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Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

Prequel OR Sequel… That Is the Question…

December 12, 2011

I recently got a letter from a Cozy Mystery site reader who asked about the books in Barbara Cleverly‘s Laetitia Talbot Mystery Series. Why, she asked, did I have the WWI, archaeology-themed mysteries out of order?

Upon doing a little research, I found that the second mystery in the series was actually written before the first book in the series, so it makes it a prequel to the first book in the series… sort of like George Lucas’ Star Wars first three movies being followed by the prequel years. I mean, how can the 1977 Star Wars movie be part IV, when part I didn’t get released until 1999.

That got me thinking: If you were going to embark on reading a new-to-you author who had a prequel amongst the mysteries in the author’s series, would you cut to the chase (so to speak) and read the prequel mystery first, and then follow it with the rest of the books in their chronological order? OR Would you stick to the publication order and read the prequel wherever it falls in the series… as the publisher intended?

I have to admit that my obsessive compulsive disorder would totally dictate what I would do. There is no way I would be able to stop myself from reading the prequel before hitting the rest of the mysteries in the series.

What would you do?

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Maria E. Schneider Would Like Your Help…

December 10, 2011

One of our frequent visitors to the Cozy Mystery blog area is Maria E. Schneider… and she would like your input! She is once again having a book cover poll on her site, this time for her next novel published: Under Witch Aura. Under Witch Aura will be the second in her Moon Shadow urban fantasy series.

If you have a minute, I am sure she would appreciate it if you would stop by and cast your vote between the two book cover possibilities. Here is her link to the Under Witch Aura cover poll. (This link is no longer available.)

Thanks!

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Christmas: Favorite Holiday Movies – More Recent, In Color

December 5, 2011

As I started working on this list, I realized that all three of my very favorite recent holiday movies were Jim Henson movies, although The Muppet Christmas Carol was under the helm of Brian Henson, his son. I realize that family memories are wrapped up with family favorites, but I am trying to be objective here – and obviously I am failing miserably! These are movies that I enjoy revisiting during the holidays simply because they bring such joy.

Now that we have worked on the Favorite Holiday  Classic Movies: Old, Black & White, and A Few In Color list, let’s move on with the more recent Holiday Movies.

Here are some of my favorite, more recent holiday movies:

The Muppet Christmas Carol—–1992

A Muppet Family Christmas—–1987

Jim Henson’s The Christmas Toy—–1986

I am not sure if this one should be in the Christmas or Halloween movies:

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas—–1993

Here are the favorite more recent holiday movies from your suggestions:

An American Christmas Carol—–1979–Henry Winkler

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever—–1983–Loretta Swit

The Christmas Box—–1997–Maureen O’Hara & Richard Thomas

The Christmas Card—–1996–Ed Asner

A Christmas Carol—–1984 –George C. Scott

A Christmas Carol—–1999–Patrick Stewart

The Christmas Choir—–2008–Rhea Perlman

Christmas Hope—–2009–Madeleine Stowe & James Remar

The Christmas List—–1997–Mimi Rogers

A Christmas Memory—–1997–Patty Duke

A Christmas Story—–1983–Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin

A Christmas Visitor—–2002–Meredith Baxter & William Devane

Christmas with the Kranks—–2004–Tim Allen & Jamie Lee Curtis

Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle—–2009–Doris Roberts

Debbie Macomber’s Call Me Mrs. Miracle—–2010–Doris Roberts

A Diva’s Christmas Carol—–2000–Vanessa Williams

Elf—–2003–Will Farrell

Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas——-2014

The Family Stone—–2005–Sarah Jessica Parker & Dermot Mulroney

The Gathering—–1977–Ed Asner & Maureen Stapleton

The Holiday—–2006–Kate Winslet & Cameron Diaz

Love Actually—–2003–Hugh Grant & Emma Thompson

Mickey’s Christmas Carol—–1983–Scrooge McDuck & Mickey Mouse

Mrs. Santa Claus—–1996–Angela Lansbury

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation—–1989–Chevy Chase & Beverly D’Angelo

Noel—–2004–Penélope Cruz

November Christmas—–2010–Sam Elliott & John Corbett

One Christmas—–1994–Katherine Hepburn, Swoosie Kurtz, & Henry Winkler

One Magic Christmas—–1985–Mary Steenburgen & Harry Dean Stanton

The Polar Express—–2004

Santa Claus: The Movie—–1985

The Santa Clause trilogy—–1994, 2002, 2006–Tim Allen

The Santa Suit—–2010–Kevin Sorbo

Scrooge—–1970–Albert Finney

Scrooged—–1998–Bill Murray

Trading Places—–1983–Dan Aykroyd & Eddie Murphy

The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve—2004–Steven Webber & Molly Shannon

Undercover Christmas—–2003–Tyne Daley & Jaime Gertz

Here is the list of the Christmas: Favorite Classic Holiday Movies : Old, Black & White.

If you would like to see more TV and Movies suggestions, click here.

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Christmas: Favorite Classic Holiday Movies : Old, Black & White

December 3, 2011

A few days ago, Marja submitted the following comment asking for different holiday movies suggestions. Here is her comment:

“I think a great idea for the coming month would be a post on wonderful Christmas/Holiday movies and TV shows …

Like you, I really enjoy the old black and white movies, and even the ones that only have a Christmas Reunion within part of the plot [not the whole plot] are wonderful at this time of year. I’ll bet a lot of us could make recommendations that others would enjoy!”

Let’s focus on the old, black and white holiday movies for this entry. We can do another entry with more recent, color holiday movies another time. I’ll add your suggested black and white holiday movies to the list.

Here are some of my favorite black and white holiday movies:

Christmas in Connecticut—–1945–Barbara Stanwyck & Dennis Morgan

The Man Who Came To Dinner—–1942–Betty Davis, Ann Sheridan, & Monty Wooley

Remember the Night—–1940–Barbara Stanwyck & Fred MacMurray

The Shop Around the Corner—–1940–Jimmy Stewart & Margaret Sullavan

Here are the favorite black and white holiday movies (and a few classics that are in color) from your suggestions:

A Christmas Wish—–1950 –Jimmy Durante, Terry Moore, & Tom Drake (has been colorized)

Bachelor Mother—–1939–Ginger Rogers & David Niven

The Bells of Saint Mary’s—–1945–Bing Crosby & Ingrid Bergman

Beyond Tomorrow (aka Beyond Christmas)—–1940–Harry Carey, C. Aubrey Smith, & Charles Winninger

The Bishop’s Wife—–1947–Cary Grant, Loretta Young, & David Niven

Bright Eyes—–1934—–Shirley Temple

A Charlie Brown Christmas—–1965 Charles Schulz animated classic

The Cheaters—–194–Joseph Schildkraut, Billie Burke, & Eugene Pallette

A Christmas Carol—–1951–Alastair Sim

A Christmas Carol—–1954–Fredric March & Basil Rathbone

Christmas Eve—–1947–George Raft, George Brent, & Randolph Scott

Christmas in Connecticut—–1945–Barbara Stanwyck & Dennis Morgan

The Desk Set—–1957–Katherine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy

Going My Way—–1944–Bing Crosby & Barry Fitzgerald

Holiday Affair—–1949–Robert Mitchum & Janet Leigh

Holiday Inn—–1942–Bing Crosby & Fred Astaire

The Holly and the Ivy—–1954–Ralph Richardson & Celia Johnson

How the Grinch Stole Christmas—–1966 Dr. Seuss animated classic with Boris Karloff

I’ll Be Seeing You—–1944–Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotton, & Shirley Temple

It Happened on 5th Avenue—–1947–Don DeFore & Ann Harding

It’s a Wonderful Life—–1946–Jimmy Stewart & Donna Reed

The Lemon Drop Kid—–1951–Bob Hope & Marilyn Maxwell

Love Finds Andy Hardy—–1938–Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, & Lewis Stone

The Man Who Came To Dinner—–1942–Betty Davis, Ann Sheridan, & Monty Wooley

Meet Me in St. Louis—–1944–Judy Garland & Marbareg O’Brien

Meet John Doe—–1941–Barbara Stanwyck & Gary Cooper

Miracle of the Bells—–1948–Fred MacMurray & Frank Sinatra

Miracle on 34th Street—–1947–Maureen O’Hara & Natalie Wood

Remember the Night—–1940–Barbara Stanwyck & Fred MacMurray

The Shop Around the Corner—–1940–Jimmy Stewart & Margaret Sullavan

Susan Slept Here—–1954–Debbie Reynolds & Dick Powell,

White Christmas—–1954–Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, & Vera Ellen

Here is the list of Christmas: Christmas: Favorite Holiday Movies – More Recent, In Color.

If you would like to see more TV and Movies suggestions, click here.

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