More Scenes Aimed at the Teens

Columbia/TriStar will roll out a dark teen comedy this week called “Jawbreaker.” Written and directed by 26-year-old Darren Stein, it tells the story of a powerful clique of girls at fictional Reagan High who are at the height of popularity until an innocent birthday prank results in the accidental death of the sweetest member of the clique. The film is Stein’s sassy tribute to all the high school comedies and horror films he watched growing up in the San Fernando Valley. It stars Rose McGowan (“Scream”), Rebecca Gayheart (“Scream 2”), Judy Greer (“Kissing a Fool”) and features appearances by former Miss Teen USA Charlotte Roldan and recording artists Tatyana Ali and Marilyn Manson. “Jawbreaker” is the latest in a string of teen movies to hit theaters, including “The Faculty,” “Varsity Blues,” “She’s All That” and “Simply Irresistible.” Made on relatively low budgets and featuring younger stars of popular TV shows or so-called scream movies, the genre has often proved a smashing success at the box office--but not always. While “Varsity Blues” debuted at No. 1 with $17.5 million and “She’s All That” opened in first place with $16.1 million, “Simply Irresistible” sank like a stone on its first weekend, taking in only $2.2 million. The problem for these films is threefold: First, there is no formula for how to make a successful teen movie; second, a hot teen star on TV might not be so hot by the time the movie comes out; and, third, too much competition can cut into the box office. “The upside is, usually these films are rather low budget with no big special effects and you’re not paying $20 million to the star,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office tracking firm Exhibitors Relations Co. Inc. The downside, he added, is that the teen stars are not proven box office draws like Mel Gibson or Jim Carrey. “There is no formula that you can take two parts Sarah Michelle Gellar and one part Freddie Prinze Jr. and make a hit,” he said. Still, Dergarabedian noted, the teen audience is not like adult audiences. Adults have traditionally resisted when their favorite TV stars cross over into films, but teen audiences are multimedia savvy. “They can see their favorite star on TV and there is no taboo attached to their favorite star also being in movies,” he said.

The Beat, Incredibly, Goes On

Is it time to believe in Cher again? This week the singer-actress with a knack for reinventing herself will likely score only her second Top 10 solo album with “Believe.” The album has been out since November, but it has steadily built steam in recent week as its title track became a dance hit and the 52-year-old entertainer reached a global audience by belting out the national anthem at the Super Bowl. “Believe” surged from No. 22 to No. 12 on the album chart last week and, when the new totals arrive Wednesday, she may have her best charting album ever (her “Heart of Stone” hit No. 10 in 1989). The thirst from retailers has been increasing: Cher’s label, Warner Bros, shipped out about 400,000 copies of the album last week, meeting orders that were triple the level of any previous week. The single, which reached No. 1 in England last year, is already on back order. “Stores are beyond revved up about it,” says Warner spokesman Bob Merlis. “We always believed in the album, and I’m not just saying that. To count out Cher at any time is an exercise in shortsightedness. Cher is here to stay.”

Recycling, American TV Style

Usually, when a network decides not to order a TV series, the prototype made as a sales tool never airs or at best appears with little fanfare over the summer. It’s surprising, then, to see one of these pilot episodes turn up during a highly competitive sweeps period. ABC will do just that, however, by scheduling an updated version of “Love American Style” at 10 p.m. Saturday, shown as part of a ‘70s nostalgia theme that also features a reunion of “The Odd Couple’s” Jack Klugman and Tony Randall on the sitcom “Brother’s Keeper” on Friday, the film “A Very Brady Sequel,” the made-for-TV “And the Beat Goes On: The Sonny and Cher Story” next Monday and “The Jeffersons” alumni Sherman Hemsley and Marla Gibbs visiting “The Hughleys” on Feb. 23. ABC developed “Love American Style” last spring but instead went forward with a series revival of “Fantasy Island” that has already been canceled. Still, programmers thought the concept fit its ‘70s motif, which comes on the heels of NBC’s ratings success with the miniseries “The ‘60s.” Of course, “Fantasy Island” and UPN’s new “Love Boat” have demonstrated the difficulty in trying to go home again, but this “Love” can’t do any real damage, airing as it is in a time slot in which ABC has consistently struggled.

--Compiled by Times staff writers and contributors