Tag: movies

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

My game plan for avoiding Avengers: Infinity War spoilers

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Avengers: Infinity War is coming next weekend (where has the time gone?)! Whether it’s purchasing tickets or creating predictions with friends, fans everywhere are preparing for this movie’s long-waited arrival. An important part of that plan is avoiding that one thing every fan that cares about this movie despises: spoilers. Going to the movies is cost and time consuming as it is, so fans are wanting and hoping this movie is worth both their time and money. A fan’s excitement and future enjoyment could be easily destroyed if they catch wind of anything, including spoilers, that might ruin their experience. Now I’ve been avoiding all of the Avengers: Infinity War TV spots because I know there could be potential spoilers featured in them. So, I decided to create a game plan for myself so that I can have the best experience possible when I finally do see this movie. If you are looking forward to Avengers: Infinity War as much as I am, this list is meant to be a friendly set of guidelines that can help you enjoy the movie and have a good movie-going experience. Even though this list was made for me and by me, you are free to look at this list as an example to help you out.

Avengers Infinity War poster image
Avengers: Infinity War poster image created by  The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios. © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Marvel and Avengers Characters: ©2017 Marvel. Image found at http://marvel.com/movies/movie/223/avengers_infinity_war.
  1. Staying the heck off of social media

When the Russo brothers, the directors of Avengers: Infinity War, and John Campea, from The John Campea Show, go out of their way to urge people not to spoil this film, that’s when you know this movie is going to be a big deal. Unfortunately, that advice is going to get ignored as spoilers will highly likely still be found in comment sections, on places such as Youtube and other blogs, and from accounts on sites like Pinterest, Tumblr, and the like. With this knowledge in mind, I will not visit any of these sites during the week of April 23rd (in case you don’t know, April 23rd is the day of the world premiere for Avengers: Infinity War). I will continue to make posts on my blog, but I am, personally, limiting my use of the internet.

  1. Reading

As I’ve mentioned in my post about the release of the trailer for Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Beach House, I have not yet read Mary Alice Monroe’s novel (which is the basis for Hallmark’s film). Because The Beach House is premiering on April 28th, this gives me a good opportunity to read the book before I see the film. Reading this book does not require the internet, so it can give me something to do until I see Avengers: Infinity War.

  1. Watching movies

I did say earlier in this post that I will still make posts to 18 Cinema Lane. Because I haven’t posted a movie review yet, this gives me a great excuse to catch up on some Hallmark movies and figure out which movie I will review next.

  1. Preparing to see Avengers: Infinity War

Like a lot of fans and movie-goers, I am excited about Marvel’s latest film! In anticipation, I will be making some important decisions like what I’m going to wear and when I’m going to see the film. Because I want my movie-going experience to be the best it can be, taking the week of April 23rd to prepare for this movie will keep my excitement for this film alive. These things will not involve a lot of internet use, so spoilers will not be a concern.

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/.

So, this is how I plan to avoid spoilers until I finally see Avengers: Infinity War. I hope that my game plan can help spark some ideas to help you in your quest for the best movie-going experience possible. Even though most of you have probably heard other people tell you this before, I will give you the friendly reminder to not give spoilers away for Avengers: Infinity War (especially if you are seeing the film early). As John Campea has stated in most of his videos, we are a part of a film-fan community. Being a part of a community should mean helping one another as well as showing respect and kindness.

 

If you plan on seeing Avengers: Infinity War, I wish you the best and most fun-filled movie-going experience imaginable!

 

If you want to watch John Campea’s video about not spoiling Avengers: Infinity War, you can find it on Youtube when typing “PLEASE No Spoiler Reviews Before Avengers Infinity War Opens – Open Letter” into the search bar. John Campea also talks about the Russo brothers’ letter encouraging people not to spoil Avengers: Infinity War in his video “Are Avengers, Solo, Deadpool Going To Hurt Each Other At The Box Office? – The John Campea Show”, which you can also find on Youtube.

 

What do you think of my game plan? How do you plan to avoid spoilers? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Movie production news for Hallmark and Disney Channel!

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

There have been a lot of news that has come out this week surrounding the production of two upcoming Hallmark movies and a future Disney Channel movie! I’ll break down each specific movie’s production news and share my thoughts on each. All of these stories are from What’s Filming and all of these movies are either currently in production or will be in production in the Vancouver and British Columbia area.

Flat-Cinema2
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Back in March, I reported that the Summer of Dreams sequel was going into production. Because of that production date, it was believed that “Dream On” (the current title for the film) was going to be a part of Hallmark’s “June Weddings” line-up. However, “Dream On” was added again to the “Upcoming” page on What’s Filming, starting production on May 8th and finishing on May 25th this time. What this means is that “Dream On” will likely not make an appearance in Hallmark’s “June Weddings” line-up as we originally thought, but might instead be included in their “Summer Nights” line-up (just like Summer of Dreams). Hallmark recently released a trailer for the 2018 “June Weddings” line-up. It was mentioned in this trailer that there were going to be four new movies, however, only three were advertised: Marrying Mr. Darcy, The Perfect Bride 2, and Wedding March 4: Something Old, Something New. If “Dream On” is not that mystery fourth movie, then I wonder what it could be? Maybe it’s the project that’s also featured on What’s Filming titled “I Do”? We’ll have to wait for Hallmark’s official word for the time being.

Link to What’s Filming’s “Upcoming” page: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/upcoming/ (if you visit this page after May 8th, “Dream On” will move to the “In Production” page for the Vancouver and British Columbia area)

Link to the “June Weddings” trailer: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/june-weddings/videos/first-look-june-weddings-2018

8_Cupcakes1-01
Cupcake with hearts image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/delicious-cupcakes-illustrations_779154.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/food”>Food vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Another upcoming Hallmark movie that is listed on What’s Filming is Truly, Madly, Sweetly. Dylan Neal and Nikki DeLoach are both attached to the project, with What’s Filming providing an article about the movie. After I read the brief synopsis in this article, I became intrigued by this movie. While Hallmark has made movies about cupcake bakeries before (with The Sweetest Heart being the most recent entry), I can’t think of a Hallmark movie that has centered around a food truck before. This gets me excited about the possible creativity that this project has to offer! Within this article, an Instagram photo of both Dylan and Nikki was featured, having Dylan himself hinting at a fall release. If Truly, Madly, Sweetly is to be a “Fall Harvest” movie, Hallmark will probably not give any official announcements for a while.

Link to What’s Filming’s article about Truly, Madly, Sweetly: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/2018/04/09/unspeakable-miniseries-hallmark-truly-madly-sweetly/

Link to What’s Filming’s “In Production” page: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/inproduction/ (if you visit this page after April 27th, Truly, Madly, Sweetly will be taken off this page)

Kim Possible article picture
Kim Possible poster image created by The Walt Disney Company and Disney Channel © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Disney XD© Disney Enterprises, Inc. Poster image found at http://disneychannel.disney.com/kim-possible

My very first Word on the Street post was about the Kim Possible live-action Disney Channel movie. While casting still has not been announced, it has been mentioned on What’s Filming that the film will go into production from June 4th to July 23rd. In an article about the movie, it is warned that these dates might change. If the Kim Possible movie is filming this summer, it’s possible (no pun intended) that it might be released either later this year or sometime next year. So far, there have been no announcements about any premiere dates, so we’ll just have to wait for Disney’s official word. Two months ago, when I talked about this movie, I did share my concerns about the potential alienation of the fans of the original show. Because production hasn’t even started yet, I can’t form an honest opinion about the film’s quality, meaning that I’ll have to wait at least until a trailer is released for me to get a sense of the film’s tone and spirit.

Link to What’s Filming’s article about Kim Possible: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/2018/04/10/kim-possible-live-action-movie-based-on-disneys-popular-animated-series-filming-in-vancouver/

Link to What’s Filming’s “Upcoming” page: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/upcoming/ (while these dates may change, if you visit this page after June 4th, Kim Possible will be moved to the “In Production” page for the Vancouver and British Columbia area)

 

What are your thoughts on this movie news? Looking forward to any of these films? Please share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Hallmark releases trailer for Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Beach House

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

While Avengers: Infinity War will dominate the big-screen on the weekend of April 27th, another movie will take over the small-screen on that same weekend: Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Beach House. In an effort to continue their 60+ year legacy, Hallmark is adapting Mary Alice Monroe’s novel as the next installment in the collection. Recently, Hallmark released a trailer for the film on their website, almost two weeks before the movie’s premiere. Keep reading if you want to find out how I feel about this trailer!

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Beach house image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/beach-house-background-in-flat-design_1112102.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t thrilled with this trailer for a few reasons. The first is the editing. This trailer is filled with choppy, quick-cuts which gave the impression that the film will have a faster pace. However, the pace of a typical Hallmark Hall of Fame movie is on the slower side, so it doesn’t make any sense to make the movie seem faster than it probably will be. Another weak point to this trailer is the number of potential plots. I haven’t read the book yet, but just by judging the trailer, there seems to be six plots within this movie. This makes The Beach House appear like it doesn’t have a clear focus on its story. I know what the basic premise is because I own a copy of the book, but the average Hallmark audience member might not know that when they’re watching the trailer. Something that I noticed while watching the trailer for The Beach House was almost none of the characters having a Southern accent despite the fact that the book takes place in the South. Because I haven’t read the book yet, I don’t know whether or not the characters are supposed to have accents. But again, judging the trailer, it just disappointed me.

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Come to think of it, I’m not impressed with the overall marketing campaign for The Beach House. As much as I want to read the book and as much as I want this movie to be good, the advertisements for this movie have not gotten me excited about this film. However, I will still see this movie, especially with an open mind. I will try to read the book and maybe I’ll review this movie for 18 Cinema Lane.

 

If you want to watch the trailer, here is the link: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/the-beach-house/videos/preview-the-beach-house

 

Have you seen The Beach House trailer? What did you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

Word on the Street: Hallmark movie production news!

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

One of my favorite sites for movie updates is What’s Filming. Recently, there have been several Hallmark movies that are listed on the website. I noticed that most of these films are wedding themed movies, meaning that Hallmark’s “June Weddings” line-up is coming soon! All of the movies that I’ll be talking about are filming in the Vancouver and British Columbia area. Here is the list:

  • Marrying Mr. Darcy – Currently in production until April 19th
  • The Perfect Bride 2 – Starts production on April 9th and ends on April 27th
  • The Wedding March 4: Something Old, Something New — Starts production on April 16th and ends on May 4th
  • Garage Sale Mystery: A Picture of Murder — Starts production on April 9th and ends on April 26th
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I have a lot of thoughts about this news. For one thing, I’m not a fan of having all of the “June Weddings” movies be sequels. To me, it just feels like Hallmark is putting creativity on hold for the sake of trying to create another movie series. However, I do plan on watching these movies with an open mind. Out of the three “June Weddings” movies listed on What’s Filming, I’m looking forward to The Perfect Bride 2 and The Wedding March 4: Something Old, Something New the most!

I will admit that I was not demanding a sequel to Unleashing Mr. Darcy because, at best, I thought the movie was just decent. My hope for Marrying Mr. Darcy is that it is a better movie than the first one was. On What’s Filming, some of the original cast members from the first movie are attached to the sequel. I really liked seeing this because it shows that Hallmark cares about keeping continuity with the previous film. An article on the website mentioned that Marrying Mr. Darcy will air on Hallmark on June 2nd, but Hallmark has not made any official announcements yet.

Seeing a new Garage Sale Mystery listed made me happy because I really enjoy watching this series! Out of all of the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie series, Garage Sale Mystery is one of the strongest on the network. I did enjoy Garage Sale Mystery month last year, so I’m definitely looking forward to it this August!

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What do you think about this news? Looking forward to any of these movies? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Link to the article about Marrying Mr. Darcy on What’s Filming: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/2018/04/03/marrying-mr-darcy-filming-vancouver/?referer=plist-655

Link to the What’s Filming “Upcoming” page: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/upcoming/ (if you visit this page after April 9th and 16th, The Perfect Bride 2, The Wedding March 4: Something Old, Something New, and Garage Sale Mystery: A Picture of Murder will be moved to the “In Production” page for the Vancouver and British Columbia area)

Link to the What’s Filming “In Production” page: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/inproduction/ (if you visit this page after April 19th, Marrying Mr. Darcy will be taken off of this page)

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

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

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

Take 3: Strangers on a Train Review

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In an attempt to provide a variety of movie selections for 18 Cinema Lane, I chose to review Strangers on a Train. Introduced to me by a close friend, this is the fourth Alfred Hitchcock film that I’ve seen. I’ve also watched Rear Window, Psycho, and The Birds. After watching Rear Window for the first time, I’ve come to have an appreciation for the story-telling abilities and movie making talents of Alfred Hitchcock. If the story is intriguing and the movie is entertaining, I am more than willing to expand my cinematic horizons to include “classic” films. I also am more than happy to recommend films to others, introducing movies to those who are traveling on their cinematic journeys. So, no matter where you are on your movie-viewing adventure, let me share my thoughts with you about Strangers on a Train!

Strangers on a Train poster
Strangers on a Train poster image created by Warner Bros. Image found at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strangers_on_a_Train_(film).jpg

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: As good as the acting was in Strangers on a Train, the one actor that stole the show was Robert Walker. His portrayal of Bruno Antony was so convincing, it was unsettling whenever Bruno came on-screen. The character of Bruno, in my opinion, was disheartening because he was so determined to get what he wanted right up until the very end, believing that what he was doing was right. Robert’s performance was very versatile, as he was able to effortlessly display different emotions and characteristics. His performance was one of the best I’ve seen in an Alfred Hitchcock film!

 

  • The suspense: In Strangers on a Train, the suspense reminded me of the suspense in Rear Window. In both films, the suspense was a slow and steady build-up. It allowed for the character and plot developments to grow to their fullest potential. This build-up led to the culmination of the suspense in the climax, which was very entertaining and engaging!

 

  • The cinematography: There was some really cool looking cinematography that came across as being ahead of its time. I won’t give anything away, but whenever a scene involves a pair of glasses, the way it is filmed is really creative. Also, there is a scene involving the character of Bruno sitting in an audience that is well filmed.
Strangers on a Train lobby card
Strangers on a Train movie card image created by Warner Bros. Image found at http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/16135/Strangers-on-a-Train/#tcmarcp-122684-122686

What I didn’t like about the film:

My overall impression:

I really enjoyed this movie! Strangers on a Train is one of the better of Hitchcock’s films and it reminded me of Rear Window. My appreciation for Hitchcock’s directing talents have grown ever since I saw my first Alfred Hitchcock film. If you’ve never seen any of Hitchcock’s films before, I think Strangers on a Train is a good introduction to his cinematic collection. It has the right amount of suspense that will keep you on the edge on your seat. This movie also has such a well-written story that is engaging as well. Please check out Strangers on a Train because I think it’s totally worth it!

 

Overall score: 8 out of 10

 

Have you seen Strangers on a Train? What’s your favorite Alfred Hitchcock film? Please tell me in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: The Sweetest Heart Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Now that spring is here, I wanted to celebrate by reviewing a spring themed movie. There are several options that I could have gone with for this particular post. However, I decided to review The Sweetest Heart because I haven’t reviewed a Hallmark movie since last month. Hallmark has made several good spring themed movies over the years, from last year’s The Perfect Catch to one of my favorites, Hearts of Spring. But ever since Hallmark started their “Spring Fever” line-up in 2016 (originally called “Spring Fling”), the first movie to start off the line-up has been, in my opinion, very mixed. I really liked All Yours, but I thought Love at First Bark was just decent. Where does The Sweetest Heart rank? Find out in my review of this movie!

The Sweetest Heart poster
The Sweetest Heart poster image created 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%20Sweetest%20Heart&IsSeries=False

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: In The Sweetest Heart, the acting from the cast was good. But there are two actors that were the stand-outs: Julie Gonzalo and Andrea Brooks. Julie has shined on the Hallmark Channel since her debut in Pumpkin Pie Wars! Even when a movie isn’t that good (Falling for Vermont, in my opinion), Julie still pulls off a great performance. Her performance in The Sweetest Heart did not disappoint as it was one of the highlights of this film! Andrea becoming a regular cast member on When Calls the Heart is one of the best things to happen to that show. Since she guest starred on When Calls the Heart in 2015, she has also appeared in several movies for the Hallmark Channel. Andrea’s acting talents have impressed me every time I’ve seen her films. It makes me wish that she would get a lead role in a Hallmark movie.

 

  • The on-screen chemistry: I really liked the on-screen chemistry between Julie Gonzalo and Chris McNally! In fact, their on-screen chemistry was better than Julie’s and Victor Zinck Jr.’s on-screen chemistry. The relationship between Maddie and Nate seemed real as well as believable. Their interactions were well written and well-acted! From humorous to endearing, watching Maddie and Nate’s story was very entertaining.

 

  • Focus on the cupcakes: The last time we got a Hallmark movie that was either centered around cupcakes or a business that creates cupcakes is Operation Cupcake from 2012. I really liked how Hallmark took a story element that hasn’t been told in a while and incorporated it into one of their newer films. This allows for more stories to be shared as well as more creativity to be adopted by Hallmark. As a fan of Hallmark, I always get excited when Hallmark brings new ideas to the table. While the concept of a cupcake bakery is not new, it is a story point that is getting re-purposed.
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Cupcake with hearts image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/delicious-cupcakes-illustrations_779154.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/food”>Food vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

  • A pace that was inconsistent: Though this didn’t happen throughout the entire movie, there were a few times when scenes felt longer than they were originally intended. Also, there were a few scenes that seemed a little too fast-paced.

 

  • Too many storylines: The Sweetest Heart had six plots during the course of two hours. However, two of these plots, the story of Maddie and Alex’s relationship and the community center fundraiser, were simply pointless. In fact, if these two plots were excluded from this movie, it wouldn’t have any impact. Also, the story of Tammy Gillis’s and Clayton Chitty’s characters, Sarah and Luke, could have been made into its own movie.

 

My overall impression:

The Sweetest Heart was a decent film. While there were good things about the movie, there were also not-so-good things about it. Looking back on this movie, I noticed a pattern. I’ve now seen all three of the Hallmark movies that started off each Hallmark movie line-up (Love on the Slopes, My Secret Valentine, and The Sweetest Heart) and, in my opinion, they all have been decent. It’ll be interesting to see how I feel about the rest of the starting films in the upcoming movie line-ups, especially for Christmas. I also wonder which movie from the “Spring Fever” line-up will end up being my favorite. Until then, I will watch each movie with an open mind and I might review some of them for 18 Cinema Lane!

 

Overall score: 7 out of 10

 

Have you seen The Sweetest Heart? What did you think about the film? Please let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: My thoughts on the official second Avengers: Infinity War trailer

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

When it comes to second/final trailers, I usually avoid watching these because I’m concerned about potential spoilers. However, when I found out that a new Avengers: Infinity War trailer was released today, I knew that I had to watch it, especially so I could share my thoughts with you. As I’ve mentioned in my Word on the Street post about the release date of the film, Avengers: Infinity War is my most anticipated movie of 2018, so I was curious to see if this new trailer would hold up in the overall marketing campaign. What did I think of it? Keep reading to find out!

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/.

I really liked this new trailer! Unlike most second/final trailers, the trailer for Avengers: Infinity War actually added to my already growing excitement for this movie! I have to applaud the marketing team involved with creating the promotional materials for Avengers: Infinity War because, so far, I’ve felt like they’ve gone out of their way to not show the audience too much footage. This trailer feels like there was enough content to keep people’s interest and excitement for the film. I also liked how the trailer showed how the superheroes are making a conscious effort to prepare themselves for the fight against Thanos. Whenever a movie is released, involving superheroes or honorable protaganists, you always hope that the main characters know what they’re doing. The trailer for Avengers: Infinity War lets the audience know that the heroes are trying their best to not get caught off guard. At the end of the trailer, I noticed that there was a message about the start of ticket sales. This was a pleasant surprise, as now people can start making their official plans to see Avengers: Infinity War. Overall, I really like the marketing campaign for this movie! To me, this film had become a bigger deal than something like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2. Until the release of Avengers: Infinity War, I will try my best to keep talking about this movie on 18 Cinema Lane!

 

If you want to watch the trailer, you can look for it on Youtube by typing in “Avengers Infinity War trailer 2”.

 

What are your thoughts about this trailer? Are you excited for Avengers: Infinity War? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Hallmark to release 34 movies this Christmas season!

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Yesterday, Hallmark aired their preview show to advertise their “Spring Fever” line-up. Like most people, I just recorded it on my DVR and fast-forwarded through the majority of the program just to see what the “sneak peek” was for Hallmark’s Christmas movies. Toward the end of the preview show, Danica McKellar (who hosted the show) announced that Hallmark Channel would premiere 22 new Christmas movies and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries would air 12 new Christmas movies, adding up to a grand total of 34 movies! This is around the number of movies that Hallmark released last year amongst both networks.

Hallmark Spring Fever poster
“Spring Fever” poster image created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel. Poster image found at http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/spring-fever

After watching that specific part of the preview show, I can honestly say that I was disappointed by Hallmark’s “sneak peek”. First of all, it wasn’t really a “sneak peek” to anything, it was more of an announcement. Also, the timing of this announcement was rather odd. Why talk about the Christmas movie line-ups during a preview show for the spring movie line-up? I think Hallmark should have waited until, at least, July to share this news during their “Christmas Keepsake” week or during their Summer TCA event. The other thing I’m disappointed about is the amount of movies Hallmark is choosing to, once again, release. Trying to watch the majority of Hallmark’s Christmas movies is going to be impossible, with Christmas offerings from other networks and real-life Christmas festivities trying to share your time and attention. Out of the 30+ Christmas movies Hallmark released last year, I only saw 15 of them. This leads me to my next point. I remember reading other Hallmark viewers express their concerns about Hallmark paying more attention to the quantity of their Christmas films, which I have to say I agree with. Going back to the amount of Christmas movies I saw between both Hallmark networks, I only liked 8 out of the 15 Christmas movies that I did see. Also, Hallmark put so much focus on attempting to be the brightest and best network during the Christmas season that even the quality of their movie posters suffered. I understand that Hallmark is a business and creates these movies to make a profit, but it seems like Hallmark isn’t putting the concerns of their fans into consideration. Because of their never-ending drive to maintain their power-house status that they’ve acquired over the years, I have a feeling this could hurt Hallmark in the long-run. There may come a time when fans become so exhausted by Hallmark’s ambitious efforts, that they scale back their Christmas movie viewing habits. This action by the fans might cause both Hallmark Christmas line-ups to lose ratings and viewership. For now, though, let’s just take in this news and anticipate the stories Hallmark will bring us later this year. I do appreciate Hallmark putting in the effort to get their audience excited about Christmas. When both of Hallmark’s Christmas line-ups do come around, I will try to watch as many movies as realistically possible and review them for 18 Cinema Lane.

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Christmas Tree with boxes image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/christmas-tree-out-of-gift-boxes_1448089.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com

What do you think about this news? Are you excited for both of Hallmark’s Christmas movie line-ups? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen