The Small Screen Diaries- 04/29/24
I started off my day with the cheerful Ripley (Netflix), which really put the audio description to work. He killed again, and the attention to detail as Tom spent all this time trying to figure out how to dispose of a body, and clean everything up, really made me appreciate the audio description so much more. probably the best example so far of why this episode needed audio description, even if I did get the stomach churning image of Tom kissing a corpse thanks to the description. So gross. Renegade Nell (Disney Plus) is just a surprise charmer of a … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 04/29/24
Little Wing
We’ve made a movie about almost every single sport there is. I think what happened here, is that someone noticed that there was a gaping hole where “racing pigeons” was, and decided to write an inspirational sports drama around that. Sadly, instead of this making any sense whatsoever, they rope in an angsty teenager as the lead. So, a sport almost no one knows anything about is talked about by teens like they probably talk about the latest hashtag trends. At its core, it is a heartwarming film with room for improvement. A coming of age story wrapped in a … Continue reading Little Wing
Shirley
Regina King as Shirley Chisholm seemed like a no brainer in terms of Oscar bait. However, Netflix’s Shirley had these rumored poor test screenings, which is likely why it exited the 2023 Oscar race, and wound up in early 2024. That’s a shame, because while not totally breaking new ground, Shirley did mostly deliver as promised. King actually delivers a powerhouse performance as Shirley Chisholm. Shirley is a captivating look at the politician’s 1972 presidential campaign. Shirley leans into the challenges presented by being the first black female Presidential candidate in a race dominated by white men. There’s a shot … Continue reading Shirley
The Small Screen Diaries- 04/28/24
Yesterday, i finally started the buzzy Korean horror show Parasite: The Grey (Netflix), which wastes no time in jumping into its plot. It has a lot of explaining to do, so it doesn’t bother with any lead in before the events. In many ways, that is what makes it a strong pilot, is you know exactly what this show is. There is no main character prior to the alien invasion, but we find one after the fact. This show definitely uses body horror, and is very gory, and the audio description leans into that. I’m so happy Netflix decided to … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 04/28/24
10 Actors Most Likely To Get Their First Oscar Nomination This Year
Last year was a great year for first timers. Cillian Murphy, Coleman Domingo, Jeffrey Wright, Lily Gladstone, Sandra Hueller, Sterling K Brown, Danielle Brooks, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Emily blunt, and America Ferrera all became Oscar nominees. this year, we take a look at the 10 actors most likely to get their first acting nomination this year. 1) Best Actor: Daniel Craig (Queer) Craig, hot off his tenure as James Bond, and following some excellent stage work, has teamed up with Luca Guadanino on his second film of 2024. With a more Oscar friendly release pattern than Challengers, it is likely … Continue reading 10 Actors Most Likely To Get Their First Oscar Nomination This Year
Stormy
When I heard this dropped at SXSW I really thought something would come of it. I didn’t realize it would just quickly shift to Peacock. The funny thing, is that I subscribe to the “ad supported” version. It normally doesn’t bother me, because with a movie, you get a bunch of commercials up front, and then the movie is uninterrupted. Stormy had commercials throughout. Peacock really didn’t care about this doc. Should you? Why am i even asking this question. If you don’t already have an opinion on this going into it, I’d be shocked. yes, it’s a Stormy Daniel’s … Continue reading Stormy
The Royal Hotel
I think this Aussie backpacking thriller dropped in late 2023, before winding up on Hulu. This was something I didn’t manage to squeeze in before the Oscars, but I was pretty sure wouldn’t be effecting my votes on the best of the year. I do like Julia Garner, but this had some mixed reviews, and seemed to disappear pretty quickly. Hulu didn’t even bother to acquire the audio description for this film, so I was stuck watching this thriller without it. Here’s why it needed it. the movie centers on two friends who are backpacking on a budget across the … Continue reading The Royal Hotel
the Small Screen Diaries- 04/27/24
I finally allowed myself to finish the incredibly short third season of Girls5Eva (Netflix) and I really I’m sad there aren’t more episodes of this now. I really hope Netflix sticks with this, especially considering it ends on a cliffhanger. I think the show changed a little bit moving to Netflix, but mostly for really positive ways. I did miss Andrew Rannells a bit, so maybe he could pop in and guest in Season 4? The audio description here is doing pretty solid work for a sitcom with constant dialogue. I’m not loving the tier system that much. I tried … Continue reading the Small Screen Diaries- 04/27/24
Spaceman
I remember last year seeing this film floating on some early Oscar lists. The guy who directed HBO’s excellent Chernobyl series was doing a drama with Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan, Paul Dañó, and Isabella Rossellini. I was pretty hyped, and I had Sandler in my early Top 20. That was, of course, before Netflix pushed this to 2024. That’s OK, plenty of films have shifted before. Just last year, Killers Of The Flower Moon and The Holdovers got Oscar nominations after being shifted from the previous year. Then, March. Netflix decided on March. It’s Ok. So maybe not an Oscar … Continue reading Spaceman
Road House (2024)
I won’t bother you with my scattered thoughts on the original Road House. I found the film, watched it again, but it didn’t have audio description. I remember watching the original when I was maybe 10-12 year old, and it was a cable edit. So, no sex, trimmed down graphic violence, and weird substitutions for cursing. Then, some 30-ish years later I watched the original again, without audio description as a refresher. it is an action film, so it wasn’t very helpful, but it triggered some memories.I kinda just really remembered how badass Patrick Swayze made it look as a … Continue reading Road House (2024)
Code Eight: Parts 1 and 2
Netflix has these frequent releases, and one of them was something called Code Eight: Part Two. Immediately, I was like… there was a Part One? How did I miss this? When did I miss this? Well, a few years back, Netflix decided to release a superhero themed original starring the Amells (Robbie and Stephen) and I guess it checked a metric for them. I never remember this happening. But at the speed it took for this sequel to come out answers the question of why we still haven’t seen that Old Guard sequel that was green lit. That means I … Continue reading Code Eight: Parts 1 and 2
The Small Screen Diaries- 04/26/24
We’re kicking off today with some surprisingly bad news, at least for fans of NCIS: Hawaii. CBS has cancelled the spinoff after just three seasons, making it (by far) the weakest link in the series so far. I’d argue part of the reason for this is that they are developing NCIS: Origins for next season, as well as the renewal of NCIS: Sydney. Baby Reindeer (Netflix) is still in its lighthearted phase. I noticed the episode length even was closer to that of a sitcom, running approximately 30 minutes. Of course, we’re still back toward the beginning of this whole … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 04/26/24
The Bloody Hundredth
The only film this year to list Tom Hanks and Hitler in the “cast list” section on iMDB. This is the companion documentary to Masters Of The Air, a fantastic limited series on Apple Plus, which was also narrated by Laura Post. This documentary tells the true story, and in many ways would be a spoiler if you wanted the series to surprise you. Real interviews are used, along with footage from the era, and commentary from those involved in the creation and production of Masters of The Air, explaining why this story is so worthy of its own incarnation. … Continue reading The Bloody Hundredth
Damsel
Millie Bobby Brown needs to have a deal with… life. The poor girl basically is living inside Netflix, as the star of Stranger Things, which will probably air its final season when she’s 30, and the Enolah Holmes series, Brown is of course doing Damsel for Netflix. The problem with that, is that Netflix has a movie vomit approach to its platform, and it is so hard to parse which films are worth your time just by assuming it’s the new Friday release. Netflix has so many mediocre movies with movie stars they could stock a defunct Blockbuster with just … Continue reading Damsel
The Small Screen Diaries- 04/25/24
Some renewal news. CBS officially has ordered a fifth season of The Equalizer, while NBC has decided to send its newest Law and Order incarnation, Organized Crime, to Peacock. Both are technically coming back, so fans of those shows can at least be happy for that. I finished The New look (Apple Plus), which as a series had its moments. I’m not sure if they are planning more. I think this is in competition for Drama Series at the Emmys, not limited, but the ending that explains the cultural impact of Christian Dior feels like a hard ending. So, when … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 04/25/24
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