By Joshua McCormack
Superbad:
Recalling the ‘questionable’ quest of three terminally awkward, sex-crazed teenagers to secure alcohol so they can ‘persuade’ girls to sleep with them before they ship-off to college, Superbad is a raunchy, genuinely-funny film. Oddly-heartwarming. And, at its core, a bittersweet coming of age tale about going your separate ways from friends you’ve known since you were a child. But let’s not put too much of a damper on things. Superbad boasts a broad cast of absurd characters whose various hijinks and misadventures are endlessly quotable and downright hilarious. Be it Mclovin, Seth Rogen’s chill cop, or Jonah Hill’s breakout role as Seth, the character’s pop; and the party-centred story, crammed with chaos, is perfect for getting into a party/festival mood.
The Hangover:
A wild roller coaster of loose tigers, shotgun-weddings, drugs, drink, blackouts and splitting hangovers, all revolving around a missing friend who disappears at a bachelor party just hours before his wedding, the Hangover is like a sponge for all the fractured madness of intense partying. The unbridled ecstasy of slipping free of society’s demands and expectations and plunging headfirst into whichever stupid idea seems most likely to end in disaster … and the dazed mornings-after where you frantically question the whereabouts of your phone, wonder whose initials are painted across your forehead, and quietly sip coffee, glasses askew, while your skull pounds like a jackhammer. The dichotomy of festivals, ladies and gentlemen!
Bohemian Rhapsody/Rocketman:
Two biopics. Two queer icons. Two star-studded, feel good box-office successes soundtracked to some of the most crowd-pleasing songs to have emerged in the last half-century. Bohemian Rhapsody is more of a straight – if you’ll pardon the expression – biopic; a standard hero’s journey charting Freddy Mercury’s rise from obscurity to the stratosphere of fame, chronicling all the trial, hardship, and struggles that characterised the real man’s life, ending on a crescendo of applause at Live-Aid. Rocketman takes a more fantastical approach, blending the abstract, imagined and implausible with cold reality; in the opening scene Elton John(Taren Edgerton) checks into rehab in an outrageous red suit with flaming wings and a hawk’s crest over his face. But suffice to say, both films crackle with energy; stirred into crowd-pleasing epics by the acclaimed song at their core. Each film will leave you chomping at the bit for the thrum of loudspeakers, the jostle of hundreds, thousands waving in time with the music.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy:
And finally, because the above counted as two – mwahaha; cutting corners – Anchorman.
Now, I hear the protest. Does this film have anything to do with partying, or festivals? No. But I’ll be damned if I don’t shoehorn one left-field recommendation into this list, so hear we go. Will Ferell plays the comically inept, bigoted and unintentionally hilarious Anchorman in a film that helps jumpstart the careers of Stever Carrell, Jack Black and Seth Rogen. Like any drunken night at a festival, the story meanders; our protagonist and his equally idiotic band of friends stumbling from one side-splitting misadventure to the next. Unlike the sequel – don’t watch – the comedy is effortless and perfectly timed; a gauntlet of stupid behaviour and off-kilter humour that leaves you hungry to go out and act like an idiot yourself.
As you prepare for your upcoming festivals by watching these movies, make sure you also prepare by applying for your ISIC student card. The card offers a variety of discounts across different areas such as entertainment and travel. It can also be used as ID, meaning you don’t need to be lugging around important documents such as passports and driver licenses.
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