Betty Dodson with Carlin Ross

Better Orgasms. Better World.

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Finally saw the poorly received Jennifer's Body. I had seen screenshots from the movie, but I still hadn't a clue as to what the movie was actually about. Most pictures featured the lovely-to-look-at Megan Fox boasting a set of beastly canines.

I was prompted to see the movie after I read an article featuring the director of Jennifer's Body, Karyn Kusama. She talks about her expectations of the film and the landscape of female directors in Hollywood. I was particularly moved by the marketing of the movie:

"I think boys will really enjoy it, but it makes me extremely, extremely frustrated to imagine that I have been working on this movie for nearly two years now and have committed this much time and energy because, precisely because I felt like if I were nineteen again, I would know someone was speaking to me and gave a s-t about my existence in the pop cultural landscape."

I was also intrigued by Kusama's statement about the real monster in the movie:

"For me, one of the most interesting ideas in the movie is that the monster is female, but the villain is male. It's her victimization that creates a monster. And that says a lot to me about femininity."

Oh man, I must watch.

Poor Jennifer has changed. The popular cheerleader (played by Megan Fox) is normally known as being a crude, rude girl that you love to hate (or just plain love... or just plain hate). But, suddenly she becomes a man-eating killer, picking off the local boys one by one. This obviously strains the sapphic friendship she shares with Needy (played, triumphantly, by Amanda Seyfried), a nerdy girl whose the complete opposite of her better half, Jennifer. When Amanda horrifically learns about Jennifer's secret, she is pulled into a nightmarish journey to save her boyfriend and stop her BFF... forever.

Throughout I was captivated by Megan Fox. It's very hard not to be. And it is my assumption that both men and women alike will enjoy watching her. My husband and I also made the celebrity pact - you know the celebrity pact, right? If you had a chance to spend one night with a hot famous person, then do it! So, we decided that our celebrity pact would be Megan Fox. She is undeniably sexy.

The character of Jennifer Check is potty-mouthed and perfect. And Megan plays both this role and her evil, demonic persona with strength and complete fearlessness. Quite possibly those were the moments I enjoyed the most - when Jennifer Check appears as a bloodthirsty demon, I was hypnotized by how beautiful she is, even as she creepily stares into Needy's eyes, blood and black gunk dripping her from pouty, kissable lips. It's the perfect blend of sex and death!!

From a feminist perspective, it's just fun to see a she-monster, isn't it? And Jennifer is a feminist. Make no mistake about that. It's not because she typically targets emo boys and jocks for dinner, but because she sincerely enjoys her own pleasure and is unapologetically liberating. One of my favorite scenes is when she rants to Needy about PMS being a scam to make women believe that they're crazy. Brilliant. She's so sexual because she can be, and I think her monstrous ego provides her with more sadistic opportunities to overpower her playthings and turn them into happy meals. Simply, she fucks because she can. And she doesn't have to care too much about romance and relationships (why should she? She's in high school!)

So, as a horror movie and girl flick, I am in love. For as much scrutiny as she receives, Diablo Cody is damned good at creating dialogue. The lines delivered in this movie were fucking snarky and fun. It's gory and exciting and then some. But, the story itself is HIGHLY disappointing. While the satanic scene was humorous and sadistic (that's as much as I'll give away), the reason why Jennifer becomes a monster is, well, lame. I wish Jennifer's secret was inherent and we now see it in full glory because of hormonal urges or puberty. That way, we can have a full-bodied character who truly owns all of her unique qualities, including the ones that ultimately seals her demise.

Also, the entire movie appears contradictory to Kusama's statement about victimization. Maybe it's just me, but while Needy is heavily traumatized by the revelation of Jennifer's secret, Jennifer is far more resilient. Yes, she's possessed by a demon; but, before that I just knew her as a bitch-in-heels. Now that's possessed, she's still a bitch-in-heels with an unusual appetite for human flesh. We may see a glimpse of her vulnerability when she runs off with a group of musicians, but that entire sequence feels too surreal to take seriously. To me, Jennifer's character would have been perfect if she was a natural born monster.

Favorite quote from the movie:

"It smells like Thai food in here. Have you guys been fucking?" --

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