Change Your Image
ashisthegal
Reviews
But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
"5,6,7,8, god is good, god is straight!"
SPOILER: This movie definitely doesn't have as much recognition as it deserves.
I absolutely love this movie. I appreciate its comedy, and its love story, and the valuable lesson it tries to get across its audience: Just Be Yourself!
This movie is about a typical teenage girl named Megan Bloomfield living in a suburban neighborhood. She's got is all, looks, popularity, the jock boyfriend, and also, she's head cheerleader! But there is something odd about this girl that no one can put their finger on. Why does she seem so disinterested in making out with her boyfriend? Why does she have pictures of girls in her locker? Why does she eat TOFU? There must be only one answer: She's totally, 100%...GAY! It's the only reason for the way she's behaving, so off her parents force her to go, to a rehab camp called True Directions for Gay People. Six weeks in this place and you come out straight as a pin, they claim.
Going in, Megan doesn't think she's gay, but it only takes her a few days to think otherwise. Soon she is doing all the exercises to make herself normal again.
Then she meets bad girl lesbian Graham Eaton, a girl that shares a room with her. Well at first, the two hate each other, but then soon afterwords, become friends. Graham tells her that no one can change who you are, but Megan is determined to graduate. Suddenly, the relationship between the two of them becomes more than friends, and Megan realizes she wants to be with Graham, and it doesn't matter what anyone else says, she will always be Megan, head cheerleader, and lesbian.
Gia (1998)
Better than HBO.
I really enjoyed this movie for a number of reasons. First of all, I love movies based on a true story. I gotta watch more of those. Second of all, the way this extraordinary girl went from a person every woman in America would envy to an AIDS victim was painful to watch, but touching at the same time, because it isn't until after she gives up the drugs and was on the road to survival (for good) that she knows she has AIDS. She had given up the drugs, went through the hard process of rehab only to be told it was too late. But at least she died with her head held high, knowing she had survival in her blood, had it not been for her demise.
Gia was enchanting. She was a breath of fresh air, something different, she set a whole new line for the fashion industry, and her spunky nature and ability to be open about her sexuality will never been forgotten.
That Thing You Do! (1996)
"You're talking gibberish!"
This movie just worked. I remember seeing this in the theater a few years ago and falling in love with Guy Patterson from Eerie, PA, as well as all the classic Wonder Songs.
This movie is about four boys from a little town in PA trying to make the big time. You have the handsome and talented lead singer Jimmy, the easy-going, yet totally charming Percussion player Guy (Shades!) the funny-in-a-dumbass way guitarist Lenny, and let us not forget the airheaded Bass Player. They start out in Jimmy's garage singing a slow ballad called That Thing You Do and decide its good enough to play in a contest. They are up on stage and all of a sudden Guy gets an idea and starts playing That Thing You Do a few notches too fast. The next thing you know you have a up-tempo 50's classic which makes these boys rich and famous, even if its only for a little while.
This movie is all about living in the moment. It also gives the audience a little taste of what its like in the Music World, and how some people would do anything to get their fifteen minutes of fame. In the end, The Wonders are no more, but they are remembered, and the result is a beautiful love story. 10/10
Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
Get off the road, you ponytail and glasses freak!
Not Another Teen Movie was surly, just the opposite - it was every teen movie there is, blown way into exaggeration. I don't think this movie is brillant in any way, shape or form, nor do I think it is original; however, I don't think that was the point. So that's fine. I admit there were a lot of sex jokes, and definitely some weird exaggerations, some of them gross, some sexual, etc. But I have noticed that's how all spoof movies are. I'm not sure what anyone else was expecting from this except that. It's not any worse than American Pie, Ten Things I Hate About You, etc., nor was it better. I admit I did laugh quite a few times. Though I'll probably never see it again, that was good enough for me.
The Time Machine (2002)
Definitely Better Than Expected.
I really hadn't wanted to see this movie at all. I was sort of forced to watch it, but in the end I really actually enjoyed it. For some reason I thought it would be a action packed movie with a lot of violence, but that wasn't even the case. It was a sort of sweet film about fate and two people that were meant to be.
It starts out in the late 1800's with a sort of rigid, yet carefree guy named Alexander Hartdegen (Guy Pearce) who is very much in love with his girlfriend Emma, played by the lovely Sienne Guillory. The movie starts out harmless enough with Alex proposing to his Emma, but yet the audience can sort of sense something is about to happen...well at least thats how I felt.
So, Alex and Emma are in a park and he pops the question, she says yes, and then he goes on to give her the engagement ring, a moonstone, oh how romantic. Minutes after this lovey-dovey scene takes place, a homeless looking fellow just seems to appear out of nowhere and demands Alex hand over his wallet and his watch. Immediately Emma hides her hand behind her back where her brand-spankin-new ring is placed on her delicate finger. Of course our wise homeless man knew she had this ring and demanded he give it to her. Emma of course puts up a fight and the homeless man tries to attack her to get it from her. Alex then steps in and begs that he doesn't take the ring. The man pulls out a gun and holds it threateningly in his hands. Well then our dear Emma "accidentally" gets shot and the homeless man runs off. The scene ends with Alex holding her in his arms.
Then we are taken to about four years later, where we see a depressed and determined looking Alex working on...a time machine! He decides he is going to go to the past and fix everything so he can have his fiance back.
Does he succeed in going back? Of course. Does he succeed in saving Emma? Of course not, because fate is already set and she was apparently destined to die. Well then our heroic Alex decides he's going to go into the future and try to find the answer to his question (Why won't the past change?) there. In the future he comes across some very startling discoveries--you know, the typical stuff--the doom of mankind, animals taking over the earth, what not, but the rest...you will have to find out for yourself.
Anyway, I enjoyed this film because I thought it made a nice love story, and better yet, a pretty good sci-fi movie as well. The majority of what happens in this film, is of course, very much fiction, but that makes it even more fun. The transitions at the end from the past to the present were beautifully done and the futuristic animals didn't even look too digital.
I give this movie 8/10.
Devil in the Flesh (1998)
Gotta love Rose Mcgowan
I LOVED this movie when it first came out! I almost felt naughty watching it because it was just so ... horrible! I mean that in a good way. Erotic sex, a religious crazed grandmother, students liking teachers, teachers liking students, and a very naughty Rose Mcgowan! I have seen Mcgowan in a few thriller/horror movies but I think this is the first time I saw her play the bad girl (if you don't count Jawbreaker).
Anyway, we start out with a girl named Debbie Strand (Mcgowan) who has just lost her parents after their house burned down. So, she goes to live with her grandmother, and viewers get the impression that these two have never really spent much time together in the past. To start out, the grandmother is a little too religious and a little too psychotic. She is intolerable to Debbie's provocative clothing, boyfriends, language, and bad attitude. We found out early in though, that Debbie is just as intolerable of her grandmothers tolerance. So she doesn't listen to her grandmother one bit--she steals, she cusses, has sex, does drugs, and still wears her provocative clothing. So Debbie kills her grandmother. Yup.
Then, Debbie decides she likes her teacher and wants him for herself. We have already learned that Debbie expects to get what she wants. Her teacher (Alex McArthur) is going to be having a garage sale and needs help, so Debbie offers to help him. Soon we have a crazy murdering teenage girl stalking her teacher and things start to get very...bloody.
Anyhow, this is a must see film if you're a Mcgowan fan (like me!) and like these sorts of cheesy thrillers (like me!)
I give this movie 8/10.