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Vanished in Yosemite – Review
Vanished in Yosemite – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Jennifer and her sister, Katrina, go kayaking in Yosemite National Park. It’s one of the many items Jennifer scheduled for their Sister Trip. Katrina wants to go off-script and have fun. But, for Jennifer, a plan is fun. Katrina relents to Jennifer’s itinerary, and they go to dinner. They converse when Katrina sees a handsome man, Rick, sitting at the table beside them. Jennifer notices Katrina checking him out and gives Katrina a look to back off. Rick knocks his glass off the table, and Katrina offers her napkin for him to clean up the spill. She starts to flirt, and Katrina’s fury grows. When Rick steps away, Jennifer tells Katrina to stop because Katrina dumped Jennifer on past trips for a cute guy. Rick is a photographer working for a conservation group. He offers to take them around the park, but Jennifer turns him down for herself and her sister. However, Katrina gets his number.
Plans derail in the morning because Jennifer gets food poisoning from dinner. Katrina puts Jennifer in bed for the day and hikes with Rick. Katrina updates Jennifer about the walk and falling in love with Rick. Katrina and Rick stop to use a public bathroom, but Rick suggests Katrina leave her backpack behind. He takes the opportunity to spike her water and encourages Katrina to drink it when she returns. Katrina becomes lethargic and pulls Rick’s bracelet off before passing out. Rick grabs Katrina, carries her to his pickup truck, and drives away. Katrina wakes up tied to a bed in a cabin as Rick plans with his friend to kill her.
Jennifer feels better but worries about Katrina. It’s been hours since Katrina texted, so she calls Rick. Rick doesn’t pick up, and Jennifer’s tension grows. She calls the local sheriff. They consider Jennifer lost or a runaway and offer to put up flyers. Jennifer takes a deep breath and calls her ex-boyfriend, Wally, for help. Wally quickly turns Jennifer down but regrets it and calls her back. He agrees to travel to Yosemite and help Jennifer find Katrina. Can they save Katrina, or will they become victims too?
Jennifer is supposed to be the heroine but is entitled, unhelpful, and ungrateful. She constantly puts Wally down, never says thank you, and disregards his great ideas. Most of Wally’s hunches and suggestions are correct and lead her in the right direction. He uncovers corruption, discovers Rick’s thought patterns, and distracts the police. You don’t want to see them together at the end because Wally can do better. Katrina doesn’t sit around waiting for someone to rescue her. She tries to fight back, get under Rick’s skin, and attract attention. The movie’s saving grace is the last 3 minutes. Jennifer and Katrina band together to take Rick down. It’s refreshing to see them fight and not second guess their decision. You will laugh. Save this on your DVR when you must kill 2 hours.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars
You’ve always been a control freak. But in a good way – Katrina
I get plenty of alone time in my life. What I need is sister time – Jessica
Scream all you want. No one can hear you – Rick
Because I was trying to impress you – Wally
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Hiding From My Husband – Review
Hiding From My Husband – LMN – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Jessica looks at her black eye and decides to leave her husband, Peter. Although he apologized before he left, she can’t take the abuse anymore. She grabs a suitcase and starts to pack. Then, Jessica puts a stash of cash and passports for herself and her son, Noah, in her purse. She calls her sister, Rachel, for a ride. Rachel asks if she can come later, but Jessica knows now is the only time. Jessica decides to call Uber, but Peter chimes in on call waiting. Jessica talks to Peter to make him believe she still loves him. He apologizes again and tells her to check the front step. He left a rare orchid for her. She leaves the flower on the doorstep and continues to pack. She looks out the window and panics when she sees Peter walking to the front door. Jessica runs out the back and flags down her driver. Peter follows her screaming. Jessica goes to Noah’s school and forcefully pulls him out of class. Jessica runs to the car with Noah, only to find Peter there. He tries to get her to return to him, but she refuses. They jump in the car and travel to Rachel’s house on a remote island city.
Jessica and Noah settle in with Rachel. And Rachel has leads on a new home for them and a job for Jessica. She promises this will be a fresh start but warns Jessica that Peter incessantly calls. Jessica gets Noah’s phone and walks to the beach. She checks the slew of voicemails Peter left. They range from loving to sympathetic to mean to threatening. He warns Jessica that he will find her and make her pay. Jessica is on high alert with friends, family, and strangers. After Peter dies, Jessica can’t shake the feeling that Peter is still a threat. Is she right?
This movie is Enough mixed with The Invisible Man without giving viewers a deep sense of fear (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). The writers foreshadow the twist, but viewers won’t invest in the plot enough to care. Jessica displays the PTSD survivors often deal with after leaving their abuser. Also, Noah isn’t a brat. He understands why they left and shows the proper response to sudden life changes. He lost his school, friends, toys, and sense of security in a few hours. It would be a lot for any child to handle. The twist feels forced and fast but adds something new to the obvious conclusion. If you can get past the poor wardrobe choices, this is watchable.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars
It’s okay, my love – Jessica
Mom, why are we running from dad – Noah
You don’t have to ask permission anymore. You’re free. It’s over – Rachel
I will find you – Peter
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The Serial Killer Seduced Me – Review
The Serial Killer Seduced Me – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Chloe returns to her nurse’s assistant job at a retirement home. Her friend, Rona, asks how the interview went earlier with Marcel, a gallery owner. Chloe admits she left before talking to Marcel because she wasn’t ready to show her artwork. Feeling defeated, Chloe meets with her favorite resident, Lillian. Lillian expresses disappointment in Chloe’s bashful nature about showing her art but encourages Chloe to try again. Then, Lillian gives Chloe a necklace with a key. The key is for Lillian’s home, and inside is an important painting, but Lillian warns her to be careful. She wants Chloe to keep it.
Chloe finds the gorgeous painting, brings it home, and sees a V in the bottom corner. She wonders if it belongs to Lillian’s son. Lillian quietly mumbled about Jules and his talents before falling asleep in the past. Chloe calls her agent, Chase, and asks him to get her another meeting with Marcel. Chloe arrives at work, but sadly, Lillian died the night before. As Chloe grieves, Chase frantically runs into the retirement home looking for her. An artist dropped out of the show, and now Marcel needs a replacement. Chase pesters Chloe for her paintings until Chloe caves and gives Chase the keys to her home. Chase takes several artworks, including Lillian’s. Marcel loves Chloe’s art, especially Lillian’s painting, and includes Chloe in his show.
Chloe enters the gallery and stands dumbfounded at Lillian’s painting. She pulls Chase aside and admits she didn’t paint it. Chase tells Chloe to keep quiet because that painting is Marcel’s favorite. He promises to tell the truth after the showing. Until then, Chloe should remain silent and accept the praise. Chloe internally panics and walks over to a man, Luke, looking at her other works. He notices they are different from Lillian’s art but enjoys them all. They spark a conversation and exchange phone numbers. Then, a man screams that Chloe is a murderer. The woman in the painting is his wife, Marissa. And someone killed her after she posed for the art. Security pulls the man out of the gallery, and a reporter, Ariande, approaches Chloe for a comment. Flustered, Chloe leaves the gallery with Chase on her tail. They argue on the street about what to tell Marcel until Marissa’s husband accosts them again. Before Chloe can defend herself, a car hits the man. And Chase calls the police for help.
Chloe looks up Marissa’s case online and discovers Marissa’s husband was right. Now, Chloe wants to come clean to Marcel. Chase tells her not to because Marcel wants more paintings like Marissa. Chase tells Chloe to paint more dead women. She refuses and throws Chase out of her home in disgust. She examines the V and realizes it’s not a signature. It’s a Roman numeral. Marissa is the fifth painting and victim. Chloe must find the other artworks and discover the original painter while staying alive. Chloe has no idea she is already the artist’s sixth painting.
Experienced Lifetimers will feel there is more than meets the eye to this story. So you watch to prove your point. As you watch, you discover that Chloe is a well-written character. She has positive influences in her life – Lillian and Rona – and a negative one, Chase. The director made a compelling choice to shoot Chase and Chloe’s arguments with point-of-view framing. Viewers will feel Chloe’s panic, anger, and frustration as she and Chase quarrel about the fraud. This choice grabs the viewers’ attention and gets them emotionally involved in the movie. This movie isn’t a ‘must-watch,’ but it’s worth space on your DVR.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 star
Are you trying to convince me or yourself – Rona
I decided I wasn’t ready to share it – Chloe
You know the biggest mistake an artist can make is hiding their art from the world – Lillian
Did you just compliment yourself – Luke
Is that a threat – Chase
Which one’s your favorite – Ariande
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Never Too Late to Celebrate – Review
Never Too Late to Celebrate – Hallmark – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Y colorin, colorado este cuento se ha terminado
Dr. Camila visits her mother, Sherri’s, classroom to tell them about a career in dentistry and proper dental hygiene. She sees a man, Javi, singing a song while reading a story to kids. One phrase catches her ear, and she asks him to translate it. He tells her it means, ‘That’s the end of the story.’ She remembers that in the past, her father always ended her bedtime stories with that phrase. Out of curiosity, Javi asks why she didn’t ask her father to translate the saying. She starts to cry. Camila’s father died three years ago. And she thinks about him a lot during her birthday. Javi gives her birthday wishes, but she explains her birthday is in a month. Javi teaches adult Spanish classes at night and tells Camila it’s never too late to learn. Camila informs Javi that she has no time for an evening Spanish lesson.
Camila meets with Sherri over dinner. She asks her mother why her father never instilled his Mexican heritage in her life. Sherry explains that her dad was proud to become an American and wanted to assimilate into American culture. He never wanted to stand out by being different. Then, Sherri reads a text message from Camila’s best friend, Maren, out loud and exposes Camila’s surprise party. Camila shoots down the party idea because she hates surprises.
Camila returns to the school and finds Javi. She changed her mind and now wants to attend classes. However, Camila threw away Javi’s business card. So, she must enroll in person. Then, she apologizes for crying the day before. He tells Camila there is no need and looks forward to seeing her later.
After Camila’s first class, Javi wakes Camila up. He suggests they go out for horchata lattes to make up for it. Camila explains her father’s American pride but wants to get in touch with her Mexican roots. Javi mentions the quinceañera his niece, Izzy, will have soon. Camila responds that she never had one. Javi decides a double quinceañera would be a great way to celebrate her 30th birthday and get in touch with her ancestry. Camila says no at first. Javi invites Camila to the celebration to help her understand its importance to their culture. Camila stands in awe of the festivities and asks Maren to throw her a party, too. One party will change the course of Camila’s life forever.
The love between Javi and Camila jumps off the screen. However, Camila strengthening the bond between herself and her dad will bring tears to your eyes. And she doesn’t do it by excluding Sherri. Sherri embraces and encourages Camila to learn about her heritage. As Camila and Sherri shop for double quinceañera, Sherri reveals how Camila’s father included some of his traditions in their wedding. He never turned his back on his culture. Instead, he reigned it in to fit into his new country. Camila’s double quinceañera is a loving tribute to her parents and heritage. Have your pulled pork tamales, mole, and tropical pico de gallo ready for a heartwarming film.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
Mom, I’m the daughter of an immigrant. We work hard – Camila
Was he cute – Maren
Actually, I think you have a cute cry – Javi
Or mature – Sherri
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Categories: Alexa PenaVega, Ali Zahiri, Allen Williamson, Carlos PenaVega, hallmark, Hiding From My Husband, Jason Tobias, Kayla Fields, Kelcie Stranahan, lifetime, lifetime movie network, lmn, Made for TV, Mike Markoff, movie, Never Too Late to Celebrate, review, Rob LaColla, Sizzling Summer Nights, Skye Coyne, Summer Nights, Tess Cline, The Serial Killer Seduced Me, tv review, Vanished in Yosemite
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