Category: Movie Review

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Incoming

John Stark

And people say comedy is dead. Well, they haven’t seen Netflix’s latest teen comedy about some high school freshmen looking to par-tay. The hyphenated version is absolutely necessary by the way. In this latest high school romp, three pretty average dudes (because, we don’t really do nerds and geeks anymore), find themselves in the middle of a total rager. Not really, but, a 2024 version of a rager. It’s like if Project X had a version that was Pg-13. There’s nothing here you haven’t really seen before. Crude jokes, usual teen behavior, but all representative of this current Gen Alpha … Continue reading Incoming

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Double Jeopardy: 25th Anniversary

John Stark

I can’t wait till the day someone uses this film as a real world defense. Although, those circumstances are so specific. You’d have ton be convicted of murdering someone not dead, and then find that person who has been off the grid all those years, and then kill them to challenge the idea that this film is nonsense. But, I think that is what makes the film so damn entertaining, is that we can root for Ashley Judd. Very few films outside the horror genre have someone who you hope will succeed in their quest to kill. Often, there’s some … Continue reading Double Jeopardy: 25th Anniversary

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

National Anthem

John Stark

What a rare opportunity. I remember when I joined GALECA this year, the LGBTQ+ critics organization, I mentioned that I rarely get to touch on representation in film from the gay perspective, because there is such a deficit in accessibility for blind and low vision movie watchers. I get lucky from time to time, and we have a character in a film worth mentioning, or an out actor, or even an LGBTQ film. In June, i specifically targeted certain films that also had audio description for pride month. but this? This is a queer rodeo movie. That is what it … Continue reading National Anthem

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Kinds Of Kindness

John Stark

I don’t know how many other critics consider themselves a work in progress, but I’m always trying to absorb stuff about film from everywhere. More recently, podcasts, and when i hear this title, it makes me wonder what the team at You Are Good would say about a film that suggest it might be about emotions and feelings, and is kind of adjacent to that, because we are always feeling or emoting, but the title isn’t the nail on the head you assume it is. Then again, was Poor Things? The Lobster? Do you even care what yorgos titles his … Continue reading Kinds Of Kindness

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Firebrand

John Stark

Divorced. Beheaded. Died. Divorced. Beheaded. Survived. The girls of Six have really made it easy (and catchy) to remember the fates of the wives of Henry VIII, and that comes in handy here as Alicia Vikander plays… one of them. now if i tell you, it’ll ruin it, because you’lll have the song stuck in your head. At least you know there are only four options. She’ll either get a divorce, die, get beheaded, or… survive? While Firebrand has a supporting cast, they just can’t match the performances of Vikander, or Jude Law as Henry the VIII. And, the audio … Continue reading Firebrand

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

The Supremes At Earl’s All You Can eat

John Stark

I think when people initially were buzzing about the Oscar potential for this, they thought it was about the actual Supremes. it is not. It is about three women who are so tight they have a name for themselves. Kind of like The Plastics, but if those girls had gotten to choose their nickname. Other than corralling three great actresses in Uzo Aduba, Sanaa Lathan, and Aunjuane Ellis Taylor, the movie is a lot like so many others that have come before it with a group of women who meet somewhere and age gracefully together. we get the flashbacks to … Continue reading The Supremes At Earl’s All You Can eat

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Horizon: An American Saga: Part 1

John Stark

What a hot button film considering how little it made at the box office. Around its release, this became the lightning rod for what was labeled as a “woke vs anti-woke” battle over whether or not the film was actually not what the other half was claiming it to be. is it too long? Are people just rejecting the idea of an original epic? Is it politics? Why did Horizon fail? In my opinion, it was likely due to a few things. The runtime, of 3 hours, doesn’t necessarily welcome audiences, though movies are seemingly getting longer on average. But, … Continue reading Horizon: An American Saga: Part 1

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

American Beauty- 25th Anniversary

John Stark

25 years ago, Sam Mendes took a screenplay from Alan Ball, and directed a simple film about peeling off the shine of suburbia. This went on to win a bunch of Oscars, including Best Picture, forever cementing itself in film history. But in the 25 years since, it has suffered from the passage of time. Some feel like it feels just too 1999. is this really middle class suburbia? Do mom and dad actually earn enough for this lifestyle? Is this just a modern Lolita, or a response to the reflective teen nightmare that was Columbine? Is this an early … Continue reading American Beauty- 25th Anniversary

Movie Review2 Comments

Tuesday

John Stark

If you have a fear of parrots, this movie might not be for you. This one has a talking parrot right at the center, and the parrot is death. Literal death. Of course, this is exactly the kind of film A24 would release, and while I’ve already sent his, it is coming to MAX in October, very likely with audio description. And I think you should watch it. Not just because it feels like it has a fresh voice, and I’m so interested in a latinx director producing a film that stars white Americans, but was funded through an independent … Continue reading Tuesday

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

John Stark

My first encounter with the Mad Max franchise was, if we’re being honest like many, the epic Best Picture nominee Mad Max Fury Road. It is an exquisite work of art, acting as one giant chase that relentlessly pursues its goal of blowing your mind. It’s not just the stunts, or the stunt performers, but the amount of practical effects that made the film look fantastic. Even now as a blind viewer, I find so much enjoyment in the characters, the dialogue, and the rockinn’ score. There’s a vehicle in fury Road whose sole purpose seems to be to rock … Continue reading Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

The Union (An Anti-Review)

John Stark

The Union is so bland it just feels like so many other mediocre films Netflix has vomited at us this year. Honestly, I think we all need this, because Netflix’s ratio at this point seems far more quantity over quality, and they don’t even really allow for the random missteps even a talented writer/director/actor can make. So, what is putting out more positivity today is to talk about ten great films that are on Netflix that aren’t The Union. 3) the little Prince Now, this was an acquisition. I remember this was supposed to be released by a larger studio … Continue reading The Union (An Anti-Review)

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Jackpot

John Stark

I realize the expectation you have is that you have come here to hear me once again lament another misguided and mismanaged straight-to-streaming title, and I forgive you. These streamers, especially with the resurgence of the box office, are sending almost everything with a pulse to theatres. However, every once in a while one of these films just works for me. I’m not claiming this is some deep celluloid wonder that will be dissected in film schools for years to come. It was just fun. Jackpot is exactly the kind of film we should be having during the summer. It … Continue reading Jackpot

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Happy Campers: A Second Look

John Stark

Occasions like this are why I choose to continue to review films that don’t have audio description, with the hopes of having a discussion about accessibility that has some kind of positive effect. When it came to Happy Campers, which I reviewed last week, I was sent a screener of Amy Nicholson’s documentary ahead of its debut across video-on-demand platforms. That review led to my discovery that the film did have a recorded audio description track that had been used in previous screenings, as Amy takes accessibility seriously. She personally spent time making sure that the audio description by ThreePlay … Continue reading Happy Campers: A Second Look

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

The instigators

John Stark

This has been a weird year for Apple Studios. It follows after they tried to make some box office headway last year with their major Oscar releases Killers Of The Flower Moon and Napoleon to middling results. Then, Argylle flopped, I’m not sure Fancy Dance had much more than a qualifying run, and The Instigators basically got the same treatment, though isn’t an awards contender. Doug Liman is reteaming with Matt Damon after kicking off the Jason Bourne franchise with him 22 years ago, and it also marks his second directorial effort after Amazon’s road House remake. The Instigators also … Continue reading The instigators

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Ghostlight

John Stark

My pull quote: “before the Oscar onslaught, Ghostlight might be the best film of 2024, and certainly is the best you haven’t seen.” This little indie that should was just a random choice for me because it was in the Apple Store, and it had audio description. Never doubt the power of audio description, because the word on this film has been rather soft. I discovered, and fell in love with Ghostlight, which proves to be a thoughtful examination of art and tragedy, juxtaposing the grief of a family against the Shakesperian depth of Romeo and Juliet. in theatre, a … Continue reading Ghostlight