Bronx Babe

The Hanukkah movie should be interesting. I saw a neon Star of David on the wall of what I think was a diner in the trailer they ran, lol. Oy!

I checked them out as well. Keith Hemstreet seems to be American (went to Florida State University) but like you couldn't find anything about Bruce Donahue.

Thanks, CaveDweller. Now that I think about it, that eye doctor did tell him his condition was "acute". I thought the script was going to be creative and poetic by suggesting that his black and white color blindness was a metaphor for a "dim" world outlook due to early life experiences but it was just the opposite, so this movie held little interest for me in terms of emotional involvement, not frankly that any Hallmark production ever does.

Oh dear, I'm sorry, bankerchick. I always think healthcare (including eye and dental) is free everywhere except America. I've just always assumed that the majority of Hallmark screenwriters are Canadian, based on how nice, friendly and polite all the characters are, since I have a rather romantic view of your country. (blame those old Hollywood movies, lol)

With all due respect to our Canadian neighbors, I must bring this up -- in The Most Colorful Time of the Year, Dr. Michelle offers the gratis eye exam to Ryan at his school which he turns down, upon which the script has her tell him "when is there free American health care? Take advantage of it" I won't become political and state my beliefs for or against on this matter but I do think it was a highly inappropriate subject to weigh in on, coming as it does from another country even if they are in the same hemisphere.

Oh dear now I'm confused, lol. I could swear it is a straight-up Hallmark movie.

The Most Colorful Time of the Year, meh. Do colorblind people really see the world in literal black and white? Did not care for the lead actress -- too much plastic surgery it looked like to me, plus her performance was just so.....boring. The lead actor -- yummy, and even hotter with those corrective lenses. Usual Hallmark stuff -- the 90 Minute Mark Complication/Misunderstanding, favorite words like "Christmassy" and "impressive", hot chocolate offered from strange places (in this case the flower shop) I thought it odd that after Ryan got the glasses, his Christmas home decorations, including the tree, weren't the usual overdone Hallmark color explosion which you think he would have wanted. Instead, they were all mainly understated "modern" white lights strung about. The tree was done up in elegant red and gold bulb Victorian style, somewhat unexpected for a guy who has just been introduced to the full color spectrum.

Thank you Makai for Snowmance. Daff, I should have added that it was a Hallmark snowman-comes-to-life movie. Haven't seen Jack Frost but would like to. Norcalgal, appreciate your input as well!

Seems to me snowmen are not treated very respectfully in these silly movies; you would think just the opposite but, no... What's the one with the male lead an actual snowman turned human being?

The character names as well -- there was a Marcus on a Lifetime movie I landed on the other day and I'm sure Jackson will pop up too. Has to be the same writers.

Sounds like something on Hattie's Diner in Garland.

Saccharine was definitely the word for it in my book, as though the 1950's were some wistful, gauzy, never-never land, lol. I really wish they hadn't made the photographer boyfriend look like an old Hollywood Warner Brothers newsboy urchin. I didn't see Haul Out The Holly but you say there is a fake snowman? That I gotta see, lol. Poor little guy, made out of foam?

The Rockettes movie was ridiculously and aggressively "vintage" -- and all those cutesy-NOT little hats the lead actress wore apparently just to have breakfast. Her sweet photographer boyfriend was made up to look like a 1930's-early 40's Dead End Kid with that cap, incongruously paired with rolled "juvenile delinquent" blue jeans from the actual 1950's. I guess the Hallmark "fashion/art" department didn't seem to know what time period they wanted to display.

I opted for The Crawling Eye on Svengoolie but before that was watching something last night (cannot keep the titles in my memory bank) where the dad kept calling his grown architect daughter (the lead actress, who looked to be in her late twenties) "Peanut" I thought that was a little creepy. There was another one recently where the male lead is called Jackson. This makes, along with Marcus, the fourth or fifth Hallmark movie using those names. The corgi was adorable! But aside from that fuzzy sweetheart it was the usual ho-hum royal/commoner stuff. Gorgeous locations, though. There was the usual wtf moment when the American dog trainer was asked her opinion BY THE QUEEN IF HER SON THE PRINCE WAS QUALIFIED TO BE KING. "I trust your judgement" The one that really takes the cake is I think Crown for Christmas where royals and their underlings OFFER MONEY to commoners. (in this case, $5,000 as a "generous tip" to the hotel maid who returns the prince's watch) Royalty does not give money away. EVER. They are the cheapest people on earth, and keep it all in the family. That is how they have amassed extreme power, wealth and influence over the centuries.

Could not stand the lead actress in My Southern Family Christmas -- is she the same one who played a fashion designer for full-figured women in another movie I can't recall the title of? I didn't like her there either -- has all the charm and personality of a dish rag in my opinion. Nothing to do with weight -- she just always has a glum expression on her face. Looking forward to A Royal Corgi Christmas this evening only because I still cannot believe Queen Elizabeth is gone -- not really a monarchist but I always admired and respected her. Saw a few Lifetime Xmas movies for the first time. They make the Hallmark ones look good by comparison. I didn't know that -- thank you.

Interesting! The writers are either intense sci-fi fans or genuine aliens, lol. Hard to tell sometimes which.

They showed the two of them wiping away tears -- maybe she told a horrible ruthless lie to the maitre de that it would be her dying daughter's last Xmas and he'd go to hell if he didn't accommodate this unfortunate situation. So I guess the question Shelby asked was if he was a religious person, lol. I realize this will sound insensitive or even mean, but, I did not care for the child actor. I know a lisp is something one cannot help and many people in the entertainment industry had/have one (Boris Karloff is the most famous example) but I felt that Hallmark was exploiting it to maximum degree. (please do not hate me for this opinion) As for Three Wise Men and a Baby, I guess it was okay by Hallmark standards but the guys should have been hunks to really make it work for the female audience; hell, the actor playing Luke the fireman brother bears an unfortunate resemblance to Timothy McVeigh. I also didn't think the infant was cute.

Inventing the Christmas Prince. You too can suddenly win a maitre de's favor in obtaining a fully booked table for holiday tea by listening to "the chewiness of his soul" If that isn't a wtf Hallmark moment, I don't know what would be. Lots of sci-fi as the writers are inclined to slip in -- mentions of Star Trek, Mr. Spock, Godzilla, and "habitability on the rings of Saturn"

To borrow an oft-used Hallmark phrase, "I get that" -- Garland and Hattie's Diner were indeed presented as being proudly out of step with the, uh, normal world but cocoa cornbread stuffing seemed overly weird, lol. Plus, the lead actress orders it as an entree. (cue Twilight Zone theme) As for Steak Cocoa, I do know there are many delicious Mexican mole dishes and also mouth-watering Southern barbeque rubbed with Dr. Pepper or other colas -- but again, it just feels and sounds bizarre when Hallmark attempts to be "amusing".

A Cozy Christmas Inn had the alternate-universe dish of something called Cocoa Cornbread Stuffing. Yesterday I watched 'Tis The Season To Be Merry, and the lead actress ordered "Steak Cocoa" These outer-space aliens sure know what's delicious.

Speaking of Nick and Moonstruck, it seemed to me that the Golden Dragon screenwriters cribbed from that movie, with the lead actor telling Chinese girlfriend "Life is not perfect, Christmas is not perfect, we are not perfect" which sounded awfully close to Cage's speech to Cher: "Snowflakes are perfect, the stars are perfect, not us, not us"

When did the Italian Christmas movie air? I missed it. Nick Cage is Italian -- real last name Coppola, related to the director. I read that Cher was so impressed with Nick in Peggy Sue Got Married that she lobbied for him in Moonstruck.

Oh my stars, Christmas at the Golden Dragon --why did I even entertain the idea that it would be anything but AWFUL, lol?? What were there, eight stories? And every one of them LAME, BORING, DULL, SNOOZEVILLE. Me with my adventurous exotic Nancy Drew expectations, I am so ashamed of myself. Golden Dragon daughter corrects rude waiters (at some sort of pan-Asian restaurant she is at with boyfriend and his family in Vermont) then becomes disrespectful herself when she suddenly stands up (before the dinner is even served) and exclaims "I have to go home NOW!" Is his family upset as a normal human family would be? Not at all -- they smile and tell her "That's okay, we'll get your tickets and drive you to the airport" The great wtf moment, however, comes at the end when Golden Dragon son's bitchy girlfriend arrives at the family restaurant, stepping out of a cab in winter (and fake snow falling) WITH NO COAT AND WEARING A FLIMSY SLEEVELESS gown, also NO PURSE so how did she pay the taxi driver? A character stands in front of a place called Recreation "Centre" O Canada! It is supposed to be Wichita, Kansas but I won't begrudge our neighbors to the north for a little national pride, authenticity be damned, lol.

LOL "Sons of bitches BUMPUSES!"

I opted for Olivia de Havilland on TCM in The Snake Pit last night because I just could just not take another "Royal" anything. Looking forward to Christmas at the Golden Dragon tonight. I love Chinese food! Wonder if they'll reference A Christmas Story with the Bumpus hounds who destroy the Thanksgiving turkey so the family has to go out for Peking duck. (one of my favorite dishes btw)