I’ll admit it. I love those impossibly cheesy holiday movies, the cheesier the better. In fact, I have a Holiday Movie Rating System (HMRS) that goes something like this:
Paper-thin plot or wildly implausible plot: 5 points
Female lead is either widowed, divorced, recently broken up with fiancé or can’t seem to find true love: 5 points
Male lead is fabulously rich: 5 points (bonus points if female lead isn’t aware of his money OR is not impressed by it)
Male lead seems nasty at first or has a not-so-hidden agenda: 5 points
Movie title sums up the entire plot line: 5 points
Ending is completely predictable from the opening credits: 10 BONUS points!
With this rating system in mind, here are a few of this year’s batch that I’ve watched so far, complete with links.
Now, if only I could find a way to write one of these… maybe I should put that on my to-do list for 2018. In the meantime, Happy Holiday Viewing!
Made me laugh! I’ve never heard of half these actors. Or more! Merry Christmas. Or should I say Merry Kissmas so it sounds like a cheesy holiday movie?
Ha, Ellen, that should be another one on the points meter: Must be B or C list actors or actor trying to make a comeback after a long time off. What’s funny is that one movie I watched, there was a guy that played the brother of the lead male and in the next movie, he was the friend of the lead. I checked him out and he is from Vancouver, BC. I think a lot of these movies are made in Canada and they probably have to use so many Canadian actors.
LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas Movies…. Can’t get enough. Some are def. better than others though… Friends and I were saying there are about three main bases for Christmas stories… a single mom/dad finding love again, a hopeless singleton (male or female) and then the big / bad developer / boss (again, male or female) turned by love. I guess a fourth… anything that involves the characters being santa or an angel or something like that! FUN though!
And I am glad you are introducing Isla to the genre! Btw, CITY TV has a bunch under Very Merry Movies on Rogers 100 on demand if you get that. This is where I am finding most. Bravo is also good.
Oh, no. “Love Actually”… My husband really likes that film and watches it every time it comes on (he is from England, so maybe it reminds of Home at Christmas). Not among my favorites.
My hubby doesn’t like it either. I LOVE it!
You need to give five points if the female lead wears a white coat, as so many of them do.
I have to admit that I’ve been watching them as well. They are simple and charming stories—a far cry from reality, but a nice escape from daily stresses.
Have a lovely Christmas.
Yes, Grace, and now that Megan Markle wore a white coat on her engagement announcement to Harry (the coat sold out within minutes), we can expect to see many more white coats. As someone who owned a white winter coat, I can assure you they only look good for a day or two 🙂
I need to watch some of these. We have one room with a TV while we’re renting, and it isn’t convenient to watch movies. I may watch on my computer or IPad in a bedroom. I love chessy and funny Christmas movies. Home Alone still makes makes me laugh. But It’s a Wonderful LIfe will always be the most sentimental of all- Have a wonderful Christmas, Judy!
Hi Sheri, Home Alone and It’s a Wonderful Life don’t count … they are classics vs. cheese! My favorite classic is Love, Actually.
Well Judy, sounds like you’ve already got the…uh, should I say “formula”? No, the expectations nailed down. So why not go ahead and write one.
By the way, isn’t there also a trope about….Her life has taken a terrible turn for the worse (marriage broken up, lost her job, etc), so she’s packed up her life and her kid(s) and moved across the country to a small town where she doesn’t know anyone, or grew up, or whatever, to start life over + new job, and now it’s almost Chistmas and….
(Um, did you really say Merry Me at Christmas? Great title)
Hi Susan, yes, moving back to the small town she grew up in to start over is another winning formula. And yup, Merry Me at Christmas was the title. CITY has a new one every day on CITY on Demand (100 on Rogers). It’s a plethora of cheese!