Detention - Terrore al liceo

I wasn't going to write a review but so many people on the boards don't seem to like the movie at all. Detention is a sharp, extremely fast paced parody/homage/comedy/slasher/WTF?!?! film for people who watch a LOT of movies. I honestly don't know if it would have been as enjoyable if I hadn't understood most of the references to teen culture, movies, bands and high-school life that peppered the movie every thirteen seconds, but I got more than a few and thought it was perfect.

The editing. Wow. The editing was certainly unique and I loved the jumps and cuts that kept the story moving far faster than most movies I've seen lately. It's probably not for everyone, but again that seems to be the consensus on the entire movie. The way the flashbacks were done was especially fun. I assume the director was responsible for how the film was edited and I'm going to hunt down everything else he's done and watch it now. Assuming he's been able to get money for anything else. I don't know if this was or will be a financial success. Josh Hutcherson should give it a bump in viewership but I don't know if the people who would want to see this will be able to find it. Hopefully it will become a cult hit over the next few years, circulating among folks who appreciate this kind of thing. Speaking of the acting - it was all spot on - exactly how you'd expect people in that situation to act :) Seriously though Hutcherson and Caswell were both very good, as were the supporting characters. The Bear did a fine job as well.

If I had to describe this movie I'd say it was a cross between Brick, Donnie Darko, and Not Another Teen Movie. Would I recommend it? To those of my friends I think would get it. Will I watch it again? Definitely.

I have been waiting for this movie to go into wide release since being in the audience at the 2011 Seattle International Film Festival when the director brought this film to town. The entire theater was packed and I don't know of a single person who was not having a blast. The film grabs you from the beginning and you're hanging on to the arms of your chair until the end. I'm not talking about horror...I'm talking about the sheer PACE of the movie.

The film is VERY fast-paced. So fast that when the audience was cracking up from a line or a scene, the next scene had already started and we missed the first several lines. It took me about 15 minutes to adjust to the pace, kind of like when you watch an Irish film it takes the same amount of time to figure out What ppl are saying and then once your brain gets into the groove, you're off.

I would describe this film as a mash up of Heathers, Donnie Darko, and The Breakfast Club on acid, with a Red Bull soda chaser. Super fun, destined to be a classic.

I wonder if they've waited for a release so that Josh Hutcherson can become a super mega star via The Hunger Games, in order to boost revenue. Not. A. Bad. Plan.

Go see this movie. You're welcome.

Over here in the dark regions of hell Detention is being sold as a horror flick. Naturally being hyped in the states I thought that this was going to be a hell of a flick. Sadly it failed on the part of horror but on the other hand I can understand that youngsters will love this for a few reasons.

Let one reason be the face of Josh Hutcherson, I can understand that girlies in their teens and even twenties will love him. he's also one of the main leads of the over-hyped Hunger Games (2012). So on that part it will be a big success. The second reason is that it do take place on a high school and that it does fit in on the needs and deeds of youngsters nowadays. You get the feeling. If you are above thirty then forget it. There's not that much to see. Okay, it can be compared with Donnie Darko (2001), another weird story. But here it's not really the story but the editing and effects used that makes it a great flick for youth. It's a fast movie with recognizable situations. I liked the effects and even the way the first victim was killed. That's a must see even for horror buffs. But to file it under horror, no can do. It even picks up the story as been told in Scream, you know, the person headlining coming out of that flick and really starts to kill people, or isn't it?

There is even a real boob to see and even some fake porn (Brooke Haven) tits to see. I guess that flicks like The Hunger Games, Twilight and Project X will be the next thing for youth but for an old victim like me raised in full slasher era this wasn't my cup of tea.

Don't get me wrong, I still can dig new horrors but Detention sadly not.

Gore 2/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 4/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 1/5

Actually you might feel this tries so hard to be cool, that it never quite achieves that goal. But is that a criticism? And if you think that the same man who directed this took a hiatus after his last movie (Torque), just because he wanted to find himself and his own style rather than just do one studio movie after the other. The director himself will be the first to tell you how much he despises the movie itself (though I do think he is a bit too hard on himself on "Torque"). Still it's refreshing to see a director not being full of himself. Kudos for that and the movie he made here.

Detention is worth watching a second time. Just to see if you got everything right the first time around. And because of the dialogue. If you want to criticize something, I guess you can say, that every character is fast with a witty response, making them all seem alike. Characters could have been developed a bit better. Still good throughout, with a rather complicated story.

I went into this knowing very little, on the back of seeing Detention mentioned in a horror movie list and attracted by the promise of a very different kind of horror film.

From the very opening line of dialogue (I'm Taylor Fisher and I'm a B**CH - beauty, intelligence, talent, charisma, hoobastank) the film picks no bones in immediately letting you know what you're in for and the satirical, self referential kind of humour we're dealing with. Unfortunately the film misses the mark on this front far more often than hitting it. I have no issue with this kind of humour (see Josie and the Pussycats or The Cabin in the Woods for stellar examples of it done well) but it feels far too much like an exercise in throwing everything at a wall and hoping something sticks in this case (as does the convoluted plot). Admittedly there are a sprinkling of lines that hit the spot but in order for this kind of humour to succeed it has to be razor sharp and Detention just isn't there. Eventually the relentless culture references become tiresome and I found myself disengaging from the movie.

On the plus side the film is acted perfectly well and the cast is obviously giving it their all (Shanley Caswell carries the movie and is particularly watchable) and to be fair you can't say the filmmakers aren't ambitious and trying to do something different, which has to be commended, but assuredness and ambition unfortunately can't save the movie overall as it descends further and further into ridiculousness and leaves you with the feeling that the movie isn't as smart as it thinks it is.

If you're looking to pass 90 minutes without particularly needing to heavily invest in something then you could do worse than Detention, but otherwise it's a film best left in the annals of relative obscurity.