Hell High
Hell High is a 1989 American slasher film written, produced, and directed by Douglas Grossman. The film centers on a school teacher who suffers a mental breakdown after being harassed and attacked by a group of teenagers.
Hell High | |
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VHS cover | |
Directed by | Douglas Grossman |
Produced by | Douglas Grossman David Steinman |
Written by | Leo Evans Douglas Grossman |
Starring | Christopher Stryker Maureen Mooney Christopher Cousins Millie Prezioso Jason Brill |
Music by | Chris Hyams-Hart Rich Macar |
Cinematography | Steven Fierberg |
Edited by | Greg Sheldon Claire Simpson |
Production company | DGS Productions |
Distributed by | JGM Enterprises |
Release date | 12 May 1989 |
Running time | 84 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Plot
Main cast
- Christopher Stryker as Dickens
- Maureen Mooney as Miss Brooke Storm
- Christopher Cousins as Jon-Jon
- Millie Prezioso as Queenie
- Jason Brilln as Smiler
- Kathryn Rossetter as Coach Sandy Hand
Release
Hell High was released on DVD by Shriek Show on July 13, 2004. It was later re-released by the company as a part of its three-disk, High School Horrors Pack on November 15, 2005.[1]
Critical reception
Richard Harrington from The Washington Post gave the film a negative review, writing, "Even within the limited expectations of the horror genre, it's not particularly satisfying, since the chills are all on the cheap. However, sitting through Hell High is likely to bring back at least one high school memory, that of a long, long, long detention, made worse because you have to pay for it."[2] Allmovie was unfavorable, calling it a "routine slasher-thriller", though one that "deviates slightly from the standard formula by way of a fairly intelligent script."[3]
Most reviews were negative. However, Brett Gallman on his website Oh, the Horror! considers it "a weird, gangly, messy perversion of 80s slashers", commending the film's darker narrative, performances, and dismantling of the typical slasher film formula.[4]
References
- "Hell High (1987) - Douglas Grossman". Allmovie.com. AllMovie. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- Harrington, Richard. "'Hell High'". WashingtonPost.com. Richard Harrington. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- Cavett Binion. "Hell High (1987)". Allmovie. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- Gallman, Brett. "Horror Reviews - Hell High (1989)". Oh, the Horror.com. Brett Gallman. Retrieved 5 June 2018.