawshank Redemption with The Green Mile, another Stephen King prison tale adaptation. While The Shawshank Redemption grossed a disappointing $28 million at the US box office, this 1999 Tom [...]

July 14, 2020