The Landlady

Rating:
Summary: PERMANENT EVICTION
Review: There are times in this average thriller that I really felt sorry for Talia Shire's Melanie Dade. While we do not really know why or when she became psychotic, she is so desperately in need of a man and family that her plight can't help but be sympathized with. Granted, the seven people she bumps off is not the way to get a man, but she certainly does try. Shire is very good in the role, even though we all know where it will end up for her. Jack Coleman as the man of her dreams is dashing, sincere, and well cast in the otherwise thankless role. Bruce Weitz seems held back in his role as Pepper, the maintenance manager, and Melissa Behr as Liz doesn't have much to do and when her death scene comes up, she doesn't seem all that terrified.
But, suffice to say, Talia dominates the movie, and although it lacks originality, it is a compelling look at loneliness.

Rating:
Summary: PERMANENT EVICTION
Review: There are times in this average thriller that I really felt sorry for Talia Shire's Melanie Dade. While we do not really know why or when she became psychotic, she is so desperately in need of a man and family that her plight can't help but be sympathized with. Granted, the seven people she bumps off is not the way to get a man, but she certainly does try. Shire is very good in the role, even though we all know where it will end up for her. Jack Coleman as the man of her dreams is dashing, sincere, and well cast in the otherwise thankless role. Bruce Weitz seems held back in his role as Pepper, the maintenance manager, and Melissa Behr as Liz doesn't have much to do and when her death scene comes up, she doesn't seem all that terrified.
But, suffice to say, Talia dominates the movie, and although it lacks originality, it is a compelling look at loneliness.

Rating:
Summary: The GREATEST modern camp classic. She kills everyone!
Review: This is an absolute, immediate classic in camp films. The movie opens with poor Melanie finding her husband having an affair with a bank clerk. She peeks through a window and sees him as he spouts off the most ridiculous sex dialogue, which sounds as if it were straight out of any porn flick. Melanie has a religious edge, and is very proper. Being such, she poisons her cheating husband and takes the apartment building he inherits from his dead aunt. She begins to change things immediately upon arrival, murdering the current leech of a landlord with a freezer door (a classic scene for sure.) She has a very strong desire for the perfect family, and develops a fixation for Patrick, a tenant that works with children in Social services. First she has to get rid of his drug addict girlfriend (in yet another classic scene). She places a smoke detector/camera in his apartment to monitor him, and even places a huge two way mirror in her bedroom (which connects to his), where she sits in bed and watches him while munching on a huge bowl of popcorn. No kidding! She carries Ralston, her cremated husband, around in his urn, chatting with him about how he could never be as perfect as Patrick. Totally demented. This movie also has a very brief appearance by Courtney Gaines, who is best known for playing the over-the-top Malaki in the 1984 camp/horror film "Children of the corn". His hysterical performance in that film deserves to be rehashed at some point and this film could have been it, but we only see him briefly starring as a pimp, shortly before the Landlady offs him. Plainly put, she kills just about every character introduced in the film. It's hysterical. The Landlady gets to where she has Patrick tied up in bed after he rejects her proposal of being the perfect family. Will Melanie convince Patrick to be her husband and father to her children? Will Patrick break free and run away? Will "He who walks behind the rows" resurrect Malaki and have him take Melanie to Hell with him? Buy this fantastic movie and find out. I am desperately waiting for a wonderful sequel.

Rating:
Summary: Off The Wall
Review: You better pay your rent on time with this woman, or you may end up as a target for her internal rage. Which will most likely be murder. An above-average thriller. This woman is beyond "off-the-wall", she's a true psychopath!