Customer Reviews

Teeth

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Ahh man, this is as great as it sounds! Dawn is a sweet, proper high school girl who is steadfast on her beliefs of abstinence. Her purity is most definitely a good thing, due to her little problem--she has an extra set of TEETH. (Yep, they're down there). Ouch!!! I'm wincing and squirming again now just thinking about it.

Whenever the horny boys get a little too frisky--CHOMP!!! They pull back a bloody stub. There's no such thing as safe sex with Dawn. At first she gets frustrated trying to harness her emerging sexual energy, but eventually she uses this vicious little power to her advantage.

I was suprised how well done this movie is. I expected a cheesy, over-the-top popcorn horror that tries too hard to be funny. That is not the case! It's done fairly seriously, although the circumstances are so absurd it's impossible not to laugh. It's like any high school flick where the teen is dealing with puberty, dating, and trying to fit in. The beautiful young Jess Weixler won an acting award from Sundance for her performance. Teeth makes a pretty strong bite against pre-marital sex. One daring, shocking, original, funny, morbid piece of cinema.

This is one brutal horror movie you should snatch up quick
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Whoever thought that a film about a young woman with a carniverous vagina would be so good, or thought provoking? I remember seeing the trailers for this, which left me with my mouth hanging wide open in disbelief. I could not BELIEVE that they had made such a film as this, yet I was strangely curious. It didn't play around South Carolina, and so I missed the theatrical run. Thank God for DVD's. I finally rented it the other day and watched it. It has to be one of the most over the top, extreme films that I have ever seen since FREEWAY.

It's basically about this virginal teenager who is very militant and gung-ho about staying celebate until her wedding day. However, she ultimately becomes betrayed by her first crush, and he attempts to rape her. Well, he succeeds, until something inside of her vagina rips off his dingaling, leaving a bloody stump -- and rendering the audience speechless in the process, that is, if you are completely successful in containing your laughter. As sick as it sounds, it really is quite hilarious. So anyways, our heroine finds a use for her newfound set of choppers. She strikes back at the men who try to take advantage of her in any way, by doing away with their penises...and/or fingers.

It's pretty crazy. This is a film that I can only recommend to the brave, or to those who would "get" it's humor without being totally offended. The subject matter alone will turn off many...but for those of us who are curious, and are in the mood for something...well...original, you can't go wrong with TEETH.

God help me. SEE IT!

While this movie has a great deal of potential I found myself frustrated for two reasons. The first is that the film never finds it's voice, it alternates between a gorgeously shot art horror film to a badly produced art horror film. While the acting is top notch the second problem is the story, while overall it is a decent enough story, the pacing is somewhat off, lending this film the quality of an almost but certainly a not quite.

I imagine the concept for this movie is quite old, but not actually being aware of any directly influential works, this seems quite creative. With dentata meaning teeth, you can obviously infer the general concept, and it was interesting. The movie was generally well done, good acting, good sets, camera work, etc. The concept was, though, a little difficult for a male to fully enjoy and embrace at times. :) there was one doctor scene where the it proved highly cathartic. Overall enjoyable, but not one of those that I can watch frequently.

`Teeth' is one of those films I must admire while at the same time feel frustrated that such a terrifying concept was not executed better.

I am reminded of Hitchcock's famous quote that a bomb exploding is not suspenseful; a bomb not exploding is suspenseful because we are afraid that it will. `Teeth' gives away too much too soon and provides too many answers. Likewise with the excessive blood, seeing severed body parts is not frightening because we know they're fake. Not showing us lets us imagine an image far worse than anything FX could produce. The unknown is far scarier.

The premise itself is enough to horrify and intrigue one to see this film. In case you haven't figured it out from the trailers and the reviews, `Teeth' tells the story of teenage virgin with vaginal teeth. As I said it gives away too much too soon.

Despite its flaws `Teeth' is absolutely terrifying and passed the horror movie test of causing me to loose sleep. Probably the best element is the characters themselves. These teenagers actually look and act like real teens not horror movie bimbos. Dawn is extremely likable with her down to earth good looks. She doesn't look like she has someone style her hair and make up for 100K every hour. Dawn lives with her mother, stepfather, and scumbag, junkie, punk stepbrother. Dawn's main activity is being the spokes person for promise rings. Children promising to remain chaste (even with themselves) until marriage and boasting a ring to prove it. Most of these children seem far too young to even know what sex is or what they're promising, Dawn is one of the few teens in the organization. Unlike other poorly written films these scenes do not patronizingly mock Christians but adorn them.

Dawn's horrific and inevitable self discovery does not come about as expected. As she and her boyfriend take things further and further the date switches to a rape. That in itself is frightening.

While many critics are placing `Teeth' in the category of shameless blood soaked teen slasher flicks it is far more as it explores the horror concept of becoming that which you most fear. A monster at your door? Kill it. But what if you're the monster? Dawn has no one to turn to. There are no support groups and a trip to a gynecologist becomes a nightmare. It reminded me of `Devil Lady' where people around the world are becoming monsters. Everyone is too frightened of themselves to deal with the problem. How would they deal with it? Her body and her memories will never leave her.

`Teeth's atmosphere is also surprisingly realistic making the impact of the theme all the more terrifying. Similar to `Donnie Darko' or `Carrie' Dawn's life is far from the materialistic teen world of MTV. Dawn already has plenty of real problems.

`Teeth' is extremely disturbing with an enthralling main character. I couldn't take my eyes off it.

As I said my only real frustration with the film is that it had the potential to be twice as good by doing more with less. We don't need all these bloody scenes. The concept itself already has us horrified. All this blood just degrades `Teeth' into the slasher category.

Likewise the opening scene shows the toddler step siblings in a pool where little brother puts his finger where it doesn't belong and gets bitten. I would think this would be more likely to happen to Dawn during the course of her life. This scene is pointless and we do not need to see toddlers sexually molesting each other.

Rational explanations. We are constantly reminded of a nuclear power plant looming above killing Dawn's mother with cancer. While some have said this is symbolic it gives too easy an explanation for why Dawn is deformed. No answer would be far more frightening. Some of the scariest stories ever, never divulged their biggest secrets. `Flowers In The Attic' we never found out how many people were in on holding the children prisoner or why their mother agreed to this. It was about more than money. `The Exorcist' why was Regan possessed? Never revealed. `Battle Royale' how was the villain Kazuo able to withstand deadly gunshots and other wounds without flinching? Never revealed. `V For Vendetta' (the comic not that crappy film) who was V? Was he really Evy's father. I think so, but there was no confirmation.

Usually during a horror flick the ladies are the ones to squirm but it is quite the contrary in our title feature "Teeth." This film is probably the most unique we've seen in ages. It explores the ancient myth of vagina dentata that was found in several ancient cultures. The way this myth goes is that certain woman have teeth in the vagina which will bite off the manhood of all suitors until a hero comes to conquer the inner beast, turning her into a normal woman. Yeah if your a guy this is by far the scariest horror concept ever created. We'd rather take on Michael Myers and any killer/creature out there instead of going to battle with vagina dentata. The film takes a modern day twist on the myth making it a very entertaining yet horrific experience.

The film starts off with a couple of young kids sitting in a swimming pool. Their parents will soon be married and they will become brother and sister despite the young boys crap attitude towards it. This kid is a total perv and shows the little girl captain winky which then is followed by him screaming. The parents come running out to find the young boys finger deeply sliced up and bleeding. Now we jump to the teenage years and the girl (Dawn) is the leader of a local chastity group. She speaks to kids telling them the importance of saving themselves for marriage. The step brother (Brad) on the other hand is even worse of a perv and now a total drug machine whose sole purpose in life is to nail Dawn, who is his stepsister. Yeah we're thinking this one took place in the midwest. As Dawn leads her group she winds up meeting a Hale Appleman who shares her same views of self preservation. They wind up hitting it off and decide to take a swim down at a local lake. As their swiming they start making out which sends Hale's harmones through the roof. This kid seems so backed up that he's about to explode at any minute, which he soon tries to. He winds up making a move on Dawn and gets shut down. After being shut down he decides it time for some raping and forces himself in her. Now ideally we were hoping Chris Hansen would come out of the cave and read him his computer transcript and then send him on his way to be tackled by a group of cops but instead we have something much worse. Hale enrages the beast within Dawn and gets his manhood chomped off in one of the most disturbing scenes ever.

Now Dawn is so freaked out that she does some research online finding out about the Dentata myth. She isn't sure if thats what she has and decides to go to the gyno for a check up. Sure enough she finds out she does have it once her vagin bites off four of the doctors fingers. Now the poor girl is really screwed up. She has been restraining herself from sex for years and now she founds out anything that goes near her gets ripped to shreds. She had to wonder if she was going to wind up like the 40 year old virgin. She doesn't know who to turn to and decided the only person she can trust is some d bag she knows from school. Once she's over his house he gets her loaded and gets it on with her vowing he will conquer the beast, and does. He gets through the sexy time and keeps his goods in tact. As they go for it again he answers the phone telling his friend he nailed her as part of the bet. Yeah he went for her as part of a bet seeing if he could uncork her. She gets furious and has unleashes the dentata on him taking half his genitals. Now that she realizes she can take charge of her curse she goes to payback her perv step brother by seducing him and biting his wang off too.

In the end she seems to realize it's not all that bad since she can get the ultimate revenge on any guy that tries to take advantage of her. It was definately an experience for us. The film wasn't scary but the idea of this actually happening is one horrific thought. This one definately comes with a decent recommendation from us promising it will be different from anything you've seen before.

A while back, Megan Fox & Amanda Seyfried starred in JENNIFER'S BODY, a "horror" film that wanted to be funny and observant at the same time. What it ended up being was a mess. The "horror" wasn't even remotely horrifying and humor only worked if your idea of wit involves Fox making double entendres. It was a failure and a flop.

The other day, I watched 2007's TEETH, a film that combines genuine creepiness & dread with some sharp if a bit obvious social observation and humor. It was a modestly budgeted film with a very iffy cast, but probably what kept it from hitting theaters was its subject matter. It deals with a high school girl named Dawn (Jess Weixler), who discovers that she is afflicted with vagina dentata. In other words, having sex with Dawn will leave guys literally emasculated and bleeding to death. (If you happened to see Ellen Page's brilliant HARD CANDY and that made you squeamish...your reaction to the events in TEETH may be stronger.)

Dawn has spent her life up to her senior year of high school as a religious, even prudish young lady. She has not only taken a vow of chastity till marriage, but she is the district's most outspoken chastity spokesperson. While Dawn does not know she is constructed in a dangerous manner, it would seem the sub-consciously, at least, she has a clue that she might be a bit dangerous to the opposite sex.

She lives with her mother, stepfather and stepbrother Brad (John Hensley from NIP TUCK). Brad is a complete jerk. He pretty much stays in this bedroom all the time, blasts heavy metal music all the time and roughs up his girlfriend. He also hates his step-sister...because he's been in love with her since they were small children.

Dawn discovers her anatomic difference one day when she finally succumbs to temptation (sort of) with Tobey, a handsome guy who has also taken the vow. The two are drawn to each other and engage in some serious necking, but when Tobey is overcome by lust, despite Dawn's protests...he pays a pretty direct and nasty price.

After this, a few other guys also receive nasty surprises, as Dawn tries to come to terms with her "gift."

The movie treats its male characters almost universally cruelly. They are all guys who are ruled by their lurid desires...all worthy of meeting their bloody fates. It got a bit tiring. The movie is also commenting, in one way or another, on the chastity movement. The commentaries are clumsy and obvious, but at least the film has a sly sense of humor. Nothing is laugh-out-loud funny, really...but certainly the tastelessness makes you squirm and laugh at the same time.

In the midst of it all, young Weixler gives a 100% committed and convincing performance. It's not Oscar caliber...but it IS all one could hope for in this part. When she is supposed to be pure and innocent, Weixler nails this with hardly a wink. She's utterly sincere, and thus we can believe that heretofore, she has never discovered her special problem. When she protests Tobey's advances, we can really sense her conflicted emotions...the battle between her head and heart. And as she begins to figure out just what is going on, she undergoes a number of emotional changes that Weixler always handles well. I'd like to see her take a lead in a less off-beat and off-putting film.

On the other hand, Hensley continues to repulse me. As Matt on NIP TUCK, he was the most horrible and unlikeable character because the actor himself is so physically unappealing AND a terrible actor. He had a small role in the mediocre horror film SHUTTER and was equally dreadful in that. In TEETH, we are certainly ready to cheer for any misfortune that may befall him...mostly because I'd like to see John Hensley disappear from the screen forever.

Other roles are handled passably. Overall, the film is passable. The pace is slower than it should be. The adults in the film behave with little logic. The script isn't as clever as it thinks it is. But it IS the best film about vagina dentata you've seen, and Jess Weixler is worth seeing.

In summation, I'd say that if the plot I describe above just puts you off entirely, then don't watch the film just to enjoy one good performance. If, on the other hand, you find it luridly intriguing (as I did)...you might actually be surprised that it isn't as dreadful as you'd have the right to expect. How's that for faint praise?

The whole concept here is golden. Take the myth of the vagina dentata and everything related to it, add some teens trying to remain pure but failing, oblivious parents, a horny stepbrother who objectifies all women, and a girl who does not yet realize the implications of what lies inside of her--though she learns fast.

This is a very dark comedy that was mis-marketed as a horror film. That's part of the problem. Also, there are some slow parts that could have been filled up better, there should have been more dialogue, and the character development is sketchy at best.

Still, it is certainly worth a look for what works.

A promising concept spirals into cliché melodrama, when Dawn O'Keefe discovers that her vagina has teeth. Occasionally funny and thoroughly crude, the overall delivery just came across superficial and powerless.

Teeth: 5 out of 10: This is the second [...] dentata film I have seen; it is unfortunately the lesser effort. This despite tremendous guerilla marketing campaign that could make one think this is the first cinematic foray into such a taboo subject let alone the greatest horror film since 'Sliced: The Baker of Bread'.

The film spends its first half an hour on a lightweight parody of the Teen Chastity movement complete with the wearing of red rings to show that they are pledged virgins. In a creepy post release twist, the chastity group is called Promise and uses something that resembles the Obama presidential red O as its symbol. I am not sure this is what the Obama campaign had in mind.

After a half an hour of jabs at the religious right and nuclear power, (Cooling towers are ominously and unscientifically billowing black smoke behind our protagonist's house.) The film segues into the feminist revenge film we all paid good money for.

Needless to say, hormones being what they are, the dentata enabled virgin (Jess Weixler) finds herself getting hot and heavy with her born again virgin boyfriend (Hale Appleman). When he takes her no to mean yes and attempts to date rape her... well her teeth go to work and Appleman finds himself short one manhood.

Do remember that film when the guy loves the girl and she betrays him so he cuts her [...] with a broken beer bottle, killing her, and the audience cheers him on? No? I don't either. Because they never made that film... and if they did, audiences would burn down the theater. Welcome to the double standard. And don't get me wrong, I approve of this particular double standard in theory, but the misandry of this film is overwhelming. Add in some unsubtle homosexual subtext (and gratuitous male nudity both membered and dismembered) and one gets the idea that the film is against heterosexual intercourse in general. This ironically gives it the same moral compass as the Chastity Group it mocks. This is simply forced chastity from the other side.

The problem is poor direction by Mitchell Lichtenstein. His tone is all over the place and sloppy. If he wants his protagonist to seek out lovers then kill them for imagined slights (as she does later in the film) shouldn't the film reflect this change from victim to predator?

Director Lichtenstein also wastes a tremendous performance by John Hensley as Weixler's older, evil brother. Hensley creates a character of true banal evil. A stupid selfish bad guy that feels like a very real person. His scenes are the best in the film, yet the climatic denouement is simply more of the same and honestly does not feel true to the character. (This would have been a perfect time for the film to put in a twist such as incestuous [...] sex.)

The films performances are overall quite good with Jess Weixler and Hensley as the standouts. The film is also extremely graphic with various male gentalia being sliced and gaping bloody wounds in the crotch area. (Not for nothing but would not a male member lose its erection if severed?)

Unfortunately, Teeth, much like that recent killer baby flick Grace, ends where it should have begun. If you want to see a Vagina Dentata film done right, take a gander at Angst (Or Penetration Angst, as it is known overseas.). Fiona Horsey brings a certain je ne sais quoi to the art of dismembering men that an American virgin just cannot compete with.