Tag: Netflix

TV ReviewsLeave a comment

The Four Seasons: Season 2

John Stark

The Four Seasons returned for a second season on Netflix, and honestly, I’m not surprised. Netflix has been persevering with this one, likely because it has such an incredible cast behind it that how could they not? It also came back remarkably quickly. That’s becoming one of the biggest advantages a show can have these days. Netflix has run into a real problem with series that take forever to film and even longer to return. Shows like The Four Seasons, My Life with the Walter Boys, and The Diplomat all feel like safer bets for renewal because audiences can actually … Continue reading The Four Seasons: Season 2

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

72 Hours

John Stark

Tim Story certainly has a diverse slate of films on his resume. He’s already crossed paths with 72 Hours star Kevin Hart in the Ride Along franchise, but Story has bounced around from Barbershop to Fantastic Four to Ride Along to Tom and Jerry to The Blackening and now this, along with sequels to several of those films. He certainly doesn’t have a niche, although I’m not really sure he has a strength either. He does seem to do his best work in films with predominantly Black casts, or at least Black leads, as most people would probably put Fantastic … Continue reading 72 Hours

TV ReviewsLeave a comment

I Will Find You: Series Review

John Stark

I’m not a Harlan Coben fan. I think he’s highly overrated, or at least his television adaptations are. I’ve enjoyed very few of them. Previously, I would have said Shelter was the best adaptation of one of his books. However, this Sam Worthington-led limited series, running eight episodes, features a stacked cast, delivers a fairly thrilling ride, and even though I saw certain twists coming, it’s far better than I expected it to be. Sometimes Coben’s stories reach a little too far. They swing too wide, becoming increasingly nonsensical as they go. The adaptations I’ve liked the most are the … Continue reading I Will Find You: Series Review

TV ReviewsLeave a comment

Man On Fire: Season 1

John Stark

Perhaps I should give the Tony Scott-directed Denzel Washington film Man on Fire another look, because after watching Netflix’s adaptation starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, a recent Emmy nominee for Wonder Man, I’m reconsidering the entire concept. It’s possible there was something I missed more than 20 years ago when I watched the original film, which at the time didn’t resonate with me. I wasn’t much of a fan despite strong performances from both Denzel Washington and a very young Dakota Fanning. The Netflix series changes a number of things, mostly so that if they decide to continue Man on Fire … Continue reading Man On Fire: Season 1

TV ReviewsLeave a comment

The Lincoln Lawyer: Season 4

John Stark

I’m more than happy to finally jump in and add my thoughts on The Lincoln Lawyer now that I’m on the Tomatometer. It’s a show I’ve enjoyed watching for four seasons now, and even though it’s heading into its fifth and final season, it’s remained one of Netflix’s most consistently entertaining dramas. Season 4 picks up immediately after the cliffhanger ending of Season 3, with Mickey Haller becoming the prime suspect in a murder after a body is found in the trunk of his Lincoln. That storyline dominates the entire season, forcing Mickey to defend himself against all odds, first … Continue reading The Lincoln Lawyer: Season 4

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Little Brother

John Stark

Dysfunctional family comedies have always had an anchor in cinema. They’re practically comfort food because almost everyone has some kind of dysfunction somewhere in the family tree. Maybe it’s an eccentric uncle, an odd cousin, or a grandparent who makes every holiday unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. Those little pockets of chaos make these movies relatable because, at the end of the day, we’re all at least a little kooky. This is why we love revisiting the Griswolds and Fockers, why the road trip in Little Miss Sunshine works, or why we’d even entertain the possibility that it is … Continue reading Little Brother

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

In The Hand of Dante

John Stark

I’d heard about In the Hand of Dante coming out of the Venice Film Festival and knew it hadn’t been especially well received. At the time, though, a lot of the conversation seemed to revolve around the cast and the controversy surrounding their positions on the Israel-Palestine conflict rather than the movie itself. Now that it’s on Netflix, complete with an excellent audio description track from International Digital Center written by Stephen Christopher and narrated by Jamie Lemchek, I finally had the chance to check out Julian Schnabel’s latest film. On paper, this thing should be incredible. It’s produced by … Continue reading In The Hand of Dante

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Voicemails For Isabelle

John Stark

I’ve always had a soft spot for a good melodrama. Not necessarily a feel-good movie, but the kind that mixes romance, grief, humor, and heartbreak into a story that asks audiences to spend a couple of hours with characters navigating extraordinary circumstances. Netflix’s Voicemails for Isabel absolutely fits that mold, and more importantly, it understands something that a lot of modern romance dramas seem to have forgotten. In recent years, we’ve seen a wave of adaptations from authors like Colleen Hoover. Films like It Ends With Us, Regretting You, and Reminders of Him often begin with tragedy and then build … Continue reading Voicemails For Isabelle

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Office Romance

John Stark

Little known fact. Lady Gaga was this close to titling her song Office Romance instead of Bad Romance. Don’t fact check me. But, the fairly generic title found its way into Jennifer Lopez’s pantheon of equally vague titles like The Back Up Plan, Marry Me, and Unstoppable (a title so generic Denzel also has a film called Unstoppable). Regardless of the premise, Jennifer Lopez remains a queen of romantic comedies, and her sex appeal at 56 has allowed her to be able to pull off being desirable enough to carry films like this. Jennifer Lopez is not the problem here. … Continue reading Office Romance

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Wake Up Dead Man

John Stark

Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic. If you build it, he will come. In Rian Johnson’s third outing in what is called the Knives Out series (for no other reason than it being the title of the first Benoit Blanc outing), we are asked to have a little faith. or, perhaps it is better to have a lack thereof. Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man may center in a church, but this is no Murder In the Cathedral. If you dress it up with simplicity, it could be seen as a modern day version of that, but woven in Johnson’s narrative … Continue reading Wake Up Dead Man

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Frankenstein (2025)

John Stark

Sometimes the interesting thing about film is watching the growth of an auteur. Depending on when you were born, you might have gotten to see the rise of certain artists honing their craft, but the exciting part is that first film, and feeling like you just witnessed the birth of something. I’d consider myself a big fan of Del toro, who even when he doesn’t top himself as a director, certainly is never boring. he has such a love for film, and for the celebration of monsters, that it really does carry through all the themes. Even his stop-motion animated … Continue reading Frankenstein (2025)

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

In Your Dreams

John Stark

2025 has not really been a banner year for animation, which perhaps has worked in favor for Netflix, who went to the bank with a certain group of singing demon hunters earlier this year. The largest opening weekend for an animated feature went to CrunchyRoll, for their continuation of Demon Slayer. I’ve been waiting for a film to really pull some emotion from me. I like my animation to have a bit of heart with it. Not that it can’t make me laugh myself silly, but my favorite animated movies have a punch to them. An emotional gut punch. We … Continue reading In Your Dreams

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Ballad Of A Small Player

John Stark

Cast: Colin Farrell, Tilda Swinton, Fala Chen Written By: Rowan Joffy directed By: Edward Berger Original Score By: Volker Bertamin Release Year: 2025 Studio/Streamer: Netflix Runtime: 101 minutes Audio Description Produced By: VSI London Written by: Narrated By: What Is it?: based on a book, Ballad of A Small Player follows a seemingly upstanding British citizen in Macao who is struggling with debt, and keeping up the appearance that they are not in quite as deep, and if they can just get a line of credit now, everything will be cleared up after the weekend. dodging those he owes, and … Continue reading Ballad Of A Small Player

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/27/25

John Stark

TV Shows watched: outlander: Blood of My Blood: S1E9 (Starz) no audio description, House Of Guinness: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description, English teacher: S2E1 (Hulu) with audio description, Rick and Morty: S8E3 (HBO MAX) with audio description, Dexter: S6E4 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Pop culture Jeopardy: Last Quarterfinal (Amazon) with audio description, The Rainmaker: S1E4 (Peacock) with audio description, and South Park: Season 27E4 (Paramount Plus) no audio description yet Outlander: Blood Of My Blood- The main four characters are once again in the same location, and there are a bunch of other Scottish people around doing things I’m … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/27/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/26/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Peacemaker: S2E6 (HBO MAX) with audio description, Marvel Zombies: S1E3 (Disney plus) with audio description,Wayward: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, the Summer I Turned Pretty: S3E10 (Amazon) with audio description, My Life With the Walter boys: S2E6 (Netflix) with audio description, celebrity Weakest Link: S1E1 (Hulu) no audio description, The Daily Show: Monday (Paramount Plus) no audio description, and Who wants to Be A Millionaire: S4E8 (Hulu) with audio description Peacemaker- I’ve heard this is game changing. Considering I’ve recently seen Superman, I’m not sure something can be that game changing when the thing that came before … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/26/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/25/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Gen V: S2E4 (Amazon) with audio description, Marvel’s Zombies: S1E2 (Disney Plus) with audio description, The Twisted Tale Of Amanda Knox: S1E6 (Hulu) with audio description, House Of Guinness: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, The Girlfriend: S1E4 (Amazon) with audio description, Black rabbit: S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description, and Name That Tune: S?E2 (Hulu) no audio description Gen V- Hamish Linklater has been a great cast addition as Cypher, this new head of the school who is really hard to decipher. What are his powers? Does he even have any? You’ll know by the end of this … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/25/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/23/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: High Potential: S2E1 (Hulu) with audio description,Platonic: S2E8 (Apple Plus) with audio description,The Runarounds: S1E4 (Amazon) with audio description, Red Fish Blue Fish: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description, Black Mirror: S4E6 (Netflix) with audio description, Next Gen Chef: S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description,Last Week tonight: most Recent (HBO MAX) no audio description High Potential- With Jimmy Kimmel back, so is Hulu/Disney content. So, I caught up with the Season Premiere of High Potential, which I was disappointed to find out was using the same AD team as last year. Although, I’ve heard worse, from this narrator and … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/23/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/22/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Gen V: S2E3 (Amazon) with audio description, Task: S1E3 (HBO MAX) with audio description, Ginny and Georgia: S3E4 (Netflix) with audio description, and Twisted Metal: S2E9 (Peacock) with audio description Gen V- Since I know narrators don’t always get to see what they are describing, I find it funny thinking about a narrator just sitting in their recording studio, preparing to read a line, and they see that they have to describe a head coming out of a butt. Thanks to shows like Gen V and The Boys, we’re breaking new grounds constantly on “how do we … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/22/25

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries- 09/20/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Outlander: Blood of My Blood- S1E8 (Starz) no audio description, Black Rabbit: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description, Dexter: S6E3 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, next Gen chef: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description, and Pop Culture Jeopardy: The Neverending Story (Amazon) with audio description Outlander: blood Of My Blood- I think I’ve finally settled on Rotten. As we near the finale, I’m missing too much. I can follow the cliff notes version of the cliff notes for the show, but most of the time there are characters I don’t remember, have no idea what their name is, where … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 09/20/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/19/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: the Peacemaker: S2E5 (HBO MAX) with audio description, My Life With the Walter boys: S2E5 (Netflix) with audio description, Haunted Hotel: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, The Summer I turned Pretty: S3E9 (Amazon) with audio description, The Daily Show: Thursday (Paramount Plus) no audio description, Breaking Bad: S3E1 (Netflix) with audio description Peacemaker- Instead of spoiling through recap, let me say how nice it was to wake up to Alex reminding me that it was a great day to be a nerd, since I could see Superman and peacemaker on the same day. And, yes, I am … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/19/25

TV ReviewsLeave a comment

The Hunting Wives: Season 1

John Stark

Brittany Snow as Sophie, Malin Ackerman as Margo, Jaime Ray Newman as Callie, George Ferrier as Brad, Katie Lowes as Jill, Evan Jonigkeit as Brian, Chrissy Metz as Star, Dermot Mulroney as Jed Banks, Alexandria Debarre as Taylor, Joyce Glenn as Monet, Maddison Wolfe as Abby, Chosen Jacob’s as Jamie, Branton Box as Sheriff Johnny, Karen Rodriguez as Salazar Length: 8 Episodes Streaming Service: Netflix Audio description produced By: International Digital Center Written By: Emily Grove Narrated By Amanda Bhutan What Is it?: Seemingly created for those in the red States, the show takes place in Texas, where woke is … Continue reading The Hunting Wives: Season 1

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen diaries: 09/18/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Gen V: S2E1 (Amazon) with audio description, Mindhunter: S2E2 (Netflix) with audio description, and Sausage Party: S1E7 (Amazon) with audio description. I actually did watch other shows. I watched Alien Earth in the morning. I also watched The Great North on Hulu. I always watch jeopardy at night, I just don’t put it in the diary, kind of not like putting the News here either. I did not watch jeopardy last night either, as it airs on an ABC affiliate. Yesterday, Disney made the decision to “indefinitely” pull jimmy Kimmel from their lineup, and I have “indefinitely” … Continue reading The Small Screen diaries: 09/18/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/15/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Task: S1E2 (HBO MAX) with audio description, Platonic: S2E7 (Apple Plus) with audio description, The Runarounds: S1E3 (Amazon) with audio description, Twisted Metal: S2E8 (Peacock) with audio description, and Ginny and Georgia: S3E3 (Netflix) with audio description Task- What to do with Sam? That’s the big question driving the second episode of Task. This remains an ensemble piece, despite the presence of Mark Ruffalo in the lead role, and is slowly building out this crime drama. we learn more about the thieves from the last episode, as well as the “community” they stole from. Solid audio description … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/15/25

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/14/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Daryl Dixon: S3E2 (AMC Plus) no audio description, From: S3E4 (MGM Plus) with audio description, The Girlfriend: S1E2 (Amazon) with audio description, Red Fish Blue fish: S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description, Have I Got News For You: S3E2 (HBO MAX) no audio description, The Paper: S1E4? (Peacock) with audio description. Daryl Dixon- Of course the show doesn’t have audio description, but what a weird show this has become. originally, there was a Daryl and Carol spinoff, then Melissa McBride backed out, leaving them to cobble together some weird Daryl in France series. So they spend an entire … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/14/25

TV ReviewsLeave a comment

Wednesday: season 2

John Stark

Cast: Jenna Ortega as Wednesday, Emma Meyers as Enid, Catherine Zeta Jones as Morticia Addams, Luis Guzman as Gomez Addams, Hunter Doohan as Tyler, Joy Sunday as Bianca, Georgie Farmer as Ajax, Moosa Mostafa as Eugene, Isaac Ordóñez as Pugsley, Gwendolyn Christie as Weems, Christina Ricci as Miss thorn hill, Billie piper as Miss Capri, Evie Templeton as Agnes, Steve Buscemi as principal Dorrit, Owen Painter as Slurp, Heather Matarazzo as Judy, Frances O’Connor as Francois, Joanna Lumley as Grandma Frump, Christopher Lloyd as professor orloff, Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester, thandiewe Newton as Dr. Fairburn, Haley Joel Osment as … Continue reading Wednesday: season 2

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/13/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: outlander: Blood of My Blood: S1E7 (Starz) no audio description, My Life With The Walter Boys: S2E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Dexter: S6E3 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Upload: S4E4 (AmazoN) with audio description, All of Us Are Dead: S1E12 (Netflix) with audio description, Pop culture Jeopardy: OMG (Amazon) with audio description, Only Murders In the Building: S5E2 (Hulu) with audio description Outlander: Blood of My Blood- All four parents are featured, with a special appearance by rob Roy! And Ellen’s virginity gets called into question. Uh oh. I’d have a better idea of who these people … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/13/25

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

The Wrong Paris

John Stark

Cast: Miranda Cosgrove, Pierson Fode, Madison Pettis, Yvonne Orji, Christin Park, Frances Fisher, Madeline Arthur Written By: Nicole Henrich Directed By: Janeen Damian Release Year: 2025 Studio/Streamer: Netflix Runtime: 105 minutes Audio description produced By: (Need Credit) Written By: (Need Credit) Directed By: (Need credit) What is It?: Dawn (Cosgrove) finds out she’s been accepted to a prestigious art school in Paris, but her financial aid package was underwhelming. While she ha some money due to her parents dying before the movie even begins, she’ll need more help if she plans to stay. So, her friend gets her to audition … Continue reading The Wrong Paris

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/12/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Peacemaker: S2E4 (HBo MAX) with audio description, The Hunting Wives: S1E8 (Netflix) with audio description, The Summer I Turned Pretty: S1E7 (Amazon) with audio description, NCIS: Tony and Ziva: S1E3 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Hitmakers: S1E7 (Netflix) with audio description, Match Game: S1E8 (Hulu) with audio description, The Rainmaker: s1E3 (Peacock) with audio description Peacemaker- A bit slower episode in comparison to other episodes, as this was basically just Peacemaker trying to stop Argus from finding the portal. So, he has to move it before they are able to unlock the closet. There was a piece … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/12/25

TV ReviewsLeave a comment

Hostage: season 1

John Stark

Cast: Suranne Jones, Ashley Thomas, Martin McCann, Isobel Kuwudike, Pip Carter, Corey Mylchreest, Julie Delpy, Vincent Perez, Length: 5 episodes Studio/Streamer: Netflix Audio Description Produced By: Adrenaline Studios Written By: Narrated By: What is it?: The husband of the British Prime Minister is kidnapped, and held hostage until she meets the demands of the terrorists holding him hostage. meanwhile, the President of France is also being blackmailed, and those truths might come to surface. Can these two world leaders trust anyone, even each other? What Works: On the heels of the ridiculous Heads Of State, this is at least a … Continue reading Hostage: season 1

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Aka Charlie Sheen

John Stark

Directed By: Andrew Ramsey Release Year: 2025 Runtime: 2 parts, approx. 88 minutes each Studio/Streamer: Netflix Audio Description Produced By: VSI Written By: (Need Credit) Narrated By: Roy Samuelson What Is it?: ready to talk candidly about all the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs, and face the truth, Charlie Sheen sits down for a fairly comprehensive walk through his life, from growing up the son of a famous actor, and eventually pursuing his own acting career, before gaining a reputation as a bad boy, and having run ins with the law, alcohol, and substance abuse. Now, he’s here … Continue reading Aka Charlie Sheen

Editorial1 Comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/11/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Daryl Dixon: S3E1 (AMC Plus) no audio description, The Buccaneers: S2E8 (Apple Plus) with audio description, Sausage Party: Foodtopia: S2E5 (Amazon) with audio description, Ginny and Georgia: S3E2 (Netflix) with audio description, Task: S1E1 (HBO MAX) with audio description, and Hostage: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description Daryl Dixon- I went through literal unnecessary skullduggery to watch this. I should have had access to this on Sunday, as part of my AMC Plus subscription through my Prime channel add on, like every other Walking Dead spinoff. Instead, it wasn’t there. Going back and forth with AMC and Amazon, … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/11/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/10/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Alien Earth: S1E6 (Hulu) with audio description, The Girlfriend: S1E1 (Amazon) with audio description, Dexter: resurrection: S1E9 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Red Fish Blue Fish: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description, The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball: S1E9 (Hulu) with audio description, Irish Blood: Season Final (Acorn) with audio description, and The paper: S1E2 (Peacock) with audio description Alien Earth- No spoilers. I’d say, all things considered, a well described episode. The little bit of description I liked the most was just the inclusion of the soldier that Joe/Kermit is with, and her braided hair. She felt … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/10/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/09/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Twisted Metal: S2E7 (Peacock) with audio description, butterfly: S1E6 (Amazon) with audio description, Long Story Short: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description, The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox: S1E3 (Hulu) with audio description, Mindhunter: S2E1 (Netflix) with audio description, and only murders In the building: S5E1 (Hulu) with audio description Twisted Metal- The first challenge happens, reducing the amount of racers from 12 to 8, and basically everyone I expected to make it to the next round did. There are only a handful of characters likely to make it to the end. If we’re doing a third season, … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/09/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/08/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Black Mirror: S4E5 (Netflix) with audio description, Platonic: S2E6 (Apple plus) with audio description, The Runarounds: S1E2 (Amazon) with audio description, The Terminal list: Dark Wolf- S1E3 (Amazon) with audio description, My Life With The Walter Boys: S2E3 (Netflix) with audio description, Red Fish Blue fish: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, Rick And Morty: S8E1 (HBO MAX) with audio description, Last Week Tonight: Most Recent (HBo MAX) no audio description Black Mirror- Metalhead is a disappointment. Basically Black mirror made The Terminator, but didn’t flesh out a world interesting enough for it to be in. we don’t … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/08/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/07/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Wednesday: S2E8 (Netflix) with audio description, The Hunting Wives: S1E8 (Netflix) with audio description, NCIS: Tony and Ziva: S1E2 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Have I Got News For you: S3E1 (HBO MAX) no audio description, the Paper: S1E1 (Peacock) with audio description, and Breaking Bad: S2E13 (Netflix) with audio description Wednesday- I’m going to do a full review soon for RT, but I loved the track for this. Lots of fun fighting going on. Loved the nice touch about the color of Enid’s eyes. If I had one specific question, it would be related to Agnes. … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/07/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen diaries: 09/06/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Outlander: Blood of My Blood: S1E6 (Starz) no audio description, Wednesday: S2E7 (Netflix) with audio description, Dexter: S6E2 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Foundation: S3E9 (Apple plus) with audio description, All Of Us Are Dead: S1E11 (Netflix) with audio description, Pop Culture Jeopardy: The Show That Never Ends (Amazon) with audio description, Hostage: S1E4 (Netflix) with audio description, and South Park: S27E4 (Paramount Plus) no audio description Outlander: Blood of My Blood- An episode focusing mostly on childbirth, but including a little bit of that touchstone of the Outlander franchise… rape. Just a dash of rape. Wouldn’t … Continue reading The Small Screen diaries: 09/06/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/05/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: The Buccaneers: S2E7 (Apple plus) with audio description, Wednesday: S2E6 (Netflix) with audio description, NCIS: Tony And Ziva: S1E1 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Long Story Short: S1E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Sausage Party: S1E4 (Amazon) with audio description The Buccaneers- I definitely felt with the last episode that The Buccaneers had finally reached its true potential, and with this episode, all of the strong subject matter they have opened up until now is paying off. the season’s penultimate episode has Nan’s mother filing for divorce from her husband, and she has to have proof. Mind you, … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/05/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/03/25

John Stark

TV Shows watched: Alien Earth: S1E5 (Hulu) with audio description, Wednesday: S2E5 (Netflix) with audio description, Butterfly: S1E5 (Amazon) with audio description, Twisted Metal: S2E6 (Peacock) with audio description, the Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball: S1E7 (Hulu) with audio description Alien Earth- I think the wrong name was listed when the cyborg fist slammed down. It should have been Morrow, but I’m fairly certain it was one of the expendables. This episode featured a look at what happened to all those people we saw at the beginning of the series, flashing back to how shit hit the fan in the … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/03/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 09/02/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: The Runarounds: S1E1 (Amazon) with audio description, Platonic: S2E5 (Apple plus) with audio description, The Twisted Tale Of Amanda Knox: S1E3 (Hulu) with audio description, and Mindhunter: S1E10 (Netflix) with audio description. The Runarounds- I’m glad I got to this quickly. So, if you are interested in The Runarounds, DO NOT stay for the preview of the season that runs at the end. I’ve never seen such a spoiler laden thing in my life. It’s ridiculous. it is one of those “this season on The runarounds”, but everything they showed had a far different tone than the … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 09/02/25

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Night Always Comes

John Stark

Cast: Vanessa Kirby, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zack Gottsagn, Stephan James, Randall Park Written By: Willy Vlutain, based on the book. Directed By: Benjamin Caron release Year: 2025 Studio/Streamer: Netflix Audio Description produced By: Descriptive Video Works Written By: Jeff Heck Narrated By: Mocha Owen What is it?: A family deep in poverty has one shot at finding a stable place to live, but when the matriarch (Leigh) blows their money, her daughter (Kirby) is left with the prospect of being kicked out on the street if she can’t come up with 25K by morning. What Works: Some have reacted like … Continue reading Night Always Comes

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 08/31/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: From: S3E3 ((MGM Plus) with audio description, Black Mirror: S4E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Foundation: S3E8 (Apple Plus) with audio description, Ginny and Georgia: S2E10 (Netflix) with audio description, Upload: S4E2 (Amazon) with audio description, Ballard: S1E10 (Amazon) with audio description, Breaking Bad: S2E12 (Netflix) with audio description From- This show is brilliant. I loved the stuff happening with Tabitha, and how she begins to believe she never left the nightmare (though I’m pretty sure she did). Meanwhile, Chrissy gets in trouble and needs rescue, and Victor really wants to build a fort. The lore keeps coming. … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/31/25

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

Fall For Me

John Stark

I’m sure there’s some minimum word count I should be giving to each review, but even a week later, and I can’t stop thinking about this random soft core Skinemax knockoff that Netflix just quietly slipped onto their service. I knew it wasn’t Shakespeare. The audio description isn’t great, as it fails to translate any subtitles, but there’s a sex scene that starts almost immediately with dripping a blood orange’s juice onto the stomach of the female participant. this character, specific enough to indulge in blood oranges, has a closet full of only black t-shirts and white t-shirts. It is … Continue reading Fall For Me

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

The Thursday Murder Club

John Stark

Cast: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, Naomi Ackie, Daniel mays, Henry Lloyd Hughes, Tom Ellis, Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, Richard E Grant Written By:Katie Brant Directed By: Chris Columbus Studio/Streamer: Netflix Release Year: 2025 Runtime: 121 minutes Audio Description Produced By: VSI Written By: Narrated By: What is it?: When a property owner plans to demolish a retirement community and redevelop it, he didn’t count on the residents being so feisty, and when someone turns up dead, he certainly wasn’t prepared for the Thursday Murder club, a little group of seniors obsessed with true crime and mysteries, … Continue reading The Thursday Murder Club

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries- 08/30/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Outlander: Blood of My Blood: S1E5 (Starz) no audio description, The Hunting Wives: S1E6 (Netflix) with audio description, Dexter: S6E1 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, Two Graves: S1E1 (Netflix) no audio description, The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball: S1E6 (Hulu) with audio description, Pop Culture Jeopardy: Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (Amazon) with audio description,Hostage: S1E3 (Netflix) with audio description Outlander: Blood of My Blood- Coming in as someone who could see, and now cannot, there are very few things weirder than just listening to people have sex. With no context. The audio description can often having varying … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries- 08/30/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 08/29/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Peacemaker: S2E2 (HBO MAX) with audio description, Chief Of War: S1E6 (Apple Plus) with audio description,The Summer I Turned Pretty: S3E6 (Amazon) with audio description, hitmakers: S1E4 (Netflix) with audio description, Match Game: S5E6 (Hulu) with audio description, Who Wants to Be A millionaire: S4E6 (Hulu) with audio description Peacemaker- Peacemaker is still reeling from his fight at the end of the last episode, and we do touch base with everyone in an episode that doesn’t quite advance the overall arc, but does bring the crew closer together. My favorite moments were Eagley, who I thought might … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/29/25

Movie ReviewLeave a comment

The Truth About jussie Smollett

John Stark

Directed By: Gagan Rehill Release Year: 2025 Studio/Streamer: Netflix Runtime: 90 minutes Audio Description Produced By: Descriptive Video Works Written by: Lenizelle Narrated By: Jazzy Frizzle What is it?: A mostly centre of the road take on the events surrounding Jussie Smollett and his various court appearances following his allegation of a hate crime targeting him. What Works: In order to pull this off, they needed everyone to show up, and basically everyone did. If you think you’re in for just a really long interview with Smollett, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that all sides are speaking their truths … Continue reading The Truth About jussie Smollett

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 08/28/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: The Sandman: S2E12 (Netflix) with audio description, My Life With The Walter Boys: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, Sausage Party: Foodtopia: S2E3 (Amazon) with audio description, Upload: S4E1 (Amazon) with audio description, Mindhunter: S1E9 (Netflix) with audio description The Sandman- Now that I know, Episode 11 is actually the series finale, and this is just a one off bottle episode that uses this franchises version of Death… and lets her take a holiday. So, this is Death Takes A holiday, but in the way Neil Gaiman would do it. It was cute. Inconsequential, but cute. The audio … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/28/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 08/27/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Alien Earth: S1E4 (Hulu) with audio description, The Terminal List: Dark Wolf: S1E1 (Amazon) with audio description, The buccaneers: S2E6 (Apple Plus) with audio description, The Great north: S5E19 (Hulu) no audio description, All Of us Are Dead: S1E8 (Netflix) with audio description, Irish Blood: S1E5 (Acorn) no audio description Alien Earth- I love developing description. What I mean by that is description that continues to build the world, realizing there’s some element it could still mention, and perhaps didn’t earlier. Often this can come in letting us know a physical attribute we didn’t get in initial … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/27/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 08/26/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: The institute: S1E7 (MGM Plus) with audio description, Twisted Metal: S1E5 (Peacock) with audio description, Dexter: Resurrection: S1E7 (Paramount Plus) with audio description, The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox: S1E2 (Hulu) with audio description, Long Story Short: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description The institute- You think you know what I’m about to say, but you’re like the guy who has the elephant by the tail. Or whatever that analogy was. The institute did just get a second season renewal at MGM Plus, so expect more mystery. The audio description is… well… fine? I mean, two people got … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/26/25

EditorialLeave a comment

The Small Screen Diaries: 08/25/25

John Stark

TV Shows Watched: Black mirror: S4E3 (Netflix) with audio description, Platonic: S2E4 (Apple Plus) with audio description, Butterfly: S1E4 (Amazon) with audio description, Ginny and Georgia: S2E9 (Netflix) with audio description, The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball: S1E5 (Hulu) with audio description, and Hostage: S1E2 (Netflix) with audio description Black Mirror- A really solid episode about how decisions from our past come back to haunt us, because we all have a chip in our brain. So, one woman’s quest to protect her current family from the sins of her past leads her to some truly disturbing life choices, which all … Continue reading The Small Screen Diaries: 08/25/25