DVD Pick of the Week
'Teeth'


    If you're thinking of watching this deceptively clever indie horror gem, then you likely already know the gist of the plot.  A teenage girl has a set of jaws in a place they aren't supposed to be.  Obviously the potential for bizarre, over-the-top violence and offensively insensitive gender portrayals is lit up in bright colors before the opening credits.  However, this film shows a poise, sophistication, and remarkable restraint that make it a truly surprising and original horror/comedy offering. 
    Of special note is as-yet unknown lead Jess Weixler.  Her spot-on performance of a self-sheltered, sexually fearful teenage girl is absolutely critical for a darkly satirical film like this to work.  She is curiously odd and emotionally restrained in spite of all the strange goings-on related to her blossoming (and dangerous) sexuality.  There has not been as effective a feminist sexual treatise on the screen in recent memory, and the way in which our protagonist reacts to and handles to menacing forces surrounding her development into adulthood is as poignant as it is hilariously horrifying.  She is both the monster from the horror film inside 'Teeth' and the heroine from the empowerment story in it. 
    The film does hit some plots snags in the form of script ideas that don't seem to go anywhere, but they are usually the product of the admirable ambition of a tiny indie film that has greater goals than any viewer has any right to expect.  The direction by Mitchell Lichtenstein is controlled and pointed, with shot design and modestly effective cinematography that take full advantage of the film's meager budget.  If you have a strong stomach and a willingness to check out a quirky little horror film like no other, then 'Teeth' is for you.