Fall 2023 Cheesy Romance Triple Play

Big Sky River (2022)

Honestly, I don’t know where the title comes from. A recent divorcée travels from New York to spend the summer in Parable, Montana. While there, she falls in like with the widowed sheriff, make some friends, and is enamored by the beauty of Montana. There’s a slight complication because her stepdaughter who comes to visit, feels emotionally attached to her and abandoned by her father. I’m sure you can guess what happens in the end. This movie is based on a book written by one of my favorite romance authors, Linda Lael Miller. The cast features Kavan Smith, frequent Hallmark romantic lead, Lochlyn Munro, who you’ve seen if you watch any TV, and Lucia Walters, who was on the last season of Virgin River! 

Production: Authentic production and styling and a really good but terribly under-used supporting cast. Maybe that means there will be a sequel.
Tropes: Career vs. Love
Diversity: Some representation of BIPOC, but I’m not sure if that’s what Montana looks like!
Production: Front Street Pictures and released by Hallmark Channel.

How’d you watch it: DVD checked out from my local library.

To Her with Love (2022)
I’ve never done this before, but I want to analyze the DVD cover before I watch the movie: This is a Hallmark Mahogany production, Hallmark’s Black or African American line of films. There are two attractive Black people on the cover, and in the background is the brick façade of some kind of institution. There’s some kind of mural (I hope not graffiti) that fades up into the photo of the couple. So I am thinking that they’re playing on the Sidney Poitier classic To Sir, With Love, and the institution-like building is a school. The closer I look at the mural on the cover, I notice that it might have students or kids or people sitting at desks or maybe in an auditorium. I see some hands up in the background so maybe a classroom? But I hope its not an inner city classroom. Please no basic stereotypes!
The movie: Yes! This is an excellent Hallmark cheesy romance movie! No they did not fall for the basic stereotypes! A teacher fills in as the art teacher at her old high school, while she hopes for a job at a better-funded school and/or her dream of teaching abroad comes true. Of course, she meets another very dedicated teacher who also happens to be a handsome single man. I thought the story was unique and I love the throwback to To Sir, With Love. I like that in the end she didn’t have to give anything up and that it wasn’t just romance, but also friendship that she gained. Brittany L. Smith from Sweet Magnolia fame plays the friend in this movie!

Production: The acting was on par for a cheesy romance. The locations and styling looked authentic and the people comfortable in them. The only really bad thing was the lighting, which was off in many scenes. You would think they wouldn’t have such a hard time lighting Black folk since this is a Mahogany.
Tropes: Shared Goal • Return to Hometown • Career vs. Love
Diversity: Yep.
Production Co.: Evergreen Film Productions and released by Hallmark Mahogany
How’d you watch it: DVD checked out from my local library.

Pumpkin Pie Wars (2016)
The children of feuding bakers take up the mantle to win the annual baking competition for their respective parents’ bakeries. In the process, they learn that each of them has a skill that could help the other, so they trade to try to win the contest, and to succeed in their endeavors beyond the contest. Acting is on par with a good Hallmark movie. I found the story charming and somewhat unique with different-than-expected ending. Pumpkin Pie Wars is a good Hallmark movie that I watched on a DVD checked out from my local library.

Production: The production and styling gives a sense of authenticity: The actors look comfortable and familiar with the sets and costuming.
Tropes: Friends to lovers • Secret Contract/Agreement • Family Feud
Diversity: Nope.
Production Co.: Crown Media Productions and released by Hallmark Channel 

How’d you watch it: DVD checked out from my local library.

Movie: Notes From 2015 Movies

Found some of my old notes...

The Danish Girl ««
Not impressed with the how the story unfolded. I think they missed the mark by showing Einar/Lili revealing their nature by modeling their legs. It felt like there could have been a better way of leading the audience down that path. Consequently, I wasn’t able to suspend reality. Acting was pretty good, and I was happy to see Matthias Schoenaerts who’s name rarely makes it on the movie’s poster, but who always adds to a film.

Brooklyn «««
This was a please surprise. I thought it was going to be the story of a girl torn between two men, but there was much more to the depiction of an Irish girl who made her way to New Yor, finding empowerment along her way. Excellent costumes and personal styling!

The Martian «««
Was not expecting to laugh during this movie, even though it was nominated for Best Musical/Comedy by SAG. Felt like Castaway + Stark Trek.

The Revenant ««««
Iñárritu’s direction and cinematographer Emanuel Lubezki created a visually beautify film that backed up an interesting story acted out with great performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. An overall good movie with a very intense bear attack scene.

Far From the Madding Crowd «««««
Reminds me of Pride & Prejudice (2005) + Places In the Heart (1984). This year has given us several stories of women’s empowerment, and this is one of those. This one is about a woman with options, and she seems to choose the hardest option whenever faced with a decision, which isn’t necessarily bad since it makes for a good story on the screen. In my opinion, you must purposefully try to make the landscape look bad when filming in the English countryside. It is quite beautifully captured in this film and so was the on-screen chemistry between Carey Mulligan and Mattias Schoenaerts (Here he is, again!). I could watch this over and over and now have the DVD to make that happen!

What I'm Watching Now: April 18, 2017

I'm in between a lot of shows and I have a small stack of DVDs waiting to be watched.
Live on TV, Call the Midwife and Home Fires started two weeks ago and they're replaying Forsyth Saga and Wolf Hall for any Damien Lewis fanatics.
On Netflix, I'm stuck in season 3 of Peaky Blinders. The beginning of 3 felt very rushed, and it felt like the quality was slacking so I stepped away for a few weeks, but I'm going to try and finish at least season 3 soon.
A friend of mine discovered they loaded the complete series up tho this point of The Doctor Blake Mysteries, which is so awesome! I watched season 1 and part of season 2 on DVDs from the library, but now I'm continuing on Netflix.
I went for a weekend in Portland recently and the hotel had basic cable so I was able to watch some House Hunters and Fixer Upper (I love Chip and Joanna Gaines!)

I'm trying to stay abreast of the news, but the impending war makes me avoid it. Its almost unconscious.
That's it for now.

What I'm Watching Now: March 20, 2017

Peaky Blinders: I'm already on season 2 of this Netflix series. I love it. I love Cilian Murphy. Tom Hardy's character is abhorrent. I'm trying to watch it slower so that it can be in my life longer.

The Doctor Blake Mysteries: I just received season 2 of this series from the library. It is an Australian series about a sad doctor who solves crimes.

Six Feet Under: I needed to revisit another show from HBO's golden days, so I started Six Feet Under and immediately fell in, again (Get it?!). There aren't many timely references that remind you of the aughts, so, so far it stands the test of time, but I'm only in the middle of the first season.

I watched Birth of a Nation last week and will write a review sooner or later.

There's also the usual marathons on Ion: Criminal Minds and Blue Bloods, mostly. And whatever Masterpiece crumbs PBS throws out: Wuthering Heights (Tom Hardy version), Call the Midwife and Home Fires.

Filler: The Month of January 2016

Happy new year! I'm a little sad to say I haven't  been watching tv as much as it has been watching me. I've been spending a lot of at home time on the internet researching stuff, listening to music and podcasts. If the TV is on, it's just background noise most of the time.
I have, however been keeping up with the Granthams on Downton Abbey and partaking in the new series Mercy Street, which airs right after Downton. Thanks to my Kindle, I've been able to use my lunch breaks to revisit my favorite teen show, Swan's Crossing on Hulu. I was re-watching Deadwood for a bit there. And I'll probably keep doing that when the spirit moves me, because that show is really good. I have a new perspective watching it years after it aired. I've squeezed in a few movies, too, about which I will soon post.
Chicken.

Filler: Week of November 9, 2015

I recently learned that PBS abridges the Masterpiece Theatre shows from the original UK versions. I'm determined to re-watch as much as I can and reclaim what has been stolen from me. It's like finding out in adulthood that you were adopted. "How were you able to keep this from me so long, PBS?! How and why?!" Crackhead-like sobs.

I spent most of Thursday sick in bed and watching a day-long Blue Bloods marathon on Ion. I've been leaning more towards crime shows the past couple of weeks, capitalizing on Ion's multi-hour blocks of Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, and, of course, Blue Bloods. I need to take advantage of the Heroes Network. I think I saw that Homicide: Life On the Streets is on there, and I used to really like that show. It felt like Oz, but on the other side of the bars.

One morning before work, I caught this show, The Great Fire, about the fire that destroyed a whole lot of London during King Edward II's reign. I thought it was just a onesie, and I turned it off after the fire started, because, well, we can all figure out what happened next. But it turns out this is a miniseries and I caught episode 2 this week. Seems like I have something else to watch! Yay!

I also checked out a series I'd never heard of from the library (shameless plug!) called Dancing on the Edge. A BBC offering, that never aired in The States, starring Chewitel Ejiofor. My word! I watched episode 1 for my Sunday morning Masterpiece block and was enthralled. Glad I checked out the whole set!

Back to the screen...

Filler: Week of October 25, 2015

It's been a while since I've posted in comparison to the amount of screen time I've consumed.
Masterpiece Theatre is pumping out some good stuff. I'm part of the way through Indian Summers and Home Fires, both good so far. And I'm surprised to say it, but The Great British Baking Show has official got its hooks into me. It's my guilty pleasure, kind of, but I don't know why. I don't feel naughty when I watch Martha Stewart Bakes or any other cooking show for that matter. Hmph. Oh well.
I ran a new scan on my TV and picked up a couple of new free digital channels, notably the Heroes Network for crime drama lovers like myself. I've also been enjoying Ion's mini-marathons of Criminal Minds and Blue Bloods.
And wouldn't you know, there's a telenovela about Celia Cruz! I can watch it online with captions! Yay!
Back to the screen...

Filler: Week of September 20, 2015

I don't want to review everything I watch because I watch a lot of TV, as you may be able to tell by the name of this blog. But I'll use the filler posts to try to keep an untidy list of some of the unreviewed shows I watch. 

One thing I saw this week that was pretty awesome was the Keep On Cooking Julia Child autotune remix (PBS).

Speaking of keep on cooking, I came across an episode of America's Test Kitchen (PBS) that I haven't seen before: Mahogany Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry looked delicious. Hope I can try them some day.

I am continually alluded by the Forsyth Saga (PBS). I finally caught episode 1 a couple weeks ago, and just this week managed to catch the last 10 minutes of episode 3. I wish the series was on Amazon or PBS Video, but everyone is keeping it to themselves and rationing it out on live TV.

I caught a couple episodes of This Old House and Ask This Old House (PBS). They're working on building a house for a severely injured veteran.

The Doctor Blake Mysteries (PBS) had an episode where a Filipino character was accused of killing the guy who beat him on a TV quiz show.

I watched a couple episodes of The Great British Baking Show (PBS), which along with Geneology Roadshow (PBS) are slick and cheesy production reality shows and my guilty somewhat pleasures.

On Nova (PBS) I saw Dawn of Humanity about a new species of humanoid found in a deep, dark, South African cave.

I found myself watching an episode of the Ghost Whisperer on Ion. I was suspended for a few minutes, but honestly, Jennifer Love Hewitt just cannot engage my interest. I don't need to watch that show, again.