Written as part of the weekly blogathon hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. Join our little blogging party by picking three movies that fit the week's theme and writing a bit about them!
"I don't believe in the Republican party or the Democratic party, I just believe in parties!" - Samantha Jones
I couldn't agree more, Samantha. So let's run down this week's party-hopping picks!
Can't Hardly Wait (Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont, 1998) It's the last day of high school, and you know what that means: IT'S PARTY TIME!! This quintessential teen comedy is basically made up of spare parts from every high school movie party ever, but the cast is incredibly appealing, and the movie's low-key vibe is endearing. It has nothing on its mind other than what your average suburban high schooler has on their mind on the last day of high school, and that's exactly as it should be.
Van Wilder (Walt Becker, 2002) Van Wilder is a seventh-year senior at Coolidge College, enjoying the perks of being young and looking like Ryan Reynolds. He has no ambition to graduate, but when his father cuts him off, he has to raise the money to pay for his tuition, which he does the only way he knows how: Throwing lots of parties. This movie is irredeemably stupid (Tara Reid plays a journalist), but Reynolds has charisma to burn and a sort of bad-boy charm that goes a long way towards making this enjoyable even though it's most decidedly not a good movie in any way, shape, or form.
This Is The End (Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, 2013) Imagine you're Jay Baruchel. You're doing okay for yourself as an actor, but you're not super-duper famous or wealthy yet. You're visiting your friend Seth Rogen (who is doing MUCH better for himself than you are), and he invites you to a party at James Franco's. Pretty cool, right? Everyone who's anyone in young Hollywood is there, but it's so crowded and everyone is so much cooler than you that you start to feel uncomfortable, so you go out for cigarettes. And that's when you see these beams of blue light that suck people into the sky. And then a massive earthquake starts and a sinkhole opens up right in the middle of the party. And that's how This Is The End begins. Where it goes from there is not going to be spoiled by me, because honestly the craziness of the screenplay is the best thing about this movie. The humor is hit or miss, but the performances are super committed, even when the script goes to some truly bizarre places.
Oh man these are great picks. I haven't seen Can't Hardly Wait in years. Van Wilder was one of my favorites when it came out.(Before my taste settled in and I realized how bad it really is lol) Everyone always quoted "I want to enjoy the great American sport of muff diving!"
I've only seen This is the End, and that's a phenomenal movie. Great pick! Van Wilder is one of those movies I can't believe I haven't seen. I'll get around to it one of these days.
I've only seen the first two and we match on your first! Van Wilder is crazy stupid but Reynolds elevates it about as far as he possibly can. Can't Hardly Wait is daffy and frivolous but certainly a pleasant watch. This Is the End is all over the place this week but I really have zero desire to watch it.
Aside from our match I chose a ridiculous B movie with a just about to explode star and a frothy souffle dripping with class and a leading lady I adore.
The Reluctant Debutante (1958)-Sheila Broadbent, chic second wife of barrister Jimmy Broadbent (real life marrieds Rex Harrison & Kay Kendall) welcome Jimmy’s teenaged American raised daughter Jane (Sandra Dee) to London just as debutante season is beginning. Though Jane shows zero interest in participating Sheila spurred by competition with her snotty cousin Mabel Claremont (Angela Lansbury), and thinking she’s doing it for Jane’s own good, plunges all of them into the whirl of endless parties and balls each bring out a new teen into society. While Sheila hopes to pair Jane with the insufferable but wealthy David Fenner Jane has her own ideas and falls for the supposedly disreputable young drummer David Parkson (John Saxon). It’s all a fizzy roundelay with Kay Kendall stealing the show as the well-meaning Sheila. Sadly this was her second to last film, she died the next year of leukemia at 33.
Bachelor Party (1984)-The night before his wedding to fiancée Debbie (Tawny Kitaen) Rick (Tom Hanks) reluctantly goes out for a night of debauchery with his friends, ringleader Jay (Adrian Zmed) and depressed, recently divorced Brad (Bradford Bancroft). They run into Debbie's wealthy, disapproving father (George Grizzard) and her ex-boyfriend, Cole (Robert Prescott), who both attempt to stop the wedding. Meanwhile Debbie is taken out by her friends for adventures of their own. Raunchy comedy was a big hit for the fresh from TV Hanks helping put him on the track to superstardom.
Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)-The entire high school graduating class from football stars and cool girls to complete nerds gather at a wealthy classmate's home for a mega party. The artistic Preston (Ethan Embry) hopes to move in on Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt), the girl he’s loved from afar for years. Dorky William (Charlie Korsmo) schemes to pay back meathead Mike (Peter Facinelli) for years of bullying, and would-be rapper Kenny (Seth Green) gets locked in a room with snarky Denise (Lauren Ambrose).
Oh man these are great picks. I haven't seen Can't Hardly Wait in years. Van Wilder was one of my favorites when it came out.(Before my taste settled in and I realized how bad it really is lol) Everyone always quoted "I want to enjoy the great American sport of muff diving!"
ReplyDeleteI've only seen This is the End, and that's a phenomenal movie. Great pick! Van Wilder is one of those movies I can't believe I haven't seen. I'll get around to it one of these days.
ReplyDeleteWe share This Is the End. I loved that movie!
ReplyDeleteI just want a sequel where they go to hell and try to rescue Franco lol
ReplyDeleteI've only seen the first two and we match on your first! Van Wilder is crazy stupid but Reynolds elevates it about as far as he possibly can. Can't Hardly Wait is daffy and frivolous but certainly a pleasant watch. This Is the End is all over the place this week but I really have zero desire to watch it.
ReplyDeleteAside from our match I chose a ridiculous B movie with a just about to explode star and a frothy souffle dripping with class and a leading lady I adore.
The Reluctant Debutante (1958)-Sheila Broadbent, chic second wife of barrister Jimmy Broadbent (real life marrieds Rex Harrison & Kay Kendall) welcome Jimmy’s teenaged American raised daughter Jane (Sandra Dee) to London just as debutante season is beginning. Though Jane shows zero interest in participating Sheila spurred by competition with her snotty cousin Mabel Claremont (Angela Lansbury), and thinking she’s doing it for Jane’s own good, plunges all of them into the whirl of endless parties and balls each bring out a new teen into society. While Sheila hopes to pair Jane with the insufferable but wealthy David Fenner Jane has her own ideas and falls for the supposedly disreputable young drummer David Parkson (John Saxon). It’s all a fizzy roundelay with Kay Kendall stealing the show as the well-meaning Sheila. Sadly this was her second to last film, she died the next year of leukemia at 33.
Bachelor Party (1984)-The night before his wedding to fiancée Debbie (Tawny Kitaen) Rick (Tom Hanks) reluctantly goes out for a night of debauchery with his friends, ringleader Jay (Adrian Zmed) and depressed, recently divorced Brad (Bradford Bancroft). They run into Debbie's wealthy, disapproving father (George Grizzard) and her ex-boyfriend, Cole (Robert Prescott), who both attempt to stop the wedding. Meanwhile Debbie is taken out by her friends for adventures of their own. Raunchy comedy was a big hit for the fresh from TV Hanks helping put him on the track to superstardom.
Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)-The entire high school graduating class from football stars and cool girls to complete nerds gather at a wealthy classmate's home for a mega party. The artistic Preston (Ethan Embry) hopes to move in on Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt), the girl he’s loved from afar for years. Dorky William (Charlie Korsmo) schemes to pay back meathead Mike (Peter Facinelli) for years of bullying, and would-be rapper Kenny (Seth Green) gets locked in a room with snarky Denise (Lauren Ambrose).
💤
ReplyDelete