Wind Chill

How I found this movie: Again, working from home on a Friday. This time I had a long, long day. When I was done around 9 pm, I just wanted to relax. I checked LMN and found what looked like the beginnings of a horror movie: a dark, gray-toned film with snowcover and an overcast sky, and piano music. This was Pick A Flick Fridays on LMN (throughout the week viewers vote on what they want aired on Friday) so there was no description from TV guide to clue me in on what this movie was about. I just had to wait and see. And that really paid off.

What this movie is about and what I think: Sometimes not knowing anything about the movie going in really enhances the experience. This was the case with Wind Chill. It starts off focused on a college girl, played by Emily Blunt, searching for a ride home for, presumably, Christmas, judging by the snow on the ground and the Christmas music that plays later on in the film. She finds a fellow student, a boy, which is very important, and together they head home to Delaware.

The relationship between these two is central to the film. They, at first, seem like complete strangers forced to share a five-hour trip together in a small car until critical tidbits of information are revealed later on. Their relationship likewise experiences great swings, from friendly to not-so-friendly, and... well I won't reveal any more.

The pacing in this film is somewhat slow and methodical, until about halfway through where the action and activity really ramps up and things are thrown at you at a rapid-fire pace. It starts out mysterious though, including just the right amount of subtle unease. And that's why I say that knowing nothing about the film going in is a real benefit. You don't know why things are happening, you don't know who these people are, and you don't know what to expect at the end of their journey.

Where you can experience what I just described: The next time this movie will be shown on LMN is Monday April 11 at 4 pm EST.

Web of Desire

How I found this movie: I was working from home Friday afternoon and found this playing on LMN (Lifetime Movie Network). Dina Meyer was in it, which was a plus. She's a great horror actress. She's starred in movies like Starship Troopers, Crazy Eights, Saw, and the recent Piranhas movie. Web of Desire looks like your standard LMN "Internet stalker" movie, but with the twist that the stalker and the stalkee are both women.

What this movie is about and what I think: This is your standard LMN "Internet stalker" movie, meaning that the protagonist attracts the attention of an Internet stalker either willingly (in this case) or unwillingly. These movies are always sprinkled with tension as the stalker ramps up the relationship, trying to get closer and closer to the protagonist and succeeding either through blackmail or just being all-knowing and possessing the ability to be everywhere at once.

What was initially cool about this particular movie was that Web of Desire adds in a lesbian element to this framework. Dina Meyer's character, Beth, is a woman dissatisfied with her marriage and seeks a connection online. She meets Finn, played with just the right amount of bat shit crazy by Claudette Mink. They meet and do some things that Beth regrets later. The damage is done and now Finn has her by the gonads, and because Beth wants nothing to do with her anymore Finn has to use blackmail to get herself closer to her.

What follows has been done many times before and should be familiar to anyone who spends a lot of time watching Lifetime (like me!). Finn finds a way to get close to the Beth's family, eventually turns them against her, and has plenty of scenes where she and Beth are left alone in a room allowing Finn to instantly switch to crazy mode without tarnishing her "normal" appearance to outside world.

Just when we think we know where this movie is headed, about halfway through we encounter a series of twists that lead to a ramped-up, tension-filled, and explosive climax.

Overall the movie is nothing new, but it's executed well. Pacing is excellent as well as the acting. If you want to see a crazy lesbian stalker make life a living hell for Dina Meyer, Web of Desire is probably something you should check out.

Where you can experience what I just described: According to Lifetime Web of Desire won't be airing in the next six weeks. I found the entire movie here on videosurf, however. Enjoy.