Talkie Tuesday: Pie to Die For

 

"Sometimes you just have to improvise."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to another Hannah Swensen movie.

 

Hallmark releases these every once in a while, and they're on movie ... eight right now? Ten? I've lost count.

 

But they're definitely moving into double digits!

 

The thing about these movies is that they feature a generally likeable cast, a plot that's usually fairly easy to follow along, and nothing too complicated so that you don't have to spend hours scratching your head about what's happened.

 

It's also why I like to sit down and watch them when they release - they're pretty good for resting my brain a bit!

 

Sure I'm wondering about the case, but it's not life or death.

 

Well, at least not for me - it's a bit different for the unfortunate victim, I suppose. Without further ado - Pie to Die For.

 

Talkie Tuesday: One Bad Apple

 

"Never underestimate a baker."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back.

 

After taking a bit of a break last week, I decided to sink my teeth into a deliciously yummy murder mystery for you all for this week's blog post.

 

What can I say - I'm an amateur sleuth at heart. It all goes back to watching Hercule Poirot on TV with my parents when I was younger.

 

Tonight's choice might not be QUITE as sophisticated as Agatha Christie's little mustachioed detective, but, that aside, it has an amiable cast and a fairly easy plot to follow, so I'd say that's a pretty good choice for anyone to watch.

 

They also managed to make the switch in male stars rather seamless. Ish. So hopefully that bodes well for the future!

 

For now, put on your aprons and get those apple peelers. One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, is up next.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Murder at the Breakers

 

"It's time for a new generation to step up to the mantle."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back to the murder mystery train.

 

That's right, the weather outside being what it is - that is, rainy and foggy and all things mysterious - has prompted me to return to my love of mysteries, because there's just something about the kind of atmosphere it produces which always leads me to either read or watch detectives muddle their way through clues.

 

This one's no different.

 

Actually, I think Hallmark's trying it's hand at several different, new projects right now, with rights to different book series, to see what sticks to the wall and what doesn't.

 

Because Gilded Newport Mysteries was a book series FIRST before they translated it onto the screen, and I'm now absolutely curious about the series as a whole, having seen this first installment.

 

I'm a fan of HBO's Gilded Age, after all. Gilded Newport Mysteries: Murder at the Breakers sounded right up my alley.

Talkie Tuesday: True Justice Family Ties

 

"Always follow the wife."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome to what I'd probably call the Kat McNamara appreciation post, if it didn't already have a different title.

 

See, I've been a HUGE fan of hers since her Shadowhunters days, and once she joined Arrow as the one and only Mia Queen? Forget it, I was set for life to be one of her biggest fans.

 

She's just an amazingly versatile actress, and I'm reasonably sure she just hasn't found the role that would skyrocket her for life, which is a shame because I feel like she could do really, really well among the big Hollywood A-listers.

 

Then again, maybe she's perfectly happy where she's at right now though? Who can tell!

 

I know that I was pleasantly surprised seeing her name pop up in association with Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, so this weekend I sat down to watch the little movie she made with them.

 

Because, don't you know, I like murder mysteries, too. Which True Justice: Family Ties absolutely, definitely is.

 

Talkie Tuesday: A Zest for Death

 

"The plot thickens."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome back to Lake Eden, where the baking is fantastic and the murder is ripe.

 

Quite literally, actually.

 

Joanne Fluke was on to something when she invented Hannah Swensen, her baker-slash-detective, at amateur levels of course, because generally speaking we as amateurs enjoy having someone else's eyes to look through when some sort of crime happens.

 

The movie series for her book adaptations has been running at Hallmark for a few years now, even after the rebrand from Murder She Baked to Hannah Swensen Mysteries, and that's probably proof enough that people really enjoy it.

 

Besides, what's not to like about some eye candy like Cameron Mathison, right?

 

Right.

 

So put on your thinking caps and grab your kitchen utensils: tonight's choice is A Zest for Death.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Mystery on Mistletoe Lane

 

"Christmas is about family."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome to the second of our Christmas movie review nights, which is once again turning out to be a success. I'm actually honestly surprised!

 

Usually, the way things go is, I find the perfect movie to start off with, but then they slowly peter out the longer I watch them through the duration of December. It's as if I start at the top and then gradually slide downwards!

 

But not this time.

 

No, this time, I got two winners in a row, which DOES make me slightly nervous for the remainder LOL but, we shall persevere!

 

First, we have a minor mystery to solve.

 

And we need to find some reindeer while we're at it.

 

Mystery on Mistletoe Lane, from Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Miracles of Christmas, is up for tonight.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Carrot Cake Murder

 

"If you respect the process, you could end up with perfection."

 

Hello everyone!

 

This week, we take a look right back into the world of sleuthing.

 

That's right, if you know me, then you know that detective stories are among some of my favourites - and that Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot take the cake, with Sherlock Holmes either right there with them or close behind, depending on my mood.

 

Tess Gerritsen is also an author that I truly enjoy, so can you see a trend forming here?

 

A while back - this is now probably a few years back, actually - I very accidentally ran into a series that Hallmark Movies & Mysteries did called Murder, She Baked.

 

I was originally enticed into watching because of its male lead, but stayed for the adorable stories.

 

They rebranded into Hannah Swensen Mysteries and have just released its second installment out into the world in this new series.

 

Which means that we got to put our thinking caps on, everyone! Because it's time to solve a murder, and not just any kind, but a Carrot Cake Murder.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Time for Him to come Home for Christmas

 

"When you're truly meant for someone, it's never too late to get it right."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Back for the second week of our Christmas movies, and we once again have what I'd consider a winner.

 

I think I've picked really good ones thus far this year, if I'm being honest.

 

And I've noticed, for my part, that I seem to have outgrown the old, girl goes home to small town for Christmas and meets her ex there again to rediscover the magic, trope.

 

Or maybe I just haven't found a good one with that this year yet.

 

Either way, tonight's movie choice is another really spectacular one, and it's actually part of Miracles of Christmas, which is the second programming batch that Hallmark usually puts out every year leading up to the holidays.

 

I picked it because of it's leading man, I'll admit, but it turns out the entire thing is really quite beautiful.

 

Time for Him to come Home for Christmas has a mouthful of a name, but I can assure you that it's really quite lovely.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Christmas in My Heart

 

"It's okay to choose your own path."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And a warm welcome to the first of this month's movie reviews, which will all be dealing with the same exact theme, so hopefully you're ready.

Christmas is, quite literally, right around the corner.

So what better way to prepare for it than by watching some of the holiday movies that always air this time of year?

Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas and Miracles of Christmas are both seasonal programs that have been running for quite a few years by this point, and on a good year they'll launch probably close to 50 movies into the ether to then see which resonates with audiences the most.

To say there may be some repetitions of plotlines would be an understatement, but suffice to say they do in fact have gems every single holiday season, and then some.

Christmas in My Heart even has a lovely title to go along with it!

Saturday Snippet: Signed, Sealed, Delivered

 

If this is the series end, it couldn't have ended better!

 

xx

*video not mine

Talkie Tuesday: Sweet Revenge

 

"It could be nothing ... but it could be something."

 

Hello everyone!

 

See what's happened?

 

Yep, I'm back on that Hallmark channel grind, as I always seem to be as the fall months start coming in and whatnot, though I will admit I might have chosen some other movie to wrap up the summer blogs with.

 

However, I'd been waiting to watch this particular one for some time so I figured, why the heck not?

 

I enjoyed the original series and am looking forward to see what this new rebrand looks like; originally, it was called Murder, She Baked, which was a cute play on Murder, She Wrote, but for some reason the channel execs have decided to go for Hannah Swensen Mysteries from now on.

 

To be clear, as long as we GET some new mysteries, I'm down for it being called whatever.

 

I feel like this used to be a staple in programming, and I'm really happy it's back.

 

Sweet Revenge: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, is up next!

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Christmas Bow

 

"No matter what curve balls come at you - just keep swinging."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to the last Christmas movie review of the season!

 

Whew.

 

It's been a doozy this year given everything, but then again I suppose we're all feeling the effects of it being 2020, right?

 

I've seen so many memes floating about that it's hard to say who's had more fun with them, the year itself or the people who made them, but all of them are so relatable, and honestly I can't WAIT for 2021. It's got to be better than what we've had so far, right?

 

Fingers crossed.

 

But for the time being we're taking a look at one last Christmas-y movie before starting something else next week, and in honour of that I've chosen one that I truly enjoyed yesterday while watching.

 

The Christmas Bow knew exactly what it wanted from audiences, and delivered.

 

Talkie Tuesday: A Glenbrooke Christmas

 

"Not everyone with money is a bad person."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Back with yet another Christmas movie, though this time I switched things around, as I will normally watch something and then end up waiting a bit before I work on a review of it, but yesterday as I was watching some evening entertainment (which these movies inevitably are) I couldn't not.

 

Every once in a while you run into something that either makes you really happy, makes you laugh a whole lot, or just makes you shake your head.

 

Depending on that criteria you can then decide just how good the whole she-bang was. 

 

For me, the movie started out a bit meh and I thought it would be just okay, but by the time the action started going I was beginning to think it might just be the funniest I've ever seen. Why? Well a lot of it has to do with how certain scenes were written, though I'll admit that most of it comes down to the two leading actors.

 

Though if you read reviews on IMDB they're all saying how the writing was meh, I kind of disagree. Was it cheesy? Sure thing. But was it meh? No, not really.

 

Let's check out A Glenbrooke Christmas.

Talkie Tuesday: USS Christmas

 

"Heart and emotion. To the Navy!"

 

Hello everyone!

 

For this week's blog post I picked one from Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, given that both that AND regular Hallmark are doing their countdown before the 24th rolls around.

 

Though to be fair, I tend to just watch movies willy-nilly.

 

I'm one of those people who makes a list every December and then randomly picks and chooses what they're going to watch, but then again I also have the privilege to be able to do so, which is no small feat, I'll admit.

 

I have to give credit where credit is due, after all.

 

Besides, with our Hallmark subsidiary rolling out all the stops and making sure it follow the mother company's rules and regulations on this, it's safe to say we, also, get way too many Christmas movies, which is a far cry from how things used to be!

 

However, I'm dithering at this point.

 

Tonight, let's check out a more mysterious rote: USS Christmas!

 

Talkie Tuesday: Just Desserts

 

"I really am not one for coincidences."

 

Hello everyone!

 

This is it.

 

We made it.

 

If you've been following this blog then you'll know that the last month or so has been dedicated to the Hallmark Channel series Murder, She Baked.

 

Or well, the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel to be exact.

 

Either way, it's five movies that explore the world of a fictional little town called Eden Lake where Hannah Swenson, the local baker, tries to figure out who committed some murder or other along the way of finding true love.

 

But as the course of said true love never did run smooth, you know there's bound to be trouble when you're least expecting it.

 

And as I keep saying, this isn't necessarily Agatha Christie, but it's certainly enough to keep you occupied for the ninety or so minutes each part runs, and from what I gather there's an entire book series this was based off of, which means I have some exploring to do.

 

Gotta keep current with the books and all that!

 

However for right now, the grand finale, let's take one last stroll through Eden Lake in Murder, She Baked: Just Desserts.

 

Talkie Tuesday: A Deadly Recipe

 "What if's aren't evidence."

Hello everyone!

Look at us go, we're on the second-to-last movie of this franchise, and this now makes me want to go back and rewatch some other Hallmark series that I thoroughly enjoyed so that I can review them on here.

But alas, while the dogs are barking and the caravan passes on, there's also a bunch of new movies that I've yet to have a look at, which means Hallmark might take a backseat for a short while.

Returning to the topic at hand, we are once again in Eden Lake this week with Hannah Swenson who just can't keep her nose out of trouble, no matter whether either of her boyfriends wants it to be so, and it's kind of funny because apparently she's the person everything happens around.

So naturally if you like mystery, mayhem, and a touch of romance in any of your movies or series, I think this is the one for you. Like I've said before, it may not be top of its class in terms of mystery solving to begin with, but it's highly entertaining if nothing else.

Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe tells us that basically no one is safe, no matter how much they might think they are!

Talkie Tuesday: A Peach Cobbler Mystery

"How could I have known that a simple choice would lead to disaster?"

Hello everyone!

We're continuing with our Murder, She Baked mystery series on this blog, since, you know, we're still missing three out of the five movie line-up that Hallmark Movies & Mysteries rolled out about five years ago.

Aren't I on top of things?!?

I do have one or two more recent movies that I'd like to watch and review from them, but for the time being I'm sticking to this because, well, I like finishing one thing first and then moving on to the next one.

Besides, we have yet to see just who Hannah Swenson ends up with!

Not that it's the most important bit of the series, but, it kinda is. Why else would you watch anything from Hallmark to begin with?

And since the weather has turned sufficiently cool over here, I'd say it's pretty safe to go with Murder, She Baked: A Peach Cobbler Mystery.

Talkie Tuesday: A Plum Pudding Mystery

"Murders have to be solved."

Hello everyone!

Okay, yes, this isn't exactly the time to talk about this particular movie installment in the Murder, She Baked series, considering it happens at Christmas time, but there's nothing to it - it's the second one that follows A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery.

And I'm big on chronological order, you know.

Plus there's just something about this particular series that keeps me both amused and entertained at the same time!

It might be Alison Sweeney, or it might be Cameron Mathison.

Either or, although I'll also admit that the stories and the lines running through them are also quite interesting to follow along, if you go into this simply for entertainment's sake.

Agatha Christie it will never be, but it IS something to enjoy just the same!

Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery is up next!

Talkie Tuesday: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery

"Given the right circumstances, everyone is capable of murder."

Hello everyone!

I'M BACK!

And oh my gosh did this take forever.

I do apologise, but this year I decided to just not say anything as we headed off to vacation, and spent a lovely two weeks just decompressing and relaxing.

Then I thought I might be able to get some things done last week, but turns out the whole get your wisdom teeth removed surgery is a little bit more complicated than that.

I caught a light fever mid-week after the Monday situation and so took it easy for the rest of it.

So now, here I am!

With another Hallmark thing. Because obviously Hallmark.

I started a new series (for me anyway) while away, and I have to admit that I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far. I mean it's not Agatha Christie level, but it's definitely entertaining.

Murder She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery is up!

Talkie Tuesday: Timeless Love

"Most of the time, your heart and your mind are saying the same things.

Just in different ways."

Hello everyone!

I know, I know, I really SHOULD get out of my Hallmark movies binge and into something else. I promise that I'm doing it for next week!

This week was too good to pass up though.

I'd seen the title for this movie rolling around on the list I have, but I never wasted much attention on it until I actually took a bit more interest into who was playing the lead roles.

Rachel Skarsten is one of those actresses you just NEED in your life.

I'd seen her before in Lost Girl, but then of course she went on to play Elizabeth I in Reign, that secretary in 50 Shades of Grey, and most recently Alice in Batwoman.

The woman has skillz, lemme tell you.

So it's no wonder that I fell REALLY hard for this movie of hers, Timeless Love.