Two High School Movies I’m Freakishly Excited About

July 15th, 2008 at 6:23 pm.

I will start with the more respectable one: 

American Teen is a documentary that follows five high school students around during their senior year of high school in Indiana. It opens in limited cities (that hopefully include Boston…we’re kind of big and important here, right?) on July 25. It has the very real chance of being the first movie about high school that actually shows SOMETHING that actually happened to ANYONE in high school. I’m totes there. 

 

Next we have the much bigger, and yes, more shameful, event. Four days after my 22nd birthday (October 24th, to be exact), I will be standing in line surrounded by gaggles of screaming fangirls waiting to buy tickets to the best birthday present ever: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3!

(I’ll pause a moment to allow half of you to join me in obnoxious excited dancing while the rest of you silently gag.)

Now, for those of you who don’t know me, my love affair with HSM (as those of us cool slash sad enough to talk about High School Musical enough to require a nickname for the movie call it) began with a phone call from my sister freshman year, informing me (who was without Disney Channel. Thanks for nothing free on campus cable.) that she was witnessing the greatest Disney Channel Original Movie event in years. (BEtter than Zenon: The Zequal!? I have to see this!) She thankfully taped it for me, and I first watched High School Musical (the dance-along-version) alongside my big sister, mouth agape at the sheer awful genius of it. I was instantly hooked. The cheesy music. The cheesier dialogue. (“I’m not even behind yet, and you know, I’ve been behind since kindergarden!” Oh Chad, you CRACK ME UP!) Vanessa Hudgens’ never changing baby voice. Lucas Gabreel’s always changing hats. The perfect balance of ridiculous and ridiculously serious moments. I could go on and on.

In the two years since, I’ve directed my own production of the musical (seen one-night only in Chardon, Ohio), and forced my dad to sit through the mildly less genius but still ultimately enjoyable sequal. (“Well, that’s two hours I’ll never get back.” Sorry, Dad.) I’ve become addicted to running to it’s upbeat tunes and have learned most of the dances (for said production, I swear!) 

Just when I thought the HSM franchise could give no more, I was given a glimpse of what genius still lies ahead. Lights dimming to reveal Vanessa and Zac singing soulfully to each other across a crowded gymnasium, lit only by spotlights and their super-reflective shiny hair? Check! Awkward sexual tension between my favorite brother/sister duo, despite one’s blatant homosexuality? Check! A dance in a super manly location to keep the other singing/dancing boys looking cool? Check! The ultimate teen movie staple: the intricately choreographed prom dance? Check! TEN new original songs? Check!

Obviously, I’ve imbedded the trailer that revealed all this and more below. Enjoy at your own risk, as it may induce more excited dancing or gagging. 

 

So, who is with me? I know my sister definitely is as she’s already predicted, “I see a homemade t-shirt clad movie campout in our future…..”

11 notes ( Reply )

  1. ifiweretina
    Jul 15, 2008 @ 6:42 pm

    I too am looking forward to HSM3 way more than I probably should for being 23. However, I can always claim that it’s helping me relate to my future elementary age students.

  2. Kaitlin
    Jul 15, 2008 @ 7:21 pm

    I saw the video earlier and I was going to post the link to it on your Facebook but I didn’t have time. You obviously know that I will be all for this movie. Is it bad that I love Ryan Evans more than everyone else even though we all know he’s gay?

  3. k
    Jul 15, 2008 @ 9:23 pm

    i adore hsm. it’s the best movie to drink too. i haven’t seen 2, but it’s on my netflix…and i am thrilled for 3. god, i love sharpay.

  4. Melissa
    Jul 15, 2008 @ 10:39 pm

    Tell me it was during the Ashley Tisdale ABCFamily movie that you saw the HSM3 previews! If it wasn’t, oh ho ho, you missed one of the finest cinematic endeavors of the past decade, if you know what I mean. And I think you do.

    And P.S. – “Awkward sexual tension between my favorite brother/sister duo, despite one’s blatant homosexuality”? Made me laugh out loud. All alone.

  5. Pam
    Jul 16, 2008 @ 9:37 am

    American Teen was very good – Coolidge Theater had a screening last night. One of the most watchable documentaries that I’ve seen in a long time, and the audience was really cheering for some characters (and actively jeering for others).

  6. downbeats
    Jul 16, 2008 @ 10:12 am

    I simply can’t believe that it took Disney this long to put the HSM franchise in the theaters. I wish that I could watch it from the privacy of my own home, though… so that the mothers to the screaming tweenage girls wouldn’t judge me as I sit in the theater. mid-twenties. by myself. watching High School Musical 3.

  7. Jake
    Jul 17, 2008 @ 11:27 am

    AMERICAN TEEN opens in NY and LA on the 25th, but will open wider to Boston in the following week I believe.

  8. Renee
    Jul 19, 2008 @ 6:59 pm

    American Teen was filmed at my parent’s high school, only an hour from here. I’m the only one of my cousins NOT to attend Warsaw High School. My fam lives there, so I visit often (think: once a month or more). It’s weird to see it on the big screen!

  9. caitlin
    Jul 23, 2008 @ 10:49 pm

    I so can’t wait for HSM3!! I’m glad to see other 20somethings are excited about it too. I took my little sis and some of her friends to see HSM on ice a couple of months ago and I was WAY more excited than they were. I was singing and dancing along and they were just sitting there doing nothing. Oh well. I had fun…

  10. CountZee
    Jul 24, 2008 @ 8:24 pm

    I’m really looking forward to seeing the movie American Teen. I heard it was a huge hit at Sundance so I’m glad that it’s finally opening this weekend (in LA and New York at least). There’s a trailer for it here: http://www.americanteenthemovie.com/

  11. amy harris
    Dec 02, 2009 @ 3:19 pm

    but there are sites out there that give you credit. I found one at http://www.car-loans-for-bad-credit.com

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