Tag: Alison Sweeney

Take 3: Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

As I’ve said before on 18 Cinema Lane, the overall quality of Hallmark’s Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series regressed when the series changed its name from Murder She Baked to Hannah Swensen. Most of the movies released since the name change have been either disappointing or ok, in my opinion. However, I keep watching the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series in the hopes the quality will get better. When I discovered another chapter in the series, Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, was on the way, I was actually intrigued. The idea of Hannah and company forced to solve a mystery while stuck at a costume party sounded reminiscent of Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans. Because of how much I liked that film, I was interested in seeing how the creative team behind the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series would approach the concept of a locked room mystery revolving around a costume party. How does Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery compare to Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans? Keep reading my review to find out!

Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery poster created by Hallmark Media and Hallmark Channel

Things I liked about the film:

The costume design: Like I said in this review’s introduction, Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery shows Hannah and company forced to solve a mystery while stuck at a costume party. If a movie’s creative team is planning on incorporating a costume party into their story, giving the cast costumes that are not only visually appealing, but also compliments the cast members should be a top priority. This was achieved in Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. However, the creative team’s attention to detail is one of the ways the visual appeal and complimentary appearance of the costumes was achieved! Hannah dresses up as a mermaid at Lake Eden Inn’s masquerade party. Her sky-blue dress was covered in sparkles and pearls. Netting material with attached starfish presents the illusion the “mermaid” is wearing a skirt. A blue and pink tiara, as well as a teal necklace, not only compliments Alison Sweeney’s blue eyes, they also correlate nicely with Hannah’s teal phone case. Other examples of wardrobe details that work in the costumes’ favor are red sneakers for a costume of Dorothy (from The Wizard of Oz) and a sparkly red heart purse for Delores’ Red Queen (from Alice in Wonderland) costume.

The costume party’s set design: The majority of Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery takes place at the aforementioned Lake Eden Inn’s masquerade party. To make a movie’s party space inviting, the creative team needs to utilize their budget, resources, and location provided to plan an event that feels fun and festive. Similar to what I said about the costume design in Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, the fun and festive appearance of the masquerade party was achieved through attention to detail! The walls were covered with a black curtain-like material. Black mesh-like material was draped across the ceiling with string lights, creating a cozy tent around the dance floor. String lights were tied together on gold curtains and black support pillars glowed with yellow light around the party area. On one wall, masquerade masks were placed inside picture frames, showcasing themed “masterpieces” as official party décor. Even miniature masquerade masks helped create colorfully adorable centerpieces. I really liked how Lake Eden Inn’s masquerade party looked because of how much detail was given to this space!

Delores’ toned down antics: Ever since Delores was given the private investigator subplot in One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, her antics have been silly and over-the-topic in the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series. In fact, her antics have been so over-the-topic and silly, I couldn’t take her seriously as a character. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case in Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. While Delores was the sassy, head-strong woman she’s always been known as, her antics were toned down. This allowed her interactions with other characters to feel believable, such as when she’s interrogating a suspect. Delores’ toned-down antics also made her a more likable character compared to some of the series’ more recent previous films.

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What I didn’t like about the film:

Lack of urgency: Murder mystery stories taking place in the present typically include a sense of urgency. This gives the characters motivation to solve the mystery before the guilty culprit hurts other people. But in Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, that sense of urgency was lacking. It’s understandable for Hannah and company to keep the news about the murder mystery from the party guests, in order to prevent panic and fear. However, the characters seemed to be taking their time solving the case, even though the guilty culprit was right under their noses. The creative decision to not prioritize a sense of urgency within Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery slowed down the movie’s pace and drew the story out a bit.

Hannah and Chad’s inconsistent screen-time together: Since Victor Webster joined the cast of the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series, his on-screen chemistry with Alison Sweeney was the strongest in Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. This helped make Chad and Hannah’s relationship finally feel believable to me. But in this newest Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen chapter, Hannah and Chad’s screen-time together was inconsistent. One reason why is how Chad and Hannah worked separately when attempting to solve the murder mystery. Another reason is how there was no subplot revolving around their relationship. I was disappointed by these creative choices because I actually looked forward to seeing Hannah and Chad together.

Underutilization of Michelle: Hannah’s sister, Michelle, is featured in Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. When it comes to her involvement in the story, however, she only appears in about three scenes total. Plus, Michelle has little to no participation in solving the case. In my opinion, it was such a missed opportunity not to utilize Michelle more in this newest Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen movie. Since she is a photographer, perhaps she could have been recruited as the masquerade party’s official photographer.

Blue masquerade party Image by freepik

My overall impression:

In the introduction of this review, I asked how Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery compares to Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans. Now that I’ve seen the latest installment in the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series, I have an answer to that question. At best, Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery is an ok film. But, at worst, it’s a weaker version of Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans. The lack of urgency made Hannah and company seem to be taking their time solving the case, slowing down the movie’s pace and drawing the story out a bit. I also didn’t like how Hannah and Chad shared an inconsistent amount of screen-time together. Michelle, Hannah’s sister, could have been utilized more throughout the story, such as being the official photographer of Lake Eden Inn’s masquerade party. Despite these flaws, Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery does contain elements I did like. The costume design, as well as the costume party’s set design, featured a lot of attention to detail, making those parts of the movie visually appealing and memorable. I even could take Delores seriously as a character because her antics were toned down. If anything, though, Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery prioritized style over substance.

Overall score: 6 out of 10

Have you seen Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery? If the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series continues, what would you like the next story to be about? Please tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the bakery!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: New ‘Hannah Swensen Mystery’ Movie on the Way!

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

When I talked about One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery in my list of the top ten worst movies I saw in 2024, I said I hope Delores receives better story ideas if there are more Hannah Swensen films in the works. Days after that list was published, Hallmark revealed another movie in the Hannah Swensen series! On Hallmark Mystery’s website, an official page has been created for Reality Bites: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. The film will premiere on February 6th and the story is about the following:

“Hannah’s favorite reality show takes over The Cookie Jar. When the producer is found dead, Hannah and Norman team up to track down the killer. Chad invites Hannah to court”.

According to the film’s official page, Alison Sweeney, Victor Webster, and Barbara Niven will return to reprise their roles. Even though Norman was mentioned in the synopsis, it’s unknown, at this time, if Gabriel Hogan will also return to reprise his role.

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There are some noticeable observations coming from the official page of Reality Bites: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. Looking at the release dates for this movie and The Jane Mysteries: A Deadly Prescription, Hallmark’s new mystery titles will premiere on Thursdays instead of Fridays like last year. Norman’s involvement was limited in One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, not only when it came to solving the case, but also within the overall story. The synopsis of Reality Bites: A Hannah Swensen Mystery states, “Hannah and Norman team up to track down the killer”. This statement assumes Norman will play a larger role in the 2025 movie. Ever since Chad was written into this series, he and Hannah don’t work together as consistently as Hannah and Mike did. However, Chad still finds a way to have a presence in Hannah’s life. A perfect example is brought up in Reality Bites: A Hannah Swensen Mystery’s synopsis, which states “Chad invites Hannah to court”. Everything I just said makes me wonder if the creative team of the Hannah Swensen series wants to create a love triangle between Norman, Hannah, and Chad?

What are your thoughts on this piece of movie news? Are you looking forward to the premiere of Reality Bites: A Hannah Swensen Mystery? Please let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Referenced official page of Reality Bites: A Hannah Swensen Mystery: https://www.hallmarkmystery.com/reality-bites-a-hannah-swensen-mystery

Take 3: Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery Review

On By 18cinemalane3 Comments

Here at 18 Cinema Lane, I try to review movies that have been recommended to me by my readers. Typically, I watch movies and write about them in the hopes they are good. But in the case of this review, I’m approaching this film a little differently. In the comment section of my article, ‘The Top 10 Worst Hallmark Movies of All Time’, one of my readers, Not a fan of Carrot Cake, shared their worst Hallmark movie they’ve watched. That film is the latest Hallmark Movies & Mysteries title, Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. Their thoughts on the movie intrigued me. It made me wonder if it was worse than Francesca Quinn, P. I., the worst Hallmark movie I’ve ever seen. So, without further delay, let’s solve this mystery by reviewing Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery!

Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery poster created by Lighthouse Pictures, Looking Glass Productions, and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

Things I liked about the film:

The camaraderie between the cast members: In a movie series, a group of actors will become familiar with one another’s talents and personalities. This familiarity creates a consistency that can be seen in the characters’ interactions. That consistency allows these interactions to come across as believable in the eyes of the audience. As Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery is the seventh film in its series, the camaraderie between the cast members remained continuous not only throughout this story, but also throughout the series! When Hannah, portrayed by Alison Sweeney, and Norman, portrayed by Gabriel Hogan, interacted with each other, their friendship felt genuine. As Hannah’s mom, portrayed by Barbara Niven, discussed her concerns about her daughter’s safety, that discussion between mother and daughter was presented realistically. These interactions were not only the result of the camaraderie between the cast members, but also the cast members displaying an understanding for their characters and their stories!

The inside jokes: Hallmark has a history of incorporating humor into their mystery series. Typically, this humor can be heard within the dialogue between characters or shown through hilarious situations. In Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, Hallmark related inside jokes were woven into the script. Frustrated by Hannah’s involvement in the murder mystery case, Mike’s boss tells Mike Hannah is acting like a podcaster. This statement is a reference to Alison’s other mystery series, Chronicle Mysteries. Over lunch, Hannah’s mother, Delores, brings up how Hannah and Mike’s upcoming wedding is never discussed. That conversation references how Hannah and Mike have been engaged since Murder She Baked: Just Desserts, a movie that was released in 2017. These inside jokes provide “Easter eggs” for fans of the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series, as well as fans of Hallmark’s mystery films!

Use of clues: Some mystery stories utilize clues in order for the mystery to be solved. This is the case for several of Hallmark’s titles, including Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. The movie’s mystery begins in 1995. Therefore, one of the clues is a pager, which was used to determine who the victim called before they passed away. Another clue was a set of keys. But these keys helped set up a timeline for the mystery’s events. The incorporation of the clues in Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery combined the past and present in a nice way. It also showcased a variety of objects that could be used to solve a case!

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What I didn’t like about the film:

The underutilization of Mike: Since the series’ inception, Mike has always played an integral role in the story of Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen. Because he is a professional detective, he provides a unique perspective to a movie’s case, especially compared to Hannah’s perspective. But in Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, Mike wasn’t given much to do. Instead, Hannah solves the mystery single-handedly, relying on Mike less than in previous films. The “opposites attract” dynamic between Hannah and Mike was missing, which took away some of the series’ charm. It also does Cameron Mathison and his character a huge disservice.

Lack of “coziness”: The Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series has garnered a reputation for being a “cozy” mystery. Despite the stories containing murder mysteries, the stories themselves don’t feel too dark in tone. Instead, humor and pleasant character interactions break up the serious nature of the murder mystery. In Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, however, that “cozy” feeling was absent. While I did like the inside jokes woven into the script, the overall tone of the movie was serious. The lack of light-hearted subplots didn’t help either. In context with the series as a whole, this film causes a tonal shift that feels jarring.

Mike and Hannah’s relationship: For this part of my review, I will include spoilers for Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. If you have not seen this movie yet and are interested in watching it, please skip ahead to the part of my review titled “My overall impression”.

The majority of Hallmark’s mystery series contain a romantic relationship between the male and female protagonist. More often than not, these relationships grow as its series progresses. In the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series, viewers have witnessed Hannah and Mike go from being neighborhood friends to a romantic couple. As I mentioned in this review, they became engaged in Murder She Baked: Just Desserts. But in Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, Mike and Hannah’s relationship was not prioritized as in previous movies. They didn’t spend much time together in this story. In fact, Hannah spent more time with Norman than with Mike. This creative choice caused Alison and Cameron’s on-screen chemistry to feel weaker compared to other films.

Like I said earlier in this review, Delores mentions how Hannah and Mike’s wedding hasn’t been discussed. I also mentioned how Mike and Hannah got engaged in a movie that was released over five years ago. During that time, fans of the series have been waiting for Hannah and Mike to finally walk down the aisle and say “I do”. But in the last twenty minutes of Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, Hannah ends her and Mike’s engagement. Why, you ask? Because she was upset Mike didn’t tell her he was filling his boss in on developments she and Mike found in relation to the story’s mystery. Hannah seems so justified in her choice, she, through a monologue, compares her ended relationship with baking bread, saying something along the lines of the ingredients needing to be respected. Personally, I feel Hannah’s decision to end her and Mike’s relationship was unnecessarily spontaneous. Looking back on this movie, it makes me wonder if Hannah and Mike breaking up was Hallmark’s excuse to discontinue this series?

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My overall impression:

I chose to review Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery in an attempt to see if it was worse than Francesca Quinn, P. I. Like I said in the introduction, I also reviewed this movie in response to one of my readers. Now that I’ve seen the film, I can honestly say, in my opinion, it is nowhere near as bad as Francesca Quinn, P. I. However, it is one of the most disappointing movies I’ve seen this year, so far. In a recent article from The Wrap, Alison Sweeney confirmed another chapter in the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series. Without spoiling Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, all I can say is I have no idea how this is possible. Other than solving a mystery, this movie put the series in a standstill. The film’s creative team didn’t provide a reason for the fans to get excited for the next story. From Mike being underutilized to the lack of “coziness” in the latest chapter, I’m wondering if this series will be another mystery series that will unceremoniously end? I said in my editorial about Francesca Quinn, P. I. how Hallmark’s priorities no longer lie with the mystery genre. Reflecting on that film and Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, it seems like I may be proven right.

Overall score: 5 out of 10

Have you seen Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery? What do you think is in store for the Murder She Baked/Hannah Swensen series? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Two New Chapters for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Series’ Are on the Way

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Even though Hallmark’s Christmas season has arrived, there are two mystery movies listed on Creative B.C. that are either currently in production or will soon be in production! The first one is ‘The Chronicle Mysteries 5 – Helped To Death’, which is filming until November 4th. This is exciting news, especially since all of the movies in this series, led by Alison Sweeney, aired in 2019! The second film is ‘Crossword Mysteries: Terminal Descent’. It will start filming on October 26th and end on November 13th. I’m happy to see Crossword Mysteries receive another chapter, as I enjoyed the previous film, Crossword Mysteries: Abracadaver! Based on their production schedules, both movies will likely premiere sometime in 2021.

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Have you seen any movie from these series? If so, are you looking forward to the films I mentioned in this article? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Here is the link to the TV Movie ‘In Production’ page on Creative B.C.’s website (after November 4th and 13th, ‘The Chronicle Mysteries 5 – Helped To Death’ and ‘Crossword Mysteries: Terminal Descent’ will be removed from the page): https://www.creativebc.com/crbc-services/provincial-film-commission-services/in-production