Author Archives: Sam S-P
Review: The Predator (2018)
THE PREDATOR is frustrating for a number of reasons. That said, it’s also (damning with faint praise) the best Predator sequel we’ve had so far. The extraterrestrial Predator species returns to Earth in the form of a fleeing renegade carrying … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Hostiles (2017)
I don’t think we’re ever going to see a Western that’s not bleak again; it just wouldn’t be taken seriously. We’ve had an influx of de-romanticised frowny-face examples of America’s Favourite Genre over the last few years (this is my … Continue reading
50s Review: Rear Window (1954)
Alfred Hitchcock loved screwing with his audience. From the many Macguffins scattered throughout his works to killing off protagonists halfway through and making us doubt our own perceptions, he used pretty much every twist and trick in a skilled director’s … Continue reading
Review: BlacKkKlansman (2018)
I’m still reeling from the final moments of BLACKKKLANSMAN – no other film of 2018 will pack quite as forceful a denouement. Nowhere else is Spike Lee’s mastery of blending of subjective emotion-driven storytelling with documentary filmmaking techniques more apparent, … Continue reading
Underwhelming Netflix Sci-fi Double Bill: We’ve been here before, but better
It’s been widely discussed that Netflix is fast-becoming a graveyard for genre films. It seems like whenever a major studio has doubts about a project in development (particularly horror or sci-fi), or one which is approaching release with too much … Continue reading
Review: Cargo (2017/18)
CARGO is not to be confused with Cargo, the not particularly good Swiss ALIEN/MATRIX mashup from 2009. But I don’t think many people saw that one, so the mixup is unlikely. Netflix’s Cargo is, to put it simply, an Australian … Continue reading
Review in Brief: The Florida Project (2017)
I’ve no idea why it took me so long to watch THE FLORIDA PROJECT, one of the best films of 2017. So few films (STAND BY ME and the new IT spring to mind as other good examples) show kids … Continue reading
30s Review: The Wizard of Oz (1939)
A couple of weekends back I attended my first ever outdoor film screening as part of Film 4’s Summer Screen at Somerset House in London. It was a dream-themed double-bill of LABYRINTH followed by what I think most of the … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Berlin Syndrome (2017)
BERLIN SYNDROME takes simple exploitation film premise, “nice boy you met on holiday turns out to be a kidnapping psychopath” and goes far deeper into the psychological makeup of these characters who could very easily just be archetypes. It portrays … Continue reading
SSP Thinks Film 