Category Archives: Film

Review: The Guest (2014)

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Sam S-P

Adam Wingard is a filmmaker to watch. He clearly adores lowbrow genre flicks, and his career aim seems to be to be to produce some very polished examples of his own. His films are recognisable, but always with a little … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Adam Wingard, Brendan Meyer, Dan Stevens, Film, Horror, Leland Orser, Maika Monroe, Movies, Sheila Kelley, Simon Barrett, The Guest, Thriller, You're Next | 3 Comments

Review: Big Hero 6 (2014)

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Sam S-P

The latest from Disney is a colourful and undemanding superhero romp. Much like the film’s main draw Baymax, BIG HERO 6 is bouncy, endearing and funny, but perhaps doesn’t offer much extra once its fairly limited aims have been satisfied. … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged 30 Rock, Animation, Asimov, Big Hero 6, Damon Wayans Jr, Daniel Henney, Disney, DreamWorks, Film, Frankenstein, How to Train Your Dragon 2, I Robot, Movies, Oscars, Pixar, Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Superhero Movie, The Boxtrolls, The Iron Giant | 4 Comments

Oscar Review: Boyhood (2014)

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Sam S-P

BOYHOOD is not a masterpiece. And yet it’s probably still worthy of an Oscar in 2014, a pretty patchy year in film overall. Judging by the pattern awards shows so far seem to be following it’s all-but a shoe-in for … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Birdman, Boyhood, Drama, Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Film, Foxcatcher, Lorelei Linklater, Movies, Oscars, Outnumbered, Patricia Arquette, Richard Linklater, The Theory of Everything | Leave a comment

Review: Gone Girl (2014)

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Sam S-P

GONE GIRL is a solid mystery, a satisfying examination on the ins and outs (mostly outs) of relationships, but it’s a truly great film about the power of the media image and its complete and utter dominance in contemporary society. … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Ben Affleck, Black Comedy, Carrie Coon, David Fincher, Drama, Fight Club, Film, Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl, Kim Dickens, Movies, Mystery, Neil Patrick Harris, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry | Leave a comment

Review: Into the Woods (2014)

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Sam S-P

Musicals, like comedy films, are very difficult to review. Musical taste, just like what makes you laugh, is such a subjective thing. Generally you’re either a Stephen Sondheim fan or you’re not. For me, INTO THE WOODS isn’t a great … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Anna Kendrick, Brothers Grimm, Christine Baranski, Cinderella, Daniel Huttlestone, Disney, Emily Blunt, Film, Into the Woods, James Corden, Johnny Depp, Lilla Crawford, Lucy Punch, Mackenzie Mauzy, Maleficent, Meryl Streep, Movies, Musical, Rob Marshall, Stephen Sondheim, Tammy Blanchard, Tangled, The Lone Ranger | Leave a comment

Spidey Slings Home…Sort-of

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Sam S-P

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 →

Posted in Film, Film Comment | Tagged Andrew Garfield, Blockbuster, Disney, Fantastic Four, Film, Fox, James Bond, Kevin Feige, Marvel, Movies, Sinister Six, Sony, Superhero Movie, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, X-Men | Leave a comment

Review: Lucy (2014)

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Sam S-P

Well, I guess I should be grateful that it was all in focus and the film itself was mercifully short. Aside from that, LUCY, Luc Besson’s latest attempt to return to his 1990s form fails in spectacular fashion. Lucy (Scarlett … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Action, Choi Min-Sik, Dredd, Film, From Paris with Love, Luc Besson, Lucy, Morgan Freeman, Movies, Scarlett Johansson, Sci-fi, Taken, Taken 2, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Family | Leave a comment

Review: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014/15)

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Sam S-P

Matthew Vaughn has delivered another very enjoyable action-comedy that never quite reconciles certain tonal dissonances, but makes up for it with energy, style and confidence in abundance. Eggsy (Taron Egerton) has a tough life. His dad died when he was … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Action, Al Gore, Bourne, Colin Firth, Comedy, Film, Geoff Bell, Harry Palmer, James Bond, Kick-Ass, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Mark Strong, Matthew Vaughn, Movies, Roger Moore, Samantha Womack, Samuel L. Jackson, Sofia Boutella, Sophie Cookson, Spy Film, The Avengers, The Ipcress File, Tyron Egerton, X-Men: First Class | 3 Comments

Review: Maleficent (2014)

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Sam S-P

MALEFICENT’s opening narration: “Let us tell an old story anew and see how well you really know it” might as well be the House of Mouse’s filmmaking mantra at this point in time, and basically gives them license to do … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Film Review | Tagged Alice in Wonderland, Angelina Jolie, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Disney, Elle Fanning, Fantasy, Film, Imelda Staunton, Jaws, Juno Temple, Kenneth Cranham, Linda Woolverton, Maleficent, Movies, Robert Stromberg, Sharlto Copley, Sleeping Beauty, The Sorcerer's Apprentice | 3 Comments

Snowpiercer: A Continuing Frustration for UK Bong Joon-ho Fans

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Sam S-P

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 →

Posted in Film, Film Comment | Tagged Bong Joon-ho, Film, Harvey Weinstein, Movies, Sci-fi, Snowpiercer, Song Kang-ho, The Weinstein Company | Leave a comment

Category Archives: Film

Review: The Guest (2014)

Review: Big Hero 6 (2014)

Oscar Review: Boyhood (2014)

Review: Gone Girl (2014)

Review: Into the Woods (2014)

Spidey Slings Home…Sort-of

Review: Lucy (2014)

Review: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014/15)

Review: Maleficent (2014)

Snowpiercer: A Continuing Frustration for UK Bong Joon-ho Fans

Search a Film Thing

About SSP

Sam S-P

I’m also on Twitter:

Fresh Thoughts on Film

Archived Thoughts on Film

Blog Stats