Tag: movies

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.
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.

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

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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!

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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

Take 3: Bedlam Review

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Since I haven’t done a movie review in about two weeks, I decided to change things up a little bit. Recently, Turner Classic Movies (a.k.a. TCM) held a marathon on their network called “Mental Illness in the Movies”. Out of all the movies that were selected for the marathon, Bedlam was the film that sparked my curiosity the most. My interest for the film heightened when I watched a video clip on TCM’s website involving the characters of Nell Bowen and Tom, the Tiger (don’t worry, I’ll talk more about those characters later in my review). As the events were unfolding on my computer screen, I wanted to know more about these characters, as well as the significance of their interaction. Fortunately, I did watch this movie two days ago, so now you can read about how I feel about Bedlam!

Bedlam poster
Bedlam poster image created by RKO Radio Pictures. Image found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bedlam-Poster.jpg

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: The cast of Bedlam was talented. Everyone came across as very believable. The two strongest performers, though, were Boris Karloff and Anna Lee. Their portrayals of George Sims and Nell Bowen were very expressive and memorable. Boris’ performance was so good that it provided a good reason to not like his character. Similarly for Anna Lee, her performance was talented to the point that it gave a good reason to root for her character. Both of Boris and Anna’s portrayals were captivating in this film.
  • The story: Bedlam’s story was well-written. There were some mysteries in this movie, which I did not expect. However, I found this to be a pleasant surprise. Each of these mysteries kept me guessing as it added to the intrigue of the story. Because of this, there were a few surprises that took me off guard.
  • The character of Nell Bowen: Nell Bowen was a well-written and well-acted character. Throughout the movie, Nell goes on a journey of personal growth that came across effectively on-screen. She changes from a woman in high society to putting her morals and beliefs over everything else. This made Nell a character that someone would not only want to root for, but also a character someone would want to see succeed.
Bedlam movie card
Bedlam movie card image created by RKO Radio Pictures. Image found at http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/1090/Bedlam/#tcmarcp-185053

What I didn’t like about the film:

  • The dialogue: Bedlam takes place in 1761, so the way the characters speak is reflective of that time period. I can honestly say that it was difficult, at times, to understand what the characters were saying. However, the dialogue in the film can be understood, even if it does take some getting used to.
  • An inconsistent pace: The first half of Bedlam, the build-up leading to Nell going to the hospital, was slower than the second half. When Nell gets to Bedlam, the pace quickly picks up. The second half of the film is also where most of the intrigue and engagement takes place.
  • Some characters getting less development than others: Most of the characters outside of Bedlam received more character-development than the characters inside of Bedlam. One good example is the character of Tom, the Tiger. After I saw the video clip on TCM’s website, I became curious about this character and wanted to know more about him. Sadly, Tom, the Tiger got the bare minimum when it came to character-development. This was not the only character I felt this way about, as there were also characters within Bedlam that acquired even less character-development than Tom (the character of Dan, the Dog is an example).

    Tiger in Thailand zoo
    Tiger image created by Chevanon at freepik.com.  <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/tiger-looking-straight-ahead_999674.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/pattern”>Pattern image created by Chevanon – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

Bedlam is a hidden gem! While the film has its flaws, it also has its merits. I honestly had no idea that this movie existed until, literally, this week. However, I’m grateful that I stumbled across it when I did. Sharing recommendations for movie selections is something that I try my best to do on 18 Cinema Lane. Like I mentioned in my very first blog post, this film does deserve a “standing ovation”. Bedlam truly deserves to be viewed, so please watch it if you get the chance!

 

Overall score: 7.5 out of 10

 

Have you ever heard of Bedlam? Would you be interested in seeing the film? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Link to the article about the movies featured in TCM’s “Mental Illness in the Movies” marathon: http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/1383885%7C0/Mental-Illness-in-the-Movies-3-5-3-6.html

Link to the video clip I referenced in my review: http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/189565/Bedlam-Movie-Clip-A-Pretty-Chamber.html

Word on the Street: My thoughts on the new release date for “Avengers: Infinity War”

On By 18cinemalane2 Comments

I’m pretty sure you’ve heard by now that Avengers: Infinity War will now be released on April 27th (if you didn’t know, well, you do now). Instead of reporting on this significant piece of movie news (because that’s already been done), I’ve decided to share with you how I really feel about it.

Vector set of isometric illustrations making movies and watching a movie in the cinema.
Movie process chart created by Vectorpocket at freepik.com <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/vector-set-of-isometric-illustrations-making-movies-and-watching-a-movie-in-the-cinema_1215936.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a> <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/business”>Business vector created by Vectorpocket – Freepik.com</a> Image found at freepik.com

I found out two days ago as I was looking at YouTube on my phone. When I was scrolling down the page, I stumbled across a video from ScreenJunkies News titled “Why Did Marvel Just Change Avengers Release Date? Our Theories – INFINITY WAR BREAKING NEWS”. Without having watched the video yet, I instantly became shocked by the video’s headline (mostly because Marvel has never changed movie release dates after they were officially announced). Then I came across a video from Beyond The Trailer titled “Avengers Infinity War April 27th NEW RELEASE DATE”. As I read this second headline, I couldn’t understand why Marvel would do something like this for their biggest, and arguably most important, film. Determined to get answers to my quickly growing lists of questions, I watched the videos from both ScreenJunkies News and Beyond The Trailer, as well as a video from ColliderVideos titled “Avengers: Infinity War Release Date Moves Up One Week”. While watching each of these videos, the words of Roth Cornet and Billy Business (from ScreenJunkies News), Grace Randolph (from Beyond The Trailer), and John Rocha and Mark Reilly (from ColliderVideos) eased my anxious mind-set as they explained the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the sudden news (which involved a very cute Twitter exchange between Robert Downey Jr. and Marvel Studios). Everything each of these respective hosts said in their videos sounded good, but I still have one concern. In all three videos, it was mentioned that Avengers: Infinity War will be released around the world on April 27th. The last time a superhero film had a release date correlating with other areas of the world was Justice League (and we all know how that worked out for Warner Brothers). With each of these videos reflecting very positive opinions about Marvel’s recent decision, I now feel confident that Marvel made a good decision! As someone who has Avengers: Infinity War as their most anticipated movie of this year, I know that April will be a very exciting month for not only me, but also 18 Cinema Lane!

 

If you want to watch any of the videos I talked about in this post, you can go to YouTube and either type the title of the video or the channel name into the search bar.

 

What are your thoughts about this release date? Are you excited to be seeing the film earlier than expected? Please share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: Hallmark’s “Summer of Dreams” sequel will soon go into production; Lifetime remaking “The Bad Seed”

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There are two pieces of movie news, found on What’s Filming, that I felt needed to be shared with you. The first is about an upcoming Hallmark film. In an article on Southern Living, it was mentioned that a sequel for the Hallmark film “Summer of Dreams” was coming as a part of the “June Weddings” line-up. The sequel, titled for now as “Dream On”, has been added to the list, on What’s Filming, of upcoming productions for the Vancouver and British Columbia area! Filming will start on March 5th and Debbie Gibson has already been attached to the project. As much as I’m looking forward to seeing this movie, especially after having seen the first one, I admit I’m surprised by the fact that out of all the “Summer Nights” movies to premiere in 2016, “Summer of Dreams” was the one to get a sequel. I will definitely watch the next installment with an open mind, as I’m curious to see how the next chapter unfolds.

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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 other piece of movie news is an upcoming project from Lifetime. What’s Filming reported that a remake to the film The Bad Seed is currently in production until March 30th. As someone who has seen the original film, the idea of this movie getting a remake doesn’t sit well with me. Based on the movie’s description provided on the What’s Filming website, it seems like whoever is in charge of this project doesn’t truly understand what made The Bad Seed so memorable and such a classic in the first place. The original film had the guts to ask a question that had only had a simple debate in the 1950s: could children be born “bad” without any external influences? Because of the film’s success and power to stand the test of time, this same question is still being asked 62 years after the film’s release. Rhoda, the infamous nightmare-inducer, was a character that not only served as a shocking possibility to the aforementioned question, but was also a character that had never been featured in cinema before. Sadly, I feel that this remake from Lifetime will add nothing new to this decades old discussion and will be shocking just for the sake of it.

 

What do think about these pieces of movie news? Are you looking forward to any of these movies? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

Link to the post about The Bad Seed on What’s Filming: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/2018/02/26/take-two-bad-seed-remake-filming-vancouver/

Link to the article on Southern Living: https://www.southernliving.com/culture/hallmark-channel-movies-shows-2018#winter-hallmark-channel-movies-shows-2018

Link to the What’s Filming “Upcoming” page: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/upcoming/ (If you visit this page after March 5th, “Dream On” will be moved to the “In Production” page for the areas of Vancouver and British Columbia)

Word on the Street: Hallmark’s third “Father Christmas” movie is going into production

On By 18cinemalane1 Comment

It seems like news surrounding Christmas movies is really catching my attention lately. Another title, found again on What’s Filming, has made me immediately take notice. On the list of upcoming productions for the Vancouver/British Columbia area, the movie “Marrying Father Christmas” was posted. This means that Hallmark is going through with continuing their “Father Christmas” series that they established back in 2016! But based on that title, it looks like Hallmark is swaying away from the series’ original source material.

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Horse-drawn sleigh image created by Freepik at freepik.com <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/colorful-christmas-elements-in-flat-style_959943.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a> <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/christmas”>Christmas vector created by Freepik</a>  Image found at freepik.com

I have never read any of the “Father Christmas” books by Robin Jones Gunn, but I have heard of them as the movie series progressed. When I looked up the third book in this series (on Barnes & Noble’s website), I found that the book was called Kissing Father Christmas and that the story surrounding Erin Krakow and Niall Matter’s characters was not the main focus. Because the movie is called Marrying Father Christmas, it looks like the wedding of Ian and Miranda is going to take center-stage. The question is, what is Hallmark going to do with the original story from Kissing Father Christmas? Will it be omitted from the movie completely or could it be a subplot featuring a new character?

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Christmas family image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/nice-family-christmas-scene-singing-together_1458033.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.

With this movie filming from March 6th to March 26th, Hallmark has plenty of time to announce its arrival! Both films in the “Father Christmas” series have proven to be a hit with the ratings, building a loyal audience in time for the third film. When Hallmark makes any announcements for Marrying Father Christmas, you’ll definitely read about it on 18 Cinema Lane!

 

Are you excited for this third installment? Have you seen the other two movies in the series? Let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

Link to the What’s Filming “Upcoming” page: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/upcoming/ (If you visit this page after March 6th, “Marrying Father Christmas” will be moved to the “In Production” page for the areas of Vancouver and British Columbia)

 

Take 3: Very, Very, Valentine Review

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

As we anticipate the arrival of March (as well as spring), I thought that watching Very, Very, Valentine would be a good finale to the month of February. Just as I was about to watch this movie, I realized that I would have watched and reviewed all of the “Countdown to Valentine’s Day” films! If I get the chance to watch all of the movies in a Hallmark movie line-up, I feel like I have the confidence to express my opinions on the overall line-up. Now, before March does arrive, let me review Very, Very, Valentine!

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

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: This movie did have a good cast. However, both Danica and Cameron were the stand-out performers! Danica and Cameron’s performances were so good, they were one of the highlights of this movie! In the scene where Helen was calling Henry from the wedding, I felt it was Danica’s best performance throughout the film! Cameron also gave a good performance as well, even providing the right amount of comic relief. It seems like just yesterday when Danica and Cameron were brand new members of the Hallmark community. Within that short amount of time, both of them have become two of some of the most recognizable stars on Hallmark Channel!

 

  • The on-screen chemistry: Danica and Cameron’s on-screen chemistry came across as very believable! The friendship that both Danica and Cameron portrayed on-screen seemed genuine. Both of their talents truly complemented one another, especially when they were delivering their lines of well-written banter. For their first time starring in a Hallmark movie together, Danica and Cameron did a good job as individual actors and a pair!

 

What I didn’t like about the film:

  • The pace: Very, Very, Valentine had a good start, but after the mystery was solved, the pace of the movie quickly started to slow down. From that moment on, the story just dragged.

 

  • Valentine’s Day as, simply, a backdrop: Out of all the “Countdown to Valentine’s Day” movies, the presence of Valentine’s Day in Very, Very, Valentine felt like a glorified extra. While the holiday was referenced in the story, it only seemed to be casually brought up. Also, it felt like the decorations were there just for the sake of it. If the basic story of this movie were featured in any other Hallmark movie line-up, it wouldn’t make any difference.

 

My overall impression:

Very, Very, Valentine was ok, but it was definitely the weakest movie in the “Countdown to Valentine’s Day” line-up. There were times when a good story was trying to break through, but something was always holding it back. Despite this, Danica and Cameron still found a way to stand out for all the right reasons! They both used the best of their acting abilities to give the best performance they could. I hope Danica and Cameron can star in another Hallmark movie together, but with a stronger story next time.

 

Overall score: 6 out of 10

 

Did you see Very, Very, Valentine? Have you seen all of the “Countdown to Valentine’s Day” films? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Word on the Street: “The House on Holly Lane” could be a Hallmark movie

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

Remember four days ago, how I speculated about the potential of the movie, “The House on Holly Lane”, being a Hallmark Christmas production? Well, after seeing the cast list get released today on What’s Filming, it looks like those chances are very likely. Here are the names that are listed on the website:

  • Sarah Lancaster
  • Gina Holden
  • Karen Holness
  • Ava Telek
  • Giles Panton
  • Jaime Callica

 

As I looked at this announced cast list, I realized that all these actors had one thing in common. What is this, you ask? Well, that similarity is this: all of them have starred in a Hallmark Christmas movie prior to being cast in this movie. Let me explain: Sarah Lancaster (who I’m guessing is going to be the star of the movie) has starred in four Hallmark movies, two of them being a Christmas production (Fir Crazy and ‘Tis the Season for Love). Gina Holden has starred in three Hallmark productions, one of them being Christmas Comes Home to Canaan from 2011. Karen Holness has appeared in more than 10 Hallmark movies, the most recent one being Hallmark Hall of Fame’s The Christmas Train. Ava Telek has also starred in three Hallmark movies, all of them being Christmas movies. Giles Panton appeared in 6 Hallmark movies (his first Hallmark movie being The Nine Lives of Christmas) and 2 television shows (Signed, Sealed, Delivered and Cedar Cove). Jaime Callica starred in three Hallmark movies as well, with two of those three being both parts of Karen Kingsbury’s The Bridge.

181370-OWVORZ-84
Christmas snowman image created by Freepik at freepik.com  <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/christmas-tree”>Christmas tree vector created by Freepik</a> <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/set-of-pretty-christmas-tags_1337932.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a> Image created by freepik.com

One thing that did stand out to me was Giles Panton’s involvement in The Nine Lives of Christmas. Four days ago, I also speculated that “The House on Holly Lane” could be a two-part movie event based on two of Sheila Roberts’ books. Maybe that’s what this movie is about, with the casting of an actor who appeared in the first Hallmark movie based on one of Sheila Roberts’ books? This would not be the first time that an actor was cast in more than one movie based on the books of an individual author. A good example of this is Andrew Francis starring in Debbie Macomber’s Trading Christmas and Debbie Macomber’s Mr. Miracle.

Mr. Miracle poster
Debbie Macomber’s Mr. Miracle poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel Poster image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Debbie%20Macomber%27s%20Mr.%20Miracle&IsSeries=False

Though Hallmark has not made any official announcements about this movie yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if they mentioned it during their Summer TCA Event in July. When Hallmark does officially announce “The House on Holly Lane”, I will definitely talk about it on 18 Cinema Lane!

 

What do you think about the latest developments in the news about “The House on Holly Lane”? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

 

All information about actors and their movie appearances was found on IMDb (Internet Movie Datebase)

Link to the What’s Filming “In Production” page: http://www.whatsfilming.ca/inproduction/ (If you visit this page after March 3rd, “The House on Holly Lane” will be taken off the list)