High School High
October. 25,1996 PG-13Richard Clark has just left the well-known Wellington Academy to teach at Marion Barry High School. Now, he will try to inspire the D-average students into making good grades and try to woo a fellow teacher.
Similar titles
You May Also Like
Reviews
Just what I expected
if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
A story that's too fascinating to pass by...
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
Man, you people are harsh. I didn't think this movie was bad at all. Heck, the first time I saw I fell in love with its stupidity. Before I start the review I'll explain my rating. I would have given this movie nine stars but I had to do my part to bring up the rating by giving it ten stars. 5.6? 6.0 is better rating for this movie. At any rate...The plot is that Richard Clark(Jon Lovitz) leaves Wellington Academy to go teach at Marion Barry High School against his father's best wishes. Richard believes that he can make a difference there and on his way he falls for a gorgeous teacher called Victoria Chappell(Tia Carrere).High School High was a spoof on those troubled high school kids movies like Dangerous Minds, Lean On Me and Stand And Deliver. Unlike the crap that passes for parody(like anything by Seltzer and Friedberg) HSH hits all of its targets and actually has a story tied to the spoof. Compare that with spoofs that are just about picking on pop culture and meaningless gags. Jon Lovitz was hysterical and as a comedic actor, he never got enough credit. Tia Carrere was gorgeous as well as funny and Louise Fletcher was funny too as the irascible school principal. Mekhi Phifer as well as the supporting cast add to the laughs too. If you can appreciate parodies that aren't extremely gross you might like this one. I feel its one of the most underrated spoofs ever produced by the Zucker Brothers. Two thumbs up.
Back when there were real comedies in Hollywood.It is lovely. The best about it is that it isn't a parody. It's a comedy concerning a teacher-with-underachiever-students, having little spoofs of some movies here and there.The formula is familiar since Blackboard Jungle (1955), and To Sir with Love (1967). Actually, this kind of movies don't stop. It never has a time of prosperity, maybe due to the fact that teaching is a continuing exam, since the circumstances are always changing, bringing new generations with new ways to deal with them. Ironically, the same year of (High School High) witnessed also (To Sir, with Love II) the TV sequel, and close movies like (The Substitute), and (Eddie).It doesn't pick clips from previous movies and toy with them as movies, from the same year, did such as (Spy Hard) and (Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood). It shows an easy yet well-made story. Some perfect slapstick, lines, puns, and simple parody comedy. And the result didn't contain things like being forced, bad taste, toilet humor, or all what I watch in the comedies of today! The cast did a fine job, especially the minor parts. It's only Louise Fletcher who didn't amuse me, giving a one-note sullen face all along. The thing about Jon Lovitz is that he's Jon Lovitz in every movie or TV show. That's not a bad thing at all, but maybe it affected his career in a bad way. Although I love the guy, I even watched the movie more than once to savor him better, but sometimes his confused moves do bug.The twist of the Principal being the bad guy, who forged her students' results, was wild. Yet I can accept it as a far try to present a satire that agrees with this movie's farcical time and general innocence. So, accordingly, when a school reaches being that bad, and stays as that, then the Principal must be a real *criminal* ! It's one small movie (it's even less than 90 minutes). But there are plenty of good dialogs (I love "Where The Hell is Our Dinner ?!!" the most), and detailed scenes (look at how the school was shown at the start). I can't forget the final encounter of the "new" students with their Principal in which they got to beat her by their hard study and right answers; see, this movie is constructively motivational on a deep level yet in its own way ! Even at one point the movie delivers a sad scene in a very special way; and I mean the moment of Richard Clark leaving the school, feeling the failure, with a rain over his head only, namely departing "under a cloud" literally. I love the genius blues melody in the background, the serious – rarely seen – performance of Lovitz, and the smart lines during it.Some criticized it as a predictable, formulaic...Well, so most of the comedies, rather most of Hollywood movies. However the question would be did the amount of entertainment manage to rule or not? And this time it did. So it's predictable, formulaic, yet clever and seductive to watch. I miss this kind of comedies. Now I can't find anything but teens trash, stupid family movies, and disastrous parodies like (Disaster Movie) !
High School High is a very decent spoof comedy written by comedic geniuses Pat Proft and David Zucker. You recognize all these ordinary high school dramas like Dangerous Minds, The Substitute, High School Confidential and many others. And off-course there's many very absurd scenes that is very common to screenplays by Zucker.Also you can enjoy performance of Jon Lovitz. His character Richard Clark isn't stupid and clumsy like we know all Leslie Nielsens characters but just naive. At the same time Lovitz doesn't leave a strike that he is taking it all too seriously. Louise Fletcher's and Tia Carrere's performances were in full seriousness at the same time. They both played like in usual roles in usual high school films.High School High is a bit underrated but might not be as brilliant than the other films by Zucker/Craft but still it has it's moments.
HIGH SCHOOL HIGH, in my opinion, is an excellent, gut-busting, in-your-face high school comedy! If you ask me, Paco (Guillermo Díaz) and Miss Doyle (Louise Fletcher) were pure bullies! Mr. Clark (Jon Lovitz) and Miss Chapell (Tia Carrere), on the other hand, were very good, attractive, strict, and business-like teachers. I really loved their styles. When Mr. Clark got that shock when he first entered the classroom, I laughed really hard. Oh, man, that was funny! Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say, "Be cool. Go all the way in high school!" Now, in conclusion, if you're a fan of Jon Lovitz, and, you haven't seen this excellent, gut-busting, in-your-face high school comedy, I highly recommend it! You're in for lots of gut-busting laughs, so go to the video store, rent it or buy it, kick back with a friend, and watch it.