Movies Round Up Ep 007 (Thirteen, Kids, Not Another Teen Movie)

Thirteen (2003)

Thirteen really feels like I'm at someone else's house, watching a teenager getting high and having fights with her mom. Kind of unsettling. It may seem that Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood) spiraled so suddenly (she laid eyes on Evie one time and started throwing out her stuffed toys etc.) but it becomes apparent that she has some other underlying issues. Whether it's what made her vulnerable to Evie's (Nikki Reed) influence or if she was just using those as an excuse to act out, we'll never know. My teenage years wasn't as extreme, but I did a lot of stupid things. I remember thinking it wasn't a big deal doing this or that but in hindsight it's a bit scary how susceptible and reckless teenagers can be. I sympathize with Tracy and Evie but I kind of want to deck them at the same time.

Kids (1995)

This one was hard to watch. There's a story going on but it feels like there's no rhyme or reason. It's not visually appealing either. I absolutely did not wanted to get dragged around New York by Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick) and Casper (Justin Pierce). I felt sorry for Jennie (Chloë Sevigny) because she's so young. As an oldie ™ there's nothing for me to take away from this film but teens can pick up some things from watching it (drugs, excessive alcohol, unprotected sex isn't all that and you may not think bad things will happen to you just because you have been careless just "once" but the possibility is always there, and that perhaps it's a great idea to explore other hobbies).  

Not Another Teen Movie (2001)

I've always avoided Not Another Teen Movie. It seemed like a dumb parody but I've been seeing screenshots of Chyler Leigh (of Supergirl / Grey's Anatomy) as Janey Briggs around and got curious. I forgot how much gratuitous nudity there was in films like these *cough Chris Evans banana split cough*. It's nothing special but it´s not as bad as their Rotten Tomatoes rating would suggest. And if you're a fan of Chyler Leigh or Chris Evans you might find it interesting to watch some of their earlier movies like this one.