Tag: Netflix

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Kinda Pregnant

John Stark

Amy Schumer is a talented comic. i remember her from all the way back during her Last Comic Standing phase.She seems either deeply unable to match herself to meaningful projects, or no one knows how to write or direct for her. She had a really strong hit in Trainwreck, which made us all believe she could anchor her own films and become the next big female lead in comedy, but that goodwill has been squandered several times. Now, she’s trapped in a Happy Madison production, and is dragging Will Forte and Damon Wayans jr along for the ride. Amy Schumer … Continue reading Kinda Pregnant

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The Electric State

John Stark

The Electric State (Netflix)- Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Stanley Tucci, Anthony Mackie Years ago I remember when Robopocalypse was being kicked around as a potential summer blockbuster, based on a best-selling novel. I believe Spielberg was actually interested at one time, but likely became more interested in ready Player One. Sometimes it is a blessing in disguise to not have your book turned into a film. I loved the ready Player One book, but not the film. Robopocalypse likely dodged a bullet. What didn’t dodge the bullet is the Electric State. While I have not read the source material, … Continue reading The Electric State

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Carry On

John Stark

Carry On (Netflix)- Taron Egerton And Jason Bateman Die Hard For The Holidays Quick Take: Every year there are a few Netflix titles that end up being worthy, that aren’t just festival pickups or Oscar bait. This past year, Carry On is one of a handful of Netflix originals I’d watch again. It didn’t reinvent the genre, by any means, but it plays to its strengths, and creates a solid action movie for the holidays. the strength lies in this back and forth between the mysterious baddie played devilishly well by Jason Bateman, and our intrepid hero, played with eagerness … Continue reading Carry On

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Emilia Perez: A Second Look

John Stark

Emilia Perez: A Second Look- 13 Oscar Nominations Was Enough To Trigger English Audio Description! So, I originally made a pretty big fuss about the lack of audio description on the major Oscar contender from netflix. I did sit through the film, with only Spanish available at release, and reviewed the film as it was presented. I addressed the problems with the lack of inclusivity on a film touting nothing but, and how Netflix had previously ignored fellow Spanish-language Oscar nominees like El Conde, Brdo, and Roma, none of which got audio description in their respective years. But, as Timothee … Continue reading Emilia Perez: A Second Look

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The Only Girl In The orchestra

John Stark

The Only Girl In The Orchestra (Netflix)- Could This Win Best Documentary Short? Quick Take: Currently my favorite documentary short of 2024. I was surprised to find out that not only is our main subject interesting in her own right through her set of achievements, but she’s also the daughter of John Wayne. She talks about breaking standards and norms, but also not wanting a ticker tape parade for doing so, as the stories singled her out, when she was just one instrument. Her inclusion was already changing perspectives, but her fellow instrumentalists resented her individual attention. Well, now sh’es … Continue reading The Only Girl In The orchestra

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The Remarkable Life Of ibelin

John Stark

the Remarkable Life Of Ibelin- A Love Letter To Those Gamer Friends You’ve Never Met Quick Take: The Warcraft doc of the year, available now on Netflix, talks about a player who was disabled, and found his online family through gaming, only to sadly pass away. It made me think a lot about being a gamer, and when someone you’ve known for sometime as a gamer tag just disappears, you wonder why. Before going blind, I played a ton of online games, and had a rich base of friends I’d never met. Some of us had exchanged real life information, … Continue reading The Remarkable Life Of ibelin

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The Turnaround

John Stark

The Turnaround (Netflix)- What If We Were Nice to Athletes During Their Slump? Quick Take: Even though Netflix couldn’t get this documentary short to the Oscars, it is still worth mentioning because it has audio description. I think it will resonate the most with fans who are aware of this team, and the centered athlete, but really anyone who roots for a team every single year understands that those are your players, whether you like it or not. And, a novel idea is shown, where instead of making them feel worse while already in a dark place. Jeering players on … Continue reading The Turnaround

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Spellbound

John Stark

Spellbound (Netflix)- Can We Stop Asking Javier Bardem To Sing? Quick Take: I had a lot to say. For a movie with Alan Menken working on the music, I had high expectations. Rachel Ziegler is voicing the main princess in this fantastical land, where she has to babysit her parents who have literally turned into monsters. She’s been trying to hide them, but on her birthday, things go awry, and she has to set off with her parents to try and break the curse. There is one great song at the end, What About Me, but the rest feels like … Continue reading Spellbound

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Maria

John Stark

Maria (Netflix) Could Angelina Jolie’s Grand Return Land Her An Oscar? Quick Take: When you hear “From the director of Jackie and Spencer”, the takeaway might be that you only remember the performances, and that is fair. Natalie Portman really swung for the accent in Jackie, and some people liked what Kristen Stewart did in Spencer. I’m not one of them. So, Pablo Lorraine is coming into Maria with a 50/50 shot of getting excellence from Angelina Jolie, and supporting her with a strong film. While I might have been mostly receptive to Maria, it seems as though many other … Continue reading Maria

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Martha

John Stark

Martha (Netflix)- Martha Stewart Clears The Air… And You Can Too In Your Own Home! Quick Take: I normally am trepidations when subjects are involved in their own biopics or documentaries, because often they show you what they want to show you. Martha Stewart is someone who has spent a lot of time in the public eye, and a lot of it isn’t flattering. One of the reasons I bothered to give this the praise, is I think Martha really did open up about some unflattering or personal details, and the director also holds her accountable. There are moments where … Continue reading Martha

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Our Little Secret

John Stark

Our Little Secret (Netflix)- Lindsay Lohan Tries To Impress Kristin Chenoweth This Christmas Quick Take- It feels like Lindsay Lohan is on film probation, and she’s having to work through Netflix content creation to get a real film offer. In this latest film, which is disguised as a holiday film, Lohan plays a young woman who breaks up with someone at the top, only for us to have a weird montage of the passage of time, so that we can see her years later with a new boyfriend. this one has invited her home for the holidays, and when she … Continue reading Our Little Secret

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The Piano Lesson

John Stark

The Piano Lesson (Netflix) Misguided Direction Saved By Stunning Detweiler And Ensemble Quick Take: Malcolm Washington, son of Denzel, is making his feature directorial debut with a challenging August Wilson work. We meet several members of a tight knit family, with Samuel L Jackson serving largely as the de facto patriarch of this clan, and most of the film taking place in his home. Though, he is often just a voyeur as the energy between John David Washington and Danielle Detweiler powers the film, as he is looking to buy some land that has a deep familial connection, and wants … Continue reading The Piano Lesson

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Meet Me Next Christmas

John Stark

Meet Me Next Christmas (Netflix)- Christina Milian featuring Pentatonix Quick Take: Christina Milian got her Netflix holiday film. She’s also having a bit of a career bump now, following her casting in Dexter: Original Sin. Here, the actress/singer is stuck with a male co-star with less name recognition, but the presence of Pentatonix. The entire movie hinges on a young woman (Milian) who has a meet cute moment with a guy who says he’s going to be at this Pentatonix concert, and if they run into each other there… it is fate. So, she tries to get a ticket, and … Continue reading Meet Me Next Christmas

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Hot Frosty

John Stark

Hot Frosty (Netflix)- Will Lacey Chabert Hook Up With A Snowman Before It’s Too Late? Quick Take: Lacey Chabert brings her Christmas magic to Netflix, and Netflix is very confused. In what should have been a hilarious send up of all those basic Christmas films hallmark/Lifetime/Great American Family push out every year, it falls prey to a lack of imagination, and casting an underwhelming male lead. I know I’ve seen Dustin Milligan before, and I feel like I’m being mean, but this film required someone with actual comedic chops. Lacey Chabert and Andy Samberg, for example, would work, with a … Continue reading Hot Frosty

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Timecut

John Stark

TimeCut (Netflix)- Didn’t I See This Movie Already? Last Year? Quick Take: Last year, Amazon released Totally Killer, which saw Kiernan Shirpka travel back in time to save her mom from a serial killer. Netflix took that plot, and made it more confounding. Based on the dates given, this doesn’t make any sense. Bailee Madison now has to travel back, to save her sister, who was murdered 20 ears ago. but, she’s a teenager now, so like… her sister would be how old? I kept trying to pick up what this movie was putting down, and the random time travel … Continue reading Timecut