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With children headed back to the classrooms, here are five picks for cinematic academia.
Grease (1978)
The Pink Ladies and the T-Birds kick off their senior years with a bang — or, rather, one of many songs — in “Grease,” a modern musical classic led by John Travolta (as greaser Danny) and Olivia Newton-John (as straitlaced Sandy). Whether your favorite tune is the wistful ballad “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” or the innuendo-laced “Greased Lightnin,’” this ’50s-era favorite has enough classic moments to keep you shimmying all semester.
The Craft (1996)
Ever want to curse that frenemy who torments you in gym class? Live vicariously through the wicked women who populate “The Craft,” a 1990s cult favorite that sees four females (Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney, Rachel True and Neve Campbell) summon the supernatural while possibly sacrificing their souls. If nothing else, the film will have you convinced that “Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board” is one weekend trick that just might work.
The Breakfast Club (1985)
It’s not easy to make detention look cool, but John Hughes does it effortlessly with this seminal ’80s essential, wherein five students from all walks of adolescent life bond while doing time in the library. As quotable as it is bittersweet, the movie that popularized pixie sticks and fist-pumping will never get old.
Kindergarten Cop (1990)
Substitute teachers often spark excitement for students looking to flip the script, but odds are none have been as unexpected as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s sub in “Kindergarten Cop,” a movie that sees a detective go undercover with rugrats to catch a drug dealer. Schwarzenegger may be the star, but the movie is most memorable for its kindergarteners-say-the-darnedest-things moments.
Mean Girls (2004)
Few high-school-movie climaxes are as uproarious as the jungle-themed high point of “Mean Girls,” in which writer Tina Fey sets up a bit of lioness pandemonium, with rumors and hair ties flying through hallways along with feral teenage girls. Today, the movie may have people mourning the days when Lindsay Lohan had promise, but it’s no less sharp and hilarious than when it debuted 10 years ago.
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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