Category: Movie Review

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Uncle Buck: 35th Anniversary

John Stark

Uncle Buck: 35th Anniversary- john Candy Is Still One Of The Greats Quick Take: A John Hughes classic. Back in September, when I first watched this with audio description, it was fun getting to enjoy John Candy again. Of course, this movie also introduced us to Macaulay Culkin, and was the reason Hughes recommended him for Home Alone. But, it does feel like we had such a brief period with john Candy, a thoughtful comedian who likely would have gone on to pursue the same dramatic swings as robin Williams. I think we never truly got the best of Candy, … Continue reading Uncle Buck: 35th Anniversary

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The Turnaround

John Stark

The Turnaround (Netflix)- What If We Were Nice to Athletes During Their Slump? Quick Take: Even though Netflix couldn’t get this documentary short to the Oscars, it is still worth mentioning because it has audio description. I think it will resonate the most with fans who are aware of this team, and the centered athlete, but really anyone who roots for a team every single year understands that those are your players, whether you like it or not. And, a novel idea is shown, where instead of making them feel worse while already in a dark place. Jeering players on … Continue reading The Turnaround

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A Real Pain

John Stark

A Real Pain- Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin Are A Perfect Pairing Quick Take: This viewing was without audio description, as I was provided a screener for this title. Jesse Eisenberg wrote, directed, and stars in one of the best films of the year. It is such a simple film, and the second this year with this theme. eisenberg and Kieran Culkin play cousins who are finally getting around to taking a trip to Poland that their recently deceased Grandmother wanted them to take, so they can see where she grew up under Nazi occupation. Eisenberg and Culkin bounce off … Continue reading A Real Pain

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Doc Of Chucky

John Stark

Doc Of Chucky (AMC Plus)- Beware The Runtime Quick Take: As a fan of the Child’s Play franchise, I was interested in a movie that explored the legacy. This does not have audio description, and I wish it did. However, more than that, I wish it wasn’t nearly four hours long. My body was not ready. it wasn’t even a title I thought “This seems likely to be longer than either of the Avatar movies, or anything Martin Scorsese or Ridley Scott has made in the last 20 years.” And, when we broke the two hour mark, it was going … Continue reading Doc Of Chucky

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being John Malkovich: 25th Anniversary

John Stark

Being John Malkovich: 25th Anniversary- Step Right On Through This Door Quick Take: A quirky masterpiece. 1999 was such a strong year for film. An embarrassment of riches. It is so nice to know Spize Jonzes’s odd little comedy has audio description. It so totally needs it. From the floor with the lowered ceilings, to all the insanity of finding a door that leads you into the mind of John Malkovich, the amount of things that wouldn’t make sense without it is long. There is a scene where everyone looks like John Malkovich, facially, but it is all these different … Continue reading being John Malkovich: 25th Anniversary

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The Substance

John Stark

The Substance- I’ve Avoided It This Long….But It is Time Blindness is weird. Years ago, when I was sighted, I never could have made it through The Substance. I wasn’t a big gore fan, and this is one of the goriest films I’ve ever seen. But you’d be surprised what I can sit through now. I’ve seen so many films, which has really opened me up even more to the horror genre. Case in point, this year I finally tackled In The Mouth Of Madness. I watched In A Violent Nature. I have films in my top 25 that are … Continue reading The Substance

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Cheetah: 35th Anniversary

John Stark

Cheetah: 35th Anniversary- Made The Same Year We Shrunk The Kids, Does This Hold Up? Quick Take: One of my favorite film YouTube channels, Breakfast All Day, occasionally revisits older movies, and does “Was it great, or were you 8?” I was not 8. Not yet. But this was definitely not great. Cheetah, which has this odd history of being adapted from another work, and essentially whitewashing it, did not hold up. It doesn’t even feel like it is in the same year as some of the other Disney titles. I already revisited Honey I Shrunk The Kids, also from … Continue reading Cheetah: 35th Anniversary

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Endurance

John Stark

Endurance (Disney Plus)- Restoring The Legacy Of Shackleton, His Ship, And The Original Footage Quick Take: A pretty cool use of film restoration, and it has audio description on Disney Plus. This documentary parallels Shackelton’s ill fated trip to Antarctica with a modern day crew searching for his lost ship, the Endurance, which is entombed in protected waters. Not only do we see the trials and tribulations of both, but Shackelton originally took a cameraman with him on his voyage. While this would have just been footage, it is still restored for a sighted audience, which takes time and consideration. … Continue reading Endurance

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Alien: Romulus

John Stark

Alien: Romulus- In Space, No One Can Hear Fede Alvarez Quick Take: I’ve seen all the Alien movies except one. I don’t want you to know which one, but in general, I’m informed. A lot has been said about Fede Alvarez’s take on the franchise, as some find it to be nostalgia bait, with him just retreading steps taken before. There’s actually a lot to dislike here, or pick apart. he has literally used generative AI to bring back Ian Holm for an actual performance, despite his death in 2020. I wonder if ian would have agreed to this. Sure, … Continue reading Alien: Romulus

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Parenthood: 35th Anniversary

John Stark

Parenthood: 35th Anniversary- Steve Martin, Dianne Wiest, Rick Moranis Quick Take: just a few days ago I mentioned the anniversary of Ron Howard’s The Paper. But Parenthood, that has a bit stronger footing in the test of time, due in large part to the NBC drama starring Craig T. Nelson, that created a new generation of fans, and made people look back on the Steve Martin film that started it all. That drama wasn’t the first attempt to turn this into a series, as there was a short lived version in the early 90’s. But, here we have a stellar … Continue reading Parenthood: 35th Anniversary

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No Other Land

John Stark

No Other Land- Likely Future Oscar Winner For Documentary Feature Quick Take: One of the most important films you could watch this year, if you are sighted. It has no audio description, and my wish is that like 20 Days In Mariupol, that we see audio description here at some point. It takes place in Gaza, and points out the dehumanization of the Palestinian people. The problem is, that the English in the film is selections from American news. But, the heart of this a filmmaker from Palestine teaming with a journalist from Israel, and they find common ground to … Continue reading No Other Land

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Night Bitch

John Stark

Night Bitch- Amy Adams is The Most Relatable Mother Of 2024 Quick Take: I’m really just catching up in order, and now that this is on Hulu, I was ready to skip my first thoughts, and wait till I get to my inevitable second look with audio description. However, Disney had other plans. They dropped Night Bitch on Hulu without giving a consideration to making sure the necessary audio description was also day and date. It is funny how many times this has happened, and Disney never really apologizes, or improves. And, yes, Hulu, Fox Searchlight, they are Disney brands. … Continue reading Night Bitch

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The Prince And Me: 20th Anniversary

John Stark

The Prince And Me: 20th Anniversary: Someday Your Prince Will Come? Quick Take: I did pull this one from Netflix, as I remember, and I’ve seen this a few times before. I do like Julia Stiles, more often than not, and this was a cute romantic comedy back in 2004. What is most impressive is how the plot, which involves a prince going to college in America and pretending he isn’t a prince, is simple. But, it is always in the execution, and Stiles makes sure to elevate this as much as possible. I’m not sure if this is truly … Continue reading The Prince And Me: 20th Anniversary

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Starring Jerry As himself

John Stark

Starring Jerry As Himself- A Slamdance Winner Shot In Florida! Filming In Florida!!! Quick Take: This was basically a must-see for me, as a member of the Critics Association Of central Florida. We have a category that spotlights movies made in Central Florida, and there were only two choices. This was one. It’s a slam dance winning documentary that blends a bit of fiction in with fact,but mostly focuses on the immigrant experience, namely on the filmmaker’s father. I’ll let you guess his name. no, this didn’t have audio description. the other choice was Suncoast, which was a film I … Continue reading Starring Jerry As himself

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Spellbound

John Stark

Spellbound (Netflix)- Can We Stop Asking Javier Bardem To Sing? Quick Take: I had a lot to say. For a movie with Alan Menken working on the music, I had high expectations. Rachel Ziegler is voicing the main princess in this fantastical land, where she has to babysit her parents who have literally turned into monsters. She’s been trying to hide them, but on her birthday, things go awry, and she has to set off with her parents to try and break the curse. There is one great song at the end, What About Me, but the rest feels like … Continue reading Spellbound