Tag Archives: Philip Boyd

Retro Television Review: Malibu, CA 2.1 “Race Your Dream”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Thursdays, I will be reviewing Malibu CA, which aired in Syndication in 1998 and 1999.  The entire show is currently streaming on YouTube!

It’s the second season but I’m too lazy to change the graphic. Sorry, not sorry.

Today we begin season 2 of the bane of my existence.

Episode 2.1 “Race Your Dream”

(Dir by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on October 9th, 1999)

The second season of Malibu CA starts with a few changes.

It’s firmly established that Scott and Jason are no longer in high school so I guess they graduated and, instead of going to college, they’re still working as busboys at their Dad’s restaurant.  I don’t know what type of message that sends but it’s probably not a good one.  (Also, I guess the show decided to forget about Scott having a job as a sportscaster.)

Murray is now working at the restaurant as well.

Priscilla Inga Taylor has officially joined the cast.  Gina May is no longer on the show.  Sam actually went to college after graduating.

Stads is still on the show and somehow, she’s even bitchier than usual in this episode.  And when I say “bitchy,’ I don’t mean that she’s an empowering diva who won’t let anyone stand in her way.  I mean that she’s whiny and in a bad mood for now particular reason.

Lisa Jones (Marquita Terry) is a medical student who gets a job as a waitress at the restaurant.  You’d think I would relate to her since we share the same name but nope.  During her job interview, she specifically points out that no one else at the restaurant is doing a good job.  It’s true but still kind of rude.  Admittedly, I’ve never had to actually interview for a job but it seems like criticizing the place where you want to work would be a mistake.  That’s especially true if you’re interviewing for a job that literally thousands of other people could do.

Scott has a crush on Lisa.  Lisa thinks Scott is a slacker.  Jason lies and says that Scott is in training for the U.S. Olympic try-outs.  WHAT!?  That’s what he came up with!  Maybe he could point out that Scott had a job as a sportscaster.  Or maybe he could reveal that Scott is the assistant manager of the restaurant.  Instead, he said that Scott is trying out for the OLYMPIC SWIM TEAM!  SERIOUSLY, LET THAT SINK IN!

Of course, Saved By The Bell: The New Class had an entire season where everyone on the show was a member of the swim team so maybe Peter Engel just had a thing for swimming.

Lisa is friends with someone who actually is a competitive swimmer.  She introduced him to Scott.  Scott gets challenged to a race.  Scott agrees.  He loses but only barely because …. WHAT!?  SCOTT IS SWIMMING AGAINST AN OLYMPIC ATHLETE!  What the Hell was wrong with our Olympic team in the 90s that a member of it could nearly get beaten by some Malibu beach bum?  WHAT THE HELL!?

THE SHOW IS STUPID!  STUPID!  STUPID!  STUPID MINDS!

Anyway, Lisa is impressed that Scott tried.  And Scott is told that there’s an outside chance that he actually could make the Olympics if he starts training….

SERIOUSLY, THIS IS SO STUPID!  Not even One World was this stupid!  Not even Hang Time had the audacity to suggest its characters were going to magically make the Olympic team.  (It is true that Scott is revealed to have been a good swimmer in high school.  I’m a good dancer.  It still doesn’t mean I’m joining The Paris Opera Ballet anytime soon.)

So, basically, season two is going to be the same as season one.

Cleaning Out The DVR: Driven to Kill (dir by Doug Campbell)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Ever since she was little, Brittany Green (Shelby Yardley) has wanted to become a professional race car driver.  She just loves cars and who can blame her?  Her fiancé, Kevin (Devante Winfrey), wants her to help him run his family’s hotel, despite the fact that a hotel is nowhere near as exciting as the Indy 500.  And Andrew James (Phillip Boyd) …. well, he just wants Brittany.

Andrew used to be a hotshot race car driver, until a serious accident left him with vision problems and a slightly obsessive personality.  Andrew now makes his living by teaching other people how to race cars.  Guess who his latest student is?  It’s Brittany!  Unfortunately, Andrew has a former former rival named Mario (Justin Berti), and he also wants to teach Brittany and he’ll do everything in his power to pull her away.  (He’ll even point out that he actually won his race, something that Andrew rarely did.)  Unfortunately, what Mario doesn’t realize, is that Andrew will do anything to keep Brittany as a student.

That’s something that Kevin discovers as well.  When a sudden death (once that Andrew had a little something to do with) forces Kevin to spend more and more time working at the hotel, he starts to pressure Brittany to give up her dream.  Soon, it’s not just a question of whether or not Kevin and Brittany’s relationship will survive.  It’s a question of whether or not Kevin and Brittany will survive as well!

Driven to Kill is a classic Lifetime film, an entertaining movie about obsession, fast cars, and a time bomb.  (Listen, it’s just not a car movie without a time bomb.)  Philip Boyd is convincingly unhinged as Andrew while Shelby Yardley is likable in the role of Brittany and even manages to make you care a little about whether or not she’s ever going to get to hit the NASCAR circuit.  Justin Berti is enjoyable eccentric in the role of Mario and provides some nice comedic relief to all the melodrama.

The key to understanding a film like Driven to Kill is that it’s not a film that you’re meant to take seriously.  It’s a film that celebrates everything that we love about Lifetime — i.e., the melodrama, the obsessiveness, and the message that you can have both do what you love and love the one you’re with.  Yes, Andrew is obviously unhinged but that’s what makes a film like this fun!  We know that Brittany’s in danger long before she knows it.  This is the type of movie that you watch with a group of friend who enjoy talking back to the screen.  It’s a fun movie and it features a lot of race track action and really that is what’s important.  It’s a film that delivers exactly what it promises.

Driven to Kill was directed by Doug Campbell, who is responsible for many of my favorite Lifetime films.  Some will undoubtedly notice that Driven to Kill feels a bit like a companion piece to Campbell’s previous film, Deadly Mile High Club, but so what?  I enjoyed that movie too.

What Lisa Watched This Morning #189: My Little Girl Is Gone (dir by Ben Meyerson)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, I watched My Little Girl Is Gone, which premiered on the Lifetime Movie Network last night.

Why Was I Watching It?

As I stated above, My Little Girl Is Gone actually aired last night.  Usually, I make it a point to watch the latest Lifetime movie as soon as it airs but, last night, I was exhausted.  Seriously, SyFy’s shark week has taken a lot out of me!  So, I set the DVR and I watched it this morning.

Beyond the fact that I’m trying to make room on my DVR (I’ve currently got about 7 hours of recording space still available), I also watched this movie because Lifetime has a history of good kidnapping films.  At its best, Lifetime is about bringing to life everyone’s most basic fears.  I don’t know any mother who wouldn’t be terrified about her child suddenly vanishing.

What Was It About?

It’s about kidnapping and murder and romance and all the rest!

Stephanie (Sarah Lind) is looking forward to a good life.  Not only is she about to make a fortune designing handbags but she’s also engaged to marry the handsome and rich Jameson (Robb Derringer).  Jameson is about to become the stepfather to Stephanie’s daughter, Caitlin (Dylan Raine Woods), and Stephanie is become the stepmother to Jameson’s teenage son, Shane (Braeden Carl).

There’s only a few problems.  For one thing, Stephanie’s ex, Henry (Philip Boyd), doesn’t seem to be too happy about the engagement.  Secondly, Stephanie is getting strange phone calls from someone who is telling her not to marry Jameson and warning that, if she does, her daughter will be abducted.  When Stephanie ignores the caller and marries Jameson, Caitlin promptly vanishes.

Could it be Henry trying to break up Stephanie’s marriage?  Or does Jameson have secrets of his own?

What Worked?

The film’s main mystery was a good one.  Even though the pay-off was a bit disappointing, I was intrigued by who had kidnapped Caitlin and I was also curious about what exactly Jameson was hiding behind his superficial charm.  Dylan Raine Woods and Braeden Carl both gave good and natural performances as the two stepchildren and C.J. Valleroy had some funny moments as Shane’s best friend, Eli.

What Did Not Work?

The mystery was intriguing but the solution sadly wasn’t.  The story’s ultimate villain was a bit too obvious. so it wasn’t really a shock when their true nature was revealed.

As well, it never seemed like there was enough panic when Caitlin disappeared.  Everyone seemed to adjust to her absence pretty easily.  At times, I found myself wondering if the family really wanted her back.

“Oh my God!  Just like me!” Moments

Caitlin handled being kidnapped with cheerfulness and positivity.  If I had been kidnapped at that age, I like to think that I would have handled it as well as Caitlin did.

Lessons Learned

Be careful who you trust.  The handbag business is ruthless af!