Hallmark Movies ❤️ comfort & joy

[elgerber]

@elgerber Did you get to try the Hallmark wine? Or are you now saving it for New Years? How was it?

Not yet. Father in law brought two bottles of Kim Crawford at Christmas so we drank that

 

[Imzadi]

I have had the Hallmark wines. I think it was maybe two Christmases ago. I ordered a white and a red. They were drinkable, not a bold flavor, more typical of a table red or table white. I didn't like them enough to join the wine club.

They probably make them purposely mild for the people who don't care for wines.

Not yet. Father in law brought two bottles of Kim Crawford at Christmas so we drank that

I love those Kim Crawford wine commercials.

They know the demographic they are trying to sell to.

 

[elgerber]

I liked A Christmas Miracle for Daisy. It's very classic Hallmark, (even though it's on GAC. ) So, GAC finally hit one out of the ball park with this, after some other disappointing first movies. The IMDb.com has it at a 7.1 rating, which is high for Hallmark-esque movies.

Jill Wagner plays an interior designer for like the fourth time. But, I liked her previous movies where she was one. The male lead is good too. So, if you are into a well written, feel good, Hallmark comfort movie, this is one.

Peacock also still has it on their free tier. (Sign up & watch for free.)
https://www.peacocktv.com/

Thanks. I have paid Peacock so I put this on my list.

 

[elgerber]

I liked A Christmas Miracle for Daisy. It's very classic Hallmark, (even though it's on GAC. ) So, GAC finally hit one out of the ball park with this, after some other disappointing first movies. The IMDb.com has it at a 7.1 rating, which is high for Hallmark-esque movies.

Jill Wagner plays an interior designer for like the fourth time. But, I liked her previous movies where she was one. The male lead is good too. So, if you are into a well written, feel good, Hallmark comfort movie, this is one.

Peacock also still has it on their free tier. (Sign up & watch for free.)
https://www.peacocktv.com/

i just watched this, I really enjoyed it, thank you!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I saw a commercial this morning that GAC Family is going to run Christmas movies every Saturday, all year.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Since my last post, I've watch "Forever Christmas" (a Lifetime one) and am partway through "You, Me, and the Christmas Trees" (Hallmark...and maybe the first one I taped this year.)

Forever Christmas - I recommend this one if you can stand the "boss who doesn't care" part (the actor is good, I'm just not as fond of that often-used storyline). But the set-up (lady producer does a reality spot about a guy who celebrates Christmas all year) and the leads more than make up for it! He's one of my favorites, they have good chemistry, and they actually they get to kiss before the last five minutes of the movie.

And I'm enjoying the current one as well. Danica McKellar is definitely one of my Hallmark favorites. The story is a little predictable, of course, but that's part of the comfort, right?

 

[Imzadi]

I saw a commercial this morning that GAC Family is going to run Christmas movies every Saturday, all year.

Also, as usual:
Hallmark Movies and Mysteries will continue to show a Christmas movie every Thurs at 7pm ET.

The Hallmark Channel will continue to show a Christmas movie every Fri at 8pm ET.

 

[Imzadi]

I just watched “A Dickens of a Holiday!” This was great and I highly recommend it. That might be the first one I’ve watched this year (although there are many I haven’t gotten to yet) that I can say that about!

I watched this kind of holding my breath in case there is a cringey moment - as in, "Why didn't anyone check first to find out if the lead actor actually has the range to play Scrooge???" But, he did really well.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I just finished watching "Five More Minutes" and it may be my favorite of this year's crop! It's on again Sunday at 6:00 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries) if you get a chance to see it.

A woman finds her grandfather's journal, and it helps with her own love story. It's very loosely based on a song I already know and love, but it's definitely Christmasy as well.

I did guess the surprise rather early, but somehow that didn't take away from my enjoyment at all.

 

[AustinTink]

My MIL recommended A Castle for Christmas with Brooke Shields and Cary Elwes (swoon). It's on netflix. I'm finally getting around to watching it later tonight.

 

[Imzadi]

I just finished watching "Five More Minutes" and it may be my favorite of this year's crop! It's on again Sunday at 6:00 (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries) if you get a chance to see it.

A woman finds her grandfather's journal, and it helps with her own love story. It's very loosely based on a song I already know and love, but it's definitely Christmasy as well.

I did guess the surprise rather early, but somehow that didn't take away from my enjoyment at all.

I read this was a real tearjerker. Most people say it's a "good cry", not a sad cry, whatever that means. But, they all loved the movie too.

 

[Imzadi]

My MIL recommended A Castle for Christmas with Brooke Shields and Cary Elwes (swoon). It's on netflix. I'm finally getting around to watching it later tonight.

I'm glad for Brooke. I wish I had Netflix.

 

[elgerber]

My MIL recommended A Castle for Christmas with Brooke Shields and Cary Elwes (swoon). It's on netflix. I'm finally getting around to watching it later tonight.

I watched this the day it came out. It is pretty schmaltzy like any good Hallmark movie but with a bigger budget and better scenery. I enjoyed it. The friends were a hoot! And the dog…

 

[Imzadi]

I saved a couple movies, hoping I'd have some really good ones towards the end of the season. They actually turned out to be duds, in my opinion.

One was Melissa Joan Hart's Lifetime movie, Mistletoe in Montana. She looked absolutely beautiful As did Montana. She even acted very realistically. Unfortunately all the other actors were acting a different style of artificial, bad acting. It was like they weren't in the same movie together.

And Melissa and the male lead had no chemistry together. It was made worse by the fact that the male lead put on a bad British accent. He already IS British, why put on an even worse, more phony British accent??? We get you aren't a Montana rancher.

The IMDb viewers gave it a beyond dismal 4.7 rating. Usually a 5.2 rating is the lowest, really scraping the barrel as barely watchable for Hallmark/Lifetime movies that I usually go. What I watched of this was much worse and deserved the low rating.

I also tried to watch Hallmark's Christmas for Keeps. It was written by first time screenwriters, actresses Nikki DeLoach and Megan McNulty, which already might have been the problem. They wrote this to be rather "actor-y." They start out the first scene with the cast doing a rehearsal with "heightened" acting of A Christmas Carol to SHOW us they are doing acting within the movie.

Problem is, almost all the actors were also doing some weird heightened overacting while being themselves. The movie fast-forward in time, then there was a second scene where one of the characters was doing yet another heightened performance. They all are gathered together due to the death of their acting teacher, (who was the only one who did realistic acting.) There were too many moving parts in this, with too many characters all at once that we have to try to figure out who they are and their relationships with each other. Who goes with who. Maybe I'm just burning out on all the movies and I'll feel differently another time, but I didn't want to keep up.

Add to that the lead actress, (even though I think this was supposed to be an ensemble,) Christa B. Allen was unlikable - and doing the weird acting. Apparently, Hallmark & Lifetime don't like her either as each never cast her before in a Christmas movie before. I guess Hallmark thought if there were enough other characters around her, it might work? Instead, I turned off the movie.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I also tried to watch Hallmark's Christmas for Keeps.

I gave Christmas for Keeps a "C" (on my rating scale). "C" means I'd watch it again, but it wasn't really great. I had a good drama teacher in high school, so I related.... But I didn't like the flashback-feel about it. I got confused sometimes about what was going on.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I read this was a real tearjerker. Most people say it's a "good cry", not a sad cry, whatever that means. But, they all loved the movie too.

That means sentimental tears, not upset tears.

 

[elgerber]

I gave Christmas for Keeps a "C" (on my rating scale). "C" means I'd watch it again, but it wasn't really great. I had a good drama teacher in high school, so I related.... But I didn't like the flashback-feel about it. I got confused sometimes about what was going on.

I got bored with that one in 20 minutes and turned it off. I rarely do that

 

[Imzadi]

That means sentimental tears, not upset tears.

I have it set to record. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Imzadi]

Reminder: A new year and a new movie tomorrow night with
Where Your Heart Belongs starring Jen Lilley and Christopher Russell. 8pm ET/PT

Description: When a NY marketing executive returns home to help with her best friend's wedding, she learns the hard way that the love and support of family and friends means more than she'd ever imagined.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

I saved a couple movies, hoping I'd have some really good ones towards the end of the season. They actually turned out to be duds, in my opinion.

One was Melissa Joan Hart's Lifetime movie, Mistletoe in Montana. She looked absolutely beautiful As did Montana. She even acted very realistically. Unfortunately all the other actors were acting a different style of artificial, bad acting. It was like they weren't in the same movie together.

And Melissa and the male lead had no chemistry together. It was made worse by the fact that the male lead put on a bad British accent. He already IS British, why put on an even worse, more phony British accent??? We get you aren't a Montana rancher.

The IMDb viewers gave it a beyond dismal 4.7 rating. Usually a 5.2 rating is the lowest, really scraping the barrel as barely watchable for Hallmark/Lifetime movies that I usually go. What I watched of this was much worse and deserved the low rating.

I also tried to watch Hallmark's Christmas for Keeps. It was written by first time screenwriters, actresses Nikki DeLoach and Megan McNulty, which already might have been the problem. They wrote this to be rather "actor-y." They start out the first scene with the cast doing a rehearsal with "heightened" acting of A Christmas Carol to SHOW us they are doing acting within the movie.

Problem is, almost all the actors were also doing some weird heightened overacting while being themselves. The movie fast-forward in time, then there was a second scene where one of the characters was doing yet another heightened performance. They all are gathered together due to the death of their acting teacher, (who was the only one who did realistic acting.) There were too many moving parts in this, with too many characters all at once that we have to try to figure out who they are and their relationships with each other. Who goes with who. Maybe I'm just burning out on all the movies and I'll feel differently another time, but I didn't want to keep up.

Add to that the lead actress, (even though I think this was supposed to be an ensemble,) Christa B. Allen was unlikable - and doing the weird acting. Apparently, Hallmark & Lifetime don't like her either as each never cast her before in a Christmas movie before. I guess Hallmark thought if there were enough other characters around her, it might work? Instead, I turned off the movie.

I just got around to Christmas for Keeps yesterday (by the way my DVR is overflowing with holiday cheer, I'll be reviewing Christmas movies for awhile if they are decent). I concur with the poor ratings. This was just unwatchable on multiple levels. Blech.

I didn't even record Mistletoe in Montana. I could tell from a lengthy preview this was not for me. I do love MJH, but it looked so overacted, I knew I wouldn't get into it. Glad to hear I didn't miss out on a treasure!