Category Archives: Film Comment
We Need to Talk About Disney
Indulge me if you will to have a bit of a rant. Walt Disney Studios is flying higher perhaps than ever before, owning as it does the box office bulkheads Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar. Needless to say Disney’s acquisition of … Continue reading
“The hour grows late…” (RIP Sir Christopher Lee)
Well today has been a sad one for film fans. Mere hours after news broke that the portrayer of Fagin Ron Moody had died at the age of 91, it was announced that Christopher Lee had also passed away at … Continue reading
All Hail Caesar and His Empire!
Something is changing at a grass-roots level, even if the Hollywood establishment don’t quite seem ready to accept it. On Sunday night at the 2015 Jameson Empire Awards, the film awards voted for entirely by the public, Andy Serkis was … Continue reading
“Stories of Imagination Tend to Upset Those Without One” (RIP Sir Terry Pratchett)
AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER. Terry took Death’s arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night. The End. The above was posted last Thursday on Terry Pratchett’s Twitter … Continue reading
Spidey Slings Home…Sort-of
The last few hours have had the internet in a frenzy. It was announced earlier that at long last, Sony has brokered a deal with Marvel/Disney to allow Spider-Man and associated characters to appear as part of the Marvel Cinematic … Continue reading
Snowpiercer: A Continuing Frustration for UK Bong Joon-ho Fans
Film fans who reside in the United Kingdom are still yet to be allowed watch Bong Joon-ho’s English-language directorial debut – the dirty, violent dystopian sci-fi parable SNOWPIERCER – without dealing with the frustration of DVD imports lacking English subtitles … Continue reading
Top 10 Killer Henchmen (RIP Richard Kiel)
It really has been a tough year to be a film lover. The latest big screen icon to shuffle off his mortal coil is Richard Kiel, who died on Wednesday in hospital aged 74. A man with undeniable presence, Kiel … Continue reading
“I believe we need heroes, I believe we need certain people who we can measure our own shortcomings by.” (RIP Richard Attenborough)
It’s been a tough month for my childhood. Two weeks ago we lost Robin Williams, and now we must also bid a fond farewell to Lord Richard Attenborough, actor-director extraordinaire, RADA and BAFTA head, and tireless and passionate supporter of … Continue reading
“You’ll have bad times, but it’ll always wake you up to the good stuff you weren’t paying attention to” (RIP Robin Williams)
As Jeff Bridges’ self-hating DJ Jack Lucas says of Robin Williams’ Parry in THE FISHER KING, “You’re a psychotic man…a very nice psychotic man”. With the most affection possible, that would accurately describe Robin Williams’ public persona – a mad … Continue reading
SSP Thinks Film 
Review Embargoes: A Catch-22 for All Involved
To embargo or not to embargo? That is the question. Whether gagging journalists’ criticisms pre-release or simply not showing anyone your product before the big day, it’s a major concern for film studios and their flagship blockbuster products, not to … Continue reading →