Cooley High

This is one of those films that you don't really know what to expect going in, think the film is going one way, and then it takes you a completely different route. But I really appreciate what this film did for not only the black community, as a part of the black exploitation film era, but also what it did for Chicago as a city. Every now and then there would be a film centered in and filmed in Chicago, but Cooley High did a lot for the city in terms of revamping their stake in the movie business.

Cooley High isn't really told in a typical 3 act structure. In fact, it's very episodic in that there's mini arcs within a bigger arc. For the most part, I enjoyed watching the film. We saw it in 70mm film for my cinema class and so I don't think I would have been aware of it otherwise, and I'm glad I got a chance to see it. Obviously being a white male, I'm not necessarily the target audience, but I think there's a lot of fun to be had with this group of kids from Cooley High. Not only is there a ton of great physical comedy (that holds up) but the writing makes you care about all of it's lead characters.

I don't believe any of the actors became famous, but they worked really well together on screen. Which makes it even more heart- breaking when you see the entire film. It's pretty much my only main complaint with the film. 95 percent of the film is comedic and then all of a sudden the end of the film hits you like a shot in the dark. To me, that's almost manipulative and too jarring for an audience. It's a film you walk out in pure silence because you don't really know what you just saw.

Having a pretty low budget, I'm sure they were constrained from filming in every location, but I do believe they could have used the Chicago landscape even more than they did. So overall, this film is pretty fun with great characters to watch and grow as high schoolers. The second half becomes a little uneven and the ending is very jarring, but it's definitely worth a watch for it's historical impact and it's comedic timing.

+Really funny

+Chemistry between the guys

+Important in history

-Jarring ending

7.1/10

Hello all. This is the best movie of the 70's and one of the best of all time. If you haven't seen it yet you must see it soon. This is probably Lawrence Hilton Jacobs's first starring role. He is great in the movie and he is very underrated. Glynn Turman shines as Preach. He is also very underrated. This whole movie really captured what it was like back in the 60's for young blacks. It is heartwrenching and very moving. It has comedy and it has heartache. I recommend that everyone see this movie. It is the best. You will not be disappointed.

While this seems to be a black equivalent to "American Graffitti", I would hardly call this "Blaxploitation". Really not in the same boat as "Sweet Sweetbacks Badass Song", all those Pam Grier movies by Jack Hill, and the usual sort. Interesting to see Lawrence Hilton Jacobs in something other than "Welcome Back Kotter", or his low-rent action films. Interesting to note that "Kotter" comes up in a few posts, but I didn't see anyone mention that the TV show "What's Happening" (and the later, "What's Happening Now" I suppose), was based on, and inspired by this film, which is why I wanted to see it in the first place. This film is vastly superior to "What's Happening" (for many reasons, most obviously, the lack of the "Rerun" character), and has real heart. Also, it features some excellent use of Godzilla footage in the theatre scenes, something I always appreciate. If you haven't seen it, you really should.

Takes place in and around the Cabrini-Green projects on Chicago's Near North Side. Cooley High was a real school that was demolished in the '80s. The interiors, though were filmed in Providence-St. Mel's several miles away. This film is a classic, and if you aren't hip to it, then either you've been living in a cave or just awakened from a 25 year coma. The stellar cast features Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, fresh from "Claudine", veteran of stage and screen Glynn Turman, pre-SNL Garrett Morris, Cynthia Davis (who seemed to disappear soon after the film was released), Steven Williams (currently of "Linc's), Corin Rogers and Jackie Taylor, who has made a name for herself as a writer, producer and director in Chicago theatre. This film also marked the screen debut of Robert Townsend. (He had two lines).

This film, which was the foundation for "What's Happening?", contains the very things that recent films about teens and high school lack: comedy, and true emotion. The film takes place in Chicago, 1964, and centers on a group of lower-class black kids, including Preach, a smart student, and his close friend, Cochise, a great athlete who's on the verge of getting a scholarship. While it does contain similarities to George Lucas' "American Graffitti", the film has a lot of energy and substance to easily overlook that fact. There are many funny moments, including a scene where the boys joyride with Preach behind the wheel; a scene where the boys cut class and head to the zoo, ending with a hilarious encounter with a gorilla; and a scene where Preach hides from gangbangers in an occupied bathroom. There's also romance in the film, as Preach attempts to woo classy beauty Brenda; the two even lose their virginity together in a truly tasteful scene. The movie ends in tragedy, and since the characters have depth, we feel the loss. I highly recommend this one to all; it's got more going for it than 99.9% of what's playing today (and it's got a great Motown soundtrack to boot!).