Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! Here's a totally unrelated movie!
This wasn't nearly as sleazy as I thought it was going to be for something that spawned three direct-to-video sequels. Don't get me wrong, the subject is totally gross but director Katt Shea avoids the easy Skinimax exploitation and manages to make a lolita free from male gaze.
Sylvie Cooper (Sara Gilbert) is an antisocial, awkward teen rebelling against her rich but distant parents. Then she meets Ivy (Drew Barrymore), a sexually precocious manipulator from the wrong side of the tracks. Within weeks, Ivy has charmed all three Coopers, especially Darryl (Tom Skerritt). By the time Sylvie realizes how deep Ivy's hooks are, it is much too late.
This could have been much, much worse. I was extremely skeptical when I saw it added to the Criterion Channel but honestly, it's a better film than Showgirls or Basic Instinct and hasn't received nearly the same cult classic love. It definitely has a B-movie sensibility but there's a kind of charm in that. And there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it young Leonardo DiCaprio in an early role. I didn't hate it but I 100% would not seek out any of the sequels.
I think I only saw 1 and 2. It was ok. Since I keep getting the plots confused with each other I am not sure it was very memorable.
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