The treatment MST3K gave that film sort of redeemed it.
I never saw the film, but I did see the trailer for it. It totally sucked and made me want to avoid the film.
This film was notable for the first appearance of Pia Zadora, then age 8.
Practically anything Hallmark plays on their 42 or so new Christmas movies every year.
I notice that Hallmark actually created a Hanukkah movie and ran it at 6 PM on Friday.
According to my quick research, it’s two Hanukkah films.
Neither has Hanukkah in the title. Reactions range from ‘that was disappointing’ to ‘this is anti semitic’
They’re not good either; my wife likes watching them, and just through the osmotic process of her having them on while I’m in the other room doing dishes or something else, I’ve come to the following conclusions:
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If you’re an actress who’s past your prime, but not actually old yet, Hallmark is your friend. Pretty much every formerly “hot” young actress who didn’t actually hit it big like Mila Kunis, ends up in Hallmark movies eventually. Lacey Chabert, Allison Sweeney, Candace Cameron, Danica McKellar, Ashley Williams, Brooke Burns, and many more are regulars in Hallmark movies.
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The rest of the casts seem to be the same people who are in anything filmed in Vancouver- they pop up in sci fi shows, Hallmark movies and other stuff.
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There seems to be some sort of “Hallmark Movie Plot Generator” which is one of those “Choose one from Column A, one from Column B, one from Column C and one from Column D” kind of things, where you end up with “Small town girl living in big city” (A) “is engaged to a workaholic jerk”(B) “is stranded due to weather” (C) “and rekindles a romance with her high school boyfriend”(D).
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There is not even a HINT of sex in the movies.
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They’re surprisingly well done in terms of production values- well edited, decently acted, etc…
Basically they’re the movie equivalent of really bland junk food aimed at people who like feel-good romantic movies with happy endings.
Exactly right. I’ve watched a few recently due to not having Sky at the moment, and if you approach it in the right spirit, they’re all right, really. The acting is usually OK, like you say, and there’s occasionally a good line, or a slight twist on the story (but not TOO much), and they look pretty. They’re just workaday movies, really. Most people like junk food now and then.
Also they can be fun for trope-spotting.
[Moderating]
How about “the one who just earned a Warning for insulting another poster”?
Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger.
And I say this as someone who adores David Tennant. He was the only good thing in it. The Mr. Poppy character made me want to jettison him out the nearest airlock.
IMO, there is one excellent film based on the Charles Dickens novel, “A Xmas Carol”. It’s from 1951 and stars Alistair Sims. I can watch it at least once a year and have never tired of it.
A Christmas Carol (1951) - IMDb A Xmas Carol. 1951
But there are many, many horrible, terrible, disgusting versions of this film. I find them all unbearable and I wish to encourage everyone to avoid these films like the Plague. Here is a partial list. But for some reason, this list just keeps growing and it just keeps growing worse and worse:
A Christmas Carol (2009) - IMDb A Xmas Carol. 2009
A Christmas Carol (TV Mini Series 2019) - IMDb A Xmas Carol. 2019
A Christmas Carol (TV Movie 1984) - IMDb A Xmas Carol. 1984
A Christmas Carol (TV Movie 1999) - IMDb A Xmas Carol. 1999
A Christmas Carol (1938) - IMDb A Xmas Carol. 1938
A Christmas Carol (2018) - IMDb A Xmas Carol. 2018
There are many more versions of this horrible film. I would very much like to know how and why it is that people keep remaking this terrible thing. Can anyone provide a reasonable explanation why it just won’t die?
After being subjected to most any film countless times, I think many people will begin to hate it - no matter how good or bad it may be.
Many Xmas films have been shown ad nauseum that I think that is the reason for the the hatred.
AAMOF, that may well be a good subject for a new thread? “What films have you seen countless times but have never grown tired of watching them:”
If anyone here would like to start a thread with this topic, please feel free. Then again, I’m guessing there may already be such a thread?
While many other Christmas Carol movies are execrable (especially Scrooged), the 1984 version with George C. Scott as Scrooge hews quite closely to the Dickens novel, and is quite watchable. Edward Woodward is particularly good as the Ghost of Christmas Present.
You are right about that. My mistake.
Not just movies. I once compiled a list of every tv show up to that point that had done a “Christmas special” episode that was either a retelling of A Christmas Carol or It’s A Wonderful Life. It was a huge list.
Short answer: laziness.
Seeing the preview was bad enough. I still have the shudders.
My Mom likes Hallmark Christmas movies, so I’ve sat through more than my share of them. Some are worse than others, but there’s usually a certain charm to them.
Cheesy and predictable, sure, but everything about these movies is designed to feel familiar and comfortable. Even the lead actors are usually lesser known people who kinda-sorta resemble somebody more famous that you can’t quite put your finger on.
There’s a reason these films are so popular; they’ve hit on a formula that works.
Or the in movie commercial promoting their networks holiday special with graphic scenes for each of these:
"Acid rain.
Drug addiction.
International terrorism.
Freeway killers.
Now, more than ever…
…we must remember the true meaning of Christmas."
We laughed pretty hard when the well dressed passenger of the car on the freeway pulled out the shotgun and blasted the car next to him.
It’s worth watching for several reasons, not the least of which is Frank Finlay’s portrayal of Marley’s ghost. The only sour note is the dismal acting of the child who played Tiny Tim.
Is someone forcing you to watch all of these? If not, I don’t see why they should bother you so much. One of them is not even out yet, so how do you know it’s bad? And don’t be dissing the Patrick Stewart version. That’s a Christmas tradition in this house.
It’s a Wonderful Life is way up there in my list of movies I would rather chew tinfoil than watch list. It’s a horrible movie.