When I published my review of To Catch a Spy back in June, it became my 250th movie review! I also published my 550th post in July, with that month’s Word on the Street article helping me reach that number. With these two milestones, I knew I was due to write something special! Sometimes, I listen to Youtube videos where a chosen question from Reddit is answered by various people. Since I’m a movie blogger, I find Reddit’s movie related questions to be interesting. This served as the inspiration for this list post, where I’ve chosen ten questions and will provide my answers to them. If you’re interested in seeing other answers to these questions, you can type these questions into Youtube’s searchbar and find the videos that way. Now, let’s read what I, as a movie blogger, have to say about some of Reddit’s movie related questions!
- What Movie Was Basically Just an Ad?
As soon as I read this question, I immediately thought of When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing. Even though the movie is objectively good, it is basically a two-hour commercial for When Hope Calls. For those who are not aware, When Hope Calls is the spin-off series of When Calls the Heart. The film’s main plot serves as the premise for When Hope Calls, giving that show’s protagonists more attention than When Calls the Heart’s series regulars. When I reviewed When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing three years ago, I said this part of the story should have been a subplot, as it contained little connection to When Calls the Heart’s stories. While one of the spin-off’s protagonists did appear in two of When Calls the Heart’s sixth season episodes, When Hope Calls survived for only one season.
2. What Movie Franchise Should’ve Stopped at 2?
For this question, I’ll say the All of My Heart series and the Christmas at Graceland series. With the All of My Heart series, the third movie should have been the sequel, as the second movie is just that forgettable. If you’ve never seen the All of My Heart movies, skip the second one altogether. Meanwhile, the Christmas at Graceland series should have never received a third film. The third installment, Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays had nothing to do with the previous two stories. While I have never reviewed any of the All of My Heart movies on my blog, I have shared why I don’t like the third Christmas at Graceland movie. You can read my thoughts in my list of the worst movies of 2019.
The Top 10 Worst Movies I saw in 2019
3. What Fact From a Movie Will Change The Way You Look at it?
On several occasions, I’ve talked about the “studio intervention” that affected the production of The Crow: City of Angels. Had I not known that vital piece of information prior to watching the movie, my opinion on the project would have been very different. I also would have never cared whether or not the film’s Tim Pope cut ever got released. But I’m thankful I learned about the “studio intervention” before I saw The Crow: City of Angels, as it gave me an idea of why certain creative decisions were made. If you’d like to learn more about this “studio invention” I’m referring to, you can read my editorial on why the Tim Pope of The Crow: City of Angels should be released.
Why Now is the Perfect Time to Release the Tim Pope Cut of ‘The Crow: City of Angels’
4. What Movies Would Be Great From Another Perspective?
I actually have three answers for this question! From what I remember, Chel was very secretive about her past in The Road to El Dorado. If the movie had been from her perspective, we’d get to learn more about Chel’s backstory as well as the culture within El Dorado. While I love Atlantis: The Lost Empire, I think it would be interesting if it had been from Kida’s perspective. Parts of the story that take place in Atlantis, such as when Kida single-handedly creates Atlantis’ shield barrier, would have had a greater impact. In my review of The Crow, I talked about how the story was presented as a mystery. This made me think about how Vladimir and Dimitri are trying to solve a mystery throughout 1997’s Anastasia. If this movie had been a mystery where the audience has to discover Anya’s true identity alongside Vladimir and Dimitri, that would have been such an interesting and engaging experience!
5. What’s a Sign That a Movie is Going to be Bad?
I’ve heard that if a movie has red font in their title, then the movie is destined to fail. However, I’m not sure how accurate this information is.
6. What Movies Released Together are Basically the Same?
I said in my review of 1931’s Dracula that if you’ve seen Nosferatu, you’ve already seen Dracula. Therefore, these are the films I’m choosing for this question. If you’d like to hear my thoughts on both films, I’ll provide the links to them in this list.
Take 3: Nosferatu Review (A Month Without the Code — #1)
Take 3: Dracula (1931) Review + 180 Follower Thank You
7. What Franchise Was Milked/Is Being Milked Too Much?
I have three answers for this question. They are the following:
From 2008 to 2019, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has, for the most part, been a well-executed concept. Each character, story, and film was delivered at a specific time for a specific reason. After the release of Avengers: Endgame, it seems like Disney and Marvel are just desperate to keep their ship afloat. Instead of relying on a pre-created game plan, it feels like they are throwing anything and everything at a wall, in an attempt to find something that sticks. I haven’t seen any of Marvel’s projects post Avengers: Endgame. But based on what I’ve heard, the overall quality is much lower than the studio’s earlier entries.
If you’ve been following my blog, you would know that I stopped watching Hallmark’s Good Witch series after the premiere of Good Witch: Spellbound. Based on what I’ve heard from people who continued to watch the show until its end, the franchise was milked for so long and for so many times, that it strayed far away from its roots. In the first Good Witch movie, Jake’s children, Brandon and Lori, believed Cassie was a witch because strange things happened whenever she was near. But the possibility of Cassie actually being a witch was never alluded to, as the magic in the series had been figurative/intuitive. In the show’s last season, Cassie and her relatives admit they are witches and practice actual magic. What happened to the Good Witch series presents one of the dangers of keeping a particular story around longer than it was welcome.
Hallmark’s Christmas line-ups are the textbook definition of being “too much of a good thing”. While this is a collection of movies, not a franchise, the line-ups have become bigger than they should be. In the early years of ‘Countdown to Christmas’ and ‘Miracles of Christmas’, both of Hallmark’s networks released a limited number of movies. Because there were fewer offerings, it gave the movies an opportunity to possibly become classics. When an actor or actress was announced to star in a Christmas movie from Hallmark, it felt like they were joining an exclusive club. With Hallmark creating so many Christmas movies and showing them year-round, their event is now bloated. I, honestly, have my doubts that Hallmark can continue making these line-ups as highly anticipated as they once were.
8. What Movie are You Surprised That Hasn’t Had a Sequel Yet?
I’m actually surprised 1989’s Steel Magnolias has never received a sequel. It is one of those stories where if you were to revisit these characters and their world now, it would probably work. So much has changed since the theatrical release of Steel Magnolias, so I’d be interested in seeing how the characters live their lives in the 21st century. The sequel could also serve as a reunion with the return of the original movie’s cast.
9. What Plot Twist Made You Shout ‘Bullcrap’?
When I reviewed Yes, I Do three years ago, I said that Charlotte’s chocolate allergy was poorly written to the point of appearing very unrealistic. However, I never got into the specifics of how poorly written this part of the story was. Throughout the movie, Charlotte said she was allergic to chocolate, despite working in a chocolate factory. She claims that when she smells chocolate, she knows whether or not it will taste good. Toward the end of the movie, Charlotte eats a piece of chocolate, discovering her allergy has magically disappeared. Meanwhile, Nicole (Jessica Lowndes’ character), has a strawberry allergy that is written more realistically. She even has a serious reaction after she accidently eats a strawberry flavored piece of chocolate.
10. What Plot Twist Would You Add To a Movie to Mess with the Audience?
It took me a while to figure out what my answer would be for this question. But I’ve chosen Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar. Toward the end of that movie, Oliver proposes to Shane at Norman and Rita’s wedding reception. What would have made the fans of the series upset is if Oliver had thought about proposing to Shane at the reception, but then changed his mind at the last second, deciding to propose on another date instead. Since it’s been three years since Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar premiered, fans would have had to wait for any developments in Oliver and Shane’s relationship.
What are your thoughts on my list? How would you answer these questions? Tell me in the comment section!
Have fun at the movies!
Sally Silverscreen
18 Cinema Lane 