Cellar Scribblings

[serious crayons]

It's annoying when someone professes to watch nothing but PBS (e.g., my neighbor) as a sign of their intellect or taste or something. But I've always been more annoyed by people who brag about not even owning TVs, as if any one medium were devoid of aesthetic possibility. Even in the 1990s, when TV overall wasn't as good as it is now, that was lame -- it meant they didn't mind missing Ken Burns series, for example. But when anyone says it now (admittedly it happens less often), I just feel sorry for them because they're missing a LOT.

I never watch Hallmark movies myself, but if someone said I had to either watch one or drop Tabasco into my eye, I'd watch the damn movie! 

[CellarDweller]

I never watch Hallmark movies myself, but if someone said I had to either watch one or drop Tabasco into my eye, I'd watch the damn movie! 

 

[Jeff Wrangler]

If you can't say anything else about Hallmark movies, at least they seem to have guys who are easy on the eyes. That's not to be despised.

[CellarDweller]

The only real time I watch Hallmark movies are during the holidays.  For the rest of the year, they don't hold my interest.  I did watch the one that Luke MacFarlane made, because it had him in a gay storyline with Peter Porte.  Other than that, I don't watch them often, unless I'm feeling overloaded by something, and need something brainless on as background noise.

That being said, the one Hallmark movie that I really enjoyed this year was called Holiday Road.


Inspired by true events, the movie follows the adventures of a diverse group of people stranded at an airport during a storm. They include a tech entrepreneur (played by Warren Christie), travel writer (Sara Canning), devoted mother (Enid-Raye Adams) and her son (Kiefer O?Reilly), a stubborn senior (Trevor Lerner), an enigmatic woman with a hint of mystery (Brittany Willacy),  a social media influencer (Princess Davis) and a couple traveling from Hong Kong (Sharon Crandall, Ryan Mah).

Together they agree to rent a van for a road trip to Denver.

?When their unexpected journey brings them into uncharted territory, they navigate a series of misadventures together and form a deeper bond that just might change the trajectories of each of their lives,?

[Front-Ranger]

That sounds interesting. I would watch it, if only to find out why they wanted to go to Denver.

I have Netflix and Amazon Prime but I don't think either of them has the Hallmark  Channel. But they have similar movies. One that I liked was "A Castle for Christmas" because it was set in Scotland and stars Cary Elwes. He is magnificent in a kilt on a horse!

I don't have cable TV and pay  nothing for the streaming services (I piggyback on my children's accounts) and that gives me all sorts of extra funds to allow me  to travel, go to real-life concerts, plays, operas, and ballets, and treat my friends  and family. I can eat at restaurants and go to movies in theaters. If I'm curious about a TV series, I can usually get the DVD at the library. Best of all, I have lots of free time to do these things even on top of my very busy life. So, that's how I manage without TV!

[Jeff Wrangler]

That being said, the one Hallmark movie that I really enjoyed this year was called Holiday Road.

Inspired by true events.

I saw a news story that might perhaps have been the inspiration. In reality I don't believe they were going to Denver, but I may be wrong about that.

 

[serious crayons]

If you can't say anything else about Hallmark movies, at least they seem to have guys who are easy on the eyes.

See? Hallmark movies are all-around easier on the eyes than Tabasco. 

[serious crayons]

I don't have cable TV and pay nothing for the streaming services (I piggyback on my children's accounts) and that gives me all sorts of extra funds to allow me  to travel, go to real-life concerts, plays, operas, and ballets, and treat my friends  and family. I can eat at restaurants and go to movies in theaters. If I'm curious about a TV series, I can usually get the DVD at the library. Best of all, I have lots of free time to do these things even on top of my very busy life. So, that's how I manage without TV!

I finally cut my cable last summer and of course I wish I'd done it years sooner (I worked with a bunch of younger people in 2016 or so, and none of them had cable or dish). I get internet through Verizon for $25 a month.

I bought a new smart TV for $300 (or about what I was paying a month for cable). It's slightly harder to navigate than Comcast was but worth it. It's only problematic if there's something on regular network TV I want to watch. I think there are workarounds for that, too, and it's rarely an issue anyway. I found it difficult to watch the Republican debates in their entirety, but I'm probably going to want to figure something out before the Oscars and, later in the year, for any presidential debates that might happen, although who knows if they even will.

Last night I watched Oppenheimer and frankly I was happy to watch that at home. The main attractions of a theater movie are the bigger screens, which aren't always necessary, and better popcorn than the Orville Redenbacher's I made last night.


 

[Front-Ranger]

Last night I watched Oppenheimer and frankly I was happy to watch that at home. The main attractions of a theater movie are the bigger screens, which aren't always necessary, and better popcorn than the Orville Redenbacher's I made last night.

It seems like the bigger screen would be an asset for that movie because Christopher   Nolan's work  is always on an epic scale. Plus, you could really feel the intensity in Cillian Murphy's eyes. Other benefits are a great sound system, being able to see trailers of coming features, and being around people, feeling like you're watching in a community of kindred spirits. Sometimes I strike up instant critiques with people while leaving the theater and, a time or two, I''ve even gone to a bar or coffee shop nearby to discuss the show.

[CellarDweller]