Ed's Review Dot Com

Muse Entertainment,

Susie Abromeit, Dillon Casey, Erin Gray, Neil Crone, Rebecca Dalton, Siobhan Murphy, Randal Edwards, Rachel Wilson, Patrice Goodman, Romaine Waite, Peter DaCunha, Amariah Faulkner, Caleb Marshall, Chris Gillettm, Chris Farquhar

Newlyweds, Steve (Dillon Casey) and Cynthia Faber (Susie Abromeit) are spending their first Christmas together. Thought Cynthia is responsible for the town Christmas pageant, and Steve is an up and coming attorney, they pair have a definite desire to plan everything. They have a 10 year plan for their lives, and they are even planning to have the family home for A Perfect Christmas as well. But major things happen in their personal lives, just as the family begins to arrive. But once they start showing up, nothing goes as planned and the two are so busy dealing with one crisis after another that neither one tells the other what has happened to turn their lives upside down. As people arrive and things continue to go worng at every turn, it begins to be a huge dark cloud over their heads knowing that they are going to have to tell each other sooner or later.

The story goes that a department store in Australia “invented” the holiday Christmas in July. It was a no brainer there as in the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are opposite of the Northern Hemisphere and July is very cold and snowy and fits the season very well. They do celebrate the holiday on December 25th though, the same as the rest of the globe. It became very popular in the US in 1940 when the movie “Christmas in July” was released. The first time I heard of it was when I was a child, and my Uncle who lived across the country in Arizona came back to Pittsburgh in the middle of July and my Grandmother declared “Christmas in July and put up her tree and all the decorations. I can remember the fun of sitting around the piano and listening to everyone singing Christmas carols when it was 80 degrees outside. The Hallmark Channel every year shows their original Christmas films early every year when July arrives, and this year they rolled out a brand new premier film “A Perfect Christmas”. I am sure this film will be around again this December, so you’ll get a chance to see it if you miss it this summer, but I caught it. Hallmark has another reason for Christmas in July as well. That is the time the release next year’s 2016 Christmas Ornaments to the stores. A Perfect Christmas was a nice enough little Christmas film, and I was impressed with it. The acting was pretty good, and it was a really nice story. It had the fun of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation which is a staple being shown all year round on some channel or another, but also has the romance and love story of a newlywed couple where they are trying to build a life of their own, really want to share with their families, but need some time to work things out. There are problems everywhere, but they still show us how to come together and work things out and make the best of all the bad situations that arrive. It’s warm, cute, and very touching. This is just a little made for TV, but very well done, and worthy of the Hallmark label. Merry Christmas in July everyone, and see you after Halloween with the new Christmas movies for 2016.

Here is the web page for the Hallmark Channel for this film.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Every year since November of 2010, I have reviewed as many of the Christmas films I am able to find on TV, Cable, Streaming, in the Theater, and anywhere else that I can find them. [Click here for the special page]“>This is the Sixth year and I am at it again!

Starting tomorrow I’ll start sending the holiday film reviews, but there is a list of hundreds of Holiday films that have already been reviewed. You’ll see them on the “Ed’s Christmas on TV Project” page, and you can recognize them as the titles will start with two snowflakes “**” in front of the name of the movie. These are films that appear on TV, on cable channels like Hallmark, and Lifetime, and all over the place. Many are available on demand and on Watch Instantly. I hope that if you are a Christmas Movie fan like I am, that this special list helps you find the gems among the clinkers are you enjoy your holiday viewing. Every year lots of new ones are released, and believe it or not, there’s still a few out there that I still haven’t seen. I’ll be scouring the schedule for new ones to add to the hundreds I’ve already done. Hallmark has switched to Christmas Movies already and have several 2016 releases, so I am going to get started.

Season’s Greetings, everyone.

Ed Goettman

Movie Rentals Releasing Tuesday November 8, 2016

• Indignation
• Phantom Boy
• Sausage Party

Bloom, Netter Productions, Waypoint Entertainment,

Matthew McConaughey, Naomi Watts, Ken Watanabe, Katie Aselton, Jordan Gavaris

Arthur (Matthew McConaughey) and Joan Brennan (Naomi Watts) are in a troubled marriage. They used to be very much in love, but over time, Arthur’s salary is a tiny bit related to Joan who is carrying all the weight of the finances, but has a drinking problem due to her depression. But when she is diagnosed with a brain tumor, she makes Arthur promise that he will die in a beautiful place and not in a hospital. Later on we find Arthur on a journey to Japan’s famous “Suicide Forest” with the idea of killing himself. But when another Japanese gentleman shows up lost and desperate, he stops to help him out. But the two become hopelessly lost and unable to find their way out, so the two of them who both went in the forest to die, find themselves battling with all they’re worth to manage to survive somehow.

This is a very beautiful, but really dark film. But it’s not really about depression, desperation, and death. It’s more about life. This is a very though provoking film, and an interesting piece. Ken Watanabe is wonderful as the lost Japanese businessman who is depending on Matthew McConnaughy’s character to survive. The problems and struggles that these two go through is very touching and keeps the story going from adventure to adventure without a break. But, at the same time, you feel that there is a bigger message behind this survival tale. There is, but it’s not slammed in your face, and as the story evolves, and especially in the beautiful ending which may not be what you expect, you walk away with a lot on your mind. McConnaughy is really good in this movie. I think he’s a better actor than he normally gets to play, and his roles have had a lot lacking. This is a very serious film, and he does an excellent job in this role. I didn’t expect much from it when I put it in the DVD player, but by the time it was over, I found a really new appreciation for his work. Basically this film are these two characters and how they interact with each other. The other roles are smaller. But the main character of this story is this little know creepy forest in the shadow of Mr. Fuji. This was a solid story, just a little story, but with a lot of heart. I enjoyed it, and recommend it.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Movie Rentals Releasing Tuesday November 1, 2016

• Anthropoid
• Bad Moms
• Gleason
• Imperium
• Nine Lives
• The Sea of Trees
• Star Trek Beyond
• Uncle Nick