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

[Irlandesa]

9 hours ago, JenMD said:

Also really enjoyed Friday's Lifetime offering, Christmas Lost and Found.  It's probably my favorite Lifetime this year so far.

I liked the story but fell asleep midway through.  It's no fault of the movie.  I was huddled under a blanket after a long week and fell asleep.  At the same time, I probably won't give it another shot unless everything aligns perfectly.

I watched all of Santa's Boots and while I love Megan Hilty, I think I've reached my limit this season of "we have to save the family business through just one kick butt Christmas." 

6 hours ago, Chas411 said:

I ended up quite enjoying A gift wrapped Christmas - the leads had a nice chemistry and the story of a widowed father meets optimistic gift shopper felt somewhat more original than the usual high powered career girl moves to small town to learn the importance of Christmas. 

That's one I think I have watched every year since it was on.

I'm currently watching Rent-An-Elf and I'm liking it so far.  The leads (Kim Shaw and Sean Patrick Thomas) are good and it's fun to see Nichole Tom as the ex.

ETA: Amending this as there have been some stupid twists/miscommunications just over half way in but whatever, I'm in until the end because overall it's greater than some of its faults.

Edited December 10, 2018 by Irlandesa

[Shanna Marie]

2 hours ago, VMepicgrl said:

The female lead, however, was awful. Her acting was bad, and I hated the character in general. Her "growth" as the movie progressed did nothing for me. I couldn't see one reason why the guy would fall for her, so it was hard to root for them at all.

Yeah, I couldn't really tell what her deal was. She'd spent her childhood in this town and seemed to have fond memories of the place. It wasn't her choice to move away. And yet she was doing the city girl snob thing. Her social skills and the way she talked to the people in the town made you wonder how she'd made it anywhere in her line of work, like the "diner food won't cut it" attitude without her even learning that the diner chef went to culinary school in Europe. I would have thought that the guy would have got over his childhood crush pretty quickly after seeing her again as an adult, since she was such a witch and so tacky to him and everyone else in town. I think maybe a much better actress who was able to project a lot of personality might have been able to do something with the role, but this chick was just terrible. I loved how when she was tasting something, she started her "ecstasy" face before she actually put the thing in her mouth.

The guy was probably the most natural person in the cast, but he got more stilted in scenes with her.

I'm recording the Snow White Christmas tonight. It seems like it will be epic awful.

[AnnaRose]

On 12/4/2018 at 9:35 AM, JasmineFlower said:

I watched Christmas Contract. I liked it a bit less than others, but still not bad. The problems are not plentiful. Hilarie is a known quantity in these and delivers once again. Robert is always nice to see and we do get some brief shirtless action in this, and isn't that when he's at his most appealing if we're being honest? Cheryl Ladd needs to lay off the plastic surgery, fillers, botox or whatever she's doing lately. It's becoming too much and she's going to start being hard to recognize. Danneel has also done something to her face and mostly looks like herself, but very clearly doesn't look exactly like she used to and it's not merely aging unfortunately. Now, she really needs to stop, too young and pretty for that nonsense.

The writing. Why are you going to the trouble to make a big production of the contract, but you don't even once make sure you have a story to tell your family? Even if these two weren't bright enough in the moment to think of it, how about Danneel? She came up with the plan, let her lead that part so she's in the movie a bit more. The ex-boyfriend is just suddenly back in love and willing to move to NYC? I had whiplash from that part. Not sure where that came from and it just proved to be a bit strange. I also found that when his girlfriend was introduced she came off regular and suddenly we see her later with a complete shift in tone. It's like they decided as they went, we need to make her a bit more unlikable.

The casting. Why is this Northern VA girl being cast in multiple "Bayou" movies? What about Hilarie screams Louisiana? She's good in this don't get me wrong, but this is her second Lifetime movie where she's from the Bayou. They need to stop with that. Jason London is in this and if you walk out of the room more than once during the movie, you may miss his speaking lines. Huh? WTH? Why is he being used so little? What's more perplexing about his use is the casting of the ex. He is truly nothing special and next to Robert? Let's get serious. Even if we're not going on looks, let's get real here, still a hard pass. What was the thinking here? He's not a viable other man in this trio. It makes me wonder why you don't use Jason, a cleaned up Jason not the scruffy one we see here, in that role instead. It'd be a more believable, more tempting alternative. At least you'd see a guy who you actually believe Hilarie was gone over and got her heart broken by. Cause this guy? No.

To me Cheryl Ladd still looked pretty terrific for her age in The Christmas Contract, (especially in the kitchen/dining room scenes for some reason) although I agree she should pull back on whatever cosmetic procedures she has done because she is very close to overdoing it. 

On the other hand, I didn't even realize that was her daughter Jordan Ladd playing her daughter in the movie, and I thought she looked like she had gone way over the line with botox and fillers (or whatever), and it aged her terribly.  I thought she looked more like Cheryl Ladd's sister than her daughter because of her enhancements.

I completely agree with you about the whiplash with the ex-boyfriend, how they suddenly had to make his new girlfriend unlikable, and especially about the casting of the ex-boyfriend.  He was much too unappealing, compared to the fake boyfriend/leading man, to believe that Hilarie's character was so distraught over their breakup.

On 11/26/2018 at 11:26 PM, MissyPoo said:

I think I may be the only one who didn't really dig The Christmas Contract much (and I was looking forward to it). I never watched One Tree Hill but I love Hilarie Burton christmas movies, even the mediocre ones (looking at you Christmas on the Bayou), but this one didn't grab me for some reason. I think the chemistry wasn't there for me and it was a struggle to care about the characters though I love some of the actors here. I paused it halfway through and haven't really felt like returning. I may give it another go before the season is over to see if it was just my mood at the time.

I just watched it and found it very boring, but I'm extremely tired (barely slept at all last night) so that may be the reason why.  I was going to erase the recording but thought I might give it another shot sometime when I'm not exhausted and practically nodding off, to see if it improves.  There wasn't anything I hated about it and I liked the ending. 

It could also be that I've already seen too many of these movies.

[twoods]

I am shocked that there is finally an Indian lead in a Christmas movie! Watching Christmas Lost and Found and enjoying it so far. Love Tiya in The Good Place and the lead actor isn’t wooden. That’s already a win in my book.

[MissyPoo]

6 minutes ago, AnnaRose said:

I just watched it and found it very boring, but I'm extremely tired (barely slept at all last night) so that may be the reason why.  I was going to erase the recording but thought I might give it another shot sometime when I'm not exhausted and practically nodding off, to see if it improves.  There wasn't anything I hated about it and I liked the ending. 

It could also be that I've already seen too many of these movies.

Yeah exactly. Maybe it felt too much like other similar flicks? 

I agree with you about Jordan Ladd. I wasn't even sure that was her because the last movie I saw her in was many years ago in a crazy Lifetime movie...with Sean Patrick Thomas I think? And Tessa Thompson...I can't remember. But she had a totally different face. It was kind of bizarre.

4 minutes ago, twoods said:

I am shocked that there is finally an Indian lead in a Christmas movie! Watching Christmas Lost and Found and enjoying it so far. Love Tiya in The Good Place and the lead actor isn’t wooden. That’s already a win in my book.

Yes! I'm watching this now after I had to pause it last night to step out of the house but I've been enjoying every minute. I like the mystery element to this one and everyone involved has me engaged. I like her and her neighbor friend together and her relationship with her grandma. I can see myself watching this on repeat in the future.

 

And I just saw the preview for next week's Lifetime movie...which features a bookstore. Yep, I'm there.

[Dr.OO7]

On 12/6/2018 at 7:57 PM, WendyCR72 said:

Charlie Brown Christmas is on ABC at any minute! (12/6) Always be a favorite.

Hell, yes.

It and the varying versions of "A Christmas Carol" are my go-to holiday viewings.

Which version of "A Christmas Carol" is your favorite? For me, it's a toss up between the 1984 version and the 1999 version (I like that it includes some little tidbits often left out of other versions--like the Ghost of Christmas Present aging as the day progresses).

It's amazing how no matter what the version, the Ghost of Christmas Future always scares the hell out of me--even in the Muppet one!

[ShelleySue]

Within the past eight years I've had three children graduate from high school.  Two were in student government.  All three were active in clubs, etc.  As a parent I was dragged into their activities.  Yet, I didn't have to plan one dance.  I didn't have to look for a venue.  I didn't have to decorate anything.  I didn't have to choose the theme.  My kids, their classmates and class teachers did all of the work.  When my kids were too young to have their license, I did have to drive them around.  That was it.

[Shanna Marie]

6 hours ago, Camille said:

Which version of "A Christmas Carol" is your favorite?

I love the Muppets version and the musical Scrooge! with Albert Finney. He was young at the time, in old-age makeup, and it's a little eerie how close he came to looking like that when he got old. The "Thank You Very Much" song is a total earworm.

In the "Holiday TV movie variations on a theme" category, "It's Christmas, Carol" is highly entertaining -- mostly because of Carrie Fisher as basically all the ghosts (she's the heroine's late boss, so she's sort of Marley, but she also guides the heroine through past, present, and future).

[Kaoteek]

Never really got on board with Rent-an-Elf, despite liking the trio composed of the lead and her two wacky sidekicks.

I don't really know why, I never really bought into the main relationship, which mostly felt awkward and stilted to me, and I ended up just not caring about it all, especially once the hippie mom came back in the picture, and it got to the usual tropes/misunderstandings.

Too bad, cos I liked Kim Shaw, and the fact that it was an interracial romance.

As for Christmas Lost & Found, it was... okay, I guess. It felt very Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (except for, once again, the ethnic lead & mixed romance), with what it entails of predictability and genericness. Again : it was okay, I wasn't bored, but I wasn't particularly interested either.

Edited December 11, 2018 by Kaoteek

[Irlandesa]

On 12/9/2018 at 9:11 PM, Shanna Marie said:

I'm recording the Snow White Christmas tonight. It seems like it will be epic awful.

Oh it was. But it was also pure camp which is a nice antidote to the sincerity in both the dramas and comedies of the season.  I was actually enjoying it for about half the movie before I tired of it. But I could see it being fun to watch with friends.

[twoods]

I enjoyed Christmas Lost and Found. The leads had great chemistry and I liked the mystery part of it, but felt the ending was rushed and clunky. There seemed to be one or two scenes cut out that would have made this movie great.

Watching Snow White Christmas right now and it’s definitely not even close to A Cinderella Christmas, which was my favorite Ion movie from 2 years ago. The villains are too cartoony. Still giving it a chance.

[anniebird]

No Sleep Til Christmas is my new favorite Christmas movie - it's hilarious. 

Edited December 11, 2018 by anniebird

[Irlandesa]

20 hours ago, anniebird said:

No Sleep Til Christmas is my new favorite Christmas movie - it's hilarious. 

 

There was so much good about this movie.  So much.  It was a unique premise.  And fun.  But the love story didn't work. Even though they spent more time together on screen than she did with her fiance, I didn't feel any more connected to them as a couple. They were pretty underdeveloped and while they are a real life couple, the chemistry just wasn't there to make me care about it.  In fact, other than the sleeping, she made more sense with her fiance throughout the movie.

And while the movie wanted me to cheer as she went after him, the only genuine emotion I felt was heartbroken for the fiance who was such a good guy. 

There was no need for a fiance.  Or even a boyfriend but that would have been preferable.  And it all happened over 3ish weeks.

In summary: I do recommend the movie because it's one of the better scripts as far as dialogue and quirky characters go.  But the way it ended kind of pissed me off.  Except for the very last scene which was clever. 

Edited December 12, 2018 by Irlandesa

[anniebird]

I thought their chemistry was off the charts and I really thought that it showed that both Lizzie and Billy evolved so at the end, they did make more sense as a couple. Also, it never made the fiance a bad guy, just that she didn't love him as much as she needed to in order to marry him. And the secondary characters were all great!

[JenMD]

On 12/4/2018 at 1:24 AM, twoods said:

Are we getting burned out by Christmas movies?

Yes, very much so!  I can barely remember what I've watched like two days later.  They're kind of blending together.  But, the end is in sight!

We're woefully behind now thanks to a Sunday crammed full of stuff.  Had to resort to taping reairings of a few things later in the week.  We did watch A Tennessee Christmas with Andrew Walker and Rachel Boston last night and that was cute.  The two of them can pretty much always be counted on to deliver something entertaining.  I thought they were lovely together even if the story is one we've seen a hundred times.  I'm not one who minds whimsy so I enjoyed the addition of Mr. and Mrs. C (and what a great looking Santa).  Caroline Rhea looked like she was having a ball (and that pin she was wearing in that last scene was stunning). I know it's for tv but having the entire contents of the bakery out on display seems very wrong to me.  No covers, no glass counters.  I just keep thinking all that stuff is going to get stale.  Until the Santa's Favorite Cookie rush, they certainly didn't have the customers to warrant all that food left out.  And how are just Rachel and her mom making all that pastry with just the two of them?  As it is, I've accepted the tv reality that germs don't exist (no gloves, hair flowing free).  And why did she send her daughter off to bed while it was still light out?  It's December, it probably wasn't even 4pm yet.  Sorry, these are the things I notice.  Oh, and how pushy was that tv reporter?  I do wonder if Andrew was experiencing a bit of deja vu with the baking montage (down to the juggling), as I just rewatched Snowed Inn Christmas with a very similar scene (and they also have a bit with holly berries being white).  I did have a chuckle that Patricia Richardson switched from "O Holy Night" to "Tennessee Christmas" for the pageant.  Not necessarily an even swap, theme-wise, although "Tennessee Christmas" is one of my favorite Christmas songs.  She did a lovely job, though.

I'm not sure why, but I'm still looking forward to the cheesiness that is sure to be Snow White Christmas, although expectations have been lowered.

We didn't make it through Christmas with a Prince, I just didn't find the actor playing the prince appealing so we bailed about 30 minutes in.  I'm so not feeling some of these this year...

[Kaoteek]

Can't say I enjoyed A Very Nutty Christmas. On one hand, it was nice having an outright comedic and excentric Christmas movie, but on the other, the pace was quite uneven (the angsty tone at the one hour mark really clashed with the rest), and it was often so over-the-top and forced that it ended up feeling exhausting. Also, tbh, I'm not the biggest fan of both leads.

So, it was a mixed bag (of nuts) for me.

[Atlanta]

I watched the sequel to A Christmas Prince. It was cute, but the prince bugged me in this one as did the wedding planner. I kept wanting to slap him. At least the villain was someone I didn't expect. 

[Dr.OO7]

I'm also enjoying Ovation TV's annual "Battle Of The Nutcrackers", but of course, I have some complaints.

Why is this being aired at the ungodly hour of 6AM instead of primetime?

After the last few years in which they aired some glorious, never before seen productions--I LOVED the Australian Ballet version--why have they decided to dredge up and re-air some tired old ones? I don't really like the Berlin version.

I love to compare different versions of it. It was so great when the American Ballet Theater put out its own version and I could compare it to the New York City Ballet one. My ideal Nutcracker is a hodgepodge of the all the signature dances.

[Aliconehead]

7 hours ago, anniebird said:

I thought their chemistry was off the charts and I really thought that it showed that both Lizzie and Billy evolved so at the end, they did make more sense as a couple. Also, it never made the fiance a bad guy, just that she didn't love him as much as she needed to in order to marry him. And the secondary characters were all great!

Yes you could definitely tell that they are married in real life.  They had an easy chemistry. 

[In2You]

I'm only watching a handful of the movies. I've ignored majority of Hallmark's selections and have only been watching the ones that are diverse. 

[anniebird]

1 hour ago, Camille said:

I'm also enjoying Ovation TV's annual "Battle Of The Nutcrackers", but of course, I have some complaints.

Why is this being aired at the ungodly hour of 6AM instead of primetime?

After the last few years in which they aired some glorious, never before seen productions--I LOVED the Australian Ballet version--why have they decided to dredge up and re-air some tired old ones? I don't really like the Berlin version.

I love to compare different versions of it. It was so great when the American Ballet Theater put out its own version and I could compare it to the New York City Ballet one. My ideal Nutcracker is a hodgepodge of the all the signature dances.

I don't know where you live but Regal Cinema in my area does a simulcast of the Bolshoi Ballet on Sundays at 12:55Pm EST - on December 23rd they will be doing the Nutcracker - I can't wait!

[Kaoteek]

I really didn't expect to, but I quite enjoyed UpTV's Christmas with a Prince.

The simple fact that they changed the usual setup - she's a successful pediatrics doc in an hospital where her goofy brother works as a nurse, he's a sporty jet setter royal with daddy issues and a tiny indian lady-bodyguard with an attitude - was enough to make it palatable, especially since the movie always kept some sort of lighthearted tone.

Two caveats : 1) I had no problem with Nick Hounslow as an actor, but not a fan of his looks here - I don't know if it's botox, make-up, tweezers, teeth whitening or something else, but it was über-metrosexual bordering on something... distracting. and 2) the final 20 minutes or so, starting from the appearance of the russian rival, to the ending, just ran out of steam, whereas the movie was basically over at the one hour mark.

Edited December 11, 2018 by Kaoteek

[In2You]

3 hours ago, Kaoteek said:

I really didn't expect to, but I quite enjoyed UpTV's Christmas with a Prince.

The simple fact that they changed the usual setup - she's a successful pediatrics doc in an hospital where her goofy brother works as a nurse, he's a sporty jet setter royal with daddy issues and a tiny indian lady-bodyguard with an attitude - was enough to make it palatable, especially since the movie always kept some sort of lighthearted tone.

Two caveats : 1) I had no problem with Nick Hounslow as an actor, but not a fan of his looks here - I don't know if it's botox, make-up, tweezers, teeth whitening or something else, but it was über-metrosexual bordering on something... distracting. and 2) the final 20 minutes or so, starting from the appearance of the russian rival, to the ending, just ran out of steam, whereas the movie was basically over at the one hour mark.

I liked this one too. And I wasn't expecting to because the Royal movies have been trash to me since they started overdoing them a few years ago. I too felt the movie could've come to a solid end because the last half hour when the rival showed up.

 

I thought Christmas Catch had some funny moments. 

[Dr.OO7]

4 hours ago, anniebird said:

don't know where you live but Regal Cinema in my area does a simulcast of the Bolshoi Ballet on Sundays at 12:55Pm EST - on December 23rd they will be doing the Nutcracker - I can't wait!

I live in New York City. I saw that last year. 

For some reason, the Bolshoi version is also not one of my favorites.

I love the Royal Opera House version--having Clara and the Prince participate in almost all of the dances is very innovative.

It appears one of the myriad of corny Hallmark movies is based on a true story:

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/Suburban-Couples-Love-Story-Becomes-Holiday-Hallmark-Movie-502498631.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_NYBrand

Edited December 12, 2018 by Camille

[Irlandesa]

16 hours ago, anniebird said:

I really thought that it showed that both Lizzie and Billy evolved

Billy evolved in the sense that he finally took a chance on his dream and opened up a bar (although again, it's ridiculous that this new bar opened and a wedding was planned in just a few weeks). 

But Lizzie spent the first half of the movie not telling her fiance that she was sleeping with a man to help her sleep and then spent the last third of the movie lying about being cured.  She never expressed any doubts she was having to him and the only reason the truth ever came out was because she fell asleep at the altar and her fiance called her out on the fact that she had been lying.  The movie did that thing some romcoms do where they think having the main character be the dumper of their other significant other would tarnish them so they have the soon-to-be-ex make the noble gesture.  Except it usually just makes the leads look like assholes.  And that was the case for me here. Her choices made him do all the heavy lifting of a breakup at the altar .  Other than loosening up a little bit and getting drunk, she didn't really evolve that much.

I know the future mother-in-law was supposed to be the antagonist of the piece but man did I cheer her on when she basically told the woman get lost at the church.

Like I said, in spite of this post, there was a lot I liked about this movie and I'm glad the chemistry worked for others. I wish I could say the same. I would love another holiday romance I feel compelled to watch every season but this one came quite a few tweaks short for me of being that movie.

Edited December 12, 2018 by Irlandesa

[Dr.OO7]

Does anyone remember the He-Man Christmas special from the mid-80's?

Jesum peace, that was corny. In a good way.

 

But kudos for the subplot of making Skeletor into a nice guy against his will because of the influence of the Christmas spirit.

Edited December 12, 2018 by Camille

[MissyPoo]

16 hours ago, In2You said:

I'm only watching a handful of the movies. I've ignored majority of Hallmark's selections and have only been watching the ones that are diverse. 

I've been doing the same when I'm not watching the Lifetime ones.

 

16 hours ago, Kaoteek said:

I really didn't expect to, but I quite enjoyed UpTV's Christmas with a Prince.

The simple fact that they changed the usual setup - she's a successful pediatrics doc in an hospital where her goofy brother works as a nurse, he's a sporty jet setter royal with daddy issues and a tiny indian lady-bodyguard with an attitude - was enough to make it palatable, especially since the movie always kept some sort of lighthearted tone.

Two caveats : 1) I had no problem with Nick Hounslow as an actor, but not a fan of his looks here - I don't know if it's botox, make-up, tweezers, teeth whitening or something else, but it was über-metrosexual bordering on something... distracting. and 2) the final 20 minutes or so, starting from the appearance of the russian rival, to the ending, just ran out of steam, whereas the movie was basically over at the one hour mark.

I thought this one was okay too. I did like that she told off the rival at first and didn't run away, but that quickly died when she was approached a second time and tried to make a run for it. Was okay for a first watch but I probably won't see it again for the same reasons you mentioned.

 

Btw, I also caught Chandler Christmas Getaway and although I was afraid it would be a downgrade from previous ones, I liked it! It was like checking in with family after missing them for a few years. Baby Chandler is getting so big, and so is Denny. Elizabeth rightfully feels like she needs someone in her life while others have children and spouses except for her. Uncle Duck is missing Dana (will we ever see her and the fam?) and projecting missing having a daughter onto Denny who is trying to find her place in her new family. And I love, love, love the big sister/little sister relationship with Denny and Marci. My only gripe is it felt more like a Chandler Summer Getaway with all the summer activities. I think Hallmark has me trained to expect copious amounts of snowball fights, ice skating, baking montages and such in these seasonal things so I was bummed they didn't head out to a snowy cabin and do all sorts of wintery things. Maybe next year.

 

 

17 hours ago, Camille said:

I'm also enjoying Ovation TV's annual "Battle Of The Nutcrackers", but of course, I have some complaints.

Why is this being aired at the ungodly hour of 6AM instead of primetime?

After the last few years in which they aired some glorious, never before seen productions--I LOVED the Australian Ballet version--why have they decided to dredge up and re-air some tired old ones? I don't really like the Berlin version.

I love to compare different versions of it. It was so great when the American Ballet Theater put out its own version and I could compare it to the New York City Ballet one. My ideal Nutcracker is a hodgepodge of the all the signature dances.

Oh, man this is one of the few reasons I miss cable. I loved watching Battle of the Nutcrackers each year. That's really strange they moved it to early morning though. The ones of previous years were primetime if I remember correctly. I wonder if they still have people vote in on their faves. I never did agree with the winners.

 

13 minutes ago, Camille said:

Does anyone remember the He-Man Christmas special from the mid-80's.

You are supremely epic for posting this. I need to watch this later with some cookies, cocoa, and popcorn.

[anniebird]

11 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Billy evolved in the sense that he finally took a chance on his dream and opened up a bar (although again, it's ridiculous that this new bar opened and a wedding was planned in just a few weeks). 

 

He became more responsible and she became more relaxed - I guess we just saw different things in this movie.  I don't expect any realism at all in these movies but if the acting is good and there's romance and humor I'm happy.

[Dr.OO7]

2 hours ago, MissyPoo said:

That's really strange they moved it to early morning though. The ones of previous years were primetime if I remember correctly. I wonder if they still have people vote in on their faves. I never did agree with the winners.

 

Yes, it was in primetime and yes they still vote for a favorite to be aired on Christmas Eve/Day. I never agreed with the winners either. It was never one that I voted for. I never understood that, because they've aired some magnificent versions in the past--the San Francisco one is gorgeous and absolutely flawless. It's one of the few that I love straight through.

[Jaded]

I watched Christmas Catch last night and liked it for the most part. I admit to tuning in to see Yanic Truesdale from Gilmore Girls and wished that his character had more to do in this movie. I didn't see the end turning out like that in regards to the ex-wife because it didn't really seem plausible. The male lead's hair was kind of distracting too. Lauren Holly's demeanor kinda made me think of Frances McDormand's Fargo character for some reason.

I've only watched about 5 Christmas movies so far with two of those being on Lifetime. one on Hallmark and one on up all of which had diverse casts.

I watched A Christmas in Vermont from 2016 on Up a few days ago when they aired it in the morning. Even though it was a predictable movie I kind of enjoyed it. It was nice to see Abigail Hawk in something besides Blue Bloods even though her character in the movie kind of acted like her BB character in some ways. When Howard Hessman's character said his name was Nick I was like oh no but it turned out it was just a name and he wasn't a Santa type character. Chevy Chase was good at playing an ass probably due to him being one in real life. I remember awhile back there were stories about him having trouble getting acting jobs so I'm guessing that's why he agreed to appear in this Christmas TV movie. Seeing Morgan Fairchild's bad plastic surgery always makes me sad. I remember seeing Zack Ward for the first time on a short lived show in the 90's called Boogie's Diner.

There are a few other movies I want to catch. I'm going to have to go back in this thread to the lists of movies posted so I can remember their names though.

[AnnaRose]

On 12/4/2018 at 3:22 PM, Shanna Marie said:

...I'm not really burned out (not having cable helps), but I have to confess to being a bit relieved to not have cable so I don't have as many to try to watch. I think they've pretty much hit overkill. I remember way back when the Family Channel showed The Christmas List (the one with Mimi Rogers) and I loved it so much and wished there were more things like it...

Hmm, I wonder if The Christmas List is still on the Tube of You. I watched it there a few years ago, and I still loved it.

Thanks for the tip!  I finally watched it and I loved it too!!

On 12/6/2018 at 2:04 PM, Valentine said:

Oh man, that is the first made for TV Christmas movie I watched, and I still love it. Mimi Rogers was great. Plus Marla Maples!

Same here.  Plus it was made in 1997 and it was fun seeing a pay phone booth, old landline phones, and even standing in line to cash out Christmas club savings.  Ah, simpler, more innocent times... how I miss you.

[twoods]

I agree with all the comments regarding Christmas With A Prince. I enjoyed the chemistry between the leads and the scenes with the kids. It was also nice that it didn’t fit the typical royal movie trope and they knew each other from boarding school instead of him being a “secret prince.” The ending was clunky, especially when wannabe fiancé came in and then the awkwardness at the charity gala. The movie could have worked without having her there. It also annoyed me that Tasha was the head of pediatrics, but she was an oncologist which is a different field than general pediatrics, and then she assisted in surgery too! Since TV never gets this right, I moved past it and still enjoyed the movie.

[Kaoteek]

Yeah. I'm kind of fascinated by the way Brain Power Studio (the "young" canadian company behind Christmas with a Prince, Christmas with a View, Hometown Holiday, Christmas Catch, Christmas Wedding Planner, A Very Country Christmas, A Christmas Village and a bunch of kids-focused movies) is starting to establish itself as a somewhat-cheaper-but-not-necessarily-worse alternative to the californian Hybrid, The Asylum and Marvistas that tend to dominate Hallmark & Lifetime's programming.

 

Speaking of which, A Christmas Village. Very very cheap. Awful greenscreens. The male love-interest was very forgettable. But overall, not that bad, story-wise. And nice snow, in a legit canadian Santa Village.

A Snow-White Christmas. I wasn't very fond of 2016's A Cinderella Christmas, already a Marvista/ION production, and here, it was more of the same : same kind of fishlips, same kind of bland love interests, same kind of "reinvention" of the classic tale... that said, Carolyn Hennesy & Rich Barnes camp it up to eleven, and almost make the entire movie worth the watch.

Freeform's No Sleep 'Til Christmas was amusing, but it could have been called No Sleep 'Til Valentine's Day, No Sleep 'Til the Wedding, or No Sleep 'til the cows come home : that's how much it felt like a standard rom-com pitch that got vaguely Christmassified because the network needed something to air in december. Still : enjoyable, dynamic and, obviously, great chemistry. (I still prefer last year's Angry Angel, though)

Edited December 13, 2018 by Kaoteek

[Diana Berry]

Not sure if anyone watched AGT winner  Darcy Lynn's Christmas special.  It was very enjoyable and she seems very comfortable in front of the camera.  Side note, her outfits were very cute and age appropriate. 

[Irlandesa]

On 12/11/2018 at 9:32 AM, JenMD said:

We didn't make it through Christmas with a Prince, I just didn't find the actor playing the prince appealing so we bailed about 30 minutes in.  I'm so not feeling some of these this year...

He looked waxy--almost like he just had an ablation or a face lift of some kind.  It got to be too much that I couldn't get into him either.  But I watched enough to really like the brother so I fast forwarded to his scenes.

I recorded so many movies with such bland names on Sunday that I barely paid attention to what channels they originally aired on.  So I started Christmas in Tennessee assuming it was Hallmark because of the premise and the one-two punch of Rachel Boston and Andrew Walker.  When the hotel owner asked Andrew Walker's character and his assistant whether they needed a room and they said "two," I thought Hallmark was getting cheeky--assuming two unmarried adults might share a room?  Whoa, time's are a changin'.  It wasn't until the end until I realized it was a Lifetime movie and those comments, and all the Lifetime commercials I fast forwarded through, made sense.

Edited December 14, 2018 by Irlandesa

[twoods]

Had no idea that the leads in No Sleep Till Christmas are actually husband and wife in real life. Maybe I will check it out, but I still hate movies where the lead falls in love with someone so close to their wedding. It doesn’t make me want to root for the main couple at all.

[Dr.OO7]

This year's Battle Of The Nutcrackers has been very disappointing. The only one I liked was the Royal Ballet of London, and even that one is rather old.

I don't get it. The last few years, they aired several gorgeous, never-before seen productions. I don't know why they went back to these tired ones that they've shown a million times.

[JenMD]

Were just Thursday and Friday new? I think they used to always include some repeats but I feel like I've seen most of these multiple times.   I didn't like the Czech National Ballet yesterday at all.  Way too out there for me.  I'm hoping for something good today.  My favorite is the Semperoper from Dresden, wish I still had that one recorded to watch again.

[LexieLily]

Which thread do we use to mention the I Love Lucy Christmas special tonight?

[Kaoteek]

Weirdly disappointed by A Christmas in Tennessee. On paper, it had plenty of thing I love : Andrew Walker & Rachel Boston, fun banter & chemistry, nice snow, decent-looking pastries, a light-hearted tone, Santa and his wife, a cute kid, likeable supporting characters... and yet, all those pieces just didn't totally fit together in a nice, harmonious way.

I'm not sure why - maybe it was the so-so ADR, the business-related & concert subplots, the last minute angst, the evil assistant, the overall pace of the movie... it just didn't flow particularly well. Too bad.

[Dr.OO7]

3 hours ago, JenMD said:

I think they used to always include some repeats but I feel like I've seen most of these multiple times.  

Exactly. Quite glaring considering that the last few years, they really made an effort to air a slew of newer productions.

3 hours ago, JenMD said:

I didn't like the Czech National Ballet yesterday at all.  Way too out there for me. 

Same here. I like my Nutcrackers traditional. No "quirky", "out there" productions for me. The only atypical version I like is "The Harlem Nutcracker", which despite the Race Lift and Age Lift, keeps the gist of the story.

3 hours ago, JenMD said:

I'm hoping for something good today. 

From the little bit I watched before I left for work, you're out of luck. JMO, YMMV.

3 hours ago, JenMD said:

My favorite is the Semperoper from Dresden, wish I still had that one recorded to watch again.

Here you are:

I love it too.

It's a toss up between the San Francisco version and the American Ballet Theater version as to which is my favorite, with the New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Royal Opera House ones tied for second.

[JenMD]

13 minutes ago, Camille said:

From the little bit I watched before I left for work, you're out of luck. JMO, YMMV.

3 hours ago, JenMD said:

My favorite is the Semperoper from Dresden, wish I still had that one recorded to watch again.

Here you are:

Ugh, sorry to hear today's offering isn't that great.  Kind of a bummer of a week.  But thanks for the link!

[Silver Raven]

4 hours ago, LexieLily said:

Which thread do we use to mention the I Love Lucy Christmas special tonight?

There's an I Love Lucy forum -

http://forums.previously.tv/forum/435-i-love-lucy/

[Dr.OO7]

5 hours ago, JenMD said:

Ugh, sorry to hear today's offering isn't that great.  Kind of a bummer of a week.  But thanks for the link!

It was horrible.

[CRT]

Quote

Freeform's No Sleep 'Til Christmas was amusing, but it could have been called No Sleep 'Til Valentine's Day, No Sleep 'Til the Wedding, or No Sleep 'til the cows come home : that's how much it felt like a standard rom-com pitch that got vaguely Christmassified because the network needed something to air in december.

That is exactly what it was. It was originally titled Sleeping Together, and it was going to be a feature film:  https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-sleepingtogether-idUKTRE77F74O20110816

[Sara2009]

20 hours ago, twoods said:

Had no idea that the leads in No Sleep Till Christmas are actually husband and wife in real life. Maybe I will check it out, but I still hate movies where the lead falls in love with someone so close to their wedding. It doesn’t make me want to root for the main couple at all.

I always feel like a horrible person because I sort of love this trope.

[AnnaRose]

On 12/4/2018 at 10:38 PM, Scarlett45 said:

My absolute favorite Holiday TV Movie is “Holiday in Handcuffs”- I saw it on Thanksgiving and it kicked off the season. 

I finally got to watch Holiday in Handcuffs.  For most of the first half of the movie, I kept thinking there is no frickin way they are going to be able to redeem Trudie (Melissa Joan Hart) after her felony kidnapping, and make it believable that her kidnap victim David (Mario Lopez) is able to get past what she did... but somehow, against all odds, they were able to turn it around and I totally bought the movie's transition into a sweet love story and a tale of personal reflection and family healing. 

It helped that it seemed to be a series of stressful events that triggered some kind of a psychotic break/nervous breakdown, and that she was normally a decent, caring person.  That (and Melissa Joan Hart hitting all the right notes) made Trudie much more sympathetic than I expected her to be.  It was sweet that Mario Lopez's character was eventually able to see through all the craziness and appreciate who she really was.  Totally implausible storyline, but it did end up being very enjoyable and funny, so thanks for the recommendation.

[Dr.OO7]

The San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker:

 

I prefer the versions where it turns out to be a dream. The Australian version does both--she wakes up on the couch, but finds the crown she was given while in the Land Of The Sweets.

[Shanna Marie]

I got around to watching ion's A Snow White Christmas, and it was kind of a mixed bag, not quite bad enough to work as gloriously awful or as farce, but not good enough to be anywhere near good. It was like there were two totally different movies stuck together. The stepmother and her gay BFF "mirror" were very Karen and Jack, hamming it up like crazy and acting like they knew they were in a farce. I wasn't sure about the "prince" guy. He was very hammy, to the point I thought we'd find out he was under the influence of a love spell that made him go so over the top for Blanca ("Snow White"), but he wasn't, so I couldn't tell if that's the way the actor was playing it on purpose or if that was his sincere impression of an infatuated man. The hero ("Hunter") seemed to think he was in a Hallmark movie and was being the sincere, sweater-wearing nice guy. Blanca was so blank that my impression was the actress was all "why are they pointing cameras at me and telling me to say things?" but I couldn't tell if that blank lack of affect was intentional or just bad acting.

On the plus side, it was definitely different.

Was Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe a Hallmark movie? Because I just read the book it was based on, and it's so not Hallmark material. Speaking of Karen and Jack, the heroine and her BFF have that kind of vibe going on. The heroine has a friends with benefits relationship with her high school boyfriend who's also moved to New York. She sleeps with two different guys during the course of the book and spends most of the book drunk. It seems more like Lifetime material. If it's Hallmark, they must have seriously changed the story.

For other non-cable people, if your library system gives you access to hoopla, they have a few of the Christmas movies available to stream, but it looks like it's mostly the ones shown on ion (like A Cinderella Christmas).

[Kaoteek]

I enjoyed Christmas Around the Corner, but then again, I've had a soft spot for Alex Breckenridge ever since the early 2000s, as well as for bookstore-centered movies.

Sure, it was, as usual, sometimes tropey and obvious (the angst towards the end, for instance), but at least the setup was slightly more original than the usual Hallmark-type romance, Breckenridge and Spilchuk had a fun relationship, and also : non only did they have a veiled muslim woman in the background of the New York scenes, but the Vermont town had a male pastor, with a black husband and an adopted kid ! That's the perfect combo to upset the usual Hallmark crowd : thank Zod it was on Lifetime, the network of sin and women in peril ! ^^

Edited December 15, 2018 by Kaoteek