- Director : Renee Daalder
- Actors : Robert Carradine, Kimberly Beck, Andrew Stevens, Derrel Maury
- Media Format : Anamorphic, NTSC, Widescreen
- Distributer : Synapse Films
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Number of discs : 1
- Run time : 1 hour and 28 minutes
- Release date : September 13, 2022
Although the title sounds like a slasher film,
the killer of Massacre at Central High is never a mystery to anyone,
audience included. Instead, the film plays out like an after-school special
about bullying with excessive violence and nudity. You can almost imagine how
it could be remade today as a heavy drama in the same vein as We Need to
Talk About Kevin, but is instead an odd mix of camp and self-serious teen
melodrama in this 1976 release. Even though the film approaches the narrative
more realistically than a slasher, there is nothing remotely believable about Massacre
at Central High.
David (Derrel
Maury) is the new student at Central High and he soon discovers an unsettling
hierarchy amongst the students. The unpopular students seem to willingly allow
themselves to be bullied by a group of popular kids. Although David has an in
with these bullies at the top of the food chain because he formerly went to
school with Mark, who is a part of the crowd, he stands up against their
violent and demeaning behavior when they cross a line. After they retaliate
against David, he escalates the situation by responding with deadly revenge.
The most ridiculous
aspect of the film is the complete absence of adult figures of significance.
Not only does the bullying go unchecked, even when it leads to attempted sexual
assault in a classroom, but David’s murderous retaliation is never adequately investigated
by authorities. For some reason, the kids continue to cover for the murderer, just
like nobody reported their bullying. Although this is hardly realistic, it adds
to the unintentional humor of the film. Highlighting this campy aspect of the
film are the outlandish murders themselves. In a Looney Tunes cartoon, these
deaths would be comical. In Massacre at Central High, the audience is asked to
take them seriously.
The Blu-ray
release from Synapse Films contains a high-definition presentation of a remastered
transfer supervised by director Renee Daalder. The special features include a
new making-of documentary, Hell in the Hallways. There are also audio
interviews by Mike White featuring cast members Andrew Stevens, Robert
Carradine, Derrel Maury, and Rex Steven Sikes. A separate audio interviews by horror
historian Michael Gingold with Daalder is included. The marketing material is
also included, with trailers, TV spots, and radio spots. The last of the extras
is a still gallery.
Entertainment Value:
6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Special Features: 7.5/10
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