
The most interesting concept in the Fox Atomic film from Karyn Kusama, “Jennifer’s Body”, is the recasting of the West Warwick, RI Station Fire in a disco fire scene early in this film. The setting is Minnesota or Wisconsin (the film was shot in Vancouver, of course) but the references is so obvious. The scene, with the pyrotechnics, is well done; but the story around it is something else. Here, a walkin’ dude Nikolai (Adam Brody, who was “Seth” in “The O.C.”, a good teen who writes comic books there ) sets it to drive out Jennifer (Megan Fox) and turn her into a vampire. But this film is no “Twilight”. In fact, it has a plot trick a bit like that of “Darkroom” (a few reviews ago), inasmuch as another character Needy (Amanda Seyfried) winds up in an mental institution, and might have powers herself if she can escape. Well, Needy and Jennifer had been intimate once, but Needy also had a really great kid for a boyfriend, Chip (Johnny Simmons) who was going to take her to the Prom. Jennifer goes after some of the other more aggressive guys (animals of the forest gather before each slaughter – that does remind one of “Twilight”), and the “suspense” is where Chip – a great kid – will prevail.
With less activity going on, the film could have been more focused and become another “Bugcrush” (where Chip is a character similar to Ben in that short). I suspect that in the hands of a director like Carter Smith, for example, this film could have had a lot more real suspense, rather than turning into a rondo. The film could also be compared to New World’s “Mustang Sally”, in which Mark Parrish stars, but that film has a little more suspense.
Chris Pratt (“Bright” in Everwood), whom I met at public cast party in King or Prussia, PA in 2005, appears as one of the teens. It’s not his best role.
The film is loaded with a lot of popular disco music, some of it 80s-style. The producers must have paid a lot to buy the music licenses.
Here's some YouTube footage from the real Rhode Island tragic incident, which was an accident (however negligently caused). Check the search engines for the status of litigation on the tragedy.
Picture above: tunnel on bike trail near Sparta, WI (near where the film is supposed to take place).
Picture below: King of Prussia mall "party" with Everwood cast (Gregory Smith and Chris Pratt), Aug. 2005 (I attended).
