Disc Type

Following the Lifetime original movie Lizzie Borden Took an Axe, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles is a continuation of the tale about the young woman accused of killing her stepmother and father with an axe.  It’s tricky enough to do a feature length film about real people involved in real events; liberties seem to be taken for the sake of telling a good story.  It’s one of those things that when you see “Based on true events” or “Inspired by true events”; is there a difference, and does it even matter?  Well, if you are watching The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, accept the fact that though the character and her sister are very real, this is hardly biographical, but instead a fun game of “what if” that the creators have done with Lizzie Borden.  And it’s a wild eight-episode ride that they have set the viewers on.

In Fall River, Massachusetts, it’s 1893, and it has been four months since Lizzie Borden (Christina Ricci) has been acquitted for the murder of her father and stepmother.  Since the trial, Lizzie and her sister, Emma (Clea DuVall) have struggled to restore a life of normalcy and keep their violent past behind them.

I’ve never been too big a fan of romantic comedies. They are often too quirky for their own good, and they follow a typically cliché story arch. I do not even enjoy rom-coms from famed comedic directors such as David Wain. Although certain directors do attempt to break the mold, it’s as if the genre is nothing more than a memory foam mattress: you will always fall into place, because it is the most comfortable. That being said, when watching a made-for-TV rom-com such as For Better or for Worse, one can assume there will not be much breaking of the genre conventions.

For Better or for Worse tells the story of esteemed wedding planner Wendy (Lisa Whelchel), whose life is turned upside down when her son returns home after quitting law school, and a divorce attorney (Antonio Cupo) moves into the office next to hers on the same day. To make matters worse, her son has brought home a new vegan fiancée who has “changed his ways,” and surprise, her dad is the hot new divorce attorney on the block. When her business partner (Kim Fields) can only offer so much advice, she makes an unlikely team with the divorce attorney in order to collectively ruin their children’s plan for marriage.

"This bird you'll never change."

That seems to be the case with the Southern Rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Few bands have experienced the level of tragedy this one has. It's somewhat of a miracle that any version of the band would still be standing. But they are thriving and doing their best to keep their particular sound alive. And what better place to demonstrate that nearly 50 years after they were formed than back home in Jacksonville, Florida where the band's original members were formed. (No, they didn't come from Alabama.)

With a few slight changes and additions, Sin Seer could have been quite something. As is, it is far from the worst film that I have ever seen, but there were a few areas that upon examination did not make much sense, such as in what world would we ever allow a convicted felon to carry a weapon? There are a few other things; however, I will let you marinate on that question, as it is one that plagued me for much of the movie’s duration. Our story opens up at a prison; convicted felon Grant Summit (Isaiah Washington) is released after serving an undetermined amount of time for the death of at least three people. OK, let’s just pause there. Let that sink in, he killed at least three people, and he is being released while he is still young enough not to require a breathing apparatus to survive. In the film’s defense, the circumstances of the crime are bit muddled, and he was outnumbered. Unpause; after his release he finds work with Rose Ricard (Lisa Arrindell Anderson), a part-time consultant of the police department. Rose is gifted; however, the nature of her gift is not very clear in the beginning. Based on my assessment, Rose is uniquely attuned to the sins of other people. She uses this ability to assist the police as well as earn a living for herself. As you can imagine, her probing into the private matters of others has the capacity to put her in danger; enter Grant. He serves as her protector from those who would do her harm. However, he may not be enough given her new case.

Rose is hired by the wife of a boxer who has been missing for six months. As the two dig deeper into the case, it becomes evident that the once-believed-wholesome boxer had a darker side and was caught up in a conspiracy that will have the pair unsure who they trust, or if they can even trust each other.