The Small Screen Diaries- 01/05/25

Well, the Globes certainly were interesting, for the portion I was awake. Kudos to the team. Also, I loved Nikki Glazer. I hope she hosts more things. She’s so comfortable up there. TV Shows Watched: Squid Game: S2E7 (Netflix) with audio description, earth Abides: S1E6 (MGM Plus) with audio description, The Agency: S1E7 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, 911: S8E5 (Hulu) with audio description, SNL: Chris Rock (Peacock) with audio description, Virgin River: S6E5 (Netflix) with audio description, and The Golden Globes (CBS) with audio description Movies: Anora (Apple Store) with audio description, Beatles 644 (Disney Plus) with audio description … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/05/25

Golden Globes 2025- Who Will Win, Who Would I Vote For?

Tonight is the night. I’ve seen every film (and probably every TV show), even if I haven’t gotten to my review. So, here are my thoughts, fully informed, on the race. Best Drama: Nominees- The Brutalist, Conclave, A Complete Unknown, Dune Part II, The Nickel Boys, and September 5 Who I Would Vote For: All of these are exceptional films. My favorite film of 2024 never had a chance. The biggest and most notable snub here was Sing Sing, which I would swap for either A Complete Unknown or Dune Part II, just personally. Conclave is one of my favorite … Continue reading Golden Globes 2025- Who Will Win, Who Would I Vote For?

The Small Screen Diaries- 01/04/25

A bunch of shows are returning next week with new seasons, including Will Trent and The Rookie, as well as new series premieres like Shifting Gears and Doc, and the long awaited third season premiere of The Traitors (which Peacock will now drop live at 9PMEST on Thursday) and the second season of Goosebumps (Which Disney Plus is dropping all eight new episodes at once). My body is ready. Is yours? TV Shows Watched: Dexter: New Blood: S1E44 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Squid Game: S2E6 (Netflix) with audio description, Laid: S1E8 (Peacock) with audio description, Krapapolis: S2E? (Hulu) no … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/04/25

Blitz

Blitz (Apple Plus)- It Could Have Been So Much Better Quick Take: Steve McQueen is a great director. 12 Years A Slave, Widows, and Mangrove are all excellent.This is not. He made a very mediocre war film that was Apple’s final hope, that Oscar prognosticators had thought might find a groundswell at BAFTA, and it just ended up being one of the lost films of the year. Honestly, I didn’t hate Blitz. The audio description is insufficient, but it isn’t bad. It is just disappointing. Sometimes, it is bad to be disappointing. Like, while I still need to fully review … Continue reading Blitz

Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary

Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary- For Me, It Was Tuesday Quick Take:It was serendipitous. Sometimes I check Tubi, just to see if there’s something there to review, and right at the top of recommendations was Street Fighter. No audio description. 30th Anniversary. This is one of what I could call a “Good Bad Flick”, meaning I enjoy this, but I also think it is terrible. I remember being disappointed even as a kid, but also kinda blown away. What they do with various characters is just weird. Blanka? I guess it was always hard to put him on screen. The exception … Continue reading Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary

The Small Screen Diaries- 01/03/25

The Golden Globes are tomorrow, and Apple Plus has dropped its paywall for the weekend. BINGE! TV Shows Watched: Silo: S2E8 (Apple Plus), 911: S8E4 (Hulu) with audio description, Laid: S1E7 (Peacock) with audio description, Bookie: S2E3 (MAX) with audio description, and Virgin River: S6E4? (Netflix) with audio description Movies Watched: Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Netflix) with audio description, The Nature Of Love (screener) no audio description Best Episode: Silo- Again, I love how the conflict in the first Silo is playing out.Also, Juliet runs into a mysterious new figure who apparently has read Robin Hood. Runner Up: … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/03/25

The Remarkable Life Of ibelin

the Remarkable Life Of Ibelin- A Love Letter To Those Gamer Friends You’ve Never Met Quick Take: The Warcraft doc of the year, available now on Netflix, talks about a player who was disabled, and found his online family through gaming, only to sadly pass away. It made me think a lot about being a gamer, and when someone you’ve known for sometime as a gamer tag just disappears, you wonder why. Before going blind, I played a ton of online games, and had a rich base of friends I’d never met. Some of us had exchanged real life information, … Continue reading The Remarkable Life Of ibelin

Borderlands

Borderlands- Eli Roth Was An Odd Choice For A PG-13 Version Quick Take: A lot has already been said about Lionsgate’s expensive foray into adapting Borderlands for the big screen. Not enough is being said about Lionsgate likely being the reason for the problem. Borderlands is a fun game, and it does have a story, which you advance through with the help of the most obnoxious sidekick in Claptrap. You can also team up with friends in the franchise, and run missions together. I’ve long wanted a Left 4 Dead movie, especially with how many excellent horror directors there are … Continue reading Borderlands

The Small Screen Diaries- 01/02/25

Kinda shot myself in the foot on this one today. Talk about rolling out the red carpet for Squid Game. TV Shows Watched: Creature Commandoes: S1E6 (MAX) with audio description, Squid Game: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description, Missing You: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity: S1E9 (Amazon) with audio description, and Call me Ted: S1E6 (MAX) with audio description. Movies Watched: Seeking Mavis Beacon (Hulu) no audio description, Wildcat (Apple Store) no audio description, Perfect Days (Hulu) no audio description, Glitter And Doom (screener, but this is on Tubi) no audio description, and Solo (screener) … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/02/25

Rob Peace

Rob Peace- Am Inspirational Story weighed Down By Being An Inspirational Story Quick Take: Chiwetel Ejiofor tries his hand at directing again, and also acting in this inspirational film that is too busy being inspirational to really ever get off the ground. When we meet our young protagonist, we see that he has this challenged relationship with his father, which is made worse when his father is accused of, and convicted of murder. His son then has to balance seeking a better life for himself, getting an education, moving on with his life, finding love, and all the while burdened … Continue reading Rob Peace

Nickel Boys

Nickel Boys- A Bold Directorial Narrative Feature Debut Quick Take: Another screener without audio description, and one that I really wanted to have the track for. Ramel Ross made a strong directorial choice to tell this film in first person point of view, that I was really intrigued as to how the audio description team would handle it. Sadly, Amazon does not provide audio description for its screeners. Without my help, nickel Boys has gotten close to its Best Picture Oscar Nomination, after landing in the Golden Globe race. I ahve a feeling I will love the final product, but … Continue reading Nickel Boys

The Small Screen Diaries- 01/01/25

We are at the point now where I have to consciously remind myself to type 25 instead of 24. I literally cannot believe we are 25 years into this century. I feel like those people who were turn of the century back in the 1900’s, who are now in the roaring 20’s, enjoying the jazz age, totally unaware of the coming Great Depression or WWII. Like, what the hell is ahead? TV Shows Watched: Skeleton Crew: S1E6 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Squid Game: S1E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Laid: S1E6 (Peacock) with audio description, 911: S8E3 (Hulu) with audio … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 01/01/25

Escape From Alcatraz: 45th Anniversary

Escape From Alcatraz: 45th Anniversary- Clint Eastwood Must Get Off The Rock Quick Take: This is one I fell in love with at some point when it was on cable. It was in pretty decent rotation, so I think I’ve seen it more than once prior to watching it again with audio description. This is available in the Apple Store, if you are curious to see if Clint Eastwood can break out of the Rock. This is one where he’s just acting, and not directing, though it feels like he could have easily done both. It is an action packed … Continue reading Escape From Alcatraz: 45th Anniversary

Sing Sing

Sing Sing- Is This One Of The Very Best Of The Year? Quick Take: Last year, when critics were bouncing around festivals looking for 2023 Oscar contenders, the Toronto International Film Festival landed a buzzy indie that had everyone saying “just wait for 2024”. Coleman Domingo was already firmly in the race with Rustin, and the hope was this little gem would be given room to breathe by entering 2024 an early frontrunner. Then, A24 bought the film, and scheduled it for a summer release. last year, this helped the little indie Past Lives get noticed, but that ultimately led … Continue reading Sing Sing

Message In A Bottle: 25th Anniversary

Message In A Bottle: 25th Anniversary- Kevin Costner, Robin Wright, Paul Newman, Nicholas Sparks Quick Take: Get out the Kleenex. It is time for a good old fashioned Nicholas Sparks cry. This guy loves to make depressing romantic movies. Here, Robin Wright plays a journalist who finds this, well, you know, and decides to find out who wrote it. that leads her to a sad but hunky Kevin Costner, who is still mourning the loss of his loved one, while trying to care for his recovering alcoholic father (Paul Newman). Of course, she doesn’t tell him about the messages, and … Continue reading Message In A Bottle: 25th Anniversary