Tag: movie reviews

Take 3: Oliver! Review + 50 Follower Thank You

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

On 18 Cinema Lane, I received a Christmas present early! I finally achieved 50 followers! This means that I now have to review a movie that was released fifty years ago (in 1968). While looking at my options for what movie to talk about, I realized that I haven’t reviewed a musical yet. So, I chose Oliver! for this special blog post. While I have never read Oliver Twist, I did see Oliver & Company in September. In fact, I reviewed that film back when I received 30 followers on 18 Cinema Lane. Because of this, I had a basic idea of what the story was about. How different was Oliver! from Oliver & Company? Check out my review in order to find out!

Oliver poster
Oliver! poster created by Romulus Films and Columbia Pictures. Image found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oliver!_(1968_movie_poster).jpg

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: This was a very strong cast! Everyone pulled off a performance that appeared so believable, it made the actors seem like they disappeared into their roles. One of the most versatile actors in this movie was Ron Moody. His portrayal of Fagin was very memorable, bringing those elements of sneakiness and desperation that were essential to that character. I also thought that the child actors were talented as well. While Mark Lester’s portrayal of Oliver was definitely a highlight in this film, I also liked seeing Jack Wild’s performance! Dodger, Jack’s character, was portrayed so well. This is because Jack’s acting performance appeared so natural, making it feel like a child in that particular situation would truly react in that specific way. All of these acting performances added to my level of enjoyment for this movie!

 

The set design: I was really impressed with all of the set designs in this movie! Because this story takes place in 1800s England, the environment within this film is reflective of that time and place. What makes these set designs so great is how immersive they make the audience feel when they see the film. While watching Oliver!, I felt like I was transported to that world, experiencing situations and events alongside Oliver. The authentic look and feel of the film’s environment also helps add a sense of realism to the story.

 

The musical sequences: The musical sequences within this film were, for the most part, really enjoyable! I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of up-beat and catchy songs that were not only entertaining, but also complimented the context of the story. The musical sequence that I enjoyed the most was “Consider Yourself” because the song itself was so great! Some of the visuals in that scene were very creative, such as when, as Dodger and Oliver are walking past a butcher shop, they walk through a doorway which was created by a split piece of meat. It was also interesting to see how the different components of 1800s London came together to showcase the importance that they represented at that time.

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Sketch of London image created by Archjoe at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-houses-of-parliament_1133950.htm’>Designed by Archjoe</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Archjoe – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

The heavy dialect: As I have mentioned, the story of Oliver! takes place in 1800s England. This means that all of the characters have a dialect that reflects that time and place. However, because of how heavy the dialect was, I found myself having difficulty, at times, understanding what these characters were saying. While this didn’t make me enjoy the movie any less, I did have to pay extra attention to all of the dialogue in the film.

 

Very few emotional songs: Like I’ve also mentioned, most of the music in Oliver! was up-beat. But, when it comes to emotional songs, there are only two within this movie: “Where Is Love?” and “As Long as He Needs Me”. Because of the limited amount of emotional songs, it kind of undermines some of the seriousness that can be found in the story. While the up-beat nature of the songs is meant to make the movie less dark and dreary, a balance of up-beat and emotional songs would have worked better for the story.

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Hand-written letter image created by Veraholera at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Veraholera – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/love-letter-pattern_1292902.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

I can’t believe this is my last movie review of 2018. Where has the time gone? Anyways, back to the review itself. I really enjoyed this film! As a musical and movie, Oliver! was such a delight to watch. Because I had seen Oliver & Company before I saw Oliver!, it made me appreciate the story as well as the original source material. Like I mentioned in my introduction, I have never read Oliver Twist. But, both of these films have encouraged me to want to read the book! Maybe I will read it in 2019. Speaking of the New Year, I’ve had a pretty good year when it comes to movie blogging. You, my readers and followers, are one of the reasons why 2018 has been great for 18 Cinema Lane. Thank you all so much for making this year such a memorable one for my blog. Here’s hoping 2019 brings more greatness for movie blogging!

 

Overall score: 8.6 out of 10

 

What are you looking forward to in 2019? Which movie review from 18 Cinema Lane has been your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

December 25th was a special day for Hearties: it was Christmas as well as the premiere of When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing! Hearties were given the opportunity to not only partake in the festivities of the season, but also to celebrate the arrival of When Calls the Heart’s next chapter. Even though I was looking forward to this film, my expectations for it were low. When I first learned about the film’s synopsis, it sounded like Cody and Becky’s story from When Calls the Heart: New Year’s Wish was being rehashed to a certain extent. Earlier this month, in a Word on the Street post, I shared my thoughts about the trailer for When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing. At best, it was just fine, not heightening my expectations for the film. However, I still wanted to watch the movie, especially since I am a fan of the show. Because I also re-cap When Calls the Heart in my “Sunset Over Hope Valley” series, reviewing this movie would keep up with 18 Cinema Lane’s continuity. Thank you for joining me for this review, as you’re about to discover my thoughts on When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing!

When Calls the Heart -- The Greatest Christmas Blessing posters
When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing 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=When+Calls+the+Heart+The+Greatest+Christmas+Blessing.

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: One of the best components of When Calls the Heart has always been the strength of the cast! Just like on the show, the cast in When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing was one of the strongest parts of the film! Everyone in this cast portrayed their specific character very well, providing enough natural emotions and reactions to bring a sense of believability to their particular role. A pleasant surprise within this movie was Morgan Kohan and Jocelyn Hudon’s performance! While I’ve never seen any of Morgan’s acting performances before, I remember watching Jocelyn’s performances in The Christmas Cure and Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Love Locks. Their portrayals of Grace and Lillian were so believable, it felt like their characters had a good familial bond.

 

The humor: More often than not, Hallmark has done a pretty good job at incorporating humor into their films. In When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing, all of the humor felt good-natured and genuine. One of the funniest scenes in this movie was when Bill and Abigail were taste-testing the figgy pudding that he had made. Because Lori and Jack provided reactions that seemed very natural for that particular situation, it made the scene that much funnier. Another funny scene was when Bill accidently counted Robert while he was trying to figure out how many orphans arrived in Hope Valley. Similar to what I said about Lori and Jack, Jaiven’s reaction was so genuine that it helped that scene to be humorous in a good-natured way.

 

The character interactions: As I have already mentioned, one of the strongest parts of this movie was the cast! What is wonderful about this cast is witnessing how strong the on-screen chemistry is amongst the characters. Seeing the various characters interact with one another was a very great highlight of When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing. Like I’ve said before, Morgan and Jocelyn both pulled off such a believable performance, the familial bond that they portrayed felt very real. This is also the case when it comes to the connections between the other characters. What helps is the film’s cast is also the cast on the show, having those relationships already established in previous stories.

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Group of Christmas figures image created by Pikisuperstar at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/christmas”>Christmas vector created by Pikisuperstar – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-cute-christmas-character_3188970.htm’>Designed by Pikisuperstar</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

A two-hour commercial for “When Hope Calls”: When I talked about the trailer for When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing, I mentioned that the main plot of the movie was how a group of orphans are stranded in Hope Valley during Christmas-time. While I thought this plot was the best one in the movie, I feel it should have been a subplot. During the commercials in-between this film, it was revealed that the main plot of When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing would serve as the premise for the new show on Hallmark Movies Now, “When Hope Calls”. It was also revealed that “When Hope Calls” would premiere on Hallmark’s streaming service next summer. Going back to why I think the main plot from When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing should have been a subplot, it doesn’t seem like any aspect of this main plot will be transferred over to When Calls the Heart’s sixth season. Also, because the story for “When Hope Calls” was introduced about six to eight months before its premiere, the creative team behind When Calls the Heart/ “When Hope Calls” could run the risk of making any hype for this new show quickly disappear before it has a chance to receive any amount of anticipation from a potential audience. Because of how much attention this main plot received, it felt like the characters from When Calls the Heart were placed on the side-lines. I, honestly, think that the creative team behind this movie should have waited to introduce “When Hope Calls” in a two-part episode on When Calls the Heart.

 

The subplots: Like I previously mentioned, the best plot in When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing was the one involving the orphans and their care-givers. However, I found all of the subplots to be weak and uninteresting. For example, throughout the movie, Jesse and his friends are trying to find a suit so Jesse can take Clara to a special performance of The Nutcracker. This subplot feels like a step backward compared with the subplot Jesse was given in When Calls the Heart: The Christmas Wishing Tree. Even his subplot in the ninth episode of the fifth season was stronger than his subplot in this film. To me, these subplots lacked depth and intrigue, causing me to not feel invested in any of these stories.

 

Tom Thornton’s absence: In my season finale post from the “Sunset Over Hope Valley” series, I said that Tom’s incorporation into When Calls the Heart’s Christmas movie would make up for Tom’s absence in the season finale of the show. Unfortunately, not only was Tom nowhere to be found, but he was never referenced in any part of the movie. Of course, I was disappointed by this. I think he could have been given a really well-written story arc where he has to deal with becoming an uncle and spending his first Christmas without his brother. This story arc could have shown the two different sides of Christmas: the joyous side and the emotional side. Because this was Hope Valley’s first Christmas without Jack, but there were also good things to acknowledge about the Christmas season, Tom’s story arc could have shown a nice balance between these two ideas.

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Necessary Christmas items image created by Moonstarer at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/christmas-elements-collection_994916.htm’>Designed by Moonstarer</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/christmas”>Christmas vector created by Moonstarer – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

While I thought that When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing was a good film, I honestly thought it could have been better. If I had the choice, I would choose last year’s Christmas movie, When Calls the Heart: The Christmas Wishing Tree, over this one. This is because all of the plots in last year’s film were stronger and equally well-told. The screen-writing was the biggest flaw of this year’s movie, causing me to lower my expectations for When Calls the Heart’s sixth season. Even though I’m still looking forward to this show’s return, I have my concerns about the overall story for the upcoming season. During the commercials in-between When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing, there was an advertisement for the new season. The biggest plot-point in this trailer was how Hope Valley will be receiving a telephone. While there could be an interesting story associated with this idea, the commercial didn’t give me a reason to get excited about a telephone coming to Hope Valley. However, in this same commercial, it was mentioned that Clara and Jesse are planning on building a barn. This part of the advertisement excited me the most, as this detail left me with several unanswered questions. Hopefully, When Calls the Heart’s next season can be filled with more intriguing stories. This show, in my opinion, has a pretty good track record when it comes to story-telling, so I will be optimistic about what’s to come for this show.

 

Overall score: 7.8 out of 10

 

Are you looking forward to When Calls the Heart’s sixth season? What is your favorite When Calls the Heart Christmas movie? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: The Paper Chase Review + 45 Follower Thank You

On By 18cinemalane6 Comments

In my review of Return from Witch Mountain, I mentioned that I would publish my 45 follower thank you review very soon. Because I, recently, watched a film that was released in 1973, now is the time for me to talk about that film. For this post, I have chosen The Paper Chase. Before seeing this movie, the only film about law school I had ever seen was Legally Blonde. So, I was interested in seeing this particular concept from a different perspective. I am aware that this movie was based on a pre-existing novel. However, because I have never read this book, I’m only reviewing The Paper Chase as a film, not a book-to-film adaptation. How good or bad is the ninth film for this specific review series? Check out my review of The Paper Chase to find out!

The Paper Chase poster
The Paper Chase poster created by 20th Century Fox. Image found at http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/86193/The-Paper-Chase/#.

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: All of the character portrayals in this movie were very good! Everyone appeared so believable, it seemed like I was watching real-life people dealing with real-life situations. Willis Bell, to me, was a very unlikable character. However, Craig Richard Nelson did a good job portraying that sense of unlikability which came across very effectively on-screen. Before watching The Paper Chase, I had seen Lindsay Wagner’s performances in Eat, Play, Love and Mingle All the Way. But, this was my first time watching Lindsay’s performance in a project not affiliated with Hallmark. I think she did a really good job portraying Susan Fields in this movie, giving an acting performance that appeared very natural and versatile.

 

The cinematography: While watching The Paper Chase, I noticed some really creative cinematography. One example of this was the reflection of the textbook in James T. Hart’s glasses. This stressed the importance of academics and how far James was willing to go to succeed. Another really cool use of cinematography in The Paper Chase was whenever someone was walking on the glass library floor. The way the camera focused on the floor, as if looking upward, was really interesting. Seeing the unique ways that cinematography was used in this film was such a pleasant surprise!

 

The music: Even though music was only found at certain moments in the film, I really enjoyed the music that was featured within the movie. To me, the best song was during the scene where James and Susan are on the frozen pond. This instrumental music was such a pretty score that beautifully complemented the wintery beauty in that scene. I was surprised when I found out John Williams created the music for The Paper Chase because I’ve been used to hearing his iconic scores from well-known blockbuster films. The music that was incorporated into this film was a great thing to find!

PaperPlane-01
Paper airplane image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/paper-plane-in-cartoon-style_766478.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/paper”>Paper vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com. 

What I didn’t like about the film:

A slow pace: The pace in The Paper Chase was slow. It was slow enough to the point of making the movie feel drawn out and longer than it might have been intended.

 

Lack of plot: Before watching The Paper Chase, I had expected the movie to have a substantial plot, with a conflict, climax, and some rising action. Unfortunately, the movie did not have any of those things. The Paper Chase is a story that’s very “slice of life”, showing a year in the life of the characters. While this story wasn’t bad, I, personally, was expecting more from the plot.

 

Too dialogue heavy: The Paper Chase is very dialogue heavy. The majority of the film consists of the characters talking, either to or at each other. Dialogue is a necessary component to any film. However, there has to be more to a movie than simply dialogue.

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Law school textbooks image created by Peter Skadberg at freeimages.com. “FreeImages.com/Peter Skadberg.”

My overall impression:

Overall, I thought The Paper Chase was ok. There were things within the film that I liked, but I was expecting more from the movie. If given the choice, I would pick Legally Blonde over The Paper Chase because, in my opinion, Legally Blonde has a stronger plot. But, I’m glad I chose The Paper Chase for my 45 follower thank you review, as I might not have watched it if it weren’t for my 45 followers! A very special thanks to all of my readers and followers, as you are the reason why these special movie reviews are even possible! When I started my blog back in February, I never imagined I would receive almost 50 followers by the end of the year. Seeing 18 Cinema Lane prosper really does show how important and special movie blogs are in the world of blogging.

 

Overall score: 6 out of 10

 

Which movie from my blog follower thank you series is your favorite? Are you looking forward to which movie I’ll review for my 50 follower thank you post? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Christmas on Holly Lane Review

On By 18cinemalane8 Comments

When I started writing Word on the Street posts back in February, one of the first topics that I talked about was a film called “The House of Holly Lane”. At the time, I speculated that the movie could be a Hallmark production, pointing out clues such as each cast member’s involvement with Hallmark movies and the title itself. As more information for the film was revealed, the title not only changed to Christmas on Holly Lane, but it ended up being an UP Network production. This is not the only time where I thought that an upcoming movie would be a potential Hallmark project. In May, I speculated that “Poinsettias for Christmas” could be a Hallmark movie because there has, so far, not been a Hallmark story centered around the subject of poinsettias. However, Poinsettias for Christmas became a Lifetime movie. Because I have talked about Christmas on Holly Lane on 18 Cinema Lane and because both posts about the movie gathered a combined total of 107 views and 7 likes, I felt that I owed a review of this movie to all my readers and followers. Was this movie as good as the typical Hallmark Christmas film? Take a sleigh ride through this review if you want to find out!

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I just realized that this is the first UP Network movie I’ve reviewed on my blog. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: For the most part, the cast of Christmas on Holly Lane was good! Because I’ve seen most of these cast members appear in several Hallmark movies before, I knew they had what it takes, talent-wise, to pull off a good acting performance. Even though Giles Panton has starred in nine Hallmark movies, I have never seen him in a lead role. After watching Giles’ performance in Christmas on Holly Lane, I, as an audience member, saw that he definitely has the talent to, one day, lead a Hallmark production. Any time I’ve seen Karen Holness in a Hallmark film, I notice that she always brings her A game to her specific role. Karen’s portrayal of Riley in Christmas on Holly Lane was a highlight in the film, as it appeared natural and believable. Like I said about Giles Panton, Karen Holness absolutely has the talent to, one day, lead a Hallmark film.

 

  • More than one protagonist: In Christmas on Holly Lane, there were three protagonists instead of just one. This story-telling format is not usually seen in Christmas movies. The only other Christmas movie I’ve seen with a similar format was the Hallmark movie, Charming Christmas. For Christmas on Holly Lane, I thought this format worked because each character was given their moment to shine. They also were given their own unique personalities and specific situations for them to resolve. It made it seem like each of these protagonists had an equal amount of importance.

 

  • The on-screen chemistry: As I mentioned before, Karen Holness’ performance was really good! Another actor that I was impressed with in this movie was Jaime M. Callica! Both Karen and Jaime gave good acting performances individually and as a pair, with their on-screen chemistry being a highlight. I liked seeing Riley and Jake’s relationship develop over the course of the movie because it appeared very believable. The quality of the acting performance helped me, as an audience member, stay invested in the on-screen relationship.
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Christmas house created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/smiling-snowman-with-a-red-house-background_958592.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Backgroundvector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

  • A slow pace: The pace for Christmas on Holly Lane was slow. It was so slow that after watching 30 minutes of the film, I wondered if anything significant would happen. While the story picked up a little bit after the initial thirty minutes, the pace continued at a slow rate.

 

  • Too many plots: While watching Christmas on Holly Lane, I counted a total of twelve plots (yes, you read that right) within the film. When these plots unfolded on-screen, I found myself not caring about, at least, half of them. A few of these plots had the potential to be interesting, like Cat creating her own restaurant. But, because there were eleven other plots competing for attention, Cat’s specific plot couldn’t be explored as thoroughly as it could have.

 

  • Lack of Christmas spirit: The biggest issue I had with Christmas on Holly Lane was how little emphasis was put on the Christmas holiday. To me, it seemed like Christmas was incorporated in this film just to provide the movie’s aesthetic. Christmas themed morals and lessons (such as the power of giving, for example) were pretty much nonexistent. With a town called Holly Lane, I was hoping that a Christmas obsessed town would be featured on-screen. Sadly, the only two things that were prominently featured in the town of Holly Lane was Sarah’s house and Cat’s restaurant. If this exact same story were placed in any other time of year, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference.
Poinsettia plant leaves. Christmas displays
Poinsettia photo created by Jannoon028 at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/plant-with-red-leaves_986669.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/flower”>Flower image created by Jannoon028 – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

In recent years, UP Network has put an emphasis on creating “uplifting” movies and shows to give their audience. But after watching Christmas on Holly Lane, I did not feel uplifted at all. Honestly, this movie made me feel bummed out. When I think of a typical Christmas movie, I think of movies that have a sense of goodness to them, whether because of the film’s messages or the heart-warming nature of the characters. With Christmas on Holly Lane, however, it puts too much focus on the “doom and gloom” of the protagonists’ realities without providing enough positive counterparts to balance out the negativity within the story. It also doesn’t help that the Christmas holiday is given such little emphasis in this film. Out of all the Christmas movies I’ve seen this year, so far, Christmas on Holly Lane is the worst one. This is a shame because, in the past, UP Network has created some really good films. In fact, my favorite Christmas movie last year was Christmas Princess. Hopefully, UP Network can have better luck with their movie making endeavors in 2019.

 

Overall score: 5.1 out of 10

 

Have you seen any of UP Network’s Christmas films? What is your least favorite Christmas movie this year? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Return from Witch Mountain Review + 40 Follower Thank You

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Back in early November, I received 40 followers on 18 Cinema Lane! As I mentioned in my Movie Blogger’s Christmas Wish-List post, I’ve been busy doing blog related things. I apologize that this thank you review is being published much later than expected. But, anyways, back to the review itself. Like I’ve done with my other thank you reviews, it is time for me to talk about a film that was released 40 years ago (in 1978). Because Return from Witch Mountain just so happened to be on my DVR, I decided to pick that movie for this review. Since this was my first time seeing this particular film, I coordinated a double feature with both Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain. I really enjoyed the first movie, as it was intriguing and memorable. So, after I saw Escape to Witch Mountain, I was definitely looking forward to watching the continuation of Tony and Tia’s story. Was the sequel just as memorable as its predecessor? Join me on this journey through this review to find out!

Return from Witch Mountain poster
Return from Witch Mountain poster created by Buena Vista Distribution and Walt Disney Productions. © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Image found at http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/24411/Return-From-Witch-Mountain/#.

Things I liked about this film:

  • The acting: I really liked this cast! Everyone was so talented, bringing a sense of believability to the portrayal of their characters. I liked that Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards reprised their roles of Tony and Tia because their performances were a highlight in both Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain! Ike and Kim not only provided versatility to their roles, but they also added a good amount of likability to their characters. I really liked Tony and Tia, as characters, because they seemed like intuitive children and good people. Everything I just said helped me, as an audience member, stay invested in Tony and Tia’s story.

 

  • The film’s setting: Whenever characters in a children’s/family movie or television show take a vacation to California (specifically the Los Angeles area), the portrayal of the trip is, more often than not, glamorized (for example, the characters take a trip to Hollywood and/or get involved in the movie-making aspect of the city). In Return from Witch Mountain, however, the portrayal of the Pasadena/Los Angeles area appeared well-rounded. While the film shows tourist/ “glamourous” aspects of the city, such as the Rose Bowl Stadium and a museum, other parts of the area are showcased in the film’s narrative. For instance, a run-down house that serves as a secret hiding place represents a not-so-glamourous side to that particular area. Within the movie, a plutonium plant is also featured, giving the audience an idea of the types of businesses that can reside within that area.

 

  • The story: While there are a few similarities between the narratives of Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, I feel that the story in the sequel expanded upon Tony and Tia’s story from the first movie. Return from Witch Mountain explores the idea of what happens when twins are separated and the differences of how their powers can be used. The acting performances and screen-writing helped these ideas flourish to the best of their ability. When watching this film, I was surprised by some of the other ideas expressed within this story, such as the importance of education and what exactly it means to be “tough”. While these ideas were not fully explored, I still thought they added something special to the overall story.
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Colorful travel suitcase image created by Pikisuperstar at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/beautiful-illustration-of-travel_2686674.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/watercolor”>Watercolor vector created by Pikisuperstar – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

  • The editing: In Return from Witch Mountain, there were a few scenes that seemed to end a little too quickly. I feel this was a result of the film’s editing. However, this problem was improved upon from the first movie, where the editing made a certain amount of scenes feel too short.

 

  • Scenes lasting a little too long: There were some scenes in Return from Witch Mountain that, in time length, were a little too long. An example of this is the museum robbery scene, where the events associated with it seemed to be stretched out. To me, the length of these scenes were the result of satisfying the film’s run-time. Either the movie itself should have been a bit shorter or these scenes should have been reduced in, about, half.

 

  • The villains: While the actors portraying the villains did a really good job with the acting material they were given, I thought the villains themselves were a bit on the sillier side. Because of this, I, as an audience member, didn’t get a strong sense that Tony and Tia were danger until the film’s climax. I also thought that the ideologies and beliefs of the villains were more unsettling than the villains themselves. This was very different from Escape to Witch Mountain, where the secrecy surrounding the villains added to the fear and concern for Tony and Tia.
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Colorful galaxy image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/lovely-hand-drawn-galaxy-background_2943080.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.

My overall impression:

To start, I just want to say thank you to all of my 40 followers! If it weren’t for you, I probably would have never seen Return from Witch Mountain or its predecessor. But, I’m glad I checked this movie out because I really enjoyed it! Return from Witch Mountain is not only a good movie, it’s also a good sequel, expanding the overall story and improving upon flaws from Escape to Witch Mountain. As I think more about both movies, I realized that they would be a great way to introduce someone to the science-fiction genre. I feel this way because while this is a science-fiction story, it was light on the science-fiction elements. Because I also received 45 followers last month, I will publish my thank you review for a 1973 released film very soon. Whichever film I end up picking, I will be so excited to share it with all of my readers and followers!

 

 

Overall score: 8.1 out of 10

 

 

Have you seen either of these two films? What is your favorite live-action Disney movie? Please let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: The Santa Incident Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Back in June, I published my list of the Top 10 Worst Hallmark Movies of All Time. Since then, it has become my most popular post on 18 Cinema Lane, acquiring over 1,000 views! In the comment section of that post, a blog reader named T. Ann suggested that I check out a Hallmark movie called The Santa Incident. Because I’ve never seen this movie and because I don’t take movie requests from readers and/or followers often, I chose to review this movie and see if it was truly as bad as T. Ann made it seem. Personally, I don’t watch movies where I have a strong feeling they could be bad. While I watch every movie I see with an open mind and low expectations, there are some films that I’ll simply take people’s word on because of how bad they seem. However, there have been few Hallmark Christmas movies that I’ve ended up disliking. If you look at my aforementioned list, you’ll find only one Christmas movie on that list, with seven Christmas movies found in the list’s Dishonorable Mentions section. Will The Santa Incident be placed somewhere on the list of the Top 10 Worst Hallmark Movies of All Time? Please keep reading this review if you want to find out!

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I did watch The Santa Incident, even if this photo doesn’t say so. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
Things I liked about this film:

The acting: I thought the acting performances from this cast were good! Every character in this movie appeared believable on-screen. I really liked James Cosmo’s portrayal of Santa Claus, as his version of this character was likable and somewhat different from other versions of Santa that I’ve seen in movies before. In The Santa Incident, Santa volunteers to help various people in exchange for supplies, so he can finish making toys for Christmas Eve. In all the Christmas movies I’ve seen in my lifetime, I have never seen Santa engaging in activities uncommonly found in Santa focused stories, such as participating in community service. James’ acting performance and the screen-writing helped set this version of Santa apart from other Christmas themed movies featuring the famous figure.

 

Some of the creative choices: While I watched this film, I really liked some of the creative choices that were found within this story. The premise of The Santa Incident is a good example of this, with the film asking the question, “What if someone perceived Santa as a criminal”? This question has never really been explored in Christmas movies, let alone those by Hallmark, so this creativity added interest into the story. Another creative choice I liked in this movie was how the elves were presented. The elves in The Santa Incident were members of a secret agent squad who were trained to save Santa. They even used toys as tools to help them in their mission, such as using a toy robot to locate Santa’s location. These creative choices showed how the screen-writer thought outside-the-box when it comes to a Christmas themed story.

 

The humor: Like in a lot of Christmas themed Hallmark movies, there was a good amount of humor in The Santa Incident! Most of the comic relief within this movie came from the characters of Erickson (portrayed by Greg Germann) and Cunningham (portrayed by Sean McConaghy). The differing personalities of these two characters help make them a great comedic duo, even though they are meant to be the villains of the story. One of the funniest scenes in The Santa Incident was when Erickson utilizes stuffed animals to interrogate Santa. As I just mentioned, Erickson and Cunningham are meant to be the villains of the film’s story. But, the comedic timing of these two actors was such a pleasant surprise!

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Adorable Santa image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/christmas-background-with-funny-santa_1324597.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:

A little too drawn out: In my review of Shoelaces for Christmas, I talked about how the film being a little too drawn out was one of the movie’s weaknesses. The Santa Incident faced the same issue. There were some scenes that dragged on longer than others, making the movie, at times, feel longer than it might have been intended. To solve this problem, either some scenes should have been cut or the script should have been written a little bit tighter.

 

Some filler scenes: When I watched The Santa Incident, I noticed there were some scenes that felt like “filler” material to satisfy the film’s run-time. An example of this is when Daniel, Sophia, and/or Santa walk to the “Ghost Factory” in more than one scene. If some of the scenes like this were cut from the movie, it would have helped The Santa Incident not feel as drawn out as it did.

 

The editing: During the movie, there were some scenes that felt like they ended too quickly. I noticed this, sometimes, happened whenever characters were having conversations with one another. This seemed to be an issue related to the film’s editing. For these scenes, I think they should have been a little bit longer, so the conversations can feel like they had a natural finish.

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Christmas snowman image created by Freepik at freepik.com  <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/christmas-tree”>Christmas tree vector created by Freepik</a> <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/set-of-pretty-christmas-tags_1337932.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a> Image created by freepik.com

My overall impression:

Honestly, I thought The Santa Incident was ok. While I think Hallmark has made stronger Christmas films, The Santa Incident is, to me, no where near the Top 10 Worst or even Dishonorable Mention bad. Even though this film had its flaws, I believe the creative team behind this movie had good intentions when they brought this story to life. John Campea, from The John Campea Show, has said on his show in the past that “All films are subjective”. This is a statement that I agree with because everyone looks at movies differently. Someone’s favorite film could be someone else’s most despised movie and vice versa. No matter what your opinion is on The Santa Incident, I’m just glad that I was given a chance to see this film. Thank you, T. Ann, for suggesting that I watch The Santa Incident because, otherwise, I may have never seen it.

 

Overall score: 6.1 out of 10

 

Do you like Hallmark Christmas movies? How many Hallmark Christmas movies have you seen? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Shoelaces for Christmas Review

On By 18cinemalane2 Comments

During this Christmas season, I wanted to try my best to review Christmas movies from a variety of networks. While Hallmark has, so far, been doing a good job with their selection of Christmas films, I think the creative efforts of smaller, sometimes lesser-known, networks should be celebrated. For this review, I will be talking about the latest entry from BYUtv, Shoelaces for Christmas! The Utah based network has only started creating Christmas movies two years ago, but it has begun on a very strong note. I have seen both of BYUtv’s films, Winter Thaw and Instrument of War, and have really enjoyed them! When the news about Shoelaces for Christmas was announced on various parts of the internet, I couldn’t help but wonder how this new movie would hold up against the network’s previous films. Was this movie going to be another stepping stone on BYUtv’s path to movie making success or would it end a winning streak that became short-lived? Now that I’ve finally seen this movie, I can share my thoughts on this film to all my readers and followers!

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Thank you again, television of mine, for reminding me that I have watched yet another Christmas movie this season. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen. 
Things I liked about the film:

The acting: While watching this film, I thought the talents from everyone in the cast were really good! Not only did the performances feel believable, but the characters felt like they were real people instead of fictional individuals. Mia Topalian really shined in her role as Jennifer, leading this film with a strong performance filled with emotion and genuineness. I also thought Ivey Mitchell’s portrayal of Chloe’s mom, Charlotte, was emotionally powerful. Though she didn’t have as much screen-time as the other actors, her on-screen presence was very memorable and effective.

 

The messages and themes: When it comes to making Christmas movies, a strength that BYUtv has is focusing more on the messages and themes associated with the Christmas season. What’s also great about the incorporation of these messages and themes is how naturally they were woven into the story. While Shoelaces for Christmas features more Christmas aesthetics than Winter Thaw and Instrument of War, it still puts more attention on the moral aspects of Christmas. Shoelaces for Christmas was filled with great themes and messages; such as giving back to others, taking the time to appreciate the people around you, and putting the needs of others before your own.

 

Getting to know the characters: In my review of Waffle Street, I said that the lack of character development for the characters except James “Jimmy” Adams was one of the weaknesses of the movie. Because Shoelaces for Christmas is very protagonist focused, BYUtv’s film could have faced the same weakness. However, this was not the case. In Shoelaces for Christmas, however, every character gets a good amount of character development! While the main character, Jennifer, receives the most character development, the audience is given a chance to truly get to know the other characters in the film, not just become familiar with them. This connection with the characters really added to the enjoyable nature of the story!

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Sneakers with shoelaces image created by Mrsiraphol at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/fashion-shoes_1123476.htm’>Designed by Mrsiraphol</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background image created by Mrsiraphol – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

A little too drawn out: While I watched this movie, I felt it was a little too drawn out. This made some scenes drag on longer than others. To solve this problem, I think the script could have been written a little bit tighter or a few scenes should have been cut.

 

The quick evolution of Jennifer: Even though Mia Topalian gave a great performance as the film’s protagonist, the evolution of her character seemed to happen a little too quickly. While the audience can see Jennifer, the protagonist of the movie, start out being mean and self-centered, this beginning stage is presented for a short period of time. This causes the evolution to not be as effective as it could have been.

 

Lack of explanation for the shoelaces: As the film progresses, the audience gets to learn about the significance of the shoelaces within this story. However, when Jennifer suggests that shoelaces have a symbolic connection to the Christmas season, she forgets to explain this correlation. I have not read the book that this movie is based on, so maybe a clear explanation of this connection can be found with the text of that novel.

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Christmas book image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-psd/christmas-mockup-with-open-book_1482296.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/mockup”>Mockup psd created by Freepik</a>.  Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

When I compare Shoelaces for Christmas with BYUtv’s other two Christmas movies, I think that it holds up well within this particular collection of films! With the messages and themes associated with Christmas receiving more of the spotlight, movies from BYUtv set themselves apart from the Christmas offerings of other networks. However, Shoelaces for Christmas feels much smaller in scale compared to the other movies by BYUtv. Both Winter Thaw and Instrument of War feel like grander and more epic films, giving off the impression that these films are bigger in scale than what was meant for a made-for-TV format. Shoelaces for Christmas, on the other hand, looks and feels like a made-for-TV movie. While this is not a bad thing, it shows that BYUtv is trying new things as they keep moving forward in their movie making journey. Because I had seen Winter Thaw and Instrument of War prior to watching Shoelaces for Christmas, this difference in scale did take some getting used to.

 

Overall score: 8-8.1 out of 10

 

Have you seen BYUtv’s films? Would you like to see BYUtv continue to make more movies? Please tell me in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Hallmark Channel’s “One Winter Weekend” will get a sequel, Hanukkah to appear in future Hallmark movies

On By 18cinemalane2 Comments

For my final post for November, I decided to write a Word on the Street story. This is because of two reasons: the first being that I’ve only written one Word on the Street post this month and the second is some exciting Hallmark related movie news that I felt had to be shared. Both of the movie news stories in this post are about Hallmark movies that are likely to premiere sometime next year. At this point and time, significant details about these films, such as the synopsis and release dates, are unknown. As always, I will not only report on these stories, but also give my honest opinion about them. Without further delay, let’s start talking about this batch of movie news!

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Movie process chart created by Vectorpocket at freepik.com <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/vector-set-of-isometric-illustrations-making-movies-and-watching-a-movie-in-the-cinema_1215936.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a> <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/business”>Business vector created by Vectorpocket – Freepik.com</a> Image found at freepik.com

Last week, Rukiya Bernard, one of the stars of the Hallmark Channel movie, One Winter Weekend, shared a photo on her Instagram feed featuring her and her co-stars from One Winter Weekend. Within the photo’s caption, the hashtag #onewinterweekend was found with a “pt2” next to it. Initially, I have mixed feelings about One Winter Weekend receiving a sequel. From a business perspective, this decision makes sense. Out of all four of this year’s “Winterfest” movies from Hallmark Channel, One Winter Weekend earned the highest number of viewership. Personally, I was not a fan of this movie, so I’m not thrilled with the idea of a sequel being given to a movie that, to me, was not as good as other 2018 released Hallmark films. However, the best part of One Winter Weekend, in my opinion, was Rukiya Bernard and Dewshane Williams’ acting performance, on-screen chemistry, and their characters. Even though my expectations for this new movie are very low, what would increase my interest in the film is if, this time, Rukiya and Dewshane were the lead actress and actor.

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Snowy mountain image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/landscape-background-of-snow-track-and-mountains_968656.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.

Yesterday, on Forbes’ website, an article was published about Hallmark Christmas movies. Within this article, it was revealed that Hanukkah will be incorporated into two upcoming Hallmark movies! Since not a lot is known about these two films, it is, right now, difficult to determine how much significance Hanukkah will have within each film’s respective narrative. However, I do think this decision is quite interesting. Out of all of Hallmark’s movies, only three that I can think of that discuss the Jewish faith are Hitched for the Holidays, Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Loving Leah, and Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler. In recent years, Hallmark has incorporated elements into their films that either hasn’t appeared in Hallmark movies for awhile (for example, Love on Ice being, at the time, only the second figure skating themed movie after Ice Dreams) or has never appeared in a Hallmark movie before (an example is the incorporation of quilting in Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Christmas Everlasting). Since Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries are growing networks, it makes sense for the company to consider creating, at least, a few movies that discuss a holiday besides Christmas. With both networks’ Christmas line-ups acquiring more viewers every year, expanding the audience to recognize Jewish fans sounds like a good idea.

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Hanukkah mehorah image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/mehorah-with-flaming-candles_3299423.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background image created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What do you think of these pieces of movie news? Do you think any of these films has potential? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

If you want to check the sources that I referenced in this post, you can visit Rukiya’s official Instagram feed (at rukiya.bernard), and these links:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanberr/2018/11/29/hallmark-famous-for-christmas-movies-plans-two-hanukkah-features/#56d330f433b2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hallmark_Channel_Original_Movies#cite_note-hx-317

Take 3: Christmas on the Coast Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Back in May, I reviewed an INSP film called County Line. I chose to review this movie because I wanted to help this network’s films receive their “standing ovation”. Within this review, I said that I would review Christmas on the Coast when it was released. Six months later, this movie has finally premiered! This means that it’s now time for me to review Christmas on the Coast. As much as I was looking forward to the film, I will admit that my expectations for it were low. This was, mainly, because the film’s plot sounded like a typical Hallmark movie. However, I stilled watch this film with an open mind. What did I think of Christmas on the Coast? Set sail through this review if you want to find out!

Christmas on the Coast poster
Christmas on the Coast poster created by INSP Films and INSP Network. Image found at https://www.insp.com/pressroom/christmas-on-the-coast-earns-seal-of-approval/

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: I thought the cast of Christmas on the Coast was really talented! All of the acting performances in this movie were such a highlight for this film! Everyone brought so much emotion and versatility to their roles, making all of the portrayals captivating to watch. When I first found out that Bonnie Bedelia had been cast in this movie, I was so excited to see her performance in the film, especially after seeing her portrayal of Joy in A Joyous Christmas. After I watched this movie, I felt that Bonnie did a really good job portraying Dru’s mother, Ellie! I also thought Cait Pool really shined in this movie as she portrayed the character of Peyton. Bonnie, Peyton, and the other actors in this film are those that I’d like to see appear in any type of Hallmark project!

 

The scenery: According to IMDB, Christmas on the Coast was filmed in the state of Georgia, specifically in the areas of Darien and St. Simons Island. While watching this film, I thought that the natural landscapes featured within the movie were great to look at! I also think that the scenery was captured really well on film. To me, the scene where Dru was at the beach while a sunset was in the sky was beautifully filmed!

 

The on-screen chemistry: While Julie Ann Emery and Burgess Jenkins each pulled off a good performance within Christmas on the Coast, I also thought that they pulled off a good acting performance as a pair. As the film progressed, it truly felt like Dru and Brysen’s relationship was growing over-time. Julie and Burgess’ performance appeared so believable on-screen, giving the impression that their characters really came to care about each other.

Merry Christmas Card
Blue sparkly Christmas tree image created by Macrovector at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/frame”>Frame vector created by Macrovector – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/merry-christmas-card_2875396.htm’>Designed by Macrovector</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

Too many quick-cuts: In Christmas on the Coast, there were several images of stock footage that were used to introduce a scene. These images were featured in-between scenes and were sometimes used as a transition from one scene to another. When these images were shown, they appeared a little too quickly on-screen. This didn’t give me, as an audience member, enough time to get a good look at what was featured in these images.

 

The lighting: In some scenes that were filmed outdoors, I noticed that the lighting looked darker than in scenes that were filmed in buildings and homes. At one point, I honestly thought something was wrong with my television.

 

Lack of subplots: While watching Christmas on the Coast, I was disappointed when I found out that the only plot within the film was the main plot. Before I watched the movie, I had expected, at least, two subplots to be included alongside the main plot. Even when Dru decided to join her mother’s Christmas event planning committee, I though that a subplot would emerge and take shape as the movie went on. Unfortunately, that never happened.

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Good sailing day image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/summer-landscape-with-a-houselight-and-a-boat_866882.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/design”>Design vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

I really enjoyed Christmas on the Coast! It improved upon the things that I didn’t like about County Line, such as having a good pace and utilizing the talent of everyone within the main cast. Yes, this movie did remind me of a Hallmark movie. However, it reminded me of a Hallmark movie that was good in quality. Although INSP doesn’t make a lot of movies, especially those that are Christmas themed, I think the network has what it takes to create films that are memorable and have a lasting impact. Hopefully, INSP will be encouraged to make more movies as time goes on. In a day and age when several networks compete against each other to be crowned the most watched network during the Christmas season, INSP definitely deserves to have their voice heard. This network definitely has a unique perspective that can bring something creative and special to the table.

 

Overall score: 8 out of 10

 

Have you seen any of INSP’s films? Would you like to see this network continue to make movies? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Christmas Everlasting Review

On By 18cinemalane1 Comment

If you have visited 18 Cinema Lane before, then you would know that Hallmark’s Hall of Fame’s Christmas Everlasting has been one of the most talked about movies on this blog. I have been looking forward to this movie ever since it was announced during the sneak peek commercial that was shown after the premiere of The Beach House. For about five months, Hallmark had kept their Christmas Hallmark Hall of Fame movie under wraps, even refusing to share any information about the project at their Summer TCA Event. It wasn’t until September when details about this movie were finally revealed. In a Word on the Street story, I mentioned that Ron Oliver, the director of Christmas Everlasting, shared some information about the film, such as the potential title and the film’s production location. In that post, I speculated that the movie could be based on Marie Bostwick’s novel, The Second Sister. In another Word on the Street post, published four days later, I talked about my reasoning for why the film could be based on Marie Bostwick’s novel, referencing photos from Ron Oliver’s Instagram feed as clues to support my speculation. As more of the film’s details were revealed, my anticipation for this movie grew. In fact, it became my most anticipated Christmas movie of 2018! Now that Hallmark Hall of Fame’s newest entry has finally arrived, the time has come for me to review the movie that I have looking forward for quite a while. Let’s get started with this review of Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Christmas Everlasting!

HHoF Christmas Everlasting poster
Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Christmas Everlasting 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=Christmas+Everlasting

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: The cast of Christmas Everlasting was one of the strongest casts I have seen in a Hallmark movie this year! Everyone in this movie gave a very good performance, portraying their characters with as much believability as possible. I was really impressed by Tatyana Ali’s performance, as she brought so much emotion and versatility to her role! I also liked Dondre T. Whitfield and Dennis Haysbert’s performances, with both of them giving everything they had, talent wise, into the portrayals of their characters! Before learning more about who would star in this movie, I had no idea that Patti LaBelle was an actress, as her singing career is primarily the reason why I’m familiar with Patti as an entertainer. After watching Christmas Everlasting, I think she did a great job with the acting material she was given! If Hallmark ever decided to cast these actors in more Hallmark productions, I would whole-heartedly agree with that decision!

 

A compelling story: Two months ago, when I speculated on which book could be the source material for this movie, I mentioned that the synopsis for Marie Bostwick’s novel shared some similarities with The Beach House. While there were some parts of the movie that reminded me of Hallmark Hall of Fame’s previous entry, there were several differences that brought uniqueness to this story. An example is Mr. Freckles, Alice’s cat. The incorporation of Alice’s beloved cat featured a type of pet that is not often seen in a Hallmark movie. Mr. Freckles was also incorporated into the story to help the protagonist and the audience learn a valuable lesson about how certain situations take time in order for them to be dealt with.

 

The humor: When I first watched the trailer for Christmas Everlasting, I knew there was going to be a certain amount of humor featured throughout the film. However, I did not expect the movie to have as much humor as it ended up having. I believe there was a good balance of comedy and drama in this film. The inclusion of comedy helped give the audience a break from the sadness associated with this story, while the drama helped bring a sense of realism and relatability to the film.

 

Great messages and themes: There are lots of Hallmarks movies, including those from the Hallmark Hall of Fame branch, that have great messages and themes woven into their stories. While I was watching Christmas Everlasting, I found several messages and themes that were not only relatable, but also worth sharing long after the film’s end credits had appeared on-screen. One example is when one of Alice’s friends compares life to a quilt. This message made me look at quilts differently and gave me a new perspective on life itself.

 

The mystery: In a Word on the Street post, when I first shared my thoughts on the Christmas Everlasting trailer, one of the things that I was looking forward to was figuring out the mystery surrounding the quilt. I won’t spoil anything for those of you who haven’t seen the film yet, but all I will say is that this specific part of the story was very well-written, leading to a really good plot twist!

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Essential items of Christmas image created by Moonstarer at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/christmas-elements-collection_994917.htm’>Designed by Moonstarer</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/christmas”>Christmas vector created by Moonstarer – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

Patti LaBelle’s limited on-screen presence: Because Patti LaBelle was cast in this film as the main supporting actress and because her picture is prominently featured on the movie’s poster, I expected Patti’s character to have a recurring presence throughout the film. Also, I was excited to see Patti’s performance in this movie, as this was the first time I had ever seen any of Patti’s acting performances. When I watched Christmas Everlasting, however, Patti was only in two scenes within the movie’s last thirty minutes.

stylish snowflakes background for christmas holiday season
Christmas and New Year snowflake banner image created by Starline at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/stylish-snowflakes-background-for-christmas-holiday-season_1384882.htm’>Designed by Starline</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Starline – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

In this review’s introduction, I said that Christmas Everlasting was my most anticipated Christmas movie of 2018. When I look back on this movie, I can honestly say that this film lived up to my expectations! Christmas Everlasting had everything I could want in a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie and was definitely worth the wait! In fact, Christmas Everlasting is, so far, the best Hallmark Christmas movie I’ve seen this year! During the sneak peek commercial that was shown after this movie, however, there was no mention of the next Hallmark Hall of Fame production. I’m guessing that Hallmark is trying something new when announcing their movies within this particular branch, keeping these projects under wraps and preventing the element of surprise from being spoiled for their audience. If you look at the history of Hallmark Hall of Fame, an upcoming movie would usually be advertised during the end credits of a particular film. Whatever Hallmark has in store for the Hallmark Hall of Fame in 2019, I will definitely be looking forward to them and await the arrival of those announcements!

 

Overall score: 8.3 out of 10

 

Have you seen Christmas Everlasting? Which Hallmark Hall of Fame movie is your favorite? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen