Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on May 31st, 2013
“Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real, but fear is a choice.”
It’s been seven years since father and son Will and Jaden Smith partnered up for Jaden’s first film role in The Pursuit of Happiness. Since then, Jaden has managed to forge a path similar to his father’s albeit his own starring in his blockbuster films The Day the Earth Stood Still and a reboot of 80’s popular franchise The Karate Kid. No doubt Will Smith looks upon his son’s accomplishments with pride, but no matter how fulfilling it may be to forge your own way, there is something to be said about the comforts of familiarity.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on May 27th, 2013
If I had to sum up Last Kind Words in one word, I’m afraid that word would be “forgettable”. Harsh, I know, but that is but the most fitting because the movie failed to leave a lasting impression. I don’t need much to find a movie entertaining: A steady storyline, interesting characters, and good dialog; my issue with Last Kind Words has to do with my uncertainty about the kind of film it was intended to be.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on May 14th, 2013
“An affair born in betrayal will end in ashes.”
And a movie starring Lindsay Lohan and Grant Bowler depicting Hollywood’s most controversial and scandalous couple will share the same fate. Liz & Dick tells the love story of two-time Academy Award winning actress Elizabeth Taylor and respected theater actor turned leading man Richard Burton, documenting from their first meeting to Burton’s death in 1984. The key element to love stories, especially biographical love stories, is casting two people that will have chemistry
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on May 9th, 2013
“Season of the equinox, the witch besets her kill; one last soul, the town to know taken against their will.”
I’m not the type that scares easy, and I’m not overly superstitious. But when it comes to urban legends, I know there are a few things I never intend to do: I never intend to say “Bloody Mary” three times in the bathroom mirror, I never intend to mix Pop Rocks and Coke, and, if there is a legend about a witch that will come after you if you break one of windows of her house, guess what? I won’t be picking up a rock.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on May 1st, 2013
“Some people are lucky enough to find their true passions. That’s okay, because their passion makes them feel like somebody. Sometimes it’s the only thing that keeps them moving. I know some people don’t get mine. My passion is jumping rope…competitively, but I like it.”
Growing up I can remember a desire to tie my parents up; did anyone else share that desire? Don’t get me wrong, this desire was not meant with malicious intent, but to simply grasp the full attention of my parents.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on April 25th, 2013
Things needed to survive a zombie apocalypse: a secure location to hole up in, water (lots of water), canned goods, a hatchet, and a high-powered rifle (preferably with a scope). Luckily for Jim, the main character of State of Emergency, all these things just happen to fall into his lap. Produced by the Clay Brothers (Haven’t heard of them? That’s okay, neither have I.), State of Emergency is their second feature film, and though it ultimately shows promise, it could have been better with a few tweaks.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on April 24th, 2013
“Now it’s mandatory that you do not make make eye contact until we tell you that it’s all clear.”
Typical, one person can’t follow simple instructions and the rest are doomed to die because of it. Or at least that’s how it starts in Escapee, the new suspense horror film starring Dominic Purcell and Christine Evangelista, or what I like to call it: Halloween with a dash of Friday the 13th. Harsh perhaps, but as I watched the film I could not help but the see the comparisons. It fooled me at first
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on April 16th, 2013
“Solving the following riddle will reveal the awful secret behind the universe, assuming you do not go utterly mad in the attempt."
Never question the importance that a title plays in the success of a film. The title is the first thing that you encounter when discovering a new movie. Let me set the scene: you are at home, bored and looking for a movie to watch so you go to a Redbox kiosk or log onto your Netflix (given that video stores are close to extinct at this point); you narrow your selection down to two titles.
Posted in: The Reel World by Jeremy Butler on April 12th, 2013
The power is in the mind, or at least it is in Trance, the latest psychological thriller from Academy Award winning director Danny Boyle. From the original trailer I saw of this film, I had the wrong impression of this film completely; I was intrigued by the film, but I just expected it to be another heist film. Now, for the record, I love heist films; I love the watching the thieves plan the heist, I love watching them execute the theft, and I even love the eventual double-cross that everyone always sees coming. To call Trance simply a heist film is to severely undersell its value.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on April 10th, 2013
“Why save a few when we can save them all?”
An excellent question; have you ever noticed that in disaster films as soon as an apocalyptic event is discovered, plans go into motion to protect the elite such as the president, his cabinet, and a few select others while the rest of the world is left out in the cold to be lambs to the slaughter? Well, in Earth’s Final Hours, the lambs fight back, working to save the many rather than just the few.
