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CBS’ original holiday films will star many familiar faces for Christmas enthusiasts. The broadcast network will debut three original festive flicks in December, some starring their own talent. “The Talk” co-host Amanda Kloots and “The Equalizer” star Liza Lapira each lead their own film.

The network brought back original holiday movies in 2021 with “Christmas Takes Flight” and “A Christmas Proposal” — the first time CBS re-entered the space in nine years.

Paul Greene as Griffin, Scott Patey as Carl and Amanda Kloots as Audrey

“Fit for Christmas”

Sunday, Dec. 4, 8:30 p.m. Et (8 p.m. Pt)

Amanda Kloots executive produced and stars in “Fit for Christmas” alongside Paul Greene, best known for his many Hallmark holiday movies. The movie tells the story of Audrey, “an enthusiastic Christmas-obsessed fitness instructor at a beloved, financially beleaguered community center in quaint Mistletoe, Mont., who begins a holiday romance with a charming, mysterious businessman, complicating...

Lloyd the Conqueror

Directed by Michael Peterson

Written by Michael Peterson and Andrew Herman

Canada, 2011

Society has an outrageous double standard. If you like to play Dungeons and Dragons and watch sc-fi fantasy movies, you’re a bit of a dork, but if you love to watch NFL football and take part in fantasy sports (read: fantasy sports), then you’re a real hard nut. If you get dressed up in cosplay or costumes of your favourite fictional character and Larp (live action role play) for a lark, you’re a delusional git who needs to snap back to reality, but if you’re a sport-jersey-wearing, pick-up-football-playing, face-painting fanatic who refers to his or her favourite team with the word ‘we’, and who throws a tantrum every time they think they’ve lost unjustifiably (or just plum lost), as if they were personally wronged, then by Jove, you’re just a healthy,...

Llyod the Conqueror

Directed by Michael Peterson

Written by Andrew Herman and Michael Peterson

Canada, 2011

Some games, while popular within the circles of their respective fans, are the target of not so subtle jibes from most other people who either do not understand their appeal or actually have a point in venting their annoyance at these activities. Who really knows. The debate rages on. World of Warcraft (seriously, why would anyone keep themselves locked up in their room to play this thing for hours on end?), Dungeons and Dragons (really people? How old are we here?), and, the subject of Michael Peterson’s film Lloyd the Conqueror, Larping. What is it larping? It is what men in arrested develop- ha, I mean, it is ‘live-action role playing,’ wherein individuals dress up as knights and other such medieval warriors and duel with fake swords and whatnot. Might it serve a greater...

We are now a week into the three week long Fantasia Film Festival, and while we admittedly have been a little behind due to some technical issues with our website, we still managed to get a dozen film reviews published. Keep coming back to our site as we promise twice the amount of articles by the end of week two. In the meantime, here is a round-up of what we’ve seen and written about so far.

Black Pond

Directed by Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe

Written by Will Sharpe

U.K., 2011

Comedy, in its nature and its presentation, has morphed dramatically over the past decade or so, both in North America and in Europe, in particular the United Kingdom. From the more overt, on the nose comedy of yesteryear we have now live in an era in which the comedy is delivered with a completely different version of wit.

Llyod the Conqueror

Directed by Michael Peterson

Written by Andrew Herman and Michael Peterson

Canada, 2011

Some games, while popular within the circles of their respective fans, are the target of not so subtle jibes from most other people who either do not understand their appeal or actually have a point in venting their annoyance at these activities. Who really knows. The debate rages on. World of Warcraft (seriously, why would anyone keep themselves locked up in their room to play this thing for hours on end?), Dungeons and Dragons (really people? How old are we here?), and, the subject of Michael Peterson’s film Lloyd the Conqueror, Larping. What is it larping? It is what men in arrested develop- ha, I mean, it is ‘live-action role playing,’ wherein individuals adorn themselves as courageous knights and other such fierce fantasy warriors and duel with fake swords and whatnot. Might it serve...

The Toronto International Film Festival media blurb for Simon Davidson’s debut feature, The Odds, likens it to a combination of Rounders and Brick. While this statement is true to a point, the comparisons remain solely on the surface. Poker plays a very small role—as gambling in general looms large—and while the plot concerns teenagers who are way over their heads in adult matters and murder, the hyper-reality of Rian Johnson’s contemporary classic is nowhere to be seen. Such broad generalizations end up doing the film a disservice by trying to pigeonhole it into a set of parameters the target audience will be familiar with. Unfortunately, The Odds can’t live up to those lofty expectations, but that doesn’t mean Davidson hasn’t crafted an entertaining thriller worth a look. Just like its lead character Desson Orr, though, it deserves a chance to stand on its own two feet.

Idp/Samuel Goldwyn Films' "Free Style" has five new clips. The William Dear-directed film opens on October 9th in limited locations and stars Corbin Bleu, Penelope Ann Miller, Madison Pettis, Scott Patey, Tegan Moss, John Shaw, Tyler McClendon, Hannah R. Lay and Wall Levy. Jeffrey Nicholson and Joshua Leibner write and the family drama is rated PG for language, some sensuality and thematic material.

Check out the poster, images and the trailer from Samuel Goldwyn Films' "Free Style," starring Corbin Bleu, Penelope Ann Miller, Madison Pettis, Scott Patey, Tegan Moss, John Shaw, Tyler McClendon, Hannah R. Lay and Wall Levy. William Dear directs from the writing by Joshua Leibner and Jeffrey Nicholson. Produced by Jim O'Grady, Donald Paul Pemrick, David Reivers, Dean E. Fronk, Corbin Bleu and Rob Cowan. An inspirational and uplifting story for the entire family about a young man’s determination to win a coveted spot on the Grand National motocross racing team. With the support of his loving mother (Penelope Ann Miller, Kindergarten Cop)...