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Megan Fox is bloody evil in Jennifer's Body
Bob Thompson
TORONTO - From a promotional point of view, Jennifer's Body has a great deal going for it.
For one thing, the horror comedy has Megan Fox inhabiting the body of Jennifer. Fox, of course, is the sexy tabloid-ready co-star of this summer's big hit Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
That should be enough profile for the Karyn Kusama-directed flick featured at the Toronto International Film Festival's Midnight Madness Sept. 11 and set for release theatrically Sept. 18. But there's more.
Earlier this year, supposed topless pictures of Fox as Jennifer were leaked on the Internet which got a lot of fans' attention. Then there was buzz around a long and lashing kiss in the movie between Fox's Jennifer and Amanda Seyfried's Needy.
Add to the awareness factor this; Jennifer's Body was written by Oscar-winning Juno scribe Diablo Cody who's no slouch in the headline department, either.
They all gathered at the Park Hyatt Hotel Friday afternoon to assess all things Jennifer's Body, which is poised to have a big opening box-office for all the right and wrong reasons.
Fox didn't have a lot to say about her 21st century poster girl status, but she admitted she's aware of it. What she doesn't do is read the tabloids or surf the Internet.
"It's a scary line you have to walk," said the 23-year-old of being famous as a sex kitten. But she also added that she wanted "to break out of that box".
In the meantime, she tries to ignore the negative by never going online. "If you want a reason to commit suicide, google yourself on the Internet," Fox said.
Director Kusama said she thinks Fox's performance in Jennifer's Body shows that the actress has more to offer than her sex-vixen image.
In the film, Fox as Jennifer portrays a high school sweetheart who transforms into a very sour she-demon that seduces her dates just before eating them. When Jennifer's nerdy friend (Seyfried) figures out her cannibal ways she tries to stop the bloodshed.
And there are lots of yuk-buckets of blood moments all in the name of fright-night entertainment; some of it graphic and head-turning. "Splatter continuity is actually a difficult thing," said Fox.
But she was also equal to the task of handling 31-year-old Cody's whip-quick exchanges. In fact, the film's cheeky "extra-salty" teen dialogue plays off of the horror genre, sort of like an Evil Dead 2 written by John Hughes, the writer's told. "You just made my day," replied Cody.
Seyfried, 23, of Mean Girls and Mamma Mia! fame, turns out to be pivotal in the picture, too. And she had kind words to say about Fox. Maybe that's because she relates to her colleague. Both are trying to take the next step in their careers.
Adam Brody, 29, best remembered as the rich kid Seth from The O. C series, plays a demonic rocker in Jennifer's Body who instils the evil without even knowing it. And yes, he enjoyed the against-type casting and the movie's mix of terror and humour. And he was excited about being in the movie with Fox and Seyfried.
Jennifer's Body Producer Jason Reitman (also at the festival as director of George Clooney's Up In The Air) said he looked forward to collaborating with his Juno partner Cody. His job was simple on the Vancouver shoot. "I saw my job as one to protect the artists," he reported.
For Fox, Jennifer's Body will be pivotal, giving her more leverage if the film performs the way it is expected.
The actress was 16 when she made her debut in the Olsen twins 2001 straight-to-video film Holiday in the Sun. The next year she appeared on the series Ocean Ave. and then guest-starred on What I Like About You and then Two And A Half Men.
Her major movie debut arrived opposite Lindsay Lohan in Confessions of a Teen Drama Queen and then she landed a regular role on the sitcom Hope & Faith until it was cancelled in 2006. A year later she broke out with Transformers, ending up on hot lists and gossip pages in the process.
Fox admitted she wants more from her career now. And although she has signed on for a third Transformers, she's getting involved in dramatic performances as well. For instance, she just wrapped a superhero movie Jonah Hex with Oscar-nominated Josh Brolin and she's about to start filming another drama with another Oscar nominated actor, Mickey Rourke.
"I haven't given people a reason to think I'm a good actress," said Fox. "Things like that (working with Brolin and Rourke) will force me to grow."
