BY Fletcher Gelber

Once in a while, a film comes along that makes you not only question your position as a film buff, but also question your entire generation. This event came to pass when I recently watched the cult classic Dazed and Confused, a film that follows groups of high school seniors and upcoming freshman on their last day of school/first day of summer in the year 1976. There are two unwavering facts that I am completely sure of after watching this film — Dazed and Confused is one of the greatest films ever made, and my parents had it much, much better.

Now that Labor Day has come and gone, students all across the country are gearing up for another year of school. Not only is school where you spend the bulk of your formative years, but it’s also a great setting for a movie, whether it be a coming of age or a melodrama, whether it be incredibly unrealistic or nostalgic of days gone by, school-set movies are always great. Here are our favorites:

BY Alex Gibson

The streets of Sofia, Bulgaria are alive with the Christmas spirit.  Garland curls up the lampposts, lights twinkle, and a holiday market has sprung up in the park.  Brent Magna comes home expecting to see his wife trimming their tree, but instead finds broken glass ornaments and their apartment trashed.  The phone rings. A mysterious voice tells Brent that his wife has been taken and the only way they’ll be reunited is for Brent to follow the voice’s instructions precisely.  The voice’s orders lead Brent to commandeer Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 Super Snake, along with its owner, and tear through the city until the seemingly omniscient villain is satisfied.  This is the plot of the high-octane new thriller Getaway, which recently screened in Manayunk.

The film was directed by co-founder and CEO of After Dark Films, Courtney Solomon.  Solomon has made such acclaimed films as An American Haunting, starring Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek, and Wristcutters: A Love Story, starring Patrick Fugit and Shannyn Sossamon.  On the horizon, Solomon will be working on new action films under the banner of After Dark Action, and a movie based on Dungeons & Dragons.  Earlier this month, he sat down with me to animatedly discuss the ins and outs of Getaway, which opens August 30 and stars Ethan Hawke, Selena Gomez, and Jon Voight.

BY Sam Rossman

There’s so much about The World’s End to like; it’s highly original, hilarious and even has an emotional center at times. Not to take away from the rest of the cast who are all very good, but Simon Pegg really shines in his role, playing a character very different than his usual type of character. All in all, The World’s End is easily some of the most fun you’ll have at the movies this summer.

BY Ben Silverio

In The World’s End, Gary King gets his four former best mates back together to take on the Golden Mile, a pub crawl featuring twelve bars that they attempted twenty years ago in their hometown of Newton Haven, but never made it to the final pub. However, when the gang returns to their old stomping grounds, they begin to notice some pretty big changes, like the alien invasion that has taken over pretty much everyone and everything.

After pleasing the crowd at the Awesome Fest in a double feature with Hot Fuzz and a Q&A with the stars and the director, The World’s End is finally ready for American audiences. The last chapter of the Cornetto Trilogy opens in theaters this weekend, but while the filmmakers were in town for their special festival appearance, we had the chance to chat with director Edgar Wright and star Nick Frost about their latest movie.

BY Will Torrence

You’re Next is the quintessential home invasion horror movie. From the relatable family that drives the much-needed character development, to the animal masks that will be sure to haunt your nightmares, You’re Next is guaranteed to be on your mind for weeks to come. This horror brings a lot to the table including blood, gore, and even its fair share of laughs. If you’re looking for a great movie to see this Friday You’re Next is definitely worth the price of admission.
Grade B+

BY Ben Silverio

Teen movies have definitely made a comeback this summer. Besides The Way Way Back and Kings of Summer, a new coming of age tale titled The Spectacular Now just hit theaters this past weekend. Featuring breakout performances from stars Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, the movie follows high school senior Sutter Keely, who lives in the moment rather than dwelling on the past or looking to the future. However, all that changes after his girlfriend dumps him and he meets Aimee Finecky, who isn’t exactly the typical company that he keeps.

BY Sam Rossman

How you view Kick-Ass 2 is going to be based entirely on your opinion of the original Kick-Ass. If you hated the first, you’re not going to like this one. The good news is that Kick-Ass 2 brings the same sense of fun and hyper-violent action as its predecessor. Overall, if you’re not put off by extreme violence, Kick-Ass 2 is an incredibly fun time at the movies.

BY Alex Gibson

I love anything with magic or gods, which got me to the theaters for Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. I was not disappointed.  It’s silly and melodramatic, but entertaining – especially its quirkily modernized Greek mythology.  If you’re a fan of the genre and want a couple hours of fun, check it out.

BY Will Torrence

To be honest, the reason I haven’t seen The Breakfast Club was probably because of the plot. Watching a movie about five high school students surviving a Saturday detention didn’t really sound that appealing to me. I mean — I have had my fair share of detentions, so why would I want to watch a whole movie about one? It just wasn’t a movie I was excited to experience. But I sat back, made sure I had enough paper for doodling and prepared myself for a 9 hour Saturday detention!

Now first of all, the movie is not 9 hours. It’s actually only around 97 minutes, so don’t let that scare you away. The film is follows the classic stereotypes of students that inhabited every high school in 1985, the year in which the movie was made. The group consists of a brain (Anthony Michael Hall), an athlete (Emilio Esteves), a basket case (Ally Sheedy), a princess (Molly Ringwald), and a criminal (Judd Nelson). These characters appear to have nothing in common except the fact that they have to waste their Saturday in school.