The Small Screen Diaries: 12/29/25

TV Shows Watched: The Abandons: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, Percy Jackson: S2E2 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Squid Game: The Challenge: S2E3 (Netflix) with audio description, Emily In Paris: S5E2 (Netflix) with audio description, Breaking Bad: S3E5 (Netflix) with audio description The Abandons- A funny name for a show abandoned by its creator. Kurt Sutter left the series during production due to disagreements with the studio. When the creator of Sons Of Anarchy and its spinoff has thoughts, Netflix might want to let him do his thing. I think Paramount hasn’t given Taylor Sheridan a creative note in five … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 12/29/25

Caught Stealing

Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic. The only person standing in your way is you. Caught Stealing has been called Darren Aronofsky goes mainstream, which is reductive considering he has made wide release films before. It suggests that audiences are incapable of enjoying films of artistic merit. Ironically, caught Stealing made just shy of 20 million off a 40 million dollar budget, which is not quite the success of Black Swan, which made 106 million on a 13 million budget. So, maybe the idea of what mainstream is, perhaps is a falsity in and of itself. But that’s just being … Continue reading Caught Stealing

Going In Blind: Zodiac Killer Project

Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic. This has no known audio description. This. I’d love my review to just say “this”, with a grade, and nothing else. there are some truly exceptional uses of the form of documentary this year, and this is one of them. There are so many documentaries you can point to and say “this is like that”, and very few you can say are not like anything you’ve seen before. Charlie Shackleton tells the audience what could have been. He had been working on a project centered around the hunt for the zodiac killer, using material … Continue reading Going In Blind: Zodiac Killer Project

Good Boy

Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic. I went to hell and back to get audio description for this. you are welcome. There’s something truly magical about someone taking it upon themselves to launch their film career with an inventive horror film shot from an animal’s perspective. And for the director to choose to use his own dog, and not a trained dog ready to hit every mark the first time, it ended up being a painstakingly long process full of extra footage, heavy editing, and the hope it will all pay off. Considering that Indy the dog has gotten some … Continue reading Good Boy

The Small Screen Diaries: 12/28/25

TV Shows Watched: Stranger Things: S5E7 (Netflix) with audio description, Boots: S1E? (Netflix) with audio description, SNL: Josh O’Connor (Peacock) no audio description yet?, and Elzabeth: S3E? (Paramount Plus) with audio description Stranger Things- Another tame episode, all things considered. This series, while excellent, has been very skittish and full of separation anxiety ever since the Justice for Barb movement. So, we are at a point now, where there is this gaggle of characters, who the producers believe ALL need to make it to the finale apparently. At this point, I don’t even have faith they will kill one of … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 12/28/25

BUGONIa

Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic. I’m not an Andromedon. I really didn’t think I would love this film this much. I feel like it is putting all other films by Yorgos Lanthrimos into a different light. Like, did I really like Poor Things as much as I did? when you feel like a director has reached their peak, and then they climb higher, the byproduct becomes that everything is now below it, and has slipped down a spot. Bugonia is one of those films I know is in my Top 10. it does help that the year is nearly … Continue reading BUGONIa

Shelby Oaks

Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic. It’s the dark side of getting Stuckmannized. The elephant in the room. Every time we jump into a film, we come with some level of bias, which isn’t always bad. but some critics pretend like it isn’t there, which is just so hard to do. As much as one wants to go neutral on every film, we have actors we like, genres we prefer, books we read, sequels to look forward to and not, and bias can control more than you may think. I’m generally brutally honest, mainly because I’m self published, and I … Continue reading Shelby Oaks

The Small Screen Diaries: 12/27/25

TV Shows Watched: Stranger things: S5E6 (Netflix) with audio description, St Dennis Medical: S2E2 (Peacock) with audio description, BatFam: S1E1 (Amazon) with audio description, and Name That Tune: S5E? (Disney Plus) no audio description Stranger Things- The AD was written well, not the episode. Lots of conveniences. Still, they are holding deaths back presumably for either the next episode, or the finale.But, why would Henry wait until Jane finds Will to use Will as a spy to find Max? He’s had Will, for at least a little bit, so what was he waiting on? There was no rhyme or reason … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 12/27/25

The Small Screen Diaries: 12/26/25

And we are back with five shows. Huzzah! TV Shows Watched: Stranger things: S5E5 (Netflix) with audio description, The American Revolution: S1E4 (PBS) with audio description, Sheriff Country: S1E? (Paramount Plus) with audio description, The Beatles Anthology: S1E3 (Disney Plus) with audio description, and Loot: S3E8 (Apple Plus) with audio description Stranger Things- We’re back. Surprisingly, no deaths this episode. I feel like we are all waiting for that show to drop. Which person has been deemed the most expendable thanks to the writers? If I was a betting man, I don’t see Hopper or Max surviving the season. I … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 12/26/25

Going In Blind: Familiar Touch

Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic.This film has no known audio description. What a tough film to make. Sarah Friedland certainly has to have an awareness of her subject matter, in order to direct an honest portrayal of something a lot of family member go through.Dramas featuring leads whose memories are on the decline, which take such a realistic approach, really have a limited audience. The over 60 crowd won’t be interested, because it almost is like their waking nightmare. They are too close to it, and I can’t imagine this having too much acceptance with a crowd that could … Continue reading Going In Blind: Familiar Touch

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic. You’re gonna need a bigger boat. All sorts of random objects and circumstances have served as catalysts for time traveling, or fixing an existential crisis. Such is the case with A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, which gives hope to all rental car drivers out there.Do you want to go on a Big Bold Beautiful Journey? Sure. But, should you? In a film that should have been directed by Michel Gondry, Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie become intertwined as they go back through various points in their past, all under the guise that somehow this … Continue reading A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

The Small Screen Diaries: 12/25/2025

Nothing. I accomplished nothing. It was a weird day. I got through about half an episode of The American Revolution, but that was it. I did fit A Christmas Story in, which is on HBO MAX with a lovely TCM style intro… and no audio description? I know the in film narration limits the AD somewhat, but Jesus. this film that used to air in 24 hour marathons on TBS/TNT, is 42 years old, was given an HBO MAX sequel three years ago, doesn’t have audio description? really? Like, really? It’s even a film that has this exaggerated gag where … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 12/25/2025

The Small Screen Diaries: 12/24/25

Merry Christmas. I got you this list of shows. You’re welcome. TV Shows Watched: Fallout: S2E2 (Amazon) with audio description, All’s Fair: S1E2 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Tracker: S3E4 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, I Love LA: S1E3 (HBO MAX) with audio description, The Diplomat: S3E3 (Netflix) with audio description, Death By Lightning: S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description Fallout- A show with a lot of potential to stand out, as the fantasy of it all takes over. The Rad Scorpion fight, for example, was really well done. I do have questions. Size relativity. Simply describing things as bigger or … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 12/24/25

Champagne Problems

Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic. I’ve got 99 problems, but… champagne isn’t one. What are we even doing anymore? In one of my recent posts about TV shows, I broke down an episode of Emily In Paris, because Netflix has an entire division devoted to content where they send mostly white girls, but single females to have some random romp in Europe. It is actually surprising that they didn’t go forwar with Too Much’s second season because it is so on brand for them. Emily In Paris is in Season 5, and she’s not even in Paris. She’s in … Continue reading Champagne Problems

A Merry little X-Mas

Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic. Why do they call it rush hour when nothing moves? In the best Christmas film I saw released to a streaming platform this year, Alicia Silverstone and Oliver Hudson proved casting is everything, and chemistry is so important. they play a couple that has consciously uncoupled, and is getting a divorce. they have two kids,and Mom (Silverstone) is considering moving after her youngest kid (who sounds like he’s 30) graduates and heads to college. She is an architect, but became a stay at home mom and overqualified handyman when she followed her husband (Hudson) … Continue reading A Merry little X-Mas