Keeping in line with my 40th birthday this year, here is the second list of films I watched. I’m trying to cast a wide net and bring in multiple streamers, but peacock refuses to host audio description for Universal titles not made in the last 3 years. So just like the first ten, one of these does not have audio description. This list spans films I saw over June and July, so it is possible that some have left the service listed.

While there are numbers, this is not a rank of my favorites from best to worst, but rather from first to most recent seen.

11) Minority Report (Paramount Plus)

English Audio Description?: Yes

I’m a big fan of this film, and it was one of my favorite films the year it came out, which incidentally was 2003. So, while i turn 40, minority Report turns 20. This is one of Tom cruise’s best performances, and Steven Spielberg directed the hell out of this film. It’s crazy to see a series like Class Of 09 now, and think about this film and what it had to say about preCrime back twenty years ago. I thought the audio description was pretty strong, though I have to admit that it’s been at least ten years since I last saw this, and it isn’t a film where most of the visuals are embedded in my brain so I can compare.

12) Wall-E (Disney plus)

English Audio Description Provided By the Media Access group

Narrated by: Kimmi guest

I adore Wall-E. It’s not just likely an actual top 40 for me, but might have been Top 10. i say might have been, because even though my love for Wall-E will always have no bounds, this one hurts. this is one of those rare films that not only did i watch it a bunch at home, but i saw it twice in theatres. The moments right before the ending before Wall-E and Eve used to always make me cry. While the narration tries so hard to compensate for what we are missing, this is one where all of Wall-E’s personality quirks, the little expressions he has, and Eve’s many reactions just are lost, and can’t fully be described. The magic is gone on this one for me, but I already knew that. Unlike the rest of my 40 For 40, this was my second time through wall-E since losing my vision, and second time with audio description. Kimmi is a delightful narrator, and there’s nothing she can do to really save it. I’d be curious to know if people who had never been able to see enjoy Wall-E. It’s a beautiful film with a captivating story and score that deserved a Best picture nomination. It just happens to have two leads who communicate the entire film by saying each other’s names, and while love can be in any language, these two connect on a level of expression that is simply lost in translation.

13) The Departed (Netflix)

English Audio Description?: Yes

Depending on the mood, my favorite Scorsese movie is either this, or Goodfellas. I remember the shock and experience of seeing this film play out the very first time, and each successive viewing really only helps me find another layer. Stacked with brilliant performances, this movie has audio description that sat right where it needed to, and kept the tension in its sequences.

14) inglourious Basterds (FreeVee)

English Audio Description?: Yes

My first inclusion for amazon’s ad supported streamer, as well as my first Tarantino film. This is actually my favorite film, and I always believed Melanie Laurent was robbed of a Supporting Actress nomination. Christoph waltz is still excellent, but after having seen him in so many other things, I’m slightly less impressed. Audio description is necessary for blind viewers unless you speak multiple languages.

15) Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl (Disney Plus)

English Audio Description Provided By The Media Access Group

Narrated By peter Heydew

I jumped at this one because Disney rereleased the film to celebrate it’s 100th anniversary as a company. Sometimes, an entire franchise can stay up in my favorites, but the sequels aren’t nearly as good. It’s a little like Transformers in that way. but, Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow is still his greatest performance, and the audio description here is fire. It does an excellent job of maneuvering in the scenes where the moonlight is revealing which cast members are dead already, and follows many sword fighting scenes perfectly. plus, it does a great job of describing the set and atmosphere to really bring you into this world.

16) home Alone (Disney Plus)

English Audio Description?: Yes

my favorite Christmas film. it’s the one I have to watch every year. I actually don’t need to even watch this film, i just need a solid 90 minutes to meditate, and i can run through the whole thing in my head. it’s like I downloaded it to my brain. I’ve seen this at least 20 times, probably more like 25-30, as it was either always on TV, or I made the effort to watch on DVD or streaming. This isn’t even the first time since my blindness. Honestly, it’s like my fifth. And at least one of those was just me channel surfing and watching without audio description. I can’t explain why this movie hits the spot, but it does. I even have a home Alone t-shirt I wear year round. Crazy. Perhaps it has to do with Chris Columbus as the director and John Hughes as the writer. Not to mention, john Freaking Candy.

17) The Fast and the Furious (Peacock)

English audio Description?: No

Despite this film defying expectations, and launching a billion dollar global franchise that everyone from Dwayne johnson to john cena has joined, Peacock isn’t concerned with audio description. it’s a racing film, and there are many scenes with no dialogue, and just car sounds. you’ve made more than enough off this franchise to put audio description on all the titles on your own fucking streaming service. Yes, it’s a silly film, but it’s nostalgic for me. I do not love all the films in the franchise equally, but the original will always have a special place in my heart. RIP Paul Walker.

18) The Dark Knight (MAX)

English Audio Description?: yes

I’m a walking cliche. I’m a 40 year old film nerd whose favorite Christopher nolan film is The Dark Knight. not only did ledger deserve the Oscar, but we need to rewrite the Oscar’s so this gets a Picture nomination, Director, and preferably also one for Aaron Eckhart, who was terrific as Harvey Dent. This, like where Wall-E once sat, is probably a top 10 film for me. I’ve seen this probably 15 times, at least, and it never lets me down. Why so serious? i make my own luck.

19) A Star Is Born (Amazon)

English Audio Description?: Yes

proving that I can love a movie I’ve never seen, Bradley Cooper’s Oscar pic makes the cut. It’s the most recent film, and i think this was probably my first watch. i actually saw this without audio description the first time, in theatres, as that was not working. but the magic of the film blew me away. Shallow isn’t even my favorite song in the film. that would be the film’s closer, I’ll Never Fall in love Again. Though, I think Cooper’s Maybe it’s Time is really underrated. Sam Elliot should have picked up a supporting actor nomination. The audio description is fantastic, though i have no comparison. It just knows not to ruin these songs for me. Ha.

20) Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (Disney Plus)

English Audio Description?: Yes

It’s hard to really quantify how big of an achievement it is to someone who has never been able to see, and that’s where the audio description kinda falters. but how do you really grab your audience with the concept of cartoons and humans in the same space? Robert Zemeckis went out of his way to make sure every animated character felt present on set, almost like how The Muppets are treated like living things. He wanted the magic to bleed out for the audience, so he set up rigs that allowed the actors to make direct eye contact with the animated characters, and then matched that up. The experience is having Eddie valiant be able to hold Roger and really stare him in the eyes, even though he’s not really there. The audio description is adequate, but sometimes I feel like we need companion tracks to help us really understand the deeper context behind what it took to make something special. I’m glad they never made a sequel. I’ve seen this a dozen times, and i remember it from being a little kid. It always brings back memories.