2023-12-14 11:21
Hollywood has introduced the technology of de-aging at a curious time. Now toying with the idea of digitally rendered actors who have moved on from this life... think Carrie Fisher, Paul Wal… Read More
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Spling | Movie Critic | Movie Reviews | Film News | Celeb Interviews - Spling | Movie Critic | Movie Reviews | Film News | Celeb Interviews Blog
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Get movie reviews, celebrity interviews and film industry news from South African film critic, Spling. "Don't wing it, SPL!NG it!"
2023-12-04 10:56
Having served on student film festival critic panels for almost 10 years now, Spling has graded and evaluated a few hundred student film projects. From amazing high-end student films to toug… Read More
2023-12-01 12:38
Being a film student, you're typically operating with a shoestring budget in trying to convert your dreams into reality. Most kids watch films that inspire them to be the next Steven Spielbe… Read More
2023-11-21 12:24
Jeff Goldblum is Jeff Goldblum. It sounds like a strange thing to say but the screen legend has carved out such a strongly defined niche that it's almost impossible to separate the actor fro… Read More
2023-11-13 15:35
The world would be more dull without Nicolas Cage, or Nicolas Kim Coppola. Born into the equivalent of Hollywood royalty, the actor decided to go with the stage name, Nicolas Cage in favour… Read More
2023-11-08 14:42
There's a well known advert featuring a child who watches a movie in a home before going to sleep only for the images from the film to be projected on his face. This smart and provocative ad… Read More
2023-11-02 16:44
One has to imagine the inspiration for the title, The Room, was possibly the retort "get a room". This wayward movie shares half of its title with the drama Room, starring Brie Larson in an… Read More
2023-10-17 16:20
Horror has continued to scare and enthrall with movies that are designed to chill or unsettle audiences. Dealing with supernatural beings, such as ghosts, demons, and monsters, many are also… Read More
2023-10-05 13:03
Charlize Theron is one of the best actors working today. Fiercely independent, she's commanded fear and respect more than charm and likability, injecting much of her personal verve into her… Read More
2023-10-03 09:29
If Barbie and Oppenheimer showed us one thing it's that we need to get more excited about movies. Both box office success stories, much of their overwhelming domination can be attributed to… Read More
2023-09-27 13:20
This is a bit of a tricky topic to cover. Are movie trailers still necessary? The short answer is 'yes'. Movie trailers are essential to a film's marketing campaign and form a major prong in… Read More
2023-09-19 11:06
Stephen "Spling" Aspeling, the host of the long-running film review radio programme Talking Movies on FMR 101.3, is pleased to announce that his show is now being broadcast on Stellenbosch c… Read More
2023-09-13 07:11
Past Lives is "a mature love story that feels powerfully real" written and directed by Celine Song in a "remarkable" feature directorial debut. The heartrending modern romance stars Greta Le… Read More
2023-09-07 13:02
A news story broke this week about a PR firm called 'Bunker 15' and their dealings with Rotten Tomatoes certified critics around the Shakespearean film adaptation, Ophelia. While the company… Read More
2023-08-25 10:37
Fck'n Nuts is an absurdist horror comedy short film from writer-director Sam Fox and creative producer Joe Badon (The Blood of the Dinosaurs). Inspired by her own experience of growing up wi… Read More
2023-08-22 19:13
In 2015, South African animation studio Triggerfish launched a pan-African talent search for animated films and series. Supported by The Walt Disney Company, The Triggerfish Story Lab receiv… Read More
2023-08-14 13:34
The subject of one of the most fascinating music documentaries ever, the 81-year-old Sixto Rodriguez passed away in his sleep at his home in Detroit on 9 August, 2023. The acclaimed Mexican… Read More
2023-08-09 10:32
In its 17th year, the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) ceremony is set to take place in September and Gaia is sure to be one of the favourites of the night. Having garnered… Read More
2023-08-02 13:52
You get toy brands and then you get mega toy brands. While a Hot Wheels movie hasn't come about yet, unless you count The Fast and the Furious as an adequate approximation... especially Fate… Read More
2023-07-25 07:50
Greta Gerwig's visionary take on the Mattel icon has been met with rave reviews and record crowds at cinemas in South Africa. The fantasy comedy, inspired by the popular and nostalgic line o… Read More
2023-07-22 10:24
Australian actress, Margot Robbie, is one of the most popular and adored actresses in Hollywood and a role model for women. She's starred in everything, from critically acclaimed dramas to b… Read More
2023-07-10 10:15
Cillian Murphy is an easily recognisable actor, best known for his on-screen intensity. The Irishman is the star of the highly anticipated Christopher Nolan film, Oppenheimer. He plays the t… Read More
2023-07-07 07:58
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which began just after May Day, is now in its third month. The strike is the first major work stoppage in Hollywood in 15 years, and it has had a s… Read More
2023-06-27 13:31
It's funny to think that it's still so prevalent in an age where we've never had so much readily available and inexpensive entertainment at our fingertips. Most pirates have to pay for their… Read More
2023-06-20 13:10
What happened to the next generation of movie stars? It seems as though we've been hanging onto the same name actors for ages. Tom Cruise was a star in Top Gun in 1986 and nothing's really c… Read More
2023-06-14 09:55
It's hard to believe that Harrison Ford is 80 years old. Born in Chicago to a radio actress and actor turned advertising executive, Harrison Ford started out as an average student, dropping… Read More
2023-06-08 13:46
'The Essence of Dreams: An Anthology of Film Reviews' is what the cover says... a contemporary collection of film reviews spanning across the career of film critic, Stephen 'Spling' Aspeling… Read More
2023-05-29 15:04
The Smashing Pumpkins have been a musical force on the global scene since they released their first studio album in 1991. Now over 30 years, they're still at the cutting edge, putting on spe… Read More
2023-05-21 19:19
As a film critic, Stephen 'Spling' Aspeling has literally watched thousands of films over the years. Being South African, the local film industry has been a strong point of interest to gauge… Read More
2023-05-17 09:30
We've come across our fair share of shock docs in the new age of streaming, where these compelling documentaries get a much broader release platform and ultimately reach more people. Documen… Read More
2023-05-10 17:06
Stephen 'Spling' Aspeling has been a film critic since 2007 when he decided to test the extent of his passion for movies by writing a review a day for a year. The experimental challenge prov… Read More
2023-05-05 14:40
Stephen 'Spling' Aspeling has been resident movie critic at Fine Music Radio without missing a week of Talking Movies in 10 years.
The first broadcast of Talking Movies with Spling was on… Read More
2023-04-26 13:43
Beau Is Afraid is a dark horror comedy drama starring Joaquin Phoenix from the mind of Ari Aster, a horror aficionado turned director, who's become synonymous with horror. His latest horror… Read More
2023-04-17 13:56
Air is a back room coming-of-age sports drama in the vein of The Big Short and The Social Network. A behind-the-scenes dramatisation of a significant big business turning point, it gathers a… Read More
2023-04-10 15:19
Most people settle on a formula for picking which movies to watch. Before the Internet, this may have involved wandering around the video rental store until a movie poster or cover grabs you… Read More
2023-04-05 12:44
Aqua's pop anthem 'Barbie Girl' will not be appearing in the upcoming Barbie movie due to a troubled legal history over the song. Yet, the lyrics "I'm a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world. Lif… Read More
2023-03-27 09:04
Liam Neeson is an instantly recognisable Hollywood star who's now wrapped his 100th film. At the age of 70, the actor's not showing any signs of slowing down, continuing his prowess as an ac… Read More
2023-03-23 20:53
Keanu Reeves is wanting to take a break from the John Wick franchise now that John Wick: Chapter 4 has been unleashed. Having found a second wind and stumbled into a renaissance with the Joh… Read More
2023-03-16 10:24
Quentin Tarantino has led the kind of career many promising filmmakers would relish. Having started with My Best Friend's Birthday, a film that had its final reel destroyed in a lab fire, it… Read More
2023-03-08 08:07
The 95th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on 12 March, 2023 representing the pinnacle of awards season. Since it's 9th ceremony, South Africa has had its share of Oscar hop… Read More
2023-03-06 20:41
Bullet Train director, David Leitch, told Forbes he sees his latest film starring Brad Pitt as a universe. There's no clear sign that a sequel is in the pipeline but from Leitch's comment, i… Read More
2023-02-28 08:15
The alluring world of gambling is a common theme in movies and one of the biggest factors that's shaped its perception in popular culture. Watching the scenes of large, sophisticated casino… Read More
2023-02-27 16:50
The Crow was released in 1994, making it 30 years since Brandon Lee's tragic death and almost three decades since the dark gothic thriller's grand unveiling. Based on James o' Barr's comic o… Read More
2023-02-23 10:20
It´s hard to find a good movie that stands by itself only by the quality of the acting, or power of its script. There are some other very important elements that transform a good movie… Read More
2023-02-22 20:23
Spling is recording his 500th episode of Talking Movies on Fine Music Radio on 25 February 2023 at 8:15am... that's 500 consecutive, individual broadcasts of 3 movie reviews in just as many… Read More
2023-02-21 10:27
The need to create new and more exciting ways to present products, film funny scenes or even keep up with social media trends, is pushing video editors to take the best out of their hat and… Read More
2023-02-14 13:32
Stander is a biographical crime thriller directed by Bronwen Hughes and starring Thomas Jane as Captain André Stander, a police officer turned bank robber. Set in the wake of the Sowe… Read More
2023-02-10 09:25
It seems as though Roald Dahl's beloved childrens books are in the spotlight again. Having just released another film adaptation of Matilda, it seems as though the author's imagination is in… Read More
2023-02-01 07:40
If you're a budding filmmaker with a feature film screenplay in the works, your big break could be just around the corner. Showmax is seeking proposals for a slate of ten live-action films f… Read More
2023-01-23 10:23
The Oscar nominations for 2023 are on the horizon. Which films are going to be lauded with the most nominations? Which are going to fall to the wayside, snubbed? While the ratings for the ac… Read More
2023-01-19 18:25
It's hard to believe that The Matrix is celebrating its 25th anniversary next year. Mostly because Keanu Reeves is still firing guns, kicking ass and just being the nicest bad-ass out there… Read More
2023-01-15 06:56
IMDb's Top 250 list has been a go-to for many film fans wanting to broaden their horizon when it comes to cinema. Loaded with classics, cult favourites and modern masterpieces, it's a pretty… Read More
2022-12-28 13:06
As we draw to the end of 2022, film critic Spling takes a look at which Netflix movies made the biggest impression. Performing especially well in the animation genre, Netflix's best movies t… Read More
2022-12-20 19:53
When the December holidays roll around you can be sure that Christmas movies will be getting some serious replay time. There are the cockle-warming classics such as National Lampoon's Christ… Read More
2022-12-14 14:33
The Fabelmans is a deeply personal portrait of a twentieth-century American childhood, a cinematic memory of the forces and family that shaped Steven Spielberg's life and career. The semi-bi… Read More
2022-12-02 10:26
Stephen 'Spling' Aspeling has served on the critic's panel at the AFDA Graduation Festival for 9 years running since 2014. The film school bases their final assessment on responses from indu… Read More
2022-11-22 11:05
BraveStarr is an animated TV series from the 1980s that followed on from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and ran for 65 episodes. Trying to recapture the runaway success of He-Man, th… Read More
2022-11-15 20:27
Zack Snyder's Justice League is testament to the power of fandoms in today's world. Having been substituted with another director taking over the reins of Justice League, the full scope of h… Read More
2022-11-08 08:28
James Cameron's Avatar has made $2.922 billion at the box office to date. Edged out by The Hurt Locker to win Best Picture at the Oscars, it's a miracle of a film from the Titanic director w… Read More
2022-10-31 13:52
What an exciting and scary time to be alive. It is Donald Sutherland's character Mr. Harrigan in the mystery horror thriller that has some fascinating and haunting "premonitions" about the m… Read More
2022-10-24 20:11
Stanley Kubrick is a master filmmaker whose work speaks volumes, responsible for a string of iconic films including: The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket… Read More
2022-10-14 16:57
Op Soek na Reënboë (In Search of Rainbows) is a made-for-TV film written and directed by Stefan Enslin, a marriage portrait drama about a couple struggling through a crisis of fait… Read More
2022-10-11 20:00
The streaming service revolution is upon us with Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Disney+, Google Movies and Showmax among others. It's become a crowded space for service providers… Read More
2022-10-07 14:21
South Africa is only starting to realise its capacity and capability when it comes to the horror genre. We're still coming to terms with the fact that unless we lean into found footage, horr… Read More
2022-09-29 19:28
The first two episodes of Blood Psalms, the first Showmax Original fantasy series, are now streaming. Early reviews are glowing, with TVMzansi calling it, “Without doubt, the best TV s… Read More
2022-09-27 21:07
As the host of Talking Movies, as part of movie review programme that has been running for almost 10 years, there are a few things you pick up along the way. Stephen 'Spling' Aspeling better… Read More
2022-09-23 14:48
The Devil's Advocate is a horror fantasy thriller and courtroom drama starring Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron and Al Pacino. Following the shooting star trajectory of Kevin Lomax, a hot shot… Read More
2022-09-09 16:39
The National Geographic and National Geographic Wild programming schedule was unveiled with several new natural history series, feature documentaries, and programming stunts will highlight t… Read More
2022-09-04 07:54
While the medium of film is still relatively young in the history of the world, there's no doubting just how influential it's been in shaping perceptions. This has been done across the spect… Read More
2022-08-29 06:10
Zachary Levi is Chuck and it seems as though his final unofficial mission to launch a Chuck movie is nearing completion. Each of its 91 episodes was effectively a mini movie, which is possib… Read More
2022-08-22 13:35
Blood Psalms is an epic, action-packed fantasy series set in Africa a thousand years after the fall of Atlantis. The first season introduces the houses of Kemet (now Egypt) comprised of the… Read More
2022-08-16 06:06
Encino Man (aka California Man) saw three young stars unite for an outlandish '90s comedy about being ice cool and then waking up to become a high school drop out in the MTV generation '90s… Read More
2022-08-12 19:41
Michael Lang has long been associated with Woodstock since his integral involvement with the iconic 1969 music festival. Immortalised as a symbol of peace and love through the ages, there wa… Read More
2022-08-02 19:21
Mad magazine was a pop culture staple, a publication that has parodied everything with a special focus on America, which released its final issue in April 2018 - not an April Fool's Joke! It… Read More
2022-07-25 11:48
Joe Badon is a filmmaker, illustrator and musician whose unconventional artistic style and vision sets him apart. Having directed feature films The God Inside My Ear and Sister Tempest, Bado… Read More
2022-07-18 09:24
The Blood of the Dinosaurs is a surreal horror comedy short film from filmmaker, Joe Badon. Starting with a discussion about the film itself between the director and an actor, this unusual b… Read More
2022-07-15 21:35
The 16th South African Film and Television Awards better known as SAFTAs is gearing up for its long-awaited awards ceremony set to take place on 2 and 3 September 2022 as a simulcast on Mzan… Read More
2022-07-11 10:25
Barry Ronge was a famous South African entertainment journalist who retired from the spotlight in 2014 and recently passed away on 3 July. Dying from natural causes at the age of 74, it's cu… Read More
2022-07-06 19:55
Playbox has just launched in South Africa and offers a kind of entertainment aimed at helping you reach your full potential. The platform has taken inspiration from popular lesson plan forma… Read More
2022-06-27 21:26
First off, this article is written by a film critic - so there's obviously a frame of reference and a certain slant that you may need to take into account when reading this opinion piece. In… Read More
2022-06-21 12:47
While we hear about Dame Judi Dench all the time, it's not all that surprising to learn that Emma Thompson is also Dame. In keeping with her attitude towards her work, she continues to apply… Read More
2022-06-13 19:56
John and the Hole is a psychological thriller starring Charlie Shotwell, a directorial debut for Pascual Sisto from Birdman's screenwriter, Nicolás Giacobone. The title sounds a bit c… Read More
2022-06-06 21:11
The United States probably has the widest selection of movie snacks to pick from... after all that's where Hollywood is based? Cookie dough bites, M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, soft pretzels, gu… Read More
2022-06-06 19:12
If you love animals, you know there are a host of movies out there. Whether you're being introduced to an issue affecting them in a challenging documentary or watching a heartwarming family… Read More
2022-05-31 15:15
Colin Farrell is regarded as a Hollywood bad boy, something that's followed him like a shadow. Who knows what would have happened if the Irish actor's failed audition for Boyzone, didn't eve… Read More
2022-05-23 17:10
Tom Cruise is a Hollywood tiger, an actor who rakes in the big bucks and doesn't seem to age. At one point, Cruise was married to Katie Holmes, jumping up and down on Oprah's couch and punti… Read More
2022-05-19 13:40
It is a difficult task to have something to say about a film that leaves you speechless. The maddeningly good multiverse action-adventure-comedy-drama Everything Everywhere All At Once was g… Read More
2022-05-17 15:11
Story-driven entertainment sometimes makes us forget the people we're seeing on screen have their own lives and that they're actually working! The dreamy line between real and unreal is at i… Read More
2022-05-09 15:13
James Cameron brought us Titanic, Terminator, Alita: Battle Angel, The Abyss and Avatar. While there weren't any alien beings in Titanic (at least none that we know of besides Billy Zane) it… Read More
2022-05-05 11:05
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is an award-winning English actor who has been appointed a CBE by the Queen and included in Time magazine's annual 100 Most Influential People in the Wor… Read More
2022-05-02 10:09
The AfterLife Film Festival is an extension of SUPP, a subscription-based streaming platform for viewers and hub for filmmakers to showcase their productions, collaborate, attract funding a… Read More
2022-04-21 09:02
It's rare for anyone to refer to a film or movie as a motion picture, moving picture or photoplay. "Motion picture" is often reserved for filmmakers or marketing teams wanting to elevate the… Read More
2022-04-12 18:14
br>Michael Bay is a director who people love to hate. Whether your name is Mark Kermode or you've come to despise the Transformers series for its extreme, over the top, guns-blazing and… Read More
2022-04-07 14:24
True crime documentaries seek to delve into the darkness of the human psyche, re-investigate a crime to stoke renewed interest, analyse fresh evidence with retrospective wisdom to reveal com… Read More
2022-03-30 14:09
The Sparks Brothers is a music documentary about Russell and Ron Mael, whose rock band ambitions have kept them in the music business with 25 studio albums, 300 tracks and 50 years. It's a r… Read More
2022-03-22 10:44
2021 was the year that cinema came back as people packed movie theatres all over again. However, there was still the threat of COVID-19, which prompted many movies to be concurrently release… Read More
2022-03-09 12:07
Today's world makes it possible to own not just one TV screen but several devices each with their own screen and multiple viewing options. You can watch films at the cinema, on your flat scr… Read More
2022-03-04 08:31
The Batman has just released starring Robert Pattinson, an actor who seems to be winning more and more respect in Hollywood. This starring role follows on from Ben Affleck in a film from Mat… Read More
2022-02-25 18:45
The darkness. The darkness. Having grown up with the likes of Magnum P.I., MacGyver, The A-Team, Airwolf, Who's the Boss? and The Golden Girls, a person's view of everything is probably skew… Read More
2022-02-21 09:31
Product placements have become fairly common in the world of filmmaking. They can be distracting when poorly conceived or so cleverly supplanted you hardly notice. South Africa is still gett… Read More
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