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: 08/21/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: The Buccaneers: S2E5 (Apple Plus) with audio description, Twisted Metal: S2E4 (Peacock) with audio description, Tires: S2E12 (Netflix) with audio description, Mindhunter: S1E8 (Netflix) with audio description, The Summer I turned Pretty: S3E5 (Amazon) with audio description The Buccaneers- So much drama! Nan returns home from Ginny/Guy, to her Duke Theo, who has been in the sheets with Lizzie this whole time, but Lizzie is about to get married herself. Of course, no one can get divorced, and Ginny is trapped by a wolf of a husband who is seemingly magically not abusive all of a sudden. … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/21/25

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The Small Screen Diaries: 08/20/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Alien Earth: S1E3 (Hulu) with audio description, Dexter Resurrection: S1E6 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Butterfly: S1E3 (Amazon) with audio description, Ginny and Georgia: S2E9 (Netflix) with audio description, The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox: S1E1 (Hulu) with audio description, Irish Blood: S1E3 (Acorn) no audio description Alien Earth- More really strong science fiction world building. Some are disappointed that the Xenomorph isn’t taking as center stage as they assumed, but I am enjoying learning more about this world around the aliens, and what our earth looks like. I think even the kids in adult synth bodies … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/20/25

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The Small Screen Diaries: 08/19/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Smoke: S1E9 (Apple Plus) with audio description, The Institute: S1E6 (MGM Plus) with audio description, and The Rainmaker: S1E1 (Peacock) with audio description Smoke- Still very busy, but I did manage to wrap up Smoke. I’m planning on reviewing the series, as I did like it, and the little twist in the final moments of Episode 9 is just stunning. It puts the entire series in a new perspective, as you could go back and rewatch the series, and view it from that context. Yes, Smoke has some predictability woven in, but that creative little spin at … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/19/25

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The Small Screen Diaries: 08/18/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Black Mirror: S4E2 (Netflix) with audio description, Platonic: S2E3 (Apple Plus) with audio description, Last Week Tonight: Most recent (HBO MAX) no audio description yet Black Mirror- Archangel. Sadly, not The X-Man, but a program you can install into your child’s brain that will tell you where they are, what their vitals are, allow you to have parental controls to block out troubling things they may encounter in real life, and even see what they see. Rosemarie Dewitt (Untamed) stars. I could see all the problems with this software immediately, and knew where we were headed. However, … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/18/25

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The Small Screen Diaries: 08/17/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: The Hunting Wives: S1E4 (Netflix) with audio description,From: S3E1 (MGM Plus) with audio description, Butterfly: S1E2 (Amazon) with audio description, Dexter: S5E11 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Twisted Metal: S2E3 (Peacock) with audio description,Ballard: S1E8 (Amazon) with audio description Programmer’s Notes: This coming week is going to be a bit light. the job that pays is in education, and my brain is typically elsewhere the first and last weeks of every semester, so I’m lucky to get 2 or 3 shows in. The Hunting Wives- I think it was a little early in the season for a … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/17/25

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Quality Check: Twisted Metal

John Stark

I’ve had enough. Enough is enough. Advocating for audio description is more than just me bitching at Hollywood corporations for not providing any audio description, it also is me turning the floodlight back on companies who are cashing checks off my disability. So, we’re going to take a look at Twisted Metal: S2E3. It’s a cold watch. I haven’t yet watched the episode, but the last episode, and the overall general content that seems to get pushed out by this company, has gotten us here. We open with title cards. Peacock, Sony, etc. No notes. So a white man wearing … Continue reading Quality Check: Twisted Metal

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Descendent

John Stark

Cast: Ross Marquand, Sarah Bolger Written and Directed By: peter Cilella Studio: RELJ Release Year: 2025 Runtime: 96 minutes Audio Description Provided By: Audio Eyes Written By: Micah Grossman Narrated By: Nicole Cyrille What Is it?: A man (Marquand) facing impending fatherhood must deal with the possibility that he has just experienced an extraterrestrial encounter. Between his own personal demons clouding how he feels about fatherhood, and his obsession with his experience that he also decides to keep a secret, we watch as he slips in and out of what is real, and what isn’t. Can he put the past … Continue reading Descendent

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The Small Screen Diaries: 08/16/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: The Sandman: S2E10 (Netflix) with audio description, Dexter: Resurrection: S1E5 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Chief of War: S1E4 (Apple plus) with audio description, The Summer I Turned Pretty: S3E4 (Amazon) with audio description, Washington Black: S1E7 (Hulu) with audio description, Pop Culture Jeopardy: Semi Finals (Amazon) with audio description The Sandman- While this is typically some flawless writing, there’s a glitch in the description. *spoilers* When the furies are tearing apart the dreaming, they reach Cain and Abel, and kill Abel, telling him it will be his final death, no resurrection. Cain manages to get away. … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/16/25

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East Of Wall

John Stark

Cast: Porschia Zimiga, Tabitha Zimiga, Jennifer Ehle, Scoot McNairy, Jesse Horson, Clay Pateneaude Written and Directed By: Kate Beaucroft original Score By: Lucas Frank and Daniel Meyer R’Keefe Studio: Sony Pictures Classics Release Yeaar: 2025 Runtime: 97 minutes Audio Description produced By: the Media Access Group as WGBH Studios Written By: Narrated By: Emily Hooks What Is it?: An experimental indie of sorts, which has the director using almost entirely a cast of local South Dakotans playing versions of themselves. A cast of nearly entirely green actors tell a story about a trio of women across generations trying to make … Continue reading East Of Wall

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Marlee Matlin: Not Alone anymore

John Stark

Cast: Directed By:Shoshannah Stern Release Year: 2025 Audio Description Provided by: DeCapta Written By: Narrated By: Julian Strauss What Is it?: another terrific disability documentary that also premiered at Sundance this year (along with Deaf President Now), which centers on matlin, her rapid rise to Best Actress Winner, and the presssure of being the face of the movement. Her life had ups and downs, but her Oscar afforded her the opportunities to blaze new paths for others to follow. Matlin talks candidly about her career, her personal demons, and what it is like to be the first (and only) Best … Continue reading Marlee Matlin: Not Alone anymore

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The Small Screen Diaries: 08/15/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Tires: S2E11 (Netflix) with audio description, Sausage Party: Foodtopia: S2E1 (Amazon) with audio description, The Wonderfully Weird World Of Gumball: S1E4 (Hulu) with audio description, Outlander: Blood Of My Blood: s1E3 (Starz) no audio description, And just Like That: S3E12 (HBo MAX) with audio description, Irish Blood: S1E2 (Acorn) no audio description, Breaking Bad: S2E9 (Netflix) with audio description tires- A moderately funny episode, for the series. Shane really is trying to get back some of that “comedians can get away with anything” thing. It certainly isn’t ever high brow, but it can have a certain charm. … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/15/25

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The Small Screen Diaries: 08/14/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Smoke: S1E8 (Apple Plus) with audio description, The buccaneers: S2E4 (Apple plus) with audio description, Ginny and Georgia: S2E8 (Netflix) with audio description, Butterfly: S1E1 (Amazon) with audio description, Washington Black: S1E5 (Hulu) with audio description, King of The Hill: S2E14 (Hulu) no audio description, Match Game: S?E5 (Hulu) with audio description, who Wants To Be A Millionaire: S4E5 (Hulu) with audio description Smoke- I was in Episode 8 when I realized… this can’t get a second season. Until this episode, I thought a Season 2 was still possible, but if it is, it will have a … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/14/25

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Going In Blind: Zombie Con

John Stark

Cast: Manny Luke, Erin Aine, Punkie Johnson, Christian Casillas, Carlo Mendez, Nichole McAuley Directed By: Kyle Valle Release Year: 2018 There is no audio description available for this title. What Is it?: A group of cosplaying friends find themselves in the middle of an actual zombie apocalypse. What Works/What Doesn’t Work: I struggled ethically on reviewing this title. I’m on the Tomatometer, and I’m getting some cold calls from really indie films. Someone in Germany has a short, another horror title wants me to review their film but doesn’t have audio description. I had a back and forth with a … Continue reading Going In Blind: Zombie Con

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Fixed

John Stark

Featuring The Voices Of Adam devine, Kathryn Hahn, Idris Elba, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, Bobby Moynihan, Michelle Buteau, River Gallo Written By: Genndy Tartokovsky, Jon Vetti, Steve Greenberg, Rich Lufrano Directed By:Genndy Tartakovsky Streamer: Netflix Release Year: 2025 Runtime: 88 minutes Audio Description By: Written By: Narrated By: What is it?: Bull (Devine) is a young pup just starting to mature and get to the point of sexual maturity. he has a thing for the Afghan next door, Honey (Hahn), who is a pure bred show dog. When Bull realizes his owners are about to clip his balls, he takes … Continue reading Fixed

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The Small Screen Diaries: 08/13/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Alien Earth: S1E1 and S1E2 (Hulu) with audio description, Chief Of War: s1E3 (Apple Plus) with audio description, All of Us Are Dead: S1E7 (Netflix), Leanne: S1E9 and S1E10 (Netflix) with audio description, Irish Blood: S1E1 (Acorn) no audio description, Ballard: S1E7 (Amazon) with audio description Alien: Earth- Love it. I love how the show is taking its time to develop these characters and this world. there’s some carnage, some new ways for people to die, new aliens, and synthetic humans. If you were on the fence, I thought this was great. Watching a bunch of actors … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/13/25