Author: John Stark

Blogger. EIC of macthemovieguy.com. Contributor to mjsbigblog.com and houseofgeekery.com. Previously featured on starpulse.com.
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The Small Screen Diaries: 06/16/26

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Witch Hat Atelier: S1E12 (CrunchyRoll) with audio description, XO Kitty: S3E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Spider-Noir: S1E5 (Amazon) with audio description, Monarch: S1E8 (Apple) with audio description, Crutch: S1E7 (Paramount) with audio description, and The Daily Show: Monday (Paramount) no audio description Witch Hat Atelier- Morena Babu (whose name I assume I’m not getting correct) is an excellent AD writer. This series has terrific writing, which really captures the magic and fantasy of the show, while always trying to bring some flair of the artistic choices. Here, we got a flashback to Richi’s past and why she … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/16/26

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Imperfect Women: Series Review

John Stark

I wasn’t really sure what to make of Imperfect Women at first. I knew it was adapted from a novel, but then again, that doesn’t mean much nowadays. It seems like every novel is getting adapted because a screenwriter can always change the aspects they don’t like. For example, the original novel takes place in England. This series takes place in California. So the change of location is already central to what was considered necessary to make the series work. Then again, if it had stayed in England, we probably wouldn’t have Kerry Washington, Elisabeth Moss, and Corey Stoll, all … Continue reading Imperfect Women: Series Review

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The Small Screen Diaries: 06/15/26

John Stark

I get why this was a slightly easier decision for Netflix, but they just renewed The Four Seasons for a third season. However, Boroughs has been in the Top 10 since its debut, has racked up 117 million viewing hours, and over 18 million completed viewings (people who watched the whole series). The Four Seasons, on the other hand, while also landing in the top 10, is down from last season, with only 18 million viewing hours so far, and only 4.4 million completed views. Granted, it is a shorter series, so if we assumed the Four Seasons would have … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/15/26

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Spiral: From The Book Of Saw

John Stark

After a long stretch, there is finally a film in the Saw franchise that climbs back into fresh territory for me, and surprisingly, that film is Spiral. It’s admittedly an odd choice, considering Jigsaw isn’t even in the movie. It’s more of a side story, a departure from the main saga, and I completely understand why some fans don’t connect with it because of that. The movie itself is borderline at times. It’s somewhat predictable, retreads a few familiar ideas, and doesn’t completely escape the shadow of what came before. It might even be a little reductive to point at … Continue reading Spiral: From The Book Of Saw

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Finnegan’s Foursome

John Stark

Edward Burns has spent much of his career exploring family dynamics, Irish heritage, and the baggage people carry from one generation to the next. Finnegan’s Foursome certainly checks all of those boxes. What I didn’t realize until watching it is just how much Burns seems to love golf. And I mean really love golf. Finnegan’s Foursome contains so much golf that it ranks alongside actual golf movies like The Greatest Game Ever Played or Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius. The difference is that those films are about golfers. This one isn’t. The story follows the sons and grandkids of a … Continue reading Finnegan’s Foursome

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The Small Screen Diaries: 06/14/26

John Stark

And now the Stanley Cup! Yesterday I congratulated Knicks fans on an overdue championship, and now Carolina Hurricanes, who won their first NHL title in 20 years, and this is only their second Stanley Cup. So, lots of underdogs. Let’s hold that momentum through November. TV Shows Watched: From: S4E8 (MGM Plus) with audio description, Big Mistakes: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description,Malcolm In The Middle: Life’s Still Unfair: S1E3 (Disney Plus) with audio description, The Miniature Wife: S1E4 (Peacock) with audio description, SNL: Coleman DOmingo (Peacock) with audio description, The Lincoln Lawyer: S4E8 (Netflix) with audio description, and Pop Culture … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/14/26

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Chum

John Stark

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to movies about going back into the water, Australia unleashes Chum upon the world. It’s a low-budget, schlocky attempt at a shark horror movie, notably being released by IFC without the cooperation of Shudder, the branch of the company that specifically handles this sort of thing. They didn’t even want it. Shudder probably heard this thing was coming down the pipeline and dodged it, which says a lot considering some of the highly questionable content they’ve already released. Even then, most of their catalog is better than this. Reasonably, most … Continue reading Chum

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The Small Screen Diaries: 06/13/26

John Stark

Congrats to the Knicks. Man, longtime Knicks fans must be going nuts. They haven’t won a championship in my lifetime. TV Shows Watched: Legends: S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description, Imperfect WOmen: S1E8 (Apple) with audio description, Scarpetta: S1E3 (Amazon) with audio description, Half Man: S1E5 (HBO MAX) with audio description, The Fall And RIse Of Reggie Dinkins: S1E6 (Peacock) with audio description, Pop Culture Jeopardy: S2E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Dutton Ranch: S1E4 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, and Hacks: S5E4 (HBO MAX) with audio description Legends- My opinion went up a bit as they got a bit more tension … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/13/26

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No Other Choice

John Stark

Some films arrive at exactly the right moment, and No Other Choice benefits enormously from the period in which it was released. People are struggling to find meaningful employment. They’re struggling to keep up with rising costs. They’re struggling to maintain the basic financial stability that previous generations often took for granted. I recently read a BuzzFeed article collecting comments from shoppers, and one person joked that they knew someone was rich if they could afford to buy cherries at the grocery store. It’s a small observation, but it captures something real about the current moment. Everywhere you look, people … Continue reading No Other Choice

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Jigsaw

John Stark

Jigsaw marks a welcome change of pace for the Saw franchise. More importantly, thank God the tales of Hoffman are finally behind us. I know plenty of critics would argue there was never much value in any of the first seven Saw films, but it’s hard to deny the impact the original movie had when it arrived in 2004. If nothing else, it shocked audiences with one of the most memorable twist endings of its era. It also became the poster child for the crudely named “torture porn” subgenre, paving the way for films like Hostel and The Collector, movies … Continue reading Jigsaw

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Movies With Pride: Something You Should Know About Me

John Stark

Something You Should Know About Me is notable for a reason that extends beyond the film itself. I’m genuinely excited that in 2026 I can say this is not the first film I’ve reviewed this year featuring transgender leads. Following She’s the He, it’s actually the second such film I’ve had the opportunity to watch and review in less than a month. Considering how infrequently marginalized voices have historically been given space on screen, that’s pretty freaking cool. The film follows Al, an aspiring artist who is thrilled to attend a creative camp where he can further develop his writing … Continue reading Movies With Pride: Something You Should Know About Me

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The Small Screen Diaries: 06/12/26

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Unchosen: S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description, Margo’s Got Money Troubles: S1E3 (Apple) with audio description, Tracker: S3E? (Paramount), and The Four Seasons: S2E3 (Netflix) with audio description Unchosen- They’ve got Sam living in an “outhouse”, and this is one of those times, where I think the UK and American AD teams need to get together, and have a conversation about what words mean in other countries. Like, for example, imagine if every UK track you heard chose a certain word for cigarette that doesn’t translate well abroad. It would feel quite jarring. it is a little strange … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/12/26

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Goat

John Stark

We deserve better. Kids deserve better. Animation has evolved to the point where audiences can reasonably expect more than films like Goat. This is essentially Zootopia by way of basketball, another entry in the ever-growing pile of animated movies built around anthropomorphic animals doing familiar things. It’s not an inherently bad concept, but it’s also not a particularly original one. And while Goat boasts a talented voice cast, that’s hardly a selling point these days. Most animated features have talented voice casts. What separates memorable animated films from disposable ones is what they leave behind once the credits roll. Goat … Continue reading Goat

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Movies With Pride: Boy Erased

John Stark

Watching Boy Erased during Pride Month feels a little ironic. This isn’t a film about celebrating LGBTQ identity so much as it is a film about the expectations society places upon people and the damage that can be done when someone is told they are not allowed to be who they are. Written and directed by Joel Edgerton, who also appears in a supporting role, Boy Erased focuses on the controversial practice of conversion therapy. What is most alarming about revisiting the film today is realizing how relevant it remains. When it was released in 2018, it felt like the … Continue reading Movies With Pride: Boy Erased

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The Small Screen Diaries: 06/12/2016: Never Forget

John Stark

It certainly is not my story to tell, and I also have no intention of jumping on a trauma chain for something that is not mine. That doesn’t mean that I did not see people going through this tragedy, that I didn’t see that how for a minute the world united to agree that what transpired was immeasurably tragic, and a town began to heal. I cannot speak to what it is like to be a survivor, but rather a spectator in the wake of. I will never forget waking up that morning, seeing my Facebook feed, the push notifications, … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 06/12/2016: Never Forget