The Faculty

I began writing a screenplay when I was about 14 which was, I believe, inspired by this movie. Yes how does one write a screenplay inspired by a story of host alien parasites that take over a small town, leaving a ragtag bunch of misfits struggling to save the town and kill thehost (especially when the movie itself was inspired by Invasion of the Body Snatchers)?

Well in all fairness my screenplay was more inspired by the characters, yes the one dimensional players of this piece included a jock who decides to quit the football team and become more brainy, his ex girlfriend who is head cheerleader and apparently also editor of the school paper, a nerdy photography student who gets picked on from the moment he steps off the bus, a 'lesbian' goth girl, the new bubbly southerner girl, and the hot Josh Hartnett who is really smart but instead channels his energy into having to repeat senior year and using his own lab to create some homemade drugs for the high school kiddies.

I really wish I still had my screenplay (then again I don't, how embarrassing) just to see how my 14 year old self deconstructed my own characters. Then again hopefully the old computer's hard drive got wiped beyond recognition.

Anyway to the movie, I think I shared an affinity with Stockley the Clea DuVall character (goth girl), probably just the outsider label she wore, although I think all the characters were meant to represent outsiders in some form. Except for Jordana Brewster's character who seemed to be popular from the beginning. Although by the end she was dating Casey (Elijah Wood) the nerd, and that is totally like social suicide.

I forgot this film did have some fairly cool dialogue, mainly due to Kevin Williamson's screenplay and he was riding high on the Dawson's Creek wave.

The whole drug thing Josh's character makes and eventually becomes a foil for the aliens as they are water loving and his drugs are a diuretic. Is it just me or did this seem really risque for the time? I mean it basically looks like these kids are snorting cocaine. Of course it turns out it's just a mixture of aspirin, caffeine tablets etc but I was still a little shocked. I must be getting old.

Overall viewing this movie when I'm not 14 did take some of the original gloss off. I did still enjoy it though.

I still found Josh really hot even with his bowl hair cut (he was 20 in this, cougar alert!).

I though Clea DuVall overacted a little (it's a teen horror movie from the 90s..am I being a bit picky?), but think she has gotten better with age, in particular with Carnivale.

I guess originally I would have thought it was cool finding out your teachers are aliens but now I also relate to them in a way and I'd completely forgotten Salma Hayek has a small role as a nurse at the school. Literally about 5 minute screen time, I'm guessing it was done as a favour to the director whom she made From Dusk til Dawn with.

Thanks to http://forum.ecoustics.com/ for the image.

Stephen King

I know it's not 'trendy' (using some hip lingo there) to enjoy Stephen King novels, but I do. It's okay to like some of his novel to film adaptations (who doesn't like Stand by Me or The Shawshank Redemption?) but to admit to be being a Stephen King fan is apparently a little embarrassing.

I have a secret (well not really if you look on my profile). I have a morbid fear of clowns ever since my dad let me watch the first 5 minutes of It. I can't even link to the IMB page as I'm terrified I'll see a picture of the little fucker.
Why oh why did my dad show a youngster (think I may have been about 8, again can't look up the details to see the release date) those terrifying images? And I have not been able to finish watching the movie since. My boyfriend has offered to watch it with me as a kind of overcome your fear bullshit where I watch the film and conquer old demons. Or something.
But he hasn't seen the movie so I would like someone who will be able to give me a heads up when something scary is about to happen. And I'm really doubting this is even going to cure my fear, although I doubt it will make it worse but who knows.

Anyway enough neuroses and back to my enjoyment of other King stuff. I think he can actually write, sure he uses about 250 words when 1 will do, but you'd never say he's not descriptive and you get a good feel for his characters. It's hard to pick a favourite book, but my top 3 in no particular order would have to be:

The Dead Zone

The Stand

Misery

The last one came courtesy of my dad who reminded me what a great book and movie it was. As my boyfriend put so eloquently about Kathy Bates Oscar winning performance, 'That is one crazy bitch.' Terrible terrible moment involving the sledgehammer has to be noted.
One Stephen King movie I saw when I was in primary school but have not read the book is Tommyknockers, but I haven't heard great reviews for that one? I do love vintage King though.

Speaking of books I want to finally get around to reading, is Prep which I received via my special order yesterday and Peyton Place is on the way. I feel like I'm getting my education in books everyone else has read already, but better late than never.

Short Circuit

I bought my boyfriend this film recently for his 24th birthday mostly as a joke as I figured it would be one of those movies that we loved in the mid 80s but was craptastically corny when viewed now. Also it was about $9 at K-Mart.

Watching it yesterday it took us back to a time when canape carrying robots were all the rage and Steve Guttenberg had a career. Namely 1986. Sadly I wish Ally Sheedy did still have a successful career, being my favourite breakfast clubber.

Basic plot is Steve Guttenberg is a nerdy scientist/copmputer programmer guy who is responsible for 5 defence robots, one of which (number 5) gets fried in a freak lightning accident. Number 5 then becomes alive (as he repeats many times in the film) and ends up at Ally Sheedy's (Stephanie) place who at first thinks he is an alien, then learns he is a robot from the Novo lab. She too comes to realise he is alive as he doesn't believe in hurting people and also you know he learns some cool dancing moves from John Travolta via Saturday Night fever film clips. She ends up hooking up with Steve and making him see the truth about Number 5 and not letting the Novo bosses blow him up. They end up running off into the wilderness where Number 5 can be hidden safely and can receive more input.

When I saw the back of the film case and saw Ally Sheedy dancing with a robot (not like a robot a la The Breakfast Club) I did cringe and wonder how bad this movie would be viewed through my more 'mature' eyes. And yes it has aged but it's not that bad. Steve Guttenberg has an Indian sidekick (who kinda sounds like Apu from The Simpsons) who is always messing up traditonal American sayings and is actually kind of amusing.
Some of the acting is rather awkward even from my beloved Miss Sheedy but she is literally acting with a robot for about 2/3 of the movie. Overall I still found it entertaining and kind of want to view Short Circuit 2. The shame.

Image: http://fivenonblondes.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/kohler-gone-karbon/