The Small Screen diaries- 09/30/24
TV News: Just a lot of death. Apparently famous people don’t die in threes, but in clusters. Just in the last few days we lost Dame Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey, Harry Potter), John Astin (Beverly hills Cop), Kris Kristofferson (A Star Is Born), Dikembe Mutumbo (NBA Superstar, and commercial star), and Gavin Creel (a prolific Broadway talent). That’s not a rule of three. Rest in peace to all. TV Shows Watched: The Penguin: S1E2 (MAX) with audio description, The Summit: S1E1 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Creature: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, Nobody Wants This: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description, … Continue reading The Small Screen diaries- 09/30/24
The Small Screen Diaries- 09/29/24
TV News- Well, I guess Kerry Washington won’t be meeting her estranged mother anymore on her Hulu comedy UnPrisoned, which has been cancelled after two seasons. It’s a shame, because her co-star, Delroy Lindo, was excellent. I was always rooting for him for a surprise Emmy nomination, just like I wanted him recognized for his excellent work on Da Five Bloods. He goes under the radar far too often. TV Shows Watched: The Ark: S2E10 (Peacock) with audio description, Daryl Dixon: S2E1 (AMC Plus) No audio description, Mr McMahon- S1E3 and S1E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Nobody Wants This- S1E4 … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 09/29/24
Incoming
And people say comedy is dead. Well, they haven’t seen Netflix’s latest teen comedy about some high school freshmen looking to par-tay. The hyphenated version is absolutely necessary by the way. In this latest high school romp, three pretty average dudes (because, we don’t really do nerds and geeks anymore), find themselves in the middle of a total rager. Not really, but, a 2024 version of a rager. It’s like if Project X had a version that was Pg-13. There’s nothing here you haven’t really seen before. Crude jokes, usual teen behavior, but all representative of this current Gen Alpha … Continue reading Incoming
The Small Screen Diaries- 09/28/24
TV News: SyFy/USA have cancelled Chucky after 3 seasons. I’m a little surprised, based on the cliffhanger, but also that final season was a bit off the rails if we are being honest. Creatively, it needed a reboot anyway, and new writers. It was getting so bonkers that I wouldn’t be surprised if Season 4 was in space. TV Shows Watched: Pachenko: S2E6 (Apple Plus) with audio description, Mr McMahon: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description, Nobody Wants This: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description, Penelope: S1E6, S1E7, and S1E8 (Netflix) with audio description, Everybody Still Hates Chris: S1E1 (Comedy) no audio … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 09/28/24
Early Oscar predictions: September 2024- Best Picture Rankings
With most of the relevant festivals behind us, and most of the movies having been seen, it was pretty easy to start figuring out this list. So, here’s my current rankings of what is in play, and why, plus why I have them ranked where they are. 2) Emilia Perez (Netflix) the big Netflix title this year. They don’t really have another winner. Netflix has yet to win a Best Picture trophy, but for a Mexican musical tht is also the International Oscar submission for France, and has a really good shot at getting first time Oscar nominations for Zoe … Continue reading Early Oscar predictions: September 2024- Best Picture Rankings
Double Jeopardy: 25th Anniversary
I can’t wait till the day someone uses this film as a real world defense. Although, those circumstances are so specific. You’d have ton be convicted of murdering someone not dead, and then find that person who has been off the grid all those years, and then kill them to challenge the idea that this film is nonsense. But, I think that is what makes the film so damn entertaining, is that we can root for Ashley Judd. Very few films outside the horror genre have someone who you hope will succeed in their quest to kill. Often, there’s some … Continue reading Double Jeopardy: 25th Anniversary
The Small Screen Diaries- 09/27/24
TV News: I’m pleased as punch to report that tonight’s episode of Saturday Night Live will air with Audio Description Live. Interestingly, the audio description is not performed by an equally capable group of comedic improv performers, but rather highly skilled audio description professionals. For those of us who fight every day for audio description to be added to our favorite shows, like the gang trying to get audio description on Gilmore Girls, just remember. It only took 50 years for SNL to add audio description. So, keep up the fight. Just… it may take a while. TV Shows Watched: … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 09/27/24
National Anthem
What a rare opportunity. I remember when I joined GALECA this year, the LGBTQ+ critics organization, I mentioned that I rarely get to touch on representation in film from the gay perspective, because there is such a deficit in accessibility for blind and low vision movie watchers. I get lucky from time to time, and we have a character in a film worth mentioning, or an out actor, or even an LGBTQ film. In June, i specifically targeted certain films that also had audio description for pride month. but this? This is a queer rodeo movie. That is what it … Continue reading National Anthem
The Small Screen Diaries- 09/26/24
TV News: I survived the Hurricane. I also never lost power, so i have stuff to talk about today. In the TV News world, James Wan has jumped on board the Robocop series being developed at Amazon. TV Shows Watched: Agatha All Along: S1E3 (Disney plus) with audio description, Penelope: S1E2 and S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description, Grotesquery: S1E1 (Hulu) with audio description, Mr. McMahon: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, Nobody Wants This: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, Colin From Accounts: S2E1 (Paramount Plus) no audio description, 911: S7E3 (Hulu) with audio description, Desperate Housewives: S2E14 *(Hulu) no audio description, … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 09/26/24
Kinds Of Kindness
I don’t know how many other critics consider themselves a work in progress, but I’m always trying to absorb stuff about film from everywhere. More recently, podcasts, and when i hear this title, it makes me wonder what the team at You Are Good would say about a film that suggest it might be about emotions and feelings, and is kind of adjacent to that, because we are always feeling or emoting, but the title isn’t the nail on the head you assume it is. Then again, was Poor Things? The Lobster? Do you even care what yorgos titles his … Continue reading Kinds Of Kindness
The Small Screen Diaries- 09/26/24
Today should be an interesting day, as Hurricane Helene will bring me some kind of extreme weather. If I don’t have a small screen diary tomorrow, I’m not necessarily dead, i might just not have power. Or internet. You know, the things we now rely on to do things like this. TV Shows Watched: American Sports Story: S1E3 (Hulu) with audio description, High Potential: S1E2 (Hulu) with audio description, Midnight Family: S1E1 (Apple plus) with audio description, Murder In A Small Town: S1E1 (Hulu) no audio description, Penelope: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, Women In Blue: S1E10 (Apple Plus) with … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 09/26/24
The Small Screen Diaries- 09/24/24
TV Shows Watched: Monsters: EPS 8 and 9 (Netflix) with audio description, Solar Opposites: S5E8 (Hulu) with audio description, English Teacher: S1E5 (Hulu) with audio description, 911: Lone Star: S5E1 (FOX) no audio description, Brilliant Minds: S1E1 (Peacock) no audio description, and Only Murders In The Building: S4E5 (Hulu) with audio description. Podcasts: The Christian Harloff Show (The Penguin Reactions), The Ezra Klein Show (Interview: Mayor Pete) YouTube: none Movies: None OK. So, the fall season is upon us. I’ve now watched a handful of new network TV shows: Universal Basic Guys, High Potential, Rescue: high Surf, and Brilliant minds. … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 09/24/24
The Small Screen diaries- 09/23/24
TV Shows Watched: Twilight Of The Gods: S1E7 and S1E8 (Netflix) with audio description, Monsters: S1E6 and S1E7 (Netflix) with audio description, rescue High Surf: S1E1 (Hulu) no audio description, Have I got News For You: S1E2 (MAX) no audio description, and Last Week Tonight with john Oliver: Most Recent (MAX) no audio description, but they do add it later depending on how long you are willing to wait. Podcasts: Strict Scrutiny (A Supreme Court podcast) YouTube: Adam Does Movies (Review: Am I Racist?) Movies Watched: Cult Of Chucky (Netflix) with audio description Well, I have discussed most of those … Continue reading The Small Screen diaries- 09/23/24
The Small Screen Diaries- 09/22/24
TV Shows Watched: La Maison- S1E2 (Apple Plus) with audio description, A Very Royal Scandal: S1E2 and S1E3 (Amazon), How To Die Alone: S1E6 (Hulu) with audio description, monsters: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description, Twilight Of The Gods- S1E5 and S1E6 (Netflix) with audio description, 911: S7E1 and S7E2 (Hulu) with audio description, Young Sheldon: S3E11 (MAX) with audio description, What’s Next with Bill Gates: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description, Bad Monkey: S1E6 (Apple Plus) with audio description, and Tulsa King- S2E2 (Paramount Plus) with audio description. Podcasts: Offline with John Faverau (Politics) YouTube: Perry Nimirovv (For your Consideration: Best … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 09/22/24
Firebrand
Divorced. Beheaded. Died. Divorced. Beheaded. Survived. The girls of Six have really made it easy (and catchy) to remember the fates of the wives of Henry VIII, and that comes in handy here as Alicia Vikander plays… one of them. now if i tell you, it’ll ruin it, because you’lll have the song stuck in your head. At least you know there are only four options. She’ll either get a divorce, die, get beheaded, or… survive? While Firebrand has a supporting cast, they just can’t match the performances of Vikander, or Jude Law as Henry the VIII. And, the audio … Continue reading Firebrand
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