I had the opportunity to see Jennifer’s Body, and I was going in think that it would be one of the worst movies of the year or at lest on of the worse horror movies of the year but it wasn’t all that bad. I refuse to say that it was good because it wasn’t… all it was, was entertaining and nothing more. It was popcorn fun, it was stupid and some things did not make sense but I think Diablo Cody had fun with this. I had one big expectation about this movie, but it turned out to be a twist for me and perhaps some for some of the audiences too… this is NOT a vampire movie, but rather a movie about teenage girl possessed by a demon.
To get started, I want to elaborate on some of the positive aspects of this movie; keep in mind the words ‘some.’ For starters, there were some pretty freaky scenes in the movie including some of the apparitions that Needy sees, one killings was a bit unnerving because it was silhouetted and Megan Fox all bloodied up and smiling is a bit freaky but it can also be funny seeing how this isn’t her kind of movie.
The idea of having a movie set in a small rural town with today’s youth and make it about possession was an interesting concept and it was handled quite well by Cody but there was one major problem that I had with this, and this brings me to my first negative point. Diablo Cody, after the breakthrough with Juno, established that she can write good, witty realistic teenage dialogue but for a movie like this… it seems too awkward and it kind of puts you out of the movie and some of the scarier scenes were broken because of typical teenage conversations (ex: when Jennifer is floating above the pool). I get the purpose of this, it was try to make this more realistic and Cody was have fun but it was just something that was too strange for me.
Another big issue that I had with this movie was some of the pointless scenes. The one scene that everybody went ape shit over was when Jennifer and Needy had this intimate kissing scene in which close ups of their lips and tongues were shown. Question, what was the point of this? It serves no purpose and I think that it was only in their to exploit Fox’s sexiness. Another pointless scene, that also aided in the sexiness was when Jennifer was swimming naked through the lake… then gets out naked and walks away. Again, what’s the point?
I am not going to bash Cody for this movie cause, quite honestly, there are more stupid and unentertaining movies then this and for a demon possession movie… pretty original and it does stand out from you typical teenage horror “horror-comedy” movies. There were a lot of scenes that didn’t need to be there (which makes me question why an Oscar winner would make a movie with plot holes?), some corniness and awkward conversational exchange.
It wasn’t that bad of a movie but it was far from being a good movie, it was average and it did have it’s laughs and some spooks but not enough to make me fully appreciate it or even or even buy it. It was original and I will give it that but if you are a horror fan looking for a good possession flick, I strongly urge you stay away from this movie but if you are a part of the younger generation of horror, then you’ll like it.
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5 comments:
I really don't think you got the point of the movie at all.
The kissing scene is one of the more intense parts of the film. It's almost terrifying. Sure, Jen hasn't killed any girls yet, but you don't know what her motive is. The scene isn't there as a cheap gimmick to turn on little boys. It's an interesting exchange between two friends, and gives a deeper insight into their friendship. There is a sexual tension there. What's more interesting is that there's this back and forth or tug of war in that moment. One minute Needy is initiating it, then Jennifer takes control, and it ends with Needy on top. Needy breaks from her more submissive role there. Also important is the unflinching camera work, which serves to further push the dread.
The lake scene is gorgeous. There's this sort of still, icy-looking water, and Jennifer is more in tune with nature and things around her. She's become more superfluous in her being, and in that moment she's so natural. I also imagine she needs to wash off after eating that boy.
I really think you should read my review: http://www.brutalashell.com/?p=3948
I think what you're missing, most importantly, is the connection between the teenage sexual awakening, in juxtaposition to the friendship between two girls. It's interesting how Jen is after the boys Needy takes interest in, even though she really has no interest in them at all. I've been in friendships like that. You like someone, and there's your prettier slutty friend pissing on your tree.
When girls come of age and start coming into their own sexually, it's a very frightening time, and I think this movie taps into that in a clever way. The girl-girl dynamic intermingled with heightened sexuality share the focus in this film. I think all you're seeing is the surface, which is fine. You can walk into a movie and enjoy the pretty moving pictures and hear the dialogue without really listening to it. You can be entertained that way. But I also think this isn't one of those movies where you just turn your brain off. I think it's a victim of poor marketing, and marketing rules all. We listen to what the advertisements tell us, and the advertisements say this movie is about Megan Fox being hot and killing boys. It just isn't.
Also, why on earth would you think it would be a vampire movie?
I understood Jen's need for Needy's friends and I thought that was interesting to see her say that she is not insecure when she is. In fact, from the start because of how she thinks of herself and the way she goes after the band you can tell that she is only doing that for attention.
I am not a girl, so I don't know anything about this awakening but every guy in the theater was hooting and howling when that kiss came on and even the girl's in the theater were laughing at it. I got the connection between Needy and Jen (especially when they hold hands) but it SEEMED out of place from my perspective.
As for the lake scene, yes, it was beautifully shot and I would imagine that she needed to wash up but it kind of came out as a bit random.
I got the feeling it was a vampire movie because of how closely the poster resembles True Blood and everyone going to see it said it was 'Megan Fox being a vampire.' I didn't read about it online.
i bet Megan Fox's popularity will wane severely in the next few months...
it sucked. it really sucked.
I just saw it, and I agree with Britt. I'm a guy but I'd imagine she was right on her assessment of just about everything.
The lake scene was my favorite in the entire movie. We already know the forest creatures are drawn to her, like some natural force. As Britt said, this also shows how more in-tune she is with nature. Then, we see that scene of the perfectly still lake, that cold, overcast sky and the silent forest all around. Then you have "Celestial Crown" from The Sword (one of my favorite bands)...it just gave me goosebumps and I can't stop thinking about it. It's not even Megan Fox, just that it was so beautifully shot and the visuals (tone, shade, hue) were perfect.
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