T’was The Chaos Before Christmas

Release Date:  12/7/19; BET & BET Her
Genre:   Holiday/Family
Rating:  NR
Director:  Terri J. Vaughn
Studio(s):   May 3rd Films, Octet Productions
Running Time:  83 mins
Cast:   Cynthia Kaye McWilliams (Jayla Mitchell), Sherri Shepherd (Valerie Russell), Affion Crockett (Ed Russell), Victoria Rowell (Hazel Mitchell), Malachi Malik (Morgan Mitchell).

Story:   When polar opposite families book the same vacation home for the Christmas holiday, chaos and confusion ensue as they both attempt to celebrate the holiday in their own way under the same roof.  Morgan and Jayla Mitchell are an affluent family from New York City. In an effort to keep the family together over the Christmas holidays, they decide to rent a luxurious home in Washington, DC. Morgan’s mother can easily join the Mitchells and their teenaged daughter, Raven to celebrate Christmas there. Val and Ed Russell are a working-class family and parents to teenagers Deshawn and Destiny Russell from Walkertown, North Carolina.

When Val hits the lottery, she chooses to spend her winnings on a luxurious rental in Washington, DC over the Christmas holidays. That way, they can spend time doing free tourist activities and celebrate Christmas with Ed’s sister Shanice, a Howard University student who can’t afford to go home for the holidays. In the perfect storm, Jayla and Val, one unbeknownst to the other, book the same holiday rental on different websites, but over the same period of time. When the families all arrive at the same property, chaos erupts. The two families cannot be more different. With the holidays in full swing, the families are stuck trying to figure out how to celebrate their Christmas holidays in their respective manners without losing it.  Source:  Blackfilm.com.

Trailer:

Chandler Christmas Getaway

Release Date:  11/11/18; UpTV
Genre:  Comedy
Rating:  NR
Cast:  Malinda Williams (Marci), Victoria Rowell (Stephanie), GregAllen Williams (Donald), DeEtta West (Myra).

Story:   The Chandler family is back for another family Christmas adventure! Not finding any Christmas spirit during a hot December, the Chandlers decide to pack up and head to a cabin for maximum holiday fun. But with old feuds, new feuds and a heap of holiday stress, the Chandler family will have to pull together to make this the best Christmas ever.  Source:  UpTV; Itsawonderfulmovie.blogspot.

Preview:

Merry Christmas, Baby

merry-christmas-baby-stillRelease Date:  2016; UpTV
Genre:  Family/Holiday
Rating:  NR
Director:  Rhonda Baraka
Studio(s):   Swirl Films, UPTV.

Cast:  Malinda Williams (Marci), Victoria Rowell (Stephanie), Karon Riley (Blair), Gregory Alan Williams (Donald), Chrystale Wilson (Elizabeth), Deetta West (Myra), Lola Riley (Chandler), Nadej K. Bailey (Denny).

Story:  The Chandler family is back and bigger than ever! Determined to make her baby’s first Christmas a memorable one, Marci throws herself into both planning the perfect Christmas and building her new event planning business.  But when the business gets off to a rocky start and members of her family face their own hardships, Marci will discover that when your plans for a perfect Christmas start to fall apart, it just might be the miracle you need.  Source(s):  UpTV; IMDB.

Trailer:

A Baby For Christmas

A Baby for ChristmasRelease Date: 12/13/15 (UpTV)
Genre: Family/Holiday
Rating: NR
Running Time:  120 mins.
Studio: Swirl Films
Director: Rhonda Baraka

Cast:  Malinda Williams (Marci), Victoria Rowell (Stephanie), Karon Riley (Blair), Clifton Powell (Gavin), Gregory Alan Williams (Donald), Kristoff St. John (Lawrence), Jasmine Burke (Wilhelmina), Chrystale Wilson (Elizabeth), Deetta West (Myra).

Story:  Third installment of UP’s popular Chandler family Christmas movies.  This Christmas, the Chandler family, much to Stephanie’s (Victoria Rowell) dismay, seem to be distracted from the usual family holiday traditions. Marci (Malinda Williams) and Blair (Karon Riley), who tied the knot in last year’s Marry US For Christmas, are eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child due on Christmas day. The couple is doing everything in their power to ensure that they have the perfect baby girl – from meditation to changing their eating habits. Work-wise, Marci is trying to juggle impending motherhood with meeting the demands of her top client, Friendly Family Floral. Blair is back to running his own firm. Money is tight but he and Marci are happy and eagerly awaiting the arrival of their little bundle of joy. Meanwhile, Marci’s Aunt Myra (DeEtta West) and Uncle Donald (Greg Alan Williams), who recently retired, are feeling useless. Eventually they find a meaningful way to occupy their time at the urging of Donald’s cousin, Gavin Brooks (Clifton Powell). Aunt Elizabeth (Chrystale Wilson) is obsessed with getting a promotion at work. Add to the mix, Stephanie’s blooming romance with Lawrence (Kristoff St. John) – who is torn between being with her or continuing his mission work. It appears the Chandler’s have abandoned their Christmas traditions and lost the spirit of Christmas. That is, until a group of kids at an orphanage helps the family to realize there is more to Christmas than wrapping gifts and baking cookies. Source(s): UPtv; IMDB.

Preview A Baby For Christmas at UPtv.

What Love Will Make You Do

what-love-will-make-you-doRelease Date: 2015
Genre:  Romance/Drama
Rating:  NR
Running Time:  95 mins.
Studio:  Yellow Lens Entertainment
Director:  Lisa Haynes

Cast:  Darrin Dewitt Henson (Trey Boston), Judi Blair (Kendra Stewart), Victoria Rowell (Sheila Boston), Darryl Booker (Tony Boston), Sir Brodie (Rob Stewart), Carl Anthony Payne II (Sean), Brad James (Joe), Blue Kimble (Todd Boston).

Story:  An attorney from a prestigious law firm falls in love with a beautiful woman of his dreams, but later discovers her father is seeking revenge against him over a court case gone terribly wrong. Source(s): Shadow and Act; IMDB.  Photo Source:  Black Film.

Trailer:

Marry Me For Christmas

Marry Me For Christmas

Release Date:  2013, Made-for-TV
Genre:  Romance
Rating:  NR
Running Time: 120 mins.
Studio:  Swirl Films
Director: Roger Melvin

Cast:  Malinda Williams (Marci Jewel), Karon Joseph Riley (Blair), Victoria Rowell (Stephanie),  Dawn Halfkenny (Charlene), Brad James (Adam), Tamara Bass (Dana), Carl Anthony Payne, II, Remi Von Nordheim (Bria), Jason Weaver (Franklin), Deetta West (Myra),  GregAlan Williams (Donald), Chrystale Wilson (Elizabeth).

Synopsis:  Smart, stylish Marci Jewel is the owner of an up-and-coming ad agency and thrilled with her single life in New York — except during the holidays. While all of her cousins are married and having babies, Marci remains the lone holdout in the large Chandler family clan.

As the family’s epic Christmas celebration is about to start, Marci promises to come home for the holidays for the first time in years. With a deadline looming for a new client, she drags her employee Adam in tow to Atlanta and does the only thing she can in the face of unbearable pressure from her ailing mom Stephanie and the rest of her family: fakes a fiance.

While caught up in the family’s frenetic holiday drama, Marci learns some unexpected lessons about love, trust and family, particularly when it comes to her new faux fiance Adam and old beau Blair. Source(s): Up TV; IMDB.

Sneak Peek: 

See Trailer at Uptv.com.