High School Musical 2006: Ode to My Generation

This entry is for the Mis-Matched Couples Blogathon hosted by Realweegie Midget Reviews and Cinematic Catharsis. It runs from March 29-31 2024.

Music entered my life as early as it possibly could. Adopted at age of 1, my world became rock n’ roll and full of legendary music. I’m talking 70’s hard rock, Disney standards, mixed in with The Wizard of Oz (1939) soundtrack.

My toddler years were Kiss fan made VHS tapes, Def Leppard interviews, AC/DC Stuff Upper Lip tour updates on VH1, and plenty of Disney movie marathons. Full House reruns in my elementary years were watching Nick@Nite with Uncle Jesse playing concerts in the living room. Music like The Beach Boys and more rock standards such as “My Sharona” entered my life at this point. While all of this was good and plenty, getting healthy doses of legendary music, the musical staple of my own generation didn’t come around until 2006 with the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical.

Launching Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale to mega teen stardom, HSM was not anything technically, “new“, but it came around at a time when kids of my generation had nothing else that was their own.
Sure Disney had The Cheetah Girls and Lizzie McGuire containing original music, but they were not broad appeals (I wasn’t into either). High School Musical with its relatable Romeo and Juliet/ West Side Story inspired love story appealed to all kids and was insanely relatable, as it took place at school. Even elementary students like 4th grader, 9/ 10 year old me at the time, connected with it over the familiar setting.

(Disney)

Zac Efron stars as Troy Bolton: captain of the basketball team at East High School. He’s basically the typical all American jock, and with his dad as the team coach, there is extra pressure on him to be perfect. HS is his oyster: he has a best friend, co-captain Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu), knows the teachers, and is popular with other students like performer twins Sharpay (Tisdale) and Ryan Evans (Lucas Grabeel).

On New Years Eve, Troy goes on vacation out of state to a ski lounge and ends up at a party with karaoke, in which he is randomly paired with Gabriella Montez (Hudgens). Neither wants to sing, and they do so reluctantly, but as “The Start of Something New” goes on, they feel more confident and comfortable with each other. In fact, they feel so comfortable with each other, by the end of the night they almost kiss.

Thinking they never will see each other again, the pair exchange numbers, but this turns out to be wrong when Gabriella walks up in homeroom the first day back to school, as a transfer student to East High. Gabriella soon discovers Troy is a jock, and she is taken in by the science club president Taylor McKessie (Monique Coleman), but that doesn’t stop them from pursuing their hidden passion, even auditioning for the winter musical (they sing What I’ve Been Looking For). Once this news breaks, Sharpay, Chad, Taylor, and even Troy’s Dad do everything in their power to stop it, as kids should “Stick to the Status Quo“.

But Troy and Gabriella are determined against the odds, and once their friends come around, everyone realizes its all better when they are “All in This Together“

At first, I was not on board with HSM, I believed it to be over hyped. It was a few weeks until I saw it, and my mom actually picked up the DVD at my my younger sister’s insistence. But then something shifted, I kept hearing “Breaking Free”, and was so taken in by that song. The melody, the visuals in which Troy and Gabriella were performing, it just spoke to me. (Of course, the twirl at towards the end and the sweet kiss on cheek once the song is finished were also aspects I admired!)

As far as the chemistry between these two goes, on paper, yes they are mismatched. Yet, I think what bonds them is the power of music, as well as the fact Gabriella isn’t impressed by Troy’s jock status, to her, that’s beside the point. Music I believe is a powerful force, and it can bring you surprising bonds with people you would never think you’d be friends with. With these two, it allows them to be their real selves, and it connects them on a deeper level than just surface level appearances.

Of course, I must mention, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens as actors, were paired together in auditions because the producers and director Kenny Ortega saw something between them that was blatantly obvious. They crushed on each other during filming in 2005 and then dated until 2010, 2 years after the HSM3 wrapped. “Zanessa” were a couple I totally believed was, “true love”, in my elementary/ middle school years. I don’t personally think it was a show-mance, as you look at Zac’s own personal romances since he broke up with Vanessa, and none have been successful or long lasting.

Overall, HSM is probably nothing more than a G rated Grease, or a West Side Story set in school, or as my Mom has always seen, just “something goofy on Disney Channel”. But to kids of my generation, this was something connective: the music was new, the stars were teens themselves, you had to wait for the other two movie installments, and you saw Zac Efron’s face plastered on Tiger Beat, Bop, and J-14 (Mags my sister and I got!). I don’t recall there has been something as major on the same vein as HSM since then, or maybe we have to wait a long while before something as major comes around again. Whatever the case, while I do have my own issues with the trilogy, and I have fallen out of love with the actors, and don’t care for some of the acting performances, HSM will always be something my generation can claim for themselves. That doesn’t always happen, and I’m not sure what my opinion will be 10 years from now, but, for me, just like for Troy and Gabriella, the music is what keeps me bonded with this trilogy. It’s a part of the music of my life, and it will forever represent my own childhood.

BONUS: This is my favorite Troy- Gabriella duet of the whole trilogy, HSM3’s Right Here, Right Now. I’ve always believed Zac’s voice possessed a tenderness not present in any other song. It is the hopeless romantic number of the trilogy, I found it tender at age 12, and I still believe that as an adult.

What was I Thinking? 5 movies from childhood I can’t Stomach Today

When you’re a child and a teen, chances are you’re prone to watching a boatload of garbage movies. Sometimes it’s due to limited selection, or sometimes it’s due to the fact you are unaware other options are out there. I honestly believe being born in the 90’s and having a childhood of the 2000s/ early 2010s, I was subjected to the height of the kid/ teen movie market. While that was amusing, it was also over-saturated. I watched far too many wasteful movies, and I apologize to my mother who had to watch a majority of them with my sister and I. So, with all of that being said, I present to you 5 movies, which in my opinion, were never great to begin with, and over time, as an adult I’ve realized how actually horrendous they are.

Charlie St. Cloud 2010: I’m writing a full post about this for a blogathon, in the near future. This movie has probably always been inefficient, it’s just now I see it for myself. Zac Efron cannot charm me anymore in this movie, and there’s a honest reason why it flopped: it’s just terribly embarrassing. If you want a lesson in how to have no chemistry between leads when romance is crucial to the plot, this is how you do it. 

Picture This 2008: My sister and I liked this movie, but probably because it was PG-13 and we were getting older, she was 9 and I was 12. It sends the poor message to kids and teens, that if you sneak out and disobey your parents, in the end you still can get everything you want. Plus, it contains an insanely inappropriate scene (played for laughs) of an uncle baby sitting his pre-school aged nephew, accidentally visually exposing him to adult videos, NO.  

Life Size 2001: Looking back there’s something a bit creepy with this movie. A magical spell makes a doll turn into a full size human and tries to be your new BFF. Maybe it’s because I don’t see Tyra Banks as a positive role model anymore. Maybe it’s because I’m older. Maybe because it was goofy to begin with?  Perhaps all of the above? Whatever the case, this movie, although iconic and contains the catchy, Be a Star, should stay buried in the past. 

Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging 2008: Ah, British movies, enough to draw me in. But thinking about this movie now, this is not a positive movie for tweens/ teens. The main character literally says: “It’s boy stalking time!“, and a portion of the movie is spent with the girls stalking the guys they like: NOT OK! In any teen movie, romance is always an element, but it’s really annoying when romance is the ONLY thing that drives the plot. All these pre-teen girls in the movie feel their life will be over if they don’t have a boyfriend, OH PLEAZZZE! Bonus: This soundtrack sucks, She’s so lovely by Scouting for Girls: hella irritating!

Bring it On: In it to Win it (4) 2007: 2007: The year I consider was possibly the last year of my true childhood. Before then, I didn’t have to hide my interests for fear of them being too “babyish” and as I entered middle school, in fall 2007, that’s exactly what I began to do. While the original Bring it On will always be a cult classic, the sequels are all forgettable. I have no recollection of Bring it On: Again (2) 2004, and barely recall the third installment All or Nothing (2006), but I do have a memory of being fond of this fourth movie. Opinion now: it’s a dreadful piece of film. The characters are all completely unlikable, without charm, or redeeming qualities. Add on the cringe inducing rivalry between the Sharks and Jets (yes, a rip on West Side Story) and this movie is nothing but cliches of how a typical cheer-leading team would act.

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

This review is for Movie Rob’s December 2023 genre grandeur of animated Christmas movies!

In 1974, Rankin and Bass, made one of their final true classic animagic TV specials, The Year Without A Santa Claus.

The premise is actually based on a 1956 children’s storybook of the same name by Phyllis McGinley. Amazingly, a title song did not exist prior to the special, and one was created specifically for it. It does however, incorporate the pre-existing songs of “Blue Christmas” and “Here Comes Santa Claus”.

The plot of this special is all based on Santa (voiced once again by Mickey Rooney after he voiced Santa in 1970’s Santa Claus is Comin to Town) having a cold, and not wanting to take his big trip at Christmas! He doesn’t feel concerned about about missing the trip either, as he feels the world, particularly kids, do not care about him anymore. After Mrs. Claus (Shirley Booth in her final role) realizes she can’t take Santa’s place, as she would be recognized, she sends elves Jingle and Jangle out on a quest to a town called Southtown, with Vixen, to see just how much people do or do not care if Santa takes a holiday.

Although Santa, the elves, and the boy they meet on their quest in Southtown, Iggy, are all fun characters, the real highlight are the Miser Brothers: Snow Miser and Heat Miser. They sing the most memorable songs and are just so charming!!! I personally adore their backup dancers and lairs with their thrones.

Growing up this was one of my mom’s favorite Christmas specials she remembers watching on TV as it premiered, as she was 9 when it first aired. (Her all time favorite is Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer 1964, but that premiered on TV the year before she was born).

In my life, I was introduced to this special kind of later in my childhood, maybe when I was like 8 or 9, because of the lack of home video and broadcast scarcity. When we finally found it on DVD, my Mom was so excited, as if she was watching it for the first time!!

As far as Rankin/ Bass specials go, one could argue this is the last real classic Christmas special. Rudolph’s Shiny New Year debuted in 1976, however it’s almost rare as it (understandably) wasn’t on heavy TV rotation or as common on VHS like Rudolph 1964 and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. 1979 saw the R/B team reunite with Mickey Rooney in Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July. Rooney played Santa for the final time in 2008’s Miser Brother’s Christmas, although R/B was not involved.

NO. Not my Miser Brothers!

I always thought it was cool to see Frosty in the animagic style for Christmas in July, but was very unimpressed with the 2008 special. Even as a 12 year old, I just could not latch onto it they way it did with the original and I’ve dismissed it ever since. The puppets were completely redesigned, which is understandable if they were lost, BUT they were not even made to resemble the originals. The complete redesigns took the real magic away from the the brothers, and the plot was too generic and unoriginal.

For me, and I’m sure many others, The Year Without a Santa Claus is in the same camp as 1964’s Rudolph and 1970’s Comin’ to Town. It has the magic of the puppets, the sentimentality, and the all round cuteness that makes you believe in that legit Christmas magic. Have a very Merry Christmas and remember, “You’re too much!”

Childhood movies you just can’t quit

Hi all! Its been a little while since I’ve just written a post not connected to any blogathon or any writing theme. Lately, I’ve just been thinking about movies from my teen years (or even tween years). Movies that I just cannot quit no matter how much they are dragged or made fun of on social media, they mean something to me. Now hear me out, I’ve ditched a boatload of junky, crappy tween/ teen movies I saw when I was younger and today can not stomach to watch (Step up (2006), Just my Luck (2006), Easy A (2010) are the tip of the iceberg) as well as a list of ones I just flat out refused to watch because they looked dumb (I Love you Beth Cooper, John Tucker Must Die being two examples). Yet there are a select list that I feel have become intertwined with who I am as a person.

I know we all have them in life, and while I could go on and on about my all time favorite childhood movies (like Disney classics and stuff!) I decided to keep this post to a list of movies that were aimed at tweens/teens. So Disney classics like Lady and the Tramp (1955) do not qualify, as that is a family film (that no matter what your age, dog lovers everywhere just LOVE!) rather than a teen film.

So without further ado, let’s be transported to the world of lockers, homework, school crushes and unrealistic expectations:

17 Again (2009): I literally cannot let go of this movie, and I know how badly it can be seen through an adult’s eyes. It all goes back to the root of it all: I went OPENING weekend, to see it on the Ultra-Screen at Marcus Theaters, before it was moved to the regular sized theater screen. The movie came out April 17, 2009, and I went to see it on April 18 2009. THE scene Zac Efron gets out of the Audi R8 and struts into school with those aviators and leather jacket: It was the hottest scene my 12 year old self had ever seen on screen, ever (up to that point). Now, my mother eventually watched this whole movie with me, and she grimaced though the whole thing. She said not even Zac Efron could save it from being stupid and goofy. Now through the eyes of my adult self, I have to agree with her a little. The health class scene, the cafeteria scene and that almost incest scene are EMBARRASSINGLY bad. Who wrote that into the script and thought it would be funny? It’s not charming, it’s not cute, it’s just plain awful. That being said, this movie was the start of my teen years, 2009, and it defines a moment in time for me. It defines my crush on Zac Efron (which, yes, part of me will always carry the torch for him), for this, I think is the most adorable he’s looked on screen, before he got to muscle-man-ish and everything. I will always just have a sentimentality towards it.

Bring it On (2000): Bring it On is a movie that came out way before I was a teen. I was 4 when it came out. But September 2001, aged 5, when I was in kindergarten, a friend’s older sister loaned me the VHS tape; why, don’t ask me, I forgot all reason why. Anyways, I watched the full movie on the weekend or something. I remember thinking, “My Dad can never know this, he would make me turn off the tape!“

Now, I know the movie was edited for family viewing when it was released on home video, but I can’t be sure that I was watching the family friendly version, in fact I’m going to lean towards no because I didn’t want my dad to know. Back on topic, I haven’t a clue as to why I love Bring it On as an adult (this OG movie, not the throwaway sequels, that I have seen but never really enjoyed). I wasn’t a cheerleader, I’m not into sports, I don’t care about winning this round or the next level or whatever, and that’s basically what this movie is about. I think it’s just because I was introduced to the movie so young, it’s become a part of me and my story of loving movies. It’s just something so connected with me, I can’t let it go. That being said, it’s really cool this movie has aged really well, and its got more a a social awareness to it that holds up. It makes me happy to admit I’m into it.

The High School Musical trilogy (2006, 2007, 2008): I admit, I’ve ragged on HSM since my teen years ended. Since then, I’ve tried to let this series go, but I can’t, and I know why, one word: music. The music really is the most powerful part of the movies and it just is something I always will sing along with, and love. Of course there is young Zac Efron, (he was my teen idol, no joke, though I was never super vocal about it, I’m making up for it now) and how sweet he looked in that basketball uniform (#14!). Yes, I know, the whole thing is like Grease for tweens, or a West Side Story re-hash, but whatever, I literally don’t care. I was raised in a world of rock music, real rock music of the 70s and 80s, and music has always been a part of my life, and to watch something cool like this, in color, all modern, on screen, and have it be aimed at kids my age, in 2006, it was just cool. I’d loved music or music-related things before, like John Stamos putting music onto Full House, and Disney music from their classics and stuff, but all those were before I was born; HSM was something new for kids and it was exciting. I’ll forever be a Wildcat fan!

The Princess Diaries (2001) and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004): These movies are just special. I wrote to Dame Julie Andrews in Spring 2006, in Fourth grade, a fan letter, and she sent me a picture back (a studio picture of her, not a P.D. promo picture). I don’t recall seeing the first one in theaters (we did watch the dvd all the time) but I certainly went to see the second one in theaters, with mine and my sister’s childhood friends. We all even tried blanket surfing down the stairs, which was not as successful as mattress surfing! My parents don’t always love what I love, but my Mom loves these movies, my Dad even loves these movies, and it’s just something really magical. I’m really holding out for a third movie because I think it can be done.

Aquamarine (2006): Aquamarine like 17 Again has moments that poorly aged. The humor isn’t exactly what it used to be for me. Claire and Hailey being 14 year old 8th graders crushing on college bound 17/18 year old Raymond is understandable, but puts it all in a different light as an adult. However, this movie had powerful friendship scenes that are genuinely cute and sincere. Who can forget the mall montage or the Island in the Sun dance at the Last Splash? It’s basically now an escapist movie for me as an adult, and its comforting. I won’t quit it. I can’t.

Overall, I think in life there always be the defining movies of our childhood we hang onto, and because I grew up in a world of VHS and DVDs (streaming didn’t become normal until maybe my senior year of high school in 2013/2014 and even then, we didn’t have Netflix yet) it’s easier to hold onto them than ever before. They can take us to a moment in time, and for a moment, we are back to when life had no worries. Some childhood elements were meant to be held onto, and for me, these are the movies I choose to hold onto.

H2O: Just Add Water

If you would have asked me in middle school what my favorite tv show was, easily hands down the answer would have been the Aussie tv show H2O: Just Add Water.

H2O: Just Add Water is a show about 3 different girls who live on the beaches of the Gold Coast. Emma Gilbert (Claire Holt), Cleo Sertori (Phoebe Tonkin), and Rikki Chadwick (Cariba Heine) (and later Bella Hartley (Indiana Evans)) are our heroines and together they navigate through normal teen life all while hiding their secret: they are mermaids with powers over water. Emma can freeze water, Cleo can shape water, and Rikki can boil water. No one execpt Cleo’s childhood friend (and love interest) science brainiac Lewis McCartney (Angus McLaren) knows about their secret and he helps them navigate everyday problems all while balancing it with mermaid adventures. The show ran from 2006 – 2010 with 3 seasons and 78 episodes.

When H2O premeired in the USA, it was March 2008. I was 11 1/2, and I believe I was the perfect age to get hooked on the show. H2O stood out from all the other teen shows I was watching because the show actually had a serialized storyline that was engaging. I made my own little scrapbook for the show (its gone now!), got the season 2 cd for my 12th birthday, and even had the dolls (they went to goodwill!).

Season 1 is certianly the best, as it had the most stakes and was organic for the story they were telling. With the transformation into mermaids needing to be kept secret, the biggest storyline is the fear of exposure, and the antagonist is a scientist, Dr Denman, who would exploit the girls for fame and money. The season also sees the best character journey of, “bad boy”, Zane Bennett (Burgess Aberthany) from rich snobby jerk, to being more caring and sensitive… especially after he almost drowns in a shipwreck (only to be saved by Emma, but after he catches a glimpse of a “sea monster”) and has a relationship with Rikki (ZIKKI IS MY FAVORITE relationship of the entire show!). Season 1 also has the best mythology backstory building, concerning the dynamics of how the girls powers work. 

Season 2 is pretty good, with the introduction of the infamous Charlotte Watsford (Brittney Byrnes) who becomes a third point in a love triangle with Lewis and Cleo. It’s kind of painful, as their relationship takes up some screentime that was dedicated to the girls friendship in season 1, but its really engaging and keeps you watching and asking when Cleo and Lewis will get back together. Season 2 also continues the myth building with Mako Island and the girls powers, as their powers change to also control weather. The biggest plot of the season is Charlotte becoming a mermaid and the girls having to accept her in their group, while she’s a bully to Cleo and alienating Lewis from having contact with her (and the rest of the girls). Season 2 is still enjoyable and it really strengthens the friendships and ups the ante on everything: the danger, the romance, the fun. I remember bootlegging episodes 14-26 on YouTube because they failed to play on Nickelodeon in America, and I was insanely upset about it. Nothing was going to keep me from this show!

Season 3 is honestly my least favorite. At the time of release, in 2009-2010, in the UK (it aired there first before Australia), I was one of the bootleg viewers. I would get home from 8th grade, and a recording of the new episode would be uploaded. I recall I had to be quick about it because they would be deleted for copyright claims, so that was always a problem. Nonetheless, I made sure exactly right when the videos were uploaded I was at the computer screen.
What I hate about season 3 is the whole friendship dynamic changes. Claire Holt left the cast due to a scheduling conflict being replaced by Bella, a new girl who moves to town with her never seen on screen family (I’m team Emma over Bella!).  Angus McLaren has reduced episodes and left the main cast, and Lewis was “replaced” by Will (Luke Mitchell), who in comparison is a dull character. The friendship of the 3 girls just doesn’t gel properly and it’s basically the case of, “Oh Bella! You’re a mermaid too, we must be friends!”.
The show also starts chasing some trends of other teen shows around this time: Bella has her own band and sings! Will takes of his shirt a ton! Zane now owns the local cafe (no boss to answer to) and calls it Rikki’s!

Add in Zane’s character just completely reverting back to being a total jerk due to lazy writing and it just sucks. Not to mention the overall plot of the water tentacle being the enemy and the payoff completely not following what they set up, this season is a frustrating watch. There are some highlights however: as Cleo and Lewis (Clewis!) are so adorable (until they write him out) this season, and Rikki has some strong emotional  development.

I’m no ordinary girl

Overall, H2O will always be that special show in my heart. It’s the only show from my childhood preteen years I genuinely still care about, and do not regret watching. I may have come to it only because mermaids are my favorite mythological creature, but in the end, this is what got me open to Australian TV. It planted the seeds for me to watch Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, A Place to Call Home, Dance Academy and for that I’m really grateful.

This post was written for the March 2023 Genre Grandeur of beaches hosted by MovieRob.

10 Favorite Childhood Movies

Hi all and happy August 2021. I admit, August is always a fun and fast month for the year, its my birthday month after all! This year I turned 25 and I thought I could do some fun birthday celebrations on my blog! Even though on the 28, my birthday has already passed, I believe there’s no better way to keep the party going than by doing some fun posts about some of my favorite movies!

Beginning the fun series of 25th birthday posts, is a video I did on YouTube: A vlog of 10 of my favorite childhood movies… that I still love as an adult! I recently got on YouTube during the pandemic as a way to connect with fellow music fans (after all music and film are what makes life fun and exiting, right!?) but then I also started doing film videos! The curve ball to the video is, I had to choose 10 favorite childhood movies that I still adore as an adult. There are many movies I watched as a kid/ teen that today you could not pay me to watch again! (Quick brainstorm idea: perhaps in a future video- or blog post, I will share some of those titles! 🙂 )

Hope ya enjoy! Here’s, “Cheers” to our enduring childhood faves!