Tag: Netflix

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Godzilla Minus One

John Stark

I started today feeling pretty down about myself, which honestly is like most days. I wasn’t sure I was going to push out any reviews today, but I noticed the next title on my list was Godzilla Minus One. I talk a lot about audio description, but I can’t do that here. It doesn’t existt. There is no known audio description for Godzilla Minus One. the film was released theatrically without audio description, and was submitted for Oscar consideration without any accessibility for any blind or low vision Academy members, and managed to win an Oscar. Why? Because there are … Continue reading Godzilla Minus One

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Thelma The Unicorn

John Stark

As a member of Film Independent I keep getting invites about a special live read of Napoleon Dynamite. That odd breakout hit was directed by Jared Hess, who has now found his way after all these years to animation with Thelma The Unicorn. Does this make you want to put on some chapstick and vote for Pedro? But first, let’s talk audio description. International Digital center is behind this, with Liz Gutman writing, and Tristan Snyder narrating. I’m excited for this, because I haven’t heard too much from Tristan since The Good Doctor switched audio description companies. Here, he proves … Continue reading Thelma The Unicorn

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Mother Of The Bride

John Stark

This year for Mother’s Day, Netflix paired up with Suddenly Susan star Brooke Shields (remember that show?) for a fluffy nonsensical destination wedding movie. To help round out the algorithm, I mean “cast”, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Chad Michael Murray, Rachael Harris, and Wilson Cruz are all along for the ride. This Netflix film, inevitably conceived through the algorithm,, written by AI, and directed by… Mark Waters? What? Wait, what? This thing is from the director of Mean Girls? Dammit. So now, we all have to take this film a bit more seriously, because instead of hiring that one person … Continue reading Mother Of The Bride

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Unfrosted

John Stark

Some years ago, admittedly a little hard to remember since I’m not sure the film ever got a real theatrical release, a film called Food Fight existed, and used a lot of these mascot type characters. I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews of Unfrosted, and my sentence as a film judge is that all critics who thought this was bad need to also see Food Fight, because this kinda thing can be a lot worse. When i saw it, it was just freely on YouTube because no one cared about Food Fight. Unfrosted is Jerry Seinfeld’s love letter to … Continue reading Unfrosted

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Woody Woodpecker and Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp

John Stark

I used to, like a lot of people, enjoy the wacky nonsensical humor of Woody Woodpecker, a bird that didn’t talk much but had an instantly recognizable laugh. Someone got the right to him, and has no idea what to do with him, so we get the most random and generic storylines. Neither of these films connect, so you don’t need to see one to see the other. The first Woody Woodpecker, which skipped a noticeable theatrical domestic run, lacks anyone you’ve ever heard of in the cast, which is shocking considering Justin Timberlake was in yogi Bear, and basically … Continue reading Woody Woodpecker and Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp

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The Brick Layer

John Stark

I do like to occasionally remind any potential readers who think life is just peachy as a blind film lover that all is not as it seems. We still have to deal with the overwhelming majority of titles lacking audio description, often even titles that HAVE audio description, but due to incompetence/apathy have not transferred the already created audio description tracks from streaming service to streaming service. That’s why we have a website that shows us what has audio description where, because we live in a world where we can’t just assume that because audio description has been created, that … Continue reading The Brick Layer

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Freud’s Last Session

John Stark

This wound up on Netflix, after previously having a VOD run. I didn’t see audio description for this when i wanted to rent it, and Netflix didn’t pick up a track for it. However, I’m a fan of Anthony Hopkins, and I really thought this film would be just a long conversation between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. It’s not. You actually need the audio description. While the movie does imagine what a conversation would be like between Freud (played by Anthony Hopkins) and Lewis (played by Matthew Goode), as they debate faith and the human condition at the onset … Continue reading Freud’s Last Session

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Mending The Line

John Stark

This is exactly the kind of film I would pass over normally. I’ve never heard of it, it randomly pops up on Netflix, and it lacks audio description. but dammit,it has Brian Cox. I’m on a mission to complete his filmography, and he’s constantly popping up in things like this, and the recent Little Wing. So, I watched it. The film centers around a soldier who was injured in active duty and has been trying to rehab so he can get back out there and join the fight. he keeps getting rejected, and recommended for more rehabilitation, so he winds … Continue reading Mending The Line

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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