MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH (1976)
Director: Rene Daalder
How we view certain things has everything to do with WHEN we first made contact. I mean, watching The Lone Ranger series as a kid was exciting, but as an adult, you shake your head and wonder what you saw in it years ago.
There is another way things can be seen in two different views along these same lines.
My example is ‟The Goonies”. It is an iconic classic tattooed onto the brains and souls of, at the least, thousands of admiring fans. Most of the truly rabid fans saw the movie when it came out, or when it hit VHS and premium cable channels. The one thing the bulk of those fans had in common tended to be they were all around the same age, which happened to be the same ages of the main characters. A perfect marriage! Those same fans will light up at the merest mention of ‟The Goonies”.
Awesome, and I am very happy for them. Honest.
It came out when I was in college, so it never got watched, then I avoided it for years. Finally, in my late 40s, I sat down and watched it. Let’s just say it is not a movie for a 40-something guy with ADD and anxiety issues. Not too exciting. Too loud and frenetic. Like watching and listening to someone scrape their fingernails on a chalkboard for 90 minutes.
But that’s just me. I can see why kids would love it, and I understand those who saw it as kids would probably love it. I am happy that they are happy, and we’ll go our own roads.
The same holds true for today’s title, ‟Massacre at Central High.” Before you write me off completely, let me clarify by saying that with THIS movie, I can clearly see the appeal to the kids of the 70s – because I WAS a kid in the 70s! Had the shit beat out of me by bullies and jocks. Resented the social structure of the school. Hoped certain people would pay for being jackasses.
So, yeah, I can see where a teen persecution/revenge fantasy would be emotional fapping material for lots of bullied kids. Hell, I thought ‟Horror High/Twisted Brain” a truly great movie when I saw it in high school. **SPOILER** It is pretty awesome, even after all this time.
‟Massacre” tells the story of David, the new kid at school. A friend from a previous school is well-placed, and attempts to get David on board with the local gang that imposes the rules of the school. David rebels, the gang injures David for life, David seeks revenge.
Up to this point, the film plays like a PG-13 version of an ABC Afterschool Special. No adults. Just kids who over-react to the slightest bit of trouble and a script with as little traction as a bald tire on wet, oily pavement. Zero character depth, just simplistic moral and emotional manipulation to keep things rolling along.
Then the film takes a weird turn as the power structure of the student body shifts, only to reveal that EVERYONE will likely become an asshole if given the opportunity and a hint of power.
The acting is fine. The camera work/direction is efficient almost to the point of occasionally feeling a touch like cinema verite. The director was foreign and perhaps being a bit unfamiliar with American cultural/social elements needed to make everything feel more organic, his film has an elevated, disconnected feel.
Some opinions of the film suggest it was meant to be a critique or a warning of fascism. Odd though is that the film ultimately takes to task every character who doesn’t embrace pacifism, which allows fascism to take control. A circular argument from the looks of things.
Deeper meanings aside, ‟Massacre” does earn it status as exploitation with plenty of nudity, violence, sex, explosions, and young folks doing dreadful things. The whole theme is basically about defying authoritarian systems.
‟Massacre at Central High” has everything to delight the young rebel in me, but the old fart in me can’t help noticing things that just don’t connect.
The characters don’t seem to inhabit their world so much as they are there only to do what the script calls for. The tone shifts from moral story to avenging angel story to psycho killer story to political commentary before tossing in some cartoon-style humor.
While it is all over the place, everything moves at a fast enough pace that you don’t have time to notice any issues before it slaps you into focusing in a different direction. Kinda like it is playing cinematic 3-Card Monte to obscure the fact it doesn’t quite flow.
Definitely a one-of-a-kind movie, but I am too many years removed from its prime audience to consider it one of my darlings. Since it does get referenced a bit when you read about exploitation cinema, worth checking out if not owning a good physical copy.
Hell, watch it for Derrel Maury alone; the guy should have been a bigger star.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO OWN A PHYSICAL COPY OF THIS FILM, CLICK THIS LINK FOR THE AMAZON LISTING: https://amzn.to/3OIcZG8
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