Netflix: Review of SANA SINABI MO: A Sensitive Secret

December 11, 2025

Pastor Joseph "Otep" Mariano (Bodjie Pascua) just passed away from cancer. His son Joseph "Seph" (Juan Karlos) and wife (Lotlot De Leon) were hosting a service at church, attended by their Head Pastor Leopoldo Marquez (Nonie Buencamino) of the Church of the Holy Lord. In the middle of Joseph's eulogy, a foul-mouthed woman named Cecil (Rosanna Roces) went up to his coffin and started scandalously exposing the pastor's sordid past as a gay man. 

Director and co-writer Shaira Advincula alternated the present events to flashbacks of Otep's youth. During the 1970s, young Otep (JC Santos) and young Cecil (Yesh Burce) went out to discos at night, at the risk of being caught by policemen during the curfew. At that time, Otep also had a penpal from Cordoba, Spain, Rafael "Rum" Pena (Jaime Garcia), who was a gardener in an olive garden there, with whom he exchanged passionate love letters. 

This film was a not-so-subtle shade against organized Christian religion and their aversion against homosexuals (and I suppose, all LGBTQIA +). In this ultra-conservative cultish Church of the Holy Lord, no matter how good a person is, his name is automatically besmirched, and he is shunned socially once he is found to be gay. Lest you think this his film is set in the past, no. This is present day, mind you -- Otep only passed away in 2024. 

Somehow complicating things was a subplot about the powerful Pastor Leo Marquez and his own iniquities among the young girls in his flock, ugly wig notwithstanding. This side story did not even involve Otep nor Joseph directly, so it could have been completely dropped without consequence. I am guessing this was only a direct stab/reference to a recent news about a locally-based cultish religious sect and its notorious founder/leader. 

The penpal reference should connect with the Boomer or Gen X segment of the audience who could wax nostalgic about their own penpals from other countries, as well as their hope to actually meet their penpals in person.  This Cordoba part would have been good, if not only for the awkward writing of the scenes when Seph first spoke to Rum. All those "sir, sir, sir" and "are you gay?" were irritating, any person would have also shut the door on his face. 

While the script had some good things going for it, like the Medenilla magnifica seeds, there were also a number of problematic parts. The finding of Otep's old suitcase buried in the garden was such a random coincidence. There was a lot of uncalled-for profanity for a film going for the heartstrings like this, even good-boy Seph cursed. Cecil was not only sexually vulgar, it was not clear why she scandalized her old friend in the first place.  4/10

Review of ETERNITY: A Difficult Dilemma

December 10, 2025

After he died, Larry Cutler (Miles Teller) found himself in a train station-like place called the "Junction." With the help of his Afterlife Coordinator named Anna (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), Larry had to decide where he wanted to spend his eternity. A few days later, Larry's wife of 65 years, Joan (Elizabeth Olsen), also passed away, and the two were reunited at the Junction, expecting to spend the rest of their afterlife together. 

To her surprise, her first husband Luke (Callum Turner), who died 67 years ago in the Korean War and waited for her ever since, also showed up to claim her as well. Now Joan was faced with a very difficult decision to make. Will she spend her eternity with her first love and husband, whom she barely spent any life with? Or will it be with a man she spent 65 long years filled with both happy and problematic memories?

Director and co-writer David Freyne wisely tackled this rather heavy topic with a light rom-com touch. His version of the afterlife is clearly not based on any religious dogma, hence it was open to his own original ideas with regards to its rules (once a soul chose his eternity, there is no turning back or else Eternity Cops will throw him into the Void), or features (for the price of a ticket, you can take a stroll into an "Archives" of your cherished moments in life). 

His three main actors knew their assignments well, and kept their performances also breezy for the most part, while knowing when to go a bit serious as the story required. Both Teller and Turner played their roles with their own brands of earnest charm, to make Joan's (and the audience's) dilemma that much more difficult who to choose. The suspense of the close contest will make you want to stay for Joan's final decision.

The premise of the film was actually very simple, but Joan's big dilemma will make audiences also reflect about their own romantic relationships in life. At the start, a marriage between two young people in its first year is quite idealistic as it basked in a honeymoon glow. In contrast, a marriage of over 50 years is a dizzying roller-coaster ride as it went through many wringers along the way.  You, which partner would be your choice be for your eternity? 7/10

Netflix: Review of JAY KELLY: Consequences of Career Choices

December 8, 2025

Movie star Jay Kelly (George Clooney) wanted to spend time with his daughter Daisy (Grace Edwards) before she leaves for college. However, she had booked already booked a tour in Europe with her friends. Jay ordered his loyal manager Ron (Adam Sandler) and publicist Liz (Laura Dern) to get him on the same train bound for Italy with her, so he can invite her to join him to attend a career tribute organized for him in Tuscany. 

Feeling pensive at this turning point of his career, Jay did plenty of reminiscing about people he encountered along the way when he was younger (Charlie Rowe as young Jay). There was Peter Schneider (Jim Broadbent), the director who gave him his big break. There was Timothy Galligan (Billy Crudup), his old friend from acting school to lost a big role to him. There was Daphne (Eve Hewson), a female co-star with whom he had an affair.  

However, it was with his own family that Jay had the most conflict with because he had always prioritized his movie career over all of them. Aside from Daisy who would rather travel with her friends than with him, there was elder daughter Jessica (Riley Keough), who was seeing a therapist  (Josh Hamilton) to sort through her father issues. Like his girls, Jay also had trouble connecting with his own father (Stacy Keach). 

At this senior statesman stage in his real life career, George Clooney was perfectly cast as Jay Kelly. His portrayal felt so effortlessly natural, you'd believe that these things were happening in actuality. Clooney's Jay was a suave and cool superstar, but when each and every important person in his life was turning him down, you can clearly see his ego collapsing even without a word being said. That climactic film montage tribute for Jay Kelly was a tribute for George Clooney himself, and those mixed emotions on his face say it all. 

Also gaining much critical attention now is Adam Sandler, as Jay's hard-working, street-smart manager, which fit so well with his personality. When Ron finally realized that Jay was purely business and never a friend, he also realized that he had been prioritizing Jay too much, over his wife Lois (Greta Gerwig) and other clients, like Ben Alcock (Patrick Wilson). This scene, plus that perfectly timed tear when Jay held his hand, may well just win him the Oscar.  

Three Best Picture Oscar hopefuls -- "Hamnet," "Sentimental Value," and now this "Jay Kelly" share a plot point in common. They were all about male artists who had once abandoned their families for their careers, and were hence having difficulty reconnecting with them. Mescal, Skarsgard and Clooney all gave moving performances, but Clooney is the only one gunning for Best Actor, while the other two had been relegated (unfairly) as Supporting. 

Noah Baumbach directed and co-wrote (with Emily Mortimer) this reflective inside-look into a senior actor's life, and those of the people around him. Having been a filmmaker since the mid-1990s had provided Baumbach with so much behind-the-scene stories to work into not only Jay Kelly's story, but also Ron's, Liz's and his daughters. These interpersonal conflicts were brought to life with wit and sensitivity in Baumbach's signature dialog-driven style.    8/10 

Review of HAMNET: Song of Shakespeare's Son

December 8, 2025

William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) was working as a tutor when he met Agnes (Jessie Buckley) whom he saw training her pet falcon. His parents were against him seeing her because she was rumored to be the daughter of a forest witch. However, William and Agnes still got married, and had a daughter Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach). Soon after, Agnes allowed William to pursue his theater career in London, even if she was again pregnant, this time with twins, who grew up to be Judith (Olivia Lynes) and Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe). 

This film was directed, co-written and co-edited by Chloe Zhao, her latest project after winning the Oscar for Best Director for "Nomadland" (2020). The screenplay was co-written with Maggie O'Farrell, the author of the 2020 award-winning historical fiction novel upon which the story was adapted from. By the time I watched this film, this film is already widely-predicted to be one of the big players come Oscar season, hence awards expectations are very high. 

The loudest Oscar buzz is for Jessie Buckley and her passionate portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare, who went through an emotional roller-coaster throughout this film. Majority of critics are already naming her as the Best Actress winner as early as now. Prior to this film, I only knew her from two Netflix films -- "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" (2020) and "The Lost Daughter" (2021), and even then, she already proved her chops for intense drama.

Paul Mescal has been very active since his debut in "The Lost Daughter," which was soon followed-up with an acclaimed turn in "Aftersun" (2022) which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. His role in "Hamnet" was being touted as supporting, likely for campaign purposes, but I thought his part was just as important for this story. He was the one who wrote a theatrical masterpiece in order to heal himself and his wife from their grief. 

The pace of the storytelling may be slow (in true Chloe Zhao style), and things do get quite overwrought at one point, which may make some wonder where the critical acclaim was coming from. It did feel like a typical family melodrama about a housewife dealing with three kids, spousal abandonment and an insidious plague. However, the real magic began in the last 15 minutes at the premiere staging of "Hamlet" (Noah Jupe in the title role). It was here that we feel the true heart of this film and finally get what the buzz was all about. 8/10

Review of FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S 2: Mayhem by Marionette

December 6, 2025

One year after the events of the first movie, Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail) was still having nightmares about her father William Afton (Matthew Lillard) and his murderous acts. Meanwhile, Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) still took care of his younger sister Abby (Piper Rubio), who was a devoted fan of the original Freddy Fazbear animatronic characters. One day, Toy Chica (voiced by Megan Fox) called Abby on her FazTalker radio toy. 

Despite negative reviews, the first "Five Nights at Freddy's" film (Emma Tammi, 2023, MY REVIEW) earned back almost 15x its original production cost and is Blumhouse's top-grossing film of all time.  "Five Nights at Freddy's" was originally a video game series about a night security guard trying to survive being killed by animatronic characters of a pizza shop. Game creator Scott Cawthon himself wrote the screenplay of the first film, as well as this sequel. 

We actually see three different versions of the main animatronic quartet in this sequel. The main set we mainly see are the newer-looking Toy versions of Freddy, Chica and Bonnie, and Foxy (the jump-scary Mangle). We also see the scarier-looking Withered versions, prototypes cannibalized for spare parts, in the basement. The original versions make a brief, but surprisingly emotional appearance. Their "acting" was actually better than the human actors. 

For a Gen X'ers like me, it was good to see three actors from notable 1990s suspense films again. Matthew Lillard (Shaggy of "Scooby Doo") reprised his role as William Afton. Skeet Ulrich (Billy Loomis of "Scream") played the role of Henry Emily, father of Charlotte, the angry anti-parents spirit in the scary Marionette.  Wayne Knight (Dennis Nedry in "Jurassic Park") was once again an irritating nerd, Abby's middle-school science teacher Mr. Berg.  

Like the first film, this sequel will be better appreciated by fans of the FNaF video game than those who have no knowledge of the game at all. I have never played the game, so I was only introduced to the franchise via the 2023 film. My sons, who are very familiar with the game, had fun excitedly recognizing various cameos (of Circus Baby, Balloon Boy, and another major one revealed at the mid-credit extra scene) that all drew a blank for me. 

There was a whole big to-do about a town festival called FazFest dedicated to the local lore surrounding these animatronic characters. There was even a scene where Toy Freddie was walking among the crowd at the festival. However, all of this build-up of a horrific bloody massacre went to naught as the climax only occurred in the Schmidt house -- such a waste of a potential Grand-Guignol type finale. I rate this a 4/10. My sons rated it only a 5/10. 

Review of ZOOTOPIA 2: Reptilian Reintegration

November 26, 2025

Over-eager rabbit Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and wily fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) have become partners at the Zootopia Police Department despite their personality differences. While working on a smuggling case, Judy picked up a clue that a snake, an animal species that had long been exiled from Zootopia, may be planning something no good during the centennial celebration of the city that will honor founder Ebenezer Lynxley. 

This new adventure brought Judy and Nick face to face with an issue that had long been buried as far as Zootopians are concerned. Not only snakes, but all reptiles have been driven away from Zootopia because of an unfortunate crime believed to be perpetrated by a snake. So the story revolved around a young snake who wanted to clear up and correct how history had regarded his kind, and restore them to the community of animals in Zootopia.

Like in the first movie, there was a lot of wacky, laugh-out-loud comedy here, with jokes of all kinds targeted surely to fly for kids of all ages in its audience. I loved how it sneaked in references to older films, like "Ratatouille," "Babe" and even "The Shining." However, since there was criminal activity involved, there were a number of suspenseful and violent scenes which can be scary for younger kids, hence its parental guidance rating. 

One excellent sequence here was the segment in Marsh Market, where creatures who lived in and around water lived -- from seals to sea lions, from backstroking walrus Russ to resourceful beaver Nibbles. There was part of the chase scene set underwater, passing by and disturbing patrons of an underwater cafe -- so good! Later, we meet the reptiles -- from plumed basilisk lizard Jesus (Danny Trejo) to crusading pit viper Gary De'Snake (Ke Huy Quan). 

The plot of the first film tackled the very serious topic of discrimination between mammalian species of predators vs. prey. This sequel went the same way, but this time it was about inter-class discrimination, between mammals and reptiles. Writer and co-director Jared Bush imparted his important lessons about societal unity and fighting for truth in a way that was fun, entertaining and easier to digest for his young audiences. 8/10

Netflix: Review of TRAIN DREAMS: Hopes of a Hermit

November 25, 2025

Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) lived in the woods of Idaho since he was 6 years old orphan. He dropped out of school as a teenager and led an aimless life for the next 20 years. He did not find anything interesting to do until he met Gladys Olding (Felicity Jones) at church one Sunday, fell in love and got married. They built a cabin beside a river and not long after, they had a daughter Kate. From then on, Robert's hermit life had found direction.

This film was a thoughtful reflection about the life of simple man who lived in the American countryside. The first specific year mentioned was 1917, the time when Robert for the Spokane International Railroad to build a bridge over a deep gorge. This was the year Robert's sensibility was traumatized by the senseless murder of a Chinese co-worker. This guy's face would be the first of many that would haunt Robert for the rest of his life.

In the course of his many jobs, he'd meet different eccentric characters, like dynamite expert Arn Peeples (William H. Macy). He had a sense of sentimentality as he remembered history -- from the tents that dated back to the Civil War to the boots he nailed to tree trunks as a commemoration of men who died in the line of duty. He also expressed his regrets for cutting down trees that were as old as 500 years -- very much an underlying theme of this film. . 

Since Robert was always away for a long time when logging, Gladys wanted to find a way to keep their family together. The plan was all set --  he would quit logging and they'll build a sawmill of their own. Fate would have it that this fervent dream would not come to pass as planned. Life can be very unpredictable, and even downright cruel. One might learn to gone on with his life, but this "life" would be hollow with loss for a very long time.

Joel Edgerton gave a sensitive performance here, as Robert lived up to 80, An Oscar nom is not unlikely. He spoke very little in the film, but his sad weathered face said it all. Director Clint Bentley evoked Terence Mallick here. With his cinematographer Adolfo Veloso, editor Patrick Laramie and narrator Will Patton, he had created a poetic portrait of a man and the difficult life he went through. We are riveted. We are moved.   8/10 

 

Review of WICKED: FOR GOOD: Critical Changes Coming

November 19, 2025

The exiled Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) was already notorious as the Wicked Witch of the West, thanks to the fake news spread by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). Glinda (Ariana Grande) has been named the "Good" spokesperson of the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), while Fiyero has become the Captain of the Guard. Meanwhile, Nessarose (Marissa Bode) was now the governor of Munchkinland, and Boq (Ethan Slater) became her servant. 

This film sequel is Act 2 of the musical. Honestly, my memory of Act 2 is fuzzy for me even if I had already watched the stage musical live twice before. There were actually scenes in this film sequel that were still major surprises for me -- from the bed scene, to the catfight scene, to the trapdoor scene. I do recall that "Wizard of Oz" guys show up in Act 2, and I liked how their spot was more substantial in the film, even without revealing Dorothy's face.  

Unlike Act 1 where most, if not all, of the songs became memorable hits, there is arguably only one popular song in the whole of Act 2, and that is title song "For Good." Perhaps because of this, Stephen Schwartz wrote two more songs -- "No Place Like Home" for an earnest Elphaba while the animals were fleeing, and "The Girl in a Bubble" for a pensive Glinda after Morrible guilt-tripped her. Both dramatic ballads were well-performed, but were not exactly catchy.  

The cinematography of the "The Girl in a Bubble" scene was actually more remarkable than the song, as the camera followed Glinda through her closet of many mirrors in what seemed to be one continuous long shot. Another excellent directorial by John Chu was making the story going full circle, such that it cleanly returned to the opening scene of the first film, with Glinda joining the Ozians to celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the West.

It was clearly easier to love the first "Wicked" (MY REVIEW) because it had an infectious, cheerful atmosphere practically throughout the show, right up to its iconic show-stopping final song "Defying Gravity." Story-wise, this second film is more mature, more serious than fun -- tackling darker issues about friendships, relationships and animal rights.  The pace did feel slower because there were more scenes of talking set in dimmer light than Part 1.

Out of its 10 noms, the first "Wicked" won Oscars for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design, and again these two technical aspects shine in the sequel. I would've wanted to see what happened to the Cowardly Lion (and Tin Man) post-Dorothy. The facial makeup for the Scarecrow could've been better though. In terms of visual effects I appreciated the expanded role of the Ozian animals, especially the Flying Monkeys. 

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will likely be nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively at the Oscars again, based on their subtler, introspective performances in this decidedly darker sequel. Here, Erivo's Elphaba goes full-blown Wicked to forward her advocacy, while Grande's Glinda absorbs the pain of her powerless pretension -- both actresses deeply understanding of their characters and their complicated friendship. 8/10

Review of THE RUNNING MAN (2025): Desperate for Dollars

November 18, 2025

"The Running Man" is a televised reality game show on the FreeVee network run by Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) and hosted by Bobby Thompson (Colman Domingo). "Runners" stand to win $1 billion if they are able to survive for 30 days while masked executioner Evan McCone (Lee Pace) and his band of "Hunters" try to hunt them down and kill them. Despite the obvious danger of losing their lives, extreme poverty had forced citizens to join for money. 

Ben Richards (Glen Powell) was jobless. He had been blacklisted on his job for insubordination. His baby daughter Cathy is sick with a high fever, so for money, his wife Sheila (Jayme Lawson) had to go back to her job as a waitress in a nightclub. Desperate, Ben decided to audition to join one of the game shows on FreeVee to earn cash. Because of his physical fitness, skills and hot temper, he was selected to join "The Running Man."  

The story of "The Running Man" was adapted from a 1982 novel by Stephen King (written under his pseudonym Richard Bachman).  It is interesting to note that the events in the book were set in the year 2025, when the economy of the US had collapsed into a dystopian society. The back story of Ben, character names and game mechanics in the book were closely-followed in this new film co-written and directed by Edgar Wright.  

In 1987, a looser, campier film adaptation was directed by Paul Michael Glaser and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards, a convicted cop. There, it was 2017. Running Man was a TV game show where criminals joined to win back their freedom. There was a live studio audience, and the game arena was limited in a limited area in Los Angeles (not the whole USA). "Family Feud" host Richard Dawson was cast as host Damon (not Dan) Killian. 

The abilities of Glen Powell's Ben Richards was practically super-human. He was also incredibly lucky all the time. It was fun and frenetic, but we never really felt that he was in any danger of losing at all. By the second half, the film already felt like it was going on a bit too long, and by the final moments, it just got too over-the-top dark. While we do see director Edgar Wright's dynamic visual style, this did not match the excellence of his "Baby Driver" (2017). 6/10

Review of NOW YOU SEE ME, NOW YOU DON'T: Clever Confounding Cons

November 13, 2025

10 years after their last heist, the Horsemen -- Danny Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) organized another show to punish a cryptocurrency scammer. However, afterwards, it was revealed that this show was actually perpetrated by three young magicians -- front man Bosco (Dominic Sessa), lock expert June (Ariana Greenblatt), and tech guy Charlie (Justice Smith). 

From a charity show in South Africa, to a diamond exhibit in Belgium, to an elaborate chateau in France, the four original Horsemen get to know and join forces with their three new wannabes, pursue a valuable giant uncut diamond called "The Heart," which their handlers in the Eye want them to steal. This stone was owned by the icy Veronika Vanderbrug (Rosamund Pike), CEO of a classy jewelry company involved in less than glamorous activities.  

This is the third installment of a film franchise about talented magicians involved in lucrative heists that began with "Now You See Me" (Louis Letterier, 2013) and its sequel (Jon Chu, 2016). This new film, directed by "Zombieland" director Ruben Fleischer, still has the same globe-trotting and sophisticated vibe as the two previous films. This time around, the Horsemen have three new members to mentor and join in their fun. 

There were more of those spectacular "magic" tricks in this new one that we expect. They are thrilling to watch as they unfolded, even if you know the execution was likely more thanks to special visual effects than actual sleight of hand. The best scene for was that fun, magical "introduction" sequence in the mansion. Of course, the complex climax involved a racecar, a water tank, and a twist revelation. Wish that lousy security did not make things too easy.

It was great to see all the original actors back together again and having fun together. Not only Eisenberg, Fisher, Franco and Harrelson, mind you, but three more welcome "surprises" -- one at the very end, right before the credits roll. The three new young members are smart and smart-alecky as the rest of them. Another adventure seems to be coming up soon, but I hope there is more "Now You See Me" logical magic -- less "Mission: Impossible" please. 6/10 

Review of MEET, GREET & BYE: Harbored Hurt

November 12, 2025

Baby Facundo (Maricel Soriano) had three adult sons. The eldest was Christopher or Tupe (Piolo Pascual), who had a restaurant in Los Angeles. The second was Brad (Joshua Garcia), a nursing graduate now running their lechon business. The third was Leo (Juan Karlos), a musician now living in with his girlfriend Jen (Kaori Oinuma) and 3 year-old son Charlie. Tupe had a college-graduate daughter Geri Anne (Belle Mariano), who grew up with Baby. 

One day, the family found out that despite previous surgery and chemo, Baby's breast cancer has come back with spread to the brain and liver. The doctor proposed to do chemo again, but Baby refused. Instead she bargained that she would only undergo chemo if she could somehow score VIP tickets to attend the Meet-and-Greet event of her favorite Korean actor Park Seo-joon. Her children disagreed on how to proceed with this dilemma.

Aside from the returning cancer of Baby, another main conflict of the film was the arrival of Tupe from the US which was met with different reactions from his siblings. Leo idolized him no end, so he welcomed him heartily. However, Brad and Geri seemed to have deep resentment against him, as they gave him the cold shoulder. When Tupe agreed to get tickets for Baby, Brad went against his brother and sought alternative herbal therapies for her.

Portrayed as only Maricel Soriano can, her Baby was bravely putting up a happy front to hide her anxiety. Soriano gave Baby that maternal warmth that made all of us watching feel like she was our mother. Joshua Garcia and Belle Mariano had internalized the hurt that Brad and Geri had been harboring within themselves over the years. Juan Karlos gave Leo that sweet cheerful personality which served well to diffuse brewing tensions in their house.

And then there was Piolo Pascual as Tupe. Even on paper, him being cast as Maricel Soriano's eldest son felt like a stretch, especially since Pascual was only 12 years younger than Soriano, and over 20 years older than Joshua Garcia in real life. On the big screen, he really looked and felt out of place, but Pascual was giving it his best effort. It was his final monologue during the family confrontation scene that tied the whole story together. 

Comedic moments are provided by Matet de Leon and Jeffrey Tam (as househelp Jona and Kerwin), Madeline Nicolas and Marnie Lapus (as Baby's BFFs). That scene in Baby's poster filled room explained how Tupe, Brad, Leo and Geri got their names was quite funny. A luminous Kaila Estrada had a short appearance playing Brad's ex-girlfriend Angie visiting from New Zealand. Robbie Jaworski was introduced playing Geri's shy workmate. 

This latest film by box-office hit director Cathy Garcia-Sampana was a typical Pinoy melodrama about troubled family dynamics and terminal disease, which she co-wrote with Jumbo Albano and Patrick Valencia. To balance out the drama, she also tackled the crazy efforts of diehard fans buying tickets for K-drama idol events, from the intense online queueing, to wily scammers, and overnight camping outside the venue. 6/10