FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC (1987)
Based on the best seller by V.C. Andrews, who continued to write popular and grotesque novels for many years even after she was dead. The book and its many sequels (featuring incest between teens, child poisoning, and many other nasty topics) were hugely popular with preteen girls.
I had forgotten about these books and the notoriously awful movie they spawned until I caught the film recently on Comcast's Xfinity service.
When their handsome, loving daddy dies on his birthday (the kiddies jump out to yell "SURPRISE!" at the grim state patrol officers bringing the bad news) budding teens Chris and Cathy and young twins Cory and Carrie are taken by their mother to her parent's home - a huge spooky old mansion.
Mom has to convince her parents, including Louise Fletcher as her insane religious fanatic mother, to cut her and the kiddies back into the family millions. To soften the blow to sick old grandpa of a gang of instant grandkids the grandmother locks the kids in the even spookier attic until mom can break the news.
Mom soon falls back into the luxurious life style and even picks herself up a handsome new fiance. Problem is: nobody knows about the 'Flowers in the Attic'. After one of the twins die after munching on grandma's (or mom's?) arsenic-laced cookies the remaining kids suspect they will never ever leave the attic alive, so they make plans to crash mom's fancy wedding.
This one has everything you'd expect in a truly bad big budget 80's film. Fletcher's evil grandmother easily steals the show. The kids are such a bunch of whiny, dumb-acting doofuses you don't really mind seeing them constantly being slapped around and strong armed by feeble old people.
FUN FACT: V.C. Andrews (not dead yet) has a cameo as a maid.
Check your local Book a Million for the latest V.C. Andrews novel, whose been dead for almost 30 years now!
