Countdown to Christmas 2024

[coffeebean]

On 11/2/2024 at 11:10 PM, jpgr said:

None of the previews made me want to watch

Charlotte d'Amboise is a major Broadway star, so she was really in her element as Hazel.

https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/a-carol-for-two/cast/charlotte-damboise

[MissyPoo]

On 11/10/2024 at 3:08 PM, absnow54 said:

I have high hopes for Thursday’s A Reason for the Season. 

This was on my wishlist as well, but I had to tap out early. I usually look forward to Taylor Cole's movies, but this felt like another one of those roles where the lead reads in the early 20s rather than mid-30s (what the character was supposed to be). And the townspeople turned me off early. It felt like one of those assimilation plots, which I don't mind if it isn't bashed over my head and done well, but this felt forced.

[absnow54]

I ended up liking Reason for the Season but not as much as I was hoping to. The leads had chemistry and actually seemed into each other, which is a huge plus, and the dialogue was pretty snappy. Their banter flowed well and was believable. My biggest gripe was the movie was obviously filmed in the diner from Riverdale, which gave the opening scene a really creepy vibe. When the doctor stepped aside to examine the baby and then announced she would personally drive her to the hospital, I was waiting for the group of friends to team up and kill the mom so they could steal her child. That show was crazy. 

[Notabug]

I found myself wondering why her mother hadn't done something sooner if she felt that Eve was too comfortable spending her mother's money.  By age 35, people are pretty set in their ways and  if this was something her mother was concerned about, it seemed like she could've tried to course correct before Eve was approaching middle age.

As it was, it was kinda weird that everyone kept patting Eve on the back for her generosity when all the money to grant the wishes can from Eve's trust fund, started by her mother; who'd already threatened to take it away if she didn't change her ways.  It isn't like Eve had much choice, especially considering she didn't seem to have a career or major ambition of her own.

Edited November 15 by Notabug

[Daff]

I was looking forward to the Taylor Cole movie, but it turned out to have a surreal feel to it. As others said, she was too old for the lessons the task was supposed to instill, and the mom’s motivations kept changing throughout the movie. It’s almost as if the main characters were working off different scripts, and the director didn’t have one. TC was much more convincing in the movie where she goes off to find her estranged uncle. That said, I really liked seeing all the veteran Hallmark actors in this movie. They came together to convey the heartwarming feeling of a close knit community very well.

[EtheltoTillie]

Christmas With the Singhs. I like the two leads but it’s kind of boring. Anyone else see this?  I may tap out. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Still watching but the movie has changed. The father is an ass!!!  I can’t stand this type of conflict. 

[Orcinus orca]

I semi-watched Christmas with the SInghs.  It was on in the background mostly because I wanted to see two of my favorite actors from Little Mosque on the Prairie, Manoj Sood and Minet Kanji.

The story was 100% predictable.  I liked the costumes; otherwise a snooze.

I nearly turned it off when they had the lead hooked up to an heart monitor for a sprained wrist.  That was beyond stupid.

[EtheltoTillie]

5 minutes ago, Orcinus orca said:

I semi-watched Christmas with the SInghs.  It was on in the background mostly because I wanted to see two of my favorite actors from Little Mosque on the Prairie, Manoj Sood and Minet Kanji.

The story was 100% predictable.  I liked the costumes; otherwise a snooze.

I nearly turned it off when they had the lead hooked up to an heart monitor for a sprained wrist.  That was beyond stupid.

All the movies are predictable. They have to have that something that elevates it. One out of ten does.  I think I will switch over to Hot Frosty. 

[Badsamaritan]

13 hours ago, Daff said:

I was looking forward to the Taylor Cole movie, but it turned out to have a surreal feel to it. As others said, she was too old for the lessons the task was supposed to instill, and the mom’s motivations kept changing throughout the movie. It’s almost as if the main characters were working off different scripts, and the director didn’t have one. TC was much more convincing in the movie where she goes off to find her estranged uncle. That said, I really liked seeing all the veteran Hallmark actors in this movie. They came together to convey the heartwarming feeling of a close knit community very well.

Agreed. I think it would have made more sense if she were a VP in her mom's company but was all about the business and finances, but her mom has a softer heart. TC could discover her mom's decades-long giving to the town where she was born and then her mom makes her go on the quest to find them herself in order to take over the company and find the giving spirit so she'll continue on once she's in charge. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Update:  Hot Frosty is terrible. (Yeah I know it’s on Netflix but it stars Lacey). The snowman guy is too skinny and is not hot. I’m back to watch the end of The Singhs.

[Irlandesa]

The Singhs movie got a bit too mean-spirited for me, which is a shame.  I did like the leads, though and watched the whole thing.

I find that I have a surprising antipathy to a specific trope or setup--and that's the 'single pregnant woman relying on strangers in a diner during a flashback' trope.  It, or something similar, happens more than it should.  It's like nails on a chalkboard for me and I peaced out of that movie even though I like the two leads.  I might try again later, but I also doubt it. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Yes I am suffering through the Singhs movie. 

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Yes I am suffering through the Singhs movie. 

Heh, I'm easily entertained. I enjoyed it for the most part and the leads were pretty.

As much as I enjoy Andrew Walker, I am passing on tonight's new movie. The plot doesn't sound appealing to me, and I won't miss Ashley Williams smiling maniacally through the movie. 

[Notabug]

In the midst of semi-watching Jingle Bell Run and my only thought at this point is that Ashley Williams' blond hair is a crime against humanity.  Whoever thought that was a good idea should be shot.  It does serve to distract me from the constant grinning, though.

I kinda liked Christmas with the Singhs, probably mainly because I know people in similar situations who've had to figure out a way to accommodate two different cultures into their new family.  That, and I just love the beautiful clothing.  I'm shallow like that.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

As much as I enjoy Andrew Walker's movies, I just can't handle Ashley Williams. I'll check out the movie after called  'Tis The Season To Be Irish.

[EtheltoTillie]

I’m adding two new positive reviews:  jingle Bell Run and The Reason for the Season.  I can’t believe how many movies I’m liking this year. 

Jingle Bell has the same plot as the Trivia movie. Sports star joins girl brainiac to win contest. I liked both. 

[Orcinus orca]

Halfway through the first month and not a single one I would recommend or watch again.  A big bunch of duds for me.

I think the last one I kept was from 2022.

[jpgr]

13 hours ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

As much as I enjoy Andrew Walker's movies, I just can't handle Ashley Williams. I'll check out the movie after called  'Tis The Season To Be Irish.

I like Northern Lights of Christmas, but that's about the only one I can watch with Ashley Williams.

There is only one movie with Andrew Walker I can think of that I really dislike (Maple Valley Christmas).

Last year Hallmark Channel sponsored our local holiday boat parade. Nikki de Loach and Andrew Walker were the Grand Marshals. When their boat passed the dock I was on, I yelled "I love you Nikki and Andrew" and he immediately replied "I love you, too!" So now every time he's on our tv, I look over at my husband and say "he told me he loved me" 😆

Edited Sunday at 05:12 PM by jpgr
fixed title

[Cheese]

20 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Update:  Hot Frosty is terrible. (Yeah I know it’s on Netflix but it stars Lacey). The snowman guy is too skinny and is not hot. I’m back to watch the end of The Singhs.

Snowman guy is Ted from Schitt's Creek. It popped up on TikTok and I could not believe that was him. 

I wanted to like Christmas with the Singhs more. I liked the couple and thought they were cute together. I even liked some of the clashing family stuff, but it was too much at times. I would have it on in the background though. 

Edited Sunday at 07:28 PM by Cheese

[Kaoteek]

Didn't hate Christmas with the Singhs, but it was very standard Meet the Parents fare with added indian flavor : not good, not bad, just there. But at least it's some welcome ethnic diversity in a season where the "token ethnic and/or gay bff/colleague/boss" trope is back in force.

Speaking of diversity, Unwrapping Christmas 2 : Mia's prince was your standard Hallmark Royal movie, only with black actors and a romance novel twist that probably could have led to something better (the exact same movie, but with an ending like "the Prince was all in her head and she's still single, but now she's more confident, stronger, and isnt afraid to speak her mind" might have been more interesting than what we got there). I liked the lead actress, and it was easily better than UC1, but that's about it.

(also, since Hot Frosty has been mentioned... I ended up not minding it, despite the dreadful title. It felt very first draft-y, and Milligan's overexcited puppy acting was too much early on, but it all ended up settling down later on, becoming less caricatural and more sincere. Nothing great, but better than I expected... which wasn't hard, since I expected nothing from it)

[Notabug]

Really wanted to like Confessions of a Christmas Letter since I’m a fan of Angela Kinsey from The Office; but, boy, what a mess of a movie it was!  Way too frenetic, moving from scene to scene, character to character with little cohesion or connection.  The characters were poorly drawn cartoons; no depth to any of them.  I did appreciate the inside joke of Brian Baumgartner, Kevin from The Office, as a post office employee; but it made me a little sad that he and Angela have been reduced to making really awful Hallmark movies.

[Daff]

21 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

Halfway through the first month and not a single one I would recommend or watch again.  A big bunch of duds for me.

I think the last one I kept was from 2022.

Take heart, next week is the sequel to Three Wise Men!

[Daff]

As for the Ashley W. gripes, I did notice last year that she toned down the “smile” somewhat to a strange horizontal line which made her appear lacking in affect. This year, when she does smile, it’s not so extreme. 

That said, I did enjoy Jingle Bell Run because the tasks were not lame as these contests often are. The movie was probably low budget, too, because travel was simulated.

[EtheltoTillie]

1 hour ago, Notabug said:

Really wanted to like Confessions of a Christmas Letter since I’m a fan of Angela Kinsey from The Office; but, boy, what a mess of a movie it was!  Way too frenetic, moving from scene to scene, character to character with little cohesion or connection.  The characters were poorly drawn cartoons; no depth to any of them.  I did appreciate the inside joke of Brian Baumgartner, Kevin from The Office, as a post office employee; but it made me a little sad that he and Angela have been reduced to making really awful Hallmark movies.

Thank you for describing exactly what was wrong with this movie!  I did cheer, though, when the awful Susan got her comeuppance. I did stick with the whole thing, however, as it had pleasing elements.  Unlike others that I turn off after a few minutes and never go back. 

The ones I tend to turn off or avoid are pure Hallmark plot with no interesting details to flesh out the drama. 

[absnow54]

22 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

Halfway through the first month and not a single one I would recommend or watch again.  A big bunch of duds for me.

I think the last one I kept was from 2022.

I’m bummed, there’s usually 2 or 3 movies each year that make my rewatch list, but I’ve barely managed to even finish a movie this year. I’m hoping for a stronger second half. 

Reminder that Thanksgiving next week brings the double feature premieres, and some of the 6pm features actually look fun! 

[Ele]

12 minutes ago, absnow54 said:

I’m bummed, there’s usually 2 or 3 movies each year that make my rewatch list, but I’ve barely managed to even finish a movie this year. I’m hoping for a stronger second half. 

Reminder that Thanksgiving next week brings the double feature premieres, and some of the 6pm features actually look fun! 

I haven’t watched a single Hallmark movie yet. I think I turned a few on and turned them off a few minutes after. There are two in December that might change that: The Finnish Line and Hanukkah on the Rocks.

The movies on HMM look better this year, but I haven’t watched any of those either. I need to go back and look at the schedule. 

[Kemper]

The Christmas Letter movie last night? I almost turned it off, 10 minutes in.It was that terrible.  But stuck with it and I (almost ashamedly) have to admit that I loved it! The young actor playing one of the leads was really handsome and played the what-have-I-gotten-myself-into part really well. The plot made no real sense and was mostly farce, but it made me smile/laugh quite a bit. That is all I ask from these movies. 

I have only liked a few of them so far this year. And I am really tired of the reruns that are rerun - seemingly at least once a week. Hallmark has been making Christmas movies for years and years. How about putting some older movies back in rotation? I mean, if you are going to start Christmas movies before Halloween...have a little respect for your viewers.

[Daff]

22 hours ago, jpgr said:

dislike (Maple Valley Christmas).

That one lost me, both on the pre-Christmas timing of the sap buckets on the trees, and the hoards of maple syrup bottles littering every surface of their private kitchen. Oh, btw, you can’t get maple syrup from White Birch trees-shown in background with collection buckets hanging on them.

[absnow54]

1 hour ago, Ele said:

I haven’t watched a single Hallmark movie yet. I think I turned a few on and turned them off a few minutes after. There are two in December that might change that: The Finnish Line and Hanukkah on the Rocks.

These are high on my list too! I love Stacey Farber from her Degrassi days, and Kim Matula is a rising star! I’m kind of shocked they’re hiding her movie in a 6PM slot, although I guess European dogsled race isn’t the most mainstream holiday trope. 

[Kaoteek]

I liked Jingle Bell Run. Especially after this past fall's annoying Falling Together where Ashley Williams was so hyper that it ended up quickly dragging the movie down for me.

Here, she was calmer, less hyper and less grinny, and she had a nice rapport with meathead-mode Andrew Walker. And overall, the movie was different & dynamic enough to be interesting.

 

I'm kind of hesitating on giving the Christmas Letter a go, especially given the returns here : I'm curious about Angela Kinsey in a Hallmark movie, but I've never seen the female lead, and I gotta say the male lead didn't make much of an impression on me in Unwrapping Christmas 1, far from it. 

[Notabug]

17 minutes ago, Kaoteek said:

I liked Jingle Bell Run. Especially after this past fall's annoying Falling Together where Ashley Williams was so hyper that it ended up quickly dragging the movie down for me.

Here, she was calmer, less hyper and less grinny, and she had a nice rapport with meathead-mode Andrew Walker. And overall, the movie was different & dynamic enough to be interesting.

 

I'm kind of hesitating on giving the Christmas Letter a go, especially given the returns here : I'm curious about Angela Kinsey in a Hallmark movie, but I've never seen the female lead, and I gotta say the male lead didn't make much of an impression on me in Unwrapping Christmas 1, far from it. 

I liked Jingle Bell Run for the most part, too.  Ashley's blond hair was awful, but she did seem to be a little less smiley/giggly than in other films.  I like Andrew Walker most of the time and wasn't surprised to like him here, even with the stubble.

I'm also a fan of The Amazing Race which was obviously the model for the game show in the movie, so that was a point in its favor, too.  The supporting cast was good and, all in all, it was not a bad flick.

[Orcinus orca]

2 hours ago, Daff said:

That one lost me, both on the pre-Christmas timing of the sap buckets on the trees, and the hoards of maple syrup bottles littering every surface of their private kitchen. Oh, btw, you can’t get maple syrup from White Birch trees-shown in background with collection buckets hanging on them.

Almost exactly what I posted the year this mess was first broadcast!  As soon as I saw those buckets, I switched it off.

[MerBearHou]

There are a number of photos on Instagram from the Hallmark cruise and in every single photo where Ashley Williams appears, her mouth is in manic grin, wide open mode.  She would annoy me in 3 seconds if I was with her in person.

I tried to watch the Angela Kinsey movie because of my love for The Office, but had to switch channels.  Sounds like it ended up being ok if you stuck with it?

[bankerchick]

On 11/16/2024 at 12:58 PM, EtheltoTillie said:

 I think I will switch over to Hot Frosty. 

I tried that myself.  Yuck.

 

On 11/16/2024 at 8:58 PM, Notabug said:

In the midst of semi-watching Jingle Bell Run and my only thought at this point is that Ashley Williams' blond hair is a crime against humanity.  Whoever thought that was a good idea should be shot.  It does serve to distract me from the constant grinning, though.

Is that what it is?  I thought it might be lack of makeup or something because yikes!  I first noticed it in the 'coming soon' commercial where her sister is telling her she has signed her up for the race.  Very unflattering.   

[GeorgiaRai]

3 hours ago, Kemper said:

The Christmas Letter movie last night? I almost turned it off, 10 minutes in.It was that terrible.  But stuck with it and I (almost ashamedly) have to admit that I loved it! The young actor playing one of the leads was really handsome and played the what-have-I-gotten-myself-into part really well. The plot made no real sense and was mostly farce, but it made me smile/laugh quite a bit. That is all I ask from these movies. 

By the end, I loved it, too!  It felt kind of Haul-Out-the-Holly-ish to me in that it was so over the top and unserious, but beneath all of the frenzy were characters who were generally kind and likeable.  I usually go for the more dramatic HMM movies, but this one was fun and made me laugh (as did HOTH).  

[Daff]

5 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

Almost exactly what I posted the year this mess was first broadcast!  As soon as I saw those buckets, I switched it off.

Just as an FYI, if they were distilling YELLOW birch sap, they would get witch hazel. Not good on pancakes, helpful for skin. Still not good in bottles, littering the kitchen countertops.

Edited Monday at 09:45 PM by Daff

[Daff]

3 hours ago, GeorgiaRai said:

By the end, I loved it, too!  It felt kind of Haul-Out-the-Holly-ish to me in that it was so over the top and unserious, but beneath all of the frenzy were characters who were generally kind and likeable.  I usually go for the more dramatic HMM movies, but this one was fun and made me laugh (as did HOTH).  

Exactly what I thought: chaotic farce, done better than last year’s Lit Up sequel. I, too stuck with it and found it heartwarming.

 

[Orcinus orca]

44 minutes ago, Daff said:

Just as an FYI, if they were distilling YELLOW birch sap, they would get witch hazel. Not good on pancakes, helpful for skin. Still not good in bottles, littering the kitchen countertops.

Sap does not run in autumn or at Christmas time from any tree that I know of.  To have a Christmas movie where they are harvesting sap for maple syrup is ridiculous.

[Daff]

Correct, but to see the buckets on birch trees was just too much.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

11 hours ago, Kemper said:

The Christmas Letter movie last night? I almost turned it off, 10 minutes in.It was that terrible.  But stuck with it and I (almost ashamedly) have to admit that I loved it! The young actor playing one of the leads was really handsome and played the what-have-I-gotten-myself-into part really well. The plot made no real sense and was mostly farce, but it made me smile/laugh quite a bit. That is all I ask from these movies. 

I have only liked a few of them so far this year. And I am really tired of the reruns that are rerun - seemingly at least once a week. Hallmark has been making Christmas movies for years and years. How about putting some older movies back in rotation? I mean, if you are going to start Christmas movies before Halloween...have a little respect for your viewers.

Caught the last 25 or so minutes of The Christmas Letters movie, best part of what I saw was Kevin from The Office.  All the lists etc... on the board just felt way over the top. HOTH was much better.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Watched The Christmas Promise from 2021, bit of a different type of Christmas movie. Torrey DeVitto  plays the grieving Nicole who lost her loving fianc'e at Christmastime a year earlier. yadayadayada.....you can guess the rest. Not bad ,Patrick Duffy plays her father. I gave it a 6.5/10      OMG, I see that Round and Round is on Ties. morning at 2AM after  #Xmas.   R&R is a Hanukkah movie, very funny, you'll  love it! 

Edited Tuesday at 02:16 AM by One4Sorrow2TooBad

[Badsamaritan]

12 hours ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

Watched The Christmas Promise from 2021, bit of a different type of Christmas movie. Torrey DeVitto  plays the grieving Nicole who lost her loving fianc'e at Christmastime a year earlier. yadayadayada.....you can guess the rest. Not bad ,Patrick Duffy plays her father. I gave it a 6.5/10      OMG, I see that Round and Round is on Ties. morning at 2AM after  #Xmas.   R&R is a Hanukkah movie, very funny, you'll  love it! 

Round and Round was one of my faves from last year and I really wish they would play it more often than some of their other movies. And quit sticking it at 2am in the morning. I liked everyone in it, loved how the cousin with the fake British accent and the comic store dude kept hooking up. All the scenes in the comics store were great, and the leads had really good chemistry - they were both funny and charming with each other. And it's always great to see Rick Hoffman on my screen. 

[jpgr]

On 11/18/2024 at 8:21 AM, Notabug said:

I liked Jingle Bell Run for the most part, too.  Ashley's blond hair was awful, but she did seem to be a little less smiley/giggly than in other films.  I like Andrew Walker most of the time and wasn't surprised to like him here, even with the stubble.

I'm also a fan of The Amazing Race which was obviously the model for the game show in the movie, so that was a point in its favor, too.  The supporting cast was good and, all in all, it was not a bad flick.

Now you have made me want to watch Jingle Bell Run, since I also love The Amazing Race

[Notabug]

59 minutes ago, jpgr said:

Now you have made me want to watch Jingle Bell Run, since I also love The Amazing Race

The format of the game on the show is just the same, although they stay within the US.  Paired in teams of two, get clues as to destination and travel there and have to perform a physical or mental challenge to get the next clue.  Last pair to finish is eliminated each leg.

Edited Tuesday at 08:57 PM by Notabug

[JenMD]

For those looking for older Christmas movies, they've been running them on Hallmark Family (formerly Hallmark Drama).  Lots of movies that used to air very sporadically or were otherwise only available on the old app. 

Edited Wednesday at 01:18 AM by JenMD

[Kaoteek]

Happily surprised by the Confessions of a Christmas Letter one, despite going in with serious reservations. As for the male lead, it just goes to show how much of a difference a movie can make. In Unwrapping Christmas 1, as the bland rich investor single dad of a precocious teen, he was insipid, seemed completely bored and uninterested (and he wasn't helped by the awful ADR). Here, in this excentric family, he seemed to have fun and enjoy himself, which in turn made him fun and enjoyable to watch.

Edited Wednesday at 09:53 PM by Kaoteek

[Kemper]

3 hours ago, Kaoteek said:

Happily surprised by the Confessions of a Christmas Letter one, despite going in with serious reservations. As for the male lead, it just goes to show how much of a difference a movie can make. In Unwrapping Christmas 1, as the bland rich investor single dad of a precocious teen, he was insipid, seemed completely bored and uninterested (and he wasn't helped by the awful ADR). Here, in this excentric family, he seemed to have fun and enjoy himself, which in turn made him fun and enjoyable to watch.

And there was great chemistry between the leads. When they kissed at the end...it was pretty good.

[absnow54]

18 hours ago, Kemper said:

And there was great chemistry between the leads. When they kissed at the end...it was pretty good.

It’s funny, they’ve been doing a better job at casting the couple when they’re the secondary characters. The Sabrina reunion movie was the same way. 

[Irlandesa]

I enjoyed Christmas On Call.  The lead couple had a sexy flirty vibe that worked for me more than many of the couples on Hallmark usually do.  And I liked the secondary couple as well.

I also appreciated how both of these stories were told around their work as first responders instead of things like cookie baking contestants or hot cocoa.