Author Archives: Sam S-P
Review in Brief: The Accountant (2016)
THE ACCOUNTANT, about an autistic money launderer/assassin is beautifully obsessive in its visuals, less careful elsewhere. Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is only autistic when it suits the plot and he is able to turn on the charm and have social … Continue reading
Review: The Raid (2011)
THE RAID, or: the Fine Art of Ultraviolence, as it really should be subtitled (subtitled REDEMPTION in the USA, which is sort-of a spoiler) was the finest martial arts film for a decade when it was rolled out over 2011-12 … Continue reading
Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Expectations can be a powerful thing. Nobody expected GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY to turn out quite as well as it did three years ago. And yet the batty space-opera starring Marvel Comics D-List characters and directed by the guy who … Continue reading
Review: The Handmaiden (2016)
THE HANDMAIDEN is unmistakably a Park Chan-wook film. A polished tale of control featuring sadistic torture and plot-reevaluating twists, this is far beyond the ordinary bodice-ripper. During the Japanese occupation of Korea, a thief (Kim Tae-ri) masquerades as a handmaiden … Continue reading
Review: Free Fire (2016/17)
Does Ben Wheatley ever sleep? Over the past eight years the British polymath has produced kitchen sink drama, folk horror, black comedy, Avant-garde, period-sci-fi-satire and DOCTOR WHO. He never does the same project twice and tends to mix it up … Continue reading
5 Years On: The Avengers (2012)
In 2012 it finally arrived – the blockbuster to end all blockbusters (as if). There was so much riding on THE AVENGERS, so many moving parts and so many things that could have gone wrong. Thankfully they didn’t, and it … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Moana (2016)
MOANA is colourful, energetic and heartfelt, and enriches its world with Polynesian cultural influences in a far less patronising manner than was attempted in POCAHONTAS with Native American folklore. It’s also very safe in its storytelling, falling back on Disney … Continue reading
Review in Brief: When Marnie Was There (2016)
WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE works so well on multiple emotional levels, and can be read in a number of ways. One of those ways is a little creepy, but I think I we’ll skip that. Anna (Sara Takatsuki) is a … Continue reading
30 Years On: Withnail and I (1987)
There are few films out there that will make me laugh myself to tears every time I watch them. Monty Python does, as does Mel Brooks, but as I’ve mentioned before, I also have to add the gem that is … Continue reading
SSP Thinks Film 
What the Hell, Hollywood?
Last night the news came over social media and via press release that we were finally getting another HELLBOY movie. Settle down folks, it’s not the much-clamoured-for never-movie HELLBOY III. It’s going to be a reboot and Guillermo del Toro … Continue reading →