JENNIFER'S BODY

Screenplay by Diablo Cody
Directed by Karyn Kusama

Megan Fox
Amanda Seyfried
Johnny Simmons
Adam Brody

Premiere date: September 18, 2009
R for sexuality, bloody violence, language and brief drug use.

Small town high school student Jennifer is possessed by a hungry demon. She transitions from being high school evil - gorgeous, stuck up and ultra-attitudinal - to the real deal: evil-evil. The glittering beauty becomes a pale and sickly creature jonesing for a meaty snack, and guys who never stood a chance with the heartless babe take on new luster in the light of Jennifer's insatiable appetite. Meanwhile, Jennifer's lifelong best friend Needy, long relegated to living in Jennifer's shadow, must step up to protect the town's young men, including her nerdy boyfriend Chip.

Now I Feel All Bad And Stuff

Over the past week I've been taking great joy in Jennifer's Body's lack of box office clout. I was quite pleased with the fact that Megan Fox's first starring venture didn't prove too successful. I was hoping studio execs wouldn't be as quick to cast her in the future.
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But today the new issue of Entertainment Weekly reached my mailbox. Jennifer's Body screenwriter Diablo Cody is a columnist for the magazine, and this week she talked about how disappointing it was to have written a flop.
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"You see, Jennifer's Body, or as I like to call it, "J-Bod," was essentially DOA at the box office. And since I both wrote and executive-produced this future (I hope) cult favorite, I wasn't feeling so grand the next day. In fact, I felt like drawing a hot bath and dragging a razor across my Achilles tendons. Granted, a lot of my favorite movies tanked their first weekend out, but when it's happening to you, in the moment, well, it stings."

Well, dang it. I guess I hadn't stopped to think about all the people besides Fox who worked hard and had their hopes dashed. I wouldn't normally care, because bad movies deserve to be panned. I'm aware that plenty of people are down on Cody, but she'll always have at least a small piece of my heart for writing Juno, a film I adored despite the too-hip-for-words vibe it elicits.
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She goes on in the column to say that Toni Collette's unexpected Emmy win for Cody's show, "The United States of Tara" came at just the right time and lifted her spirits, but all the same I can't imagine how disappointing it must feel to have something you created and loved met with such indifference. I almost feel bad enough to rush out and buy a ticket, but I guess I have to remind myself that rejection and discouragement are part of showbiz.
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Better luck next time, Diablo.

TIFF: Jennifer's Body

Last night was the Midnight Madness debut of Jennifer's Body, screenwriter Diablo Cody's follow-up to the massive success that was Juno. There are quite a few reactions hitting the web today, and the response seems to be mixed to bad.

Anne Thompson of indieWIRE reports that the movie is scary-fun, saying:

"Jennifer’s Body is great fun. It’s exactly what it sets out to be: an unpretentious send-up of coming-of-age horror movies with a delicious lesbian edge. Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried strike just the right tone as two best buds, one hot and popular, the other nerdy and cute."

Todd Gilchrist from Cinematical feels differently:

"Jennifer's Body substitutes hipster credibility for emotional currency, confuses pop-psychology insight with substantive social commentary, and measures terror on a scale that ranges from the word boo to a dead spider; in short, Jennifer's Body just does not work."

Lots of varying takes, but for me it's looking like a miss for Cody and company here, certainly not helped by Megan Fox's complete lack of talent, though I think people should keep in mind this was probably not a film that anyone, including its makers, were taking too seriously.

What do you think? Are you planning to catch Jennifer's Body?

TOP 10: High School Movies

September is here everyone. Another school year is starting up, and with Jennifer's Body hitting theaters on the 18th, I thought it would be a fitting time to go through my ten favorite movies about high school. I could give you an honorable mention list of a few that almost made it, but that would be cheating, wouldn't it? These are the best, in my opinion. On with the list!

10. Grease

The highest-grossing movie musical of all time is still a hit with every generation. Not only is it full of fun song and dance numbers that are still classics today, but the movie takes on what it's like to be the new kid in school, cliques and gangs, peer pressure, teen pregnancy, and the all-important high school dance. Grease launched the careers of some of the era's brightest stars, most notably John Travolta.

9. Mean Girls

What seemed like just another obnoxious teen comedy turned out to be a smartly-written and insightful look at the world of teenage girls. Elevated by the powerful comedy of Tina Fey and great performances from Lindsey Lohan and Rachel McAdams, Mean Girls showed how brutal girls in high school - even those that say they're your friends - can be. That four-way phone call is an all-too-familiar blast from every girl's past.

8. American Graffiti

This post-graduation tale of teens facing their first adult decisions made stars out of Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfus, and Harrison Ford. The teens in American Graffiti are out for one last joyride of a night before they officially grow up. Tomorrow they decide whether or not to stay with their girlfriends, where to go to college, and just what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Before the night ends, they squeeze in every adventure possible, and we share the joys of their last-ditch adolescence.

7. Carrie

High school can indeed be horrific, but nothing that happened in my high school years was quite as terrifying as Carrie White's blood-soaked takeover of prom. After her classmates pull a mean-spirited prank on her when she gets her first period, Carrie's humiliation turns into a supernatural, terror-inducing hostage situation. Even scarier than her transformation into a demonic torturess is her crazy, Bible-thumping mother.

6. Election

One of the funniest takes on high school ever is this gem from director Alexander Payne. Adapted from the book by Tom Perrotta, Election is the story of a history teacher (Matthew Broderick) trying to thwart the ambitions of over-achiever Tracy Flick (played perfectly by Reese Witherspoon). The film is shown from the perspectives of four different characters, each one hilariously original and free from stereotypes. The smartest girl in school is a homewrecker, the teacher is a bad guy, and the biggest heart in the high school belongs to the football star.

5. Fast Times at Ridgemont High

To this day, no one beats Sean Penn at portraying the stoned slacker. Penn's Jeff Spicoli is one of the funniest screen characters in memory, but the greatest thing about Amy Heckerling's high school film is the truth behind even the zaniest characters. First-time screenwriter Cameron Crowe went undercover as a high school senior while in his 20s and was inspired to write Fast Times, which could explain why I recognize every character here. What seems like a film about a bunch of kids just out to have fun is actually a testimony to how fast kids are forced to grow up, and the heartbreaks they experience even at such a young age.

4. Rebel Without a Cause

James Dean portrays the new kid in school, Jim Stark, a troubled, bullied loner who can't seem to catch a break in Rebel Without a Cause. His first day at his new school brings a gang confrontation and a knife fight. Natalie Wood plays Judy, a girl who takes an interest in him, and Sam Mineo plays his depressed friend. Stark was not the neat and tidy kids of Leave It to Beaver; he was a real teen with real problems that kids at home could finally relate to.

3. Clueless

This smart and funny film about a rich Beverly Hills student who tried to help those around her is loosely based on Jane Austen's Emma. Alicia Silverstone shines as Cher, who spends her time playing matchmaker for lonely teachers, showing an awkward new girl the ropes at their hip high school, and monitering her dad's cholesterol. And who doesn't love Cher's fountain revelation? "I love Josh!" So classic.

2. Say Anything...

This passionate teen romance between sheltered high school valedictorian Diane Court and earnest but nerdy kickboxer Lloyd Dobler is sure to inspire a few fond memories of young love. John Cusack and Ione Skye have real, tangible chemistry and create an iconic love story with some iconic moments. Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" playing out of Lloyd Dober's boombox is as memorable as it gets. Say Anything... also introduced us to the Cameron Crowe special - the in-the-car-radio-singalong - with John Mahoney warbling "Ricky Don't Lose That Number".

1. The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club is the undisputed champ, and has been since its release in 1985. The recent passing of writer-director John Hughes has led a lot of people to reflect on his contributions to cinema, and first and foremost in everyone's heart and mind is this classic about five teens stuck in Saturday detention, struggling to prove they're more than a brain, an athlete, a princess, a basket case, and a criminal. It's the most honest take on the hell that is high school, and the teens' blatant definance of Principal "Dick" Vernon ("You mess with the bull, you get the horns!") is still a vicarious thrill all these years later. Don't you forget about this one.

What are your favorite high school movies? How many of my faves would make your top 10? Are you looking forward to Jennifer's Body? Leave some love in the comments.

September 2009

September is the month that the Oscar race officially begins. We have a slew of festivals coming up in the next couple of weeks (Telluride, Venice, Toronto) and when things calm down we'll have a much clearer view of where this awards season is headed.

Only a few contenders are making their way into the fray this month, however. September 18th will usher in Jane Campion's period romance Bright Star and the Steven Soderbergh corporate comedy The Informant! Both of which have picked up some buzz already.

We'll also see Jennifer's Body, a film that has no awards potential (Megan Fox seriously cannot act, and high school killer comedies are not AMPAS cuppa), but has a script by Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody. I must admit I have an interest here. It's embarrassing, since I don't exactly expect the movie to be good, but I'm interested in Cody's Juno follow-up.

I was hoping we'd have heard good things about Coco Before Chanel, starring the lovely French actress Audrey Tautou (Amelie) as the fashion legend, but so far the response has been rather muted. Ah, well. There are always a few that disappoint.

This month will definitely be laying the foundation for the forthcoming Oscar season. What are you looking forward to seeing in September?