Well, as you can tell I didn't complete reviews for the last 7 movies in Hallmark's 2019 Holiday lineup. I did see parts of all but 4 of the movies which is a better result than I really thought I'd achieve.
Why did I stop so close to my goal? Well, two of the last 3 movies I watched were so unenjoyable that I just shut them off less than half way through. Additionally, as the holiday approached and I had time off with my significant other I wanted to do things other than watching and writing about Hallmark so I got what I had watched posted and then I was done.
Would I undertake this again? Nope. Trying to watch 40 Hallmark movies in two months is a pretty serious undertaking. The occasional Hallmark movie is a perfect way to spend an evening. However, Hallmark's ever increasing slate of Christmas movie is just too much. There were a few movies that surprised me but for the most part the ones I enjoyed tended to be ones that I was most likely to watch anyway. There were some movies that were less than 3 stars that I honestly could have turned off and been fine without finishing and if watching any other year I might have. Sometimes less really is more and I think that it might be the case here. I am not saying that my Hallmark consumption has completely evaporated now or in the future but I think that the best experience is found with moderation. With so many movie options to watch there is no reason to continue to watch something that isn't working for you at the time. You can always try it again next year. My friends were giving me recommendations for holiday movies on Lifetime and other networks but I was too burned out to even get to them. Next year, I'm leaving time to partake is some of these other movie watching opportunities so I can dissect and compare notes with friends.
Giant Holiday Decor Love: I still love extra large holiday decor whether it is nutcrackers, Santa, snowmen or anything else. I even went looking on Amazon to see the options available. The option that comes closest to the giant nutcrackers used in many of the Hallmark movies is a 12 foot nutcracker soldier figure that is currently priced close to $4,000 (though it was available for around $2,500 during the season). Not something that I need to add to my holiday decorations but good to know it's possible that I could spot it in the wild. I have to admit that I am still going to keep my eyes peeled for them next year along with some good knitwear.
This wouldn't be a post from me without a little bit of snark. So this one has really been irking me for the past two months, Hallmark's commercial breaks. Each commercial break lasts around 4 minutes or more and I swear that they happen at least every 15 minutes. The way I tried to get around them was by watching it after it premiered and just fast-forwarding through the commercial breaks which sometimes worked but sometimes I wasn't allowed. I feel like the commercials are worse on Hallmark's networks but it could be that I don't watch that much on TV anymore and it's like this on every network and I just don't realize. Marketing is always changing and I hope that something better comes along. Maybe they can offer their networks available for streaming at a fee and not just Hallmark NOW. Cord cutters would love it! Some extra revenue might reduce the need for as many ads and maybe they could show the previews for their upcoming movies in an extended break at the start/end of the movie. I might be more inclined to watch it instead of just fast-forwarding straight through.
WinterFest has already begun but at least it's only one movie a week and snuggling under a blanket for 2 hours seems doable again.
How many of the Hallmark premieres did you make it through? Did you feel burned out towards the ends as well?
