The directorial debut of John Hughes, Sixteen Candles is an amusing teen comedy which marked the on screen debut of Molly Ringwald as Samantha - a girl who has just turned sixteen. Unfortunately, nobody in her family has remembered because her older sister is getting married the day after her birthday and there's a lot of fuss and bother to do with that. Samantha is madly in love with a schoolmate called Jake, who barely knows she exists, and she must put up with a persistent nerd called The Geek who fancies the pants off her. John Hughes was like the anti-Larry Clark: while Clark likes to explore the underbelly of teenage life and sicken us with tales of depravity and disgust, John Hughes dealt with the more tender and sweet side of teenage life, displaying an uncanny ability to get into the heads and lives of teenagers. I know that I am a proponent of dodgy films but I would really rather watch a John Hughes film than a Larry Clark film any day. They are far more engaging. Sixteen Candles is a down to earth comedy that appeals to both younger and older viewers. I like the socially forward Geek (Anthony Michael Hall) - it goes against the grain and adds an interesting dimension to the film as does Samantha's other love interest Jake, who is not as stupid as his good looks would suggest. There is plenty of comical and embarrassing dialogue as Samantha engages with her family and there is a super horny Chinese man on the loose. The soundtrack is pure 1980s genius, which of course is another reason to tune into this charming film.
My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!
