Hitman
Premiering at last year’s Toronto International Film festival, there was some interesting buzz for Hitman. Was it a potential Oscar contender? Who would snap it up in an already tight race? Ultimately, Netflix swooped in, which might have meant a campaign for this year’s Oscars, but that June release date tells me Netflix has other plans. Luckily, the movie stands on its own, and whether it ever wins or is nominated for any major award, this will have fans. It’s the equivalent to last year’s The Killer, which had fans too, even if it really didn’t manifest anything for David … Continue reading Hitman
the Small Screen Diaries- 06/29/24
Yesterday, I kicked it off with S3E7 of Bridgerton (Netflix), which Liz Gutman has done such an exceptional job writing audio description for all season long. I was surprised that this was the second to last episode of the season, because I wasn’t sure where we were going next, but clearly Cressida has something up her sleeve. Can anyone really blame her? Her future sounds perpetually terrible. Either marry an old man, or go live in the country with her aunt. I think she’s a redeemable villain because of that, so I hope they don’t go too far with it. … Continue reading the Small Screen Diaries- 06/29/24
Movies With pride: Rocketman
I’ve been enjoying my Movies With pride series thus far this year, and I hope to expand to even more titles next year. Every title I did this year had audio description, and I hadn’t already reviewed it. Rocketman initially released during my down period, while I wasn’t writing reviews, and was questioning my self worth. A lot. What I loved about Rocketman, is the reminder that Elton John is so non-traditional in the sense of the physical look of a rockstar, but his talent was so undeniable, and his drive so strong, that people gravitated toward him and he … Continue reading Movies With pride: Rocketman
Under Paris
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
The Small Screen Diaries- 06/28/24
It’s a recap of my birthday, so obviously I spent the day popping bottles. TV? What is that? It was honestly a solid birthday, with a nice dinner. And I did manage to watch a few shows, so let’s talk about them. Sweet Tooth (Netflix) was giving me like a mild panic attack. When Wendy was trying to figure out how to get to Becky, I thought for sure that they would grab her and use her to get to Becky. Thank freaking God. That scene with Rosie having to kill her son was *a lot*. Like, this is the … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 06/28/24
The Small Screen Diaries- 06/27/24
Even though I always write about what I watched the previous day, I want to acknowledge that I’m currently writing this on my birthday. So tomorrow’s blog, will reflect what I watched on my birthday. And for my birthday, as you may have seen a large article from me, Hulu decided to gift me The bear without audio description for Season 3. One of their current tentpole shows, and no one bothered to make sure it would be accessible when launched. It is incredibly dehumanizing to be an afterthought. Instead, i watched The Boys (Amazon), which continues to find new … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 06/27/24
Sasquatch Sunset
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
For Love And Life: No Ordinary Campaign
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
The Lion King: 30th Anniversary
It means no worries, for the rest of your days. Wishful thinking, of course. Many of us who saw Disney’s The Lion King 30 years ago were told that we could just Hakuna Matata our way through life, but really, think about all those worries as you continue to grow up. It may be a problem free, philosophy, but Hakuna Matata is just not a sustainable reality. This thing was everywhere. The music was all over the place. I think the VHS broke sales records. It felt like everyone I knew had a copy of The Lion King. I remember … Continue reading The Lion King: 30th Anniversary
Apathy At Hulu Leads To The inaccessibility Of Tentpole Series
Yeah, the title is click bait as hell, and I own that. But this post is about what people don’t take ownership in, and that is Hulu with The Bear. the absolute bane of my existence has been the term “FX on Hulu”, which seemingly is giving Hulu carte Blanche to screw over the blind and low vision community. Too often, shows like Reservoir Dogs and The Bear have launched without audio description. Trying to get them to care, they seem to think that the ‘FX’ part of that gives them some kind of hall pass to screw around with … Continue reading Apathy At Hulu Leads To The inaccessibility Of Tentpole Series
The Small Screen Diaries- 06/26/24
I started my day by finishing Dark Matter (Apple Plus), which left me in a head scratcher of a position. Do we leave it there, and call it a rather perfect limited series, or do they try to do what every other limited series is doing now and go for a second season? I think the possibilities are there, but I don’t actually know that they can top the first season. I want this answer to come creatively, from a place of creative strength, and not pressure from Apple Plus to do another one. Open the door, but also allow … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 06/26/24
Movies With Pride: Love Lies Bleeding
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
Die Hart 2
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
Miller’s Girl
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
Jim Henson: Idea Man
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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