Get Ready to Go Back to School with Arrow Video's HELL HIGH

FTC Statement: Reviewers are frequently provided by the publisher/production company with a copy of the material being reviewed.The opinions published are solely those of the respective reviewers and may not reflect the opinions of CriticalBlast.com or its management.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. (This is a legal requirement, as apparently some sites advertise for Amazon for free. Yes, that's sarcasm.)

Hell High

Grab your hall passes and get ready, because Arrow Video brings to Blu-ray the little known 1989 American slasher film HELL HIGH for the first time. Directed by Douglas Grossman, HELL HIGH brings a John Hughes twist to the horror movie genre by blending the ridiculous with the grotesque, and gives us a fun 84-minute ride into madness.

The story revolves around a young biology teacher named Brooke (played by Maureen Mooney) who witnesses a terrible tragedy as a child. She has suppressed those memories until a group of prankster high school kids take a joke too far and send Brooke over the breaking point.

Just the right mix of humor and horror, HELL HIGH delivers, making the whole movie an enjoyable watch for a first timer, or a good way to round out a High School Horror movie marathon with such titles as Slaughter High, Return to Horror High, and Student Bodies to bookend the theme.

 

Arrow video fills the textbook and Blu-ray with enough special features to get a perfect score on your next exam:

Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative approved by cinematographer Steven Fierberg

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation

Original uncompressed stereo audio

Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

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

 

Panned by critics upon its release, HELL HIGH was bombarded by negative reviews. Slasher fans were not ready for the humor being juxtaposed with some of the outrageous scenes of torture and murder. Looking back on it now, HELL HIGH seems quite tame by today’s standards of horror but still holds a proud spot in any boutique collection.

Grade: 
3.0 / 5.0