V.C. Andrews’ Ruby – Review

V.C. Andrews’ Ruby – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Ruby resides on the bayou with her grandmère, Catherine, and accompanies Catherine to perform voodoo rituals.  Ruby loves school, her boyfriend, Paul, and painting.  While selling items on the side of the road, Dominic, the owner of a gallery, comes up to Catherine and buys all of Ruby’s paintings.  Ruby dreams of being an artist in the big city with Paul by her side.  When Catherine sees Ruby and Paul together, Catherine tells Ruby to stop dating him.  When Ruby doesn’t listen, Catherine tells her the truth.  Paul is her mother’s first child, which makes him Ruby’s half-brother.  Ruby breaks up with Paul but blames their differing economic status as the reason why.  Later, Ruby gets an envelope with money from Dominic because he sold some of her paintings.  Catherine tells Ruby to hide the money from her grandpère, Jack, in her jewelry box.  With a cough, Catherine decides to tell Ruby the truth about her family by showing Ruby a picture hidden in her bible.  The photo is of a man and a little girl that Ruby mistakes for herself.  The image is of her older twin sister, Giselle.  Ruby’s mother, Gabrielle, fell in love with a married man, Pierre, whose wife could not have children.  When Gabrielle gave birth, she didn’t know she was pregnant with twins.  Jack sold the first baby to Pierre, and Pierre left before Gabrielle gave birth to Ruby.  When Jack tried to sell Ruby, Catherine threatened to kill him.  The day after giving birth, Gabrielle died.  Sadly, these are Catherine’s last words, and Ruby buries her.  After the funeral, Jack drops by and talks about Ruby marrying Buster.  Ruby throws Jack out, but he comes back with a chain.  Jack chains Ruby to the bed and invites Buster over.  Buster offers $500 upfront and another $500 after he breaks Ruby in.  When Buster enters Ruby’s room, she chokes him out with the chain.  And Ruby does the same to Jack and escapes.  Ruby gets a one-way ticket to Pierre’s home, and Ruby dreams of a better life with her father.  She has no idea she is running into evil.

Based on V.C. Andrews’ Ruby novel, this movie has all the twists and turns you expect from Lifetime’s favorite author (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  It has incest, family secrets, and betrayal.  The differences are voodoo and the bayou.  With this added magic, the story makes you sit up and take notice.  Congratulations to Lifetime for finding talented, real-life twins to play Giselle and Ruby.  Instead of using a distracting split-screen, these gifted women allow you to focus on the captivating story.  Viewers will wait in anticipation for V.C. Andrews’ Pearls in the Mist (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). 

I give it 5 out of 5 stars

I do know that Landry women don’t pick good men – Catherine

Well, I guess you just learned something about girls – Ruby

This is exactly how I imagined it – Paul

She wants money. Don’t you get it. Look at the way she’s dress – Giselle

Of course, yes – Pierre

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Deadly Excursion: Kidnapped from the Beach – Review

Deadly Excursion: Kidnapped from the Beach – LMN – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Samantha and David run a successful restaurant and work to piece their lives back together after their daughter, Ellie, almost fell prey to human traffickers.  Ellie calls because her team won the state beach volleyball competition.  Now, the team is going to the national competition in Florida, and she wants to go.  Samantha says no because one of her captors, Ian, is still on the loose.  Ellie pleads with Samantha, so Samantha vows to discuss it with David.  David thinks Ellie should go but only under their supervision.  While Ellie plays volleyball, they can turn the trip into a mini-vacation like their therapist suggests they do.  David and Samantha consider telling Agent Jensen about their trip but opt not to until they land.  Once in Florida, David calls Jensen to inform Jensen they left Texas, and Jensen is not happy.  A few days ago, a male matching Ian’s description tried to board a plane, bound to Florida, with a fake passport.  Jensen tells David to be on alert while in Florida, and David obliges.  After Ellie’s first tournament win, the family goes out for a celebratory dinner.  They want to compliment the chef when César and Miguel come over.  The pair make the family feel uncomfortable, so they rebuke their kindness.  The family leaves the restaurant and jumps into a hotel shuttle.  After a wild ride, the shuttle driver pulls out a gun and demands their phone.  The driver works for César.  During Ellie’s kidnapping last year, $250,000 of César’s money went missing. Since Samantha funded and opened a restaurant the same year, César and Miguel assume Samantha stole the money.  César ordered his son, Miguel, to find Samantha and report back.  César will do anything to get his money, but he has a problem.  While watching the family, Miguel’s obsession for Ellie grew.  Now, Miguel will have to choose between César and Ellie while Ellie and her family fight to stay alive.  They will get help in the most unlikely place.

This Deadly Excursion sequel packs more intensity than the first.  While the family makes typical mistakes, they quickly rebound and get the upper hand.  Like Miss Bala, Samantha doesn’t know who she can trust, and her captor does everything in his power to appear charming.  She knows César is a viper waiting to strike.  Her only concerns are Ellie and David.  Based on the ending, there will be a part three.  Let’s hope it keeps the white-knuckle action going.  

I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars

Found you – Ian

Now clean up the mess.  I am gonna handle this myself – César

Trophies end up in the attic, so … – Samantha

Last time you went on vacation, we both got shot – Agent

I like the girl – Miguel

They were both creeping me out – David

And you thought my driving was bad – Eduardo

I can’t believe you just did that – Ellie

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Deep Blue Nightmare – Review

Deep Blue Nightmare – LMN – 2 hours and 0 minutes

James calls his daughter, Sarah, before he throws away her mother’s painting tools.  Sarah likes them, but she can’t think about painting after losing her mom.  James understands, but he decides to keep them if she wants them in the future.  Then he asks about her modeling shoot.  Her photographer and ex-boyfriend, Jason, wants to go to a bay to get some beautiful shots of her surrounded by nature.  James, a former Civil Air Patrol, tells Sarah to check the weather before they head out.  James sympathizes that Sarah is a water baby, but he still wants her to be careful.  She agrees and meets up with Jason and his make-up artist and new girlfriend, Meghan.  Jason heard about a new island that formed after a natural disaster.  He wants to use the new island for his photoshoot.  Sara and Meghan begrudgingly agree to the location change.  They paddleboard their way to the island and have fun.  While Jason takes Sarah’s photos in the water, Meghan, on the island, sees a shark in the water.  She screams to Jason and Sarah to come back, and Sarah makes it, but Jason dies.  Sarah calms herself and Meghan and calls James for help.  She tells him about the location change to an uncharted island and the shark attack.  He swears to get all the help he can and tells her to stay strong.  But no one understands the danger Sarah and Meghan face.  A King Tide is coming, and a shark riled up by human error will put them in the water and in the shark’s path.

First, this movie is the perfect Shark Week movie and reminiscent of The Shallows.  It gives so much information about sharks, nature, and the human impact on both.  Second, the film gives you a sense of panic, but not about the shark.  The panicky feeling comes from the rising water pushing the women out to sea.  Subpar CGI diminishes the shark attack fear, a la Sharknado (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  The plot won’t always entertain you, but you will learn something new about the water, animals, and the importance of a solar phone charger.  

I give it 3 out of 5 stars

Did he ask about me – Jason

Forgetting someone? – Sarah

You’re supposed to call 911, not your daddy – Meghan

I know you’ve been through hell, now you’re gonna have to go through high water – James

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Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: How to Con a Con – Review

Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: How to Con a Con – HMM – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Aida walks into the bakery while Aurora and Nick sample wedding cakes.  They hope she will be a tie-breaker, but Aida has to run to meet her new clients, Ben and Bianca Avery.  The Averys are selling their house and moving to Miami.  Before Aida sits with her clients, she sees Ben arguing with his son-in-law, Hal, while Ben’s daughter, Melissa, watches.  Bianca explains that the two men always butt heads because they are so alike.  After Melissa and Hal leave, Aida gets the couple’s information and calls her assistant to pull financial records for the couple and their home.  Once Aida retrieves the rest of the documents, she will be able to assess the property.  The Real Murders Club discusses the crime of Sante and Kenny Kimes.  Phillip’s presentation impresses everyone in the group, and he expresses a passion for becoming a detective.  Arthur thinks having a protégé is intriguing.  He tells Philip to come to the station, so he can help him get started.  Also, Arthur offers Nick a consulting job, but Nick believes his wedding duties impede his ability to look over case files.  Aida meets with the Averys because she got some unwelcome information.  The Averys have a $500,000 home equity loan and an $18,000 lien taken by Tony Gulati.  Tony did renovations on the Averys’ kitchen but didn’t complete the job on time.  Since the job was late, Ben didn’t pay the final installment.  However, the couple has no idea who took out the loan.  Aida looks at her documents and sees the loan’s payee never missed a payment or paid late.  Aida tells them they must clean up their financial issues before she can sell their house.  Later, Aida makes arrangements to meet Bianca at the restaurant that the Averys co-own with Amanda Gimes.  Since Ben didn’t show up to the meeting, Bianca worries that Ben lied about the loan.  Aida convinces Bianca to go to Ben and discuss the issue.  Bianca asks Aida to come for moral support.  When Bianca and Aida arrive at the home, they find Hal standing over Ben’s body with an extension cord in Hal’s hands.  Ben is dead.  This mystery will leave Aida in the hospital, another body on the floor, and Aurora as bait.  All to con a con.

This mystery proves there is no honor among thieves.  Magic, yes.  But not honor.  As Aurora, Philip, Sally, and Nick unravel the crime, they witness the unnerving artistry of a con-artist.  Bribing notaries, forging signatures, and corrupting data are just the tip of the iceberg.  All this happens while Nick and Aurora try to plan their wedding.  You wonder what will happen on the wedding day.  With this new installment of the novel, you will see a lying Sally and a fighting Lillian (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  Both are exquisite, needed, and wanted.  You will rewatch their scenes and the movie many times over.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars

Let’s practice our form – Aurora

I hope you said that as a joke – Aida

You raised a fine daughter Ms. Aida – Lillian

Welcome to the exciting world of detecting – Arthur

Well, I hope this story has a happier ending – Sally

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Deadly Dating Game – Review

Deadly Dating Game – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Shannon is a popular host for the radio show Love on the Air.  Her boss, Franklin, informs Shannon of her Radio Personality of the Year nomination.  She has to stay in the spotlight and keep her ratings up.  Her friend and producer, Hailey, thinks Shannon should start dating again.  Shannon believes she doesn’t have the time, patience, or money to look for a date.  So, Hailey suggests Shannon asks her listeners to nominate the right guy for her.  She will go on dates and determine who is the best guy.  Hailey gives Shannon an envelope of potential suitors, but Shannon throws them away.  After some horrible dates, Shannon wants to call off the search.  Hailey believes Shannon is still in love with her ex-boyfriend, Gavin, the man that moved away and broke her heart.  Shannon gets back on the radio to tell the fans the search is over, but one caller asks Shannon to give it one more chance with her co-worker, Ian.  While Shannon understands that love is a process of optimism and realism, not a game, she decides to give Ian a try.  Ian and Shannon have a tough lunch date because of two interruptions.  First is phone calls from Ian’s job.  The second is Gavin.  He is back in town and still in love with Shannon.  Shannon and Ian make plans for a dinner date, and it is fabulous.  He walks her home, and they say goodbye, but not before making plans again.  The next day, Shannon gets horrible news, Ian died after being carjacked.  If that information isn’t devastating enough, a radio caller taunts her.  The caller tells Shannon that Ian was the victim of a murder, and they did it.  Franklin calls the police immediately.  Now, the police believe that Shannon has a stalker that killed Ian.  They tell Shannon to change her routine and get a security system.  With a city-wide fan base, Shannon has no idea who could be targeting her.  But she could be the next victim on the killer’s list.

This movie gives the viewers a worthwhile mystery.  With Shannon opening her life to the masses, it allows for a myriad of suspects to consider.  Also, the people in Shannon’s life act suspicious when she is not around.  This list includes Gavin, Hailey, and Franklin.  Now, Lifetimers will guess the murderer before the plot exposes it, but it gives plenty of misdirects to throw you off track.  One of the best cinematic moments in the movie is the mash-up of feeding the stray cat and Ian’s murder scene.  Without showing the bloody event, the sound effect from opening the cat food merges perfectly to give the killing impact.  Watch this when you have time to give it your full attention.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

Well apparently I’ve reached the point in my career that I am willing to try anything once – Shannon

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The Charm of Love – Review

The Charm of Love – UPtv – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Dr. Maddie Turner’s boss, Katherine, calls her to the office to look at antiques.  After little observation, Maddie can see they are fake.  Then, Katherine looks to the man behind her and smiles.  The man is Mr. Webber, and he has an intriguing find for the eagle-eyed Maddie.  Mr. Webber gives Maddie an old book, and she confirms that it is authentic.  While it may not look like much, its value could increase based on the contents.  Looking at the book, Maddie sees it has navigational points to the fabled Love Stone.  The stone glows green in the presence of true love, but a storm misplaced the stone centuries ago.  Mr. Webber promises to fully fund Katherine’s museum if Maddie finds the Love Stone.  He wants to see the stone with his wife for their 25th wedding anniversary.  Maddie goes back to her office and starts reading.  She finds one of the navigation points is near the Pierre Bed and Breakfast.  Maddie’s assistant finds out that entrepreneur and activist, Andrew Fitzgerald, owns the hotel.  And, lucky for Maddie, he’s cute. Maddie tells her assistant that Andrew isn’t her focus.  Katherine told Maddie without Mr. Webber’s money, the museum will close, and everyone will lose their job.  Maddie travels to the Pierre B&B, and Andrew drenches her with dirty mop water by accident.  Andrew apologizes to Maddie.  Then tells Maddie to call him Fitz and checks her in.  Being a concierge for Maddie, he also runs the local festival, but no vendors signed up because they don’t make enough money.  Fitz and his committee must come up with a gimmick to attract tourists.  Fitz discovers Maddie’s purpose for coming to the B&B and decides to help her.  If he can find the stone, it can be the centerpiece of the festival.  As they work together, Maddie learns Fitz’s family history has the answers to most of her questions, but Elodia sees all.  Fitz and Maddie are falling for each other.  Too bad Fitz wants to give his mother’s ring to his girlfriend and business manager, Trina. 

This movie draws you in with a mystery, but it can be hard to follow.  With half magic and half science, this love story will make you laugh more than swoon.  These characters have great chemistry, but you know Trina will be a non-factor in their relationship.  Trina provided an unnecessary challenge for the couple and took the focus off the stone.  Now, Elodia will be a fan favorite of this movie.  She gives loving and honest advice to Fitz and Maddie as they search for the Love Stone and each other.  Watch this film if you need an easy romance to kill some time.

I give it 3 out of 5 stars

I need to start reading – Maddie

Oh, what are you doing down there – Fitz

Are you sure that’s the only think you’re trying to find – Elodia

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