Just What the Doctor Ordered

So this is the fifth Dr. Albert Beck LMN movie, if I'm not mistaken (can't call them "Stalked By My Doctor" anymore), and I love every one of them. Somehow, unlike with most of their other flicks, Lifetime becomes ingenious with this series - instilling them with the perfect blend of horror, suspense, drama, and campy yet subtle, witty comedy, and it actually works. The clever plot and dialogue of the last two or three has kept me wanting more and seems to have become the trademark of Dr. Albert Beck's ongoing adventures. I don't even mind the obvious glaring plot holes of all five of them because they're so enjoyable. It's rare for me to laugh out loud at a Lifetime movie for the right reasons! I've always liked Eric Roberts - been watching his work for years - but who knew he had such great comic timing?

Grade B / 8 out of 10.

As odd as it is to say, "Stalked by My Doctor" has become a full-fledged franchise that's now run 5 films. Even odder, I've become a huge fan of them. For this installment, there was a noticeable change in tone -- as illustrated by the title change (I guess "Stalked by my Doctor 5" just didn't seem marketable to Lifetime?).

For this movie, they went a little more serious in tone, took out some of the overly cartoonish moments (like the song and dance scene in part 3 -- which I loved) and even eliminated Laid-Back Beck for most of the film, until the third act. While I do feel the series got a little goofy around part 3, not seeing those elements in the 5th movie made me miss them. There's also elements to this film where it felt they didn't fully execute on the premise -- like Beck living in the attic. It was a neat, creepy concept, but it didn't play much of a factor toward the conclusion.

Overall, a strong entry in the series, but far from the best. See my rankings below:

5. Stalked by My Doctor: A Sleepwalker's Nightmare 4. Just What the Doctor Ordered 3. Stalked by My Doctor: The Return 2. Stalked by My Doctor: Patient's Revenge 1. Stalked by My Doctor.

I watched the "Stalked By My Doctor" trilogy with absolute glee. I was thrilled to discover another movie starring the good doctor tonight. I love me some cheesy Lifetime movies, but these are on a whole other level. Eric Roberts is absolutely fantastic. Now to be serious, this is not Emmy material (maybe it should be). I think this whole series of movies should be categorized as Dark Comedy as opposed to Thriller. My only complaint is that I was hoping for another musical scene like #3. This is not your usual Lifetime fare.

If you watch it as a comedy then it may be somewhat a funny movie. The acting is subpar but if you have nothing better to do it is pretty watchable thanks to Eric Roberts.

Yes, he will! This series of "Dr. Beck" movies is my favorite among the Lifetime movies, because they don't take themselves seriously. At least, Eric Roberts obviously doesn't! He clearly enjoys eating the scenery, playing the obsessive, deranged doctor with glee. He plays the role with just the right mix of seriousness and with tongue firmly in cheek.

Note that my rating of a 7 is on a sliding scale, based on the source of the movie. If this were a feature film, it would get a 5 at best, due to all the glaring plot holes. But for a Lifetime movie, it deserves a 7, which is more than most of their others get.

So grab a bowl of popcorn, sit back, and enjoy Dr. Beck at his manic best!