Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on November 4th, 2026
“This film is dedicated to the victims of war violence in El Salvador, and elsewhere throughout Latin America and the rest of the world.” - Ernesto Melara
Had to do a bit of research for this one. There is quite a bit of historical importance with this film, and I wanted to make sure that I could speak on it intelligibly. Fireflies at El Mozote is deeply rooted in the historical reality of the 1981 El Mozote massacre, the systemic, tragic killing of hundreds of civilians (primarily women and children) by the Salvadoran Armed Forces over a 48-hour period starting December 11, 1981. This marks Ernesto Melara's feature film directorial debut. The film stands as a deeply personal and significant milestone in his career, as it was his only feature-length directing credit before his death. Melara, a U.S.-Salvadoran filmmaker, began developing the project years prior, drafting a script based on the infamous 1981 massacre. Through his handling of the writing, directing, and cinematography, the project became a closely-authored independent production. My first impression was that the film would be a strict depiction of the events based on survivor accounts, a borderline documentary in all likelihood. What I got was so much more.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on November 2nd, 2026
“Where do I start? Well, I guess what I really want to say is, everything I am is because of where I come from: Eternia, a world of endless beauty. All that stuff that exists only in legends and bedtime stories ... on Eternia, that stuff is real. Griffins, dragons, talking tigers, enchanted forests, burning deserts, islands in the sky, you name it! I swear I'm not high!”
This is a movie that is not an afraid to make fun of itself, and I do believe that was its saving grace. When I first saw the trailer for this movie, all I could do was shake my head. I like campy movies, but the previews made the film look like it was taking campy to another stratosphere. The film does indeed take us to another stratosphere, the world of Eternia, to be exact. I never was much for the He-Man show; I gravitated more towards Thundercats, but I must admit that Masters of the Universe had me invested in its plot from start to finish. A lot of that was due to Nicholas Galitzine’s excellent performance as the mighty, albeit socially awkward, titular hero. But he is hardly the only recognizable and entertaining person in the film. The film also featured Camila Mendes as bow-staff-wielding Teela, Idris Elba as Duncan, Eternia's former mightiest warrior, who suffered an ego-crushing defeat resulting in his confidence taking a hit, and Jared Leto as Skeletor.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on October 30th, 2026
The Morning Show is not only one of faces of the AppleTV streaming platform, it has consistently been among the app’s highly anticipated and viewed series. Can’t say I’m surprised; this is a show that showcases Hollywood’s elite acting talents in starring as well as guest-starring capacity, and Season 3 of the series continues to follow that recipe. Let’s start with the main cast, which includes Jennifer Anniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, and Mark Duplass; these four have made up the core members of the cast for the show’s four-season run. They are consistent faces that appear in every episode, with the storyline wrapped around these four. This is also the first season that does not include Steve Carrell’s character, signifying the show moving in a different direction and away from the scandal that was a recurring theme of the first two seasons. The show also featured a number of new faces this season including Nicole Beharie, Jon Hamm, Stephen Fry, Tig Notario, Clive Standen, and Natalie Morales.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on October 22nd, 2026
“Yo, if y'all watchin' this tape right now, that means I didn't make it. Either I'm a prisoner, or, worse, dead. But, either way it goes, I'mma tell y'all the rules to survive this situation. Rule number one: you gotta be quick. Rule number two: don't fall down. And rule number three: whatever you do, never look back. Y'all wish me luck.”
The film that started it all. The Wayans’ family masterpiece. There are a lot of things I can say about this parody film that served as the blueprint for all the parodies that would come. I think it goes without saying that Scary Movie is the definitive blueprint for the modern cinematic spoof, a crude yet undeniably sharp demolition of late-1990s pop culture. Directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans, the film took the self-aware DNA of Wes Craven's Scream and infused it with a relentless barrage of slapstick gags and served as a breakout film for Regina Hall and Ana Farris as well as the cinematic careers for Shawn and Marlon Wayans.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on October 16th, 2026
“This is what Jackass looks like at 50.”
So this film provided me with a unique opportunity, because I was around when the first Jackass movie premiered in theaters, and I remember being blown away by it. It was this edgy and one-of-a-kind type show that showcased a group of mavericks like Johnny Knoxville, Bam Magera, Steve-O, and Chris Pontius. Now over twenty years later, that same group of mavericks are coming together for when they are declaring to be the final installment in this iconic franchise. However, if I’m honest, I figured Jackass Forever was going to be the last installment, but I’m not mad at the gang banding together one more time to state it outright and put a final exclamation point on the series. In regard to my previously mentioned unique opportunity, after I finished Jackass Best and Last, I went ahead and rewatched the original Jackass film. It’d been at least over a decade since I watched it, and I wanted to see how the first and the final film compared to one another. And my verdict was as follows: The first film is better. Even with all the time that passed between the two films, the first one is the clear winner. It was bolder and more original. Honestly, this final installment doesn’t compare.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on October 5th, 2026
"Camp is tough: there's the lack of sleep, endless games, mystery meat, twelve thousand questions middle schoolers somehow ask before breakfast, and camp songs that get stuck in your head forever."
One thing I can say about Bad Counselors is that there were a lot of recognizable faces in it. Chris Klein returned to his comedy roots in this film that could potentially be a distant, more wholesome cousin to America Pie. Richard T. Jones of The Rookie fame, along with Stargirl’s Brec Bassinger and Missi Pyle, all star in this faith-based comedy that was surprisingly more entertaining that I initially expected it to be. I’d anticipated a vapid B-movie that would be more cliché than substance, but as it turned out, the film actually had more than one moment of substance. Despite the premise of the frat-boy antics, the story focused more on character identity and growth. The film avoids being overly "cheesy" by leaning into intentional, self-aware comedy, mostly against cringy evangelical tropes. And while the Christian elements are primarily used for narrative quips rather than deep theological teaching, the underlying themes of repentance, second chances, and authentic human connection are very much showcased.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on September 27th, 2026
“It was supposed to be a field.”
The level of defeat in Brad Pitts’s voice was palpable. In Heart of the Beast, 58 miles of rough terrain separates his character and salvation. Luckily, he is not alone. He is joined by his four-legged companion, a battle seasoned warrior named Odin. Actually, Odin was played by four German shepherds by the name of Uber and Uber’s three sons, Seeka, Ryker, and Honda. Uber served as the main dog, a retired search-and-rescue dog from New Zealand who handled standard scenes. Meanwhile, his sons, were used as stunt doubles and specialized doubles for specific tasks like swimming, running, or working at heights on wires. It takes a lot to steal the stage away for a top tier talent like Brad Pitt, but I feel comfortable saying that Uber and his sons were the undisputed heart of the film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on September 25th, 2026
“And you ... and you! Y'all went and did Scary Movie 3 & 4 without us!”
I never thought we were going to get this movie. After the Wayans walked away from the franchise (rightfully so), I never fathomed the idea that we might one day see Shawn and Marlon return to the franchise. Yet here we are, and I only wish that we would have gotten it sooner. Maybe then I could have resonated with it better. Don’t get me wrong, I still loved it, but there was more than one joke that missed it mark with me. The film reminded of a time capsule. When it is unearthed, nostalgia transports you back to the time when you first buried it. However, you are not quite the person that you were back then, and your sense of humor may not be the same as it was. That said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Shawn and Marlon are unquestionably masters of their trade, and they slip back into their roles effortlessly, as does Regina Hall. Anna Faris, not so much.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on September 23rd, 2026
"My cousin and I have very different ideas about what it means to be a hero. He sees the good in everyone, and I see the truth."
Since Endgame, I’ve been waiting on DC to seize the momentum away from Marvel. The MCU has essentially been waffling since that epic conclusion, so I figured that DC would engage in some carpe diem and saturate the market in order to pull the focus away from their rival. And yet, that doesn’t seem to be the case. We are lucky if we get one movie a year, and if I’m honest, the one we get isn’t spectacular; they are just average. I wasn’t blown away by last year's Superman, and I wasn’t blown away by this year’s Supergirl. Milly Alcock was a great choice, and I won’t dispute that, and Jason Momoa is carbon-copy casting for Lobo, but the quality of story makes these top-tier casting choices wasted effort. In a time when DC should be giving us a layered story that draws us in, they give us a straightforward fish-out-of-water story about a girl and her dog with a dash of space pirates.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on September 17th, 2026
"I'm Bane. I could kill you, but death would only end your agony and silence your shame. Instead, I will simply break you."
If there is one arena that I would give DC Comics supremacy over Marvel, it would be with their animated movies. I don’t know why, but when it comes to their cinematic endeavors, DC has not yet broken the mold in the way Marvel has. However, when it comes to their animated endeavors, particularly when it comes to the Batman franchise, DC can’t be touched. And Batman Knightfall Part 1 is no different. As this franchise takes one of the most popular storylines of the series, it perfectly sets the stage for the next installment. However, disappointingly, we won’t get that until late this year, and I predict we will then be craving the final installment, which won’t be expected until 2027. The important thing about the Knightfall storyline is that it introduces two significant characters, Bane (the man who broke the bat) and Jean-Paul Valley, also known as Azrael. This marks the first appearance of Jean-Paul Valley in the DC animated movies. Anson Mount returned to voice Batman for the second time, along with returning Jack Griffo (Tim Drake) and David Dastmalchian (who previously voiced Calendar Man and now voiced the Riddler) and also joined by first-timers Michael Mando (Bane) and Pablo Schreiber (Jean-Paul Valley).
