Mona Lisa Smile

Amazon.com

Julia Roberts's command of the screen is so effortless, it's easy for moviegoers to take her for granted--but we shouldn't. Mona Lisa Smile--about a noncomformist teacher at a private school who encourages students to pursue their individuality--is pretty much an all-girls version of Dead Poets Society that mixes '50s fashions with '70s feminist thought. However, its lack of ambition doesn't diminish the talent that's gone into it: The writing and directing are well-honed and skillful; the actors--a talent-studded cast featuring Marcia Gay Harden, Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julia Stiles, and Juliet Stevenson--are uniformly excellent. But without question, Mona Lisa Smile rides on Roberts's shoulders and she carries it with ease. She's possibly the only contemporary actor who simply owns a movie the way Bette Davis, Jean Arthur, or Claudette Colbert once did, radiating a engaging mix of intelligence, drive, and emotional warmth that cannot be matched. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Great Movie.......2007-07-24

This is one of my favorite movies. It sends an inspiring message, and the time frame adds a certain glamor. The wardrobe, the cast, the soundtrack, it is all wonderful. It is the Dead Poet's Society for girls, and this is a movie all young ladies should see.

A Favorite of Mine.......2007-06-23

I loved this movie!! This is not a "chick flick". It is so hard to imagine that things were so restrictive for women just 50 years ago, and it seems that we need to be reminded as we take all that is open and available to us and the many opportunities we have in stride. It's unbelievable how things have changed - I am going to have my teenage daughter watch this movie, she will be astounded!

The movie is also beautifully filmed (much of it in Massachusetts on the gorgeous Wellesley College campus). I highly recommend this movie.

Terriffic!.......2007-06-07

Inspirational for women of today. One does not have to choose between being a wife/mother/home-maker or a career woman. We can do it all!

Mona Lisa Smile.......2007-05-21

"Mona Lisa Smile" is a romantic-comedy that is more likely to appeal to women than men, but is nevertheless charming, funny, and entertaining. The movie doesn't have the same rom-com mood that movies like "Failure to Launch" and "Must Love Dogs" share, but instead shares a closer bond with films like "The Cider House Rules" sans the depressing aspect. The movie is essentially a star vehicle for Julia Roberts, but her female co-stars Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julia Stiles, and Ginnifer Goodwin all steal the show from her.

Roberts plays Katherine Watson, a teacher from California who lands a job at the prestigious Wellesley school. The film takes place in the '50s where women went to school not to go on to get successful jobs but merely to bridge the gap between school and marriage. She's the teacher of art history and upon her arrival meets a number of rebelling and strong-willed young females, including the hateful Betty (Dunst), the free-spirited Giselle (Gyllenhaal), and the optimistic Joan (Stiles)...As Katherine adjusts to her new job and it's strict rules, she finds herself falling for a womanizing Italian teacher (Dominic West) and that's pretty much all the plot you're going to get from this film.

The movie is one of those films that relies heavily on the charm of its actors to keep the film moving and it works. All the actors are fascinating to watch and all the actresses I mentioned above steal the show from Roberts. "Mona Lisa Smile" isn't a fantastic film, but it's definitely worth watching.

GRADE: B+

We have come a very long way.......2007-05-20

Now I know why this movie is so hard to find on the shelves at my local rental. I hope many mothers and daughters are watching.

"Mona Lisa Smile" not only gives you a perspective on life in the early 50's, it tells you about your mothers and your grandmothers. It also makes us aware as women about what is yet to be done.

I won't belabor the plot or the acting. I will say that every woman needs to watch this with her daughter, her niece, or perhaps her best friend.

Average customer rating:

cursed teens vs spaced out teachers
Good time fun!!
"I'm allergic!"; "Yeah, and I'm Portuguese."
got my attention
Cut From A Familiar Mold, But Better Than Most.

The Faculty
Starring: Jordana Brewster , Clea DuVall , Laura Harris (II) , Josh Hartnett , and Shawn Hatosy
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Manufacturer: Dimension
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305428220
Release Date: 1999-06-22

Amazon.com

Okay, you knew everyone in high school was just a little different: everyone looked at you strangely, the teachers were freaky, and you never could find the right groove to fit into. What if it turned out that it was all because your school was inhabited by creepy aliens from outer space? That's the enjoyably cheesy B-premise for this fun and scary flick from the pen of Scream's Kevin Williamson, the master of the post-modern teen horror film. Directed by Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi), it's The Breakfast Club meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers, as six disparate students from Herrington High School band together when they discover that an alien life form is invading both the student and faculty bodies, with plans to take over the world.

Each of the heroes represents a different high school type: popular babe (Jordana Brewster), picked-on geek (Elijah Wood), goth girl (Clea DuVall), sensitive jock (Shawn Hatosy), new kid in town (Laura Harris), and bad-boy rebel (Josh Hartnett). The plot isn't much--a basic kill-or-be-killed premise spiked with a healthy shot of paranoia--but Willliamson and Rodriguez do a great job of building the tension slowly but surely. The suspense set pieces are genuinely frightening, and the film pokes fun at itself without deflating its scares; Williamson is a master at shifting gears from comedy to horror quickly and adroitly. The young cast doesn't have a weak link among them (with special kudos to Wood, DuVall and heartthrob-in-the-making Hartnett), and Rodriguez gets maximum mileage from the titular faculty, which includes Jon Stewart, Piper Laurie, Salma Hayek, Bebe Neuwirth, and Robert Patrick of Terminator 2. Go to the head of the class, Mr. Williamson. --Mark Englehart

Description

This hip and edgy thriller from the director of FROM DUSK TILL DAWN and the writer of SCREAM and SCREAM 2 sizzles with a hot young cast including Elijah Wood (THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy), Josh Hartnett (PEARL HARBOR), and R&B superstar Usher Raymond! When some very creepy things start happening around school, the kids at Herrington High make a chilling discovery that confirms their worst suspicions: their teachers really are from another planet! As mind-controlling parasites rapidly begin spreading from the faculty to the students' bodies, it's ultimately up to the few who are left -- an unlikely collection of loners, leaders, nerds, and jocks -- to save the world from alien domination! Also starring Robert Patrick (TERMINATOR 2), Famke Janssen (X-MEN), and Jon Stewart (TV's THE DAILY SHOW) in a great cast -- don't miss the unstoppable excitement of this unpredictably smart and scary hit!

Customer Reviews:

cursed teens vs spaced out teachers.......2007-08-05

Nothing like then sitting down and watching a school actually deteriorate inside out. hip teens realize their teachers are not from this side of the border. are the students doomed to repeat history. or are the teachers are gone where no one has gone before. only one way to find out.

Good time fun!!.......2007-06-23

I had forgotten about this movie and recently rewatched it. It brought back so many memories! It is everything rolled into one without ever taking itself too seriously. If your looking for a movie for pure entertainment this is the movie for you.

"I'm allergic!"; "Yeah, and I'm Portuguese.".......2007-05-30

If you're looking for a good thriller/whodoneit type movie, this is it.

What's this movie about? Basically, a group of kids are trapped when their entire school has been overcome by "aliens". These kids are different in many ways (you have the jock, the preppy girl, the geek, the goth, the stoner, the new girl) yet, as in so many "scary" movies, they must put their differences aside and attempt to fight off these aliens, starting with the faculty.

First, let me say that this movie isn't a sci-fi type movie. It's more of a "let's guess who did it" movie (or, in this case, "let's figure out who has been overtaken by the aliens and who is the queen alien"). Why am I rating this a 4 out of 5? Because if you've seen any scary movie, this movie is nothing new. However, it stands on its own and if you like typical scary movies, I'd give this one a chance.

got my attention.......2007-03-11

This movie got my attention and I watched it on teevee, it had good elements of Body Snatchers, The Thing, and a little Alien and a little Terminator. The acting was very good, action was very good, I enjoyed it overall. But the happy ending of everybody coming back alive and the world being good again betrayed the viscerable horror concepts that gave birth to this movie. This was fun to watch, but the axed Pollyanna ending was very disappointing.

Cut From A Familiar Mold, But Better Than Most........2007-01-11

When "The Faculty" arrived at theaters in late 1998, the world had already seen it's share of over-hyped, over-dramatic and sarcastic teen horror from the mind of Kevin Williamson. Not only did we already have a "Scream," but there was a "Scream 2," as well as a corny "I Know What You Did Last Summer," followed by a corny sequel with an even cornier title. To add insult to injury, he tainted what could have been an amazing comeback movie, "Halloween H20" with his own embarassing self-referential "touch-ups" on the script. Most horror fans, including me, placed blame on Williamson for watering down the horror genre, and forcing us to suffer through a five year period of bland horror that was finally put to rest with the flop, "Valentine." However, working in Williamson's favor are two things. First, you can't blame him for "Disturbing Behavior" or "Urban Legend," as he had nothing to do with them, and second, he did deliver this little underrated gem. Together with director Robert Rodriguez, "The Faculty" was brought to the screen in a style that set it aside from it's peers and with a story that, despite lacking in the originality department, didn't feel quite as stale.

Six teenage stereotypes -- a jock, a brain, a pretty girl, a frumpy girl, a burnout, and a naive new kid -- band together when they discover that their school, and eventually their town, are being infested with an alien life-form. The teachers are more cruel and strict than before, and their parents and the police force aren't of much help either. Taking a cue from "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers," the parasites in this movie use their human counterparts as a host, taking away what made them human and using their bodies to feed their needs. It's not too long into the film that the kids wise up to this fact. When Josh Hartnett, laying it on a little to thick as the burnout character, stabs his science teacher (played by John Stewart) in the eyeball with a homemade cocaine inside a pen, a plan to hunt down the Queen, which will theoretically save everyone (aside from the few they already wasted) is devised. The movie turns into a whodunnit of sorts, but without resorting to "Scream"-esque cliches. Rest assured, there are no long-winded explanations as to what their motivations are and how they pulled it off.

One of the biggest flaws in this film would be the last fifteen or so minutes, which really degrades itself to some sort of b-movie monster flick. Needless to say, when the Queen reveals herself, it's a bit embarassing to watch. However, the movie on the whole is thoroughly entertaining. Even when it reaches into moments of cheese, it is still fun, thanks mostly to Rodriguez's expertise. One has to wonder how this guy got stuck directing a teen-horror flick in the first place. A fresh faced Elijah Wood, Jordana Brewster and Clea DuVall are fun to watch in the film, but it is really the Faculty themselves who take center stage. Rodriguez alumni Robert Patrick and Selma Hayek, along with Jon Stewart and Famke Janssen, threaten to steal the show. Their portrayals of overworked, underpaid and underappreciated teachers are spot-on and couldn't be closer to reality. I swear, I've had these people as teachers growing up.

Overall, "The Faculty" is an entertaining little sci-fi/horror that you'll probably want to watch more than once. Sure, it's become a bit dated eight years later, but of all the movies of it's kind popping up at the time, I'd have to say this is the best. The DVD is horribly disappointing, however, with no special features really to speak of. Hopefully one day they'll put out a special edition, with some commentary and some insight into the making of the film.

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The Harmonium in My Memory
Highly recommended.
Important Lessons In Life Learned In And Out Of The Classroom

The Harmonium in My Memory
Starring: Jae-in Kim , Byung-hun Lee , Do-yeon Jeon , Mi-yeon Lee , and Hye-rin Seo
Director: Young-jae Lee
Manufacturer: Tai Seng
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000DN5VGC
Release Date: 2006-02-28

Customer Reviews:

The Harmonium in My Memory.......2007-04-01

This was a good movie but the end was very surprising.

Highly recommended........2006-12-29

For those who enjoyed "Road Home" here comes another wonderful version of an emotional film involving teachers.
In this case the story is developing around the first love of an innocent village girl and the newly arrived teacher.
In this mixture of sad and happy moments we can enjoy the innocence and purity of a young girl who discovers love for the first time, the effort of a teacher to remain impartial and fair as a teacher towards a girl that he started liking too.
The involvement in the story of other teachers and people around their daily life, adds interest and emotion.
Soon the viewer is part of the story.
The photography is magnificent and the music typical of the 60s.
This wonderful selection of music is also a centerpiece in the development of the story.
A very well balanced film, running smoothly and keeping the viewer interested, full of emotion, throughout the entire duration.
Highly recommended.

Important Lessons In Life Learned In And Out Of The Classroom.......2006-05-29

Note: Korean with English subtitles.

'The Harmonium In My Memory' is a touching, bittersweet tale of first love, exploring both the exhilarating emotional purity of initial attraction and the devastating sadness and sense of loss when things don't turn out as planned. The cinematography is amazing, showcasing some of the most vividly enchanting landscapes you'll ever see and the storyline and cast will win your heart and stay in your memory long after the closing credits.

Set in Korea circa 1963 Kang (Lee Byeong-heon) arrives in a rural village ready to begin his first teaching position. When a young local girl Yun (Jeon Do-yeon) sees Kang walking down the road her attraction to him is immediate. She shyly provides directions with a girlish giggle and the pointing of a finger. And so the flirtation begins.

Lee Byeong-heon and Jeon Do-yeon are two of the most likeable characters you'll ever watch in a film and they're just amazing together. They are so expressive you can almost feel their joy and pain as each pursues love interests that simply weren't meant to be.

This film has a little bit of everything, running the full gamit of human emotions. Just be sure to have a box of kleenex nearby, when you stop laughing you're sure to shed a tear or two. If you loved 'The Road Home' you're sure to love this too!

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Later Hammer Thriller With Sterling Cast And Good Story
Last Hammer thriller from writer/director Jimmy Sangster
GOOD THRILLER FROM HAMMER!!!
Great tension!
Title mix-up

Fear in the Night
Starring: Judy Geeson , Joan Collins , Ralph Bates , Peter Cushing , and James Cossins
Director: Jimmy Sangster
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005UW7J
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Customer Reviews:

Later Hammer Thriller With Sterling Cast And Good Story.......2003-11-19

I've long wanted to see this little thriller which was produced in the "twilight" period of Hammer Productions highly successful run with horror and mystery tales. While not the greatest of that famous studios efforts it nevertheless is an intriguing tale that on first viewing does keep you guessing with it's surprise twists and great atmosphere. Written and directed by Hammer's Jimmy Sangster, he is none to flattering of it in his interesting book "Inside Hammer" however I feel this film is long due for a reappraisal.

Blessed with the usual Hammer Studios trademarks of a fine cast and great atmosphere "Fear in the Night", makes enjoyable viewing for thriller watchers without it ever creating "edge of the seat" suspense. In the early seventies Ralph Bates was being touted as the "new Christopher Lee" by Hammer Studios and here he has a good showcase for his excellent acting talents. The story is set in a mysterious school for boys hidden away in the English Countryside. But like so much else in this film as the story unfolds the school is not what it first seems to be. The opening shot of the school grounds with the boy's choir singing in the backgound with the camera panning onto a body hanging from a tree gives you some idea of the "mixed signals" this story gives off. "Fear in the Night", relates the story of Peggy Heller (Judy Geeson), a girl who has suffered a nervous breakdown but has recently married and plans to join her school teacher husband Robert (Ralph Bates) at his new teaching appointment at a boys school. Just before leaving she is attacked by a strange man with one arm and as no one will believe her she joins her husband and tries to put it out of her mind. Settling into a cottage on the campus grounds the school appears to have a strange funeral-like atmosphere to it which is not helped by the unsettling presence on campus of the headmaster Michael Carmichael (Peter Cushing in a smaller than usual role) and his seductive wife Molly (Joan Collins in a very effective performance). Left alone in their small cottage while Robert attends a conference in London Peggy is attacked again by the one armed man and the suspicion is placed on Michael who only has the one arm. As it turns out he is completely innocent of the crime and as the story progresses it is reveled that Robert and Molly are involved in an affair and are using Peggy and Michael in an elaborate scheme to get possession of Michael's property and money. Michael however turns the tables on the scheming pair and in an exciting climax to the story their murderous plans fall in a heap with both Robert and Molly getting their just desserts.

"Fear in the Night" is really one of the better later day efforts by Hammer Studios and what is an essentially 4 character story is acted with great polish by the four leads. Joan Collins is very effective in her small role of the scheming Molly and Judy Geeson displays just the right vulnerable qualities as the young bride who thinks she might or might not, be actually going insane. Ralph Bates delivers a first rate performance as the villian of the piece. His earlier scenes as the loving and concerned husband make way beautifully to reveal the deadly murderer he actually is. The surprise twist in the story while not totally unexpected does still deliver a jolt and the build up to the climax as Peggy now finds herself in danger from all quarters is first rate. One of this films great strengths is it's evocative atmosphere, from the eerie halls of the "fake" school to the shots on the somehow sinister grounds of the estate both during the day and night scenes. A genuine feeling of menace and apprehension is felt in particular in the earlier scenes as we are introduced to this school and its strange inhabitants. My one regret is that horror veterans Peter Cushing and Joan Collins as husband and wife never share any scenes as the combination of these two talents would have greatly benefited the story.

As a later day Hammer effort this film is essential viewing for all lovers of this studio's work. With a story deliberately unfolding at a slower pace and then building up to an exciting climax with numerous suitable red herrings thrown in along the way for good measure it makes enjoyable viewing for those that like good atmosphere and believable characters even in an unbelievable story such as this. Boasting seasoned talents such as Peter Cushing, long a star of many fine Hammer horror efforts, combining well with developing talent such as Ralph Bates, at that time seen as a future star of the studio's productions helps make "Fear in the Night", a great piece of mystery viewing.

Last Hammer thriller from writer/director Jimmy Sangster.......2003-06-02

Hammer referred to them as "mini-Hitchcock's". Fear in the Night is the last in a series of fine thrillers Hammer made during their long successful run. Director/writer Jimmy Sangster (screenwriter on Horror of Dracula, Curse and Revenge of Frankenstein among many others)creates a fine atmospheric thriller.

The story centers around a young woman (Judi Geeson) who has recently had a nervous break down and a one armed man that may or may not be still stalking her. Her husband (Ralph Bates) is given a post at a new boy's school. The stalkings continue and she suspects at one point that the headmaster (nicely played by Peter Cushing in a glorified cameo)may have something to do with all that's going on. Joan Collins also appears as the flirty headmaster's wife.

Adapted from a script that Sangster had sold to Universal years before, Fear in the Night has been seldom seen since its initial release in 1972. While it isn't the best thriller produced by Hammer, it recaptures some of the studio's more atmospheric productions from the early to mid-60's. The cinematography is evocative and helps create both the mood and tension of the piece. While Hammer puttered on for a number of years after Fear in the Night was produced, it was truly the last strong production from the studio. When it was released it was paired with another thriller Straight On Till Morning and the double bill failed to find an audience. Shortly after its release, Jimmy Sangster and Hammer severed their long partnership. It's a pity as Fear is an intelligent suspense thriller the type that Hollywood has forgotten how to produce.

The DVD transfer is crisp althought I found the colors to be a little washed out. Given the stock used and the time when the film was produced, it's not that much of a surprise. Still, the print is clean and in almost prisitine condition all things considered.

The DVD also has a running commentary by writer/director Jimmy Sangster that is most enlightening. He provides both the context within which the film was produced at Hammer and a good overview as to why it may have failed to find an audience. Given that it came out around the same time as Hitch's brutal Frenzy, it probably suffered in comparison.

GOOD THRILLER FROM HAMMER!!!.......2003-05-01

Judy Geeson ("TO SIR, WITH LOVE") is a newly married young woman who keeps getting attacked by a one-armed man and nobody believes her, probably because she just had a nervous breakdown. She and her hubby (RALPH BATES) move into a cottage at the country school where he is a teacher and more attacks occur. This is a well cast, well writen thriller and one of Hammer's better film's of the 70's. Geeson is very good as the jumpy heroine as is Peter Cushing as the odd headmaster of the school. Joan Collins (pregnant at the time) is also good as Cushing's wife in a small role. I liked the creepy atmosphere of the empty "school" and found the story and it's surprise ending very satisfying. The DVD is the usual fine disc I've come to expect from ANCHOR BAY. The anamorphic widescreen picture is crystal clear and the sound is very pleasing. A trailer, audio commentary with writer/producer/director Jimmy Sangster and liner notes are the extra's. If your looking for a fine, old-fashioned thriller, this is it. Highly recommended! Enjoy! -George Bauch.

Great tension!.......2003-01-14

Overall I would rate this as a very good film. It's filled with a lot of tension and suspense and you expect things to jump out at every corner. The review of this film at the top gaves away the whole story so whatever you do, don't read it! I have read some negative reviews of this film from people who say that it's very slow moving, but that just adds to the suspense. And what Hammer film isn't slow moving?? Check it out for yourself. I was pleasantley surprised.

Title mix-up.......2002-09-01

It says clearly at the top of the page Fear in the Night (1947).
But what is actually for sale here is the British remake from 1979. Buyer beware.

Teaching in America: A Guide for International Faculty and What Students Want: Teaching from a Student's Perspective, The Derek Bok Center Series On College Teaching

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Teaching in America: A Guide for International Faculty and What Students Want: Teaching from a Student's Perspective, The Derek Bok Center Series On College Teaching
Starring: Harvard University
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Book Description

Teaching in America can be difficult for anyone. But what problems confront international faculty when they first teach in the United States? For many, the greatest challenge is not the English language, but understanding the expectations of American students and the culture of the American college classroom.

Teaching in America offers insights and encouragement from more than 20 international faculty members and teaching assistants at harvard University—all with experience teaching American undergraduates. The interviews and classroom sessions portrayed cover topics such as breaking down cultural barriers, preparing for class, dealing with language problems, keeping class discussions lively, and responding to student concerns.

Most internal faculty members agree that teaching American students brings great satisfaction once initial difficulties have been overcome. The goal of Teaching in America is to speed up the process of feeling at home in the American classroom by offering advice and inspiration from those who have successfully met this challenge.

Teachers often make assumption about what motivates, excites or frustrates their students. Nut how do students themselves view teaching? What do they find exciting or frustrating in the classroom? How do they learn best, and what role do they think faculty can play in the process?

Customer Reviews:

This is as good as any snatcher movie........2006-02-03

The formula is the classic; someone is being "alienated." Naturally someone wants to put a "bug" in your ear as to which the person(s) is/are. Time is running out to find out what the problem is and how to correct it. As always the first to go is the authorities.

All right you have seen it a million times and even the characters in the movie refer to "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956) [see my review] and "The Puppet Masters" (1994). However it is not the plot but the carrying out of the plot or action that makes the movie. I was amazed to find this movie so professionally portrayed in the era of ersatz teenybopper knockoffs like "Sleepy Hollow"

The characters were well chosen to portray the different Faculty and student types.

Where have we seen Coach Willis (Robert Patrick) before? Can you say "Terminator Two"?

Laura Harris is from Canada and this is Ohio so what doses that make her? (An Al...)

You can not beat the descriptive names given to the characters.

The movie is just down right fun and has a lot of "Don't do that" scenes makes you want to kibitz.

Why your teachers being alien monsters is a bad thing, boys and girls.......2006-02-03

"The Faculty" is one of those movies where you want to reduce it to simple cinematic equation history, such as "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" meets "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." But that is really too simplistic an approach. Not since "The Rock" have I seen a film that references as many other films as "The Faculty" (comedy homages in the tradition of "Airplane" do not count). When you watch this film see how many times you suddenly say to yourself, "Oh, yeah, just like in 'The Thing.'" Clearly, screenwriter Kevin Williamson ("Scream") is back to his old tricks, this time in the field of science fiction rather than teenage splatter flicks, aided and abetted by director Robert Rodriuez ("From Dusk Till Dawn").

The premise of the film is that the old school kid fantasy about teachers being alien monsters comes true at Herrington High in Ohio. The faculty are only first on the alien agenda for possession. Next are the police, the students, their parents, the folks in town, the visiting football team, and, by the end of the month, the entire world. All that stand in the way are the fellowship of the high school student stereotypes: there is Casey Connor (Elijah Wood), the Stephen King nerd; Delilah Profitt (Jordana Brewster), the campus queen; Stokely Mitchell (Clea DuVall), the goth girl with the encyclopedic knowledge of science fiction films whom everyone thinks is a lesbian; Stan Rosado (Shawn Hatosy), the sensitive jock who wants to be more than a quarterback; Marybeth Louise Hutchinson (Laura Harris), the new girl in school; and Zeke Wells (Josh Hartnett), the big man on campus when it comes to drugs.

Actually, "The Faculty" ends ups being one of the most subversive films in history because the big lesson here is that mind altering drugs can save the world (that just cannot be right, people). But it is hard to focus on a "message" in a film like this where the only real question is how are these kids going to save the world and which on the infected people is hosting the queen? That last one is where Williamson proves he was paying attention to story construction because there are plenty of clues that set up the big payoff, which is usually a sign of competency when considering a film like this. Otherwise the big joke in the film is that the adults are having a lot more fun being monsters than the kids are trying to save the earth. Robert Patrick plays Coach Willis with maniacal glee while Piper Laurie goes for underplayed creepiness. Famke Janssen goes from mouse to lioness, Bebe Neuwirth gets to work on her chilling smile, and even Jon Stewart has his eye-popping moment. Only Salma Hayek is really wasted, given nothing more to do than blow her nose.

The end result is a decent science fiction horror film, which is a pretty good deal. We are clearly in a world where a competent film in this genre qualifies as an above average effort. But "The Faculty" embraces both the history of the genre and the stereotypical characters running around in it trying to save the world. The idea of an unpretentious exploitation film just sounds strange. For me, the two scenes that capture the essence of this film are the suspenseful sequence where the gang tries to figure out who amongst them cannot be trusted and the bit where the new and improved football team gleefully beats up on their out of town opponents at the big game on Friday night. "The Faculty" plays well in both ballparks. The only serious complaint is that this film was apparently so well crafted by Williamson and Rodriguez that there are no deleted scenes; all this DVD offers in the way of extras is the trailer. That is a downer.

Bonus Question: Since this film is scripted by Kevin Williamson can it be read as an allegorical twist on "Dawson's Creek"? Sure, why not? It just gets a bit complicated, because if Casey is Dawson and Zeke is Pacey, then Stan has to be Jack (the football part, but not the gay part, unless you want to go back to the very beginning in which case he can be Cliff). That means Delilah is Joey (but with Abby's attitude), but then we have to decide if Marybeth the new girl in town or Stokely the girl with a bad reputation is Jen. Since that can work out either way your decision can be based on whether you are trying to work this out in terms of the high school years on "Dawson's Creek" with Andie or the college years with Audrey.

Average customer rating:

cursed teens vs spaced out teachers
Good time fun!!
"I'm allergic!"; "Yeah, and I'm Portuguese."
got my attention
Cut From A Familiar Mold, But Better Than Most.

The Faculty [Region 2]
Starring: Jordana Brewster , Clea DuVall , Laura Harris (II) , Josh Hartnett , and Shawn Hatosy
Director: Robert Rodriguez
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004CZU0

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

cursed teens vs spaced out teachers.......2007-08-05

Good time fun!!.......2007-06-23

"I'm allergic!"; "Yeah, and I'm Portuguese.".......2007-05-30

got my attention.......2007-03-11

Cut From A Familiar Mold, But Better Than Most........2007-01-11

Average customer rating:

This is as good as any snatcher movie.
Why your teachers being alien monsters is a bad thing, boys and girls

The Faculty [Region 2]
Starring: Jordana Brewster , Clea DuVall , Laura Harris (II) , Josh Hartnett , and Shawn Hatosy
Director: Robert Rodriguez
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000063E4T

Customer Reviews:

This is as good as any snatcher movie........2006-02-03

Why your teachers being alien monsters is a bad thing, boys and girls.......2006-02-03

DVD:

DVD

DVD