Quality Check: Toxic Town

From what I can tell, all the new films that dropped except for the anime Lord Of The Rings film this week were films I had already seen. September 5 (Paramount Plus), venom The Last Dance (Netflix), and nickel Boys (MGM Plus). I do not understand how Nickel Boys made it to streaming before The Fire Inside, but whatever. You do you. So, since I haven’t yet done a quality check for a TV series, i figured I’d take a look at whatever the hell Toxic Town is on Netflix. I’m going in super cold on this, knowing only there … Continue reading Quality Check: Toxic Town

The Small screen Diaries: 02/28/25

I’ve basically dropped the YouTube/Podcast section, because I wasn’t actively listening to, or watching as much YouTube. However, special mentions go to the trio doing For Your Consideration, and their Oscar video. I love Jeff Snyder. He seems like he’d be a fun hang. And, since the real life events that consumed yesterday happened, i also needed some kind of news/podcast to help me process what I was feeling, so I can always rely on Keith Olbermann to put my feelings into words. He just happened to be the first podcast I subscribe to that pushed out an episode on … Continue reading The Small screen Diaries: 02/28/25

Talking Oscars: Which Films Will Win, And Will The Blind and Low Vision Community Come out on Top?

That is a long title. My apologies. After all the awards handed out. After I got slammed with so many screeners during awards season that I actually wonder if I actually can catch up, the Oscar’s are Sunday. Descriptive Video Works is providing live audio description for those who watch on ABC. I know the intent is to pump it through to their streamers as well, but I don’t trust Hulu for anything audio description related, and Disney Plus still has no audio description for Oscar Nominees Sugar Cane and Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes. When it was … Continue reading Talking Oscars: Which Films Will Win, And Will The Blind and Low Vision Community Come out on Top?

The Small Screen Diaries- 02/27/25

TV Shows Watched: Reacher: S3E2 (Amazon) with audio description, Cobra Kai: S6E13 (Netflix) with audio description, Survivor: S48E1 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Win Or Lose: S1E3 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Court Of Gold: S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description, How Disney Built America: S1E3 (Hulu) no audio description, and The Masked Singer: S13E3 (Hulu) no audio description. I got the eliminated contestant on Masked Singer wrong. However, i still think Paparazzo is Matthew Lawrence. I’m having a hard time thinking of another actor who would have a Robin Williams connection, as a child actor, but also be known for … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/27/25

The Small Screen Diaries: 02/26/25

At the start of the diary today, we lead with the heartbreaking news that Michelle Trachtenberg passed away at the age of 39. I don’t think anyone saw this coming. The early reports I read didn’t mention anything about a known battle with an illness. Looking back through her resume on IMDB, I saw credits for shows I didn’t remember her specifically being on, like The Adventures Of Pete And Pete and Space Cases, but a lot of kids grew up with her as Harriet The Spy. Even when I mentioned it to some of the gen alpha I work … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 02/26/25

The Small Screen Diaries- 02/25/25

TV Shows Watched: Zero Day: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description, Mythic Quest: S4E4 (Apple Plus) with audio description, St Dennis medical: S1E10 (Peacock) with audio description, Beyond The Gates: S1E1 (Paramount Plus) no audio description, Grosse Pointe Garden Society: S1E1 (Peacock) with audio description, the Kardashians: S1E5 (Hulu) with audio description, and Muslim Matchmaker: S1E2 (Hulu) with audio description Best Episode: Mythic Quest- the murder mystery themed episode was fantastic. it felt very Glass Onion, and while the reveal was a little silly, the journey was delightful, and there was some heart thrown in there, and a bombshell at the … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/25/25

Going In Blind (Playing Catch Up)- The Girl With the Needle, Slingshot, Galaxy Quest, The Feeling That…

The Girl With The Needle- Denmark’s Oscar nominated International Oscar entry. yes, I sat through it. No, it doesn’t have audio description. Why do I do it? Because I’m silly enough to try and point out that the method of delivery for most international features that choose to not have audio description is inaccessible to blind and low vision audiences. I cannot see or read the subtitles, nor can I be expected to know every language. Even with that, I highly doubt this film was released in America with Danish Audio Description, so even if I happened to be American … Continue reading Going In Blind (Playing Catch Up)- The Girl With the Needle, Slingshot, Galaxy Quest, The Feeling That…

The Small Screen Diaries- 02/24/25

Interestingly, someone had actually mentioned to me that Amazon eventually, at some point, rectified the lack of audio description on the Sticky, and wanted to know my thoughts. I just haven’t swung back around to a show whose pilot I did see, but it didn’t have audio description at release. So I moved on. Now, Amazon has cancelled the series, giving me even less of a reason to return. Truthfully, this is another case of sketchy labeling, because I saw it labeled as a limited series to begin with, so a renewal or cancellation decision would be moot. that is … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/24/25

The Small Screen Diaries- 02/23/25

I had a great time last night on a panel for the American Council Of The Blind discussing the abundance of audio described titles at this years Oscars. The fellow panelists were excellent and we just need more than an hour. It made me realize for a panel coming up that I really do need to manage my time. Also, the SAG awards were last night on Netflix. I didn’t predict everything. I had Wicked for Ensemble, and Ariana in Supporting, but got those two wrong. Ensemble went to Conclave, Actor to Timothy Chalamet (A Complete Unknown), Actress to Demi … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/23/25

Going In Blind (Playing Catch Up): Transformers One, sex lies and videotape, Subserviance

transformers One- this exciting new animated entry into the franchise is surprisingly good. between this angle, and where we left with Rise Of The Beasts, the franchise is in much stabler positions than Michael Bay beating it until it died. For the release of my YouTube review for this film, i also rewatched and uploaded reviews for all previous films (except Rise of The Beasts, which i had already reviewed) since the entire series has audio description. My favorites are the first Transformers, if you can remember the magic of that film actually doing something exciting with live action Autobots, … Continue reading Going In Blind (Playing Catch Up): Transformers One, sex lies and videotape, Subserviance

Going In Blind: The Brutalist, Reagan,Rio Bravo

The Brutalist- I’m quite literally on the cusp of giving this film a second watch with audio description, but, I’ve been going back through and playing catch up with the quicker speed I put out to my YouTube channel. My initial reaction to The Brutalist was it was a beautifully realized low budget epic with fantastic performances, a gorgeous score, and I didn’t feel the runtime. It is by far the longest Oscar nominee, and played in theatres with an intermission. I got a screener, which did not have the audio description. i again got another screener, still without audio … Continue reading Going In Blind: The Brutalist, Reagan,Rio Bravo

The Small Screen Diaries- 02/22/25

What a time to be alive. While people like me are facing an increasingly uncertain future, it would seem that we’re already starting to roll back the audio description train. Hulu has actually removed the audio description from Golden Girls, whether you access it through the Hulu or Disney Plus with Hulu experience. Existing audio description. The fight to expand, the fate of traveling audio description, conversations about human vs TTS, all of those go away if companies are removing existing audio description on their own properties. Oddly, this comes at a time with renewed interest in the series after … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/22/25

Quality check: Sonic The hedgehog 3

Oh yes. I’m coming for you Sonic. After missing this in theatres, the blue phenom has come home to Paramount Plus. Join me for another Quality check. Solid description of the Paramount logo. Female narrator. A nice description of the SEGA logo. Opening Credits. We’re in Japan. We’re in Japan with ethnically nondescript security guards who are eating, and monitoring something. I’m sure none of these characters matter. There’s a black hedgehog with a red stripe in the tank. Sonic fans know, but I’m OK with not having him named. The build up is real. It is earned here. The … Continue reading Quality check: Sonic The hedgehog 3

The Small Screen Diaries: The Weekly Rankings

Last week, I gave a look at the broad list of shows that are “on the watchlist.” With new shows entering, and at least one official exit, where do the shows line up from last week? Best Series Currently Airing: Severance (Apple Plus) with audio description- In case my diaries aren’t making it abundantly clear that I’m loving the second season of Ben Stiller’s science fiction workplace nail biter, I am. Taking all the acting honors for its most recent episode. I think Severance is making a strong case for not just a third season, but that sweep of Emmy … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: The Weekly Rankings