Best Of 2023: Ranking The Streaming Services

It’s that time of year, for the Best of Lists. Check out my post from yesterday, which ranked the other film critics I share space with on YouTube. I selected Adam Does Movies as my favorite Film YouTuber of 2023. Which streaming service earned top honors this year? And, more importantly, which one is on the bottom? As a blind film critic, I am primarily concerned with accessibility, and the commitment to it. I want to be able to tell another blind individual that a certain service prioritizes them at a level worth their money. So, that, in addition to … Continue reading Best Of 2023: Ranking The Streaming Services

Best Of 2023: The Best Film critics To Watch

This is a new category for me. Of course, I would love it if everyone subscribed to my own YouTube (@macthemovieguy or YouTube.com/macthemovieguy), and consider me as your personal favorite critic. But I spend quite a bit of time on movie related YouTube channels, and listening to other critics discuss film. Many of these critics are highly entertaining, and if you are looking to subscribe to someone else in addition to me, this is my very first list. I always ask for people to subscribe to me, but I put my money where my mouth is, and I give others … Continue reading Best Of 2023: The Best Film critics To Watch

Accessibility Matters, But Are We Shouting into The Wind?

Over the summer, I attended a virtual panel at the annual American Council of The Blind’s annual meeting, where representatives were invited to discuss all the amazing futures their services had regarding audio description. All of this was met with lots of promises of making sure audio description travelled, seeking out audio description as often as possible to make sure that as many titles had audio description on their service that they could get, all without any concrete numbers or goals moving forward as to intended goals for each service. For example, no service promised to be 100% audio described … Continue reading Accessibility Matters, But Are We Shouting into The Wind?

10 Titles On Disney plus To Scare You This Halloween

Halloween is swiftly approaching. I’ve already done lists for Hulu, Peacock, and MAX. Following the rules, I will try and recommend as many audio described titles that Disney plus has that qualify, and are worth recommending. i obviously haven’t seen every movie. If I can’t get to 10, I will fill in with non-audio described titles. 1) Coco Audio Description?: Yes I’m probably going to have this on my list every year. it’s a great film, and it has the distinction of being the last film i saw in theatres by myself when my vision was good enough to still … Continue reading 10 Titles On Disney plus To Scare You This Halloween

10 Titles On Hulu To Frighten You This Halloween

You guys know the deal. I’m doing ten titles, with priority given to those with audio description. Hulu is the third streaming service I’ve done this year, following Peacock, and MAX. Peacock didn’t make it to 10 audio described, and i needed to fill the list. Will I have to do that again with Hulu? Read on and find out. 1) Antlers (Hulu) Audio Description?: Yes i have seen and reviewed this film prior. I thought it did a good job, especially with the main child lead. It is quite possibly the only film centered around a Wendigo to appear … Continue reading 10 Titles On Hulu To Frighten You This Halloween

10 Spooky Movies On MAX For Your halloween

My second streaming service to get the treatment this year. I did Peacock last weekend, and now MAX. I plan on trying to fill the list with films that have audio description, but if i can’t hit 10 titles, I will fill in at the end, with some great movies that don’t have audio description but probably should. Just because I didn’t list it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. There are films on the service that would qualify that I haven’t seen (still waiting for HBO to put audio description on the first Annabelle before i watch the sequels), as … Continue reading 10 Spooky Movies On MAX For Your halloween

10 Peacock Titles To Make Your Halloween Spooky

Just like last year, I’m compiling a list of films across the streaming services that I recommend this Spooky Season. I will also be watching and reviewing some new films. It’s possible that some titles are repeated from last year, as some titles are exclusive to streaming services. Today, I’m starting with peacock, which is universal’s streaming service, but has a disturbingly low amount of Universal titles available with audio description. My goal is to recommend films with audio description, and if I can get 10 good films all with AD on a service, I won’t need filler. However, some … Continue reading 10 Peacock Titles To Make Your Halloween Spooky

Why Blind and Visually Impaired People Avoid the Theatrical Experience

As much as Nicole Kidman would love to convince me that there’s really nothing like sitting in a movie theatre and seeing a movie on a big screen, sadly that just isn’t the case anymore. And it has nothing to do with the quality of the films, or the structure of these theatres. The seats are nicer, the concession stands frequently serve real food and alcohol, and by all accounts the theatrical experience has never been better. Except for blind people. Recently, I went to a theatre. I haven’t been to one in a while because as a former employee … Continue reading Why Blind and Visually Impaired People Avoid the Theatrical Experience

My Ten biggest Takeaways From The Audio Description Panel

Yesterday, I passively attended a panel sponsored by the American Council of the Blind through their Audio Description Project on what they are all doing as streamers. in attendance were reps from Apple, Amazon, Disney (for both Disney Plus and hulu), MAX, Netflix, Paramount Plus, and peacock. The event was hosted by Carl Richardson, who has the temperament necessary to get these people to come back to the table each year. I do not. That’s why I’m over here, speaking my own thoughts, not endorsed or working for ACB/ADP. Of course, i have some thoughts. In my YouTube video, where … Continue reading My Ten biggest Takeaways From The Audio Description Panel

40 For 40: Favorite TV Shows

Unlike with the movies, even though I also have a list of favorite TV shows that goes beyond 40, I’m choosing shows for a brief mention. These are the 40 shows that I feel like most represent my taste, and have influenced my life in some way. Since i like to wait and not name a show that just premiered, a lot of these shows will be older titles, which means some may not even be streaming, let alone have audio description. But, some do. 1) The Walking Dead (AMC) I frequently cite this show as my favorite of all … Continue reading 40 For 40: Favorite TV Shows

40 For 40: 40 Of My Favorite Actors

Just like I’m rolling out reviews of 40 of my favorite films (that have audio description) after rewatching them, as part of my personal celebration of turning 40, it’s time to talk about the 40 actors who are most likely to get me to watch a film. Favorites. Not the best. There are people I respect, who are terrific talents, but they just don’t draw me in. obviously, I also like more than 40 actors, so a lot of the people on this list will also be here because they have been in several of my favorite things. So, in … Continue reading 40 For 40: 40 Of My Favorite Actors

When You Love The Walking Dead, And it Doesn’t Love you Back

Last fall, I was attempting to do a seven day free trial of AMC Plus, but their app was so poorly designed, and I was having such a hard time navigating the app, and their customer service team couldn’t figure things out in time, so they comp’d me a year of AMC Plus. At the time, they had almost no audio description. I was told that AMC took accessibility seriously, and would be working on their app as well as expanding their audio description list. That hasn’t happened. After watching major series after major series drop on the platform, from … Continue reading When You Love The Walking Dead, And it Doesn’t Love you Back

40 For 40: Part 1

I actually turn 40 years old at the end of the month. That time when you flip the first number seems far more likely to cause a rush of nostalgia, or some might call a mid-life crisis, so I’m living mine out by taking to my YouTube channel (YouTube.com/macthemovieguy) and reviewing some of my favorite films of all time. Comfort films. Films I find rewatchable over and over. I’m not saying these films needed Oscars, or that they are cinematic masterpieces, but to me… they kind of are. It’s possible that on my initial review of these films I might … Continue reading 40 For 40: Part 1

Year End Rankings: Which Streaming Service Is On Top?

As the year begins, you’ll see a lot of little lists from me, mostly celebrating the best I saw in film and television in 2022. I’m spreading it out, and in no way am I starting with major categories. I’m still catching up on a few titles, so by starting small, it gives me a little bit more time to get those lists done. if you’ve been following me, you’ll notice that i have reviewed titles from Netflix, Amazon, hulu, Apple Plus, Paramount Plus, HBO MAX, Disney Plus, and AMC Plus. I’m not rating FreeVee separately, and I barely use … Continue reading Year End Rankings: Which Streaming Service Is On Top?

So What Is Netflix’s Audio Description Strategy?

Recently, I talked about the lack of audio description on Bardo, and my experience asking for English Audio Description for a title directed by an Academy Award Winning director that has a much larger budget than your typical Netflix release. Technically, the film has two audio tracks. Spanish, and Spanish Audio Description, and while it offers Subtitles and Closed Captioning in multiple languages, it has only one audio. A fellow AD enthusiast decided to be the dissenting opinion on this topic, by saying this is typical of Netflix. But is it? Just randomly selecting titles Netflix is trying to throw … Continue reading So What Is Netflix’s Audio Description Strategy?