REVIEW: 'Killer Coach'

Well, the Olympics are over, and the biggest headlines came from U.S. splashman Ryan Lochte's misbehavior. Well, his antics -- as bad as they were -- are nothing compared to the title character in "Killer Coach."

This stalker sports flick premiered a few weeks back and is part of a great Sunday line-up on the Lifetime Movie Network (airing at 9 p.m. CST). It focuses on high school super swimmer Samantha (the gorgeous Javicia Leslie), who is feeling the pressures of balancing athletic and academic excellence. It doesn't help that her mom (Keesha Sharp) is her coach and she has a very needy boyfriend (Cameron Jebo). Enter assistant coach Bryce (Tom Maden) who knows a thing or two about the breast stroke ... and he's a decent swimmer too.

Samantha is pretty much at a breaking point but connects with swim stud Bryce. He helps her pool performance, then proceeds to seduce her. Samantha instantly regrets their fling and tries to cool things off. It doesn't take a psychic to predict where this is going. Bryce is yet another Lifetime clinger. He texts, calls and stalks the heck out of poor Samantha. And in true Lifetime fashion, Bryce spends a lot of time wrecking her life with a secret video of their tryst and additional dirt.

"Killer Coach" is pretty much "Swimfan"-lite. The coach is more conniving than an actual killer, and it takes a while before he even attempts to murder anyone. Still, Jebo is an excellent villain. As Bryce, he exudes charm yet desperation. Leslie and Sharp might be the most beautiful mom-daughter duo I've seen in a Lifetime flick! They have great chemistry on screen, and Leslie in particular is excellent as the confused victim of Bryce's charms.

Admittedly, it's pretty typical of Lifetime stalker movies, but is still entertaining. Good performances and a well-paced story make this a solid entry into Lifetime's collection of movies about one-night stands gone wrong.

"Killer Coach": Directed by Lee Friedlander; Starring Javicia Leslie as Samantha; Keesha Sharp as Gina; Tom Maden as Bryce; Cameron Jebo as Lucas; Madison Iseman as Emily; Taylor Keene as Tracie 

Celebrating Eric Roberts!

Today is Labor Day, and perhaps no actor works harder than the legendary Eric Roberts. Turn on any channel right now, and you're sure to find him in a great movie. Of course, he's a Lifetime staple, and tonight, the network premieres his latest masterpiece "Stalked By My Doctor: The Return."

It's not often that Lifetime movies actually get a sequel, but the original "Stalked By My Doctor" rocked, so it's well deserving of a second chapter.

Today, LM Mental celebrates the legendary Mr. Roberts, the man with the best hair on Lifetime. Here's a rundown of some of his best movies:

1) "Stalked By My Doctor" - Gotta start with this one. Roberts is extra creepy as the perv physician with a God complex. He's also a Stage 5 clinger! He already is a bit needy, but when he saves a beautiful teenager's life, he hears wedding bells. Never mind that her mom is even younger than him, this doc is in love ... and insane.

2) "Fatal Desire" - Robert is a good guy in this one, and he's great. This is one of those movies warning against online relationships. Roberts plays nice guy Joe who falls for Tanya (Anne Heche). They fall in love ... and lust. This affair has some repercussions though. According to Tanya, her husband is an abusive thug, which leads Joe to make a tough decision regarding his future with her.

3) "The Wrong Roommate" - Roberts has a small but good role in this one. Again, he plays a good guy. He's Floyd, the concerned professor friend of fellow educator Laurie (Jessica Morris). Laurie has just gone though a bad break up with cheating hubby Mark (William McNamara). So, she and her niece have some room to spare in their awesome mansion. She starts renting out a room to hunky artist Alan (Jason Shane-Scott). Guess what! That's is a major mistake as he's a dangerous thug! Floyd tries to play detective, but winds up as a victim of Alan's wrath.

4) "A Fatal Obsession" - We only get a few minutes of Roberts in this thriller, but he's awesome. He plays an alcoholic author whose career is on the skids. He's married to a photographer (Tracy Nelson) and a dad to a nice teen. Still, he can't get his act together. He's an abusive lout, so they flee his wrath. He follows, but with a new face and identity.

"Stalked My Doctor: The Return" promises to be a great Labor Day movie, so tune in this evening at 7 p.m. (CST).