Tag: audio description

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Mean Girls (2024)

John Stark

They call themselves The Plastics. They’re shiny fake and hard. Sometimes, when you strive to appease everyone, you end up appeasing no one. Luckily, that isn’t the case with mean Girls, the musical adaptation that hit theatres in 2024, but it does suffer from a lack of identity. The movie is neither a complete reimagining of the original film. Or a faithful adaptation of the musical. Hell, it isn’t even a new version of the musical, in the way that they just fill the movie with new songs. It tries to be everything. On Wednesdays we wear pink. Get in … Continue reading Mean Girls (2024)

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Players

John Stark

I want to enrich my cinema experience. I want to watch less bad, or mediocre movies. But the problem is, I actually like certain actors. So, when Netflix regurgitates something with a generic title like Players, I ignore it. Then I notice it stars Gina Rodriguez (Jane The Virgin, Not Dead Yet), Damon Wayans Jr (Happy endings, let’s Be Cops), and Tom Ellis (Lucifer), and I really am genuinely supportive. The same thing happened with Dan Levy’s writer/directorial feature debut earlier this year. Normally, with a lesser known actor,I would have passed on Good Grief. Netflix keeps hiring actors I … Continue reading Players

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Orion And The Dark

John Stark

I would have liked this concept to go to basically anyone but who actually made this. Arguably, even Dreamworks knows they didn’t stick the landing, which is why you are just now hearing about this as a Netflix original. It’s Dreamworks Animation. This is the same parent company that was more than happy releasing Ruby Gilman Teenage Kraken last year, and had no problem putting Megamind Vs The Doom Syndicate straight to Peacock. Meanwhile, they ditched this. Joke is on them, because it is better than that Megamind sequel (more on that in its own review). Orion and the Dark … Continue reading Orion And The Dark

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

The Trolls Trilogy

John Stark

In preparation for watching the third entry in the series, Trolls Band Together, I decided to just do the whole darn trilogy. Somewhere back on my site is my reaction to the original Trolls, which I was able to see before losing my eyesight and transitioning to blind film critic. So I understand the character designs. The second film, I skipped. i didn’t like the second. Now, I’m trying to talk about audio description, so let’s just cover all three of them, shall we? The first one introduces us to the world of Trolls.I had a few of these as … Continue reading The Trolls Trilogy

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Upgraded

John Stark

There are fleeting moments in the audio description where I feel like the description is strong. There are moments where I feel like it isn’t making the best choices. And, there are long moments where it seems like there is no audio description. Upgraded is in many ways a film you’ve already seen. A young woman looking to move up in her field must deal with her difficult boss while working on a huge life changing opportunity and juggling this cute new guy she just met. That is this film in a nutshell. They just change some things around, throw … Continue reading Upgraded

Movie Review1 Comment

Lift

John Stark

Sometimes, i don’t mind seeing a film just a little bit after the flood of critics and online haters. It really gives me perspective. I always approach every movie as neutral as possible, but often, the crowd is right. Maybe not quite to the extremes.While I didn’t really care for either Meg 2 or The Expend4bles, I definitely saw worse last year. Lift was getting that kind of bad press, and I’m going to lightly disagree. It’s not worth fighting over, but in a rotten/fresh, thumbs down/up world, I’d recommend this over not recommending it. Kevin Hart leads an all-star … Continue reading Lift

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Irish Wish

John Stark

I remember watching The Parent Trap remake in the 90’s, and getting that first dose of Lindsay Lohan. She really seemed like a talent that would maintain, and for a long time, it felt that way. She never really could overcome the tabloids, and her attention seeking parents. To this day, I know the names of her mother and father, neither of whom are actors. They didn’t even need a Keeping Up With show. They just wouldn’t go away. Somewhere after a bad movie, and some bad press, Lohan retreated. Now, she’s trying to come back, and it is really … Continue reading Irish Wish

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Suncoast

John Stark

It’s not totally fair to write off an early in the year Hulu debut. They did drop Ry Lane around this time last year,so Suncoast had every opportunity to be good. Ruth’s title really evoked nostalgia in me, as I was definitely *that kid* who hung out in Suncoast at the mall. The store that had all the movie memorabilia. Those were my people. But, that isn’t the Suncoast. The Suncoast in the film is actually a real place, or based on a real place, because this semi-autobiographical coming of age drama is about a teenage girl Nico Parker) whose … Continue reading Suncoast

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Role Play

John Stark

I do enjoy a Kaley Cuoco project from time to time. Not Meet Cute, but there are some other things like The flight Attendant that I enjoyed. This Amazon movie isn’t quite as fun as it should be, but it does have some solid audio description. Kaley plays Emma, who has a loving husband (David Oyelowo), and the idyllic family lifestyle complete with kids. But, her family has no idea she’s actually an assassin. When she and her husband discuss spicing things up with a little role play, he never imagined that he might get sucked into this world of … Continue reading Role Play

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

June

John Stark

Now, this film i do remember. It was a perfectly fine look at June Carter Cash. Of course, it’s impossible to mention her without mentioning Johnny Cash, but it does really aim to center on her, her career before Johnny, and her continued contribution to music until her death. This is on Paramount Plus, and the audio description is solid for a documentary. There were things I learned about June, including her version of Ring Of Fire that Johnny really turned into his own thing. She appeared in the movie The Apostle, and this has quite a bit of her … Continue reading June

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Boscoe

John Stark

You’ll have to excuse me once again as I catch up on the forgettable start to 2024. With this film, I even commented in my YouTube review how I was certain there was no way I would remember this film at the end of the year. Every year, I look at my list of nearly 300 titles reviewed, and there are 1-3 movies I can’t remember what they were about, who was in them, what streaming service they were on… anything. there is a slight chance, because her career has been almost non-existent that I will remember Nikki blown sky … Continue reading Boscoe

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Good Grief

John Stark

The first official 2024 film reviewed by me, and I saw it two months ago. I would love to be able to say that I remember this film well enough to comment on it in great detail, but sadly this writer/directorial feature debut from Dan Levy is so deeply forgettable. I know he plays a man who finds out his husband had some secrets after his husband dies, and he is trying to navigate the process with two friends who are unnecessary and annoying. I remember originally recording this review for YouTube, and commenting even then that I would be … Continue reading Good Grief

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

The Color Purple (2023)

John Stark

I actually did a collaborative review the first time, and gave my thoughts on both versions of The Color Purple. At the time, what I had of the remake did not have audio description, and MAX still carries the original without accessibility. However, I did rewatch The Color Purple, when I was later provided audio description, so I wanted to make an official review and grade. No longer will I recognize it as being unwatchable. I adore this remake, and Danielle Brooks is just on fire. I think she’s a tremendous talent, but there’s so much of that on display. … Continue reading The Color Purple (2023)

TVLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries- 03/19/24

John Stark

Not surprising at all, but CBS will continue to air its Australian import, NCIS: Sydney for its second season, despite already having two NCIS shows, and currently in development on two more. Fun fact, this entire franchise only exists thanks to a series being rescued from cancellation. Possibly the smartest “save our show” ever has turned out to be CBS picking up JAG after it was cancelled at NBC after one season. Without that, they wouldn’t have had the long and successful run of the original show, nor would they have NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles, NCIS New Orleans, NCIS Hawaii, … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 03/19/24

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom

John Stark

There was a little conversation around making a film in a studio system with influence, and how Madame Webb likely had a solid creative team but Sony interfered and made shit. That conversation, for some reason, did not happen for Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, a film do inconsequential, Warner Bros opened it the same weekend as two other Warner Bros titles (Wonka and The color Purple). Had they believed this sequel had gas in the tank, doing so for three recognizable franchise films over Christmas is insane. Even in a slower market affected by the strike, you are still … Continue reading Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom