Starring:Rose McGowan, Julie Benz, Rebecca Gayheart and Pam Grier
First, I guess you need to know something about them...
The beautiful ones. The flawless four. Everyone wanted to be them.
To know them... They went to your school too.
First there's Courtney "Satan-in-heels" Shayne (McGowan) and her pawn, The dense but dangerous Marcie Fox (Benz), a legend in her own mind. Then there's angelic Julie Freedman (Gayheart), doomed to be popular because of her pretty face, and lastly the teen dream herself, Elizabeth Purr...
Its their friend Liz's 17th birthday so the three coolest girls in school decide to play a prank on her. With disasterous results, It leaves the future prom-queen dead (accidentally gagged with a jawbreaker).
Foxy, Courtney and Julie now have to work out what to do with the body after school finishes. They decide on returning it to Liz's house and make it look like an attack...when the nerdiest girl in school walks in - Fern Mayo.
They make a pact and in return for her silence Courtney will make Fern "cool". However Julie objects and is ostracised from the group. But what has Courtney created. Under her knew name of Violette she is out of control with her new found power. Now Courtney wants to take her down whilst Julie wants to prove the truth about Elizabeth's death as an innocent sleaze (Marilyn Manson) is arrested, and all as everything gears up to prom.
- It won't be pretty.
This film is brilliant! With a cool soundtrack and great cinematic work
plus an almost believable story this film covers all bases. It also follows
in the theme of other 90's teen movies in that it is obsessed with the gap
between the 'cool' kids at High school and the other groups. Whilst showing
the other groups it definitely has its tongue in its cheek. Although not
getting rave reviews or much advertising over here it is still worth checking
out - even if it is only to see how sleazy Marilyn Manson manages to look in
his all too brief cameo.
The director of this film was trying to make a dark comedy and succeeded. Although
some think he was trying too hard to make a new Heathers this is not
true. There are comparisons that can be drawn between the two films but the director
in fact references Carrie a lot more than is noticed regularly. The camera work in this
film is great, with some interesting montages and shots and the whole film has intentionally
been given no particular time look to it. There are elements of fashion and objects from
every decade from the 1950's to the 1990's. Even some of the hair styles. Also the colour
of everything is very striking. Bright purples, yellows, pink and greens abound.
One other thing that does not get mentioned or noticed very often is the circular motife
that is supposed to be reminiscent of jawbreakers. For instance the round earrings that are worn
are one example. There are others, see if you can pick up on them.