Fuller House (2016 - )

Genre: TV Show, Children/Family, Comedy, Sitcom

Rated: TV-G - generally suited for all ages

Season 1:

Starring: Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, Andrea Barber, Michael Campion, Elias Harger, Soni Bringas, and Dashiell and Fox Messitt

Guest Starring: Bob Saget, John Stamos, Lori Laughlin, Dave Coulier, Scott Weinger, John Brotherton, Juan Pablo de Pace, Asley Lao, Macy Gray and Hunter Pence

This made-for-Netflix revival of the beloved sitcom, Full House, picks up 20 years after its predecessor ended. DJ Tanner-Fuller, recently widowed, has moved back in with her father, Danny, bringing along her three boys, Jackson, Max and Tommy. The show opens with a reunion of the original characters for a farewell party as Danny, Jesse and Becky are moving to Los Angeles to advance their careers. Joey has flown in from Las Vegas where he has a successful comedy career, Stephanie has flown in from England where she has been a fairly successful DJ, and Kimmy Gibler barges in as always, only this time she has a thirteen-year old daughter in tow. It is in this episode, DJ realizes she isn't going to be able to raise the boys all on her own, and Stephanie and Kimmy decide to move in and help her out. 

This show follows the same formula as the original, only this time the girls the majority of the viewers grew up with are now in charge of three young boys and one teenage girl. DJ has taken over Danny's role as the responsible, knowledgeable, mature parent, Stephanie has taken on Uncle Jesse's role of the cool relative trying to find a balance between the music industry and family, and Kimmy takes on Joey's role as the goofy best friend of the responsible parent. I truly enjoyed seeing what the women the characters I grew up with have become. 

DJ has her three boys, Jackson who is thirteen, Max who is about 8, and Tommy who is still an infant. Jackson is alright, but he needs to quit calling himself  "J-Money" when he's trying to be cool before I reach through the screen and smack him upside the head. Max is a cute little nerdy kid, but can be over the top sometimes - though that is probably to be expected from a character in that age bracket. Kimmy's daughter, Ramona, has a bit of an attitude due to her parents' separation, but she is, for the most part, likable. 

The show tries to offer a little something for all viewers, both those who are older and likely were fans of the original series and to the new viewers,  likely children. There are a few themes for the kids, such as finding your inner confidence to perform in front of an audience for the first time, making friends at a new school, approaching a crush for the first time, learning to share your room with a younger sibling, and the competition between siblings when it comes to winning games. The adults deal with dating, romantic relationships, motherhood, balancing responsibility with fun, career advancement, and above all, taking care of themselves. Love and relationships are a central issue for our three leading ladies as DJ finds herself caught in a love triangle between her hunky fellow veterinarian, Matt, and high school sweetheart, Steve, Kimmy struggles with whether or not to forgive her cheating estranged husband, and Stephanie is still searching for someone special. However, these ladies always put their friendship and the wellbeing of each other before their suitors and that is always nice to see.

What I like about this show is that it is a revival of the old sitcom style that I grew up with - one that the whole family would tune in for on a Friday night. I like that the formula is the same and that I am now following DJ, Stephanie and Kimmy as grown women, once again sharing their experiences. I really like that this show makes multiple references back to the original, quoting each character's catch phrases - for example, Jesse's "Have Mercy!" or Stephanie's "How Rude!" - and even showing clips from the original series. I also enjoy that this series breaks the fourth wall with cracks about Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen "not having to act anymore," explaining Michelle's absence with her "being busy with her clothing line in New York," making jokes about child actresses, and DJ asking Steve if he knew who Alanis Morisette's "You Oughta Know" is really about (Dave Coulier). I like that the girls stick by each other and support each other no matter what, when so many shows depict women ditching each other as soon as a man enters the picture. I also love that Bob Saget, Dave Coulier, John Stamos and Lori Loughlin make regular guest appearances. Lastly, I love the episode where Joey takes the electronic devices from the kids, locks the devices away, and reminds them how to have good old messy fun. 

The first episode of the series is rather cringe-worthy as the first half is entirely devoted to exposition and introduction of the characters, and doing nothing to disguise the constant explanations of what the each character has done, is planning to do, or backstory. It picks up toward the end of episode one, but it is rough going for the first twenty minutes or so. I do not like Fernando, Kimmy's estranged husband, or her seriously considering getting back together with him when he admits to cheating on her multiple times. Once a cheater, always a cheater, and I don't like the message that cheating can be forgiven if the offending party acts crazy enough about you. I also don't like how flamboyantly Fernando fits the stereotype of the Latin lover who just cannot remain faithful, or really anything about his character whatsoever. He is irritating and I hope he fades to the sidelines in the coming seasons so Kimmy can find a more deserving partner. I also do not like how Steve is so clingy and fixated on DJ - it makes his character who was once such a great fit for her now seem annoying and obsessive, traits that would drive me far away from him, as sweet and adoring as he is. Lastly, I do not like how they made Becky so baby obsessed - as in, preferring to spend more time with her infant nephew than anyone else and trying to steal him. With the exception of the rose delivery mystery, her and Jesse's vow renewal and one night out with DJ, Kimmy and Stephanie she is constantly with Tommy whenever she visits the Fuller home. They began to back away from this theme toward the season finale, and I hope they continue to do so in future episodes. 

Overall, this is a fun revival of a much beloved classic from my childhood. While it has some flaws, it's still fun and addictive enough to binge all thirteen Season One episodes in a weekend. I enjoyed my visit to the Fuller House, and will happily return for Season Two.

6.5/10

** Reviewer's Note** As this is an ongoing series, I will update this entry with the reviews for the new seasons as they come out. Feel free to check back after the next season premieres. 

I Saw What You Did 1965 Vs I Saw What You Did 1988

I Saw What You Did (1965)

Directed by: William Castle

Starring: Joan Crawford, John Ireland, Leif Erickson, Andi Garrett, Sara Lane, and Sharyl Locke

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Rated: Unrated

Based on the Novel Out of the Dark by Ursula Curtiss

When Libby’s (Garrett) parents go away for a night, she and her friend Kit (Lane) are left in charge of little Tess (Locke). As the evening wears on, the girls get bored and decide to prank calls to entertain themselves. They decide to call random numbers and say, “I saw what you did, and I know who you are,” to whomever answers the phone. Unfortunately for them, they wind up dialing Steve Marak (Ireland) who has just killed his wife. Suspense and murder ensue.

I really liked the premise for this film. There is something terrifying about someone thinking you know too much and that you must be silenced. However, Marak never would have known who was calling him if the girls hadn’t decided to drive by his house to get a look at the “man with the sexy voice.” I found this part of the story ridiculous because I couldn’t believe the girls to be that foolish. Still, it served its purpose and provided a nice suspenseful moment between Libby and Marak.

There are two other complaints I have about this film: 1.) Joan Crawford’s irritating character and 2.) the musical score. Joan’s character of Amy, the lonely next-door neighbor and mistress of Steve, oozes desperation. She is willing to be with him no matter what and will do anything to ensure that they are together. She throws herself at him again and again, promising to take care of him in ways his wife could not. It was really quite pathetic and I felt the urge to reach through the screen and slap her.

The musical score was terrible. It did not match the tone of the film at all and often ruined what would otherwise be very tense scenes. The music was bouncy and almost cheerful while people are being stalked and/or killed. The viewer is supposed to sense danger is lurking and fear for the characters, but that tension is reduced greatly by the mismatched score.

What I did enjoy about the film was the cinematography. I loved the use of shadows in several of the scenes – it created more suspense and a darker atmosphere. The shot where Libby can be seen peeking through the window in a mirror near Steve Marak was also a nice touch. The best scene in the entire film has to be what I call the “reverse Psycho” within the first twenty minutes of the film.

The acting was also decent for a low-budget B-movie. Ireland was very creepy as the desperate, murderous Steve Marak. Crawford made Amy believable despite her sickeningly pathetic adoration of Marak. Garrett and Lane seemed like regular teenage girls of the period – despite the scripted drive to see the man they’d spoken to on the phone.

Overall: The film was a decent little B-movie with some nice cinematography but annoying music and character behavior. It’s worth a watch if you can get your hands on this rare little flick, if only to say you’ve seen it.

6/10

I Saw What You Did (1988)

Directed by: Fred Walton

Starring: Shawnee Smith, Tammy Lauren, Candace Cameron Bure, Robert Carradine and David Carradine

Genre: Horror, Thriller, TV Movie

Rated: Unrated

Based on the novel Out of the Dark by Ursula Curtiss

This remake follows the original storyline fairly closely. When Kim’s (Smith) father goes away for the evening, she invites Lisa (Lauren) over for dinner. Soon the girls get bored, and along with Kim’s little sister, Julia (Cameron Bure), begin making prank phone calls. Lisa is the one who suggests “I Saw What You Did,” and they wind up dialing Adrian Lance (Robert Carradine), who has just killed his girlfriend.

Once again, it is the girls driving by the killer’s house that gets his attention and enables him to track them. In both films the girls are so obsessed with seeing the “sexy man” on the other end of the line; they don’t think that he could possibly be dangerous. I don’t know why they insist on making these girls, who seem intelligent in every other way, idiots when it comes to men.

In this version, the character of Amy is replaced by Stephen (David Carradine), Adrian’s concerned brother, who drops in for a visit to make sure everything is okay. It’s clear from the moment we meet Adrian that he has some sort of mental issues, and as the plot progresses we get to know the his back story.

I felt the characters were more believable in this version, aside from the stupidity of the car-ride to Adrian’s house. Maybe that’s because the 1980s is closer to my generation and I can relate to the girls a little better. Smith, Lauren and Cameron Bure all gave convincing performances as the young ladies making the calls. David Carradine delivered a decent performance as the concerned older brother. It was Robert Carradine as the killer that I had a hard time buying. I know him best as Hillary Duff’s father in the Disney show Lizzie McGuire, so to see him attempting to be intimidating was almost humorous to me.  His performance was just starting to be believable in the final scene between Adrian and Kim, but that scene felt so rushed that the tension didn’t have a chance to build up.

The cinematography in this film wasn’t nearly as well-shot, but the score was much better. It almost had a rock and roll feel to it, music that the girls would listen to, but it flowed with the mood of the film as well.

I do feel the scenes between Kim and Adrian are rushed far too much. Just when the viewer begins to feel any tension at all, the scene either ends abruptly or charges on through, leaving what little suspense had been built in the dust. My last complaint is the twist ending, it felt like it was just tacked on to be like every other horror film from the 1980s, and it wasn’t necessary.

Overall: It’s not bad for a made-for-television remake, but nothing to write home about either. The girls are just as foolish, the killer is not as believable, and the twist ending annoying and unnecessary. Still, it was a fun little watch with decent acting and it remained true to the original film for the most part.

5.5/10