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Keywords
Hallmark, Christmas movies, movie reviews, holiday season, top movies, bottom movies, film commentary, entertainment, pop culture, movie analysis
Summary
In this episode, Nick Ribera and Leslie review their favorite and least favorite Hallmark movies from the 2024 holiday season. They discuss their bottom three movies, highlighting issues with chemistry, writing, and character development. The conversation then shifts to their top five movies, celebrating the charm and creativity of certain films while reflecting on the Hallmark formula and its evolution. The hosts conclude with thoughts on the future of Hallmark movies and their personal experiences during the review process.
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (00:06.828)
the headache now. It's from all the coffee. Ladies and gentlemen, it has been a very festive holiday season. This is our first time reviewing and catching all the movies on holiday on Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas. It's been a lot of work and we do it for you. Our listeners. Yes. All 10 of you who listen in internationally, give us our commentary. We appreciate it. We get excited every time we get a like.
Every time we get a comment, which there's not many of them, but it's, it's still fun. Yeah. Yeah. So what we're to do right now is Leslie and I are going to lower your voice. Just a smidge yet. Leslie and I are going to chat about our bottom three Hallmark movies of the year and our top five. Should we say our bottom one all at once? I mean like on three, like one, two.
No, I think we're gonna start third from last. you say the title, reminisce about it for about a minute, and then I'll say the title of my bottom number three, then you do your bottom number two, reminisce about it, I do my bottom number two, etc. Sound good? And also try and hide your list from me so I get surprised. Clearly you didn't like my idea, so I have no No, I don't want us speaking over each other because then the AI won't be able to transcribe it properly.
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (01:39.534)
So what is your third from last favorite of the 2024 season? see my list, what do you think it is? I don't know. I'm trying not to look at it. Oh yeah? Yeah. You can read the tiny handwriting? I don't need more than one temptation next to me.
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (01:59.768)
Christmas on Call. That was your third from worst? Third from worst. Why didn't that resonate with you? If you can remember that movie from two weeks ago? It's like, can you remember? It was more than two weeks ago. This was like a November, like first week of November. No, because this all started October 18th. So this is more like...
10th day of November. Anyway, it was just, I didn't feel like there was chemistry, the acting wasn't good, like the storyline was. One thing I remember is giving Hallmark props for having an interracial couple. That was, gosh, I feel so bad for being so low.
Alright, so my third from worst is Holiday Mismatch That was starring the the aunts from Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Yeah, that was I remember there being some comedy but just Really hating all the decisions all the characters made it was a writing issue for me more than anything Yeah, it just it all felt very inorganic and very contrived just to move plot along
I'm burping up those potatoes. Potatoes? For lunch we had leftover Greek food, including Greek salad and potatoes. Yeah. So we get the potato burps. Potato burps. What is your second to least favorite from last year? You wanna take a guess? Well no, because if I guess something that's on my list, it'll ruin the surprise of what's on my list.
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (03:48.846)
We should have played charades to guess it. okay. Maybe you can come up with like an alternate title and I'll try and guess. Maybe that's not good. I'm gonna guess it is Scouting for Christmas. Wrong! Close though. It was Three Wiser Men. Oh, Three Wiser Men and a Boy. And a Boy.
That movie really relied on us having seen Three Wiser Men and a baby, think. Yeah, so I guess maybe we weren't the crowd for it because apparently it has an extended scene or addition or something like that that's out now that came out like yesterday. Do I need to move? Yeah. And I just like, was talk about multiple storylines that were really annoying. And then I'm like, oh gosh, like, and the boy is pretty much irrelevant.
It's just three annoying uncles. Just three annoying uncles and like a mom with a complex. So I was just not not a fan of Three Wise Women. I remember there being some fun comedy. I enjoyed the relationship between the the pianist and the cool uncle. Yeah.
Yeah. For me, my number two bad movie was Confessions of a Christmas Letter. Mostly because I hated the fact that our main character, which was Angela from the office, spent the family savings to hire a ghostwriter from Mexico to ghostwrite the family's annual Christmas letter. like, talk about anxiety of having like the perfect family Christmas.
She is a problem parent. Problem parent. And the daughter was also an issue. Yeah, like mother like daughter. A mess. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree. So it's just a dysfunctional family Christmas. Dysfunctional, yes. No, that was very, that was on my bottom. But there was a gay brother. And there was a gay brother, yeah. But I was definitely teetering back and forth. I'm like, I? Yeah.
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (05:58.188)
I think we did like the Mexican character's uncle and grandfather though. Yeah. They were fun. They were fun. What's your number one worst movie? Sorry, not worst. Least favorite. You sure you don't want to say it together? Okay, we can say it together. Okay, so we say one, two, three and then say it? Yeah. Okay, ready? One, two, three. Daddy Macomba's Christmas Joyful Holiday something. I'm surprised. Okay, I'm sorry. Mine was...
Private Princess Christmas. really? Yes, and yours is the Debbie McCombs Joyful Mrs. Miracle. Yeah. So what's funny is I was going to say, do we have any, honorable mentions, but ones that we forgot what it was about? And I was going to say the Debbie McCombs Joyful Mrs. the most forgettable movie. Yeah.
Private Princess, my gosh, I don't even want to like recant that. Like it was just all around bad to me, like hideous. What I liked about Private Princess, it feels so weird saying that. Yeah. What I liked about it was the, the homie feeling was almost there of like, again, I think it's because I kept equating it to the leftover or the holdovers. and it just, felt,
kind of homey all these people hanging out in this wooden barracks, I guess. the main character, the princess was annoying, but the other ones were kind of fun how they discovered their whatever through this celebrity boot camp. It's a silly, it's probably the most contrived plot of all these movies. A celebrity boot camp that a princess has to go to. Right. Right. See, I thought that I'm going to say it again. Joyfulness is miracle.
was more, maybe I should say it other way, Debbie McCombers, Joyful Mrs. Miracle. I liked the Mary Poppins of it idea of it. I mean, as you are somehow can equate the other one to a other, I can't, I'm like, just because of a brown room, I'll give you a brown room. Anyway, I thought it was beautifully decorated and still had a,
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (08:20.974)
There wasn't... I know a brother got engaged, but there wasn't a love story. It was about a family. It was about two brothers and a sister. So I was happy that there wasn't a love story necessarily behind it all. And it was beautifully decorated, in my opinion. It was very... Because it was a wealthy family, they got to spend money on decorations, I guess. But the movie felt very...
smothering to me because the whole thing pretty much takes place in one house. Maybe because they only had money to decorate that one house beautifully. They did it well. I didn't really care about this dead old woman that they all showed up at the house for their mother and they're trying so hard to like impress and not impress, but like act like they were really the favorite. felt like.
I mean, you equated to Mary Poppins, I equated to... Succession. Succession, which is so much better. Yeah, so why wouldn't you? I'm not saying like it. just, you know, it was most definitely... that's... Worst title of all of them. Worst title of all of them. When I did originally ask to do the bottom five, it was going to be my bottom five. Yes. As well as the...
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (09:44.654)
Well, it doesn't matter. was in my bottom five. Anyway, but yes, was in my bottom five. Okay. Well, we could just quickly list the other two in your bottom five. No, it's okay. Don't worry about it. Well, I'll say my other two in the bottom five. was confessions of a Christmas letter. Yeah. yeah. My other two on my bottom five would have been Happy Holidays and Hanukkah on the Rocks. Well, actually, those have the same... actually, I've got four movies with 3.67 as average. So a Carol for two and a 90s Christmas were also... I would have had to figure out which two out of those four to put in.
Well, on to the top five. All right, so I'll start over here with number five. Number five on my list is...
Okay. Do do do do do do do do the Christmas charade trailer.
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (10:34.23)
I thought a Christmas charade was pretty adorable. Especially in the beginning when she shows up at the wrong table for the blind date and has to pretend to be a... What was it? was pretending... So she was just like a regular woman. was just a blind date. She was a regular woman and it turns out it was like an undercover cop who doesn't work with a partner. FBI. Yeah, and they're trying to track down art thieves.
It was a CIA. And then at the end, the necklace ended up getting stolen by the guy who runs the museum. Something like that. Yeah, it was. It was kind of fun. OK, that's surprising. and they had that weird action scene of them jumping off the roof of the museum. That was fun. You know, they're rappelling down and that wasn't up. yeah, right. Yes. OK.
I'm sorry, I was getting mixed up with the name Operation Nutcracker. I know, because you would think a name like that would be more... Right, yeah. God, that could maybe be... Sorry. So that was a Christmas charade. So what was your number five? My number five was a tie between Sugar Plum and To Have and To You can't have I need a tie! You can't have ties. We can have ties. Sugar Plum and Happy To Holiday.
I mean, sorry. To have and to holiday. Yes, there's fingerprints on No, holiday, not holiday. Holiday, have and to holiday. I know, I'm sorry, I'm trying to remember. Okay. Okay. The time between sugar plumb and to have and to holiday. Yeah. Okay, well, let's not talk about those because those are on my list. So let's move on to my number four. Okay. My number four is...
Where's my four? My number four is Sugar Plummed. So let's play that beautiful Sugar Plummed trailer. OK, let's chat about Sugar Plummed. Are you OK? Is your list all messed up? I found my four. OK. All right, so let's chat about Sugar Plummed now because it was my number four. my goodness. I like how it called out all like the tropes of a Hallmark movie and then, you know, what makes them perfect and then all the things that go wrong in a real life and how it doesn't work out.
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (13:00.11)
But again, everything was beautifully decorated. Acting was adorable. It was good. It was on point. It was what we needed. And it had just a good storyline. was. Yeah, I like that it was not romance based. Correct. I liked that the like the concert at the end that the daughter does at the school was actually pretty good. Oh, yeah, that's right. Yeah. I really loved the actress who plays Sugar Plum. She was charming as hell.
It was very like, it felt like it was inspired by Barbie, for sure, plot wise. Cause she's like a Barbie character who comes into the real world and is trying to equate her understanding of how things worked in her hallmark world with the real world. was very fun, very charming that way. And so what was your number four? My number four was the finish line. okay. Yes. I thought storyline was good. Banter was good.
Comedy was on point. On point. Yes. It made me chuckle and of course it brought me tears whenever they won. Yeah. Anyway. Whenever we see the dogs. Yeah, whenever we see the dogs. it was, yeah, just the writing and the acting was good. It was good. And it makes us want to go to Finland. It makes us want to go to Finland. So my number three is the finish line. Yes, I really did love it.
Okay, my three. Oh, Let's play the trailer for the finish. guess we have played the trailer when you announced it. Sorry. Whoever. Anyway, this is a problem for future Nick when it comes to editing. Correct. So your number three is holiday crashers. Oh, holiday crashers. Yes. Talk about comedy. They kept me going. Let's play the trailer for holiday crashers. Play the trailer. Okay. They kept you going. They kept me going. I loved those girls.
I don't remember. There was romance. I literally was about to say that. I'm like, oh crap. Was there romance? Yeah. There was the guy that she kept saying at the different parties. At the end. Yeah. Of course he was super wealthy or something. Something like that. Oh Did he run a company that was buying out the building where the candle maker was the lawyer. Yeah. Something like that. This was the first weekend. candle maker was the date before Christmas. That's the most forgettable one for me.
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (15:27.802)
okay. Well, yeah, so I do remember there being a great relationship between the two best friends who kept crashing weddings. Yes, they felt like good friends, good friends. Yeah. Chemistry on screen as well as office. I'm sure they had it. Yeah. What was your number two? My number two was to have and to holiday. Let's play that trailer. Roll that beautiful beam footage. So I really thought I was going to hate this going in just based on the description. Correct.
But I love how the city folk are smarter than the... That's smarter, but like, preacher dad in the small town is the villain of the story. Villain. I love it. I love how this town is full of terrible people that everyone has to tiptoe around. Yeah. And our city folk character coming in, make them realize that they're all pieces of garbage.
garbage that need to reevaluate their lives. Yes. Yes. And we're way too deeply into this movie. And beautiful shots of the town. cinematography. Yeah. Drone was used. I still think about that gorgeous shot at the end of the movie when the male lead wakes up the female lead on Christmas morning and you see through the window behind her. Yes. Beautiful sunrise over a lake. Yes. Yes.
The mother was that actor was fantastic that played the mother as well. know, we like good symbolism, especially when it came to the church crumbling. So good job writing. We like to see Christians fall and as well as their buildings that they don't pay taxes for. And of course it has the required convoluted misunderstanding at the end of the movie just to shove some drama before the credits roll. Yeah. So that was my thoughts on to have into holiday. So I'm really concerned.
concerned about the rest of your list now because you already called out all the ones I really liked. What is your number two? Oh, number two. Sorry, I was gonna say. Jingle Bell Run. Oh, you loved that one. It was so cute. I loved the writing of it. They did have good chemistry, especially during that country slow dance in Austin, was it? Something like that. don't know. I liked Jingle Bell Run. Interesting name for the title, but you know.
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (17:49.506)
had a fab-u-lous time watching it. What was the name of their team again? Because I remember us thinking that should have been the title.
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (18:01.838)
Anyway. Yeah. Play that trailer. Play that trailer. We probably already did. don't know. anyway. Jingle Bell Run. Jingle Bell Run, yeah. Do we want to say number one together? I think we both know what it is. Five. We'll count down from five and then say it after one. Okay. Five, four, three, two, one. The Five Year Christmas Party trailer.
Love your sound effects. This movie is so good, I really want to rewatch it. I kept wanting to rewatch it all year long. Yes, all year long. I mean, all season long. I'm why can't this be the five year Christmas party? felt like a Hallmark movie designed for our generation. generation. I have a degree in sculpture. She has a degree in library sciences and the movie follows people who graduate college with a theater degree and they're trying to figure out their life in that.
Beautiful. Yes, yes. And where are my short kings at? I don't know if I can say that because I'm six, too. Right. But I love that the lead was short. He was sexy. He was hot. He was sweet. He was. um, um, um, um, um, um,
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (19:32.61)
funny, creative, she's original, she has, I mean, this is a weird thing, but I love that as a hallmark lead, she has curly black hair. Yes, we didn't have like curly black hair. they looked, everyone seemed normal that you would see in your day to day that are, that's within your influential circle or anything like that. And just seeing people like you.
are it's always nice to have in a movie as well. And not only is our main leads romance beautiful with the whole will they won't they as the story progresses, there is a wonderful gay romance to happening with the side characters because the movie follows these characters on Christmas every year for five years. And we get to see the relationship develop of those characters to.
the ones outside of our two main leagues. so the supporting roles, everyone did a great job and their storylines were lovely. So was a fun first sets, beautiful clothes. And they got to reuse a lot of sets and save a lot of money. Yeah. So props to that. Yes. So that was our favorite and least favorite of the 2024 Hallmark holiday season. How'd you feel about it in general? Oh my gosh, it was fun, exhausting, and
There was a lot of angry, angry nights of, don't want to record tonight. We don't have time to finish this. Why can't we just sit down and do nothing? And I'm like, I wasn't my idea. Okay. But it was a fun journey. It was a lovely fun journey. It is, it just becomes a lot like, you you have, you want to do things on Monday work wise. You're like, I can't, you know, we, you know, we can't wait till this is, you know, something that's Montero.
making us money so we can have this as fun. Anyway, so yeah, even as a real estate agent, you can be busy on a Monday, you're trying to get stuff done, or as game designers. And all of a sudden it's, oh, we need to quickly go and start recording everything so we can have it out on time. And it's like, oh, but I also want to work out more. Anyway, so it's just priorities change during this.
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (21:49.416)
And there's so many commercials when you're trying to watch it live. Yeah. Yeah. We gave up watching them live because it's like 30 minutes longer. And I'm going to fall asleep during the commercials. Yeah. So we got lucky a couple of times that there were like no commercials when streaming. On streaming, which was interesting. I want to say that it feels like Hallmark has reached a post Hallmark phase, I guess. So like, OK, this year had quite a few movies that are commentaries on the Hallmark formula.
I really appreciated that. And so I feel like maybe in two or three years, there's going to be movies that are commenting on the commentary of the post-Halmark formula. Kind of like how superhero movies are commenting on the superhero genre. And now there's like ones that are like, OK, well, what is the twist? Because you're expecting one going in. So I think that is going to be where we are maybe next year.
And but they still sprinkle in the generic holiday movies to for the audiences that expect that hallmark formula. And those are the ones that are in the middle of my list, because if it's terrible, I'm going to remember it. If it is safe, I'm going to forget it. What would you think is the most middling of the movies? I mean, I could easily answer that just by looking at my numbers. yeah, easily. my gosh.
Potentially our holiday story. Which one was that? that's one of their telling the families telling the story about how they met. Yeah, that one was very in a 90s Christmas. 90s Christmas was in movies about time travel. And why is it so boring? Right. For me in the middle, I've got Tis the season to be Irish. God, that was on the bottom for me. Christmas Quest. Christmas Quest. are tomb.
rating in Iceland and we were falling asleep. gosh and I love Lacey Shebaird. Deck the Walls. the? god that one was about the house renovation that they have to do on their own dime in the next two days. my gosh. Yeah. Next time we should do which ones have like complex disorders? Most most disturbing family. Most disturbing family.
Chain Assembly (Nick Ribera) (24:10.594)
Well, thank you so much for joining us on this amazing journey. It's been so much fun. I mean, we're probably going to be doing it again next year. just, in the end, I'm so happy that you're into Christmas like this now and we're able to create something for us and love to whoever wants to tag along. But it's been fun. It has been. It has been fun. It's been fun.
But I can't wait to now just watch the classics for the next couple of days. Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Yeah. Shout out to everyone's hard work in all of these from hair and makeup to the prop people who one day maybe will learn to put weight in a cup to the directors and actors. Just fill it with rice. Just fill it with a sack of rice. A Ziploc baggie. Ziploc baggie. Yeah. On that note.
Hope Santa puts it in your stocking and you think it's cold. Just kidding because it's it's wait Merry Christmas And we'll see you probably the next seasonal movie I don't like we started this whole thing with the Valentine's episode for sense and sensibility Maybe they'll do another Valentine's movie and you'll see a little preview of Leslie again But we go back to the regular scheduled programming of interviews with artists
and on how they find profit in their business. You're welcome for the jingle. Thank you.
Merry Christmas. Merry Christmash. Merry Christ, sir.
