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Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Not Another Teen Movie (Blu-ray) (2001)

Not Another Teen Movie (Blu-ray) (2001)

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Released 2-May-2018

Cover Art

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Comedy None
Rating Rated MA
Year Of Production 2001
Running Time 99:47 (Case: 89)
RSDL / Flipper No/No Cast & Crew
Start Up Programme
Region Coding 2,4 Directed By Joel Gallen
Studio
Distributor

Shock Entertainment
Starring Chyler Leigh
Chris Evans
Jaime Pressly
Eric Christian Olsen
Mia Kirshner
Deon Richmond
Eric Jungmann
Ron Lester
Cody McMains
Sam Huntington
Samm Levine
Lacey Chabert
Cerina Vincent
Case Standard Blu-ray
RPI $12.95 Music Theodore Shapiro


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 1080p
Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles None Smoking Yes
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits Yes, Post-credits scene

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    A parody of virtually every teen comedy from She's All That to The Breakfast Club, 2001's Not Another Teen Movie adheres to the same formula popularised by Scary Movie and Airplane!, and the result is easily one of the most successful spoof movies of the noughties. Far better than bottom-of-the-barrel, brain-dead drivel like Disaster Movie or Vampires Suck, Not Another Teen Movie succeeds because it's genuinely side-splitting and clever, showing a reverence for the genre whilst gleefully taking the p*** out of well-worn tropes and clichés. Teen movies are ripe for parodying, as the genre has well-defined narrative parameters and familiar conventions (not to mention iconic scenes), and Not Another Teen Movie is confidently up to the task. Although critics savaged the film upon its theatrical release in 2001, it has developed into a minor cult classic, and for good reason. In 2018, the film more than holds up, particularly given the dire state of the parody subgenre.

    At John Hughes High School in Southern California, "popular jock" Jake Wyler (Chris Evans) is dumped by cheerleader Priscilla (Jaime Pressly) in favour of "beautiful weirdo" Les (Riley Smith). With prom approaching, Jake makes a bet with his friends that he can turn the frumpy "uniquely rebellious pretty ugly girl," Janey Briggs (Chyler Leigh), into prom queen. Along the way, the relationship that Jake builds with Janey transcends the bet as they start to fall in love. Meanwhile, desperate virgins Mitch (Cody McMains), Ox (Sam Huntington) and Bruce (Samm Levine) make a pact to lose their virginity by graduation, even though they're only freshmen.

    Narratively, Not Another Teen Movie takes its cues from She's All That, mixing in a dash of 10 Things I Hate About You, Cruel Intentions, American Pie, Never Been Kissed, and many more. Not Another Teen Movie primarily succeeds because it actually feels like an authentic motion picture - it was shot on 35mm film stock, accurately replicating the cinematic look of the features it merrily sends up. This aspect separates it from more recent parodies, which just look astonishingly cheap. However, Not Another Teen Movie is at its weakest when focusing on Jake's football misadventures. One can understand the necessity to parody such a prominent staple of American high school movies, but the resulting sequences are not as fast-moving or as focused, nor are the plot machinations as interesting. Still, there are some laughs to mine from said scenes, and this is a minor knock against an otherwise eye-wateringly funny movie. The fun culminates with a riotous ending (the result of a reshoot) complete with a Molly Ringwald cameo to show further reverence for the genre that the filmmakers gleefully skewer. And just to make the scene funnier, Ringwald's character hates teenagers and turns her nose up at the romantic dialogue. ("F***ing teenagers," she bemoans.)

    At the helm of the movie is veteran MTV spoofer Joel Gallen, who now spends a bulk of his time overseeing Comedy Central Roasts. Gallen keeps the pacing quick, never lingering on gags or set-pieces, with the film clocking in at an economical 89 minutes. Subtle gags abound, from the school cafeteria being called "Anthony Michael Dining Hall," to the football team playing in "Harry Dean Stadium." With the benefit of an R rating, Gallen and the five credited screenwriters go for broke, incorporating vulgar dialogue and uproarious gross-out moments. The spoofing is consistently on-target, and appreciable extra touches serve to legitimise the production; the late Paul Gleason reprises his Breakfast Club role to merrily take the p*** out of himself, while another moment lampooning She's All That uses the song from the original scene. Other hilarious gags takes aim at the fact that teen movies include precisely one token black guy. The soundtrack, too, boasts multiple gems, while Good Charlotte actually appear as the live band at the prom. Comedy is subjective, of course, and it's impossible to predict any individual's reaction to the movie, but I cannot deny that Not Another Teen Movie worked like gangbusters for me. An extended director's cut was later released on home video, which adds approximately eleven minutes of footage to bring the runtime to a tidy 100 minutes. Naturally, not every added joke lands, but the director's cut is still the superior edition; the theatrical version feels gutted in comparison.

    Not Another Teen Movie is fearless, even including a musical number that references incest and ejaculating into French toast, while characters highlight that attractive girls always receive slow-motion entrances. Film buffs will probably get the most out of Not Another Teen Movie, as it's jam-packed with countless nods and references to a vast array of youth movies from the '80s and '90s, and certain gags are so obscure that it may take multiple viewings to notice. Of course, not every joke soars, but that's par for the course; what matters is that there are enough successful gags to make sure the movie is worthwhile. The sizeable cast is game for everything the script demands, with Leigh (now a regular on Supergirl) and Evans a fun central pairing. The future Captain America is a fresh-faced teenager here, and his comic performance is ideal, scoring laughs aplenty. Pressly, meanwhile, gets plenty of mileage as the attractive but b****y cheerleader, while the supporting cast features the likes of Eric Christian Olsen, Mia Kirshner, Sam Huntington, Samm Levine, Lacey Chabert, and even Randy Quaid, who seems to simply reprise his role from the Vacation movies. Future How I Met Your Mother star Josh Radnor is also present as a tour guide who intermittently pops up to make snide remarks about teen movie clichés ("You would never suspect that everyone at this school is a professional dancer").

    Not Another Teen Movie makes use of the very same parody formula which has beget dirge like Date Movie and Disaster Movie; pictures that effectively killed the parody subgenre. But films such as this demonstrate just how funny the formula can be when in the hands of a creative team capable of actual humour. Without reaching the dizzying heights of Airplane! or The Naked Gun!, Not Another Teen Movie is hugely entertaining and full of belly-laughs, standing the test of time and looking all the better after the dreadful spoofs which followed in its wake. And it was not followed by endless sequels to sully its reputation, which is frankly astonishing. Additionally, be sure to stick around until the end of the credits for one more laugh.

    This Blu-ray edition from Shock Entertainment contains the extended director’s cut (contrary to the 89-minute runtime listed on the back cover), available on disc in HD for the first time in the world. This makes the disc a must-buy for fans of this minor classic.

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Transfer Quality

Video

    As of September 2018, Not Another Teen Movie has only been released on Blu-ray in the United States, via a manufactured-on-demand BD-R from Sony (yes, that means a burned copy as opposed to a professionally pressed disc) which carries over virtually all the extras from the DVD. This Blu-ray from Shock Entertainment, however, carries the extended director's cut which has never been available in high definition before, making this a worldwide exclusive at the present. Shock presents the 100-minute extended cut on a single-layered BD-25 with an unspectacular 23 Mbps video bitrate, but the resulting AVC-encoded 1080p transfer is pleasing and perfectly watchable nevertheless. Additionally, the movie is presented in 1.78:1 as opposed to its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, which is a marginal difference but it's worth noting. It's hard to tell whether it's open matte or cropped, but I can't say the image looks compromised and there doesn't appear to be any awkward framing. For those who've been holding onto their DVD copies for a long time, this is a superb upgrade.

    For the most part, Not Another Teen Movie scrubs up well on Blu-ray. Since the master originated from the good folks at Sony, who are among the best in the business for cinematic preservation, the movie is in great shape. Although there are a few white and black specks throughout, it's not a big deal, and there are no distracting film artefacts. However, this is clearly an older DVD-era master. I did notice certain shots that look slightly smeary or soft, for instance the John Hughes High introductory shot with Josh Radnor, implying that some digital noise reduction was used in the creation of this master (it was likely prepared for the DVD). However, the presentation otherwise retains a satisfying grain structure which accentuates textures. The grain is not overwhelming or distracting, and it's largely well-resolved (some moments are blocky, however), so grain haters will probably like this one. When the transfer is at its best, fine detail is excellent on clothing, skin and environments, while the presentation is often pleasingly sharp as well. However, there is some "frozen grain" at the beach before Jake starts singing at the 70-minute mark. Colours, meanwhile, are sufficiently vibrant and saturated, with the movie retaining its natural early noughties filmic look. Contrast is also sufficient, with appreciable image depth and deep enough blacks. Since this is a 1080p Standard Dynamic Range presentation, highlights are adequate but not outstanding, and certain shots look slightly blown out while shadow detail is simply so-so in other shots - you won't mistake this for a 4K HDR transfer of a recent movie.

    It's worth pointing out that the extended scenes and added moments do not look as refined as rest of the movie, with colours appearing more faded, textures not as strong, and grain taking on a strange texture (there could be some video noise to boot). In addition, the final shot of a BBQ scene at Austin's house suffers from noticeable video artefacts. However, most of this is par for the course. It's amazing that the extended cut could even be presented in high definition in the first place, since it was assembled for the DVD era when extended editions were sometimes completed and locked in SD. Furthermore, I detected some aliasing on the lockers at 57:01, though this is not a frequent occurrence, and I otherwise found no macroblocking or banding. Could the movie look better with a higher bitrate? Maybe. But Shock's Blu-ray gets so much right, and is perfectly serviceable that it's hard to hold too much against the disc. I'm just happy to have the extended cut in HD.

    No subtitles are included, which is disappointing but expected.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    Shock offers a single audio track on this Blu-ray: a lossless English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track, which is 24-bit. The movie doesn't lend itself to a demo-worthy sound mix taking full advantage of panning and placement effects, and the track faithfully reflects how the movie was originally produced. Nevertheless, the mix is full and immersive enough; the rear channels are frequently used for environmental ambience (crickets chirping at the house party at the 52-minute mark), music (see the prom scene), and other sound effects (applause at 77:07 primarily comes from the rear channels, while war sounds at the 85-minute mark are isolated to specific surround channels). Apart from this, the audio is predominantly front-centric, with dialogue coming through clearly and comprehensibly. Understandably, the audio is slightly limited by the recording equipment available at the time, but it nevertheless sounds terrific throughout, never sounding held back or in need or better encoding. The subwoofer is even used at various times, such as when airhorns are sounded during the football match at the 62-minute mark. I noticed a bit of evident peaking during lines of occasional dialogue, but the audio is otherwise free of pops, clicks, drop-outs or sync issues. No complaints from me.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

    Nothing. Zilch. Zip. Nada. The DVD came with a whole heap of extras which were available on the U.S. Blu-ray, but Shock makes no attempt to create the definitive package for this underrated comedy.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    The Region A-locked "Choice Collection" Blu-ray from Sony contains the following:

    Conversely, the "Choice Collection" Blu-ray is a burned disc and it lacks the extended director's cut, which is my preferred edition. It's tough to choose, but the Region A release gets the edge. Fans will want to own both until a better option becomes available.

Summary

    Not Another Teen Movie is not exactly fondly remembered in popular cinematic lexicon, but it's one of the best parody movies to date. I laughed so hard that I cried, and it stands up to repeat viewings. This one will see repeat rotation in my household for a long time to come.

    Debuting on Blu-ray for the first time ever in Australia, Shock Entertainment provide the extended director's cut, which is a worldwide exclusive at the time of writing. The video presentation is nothing remarkable, but it's perfectly watchable. The audio, meanwhile, is likewise effective. The complete lack of extras is disappointing, however. All things considered, though, this release comes recommended, but at sale price.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Callum Knox (I studied biology)
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Review Equipment
DVDSony UBP-X700 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player, using HDMI output
DisplayLG OLED65E6T. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 2160p.
Audio DecoderBuilt in to amplifier/receiver. This audio decoder/receiver has not been calibrated.
AmplificationSamsung Series 7 HT-J7750W
SpeakersSamsung Tall Boy speakers, 7.1 set-up

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