Movies In Focus

Set in Los Angeles during Christmas, Above The Line sees six Hollywood wannabes get the invite of a lifetime when a mysterious messenger gives them the opportunity to steal the Best Picture Awards belonging to an unscrupulous film producer, played by Gregg Henry. 
Directed by Jeffrey Scott Collins, Above The Line is an on-point black comedy that takes plenty of potshots at Hollywood and the film business. It’s well shot, with a few nice plot points and good performances. It’s a good comedy in its own right, but it has added zing if you know a little bit about the biz. 
Jeffrey Scott Collins joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about Above The Line, how to craft a comedy filled with twists, the ups and downs of the movie business - and of course, unscrupulous film producers.
Above The Line is available on Digital & On Demand June 26, 2026.

Over the course of the last half century, Gregg Henry has become one of the most prolific - and one of the best character actors around. A man who has notched-up five guest-starring roles in Murder, She Wrote alone and who has starred in six Brian De Palma projects as well as movies like Payback, Jason Bourne and the Guardians Of The Galaxy films - to name but a few. 
I first noticed him opposite Mel Gibson in Payback - where he more than held his own on screen against that A-list star - and I know that he always gives a great performance, no matter what role he plays
In his new film, Above The Line, Henry plays a ruthless Hollywood producer, who gets more than he bargained for when a group of Hollywood wannabes attempt to steal his Best Picture Awards on Christmas Eve. 
I was thrilled to chat with Gregg Henry about Above The Line, the changing face of movies in the 21st Century — as well what he knows about the rumblings of a new Brian De Palma film.

A faux documentary that charts the chaos around the making (and therefore the unmaking) of a fictitious $500 million epic called Dissident, Chapter 51 positions itself as a true crime documentary which delves into the murder of three lead actresses during production. 
This is essentially flawless filmmaking, a rare cinematic gem that delivers on an intriguing premise. It would be great without the luscious visuals, but filmmaker and photographer Tyler Shield’s eye as a visual stylist takes Chapter 51 to a whole other level. This delivers on all fronts. It’s not only one of the most interesting films you’ll see this year, but it’s also one of the very best. 
I was thrilled to have director Tyler Shields join this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about how Chapter 51 was made - the choices which help make it such a visually fascinating piece of cinema, film in general,  camera lenses and a whole lot more.
If you love cinema, you’ll love this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast.

John Brownell’s Coin is a crypto comedy that sees two slacker friends who, through a series of events, manage to misappropriate political campaign funds in order to launch a cryptocurrency so they can save their local park from developers. Things don’t quite go to plan and the pair find themselves pursued by a hitman.
A sort of modern day take on the type of films where Kevin Smith made his name, Coin is an energetic and entertaining comedy with a likeable central duo. Also - it just gives you enough detail on cryptocurrency - if you’re a crypto coin Luddite and know nothing about that sort of thing. . 
John Brownell joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast ahead of Coin's launch at the Dances With Films festival. The filmmaker talks about self-financing the comedy, keeping a low budget film on schedule, his passion for film and much more.

Filmmaker Jordan Ruttert joins the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about the first episode in a proposed independent TV series, The Reverb, which is premiering at the Dances With Films festival on June 27th, 
Pitched as a show written by Gen Z for Gen Z, the series will follow a band on the decline that is struck by an unexpected tragedy. They must then turn to old friends in a fight to uncover the truth.
A young filmmaker with a big vision, Jordan Ruttert discusses the grand design for The Reverb, being young filmmaker and writing for a specific audience - as well as her plans for the future.