# Two movie recommedations needed - action/disaster & high school comedy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 31, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387 "2012-03-31T15:29:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![manx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@manx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manx)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/1 "2012-03-31T15:29:49Z")
There’s a sub-genre of movies that I really like, and I don’t know what it’s called. ‘Smart/Self-Aware High School Movies’, maybe. Films like Easy A, or Mean Girls. Or Bring It On, which I maintain is an excellent film cleverly disguised as a terrible teen flick. Can anyone recommend me something similar? And now for my girlfriend. She loves terrible, big-budget action films, especially if there’s mass-destruction involved. 2012? loves it. 10000 AD? Loves it. Knowing? Paid money to see it at the theatre, loved it. She’s going to see John Carter next week, and I’m pretty sure she’ll love it. I’m looking to pick up a few movies to give her as a present. Again, can the good people of the Dope find me something she’ll love? ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/2 "2012-03-31T15:49:52Z")
If you like your comedy dark, _Heathers_ is one of the best. _Can’t Hardly Wait_ is a pretty good high school comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/3 "2012-03-31T15:51:27Z")
For you, I recommend: _Brick_ \*Buffy the Vampire Slayer \*(TV show is better, but the movie does fit in this category) _Clueless_ \*Jennifer’s Body \*(a lot of people don’t like this) \*John Carter \*was pretty good. A lot of the action movies I would recommend are pretty old, but try _Big Trouble in Little China_. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/4 "2012-03-31T15:57:01Z")
I’m sure you’ve probably seen _Fast Times At Ridgemont High_. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/5 "2012-03-31T16:16:09Z")
> [@manx](#): > > There’s a sub-genre of movies that I really like, and I don’t know what it’s called. ‘Smart/Self-Aware High School Movies’, maybe. Films like Easy A, or Mean Girls. Or Bring It On, which I maintain is an excellent film cleverly disguised as a terrible teen flick. I own about 10 DVDs (Though I’ve rented about 1700 from Netflix). Bring It On is one of them. If you liked that, even though it’s not technically a high school comedy, I’d recommend Legally Blonde. I’ll second Heathers and Clueless and also throw in a hardy recommendation for the Scary Movie franchise. I know they’re spoof movies, but if one of them is on TV I usually end up watching it. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/6 "2012-03-31T16:21:03Z")
_Election_ is a pretty good HS black comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/7 "2012-03-31T16:37:07Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > _Election_ is a pretty good HS black comedy. Yes, I was about to add that one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/8 "2012-03-31T16:50:11Z")
“Terrible, big-budget action films, especially if there’s mass-destruction involved.” Anything by Michael Bay comes immediately to mind. The _Resident Evil_ series (zombie movies, but more action than horror). _War of the Worlds The Darkest Hour Skyline Battle: Los Angeles Babylon A.D. Escape from New York/L.A. End of Days Reign of Fire Ultraviolet_ ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/9 "2012-03-31T16:50:20Z")
I second (or third) _Brick, Election_ and _Fast Times_ and add _10 Things I Hate About You_ As for disaster films, does she need for it to be contemporary CG-heavy nonsense, or would old school disaster work for her, too? _The Last Voyage_ and _The Poseidon Adventure_ still hold up quite well. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/10 "2012-03-31T17:36:21Z")
“10 Things I Hate About You” is a high-school based “Taming of the Shrew” and pretty great. Heath Ledger is terribly charming in his first major US role. The dad has some of the greatest lines ever (“kissing isn’t what keeps me up to my elbows in placenta all day”). Have to throw in for Clueless (a brilliant high-school based “Emma”), Election, Bring it On, and Heathers as well. With an honorable mention for “Not Another Teen Movie” which will be funny once you’ve seen the others, with a kickass Molly Ringwald cameo. Edit: for action, I really feel like “The Rock” may be the greatest popcorn movie ever made, in case she hasn’t seen it. I know it has real acting and production values, but it’s awesome cheesy. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/11 "2012-03-31T18:13:00Z")
Teen comedies: _Not Another Teen Movie_ is a great parody of the teen movie genre. And I mean it actually understands the genre and isn’t just recycling scenes like a lot of bad parodies do. If you liked _Easy A_, check out _Fired Up_. That was William Gluck’s first movie. It’s about two high school football players who go to a cheerleader camp. It’s better than it sounds. _Josie and the Pussycats_ isn’t set in a high school but I think it’s part of the genre. Another movie that’s better than you’d expect. _Summer School_ is a decent high school movie although the main character is the teacher rather than the students. Action thrillers: If she hasn’t seen _Machete_, she needs to. _Drive Angry_ was also good. Not as good as _Machete_ but worth watching. _Kick-Ass_ was good if you’re looking for a comic-book action movie. _RED_ was good if you’re looking for a spy action thriller. If you’re looking for something more uncommon, _Saving Private Perez_ was a good Mexican action movie abdout a drug gang going to Iraq to rescue their leader’s brother who’s being held as a POW. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/12 "2012-04-01T02:33:20Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Teen comedies: > > If you liked _Easy A_, check out _Fired Up_. That was William Gluck’s first movie. It’s about two high school football players who go to a cheerleader camp. It’s better than it sounds. Seconded! With Spirit Fingers! > [@](#): > > _Josie and the Pussycats_ isn’t set in a high school but I think it’s part of the genre. Another movie that’s better than you’d expect. Very much so. The “boy band” being named “De Jour” will give you an idea of the type of comedy we’re talking about. “Why are you here?” “I was in the comic.” My I suggest _[Ginger Snaps](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210070/)_, not really a comedy, but a horror film that is a lot more clever than the vast majority of horror films about two sisters in high school that uses lycanthropy as a metaphor for puberty. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/13 "2012-04-01T03:08:04Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > My I suggest _[Ginger Snaps](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210070/)_, not really a comedy, but a horror film that is a lot more clever than the vast majority of horror films about two sisters in high school that uses lycanthropy as a metaphor for puberty. Call me old-fashioned, but [_The Company of Wolves_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087075/) is my favorite movie that uses lycanthropy as a metaphor for puberty. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/14 "2012-04-01T04:01:42Z")
Ok, for a really delightful outlier, _The Trotsky_, about a high school kid who believes he is the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky. For Big Awful Disasters… there are so many, but two of note are: \*Twister \*-- which has an evil meteorologist! _Godzilla_ (the remake) – which completely wastes the talents of many talented people. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/15 "2012-04-01T05:18:01Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Call me old-fashioned, but [_The Company of Wolves_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087075/) is my favorite movie that uses lycanthropy as a metaphor for puberty. Your eyebrows don’t happen to meet in the middle, do they? ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/16 "2012-04-01T10:00:05Z")
+1 for **10 thinks I hate about you** and \*\*Independence Day \*\*for your SO ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/17 "2012-04-01T13:02:15Z")
A great, often-overlooked teen movie is [Saved!](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332375/) featuring Jena Malone and Macauley Culkin. It starts out looking like “Porky’s Goes to Bible School” but takes a much more interesting direction instead; it’s an edgy teen flick with a Christian Rock soundtrack. Michael Stipe was a producer for it. Another of these: [Ghost World](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162346/), a dry, sarcastic teen flick about a too-cool girl named Enid who, after graduation, inadvertantly torches every relationship in her life until she has to sneak out of town to avoid the mounting consequences. Thora Birch, Steve Buscemi and Scarlett Johanson star, with brilliant cameos by Teri Garr, R. Lee Ermey, Bruce Glover (Crispin’s dad) and many others. Early effort by director Terry Zwigoff, who also directed [Crumb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109508/) (R. Crumb’s daughter Sophie did the artwork for Enid’s sketchbook). As for big budget atrocities, try the oeuvre of Hal Needham, who made lots of car wreck movies with Burt Reynolds in the 70s. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/18 "2012-04-01T13:31:24Z")
_Saved!_ and _Ghost World_ are both good choices. Part of one of the Burt Reynolds/Hal Needham movies, _Hooper_, was shot about a mile from where I’m sitting right now. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/19 "2012-04-01T14:11:24Z")
_Waterworld_ hits all of the “big budget and absolutely awful action film” buttons. Three cheers for your girlfriend, I love that kind of movie too. Can’t wait to see _Wrath of the Titans._ ---
**Author:** ![manx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@manx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manx)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387/20 "2012-04-02T08:06:49Z")
Thanks guys! I’ve seen (and enjoyed) most of the high school ones mentioned, but I’ll be looking up _Fired Up_ & _The Trotsky_. Drive Angry is an excellent recommendation, as is The Rock. Queuing as we speak! Also the complete works of Micheal Bay - how did I not think of that! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-movie-recommedations-needed-action-disaster-high-school-comedy/617387.md?page=2)