Archive for December, 2014

** A Christmas Kiss II

Marvista Entertainment,

Elisabeth Harnois, Adam Mayfield, Elisabeth Röhm, Lola Glaudini, Jonathan Bennett, Celesta Hodge, Ray Laska


Jenna (Elisabeth Harnois) works for premier fashion designer Priscilla Hall (Elisabeth Rohm) as more of a personal assistant, though she has dreams of being a fashion designer herself. But she’s warned that millionaire Cooper Montgomery (Adam Mayfield) is coming to the office and her job will be to assist him, although his reputation as a playboy who has broken hearts all over the globe. Jenna and Cooper get stuck in the elevator and ends up kissing him, but she has made her mind up that she isn’t going to fall for this playboy and become just another notch on his bedpost. But Cooper seems changed as he strives in every way he can to win her over in this sequel to 2011’s “A Christmas Kiss” from ION Television and Marvista Entertainment.

This is another romantic story set at Christmas and follows a similar path as most of the rest of them. However, I really enjoyed the original, and wondered how must the sequel would copy the first one. Elisabeth Rohm is the actress who played Priscilla in the original and she’s back. Otherwise, pretty much all of the cast is different and thous there are some similarities that throw back to the first (Kissing in a stuck elevator?), this is pretty much a whole new story with new characters. I don’t know Elisabeth Harnois, but I was really very impressed with the way she held this film together. She is a fabulous actress and did the writers proud. I really believe I liked this sequel better than the first one, and although the story in the first was more mistaken identity and strange coincidence, I felt this one delved way deeper into the characters which is probably what made it a better movie. THere are lots of layers to this film, and Cooper’s “redemption” is worthy of Ebeneezer Scrooge himself. I found this to be a quite enjoyable comedic look at holiday office parties and new relationships. This was a good film, and definitely would make my watch list again!


[Click here for ION Television’s Home Page for this film.]

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rate this movie:
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Author: EdG

There are currently No Comments »on this post.

** Best Christmas Party Ever

Marvista Entertainment,

Torrey DeVitto, Steve Lund, Linda Thorson, Kalinka Petrie, Harmon Walsh


Jennie Stanton (Torrey DeVitto) is a party planner working for Petra (Linda Thorson) the premier event planning company around. When Petra announces she is planning to retire after this Christmas, Jennie is sure she has the job in the bag, but she’s shocked when Petra’s nephew Nick (Steve Lund) shows up working as seasonal help but is going to take over when Petra retires. The community depends on premier toy manufacturer Tyrell’s Toys to provide the best Christmas party anywhere every year, but the new owner is concerned about the bottom line and cancels the party leaving it up to Jennie and Nick to put aside their problems and throw the greatest party ever.

This Hallmark Channel Premier 2014 Christmas movie is a step above a few of the other ones. It’s a standard romantic Christmas adventure with all the trimmings. THe performers are fresh and new, and they are able to handle the roles very well. There is nothing particularly special about this movie, it’s pretty standard fare, but that’s not a bad think in Christmas films on TV. We’re looking for simple stories, holiday settings, and light and easy storytelling, and this is exactly what this is. I rate this one right down the middle because just as there is nothing particularly great about this story, there’s nothing bad either. Catch it if it’s on.

[Click Here for the Hallmark Channel Home Page for this movie.]

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rate this movie:
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Author: EdG

There are currently No Comments »on this post.

** Marry Us for Christmas

Swirl Films,

Malinda Williams, Victoria Rowell, Karon Joseph, Gregory Alan Williams, Marques Houston, Carl Anthony Payne II, Chrystale Wilson, Deetta West, Kristoff St. John,
Dawn Halfkenny, Tara Jones, Donald Polk, Kenneth McKinney, Annesha Sudu,


This 2014 premier movie “Marry Us for Christmas” is the sequel to 2013’s “Marry Me for Christmas” and it picks up where the last film left off. It’s a year later and Marci (Malinda Williams) and Blair (Karon Joseph) are still anxiously waiting for the big day to happen. But Marci has been so busy working that she hasn’t had time to plan for the big day. To make matters worse she may have to Adam, her former fake fiance, to get the big project she’s been striving for. Meanwhile, Blair has been doing a lot of Pro Bono work for the poor folks that can’t afford to pay, and as a result, has run his business into the ground and may have to take a job with a very mistrusted cousin of marci’s. Neither has the courage to tell the other and when they find out, sparks fly. Will there be a wedding at all this year, or is it off for good?

This is a sequel to a movie that I really didn’t enjoy much last year. I just didn’t get into the characters and the story wasn’t that hot. Well, this second go round with the same folks isn’t much better. In fact, I may have even liked this one less that the first. This is a familiar plot, with a whole bunch of people who are close all exploring their various problems and troubles with each other. But the characters just didn’t grab hold, and as a result I found myself bored and my mind wandering much like the first movie. I reread my review of “Marry Me for Christmas” and I could almost copy the same comments for this one. So, if you were really a fan of the original film, then certainly this one will pick you up right where you left off, but if, like me, the first one didn’t warm your heart, then this is just more of the same disappointment.

[Click Here for the UP TV home page for this movie.]

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rate this movie:
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Author: EdG

There are currently No Comments »on this post.

** Santa Con

Flavorlab, Hartbreak Films, Synthetic Cinema International,

Barry Watson, Melissa Joan Hart, Jaleel White, John Ratzenberger, Wendy Williams, Alimi Ballard


Nick DeMarco (Barry Watson) is just out of jail and looking for a job. His sister (Melissa Joan Hart) is helping him by setting up with a job as the Santa at the local mall, but when Nick promises a little boy that he will bring his father home for Christmas, Nick decides he must find the family involved and use every trick in the book to get them back together to fulfill Santa’s promise. But when it comes time for Dad to come back home, Nick is not so sure he wants to complete his assignment anymore.

This is one of those group of “bad guy has a change of heart, but can’t help himself” stories. Mellisa Joan Hart is all over this project, but her role in the movie is not real big. But she’s really busy producing and directing this Lifetime film. She did a decent job, but I was not really blown away by the acting in this film Nick was a bit too flippant and came off as a jack ass most of the time. When it comes time for him to be a good guy, he just didn’t have the chops to make us believe him fully. Most of the other characters are pretty one dimensional and not very interesting. The absurd reason Nick uses to hang around the house of this single Mom and her little boy is so far fetched that I wanted to call the plot police to haul him back to jail. True his lies roll off the tongue very smoothly, I don’t there there is a desperate housewife anywhere on the planet that would buy any of his crap. It is certainly not a horrible movie by any means, but I was so put off by the flaws in the story and the storytelling that it just didn’t move me much.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rate this movie:
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Author: EdG

There are currently No Comments »on this post.

** Kristen’s Christmas Past

Indy Entertainment, Marvista Entertainment,

Shiri Appleby, Will Kemp, Elizabeth Mitchell, Judd Nelson, A. J. Langer, Hannah Marks, Michael James-Olsen, Debby Ryan, Courtney Henggeler, Deniz Akdeniz


Kristen (Shiri Appleby)’s life has not worked out as well as she planned. She’s alone in the city and falls asleep on Christmas Eve, and wakes up in her bed at home 17 years in the past. The hard part is though, that her 17 year old self (Hannah Marks) is also there with her giving them both a fright. They make up a story so she can stay, and she decides to spend the time trying to convince 17 year old Kristen to make different decisions so that their life in the future will be better. Of course, you can’t tell a 17 year old anything. Krisin and her mother hit it off pretty well as the agree pretty much on everything, but 17 year old Kristen doesn’t want to listen to either of them.

This was a rather unusual story. They typical back to the future movie doesn’t have to deal with someone interacting with their younger self. That’s what made this film rather interesting. Lifetime did a good job in bringing a rather unique approach to the story. You will really like both Kristen’s and at the same time, you probably won’t be able to pick a favorite. It was a refreshing story and one that is out of the ordinary. I enjoyed it and was pleasantly surprised. I think you will enjoy this one.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

 

 

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rate this movie:
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Author: EdG

There are currently No Comments »on this post.