Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on August 9th, 2018
The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island is the second film adaptation of the popular literary series of 1920s. Going into the series I knew very little about it. I wasn’t even aware that there it was a book series until the making of featurette, but we will get to that later. The series focuses on the Alden children, who live with their grandfather following the tragic death of their parent. What these children are most known for his going on adventures and solving mysteries. However, the director said it best, “When the boxcar children solve a mystery, it doesn’t end with someone going to jail, but with someone being emotionally healed."
In this latest film, the group learns that they will be spending their summer on a private island that their father and their grandfather before him used to spend their summers on. Excited for this new adventure, the group meets a kind stranger who lives on the island. He is very pleasant and always eager to help the children out, but it is very clear that he has a secret, one that affects him very much. It is up to these junior investigators to discover what is and help their new friend.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on August 8th, 2018
This Melissa McCarthy film flew completely under the radar for me, with me only hearing a few whispers about it. Ironically, I expected to see her in more films following the conclusion of Mike and Molly. Oh well, Life of the Party will have to suffice. Though it was not as entertaining as The Heat or Spy, it had its moments, and exudes the charm that McCarthy has become famous for. I’m sure many of you are like: a movie about going back to college? it’s been done. Not by Melissa McCarthy.
Deanna Miles is a woman who has her world rock as her husband tells her he wants a divorce right after they drop their daughter off for her final year of college. Having dropped out of college in her last year due to becoming pregnant, Deanna is not left with any prospects for how she will support herself. Upon self-reflection about her regret of never finishing college, she decides to enroll at her daughter’s college, to her child’s chagrin.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on August 2nd, 2018
When a disease begins targeting and killing children, you fear the future of the generation. However, when the children who survive develop dangerous abilities, you fear for yourself. That is the situation that Ruby Daly finds herself in. To compound her issues, not only does she have powers that she can’t control, but among the powerful, her abilities are among the rarest and strongest. Amandla Stenberg stars in this film based on a young adult novel series. Anyone else sensing a franchise in works? Unfortunately, despite the vacuum let behind by Twilight, Hunger Games (which our star was a part of), and the recently ended Maze Runner, I’m not so sure that The Darkest Minds will be the vehicle to fill the gap. Overall it was a solid opening, but I left the film with more than a few unanswered questions.
Ruby Daly is ten years old when her life changes forever. A disease that targets children ravishes the world, killing a large percentage of the world’s children. Those who survive the disease develop abilities varying from enhanced intelligence to mind control. Fearing the threat, the government locks away the children. Ruby is one of those children. Classified by color (Green, Blue, Gold, Red, and Orange, with Orange considered the most dangerous and are to executed on sight), Ruby is the most rarest and considered the most dangerous, so she hides in plain sight and in constant fear. Until she is freed by a group looking to exploit her abilities. Mistrusting her would-be saviors, she runs away and happens upon a group of children who have escaped a similar circumstance.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on July 27th, 2018
It goes without saying this film is not suitable for children. Swung is a film in the vein of the 50 Shades of Grey franchise; however, where those films focused on BDSM, this film is centralized along swinging, or engaging with multiple partners. Brace yourself, because you will definitely see more than you think you will in this unrated movie. Granted, it is not just all about sex. The primary focus is the relationship between our two lead characters and the strain and struggles that they are encountering. In this regard, Swung was relatable, as it addresses intimacy, custody matters, and the difficulties of unemployment. Starring Elena Anaya and Owen McDaniel as the couple, they serve as our eyes into this dark world that will possibly change their relationship forever.
Alice and David are very much in love and committed to one another, but the spark has gone out in their sex life. Being without employment and unable to meet his child support requirements, coupled with only being able to see his child on rare occasions have diminished David’s ability to satisfy Alice. Alice does her best to be supportive, but after discovering a particular kind of voyeuristic content on David’s laptop, begins to wonder if the issue is her. Determined to make the relationship work, Alice attempts to take part in this activity with David. After a chance encounter with another couple, things suddenly change, and the spark is instantly relit.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on July 21st, 2018
“There are two kinds of pain in this world. Pain that hurts and pain that alters. Today you get to choose.”
Denzel is back as Robert McCall, offering the bad guys a chance to do the right thing. Well, he offers that opportunity to a select few of them, I should say. When a group of highly trained operatives kill his friend, he’s out for blood. Antoine Fuqua’s The Equalizer 2 keeps all of the themes that made the first one great in this sequel. Though it is a sequel, I would say that it follows a very different path than the original. Where the first film is the setup, in this one McCall is accepted his role as a champion for the little guy and without hesitation acts to protect those who can’t protect themselves. However, the enemy is much different this time, as he will be forced to confront demons from his past, the kind that caused him to fake his death in the first. In order to put things right, he may have to come out of the shadows.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on July 13th, 2018
So the director had my undivided attention until he went completely sideways. I mean, I was engaged; I was feeling the message behind the film. I found the characters to be original and the things that they had to say were unlike anything I had seen in recent years. Not to mention that opening scene was the perfect way to bring the audience into this world; and then it all came crashing down. Despite this disappointment, Sorry to Bother You remains among one of the most creative cinematic experiences that I had this year. I wanted very much to love the film, but sadly I can’t say that. I liked it a lot, especially the first half. It is the kind of film that was likely the gem of the film festival circuit. The number one slot of box office will be out of reach for it, though.
The movie is centered around Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield, Straight Outta Compton), a directionless young man who has yet to find something that matters to him. He lives in his uncle’s garage, and he is struggling to find work. Needless to say, he does not have a lot of hope, with the exception of his girlfriend, Detroit (Tessa Thompson, Creed), a talented artist and revolutionary who brings sunshine into our lead’s otherwise dreary world. Eventually he finds work as a telemarketer, but he has trouble keeping his customers on the line. You all should understand; what is your number-one response when someone tries to sell you something? It is only when he receives a tip from a co-worker to use his “white voice” that things begin to turn around for him. Suddenly, he begins to rack up sells left and right, causing him to quickly rise through the hierarchy of the company.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on July 13th, 2018
No adults? Well, that must be every kid’s and teenager’s dream. No one to tell them what they can and can’t do, what to wear, or how late to stay out. Then again, I suppose if all the adults were transformed into mindless, violent zombies, that might put a damper on the festivities. I know it did for the group from Don’t Grow Up. For this group of juvenile delinquents, they are the last to know that the world as they know it has changed. One minute they are living it up, and the next they are fighting for their lives. Granted, production value is not of the highest caliber. The film more than makes up for it in an engaging story and not shying away from gore in this post-apocalyptic tale.
A group of kids housed in a youth detention center awake one day to find that they are no longer under adult supervision. In fact, they are the only people in the entire facility. It doesn’t take long for them to find trouble; ransacking the administration office, pilfering booze stashed away in a detention officer’s drawer. Things couldn’t be better until they make that fatal (and I do mean fatal mistake): they leave the detention center. Granted, they had little choice given that they ran out of food, but it is then that they learn the reason for their utopia, and there is no going back.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on July 5th, 2018
“Welcome to North Dakota, the least visited state in America.”
Yeah, that’s what you want to hear when you go to visit a place. I mean, according to Frat Pack, entertainment is so scarce that you have to kidnap a person as a first impression. Well, then again, as first impression goes, I can’t imagine a better one to set up the kind of movie you are watching. Frat Pack is a story in the vein of Animal House. Let me be clear, I am not putting it in the same league as Animal House, just merely pointing out their similar genres. Needless to say, this film had my attention from the very beginning as our main character initially goes looking for a bathroom and finds himself on the receiving end of a hilarious S&M session. Albeit cheesy in some areas, Frat Pack is very entertaining for the most part. However, it is definitely not something that you can watch with your significant other (unless they have that kind of sense of humor) or with children.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on June 27th, 2018
Childhood nostalgia abounded when I got this disc. Ducktales was a huge part of my childhood. I mean, who didn’t follow the adventures of Huey, Dewey, and Louie back then?And who could forget about Scrooge McDuck and the Money Bin? So when I heard of the revamping of a series from my childhood, I was instantly on board. However, I must admit that I had some reservation, especially following the transformation of engaging Cartoon Network series Teen Titans into Teen Titans Go! Fortunately, that wasn’t the case for Ducktales Destination: Adventure as I felt myself transported back into my childhood. There was also the added benefit of introducing a show that was a big part of my younger years to my daughter, as she is around the same age I was when I first discovered the show.
Though I remembered a majority of the cast of the original series and they all remain for this adaptation, there was one character whose name that I didn’t recognize immediately: Webby Vanderquack, the boys’ adopted sister. Interestingly, she was the main focal point of the disc’s first episode (The Beagle Birthday Massacre!). Given that the disc is not the complete season, but rather an assortment of six episodes (plus two from the original show), it took a moment to acclimate into the show’s universe. In regards to Webby, it only took a quick Google check to recognize her. The first episode addresses matters of being left out, when Webby ends up being left behind when there is not enough room in the kayak for her with Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The mood doesn’t remain sad for long as she soon meets a new friend and sets about her own adventure, which has her on the run from the Beagle clan.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on June 25th, 2018
“If you believe in a goal or dream before it happens, is that real?”
There aren’t a lot of inspirational tales out there for young women who aspire to be athletes. At least not that I have seen. That is why I am sure that Alex and Me is bound to make an impact. This is tale for every girl who aspires for greatness. As a father to an amazing little girl, this really hit home for me. Unfortunately, not so much with my daughter, who is a bit too young to grasp the importance of the message this film is conveying, but I fully intend to keep this movie on hand for when she is old enough to understand.
