Author: John Stark

Blogger. EIC of macthemovieguy.com. Contributor to mjsbigblog.com and houseofgeekery.com. Previously featured on starpulse.com.
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Trigger Warning

John Stark

I’m a believer in the idea that certain things can move the needle in a positive or negative direction. yes, there’s a core movie, but sometimes something stands out that is better or worse than the rest, and it is possible to move your feelings about that film just a little bit. For example, sitting through a movie you don’t really care for, only to find out that it secretly was headed to a mindfuck of an ending. That ending alone could sway you. Sometimes, because Netflix’s mold relies on one or two stars anchoring a project, the charisma of … Continue reading Trigger Warning

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Iron Will: 30th Anniversary

John Stark

I’m very nostalgic. I’m one of those people who watches a movie like 17 Again, and thinks that I’d love that opportunity. Even more, I’d love to have the knowledge i know now, and repeat my childhood. We had Saturday Morning Cartoons, afternoon cartoons when we got out of school, a block on Saturday night, kids played with physical toys… outside, and I mostly watched films aimed at kids. My parents took me to the theatres to see Batman in its original theatrical release, and I fell asleep. So, the beginning of my film journey is dominated by films aimed … Continue reading Iron Will: 30th Anniversary

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The Small Screen Diaries- 07/07/24

John Stark

This is going to be so short. I used most of my TV time to knock out the final three episodes of Wandla (Apple Plus), which I do plan on doing a more in depth review of. What I’ll say for sure is that I’m down for Season 2, and I think families will love this. It might be a bit much for little ones, but probably 6-7 on up will enjoy this. Even adults (though, it’s not going to be like your new Bridgerton or something). I did another episode of the excellent Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (Netflix), which … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 07/07/24

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Federer: 12 Final Days

John Stark

Admittedly, as an independent critic, I have no editor telling me what to watch. What I love about documentaries, and why I often take a swing on ones I have little interest in, is that I might learn something, or gain perspective.That’s my way of telling you I do not like Tennis. I don’t follow it. I can’t even fully conceive how much of a GOAT Roger Federer is compared to the other male tennis players, even after this Amazon doc. This is essentially content creation for Amazon. Someone followed roger around for the final days of his career before … Continue reading Federer: 12 Final Days

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The Small Screen Diaries- 07/06/24

John Stark

I finished some shows today. First up, bridgerton (Netflix), which is going to be impossible to not recommend as the best audio description for a TV show next time around. I loved the season. There was one moment when they were mentioning all the Bridgerton’s, and I feel like we’re at that point where we are just pretending like Season 1 never happened. Violet is sad to see Francheska move so far away, and this would have been the best time to point out that her eldest daughter didn’t appear at all, but instead we just decide to never mention … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 07/06/24

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Brats

John Stark

Andrew McCarthy has some time on his hands. So, he’s decided to tackle the most pressing question of all. What was it like to be in “The Brat Pack”? In order to do this, he has to track down a bunch of people he barely knows and hasn’t seen in years, all so Hulu has more content. Well, that and he also had a lot of free time. Andrew starts out in a very home video setting, starting off by explaining his premise from his perspective, and interspersing it with hopeful phone messages for people who were generally recognized as … Continue reading Brats

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The Small Screen Diaries- 07/05/24

John Stark

Presumed Innocent (Apple Plus) is really starting to make me wonder if they’re gonna follow the ending from the film. There were some clues dropped, but Gyllenhaal is also quite an unreliable narrator. I don’t like the timeframe that he supposedly had to do all this, when he didn’t go there for that. And, the statement about her being afraid of some guy from work, I’m wondering if the casting of Peter Sarsgaard is going to lead to a surprise twist. he’s a big enough name that it would be one hell of a twist for the man prosecuting Gyllenhaal, … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 07/05/24

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Monkey Man

John Stark

Before watching this, I had already heard all the interesting tales of how this came to be. As Dev Patel was making his directorial debut, while starring, he managed to injure himself a few times, and still kept filming.It seems like the kind of press you leak to get fans of action films uniquely excited for the experience as the action scenes must be intense for Patel to have sustained multiple injuries. This isn’t just a tragic accident like Dylan O’Brien on the set of the Maze Runner sequel. Patel got knocked down, and chumbawumba’ed himself back up again multiple … Continue reading Monkey Man

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The Small Screen Diaries- 07/04/24

John Stark

How did you spend your Independence Day? Luckily, we didn’t have to fight aliens. That’s good news. I celebrated with The Boys (Amazon), which had a killer twist ending to it, but also featured so many rule pushing moments. I love how The Boys is constantly always asking itself “what can we get away with?” Or “what will our audience be willing to watch?” Because there are things in this episode, I’m not even sure would earn an R rating. Definitely across the run of the show, but maybe even in each episode. Like, Firecracker’s gift to Homelander? And, if … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 07/04/24

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Tarzan (1999): 25th Anniversary (with Tarzan II!)

John Stark

Come stop your crying, it will be an all right. I know you just watched The Acolyte, and you are missing classic Disney, which is a great time to take a look at what Classic Disney looked like. Following my celebration of The Lion King, in all its 30th Anniversary glory, five years later they released Tarzan. It’s one of the divisive movies that not everyone loves, but I do. And if you think just because we hit the sweet spot with TThe Lion King, Inside Out 2, and Tarzan, that I adore everything Disney, this just happens to be … Continue reading Tarzan (1999): 25th Anniversary (with Tarzan II!)

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The Small Screen Diaries- 07/03/24

John Stark

Dammit. Amazon is officially currently on my shit list for dropping Outer Range. They cancelled the show after 2 seasons, and I should have known better. Every time a show like this gets cancelled, it in turn makes me less invested in the future of other shows. Really, it is the lack of resolution. It’s the idea that we can be loyal fans, and do exactly what we are supposed to do, watch these shows over and over, and never get resolution. At least with a movie, you get an ending. Aside from the Divergent franchise, I can’t think of … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 07/03/24

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inside Out 2

John Stark

Where were you when puberty struck? One day, you’re just a kid, doing regular kid things, and then overnight, puberty just begins. That is the big question behind the sequel to Inside Out that has swept the nation. That’s right, I’m reviewing a theatrical release. Shocker! As such, I have a little bit of a spoiler for just my blind fam coming here to talk about audio description. In my theatre, the force was not strong with the bluetooth in my receiver, and short of wandering the theatre like I’m in a Verizon commercial trying to get cell reception, I … Continue reading inside Out 2

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The Muppet Movie: 45th Anniversary

John Stark

45 years of The Muppets on the big screen. When I noticed that this was an anniversary year, albeit an odd one, I wanted to tackle this because we just had Jim Henson: Idea Man, and even then I felt like I needed to review something Muppet related. This isn’t where it began, but it is the first of the film franchise. I’m also not here to try and tip the scales on what is clearly a time honored classic. No one has been waiting 45 years to hear if I endorse The Muppet Movie. This is not my first … Continue reading The Muppet Movie: 45th Anniversary

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The Small Screen Diaries- 07/02/24

John Stark

Inching closer to the finale of Sweet Tooth (Netflix), in an episode that saw Gus finally reach Alaska, but right behind him is Helen. Look, I love me some Sweet Tooth, but people find their random ass locations or are found at random ass locations far too much in this show. I feel like if the story required Gus to find the lost city of Atlantis, it would take him two minutes to find it, and another minute for everyone else to find him. I can actually imagine him being greeted down at Atlantis with “No one has been down … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 07/02/24

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The Karate Kid: 40th Anniversary

John Stark

The classic film that would unsuspectingly launch an entire new generation of fans through a YouTube show, which later was saved by Netflix and turned into a pop culture phenomenon. Of course, I’m talking about The Karate Kid. The original. A film you wouldn’t expect to be nominated for an Academy Award, but actually got Pat Morita a nomination for his iconic Mr. Miyagi performance. An unlikely film to stand the test of time, but it has. The Karate Kid is about a rising Karate star named Johnny (William Zappa) who studies at the top dojo in the area, Cobra … Continue reading The Karate Kid: 40th Anniversary