A new year comes new content and changes for 18 Cinema Lane! At the beginning of the year, I inform my readers of what they can expect for the rest of that year. Similar to 2023, I have four major announcements for 2024! But first, I’ll list my blog stats from the previous year!
For years, readers have been introduced to 18 Cinema Lane through the ‘Welcome to 18 Cinema Lane!’ message. Located on the right-hand side of the website, this message gives readers an idea of what they can expect from my blog. Since publishing that message in 2018, so much has changed on 18 Cinema Lane. Therefore, in the near future, I will be rewriting the message, to better reflect the current state of my blog.
Changing the format of ‘Sally Solves a Mystery’
Last year, I published the first post of my series, Sally Solves a Mystery. This series explores television related mysteries I find interesting. While I will continue the Sally Solves a Mystery series in 2024, it will become an annual series. Posts will now be published once every year.
Readathon Plans
Since 2022, I’ve been participating in the Buzzwordathon readathon. I also participated in the Eurovisionathon readathon for the first time in 2023. Looking back on last year, though, I thought about how I was devoting so much time to two readathons that required a significant amount of preparation. Therefore, I will participate in 2024’s edition of Eurovisionathon but take a break from Buzzwordathon. However, I will still publish my reviews for October, November, and December’s books from 2023.
New Series – ‘Comparing with the Critics’
As I have said on 18 Cinema Lane, film is subjective. This statement also applies for critic reviews, including those from household names like Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. There are times where I have disagreed with Ebert and Siskel. But I was curious to know how often I disagreed with the legendary critics. Cue the introduction of my new series, Comparing with the Critics! In this series, I will choose one movie from each of the ‘Worst of’ and ‘Best of’ episodes of Sneak Previews/At The Movies. After watching the chosen films, I will write an editorial style review explaining why I agree or disagree with Siskel, Ebert, or any critic that appeared on the show.
As the season of Fall evolves into Winter and the Christmas/holiday season is upon us, it’s time for my annual Movie Blogger’s Christmas Wish-List! This is a tradition where I create a list of movie related things I’d like to receive for Christmas. Similar to last year’s list, there are four items on my wish-list. These items are a combination of realistic requests and wishful thinking. Each item has been placed in one of four categories, with the categories following the quote; “Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read”. With explanations out of the way, let’s get into this year’s Christmas wish-list!
I wrote an editorial back in August about how Evan Williams and George Blagden should go to Eurovision 2024. I even mentioned this in my review of The National Tree. One of my arguments in that editorial was the writers and actors strikes that took place during the time I published my editorial. But as of mid to late December 2023, both the actors and writers strikes have ended. Even if George and Evan had the time to participate in Eurovision, there is no guarantee a participating delegation will select them as their representatives. Therefore, I really hope a delegation sees Evan and George’s potential and sends them to Eurovision! If you’re interested, you can read my editorial at the link below.
When I watched Curious Caterer: Fatal Vows, I was pleasantly surprised to discover Max Lloyd-Jones starred in the film! Though I liked his performance, I wondered why he hasn’t been cast in a Hallmark mystery movie as a detective? Based on his projects I have seen, I think Max has what it takes, talent wise, to portray this type of character. Another performance I was impressed with was Madeleine Arthur’s from 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost! In that movie, Madeleine’s portrayal of Ruby Baker stole the show, as her performance was one of the best parts of that film! I would like to see Madeleine and Max star as the lead actress and actor in a Hallmark mystery film! Even if the movie was a stand-alone picture, I would be curious to see Max and Madeleine work together on a Hallmark project!
A movie related piece of clothing or accessory I’d want to wear
Speaking of 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost, I want to talk about one of Ruby’s pair of shoes! Toward the beginning of the movie, Ruby wore a cute pair of white high heeled shoes at her birthday party. These heels were covered in a white lacy material. Topped with a little black bow, Ruby’s shoes had a timeless style that allow them to work with an outfit from the 1920s or the 21st century!
Because Ruby wore this pair of shoes while dancing, it was difficult to find a good photo of the shoes. Photo found on Hallmark Channel
Because Ruby wore this pair of shoes while dancing, it was difficult to find a good photo of the shoes. Photo found on Hallmark Channel
A book I’ve read that I’d like to see adapted into a film
For this year’s Christmas Wish-List, I’ve selected a poem I’d like to see adapted into a film. When I reviewed Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven and Other Poems, I talked about how I liked ‘The Coliseum’. From my interpretation, the narrator is describing an abandoned facility, with a series of voices reminding the reader how the history, stories, and people associated with the titular coliseum should be remembered. This is one of those poems I think could lend itself well to visual media! Flashbacks would showcase the coliseum’s past or the voices could be shown on screen as ghosts. Since the poem itself is open to interpretation, the story could fit into almost any genre. It seems like ‘The Coliseum’ is one of Edgar’s more underrated pieces of literature, so it would be interesting to see how it’s adapted!
What are your thoughts on my Christmas wish list? Are there any movie related things you’d like to receive during the Christmas/holiday season? Tell me in the comment section!
You may have read the title of this editorial and thought the following:
A. Who the heck are Evan Williams and George Blagden?
B. Why do you want to see Evan and George go to Eurovision?
C. Why are you writing another Eurovision editorial after Das Sound Machine weren’t chosen to represent Germany for this year’s Eurovision?
That third question references my editorial from last year, where I explained why Das Sound Machine should be chosen to represent the German delegation at Eurovision 2023. Though Das Sound Machine weren’t selected, Eurovision’s German delegation did almost everything I wanted; from choosing a “showstopper” to trying something different. With Germany once again receiving a score within the bottom three at this year’s Grand Final, maybe there’s a chance the German delegation could choose Das Sound Machine for Eurovision 2024. Speaking of Eurovision 2024, now comes the part where I explain who George Blagden and Evan Williams are. Evan and George are Canadian and British actors who worked together on the television show, Versailles. They also happen to have musical talents that could make them eligible for Eurovision representation. My editorial is intended to answer the second question; why I want to see George and Evan go to Eurovision next year. Before I begin my explanations, I want to stress how any Eurovision related decisions are up to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the participating Eurovision delegations, and Evan and George themselves.
Several Participating Countries Desperately Need a “Fan Favorite”
At this year’s Eurovision, Sweden won the contest with a total of 583 points. Though receiving more jury votes then televote points, Loreen was, arguably, one of the most popular artists competing in Liverpool. But she wasn’t the only representative people were excited about. Finland’s representative, Käärijä, was beloved among televoters and Eurovision’s audience. People loved him so much, they chanted his name and the title of his song, “Cha Cha Cha”, during the voting portions of the Grand Final. While Finland and Sweden benefitted by sending strong representatives to Eurovision, some participating countries weren’t lucky enough to have a “fan favorite”. A few of them were San Marino, Ireland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom (U.K.). Competing in the semi-finals, Ireland, Denmark, and San Marino didn’t receive enough points to attend the Grand Final. Denmark and San Marino garnered only 6 and 0 points in semi-final two, while Ireland only got ten points in the first semi-final. Even though the U.K. automatically qualified for the Grand Final, as they are one of the “Big Five” countries, they received 25th place, a far cry from the second place they got in 2022. Participating countries like the aforementioned four need a “fan favorite”, someone the audience is willing to spend money on in order to give them televotes. In my opinion, George and Evan have the potential to become “fan favorites” for reasons I will get to later in this editorial.
The Indefinite Run of the Writers and Actors Strikes
I don’t want to talk too much about the current writers and actors strikes, as I try to make 18 Cinema Lane a place where readers can take a break from the stressing issues of the world. But since these strikes could affect whether Evan and George can compete in Eurovision, I’ll briefly mention the strikes. Since about May, screen-writers in Hollywood have chosen to go on strike, similar to the Writers’ Strike that took place in 2007. A few months later, several actors in Hollywood have chosen to carry on their own strike. Now you’re probably wondering, “How can these strikes affect George and Evan if they’re British and Canadian”? Any project that Evan or George is attached to could be delayed or even cancelled as a result of any of these strikes. According to their filmographies on IMDB, both Evan and George have two upcoming projects. On Evan’s filmography, a movie titled 1 Million Followers and a short film titled Terminally Unique are in post-production. Meanwhile, on George’s filmography, a project called The Chelsea Cowboy is in post-production. Another project on George’s filmography, called Montserrat, is in pre-production. If any of the aforementioned four projects are affected by the strikes and if Evan and George have time on their hands, maybe there would be room in their schedules for Eurovision.
Eurovision is a televised musical competition. Since 1956, solo artists, duos, trios, and even bands have shared their talents in the hopes of winning the contest. As I mentioned in the introduction, George and Evan happen to have musical talents that could make them eligible for Eurovision representation. They are not only singers, but guitarists as well. On George’s Youtube channel, simply titled ‘George Blagden’, there are some videos showing George performing song covers. In one of these videos, George performs an acoustic cover of the song, “Hallelujah”. The steady guitar cords pair nicely with George’s vocals, creating a simple melody that is pleasant to listen to. Meanwhile, Evan created a song titled “Lola” for a short film of the same name. Also performed acoustically, Evan’s soulful vocals provide the perfect musical match. George and Evan have even performed a duet together! In a video from the Youtube channel, Fr Conventions, they performed a song titled “Take Me Away”. Both Evan and George’s vocals sound beautiful together, creating a solid acoustic duet.
Remember earlier in this editorial, when I said George and Evan have the potential to become “fan favorites” for a participating Eurovision delegation? The reason I believe this is because they already have fans who would be so excited to see them attend Eurovision! Like I said in the introduction, both Evan and George starred on the television show, Versailles. During that show’s three-season run, fans from all over the world tuned in to catch the drama within France’s famed palace. Vikings, another show George starred on, also attracted a fanbase within a three-season run. Evan appeared on the tv program, Degrassi: The Next Generation. Degrassi is a Canadian multi-generational show that has developed a large fan following over the years. If fans of these previously referenced tv shows, plus Eurovision fans and audience members who simply like Evan and George’s talents, were to spend money on televotes for George and Evan, they could garner enough televotes to not only make it to the Grand Final, but also receive a good score.
Now comes the part of my editorial when you’re likely asking yourself, “What the heck is CowHouse Films and what it does have to do with George and Evan’s chances of going to Eurovision”? If Evan and George were to represent a delegation at Eurovision next year, CowHouse Films could play a key role in their potential success. On Versailles, George and Evan worked alongside their co-star, Alexander Vlahos. Alexander co-created the independent movie company, CowHouse Films. In his Q&A live video on the company’s official Youtube channel, Alexander mentions creating a music video for Evan, titled “So It Goes”. He also mentions needing funding for some upcoming projects, such as “Shoeless Summer” and “The Lord Won’t Mind”. If Evan and George were to go to Eurovision in 2024, they could collaborate with CowHouse Films to not only create a music video, but also bring an on-stage concept to life. With that said, if George and Evan were to make it to the Grand Final and place somewhere in the Top Ten, that good placement could attract more clients to CowHouse Films. More clients would equal more revenue, which would result in more funding for future projects.
Once upon a time, there was a Canadian vocalist named Celine. Eurovision’s Swiss delegation loved Celine’s vocals so much, they selected her as their representative for the contest. The Swiss delegation were not the only ones who adored her musical talents, as she ended up winning Eurovision. Since then, Celine has enjoyed a fruitful career, from performing one of the most famous movie theme songs of all time (“My Heart Will Go On”) to having a residency in Las Vegas. I believe none of these things would have happened had the Swiss delegation not chosen Celine as their representative back in 1988. If they could take a chance on Celine Dion before she became the beloved artist she is today, then I think it’s only fair for a Eurovision delegation to take a chance on Evan Williams and George Blagden. To me, they have what it takes to make Eurovision history, as well as join an ever-growing community of musical artists from all over the world. Now, the question remains: who would like to give George and Evan their “golden ticket” to Malmö?
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