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Reviews
Pump Up the Volume (1990)
My number one teen flick
I clearly remember the impact this movie made on me. I was a teenager when it came out. I saw a trailer for it and thought: "I've GOT to see that movie!". However, none of my friends were available to see it on the premiere night, so I went alone. That's how excited I was to see it. Funny how you can remember details like that, 16 years later. I guess this movie really spoke to me. I know it did. 'Cause I also remember barely talking to my parents for weeks after I saw it.
Today I still remember it as the ultimate teen flick, perfectly describing teenage frustration and depression like only The Breakfast Club had done before it.
Christian Slater does his best role ever as the introvert Mark Hunter. His family has just moved, and he is unable to make friends at his new school, which is strictly ruled by an uncompromising, unfair principal. At night, Mark sheds his shyness and lets his frustration out on his short wave radio set, believing that no one is listening to the ranting of his pirate radio alter ego, "Happy Harry Hard On". He is soon to discover however, that Happy Harry has become the talk of the school.
If you haven't seen this yet, you should, especially if you're a teenager. In my opinion, this is an absolute teen classic!
The Covenant (2006)
Pretty teens and pretty boring
I have to admit, I rented this movie hoping to get my teenage high school thriller fix on a slow Sunday afternoon. Meaning I watched this mainly hoping that it would just be a fun and light flick a la The Craft. That it was not.
The Covenant is more of a dark horror action flick, somewhere in the confusing dark land between Final Destination and Blade. The reason I give it four stars is because of the effects and the direction, which is pretty good. I'm guessing some will find the fight scenes thrilling. To me however, the story was just too fast paced, and most of the time simply boring. The actors are exclusively pretty teens that maybe or may not have talent - who knows, considering the lousy material they have to play on.
My So-Called Life (1994)
They don't write teenage shows like this anymore
I am a grown woman of the X-generation and I used to love this show when I was young. I don't know what kids want anymore. Is it One Tree Hill and The O.C., shows that are fun but that don't really say much about what it is actually like to be a teenager?
Cause that is what this show was for me. It told the story of what I was feeling right then and there. It described what it is like to feel so damn insecure and embarrassed that sometimes you would just like to kill yourself right then and there. And it told the story of what it is like to be an outsider and a thinker, how it is to feel everything so strong that every small compliment sends you flying, every small resistance is a catastrophe.
But that's enough of the sentimentality... Here's the story: Angela Chase is your average intelligent teenager. She's a nice girl from a good home, cute but not a looker. The series picks up when Angela has a bit of an identity crisis. She's tired of being a good girl and breaks off contact with equally nice childhood friend Cheryl. She rebels against her parents, colors her hair bright red and starts hanging out with bad girl Rayanne and her gay friend Ricky. Meanwhile she also falls hard for the silent tough hunk Jordan. Sometimes Jordan acts as if he's interested in her too, only to ignore her the next day. And then there is the neighbor nerd Brian. He is head over heals for Angela, though she is oblivious.
My So-called Life is finally out on DVD. For the last couple of years I've searched for it now and then on Amazon and on torrent download sites. When I saw that it was going to be released I pre-ordered it and got it at once. So far I've watched the first six episodes, and it still holds up. So I recommend it heartily if you're a fan of quality realistic teenage drama.