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!
Because I received 35 followers on 18 Cinema Lane earlier this week, it’s time for me to review a film that turned 35 years old in 2018! While looking at my options for which film to watch, I came across a film from 1983 called Without a Trace. After reading the movie’s synopsis, I became intrigued by the mystery aspect of the film. As a fan of the mystery movies on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, I do enjoy a story that is intriguing and engaging. My interest for Without a Trace grew when I discovered that it was loosely based on a true story. I was curious about how this real-life event would influence the film. Keep reading to see how I feel about Without a Trace!
The acting: The whole cast in this movie was good! Kate Nelligan’s portrayal of Susan Selky was definitely one of the highlights of this film! Her performance was so emotional and versatile, that it felt like her character’s emotions were being transferred from her own personal feelings to the audience, allowing viewers to worry about Alex’s fate alongside Susan. I also thought that Kathleen Widdoes’ portrayal of the psychic, Ms. Hauser, was captivating and memorable. Kathleen’s acting talents were so versatile, it had the power to keep viewers engaged in the events happening on-screen.
The story: The basic premise of Without a Trace is figuring out what happened to Alex Selky. This story is treated like a mystery, where anyone could be a suspect and every possibility is explored. The way this narrative is written allows the audience members to solve the mystery alongside the characters. Because there are few scenes that feature Alex, it encourages viewers to ask “whodunit” and keeps them engaged as the story unfolds.
Comparisons and differences between the early ‘80s and today: Because this movie was released in 1983, I knew there was going to be some differences between the depicted world in the film and the world outside the film today. However, I was surprised by how many of the film’s topics were those that are still being brought up 35 years later. In a scene where Alex’s parents and Detective Al Menetti are being interviewed by several journalists, one journalist asks Al if Alex, a 6 year old child, was too young to be walking to school all by himself. As I watched this film for the first time in 2018, I found myself asking this exact same question. It was also interesting to see and hear how things appeared differently in the early ‘80s compared to today. In one scene, Jocelyn, Susan’s friend, asks Susan why the police aren’t using computers to solve missing persons cases. Because computers have a larger presence in society now than they did 35 years ago, I would have assumed that most crimes are solved with the use of computers. But, it stood out to me how the screenwriters were thinking that far ahead into the future at how some situations, such as those found in Without a Trace, could be improved upon.
Lack of suspense: When I first read the synopsis for Without a Trace, I was expecting a mystery story with suspense and intrigue throughout the film. While this movie did have intrigue, there was very little suspense that was found. There was such a lack of suspense that it made the characters appear like they didn’t have a sense of urgency. This is not a good thing, especially when a film’s plot revolves around a kidnapping.
The run-time: Without a Trace is a 2-hour long film. This caused the movie to contain scenes that felt like were included just for the sake of satisfying this run-time. This run-time also made the movie feel longer than it was probably intended. Personally, I think that Without a Trace’s run-time should have been an hour and 25 to 30 minutes. This way, it would allow the story to be more suspenseful and keep the intrigue going throughout the film.
The pace: Without a Trace’s pace was slow. This pace made some scenes drag on longer than they might have been intended. It was also the result of a longer run-time, where these scenes were possibly drawn out to fill Without a Trace’s 2 hour long time-frame.
Without a Trace is an ok film. Yes, this movie did have its flaws. However, I could tell that the effort, from the movie’s creative team, to make a compelling and thought-provoking film was there, even if that effort was not as strong as I would have hoped. When looking back on this film, I still can’t get over how some things have stayed the same. Trends change, popularity rises and falls, and style evolves. But certain subjects and messages are the things that remain everlasting. As I mentioned earlier, I knew there were going to be differences between the world of the ‘80s that appeared on my tv screen and the real world of 2018 that I’m living in today. Despite these differences, it’s the similarities that left a lasting and the biggest impression on me as I share this film with all my readers and followers. Thank you, once again, for making this review possible. 18 Cinema Lane would not be the same without you.
Overall score: 6.5 out of 10
Have you seen Without a Trace? What’s your favorite mystery story? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
As the summer comes to a close, so does Garage Sale Mystery Month. Now that we’ve arrived at the final film in this year’s collection of Garage Sale Mystery films, I can share my honest opinion about not only Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder in D Minor, but on 2018’s Garage Sale Mystery Month as a whole. I’ve said in my Garage Sale Mysteries: Picture a Murder review that this series has been very creative when it comes to their mystery stories. Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder in D Minor has continued to keep the creative streak alive for this series, with the inclusion of an auction house and a decades old piano. What did I think of this year’s finale of Garage Sale Mystery Month? Read my review of Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder in D Minor in order to find out!
Garage Sale Mystery: Murder in D Minor poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=143&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Garage+Sale+Mysteries+Murder+in+D+Minor.
Things I liked about the film:
The acting: The cast of Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder in D Minor was, once again, talented! Even though his on-screen presence is, usually, limited, I think that Jay Brazeau did a very good job portraying Tramell. As the head doctor at the local morgue, Tramell has always had such a pleasant presence within the Garage Sale Mystery series! The actors portraying secondary characters gave just as good of a performance as the series regulars. Two of these actors that really stood out to me were Nicola Lipman and Chris William Martin. Like I mentioned in my review of Logan Lucky, accents in a movie can be hit or miss. But, for Nicola and Chris, they both pulled off an accent that made their characters seem more believable!
The mystery: In most of the mystery films on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, the primary mystery revolves around a murder. In Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder in D Minor, there was more than one mystery, including the mystery of who hurt Jennifer’s friend. This was a creative choice that I found very interesting. Another creative choice that was interesting was having Jacques, one of the suspects, being heavily involved in the primary mystery. In most mystery movies on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, the involvement of the suspects within the respective film’s main mystery is limited to, simply, being a suspect. This change to the Garage Sale Mystery series added some intrigue to this film’s overall story.
Hannah and Logan’s subplots: While Hannah’s subplots in these four Garage Sale Mystery films have been hit or miss, Logan’s subplots have been less than stellar to non-existent. In Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder in D Minor, both Hannah and Logan received subplots that I really liked! Logan uses a homework assignment to figure out how to help his basketball team, while Hannah takes a job as a tutor. These subplots added interest in the other stories from the film besides the mysteries themselves. It also showed other members of the Shannon family, besides Jennifer, being problem-solvers and saving the day.
A slower pace: Like I said in my review of Garage Sale Mysteries: The Pandora’s Box Murders, the movies in the Garage Sale Mystery series usually have a faster pace. However, the pace of Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder in D Minor was slower than expected. This caused the movie to feel more drawn out.
The under-utilization of Detective Lynwood: In almost all of the Garage Sale Mystery films, Detective Lynwood has been one of the key characters in this series. But, in Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder in D Minor, Detective Lynwood and his problem-solving skills were under-utilized. As I’ve mentioned before, Jacques’ involvement in the mystery itself was an interesting creative choice. However, that creative choice limited Detective Lynwood’s screen-time.
The ending: In the Garage Sale Mystery series, the ending is usually when all of the stories wrap up nicely and the main cast of characters discuss their solved conflicts. The ending in Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder in D Minor wasn’t bad, it just wrapped up a little too quickly. Because this was the last movie in Garage Sale Mystery month, it seemed to not give this collection of movies a strong end.
As a whole, I thought Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder in D Minor was decent at best. This does disappoint me because I was hoping the last film in Garage Sale Mystery Month would end on a strong note. However, the overall quality of this year’s Garage Sale Mystery Month was about the same as last year’s. The Garage Sale Mystery series is one of my favorites on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. The quality of this series has been consistent, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Hallmark announced a third Garage Sale Mystery Month for 2019. Even though the Garage Sale Mystery series will take a break until next year, there are other mystery films that are on their way. With the next Darrow & Darrow film premiering this October, “The Crossword Mysteries” (starring Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliott) will make its debut in 2019! Hallmark Movies & Mysteries has no shortage of mystery stories and it seems like, when it comes to their movies, they have something available for everyone.
Overall score: 7.4 out of 10
Have you seen the films within Garage Sale Mystery Month? Would you like to see the Garage Sale Mystery series continue? Let me know in the comment section!
Thanks for joining me for my review of Garage Sale Mysteries: Picture A Murder, the third film in Garage Sale Mystery Month. What sets the Garage Sale Mystery series apart from the other series on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries is the creativity surrounding each item that Jennifer finds, as well as the stories that can, potentially, be attached to those items. This has especially been evident in the films that have premiered in Garage Sale Mystery Month so far. The first two Garage Sale Mystery movies are about an intricate puzzle box and an interesting mask. Each of these items were connected to a murder mystery that was unique to the film they were featured in. Now, in Garage Sale Mysteries: Picture A Murder, the object that Jennifer comes across is a vintage camera. Can this camera and the mystery associated with it continue Garage Sale Mystery’s creative streak? Read my review of Garage Sale Mysteries: Picture A Murder to figure this mystery out!
Garage Sale Mystery: Picture A Murder poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=143&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Garage+Sale+Mysteries+Picture+A+Murder.
Things I liked about the film:
The acting: With everyone giving a good performance, I thought the cast of Garage Sale Mysteries: Picture A Murder was talented! Sarah Strange, one of the series’ starring cast members, has always been a great addition to the Garage Sale Mystery films. Not only was her performance in Garage Sale Mysteries: Picture A Murder versatile and convincing, but her comedic delivery was great! I was also impressed with Edward Ruttle’s performance in this film. Edward’s portrayal of Tony, the murder victim’s nephew, contained so much realism, there were moments throughout this film where I found myself feeling bad for Tony. I’m hoping that, one day, Edward and Max Lloyd-Jones are cast in a Hallmark movie together where they get to portray brothers. This is because when Edward first appeared on-screen in Garage Sale Mysteries: Picture A Murder, he looked so similar to Max that I actually thought Max was cast in a Garage Sale Mystery film.
The mystery: In most mystery films on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, the protagonist is one of the first people to find the murder victim’s deceased body. This was not the case for Garage Sale Mysteries: Picture A Murder. Jennifer was nowhere near the crime scene when the murder victim’s body was first discovered. I thought this was an interesting choice for the creative team behind this movie to make. Another interesting creative decision that was seen in this movie was having a family member of the murder victim working alongside Jennifer, to a certain extent, to solve the mystery within the film’s main plot. More often than not, the protagonist is kept at a certain distance between themselves and individuals that are identified as family members of the murder victim or suspects of the crime. Having Tony, the murder victim’s nephew, help Jennifer solve the case added more intrigue to the primary plot.
The humor: In my review of Garage Sale Mysteries: The Pandora’s Box Murders, I talked about how the humor that is found within the Garage Sale Mystery films is one of the highlights to the series. The humor within Garage Sale Mysteries: Picture A Murder certainly adds to the continuity of the series! Earlier in this review, I said that Sarah Strange’s comedic delivery was great. Not only that, but her on-screen interactions between her and Lori Loughlin are delightful and humorous! Moments like these are what helps keep the balance within each Garage Sale Mystery film between the light-hearted and darker tones that are found in this series.
Lack of suspense: Usually, a mystery film on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries contains a certain amount of suspense that maintains the intrigue of the story. This helps the audience stay motivated to follow along with the protagonist and figure out who committed the crime. In Garage Sale Mysteries: Picture A Murder, however, there were only two moments throughout the film that, to me, felt suspenseful. One of these moments was the climax. The rest of the film didn’t feel as exciting as what I’m used to in the Garage Sale Mystery series.
Logan’s subplot: In my Garage Sale Mysteries: The Pandora’s Box Murders review, I mentioned that Logan’s subplot was one of the things I didn’t like about the movie. The subplot that Logan was given in Garage Sale Mysteries: Picture A Murder was another one that I didn’t like. In this movie, Logan has the opportunity to publish his paper in the school newspaper, but refuses for unknown reasons. While this subplot wasn’t bad, it felt a little too drawn out.
The absence of Ryan: I mentioned in my Garage Sale Mysteries: The Mask Murder review that Ryan being under-utilized in the film was a negative aspect to the movie overall. Because of this, I was hoping he would receive more screen-time in the next movie and train alongside Detective Lynwood, since Ryan did express interest in becoming a detective. Unfortunately, Ryan was nowhere to be found throughout this entire movie. Also, no one ever mentioned his whereabouts, not even Hannah. Ryan’s absence broke a level of continuity within the four Garage Sale Mystery films in Garage Sale Mystery Month.
As good as Garage Sale Mysteries: Picture A Murder was, it was not as good as the previous film. To me, the four Garage Sale Mystery films within last year’s Garage Sale Mystery Month seemed to get stronger as August went on. This year, I don’t think that will be the case. I will admit it is a little disappointing, especially since the Garage Sale Mystery series is one of my favorites on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. However, I’m not concerned about the future of this series. We still have one more movie left in this year’s Garage Sale Mystery Month. Also, the Garage Sale Mystery series is the longest running movie series in Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ current collection of mystery films. I have a feeling we will see a Garage Sale Mystery Month next year and I’m hoping the next Garage Sale Mystery film meets or exceeds my expectations.
Overall score: 7.5 out of 10
What are your thoughts on this year’s Garage Sale Mystery Month so far? Would you like to see Garage Sale Mystery Month return in 2019? Let me know in the comment section!
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