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Halloween Kills (2021)
You Can't Kill The Boogie Man, But Perhaps, You Should
Halloween Kills is probably the weakest film that has ever been made. I will honestly give this film some good points, such as going all the way back and including new scenes tied into the original 1978 film that started it all and not forgetting those who were in the original film, such as Annie, the daughter of Sheriff Brackett, who does appear in the film, and even a shot of Linda, both which were the two best friends of the main character of Laurie Strode. Along with familiar names, events that took place in the original film, we get a mention of Ben Tramer, the guy Laurie confessed to Annie all those years ago, she liked.
Returning to the franchise is Marion Chambers, who appeared in the first and second film, she was the nurse we first encountered when she and Dr. Loomis are heading into Smiths Grove Sanitarium, and Michael ( before obtaining his famous mask ) jumps on the car and attacks, but actually just steals the car and heads back to Haddonfield. Honestly, it was nice to see her in the film again.
We have another who returns, the character of Lindsey Wallace, and it is the original actress who returns to this role after so many years, she was one of the two children that witnessed the horrible night in 1978, and along with her is the character of Tommy Doyle, and this actually makes the third time we see the character, however, the original actor who played the character first, Brian Andrews, did not return to the role, it was previously played by mega star Paul Rudd, in 1995, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. This time, it was played by Anthony Michael Hall, who of course was a huge teen star in the 1980's and went on to do other things beyond his teen years.
Nick Castle who originated the role as the adult version of Michael Myers ( originally credited as "The Shape" ) also makes a cameo in the film.
Another spot of brilliance is what I believe to be an homage to the horrible and box office flop Halloween 3, Season Of The Witch, because there are two maks worn in the film that sort of resemble the masks worn in that film, the ones made by "Silver Shamrock", which is the only time in all of the films that any ties to Halloween 3 and the rest of the movies have had any ties, since Halloween 3 was never really associated with the original films.
The film has a horrible story line, but the acting is very on par, which it should have any way, since after all, Jamie Lee Curtis and other big names were in this film, so as far as acting goes, this film does not disappoint you in that way, but the story, it was weak and so much could have gone into it. The entire town of Haddonfield have come to the point of wanting to kill Michael, and basically the town is worked into a huge mob of angry citizens, mostly long term residents who is tired of their town being haunted by this killer who has been a problem since he murdered his sister on Halloween night in 1963. Over and over and the town screams and shouts that evil must die, and they go on a hunt to find Michael, and it nearly comes to that near the end of the film, when his mask is finally removed, which shows this is his point of strength and without it, he weakens, and for those of us who are fans of the long time horror movie, I am inclined to agree, he should have died, but it was just another excuse to make another film, leaving that gate wide open.
I have enjoyed the films over the years, and still to this day, the 1978 film that began this whole thing, still gives me chills, it was so brilliantly done, and it is after all a classic, but this film is a grand example, it is time to just end it all, honestly, nothing is that strong, everything, everybody has a weakness, including "The Boogie Man".
Horror movies have been around much longer than Halloween, other films have even surpassed Halloween on different levels, and that is not saying that I think it is a horrible series, because as previously mentioned, the original 1978 film is still brilliant in this day in age, in fact, it is still relevant today, other than the clothes worn, the hair styles and some of the cars, the film has age very well, and most of the sequels have also aged well and have been fan favorites for many years, but honestly Hollywood or whomever, it is time to put "The Boogyman" to bed, nothing lasts forever and if the show must go on, perhaps a new Michael Myers or something of a next generation needs to pick up the tradition, because before it is said and done, Laurie Strode and Michael Myers will be battling out this fight in a wheel chair when it is all said and done.
The Cosby Show: The Visit (1988)
A Very Touching Yet Funny Episode
Theo has a friend sick with cancer, one that teaches young people how to deal with the situation. Theo has a hard time with the situation, but eventually he comes around and visits his friend.
One thing about this episode is, another great example of what this show did for us in the 1980's and it should be viewed today, it breaks down racial barriers, which is one of the many reasons The Cosby Show was so relatable to us who grew up in this decade, and one of the many reasons this sitcom did so well, it taught us so much, and this episode should also be marked a classic episode as well, in the ending of the show, son in law Elvin has come over to the Huxtable home, because he is missing his wife Sondra, the eldest Huxtable daughter, she is absent in this particular episode, her character had gone off to college class reunion. Elvin immitates his father in law, and the audience goes wild with laughter because he is doing Dr. Huxtable so well, and at the end, Theo and Cliff walk in to find Elvin doing this hilarious immitation. One of the best episodes in the entire series!
She Says She's Innocent (1991)
A Movie Very Similar To Killer Among Friends
This film is basically about two high school girls who killed a friend over a boyfriend, even though the two young ladies didn't exactly set out to kill, but due to a struggling fight that leads to death...a film like this, even though it's from 1991 should be viewed with teenagers, I found this film free on Tubi, it's storyline is very relevant in this day in age. It's very well acted, a very good cast of actors and it's currently free on Tubi, as I mentioned...this must have been a Lifetime movie, it has all the same qualities of a Lifetime movie.
Don't Go in the House (1979)
Don't Go In The House Should Be Renamed Don't Bother Watching This Ridiculous Movie
A twisted man loses his mother, who was abusive to him as a child...this rip off film borrows elements of Phsyco, Pieces ( a horror movie that a boy puts his dead mother back together )...this has to be the worst horror movie I have ever seen...I found it on Tubi...I would much rather watch paint dry!
The Nanny: Close Shave (1995)
Fran Gains The Longest Laugh In The Series
Much like a Lucy Ricardo, Fran Fine gets her longest laugh in this hilarious episode. Fran shines very well in her physical comedy, and even though it is a bit naughty in comparisons to I Love Lucy, Fran still gives a very Lucy like performance in this classic episode of The Nanny, and with a witty line from Niles the butler, the laughter continues and it is one you should see.
Diff'rent Strokes: A Haunting We Will Go (1984)
One Of The Best In The Season
By this point, Different Strokes was starting to go very down hill, but with some very special guests, John Astin ( best known for his role as Gomez Addams on The Addams Family ) and the legendary Ray Bolger ( well known for his legendary role as Hunk/The Scarecrow in the 1939 classic MGM film The Wizard Of Oz ), the two legendary men helped kick off season 7 with a bit of a bang and slight scare.
In this season opener, Sam and Arnold go to a house that is said to be haunted by a ghost, from a story told by the maintenance man of the apartment ( John Astin ), but when the boys go to check out the story to see if it is true or not, Arnold's two friends help add to the scare, but this only causes Sam to be totally afraid, and at one point he vanishes, only to run home to tell Mr. Drummond and his mother where he and Arnold had gone to. At first the boys have been told to never to return and they are also scolded for trespassing, but the boys do not listen and end up going back to the haunted house, but this time, in an ode to the 1984 blockbuster film Ghostbusters, Sam and Arnold immitate the film, but they soon learn the house is not haunted after all, that the old man named Clarence Markwell ( Ray Bolger ) is not really dead, he only likes to scare off people who trespass on his property.
For the time it was in the 1980s, the effects were played out rather well, and having two legendary actors from beloved things like The Wizard Of Oz and The Addams Family makes this episode enjoyable, but had this been a normal episode, it would have not been so good.
What's Happening!!: If I'm Elected (1977)
Shirley And Dwayne Carry Episode Alone
This particular episode is well done because of the fact that two of the cast members who were not really lead characters carry this episode alone, which are Shirley the waitress and Dwayne...the episode is about Dwayne's father who is running for city councilman, and this episode does not have any appearances by Raj ( Roger ), Rerun, Mrs Thomas ( aka Mable ) and Dee, because according to Wikipedia, the actors Ernest Thomas ( Raj ) and Fred Berry ( Rerun ) were having some sort of dispute with their contracts. I personally believe it gave actor Haywood Nelson ( Dwayne ) and actress Shirley Hempill ( Shirley ) a fine chance to shine, but mostly, since the episode revolves around Dwayne and his political father, it gave Haywood a chance to pull this episode on his own and he does a good job for this simple but yet loveable sitcom.
The Brady Bunch: The Elopement (1973)
Very Poor Writing
In this particular episode, Jan and Marcia overhear a phone conversation with Alice and Sam, the plot is, Sam and Alice were asked to be best man and maid of honor, but in the meantime, Alice and Sam also have a bowling date planned one day before the wedding, and in one particular scene slightly after Jan and Marcia were told it was wrong to eavesdrop on the conversation and how wrong they could possibly be on the situation, Carol makes it a point to let the girls know that it is not any of their business what Alice and Sam are doing or possibly have planned. In the scene following the slight scolding the girls get, Carol is in the kitchen with the wedding album of hers and Mike's, and pointing out pictures of their honeymoon, but as any true Brady Bunch fan knows, all six children, Alice herself were on the honeymoon in the pilot episode. Sure, it is a simple sitcom, and it would have been a better episode had someone not goofed the writing on something that every fan of The Brady Bunch knows.
Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story (1992)
Not Very Well Acted, But A Story Worth Watching
I had heard about this story many years ago, because it took place during thee exact time I was in high school, I will not give anything away, but it is important that parents watch something like this with their children, especially those in cheerleading, those who are involved with prom king and queen and such nonsense like this, yes though it is fun for others, but as a teenager who was unpopular and one who was often made fun of by such kids as these that are involved in a story like this, I am glad I was not involved with things like this. It pretty muchy angered me the entire time I was watching this movie about a parent who go to such lengths to help her daughter get to the top of a cheerleading squad and would take any road she could to do so.
If you question about this being a true story, to answer that, it is, but there is a twist that is in the film that is based on the real events of this story that I won't reveal.
This film is horribly acted but it is worth taking the time to sit down with your children, because of the ridiculous nature of the story, it should have been considered a documentary vs being a movie, but at any rate, I gave it a 7 for the fact that the story is important but the acting, I have seen better in a high school play!
A Mother Knows Worst (2020)
A Shocking Twist Comes At You!
This movie started out very close to a 1990's thriller called The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, but as you venture further into this Lifetime movie, you will see it is far from it, that is, when the twist you do not expect comes at you! Very well acted, very well done and I highly suggest watching this film, it is less than a year old, so I am sure Lifetime will rerun this movie, and I am sure it will be available on other formats, such as Amazon Prime, but again very worth it!
Mother Knows Best (1997)
Mommy Dearest!
A controlling mother who tries to run her daughter's life, even down to who she dates and marries, a woman who could care less about her daughter's happiness but more concerned about what people think and tries to keep up appearances
I highly suggest this film but it will have moments where you will chuckle because they nearly made it like a comedy in some places, but as for the performances, each actor and actress was excellent! Joanna Kerns ( best known as the mother on the 80's sitcom Growing Pains ) certainly gives an plus performance, and Christine Elise ( who was once on Bevery Hills 90210 as Emily Valentine ) does a wonderful job, in fact she does much better here in this Lifetime made movie vs her time on Bevery Hills 90210! I won't give anything away, and yes this film is from 1997, which currently makes it 24 years old, but it would certainly be interesting to see a remake of this, gone more Hollywood and much bigger, but as for the simple made for tv film it was, it will shock you, because it does have a twist, much like a novel would. I highly suggest it!
Kill Game (2016)
A Film That Rips Off Every Horror Film Ever Done Before It!
This film is pretty much a rip off of every horror film made, starting with the Marilyn Monroe masked used in the film, it basically copies the fact that Michael Myers in Halloween ( the original 1978 film ) used a Captain Kirk mask with the eyes cut out, this pretty much copied that as well! The blonde wig used by the killer also is also a direct copycat of Psycho, which was some time before Halloween. Many other elements are borrowed from Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, all the way to the forgotten 1980's horror film Slaughter High, where a group of classmates teased a kid, who organized a high school reunion to get revenge. I won't reveal the plot of this film, but also it uses elements of Saw as well! To sum up my review, if you have seen those films, which most people have, then you may as well pass on this one, but if you are curious of what this crazy b horror film is about, just know a viewer warned you, it is a complete waste of time!
One Day at a Time: Panzini (1983)
Such A Dumb Episode
I have to rate this as the worst episode in the entire series, Pat Harrington who plays the superintendent/janitor of the building that Ann Romano and family live in, his character Dwayne Schneider is one of the main characters of the show, however, an Itlian client comes in from out of town, who is doing business with Ann Romano and her business partner Francine Webster, and the client's name is Guido Panzini, which is actor Pat Harrington in a double role, but in my opinion, that always makes for the worst episode of any show, unless the character is actually being portrayed as a twin, then an actor doing a double role is ok, but not in this case, this is the 8th season of a series that was nearly on its way out, by this point, One Day At A Time must have been running out of ideas, because to stoop this low for a storyline, they had to be desperate!
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)
One Of The Worst Movies I Have Ever Seen!
I am not much of a movie reviewer, though I love films and love many, I am more of a musical critic and can break those things down a bit easier, but because this was a musical, I will admit, had this been a tribute album, the recording artists picked for the film were picked perfectly and The Bee Gees and Peter Frampton alone have great musical moments in the film, but why for heaven's sake was George Burns cast as the narrator and the mayor named Mr. Kite? This was 1978 and many others should have been up for this part, such as David Bowie, why was he not considered for this, because after all he would later do a musical film called The Labyrinth and he would have a knack for playing the mayor and Mr Kite in a film that was all Beatles music. I personally feel the story also gets very jumbled and you really have no clue as to where the plot is going, and it was only trying to be what Tommy was, which had come out in 1975 and speaking of Tommy, Elton John made an appearance in that film as the Pinball Wizard, and though the ladies who sang Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds rather well, Elton should have been considered for that as well, that at least would have brightened up that part of the film a little more, because Elton who actually recorded the song, along with John Lennon himself, made that song a huge hit and it would have fit in this rather quirky film! It is so obvious Peter Frampton and The Bee Gees are not actors at all, though I will admit, Maurice Gibb, had a bit of a flare for it and you could see comedy coming to him so easily at times, had the performers been given any spoken lines, Maurice would have been the likely candidate for that.
If you love The Bee Gees, Peter Frampton and many of the others who appear in this disaster, then you wil enjoy it, but if you hate films that leave you scratching your head and you are asking where you are going more times than Dorothy got lost on the yellowbrick road in Oz, I say avoid it all cost and if you are curious like I was, well, you will probably say once was enough for me!
Had this been a tribute album , then it would have been a huge hit, as far as movies go, this should have never happened!
The Dollanganger Saga: Flowers in the Attic (2014)
Not A Half Bad Attempt
When I was in junior high school, I was introduced to a book called Flowers In The Attic, this was not long after I had watched the 1987 film of the same name. A classmate of mine told me the book was much better, and to my surprise, it actually was. I have seen the 1987 film time and time again, hoping and wishing for a new movie to be made, and when I learned from Facebook that the network Lifetime was doing so, I was happy, this was a chance for me to see a film with more from the book, since movie from 1987 was not that great. In comparisons, the film from 1987 was better casted, that at least is a positive, I feel that Kristy Swanson did play Cathy much better in the film vs the young actress who played her this time around, and the mother from the 1987 film, Victoria Tennant did a wonderful job bringing Corrine to life, however, I liked the set of twins portrayed in the 2014 version much better than the whiney children from the 1987 film. Louise Fletcher was great at playing the grandmother, but Ellen Burstyn did a much better job, she brought back the original feel of Olivia Foxworth from the book. This film from Lifetime did better at the book's real story and came closer to things that the 87 film failed to do, such as the last name of the family. In the 1987 film, we never got into too much depth of why Corrine and Christopher Senior changed their family name from Foxworth to Dollanganger, and for those who may not have either seen this movie, read the book or seen the 1987 film, I won't go into such detail, it gives away too much. Another great attempt was why Cathy had to cut her hair, in the 1987 film it shows the grandmother hacking at Cathy's hair, but in the book, it was far different and the Lifetime film came a little closer to why. Also in the 1987 film, the mother was killed at the end, but in the book, this was not even close, the mother lived on and in later books, Cathy and Christopher would see her again, and the Lifetime film did a better job at this, showing us how the kids had escaped. The acting in this film was not so great, other than Ellen Burstyn, she of course is an actress who has done many great things, and she is really the only star in this film, even though the part is grim and not so glamorous, but if you know the book Flowers In The Attic, Olivia Foxworth was not glamorous anyway. Out of 10 stars, I gave this film a 3 star rating, it just needed better actors and actresses to compliment Miss Ellen Burstyn. So over all Lifetime, not a bad attempt, at least you stayed closer to the book than the 1987 film.