I Watched This Big Brother Star’s Christmas Movie, And I Was Surprised By A Few Things

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On season 27 of Big Brother, finalist Vince Panaro shared his fondness for Christmas movies featuring Big Brother All-Stars 2 winner Cody Calafiore. While Cody’s involvement with holiday films has been known among Big Brother fans for some time, Vince’s comments on the live feeds sparked new interest for others.

This sparked the Big Brother community on Bluesky to organize #ACodyChristmas, a live watch party for Big Brother fans. They started with the film The Maltese Holiday, and I joined in – it was a lot of fun!

Spoiler alert: The following contains spoilers for The Maltese Holiday. Read at your own risk.

I Am Shocked That Cody Calafiore Is One of The Best Parts Of The Maltese Holiday.

“The Maltese Holiday” feels a lot like many other Christmas movies you’d find on channels like Hallmark or Lifetime. It’s not the best of the bunch, but it’s definitely festive and full of Christmas spirit.

“The Maltese Holiday” follows a familiar romantic comedy formula – think awkward first meetings, characters thrown together, and a happily-ever-after wedding. While the plot is simple, it’s still enjoyable. The acting isn’t perfect, and there’s room for improvement, even from Cody, but he actually delivers one of the stronger performances in the movie.

Cody is genuinely funny and the most down-to-earth character in the film. He’s charismatic enough to draw you into the story, which isn’t surprising considering his appeal on Big Brother. I was skeptical about his acting abilities before seeing The Maltese Holiday, but he’s proven me wrong. With a few more roles, he could be one of those reality TV stars who successfully makes the jump to acting, or even build a career specializing in Christmas movies like some other actors have done.

Watching The Film Led To Researching The Candy Cain Holiday Movie Lore With Reality TV Stars

What’s really interesting is that Candy Cain, the creator of The Maltese Holiday and a prolific maker of holiday movies, often casts reality TV stars in her films. Cody is in a few of them, but he’s not alone! She’s also featured Faysal Shafaat from Big Brother 20, Cody’s brother Paulie Calafiore from Big Brother 18, and The Challenge’s Cara Maria Sorbello in her movies.

In a recent interview with Parade, Candy Cain explained that she started working with reality TV personalities because she wanted Cody to be in her film, What Happened Last Night. Cain admitted there was a reluctance among her colleagues to cast reality stars, but she believed Cody was perfect for the role and secretly signed him anyway. Surprisingly, despite working with them professionally, Cain—also known as Candice T. Cain—isn’t actually a fan of Big Brother or much of a reality TV viewer in general.

It seems perfectly natural that Cody ended up working with her on some of her Christmas movies – it was a match made in heaven! Candy is currently making a holiday movie with Rachel Reilly, a popular winner from Big Brother. And we might see other former Big Brother contestants in Candy Cain’s films in the future. Perhaps Vince Panaro will even land a starring role someday.

It Reminds Me How Enjoyable Independent Films Can Be, Even If They Aren’t Perfect

While “The Maltese Holiday” isn’t a cinematic masterpiece, it’s a fun and enjoyable movie to watch with friends. Not every film needs to be deeply moving – sometimes it’s nice to just relax and have a good time. I appreciate all kinds of movies, from serious Oscar contenders to lighthearted comedies, and I’m glad there’s such a diverse selection available for everyone.

I always look for ways to support independent films – whether it’s seeing them in theaters, renting them, or writing about them when I can. There are so many fantastic ones, particularly those created by diverse voices. The Maltese Holiday isn’t necessarily the greatest holiday movie ever made, but it’s a really important film because it shows that independent films can still be produced, shared, and discussed widely. It proves that big studios aren’t the only ones who can make movies.

It might seem strange, but The Maltese Holiday really highlighted how wonderful it is to support independent artists. It inspired me to seek out more indie holiday films, and it reminded me that some of my favorite holiday movies actually come from smaller studios. While big Hollywood productions are exciting, there’s something special about enjoying a heartfelt holiday movie made by a passionate, independent filmmaker like Candy Cain.

The Maltese Holiday Reminds Me That A Movie-Watching Experience Can Make The Movie

I likely wouldn’t have enjoyed The Maltese Holiday as much watching it on my own. But experiencing it with others during the #ACodyChristmas event on Bluesky made it a lot more fun – I could watch the movie and read everyone’s hilarious reactions at the same time.

If I were writing a proper review, I’d definitely have pointed out the movie’s flaws. But since I was just watching it for fun, the little things that usually annoy me didn’t matter – they actually added to the movie’s appeal. The Maltese Holiday is a reminder that not every movie needs to be taken seriously. Sometimes, it’s just nice to escape into a different world for a while and enjoy the story.

This highlights how important going to the movies can be. The experience itself – who you see a film with, and how you feel about it – can really stick with you and create lasting memories.

I Am Shocked That I Can’t Wait To Watch More Cody Calafiore Holiday Movies

The #ACodyChristmas event has finished on Bluesky as of today. I really enjoyed The Maltese Holiday and was excited to watch the other films that were part of the event: Ivy & Mistletoe and Magic in Mount Holly.

I went into these movies expecting a bit of silliness, just like the first one, and honestly, I was totally okay with that! I wanted something light and fun to enjoy, and I loved being able to read everyone’s reactions on Bluesky at the same time. I really hope the Big Brother fans continue sharing their thoughts there and dive deep into everything related to Candy Cain’s films – it’s a whole universe to explore!

Stream The Maltese Holiday on Tubi.

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2025-12-24 19:12