Author Archives: Sam S-P

About Sam S-P

Writer and film fanatic fond of black comedies, sci-fi, animation and films about dysfunctional families.

Review: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Sam S-P

SAVING MR. BANKS isn’t like many other biopics, and it’s like next to no films about filmmaking. Movies that retell notoriously troubled productions have a tendency to exaggerate and oversimplify for the sake of smooth storytelling, yet often turn out to … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Annie Rose Buckley, B.J. Novak, Bambi, Biopic, Bradley Whitford, Colin Farrell, Comedy, Dick Van Dyke, Disney, Drama, Emma Thompson, Film, Hitchcock, Jason Schwatzman, John Lee Hancock, Kelly Marcel, Mary Poppins, Movies, Musical, Paul Giamatti, Saving Mr. Banks, Tom Hanks | Leave a comment

Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Sam S-P

You’ve got to hand it to Marvel, they haven’t played it safe for a while. For me though, the risky elements of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER don’t quite pay off as they should. Following the events of THE AVENGERS, … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Anthony Mackie, Anthony Russo, Bourne, Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Chris Evans, Fast & Furious, Film, Iron Man 3, Joe Russo, Marvel, Movies, Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Stan Lee, Star Wars, Superhero Movie, The Avengers, Thriller | 6 Comments

Review: The Lego Movie (2014)

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Sam S-P

THE LEGO MOVIE could so easily have been awful. Many, including myself, expected nothing more than a cash-in, an extended advert for pricey plastic blocks. Thankfully, it’s so much more. It’s sweet, funny, bouncy and clever, an animated adventure for … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged 21 Jump Street, Animation, Blockbuster, Charlie Day, Chris Pratt, Christopher Miller, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Comedy, DreamWorks, Elizabeth Banks, Film, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Movies, Phil Lord, The Lego Movie, Warner Brothers, Will Arnett, Will Ferrell | Leave a comment

Top 4: Guillermo del Toro

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Sam S-P

A mine of originality and a committed visualist, Guillermo del Toro is one of the most talented and distinctive filmmakers working today. His career has spanned over two decades so far, and he’d surely been even more prolific were it … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Feature | Tagged Anna Walton, Ariadna Gil, Blade II, Cronos, Danny John-Jules, Doug Jones, Fantasy, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve, Film, Guillermo del Toro, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Horror, Ivana Baquero, Junio Valverde, Luke Goss, Mimic, Movies, Pan's Labyrinth, Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Sergi López, Seth MacFarlane, Stephen Norrington, Superhero Movie, The Devil's Backbone, The Hobbit, Wesley Snipes | Leave a comment

Review: Ironclad (2011)

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Sam S-P

There have been a lot of historical epics in the past couple of decades – next to the superhero movie, it has become a favourite blockbuster genre, and tends to be more favoured come awards season. Though it flew somewhat under … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Action, Braveheart, Brian Cox, Charles Dance, Film, Historical Epic, Ironclad, James Purefoy, Jason Flemyng, Jonathan English, Kate Mara, Kingdom of Heaven, Movies, Paul Giamatti, Ridley Scott, Robin Hood, Russell Crowe, Sean Bean, The Magnificent Seven | Leave a comment

Review: Mansome (2012)

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Sam S-P

MANSOME, from documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (SUPER SIZE ME) aims to answer the question of what does being a man mean in the age of the “metrosexual”. Despite featuring entertaining, engaging interviewees giving their opinion on the subject, the debate is … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Documentary, Film, Jason Bateman, John Waters, Mansome, Morgan Spurlock, Movies, Super Size Me, Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis | Leave a comment

Review: Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Sam S-P

Some critics have compared the Coen Brothers’ latest film, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS to their previous downbeat allegory for life and its essential rubbishness, A SERIOUS MAN. There are similarities, but in some ways I see it as more akin to … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged A Serious Man, Adam Driver, Black Comedy, Bruno Delbonnel, Carey Mulligan, Ethan Coen, F. Murray Abraham, Film, Garrett Hedlund, Inside Llewyn Davis, Joel Coen, John Goodman, Movies, Musical, No Country for Old Men, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Oscar Isaac, T-Bone Burnett, The Coen Brothers | 2 Comments

Review: Captain Phillips (2013)

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Sam S-P

I’d heard great things, and expected something remarkable from CAPTAIN PHILLIPS. It’s not remarkable, it’s just decent. It’s solidly constructed, well performed, and has Paul Greengrass’ usual aesthetic of a beleaguered former journalist. The film is based on Captain Richard Phillips’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Barkhad Abdi, Billy Ray, Bourne, Drama, Film, Michael Bay, Movies, Paul Greengrass, Thriller, Tom Hanks | Leave a comment

Film Confessional #5: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Sam S-P

I have a confession to make…I like GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE. No, it’s not up there with the best superhero movies by any means, but it’s certainly one of the most visually interesting ones, and has the welcome addition of … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Feature | Tagged Brian Taylor, Ciaran Hinds, Crank, Daredevil, Eva Mendes, Fergus Riordan, Film, Ghost Rider, Gost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Grindhouse, Idris Elba, Johnny Whitworth, Mark Neveldine, Mark Steven Johnson, Movies, Nicholas Cage, Peter Fonda, Sam Elliott, Wes Bentley | Leave a comment

Review: Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Sam S-P

It really says something when the best thing in your movie is a scene where a giant picks his nose then wraps Ewan McGregor in pastry. It’s quite frankly mind-boggling why most of the decisions in Bryan Singer’s fantasy romp … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Bill Nighy, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan McGregor, Fantasy, Film, Guillermo del Toro, Ian McShane, Jack the Giant Slayer, Merlin, Movies, Narnia, Nicholas Hoult, Peter Jackson, Stanley Tucci, Superman Returns, Valkyrie | 1 Comment

Author Archives: Sam S-P

About Sam S-P

Review: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Review: The Lego Movie (2014)

Top 4: Guillermo del Toro

Review: Ironclad (2011)

Review: Mansome (2012)

Review: Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Review: Captain Phillips (2013)

Film Confessional #5: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Review: Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)

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