Category: Movie Review

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Under Paris

John Stark

There’s a fine line between a good dumb shark movie and a bad dumb shark movie. Obviously, Jaws is exempt. It is the pinnacle of achievement for this genre.Nothing has touched it since, though a few films have really put an interesting spin. I wouldn’t call The Shallows a dumb shark movie, for example.Under Paris is like Deep Blue Sea. It has its charm. Dumb charm, but charm nonetheless. This film is actually a French title that is now living on Netflix, and has audio description done by Diffuse, Narrated by Vito DePhillippa and written by Bryn Poudie. Those are … Continue reading Under Paris

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Sasquatch Sunset

John Stark

You know, I appreciate a good shot in the dark every once in a while. A filmmaker who just is willing to go completely outside of the box, building himself a new box, and doing his own thing. You need to understand that Sasquatch Sunset is not for everyone. It just isn’t. But, what it is, is certainly not derivative. It isn’t another superhero movie, or a sequel, or a remake. It’s not a prequel. It is an original work through and through, and there has to be something said for that. At the end of the day, this is … Continue reading Sasquatch Sunset

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For Love And Life: No Ordinary Campaign

John Stark

It is pretty hard to dislike a documentary that is centered around a disabled group fighting for their own lives, and advocating to Congress, when you are a blind film critic consistently advocating for the needs related to your disability. Going into this, I wasn’t sure what I would get to see of Brian and Sandra, the central couple at the heart of the documentary. Brian was diagnosed in his 30’s with ALS, and as someone already working in the political spectrum, he started to piece together a campaign to fund a debilitating diagnoses that has no cure. It’s funny … Continue reading For Love And Life: No Ordinary Campaign

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Movies With Pride: Love Lies Bleeding

John Stark

I’m always amazed by the cult of A24. They’re just a distribution company, yet there are some out there that think this studio is carefully curating the best cinema of the year. If not the best, certainly the most challenging. I don’t disagree with the latter, as A24 films always seem like we’d never see them released by anyone other than A24 or Neon. Rose Glass’s Love Lies Bleeding is very much one of those films. I struggle to see where a film where the two leads are lesbians would fit in, especially in a way where the studio would … Continue reading Movies With Pride: Love Lies Bleeding

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Die Hart 2

John Stark

I take some ownership for the absolute destruction in this review. I remember when Die Hart was a thing, and I thought it was a show on Quibby, which I did not subscribe to, and it died really fast. My recollection was that Roku bought the library of Quibby content, including Die Hart. So I don’t know how it got to Amazon, and I’m not sure why it is a full length movie. But, it had audio description. This was also trending on Amazon, and I had the time and the curiosity to find out exactly what the hell was … Continue reading Die Hart 2

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Miller’s Girl

John Stark

This film wants you to know… Jenna Ortega is 18. Because, if she wasn’t, I suppose that would somehow change your mind? Like, people dig this movie about a teacher and his student, possibly because she is legal, but those people would feel morally reprehensible if she wasn’t?This movie is more concerned with that than actually being good. Miller’s Girl also lacked audio description on Netflix, so this sultry thriller is headed for doom as it is. I didn’t get much out of this. There are more unwatchable movies than this, but this happens to have just enough in this … Continue reading Miller’s Girl

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Jim Henson: Idea Man

John Stark

Inevitability. It was impossible to avoid the eventual documentary that would be about Jim Henson. Luckily, it is directed by Ron Howard, which feels like an upgrade of sorts, except he’s more known for features.There was a lot of hesitation on my part, this being a Disney Plus release, and whether or not Disney or the Henson family would ever let anyone “go there”. Like, no one is perfect, and a documentary that does nothing but paint their topics as carefully crafted masters of art that left no wake aren’t interesting to me. Even Fred Roger’s, one of the nicest … Continue reading Jim Henson: Idea Man

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Movies With Pride: To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar

John Stark

I’ve basically been using Pride Month to hit a lot of the films that made an impact on me when I needed to see that kind of representation. I was young, and it seemed like there was no one around me who was thinking the same thing as me. it wasn’t until I started seeing representation in films and television that I didn’t feel so broken. The reality was, I still was in an area where you just did not say gay. Even when I was bullied in school, it was almost always for being overweight. it almost was like … Continue reading Movies With Pride: To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar

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The First Omen

John Stark

I’m sure Hulu, Disney, 20th Century Fox, and whoever else associated with The First Omen feels triggered by me. Here’s the deal. I’ve been a pretty equal opportunity advocate, going after every company for their missed accessibility opportunities. Just a few days ago, I commented on the lack of audio description on The Big City Greens Movie, which seems odd considering how much of an effort Disney has been making at getting branded content described, mainly films and not necessarily shows. Vault Disney titles, D-Quels, and Disney Channel Original Movies are all the unlikely candidates, when inherited titles like Tom … Continue reading The First Omen

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Problemista

John Stark

If I had known this thing was so close to dropping on MAX, i wouldn’t have renewed it. I will say, that with almost 100 titles so far this year, this is currently at the top of my list. I am probably the only person who can say that, since I think everyone is likely to have seen something at one of the festivals by now. But for me, I thought this quirky A24 comedy hit the mark, a rare feat for what has been a fairly mediocre year thus far. The audio description is produced by Deluxe, with primary … Continue reading Problemista

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Movies With Pride: A Single Man

John Stark

As pride month continues, I really wanted to take a look at something that I had not seen in years, but remained striking. I’ve seen and already reviewed films that are near and dear, but Tom Ford’s A Single Man isn’t something I have a nostalgic attachment for, but rather just something that the question is does it hold up on the second viewing? Now that I’m blind, I’ve experienced films differently, in both ways. Some films seem to get better, particularly films with strong violence that might have been a turnoff. Not being able to see gore allows me … Continue reading Movies With Pride: A Single Man

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MoviePass MovieCrash

John Stark

Just a few years ago, the movie theatre industry was rocked by something that would dramatically affect attendance. That thing was the rise of cable TV, pay cable, home video, DVD, video rental stores, Netflix by mail, streaming services, and the pandemic. Through all of those trials, we’ve always had Nicole Kidman to bring us back to the theatres. But, when moviePass pounced, it was the thing no one saw coming (except everyone did). As you learn the history of MoviePass, you learn that it was pitched in early concept stage, to the industry, and they saw no value in … Continue reading MoviePass MovieCrash

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Bit City Greens: Spacecation

John Stark

granted, I’m putting this review up a little late after having seen this when it originally dropped on Disney Plus, but it is important to immediately note that this film doesn’t have audio description on the service. It is such a shame, because even though I have only a teensie bit of knowledge regarding this show, I have to say the movie, or what I could understand of it, reminded me so much of when Disney used to turn their 90’s properties into films, with Ducktales: Treasure Of The Lost Lamp and A goofy Movie. Big City Greens has been … Continue reading Bit City Greens: Spacecation

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Atlas

John Stark

Between this being her now, and sharing her greatest love story never told, this has certainly been ‘a year’ for Jennifer Lopez. I have no idea what is happening with her personal life, but I do actually hope she and Ben can figure this out.At bare minimum, they are actors, and you can’t drop a whole movie about your loe and then just split. But, what you can do is save the world from Shang Chi destroying human life as we know it. You can be a strong female lead who can never seem to find a good cup of … Continue reading Atlas

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Arthur The King

John Stark

There is this wonderfully perfect Saturday Night Live sketch Mark Wahlberg Talks To Dogs, and in so many ways this feels like the feature adaptation of this. You will find Mark Wahlberg having many conversations with a dog in this movie.Is it enough? Based on a novel that has a much longer title, Arthur The King isn’t really about Arthur, so much as it is Mark Wahlberg playing a guy who competes in extreme challenges and needs one more shot at glory before he retires and becomes a stay at home dad. Marky Mark has come a long way. Still, … Continue reading Arthur The King