It’s an allegory for class divide. That’s basically all “Z-O-M-B-I-E-S” is. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good movie, but once you can get past the clumsy symbolism of the way the zombies are supposed to be the more impoverished individuals, while the humans are meant to be the upper echelon, “Z-O-M-B-I-E-S” is actually kind of a fun horror comedy musical. You wouldn’t think that they could really pull off a zombie horror comedy for kids, but Disney and director Paul Hoen do a pretty darn good job of it. Even if 2013’s “Bunks” is better.
Tag Archives: Teen
Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
“Hocus Pocus” has managed to become a huge cult classic since its initially slept on release in 1993. When you release a Halloween movie in the middle of the summer, you kind of expect the movie to flop. But years since its release, movie fans alike have caught on allowing it become an absolute classic. And I for one love “Hocus Pocus.” I loved it since I first saw it on VHS back in 1994. “Hocus Pocus 2” seemed like a far fetched idea until 2022 when there seemed to be potential for a follow up. With “Hocus Pocus 2” you kind of have to meet it halfway. It’s a follow up but it’s different than the original movie. That doesn’t make it bad, it just makes it a different movie and experience altogether.
Bottoms (2023)
It’s pretty disappointing going in to a movie expecting so much and leaving it felt like it could have been so much more. While many have sung the praises of Jennifer Seligman’s “Bottoms,” I am sad to have left it feeling generally indifferent. It has an interesting premise and has a good time taking its LGBTQ premise and fitting it right in to the myriad coming of age high school comedies, but so much about “Bottoms” felt so under developed and incomplete. Apart from its absolutely bizarre premise, “Bottoms” spends most of its run time trying to figure out what it wants to be.
You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023)
I imagine one day one of Adam Sandler’s daughters was having a birthday, and they mentioned something about wanting to be in the movies. Seeing as how Sandler is that kind of guy, he cracked and gave his daughters their very own movie. I’m assuming he also promised them a career too, like the Apatows. It’s sad that in a year where we were given “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.,” Sandler offers up his own version of the coming of age teen tale, except with major discrepancies.
“Are you There God? It’s Me Margaret.” was about a lower middle class teen girl trying to find her place in the world. “You Are So Not Invited…” is about an affluent upper class teen trying to—create the perfect bat mitzvah. Because heaven forbid she goes to high school with less than four friends.
Miguel Wants To Fight (2023)
Director Osmany Rodriguez’s “Miguel Wants to Fight” is a lot like a Gen Z version of “Max Keeble’s Big Move” mixed with “Three O’Clock High.” It’s a coming of age movie about a teen who makes a self realization in the midst of a big move to another town. Except the premise for the movie is what you see in the title. Our main character is teenage Miguel who is looking for a fight before he leaves; except it’s a tad more complicated than that.
The Aimless Joy of Youth: “Dazed and Confused” at 30
One thing Richard Linklater can never be accused of is someone that deals in concepts of fate and destiny. He’s also pretty much an atheist when it comes to storytelling. His characters aren’t fulfilling destiny or living up to a higher purpose (e.g. “Boyhood”). They’re merely characters drifting and crashing in to one another, creating random occurrences that may or may not work out the way they want to. Jessie and Celine in “Before Sunrise” are just drifting along the world until they meet one day. The dreamer in “Waking Life” is just drifting through his sub-conscious meeting others. Jake is ostensibly drifting around in “Everybody Wants Some!!” Hell, even Dewey in “School of Rock” doesn’t truly fulfill any grand destiny, except merely learning to grow.
Blame (2018)
It’s hard to believe that “Blame” is a debut feature, as Quinn Shephard manages to develop a drama that’s so richly layered and filled with so many themes about consent, sexual abuse, and the boundaries between mentors and their protégés. “Blame” is by no means a perfect drama, but as a debut it sure manages to be a compelling character study through and through. Quinn, who also writes, edits, and stars, manages to explore the whole dynamic involved in grooming and the inherent power play that arise from them. “Blame” is a lot about the idea of groomers and the entire interplay between adults and younger people that can tend to cross lines often.