The main gimmick of the movie was the treasure hunt, and it was lackluster at best. The love story was definitely front and centre, but the drama took more time than needed.
Score: 0
Characters
I liked most of the characters but the main character felt very petty and young. The entire group felt like they should be in their mid twenties not thirties. There was an immaturity that felt out of place.
The queer romance was nice to see however.
Score: 0.5
Dialogue
The movie felt like it was written too quickly and the dialogue was terrible. It felt forced, and several times like a low quality high school play.
The only exceptions being the really deep heart to hearts with the love interests.
Score: 0.5
Visuals and Music
The visuals were okay. I question how that one man decorated so much without noticing the treasure hunt, but other than that it was pretty.
The music wasn’t great and the mixing was distracting multiple times.
Score: 0.5
Fun
The movie was infuriating because it could have been so much better. The entire family’s opinion seemed to be “meh”.
Score: 0.5
Overall
The movie nails one or two monologues and isn’t terrible to look at, but don’t expect a fun treasure hunt.
This article ran in All Lit Up‘s Test Kitchen blog that has since been discontinued and taken down.
Fear not! We’ve rescued it from the bowels of the internet and here it is:
Jen and Éric Desmarais are the husband-and-wife writing team behind the new adult series The Gates of Westmeath and its first book, Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers (Renaissance Press). They’re also dynamos in the kitchen; check out their recipes for two dishes found in the book: stuffed mooseballs and a chocolate and chili brownie. Is it lunchtime yet?
When writing about the restaurant Amontillado in Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers, we wanted a place that was both trendy and had amazing food. The kind of place both Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent would feel comfortable. Somewhere that had the atmosphere of a party, but the sophistication of haute-cuisine.
The food itself needed to be elevated but also diverse. We wanted something that reflected the city of Westmeath, but also our main characters’ personalities and love of food.
Stuffed Mooseballs
A picture of Jen and Eric’s stuffed mooseballs. They shine invitingly on the place, with a bit of wild rice and a sprig of parsley for garnish on the side.
The food was a fusion of Aboriginal, North American Italian, and Creole cuisines. […] Kennedy ordered, with Jason’s guidance, the Stuffed Mooseballs, which were moose meatballs in a primavera sauce stuffed with mushrooms and mozzarella.
‘This is amazing,’ Kennedy said, after trying both dishes.
–p211, Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers
Stuffed mooseballs is a variation of an exploding meatball that Éric had developed for an all-day marathon of Good Omens a few years ago. He adapted it to have more of an Aboriginal and creole flavour profile and it turned out pretty well. We’re fairly sure that Alice (the Amontillado executive chef) would be appalled by our presentation, but it was delicious.
Ingredients
Meatball
500g ground moose or venison (extra lean ground beef is okay too)
150g ground pork or bacon
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chives or green onion stems
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon smoky paprika
1 cup mushrooms, chopped finely
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
Primavera Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or half and half)
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Smoked salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon mint, chopped
1/8 teaspoon allspice
Instructions
Make the meatballs
Combine ground moose, ground pork, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, chives, cayenne, celery salt, and paprika in a large bowl. Don’t overwork.
Mix mushrooms and mozzarella together.
Take 1 tablespoon of mushroom and mozzarella mix and wrap a quarter cup of meat mixture around it.
Place on a greased baking sheet.
Cook in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
Make the primavera sauce
Add butter, chicken broth, and cream to a pan.
Bring to a simmer and stir in cheese.
Season with salt, pepper, mint, and allspice.
Assemble
Toss meatballs and primavera sauce with pasta or serve with a side of plain wild rice.
Makes 12 balls.
Chocolate Chili Brownie
The chocolate and chili brownie was an idea that came to Éric when he was enjoying some dark chocolate he’d gotten for Christmas. The recipe is a simple brownie with real chocolate, but he added some allspice and chilies to spice things up.
A towering chocolate chilli brownie is pictured. It looks absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9 baking dish. Set aside.
In a microwave-safe dish, melt butter and chocolate chips. Microwave 30 seconds and then stir. Repeat until creamy.
Whisk both the sugars into the chocolate and add the eggs, one at a time, whisking constantly, until evenly combined. Next, mix in the vanilla until smooth. Stir in the salt, cayenne, chili flakes, and flour until they’re evenly incorporated. Stir in the mini chips and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted 2 inches from the side comes out clean.
Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.
This makes me want to make them again.
If you make either of these, let me know how they turn out.
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.
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.
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.
Casey is the beloved puppet of Mr. Dressup (Canadian TV show). The last time I saw him, I burst into tears (happy ones). I didn’t have pregnancy hormones this time, so I kept myself under control.
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!!!
