1. Christmas Evil (a.k.a. "You Better Watch Out" and "Terror in Toyland") (1980)
The Premise: Slasher Claus is coming to town.
Overall: It's not a bad movie, but it could have been a lot better. That scene in the beginning, the killer's relationship with his brother, his fixation on Santa Claus, the ending -- all of these things could have had a lot more impact. It's hard to tell whether this one was hacked to death in the editing room, if the budget wasn't up to the task, or if those financing the film lacked faith in the film or its audience. Whatever the case, a reboot of this film could do really well.
Fun Fact: Brandon Maggart, the star of this movie, was also a big star on Broadway. He's been nominated for many, many awards, and he also happens to be Fiona Apple's father.
2. Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
The Premise: Four small town vigilantes attempt to avoid their just desserts in the guise of a scarecrow.
Overall: An excellent movie. There are a lot of great character actors in this one, and their performances bring a concisely written script into focus.
Fun Fact: The director of this made-for-TV film, Frank De Felitta, also wrote the novel upon which 1978's The Entity was based.
3. Secret Admirer (1985)
Back in 85 ten year old me would've been all about Lori Laughlin. In 2025? I'd pick Kelly Preston's mom.
The Premise: The good 'ol 80s love triangle. She's into him but he's into her best friend. The complication here is the lovers' parents, who engage in their own silliness after an anonymous love letter is circulated between them.
Overall: An extremely forgettable film. I'm guessing it wasn't played on cable much due to a distinct lack of boobies.
Where Are They Now?: C. Thomas Howell currently appears in the Netflix series Obliterated. Four years after Secret Admirer he married Rae Dawn Chong (daughter of Tommy Chong!), though they were divorced a year later.
Kelly Preston passed away in 2020. The last of her movies released during her lifetime was 2018's Gotti, in which she appeared alongside her husband John Travolta.
Lori Laughlin went on to TV's Full House. She was implicated in a college bribery scandal around 2020, and she still appears on TV in minor roles.
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