Cult Film Spotlight: Heathers

I've always been a huge fan of dark comedy and cult films. They're fun and witty and so horrific that you have to laugh at the gore.

Which is why I need to make sure that everyone in the world has seen Heathers.



Let's just say this film is pretty much the original Mean Girls....

But on steroids.

Released in 1989, the film stars Winona Ryder as Veronica Sawyer, and angsty girl in the popular clique at her school, which consists of her and her three friends, Heather Chandler (Kim Walker), Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty) and Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk). But she hates her friends and wants to rebel against their nasty ways - which span from ruling the school with spite to torturing innocent overweight girl Martha "Dumptruck" Dunnstock. So when Veronica meets bad boy J.D (Christian Slater) and he pulls a gun on some jocks in school, she is obviously going to be smitten.



But JD is not all he's cracked up to be. Ok, so she thinks he's cute. And he's a rebel. Interestingly, Veronica still stays with JD after some... unfortunate accidents occur to some nasty people.


I won't say more because I don't want to ruin the plot for you.

Basically, I love this movie so much. Seriously, the quotes are amazing.

Although sometimes I find that "F*** me gently with a chainsaw" doesn't really flow in the conversation all that well.

Anyway, the acting itself is great. Winona as Veronica really gets the angst that she needs and you kind of just get her, in spite of all the messed up stuff going on all around her. And Christian Slater puts just the right amount of creepiness into his performance that you just get it.


HEATHERS (from Left to Right)
Heather Duke, Heather McNamara, Heather Chandler and Veronica Sawyer

And of course, the Heathers. Lisanne Falk is great at being insecure and Kim Walker defines bitch, but for me (and I may be biased due to my intense love of Charmed), Shannen Doherty takes the cake. Even though she starts off so insecure, she changes so quickly and captures the shift from bulimic to bitch amazingly, particularly considering how confident she seems in real life.

So basically, everyone should see this movie. I know it came out before some of us were born, but it's worth watching. There's some death and some messed up shit, but it's all done in an extremely witty and funny fashion.

It's fascism at it's finest. Definitely Michael Lehmann's best work.


Oh, and it was listed as #5 on Entertainment Weekly's 50 Best High School Movies.

Oh, oh, and it's in the works to be turned into both a musical and a television show.

Oh, oh, oh and it's on Youtube.