Falling For Christmas (2022)
A hotel heiress bumps her head around Christmas and ends up at a rundown lodge with amnesia. Kind of like a holiday-themed Overboard but way less mean. It stars Lindsay Lohan and it was great to see her back to acting after all of her troubles. She was really charming in this. The movie is made by production company MPCA which made The Christmas Prince franchise, The Knight Before Christmas, and the Princess Switch Franchise. I unironically loved all of those movies so this really scratched that itch. In my opinion, these are way better than Hallmark movies because they are campy and they know they are campy. That bit of self-awareness makes it easy to stomach the more saccharine moments. This felt like a return to form for MPCA and I am glad to continue that tradition. I recommend this movie.
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)
This was made by James Gunn and the gang during the filming of Guardians 3 because they already had a lot of the sets and costumes. This is only 45 minutes long but packs a lot of fun into that short time. It is mostly a Drax and Mantis movie which I was on board for. I really like that they gave Mantis more to do and let her act out and have fun. Pom Klementieff is really a far more versatile actress than I thought. Of course, Dave Bautista continues to improve an already great performance, adding more heart without losing that comedic core. What really sold me on this was the soundtrack which had some Christmas standards but also some fun deep cuts. There are also two really fun and original songs by the Old 97s (the second one with a legendary hero as guest vocalist). It just reminded me how much I love the Guardians franchise while also giving me a warm fuzzy feeling. I recommend this short film.
Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977)
I had wanted to watch this for quite sometime as a big fan of the Muppets and Jim Henson productions in general. A poor mother and son both enter a talent competition to try and give them a leg up in the world. One of the strengths of Henson productions is that their puppets always felt like they were alive. Part of that is the impressive movement and puppetry and the other part is the excellent voice work. When the two combine, I absolutely believe those characters are real. Henson productions have also always had a great synergy with music and this is no different. This 45-minute special pays tribute to backcountry bluegrass and country music. I had never heard any of the songs before but they were so well done. Even the one Alice Cooper-style song was out of place but still pretty fun. This is a sweet story about accepting what you have and what you get with a sprinkle of The Gift of the Magi. I recommend this short film.
Christmas With You (2022)
I felt that since I had watched two 45-minute movies, I had room for one last wholesome holiday movie. I had read good things about this one and so I made the leap. A pop star is tasked by her record company to write a Christmas song to remain relevant and she flees to a small town to figure things out. This is textbook Christmas movie material with a high-intensity urban character going to a more rural area and regaining her love of the holidays. Aimee Garcia shines as the lead character and her arc is not so much about becoming more likable but moreso liking herself. Freddie Prinze Jr. is great as the small town music teacher who never got to show his songwriting talent to the world. Deja Monique Cruz is a ball of sunshine as the young girl nervous about growing up and her upcoming quinceanera. Zenzi William’s warmth steals a lot of scenes as she gently snarks and says so much sometimes with just a look. The story feels low pressure and a perfect relaxing holiday tale. It also is unique in its inclusion of Latinx culture. I recommend this movie.
Music of the Week:
KittenSneeze ft. Bbyam – Snow Miser VS Heat Miser
Meghan Trainor ft. Earth, Wind & Fire – Holidays
Sershen&Zaritskaya – All Alone On Christmas
Ed Sheeran & Elton John – Merry Christmas
Mashup of the Week:
iWillBattle Mashups – I Wish Titanium Could Be Christmas
Weekly Update:
- This week’s theme is “Christmas 2022”
- I watched a ton of YouTube and Twitch: Barry Kramer, Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling, Emily D. Baker, Dan Jones, LegalEagle, Dead Meat, Onsta, Savy Writes Books, Growing Up in Scientology, Watcher, Some More News, Emma Thorne, Jenny Nicholson, Conversations with Curtis, Games Done Quick, Top10 Wrestling, Cultaholic, Allison Pregler, Game Theory, Major League Wrestling
- I finished Doom Patrol Season 3
- I watched more Pennyworth Season 1
- I watched more Riverdale Season 5
- I watched more Sandman Season 1
- I watched more Lie to Me Season 2
- I watched more Bob’s Burgers Season 12
- I watched more Supergirl Season 6
- I watched The Dark (Rifftrax Version)
- I watched Beauty and the Beast 30th Anniversary Special
- I watched Boy in the Plastic Bubble (Rifftrax Version)