At the screening of Teeth that I attended, female journalists squealed with delight at the sight of scumbag men being castrated by Dawn (Jess Weixler), an abstinence-promoting high school girl saddled with a curious case of vagina dentata, that mythical condition in which a woman's nether regions are lined with sharp teeth. A legend obviously rooted in male fears of female sexuality, director Mitchell Lichtenstein depicts it as a tool for female empowerment, as Dawn's efforts to come to terms with her strange and terrifying gift inevitably lead to a realization that it grants her dominion over all the cretins who want to deflower her. Thus, the glee that greeted the multiple severed penises, while disconcerting on a basic level (my god, are women really this tickled by castration!?), makes some sort of sense as a response to years of horror films in which men have exerted violence (often sexual in nature) against women. Nonetheless, their reaction continues to be puzzling, given that Teeth is generally so crude and schematic that it seems the only proper reaction to these climactic images is unsurprised, eye roll-accompanied groans.

An opening message that "No Men Were Harmed During the Making of This Film" immediately reveals not just Lichtenstein's goal to blend horror with comedy but, specifically, the brand of corny-cute humor he plans to employ. Initial glimpses of a nuclear power plant towering over Dawn's neighborhood (seemingly ripped straight from The Simpsons) cast an amusingly eerie pall over the early going, but any promise of a uniquely bizarre atmosphere quickly dissipates as the director introduces us to Dawn, the leader of a Christian youth movement that counsels kids to keep it in their pants until marriage. Dawn is sunny, cheery and attractive, and it's clear from the outset that one of her male classmates also devoted to abstinence -- a recent transfer to the school named Tobey (Hale Appleman) -- fancies her. Lichtenstein thinks that by making Dawn a doggedly chaste individual, his premise is somehow funnier than if she were just an average, everyday teen. Yet the result is the exact opposite, as her transition from snow-white good girl to blood-red avenger is so broad that she feels like little more than a punchline to some dreary bar room joke.

(Note: The following interview was conducted last year when Teeth premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. We are publishing it now to coincide with Teeth's theatrical release this week.)

One of my favorite little gems from last year, Teeth tells the story of Dawn (Jess Weixler); a teen abstinence preacher and all-around lovely girl who, at a very young age, discovers something wrong with her parts down there. It's called vagina dentata, which is Latin for "toothed vagina." Oh yes, it bites ... and it bites hard. Playing Dawn is fresh up-and-comer Jess Weixler, who arrived in this role without much of a big-screen resume. Yet, here, the gal clearly proves she has what it takes to rise up the familiar leading lady ladder, and it won't be long until Jess Weixler is a household name. Following a screening of the film, Cinematical sat down with Jess to talk about Teeth, vagina dentata and how it was playing the woman behind every man's worst nightmare.

Cinematical: You can't exactly go out and meet other women who suffer from vagina dentata. So you read the script, accept the part -- how the hell do you go about researching this kind of role?

Jess Weixler: (laughs) That's why I liked the part. Because there were no rules for how to play the game. Look at this girl Dawn, realize she came from this place of total innocence -- she's very human, someone who doesn't know their body and hasn't opened up yet. And then she gets to learn about life as it sort of attacks her. So she has a very dangerous sexual experience, then instinct kicks in and her body essentially protects her until she learns how to use the teeth. And that's something I had to come to.

Although I didn't get to see the horror-comedy Teeth when it first premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival, I did get to experience the film while covering the Berlin International Film Festival back in February, as well as sit down for a little one-on-one time with the flick's star, Jess Weixler. For those who may have forgotten about Teeth, or never heard of it before, it's the one about the girl with teeth in her vagina. Yup, not joking. It's warped, it's bizarre, it's a tad nasty ... but it's so much fun to watch. Personally, I've been waiting a long time for this film to be released, and now Fangoria reports that Roadside Attractions will shovel it into theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 30, with the film expanding nationwide in mid-December.

Directed by the very friendly (and talented) Mitchell Lichtenstein, Teeth follows Dawn (Weixler); a teen abstinence preacher who's always avoided sexual contact because of a little problem she has down there. Suffering from a rare case of "vagina dentata," Dawn goes about her business telling kids not to have sex, until she, herself, feels the need to start experimenting with a boy she's grown fond of. From there, let's just say all the guys in the audience might find it hard to watch the events unfold. I'm a big fan of actress Jess Weixler, who also starred in another little-seen indie gem, The Big Bad Swim, and look forward to seeing what future projects she takes on. But do yourself a favor and go see Teeth when it comes out. It's a fun film that deserves a little more attention. For more, check out Kim's review and Scott's review of the film from Sundance.

I first had a chance to see Teeth when it premiered at this year's Berlinale (check out the mini video interview I did with the pic's star, Jess Weixler), but the film first caused waves when it screened at Sundance (check out Kim's review and Scott's review from the fest) a few months back. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, Teeth is an independent film directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein which centers on a wholesome, abstinence-preaching teenager who unfortunately discovers that she suffers from a rare case of vagina dentata -- meaning, she has a whole bunch of sharp teeth, um, down there. Needless to say, things don't go so well when it comes time for her to dabble in some sexual activities with the opposite sex.

Now, The Weinstein Co. picked up the film at Sundance, with plans to distribute it later this summer. Seeing as some of the pic's most graphic scenes involve -- how shall I say this -- shots of bloody, dismembered genitalia, one of the big questions was how the Weinsteins were going to get this film through the MPAA without walking away with an NC-17 rating. Well, I'm happy to report that Teeth was just issued an R rating (for disturbing sequences involving sexuality and violence, language and some drug use) from the MPAA, though I truly hope it made it through in the form that played both Sundance and Berlin. However, knowing those Weinstein boys and their undying need to chop the hell out of films, I'm almost scared to see which version of Teeth finally makes it into theaters. Currently, there's still no release date for the film (Weinstein Co. = I'm not surprised), but here's hoping you all get to see this by the time the summer is out. Teeth is one heckuva crowd pleaser -- the sold-out audience I watched it with were screaming and laughing throughout. I rarely go out of my way to push a film onto you folks, but Teeth is by far the best horror-comedy of 2007. When (and if) it ever gets released in theaters, you'll be thanking me for the recommendation.

Horror movies: You know the drill. Oversexed, nubile, blond teenage girls cavort shamelessly with horny teenage boys until the bad guy murders them -- often with with a phallic weapon and abundant fake blood. Although the boys are in pretty much equal danger of being dead before the final credits, it's almost always the girls who are portrayed as most vulnerable and in need of protection. Why? Well, because girls have vaginas, which puts them at danger of being attacked by the male half of the population. Therefore, we must costume them in the most revealing ways possible, make them aware of their own sexuality, and then punish them for it with death. That way, when we kill the girls off, it'll kind of be their own fault for being such sluts. It's not just horror films, of course; from thrillers to romantic comedies, women are endlessly at the mercy of their vaginas. And therein lies the appeal of Teeth, a different kind of horror film, which just played the Sundance Film Festival.

You can often sell a movie with a shocking or unique approach to an ... unseemly topic, but it takes a good deal of talent to take an outrageous idea and turn it into a effective, entertaining and weirdly powerful experience. Case in point: I just finished seeing a movie called Teeth, which centers on a pretty teenage girl whose vagina has teeth. Yes, you read that right: The old "vagina dentata" myth that's been propagated across dozens of cultures for thousands of years -- most likely because, deep down, men are pretty much terrified of women. (Or at least certain parts of 'em) One might expect a movie with this concept to be broad, stupid, campy "Troma" material all the way. But in the hands of writer/director Mitchell Lichtenstein and a stellar cast, Teeth (against all odds) ends up being one of the most witty, intelligent and darkly insightful looks at young womanhood since Lucky McKee's brilliant May. (And how strange and admirable is it that both of these movies comes from male writer/directors?)

If you get over the rather distasteful subject matter and focus on what's beneath the surface, you'll find a flick that's got a whole lot to say about young women and their fear of burgeoning sexuality, society's general distaste (and, let's face it, fear) of the female sex organ, and the ways in which men do a serious disservice to womankind by treating their "naughty bits" as if they're something to be ashamed of. Teeth covers all this ground (and a whole lot more), and I suspect it's more open-minded and honest than most of what passes for "sex ed" these days. This movie offers enough meaty subtext to fill three semesters and it does so in a shocking, humorous and strangely compassionate fashion.