Choosing a movie to watch is a little like choosing food to eat; sometimes you feel like hot and spicy and sometimes you just want warm and comfy. There are times you even choose the salad because the veggies are simply good for you. Well, today I’ve got some of each to chat about.
I think the entertainment industry has finally figured out that for the most part we all love Christmas. Hallmark and other film industry machines have been adding a few new “made for TV” movies every year and recently they have definitely stepped up the pace. So much so, that we now have the 60 day “Countdown to Christmas” instead of beginning the run on Thanksgiving. I, for one, love it and the rest of you get something different than the Murder She Wrote reruns.
What is truly awesome is that they have instituted Classic Thursdays. So far, just this year, I have watched Holiday Inn, Holiday Affair, and Christmas in Connecticut. The Bishop’s Wife is just sitting waiting for me to have a free couple of hours. These have got to be someone’s “warm and comfy!” They certainly take you back to a different and maybe even more gallant time.
I’m a real sucker for the typical Hallmark movie fare year ‘round but never as much as Christmas. I was just thinking this morning (with a chuckle to myself) that the hardest part of making some of these has got to be finding a title. You would have to find something Christmas-y, but it would need to be clever…and yet somehow set your movie apart so year after year the viewing audience would remember it and say, “Oh, Season of Miracles is on today,” as I do.
So, I’ve talked about the wonderful (?) predictability of Hallmark long enough. They aren’t the only channels capitalizing on our penchant for schmaltziness, but probably the best.
Whether you are watching TV or renting movies, you will find your summer salad or your box of popcorn. The Nativity Story is definitely your salad. A story about Christmas, for Christmas. It is virtually impossible to focus on the true meaning of Christmas with all the sales and gimmicks going on around us. Even Black Friday has been moved up by the marketers, and tell me, really, is Black Friday the unofficial start of the Christmas Season? In the midst of all this, we must never forget the true meaning of Christmas, and movies like The Nativity Story do just that. It is beautifully crafted.
On my short list this year is, Merry Madagascar, with my grandkids. I am a closet penguin fan so my gk’s will just have to suffer through it since they are starting to grow past that era. Also, on that list is one of my big screen favorites, The Holiday.
Kirk Cameron’s: Saving Christmas is in theaters this season and hopefully Polar Express will be back on the 3D screen again. I will definitely look for it. It is one of those movies just made for not only the big screen, but 3D!!
So, I have a little gift for you Christmas movie lovers! www.countdownuntilchristmas.com is a comprehensive TV Christmas Movie Guide. Enjoy, and as always email me at chastings@rockcliff.com.
Leave a Reply