Kaoteek

Yeah, Kacey from the review/snark blog tvmoviechristmas.com was there as press, and... let's just say this wouldn't be an event for me.

Picture a Perfect Christmas. Eh. Didn't hate the movie, but contrary to most, I didn't care much for Jon Cor, and I found him quite unmemorable (according to my archives, he already didn't make much of an impression on me in Love on Safari... oh, well, at least i'm consistent), so the entire romance didn't really work for me. Merritt Patterson and the kid were likeable, though. EDIT : and that's where the Hallmark schedule & copy/paste factory are affecting my enjoyment of their movies, since I just watched Two Turtle Doves, and all I could think of was "had I not watched recently a few other formulaic HM movies, I'd have enjoyed this one so much more". Because the writing was better, it was more sincere, more emotional, the acting was stronger, the themes were deeper... and yet, although the tropes were less invasive and clunky than in other HM movies, I couldn't help but think "oh, yet another one of those... and of course he's a widower with a cute child... and of course there's some sort of pageant...". Still. This one was a cut above the rest, and in a perfect world, it should be used as a template for the other Hallmark movies ; it won't, cos it's probably not fluffy and happy enough for most viewers, but it could.

Watched Nostalgic Christmas. Well... half of it, really, since it was late, it was bland, it was too tropey, and I just fell asleep in front of the tv. Somehow, despite liking the cast, I don't intend to finish the movie...

Quite enjoyed Merry & Bright. Nothing to write home about, and very tropey, but it worked for me, especially since I really like the lead couple. Also, the Sharon Lawrence/doggo subplot was cute, and everybody acted like normal, mature adults (aside, maybe from the wacky proposal subplot). Funnily enough, I noticed this movie was co-written by two regular tv writers (who worked on Boston Legal, among other things) paired with a regular HM writer, and I guess that's the reason why the writing felt snappier & tighter, here and there.

I didn't hate Netflix's Let It Snow. I didn't love it either, though. I liked most of the cast (can't say i'm particularly fond of Kiernan Shipka, and Odeya Rush didn't make much of an impression, but the rest of them were likeable), the snowed-in "Illinois" + Joan Cusack felt very John Hughes, and in theory, I was all for a teen version of those ensemble cast rom-coms à la Garry Marshall or Love Actually, but the writing was sometimes just too bland for me, with plenty of unearned moments, rushed and awkward bits (mostly in the first hour, as if the movie was initially a 2h movie cut short to fit some sort of Netflix format), and so-so characterization (it didn't help that those storylines were not all compelling). So, as I said, there was some good here and there, and some less good.

Christmas Scavenger Hunt was fine for what it was. At times, it felt a bit like there was a non-tropey, dynamic Christmas movie trying to burst out of the Hallmark format, but the clichés were often overwhelming (i rolled my eyes at the kid with the military parent), and kinda dragged the overall scavenger hunt down. That said, it was still likeable, even though I have a few reservations about some of the supporting cast. (the real snow was a plus, though)

Kinda underwhelmed by Christmas with a Prince 2, to be honest. I liked the fact that it was overtly dramatic & plot-driven, with the campy evil Miranda chewing up the scenery, but overall, it felt unbalanced and a bit messy. That said, to be fair, I'd rather have a movie that overreaches and is a bit too ambitious for its own good, for its writing, its acting, its budget, than your standard, boilerplate "city girl goes back to hometown and falls for hot widower" Hallmark formula. But still, I think I liked the firt CwaP more. Oh, and I wouldn't be opposed to someone casting Jack Foley as a badass Santa Claus in an adaptation of Grant Morrisson's Klaus, or something similar.

So... Christmas Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses... I don't really know what to say about this one : it felt so unmemorable and bland, so low energy and low stakes that I've almost forgotten half of it already. I mean, why even bother with the two potential love interests if Big Wolf on Campus Doctor ends up so underdeveloped, and if the movie doesn't even try to make him a viable contender... Eh. (and now that I think about it, I realize that a lot of this movie's tropes were already in Coming Home for Christmas, adapted from the same author...)

To be honest, the only thing I really noticed about A Merry Christmas Match was that, despite having never seen Kyle Dean Massey in my life, my gaydar started pinging as soon as he appeared on screen, and as such, I never once believed in his romance with Newbrough. So no chemistry + an underused supporting cast (can't help but feel Lindsey Gort/John DeLuca would have made better leads) + a bland, generic story = a very weak start to the Hallmark season.

Still slowly catching up with new Christmas movies... Quite liked A Christmas Movie Christmas. It wasn't must-see, or anything, it was quite over-the-top, and the two competing male love interests weren't particularly charming, but overall, I liked the self-awareness of it all, the light-heartedness, and the fact that it was written and produced by two of the leads. I somewhat enjoyed The Road Home for Christmas, too, more for the cast, the music and the unlikely road-trip format than for the story. I'll admit that for me, the movie kinda lost steam as it moved from wacky encounters to something more teary and emotional, but it was okay nonetheless. (still haven't started catching up with the Hallmark movies... it feels like a slippery slope I'm not sure I'm ready for yet ^^)

Very slowly getting into those Xmas movies, using them as a palate cleanser between the last few horror/Halloween movies i'm watching right now. So far, I only watched a couple of new releases : - Sweet Mountain Christmas - not unwatchable (I've seen much worse, as far as Christmas movies w/ a country vibe go), but very bland and flat overall. - Santa Girl - a teen romance with Jennifer Stone as Santa(Barry Bostwick)'s daughter going to human college in order to escape her arranged marriage with Jack Frost's son. Clearly a low-budget effort (the cinematography and the elves' cheap plastic ears made that obvious), but somehow, it worked for me, much more than most Hallmark or Lifetime rom-coms. Probably because the laid-back, self-aware tone, the unapologetically magical world depicted, and the easy chemistry between Stone and her romantic lead, reminded me of fun Disney-coms of old, and of older, less tropey and cookie-cutter Xmas tv movies.

Still catching up with past movies : - Easter under Wraps : having a Easter movie is nice, and I usually like Fiona Gubelmann, but aside from the Undercover Boss angle, it really was your standard, boilerplate Hallmark "let's visit X or Y factory/business and try to save it" movie (there's always one or two of those, each year, often at Christmas or Valentine's Day). Also, Brendan Penny didn't have much to work with (the usual "single-dad/widower with a precocious kid" character), here, so he ended up kinda bland. - Paris, Wine & Romance : I cringed. A lot. Granted, I'm french, so all that cheesy postcard-worthy pseudo-tour of Paris feat. clichés, accents, escargots, greenscreens & eastern-european cities was always gonna bother me, but Lilley's obvious pregnancy glow, clothes & camera angles didn't really help, just like her character's weird sense of urgency : she had no time to waste, her wine just had to enter that competition right now, or else... or else what ? Anyway, it wasn't even a bad movie, and I'm sure if it hadn't been located in France, I'd have enjoyed it more, but it was frustrating more than anything.

Catching up with a few of this year's Hallmark movies... Love, Romance & Chocolate : okay-ish, but aside from Bruges, nothing really memorable. Your standard Lacey Chabert movie. Love on the Menu : an enjoyable, light-hearted one, and Reeser/Kavan worked for me, but I'm still not too sure about the recipe-related conflict, and the boss' heel turn. Love under the Rainbow : again, an okay-ish one, and I still enjoy Jodie Sweetin's energy, which is different enough from your usual Hallmark lead to be appealing. Flip That Romance : I usually like Julie Gonzalo, but I didn't care much for this one, and for her character's overly hostile and biting attitude, during the first half of the story. Also, tbh, home renovation doesn't do much for me. True Love Blooms : Kinda same thing, here - I like Sara Rue, I've nothing against Jordan Bridges, but the writing was very expository and heavy-handed, as evidenced by those mandatory, last-minute misunderstandings that just rubbed me the wrong way. It ended the movie on a sour note for me. Love to The Rescue : I enjoyed that one - likeable characters (both adults and children), cute dog, Nikki DeLoach, a light-hearted, light on tropes story, a laid-back tone, non-antagonistic exes... I liked it. (so tired of the Love something or Something something love titles, though...)

Didn't hate The Story of Us, but it felt flat and very been there, seen that. And as much as I like Maggie Lawson & Sam Page, I felt the movie's tone was, every now and then, slightly too broad for its own good - the acting, some reaction shots, and the non-stop overenthusiastic background music... it sometimes felt kinda forced. And at other times, it felt too serious, and almost Hallmark Movies & Mysteries-like. I liked the cat, though.

Didn't care much for SnowComing. It wasn't awful, or anything, and i was fine with the lead couple, but as I've said during the holidays, I'm just all burned out on the "city girl goes back home for a holiday and end up organizing the local ball/high school dance with an ex she can't stand but still loves nonetheless" narrative. Granted, it (thankfully) went in a different direction after a while (the good old "city girl & ex team up to save local X or Y" trope), but sports/ex-football star/local coach adoration themes just leave me cold. So... meh.

Winter Love Story : this one was fun. A bookish, anxiety-ridden lead, some fun snarky banter, decent chemistry, a doggo, a road trip, Laura Miyata as the publicist, a more laid-back Kevin McGarry than in Winter Castle, and an overall light-hearted and enjoyable tone... I liked it. (also, funny how those Winterfest movies seem to have proper opening titles/fonts... whereas the HM Christmas movies tend to be so rushed into production - and renamed again and again - that they always get basic, generic last-minute titles and credits)

I'm not sure what Natalie Hall & the director & writer were going for with her character in A Winter Princess, but it ended up mostly broad, cartoony and quite awkward. And I gotta say the writing didn't really help (which is strange, since it was the same writer as One Winter Weekend, which was much stronger on that front). Didn't care much for the overall product, to be honest, and even if it was a different spin on the usual "Royal" movies, it just felt off and flat, overall. (and those dodgy accents... sigh)

I won't be original, here, but the good things about Winter Castle were the likeable cast, the scenery and the real snow (the difference between the usual "fake snow, everybody in light clothes and no headgear, blue and sunny skies, shot in september" Christmas movies, and the "legit everybody's freezing cold and covered from head to toe" Winterfest movies has never been so jarring) ; the bad things ? The writing and the plot were generic and uninspired, Kevin McGarry has always felt more like a goofy sidekick to me than a straight-laced grieving widower, and the mom looked way too young to be believable as Ullerup & Mullen's mother. Unmemorable, aside from the locations.

That's the problem with basing your movie on a book written by Blake Shelton's mom, inspired by a Christmas song by Blake Shelton. ^^

On another - non-Christmassy - topic, I just caught up with One Winter Weekend, just to check whether or not I should watch the sequel coming up in January, and... I think I'll pass. It wasn't particularly memorable, the main romance was completely outshined by Rukiya Bernard & Dewshane Williams' relationship, and overall, I never really cared for the overall plot, despite the snow and the landscape. All I'm saying is it didn't really need a sequel... but then again, All of my Heart didn't either, and that hasn't prevented HM from shooting two more of those...

Jingle Around The Clock (my final Christmas movie, this season, yay) : I liked it, taking into account the fact that ad/marketing people & office-centered Christmas stories usually are far from being my favs. But it was playful, I really liked Michael Cassidy & Brooke Nevin, I enjoyed the crossover tease re: Julia Wise (Teryl Rothery's Martha Stewart-like character in Road to Christmas, from the same writer - a new Hallmark recruit, who also wrote Evergreen 2), I liked the family stuff and supporting cast, and I liked the fact that, aside from the big mandatory Hallmark misunderstanding 15 min before the end, the script went out of its way to defuse other situations quite early on, every time they happened, as if the writer wanted to show that "hey, grown-ups talk to each other, and that's often enough to clear everything up". Overall, a nice one to end this season on, as far as i'm concerned.

Just finished Christmas Bells are Ringing. The usual "city gal goes back home on Christmas, learns her dad might wanna sell the house and move on, meets handsome, single, ex-boyfriend she left under tense circumstances when she was younger" story, only with added angst, since it's HMM. If HM didn't produce 265842 movies with the same basic plot every season, this one would have been fine : likeable leads, nice scenery, decent production values, nice set decoration... Sadly, this one comes on the tail end of the season, so it's hard to get invested in it when you feel you've seen it a dozen times already in the past month... (also, Rebecca Staab's face was distracting)

I just happened upon Mr. 365, a 2018 Christmas Passionflix with Chelsea Hobbs as a reality tv producer shooting a piece on Christopher Russell, aka Mr 365, a handsome, muscular single man with a house full of Christmas decorations all year long. It's your basic romance sprinkled with a smidge of californian, sunshiny Christmas, and it's not really better or worse than most other seasonal tv movies, story-wise, but it cracked me up to see how much Passionflix goes for broke on the horniness of its characters (at least compared to most tv movies). Here, everybody, from the first scene on, acts like a thirsty hormonal teenager, and the relationship is consumed halfway through the movie, only to fall to the usual "last minute obstacle" trope. I don't know if I'd recommand this one (despite likeable leads with nice chemistry, fun diverse supporting characters, and a lighthearted tone), but one thing is sure : after a month and a half of sanitized Hallmark & Lifetime movies, I didn't expect that sex scene.

Christmas at Grand Valley. Same old, same old. And what's weird is that I liked the leads, I liked the fact that their relationship felt more adult and mature than in most HM movies, I liked the kids, I liked the lodge, I liked the supporting characters' interracial romance... but it just left me mostly cold, and it ended up running on fumes. Not much to say about it, and instantly forgotten. On another note, looking at the overall ratings, 2018 hasn't been a great holiday season for HM, so far, with lower lows than usual, and a much lower ratings average... HMM movies ratings, though, seem steady, if not a tad stronger than in previous years.

Yeah, those Harlequin movies are usually produced by Brain Power Media, a canadian company that's starting to compete with Reel One, MarVista, Asylum and the other usual californian production companies that work with Hallmark & Lifetime.