The Cozy Mystery List Blog

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

How to Train Your Dragon: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Toothless…

Last year, my daughter recommended a movie that I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to watch. This year I FINALLY watched it.

I just finished watching the 2010 DreamWorks Animation movie How to Train Your Dragon, and my daughter was right! This movie IS a joyous, colorful, and whimsical ride. (Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois directed this beautiful, fun movie, and joined Will Davies in writing the screenplay. To them, I say thank you!) 

The movie is based on the children’s books by Cressida Cowell, an Oxford English Literature major. While I haven’t read any of the nine books in her How to Train Your Dragon book series, I can tell you this: If they had been available when my children were young, they would have been a staple in our home! They truly look like a whole lot of fun for children, and let’s face it, reading should be a whole lot of fun!

Getting back to the movie… The premise is a “coming of age” story, where becoming a Viking means slaying your first dragon. Unfortunately for our hero (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III), his dad (Stoick the Vast) happens to be the chief of the village, which in Viking terms mean his dad is TOUGH! 

Hiccup just doesn’t fit into the Viking mentality… He is sensitive and inquisitive, by no means TOUGH! When given the opportunity to complete the dragon-slaying task, Hiccup has a difficult time wrestling with the dilemma of letting his father down or not being true to his beliefs. 

As I don’t want to spoil the movie by saying too much, I won’t go into the movie’s details. What I will say is that I join my daughter in recommending this PG movie. There aren’t hidden “adult innuendos” (at least I didn’t pick up on any!) and the movie doesn’t need them to keep the adults entertained… It is that good! I will say that there are some “scarey” dragon scenes, which would be the reason the movie is PG and not G.

PS>>> I loved that Toothless (a Night Fury dragon) wasn’t a brightly colored, comical dragon. I also loved watching Toothless move>>> I wondered if the artists used a dog as their point of reference…

Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle AND Call Me Mrs. Miracle Christmas Movies…

This entry is for all of the Debbie Macomber and/or Doris Roberts fans. As I wrote last year at about this time, I know that Debbie Macomber doesn’t write Cozy Mysteries. Having said that, I also know that there are quite a few Cozy Mystery site readers who enjoy Debbie Macomber’s books and/or movies. 

Last year I announced when Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle Christmas movie (starring Doris Roberts as Mrs. Miracle) was going to air on the Hallmark channel. Several people posted comments (or wrote to me) asking when Hallmark was going to air the movie again, or when they could buy the movie.

Here’s the good news! Hallmark channel is going to air Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle on the following dates: 

Tuesday, Nov. 16   10:00 pm  (Yes, as in tonight!)
Wednesday, Nov. 17   6:00 am
Saturday, Nov. 27   6:00 pm

So set up your mode of taping, or settle down to watch it live!

But, the even better news for all of you Debbie Macomber fans (as well as fans of feel-good holiday movies) is that Hallmark is also going to be airing Call Me Mrs. Miracle, a new Debbie Macomber Christmas movie.

Call Me Mrs. Miracle will premiere on Saturday, November 27. (It also stars Doris Roberts as Mrs. Miracle.) I haven’t yet been able to find out all of the airing dates, but it looks like Hallmark channel will be airing it a few times that Saturday night, again on Sunday, Nov. 28, and more times on Friday, Dec. 3 and Saturday, Dec. 4.

Hallmark channel tends to air and re-air their Christmas movies several times throughout November and December. So check your television schedules!

Inspector Lewis: Your Sudden Death Question – PBS NEW Masterpiece Mystery! (Season 3)

I am going to keep this very brief… Don’t forget that tonight your local PBS station should be showing a new Inspector Lewis episode: Your Sudden Death, which of course, is inspired by the wonderful (non) cozy Colin Dexter mystery books.

And, for all of you Jonathan Creek fans >>> The terrific news is that Alan Davies will be in this Inspector Lewis episode!

The Duchess of Duke Street Miniseries…

The Duchess of Duke Street - The Complete Collection [DVD] The Duchess of Duke Street is a BBC series from the mid 1970s. Masterpiece Theatre aired this British miniseries, which is set in Victorian and Edwardian England… the late 1800s and early 1900s. The series follows Louisa Trotter, a young woman from England’s lower class society – during a time when the possibility of bettering your social standing was pretty much nil to nothing.

Louisa (played magnificently by Gemma Jones) works as a scullery maid (the lowest servants’ position possible for women) but has three very strong traits: ambition, the inability to “hold her tongue,” and intelligence. We watch Louisa go from a very young, almost abrasive girl to a self-assured woman of high society.

Gemma Jones’ portrayal of Louisa Trotter, as she goes up the ladder of British society, is absolutely superb. This period BBC (and Masterpiece Theatre) production will stay with you way after you watch the two-season miniseries.

As you watch the episodes in The Duchess of Duke Street, try to keep in mind that the plot is based on the true life story of Rosa Lewis and The Duchess of Duke Street‘s Bentinck Hotel is based on London’s Cavendish Hotel.

The Duchess of Duke Street miniseries takes us along as Louisa goes from being a scullery maid to a great chef, to eventually the owner of a London hotel. Quite a feat for those times!

This period piece production is (to me) delightful. I enjoyed the costumes, make up, acting, sets, and plot line. Fans of Upstairs, Downstairs will no doubt become fans of  The duchess of Duke Street.

Watching it is addictive, but beware – it is not for young children. (Also, it is not a mystery…)

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

MENU