THE LIZZIE BORDEN CHRONICLES (SEASON 1)

DVD Sony

out of 5

Lizzie Borden took an axe … and a straight razor, a pistol, a noose, a knife, some kerosene, a lamp and a typewriter …

This eight-part miniseries — a continuation of a Lifetime TV movie I didn’t see — was all gore and little plot, following the lives of Lizzie Borden (Christina Ricci) and her sister Emma (Clea DuVall) after Lizzie’s acquittal in the 1892 murders of her father and stepmother. Turns out, the fictional Lizzie is a very twisted lady. She will stop at nothing to preserve her family (i.e. her relationship with her sister), which is why she murdered her parents and — over the course of this series — everyone else who remotely stands in her way. That means lawyers, detectives, police officers, her deranged half-brother and her sister’s fiance … The list goes on.

This series is not worth watching, even in spite of Ricci’s grownup Wednesday Addams portrayal of Lizzie Borden. There’s just not enough plot to make it interesting. Not surprisingly, there won’t be a Season 2.