Category: Movie Review

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Enolah Holmes 2

John Stark

Where I Watched It: Netflix Audio Description Provided By: Descriptive Video Works Written By: Sarah Vindel Narrated By Sophie Benson While I don’t have an existing review of the original, even though I usually go back through and review a film’s prior entries when a sequel drops, it’s because I was one of the few people underwhelmed by Enolah Holmes to begin with. It’s not that Millie Bobbi Brown isn’t good in the role, I just didn’t find the initial entry that attention grabbing. Here, the titular detective has opened her own office, but no one wants to hire a … Continue reading Enolah Holmes 2

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My Policeman

John Stark

Where I Watched It: amazon English Audio Description Provided By: Media Access Group Narrated By: John Burgess I think a different set of eyes on this film before release could ahve really helped. There’s a strong film buried within My Policeman, as the movie has a lot to say about being gay in a certain time period, the shame, and what the dehumanization and mistreatment of those to be considered perverts and deviants did on their lives. It also has a really strong ensemble, as the film takes place in a past/present continuous time jump format. So we are always … Continue reading My Policeman

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Confess Fletch

John Stark

Where I Watched It: Paramount Plus with Showtime English Audio Description Available?: No Just to be clear, I realize that just yesterday I refused to review Weird, but those were different circumstances. Instead of writing another tirade about how I won’t review a film when someone refuses to add audio description, I’ll say up front that this lack of audio description presented a different problem we blind folk encounter. What happens when you are about to watch a movie with other people, and the movie they want to watch doesn’t have audio description? That’s why I push for 100%, because … Continue reading Confess Fletch

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The Independent

John Stark

Where I Watched it: Peacock English Audio Description?: Yes I should probably say that the answer to the question of “Who is your favorite actor?” For me is Brian Cox. I always think it’s important to be able to honestly address bias, because I walk into any Brian Cox film thinking I’m about to watch a genius at work. I’ve loved this man forever. I’d marry him if he could just promise to randomly perform Shakespeare in his Scottish accent every day. He’s a national, no, international treasure and it’s a crime that he’s not an Oscar nominee for a … Continue reading The Independent

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Causeway

John Stark

Where I Watched It: Apple Plus Audio Description Provided By: Pixel logic Narrated By: Darren Polish i know the last time I saw Jennifer Lawrence in a film it was Don’t look up, but somehow, even though that wasn’t that long ago, it feels like she’s been taking a conscious break, or being really selective. That’s why I kind of wonder what drew her to Causeway. In Causeway, Lawrence plays a veteran who has experienced extreme trauma that has messed with her ability to remember things. She even has to relearn certain things like driving, as well as names, and … Continue reading Causeway

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Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

John Stark

Where I Watched it: Roku English Audio Description?: No To be 100% fair to Roku, who has not really broken into the understanding importance of audio description and accessibility for the blind, I reached out to them. I had already seen Weird at the time, so I knew the film was currently offered without audio description. I politely asked if there perhaps was a glitch, and that audio description for the film was available but just didn’t make it out right way. I even notified them I was a film critic, and I reviewed films for a blind audience, and … Continue reading Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

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Blade Of The 47 Ronin

John Stark

Where I Watched it: Netflix English Audio Description?: Yes This. this film is why I watched Keanu Reeve’s 47 Ronin after nine years of it existing. Just a day on Netflix, and I’m out there finally inspired to watch a film with a 200 million dollar budget just so I can better understand a straight to video sequel with no returning cast members, no budget, and not a single fuck given. Eraser Reborn took a long ass time between the first and second, so long that the second just copies very formulaically, and poorly, the original. This one, it decides … Continue reading Blade Of The 47 Ronin

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47 Ronin

John Stark

Where I Watched it: HBo MAX English Audio Description provided By: Media Access Group Narrated by: Christopher Flowers This might seem random, but i promise, my next review will make sense. It will pull this whole thing together. Yes, when this thing came out nine years ago, I could have seen it in theatres. But, it came out in December, and when you decide to tackle a crowded marketplace, you’d either be a sure fire blockbuster or be up for Oscar consideration. This is basically why I also didn’t see The mist in theatres. Things were just too crowded, and … Continue reading 47 Ronin

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The Tree Of Life

John Stark

Where I Watched it: HBo MAX English Audio Description Provided by: Point 360 Written By: Connor DeWolfe Narrated By: Roy Samuelson I’ve seen quite a few documentaries this year, and I have no idea which ones are even eligible for Oscar’s consideration. but, if there is any justice in this, The Tree Of Life will make the cut. It’s sad that this film exists. It exists only because a racist walked into a synagogue and decided to start shooting people based on his anti-Semitic beliefs. Had that never happened, this documentary would not exist. Really, any documentary based on a … Continue reading The Tree Of Life

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The Good Nurse

John Stark

Where I Watched it: Netflix English Audio Description Provided By: international Digital Center Written by: Betty Capone Narrated By: Liz gutman Always a pleasure to see gutman as the narrator. most of the time she’s a writer, but here she delivers the audio description. I gotta say, maybe it’s my expectations of what this could be, or that other projects like Dr Death have ruined this experience for me, but i wasn’t crazy about The Good nurse. I mean, by the end of the film, you’re told the gravitas of what this guy did, but I never actually felt the … Continue reading The Good Nurse

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All Quiet On The Western Front

John Stark

Where I Watched It: Netflix Audio Description Provided By: International Digital Center Written By Dakota Green Narrated By: Emily Eden There have been war films as long as there has been film. Capturing violence on celluloid has not just been for documentarians and journalists, but also has long served as a method for aspiring filmmakers to make their stance, whether it be in a support our troops, or the horrors of war sort of way. That’s why, when people generally reference All Quiet On The Western Front, they are referencing the Best picture Oscar that is almost 90 years old, … Continue reading All Quiet On The Western Front

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Wendell and Wild

John Stark

Where I Watched It: Netflix Audio Description provided by: International Digital Center Written By: Liz gutman Narrated By: Sri Gordon I know most critics just hop in and do their thing, but I’m not them. I have to admit, there are moments even with terrific audio description, that i still find things where I get more depressed than excited or elated, because my inability to visually see something, or participate in the way I would have been able to a few years ago is now totally different becomes apparent in something. Here, I’m aware Wendell and Wild is a Henry … Continue reading Wendell and Wild

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Barbarian

John Stark

Where I Watched It: HBo MAX English Audio Description Provided By: Deluxe Narrated By: William Michael Redmond I think for a lot of people whether or not they choose to watch Barbarian is a personal choice. I think some people might have heard about, or gotten some spoilers thrown their way that have led them to have an idea of whether or not this is the film for them. And, I think that’s totally valid. As creative as Zach Cregger’s horror title is, it also gets that recognition for a very particular reason. It’s the film I casually refer to … Continue reading Barbarian

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Mid-Century

John Stark

Where I Watched it: Peacock English Audio Description Provided By: Three Play Media Narrated By: Olivia Willis i really walk into films sometimes just for the sake of reviewing something that has audio description that gives a point of reference to my blind and visually impaired readers. I didn’t know what this was. After the fact, I saw it’s shockingly low IMDB score (this thing is in the basement), which i suspected would be low since the film stars Shane West, which is not a starting point for success. It did however manage to wrangle Bruce Dern in the most … Continue reading Mid-Century

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The Sound of 007

John Stark

Where I Watched it: Amazon English Audio Description?: Yes Last year, the documentary film was taken by storm by a film celebrating music, and really showing what it meant to make a music documentary. This year, amazon realized they now own the Bond franchise, and decided to make one more thing for you to click on. The Sound Of 007 certainly isn’t comprehensive, and plays favorites, but for extreme Bond aficionados, it might be worth the watch. I did enjoy many of the stories of how certain songs came to be. Shirley Bassey was having a hard time belting that … Continue reading The Sound of 007