Tag: Netflix

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Rebel Moon Part II: The Scar Giver

John Stark

And we’re back, as quickly as the Wachowski’s sent us into Revolutions after being Reloaded, we are once again sent back into whatever universe Rebel Moon is set in. It can’t be the Snyderverse, because fans already used that name for something else. It is hard to say that this is a disappointing sequel, because that would indicate that the first one was good. No, rather it is a continuation of disappointment, and grandstanding by a director who is exploiting his fan base for his own personal gain. Promising more Rebel moon, and teasing that all these versions have longer … Continue reading Rebel Moon Part II: The Scar Giver

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The Beautiful Game

John Stark

Often I find myself clicking on random titles just because they are trending or new, and have audio description. Such is the case with The Beautiful Game, which immediately gave me mixed emotions. The film is about the Homeless World Cup (yes, Homeless, the film uses that word), that we’ve apparently been doing for some years now, where the unhoused populations of participating countries come together to raise money/awareness for their being unhoused. I’m sure people find this inspiring, but I also think can’t we just figure out a way to help the unhoused without making them play soccer for … Continue reading The Beautiful Game

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Scoop

John Stark

Films about journalism have had a broad impact, as we have classics like All The President’s Men and Spotlight, and even well-reviewed but slightly less classics like Frost/Nixon and She Said. So I’m sure someone thought that the world really wanted a film about the earth shattering Prince Andrew interview from 2019. Instead of making a broader look at that Epstein scandal, this is laser focused on just how this interview came to be. It’s the kind of minutiae that definitely wasn’t going to rock the box office. but sliding it onto Netflix, and who knows? right? Much like the … Continue reading Scoop

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The Wages Of Fear

John Stark

Sadly, I’m not talking about the 1956 version. No, I clicked on a random Netflix title, and I got a French action film that somehow passed the audio description quotient at Netflix. i don’t understand why I can see this with audio description, but Oscar nominees Roma, Bardo, and El Conde all lacked audio description. Three filmmakers whose content I’m actually interested in, and this random terrorist thriller got audio description. To be fair, it got AI audio description. And while I might have mistaken some human voices as AI in the past, I will not budge. This is not … Continue reading The Wages Of Fear

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Shirley

John Stark

Regina King as Shirley Chisholm seemed like a no brainer in terms of Oscar bait. However, Netflix’s Shirley had these rumored poor test screenings, which is likely why it exited the 2023 Oscar race, and wound up in early 2024. That’s a shame, because while not totally breaking new ground, Shirley did mostly deliver as promised. King actually delivers a powerhouse performance as Shirley Chisholm. Shirley is a captivating look at the politician’s 1972 presidential campaign. Shirley leans into the challenges presented by being the first black female Presidential candidate in a race dominated by white men. There’s a shot … Continue reading Shirley

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Spaceman

John Stark

I remember last year seeing this film floating on some early Oscar lists. The guy who directed HBO’s excellent Chernobyl series was doing a drama with Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan, Paul Dañó, and Isabella Rossellini. I was pretty hyped, and I had Sandler in my early Top 20. That was, of course, before Netflix pushed this to 2024. That’s OK, plenty of films have shifted before. Just last year, Killers Of The Flower Moon and The Holdovers got Oscar nominations after being shifted from the previous year. Then, March. Netflix decided on March. It’s Ok. So maybe not an Oscar … Continue reading Spaceman

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Code Eight: Parts 1 and 2

John Stark

Netflix has these frequent releases, and one of them was something called Code Eight: Part Two. Immediately, I was like… there was a Part One? How did I miss this? When did I miss this? Well, a few years back, Netflix decided to release a superhero themed original starring the Amells (Robbie and Stephen) and I guess it checked a metric for them. I never remember this happening. But at the speed it took for this sequel to come out answers the question of why we still haven’t seen that Old Guard sequel that was green lit. That means I … Continue reading Code Eight: Parts 1 and 2

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Mea Culpa

John Stark

I’ve seen more Tyler Perry projects in my life than I think I ever truly intended to. Granted, when I started all the way back with Diary Of a Mad Black Woman, I heard that he was big in black culture, but I was far more impressed by the performance Kimberly Elise turned in than his focus stealing Madea character that became such a focus of nearly every film after that. I’ve sat through far more Perry projects than most directors I actually enjoy on a regular basis. The last film I remember Tyler Perry giving to Netflix was A … Continue reading Mea Culpa

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The Greatest Night In Pop

John Stark

Ah. The 80’s. What a wonderful time. I don’t remember much of it, and the parts that I do remember revolve almost entirely around toys, cartoons, and elementary school, so I was not really aware that We Are The World had so much that went into it in order to make it happen. Of course, I am familiar with the song, and knew it had a bunch of famous artists that worked on it, but I didn’t know that in 2024 we would get a documentary exploring just what went into the production of this song. First, this is a … Continue reading The Greatest Night In Pop

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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