Teen films!

I think I can speak for Kandy too when I say we have fairly simple set of rules for liking a film. Did John Waters make it, or Tim Burton in the 90s? Is Johnny Depp in it [Kandy] or Macauly Culkin [Seleena]? Does it feature a song and dance number?Is it fun? yeah that's generally us.

If you want me to watch a film it generally has to score 2 out of 3 at least to the following: does it features teenagers heavily? has one of the main characters got jet black hair? Are The Donna's on the soundtrack?

I LOVE TEEN FILMS, they're my favourite kind of film, you know the ones John Hughes invented, that got really big in the 90s and I think are kinda struggling these days. I love anything from the cheesy (aside from She's all that, I HATE that) to the fucked up (I'm talking Gregg Araki). Like I proper love them, I'll watch them again and again, I'll read books about them, I'll write about them, I'll tell you they are the most precious things EVER!
Horror scares me, I like the odd subtitled film but I get headache wearing glasses to read them, thrillers and crime drama's only grip me when featuring teens (Veronica Mars!) and rom coms only count when they feature Paul Rudd!

Next week some friends of mine are hosting a teen movie sleepover at Islington Mill and I'll be honest, it's like the highlight of my year (plus Kandy and I get to dress up as some people we have been threatening too for years!). I thought I would warm up by plugging my video player into my new fancy flat screen and crack out some old videos. Whilst watching I thought 'what are my top 5 teen films' and I compiled a list.

Ok I struggled, and I'm not entirely sure of the order, it keeps changing and you might think she missed off some right classics, but then I have chosen ones that I watched a lot growing up, so all those 80s ones, as much as I love them, don't quite hold a place in my heart as much as the 90s ones, so in some particular order I give you...

SELEENA'S TOP FIVE TEEN FILMS.....

5. The Craft (1996)


Two words; Fairuza Balk! The craft is great because it features that clique so often forgotten about in the teen film, the witches! It's like when school girls go bad, this film has everything, Debs from Empire records, Neve Campbell, snakes, spiders, black cherry lipstick, the supernatural and even a cameo from Travis from Clueless! But it is Fairuza Balk as Nancy that steals the show, watch The Craft and try and tell me you don't want to be a badass crazy goth, who plays with a ouija board and can levitate their friend!!

Best line: Hey mister, we are the weirdos!

4. Mean Girls (2004)


This is in my list because it's amazing obviously, but because it restored my faith in teen films as an adult (20 is totally an adult!) I went to the cinema to see this and everything, clearly hanging on to my teen years. I remember going not expecting much and leaving with a film I would love forever. I also thought up until that point Lindsey Lohan was two people (see remake of The Parent Trap).
This film ticks all the boxes, highschool, cliques, meanness, comedic genius, gay characters, people of colour, feminism and it obviously has The Donnas on the soundtrack!
Ok so it falls short with the love interest (Aaron Samuels, not so hot) but it has Tina Fey and Amy Poehlar in it which means you can be a full grown adult and still have an excuse to be totally into this film!

Best line; (this film has SO MANY) YOU GO GLEN COCO, you used to love Ladysmith Black Mambozo, I Want my pink shirt back, yo smell like a baby prostitute (I could go on forever)

3. Jawbreaker (1999)


This is the underdog of teen films, one that i think is so sadly overlooked, but any film that opens with Veruca Salt and closes with The Donnas is of course going to be AMAZING!
This is Heathers for the next generation (being my generation, not the generation now!). Heathers is one of the first teen films to be truly mean, and Jawbreaker follows on from that, some of the mean main characters even seem to wear one colour. And the one small love interest is kinda like a shit Christian Slater.
Rose Mcgowan rules as the highschool queen bee, then there's Carol Kane and Pam Grier and even Marylin Manson! Oh and don't forget Tatyana Ali!!
And when I say it has The Donnas in it, I mean IN IT they are playing at the prom IMAGINE!!

Best line: I killed Liz, I killed the teen dream. Deal with it.

2. Empire Records (1995)


The only film in my top 5 that isn't set in highschool! This film gets the number 2 spot because this is what I wanted my life to be when I grew up.
I wanted to hang out with a bunch of cool kids and hot boys in an independent record store and I totally thought life WOULD be like Empire Records, including the benefit gig on the roof!
Strangely this is probably the only film where I prefer the male characters to the female characters!
This film has left such a huge impression on me that I can't watch other things with the cast members in. Lucas was in CSI, so I didn't watch it, Mark was in Sweet Home Alabama, his character was gay, but it still makes me want to switch over, I've never seen Bridget Jones and don't even mention that time Rex Manning was in Emmerdale!! I can totally watch anything with Warren in as Brandon Sexton III plays the same character in everything. But it might spoil the myth that these guys don't work in a record shop if I watch other things with them all grown up. Damn the man Save the Empire!

Best Line: Mark, you love Gwar, why don't you join the band!

1. Clueless (1995)


The best thing to happen to the stuff they make you read in school ever (as well as Baz Lurhmann). Written and directed by Amy Heckerling, this is my favourite teen film of all time (I think!). It's based on Jane Austen's Emma (which I've never read, but i think if every word isn't 'whatever' I think I might struggle to read it) it's a highschool rom com with meaning and style or something.
It's a coming of age, it's a love story, it's about friendship and it has the best outfits ever (well that title might have to go to Romy and Michelle).
It has Paul Rudd being an intelligent college babe, Alicia Silverstone as the more than just an airhead main character and Brittany Murphy being awesome (I miss you Brittany) AND Cher's best friend is black which means I totally had a main character I could pretend to be YES I GOT TO BE DIONNE!
it also has an appearance by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones!!

Best line; AS IF! you're a virgin who can't drive!

so there you have it, my top 5 teen films. I love lots more, ones about cheerleaders (Bring It On, But I'm a Cheerleader) ones with murders in (Heathers, Drop Dead Gorgeous) ones starring Alan Cumming and aren't technically teen films (Romy and Michelle, Josie and The Pussycats) ones with great soundtracks (All Over Me, 10 Things I hate about you) ones with werewolves in (Twilight, Ginger Snaps) and a shit load more, but again I never liked She's All That!