Top 10 Directors of 2023
Best Of 2023: Top 10 Directors Of The Year Continue reading Top 10 Directors of 2023
Author: John Stark
Blogger. EIC of macthemovieguy.com. Contributor to mjsbigblog.com and houseofgeekery.com. Previously featured on starpulse.com.
The Last Repair Shop
Oscar nominated for Best Documentary Short, The Last Repair Shop is now on Disney plus, but without audio description (at least when I watched it upon release). I don’t care this time. It’s my party and I’ll do what I want. While there are other exceptional documentary shorts this year, I am in love with this one that focuses on a small group of instrument repair workers who try to make sure the Los Angeles public schools have access to workable instruments. Not only is this a love story of sorts to these people who work in a back room … Continue reading The Last Repair Shop
The Eternal Memory
Nominated this year for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, you can now find this on Paramount Plus with audio description. the film is not originally in the English language, so I would recommend not skipping the accessibility if you are blind or visually impaired. It wouldn’t have been my choice, but the Documentary branch frequently chooses documentaries no one watches or cares about over documentaries widely accepted by the public. Every once in a while you get a Summer Of Soul, but most well known documentaries fail to even get nominated. Last year, Moon Age Daydream missed out on … Continue reading The Eternal Memory
The Other Zoey
This wonder is available to prime subscribers right now. Don’t rush. It’s just for romcom addicts. It does not have audio description, but is so surface level that I have to grade it, because calling this film “unwatchable” is insulting your intelligence. Would I have preferred to watch this with audio description? Absolutely. Am I going to tell you I couldn’t follow this? No. Zoey is an outsider. She likes books. She isn’t dating anyone. In walks in the hottest guy in school to her bookstore, because those still exist, and he leaves without taking his credit card. So, he … Continue reading The Other Zoey
The Small Screen Diaries- 02/17/24
Not a groundbreaking day for TV News,but I did watch Not Dead Yet (Hulu), whose audio description has gotten worse. Sitcoms do not offer many gaps in dialogue to add audio description, so it’s painfully obvious when the narration is this bad. There were some obvious gaps where we could have gotten something, perhaps to either explain what just happened, or set up the next scene. I think the narrator spoke twice outside of the title and the end crediting the company Vi-Tech. Right now, I wouldn’t work for Vi-Tech if my life depended on it. I’ve heard this narrator … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/17/24
The Good Mother
This is a quickie. Since this film has no audio description on its streamer of choice (Hulu), and it’s not fun to hear Hilary Swank lurk in the shadows with no context, and then all i hear is someone vomiting, I’ll say this was a waste of my time. But really, it’s a waste of Hilary Swank’s two-time Academy Award winning time. Get her out of this film. First, put audio description on it, because accessibility should be a basic right, but then remove her from this trash and start putting her with talented directors again in films that matter. … Continue reading The Good Mother
Waitress: The Musical
I bought this instantly, because of course I did. I love this musical adaptation of the film with original songs written by Sara Bareilles, who takes the opportunity to star in her own show. It’s the biggest flex of all time. Write your own musical, and then star in it as legions of fans come to see you. Sadly, because this features her, it also is missing key original cast members, like Keala Settle and the late Nick Cordero. And for reasons unknown it does not have audio description. Bleaker Street has been around too long to use being poor … Continue reading Waitress: The Musical
Self Reliance
I’m a Jake Johnson fan. I really enjoy his brand of humor, and I assumed his effort to write, direct, and star would produce an underrated gem. This movie is fine, until it’s not. It’s also on Hulu, with audio description, which somehow always feels like a victory. This was released theatrically in a one night only thing right at the end of 2023 to make it technically a 2023 film. The plot is basically Jake Johnson being offered money to be a part of this global hunt, kinda like Liam Hemsworth was in Quibby’s (remember that?) Most Dangerous Game. … Continue reading Self Reliance
The Small Screen Diaries- 02/16/24
I’m now only one episode away from learning which of the three contestants I don’t care about wins Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix). Of course, I could just look it up, since this was decided a while ago, but I don’t binge shows. I like my cliffhangers. I’m glad Ashley didn’t make the final 3, since she couldn’t see the irony in someone not following with a selfless group act. But, I’m also not sure I want Maya to win. I’m not sure I want any of these three to win, because this show has been more interested in getting … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/16/24
Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
This terrific documentary took me by surprise. I thought this was about someone named Nikki Giovanni who was trying to go to Mars. Little did I know, I’m an uneducated buffoon, and Nikki Giovanni is a civil rights fixture, poet, and all around amazing person. I loved watching her story, and I’m glad this is on MAX with audio description from Zoo digital. This was a strong year for documentaries, and even though this isn’t at the tip top of my list, it was placed quite nicely in a place where I actually could vote for it. This film takes … Continue reading Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
Napoleon
Two years ago, Ridley Scott released the underrated The Last Duel, which went on to be largely ignored coming out of the pandemic, but still has its fans. I was recently putting together material for my Best Of 2023 lists for this year, and I noticed that my 2021 Award for Best Director went to Ridley Scott for The Last Duel. So, when i say Napoleon is not his best, please understand this is a man who is a very undervalued titan in this industry. Ridley Scott, who has never won an Oscar, is back again this year with Napoleon, … Continue reading Napoleon
scrapper
A BAFTA nominee that flew under the radar here in the states, Scrapper is now available for anyone who has been obsessed with paper Moon and wanted to see a possible update. It’s not, but it is certainly close. Sadly, this independent British feature is on Paramount Plus without audio description. Lola Campbell will steal your heart, much like Tatum O’Neal did in her Oscar nominated performance in Paper Moon. Campbell plays a young girl who is scheming her way through life as we come to realize she’s basically alone in the world. That is, until her estranged father comes … Continue reading scrapper
The Small Screen Diaries- 02/15/24
Did you feel like you got hit on the head yesterday? That’s because Paramount Global has axed streamer Noggin, which launched as a cable channel in 199, before developing its own paid service in 2015. Nine years later, Paramount Global is on fire, and they need to cut costs. A lot of the basic core programs of Noggin are available on Paramount Plus anyway, so I’m sure this is just a redundancy they felt was needed. I was more surprised that 800 people worked for Noggin. Just to balance themselves out, they also cancelled Evil. So, something on either end … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/15/24
The Small Screen Diaries- 02/14/24
So what did you watch for Valentine’s Day? I tried yet again to get into Feud (Hulu), which has an exceptional cast. You know I would love to say this is great because this cast is flawless, but I haven’t a real clue why this is a thing. I hope Treat Williams gets a posthumous Emmy nomination though.Also, it is in Black and White? Come on Audio Description. Let me know these things. Griselda (Netflix) features Sofia Vergara (who I adore) in a series I don’t adore. However, she is good in this show I don’t like, which is why … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/14/24
The Small Screen Diaries- 02/13/24
Happy Valentine’s Day! For this Valentine’s I got you some TV News to start your day. Apple has renewed Invasion for a 3rd season, while Netflix has picked up Survival Of The Thickest for a second season. The latter of the two took way too long, and must have come down to a budgeting wire. I am shockingly still with Boy Swallows The Universe (Netflix), which is actually better once you get past the pilot. Still, it’s a very odd show, but the 4th episode continues with the boys trying to adapt to living with their estranged alcoholic father, wanting … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/13/24
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