Massacre at Central High (1976)

... aka: Blackboard Massacre

... aka: Döden på college (Death in College)

... aka: Les baskets se déchaînent (Sneakers Go Wild) (?)

... aka: Massacre

... aka: Massacre no Colégio (College Massacre)

... aka: Massaker in Klasse 13 (Massacre in Class 13)

... aka: Sexy Jeans

Directed by:

Rene Daalder

On a 1981 episode of Sneak Previews where he was limited to highlighting just three films, Roger Ebert singled this out as one of his favorite "guilty pleasures," but there's nothing to feel guilty about here. This is simply a good movie. Despite the episode's supposed topic, Ebert clearly knew that himself or else he wouldn't have referred to it as "an intelligent and uncompromising allegory about the psychology of violence." Hence, not so much a "guilty pleasure" as a hidden gem, and this is one instance where it truly was hidden for awhile. It first got lost in a sea of sleazy, high school-set drive-in exploitation films popular in the late 70s and then got lost in a sea of slasher flicks once it was theatrically re-released in the early 80s. The latter issue reared its ugly head yet again when it hit home video, with VHS artwork trying to sell it as a slasher. People at the time were either disappointed by what they saw or pleasantly surprised.

There's some fun play with incongruity right out of the gate. The font used for the title screen screams After School Special, as does the cornball opening credits theme song "Crossroads" ("You're at the crossroads of your life... crossroads of your life... a runner chasing dreams... that could come true...like the pebbles on the beach... well within your reach..."). I honestly don't even know if the aggressive cheesiness was intentional or just a sign of the times but, regardless, it works as an amusing bit of contrast to what we'll see later on. In fact, that contrast is right in your face as the song fades and one of the first images we're greeted with is a swastika being painted on a high school locker.

Transferring to a new California high school, David (Derrel Maury) soon discovers he'll have more to worry about than first day jitters. Strangely, almost nobody will talk to him, or help him find stuff, or answer any of his questions. Nearly everyone is quiet, unfriendly or downright hostile, but at least he already knows, and is friends with, one guy there. Mark (Andrew Stevens) used to go to his previous school and owes David a "big favor" for helping him out of an unspecified previous jam, so he introduces him to the popular clique he normally runs with. Unfortunately, had said clique been around in WWII-era Germany they would have been called Hitlerjugend.

Referring to Bruce (Ray Underwood) as a mere bully doesn't quite do the guy justice. "Fascist dictator" or "merciless tyrant" is a little more accurate. He sets the rules. He tells people where they can park and who can talk to who, and decides who's worthy of everyone's malice. He's surrounded himself with a pack of yes men, like Craig (Steve Bond), Paul (Damon Douglas) and, yes, even Mark; all of whom help him enforce his rules. They're kind of like the gestapo, and these guys somehow seem to be everywhere; always watching, always listening, always breathing down the back of your neck. Anyone who's an individual or outsider, exhibits independent thought or defies the group, and anyone Bruce suspects may try to usurp his power, must be dealt with accordingly.

Rodney (Steven Sikes), whose main transgression against the group is having a junky mode of transport, will have an even junkier one after they carjack him and smash his vehicle up. "Lard ass" Oscar (Jeffrey Winner) is threatened with a switchblade in gym class and whipped with towels in the locker room. "Geek" Arthur (Dennis Kort) has the audacity to ask for a late fee and is pummeled with books while they trash the library. Spoony (Robert Carradine) has a little more spunk to him at least. As a sign of "social protest" he paints a swastika on Bruce's locker and then talks back at him ("You don't believe in free speech?") and all that gets him is a beating. Among the students, Theresa (Kimberly Beck - FRIDAY THE 13TH PART IV) is one of the few who has somehow managed to maintain her identity, and the ability to voice her opinion, at least to a degree, but that's primarily because she's dating Mark and can use him as a shield.

If David were a weaker man, he'd accept the invite into the "in group" and just go along with them to make life easier on himself, but he's just not that kind of guy. Bruce senses it too right away. He now has some real opposition. Mark tries to pacify the group by telling them his buddy is simply "aloof," but that becomes increasingly difficult to believe as David continues to do his own thing. He befriends Rodney and helps him fix his wrecked car and steps in to save two girls; Mary (Rainbeaux Smith) and Jane (Lani O'Grady), from getting gang raped. David's influence also seems to be rubbing off onto Theresa, who starts becoming more outspoken.

While David can influence and inspire, he can't do it all alone and nobody is really stepping up to the plate to help him out ("Don't you people ever fight back?"). While he's underneath a car working one day, Bruce and his gang show up to confront him, knock the jack out and crush his legs, inadvertently kicking a hornet's nest in the process. David already has some anger issues and the only way he's been able to keep those reigned in is by religiously running. Now that he's crippled and that's not an option, what's he to do? Arrange for certain people to die in mysterious "accidents," that's what! After a hang-glider hits some power lines, water is drained out of a pool at an inopportune time and a van goes over a cliff, the reign of terror from Bruce and company ends.

Now that the school is free from their tyranny, another issue sets in: The uncertainty of what to do after being liberated and suddenly having no leader, no rules and complete freedom. How is order maintained, and fairness established, without gradually falling right back into the same abusive, oppressive system that Bruce and his gang were instituting? Well, according to this film, it isn't. It's a cycle bound to repeat indefinitely, just with new players. Victims become assailants, the previously marginalized become the new bullies, and everyone plots and schemes and engages in power plays until one of them claws their way back to the top of the pecking order and everyone else falls back in line. Rinse and repeat.

While a very promising English-language debut for Daalder, this unfortunately did not lead to much else of note from the Dutch-born director. The expected violence, sex and humor needed for commercial appeal are present and accounted for, but with a strong vein of social and political commentary to keep things consistently interesting. Once I caught on to where this was going and started paying closer attention to the characters and their dialogue / interactions is when I realized just how focused and well-structured the script is. 

Everything in here is essentially in support of a larger thesis statement... a pretty grim, though also very accurate, one. True freedom and equality for all scares the hell out of the supposed "freedom-loving" majority, who then start to crave the "structure" given to them by authoritarians and fascists, who are easily able to pivot into positions of power by promising to leave them alone and instead go after whatever powerless weak / poor / marginalized group(s) they can propagandize into enemies. So yeah, not much has changed here.

This is frequently compared to Michael Lehmann's black comedy Heathers (1988), which wasn't that well received upon release but now has a huge cult following and is one of the most popular comedies of the entire decade. Though the two films have some divergent commentary, I still think those comparisons are apt. Both feature a mysterious outsider / new boy in town threatening established high school hierarchy, the bullying, the dissatisfied member of the in crowd who revolts, the series of murders, the failures of adults / authority figures (the ones in Heathers are inept while they're completely absent here), right on down to the attempt to blow up the entire school at the very end. Considering this a precursor is absolutely not out of line, though Heathers is more pointed toward teen-specific issues.

After coming and going to little notice in 1976, a re-release four years later finally garnered this some attention, with Vincent Canby of the New York Times even singling it out as one of his twenty favorite movies of the year. It was also championed by the likes of Leonard Maltin and the aforementioned Roger Ebert. However, that apparently didn't help the director's career any. He wouldn't make his next feature, the seldom-seen Population 1 (1987), until over a decade later, and it wouldn't be until ten years after that he'd make another. None of his other films were as well-received as this one, though I personally got some enjoyment out of his weird, polarizing eco-thriller Habitat (1997).

The performances are uneven, but mostly serviceable. Stevens gives one of the better showings as the second male lead, who learns that doing what's right for yourself and just doing what's right aren't necessarily one in the same. The most effective performance here though is from the little-known Underwood, who's perfect in his nasty role. He'd go on to play another preppy, sociopathic jerk in the Carrie knock-off JENNIFER (1979) a few years later and sadly passed away in the early 90s before even hitting his 40th birthday.

Apparently Italian audiences of the day weren't the least bit interested in what the film had to say because they added hardcore sex inserts to turn it into a porno called Sexy Jeans. This version was also released to home video in the 1980s in Italy. Aside from that anomaly, I believe all of the rest of the releases, including the 2020 Blu-ray from Synapse, are the same. This was never an especially gory film so nothing really needed to be excised for rating's purposes on home video.

★★★

Absolution (1978)

... aka: Anthony Shaffer's Absolution

... aka: Kokuhaku no wana (Confession Trap)

... aka: Murder by Confession

... aka: Syndernas förlåtelse (Remission of Sins)

Directed by:

Anthony Page

Richard Burton, during his late career dive into genre cinema that included roles in Bluebeard (1972), an Oscar-nominated turn in the psychological drama Equus (1977), the oft-ridiculed Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and The Medusa Touch (1978), headlines this forgotten British production as strict and joyless Father Goddard, teacher at the all-made Catholic boarding school St. Anthony's. During one of his classes, he brings up confession. Specifically, why having a partition / screen in between the priest and the confessor is important. First off, it provides anonymity for the confessor so that they're not intimidated when it comes to unveiling their most grievous sins. Second, sitting alone in the dark booth reminds the penitent that they are in fact confessing to God, not the priest. The priest is merely acting as an intermediary between sinner and God; a middle man that is bound by secrecy no matter what the confessed sin may be.

A student poses a hypothetical question: "Supposing I told the priest in confession who I was and where I lived and I've kidnapped someone and have him tied up in me basement... Could the priest pass it on to the police?" The by-the-Book Goddard tells him no. Absolutely not. The confessed sin can be the worst thing ever and still, "There are no circumstances where a priest can hand over information of this kind." Unfortunately for Goddard, some of his students are about to put this rule to the test.

Primary focus is put on two students in particular. Benjamin "Benjie" Stanfield (Dominic Guard) and Arthur Dyson (Dai Bradley). Benjie is one of Goddard's favorites and the embodiment of what he expects from his boys. He's bright, polite, well-kept, doesn't have a hair out of place and always seems to have the right answers in class. As a reward, he gets special treatment. Arthur is the polar opposite. He's unkempt, with a crooked tie and greasy hair, seems incapable of keeping his mouth shut to his own detriment and is pathological in his need for acceptance. However, try as he might, fitting in just isn't in the cards for him due to his abrasive, needy, pathetic personality. His trivial comments in class are a constant annoyance to Goddard, who isn't above humiliating him in front of his peers for a laugh. In a nod to how outmoded religious beliefs can be harmful, Goddard's even believes the boy being crippled and having to wear a leg brace is tangible proof that he's not favored in God's eyes.

Rounding out the primary cast is Scottish comedian / musician Billy Connolly as Blakey, a bearded, long-haired free spirit and drifter who shows up at the school looking for handyman work, only to be swiftly rejected by Goddard. That doesn't deter him from camping out in the nearby woods and breaking into the school to steal food and wine. Despite being a teacher's pet of sorts, Benjie starts sneaking away from the school late at night to hang out with him. He confesses he finds the clergy to be "swine" who have nothing better to do than try to make them feel guilty about everything and even makes an aside that he'd like to kill them. Blakey teaches him how to catch trout with his bare hands, sings and plays banjo for him and gives him whiskey.

Even though Blakey could be seen as a bad influence (and certainly would be viewed as such by the church), he represents something else entirely to Benjie: life possibilities apart from the church and their influence. The school is a prison. It's stifling, rule-oriented, limited and not so accepting of independent thought, while the woods are wide open and free. Benjie also knows he can't speak honestly at his school. Not really. One may be able to get some things off their chest at confession, but it's certainly not without a side of condemnation and judgment. With Blakey, he can say whatever he wants without such judgment. After all, if anyone's aware that they have no business critiquing others it's him. He steals, drinks, smokes weed and used to swindle money from people as a palm reader.

When Goddard finds out what Benjie has been up to he makes him promise that he'll never see Blakey again. Benjie, of course, doesn't comply. Instead, he concocts a bizarre plan to get revenge. Sensing (from all indications, rightfully) that Goddard is a repressed homosexual with less than wholesome and fatherly designs on him, Benjie confesses a made-up story that he had group sex with Blakey and his lady friend (Sharon Duce) in the woods. In retaliation, the outraged, perhaps mostly jealous, Goddard secretly sends cops to rough up Blakey, which turns Benjie's new friend against him. Goddard then punishes Benjie further by forcing him to clean and forbidding him to play sports for an entire semester, which only succeeds in further incensing him. What follows is a series of confessions which may or may not be true, and may or may not involve a murder as well as plans for additional murders.

While this is generally well-made and well-shot (by John Coquillon), and the performances from Burton, Guard and Bradley are impressive, I'm not sure this really works as a complete package. Slow to start, the film concentrates primarily on the rigidity of the church system and its effect on the central characters in the first hour before transitioning into more traditional mystery / thriller territory toward the end. The problem is that the character building and astute commentary in the build-up is far more interesting than the thriller aspects and succession of final reel plot twists, which come off as cheap and gimmicky when they finally do arrive. Some viewers won't be as bothered by that as I was. After all, the film has to build up to something. I just wish it had been something a little more thoughtful and a little less predictable.

The film was based on a script (originally conceived as a stage play called A Play with a Gypsy) by Anthony Shaffer, who had a pretty great track record at this point having already written Hitchcock's Frenzy (1972), the acclaimed The Wicker Man (1973) and the classic mystery Sleuth (1974). While this is nowhere near the same standard of those three films, it's not bad either. Andrew Keir (Quatermass and the Pit), Brian Glover and Hilary Mason all show up in small roles.

In various stages of production for a number of years, this had difficulty securing financing. No major studio wanted to touch it (a financially apt decision it turns out as the film was not a box office success), so producer Elliott Kastner had to raise the funds himself. After completion, it ended up sitting in limbo for around three years before gaining a wide release in the UK and wasn't even screened theatrically in the U.S. until it was a decade old. The same year this was dumped in American theaters, it also made its home video debut courtesy of TransWorld and was quickly forgotten. Afterward, the film landed in the public domain, which resulted in a subpar, dark print filling out those cheap 50 movie multi DVD packs.

Absolution has been saved from an uncertain fate thanks to several recent releases, starting with the 2016 Kino Lorber Blu-ray, which is not an impeccable print but still leagues above the earlier full frame DVD presentations. In 2018, the UK label Powerhouse Films / Indicator also released it on BR with a host of extras, including interviews with Page, Guard and costume designer Anne Gainsford. Their release also includes a newly prepared director's cut of the film, which is actually ten minutes shorter than the theatrical release. I viewed Page's cut in its entirety and then skimmed through the longer one to watch the scenes that were trimmed and can confirm that the shorter cut does indeed play better. The major debit with it is that it unnecessarily neuters a key murder scene at the end.

★★1/2