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Where the fuck are all my awesome teen movies?

ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
edited August 2007 in Debate and/or Discourse
You know, I watched Say Anything... for the first time a couple days ago. It was awesome. It got me wondering: Why don't we have awesome teen movies anymore? We occasionally get something awesome, like Bring It On, but mostly we get dreck like 10 Things I Hate About You. What the hell? Why were they able to make legions of kick-ass teen movies in the 80s, and now they can't?

I'd chalk it up to overly-rosy memories, but then that wouldn't apply to Say Anything... because I only just saw it. And I strongly suspect that if I were to watch Ferris Bueller, Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Better Off Dead, Secret Admirer, or any number of other flicks from the 80s for the first time today, I'd still think they rocked.

What the fuck, Hollywood? Do we need to travel back in time and kidnap the Brat Pack for you yokels to make any more decent teen movies?

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Posts

  • FunkyWaltDoggFunkyWaltDogg Columbia, SCRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    I... I liked 10 Things I Hate About You.

    FunkyWaltDogg on
  • GooeyGooey (\/)┌¶─¶┐(\/) pinch pinchRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    10 Things I Hate About You was an awesome movie, Jeff.

    She's All That, not so much. "Hack-ee-sack!"

    Gooey on
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  • SerpentSerpent Sometimes Vancouver, BC, sometimes Brisbane, QLDRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    bring it on was way better, though.

    Serpent on
  • kaz67kaz67 Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Generally speaking teen movies are never awesome. I'll admit Ferris Bueller is pretty good but I don't think the others are much better than the teen movies that come out today.

    kaz67 on
  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2007
    To be fair, it was one of the better ones. It still fails hard in comparison to pretty much any John Hughes film, and I would hesitate to call it "good". It was passable. Maybe.

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  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2007
    kaz67 wrote: »
    Generally speaking teen movies are never awesome. I'll admit Ferris Bueller is pretty good but I don't think the others are much better than the teen movies that come out today.

    The ones of yesteryear had heart, and the characters were endearing and likeable. I challenge anyone with a soul to not like Lloyd Dobbler. Even though Bring It On was great, I didn't give a shit about any of the characters. If Kirsten Dunst had been hit by a truck in the final scene, I wouldn't have flinched.

    ElJeffe on
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  • lostwordslostwords Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    I've always been a fan (albeit shamefully) of the teen movie genre, from 80's awesomeness like Say Anything, Some Kind of Wonderful, and Better Off Dead to more current stuff like Mean Girls and She's The Man. Good ones come out about once or twice a year, but the rest are usually awful unwatchable stuff. I find something comforting about the slapstick humor, the juvenile jokes, and the innocent optimism and predictability of it all.

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  • Christ PuncherChrist Puncher Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Superbad should be pretty good.

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  • kaz67kaz67 Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Maybe its because I didn't see them as a kid but I just don't feel anything when I watch most teen movies.

    kaz67 on
  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2007
    lostwords wrote: »
    I find something comforting about the slapstick humor, the juvenile jokes, and the innocent optimism and predictability of it all.

    See, that's the thing. Modern teen movies seem to have lots of slapstick humor and juvenile jokes. Older ones, not so much. Modern ones seem to be more formulaic, not just in the plot, but in the writing. Like, someone has a big file full of Standard Teen Movie Jokes, and after the script is written they throw one in every ten minutes to meet their quota.

    ElJeffe on
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  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Superbad should be pretty good.

    Fencingsax on
  • TachTach Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    To be fair, it was one of the better ones. It still fails hard in comparison to pretty much any John Hughes film, and I would hesitate to call it "good". It was passable. Maybe.

    I think you hit it right here, Jeffe. There's no current John Hughes type out there to capture the feeling.

    Tach on
  • CoJoeTheLawyerCoJoeTheLawyer Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    I think this is one of those "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" situations, where everyone has an opinion of what a good teen movie is, and what a good tenn movie is not. Growing up in the 1980s (with 2 sisters), I have fond memories of Revenge of the Nerds, 16 Candles and The Breakfast Club. However, I'm sure that someone 10 years my junior thinks teen movies reached their pinnicle with American Pie.

    Regardless, nothing can ever come close to the ultimate teen movie:

    972450~Weird-Science-Posters.jpg

    CoJoeTheLawyer on

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  • flamebroiledchickenflamebroiledchicken Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Mean Girls was pretty great.

    flamebroiledchicken on
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  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Superbad should be pretty good.

    Hells yes. It looks like it might be this generation's Dazed and Confused.

    moniker on
  • Gnome-InterruptusGnome-Interruptus Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Am I the only one that liked Clueless.. possibly.

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  • Casual EddyCasual Eddy The Astral PlaneRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Bring it on was good? I haven't seen it but I refuse to accept this under any circumstances.

    Casual Eddy on
  • WerrickWerrick Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    It's hard to watch teen movies when you're no longer a teen. It gets even harder as you get older because the problems become more and more remote. Some never change, obviously... but the parameters and the spectrum does and as the surrounding detail becomes more alien.

    /sigh

    I do yearn for the days of Ferris Bueller and The Breakfast Club.

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  • lostwordslostwords Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    lostwords wrote: »
    I find something comforting about the slapstick humor, the juvenile jokes, and the innocent optimism and predictability of it all.

    See, that's the thing. Modern teen movies seem to have lots of slapstick humor and juvenile jokes. Older ones, not so much. Modern ones seem to be more formulaic, not just in the plot, but in the writing. Like, someone has a big file full of Standard Teen Movie Jokes, and after the script is written they throw one in every ten minutes to meet their quota.

    Well, the older ones still had a lot of goofy, corny jokes. You can see where a lot of modern movies steal from those ideas and go for the easiest laugh possible, or else their modern audience will get bored and shuffle away to the next Hillary Duff disaster-piece. I guess I've rewatched some of those older movies enough times that the memorable oneliners and bits become a joke in and of themselves, if that makes any sense.



    Also, a good teen movie better have a soundtrack that will stand the test of time. Breakfast Club, Some Kind of Wonderful, Say Anything (if only for that one scene), all had great soundtracks that the modern stuff just cannot compete with, even if a little dated.

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  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Bring it on was good? I haven't seen it but I refuse to accept this under any circumstances.

    That's nice, but this isn't a cheerocracy where your opinion matter. No, this is a cheertatorship under the iron fisted hand of Thanatos' spirit fingers.

    moniker on
  • Casual EddyCasual Eddy The Astral PlaneRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    moniker wrote: »
    Bring it on was good? I haven't seen it but I refuse to accept this under any circumstances.

    That's nice, but this isn't a cheerocracy where your opinion matter. No, this is a cheertatorship under the iron fisted hand of Thanatos' spirit fingers.

    I assume we can cheertinue? Man, Not Another Teen Movie was actually rather funny.

    Casual Eddy on
  • LibrarianThorneLibrarianThorne Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    moniker wrote: »
    Bring it on was good? I haven't seen it but I refuse to accept this under any circumstances.

    That's nice, but this isn't a cheerocracy where your opinion matter. No, this is a cheertatorship under the iron fisted hand of Thanatos' spirit fingers.

    I assume we can cheertinue? Man, Not Another Teen Movie was actually rather funny.

    That last sentence better be a joke. That movie was goddamned awful. Like Scary Movie only with fewer good jokes and shittier acting.

    LibrarianThorne on
  • ryuprechtryuprecht Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Uh, Jeffe? You're an old man. You aren't supposed to like current teen movies, because that makes you a pervert or something.

    That said, most of the movies you listed are not all that great in the grand scheme of things, and they require a certain mindset that was available in the 80's to truly appreciate. Today's kids are just different than we were.

    Personally? I don't miss the teen movies, I miss the adult ones (not those adult ones). I could go for another Bachelor Party or Up the Creek, that's for sure.

    ryuprecht on
  • Casual EddyCasual Eddy The Astral PlaneRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    moniker wrote: »
    Bring it on was good? I haven't seen it but I refuse to accept this under any circumstances.

    That's nice, but this isn't a cheerocracy where your opinion matter. No, this is a cheertatorship under the iron fisted hand of Thanatos' spirit fingers.

    I assume we can cheertinue? Man, Not Another Teen Movie was actually rather funny.

    That last sentence better be a joke. That movie was goddamned awful. Like Scary Movie only with fewer good jokes and shittier acting.

    You mean... you mean you've never had anyone take a dump on your chest?

    Casual Eddy on
  • FellhandFellhand Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    I wholely agree that we need more Hughs-esque teen movies, but I differ on your point of 10 Things I Hate About You.

    Fellhand on
  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2007
    ryuprecht wrote: »
    That said, most of the movies you listed are not all that great in the grand scheme of things, and they require a certain mindset that was available in the 80's to truly appreciate.

    Salmon'd for "what the fuck are you talking about, you filthy liar?"

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  • dvshermandvsherman Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    kaz67 wrote: »
    Generally speaking teen movies are never awesome. I'll admit Ferris Bueller is pretty good but I don't think the others are much better than the teen movies that come out today.

    The ones of yesteryear had heart, and the characters were endearing and likeable. I challenge anyone with a soul to not like Lloyd Dobbler. Even though Bring It On was great, I didn't give a shit about any of the characters. If Kirsten Dunst had been hit by a truck in the final scene, I wouldn't have flinched.

    I think that would have actually made the movie better. Like if Pulp Fiction was shown chronologically. I think more movies would benefit from "capping" things off like that. Add a little absurdity to the whole thing.

    dvsherman on
  • HakkekageHakkekage Space Whore Academy summa cum laudeRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Am I the only one that liked Clueless.. possibly.

    No no, don't you run and hide like that. Clueless was a great film. It was based on Emma, for crying out loud. I pretty much had a huge grin on my face all the way through.

    Plus, the 'behind the scenes' of the highway scene is pretty entertaining. They didn't expect that truck to come up behind them :lol:

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  • ryuprechtryuprecht Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    ryuprecht wrote: »
    That said, most of the movies you listed are not all that great in the grand scheme of things, and they require a certain mindset that was available in the 80's to truly appreciate.

    Salmon'd for "what the fuck are you talking about, you filthy liar?"

    I can't help it if you can't handle the truth.

    The 80's teen movies (yes, even Weird Science though I do love it so) don't cross generations all that well in my experience. Show it to a 20 year old today and they are more likely to identify with American Pie than the Breakfast Club. Those with roots in the 80's are most likely to have a disproportionate amount of affection for big hair-and-leg warmer movies.

    ryuprecht on
  • SentrySentry Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    God, I thought Bring it On was awful... it just stereotypical claptrap devoid of any creativity...

    It also assured me that Kirsten Dunst's acting ability peaked when she was eight.

    I think a lot of teen movies these days are way to one dimensional, completely missing the subtext of the Hughes movies.

    I mean, today they are all about getting laid, and while that was one part of a John Huges film, it was never the whole story. He talked a lot about class issues, and other things that teens go through. Todays teen movies just don't reach across that spectrum.

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  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2007
    People who identify more with American Pie than with Breakfast club, though, are wrong.

    Objectively wrong.

    ElJeffe on
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  • 3lwap03lwap0 Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    I guess a good 90's equivalent for a teen flick to me, is Can't Hardly Wait. And i'm not saying that because I would plow Jennifer Love Hewitt like a corn field.

    And Super Bad is gonna be fucking awesome.

    3lwap0 on
  • PodlyPodly you unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    I was really disappointed with Mean Girls. It starts out great, but the second half completely reverses into the most generic of teen movies.

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  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    What about the horrible T&A teen flicks of the 80s? No love for Porky's, Screwballs or the hundreds of pther terrible movies aimed at 16 year odl boys?

    nexuscrawler on
  • ryuprechtryuprecht Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    What about the horrible T&A teen flicks of the 80s? No love for Porky's, Screwballs or the hundreds of pther terrible movies aimed at 16 year odl boys?

    Up the Creek!!!

    ryuprecht on
  • 3lwap03lwap0 Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    What about the horrible T&A teen flicks of the 80s? No love for Porky's, Screwballs or the hundreds of pther terrible movies aimed at 16 year odl boys?

    Caddyshack? Revenge of the Nerds?

    Also, I want some love for:

    myscienceproject.jpg

    That's right, an alien device turns a high school into a giant time altering dimension. Classic.

    3lwap0 on
  • chamberlainchamberlain Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    I thought the current torture porn fad was our equivilant to 80's teen moveis.

    eeewwwww...

    chamberlain on
  • ElJeffeElJeffe Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2007
    3lwap0 wrote: »
    myscienceproject.jpg

    That's right, an alien device turns a high school into a giant time altering dimension. Classic.

    I watched that movie all the damned time.

    I thought "It's God-fucking-zilla" was the height of wit.

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  • CorlisCorlis Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Does Napolean Dynamite count as good?

    (I wouldn't know, I never saw it; I actually haven't seen most movies that came out in the last 10 years, and I'm 24)

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  • VishNubVishNub Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Corlis wrote: »
    Does Napolean Dynamite count as good?

    (I wouldn't know, I never saw it; I actually haven't seen most movies that came out in the last 10 years, and I'm 24)

    No. Overrated. So much.

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