I Won My Fourth Liebster Award!

Two weeks ago, I was awarded another Liebster Award from fellow blogger, Rebecca. She is the creator of Taking Up Room, a blog where reviews for movies and books can be found. Rebecca also hosts blogathons that I have had the joy of participating in. If you want to learn more about her blogging work, check out her site at this link:

https://takinguproom.wordpress.com/

Thank you, Rebecca, for giving me this nomination! I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Before I start this award post, I need to list the official rules, which are:

  1. Thank the nominator in your award post.
  2. Place the award logo somewhere on your blog.
  3. You must state up to 11 facts about yourself.
  4. Complete the questions that your nominator provided.
  5. Nominate as many bloggers as you’d like (11 is the maximum).
  6. Ask your nominees a series of questions (11 is the maximum).

Facts

1. I have been on an elephant ride.

2. I saved a family member’s life.

3. I’ve met a famous athlete.

4. I have never seen anything from the filmographies of Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris.

5. I have reviewed almost 200 films!

6. One of my family members was in the military.

7. Faberge eggs are a memento that I have loved for years.

8. Anastasia (1997), one of my favorite movies, inspired me to learn more about the Romanov family.

9. I don’t have any major food allergies.

10. I have never dyed my hair.

11. A place that has been on my bucket list is Golf N’ Stuff in Norwalk, California (where The Karate Kid was filmed).

Winner’s medal image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/golden-awards-set-with-colors-details_844356.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/gold”>Gold vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Answers

  1. Would you rather star in films or work behind the scenes?

What compels me to watch a movie is the story. Even when I review a film on my blog, I judge the story itself by how well the script was written. Writing has always been a passion of mine, which is one of the reasons why I started 18 Cinema Lane. For these reasons, I would choose to write movies rather than star in them.

2. What’s the best movie you’ve seen so far this year? The worst?

The best movie I’ve seen this year, so far, is one that I reviewed recently. That is The Boy Who Could Fly! As I said in my review, I was surprised by how well the film aged. It’s a hidden gem that I’m thankful to have discovered! For the worst movie I’ve seen this year, so far, that is still Marriage on the Rocks. This is another film I reviewed on my blog. One of the worst parts about it is the film’s one-sided view of marriage and divorce. Personally, it made me feel uncomfortable.

3. Where would you most like to go when things fully open up again?

In several weeks, I’ll be taking an out-of-state trip. But to answer the question, it really all depends what season the world will be fully open in. If it’s in a warmer season, I might go to an outdoor venue. However, if the season is colder, that venue will likely be indoors.

4. Do you think your blog or blogging style has changed since you started? How?

After reading some of my earlier reviews, I’ve noticed how I used to provide simpler explanations for what I liked and didn’t like about a film. In my review of The Dark Knight, I only wrote two sentences about how I liked the pace. One of my newer reviews, for Alphaville, features a paragraph about how I liked the film’s cinematography.

5. What’s a skill you don’t have but wish you did?

For this question, I’ll say swimming and roller skating. While I wouldn’t consider myself a terrible swimmer, I don’t feel I’m as strong as I’d like to be. As for roller skating, I’ve always wanted to master this skill, but was never given the opportunity.

Image of vintage movie camera created by Macrovector at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by macrovector – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

6. How much did you write before you became a blogger, and was it something that you enjoyed?

As I mentioned in answer number one, writing has always been a passion of mine. However, I didn’t often have the opportunity to write for myself. Blogging provides an excuse to do just that.

7. What’s one thing you wish current movies had more of? Less of?

More of: Whenever there is a male character with longer hair, I never see them put their hair up in a pony-tail or a “man bun”. This is something I’ve not only noticed in recent years, but also as I’ve watched and reviewed more films. I’d like to see more male characters with longer hair put their hair up.

Less of: This has more to do with movie marketing than the movies themselves. Personally, I’m tired of seeing posters with most of the film’s content thrown up in one image. Bigger blockbusters usually adopt this style, especially those from Disney. I’ll include the poster of Loves Takes Flight to serve as an example for this type of poster. I wish movie studios moved away from this type of movie poster and created ones that looked more like art.

8. Is there a character or film that you think actually deserves a remake or reboot?

I think a remake of Girls Just Want to Have Fun would be interesting! It could provide a reflection of how the world of dance has changed since the original film’s release.

9. Now that we’re at the height of summer (unless you live Down Under, of course), what’s your cold beverage of choice?

I’ve been drinking Pure Leaf raspberry tea lately. Therefore, I’ll chose this beverage for my answer.

10. You’ve been granted the ability to teleport into any video game or mobile app. Where are you going to go?

For as long as I could remember, I have always wanted to play a video game as my favorite character. But it is not often possible for me to do so. One example is the Game Boy Advance game for Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Kida is my favorite Disney princess. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t give me the option to choose which character I want to play as. So, I’d like to teleport to this game so I could play as my favorite member of Atlantean royalty!

11. You’re standing in front of the replicator on the Starship Enterprise. What do you ask for first?

I’d definitely ask to release the Tim Pope cut of The Crow: City of Angels! I don’t watch Star Trek, so I’m not sure if the Starship Enterprise would be able to make this happen. However, if the Snyder cut of Justice League is going to be released, anything is possible.

Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Love Takes Flight poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Love+Takes+Flight.

Nominees

1. Writingfest from Novel Writing Festival

2. Maddy from Maddy Loves Her Classic Films

3. Nick from A Brightonian Writer

4. Victoria from Paintings and Books

5. Todd from Movies, Movies, Movies

6. The Duck and Me from The Duck in…side

7. Joe from Joe Baker – Film Reviews

8. Bubbawheat from Flights, Tights, & Movie Nights

9. Nina from Films: Uncharted – EIF

10. K from K at the Movies

11. Drew from Drew’s Movies Reviews

Movie items image created by Macrovector at freepik.com <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/cinema-poster-sketch_1530892.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a> <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Macrovector – Freepik.com</a> Image found at freepik.com

Questions

1. What is your most unpopular movie related opinion?

2. Which sport would you like to see receive Olympic status?

3. Is there a book you’ve read recently that you’d like to recommend to someone? If so, what is it?

4. What is a TV episode that you think serves as “filler”?

5. How do you think your favorite character would spent their time during the Coronavirus quarantine?

6. Has your favorite movie become a Broadway musical? If not, would you want this to happen?

7. Do you cook? If so, what was the last meal you made?

8. What is something you’re looking forward to in 2021?

9. Which song is the most recent one you’ve heard?

10. Have you participated in blogathons? If so, which one has been your favorite?

11. Is there a blogging goal or milestone you’ve reached? If so, what is it?

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

My PB & J Double Feature’s Introduction

When I published my review of Never a Dull Moment, it became my 400th post! As I’ve stated before, I create a special double feature any time I publish 100 posts. Because this accomplishment was recently achieved, I thought July would be the best time to host this double feature. Over the next two weeks, I will post these reviews as well as the conclusion. Keep reading if you want to learn more about the films I’ll write about and the double feature’s overarching theme!

Image of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches created by Katinka Kober at freeimages.com. Photo by Katinka Kober from FreeImages

You’re probably wondering what a PB & J (Peanut Butter and Jelly) sandwich has to with film? It’s more about how the idea behind the sandwich relates to cinema. I love browsing through pictures of scout related patches and learning about their meanings. One day, I stumbled across this website called Mad About Fun Patches. While visiting the site, there was one patch that caught my eye. This patch is named “Spread the Love, PB & J 2020”. Based on the description, the patch was created to promote the idea of making sandwiches for those in need. The more I thought about this, the more I realized how many ideas can be associated with a PB & J sandwich, which are:

  • Putting the needs of others before one’s self
  • Feeding the hungry
  • Helping one’s community
  • Sharing
  • Building connections
  • Teamwork
  • Brightening someone’s day
  • One person, object, or event affecting the lives of others

When I reflected on these ideas, I discovered two movies that share the concept of one person affecting multiple lives. These films are The Last Full Measure and The Boy Who Could Fly! I’ve heard of both movies, but they seem to be underrated. Within each review, I will be answering the following question:

Can the ideas associated with a PB & J sandwich be found in a given film?

Like my Youth-Led Double Feature from January, I will not be including pre-movie thought and/or questions.

Here is a screenshot I took of the patch from Mad About Fun Patches. I also provided credit to the people who created the patch. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Here is the link to the website I mentioned in this post if you want to check out their other patches:

https://madaboutfunpatches.com/

I Have an Official Twitter and Instagram Account for 18 Cinema Lane!

Hello everyone! I wanted to announce that I created the last two social media accounts for my blog! On the Twitter and Instagram account, I will be making posts for new content on 18 Cinema Lane! If you have a Twitter and/or Instagram account, you can follow me by clicking on the ‘bird’ or ‘camera’ icon in the “Follow Me At” section on the right-hand side of the blog. The two featured images are screenshots I took of these accounts, so you can know what to expect if you visit them.

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

18 Cinema Lane Now Has an Official Pinterest Account!

Last week, I made an announcement about the upcoming updates on 18 Cinema Lane. In that post, I said I’d be creating three social media accounts for the blog. Well, I’m ready to introduce the first of these three! 18 Cinema Lane now has an official Pinterest account! There, you can find boards that represent several major categories from this site. Also, I’ve added a board for movie recommendations. If you request a film to me, I’ll try to add it to that board. You can visit this Pinterest account when you click on the ‘P’ icon in the “Follow Me At” section on the right-hand side of the blog.

This is what you can expect when you visit 18 Cinema Lane’s official Pinterest account. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

New and Coming Updates on 18 Cinema Lane

Hello everyone! I just wanted to let all my readers, followers, and visitors know about the updates that are happening on this blog. Within the big picture, these changes may seem small. But they are steps toward the growth of 18 Cinema Lane. The most recent change has been this site’s domain name. I purchased my blog’s domain, which means that the official address is 18cinemalane.com! This name change won’t affect the blog’s content; as you’ll receive the reviews, movie news stories, editorials, and other content I’ve been writing since the beginning. Throughout this month, I will also be creating three social media accounts for 18 Cinema Lane! Make sure to look out for those in the following weeks!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

There’s Still Time to Submit Your Nomination for the Gold Sally Awards’ Star of the Year!

Award Gold Star Background Illustration
Gold star trophy image created by Macrovector on freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/gold”>Gold vector created by macrovector – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found on freepik.com.

Hello everyone!

I would just like to remind all of you that April 30th is the last day to submit your nomination for the 2020 Star of the Year! All the details are located at these links:

The moment you’ve all been waiting for; The Gold Sally Award’s Star of the Year Award!

 

Announcing the Gold Sally Awards’ Hallmark Star of the Year!

 

I’m looking forward to seeing who you nominate!

Sally Silverscreen

The moment you’ve all been waiting for; The Gold Sally Award’s Star of the Year Award!

Award Gold Star Background Illustration
Gold star trophy image created by Macrovector on freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/gold”>Gold vector created by macrovector – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found on freepik.com.

Last year, I introduced the Hallmark Star of the Year Award. This part of the Gold Sally Awards gave my readers, followers, and visitors the opportunity to nominee someone with the Hallmark community. Out of those nominees, I chose one recipient to receive this honor. This year, I’m bringing this award back with two major changes. The nominees will no longer be limited to people associated with Hallmark. You can also nominate movie critics, movie bloggers, and movie related Youtubers. Other than that, the guidelines are still the same as the previous year. If you would like to learn more about those guidelines, you can visit the link to the previous year’s post here:

 

Announcing the Gold Sally Awards’ Hallmark Star of the Year!

 

For this category, I’ll extend the deadline to Thursday, April 30th. Like last year, you can place your nomination in the comment section of this post.

 

Have fun voting!

Sally Silverscreen

I won Sunshine Blogger Award Number Four!

Before I start this award post, I’d like to remind everyone that Thursday, April 16th, is the last day to cast your vote for the Best Movie and Story of the 2nd Annual Gold Sally Awards! The last award category will be posted on the April 17th! Here is the link to the poll:

 

TIE-BREAKER: Crowning the Best Movie and Story of the 2020 Gold Sally Awards

 

Last week, Ospreyshire, from Iridium Eye Reviews, nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award! This is my fourth time receiving the title. To me, even winning one of these awards in an honor. Thank you, Ospreyshire, for your thoughtfulness when it came to nominating me! Moments like these make me feel like I’m doing some good in the world of blogging. If you want to check out Ospreyshire’s blog, here is the link:

https://iridiumeye.wordpress.com/

 

Before this post can begin, I must list the official rules of the Sunshine Blogger Award, which are the following:

 

  1. List the award’s official rules
  2. Display the award’s official logo somewhere on your blog
  3. Thank the person who nominated you
  4. Provide a link to your nominator’s blog
  5. Answer your nominator’s questions
  6. Nominate up to 11 bloggers
  7. Ask your nominees 11 questions
  8. Notify your nominees by commenting on at least one of their blog posts.

Sunshine Blogger Award logo
The Sunshine Blogger Award logo found on https://iridiumeye.wordpress.com/2020/03/30/needing-some-time-in-the-sunshine-or-sunshee-yine-sunshine-blogger-award/.

My 11 Answers

  1. Which actor or actress do you think is overlooked by the public and what role would you like to see them in? For this question, I had to really think about who I would talk about. There are a number of actors and actresses that I believe are underrated. Some of them have been mentioned on 18 Cinema Lane before, like Max Lloyd-Jones. However, there are others that I haven’t found the opportunity to talk about yet. But, this time, I’ve decided to pick someone who I’ve previously brought up on my blog. According to her filmography on IMDB, Karina Arroyave has been acting in the film and television industry since the late ‘80s. However, it seems like she doesn’t receive the amount of recognition and attention that I think she deserves. As I’ve said in my Christmas Camp review, Karina has starred in two Hallmark Hall of Fame movies, Blind Spot from 1993 and Missing Pieces from 2000. But her roles in those films were smaller than what they could have been. One day, I’d like to see Karina cast in a Hallmark Hall of Fame film with a bigger role than she has received in years past.

 

  1. If you could have a crossover between an anime and something involving Western animation, what would they be and what would the plot look like? When I read this question, I immediately thought of the Sailor Scouts from Sailor Moon teaming up with heroes from the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe)! Because the animated shows from Marvel follow a different story than the films, the Heart of the Universe would provide an interesting component to the plot. I’ve read online that the ‘Heart of the Universe’ is more powerful than the Infinity Gauntlet. Whether the ‘Heart of the Universe’ is a part of official Marvel canon is unknown to me. But it could create a way to raise the stakes for both programs.

 

  1. What is your favorite thing about international cinema? I’d have to say being introduced to new people in the world of film! Before I started 18 Cinema Lane, I didn’t know who Vincent Perez was. Now, I’ve seen two of his films; Queen of the Damned and Swept from the Sea! This June, I’ll be reviewing the 1990 film, Cyrano de Bergerac, which I’m looking forward to because of Vincent’s involvement in the project!

 

  1. If you could switch a theme song from a movie or TV series with a different song, what would it be and why? I have two choices for this question. The first is the theme music from Murder, She Wrote. To me, this piece of music doesn’t fit the tone of the show. It makes the program appear more cheerful than it really is. While there are light-hearted moments within the show, there can also be suspenseful and darker moments. I would change the theme music to something that sounds more mysterious. The second choice is The Crow: Stairway to Heaven. I’ve never watched the show, but I have seen a video of the show’s opening credits. I was surprised by the creative team’s choice not to use music from the 1994 film. For this show, I’d select a song directly from the movie.

 

  1. What book would you like to see adapted onto the screen? This could be a novel or comic book, by the way. I’ve mentioned this on 18 Cinema Lane before, but I’ll say it again. I would love to see Murder on Ice by Alina Adams become a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries film! If you want to learn why I feel this way, you can read my Movie Blogger’s Christmas Wish-List at this link:

A Movie Blogger’s Christmas Wish-List 2019

125843-OSCVR0-64
Happy sun image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by freepik – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

  1. What band would you like to see compose an entire soundtrack? What kind of movie would they score? My favorite band is Trans-Siberian Orchestra! While their music was featured in the movie, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, I really want to see them create a soundtrack for a Christmas movie musical for Hallmark Hall of Fame!

 

  1. What is the least favorite thing from a creator you really like? Some of my favorite youtubers from the movie community host scheduled livestream videos. Unfortunately, there have been times when these videos have started late at night or lasted two+ hours. It also doesn’t help that I can’t pause the video while it’s live, as I end up missing important content. So, I either skip the video completely or watch it on a later date.

 

  1. Who would you like to see voicing over a documentary that has never done so before? What would the documentary be about? Even though Disney+ is hosting Wandavision, it would be fascinating to see a mockumentary about Sokovia. It also makes sense for Elizabeth Olsen to provide the project’s voice-over, especially since we haven’t heard her speak in a Sokovian accent while portraying Wanda/Scarlet Witch in quite some time.

 

  1. Which actor would sound ridiculous if they tried an accent outside of their own? I don’t know if it would sound ridiculous, but I’ve never heard Vin Diesel attempt an accent.

 

  1. Who do you think is the most overrated film or animation director? Personally, I would say Steven Soderbergh is overrated as a director. Granted, I only saw Logan Lucky. But I couldn’t finish the movie, as I disliked it that much.

 

  1. What is your greatest wish for cinema and/or animation? This could be realistic or a pipe dream. I will select two wishes for this question. Whether they’re realistic or just a dream is up for debate. The first is for the more underrated people in the entertainment industry to receive more recognition and attention then they might currently have. The second is for the full version of The Crow: City of Angels to be released. The Youtube channel, GoodBadFlicks, created a really good video about this film called “Exploring The Crow City of Angels”. I’ve only watched half of it, but it’s an informative piece on the “studio intervention” that heavily effected this movie. Because of the growing awareness and drive to restore lost media/films, I feel the release of the full version of The Crow: City of Angels could be possible.

award show
Award show image created by Nick Winchester at freeimages.com. “FreeImages.com/Nick Winchester.”

My 11 Nominees

  • Eric from Dr. Eric Perry, PhD
  • Zach from Shut Up Zach!
  • Paul from Classic Film Journal
  • Luke from Luke Atkins – Critic
  • Steve from Movie Movie Blog Blog II
  • Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews
  • Bonnie from Quaint Cooking
  • The Brannan sisters from Pure Entertainment Preservation Society
  • James from This Is My Truth Now
  • Erica from Poppity Talks Classic Film
  • Quiggy from The Midnite Drive-In

Award Gold Star Background Illustration
Gold star trophy image created by Macrovector on freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/gold”>Gold vector created by macrovector – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found on freepik.com.

My 11 Questions

  1. What is the first thing you will do when the Coronavirus is behind us?
  2. Has there ever been a time when you thought a film adaptation was better than its source material? If so, what is it?
  3. Which piece of lost media would you love to see found?
  4. Who was the last person to leave a comment on your blog?
  5. Describe your dream blogging collaboration!
  6. Is there an event you’d like to attend? If so, what is it?
  7. What is your favorite beverage?
  8. How long has your blog been around?
  9. Provide a sneak peek for an upcoming post!
  10. When will your blog reach a major milestone?
  11. What is something that makes you feel happy?

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

TIE-BREAKER: Crowning the Best Movie and Story of the 2020 Gold Sally Awards

Toward the beginning of this year’s round of polls for the 2nd Annual Gold Sally Awards, I posted the first two polls; the Best Movie Award and the Best Story Award. After these rounds were over, I discovered there was a tie in both divisions! To determine a winner, I have brought back both polls! You’re allowed to vote for more than one nominee. However, you can only vote once per person. This poll starts today, April 10th, and ends on April 16th.

Hand holding trophy
Hand holding gold trophy image created by Macrovector at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by macrovector – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

https://linkto.run/p/HQ2WZ3TN

What is the Best Movie of 2019?
Avengers: Endgame
Ben-Hur (1959)
Kubo and the Two Strings

 

What is the Best Story of 2019?
Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy
Mystery 101: Words Can Kill
Created with poll maker

 

Have fun voting!

Sally Silverscreen

Now it’s time to choose the Best Supporting Actor of 2020’s Gold Sally Awards!

Happy April! We’re almost finished with the acting division as the Best Supporting Actor poll arrives. This poll will help us determine who will be crowned the Best Supporting Actor of the 2nd Annual Gold Sally Awards! You’re allowed to vote for more than one nominee. However, you can only vote once per person. This poll starts today, April 3rd, and ends on April 9th.

SS Cinema Lane
The official logo of 18 Cinema Lane! Image found at https://katthemovies.wordpress.com/2019/03/30/graphic-design-is-my-passion/.

https://linkto.run/p/BZ924H5P

Who is the Best Supporting Actor of 2019?
Stephen Boyd — Ben-Hur (1959)
Mickey Rooney — Boys Town
Dave Collette — Chronicle Mysteries: Vines that Bind
Cardi Wong – Flip That Romance
Larry Nunn – Men of Boys Town
Robin Thomas – Mystery 101: Words Can Kill
Todd Stashwick – Kim Possible (2019)
Ian McKellen – Swept from the Sea
Jeremy Guilbaut – The Last Bridesmaid
Gregory Harrison – The Nine Lives of Christmas
Created with PollMaker

 

Have fun voting!

Sally Silverscreen