Back to school
These movies about college life (mostly) score higher than just a passing grade.
NUMEROUS films set in college and universities have come our way, with the latest – Monsters University, the prequel to 2001’s Monsters Inc – opening in Malaysia this Thursday. These films are made in many different genres, too; comedy seems to be a favourite, followed by romance and horror.
If you think about it, college does provide the perfect setting for any kind of movie. It’s (usually) a big institution with hundreds or even thousands of people walking in and out every day, so there are lots of possibilities for things to happen to anyone, and at any given time.
Maybe somebody gets murdered and no one knows who did it – there’s your basic premise for a thriller ... or horror movie, if the dead person chooses to come back and seek revenge on the killer himself.
Perhaps a bunch of geeks, after getting humiliated by the horrible boys from the frat house, decides to turn the tables on the bullies by disguising as hot girls and seducing them. That would make an entertaining, if a little silly, comedy ... or even romance. Who knows?
Check out some of these memorable college-themed films of years past:
Animal House (1978)
3 Idiots (2009)
Farhan (Madhavan) and Raju (Sharman Joshi) are on a quest to look for Rancho (Aamir Khan), a former collegemate who seems to have disappeared after school. They bump into another former ICE student, who used to be their “enemy”, and together they reminisce about their days in school. This Bollywood gem is mostly funny but heartwarming too, and quite smartly written. There aren’t too many song-and-dance sequences and the twist at the end is spot on. Brilliant!
Legally Blonde (2001) Revenge Of The Nerds (1984)