The Small Screen Diaries- 01/24/25

Sometimes, this does feel like shouting at the wind. And then sometimes, you shout, and the wind shouts back. Netflix has finally uploaded an English Audio Description track for Emilia Perez, officially giving us 10 Best Picture nominees with audio description. I’m actually impressed by the job done, considering it was just a little over two months ago when the movie landed on Netflix with no audio description. I’ll have a full review later, but I’m certain it was a late commission, and a rush to put out. If Netflix had just commissioned the track back in May when they … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/24/25

Inheritance (2025)

Inheritance (2025)- Phoebe Dynevor and Rhys Ifans In A Father/Daughter Twisty Treat Quick Take: releasing today in theaters, Inheritance is the first title from IFC Films to kick off hopefully another year with some gems. Last year, they paired with Shudder on a handful of my favorites, like Oddity and late Night With The Devil, but also were responsible for my favorite film of 2024, Ghostlight. Everyone else can fall all over the year end Oscar bait, but Ghostlight had me at “what light on yonder window breaks”. As with most screeners, I was not passed audio description. I’m fairly … Continue reading Inheritance (2025)

Red One

Red One (Amazon)- Really Overcomplicates The Magic Behind Great Holiday Movies Quick Take: Talk about a film that made zero impact on me. My video was shot after having seen it, and just now catching up to this, I’ve almost entirely forgotten this film. I remember Chris Evans, and his character’s backstory. he had an accent. Dwayne Jonson was here. But, my brain has deleted this, because it was so average. I remember the films I loved or liked, and I remember the movies I didn’t like or hated, but put enough time between me and a movie I’m mostly … Continue reading Red One

All We Imagine Is Light

All We Imagine Is Light- Oscar Shortlisted, Golden Globe Nominated, Audio Description Forgotten Quick Take: This is a pretty quick one. Nominated for Director and International Feature at the Golden Globes this year, this entry from India, which is not their official Oscar submission, lacks audio description. I did sit through the movie, and my most profound thought was “sounds like a lot of rain”. I’d love to experience international cinema, but it seems as though the barricades and gatekeeping are going to work against us. Feel free to check out my video, but the grade is definitely unwatchable due … Continue reading All We Imagine Is Light

Dead Poets Society: 35th Anniversary

Dead Poets Society: 35th Anniversary- Robin Williams Is Still The Captain Quick Take: For whatever reason, we do really enjoy watching movies about inspirational teachers at prep schools. While peter Weir’s Dead poets Society certainly was not the first, nor the last, it has endured. it is a tough realization to think this movie only has turned 35 years old, and it is far from Robin Williams’s last performance. Perhaps that is why I enjoy this so much, is because the Captain (My Captain) here is Robin Williams. Tasked with teaching and opening the minds of a group of young … Continue reading Dead Poets Society: 35th Anniversary

The Small Screen Diaries- 01/23/25

First of all, shoutout to the fan who found one of these posts from last year with me complaining about the audio description for the Traitors and chimed in with their displeasure. i see you. You just found a post from last year. Oscar nominations! I did fine. Some categories I fully swept, as you noticed yesterday, including Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, and Animated Feature. The biggest surprises often came with a big snub, so James Mangold instead of Edward burger is a surprise that creates a snub. Some of my favorite picks I had already come to … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/23/25

The Small Screen Diaries- 01/23/25

Oscar nominations are this morning! I didn’t get around to doing a predictions post, so, thanks for reading these diaries, because this is what I picked in my video. Picture: Anora, The Brutalist, Wicked, Conclave, Emilia Perez, Dune part II, A Complete Unknown, The Substance, Nickel boys, September 5 Director: Sean Baker (Anora), Edward Burger (Conclave), Brady Corbett (The Brutalist), Jacque Audillard (Emilia Perez), and Jon M Chu (Wicked) Actor: Adrien Brody (The Brtualist), Timothee Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) Ralph Fiennes (Conclave), Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice), Daniel Craig (Queer) Actress: Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance), Carla Sofia Gazcon … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/23/25

The Small Screen Diaries- 01/21/25

It is pretty hard for me to start off this column, as a blind film critic and disability and accessibility advocate, who works for the advancement of audio description for the blind and visually impaired community and not at least acknowledge the unfortunate stance the President has taken on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, without any acknowledgement of the reason those Initiatives were created to begin with, to stop leaving portions of our country behind. it is an awful decision, and one that will not lower your grocery bill. Moving on. TV Shows Watched: Going Dutch: S1E3 (Hulu) no audio description, … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/21/25

The Small Screen Diaries- 01/20/25

Well… how was your day yesterday? TV Shows Watched: From: S1E3 (MGM Plus) with audio description, The Hunting Party: S1E1 (Peacock) with audio description, 911: S8E8 (Hulu) no audio description, Secret Level: S1E5 (Amazon) with audio description, and SNL: Martin Short (Peacock) with audio description. Movies Watched: Boneyard (Tubi) no audio description, The Incredibles 2 (Disney Plus) with audio description Best Episode: From- This show is still so much in my lane, it isn’t even funny. I’m so happy they put audio description on this thing, finally. This show should find so many more fans who are blind/low vision and … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/20/25

Sugar Cane

Sugar Cane (Disney Plus)- A Gut Punch Of A Film For Oscar Consideration Quick Take: The funny thing is, I got a screener for Sugar Cane, but it was so close to its drop on Disney Plus, I figured I’d wait for the inevitable audio description on Disney Plus. Then, the movie landed, and no audio description. Wait, what? this is one of the most gut punching documentaries of 2024, and is a virtual lock for an Oscar nomination, so where is the audio description track? On an unrelated note,I had this dream last night. And in that dream, I … Continue reading Sugar Cane

Fly Me To The Moon

Fly Me To The Moon (Apple Plus)- Scarlett Johansson Faked The Moon Landing! Quick Take: I’m one of the few, the proud, the rare people who didn’t hate myself after watching this. It isn’t the best film Apple put out in 2024, but it certainly isn’t the worst. The audio description is also pretty nice, really helping to sell the attempt to make Channing Tatum look more… like he’s intelligent. Scarlett Johansson plays an advertising guru who is recruited by a clandestine government official (Woody Harrelson) to help “sell NASA” so it can keep getting funding, ultimately leading to her … Continue reading Fly Me To The Moon

Dear Santa

Dear Santa (Paramount Plus)- Jack Black Is Trapped In An Awful Farrelly Brothers Movie Quick Take: Another dismal holiday movie. It is like Hollywood is doing a drive by on your home with some coal. Duck and cover. Jack Black reteamed with The Farrelly Brothers (they don’t both direct, but both worked on the film), for a high concept Christmas movie with an identity crisis. Dear Santa would have been better served embracing the R-rated stylings of the old Farrelly Brothers (or at least a solid PG-13), but this leans way too much into the family lane for what it … Continue reading Dear Santa

Nutcrackers

Nutcrackers (Hulu)- Ben Stiller Inherits Four Kids In Time For Christmas Quick Take: I know we are past Christmas, but this wouldn’t be me missing out on a beautiful gift for the holidays. No, Ben Stiller’s new film, relegated to Hulu after a pickup at the Toronto Film Festival, is a miserable excuse for holiday joy. David Gordon Green is returning to his roots after demolishing the Halloween and exorcist franchises, and he’s lost his touch. Stiller, playing a generic “all business” type is inconvenienced by the death of his sister, and the fact that his sister had a bunch … Continue reading Nutcrackers

The Small Screen Diaries- 01/19/25

Martin Luther King Jr had a dream. Today was not that dream. I choose to focus today on the work of the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy. Today is a great day to watch Selma, for example. TV Shows Watched: Goosebumps: S2E8 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Severance: S2E1 (Apple plus) with audio description, Harley Quinn: S5E1 (MAX) with audio description, The Agency: S1E9 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, An Update On Our Family: S1E1 (MAX) with audio description, and Abbott Elementary: S4E? (Hulu) with audio description. Movies Watched: Hummingbirds (Screener) no audio description, Jazzy (screener) … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/19/25

It Could Happen To You: 30th Anniversary

It Could Happen To You: 30th Anniversary- Nicolas Cage, Bridget Fonda, Rosie Perez Quick Take: this romantic comedy is something I have seen more times than what I would have originally predicted. I’d say I’m between 4 and 7. It is just a simple high concept comedy about a nice cop (Nicholas Cage) who tries to do good deeds, and ends up pledging to share his lottery winnings with an out of luck waitress (Bridget Fonda) when he can’t give her a tip. Turns out, it is a winning ticket, but his wife (Rosie Perez) isn’t so quick to share. … Continue reading It Could Happen To You: 30th Anniversary