Jennifer's Body

Jennifer's Body...2009...102 minutes...rated R...starring Amanda Seyfried, Megan Fox, Johnny Simmons, and Adam Brody...written by Diablo Cody...directed by Karyn Kusama

Needy and Jennifer are BFF's that have known each other since they were small, and nothing could ever get in the way of their friendship. That is, until they decide to go out to a local watering hole in Devil's Kettle to see an up-and-coming indy band by the name of Low Shoulder. Jennifer hooks up with the band after the bar burns down, and has a night she never expected. After that, she's a little different...an "eating people" kind of different. The boys in the town are becoming appetizers, and Jennifer's new attitude is causing a serious strain on the two girls' friendship. What will Needy have to do...especially when her boyfriend starts looking like lunch?

Sometimes the fusion of comedy and horror works brilliantly, and sometimes you just get an odd flavor of movie. This movie for me stayed more around the "tangeloberry" end of that spectrum...despite all the jokes you can make about Megan Fox being a maneater, that this film simply revealed what Michael Bay already knew, etc etc. Still, if your preference runs toward quirky, "Jennifer's Body" has much that it can offer you. J.K. Simmonds has a smalll part as a local teacher with a hook for a hand who is just...odd, but amusingly so. Lance Henricksen also has a small cameo, which was a welcome sight.

Amusing as it can be in moments, the movie felt forced in places, and I never quite figured out if it was to be completely satirical or have moments where we were actually supposed to feel for these oddball teens and their demonic problem. I also didn't quite understand how or why Needy and Jennifer were as "linked" as they were in moments, besides the obvious childhood connection. Was it deliberate on Jennifer's part, was it because they were "blood sisters", or was it just something that the writer just couldn't be bothered to explain? Ditto with all the native wildlife being drawn in on some scenes...I've seen plenty of movies and read my share of occult books and that still left me scratching my head a bit.

The movie's bumpy and uneven, but I also know that you can find worse things to kill off an evening with. Don't spend money or anything on this one, but if it comes up on cable, you might want to give it a look. I'll give this film 2.5 bowie knives out of 5.