I was hunting for the Rob Lowe holiday movie “The Christmas Shoes” when I came across this recommendation on Amazon Prime: A Christmas Solo. This one was free, so it won out.New girl moves to town with her Mom (no father in the picture), and instantly becomes the mortal enemy of a girl who no longer has a Mom. Newly moved-in girl sings well enough to win the coveted solo role in the traditional t...
Markie Post, Randy Travis, and a couple other folks star in this movie about Ed Asner being Papa Noel. I mean, that’s where I landed on this, and I was not disappointed. This didn’t come across my field of view until today so I watched it, and I can’t believe the algorithms failed me! Ed Asner is the bomb-diggity!Typical story of a single mom, small town southern girl who moved to the Big City of...
Christmas Chalet —starring nobody and no-one—is a surprise entry for me this year. It has come up zero times in my searches for movies to review this year, but came up as a suggestion after watching another movie for the first time on Amazon Prime. A story of a divorced photographer, her daughter, and her mother all taking a holiday work-vacation to a “chalet” in Vermont, so she can take photos of...
I was prepared to be so-so on this one. The 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), starring Amy Smart and Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zack!), is a show is about a young woman being set up on a blind date for Christmas Eve (who does this?!). The twist? It’s really Groundhog Day! That is, she is perpetually stuck re-living the same Christmas Eve, from afternoon through evening. Then at midnight she is reset back to...
Has some cute moments, but ultimately meandering and a bit boring. The family is cute, and we see them adopt the local bully’s family for holiday surprises. It just goes on forever. Not much else to say about it. I found it kinda bland., though well-intentioned.(Also, the family home is supposedly that huge place, but four brothers share one room just because they want them to “bond more”?)Do not ...
Is that Michel from Gilmore Girls?! Yes, Yanic is one of the prevalent side characters in this and I’m here for it.I didn’t expect much of this movie, given recent movies that tanked for me in the holiday movie department, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Christmas wasn’t necessary, but it WAS integrated in useful ways that were not entirely incidental to the plot or characters, so I am giving that a ...
A good cast, decent writing, largely predictable plot, and NOTHING TO DO WITH CHRISTMAS. Setting it in December, adjacent to Christmas, does not make a Christmas movie, and should not have Christmas in the title. And no, having the ending scene at a Christmas party also doesn’t make a damn difference.Manny (the original Manny, not the other Manny) was a super fun character, and was a comic injecti...
I just want to go on record that I do not outright reject religious-based holiday movies, so long as they aren’t so bluntly and needlessly ramming it down your throat from the jump. The Perfect Gift from 2009...well let’s just say five minutes in, and we have a secretary complaining about calling decorations “Winter Gala”, because she never baked “winter cookies”, or hung “winter stockings”, or de...
Yet another title with Christmas in it that is some wild bait n’ switch. The only tie-in to Christmas is super weak, and I feel like they intentionally put Christmas in the title to get eyeballs on it in holiday movie list aggregations, which is how I came across it thanks to Prime telling me it was a holiday movie. From the description:“The fictional characters in a popular sitcom wake up to the ...
FINALLY! A relatively obscure, actually GOOD holiday movie I can recommend. Made in 2011, have seen it come up in lists before, but only got around to it this year, and I’m glad I did. And bonus: it stars the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kristy Swanson; and supporting actor Edward Herrmann plays a delightfully gruff cowboy.A woman recently ditched by her loser husband is left with no money...
I am on a roll for truly terribly holiday movies. Meant to be written as a goofball comedy about elves who don’t get out into the real world, and thus don’t know things like...how to hold your breath...? Filled with terribly awkward editing and bad script-writing, it’s another one I’m not sure I can get through without a lot of fast-forwarding.Edited to add: Oh no!!! I am suddenly reminded of a st...
This movie starts with 30 year olds playing themselves as seniors on high school. Badly.Then it moves to 10 years later, where they are playing themselves. Badly.They meet up with family and friends all acting very badly. The central-Canadian accents that keep popping up keep making me think they’re in Wisconsin.The dialogue is meh, the cinematography and sound is at times like a home-made movie, ...
I find that many of my favorite experiences with movies come from not knowing anything about them before I watch them. These days, even a short synopsis can spoil major plot points that would otherwise come as a delightful or interesting surprise. I blame all the competition in the media market for making copywriters feel they need to tease a lot of content to get maximum eyeballs on the work.To ...
A 2018 movie release (and the second movie this season I’ve watched which is based on a Harlequin novel), Hometown Holiday leans heavy on the “down home good old country boy musician” and “we sure hate city slickers” at the jump. But it doesn’t try to carry that weight for long, thank goodness, which redeems it somewhat. Ultimately, while I think the casting is fine and the story is fine, and the...
On Netflix, this one came up recommended among a pile of Christmas movies, and has a little spring of holly in the title. So I added it to my list for 2020 new holiday releases and watched it tonight.It is not—I repeat NOT—a Christmas movie. It is roughly set at Christmas, in order to create a sense of urgency for the subject matter, and to pluck the heartstrings around familial traditions. But th...
It is easy to get all these Christmas + Prince/Princess movies mixed up. A Christmas Prince (and A Christmas Prince 2 and 3), A Christmas Princess, Christmas with a Prince, A Prince for Christmas, The Princess Switch, to name the ones I have reviewed so far. So I had to watch and review this one, which at this time is running on both Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.From 2011, I hadn’t seen this tit...
My initial thoughts were the main character was needlessly rude and unlikeable. And then she continues like this for a long while, but I kept watching because the actress was also good and still compelling on screen. When given a chance to not sneer at everything, she glows. An she eventually is given that chance and it redeems so much of this movie. Unfortunately, the unbelievable storyline (a Pr...
I suppose if I am giving Holiday Inn a pass as being a Christmas movie (and in fact one of my FAVORITE movies to watch at Christmas), then Holidate should, on that level, pass that test? But honestly...it was simply released before the Christmas season, and is about having a guy to show up with a gal at events around every holiday around the year.If you are looking for Christmas atmosphere, magic...
Do we really need ANOTHER movie about some prince from a made up country hooking up with a cynical or “low born” American at Christmastime?Yes, yes we do.While we all know they are going to end up together, every now and again the material is treated in such a way—or the casting is done so well—that it makes it a pleasure to watch to unfold. Based on a Harlequin novel, actually, I really liked thi...
A Disney+ entry this year, with enchanted/magical themes that suit the holiday atmosphere—though not specifically holiday themed—is Grandmothered. Here is what I’ll say.No, not a Christmas movie. So fail on that. But Jillian Bell is a freaking treasure, working the perfect homage to my favorite clueless-big-hearted characters the likes of Buddy the Elf and Giselle from Enchanted. She had us just r...
Looking back on THIS POST, I have to laugh. This year is a bit different, but not that different. LOL!! He still loves surprises. He told me explicitly to not pick up packages from the porch this week, and I was in the living room—which overlooks the porch—when the package arrived this week.I informed him via text. He came through the living room with a large empty box, went to the porch, and came...
Like the franchise predecessors, both as shorts and full-run movies, the Lego Star Wars Holiday special is as much for the adults as the kids (if not more!). It is full of quick, snappy punchlines and Easter egg references for fans of Star Wars. I am not a big enough fan to be the one to suss it out, but I have to believe there is at least one reference to every single movie and television Star Wa...
I have definitely seen this movie before, but maybe it was not since I started going Holiday Movie Musings. So I opted to watch it again and review it this time. Starring that guy who was an intern in the later seasons of The Office, and generic blonde actress who was apparently in the Australian version of Neighbours. Co-starring Andie McDowell.wild little rich girl’s daddy realizes she’s outta h...
A new entry for the 2020 holiday season, this one was pretty cute. A little white savior-y and a little “generic Polynesian culture-esque” wen visiting the indigenous peoples, but ultimately, I enjoyed it. Big bad political interests want to close a base in Guam, which is known to be one of the biggest relief organizations in the region. They send a young woman with hopes for a promotion to be the...
Now we’re on to Coming Home for Christmas (not to be confused with the 2017 movie “Coming Home for Christmas” starring Danica McKellar). Like the last movie I reviewed—The Christmas Lodge—this 2013 movie was produced by another dead painter’s company, this time Norman Rockwell. The co-producer is the same company, Nasser Productions, and was also shot in British Columbia but set in the Pacific Nor...
First reaction: Is that THE Thomas Kinkade in the opening credits? Turns out, yes, yes it is. The company that was formed under the deceased painter, Thomas Kinkade, also made a smattering of feel-good holiday movies. Best known for “The Christmas Cottage”, The Christmas Lodge is the latest entry.Second reaction: Is that DANIEL JACKSON from Stargate SG-1? Turns out yes, yes it is.Third reaction: I...
Saw this one in 2018 when it first came out, and am watching it again this year before watching the sequel (and reviewing it for Holiday Movie Musings!).Immediately we (my husband and I) were both reminded how charming and quick the dialogue is. Editing is strong, CG excellent, and casting is spot on. Kurt Russel is the perfect mix of rough/gruff and kindly. The pacing is good, keeping the action ...
I knew I was going to watch when I saw Daniel Levy and Aubrey Plaza in it. Add to that Kristen Stewart, Victor Garber, Mary Steenburgen, and Allison Brie, and it was a must-see. And...it was a'ight. As one friend commented on FB, a lesbian rom-com deserves better. I am left with similar feelings. Also, other than being set at the holidays to create the scenario of "bringing your partner home to me...
When I saw my Kingy again...Kingston was our toughest foster by far. Very wary of all new people generally, and fearful of men--he would bite them. He was such a sweet dog, though--smart and goofy and adorable. He loved his foster doggo friends, and he loooved my friend Amielle Love especially. He was playful, inquisitive, and a charmer. Except for that whole "men suck" vibe.Chris was so gentle wi...
Kicking off the holiday movie watching season with this new entry from Netflix, Jingle Jangle, which touted a promising cast with Phylicia Reshad, Forrest Whittaker, Keegan Michael-Key, and Ricky Martin. Not far into it, we get to meet the glowing young Journey, played by the magnetic Madalen Mills. Costumes are incredible, sets fantastic, and the musical numbers SHOULD GO AWAY. There was just...n...
1LbGround beef 2Green onions Sliced1KnobGinger Minced4TbspSoy sauce 1⁄4Cuppanko bread crumbs 1TbspHoney 4TbspMayo 4TbspSour cream 1Tbspsriracha Or to tasteSalt & pepper Green beans 1cupjasmine rice DIRECTIONSSlice green onions and divide greens and whites.Combine 1lb fine ground beef mixed with the whites of the two scallions (save back the sliced greens for garnish), a goo...
I've said it before and I will say it again:Alton Brown's Brined Turkey? Best. Turkey. Ever.You can debate all you want about whether brining helps or not. I have tried many other recipes--dry brines, wet brines, unbrined, grilled, smoked, even sous vide--and every time we come back to this recipe as the absolutely best combination of flavor and juiciness. Period.My only adaptation is I always spa...
I have had this tub of Thai red curry paste for long enough that it is approaching expiration, and I didn’t want it to go to waste. I thought about making a vegetarian meal, and looked up inspirational recipes and found a couple bases to start from. But I know Chris wouldn’t be happy without animal protein in it, so I added chicken to the mix. Love my IP for making up quick shredded chicken for th...
Our neighbor Ken, across the street, is dying (non-COVID). We have been neighbors for over 20 years. They are older and were always pretty curmudgeonly, and we were the young newlyweds who moved in across the street. They didn't seem to care much for the friendly neighbor thing, but were nice enough.As we have gotten older, they have either softened or softened to us, or maybe both. They talked to...
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