February 2026 Quickie Reviews

February 2026 BREAkdown

• 30 films/series total (not including Hallmark films)
• 5 foreign films/series
• 22 re-watches
• 17 classics
• 2 tv series

Biggest Disappointment: Positively Yours

Favorite Discovery – The Gathering, Idol I

tv series

All Creatures Great & Small Season 6 (2025) – Tristan and Mrs. Hall are back home, the war is almost over and James has another child. It’s always a pleasure to revisit these characters and their Yorkshire village. Tristan has definitely matured and it was nice seeing him get a real love line as well as a backstory dealing with his time in the war.  Mrs. Hall is still the voice of reason every one relies on (much like Melanie from Gone With the Wind) and everyone seems to love having James’ son around to spoil.  This one makes my heart happy.

Bookish (2025) – Even after finishing this post-war mystery drama, there is still so much I want to know about it’s main character Mr. Book! He’s an intriguing character with intriguing secrets. Plus, I love someone who reveres books! I also liked all the quirky, oddballs he collected and the pseudo family he created.

foreign films & series

Spring Fever (2026)– This rom-com is entertaining but not memorable. The leads are likable, but their chemistry is kind of weak. NOT a fan of the teenage second female lead who’s a bit of a brat. And I also have to wonder what kind of a mother excuses abandoning her child to her younger brother to raise by saying she was too young to take care of her son?!

Positively Yours (2026) – This show missed a big opportunity to explore single mother pregnancy and mommy issues which the first couple of episodes led me to believe it would through its’ heroine who finds herself pregnant after a drunken one-night stand. The psycho-witch sister in law is too vindictive for what actually happened and I don’t know why that family just lets her run wild like that. I was very disappointed how easily the writers redeemed the selfish rage-aholic mother and the aforementioned sister-in law as it didn’t really feel earned. The President’s secretary is the best character and much needed comic relief.

To the Wonder (2024) – A slice of life drama that feels more like a documentary about a nomadic group of people in the wide open and beautiful vistas of Northwestern China as seen through the eyes of a young woman passionate about being a writer. This is one I tried to binge, but the thoughtfully paced rhythm forced me to slow down to absorb the story and characters. Watching the heroine shed her preconceptions and ignorance as she lives along side people who live differently than her while it also purified her desire to write was a journey worth watching.

The Art of Sarah (2026) – Fantastic performance by lead actress Shin Hye Sun who plays a character with multiple identities. But the show itself felt self-important like it was trying to get a big message across and didn’t succeed. I never really connected with it or the characters.

Idol I (2026) – I did not expect that this would be my favorite watch of the year to date or that it would be going in my list of top ten Kdramas, but here we are. Soo-young gives a wonderfully restrained, but not dispassionate performance of a compassionate female defense attorney who takes on the defense of her favorite idol when he is accused of murder. She shares a touching chemistry with Kim Jae-Young, the traumatized man whose loneliness and desperation to be loved for himself is palpable. Though both are prickly and traumatized, they choose to trust each other. The mystery of who killed the male lead’s friend took some nice twists and turns and the writing was mostly free of tropes and cliches.

Classics

Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937) Re-watch- As beautiful as the young Robert Taylor is,  as talented as Eleanor Powell is, as fun as watching a young Judy Garland next to Sophie Tucker is, the reason I watched this again was to see Powell and George Murphy’s dancing duet around the park.  It’s still one of my favorite  dance sequences ever.  It struck me watching this, that Powell is one of the few female film star dancers that performs in normal everyday clothes instead of beautiful gowns. This is really just a bunch of dance numbers stitched together with the thinnest of plots.

The Gathering (1977) – Wasn’t expecting much from this made for tv movie starring Ed Asner about a man who wants to reunite with his estranged family after learning he is dying. It was slow based, but grew on me as it went on and ended up being sweet and thoughtful with a tinge of sadness. Even though he hasn’t kept in touch with his children, they don’t hold their grudges too long. His choice not to tell them he’s dying is interesting even though his ex-wife and oldest son figure it out on their own. I’m glad I caught this obscure title on TCM and am pleased that it is also currently available on Prime video.

Lost Angel (1943) Re-watch- A VERY young Margaret O’Brien is adorable as a young girl who experiences the world for the first time after being raised in a scientific institute. She’s definitely book wise, but not street wise, but her curiosity makes all the adults around her question their own lives. Her scenes with Keenan Wynn as the potential murderer Packy are my favorites!

Love is News (1937) Re-watch- Loretta Young absolutely sparkles in this story about an heiress who turns the tables on a tabloid reporter who has targeted her.  You can tell she’s having so much fun in her role teasing Tyrone Power’s shady reporter.

That Wonderful Urge (1948) Re-watch- A remake of Love is News in which Tyrone Power stars again, this time with another familiar co-star Gene Tierney. It loses some of the deft and airy comedy of the first but is still a fun watch.

Honolulu (1939) Re-watch- What fun it is to re-visit this musical! Eleanor Powell is such a joy to watch on screen and has a couple very memorable dances, one where she jumps rope while dancing on board a cruise ship and another where she blends hula and tap together like he dancing genius she is!. There is one unfortunate black face number. Add in the ditzy Gracie Allen and Robert Young playing dual roles and this is definitely one of her best films.

Ladies in Love (1936) Re-watch- This early film always reminds me of How to Marry a Millionaire, although with less glamour and more realism. At times it’s quite a downer of a story. I really dislike that the precocious and juvenile Simone Simon ends up marrying a man old enough to be her father after stealing him away from his lover played by Constance Bennett. Loretta Young is wasted in her story line with Tyrone Power but Janet Gaynor is delightful as the only one of the ladies who stays down to earth and unmoved by wealthy men. I had to watch an average quality cut of this on Youtube.

Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935) Re-watch- I couldn’t remember much about this one after seeing it before and now I remember why. There’s not much memorable about it and I can’t quite understand how it helped pull MGM out of a financial slump. It has a good cast – Jack Benny, Robert Taylor, Eleanor Powell and Buddy Ebsen, some beautiful and extravagant sets, but no plot, no character development and the musical numbers though good, aren’t outstanding. I will say this show surprised me by seeing how long Ebsen’s legs are and how talented Powell was as a ballet dancer as I was used to seeing her in tap numbers.

Adventures in Manhattan (1936) Re-watch- Two geniuses, one an art thief and the other a criminologist, match wits with some charm and glamour thrown in by Jean Arthur. This may be one of Reginald Owen’s better roles as a charming and ambiguous supporting character who befriends the two leads. The ending with Arthur and Joel McCrea sharing their feelings together via a three way phone call is one of the more unique confession scenes I’ve seen.

Silver Queen (1942) Re-watch – With my soft spot for both Priscilla Lane and George Brent, I can forgive this film’s flaws, mainly that she is mis-cast as an heiress who becomes a gambling queen after losing her father and her fortune. Brent is middling in this part that would have made women swoon if played by Clark Gable. Still, it’s fun to see them together and also to see the sparkling ensembles Lane gets to wear.

Party Wire (1935) Re-watch- In my opinion, this is still the best depiction of the destructive and amorphous power of gossip I’ve ever seen in film or in novels. Victor Jory gets a rare starring role and I love how unaffected he is by the town’s snobbish opinions and how he is willing to go to war for the woman he loves. This Jean Arthur cinematic gem needs more attention!

Pollyanna (1960) Re-watch -When the real world feels overwhelming and ugly, this movie never fails to lift my spirits and remind me to look for the good where it can be found. I’m also a fan of its’ version of old school Americana.

More Than A Secretary (1936) Re-watch – Jean Arthur and George Brent star together in this silly story about a woman who gives up independence to become the secretary of a man obsessed with his health magazine. Other than the stars, there is not much to recommend this one.

The Sky’s the Limit (1943) Re-watch – A lesser known Fred Astaire gem, which is a shame, because it deviates a bit from his norm – exploring his character in more depth and negative emotion. Joan Leslie makes a surprisingly good partner for his world-weary pilot as a woman who wants a more serious career. They have a beautiful waltz together on a star-lit balcony and Astaire has a memorable solo in a bar where he angrily breaks glass.

Wee Willie Winkie (1937) Re-watch – My favorite Shirley Temple film and also her best (in my opinion) thanks to the direction of John Ford, who took her childish sweetness and whimsy and married to to a more serious story of soldiers serving in a remote outpost in India. Shirley’s co-star Victor McLaglen is an unlikely, but surprisingly good match for her as one of her grandfather’s men who takes her under his wing and teaches her how to be a soldier. The scene where she sings Auld Lang Syne to him always makes me teary.

Sadie McKee (1934)  Re-watch- This Joan Crawford vehicle gives her three potential love interests and some gorgeous clothes and soft close ups. Edward Arnold plays her third love interest, a rich middle aged man who is a generous alcoholic. He’s remarkably sympathetic and I cheered for Joan when she decides to tackle the fight to force him into sobriety. However, her obsession for her true love is very frustrating as he is weak and petty criminal which she knows, but chooses to stand against the world for anyway. Stupid!

Lucky Star (1929) Re-watch- Very few portray innocent earnestness onscreen as well as Janet Gaynor. Re-visiting this movie which first piqued my interest in silent films reminded me why. Such a simple yet sincerely told story of two people who find comfort in each other. It has a very dramatic finish with the previously crippled hero dragging himself through the snow to rescue his girl.

Post 1980’s

A Walk in the Clouds (1995) Re-watch – Beautifully filmed, with scenes full of figurative and literal color and also boasts a talented international cast plus Keanu Reeves in an overtly romantic role. I’ll never get tire of his sweet, sacrificial version of kindness and love.

The Magic of Ordinary Days (2005) Re-watch- This is another one with a beta male hero who’s kindness and patient, quiet love make this a story I love re-watching. Hallmark doesn’t make ’em like they used to!

Waitress (2007) Re-watch- I had forgotten about how reprehensible most of the characters’ actions are in this movie, even though most of them still come across as sympathetic. It’s kind of fun seeing Andy Griffith as an irascible old man. This one also always tricks me into thinking I should make a pie.

Shall We Dance? (2004) Re-watch- A unique story which is more than a romance, more than a drama and even more than a slice of life story without being pretentious and preachy.  Stanley Tucci is as always supporting character gold as a straight lawyer who hides his secret love of ballroom dancing. My favorite part of this film is Susan Sarandon’s speech on marriage and what it really means. It gets me every time!

Other re-watches – While You Were Sleeping, Trouble With the Curve