That's the earliest I recall seeing Courtney Thorne-Smith in anything...of course, a few years later she would go on to play Allison Parker, the exceedingly irritating small-town girl navigating life in the big city on a little something I like to call Melrose Place.
Okay, so that's actually the name of the show, not some little nickname I made up- but that's beside the point! The point is, I suppose I was meant to love and/or identify with Allison and her on-again off-again roommate/paramour Billy Campbell, but the truth is I couldn't stand either one of them. There it is, I've said it. I am immune to your judgments!
Now, if all of that wasn't enough reason to celebrate Courtney Thorne-Smith a-bustin' out of her mama some time ago, then let me remind you about her greatest performance of all: as Cheryl Ann Davis, Dairy Princess in Midwest Obsession, aka Beauty's Revenge.
One of these days I'll have a copy of Midwest Obsession to make out with at night...but during the day, I will review it here. I don't care if it's a Lifetime movie. I've reviewed them before, and I think I may start doing so again- slying incorporating them into the content here at Final Girl, for they bring me so much pleasure. Don't worry, I'll just tackle the murderiffic ones- nothing about lonely widows finding love with the handsome handyman, nothing about laughing your way through breast cancer, nothing about orphans finding families at Christmastime- well, unless the orphan's name is Esther.Anyway, yes, Lifetime movies. I mean, I don't want to start a whole 'nother blog, you know? It's time to branch out a bit. There it is, I've said it. I am immune to your judgments!
In summation, happy birthday Courtney Thorne-Smith! May all your movies be flogging movies.
I got talked into seeing the remake of "The Stepfather" and didn't see a big difference between it and your typical Lifetime thriller movie. Slasher films should be thrillers anyway, right? Just with extra blood and guts? Sure, it was PG-13, but TV is at least "PG-11" these days, if not "PG-12".
ReplyDeleteRik
word verification: antsub
(I'm seeing animated ants in submarines, "They're small but they're packing nukes! Coming this Summer from Dreamworks!")
I will watch this multiple times today in honor. Happy Birthday, Courtney Thorne-Smith! Your double last name doubles my pleasure, doubles my fun.
ReplyDeleteRik, you're absolutely right. I've watched MANY Lifetime movies and thought...with a little more graphic violence, this could absolutely be a slasher movie, or a horror movie. Lots of murder, lots of supernatural stuff. I'm ready!
ReplyDeleteBrad, that link was GOLD! She was obviously not amused...awesome.
I share your un-holy passion of Summer School. Maybe because Mark Harmon is one of my man-crushes.
ReplyDeleteI said it. That's right. Nathan Fillion too. Doesn't make me gay, right? Right?
Summer School is an underrated classic. It's one of Ebert's bigger errors (he gave it half a star).
ReplyDeleteI got to pick the movie my media studies class watched at Sixth Form at the end of the term, and I picked Summer School. It's great!
ReplyDeleteWow, that was only... let me think... 19 years ago.
Ditto on the wonders of Summer School. I just watched Revenge of the Nerds II again last night... not exactly an underrated classic, but it also starred Courtney Thorne-Smith.
ReplyDeletePonder, I found a copy of Midwest Obsession DVD at a CD Warehouse a few months back (for $3 - cheap) after I found your site and learned of your love for it.... it remains unwatched, but I look forward to seeing what all the cuckoo nutso love is about....
ReplyDeleteWell, I can't say that Midwest Obsession is a "good" movie, but I adore it. It features Tracey Gold, first of all, and then there's Courtney Thorne-Smith as a Dairy Princess who flips out and gets all murder-y, stalking her enemies in a getup that's straight outta Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation. What's not to love?
ReplyDeleteBut it's kind of terrible, too... :D
I too enjoy Courtney Thorne Smith. Happy birthday to her.
ReplyDeleteShe appeared in 1986's "Lucas" starring Corey Haim, Keri Green and Charlie Sheen. Courtney plays Charlie's girlfriend and she's a biotch!
ReplyDeleteLooooooooooove MP!! Who can forget dumb bitch Sidney Andrews and crazy ass extraordinarie Kimberly Shaw? Good times!
ReplyDeleteSummer School is way up there with PCU in the classic, narrowly elitist movie pantheon.
ReplyDeleteMelrose Place was my introduction to the birds and the bees.
And I guess not all Lifetime movies are good for a great laugh. No wait... have to take that back.
CTS is a cool human being!
OK, I watched "Midwest Obsession" last night... here's what I learned: TV movies haven't changed since I was a kid growing up in the 70's... it hit all the right notes for what it was in an overwrought, hilarious way... sort of "Play Misty for Me" accompanied by the smells of "family values" and cowshit. But the main lesson was: don't fuck with the Dairy Princess. I now understand your love for this fine film, Ponder... it's an evil love like the one I have for "The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant".
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Indeed- "don't fuck with the Dairy Princess" is a lesson we ALL should learn. They should show Midwest Obsession in schools...I'm gonna write to my Senator!
ReplyDeleteShe was great in Lucas and I also liked her early work in the underrated sitcom "Day by Day" ... I still refuse to believe, that a Jim Belushi could get a Courtney Thorne-Smith. So I've just blocked out everything since 2001.
ReplyDeleteThat might be the greatest tag in the history of blogs.
ReplyDeleteI think my favorite Courtney Thorne-Smith movie was Side Out with C. Thomas Howell, but Melrose, Summer School, and her Lifetime movie oeuvre are all excellent as well.