Your Essential Guide To Christmas Television Specials On Netflix Instant
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<p>Everyone has a go-to comfort <em>thing</em>, right? Maybe when you are stressed you go running, and that is great for you and a really healthy decision, but I watch those Lifetime/ABC Family/Hallmark movies, as well as their off-brand counterparts which may have never even aired on television. In order to make this feel like a more productive "pastime," I will now share with you my vast knowledge of these films and guide you towards the best ones so that you may join me in a yuletide shame spiral... for <em>the best ones</em> are the Christmas ones.</p><p>The small screen holiday movie always, and without exception, includes the following characters: a young woman unlucky in love (if she is not a workaholic, she is a single mom and/or struggling with her career); a young man (literally any generically attractive one will do, sometimes they don't even get their own backstory); a best friend (usually it seems like the main character doesn't even like her); and a wise old man who will teach us all a lesson. The setting is either The Big City or Main Street, U.S.A. And even with this steadfast formula, they are somehow still all unique, like snowflakes.</p><p>Click through for some of the best and worst of these cinematic stocking stuffers, which are all available on Netflix Instant. Honorable mentions go to <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Desperately_Seeking_Santa/70199165?trkid=2361637"><em>Desperately Seeking Santa</em></a> (which centers around a woman who seeks out a sexy Santa in order to save the mall she works for in Boston. I'd give it a solid B!); and <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Crazy_for_Christmas/70245263?trkid=2361637"><em>Crazy For Christmas</em></a> (which is really just kind of C-level heartwarming flick). There are, of course, also new ones I haven't even seen yet because I don't have television, but if you do, please let me know <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150277561529980&set=a.291533034979.40184.10542514979&type=1">how this one</a> starring Winnie Cooper from <em>The Wonder Years</em> is? It's called <em><a href="http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/love-at-the-christmas-table">Love at the Christmas Table</a></em>, and it looks like it has <em>a lot of potential</em>.</p>
<p><a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/A_Christmas_Kiss/70251520?trkid=2361637"><strong><em>A CHRISTMAS KISS</em></strong></a>, Grade: B</p><p>Within the first 10 minutes you'll hear a Lady Gaga reference, so you know this is the "hip television movie." This one revolves around Wendy, a nice young woman who just wants to be an interior designer but is getting continuously thwarted by her mean boss Priscilla. But Priscilla can't stop true love, oh no she can't!</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nbJ-SuOau9c" width="640"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70216135&trkid=6076505&pt_request_id=cff64f7d-422d-425f-be07-81b8b1f33e70-701173&pt_rank=1&pt_row=-1&pt_location=WATCHNOW"><em><strong>SNOW GLOBE </strong></em></a>, Grade: A+</p><p>The plot for this movie is that a young New York City woman "finds a mystical snow globe that transports her into a winter wonderland," where she finds love SO IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER HOW THEY EXECUTED IT WHEN THAT IS THE PLOTLINE.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qaFweYEmWzs" width="640"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Christmas_Cupid/70216134?trkid=2361637"><em><strong>CHRISTMAS CUPID</strong></em></a>, Grade: C-</p><p>This one features small budget Christmas movie veteran Christina Milian (also of the aforementioned <em>Snow Globe</em>) and Chad Michael Murray (<em>One Tree Hill</em> and remember when he played Jen's boyfriend in <em>Dawson's Creek</em>?). The movie revolves around workaholic publicist Sloane Spencer, which means you're getting the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future because that is the loose plotline they go with when a workaholic is involved. It's not really that good, which makes it even more sad that one young Netflix reviewer wrote: "It's perfect for any teenager looking for a entertaining movie to pass the time by." Get out there and live, teenager!</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2qtPpH-CRHs" width="640"></iframe></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/12_Dates_of_Christmas/70199166?trkid=2361637"><em>12 DATES OF CHRISTMAS</em></a></strong>, Grade: B-/C+ (tough call!)</p><p>Listen: you might see bigger names attached to these movies sometimes, <em>but this does not mean they are good</em>. In fact, they are probably not good at all. These movies are akin to soap operas, which is a whole different type of acting, so seeing an A or even B-lister star in one is just unnatural, depressing, and distracting. Leave these little cinematic gems/trainwrecks to the "professionals"! </p><p>In this one Kate (Amy Smart) gets set up on a blind date with Miles (Mark-Paul Gosselaar <em>swoooon</em>), and she is then forced by some bit of "magic" to relive this first date until she "learns acceptance from a holiday miracle" and falls in love with him.</p><p>Bonus: in the movie MPG plays a terribly good looking "parkitect" (he calls himself this) who designs a thing in Prospect Park. </p><p>Not at all a bonus: You actually have to watch the same set-up scene before each date where Kate passes out while shoppingâ<em>THAT IS TWELVE TIMES</em>.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GZdWSTQ3wCE" width="640"></iframe></p>
<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Dear_Santa/70262831?trkid=2361637"><em><strong>DEAR SANTA</strong></em></a>, Grade: A<p>This Lifetime movie was directed by Jason Priestly and stars not one, but <em>two</em> Joss Whedon alum. Amy Acker, who was Fred on <em>Angel</em>, and David Haydn-Jones (who was in an episode of <em>Buffy</em>). This one takes place in New York, and follows the 24-year-old Crystal on a journey to figure out her life, which begins when she finds a letter to Santa written by Derek's daughter. This is like a Norman Rockwell rom-com made on a Scrooge's budget, and by the end you be totally blissed-out holiday-style, promise.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6jwqzQfr-AM" width="640"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Gift_of_the_Magi/70021518?trkid=2361637"><strong><em>THE GIFT OF MAGI</em></strong></a>, Grade: D-</p><p>Even the poor execution of this storyline couldn't take away from the endearing and adorable Mark Webber, which is why this movie isn't a TOTAL fail. But man, what a let down. The "modernized adaptation of O. Henry's classic tale follows newlyweds Della and Jim as they search for the perfect Christmas gifts," and within the first five minutes you will have accurately written the rest of the script in your brain, down to which gifts they'll each get.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dmhnuKr0A2A" width="640"></iframe></p>