Tag: Disney

Take 3: Oliver & Company Review + 30 Follower Thank You

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

I received 30 followers on 18 Cinema Lane two weeks ago! It’s time for me to review a film that was released 30 years ago (in 1988)! Because I’ve never reviewed a Disney animated film on my blog before and since the last time I reviewed an animated film was Rugrats Go Wild (for my 15 follower thank you review), I chose Oliver & Company for this milestone post. Oliver & Company is a film that I’ve only seen bits and pieces of, so I was looking forward to seeing this movie in its entirety. While choosing which movie I would talk about for this particular post, I realized that Oliver & Company was released the year before the start of the “Disney Renaissance”: when The Little Mermaid made its film debut. I came across a review of Oliver & Company from the blog, Reviewing All 56 Disney Animated Films And More!. In that review, Rachel, the creator and author of the blog, provided some insight into the importance of Oliver & Company. This insight made me interested to see the type of foundation that this film possibly put in place for the “Disney Renaissance” and beyond. Keep reading my review of Oliver & Company to see how I felt about the movie as a whole!

Oliver and Company poster
Oliver & Company poster image created by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution and The Walt Disney Company. ©Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Image found at https://movies.disney.com/oliver-and-company

Things I liked about the film:

The characters: There were several likable characters in Oliver & Company! I liked how they each had their own unique personality and it was fun to see the various interactions between the characters. Some of the creative choices that were made in relation to the characters were interesting. For instance, there are times when a character who is a bulldog could be portrayed as a mean-spirited and tough individual. In Oliver & Company, however, Francis (who is a bulldog) is an aspiring actor who has a deep appreciation for the theater. This character stood out to me because I had never seen a bulldog, in television or film, portrayed this way before.

 

The animation: The animation style in Oliver & Company felt very reflective of the art styles and pop culture that could have been found around the film’s release (mid to late ‘80s). This reflection made the movie feel like an idea of what the ‘80s might have been like, shown to the audience as if they were looking at a snapshot. There were a lot of bright colors in this film that I felt complimented the movie overall. The use of light and dark colors was also well done. An example can be found toward the beginning of the film, when Oliver is left by himself in the middle of a rainstorm. In this scene, Oliver’s bright orange fur stood out against the dark blue background of the city. These choices relating to the use of specific colors added to the artistry of the animation!

 

The music: I really liked all of the music in Oliver & Company! While “Good Company” is a sweet and gentle song, the rest of the songs are upbeat and fun to listen to! To me, all of the music added to the entertainment value of this film. I can definitely see myself listening to Oliver & Company’s soundtrack long after the credits have rolled!

newyork4
New York City skyline with letters image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/new-york-skyline-typographic-silhouette_719554.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.

What I didn’t like about the film:

Lack of character development for the human characters: In Oliver & Company, there are only four human characters within the story. As I was watching this movie, I found myself wanting to know more about these characters. How Jenny felt about her parents, apparently, putting more emphasis on their dog, Georgette, than her was something that I was curious about. I also wanted to know more about how Fagin ended up in his particular situation as well as see him move out of poverty in order to achieve a comfortable life for him and his dogs. I understand this story is primarily about the animal characters. But, when it comes to character development for the human characters, I felt there was more to be desired.

 

A limited presence of the villain: When it came to the villain in this movie, I thought that Sykes was unsettling. However, compared to other Disney villains (and even some non-Disney villains), he wasn’t as terrifying as he could have been. In fact, I found his Doberman side-kicks, Roscoe and DeSoto, to be scarier than Sykes himself. This is because Sykes has a very limited presence on-screen and doesn’t receive a lot of character development. For these reasons, Oliver & Company doesn’t seem to have a lot of high stakes.

 

The run-time: There were a few times in Oliver & Company where situations seemed to happen too quickly. An example of this is when Oliver learns, at a fast pace, how to steal hot-dogs alongside Dodger. This issue is a result of the film’s shorter run-time. The other aforementioned things that I didn’t like about this film are also the results of a shorter run-time. Oliver & Company is one hour and fourteen minutes, which, as I look back on the film, made me feel like the movie went by very quickly. If this movie would have been an hour and 30 or 35 minutes, the human characters could have received a little more character development and the villain could have been featured more in the film.

nature &amp; animals
Orange cat image created by Freestockcenter at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/ginger-cat_883376.htm’>Designed by Freestockcenter</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/gold”>Gold image created by Freestockcenter – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

As a Disney animated film, Oliver & Company is fine. As a movie in general, it’s good for what it is. I know that there are other Disney animated films that are stronger than Oliver & Company, but I would never consider Oliver & Company to be the worst or weakest movie from the Disney animated catalog. I like to think of this film as the older sibling to The Little Mermaid. While Oliver & Company was the pioneer for what a Disney animated film could and should be (at that time), The Little Mermaid was able to enjoy the fruits of Oliver & Company’s labor because of those important building blocks that were set in place before the “Disney Renaissance” began. Oliver & Company’s efforts should be celebrated, which is why it’s receiving a “standing ovation” on 18 Cinema Lane! As always, thank you to each and every one of my 30 followers as well as my readers! 18 Cinema Lane and this review would not be the same without you!

 

Overall score: 7.4-7.5 out of 10

 

What is your favorite Disney animated film? Which movie from 1988 do you like the most? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

The link to Rachel’s review of Oliver & Company: https://54disneyreviews.com/2014/09/11/movie-27-oliver-and-company/

Word on the Street: Title for Avengers 4 may come in late 2018

On By 18cinemalane1 Comment

I haven’t published a Word on the Street post in two weeks, so I thought this movie news story would be a perfect way to get back to talking about movie related topics that I find interesting. Yesterday, Collider released an article about how one of their writers, Christina Radish, asked Kevin Feige in an interview about the title for the next Avengers film. In that same article, Mr. Feige indicated that the title would be revealed later in 2018, after the start of the Captain Marvel marketing. You can read Mr. Feige’s quote and the Collider article here:

http://collider.com/avengers-4-title-reveal/

Bucky and Thor at the movies
My friends, Bucky, Bucky, and Thor, at a screening of Avengers: Infinity War. Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

After reading this article, I was, honestly, not surprised by what Mr. Feige said. Last month, John Campea, on The John Campea Show, talked about the official DVD release date for Avengers: Infinity War being set for August 14th. It makes sense for Marvel to wait until after the film has made its theatrical run to announce the title for the next film, especially if that title contains any spoilers from Avengers: Infinity War. It also makes sense for Marvel to focus on releasing their Captain Marvel advertisements first, since that movie is being released next March and there has, so far, not been any official marketing for the film yet. Personally, I think the title for Avengers 4 will be revealed toward the end of the movie’s very first trailer, as to encourage people to watch the trailer and catch them by surprise. But for now, we’ll just have to take Dale Travers’ advice from Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Lost Without You and “trust the timing”.

 

If you want to watch the video that I referenced in this post, type “Infinity War Digital Details, Deadpool 2 Box Office – The John Campea Show” into Youtube’s search bar.

 

What are your thoughts on Kevin Feige’s statements? Do you agree with Marvel’s decision to possibly reveal the Avengers 4 title in late 2018? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Avengers: Infinity War (SPOILER-FREE) Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

The day has finally arrived for me to review my most anticipated movie of 2018! Successfully avoiding possible spoilers, I had excitement and anticipation riding on my shoulders. This movie was definitely a cinematic event, probably one of the biggest this decade has ever seen. Avengers: Infinity War has been dominating the box office recently, dethroning previous champions and achieving almost every record imaginable. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) celebrating a milestone birthday, the hype for this film was absolutely real. But is Avengers: Infinity War worthy of all this attention and popularity? While you’re reaching for the stars, make sure to check out my review of Marvel’s newest installment; Avengers: Infinity War!

This review has no spoilers ahead!

Avengers Infinity War Bucky poster
Bucky and his friend, Bucky, really wanted to get a picture with the Avengers: Infinity War poster! Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: The entire cast of Avengers: Infinity War was fantastic! Everyone put everything they had into their acting performances and it truly showed in the film. All of the comedic and dramatic timing was perfectly executed, as all of the actors and actresses’ portrayals appeared natural and believable. Because of the superb job from the cast, it helped me as a movie-goer put emotional investment into the characters.

 

  • The cinematography/special effects: All of the special effects in Avengers: Infinity War looked beautiful! Not only were the different environments pretty to look at, they all felt so distinctive and life-like! I also really liked the character designs of the CGI villains, especially Thanos. They all looked and felt very real, helping to make these characters come across as believable.

 

  • A balance of comedy and drama: While Avengers: Infinity War is a film that has a more serious tone, there are comedic moments that help prevent the movie from being “doom & gloom” from start to finish. The insertion of the jokes never felt forced, as they were both well-written and well-executed. But whenever there were dramatic moments in the film, it felt like it matched the overall tone the creative team behind this movie was trying to achieve.

 

  • Thanos as a villain: When watching Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos ended up scaring me. One reason for this is how Thanos felt like he was justified in creating and attempting to execute his plan. The other reason is how Thanos felt like nothing could stand in his way of his goals. Both of these aspects of Thanos made him one of the most memorable villians in the MCU.
Avengers Infinity War Logo
Avengers: Infinity War logo created by The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios. © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Marvel and Avengers Characters: ©2017 Marvel. Image found at https://marvel.com/.

What I didn’t like about the film:

  • The ending: Since this is a spoiler-free review, I can’t really elaborate on why I don’t like the ending. What I will say is that I felt like it was shocking just for the sake of it. Also, it didn’t seem to make a lot of sense to me.

 

  • The end-credit scene: Like I said about the ending, I can’t explain why I didn’t like the end-credit scene. All I’ll say is I felt it didn’t make a lot of sense and to me, was not worth the wait.
Bucky and Thor at the movies
My friends were excited to see Avengers: Infinity War! Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

My overall impression:

Avengers: Infinity War was a good movie! There are a lot of things that this film did right, such as effectively balancing both comedy and drama. However, I didn’t think this was a great film. Going into this latest Marvel movie, I knew this would be a “set-up” film. But I was hoping that it wouldn’t be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 all over again, where the majority of the events in the film happened for the sake of setting up the next film. While Avengers: Infinity War is a better movie than the seventh Harry Potter installment, it still felt like a “set-up” for the next part in the Avengers story. Because the next chapter in this saga is coming in about a year, I’m only bothered by some of the events in the movie to a certain extent. Hopefully “Avengers 4” will be a better film than what we ended up receiving this time around.

 

Overall score: 8.5 out of 10

 

Have you seen Avengers: Infinity War? Was it worth all the hype for you? Please tell me what you think in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Avengers: Infinity War (SPOILER-ZONE) Review

On By 18cinemalane4 Comments

If you read my spoiler-free review for Avengers: Infinity War, you would know that I gave the movie an official score of 8.5 out of 10. While I explained some of the reasons why I gave Marvel’s newest installment this score, I wasn’t able to go into depth about the other reasons for this score. Spoilers were the only reason why I didn’t elaborate on the things I didn’t like about the film. Because of this, I wanted to create a separate post where I could talk about the things from this movie that made me feel that this movie was good but not great. Since I already reviewed Avengers: Infinity War, this post will be more of a discussion/companion piece to the spoiler-free review. Now that introductions have finally been made, let’s talk about the spoilers from Avengers: Infinity War!

Be aware that there are spoilers ahead!

Avengers Infinity War Thor poster
Thor really wanted to get a picture with the Avengers: Infinity War poster! Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
  • Avengers: Infinity War feeling like a “set-up” film: In my review of Avengers: Infinity War, I talked about how I was disappointed that some of the key events in this movie felt like they happened for the sake of setting up the next part of the story. The biggest example of this is when Thanos successfully gathered all the Infinity Stones. Throughout the film, Thanos’ quest to achieve a balance in the galaxy seemed way too easy. Sure, the Avengers and Guardians put up a good fight, but it seemed like the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War made Thanos just too powerful. Before I saw Avengers: Infinity War, I had predicted that Thanos would get all but one of the Stones. That way, the conflict of the next Avengers film would be of Thanos trying to track down the last Stone, while the Avengers and Guardians went to great lengths to protect it. However, because the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War knew they were essentially creating a second part to this particular story, this creative decision felt like Thanos got his way too easily, giving the heroes a forced conflict for “Avengers 4”.

 

  • The stakes not feeling big enough: While there were stakes in Avengers: Infinity War, I felt like the stakes made did not create as big of an impact as it could have been. The characters the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War chose to kill off (before Thanos got his way) are Loki, Heimdall, the Black Order, Gamora, and Vision (twice). Basically, it seems like the creative team chose characters that felt like easy targets. While I found Gamora’s death to be shocking and Vision’s death to be sad, it didn’t seem to emotionally affect many of the superheroes featured in this movie. If the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War wanted to make an emotional statement (for the superheroes in the film and for their audience), they would have created an outcome that negatively affected one of the bigger heroes (example: Captain America or Iron Man). This way, the other heroes could use their emotional responses as fuel to defeat Thanos.

 

  • Making favorite heroes disappear: Speaking of “set-ups” for the next Avengers film, the ending of Avengers: Infinity War felt like a painfully obvious and forced “set-up” for “Avengers 4”. This was caused by almost all of the superheroes featured in this movie turning into dust as a result of Thanos’ plan being successful. Personally, I didn’t like the ending for several reasons. It felt too ambiguous and sudden for the general movie-going audience, not providing an explanation to where the “disappeared” heroes went. The specific superheroes that the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War chose to have “disappear” didn’t seem to make a lot of sense. Why would they choose to have Spider-Man “disappear” when we know that a Spider-Man sequel is coming next summer (in fact, it’s premiering two months after “Avengers 4”)? Why would Black Panther be one of the “disappeared” heroes after the MCU gave him his own stand-alone movie, causing him to become one of the most popular and marketable superheroes in the MCU’s roster? The one “disappearance” that upset me the most was Bucky’s. Not only is Bucky my favorite superhero in the MCU, but it frustrated me that he was on his way to finally start thriving, only to have those potential opportunities taken away from him. He had been through so much in the course of the Captain America trilogy, was taken out of cryo-freeze in the Black Panther end-credit scene, was finally cured because of Shuri (which bothered me that no one acknowledged this in Avengers: Infinity War), got a new prosthetic arm (which looked absolutely gorgeous), was featured in this movie at all, was able to fight alongside the other heroes, only to have him disappear? Also, Steve Rogers/Captain America already lost Bucky while they were in the Army, so what would be the point of Steve losing his friend again? Speaking of Captain America, out of all the superheroes that stuck around, most of them were the “original six” Avengers (Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye). Keeping those heroes around felt so painfully obvious that the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War want to possibly recreate the “classic” Avengers line-up from the first Avengers film. Even some of the heroes that the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War chose to keep around that weren’t a part of the “original six” didn’t appear to make sense. Out of all the Guardians, why would they have Rocket be the only one that stays? Since I knew going into Avengers: Infinity War that the “disappeared” heroes are going to appear in the next Avengers movie (because of announced sequels and IMDB Filmographies), the ending wasn’t as emotionally affective for me.

 

  • That end-credit scene: Going into Avengers: Infinity War, I knew there would be an end-credit scene (especially since that’s an MCU staple). After that ending, I was hoping that the end-credit scene would, at least, make up for it. Sadly, this was not the case. All that happened was Maria Hill and Nick Fury “disappearing” into dust (which, again, didn’t seem to make sense) and the Captain Marvel logo being shown on a beeper-type device. To me, the decision to tease the arrival of Captain Marvel didn’t appear to make sense from the perspective of a general movie-goer. Why would Marvel hint at Captain Marvel’s appearance when we the movie-goers haven’t even been officially introduced to her yet? Wouldn’t it make more sense to dedicate the only end-credit scene to Ant-Man, especially since he wasn’t in Avengers: Infinity War and the next MCU movie is Ant-Man and the Wasp? Because of the end-credit scene, it, honestly, makes me skeptical about whether Captain Marvel can successfully fix the mess that was left at the end of Avengers: Infinity War.
Avengers Infinity War Logo
Avengers: Infinity War logo created by The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios. © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Marvel and Avengers Characters: ©2017 Marvel. Image found at https://marvel.com/.

As you can tell, I’m not pleased with some of the decisions that the creative team behind this movie ended up making. One of the reasons why the MCU is so successful is because they’ve built a strong sense of trust with their audience/fans. But after this ending, it seems like that trust has been tarnished to a certain extent. Because I am simply a movie blogger, there’s not much I can do about the situation. However, I can only speak for myself when I say that I will take Dale Travers’ advice from Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Lost Without You to “trust the timing”. Let’s not forget that we still have “Avengers 4” coming up and the marketing campaign for that film could, highly likely, start later this year. Hopefully, some of the “disappeared” heroes can show up in the advertisements, which would give fans peace of mind that their favorite character is going to be okay. Who knows, maybe the release date for “Avengers 4” could get pushed forward, like Avengers: Infinity War, so we can see the film early? All I’m saying is to let things surrounding this franchise take its course. It’s great how some fans have found creative ways to deal with their feelings about the ending, such as Youtuber, AmyLynn Craig, teaming up with her friend to save Spider-Man. It’s also great how people have been able to find each other to discuss how they feel, such as Rachel, from Rachel’s Reviews and Hallmarkies Podcast, talking about the movie with her friends, Trevor and David. But please remember, these are Marvel productions and, so far, Marvel has steered their ship pretty well. I just hope the creative team behind “Avengers 4” takes the feelings of their audience/fans into account while they’re making their next film.

Bucky and Thor at the movies
My friends were excited to see Avengers: Infinity War! Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

What are your thoughts about Avengers: Infinity War? How do you feel about that ending? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

If you want to see the videos that I referenced in this post, just type the name of the channel (AmyLynn Craig, Rachel’s Reviews) or the names of the videos (“Our Spidey Mission! *Infinity War Spoilers* (2018 Disney Vlog #4)”, “David and Rachel vs Infinity War (Spoilers)”, “Talking Infinity War w How to Love Comics [SPOILERS]”) into Youtube’s search bar.

My game plan for avoiding Avengers: Infinity War spoilers

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Avengers: Infinity War is coming next weekend (where has the time gone?)! Whether it’s purchasing tickets or creating predictions with friends, fans everywhere are preparing for this movie’s long-waited arrival. An important part of that plan is avoiding that one thing every fan that cares about this movie despises: spoilers. Going to the movies is cost and time consuming as it is, so fans are wanting and hoping this movie is worth both their time and money. A fan’s excitement and future enjoyment could be easily destroyed if they catch wind of anything, including spoilers, that might ruin their experience. Now I’ve been avoiding all of the Avengers: Infinity War TV spots because I know there could be potential spoilers featured in them. So, I decided to create a game plan for myself so that I can have the best experience possible when I finally do see this movie. If you are looking forward to Avengers: Infinity War as much as I am, this list is meant to be a friendly set of guidelines that can help you enjoy the movie and have a good movie-going experience. Even though this list was made for me and by me, you are free to look at this list as an example to help you out.

Avengers Infinity War poster image
Avengers: Infinity War poster image created by  The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios. © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Marvel and Avengers Characters: ©2017 Marvel. Image found at http://marvel.com/movies/movie/223/avengers_infinity_war.
  1. Staying the heck off of social media

When the Russo brothers, the directors of Avengers: Infinity War, and John Campea, from The John Campea Show, go out of their way to urge people not to spoil this film, that’s when you know this movie is going to be a big deal. Unfortunately, that advice is going to get ignored as spoilers will highly likely still be found in comment sections, on places such as Youtube and other blogs, and from accounts on sites like Pinterest, Tumblr, and the like. With this knowledge in mind, I will not visit any of these sites during the week of April 23rd (in case you don’t know, April 23rd is the day of the world premiere for Avengers: Infinity War). I will continue to make posts on my blog, but I am, personally, limiting my use of the internet.

  1. Reading

As I’ve mentioned in my post about the release of the trailer for Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Beach House, I have not yet read Mary Alice Monroe’s novel (which is the basis for Hallmark’s film). Because The Beach House is premiering on April 28th, this gives me a good opportunity to read the book before I see the film. Reading this book does not require the internet, so it can give me something to do until I see Avengers: Infinity War.

  1. Watching movies

I did say earlier in this post that I will still make posts to 18 Cinema Lane. Because I haven’t posted a movie review yet, this gives me a great excuse to catch up on some Hallmark movies and figure out which movie I will review next.

  1. Preparing to see Avengers: Infinity War

Like a lot of fans and movie-goers, I am excited about Marvel’s latest film! In anticipation, I will be making some important decisions like what I’m going to wear and when I’m going to see the film. Because I want my movie-going experience to be the best it can be, taking the week of April 23rd to prepare for this movie will keep my excitement for this film alive. These things will not involve a lot of internet use, so spoilers will not be a concern.

Avengers Infinity War Logo
Avengers: Infinity War logo created by The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios. © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Marvel and Avengers Characters: ©2017 Marvel. Image found at https://marvel.com/.

So, this is how I plan to avoid spoilers until I finally see Avengers: Infinity War. I hope that my game plan can help spark some ideas to help you in your quest for the best movie-going experience possible. Even though most of you have probably heard other people tell you this before, I will give you the friendly reminder to not give spoilers away for Avengers: Infinity War (especially if you are seeing the film early). As John Campea has stated in most of his videos, we are a part of a film-fan community. Being a part of a community should mean helping one another as well as showing respect and kindness.

 

If you plan on seeing Avengers: Infinity War, I wish you the best and most fun-filled movie-going experience imaginable!

 

If you want to watch John Campea’s video about not spoiling Avengers: Infinity War, you can find it on Youtube when typing “PLEASE No Spoiler Reviews Before Avengers Infinity War Opens – Open Letter” into the search bar. John Campea also talks about the Russo brothers’ letter encouraging people not to spoil Avengers: Infinity War in his video “Are Avengers, Solo, Deadpool Going To Hurt Each Other At The Box Office? – The John Campea Show”, which you can also find on Youtube.

 

What do you think of my game plan? How do you plan to avoid spoilers? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Movie production news for Hallmark and Disney Channel!

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

There have been a lot of news that has come out this week surrounding the production of two upcoming Hallmark movies and a future Disney Channel movie! I’ll break down each specific movie’s production news and share my thoughts on each. All of these stories are from What’s Filming and all of these movies are either currently in production or will be in production in the Vancouver and British Columbia area.

Flat-Cinema2
Movie items image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/frame”>Frame vector created by Freepik</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/flat-several-audiovisual-elements_848747.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Back in March, I reported that the Summer of Dreams sequel was going into production. Because of that production date, it was believed that “Dream On” (the current title for the film) was going to be a part of Hallmark’s “June Weddings” line-up. However, “Dream On” was added again to the “Upcoming” page on What’s Filming, starting production on May 8th and finishing on May 25th this time. What this means is that “Dream On” will likely not make an appearance in Hallmark’s “June Weddings” line-up as we originally thought, but might instead be included in their “Summer Nights” line-up (just like Summer of Dreams). Hallmark recently released a trailer for the 2018 “June Weddings” line-up. It was mentioned in this trailer that there were going to be four new movies, however, only three were advertised: Marrying Mr. Darcy, The Perfect Bride 2, and Wedding March 4: Something Old, Something New. If “Dream On” is not that mystery fourth movie, then I wonder what it could be? Maybe it’s the project that’s also featured on What’s Filming titled “I Do”? We’ll have to wait for Hallmark’s official word for the time being.

Link to What’s Filming’s “Upcoming” page: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/upcoming/ (if you visit this page after May 8th, “Dream On” will move to the “In Production” page for the Vancouver and British Columbia area)

Link to the “June Weddings” trailer: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/june-weddings/videos/first-look-june-weddings-2018

8_Cupcakes1-01
Cupcake with hearts image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/delicious-cupcakes-illustrations_779154.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/food”>Food vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Another upcoming Hallmark movie that is listed on What’s Filming is Truly, Madly, Sweetly. Dylan Neal and Nikki DeLoach are both attached to the project, with What’s Filming providing an article about the movie. After I read the brief synopsis in this article, I became intrigued by this movie. While Hallmark has made movies about cupcake bakeries before (with The Sweetest Heart being the most recent entry), I can’t think of a Hallmark movie that has centered around a food truck before. This gets me excited about the possible creativity that this project has to offer! Within this article, an Instagram photo of both Dylan and Nikki was featured, having Dylan himself hinting at a fall release. If Truly, Madly, Sweetly is to be a “Fall Harvest” movie, Hallmark will probably not give any official announcements for a while.

Link to What’s Filming’s article about Truly, Madly, Sweetly: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/2018/04/09/unspeakable-miniseries-hallmark-truly-madly-sweetly/

Link to What’s Filming’s “In Production” page: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/inproduction/ (if you visit this page after April 27th, Truly, Madly, Sweetly will be taken off this page)

Kim Possible article picture
Kim Possible poster image created by The Walt Disney Company and Disney Channel © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Disney XD© Disney Enterprises, Inc. Poster image found at http://disneychannel.disney.com/kim-possible

My very first Word on the Street post was about the Kim Possible live-action Disney Channel movie. While casting still has not been announced, it has been mentioned on What’s Filming that the film will go into production from June 4th to July 23rd. In an article about the movie, it is warned that these dates might change. If the Kim Possible movie is filming this summer, it’s possible (no pun intended) that it might be released either later this year or sometime next year. So far, there have been no announcements about any premiere dates, so we’ll just have to wait for Disney’s official word. Two months ago, when I talked about this movie, I did share my concerns about the potential alienation of the fans of the original show. Because production hasn’t even started yet, I can’t form an honest opinion about the film’s quality, meaning that I’ll have to wait at least until a trailer is released for me to get a sense of the film’s tone and spirit.

Link to What’s Filming’s article about Kim Possible: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/2018/04/10/kim-possible-live-action-movie-based-on-disneys-popular-animated-series-filming-in-vancouver/

Link to What’s Filming’s “Upcoming” page: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/upcoming/ (while these dates may change, if you visit this page after June 4th, Kim Possible will be moved to the “In Production” page for the Vancouver and British Columbia area)

 

What are your thoughts on this movie news? Looking forward to any of these films? Please share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Saving Mr. Banks Review + 5 Follower Thank You

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Before I start my movie review, I’d like to take a moment to thank all of my followers on 18 Cinema Lane! When I started this blog a month ago, I never thought I’d get a fanbase this quickly. Because of this, I decided to dedicate my March finale review post to the 5 followers that I’ve acquired this week by reviewing a movie that was released five years ago. The movie that I’ve selected for this special review is Saving Mr. Banks because 1.) It was released in 2013 and 2.) I’ve wanted to see this movie for a while. As it was said on The Mickey Mouse Club, “everybody neat and pretty? Then on with the show”!

Saving Mr. Banks poster
Saving Mr. Banks poster image created by The Walt Disney Company. Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Image found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File: Saving_Mr._Banks_Theatrical_Poster.jpg.

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: Every single cast member in this film was fantastic! From the child actors to the main cast, everyone’s performance successfully complimented each other. To me, they all just seemed to disappear into their roles. This gave the appearance of seeing the characters for who they are, not just actors portraying characters. All of the performances made me want to be emotionally invested into the characters.

 

  • The scenery: All of the scenery in the Australian scenes were magnificent! The beauty of Australia’s landscape was really showcased well in those scenes. It made me feel like I was transported into that world. I also felt the same way about the California scenes as well. From the landscape to Disneyland itself, this movie felt like an engaging experience.

 

  • The atmosphere: Anytime the story took place in the 1960s, it not only looked like the ‘60s, it felt like the ‘60s as well. This also goes for the flashback scenes, where they looked and felt like 1906. I applaud the creative team behind this movie for going out of their way to make every scene feel authentic to those specific time periods. To me, it gave the film a sense of realism and believability.
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What I didn’t like about the film:

My overall impression:

Saving Mr. Banks is truly one of Disney’s gems! Everything about this movie seemed to be handled with such care and creativity that it was a wonderful experience watching this film. As I was watching this movie, I wondered how Walt Disney would have reacted to the inclusion of Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the Disney Company? Would he have seen those characters as family like he did with Mickey Mouse? Though we will never get answers to those questions, we can look forward to what Disney does have to offer (including a very special film coming just around the corner in April). Thanks again to all of my followers on 18 Cinema Lane because this review would not be possible without you.

 

Overall score: 9 out of 10

 

What did you think of my review? Have you seen Saving Mr. Banks? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: My thoughts on the official second Avengers: Infinity War trailer

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

When it comes to second/final trailers, I usually avoid watching these because I’m concerned about potential spoilers. However, when I found out that a new Avengers: Infinity War trailer was released today, I knew that I had to watch it, especially so I could share my thoughts with you. As I’ve mentioned in my Word on the Street post about the release date of the film, Avengers: Infinity War is my most anticipated movie of 2018, so I was curious to see if this new trailer would hold up in the overall marketing campaign. What did I think of it? Keep reading to find out!

Avengers Infinity War Logo
Avengers: Infinity War logo created by The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios. © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Marvel and Avengers Characters: ©2017 Marvel. Image found at https://marvel.com/.

I really liked this new trailer! Unlike most second/final trailers, the trailer for Avengers: Infinity War actually added to my already growing excitement for this movie! I have to applaud the marketing team involved with creating the promotional materials for Avengers: Infinity War because, so far, I’ve felt like they’ve gone out of their way to not show the audience too much footage. This trailer feels like there was enough content to keep people’s interest and excitement for the film. I also liked how the trailer showed how the superheroes are making a conscious effort to prepare themselves for the fight against Thanos. Whenever a movie is released, involving superheroes or honorable protaganists, you always hope that the main characters know what they’re doing. The trailer for Avengers: Infinity War lets the audience know that the heroes are trying their best to not get caught off guard. At the end of the trailer, I noticed that there was a message about the start of ticket sales. This was a pleasant surprise, as now people can start making their official plans to see Avengers: Infinity War. Overall, I really like the marketing campaign for this movie! To me, this film had become a bigger deal than something like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2. Until the release of Avengers: Infinity War, I will try my best to keep talking about this movie on 18 Cinema Lane!

 

If you want to watch the trailer, you can look for it on Youtube by typing in “Avengers Infinity War trailer 2”.

 

What are your thoughts about this trailer? Are you excited for Avengers: Infinity War? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: My thoughts on the new release date for “Avengers: Infinity War”

On By 18cinemalane2 Comments

I’m pretty sure you’ve heard by now that Avengers: Infinity War will now be released on April 27th (if you didn’t know, well, you do now). Instead of reporting on this significant piece of movie news (because that’s already been done), I’ve decided to share with you how I really feel about it.

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I found out two days ago as I was looking at YouTube on my phone. When I was scrolling down the page, I stumbled across a video from ScreenJunkies News titled “Why Did Marvel Just Change Avengers Release Date? Our Theories – INFINITY WAR BREAKING NEWS”. Without having watched the video yet, I instantly became shocked by the video’s headline (mostly because Marvel has never changed movie release dates after they were officially announced). Then I came across a video from Beyond The Trailer titled “Avengers Infinity War April 27th NEW RELEASE DATE”. As I read this second headline, I couldn’t understand why Marvel would do something like this for their biggest, and arguably most important, film. Determined to get answers to my quickly growing lists of questions, I watched the videos from both ScreenJunkies News and Beyond The Trailer, as well as a video from ColliderVideos titled “Avengers: Infinity War Release Date Moves Up One Week”. While watching each of these videos, the words of Roth Cornet and Billy Business (from ScreenJunkies News), Grace Randolph (from Beyond The Trailer), and John Rocha and Mark Reilly (from ColliderVideos) eased my anxious mind-set as they explained the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the sudden news (which involved a very cute Twitter exchange between Robert Downey Jr. and Marvel Studios). Everything each of these respective hosts said in their videos sounded good, but I still have one concern. In all three videos, it was mentioned that Avengers: Infinity War will be released around the world on April 27th. The last time a superhero film had a release date correlating with other areas of the world was Justice League (and we all know how that worked out for Warner Brothers). With each of these videos reflecting very positive opinions about Marvel’s recent decision, I now feel confident that Marvel made a good decision! As someone who has Avengers: Infinity War as their most anticipated movie of this year, I know that April will be a very exciting month for not only me, but also 18 Cinema Lane!

 

If you want to watch any of the videos I talked about in this post, you can go to YouTube and either type the title of the video or the channel name into the search bar.

 

What are your thoughts about this release date? Are you excited to be seeing the film earlier than expected? Please share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Kim Possible coming back to Disney Channel

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Last Wednesday, as I was on the website, RenewCancelTV.com, I came across an article about how the beloved television show, Kim Possible, was getting a live-action movie. When I read the news, I admit that I got excited. Thinking this movie was going to get a theatrical release, I imagined how cool the special effects would be, how awesome the fight sequences would look, and waiting in line opening day among an excited crowd of movie-goers and fans of the show. Until I read on The Hollywood Reporter that the movie would premiere on Disney Channel.

Cue the record scratch sound effect

As soon as I read this, my expectations for the film started to fall. But despite my initial disappointment, I realized that this decision actually makes sense. Not only did Kim Possible live (and thrive) on the network, but both of the show’s respective films (Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time and Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama) made their debuts on the Disney Channel. What makes me feel good about this movie’s production is that Mark McCorkle and Robert Schooley (the original creators of Kim Possible) are not only writing the script, but are also going to be executive producers. Out of everyone working on this film, they would know the most about Kim Possible. Because this show was their idea, they probably oversaw a good portion of what went into the show. I think this knowledge and first-hand experience creating the original show will help the creative team behind this Kim Possible movie understand the source material they’re working with.

Kim Possible article picture
Kim Possible poster image created by The Walt Disney Company and Disney Channel © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Disney XD© Disney Enterprises, Inc. Poster image found at http://disneychannel.disney.com/kim-possible

But, I do have a concern for this film. This new movie will be created and released in a time when the younger, current Disney Channel audience has probably never even heard of Kim Possible. My concern is that the creative team behind this movie might cater to this younger, more current Disney Channel audience to the point where the fans of the original show get alienated.

When this movie does get released, I will watch it with an open mind. As someone who has enjoyed watching the show and as a fan of Shego (my favorite Disney villain of all time), I want this movie to be good in quality and in entertainment value. But, I’ll be honest, my expectations will be lower than they would have been if this movie were a theatrical release. So, while fans have been given some time to let this news sink in, I just wanted to share my thoughts on this piece of movie news.

What do you think? Are you excited for a Kim Possible live action movie? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Link to the article from The Hollywood Reporter: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/live-action-kim-movie-works-at-disney-channel-1082695

Link to the article from RenewCancelTV.com: https://renewcanceltv.com/kim-possible-season-5-cancelled-disney-cartoon-reviving-live-action-movie/