Holiday TV Movies & (Non-Rankin Bass) Holiday Specials - General Discussion

[Shanna Marie]

I saw some recommendations for this last year, so I watched Christmas Perfection via hoopla. This is the one where the heroine wants a perfect Christmas and ends up in her Irish Christmas village. I liked this one better than some of the other ones I've seen along the same theme (most of them involved snow globes) because filming on location in Ireland so that the village was real instead of a very fake soundstage made it work so much better. I liked the heroine and I liked the guy she ended up with. She managed to come across as a real person rather than the super wide-eyed, grinning Barbie doll that the Christmas enthusiasts tend to be, and the guy managed to be hot and real at the same time, like someone you might run into in real life, but a hot guy you'd enjoy running into. I was less keen on the guy she thought was "perfect," but I think that was the point.

I did get a bit bored during the repetition of Christmas every day and it all being exactly the same. I know that was the point, as well, but as someone watching it for entertainment, I found my attention wandering (I ended up on imdb trying to figure out which of the actors were really Irish -- were the ones who seemed American in real life but Irish in the Christmas world Irish playing American or American/Canadian playing Irish?). Even people who love Christmas and want it to be just right don't want it to be Christmas every day. They just want the one Christmas to go a certain way. But in all of these movies where someone who wants a perfect Christmas ends up in Perfect Christmas World, it's Christmas every day, so it's hard to tell if they really learn that things don't have to be perfect to be lovely or if they just get bored with having the same Christmas stuff every day. With this one, she just wanted one Christmas that went exactly the way she wanted it, and when she got that she liked it. What she didn't like was having to repeat that same stuff every single day. I think the message would be stronger if she got one perfect Christmas but found it was a bit hollow because getting something perfect meant that the people in her life had to become essentially puppets to her plans, and that meant they weren't the real people she loved.

And now I'm way overanalyzing a silly Christmas movie. But, strangely, some of these really make me think.

[TVFan17]

35 minutes ago, Shanna Marie said:

I saw some recommendations for this last year, so I watched Christmas Perfection via hoopla. This is the one where the heroine wants a perfect Christmas and ends up in her Irish Christmas village. I liked this one better than some of the other ones I've seen along the same theme (most of them involved snow globes) because filming on location in Ireland so that the village was real instead of a very fake soundstage made it work so much better. I liked the heroine and I liked the guy she ended up with. She managed to come across as a real person rather than the super wide-eyed, grinning Barbie doll that the Christmas enthusiasts tend to be, and the guy managed to be hot and real at the same time, like someone you might run into in real life, but a hot guy you'd enjoy running into. I was less keen on the guy she thought was "perfect," but I think that was the point.

I did get a bit bored during the repetition of Christmas every day and it all being exactly the same. I know that was the point, as well, but as someone watching it for entertainment, I found my attention wandering (I ended up on imdb trying to figure out which of the actors were really Irish -- were the ones who seemed American in real life but Irish in the Christmas world Irish playing American or American/Canadian playing Irish?). Even people who love Christmas and want it to be just right don't want it to be Christmas every day. They just want the one Christmas to go a certain way. But in all of these movies where someone who wants a perfect Christmas ends up in Perfect Christmas World, it's Christmas every day, so it's hard to tell if they really learn that things don't have to be perfect to be lovely or if they just get bored with having the same Christmas stuff every day. With this one, she just wanted one Christmas that went exactly the way she wanted it, and when she got that she liked it. What she didn't like was having to repeat that same stuff every single day. I think the message would be stronger if she got one perfect Christmas but found it was a bit hollow because getting something perfect meant that the people in her life had to become essentially puppets to her plans, and that meant they weren't the real people she loved.

And now I'm way overanalyzing a silly Christmas movie. But, strangely, some of these really make me think.

 

My attention started to drift somewhere along the line in Christmas Perfection as well (I watched it last year), although I stuck with it to the end.  I didn't even try to watch it this year, though.  It was good, but not one I'd watch over and over.  I liked the premise of it, and a large portion of it was very entertaining and funny. 

However, I've realized that I start to get tired of the strong gimmicks in the movies that have them.  I start out completely into the stories and I'm enjoying all the meta humor, and then... they just fizzle out for me. 

The same thing happened when I watched A Christmas Movie Christmas, which aired on the UP channel this year.  I started it with a "This is great!" attitude, and I loved it.  But the gimmick started to get old for me somewhere along the line and I found myself looking at the clock.  It was good in general, and I can see how a lot of people would like it, but the whole self-referential thing started to wear thin despite the very appealing leads and supporting characters.

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2019 by TVFan17

[Guest]

1 hour ago, TVFan17 said:

My attention started to drift somewhere along the line in Christmas Perfection as well (I watched it last year), although I stuck with it to the end.  I didn't even try to watch it this year, though.  It was good, but not one I'd watch over and over.  I liked the premise of it, and a large portion of it was very entertaining and funny. 

However, I've realized that I start to get tired of the strong gimmicks in the movies that have them.  I start out completely into the stories and I'm enjoying all the meta humor, and then... they just fizzle out for me. 

The same thing happened when I watched A Christmas Movie Christmas, which aired on the UP channel this year.  I started it with a "This is great!" attitude, and I loved it.  But the gimmick started to get old for me somewhere along the line and I found myself looking at the clock.  It was good in general, and I can see how a lot of people would like it, but the whole self-referential thing started to wear thin despite the very appealing leads and supporting characters.

I’m still waiting for someone to really make this storyline work because it has amazing potential. I like parts of all of them but they do tend to drag. I did like the version in Snowglobe where characters were able to come and go between the “perfect” world and the real world but wish the snowglobe hadn’t been so static. 

My Christmas movie wish is that someone would make a Christmas movie version of Pleasantville. I though A Christmas Movie Christmas was going in that direction but they seemed to get lost in the middle and suddenly became exactly what they were mocking. I’m guessing that only Netflix or Disney+ could actually make the concept work. 

Edited December 24, 2019 by Guest

[Callietwo]

16 hours ago, kirinan said:

 

Did anyone watch The Christmas Temp on Lifetime this past week?

 

Yes.. 

I found both characters rather inept in their work and the final “art installation” a joke for a hotel lobby but the movie nearly had me do a spit take during their first meeting.
 

She said he seemed to be a square peg in a square hole and he goes on to say something to the effect of his square peg have some parts sanded down so his square peg can fit  into any hole. 

First reaction was how the hell did that get past the censors on Hallmark and then I looked and saw it was on Lifetime!  Ha! 

Edited December 24, 2019 by Callietwo
Spelling

[DanaMB]

I'm really struggling with enjoying Christmas in Rome. It's all, "In Rome this, in Rome that." I get it, you're in Rome. Plus all the typical Hallmark tropes are getting on my nerves.

Bah humbug.

[Kaoteek]

Finally getting to the end of my watch-list (almost there !) :

Christmas in the Highlands : basically a cheap Royal movie in disguise, with a strangely overexpressive and overexcited lead, and nice Scotland exteriors. Not really worth the time.

Christmas in Vienna Best Christmas Ball Ever : a cheap, generic "an American in XXXX" movie, with nice Vienna exteriors, but not enough money to make up for its bland male leads, its rough dancing, costumes, and ADR. The big Christmas ball was somewhat laughable, but at least Elisabeth Harnois seemed to enjoy herself.

The Christmas Temp : Decent, although I'm not huge on Robin Dunne as a romantic lead, and it all felt a bit disjointed. Also, the overall "artist in a creative rut" thing was more annoying than endearing, despite Canning being likeable.

Christmas on my Mind : I liked the town, the snowy exteriors, the lead couple and Greene's BBF/colleague, but the movie was very bland and auto-piloty. I think at this point in the season, I'm just all burned out on the "hey, let's do all the Christmas small town events & competitions while drinking hot cocoa" basic patented Hallmark formula®©™.

[Shanna Marie]

14 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

My attention started to drift somewhere along the line in Christmas Perfection as well (I watched it last year), although I stuck with it to the end. 

I watched to the end. I just spent the middle using it as background noise.

14 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

However, I've realized that I start to get tired of the strong gimmicks in the movies that have them. 

I tend to enjoy the big "gimmick" movies, if by "gimmick" you mean some kind of high-concept magical element. My all-time favorite is The Christmas List, about the wish list that starts coming true, and my second favorite is 12 Dates of Christmas, one of the Groundhog Day type stories. I think this one had a fundamental issue that made it really tricky, which is that the whole point of the story was that the heroine would find her perfect Christmas boring after a while, and it's hard to show the main character getting bored with things without boring the audience. The Groundhog Day type stories have each iteration going differently as the character learns something or tries something new, but this was all about everything being the same every time, and that's going to get boring for the audience, especially because it wasn't even all that interesting a Christmas to begin with. That's been my problem with most of those "magically perfect Christmas in the snowglobe/Christmas village" movies. In this case, it somewhat made sense because she was a child of divorce, and her perfect Christmas was mostly about having peace and harmony. But I think they got the premise mangled when in the beginning the point her friends and family were making was that it's the imperfections that make a Christmas memorable and that her micromanaging was removing the human element, but what ended up happening was that she liked that perfect Christmas the first day, and she only disliked it when it was the same every day. That seemed to be the lesson she learned, that it doesn't have to be the same all the time, but she didn't quite seem to get that getting her perfection required her friends and family to be pod people.

13 hours ago, Dani said:

My Christmas movie wish is that someone would make a Christmas movie version of Pleasantville. I though A Christmas Movie Christmas was going in that direction but they seemed to get lost in the middle and suddenly became exactly what they were mocking. I’m guessing that only Netflix or Disney+ could actually make the concept work. 

That would be awesome. And the Pleasantville Christmas town shouldn't be repeating Christmas every day, just experiencing the season and going all-out from Thanksgiving to Christmas day. But yeah, Hallmark would keel over. Lifetime might be able to deal. I actually think freeform might be up for it, but it would come across as cheap and cheesy.

[Dr.OO7]

3 hours ago, DanaMB said:

I'm really struggling with enjoying Christmas in Rome. It's all, "In Rome this, in Rome that." I get it, you're in Rome. Plus all the typical Hallmark tropes are getting on my nerves.

Bah humbug.

True, but at least it was actually filmed there instead of on a soundstage.

[Bliss]

Just watched Same Time, Next Christmas and enjoyed Lea Michelle (and the rest of the cast). It's probably not highly acclaimed - however, there were a few good laughs, uninterrupted kisses, beautiful scenery throughout and the locale of Hawaii was a literal breath of fresh air after all the fake snow scenes of other movies.

A professional review: (hope this link works)

https://telltaletv.com/2019/12/same-time-next-christmas-review-warmer-temps-and-an-even-more-heartwarming-love-story/

[K-9]

It's A Wonderful Life.  Final scenes of citizens arriving at the Bailey house with money!  Then Sam's message from overseas about $25,000 arrrived. $25,000 back in 1946 is valued around $300K in 2019's buying power.  Wonder if some of those citizens asked if they could have their money back : )

[Kaoteek]

Christmas Hotel : I've always like Tatyana Ali, but overall, a bland, bland formulaic movie.

Double Holiday : Charming, likeable leads, and a nice way of side-stepping the usual Hallmark tropes by using their setups to further the story or as a background piece (for instance, the way the "you've got to have a gingerbread house competition in the movie" imperative was used as background dressing for Polaha playing basket with the kids). Really enjoyable, and a highlight of the season for me.

Edited December 25, 2019 by Kaoteek

[twoods]

I was looking at all the unwatched bland movies that are left on the DVR and had zero interest to watch them, so I put on one of my favorites Coming Home To Christmas. I love the way Neal Bledsoe’s character looked at Danica’s and their chemistry was really good. Going to watch Nine Lives tonight.

[dalek]

I think my favorite two new Hallmark movies this year were Double Holiday and Write Before Christmas.  Two Turtle Doves and Christmas Under the Stars were also nice.  Favorite older movies they showed - A Season for Miracles, Nine Lives of Christmas, Christmas with Holly, and Naughty or Nice (which they should have showed more times; it's better than most of this year's movies).   Missed A Gift to Remember and the sequel, as I was doing a lot of traveling in November and the first half of December and mostly didn't have Hallmark, and I don't have a dvr.

On Lifetime, I really liked A Christmas Wish with Hilarie Burton.

And SYFY showed The Twelve Disasters of Christmas yesterday and FXM ran the Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol, which I watched while eating Chinese food (a typical Jewish Christmas).

Disappointed Angry Angel and Mr. Magoo's A Christmas Carol weren't shown this year.  Also really missed Olive, the Other Reindeer; Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas; and various Nickelodeon holiday episodes, such as Rugrats Chanukah, and the Hey, Arnold and rock's Modern Life Christmas episodes.

 

[DanaMB]

21 hours ago, Camille said:

True, but at least it was actually filmed there instead of on a soundstage.

I did enjoy the scenery. I haven't been there in 20+ years so it was a nice revisit. 
 

on another note, I’ve reached saturation I think. I’m finally to the point that if a movie doesn’t grab me by the first commercial break, I’m deleting it. First victim was You Light Up My Christmas on Lifetime. 

[In2You]

I shed some tears during A Christmas Winter Song.

[Bliss]

8 hours ago, Kaoteek said:

...

Double Holiday : Charming, likeable leads, and a nice way of side-stepping the usual Hallmark tropes by using their setups to further the story or as a background piece (for instance, the way the "you've got to have a gingerbread house competition in the movie" imperative was used as background dressing for Polaha playing basket with the kids). Really enjoyable, and a highlight of the season for me.

Agreed! Just finished watching this... found the very beginning just a bit iffy; however, it picked up quickly and was fun! I find Kristoffer Polaha reminds me of Peter Krause for some reason.

[DanaMB]

On 12/2/2019 at 1:12 PM, kirinan said:

Okay, I might be pre-disposed to like it because Erica Durance is one of my girlcrushes (and the only crush other than me I don't mind my husband having), but I really enjoyed Christmas Chalet on UP (it helps that I also like Robin Dunne a lot; he's in nowhere near enough movies, IMO). It was blessedly un-fluffy, the grandma was a hoot, the daughter was an appropriately alternating sullen and winning teenager, and the story was adult enough--there was even a kiss before the end! I can envision watching this one again. 

I’m watching it and really like it. It seems more real and grown up than most Hallmark movies.  It’s a nice change of pace. 

[anniebird]

I just watched A Very British Christmas on Showtime -- it was so good. Actually filmed in Britain with British actors and my favorite part was the adorable little girl who called the female lead "Sweetheart" the whole movie. She sounded like a little gangster. The plot was a little Hallmark-ish but the acting was good and both lead actors were appealing.

[LexieLily]

On 11/25/2019 at 9:51 PM, Irlandesa said:

Twinkle All The Way was okay.  I think its leads Sarah Drew and Ryan, are better than the movie they were given.  I wasn't sure how to take Sarah's character realizing she wanted to be with Ryan's character only after she needed him to town her out but whatever.

By the time Twinkle All The Way had ended I felt like I had missed a scene somewhere where the male lead's mother was actually dying from a terminal illness. The scene earlier in the movie of her little feeling-dizzy spell went nowhere and was never brought up again after her five-minute hospital stay, and the halted way she spoke when she officiated the auditorium wedding had me half-convinced she was suddenly going to keel over. And she got the freeze-frame "mournful/happy looking over my family" shot at the very end of the movie. 

[twoods]

I really liked Christmas Chalet as well. I was surprised at how good it was and I enjoyed the chemistry between the leads. I loved Robin Dunne in On the Twelfth Day of Christmas so liked seeing him in this movie. I was wondering what channel his other movie New Year’s Kiss is on- it looks interesting.

[Was-MArsenault]

Lifetime and UP are done with their holiday movies. Hallmark is the only one left still showing them.

[chitowngirl]

1 hour ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

Lifetime and UP are done with their holiday movies. Hallmark is the only one left still showing them.

And will be showing them through the weekend after New Year’s... 🙄

[Was-MArsenault]

58 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

And will be showing them through the weekend after New Year’s... 🙄

I think they stop on either January 6 or 7.

[TVFan17]

Winterfest also starts on the weekend post New Year's Day, so Hallmark is transitioning into that event too.

I think Hallmark is smart to show Christmas movies over that weekend instead of following what every other network does, because some people are home or still on vacation through January 6th.   (That's precisely why Disneyland Resort's holiday season lasts through that weekend and ends after January 6th as well -- because a lot of people are still out of work and school, and they still want a taste of what the parks offer for the holiday season if they were unable to get there before December 25th or January 1st.)

Every year I see a few people on social media say that they didn't have much of a chance to watch movies that premiered in the time from right before Thanksgiving to Christmas, as it was too hectic for them.  So they finally have a chance to actually sit down, relax and watch some of their favorites and the new ones they didn't get to see when they were busy with holiday things.

Also, any of the people who were sticking with Lifetime's premieres for the season but still want to see some of what Hallmark premiered, now have a chance to do that.  They can watch whatever is on Hallmark without it conflicting with something on Lifetime if they still want Christmas movies.  Hallmark probably benefits from Lifetime going back to their regular programming on 12/26.

 

So I totally understand showing the Christmas movies through that weekend post-New Year's Day.    BUT... The only thing I kind of question in terms of whether or not the pros outweigh the cons is showing Christmas movies on Hallmark Drama (Wednesday nights), Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Thursdays) and Hallmark Channel (Fridays) during the year, instead of just sticking with Christmas in July and the Countdown to Christmas/Miracles of Christmas.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2019 by TVFan17

[Direwolf]

2 hours ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

Lifetime and UP are done with their holiday movies. Hallmark is the only one left still showing them.

Seems like yesterday when they first started. Those two months went quick!

[TVFan17]

14 hours ago, twoods said:

I really liked Christmas Chalet as well. I was surprised at how good it was and I enjoyed the chemistry between the leads. I loved Robin Dunne in On the Twelfth Day of Christmas so liked seeing him in this movie. I was wondering what channel his other movie New Year’s Kiss is on- it looks interesting.

New Year's Kiss was filmed almost 1-1/2 years ago, in July 2018.  One of the actors in the movie said that it was supposed to go to Lifetime, and yet, as we saw, it didn't air on Lifetime during the holidays in 2018, and it's not airing on Lifetime in 2019.  So I suspect that the Lifetime ship has sailed.

New Year's Kiss hasn't even ended up on the Hallmark Movies Now streaming service, which I thought could be an option.

I also thought that there was a good chance of New Year's Kiss possibly going to UP or ION, as those networks will sometimes pick up movies that were made a long time ago and haven't found a home yet.  But... nope.  No New Year's Kiss on UP or ION either.

So what does it say about New Year's Kiss that neither Lifetime, Hallmark, UP nor ION picked it up in the last 17 months?  I don't know if I am now more curious or less curious to see this thing! 🤣

Right now, I think New Year's Kiss is only available on the Tubi streaming app, but I don't know how long it will be there.

Edited December 26, 2019 by TVFan17

[Irlandesa]

Baby In A Manger was probably the last Christmas movie of the season.   I thought it'd be refreshing because of a different plot.  But goodness it was bad.  The leading man was an unrepentant asshole about the teen mother.  He was a terrible actor. Not helped by the lines he was given.  And in this weird town it's the cop, not the prosecutor, who files charges. 

[Was-MArsenault]

ION is done with their Christmas movies as well.

[Kaoteek]

4 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

New Year's Kiss was filmed almost 1-1/2 years ago, in July 2018.  One of the actors in the movie said that it was supposed to go to Lifetime, and yet, as we saw, it didn't air on Lifetime during the holidays in 2018, and it's not airing on Lifetime in 2019.  So I suspect that the Lifetime ship has sailed.

New Year's Kiss hasn't even ended up on the Hallmark Movies Now streaming service, which I thought could be an option.

I also thought that there was a good chance of New Year's Kiss possibly going to UP or ION, as those networks will sometimes pick up movies that were made a long time ago and haven't found a home yet.  But... nope.  No New Year's Kiss on UP or ION either.

So what does it say about New Year's Kiss that neither Lifetime, Hallmark, UP nor ION picked it up in the last 17 months?  I don't know if I am now more curious or less curious to see this thing! 🤣

Right now, I think New Year's Kiss is only available on the Tubi streaming app, but I don't know how long it will be there.

Yeah, it's airing here, in France, on January 4th. And usually, the ones that air here before the US or Canada tend to be the cheapest, worst ones, so...

Aside from that, A Date by Christmas Eve was silly, magical wish-based fun, that kinda-sorta-almost worked despite an obvious lower budget, and uneven writing. Nothing to write home about, though, even though I enjoyed Lengies, McNiven, and the way nobody took the material too seriously.

Ghosting : The Spirit of Christmas, on the other hand, didn't really work me. It wasn't bad, per se, but it really was barely a Christmas movie, and it seemed to try too hard to be an anti-Hallmark type of movie. Also, I'll admit that it was probably too "California" for me, if that makes sense.

 

[Dr.OO7]

As much as it annoys me that Lifetime has joined the "24/7 Christmas movies beginning before Halloween" trend, it annoys me even more that they stop at the stroke of midnight on December 26. It's still the season, damnit!

Conversely, it's during that post-Christmas week that I actually don't mind that Hallmark's marathon is still going on. (Although that's probably because they have so many that they don't have any choice but to keep airing them).

[kirinan]

4 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Baby In A Manger was probably the last Christmas movie of the season.   I thought it'd be refreshing because of a different plot.  But goodness it was bad.  The leading man was an unrepentant asshole about the teen mother.  He was a terrible actor. Not helped by the lines he was given.  And in this weird town it's the cop, not the prosecutor, who files charges. 

Yeah, this is the one I really wanted to watch because I know the author of the original novella. I've watched half an hour of it and can't bring myself to watch the rest for one reason and one reason only: I agree that the leading man is the worst actor I've ever seen in one of these movies (or any other movie). I think I'd make it through fine if he was more appealing, but he is an absolute sucking charisma wound. Sorry to sound so crude, but he had to have slept with someone to be cast in any kind of lead role. 

I may have to abandon the movie or FF forward through it so I don't lie that I've seen the whole thing the next time I see her. Her writing is really good, honest, but they did her no favors with this movie, I'm afraid.

Or maybe closed-captioning with the mute on would work, so I don't have to listen to his awful robot delivery...

 

[DanaMB]

I’m watching Hallmark’s Christmas On My Mind and I’m finding it ok. It’s mainly on as background noise. The amnesia trope didn’t  bother me too much because the heroine knew who she was, she just lost a few years. I did think the fiancé got a raw deal, though. 

[In2You]

5 hours ago, Camille said:

As much as it annoys me that Lifetime has joined the "24/7 Christmas movies beginning before Halloween" trend, it annoys me even more that they stop at the stroke of midnight on December 26. It's still the season, damnit!

Conversely, it's during that post-Christmas week that I actually don't mind that Hallmark's marathon is still going on. (Although that's probably because they have so many that they don't have any choice but to keep airing them).

ION aired Blue Bloods all Christmas day instead of Christmas movies

[Dr.OO7]

I watched E!'s marathon of "It's A Wonderful Life" last night and I was reminded of the "lost ending" that Saturday Night Live released, especially since it always infuriates me that Potter got away with everything:

 

Edited December 27, 2019 by Camille

[Valentine]

On 12/23/2019 at 6:45 PM, JasmineFlower said:

Christmas Love Letter with Ashley Newbrough  on Lifetime - I liked this one a lot. Liked the chemistry between the characters. The daughter didn't annoy which is always a bonus, and she played her child genius part very well. I truly enjoyed best friend Demi, hope to see her much more in the future. The dad was a nice supportive character. I think the writer likely saw Runaway Bride more than a few times and lifted an idea from it. Also had some similarities to Hallmark's My Christmas Love. But that didn't distract me much and didn't affect my enjoyment of the movie. One I'd recommend others trying to catch.

Thanks so much for touting this. I missed it when it aired, and it's not even available on demand for me (though most of the other Lifetime movies are). I watched it online and enjoyed it a lot. I never would have caught it without your recommendation.

[In2You]

 

[Kaoteek]

Funnily enough, I had the exact opposite reaction to Christmas Love Letter. I strongly disliked the very self-centered and personnality-free lead character, the pushy precocious kid, and overall, it was too broad for me to get on board (the robot dog, sure :rollmyeyes:).

[Kaoteek]

Holy reindeer poop, 12 pups of Christmas was bad. Frowny, bitchy, hostile pet therapist joins an almost-bankrupt pet tracking dot.com where nothing makes a lick of realistic sense, and turns everything around through her... huh... winning ways and... huh... her brilliant ideas, like calling the product a not-at-all generic "Animal tracker".

Awful acting, mediocre writing, low production values, cartoony music (man, the Oriental Riff and the generic asian accent of the secretary when the therapist goes to pitch the Japanese investor, yeesh), laughable flashbacks, not enough dogs... in another movie, Donny Boaz might have made a solid, fun male lead, and Elizabeth Small was likeable, as always, but the rest of them, ouch.

 

[insomniadreams88]

1 hour ago, Kaoteek said:

Holy reindeer poop, 12 pups of Christmas was bad. Frowny, bitchy, hostile pet therapist joins an almost-bankrupt pet tracking dot.com where nothing makes a lick of realistic sense, and turns everything around through her... huh... winning ways and... huh... her brilliant ideas, like calling the product a not-at-all generic "Animal tracker".

Awful acting, mediocre writing, low production values, cartoony music (man, the Oriental Riff and the generic asian accent of the secretary when the therapist goes to pitch the Japanese investor, yeesh), laughable flashbacks, not enough dogs... in another movie, Donny Boaz might have made a solid, fun male lead, and Elizabeth Small was likeable, as always, but the rest of them, ouch.

 

Yep. Also, I think the lead had 12 puppies to find homes for and left all 12 with her friend (who slept with her boyfriend) while she also gave away 2 somehow at the same time. Maybe. I only half paid attention to it. 

[SusanwatchingTV]

3 hours ago, Vermicious Knid said:

Salon - Hallmark Christmas movies are fascist propaganda.

 

I replied in the other thread, but since you posted this both places I'll just say again: 

I read those articles. I found them really offensive. I'm pretty sure the writers have never even seen a Hallmark movie or lived anywhere but some big city.

I think we probably better not discuss them here or we'll break all kinds of rules.

[DanaMB]

Watched BET’s ‘Twas the Chaos Before Christmas and enjoyed it. It was a nice change of pace from romance. 

[Vermicious Knid]

It's a different article. From a different source. And there's a lot of truth to what they say. 

[doodlebug]

49 minutes ago, SusanwatchingTV said:

I replied in the other thread, but since you posted this both places I'll just say again: 

I read those articles. I found them really offensive. I'm pretty sure the writers have never even seen a Hallmark movie or lived anywhere but some big city.

I think we probably better not discuss them here or we'll break all kinds of rules.

Just to be clear, I posted in the other thread, not Vermicious Knid.  I hadn't seen it posted here.  While I don't agree with everything the author said, I think the article contains at least a grain of truth and it gave me pause to think about why I watch the movies and what message they might be sending.

Edited December 28, 2019 by doodlebug

[SusanwatchingTV]

26 minutes ago, Vermicious Knid said:

It's a different article. From a different source. And there's a lot of truth to what they say. 

I've read that article, thanks.  I completely, totally disagree and think they're the fascists, not to mention mean-spirited and ignorant... but again, Mods, do y'all really want us discussing this here? This is politics. period.

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, Vermicious Knid said:

It's a different article. From a different source. And there's a lot of truth to what they say. 

I think the author had some good points about the problems with Hallmark movies but she took such an extreme view that it undermined her valid points. She really didn’t prove her central point. Once she started quoting other authors the entire thing felt muddled. I would be very surprised if she has watched more than a few minutes of a Hallmark movie. 

[SusanwatchingTV]

2 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

Just to be clear, I posted in the other thread, not Vermicious Knid.  I hadn't seen it posted here.  While I don't agree with everything the author said, I think the article contains at least a grain of truth and it gave me pause to think about why I watch the movies and what message they might be sending.

Yes. I see. I apologize. I saw both posts at about the same time. 

I still find the article offensive and don't think there's any grain of truth in any of it. 

Do we really want to get into that here?  I mean, I don't get it. If you don't like Hallmark movies don't watch them.

I find the message of a huge amount of movies and TV shows very offensive. I just turn the channel.

I think Hallmark's popularity has made it a target for haters. The bullies are coming out in force.

2 minutes ago, Dani said:

I would be very surprised if she has watched more than a few minutes of a Hallmark movie. 

That.

[Kaoteek]

59 minutes ago, insomniadreams88 said:

Yep. Also, I think the lead had 12 puppies to find homes for and left all 12 with her friend (who slept with her boyfriend) while she also gave away 2 somehow at the same time. Maybe. I only half paid attention to it. 

Ah, yes, the BFF who had an affair with the lead's boyfriend "but it's not my fault, he seduced me, he's cunning, I'm a poor victim, just like you, let's forgive and forget and be besties again, mmmkay ?". Such a lovely character.

That movie. *sigh*

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

Just to be clear, I posted in the other thread, not Vermicious Knid.  I hadn't seen it posted here.  While I don't agree with everything the author said, I think the article contains at least a grain of truth and it gave me pause to think about why I watch the movies and what message they might be sending.

We’re probably off topic for this thread so I taking my response to the Hallmark thread. 

[doodlebug]

3 minutes ago, SusanwatchingTV said:

Yes. I see. I apologize. I saw both posts at about the same time. 

I still find the article offensive and don't think there's any grain of truth in any of it. 

Do we really want to get into that here?  I mean, I don't get it. If you don't like Hallmark movies don't watch them.

 

Lots of people hate-watch various shows.  It's their choice, their time.  Not for me to tell them what to do.

I enjoy the movies as escapist fare, but, as has been discussed on this thread and others; there is a certain template they all follow and that includes the lack of diversity and a certain false nostalgia for Christmas in small towns where time has stood still, apparently.  A time that is purely fictional

I also found it interesting that, as we've discussed here on many occasions, although the movies are definitely pro-Christmas, there is almost complete avoidance of the religious apspect of the holiday which makes me kinda wonder why the Million Moms, known to be a conservative Christian group, doesn't complain about the lack of religious observances in the movies while getting up in arms about same sex kissing on the commercials.

[SusanwatchingTV]

You're right.  I hate watch Grey's Anatomy. That show is horrible on so many levels. It's like watching a train wreck. It's also completely unbelievable. I mean, I know ZERO adults that are as selfish and irresponsible as those people....

Anyway, back to the subject, I enjoy Hallmark movies. I have a community of friends who are very much like those small towns.  Friends of all races and sizes and we all love each other and come together to support each other in a myriad of ways... of course that's what a good church community will do for you, I suppose.

I actually feel sorry for the person who wrote that article in Salon. So much hate.  It's pitiful, really.