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Author	Topic: TEENAGE MOVIES

joan hue Standard Userer	Howard’s thread on teenage alienation music reminded me that teenage movies have become a genre in themselves like westerns, mysteries, horror, etc. The recent proliferation of teenage movies have been IMHO rather poor, usually banal, and guilty of rehashing without fresh insight the same themes of rebellion, identity crises, alienation and angst, initiation into adulthood, loss of innocence, and popularity. I certainly give credit to the topic of identity, as my observations over the years have been that most adults struggle a lifetime either to cling to their high school identities or to overcome them. (Most successful diet on earth? A reunion.) Still some teenage movies have explored interesting territories through unique lenses. Some that I think are well done are: Rebel Without a Cause-James Dean and a Leonard Rosenman score. Summer of ‘42- Funny, sad, bittersweet with a lovely Michel Legrand score. Last Summer - Brutal, slow film based on Evan Hunter’s novel with Bruce Davison and a not-so-John-boy Richard Thomas. Sixteen Candles. This a guilty pleasure. Laughed out loud many times at the deft performances of king geek Anthony Michael Hall and Gedde Watanabe. Pretty in Pink-Another guilty pleasure with affecting performances by Jon Cryer, Harry Dean Stanton, Andrew McCarthy and the ubiquitous Molly Ringwald. 10 Things I Hate About You- Remake of Taming of the Shrew. Covert and overt humor peppered throughout. Breakfast Club - An exploration of teenage stereotypes. This video is often used (PG version) in high school psychology and sociology classes. Students love to dialogue about these jock, nerd, preppy, etc. roles. Go - A Pulp Fiction for adolescence. Smart script. I do wish that there would be more original scores behind these movies and less flavor-of-the-month songs. What are some of your favorite teen flicks? NP White Fang II [This message has been edited by joan hue (edited 18 May 2000).]
posted 05-18-2000 02:08 PM PT (US)

Chase&August unregistered	Personally, my favorite teen-flick is ANIMAL HOUSE. Other than the SCREAM and I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER films, I haven't seen a good film about teenagers in years. Most of the time (like you said) they try to explore good areas, but I think 99% of them end up failing because they try too hard to be funny. Teen life is not like it is in the movies. Not every guy is the high school quarterback, and not every teenager drives a Porsche or a Mercedes. For the most part, teen films are Number Three on my least of least-favorite genres, right behind Musicals (#2) and Gangsters (#1).
posted 05-18-2000 02:46 PM PT (US)

Chris Kinsinger Standard Userer	Oh, man! This topic has put me in a time machine. TRUE CONFESSIONS: Mentioning The Summer of '42, Joan, took me back to age 17...that film, along with The Graduate caused me to view every older woman in my hometown through different, lecherous eyes. I actually began behaving like a sexual predator with two much older, married women (shocking, isn't it?). One of them was flattered, but put me soundly in my place. The other teased right back, encouraging my advances, and at "the moment" when we were moving toward a first kiss, she began to cry. She broke down, weeping hysterically, and confessed to me how terribly unhappy she was in her marriage. My libido was thereby sidetracked, and I became her friend and confidant. We are still close to this day (she's since been through three husbands, but it looks as though she's finally content). And they tell us that movies don't influence people's behavior. Yeah, right. Goodbye, Columbus was another coming-of-age film that stimulated my teenage libido back in the 60's. I haven't seen any of those films since that time. It would be fascinating to watch them again. Maybe I would be sick.
posted 05-18-2000 03:20 PM PT (US)

joan hue Standard Userer	Chris, you were once a "lecher?" I'm SHOCKED! (And you always seemed like such a nice guy. Now we're back to normal guy. ) I loved Animal House and The Graduate. O.K. we have to expand this to include college age and early 20's movies. I've seen Goodbye, Columbus mentioned on several threads and have NEVER viewed it. It is on my list. [This message has been edited by joan hue (edited 18 May 2000).]
posted 05-18-2000 03:31 PM PT (US)

Chris Kinsinger Standard Userer	"you were once a "lecher?" I'm SHOCKED!" Mom...REMEMBER THE SIXTIES??? EVERY 17 year-old was a lecher!
posted 05-18-2000 05:03 PM PT (US)

joan hue Standard Userer	"Remember the SIXTIES! Every 17 year-old was a lecher." Well all I can say to that as the mother of two absolutely gorgeous young ladies, thank goodness the Sixties are over, and lechery no longer exists!! (Yeah, right.) NP Blow Out
posted 05-18-2000 05:25 PM PT (US)

joan hue Standard Userer	How could I forget one of the best: AMERICAN GRAFFITI. It said it all!
posted 05-18-2000 10:03 PM PT (US)

Chris Kinsinger Standard Userer	American Graffiti has to be the GREATEST teenage film of all time! American Movie Classics has really been taking me back in time, showing teen movies that I loved before I was even a teen! The Lively Set (1964) starring James Darren, Pamela Tiffin & Doug McClure, featuring music by Bobby Darin, was a big favorite of mine when I was 12. I loved hot rods, and this movie is all about them. Seeing it again was like being 12 once more. It's a terrible movie, but it's still fun. Then came the "Bikini" flicks by American International Pictures. My all-time favorite was Dr. Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine starring Vincent Price, Frankie Avalon & Dwayne Hickman. Last week AMC showed The Ghost In The Invisible Bikini starring Tommy Kirk, Deborah Walley, and Nancy Sinatra. This was one of those wonderful movies that featured "special guest stars". In this one they are: Basil Rathbone, Patsy Kelly & Boris Karloff. It's hard to believe that teen movies were once so squeaky-clean, but they were.
posted 05-19-2000 08:08 PM PT (US)

Boris Standard Userer	WHO CAN FORGET Bert I. Gordon's CLASSIC Sci-Fi Teen Pic, "Village Of The Giants" (1965)??? Talk about teenagers with PROBLEMS! Starring Tommy Kirk, Johnny Crawford, Beau Bridges, Ron Howard, Tisha Sterling...and TIM ROONEY!
posted 05-19-2000 09:57 PM PT (US)

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