Author: John Stark

Blogger. EIC of macthemovieguy.com. Contributor to mjsbigblog.com and houseofgeekery.com. Previously featured on starpulse.com.
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Carry On

John Stark

Carry On (Netflix)- Taron Egerton And Jason Bateman Die Hard For The Holidays Quick Take: Every year there are a few Netflix titles that end up being worthy, that aren’t just festival pickups or Oscar bait. This past year, Carry On is one of a handful of Netflix originals I’d watch again. It didn’t reinvent the genre, by any means, but it plays to its strengths, and creates a solid action movie for the holidays. the strength lies in this back and forth between the mysterious baddie played devilishly well by Jason Bateman, and our intrepid hero, played with eagerness … Continue reading Carry On

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The Old Oak

John Stark

The Old Oak- Nominated Last Year By The BAFTA’s For Best Picture Quick Take: In the recent tradition of me mentioning a few under the radar films I was offered screeners for, that really seemed like solid films, is the BAFTA nominated The Old Oak, from director Ken Loach. I was really hoping to find a UK audio description track for this. It gained sadly no attention here in the states, but this film about a bar, its owners, refugees, xenophobia, and changing hearts and minds seemed like the kind of thing that would be right up my alley. If … Continue reading The Old Oak

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The Small Screen Diaries- 01/29/25

John Stark

TV News: Netflix has ordered a second season of the excellent Keira Knightley/Ben Whishaw spy series black Doves. They are also looking to reboot Little House On The Prairie, and considering shows like Virgin River, My Life With The Walter Boys, and other similar shows, I think it’s a safe bet for them. Will it live longer than Anne With An E? TV Shows Watched: Prime Target: S1E3 (Apple Plus) with audio description, The Night Agent: S2E6 (Netflix) with audio description, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: S1E1 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Paradise: S1E3 (Hulu) with audio description, American Primeval: S1E5 … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/29/25

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In The Summers

John Stark

In The Summers- A Bilingual Coming Of Age Tale Quick Take: joining nowhere Special and The People’s Joker as films I would love to watch again with audio description is this queer coming of age drama, which has different actresses playing the girls as they grow up. one, is dealing with her sexuality, and dad seems not too pleased. The relationship is clearly strained. i had a hard time following this all the way, not just because of the lack of audio description, but it is also bilingual. While it is set in America, it features enough Spanish to make … Continue reading In The Summers

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It Ends With us

John Stark

It Ends With Us- Blake Lively Makes The Most Out Of This Quick Take: this film has been in the news a bit after Blake Lively came forward about her co-star/director’s bad behavior. Even when I saw this, which does have audio description, I thought he was the weak link on pretty much every front. He’s not a great director, nor a scene partner for Lively. She steals a mediocre film, and makes it better. Lively has chosen some really solid roles since exiting Gossip Girl, most notably A Simple Favor and The Town, but this is another reminder that … Continue reading It Ends With us

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Nowhere Special

John Stark

Nowhere Special- Bring The Tissues, This Will Destroy You Quick Take: I’m compiling a list of the films from 2024 that I most want to see again should they acquire audio description, and this UK import is definitely on that list. It just doesn’t have enough dialogue for me to recommend the film without audio description, but if you are among those who don’t need accessibility, this is a heartbreaker of a film that has fallen totally under the radar. James Norton plays a single father who is given some terrible news. he doesn’t have a lot of time left, … Continue reading Nowhere Special

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Tango And Cash: 35th Anniversary

John Stark

Tango And Cash: 35th Anniversary- Sylvester Stallone + Kurt Russell = Lethal Weapons Quick Take: The 80’s knew how to make fun action films. We’ve confused many of them with being technically proficient, or film classics, but truthfully is there a difference between a fil that seems to have achieved a high level of filmmaking, or a film that achieved a high level of entertainment value, and has proven rewatchable as a result? Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop certainly come to mind, but the 80’s was full of fun buddy cop movies, including Tango And Cash. This Sylvester Stallone … Continue reading Tango And Cash: 35th Anniversary

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The Small Screen Diaries- 01/28/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Paradise: S1E2 (Hulu) with audio description, Bookie: S2E7 (MAX) with audio description, 911 Lone Star: Second To last Episode (Hulu) No audio description, and St Dennis Medical: S1E? (Peacock) with audio description Movies Watched: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Apple Store) with audio description, Hitman (Netflix) with audio description Best Episode: St Dennis Medical- I think this might have the edge. I could make a case for any of the shows. None were at their best, but all were strong. Ultimately, I had the least glaring issues with the two comedies, and I’m giving this one the … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/28/25

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The Small Screen Diaries- 01/27/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Watson: S1E1 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, XO Kitty: S2E3 (Netflix) with audio description, The Night Agent: S2E5 (Netflix) with audio description, and Paradise: S1E1 (Hulu) with audio description. Movies Watched: Babes and Ezra (both films I own digital copies of from the Apple Store). I also bumped up the speed since I’ve seen, and reviewed, both. Best Episode: Paradise- Hulu’s new drama was calling itself buzzy before it premiered, and I even knew what it was. Then, it boldly decided to premiere the first episode a day early, as two more drop today. Hulu’s confidence should … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/27/25

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The Small Screen Diaries- 01/26/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: The Night Agent: S2E4 (Netflix) with audio description, From: S1E4 (MGM Plus) with audio description, WAGS to Riches: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description, American Primeval: S1E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Cross: S1E8 (Amazon) with audio description, Virgin River: S6E10 (Netflix) with audio description, The Rookie: S7E3 (Hulu) with audio description, The Daily Show: Thursday’s Show (Paramount Plus) no audio description Movies Watched: The Substance (Screener) with audio description, Sing Sing (screener) no audio description, Kraven The Hunter (Apple Store) with audio description, and Ad Vitam (Netflix) with audio description Best Episode: From- This show really is letting … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/26/25

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Vermiglio

John Stark

Vermiglio- Golden Globe Nominee For Best International Feature Quick Take: And yet, another International Oscar hopeful that bit the dust. It did manage a golden Globe nomination, but this Italian film missed out on the Oscars. It lacks audio description, so unless you are fluent in Italian, I don’t foresee this being your thing. However, I’ll always dive back in if somehow this gained audio description in English along the way. it technically qualifies as LGBTQ, but the main story is not. I’d explain it, but my knowledge of the film is all second hand. My experience sitting through this … Continue reading Vermiglio

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Flow

John Stark

Flow- A Blind Film Critic Reviews A Silent Animated Film With No Accessibility Quick Take: Yes, I was provided a screener for the Golden Globe winner for Animated Feature. no, despite being nominated for two Academy Awards, and the most obvious film to require audio description of the year, it has no known audio description. this is a cash and awards grab. This is already on VOD. It flew through theatres, like it has some rapid half-life to make the most money it can, before people go back to celebrating The Wild Robot. Yes, I listened to this movie. I … Continue reading Flow

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The Room Next Door

John Stark

The Room Next Door- Pedro Almodovar’s English Language Feature Debut Quick Take: this was a screener from Sony Pictures Classics, and it lacked audio description. The film does have audio description, and I plan on reviewing it again when it eventually lands on Netflix, where Sony movies go eventually. This is just a few initial thoughts, in case I don’t come back around. Pedro Almodovar’s English language debut has been pushed as being not as good as his best work. Almodovar has such a long list of iconic Spanish language films that it is hard to say this, or any … Continue reading The Room Next Door

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Piece By Piece

John Stark

Piece By Piece- Pharrell Plays With LEGO’s quick Take: Piece by piece, brick by brick, putting it together. Sorry, my Sondheim got away from me. I managed to catch this Pharrell Williams documentary back during the consideration frame, but I think most people weren’t grabbed by the gimmick, and left it alone. The film is a documentary, but is shot using LEGO’s, so everyone appears as a LEGO figure. At the heart, it is a celebration of Pharrell and his music, but done in such a way that if he ever got a parking ticket you wouldn’t know. There’s so … Continue reading Piece By Piece

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The Small Screen Diaries- 01/25/25

John Stark

Yesterday, i hinted at some shows I was watching still (like The Pit), which are just there because a wave of TV hasn’t hit. Next week, a bunch of shows return, including Matlock, Elzabeth, Ghosts, The Recruit, and Mythic Quest, along with premieres of promising new shows like Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman and Watson. Some of these current shows I’ve been watching are living on borrowed time. TV Shows Watched: The Night Agent: S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description, the Traitors: S3E5 (Peacock) with audio description, The Agency: S1E10 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Harley Quinn: S5E3 (MAX), Dexter: Original sin … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/25/25