Jeremy Butler

They don’t trust one another, but they need one another. One is idealistic and believes in the letter of the law, as well as the principle of there being no shortcuts to justice. The other is disillusioned, immoral, and corrupt, albeit effective and well-connected. Aldis Hodge, who has been having a good run since the end of Leverage back in 2012, and the well-established Kevin Bacon have great chemistry in City on a Hill. Their chemistry is the best thing to come out of the series that can at times become convoluted with all the subplots occurring in every episode. Loosely based on the events of the “Boston Miracle,” (also known as Operation Ceasefire), a police initiative implemented back in 1996 aimed at youth gun violence as a large scale problem, these two join forces to catch a group of armored truck robbers who are not afraid to kill to get what they want. Rounding out the cast are Jonathan Tucker, Mark O’Brien, Jill Hennessy, Sarah Shani, and many more. The show tends to meander and get bogged down with the additional storylines involving the supporting cast, but each episode provides a great interaction between Hodge and Bacon that makes the meandering worth enduring.
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Well, I’m not fully sure how to put my experience with Killerman into words, but I will give it my best shot. The feeling that comes to mind is confused. It just seem to be a lot of different things thrown at me at once. Liam Hemsworth is introduced as Moe Diamond, a small-time money launderer partnering with the nephew of a powerful crime boss; the nephew chaffs under the thumb of his uncle, and it is very clear that he is the less intelligent one of the partnership. Moe is level-headed and appears to have an elegant system in place for laundering money through his jewelry business. The nephew, who goes by the name Skunk, played by Emery Cohen, is clearing only involved because of his connection to his uncle. Needless to say, I imagine you can see where this is going, I mean, we have only seen it dozens of times in other movies, but I’ll go ahead and repeat it for posterity: the uncle gives the boys the opportunity at a big-time score; the pair get wind of a too-good-to-be-true drug dealing opportunity, and decide to use the uncle’s cash to front the deal. As expected the deal really does turn out to be too good to be true, leading Moe and Skunk to be on the run from a dirty cop when they escape the deal with both the cash and the money. To the film’s credit, this is the extent of the movie’s predictability, as matters take an unexpected turn.
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Whistleblowing is a difficult decision. You are part of an organization, and you believe in that organization. Speaking out against that organization (yes, I know I’m overusing the word) at times can seem like ratting out family. Not to mention the downside. We all say that there will not be reprisal for whistleblowing, but more often than not, there is. However, that doesn’t mean that if you see wrongdoing that you should sit idly by and do nothing. Most believe that inaction is as bad as committing the act yourself. But when the organization you are speaking out against is the United States government, that is another animal entirely. Official Secrets portrays the real-life actions of Katherine Gun, a translator who back in 2003 leaked classified information exposing a conspiracy to facilitate the war against Iraq. Keira Knightly portrays our whistleblower with an all-star cast that includes Matthew Smith, Matthew Goode, Rhys Ifans, and Ralph Fiennes.
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Wonder what happened to Laura Marano from Austin and Aly? Well, she is following in the footsteps of fellow Disney Channel actresses, Hilary Duff and Selena Gomez, by starring in the latest incarnation of A Cinderella Story, and this time it’s Christmas-themed. On the one hand, I am wondering how many different ways this premise can be recycled. I mean, it has already gone from a theatrical release movie (the first film with Hilary Duff) to a home media release (the second one with Selena Gomez). Given that that the story revolves around a girl being mistreated by her stepmother and step-siblings, you would think that there would be nothing new to add to that idea. Apparently that is not the case, as the film does a good job getting the audience prepared for the upcoming holiday season. Also starring Gregg Sulkin (Marvel’s The Runaways) as her love interest, the film is sweet and manages to entertain, despite not really breaking new ground.
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This is a movie that does not hold up with time. Just in time for the release of the reboot comes Charlie’s Angels starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu. I remember being quite enamored with this movie, or maybe it was Drew Barrymore I was enamored with. It would explain why I watched Santa Clarita Diet. Anyhow, this is the 2003 sequel to the 2000 film adaptation starring the lovely woman mentioned above. This film is joined by Bernie Mac replacing Bill Murray as Bosley, and Demi Moore as the film’s big bad. After rescuing captured US Marshal I’m Mongolia, Natalie (Cameron Diaz), Dylan (Drew Barrymore), and Alex (Lucy Liu) are recruited by Charlie to recover titanium rings that have been stolen from the Justice Department. These rings contain the names of people in the Witness Protection Program. While thwarting the assassin of a witness, the mission gets personal when Natalie and Alex discover that their partner, Dylan, is actually a protected witness.
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Veronica Mars is truly a show with nine lives.  Since ending its initial run in 2007, the series has returned in the form of a movie, thanks to a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign. After the film, I expected that would be the end for everyone’s favorite sleuth. However, lo and behold, the series returns yet again with a eight-episode run courtesy of Hulu. I was very excited to hear of this return; I wasn’t completely satisfied with the way things ended in the movie. Sure, the resurrection of Love (the coupling of Logan and Veronica) was great, and I was glad to see that Logan made something of himself. The story just didn’t feel complete, especially with the way they left things with Weevil. Thankfully, the new season provided me with the answers I needed, though they were bittersweet.
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If presented with the choice whether to see Ready or Not versus Satanic Panic, see Ready or Not. Their premises are relatively similar: a young woman at risk of being sacrificed by a satanic cult. However, their executions are vastly different, as the former has a better story and better comedic timing. Satanic Panic is a dark comedy that failed to get a chuckle out of me due to its stale execution, which was a pity, as I was expecting far more with familiar faces like Jerry O’Connell and Rebecca Romijn. The film delivers in the gore department, which makes it great candidate for 31 Nights of Terror, but is lackluster in the department of a horror comedy.
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In 2006, the original Charmed series did its final curtain call, and since then fans have been calling for the series to resume. In this era of revitalizing old television series, it seemed like bringing back the popular witch series was a possibility. In 2018, fans got their wish, although perhaps not quite the way they were hoping to get it. Charmed would be brought back, but as a reboot, not a continuation. This means a brand new cast and a modern twist. As you expect, this decision was not completely popular, as fans of the original series called for the return of the original cast. As a fan of the original series, I was among those who felt a version of the series that did not feature Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs, and Rose McGowan would be a waste of time and resources. Hell, I would have even taken a miraculous return of Shannon Doherty. Then again, may not. Anyhow, the decision to revamp the series was not a popular one, but in the end, I believe it was the right decision.
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“Satan has one son, but my sisters are legion, mother%&#@er!” 

Another fine addition for 31 Nights of  Terror, and this one has horror right in the title. If that doesn’t spell meant to be, I don’t know what does. Season 8 of FX’s anthology series, American Horror Story: Apocalypse was much more than advertised. Going in, I had only seen Season 1 (Murder House) and glanced at Season 3, which introduced Emma Roberts and Kathy Bates to the series. Fortunately, as an anthology series, each season is a stand-alone: same cast, different characters and scenario. This season dealt with the end of the world, because what’s scarier than that. Coming back into the series with a seven-season gap, I expected that my ability to enjoy the story would be challenged. I’m glad to say that the series kept me on my toes and interested with every episode. Not to mention, as an added bonus, this season incorporated characters and ties to from both Season 1 and Season 3.
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The Good Fight just keeps getting better with every new season. It has become one of my guilty pleasure shows. Though it does tend to take quite a few jabs at our president and likes to emphasize alleged depravity, beyond that is a show that is very relevant to today’s society, and this season is no different as the show hits the ground running in the first episode with a storyline that has long reaching effects on the firm, as well as a member of the main cast. This storyline is obviously a reality-based storyline used for the purposes of highlighting the MeToo movement, as well as addressing implications this movement has had on certain celebrities’ images, particularly Bill Cosby’s fall from grace. I believe the proper term for this is “ripped from the headlines.”
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