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Archives for : V.C. Andrews

Movie Review: “Petals on the Wind” is Sexier and more Deceitful than the First Installment

Petals on the Wind Official TrailerIf you thought the Dollanger clan was messed up in Flowers in the Attic, just wait till you see them freed from their “prison” and fully blossomed in the real world. It’s so wrong! Yet these characters make it seem so right! Christopher and Cathy’s relationship continues to internally conflict audiences with their brother/sister romance.

V.C. Andrews’ popular book series continues to come alive through Lifetime’s original films. (For a refresher of the first film’s premise, refer to my previous review of Flowers in the Attic)

Petals on the Wind follows Christopher, Cathy and Carrie after their escape from Foxworth Hall as children. Just a heads up, if you grew fond of the actors who played these characters in the first film, expect to see a new and an older cast as they correlate with the 10 year time jump of this sequel. The siblings were actually quite lucky when they rode the bus to Florida. They were taken in and cared for by Paul Sheffield, a wealthy doctor who leaves his estate and inheritance to the kids after his passing. As the family attempts to put their shameful past behind them, they realize certain secrets can’t stay hidden for long. When Cathy tries to get over the forbidden feelings her and Christopher developed during their captivity as young teens, she forces herself in an abusive relationship with a fellow dancer. This leaves Christopher no choice but to move on with his life, while Carrie deals with her own struggles of getting through high school. But when tragedy strikes the Dollanger’s once again, Cathy returns to Foxworth Hall to confront her grandmother and seek revenge on her mother.

What can I say? This is one twisted story. It’s unbelievable, it’s sick, and shockingly enough, it’s entertaining as hell. Fans of the novel should be pleased to see how well they incorporated most of the book’s story-lines to fit this hour and half TV movie. The film is jam packed with so much drama it will have your head spinning going from one subplot to the next.

The romance isn’t bottled up in one little attic this time around. Cathy, who is now played by a sensual Rose McIver (The Lovely Bones), may be in love with her brother, but she’s able to heat up the television screen with ANY man she’s making love to. Sadly, that temperature is only one-sided when she is embraced with Christopher. Wyatt Nash (Pretty Little Liars) plays the stoic brother who gives a lifeless and disappointing performance. Luckily, if you keep your eyes on Cathy you might not be able to notice, and either way you still root for this disturbing relationship. An emotionally scarred Carrie is impressively performed by Bailey Buntain (Bunheads) and both Ellen Burstyn and Heather Graham reprise their roles as the children’s wicked grandmother and devious mom.

From the way things pan out in this movie, you can expect another film adaptation of the next novel, and most likely the entire book series. If you enjoyed Flowers in the Attic there is no doubt that you will once again relish in the guilty pleasure that is Petals on the Wind.

Rating: 3/5

Petals on the Wind premieres on Lifetime Monday May 26 at 9p ET/PT

“Petals on the Wind” Official Trailer

Originally posted on RedCarpetCrash.com

TV Movie Review: ‘Flowers in the Attic’ Is A Cringeworthy Remake You Can’t Stop Watching

If you’re like me, the previews for the upcoming Lifetime filmFlowers in the Attic, was the first time you that have heard about the controversial story that shocked millions in 1979.  After some extensive research, I was prepared for the uncomfortable and disturbing tale of incest.  What I wasn’t prepared for was how entertained I would be by such an extreme premise.

Known as “the book you were forbidden to read,” V.C. Andrews’s hot-button novel is being made into film once again, this time on the little screen.  Previously adapted in 1987 on the big-screen, the film received backlash from critics and fans that were unhappy with the many changes from the novel.  The most obvious change was the removal of the inappropriate romance between the brother and sister characters, Christopher and Cathy.  But don’t worry, Lifetime’s version made sure to not make that same mistake twice.

When and if you watch the television premiere of Flowers in the Attic on January 18th, you will get plenty of sibling romantic tension that will make it impossible for you to avert your eyes.  The movie focuses on Cathy (Kiernan Shipka) and Christopher (Mason Dye) Dollanganger, a brother and sister who along with their younger twin siblings are locked away in the attic for over two years by their self-centered mother (Heather Graham) and psychotic religious grandmother (Ellen Burstyn) after their father’s unexpected death…And no, I don’t know why Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn agreed to playing this role. Yes, she did an amazing job nonetheless.

Besides Burstyn’s terrifying portrayal of such a cold-hearted grandmother, the other performances were pretty mediocre.  Graham was like a character straight out of The Stepford Wives, showing no true emotion throughout the entire film.  She really was an “ornament” like her character said, just there to look pretty.  And Shipka and Dye spark interest in the second half of the film, due to their blossoming romance that you shamefully root for.

Flowers in the Attic is like that car accident that you want to drive pass quickly to avoid traffic, but your curiosity of the gruesome details makes you want to observe every second of it.  Whatever way you look at it, Lifetime’s take on the dysfunctional Dollanganger family will draw plenty of attention to audiences, good and bad.

Premieres on Lifetime Saturday, January 18.

Flowers in the Attic Official Lifetime Trailer

Originally posted on RedCarpetCrash.com