Massacre at Central High (1976)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Rene Daalder

Writer:

Rene Daalder (writer)

Release Date:

September 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

One brutal act began the terror!

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

High School | Bully | Revenge | Murder | Terror

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)

Also Known As:

Blackboard Massacre (UK)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | France:-18 | Norway:18 (video rating) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Evan

Trivia:

Robert Carradine had difficulty with the line where he refers to Rodney's car as a 'Detroit gas guzzler'. Carradine fumbled the lines so many times that the shot had to be taken more than 20 times.

Goofs:

Continuity: Sand on Mark's chest is visible in long shots but vanishes in medium shots while he is on the beach talking to Teresa, right after he has argued with Paul.

Quotes:

Paul: What are YOU gonna do, sit there and die?

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Heathers (1988)

your contents may shift while watching this film

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