scrapper
A BAFTA nominee that flew under the radar here in the states, Scrapper is now available for anyone who has been obsessed with paper Moon and wanted to see a possible update. It’s not, but it is certainly close. Sadly, this independent British feature is on Paramount Plus without audio description. Lola Campbell will steal your heart, much like Tatum O’Neal did in her Oscar nominated performance in Paper Moon. Campbell plays a young girl who is scheming her way through life as we come to realize she’s basically alone in the world. That is, until her estranged father comes … Continue reading scrapper
The Small Screen Diaries- 02/15/24
Did you feel like you got hit on the head yesterday? That’s because Paramount Global has axed streamer Noggin, which launched as a cable channel in 199, before developing its own paid service in 2015. Nine years later, Paramount Global is on fire, and they need to cut costs. A lot of the basic core programs of Noggin are available on Paramount Plus anyway, so I’m sure this is just a redundancy they felt was needed. I was more surprised that 800 people worked for Noggin. Just to balance themselves out, they also cancelled Evil. So, something on either end … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/15/24
The Small Screen Diaries- 02/14/24
So what did you watch for Valentine’s Day? I tried yet again to get into Feud (Hulu), which has an exceptional cast. You know I would love to say this is great because this cast is flawless, but I haven’t a real clue why this is a thing. I hope Treat Williams gets a posthumous Emmy nomination though.Also, it is in Black and White? Come on Audio Description. Let me know these things. Griselda (Netflix) features Sofia Vergara (who I adore) in a series I don’t adore. However, she is good in this show I don’t like, which is why … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/14/24
The Small Screen Diaries- 02/13/24
Happy Valentine’s Day! For this Valentine’s I got you some TV News to start your day. Apple has renewed Invasion for a 3rd season, while Netflix has picked up Survival Of The Thickest for a second season. The latter of the two took way too long, and must have come down to a budgeting wire. I am shockingly still with Boy Swallows The Universe (Netflix), which is actually better once you get past the pilot. Still, it’s a very odd show, but the 4th episode continues with the boys trying to adapt to living with their estranged alcoholic father, wanting … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/13/24
The Small Screen Diaries- 02/12/24
Welcome back Jon Stewart, who has returned to The Daily Show once a week through at least the election. Also, Katy Perry is making this her last season of American Idol. Dear Producers, *PLEASE* get an alumni. It is so awkward that two of them have been on The Voice, but not American Idol. It’s time to bring home Kelly, Carrie, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia, Jordon Sparks, or any of the myriad of female artists whose career has been launched by this show. Honestly, I wish the whole panel was alumni. And with that, I knocked out another episode of My … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/12/24
The Small Screen Diaries- 02/11/24
So, who won the Puppy Bowl? I know that is the thing on all of our minds this morning. One year, I hope they get Bow Wow to do the halftime show at the Puppy Bowl, or Snoop Dogg. Aside from what everyone else watched, I started Season 2 of Halo (Paramount Plus), which still suffers from its biggest Season 1 problem, which was not having enough distinguishable Spartans other than Master Chief. The Season 2 premiere does work on the development of Bokeem Woodbine’s rogue Spartan, and introduce a new antagonist, but it still needs more than just Master … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/11/24
Silent Night (2023)
Every year, there’s always some kind of an award for audio description. Not that it reaches mainstream audiences, but for a blind film critic like myself, I’m very aware. If the team at Deluxe and William Michael Redmond aren’t nominated, simply nominated, the actual award itself means nothing. It would be like trying to compete in an athletic event where the obvious choice has somehow been disqualified. It puts a bit of a damper on your win, because the tiger in the fight wasn’t, so you don’t actually know if the win you got was earned. There is zero question … Continue reading Silent Night (2023)
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
This Oscar nominated documentary is just one of many documentaries that Disney Plus seems to not want to bother with audio description. It’s like they have this huge National Geographic wing, but they are afraid to add audio description to most of it. I already reviewed The mission, which was a failed Oscar bait earlier this year, and it lacked audio description. This film, from what I can tell, deserves to be where it is. it just can’t get my vote in terms of accessibility. We all have our causes, and I’m here to discuss film and advocate for accessibility, … Continue reading Bobi Wine: The People’s President
The Small Screen Diaries- 02/10/24
A couple of quick items of business to discuss. Disney not surprisingly went ahead and renewed Abbott Elementary for a 4th season. Honestly, I don’t know why it gets 1 season pickups. Dick Wolf’s dramas still get multi-year deals. Does ABC think Abbott isn’t going to go for a 5th season? Just give it a 2 year deal. Or hell, a 3 year deal. Disney is also sticking with Goosebumps, which I think is a good call, and is considering airing the second season of Only Murders In The Building on linear TV at some point. Also, The Golden Bachelorette. … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/10/24
The After
With a title this generic, you can be forgiven for not knowing what The After is. However, it means you aren’t paying attention to the list of Oscar nominees, because this one is nominated for Best Short, and it feels like we are really starting to use this category as a sleeper way for people to easily get accolades. This is on Netflix, with audio description, and it has David Oyelowo as the lead. It’s in contention with another Netflix backed short film, The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar, which is directed by Wes Anderson and stars Oscar nominees like … Continue reading The After
The Equalizer 3
I don’t know why this is the one film Denzel Washington feels emotionally attached to that he keeps making sequels. The first film was fine. Gritty, he kicked ass, and equalized. Now, somehow he’s in Europe protecting Dakota Fanning and some Italians, and I’m really not sure how we got here. It’s like they are trying to apply the rule of John Wick to the Equalizer, but he works much better as a Luke Cage figure, who defends his own neighborhood than going global. Wick needed to stop a global organization, I’m not sure that fits here. Still, the first … Continue reading The Equalizer 3
Last Song Of Kabul
It made the shortlist for Best Documentary Short at the Oscars, but failed to get an actual nomination. This challenging doc is available on Paramount Plus with audio description, a stark contrast to The ABC’s Of Book Banning, a short documentary that was nominated, yet features no audio description. Last Song Of Kabul is another documentary exploring the ramifications of leaving Afghanistan in Taliban control, as we see a music school and its students worry about their futures. Girls had been gifted the opportunity to learn to play an instrument, but as the girls detail, under Taliban rule, they could … Continue reading Last Song Of Kabul
The Small Screen Diaries- 02/09/24
Ryan Murphy must really not like Truman Capote because he’s not getting great treatment from Feud (Hulu), which honestly isn’t even that interesting beyond that one performance. And, he’s not even the first actor to tackle Truman, so it’s hard to even say he’s better than Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won his Oscar for playing Capote. The audio description is well produced though, which in this day and age seems like a challenge. I also enjoy the audio description on Quantum Leap (Peacock), and I recognize the narrators voice from other projects. Bouncing around through all the leaps and keeping … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 02/09/24
Memory
Sadly, this review of memory is based on a screener copy I received, and I don’t have any audio description information as a result. However, you may not even know there was a film called memory in contention last year, and now you know. So, that’s a reason to give me more screeners. I honestly don’t know how there are critics on the internet with clearly less social engagement than me who are getting advance copies of things. Blows my mind. Memory features a recovering alcoholic, played by Jessica Chastain, who attends her class reunion where she notices a man … Continue reading Memory
The Color Purple
You must be adventurous, as I did not specify which version this review would be for. Is this the multi-Oscar nominated 80’s classic directed by Steven Spielberg that helped push forward the acting career of Oprah Winfrey, as well as help Whoopi Goldberg be taken seriously as a dramatic actress? or, is this a review of the 2023 musical adaptation brought to life with songs from the Broadway award winning musical that only managed one Oscar nomination for Danielle Brooks? Why can’t it be both? In fact, this is kind of a review of both films. The Colors Purples, or … Continue reading The Color Purple
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