Movie Review: Easy A

So while I have much to do (packing, working, etc) and much to write (6k, come on!) I thought I would quickly write up one of those reviews that I promised. There are so many things that I want to review lately, since I have been reading awesome books, listening to awesome music and watching awesome movies and series, I figured that I should start with one that I watched awhile ago and work my way forward. So I figure that I will start with the movie that we watched at the last Ladies Night.

It was a difficult to choose a movie that none of us had seen, but there was one movie that ended up being agreed upon. Even though a couple of the people had watched it before, they said that it was well worth re-watching. And that movie was Easy A.

Now, you may think that Easy A is your typical Rom Com, and you wouldn't be completely wrong. It definitely is a comedy and there is a romantic aspect to it, but the romantic aspect is kind of drowned out by the comedy aspect, and to me it seemed like more of a Com than a Rom. The movie is set at a high school (typical) and follows a high school girl who is not particularly popular (typical) but becomes the talk of the school when she tells a friend that she slept with a college guy. Only, she was lying. And suddenly she finds herself getting a lot of attention from the boys and girls of the school, some good and some bad. The school is rather religious and Olive (Emma Stone) finds herself getting judged by the popular kids, all of whom are perfect Christian teens, led by Marianne (Amanda Bynes). Of course, she is not the only one being judged, and her gay best friend, Brandon (Dan Byrd), begs her to spread the rumour that she slept with him to avoid the mocking and judgement that he has been received for his sexual orientation. Quickly she becomes the go-to person for help in the sex department, even though she is still a virgin, and a chaotic but hilarious story ensues.

So, what makes this movie so great? Well, a good cast for one. Olive is spunky, intelligent and a good role model for young girls considering that she stands her own even when false rumours are being spread about her. It is all in the name of helping people out, and she does take it slightly overboard, but she is a good person overall and Emma Stone worked the role well. Her family are also really well cast with Stanley Tucci as the dad and Patricia Clarkson as the mom that every teenager wish they had. But the storyline is also just awesome in the way that it progresses into chaos, and the morals that make up the story are great ones - don't lie, don't be self-righteous and all actions (even made up ones) have consequences.

Overall, I think this is an awesome, hilarious movie that I would want my kid to see one day, and one that I think both men and women would enjoy. There is no explicit sex (though hints of sex are obviously mentioned throughout the movie) and no moments that will make you want to look away from the screen, unless you are the kind who gets embarrassed for the characters and cannot bear to watch them doing things that you know are just going to lead to trouble (hey, I used to be that person, okay!)

Watch Easy A. Male, female, young, old. Just watch it, okay?

Lesbian Vampire Killers Review

When I see a movie entitled Lesbian Vampire Killers, I do not hold much hope for the kind of movie that it will be. Other similar titles leap to mind, titles like Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter and Zombie Strippers. It makes me think of a combination of porn and terrible horror, the kind of movie that Paris Hilton might star in. And yet, somehow, I had only ever heard how good the movie was. And this wasn't only from men who might be oggling the girls with fangs making out. This was from some of my female friends as well!

And so, last night, I decided to give it a go. I put the movie onto a flash stick and prepared to be horrified. And then the movie started, and from about two minutes in, I was getting stitches from laughing so hard. I'd had the best intentions going into the movie, preparing to find it crude and revolting and just completely over the top, but I actually thought that it was pretty damn good, and certainly better than the title could ever have led me to imagine.

The movie starts off around 200 years in the past when the Queen of the vampires, Camilla, is killed by a Baron. Just before he manages to off her, she puts a curse on him and the town, the basis of which is that every girl who turns 18 will become a vampire. *GASP* And not just any vampire either. No. A lesbian vampire!! *DOUBLE GASP* This curse will continue until one of the Baron's relatives returns to the town. Then she will rise again, with the aid of a virgin's blood. It then jumps to the present day when two friends are leading equally dull lives and decide to go on a hiking trip. Arriving in the vampire ridden town (in daylight) they are directed to a local inn to stay the night, an inn where the vampires feast on unsuspecting visitors.

The style of the movie is great, reminding us of the older horror movies like Rocky Horror Picture Show, but the humour is fairly modern. It can get a little crude at times, and there is some minor nudity involved, but overall, I found the movie to be funnier than it was gross, and not particularly off-putting despite the occasional obvious play on the sex theme. I had expected a lot worse considering the title, and the most that is seen are occasional breasts through transparent clothing or through cracked windows.

There are no well-known actors in the movie, but I thought that the main characters were great, particularly the chubby and, for the most part unlikeable, Jimmy. Despite his supposedly being the secondary character in the story rather than the hero, I felt that he took over the role of hero while Fletch kind of sat on the sidelines being all quiet and moody and stuff. The one thing that did annoy me slightly were some of the accents that were portrayed. I cannot tell you what they were supposed to be. That is how bad they were.

Overall, I would suggest this movie to anyone who enjoyed movies like Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, and anyone who enjoyed some of the older horror movies. I would describe this one as a horror comedy, and I think that anyone who watches it with an open mind may find themselves enjoying it more than they thought.