Fatal Games

from the moment it begins with the three heathers playing croquet, you know that you will be in for an odd, cruel, and un-john hughes alike teen film. It's black as coal, and as sour as lemons. Although Christian Slater is jack nicholson with a facelift, it's still the most memorable performance in the movie. And winona ryder is also appealing as the lost and complex veronica. Some fantastically witty lines, humurously sick set pieces, and some truly great/cack 80's music make this a classic, more of a classic cult movie.

"Heathers" is a dark, hip comedy that will emerge as one of the best remembered films of its' decade. Alternately hilarious and disturbing, the film details the exploits of a young couple knee deep in high school politics and murder. Slater's Nicholson persona originated here and only adds to the offbeat charm. Smart and filled with more heart than anyone ever gave it credit for. It's like a CBS Afterschool special as directed by Wes Craven.

Ahhh... the late 80's. When shoulder pads were still in fashion, Winona Ryder hadn't yet been arrested for shoplifting and teen movies didn't solely feature recycled actors.

When teen genius Veronica Sawyer (Ryder) gets bored with the shallow and cliquey lifestyle of the three Heathers; her new-found high school chums, she wishes them dead. She never expects it to happen, but this all changes when she meets Jason 'JD' Dean (Christian Slater), a cool, darkly-dressed rebel who moves around the US randomly with his distant tycoon father.

From the iconic opening sequence to the explosive ending, every scene is darkly comic and dripping with irony. It almost looks over-rehearsed as nearly every actor's performance is flawless. Ryder in particular shines with her angst-ridden 'Dear Diary' entries, and Slater I don't believe has ever again encapsulated such a perfect role in his career to date.

The queen Heather (Kim Walker) really deserved more screen-time. She perfectly represents the bitchy, sneering, self-obsessed High School teen. She even manages to convey vulnerability after uttering the immortal line 'Well f/ck me gently with a chainsaw.' Shannen Doherty starts off with what seems a minor part which gradually builds and lets her have fun with the role. The only disappointing Heather is Lisanne Falk, with whom we don't really connect or care about.

It's hard to find anything to pick on with this movie, but it could have used some smoother editing. The scenes cut to actors in different lighting and obvious passages of time to deliver major lines, and correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think corpses should breathe.

The humour is dark and the plot unbelievable at times, but this only adds to the surreal atmosphere and unforgettable lines. A sexy cast, a great script and director Michael Lehmann's vision makes this a must-see film and a worthy addition to any DVD collection. If you haven't yet witnessed the brilliance of Heathers, rectify this now.

Ah, the 80s! It was quite a different time. Loud fashion, ecstatic energy. I love most of the 80's teen films, more than the 90's and 2000's films. There was a certain closeness between the characters and they were portrayed as real humans rather than just horny caricatures. Michael Lehmann's 'Heathers' is one of the best dark comedy teen satires. Lehmann briefly tackles many themes that are of concern to teenagers such as bulimia, popularity, bullying to self-esteem and suicide. This was the time when Christian Slater was a promising actor, when Winona Ryder wasn't arrested for shoplifting and when Shannen Doherty wasn't known yet for her unprofessionalism. the actors themselves were teenagers at the time and their performances come across as very natural. Slater perhaps gives his best performance while the adorable Ryder has gone from strength to strength until she almost vanishes into oblivion. Doherty is very cute and who knows what she could have achieved had she been more professional and not gone into soaps. I wonder whether the very young cast understood what kind of film they were doing or did they think of it as acting in a teen-flick? Waters is writing is amazing and even though a lot of the film is exaggerated, it brilliantly mirrors teen-life in the 80's (which isn't that different today either) and is brutally honest but at the same time funny. The dialogues and one liners are extremely comical and at the same time wonderfully simple. There's also a lot of clever symbolism. For example, Slater's Jason Dean says: People will look at the ashes of Westerburg and say, "Now there's a school that self-destructed, not because society didn't care, but because the school was society." This one line does mark a crucial truth about teenagers because for most teenagers, high-school IS society. Forget these 'American Pies', 'Mean Girls', 'One Tree Hills' etc. None of these wannabe teen flicks will ever be able to match up to the excellence of 'Heathers'. This is one of (if not THE) the best teen films.

Unlike many of the teen movies that have enjoyed enduring appeal, "Heathers" survives not due to nostalgia, but because of its intelligence and searing, midnight-black wit.

Winona Ryder is Veronica, the disillusioned popular girl who falls in with a dangerous loner - Christian Slater as the malefic J.D. The two attempt to right their high school's social wrongs and end up on a killing spree.

Released on the cusp of the 1980s, the film feels strikingly prescient and more disturbing than ever today.