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Reviews
Sealed with a List (2023)
Welcoming, Entertaining, and Different
From the start, I liked this Hallmark romantic comedy set at Christmastime because the female lead was different. Katie Findlay plays Carley Kincaid. Carley is not glamorous but cute and bright and likeable. Her best friend is leaving the country, and makes Carley promise to make a list of things she is going to do to change her life for the better. Almost a year later, Carley finds herself still stuck without having made the changes on her list.
Evan Roderick plays Wyatt Redmond, Carley's coworker. He is a spoiled rich kid, son of the owner of the company, and also feeling stuck and unfulfilled. He wakes up late and is late to work every day. He puts zero effort into doing his job. Carley does not like or respect him. Then something happens that requires the two of them to help each other and work as a team.
The movie draws the viewer in because of the likeable, relatable characters. Refreshingly, it does not follow the traditional pattern of a Hallmark romantic comedy. The only thing that I didn't like about it, is that it was too short. I would like to see more develop between Carley and Wyatt. Perhaps Hallmark can make us a sequel?
Haul Out the Holly (2022)
Mixed Feelings
I have mixed feelings about Haul Out The Holly. It has a lot of good actors, and interesting characters. It has a different twist on the plot, with an over-the-top Home Owners Association and citations for not following all the Christmas rules.
In a way, the HOA is painfully realistic, because they are known for taking away people's freedom. In other ways it is just plain silly.
Perhaps the movie tries to do too much. We expect sentimentality in a Hallmark movie. There is some of it there. But Emily's parents don't really seem to have a loving relationship with her. The comedic melodramatic moments are confusing. The references to other movies get lost.
Maybe if you are prepared to be annoyed, the movie is funnier? I did watch it twice, and it was better the second time.
Guiding Emily (2023)
Good movie, though not what I expected
This is a story of a healthy, energetic, athletic business woman who loses her sight and what happens afterwards that brings back joy to her life.
I saw the adds on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, and wanted to watch this movie. I expected that it would be uplifting, and it was. I expected there would be a love story, and there were several.
After I watched the movie, I was surprised to see that Eric McCormack ( Will from Will & Grace ) was listed as starring in it. I did not remember seeing him in it at all, and used a lot of time trying to figure out which face was his. Perhaps you will figure out right away.
I spent the beginning of the movies nervous because I didn't know when she would lose her sight, and how it would happen. Once that part was over, I could enjoy the movie.
Sarah Drew did a great job of portraying Emily. Emily is a very likeable character, and we can empathize as she goes through the trauma of losing her sight and having her world change forever.
Toby Levins is very good as Emily's fiancee Conner. He is very business focused too, and loves Emily. He tries to cope with her new reality, and be helpful and supportive. Like a real human, Conner makes some big mistakes that make the story more realistic and interesting.
The friends and co-works of Emily are a big part of the story. Everyone should have caring people like them in their lives.
About the dog... this is a separate but intertwined story. It is a bit Disney, and surprising, and fun.
The love stories... Love between Emily and her friends and coworkers, the dog's love of food and learning and Emily, a little romance...
Watch it and find out.
Bird of Paradise (1932)
Beautiful but too sad
I watched this tonight because someone posted a photo of the beautiful Doloros del Rio from this film because she looked like Cher. Her facial features do look like Cher in some of the photos, when taken at the right angle.
This film was made before there were codes that would not have allowed it. It has women wearing nothing but a flower lei and grass skirt, and a mixed relationship.
I love tropical settings, so this was beautiful to watch. I watched a colorized version. Much of It was filmed on location in Hawaii. From this film I learned that "wiki wiki" means "quick quick".
Bird of Paradise is a love story. It is about love that goes beyond the language barrier. It is about learning to communicate. It is about sacrifice.
But it is also about unnecessary sacrifice and barriers and sexism. Here come the spoilers. Surely these young lovers could have found a place to live together happily, perhaps on a different island that didn't have volcano that demanded sacrifice. At least they could have tried. Instead, it ends in tragic, unnecessary death.
If you like a tragic ending to a love story, you may like it. I, for one, prefer films that end happily.
Diagnosis Murder: Physician, Murder Thyself (1997)
Enjoyable, historical, and a surprise ending!
I really enjoyed this episode. It was challenging to follow along with Dr. Mark Sloan and family and figure out who killed the victim.
It was fun to see all the TV doctors from other shows playing doctors in this episode, and challenging to name them all and where they were from. Many of the doctors were from shows that people born after 1980 probably wouldn't recognize.
The surprise ending was great, and but also sad. Even though I had seen this show before, I must have blotted out the memory of the end because it was too traumatic for me... Let's just say I love this person, and I didn't want to see them in this light. Watch the show to figure out what I mean.
After MASH (1983)
A great follow up to M*A*S*H
I loved M*A*S*H the TV Series, up until the sad ending. I only found out about AfterMASH a few days ago, and have been watching it on YouTube. The show is very good, and true to the spirit of the original tv series. It is a comedy and drama, set in a VA hospital. It made me me like the characters of Colonel Potter, Father Mulcahy and Klinger even more.
The show gives us a history lesson about the 1950's just after the Korean War. Colonel Potter and friends the stories also take us back as far as WWI.
There are parts in each episode that will make you laugh, and some that may make you cry. My husband gets care at one of the best VA hospitals in the world, and I can relate to much of what goes on at the show General Pershing General Hospital.
The only problem is, watching in on YouTube, the picture quality is poor. I may have to splurge and buy a DVD.
I highly recommend AfterMASH.
The Fukushima Disaster (2023)
Amazing Important film for all to see!
Director Philippe Carillo has made an important documentary about the truth of what happened and is still happening in Japan since the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster on March 11, 2011. The Nuclear Power Industry and Japan have continued to lie and cover up what happened, and the ongoing contamination of our planet and rise in cancers worldwide. Even now the Japanese government wants to dump more radioactive waste into the Pacific Ocean. It also shows the activism fighting to reduce the contamination going forward, and hope from innovative solutions that already exist. I highly recommend this film!
Design Invasion (2004)
My favorite home improvement show
This is my favorite home improvement show, and I hope they bring it back! A designer knocks on the door of an unsuspecting homeowner, and surprises him or her with a one day room make over. The homeowner has to leave, but friends or family members (who requested the surprise makeover), stay behind to help with the work. The homeowner gets to keep one item in the room, and in the middle of the show gets a chance to trade it for a surprise in the truck (like "Let's Make A Deal", it could be great or junk).
The designers are great. I usually don't love the final designs on other home improvement shows. However, this show provided the inspiration for my living room!