2022

Under Wraps 2 – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2021 film Under Wraps 2.

Story

They frame the story with a wedding and that structures it slightly differently than the first one. Makes it fresh and keeps the story going. The plot is good and flows really well. The parallels between the mummies and the kids is a little overdone and the messaging a little juvenile, even for a kids movie.

Score: 0.5

Characters

Often times a sequel will manufacture drama by changing a character. They skirted the line with this one, but made it believable. More importantly they solved their issues with good communication.

The kids were fun and the mummies did a great job.

I loved the dads; they were sweethearts.

Score: 1

Dialogue

Lots of clever pieces of dialogue and some really fun moments.

Often felt younger then it should, considering the age of the characters.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

Typical Disney TV low budget effects, but the film makers leaned into the classic monster movie practical effects and that made it feel more grounded than bad CGI would have. The camera work was excellent.

The music was okay, if forgettable.

Score: 0.5

Fun

This was a fun movie with lots of exciting moments. Even though it felt a little young, everyone loved it.

Score: 1

Overall

A fun movie and a great sequel. It combines everything that was great about the first one and improves on it.

Final Score: 3.5 Stars out of 5

See How They Run 2022 – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2022 film See How They Run.

Story

The story tries really hard to be clever and referential while still respecting the genre. It’s not a spoof or an homage, but some sort of clever combination. The great thing is that it works on all levels. Everything is laid out in the intro narration and I was still pleasantly surprised.

Score: 1

Characters

The main detective characters are clichés brought to life. They’d be almost boring if it wasn’t for the quality and charm of the actors. Unfortunately, that doesn’t apply to the whole cast, which is populated by a checklist of quirky film noir characters.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

The dialogue is a combination of period and modern and was a little jarring at times. It was however very clever and well thought out.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

The director and cinematographer must have been big fans of Hitchcock and Anderson. It mostly worked as a mashup, but lacked originality and felt a little forced.

The music was strong but unmemorable.

Score: 0.5

Fun

This movie was a mystery lover’s good time. All the adults loved it, but the kids found it slow and talky. I will re-watch this one.

Score: 1

Overall

An excellent homage/comedy to the mystery genre, Christie in particular, and a fun movie. Its odd directorial choices are held together by the impressive acting from the leads.

Final Score: 3.5 Stars out of 5

Princess Serenity

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FadhiliTheOne is an incredible cosplay and won Best in Show at ComicCon 2022, bumping her up to the highest tier. I’m so very proud of her!

Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of her winning cosplay this time, but hopefully next time!

Slumberland  – JenEric Movie Review

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Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2022 film Slumberland.

Story

A fantastic concept played surprisingly straight. I’m really glad they avoided the “you must be crazy” talk about her dreams. The pacing and story structure was great, albeit a little slow in the beginning.

The movie’s twist was important, but supported the emotions and didn’t feel cheap.

Score: 1

Characters

The characters felt well-developed and surprisingly deep considering the sparse details on backstory.

I didn’t like the pickpocket scene at the end. It felt out of character for both versions of that character. It was played for laughs and meant to seem flirty, but came off disrespectful and creepy.

There’s a lot that the characters don’t share and that either didn’t make sense or was played fast and loose. If it wasn’t for how well the actors emoted, the dialogue and story would have seemed flippant and undercooked.

The pig was awesome.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

Lots of great dialogue and lots of awkward moments and phrasing. The strange pattern and beats of the dialogue enhanced the surreal quality of the film. It’s one of those movies who’s dialogue is just a little off and almost feels poetic but is just simplistic.

Score: 0.5

Visuals and Music

Utterly beautiful and wonderful. The film is a spectacle that does a great job at showing the variety and breadth of dreams while still having a unique style.

The music was good and worked perfectly. I liked the repeated motif of the piano song she played with her father.

Score: 1

Fun

Other than the slow parts at the start, the movie is exciting and fascinating. The entire family was enthralled. The raw emotions hit the adults more though. I can see this becoming a comfort crying movie.

Score: 1

Overall

A fantastic trip into dreams. What it lacks in coherence and dialogue, it makes up in emotion, visuals, and spectacular acting.

Final Score: 4 Stars out of 5

Casual Good Omens cosplay

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These two walked by and I almost missed them. If they’d been separate, I definitely would have. But the pattern on the mask, combined with the sunglasses on the other, made me realize what I was looking at: casual cosplay Crowley (red) and Aziraphale (blue). Absolute perfection. I was SO excited!!!

Tink and Peter

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I almost want to delay this picture until Peter Pan and Wendy, but I won’t. These wings are too gorgeous to postpone. I wish the kids had been able to see these two in person.

@ujjiocosplay @ujjio as Tinkerbell and @a_gastaldini as Peter Pan