A Merry Christmas Match - Premiere #2

A Merry Christmas Match premiered on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' Miracles of Christmas on October 25th and stars Ashley Newbrough and Kyle Dean Massey.  It's only the second movie of the season and I've already gotten things out of order so it's looking like it'll be in the order that I watch them and not entirely chronological.

RATING (out of 5): 🎄

General Movie Details:  single girl with big city dreams (Corey) stays "stuck" in small hometown and runs her Dad's antique shop, her now famous best friend comes home for a visit from LA with boyfriend and his rich "most eligible bachelor" best friend in tow (Ryder), all before Christmas Corey makes an impromptu visit to the famous bestie in LA and attends a party at Ryder's parents home (without letting him know she was coming).  You see where this is going or maybe not quite yet... The general theme is follow your dreams and your heart.

Meet Cute Moment:  While he is looking around her family's antique store they turn around and almost run into each other.  He falls backward and breaks a chair and winds up kneeling on the floor in front of her.  You won't forget about the broken chair because they bring it up on at least three more occasions.

Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant:  I already went off about this from the last movie but it came up again so I will try to merely just mention it in passing.  In this movie the main character is  planning and putting on a children's Christmas pageant on Christmas Eve.  Again with the Christmas Eve festivities, really?!?!  Forgetting about the question of time at home or church on Christmas Eve,  doesn't anyone in town go away for the holidays?  I would think that there would be a lot of kids who couldn't make it due to family obligations and the theater would be a bit empty too.  Every holiday concert or pageant where I live is at least a week or two before the holiday for precisely these reasons.

Hallmark Movie Connections:  Ashley Newbrough was previously in Small Town Christmas (2018) with Kristoffer Polaha.  I also saw her in a non-Hallmark Christmas movie (who knew?!?) Snowmance (2017) that is often (although not currently) available on Amazon Prime.  Kyle Dean Massey is making his Hallmark movie premiere but was previously seen performing on Broadway and in the show Nashville.

Let me know if you found a merry Christmas match in this movie because I missed it.

Christmas Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses - Premiere #1

Christmas Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses premiered on Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas on October 26th and stars Jill Wagner and Matthew Davis.  Donna Mills appears in a supporting role.

RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄

General Movie Details: single mom former interior designer, rich single workaholic, mission to redecorate estate for everyday and Christmas, faux love triangles, finding balance in life and the spirit of Christmas (plays on meme of Grinch)

Meet Cute Moment: They literally run into each other on the sidewalk. He walks away saying "Nice running into you."  Her first impression of him as related to her Dad "...just someone in need of some Christmas cheer."

Notable Knitwear Alert: Max (her son) is seen wearing a great knitted hat with fair isle sheep on it at the tree lighting (similar to the Baa-ble Hat). Max is later seen wearing a knit sweater with reindeer fair isle pattern across the chest at home when Nick comes to visit.

Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant:  What's with people planning/attending an event on Christmas Eve?  I mean really!?!  In this movie they are planning and attending a charity party on Christmas Eve.  I don't recall seeing any children at the party either.  Do millionaire/billionaire families not spend Christmas Eve with family and close friends?  They are obviously not religious either because no one was rushing out to make it to church on time.  This trope of things happening on Christmas Eve has always bothered me since it is NOT normal.   Also, do people really not plan ahead more than a month when remodeling/redecorating their house?  Maybe money solves the  problems that a lack of planning causes but the contrived nature of this trope has always bothered me.

Feel free to share your thoughts on the movie and let me know if the same things bother you.

Hallmark = Christmas Movie Magic?

At least that is what they want to make you think with all of their ads.  I completely admit to having a slight addiction to the channel and their formulaic year round theme-based romance/chick films.  When I got rid of cable and went with Sling over a year ago, I made sure to include the Hallmark channels (because apparently one is not enough) with my subscription.

I also admit that in the past I have consumed almost all of their original films at Christmas and throughout the year. This year, in celebration of 10 years of Countdown to Christmas, Hallmark has upped their holiday game and has an astounding 40 premieres (24 on Hallmark + 16 on Movies & Mysteries).  While I'm not sure I can completely commit to watching all of the movies - - there are 4 premieres a week starting in October - - I can try...

My initial thought is to rate each film out of 5 Christmas trees (seasonally appropriate), include a few details regarding the characters/situation/themes that establish a baseline understanding of the movie, brief description of the meet cute moment, notable knitwear (I am a crafter after all) and maybe a bit of my commentary and snark.  We'll see how it goes and this may push me to watch some of the movies/actors that I would usually avoid.

I don't plan to write a dissertation for these movies or go knee deep into the details so my posts will be only the briefest of summaries.  If you want a complete review and discussion, there are podcasts for that.

Twelfth Day of Holiday Movies

On the Twelfth day of Christmas, the holiday movie recommendation I present to you…

Is… The Santa Clause (1994), starring Tim Allen. I admit that I really like origin stories.  Some people think that they are slow-moving and boring but I disagree.  So this new take on the Santa origin suits me just fine.  Who doesn’t like the idea of the person least prepared for the job being the one to fill Santa’s shoes.  It leaves plenty of options for comedy and humor.  I really like the North Pole sets and images.  It looks like a great place to visit.  In my mind, this is the best movie of the franchise.  The second one isn’t too bad but the third one lacks the Christmas magic.

I think that this is a great movie to watch on these last few days of the season.  I hope that you have enjoyed this movie list and that it’s given you something new to enjoy this Christmas season. 

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!

Eleventh Day of Holiday Movies

On the Eleventh day of Christmas, the holiday movie recommendation I present to you…

Is… Santa Claus: The Movie (1985).  This movie is part origin story and part modern day examination of the commercialism of Christmas.  The first half of the movie is the origin and history of Santa and his elves.  Dudley Moore plays one of Santa’s elves, Patch.  Patch decided that he wasn’t appreciated enough by Santa so he left the North Pole to prove himself to Santa. Patch teams up with the evil toy manufacturer, B.Z. (John Lithgow) to make a special gift for the children of the world.  When things don’t go as planned, Santa and two young New Yorkers who still believe help to save Patch.

This film is very much a product of the 1980’s.  This was a time when product placement was a big thing and it is abundantly obvious that McDonald/s and Coca-Cola were sponsors of the film.  I find these elements funny in hindsight but others are very bothered by it.  I remember seeing this movie at the theater.  It was a theatrical flop and panned by basically every critic, but I enjoyed it.  The flyover NY by Santa was breathtaking on the big screen and it still takes my breath away with each viewing. 

The partnership with McDonald’s and Coca-Cola means that there were a number tie in products released.  A few years ago I came across one of the picture books that were included with Happy Meals from that time.  It included some great pictures from the film in the children’s storybook.  In 1985, they also released a novelization of the movie.  I decided that my Dad would really enjoy it so I bought him the paperback book that Christmas.  I don’t know that he ever read it but it did sit on the bookshelf behind their bed for years.  As an adult, I was able to snatch it and had a chance to read it myself.

The movie is dated and I am sure that my affinity for it is derived from nostalgia but everyone has their guilty pleasures and this is mine.  I say keep an open mind and give it a try.

Tenth Day of Holiday Movies

On the tenth day of Christmas, the holiday movie recommendation I present to you…

Is… Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983).  I subscribe to the belief that on any list of holiday movies there must be a version of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol.  This is the classic story of the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge from miserly curmudgeon to a giving and thoughtful man who embraces the spirit of Christmas.  So for my recommendation, I went with the family friendly version filled with the Disney characters we all know and love.  As someone who lovingly remembers the Disney Afternoon lineup, who doesn’t love Scrooge McDuck in the title role of Ebenezer Scrooge.  This adaptation is short at just under 30 minutes so it keeps everyone’s interest.  There are a number of lesser known characters and I find it a fun game to spot them and name the movie they are from, however, I recommend this on a subsequent viewing since it does take you out of the story. 

I have this DVD and in the release they included some new Disney Mickey shorts so the runtime is closer to an hour. While the shorts are good they are not Christmas focused so they don’t really scratch my Christmas itch at this time of year.  Instead, I’d recommend a “Scroogy” marathon.  Id’ follow this up with other adaptations of the classic film to compare and contrast.  The first that I’d recommend is The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) which is also family friendly but is a full length adaptation. I mean who doesn’t love the Muppets.  The final film that I’d recommend in this Scrooge trifecta is Scrooged (1988) with Bill Murray as a modern-day TV executive who embodies the spirit of Scrooge. This movie is PG-13 so it isn’t for the younger set but I recommend it for everyone else.  The ghosts and experiences are indeed enough to scare anyone straight. 

If you have a favorite adaptation of A Christmas Carol, please share it.

Ninth Day of Holiday Movies

On the ninth day of Christmas, the holiday movie recommendation I present to you…

Is… A Boyfriend for Christmas (2004), which was a Hallmark TV movie starring Kelli Williams and Patrick Muldoon.   Holly (Kelli Williams) is a realist, a women who stopped believing in Santa and the magic of Christmas many years ago after not her wish to Santa was unfulfilled.  In her professional life she works with child protective services and is hoping to reunite two children and their mother just in time for Christmas.  At least, she was until the mother’s pro bono lawyer, Ryan (Patrick Muldoon), does not show up for the hearing.  Later on this Christmas Eve at the homeless shelter in town, Holly speaks with Santa and admits that she stopped believing in him after he didn’t fulfill her long ago wish for the perfect boyfriend.  Meanwhile, Ryan has been working to make up for his absence at the hearing and is volunteering at the shelter and overhears Holly’s conversation with Santa.  Ryan agrees to help Santa and delivers himself as Holly’s Christmas boyfriend.  As you can imagine, some funny exchanges occur as white lies compound until Ryan’s house of cards comes crashing down.  Does Holly get the perfect boyfriend for Christmas this year or has Santa let her down again?  You’ll have to watch and see.

I enjoy the heck out of this movie and have even been known to watch it at other times of the year.  I like the character transformation that Ryan undergoes.  I mean if you ignore the fact that the film takes place in just over a week, but it is entertainment and not reality.  One aspect that I dislike is the apparent wealth of all involved – huge houses, Prada, silver and crystal, the cars that they drive, high 6-figure salaries, black tie New Year’s parties.  It is not a world that I am acquainted with but if you can look past all that, I enjoy the story since at the heart it is not about money or status.

Did you notice Holly's matching striped scarf and hat shown on the DVD cover and also included later in the movie? I am pretty certain that it came from the Gap.  I remember when Gap had what looks like that set and it was impossible to get your hands on it.  I had a friend who miraculously had it but I think she got it before it really got popular.  Yes, I’m a knitter and could easily make it with just some leftovers, I just never have… Maybe that’s an idea for the New Year or next winter.

I could see watching this film after catching Christmas in Connecticut.  They both play off of the premise of lies about identity that snowball out of control.  Did you have a different movie marathon recommendation?