🍿Watched A Minecraft Movie.

Super fun if you’re familiar with Minecraft. I loved seeing it in the theater with a bunch of folks who clearly love Minecraft and applauded as each key bit of Minecraft lore was revealed.

📺🍿 How I Met Your Mother co-creator Craig Thomas wrote about the influence the movie A Christmas Story had on the show.

I replied with this:

This has me thinking about the voice-over narration in The Wonder Years, beautifully done by Daniel Stern. A Christmas Story (which for years my dad would put on for its 24-hour marathon) came out in 1983. The Wonder Years ran 1988-1993. What other films and shows use this device? (I think maybe 8-Bit Christmas does?) Are they all doing the same thing with it? What does it do that stories without flashback voiceover don’t? I would read the heck out of a smart pop culture essay about this.

🍿 Watched Saturday Night.

A delight, specially crafted for sketch comedy nerds like myself.

🍿 Watched Dog Man.

Exactly what it says on the tin. If you enjoy the Dog Man graphic novels, you’ll enjoy the movie, and if you don’t, you won’t.

🍿 Watched This Is My Life.

Nora Ephron’s film directorial debut. I love a story about a mother and her kids.

🍿 Watched Wicked Part I.

I had a great time! I am a person who took a while to warm up to Wicked the show. The movie does a lot to move it in the direction of something I strongly enjoy.

🍿 I’ve watched still more made-for-TV holiday movies:

• Jingle Bell Run
• Meet Me Next Christmas
• Hot Frosty

Hot Frosty taught me that no matter how built a dude is, no matter how kind he is, if he’s a himbo, I will not find him attractive.

🍿 Watched Christmas on the Ranch.

I like this but he asks her to give up her life in New York and move to his ranch in Ohio before they even kiss. Bold.

🍿 I have watched more Hallmark and Hallmark-style autumnal movies:

• October Kiss
• Haunted Wedding
• You Cast a Spell on Me

The most fun thing with these is recognizing people who had recurring roles on shows you love.

🍿 Watched Autumn at Apple Hill.

I wanted made-for-TV Christmas movie vibes without succumbing to the early Christmas fervor, because I adore autumn and Halloween. So I hunted around and found Autumn at Apple Hill, which checks so many boxes for this kind of movie:

✅ adorable small family business
✅ event planning
✅ charming small hometown
✅ workaholic Suit Man
✅ save the place!
✅ neighborhood holiday Halloween party
✅ developers hotel chain
✅ charming hotel
✅ guy she went to high school with

via GIPHY

Is it fine art? Nope. Does it get the job done? It sure does.