Holiday Hotline

 

Why?

This movie looked interesting for Bingo so we recorded it and here we are now.

What in the world?

A British lady comes to America and gets a job helping people while they make food over the phone. It's very strange and apparently is a real thing.

Personal thoughts

This movie was very crazy. While she was on the phone, her boss would just sit in front of her and listen to her conversations. I think it was just because she was new to the process but that would just make things worse. The whole plotline of her and the guy is crazy because she lies about being American and she just doesn't realize that Jake isn't his name it's John or something like that. The whole conflict boils down to a case of lying and not admitting the truth. While this is happening, she accuses him of also using a fake name and he just says that is his real name and they go their separate ways. Not for long though because his brother's fiancée convinces him to catch her at the airport because she's British or something like that. The motivation is not in my mind anymore.

Score

 I have to give this movie a 3 out of 10. It would have been a 2 except for there was this one scene. She was on the phone with him as her American persona and spaces out. We cut to this dream sequence where they are dancing and there's a turkey in front of them. A baked turkey not a live one and the tagline for the hotline is behind them. I don't quite understand what that was all about because it didn't fit into the movie at all. If you had asked anyone for a prediction about this movie, I don't think anyone would have guessed that it would be in the film.

Watch what you love,

Your fellow film watcher

A Gingerbread Miracle

Why?

Christmas time and Hallmark are almost synonymous at this point.

What in the world?

A woman has to help sell her old crush's uncle's gingerbread store/bakery. She ends up reconnecting with her old crush.

Personal thoughts

The gingerbread in this movie was magic and granted people wishes. An example of this is a hockey kid getting into college on a hockey scholarship. That was pretty neat but this movie was crazy. I mean there was something called a gingerbread obstacle course. I assume that you think it's an obstacle course made of gingerbread but no. It's a gingerbread house making obstacle course with bounce house obstacles. It was crazy. The movie had a weird timeline. It showed the guy getting his uncle's stall ready for the event and then it cut to the lady putting the staff badges into their little sleeves with her mom after that. That doesn't make any sense chronologically but whatever.

Score

I have to give this movie a 4 out of 10. The plot was interesting and it was nice to see some other cultural activities for Christmas. In this movie I think the culture was Spanish. It was just nice to see some diverse Christmas traditions from different cultures in Hallmark. These people in the movies are monsters for a reason unrelated to culture. They would never say what they were drinking but it was usually hot chocolate. Hot chocolate is on our bingo boards and you don't know how much they taunted us throughout this movie. Anyway, the main people were interesting enough to make the movie not feel as long as it was.

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Your fellow film watcher

Navigating Christmas

 

Why?

Tis the season for Hallmark Bingo and this movie just looked like a must watch. I mean who takes their teenage son to a lighthouse to celebrate Christmas.

What in the world?

A single mom takes her teenage son to a lighthouse to celebrate Christmas. She ends up falling for the lighthouse keeper. 

Personal thoughts

This movie was very interesting. The movie kind of seemed to drag with things that were not interesting. I mean they gave the teenage son a love interest that was pretty dull. I mean he got friend zoned anyway so it doesn't matter. The main people were pretty ok, but they just lacked communication. They also accidentally tell the son that is dad is having a child with the woman he cheated on the mom with. He was just standing in the kitchen and overheard them. SPOILER ALERT! He ends up stealing his love interest's boat (it's revealed that he has never drove a boat before) and getting stranded in the middle of the ocean, sea, thing. He got past the dock really well so it was surprising that he had never driven a boat before. Sadly, he ends up getting saved but that was the big climax of this movie. It was really dumb.

Score

I have to give this movie a 2 out of 10. It was a typical Hallmark movie that had a lighthouse. There was this one part where the guy kissed a metal anchor in the cold and his lips didn't get stuck. Very unrealistic if you ask me but I suppose I can't complain. Oh and there was this really pushy mayor that was intent on getting everyone to participate in Christmas related activities for some reason. She was very very annoying.

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Your fellow film watcher

Christmas at the Holly Hotel

 

Why?

My mom and I needed something to watch while my sister was busy doing something. We decided to watch this movie to pass the time.

What in the world?

A food critic goes home for Christmas to spend time with her family and instead ends spending most of it with a cop. They fall in love. She is not doing communicating service.

Personal thoughts

This movie was so hard to follow. I mean the timeline was all over the place. Are we supposed to believe that December 20th this lady was able to get on a flight that she just booked. Yeah no and we are also expected to believe that she booked it that night and landed that next morning around afternoon. It might make sense if she went across the country to change time zones but she doesn't. She goes from New York to Michigan. Anyway, the days are messed up in other places but that one stood out the most. This movie also had a very strange grandma that was very blunt for no reason. Oh it also had ghosts for no reason too. That part was very strange because they didn't do anything for the plot except talk to her dad. 

Score

I have to give this movie a 3 out of 10. I think the whole reason this movie got a semi decent score was because of the president at the end and the abuse of police power. Let's start with the president. He just kind of randomly made an appearance at this hotel because the main lady's dad used to work with him. It wasn't important to the plot because no main character knew that he was coming. He was still pretty cool though. The abuse of police power was crazy. The main lady has to go to the airport to go review a restaurant opening on Christmas so the cop pulls her over. He is completely out of jurisdiction and she questions him about it. He just outright admits that he is crazy. Pretty great stuff.

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Your fellow film watcher

Sister Swap: Hometown Holidays

 

Why?

After Finding Santa was a bust, I decided to just watch this movie instead. It's another Hallmark Christmas movie so that just adds to the appeal.

What in the world?

Two sisters swap cities for the holidays so they can process their grief.

Personal thoughts

I'm kind of glad that these two were not on screen at the same time a lot. They're actually sisters but when they were on screen it kind of felt like forced dialogue between two people who know each other really well. It was a really strange dynamic. It mainly focused on sister 2 because she had a son and she was doing the most interesting stuff. It never really showed sister 1's activities which I thought was strange. There might be a movie where it just focuses on her but I doubt it. Nothing seemed to happen that was life changing for either of them when they called so that was interesting.

Score

I have to give this movie a 3 out of 10. The plot was kind of interesting to follow but not more than any other Hallmark plot. I mean the whole thing was kind of predictable, but following the family grieve kind of got to me. Overall though, the whole thing was kind of normal and the ending was kind of obnoxious. SPOILER: The sisters start a business together combining the restaurant of the dead husband and the movie theater of their dead uncle. I don't know really how that is going to work but whatever.

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Your fellow film watcher

Sense, Sensibility, and Snowmen

 

Why?

The title was the main selling point of this movie. I mean that sounds like a stupid movie that I would want to watch let's be honest.

What in the world?

It's a rip off of sense and sensibility with apparently none of the characters lining up. I think the names of people getting together were the same, but their character traits were switched between them. Very confusing for my mom and grandma who were trying to figure out who was who and what was similar.

Personal thoughts

I think this movie was fine even though I have never read or seen Sense and Sensibility. I mean the whole thing was kind of weird and I barely remember it. I know that they never said the name of hot chocolate though. That was interesting. They just called it "The Delicious Beverage". Ok I'm sorry but just call it hot chocolate. You have no right to call it whatever that is. The main characters weren't that bad. The main guy even had an expanding house. It was very strange because it probably shouldn't have been as big as it was on the main floor, but whatever.

Score

I have to give this movie a 4 out of 10. It was vague and forgettable. So this is a pretty average score for a Hallmark Christmas movie. I really don't remember this movie enough to say much of a rating.

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Your fellow film watcher

A Mystic Christmas

 

Why?

When we had found this movie, we were kind of tired and the preview picture for it was just really funny. It's also a Christmas movie from Hallmark so that had a huge reason to watch it.

What in the world?

A seal vet expert or whatever she is goes to her best friend's hometown to take care of a seal that needs to be released by Christmas. She meets up with her ex-boyfriend/her best friend's brother and they get to know each other.

Personal thoughts

This movie man. I wanted to like it I really did. The seals and sea lions carried the movie and I have nothing negative to say about them. The main characters however were two of the most annoying people I have ever watched. Ok that might not be entirely true, but they were very annoying. They got into fights about nothing and then would pretend that nothing happened. Honestly some of the dumbest things. Oh, and the main guy was probably the worst. He was supposed to be the super friendly guy of the town but for some reason it just came off really poorly on screen and made it hard to watch.

Score

I have to give this movie a 3 out of 10. Seals and sea lions are to thank for that. Peppermint was the name of the main seal. I don't think that's her in the picture though. Oh I have to talk about the disgusting pizza they featured multiple times in this movie. I mean the freaking thing was half green and half pizza color. It looked so disgusting and they ate it multiple times. I mean the thing had spinach which is I think a normal pizza topping but having half of your pizza be spinach is a bit much.

Watch what you love,

Your fellow film watcher