Tag: Annette Bening

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Dutton Ranch: Season 1

John Stark

Perhaps the unpopular opinion here is that, while I’ve read every single reason why Taylor Sheridan decided to part ways with Kevin Costner, the Yellowstone franchise has suffered without him. I know that probably sounds like a shock to the system, but the time Kevin Costner spent on the Yellowstone Ranch was some of the best television Sheridan has ever produced. It reminded people there was actually something called the Paramount Network, which I don’t think many people even knew existed at the time. There really wasn’t much of a reason to tune into Paramount Network other than Yellowstone, especially … Continue reading Dutton Ranch: Season 1

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The Small Screen Diaries: 08/01/26

John Stark

A very tiny diary. In case you missed it, I reviewed Cape Fear in its entirety yesterday. I did that after watching all ten episodes of it. In the same day. Needless to say, I didn’t do much else in terms of watching things. Still, the week ahead for you might include a few returning shows like Lioness (Paramount) on Sunday, Futurama (Hulu) on Monday, Ted Lasso (Apple) on Wednesday, or My Life With The Walter Boys (Netflix) on Thursday. Wizards Beyond Waverly Place exits this week, though I’m not sure that show ever gained audio description. Greta Lee and … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/01/26

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The Bride

John Stark

I maintain that if I’m going to end up watching a bad film, I would much prefer to watch a film that took risks, made bold choices, and shot the moon, as opposed to something that feels like a thousand other movies, and even in its benign state, still somehow managed to be an utter failure. If you can’t follow a formula, get out of the game. And, no, pandemic era War Of The Worlds was not taking risks. Locking Ice Cube in a room is the opposite of risk taking. What is taking a risk is whatever the hell … Continue reading The Bride

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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