Staff Sargeant Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) is at the end of a long career with the marines, and has the emotional battle scars from a failed mission to prove it. On the day he signs his papers to retire honorably an alien invasion strikes the earth and all hands are back on deck in Los Angeles to defend the territory for human annihilation.

As the troops learn of the extent of the alien takeover, and that all humans in their path are being destroyed, Nantz goes through his own journey of redemption to make himself and those around him believe that the choices he made in the past were the best given the circumstances.

This movie is a terrifying and visually mind blowing experience. The aliens who arrive to colonize the earth are here because they need one of our most precious and abundant resources: water. Considering that I have the mind of a curious child, it occurs to me to wonder why aliens would choose a planet with water where the indigenous population is so advanced in their technology and sentience, and therefore their ability to defend and learn and change strategies when one isn’t working. I understand that we think we’re the only planet with liquid water in the entire universe, but if that were the case… how would these aliens need our water?

There are some moments in the film that make you think perhaps part of it was rewritten on the fly (specifically: the discovery the humans make of knowing how the aliens are able to track them seems to be introduced several times, there are some discrepencies in the daylight vs nighttime, the seemingly unending supply of expendable people in the troop despite there not being that many people to begin with, Aaron Eckhart‘s voice changing from his regular voice to a gruff whisper, and Michelle Rodriguez‘s character seems to be a little too knowledgeable a little too quickly about the entire troop of marines). These are easy to overlook because the special effects of the aliens and their warcrafts are amazing.

The door for sequels is left open. Battle: New York, anyone?

Definitely worth a watch on the big screen despite all the plot oddities mentioned. Be sure to have a hand to hold and some popcorn to stuff in your mouth. And if you’re compelled to laugh when something bad happens, just go with it.

Order your tickets to Battle: Los Angeles online through Fandango or Moviefone.

Buttery’s Rating:

Magic Pop‘s consistency is slick and crunchy like that of a shrimp toast you might have consumed at a Chinese food establishment. It comes in a wide variety of flavors, including shrimp. We have tried plain and onion varieties. The onion variety is a bit too strong in its onioniness. The plain are pretty much tasteless, perfect for toppers such as butter or Nutella Hazelnut Spread, or butter AND Nutella! MMMMM!

Definitely worth a try. The full-sized Pops are pretty massive and could be used to make a delicate sandwich, but Kim’s also offers many other products including Mini Pops.

The fun fact about this product is that Kim’s Magic Pop is made with table top Magic Pop machines at your local grocery store, or you can buy your tabletop Magic Pop machine to make fresh Pops! (Photo courtesy of Alibaba.com)

Thanks to our friend in Pittsburgh for sending us the Magic Pops!!

Buttery’s Rating:

Recommendations

In honor of this snack’s name, it’s time to rewatch Practical Magic.

I kid you not, Newman’s Own Gorilla Grape Juice is fantastic with this snack.

Stacy’s Italian Harvest Pita Chips are delicious right out of the bag, but will be great served with hummus, a yogurt based dip, or even smeared with cream cheese! Definitely a winning flavor.

The only major downfall of this snack is that it is super crunchy, so the crunch is loud to by-standers but also you might want to be careful if you have any type of tooth problem where crunching on hard snacks might worsen your condition. Otherwise, a yummy homerun! Thanks, Frito-Lay!

Buttery’s Rating:

Recommendations

While snacking on these pita chips let’s watch a double header of The Italian Job (1969) and The Italian Job (2003).

If you’re a coffee drinker, brew some Starbucks Extra Bold Italian Roast Coffee on the strong setting to accompany this snack.

The coconut flavoring is so strong that it tastes like you’re eating fresh coconut! A look at the ingredients list of Coconut M&M’s compared to original M&M’s shows the same names used, which means the coconut taste comes from artificial flavors manufactured in a lab. Sad panda face.

If you want actual coconut flavor from the actual coconut fruit, this is not the product for you. But if you want a melts in your mouth, not in your hand snack that tastes like you’re on a tropical island, I highly recommend Coconut M&M’s.

Buttery’s Rating:

Recommendations

Couples Retreat (2-Disc Ultimate Vacation Edition) is the perfect hilarious island getaway movie to watch while eating this treat.

Definitely drink a Vita Coco 100% Pure Coconut Water with this one.

4 buckets

There are two squares inside each package of Snickers Peanut Butter Squared, so you can share one of the squares, eat them both, or save the second square for later. The packaging even encourages you to twist it closed so you can keep that second square fresh for snacking on later.

The taste of Snickers Peanut Butter Squared is like an original Twix bar plus a peanut Twix bar, but without the cookie crunch of either. I love peanut butter Twix, so that’s a plus. The one thing I wish wasn’t in Snickers Peanut Butter Squared is its ever-present nougat. I am not a nougat fan, it tastes like unnecessary filler to me. I know it helps fill you up, but the taste behind it does nothing for me.

Snickers Peanut Butter Squared definitely hits the snack spot, definitely worth a try, and definitely worth carrying with you for those times when you’re starving but no meal is in sight.

Buttery’s Rating:

Recommendations

Let’s watch The Spongebob Squarepants Movie while we share the squares!

Standing by my glass of milk as the perfect drink to complement.

From the previews and the title you might expect this movie to focus pretty much exclusively on a dinner of “extraordinary people” but you’d be pleasantly wrong. Dinner for Schmucks is actually the story of Tim Conrad (Paul Rudd) trying to impress and be worthy of his amazing girlfriend Julie (Stephanie Szostak), an up and coming art curator, so that she will marry him. He believes the only way to do this is by being promoted from the 6th floor to the coveted 7th floor at his company, and the only way for his promotion to come through is if he lands a $100 million investment into his company by Swiss businessman and royalty simply referred to as Müeller (David Walliams).

The owner of Tim‘s company, Lance Fender (Bruce Greenwood) banks the promotion on Tim‘s participation in a dinner for idiots hosted at his home. (I’m guessing that calling a movie “Dinner for Idiots” is just politically incorrect, considering that the word “idiot” defines a person of a specific intelligence range, so the word “schmucks” was used to promote the film.) Tim isn’t the kind of guy who wants to play into a dinner where he has to bring the most idiotic person he knows to the game, but a future with Julie is a stake so when he accidentally hits pedestrian and taxidermied mouse connoisseur Barry (Steve Carell) with his car and learns the man is not very normal he invites Barry to the dinner.

Barry mixes up the date of the dinner and arrives at Tim‘s house after Tim just had an argument with Julie over this dinner idea and accidentally invites Tim‘s stalker Darla (Lucy Punch) to Tim‘s house through a chat session on Tim‘s computer. When Julie returns from parts unknown and mistakes Darla as someone Tim is having an affair with, Tim‘s mission goes from impressing Julie so that she will accept his marriage proposals to winning Julie back.

Ron Livingston‘s role as jackhole co-worker Caldwell reminds me of the movie Office Space as it is supposed to, but does nothing (as it shouldn’t) to endear me to this character. Zach Galifianakis‘s role as Therman, Barry‘s boss at the IRS and adulturous thief of Barry‘s wife Martha (Alex Borstein, uncredited), is brilliant. The scene where you watch Therman‘s face go from red back to white is worth your money even if you like nothing else about this film. Jemaine Clement who plays Julie‘s artist client Kieran is hysterically awful in his role as an animal magnetism oozing satyr. I never believe Paul Rudd‘s chemistry with his onscreen love interest so didn’t feel a connection between Tim and Julie, but the amusing banter between Tim, Lucy, and Barry is perfection. I found the actual dinner scene at the end of the film to be its weakest part, so enjoy the ride while you get there.

Buttery’s Rating:

Recommendation

In honor of Alex Borstein‘s character let’s have some Hunts Snack Pack pudding cups.

And speaking of Pudding, let’s help Barry find what she lost with Volvic Natural Spring Water. Close enough, right?

Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) lives in the rumored bank robbing capital of the United States, the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown. By day he works a legitimate job in the sand and gravel business, and by vacation day he robs bank trucks and bank branches with his buddies Jim (Jeremy Renner), Gloansy (Slaine), and Dez (Owen Burke). During a bank branch robbery the masked crew makes bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall) open the cash vault then takes her hostage, keeps her license as a threat of “we know where you live,” then sets her loose blndfolded and barefoot on the beach.

Claire is left with post traumatic stress disorder from the ordeal, and when questioned by the FBI cannot tell them why she was released without harm. Jim doesn’t like the loose end that Doug made him leave alive, so Doug promises to check in with Claire to make sure she has no idea who robbed the bank. He follows her to a laundromat where she happens to ask him for change for the dryer. When he says he has none she breaks down crying, confessing to him that she is an emotional wreck because of a bank robbery and her forced kidnapping. A dangerous one-sided Helsinki Syndrome relationship develops between the two, where Claire is left unknowing of Doug‘s involvement in her traumatic event.

Jim finds out about the relationship and presses the issue that Claire is a messy loose end to their bank job and should be “taken care of” but Doug refuses and makes plans to leave town with Claire to avoid the fall-out from the FBI investigation led by Special Agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) that is zeroing in on the crew.

Story lines about Doug’s father Stephen (Chris Cooper) being in jail for life, the mystery of Doug‘s missing mother, the arrangement of the bank jobs by Irish mob boss “The Florist” (Pete Postlethwaite), and Jim‘s drug addicted prostitute sister Krista (Blake Lively) feeling unrequited love for Doug all help the movie stay engaging when the love story between Doug and Claire and the crazy chase scenes and shootouts of the bank heists aren’t on the screen.

The character development is three dimensional, the story lines intertwine seemlessly, and the chase scenes in the tight streets of Charlestown are amazing. The violent gun battle scenes are exciting despite their predictable conclusions. Great job, Mr. Affleck.

Buttery’s Rating:

Recommendation

What more perfect snack is there to nosh on while watching a film about Boston than Ferrara Pan Boston Baked Beans candy?

A cup of hot Boyer’s Irish Cream Coffee will get you into character.

Artisan Recipes Fire-Roasted Chipotle Tostitos are actually good for you, including in the heart-healthy way. All ingredients are 100% natural. Each serving contains 9 whole grains: white corn, white wheat, triticale, oats, rye, barley, millet, and buckwheat. It also contains dried pinto beans (a little *toot-toot* action) and whole brown rice. You really wouldn’t know how good these are for you because they taste so good!

Tastes a lot like Chili Cheese Fritos but without the greasy mess and heavy belly feeling after.

Fire-Roasted Chipotle Tostitos are delicious enough to eat alone, but a nice, fresh pico de gallo sauce would be a great topper for these chips! For my cheeseheads out there, try dipping these in some hot Wise Nacho Cheese Dip!

One bucket off for promising to be so good for you but still being fried instead of baked.

Finger lickin’ tasty! Visit Frito Lay to find a location near you that sells the Artisan Recipes line.

Buttery’s Rating:

Let’s get your scare on: Devil.

A Dos Equis Amber *with* lime pairs nicely.

If I didn’t know better by reading the description I’d say The Beast Grand Cru Ale was a sweet dessert wine with a shot of Belgian beer added. However, Avery Brewing Company describes its brew as a Belgian dark beer, burgundy in color, 14.9% alcohol by volume, with aromas of honey, nutmeg, mandarin orange and pineapple. Pretty perfect as a holiday mead! Others have suggested a plum or raisin flavor is in this beer, although I think the combination of aromas could produce that false flavor on the tongue.

The Beast Grand Cru Ale is best consumed when the beer is chilled in the refrigerator, sat on the counter unopened for 10-15 minutes, then opened and poured into a stein so that all its subtle flavors can activate and so you look badass drinking your beer.

Just one of these “seducer” beers and I’m a cheap date under the table. (Popcorn is a lucky man!) Thankfully this beer is pricey, averaging just under $10 per 12 ounce bottle, so I guess I’m not that cheap of a date.

Buttery’s Rating:

Recommendations

Conan the Barbarian Collector’s Edition — WHATTA BEAST!

Have some delicious Bridgford Pepperoni to stave off those munchies.

And then at her son’s graduation in New York City Janie and Jake end up at the same hotel together while his new wife Agness (Lake Bell) is home with a stomach bug. The divorced couple end up meeting at the hotel bar by chance and finish the night in a whirlwind of mind blowing drunk vacation sex. Oops!

When everyone returns home to California, Janie is expanding her business and her already spacious home and chalks the romp up to a one-time mistake but the manic and unhappily remarried Jake is trying hard to pursue Janie and they end up continuing their occasional romps with Janie now taking on the role as The Other Woman. Jake thinks Janie is the answer to all his life problems while Janie goes through the process of deciding if going back to what she knows is better than opening a new chapter in life. When The Other Woman Syndrome hits Janie during a failed date night with Jake she accepts the advances of her architect Adam (Steve Martin) by inviting him to a family party and a hilarious but brief love triangle begins.

This film deals with the subject of infidelity which is a subject I personally hate, yet this movie makes it funny and light. It shows exactly how complicated the relationship between a divorced couple can be, allowing us to empathize with the first wife who was left for the newer and younger model but gets her revenge through her own infidelity with her ex.

Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin play perfectly off one another. Baldwin‘s zingers make me burst out laughing each time I watch the film (yes, seen it three times now, thanks) and Streep‘s composure under ridiculous rollercoaster circumstances is award-worthy.

John Krasinski plays an understated but brilliant role as the older daughter’s fiance who is the one to find out that the two divorced parents are having an affair and does his best to keep it secret from the family.

It’s great to see Steve Martin playing less of the funny man role and more of a complete character who takes a supporting back seat role to actors delivering a perfect comedic performance.

Buttery’s Rating:

Recommendation

Sit back and enjoy the drama with your own tub of Wisconsinmade Gourmet Popcorn.

A bottle of Tanqueray mixed with Dirty Sue Dirty Martini Mix will help you join the movie.