Kat pans "Not Another Teen Movie." 2 Stars.

[bnorthup]

Not another teen movie (Rated R)
At the Gaslight
Two stars**

Too many Teen movies

By Katherine Northup

“Not Another Teen Movie” was one of the lousiest movies I’ve been to, besides “Laura Croft Tomb Raider.” Even though there was mild humor involved, all of the jokes were crude and vulgar.

“Not Another Teen Movie” had absolutely no point whatsoever. There were many mangled bits from other teen movies, but nothing new. This movie is a parody of teen movies, and borrowed its story from lots of teen movie plots. This farce just happened to follow the main plot of “She’s All That,” which was about a popular jock who asked out a nerd on a dare and fell in love with her.

I know that parodies of movies are rather popular, but there really should be a limit for how many you can put out in a few years span. There have been so many movies that were making fun of other films in the past few years that it really isn’t that cool anymore. Haven’t we had enough of “Scary Movie” movie wannabes?

There were several references to gays and lesbians that were incredibly derogatory and stereotypical. That bothered me to no end. Then the writers went even further to confuse homosexuality with incest. Honestly, how much more prejudiced could a movie be? Oh yeah, I forgot, it also bashed on Africans. That made me even more uncomfortable.

The thing about “Not Another Teen Movie” was that it made fun of good movies even if they were shallow chick-flicks. Not to mention that this was a totally shallow movie.

The poor attempts at comedy just made me uncomfortable. All of them were directed at certain groups of people who have or have had a hard time in society without the media messing it up anyway.

It really made me angry. I mean, I personally have nothing against naked people, but when prejudiced remarks are made against foreigners, homosexuals, women, and Africans, that really annoys the crap out of me.

Now I’ll admit that my friend Morgan saw it with me and laughed more than I did. She found it obscene and disgusting, too, but she kept giggling all the time, anyway.

But for me “Not Another Teen Movie” was just a shallow, poorly made, attempt at something that’s already been done. I would not recommend this movie to anyone because it only promotes the already semi-prejudiced feelings in our world.

END

Katherine, 14, is a freshman at Helena High School.

[Loaf Dealer]

Well, the trailer was funny, anyway. Sounds like this is one for the late night rental club...

[Loaf Dealer]

PS, I just saw it this evening, Lord of the Rings having been sold out, and I must say I can't think of a single truly prejudiced situation in the film. Yes, there was the "token black guy" and all the jokes surrounding that gag, but it was a gag, pure and simple, meant to take digs at all those "serious" teen movies (which, chick flicks or not chick flicks, are not good movies). As were all the other such ribs. I didn't see any "stereotypical" gays or lesbians, and nothing "confusing homosexuality with incest". The football-player's sister was not necessarily a lesbian -- SHE WAS A FREAKIN' NYMPHOMANIAC, a stereotype played out in countless teen movies. There was the occasional crack about towel-snapping or other, but I think you may have overreacted. And there weren't any cracks about foreigners either -- the foreign exchange student (yes, the one who wore no clothes, the naked person) was directly making fun of the character from "American Pie", and that's the only example of a foreigner in the entire movie, unless you want to count the Asian dudes, and if that's the case, you need to rethink your own prejudices. That "Bruce" kid was just a hilarious character, come on. If you can point out any points in the movie that deliberately and maliciously made fun of any so-called "minority groups", then I'll stand corrected. Otherwise, I suggest you verse yourself in teen movies from the '80s to the present, remember that this movie is satire (and hilarious satire at that), and take a good long look at your own preconceptions. Then get back to me.

I for one loved every minute of it. I haven't had so many gut-busting laughs in a theater since "Rat Race". Yes, I'm a sucker for cheap laughs. So sue me. ;)