Tag: movie reviews

Take 3: Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

If you’ve read my reviews for Reap What You Sew: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery and Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder, you would know that I enjoy the mystery movies that Hallmark Movies & Mysteries offer. Each film feels like a thrilling adventure where the protagonist is always willing to bring viewers along for the ride! While there are mystery series that I really like, such as Darrow & Darrow, I feel that the Hailey Dean series is the network’s weakest. I liked Hailey Dean Mystery: Deadly Estate, but I wasn’t a fan of Hailey Dean Mystery: Murder with Love and Hailey Dean Mystery: Dating is Murder. When Hallmark announced that June would be Hailey Dean Mystery Month, I, honestly, thought that the Aurora Teagarden series should have gotten its own month instead. However, I recently watched Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder and gave the idea of Hailey Dean Mystery Month a fair chance. What did I think of the first of three Hailey Dean movies? Keep reading to solve this mystery!

Hailey Dean Mystery 4 poster
Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Image found at https://www.hallmarkchannelpress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=143&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Hailey+Dean+Mysteries+2+Plus+2+%3d+Murder

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: The cast of this Hailey Dean movie was good. In the scene where the guilty suspect is revealed, Kellie Martin and Keith MacKechnie gave one of the most powerful performances they ever have in any Hallmark movie they’ve starred in! There were other actors in this movie that had stand-out performances as well. One of them is Viv Leacock, whose comedic timing was perfect. His portrayal of Fincher Garland is great and I hope that Viv is cast in more Hallmark movies!

 

The mystery: In almost all of the mystery movies on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, the body of the murder victim is shown within about the first twenty minutes of the film. In Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder, the victim was first deemed missing, their deceased body found later in the film. Characters who end up going missing in these mystery movies disappear later in that specific film’s story, so I think this was an interesting and creative way to start the mystery/movie. As for the mystery itself, I feel that it was well-written.

 

The dialogue: Not only was the dialogue in this movie well-written, it was also well-executed by the cast! What the characters said felt like natural conversation, with some of the actor’s lines sounding creative and clever. The best line in this movie was when Fincher tells Kellie, “I want to live to see tomorrow’s burrito”.

Burrito wrap sandwich
Burrito photo created by Jcstudio at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/burrito-with-rice_1055227.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/food”>Food image created by Jcstudio – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about this film:

The pace: In most of the mystery movies on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, the film’s pace has been a bit faster than the movies on Hallmark Channel. This is caused by the suspense of the mystery as well as a balance of the film’s subplots. The newest Hailey Dean movie, however, has a pace that is slower than what I had hoped. Because of this, moments that should have been suspenseful and shocking felt like the energy was zapped out of them.

 

Sabrina’s story: I was surprised that Sabrina didn’t have any connection to the mystery in this movie, especially since she played a significant role in the previous film. She was given a subplot that I was not a fan of. It wasn’t that her story was bad, it just didn’t add anything to the overall movie.

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Chalkboard image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/mathematical-operation-written-on-blackboard_1357576.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Backgroundimage created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

Hailey Dean Mysteries: 2+2=Murder was not as good as Hailey Dean Mystery: Deadly Estate, but it was better than Hailey Dean Mystery: Murder with Love and Hailey Dean Mystery: Dating is Murder. It was a decent start to Hailey Dean Mystery Month, but I hope the other two movies are stronger than this one. As a movie blogger and Hallmark fan, I want the Hailey Dean series to be a great series. I have seen mystery series on Hallmark’s second network that had less-than-stellar starts, but became stronger as the series went on (an example: the Flower Shop Mystery series). There have also been mystery series that had great starts, but fell apart at the end (another example: the Murder She Baked series). While I don’t know what the future will hold for the Hailey Dean series, all I know is I will continue to watch the rest of the movies in Hailey Dean Mystery Month and maybe I’ll review them for 18 Cinema Lane.

 

Overall score: 7 out of 10

 

Have you seen any of the Hailey Dean movies? What is your favorite movie series on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries? Please tell me what you think in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Flicka: Country Pride Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Anyone who has read my Sunset Over Hope Valley re-cap posts would know that my favorite character on When Calls the Heart is Tom Thornton. And anyone who has read the Season 5 finale re-cap post would know how disappointed I was by Tom’s absence in that episode. As a fan, I have found a way to make up for the dissappointment. According to his IMDB Filmography, Max Lloyd-Jones (the actor who portrays Tom Thornton) starred in the film, Flicka: Country Pride. It just so happened that this movie was airing on television recently, making this movie reviewing experience too good to pass up. Before watching this movie, I:

  1. Have never read My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara.
  2. Have never watched the My Friend Flicka television show.
  3. Have never seen any of the previous Flicka films.
  4. Did not watch a trailer or read reviews for Flicka: Country Pride.

I had no idea what to expect from this film. This was the second straight-to-DVD and third/final film in the Flicka trilogy, so my expectations were set low. How did Flicka: Country Pride turn out to be? Keep reading to find out!

Flicka Country Pride poster
Flicka: Country Pride poster created by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Poster image found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flicka_3_Country_Pride_movie_poster.jpg

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: While the cast of Flicka: Country Pride was good, the three stand-out performers were Kacey Rohl, Teryl Rothery, and Max Lloyd-Jones! I had never seen any of Kacey’s acting performances before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect of her performance in this movie. However, Kacey’s performance in Flicka: Country Pride blew me away as she successfully helped carry this film alongside Clint Black and Lisa Hartman! I’ve seen Teryl perform in five Hallmark movies, as well as Cedar Cove, and she was a great addition to this film’s cast! Besides When Calls the Heart, I’ve seen Max in six movies and several episodes/video clips of Switched at Birth. What I’ve noticed after watching these projects, including Flicka: Country Pride, is that Max has always appeared to put in a 100% effort and all the talent he has into the roles he is given.

 

  • The cinematography: For a straight-to-DVD film, and just as a film in general, there was good cinematography! Some of the best scenes in Flicka: Country Pride were the scenes that involved any of the characters riding horses. The camera angles and editing that was used for these scenes helped add a sense of excitement and intrigue.

 

  • The incorporation of grief: In most movies featuring a young, grieving protagonist, the focus on grief appears self-contained for the young protagonist. In Flicka: Country Pride, however, we get to see how grief affects the other characters surrounding the young protagonist. What’s also interesting is how grief influences the choices and ways of seeing the world for some of these characters in the film. I felt this was a great choice for the creative team behind this movie as this concept is not always explored in family/children’s films.

 

  • The on-screen chemistry: When I was watching Flicka: Country Pride, I felt that Max Lloyd-Jones and Kacey Rohl had good on-screen chemistry! Their relationship on-screen appeared so believable, that it looked and felt like they truly cared about each other. The friendship that both Max and Kacey displayed in this movie came across as very life-like, with both of them acting like they really got along with each other.
Tom Thornton Flicka 3 screenshot
Max Lloyd-Jones: The star of this review. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

What I didn’t like about this film:

  • Some predictability: During my viewing of Flicka: Country Pride, I noticed there were some moments in the film that felt predictable. It wasn’t like a typical Hallmark Channel movie, where you, more often than not, know most of the movie before even watching it. However, there were some story points that I was able to correctly guess before it happened.

 

  • An insufferable bully: While Siobhan Williams did a really good job portraying the character of Kacey’s bully, I really did not like Siobhan’s character. Not only was she annoying, but she could easily get under someone’s skin. Also, I can’t believe Siobhan’s character was named Stephanie Meyers (I’m not making this up). Either that was pure coincidence or someone really didn’t like the Twilight series.

 

  • Lindy and Toby’s relationship: Clint Black and Lisa Hartman had good on-screen chemistry in Flicka: Country Pride, but I felt like their relationship was not  highlighted to the level that it could have been. In the movie, Lindy and Toby try to pursue a romantic relationship. However, compared to the other storylines and subplots, this particular story element didn’t feel like it went anywhere. It seemed like it just got lost in the shuffle.

 

  • The ending: To me, the ending of Flicka: Country Pride was too much of a cliffhanger. Toby tells Lindy that he has a surprise for her, but we never get to find out what that surprise is. The fact that this movie is the last in the Flicka trilogy makes this ending even worse. Based on the ending, my guess is the creative team behind Flicka: Country Pride planned on making a fourth movie, but they never got around to it.
horse saddle - soft focus with film filter
Horse with saddle photo created by Topntp26 at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/stallion-black-equine-race-sky_1104246.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background image created by Topntp26 – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

Flicka: Country Pride is a good movie! In fact, this movie surpassed my expectations! What’s great about this movie is if you watch it without ever having seen the other Flicka films preceding it (like I did), you won’t have a difficult time following along with the story. I’m actually glad I saw Flicka: Country Pride because now it raises an interesting question: how come we, the Hearties, have never seen Tom Thornton ride a horse on When Calls the Heart? In all the seriousness I can give as a movie blogger, I think Tom being able to ride a horse would make a lot of sense. I feel this way because:

  1. I would be willing to guess that Max Lloyd-Jones gained some horse riding experience while working on Flicka: Country Pride.
  2. In Season 2, Tom did mention his family had a farm.
  3. Not only have we seen Jack and Charlotte (Tom and Jack’s mom) Thornton ride a horse on When Calls the Heart, but Tom and Jack’s dad/Charlotte’s husband was a Mountie.

Hopefully, if Max Lloyd-Jones returns to When Calls the Heart to reprise his role as Tom Thornton, maybe we’ll see him finally ride a horse. As for Flicka: Country Pride, I would definitely recommend this film!

 

Overall score: 8 out of 10

 

So, what did you think of this review? Are you encouraged to give Flicka: Country Pride a chance? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Royally Ever After Review

On By 18cinemalane3 Comments

Because I haven’t reviewed a Hallmark Channel movie in two months, I decided to review Royally Ever After. 2018 has become the year of the “royal” movie. Whether to commemorate Harry and Meghan’s wedding or to keep up the network’s success with the ratings, Hallmark continues to create fairytale-esque stories set against a contemporary backdrop. Royally Ever After is Hallmark’s fourth “royal” themed movie for this year. This breaks the record for most “royal” movies released on Hallmark in an individual year! Since 2011’s Smooch, “royal” themed movies have become a staple on Hallmark Channel. Out of the twelve “royal” themed movies that Hallmark has made in this seven-year time-frame, I have seen nine of them, with most of these movies being really good. So, where does Hallmark’s newest “royal” story rank among these movies? Find out in my Royally Ever After review!

Royally Ever After poster
Royally Ever After 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=Royally%20Ever%20After&IsSeries=False.

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: The entire cast of Royally Ever After was great! Everyone gave a performance that felt so believable and convincing. However, Fiona Gubelmann’s performance was the one that shined the brightest! Not only was her portrayal of the character of Sara believable (like the rest of the cast), but it was also very genuine. Fiona’s performance was such a joy to watch and I hope she continues to be cast in Hallmark movies.

 

  • The on-screen chemistry: Torrance Coombs, like Fiona Gubelmann, gave a good performance in Royally Ever After. Though this was Torrance’s first role in any Hallmark movie, he proved that he, just like Fiona, has what it takes to lead a Hallmark production. Together, both Torrance and Fiona gave such a great performance, that their on-screen chemistry was convincing. In fact, I feel that Torrance and Fiona had the best on-screen chemistry in any Hallmark movie this year (so far)! Both of them came across as if they truly got along. The other couples in Royally Ever After also had good on-screen chemistry! Sara’s parents (portrayed by Fiona Bell and John Guerrasio) and Daniel’s parents (portrayed by Carmen du Sautoy and Barry McGovern) appeared as if they truly belonged together.

 

  • The scenery: Royally Ever After was filmed in Ireland and the country’s beauty really shows in this movie! The natural landscapes were magnificent to look at and a highlight in the film! Hallmark does not film in Ireland enough, so I hope more Hallmark productions get filmed there in the future.

 

  • Not relying on “Hallmark royal movie” clichés: One of my issues with these “royal” movies is that they, more often than not, lack difference between the films. They almost always follow the same beats and patterns, sometimes making me wish Hallmark would retire from the fairytale-esque storytelling. Royally Ever After, however, broke away from most of those clichés and felt like a “breath of fresh air”. One example of this is having the prince’s sister trying to sabotage the protagonists’ relationship instead of the prince’s mother. These creative choices made me enjoy Royally Ever After even more!
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Princess tiara image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/ornamental-princess-crowns_1109199.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/gold”>Gold vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

  • As I reflect on this movie, I can’t think of anything that I didn’t like about the film. To me, this is the closest to being a “perfect” Hallmark movie that I’ve seen in a very long time.
Old castle in the mountians.
Castle photo created by Photoangel at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/old-castle-in-the-mountians_1286237.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/tree”>Tree image created by Photoangel – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

I really loved Royally Ever After! In my opinion, this is the best “royal” movie Hallmark has ever made! I felt so happy after watching this film, feeling that this was time well spent. I would love it if this story continued through sequels, possibly with the first wedding themed “royal” movie that could be titled “Wedding Ever After”. If you get the chance, I would highly recommend Royally Ever After!

 

Overall score: 10 out of 10

 

Have you seen Royally Ever After? What’s your favorite “royal” movie from Hallmark? Let me know in the comment section!

 

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.

Take 3: Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

With eight series currently in circulation, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries has been very busy keeping fans on the edge on their seats, providing compelling mysteries that will keep viewers involved in each film’s story. One series in particular is Darrow & Darrow. After making its debut last year, Darrow & Darrow has quickly become an important component in the web of franchises from Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. With memorable characters, a well-written script, and a good mystery, Darrow & Darrow won over my heart. As I was excited for the sequel, I was also disappointed when I found out  the next movie would be centered around a murder mystery. This is because the mystery involved in the first movie did not have any murders, going against the grain from other mystery series on Hallmark’s second network. Did this change in the series affect my enjoyment of the film? Find out in my review of Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder!

Darrow &amp; Darrow 2 poster
Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=143&FeedBoxID=986&NodeID=307&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Darrow%20and%20Darrow%20In%20the%20Key%20of%20Murder&IsSeries=False

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: The cast in the Darrow & Darrow sequel was very strong! Everyone gave such great performances and complimented each other at the same time. The one cast member that impressed me the most in this movie was MacKenzie Porter. She did an excellent job not only with her acting performance, but with her singing performances as well! I also liked seeing Geoff Gustafson in a film outside of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series because it allowed him to work with new material, keeping his acting performances interesting and entertaining. Geoff is a talented actor and it was good to see him in a role that is different from what most Hallmark fans are used to.

 

  • The mystery: Even though the sequel was a murder mystery (like most films on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries), it was compelling and intriguing. With enough suspects and clues, it allowed viewers to solve the case alongside the protagonists. Also, the charm of the series was never lost amid the darkness of the crime.

 

  • The on-screen chemistry: Just like in the first Darrow & Darrow film, the on-screen chemistry between Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Tom Cavanagh was fantastic! Both Kimberly and Tom pulled off a great performance individually and as a pair. Their line delivery was spot-on and their portrayals of Claire and Miles truly appeared like their characters got along. I’m really looking forward to seeing where Claire and Miles’ relationship goes from here!
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Magnifying glass image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/magnifying-glass-with-fingerprint-in-flat-style_2034684.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/flat”>Flat vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

  • Some of the side stories: While the story of Joanna working on the pro bono case was well-written, I was not impressed with Lou’s story. It felt like a repeat from the first movie, where an exceptionally gifted young person (Lou in this case) is having difficulty relating to their peers. I also didn’t like the story amongst the other lawyers at the Darrow & Darrow law firm. To me, this and Lou’s story just didn’t have a big impact on the film’s overall story.
Little girl in baseball outfit
Baseball girl image created by Brgfx at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/little-girl-in-baseball-outfit_2204168.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Brgfx – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

This was a really good continuation in the series! I ended up liking this movie just as much as the first movie! Hallmark Movies & Mysteries has done an excellent job when creating a newer mystery series that feels different from the other series they offer. While the series is only about a year old, it has plenty of room to grow, as more stories are still waiting to be told. Hallmark has not made any announcements about a continuation in the Darrow & Darrow series, but I hope more movies get made in the near future! This series has only gotten better and I can’t wait to see where the direction of this series goes!

 

Overall score: 8-8.5 out of 10

 

Have you seen the Darrow & Darrow sequel? What you think about the Darrow & Darrow series? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: County Line Review

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INSP Network does not make films often. In fact, only four films have been released since the network started making movies in 2015. One of these films is County Line. The reason why I chose to review this film is because, as a movie-viewer, I wanted to support INSP Network’s creative efforts. While I haven’t seen Christmas in the Smokies, I have watched Heritage Falls and most of Savannah Sunrise. Personally, I enjoyed Heritage Falls more than Savannah Sunrise. But where does INSP Network’s newest film rank? Let’s crack the case in my review of County Line!

County Line poster
County Line poster created by INSP Films and INSP Network. Image found at http://www.insp.com/movies/county-line/

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: The acting in County Line was good. However, the three strongest performers in this film were Tom Wopat, Jeff Fahey, and Patricia Richardson. Both Tom and Jeff gave performances that were well-rounded and versatile. Also, their portrayals of Alden and Cliff seemed very believable. Patricia’s performance was a delight in this film, with her character, Maddie, being very likable.

 

  • The mystery: In County Line, the mystery was engaging. What was great about it was that it not only allowed the viewers to solve the mystery alongside Alden, but to also experience the mystery and the events surrounding it alongside Alden as well. This makes viewers feel like they are taking a journey, with Alden at their side.

 

  • The cinematography: There was some really good cinematography in this film. One example is when there is a shot of the Intensive Care Unit doors followed by a shot of Alden’s left hand. Without the use of dialogue, this was a good way to remind viewers of what Alden had gone through in earlier scenes. It also helped viewers to understand Alden’s motives and feelings through the use of these visuals.
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What I didn’t like about the film:

  • The pace: My biggest problem with County Line was the pace. For a movie that has an engaging mystery and some action in it, the pace was really slow. Because of this, it made scenes feel like they are drawn out longer than they were intended to be.

 

  • Too many establishing shots: Before a scene would officially start, there were several establishing shots, sometimes five or more, that came before it. While establishing shots are a necessary component to any film, some of the establishing shots in County Line were pointless. Because of the previously mentioned pace, these shots felt like they were drawn out for too long and given too much emphasis.

 

  • The under-utilization of Patricia Richardson: While Patricia was one of the strongest performers in this movie, she didn’t have as many appearances as I had expected. Even though she is the top-billed actress in County Line, she is only in about four or five scenes throughout the entire film. Also, Patricia’s character, Maddie, did not have as big of a significance in the film as I had thought she would. Because of the movie’s synopsis, I had assumed that Maddie was going to solve the mystery alongside Alden. Sadly, this was not the case.
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My overall impression:

At best, County Line is ok. Even though there was a good cast involved and an engaging mystery, the pace prevented this movie from reaching its full potential. However, I do respect what INSP Films was trying to accomplish with this movie, as well as the stories and messages they were trying to tell. For this, I will continue to support INSP Network as they work to create quality, original films. According to the official website for INSP Films, they have an upcoming film called Christmas on the Coast! While INSP Films has not made any official announcements about when the movie will premiere on INSP Network, I will definitely support the film and review it for 18 Cinema Lane!

 

Overall score: 6 out of 10

 

Have you seen County Line? What is your favorite INSP film? Tell me what you think in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Link to the County Line movie page: http://www.insp.com/movies/county-line/?=top_nav

Link to the County Line movie website: http://countylinemovie.com/?utm_source=insp_com&utm_medium=movies&utm_campaign=county_line

Link to the INSP Films website: http://www.inspfilms.com/

Take 3: Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Beach House Review

On By 18cinemalane7 Comments

As Avengers: Infinity War was busy destroying almost every box office record they could think of, Hallmark Hall of Fame decided to make a splash with their latest presentation, The Beach House! Since 2014, the Hallmark Hall of Fame branch has found a permanent home on the Hallmark Channel, where Christmas movies reign and heart-felt stories are shared. When I reviewed the trailer for The Beach House earlier this month, I did share my concerns about this film. All I wanted was for this movie to be good. Because the marketing campaign was so weak, it forced me to lower my expectations for The Beach House, wondering whether this movie was going to be good at all. Now you’re probably trying to guess what my real thoughts on this film ended up being. In order to find out, you’ll have to dive in and read my review of Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Beach House!

Hallmark Hall of Fame's The Beach House poster
The Beach House poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel. Poster image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=The%20Beach%20House&IsSeries=False.

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: This cast was very solid! The two performances that were the biggest pleasant surprises, though, were those from Andie MacDowell and Chad Michael Murray. Before watching The Beach House, the only movies that I had seen Chad star in were Freaky Friday (2003) and A Cinderella Story, so I didn’t know what to expect of his performance in this recent Hallmark Hall of Fame film. However, Chad’s portrayal of Brett really impressed me! Also, Andie’s performance in The Beach House is the best that she’s ever given in any Hallmark production she has starred in!

 

  • The scenery: According to Hallmark Channel’s website, The Beach House was filmed in Georgia on Tybee Island. The natural beauty that the Peach State has to offer is showcased really well in this film. While the beach itself is the primary focus in this movie, other natural landscapes are highlighted as well, such as those that were featured during Brett and Cara’s boat ride. The architecture of the buildings, the beach house being one example, also compliment the scenery.

 

  • The cinematography: I was really impressed by the cinematography in The Beach House! It made the film look much grander than the typical Hallmark Channel movie. In fact, the cinematography was so good, The Beach House looked like a feature film!

 

  • The overall quality: From 2014 to 2016, Hallmark had an adjustment period when it came to moving their Hallmark Hall of Fame films to the Hallmark Channel. The movies in that period did not feel like Hallmark Hall of Fame movies, making me miss the days when they premiered on the major networks. Since 2017, the Hallmark Hall of Fame branch started to find its stride again, going back to their roots and focusing on telling good stories. The Beach House is just another stepping stone on that brighter path, not only looking like a Hallmark Hall of Fame film, but feeling like one as well.
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What I didn’t like about the film:

  • Differences between the book and the movie: As a movie, The Beach House does have some major differences from Mary Alice Monroe’s novel of the same name. One of these is the ages of the characters. For the sake of the film, all of the characters’ ages changed from what they were originally intended. There are also some parts from the book that are very different in the movie. One example is Lovie accepting a milkshake offer after her radiation therapy in the movie, but feeling too queasy to drink one after her radiation therapy in the novel. However, because I only read the first few chapters of the book, these differences didn’t affect my enjoyment of the film.
The Beach House novel
My copy of The Beach House novel. Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

My overall impression:

The Hallmark Hall of Fame branch has finally found its footing again! As I’ve thought for several years, the quality of the Hallmark Hall of Fame films doesn’t have to change just because they’re on Hallmark Channel. Thankfully, Hallmark has realized this by creating movies that remind viewers why the Hallmark Hall of Fame branch exists in the first place. The Beach House was such a pleasant surprise, far exceeding my low expectations! This movie makes me excited not only for the future of Hallmark Hall of Fame, but also for their upcoming Christmas film! Though no details were mentioned during the sneak peek commercial that was shown after The Beach House, I will be waiting in anticipation until Hallmark makes an official announcement.

 

Overall score: 7.8 out of 10

 

Have you seen The Beach House? If so, what did you think? Please let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Link to the information about The Beach House: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/the-beach-house/about-the-beach-house

If you want to read my review of The Beach House trailer, you can find it under the ‘Word on the Street’ tab. It is titled ‘Word on the Street: Hallmark releases trailer for Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Beach House’.

Take 3: Reap What You Sew: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

As anyone who’s been paying attention to Hallmark knows, they take the ‘Mystery’ in Hallmark Movies & Mysteries very seriously. That’s why Hallmark creates a variety of mystery series, each with their own unique characters and stories. From the popular Signed, Sealed, Delivered to the powerhouse Garage Sale Mystery, the various series offered on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries shows how Hallmark strives to provide the best opportunities possible for story-telling. This is no different for the Aurora Teagarden series. Since its debut in 2015, the Aurora Teagarden series is one of the strongest on the network. With the ratings to prove it, this series has quickly become a jewel in Hallmark’s gold crown (yes, that joke was intentional). So, how does the newest installment in the series stack up to the rest? Let’s solve that mystery in my review of Reap What You Sew: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery!

Aurora Teagarden poster
Reap What You Sew: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=143&FeedBoxID=986&NodeID=307&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Reap%20What%20You%20Sew%20An%20Aurora%20Teagarden%20Mystery&IsSeries=False.

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: The acting abilities from this cast were good. However, the three actors that were the stand-outs in this film were Britt Irvin, Jesse Moss, and Julia Benson! Each of these actors pulled off a performance that was well-rounded and versatile. Britt, Jesse, and Julia impressed me for different reasons, with each of them shining on their own merits. I’m hoping that each of these actors can lead their own Hallmark movies in the near future!

 

  • The mystery: Like the other movies in the Aurora Teagarden series, the mystery in this movie was engaging. Because the reveal happened toward the end of the film, there was a sense of interactivity for the audience to solve the mystery alongside Aurora. Also, there were enough suspects and clues within the movie to keep viewers guessing.

 

  • The suspense: In Reap What You Sew, the suspense was on-par with the rest of the Aurora Teagarden movies. This is especially true about the third act of the film. Not only was there a good build-up to the suspense, but it was incorporated well in the climax. The reveal of the guilty party was definitely a highlight in this movie.
Sewing color background
Sewing pattern image created by Nenilkime at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Nenilkime – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/sewing-color-background_1380853.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

  • A slower pace: The pace of this Aurora Teagarden movie was slower than it has been in the other movies. However, this didn’t make me like the movie any less.

 

  • Too much exposition: The first quarter of this film is loaded with exposition from several of the characters. While it was necessary for this exposition to be featured in the movie, because there are usually several-month gaps between the Aurora Teagarden films, I feel that these expositions should have been spaced out through the first half of the film.
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My overall impression:

As good as Reap What You Sew: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery was, it didn’t stand out from the other movies in the series. I will admit that having the characters of Lynn, Martin, and John absent from this movie made it feel like something was missing. However, like I said about the movie’s pace, it didn’t affect the quality or my enjoyment of the film. With the strength and likability of this series, there are still plenty of stories left to tell. This means that Aurora and her friends are not wrapping up the case anytime soon. In my heart, I still believe this series is one of the best on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. When another does get announced from the network, I will get excited about its arrival and, who knows, maybe I’ll review it for 18 Cinema Lane.

 

Overall score: 7 out of 10

 

What are your thoughts on the film? Do you like the Aurora Teagarden series? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

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

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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