#98. Filmmaker Pen Densham On Photography, Creativity, A.I. & Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Jon Keeyes, the director of the new supernatural thriller, Speed Demon joins this special bite-sized episode of the Movies In Focus podcast. A gonzo mix of The Exorcist meets Speed by way of Murder On The Orient Express, Speed Demon sees a Nun who has lost her faith battling demonic possession on a runaway train. Frankly, if that doesn’t make you want to watch the movie then nothing will! An ensemble film toplined by Katie Cassidy and William H. Macy, Speed Demond is a silly, but very entertaining twist on the Exorcism sub-genre. And when you’ve seen as many of those as I have, any variation on the concept is a very welcome.Jon Keeyes discusses the film and its far-out concept, the joys of making a one location supernatural thriller as well as sequel potential and much, much more. Speed Demon hits U.S. cinemas, on Demand and on Digital on May 31.

Filmmaker Paul Bunnell - the man behind The Ghastly Love of Johnny X - joins this episode of the Movies In Focuspodcast to talk about his new film, an offbeat reimagining of the now lost Lon Chaney horror film, A Blind Bargain. Shot on Kodak film, this 1970s set horror comedy sees Jake Horowitz’s Dominic Fontaine make a Faustian pact with Crispin Glover’s mysterious Dr. Gruder. A fascinating guest with decades of filmmaking behind him, Bunnell talks about how he became attached to A Blind Bargain, working with the legendary Back To The Future star Crispin Glover  - and why he was insistent on shooting this quirky pic on Kodak film. We also get into the mechanics of what its like shooting on film, in an industry which is now so focused on digital filmmaking.This is another must listen episode for film fans who really enjoy cult curiosities. 

Michael Schilf’s The Wolf And The Lamb is a real curio of a western-horror hybrid with a stacked cast that includes Cassandra Scerbo, Adrianne Palicki, Zach McGowan, James Landry Hébert, Q’orianka Kilcher and Clint Howard. A strange blend of western series, Deadwood and Stephen King's  Salem’s Lot, this a true ensemble film that really plays with the horror slow burn as a quiet evil begins to envelope a Montana town - when its children go missing one by one. Cassandra Scerbo, Adrianne Palicki, Zach McGowan, James Landry Hébert ganged up on Niall Browne when they joined this episode of the Movies In Focus to talk about making The Wolf And The Lamb. It’s a boisterous episode  - but one that’s must for fans of any of the actors involved or those who love westerns and/or horror films. 

You might have certain expectations when going into a film called The Yeti. However, filmmakers Gene Gallerano and William Pisciotta blow those expectations out of the water with their surprising new monster film. A horror pic with a difference, this period creature feature has a strong cast that includes Brittany Allen, Eric Nelsen, Jim Cummings, William Sadler and Corbin Bernsen.The Yeti follows a group of explorers as they venture into the Alaskan wilderness - but the bleak elements are not the only danger they find lurking in the snowy mountains. Merging horror with adventure, The Yeti leads you on one journey and then takes you in a direction which is filled with some very intriguing twists and turns, Gallerano and Pisciotta joined Niall Browne on episode 99 of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about how they made this surprising horror. The pair discuss how they designed the look of this richly textured film, creating a monster for the screen as well as working with the ensemble cast. There’s a lot covered in this chat, which delves deep into the making of this excellent new genre film. 

Returning guest Pen Densham joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast. Pen is a hugely talented writer, producer and director, who is probably best known for writing and producing Kevin Costner’s iconic 1991 adventure,  Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves alongside his film-making partner, John Watson. He also has a whole host of other interesting film credits to his name - including: Blown Away with Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones, cult favourite Tank Girl, Bill Murray comedy Larger Than Life and submarine thriller Phantom with David Duchovny and Ed Harris. On the TV front, Pen has also been involved in the reboot of The Outer Limits, Poltergeist: The Legacy and The Magnificent Seven, to name but a few.This time around I talked with Pen about his fascinating photography and his new coffee table book, Qualia. We also discussed his passion for creativity, Artificial Intelligence in film - and of course, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Kathryn Ferguson’s Nostalgie is an exceptional short film that was given an Honourable Mention in the competition shorts section at the Belfast Film Festival, where it wasBased on the short story by author Wendy Erskine (and adapted by Stacey Gregg), Nostalgie follows Drew Lord Haig (Aidan Gillen), a former ’80s pop star who is given a shot at reliving his glory years by taking a gig at a gathering of a small Belfast men’s club. Things aren’t quite what they seem, and Drew’s night of glory takes a dark turn.Nominated for Best Short Film at both the 2026 IFTA Awards and the 2026 BAFTA Awards, Nostalgie captured my attention from the moment I first watched it at the QFT in Belfast. Kathryn Ferguson joined the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about the film, chatting about everything from the film’s politics, the inspirations for the character of Drew Lord Haig, how Bastille’s Dan Smith wrote the music, and much more.

Jeremiah Kipp, the filmmaker behind the film adaptation of the video game, The Mortuary Assistant joins this episode of the Movies In Focus podcast. Now, as I admit in my chat with Jeremiah, I haven’t played the video game - but I did enjoy the film! It’s an atmospheric horror that reminded by quite of a bit of the 1962 genre classic Carnival of Souls. It's a small, contained chiller that creeps along and gets under your skin. The Mortuary Assistant sees Willa Holland star as Rebecca Owens, a newly appointed assistant to Paul Sparks’ mortician, Raymond Delver. Her first night on the job doesn’t quite go to plan and soon things begin to go bump in the night. I caught up with director Jeremiah Kipp for a discussion that covered video game adaptations, horror movies, independent film versus superhero epics  and a whole lot more. It was a fun chat - one that’s a worth a listen for horror movie fans and gamers alike. 

Jesse V. Johnson’s Thieves Highway is a modern day western about cattle rustling, that sees Aaron Echkart’s cow cop tracking down a a bunch of seriously bad hombres. Written by Travis Mills - the director of the recent Frontier Crucible - Thieves Highway has hints of Fred Zinnemann’s High Noon and Carl Franklin’s One False Move. It’s a small, character-based thriller that has a strong central performance from Eckhart - who’s always great - and the film is also notable for the odd-ball characterisation of the villains. As a longtime fan of both Aaron Eckhart and Jesse V. Johnson, I’m thrilled that they’ve joined this episode of the podcast to talk about Thieves Highway, action movies and a whole lot more. 

Collins' Mel Gibson starrer, Hunting Season is something of surprise. Yes, it gives you want you want from a Mel Gibson thriller, but it’s also a film that features some excellent and finely tuned performances. Gibson, as you would expect is great, but so is the supporting cast. There’s a lot going on here and it’s sure to really engage viewers. The plot sees a reclusive survivalist (Gibson) and his daughter (Sofia Hublitz) rescue a mysterious, wounded woman (Shelley Hennig) from a river. The pair soon become entangled in a deadly web of violence and revenge, forcing them to confront a brutal criminal to survive.RJ Collins and Shelley Hennig join this bite-size episode of the Movies In Focus podcast to talk about Hunting Season, working with Mel Gibson and how you bring a lot of creativity to an action film of this kind.

This is an exciting episode of the Movies In Focus podcast - because I’m not only joined by the mighty Thomas Jane (The Mist, The Punisher, Deep Blue Sea), the star and producer of the new western, Frontier Crucible - but I'm also also speaking to the film’s director, Travis Mills. Travis Mills embraces the western and delivers an interpretation of the genre that not only looks back to the past, but also takes a punchy modern-day approach that echoes the brutality of S. Craig Zahler’s Bone Tomahawk.I’ve been a fan of Thomas Jane’s for nearly thirty years, so it was an absolute privilege to spend time talking to him about Frontier Crucible, his career and film in general. In an equally engaging conversation, I also also spoke to director Travis Mills about the legacy of the western genre and how Frontier Crucible came to be. The Movies In Focus podcast is approaching its fifth year and hundredth episode - and I have to say that without a doubt, this is one of my favourite episodes. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed recording it.