Scream (1997)
Director: Wes Craven
Synopsis: A year after Sidney's mom is murdered, more murders start to occur. She begins to suspect if these murders are related and tries to find the killer as everyone seems to be a suspect.
The film that reinvented slashers. For better or for worse. What better to start this list than with the most cliche favourite film but that is what this film is about, (to some) taking genre conventions and flipping them on their head or just trying to find a way to prove there is no excuse for lazy shortcuts in writing. Like Sydney complaining about tropes of people exiting through the stairs instead of using the door and the killer makes her do that exact thing. Or the killer being the very first suspect the film leads you to believe a rare form of a red herring playing with the audience idea of “oh well it can’t be him would be too simple” but managing to make it still entertaining. And who better than a pioneer of horror himself ‘Wes Craven.’ Now scream is far more superior than scream 2 although that sounded like a nightmare behind the scenes and the only thing I feared in 3 was the career of whatever stylist let Courtney Cox leave her trailer with those bangs. Now that is the real villain of that film. While Scream 4 was good, great especially compared the the modern remakes but it is like Sydney said in 4 “You forgot the first rule of remakes Jill-- Don’t fuck with the original.” surpassing even her “not in my movie” said at the end of this. The film follows one of the biggest stars of the decade who infamously had been killed in the first scene setting up the chain of events leading to the stalking and terrorising of Sydney Prescott. Throughout the film there are countless references and homages without relying on them instead elevating this glorified love letter with plot. As for the plot it slowly unravels until the end where a chaotic chase where Sydney must discover the killer ensues where the cast act their ass off and Syndey gets her sadistic revenge.
Lemonade Mouth (2011)
Director: Patricia Riggen
Synopsis: Five high school students bond over dusty basement lemonade and must overcome various obstacles to form a rock music band and become the voice of their generation.
Does this film have great direction? Memorable shots? No! But it does have a great soundtrack with genuinely complex characters and motivations within the film especially for a early 2010s Disney channel movie. We have Bridget Mendler's character Olivia, a shy presumed orphan who has a father in jail (which leads me to think he killed her mother) which she reveals later in the film. With her position she lacks most of the other characters' theme of pressure from their family to be their own version of successful. Her love interest Wen hates his new step-mom, Charlie who cannot live up to his brother’s high expectations, Mo who has stereotypical strict asian parents who want her to do cello and stay away from boys, Stella who comes from a family of geniuses but is a rebel who loves music. Awfully specific and on the nose but fit well into the campy disney setting. Which is why the teachers and bullies carry a very cartoonishly villainous presence. However this is also subverted by the end of the film in many ways. Our five heroes find themselves in detention enjoying the old lemonade machine in the rundown music room as all the funds are going to sports. They miraculously break into song on multiple occasions with the genuinely great soundtrack people listen to up to today. Riviling is Mo’s own boyfriend with the bully character’s band. They break up and after a romance between her and Charlie is suggested but he redeems himself and joins the band which was very subversive on a disney channel movie level. As well as all the sweet moments and the music teacher's performance this movie is a big staple of my childhood.
Jubilee (1978)
Director: Derek Jarman
Synopsis: Queen Elizabeth I asks her court physician to show her what England will be like in the future. The resulting spell propels them 400 years, where they find that England has turned into a wasteland riddled by vicious girl gangs and a demented record producer.
Now for our last trip I am taking you to the late 70’s. I would have gone further but I needed something gay on this list and I am not counting the subtext between Billy and Stu. Now Jubilee is controversial but not in the way you expect and potentially not in the way the director and writer wanted either. Through the explicit sex, nudity, crime, anarchy, reference to incest, polyamory, violence and the literaly murder of the current queen which was ment to get the pearl clutching, sunday times reading (I dont know if it was a thing back then but you get the jist) general public all riled up but it is unsure if the adoption of the punk aesthetic was intended to offend that specific group. Most found the film mocking and stupid while some have donned it as a cult classic. Vivienne Westwood herself going as far as to print on a shirt how much she hates it. I would say I am in the middle while it will probably stay as one of my all time favourites. The costuming and set alone as well as the strange mad max vibe they tried to enforce while also having things like bingo and cafes still open. Camp like an old doctor who episode. But then every time the time displaced queen appears on screen with the angel Ariel (when you suddenly remember their in the film) you see the beauty in some of it, like an interlude where you reflect on what you just saw. It is very experimental for the time and wears its themes and ideas on nothing because it is naked and screaming them from the top of their lungs on top of one of those lions in leicester square. Some call it a punk musical which I do not agree with. It has a punk aesthetic along with punk music but those aspects work more with its general criticism of arts industries and capitalism. But I will always hold its twisted visuals and characters close to me.
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