Posts by Jeremy Butler

“Hold up! Wait a minute! Let me put some Brown in it.”

With this DVD I learned a valuable lesson (several actually), about not judging a book by its cover. Around the time it was announced that this show would premiere on TBS, I was in the middle of watching Tyler Perry’s first series on TBS, House of Payne. Assuming that Meet the Browns would nothing more than a variation on what House of Payne was, I ignored this show.

Is it “absence makes the heart grow fonder” or “out of sight, out of mind”? That is the principle question of Tyler’s Perry’s newest stage creation, I Don’t Want To Do Wrong. As usual Tyler Perry continues to demonstrate his mastery of wearing multiple hats, acting as writer, director, and producer. It only requires watching this play a quarter of the way through before realizing that in the world of stage work, Perry has no equal. Balancing comedy, spirituality, and an important message, there’s no wonder why Tyler Perry has become the king of playwrights.

Stand-up special or biography? As it turns out it was a little of both. Before this DVD I did not know who Paul Rodriguez was; now I am proud to say I’m a bit of a fan. His stand-up, Just for the Record, gave an informative insight into his rise from migrant worker to professional comedian. He exudes an air confidence from beginning to end, but more than that, he breathes soul into his act with stories that make you feel something within yourself and that is something I have not felt from a comedy special in a very long time.

Not my brand of comedy. When it comes to stand-up comedy I am no expert, but I have seen enough comedy specials to understand the mechanics of how they work. That being said, to be successful in comedy it takes comedic timing, the right level of energy, and relatable material. Louie Anderson latest comedy special, Big Baby Boomer is lacking in each of these departments.

Started off rocky but pulled it together in the end. That’s my assessment of Suddenly Single, the latest play from established playwright David E. Talbert. Plays are a difficult field to be successful in, as an actor as well as a director; much more challenging than making a film. With a film, thousands if not millions of dollars are spent creating several different detailed environments to better illustrated the fictional world in which the characters live. With a play however, you get one set, and you have to tell an entire story within the confines of that one set.

“This movie will be a cult classic.” –Kevin Hart

That’s the quote on the front of the Budz House DVD cover. Well, I never thought I’d see the day that I’d be willing to disagree with Kevin Hart, but here it is. I was hoping that my first official review for this site would be a positive one, but sadly that is not the case. I try to go into every movie without expectations; however, when I picked up Budz House I couldn’t stop myself. I’ve seen Wesley Jonathan in other projects, most notably the basketball drama, Crossover, where he gave a rock-solid performance.