Focus Features recently released two clips for their upcoming film "Dallas Buyers Club". The upcoming film is directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (The Young Victoria) and stars Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner and Jared Leto. "Dallas Buyers Club" hits theaters in limited release on 11/1.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.dallasbuyersclub.com

Plot Synopsis:

Matthew McConaughey stars in DALLAS BUYERS CLUB as real-life Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof, whose free-wheeling life was overturned in 1985 when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live. These were the early days of the AIDS epidemic, and the U.S. was divided over how to combat the virus. Ron, now shunned and ostracized by many of his old friends, and bereft of government-approved effective medicines, decided to take matters in his own hands, tracking down alternative treatments from all over the world by means both legal and illegal. Bypassing the establishment, the entrepreneurial Woodroof joined forces with an unlikely band of renegades and outcasts - who he once would have shunned - and established a hugely successful "buyers' club." Their shared struggle for dignity and acceptance is a uniquely American story of the transformative power of resilience.

"Dallas Buyers Club": Dallas Cowboys

"Dallas Buyers Club": Just Promise Me

Going into “Butter”, I was really not looking forward to this film. The main reason for it, the fact that it seemed like one of those films where a bunch of A list actors get together and have a good time. Hopefully, I’m wrong about that assumption.

The film takes place in Iowa, where butter cutting is like a presidential election. It’s plagued with scandal, greed, blackmail and sex. When a champion butter sculptor (Ty Burrell) is forced to not defend his crown, his wife Laura (Jennifer Garner) enters this competition to preserve the couple’s status as butter royalty. Everything seems guaranteed, until an enigmatic 10 –year-old African-American foster child enters the competition. Now Laura will do anything to sabotage and win this competition. That includes seducing her idiotic ex-boyfriend (Hugh Jackson) to help her. Olivia Wilde, Rob Corddry, Ashley Green and Alicia Silverstone also co-star in this comedy.

Film Review:

Sadly, I was right my assumption. There are some films that you have to sit through as a reviewer, where you really want to shut the film off completely and do something else. That was my thought with “Butter”, as this was the worst film of 2012.

One of the reasons for it was its lack of direction. Director Jim Field Smith doesn’t bring any excitement to the way that he handles this film. Most of the supposed funny scenes felt boring or unfunny. It didn’t help that he had a very bad screenplay to deal with. I’ll was bored sitting there and watching this film, as ninety percent of the comedic scenes feel unfunny. You can’t have that in comedy film and expect to enjoy it. The other thing that I hated about Smith’s direction was that almost all of the performances were annoying. Every character in the film was one dimensional in the performance aspect. Smith doesn’t make sure that his cast stands out from each other. It may have maybe made this film more tolerable to watch. Also if you’re putting a gag reel at the end of the film to pad the running time, then there’s most certainly a problem with your film.

The screenplay was very mean spirited. Screenwriter Jason Micallef doesn’t good a very good job with the way that he approaches the story. One of the things that I don’t like about the characters was the fact that they were unlikable. They come off more aloof and lighthearted than interesting and fun to be with. Maybe it was the fact that he added political stereotypes, which even made the characters even more annoying than they were. It didn’t make me laugh. Instead, it made me not interested in the film. The other thing that I didn’t like was the fact that you’re having the narration from each of the two main characters. It’s was completely written wrong and was very unnecessary for this film. It made a very dull film, even duller. It did nothing but hurt the film even more.

Blu-Ray Extras:

There are very little extras on this Blu-Ray. You only have a gag reel and deleted and extended scenes. It would have been nice to include a behind the scenes featurette or commentary track to get some information on the film.

Final Summary:

If this film was in a competition with other films to see who would win, “Butter” would finish in last place. It’s a very boring film with annoying characters with tedious screenplay.

Review Rating: One Star
Extras: One Star

Anchor Bay Films and RADiUS-TWC announce the DVD and Blu-Ray release of the hilarious political satire comedy "Butter". The film is the latest film from director Jim Field Smith (She’s Out of My League)and stars Golden Globe® Award winner Jennifer Garner (The Odd Life of Timothy Green), Emmy® Award winner Ty Burrell (ABC’s “Modern Family”), Olivia Wilde (TRON: Legacy), Emmy® Award winner Rob Corddry (Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”), Ashley Greene (the Twilight franchise), Alicia Silverstone (Clueless), and Hugh Jackman (the X-Men franchise).

DVD and Blu-Ray special features include a gag reel and deleted and extended scenes. "Butter hits retail shelves on December 4th.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: www.butterthemovie.com

Press Release:

Anchor Bay Entertainment and RADiUS-TWC announced today the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD release of the hilarious political satire comedy, BUTTER, from director Jim Field Smith (She’s Out of My League). Written by newcomer Jason Micallef, BUTTER features a stellar ensemble cast that includes Golden Globe® Award winner Jennifer Garner (The Odd Life of Timothy Green), Emmy® Award winner Ty Burrell (ABC’s “Modern Family”), Olivia Wilde (TRON: Legacy), Emmy® Award winner Rob Corddry (Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”), Ashley Greene (the Twilight franchise), Alicia Silverstone (Clueless), and Hugh Jackman (the X-Men franchise). A story about unlikely rivals who will do whatever it takes to beat the competition in this quirky and outrageous comedy about love, sex, winning, and most of all, butter, BUTTER heads to retail on December 4, 2012 for an SRP of $29.99 for the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and $24.98 for the DVD.

Much in the same vein as films like Christopher Guest’s Best In Show and Alexander Payne’s Election, BUTTER also stars Yara Shahidi (Imagine That), Kristen Schaal (Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”), and Phyllis Smith (NBC’s “The Office”).

In his review for Variety, film critic Peter Debruge called BUTTER “a wicked Midwest satire with razor blades stashed beneath its bright candy-apple surface.” Wrote WeGotThisCovered.com’s, Jonathan Lack, “‘Butter’ is a spectacularly entertaining film, a well written, perfectly paced comedy brought to life by one of the year’s best ensemble casts.” Added ComingSoon.net’s, Edward Douglas, “‘Butter’ is very much like the type of comedy Alexander Payne used to make back when he was starting out – dark and edgy humor that plays with religion and politics…”

In Iowa, butter carving is as cut-throat as a Presidential election, plagued with scandal, greed, blackmail, and sex – except with butter! When long-reigning champion butter sculptor, Bob Pickler (Ty Burrell), is forced to step down, his zealous wife, Laura (Jennifer Garner), enters the competition herself to fight for their status as butter royalty. A win seems virtually guaranteed for the poised and studied candidate when a formidable contender emerges: the fresh-faced, effortlessly charismatic 10-year-old, Destiny (Yara Shahidi), an African-American foster child of local couple, Jill and Ethan (Alicia Silverstone and Rob Corddry). Suddenly, it’s anybody’s game and Laura will do anything to win – even if it means resorting to sabotage and seducing her foolish ex-boyfriend, Boyd (Hugh Jackman), as a co-conspirator.

The BUTTER Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD special features include a gag reel and deleted and extended scenes. Note: Special features are subject to change.

Learn more about BUTTER at: www.butterthemovie.com

Starring: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Louis C.K., Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill

Written & Directed by: Ricky Gervais & Matthew Robinson

I come from a long line of people who use self deprecation as readily as they use oxygen. But I must admit, I think there comes a time when you can overdose on self deprecation. I think Ricky Gervais may have hit that saturation point with “The Invention of Lying.”

The premise is that humans never had the gene for lying in their genetic code. One day, the extremely unhappy and unlucky Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) discovers that he can lie. Though not exactly sure how he can say things that “are not,” it is not long before Mark takes advantage of his genetic mutation. In this world, everyone is brutally honest because they have to be. What is not so clear, is why everyone is so vocal. Would humans never evolve the need to spare someone’s feelings by censoring what they say? Would everything come out word vomit and one never experience the ability to hold back? It is debatable.

Still the world does not hold back for Mark, and he repeatedly must suffer the brutal honesty of strangers, friends, and co-workers. Stranger still, people rarely laugh or make jokes in this world. Clearly sarcasm is right out the window in this reality, but what about puns? Or even knock knock jokes? Even if you are beat down every day, there must be something that makes you laugh. Though that may be the case, one never sees it in this bleak and bleary world on the screen.

For that reason, I don’t really think of this movie as a comedy so much as a somber cautionary tale. There are moments of hilarity for the viewer, but for me, there were far more moments of “that’s not right!” Gervais has brought me so much joy over the years both with his characters and because he possesses the most gloriously infectious laugh of all time. So for me to hear people speak so ill of him in this movie (even if he did write the lines), rankles my protective side. I know people can be cruel but the folks in this movie are heartless.

Still the premise is an interesting one and I can appreciate the inventive poke at organized religion. Gervais is just as likeable as always, and more emotional in this role than any I have seen previously. The rest of the cast is a who’s who list of fantastic comedians and award winning actors. Each cameo brings a fresh smile to your face, even if what they are saying is pretty painful. Though the lines may be hard to hear, the delivery of them by the great cast ultimately makes the movie work.

The real message of this film is to see what is beneath the surface of the people you meet and to understand that somewhere between total lies and outright brutal honesty is a happy medium. Though vaguely after schoolish, it is still a nice message. If you can struggle through the discomfort, this movie is worth it. Although it isn’t Gervais’ best work, it still ranks well above most of the “comedies” I have seen this year.