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Hot off the heels of the first ever BENJAMIN BUTTON review , we've got another "first ever" review today - this time a look at the horror-comedy JENNIFER'S BODY. Starring Megan Fox with a script by JUNO Oscar-winner Diablo Cody. It was meant as an homage to films like EVIL DEAD but was it successful? "That Chilean Kid" caught a screening of the film (he was told they were the "first outside the studio" to see it) and shares with us his thoughts (some mild spoilers ahead).
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Okay so in my respective city they had screening for a movie and my friends got some tickets for it. It said "dark horror comedy with Megan Fox." Then it said "from JUNO writer Diablo Cody." Ugh, don't get me wrong, JUNO is good (not sure if it's Oscar-worthy or even nomination good) but JUNO in a dark comedy horror? The guy saw we were anxious but said "WAIT!!! Megan Fox is topless!!!" Well that sold my buddies. Nonetheless not only *SPOILER ALERT* did we not see her topless but the movie was indeed quite awful.
First the story is about two girls who have been glorious friends since they played in the sandbox and Jennifer (Megan Fox) is the preppy school cheerleader who all the girls wants to be and all the boys want. Needy (Amanda Seyfried... the girl from MEAN GIRLS who coul tell the weather with her boobs) is the social outcast. Not to give away much but one night something bad happens and Jennifer becomes a monster thing that eats boys. And Needy becomes the hero who tries to stop her.
So far, nothing special. The opening scene opens up with some light JUNO-ish music and for a split second I think that it's Juno narrating, what with quick quips and a sarcastic tone. Everything moves very much like JUNO and in fact most of the cast from JUNO is back. J.K. Simmons is back in a delightfully funny role as a teacher with a hook for a hands and the haircut of a crazy person. Juno's mother is back as another mother and even the Asian girl from outside the abortion clinic scene is back for just one scene again. Why you can even see Diablo Cody as a bartender if you look close.
Everything is moving until Fox comes back and is drenched in blood and everything switches gears to horror. At first it is kind of interesting until Fox pukes up black goo or as Needy says "pure evil." I for one saw it as the fall point of the film. The entire audience took it in for a few minutes then just laughed their heads off at what was supposed to be a scary scene. From there Needy freaks out, Jennifer runs, and we switch into drama mode of Needy crying and freaking out. Then back at highschool its JUNO mode. And thats the film basically in a nutshell.
To describe it in one word? Schizophrenic. The film continuously switches gears and like a first time driver with stick shift, it happens to fast and the car dies (in this case the film falls flat). Dark comedy? Yes there is a scene where J.K. Simmons thinks a youth screaming is just mourning and yes that was funny but that was just about the only scene where people laughed because it was meant to be funny. This movie is one of those cases where we weren't laughing WITH you. We are laughing AT you.
The film's performances are pretty decent. Seyfried does as good as one could to hold up the film even though it's this bad. Megan wasn't horrifyingly bad but neither was she good. There was a scene where it's a real big close up of her kissing another chick (YES!!!!). The men in the audience hooted and cheered even though it was completely random and the director put it in as a a kind of apology for not giving up the real goods (no Megan Fox boobage). Brody was a pretty quirky character as a indie singer just trying to make it in the real world but no real screen time to make it good enough. His lip syncing was dreadful as well.
So if I had to give it a rating, I'd say a 3 out of 10 .
PS - The ARMY OF DARKNESS and EVIL DEAD references? They just worked against the film because it just reminded me of what a dark, horror comedy is supposed to be. Not this.
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Where'd the Megan Fox topless scene go?? What a bummer. I could deal with that if we were at least getting a decent movie in return but it's not sounding too good. JENNIFER'S BODY opens in theaters in 2009.
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 Tyler Durden4
on Aug 8 2008, 10:18:18 PM writes:
IM SURE
That by the time of release it will be a lot less choppy. |
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Grand_Marquis
on Aug 8 2008, 7:47:58 PM writes:
Well hopefully this review will help the film for the better. They still got lots of time |
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nickdoll
on Aug 8 2008, 7:39:56 PM writes:
AGREE
Loved Juno. Think Megan Fox is super hot.
Still, read the script for this movie... It was HORRIBLE. That's right, Horrible in all caps. |
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Legs4DaLame
on Aug 8 2008, 6:40:19 PM writes:
I am among the party that actually thought Juno was one of the worst movies of last year. Perhaps it was the solid hype that killed it off, but it just didn't work for me. It was an overblown episode of the Gilmore Girls, only, somehow, less funny.
Honest to blog, I did love Thank You for Smoking, so here's hoping that this bombs so badly that Jason Reitman stays far away from Ms Cody and her hip-shit lingo from here on out. |
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Mark_Rumsfield
on Aug 8 2008, 6:33:44 PM writes:
JUNO IS DEFINITELY MY FAVORITE MOVIE TO EVER BE NOMINATED FOR AN ACADEMY AWARD
I meant that comment and if you think differently, good for you, since that's one thing opinions are good for. Diversity and contrast. I honestly don't think much of the academy awards, so to me it doesn't seem like such a bold statement. Sure, sometimes they nominate good movies and performances, but it's not something that happens regularly in my opinion, and seldom if ever do the good nominees win.
The Independent Spirit Awards are more up my alley, since Juno and Ellen Page won at that awards show. And that other time Catalina Sandino Moreno won best actress for Maria Full of Grace. Yeah, I think she was way better than Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby, but not according to the oscar voters.
If it makes you feel any better, I'm more excited for the next Ellen Page films than the next Diablo Cody films. And while I loved the script for Juno, the main thing that made it so phenomenal to me was Ellen Page's performance.
And I would still take Hard Candy any day over Juno, since it was an even better movie and an even better character for Ellen Page. |
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 AlteredEffect
on Aug 8 2008, 4:58:09 PM writes:
Well ladies and gents. Thats why the studios have screenings. This film Could very well change by the time we see it. And it could very well be bad direction rather than bad writing. All will tell in time. |
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Cahoot
on Aug 8 2008, 4:55:30 PM writes:
I'm a little surprised about all the hate Juno is receiving here, but at the same time I'm hoping that Mark_Rumsfield's comment about Juno being the best academy award winning movie is just poorly executed sarcasm.
This movie however (and I'm barely taking into account this review) looks horrible.
Megan Fox can't carry a movie, and I doubt Diablo Cody will ever write a script that is on par with Juno ever again. Also, Horror/comedy has to be one of the hardest genres to write in. |
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 justinpdrew
on Aug 8 2008, 4:28:09 PM writes:
Hmm. I liked Juno, didn't think it was as flawless as some people said but I also didn't think it was shit either. I can't believe how divisive that movie is: truly a love-it or hate-it movie. I thought Knocked Up dealt with the subjects of pregnancy and true love much better, and was funnier if way more raunchy. Juno was overrated, but at the same time, underrated.
As for this movie, this will be the movie that makes or breaks Diablo Cody. If it flops, it might be the Heaven's Gate to Juno's Deer Hunter.
Or, it might do well, based on Juno's hyper teen fanbase + chick from Transformers + audiences like horror, despite its shittiness. In that case, she might have an M. Night Shyamalan-style career where people realize slowly after every poor movie she makes that she isn't a great screenwriter, just one with a decent script and a controversial topic that captured people's attention.
Either way, I see her falling from grace in the critics' and audiences' eyes before she has another solid, all-around, Juno-sized hit. |
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 BlakeRom
on Aug 8 2008, 3:59:30 PM writes:
"Juno is the absolute BEST movie to ever be nominated for an academy award."
wow. |
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spaulding325
on Aug 8 2008, 3:54:24 PM writes:
Zeon, I agree to an end. I love Megan Fox as much as the next guy, but if people are actually not going to see a movie because she's not naked, there's something seriously wrong.
However, I saw Juno twice, just because after the first time I feared I had been jaded by all the hype, and you know what? It just wasn't a good movie. sugarontop mentioned that they treated teen pregnancy really lightly, and that's true; I've had friends who were pregnant at sixteen who HATED that movie because of how casually they went about it. Also, I don't care if it's just a movie, there's no excuse for characters talking in one-liners. That's just bad writing. |
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11:17 |
Episode #1 of the JOBLO MOVIE SHOW |
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01:18 |
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE clip |
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0:32 |
Maggie Q In Revealing Lingerie - DECEPTION |
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01:32 |
Kill of the Day #91 |
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01:58 |
LABOR PAINS Trailer |
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02:09 |
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN behind the scenes |
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01:26 |
CLEAVAGEFIELD trailer |
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02:30 |
MAX PAYNE International Trailer |
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07:08 |
Katey Sagal Looking Hot During Interview - LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON |
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0:46 |
Jenna Fischer Looking Very Hot - THE PROMOTION |
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