Review: 'My Baby is Gone'

Of course, Labor Day was the perfect time to watch a marathon of baby-themed thrillers ("Cradle Swapping," etc.). And "My Baby is Gone" was the perfect movie to wind down a three day weekend.

This is the latest movie about a psycho who wants someone else's kid. In this movie, the psycho is pregnancy pretender Kelly (Anna Van Hooft). The baby she wants belongs to the very pregnant Emily (Elisabeth Harnois). Kelly moves in next door with a beach ball-sized baby bump and declares that she and Susan are "belly buddies."

Susan's had a difficult pregnancy. She's still having some issues following a previous stillborn delivery and is on some serious meds. She certainly needs a friend because she's suspicious of BFF Susan (Nicole LaPlaca) having a fling with hubby Peter (Ryan S. Williams). She may definitely finds the wrong friend in Kelly.

Why is Kelly not a good candidate for Buddy of the Year? Well, she's keeping an old woman captive in her basement and swings a mean fireplace poker. Perhaps her most malevolent deed is recommending a change in Emily's baby shower theme!! Still, something more sinister lurks on Kelly's agenda.

Susan knows something's up, but Emily isn't buying it. Peter, on the other hand, joins a legion of clueless husbands that occupy Lifetime movies.

In terms of baby snatching thrillers, this one's definitely awesome. The two leads are particularly good. Harnois is solid in her performance as a woman still grieving over her previous baby and not really coming to terms with her current pregnancy. Van Hooft provides a natural villain, with her steely stare and split personality -- cold at one moment, sunny the next. Her  diabolical performance is reason enough to check it out. Plus, it's directed by Lifetime veteran actor Steve Bacic ("Deadly Sorority," "Get Out Alive"), who knows a thing or two about these kinds of thrillers.

I'm not sure when the exact delivery date for "My Baby is Gone" is, but it will be part of LMN's "Mama Drama" marathon on Oct. 6 -- a perfect time to welcome this latest addition to the Lifetime family of movies.

"My Baby is Gone": Directed by Steve Bacic; Starring Eliabeth Harnois as Emily; Anna Van Hooft as Kelly, Nicole LaPlaca as Susan, Ryan S. Williams as Peter. 

Review: 'Psycho Wedding Crasher'

I took a slight hiatus from this blog for work and other reasons, including a little storm named Harvey. Well, I managed to get back into it this weekend -- "Happily Never After Weekend" -- and caught the premiere of "Psycho Wedding Crasher."

It was one of those Lifetime movies that rocked from the first minute, but that's to be expected from any movie with "Psycho" in the title. In this movie, we meet the newest Lifetime crazy, Jenna (Heather Morris). She's a bit of a wallflower and socially awkward. Blame it on nutty Aunt Daisy (Joan Van Ark), who constantly berates her about being single and worthless. Daisy is a dressmaker and works up a magical gown for Marci (Fiona Vroom), who is set to wed Glenn (Jason Cermak). Well, Jenna winds up making friends with Marci and Glenn and attends their wedding. Unfortunately, Glenn becomes Jenna's Prince Charming, and she becomes obsessed with him.

So, Jenna begins to systematically screw up Marci and Glenn's marriage by planting fake affair evidence in their house. She also fakes a sexual assault -- blaming on Glenn's bro Scott (Robert Salvador) -- and ultimately goes into murder mode.

Morris is nothing short of awesome as psycho Jenna. Her outbursts, crazed giggles and glassy eyed stares are pretty convincing. Van Ark, however, is this movie's biggest psycho as she destroys her niece's confidence with a steely gaze and stern insults. The rest of the cast is effective, particularly Vroom as the insecure new bride and Cermak as the clueless husband.

This is a familiar plot, but director David Langlois does a great job building the suspense to a boiling point. Morris steals the show as the crazed Jenna. She expertly blends a sweet, naivety with psychotic tendencies. Again, many props to veteran Van Ark as the lady who drives her over the edge.

This is a very good thriller and will likely be a staple on Lifetime or LMN. Definitely say "I do," the next time it makes the rounds on Lifetime's schedule.

"Psycho Wedding Crasher": Directed by David Langlois; Starring Heather Morris as Jenna, Joan Van Ark as Aunt Daisy, Fiona Vroom as Marci, Jason Cermak as Glenn, Robert Salvador as Scott and Paula Giroday as Chelsea.