Portrait of Love paints a picture on Hallmark Channel!

Portrait of Love Hallmark Channel

That’s not a portrait, that’s a sculpture!


[adrotate banner=”7″]Hallmark Channel’s new movie Portrait of Love (formally known as Heart of the Matter) is that old chestnut about a woman from the big city who returns all successful to her small town and yet suddenly is pulled in by that love junk and may end up throwing it all away for some dude she dated in high school. Just take a look at your high school dates on Facebook and where they are now to see how likely that prospect is (YEESH!)

A prominent fashion photographer returns to her small town roots at the request of a friend. Surrounded by both memories and loved ones, she must consider a choice between a successful future and rekindling both the love of her life and of her home.

Can’t women have both? Nope, you gots to be choosing one or the other, sorry. Them’s the rules!

Portrait of Love stars Bree Williamson (A Beginner’s Guide to Snuff) as April Littleton, Jason Dohring (Prehysteria! 2) as Luke Dwyer, Frances Fisher (Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta!) as Doll Dwyer, Ella Thomas (Surrogates) as Julia Robbins, Corbin Bernsen (Christian Mingle) as Tyler Mason, Caitlin Carmichael (Wiener Dog Internationals) as Jess Dwyer, Cassius Willis (Lakeview Terrace) as Frank Robbins, and Cissy Wellman (Jane Doe: Vanishing Act) as Karen Waverly.

Portrait of Love is directed by K.T. Donaldson (High Plains Invaders). It is written by Michael Votel, Jr., Matt Marx (This seems to be the first film written for both), and Jennifer Notas (Christmas Under Wraps) It premieres March 14th on Hallmark Channel!

Photo via Hallmark/Bryan Sheffield

Love By the Book turns pages on Hallmark Channel!

Love By The Book Hallmark

The book is a Pirate Book! MuHAHAHAHA!!!


[adrotate banner=”7″]Hallmark Channel may be throwing out a bajillion romance movies, but here is a romance movie that seems to say that maybe real life isn’t a romance movie! Heavy subject, yes (not really), but unexpected and just subversive enough that Love By the Book could be a breakout, though I’m going to guess she does end up with the guy who isn’t perfect but that understands her. Because anything else would be a sad ending. And that’s just not by the book!

After a childhood filled with reading fairytales, bookstore owner Emma believes in handsome princes and happily ever afters. Unlike her happily married coworkers Marilyn and Phil, or her sister Jane and Jane’s fiancé Greg, Emma has yet to be swept away in her own fairytale romance. Trying to find the time to both pursue an idyllic love life and to impress her store’s investor, Frank, Emma must balance dating the romantic Landon with working at her store with Frank’s nettlesome son, Eric.

Although Landon demonstrates real prince charming potential with his romantic overtures, he doesn’t understand her priorities or support her passions like Eric does. As Emma considers her future, can she take on the challenges of real love instead of storybook romance?

Love By the Book stars Leah Renee (Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure) as Emma, Kristopher Turner (The Triumph of Dingus McGraw: Village Idiot) as Eric, John Schneider (The Dukes of Hazzard!) as Frank, Ryan Bittle (All My Children) as Landon, Stefanie Powers (Hart to Hart!) as Marilyn, Cherilyn Wilson (True Blood) as Jane, Cuyle Carvin (Snake Club: Revenge of the Snake Woman) as Greg, and Michael Ensign (Ghostbusters!) as Phil)

Love By the Book is directed by David S. Cass, Sr. (Matchmaker Santa, a bajillion mystery movies) and written by Jeff Bonnett (his first film), Abbey Cleland (Help for the Holidays), and Jennifer Notas (Stolen from the Womb and Perfect on Paper) Love By the Book was called Mr Fiction in production.

Love By the Book premieres Saturday, January 24 on Hallmark Channel!

Photo via Hallmark/Leah Renee/Kristopher Turner

It’s a Santa conspiracy on Hallmark Channel’s Christmas Under Wraps!

Christmas Under Wraps Hallmark

Ha-HA! I have crushed my true love beneath this tree, in celebration of the true meaning of Christmas!


[adrotate banner=”7″]Christmas is the time for conspiracies, because you never know which eccentric old man is actually Santa Claus! Especially when you are trapped in a gender-reversed Northern Exposure Christmas romance Hallmark Channel movie! Actually, it’s sort of obvious which eccentric old man is secretly Santa Claus in this film, because the synopsis spells it out for you. But is he really Santa? Also, will Candace Cameron-Bure decide Alaska is the bee’s knees? And how come with the huge gender gap in Alaska is she only getting one guy hitting on her? Christmas Under Wraps will answer all these questions, specially my questions about why there is a dog featured in many of the publicity photos yet not mentioned at all in the plot synopsis. Is the dog really Santa, and Brian Doyle-Murray is just pretending? Probably not, but you never know. Not until you watch Christmas Under Wraps on Hallmark Channel!

Christmas Under Wraps is part of Hallmark’s The 12 New Movies of Christmas in their Countdown to Christmas celebration.

Dr. Lauren Brunell (Bure) has her whole life planned out. As a third year surgery resident, she is counting on being accepted into a prestigious hospital fellowship to follow in the footsteps of her supportive father, Henry (Pine). But when those plans quickly fall apart, and Lauren is put on the wait list, she must take the only other opening available: a head doctor position in the small, remote town of Garland, Alaska. Convincing herself it is only temporary, Lauren moves to Garland where she is immediately charmed by Andy (O’Donnell), a handsome local who soon starts to show her the importance of living in the moment and enjoying her unexpected adventure. As Lauren excels as Garland’s trusted doctor, she warms up to the friendly town, and even starts falling for Andy. But Andy’s father, Frank (Doyle-Murray), is hiding something from her in his top-secret shipping warehouse. From his busy holiday workload, to his reindeer barn, to his weakness for cookies, it seems Frank’s family business has a lot in common with the North Pole. Just as Lauren decides to get to the bottom of her suspicions, she receives news that will force her to make a choice between the life she’s always planned and the love she never expected to find, while knowing for certain that the Christmas season will never be the same.

Christmas Under Wraps stars Candace Cameron-Bure (Full House) as Lauren Brunell, David O’Donnell (12 Wishes of Christmas) as Andy Holliday, Kendra Mylnechuk (Winter in the Blood) as Billie, Brian Doyle-Murray (Caddyshack) as Frank Holliday, Robert Pine (CHiPS) as Henry, Joyce Cohen (Pirates of the Great Salt Lake) as Maggie, and Page Petrucka (A Christmas Wish) as Hattie. It’s directed by Peter Sullivan (High School Possession, Christmas Twister) and written by Jennifer Notas (Stolen from the Womb, Perfect on Paper)

Seems like it could be okay, but I’d be more interested in Santa conspiracies than the love story. Still, your mileage may very. Catch Christmas Under Wraps as it premieres on November 29th on Hallmark Channel!

Photos via Hallmark Press/Fred Hayes

Christmas Under Wraps Hallmark

If would be cool if there suddenly there is a 20 minute sequence of a dog wandering around in the movie, for no reason at all!