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Keegan McHargue recommended Jubilee (1978) in Movies (curated)

 
Jubilee (1978)
Jubilee (1978)
1978 | Action, International, Drama
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Jubilee is a really excellent time capsule of a scene, and when I first saw it on VHS in high school, it made a big impression on me. I especially love the scene called “Jordan’s Dance,” which was probably one of the first times I saw such an effective and purposeful combination of beauty and destruction."

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Tom Perrotta recommended The Scarlet Letter in Books (curated)

 
The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne | 1850 | Fiction & Poetry
6.8 (24 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"I hated this in high school, because I was young and couldn’t see myself or my world in the story of Hester Prynne. But then I reread it a few years ago, and realized that it contained a blueprint for the Sexual Revolution, the eternal clash between unruly desire and oppressive social convention. It’s all right here."

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House of Games (1987)
House of Games (1987)
1987 | Drama, Mystery
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I dig movies about con men, and I think it’s because I saw this in high school. It was bizarrely educational. I also love the way David Mamet makes characters talk; it is my sincere hope that Criterion eventually gets the rights to Glengarry Glen Ross and The Spanish Prisoner. I offer to write the liner notes for free."

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You Again (2010)
You Again (2010)
2010 | Comedy
7
6.0 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Kristen bell (4 more)
Jamie lee Curtis
Sigourney weaver
Odette anabelle
Betty white
Just finished watching for a comedy it made me laugh not a perfect comedy there are funny scenes and some good acting including Betty white who’s always funny in whatever she was in overall not bad comedy about getting even with your high school bully at her wedding
  
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Ezra Koenig recommended Assassination Classroom in TV (curated)

 
Assassination Classroom
Assassination Classroom
2013 | Action, Animation, Comedy
(0 Ratings)
TV Show Favorite

"I’m kind of old-school but I wanted to pick at least one newer anime I’ve enjoyed. Assassination Classroom has a super-weird premise. An alien with the power to destroy earth takes over a classroom of misfits at a high school and encourages them to assassinate him. It’s strange and has lots of wacky action sequences but it also hits on some of the classic motifs of classroom dramas. It’s like Dead Poet’s Society with a mysterious, capricious, gluttonous, horny alien teacher with tentacles instead of Robin Williams."

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The Art of Escaping
The Art of Escaping
8
7.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Oh, how I do NOT miss high school!

I really enjoyed this book - It is so fun, and kept me entertained throughout the whole thing! There were some seriously nail-biting moments with daredevil Mattie, and I can totally see this becoming a movie that I would go see in a second!

Mattie is a high school junior who has some pretty quirky aspirations of becoming an escapologist. She's obsessed with Houdini and the like, but especially Akiko - an elite escapologist gone way before her time. But Mattie is determined to find Akiko's daughter and find out as much as she can. All the while, no-0ne in her life knows her secrets or desires to become this really cool performance artist. Not her parents or her family, or even her best, closest friend.

The story also has some snippets of Akikos past, the life she led, and the birth of her daughter, giving you some insight of the life of this mysterious performer and her equally closed-off daughter. We also meet Will, another one with some secrets, and several other really cool high school kids who are so well-developed, mature but fun. It pains me to think of how tough high school was, and how hard it is for kids just t be themselves.

The art of escapology is front and center, through training and Mattie's stage performances that literally have you holding your breath! But the art of escape is evident is other ways, with a lot of hiding from reality and fear of being found out.

This book is such a delight and hope it gets the attention it deserves.
  
Mean Girls (2004)
Mean Girls (2004)
2004 | Comedy
Entertaining
Film #3 on the 100 Movies Bucket List: Mean Girls

The third film on my 100 Movies Bucket List is Mean Girls, a film I’ve seen but never had any strong emotion for. Mean Girls stars Lindsay Lohan as Cady, who after living and being homeschooled in Africa for most of her life, must now enter the terrifying world of an American high school. Here she meets Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese) who clue her into high school hierarchy, including introducing her to the Plastics: Regina (Rachel McAdams), Karen (Amanda Seyfried) and Gretchen (Lacey Chabert).

Mean Girls is a teenage movie that is unlike many others – instead of being dumb and crude, it’s surprisingly smart and humorous. From the opening scenes, it’s obvious that this is intelligent. It’s full of subtle jokes and remarks and some absolutely superb one liners, and these are all down to Tina Fey who has written an excellent script. And in the process appears to have some of the best lines as teacher Mrs Norbury, but do you blame her? Mean Girls manages to portray the high school hierarchy and social interactions perfectly. Whilst is is obviously catering more to American high schoolers, I doubt there are many that would watch this and not see something that they personally experienced at high school. It’s almost poking fun at the high school experience but in such a smart and enjoyable way. There are moments and lines in this that are almost verging on inappropriate, and likely wouldn’t be acceptable in today’s society, but even though this was made in 2004 I don’t doubt that this impropriety is still reflective of modern day high schools.

The acting on offer here is superb. Lindsay Lohan is entirely believable as Cady and this is hugely important considering the message Mean Girls is portraying. This film is entirely about the realisation that you should be happy about you are, and that putting other people down will never achieve anything. Getting this message across is done very well, in a funny yet almost heartwarming manner although admittedly it is all rather obvious. Although at least this tries to avoid as many teenage film clichés as possible, which makes for a refreshing change.

My problem with Mean Girls is the whole bitchiness of it all that underpins the second act. I know “mean” girls were to be expected, but by the end I found myself getting very irritable with how horrible these girls were and the constant sniping at each other. This may stem from my own sometimes unpleasant experiences at high school, but teenage girls stabbing each other in the backs gets very old very quickly. Fortunately the ending does at least relieve some of the meanness and provide a surprisingly heartwarming and uplifting resolution, but I’m afraid some of the damage remains. And I must admit that seeing a smart girl play dumb and risk failing for a boy really makes my blood boil, and yes I do know it’s only a film.

Overall Mean Girls is a well done teenage film which stands out mostly because of its very smart script. It’s probably one of the best high school based films out there but it isn’t perfect, and I do question as to whether it deserves a spot on the bucket list when there are so many outstanding films that have missed out.
  
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Dazed and Confused (1993)
1993 | Comedy
The cast, the story (0 more)
The quintessential coming of age movie
This is the best coming of age film ever made all centered around the last day of school and the wild night after.
Mitch (played by Wiley Wiggins) becomes the target of some high school jocks for a ceremonial paddling (I know, weird right?)
Anyway afterwards he is befriended by Randall pink Floyd (played by Jason London), High scoool quarterback all around good guy and friend to all.
Pink introduces Mitch to all manner of strange characters played by several future stars of screen such as wooderson (played excellently by Matthew McConaughey) a kind of older guy who can't leave his school days behind him, he's kind of creepy and hangs out at high school parties but in a way very likeable.
Other interesting characters include Slater (played by Rory Cochrane) a hard core stoner and alien conspiracy theorist, Mike, Tony and Cynthia (played by Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp and Marissa Ribisi) who play Pink's most normal and kinda nerdy friends.
Mitch's nemesis throughout the movie is O'Bannion (played maniacally by Ben Affleck).
In the movie there are many thrills, spills, laughs and a hint of romance.
All in it descends into a hedonistic a night of sex drugs and rock and roll, car races, paddling, pot, beer, kiss music and Aerosmith. As young Mitch becomes a man and leaves his innocence behind him in a hilarious riot.
Definitely a must watch for any film fan
  
One For The Money (Stephanie Plum, #1)
One For The Money (Stephanie Plum, #1)
Janet Evanovich | 1994 | Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy, Mystery
10
7.7 (25 Ratings)
Book Rating
A desperate Stephanie Plum takes a job as a bounty hunter for her cousin. And her first job? Tracking down her former high school boyfriend turned cop. A bit raunchy at times, but a fast paced and humorous series opener.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-one-for-money-by-janet.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Lee Woodyard finds herself in another case when a reunion of her aunt's old high school singing group leads to a murder. As always, I love these characters and the plot moves forward very quickly. The definition of a light but fun mystery

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-chocolate-castle-clue-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.