Acclaimed horror author Adam Cesare joins this bite-sized episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about the recording breaking film adaptation of his novel Clown In A Cornfield. Known for his mastery of slasher thrills and sharp social commentary, Adam Cesare's book - and its film adaptation - charts the chilling story of Kettle Springs-a to…

Short films are difficult. It’s easy to tell a story across 90 minutes or a couple of hours, where plot and characterisation can expand and grow. However, it takes real skill to deliver something short, punchy (and more importantly) narratively cohesive within a couple of minutes. This takes us nicely along to Dakota Stone, a new short from directo…

Writer-director Torsten Ruether joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to discuss his boxing drama, Uppercut. The film marks Ruether's English-language debut, adapted from his 2021 film Leberhaken, and features an impressive cast, including Ving Rhames, Luise Grossmann, Joanna Cassidy and Jordan E. Cooper. Uppercut tells the story of Ton…

First-up there's Martin Campbell, the director of the acclaimed James Bond films Goldeneye with Pierce Brosnan and Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig. This is followed by a chat with Simon West, the director of the iconic ’90s Nicolas Cage pic, Con Air and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie. Martin Campbell discusses his new film, Cle…

Director Michael Polish joins the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about his latest action thriller, Alarum. Fresh off the heels of its January 17th release, this high-octane spy flick stars Sylvester Stallone, Scott Eastwood, and Willa Fitzgerald. The film sees two married spies - Joe and Laura Travers - who find themselves hunted by intelligence a…

PO2 Owen Francis Patrick Hammerberg served in the Navy as a diver near the end of World War II. When two of his fellow divers were trapped underwater as they tried to clear up a shipwreck, Hammersberg volunteered to rescue them. Despite the possibility of cave-ins, debris that could rip open a diver’s air supply, and zero visibility, he successfull…

During his second tour in Vietnam, Major General Patrick Henry Bradyserved as a helicopter pilot in the 57th Medical Detachment, tasked with evacuating wounded no matter what the conditions. The 57th’s call sign, “Dustoff” became one of the most famous call signs in the war. On January 6th, 1968, Brady was awakened to rescue two wounded Vietnamese …

In April of 1972, Lieutenant Thomas Norris was tasked to lead a mission in Vietnam to rescue Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Gene Hambleton. Hambleton had been shot down in enemy territory, and was surrounded by 30,000 enemy NVA soldiers. Rescuing Hambleton was a top priority for the U.S.. As the navigator of a light bomber (with the call sign Bat 21 Brav…

Kimball Farley, the star and co-writer of the new off-beat indie film Hippo joins this episode of the Movies In Focuspodcast. Directed by Mark H. Rapaport, Hippo is a black-and-white coming-of-age story set in the 1990s that explores the lives of two step-siblings. The film's quirky tone - reminiscent of the films of Wes Anderson - is complemented …

Lieutenant Michael Thornton served in Vietnam as a Navy SEAL. On October 31st, 1972, then Petty Officer Thornton was assigned to a night-time SEAL patrol. Thornton and three South Vietnamese SEALs were led by Lieutenant Tom Norris, and tasked with gathering intel on North Vietnam’s southern advance. After taking down two enemies, Thornton was spott…

Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, the directors of the iconic horror film The Blair Witch Project join this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast. Released in 1999, the film not only essentially created the found-footage genre but it also left an indelible mark on the landscape of independent cinema. Daniel and Eduardo share their insights on the…

Lieutenant Junior Grade Albert Leroy David served in World War II as an assistant engineering and electrical officer on the USS Pillsbury. On June 4th, 1944, the Pillsbury’s hunter-killer group located a German U-boat 150 miles off the coast of West Africa. They attacked the submarine with depth charges, seriously damaging the ship and forcing the …

Action superstar Scott Adkins joins this bite-sized episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about his latest film Take Cover - a high-octane one-location action flick that’s a real must for fans of the genre. Known for his athletic turns in films like Accident Man, Undisputed, John Wick Chapter 4 and The Expendables 2, Scott has entertained …

Two very different directors talk about two very different films on this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast. First-up, Kevin Smith talks about his 1980s set comedy, The 4:30 Movie and then later in the episode Euros Lyn discusses his vampire-comedy, The Radleys. Kevin Smith was one of the leading figures in the 1990s independent film scene. His…

SSG Ronald J. Shurer served in the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) as a Medical Sergeant. On April 6th, 2008, his unit embarked on Operation Commando Wrath, a mission to capture or kill high-value targets in Shok Valley. The operation would later be named The Battle of Shok Valley. For six hours, Shurer and his unit came under RPG, machine …

On June 3rd, 1944, Private Herbert Christian and Private Elden Johnson were on a patrol looking for enemy Germans. At 1am, they were ambushed, and came under suffocating fire from nearly all sides. Seeing no other options, Christian and Johnson stood up amidst the fire and advanced, drawing the enemy’s attention away from their allies and towards t…

Sergeant Darrell S. Cole initially served during World War II as a bugler. He didn’t like the job, and wanted to serve with his unit so badly that he twice took it upon himself to mount unmanned machine guns and join the battle. For this he became known as “The Fighting Field Music”. Due to his accomplishments and persistence, he was eventually ass…

Director Mikael Håfström joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to discuss his latest film, Slingshot, a space thriller starring Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne. Mikael is no stranger to crafting tense, atmospheric films, having directed works like his adaptation of Stephen King’s 1408 starring John Cusack and the Sylvester Stallone…

The Battle of A Shau was a brutal battle that took place in the northern part of South Vietnam. More aptly described as a multi-day defense, less than 450 soldiers faced an onslaught of 2,000 NVA attackers. In this two-part episode, we tell the full story of the battle, and reveal why two of the camp’s defenders, Col. Bernard Francis Fisher and CSM…

Directed by Adam Nelson and written by Chris Watt, The Mire is a well-honed dramatic thriller which grabs your attention and draws you into its tense plot. Essentially a one-location, three-hander, the low-budget film knows exactly what to do with its limited resources and it keeps you hooked until its surprising finale. Returning guest Adam Nelson…

The Battle of A Shau was a brutal battle that took place in the northern part of South Vietnam. More aptly described as a multi-day defense, less than 450 soldiers faced an onslaught of 2,000 NVA attackers. In this two-part episode, we tell the full story of the battle, and reveal why two of the camp’s defenders, Col. Bernard Francis Fisher and CSM…

Director Joe Stephenson joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to discuss his latest film, Doctor Jekyll. This film marks a significant moment for Hammer Studios, being their first horror release since the company's acquisition by the aptly named John Gore. Starring, Eddie Izzard and Scott Chambers, the film offers a fresh take on Robert…

This week we wanted to share an episode of another podcast we’re excited about; History Daily from Noiser and Airship. Today we’re listening to their episode covering the story of 2d Lt and former Olympian Louis Zamperini, who became a POW after his bomber crashed at sea in WWII. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily. Learn more about your…

Dog Soldiers, The Descent and Doomsday filmmaker Neil Marshall joins the Movies In Focuspodcast to talk about his new gangster film, Duchess alongside its star, co-writer and producer Charlotte Kirk. The pair previously collaborated on the action-horror The Lair and the mediaeval thriller, The Reckoning. With Duchess, Marshall delivers a fast-paced…

Lieutenant Ronald E. Ray was deployed as a platoon leader in the Ia Drang Valley, right on the Cambodian border. After one of his patrols was surrounded by the enemy, Ray took nearly all of his men to rescue them. They successfully broke through enemy lines to reach their allies, where they took fire from all sides. Ray directed their defense while…

Staff Sergeant Salvatore Agustine Giunta deployed to Afghanistan twice, first in 2005 and again in 2007. On the night of October 25th, 2007, then Specialist Giunta and his team were conducting a patrol in the Korengal Valley where they were stationed. After they left their elevated position and began falling back, they were ambushed by 10-15 enemy …

On this episode, Jeff Downes and Graham O'Dwyer from the brilliant At The Flicks podcast discuss Kevin Costner's western epic, Horizon: An American Saga. We'll be putting our collective expertise to work as we explore Costner's latest directorial effort, examining its place within the western genre and its potential impact on cinema. So let's saddl…

Director Alejandro Brugués goes for old-fashioned chills and offers up some slow-burn horror with his excellent new horror, The Inheritance. It can be difficult to have sympathy for characters who have immense wealth and privilege – especially when you’re not supposed to like them. However, The Inheritance gets the balance just right – and along wi…

Written by Joe Russo and Chris LaMont, The Inheritance delivers old-fashioned chills and offers up some slow-burn horror. The quick pitch is to call the Alejandro Brugués directed film a well-balanced mix of Knives Out and The House On Haunted Hill by way of The Haunting Of Hill House and Succession. There’s a sophistication and understanding of th…

Shane Dax Taylor’s Murder Company is an old-fashioned World War II men on a mission movie. On Demand now in the U.S., the film stars William Moseley, Pooch Hall, Gilles Marini, Joe Anderson and Kelsey Grammer. The plot follows a group of US soldiers as they attempt to smuggle a member of the French resistance behind enemy lines so that he can assas…

Writer/director Jake Allyn's film Ride is now available On Demand in the US. It’s a wonderful modern day western that sees Allyn star alongside C. Thomas Howell, Annabeth Gish & Forrie J. Smith. It's a beautifully shot & exceptionally well acted film that has dramatic highs alongside some strong tension. Jake Allyn joins the Movies In Focus podcast…

Alexander Payne’s 1999 release Election was a film which took the filmmaker’s career to the next level. A biting satire, it features a great Matthew Broderick as a teacher with a grudge battling Reese Witherspoon‘s overly enthusiastic student, Tracy Flick. As part of a special look back at some of the films released in 1999 - a year many believe to…

To celebrate 100 episodes of the Medal of Honor podcast we are revisiting one of our favorite episodes featuring Daniel Inouye. The only US Senator so far to receive both the Medal of Honor and the President Medal of Freedom, Senator Daniel Inouye lost his right arm fighting in World War II. He went on to serve nine terms in the Senate and was the …

Second Lieutenant Robert Edward Femoyer served in World War II as a navigator on a B-17 bomber. On November 2nd, 1944, Femoyer embarked on only his fifth mission in Europe. He and hundreds of other B-17s were tasked with attacking an extremely well-defended oil refinery in Germany. As they approached the target, their aircraft was hit with three an…

Sgt York was awarded the Medal of Honor for single handedly killing two dozen enemies and capturing over 130 during World War I, but is that what really happened? In this episode we talk about what really happened that day in France, and how decades of lies and cover-ups supported a false narrative about York and his actions that day. Learn more ab…

To celebrate 100 episodes of the Medal of Honor podcast we are revisiting the story of the first recipient, Jacob Parrott. Jacob Parrott received the first Medal of Honor ever awarded for his participation in the Great Locomotive Chase during the Civil War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Staff Sergeant Edward N. Kaneshiro served in the Army in Vietnam. On December 1st, 1966, two American squads were ambushed by an overwhelming North Vietnamese force. Rushing to their aid, Kaneshiro ordered his men to take cover while he crawled up to a fortified enemy trench. While laying on his stomach, he threw a grenade into the trench, killing …

Arrow Shorts is a showcase for great short-form film-making. From the scary to the bizarre, Arrow highlights the amazing work being created by filmmakers in a shorter-length medium. Film-maker Drew Maxwell Weiss joins this episode of the podcast to talk about his Giallo inspired short Anatomy Maestro. With nods to the bloody thrillers of the late ‘…

Arrow Shorts is a showcase for great short-form film-making. From the scary to the bizarre, Arrow highlights the amazing work being created by filmmakers in a shorter-length medium. Film-maker Alex Baro-Cayetano joins this episode of the podcast to talk about his small, but perfectly formed short, Keith. In the film, a little girl meets someone cal…

Emil J. Kapaun served as a military Chaplain in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War. As a Chaplain, it was his job to move from unit to unit, leading prayer and passing words of encouragement. During battle, Chaplains provided emergency care to the wounded, and gave last rites to dying soldiers. Since they aren’t issued as weapons …

Darkness Of Man is a new action noir starring Jean Claude Van Damme as a former Interpol agent haunted by the actions of his past. Visually striking, Darkness Of Man sees Van Damme give a nuanced turn - and it’s once again an indicator that the action icon can deliver good performances alongside bullets and flying kicks. James Cullen Bressack, the …

Today we are sharing an interview from our other show, Warriors In Their Own Words, which features Medal of Honor Recipient Earl Plumlee. Plumlee's story is almost unbelievable, and it's even more incredible hearing him tell it. We'll be back with another new episode of the Medal of Honor Podcast next week, but in the meantime, enjoy. Learn more ab…

Arrow Shorts is a showcase for great short-form film-making. From the scary to the bizarre, Arrow highlights the amazing work being created by film-makers in a shorter-length medium. Film-maker Ryan Iriving joins this episode of the podcast to talk about Bark, a witty, original and well-composed slasher pastiche which crams a lot into its short run…

Next week we'll be sharing an interview with MOH recipient Earl Plumlee, which was recorded for our other show, Warriors In Their Own Words. In preparation, today we're re-airing our Medal of Honor episode about Plumlee. His story is one of the most incredible we've heard, so it's really worth taking a listen. MSG Plumlee’s Medal of Honor story is …

Arrow Shorts is a showcase for great short-form film-making. From the scary to the bizarre, Arrow highlights the amazing work being created by filmmakers in a shorter-length medium. Film-maker Izzy Lee joins this episode of the podcast to talk about her incredibly fresh and original short film Meat Friend. Meat Friend was nominated for a 2023 Fango…

The Image Of You is the screen adaptation of Adele Parks’ novel of the same name. Directed by Jeff Fisher and adapted by screenwriter Chris Sivertson, the film stars Sasha Pieterse, Parker Young, Néstor Carbonell and Mira Sorvino. It’s something of an outlier - a modern take on the erotic thriller - one with particular nods to masters of the genre …

Private Dale Merlin Hansen served in the Marine Corps during World War II. On May 7th, 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, Hansen took matters into his own hands and crawled into an exposed, advanced position. He fired his rocket launcher, destroying an important Japanese pillbox before his weapon was broken by enemy fire. Finding a nearby rifle, h…

Adele Parks MBE has sold over 5 million plus copies and has been translated into over 30 different languages. Her 19th novel, The Image Of You has now been adapted for the screen by director Jeff Fisher and screenwriter Chris Sivertson. Starring Sasha Pieterse, Parker Young, Néstor Carbonell and Mira Sorvino, the film is a modern take on the erotic…

Today we want to introduce you to a new podcast from Evergreen Podcasts called History Shorts. Award-winning historian, author, and history professor Peter Zablocki shares his research into the little-known and hidden-in-plain-sight historical curiosities you probably never heard of. All in the little time you probably do not have. Our guest today …

Sometimes a movie will come along and subvert expectations - and Francis Galluppi’s brilliant feature film debut, The Last Stop In Yuma County is one of the movies. The set-up is that a travelling salesman is caught up with a pair of bank robbers in a remote diner - we’ve all seen that type of thriller a dozen times before but Galluppi takes things…