Tag: Annette Bening

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American Beauty- 25th Anniversary

John Stark

25 years ago, Sam Mendes took a screenplay from Alan Ball, and directed a simple film about peeling off the shine of suburbia. This went on to win a bunch of Oscars, including Best Picture, forever cementing itself in film history. But in the 25 years since, it has suffered from the passage of time. Some feel like it feels just too 1999. is this really middle class suburbia? Do mom and dad actually earn enough for this lifestyle? Is this just a modern Lolita, or a response to the reflective teen nightmare that was Columbine? Is this an early … Continue reading American Beauty- 25th Anniversary

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The Small Screen Diaries- 03/16/24

John Stark

Apples Never Fall (Peacock) is just a travesty. Mostly, the show suffers from poor direction and writing, but I can pinpoint some specifics. This show centers around a retired wife (Bening) who goes missing from her family, and former tennis star husband (Sam Neil). Her kids think something is afoot, so they start investigating, and over the course of 7 episodes, we will learn why Apples Never Fall (far from the tree). They introduce a character, Savannah (Georgia Flood), who shows up in the middle of the night supposedly fleeing domestic abuse. Flood delivers one of the worst performances I’ve … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 03/16/24

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Nyad

John Stark

Where I watched it: Netflix English Audio Description?: Yes This has been a year for Diana Nyad. Perhaps not her most special or groundbreaking, as she is a former Olympic swimmer, as well as being the first to swim from Cuba to the Florida Keys. The existence of a biopic has caused people to debate whether or not she did technically swim the distance, because we live in this world of alternative facts. So if there’s a fact you don’t like, you can pick another. Don’t like that Diana Nyad is a swimmer? She’s not. She’s actually a 15th century … Continue reading Nyad

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Jerry and Marge Go Large

John Stark

Where I Watched It: Paramount Plus English Audio Description Provided By: international Digital Center Written By: Liz Gutman Narrated By: Sri Gordon Yes, this is a Paramount Players title, suggesting it was never intended for a theatrical run, which I think was the wrong call. With the theatres starved for product, and the older crowd looking for pictures to go to (like the hit film Elvis), I think that this based on a true story comedy would have done nicely with that crowd. Not huge amounts of money, but probably 30-40M, increasing it’s visibility and profile when it then went … Continue reading Jerry and Marge Go Large