Category Archives: Film
Review: Hell or High Water (2016)
Where this this one come from? HELL OR HIGH WATER arrived with plenty of established talent involved, but very little fanfare. It turns out to be one of the best releases this year, and among the most enlightening and relevant. … Continue reading
Ash vs: or, why Living Dead has already left Walking Dead behind
In 83 episodes over 6 seasons, THE WALKING DEAD has captivated audiences the world over with grim character work, creeping dread and excessive zombie killing. I am no longer one of those captivated – the pilot was great and there … Continue reading
Halloween Series Retrospective: A Nightmare on Elm Street
Time once again to look back on a long-running franchise in its entirety. There’s a lot of NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET movies. Not quite as many as its slasher fellows HALLOWEEN and FRIDAY THE 13TH, but Freddy sure did refuse … Continue reading
Review: Doctor Strange (2016)
The problem with Marvel is that a lot of their characters have the same origin story. “Arrogant prig becomes selfless hero” is almost as commonplace as DC’s “Death of family gives hero guilt-driven purpose”. Stephen Strange’s story may not be … Continue reading
Review: Under the Shadow (2016)
Horror works so well when tied to real and traumatic historical events. Guillermo del Toro is a master of this and you only need to watch the opening moments of THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE or PAN’S LABYRINTH for proof. UNDER THE … Continue reading
Review: Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)
This may well be the cleverest and most subversive film Warner Bros Animation have ever made, and it’s an animated followup to 1960s BATMAN TV show. I’m an Adam West fan and an appreciator of “camp” as an aesthetic for … Continue reading
Review: Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
It becomes clear very quickly that KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS is a thematic title rather than a literal one, pretty much from the very first time you see the said instrument. The writers and animators at Laika know how … Continue reading
Review: Deepwater Horizon (2016)
I can’t say I was expecting to like DEEPWATER HORIZON. Turning real-world disasters, especially ones where we’re still feeling the impact today, into spectacle can go either way. It couldn’t be too maudlin or grandstanding, it couldn’t be propaganda. What … Continue reading
Top 4: Cinematic Experiences
One of the most common questions fired at a film buff is “what’s your favourite movie?” For most worshipers at the alter of digital and celluloid projection, it’s a near-impossible question to answer. Far easier to contemplate is top cinematic … Continue reading
Review: Captain Fantastic (2016)
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC practically screams “quirky”. I mean, just look at the still from the funeral scene above. But this isn’t quirk for the sake of it, but instead a heartfelt story promoting debate. Ben (Viggo Mortensen) lives in the woods … Continue reading
SSP Thinks Film 