COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - HELL HIGH (ARROW BLU RAY)

You will always remember your least and most favorite teachers. The ones who seemed “cooler” then the others and the ones who were the worst of them all. The truth of the matter is, that teachers have always had it hard and have it even harder today. Kids can be assholes, just like adults, but teachers have to deal with everyone else's kids without having the agency of being their parent. And, they have to teach those kids to learn stuff. In doing a brief google search, there aren’t that many horror films in the genre that deal with teachers being tormented. Most of the time it’s the students that are the victims when in real life, that usually isn’t the case. That brings us to our newest film for the crypt, HELL HIGH, releasing on BLU RAY JULY 19, 2022 from the fine fiends at ARROW FILMS. Is this teacher torment thriller a hidden gem worthy of your macabre media collection?

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

When high school football hero Jon-Jon quits the team, he winds up falling in with a group of outcasts led by the sadistic Dickens. With a willing new recruit in tow, the gang's youthful hijinks soon spiral into a night of abject horror when they decide to play a cruel prank on the home of their teacher Miss Storm - who, unbeknownst to the youngsters, harbors a dark and tormented past

HOW IS IT?

JOE BOB BRIGGS provides a preamble to the film that tees up what sounds like a trashterpiece hall of fame contender, and I’d say I mostly agree. HELL HIGH is one of the few horror films where the students torment the teacher, and it is just as sleazy and surprising as that sounds. Surprising in that I had never heard of this one before, and that’s not unrealistic considering it was mostly buried after its initial release. ARROW FILMS once again finds the films lost to time and brings them to us in deluxe packages with bountiful special features. 

HELL HIGH is certainly a film of its time, and that’s apparent in almost every aspect from the characters to the style. There are so many familiar tropes that we saw so much of in the late 80s - early 90s like the PE coach who is a poster child for toxic masculinity and the archetypes of “jocks” and “bad kids”. These are not critiques of the film, just observations that based on time passed would have likely not registered in periodic context. These tropes make the film campier and more entertaining, which in a way undercuts the nastiness that is embedded within. Our teacher, Miss Storm, suffers from PTSD due to a tragic accident (?) in her childhood. While it may seem outrageous that kids would torment a teacher to such an extent, I wouldn't put it past anyone at that time or today. I think that’s what makes HELL HIGH so different than what it seems to be. You exchange sympathies with your characters in ways that are jarringly effective and delightfully entertaining.

This is not to say HELL HIGH is without fault. It can at times feel crasser then is necessary, so mileage may vary on how much you can stomach how exploitative it all feels. It almost feels like something you would see late-night on CINEMAX back in the 90s, but sufficiently better made and thought-out. The pacing can be a bit of a problem, as the first half of the film feels like a Lifetime drama of that time. Heavy on the melodrama, aside from a blockbuster opening scene that is sure to provide a quick jolt of excitement. The last act is really what seals the deal on this film, as it goes places you don’t think it will be based on the overall tone and aesthetic. It certainly makes some of the slower and less pacier parts of the movie feel excusable for what is truly an unhinged ending.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

ARROW FILMS has some of the most consistent transfers in the boutique label game, and HELL HIGH is no exception. The film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and this print was restored in 2K resolution using the original 35mm camera negative. The film has a lot of soft lighting indoor scenes along with some darkly lit wilderness and in-home scenes. I didn’t notice much grain in the film, and the blood looked sharp in pleasant contrast to some of the muted colors of the costumes.

Screenshots from the disc appear throughout this review and below: 

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

As expected with a film such as this, we are treated to a stereo audio track just like the original release. This audio conform was handled by AGFA and it sounds just fine considering the tone of the film. The action scenes are more slasher-like rather than guns and explosions, so keeping the audio as is feels warranted.

ANYTHING SPECIAL?

Those who enjoy their interviews are in for quite a few with various members of the filmmaking crew. While I did not partake in the archival commentary from director/producer/co-writer Douglas Grossman, I did watch the newly recorded 40+ minute interview ARROW put together for this release. SCHOOLS OUT, takes us through the entire production process from the earliest stages of idea inception to fundraising and post-production directly from one of the driving forces behind it. What I found fascinating about this is the sleaziness factor that I mentioned in my review was intentional as a means to garner distribution, continuing the time-honored tradition of horror being an easy way to make a movie. He also distanced himself from the film, not for any real reason aside from moving on. It was nice to see how happy he was to revisit it and see that there is an audience for what was mostly a forgotten film.

The other interview I watched was A BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE with cinematographer Stephen Grossman. He still works in the industry and was not much of a horror fan until a few years ago, something he shares in common with Douglas. Stephen talks about how he got into filmmaking and the good chemistry there was working with Douglas on the set. He also tells a great story about learning how to light scenes from the legendary Dean Cundy! A full list of special features is below:

• Brand new audio commentary with director/producer/co-writer Douglas Grossman and cinematographer Steven Fierberg

• Archival audio commentary with director/producer/co-writer Douglas Grossman

• Archival introduction and audio commentary with film critic Joe Bob Briggs

• School’s Out! – a newly-filmed interview with director/producer/co-writer Douglas Grossman

• A Beautiful Nightmare – a newly-filmed interview with cinematographer Steven Fierberg

• Jon-Jon’s Journey – a newly-filmed interview with actor Christopher Cousins

• The More the Better – a newly-filmed interview with actress Maureen Mooney

• Music is Not Sound – a newly-filmed interview with composers Rich Macar and Christopher Hyams-Hart

• Back to Schools: The Locations of Hell High – a tour of the original Hell High filming sites with author/filmmaker Michael Gingold

• Archival video interviews with director/producer/co-writer Douglas Grossman and co-writer Leo Evans

• Deleted Scene

• Alternate Opening Titles

• Trailers and TV Spots

• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Ralf Krause

• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring liner notes by Michael Gingold, including an exclusive interview with stunt coordinator/actor Webster Whinery

LAST RITES

HELL HIGH is a surprisingly fun and sleazy slasher film that sits in rare company with a teacher being the ire of a group of outcast high-school kids. ARROW FILMS digs up a worthy addition to your growing forgotten slasher collection.

THE GORY DETAILS

HELL HIGH will be available on BLU RAY TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2022. Thank you to our friends at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for a copy for the crypt to review, and you can pre-order/purchase via MVD or ARROW!

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