Category: Movie Review

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Irish Wish

John Stark

I remember watching The Parent Trap remake in the 90’s, and getting that first dose of Lindsay Lohan. She really seemed like a talent that would maintain, and for a long time, it felt that way. She never really could overcome the tabloids, and her attention seeking parents. To this day, I know the names of her mother and father, neither of whom are actors. They didn’t even need a Keeping Up With show. They just wouldn’t go away. Somewhere after a bad movie, and some bad press, Lohan retreated. Now, she’s trying to come back, and it is really … Continue reading Irish Wish

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Suncoast

John Stark

It’s not totally fair to write off an early in the year Hulu debut. They did drop Ry Lane around this time last year,so Suncoast had every opportunity to be good. Ruth’s title really evoked nostalgia in me, as I was definitely *that kid* who hung out in Suncoast at the mall. The store that had all the movie memorabilia. Those were my people. But, that isn’t the Suncoast. The Suncoast in the film is actually a real place, or based on a real place, because this semi-autobiographical coming of age drama is about a teenage girl Nico Parker) whose … Continue reading Suncoast

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Role Play

John Stark

I do enjoy a Kaley Cuoco project from time to time. Not Meet Cute, but there are some other things like The flight Attendant that I enjoyed. This Amazon movie isn’t quite as fun as it should be, but it does have some solid audio description. Kaley plays Emma, who has a loving husband (David Oyelowo), and the idyllic family lifestyle complete with kids. But, her family has no idea she’s actually an assassin. When she and her husband discuss spicing things up with a little role play, he never imagined that he might get sucked into this world of … Continue reading Role Play

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June

John Stark

Now, this film i do remember. It was a perfectly fine look at June Carter Cash. Of course, it’s impossible to mention her without mentioning Johnny Cash, but it does really aim to center on her, her career before Johnny, and her continued contribution to music until her death. This is on Paramount Plus, and the audio description is solid for a documentary. There were things I learned about June, including her version of Ring Of Fire that Johnny really turned into his own thing. She appeared in the movie The Apostle, and this has quite a bit of her … Continue reading June

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Boscoe

John Stark

You’ll have to excuse me once again as I catch up on the forgettable start to 2024. With this film, I even commented in my YouTube review how I was certain there was no way I would remember this film at the end of the year. Every year, I look at my list of nearly 300 titles reviewed, and there are 1-3 movies I can’t remember what they were about, who was in them, what streaming service they were on… anything. there is a slight chance, because her career has been almost non-existent that I will remember Nikki blown sky … Continue reading Boscoe

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Good Grief

John Stark

The first official 2024 film reviewed by me, and I saw it two months ago. I would love to be able to say that I remember this film well enough to comment on it in great detail, but sadly this writer/directorial feature debut from Dan Levy is so deeply forgettable. I know he plays a man who finds out his husband had some secrets after his husband dies, and he is trying to navigate the process with two friends who are unnecessary and annoying. I remember originally recording this review for YouTube, and commenting even then that I would be … Continue reading Good Grief

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The Prince Of Egypt: The Musical

John Stark

I do like to review something occasionally from Broadway HD, hoping that they eventually prioritize accessibility. I’m not targeting just them. I review stuff from Starz, CrunchyRoll, AMC Plus, and plenty of stuff on other streamers that doesn’t have a track made available to us. But, Broadway HD happens to be showing live theatre, which has actually come a long way in providing live audio description. So, figure it out. Yes, there’s a live stage adaptation of the Dreamworks Animation, which seems like a long time coming. it has been workshopped before. A few years back, it almost got off … Continue reading The Prince Of Egypt: The Musical

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The Color Purple (2023)

John Stark

I actually did a collaborative review the first time, and gave my thoughts on both versions of The Color Purple. At the time, what I had of the remake did not have audio description, and MAX still carries the original without accessibility. However, I did rewatch The Color Purple, when I was later provided audio description, so I wanted to make an official review and grade. No longer will I recognize it as being unwatchable. I adore this remake, and Danielle Brooks is just on fire. I think she’s a tremendous talent, but there’s so much of that on display. … Continue reading The Color Purple (2023)

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Retribution

John Stark

Liam Neeson is a man with a very particular set of skills. Skills that he has gathered over a long period of time, or at least since 2008 when he made Taken. Now, he’s in so many low budget action thrillers you can be forgiven for forgetting this man played Oskar Schindler. Yes, Liam Neeson was the star of Steven Spielberg’s iconic Schindler’s List. In Retribution, which Starz provided without audio description (lack of accessibility is kind of their thing), Neeson plays a man who has a family, gets in a car, and is trapped in a scenario where he … Continue reading Retribution

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Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom

John Stark

There was a little conversation around making a film in a studio system with influence, and how Madame Webb likely had a solid creative team but Sony interfered and made shit. That conversation, for some reason, did not happen for Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, a film do inconsequential, Warner Bros opened it the same weekend as two other Warner Bros titles (Wonka and The color Purple). Had they believed this sequel had gas in the tank, doing so for three recognizable franchise films over Christmas is insane. Even in a slower market affected by the strike, you are still … Continue reading Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom

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Poor Things

John Stark

To put it mildly, this is the performance of Emma Stone’s career. I actually think she transcends this film. poor Things is a wild and crazy ride, one that absolutely needs audio description if you are blind or visually impaired. this feels like a visual stunner, something you feel through the outstanding audio description this track does really well. I actually bought a digital copy of this, but it is also currently available on Hulu. Emma Stone plays Bella Baxter, a woman who we see commits suicide at the top of the film. However, her body is still pretty undamaged, … Continue reading Poor Things

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The Hill

John Stark

Sadly, Netflix did not have an available audio description track for this at the time of my viewing, so this inspirational Dennis Quaid baseball drama is going to get the grade it gets. In general, 2023 produced a few well made faith based films that had some money thrown behind them. I’ve seen a lot of sub par ones like Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas that seem like they are barely films. The hill tells the true story of a kid who is born with skeletal problems, and spends his time in a brace. He loves baseball, and he wants to … Continue reading The Hill

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The Zone Of Interest

John Stark

This years Oscar winner for best international Feature is brought to you by Jonathan Glazer, who previously directed films like Sexy Beast and Under The Skin. While there is some flair here, this couldn’t be more different. A24 distributed this, and it is tough to look away from. 30 years since Schindler’s List, and we are just getting another truly masterful but frightening look at one of the worst periods in our history. Glazer captures this through his determination to show the life of a Commandate’s family that lives just outside the death camp of Auschwitz, and how their mundane … Continue reading The Zone Of Interest

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20 Days In Mariupol

John Stark

This years winner for Best Documentary Feature was the right choice. In an increasingly uncertain world, the documentary branch has now had the opportunity two years in a row to bestow honors on documentaries that aim to bring focus to Russia’s extermination of Ukraine, first through a feature about Putin’s greatest opposition, who has since died in a Russian prison from “sudden death syndrome”, and now through 20 Days In Mariupol, which has a few journalists capturing the beginning of Russia’s strike on Ukraine. I couldn’t imagine voting for anything else, and there were some terrific documentaries. It is harrowing … Continue reading 20 Days In Mariupol

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The Reeducation Of Molly Singer

John Stark

Now that I’m middle aged, I have these moments where I feel very old. Films celebrating anniversaries is one way of doing that. Last year, Mean Girls hitting 20 was kind of mind blowing. Now, I have Britt Robertson starring as “too old for college” in The Reeducation Of Molly Singer, which is a little like what it felt like to watch Jennifer Lawrence in No Hard Feelings. Lawrence is 33, so I guess she’s safely beyond college years, even if you stay and get your Doctorate and have a gap year or two. Shockingly, the former star of Life … Continue reading The Reeducation Of Molly Singer