AT THE TOP OF THE PYRAMID (Lawrence Jordan, 2014)
Anthology Film Archives
32 Second Ave. at Second St.
March 4-10
310-630-7563
www.anthologyfilmarchives.org
It’s hard to figure out the new teen flick At the Top of the Pyramid. Is it a campy parody of the high school coming-of-age movie? An homage? A serious take on the genre? Just when you think you might have it figured out, the appearance of Steve Guttenberg only adds to the confusion. (And hey, isn’t that other dude Dean Cain?) Oh, and what’s the deal with it screening at Anthology Film Archives, home to cutting-edge avant-garde and independent cinema? (It turns out that the production company rented a theater at Anthology; it’s not part of their regular curatorial programming, and you won’t find it listed on the official calendar.) And finally, why is it so difficult to find an official website or social media presence? The main site seems to be a Twitter page with thirty followers that has been silent since September 2013. Anyway, At the Top of the Pyramid stars Elle McLemore, who originated the roles of Heather McNamara in the off-Broadway Heathers the Musical and Eva in Bring It On: The Musical on Broadway, as Jamie Parker, a cheerleader in Centreville, Virginia, dealing with a terrible fall and the tragic death of her father (Cain). She is in a perennial battle with villainous fellow cheerleader Diana (Jessica Luza), has a viciously dedicated coach (Vanessa Vander Pluym), and has a strong relationship with her caring mother (Kathleen Randazzo). The poorly edited film features hip-hop montage scenes and an overriding, often just plain silly PG sensibility, but then it comes along with such gems as the locker-room declaration, “She’s all neighbor, but no hood.” So yes, from March 4 to 10, as film enthusiasts file into Anthology to see “Avant-Garde Cinema from Ex-Yugoslavia, 1950s-80s,” “Screenwriters and the Blacklist: Before, During, and After — Part 3: Post-Blacklist,” and Essential Cinema works by Stan Brakhage, a whole different crew will be there to see a heartfelt movie about high school cheerleaders. “Is cheerleading the only thing?” Jamie asks at one point. “It’s the most important thing . . . to a cheerleader,” her coach responds.