In the mid-2000s, the "teen movie" genre was undergoing a transformation. We had moved past the slick, self-aware meta-humor of the Scary Movie franchise and were entering an era of raunchier, looser comedies. Released in Europe in 2007 (and largely direct-to-DVD in the US in 2008), Virgin Territory attempted to cash in on this trend by transporting the aesthetic of American Pie to 14th-century Italy.
Dino De Laurentiis, Martha De Laurentiis, Tarak Ben Ammar virgin territory 2007
The primary issue with Virgin Territory is its inconsistent tone. It vacillates between being a farcical comedy—complete with anachronistic dialogue and modern sensibilities—and a lush, romantic drama. The film wants to celebrate the bawdiness of Chaucerian tales but lacks the wit to pull it off. In the mid-2000s, the "teen movie" genre was