The (red band) trailer for the Diablo Cody-scripted Jennifer’s Body has arrived online (embed courtesy of Ace Showbiz), and I gotta admit that it looks pretty cool, the presence of Megan Fox notwithstanding. The film itself has received an R-rating from the MPAA, and it looks to be a genuinely appealing horror comedy, although Amanda Seyfried as the dorky best friend is a bit of a stretch.

Now, for the inevitable comparisons. The Guardian UK is calling this “the new Heathers,” which is, obviously, a better idea than a Heathers sequel, but that’s not exactly a tough hurdle to pass. Still, I don’t really think that “the new Heathers” is a label that I’d use for any film, nor would it be possible to release anything that even remotely resembled Heathers itself into our society’s current incarnation for many reasons, not the least of which is the Columbine tragedy. In addition, Heathers was a true black comedy, whereas Jennifer’s Body looks to be more of a supernatural thriller inside the broader constraints of a horror comedy. Perhaps most importantly, these two films are entirely different in tone. The feel of Heathers was rather desolate and, at times, an entirely hopeless affair. Remember the horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach the first time you watched those jocks get shot in forest scene? Several people left the theater at that point, as I recall, and I was definitely shocked as well, but that was the point of the film. In contrast, Jennifer’s Body looks to be a more gleeful, unrestrained rampage, and, after the demonically possessed cheerleader meets her fate, audiences shall either laugh or wank off before forgetting it all.