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Analyze This: 25th Anniversary

John Stark

Analyze This: 25th Anniversary- DeNiro And Crystal Still Pair Well Together Quick Take: Not everything needs a sequel, and this Billy Crystal/Robert DeNiro comedy got one anyway, but the first film was magic. It took what makes each one of these actors great, and just leaned in. Of course DeNiro plays a mob boss. That’s his thing. Crystal plays a psychiatrist, something he just did again in 2024 in Apple’s limited series Before. It is the story of a mob boss who has a panic attack, and seeks the counsel of a shrink to figure out what’s wrong with him. … Continue reading Analyze This: 25th Anniversary

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Christmas Eve At Miller’s Point

John Stark

Christmas Eve In Miller’s Point- Feels Like If IFC Started Making Christmas Movies Quick Take: I’ve actually seen this movie twice. And I’m just now getting around to putting those thoughts here. Originally, I was given a screener that did not have audio description, and later, i watched it with audio description, because I’d rather put out a review reflecting the actual worth of a movie, and not the lack of accessibility for that film. this Christmas movie feels like the most indie Christmas film. There really isn’t a lead character, or even an obvious plot. It just is a … Continue reading Christmas Eve At Miller’s Point

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Time Passages

John Stark

Time Passages (2025)- A personal Documentary Unpacking Things Left Unsaid Before Time Runs Out I remember as a kid growing up, my dad had purchased a camcorder for all those special occasions. Of course, everyone just uses their phones now, but I had a bulky camcorder that took a full VHS tape in the side of it. No mini-cassettes, and this was before digital was ever a thing. I have no idea what happened to all the recordings of me as a child, or my family. As a blind person, those videos now seem more precious because they offer audio, … Continue reading Time Passages

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The Small Screen Diaries- 01/30/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: The Night Agent: S2E7 (Netflix) with audio description, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man- S1E2 (Disney plus), Will Trent: S3E4 (Hulu) with audio description, High Potential: S1E? (Hulu) with audio description, The recruit: S2E1 (Netflix) with audio description, SNL: Dave Chappelle (Peacock) with audio description Movies Watched: Time Passages (Screener) No Audio Description, Venom The Last Dance (VOD) audio description, Here (Netflix) with audio description Best Episode: The Night Agent- I would say this season finally hits its peak at Episode 7, when things start to really pick up. Everything is really about the same, but this was my … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/30/25

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Sebastian

John Stark

Sebastian- They Do Always Say Write What You Know Quick Take- Here’s an under the radar film from 2024 that has audio description, the queer drama Sebastian. The film centers around a young man who is looking to impress as a writer, and takes the assignment too seriously. He decides to write about sex workers, and then becomes one himself, using his own experiences to fuel his novel. Of course, there are complications, and backlash, but this film is pretty surface level, and isn’t really looking on tearing down the privilege of Sebastian, and instead any consequence he faces is … Continue reading Sebastian

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Saturday Night

John Stark

Saturday Night- Live From New York It’s 1975! Quick Take: Jason Reitman’s fast paced ensemble comedy didn’t quite land with audiences, though it landed on a lot of Top 10 lists. It became an underdog, which is kind of poignant, because it is based on a show that was an underdog. Saturday Night Live was set to fail, just a dalliance that was used to leverage against Johnny Carson and Tonight Show reruns on that night. The Not Ready For Primetime Players were an amalgamation of mostly future household names, but relatively unknown at the time. And a young Lorne … Continue reading Saturday Night

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Carry On

John Stark

Carry On (Netflix)- Taron Egerton And Jason Bateman Die Hard For The Holidays Quick Take: Every year there are a few Netflix titles that end up being worthy, that aren’t just festival pickups or Oscar bait. This past year, Carry On is one of a handful of Netflix originals I’d watch again. It didn’t reinvent the genre, by any means, but it plays to its strengths, and creates a solid action movie for the holidays. the strength lies in this back and forth between the mysterious baddie played devilishly well by Jason Bateman, and our intrepid hero, played with eagerness … Continue reading Carry On

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The Old Oak

John Stark

The Old Oak- Nominated Last Year By The BAFTA’s For Best Picture Quick Take: In the recent tradition of me mentioning a few under the radar films I was offered screeners for, that really seemed like solid films, is the BAFTA nominated The Old Oak, from director Ken Loach. I was really hoping to find a UK audio description track for this. It gained sadly no attention here in the states, but this film about a bar, its owners, refugees, xenophobia, and changing hearts and minds seemed like the kind of thing that would be right up my alley. If … Continue reading The Old Oak

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The Small Screen Diaries- 01/29/25

John Stark

TV News: Netflix has ordered a second season of the excellent Keira Knightley/Ben Whishaw spy series black Doves. They are also looking to reboot Little House On The Prairie, and considering shows like Virgin River, My Life With The Walter Boys, and other similar shows, I think it’s a safe bet for them. Will it live longer than Anne With An E? TV Shows Watched: Prime Target: S1E3 (Apple Plus) with audio description, The Night Agent: S2E6 (Netflix) with audio description, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: S1E1 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Paradise: S1E3 (Hulu) with audio description, American Primeval: S1E5 … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/29/25

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In The Summers

John Stark

In The Summers- A Bilingual Coming Of Age Tale Quick Take: joining nowhere Special and The People’s Joker as films I would love to watch again with audio description is this queer coming of age drama, which has different actresses playing the girls as they grow up. one, is dealing with her sexuality, and dad seems not too pleased. The relationship is clearly strained. i had a hard time following this all the way, not just because of the lack of audio description, but it is also bilingual. While it is set in America, it features enough Spanish to make … Continue reading In The Summers

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It Ends With us

John Stark

It Ends With Us- Blake Lively Makes The Most Out Of This Quick Take: this film has been in the news a bit after Blake Lively came forward about her co-star/director’s bad behavior. Even when I saw this, which does have audio description, I thought he was the weak link on pretty much every front. He’s not a great director, nor a scene partner for Lively. She steals a mediocre film, and makes it better. Lively has chosen some really solid roles since exiting Gossip Girl, most notably A Simple Favor and The Town, but this is another reminder that … Continue reading It Ends With us

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Nowhere Special

John Stark

Nowhere Special- Bring The Tissues, This Will Destroy You Quick Take: I’m compiling a list of the films from 2024 that I most want to see again should they acquire audio description, and this UK import is definitely on that list. It just doesn’t have enough dialogue for me to recommend the film without audio description, but if you are among those who don’t need accessibility, this is a heartbreaker of a film that has fallen totally under the radar. James Norton plays a single father who is given some terrible news. he doesn’t have a lot of time left, … Continue reading Nowhere Special

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Tango And Cash: 35th Anniversary

John Stark

Tango And Cash: 35th Anniversary- Sylvester Stallone + Kurt Russell = Lethal Weapons Quick Take: The 80’s knew how to make fun action films. We’ve confused many of them with being technically proficient, or film classics, but truthfully is there a difference between a fil that seems to have achieved a high level of filmmaking, or a film that achieved a high level of entertainment value, and has proven rewatchable as a result? Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop certainly come to mind, but the 80’s was full of fun buddy cop movies, including Tango And Cash. This Sylvester Stallone … Continue reading Tango And Cash: 35th Anniversary

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The Small Screen Diaries- 01/28/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Paradise: S1E2 (Hulu) with audio description, Bookie: S2E7 (MAX) with audio description, 911 Lone Star: Second To last Episode (Hulu) No audio description, and St Dennis Medical: S1E? (Peacock) with audio description Movies Watched: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Apple Store) with audio description, Hitman (Netflix) with audio description Best Episode: St Dennis Medical- I think this might have the edge. I could make a case for any of the shows. None were at their best, but all were strong. Ultimately, I had the least glaring issues with the two comedies, and I’m giving this one the … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/28/25

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The Small Screen Diaries- 01/27/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Watson: S1E1 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, XO Kitty: S2E3 (Netflix) with audio description, The Night Agent: S2E5 (Netflix) with audio description, and Paradise: S1E1 (Hulu) with audio description. Movies Watched: Babes and Ezra (both films I own digital copies of from the Apple Store). I also bumped up the speed since I’ve seen, and reviewed, both. Best Episode: Paradise- Hulu’s new drama was calling itself buzzy before it premiered, and I even knew what it was. Then, it boldly decided to premiere the first episode a day early, as two more drop today. Hulu’s confidence should … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/27/25