La scuola degli orrori

This movie had some really good comedy bits, but they don't add up to make a good movie. They don't even add up to make a horror movie. The basic plot follows a bunch of low-budget filmmakers who are making a movie about a series of murders that happened at a high school years ago. The only problem is the killer was never caught. The problems start off with this movie when you can obviously tell the school is not abandoned, or ever was. But according to the movie, it's been abandoned for years. Then theres the bad acting. It was pretty bad all the way through, although the producer actually pulls of some good one liners. The one redeeming factor of the movie is some funny comedy bits. Unfortunately, they are few and far between to make it worth while. Although the end was as stroke of genius, sitting through the film is quiet a task for such a small payoff. So I can't really recommend this film to all but the most hardcore fans of any of the cheesy 80's slashers, and even they might not find it all that entertaining.

If everyone thought "Scream 3" had an interesting plot - a movie set falling prey to the killer resembling the Ghost Face Killer, then why don't you try this interesting horror flick of the 80's. As an avid fan of cult films, that is exactly what this film is. Early appearances by George Clooney and later appearances by "Dr. Ben Casey" Vince Edwards, "Marcia Brady" Maureen McCormick, "Mo Green" himself, Alex Rocco, and that kid from "Alice", Philip McKeon, all star in this film about a killer who returns to the high school where he killed years ago to terrorize a movie crew. The finale is a hell of a surprise.

This movie could serve as a wake-up call to all those who thought "Scream" was oh-so-stunningly-original. Witty lines like "Why does everyone always want to go to a dark basement without even a flashlight?", commenting on the oldest horror cliches, pop up here ten whole years before they became "fashionable". The film does have a very complex structure and adds one bizarre twist after another in the last 30 minutes, and ends up not making a whole lot of sense; in that respect, it reminded me of the funny 1976 whodunit-spoof "Murder By Death". And just like in that film, you'll be better off ignoring the plot and concentrating on the individual moments and scenes. There are some engaging performances (particularly by Lori Lethin and Alex Rocco as the producer - "write them a hopeful, life-affirming scene where they talk about love and children, and make sure it's set in the showers, so they can be naked!"), and in general the film offers much more creativity than you'd normally expect to find in this genre. (**1/2)

Albeit confusing at times, this movie is definitely worth a watch. The directing/editting is certainly reminiscent of _Perfect Blue (1997/I)_ (or more likely the other way around, with Perfect Blue being released a full decade after Return to Horror High). Either way, you just have to be really one your toes to make sense of the stories, or be prepared to watch it a few times. The jokes fly out more than the fake blood does. Often, they come together. If you can't appreciate this movie for what it is, you just need to pop a couple of valium pills, and calm down. They way you people write about this film would make one think that Ed Wood decided to make a horror-comedy about Waylon Jennings cooking up some raw fetuses.

This movie kicks twice as much butt when you get it on the double-sided DVD with _Return of the Killer Tomatoes! (1988)_

It's a shame because this film had a lot of potential. There were really lively moments like the man getting chopped by a huge fan, but then it goes into oblivion and confusion.

Basically, what I mean is that the film itself is constructed in a way that really confuses the viewer. This isn't David Lynch we're talking here, this is supposed to be a horror comedy but some of the jokes just don't work because we're too busy trying to figure out why these random scenes come out of nowhere and whether or not we're watching the movie or the movie within the movie.

Now that may sound like a fun element to the film and indeed, if constructed the right way, it probably would have been. But alas, it pretty much... well... in all honesty... fails.

But this is definitely one of those you'll at least wanna say you saw if you're into 80's schlock.

Love the poster art though.