Summer Nights are coming on the Hallmark Channel in August with FIVE all-new movie premieres. Plus, TWO movies are set to premiere this August on Hallmark Mystery.
See all of the details below...
Hallmark Channel Premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT:
Junebug
Premiere Date: Saturday, August 3, 2024
Starring: Autumn Reeser and Aaron O’Connell
Storyline: When an eight-year-old version of herself starts appearing to her, Juniper (Reeser) begins to realize that her life is not what she had hoped it would be as a child. Young Junebug pushes Juniper to achieve her dreams, to start writing again, and to collaborate with the cute artist Alex (O’Connell) that she recently met to get her life back on track.
Movie Reviews:
☀️ I did watch most of Junebug (still a little left to finish) but I am loving it! Clean, funny, heartfelt. It might be one of my favorites. –LR
☀️ Review: Junebug -
Family-friendly? Yes -
Recommend? Yes -
I think your appreciation of this movie depends on how you approach it. If you think that the younger version of Juniper actually appears to her, and that only she can see her, then the movie borders on the supernatural, and I would not recommend it. But if you think that seeing her younger version is all in her mind - the approach I am taking - then, yes, I recommend it. I like the movie's message: think about how you were as your younger self - more carefree - and remember the things you said and did, and your life might be better if you act that way again.
Also, fantastic acting. Autumn Reeser has always been one of my favorites, and she does her usual wonderful job here. Aaron O'Connell is also good (although I think my favorite of his will always be 12 Gifts of Christmas). But the standout is the actress who plays the younger Juniper (Junebug) - she is simply fantastic with her range of emotions! So yes, I recommend this one...with the right frame of mind. ~Mark 25
☀️ Awww, Junebug is sooo adorable! -Maria
☀️ Junebug - My hubby and I really thought 'Junebug' was a super-sweet movie. We wanted to adopt the little girl! :-) She was seriously adorable. And, Autumn just glowed. Plus, I thought she and Aaron had great chemistry and a nice easy rapport. And, oh my, there was a lot of kissing! Her best friend since childhood was funny. All in all, a fun movie night! We would watch it again. ~Joan
☀️ **UPDATE on Junebug-I finished it and still loved it, until the very last scene. It's easy to miss but I would suggest parents stop a second early. It's the end of her birthday party, and the coffee barista, who concerned me the whole movie but there was nothing until the end, it shows her dancing with a woman from Juniper's office. If I re-watch with kids, I'm going to stop when the scene begins to fad out at the very end. –LR
☀️ Junebug - Different, but had similarities to a Christmas movie I like called “If You Believe” with Ally Walker and a young Hayden Panettier. Ally is also a book editor that’s visited by a younger version of herself. ~JoCo
☀️ Junebug - I loved this movie! Autumn and Aaron were great together. Young Juniper was as cute as ... a June bug. Totally family friendly. Sweet movie. ~Namegirl
My Dreams of You
Premiere Date: Saturday, August 10, 2024
Starring: Skyler Samuels and Kapil Talwalkar
Storyline: Grace (Samuels) has recurring dreams about a handsome stranger named Michael (Talwalkar) due to a mix-up in Dream Central. When they finally meet in person, Grace is shocked to learn he has no idea who she is.
Movie Reviews:
☀️ Dreams of You has elements of Inside Out. It took a little bit for me to get into it. I was satisfied by the end. ~ dstoutholcomb
☀️ My Dreams of You is fantastic!! -Maria
☀️ On another note: we did watch 'My Dreams of You' last night. It wasn't award winning but it had a different storyline and I enjoyed the acting for the most part. I liked the lead actress and the young Asian girl. She was adorable! I also liked the woman who played the sister. I thought the couple had decent chemistry and they were talented dancers. I know we had to 'suspend reality' in some places but overall it was a sweet movie. I needed something to lift my spirits and this movie did just that. ~Joan
A COSTA RICAN WEDDING
Premiere Date: Saturday, August 17, 2024
Starring: Rhiannon Fish and Christopher Russell
Storyline: A clumsy maid of honor (Fish) gets help from her handsome nemesis (Russell) when things go awry at her best friend’s Costa Rican wedding.
Movie Reviews:
☀️ A Costa Rican Wedding has a mention of a gay couple. The couple is never shown, but they are confirmed to be in the background.
Terribly disappointing. –Maria
☀️ I watched A Costa Rican Wedding online and I would skip it. Horrible acting and storyline. IMO
Misty
☀️ So, I went ahead and watched A Costa Rican Wedding.
I’ll give a fuller review later, but I just wanted to give a little detail to the mention of the same sex couple in the movie.
Near the end of the movie Ryan (Christopher Russell) and Emily (Rhiannon Fish) visit Ryan’s friend, Camille. Emily is jealous of her until Ryan says Camille has a girlfriend and if he had a relationship like theirs he’d be a lucky man.
Otherwise, the movie is rather fun but exhausting, too, in the search for Emily’s missing backpack.~Net
☀️ Additional thoughts on A Costa Rican Wedding…
For me, the movie had cute moments and extremely annoying moments, too. I found it to be absolutely ridiculous that anyone would let a person like Emily, who is extremely accident prone and irresponsible with other’s belongings, to be THE person the bride chooses to bring her very precious wedding rings to their destination wedding.
Anyway, the rings get lost, of course, and the search for them was rather long and exhausting, but some of it also made me chuckle and laugh-out-loud.
As I mentioned in my previous review, there is a mention of a same-sex couple. Due to this, I won’t be watching this again. I feel they are trying to slip in little things like this so we become desensitized.
Small SPOILER: In the end, the officiant could not make it on the wedding day due to a mix-up on days, so Emily fixed it by going online and getting herself ordained. Personally, I prefer a preacher marrying a couple as I believe marriage is a holy, sacred covenant before God.
Overall, this movie was a one-time watch for me. Net
☀️ I didn't like it, but the location was gorgeous!
Misty
☀️ A Costa Rican Wedding was cute, different storyline with the monkeys and missing bag. No the actors weren’t the best, but honestly they just reminded me of the Reel One movies….one time watch for me. And the comment about the lesbian couple didn’t bother me, as long as it wasn’t shoved in my face with a couple kissing or actually having a storyline.~Paula
☀️ Costa Rican Wedding-I struggled with this one, just wasn't my taste. I've been watching some older Hallmark (hall of fame type) dramas and other solid Christian films lately so I think I just wasn't in the mood for something without depth. I'm sure others will enjoy. I didn't even get to the part about the couple, I just got bored with it and as you said Net it was exhausting looking for the backpack! _LR
THE MAGIC OF LEMON DROPS
Premiere Date: Saturday, August 24, 2024
Starring: Lyndsy Fonseca and Ian Harding
Storyline: When Lolly’s (Fonseca) Aunt gives her three magical lemon drops, she gets to experience what her life would have been like if she had made different choices and lived those unfulfilled dreams.
Movie Reviews:
☀️ The Magic of Lemon Drops is.... Incredible! -Maria
☀️ The movie was really good but the book was definitely better. You get to see more of how their relationship developed when they were younger. Melissa
☀️ Review: The Magic of Lemon Drops -
Family-friendly? Yes -
Recommend? Yes -
Imho, nobody show the expression of amazement or bewilderment better than Lyndsy Fonseca. And she puts it to full use here, in this really enjoyable movie!
The plot, involving magic lemon drop, is ridiculous, but it is meant to be. What I appreciated was how they took this plot and drove home a serious message: that better life that you think you would have had if you had done things differently, might have had some unwelcome consequences, so maybe your life isn't so bad after all!
The acting in this movie is top notch throughout. Lyndsy and Ian Harding play totally believable characters (and don't they make a good-looking couple?). The supporting cast is great, and the movie itself is a wonderful mix of seriousness and humor (with some wonderful one-liners by Lyndsy). Play along with the plot and enjoy this movie! ~Mark 25
☀️ SPOILER ALERT:
The Magic of Lemon Drops was definitely family-friendly, and the acting was excellent. However, whether it was the screenplay or the directing, it definitely had some misses for me. For example, Rory walks into The Eatery for some good German food, the dad takes his order and goes off to make it, and then Lolly walks in, talks for a minute to Rory, and they both just walk out to go somewhere else. What about his food??! And then when she explores the alternate realities, her loved ones aren't anywhere near as perplexed as they should be by what she doesn't seem to know - like her dad being dead, or the restaurant being closed. And on a sillier note, when the dog "knocks her over" at the outdoor market, she pretty much has to throw herself over the cooler to fall to the ground. Despite all of that, I would still say it's one of the better Hallmark offerings these days. ~Sharon
☀️ Maria, Mark25 and Sharon, I am in full agreement with you all. I enjoyed 'The Magic of Lemon Drops' so much! Yes, you had to 'suspend reality' but honestly I did not mind because that movie brought me so much joy! Yes, there were tears as well but just as much laughter. Her eccentric aunt was a hoot. Her friend was adorable. Her parents were also good. Her little sister, got on my nerves at times, but that was realistic, speaking from experience as I am the oldest in my family. :-) And, I absolutely loved Lyndsy and Ian together. They were magic! And they looked so great on camera. They are so gorgeous. Plus, it warmed my heart, seeing Ian again because he was love interest in my favorite Christmas movie from 2023 'Ghosts of Christmas Always'.
Anyway, I did like that in all three 'alternate paths' Lolly's life was not perfect. There was both good and bad which is how real life is. And, I have to say I believe I would have jumped at the chance to see how my life would have played out if I had chosen a different path. I won't spoil it, for those who haven't seen the movie, but there is one 'alternate path' that touched me the most because someone I loved dearly left me a long time ago and I know in my heart I would jump at the chance to spend one more day with her.
I am so happy to see there were others who would recommend and enjoyed this lovely movie. I plan on adding it to my collection when it is available. ~Joan
☀️ Just jumping in to add to the positive reviews for the Magic of Lemon Drops! I have to say, I was totally pleasantly surprised by this movie. And while I gravitate towards Christian and deeper themes, it was SO refreshing to watch this sweet, familiy oriented movie. And the bit of caution I had that it could be mystical or strange (I usually don't like fantasy types), I can't get over how well done it was! Honestly, it was such a good story and I really loved the actress Lyndsy Fonseca. She was new to me and I thought she was excellent! This movie really lifted me and was just what I needed! I'd re-watch, which I rarely say! ~LR
HEAD OVER HEELS
Premiere Date: Saturday, August 31, 2024
Starring: Rebecca Dalton and Olivier Renaud
Storyline: A suburban girl at heart, Addison (Dalton), is off to prove herself in the world of high-end fashion footwear when she lands a life-changing internship at an Upper East Side studio leading up to the star-studded New York Fashion Week. Addison is determined to hold onto her integrity and her family values while struggling to balance it all and forge a path to success and romance, although she may fall head over heels while trying to make her dreams come true.
Movie Reviews:
Head over Heels is clean and fantastic! -Maria
Anyway, not to be negative but "Head Over Heels" was terrible. I could not get through even half of the movie. Tired retread of "Devil Wears Prada" is what I thought as I was watching it. ~Joan
Hallmark Mystery Premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT:
JAZZ RAMSEY: A K-9 MYSTERY
Premiere Date: Friday, August 2, 2024
Starring: Rachel Skarsten and Corey Sevier
Storyline: When Jazz Ramsey (Skarsten) and her crime detection dog Zeus stumble upon an old crime scene, the K-9 trainer, her star pup, and ex-boyfriend and lead detective Nick (Sevier) are thrown into the investigation.
Movie Review:
π Jazz Ramsey: A K-9 Mystery was in my opinion is not that great. I was expecting a "Hudson & Rex" kind of story, but the dog is hardly in the movie. I had trouble staying awake till the end. ~Joyce in Carolina
π The new mystery was so boring! No chemistry between the two leads who were supposed to have history. Not believable. There were too many plot holes that I don't even want to go in to. Did not finish the movie. ~Joan
π Jazz Ramsey: A K-9 Mystery – While I enjoyed seeing Rachel Skarsten and Corey Sevier paired together again, the mystery portion of this movie just didn’t capture me.
Like Joyce mentioned, I, too, wanted the K-9 dog to be incorporated more into the story and mystery, as they were trying to discover who-dun-it.
The funny thing is, the day before I watched this; I watched Hudson & Rex, which for anyone who doesn’t know, is another mystery revolved around a K-9 dog officer. The funny part was- the episode I watched just so happened to have the exact same woman in the cast who in the “Jazz Ramsey Mystery” played the suspicious new principal/former student of the victim. I thought that was really interesting timing.
Anyway, if they do another "Jazz Ramsey: A K-9 Mystery," I’ll bite (get the pun?), but I hope they will have the dog, Zeus, more involved in clue-seeking and hopefully, the mystery will be more interesting.
Overall, this is a cozy, wholesome mystery. ~Net
NELLY KNOWS MYSTERIES: A FATAL ENGAGEMENT
Previous Titles: Engaged to be Murdered, Nelly Knows Mysteries
Premiere Date: Friday, August 23, 2024
Starring: Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith
Storyline: When an unusual handwritten letter arrives at Nelly’s (Hutton) office, she identifies the handwriting as belonging to her childhood friend Dahlia (Sarah Grey, The Secret Lives of College Freshman), claiming her boyfriend Blake (Julian Haig, Dial S for Santa) is being unfaithful. Determined to help, Nelly wants some answers and rushes to Blake’s home only to find his dead body. When Dahlia becomes the prime suspect, the new, handsome Detective in town, Michael Hogan (Smith) must work with Nelly to prove that her childhood friend is not the killer everyone believes her to be.
Movie Reviews:
π Nelly Knows Mysteries was fabulous! Family friendly! It was fun and a good mystery. I loved the characters. I highly recommend watching it :) ~Rosie
π Nelly Knows Mystery: A Fatal Engagement Review…SPOILER AT THE BOTTOM ONLY
I had high hopes for this one because this is my favorite couple of all time!! Still is. The movie felt very rushed to me, and Nelly was a fun character as I knew she would, but thought she would be better if she were a little calmer. I know they put some Rosemary in her, but I watched some WCTH last night and she was more relaxed. Kavan was great like usual. He was his same easy going self. I still enjoy watching Pascale and Kavan together, they both had their same WCTH personalities, hand motions and expressions that I kept catching. That was fun!! It was family friendly as well. I can see this being a great show, if Nelly can get rid of some hyperness. They definitely have that perfect chemistry.
Oh, and her clothing was really cute, fresh and modest. I appreciated that.
But the ending with the killer saddened me, turning on your spouse like that. Marriage is sacred. I do wish it ended differently because of that.~Abigail
π Abigail, I agree with you on the ending of "Nelly Knows Mystery". But, I almost threw something, at the TV, at the end of the movie. The killer was unexpected and disturbing. :-( I too, adore Kavan and Pascale. But, this movie was a one-time watch for me. I loved Pascale's outfits. She looked beautiful. However, her character got on my nerves, about half-way through the movie. And, honestly, can't the writers come up with a new angle for their new mystery series? ~Joan
π I watched Nelly Knows Mysteries and it was a one time watch for me. I love the mysteries on Hallmark Mystery channel, they are my favorite to watch. But this just seemed silly to me, almost like a parody of an Aurora Teagarden movie. I have never watched When Calls The Heart, so I haven’t seen Pascale Hutton act in many films to know if this is her normal acting, but man this was difficult to watch. She was so erratic and immature and just all over the place. That behavior combined with the choice of music (which was reminiscent of Picture Perfect Mysteries with Carlos and Alexa PenaVega) just didn’t feel like the mysteries I love from Hallmark. I know that she was meant to be “nosey” but it was just over the top and comical at times. ~Paula
π Nelly Knows Mysteries was really cute. Paschal and Kavan seemed to be playing Rosemary and Lee in a modern setting. At one point, I even thought she called him Lee! (My daughter said I heard wrong.) For some, that may be a negative, but I loved it. You can't deny the chemistry between them. The mystery also kept me guessing until the very end. Best of all, it was family friendly to watch with my 13-year-old daughter. ~melnewlife
π We loved Nelly Knows Mysteries! The kids thought it was fun to see Rosemary and Lee from When Calls the Heart solving this mystery. It was fast paced enough to keep everyone interested. Christie
π Nelly Knows Mysteries – I thought this movie was a breath of fresh air! The combination of Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith was, as always, such a delight, and I personally loved Pascale’s perky portrayal of busy-body, nosy Nelly!
Initially, I must say, Nelly reminds me of someone on a sugar high, and I couldn’t help from thinking Whoa, Nelly, but as time goes by she seems to mellow some.
The more serious, thoughtful interactions between Nelly and Detective Michael Hogan (Kavan Smith) later in the story at the diner are some of my favorite scenes, when they both share a little of their backstory. Michael asks Nelly “What makes you so relentlessly happy?” Surprised by the question, Nelly responds by sharing a past love story that doesn’t end happily, but Nelly eventually responds, “I guess… I just… choose not to be sad.” I thought that was a profoundly honest statement, a beautiful moment in their early friendship. It truly touched my heart. We all have difficult times and situations in our lives, and even though we can’t control those things, we can control our response and choose to be happy. Overall, the mystery portion was intriguing and kept me guessing for some time. Personally, I found only a few members of the town to be endearing, as the rest seemed very suspicious. So, I hope if they continue this series, they will add some more likable characters to the community.
“Nelly Knows” is a cozy mystery, suitable for tweens and up. There is a kitten, too, in the story that is purrfectly darling! ~Net
Whether it's a rom-com or a mystery, I hope you all find something to look forward to watching in August!
I think it will be fun to see Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith team up in a new mystery since I already adore them as Rosemary and Lee on When Calls the Heart. It should be interesting. I also like their previous romantic-comedy movies together: The Perfect Bride, The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells, and You Had Me at Aloha.
And the other movie that has caught my eye, my private eye (ha!), is the new mystery, JAZZ RAMSEY: A K-9 MYSTERY! What actually sparks my interest the most are the two actors starring in this series: Rachel Skarsten and Corey Sevier! The two also starred together as pre-teens/teenagers in the family TV Series, Little Men, which is based on the Novel by Louisa May Alcott. The series ran for two seasons from 1998-1999 on the PAX TV network. I highly recommend this series for family viewing. For anyone who already knows this series, I think it will be great fun to see Rachel Skarsten and Corey Sevier act together again - as grown-ups, who will likely be romantic interests.
Corey Sevier and Rachel Skarsten from "Little Men." |
Please share your thoughts on these new movies in comments below.
Autumn Reeser is back!!
ReplyDeleteThat's basically the only movie that looks interesting. The others that aren't more useless mysteries: Will only consider watching if the trailers are interesting. -Maria
I’m so excited to see Autumn too! I thought I had seen every movie of hers and then I saw “I Do, I Do, I Do” last year and it was so great, she was so naturally funny.
Delete~Paula
Oh, and I guess I'll also check out Rhiannon and Chris's movie since I like them both. -Maria
ReplyDeletePascale & Kavan’s first mystery movies
ReplyDeleteSince Rosemary did vision board wirh Lee at their house to solve mystery
They thought they pretty interesting to do mystery movie for. Pascale & Kavan.
What a treat! 2024 has been great so far! Love the new mysteries and also looking forward to Christopher Russell and Rhiannon Fish movie! So happy!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, these all look great, even the mysteries. Yes the mysteries are sadly one episode series they don’t continue for whatever reason (even when they have cliffhangers) but I will still watch them because I love the mysteries. And the romantic comedies all look so good and I’m happy to see some of my faves back like Autumn, Corey, & Rebecca. I really wish they had put someone else with Rihanna, i have reached my max of Christopher Russell for the year π
ReplyDelete~Paula
ReplyDeleteLet's be positive first.
Kudos to Hallmark for a total of 7 new movies in August.
The Rachel Skarsten/ Corey Sevier pairing looks intriguing plus we love German Shepherds and have always had one in the family.
We'll see how the Nelly Knows Mysteries works out.
Junebug looks decidedly weird.
The Magic Of Lemon Drops sounds disjointed but Lyndsy Fonseca is so talented and Ian Harding was great in Ghosts Of Christmas Always so maybe they can carry it.
I like both Rebecca Dalton & Olivier Renaud so although the movie looks standard fare here's hoping.
Rhiannon Fish has improved leaps and bounds but do we REALLY need more Christopher Russell?
My Dreams Of You sounds like another suspend your belief mess - Florence
Ditto what Florence said. :) ~~Jane
DeleteI'm looking forward to most of them, except the mystery ones and My dreams of you.
ReplyDeleteWhat movies are you looking forward seeing this summer
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tv couple of all time!!!(along with Jenny and Brian)
ReplyDeleteI am so excited! I've wanted to see them do mysteries for awhile now. They are so much fun together! But I do hope it lasts. Hallmark now has that bad reputation for not continuing series. At some point it might be wise to do mystery movies instead of series. Part of me screams NO! I love the series too and seeing the characters grow over time, but unless Hallmark can get it together. I think they need to switch.
I wonder if this is where the WCTH writers got the idea for the mystery or was it the other way around????
I love mysteries so I will check out the two new ones. The K-9 movies is a must see for me.
ReplyDelete-Gabe’s Mom
these sound fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThose pics of Corey and Rachel are so cute, never heard of Little Men.
ReplyDeleteJune bug, 8 year old self appearing to her sounds satanic.
ReplyDeleteI loved this movie! Autumn and Aaron were great together.
DeleteYoung Juniper was as cute as ... a June bug. Totally family friendly. Sweet movie.
Well one thing you can say about Christoper Russell, he’s a hard working man! I loved him in Merry Matrimony but his other movies don’t do a lot for me even though he had great costars! Let’s hope this and all the movies are good, at least they’re new!~Susan Ann
ReplyDeleteUPDATE: New mystery movie added to the August schedule: "The Cases of Mystery Lane: Pilot."
ReplyDeleteSee details above.
The short synopsis really tells us little so we'll just have to wait and see! - Florence
ReplyDeleteHi there! Is the “Pilot” episode different from the Mystery Lane movie that aired in 2023? A pilot usually refers to the first episode of a series so I’m a bit confused if it’s a new movie or a repeat before “Death is Listening” premieres.
ReplyDeleteAnon, I was curious about this title, as well. I'm not sure if they are referring to an actual airplane pilot or if they are considering this to be the pilot (first) episode of the "The Cases of Mystery Lane." Maybe we'll learn more once the press images are released.
DeleteJust wanted to add an update that I removed "The Cases of Mystery Lane: Pilot" because it appears that this was a reference to the first film in this mystery series after all.
DeleteOddly, though, Hallmark Mystery currently has this movie listed on their website under their movie section with no image, as if it is still a new movie coming.
If you compare the plot description with the original movie, however, they are the same.
I love Lyndsey Fonseca, but she seems to do the same kinds of movies. Ones where she is looking back at her life to see if she made the right decisions. The train movie, this one. They seem so much alike. I will probably check this movie out cause I love her. But maybe they give her a new plot???
ReplyDeleteFunny that Nikki Deloach always has a christmas or movie and her grandma died, or her great Aunt. Every single movie the same, Sweet Autumn, Reunited at Christmas, Two Turtle Doves, I think Truly Madly sweetly. There is a movie being filmed called 5 gold rings and from the synopsis, I wonder if it is a movie for her.
I think they have Lyndsey in those movies cause they usually make them funny, or the jumping back in time stuff, and she is a very charming and funny actress. But can they give her something else.
Sabrina, That is sooo true about Lyndsy Fonseca and Nikki DeLoach. You made me chuckle when I read your comment... you're spot on!!!
DeleteI also agree that Lyndsy is great, so I hopefully this new movie will be great, too, and Ian Harding was rather charming in "Ghosts of Christmas Always," so I'm looking forward to them being paired together!!! :)
A Costa Rican Wedding has a mention of a gay couple. The couple is never shown, but they are confirmed to be in the background.
ReplyDeleteTerribly disappointing. -Maria
Maria, I appreciate you discovering this and letting us know. Thank you! :)
DeleteAnyone know if Jazz Ramsey is family friendly? Was going to watch with my older kids tonight if so.
ReplyDeleteJazz Ramsey: A K-9 Mystery – While I enjoyed seeing Rachel Skarsten and Corey Sevier paired together again, the mystery portion of this movie just didn’t capture me.
ReplyDeleteLike Joyce mentioned, I, too, wanted the K-9 dog to be incorporated more into the story and mystery, as they were trying to discover who-dun-it.
The funny thing is, the day before I watched this; I watched Hudson & Rex, which for anyone who doesn’t know, is another mystery revolved around a K-9 dog officer. The funny part was- the episode I watched just so happened to have the exact same woman in the cast who in the “Jazz Ramsey Mystery” played the suspicious new principal/former student of the victim. I thought that was really interesting timing.
Anyway, if they do another "Jazz Ramsey: A K-9 Mystery," I’ll bite (get the pun?), but I hope they will have the dog, Zeus, more involved in clue-seeking and hopefully, the mystery will be more interesting.
Overall, this is a cozy, wholesome mystery. ~Net
Nelly Knows Mysteries was really cute. Paschal and Kavan seemed to be playing Rosemary and Lee in a modern setting. At one point, I even thought she called him Lee! (My daughter said I heard wrong.) For some, that may be a negative, but I loved it. You can't deny the chemistry between them. The mystery also kept me guessing until the very end. Best of all, it was family friendly to watch with my 13-year-old daughter.
ReplyDeletemelnewlife, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this new mystery! I was just getting ready to post my positive review for "Nelly Knows Mysteries" when I read your comment.
DeleteEven though there are some mixed reviews, I, too, thought it was really cute, and I'm so hoping they plan to make more of these!
Thank you so much for sharing! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed watching with your daughter.
Blessings, Net
Nelly Knows Mysteries – I thought this movie was a breath of fresh air! The combination of Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith was, as always, such a delight, and I personally loved Pascale’s perky portrayal of busy-body, nosy Nelly!
ReplyDeleteInitially, I must say, Nelly reminds me of someone on a sugar high, and I couldn’t help from thinking Whoa, Nelly, but as time goes by she seems to mellow some.
The more serious, thoughtful interactions between Nelly and Detective Michael Hogan (Kavan Smith) later in the story at the diner are some of my favorite scenes, when they both share a little of their backstory. Michael asks Nelly “What makes you so relentlessly happy?” Surprised by the question, Nelly responds by sharing a past love story that doesn’t end happily, but Nelly eventually responds, “I guess… I just… choose not to be sad.” I thought that was a profoundly honest statement, a beautiful moment in their early friendship. It truly touched my heart. We all have difficult times and situations in our lives, and even though we can’t control those things, we can control our response and choose to be happy.
Overall, the mystery portion was intriguing and kept me guessing for some time. Personally, I found only a few members of the town to be endearing, as the rest seemed very suspicious. So, I hope if they continue this series, they will add some more likable characters to the community.
“Nelly Knows” is a cozy mystery, suitable for tweens and up. There is a kitten, too, in the story that is purrfectly darling! ~Net
My Dreams Of You
ReplyDeleteA different sort of movie for Hallmark and definitely one of two halves - you had to suspend your sense of reality.
We have a house rule that once we begin to watch a movie we will watch to the end which is just as wellas I would have given up on this pretty quickly.
Skylar Samuels (Grace) and Kabil Talwalker (Michael) were both new names to me but they were both pretty good actors and once they actually "met" there was excellent chemistry between them.
There were good performances from Erica Deutschman as Grace's sister, and David Rosser and Cecilia Lee from Dreams Central (this was the organisation responsible for controlling peoples' dreams - I did say to suspend your reality!!)
The first half of this was pretty woeful, boring and hard to understand in fact it was only during the second half once they had met that you were able to understand what the beginning had been about - but this needed to have been much shorter.
The second half was good fun and intriguing as the story took unexpected turns.
Both Grace and Michael were intent on pursuing their particular artistic dreams - she as a writer and he as a musician and the moral was to never give up on these ambitions.
They met and broke up but never remembered this, then remet at the end and were on a superb first date but whether this would lead to a permanent relationship who knows?
The tying up of the "loose ends" was very cleverly done.
Certainly an interesting outing for Hallmark.
Florence's rating 4 for the first half 8 for the seond plus an extra half point for Becky the Asian girl from Dreams Central she was a refreshing breath of spring air.
Overall 6.5