By Suzanne Ordas CurryNever Too Early To Start Watching
Just when you might be thinking, well, I guess it's close enough to start thinking Christmas, you will realize you have already missed quite a lot of holiday movie viewing. It seems that this year there is just too much - yes, too much, and I say this even though I can bing fo 8 hours straight on holiday movies without a break (mind mush at that point, however).
Hallmark Channel Delivers Again but Lifetime is Making it Merry Too
I was glued to the Hallmark Channel since before Halloween, I am embarrassed to admit. Not so much because I was in the holiday mood, but because with everything else going on in the world at the time it was just an escape. These happy movies with problems solved and happy endings are pure escapism. Hallmark Channel's Movies and Mysteries are a little deeper, I'll investigate those once I have seen all the ones I want to see on the Hallmark Channel.
I have to say, Hallmark Channel is doing a good job easing us into the season and drawing us in with the classics. Will I ever get tired of DanicaMcKeller in A Crown for Christmas? Never!! (In fact, it is on whilst I am writing this.)However, I did tune in to the original purveyor of holiday movies in a succession- FALALALA Lifetime now called It's A WonderfulLifetime during some commericals and maybe, just maybe the third time this year I was watching Let it Snow on Hallmark. I found I recognized a lot of the movies on Lifetime as well - and yes - even Danica McKeller there too in A Christmas Table. Lifetime has already started its share of holiday fare, playing movies thoughout most of the day with only some breaks and not in the wee hours of the morning like Hallmark does. Hallmark only breaks basically for Home and family in the mornings so insominacs are well-covered.
So, the holiday movie fan this year has an endless number of old Hallmark classics and new onces coming from Hallmark and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, old ones and new ones comding from Lifetime (please play Confromt and Joy more often) and Netflix which came out of the gate last year with perfect cheesy movies and now with an enormous amount of choices to ponder. Then of course there's also Freeform, Up, One, Amazon and many other broadcast and streaming choices. AMC is also in the mix nice playing lots of the faves especially ELF.
What's New This Season
Hallmark has an app you can download to keep track of what's on and what you watched. They are also trying to sell their Hallmark Movies Now channel. Visit: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/
Lifetime has a contest going where you can win a role on one of their new movies. They are also hyping their subscription movie channel. Visit: https://www.mylifetime.com/movies
Netflix has "secret" codes you can use to find holiday movies in any genre you want. Don't miss A Christmas Prince.
Some of these movies are great for sit-down viewing and others are great for background while doing other Christmas-sy things, like baking, wrapping and decoraring. Just like on the shows. The thing is, they never show people sitting and watching holiday movies in the movies. Ironic, huh?
A Recipe for Success
Here's a list of the elements of current Christmas movies. Some have all of them, some only a few. It's pretty formulaic. BUT WONDERFUL.
Working women
Man with child who finds new love
Snow angels
Baking cookies
Town Christmas festival
Town Christmas festival that has a problem
New this year: Big red trucks
Santa, or some Santa Magic
A company that may go under or be bought
Women-owned businesses
Story centered around a young women, they never have a women over 50 as the lead character
Candace Cameron Bure
Danica McKeller
Red coats with a white scarf, or vice-versa on the leading lady
Pocketbooks that have nothing in them
Princes and other royals
Castles
Snow - ALWAYS
Small towns or a big city - some in the same movie!
Small towns or a big city - some in the same movie!
New this year: Cities other than NYC and some southern locations
Sleighs
Horses
Romance
Kiss at one minute before the movie ends
Decorating a Christmas Tree
New this year: Lots of wreath-making
Long Blonde Hair
Christmas Ornaments
Folger's Coffee and Hallmark Pop-up Cards (Hallmark Channel only)
Color-corrected scenery so that the red and green pops against it (Hallmark only)
Military familes
Men named Nick, Carol, Holly, you get the drill for the women
Awkward fall from a ladder while decorating a tree, into arms or eye contact with prospective suitor
Men named Nick, Carol, Holly, you get the drill for the women
Awkward fall from a ladder while decorating a tree, into arms or eye contact with prospective suitor
Best of the Best
There are some movies which are better - or maybe I will say more intricate than others. A few I will never tire of watching are: A Crown for Christmas (Hallmark), A Very Merry-Mix Up (Hallmark), Comfort and Joy (Lifetime) and Journey Back to Christmas (Hallmark) this last one because it's a bit different. I am also warming up to Christmas in Evergreen (2017) because Ashley Williams is always smiling and Northpole: Open for Christmas because of the magic aspect.
Theatrical releaes I will always watch are Home Alone (first and second), It's A Wonderful Life, Deck the Halls and The Santa Clause Movies with Tim Allen.
So sit back, put your remote by you, heat up some hot chocolate with some cookies to accompany it, put your feet up and watch some movies. It is the most wonderful time of the year.
- Written By Suzanne Ordas Curry Photos from Facebook