The Luckiest Man In America
Imagine finding an old VHS tape of Press Your Luck from 1984, and being so inspired by this artifact that you decided to make it your American film debut. That’s exactly how Samir Oliveros got to gift us with The Luckiest Man In America. Based on the true story of Michael Larson (Paul Walter Hauser), a mild mannered ice cream truck driver who has a persistent dream of being on press Your Luck. he drives his truck all the way from Ohio to Los Angeles just to try and get on the show. He seems to the executive producer (David … Continue reading The Luckiest Man In America
The Small Screen Diaries- 04/04/25
TV Shows Watched: Devil May Cry- S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, The Bondsman- S1E1 (Amazon) with audio description, Happy Face: S1E3 (Paramount Plus) with audio description,Will Trent: S3E12 (Hulu) with audio description, Invincible: S3E7 (Amazon) with audio description, Number One On The Call Sheet: Part One (Apple TV + with audio description, Dying For Sex: S1E1 (Hulu) with audio description, Survival Of The Thickest: S2E2 (Netflix) with audio description, The Masked Singer: S13E8 (Hulu) no audio description, the rookie: S7E12 (Hulu) with audio description, and Abbott Elementary: S4E20 (Hulu) with audio description Best Episode (tie): Abbott Elementary and Number One … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 04/04/25
The Life List
Since the last bucket list film was Blink, a film I was not fond of its messaging, the bar was fairly low going into The Life List for it to exceed expectations. Still, it is a Netflix release, and one that certainly doesn’t seem like it is poised for awards consideration. A lot of this has to do with Sofia Carson’s inability to land theatrical releases, and a seemingly unbreakable bond with Netflix,but Netflix also does this very well. In fact, while I can’t place the name of the film, I feel like there was a Netflix film where a … Continue reading The Life List
Companion
One of the interesting things about losing your vision is that your drive to consume film trailers goes down significantly. Most of them do not have audio description, which in theatres and television, can result in not even knowing which film is being sold to me. Sometimes, I might have a sighted person with me, but not always, and then the entire trailer is lost on me. Maybe I recognize an actors voice, and IMDb can point me in the right direction. So, I often “go in blind” to these movies. for Companion, this seems to be the preferred method … Continue reading Companion
The Martial Artist
I don’t mind being sent films to review that are off my radar. I like independent film, and I want to support it as best I can. the truth is, that this sub-grouping of films rarely has audio description, which makes it a challenge to support. But, for a little film with a decidedly not A-list cast opening against Minecraft, I think it’s important for me to veer left and champion these types of films. Sometimes, these random titles end up being quite enjoyable, even with the struggle of the lack of accessibility. earlier this year, I was able to … Continue reading The Martial Artist
The Small Screen Diaries- 04/03/25
TV News: ABC renewed a ton of shows, leaving really only Dr Odyssey as the odd show out. That means 911 will be back for Season 9, The Rookie will be back for Season 8, Will Trent will return for Season 4, and Shifting Gears will be back for Season 2. Oh, and something called Grey’s Anatomy? Is that a new show? They will join the previously renewed High Potential and Abbott Elementary as ABC’s returning scripted offerings in the fall. None of these choices surprise me. TV Sows Watched: Mythic Quest: S4E9 (Apple Plus) with audio description, The Studio: … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 04/03/25
The Small Screen Diaries- 04/02/25
TV Shows Watched: Daredevil: Born Again- S1E7 (Disney Plus) with audio description, the righteous Gemstones: S4E4 (MAX) with audio description, The Walking Dead: Dead City (S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description, Top Chef: S22E3 (Peacock) with audio description, Good American Family: S1E3 (Hulu) with audio description, and The Wheel Of Time: S3E4 (Amazon) with audio description. Best Episode: the Righteous Gemstones- the kids invite Eli and his new girlfriend to the lake with the express purpose of breaking them up. Things do not go as planned, and the results are hilarious. For the sighted people, I’m sure things happened in this … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 04/02/25
Holland
Holland (Amazon)- Nicole Kidman, Matthew Macfadyen, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jude Hill As someone who uses sites like Gold Derby to track the awards races, I have noticed that for the past two years, there was a Nicole Kidman mention for something called Holand, MI. It never materialized in 2023, nor did it join the multitude of projects Nicole Kidman churned out in 2024. Amazon instead opted to abandon this title in March of 2025, sidestepping a theatrical launch, and serving it to their hungry Prime subscribers.Should that give you pause? Perhaps. Holland is a bit of a mess, but it … Continue reading Holland
The Small Screen Diaries- 04/01/25
TV Shows Watched: Dope Thief: S1E4 (Apple Plus) with audio description, American Idol: S23E5 (Hulu) no audio description, Tracker: S2E14 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, The Residence: S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description, Grosse Pointe Garden Society: S1E6 (Peacock) with audio description, Long Bright River: S1E3 (Peacock) with audio description, The Daily Show: Monday (Paramount Plus) no audio description, and The Great North: S5E6 (Hulu) no audio description Best Episode: The Residence- Shonda Rhimes’s quirky murder mystery continues to be entertaining and engaging with each successive episode. The joke about the disrespect shown because the depiction of a specific kangaroo on … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 04/01/25
Freaky Tales
Freaky Tales (2025)- Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Ben Mendelssohn, Tom Hanks Quick Take: Anthology movies can be a tough sell, because often each segment can be weighed on their own merits. So, while you might like or love all or most, one segment that feels off, or just doesn’t inspire you the same way as the other segments, can change your perception of the totality of the work. For example, with last years Kinds of kindness, i found something in the first two segments, but struggled a bit more with the third and final. For Freaky Tales, I found myself … Continue reading Freaky Tales
The Small Screen Diaries- 03/31/25
TV Shows Watched: The White Lotus: S3E7 (MAX) with audio description, American Idol: S23E5 (Hulu) no audio description, Adolescence: S1E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Win Or lose: S1E7 (Disney Plus) with audio description, Side Quest: S1E2 (Apple plus) with audio description, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver: Current (MAX) no audio description Best Episode (Tie): Adolescence and Side Quest- Yes, predictably the Netflix show finished on a strong note as the last episode focused on Jamie’s family, and specifically his father’s birthday, as he tried to have some normalcy in his life. Just yesterday, the Uk government announced they were … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 03/31/25
The Small Screen Diaries- 03/30/25
TV Shows Watched: Happy Face: S1E2 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Yellowjackets: S3E? (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Ghosts: S4E18 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Cassandra: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description, the Kardashians: S1E8 (Hulu) with audio description, and Have I Got News For you: S2E7 (MAX) no audio description Best Episode: Yellowjackets- While I don’t agree with every choice made in this episode as being the most narratively strong choice, nor would I classify this as being the best episode of the season, it was still the best thing I watched. And, I kind of hope Walter is telling … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 03/30/25
Quality Check: The Pale Blue Eye
Occasionally, I get follow up comments about my opinion on the audio description for a film that I saw a while back. The first of these was The pale Blue eye, a film I reviewed a few years ago, but could not remember the audio description for it at all. So, my first quality check in a while, is also a second look. The movie stars Christian Bale, is directed by Scott Cooper, and is on Netflix. It would be classified as a dark/gothic mystery, with a tinge of horror. We get some opening text that is a quote from … Continue reading Quality Check: The Pale Blue Eye
Going In Blind: Goodrich, Getaway, Utopia
Goodrich- There are a host of these coming of middle-age movies, where an aging actor is in some odd place in his life where he’s either stuck, or realizes he’s been making a series of mistakes that he is just now becoming acutely aware of. I suppose, Lost In Translation is probably one of the best examples, but some more lesser discussed examples would be Solitary Man with Michael Douglas, The Land Of Steady Habits with Ben Mendelssohn, and Dan In real Life with Steve Carell. Sometimes these men fall in love, sometimes they rekindle love, sometimes they learn to … Continue reading Going In Blind: Goodrich, Getaway, Utopia
The Small Screen Diaries- The Weekly Rankings
This continues to serve as a reminder of the shows on my broad watchlist that serve as the list I pull from to make my Small Screen Diaries work every week. Winner: The Studio (Apple Plus) with audio description- Coming in HOT! This Apple Plus comedy hits so well for someone like me that is really into Hollywood and all of its various facets. Writer/Director/Creators Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen have an instant hit on their hands, and with a stacked supporting cast led by Catherine O’Hara, and guest appearances by heavyweights like Martin Scorsese, Charlize Theron, Paul Dano, Sarah … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- The Weekly Rankings
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