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Hey everybody, welcome to FHC Forever Hallmark Christmas, the Hallmark Review Podcast where we review one thing and one thing only.
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That is Hallmark Christmas movies.
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My name is Rich.
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As always, joined by my co-host Renee.
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How's it going, buddy?
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It's going very well.
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Hello, everyone.
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Hope everyone's doing okay today.
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Absolutely.
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Renee, uh, by the time this uh podcast drops, Countdown to Christmas 2026 will start in three days.
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Hard to believe.
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And we got 34 new movies uh to run to look at this year.
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It's gonna be crazy.
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Yep.
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And we've already done a few Christmas uh 2026 episodes.
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Probably the most popular one we've done was our fantasy football style draft with Gary and Amy from Poor the Wine, it's rom com time.
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Uh, that was a lot of fun.
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We each drafted seven uh new 26 Christmas movies, and uh that was getting a lot of traction.
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I think everybody really enjoyed that.
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Yes.
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And we thought it'd be fun to do one more before the movies start here in a couple days, and we're gonna call this our bold predictions podcast.
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We came up with 12 questions about what movies we think will be the best or whatever for the 2026 season, and we'll both uh give our thoughts as to why we think these movies will fit each of these questions.
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Sounds good to me.
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Are you ready to get going?
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I sure am.
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All right, so bold predictions.
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Our first one, pretty easy here.
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For you, what is the most anticipated movie of the year?
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I think everyone is on board with this.
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Uh Grand Biltmore Christmas.
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First movie so beloved.
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I don't see how this is not the most anticipated movie this year.
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Like, hands down.
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I I'm pretty excited for that one as well.
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I I I might be going a little chalk here, though.
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I'm going the Disney movie.
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I uh I really want to see what Hallmark does with this.
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I I want to see if they're just gonna make it a big Disney World infomercial or if it's really gonna be different.
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Let the movie stand out.
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I mean, you and I have grown up with Disneyland our entire lives.
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You live what, 10 minutes away?
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I'm about 25 minutes.
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Yeah.
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So we we've both grown up with Disneyland.
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We know what the Disney uh empire is all about, how big it is.
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And I'm really curious to see what Ryan Landell's uh does with the directing, with the script.
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He was incredible with Santa Tolemy and Sugar Plumbed.
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So I uh, you know, obviously we got Lacey, we got Travis Van Winkle, we also got Richard Kind in there.
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So uh yeah, really curious to see what they do with this one, and that's why I'm I'm anticipating this one so much.
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Yeah, that was I debated that one, and I said, boy, a lot of people really like the Disney stuff, but I still I think Graham Biltmore's gonna edge it out.
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We'll see what happens.
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We'll see what happens for sure.
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All right, our next question here uh what will be the most quote unquote classic Hallmark, formulaic movie?
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You know, think 2017 to 2019 when basically every kind of movie had the same kind of plot.
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Are we gonna have any this year that fit that kind of bill?
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Very formulaic, very comfort food kind of movie.
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And for me, it's opening weekend.
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I was going back and forth between the Friday and the Sunday night movie.
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Uh, 'tis a season for setups was looks a little formulaic on the Friday night.
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But in the end, Mr.
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and Mrs.
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Christmas, that that to me seems just reading the uh the synopsis for it, like that is gonna be just the old school formulaic comfort food kind of hallmark movie.
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Uh Christmas market that needs revival.
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You and I both love a Christmas market.
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Uh Brendan Penny, Pascal Hutton.
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For me, that that's the one that seems the most formulaic to me.
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We have to mention again and remind people, we do not discuss this ahead of time because nope.
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And I and I literally asked you, should we actually exchange movies so we don't have the same?
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But you said nope, we're gonna keep it real.
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I said no, nope, and I picked Mr.
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and Mrs.
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Christmas as well.
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I mean, single father, ambitious encounter join joins forces to revive a small town Christmas market.
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That is just one of their main formulas, you know, especially with a single dad or a single mom.
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Usually it's a single dad.
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And reviving a small town Christmas market.
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I love it.
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This is like gonna be the most traditional Hallmark uh formula stuff.
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But I think it's gonna be a good movie.
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That's so funny.
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I think it's heartwarming, it's it's it's feel good, people aren't gonna have to think too hard.
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At the end of the year, it's gonna be like a top five movie of the year, probably not, but hopefully it'll just be one of those really good, kind of makes you happy at the end of it with a smile on your face.
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Yeah, you never know how how it might do.
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We never know with Hallmark.
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Some movies uh do come out of nowhere for us sometimes.
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Right.
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So this next question here, if you if you you probably need to go back and listen to our, I mentioned our fantasy draft with Poor of the Wine is rom com time, you might need to listen to that.
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But what is going to be the potential sleeper movie of the year?
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And I put a caveat here that it had to be one of the six movies that we didn't draft during our fantasy draft.
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We each drafted seven for a total of 28 movies.
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We left six movies undrafted.
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Of those six movies, which one stands out to you?
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Is he this this might actually be a possible sleeper?
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I was surprised that none of us actually got to this movie.
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It's I'm it's for me, it's 'tis the season for setups, it's a nice premise.
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And I love all of those actors.
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Those are like the big heavy hitter actors in that movie.
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So I think that one is gonna be a potential uh you know sleeper for us.
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Uh it's just has the makings of just being a really good movie for me.
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And Victor Webster is playing a ski instructor named Ridge.
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How cool is that?
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I love it.
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So I had the I had the last draft in the pick, uh, number 20, the pick number 28, and I was between two movies.
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And in the end, I ended up picking the Nikki DeLoge Holiday Unplugged movie.
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Uh Zach Hug had wrote in it, and I I couldn't pass it up.
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But the one that I was really close to picking ahead of it was Noel Nomads.
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Uh Benjamin Ayres, Tori DeVito, Jeff Beasley directed it's something like they get stuck in an RV park with a bunch of uh kind of hippies.
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It just really made me laugh reading about that.
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Jeff Beasley directs really good movies.
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Uh, I like Benjamin Ayres.
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I like Tori DeVito.
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So Noel Nomads.
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That's my possibility for a really good sleeper movie that people aren't expecting to be great, that might be great.
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That's a funny premise.
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I like it.
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All right.
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What movie has the best potential of having a great Christmas setting?
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What what when when in the end you're gonna say, hey, oh my god, the setting made this movie?
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I think this is to me, this is like a layup.
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It's like a Danish Christmas.
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I don't know why.
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I just have a feeling that they really get into Christmas decorations and you know, the whole Christmas spirit out there.
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I'm really excited for this movie.
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I love Emily Ullerup and Corey Sevier, I think is its pronunciation.
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Uh, he's uh been a really good actor in a lot of these movies.
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So I'm really excited for a Danish Christmas to see something in another country.
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And I'm sure and they love Christmas, I'm sure.
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Oh boy, we should have exchanged those because we are aligning again.
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I also said a Danish Christmas.
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I mean, how can you not?
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I mean, exactly.
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Amelia Ulrup is Danish as well, so she's kind of going back to her roots.
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Uh, probably gonna get some great Danish food, some good, some really cool Danish Christmas markets.
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Yeah, the scenery is gonna be incredible.
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It's hard not to pass up a Danish Christmas.
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I think that will have the best setting of any Christmas movie that people say, yeah.
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This being in Denmark, it's what made the movie.
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Yeah, I can't wait for this.
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I'm really excited about this one.
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Okay, the lead pairing we are most excited about, and I'll I'll go first tier.
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I am gonna say this was your number one overall uh pick in the draft.
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It was Kimberly Sustad, Scott Michael Foster, Snow Globe Town.
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Yeah, I I think Kimberly Sustad is one of the queens of Hallmark.
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That's I mean, she is absolutely incredible in everything she's in.
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Scott Michael Foster, uh, fresh off of Paris, is always a good idea with Lacey.
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He absolutely killed in that series.
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Uh, I'm really excited to see these two together in a Hallmark Christmas movie.
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The pairing I'm most excited about is uh Lori Laughlin and Tom Kavanaugh in What If Christmas.
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Number one, I know you know they're older, but I think Tom is so funny, and I just find him so charismatic.
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I look I really look forward to seeing the chemistry that these two will have.
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I think it'll be a really nice uh pairing of a of a couple.
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So I I know it's a little bit unconventional, but that's my choice for this.
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Or that's my bold prediction.
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Uh it's it's a bold prediction indeed, and I love it.
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62 years old for both of these actors.
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Uh movie written by a friend of the podcast, Julie Sherman Wolfe.
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It should be really good.
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Renee, what pairing will have the best chemistry in 2026 of the 34 movies?
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The night before Christmas, Tyler Hines and Lacey J.
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Maley.
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She was great in Chesapeake Shores.
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I loved her, and and let's be honest, Tyler has chemistry with everyone.
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So I am I think the chemistry between these two is going to be off the charts.
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Yeah, and you know Russell Hainline, the writer who did the Santa Summit and Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper.
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He's gonna make sure that these two have really good chemistry written into that uh into that script, great dialogue, no doubt about it.
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Can't wait.
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I think that Aaron Cahill and Andrew Walker in Blue Dog Valley are gonna have the best chemistry.
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These are two actors almost the exact same age, they've been doing Hallmark movies forever.
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They've been wanting to work together, both super attractive.
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Yeah.
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Uh Andrew Walker, the King of the Kisses.
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Uh, I I think they're gonna have the best chemistry when all said and done of the 34 movies.
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Yeah, that's a good choice.
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All right, our next question here.
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What movie is likely to become an all-time Hallmark classic?
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Like in three, four years, what movie are we looking back on just saying, wow, I'm I'm still talking about that movie in 2029.
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And for me, it's a movie you just mentioned.
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It's the nights before Christmas.
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It's Tyler Hines, uh Lacey J.
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Maley.
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You know the Heinese are gonna be out in full force watching this movie, they're gonna want to rewatch it every single year for like the next 50 years.
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Uh Russell Hainline wrote it.
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Uh, you know it's gonna be good.
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Uh so yeah, the nights before Christmas, this will be the movie years from now.
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People are still talking about, still wanting to rewatch every single year.
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That's that's my uh that's my movie as to what would become a classic Hallmark film in the future.
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See, your your predictions to me aren't that bold.
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I'm going with a bold prediction.
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I'm going with barking all the way.
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Everyone is gonna fall in love with Yappy and his matchmaking skills, and we're gonna be talking about this.
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Anytime we think of we see a dog in a Hallmark movie, they're gonna be like, that's pretty good, but are they as good as Yappy?
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I don't think so.
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This movie's gonna be funny and memorable.
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Bold prediction.
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People in in 2035 are gonna you remember that movie with Yappy?
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I mean, uh we'll see.
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You know, I was looking at the notes on this one.
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It says, I don't know if the writers are all like they're related because it's Tippi Debrowsky, Neil Dabrowsky, and Spider Debrowski.
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Spider is I don't know if that's a real name or if that's the name of a dog or something, but I just I gotta look up more on us as their relationship to each other.
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I found that very interesting, interesting.
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Well, we know yeah, we covered a Neil and Tippy movie.
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I can't remember which one it was.
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We know that they're a married couple and they've uh been writing Hallmark movies for a long, long time.
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Um, I'm not sure about uh the the third uh Debrowski there.
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Yeah, spider with the Y.
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Maybe they like the card.
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Maybe, maybe, maybe a son or a daughter.
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I don't know.
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That's a cool name.
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Yep.
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All right, so all right, so which movie, Renee, will be the most talked about as people gather around.
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We used to say as people used to gather around the office cooler the following morning.
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I think today I think it's more what movie will be blowing up the message boards on TikTok, on Instagram, on Facebook, on Reddit.
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What what what's the movie everyone's gonna be talking about?
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Maybe the the characters, the plot, whatever.
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I think it's gonna be a holiday touchdown, a Bears love story, especially with the past scene of the great Ditka, Mike Ditka, this recently, this past week.
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Uh, I think this is gonna hit home, especially to those people who are a fan of the Bears and just Ditka in general.
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I think this has a great premise.
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And I mean, come on, it's football.
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Yeah, it's the NFL rating, a really big bowl prediction there on that one.
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Like an industry worth like$300 billion, people are gonna be talking about it.
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That's a good paper.
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You're not allowed to give me grief anymore.
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Okay, the movie that everyone's gonna be talking about is Save the Date for Christmas.
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It's the final movie of the year.
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Italy Ricci, Jonathan Bennett, uh directed by Jeff Beasley.
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Uh, this has some potential crazy storylines that I've kind of heard rumored about.
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Not sure if they're true or not, but if they are true, there's gonna be some really, really fun storylines going around.
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And I think people are really gonna be talking about this one when all said and done.
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Final movie of the year.
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Uh we'll see if it ends up being a bull prediction or just falls flat on its face.
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It's just uh another kind of formulaic Hallmark movie, but I'm pretty excited for this one to see uh what really happens.
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Can't wait.
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All right, you and I both love our uh our good food, our good drink.
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Which movie is gonna feature the best food or beverage uh this year?
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I think it's in the name, like mistletoe and mimosas.
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Right?
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I think that's gonna have for sure best beverage.
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It's you know, the theme is like it she inherited a Christmas theme bar, and now they're they're gonna just have the best food and for sure drinks.
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I mean, Christmas food all over the place.
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I'm hoping lots of cookies and stuff like that, and uh maybe some eggnog and spiced apple cider or something like that.
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But easily mistletoe and mimosas.
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Yeah, and Russell Hainland also wrote this one.
00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:58.480
He did a lot of really fun food and beverage in the Santa Summit.
00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:00.399
He's a beer influencer, we know that.
00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:03.600
So uh it's gonna be good, but I'm going a different direction here.
00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:07.919
And in I thought about a Danish Christmas because I think there's gonna be some really good food in that.
00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:15.519
Also, uh the Christmas Eve feast, uh uh Giotta Day Laurentis from the Food Network, she was an executive producer on that one.
00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:21.200
But in the end, I'm going holiday touchdown of Bears Love Story because I love Chicago.
00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:22.559
I love Chicago food.
00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:31.200
I think we're gonna get some Italian beef sandwiches, some deep dish pizza, maybe some tavern style pizza, some of those really good Chicago hot dogs.
00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:38.000
Uh, maybe we'll make a little stop at Gibson Steakhouse where a lot of the uh the professional athletes go after their games.
00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:47.200
So I'm I'm going holiday touchdown of Bears love story that'll have the uh the best food and beverage in this uh in this 2026 Christmas season.
00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:47.759
Dang it.
00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:48.960
I didn't think about that one.
00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:50.080
That's a good choice.
00:14:50.320 --> 00:15:01.919
All right, Renee, most likely to have the best mistletoe meat, or you and I uh at every view we talk about the final kiss of the movie, or if there's a mid-movie kiss, we cover them all, we break them down in detail.
00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:04.559
Nobody breaks down the kisses like we do.
00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:07.600
And I'm gonna I'm gonna go first on this one, Renee.
00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:11.519
For me, it's a no-brainer just going by past history.
00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:15.840
It's gonna be my Christmas cowboy.
00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:18.720
Luke McFarland, Amy Acker.
00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:24.000
Luke McFarland has one of the best kisses in Hallmark Christmas movie history.
00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:25.679
They call it the Straddle Kiss.
00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:30.000
Catch Me A Few Claws with Italy Ricci, they they were in a van.
00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:38.960
Really, really steamy kiss, people still talk about Amy Acker and Crashing Through the Snow, arguably the best kiss in Hallmark history with Warren Christie.
00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:42.399
We broke that down on our on our show as we did that.
00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:48.000
You combine these two together, two of the best kisses in Hallmark history, now in a movie together.
00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:51.919
My Christmas cowboy will have the best kiss of the season.
00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:57.200
Yeah, I was gonna go with some of my you know my favorite uh leading people.
00:15:57.600 --> 00:15:59.919
And I and I just did a pulled up a thing.
00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:01.279
I just looked at the people, you know.
00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:13.600
I started looking at just as I I looked up every movie that we were talking about, and I'm gonna go with the snowflake effect with Heather Hemons and Mark, I think it's Ganame.
00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:19.840
I think they are an interest, I think they're a good looking couple, and uh I that was my choice.
00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:26.240
I think they're yeah, they're both good looking, and who would not want to give Heather a steamy pushing the Hallmark envelope kiss?
00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:28.559
I mean, she's quite lovely.
00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:36.559
So that's my that's a definitely a bold, like it's a to me, that's a under the radar kind of a really nice mistletoe meter kiss.
00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:37.120
We shall see.
00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:39.279
Yeah, that's under that's under the radar.
00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:44.240
I mean, Heather Hemons did the Texas two-step with Brenda Penny this summer, and that movie had some steamy kisses.
00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:49.519
I remember and Mark and Kimberly Sustad in To All of Good Night a couple years ago.
00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:51.360
That was a really, really hot kiss.
00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:55.919
So these two uh they they they can bring the mistletoe meters, so I don't think that's a bad pick at all.
00:16:56.159 --> 00:17:00.799
I think the mistletoe meter is gonna have some, you know, be lighting up this year.
00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:08.160
I don't know if it light ups are getting hot this year, however, the meters, but uh it's gonna be a I think we're gonna have a good season for the mistletoe.
00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:10.720
All right, we got two qu uh two questions left here.
00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:16.720
Which single actor or actress will deliver the best performance of 2026?
00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:19.279
So I picked Rachel E.
00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:21.119
Cook and double booked for the holidays.
00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:22.000
Yeah, Rachel E.
00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:23.039
Cook playing twins.
00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:26.079
Uh, she's gonna be playing probably two different personality twins.
00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:27.039
That takes a lot of work.
00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:30.720
I think it's gonna be fun, and I think she's gonna deliver a great performance.
00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:31.759
I like her as an actress.
00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:33.039
Yeah, we're the same on this one.
00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:35.519
I think Rachel Lee Cook is gonna absolutely kill it in this role.
00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:38.000
It's gonna be so unique, so different.
00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:40.400
Uh, I love her as an actress, just period.
00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:42.960
I mean, rescuing Christmas in 2023.
00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:50.480
People forget about that movie because it debuted on Hallmark Less Never, live on the Hallmark channel in what was a really good 2023 season.
00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:52.640
Um, but she was so good in that movie.
00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:56.799
And playing twins, yeah, it's I think she's gonna knock it out of the park.
00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:02.240
And at the end of the year, people will be saying, yeah, that was the breakout uh role of the year for sure.
00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:03.519
All right, our last question here.
00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:05.200
This is the big one, Renee.
00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:10.000
At the end of the year, when all said and done, let's say we're in early January here.
00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:15.279
What will be considered the best 2026 movie of the year?
00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:21.359
We can look at IMDB ratings or a lot of other podcasters will do their top 10 Christmas movies of the year.
00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:24.960
Usually at the end, there is a consensus number one.
00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:27.599
Uh, last year was Merry Christmas Ted Cooper.
00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:30.880
I think for the most part, people said that was probably the best movie of the year.
00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:36.240
At the end of 2026, what's gonna be the number one movie of the year?
00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:41.359
I think it's going to be A Holiday Ever After, a Disney World Wish Come True.
00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:45.119
It's Lacey, Travis on Winkle, I mean, and Disney.
00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:48.319
I think this is gonna be just highly rated.
00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:50.319
Uh, you know, will it be our favorite?
00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:58.079
I don't know that, but I think it's gonna be the one that's all said and done, highest AMDB ratings, high, you know, highest fan appreciation and fan love.
00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:06.720
I think this is a pretty, you know, there's one other movie that might rival it we talked about earlier, but uh yeah, I think Holiday Ever After is gonna be it.
00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:07.279
Nope.
00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:08.799
Sorry, Renee.
00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:19.440
Um at the end of the year, Renee, the Eight Nights for Love will be the consensus number one movie of the year.
00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:19.759
Okay.
00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:27.680
We've already said Hallmark does a great job with Hanukkah movies, Round and Round, Hanukkah on Rye, Hanukkah on the Rocks.
00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:30.480
Uh they have a really good track record.
00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:33.440
Uh Eight Nights for Love, Dan Janat, Hunter King.
00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:38.559
This was written by Tamar Laddie, who wrote Round and Round, also wrote Crashing Through the Snow.
00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:43.200
Uh we know it's gonna have a really unique kind of storyline.
00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:45.279
It's gonna go back in time a little bit.
00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:47.359
Uh, it's gonna be really good.
00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:53.440
And I think at the end of the year, people will say Eight Nights for Love was the number one movie of the year.
00:19:53.920 --> 00:19:54.720
That's a good one.
00:19:54.880 --> 00:20:01.039
Eight Nights for Love has uh an actress that I used to watch in a show called Kim's Convenience Store and Nicole Power.
00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:02.559
I think she's very charming, so I can't wait.
00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:05.920
I'm glad to see her making a move to uh Hallmark.
00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:09.279
That was a Canadian show, so it makes sense that she would move here.
00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:10.559
It's a good choice, man.
00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:11.599
Eight Nights for Love.
00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:13.599
I like uh Dan Janot a lot.
00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:15.279
I watched him in the Good Witch.
00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:20.960
So we'll see if Eight Nights for Love or uh the Disney movie ends up being the number one.
00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:23.039
But uh yeah, this was kind of fun.
00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:25.920
Uh we have some bold predictions here as to what we think will happen.
00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:34.160
Maybe some of them not so bold, some of them a little more shock, but definitely I think some of our uh our ideas here are a little bit different and will make people think.
00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:41.200
So yeah, we'll uh we'll post all these on Instagram or put put these questions out there at least, and uh let us know what you think.
00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:55.359
Uh if you have any bold predictions as to what actor or actress will have the uh the performance of the year, what sleeve couple will have the best kiss, what's the potential sleeper, and what movie you think will be the best of the year when all said and done.
00:20:55.599 --> 00:20:56.240
Sounds great.
00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:57.039
Can't wait.
00:20:57.200 --> 00:21:02.880
So uh yeah, uh follow us on Instagram, Forever Hallmark Christmas, Gmail, Forever Hallmark Christmas at gmail.com.
00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:05.440
And uh uh Renee, let's keep it for the love of Hallmark.
00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:07.200
For the love of Hallmark
00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:18.480
Hey everybody, welcome to FHC Forever Hallmark Christmas, the Hallmark Review Podcast where we review one thing and one thing only.
00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:20.640
That is Hallmark Christmas movies.
00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:21.760
My name is Rich.
00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:24.079
As always, joined by my co-host Renee.
00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:24.879
How's it going, buddy?
00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:26.000
It's going very well.
00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:26.800
Hello, everyone.
00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:28.800
Hope everyone's doing okay today.
00:00:29.039 --> 00:00:29.359
Absolutely.
00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:35.679
Renee, uh, by the time this uh podcast drops, Countdown to Christmas 2026 will start in three days.
00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:37.359
Hard to believe.
00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:41.600
And we got 34 new movies uh to run to look at this year.
00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:42.880
It's gonna be crazy.
00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:43.439
Yep.
00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:47.600
And we've already done a few Christmas uh 2026 episodes.
00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:55.600
Probably the most popular one we've done was our fantasy football style draft with Gary and Amy from Poor the Wine, it's rom com time.
00:00:55.920 --> 00:00:57.200
Uh, that was a lot of fun.
00:00:57.280 --> 00:01:03.359
We each drafted seven uh new 26 Christmas movies, and uh that was getting a lot of traction.
00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:04.959
I think everybody really enjoyed that.
00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:05.359
Yes.
00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:15.280
And we thought it'd be fun to do one more before the movies start here in a couple days, and we're gonna call this our bold predictions podcast.
00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:32.079
We came up with 12 questions about what movies we think will be the best or whatever for the 2026 season, and we'll both uh give our thoughts as to why we think these movies will fit each of these questions.
00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:33.200
Sounds good to me.
00:01:33.359 --> 00:01:34.159
Are you ready to get going?
00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:34.719
I sure am.
00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:36.560
All right, so bold predictions.
00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:38.799
Our first one, pretty easy here.
00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:42.319
For you, what is the most anticipated movie of the year?
00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:44.879
I think everyone is on board with this.
00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:46.480
Uh Grand Biltmore Christmas.
00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:48.000
First movie so beloved.
00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:51.359
I don't see how this is not the most anticipated movie this year.
00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:52.239
Like, hands down.
00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:54.000
I I'm pretty excited for that one as well.
00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:56.560
I I I might be going a little chalk here, though.
00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:58.560
I'm going the Disney movie.
00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:03.040
I uh I really want to see what Hallmark does with this.
00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:08.879
I I want to see if they're just gonna make it a big Disney World infomercial or if it's really gonna be different.
00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:10.159
Let the movie stand out.
00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:13.360
I mean, you and I have grown up with Disneyland our entire lives.
00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:14.960
You live what, 10 minutes away?
00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:16.560
I'm about 25 minutes.
00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:17.039
Yeah.
00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:19.280
So we we've both grown up with Disneyland.
00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:22.639
We know what the Disney uh empire is all about, how big it is.
00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:28.240
And I'm really curious to see what Ryan Landell's uh does with the directing, with the script.
00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:31.039
He was incredible with Santa Tolemy and Sugar Plumbed.
00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:36.240
So I uh, you know, obviously we got Lacey, we got Travis Van Winkle, we also got Richard Kind in there.
00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:42.879
So uh yeah, really curious to see what they do with this one, and that's why I'm I'm anticipating this one so much.
00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:52.960
Yeah, that was I debated that one, and I said, boy, a lot of people really like the Disney stuff, but I still I think Graham Biltmore's gonna edge it out.
00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:53.840
We'll see what happens.
00:02:54.159 --> 00:02:55.439
We'll see what happens for sure.
00:02:55.599 --> 00:03:02.719
All right, our next question here uh what will be the most quote unquote classic Hallmark, formulaic movie?
00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:09.360
You know, think 2017 to 2019 when basically every kind of movie had the same kind of plot.
00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:13.360
Are we gonna have any this year that fit that kind of bill?
00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:16.879
Very formulaic, very comfort food kind of movie.
00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:20.240
And for me, it's opening weekend.
00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:23.680
I was going back and forth between the Friday and the Sunday night movie.
00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:28.560
Uh, 'tis a season for setups was looks a little formulaic on the Friday night.
00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:29.599
But in the end, Mr.
00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:30.240
and Mrs.
00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:40.159
Christmas, that that to me seems just reading the uh the synopsis for it, like that is gonna be just the old school formulaic comfort food kind of hallmark movie.
00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:42.639
Uh Christmas market that needs revival.
00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:44.639
You and I both love a Christmas market.
00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:47.039
Uh Brendan Penny, Pascal Hutton.
00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:49.919
For me, that that's the one that seems the most formulaic to me.
00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:54.719
We have to mention again and remind people, we do not discuss this ahead of time because nope.
00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:59.360
And I and I literally asked you, should we actually exchange movies so we don't have the same?
00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:01.039
But you said nope, we're gonna keep it real.
00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:03.759
I said no, nope, and I picked Mr.
00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:04.240
and Mrs.
00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:05.599
Christmas as well.
00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:11.280
I mean, single father, ambitious encounter join joins forces to revive a small town Christmas market.
00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:16.720
That is just one of their main formulas, you know, especially with a single dad or a single mom.
00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:18.160
Usually it's a single dad.
00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:20.319
And reviving a small town Christmas market.
00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:21.120
I love it.
00:04:21.279 --> 00:04:26.160
This is like gonna be the most traditional Hallmark uh formula stuff.
00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:27.279
But I think it's gonna be a good movie.
00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:28.399
That's so funny.
00:04:28.720 --> 00:04:32.480
I think it's heartwarming, it's it's it's feel good, people aren't gonna have to think too hard.
00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:39.759
At the end of the year, it's gonna be like a top five movie of the year, probably not, but hopefully it'll just be one of those really good, kind of makes you happy at the end of it with a smile on your face.
00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:41.920
Yeah, you never know how how it might do.
00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:43.199
We never know with Hallmark.
00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:45.519
Some movies uh do come out of nowhere for us sometimes.
00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:46.000
Right.
00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:54.079
So this next question here, if you if you you probably need to go back and listen to our, I mentioned our fantasy draft with Poor of the Wine is rom com time, you might need to listen to that.
00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:58.480
But what is going to be the potential sleeper movie of the year?
00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:05.519
And I put a caveat here that it had to be one of the six movies that we didn't draft during our fantasy draft.
00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:08.160
We each drafted seven for a total of 28 movies.
00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:10.319
We left six movies undrafted.
00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:12.879
Of those six movies, which one stands out to you?
00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:15.680
Is he this this might actually be a possible sleeper?
00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:18.879
I was surprised that none of us actually got to this movie.
00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:24.240
It's I'm it's for me, it's 'tis the season for setups, it's a nice premise.
00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:26.160
And I love all of those actors.
00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:28.720
Those are like the big heavy hitter actors in that movie.
00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:34.319
So I think that one is gonna be a potential uh you know sleeper for us.
00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:38.160
Uh it's just has the makings of just being a really good movie for me.
00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:42.000
And Victor Webster is playing a ski instructor named Ridge.
00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:44.079
How cool is that?
00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:46.319
I love it.
00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:53.519
So I had the I had the last draft in the pick, uh, number 20, the pick number 28, and I was between two movies.
00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:57.519
And in the end, I ended up picking the Nikki DeLoge Holiday Unplugged movie.
00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:00.399
Uh Zach Hug had wrote in it, and I I couldn't pass it up.
00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:05.199
But the one that I was really close to picking ahead of it was Noel Nomads.
00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:13.279
Uh Benjamin Ayres, Tori DeVito, Jeff Beasley directed it's something like they get stuck in an RV park with a bunch of uh kind of hippies.
00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:16.079
It just really made me laugh reading about that.
00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:18.560
Jeff Beasley directs really good movies.
00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:20.319
Uh, I like Benjamin Ayres.
00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:21.600
I like Tori DeVito.
00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:23.040
So Noel Nomads.
00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:28.959
That's my possibility for a really good sleeper movie that people aren't expecting to be great, that might be great.
00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:30.560
That's a funny premise.
00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:31.439
I like it.
00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:32.000
All right.
00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:35.680
What movie has the best potential of having a great Christmas setting?
00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:40.319
What what when when in the end you're gonna say, hey, oh my god, the setting made this movie?
00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:43.600
I think this is to me, this is like a layup.
00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:45.360
It's like a Danish Christmas.
00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:46.160
I don't know why.
00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:52.560
I just have a feeling that they really get into Christmas decorations and you know, the whole Christmas spirit out there.
00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:53.920
I'm really excited for this movie.
00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:58.160
I love Emily Ullerup and Corey Sevier, I think is its pronunciation.
00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:01.759
Uh, he's uh been a really good actor in a lot of these movies.
00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:05.920
So I'm really excited for a Danish Christmas to see something in another country.
00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.000
And I'm sure and they love Christmas, I'm sure.
00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:10.639
Oh boy, we should have exchanged those because we are aligning again.
00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:12.160
I also said a Danish Christmas.
00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:13.279
I mean, how can you not?
00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:14.319
I mean, exactly.
00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:18.480
Amelia Ulrup is Danish as well, so she's kind of going back to her roots.
00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:24.319
Uh, probably gonna get some great Danish food, some good, some really cool Danish Christmas markets.
00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:27.040
Yeah, the scenery is gonna be incredible.
00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:29.519
It's hard not to pass up a Danish Christmas.
00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:33.040
I think that will have the best setting of any Christmas movie that people say, yeah.
00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:36.160
This being in Denmark, it's what made the movie.
00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:37.199
Yeah, I can't wait for this.
00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:38.959
I'm really excited about this one.
00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:45.279
Okay, the lead pairing we are most excited about, and I'll I'll go first tier.
00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:51.199
I am gonna say this was your number one overall uh pick in the draft.
00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:57.839
It was Kimberly Sustad, Scott Michael Foster, Snow Globe Town.
00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:02.000
Yeah, I I think Kimberly Sustad is one of the queens of Hallmark.
00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:04.639
That's I mean, she is absolutely incredible in everything she's in.
00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:08.959
Scott Michael Foster, uh, fresh off of Paris, is always a good idea with Lacey.
00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:10.959
He absolutely killed in that series.
00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:16.399
Uh, I'm really excited to see these two together in a Hallmark Christmas movie.
00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:21.279
The pairing I'm most excited about is uh Lori Laughlin and Tom Kavanaugh in What If Christmas.
00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:26.399
Number one, I know you know they're older, but I think Tom is so funny, and I just find him so charismatic.
00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:30.000
I look I really look forward to seeing the chemistry that these two will have.
00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:33.840
I think it'll be a really nice uh pairing of a of a couple.
00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:37.759
So I I know it's a little bit unconventional, but that's my choice for this.
00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:39.200
Or that's my bold prediction.
00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:41.519
Uh it's it's a bold prediction indeed, and I love it.
00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:43.759
62 years old for both of these actors.
00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:47.120
Uh movie written by a friend of the podcast, Julie Sherman Wolfe.
00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:48.159
It should be really good.
00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:53.039
Renee, what pairing will have the best chemistry in 2026 of the 34 movies?
00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:56.080
The night before Christmas, Tyler Hines and Lacey J.
00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:56.879
Maley.
00:08:57.039 --> 00:08:58.559
She was great in Chesapeake Shores.
00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:03.360
I loved her, and and let's be honest, Tyler has chemistry with everyone.
00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:08.879
So I am I think the chemistry between these two is going to be off the charts.
00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:13.200
Yeah, and you know Russell Hainline, the writer who did the Santa Summit and Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper.
00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:19.759
He's gonna make sure that these two have really good chemistry written into that uh into that script, great dialogue, no doubt about it.
00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:20.559
Can't wait.
00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:27.039
I think that Aaron Cahill and Andrew Walker in Blue Dog Valley are gonna have the best chemistry.
00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:32.559
These are two actors almost the exact same age, they've been doing Hallmark movies forever.
00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:36.639
They've been wanting to work together, both super attractive.
00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:36.960
Yeah.
00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:39.679
Uh Andrew Walker, the King of the Kisses.
00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:44.159
Uh, I I think they're gonna have the best chemistry when all said and done of the 34 movies.
00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:45.759
Yeah, that's a good choice.
00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:47.440
All right, our next question here.
00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:51.840
What movie is likely to become an all-time Hallmark classic?
00:09:52.000 --> 00:10:01.600
Like in three, four years, what movie are we looking back on just saying, wow, I'm I'm still talking about that movie in 2029.
00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:04.000
And for me, it's a movie you just mentioned.
00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:05.759
It's the nights before Christmas.
00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:08.399
It's Tyler Hines, uh Lacey J.
00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:08.960
Maley.
00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:15.840
You know the Heinese are gonna be out in full force watching this movie, they're gonna want to rewatch it every single year for like the next 50 years.
00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:18.080
Uh Russell Hainline wrote it.
00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:20.399
Uh, you know it's gonna be good.
00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:24.320
Uh so yeah, the nights before Christmas, this will be the movie years from now.
00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:28.240
People are still talking about, still wanting to rewatch every single year.
00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:35.039
That's that's my uh that's my movie as to what would become a classic Hallmark film in the future.
00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:37.919
See, your your predictions to me aren't that bold.
00:10:38.080 --> 00:10:39.759
I'm going with a bold prediction.
00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:41.840
I'm going with barking all the way.
00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:47.679
Everyone is gonna fall in love with Yappy and his matchmaking skills, and we're gonna be talking about this.
00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:54.080
Anytime we think of we see a dog in a Hallmark movie, they're gonna be like, that's pretty good, but are they as good as Yappy?
00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:54.960
I don't think so.
00:10:55.120 --> 00:10:57.679
This movie's gonna be funny and memorable.
00:10:57.840 --> 00:10:58.799
Bold prediction.
00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:02.799
People in in 2035 are gonna you remember that movie with Yappy?
00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:05.440
I mean, uh we'll see.
00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:07.679
You know, I was looking at the notes on this one.
00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:14.960
It says, I don't know if the writers are all like they're related because it's Tippi Debrowsky, Neil Dabrowsky, and Spider Debrowski.
00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:22.000
Spider is I don't know if that's a real name or if that's the name of a dog or something, but I just I gotta look up more on us as their relationship to each other.
00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:23.600
I found that very interesting, interesting.
00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:26.320
Well, we know yeah, we covered a Neil and Tippy movie.
00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:27.279
I can't remember which one it was.
00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:31.759
We know that they're a married couple and they've uh been writing Hallmark movies for a long, long time.
00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:35.519
Um, I'm not sure about uh the the third uh Debrowski there.
00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:36.879
Yeah, spider with the Y.
00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:38.159
Maybe they like the card.
00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:39.759
Maybe, maybe, maybe a son or a daughter.
00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:40.080
I don't know.
00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:40.960
That's a cool name.
00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:41.360
Yep.
00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:47.440
All right, so all right, so which movie, Renee, will be the most talked about as people gather around.
00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:51.600
We used to say as people used to gather around the office cooler the following morning.
00:11:51.759 --> 00:12:00.720
I think today I think it's more what movie will be blowing up the message boards on TikTok, on Instagram, on Facebook, on Reddit.
00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:03.039
What what what's the movie everyone's gonna be talking about?
00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:06.080
Maybe the the characters, the plot, whatever.
00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:14.720
I think it's gonna be a holiday touchdown, a Bears love story, especially with the past scene of the great Ditka, Mike Ditka, this recently, this past week.
00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:21.919
Uh, I think this is gonna hit home, especially to those people who are a fan of the Bears and just Ditka in general.
00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:23.200
I think this has a great premise.
00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:24.879
And I mean, come on, it's football.
00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:28.879
Yeah, it's the NFL rating, a really big bowl prediction there on that one.
00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:36.240
Like an industry worth like$300 billion, people are gonna be talking about it.
00:12:36.639 --> 00:12:37.440
That's a good paper.
00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:39.360
You're not allowed to give me grief anymore.
00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:43.919
Okay, the movie that everyone's gonna be talking about is Save the Date for Christmas.
00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:45.120
It's the final movie of the year.
00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:49.440
Italy Ricci, Jonathan Bennett, uh directed by Jeff Beasley.
00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:56.000
Uh, this has some potential crazy storylines that I've kind of heard rumored about.
00:12:56.240 --> 00:13:02.399
Not sure if they're true or not, but if they are true, there's gonna be some really, really fun storylines going around.
00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:05.600
And I think people are really gonna be talking about this one when all said and done.
00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:07.200
Final movie of the year.
00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:11.440
Uh we'll see if it ends up being a bull prediction or just falls flat on its face.
00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:18.240
It's just uh another kind of formulaic Hallmark movie, but I'm pretty excited for this one to see uh what really happens.
00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:19.200
Can't wait.
00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:22.480
All right, you and I both love our uh our good food, our good drink.
00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:25.919
Which movie is gonna feature the best food or beverage uh this year?
00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:29.279
I think it's in the name, like mistletoe and mimosas.
00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:29.840
Right?
00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:32.720
I think that's gonna have for sure best beverage.
00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:41.679
It's you know, the theme is like it she inherited a Christmas theme bar, and now they're they're gonna just have the best food and for sure drinks.
00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:43.360
I mean, Christmas food all over the place.
00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:50.480
I'm hoping lots of cookies and stuff like that, and uh maybe some eggnog and spiced apple cider or something like that.
00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:53.440
But easily mistletoe and mimosas.
00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:55.600
Yeah, and Russell Hainland also wrote this one.
00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:58.480
He did a lot of really fun food and beverage in the Santa Summit.
00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:00.399
He's a beer influencer, we know that.
00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:03.600
So uh it's gonna be good, but I'm going a different direction here.
00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:07.919
And in I thought about a Danish Christmas because I think there's gonna be some really good food in that.
00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:15.519
Also, uh the Christmas Eve feast, uh uh Giotta Day Laurentis from the Food Network, she was an executive producer on that one.
00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:21.200
But in the end, I'm going holiday touchdown of Bears Love Story because I love Chicago.
00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:22.559
I love Chicago food.
00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:31.200
I think we're gonna get some Italian beef sandwiches, some deep dish pizza, maybe some tavern style pizza, some of those really good Chicago hot dogs.
00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:38.000
Uh, maybe we'll make a little stop at Gibson Steakhouse where a lot of the uh the professional athletes go after their games.
00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:47.200
So I'm I'm going holiday touchdown of Bears love story that'll have the uh the best food and beverage in this uh in this 2026 Christmas season.
00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:47.759
Dang it.
00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:48.960
I didn't think about that one.
00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:50.080
That's a good choice.
00:14:50.320 --> 00:15:01.919
All right, Renee, most likely to have the best mistletoe meat, or you and I uh at every view we talk about the final kiss of the movie, or if there's a mid-movie kiss, we cover them all, we break them down in detail.
00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:04.559
Nobody breaks down the kisses like we do.
00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:07.600
And I'm gonna I'm gonna go first on this one, Renee.
00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:11.519
For me, it's a no-brainer just going by past history.
00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:15.840
It's gonna be my Christmas cowboy.
00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:18.720
Luke McFarland, Amy Acker.
00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:24.000
Luke McFarland has one of the best kisses in Hallmark Christmas movie history.
00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:25.679
They call it the Straddle Kiss.
00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:30.000
Catch Me A Few Claws with Italy Ricci, they they were in a van.
00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:38.960
Really, really steamy kiss, people still talk about Amy Acker and Crashing Through the Snow, arguably the best kiss in Hallmark history with Warren Christie.
00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:42.399
We broke that down on our on our show as we did that.
00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:48.000
You combine these two together, two of the best kisses in Hallmark history, now in a movie together.
00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:51.919
My Christmas cowboy will have the best kiss of the season.
00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:57.200
Yeah, I was gonna go with some of my you know my favorite uh leading people.
00:15:57.600 --> 00:15:59.919
And I and I just did a pulled up a thing.
00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:01.279
I just looked at the people, you know.
00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:13.600
I started looking at just as I I looked up every movie that we were talking about, and I'm gonna go with the snowflake effect with Heather Hemons and Mark, I think it's Ganame.
00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:19.840
I think they are an interest, I think they're a good looking couple, and uh I that was my choice.
00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:26.240
I think they're yeah, they're both good looking, and who would not want to give Heather a steamy pushing the Hallmark envelope kiss?
00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:28.559
I mean, she's quite lovely.
00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:36.559
So that's my that's a definitely a bold, like it's a to me, that's a under the radar kind of a really nice mistletoe meter kiss.
00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:37.120
We shall see.
00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:39.279
Yeah, that's under that's under the radar.
00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:44.240
I mean, Heather Hemons did the Texas two-step with Brenda Penny this summer, and that movie had some steamy kisses.
00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:49.519
I remember and Mark and Kimberly Sustad in To All of Good Night a couple years ago.
00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:51.360
That was a really, really hot kiss.
00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:55.919
So these two uh they they they can bring the mistletoe meters, so I don't think that's a bad pick at all.
00:16:56.159 --> 00:17:00.799
I think the mistletoe meter is gonna have some, you know, be lighting up this year.
00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:08.160
I don't know if it light ups are getting hot this year, however, the meters, but uh it's gonna be a I think we're gonna have a good season for the mistletoe.
00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:10.720
All right, we got two qu uh two questions left here.
00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:16.720
Which single actor or actress will deliver the best performance of 2026?
00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:19.279
So I picked Rachel E.
00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:21.119
Cook and double booked for the holidays.
00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:22.000
Yeah, Rachel E.
00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:23.039
Cook playing twins.
00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:26.079
Uh, she's gonna be playing probably two different personality twins.
00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:27.039
That takes a lot of work.
00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:30.720
I think it's gonna be fun, and I think she's gonna deliver a great performance.
00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:31.759
I like her as an actress.
00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:33.039
Yeah, we're the same on this one.
00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:35.519
I think Rachel Lee Cook is gonna absolutely kill it in this role.
00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:38.000
It's gonna be so unique, so different.
00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:40.400
Uh, I love her as an actress, just period.
00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:42.960
I mean, rescuing Christmas in 2023.
00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:50.480
People forget about that movie because it debuted on Hallmark Less Never, live on the Hallmark channel in what was a really good 2023 season.
00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:52.640
Um, but she was so good in that movie.
00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:56.799
And playing twins, yeah, it's I think she's gonna knock it out of the park.
00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:02.240
And at the end of the year, people will be saying, yeah, that was the breakout uh role of the year for sure.
00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:03.519
All right, our last question here.
00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:05.200
This is the big one, Renee.
00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:10.000
At the end of the year, when all said and done, let's say we're in early January here.
00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:15.279
What will be considered the best 2026 movie of the year?
00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:21.359
We can look at IMDB ratings or a lot of other podcasters will do their top 10 Christmas movies of the year.
00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:24.960
Usually at the end, there is a consensus number one.
00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:27.599
Uh, last year was Merry Christmas Ted Cooper.
00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:30.880
I think for the most part, people said that was probably the best movie of the year.
00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:36.240
At the end of 2026, what's gonna be the number one movie of the year?
00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:41.359
I think it's going to be A Holiday Ever After, a Disney World Wish Come True.
00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:45.119
It's Lacey, Travis on Winkle, I mean, and Disney.
00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:48.319
I think this is gonna be just highly rated.
00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:50.319
Uh, you know, will it be our favorite?
00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:58.079
I don't know that, but I think it's gonna be the one that's all said and done, highest AMDB ratings, high, you know, highest fan appreciation and fan love.
00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:06.720
I think this is a pretty, you know, there's one other movie that might rival it we talked about earlier, but uh yeah, I think Holiday Ever After is gonna be it.
00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:07.279
Nope.
00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:08.799
Sorry, Renee.
00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:19.440
Um at the end of the year, Renee, the Eight Nights for Love will be the consensus number one movie of the year.
00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:19.759
Okay.
00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:27.680
We've already said Hallmark does a great job with Hanukkah movies, Round and Round, Hanukkah on Rye, Hanukkah on the Rocks.
00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:30.480
Uh they have a really good track record.
00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:33.440
Uh Eight Nights for Love, Dan Janat, Hunter King.
00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:38.559
This was written by Tamar Laddie, who wrote Round and Round, also wrote Crashing Through the Snow.
00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:43.200
Uh we know it's gonna have a really unique kind of storyline.
00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:45.279
It's gonna go back in time a little bit.
00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:47.359
Uh, it's gonna be really good.
00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:53.440
And I think at the end of the year, people will say Eight Nights for Love was the number one movie of the year.
00:19:53.920 --> 00:19:54.720
That's a good one.
00:19:54.880 --> 00:20:01.039
Eight Nights for Love has uh an actress that I used to watch in a show called Kim's Convenience Store and Nicole Power.
00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:02.559
I think she's very charming, so I can't wait.
00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:05.920
I'm glad to see her making a move to uh Hallmark.
00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:09.279
That was a Canadian show, so it makes sense that she would move here.
00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:10.559
It's a good choice, man.
00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:11.599
Eight Nights for Love.
00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:13.599
I like uh Dan Janot a lot.
00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:15.279
I watched him in the Good Witch.
00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:20.960
So we'll see if Eight Nights for Love or uh the Disney movie ends up being the number one.
00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:23.039
But uh yeah, this was kind of fun.
00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:25.920
Uh we have some bold predictions here as to what we think will happen.
00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:34.160
Maybe some of them not so bold, some of them a little more shock, but definitely I think some of our uh our ideas here are a little bit different and will make people think.
00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:41.200
So yeah, we'll uh we'll post all these on Instagram or put put these questions out there at least, and uh let us know what you think.
00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:55.359
Uh if you have any bold predictions as to what actor or actress will have the uh the performance of the year, what sleeve couple will have the best kiss, what's the potential sleeper, and what movie you think will be the best of the year when all said and done.
00:20:55.599 --> 00:20:56.240
Sounds great.
00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:57.039
Can't wait.
00:20:57.200 --> 00:21:02.880
So uh yeah, uh follow us on Instagram, Forever Hallmark Christmas, Gmail, Forever Hallmark Christmas at gmail.com.
00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:05.440
And uh uh Renee, let's keep it for the love of Hallmark.
00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:07.200
For the love of Hallmark
