Author: John Stark

Blogger. EIC of macthemovieguy.com. Contributor to mjsbigblog.com and houseofgeekery.com. Previously featured on starpulse.com.
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Sasquatch Sunset

John Stark

You know, I appreciate a good shot in the dark every once in a while. A filmmaker who just is willing to go completely outside of the box, building himself a new box, and doing his own thing. You need to understand that Sasquatch Sunset is not for everyone. It just isn’t. But, what it is, is certainly not derivative. It isn’t another superhero movie, or a sequel, or a remake. It’s not a prequel. It is an original work through and through, and there has to be something said for that. At the end of the day, this is … Continue reading Sasquatch Sunset

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For Love And Life: No Ordinary Campaign

John Stark

It is pretty hard to dislike a documentary that is centered around a disabled group fighting for their own lives, and advocating to Congress, when you are a blind film critic consistently advocating for the needs related to your disability. Going into this, I wasn’t sure what I would get to see of Brian and Sandra, the central couple at the heart of the documentary. Brian was diagnosed in his 30’s with ALS, and as someone already working in the political spectrum, he started to piece together a campaign to fund a debilitating diagnoses that has no cure. It’s funny … Continue reading For Love And Life: No Ordinary Campaign

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The Lion King: 30th Anniversary

John Stark

It means no worries, for the rest of your days. Wishful thinking, of course. Many of us who saw Disney’s The Lion King 30 years ago were told that we could just Hakuna Matata our way through life, but really, think about all those worries as you continue to grow up. It may be a problem free, philosophy, but Hakuna Matata is just not a sustainable reality. This thing was everywhere. The music was all over the place. I think the VHS broke sales records. It felt like everyone I knew had a copy of The Lion King. I remember … Continue reading The Lion King: 30th Anniversary

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Apathy At Hulu Leads To The inaccessibility Of Tentpole Series

John Stark

Yeah, the title is click bait as hell, and I own that. But this post is about what people don’t take ownership in, and that is Hulu with The Bear. the absolute bane of my existence has been the term “FX on Hulu”, which seemingly is giving Hulu carte Blanche to screw over the blind and low vision community. Too often, shows like Reservoir Dogs and The Bear have launched without audio description. Trying to get them to care, they seem to think that the ‘FX’ part of that gives them some kind of hall pass to screw around with … Continue reading Apathy At Hulu Leads To The inaccessibility Of Tentpole Series

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The Small Screen Diaries- 06/26/24

John Stark

I started my day by finishing Dark Matter (Apple Plus), which left me in a head scratcher of a position. Do we leave it there, and call it a rather perfect limited series, or do they try to do what every other limited series is doing now and go for a second season? I think the possibilities are there, but I don’t actually know that they can top the first season. I want this answer to come creatively, from a place of creative strength, and not pressure from Apple Plus to do another one. Open the door, but also allow … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 06/26/24

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Movies With Pride: Love Lies Bleeding

John Stark

I’m always amazed by the cult of A24. They’re just a distribution company, yet there are some out there that think this studio is carefully curating the best cinema of the year. If not the best, certainly the most challenging. I don’t disagree with the latter, as A24 films always seem like we’d never see them released by anyone other than A24 or Neon. Rose Glass’s Love Lies Bleeding is very much one of those films. I struggle to see where a film where the two leads are lesbians would fit in, especially in a way where the studio would … Continue reading Movies With Pride: Love Lies Bleeding

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Die Hart 2

John Stark

I take some ownership for the absolute destruction in this review. I remember when Die Hart was a thing, and I thought it was a show on Quibby, which I did not subscribe to, and it died really fast. My recollection was that Roku bought the library of Quibby content, including Die Hart. So I don’t know how it got to Amazon, and I’m not sure why it is a full length movie. But, it had audio description. This was also trending on Amazon, and I had the time and the curiosity to find out exactly what the hell was … Continue reading Die Hart 2

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Miller’s Girl

John Stark

This film wants you to know… Jenna Ortega is 18. Because, if she wasn’t, I suppose that would somehow change your mind? Like, people dig this movie about a teacher and his student, possibly because she is legal, but those people would feel morally reprehensible if she wasn’t?This movie is more concerned with that than actually being good. Miller’s Girl also lacked audio description on Netflix, so this sultry thriller is headed for doom as it is. I didn’t get much out of this. There are more unwatchable movies than this, but this happens to have just enough in this … Continue reading Miller’s Girl

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Jim Henson: Idea Man

John Stark

Inevitability. It was impossible to avoid the eventual documentary that would be about Jim Henson. Luckily, it is directed by Ron Howard, which feels like an upgrade of sorts, except he’s more known for features.There was a lot of hesitation on my part, this being a Disney Plus release, and whether or not Disney or the Henson family would ever let anyone “go there”. Like, no one is perfect, and a documentary that does nothing but paint their topics as carefully crafted masters of art that left no wake aren’t interesting to me. Even Fred Roger’s, one of the nicest … Continue reading Jim Henson: Idea Man

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The Small Screen Diaries- 06/25/24

John Stark

I am finishing shows left and right. I’m not sure why Outer Range only had a 7 episode second season, I’m just happy Amazon gave it one. I loved season two, which really opened up the lore a lot more, and gave the supporting characters more room to breathe. I hope it gets a third season, so we can see more of where this is headed. It fascinates me. Will Patton is exceptional, a character actor too frequently overlooked, but his work on here is really strong. Even Josh Brolin is doing some of his best work. I hope this … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 06/25/24

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The Small Screen Diaries- 06/24/24

John Stark

This week’s episode of House Of The Dragon (MAX) hit some real highs. I have never liked King Eamon or the actor who plays him, but now I need to memorize this guy’s name, because he was brilliant. This entire episode opened up new layers to a King that has been basically a C-List interpretation of what Jack Gleason already did in the flagship show. S2E2 really sets them apart, as the King really shows wide ranges of emotion, anger, and utter despair and grief. Other than randomly checking in on what Adam was up to, when he had no … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 06/24/24

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Movies With Pride: To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar

John Stark

I’ve basically been using Pride Month to hit a lot of the films that made an impact on me when I needed to see that kind of representation. I was young, and it seemed like there was no one around me who was thinking the same thing as me. it wasn’t until I started seeing representation in films and television that I didn’t feel so broken. The reality was, I still was in an area where you just did not say gay. Even when I was bullied in school, it was almost always for being overweight. it almost was like … Continue reading Movies With Pride: To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar

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The First Omen

John Stark

I’m sure Hulu, Disney, 20th Century Fox, and whoever else associated with The First Omen feels triggered by me. Here’s the deal. I’ve been a pretty equal opportunity advocate, going after every company for their missed accessibility opportunities. Just a few days ago, I commented on the lack of audio description on The Big City Greens Movie, which seems odd considering how much of an effort Disney has been making at getting branded content described, mainly films and not necessarily shows. Vault Disney titles, D-Quels, and Disney Channel Original Movies are all the unlikely candidates, when inherited titles like Tom … Continue reading The First Omen

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The Small Screen Diaries- 06/23/24

John Stark

I usually leave non-audio described shows off the list, except for that first episode, just to acknowledge that this show exists and does not have audio description. So, the winner today is Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC Plus), which is airing without audio description on AMC Plus. I would absolutely be on board, because of Krysten Ritter, who proved to me multiple times in the past to never count her out. I’m not a deep fan of the original, so I can enjoy an American revival/remake of the series. the problem is that this is one of those shows where the … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 06/23/24

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Problemista

John Stark

If I had known this thing was so close to dropping on MAX, i wouldn’t have renewed it. I will say, that with almost 100 titles so far this year, this is currently at the top of my list. I am probably the only person who can say that, since I think everyone is likely to have seen something at one of the festivals by now. But for me, I thought this quirky A24 comedy hit the mark, a rare feat for what has been a fairly mediocre year thus far. The audio description is produced by Deluxe, with primary … Continue reading Problemista