Hi there! The time has come for the arrival of the Gold Sally Awards’ Best Supporting Actor division! For these set of polls, you will decide which actor will receive the title of Best Supporting Actor in a Hallmark Channel Movie and Best Supporting Actor in a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Movie. Like the previous polls, you will be able to vote for more than one nominee. However, you can only vote once per person. All votes can be left in the comment section of this post. Voting for the Best Supporting Actor division will end on April 29th.
Last week, I was nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by K from K at the Movies! Since I had to devote time to the Gold Sally Awards, a Word on the Street story, and a movie review, I decided to publish my award entry this week. During that time, I was nominated again by Cameron by The Blog Complainer! Because I was nominated by two people within the same month, I decided to combine some of K’s questions and some of Cameron’s questions into my overall list of questions. Before I begin this post, I wanted to take the time to thank both K and Cameron for their nominations. I’ve never received the Sunshine Blogger Award before, so it’s an honor to be recognized for such an honor like this! Now that introductions are out of the way, let’s officially start this award entry!
What is your favorite Score or Soundtrack to a film or television show (I will accept an Album or any collection of music if you find this question difficult to answer)? There are so many great soundtracks that I’ve heard in my life! If I had to choose one, however, I would pick the soundtrack from The Bodyguard. This is one of my favorite movies of all time, with the music being just as good as the film itself. I’m so glad that Whitney’s music was incorporated into the film as well as to her individual character. Her songs are such a timeless addition to any playlist. This soundtrack is so good, I not only still listen to it (over 20 years later), but I can name which scenes each song appeared in.
What is one piece of media you would like to see adapted to a different medium? One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Christmas Through Your Eyes” by Gloria Estefan. For years, I have always wanted to know who the narrator was talking to and how much of an influence this person had on the narrator. Based on the lyrics, it seems like a great story could come from this song. So, to answer K’s question, I would love to see Gloria’s song adapted into a movie! I’ve always thought that “Christmas Through Your Eyes” would make a great Hallmark Hall of Fame film! If this movie were to become a reality, I wonder if Gloria herself would make an on-screen appearance?
What’s your favourite type of weather? As it was said in Miss Congeniality, my favorite type of weather is “not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket”.
What is one post or article you’ve written that doesn’t get enough love, you feel is underrated that’d you like more people to see? (Yes, shamelessly plug yourself) Like Cameron said in their Sunshine Blogger Award post, you have very little control over what people read and view on your blog. On 18 Cinema Lane, I’ve been very fortunate to have good viewership numbers on my various posts. However, I feel like my editorials should receive a little more recognition. I don’t write them often because they are long and require a significant amount of work. However, compared to the other content on my blog, it seems like these posts aren’t sought out. So, if anyone is interested, I will include a link to each of my four editorials into this post!
A movie studio decides to make a movie based on your life. Who would you like to play yourself? I had to give this question a little bit of thought. But, after thinking about it, I decided that I would like to see Laci J. Mailey from Chesapeake Shores portray me in a movie based on my life! She is one of the most talented actresses in the Hallmark community. Plus, her acting abilities would be compatible with comedic and dramatic material. As far as I know, Laci has never led a film before. So, if this movie were to be a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, this would be her first starring role in a Hallmark project!
“Your Childhood is Ruined!” When someone decides to make a terrible reboot or remake of what? Two of my favorite animated films of all time are Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Anastasia (1997). Since Disney has the ability to remake almost anything and since they have recently purchased the movie rights to 20th Century Fox films, any of these two films have the potential to get remade. But, lately, it seems like Disney is remaking their movies just for the sake of receiving money. Like I said in my review of The Bad Seed (2018), a good remake should do two things: 1. Respect the original film and 2. Do something new with the story and provide your own voice to the narrative. While Kim Possible (2019) did a good job at following these two rules, there’s no guarantee that a remake of Atlantis: The Lost Empire or Anastasia (1997) will apply these rules to their project. Besides, why remake a movie that was already good to begin with?
You have been given the chance to go on the holiday you have always dreamed of. Where are you going? For the majority of my life, I have always wanted to go on a cruise. From what I’ve heard about them, they sound like fun as well as a unique experience. Every year, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) hosts a cruise to celebrate classic cinema. However, I’ve haven’t had the money or time to attend one of these cruises. Another place I’ve wanted to visit is Dollywood. Ever since the cast of Home & Family spent an entire week filming at the theme park, it seemed, to me, like such a fun place! There are other attractions around that area that sound just as interesting. Going to Dollywood for vacation would be such a great experience!
If you could go back in time and tell your younger self something important, what would you tell him/her? The one thing that I would tell my younger self is that it’s ok to expand your pop cultural horizons. Years ago, the only piece of superhero pop culture that I truly cared about was Sailor Moon. Today, my favorite superhero is Bucky Barnes. Because I chose to expand my horizons when it comes to pop culture, I became invested in characters and stories that I might not have cared about otherwise.
What is an unsolved mystery that you wish you knew the answer to? As I mentioned in my post about My Top 5 Dream Double Features at the Cinema, I have always wondered why Kida (from Atlantis: The Lost Empire) and Chel (from The Road to El Dorado) share some similarities between each other, even though they were created by two different animators from two different animation companies. I would love to receive an answer to this question that I have been asking for over fifteen years.
10. You are given a magic phone with a T-Mobile Fave 5 plan that allows you unlimited calls to any fictional characters. Who’s in Your 5? I’m not going to lie, this question, for me, required a significant amount of thought. However, I was able to create this short list that made me happy! The characters in my Fave 5 plan are:
Bucky Barnes – from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU): For me, this choice was a no-brainer. Like I’ve mentioned before, Bucky is my favorite superhero in the MCU. So, of course, I would want to grant him a special spot on this plan.
Moon – from Cedar Cove: Out of all the characters that have ever stepped foot in the town of Cedar Cove, Moon has always been my favorite! Because he doesn’t have any known family and since the other characters from Cedar Cove could be busy dealing with their own situations, there might be times when he could be lonely. So, Moon would have a chance to call me if he wanted to reach a friend.
Jiggy Nye – from Felicity: An American Girl Adventure and the Felicity Merriman series from American Girl: Anyone who has read the books or seen the movie would know that Jiggy Nye is the antagonist of this particular story. However, he evolves over the course of the series/movie into a hero. Similar to Moon, Jiggy doesn’t have any known family. He also could become lonely due to the other characters from the series/movie possibly dealing with their own situations. Giving Jiggy a piece of this plan would be a good way for him to connect with, at least, one friend.
Karen Brewer – from the Baby-Sitters Little Sister series: Years ago, Karen Brewer became one of my favorite literary characters. Since she was a child when this series began in 1988, Karen would likely be an adult in 2019. This means that she has more life experience now than she had 31 years ago. By granting her a piece of this plan, I would get to learn more about her life as well as see how some of her life experiences compare to my own. Based on the books, Karen seemed to have an interesting life. So, it would be fascinating to hear about her adventures that would have never appeared in the books.
Debbie Thornberry – from The Wild Thornberrys: In my review of Rugrats Go Wild, I shared that Debbie is my favorite character from The Wild Thornberrys. Similar to Karen Brewer, Debbie was a teenager at the start of the show. Therefore, it’s highly likely that she would be an adult by now. I would to love to hear how her life turned out after the Thornberrys traveled the world. Had she planted roots or become an explorer of her own? If I gave Debbie a piece of this plan, I would hopefully get answers to these questions.
The thing you’re most proud of? For several years, I had been considering starting a blog. However, I was always met with self-doubt and poor timing. But, last February, I finally took the first step in creating 18 Cinema Lane. Starting my blog is what I’m most proud of because it has given a sense of confidence that I didn’t think I had. In fact, I wouldn’t be receiving this award had I not made that decision to, finally, become a blogger.
Here at 18 Cinema Lane, I talk about Hallmark films quite a bit. So, it makes sense that I would choose to review Bottled with Love! This is not the first time I have talked about this film, as I reported on this movie in a Word on the Street story two months ago. I also shared my thoughts on the film’s synopsis in another Word on the Street story from last month. There are two reasons why I wanted to see this movie; 1.) Because, for some reason, Hallmark decided to over-hype this movie by claiming that it’s “the best movie you’ll see all year”, so I wanted to see if this movie could live up to Hallmark’s hype and 2.) In the When Calls the Heart Behind-the-Scenes featurette that I talked about in this month’s Word on the Street story, Erin Krakow said she would be making an announcement during the film. Did Bottled with Love meet Hallmark’s expectations? What was Erin’s announcement about? Find out the answer to both of these questions by reading this review!
The acting: For the most part, the acting performances in this film were good! As usual, Andrew Walker delivers a performance that appears natural and believable. No matter if he’s given a starring role or a supporting character, Andrew always finds a way to shine in every project he’s cast in! I also liked Bethany Brown’s performance! Her portrayal of Abbey’s friend, Elaine, was such a joy to watch, as her on-screen personality helped make this character likable. This is also the same way I felt about Frances Flanagan’s performance as Aunt Frances. The acting within Bottled with Love was entertaining to watch!
The cinematography: I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of Bottled with Love’s cinematography! There were a few scenes where the sun reflected off objects, such as the bottle that Abbey’s message was placed in. I thought the incorporation of the scene’s natural light was very interesting. The use of close-ups in this film was interesting as well. This is something that Hallmark doesn’t often do in their films, so the close-ups of some of the actors’ faces was something that I wasn’t expecting. While watching Bottled with Love, I felt like I watching a feature film!
Some of the film’s unique touches: When I first shared the synopsis for this film a month ago, I talked about how I thought the story sounded interesting because of the amount of creativity that was being presented. As I watched Bottled with Love, I found a few unique touches in the movie that I really liked! The aspect of the message in a bottle is something that Hallmark doesn’t often include in their films, so it was nice to see some creativity incorporated into this story. I also liked seeing an apple orchard during the spring season instead of the fall season. I’ve never seen a “Spring Fever” movie feature an apple orchard, so I thought that was a unique approach to this particular story!
Weak on-screen chemistry: While both Bethany Joy Lenz and Andrew Walker gave a good acting performance, I did not think their on-screen chemistry was very strong. Sure, it was ok. But I’ve seen stronger on-screen chemistry from other on-screen couples in recent Hallmark films. During Bottled with Love, I never sensed an on-screen spark between Bethany and Andrew. This made the romantic aspect of the story seem a little less believable.
An inconsistent pace: Throughout Bottled with Love, I found the overall pace to be inconsistent. Some scenes felt more drawn-out than others, which caused them to feel a little bit boring. I noticed this happened in the scenes that took place at the office, whenever Abbey and Nick were at work.
Lack of mystery: In Bottled with Love, the audience knew the entire time who found Abbey’s message in a bottle. This is the same problem that My Secret Valentine had, where the identity of the protagonist’s secret admirer should have been kept a secret until the last few minutes of the film. Had Bottled with Love kept the identity of Abbey’s pen pal a mystery for not only the protagonist, but also for the audience, I feel that it would have made this story more intriguing.
For a short while now, Hallmark has been over-hyping Bottled with Love. They claimed that it will be “the best movie you’ll see all year” and had one of the stars of the movie say that critics are describing the film as an “instant classic”. After looking past all of the hype, I discovered that the film was just decent. Bottled with Love felt no different from any other Hallmark movie. In fact, it almost felt like a repeat of My Secret Valentine. By Hallmark choosing to over-hype this movie, I think, to a certain extent, it hurt the credibility of the film. Now, on to Erin’s announcement, the moment Hearties have been waiting for! It was nice to hear Erin Krakow say that When Calls the Heart will be receiving a seventh season! While I’m not surprised by this news, I am glad that the show will continue.
Overall score: 7.2 out of 10
Have you seen Bottled with Love? How do you feel about this news relating to When Calls the Heart? Share your thoughts in the comment section!
I apologize if I’ve been sounding like a broken record by mostly talking about Hallmark related movie news. But I’ve discovered so much movie news that I can’t always talk about it in one sitting. In this Word on the Street post, I will be talking about a potential Gourmet Detective movie, an upcoming Christmas film, and an unclaimed movie project. Even though I don’t talk about tv shows often, I will be discussing the latest news about When Calls the Heart, especially since I re-cap the show in my Sunset Over Hope Valley series. As I usually do in these Word on the Street posts, I will share my honest thoughts about each piece of movie news. So, let’s get started with talking about these projects!
One day, while on IMDB, I stumbled across a page that really caught my eye. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ Gourmet Detective series is a collection of films that I have come to enjoy. So, you could imagine my excitement when the title of this IMDB page ended up being “Gourmet Detective: Roux the Day”! On this page, the project is listed as “in development”, so it’s unclear what stage of the production process this movie is in. However, it would make sense for another Gourmet Detective movie to be on its way. The last movie to premiere was Gourmet Detective: Eat, Drink, and be Buried in 2017. Also, when a fan asked Dylan Neal on Twitter if there would be any upcoming movies in this series, he responded by saying “We’ll see what we can do about another…”. Though Hallmark has not made any announcements about this film, it’ll be interesting to see when this movie could premiere. Since the Garage Sale Mystery series has ended, maybe this new Gourmet Detective movie could air sometime in August? This is a piece of movie news we’ll definitely have to keep our eyes on.
To view the references I made in this movie news story, visit the official page for “Gourmet Detective: Roux the Day” at IMDB and Dylan Neal’s official Twitter account (@DylanNealStudio)
Today, after Home & Family, Erin Krakow appeared in a special When Calls the Heart Behind-the-Scenes featurette to reveal that the show will return on May 5th! There will also be another new episode that airs on May 6th! As good as this news was, I was disappointed that the “Abigail Stanton situation” wasn’t addressed. Even in the sneak peek scene that was shown, there was no mention of this character. Another thing that Erin mentioned was that she would make another announcement during the premiere of Bottled with Love! While she didn’t hint at what this announcement could be, my guess is she could be starring in a Christmas movie either alongside Andrew Walker or co-starring with Bethany Joy Lenz. It will be very interesting to hear what Erin has to say on April 13th.
While I was on Instagram one day, looking for potential movie news stories, I came across a very interesting post. Liz Storm, a screenwriter, posted a picture of her laptop with what appears to be a plot for an upcoming movie. In the description of this picture, the hashtags #hallmarkchristmasmovies, #hallmark, and #marvista are found. This is important to point out because in another Instagram post, Liz said that she was writing a “family romance” for Marvista Entertainment and that it would premiere on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries within their Christmas line-up. Looking at what’s on Liz’s laptop, it seems like this movie will be titled “Love Song for Noel”. What’s interesting is that there are two pages that are visible on the laptop screen. On the first page, the story is about a woman named Noel, who is a violinist living somewhere in Nashville. Also, in this story, there is a character named Wayne Grant, who is a country singer and a single father. But on the second page, the story is about a woman named Beth who works in a small music store. The other characters that were referenced in this story were her mother, Joan, and her best friend, Sheila. It is unclear at this time which story is going to be the final product. As I was reading these stories, I wondered if this movie had anything to do with the upcoming Christmas film that Blake Shelton is associated with? At the Winter TCA Event in February, Hallmark announced that they were partnering with Blake Shelton for a 2019 Christmas film. Since his produced movie, Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas, aired on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries last year, everything I just said would make a lot of sense.
To view the references I made about this movie news story, visit Liz Storms’ official Instagram feed (@lizstormy) and this link:
Back in January, I listed several movie titles that weren’t attached to any networks. One of these titles was “For You, With Love”. While it’s still unknown which network will receive this movie, we now know who will be starring in this film. According to IMDB, the official cast is:
Edy Ganem
Maddie Phillips
Matreya Scarrwener
Brendon Zub
Adil Zaidi
Rachel Hayward
Clayton Chitty
Mark Brandon
Georgia Bradner
Phillip Joseph Steward
It’s important to point out that Maddie Phillips, Matreya Scarrwener, Brendon Zub, Adil Zaidi, Rachel Hayward, Clayton Chitty, and Mark Brandon have been cast in a Hallmark or UP Network project prior to being cast in “Made for You with Love”, the new title for the film. However, this does not confirm that any of these networks could premiere this movie. This is another piece of movie news we’ll have to keep our eyes on.
To view the reference I made in this movie news story, visit the official page for “Made for You with Love” on IMDB
Hello, everyone! Today starts the Best Supporting Actress division of the Gold Sally Awards! In honor of this occasion, I decided this would be the perfect time to introduce 18 Cinema Lane’s new logo! This version will be the official logo of the blog from now on. It was created by K from K at the Movies. Make sure you check out their blog for more reviews and insights about film!
Now, on to the voting! These polls are to determine who will be the Best Supporting Actress in a Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie! Like with the previous polls, you can only vote once per person. However, you are allowed to vote for more than one nominee. You can place your votes in the comment section of this post. The Gold Sally Awards’ Best Supporting Actress division will conclude on April 18th. After that date, two actresses will receive this honor of being named Best Supporting Actress from the Gold Sally Awards!
Best Supporting Actress in a Hallmark Channel Movie
Brittany Bristow – Christmas at the Palace
Gwynyth Walsh – It’s Christmas, Eve
Maddie McCormick – Christmas at Pemberley Manor
Rukiya Bernard – One Winter Weekend
Naomi Sequeira – Pearl in Paradise
MacKenzie Vega – Love, Of Course
Andie MacDowell – The Beach House
Kayla Wallace – Once Upon a Prince
Jordana Lajoie – A Gingerbread Romance
Elva Mai Hoover – Entertaining Christmas
Best Supporting Actress in a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Movie
Sarah Grey – Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Marriage Made for Murder
Wendie Malick – Marrying Father Christmas
Laura Leighton – Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane
Rebecca Staab – Christmas Bells are Ringing
Colleen Winton – Hope at Christmas
Sitara Hewitt – Past Malice: An Emma Fielding Mystery
Nicola Lipman – Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder in D Minor
Jessica Sipos – Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar
Kelly Hu – Christmas Wonderland
MacKenzie Porter – Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder
This week, I received 90 followers on 18 Cinema Lane! To all my followers, thank you for helping me reach this accomplish! In honor of this achievement, I’m going to review a film that was released 90 years ago (in 1929). While looking through Turner Classic Movie’s (TCM’s) schedule one day, I found a film titled The Broadway Melody. Because this film turned 90 years old this year, I chose to review this movie for this special post. Before this review, I had never heard of The Broadway Melody. So, I was looking forward to expanding my cinematic horizons. Was this film a show-stopper or stumble over its own dancing shoes? Keep reading my review of The Broadway Melody if you want to find out!
The acting: As a whole, the cast of The Broadway Melody was good! Anita Page and Bessie Love both gave a memorable performance as the singing and dancing duo, Hank and Queenie! What was so great about these characters is how they displayed their own distinct personalities. While Hank was out-spoken and spunky, Queenie was a quieter individual with a sweet personality. I also liked Jed Prouty’s performance as Uncle Jed! His portrayal of this character came across very believably, making Uncle Jed feel like a real person. Having him stutter was an interesting choice, as this is not common amongst characters in cinema. However, I thought that this component was incorporated well from both an acting and writing perspective.
Use of title cards: At some points in the film, title cards were used as scene transitions and location indicators. This choice was not only creative, but also interesting. Since The Broadway Melody was the first movie musical to be “all-talking”, I felt this was a good transition from silent films to talking pictures. These title cards also added a unique stamp to the overall project.
The musical numbers: One of the strongest aspects of The Broadway Melody is, definitely, the musical numbers! My favorite group routine was “Wedding of the Painted Doll”, as it was really well choreographed and performed! There was so much going on in that number, but it was all great to look at. Throughout this film, the best solo performance came from a ballerina who performed a tap dance on ballet pointe. Her routine was incredible and I had never seen anything like it before! This was absolutely the best dance solo in any movie musical I’ve ever seen!
Large spaces between musical numbers: While I enjoyed seeing the musical numbers in The Broadway Melody, it seemed like this movie had far more dialogue-focused scenes. In my opinion, a good musical finds a way to balance the dialogue and music-focused scenes, creating a film that tells an interesting story and provides entertaining content. Throughout The Broadway Melody, however, there were only seven musical numbers. The ratio between the musical numbers and dialogue-focused scenes was weaker than I had expected.
The run-time: Before I watched this movie, I was surprised to find that it was almost two hours long. Looking back on this specific production, I don’t think this story needed to be an hour and forty minutes. Because of this run-time, it caused the movie to feel longer than intended and some scenes to feel too drawn out. There was also the inclusion of scenes for the sake of satisfying the run-time. This movie would have worked better with a run-time of an hour and twenty or thirty minutes.
A “slice of life” story: It seems like the more movies I watch, the more I don’t like “slice of life” stories (unless they have intriguing plots). The premise in The Broadway Melody felt like it was following a year in the life of the Mahoney sisters. I did not find this type of story-telling very interesting. This story also contained petty drama that I really didn’t care about. Because this drama lasted for a good portion of the film, it caused the plot to feel drawn-out.
The Broadway Melody was an ok film. I can see why this movie received the honors that it did in its time. However, I think there are movie musicals that are stronger than this one. While, the story wasn’t as interesting as I had hoped, the musical numbers were the highlight of this film. They were very enjoyable and fun to watch. I found myself rewinding my recording of The Broadway Melody in order to re-watch some of the musical scenes. “Wedding of the Painted Doll” was such a great ensemble routine and the tap dance on ballet pointe solo was fantastic! With its merits and flaws, I’m still glad I chose to review this film.
Overall score: 6.3 out of 10
What did you think of my review? Which movie musical is your favorite? Let me know in the comment section!
Hi there! I wanted to let everyone know that voting for the Best Actor from a Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie ends on April 7th. The next round of polls will start on April 8th. Happy voting!
Last week, Marvel released the official character posters for their upcoming film, Avengers: Endgame. After oohing and aahing over these posters like everyone else had, I came up with the idea to rank the posters that I liked the most. I had wanted to publish this post last week. However, because I chose to devote time to the Mystery Mania blogathon and the Gold Sally Awards, I decided to postpone the post to this week. With the recent release of a Special Look commercial for Avengers: Endgame and since tickets for the movie are now on sale, it appears that the timing of my post is a blessing in disguise. As the title says, I have created a list of the Top 10 Best Character Posters for Avengers: Endgame! I’ll be honest with you; this list was not easy to make, especially since there are so many great posters to choose from. A good amount of minutes were spent creating this list. Before I start, I just want to say that this list is based on my opinion. So, with that said, let the countdown begin!
Thor is one of my top three favorite superheroes in the MCU, so I knew that his poster had to be on this list! The one thing that stands out the most in this image are his eyes. While the blue eye caught my attention at first, his gold eye is the one that is captured really well by the lighting. This color combination suits Thor really well.
Speaking of eyes, Captain America’s eyes are the first thing that I noticed about this poster. If you look at the right eye, it almost looks as if he is holding back tears. Because the light is not reflecting that particular side of Captain America’s face, this image alludes to the idea that he is hiding his true feelings of sadness and fear. This means that the side of his face that is visible by the light shows that he is willing to put on a brave face for the sake of completing the mission.
While looking at these posters, I found myself being drawn to the black-and-white images over the color photos. To me, the black-and-white posters did a better job at conveying emotions. Scarlet Witch’s poster is a good example of this. The way the lighting perfectly captures her face helps to showcase the emotions of fear and longing. Because the lighting seems to only focus on Scarlet Witch’s face, it gives viewers an emotional focal point to look at.
Who knew that a raccoon could be captured so well in a portrait? The most impressive detail in this image is Rocket’s fur. While this particular character was created with CGI imagery, the fur itself appears very realistic. The color palette in this image is really complimentary, with the burgundy of the sweater adding to the overall blend of dark brown, light brown, and white. The final detail that stood out to me was Rocket’s eyes. Similar to Captain America’s poster, Rocket’s eyes appear as if he is about to cry.
The most eye-catching aspect of this poster is the color combination of Nebula’s face! The shades of purple, blue, and silver compliment each other really well. These colors were also beautifully captured by the lighting. This poster showcases Nebula’s beauty, strength, and grace in the best way possible!
Like I said with Scarlet Witch’s poster, Gamora’s poster does a really good job at capturing a very emotional portrayal of the character. When looking at Gamora’s face, I could sense a look of questioning was being displayed. This would make sense with everything that happened to her in Avengers: Infinity War, as she wonders why Thanos chose to do what he did. This emotional expression was not only captured well by the lighting, but also by the light and dark compositions.
Because of this poster, it is Marvel’s way of confirming Shuri’s fate after Avengers: Infinity War. While it is unknown, at this time, if Shuri will be rescued in Avengers: Endgame, the studio did give this character a beautiful poster. The lighting did a fantastic job at highlighting her face, showcasing the looks of grace and determination. One of the most eye-catching elements of this image is Shuri’s make-up. It gives viewers an interesting focal point to look at as well as compliment the light and dark compositions in the poster.
Another black-and-white image that captures the emotions of the character and appropriately fits with the events of the previous film. Spider-Man made a saddening departure in Avengers: Infinity War, which ended up becoming a memorable moment for many fans. His facial expression in his poster beautifully portrays the sadness of leaving Iron Man behind and the devastation of that particular event. The different compositions that are found on Spider-Man’s face somehow make the image look peaceful, almost as if he knows that, eventually, all will end well. These emotions make the poster all the more beautiful.
Mantis’ poster is one of the most captivating images I have seen from this collection of character posters. The lighting captures her face perfectly, helping to make the poster appear beautiful and haunting. The look on Mantis’ face is a good representation of how she is trying to contemplate what had happened to her toward the end of Avengers: Infinity War. Because Thanos’ actions arrived so suddenly, no one had enough time to process what was going on. Because the lighting is primarily focused on Mantis’ face, it intensifies the emotions that are on display. It also provides viewers with an emotional focal point.
Anyone who was visited my blog on more than one occasion would not be surprised that Bucky’s poster is my absolute favorite! The overall image is gorgeous! What’s interesting about his poster is that he appears to be sad. What I remember from Avengers: Infinity War, Bucky never really seemed sad throughout the course of the film. It’s almost like he can see what’s about to happen before any one else can. Maybe this is Marvel’s way of hinting at a potential loss in Bucky’s life? The various compositions in this poster compliment the overall beauty of the image. As a Bucky fan, I would definitely have this poster framed and displayed on my wall as art.
If you’ve looked at the movies that I reviewed in March, you would notice that I’ve been in a movie reviewing slump. Out of the four movies that I reviewed, I thought only one of them was good. The rest were ok. So, since it’s been a month since I last talked about a Hallmark Channel movie, I decided to review A Brush with Love! Out of all the movies that are included in the “Spring Fever” line-up, this movie was not one of my most anticipated. While I was curious about the art aspect of the film, the story itself didn’t sound as intriguing as some of the other movies. However, I was happy to see that Arielle Kebbel had been cast in a Hallmark production. The last movie that Arielle starred in was 2015’s Bridal Wave. Was her return to Hallmark a triumphant one? Put on your art smock and get your paint palette ready, it’s time to review A Brush with Love!
The acting: I really enjoyed seeing the various acting performances throughout this film! Everyone did a good job portraying their respective characters. Nick Bateman gave such a strong performance in A Brush with Love, especially since this was his first starring role in any Hallmark movie! He definitely added enough charisma to make his character as likable as he was. It was also nice to see Arielle Kebbel return to the Hallmark community as one of the lead protagonists in this movie. Her performance came across very naturally, which helped her character appear relatable. The acting was absolutely one of the strengths of this film!
The incorporation of Spring-time: The season of Spring was incorporated into this story very well. From the scenery to the props, everything looked and felt like it was an appropriate fit for this particular time of year. I also liked the overall color palette that was found throughout this film. Almost everything was bright and cheery, helping to keep this story upbeat during the more light-hearted moments. It’s interesting to point out that this color palette complimented the season that was found within this movie. This added to the consistency of the over-arcing theme.
The idea of a “vision board”: A “vision board” is a concept that has rarely been seen in a Hallmark production. Because of that, I think this idea was a very interesting choice for the creative team behind this movie to incorporate in this specific story. Not only that, but the “vision board” itself was tailored to compliment the main protagonist’s passion; art. I found this detail to be creative and something that I hadn’t thought of until I saw A Brush with Love. Yes, I was aware of what “vision boards” were. But I wasn’t aware of the different ways that a “vision board” could be created. This movie showed that there is no set way on what a “vision board” should look like.
The “vision board” in a small role: When I read the synopsis for A Brush with Love, I was led to believe that the protagonist’s “vision board” would play a large role in this story. But, in the overall context of the film, it felt like the “vision board” was just a component to a subplot. To me, it seemed like the story focused more on Jamie and Max’s growing relationship. When it came to the “vision board’s” inclusion, it was very disappointing.
The art school expansion subplot: In A Brush with Love, Jamie was planning on expanding her art school to more than one location. Within the overall story, this subplot didn’t make as big of an impact as the other subplots. While it made sense in the grand scheme of things, it kind of seemed like it was there for the sake of filling up the film’s run-time. It also seemed like this subplot just provided a reason for the protagonist’s parents to be featured in the narrative. I ended up not being impressed with this particular subplot.
A slower pace: Throughout this film, I found the pace to be on the slower side. This pace did effect the quality of the movie, causing some scenes to feel longer than they might have been intended. While the pace wasn’t as slow as in other movies I’ve seen, it could have been faster.
The conflict: I won’t spoil anything if you haven’t seen this movie yet. But I was not a fan of the conflict that happened toward the end of the movie. It seemed like that part of the story was incorporated into the overall narrative just to give the main characters a reason to get upset. Because of this conflict, it caused one of the protagonists to make a decision that felt very egotistical. This appeared so out-of-character for that particular protagonist, especially since they had never displayed any behaviors or actions that came across as self-centered. I understand that the creative team behind this film was trying to do something that other Hallmark projects don’t often do. However, I don’t think that creative decision worked in this story’s favor.
Despite the flaws, I think that A Brush with Love was a good, sweet film. Overall, this story was better than I thought it would be. There were several strengths that this movie had, such as the acting performances. This whole cast was really good, from the lead stars to all the child actors. That aspect of the film added to my enjoyment of the movie! Even though my favorite film from Hallmark Channel’s “Spring Fever” line-up, so far, is Flip That Romance, A Brush with Love is still a solid movie. I would recommend it not only to people who like Hallmark projects, but also to people who like the inclusion of art in their stories.
Overall score: 7.7 out of 10
Have you seen A Brush with Love? What is your favorite “Spring Fever” movie so far? Tell me in the comment section!
Greetings, everyone! Now is the time for the Best Actor from a Hallmark Channel Movie and Best Actor from a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Movie voting divisions to begin! Remember, you can vote for more than one nominee and you can place your votes in the comment section of this post. But you can only vote once per person. The Best Actor division of the Gold Sally Awards will end on April 7th. When Round 5 is over, two actors will be crowned Best Actor from a Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Movie!
18 Cinema Lane’s official logo! Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
Best Actor from a Hallmark Channel Movie
Brett Dalton – Cooking with Love
Torrance Coombs – Royally Ever After
Chad Michael Murray – The Beach House
Robert Gant – Wedding of Dreams
Dondre T. Whitfield – Christmas Everlasting
Mark Deklin – Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa
Michael Rady – Christmas at Pemberley Manor
Duane Henry – A Gingerbread Romance
Matt Long – Christmas Joy
Andrew Walker – My Secret Valentine
Best Actor from a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Movie
Josh Kelly – Christmas Bells are Ringing
Paul Campbell – A Godwink Christmas
Colin Ferguson – Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane
Tom Cavanagh – Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder
Yannick Bison – Last Scene Alive: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery
Steve Bacic – Garage Sale Mysteries: The Mask Murder
James Tupper – Past Malice: An Emma Fielding Mystery
Matthew MacCaull – Hailey Dean Mysteries: A Marriage Made for Murder
Josh Henderson – Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas
18 Cinema Lane 
