Almost immediately after BOTTOMS premiered at this year’s SXSW, the heightened mix of satire and violence in Emma Seligman’s new film drew comparisons to Michael Lehmann’s HEATHERS, which in 1989 set a new high-water mark for upending the high-school movie tropes of the day through a darkly comedic lens. How does a movie that turns teenage suicide (don’t do it) into a punchline fare by today’s standards? That’s up for discussion in this half of our pairing, along with how HEATHERS executes its tricky tonal balance, its characterization of the high school experience and the parents and teachers who just don’t understand, and an ending that’s either a cop-out or the complete opposite, depending on who you ask and when. And in a Feedback letter inspired by our recent episode on ENCHANTED, a listener challenges us to name some recent films that could become “flawed pioneers,” without the benefit of hindsight.
Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about HEATHERS, BOTTOMS, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#369: Stranger Flings, Pt. 1 — Before Sunrise
#368: Revenge Tour, Pt. 2 — John Wick Chapter 4
#367: Revenge Tour, Pt. 1 — Point Blank (1967)
#366: Round Three, Pt. 2 — Creed III
#365: Round Three, Pt. 1 — Rocky III
#364: Dance With the One That Bought You, Pt. 2 — Magic Mike's Last Dance
#363: Dance With the One That Bought You, Pt. 1 — An American In Paris
#362: A New Hope, Pt. 2 — The Last of Us
#361: A New Hope, Pt. 1 — Children of Men
#360: A Crime to Remember, Pt. 2 — Saint Omer
#359: A Crime to Remember, Pt. 1 — In Cold Blood (1967)
#358: Friends 'Til the End, Pt. 2 — M3GAN
#357: Friends 'Til the End, Pt. 1: Child's Play
#356: Top 10 Films of 2022
#355: With Friends Like These, Pt. 2 — Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
#354: With Friends Like These, Pt. 1 — The Last of Sheila
#353: Love Kills, Pt. 2 — Bones and All
#352: Love Kills, Pt. 1 — Badlands
BONUS: Let's Talk About Video Stores and the VHS Era
#351: McDonagh's Discontented Duos Pt. 2 — The Banshees of Inisherin
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Best Song Podcast
The Secret History Of Hollywood
Talking Simpsons
Deep Blue Sea - The Podcast
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever*