Hallmark Movies: Small Town Royalty Magically Celebrating Rekindled Love! - General Discussion

[DanaMB]

Slowly catching up...

 

Really enjoyed Homegrown Christmas. Victor Webster is becoming an automatic watch for me. 

[Kaoteek]

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

[catrice2]

 can't find the post from the person who commented on Double Wedding but Chad Connell who is the actor that's in this Grand Valley movie  as Mike was the actor in that movie that was involved with the Tia Mowry character. I typically don't watch the Hallmark Christmas movies but  happened to come in just now in the middle of that one. I personally don't find Brennan Elliott  entertaining engaging or attractive. He was not on Strong medicine, he was not on Cold Case, and he has not been in any of the movies they keep casting him in. He had no chemistry with Brooke Shields either .I always wondered why Chad's careers did not get bigger. I know he's based in Canada, but I thought his looks were appealing enough that he would fit either one of the series that  they shoot there or a lot of these Hallmark or Lifetime movies. He would have made a great Eddie on the flash or I could definitely see him in the arrowverse. I know that he's done a few of both  Lifetime and Hallmark movies but usually he is not the lead character and I don't know why. I think he's attractive enough to be a lead and his acting is not horrible but I've noticed Hallmark seems to like male leads with dark hair. Or is that just my imagination? I did catch him in this cute little series with Kim Cattrall

 I came in halfway through so I didn't realize that he already had a relationship with the sidekick friend and that they rekindled it. At least they gave them some character development although they looked so awkward standing next to each other at the end of the movie.

 Double wedding was a cute little movie and I wouldn't mind seeing that again. Does lifetime ever air that? I saw the other guy from that movie on the Showtime series with Elisabeth Moss that I can't think of the name of. it certainly was before Tamera became slightly annoying. I was super excited to see them advertising new Mysteries yeah yeah!

[Veronica]

On 12/21/2018 at 12:45 PM, Chippings said:

Wow, I absolutely loved the interview with the writers who have actually done Christmas movies and laid out the requirements !   I'm not sure I can watch any more of them without snickering.

I was going to come here anyway today and say something about Most Wonderful Time of the Year, which has been on a few times, including yesterday, and is about my favorite of the genre.  Except, it doesn't fit in the genre in most ways, possibly because it's from 2008. Also the pivotal character is Henry Winkler, and the tenor of the whole thing arises from him, it seems like.   So much unusually snarky dialog, and I even wondered if there was some ad-libbing along the way.

I looked up the screenwriter, who was a person named Bruce Graham.   He had only done one other of these movies, which was Trading Christmas from a few years ago, with Tom Cavanagh and Faith Ford.  A little closer to the formula but not much and also snarky.  A very welcome break.

But mostly, kudos to Henry Winkler and my personal fave.  

Agree.  I know it will never happen, but I want sequels to Most Wonderful Time of the Year and The Christmas Getaway. I will seriously watch those 2 every single time they air if possible. 

[Irlandesa]

9 hours ago, Kaoteek said:

On another - non-Christmassy - topic, I just caught up with One Winter Weekend, just to check whether or not I should watch the sequel coming up in January, and... I think I'll pass. It wasn't particularly memorable, the main romance was completely outshined by Rukiya Bernard & Dewshane Williams' relationship, and overall, I never really cared for the overall plot, despite the snow and the landscape.

FWIW, Taylor Cole wanted a sequel to focus more on Rukya and Dewshane's relationship. We'll see if that actually happened but as far as I know, that's the official line. The commercial didn't make it seem that way but it's Hallmark so that's not surprising.

[mikeb]

I have been seeing commercials on HMM for the return of the mystery movies in January and they make it sound like the first new one is the new Taylor Cole Ruby Herring movie on January 20 followed by the new Jill Wagner/Kristoffer Polaha Murder 101 on January 27.  It is strange they are referring to them as 'limited series' - not sure if they mean each is the first movie in their respective limited series or if they are referring to them collectively as a limited series.  Also odd there is no mention in the commercials of a new Courtney Thorne-Smith Emma Fielding movie which their own website lists as premiering January 13 http://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/emma-fielding-mysteries-more-bitter-than-death

[AnnaRose]

20 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

They've now done a couple of Kristoffer shows!  lol   

I can see your point, for sure.   I have mixed feelings on them.  I think there is a lot of humor in their shows.  They are quick-witted, which I like.   However, the problem for me is that I always know that the guy who "despises" Hallmark movies is going to consistently despise them.    There is no mystery to his reviews.   The real surprise would be if he suddenly admitted to liking a movie every now and then.   So the only surprises are whether or not the guys who "love" and "like" the movies still love and like them, or if they disliked them too.  (I think all 3 of them were in agreement about "Christmas at Graceland"!!)  And I don't know if that's enough to keep their podcast interesting for an entire year.  And yet, I think that the DTH guys would be foolish to disappear completely after getting national attention on ABC.

So I am torn.  I don't know whether or not they should keep their show going all year long, for all of the themed events, or just come back for the Christmas events.  But I do think that 3 men reviewing movies about Valentine's Day and Weddings has potential for humor, simply because people mostly assume that Valentine's Day and weddings are things that only women are interested in.

The guy who hates Hallmark movies - it seems like he either has to hate them (even the very good and excellent classic Hallmark movies) or actually does hate them no matter what... and either way, he comes across like a tool to me.  And it's insulting to people who enjoy them, frankly.

I would prefer to just listen to the two guys who like or love them in general, especially if they allow themselves to speak honestly about any of the movies that are sub-par for them, or any of the aspects of a particular movie that bother them.  That would be much more useful and interesting to me.

I listened to just the beginning of the Deck the Halls podcast they did for Crown for Christmas, a movie that most people love and consider a classic, and hater guy thought it was terrible and said he thought it was a kids' movie.  I also listened to part of the one they did for The Most Wonderful Time of the Year with two female guest podcasters, and they managed to diminish some of my enjoyment of one of my favorite Christmas movies. 

I decided not to listen to anymore of their podcasts after that, although I would if it were just the two guys who generally like or love them.  I wouldn't mind a little snark and good-natured criticism if it was coming from viewers who actually overall enjoyed them, or at least were open to enjoying them... unlike hater-douche.

[TVFan17]

16 hours ago, Veronica said:

Agree.  I know it will never happen, but I want sequels to Most Wonderful Time of the Year and The Christmas Getaway. I will seriously watch those 2 every single time they air if possible. 

You've named two movies that are on my list of all-time favorite Hallmark Christmas installments!    Christmas Getaway is still a "new" movie, as far as I am concerned, seeing as it just premiered one year ago.   It is not common for any of the newer movies to land on my list of all-time favorites, but that one is a winner.    Everything about Christmas Getaway makes me smile.    It has a nice, upbeat, breezy tone to it.   It is a Christmas rom com through and through, which I like.    It has a great soundtrack.  It has a lead couple with chemistry (see the quick look that Emory gives Scott as he walks down a hall, away from her, as she kind of sizes him up!).  There is fun banter and flirty humor (when Scott starts to tell Emory that she captured all of his attention when she threatened him with Krav Maga, watch Bridget Regan's face change, ever so subtly -- it's as though she is waiting in almost breathless anticipation for what he is about to say!).   I love Emory's editor, Veronica, and her efforts to make sure Emory has a traditional Christmas and also "gets her own almond."   I can't get enough of the delightful Alvin Sanders as Hal, the candy/travel guy, and his budding friendship with Teryl Rothery's character, Marilyn.   Katy, Scott's daughter, is sweet and not annoying.  I just love the whole movie (although the expected "misunderstanding" section of the movie near the end is frustrating, but they rebound from it quite well).

I am usually in the camp of "Hallmark makes too many sequels" (especially this year and into 2019) and I think that can get to be a bit much, especially if I didn't care about some of the characters in the original movies.  But in the case of Christmas Getaway, I might be okay with a sequel because travel and exploring the world were a running theme through that movie -- both for the leading lady and for Hal and Marilyn.   I think it could be a natural continuation of the story for Scott, Emory, Katy, Hal and Marilyn to take a trip somewhere -- maybe a "Summer Getaway" or a "Valentine Getaway"... or a "Wedding Getaway"?   Alas, I doubt it will happen.   Travis Van Winkle and Bridget Regan would probably not be open to it.

And The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (which is one of the first two movies to lure me into watching the Hallmark Channel in the first place) is so old at this point -- though still one of the best -- that it's probably not even remotely on Hallmark's radar to do a sequel.  I'd enjoy checking in with Morgan, Jen and Uncle Ralph again, though!

 

16 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

FWIW, Taylor Cole wanted a sequel to focus more on Rukya and Dewshane's relationship. We'll see if that actually happened but as far as I know, that's the official line. The commercial didn't make it seem that way but it's Hallmark so that's not surprising.

Yes, exactly.  Taylor said on The Bubbly Sesh podcast a while back (right around when her Fall Harvest movie premiered) that she would be doing the sequel to One Winter Weekend, and that she wanted to continue to explore or focus (can't recall the specific wording she used) on the Rukiya-Dewshane romance.  Of course, Taylor and Jack Turner are in it too, and their characters have their own relationship developments, but it sounds as though her original plan was to continue to develop the other romance as well.

But you're right -- the promos for it don't make it appear that way.    We'll see how it plays out.

 

6 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

The guy who hates Hallmark movies - it seems like he either has to hate them (even the very good and excellent classic Hallmark movies) or actually does hate them no matter what... and either way, he comes across like a tool to me.  And it's insulting to people who enjoy them, frankly.

I would prefer to just listen to the two guys who like or love them in general, especially if they allow themselves to speak honestly about any of the movies that are sub-par for them, or any of the aspects of a particular movie that bother them.  That would be much more useful and interesting to me.

I listened to just the beginning of the Deck the Halls podcast they did for Crown for Christmas, a movie that most people love and consider a classic, and hater guy thought it was terrible and said he thought it was a kids' movie.  I also listened to part of the one they did for The Most Wonderful Time of the Year with two female guest podcasters, and they managed to diminish some of my enjoyment of one of my favorite Christmas movies. 

I decided not to listen to anymore of their podcasts after that, although I would if it were just the two guys who generally like or love them.  I wouldn't mind a little snark and good-natured criticism if it was coming from viewers who actually overall enjoyed them, or at least were open to enjoying them... unlike hater-douche.

I definitely get what you mean.  The guys who like or love the movies are the ones who are less predictable -- admitting to loving or disliking movies, and you never quite know which way they will go -- whereas sometimes it seems like Grumpy Dan is hating everything to "stay in character," almost.   Even if he ever did like something, we probably would not know about it.

He has hated (supposedly) several movies that I love.     It can definitely be a real downer if you love a movie or series and, everywhere you turn, there are people who hate it or won't even keep an open mind.   I'm not the type to just hate-watch any TV series or movies.     I have to at least start out with a real enjoyment of or interest in what I am watching, and then I have to accept the fact that there will be some hits and misses along the way, and I may not love everything.  I don't love some Disney movies, but I love Disney.  I don't necessarily love every episode of Sex and the City, but I love SATC as a series.   Most of the first season of Breaking Bad was not my favorite of all the seasons, but I absolute adore Breaking Bad as an overall series.    And I am not necessarily a fan of all Hallmark movies, but I certainly love many of them!

As a side note... The other day I was catching up on some episodes of Escape at Dannemora (with Patricia Arquette and Benicio del Toro).   The most recent one was very unpleasant, and I found that I was not prepared for it after watching all of these happy Christmas movies since late October.   I might have been ready for it if I had watched it in May or September, but not after the onslaught of Christmas.   Escape at Dannemora is an excellent series/miniseries, and it is gripping.   And yet. when I was done watching the latest episodes, I ran right back to Hallmark to cleanse my palate!  I wanted to wipe the images of terrible, awful things out of my mind, and immerse myself in Christmas romances, music, scenery, decorations, fake snowman-building, happy people, etc.!  lol

Edited December 27, 2018 by TVFan17
typos and other clarifications

[Chippings]

Quote

3 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

And The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (which is one of the first two movies to lure me into watching the Hallmark Channel in the first place) is so old at this point -- though still one of the best -- that it's probably not even remotely on Hallmark's radar to do a sequel.  I'd enjoy checking in with Morgan, Jen and Uncle Ralph again, though!

 

I would too !  As I was thinking about it later, I realized that couple would have a pretty contentious relationship over time, no matter how much the Lllooove thing had entered into it.  They had such different viewpoints on absolutely everything.  But I was wondering at the time whether she was thinking of how to get him financing for a restaurant -- maybe that was the writer suggesting future avenues for the relationship?  (Overthinking this, much?)  

On a more shalow level, that actor is so damn darling I would follow him anywhere just for the cuteness.  (Have seen a preview of him in one other movie where he was equally adorable but his character was sort of a droopy-drawers.  He did really make a whole lot of the Morgan character.) 

[EyewatchTV211]

19 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

FWIW, Taylor Cole wanted a sequel to focus more on Rukya and Dewshane's relationship. We'll see if that actually happened but as far as I know, that's the official line. The commercial didn't make it seem that way but it's Hallmark so that's not surprising.

I didn't see the winter preview, but in the brief clips of all of the winter movies that are shown in one commercial, I've only spotted Rukya and Dewshane from that movie. So I assumed that they would in fact be the main focus. I guess we'll see. 

[MissyPoo]

On 12/26/2018 at 2:28 PM, catrice2 said:

 can't find the post from the person who commented on Double Wedding but Chad Connell who is the actor that's in this Grand Valley movie  as Mike was the actor in that movie that was involved with the Tia Mowry character. I typically don't watch the Hallmark Christmas movies but  happened to come in just now in the middle of that one. I personally don't find Brennan Elliott  entertaining engaging or attractive. He was not on Strong medicine, he was not on Cold Case, and he has not been in any of the movies they keep casting him in. He had no chemistry with Brooke Shields either .I always wondered why Chad's careers did not get bigger. I know he's based in Canada, but I thought his looks were appealing enough that he would fit either one of the series that  they shoot there or a lot of these Hallmark or Lifetime movies. He would have made a great Eddie on the flash or I could definitely see him in the arrowverse. I know that he's done a few of both  Lifetime and Hallmark movies but usually he is not the lead character and I don't know why. I think he's attractive enough to be a lead and his acting is not horrible but I've noticed Hallmark seems to like male leads with dark hair. Or is that just my imagination? I did catch him in this cute little series with Kim Cattrall

 I came in halfway through so I didn't realize that he already had a relationship with the sidekick friend and that they rekindled it. At least they gave them some character development although they looked so awkward standing next to each other at the end of the movie.

 Double wedding was a cute little movie and I wouldn't mind seeing that again. Does lifetime ever air that? I saw the other guy from that movie on the Showtime series with Elisabeth Moss that I can't think of the name of. it certainly was before Tamera became slightly annoying. I was super excited to see them advertising new Mysteries yeah yeah!

Thank you! That's his name.! I remember he was also on The Reckoning, that Beverly Lewis Amish trilogy which was really good but changed actors like musical chairs. I didn't like his role in that one so much but he looked yum. I've only seen a little of Flash but I do agree he would have made a great Eddie. I'm surprised as well. I thought he would have been in much more stuff after DW but not sure what happened. Then again, I thought Tia and Tamera would be doing more movies like that but that didn't happen as well.

As for Lifetime airing it...you know, come to think of it, not really. They used to have romantic movies on like Tuesdays or something in the past and they do have a great slate of past rom coms. But since A&E/Disney took over, it's been mostly horror thrillers and Greys' Anatomy. I don't think I've even seen them on the Lifetime movies channel. They really need to start a new network. Lifetime Romance or something and showcase all rom coms there. It'd be like Hallmark, only a lil bit sexier heh.

[twoods]

I enjoyed Jingle Around The Clock. Nice chemistry with the leads, humor, no one giving up their job in the city. Plus, yum  with Michael Cassidy. More of him please!

[Jaded]

I saw this on FB and it made me laugh.
 

[MerBearHou]

I watched “A Godwink Christmas” again and for me, the reason it wasn’t a winner was because Kimberly Sustad was so glum and “down” for most of the movie. She rarely was happy and was always so frowny and conflicted throughout the whole movie. I get that happens for a moment or two to create friction in the story, but not MOST of the movie.  Ugh.  Paul Campbell and Kimberly seem to be naturally cheerful types so it was a waste of those two in what could have been a really great match-up.

Also watched ”Christmas Bells are Ringing” and after Godwink, I have to scream at Hallmark — STOP PLACING YOUR MOVIES ON CAPE COD, NANTUCKET, MARTHA’S VINEYARD!!!  Their Canadian filming backdrops do not come close to capturing these places and it’s just a joke to see big condos, big airports, mountains in the background!  Just let it go — no more Cape, MV and ACK settings if you can’t film there or come pretty darn close to matching the locales.  

[Happywatcher]

Once upon a Christmas Miracle.

I put off watching this because the male lead is played by the same actor who played Grant Ward on Shield. Some evil backstabbing characters are so well done I have a hard time watching them in other shows (ex: Evie from Haven is also a soap opera actress, and I have a hard time watching her).

Same problem here, but the conflict ended up being him getting a new job and making the lead sad, which was not fun because she wouldn't use her words. 

The last five minutes, the modern house log cabin scene was so great looking pimped out for Christmas that the leads, both of whom are very pretty and nicely dressed, seemed less classy than it deserved

Edited December 29, 2018 by Happywatcher

[Silver Raven]

38 minutes ago, Happywatcher said:

Once upon a Christmas Miracle.

I put off watching this because the male lead is played by the same actor who played Grant Ward on Shield. Some evil backstabbing characters are so well done I have a hard time watching them in other shows (ex: Evie from Haven is also a soap opera actress, and I have a hard time watching her).

Same problem here, but the conflict ended up being him getting a new job and making the lead sad, which was not fun because she wouldn't use her words. 

The last five minutes, the modern house log cabin scene was so great looking pimped out for Christmas that the leads, both of whom are very pretty and nicely dressed, seemed less classy than it deserved

Brett Dalton is the hero in the video game "Until Dawn", though.  The face capture is very good and you know who the actors are without question.  His character starts out as a bit of a dick, but he turns into the hero.

[Sara2009]

Has anyone here seen “ Christmas Incorporated?” I enjoyed it, but I didn’t think the leads had much romantic chemistry.

[Jaded]

I'm trying to watch A Christmas for the Books which is on HMM right now. I'm getting distracted by the lead actress seemingly wearing sleeveless attire all the time which continuously shows off her kind of alarmingly thin arms. I thought I show a shoulder blade once or twice when they showed her from behind a  couple times.

[Woopwoopkitty]

Argggh!  I am getting really irritated with them repeatedly singing “bells on bobtails ring”. It’s Bobtail.  That’s the name of the horse. Maybe it’s a canned song used in multiple movies but it’s seriously pissing me off.

Edited January 1, 2019 by Woopwoopkitty
Typo

[AnnaRose]

51 minutes ago, Sara2009 said:

Has anyone here seen “ Christmas Incorporated?” I enjoyed it, but I didn’t think the leads had much romantic chemistry.

I thought the same thing about the lack of chemistry, and I can't say I enjoyed it.  It was one of my least favorite Christmas movies last year, as I recall.

46 minutes ago, Jaded said:

I'm trying to watch A Christmas for the Books which is on HMM right now. I'm getting distracted by the lead actress seemingly wearing sleeveless attire all the time which continuously shows off her kind of alarmingly thin arms. I thought I show a shoulder blade once or twice when they showed her from behind a  couple times.

I gave up and deleted it after only watching a little bit, but I remember being alarmed at how thin the actress was.  Extreme thinness usually doesn't bother me like it bothers some people... but here it just looked too much like some sort of disorder.  I hope the actress is okay.  I suppose it could just be her genetics/metabolism, but they really should try to camouflage it.  When you consider how much weight the camera adds, it is quite disturbing. 

On an unrelated note, I watched Christmas with Holly again the other night and I think I loved it even more than when I first watched it.  The little girl playing Holly, who stopped speaking when her mother died, is adorable and I loved her relationships with her uncles who were taking care of her.  Plus the romance was great and very believable.  Eloise Mumford plays the female lead, and she is as charming in this movie as she was in the time travel movie Just in Time for Christmas.

I am having a hard time deleting most of these movies from the DVR.  The good ones are so enjoyable to rewatch, plus I find them very soothing.  (They're better than Prozac!)  I may still be revisiting my favorites in April.  ;)

[Jaded]

10 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

I gave up and deleted it after only watching a little bit, but I remember being alarmed at how thin the actress was.  Extreme thinness usually doesn't bother me like it bothers some people... but here it just looked too much like some sort of disorder.  I hope the actress is okay.  I suppose it could just be her genetics/metabolism, but they really should try to camouflage it.  When you consider how much weight the camera adds, it is quite disturbing. 

On an unrelated note, I watched Christmas with Holly again the other night and I think I loved it even more than when I first watched it.  The little girl playing Holly, who stopped speaking when her mother died, is adorable and I loved her relationships with her uncles who were taking care of her.  Plus the romance was great and very believable.  Eloise Mumford plays the female lead, and she is as charming in this movie as she was in the time travel movie Just in Time for Christmas.

I am having a hard time deleting most of these movies from the DVR.  The good ones are so enjoyable to rewatch, plus I find them very soothing.  (They're better than Prozac!)  I may still be revisiting my favorites in April.  ;)

I kinda liked A Christmas for the Books. It got a bit easier to watch about midway through because from then on until the very end when she wore a formal dress the lead actress had her upper half covered more. She also seemed to have more chemistry with the older man playing the father of the father/son duo she was pretending for. I kinda hope that it's just genetics/metabolism making her that thin it would be better then the alternative.

Christmas with Holly is one of those older movies that's more realistic which I find to be more entertaining and not as hard to pick apart. I had looked the movie up before because I wanted to see who played the brothers due to a couple of the brothers looking familiar. I don't think I realized until tonight that Holly was played by identical twins. 

I DVR'd the one that's just about my top favorite overnight which is Nine Lives of Christmas. I hadn't seen it in a year or more so I was able to notice things I hadn't previously while watching it. I wish they still made more movies like Christmas with Holly and Nine Lives of Christmas where the stories and actors/actresses gelled so well and seemed like they were of higher quality. Now they just care about churning out more then year before which leaves the viewers with the task of having to sift through so many of them in one season to find ones they like. I cringed seeing the promotion for next year saying this "event" was going to be even "bigger and better" for it's 10th anniversary.

I didn't start watching any of these holiday movies until after Thanksgiving which helps so much when it comes to burnout. I've been able to catch some I didn't in the past two years or even before that especially during the overnight hours when the older ones seem to air more often.

 

On 12/12/2018 at 9:34 AM, ShelleySue said:

There should be a limit to how many holiday movies one person can appear in per season.  

I'm trying to catch up on my holiday viewing.  Monday night I watched A Twist of Christmas on Lifetime.  Last night I watched Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas, on Hallmark M&M, and Welcome to Christmas, on Hallmark Channel.  Susan Hogan was in all three movies, playing a mother/mother figure.  I know that there are a lot of people who appear in multiple Hallmark movies, but it just seemed strange to see the same person in three new movies in a row -- especially playing basically the same character.

I just hope that her wig doesn't look as awful as Erin Krakow's wig on When Calls the Heart.

Susan Hogan was in a 4th Christmas movie this year that aired Hallmark named Christmas Joy.  In that one she plated the grandma's friend I think. Having someone in that many movies in such a short period of time was strange and distracting.

I made it to the halfway point earlier watching Welcome to Christmas then stopped it on my DVR. I'm trying to decide if I want to push my way through in regards to finishing it or to abandon it. It was nice to see Eric Mabius in a more relaxed role with some scruff on his face. Looking back I've seen that opinions on this movie are divided. Jennifer's character so far is annoying me as is the over the top kissing up to her by the townspeople so the town can land a damn ski resort. 

I watched A Gift to Remember from last year and really liked it. I was so glad that the female lead didn't have to give up her job or move away from her home to be with her male co-lead in fact she even got a promotion. The dog and Peter Porte were cute too. It didn't follow the usual formula and I was surprised to see two older characters one of whom being African American and the other being Italian develop their own little romance too.

At the end there was a snippet of a song that I could tell was sung by Amy Grant because I recognized her voice even though I couldn't tell which song it was. It turned out to be Grown-Up Christmas List which I found out by doing some searching which also led me to realizing it was on her 92' Christmas Album. It's available to stream for free for Prime members on Amazon so I was able to listen to the whole song while the lyrics scrolled on the side. I hadn't heard it in a long time but midway through I started crying a little. When I was young (under 12) my Mom and I would listen to her stuff on tape a lot in the car while traveling, general driving around and sometimes at home. I didn't grow up in religion really and my Mom always seemed to like her music for more then just the religious aspect as the lyrics outside of that usually spoke to other feelings and emotions. My Mom died a few years ago so it was kind of by chance that I actually heard the little bit of that song during the ending credits of the movie since I don't always pay attention to them. It made me start to really miss her a lot even though I got through this holiday season better then the previous three. She died in the middle of the first one so it makes the holidays harder.

[Bronx Babe]

Watched the painful "A Gingerbread Romance".   I am not familiar with Tia Mowry and thought she was Canadian because even for Hallmark with....everyone....talking....so....slowly, you could read War and Peace between her sentences.  Tia's acting was more like an elocution lesson.  Just....plain....awful.

Then I looked up her bio -- not Canadian!

So....I.....just....do....not....understand....her....performance.....in....."A Gingerbread Romance".

 

I'm waiting for "A Bronx Christmas", "Merry, Merry Brooklyn", "Staten Island Noel" and "The Queen's Holiday in Queens"

 

On 12/16/2018 at 9:18 PM, Woopwoopkitty said:

I’m sure someone has done a drinking game, but has anybody done a cliche scorecard?

Let’s say we start with a common trope, such as big city girl with semi-jerk boyfriend goes home to a small town and encounters her high school flame.

then we add points for each of the following cliches:

• a town square tree lighting
• stranded at the airport in a winter storm
• parents died in a car crash when she was young
• making gingerbread houses
• ice skating
• A festival or craft booths
• kissing under the mistletoe
• a town factory closing (toys, cookies, hats, whatever)
• etc.

 

What did I miss?

edit: I missed

•  a character with a Christmas name such as Holly

 

The hyper-corporate ad/marketing agency, where everyone is "pitching" their ideas.

[TVFan17]

In no way do I think that A Christmas for the Books was a perfect movie, but I still think -- and thought at the time I first watched it when it premiered -- that there is some good stuff in it here and there.  There are some witty lines and fun banter.    It has aired a couple of times while I was doing other things on the PC (in the last few days), and for some reason I kept encountering it right when it began.  So I had the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel open in one tab, while I was doing things in the other tab. 

Since I wasn't actually "watching" the movie and was only listening to it, that made me focus on the dialogue even more.  Every now and then, someone would say something and I giggled.  The plot does go  haywire when the girlfriend shows up and it becomes a sort of screwball comedy, but I think there could have been potential for a better movie based on the amusing dialogue in the earlier parts of it.   

I would be interested to see another Hallmark movie written by the same person (Thommy Hutson), because I think he might have a knack for witty banter in the right kind of story.

It's also amusing that the lead actor in A Christmas for the Books -- Drew Seeley -- is the same guy who sings the big love song at the end of Crown for Christmas ("It's Always Been You").

[Marathonrunner]

Kiss at Midnight was pleasant enough & it was one of the few movies where no one was abandoned by a parent, was divorced or was dead - has anyone counted up the young & dead over a holiday season? Good grief - its as though a Hallmark character has to have a "tragedy" in their past to have a happy ending - I much prefer the movies where none of the above is part of the story - of course, at this point, all these movies have run together & I can't keep any of them straight!

[In2You]

I only watched a handful of Hallmark Christmas movies this year and most were boring and blended into each other. And yes it is tiring to see the same actives done in every movie. Can we even call these rom-coms any more since most have no comedy? 

And the single dad prince/king movies are all the same now.  And some of these movies don't have the budget to make the royal fantasy believable. Christmas at the Palace didn't even try to make the prince/king stuff believable. He should've just been some dignitary because he was wondering about town with out guards like it was nothing. And seemed to have all the time in the world to do everything but spend enough time with his child!

I should've done the Christmas Drinking Game.

Edited December 31, 2018 by In2You

[dalek]

At this point I've pretty much overdosed on Hallmark Christmas movies and they're becoming less fun and more relentlessly gentile, but I tend to leave Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on in the background while doing other things.  And I'm kind of cranky right now due to insomnia and needing to do a massive cleaning of my apartment, which is beginning to look like it's eligible for FEMA disaster funds.  So when Dashing Through the Snow came on and the female lead starts talking about how she has this test where people have to be live in Santa for her to think of them as trustworthy, I got all grumpy and started muttering to myself, but what if they're Jewish or Hindu or something? I'm judging you for your stupid test.  And then around 10 minutes later the movie gets to the scene where she adopts the adorable little puppy from the "scary-looking" big guy named Blade, and Blades talking about how owning a dog produces endorphins and the female lead says to the male lead "see, I bet he believes in Santa Claus" and he says "Nope. I'm Jewish."  So well played, Dashing Thought the Snow.

[Woopwoopkitty]

12 hours ago, Marathonrunner said:

Kiss at Midnight was pleasant enough

I enjoyed it.  It didn’t rock my world but it was a refreshingly different story line than the typical tropes.

But I was distracted by Carlos’ haircut.  It looked military and I dont like that style.

[Happywatcher]

Just watching Memories of Christmas for the first time, with a slight headache. This is one of Hallmark's Christmas movies with a black cast this year. Right off, the lead, Christina, is exactly what I would envision a Hallmark actress who is black to be. And she is a good actress. Likable. A younger Danica McKeller if she catches on at the network, which I hope she does

The love interest is also handsome and an okay actor.  

Standard plot, including Rex the jerk/work other guy, big city professional girl who learns the importance of small city life from the handsome construction guy who loves Christmas...

The gala gets saved in the last (checking clock) 13 minutes of the movie, counting TV ad time, 90% off screen. The other  issue is I didn't feel much in the way of sparks between the couple until the very end, even when girl kissed the boy on the cheek as the kick off of the pre resolution sequences.

On the other hand, when the lead smartened up and gave Rex his walking papers it was nice.

The budget limit was glaring because the gala location appeared to be the function room at a small town VFW post

Edited January 1, 2019 by Happywatcher

[magpye29]

On 12/15/2018 at 8:29 PM, Kaoteek said:

Time to Come Home For Christmas. Meh.

Not to mention awkward, clunky title.  Bleah.

[Kaoteek]

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

[MissyPoo]

To the DTH podcast's credit, they got me to watch a movie that I had planned to skip, Jingle Around the Clock. Brooke and Michael were gems on the podcast. It's cute they wrote it, exec produced it and are a couple in real life. I started watching it, but it was a little too slow for the time. I'll probably try again later.

 

Since we're pretty much out of all movies now (I still have to finish A Midnight Kiss which I was looking forward to seeing because it's one of my fave tropes and I like Adelaide Kane), I figured I'd take some time to look back at the heap. There were a lot I missed and some I skipped on purpose. Some I liked and some I cringed majorly at. Does anyone have their own personal top faves for new premieres this, er last year? We can do Hallmark movies here and an all network list for the other forum.

For me, my top movies (based on my desire for repeat viewings) are:

1) Hope For Christmas

2) Memories of Christmas

3) Christmas at Pemberley Manor

4) Christmas Everlasting

5) A Majestic Christmas

Possibly 6) A Midnight Kiss

Maybe 7) A Gingerbread Romance

I'm enjoying A Midnight Kiss so far. A few thoughts, I notice the client they are working with is the man stealing chick from A December Bride. In the scene where she was ogling Carlos/David, I remarked to the mister that she'll probably steal him, too. She'll always be that character to me. And Adelaide/Mia's father could be her brother. The mom looked like she robbed the cradle. I l like that the mayor and his wife were an interracial couple.

Edited January 1, 2019 by MissyPoo

[Happywatcher]

2 minutes ago, MissyPoo said:

 

I'm enjoying A Midnight Kiss so far. A few thoughts, I notice the client they are working with is the man stealing chick from A December Bride. In the scene where she was ogling Carlos/David, I remarked to the mister that she'll probably steal him, too. She'll always be that character to me. And Adelaide/Mia's father could be her brother. The mom looked like she robbed the cradle. I l like that the mayor and his wife were an interracial couple.

There is a scene coming up where client chick throws a fit and lead jerks her back to reality. From then through a dress changing scene (you will know it when it happens) I thought lead and client had more fire going than the lead and leading man pairing

[MissyPoo]

31 minutes ago, Happywatcher said:

There is a scene coming up where client chick throws a fit and lead jerks her back to reality. From then through a dress changing scene (you will know it when it happens) I thought lead and client had more fire going than the lead and leading man pairing

Ha, I believe it. I thought Mia would eventually soften as the movie went on and they'd show more interest in each other. But alas no. I see what you mean because she seemed like she wasn't in any way interested in him though he was definitely interested in her.

[AnnaRose]

3 hours ago, MissyPoo said:

Does anyone have their own personal top faves for new premieres this, er last year?  

 

2018 new Hallmark Christmas Movies:

These three were my favorites primarily due to the cast:
Christmas at Pemberley Manor - with Michael Rady
Mingle All the Way - with Jen Lilley
Small Town Christmas - with Kristoffer Polaha
------------

I finished these and they were only okay... I might watch them again:
The Truth About Christmas - this was probably my favorite of my second tier
A Shoe Addict's Christmas - I will probably give this another try next year to see if I like it better.
Christmas Around the Corner - I already watched this a second time, but didn't like it as much on rewatch.
------------

I finished watching these and they were okay too, but I probably won't watch them again:
Christmas Joy
Godwink Christmas
Christmas Perfection
Entertaining Christmas
Return to Christmas Creek
Reunited at Christmas
A Very Nutty Christmas

-----------

These I deleted without finishing:
Christmas in Love
Christmas at Graceland
Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa
Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane
A Christmas Arrangement
A Christmas for the Books

Edited January 2, 2019 by AnnaRose

[AnnaRose]

I also watched a bunch of pre-2018 Christmas movies that were new to me and that I really liked.  (Two were not on Hallmark, but since all the rest were, I'm just including the whole list here.)

In order that I watched them:

A Gift to Remember
The Christmas Secret
Christmas in Homestead
The Christmas Ornament
Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade
A Christmas to Remember
Christmas in the Air
A Joyous Christmas
Trading Christmas
A Bramble House Christmas
Journey Back to Christmas
Christmas with Holly
Holiday Engagement
Christmas Dance/Come Dance with Me
Kristin's Christmas Past (Lifetime)
Dear Santa
The Christmas List (1997 with Mimi Rogers)
Holiday in Handcuffs
12 Dates of Christmas (ABC Family)

Edited January 2, 2019 by AnnaRose
The Chrismas List is the movie from 1997... I think there's a more recent movie with the same title.

[Mountainair]

I'm just going to say that I'm glad Hallmark Christmas movies are over. I watch Hallmark and look forward to their once a week movies but their Christmas movies are just too hard to keep up with and they all blend together. Then I had the problem of finding podcasts related to the Christmas movies and I couldn't listen to the podcast without watching the movie and then I couldn't remember the name of the movie to figure out which podcast to listen to. It was like a hamster wheel. I'm glad it's over. I deleted 6 movies today that I never got around to watching and since Christmas is over I know I'm not going to watch them. 4 movies a month is plenty for me- maybe 8 if you add in the Movies and Mystery Channel but they air on different nights so it's easier to keep up with. With so many stations making Christmas movies it was like 8 new movies a week and I just can't. I stopped trying and stuck to TCM or old family favorites most of the time. I feel like it was more of a chore than an enjoyment this year and I was burnt out on Christmas far sooner than I should have been. Next season I don't even know if I'll try particularly because most of them I don't even remember. 

[Darlin]

The 2018 batch of Christmas movies was a bit rough for me.  Reluctantly, here is my Top 6.  I don't have HMM on my cable package (sob!) so that's why all of those movies are not on my list.

 

1) Christmas Everlasting

2) Entertaining Christmas

3) Welcome to Christmas

4) Christmas at Evergreen: Letters to Santa

5) Christmas Joy

6) A Gingerbread Christmas (had to watch this 2x b/c the first time it wasn't holding my interest).

 

Movies I tried to watch but couldn't finish due to disinterest/boredom/etc,:

1) Christmas in Love

2) Reunited at Christmas   

3) Road to Christmas

4) A Majestic Christmas

 

Movies I didn't bother to watch:

1) Shoe Addict's Christmas

2) Christmas at Graceland

 

Movie I need to give another chance:

1) Christmas at Pemberley (I normally don't like Jessica Lowndes movies but in hindsight maybe this one wasn't THAT bad)

2) Mingle All the Way

[Woopwoopkitty]

Bobby Campo is a national treasure.

that is all

[Sara2009]

I really enjoyed “ Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane,” but I get so irritated about how the characters in these movies just throw the word “ love” around. How can they love each other after only a few days?

[In2You]

The winter movies look boring.

[MissyPoo]

7 hours ago, In2You said:

The winter movies look boring.

On the plus side, there may be some good laundry folding movies in there! Heh!

[sacrebleu]

I'm with @Mountainair too many new movies, and all of them too similar. On Hallmark (and Lifetime) all the new movies mean you don't see some of the older ones (like A Season for Miracles) yeah, yeah, it's online or on a subscription service. 

 

I wish Hallmark would make fewer films and show more of the older (and Hall of Fame movies). Maybe designate one day a week (TBT perhaps?) For showing 'classic' Hallmark.

[ShelleySue]

On December 31, 2018 at 8:30 PM, Woopwoopkitty said:

But I was distracted by Carlos’ haircut.  It looked military and I dont like that style.

It was fine from the front and side, but from the back it just looked clunky.  I noticed something else about Carlos, I don't mind him so much when he's not with Alexa.  Her voice grates on my nerves.

Despite a record number of holiday movies in 2018, The Nine Lives of Christmas, The Christmas Card and The Most Wonderful Time of Year remain my favorites.

Edited January 2, 2019 by ShelleySue
typo

[twoods]

I agree that Carlos is much better without his wife. I liked the Midnight Kiss movie and always enjoy seeing Adelaide in movies. Probably won’t watch it for a while but it was pleasant enough.

Edited January 2, 2019 by twoods

[sistersledge]

I caught Small town Christmas (? I think) last night and it was pleasant enough- the one with the dark-haired actor who has a style that’s different than most of the Hallmark actors in the way that he acts, but I appreciate as I don’t really find too many of the male actor leads that attractive, although his style is a low-rent Mathew McConahey. It’s the one about the guy who moves home to take care of his orphaned niece and sends the love interest a letter that she never gets. Anyway it was pleasant enough, I enjoyed it. I was bothered by the lead’s long hair and long face- I too have a long face, and I know I need layers.

I watch all the hallmark movies while folding laundry!

[Chippings]

On 12/31/2018 at 5:30 PM, Woopwoopkitty said:

I enjoyed it.  It didn’t rock my world but it was a refreshingly different story line than the typical tropes.

But I was distracted by Carlos’ haircut.  It looked military and I dont like that style.

Lordy, yes.  That haircut is okay for a very youthful person, as a style thing, but for a grown person / romantic lead it's just off-putting.  A 15 year old boy in my family had it for a few months and got over it.   (You have to figure that someone at least consults on hair and makeup for these movies, and that person should be sternly rebuked for this bit.)

[Myrrhine]

On 1/1/2019 at 4:22 PM, MissyPoo said:

To the DTH podcast's credit, they got me to watch a movie that I had planned to skip, Jingle Around the Clock. Brooke and Michael were gems on the podcast. It's cute they wrote it, exec produced it and are a couple in real life. I started watching it, but it was a little too slow for the time. I'll probably try again later.

 

Since we're pretty much out of all movies now (I still have to finish A Midnight Kiss which I was looking forward to seeing because it's one of my fave tropes and I like Adelaide Kane), I figured I'd take some time to look back at the heap. There were a lot I missed and some I skipped on purpose. Some I liked and some I cringed majorly at. Does anyone have their own personal top faves for new premieres this, er last year? We can do Hallmark movies here and an all network list for the other forum.

For me, my top movies (based on my desire for repeat viewings) are:

1) Hope For Christmas

2) Memories of Christmas

3) Christmas at Pemberley Manor

4) Christmas Everlasting

5) A Majestic Christmas

Possibly 6) A Midnight Kiss

Maybe 7) A Gingerbread Romance

I'm enjoying A Midnight Kiss so far. A few thoughts, I notice the client they are working with is the man stealing chick from A December Bride. In the scene where she was ogling Carlos/David, I remarked to the mister that she'll probably steal him, too. She'll always be that character to me. And Adelaide/Mia's father could be her brother. The mom looked like she robbed the cradle. I l like that the mayor and his wife were an interracial couple.

Hope for Christmas was my favorite too! Honestly, it's the only 2018 HM movie I've watched so far that I really liked and would definitely watch again next year. I still have maybe ten Christmas movies I'm going to watch from across a few channels, but even with the group I've watched so far I found myself getting fed up, not with Christmas movies necessarily but with the unrelenting formulaic ones. When I started watching Shoe Addict it was a breath of fresh air not to find a harried career woman traveling from the city to a small town where she would find a handsome townsperson whom she would nearly kiss and then suffer a misunderstanding after attending some holiday events and then eventually quit her job and reconcile with the love interest and finally kiss blah blah. There is a bit of a formula to many romance movies anyway (which I generally enjoy), and I don't mind them being a bit predictable, but with 38 films (or whatever it ultimately is) the specific repetitions became really tedious for me. Now obviously, the only movie I really liked followed most of the usual pattern, so I *can* enjoy one of these movies. That time, for me, the main characters were appealing and really worked together. The pairings in the other movies I watched following the same storyline, were generally fine, but they weren't enough to elevate their story above the tiresome repeated checklist of scenes. Anyway, hopefully I'll enjoy a few of the ones I've still got on my DVR. Honestly, the lifetime Christmas movies I've watched felt fresher than the Hallmark ones. 

Also I felt it was too bad there was no Paul Greene Christmas film unless you count WCTH. Which, side note: even in the previews for that I can't stand the modern hair styles. Like Aunt Becky could have the same hair style as Lori Loughlin's character, and Paul Greene had the same hair in Christmas Detour as in this 19th-century (?) role. 

[AnnaRose]

37 minutes ago, Myrrhine said:

Hope for Christmas was my favorite too! Honestly, it's the only 2018 HM movie I've watched so far that I really liked and would definitely watch again next year. I still have maybe ten Christmas movies I'm going to watch from across a few channels, but even with the group I've watched so far I found myself getting fed up, not with Christmas movies necessarily but with the unrelenting formulaic ones. When I started watching Shoe Addict it was a breath of fresh air not to find a harried career woman traveling from the city to a small town where she would find a handsome townsperson whom she would nearly kiss and then suffer a misunderstanding after attending some holiday events and then eventually quit her job and reconcile with the love interest and finally kiss blah blah. There is a bit of a formula to many romance movies anyway (which I generally enjoy), and I don't mind them being a bit predictable, but with 38 films (or whatever it ultimately is) the specific repetitions became really tedious for me. Now obviously, the only movie I really liked followed most of the usual pattern, so I *can* enjoy one of these movies. That time, for me, the main characters were appealing and really worked together. The pairings in the other movies I watched following the same storyline, were generally fine, but they weren't enough to elevate their story above the tiresome repeated checklist of scenes. Anyway, hopefully I'll enjoy a few of the ones I've still got on my DVR. Honestly, the lifetime Christmas movies I've watched felt fresher than the Hallmark ones.

I just watched Hope for Christmas and I kind of hated it.  Well, hate is probably too strong a word, but I was just so incredibly bored by the same old formula with plot points I have seen repeatedly this year: it was the fourth or fifth movie I watched this year that was largely set in a bookstore; and of course the successful career woman from a big city visits a small town and decides she has to stay; she inherited a house that she's planning to sell; and cute, single local guy is of course a widower; and the cute, busy bookstore has an owner who doesn't want to run it any longer.  Ugh.  I've seen all of those plot points this year, repeatedly, and often in the same movie. 

I know what you mean Myrrhine that sometimes, if you really like the main characters, you can overlook the fact that it's the same repetitive plot points and recycled drama.  I liked this years Small Town Christmas, and liked it even more on rewatch, largely because I find Kristoffer Polaha so appealing and I thought he had nice chemistry with the lead actress.  (Plus I liked that they had history which made it more believable for me.)

I only watched Shoe Addict Christmas once because it was the beginning of the season, and after I had already watched most of my favorites from seasons past, I deleted it before watching it a second time thinking it wasn't quite up to par (compared to my favorites.)  But looking back, after watching so many duds this season, I think it will probably end up being one of the more enjoyable 2018 offerings when I watch it next year.   Like Myrrhine, I appreciate that the plot was refreshingly different, especially now that I'm so burned out on the same old formula. 

I think next year I will only watch my favorites and only new ones that have multiple rave reviews here (you guys don't mind being guinea pigs, right?)... otherwise I fear I may start hating these movies... I was teetering on the edge tonight, and if I have to watch one more gingerbread contest (or any other kind of town Christmas contest) I may be done with these for good.

I'm sorry for the negativity.  Maybe I'm just in a bad mood?  Except I don't think I was in a bad mood before I started watching Hope for Christmas.  I believe that is the last new one I had on my DVR.  Only my favorites left to watch now, I think, until next year anyway.

[MissyPoo]

No worries, AnnaRose. They can get kind of grating and irritating when the formula gets lazy. Especially when you know they have the potential to be so much better than they are judging from the past ones. I agree about Lifetime having the better movies this year. Them and Netflix took the stop spot for me faves. That's a bummer you didn't like Hope For Christmas. I'm a sucker for bookstores and Ryan Paevey so I was happy to have both in this one. (Yay Myrrhine is a fellow fan)!

The mister and I have a system where we give the movie up to fifteen minutes and if it hasn't grabbed us by then, we're out. It makes streamlining the movies easier and it's less time to spend on ones that won't go anywhere. Someone a few posts back mentioned skipping a few they know they wouldn't like and I did that this year. If the leads didn't interest me, it was an automatic skip and let me tell ya, I skipped a lot this year! haha. It saved me some time and I was glad to hear the feedback here to see if there were any I should go back at watch. 

But yeah, I'm with you. I mainly stuck with my faves this year that I rewatched a few times other than a select few premieres. I always enjoy my faves as a tradition. 

[sistersledge]

6 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

hink next year I will only watch my favorites and only new ones that have multiple rave reviews here (you guys don't mind being guinea pigs, right?)... otherwise I fear I may start hating these movies... I was teetering on the edge tonight, and if I have to watch one more gingerbread contest (or any other kind of town Christmas contest) I may be done with these for good.

I only watch the ones that sound interesting to me, or if I have nothing else to watch dvr’d, then I’ll be forced to choose between whatever is on either channel.