Lifetime Original Movies - General Discussion

[Madding crowd]

I thought the Stalked by my doctor:sleepwalker was in really bad taste even by lifetime standards. A creepy mad doctor in his sixties tries to make a college age girl fall in love with him by manipulating her while she is asleep.

Not to mention the utter stupidity that the hospital staff and patients would go near a doctor that rants and talks to himself and doesn’t know what he is doing. 

[Dejana]

A college admissions scandal movie is coming up! Looks like it it will be fictionalized, so no Lori Loughlin or Felicity Huffman portrayals, alas:

https://people.com/crime/lifetime-movie-college-admissions-scandal/

[CRT]

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Looks like it it will be fictionalized, so no Lori Loughlin or Felicity Huffman portrayals, alas:

It's being written by Stephen Tolkin, the co-creator of the WB series Summerland.  The other co-creator (and star) of Summerland?  Lori Loughlin!

[Dr.OO7]

I watched a really shocking one tonight, "A Lover Scorned". It was incredibly graphic for network TV. Not to mention the Depraved Bisexual twist.

And a thoroughly awful movie overall. Even the cheesiest of these movies usually has at least one hero or heroine, but there wasn't a single redeemable character in this.

Edited August 3, 2019 by Camille

[FairyDusted]

Just noticed Ads for the V.C. Andrews series. I haven't watched a LTM in a very long while. They always seem to be showing Wife Swap and crap. 

I'm always let down by book conversations but on the other hand I haven't picked up a V.C. book in forever so I might check one out.

A lot has changed since Nancy Mc and Eric Roberts were all mobbed up in the late 80's!

Crap! Sorry I just saw a separate thread. My general opinion still stands.

Edited August 9, 2019 by FairyDusted
between the threads post

[Dr.OO7]

I caught an ad for "Abduction" tonight.

It's strange how the majority of their original movies suck, but the ones based on Real Life cases are very good.

[ctlady]

So, I'm watching 'Hidden Family Secrets' and aside from the bratty teenager, groveling mother trying to understand bratty teenager and boring drawn out scenes, I was trying to figure out who the actress was playing Grandma Helen.  Even all wrinkled and aged, I knew that face and - ALAS - went to IMDB and confirmed it.  She played Ginny, Molly Ringwald's older sister in Sixteen Candles!

[Snow Apple]

Who's watching the movie about the NXIVM cult tomorrow 8/24? Even if it's a Lifetime movie, I'm strangely fascinated by cults. From the brief glimpses of the trailer, the actress playing Allison Mack looks creepily like her.

Oops. The movie is in late September. My mistake.

Edited August 24, 2019 by Snow Apple

[CrazyInAlabama]

The NXIVM movie should be scary as hell if it follows the book, and what came out in court.   It amazes me what the women who joined did for the awful man that ran it, and how many other women recruited, and helped to abuse them.     

[Steph Sometimes]

Anyone watching the cheerleaders? Popular, crazy teenagers being popular and crazy are my favorite genre of Lifetime so this is all right up my alley. I just watched The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders   and it was amazing. Doing the identity theft one tomorrow.

[JD5166]

14 hours ago, Steph Sometimes said:

Anyone watching the cheerleaders? Popular, crazy teenagers being popular and crazy are my favorite genre of Lifetime so this is all right up my alley. I just watched The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders   and it was amazing. Doing the identity theft one tomorrow.

I’ve be spent the entire day watching all of these Cheeleader movies. I don’t know if maybe I should seek help, this seems pretty close to rock bottom. LOL 

[meatball77]

Watching Identity Theft of a Cheerleader now.  It's amazing.  When she conked her boyfriend over the head with a frying pan.  lol

[Steph Sometimes]

I liked Secret Lives of Cheerleaders better than Identity Theft, but Identity Theft had its moments.

Bring on the next one.

[Madding crowd]

The thirty year old cheerleader looked all of her age and then some. It was sad to see Gail O’ Grady with blow up lips. I thought the best one was The Secret Life of Cheerleaders. On another note, wonder how much Viveca A. Fox makes -she is in every other movie now as a principal, cop or coach.

Edited September 9, 2019 by Madding crowd

[paulvdb]

1 hour ago, Madding crowd said:

The thirty year old cheerleader looked all of her age and then some.

I guess none of the other kids in school were suspicious of that because they're so used to thirty year old actors playing teenagers on tv and in movies. So they just thought that's what real teenagers look like. And of course the actor playing her love interest didn't exactly look like a teenager either.

But I still liked this movie and also The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders.

[ctlady]

I watched both 'Secret Lives Of....' and 'Identity Theft....' over the weekend.  Smarm to the max, especially Secret Lives (the actress playing the head cheerleader was both ham AND cheese acting wise).  Is it surprising for me to say that Denise Richardson's acting was the least wretched?  Lots of eye-rolling moments (I've learned to lower my expectations with these movies and just enjoy the trainwreck).  Of course, only in a Lifetime movie does a brand, new female student not only try out for cheerleading on her first day (and magically procured leggings and sports bra to try out in as she had no idea there were going to be tryouts), but a) make the squad b) catch the eye of dance scouts c) take on mean girl d) set up mean girl e) take down mean girl f) take mean girl's captain spot and cheerleader of the year award all in, what......less than a month?

Identity Theft wasn't as cringy as I thought it would be.  Despite obvious facial work, Gail O'Grady looks fantastic.  I thought the actress was able to pull off looking younger ( after Beverly Hills 90210, I'm used to HS kids being played by middle-agers!)  I was taken aback by all the midriff tops (weren't those more 90's fashion?)

I have to ask - what is with the squads from both movies and the big, floppy white bows in their hair during games/pep ralleys?  Is that a thing?

And I know this is Lifetime guilty-pleasure stuff so a lot of effort doesn't go into much, but could they have come up with some decent cheers?  I've seen Pop Warner cheers that were more solid than those lame ones from both movies.

[Steph Sometimes]

7 hours ago, ctlady said:

Of course, only in a Lifetime movie does a brand, new female student not only try out for cheerleading on her first day (and magically procured leggings and sports bra to try out in as she had no idea there were going to be tryouts), but a) make the squad b) catch the eye of dance scouts c) take on mean girl d) set up mean girl e) take down mean girl f) take mean girl's captain spot and cheerleader of the year award all in, what......less than a month?

I liked Identity Theft where the new girl, who is completely new to the cheerleading coach and the squad, and whose cheering skills are...adequate.... instantly becomes co-captain.

[Laurie4H]

I hate how a character will confront the the bad person “I know what you did and you won’t get away with it!” And then just turn around to walk out or call someone and then get bashed over the head.   It’s so cliche and ridiculous.

Edited September 11, 2019 by Laurie4H

[Rescue Mama]

On 9/11/2019 at 9:37 AM, Laurie4H said:

I hate how a character will confront the the bad person “I know what you did and you won’t get away with it!” And then just turn around to walk out or call someone and then get bashed over the head.   It’s so cliche and ridiculous.

I hate that!   Another thing I hate in these movies is when the crazy person is with their intended victim and the victims best friend.  The victim goes to the bathroom or something and the crazy person starts being crazy to the friend.  If you're trying to get away with something why would you want to make anyone suspicious of you?! 

Edited September 13, 2019 by Rescue Mama

[Laurie4H]

Another thing I hate is when they hit the bad person once barely knocking him or her unconscious then drop the weapon and go to untie the victim and hug while the bad person gets back up and either attacks or disappears.   Wouldn’t you make sure that person was incapacitated before you helped the victim and tried to escape?

[JD5166]

YOU GUYS!!! Death of a cheerleader THE ORIGINAL(!) is on Sunday morning!!!! I am sooooo excited! Kelly Martin, Tori Spelling, I can’t! There goes my day! Haha 

[ctlady]

Adding my gripes about LT movies - no matter how old these couples, how big their family is or what they do for a living, they all reside houses that looked as if they belong on the cover of Architectural Digest.  I mean, gourmet kitchens complete with bar sinks, marble counters, pristine white cabinets, gorgeous hardwood floors, wine racks, top of the line appliances, etc, etc, etc,.  I mean the husband can be a fledgling author and the wife a hat shop owner and they can afford to live in all that splendor.

And - especially with the cheerleader movies - what's with the skin tight high waisted jeans wardrobe dresses these girls in?  While I'm for not type-casting waifishly thin cheerleaders, it's got to be awful uncomfortable wearing jeans that tight.  (TWD is the biggest culprit of this.)  How can you run away from  psycho stalkers when you can barely move in your jeans?

Also, professions for the female characters.  Advertising, fashion, lawyer, doctor, boutique owner, spa owner, art curator - all with a faboosh wardrobe (after all - they can afford THAT house, right?)   Show me a bookkeeper pounding a calculator in a cubicle or ringing up merchandise at a big box store.  I know - those aren't sexy.

[JD5166]

The Cheerleader Escort, these girls aren’t even any good...at CHEERING anyway. LOL 

[Laurie4H]

18 hours ago, ctlady said:

Adding my gripes about LT movies - no matter how old these couples, how big their family is or what they do for a living, they all reside houses that looked as if they belong on the cover of Architectural Digest.  I mean, gourmet kitchens complete with bar sinks, marble counters, pristine white cabinets, gorgeous hardwood floors, wine racks, top of the line appliances, etc, etc, etc,.  I mean the husband can be a fledgling author and the wife a hat shop owner and they can afford to live in all that splendor.

Yes I always say this.  And especially single moms who live in these large houses.  And another minor detail, they never park their car in the garage.  Always on the driveway and walk in the front door.  

I also hate when the evil person talks to themselves while plotting.  “Let’s see what you are hiding”. “Oh so little miss perfect isn’t so innocent”.  As go on social media and search for something.   

[TattleTeeny]

On 9/13/2019 at 7:08 PM, JD5166 said:

YOU GUYS!!! Death of a cheerleader THE ORIGINAL(!) is on Sunday morning!!!! I am sooooo excited! Kelly Martin, Tori Spelling, I can’t! There goes my day! Haha 

This is my FAVORITE one to inappropriately laugh at! And for as much of a bitch as Tori is, come on now--she is NOT obligated to be friends with a person, crazy-ass Becka Thatcher! And, oy, the slicing and eating of cucumbers while driving, ahahhahahhaaaaaa!

 

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And - especially with the cheerleader movies - what's with the skin tight high waisted jeans wardrobe dresses these girls in?  While I'm for not type-casting waifishly thin cheerleaders, it's got to be awful uncomfortable wearing jeans that tight.  (TWD is the biggest culprit of this.)  How can you run away from  psycho stalkers when you can barely move in your jeans?

Eh, maybe they have stretch in them; I find that I am more comfortable in fitted jeans than baggy things--although I so rarely run from from zombies (or run, period) in my everyday life. 

Edited September 15, 2019 by TattleTeeny

[Snow Apple]

Another thing I laugh at are the main characters oh-so-perfect life. The husband is always a white collar worker. The wife owns a cute boutique or bakery straight out of a Martha Stewart magazine and wears flowered sundresses. They have sassy yet well mannered children. Even their friends and pets are perfect. And they live in a house surrounded by windows overlooking a lake and flowers.

Enter villain.

[ctlady]

2 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

I find that I am more comfortable in fitted jeans than baggy things

Fitted is one thing, but some of these jeans look so tight on these actresses that they look like, to quote an old boyfriend's phrase, "they'd rip if they so much as fart"!

1 hour ago, Snow Apple said:

Another thing I laugh at are the main characters oh-so-perfect life. The husband is always a white collar worker. The wife owns a cute boutique or bakery straight out of a Martha Stewart magazine and wears flowered sundresses. They have sassy yet well mannered children. Even their friends and pets are perfect. And they live in a house surrounded by windows overlooking a lake and flowers.

Yup, yup, yup and yup to all of this.  I felt exactly this way in my post above.  And they're all up, showered, dressed, coiffed and at the breakfast table with the sun shining as if it were around noon time.  I mean, to be in work for 8-9am, one would have to be THAT ready, enjoy breakfast (or, in most cases, they take a sip of juice or coffee before leaving the untouched plate of food behind) and be on the road by 7-7:30, depending upon how long of a ride they have.    No way are complete families that bright eyed, lovey-dovey and able to a leisurely breakfast that effortlessly.  I barely have my hair dried and still in my jammies while throwing together something for lunch to shove into my lunchbag

2 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

YOU GUYS!!! Death of a cheerleader THE ORIGINAL(!) is on Sunday morning!!!! I am sooooo excited!

As much as I love (translation: love to snark at) this crop of new, smarmy, horribly acted guilty pleasure movies, I do long for the classics.  I know they're probably available on the LT Movie Club, but I don't have that nor do I want to pay for that.  I want to see Friends Till The End, A Killer Among Friends, A Woman Scorned, Kate's Secret (yeah, getting really nostalgic here), even some of the newer classics (well, to me) like some of the Nora Roberts' ones like Angels Fall

[TattleTeeny]

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Fitted is one thing, but some of these jeans look so tight on these actresses that they look like, to quote an old boyfriend's phrase, "they'd rip if they so much as fart"!

Yes, he'd likely say that about mine too, as they're basically meant to look like that. They're the best--and they stay in boots (with no annoying hem-wrangling fuss, thank the gods).
 

Quote

And they're all up, showered, dressed, coiffed and at the breakfast table with the sun shining as if it were around noon time.

Ha--as well as fully makeupped in bed and when they get out of it. Do they think we can't see the eyeliner and mascara?!

Edited September 15, 2019 by TattleTeeny

[ctlady]

5 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

Ha--as well as fully makeupped in bed and when they get out of it. Do they think we can't see the eyeliner and mascara?!

I especially eye roll when they wake up with perfectly applied lip gloss

[meatball77]

Watching the cheerleader movie with my teenager yesterday.  She's all, if they can't pay for anything why are they living in that giant house.

Really, only child and a single mom and they're living in a huge house?

[paulvdb]

In the movies I watch there seems to be a very large number of main characters' families consisting of a single mother with one daughter. Watching three cheerleader movies last week, Imogen from Degrassi, Buttercup from Knight Squad and the thirty year old cheerleader were all only children with a single mother.

And teenagers' after school jobs are never at a fast food place. They always work at some boutique or coffee place. Depending on the type of Lifetime movie, the only alternative after school job for a teenage girl is prostitute / escort / call girl.

[meatball77]

One mother and one daughter and they live in a gigantic house.  They also have 0 talent and are somehow able to walk onto the varsity squad.

[Dr.OO7]

On 9/15/2019 at 7:08 PM, meatball77 said:

Really, only child and a single mom and they're living in a huge house?

Same thing with "Seduced By My Neighbor".

Although, one can legitimately Hand Wave that her husband's insurance settlement helped.

The dreaded Friends Rent Control trope.

"I work one day a week and get paid five dollars an hour, but my apartment/house is nicer than what someone with a six-figure salary could afford!"

Also a staple of Hallmark movies.

Money aside, that aspect of it never makes any sense--why would one person need such a huge house?

Edited September 17, 2019 by Camille

[paulvdb]

I watched Undercover Cheerleader, another one where the main character is an only child with a single mother. In the Lifetime universe you'd better not become a father, because most of the single mothers are widows meaning that fathers die long before the movie even starts. Followed in a distant second place by divorced mothers who moved away from their abusive ex-husbands.

It's also the second of the cheerleader movies where the main character was on the dance team at her old school, but her new school doesn't have a dance team.

In a more surprising twist (for me at least) this movie had more than one villain. That made it a bit more difficult for me to figure out who the villain was because I was trying to look for just one villain. Although I had my suspicions about the one that turned out to be the final villain. Then again, throughout the movie I suspected almost every significant character at some point. So one of them was bound to be correct.

[JD5166]

10 hours ago, paulvdb said:

I watched Undercover Cheerleader, another one where the main character is an only child with a single mother. In the Lifetime universe you'd better not become a father, because most of the single mothers are widows meaning that fathers die long before the movie even starts. Followed in a distant second place by divorced mothers who moved away from their abusive ex-husbands.

It's also the second of the cheerleader movies where the main character was on the dance team at her old school, but her new school doesn't have a dance team.

In a more surprising twist (for me at least) this movie had more than one villain. That made it a bit more difficult for me to figure out who the villain was because I was trying to look for just one villain. Although I had my suspicions about the one that turned out to be the final villain. Then again, throughout the movie I suspected almost every significant character at some point. So one of them was bound to be correct.

I haven’t finished watching this one yet, it was soooo horrible I went to bed. But, I am relatively sure it’s the one person you kind of didn’t think it would be but it is! At least mom’s house reflected her CEO Silicon Valley something or other position! LOL 

[meatball77]

As opposed to cheerleader escort where the mother owned a dance studio

[paulvdb]

Something else I've learned from Lifetime movies: don't join a sorority, especially if you're going to the same college as your best friend who doesn't want to join or didn't get in. First, they won't like your best friend so they'll tell you that you're not allowed to hang out with her anymore. But losing your best friend is not the worst thing about joining a sorority. You will be killed and your (former) best friend will have to solve the case.

[meatball77]

If you do join a sorority.  Don't join the one your mother was in.  You will never fit in.

[Steph Sometimes]

I'm behind and just finished Undercover Cheerleader and actually really liked it. 

It gave me such a Mean Girls vibe. Well Mean Girls if Janis Ian tried to kill Cady...

Anyone who watched them all want to rank them? My list:

1) Secret Lives of Cheerleaders
2) Undercover Cheerleader
3) Identity Theft
4) Escorts
5) Didn't watch the other one

[methodwriter85]

On 9/10/2019 at 2:09 PM, ctlady said:

I was taken aback by all the midriff tops (weren't those more 90's fashion?)

Midriff tops and high-waisted pants are back in style, big-time. So are Champion branded shirts and hoodies, although Lifetime isn't going to pay for branded clothing on their shows like ever. LOL.

The 30-year old cheerleader makes a good Lifetime psycho. She does crazy eyes well.

[meatball77]

Watched the Alex Cooper Story.  That was horrifying.  Those people were evil.

[Kdel1079]

I just watched Alex Cooper story too, very disturbing, that poor girl. How could parents allow their child to suffer that way? Yikes

[meatball77]

I did some reading and she went back to live with her parents afterwords (and was legally allowed to be gay by the courts) which really floors me.  I wish they'd shown a bit more of what happened once she got out, the people that helped her were heroes.  However, from the minimal amount of research I did it looks like no one was charged for her abuse or enabling her abuse.  Heads should have rolled in that town when it came out what had been done to her.  The couple that she lived with were fired and not able to indoctrinate others but not charged for their abuse and all those people who just sat and watched and enabled the abuse. . .

[Laurie4H]

It was disturbing.  But I wish they explained a little more in the end also.   I liked that the woman said to her that not all Mormons are like her parents and the people who abused her.  I don’t like the stereo type that all Christians hate the LGBTQ community because in most cases it isn’t true.  

[Spartan Girl]

2 hours ago, meatball77 said:

I did some reading and she went back to live with her parents afterwords (and was legally allowed to be gay by the courts) which really floors me.  I wish they'd shown a bit more of what happened once she got out, the people that helped her were heroes.  However, from the minimal amount of research I did it looks like no one was charged for her abuse or enabling her abuse.  Heads should have rolled in that town when it came out what had been done to her.  The couple that she lived with were fired and not able to indoctrinate others but not charged for their abuse and all those people who just sat and watched and enabled the abuse. . .

Seriously?! She went back to her parents after the hell they put her through?!

[tvjunkie76]

You can read Alex's book for free on Amazon Kindle Unlimited. It has more details about how horrific the home her parents sent her too was.

[Snow Apple]

I read about Alex in Reader's Digest several years ago. It was disturbing even in a condensed version. It's still online at RD for those interested. 

I actually couldn't get through the entire movie as it enraged me too much.

[Dr.OO7]

My post seems to have vanished. . .

I watched "The Mary Stauffer Story" while it wasn't bad, for some reason, I was a little disappointed. As cheesy as this network has gotten, their "Ripped From The Headlines" movies are usually excellent.

By the way, Lifetime will start their own Christmas insanity on October 25, just like the Hallmark Channel.

[HunterHunted]

On 9/29/2019 at 12:27 AM, Kdel1079 said:

I just watched Alex Cooper story too, very disturbing, that poor girl. How could parents allow their child to suffer that way? Yikes

A similar thing happened to actor Jeremy Jordan's cousin.

https://people.com/celebrity/jeremy-jordan-celebrates-release-of-cousin-from-anti-gay-boarding-facility/

On 10/6/2019 at 10:15 AM, Camille said:

My post seems to have vanished. . .

I watched "The Mary Stauffer Story" while it wasn't bad, for some reason, I was a little disappointed. As cheesy as this network has gotten, their "Ripped From The Headlines" movies are usually excellent.

The problem with the Mary Stauffer movie is the pacing. The Alex Cooper film was very good at making you "feel" the length of Alex' ordeal when she's being punished and isolated. It was hard to get a good sense of how long Mary was there. It was paced weirdly and didn't do a great job of giving the audience of her interior life during her confinement.

[Dejana]

The College Admissions Scandal movie premieres tonight. Will it be good-bad or dull and boring?