When it comes to Hallmark related movie news, most of my topics have been based on things that I found on What’s Filming, a Canadian website that lists the production dates for upcoming movie and television projects. However, I recently found some interesting pieces of movie news on IMDB and a news article from Florida. All of these stories in this Word on the Street post are about projects that are either confirmed or speculated to be Hallmark movies. While two of these movies will likely premiere during the Christmas season, one of them has no known seasonal affiliation. As usual, I will report on the movie news and share my thoughts on each news story. So, let’s begin talking about these exciting movie details!
While doing research for a potential Word on the Street topic, I came across an upcoming Hallmark film that was listed on IMDB. It looks like 2017’s A Gift to Remember will receive a sequel! According to the official IMDB page for the film, some of the cast members from the first movie will return for the continuation. At this time, Hallmark has not made any announcements about this film or its potential release date. I am surprised that out of all the Christmas movies that were released on Hallmark in 2017, A Gift to Remember would be the one to receive a sequel. I haven’t seen this film, but based on the synopsis, the story doesn’t seem to lend itself to a second chapter. However, I felt the same way when Christmas in Evergreen received a sequel. The film, Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa, exceeded my expectations. It was not only the best newly released Christmas movie I saw last year, but it was also one of the best movies I saw in 2018!
You can check out the official page for “A Gift to Remember 2” on IMDB.
Yesterday, I found an article from the website, WFLA 8. In this article, it was reported that a Hallmark movie called “Love in the Sun” would be filming in the Safety Harbor area. According to WFLA 8, the movie is “a G-rated love story and Safety Harbor will be depicted as the female star’s hometown”. No other details have been revealed about the film. Off the top of my head, I can’t recall a Hallmark movie that has been filmed in Florida. So, this change in scenery will be very interesting to see when this movie finally premieres. Because this film will be a “love story”, it is likely that “Love in the Sun” will be a Hallmark Channel production.
If you want to check out the reference from this story, you can visit this link:
Earlier this month, I talked about an upcoming Christmas movie called “A Ring for Christmas”. The reason why this movie was speculated to be a Hallmark film was because the network was referenced in several Instagram photos containing the hashtag #aringforchristmas. Recently, I came across the official IMDB page for this film. While it’s still unknown if this project will belong to Hallmark, we now know what the movie will likely be about. Featured below is the film’s synopsis that was found on “A Ring for Christmas’” official IMDB page.
“Spoiled single girl Angie Moore gets cut off 25 days before Christmas. When she discovers the existence of a sizeable trust fund that she will inherit once she gets married, Angie decides to find a man to marry – by Christmas”.
Personally, I would be surprised if this became a Hallmark movie. Based on the synopsis, it sounds like the protagonist is very deceitful and self-centered. This is quite different from the friendly and down-to-earth personalities that are usually seen from Hallmark protagonists. Not only has the official cast been listed on the IMDB page, but also an expected release date. As of late March 2019, “A Ring for Christmas” is scheduled to premiere on December 19th. Both the release date and synopsis could change as time goes on.
You can check out the official page for “A Ring for Christmas” on IMDB.
Hello everyone! I wanted to remind my readers and followers that voting for the Best Actress from a Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie ends on March 27th. The next round of polls will begin on March 28th. Happy voting!
Last week, my blog finally received 85 followers! This new wave of followers was partly because of the unexpected success I experienced from my Book Adaptation Tag post (that post currently has 16 views and 13 likes). Thank you for helping 18 Cinema Lane acquire these many followers! I remember like it was just yesterday when I published my first blog follower dedication review last March. I had reviewed the film Saving Mr. Banks when I received only five followers. Looking back, I never thought I’d have almost a hundred followers in this short amount of time. If you followed or read my blog for a significant period of time, you would know that any time I receive a milestone number of followers, I review a film that was released in the number of years of that milestone number. So, since I’ve received 85 followers, I will review a film that was released 85 years ago (in 1934). When I was doing my research on which films premiered in 1934, I came across a film called The Man with Two Faces. The one thing that made me interested in seeing this movie was the idea of an actor portraying a character who also portrays a character. In the general scope of cinema, I feel that this concept is rarely seen. Personally, the only time I’ve ever seen an actor portray a character who portrayed a character was when Max Lloyd-Jones was cast in the film The Unauthorized Beverly Hills, 90210 Story. In that movie, Max portrayed Jason Priestley, who portrayed Brandon Walsh on the show. So, without further ado, let’s start this review for The Man with Two Faces!
The acting: To me, the acting was one of the strongest aspects of this film! Mary Astor’s portrayal of Jessica Wells really shined, making it feel like her character was a real-life person! When it comes to this performance, I think that Mary’s career as a silent film actress worked in her favor. Since silent films rely on the emotions and expressions of its actors to convey a certain message, it makes sense for Mary’s performance to be as well-rounded as it was in this movie. I also liked Margaret Dale’s portrayal of Aunt Martha Temple. Her performance successfully conveyed the moral compass that was needed for this particular story.
The portrayal of “the man with two faces”: While this film had a strong cast, it was Edward G. Robinson’s portrayal of “the man with two faces” that really stole the show! As I mentioned in the introduction, performances where actors portray characters who also portray characters are not that common. But Edward did a good job with his performance of both Damon Wells and Jules Chautard! From the emotions to even the accent, Edward effectively made these characters feel like distinct individuals, even though it was the same person the entire time. What also adds to this portrayal was how the character was written. Having both Damon and Jules be very unique from one another enhances the experience of seeing these individuals on-screen. Both the acting and writing helped make “the man with two faces” live up to this film’s title.
The villain: The main conflict in this movie was Jessica Wells having to deal with her husband, Stanley Vance. He was, obviously, the villain of this story. Stanley not only treated his wife very terribly, but he also threatened physical violence to anyone who stood in his way of getting what he wanted. Even though I found this character to be despicable, I have to applaud Louis Calhern’s performance. He did a great job at portraying those hurtful behaviors and making the audience feel negatively toward this character. Even when he didn’t say anything, his facial expressions made his character come across as very unsettling. I also have the applaud the screenwriting that was associated with the character of Stanley Vance. The way this character was written added to the effectiveness of how he appeared on-screen. These two factors made this character and performance as memorable as it could be.
A lack of suspense: When I first watched the trailer for The Man with Two Faces, I was led to believe that this story would be suspenseful and mysterious. If anything, this movie felt more like a drama. There was no mystery associated with this story and there was no suspense to be found. The story was written in a way that showed how someone chose to resolve another person’s conflict.
A slower pace: Throughout this movie, I found the pace to be slower than I had expected. This caused the story to feel more drawn out. It also made the run-time feel longer than it was realistically set at. The pace was definitely one of the weaker aspects of the film.
Some of the scene transitions: Toward the beginning and end of The Man with Two Faces, I noticed the transitions between scenes came a little too quickly. Because of this, the flow of the film felt choppy. These transitions also caused some of the scenes to either feel too short or unnecessary within the overall picture.
Theater seats image created by weatherbox at freeimages.com. “FreeImages.com/weatherbox.”
My overall impression:
I found The Man with Two Faces to be just ok. While it’s not a terrible or poorly written film, I think that the movie could have been better. I will say that the best part of this film was the acting. This makes the movie a character driven project. There were several stand-out performances within The Man with Two Faces, from Mary Astor to Louis Calhern. However, the most memorable performance in this entire cast came from Edward G. Robinson! Through his portrayal of Damon Wells and Jules Chautard, he was able to do what very few actors have done before, during, and after his time: portray a character that also portrays a character. As I watched this film, I could see that Edward successfully conquered this challenge and made this performance the best that it could be. I would be interested in seeing other films from Edward’s filmography and sharing my thoughts about them with you on 18 Cinema Lane!
Overall score: 6 out of 10
What are your thoughts on my review? Which movie from 1934 is your favorite? Please share your thoughts in the comment section!
Last week, 18 Cinema Lane received 80 followers! I was going to post this review last weekend. However, because of the Gold Sally Awards and the unexpected success of my Book Adaptation Tag post, I chose to postpone my 80 follower dedication review to this week. Since this post is a celebration of achieving 80 followers, I will review a film that was released 80 years ago (in 1939). Before this accomplishment became a reality, I was contemplating which movie I should review; Allegheny Uprising or No Place to Go. In the end, I chose Allegheny Uprising because, prior to this review, the only movie of John Wayne’s that I’ve ever seen was Stagecoach. I’m always excited when I create movie reviews because it gives me a chance to watch films that I probably would have never seen otherwise. Before this review officially begins, I wanted to say thank you to all my 80 followers! If it weren’t for you, this post would have never been a reality.
The acting: I thought the cast of Allegheny Uprising was good! Everyone’s performance came across on-screen very believably. Throughout this film, the camaraderie between Jim Smith, MacDougall, and Professor was very well portrayed. This is because John Wayne’s, Wilfrid Lawson’s, and John F. Hamilton’s performance had the right amount of versatility and sincerity. Even though Claire Trevor was the only starring actress in this entire cast, she definitely finds a way with shine within this film! Her portrayal of Janie MacDougall had a good amount of versatility. Claire’s performance also appeared very convincing. The acting within this film was definitely a highlight!
The historical accuracy: I was very impressed with the amount of historical accuracy within this movie. From the costumes to the sets, everything looked and felt like it came straight from the 1700s. The dialogue between the characters was also very reflective of the film’s time period. These details show how much the creative team behind this project cared about the story they chose to tell. This amount of care was also present within the overall quality of the film.
The educational aspect: It was surprising to find some educational aspects in this specific story. Allegheny Uprising is inspired by true events, so I received a little bit of a history lesson while watching this movie. Also, in this film, there was a scene where Jim Smith goes on trial for a crime he didn’t commit. Within this scene, it was interesting and informative to see how court trials, specifically in film, were depicted in the 1700s compared to today. Seeing these similarities and differences made me think about the significance of the court system within cinema.
No “big battles”: Whenever I think about John Wayne’s movies, I think of a story that features at least one climatic battle led by John Wayne’s character. In Allegheny Uprising, however, there wasn’t really a climax. Because of this, there weren’t any large-scale battles within this narrative. All of the action scenes lasted for a few minutes. This caused the majority of the film to be dialogue heavy.
The character of Janie MacDougall: While Claire Trevor gave a good acting performance, I was not a fan of her character. Janie MacDougall was not only poorly written, she was also one-dimensional. During her time on-screen, Janie either whines, complains, or talks about how much she loves Jim Smith. The only time Janie serves a legitimate purpose within the overall narrative is in the last twenty minutes of the film. Honestly, I think this is too bad because she could have been a really good character.
The subplot including the kidnapped children: Toward the beginning of Allegheny Uprising, there was a subplot about Native Americans kidnapping two children from a nearby neighborhood. Within the context of the overall narrative, this subplot didn’t seem to go anywhere. It also wasn’t referenced in any other moment of the film. During this subplot, as well as in another scene, it was never explained why Jim Smith and his comrades chose to disguise themselves as Native Americans. All of this made me wonder why this subplot was featured in the story at all.
Colonial horse and carriage image created by Lee Adcock at freeimages.com. “FreeImages.com/Lee Adcock.”
My overall impression:
In the grand scheme of things, Allegheny Uprising was just ok. I don’t think it was John Wayne’s worst movie, but it wasn’t his best movie either. Personally, I’m glad I chose this movie for this blog follower dedication review because I was able to expand my cinematic horizons. I was also able to add another John Wayne film to my personal movie repertoire. What’s so great about these movie reviews is that, with the support of my followers, I get the chance to watch movies that I probably would have never seen before. This helps me become the best movie blogger I can be as well as make 18 Cinema Lane the best movie blog it can realistically be.
Overall score: 6.1 out of 10
What are your thoughts on my review? Have you seen any of John Wayne’s films? Let me know in the comment section!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone! Today starts the first day of voting for the Best Actress from a Hallmark Channel Movie and the Best Actress from a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Movie! Like in previous polls, you can vote for more than one nominee and you can place your votes in the comment section of this post. However, you are only allowed to vote once per person. This round of polls will end on March 27th. After Round 4, two lucky (get it? Lucky? St. Patrick’s Day?) actresses will win the title of the Gold Sally Awards’ Best Actress!
When I published my review of Meet Me in St. Louis, I posted my 75th movie review! In honor of this accomplishment and because it’s still National Reading Month, I’ve decided to participate in a book related tag! I’ve never done a tag on 18 Cinema Lane before, so this will be an exciting post not only to write, but also to share with my readers and followers! For this tag, I will answer a list of questions relating to book adaptations. I first saw this tag on the blog, Madame Writer. Before I begin, I just want to say that all of my answers are based on honesty and my own opinion. This post is not meant to be mean-spirited or negative toward anyone’s opinions/preferences. So, with that said, let The Book Adaptation Tag begin!
Meet Me in St. Louis. I didn’t even know this movie was based on a book until I saw the opening credits.
What book movie are you most excited for?
There’s actually two. The first movie is Rome in Love. While I haven’t read this book yet, it has been on my TBR (to be read) list for a while. Because this book is being adapted into a film, it’s actually encouraging me to read Anita Hughes’ book! The second movie is Words on Bathroom Walls. I haven’t read this book either, but I’ve heard really good things about it. According to his IMDB filmography, it appears that Charlie Plummer will star as the lead character! I’ve seen All the Money in the World and, in that movie, I was really impressed with Charlie’s performance. Like with Rome in Love, the novel’s aforementioned positive word of mouth and Charlie’s involvement in the film are encouraging me to read the book!
Which upcoming book movie will you definitely NOT see?
After. Based on what I’ve heard about the book (I haven’t read it and don’t plan to) and the teaser trailer that was released a few months ago, the movie appears way too inappropriate for my liking. Also, I have a feeling that the main relationship might be promoted as a romantic one, even though it appears to be problematic. Personally, I just think there are better cinematic stories that are worth my time.
Which book movie would you NEVER watch again?
The Twilight series and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. For me, the quality of the Twilight films seemed to get worse as the movies went on. I thought the third movie was so bad, I didn’t even bother to watch the last two films. The third movie was also the worst movie I’ve ever seen in the theater. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was the first movie I saw this year (I had never seen it before) and I did not enjoy it. The only two things I liked about the movie were the acting performances and the special effects (both practical and CGI). I have never read any of the Twilight books (nor do I plan on it) or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Is there a movie you saw that made you want to read the book, if you hadn’t yet?
Last year, I saw Oliver! and reviewed it when I received 50 followers. I enjoyed this movie so much, that it was not only one of the best movies I saw in 2018, it also made me want to read Oliver Twist! Yes, I know that the book will probably not have as many light-hearted moments as in the movie. But as long as the story is as engaging as it was in the film, I think I might like the book.
Conversely, is there a movie that made you never want to read the book?
Lifetime’s adaptations of the Flowers in the Attic series and My Sweet Audrina. As I said in a Word on the Street post last month, these movies are not “Hallmark appropriate”. So, there’s a good likelihood that the books are also inappropriate.
My copy of The Beach House novel. Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
Name an adaptation that has almost nothing to do with the book it’s supposedly based on.
I can think of two; Something Wicked This Way Comes and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002). Both of these movies made the exact same mistake: they only adapted 50% of the book. While the first half of The Count of Monte Cristo did a really good job at translating the literary material to the screen, the second half of the movie was just a mess. Several important details and story elements were either left out or completely changed. In Something Wicked This Way Comes, some of the plot points and details were exactly like the book. However, there were others that were changed just for the sake of being changed. One example is a character in the film that wasn’t in the book. Anyone who has read the book and seen the movie would know exactly what I’m talking about.
Have you ever left the theater during a movie adaptation because it was so bad?
No. I don’t go to the theater often, so I try to see films that I either have a strong feeling I will like or that are from a movie series I’ve seen before.
Do you prefer to watch the movie first or read the book first?
Personally, I try to read the book first so that I can form my own ideas about the text before the movie creates its own ideas about it. But I’m not opposed to reading a book after I’ve seen its respective film.
How do you feel about movie adaptations that age characters up? (ex. characters that are in middle-school, but in the movies they’re all 18)
I think it’s a case-by-case scenario. For an opposite example, in The Beach House, some of the characters were younger than they were in the book. At first, I was not a fan of this decision. But, when I watched the movie, I ended up ignoring this detail because I was more focused on how good the acting performances were.
Do you get angry when the actors don’t look like how you thought the characters should have looked?
Again, it’s a case-by-case scenario. I remember when Shailene Woodley was cast as Hazel in The Fault in Our Stars. Her portrayal of the character did not look anything like I had imagined the character to look in the book. However, this difference did not bother me because Hazel’s physical appearance was not emphasized within the book.
Is there a movie you liked better than its book?
Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Beach House. I’m currently reading this book (I’m more than half-way through the novel) and I think it’s just ok. The biggest issue I have with this novel is how unnecessarily long it is. In my opinion, I don’t think this particular story needed to be 400+ pages. Because of the story’s page length, it makes the chapters and even the book itself feel longer than it might have been intended. Also, there were things that were included in the book just to satisfy this 400+ page length. In the movie, however, it felt like the screen-writing improved upon the narrative from the text. Only the important story-lines were translated to the screen and the length of the movie was just right. Also, the narrative felt more like a Hallmark Hall of Fame story in the film than it did in the book.
Name a book that you would love to see as a movie.
Definitely Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby! I think that book would make a great Hallmark Hall of Fame movie!
If you have never read Hurt Go Happy, I would highly suggest that you, at least, give it a chance. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.Have you ever participated in a tag? What are your thoughts on book adaptations? Let me know in the comment section!
Hey there! I just wanted to say that voting for the Best On-Screen Couple from a Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie ends on March 16th. The fourth poll will begin on March 17th (a.k.a. St. Patrick’s Day)! Happy voting!
Last week, 18 Cinema Lane received 75 followers! Before I start this review, I’d like to take a moment to thank all of my followers for making this achievement possible. Without you, my blog would never have received this milestone (especially in this short amount of time). So, like I’ve done in the past, I will now review a film that was released 75 years ago (in 1944). Because I’ve only seen bits and pieces of Meet Me in St. Louis, I’ve chosen this movie to celebrate this accomplishment! When I picked this movie to review, I realized that the only films of Judy Garland’s that I had ever seen were The Wizard of Oz and A Child is Waiting. This gave me a good excuse to not only watch a movie that I had never seen in its entirety, but to also explore Judy’s filmography! Now, let’s finally start this review for Meet Me in St. Louis!
The acting: The cast was very talented in Meet Me in St. Louis! To me, the two strongest performers in this film were Judy Garland and Margaret O’Brien! Like in The Wizard of Oz and A Child is Waiting, Judy has both the musical and acting talents to carry a significant weight of the film. Judy also has good on-screen chemistry with Tom Drake, who portrays John Truett in the film. Margaret O’Brien’s portrayal of “Tootie” Smith was one of the strongest elements of this film! During the scene where “Tootie” is so upset about moving to New York that she destroys the snowpeople outside, Margaret’s performance was so emotionally powerful. In fact, her performance was so emotionally powerful, that it was an affective way to make the audience feel sorry for the character. Both Judy’s and Margaret’s performance complimented the performances of the other actors as well.
The music: I really liked the music in this film! The collection of songs was a good balance of light-hearted and emotional material. Judy’s musical performances were a treat to see, as they were all delightful and enjoyable! My favorite musical number in this movie was when Judy and Margaret performed “Under the Bamboo Tree”. This performance was so joyful and added to the light-hearted nature of the film. When it comes to more emotional performances, I really liked Judy’s rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. Her version of the song was emotional enough to affectively reflect the mood of what’s going on in the film. It’s sad, as it addresses reflecting on times gone by, and it’s hopeful, as it talks about appreciating the things you have in your life. This assortment of songs made seeing this movie an enjoyable experience!
The sets: All of the sets in Meet Me in St. Louis were impressive! I’m not sure if the Smith family home is a real-life house or a house built on a studio lot. However, the facility itself was absolutely gorgeous! Everything in this house looked and felt like a home from the early 1900s. I also liked how the ballroom looked in the scene where Esther, Rose, Lon, and Grandpa attend the annual Christmas ball. The way the Christmas tree was placed in the greenroom was so pretty. The Christmas tree’s placement was also a good way to effectively pull off a surprise within the story!
A weak first segment: From a story-telling perspective, I thought the story during the “Summer 1903” segment was the weakest element of the movie. Within the first twenty minutes, the primary story focused on whether Rose would become engaged via a long-distance telephone call. Because the first few minutes of a film is, usually, reserved for providing exposition, I don’t think Rose’s story was an effective way to start this movie. It is as if the screenwriters expected their audience to automatically care about a character whom they just met. For me, the overall narrative wasn’t interesting until the “Fall 1903” segment began.
Too many characters: Even though Meet Me in St. Louis had a talented cast, I feel there were too many characters associated with this story. In this movie, the overall narrative seemed to serve only a few of the characters. The individuals that benefited the most from this narrative were Esther, Rose, “Tootie”, John Truett, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The rest of the characters either feel like they’re there for the sake of being there or like they weren’t given enough screen-time.
The limited presence of the World’s Fair: Throughout this movie, the World’s Fair is referenced by several characters on several different occasions. It’s even mentioned in the opening song, “Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis”. However, the World’s Fair itself was only featured within the last twenty minutes. Even in those few moments, the World’s Fair isn’t incorporated into the story enough to make me, as an audience member, feel satisfied. If anything, the World’s Fair in Meet Me in St. Louis was just a glorified extra.
Meet Me in St. Louis is a good film! The music is entertaining and the story is interesting enough to keep the audience invested. As I mentioned in my review, the acting is what helped keep this movie going. While Judy and Margaret were the two strongest performers in this movie, the rest of the cast was also talented. Yes, this film did have its flaws. However, there was a good amount of content that made the experience of watching this movie enjoyable. I’m glad I chose this movie to review for my 75 follower dedication post because it allows me to explore the filmography of both Judy Garland and Margaret O’Brien! It also gave me a good excuse to watch a film that I had never seen in its entirety.
Overall score: 7.5-7.6 out of 10
What are your thoughts on my review? Are you looking forward to seeing which movies I review in future blog follower dedication posts? Leave your thoughts in the comment section!
Now is the time for Round 3 of the Gold Sally Awards to begin! For these polls, the two categories that you can vote on are Best On-Screen Couple from a Hallmark Channel Movie and Best On-Screen Couple from a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Movie! Remember, you are only allowed to vote once per person. But you can vote for more than one nominee. If you want to participate in the voting process for the Gold Sally Awards, please place your votes in the comment section of this post. Voting starts today, March 6th, and ends on March 16th. Have fun voting!
18 Cinema Lane’s official logo! Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
Best On-Screen Couple from a Hallmark Channel Movie
Rukiya Bernard and Dewshane Williams – One Winter Weekend
Fiona Gubelmann and Terrance Coombs – Royally Ever After
Ali Liebert and Brett Dalton – Cooking with Love
Jill Wagner and Kristoffer Polaha – Pearl in Paradise
Debbie Gibson and Robert Gant – Wedding of Dreams
Tatyana Ali and Dondre T. Whitfield – Christmas Everlasting
Jessica Lowndes and Michael Rady – Christmas at Pemberly Manor
Tia Mowry-Hardict and Duane Henry – A Gingerbread Romance
Danielle Panabaker and Matt Long – Christmas Joy
Kellie Pickler and Wes Brown – Christmas at Graceland
Best On-Screen Couple from a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Movie
Viv Leacock and Alvina August – Hailey Dean Mysteries: Marriage Made for Murder
Jewel and Colin Ferguson – Deadly Deed: A Fixer Upper Mystery
Josh Henderson and Megan Park – Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas
Aimee Teegarden and Brett Dalton – Once Upon a Christmas Miracle
Alicia Witt and Colin Ferguson – Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane
Emilie Ullerup and Josh Kelly – Christmas Bells are Ringing
Erin Krakow and Niall Matter – Marrying Father Christmas
Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Tom Cavanagh – Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder
Matthew MacCaull and Kellie Martin — Hailey Dean Mysteries: Marriage Made for Murder
Steve Bacic and Lori Loughlin – Garage Sale Mysteries: The Mask Murder
I know that I’ve been talking a lot about movie news relating to Hallmark. However, there’s been a lot of Hallmark movie updates that need to be talked about. One of these things is the next Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. When Hallmark’s Winter TCA Event took place last month, I was so disappointed when there were no announcements about an upcoming Hallmark Hall of Fame film. As the weeks went by, I wondered if we were going to get a Hallmark Hall of Fame project outside of the Christmas line-up at all. According to a synopsis I found on Hallmark Channel’s website, we are indeed going to receive another Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. Besides the new Hallmark Hall of Fame film, I found confirmations for other projects that have been confirmed as Hallmark productions. I even found some tidbits that could lead to a Hallmark Christmas movie! Since you’ve been patiently waiting, let’s start sharing these pieces of movie news!
Yesterday, I came across a title on Hallmark Channel’s website called Love Takes Flight. While reading the film’s synopsis, I discovered that it was the next production from Hallmark Hall of Fame. When I found this piece of movie news, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. The title itself, Love Takes Flight, does not sound or feel like a Hallmark Hall of Fame title. If anything, it feels like a title from a generic Hallmark Channel movie. I was also disappointed in the synopsis, which you can read here:
“In the Hallmark Hall of Fame Presentation, single-mom Lizzie Beauman is encouraging when her young daughter unexpectedly befriends a widower named Walter as part of her Mission: Find a Friend”. – From Hallmark Channel’s website
As I’ve pointed out in my Hallmark Hall of Fame Reading Challenge, a good amount of Hallmark Hall of Fame movies have been based on pre-existing novels. While it’s unknown, at this time, if Love Takes Flight is based on a book, this story just sounds and feels like a generic Hallmark Channel movie. However, I am curious about what “Mission: Find a Friend” is. Maybe it’s a program to help military veterans or an anti-bullying initiative?
The last thing that I am disappointed about is the starring cast. While Nikki DeLoach is a really good actress and while I’ve enjoyed her performances in Truly, Madly, Sweetly and The Perfect Catch, I was hoping that the creative team behind Love Takes Flight would have cast an actress that has never starred in a Hallmark movie before. In last year’s film, Christmas Everlasting, Tatyana Ali starred in not only her first Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, but also her first Hallmark movie ever. Rebecca Romijn made her debut in the Hallmark community through her appearance in the film, Love Locks. The casting for Love Takes Flight does remind me of the casting for The Christmas Train. The two lead actors in The Christmas Train were Kimberley Williams-Paisley (who is a Hallmark Hall of Fame alumni) and Dermot Mulroney (who had been cast in Northpole: Open for Christmas prior to starring in The Christmas Train). Nikki DeLoach (who has starred in several Hallmark Channel films) and Jeff Hephner (who starred in the Hallmark Hall of Fame film, The Water Is Wide, back in 2006) will be the leads in Love Takes Flight. However, because Hallmark’s audience is used to seeing Nikki appear in more light-hearted and romantic focused movies from Hallmark Channel, this Hallmark Hall of Fame movie feels no different from a typical Hallmark Channel project. As of March 2019, Love Takes Flight is scheduled for an April 27th release.
Another title that I discovered yesterday was Easter Under Wraps. On the website, Creative BC, I saw a title on the “In Production” page listed as “Undercover Easter”. This project will be in production until March 20th. According to Hallmark Channel’s website, “Undercover Easter” changed its name to Easter Under Wraps. The official synopsis for the film has also been posted on Hallmark Channel’s website, which you can read here:
“Erika goes undercover at her family’s chocolate plant to see why sales are down when she meets head chocolatier, Bryan, who has new ideas on how to update the Easter product line” – From Hallmark Channel’s website
While I’m happy that Hallmark is finally making an Easter themed movie, I’m disappointed by the sound of this synopsis. No matter how many Christmas movies they make, Hallmark always focuses on the Christmas holiday with a sense of reverence and respect. For Easter Under Wraps, however, it seems like the corporate side of Easter will be focused on more than the holiday itself. The lead actors that have been attached to this film are Brendan Penny and Fiona Gubelmann. I have enjoyed watching Brendan’s and Fiona’s performances in Hallmark productions in the past, so it will be interesting to see if they have any on-screen chemistry. As of March 2019, Easter Under Wraps is scheduled for an April 20th release.
Here is the link to the synopsis of Easter Under Wraps:
In a Word on the Street story last month, I announced an upcoming Hallmark movie called “Message In A Bottle”. Within this post, I shared that Bethany Joy Lenz and Andrew Walker would star in the film and that the film would premiere during Hallmark Channel’s “Spring Fever” line-up. Recently, Hallmark Channel posted the official synopsis of the film, which can be read here:
“After being stood up, Abbey gets inspired to open her heart in a letter, put it in a bottle and toss it out to sea. Months later, a man fishing discovers it and opts to reach out” – From Hallmark Channel’s website
Even though there are probably going to be some “Hallmark movie clichés” within this story, I think this movie sounds interesting. From what I can remember, Hallmark has never really told a story like this before. I’m really liking the creativity that could be incorporated into this film! This would possibly explain how the winery in one of the photos from the Instagram account, joylenznews, is included in the overall narrative. It’s also important to note that the film has changed its name to Bottled with Love. I like this title more than “Message In A Bottle”, as it sounds more creative. As of March 2019, Bottled with Love is scheduled for an April 13th release.
Here is the link to the synopsis of Bottled with Love:
While looking on Instagram to find any information about upcoming Hallmark projects, I came across the hashtag, #aringforchristmas. When I clicked on this hashtag, Hallmark was referenced in the descriptions of a few of these photos. Also, on Instagram, I found a post from a business called Clipper Family Chiropractic. In this post, it is announced that “Hallmark is filming scenes for “A Ring for Christmas” in our building this weekend”. Even though these posts on Instagram mentioned Hallmark in their descriptions, Hallmark has not confirmed that “A Ring for Christmas” is their movie. However, a potential Hallmark film that I have talked about has been confirmed to be a Hallmark film! Two months ago, I reported that a Hallmark Christmas movie was filming in Stonington, Connecticut. An article from The Day has recently revealed that the movie is a Hallmark Channel movie called “Holiday for Heroes”! If this title sounds familiar, that’s because this project was announced as an official Hallmark Christmas film in an article from Entertainment Weekly! None of these films currently have a release date.
If you want to check out the references that I incorporated in this Word on the Street story, you can visit the Instagram account of Clipper Family Chiropractic (@clipperfamilychiro), visit the photos on Instagram with the hashtag #aringforchristmas (type #aringforchristmas into Instagram’s search bar), or visit these links:
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