Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 25th, 2022
Twenty years ago, he left his hometown of Kiewarra, a farming town in Australia, under a black cloud. His girlfriend was found dead under suspicious circumstances, and all the evidence pointed to him. If it wasn’t for a friend willing to lie for him, he would have ended up in jail. When that same friend’s family is killed in a murder-suicide with all the evidence suggesting that said friend was responsible, he will return to investigate. However, time has not improved the community’s feelings about him, as the people have long memories. Eric Bana stars as federal police detective Aaron Falk in The Dry, a film based on Jane Harper’s 2017 book of the same name. Having been a fan of Eric Bana for some years, I looked for this this opportunity to watch him play detective. While the story does drag at times, I will say that overall, the quality of the storytelling made the experience worthwhile.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 21st, 2022
“A great man doesn’t seek to lead, he’s called to it. But if your answer is no, you’ll still be the only thing I need you to be. My son.”
Given that this was most likely the most anticipated movie of 2020, I must say that I expected much more from it. Especially given the who’s who list of Hollywood stars who were brought together for this production. Names like Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and the list goes on. I suppose another thing that somewhat worked against the film was the long wait, as this was a movie that was slated for a year earlier, and then the pandemic complicated that, so anticipation for this film was high. Not to mention that this is a reboot of a beloved series that has already been adapted and garnered a large cult following. It is also my understanding that previous adaptation had the benefit of having the creator of the franchise on set to help guide it.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 11th, 2022
This appears to be the time of Resident Evil, it would seem. Fresh on the heels of a live-action reboot to the franchise (Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City) comes the home media release of this CGI miniseries based on the popular Capcom video game. If you want to be technical, the miniseries preceded the reboot, as it was originally released on Netflix back in July of 2021. Set between the events of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, the miniseries follows Leon S. Kennedy as he attempts to uncover a conspiracy that reaches all the way up to the White House. Now, in reference to that time period, I should mention that it is the video game continuity, not the film’s, that is an important distinction, as Milla Jovovich was only loosely based on the source material. While the story does take some time to develop, by the final episode, I was fully vested in its outcome.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 11th, 2022
This film was a new experience for me. As you all know, movies like this afford me the opportunity to share my passion for film with my daughter. However, as I put the movie on, she turns to me and says, “Daddy, you know what’s funny? I’ve already seen this.” I found that to be a confusing statement, as I was operating under the impression that this was a newly released title. However, as it turns out, though it is a new release for home media, the film was actually released on Netflix back in April 2021. At this point, I expected that she would attempt to excuse herself and occupy herself with one of her many new Christmas acquisitions. But no, she didn’t do that. Instead, she sat back and prepared herself to watch it again. That’s when I knew it had to be good, because my daughter doesn’t usually do repeats. Lo and behold, it was far better than good. I dare say that The Mitchells vs. The Machines was the best animated film that I saw all year.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on December 24th, 2021
I wanted to believe that it was possible. I really did. I wanted to believe that it was possible to make a quality addition to the iconic franchise despite nearly twenty years having gone by since the third film. But alas, here we are and it clearly wasn’t possible to make a quality addition to the franchise. I should have trusted my instincts. While the The Matrix: Resurrections may provide us with answer regarding the ultimate fate of Neo and Trinity, those answers come at the cost of entertainment. I am a firm believer in letting sleeping dogs lie, and I can honestly say that this franchise would have been better off without this latest installment, which in my opinion adds nothing to it. I’m honestly shocked at the fact of how disappointed I was with the film given that two-thirds of the main cast came back for the film. Trust me, we are also going to discuss the one-third that didn’t and the dishonorable way that they chose to continue the character.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on December 23rd, 2021
This is an origin story. That is the best way I can sum this movie up. I will repeat it again, so it is clear. This is an origin story. It was hinted at in the first film (Kingsman) how the Kingman intelligence agency was started; however, while it was excellently explained by Colin Firth, how the agency truly came to be was just sort of glossed over. With The King’s Man we get to experience the tale of the organization’s founder and his motivation for creating the organization. The story is informative and at times entertaining, but I must confess that it was missing the wit that the original film had. I would have to characterize this as a case of the original film being the best. In this instance, it is because of the wit and the manner in which the story flowed. I know what you are thinking, I’m disregarding the second film, and you are right; I am.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on December 22nd, 2021
“As long as we are looking over our shoulder, the past is not dead.”
When it comes to Daniel Craig’s Bond movies, I’ve found them to be hit-or-miss. There are those I love, such as Casino Royale and Skyfall, and then there are those that I wasn’t that into, such as Quantum of Solace and Spectre. However, when it comes to No Time to Die, there is no question that it is my favorite of all the Craig-led Bond movies. Maybe it was how long I’ve been waiting to experience it given that the onset of COVID resulted in the film’s release being delayed multiple times, so by the time it was finally here, I could barely contain my excitement. However, I think it is more likely that the reason is the knowledge that this will be Craig’s final portrayal as the suave secret agent with a penchant for shaken martinis.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on December 16th, 2021
A whodunnit with teeth … that is a most apt description, and for me, that made the film all the more entertaining. I mean, who doesn’t love a good whodunit? And when that whodunit comes with a supernatural twist … even better. In the case of Werewolves Within, that supernatural twist in kind of on the nose. One of the characters actually gives a great explanation regarding the existence of werewolves being more likely than a particular type of person. I wish I could use the exact phrasing, but I fear that would ruin the whodunit element of the film for you. Sam Richardson leads the cast in this quirky yet intriguing comedy horror. Richardson is someone who has been showing up more and more on my radar in recent years. Each time he does, he feels a bit typecast in the role of a socially awkward individual
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on December 16th, 2021
Be honest; who hears the theme music when anyone even mentions The Addams Family? I know I do, and then I have to resist the urge to do the finger snaps. Just in time for the release of the animated version comes the double release of The Addams Family and its sequel, The Addams Family: Family Values, featuring Raul Julia and Angelica Huston as Gomez and Morticia Gomez, and let’s not forget Christopher Lloyd and Christina Ricci as Fester and Wednesday Gomez respectively. Based on the wildly popular cartoons that appeared in the New Yorker that went on to find success as television series, the The Addamses are a satirical inversion of the ideal 20th-century American family.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on November 25th, 2021
Good story, unique characters, and original music. I’d say that Disney delivers on its 60th animated movie. In recent years, Disney has taken us all over the map as they introduced characters (formerly known as Disney princesses) from all different walks of life. From a Norwegian-inspired kingdom (Arendelle) to the Polynesian island (Motunui), this time taking us to the mountains of Colombia. That has always been something that I appreciated about Disney’s film: their wide-reaching landscape. It’s like the cinematic version of Epcot. Another thing I’m grateful about this film is the fact that I was about to make it a family affair, as my wife and daughter joined me for this experience. It’s been a while since we’ve had a film where we could seek the Nalyce stamp of approval, and now we finally have a candidate. Bottom line up front: it did get her stamp of approval, as well as mine.
