Reel Abilities Film Festival 2026: Dream Touch Believe
I’m finally getting around to Dream Touch Believe, with hesitancy, because while I did like the documentary, it also was my least favorite. I’ve tried marinating on why. Structurally, it is a sound, heartfelt work. A daughter is directing a film following her father’s life. Michael Araagelo, a fine art creator, who hasn’t let blindness or missing limbs lost in Vietnam stop him from creating art. I’m blind, so this should hit me hard, which at times, i related. he talks about early on, how people would try to show him things, and he kept thinking how unnecessary since he … Continue reading Reel Abilities Film Festival 2026: Dream Touch Believe
Dolly
DollI feel like I trudge through Shudder titles every year hoping to land the Late Night With The Devil, Oddity, Birth/Rebirth, or Good Boy, the films that transcend the typical horror slop that seems to traverse to Shudder on a regular basis. I’ve done some films a kindness, and not reviewed them, partially because they didn’t have audio description, and partially because I just don’t have the time to review hundreds of films without audio description.However, Dolly does have audio description, and it is even readily available on the AMC Plus platform. How about them apples? Dolly is like if … Continue reading Dolly
One Piece: Season 2
Netflix somehow made One Piece work. That still feels a little surprising to me, mostly because anime adaptations have a pretty rough history when they try to jump into live action. Cowboy Bebop didn’t survive. Plenty of others never really figure out how to balance the tone, the weirdness, or the larger-than-life worlds they come from. But One Piece figured it out in Season 1 by leaning directly into the absurdity instead of trying to make everything darker or more grounded. Season 2 continues the journey of Luffy and the Straw Hats as they travel from island to island searching … Continue reading One Piece: Season 2
The Small Screen Diaries: 05/16/26
Coming this week… the streaming premieres of The Bride (HBO MAX) and Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (Peacock), as well as big streaming movies like a feature length Jack Ryan with John Krasinski (Amazon) and Ladies First (Netflix) with Sacha Baron Cohen. As most shows are wrapping up their seasons, not a lot of new standouts, except the high profile The Boroughs (the newest limited series produced by The Duffer Bros) and Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (Apple) with Tatiana Maslany. There’s also a new adult animation on Netflix from the team behind Big Mouth, MAting Season (Netflix). TV Shows Watched: … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 05/16/26
Going In Blind: Lind Perry: Let It Die Here
Admittedly, if I had been accosted prior to screening this with the need for an immediate answer to the question “Who is Linda Perry, and what is she known for?” I would have struggled. I know she’s a musician, unquestionably, but attaching her to a song? A band? I couldn’t have done it. That isn’t a deal breaker for me, as last year I fell in love with Janis Ian through her documentary, and I truthfully didn’t know she existed. I’m not a music critic, it is less weird for me to have gaps in my knowledge of musicians than … Continue reading Going In Blind: Lind Perry: Let It Die Here
The Small Screen Diaries: 05/15/26
TV Shows Watched: One Piece: S2E8 (Netflix) with audio description, Shrinking: S3E11 (Apple) with audio description, High Potential: S2E16 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Tracker: S3E12 (Paramount) with audio description, The Burbs: S1E6 (Peacock) with audio description, and Dutton Ranch: S1E1 (Paramount Plus) with audio description One Piece- In case I don’t review the whole season, I’ll say the audio description, IDC, written by Dakota Green, narrated by Jamie Lemcheck, is fantastic, start to finish. This adaptation of anime has so many visually stunning elements, like how the finale has pink snow, and giant monsters, that there is never a … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 05/15/26
Finding Her Edge: Season 1
Finding Her Edge is one of those shows where I completely understand why it exists, why Netflix greenlit it, why it already got renewed for Season 2, and why there’s probably a subsection of viewers curled up on their couch calling this their comfort show. I get it. I really do. This just absolutely was not for me. And that should be normalized. No one likes everything, and as much as I love to be a cheerleader for things I like, I do have to come here from time to time and say, this didn’t do it for me.It might … Continue reading Finding Her Edge: Season 1
Lord Of The Flies (2026)
William Golding’s Lord Of The Flies has always had this reputation as one of those books teachers hand kids when they want to quietly destroy whatever joy they still have left in English class. I read it in the 8th grade, which was a very long time ago (don’t ask), and I remember liking Flowers For Algernon, which I had to read in the same grade, a whole lot more. That one wrecked me emotionally. Lord Of The Flies mostly just made me uncomfortable, which I guess means Golding did his job. For anyone who somehow skipped it, the story … Continue reading Lord Of The Flies (2026)
The Small Screen Diaries: 05/14/26
TV Shows Watched: The Boys: S5E7 (Amazon) with audio description, American Classic: S1E4 (MGM Plus) with audio description, Stranger Things: Tales From 85: S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description,We’ll Be Fine: S1E1 (Disney Plus) with audio description,and The Madison: S1E3 (Paramount) with audio description The Boys- one big death, a few minor deaths. One more episode to go. A big name actor swung in for a surprising cameo, if it hasn’t been spoiled for you yet. You’ll recognize the voice. Some surprising turns for most of the characters headed into the finale as Homelander has achieved God Mode.The audio description is … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 05/14/26
DTF: St. Louis: Season 1
If you don’t know what this is, DTF St Louis is one of those titles that makes you think HBO is getting into the NCIS: City Name or CSI: Wherever, but after sitting through the first season, I think most other cities won’t jump at the chance to be a series expansion should this want to become a new White Lotus for HBO. Boise? Denver? Jacksonville? I have a feeling they won’t be “Down To Film” (and yes, I know what DTF stands for). The series, starring Jason Bateman, David Harbour, Linda Cardellini, and Richard Jenkins, spends seven episodes trying … Continue reading DTF: St. Louis: Season 1
Apex
Apex is an interesting title for this movie, because if we’re talking about the food chain of cinema, this thing is definitely not sitting at the top. It’s more like a dingo running around acting tough. Dangerous enough, sure. But an actual apex predator? Not quite. Still, I didn’t hate this thing. There’s actually a decent survival thriller buried in here somewhere, especially once the movie stops trying so hard to foreshadow itself. That’s really the biggest issue with Apex. The opening scenes with Charlize Theron and Eric Bana practically tell you exactly where the movie is eventually heading once … Continue reading Apex
The Small Screen Diaries: 05/13/26
Netflix just went nuts yesterday at their upfront. They did announce some new shows, but they also announced some renewals, including an early Season 4 renewal for My Life With The Walter Boys, an expected pickup for the 11th season of Love Is Blind, a 3rd season of Quarterback, a somewhat surprising vote of confidence for Running Point for its 3rd season even after a ratings dip, and a 2nd season of Big Mistakes as Dan Levy also inks a development deal with Netflix. Sadly, they also confirmed that the upcoming fifth season of The Lincoln Lawyer will be its … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 05/13/26
Going In Blind: Strange Journey: The Rocky Horror Story
It is the review you’ve been waiting for. You might even say, you’re shivering with…. Anticipation. Strange Journey, directed by Linus O’Brien, son of Rocky Horror creator Richard o’Brien, is fan service to the max. But, after 50 years of Rocky Horror, what kind of fan service is appropriate? Last year, I reviewed a documentary titled Metallica Saved My Life, which while is about the origins of the rock band, is also about the fans, their stories, and how Metallica became a fundamental part of their lives. In an era where streaming services are dying for content creation, it seems … Continue reading Going In Blind: Strange Journey: The Rocky Horror Story
Going In Blind: Blue Film
I don’t think we will get a more controversial, daring, edgier, wholly original film this year than Blue Film. it is the film seemingly no one wanted, but everyone should have. For the Letterboxed generation seeking A24 vibes and deep diving into the Criterion collection, some of that is meant to make you uncomfortable. It is meant to make you think about something you don’t, or never would have. When people reach out and start rewatching Come and See, because the internet has pushed interest its direction, it isn’t because that film is an easy film to sit through. Quite … Continue reading Going In Blind: Blue Film
The Punisher: One Last Kill
Apparently, watching Frank Castle’s family die over and over is a necessary ingredient in The Punisher formula, much like needing to watch The Wayne’s die, and those pearls hit the ground, or Uncle Ben meet his demise in Spider-Man. We hold these truths to be self evident, all heroes have emotional baggage. Boy, does Frank have baggage. In the opening moments of the MArvel Special Presentation, we can tell Frank Castle is not doing well. And he only has 44 minutes to do better. Haunted by the ghosts of his past, the show leans on that literally by manifesting fake … Continue reading The Punisher: One Last Kill