Massacre at Central High (1976)

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.

Director:

Rene Daalder

Writer:

Rene Daalder

Stars:

Derrel Maury, Andrew Stevens, Robert Carradine

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Derrel Maury	...	David
Andrew Stevens	...	Mark
Robert Carradine	...	Spoony
Kimberly Beck	...	Theresa
Ray Underwood	...	Bruce
Steve Bond	...	Craig
Rex Steven Sikes	...	Rodney (as Steve Sikes)
Lani O'Grady	...	Jane
Damon Douglas	...	Paul
Dennis Kort	...	Arthur
Cheryl Smith	...	Mary (as Rainbeaux Smith)
Jeffrey Winner	...	Oscar
Tom Logan	...	Harvey (as Thomas Logan)

Storyline

David is the new kid at Central High. The only person he knows is Mark, who runs with the local toughs led by Craig. David keeps his distance, preferring not to join the "club." He tries to convince the other students not to be pushed around, and intervenes once too often on their behalf. When he directly becomes a victim of Craig and the boys, David orchestrates a plan that causes an attrition problem amongst the members of the clique. Mark worries for his safety, even though he and David were once friends.

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Plot Keywords:

high school | murder | bully | revenge | grindhouse | 

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Taglines:

One brutal act began the terror!

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blackboard Massacre

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Evan

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first feature starring role for both Andrew Stevens and Kimberly Beck.

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Goofs

When the van is parked atop the hill, above the beach, a huge boom mic is clearly visible above

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Quotes

Rodney: My pa, he doesn't like strangers coming around... says it upsets the chickens.

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Connections

Spoofed in Heathers (1988)

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Soundtracks

"Crossroads"
Lyrics by Jill Williams

User Reviews

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All I can say is, "Massacre at Central High," in all its grainy, distinctly-1970's glory, makes "Carrie" look like a sugarcoated After-School Special. The plot deals with a lanky, odd-looking kid who's transferred to a new school where a former friend (Andrew Stevens, of "The Fury") happens to be attending; he's disgusted with the way a gang of bullies prey on the weak, and starts eliminating the gang, one person at a time. Yet after he kills the last thug, the geeks become power-hungry and, in a sadly ironic twist, wind up being just as brutal and reprehensible as their deceased tormentors. "Massacre at Central High" is a highly engrossing revenge flick that actually rises above the standards of the genre, combining the horror of the teenage years with a strong political subtext. The movie is indeed an adolescent nightmare where adults aren't even featured until the final scene--instead of focusing on the tired "the-parents-have-lost-control" theme, writer-director Renee Daadler opts to filter everything--rape, violence, class war--through the eyes of vulnerable youth, thus making the film that much more horrifying and convincing. Kudos. 3.5 stars out of 5