Category: Movie Review

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The Truth About jussie Smollett

John Stark

Directed By: Gagan Rehill Release Year: 2025 Studio/Streamer: Netflix Runtime: 90 minutes Audio Description Produced By: Descriptive Video Works Written by: Lenizelle Narrated By: Jazzy Frizzle What is it?: A mostly centre of the road take on the events surrounding Jussie Smollett and his various court appearances following his allegation of a hate crime targeting him. What Works: In order to pull this off, they needed everyone to show up, and basically everyone did. If you think you’re in for just a really long interview with Smollett, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that all sides are speaking their truths … Continue reading The Truth About jussie Smollett

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Washington Black: Season 1

John Stark

Cast: Ernest Kingsley Jr., Eddie Karanja, Tom Ellis, Sterling K Brown, Rupert Graves, Billy Boyd, Ntare Guma Mbho Mwine, Charles Dance Streaming Service: Hulu Length: 8 episodes Audio Description Produced By: Credit Needed Written By: Credit Needed Narrated By: Credit Needed What is it?: The story of an aspiring inventor, from his days as a slave, to becoming an apprentice, who then became a pirate, and then got to see the world. But at what cost?! What Doesn’t Work: I usually like to lead with the positive, but I struggled with Washington Black, which seems to have been given infinite … Continue reading Washington Black: Season 1

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The Surfer

John Stark

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Julian McMahon, Finn Little Written By: Thomas Martin Directed By: Lorcan Finnegan Release Year: 2025 Audio Description Provided By: Deluxe Written By: Narrated By: William Michael Redman What is it?: Simplistically, a man (Cage) is at a beach in Australia with his son (Little), and would like to go surfing, but a gang of locals refuse to let him surf. So it becomes one mans quest to surf… even if it kills him. What Works: All the acting is great. Cage is finally used in a film that requires his talents, instead of some basic crap like … Continue reading The Surfer

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Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning

John Stark

Cast: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Esai Morales, Angela Bassett, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Holt McCallany, Nick Offerman, Janet McTeer, Hannah Waddingham, Tremmell Tillman, Shea Wiggham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Cary Elwes, Katie O’Brien Written By: Christopher McQuarrie and Erik Jenderesen, based on the TV series Mission: Impossible Directed By: Christopher McQuarrie Notable Producers: Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg Studio: Paramount pictures Release Year: 2025 Runtime: 169 minutes Audio Description Produced By: Icon Group Written By: Need Credit Narrated By: Anthony Hanson what is It?: It’s the final countdown. Your mission, should you choose to … Continue reading Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning

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Smoke: Season 1

John Stark

Cast: Taron Egerton, Jurnee Smollett, Greg Kinnear, John Leguizamo, Rafe Spall, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Hannah Emily Anderson, Anna Chlumsky Series Created By: Dennis Lehane Streaming Service: Apple TV + Length: 9 episodes Audio Description Provided By: Written By: Narrated By: Roy Samuelson What Is it?: An arson investigator (Egerton) is stuck in a town that seems to have two arsonists he can’t catch. he gets help from a detective (Smollett), who has been sent downstream for personal reasons, relegated to arson. She has a past with arson herself, having survived one as a child. Together, they must figure out … Continue reading Smoke: Season 1

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Eenie Meanie

John Stark

Cast: Samara Weaving, Carl Glossman, Andy Garcia, Steve Zahn, Jermaine Fowler, Marshawn Lynch, Randall Park, Elle Graham Written And Directed By: Shawn Simmons Studio/Streamer: 20th Century Fox/Hulu Release Year: 2025 Audio Description provided By: Credit Needed Written By: credit Needed Narrated By: Credit Needed What is it?: A young woman (Weaving) is pulled back into the life she left, because her ex-boyfriend is a tool, and she’s just gotten some news from the doctor regarding her future. Refusing to let him be killed by a crime boss (Garcia), she jumps behind the wheel for a heist that should pay back … Continue reading Eenie Meanie

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Going In Blind: Locked

John Stark

Cast: Cast: Bill Skarsgard, Anthony Hopkins Written By: Michael Arlen Ross based on the film 4X4 Directed By: David Yarovosky Release Year: 2025 There Is no Known Audio Description In Existence For This Film What Is It?: A man (Skarsgard) breaks into a fancy new car that is far more high tech than he could have ever imagined, and becomes trapped in a torture chamber on wheels, as the car’s owner (Hopkins) is determined to teach him a lesson. What Works: Keeping in mind, I’m a blind film critic, and this film assumes I could follow the film just like … Continue reading Going In Blind: Locked

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Alma And The Wolf

John Stark

Cast: Ethan Embry, Li Jun Li, Jeremy Harris Written By: Abby Miller Directed By: Michael Patrick Jann Release Year: 2025 Audio Description produced By: Written By: Directed By: What Is it?: A somewhat functional cop (Embry) has a run in with Alma (Li), who mentions that they attacked her dog, and is covered in blood. He begins to investigate this reported wolf attack, only for things to get stranger, and his son goes missing. What Works: Not much. Ethan Ebry was an actor I grew up with, and really wanted Hollywood to do more with. Somehow, for some reason, Embry … Continue reading Alma And The Wolf

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Everything’s Going To Be Great

John Stark

Cast: Bryan Cranston, Allison Janney, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Jack Champion, Simon Rex, Chris Cooper, Laura Benanti Written By: Steven Roger’s Directed By: Jon S. Baird Release Year: 2025 Audio Description Produced By: Alpine Group Written By: Narrated By: Tansy Alexander What Is it: A teenager (Ainsworth) attempts to come of age, but isn’t quite sure in which direction. he’s disgusted by the word vagina, but also isn’t certain which way he leans. His troubles are exasperated somewhat by his absurdist upbringing as the youngest in a theatrically minded family, whose patriarch (Cranston) eats, sleeps, and breathes theatre, while his once … Continue reading Everything’s Going To Be Great

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Descendent

John Stark

Cast: Ross Marquand, Sarah Bolger Written and Directed By: peter Cilella Studio: RELJ Release Year: 2025 Runtime: 96 minutes Audio Description Provided By: Audio Eyes Written By: Micah Grossman Narrated By: Nicole Cyrille What Is it?: A man (Marquand) facing impending fatherhood must deal with the possibility that he has just experienced an extraterrestrial encounter. Between his own personal demons clouding how he feels about fatherhood, and his obsession with his experience that he also decides to keep a secret, we watch as he slips in and out of what is real, and what isn’t. Can he put the past … Continue reading Descendent

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East Of Wall

John Stark

Cast: Porschia Zimiga, Tabitha Zimiga, Jennifer Ehle, Scoot McNairy, Jesse Horson, Clay Pateneaude Written and Directed By: Kate Beaucroft original Score By: Lucas Frank and Daniel Meyer R’Keefe Studio: Sony Pictures Classics Release Yeaar: 2025 Runtime: 97 minutes Audio Description produced By: the Media Access Group as WGBH Studios Written By: Narrated By: Emily Hooks What Is it?: An experimental indie of sorts, which has the director using almost entirely a cast of local South Dakotans playing versions of themselves. A cast of nearly entirely green actors tell a story about a trio of women across generations trying to make … Continue reading East Of Wall

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Marlee Matlin: Not Alone anymore

John Stark

Cast: Directed By:Shoshannah Stern Release Year: 2025 Audio Description Provided by: DeCapta Written By: Narrated By: Julian Strauss What Is it?: another terrific disability documentary that also premiered at Sundance this year (along with Deaf President Now), which centers on matlin, her rapid rise to Best Actress Winner, and the presssure of being the face of the movement. Her life had ups and downs, but her Oscar afforded her the opportunities to blaze new paths for others to follow. Matlin talks candidly about her career, her personal demons, and what it is like to be the first (and only) Best … Continue reading Marlee Matlin: Not Alone anymore

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Going In Blind: Zombie Con

John Stark

Cast: Manny Luke, Erin Aine, Punkie Johnson, Christian Casillas, Carlo Mendez, Nichole McAuley Directed By: Kyle Valle Release Year: 2018 There is no audio description available for this title. What Is it?: A group of cosplaying friends find themselves in the middle of an actual zombie apocalypse. What Works/What Doesn’t Work: I struggled ethically on reviewing this title. I’m on the Tomatometer, and I’m getting some cold calls from really indie films. Someone in Germany has a short, another horror title wants me to review their film but doesn’t have audio description. I had a back and forth with a … Continue reading Going In Blind: Zombie Con

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Fixed

John Stark

Featuring The Voices Of Adam devine, Kathryn Hahn, Idris Elba, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, Bobby Moynihan, Michelle Buteau, River Gallo Written By: Genndy Tartokovsky, Jon Vetti, Steve Greenberg, Rich Lufrano Directed By:Genndy Tartakovsky Streamer: Netflix Release Year: 2025 Runtime: 88 minutes Audio Description By: Written By: Narrated By: What is it?: Bull (Devine) is a young pup just starting to mature and get to the point of sexual maturity. he has a thing for the Afghan next door, Honey (Hahn), who is a pure bred show dog. When Bull realizes his owners are about to clip his balls, he takes … Continue reading Fixed

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Going In Blind: Push

John Stark

Cast: Alicia Sanz, Raul Castillo, David Alexander Flynn Written and directed By: David Charbnier and Justin Powell Studio/Streamer: Shudder Release Year: 2025 There is no known audio description for this title. What Is it?: A pregnant realtor, trying to sell a murder house, is unexpectedly attacked by a crazed individual. to make things worse, not only does she have to survive, but she’s also in labor. What Works: Theoretically, the premise. There was some nice music, sometimes. what Doesn’t Work: Shudder, despite producing audio description for many of its theatrical releases, hasn’t quite figured out how to do it for … Continue reading Going In Blind: Push