Lifetime movies have changed a lot over the years. They have always been kind of cheesy and when the world is going all topsy-turvy on you, there was often nothing better than watching Lifetime. In my college days, and even thereafter we referred to it as “The Man Hater Channel.” Which was perfect for those angsty breakups with some guy you felt did you wrong. Pretty much all of my breakups have been angsty at any age. So a movie marathon of men being victims of horrible things or getting locked up for life for their bad deeds was a prefect compliment to a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Pistachio, Pistachio.
Lifetime movies have become a lot better. They have a few big budget movies every year now. They also have a new movie almost every Saturday night at 8 p.m. That usually the only night of the week I try to just take the night off and veg out and watch something that is not so serious.
Tonight’s movie, “Who Killed Jon Benet?” is a heavier topic than I would like, but I am going to give it a shot as I followed a lot of this investigation twenty years ago when it happened. I hope it is not too creepy or too gory. If the Jodi Arias movie and others were any indication, they will not stick to the facts too heavily. It will be interesting to see who they blame. There is also another hour after the show where they discuss whether or not the mother was the killer. So I guess that is the direction the movie will take. I’ll see if I can hang in there, if not my DVR runneth over.
Anyway, I know the Jon Benet posts have been very popular here and many of you are interested so I thought I would give you a spot to discuss the movie.
Now go make some popcorn and get settled in!
MY G*d I will confess to Jon Benet’s murder if it will stop all these stupid movies about her.
And I will be your accomplish if they stop with all these movies with no resolution!
I haven’t watched a movie about the murder yet and I refuse to!. I tried to watch the Dr. Phil episode with the brother, but his smiling made me cringe and I had to stop minutes in.
If they found and convicted her killer I’d be interested. To this day I believe her brother did it and the parents covered it up.
I’m already tuned in…
I’ll probably do a drive by on this one…
Yes, I feel the same way. I feel bad for that little girl. A life cut short much too soon
Lol my DVR has already been set for the movie & the thing on Patsy after it, as well as SNL! I find I have to DVR everything these days because I inevetibly fall asleep every time. It also doesn’t hurt that it allows me to fast forward through all the commercials. I don’t have high hopes for this movie though. Sadly, it will still probably be lighter viewing than a Housewives show.
It’s already creepy with Jon Benet narrating the movie.
Narrative much in the style of Beautiful Bones, this is not fiction so it’s particularly creepy.
Omg, I agree!!! Creepy as hell
I know that the Boulder cops got a lot of flack for their investigation and the excuse was that they didn’t have many homicides so they were in experienced. But at any crime scene rule one is PRESERVE THE CRIME SCENE and don’t let anyone in or out until forensics has finished.
Omfg , I’m already anticipating your re~cap TT
OMG, the scene of finding JonBenet was so graphic and disturbing. I know everyone reacts differently when facing something horrible, but I can’t imagine picking her up and running up the stairs.
That was just insane
It seems to have been filmed in the dark.
Okay that was the most unbiased program I have seen on the investigation. But it could just be that it is biased to what I believe. There are two arguments, and supporters of each have argued on both sides FOR TWENTY YEARS.
I believe that Burke probably killed JBR with the flashlight accidentally and Patsy went off the rails and did the whole garrote thing and set up the horrifying scene to protect him. I believe that John was fast asleep and never had any idea what was going on. I do believe he went along with the cover up.
I think the DA were really influenced by money and community stature and Atlanta attorney, Lin Wood, who is still practicing and was even on Phaedra Parks case against Angela Stanton briefly did a LOT of media manipulation and manipulated the DAs office, IN MY OPINION, ALLEGEDLY.
The other arguments is a random intruder killed JBR.
We will never know.
Not so fun fact: Patsy Ramsey died within a day or so of my father. Her viewing was at the same small funeral home as my father.
That’s ALWAYS been my theory too. The Dr Phil interview confirmed it for me. Just set record for the second showing! Now these are the recaps I live for! Thanks TT!
Omg! WE ACTUALLY AGREE ON SOMETHING.
THIS IS A HUGE DAY. I KNOW IT WILL NOT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU BUT TO ME, IT DOES! (Although technically I was on your side about Brooks having cancer on RHOC but I think we were both wrong. 😜)
I am almost 99% sure of it because the ransom note was written by Patsy. Any other theory begins and stops there for me.
Sorry about your father’s death – even though it was ten years ago. I can’t remember if you’ve talked about your relationship with your dad — not that it is any of our business — but I like when you share.
Happy Sunday. I missed the first part of show so I DVRed it and will watch it later.
This movie was very graphic. They carried little Jon Benet upstairs, blue and stiff as a board. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a scene like that in a a movie of a child, let alone on Lifetime.
Sadly this case was a screwup from the beginning. We will never know what happened unless that person confesses with unknown details or evidence. Even later if there is additional evidence discovered, there are a number of significant mistakes made in the case that no one would likely be convicted. A sad tale all around.
Still watching, but two comments so far: why were Jon’s other children referred to as step siblings? Wouldn’t they be half siblings? Also, I LOVE the lady playing Patsy. She was perfectly mean & savage in Romi & Michelle. 💁🏻
Thanks for posting this T.T. I also hope you keep us all informed of the latest Robert Durst trial ( if time permits ) Love your true crime recaps.
I love the true crime recaps and discussion as well, Marc. In fact it was during the Jodi Arias trial that I found Tamara Tattles. I lurked around for quite a long time.
Anyway, I hadn’t heard that there was another trial for Durst. I would love to read Tamara’s opinions about that. I would think the discussions here would be great.
How come no DNA or hair was found on the flashlight if that was the murder weapon? Seems all these shows ignore that fact.
One of them covered it at length. Basically you can hit someone hard enough to shatter the skull but not break the skin. The flashlight was still on the counter.
Important for me is that she never went to bed becaus she was wearing the clothes from the night before.
Yes, when I heard 20 years ago that Patsy had the same clothes on and make-up from the night before it made a strong impression on me also when I heard the 911 call Patsy made and then just HUNG UP!!! I thought, what mother would hang up on 911 while she’s reporting her baby missing???
The weirdest thing to me was while the cops were searching the father went downstairs and found her, do you think he would have told the cops about that room, or did he think she had been there too long?
If it doesn’t have Meredith Baxter Birney or Swoozie Kurtz is it really a lifetime movie? NO
Can we get a review? Who killed her, TT?
I wanted to watch this one as I have followed this case closely. The thing that held me back was the commercial for it had JonBenet doing the narration and it kinda creeped me out.
I can’t do this anymore. This will never be resolved. To continue to focus on it is like running on a hanpster wheel.
Wow. Did I really misspell “hamster”?
Currently watching “Jon Benet’s Mother: Victim or Killer?” I have always thought Patsy went bananas, dragged her into the bathroom after the bed wetting and she hit her head. Then Patsy covered it up. So far, it supports that.
Oh man, I forgot about Susan Smith.
I’ve always called Lifetime “the Midol channel”
I skipped this show, due to allready seeing the other two part special and the Dr. Phil interview. Maybe Ill catch it on demand later on. At the time it happened, I didn’t think about the brother having done it so much, but I think that was due to not having read as much info on it, and knowing that mother was in on it. That ransom note was all her and too freaking weird and nosensical, so I think I figured it was a bed wetting rage thing. But now, I lean twords the brother doing it, and mom simply covering it up. That’s how the parents were able to live with it and lying about it till the end of time. They wanted to protect their only remaining child, who was jealous and distrurbed, and did not have a personality like the sweet daughter did. Not even close. He had been the Prince before she came along and I think he loathed her and is missing something inside, so he just giggled and played video games afterwards, and felt he was above feelings or having to admit what really happened. I sensed an arrogent entitlement. He got what he wanted, Jon Bonet gone and his parents to himself . Just my opinion from watching the shows and interviews. And they wanted to protect their name. That was the biggest shame I think. But, really the whole family is just OFF! I remember later on the dad running for some kind of office and it seemed unseemly to me. The cloud of suspicion and their odd behaviour made it just wrong to want to vote for him. He was no John Walsh. There was a real YUCK factor.