Project X

Loved it

The teenage party movie. We've seen it all done before and know exactly where it's headed long before the turns ever take place, right? Reckless teenager is warned by his parents not to have too many friends over, keep the house clean, answer the phone...whatever. Said teen agrees but it's always a lie, and the party ultimately gets way out of hand. That sound about right? These movies tend to have the same message about responsibility and maturing into an adult, making the tough decisions. Nothing wrong with that. John Hughes built a career making films that almost exclusively dealt with those themes.Project X has no such inclination, and it's all the better for it. In fact, it's almost like the anti-John Hughes film, making the occasional nod to his work while simultaneously blowing it up by glorifying sex, violence, debauchery, wanton destruction, and all in the pursuit of a little extra clout in the high school hallways. Marking the second time this year that the found footage style has been put to masterful use, marking perhaps a game changing year for the genre, the film follows Thomas Kub(Thomas Mann), a Pasadena high school senior who might as well be invisible to the popular kids. He's not overly dorky or nerdy, just amazingly average and testosterone-free. Even his father thinks he lacks spine. When his 17th birthday rolls around, and his parents roll out of town to celebrate their conveniently timed anniversary, Thomas is explicitly told not to have too many friends over. Yeah....that's not going to happen.With the frenzied assistance of his Guido belt buddy, Costa(Oliver Cooper), who just wants to get laid like he supposedly used to back home, a party is quickly put together. But Costa is a little too good at his job, and in his efforts to ensure a party that will change their social lives forever, he unwittingly invites thousands to show up at Thomas' doorstep, creating a clusterbomb of epic proportions. We're talking a party that makes Weird Science and Can't Hardly Wait look like Sunday school.Along with their overweight buddy, JB(Jonathan Daniel Brown), Thomas and Costa make every conceivable wrong decision during the course of the night, but it only serves to make the party bigger and more out of control. As the crowd swells into the thousands, the family dog is terrorized beyond belief, midgets turn up out of nowhere to be thrown into ovens, and bursting garden gnomes release literal treats of ecstasy. Authority figures get the proverbial and literal middle finger all night long, including the angry neighbor across the street, who isn't taking kindly to the sound of naked girls diving into the pool or the booming bass cranked out by twin DJs on the wheels of steel. Oh, and the neighborhood starts to bear a striking resemblance to a war zone. Mere words can't describe just how insane this party gets. The word "party" needs to be redefined. Even the cop are helpless against the out of control rager, stymied by a combination of Costa's legal expertise and by a barrage of incoming fire. Perhaps "war zone" is even too mild to describe it. Whatever the word, there has never been an experience quite like this on the silver screen in quite some time.That's really what Project X is and has always had aspirations to be: a never before seen movie going experience. Piecing this monstrosity together would have been impossible if not for the perfect combination of people behind the camera, starting with producer Todd Phillips. The thread of anarchistic wish fulfillment is one he seems to have a particular fondness for, seen in both Old School and The Hangover. Debuting director Nima Nourizadeh, a music video veteran, puts that experience to perfect use in some of the film's most stirring stretches of just watching the crowd in their state of euphoria, without a care in the world. The script, which bears a little too much of a resemblance to Superbad at times, was written by Matt Drake and Michael Bacall. Bacall is having a phenomenal couple of years exploring the crazy ways in which young people think, having also written Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and the upcoming 21 Jump Street remake. An oft forgotten subplot involving Thomas and his hot best friend, Kirby(Kirby Bliss Blanton), is the one aspect that is so cliche as to be distracting.The goal of any party movie is to put the viewer right into the thick of the mob, to experience the mayhem first hand. Few films ever actually accomplish it, because the most epic parties are a collection of perfectly aligned intangibles. A movie has to find a way to capture those things and do it in an organic way. The music, the people, the energy, just the right amount of rebellion and fear of what could happen next. Project X, for all the unbelievable antics, makes for an incredibly authentic and unforgettable experience. Too bad the high school parties in my day weren't this awesome.

Great party movie that’s funny and action filled. Would recommend

For those who've written bad reviews stating this film had no redeeming value or in no way left you feeling educated or as if you had learned something...well, you're absolutely right; however, there is one problem with that notion...IT WASN'T MEANT TO! The trailers and advertisements for this film stated it was about a high school party that turned epic, then got out of control. This movie delivered on every level what it promised. I didn't walk away feeling I had learned how to cope with life better or osmotically learned a new level of responsibility. Instead, I remembered (and felt!) exactly what it was like oh-so-many years ago in high school...especially senior year.This movie was an extended metaphor of my life senior year. I WAS the main character. I could not believe the similarities! I, too, was an invisible kid until that Friday night when a few of my friends made me throw a party after my parents had gone out of town for the weekend. I, too, wanted only 10 or 15 people. I didn't end up with 1500, but I think about 60-70 seems about right. In a respected neighborhood with nose-over-the-fences neighbors, I had people puking in the front and back yards. Christmas ornaments and cups of Screwdrivers being sucked up by a nozzled-vacuum cleaner. Potted plants being thrown inside my house. My dog was stoned and ate half the dish of peanut butter balls we had given up on. PJ cups strewn all over the place (as well as people - and clothes - for that matter). Strip Pool, strip poker, Beer Pong, Naked Jell-O Twister (I copy-writed that...don't steal it Mattel or whomever), and Insane Rules Mortal Kombat. I also hooked up with a girl I previously had been too shy and worthless to try for. I was even run over by a car (somehow was not injured)!But God it was seemingly the greatest (or most fun) night of my life back then. I had people coming up to me I didn't know and had never seen saying how great a time they had, and people shouting "Killer party dude!" Luckily, though, I had a couple days to clean and some true friends to help me do so and somehow we pulled it off masterfully. But the point is this: this film allowed me to go back and recapture all of that. It helped me forget about my present obstacles for the time being. I don't feel there is anything wrong with that when, of course, taken into perspective. If anyone were to say, "Well this movie's going to make teenage Johnny go and try to throw the same party..." wrong...he was already planning it. In fact, this may have helped him avoid a few mistakes, broken laws, and injuries, even. So maybe it did have some "redeeming value." But if not, it had qualitative value in that it took spending only a few bucks and giving up an hour or so of my time to let me feel that night again...and I thank this movie very much for that!

This movie always cracks me up. Dream party am I right? LOL

Absolutely loves this movie

Película para mayores

Good laugh. Must watch

Project X, though loosely based on a true story is more a fictional work.As such it is brilliant. It exaggerates a lot but if you cut it down to the corse represents the classic teen parties perfectly. Watching it reminded me of many fond memories from a few years ago where things probably could have got very out of hand but for one reason or another didn't.The acting is good and I loved the home video style recording at times. Brilliantly fun and enjoyable.

Over the top, funny, with a little bit of a dark side in the mix. If I had to choose Project X or Spring Breakers, it would have to be this. Spring Breakers tried to be something it wasn't and the film itself felt incomplete and repetitive. Project X is a lot more spontaneous especially with all the shenanigans and debauchery going on.Great to watch with a group of friends.

It's a hilarious film, and you have to thank god even if your children have had parties, it's nothing like this! It's crazy to think this is based on a true story. Although 18, it's nothing too dramatic and would recommend it for 15 year olds.

This film is crazy. You think what could possibly get worse and it does.Had me thinking OMG did that just happen along the way.It's 1 huge party in America which is brilliant, the only downside is the ending could have been better.

Great film but you may not want younger children or teenagers watching this...for ideas on how to have their parents house and entire neighbourhood trashed...Very fast delivery of this film, many thanks