Monday, December 13, 2010

TKA Holiday Extravaganza Day 1: Dakota Cassidy

UPDATE: The winner of an $15 Amazon gift certificate from Dakota Cassidy is Raven99. Please email your addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net.

Today, Dakota Cassidy, author or YOU DROPPED A BLONDE ON ME, is kicking off our week-long holiday celebration here on the blog. She's also generously giving away a $15 Amazon gift certificate along with her post. Nice gift for you or someone on your list, perhaps? ;-) Comment with an answer to her question (at the end of the post) to enter. The winner will be announced tomorrow morning.

Ho, Ho, Ho For Holiday Movies!

Yes. That’s me. I, Dakota Cassidy, lurve a holiday movie.

The more cheese the better. I like mine drippy and gooey, thank you very much!

Now I’m not talking just the classics like :"Christmas Vacation" or "A Christmas Carol" and such. I’m talkin’ the Lifetime/Hallmark-a-palooza snot fest that leaves me reaching for the bulk batch of Kleenex I buy at Costco.

If it’s got some unadoptable kid, an amnesiac Santa Claus, an elf looking to find his family, a mother who’s homeless, a dog that’s missing his left paw as well as an eye and was abandoned by the side of the road, or even if it just has the word “Christmas” and anything remotely resembling Christmas in the title (think holiday, silver, bells, garland, wreath--whatev), I’m all in, folks!

In fact, I scour the Lifetime/Hallmark channel websites to see what’s brand new each year and then I look for the movies that are repeats, but still worthy of my bucket o’ tears.

It doesn’t matter that sometimes they’re so badly acted I often think I should call the producers up and offer my services. I’d do it for a mere couple hundred bucks and a place to sleep. Plus, I won’t demand they take all the yellow M&M’s out of my bowl of candy in my dressing room. And I’d do it all with one limb, if they’d let me.

It also doesn’t matter that somehow, some of my one-time favorite actors and actresses, when invited to do a Lifetime/Hallmark movie, suddenly lose their ability to act. The dialogue’s stilted. The gushy love story is so gushy you’ll need a filling.

However, nay. I care not. I adore them!

I drive my family nuts as I simultaneously take over every TIVo in the house in order to record them at every ungodly hour of the day and night. If I discover a new one, it’s like having a platinum American Express card with no limit and being let loose at a Louboutin outlet store.

And again, I don’t care. I don’t care if you mock, point, openly laugh at me. Loud and proud, I’m a cheesy holiday movie lover. So if you need me from December one until December twenty six, I’ll be on a couch, bed, chair (whatever surface is available) with my box of tissues, possibly some pork rinds, sprawled out in my pajamas, puppies snuggled close, watching Santa Claus try to find his way back to the North Pole while he battles amnesia and herpes—er, or something like that!

So tell me, what’s your favorite holiday movie? Post below and gimme a shout out!

Dakota

Dakota's latest release is YOU DROPPED A BLONDE ON ME (December 2010, Berkley Trade) To learn more about Dakota, visit her website.

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60 Comments:

Blogger Margay Leah Justice said...

There are so many! I like Elf 9the only Will Farrell movie I do like), The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Christmas Vacation, but I think my favorite (newer) Christmas movie is The Holiday with Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, et al. It is just a wonderful movie.
Margay

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 11:16:00 AM EST  
Anonymous Allison B. said...

I love White Christmas and Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby. Dancing, music, all the cheese you could want. I watch them every Christmas. They are my favourites!
Allison

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 11:32:00 AM EST  
Blogger Jia Gayles said...

I know I can't win anything (Duh!), but I can't help but share my fave holiday movies. Margay, I love Elf too! Especially, when Zoey Deschanel (pls excuse the spelling on that one!) sings "Baby It's Cold Outside." I also fell in love with Mrs. Miracle last year. And I swear The Christmas Shoes almost sends me into near hysterics every time. As for classics, A Christmas Carol always does the trick.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 11:33:00 AM EST  
Blogger LSUReader said...

Hi Dakota--My favorite Christmas movie is White Christmas. But, I also love Holiday Inn, the original Miracle on 34th Street, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Thanks for a fun column. Merry Christmas.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 11:46:00 AM EST  
Blogger traveler said...

I like A Christmas Carol. Memorable and special. Also Miracle on 34th Street. Lovely.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 11:54:00 AM EST  
Blogger Christi Barth said...

Impossible to choose a favorite - I just spend the entire month of December channel surfing between Lifetime, Hallamrk and ABC Family. Missed a new one last night and am kicking myself!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 12:42:00 PM EST  
Blogger Sean Thomas Fisher said...

Bad Santa and The Muppet Christmas Carol are awesome, but Scrooged is a classic!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 12:49:00 PM EST  
Blogger Cybercliper said...

While I love the classics like Scrooge, my most favorite that I drag out every year is Jingle All the Way with Sinbad, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Phil Hartman circa 1996. Those guys together are hysterical!!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 12:57:00 PM EST  
Blogger Lori Ann said...

It never feels like Christmas time to me until I have watched Christmas Vacation. That movie makes me laugh so much and puts me in the holiday spirit. Love Actually has also become one of my favorite holiday movies.

It has become a tradition in my family to always leave the television on the 24 hours of A Christmas Story marathon that TBS shows on Christmas Day. I love that movie.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 1:26:00 PM EST  
Blogger Dakota Cassidy said...

OMGoodnes, Jia--I can't watch Christmas shoes. That's the single movie I rise u and revolt against. it makes me sob, and sob!

Christi--which did you miss? Christmas Cupid or Marry me? marry me was ADORABLE!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 1:26:00 PM EST  
Blogger raven said...

My favorite movie is Christmas Vacation. I live the life of the Griswold's! LOL I don't cover my house in lights, but I have had bats in my house to get out like the squirrel! My absolute favorite part of the movie!!! I :)

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 1:28:00 PM EST  
Blogger rissatoo said...

My very-most favorite Christmas movies are the original Miracle on 34th St (NOT colorized, pleasethankyouverymuch!) and Scrooged. :)

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 1:28:00 PM EST  
Blogger CrystalGB said...

My favorite holiday movies are The Santa Clause trilogy, Miracle on 34th Street, and The Christmas Story.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 1:31:00 PM EST  
Blogger Dakota Cassidy said...

Oh, CrystalGB--I LOVE the Santa Clause trilogy! I just watched those again, Friday night, I think :)

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 1:32:00 PM EST  
Blogger elaing8 said...

I have a couple of favorites that I have to watch each year.It's A Wonderful Life,A Christmas Carol (with Alistair Sims B&W),Holiday Inn and A Christmas Story.

Happy Holidays!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 1:33:00 PM EST  
Blogger cinmay4 said...

I love "a Christmas Visitor " had me crying all through it as my son's in the guard and has been deployed several time's to Iraq ....Something happened that we no longer talk I've tryed to contact him and talk to him, But Nothing , It's hard on me during the holiday's and yes he has two girl's I don't see. i ask God every night for giveness for what ever I've done !!!So it all Christmas movie's That deal with military >>..Merry Christmas

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 1:43:00 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My Fave is How the Grinch Stole CHristmas the cartoon version not the Jim Carry although that's ok. I also love It's Christmas Charlie Brown, can help it I'm a kid at heart.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 1:45:00 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Home Alone. I'm a sucker for campy/funny.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 1:47:00 PM EST  
Blogger Dakota Cassidy said...

There is absolutely nothing like that guy from the Wonder Years when he screams in Home Alone. Best screamer ever, Karen!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 1:53:00 PM EST  
Blogger Elena Gray said...

I have two favorites! Christmas Vacation and Home For The Holidays! I can watch those two over and over again and never get tired of them!!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 1:55:00 PM EST  
Blogger Stephanie M said...

I love the Santa Claus trilogy. Tim Allen is hysterical.

smccar1 at hotmail dot com

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 1:58:00 PM EST  
Blogger Amy Sue said...

I love The Holiday (first Cameron Diaz movie I liked). I like The Santa Clause trilogy. I really love Jack Frost with Michael Keaton.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 2:01:00 PM EST  
Blogger Dakota Cassidy said...

Ohhhhhhh, I love Jack Frost, Amy Sue--it, too, makes me sob!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 2:06:00 PM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

There are so many that I love. I love Jingle All the Way, The Holiday, The Grinch, and A Christmas Carol.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 2:21:00 PM EST  
Blogger @GeekWillow said...

This year I've been loving the Santa Baby movie and it's sequel! Although White Christmas is by far by favorite classic Christmas movie of all time!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 2:22:00 PM EST  
Blogger Jaime Z said...

When I was little I loved Miracle on 34th St (the original) but I do have to say that I love The Holiday.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 2:27:00 PM EST  
Blogger Teri Anne Stanley said...

Once I got over my fear of ice floes, Rudolf the Rednose Reindeer was my favorite. But the Charlie Brown Christmas special has better music. and the Grinch who Stole Christmas (not the Jim Carey one). I have a short attention span. Real movies exhaust me.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 2:29:00 PM EST  
Blogger Hi y'all! said...

My fav holiday movie is Home for the Holidays with Holly Hunter and Robery Downey Jr. True disfunctional family at its best!! My mom and I love watching this together!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 2:33:00 PM EST  
Blogger Amy said...

Our Sunday paper right after Thanksgiving used to have an article with a list of all the holiday movies that year. I'd cut it out and keep it for reference. With 100s of channels on cable that's not feasible any more, but it was fun back then to see as many as I could. Now I spend too much time online to watch all that I used to. But I'll still see WHite CHristmas, Holiday Inn - and A Christmas Story. My 28 YO son looked very much like Ralphie when he was little, so we always watched - sometimes the all day marathon of it on TBS!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 2:36:00 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have always loved, It's A Wonderful Life!! It's my all time favourite!!

Valerie
valb0302@yahoo.com

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 2:54:00 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My wife and I are with you Dakota, we love the holiday movies. As a matter of fact we are heading home tonight to watch "Christmas Cupid" that we recorded yesterday. However my favorite of the Made-for-TV variety would have to be "Snow" with Tom Cavanagh and the adorable Ashley Williams.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 3:28:00 PM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

I do too! I'm sitting there with the DVR search on LMN and Lifetime.

I liked 12 Men of Christmas. It was fun. :)

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 3:28:00 PM EST  
Blogger donnas said...

I love Elf. But for favorites that would have to be Love Actually and The Holiday. However I get sucked into any holiday movie relatively quickly should I flip the channel.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 3:38:00 PM EST  
Blogger Dakota Cassidy said...

12 men of Christmas was fun, Saranna. I also enjoyed what I saw of Santa baby 2. I caught the tail end of it. NOw I'll have to add it to my search :)

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 3:44:00 PM EST  
Blogger Dakota Cassidy said...

I GOTTA see this SNOW, David. I haven't even heard of it. And Christmas Cupid was cute. But def catch Marry Me. You two'll love that one!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 3:45:00 PM EST  
Blogger Dakota Cassidy said...

Oh, Donna--Love, Actually--one of my TOTAL faves!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 3:54:00 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My wife is the same way. She'll take up 75% of our DVR space and then be watching Christmas movies through October! ;-)

I'm more of a fan of the classic claymation movies like Frosty the Snowman. But I watched the Mrs. Miracle movies this year and they were pretty good too.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 3:55:00 PM EST  
Blogger Sweet Vernal Zephyr said...

Merry Madagascar, I can't get enough of those penguins. :D And "Yes" I can still enjoy cartoons at 29!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 4:01:00 PM EST  
Blogger Linda Henderson said...

Well my favorite is the Grinch, the original one. Some of my others are the Home Alones, Die Hards, Home For The Holidays, Holiday Inn and White Christmas. I really don't like the ones that make me cry.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 4:12:00 PM EST  
Blogger annalisa said...

A Christmas story is a family fav. It's one movie we have to watch at Christmastime when we all get together. It always cracks me up when our four adult children say certain lines to the movie together and laugh hysterically. "You'll shoot your eye out, Kid!" is a favorite line. :)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 4:35:00 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well if they'd ever leave me alone I could watch the big girl movies (looked upon as mushy kissy movies by the kiddos). But alas what we do is more of the traditional kids movies including the old tv cartoon showings like Rudolph, the Grinch and on Christmas eve we watch polar express and do the hot chocolate thing with the fireplace on and all the lights off. =)

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 4:51:00 PM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

"Love Actually," gets me every time. Once to the amazement of my(then new) husband I watched it and cried my eyes out in the morning. That evening it was playing on a different channel and much to his abject horror I watched it again and cried just as hard.
Ahhh...Good times! :)

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 6:17:00 PM EST  
Blogger tinlizzy said...

Anything with a love story involved. My kids laugh at me when I watch Lifetime every year at Christmas time. "Didn't you watch that already mom?" Yeah, so what? It's worth watching again when it makes me feel so good! The sappier, the better. Waiting to watch Marry Me, it's waiting for me on the DVR! Maybe tonight!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 6:42:00 PM EST  
Blogger DrkCherry said...

Mine is 'A Christmas Story'. It's not a snot-filled movie, but it's funny and we watch it every year. I have no idea why we don't have this movie. Some of the highlights: Ralphie in the bathroom decoding the radio message, only to find out it's an ad "drink more Ovaltine"; when goes to see Santa, freezes and as he's being pushed down the slide, he climbs back up and asks for a bb gun; and the best one...that damned bunny suit!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 6:54:00 PM EST  
Blogger lindalou said...

I look forward to the Christmas specials with Doctor Who each year...
IF that doesn't count, I guess I'd say White Christmas.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 7:27:00 PM EST  
Anonymous Jenn R. said...

This one was TOO easy, Dakota! Christmas Vacation! It's crazy and insane but has it's moments. Plus, it's really stuck in my brain due to seeing in a theater where we missed the joke at the end credits due to the guy five rows back having his snack creation return on him! Runner up? Home Alone. The end makes me cry (when his parents come home) but it's such an awesome movie that I don't mind looking like a sap! Oh, and if you REALLY want a tearjerker? Go find the 8 is Enough Christmas episode from season 2. They find a gift that was supposed to be for the deceased mom which brings up all sorts of emotions!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 7:39:00 PM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

Very nice post. I don't think I have seen a Christmas movie that I didn't like. I loved the Home Alone movies. There was something about those villains falling so many times that still has me laughing. It must have reminded me of Wiley Coyote.

I read the prologue to your book. I must say, voice screamed off of the page. You draw people in immediately and the story is intriguing.

Draven Ames

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 8:47:00 PM EST  
Blogger Diane said...

So many but my favorite: White Christmas with Bing Croby.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 9:16:00 PM EST  
Blogger macbeaner said...

I love Its a Wonderful Life. A timeless classic!

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 9:31:00 PM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story

amysmith98@gmail.com

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 10:18:00 PM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

I guess my favorite holiday movie would be The Holiday, I have watched it several times and enjoy it every time.

lead[at]hotsheet[dot]com

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 10:26:00 PM EST  
Blogger Pamk said...

cartoon How the Grinch stole Christmas

Comedy Santa Clause all of them.

Romantic movie Mrs. Miracle.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 10:47:00 PM EST  
Blogger Pam P said...

Every year I watch Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas and Holiday Inn. Some years I can find The Bells of St. Mary, too, which I count as a Christmas movie. I like watching during the season, so I also check Hallmark and Lifetime for more to watch.

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 11:08:00 PM EST  
Blogger Dakota Cassidy said...

Hey, everyone! Thank you for dropping by--good luck to all who entered!

hugs all 'round,
DC :)

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 11:19:00 PM EST  
Blogger Modokker said...

National lampoons Christmas Vacation is my favorite. It makes me laugh every time. Love those Griswolds lol

Lisa B

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 11:22:00 PM EST  
Blogger Cecile Smutty Hussy said...

Oh not sure if I made it in time or not... But my favorite movie is Disney Scrooge's movie!!! And of course The Grinch Who Stole Christmas!

This is an awesome Christmas present!! Thanks for having Ms. Cassidy over!

alliwantandmorebooks@ gmail.com

Monday, December 13, 2010 at 11:25:00 PM EST  
Blogger Stacey Smith said...

My Favorite Holiday movie may sound strange but it's die Hard 1 The First one.I love that movie.But then I'm into the action Movie the most.
sasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com

Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 12:47:00 AM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

I must say that my most favorite movie has to be "The Christmas Story". A very close second is "Christmas Vacation" with the Griswalds. As a matter of fact, I have a Griswald family that lives a couple miles from me!! They have a postage stamp yard and every inch of their house (roof and all) and yard is covered in lights and decor!!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 5:01:00 AM EST  
Blogger Maureen said...

A Christmas Story is my favorite holiday movie even when I'm not in the holiday mood I still enjoy it.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 6:45:00 AM EST  
Anonymous Kandie said...

Dag, Dakota [kandie dfw on facebook, the potential road trip potna for Thanksgiving lol] I had to scroll down for 5 minutes [slight exaggeration] just to leave a comment! Now I'm too tired to think of my fave Christmas movie. LOL J/K Of course, It's a wonderful life and Miracle on 34th street, Elf and This Christmas.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 10:32:00 AM EST  

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