As I've long said in this space, I don't do an awful lot of promotion and/or reviews for the fairly conventional slasher movies. It isn't that I don't like them; rather it's that they really fall a bit too traditionally into Horror, leaving me with little room to craft a 'hook' with which to either think about them or write about them with any degree of personal interest. I don't mind giving them the occasional whirl on the DVD player if I can get my hands on them, so maybe -- maybe -- 1976's Massacre At Central High will get a bit of exposure soon. I've read that it's coming down the pike fairly quickly with a September 13th release planned by Synapse Films, so I thought I'd share a little something something about what I know.
Written and directed by Rene Daalder, the film was first given bold life up in the lights with its U.S. theatrical release on November 10, 1976. From the looks of the release schedule on IMDB.com, it had a fairly limited window of opportunity to be seen by the world: there are only eight dates mentioned, with a few of them being specific to home video. The feature film starred such folks as Derrel Maury, Andrew Stevens, Robert Carradine, Kimberly Beck, Ray Underwood, and Lani O'Grady. Here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A high school transfer student, pushed to the edge by a trio of brutal bullies, resorts to murder to reclaim the school from oppression, and later turns against the students wanting to fill the vacuum of their oppressors."
As is my custom, I'll be doing the copy-and-paste of the press release below. Synapse Films provides a few more details worth considering, and I'm sure interested parties will surf the Information Superhighway to pre-order their copy at their leisure.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
Written and directed by Rene Daalder, the film was first given bold life up in the lights with its U.S. theatrical release on November 10, 1976. From the looks of the release schedule on IMDB.com, it had a fairly limited window of opportunity to be seen by the world: there are only eight dates mentioned, with a few of them being specific to home video. The feature film starred such folks as Derrel Maury, Andrew Stevens, Robert Carradine, Kimberly Beck, Ray Underwood, and Lani O'Grady. Here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A high school transfer student, pushed to the edge by a trio of brutal bullies, resorts to murder to reclaim the school from oppression, and later turns against the students wanting to fill the vacuum of their oppressors."
As is my custom, I'll be doing the copy-and-paste of the press release below. Synapse Films provides a few more details worth considering, and I'm sure interested parties will surf the Information Superhighway to pre-order their copy at their leisure.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
The startling U.S. debut of Dutch writer/director Rene Daalder, originally released in 1976, Massacre at Central High is a thriller about a high school transfer student who resorts to murder after being pushed too far by a trio of bullies. When it appears he has freed his fellow classmates from the rule of violent oppressors, the newfound power becomes too much and soon the bullied become the bullies.
For years, Massacre at Central High more or less slipped under the radar. With the exception of Robert Carradine, the cast consisted of actors you might recognize but not know by name. That, coupled with a title that suggests it might be your run-of-the-mill slasher rather than a smart commentary on the power and influence of violence, has resulted in an under-appreciated gem.
Not everyone overlooked the film, however. In an early '80s episode of Sneak Previews, famed critic Roger Ebert listed Massacre at Central High as one of his guilty pleasures, praising it as "an intelligent and uncompromising allegory about the psychology of violence." Ebert further elaborated on how the "well-crafted" film does an excellent job showcasing how the "student body is a breeding ground for fascism." Nearly fifty years later, those themes present in the film are as relevant as ever.
The new release from Synapse features a high-definition 1080p remaster scanned, transferred and supervised by Daalder. The Blu-ray also contains a full course-load of special features including the brand-new documentary Hell in the Hallways: The Making of Massacre at Central High. Massacre at Central High stars Andrew Stevens, Derrel Maury, Kimberly Beck, Rainbeaux Smith, and Robert Carradine.
For years, Massacre at Central High more or less slipped under the radar. With the exception of Robert Carradine, the cast consisted of actors you might recognize but not know by name. That, coupled with a title that suggests it might be your run-of-the-mill slasher rather than a smart commentary on the power and influence of violence, has resulted in an under-appreciated gem.
Not everyone overlooked the film, however. In an early '80s episode of Sneak Previews, famed critic Roger Ebert listed Massacre at Central High as one of his guilty pleasures, praising it as "an intelligent and uncompromising allegory about the psychology of violence." Ebert further elaborated on how the "well-crafted" film does an excellent job showcasing how the "student body is a breeding ground for fascism." Nearly fifty years later, those themes present in the film are as relevant as ever.
The new release from Synapse features a high-definition 1080p remaster scanned, transferred and supervised by Daalder. The Blu-ray also contains a full course-load of special features including the brand-new documentary Hell in the Hallways: The Making of Massacre at Central High. Massacre at Central High stars Andrew Stevens, Derrel Maury, Kimberly Beck, Rainbeaux Smith, and Robert Carradine.
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