Happy New Year, Charlie Brown!

I hope many of you were able to catch Rudolph's Shiny New Year last night on ABC. Tonight, ABC is bringing us one more New Years Animation Special.... Happy New Year, Charlie Brown!

This New Years Special is available on DVD, as of October 9, 2009- when it was included as a Bonus feature to the dvd, I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown.


Happy New Year, Charlie Brown
Plot from Wikipedia:

Over the Christmas holidays, Charlie Brown is assigned a book report that is due on the first day back from the break. The book: War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy. Charlie Brown struggles to find time to read the book but keeps getting distracted, first by dance lessons, then by a New Year's party that all his friends are attending. At one point he goes to a store and unsuccessfully tries to buy the book in comic book form, then as a "tape or cassette," a computer game, and finally a film strip.

Things get worse for Charlie Brown when he tries to invite the object of his desires, the Little Red-Haired Girl, by getting his hand caught in the mail slot while delivering an invitation to her house (to which she doesn't respond). He leaves the party and sits on the front porch of the host's house to read his book, but falls asleep. He is awakened after midnight by an indignant Peppermint Patty and Sally, Patty because Charlie Brown did not dance with her and Sally because Linus danced not with her, but with the Little Red-Haired Girl, who had arrived while he was on the porch.

Charlie Brown eventually finishes his book report - on the last day and night before Christmas break ends. He hands it in to his teacher, and receives a grade of D-minus (the teacher says that "it looks like it was written on the very last night of Christmas vacation"). Linus then prepares Charlie Brown for his next assignment—reading Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky, causing him to faint in his desk.


Blessings to You All in the New Year Ahead!

Rudolph's Shiny New Year!

Catch Rudolph on TV tonight!

It's Rudolph's Shiny New Year on ABC at 8 PM est.

Rudolph's Shiny New Year is the 1975 stop-motion animated sequel to the 1964 television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, produced by Rankin/Bass.

from ABC's Site:
Father Time (voiced by narrator Red Skelton) asks the most famous reindeer of all, Rudolph, to find the next Baby New Year before midnight on New Year's Eve. The baby, named Happy, ran away because he was ridiculed by everyone he met due to his large ears. Unless Happy returns in time to take his position as the New Year, the date will perpetually be December 31st. Rudolph searches in the Archipelago of Last Years, a mystical group of islands; Father Time reveals that, when a year ends, the old year retires to the archipelago, and selects an island to keep. Then, time on that island remains frozen for eternity as the year in which the old year ruled. Rudolph subsequently visits the islands belonging to One Million B.C., "O.M." for short (Morey Amsterdam), a caveman whose island is filled with dinosaurs. Then he meets Sir 1023 (Frank Gorshin), a knight whose island is filled with medieval trappings and fairy tale characters, and 1776, who resembles Benjamin Franklin and whose island reflected colonial-era United States. All of these former years join Rudolph on his quest.

As Rudolph and his friends search for the baby, they also repeatedly deal with the villain of the story, a buzzard named Aeon. Aeon is destined to only live until he is one aeon old, after which he turns into ice and snow; however, his aeon is finally up on December 31st. Aeon thus is also looking for Happy, so he can prevent his predestined death on December 31st and live forever. Rudolph and his friends succeed in rescuing Happy from Aeon (as well as preventing Aeon's death in the process), and return Happy to Father Time's castle in time to begin the new year.

This Animated Special is available on DVD with other Christmas Cartoons. Check the link above.

Hallmark Original Movies - 2010

New Information added for Hallmark's upcoming Original Movies...

The Wishing Well - January 29, 2010


Airing in 2010 on Hallmark:

Backyard Wedding

Man of the House

and

The Wish List


More to Come...

The Wish List

MOVIE REVIEW

The Wish List

Network: Hallmark Channel

Premiere Date: August 28, 2010

CAST:

David Sutcliffe ... Fred Jones
Jennifer Esposito ... Sarah Fischer
Diane Venora ... Brenda
Richard Portnow ... Lenny
Tonya Kay ... Catherine
Mark Deklin ... Erik
Julie Brown ... Wedding Planner
Steve Monroe ... Stu
Katie Hein ... Rhiannon
Shalaina Fotheringham ... Bride
Alyssa Preston ... Gloria
Donovan Dustin ... Henry
Barry J. Ratcliffe ... Emcee
Marliss Amiea ... Marty
Don Danielson ... Groom
Amy Cale Peterson ... Waitress
James Ball ... Jamie
Scott Forrester ... Tennis Date
Shawn Nier ... Announcer

PLOT:

Jennifer Esposito ("Samantha Who") and David Sutcliffe ("Gilmore Girls," "Private Practice") star in "The Wish List," a Hallmark Channel Original Movie, that has just begun production and will premiere on Hallmark Channel in 2010. The love story centers on a highly organized young woman who after too many failed relationships makes a wish list of all the criteria her future husband must have. Then, after finding the perfect man who meets all of her qualifications, she falls in love with a guy who meets none of them and realizes that life and love don't always work out according to a master plan.

Sarah Fischer (Esposito), a by-the-book, hard-working human relations executive at a publishing company, is fed up with her bad dates and decides to create one of her famous to-do lists: "Qualification for the Man I'll Marry No Exceptions." After a few more bad dates, she refines her list to include nice feet, no tattoos, has a job, no bad hair and no slogan t-shirts, to name a few. Enter Fred Jones (Sutcliffe), a barista at her favorite coffee place who has unruly hair and wears t-shirts, but who has a knack for reading his customers' personality and creating the perfect coffee drink for them. He also has a knack for getting inside Sarah's head.

At about the same time, Erik Cavalieri appears. He's a handsome doctor who loves animals, loves children, loves to cook, and has about ten other positive characteristics that make him Sarah's perfect match. The two start dating and things get serious. Erik asks Sarah to marry him. It should be a no brainer, but Fred, who challenges Sarah to figure out what she really wants in life, keeps pulling her heartstrings. Ultimately, Sarah decides to throw away her list and put her heart first.

Movie Review:

Okay, this one, first of all, is NOT a Family Movie. Generally, Hallmark Movies are good for family viewing... Not this one.

I thought it had a cute general plot idea. The movie starts with a little girl, Sarah, who is always making list and then we see her all grown up doing the very same thing - making lists. She is single, and decides the best way to fix this, is to make a list of all the qualities she wants and doesn't want in a guy!

The first guy she meets, Fred, works at the local coffee shop. I found it extremely annoying that he repeatedly would not give her the coffee that she would order. Bad business. This was so obnoxious! In her place, I would have walked out, bought my own coffee machine, and never come back!

But Sarah does... and she gives in and let's Fred give her the flavor of coffee he thinks she should order. Whatever!

The movie was all over the place and frankly wasn't very good. At one point, Sarah gets drunk at a bar and ends up on stage singing a drunk version of karaoke to "When the Saints go Marching in". As a Christian, I found this to be offensive.

Also, at a dance club, there is alot of drinking and suggestive dancing. Sarah's new guy friend, Erik, is usually pretty calm and laid back - but he lets loose on the dance floor. His way of dancing is almost Chippendale style, though he (thankfully) remains dressed. In contrast, Fred dances in a rather wacky, disco style. It all looked so silly - I couldn't help from laughing.

All in all, it was a romantic comedy. Does Sarah follow her heart or her list - that is the real question and I think you know the answer!



See or Skip:

I usually love Hallmark's movies, but I must suggest skipping this one.


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Dad's Home - Hallmark Channel Movie starring David James Elliott

MOVIE REVIEW

Dad's Home

A.K.A.
Man of the House or
Love Will Keep Us Together

Network: Hallmark Channel

Original Air Date: June 19, 2010

CAST:

David James Elliott ... Ben Landis
Sharon Case ... Hope Jensen
Madison Davenport ... Lindsay Landis
Will Shadley ... Dylan Landis
Jay Huguley ... Brian
Ron Melendez ... Craig Vertillo
Brian Elerding ... Zane
Noah Matthews ... Brandon
Emily Warfield ... Female Shopper
Mary-Margaret Humes ... Mrs. Dougherty
Beau Billingslea ... Ed Morse
Patti Yasutake ... Mrs. Hong
Tatiana Chekhova ... Nula

PLOT:

David James Elliott ("JAG") stars in "Dad's Home," a Hallmark Channel Original Movie about a workaholic ad agency executive who has lost his wife and is then fired from his job. He soon becomes a full-time Mr. Mom and begins to realize what he has been missing by not balancing his career and family life.

Ben Landis (Elliott) is shocked when his boss gives him the news that his job as an advertising executive is over because he makes too much money and can be easily replaced by three younger guys for the same amount. He shares the news with his two children, Lindsay (Madison Davenport), age 12, and Dylan (Will Shadley), age 8, who have many questions. Then he fires his live-in housekeeper who he can no longer afford to keep. Now in the role of Mr. Mom, he immediately begins making a mess of everything the kitchen, dropping the kids off at school, managing Dylan's asthma attack and making cupcakes for the school bake sale.

But Ben keeps at it and soon gets the hang of things and even finds a supporter in Miss Jensen (Sharon Case, "The Young and the Restless"), Dylan's teacher, with whom there's an instant attraction. However, when he's offered a wonderful job at an ad agency in another city, Ben must decide what matters most in life, and what will be the best thing for him and his family.

Movie Review:

Sweet Hallmark Family Movie. There's not alot of action in it, but a lot of heart. It's a story about a father, Ben Landis, and his two children, Lindsay and Dylan, making it through the day to day routine of life together after they have lost their wife and mother and the Father loses his job.

David James Elliott is in nearly every scene - so if you are a fan since his "JAG" days... then you'll love this! He's quite a handsome guy. And, Sharon Case, who plays Hope Jensen, Dylan's teacher, and the fathers eventual love interest, is very pretty. So, they make for a very cute couple.

It's an emotion packed movie with some sweet lighthearted moments thrown in. They do discuss losing the mother, so this issue might be tough for some young viewers. The son, Dylan, has a terrible asthma attack, however he is ultimately fine. I thought it was funny later on that the father gave him trick candles at his birthday party - that no matter how hard he blew - they wouldn't go out. There wasn't any trouble for him, though, with his asthma, and they eventually went out.

The daughter goes through a new period in her life, so her father takes her to the Doctor. The female Doctor tells the father, that Lindsay is "Coming of age, and she needs a bra." This is an akward, but sweet, moment as the father realizes his little girl is growing up. Hope assists them in their shopping and privately the daughter, Lindsay, tells her father, that Miss Jensen is in love with him.

It's a sweet family movie where the entire family seems to genuinely care for and love another. There's only one great conflict near the end... will they have to leave town when the father gets a job in another city?



See or Skip:

See, with your family!




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