Malibu High

I saw this (or a very abbreviated version of this) film on TV back around 1985. It was a puzzle. I found of copy of the film, then bought my first VCR. I was not disappointed. It is the silliest movie I have ever seen! Every aspect of it's production (acting, writing, sound, composition, cinematography, etc.) is truly bad and hence it rates an 11 on the scale of 10 all-time-bad movies.

Malibu High improves with age like a fine wine - each viewing brings new insights into how bad (and how entertaining) a film can really be. I'd recommend a group viewing with like-minded friends who occassionally need to kick back and have a great laugh.

You don't go into seeing this one with any grandiose notions, and, if you are like me, you should be pleasantly surprised that this is one of those vintage "bad" movies that is just loads of fun to sit through. Kim Bentley loses her boyfriend and so she begins failing her classes, etc... when she decides to become a prostitute and then later an assassin picking up booze, weed, and coke along the way. Jill Lansing appearing in what seems to be her only screen credit gives a credible performance as the "hooker to hit girl" as she frequently disrobes and lets her breasts get lots of air, seduces two of her teachers for grades, and runs a profitable business from the back of her pimp's van. We get lots of stereotypes here and the plot is pretty threadbare when it comes to anything other than giving us lurid and "shocking" behaviours to be witnessed. The rest of the cast is better-than-average for a movie of this ilk, and I laughed out loud several times at the bizarre going ons and what I was suppose(perhaps not) to take seriously. In addition to all this Kim has a few hazy flashbacks about her father hanging himself. Malibu High is sleazy and fun - and entertaining. It has what you would expect in a picture like this but packages it well. As some have noted the soundtrack is weird to say the least as we get an instrumental People's Court theme used in a most inopportune moment and that bizarre SCTV strident tone used when something significant is being conveyed - at least that is what the director is trying to convey.

OK, this is a B movie. Let's just start there and realize that this film is just not a great piece of cinema. Now, knowing that, we can move forward. This is the best film of its type there is. Here's the synopsis. Girl is in high school. Girl's mother suggests that she get a job. Girl becomes prostitute. Girl kills pimp. Girl becomes HitGirl-for-the-Mob. Lots of other subplots to keep you entertained. Probably too many. But the lines in this groaner are worth the price of admission, if you can find it anywhere. "I'm a hooker - not a hitgirl!". Come on! Does it get better than that? MH belongs in the Hall of Fame with Faster Pussycat Kill Kill, They Came From Within and Attack of the Killer Tomatos, and is the best of the bunch. This film is an A+ in the world of the B-.

Jill Lansing, the main lead in this grindhouse gave a excellent performance but sadly it was her only movie she played in. Never heard of seen her again. And let me tell you that this is pure grindhouse. In the first minute Kim (Jill Lansing) wakes up , naked of course and the first thing she does is putting on a fag. Imagine this in today's film standards. The clothes, hair, even the score is so typical for that era, men, do I love those flicks. After Kim is dumped by her boyfriend for a rich girl she's on the loose. School doesn't work and she just don't care. But without any money she decides after a disco night (listen and watch it) to become another woman. One that teachers don't dare to flunk because she's seducing and making love to them. But Kim goes a bit further and goes into the world of hookers. Naturally, things go awry for Kim. You don't watch it for the acting because some are really wooden. The editing, sound and vision was really well for a grindhouse. The so-called erotic scene's are a bit dull, you just see the acting but anyhow you still want to know what is going to happen to Kim. And Kim does gives the breast, sorry, best she can. The ending is a bit weird, you can see it coming but how the cops arrive at the beach is still a bit weird. I mean, no cell phones in those days. I surely recommend it to the grindhouse geeks out there, you won't regret it.

Overlooked by a lot of bad movie fans, this is one of the worst films ever. It's not just the sleazy attitude, this one is filled with technical ineptitude, lazy writing, poor acting, and that mystery ingredient that makes a film really bad. This switches gears a lot, and you get the feeling that a lot of things were cooked up as it went along. It has shots out of focus, some bad sound, camerawork that doesn't deserve the name, poor lighting, and no sense of grace, artistry, or credibility, whatsoever. Also, although she gives the most memorable performance, our lead actress displays what has to be some of the ugliest tan-lines in movie history, nobody notices, and her "customers" all act like she's a beauty queen! Don't miss!

--Judexdot1--