Tag: movies

Word on the Street: Hallmark releases official synopsis for Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar and Yes, I Do

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

As Hallmark’s “June Weddings” line-up continues to be in full swing, Hallmark recently released a synopsis for two upcoming, wedding themed films! These films are Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar and Yes, I Do. Last month, I talked about how the newest Signed, Sealed, Delivered installment received an official movie page on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ website. Now, with the synopsis being incorporated into that page, it looks like all the important elements of Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar’s movie page are falling into place very nicely. Back in April, I wondered if a movie called “I Do” could replace “Dream On” in Hallmark’s “June Weddings” line-up. Well, “I Do” became Yes, I Do and it is definitely a part of the “June Weddings” line-up! With this latest movie news, keep on reading and see what I think about each synopsis!

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Bride and Groom image created by Freepik at freepik.com  <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/nice-couple-wedding-invitation_841530.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a> <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/wedding”>Wedding vector created by Freepik</a> Image found at freepik.com

Two days ago, Hallmark released a synopsis for Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar on both the Crown Media Family Networks’ and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ website. Here is the synopsis featured on the movie’s official pages from each website:

 

From the website of Crown Media Family Networks:

“Just a week before Rita and Norman’s long-awaited wedding day, the POstables go beyond the call of duty when, after completing their postal mission, they attempt a much bigger reunion – that of a mother and daughter separated by the years”.

 

From the website of Hallmark Movies & Mysteries:

“When plans for Rita and Norman’s long-awaited wedding begins falling apart days before their nuptials, their challenges inspire changes that make their wedding more meaningful. Meanwhile, Shane convinces Oliver that the team should urgently focus on finding clues to deliver a package containing a wedding dress”.

 

Personally, I find the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series to be very hit-or-miss. Even though I plan on watching this movie with an open mind, both of these movie descriptions don’t really add any excitement or anticipation for me. One of these reasons is how “on-the-nose” some of the story elements sound. I’m not a fan of the title of this film because it doesn’t have a creative, double meaning like the other Signed, Sealed, Delivered titles (an example: Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Lost Without You; where the title is not only about the military veteran and his K-9 companion, but also about the POstables themselves). From a creative perspective, I think the package could have contained a wedding memento that didn’t feel so obviously connected to the POstables’ story, such as a flower girl’s basket. The specific story associated with this basket could have been relatable to all the POstables, not just the engaged couple (maybe the story behind the basket could be about childhood dreams vs. grown-up expectations). Both of these movie descriptions also make it sound like Hallmark will, once again, adopt the planning-a-wedding-in-an-unrealistic-time-period cliché. I am curious about something that was mentioned in the synopsis from Crown Media Family Networks. It was mentioned that a “mother and daughter” were “separated by the years”. In the previous Signed, Sealed, Delivered installment, Shane revealed that she has a sister who, Shane feels, tore her family apart. Maybe the POstables’ “mission” will involve helping Shane and her family heal? We’ll have to wait until July 15th to find out.

 

Link to the official movie page for Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar on Crown Media Family Networks’ website: https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=143&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=series&ShowTitle=Signed%2c+Sealed%2c+Delivered+To+the+Altar

Link to the synopsis on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ website: http://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/signed-sealed-delivered-to-the-altar/about-signed-sealed-delivered-to-the-altar

Signed Sealed Delivered To the Altar poster
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=143&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=series&ShowTitle=Signed%2c+Sealed%2c+Delivered+To+the+Altar

Yesterday, Crown Media Family Networks released the synopsis for one of their “June Weddings” movies, Yes, I Do, on their website. This movie is about the following:

 

“Busy chocolatier Charlotte has left her boyfriend James at the alter three times and now she needs to prove to him that she really does want to marry him. Things are complicated when James’ ex-girlfriend Nicole, who is also the owner of Chocolate Monthly Magazine, arrives on the scene and says she wants him back”.

 

Honestly, I think the majority of this synopsis sounds too ridiculous for my liking. Also, I’m not a fan of this title either, as it doesn’t sound very creative. However, I like how Hallmark is highlighting an occupation that hasn’t been featured in a Hallmark movie before (a chocolatier). I’m also happy that Marcus Rosner has finally gotten a lead role in a Hallmark movie! Ever since he first appeared on When Calls the Heart in 2015, he has proven that he has what it takes to be a leading actor on Hallmark Channel. The question is: will he put all the talent he has into this role like he has in his other supporting actor roles? We’ll have to watch Yes, I Do to find out.

 

Link to the official movie page for Yes, I Do on Crown Media Family Networks’ website: https://www.hallmarkchannelpress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Yes%2c+I+Do

Yes I Do poster
Yes, I Do poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel. Image found at https://www.hallmarkchannelpress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Yes%2c+I+Do

What are your thoughts about these movie descriptions? Are you looking forward to any of these films? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

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

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

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

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

Things I liked about the film:

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

 

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

 

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

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

What I didn’t like about this film:

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

 

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

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My overall impression:

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

 

Overall score: 7 out of 10

 

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

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Flicka: Country Pride Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

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

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

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

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

Things I liked about the film:

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

What I didn’t like about this film:

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

My overall impression:

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

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

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

 

Overall score: 8 out of 10

 

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

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: More Kim Possible Cast Members Announced; Hallmark’s third Darrow & Darrow movie will soon go into production; Synopsis for upcoming Aurora Teagarden movie revealed!

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

There was some very exciting movie news that was announced today! From casting announcements to a synopsis revealing, these were movie news stories that I had to share on 18 Cinema Lane! I usually don’t talk about movie news topics right away, but I since I just posted a movie review, I figured that I could make an exception. The three stories in this post are about two movies from Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and about the live-action Kim Possible movie. What are we waiting for? Let’s start talking!

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Popcorn and movie ticket image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/cinema-tickets-in-bucket-with-popcorn_2303439.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/layout”>Layout image created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Today on TVLine’s website, more character castings for the upcoming live action Kim Possible movie have been revealed! According to the article, the following cast members are:

  • How I Met Your Mother’s Alyson Hannigan — Kim’s mother a.k.a. Dr. Possible
  • The Big C’s Connie Ray — Kim’s grandma a.k.a. Nana
  • 12 Monkeys and The Original’s Todd Stashwick — Dr. Drakken
  • Taylor Ortega – Shego
  • Make It Pop’s Erika Tham – Bonnie
  • Bizaardvark’s Ciara Wilson – Athena

 

I have to admit that this cast sounds really promising! Though I haven’t seen any of these actor’s performances, the photo that was shared in TVLine’s article appears that the cast will look close enough to the characters from the original tv show that it will, hopefully, satisfy a good portion of the fans/audience. Also within this article, it was revealed that this Kim Possible movie will be released sometime in 2019!

Link to the article about the Kim Possible casting on TVLine: http://tvline.com/2018/05/25/kim-possible-movie-cast-first-photo-alyson-hannigan/

Kim Possible A Sitch in Time poster
Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time poster created by The Walt Disney Company and Disney Channel © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Disney XD© Disney Enterprises, Inc. Image found at http://movies.disney.com/kim-possible-a-sitch-in-time

On What’s Filming’s website, it was revealed that a third Darrow & Darrow movie will be in production in the Vancouver and British Columbia area from June 11th to June 29th! While no cast members are officially attached to the project, I am excited that the Darrow & Darrow series will continue! If you’ve read my review for Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder, you would know that I am a fan of this series! Having this movie come after the second movie, which was good, I’m hopeful that Darrow & Darrow can continue in a positive direction.

Link to the “Upcoming” page on What’s Filming’s website: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/upcoming/ (if you visit this page after June 11th, “Darrow & Darrow 3” will move to the “In Produciton” page for the Vancouver and British Columbia area)

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On Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ website, the synopsis for Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: The Disappearing Game has been released! The next Aurora Teagarden movie will be about the following:

 

“Crime-solving librarian Aurora Teagarden (Candace Cameron Bure) leaps headfirst into Lawrenceton’s latest murder investigation when her nephew Phillip (Dylan Sloane) and his college roommate go missing after the roommate’s girlfriend is found dead. Enlisting the help of her Real Murders pals, and the handsome college professor Nick Miller (Niall Matter) who just moved in across the street from her, Roe uncovers a kidnapping plot gone awry”.

 

Based on this synopsis, it looks like the creative team behind this series might have a character to replace Martin so Aurora can have a new love interest. Because the movie hasn’t been released yet, we don’t know if this is the significance of Niall Matter’s character. Speaking of release dates, the newest Aurora Teagarden movie will premiere on July 29th!

Link to the synopsis on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ website: http://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/aurora-teagarden-mysteries-the-disappearing-game/about-aurora-teagarden-mysteries-the-disappearing-game

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What do you think about these movie news stories? Which of these three movies are you looking forward to? Come on over to the comment section below and tell me what you think!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Royally Ever After Review

On By 18cinemalane3 Comments

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

Royally Ever After poster
Royally Ever After poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Royally%20Ever%20After&IsSeries=False.

Things I liked about the film:

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

 

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

 

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

 

  • Not relying on “Hallmark royal movie” clichés: One of my issues with these “royal” movies is that they, more often than not, lack difference between the films. They almost always follow the same beats and patterns, sometimes making me wish Hallmark would retire from the fairytale-esque storytelling. Royally Ever After, however, broke away from most of those clichés and felt like a “breath of fresh air”. One example of this is having the prince’s sister trying to sabotage the protagonists’ relationship instead of the prince’s mother. These creative choices made me enjoy Royally Ever After even more!
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What I didn’t like about the film:

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

My overall impression:

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

 

Overall score: 10 out of 10

 

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

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Hallmark creates movie pages for upcoming Garage Sale Mystery and Signed, Sealed, Delivered films!

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Though Hallmark has been busy promoting their “June Weddings” line-up, the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel has recently created two site pages promoting their mystery films! Both of these upcoming films celebrate the range of storytelling that Hallmark’s second network is capable of sharing. While one film is about solving a murder case, the other is about celebrating a wedding. Each of these films are a continuing installment in their own respective series. I will talk about both of these movie pages and share my thoughts on each one. Time to start talking about these upcoming films!

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Movie items image created by Macrovector at freepik.com <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/cinema-poster-sketch_1530892.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a> <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Macrovector – Freepik.com</a> Image found at freepik.com

The first film to receive a movie page is Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar. According to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ website, this movie will be released sometime in July. Even though a synopsis has not been published yet, the movie stills for the newest Signed, Sealed, Delivered installment indicate that the film will primarily focus on the wedding of Norman and Rita. Because this is, so far, the only wedding themed movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, it surprises me that it wasn’t given a release date in June to correlate with the “June Weddings” line-up on Hallmark Channel. While there are three new Hailey Dean mystery movies premiering in June, there are no known movies airing on June 24th. Maybe Hallmark will push Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar to that last Sunday in June instead of releasing it in July? There’s no story details released by Hallmark about this movie yet, but there’ll eventually be revealed as the date comes closer.

Link to the movie page for Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar: http://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/signed-sealed-delivered-to-the-altar

Vintage postcard wedding invitation background
Wedding postcard created by Kraphix at freepik.com.<a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/postcard-for-a-wedding-invitation_1058640.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/wedding”>Wedding vector created by Kraphix – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

The next film to achieve a movie page is Garage Sale Mystery: The Pandora’s Box Murders. Not only is the movie premiering on August 5th, but the movie’s synopsis has also been released! This new installment is the first Garage Sale Mystery film to air within Garage Sale Mystery month and I, honestly, couldn’t be more excited! This is one of Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ strongest movie series, with last year’s first Garage Sale Mystery month being well-executed! When August rolls around, I will definitely try to review at least one of these movies for 18 Cinema Lane!

Link to the movie page for Garage Sale Mystery: The Pandora’s Box Murders: http://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/garage-sale-mystery-the-pandoras-box-murders

cool business-woman with puzzle cube
Woman solving wooden puzzle photo created by Asier_relampagoestudio at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/woman-with-suit-resolving-a-wooden-intelligence-game_1023902.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/business”>Business image created by Asier_relampagoestudio – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What do you think about these movie pages? Are you looking forward to either Garage Sale Mystery: The Pandora’s Box Murders or Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar? Share how you feel in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Avengers: Infinity War (SPOILER-FREE) Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

The day has finally arrived for me to review my most anticipated movie of 2018! Successfully avoiding possible spoilers, I had excitement and anticipation riding on my shoulders. This movie was definitely a cinematic event, probably one of the biggest this decade has ever seen. Avengers: Infinity War has been dominating the box office recently, dethroning previous champions and achieving almost every record imaginable. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) celebrating a milestone birthday, the hype for this film was absolutely real. But is Avengers: Infinity War worthy of all this attention and popularity? While you’re reaching for the stars, make sure to check out my review of Marvel’s newest installment; Avengers: Infinity War!

This review has no spoilers ahead!

Avengers Infinity War Bucky poster
Bucky and his friend, Bucky, really wanted to get a picture with the Avengers: Infinity War poster! Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: The entire cast of Avengers: Infinity War was fantastic! Everyone put everything they had into their acting performances and it truly showed in the film. All of the comedic and dramatic timing was perfectly executed, as all of the actors and actresses’ portrayals appeared natural and believable. Because of the superb job from the cast, it helped me as a movie-goer put emotional investment into the characters.

 

  • The cinematography/special effects: All of the special effects in Avengers: Infinity War looked beautiful! Not only were the different environments pretty to look at, they all felt so distinctive and life-like! I also really liked the character designs of the CGI villains, especially Thanos. They all looked and felt very real, helping to make these characters come across as believable.

 

  • A balance of comedy and drama: While Avengers: Infinity War is a film that has a more serious tone, there are comedic moments that help prevent the movie from being “doom & gloom” from start to finish. The insertion of the jokes never felt forced, as they were both well-written and well-executed. But whenever there were dramatic moments in the film, it felt like it matched the overall tone the creative team behind this movie was trying to achieve.

 

  • Thanos as a villain: When watching Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos ended up scaring me. One reason for this is how Thanos felt like he was justified in creating and attempting to execute his plan. The other reason is how Thanos felt like nothing could stand in his way of his goals. Both of these aspects of Thanos made him one of the most memorable villians in the MCU.
Avengers Infinity War Logo
Avengers: Infinity War logo created by The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios. © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Marvel and Avengers Characters: ©2017 Marvel. Image found at https://marvel.com/.

What I didn’t like about the film:

  • The ending: Since this is a spoiler-free review, I can’t really elaborate on why I don’t like the ending. What I will say is that I felt like it was shocking just for the sake of it. Also, it didn’t seem to make a lot of sense to me.

 

  • The end-credit scene: Like I said about the ending, I can’t explain why I didn’t like the end-credit scene. All I’ll say is I felt it didn’t make a lot of sense and to me, was not worth the wait.
Bucky and Thor at the movies
My friends were excited to see Avengers: Infinity War! Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

My overall impression:

Avengers: Infinity War was a good movie! There are a lot of things that this film did right, such as effectively balancing both comedy and drama. However, I didn’t think this was a great film. Going into this latest Marvel movie, I knew this would be a “set-up” film. But I was hoping that it wouldn’t be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 all over again, where the majority of the events in the film happened for the sake of setting up the next film. While Avengers: Infinity War is a better movie than the seventh Harry Potter installment, it still felt like a “set-up” for the next part in the Avengers story. Because the next chapter in this saga is coming in about a year, I’m only bothered by some of the events in the movie to a certain extent. Hopefully “Avengers 4” will be a better film than what we ended up receiving this time around.

 

Overall score: 8.5 out of 10

 

Have you seen Avengers: Infinity War? Was it worth all the hype for you? Please tell me what you think in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Avengers: Infinity War (SPOILER-ZONE) Review

On By 18cinemalane4 Comments

If you read my spoiler-free review for Avengers: Infinity War, you would know that I gave the movie an official score of 8.5 out of 10. While I explained some of the reasons why I gave Marvel’s newest installment this score, I wasn’t able to go into depth about the other reasons for this score. Spoilers were the only reason why I didn’t elaborate on the things I didn’t like about the film. Because of this, I wanted to create a separate post where I could talk about the things from this movie that made me feel that this movie was good but not great. Since I already reviewed Avengers: Infinity War, this post will be more of a discussion/companion piece to the spoiler-free review. Now that introductions have finally been made, let’s talk about the spoilers from Avengers: Infinity War!

Be aware that there are spoilers ahead!

Avengers Infinity War Thor poster
Thor really wanted to get a picture with the Avengers: Infinity War poster! Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
  • Avengers: Infinity War feeling like a “set-up” film: In my review of Avengers: Infinity War, I talked about how I was disappointed that some of the key events in this movie felt like they happened for the sake of setting up the next part of the story. The biggest example of this is when Thanos successfully gathered all the Infinity Stones. Throughout the film, Thanos’ quest to achieve a balance in the galaxy seemed way too easy. Sure, the Avengers and Guardians put up a good fight, but it seemed like the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War made Thanos just too powerful. Before I saw Avengers: Infinity War, I had predicted that Thanos would get all but one of the Stones. That way, the conflict of the next Avengers film would be of Thanos trying to track down the last Stone, while the Avengers and Guardians went to great lengths to protect it. However, because the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War knew they were essentially creating a second part to this particular story, this creative decision felt like Thanos got his way too easily, giving the heroes a forced conflict for “Avengers 4”.

 

  • The stakes not feeling big enough: While there were stakes in Avengers: Infinity War, I felt like the stakes made did not create as big of an impact as it could have been. The characters the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War chose to kill off (before Thanos got his way) are Loki, Heimdall, the Black Order, Gamora, and Vision (twice). Basically, it seems like the creative team chose characters that felt like easy targets. While I found Gamora’s death to be shocking and Vision’s death to be sad, it didn’t seem to emotionally affect many of the superheroes featured in this movie. If the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War wanted to make an emotional statement (for the superheroes in the film and for their audience), they would have created an outcome that negatively affected one of the bigger heroes (example: Captain America or Iron Man). This way, the other heroes could use their emotional responses as fuel to defeat Thanos.

 

  • Making favorite heroes disappear: Speaking of “set-ups” for the next Avengers film, the ending of Avengers: Infinity War felt like a painfully obvious and forced “set-up” for “Avengers 4”. This was caused by almost all of the superheroes featured in this movie turning into dust as a result of Thanos’ plan being successful. Personally, I didn’t like the ending for several reasons. It felt too ambiguous and sudden for the general movie-going audience, not providing an explanation to where the “disappeared” heroes went. The specific superheroes that the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War chose to have “disappear” didn’t seem to make a lot of sense. Why would they choose to have Spider-Man “disappear” when we know that a Spider-Man sequel is coming next summer (in fact, it’s premiering two months after “Avengers 4”)? Why would Black Panther be one of the “disappeared” heroes after the MCU gave him his own stand-alone movie, causing him to become one of the most popular and marketable superheroes in the MCU’s roster? The one “disappearance” that upset me the most was Bucky’s. Not only is Bucky my favorite superhero in the MCU, but it frustrated me that he was on his way to finally start thriving, only to have those potential opportunities taken away from him. He had been through so much in the course of the Captain America trilogy, was taken out of cryo-freeze in the Black Panther end-credit scene, was finally cured because of Shuri (which bothered me that no one acknowledged this in Avengers: Infinity War), got a new prosthetic arm (which looked absolutely gorgeous), was featured in this movie at all, was able to fight alongside the other heroes, only to have him disappear? Also, Steve Rogers/Captain America already lost Bucky while they were in the Army, so what would be the point of Steve losing his friend again? Speaking of Captain America, out of all the superheroes that stuck around, most of them were the “original six” Avengers (Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye). Keeping those heroes around felt so painfully obvious that the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War want to possibly recreate the “classic” Avengers line-up from the first Avengers film. Even some of the heroes that the creative team behind Avengers: Infinity War chose to keep around that weren’t a part of the “original six” didn’t appear to make sense. Out of all the Guardians, why would they have Rocket be the only one that stays? Since I knew going into Avengers: Infinity War that the “disappeared” heroes are going to appear in the next Avengers movie (because of announced sequels and IMDB Filmographies), the ending wasn’t as emotionally affective for me.

 

  • That end-credit scene: Going into Avengers: Infinity War, I knew there would be an end-credit scene (especially since that’s an MCU staple). After that ending, I was hoping that the end-credit scene would, at least, make up for it. Sadly, this was not the case. All that happened was Maria Hill and Nick Fury “disappearing” into dust (which, again, didn’t seem to make sense) and the Captain Marvel logo being shown on a beeper-type device. To me, the decision to tease the arrival of Captain Marvel didn’t appear to make sense from the perspective of a general movie-goer. Why would Marvel hint at Captain Marvel’s appearance when we the movie-goers haven’t even been officially introduced to her yet? Wouldn’t it make more sense to dedicate the only end-credit scene to Ant-Man, especially since he wasn’t in Avengers: Infinity War and the next MCU movie is Ant-Man and the Wasp? Because of the end-credit scene, it, honestly, makes me skeptical about whether Captain Marvel can successfully fix the mess that was left at the end of Avengers: Infinity War.
Avengers Infinity War Logo
Avengers: Infinity War logo created by The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios. © Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved. Marvel and Avengers Characters: ©2017 Marvel. Image found at https://marvel.com/.

As you can tell, I’m not pleased with some of the decisions that the creative team behind this movie ended up making. One of the reasons why the MCU is so successful is because they’ve built a strong sense of trust with their audience/fans. But after this ending, it seems like that trust has been tarnished to a certain extent. Because I am simply a movie blogger, there’s not much I can do about the situation. However, I can only speak for myself when I say that I will take Dale Travers’ advice from Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Lost Without You to “trust the timing”. Let’s not forget that we still have “Avengers 4” coming up and the marketing campaign for that film could, highly likely, start later this year. Hopefully, some of the “disappeared” heroes can show up in the advertisements, which would give fans peace of mind that their favorite character is going to be okay. Who knows, maybe the release date for “Avengers 4” could get pushed forward, like Avengers: Infinity War, so we can see the film early? All I’m saying is to let things surrounding this franchise take its course. It’s great how some fans have found creative ways to deal with their feelings about the ending, such as Youtuber, AmyLynn Craig, teaming up with her friend to save Spider-Man. It’s also great how people have been able to find each other to discuss how they feel, such as Rachel, from Rachel’s Reviews and Hallmarkies Podcast, talking about the movie with her friends, Trevor and David. But please remember, these are Marvel productions and, so far, Marvel has steered their ship pretty well. I just hope the creative team behind “Avengers 4” takes the feelings of their audience/fans into account while they’re making their next film.

Bucky and Thor at the movies
My friends were excited to see Avengers: Infinity War! Photo taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

What are your thoughts about Avengers: Infinity War? How do you feel about that ending? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

If you want to see the videos that I referenced in this post, just type the name of the channel (AmyLynn Craig, Rachel’s Reviews) or the names of the videos (“Our Spidey Mission! *Infinity War Spoilers* (2018 Disney Vlog #4)”, “David and Rachel vs Infinity War (Spoilers)”, “Talking Infinity War w How to Love Comics [SPOILERS]”) into Youtube’s search bar.

Word on the Street: Hallmark reveals “June Weddings” line-up!

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

With the month of May being half-way over, Hallmark has wasted no time preparing for the next movie line-up: “June Weddings”. Recently, Hallmark announced a preview special that would air on Hallmark Channel on May 19th. The hosts of the preview will be Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith, stars of The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells. Following this announcement, Hallmark revealed the four movies that would make their debuts in June! The movies are:

  • Marrying Mr. Darcy – June 2nd
  • The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells – June 9th
  • Love at First Dance – June 16th
  • Wedding March 4: Something Old, Something New – June 23rd

 

There’s a few things I noticed about this particular line-up. Last month, I talked about how “Dream On” (the Summer of Dreams sequel) was not going to be a part of the “June Weddings” line-up because of the film’s production dates. Even though the movie had its title changed to “Wedding of Dreams” (according to What’s Filming), it looks like I was correct about this speculation. Another speculation that I had was about “Wedding Dance” possibly being the last movie in the “June Weddings” line-up. I was correct about that speculation too, though the film is now known as Love at First Dance. The only “June Weddings” speculation I was incorrect about was Wedding March 4: Something Old, Something New being moved to a different movie line-up. When production for the next installment of the Wedding March series was pushed back to May, I honestly thought it wasn’t going to be ready in time for any June release dates. But, having the fourth Wedding March movie be the last film to premiere in the line-up does seem to make sense, with the film possibly being edited during the line-up’s run.

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Wedding cake image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/enjoyable-wedding-card_953556.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/frame”>Frame vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com. 

What do you think about the “June Weddings” line-up? Which film are you looking forward to the most? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Link to the official “June Weddings” preview page: https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=2018+June+Weddings+Preview+Special

Link to the “In Production” page for the Vancouver and British Columbia areas: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/inproduction/ (if you visit this page after May 18th, Love at First Dance will be taken off this list. Also, if you visit this page after May 25th, “Wedding of Dreams” will be taken off this list.)

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

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

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

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

Things I liked about the film:

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

 

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

 

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

What I didn’t like about the film:

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

My overall impression:

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

 

Overall score: 8-8.5 out of 10

 

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

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen