Author Archives: Sam S-P
Film Confessional #1: Daredevil
The following confession was prompted in part by the news that Ben Affleck has been cast as Batman, and everyone seems (quite unfairly) to be using his previous portrayal of a superhero as a reason why it’s the worst decision … Continue reading
The Son Becomes the Father…
SUPERMAN II: THE RICHARD DONNER CUT is far more than a slightly different edit of a superhero film sequel. It’s an almost entirely new version of the story that changes fundamental plot points for the benefit of the narrative as a … Continue reading
Best American Films of the 1930s (1)
My list of the best of Hollywood in the 30s. Be sure to check out the rest of the Greatest Films site!
Review: A Field in England (2013)
Ben Wheatley is a talent, there’s no doubt about that. His uncompromising, exciting and undeniably weird directorial style marks him out as one of the most talented and provocative British filmmakers working today. He’s worked in several genres – DOWN TERRACE was … Continue reading
Series Retrospective: The Blade Trilogy
This year is the fifteenth anniversary of Marvel’s half-vampire hero Blade making his big-screen debut. To mark this occasion, I thought I’d look back at the trilogy of Blade films, and comment on how they’ve aged, what still works, what … Continue reading
Johnny Depp, Acting Stagnation and the Promise of Retirement
Today brought the news that Johnny Depp has an eye on retirement in the not too distant future. This will devastate some, and please others (myself included) who think Depp hasn’t really looked passionate about his chosen profession for a … Continue reading
Non-Story of the Day: John Williams Still Scoring Star Wars
It was very recently confirmed at Star Wars Celebration Europe (currently going down in Germany) that movie music maestro John Williams will be composing the music for STAR WARS EPISODES VII-IX. This isn’t really news, of course – Williams’ music is … Continue reading
This Is 40? This Is Awful!
I finally saw last year’s Judd Apatow film THIS IS 40 last week, and I thought it was absolutely terrible. Not just distinctly lacking in comedy, but a smug, nasty and tortuously overlong movie. Let me explain. I like Judd Apatow; he’s a … Continue reading
2014 Will be the Cinematic Pits!
I honestly can’t remember a time I was less excited about an upcoming year in filmmaking. But 2014 is currently one of those years for me. I could of course be surprised by what I see, but at the moment … Continue reading
SSP Thinks Film 
Bat-Bets Are Now Closed!
The wait is over – it was announced today that Ben Affleck will play Batman in Zack Snyder’s BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN (or whatever it ends up being called), and I couldn’t be happier. The reaction to the news was mixed to say … Continue reading →