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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Tim Calpin (written by)
Kevin Jakubowski (written by)
Tagline:
Politics, popularity, paranoia, pharmaceuticals. Are you in?
Plot:
At a Catholic high school, the popular girl teams up with a sophomore newspaper reporter to investigate a case of stolen SAT exams. Once the duo target their suspects, a larger conspiracy is unearthed. full summary | full synopsis
NewsDesk:
(31 articles)
Range Life Fall Tour Brings Seven Indie Films to Austin
(From Slackerwood. 10 November 2009, 8:00 PM, PST)
Film Junk Podcast Episode #240: Where The Wild Things Are
(From FilmJunk. 26 October 2009, 10:48 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Great adaptation of Chinatown set in High School more (14 total)
Cast
(Credited cast)
Additional Details
Also Known As:
The Sophomore (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for sexual content, some nudity, language, and drug and alcohol use - all involving teens.
Parents Guide:
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Bayonne High School - Avenue A & 28th Street, Bayonne, New Jersey, USA more
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Although the location is never clearly stated, Principal Kirkpatrick, played by Bruce Willis, has the state flag of New Jersey in his office. Willis grew up in Penns Grove New Jersey. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: Right after the first basketball game, Byron buys a Pepsi in a bottle out of the machine in the school hallway. He pops the bottle cap off using the opener on the machine, but when he brings the bottle up to drink, the level in the bottle is already down several inches, indicating this was a re-take of the shot. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Bobby Funke:
[narrating] You want to know the truth about high school? You've got to break it down into its elements. Unfortunately, at St. Donovan's, the periodic table is more crooked than a case of scoliosis. Just give me the chance and I'll set it all straight. Case in point...
more
Movie Connections:
References "Inspector Gadget" (1983) more
Soundtrack:
A Minha Menina more
FAQ
When will this be released on DVD and Blu-ray?more
more (14 total)
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While some may compare this to Brick, the 2005 similarly-set High School film noir, Assassination is much more comparable to Chinatown, which is clearly it's biggest influence. In fact, you'll see lines lifted right out of the film. But is it good? Yes, actually, it's quite good. Clearly, the filmmakers here were not taking this quite as seriously as either Brick or Chinatown, and it pays off with a fun, funny, sometime campy, film noir with a good mystery and some well acted roles.
The writing presents a stylish script with dialogue that is often funny and over the top. Bruce Willis is especially mentionable as a veteran-turned-principle who pines over his time spent in the military taking out bad guys and his hate for chewing gum. He's perfectly over the top. Reece Thompson also does a great job as the lead character, playing up the gumshoe role with relish. It's fun to see him be him and follow him on his journey.
One line in the film goes something like "high school is simple...yet it's not." The film does a particularly good job of showing this throughout in scenes that inspire laughs. We have a suspension hall that acts like a prison, and is presented in such a way as to inspire this comparison. We have an assassination attempt that...well, I won't spoil it. But suffice to say, this scene in particular demonstrates exactly what I am talking about. It's a good revelation of how high school can be: in the end it seems simple, but while in, high school can be anything but.
The film is very entertaining and should be fun for anyone looking for a good noir. It's not serious like it's inspirations, but it does contain a good mystery, some good acting stints, and some fun dialogue. I recommend it for anyone looking for something slightly different to watch on a Saturday night.