Teeth
Written and directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein
Roadside Attractions
2008
Rating:


"Teeth" uses the horror genre as a smokescreen for a surprisingly thoughtful discourse on abstinence (as opposed to sex) education, misogyny and general male gynecological fears.

Evangelical Christian teenager Dawn (Jess Weixler in a sensitively wrought performance) is a chastity spokeswoman so devoted to her "Promise" program she can't even bring herself to masturbate without imaging her vagina as a mythological, toothed beast. Dawn's abstinence seems to stem from what's at least subconscious knowledge about her vagina being...different. Nearly 15 years ago, her stepbrother Brad ("Nip/Tuck's" John Hensley) suffered a vicious bite during a surprising game of "I'll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours." For his part, this primal scene has turned Brad into an angry male afraid of the vagina who therefore only has anal sex. Dawn doesn't know the extent of her "adaptation" until seemingly nice "Promise" member Tobey (Hale Appleman) attempts to rape her in a fit of sexual rage created by puritanical repression.

Tobey becomes the first victim of Dawn's vagina dentata, her toothed vagina. Dawn has grown up under the shadow of two nuclear power plants, but "Teeth's" frequent references to evolution and adaptation suggest Dawn's condition is actually a developed defense mechanism, the last line of defense against male sexual oppression. Dawn's pelvic muscles only go into action when she's presented with a threat, allowing Dawn to have sexual pleasure while punishing those who would use her for their own means.

Mitchell Lichtenstein's film is a finely calibrated work of body horror worthy of comparison to early David Cronenberg and a raging satire comparable to Tom Perrotta's 2007 novel "The Abstinence Teacher." The subject matter of "Teeth" has some camp elements and it seems destined to be a midnight classic, but this is a horror-comedy with fierce purposefulness.

Posted Sunday, January 27, 2008

Link to this review:
http://filmzeus.pressbin.com/film/teeth