She's All That (1999)

Directed by: Robert Iscove

Starring: Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, Paul Walker, Kevin Pollack, Kieran Culkin, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, Dule Hill, Gabrielle Union, Usher Raymond and Anna Paquin

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Teen Comedy, Romantic Comedy

Zack Siler (Prinze Jr.) thinks he has it made. He’s a soccer star, the most popular guy in school, has his choice of Ivy League colleges, and the hottest girlfriend. When Taylor (O’Keefe) dumps him for reality TV star Brock Hudson (Lillard), Zack is shocked and hurt. This doesn’t stop him from making a bet with his friend Dean (Walker) that he could take any girl in school and turn her into the prom queen. Enter Laney Boggs (Cook), the solitary art freak who is more interested in the world’s problems than prom. Will Zack stick to the bet, or will he realize there’s more to Laney than meets the eye?

While this movie is cute, it has always struck a negative chord with me. It’s never been a personal favorite of mine, even when I was a young teen. I don’t know why, exactly. Maybe it’s because Zack doesn’t really seem to fall for Laney until after she’s made over to fit society’s idea of beautiful. Maybe it’s because Laney can’t seem to stand up for herself when she needs to most. I can’t put my finger on it, but for some reason this movie never charmed me.

For one thing, the characters are all rather clichéd, not seeming to have any true personality. The only character who is the least bit different from the usual is Laney. She’s an artist, a feminist, someone who cares about world issues. These are the reasons kids her age avoid her – because she focuses on things that they don’t want to think about. They just want to kick back and have fun, not worry about real world issues (unless it is the latest episode of the MTV reality series). Zack could easily be interchanged with half the other romantic lead male characters of the 90s teen comedies. Then, of course, there’s his jerkwad best friend (Dean), his nice guy friend (Preston), the bitchy, self-involved popular girl (Taylor), her lackeys, and the comic relief (Brock). None have distinct personalities; they all kind of blend together.

The acting is decent. Normally, I rag on Freddie Prinze Jr.’s acting, but the male lead in romantic comedies is all he seems to know how to do. In these films he’s cute and charming; it’s when he tries to be serious that I feel he falls flat. Rachael Leigh Cook is adorable and she brings the right amount of attitude to Laney Boggs – well as much as the script allowed, anyway. I could see Laney punching Taylor in the face or shoving her into the pool at Preston’s party, but apparently the screenwriters didn’t see that fitting her character. Matthew Lillard was hilarious as Brock Hudson, and honestly his dance scene is the only reason I’ve watched this film more than once. The other characters are really too minor to note.

I think the plot itself may be what bothers me the most about this film. The audience finds itself rooting for Zack and Laney to get together, even though it’s known that Zack is spending time with her to win a bet. Yes, we are aware that he’s falling for her, of course he is, that’s the formula of the genre. Still, he doesn’t really see her for her until she changes to fit his ideal. After her make over, she may still wear her paint spattered clothes, but her style is more tuned in to popular fashion. She also fixes her hair every day, wears make up when she never did before, and stops wearing her glasses. Worst of all, he gets her to open up to him, when there’s still a good chance he’s using her to win the bet. As someone who is a lot like Laney, opening up to new people terrifies me, especially since I’ve been hurt so many times. I feel for her, and understand why she doesn’t trust easily, so when she opens up to him, I fear for her.

The ending is fairly predictable, but if you’ve seen one teen romantic comedy, you’ve seen them all. Also, am I the only one who finds the choreographed Senior Class Dance a little awkward and unrealistic?

There are a few things I noticed in the film that, as a Buffy fan, made me geek out a little. Sarah Michelle Gellar can easily be spotted in the cafeteria scene. The prom photographer was a villain in the episode “Anne.” Also, the high school where this film was shot is the same high school that was used as Sunnydale High.

Overall, it’s not a bad flick, but it is clichéd and predictable. Laney is the only character I really like, and even she could use some work. The film is cute, but nothing special.

6/10

Rocktober Blood (1984)

Directed by: Beverly Sebastian

Starring: Tray Loren, Donna Scoggins, Renee Hubbard, and Nigel Benjamin

Rated: R

Genre: Horror, Slasher

It’s been two years since rock star Billy Eye killed twenty five people, including his friends and staff. Now, the only surviving witness to his crimes, Lynn Starling, has taken his place at the head of the band. However, despite the years of therapy, she still can’t get over the trauma of nearly dying at the hands of Billy Eye. She thinks she sees him in the concert hall, in the woods by her home, and in her house, but her friends insist she’s imagining things. Is she really just going crazy, or is Billy Eye back from the dead?

The first thing I liked about this movie was the heroine. She may be weaker than many in her genre, but she sticks to her beliefs even when everyone else thinks she’s crazy¸ and she stands her ground against  men like Billy Eye (prior to death, of course). She is also one of the few female horror characters to have a nude scene (two in fact) and survive the film. I found that refreshing. I didn’t like how she dissolved into a useless mess whenever she was confronted by Billy, hardly ever fighting back. Girl, it’s a life or death situation, get your head in the game.

The acting is pretty awful. Donna Scoggins is okay as Lynn, but occasionally falters and becomes weak. Yet, her performance was the strongest in the film. Tray Loren wasn’t very convincing at all as the insane Billy Eye. His constant maniacal laughter made me want to punch him in the throat. Honestly, cut that out. It’s not scary, it’s irritating.

The plot is fun, but I would have liked the film to focus more on the entire band, not just on Billy stalking Lynn and playing with her head. I think they were trying to go for more of a suspense theme than a full blown slasher, but it didn’t work out so well. Also, that ending is rather ridiculous. The reveal of “Billy” is soap operatic, and the motivation for the killings is lame. The movie also ends abruptly without the audience learning what happens to either Billy or Lynn. Since I’ve been following her throughout the movie and caring about her character, I’d like to know that she remains okay. Apparently, the filmmakers don’t agree with that.

The special effects/gore were pretty tame. There’s a little blood, but not too much. Many of the deaths are bloodless, although fairly creative. For instance, this is the first time I’ve seen someone taken out with a clothing iron.  Still, the death scenes weren’t very scary or entertaining.

Overall, this is another cheesy entry in the 80s slasher craze. This one combines 80s hairband rock music with a generic slasher flick. Aside from a couple likable characters, the film is rather dull.

4/10

The Switch (2010)

Directed by: Josh Gordon and Will Speck

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Jeff Goldblum, Juliette Lewis, Thomas Robinson and Patrick Wilson

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Drama

Wally Mars is shocked by the news that his best friend, Kassie, has decided to have a baby on her own. Having had little luck in relationships, she has realized her biological clock is ticking and has decided to take matters into her own hands. Unable to admit his true feelings for Kassie, Wally gets blackout drunk at the party she has to celebrate her insemination. Kassie moves back home to have help raising her child, leaving Wally in New York. Seven years later, she returns, and Wally comes to the realization that he very well could be the father of Kassie’s son, Sebastian.

The plot is fairly original, even if, in places, it is gross. It mixes the best friend’s unrealized love, a drunken mistake, and a love triangle into something a little fresher than we’re used to. It is still a formulaic romantic comedy, following the same path they all do – everything going great, big bump that breaks up the couple, and climactic ending – but at least the story is good enough that it doesn’t really matter.

The cast is great. If there’s one thing that Jennifer Aniston knows how to do, it’s comedy – even if she’s often the straight woman to everyone else’s quirks. She’s believable as a woman unlucky in love and she plays a great mother. Jason Bateman is hilarious, bringing all of Wally’s neuroses to life and making him sympathetic despite what the audience knows he has done. Jeff Goldblum and Juliette Lewis are fun as the best friends of Wally and Kassie respectively. Patrick Wilson probably had the least to work with, and his character was boring, but I think that was the point. He’s bland, he talks too much, and he’s in the way of Wally and Kassie’s potential love.

The story managed to combine comedy and drama very well. I could laugh along with the silly things like sperm shaped confetti, pretty much anything coming out of Jeff Goldblum or Juliette Lewis’s mouths, and the neurotic tendencies of both Wally and Sebastian. There are also very touching moments, such as Wally and Sebastian’s bonding time, Sebastian’s explanation for his picture frame collection, and the moment he and Wally are ripped apart. It could have just been my hormones, but I was almost crying in a couple of these scenes. Bateman and Thomas Robinson (Sebastian) have a great chemistry.

Overall, I thought it was a cute flick with a nice balance of comedy, romance, and drama. The plot is something we haven’t seen before and the cast really brings it to life.

7/10