This year, I attended my first Wizard World convention. In preparing for this occasion, I frequently checked the roster on the the Wizard World website, where they keep a list of the notable guests scheduled to attend, which days they will be there, and the prices for their photo-ops, autographs, and the VIP options for those that offer them. If you're planning on going, you can also book your hotel room through the Wizard World website, where they offer deals on hotels close to the convention centre where the con will take place.

I had initially expected to meet just a few people, due to limited funds, but upon getting to the con Friday night, I found that many of the celebrity guests offered the much more affordable option of paying just $20 for a photo with them using your own phone/camera/device, which was preferable to my budget compared to the autograph or photo-op options. It should be noted that you can purchase many of your autographs and photo-ops in advance, but many can also be purchased at the con itself, but then it is a cash-only policy.

First order of events was to get a photo-op with Walter Koenig, most famously known as Pavel Chekov from the original series of Star Trek. I was beaming because I'm a huge fan of the original series and I'm sure he could tell how excited I was since I couldn't resist giving him a hug before we took our photo. Another tip for those of you going to any convention where you plan on getting photo-ops is to bring your own plastic sheet or something similar in which you can safely store your print so it doesn't get ruined.

If you're wondering how to know who offers the option to just purchase a $20 photo at their table, you can usually go and ask the Wizard World volunteer managing their line (they're easily spotted in their bright yellow shirts). Though not all offer the $20 photo option, some will include a free photo to be taken with them if you purchase their autograph.

The next person I met was Scott Wilson (Hershel from "The Walking Dead"), with whom I got a photo. He was nice enough to greet me with a big hug. Next, I went over to get a photo with Michael Rooker (Merle from "The Walking Dead," Yondu from "Guardians of the Galaxy"). He was so charismatic that he kept everyone else's energy up, from the people working his booth to the crowd waiting in line. I asked if we could do "Dancing Groot" for our photo, since I'd seen Youtube videos of him doing it with fans at other cons, and he was more than happy to indulge my request! Some time later, I went to met Sean Patrick Flanery (Connor from "Boondock Saints") and he was very funny as well. A simple "Hey" from me sent him spinning off into a ramble about the 90s TV show "Moesha."

The next day there were far more guests in attendance, as Saturdays tend to be the busiest days. One of those guests was Andrew J. West (Gareth from "The Walking Dead") and he had brought along his fiancée Amber Stevens (Maya from "22 Jump Street"), whom I spotted walking around the exhibit hall. I stopped to ask her for a photo and we got to chatting about representation in media. I offered up many recommendations for different shows that are serving up the diversity. We also found out that an 11-year-old girl had passed out in line to meet Andrew. He apparently kept stopping the line to check if she was okay. Later that evening, I went and grabbed a photo with Jewel Staite (Kaylee from "Firefly"). I mentioned how I had hoped to meet her at Comikaze but had to skip doing so since meeting Stan Lee had depleted my con funds. She had gorgeous red hair and her whole team of people were really nice. Saturday was also the one day that Norman Reedus (Daryl from "The Walking Dead") was in attendance and his line was jam-packed for the whole day. If you're hoping to meet Norman at Wizard World, I would definitely recommend purchasing your autographs/photo-ops/VIP passes in advance so as to not miss out when you actually get there.

Final day of Wizard World, and I took the time to meet more folks from "The Walking Dead." Jon Bernthal was still signing and he was also a bit tired. I asked if he was hungover and he said he simply hadn't gotten any sleep the prior night. His response when I asked why? "Because I'm an idiot, that's why." I had myself a giggle over that one, and got a photo with him before telling him to feel better and rest up soon as he could. Finally, I went and met Andrew J. West (again - since I'd met him once with Amber the day before, and again when I went through his line with some people who asked me to take their photo for them). The people in front of me in the line had brought along plastic silverware and asked him to pose as if he was going to eat one of them, which he happily obliged. We took our photos together before I had to run off and catch my flight.

My first Wizard World was an excellent learning experience and I'd be more than happy to attend one again, particularly if it's at a location close in proximity to where I am and has guests that I'm keen on meeting. Many of the cast members from "The Walking Dead" (be they current or prior) tend to do Wizard Worlds so if you're a fan of the show, these are definitely cons I'd recommend attending if you'd like to meet them. Many of the celebrities who attend these cons are not there in an official promotional sense. They tend to go because they enjoy interacting with the fans so enjoy every moment of it!

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“22 Jump Street is damn funny…” – Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE

“Laugh out loud funny, even better than the first.” – Alex Zalben, MTV NEWS

Jonah Hill & Channing Tatum Go Undercover… Again

22 JUMP STREET

Available on Digital HD Oct. 28
Coming to Blu-ray^™ & DVD Nov. 18

Loaded with more than 100 Minutes of Extensive Bonus Content,
Including 22 Deleted & Extended Scenes, Four Alternate Line-O-Ramas,
Six Featurettes & Three Extra Videos

CULVER CITY, Calif. (Sept. 8, 2014) – Jonah Hill (Moneyball) and Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher) are back in action in Columbia Pictures’ / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ outrageously explosive 22 JUMP STREET, debuting on Digital HD on Oct. 28, and on Blu-ray^™ and DVD Nov. 18 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.  After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) when they go deep undercover at a local college. But when Jenko meets a kindred spirit on the football team, and Schmidt infiltrates the bohemian art major scene, they begin to question their partnership.  Now they don’t have to just crack the case – they have to figure out if they can have a mature relationship. If these two overgrown adolescents can grow from freshman to real men, college might be the best thing that ever happened to them.

The $314 million worldwide box office hit also stars Ice Cube (Ride Along), reprising his role as Captain Dickson, along with Peter Stormare (The Last Stand), Wyatt Russell (Cowboys & Aliens), Amber Stevens (“Greek”), Jillian Bell (“Workaholics”), the comedic Lucas Brothers duo, Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”) and Jimmy Tatro (YouTube’s “Life According to Jimmy”).

Bonus features on both the 22 JUMP STREET Blu-ray and DVD include five deleted scenes, commentary with Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, as well as Hill and Tatum, and a “Line-O Rama” alternate scene that gives audiences a look at different takes during one of the film’s funniest scenes.  Also included on Blu-ray and DVD is “The Perfect Couple of Directors” featurette, which takes a look at the directors’ creative vision for 22 JUMP STREET and their collaboration with Tatum and Hill. Blu-ray exclusive bonus features include 17 additional deleted and extended scenes (22 in total), six all-new featurettes, four more “Line-O-Ramas,” a montage of jokes cut from the film, and two viral videos, “Zook & McQuaid’s Football Tape” and “Jenko Split”.

The film is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The screenplay is by Michael Bacall and Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman, from a story by Michael Bacall & Jonah Hill, based on the television series “21 Jump Street” created by Patrick Hasburgh & Stephen J. Cannell.  Neal H. Moritz, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum served as producers. Executive producers include Stephen J. Cannell, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Tania Landau, Brian Bell, Reid Carolin and Ben Waisbren.

Blu-ray & DVD Bonus Features Include:

§  Commentary with Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum

§  Five Deleted & Extended Scenes

§  “The Perfect Couple of Directors” Featurette

§  Line-O-Rama: “Schmidt and Tattoo Art”

Blu-ray Bonus Features Include:

§  17 Additional Deleted & Extended Scenes (22 total)

§  Six Additional Featurettes:

o   “Everything is Better in College” a closer look at Jenko and Schmidt’s undercover transformation into college students

o   “Janning and Chonah” dives into the relationship of the film’s two stars

o   “New Recruits: Casting 22 Jump Street” gives a look at the new cast members in the film

o   “The Perfect Line: Ad-libbing on Set” showcases the great comic actors and their improvisation in some of the film’s most memorable scenes

o   “Don’t Cry Yet: The Mr. Walters Prison Scene” -- Unfiltered and hilarious improvisation that occurred while filming the Mr. Walters prison scene

o   “The Dramatic Interpretation of 22 Jump Street” – A dramatic version of the film (with all jokes removed)

§  “Joke-a-Palooza” -- a montage of jokes cut from the film

§  Line-O-Ramas:

o   “Jenko and the Professor”

o   “Jenko Improv Suggestions”

o   “Mercedes on Schmidt’s Age”

o   “Mercedes and The Ghost”

§  Extra Videos:

o   “Zook & McQuaid’s Football Tape”

o   “Jenko Split”

22 JUMP STREET has a run time of approximately 112 minutes and is rated R for language throughout, sexual content, drug material, brief nudity and some violence.

Visit Sony Home Entertainment on the Web at www.SonyPictures.com.

“Academy Award^®” is the registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company.  Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go tohttp://www.sonypictures.com.

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Following up the 21 Jump Street film reboot of the franchise, which was both a critical and financial success, it was no surprise that the film was followed up with a sequel with a less than surprising title: 22 Jump Street. But for those of you expecting this to be an awful copycat of the first film, you've come to the wrong place.

22 Jump Street delivers all the jokes and shenanigans viewers fell for in the first film and then some. There's an excellent balance between verbal humour and physical comedy, both of which are executed fantastically by all members of the cast and not just the two main leads. There are also cameos galore, the details of which I shall keep to myself in case you'd rather be surprised by the context upon seeing the film for yourself.

More important than the more light-hearted jokes are the ones that delve into deeper social issues. As some of you may remember, there was a hilariously tense moment between Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Capt. Dickson (Ice Cube) in which Dickson points out the racism of how news media covers tragedies. "Now as you can see, this kid is white. That means people actually give a shit," to which Schmidt replies, "Sir, I just wanna throw out to you that I would give a shit if he was black." This sort of humour is repeated in 22 Jump Street and expanded on. What makes this so brilliant is that the humour stems from a deeper understanding of the realities of racism today instead of using offensive racist stereotypes for cheap (white) laughs.

Despite the fact that this can be classified as an action film, it steers away from the lazy habit of that genre of exploiting womyn and their bodies for profit and baiting views. Admittedly, this film has very few female characters but what it does to make up for this is completely shatter the negative homophobic hyper-masculinity that runs rampant in American male gender norms.

The friendship between Schmidt and Jenko (Channing Tatum) is not short on speed bumps due to their vast differences in communication style, temperaments, interests, etc. When the character of Zook (Wyatt Russell) is introduced, Jenko hits it off with him with tremendous ease, as they have far more in common. From there, we see a very realistic portrayal of the struggles that come when one feels as if they are losing their friend to another. In learning to express their feelings while also being the "ass-kicking" cops, Hill and Tatum beautifully present a story that can hopefully teach hetero-male viewers that there is nothing wrong with having a heart-to-heart and expressing your feelings.

22 Jump Street is sure to have you laughing from start to finish, as it brilliantly satirises the abundance of sequels in Hollywood and the rightfully negative stigma attached to them. It's bigger, funnier, and has more depth than its predecessor and will leave you eager and entirely open to the idea of yet another sequel, should they decide to make one.

22 Jump Street is currently playing in theatres.

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