Take 3: The Haunted House (1921) Review (Buster Keaton Double Feature Part 2)

On By 18cinemalane2 Comments

As I mentioned in the introduction of my review for 1920’s The Scarecrow, I wanted to select a movie for my Silent Movie Day Blogathon entry that was more seasonal/festive to the Fall/Autumn season because of the blogathon’s September 29th date. Out of the listed titles from Buster Keaton’s complete short films collection (recommended by Maddy from Classic Film And TV Corner), I thought The Scarecrow and The Haunted House would be the perfect choices I was looking for! This is especially true considering Halloween is on the horizon. Looking back on all the movies I’ve reviewed that would fit the Halloween season, the only pictures predominantly featuring a haunted house are 1983’s House of the Long Shadows and 1961’s The Innocents. While I found The Innocents confusing, House of the Long Shadows turned out to be a hidden gem. Similar to House of the Long Shadows, 1921’s The Haunted House is classified on IMDB as both a “horror” and “comedy” film. But will the short film be a hidden gem as well? Keep reading my review to find out!

The Haunted House (1921) poster created by Joseph M. Schenck Productions and Metro Pictures Corporation

Things I liked about the film:

The exterior of the “haunted house”: In The Haunted House, the titular house was considered “haunted” because a group of thieves intentionally created an environment where people would be too scared to discover their stolen money. While the interior of the “haunted house” was on full display, I was impressed by the exterior of the house. This three-story structure was covered in pristine white wood. A long shot reveals the house possesses a wrap-around porch, as well as a small balcony on the third floor. The large, surrounding trees not only nicely frame the house, they also allow the house to stand out. There’s even a beautiful wrought-iron fence and gate displayed at the front of the property. Even though there were two scenes where the exterior of the “haunted house” was shown, I wish there was, at least, one more shot to showcase the gorgeous architecture of the house!

How spooky elements were utilized: As I said in the introduction of this review, I selected The Haunted House for the Silent Movie Day Blogathon because Halloween is on the horizon. When Buster Keaton’s character (the Bank Clerk) enters the “haunted house”, that’s when the spookiness enters the story. Two people dressed up as skeletons construct a mannequin who magically comes to life. The mystery of how these skeletons could make the mannequin animate adds a hint of magic sometimes associated with Halloween. A headless man asks the Bank Clerk to hold his head. Though this headless man appears in only one scene, he was reminiscent of the iconic Headless Horseman, a character usually affiliated with the Halloween season. When an actor portraying Faust has his cape catch on fire, he is followed by fire and smoke, making him appear scarier than he actually is. Though the actor escaped to the “haunted house” following a bad stage performance, his presence complimented the spookiness of the setting. With The Haunted House being a silent picture, the creative team behind the short film displayed an understanding of how to craft a visually memorable location. Combining costuming, the actors’ performances, and special effects, how the spooky elements of The Haunted House were utilized made scenes within the “haunted house” feel appropriate for the holiday of Halloween!

Physical comedy: When I reviewed The Scarecrow, I didn’t discuss the utilization of physical comedy too much. That’s because I took the time to praise how the incorporation of Luke the Dog complimented Buster’s slapstick antics. But, in The Haunted House, the actors were solely responsible for providing the film’s physical comedy. Even though the “haunted house” was intended to be a scary location, it was a great environment for physical comedy to take place. In an upstairs hallway, the Bank Clerk becomes fed up with ghosts constantly crossing and blocking his path. To remedy the problem, he pulls out a whistle and directs traffic in the hallway. When the Bank Clerk motions for the ghosts to stop, they obey his command and stop in the middle of the hallway, waiting for his cue in order to move again. While this example of physical comedy is simpler, it was a creative and effective way to combine Buster’s acting performance and the spooky elements the “haunted house” had to offer!

I provided a picture of the exterior of the “haunted house” because I knew my description wouldn’t do it justice. “Haunted house” image created by Joseph M. Schenck Productions and Metro Pictures Corporation

What I didn’t like about the film:

Prolonged appearance of the “haunted house”: With a title like The Haunted House, I expected the titular setting to be prominently featured in the story. While the “haunted house” appeared more in The Haunted House than the scarecrow did in The Scarecrow, the appearance of the “haunted house” was prolonged. In the 1921 picture, the “haunted” nature of the “haunted house” didn’t take place until almost thirteen minutes into the twenty-four-minute story. The first half of The Haunted House revolved around the mishaps at the bank, with some of that time given to the disastrous performance of the Daredevil Opera Company. I wish the “haunted house” had appeared earlier in the movie, so the script could get to the spooky point sooner.

Things left unexplained: During my discussion of The Scarecrow’s flaws, I pointed out how the movie’s twenty-minute run-time prevented the script from further exploring certain topics addressed by the characters. The Haunted House shares a similar flaw. Only this time, the film’s twenty-four-minute run-time left little room to provide explanation when necessary. Like I just brought up in this review, the Daredevil Opera Company had a disastrous performance. To escape the wrath of their audience, the actors run away to the “haunted house”. But, as the story progressed, the Daredevil Opera Company actors disappeared, with their further whereabouts unknown. Since the creative team behind The Haunted House knew their project’s run-time would be short, they should have included a title card providing a brief explanation of what happened to the Daredevil Opera Company actors.

An overwhelming story: Like I’ve been saying in this review, there are three parts of The Haunted House’s story; the mishaps at the bank, the Daredevil Opera Company’s disastrous performance, and the antics within the “haunted house”. As I’ve also said in this review, The Haunted House possesses a twenty-four-minute run-time. This left the creative team so little time to tell so much story. With everything happening on screen, there were a few times I felt overwhelmed while watching The Haunted House. In fact, I had to watch the movie a second time just to gain a better understanding of what was going on in the story. This plan ended up working for me, however, as I had a better grasp on the story’s context.

The Silent Movie Day Blogathon banner created by Lea (from Silentology) and Shawn (from The Everyday Cinephile)

My overall impression:

Halloween being on the horizon is one of the reasons why I chose The Haunted House for the Silent Movie Day Blogathon. Because of how the spooky elements were utilized in the titular “haunted house”, the scenes within the “haunted house” certainly felt reminiscent of Halloween. But what also worked in the space of the “haunted house” was the physical comedy, as the spooky elements and Buster Keaton’s performance provided an entertaining, visually memorable combination. Though the exterior of the “haunted house” only appeared in two scenes, it left such a beautiful impression. I honestly wish the house’s exterior had appeared in the movie, at least, one more time, to find more opportunities to show off the house’s gorgeous architecture. Even though The Haunted House had its strengths, it also had its flaws. With so much taking place in the story and so little time to tell that story, the 1921 picture left me overwhelmed a few times. The shorter run-time also prevented the movie’s creative team from providing explanations when necessary, such as what happened to the Daredevil Opera Company actors. I was disappointed by the prolonged appearance of the “haunted house”, as the “haunted house” itself is a major reason why I chose to review the film in the first place. However, I still enjoyed watching The Haunted House almost as much as The Scarecrow.

Overall score: 7.6 out of 10

Have you seen 1921’s The Haunted House? Is there a movie featuring a haunted house you thought was entertaining? Tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: The Scarecrow (1920) Review (Buster Keaton Double Feature Part 1)

On By 18cinemalane2 Comments

Last March, I participated in The Silent Pioneers Blogathon, which was hosted by Classic Film And TV Corner. In that event, I wrote about a double feature; 1920’s The Garage and 1925’s The Phantom of the Opera. This time around, for the Silent Movie Day Blogathon (hosted by Silentology and The Everyday Cinephile), I’m writing about another double feature. However, for this double feature, I will be reviewing two of Buster Keaton’s films! When I reviewed The Garage, I was recommended Buster Keaton’s complete short films collection by Maddy (from the aforementioned Classic Film And TV Corner). Out of the listed titles, I wanted to select a movie for my Silent Movie Day Blogathon entry that was more seasonal/festive to the Fall/Autumn season because of the blogathon’s September 29th date. When I saw The Scarecrow and The Haunted House on the short films list, I thought they’d both be the perfect choices I was looking for! So, without further delay, let’s begin this double feature with 1920’s The Scarecrow!

The Scarecrow (1920) poster created by Joseph M. Schenck Productions and Metro Pictures Corporation

Things I liked about the film:

The set pieces: When I bring up the sets/background of a film, I will sometimes praise the scenery or set design. The reasons can range from aesthetically pleasing landscapes to historically accurate settings. However, I don’t often talk about specific set pieces. The Scarecrow has become the exception due to how impressively multi-functional the set pieces are. A title card reveals how “All the rooms in this house are in one room”, referring to the house Buster Keaton’s character and Joe Roberts’ character share. Because of this limited space, each set piece possessed more than one function. A giant record player is located next to the door. As Buster’s character helps prepare a meal, the record player reveals itself as both a stove and an oven. During these same meal preparations, Joe’s character shows the audience how a refrigerator was hiding behind a bookshelf. Even a tub transforms into a small loveseat, complete with a convenient drainage system. While watching The Scarecrow, it was fun to see the different ways each set piece was utilized!

The incorporation of Luke the Dog: Silent films will usually bring to mind actors or actresses having to rely on their facial expressions, body language, and interactions with other cast members to help visually tell a story. For comedic silent pictures, an actor’s or actress’s physical comedy, such as slapstick humor, will typically provide most of the story’s comedy. But in the case of The Scarecrow, the incorporation of a dog added some of the movie’s humor. After eating a cream pie intended for the Farmer, The Dog (portrayed by Luke the Dog) ends up chasing Buster’s character for about four minutes. When paired with Buster’s physical, slapstick comedy, The Dog’s reactions allowed both the chase and the laughs to continue. During the chase, Buster’s character climbs a ladder in order to get away from The Dog. Refusing to see the ladder as an obstacle, The Dog effortlessly climbs the ladder as well. As the chase leads Buster’s character to his and Joe’s character’s house, Buster’s character tries to escape The Dog’s path by hiding in the tub and exiting the house through its drainage system. Meanwhile, The Dog conveniently locates the house’s compost shute, which is also how The Dog leaves the house. Weaving The Dog into the story allowed The Scarecrow to provide creatively comedic moments in the film!

Buster Keaton’s facial expressions: Buster Keaton is one of the most celebrated actors from the Silent Film Era, claiming his fame through comedic stunts and slapstick comedy. But what The Scarecrow showed me is how well Buster utilized facial expressions throughout his performance. In one great example, Buster’s character is being chased by The Dog along the edge of an abandoned ruin. He removes a wooden board that was used as a bridge between a gap in the wall, believing The Dog would give up the chase. When The Dog jumps over the gap in order to get closer to Buster’s character, the look on Buster’s face says so much without saying anything at all. From the appearance in his eyes to the slight frown of his mouth, the feelings of defeat, frustration, and weariness are painted on Buster’s face. The excellent mastery of facial expressions helped make Buster’s performance one of the most entertaining aspects of The Scarecrow!

In these pictures, Joe’s character reveals a delicious surprise hiding behind the bookshelf. Refrigerator bookshelf set piece images created by Joseph M. Schenck Productions and Metro Pictures Corporation.

What I didn’t like about the film:

The scarecrow’s limited presence: As I mentioned in this review’s introduction, I wanted to write about The Scarecrow because I wanted to select a movie for my Silent Movie Day Blogathon entry that was more seasonal/festive to the Fall/Autumn season. With scarecrows typically present within Fall/Autumn themed décor and imagery and with the title of the movie being The Scarecrow, I believed the titular scarecrow would serve a significant role in the story. When I watched The Scarecrow, however, there were no scarecrows featured on screen until almost fifteen minutes into the twenty-minute story. I recognize the scarecrow was incorporated into one of Buster’s physical comedic parts of his performance. But with everything said, I wish the scarecrow was given more inclusion in the film.

Little to no context: Like I just brought up in this review, The Scarecrow has a run-time of twenty-minutes. This shorter length of time prevents the script from further exploring certain topics addressed by the characters, leaving viewers like me confused by verbal loose ends. One example is mentioned toward the beginning of the movie. Joe’s character has his heart set on marrying the Farmer’s Daughter. He even tells Buster’s character, “I don’t care how she votes – I’m going to marry her”. Yet, none of the title cards explain why the voting preferences of the Farmer’s Daughter held any significance within the script. As soon as Joe brought up the Farmer’s Daughter voting, it was quickly forgotten about.

An underutilized character: After the Farmer’s Daughter bakes a cream pie for her father, a woman shows the Farmer’s Daughter a magazine advertisement featuring ballet dancers. Through this interaction, the audience learns the Farmer’s Daughter is a very talented dancer. But this is the only scene the woman appears in. In fact, this character and the actress who portrayed her isn’t listed on IMDB or Wikipedia. I was actually disappointed by the underutilization of this character, as I was curious to see how she would affect the story’s events.

The Silent Movie Day Blogathon banner created by Lea (from Silentology) and Shawn (from The Everyday Cinephile)

My overall impression:

I selected The Scarecrow as one of my entries for the Silent Movie Day Blogathon because I wanted to choose a title that was more seasonal/festive to the Fall/Autumn season. With appearances of hay bales, piles of hay, and a corn field, there were definitely scenes that felt reminiscent of Fall/Autumn. But what The Scarecrow also provides were effectively humorous moments and a simplistic, yet easier to follow story. The strengths of the 1920 picture added to my movie-viewing experience, such as Buster’s excellent utilization of facial expressions and set pieces that were both creative and ingenious. Even adding Luke the Dog to the story helped deliver more comedy, actually complimenting Buster’s slapstick antics. However, The Scarecrow does have its flaws. One of the major issues is how the titular scarecrow doesn’t appear in the movie for very long, showing up almost fifteen minutes into the twenty-minute story. Despite these flaws, The Scarecrow is certainly a worthy silent film to check out, even if it’s your first time watching a Buster Keaton film!

Overall score: 7.7 out of 10

Have you seen The Scarecrow from 1920? What movies remind you of Fall/Autumn? Please tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Upcoming Hallmark Christmas Movie, “A Christmas Through Your Eyes”, Becomes ‘Snow Globe Town’

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Three weeks ago, I wrote a Word on the Street story about an upcoming Hallmark Christmas movie, speculating if the film shared any connection with the Gloria Estefan song, “Christmas Through Your Eyes”. I then published another Word on the Street about that same Christmas movie, revealing the cast of what was then known as “A Christmas Through Your Eyes”. Now, with the release of 2026’s official Countdown to Christmas schedule, more information is known about the movie that has changed its title to Snow Globe Town. According to Variety, the film is about the following:

“Inspired by Brad Paisley’s song “Snow Globe Town,” this heartfelt holiday romance follows Emily Church (Kimberley Sustad), who joins her sister Zoe and Zoe’s longtime boyfriend on a Christmas getaway to Pine Grove, the town famously known as the Christmas Proposal Capital of America. Expecting to help capture a photos of Zoe’s perfect engagement moment as is their family’s tradition, Emily instead finds herself unexpectedly sidelined by the town’s couples-only traditions and paired with Bert Baxter (Scott Michael Foster), a skeptical journalist researching the celebrated romantic legacy inspired by his grandfather. As Emily quietly works behind the scenes to help Zoe’s proposal plans come together, she and Bert are drawn into the town’s festive traditions, holiday competitions and Christmas celebrations. Along the way they discover a shared outlook on love and life that challenges both of their expectations. As old assumptions are tested and new possibilities emerge, Pine Grove reminds them that love, family and the spirit of Christmas often arrive in the most unexpected ways.”

Snow Globe Town is directed by Peter Benson and written by Nicole Drespel. Alongside Kimberley and Scott, the film also stars Madison Ryne Smith, Veena Sud, Daniel Bacon, Amanda Khan, Baraka Rahmani, and Eva Zuill Smith. December 12th has been selected as Snow Globe Town’s release date.

Christmas house created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/smiling-snowman-with-a-red-house-background_958592.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

I’m going to be honest, I’m disappointed this movie isn’t an adaptation of Gloria Estefan’s song, “Christmas Through Your Eyes”, as I always believed her song would beautifully lend itself to a movie. But besides my disappointment, the synopsis of Snow Globe Town kind of left me confused. Is Emily’s sister, Zoe, planning on proposing to her boyfriend or is she and her boyfriend mutually involved in the engagement process? Also, if Zoe and her boyfriend knew Pine Grove is known for hosting “couples-only traditions”, why would they bring Emily to an environment where she’s going to, more often than not, feel left out? Despite this confusion, Snow Globe Town sounds, to me, less interesting than other Christmas movie offerings this year. However, Hallmark does have some 2026 Christmas releases that sound like they have potential.

What are your thoughts on this piece of movie news? Are you looking forward to seeing Snow Globe Town? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

References:

The official IMDB page for Snow Globe Town: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt41783274/?ref_=ttco_ov_bk&_ssoLoop=1

The Variety article chronicling the 2026 Countdown to Christmas schedule: https://variety.com/lists/hallmark-countdown-to-christmas-2026-schedule-new-movies/christmas-in-canterbury/

Take 3: The Winslow Boy (1948) Review

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Prior to participating in this year’s edition of the Rule, Britannia Blogathon, I have seen (and reviewed) two of Robert Donat’s movies; Goodbye, Mr. Chips and The 39 Steps. While I thought Goodbye, Mr. Chips was a fine film, The 39 Steps was, in my opinion, underwhelming. Since writing about these titles, other movies from Robert’s filmography have been recommended to me. But out of the suggested films of Robert’s, 1948’s The Winslow Boy has been on my Pinterest recommendation board the longest. Because the movie fit the criteria for The 13th Annual Rule, Britannia Blogathon, I thought it was finally time to check it out! Suggested by Maddy (from Maddy Loves Her Classic Films), I discovered The Winslow Boy is an adaptation of a play of the same name. I also discovered another movie adaptation of the play was released in 1999. Speaking specifically about the 1948 picture, how will it compare to Robert’s aforementioned movies, The 39 Steps and Goodbye, Mr. Chips? Let’s continue this review to find out!

The Winslow Boy (1948) poster created by London Film Productions, De Grunwald Productions, British Lion Film Corporation, and Eagle-Lion Films

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: When it comes to acting, the best scene in The Winslow Boy is when Sir Robert Morton questions Ronnie Winslow about what really happened leading to him getting expelled from school. Throughout the questioning, Sir Robert consistently maintains serious professionalism. He looks at Ronnie with sharp focus, speaking to him with an even sharper and quicker tongue. Yet, Sir Robert remains calm and confident during his interaction with Ronnie, displaying how he clearly knows what he’s doing. Meanwhile, Ronnie’s smiling confidence at the beginning of his conversation with Sir Robert crumbles as the conversation continues. His face eventually adopts a quivering lip, tears in his eyes, and fear painted on his face as he claims his innocence. Even though he was present in The Winslow Boy for a very limited period of time, Neil North and his portrayal of Ronnie was one of best aspects of the film! He successfully went toe-to-toe with Robert Donat, who also gave a solid performance as Sir Robert Morton!

Another great scene, acting wise, is when Ronnie’s father, Arthur, learns Ronnie arrived home earlier than expected. Arthur’s daughter, Catherine, had just become engaged to a man named John Watherstone. With the Winslow family gathered in their living room, there is cheerfulness in the air, emphasized by the smiles on each character’s face and the warm, friendly interactions between the characters. But when the Winslow family’s maid named Violet enters the room, she joyfully reveals Ronnie is outside in the garden, home earlier than his initial arrival date. The cheerful air in the room becomes completely deflated, as the smiles on the characters’ faces slowly fall. Even Catherine and Ronnie’s mother, Grace, puts her hand on Catherine’s shoulder as a sign of needing support and strength from her daughter. Because of how strong the acting performances were, from the bubbly personality Kathleen Harrison brought to her character, Violet, to the fluidity of Margaret Leighton’s portrayal of Catherine, and even Cedric Hardwicke’s captivating performance as Arthur, my investment in the story remained throughout The Winslow Boy!

Attention to detail: Whenever I’ve talked about a movie’s set design, I have brought up how a creative team’s attention to detail has contributed to their film’s “illusion of immersion”. While the illusion of immersion was achieved through attention to detail in The Winslow Boy, the attention to detail, especially when it came to the set design, helped illustrate the characters and the world around them! A collection of thoughtfully curated décor emphasized specific roles, from an impressive model of a ship in the background of the Royal Naval College’s principal’s office to a massive bookshelf in an office at the courthouse. Décor pieces were also selected based on a character’s lifestyle. On the mantle of the Winslow family’s fireplace, fragile figurines and ornately decorated vases are proudly displayed. These pretty trinkets represent how the Winslow family lives a financially comfortable life. Even the cinematography took the time to capture design choices, like intricate carvings in crown molding, fireplace mantles, and columns. The creative team’s attention to detail definitely added visual appeal to The Winslow Boy!

Use of music: London Film Symphony Orchestra contributed some musical pieces to The Winslow Boy. These contributions actually added emotional depth to certain scenes. A great example is when Ronnie arrives home unannounced. Though he appears excited to see Violet again, his later behavior implies he’s hiding a secret. Ronnie balls up his fists and looks terrified before reading a letter he was carrying that whole time. As this scene plays out, suspenseful orchestral music is heard, building crescendo as Ronnie’s fear grows. The music becomes more prominent in the scene when the Winslow family returns home. Not wanting to be discovered, Ronnie runs away, providing a visual and musical cue to the end of that moment. This specific musical piece did such a great job illustrating Ronnie’s feelings without utilizing dialogue!

Sketch of London image created by Archjoe at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-houses-of-parliament_1133950.htm’>Designed by Archjoe</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Archjoe – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

Robert Donat’s limited utilization: Earlier in this review, I praised Robert Donat’s portrayal of Sir Robert Morton. If fact, Robert is the top billed actor in The Winslow Boy. This gave me the impression he would receive a significant amount of screen-time throughout the movie. But when I watched the 1948 picture, Robert didn’t appear in the film until about forty-one minutes into the hour and fifty-three-minute story. Contextually, I recognize why Robert’s character, Sir Robert Morton, was in the movie was a limited period of time. However, because he is the top billed actor in The Winslow Boy, it was disappointing seeing Robert’s acting abilities utilized in a limited capacity.

Lack of urgency: The Winslow Boy is about Arthur trying to prove Ronnie’s innocence, as Ronnie is accused of theft and forgery. On paper, this sounds like a story that would warrant a sense of urgency, especially since Arthur is seeking justice so he and his family can return to normalcy as soon as possible. But the film ends up lacking a sense of urgency. Ronnie’s trial and a petition to hold a trial doesn’t happen until about the last forty minutes of the movie. Prior to that, it seems like the characters are taking their time building a case at all. Contextually speaking, I recognize the creative team was addressing how some court cases are prioritized than others. However, when there’s only so much time to tell a story, adding a sense of urgency could have incorporated more intrigue and suspense.

The run-time: Like I mentioned earlier in this review, The Winslow Boy possesses an hour and fifty-three-minute run-time. While this run-time didn’t make the story feel too long, it gave the film’s creative team an excuse to not prioritize the sense of urgency I just talked about in this review. So much of the story was spent showing how the Winslow family changed as a result of Ronnie’s expulsion. Though Arthur is shown trying to find ways to prove his son’s innocence, getting the ball rolling toward the reality of a trial happens slowly. When a trial does take place, it appears in the story within the last forty minutes of the movie, as I also mentioned in this review. If The Winslow Boy’s run-time had been trimmed, I think it would have improved the story’s sense of urgency.

The 13th Annual Rule, Britannia Blogathon banner created by Terence from A Shroud of Thoughts

My overall impression:

In the introduction of this review, I brought up how I have seen (and reviewed) Goodbye, Mr. Chips and The 39 Steps. Compared to those two titles, The Winslow Boy is slightly more intriguing than Goodbye, Mr. Chips. The 1948 adaptation approaches the courtroom drama genre from a more unique angle; emphasizing the trial’s toll on the titular Winslow boy and his family. This angle provided the story with its strengths, such as the acting performances. While the acting as a whole was solid, the two best performances came from Robert Donat and Neil North! Other strengths included the utilization of London Film Symphony Orchestra’s music and the attention to detail through the set design. But the aforementioned angle gave The Winslow Boy its flaws as well. Not only did the story lack a sense of urgency, the run-time encouraged the film’s creative team not to prioritize a sense of urgency. Utilizing Robert Donat’s acting abilities in a limited capacity didn’t help either, especially since he’s The Winslow Boy’s top billed actor. However, if you are interested in seeking out a courtroom drama that tries to tell a different type of story, then give The Winslow Boy a chance.

Overall score: 7.2 out of 10

Have you seen 1948’s The Winslow Boy? Are there any courtroom dramas you’d want to check out? Tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For Review

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September’s theme for Genre Grandeur is “Secret Agent/Spy Movies”. As soon as I learned this would be Genre Grandeur’s theme, the 2000 made-for-TV movie, Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For, immediately came to mind. This is because the protagonist of the series, Jessica Fletcher, tries to solve the murder mystery of a former KGB agent. Jessica and her show are no strangers to 18 Cinema Lane, as I have reviewed episodes of Murder, She Wrote from time to time. But, until this review, I have never covered any of the series’ television films. Sure, I’ve referenced them in the past. That, however, is the closest I had come to talking about the tv movies. Though I have seen two of the four Murder, She Wrote films; Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest (which I thought was fine) and Murder, She Wrote: The Celtic Riddle (which felt very cinematic to me). How will Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For compare to these other two titles? Solve this mystery by reading my review!

Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For poster created by Corymore Productions, Studios USA, Universal Television, and CBS

Things I liked about the film:

The dialogue: In the realm of made-for-TV movies, dialogue is an underrated component. If the dialogue is well written, it can captivate the audience’s attention to the point they forget they’re watching a program for the small screen. For me, Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For’s dialogue was such a pleasant surprise because of how much thoughtfulness was woven into the script. In one scene, Jessica is questioned by an FBI Agent about her encounter with Yuri Malenkovich, a former KGB agent who had planned to publish a nonfiction book about his KGB experiences. When Jessica says she and Yuri had exchanged words, the FBI Agent asks her “What kind of words?”. Jessica then responds by saying in a matter-of-fact, yet sweet way, “Oh, the usual. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, to round things out”. Though this response is simple, it’s a clever way to compliment Jessica’s personality through speech. During the aforementioned conversation between Jessica and Yuri, Yuri questions Jessica’s involvement in solving murder mysteries, even accusing her of using her involvement to attract clout. Jessica answers Yuri’s question by respectfully telling him, “If you bring something special to a situation that may be of help and if the circumstances merit your intrusion, don’t you think it’s the responsibility of every citizen to become involved if a crime has been committed?”. That answer alone was written so eloquently and professionally, it left a strong impression. It also shows how Jessica, as a writer, carefully crafts her responses as well as her perspective.

The acting: Angela Lansbury reprises her role as Jessica Fletcher in not just Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For, but in the other Murder, She Wrote television films as well. Speaking specifically about the 2000 movie, Jessica carries herself in the charming, warm way fans of the show have come to expect from her. Yet, she also takes her writing and her amateur sleuthing very seriously in the film, just like she does on the show. The consistency of Angela’s performance helped her character’s personality maintain continuity between the show and film. As I already mentioned in this review, Yuri Malenkovich is a former KGB agent who had planned to publish a nonfiction book about his KGB experiences. Though he appears in Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For for a limited period of time, Duncan Regehr uses the acting material given to him and helped create such a memorable character! Whenever Yuri was on screen, he possessed both an intimidating and suave presence. This creative decision made Yuri come across as a man with classy, sophistication. Yet, menace pokes through that professional persona. It can heard in Yuri’s dialogue, as his sharp tongue warns viewers he is not to be messed with. Because of his strong performance in Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For, it would be interesting to see Duncan portray a villain with more screen-time.

Before he portrayed Jin-Soo Kwon on Lost, Daniel Dae Kim starred in Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For as a motivational speaker named Everett Jang. He attends a conference with his friend and fellow motivational speaker, William Batsby (portrayed by Steven Culp). What works in both Daniel’s and Steven’s favor is how their performances allow their characters to be memorably distinct from one another. William is an energetic man who desires more appreciation and recognition. Meanwhile, Everett consistently carries a calm and laid-back personality, even offering public speaking advice to a fellow conference attendee named Penny Ryan. Because of how memorable and strong Steven’s and Daniel’s performance was, they helped William and Everett stand out among the collection of suspects!

Scenes that felt cinematic: I mentioned in the introduction of this review how, to me, Murder, She Wrote: The Celtic Riddle felt very cinematic. In a similar fashion, Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For contains moments that made me forget I was watching a television movie. A great example is when Joseph Brennan (the president of Speakers INC.) and Mack Rolands (one of the clients of Speakers INC.) have an argument over Mack’s behavior. Their agitated voices rise as the argument goes on. The camera presents each character in close-up shots, emphasizing the bitterness and anger in the faces of Mack and Joseph. Suspenseful music can be heard in the background during the argument. These elements came together to create a scene that was intense enough to leave viewers on the edge of their seat.

Typewriter image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/typewriter-and-paper-sheet_713020.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/vintage”>Vintage vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

A distracting subplot: As I said earlier in this review, Everett attends a conference with his friend and fellow motivational speaker, William. When a dead body is discovered at the hotel hosting the conference, William is eager to solve the mystery before Jessica. He even tries to persuade Everett to help him discover the culprit. But by the end of the movie, this subplot didn’t receive a satisfying conclusion. Plus, the time it took to present William’s part of the story took away opportunities to show Jessica collecting clues and questioning suspects. In my opinion, it would have made more sense to have William and Jessica solving the case together.

Jessica’s prolonged involvement: A criticism I’ve had about Murder, She Wrote, especially in the later seasons, is how an episode’s mystery doesn’t start until about the episode’s halfway point. What’s frustrating is how a typical episode of Murder, She Wrote is about an hour long, so there’s very little time for the audience to engage in the mystery alongside Jessica. Even though Jessica tries to solve the mystery in Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For, she doesn’t get involved in the case until about forty minutes in the hour and thirty-five minute film. She, at first, passes on the opportunity because she claims she doesn’t want to interfere with the authorities. While her initial decision is understandable, it’s quite different from what the show’s fans have come to expect; Jessica eagerly getting involved in cases. Plus, the movie’s run-time gave Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For’s creative team an excuse to have Jessica take her time when it came to sleuthing.

Inconsistent sense of urgency: Like I just said in this review, the run-time for Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For is an hour and thirty-five minutes. The creative team behind the 2000 film received more time to tell their story, compared to a typical episode of Murder, She Wrote (which is about an hour long). But this extension of time made the story’s sense of urgency inconsistent. Yes, there were suspenseful moments sprinkled throughout the movie. However, chunks of the story gave the impression Jessica (as well as other characters) were unfazed by the murder that took place at the hotel hosting the conference. In fact, the story seems to emphasize how Jessica is taking her time when it comes to the case. A solution for the inconsistent sense of urgency could have been to tighten up the script.

Magnifying fingerprints image created by Balintseby at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/glass”>Glass vector created by Balintseby – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/fingerprint-investigation_789253.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

According to a clipping from a 2000 edition of TV Guide, Angela Lansbury claims Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For was put together “in 21 days”. If what she said is true, then this movie turning out as interesting and entertaining as it did is a miracle! Those who enjoy watching the television show will find themselves eagerly solving the mystery alongside Jessica. Even though she has more time to solve the crime (see what I did there?), Jessica is still the charming, sophisticated self she is known for, perfectly represented through Angela’s performance as well as the dialogue. There are even moments throughout Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For that felt cinematic, making me forget I was watching a movie intended for the small screen. However, some flaws hold the 2000 picture back from being stronger. The hour and thirty-five-minute run-time became both a blessing and a curse for the film, as the story’s sense of urgency was inconsistent. It didn’t help how Jessica didn’t get involved in solving the case until about forty minutes into the movie. I also found William’s subplot distracting, taking away opportunities to show Jessica gathering clues or talking to suspects. But, despite these flaws, I would still recommend Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For, especially if you like the show.

Overall score: 7.3 out of 10

Have you seen Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For? Would you like to see me review the other Murder, She Wrote TV movies? Let me know in the comment section below!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Cast Revealed for Upcoming Hallmark Movie, “A Christmas Through Your Eyes”

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Last week, I published a Word on the Street story about an upcoming Hallmark movie titled “A Christmas Through Your Eyes”. In this article, I speculated whether the Gloria Estefan song, “Christmas Through Your Eyes”, would share any connection with the movie. Now, as of early September, 2026, the cast has been revealed on the official IMDB page of “A Christmas Through Your Eyes”! The cast members and their characters’ names are the following:

  • Madison Ryne Smith – Wally
  • Veena Sud – Fran
  • Daniel Bacon – Cyril
  • Amanda Khan – Petra
  • Baraka Rahmani – Zoe Church
  • Eva Zuill Smith – Astrid
Blue sparkly Christmas tree image created by Macrovector at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/frame”>Frame vector created by Macrovector – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/merry-christmas-card_2875396.htm’>Designed by Macrovector</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

At the time of this Word of the Street story’s publication, it’s unknown if more cast members will be revealed in the coming weeks. It’s also unknown if “A Christmas Through Your Eyes” will premiere during this year’s Countdown to Christmas line-up, even though 2026 is listed next to both of the film’s distributors on IMDB. But what I noticed about the listed cast is how most of them have appeared in at least one Hallmark production prior to “A Christmas Through Your Eyes”. In fact, three cast members, Madison Ryne Smith, Amanda Khan, and Daniel Bacon, have starred in at least one Hallmark Christmas film before. With that said, it’s nice to see Hallmark utilizing the talent within their community.

What are your thoughts on this piece of movie news? Do you think “A Christmas Through Your Eyes” will be released during this year’s Countdown to Christmas line-up? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Reference:

The official IMDB page for “A Christmas Through Your Eyes” — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt41783274/?ref_=ttco_ov_bk

Take 3: Small Island Review

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I’ve brought it to my own attention how, in the eight years 18 Cinema Lane has existed, I have never reviewed any program from PBS Masterpiece. While I have brought up Miss Scarlet in the past, I didn’t review any episodes of the show. So, I chose to write about the mini-series, Small Island, with one reason being to make up for lost time. The other reason is because I wanted to write about one of the projects from Naomie Harris’ filmography, in honor of her birthday. Five years ago, when I created a post about The We Heart Pirates Week Tag, I mentioned how Calypso/Tia Dalma is my favorite character from a pirate movie. I explained Naomie’s portrayal of Calypso/Tia Dalma is one of the reasons why Calypso/Tia Dalma is a favorite character of mine. To show my gratitude as a fan, I checked out Small Island, especially since I have been meaning to see this mini-series for several years. As I just mentioned in this introduction, Small Island is a mini-series. Yet, on IMDB, the official run-time is an hour and thirty minutes, which is the typical run-time of a television movie. Therefore, I will refer to Small Island as a film/mini-series or a movie/mini-series for the sake of this review.

Small Island poster created by BBC Television, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Ruby Films, BBC One, Masterpiece Theatre, PBS Video, and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

Things I liked about the film/mini-series:

The acting: Whether in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, the Jame Bond franchise, or in Small Island, Naomie Harris goes above and beyond when it comes to her performance. This is achieved due to how fluid her acting abilities are. That fluidity allowed her portrayal of Hortense Roberts, as well as the story surrounding Hortense, to be compelling. A great example is when Hortense receives a letter after class. As she’s reading the letter in question, Hortense is excited to hear word about a man she cares about named Michael. Her eyes light up with joy and her mouth is presented in a smile. But while she’s reading the letter, Hortense realizes it contains some troubling news. This causes Hortense to turn her mouth in a slight frown and her eyes to appear worried. But Hortense quickly goes back to looking happy, giving a brave face to the woman who gave Hortense the letter. The aforementioned fluidity of Naomie’s performance helped Hortense’s transition between emotions appear seamless!

While I’m still on the subject of Naomie’s performance, I want to talk about her on-screen chemistry with David Oyelowo! In Small Island, David portrays Hortense’s husband, Gilbert Joseph. The strength of Naomie’s and David’s acting abilities effectively showcased Hortense and Gilbert’s relationship blossoming over the course of the film/mini-series. One of their best scenes together takes place after Hortense encounters a setback. After being told her teaching qualifications from Jamaica aren’t eligible in the United Kingdom, Hortense tearfully explains her dilemma to Gilbert. She even confesses how she mistook a storage closet for an exit. With a smile on his face and jovial demeanor, Gilbert points out how disorganized the storage closet was as Hortense describes what she saw in it. As their conversation continues, Gilbert makes Hortense feel better when he suggests they face their problems like the British do: drink tea. This scene is a perfect example of how Hortense and Gilbert brought out the best in each other, with Naomie’s and David’s acting talents successfully presenting that idea in Small Island!

Another strong performance in Small Island came from Ruth Wilson! Her portrayal of Queenie Bligh was captivating due to her strong adaptability. In one great example, Queenie is distraught over the passing of her aunt, Dorothy. At Dorothy’s funeral reception, Queenie’s mother questions what her daughter’s future will look like. This questioning causes Queenie to adopt an overwhelming sense of anxiety in her eyes. But when Bernard (portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch) confidently proclaims he and Queenie will soon get married, Barnard’s confidence rubs off on Queenie. She then carries herself confidently as well, complete with her eyes displaying a look of determination. Similar to what I said about Naomie’s performance, Ruth’s performance in Small Island helped make Queenie’s part of the story engaging because of how seamless transitions between emotions were!

Historical accuracy: Even though I haven’t seen many programs from PBS Masterpiece, the ones I have seen have showcased historical accuracy as one of their major strengths. Small Island contributes to that strength, as the creative team behind the movie/mini-series prioritized how their production looked and felt. I’ve brought up before on 18 Cinema Lane the idea of “illusion of immersion”. One of the ways this idea is achieved, as demonstrated within Small Island, is the attention to detail. Dainty lace gloves and simple, yet elegant, pearl necklaces within Hortense’s wardrobe emphasize the conservative style women embraced in the 1940s. The shape of milk bottles reminds the audience how families in the ‘40s had milk delivered to their homes. Even the colors and fonts on items such as a box of cereal or a postcard help viewers feel transported to another time and place. Though the details I mentioned were small, the creative team’s efforts to make them and everything surrounding them appear historically accurate shows the care they placed into Small Island.

Use of piano music: Because this detail is smaller compared to other strengths in Small Island, I wanted to point it out so it didn’t become overlooked. In some scenes, the use of piano music not only emotionally elevated a given scene, it also made the scene itself feel more complete. When Hortense leaves home in order to attend college, the moment is intended to be sad, as Hortense departs from the place where she grew up. Playing over that scene is piano music with a touch of sadness woven through it, emphasizing the feelings Hortense is experiencing without utilizing dialogue. Later in Small Island, Queenie and Michael (the same Michael I referenced earlier in this review) share a discussion about hummingbirds. As Michael describes a hummingbird to Queenie, soft piano music can be heard. The gentleness of the music actually compliments the gentle nature of hummingbirds. It also highlights the tenderness shared between Queenie and Michael.

Since I’m reviewing Small Island on Naomie Harris’ birthday, I thought including a picture of her character, Hortense Roberts, in this review made sense. Image created by BBC Television, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Ruby Films, BBC One, Masterpiece Theatre, PBS Video, and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

What I didn’t like about the film/mini-series:

The underutilization of Benedict Cumberbatch: Like I mentioned earlier in this review, Benedict Cumberbatch portrays Bernard, a man who desires to marry Queenie. In fact, Benedict is one of the top billed actors in Small Island. This detail led me to believe his acting talents would be utilized to their fullest extent. But throughout the hour and thirty-minute presentation, Benedict only appeared in a handful of scenes. Contextually speaking, I understand why he was in the film/mini-series for a shorter amount of time. But as someone who has only seen Benedict’s performances in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, I was disappointed to see Benedict and his acting talents underutilized.

Scene transitions feeling contextually and emotionally abrupt: Small Island juggles the stories of five key characters. The script bounces between the past and present in order to explain how these characters’ paths cross. But sometimes, mostly in the first half of Small Island, the transition between scenes felt contextually and emotionally abrupt, partly due to the abundance of stories. In the scene I brought up earlier in this review, where Hortense receives a letter about Michael’s whereabouts, the scene ends with Hortense screaming and sobbing over the potential fate of Michael. The next scene shows Gilbert and Queenie sharing tea while waiting for Queenie’s father-in-law, Arthur, to show up. This scene between Queenie and Gilbert is more emotionally light than Hortense’s scene, with very little time for the audience to sit with the characters’ emotions. Even though Small Island utilizes on-screen text and a voice-over, these resources weren’t consistently used in the movie/mini-series. If they had, some moments wouldn’t feel emotionally jarring and a bit confusing.

Competing stories in the first half: When I just talked about scene transitions feeling contextually and emotionally abrupt in Small Island, I brought up how the script bounces between the past and present in order to explain how the characters’ paths cross. Two interconnecting stories are Queenie’s and Hortense’s. The dream Hortense works toward of becoming a teacher in England provided an engaging story for her. Meanwhile, Queenie’s decision to “seize the day” also gave her an interesting story. But Hortense and Queenie spend the majority of Small Island’s first half carrying on separate stories, not really crossing paths until the second half. This creative decision made Queenie’s and Hortense’s story feel like they competed against one another for screen time, especially since Small Island only had an hour and thirty-minutes (not to mention split into two parts) to tell their story. As I watched Small Island, I sometimes found myself wondering why the movie/mini-series wasn’t just about Hortense’s story. This is because I initially believed Hortense’s and Queenie’s story were strong enough to stand on their own. However, when Queenie’s and Hortense’s path intertwines, their stories become more complimentary of one another.

Sketch of London image created by Archjoe at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-houses-of-parliament_1133950.htm’>Designed by Archjoe</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Archjoe – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

2026 has become one of the best years for movies on 18 Cinema Lane. This is because I’ve seen more movies I’ve enjoyed than not. Small Island is one of the titles that has contributed to 2026 being a good year, as it is a film/mini-series that got better the longer I watched it! Like other PBS Masterpiece programs I’ve seen, the historical accuracy in Small Island successfully achieved the illusion of immersion due to the care placed in attention to detail. The acting also helped Small Island become an entertaining presentation. Even creative decisions like the use of piano music showcased how the creative team put genuine effort into how their production looked, felt, and sounded. However, there were flaws that held Small Island back from being a stronger picture. Some scene transitions felt contextually and emotionally abrupt. I also didn’t like how Benedict Cumberbatch’s acting talents were underutilized. It didn’t help as well how, in the first half of Small Island, Hortense’s and Queenie’s story felt more competitive than complimentary. But despite these flaws, I would recommend Small Island, especially if you want to check out more projects from PBS Masterpiece and/or Naomie Harris’ filmography!

Overall score: 7.6 out of 10

Have you seen Small Island? Are there any titles from PBS Masterpiece you’d like to see? Let me know in the comment section below!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Could Gloria Estefan’s Christmas Song Connect with an Upcoming Hallmark Christmas Movie?

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Production Weekly is a website that records movies and television shows that are either currently in production or about to enter production. In the most recent listing from August 27th, a project titled “Christmas Through Your Eyes” was included. My first thought when I saw that title was “Is the Gloria Estefan song finally receiving a film adaptation?”, as I’ve always wanted to see her song turned into a movie. I then searched for this title on IMDB, in order to learn more information about the project. The only upcoming production matching the title “Christmas Through Your Eyes” listed on IMDB is a television movie called “A Christmas Through Your Eyes”. At the time of this Word on the Street story’s publication, the following information is the only known information about the film:

  • The original title of “A Christmas Through Your Eyes” was “Untitled Snow Globe Project”.
  • The TV Movie has received a TV-G rating.
  • “A Christmas Through Your Eyes” is currently in pre-production.
  • “Holiday Comedy” and “Comedy” are the official classifications for the movie.
  • The official synopsis for the film is “A town where everybody wants to fall in love and get engaged”.
  • “A Christmas Through Your Eyes” will be directed by Peter Benson and written by Nicole Drespel.
  • One of the movie’s production companies is Hallmark Media, with Hallmark Channel as one of the distributors. The year 2026 is listed next to Hallmark Channel’s name.
Christmas book image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-psd/christmas-mockup-with-open-book_1482296.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/mockup”>Mockup psd created by Freepik</a>.  Image found at freepik.com.

As I already mentioned in this Word on the Street story, I wondered if Gloria Estefan’s song was going to receive a film adaptation when I saw the title “Christmas Through Your Eyes” on Production Weekly. Besides the song and upcoming Hallmark movie sharing the same title, there are other reasons why I wonder if Gloria’s song will have any influence over the film. Like I said earlier in this article, the official synopsis of “A Christmas Through Your Eyes” is “A town where everybody wants to fall in love and get engaged”. Though there is no strong indication the narrator of the song, “Christmas Through Your Eyes”, is referring to a romance, a romance could be interpreted, especially with the line “Never afraid to let your love show, Won’t you show me how”. According to the official IMDB page for “A Christmas Through Your Eyes”, one of the listed plot details is “cynicism”. In Gloria’s song, “Christmas Through Your Eyes”, the narrator admits cynicism is a reason why they no longer see Christmas the same way they did when they were younger. The line, “Had to grow up and see the world, Through different shades of doubt” emphasizes this. But as of the publication of this Word on the Street story, there is no confirmation Gloria’s song and the upcoming Hallmark film share any connection. At this point, it is pure speculation.

What are your thoughts on this piece of movie news? Do you think Gloria Estefan’s song shares any connection with the Hallmark Christmas movie, “A Christmas Through Your Eyes”? Please tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

References:

The official IMDB page for “A Christmas Through Your Eyes” — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt41783274/?ref_=ttkw_ov_bk

https://www.productionweekly.com/production-weekly-issue-1517-thursday-august-27-2026-205-listings-46-pages/

Take 3: Murder on the Orient Express (1974) Review

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For The 8th Wonderful Ingrid Bergman Blogathon, I had two movie options for this review; Murder on the Orient Express and Cactus Flower. With both films recommended by this blogathon’s creator (Virginie from The Wonderful World of Cinema), I selected the 1974 mystery picture. Though this is the first time I’ve seen this version of Murder on the Orient Express, this is not the first time I’ve seen any adaptation of this story. Years ago, I saw the 2017 version of Murder on the Orient Express. Though I thought the film was fine, I was not a fan of the movie’s ending. Since then, I have searched for an Agatha Christie adaptation I like. But, as of 2026, the only ones I’ve seen have been either ok or decent. Will this version of Murder on the Orient Express change this pattern? Keep reading my review in order to solve this mystery!

Murder on the Orient Express poster created by EMI Film Distributors, G. W. Films Limited, StudioCanal International, Anglo-EMI Film Distributors, and Paramount Pictures

Things I liked about the film:

The distinctness of the characters: On the poster for Murder on the Orient Express, a quote states the movie is “the who’s who in the whodunit!”. This quote is placed in the center of the poster, boasting the ensemble cast working together to carry the story. But the ensemble cast in Murder on the Orient Express portrays a collection of characters with distinct characteristics, personalities, and backstories. While the screenwriting contributes to this strength, the acting performances also deserve praise. The anxious look in Ingrid Bergman’s eyes and the way her face always appears fearful allows her character, Greta Ohlsson, to seem less confident than Lauren Bacall’s character, Mrs. Harriet Belinda Hubbard. The outspoken persona of Harriet helps the audience tell her and Greta apart. Some of the performances not only allowed characters to be memorable, it also allowed actors to work with different material than in other projects they starred in. Anthony Perkins is known to many film fans as Norman Bates in Psycho. The most memorable aspect of that character is the sinister stare he gives the camera (and audience), emphasizing the disturbing persona bubbling under the surface. But in Murder on the Orient Express, he portrays a secretary named Hector McQueen. He sometimes appears unsure of himself, but not to the same degree as Greta. Hector’s personality appears more easy-going, always finding a way to help his boss, Ratchett. His genuine smile and business-like way he carries himself lets the other characters (and the audience) know how seriously he takes his job. Anthony’s performance in Murder on the Orient Express was quite different from his performance in Psycho, showing off how capable he is of effectively portraying a different type of character.

Interior design of the boat: On his way to the titular Orient Express, Hercule Poirot (the protagonist of Murder on the Orient Express) boards a luxurious boat. Despite this boat appearing in only a handful of scenes, the interior design left a strong impression on me because of how gorgeous it was! Railings surrounding the dining space were constructed in what looks like golden metal, the zigzag design giving off the impression of shiny lightning bolts. Gold is also used in other pieces of décor, from giant palm tree lamps to a golden based dish that sat on a table. I recall seeing large red and green gemstones brightly glistening on wall sconces, providing a burst of color to the dining space. Green foliage is strategically placed throughout the set, achieving the illusion of a private oasis on the water. Because the interior design was aesthetically pleasing to the eye, I wish this boat was featured on screen longer in Murder on the Orient Express!

How blue light was used: Lighting is an important component of any film, as film is a visual medium. Not only can it help the audience see what’s happening on screen, it can also be utilized in creative ways, such as to emphasize a specific part of the story. Throughout Murder on the Orient Express, blue light was incorporated into the production. Toward the beginning of the movie, a blue glow covered landscapes, indicating the early morning hours the story is taking place in. Then, when a murder is discovered on the Orient Express, a blue light shines in the room the body was found in. This moment is what sparks Hercule’s investigation, a significant turning point in the script. The interesting ways blue light was woven into Murder on the Orient Express were such memorable creative choices!

The 8th Wonderful Ingrid Bergman Blogathon banner created by Virginie from The Wonderful World of Cinema

What I didn’t like about the film:

Keeping track of who’s who: Because Murder on the Orient Express contains an ensemble cast, they are a larger group of characters for the audience to keep track of. Distinct characteristics, personalities, and backstories certainly help viewers tell these characters apart. But in the case of the 1974 picture, the characters don’t consistently interact with one another. That’s because Hercule is interrogating each character about the story’s mystery. When a character was referenced in another character’s recollection, it took a little while for me to remember which character was being brought up. Some of my focus on the story was taken away due to more time being spent on figuring out who was who.

A dialogue heavy story: In any movie, dialogue plays a key role in the story. When it comes to the mystery genre, dialogue may contain clues, details about potential suspects, and important information relevant to the case. But if a movie, let alone one from the mystery genre, is heavy on the dialogue, it forces the audience to actively pay attention to what is happening on screen. If they don’t, they’ll miss important context, which will lead to frustration and confusion. Murder on the Orient Express is a dialogue heavy story, with the majority of the mystery contained within the dialogue. While there are physical clues woven into the movie, the script’s emphasis rests in the conversations among the characters. The priority placed on the dialogue actually took away some of the story’s sense of urgency. Instead of watching a detective race against the clock to stop a murderer, Murder on the Orient Express shows Hercule taking his time discussing the case with each passenger. This weaker sense of urgency kind of made Murder on the Orient Express feel longer than its two hour and eight-minute run-time.

The ending: For this part of my review, I will spoil Murder on the Orient Express. If you haven’t seen this movie and are planning on watching it, skip ahead to the part of my review titled, “My overall impression”.

At the beginning of Murder on the Orient Express, a collection of newspaper articles and spliced together scenes reveal the kidnapping and murder of a little girl named Daisy Armstrong. Five years later, Hercule discovers a passenger named Ratchett (his real name is Lanfranco Cassetti) was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Daisy. Hercule learns over the course of the story that Ratchett’s/Lanfranco’s actions created a domino effect of tragedy for those directly connected to the Armstrong family, which happens to be all of the passengers on the Orient Express. Fueled by revenge, each passenger plays a role in murdering Ratchett/Lanfranco. After figuring out the truth, Hercule decides to tell the police a different explanation for how Ratchett/Lanfranco died, claiming this explanation is “simpler”. Following Hercule’s decision, the passengers are shown hugging one another and toasting champagne, with joyous music playing over the scene. I recognize what Murder on the Orient Express was trying to say; actions have consequences. Ratchett/Lanfranco definitely should have faced the consequences for his horrible actions, with his comeuppance emphasizing that message. However, Hercule’s decision to stay quiet about what the passengers did prevents them from facing the consequences of their actions. That creative choice made the film’s message incredibly inconsistent. Plus, the addition of hugging, champagne toasting, and joyous music downplays the severity of the passengers’ actions.

Railway Train image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-train-retro-background_1112415.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

Have you ever watched an adaptation and felt like you ended up seeing the same movie twice? That’s kind of how I feel about the 1974 version of Murder on the Orient Express. As I stated in this review’s introduction, I had seen the 2017 adaptation prior to checking out the film from 1974. Other than casting and stylistic choices, both presentations follow the same story patterns. They even have an ending I wasn’t a fan of. However, both movies do have their strengths. Specifically speaking about 1974’s Murder on the Orient Express, the acting talents from every cast member, as well as the screenwriting, helped the characters be memorably distinct from one another. The multi-purpose way blue light was incorporated into the film was creative. Even the interior design of a boat Hercule briefly boarded left a beautifully strong impression. But if you’ve seen Murder on the Orient Express from 1974, you’ve already seen the version from 2017, and vice versa.

Overall score: 7 out of 10

Have you seen 1974’s Murder on the Orient Express? What’s your favorite movie from Ingrid Bergman’s filmography? Please let me know in the comment section below!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Baseball Girl Review

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August’s theme for Genre Grandeur is “about the American Pastime Sport Baseball”. While researching titles for this edition of the blogging event, I came across a film that gave me an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. In the eight years 18 Cinema Lane has existed, I have never seen a Korean movie, let alone reviewed one. So, when I discovered the South Korean movie, Baseball Girl, I found a way to continue expanding my cinematic horizons! Though international films are not as frequently reviewed as other genres on 18 Cinema Lane, I do try to make an effort to cover these types of films on my blog from time to time. This is the reason why, on my Year-Long Bingo Card, there is a square labeled “International movie”. So far, I’ve written about two movies that would be classified as an international movie; Aladdin and the Forty Thieves and Autumn Sonata. While Aladdin and the Forty Thieves left me wondering “what the heck did I just watch?”, Autumn Sonata became one of the best movies I’ve seen this year, so far. Where will Baseball Girl rank compared to the two aforementioned titles? Before the first pitch is thrown, let’s begin this review!

Baseball Girl poster created by Korean Academy of Film Arts, Longride, and Echelon Studios

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: When I reviewed 1985’s Mask, I praised the strength of the acting performances, as the genuineness of each actor’s portrayal made me feel like I was watching people living their lives instead of actors portraying another person. This is exactly how I felt while watching Baseball Girl! The story of the protagonist, Joo Soo-in, attempting to become drafted in the world of professional baseball is “slice-of-life”. However, the genuineness and honesty of Lee Joo-young’s performance, as well as the rest of the cast’s performances, made the movie compelling. In a scene where Lee Joo-young’s character, Joo Soo-in, is practicing her pitching, she becomes frustrated over experiencing a setback. She looks at her coach, Choi Jin-tae, with an almost defeated look in her eyes. Joo Soo-in even has a slight frown on her face, continuing to appear discouraged. But after Choi Jin-tae shows Joo Soo-in how to effectively throw a knuckleball, frustration transforms into determination. A sharp sense of focus shines in Joo Soo-in’s eyes as she throws a successful knuckleball. When she realizes Choi Jin-tae’s advice worked, Joo Soo-in appears surprised and excited, with a radiant smile on her face this time. The believability of Lee Joo-young’s portrayal of Joo Soo-in effectively encouraged me to root for Baseball Girl’s protagonist and her efforts to make her dream come true!

Speaking of Choi Jin-tae, I want to talk about Lee Jun-hyuk’s performance! One of those most believable scenes in Baseball Girl is when Choi Jin-tae is introduced to Joo Soo-in’s team for the first time. There’s an awkwardness that covers Choi Jin-tae’s persona. He folds his hands in front of himself and his shoulders almost appear tense. Choi Jin-tae’s eyes go from looking at the ground to looking at each player’s face on the team. Though he seems nervous about this new chapter in his career, his face indicates how he’s trying to take in these unfamiliar sights. As I said earlier in this review, the genuineness of each actor’s portrayal made me feel like I was watching people living their lives instead of actors portraying another person. The strength of Lee Jun-hyuk’s acting abilities helped make this illusion work!

Yeom Hye-ran portrays Joo Soo-in’s mother, Sin Hae-sook. She has her doubts over whether Joo Soo-in can become the professional baseball player she dreams of being. However, Sin Hae-sook’s reasons are more practical, especially considering she has her own struggles to deal with. At one point in Baseball Girl, Sin Hae-sook receives horrible news about her husband. Her eyes are downcast as the severity of the news settles in. A mixture of confusion, fear, and sadness paints Sin Hae-sook’s face. She even purses her lips as she’s thinking about what her next choices will be. I was so engaged in the story, as well as Yeom Hye-ran’s performance, it was easy to forget I was watching an actress portray a character. The strong quality of Yeom Hye-ran’s acting talents helped create an enjoyable movie-viewing experience for me!

Honesty about sports: In Baseball Girl, Joo Soo-in aspires to play baseball professionally. But some of the people around her have their concerns about how reality could prevent this dream from coming true. One of these concerns is Joo Soo-in’s skills and talents on the field potentially appearing weaker compared to other athletes. Sports films will, typically, emphasize messages of how dreams will come true if you believe in yourself hard enough and how quitting is equivalent to failing. Even Joo Soo-in herself carries the mindset of refusing to give up until she’s tried her best. But the aforementioned concerns about reality preventing the dream from coming to fruition gave Baseball Girl’s creative team an opportunity to incorporate honesty about sports, especially professional aspirations, into the script. Joo Soo-in tries so hard to appear impressive for team scouts and agents that not only does she cause her hands to bleed, she, at one point in the movie, almost passes out after jogging laps during practice. This determination worries her coaches, with their concerns of potential future injuries making them consider encouraging Joo Soo-in to take up handball instead. The honesty within Baseball Girl’s script also addresses how successful athletes use their strengths to their advantage. In her attempts to impress scouts and agents from professional teams, Joo Soo-in tries to increase her pitch speed. When these attempts don’t work, her coach, Choi Jin-tae, instructs Joo Soo-in to focus on her spin rate. That underutilized skill of hers allowed her to throw knuckleballs to disrupt a batter’s ability to hit the ball. Joo Soo-in’s strength helped her stand out as an athlete as well as showed Baseball Girl’s audience how finding an individual solution that works can help pursue a dream.

Use of music: Music can be an effective and powerful tool. If utilized well, music makes a scene’s intended tone or mood heightened, helping the atmosphere, character’s emotions, and that specific part of the story radiate off the screen. The creative team behind Baseball Girl displayed a strong understanding for how and when to incorporate music into their production. Whether Choi Jin-tae is reading Joo Soo-in’s athletic file or when Joo Soo-in is practicing a new throwing technique for the first time, calm piano music plays over the scene. Because this type of music is heard at moments when a breakthrough takes place in the story, the feeling of hope and optimism is elevated. Synth-pop music can be heard during a training montage. The synth-pop fades in at the beginning of the montage and ends after the montage concludes. This emphasizes the thrill and excitement that comes from watching an athlete, Joo Soo-in in this case, get one step closer to reaching their goals. The synth-pop sound also adds a burst of energy to the montage. With how well music was woven into Baseball Girl, it allowed me to stay invested in what was happening in the film!

Close-up image of baseball in glove created by magnific at magnific.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

Lack of lighting: While the lack of lighting in Baseball Girl wasn’t a consistent issue, I noticed it enough times where I couldn’t overlook the flaw. One reason for the lack of lighting in a few scenes is the reliance on a scene’s natural lighting, which appeared to come from the early morning hours. In a scene where Joo Soo-in jogs around a small perimeter, the only light comes from the blue and light peach of the sky. But this creative choice made it difficult for me to see Joo Soo-in. In fact, for the majority of that scene, I could only hear Joo Soo-in jogging. It took me a little while to figure out what was happening on screen because of the lack of lighting.

Unresolved story threads: Remember when I mentioned earlier in this review how Sin Hae-sook receives horrible news about her husband? That news was her husband’s arrest over allegedly cheating on an exam. But after Sin Hae-sook learns why her husband is in trouble, this part of the story isn’t resolved. In fact, it’s never brought up again in the movie. I recognize this conflict was supposed to create tension within Joo Soo-in’s family. However, I wish closure was provided about whether Sin Hae-sook’s husband was truly in trouble. This is just one example of a story thread in Baseball Girl that wasn’t resolved.

An underutilized character: One of Joo Soo-in’s friends in Baseball Girl is Han Bang-geul. Similar to Joo Soo-in, Han Bang-geul works toward her dream. But in her case, she dreams of becoming a professional dancer. While visiting her friend at a dance studio, Joo Soo-in notices Janggu and Hanbok located in the background. Han Bang-geul explains to Joo Soo-in how the dance studio teaches traditional dance, but claims the lack of interest from prospective students. This piece of dialogue led me to believe that, maybe, Han Bang-geul would adapt her dream to become a professional dancer of a traditional dance form. But as the movie progressed, Han Bang-geul and her story were underutilized. Her quest in pursuing her dream didn’t receive a satisfying conclusion due to how much time was focused on Joo Soo-in’s professional baseball pursuits. Plus, there’s only so much story you can tell in an hour and forty-five minutes. I wish Han Bang-geul was utilized more in Baseball Girl because I found her story just as interesting as Joo Soo-in’s story.

South Korea travel image created by macrovector at magnific.com.

My overall impression:

Like I said in the introduction of this review, August’s theme for Genre Grandeur is “about the American Pastime Sport Baseball”. But as my selection for the blogathon, Baseball Girl, proves, baseball has become more global over time. Baseball Girl also proves that, no matter where you’re from, the values of honesty, hard work, and perseverance can be appreciated. The story of Joo Soo-in and her dream of becoming a professional baseball player is not only character driven and “slice of life”, it burns slowly as well. However, the strength of the cast’s acting abilities and the honesty about sports woven into the script make Baseball Girl a compelling and engaging film! These highlights, along with the creative team’s use of music, helped me stay invested in what was happening on screen. But there were a few times when it was difficult to see what was on screen due to lack of lighting. The movie contained unresolved story threads as well as an underutilized character. Despite these flaws, Baseball Girl brings a unique perspective not just to the table of baseball films, but also to the table of sports films. I would recommend this movie, especially if you’re interested in checking out Korean cinema!

Overall score: 7.4-7.5 out of 10

Have you seen Baseball Girl? Which baseball films do you think are worth checking out? Let me know in the comment section below!

Have fun on the baseball field!

Sally Silverscreen