“Face Value” (1991) is the true story about New York model Marla Hanson whose face was slashed by her crazy stalker landlord who fantasized he had a romantic relationship with her but Hanson had spurned his advances.

“Murder In New Hampshire: The Pamela Smart Story” (1991) Scandalous local story about a woman who seduces two teenagers into killing her husband.

“Good Night Sweet Wife” (1990) is a true story about man, Charles Stuart, who shot and killed his pregnant wife, Carol, and then tried to blame it on a black man which cause a lot of racial strife in Boston. He also used his younger brother Matthew to cover up the crime. Matthew eventually broke down and confessed to the police. Days later Charles committed suicide by jumping off the Tobin Bridge.

“The Preppie Murder” (1989) is about a rich preppie boy named Robert Chambers who had killed a Jewish girl named Jennifer Levin during a sexual tryst in Central Park.

“I Know My First Name is Steven” (1989) based on a true story, this movie of the week disturbed me for years. It’s about a boy (Steven Stayner) who had been kidnapped by a pedophile and held hostage for years. He was finally rescued at the age of 14 but was never the same again and found it difficult to reconnect with his family. In real life, Steven’s brother, Cary, became a serial killer. Years later Steven ended up dying in a motorcycle accident. Just a sad, sad story all around.

“Out on the Edge” (1989) starring Ricky Schroder is a good movie that showed how troubled children are systematically abused and neglected in the juvenile justice system.

“The Deliberate Stranger” (1986) Mark Harmon stars as notorious Florida serial killer Ted Bundy. Harmon was excellent and disturbingly memorable in this movie.

“Nobody’s Child” (1986) about a forgotten woman who had been institutionalized in mental hospitals most of her life before a psychiatrist took her under her wing and rehabilitated her.

“Rockabye” (1986) starring Valerie Bertinelli as a woman who, with the help of a reporter, goes underground to find her son who had been abducted from her by strangers to sell on the black market.

“The Burning Bed” (1984) a notorious made-for-TV movie that starred Farrah Fawcett as a battered wife who kills her violent husband by setting him on fire while he slept. The movie didn’t hold back on the extreme violence which is why it was so controversial.

“In the Custody of Strangers” (1982) starring Martin Sheen and his son Emilio Estevez, a TV movie similar to the Ricky Schroder movie listed above, it is an indictment of the juvenile justice system.

“Child Bride of Short Creek” (1981) stars Diane Lane as a girl growing up in a Mormon separatist group that practices child marriage and polygamy.

The 80s had a lot of great, cheesy movie-of-the-week and “After School” specials. The 90s were pretty good, too. Made-for-TV movies were common back then. But nowadays the Lifetime channel is the only channel that makes TV movies and serials.

I look forward to reading and following your blog (referenced/reblogged by Citizen Kerry). I am a devout Christian and have been since I came to faith at 27 (now 41). I feel less and less comfortable proselytizing through my writing (not in an obnoxious way, just in the way of stating what I believe in; but still this I avoid). I avoid using the name of Jesus in my writing and instead choose a word/name that’s more palatable by unbelievers — something like “Providence”. I can’t decide on an About section for my blog because I don’t want to so vulnerably state what I’m “about” — and so that section is empty (and how ironic considering that I’ve divulged the most private things over the years in that blog). I write less and less in a public way and aim to keep more of it to myself — like praying in a closet, I imagine. I really liked reading your words for all of this. So, thanks for that. –SG

Big PS: Oh, and Sweet Valley High books. Yes, yes!

I can relate to so much of it, but never would have said it, much less thought it, on my own. Especially not as eloquently as you put it.

An aside: my brother was my confirmation mentor. (And I am such a bad Catholic, I didn’t know that term, nor “confirmand”.) He is always incredibly silly but it actually worked out well, because I was so nervous and intimidated that him keeping it light helped me tons. You’ll be great.