good back-story, and good acting

Fresh and Exciting

Excellent adaptation.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

"Massacre at Central High" is perhaps misleading in its title, which evokes a gore-filled splatterfest, which this film is not. The premise surrounds David, a teenager who transfers to a new high school where the students run wild, and a group of male bullies torment their peers without consequence. The unhinged David begins to murder each of the bullies, but his plan to cleanse the school backfires when those on the bottom of the social ladder take on the same traits as their former dead oppressors.A weird but memorable entry in the horror genre, "Massacre at Central" high feels like it occurs in a dreamscape or an alternate world. This is largely due to the fact that the film features no "adult" figures to speak of; the bullies torment the students to extreme lengths, and even attempted gang rapes are left unreported and largely up to the students themselves to sort out. "Lord of the Flies" comes to mind, as well as some elements of "Carrie," minus the supernatural edge. This off-kilter universe in which the film orbits lends it a unique and memorable feel.It's not what I'd classify as a conventionally "scary" film by any stretch of the imagination. It is a horror film, but only in the sense that there are savage murders occurring throughout and that the subject matter is generally dark. The film itself is aesthetically quite bright, boasting a distinctive Los Angeles atmosphere that is laid on thick. Malibu's beaches set the stage for several scenes, and the film feels every bit a "California" production.Performances from Robert Carradine and Kimberly Beck (who would later become a genre favorite for her role in "Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter") are some notable highlights, while Derrel Maury plays the outsider/deranged avenger with an appropriate distance. None of the performances are particularly provoking and are by and large rather bland, but serviceable given the material.All in all, "Massacre at Central High" is a unique and thoroughly strange film that toes the line between exploitation slasher and thoughtful allegory. It is not a great film and at times feels extremely choppy, but it's a certain oddity and a respectable example of a filmmaker attempting something different. The fact that it predates the slasher by a significant amount of time also makes it an intriguing film on the historical timeline that is worth examining. 7/10.

The plot = A new student David starting at school quickly becomes a victim of nasty bullying by four of the jocks, after a near fatal accident David turns the tables and kills off the bully's through a series of violent accidents, but things don't change and the former victims quickly become the new bully's so David decides to take drastic action.What sets "Massacre At Central High" apart from other slashers, is the theme of revenge against the school theme and the methods of dispatch, rather than the usual knife or axe, we get nasty fatal accidents, which is rather a fresh idea and still holds up by todays standards. Ultimately though, while containing several murders and a near double gang-rape scene, Massacre At Central High is not a slasher film. Most of the deaths consist of off-screen moments of impact or fireball explosions. There's a minimalist amount of blood thrown around and while the near gang-rape scene is a little out of place due to its sexual violence, it's never shown graphically. But the film is still quite horrific and shocking.I also liked the fact that the gorgeous Kimberley Beck is in this movie, I loved her turn in "Friday The 13th pt 4" and I equally love her in this, she brings true beauty and elegance in the role, as the only likable character in this movie.Of course this movie does have it's bad points, like the fact that none of the cast (except for Kimberley Beck) are even remotely likable and makes it hard to root for anyone, and the pacing is off at times and this movie does tend to drag on a bit.All in all, not perfect but still a hidden gem of a movie.

School's out forever for a brutish and reprehensible gang of snobby stuck-up preppie bullies who maim rebellious iconoclastic new kid Derrel Maury (who gives a superbly intense and subdued performance). Maury bumps off the vile troublemakers in assorted clever ways only to see the other previously oppressed adolescents rise up and take their place. The vicious cycle never seems to stop.Writer/director Rene Daalder offers a provocative social allegory on the failure of revolution, the abuse of power, and how violence basically begets more violence with no real end or change in sight. Furthermore, Daalder ingeniously shows how easily victims can become victimizers if given the opportunity to do so. The high school setting in this sublimely sharp, smart and subversive winner is nothing less than an insightful microcosm of society at large with its rigid caste system and power plays and exploitation of one group by another group being brutally played out by teenagers sans adult supervision (the grown-ups are conspicuous by their glaring absence throughout most of the picture, thereby suggesting how unimportant they are to kids trying to figure out what they are going to do with the rest of their lives after high school ends). This downbeat and shocking 70's exploitation masterpiece further benefits from its stand-out B-movie cast: the ubiquitous Andrew Stevens, the star and producer of countless cheesy 80's and 90's direct-to-video trash features, Robert Carradine, the ever-lovely and charming angelic blonde goddess Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith, future daytime soap opera star Steve Bond, "Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter" heroine Kimberly Beck, and "Eight Is Enough" sitcom regular Lani O'Grady. The late 80's cult black comedy "Heathers" ripped this movie off a lot, right down to the main story and literally explosive ending. Still, the original remains untouched and unequaled to this very day. And the incredibly mawkish theme song really must be heard to be believed!

Underground cult classic is one of the greatest vengeance thrillers of the 70's and simply one of the best youth-violence films ever! Newcomer to a California high school doesn't like the fact that a gang of bullies is ruling the students and when he is attacked he strikes back big time! But, that's only the beginning.Massacre at Central High is a low-budget dated film, but it is also an outstanding thriller with some excellent social commentary. It explores the themes of power, control, sexual rage, and social unrest among a body of very normal-looking teenagers, which makes it all the more a striking tale. It also strongly recalls the fear of every high school student, being an outcast and not having control of one's life. The plot of the film is engulfing, laced with violence, and given some nicely off-beat twists that keep the tale compelling through out. It ends with an explosive finale, literally.The youthful cast is excellent in this film. Derrel Maury does a terrific turn as a seemingly normal youth. The always enjoyable Andrew Stevens is sympathetic as a popular teen drawn into Maury's plight. Kimberly Beck isn't bad as Steven's girlfriend. Robert Carradine is good as a hippie teen, desperate to see change. Ray Underwood is strong in his role as the bullying gang leader.Massacre at Central High has become some what lost over the years, but certainly not because it isn't an effectively powerful film! It is a terrific multi-layered tale that well transcends its 'cheap horror' appearance to be a film with a strong universal message. See it!**** out of ****