Another Christmas has come and gone – which means a whole new batch of Hallmark Christmas/Holiday movies have joined the channel’s ever-growing catalogue. I didn’t watch them all but I did watch a handful of them, so I’m going to quickly recap/review them as we hit the nine month mark to Christmas 2026.
As a warning, there may be SPOILERS under the cut.
It’s that time of the year again! Yes, it’s Hallmark holiday movie time! And of course, I’m watching them. They’re comforting and festive. No one can resist their charms.
Especially me, as you all know.
I don’t know how many of the new movies I’ll be able to review. But I’m going to try, starting with this one set in England.
So, grab an umbrella and avoid SPOILERS!
Happy (almost) Halloween!
Since it’s the spookiest month of the year, I thought this movie was appropriate. It’s a ghost story, you see. But it’s also a romantic movie because it’s a made-for-tv Christmas movie. Most of them are romances, let’s be real.
(Speaking of which, Hallmark has already started to air their movies. How many have you seen already?)
Anyway, let’s check out this ghostly yet romantic Christmas movie!
They’ll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glory of SPOILERS long ago!
Who’s eager for summer to begin? The days are getting longer and Memorial Day is upon us. It’s time for barbecues, fireworks, shorts and for me to switch from vodka to tequila.
(I don’t know why but I associate vodka with winter and tequila with summer. Go figure).
But we’re going to put on our favorite Christmas sweater, pour some hot chocolate and munch on a candy cane – at least in our minds – as we look at this month’s Christmas movie review, The Knight Before Christmas.
Through the years, we all will be together/if the fates SPOILERS!
Eight months to Christmas!
I know, I know. I’m barely thinking about it myself. Especially now that the weather is turning and is getting all nice. I’m focused on spring and summer right now. But I’m still reviewing one Christmas movie a month, so here we go!
Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays/for the holidays you can’t beat home sweet SPOILERS!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Yes – Hallmark is all Christmas, all the time until 2021! We all make fun of them but let’s face it, these movies are like comfort food to us. So much so that not only did Hallmark quickly arranged a weekend marathon when we were all huddled in our houses trying to flatten the curve but I’ve seen plenty of people on my timeline watching the movies as breaks from following the craziness that is the 2020 Presidential Election.
I know I did. And I really wanted to see Laura Osnes’ movie because I absolutely love her.
And I was also excited because this movie included Broadway alums Aaron Tveit and Victoria Clark, who starred in Cinderella with Osnes on Broadway. I got to see the two of them and knew they would be fabulous together in this as well.
So were they? Let’s find out!
And this song of mine/In three-quarter time/Wishes you and yours/SPOILERS!
This past Saturday, I sat in front of the TV with a secondary turkey coma caused by Thanksgiving leftovers. My father suddenly yelled down the stairs that a Celtic Thunder Christmas was on Channel 23 (one of my many PBS stations). I was very excited; the last I had heard on the Celtic Thunder website was that the Christmas special may not be shown. The CD went on sale in mid-October. I resisted buying it right away just because I feel Christmas is coming earlier and earlier each year. So I waited till after Halloween. And now I was able to see the performance (taped September 17th).
The show’s set utilizes the “It’s Entertainment!” set—a raised dais for the band, a street lamp, bench and fountain. For this production, everything was covered with “snow.” The show opens with Neil singing “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.” Neil sings a bit more in this special, which is well-deserved. He also sings “When You Wish Upon a Star” and is part of “Hallelujah” (which was from “It’s Entertainment!”).
Damian gets to sing both the classic “Winter Wonderland” and the original work “Our First Christmas Together.” When I ran upstairs during the first pledge break to use the bathroom and get something to drink, I found my father watching it as well. As clips of Damian singing popped up, he commented that he did not expect that voice to come from him. I told him that it was even stranger since I had been following Celtic Thunder since before Damian’s voice changed, but I like him as a baritone.
Keith this time around got two of the most covered Christmas songs—“All I Want For Christmas Is You” and “Last Christmas.” I wish I could say more as Keith has a great voice. But after so many covers of these songs…it’s easy to tune them out. (Keith does join Neil for “Hallelujah”). George gets some more fun songs in this show, “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” and the original song “Going Home for Christmas.” I love the second song he sings, which is funny given some of the lyrics: “Say good-bye to the lights of Broadway, farewell to old Times Square” I live in New York City! But the feeling behind the song—going home to family and friends—is universal.
Amongst Ryan’s songs, we get “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” as well as “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” While these two are not necessarily high on my list of favorite Christmas songs, I love Ryan’s voice and can tolerate these songs. (Ryan is the third performer on “Hallelujah” with Neil and Keith). And lastly, we have Paul singing the classic “Ave Maria” and the original piece “Christmas Morning, Donegal.” The second song is not available on the CD, unless it was purchased off QVC. It’s a beautiful song that I hope will someday be available to everyone.
There’s a reason I decided to mention Paul last. The day before the show aired (Black Friday), Celtic Thunder’s producer, Sharon Browne, posted a new blog to the website. In it, she described how the show was changing over from “Heritage” and “It’s Entertainment” to “It’s Entertainment” and “Christmas.” About halfway through, she dropped a bombshell: Paul was leaving the group after the tour was over. He wanted to focus on his solo career and was jumping into the waters, hoping the fan base he’s accrued during his time with Celtic Thunder will support him. Like most fans, I was sadden by this announcement. Paul is my favorite member (as I said in my review of the show I saw in October) and I love his voice. I have left “Recuerdame (Remember Me)” on repeat quite a few times. But we all wish him well—I know I do and I will gladly buy tickets to any concert he has in the New York City area!
Amongst the group numbers, there is “Christmas 1915,” which appeared on an earlier CD but not on a DVD. It’s a haunting song about soldiers singing Christmas songs on Christmas night, the battle lines forgotten. Because it was recorded so early on, the men try to recreate how it sounded back then. For the older four, this is no problem. However, the song was recorded before Damian’s voice deepened as such he sings the song in a higher register. There is also the a capella version of “Amazing Grace,” which Neil joins them for. While a bit unexpected for a Christmas special, it fits the tone nicely. My favorite ensemble number is their rendition of “Silent Night.” Damian and Ryan sing the first verse in Irish while the others harmonize on the other two versions. It is one of my favorite songs on the album and has been since previews went up on iTunes!
The show ends with the group singing “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” as snow falls in the Poughkeepsie Civic Center.
The musical arrangements are beautiful as always. The performers all seem to have fun performing and filming the special. It’s a great DVD for the holidays and now even more valuable as Paul is leaving. I highly recommend it for any Celtic Thunder fan! And for those who may have not yet seen the group, I suggest stalking your local PBS station for their airing!
It’s a Christmas staple: “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…” Written by legendary prolific composer Irving Berlin for the Fred Astaire/Bing Crosby movie “Holiday Inn,” the song “White Christmas” went on to win the Academy Award for Best Song. Ten years later, Bing Crosby would croon the tune again alongside Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney in the Christmas classic named for the song.
In this age of the Broadway musical, where now the stage gets its inspiration from the silver screen rather than the other way around, it is no wonder that “White Christmas” was adapted for the stage. It debuted last Christmas on Broadway, playing a limited engagement. This year, it is back for another limited engagement over the holiday season.
The musical opens in 1944 where we meet Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, two army buddies who are entertaining their troop on Christmas Eve. Their general, Henry Waverly, is being sent state-side due to an injury. He hopes that on Christmas Eve, 1954, the men will all be at home and in a better world. Fast forward ten years and Wallace and Davis are Broadway stars and regulars on the Ed Sullivan Show. Phil convinces Bob to come see a sister act to add to their show—Betty and Judy Haynes. Judy and Phil hit it off immediately while Betty and Bob have a very uncomfortable meeting. Judy and Phil plan to match the two. Thinking he is on his way to Miama, Bob is surprised to run into the Haynes sister and find himself in Vermont.
Instead of a white Christmas, Vermont is experiencing a heat wave. This is making business bad for the inn the girls are booked at and the concierge, Martha, tries to hid the situation from the owner—Gen. Henry Waverly. Bob and Phil decide to bring their show to the inn, get all the guys from their division up to the inn on Christmas Eve and surprise the general. Everyone—including the general’s visiting granddaughter Susan—gets excited. Betty and Bob fall in love as rehearsals begin. But after a miscommunication, Betty flees to New York. Bob chases her but are they meant to be?
The music is classic, all from Berlin’s catalogue. A few numbers, while well-staged and big productions, do not serve to push the story forward. These are the ones used for “rehearsals” of the Wallace and Davis show, but don’t really have any parallels with the show. Berlin did start writing for the stage in the age before book musicals, what most theater audiences are used to, became popular with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma.” The songs are hummable and toe-tapping. The current cast is wonderful, particularly Melissa Errico and Mara Davi as the Haynes sisters. Tony Yasbeck steals the show as Phil. It is also a treat to see David Ogden Stiers (“MASH”) on stage as well, even if they don’t utilize his singing capabilities in the show.
If you’re down in the city around Christmastime, I recommend seeing this show. It’s great for children…and for anyone who loves Christmas.
It’s never Christmas until someone puts out a new version of “A Christmas Carol.”
This year, the Walt Disney Company gives another go at the classic Dickens tale—after “Mickey’s A Christmas Carol” and “A Muppet Christmas Carol.” They have teamed up with Robert Zemeckis again, the first time since “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”, and utilize the innovative animation used for the classic “The Polar Express.”
This go-around, miser Ebenezer Scrooge is played by Jim Carrey at all ages. On Christmas Eve, he is haunted by the specter of his old partner Jacob Marley (Gary Oldman), who warns Scrooge that his after death fate is a bleak one. Scrooge is then visited by three spirits (all played by Carrey) who show him visions of Christmases past, present and future. It shouldn’t be much of a spoiler by now to reveal that in the end, Scrooge changes his ways and becomes a better person because of his encounters.
It was a bit jarring to hear that a funny man such as Jim Carrey would be taking on Ebenezer Scrooge, but he does the role justice. My father believed he modeled some of Scrooge’s speech patterns on Alastair Sims, oft considered the epitome of Scrooges. He also did a wonderful job as the various ghosts, particularly the whispery tones he took for the Ghost of Christmas Past. In a change of events, the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Be wasn’t the most frightening specter in the movie. That honor belongs to Marley and the gaggle of ghosts bearing his fate that Scrooge sees from his window. Oldman’s voice is adds a layer of creepiness, though he does tender as well in his other roles as Bob Crachit and Tiny Tim.
If there is one flaw, it is that the story is a bit rushed. The spirits do not dwell long and scenes are cut short. Belle (voiced by Robin Wright Penn) is hurried from a wordless dance to her breaking the engagement with Scrooge. The scenes at the Crachit household was also unusually short, not allowing for much with Tiny Tim.
This is an admirable addition to the litany of “A Christmas Carol” adaptations that exist. It may not be suitable for young children and parents should use caution for some intense scenes. Otherwise, go see it!
(Especially in 3-D)
