Network: NBC
Original Airdate: October 28, 1984

As a genre that sort of falls somewhere in the middle of highbrow and lowbrow entertainment, the made for television movie was able to play around with expectations and the types of stories it could bring to viewers. But then somewhere in between the betweens of The Burning Bed and Diary of Teenage Hitchhiker lies another middle, where films that set out to entertain weren’t sure if they should aim for that high or low bar. One of those films, City Killer, which is somewhat befuddling and perhaps overly ambitious, is also, for the most part, high entertainment, thanks to an extremely engaging Terence Knox and some decent special effects.

And, then there’s that common trope of 1980s TV. We all loved Heather Locklear. Circa early – mid 1980s, Locklear was all over the, ahem, boob tube, appearing as a series regular on the popular T.J. Hooker, while also showing up periodically to stir the pot at the Carrington mansion in Dynasty. She also somehow managed to appear on things such as Love Boat and even Firestarter. So it’s no shock that the indefatigable charmer found the time to star in a Movie of the Week, although it is really what the MOW is about that makes City Killer so interesting (Sorry Heather, you’ve been upstaged by a mad bomber!).

Locklear is Andrea McKnight, a general workaholic who has a dog she never walks, and who also enjoys slightly warm relationships with her co-workers. But she tends to be a tad aloof, choosing to keep herself in a self-imposed state of solitude in her airy apartment (she could walk that dog once in a while though). Things take a weird turn when she comes home late one night to find an attractive, but creepy man waiting for her. He’s Leo (Terence Knox), an ex who would prefer to be a current. But considering how he picks locks and waits in the dark for pretty blondes, he’s not made of great boyfriend material. Even worse, when Andrea flat out refuses his advances, he decides to blow up buildings to get her attention! Nicknamed The Love Bomber, Leo joyfully sets explosives throughout the city, eventually targeting Andrea’s job amongst other random buildings.

Enter Lieutenant “Eck” Eckford (Gerald McRaney), a handsome but humorless cop who is assigned to protect Andrea and bring Leo to justice. Mostly though, he seems almost as sinister as Leo, constantly telling Andrea that she’s a target because she’s “a very nice person,” who understands when a guy can’t get an erection. Then he quietly ogles her. In short, I was sort of rooting for Leo.

City Killer is, pardon the expression, a blast. Locklear and McRaney seem to be phoning it in, but the supporting cast, especially Todd Susman, John Harkins (best know to me for playing Ham Lushbough on an episode of the Golden Girls), and Harkin’s little rodent co-star, not to mention the lovably weird Knox are up to the task of making the ridiculous material work. Knox in an absolute joy as crazy Leo and if anyone can make terrorism adorable, it’s this guy.

The screenplay was written by one of the stalwarts of the Movie of the Week, Michael Wood, who was responsible for the excellent telefilms Savages, Haunts of the Very Rich, Outrage and Death Car on the Freeway. By the 1980s, Wood was still penning some interesting fare, including The Execution and The Penthouse, but City Killer honestly seems a little below him. Don’t get me wrong, it is a fun film, but considering how small scale and intimate most of his TVMs are, it felt as though Wood was dipping into his Death Car repertoire and perhaps overshot expectations.

Director Robert Michael Lewis (Pray for the Wildcats, y’all!) moved predominately to TV movies by the 1980s, and this was just one of eight films he directed between 1983-1985! It appears some of the explosions were done with miniatures with the rest comprised of footage of actual demolitions, all to decent effect. Things go boom quite nicely, and you quickly understand that Leo isn’t joking around! He pulverizes the city, and kills several people along the way… all in the name of amore. Awwww, ain’t love grand?

As entertaining as City Killer is, it may be worth noting that it can be an uncomfortable viewing in our post 9-11 world. It’s mostly a flight of fancy and is so gloriously over the top that it’s 99% inoffensive, but (and maybe this is just me) it can be difficult to watch buildings pancake, even all these years later. At the same time, it also sadly recalls a bygone era of innocence adding a nostalgic flavor to the proceedings… but Heather’s intense feather cut basically does the same thing without making you feel bad. City Killer is worth a watch. You’ll fall in love with Leo and root for the bad guy. It’s a good time.

Canada is a dying nation and in this video I break down exactly why I decided to get out before it’s too late. I’ve lived in Canada for over 23 years and it’s sad to see what has happened to the country. I recommend any of you feeling a similar way to me try to leave while you still can as the government is continually making it more difficult to exit.

⏳ Timestamps
00:00 I Left Canada
00:33 | Reason #1
02:47 | Reason #2
04:51 | Reason #3
07:49 | Reason #4
10:45 | Reason #5
12:37 | Reason #6
14:05 | Reason #7

Westroyal – 328 Taylor Way, West Vancouver, V7T 2Y4

Building Information

Building Name: Westroyal
Building Address: 328 Taylor Way, West Vancouver, V7T 2Y4
Levels: 19
Suites: 183
Status: Completed
Built: 1993
Title To Land: Leasehold Not Prepaid-strata
Building Type: Lease Hold
Strata Plan: LMS445
Subarea: Park Royal
Area: West Vancouver
Board Name: Real Estate Board Of Greater Vancouver
Management: Wynford Strata Management
Management Phone: 604-261-0285
Units in Development: 183
Units in Strata: 183
Subcategories: Lease Hold
Property Types: Leasehold Not Prepaid-strata

Building Contacts

Management: Wynford Strata Management
phone: 604-261-0285
email: property@wynford.com

Construction Info

Year Built: 1993
Levels: 19
Construction: Concrete
Rain Screen: No
Roof: Metal
Foundation: Concrete Perimeter
Exterior Finish: Stucco

Maintenance Fee Includes

Caretaker, Garbage Pickup, Gardening, Gas, Hot Water, Management, Recreation Facility

Features

Solid Double Door Entry, Mirrored Closet Doors, Roughed In Vacuum, Custom Closet Organizers, Marble Entry, Cozy Gas Fireplace, Gourmet Kitchens, Relaxing Jacuzzi Jetted Soaker Tub, Enclosed Showers, Fire Sprinkler System In Each Home, Insuite Laundry, Suites Are Pre-wired For Security Systems, Solariums, Large Sundecks, Ocean, City And Mountain Views, Video Intercom And Security System At Front Entrance, Unique Water Feature, Manicured Gardens And Greenspace, Hotel Style Lobby And Halls, Concrete And Glass Construction, Secured Underground Parking, Storage Lockers, Visitor Parking, Indoor Pool, Sauna And Steam Rooms, Exercise Centre, Social Rooms With Large Tv And Pool Table

Description

The West Royal – 328 Taylor Way West Vancouver, BC V7T 2Y4, LMS445 – Located in the popular area of Park Royal in West Vancouver on Taylor Way and Marine Drive. This is a great location that is within steps to all your urban conveniences including transit, Park Royal Shopping Centre, restaurants, medical services, the Seawall with beach access, schools at all levels, walking trails and more! Direct access to major transportation routes including the Lions Gate Bridge allows an easy commute to Downtown Vancouver, North Vancouver and YVR.

The West Royal stands 25 stories tall with 181 luxury homes built in 1993 that are professionally managed. Most homes feature open floor plans, cozy gas fireplaces, elegant marble entry, roughed in vacuums, insuite laundry, pre-wiring for security systems and gourmet kitchens. Other features include mirror closet doors, custom closet organizers, solid double door entry, a relaxing jacuzzi jetted soaker tub, enclosed showers, spacious solariums and large sundecks that boast beautiful ocean, city and mountain views.

The West Royal is quality built with concrete and glass construction that make up these beautiful condo and townhomes. There are many amenities available for residents to enjoy including an exercise room, sauna, spa, social rooms with a large TV and pool table, a common workshop, indoor pool and hot tub. Other unique features include manicured gardens, a round-a-bout driveway, gazebos and a lovely water feature. This building offers secured underground parking, visitor parking, storage lockers and a video intercom with a security system at the front entrance. This is a multiple address complex that includes 70 units at 328 Taylor Way, 101 units at 338 Taylor way and 10 townhomes located at 348 to 366 Taylor Way. This is a desirable location that offers luxury living – Live at The West Royal!

Tessa Violet released Bad Ideas in 2019 and was set to take her second album on the road the following year. That didn’t work out because, well, you know. So instead, the rising singer-songwriter did some live-streams and stayed active with fans on social media. It’s something Violet knows something about, since she got her first world-wide big break as a Youtuber. That was more than a decade ago while she was working in retail after a two-year stint in modeling.

But that’s beside the point.

Since last year, Tessa Violet, 31, has continued to stay busy releasing new versions of some of Bad Ideas’ catchiest songs: “Bored” with MisterWives, “Words Ain’t Enough” with Chloe Moriondo and “Games” with lovelytheband. The latter song, released in April, came with a meta shot-for-shot remake of a scene in “Twilight,” no less. Another song, “Wishful Drinking,” went viral last year thanks to a TikTok trend.

For her final statement with Bad Ideas, Violet (whose full name is Tessa Violet Williams) is turning to “Games” yet again, with a physical pop-punk version produced by Matt Squire (Panic at the Disco, All Time Low, 3oh!3) released last Friday.

“I wanna mosh,” Violet said in a video interview from her home in Los Angeles, to which she had just moved back prior to the start of the pandemic.

She originally wrote “Games” about the experience of being gaslit by a now-ex. He’d lied to her and when she called him out on it he’d retort that she was just misunderstanding him. It turned out he was talking to other girls behind her back. The 2021 versions of the songs were her way of doing remixes. But Violet isn’t interested in club music. Instead, right before the pandemic, she saw PUP and fell in love with pop-punk

“I’ve never been to a punk show before, but watching it, … the energy of this is incredible. It’s infectious and it also feels like an incredible space to work through anger,” she said. “I think women especially aren’t given space to work through anger. We’re taught from a young age that to be mature is to move directly into compassion or understanding—to leapfrog anger. But it’s hard to actually get to that space without moving through the emotion. I’m just like, ‘I’m for this, and I am mad!’”

That was on a personal level, on a more universal level, the anger in the song became a response to the out-in-the-open injustices of the past year.

“A punk version of “Games”— I know that may seem kind of left field for me, but it feels very genuine to who I am right now and what I’m listening to,” she said.

Tessa Violet grew up in Ashland, Oregon, a tiny, wooded town less than an hour from the California border off I-5. It’s home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival but has no music scene and is a three hours’ drive from any major city.

Her first dream was to perform in musical theater.

“My mom and I disagree about this: She’s like, ‘We had a car.’ But, in my experience of my childhood, we had a car like a third of the time so there was not much of going to big cities,” she said. “We would take the Greyhound to Portland, Oregon every now and then for vacation.”

She knew back then that she wanted to sing, but she only had the theater presented as an option. Her acting, however, was not up to par, she said, so she didn’t get past school productions. She felt bitter at the time.

“It was my first heartbreak because it was my desire,” she said.

A friend of her mother’s had suggested modeling as a career, something Violet wasn’t at all interested in until an agent told her the job came with airfare perks and that she had a “good look for Japan.” “And I was like, ‘I’m in, baby!’” she said.

During her modeling career she traveled through places like China, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Thailand.

Violet quit that after two years, quickly becoming disillusioned with how the industry treats models as a disposable commodity. Instead, she got a retail job at American Apparel and began vlogging on YouTube.

“This was before you could be a YouTuber as a career, but I felt like that was coming,” she said. “In like 2008, I was, ‘I think I could do this as a job. … I really think that’s going to happen for me and a lot of people.’”

Her following quickly took off. She directed and performed in her own skits and made unofficial, yet very popular music videos set to music by the likes of Mika. She won a YouTube competition and a large cash prize

That would have been that, but she never lost her passion for singing. A few years later, now in her 20s, she discovered songwriting. As the story goes, a friend left a guitar in her car. She taught herself a Death Cab for Cutie cover and was soon writing her own songs.

Since 2013 she’s turned her focus to songwriting. The following year she made and released her first album, Maybe Trapped Mostly Troubled. A year or so later, she moved to Nashville, not because of its status as a music capitol—she’d already spent some time in L.A. and New York by that point—but just to experience something different and have both the amenities of a big city and the community of a smaller town. She didn’t know anyone there at the time but went for it anyway. It’s a trait she said she got from her mom, who made similar decisions, like giving up a big city life to raise her daughter in Ashland, Oregon, only to bounce to New York, and then Maine after Violet was out of the nest.

After moving back to L.A. right before the pandemic, she kept herself mentally healthy and in the moment through meditation, which she said also helped her build confidence in herself. She also got in touch with her desires and learned how to talk and think about what she wants to accomplish.

“If you’re honest about what you want from your life and from people, you’re going to have an easier time in your life because to deny what you want, you need to constantly be hard and closed,” she said. “And to be open to what you want, you have to be willing to be brave. Because … then you’re also open to a ‘no,’ which people think will break their heart—and maybe it will, but you’re gonna learn a lot and get a lot more from life if you are … about your desire and intention. … If you’re a pessimist you protect yourself from future disappointment. But really, all you do is spoil the current moment, and the current moment is all we ever have. It’s all we’re guaranteed.”

Violet said when she was first getting into music and transitioning from being a YouTuber, she was met with some backlash, especially from within the music industry. As she’s proven herself as a musician that has subsided, but she’s never been ashamed of how she arrived where she did.

“I’m proud of having done that. I really think—not I think; I know—that I was on the forefront of that movement of being someone who shares their life through a video format,” she said.

She’s fine if some people still know her primarily through the past phase of her life and career. Even if some people continue to have a stigma around YouTubers expanding their careers in different directions, she said she doesn’t take it personally.

“People don’t know what they don’t know,” she said.

Even someone from that field who makes music that’s, say, less than stellar, she doesn’t look down on him or her. After all, who doesn’t want to be an artist? And everyone has to start somewhere. Some people, however, have a much larger platform because of prior success doing something else.

If she had discovered songwriting first, she would have arrived through a different door, she added.

“I am an artist and I always have been, and my platform, or my way of expressing myself, used to be through storytelling videos. Now I story-tell through songs,” she said.

From her experience, the people looking down on the art made by others are the ones who can’t convince themselves to make a similar jump in their own lives.

“I honestly think everyone should sing. It’s part of the human experience,” she said. “Your first release is not going to be good and that’s just a fact.

Since she didn’t get to tour, Violet splurged and spent her entire built-up tour budget on a massive livestream performance in May. She still hoped to play some shows this year, but that will come as an opener on someone else’s ticket, she said.

She’s also started working on her next album and even has some songs completed that she expects to make the cut, but she’s still searching for a through line to present itself. It took a while for that to happen on the last album, but once it came, Tess Violet knew exactly what she wanted to say.

“I have the sense the project hasn’t quite revealed itself to me,” she said.

Lonsdale Avenue has been a cornerstone of North Vancouver since the city’s early days. When North Vancouver was first established, Lonsdale was planned as a prominent thoroughfare, running right down the middle of the city’s layout. Its strategic importance was tied to its role in transportation—originally, the ferry at the foot of Lonsdale (in Lower Lonsdale) was a key connection point. These ferries, initially privately owned, were later managed by the government as the city grew, ensuring steady access to resources and workforce mobility. This made Lonsdale a vital lifeline for the burgeoning community, connecting it to downtown Vancouver and beyond.

As of 2019, Lonsdale has become a desirable area for young professional families, business owners, and investors. With the cost of living in downtown Vancouver skyrocketing, many are drawn to North Vancouver for a high quality of life while still being close to the city. The avenue features art installations, new parklet outdoor spaces, and some of the North Shore’s best restaurants, shops, cafes, and parks.

Lower Lonsdale, closer to the waterfront, is known for its real estate market, with a mix of houses, apartments, condos, and vacant lots for sale. It’s also home to the Lonsdale Quay Market and the Shipyards, a popular spot for dining, events, and waterfront views.

Further up the avenue, Central Lonsdale is more residential but still vibrant with charming coffee shops, restaurants, and boutique stores. It’s a walkable area with a community feel, often highlighted for its rows of shops and eateries.

Lonsdale Avenue encapsulates the evolution of North Vancouver—from a ferry-dependent settlement to a modern, thriving community. It’s a place where history meets contemporary living, offering a balance of cultural richness, accessibility, and community spirit.