Last month, I talked about several movie titles that belong to either confirmed Hallmark movies or potential Hallmark movies. A few days after I published that post, there were some details revealed about three of the movies I mentioned! There was also a movie that was recently discovered on Hallmark Channel’s website! In this post, I will talk about these details and what they mean for these specific movies. I will also share my thoughts on these pieces of movie news. So, now let’s talk about these movie details, the moment you, my readers and followers, have been waiting for!
In my aforementioned Word on the Street story, I listed several movie titles that could belong to potential Hallmark movies. Two of these titles are “Flip That Romance” and “Picture Perfect”. When I revisited the website, What’s Filming, I noticed that there were names of cast members listed who are now attached to these projects! For “Picture Perfect”, the stars of this film are Arielle Kebbel, Alexa PenaVega, and Carlos PenaVega! After making this discovery, I wondered if this could be the movie that Hallmark was talking about last year. At their Winter TCA Event last January, Hallmark announced that Alexa and Carlos PenaVega would receive their own mystery movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Within their announcement, Hallmark shared that Alexa’s character would be a photographer. Based on this information, the casting, and the title, I wouldn’t be surprised if “Picture Perfect” ended up being the movie that Hallmark talked about all those months ago. For “Flip That Romance”, Crystal Lowe has now been attached to the project, according to What’s Filming. The chances of this movie being a Hallmark film are, right now, 50/50. On the one hand, Crystal has been in several Hallmark films, including the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series. On the other hand, Crystal’s involvement does not guarantee that this will be a Hallmark movie. As of early February 2019, Hallmark has not confirmed or denied that “Flip That Romance” is their movie. We’ll just have to wait for more information to be revealed about this project.
If you want to check out the sources for this movie news story, here’s the link:
While on Hallmark Channel’s official website, I stumbled across a title for an upcoming Hallmark film! The movie is called Lost & Found and it’s scheduled for a March 23rd release. Nikki DeLoach and Michael Rady will star in the film. An official synopsis was also posted on the website, which is the following:
From the website of Hallmark Channel:
“Two single parents come head to head when their kids want to adopt the same dog. Agreeing to co-foster, free-spirited Kate and type-A Eric must work together to find the dog’s forever home.”
While I think the synopsis sounds fine, it does remind me of the film, Puppy Love, starring Candace Cameron Bure. That film was ok, but I thought the idea of two complete strangers sharing a pet was a bit too unrealistic for my liking. Despite the similarities that Lost & Found shares with Puppy Love, I’m still willing to give this film a chance. I’ve enjoyed Nikki’s and Michael’s acting performances in the past, so I’m hoping that their performance in this new movie is just as good.
Here is the link to the movie listing on Hallmark Channel’s website:
In my previous Word on the Street story, I talked about how a Hallmark Christmas movie was planning on filming in Stonington, Connecticut. Last week, a short article by The Westerly Sun revealed a new detail about the film! The article’s author, Harold Hanka, says, “The cast and its plotline haven’t yet been revealed, but the director said the story involves military veterans”. While looking at the photo within this article, I noticed three business signs that were located over some of the buildings. Wondering if any of these signs were associated with real businesses, I did my research for each sign. The only business that I couldn’t find any information about was A & J’s Coffee Shop. This makes me wonder if Hallmark made this business up specifically for this movie? Maybe the protagonist’s parents are “A & J” and the coffee shop is a family business? We’ll just have to wait for more details to emerge for this movie.
If you want to check out the article from The Westerly Sun, here’s the link:
Because my review of Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness was fairly successful (with 55 views and 5 likes), it made sense for me to continue reviewing mystery films on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. The next film that the network released was Mystery 101. I was pretty excited to see this film because of Jill Wagner’s and Kristoffer Polaha’s involvement in the movie. One of my favorite Hallmark movies from last year was Pearl in Paradise, so I was looking forward to seeing Jill and Kristoffer lead another Hallmark production. However, I had low expectations for this film. This is because Mystery 101 appeared to have some of the same aspects of other mystery movies from this network. But, because I enjoy watching the mystery films on Hallmark’s second channel, I decided to give this movie a chance. Was this film as enjoyable as Pearl in Paradise? The only to solve this mystery is by reading my Mystery 101 review!
The acting: The cast in Mystery 101 was one of the best parts of this film! As I said in my introduction, Jill Wagner’s and Kristoffer Polaha’s involvement in this film was what excited me about the project. Their performances did not disappoint, as both of their talents appeared very natural and believable on-screen. I was also impressed by the acting performances of the supporting cast. I was pleasantly surprised to see Preston Vanderslice within this film. I’ve really enjoyed his performances in other Hallmark productions, like Cooking with Love. His portrayal of Amy’s teaching assistant, Bud, was very good. I also liked Andy Thompson’s portrayal as Eldon, the university maintenance employee. His performance was so memorable, I’m still thinking about it as I write this review.
The on-screen chemistry: Because of their on-screen chemistry in Pearl in Paradise, I had a feeling that Jill Wagner and Kristoffer Polaha could also have on-screen chemistry in Mystery 101. Like their acting performances, Jill and Kristoffer’s on-screen chemistry did not disappoint either. Anytime Amy and Travis interacted with one another, it always came across realistically and convincingly. The banter between them was good to hear and the situations they were a part of were interesting to see. If this movie is the start of a new series, seeing Amy and Travis’ relationship grow will be something to look forward to.
The mystery story: In most mystery movies on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, there are one or two mystery stories within the overall film. In Mystery 101, there were four mysteries within this movie’s narrative. This was a creative and ambitious approach, trying to do something different from the other movies on the network. Having more than one mystery with the film’s story allows the audience to stay engaged in what is happening in the narrative. It also made for an interesting interactive experience.
A slower pace: Throughout Mystery 101, the pace was on the slower side. It almost seemed like the film wanted to take its time with each mystery instead of being as suspenseful and fast-paced as possible. It didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the film, but it was something that I noticed.
A delayed start of the mystery: As I’ve mentioned on my blog before, I feel that a film’s mystery should be introduced within the first few minutes of the movie. However, the mystery in Mystery 101 was introduced toward the end of the film’s first 20 minutes. I understand that this is a first movie to a potential new series, meaning that the film’s first few minutes are crucial to setting up the world of the overall series. But I still feel that this film’s mystery should have been introduced within the first 10 to 15 minutes of the film. This way, the story could have jumped right into the mystery and the audience could have started their mystery-solving journey a lot sooner.
Some of the mysteries not connecting with other mysteries: I won’t spoil Mystery 101 if you haven’t seen it yet. But some of the mysteries within this narrative didn’t connect with the other mysteries in this movie. Out of the four mysteries that were introduced in this story, two of them were stand-alone mysteries. They kind of felt like they were there just for the sake of being there. If Mystery 101 becomes a new series and continues to include more than one mystery in their films, I hope these mysteries have some connectivity with each other.
Like Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness, Mystery 101 was a good start to this specific series. But, after watching Mystery 101, I liked this movie more than Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness. When comparing the two stories, I think that Mystery 101’s story had more creativity to it. The very idea of having more than two mysteries being explored within one movie is something that isn’t often seen on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. It’ll be interesting to see what’s in store for Mystery 101 in the future. Even though Hallmark Movies & Mysteries films, to a certain extent, seem to follow a formula, it looks like the network is putting in a good amount of effort to create movies and series that are unique and creative from each other. Hopefully, these efforts can continue as new series are welcomed and returning series come home.
Overall score: 7.5 out of 10
Have you seen Mystery 101? Would you like to see this series continue? Share your thoughts in the comment section!
Though Hallmark Movies & Mysteries doesn’t have seasonal themed line-ups like Hallmark Channel does, they have not wasted any time in starting their mystery movie series for 2019. After two wonderful months of Christmas movies, the mystery movies on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries are such a welcoming sight to see. For the first movie of this new year, Hallmark’s second network decided to premiere the start of, potentially, a brand-new series: Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness. Last November, in a Word on the Street post, I speculated that Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness could be a first movie in a new mystery series. As the “Miracles of Christmas” line-up started to wind down, this speculation became a reality as Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness was, indeed, a Hallmark movie. Because this film’s synopsis shared several similarities with other series from Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, I kept low expectations for this movie. However, since this network has, for the most part, had a good track record when it comes to their movies, I chose to watch this film with an open mind. As this is the first review of 2019 for a Hallmark mystery film, let the Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness review begin!
The acting: For the most part, I thought the acting in Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness was good. During her time in the Hallmark community, Taylor Cole has primarily appeared in movies on the Hallmark Channel. This is the first time she has appeared in a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries film. To me, Taylor was one of the strongest actors in this cast! She embodied the character of Ruby Herring with versatility and a well-rounded performance, bringing a sense of believability to her role. Stephen Huszar is no stranger to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, with Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness being his fourth film from the network and his second Hallmark mystery movie. Just like Taylor, Stephen embodied this character in a way that appeared very natural and believable! His performance in this film was very enjoyable to watch.
The on-screen chemistry: While Taylor and Stephen gave a good acting performance individually, they also gave a good acting performance as a pair. Through-out Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness, Taylor and Stephen effectively portrayed two people who have feelings of dislike/like between each other. Their banter was not only well-written, but also well-delivered. Taylor and Stephen’s performances complimented one another, which I thought was good to see in this film. I hope they can appear in more Hallmark movies together!
The mystery: I thought this mystery story within Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness was well-written! There were enough clues and suspects to keep the story satisfying. I also liked how the story was written in such a way that it leaves the audience guessing until the end. This makes the story intriguing and engaging. Having a consumer investigative reporter solving murder mysteries is an interesting idea for a mystery series, as it provides a unique perspective to a commonly used type of mystery on the network. It shows that Hallmark Movies & Mysteries is putting in a conscious effort to give their series its own identity.
The time stamps: In order to break up certain scenes, the creative team behind this film decided to put time stamps throughout the movie. For example, in-between the first and second scene of Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness, the words “Day Two – Tuesday” appeared against a black background on-screen. At first, I thought this was an interesting concept. But, as the movie went on, it didn’t seem to add anything to the story. Overall, these time stamps felt random within the context of the movie.
A drawn-out story: While watching Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness, I felt that this story was a little too drawn-out. Even though the pace of this film was on the slower side, the story itself seemed like it went on longer than it might have been intended.
Lack of subplots: As I’ve already mentioned, I really liked this film’s mystery story. It also served as the film’s main plot. But this plot was the only one within the entire movie. Personally, I couldn’t find any substantial subplots while watching the film. Yes, there was a wedding and a baking convention that was brought up within the film’s narrative. However, it felt like these events only served the main plot and didn’t have their own stories to tell.
Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness was a decent film. However, it was a good start to this particular series. Ruby Herring Mysteries has the potential to be a strong mystery series, like Garage Sale Mystery and the Aurora Teagarden series. Who knows? Maybe there could be a Ruby Herring month! While Hallmark hasn’t made any official announcements yet about any more movies within this series, there are more mystery movies that are on their way on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries! As of January 2019, there are six new mystery movies that have been officially confirmed for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries premieres. While most of these movies are brand new series on the network, only one of these movies is a continuation of an already established series, which is Emma Fielding Mysteries: More Bitter Than Death. As I fan of Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, I am grateful that this network continues to try their best at not only making good mystery movies, but also quality mystery series that are worth celebrating.
Overall score: 7.1-7.2 out of 10
Have you seen Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness? Which mystery movie are looking forward to seeing? Leave your thoughts in the comment section!
As Hallmark Channel’s “Winterfest” line-up continues to play a huge role in January, there is much to look forward to next month. “Countdown to Valentine’s Day” will soon come around the corner, entertaining Hallmark fans throughout February. I’m really looking forward to this year’s line-up, especially since one of my favorite movies last year was Cooking with Love! One part of 2019’s “Countdown to Valentine’s Day” line-up that is exciting is the premiere of Valentine in the Vineyard! In a Word on the Street post last November, I mentioned that a movie titled “Wedding In The Vineyard” would likely be a continuation of the “In the Vineyard” series starring Rachel Leigh Cook and Brendan Penny. It looks like my prediction was right, as this will be the third movie in this particular series. While the premiere date on Hallmark Channel’s website says February 7th, the release date on Crown Media Family Networks’ website is listed as February 2nd. At this time, there has not been a trailer or “Countdown to Valentine’s Day” announcement that officially confirmed either of these dates. However, Crown Media Family Networks has released an official synopsis for Valentine in the Vineyard on the home-page of their website! While the story itself sounds creative, I’m concerned that the “planning-a-wedding-in-an-unrealistic-time-period” cliché will, somehow, be incorporated into the narrative. If this cliché is woven into the film in a similar way as Wedding of Dreams, then I would be fine with that.
If you want to check out the sources related to this Word on the Street story, here are the associated links:
Recently, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries released an official trailer for their new mystery movie, Chronicle Mysteries: Recovered, on their website! This first movie will premiere on February 17th, while its sequel, Chronicle Mysteries: The Wrong Man, will premiere on February 24th. During the trailer for Chronicle Mysteries: Recovered, it was mentioned that this will be “a groundbreaking new mystery movie series”. However, after reading the synopsis for both Chronicle Mysteries films and after watching the trailer for Chronicle Mysteries: Recovered, I’m having difficulty understanding how this series is supposed to be “groundbreaking”. To me, this series looks, sounds, and feels like it is following a formula that has been set in motion by other mystery series on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. This formula includes:
A single, female protagonist with a good career
A murder mystery story-line
The crime taking place in a small town or in the same neighborhood as the protagonist
The murder victim being someone that the protagonist personally knows or someone that the protagonist is familiar with, giving the protagonist motivation to solve the mystery
A single, male protagonist who also has a good career
The male and female protagonist working together on almost every single mystery
The male and female protagonist ending up in a romantic relationship over the course of the series
Because I haven’t seen any of these Chronicle Mysteries films yet, I have no idea if this series will truly be as “groundbreaking” as it claims to be. Unless the story is vastly different from the other mystery series on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, such as Signed, Sealed, Delivered, then I’m guessing it will probably share a lot of similarities with the series that have already been established on the network. However, I do plan on watching this series when it premieres because, so far, I have enjoyed the mystery films on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. It seems like February will not only be a good month for Hallmark Channel, but Hallmark Movies & Mysteries as well.
If you want to check out the official pages for the Chronicle Mysteries series or the official trailer, here are the links:
Are you looking forward to the Hallmark films premiering in February? Which movie are you anticipating the most? Please share your thoughts in the comment section!
Last weekend, I achieved 55 followers on 18 Cinema Lane! What a great way to start the new year! As I did last year, I will continue to review films that were released in the same amount of years as the number of followers I received. Because 55 is the number of followers I now have, this review will be about a film that was released 55 years ago (in 1964). I ended up choosing The Moon-Spinners because a) It happened to be on my DVR and b) it was a movie that I was meaning to watch last year, but never got around to it. Before last year, I had never heard of this movie or the Island of Crete. Because of this location and the story itself, I was really excited to see this film! I also have seen some of Hayley Mills’ other films, which were The Parent Trip, That Darn Cat, and pieces of Pollyanna. Because I have enjoyed those films, I had a feeling that I would probably enjoy The Moon-Spinners. Was I right in my prediction? Join me on my 11th review in my blog follower dedication series!
The acting: I really liked the cast of The Moon-Spinners! Everyone was so talented in this film, bringing the best of their acting abilities to their specific role. Hayley’s portrayal of Nikky was such a highlight in this film, making her performance as believable as possible. In the scene where Nikky has to escape from a windmill, the emotion of fear appeared so convincingly, that it truly made me believe that Hayley’s character was actually afraid of heights. I also liked Peter McEnery’s portrayal of Mark. Peter brought just as much believability to his role as Hayley did, helping me to stay invested in Mark’s involvement in the overall story. Whenever Mark was in pain, Peter affectively conveyed that emotion of pain on-screen.
The mystery story: In some mystery stories, the event that caused the mystery is usually shown within the first few minutes of the movie. This leads the rest of the movie to show how the characters solve the mystery. In The Moon-Spinners, the mystery unfolded as the story went along, allowing the audience to experience the surprises and react alongside the characters. I feel this was an engaging experience because it made me feel like I was on this journey alongside the protagonist, not just sitting in my seat and watching things happen on my screen.
The setting/scenery: The Moon-Spinners not only took place in Crete, but the movie itself was also filmed in Crete. The scenery that is found on this island was showcased very well in this film. What I liked about the scenery was how the different parts of Crete were incorporated into the story. While one part of the story took place at the beach, another part took place within ancient ruins. This showed the variety of locations that Crete had to offer, giving viewers a well-rounded depiction of this beautiful Greek location.
A small presence of musicology: In The Moon-Spinners, Nikky’s aunt, Frances, is a musicologist. This aspect of Frances’ character really fascinated me because I had never heard of this particular occupation before. I became more interested in musicology and how it could play a role in this film’s mystery story. However, there was only one scene that actually featured musicology in action. Also, musicology did not play a role within the mystery narrative. This was really disappointing because what I thought was such an interesting concept ended up becoming under-utilized.
Some of the night-time scenes: While watching this film, I noticed that some of the night-time scenes looked like were filmed in the day-time, but with a dark lens placed over the camera. I understand that film technology from the early to mid-60s is very different from the film technologies of the 2010s. However, this is just something that I noticed, with this knowledge staying in the back of my mind as these scenes played out on my television screen.
A limited presence of Greek culture: As I mentioned in my introduction, I had never heard of Crete prior to watching The Moon-Spinners. So, I was interested in seeing how the important parts that make up Crete (the people, customs, traditions, etc.) would be incorporated into this story. While this movie touched upon a wedding, a parade, and how The Moon-Spinners Inn acquired its name, the customs and traditions of Crete did not play as large of a role in the film as I had hoped. Plus, these things were not incorporated into the film’s mystery narrative at all.
I really enjoyed The Moon-Spinners! Even though there were things about the film that could have better, I still thought the movie was good. The Moon-Spinners was an engaging and suspenseful mystery, with really good pieces incorporated into the film. Out of the two and a half films of Hayley Mills’ that I’ve seen, this movie is very different from those aforementioned movies. But, if you are a fan of Hayley Mills, I think you will enjoy The Moon-Spinners. I’m really glad I was finally able to see this film! It’s always great to discover new films, possibly find a hidden gem, and share them with others. Thank you to all of my 55 followers, as this review would not have been possible without you.
Overall score: 7.8 out of 10
What are your thoughts on my review? Which Hayley Mills film is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comment section!
Like I said in my post of The Top 10 Best Movies I saw in 2018, I’ve had a pretty good year in terms of movie-viewing. However, there were a few “stinkers” along the way. All movie bloggers will, inevitably, come across at least one film that either lets them down or was just less-than-stellar. This leads me to talk about this list of movies before 2018 is over. As the title suggests, the Top 10 Worst Movies I saw in 2018 will be discussed in this post. This list is very similar to the list of the best films I saw in 2018, where the list is based on my opinion and movies that I have personally seen. Also, like I said in my aforementioned list, this list was not created to be mean-spirited or negative toward anyone’s opinions/cinematic preferences. It is just a way for me to be honest about some of the films I saw in 2018. Now, let’s start off this list by looking at 2018’s Dishonorable Mentions:
One Winter Weekend, Frozen in Love, Love at Sea, Lilith, Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe, Mingle All the Way, and Island of Grace (this movie was so bad, I could only sit through about 5 minutes of it)
Now, let the official list of 2018’s worst movies begin! Starting with number 10:
10. Marrying Mr. Darcy
I’m going to be honest; I thought Unleashing Mr. Darcy was decent, at best. Therefore, I was not asking Hallmark to give this movie a sequel. However, I was hoping Marrying Mr. Darcy would be better than the first movie, so this series could grow and progress as time went on. Unfortunately, that was not the case. As I’ve mentioned before, one of my least favorite Hallmark movie clichés is the “planning-a-wedding-in-an-unrealistic-time-period” cliché. In Marrying Mr. Darcy, this cliché serves as the film’s plot. The dog-show element of Unleashing Mr. Darcy’s narrative was something that I really liked about the first movie, as dog-shows had not been featured in a Hallmark movie until that film. But, in Marrying Mr. Darcy, dog-shows are pretty much non-existent, taking away an important part of the first movie’s identity. If I had liked or loved Unleashing Mr. Darcy anywhere near as much as other people did, maybe I would find Marrying Mr. Darcy to be more disappointing that it was. But, because I wasn’t really a fan of the first film, its sequel received a low placement on this list.
9. Christmas on Holly Lane
In 2018, I watched about 19 newly released Christmas films. Out of all of those, Christmas on Holly Lane was the worst one. As I said in my review, Christmas is given such little emphasis in the story. This movie also has an assortment of other issues that I talked about in my review, from too much focus on the “doom and gloom” of the protagonist’s realities to having too many plots. What’s really disappointing about this specific placement is this is the second year in a row where my least favorite Christmas movie of the year has been an UP Network movie (I also didn’t like The Christmas Calendar). This channel has what it takes to create films that are really good in quality. So, hopefully, in 2019, UP Network can put together a movie that doesn’t end up on my Worst Movies of the Year list.
8. Waffle Street
Yet, another movie I’ve reviewed that joins the list. What’s so disappointing about Waffle Street, even more disappointing than movies 10 and 9, is the movie is based on a true story. Not only that, the story itself sounds really fascinating. Too bad the movie was no where near as interesting. The biggest problem with Waffle Street is the poor execution that was placed on the film. This led the movie to have creative issues, such as very little character development and a toilet scene that went too far. While the cast in Waffle Street did a pretty good job with the acting material they were given, there was nothing anyone could do to save this film. Maybe if this story was placed into the hands of a network like Hallmark, the movie could have done this true story justice.
7. The Graduate
I am fully aware that this choice is going to be controversial, especially since The Graduate is well-liked by a lot of people and is ranked in the Top 10 of AFI’s Top 100 Movies of All Time list. But, as I reflect on this film, I can’t help but wonder why this movie was made and what the creative team behind this movie was trying to say to its respective audience. To me, the majority of The Graduate feels like it was a product of its time. Also, there are several elements within this movie that feel like they were incorporated just for the sake of shock value. When I think about The Graduate, as well as the other movies I’ve seen in 2018, I’ve come to realize that I’m not a fan of the story-telling trope where situations or things are placed in a film just for the sake of shock value/ getting a reaction out of the audience. I will admit that Simon and Garfunkel have some really good songs, but I just think that their music felt out of place in this movie.
6. Collateral
This movie has the distinction of getting worse as the story goes on. What starts out as an intriguing, action-packed mystery story slowly turns into a philosophical discussion on why people do the things they do. The character of Vincent is more annoying than menacing, with things happening way too conveniently in his favor. Similar to what I said about Waffle Street, I think the cast did a good job with the acting material they were given. But, also like I said about Waffle Street, there was nothing anyone could do to save this film. I won’t spoil this movie for you (even though I would not recommend this film), but all I will say is the ending was way too ridiculous for my liking.
Yes, another controversial choice for this list, especially because of how well-liked this movie is and how iconic this film’s opening scene is. When you take away the acting (which was good), the dancing sequences (which were really good), and the soundtrack (which is great), you are left with a movie that feels very long, is filled with unlikable characters, and has way too much swearing for my liking. I saw this movie on television and there was so much swearing in this film, I honestly thought the audio on my TV was broken. Another thing I’d like to add is the film’s climax is so predictable, that I, personally, didn’t find it to be emotionally affective. In 2018, I found out Saturday Night Fever was given a sequel a few years after its 1977 release. However, I have no intention of watching this sequel because a) I’ve heard a lot of negative things about the film and b) I didn’t like Saturday Night Fever anywhere near enough to want to give the sequel a chance.
4. Logan Lucky
Out of all the movies on this list, Logan Lucky is the only one that I just couldn’t finish watching. Maybe if I had finished watching it, the movie probably would have ended up in the Top 3. The biggest fault of Logan Lucky is how boring of a movie it is. Despite the fact that this a heist film, there is no excitement to be found. I will admit that this movie had the pieces to, potentially, be a good film. Unfortunately, because of a poorly written script, this entire concept was really poorly executed. Even as I start to think about the Top 3 Worst films I saw in 2018, I’m still trying to figure out how Logan Lucky received a score of 92 to 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
3. Menu for Murder
This is a Lifetime movie from 1990 that I’m not sure how many people are aware of. What enticed me to watch this film was how similar the synopsis sounded to the mystery films on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Also, Menu for Murder had an interesting concept (a murder that takes places amongst a PTA group) set against an interesting backdrop (Encino, California). With all of those pieces put together, this movie sounded like something I would like; an engaging mystery story that has a good amount of creativity. But, all of this potential was wasted on a poorly written script. Not only was the mystery itself very lackluster, but all of the characters in the PTA group were defined by stereotypical personalities. The film’s climax was not suspenseful at all, but instead silly, over-the-top, and ridiculously bad to the point of not taking the climax seriously. To me, this was the most disappointing movie I saw in 2018.
2. Yes, I Do
If you have followed my blog for a significant period of time, you would have seen this movie coming a mile a minute. While Yes, I Do is the worst Hallmark movie I saw in 2018, it is now the second worst Hallmark movie I’ve ever seen (bumping Firelight off of my Top 10 Worst Hallmark Movies of All Time list). As I said in my review, this movie was so bad, I had to fast forward through certain parts of the movie just to get through it. The film’s narrative is not good, even by made-for-TV movie standards. There were other issues I had with this movie as well, from a very unlikable protagonist to really poor screen-writing. Like I also mentioned in my review, this is the second year in a row where Hallmark’s “June Weddings” line-up ended with a movie that I didn’t like. Hopefully, in 2019, the last “June Weddings” movie can help the line-up end on a positive note.
1. The Birds
This has got to be the most controversial choice on this list. When I think about the movies I saw in 2018, The Birds is the only one to truly make me feel like I wasted my time watching it. Prior to seeing this film, I had watched Rear Window, Psycho, and Strangers on a Train. Because of this, I was familiar with the directing style of Alfred Hitchcock and the cinematic tone of his films. However, The Birds ended up being a 2-hour, slow, and boring build-up to absolutely nothing. No plot twist, no shocking ending, no explanation for why the birds were causing so much chaos in the first place. Nothing. For me, it felt like all of the characters were placed within this narrative just because they were obligated to be there. Their dialogue and subplots did not interest me at all. The only parts of the film that I liked were anytime at least one bird showed up, as the love birds leaning in the direction of the car’s turns was one of the best scenes in this film (because it was that hilarious). While I am all for watching Hitchcock’s films with an open mind, I feel bummed out that, in 2018, I found a Hitchcock film that I didn’t like.
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 did you think of my list? What is the worst film you saw in 2018? Please share your thoughts in the comment section!
Last month, I received The Blog Complainer’s Appreciation Award! In order to officially accept the award, one of the requirements is to complete a small challenge. In my post where I talked about this award, I chose to read two books for the Cosyathon readathon. While I didn’t complete these books within the readathon’s time-frame, I still chose to read them because a.) I wanted to read these books and b.) I promised my readers and followers that I would read these books. While thinking about the challenges from Cosyathon, I realized that my two choice books actually counted for four of the readathon’s challenges! As you can see in the picture, these books are The Christmas Child by Linda Goodnight and That Fatal Night: The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton by Sarah Ellis.
These are the two books that had the honor of being read for the special small challenge! Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.The first book I read was The Christmas Child. I was interested in reading this book because, to me, it sounded like a Hallmark movie I would probably watch. This book fulfilled the challenges of “read a Christmas themed book” and “read a book that’s set during Winter”. Not only does this story take place within the month of December, but it also takes place around Christmas-time. The Christmas Child is about a teacher and police officer who find a young child in their town. The young child, Davey, is non-verbal, with no known family to be found. Kade, the police officer, and Sophie, the teacher, have to solve the mystery of Davey and his history. I really loved this book! It felt like I was reading a Hallmark movie, particularly from Hallmark Movies & Mysteries or Hallmark Hall of Fame. While this story had its emotional moments, it was also sweet and heart-warming. The only flaw I could find within this book was how both Sophie and Kade’s point of view were included in each chapter, making these chapters feel a little bit too long. Other than that, I absolutely enjoyed reading this story! I hope that Hallmark considers adapting The Christmas Child into a movie, either for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries or Hallmark Hall of Fame. This is the type of story that I could definitely see being shared throughout Hallmark’s Christmas line-ups, which would definitely make me a very happy reader and movie blogger.
The second book I read was That Fatal Night: The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton. This story counted for the challenges of “read a book with a cold cover” and “read a book about getting stranded”. According to history, the Titanic sank in a cold environment. As you see on the cover, the Titanic’s demise is depicted in the background. Also, according to history, the passengers were stranded in the middle of the ocean when the Titanic sank. This book is a historical fiction story about a young girl who survives the Titanic tragedy. After getting expelled from school, Dorothy, the book’s protagonist, is given a journal so she can express her feelings about her traumatic situation. This is another book that I really enjoyed! What made this book so good was the author’s ability to create a fictional character that feels and sounds like a real person. While there are moments where Dorothy seems like a typical child, there were also moments where she sounded wise beyond her years. Another good thing I liked about the book was how the author created a balance between moments of sadness and joy. For me, this story only had one flaw, which was the editing. There were times when I felt that commas were missing from some of the sentences. Also, I found sentences in some parts of the book that were either too short or too long. However, because this book is written in a journal format, I’m not sure if this was a legitimate editing error or if it was supposed to reflect the idea of a child’s style of writing. I feel that Hallmark should adapt this story into a Hallmark Hall of Fame production. A film adaptation of this book would be very different from the other Hallmark Hall of Fame films that were released in recent years because a.) it’s been at least six years since a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie has featured a child or young person as the protagonist and b.) there has been few movies from Hallmark Hall of Fame that feature children or young people dealing with or overcoming traumatic situations. Also, when I think about the portrayal of the Titanic in film, I realize that not only have the main point of views never been from a child, but also barely explores the trauma that can be experienced from surviving such a horrific event.
For this week, I contemplated on what my next blog post should be about. Realizing I haven’t published a Word on the Street story since last month, I decided to write November’s first Word on the Street post. To my surprise, there were a lot of news worthy material relating to upcoming Hallmark movies! So, I thought it would a good idea to share these pieces of movie news with my readers and followers. Within this post, I will talk about almost all of the Hallmark movie news I could find. As the title states, there will be several movie production updates that will be discussed, plus speculation about a potential Hallmark movie and a new trailer for one of Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” films!
On the website, Creative BC, there were several titles listed on their “In Production” page. What caught my attention is how many of them were Hallmark related. Three of these listings were for movies that are a part of an established Hallmark Movies & Mysteries series. According to Creative BC, the first movie on this list is “A Clue To Kill”/ “Aurora Teagarden 10”, which started production on November 3rd and will wrap up on November 23rd. The next title is “Hailey Dean Mysteries 7” and the production for this movie will start on November 28th. The third title is “Morning Show Mysteries: Murder Most Fair”, where production started on October 29th and will end on November 16th. One title that caught my eye was “Ruby Herring Mysteries: Silent Witness”. Because of the way the title sounds, I’m guessing this could be the start of a brand-new Hallmark Movies & Mysteries series. However, Hallmark has not made any official announcements about this project. Another title that was listed on the website was “Wedding In The Vineyard”. This project will not only be in production from November 19th to December 7th, but is highly likely a continuation of the “In the Vineyard” series starring Rachael Leigh Cook and Brendan Penny. As of November 2018, Hallmark has not made any confirmations about this project.
There were two titles on Creative BC’s “In Production” page that allude to what could be in store for next year’s “Winterfest” line-up. The first title is “Snowcoming”, which has already been confirmed to be a Hallmark movie! According to International Business Times, the movie will star Trevor Donovan and Lindy Booth. “Snowcoming” will be production from November 19th to December 7th. The second title is “Snow Princess”, which, as of November 2018, has not been officially announced by Hallmark. All that is known about the project is the title, the filming location, and the production dates (which are from November 13th to December 1st). Because “Snow Princess” also has the word snow in its title (like “Snowcoming”), I’m guessing that this movie will also be a part of Hallmark’s “Winterfest” line-up. The story could either be another “royal” movie or it could involve a pageant.
This week, Hallmark released their official trailer for the Hallmark Hall of Fame film, Christmas Everlasting. As I’ve said before on my blog, I have been anticipating this movie since it was first announced back in April. After seeing Truly, Madly, Sweetly, it increased my level of excitement for Hallmark’s newest Hallmark Hall of Fame entry. Now that I have finally watched this trailer, I can honestly say that I couldn’t be more excited! This movie looks like it has a lot of potential; from the mystery surrounding the quilt to the potential balance of humor and dramatic emotions. To me, the marketing campaign for Christmas Everlasting is much better than The Beach House’s marketing. November 24th cannot come soon enough!
A DVD of The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
In your introduction for this double feature, you mentioned that both Queen of the Damned and The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire were released in 2002. Can you think of anything from around that time period that could have influenced the creation of this film?
When Hallmark Channel began in 2001, the network didn’t have a strong identity like they do today. Because The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire was released the year after Hallmark Channel’s start, the creative team behind this film seemed to have more creative freedom on this project than they would have if it were made in recent years. With this creative freedom, the film was able to explore themes that are normally not found in Hallmark movies, such as various belief systems and raising awareness for endangered species.
2. Were you able to follow along with the story and understand what was going on in the film despite not having read the source material?
Absolutely! The thing about The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire is it’s written in a way that made me feel like prior knowledge of the source material wasn’t necessary to enjoy this film. From what I know about the Sherlock Holmes character and series, the stories seem pretty straight-forward. The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire was, for the most part, isolated from the other movies in this particular series. This makes it a good movie to introduce someone to Sherlock Holmes, as the film doesn’t make you feel like you have to watch them in a certain order.
3. Was your pre-movie thought addressed?
Because there were no legitimate vampires in this movie, my pre-movie thought was not addressed. The closest thing to vampires in The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire were vampire bats.
4. Were you right or wrong in your pre-movie prediction?
I was so wrong in my pre-movie prediction {face palms embarrassedly}. As I mentioned in answer #3, there were no vampires in this movie.
5. Within your pre-movie thought for The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire, you talked about how a film’s title can act as a promise to a film’s audience. Do you think the title of this movie was deceiving or honest?
It’s actually a little bit of both. On the one hand, most of the characters truly believed there was a vampire on the loose. On the other hand, as I’ve been saying, there were no vampires in The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire. If anything, this film’s title bent the truth.
6. Because The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire was released before the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel (formerly known as Hallmark Movie Channel) began, do you think there was anything within this film that could have influenced future films from Hallmark Movies & Mysteries?
I believe The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire was one of the movies that helped create the foundation that today’s Hallmark Movies & Mysteries films use in their stories. The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire is a murder mystery, which is the same type of mystery story that a lot of Hallmark Movies & Mysteries films choose to adopt. In terms of specifics, Watson and Holmes use autopsy reports to solve their respective mystery. This reminded me of how Jennifer Shannon, in the Garage Sale Mystery series, relies on Tramell’s autopsy reports to help her solve the case. What surprised me the most was that The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire takes place during the Christmas season. The only Hallmark Movies & Mysteries film that is set during Christmas is Murder She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery. I’m hoping Hallmark can have more of their mystery movies take place during Christmas, so that fans of the mystery series can solve mysteries year-round.
7. Did you acquire any new thoughts and/or questions while watching this film?
Yes I did! Here are a few of them:
As I mentioned in answer #1, the theme of various belief systems was explored. In The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire, every character believed in something. For instance, Sherlock Holmes believed in logic. It was interesting to see how these different belief systems correlated with each other to propel the story forward and help the characters solve the case. An example of this is how Holmes’ belief in logic and Dr. Chagas’ belief in knowledge and awareness of vampire bats were used together to not only prove Dr. Chagas’ innocence, but also to find the culprit.
As I also mentioned in answer #6, The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire took place during the Christmas season. While the Christmas theme, in this movie, did not have anywhere near as strong of a presence as in Hallmark’s Christmas movies today, I found this choice to be very interesting. When one thinks of what could be found in Christmas movies, the subject of vampires doesn’t normally come to mind. This shows that the concept of vampires can be incorporated into almost any type of movie in almost any time of year. This also shows how Hallmark thought outside-the-box when it comes to their Christmas movies.
There are very few Hallmark movies that feature characters with disabilities. Even fewer Hallmark movies feature protagonists or significant secondary characters who not only have a disability, but who also contribute to the film’s plot. In The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire, Sister Helen, one of the sisters who lived and worked at the church, is blind. However, she didn’t let her disability stop her from helping Sherlock Holmes find the guilty individual and continuing to carry out her congregation’s mission of sharing their faith with the community.
8. In The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire, did anything stand out to you, whether for better or worse?
For the better, I really think the camaraderie between Holmes and Watson was a highlight of this film. Matt Frewer’s and Kenneth Welsh’s performance was very natural and convincing, making their characters appear like they truly got along with each other. As I was watching this movie, I realized that this camaraderie is the foundation for all of Holmes’ interactions and relationships. If it was not for the believability of the camaraderie between Watson and Holmes, the other times where Holmes interacts with various characters would probably not feel believable either.
Now, for the worse, something that I felt was missing from this movie was humor. I’ve mentioned before on my blog that Hallmark incorporates humor into their mystery stories to give their audience a break from the darkness and sadness of the murder mystery. Since, in this movie, there were seldom moments of light-heartedness or humor, the audience isn’t able to take a break from the darkness of the murder mystery and the spookiness of the vampire theme. I don’t know if there is humor within Sherlock Holmes stories, but I’m pretty sure Hallmark could have added some light-hearted moments that would have be more in line with the tone and time period of a particular story like this.
9. When people talk about their favorite Hallmark movies or Hallmark movies that they like, no one mentions The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire. Why do you think the majority of Hallmark’s audience isn’t aware of this movie’s existence?
This movie is not available on Hallmark Movies Now and, as far as I know, it has never appeared on any of Hallmark’s networks. Because of this, Hallmark hasn’t given their audience an opportunity to see this film.
10. After watching The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire, what is the one thing you can take away from this movie viewing experience?
Well, for one thing, The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire is a different film from what is usually found on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. This is because the movie is dialogue heavy, with few moments of suspense and action. However, I do this is a good movie. As I mentioned within this review, I think this movie is a good introduction to Sherlock Holmes. I also think this is a good introduction to mystery stories from Hallmark. In a time when Hallmark Movies & Mysteries is thriving with their mystery series, I believe it’s important for Hallmark fans to be given the chance to watch the films that helped these stories be what they are today. After I watched The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire, I gained an appreciation not only for Hallmark’s mystery movies, but also for the foundation that was set in place so these movies could be as entertaining and intriguing as possible.
With Hallmark’s Christmas movie line-ups approaching and Halloween almost around the corner, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries is winding down their mysteries series to make way for the upcoming Christmas season. But before Christmas trees can be decorated and Eggnog can be prepared, the Darrow & Darrow series gave fans a third movie to satisfy their mystery solving desire until 2019. Even though Darrow & Darrow is only a year old, the series has proven they have what it takes to run the race alongside the long running Garage Sale Mystery series and fan favorites, like the Hailey Dean Mystery series and Signed, Sealed, Delivered. Because the latest Darrow & Darrow movie is about another murder mystery, it looks like this series has adopted the identity that a lot of the other mystery series, on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, have before them. Despite these series containing the same type of mystery, they have done a pretty good job at setting themselves apart from each other and incorporating as much creativity as possible. Did Darrow & Darrow: Body of Evidence contribute to helping this series stay creative and original? Keep reading in order to solve this case!
Darrow & Darrow: Body of Evidence 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=Darrow+and+Darrow+Body+of+Evidence.
Things I liked about the film:
The acting: Just like in the previous Darrow & Darrow film, the cast of this movie was really good! Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Tom Cavanagh successfully led this production with performances that appeared very natural. Once again, their on-screen chemistry was a highlight of this film! I was also really impressed with Jordana Largy’s performance in this film, as it was versatile and believable.
The mystery: I liked the creativity that was found in this mystery story! Usually, the murder victim’s deceased body is shown on-screen somewhere in the first half of the movie. In Darrow & Darrow: Body of Evidence, however, the audience never gets to see the body of the murder victim. Most of the mystery stories on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries are about crimes that are less than a year old. The murder mystery in Darrow & Darrow: Body of Evidence started a year prior to the events in the film.
The humor: Like a lot of the series on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Darrow & Darrow: Body of Evidence incorporates humor into their story as to give the audience a break from the darkness surrounding the mystery. The humor found in this movie kept in line with the humor from the other two movies and was genuinely funny. One of the funniest moments in Darrow & Darrow: Body of Evidence was when, at Lou’s fundraiser, Chester believed that telling Lou to be safe was the equivalent of cheering Lou on.
A weaker first half: For the first half of Darrow & Darrow: Body of Evidence, Claire and Miles debate about whether or not Laura Graham murdered her husband. Also, Joanna helps out an employee at the Darrow & Darrow law firm and Lou tries to raise money for military veterans. Within this first half of the movie, it seems like these subplots, as well as Claire and Miles’ debate, overshadowed the mystery itself. It wasn’t until Joanna and Claire attended an auction that the story seemed to pick up in the second half of the film.
An inconsistent pace: Because the first half of the movie was weaker than the second half, the pace was slow for about half the movie. The first 25 minutes of the film being exposition heavy also contributed to the inconsistency of the film’s pace.
As good as Darrow & Darrow: Body of Evidence was, I still believe that Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder was the stronger film. Nevertheless, I’m glad to see that this series is continuing on with strength and creativity! Though Hallmark has not yet announced any upcoming movies in this series, I am looking forward to solving more mysteries alongside one of Hallmark’s favorite sleuthing teams! Who knows, maybe we could see a Christmas themed Darrow & Darrow movie one day? If the Murder She Baked series could receive a Christmas movie, anything is possible. For now, all we, the audience and fans, can do is anticipate the Christmas movies from Hallmark and look forward to the other projects both networks have to offer.
Overall score: 7.6 out of 10
Did you watch Darrow & Darrow: Body of Evidence? Would you like to see a Christmas themed Darrow & Darrow movie? Let me know in the comment section!
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