Obsession, Manipulation & Lies: Made-for-TV Melodramas Movie Meetup

Welcome to the 11th meetup of Desert Movie Dames — a campy bad movie club for women who appreciate hilariously terrible cinema and want to make new friends in Phoenix.

Theme: Obsession, Manipulation & Lies: Made-for-TV Melodramas

Heather Locklear, Nicollette Sheridan, and Donna Mills step away from their iconic '80s soap roles and into a world of melodramatic world of made-for-TV thrillers. For this meetup, we'll watch these glamorous prime-time queens venture into darker territory filled with seduction, betrayal, and dangerous secrets with Deceptions, Illusions, and The Lady Forgets.

The late '80s and early '90s were the golden age of high-stakes erotic thrillers, and these movies were desperately trying to be Fatal Attraction or Basic Instinct - which they are definitely not. But right where the serious acting stops, the hilarity begins!

Because these movies take themselves 100% seriously, they end up being 110% unintentionally hilarious. Get ready for sax-heavy scores, massive shoulder pads, aggressive smoldering, and peak made-for-TV PG steaminess - all delivered with the production values of a network-TV movie.

For this meetup, we’re focusing on 2 core movies for deeper discussion, plus 1 bonus film we’ll touch on more lightly.

Movie Options (all free on Tubi):

Core Movies:

Illusions (1992)
Deceptions (1990)

Bonus Movie:

The Lady Forgets (1989)

How it works:
Watch as many (or as few) as you want — zero pressure and no homework grade. We’ll meet in person to talk about the movies, share favorite moments, and laugh about the chaos.
I’ll bring talking points so nobody has to make up an analysis on the spot.

Where to find us:
I’ll be at the tables with a sign for Desert Movie Dames so we’re easy to spot.

Notes:
Doors open at 1:45 PM — we’ll start discussion promptly at 2 PM Arizona time.
Bring yourself, your opinions, and zero cinematic snobbery.