Demolition High

"Demolition High" is ridiculous on many levels. However, it made me laugh a bunch. It seemed less like a fully thought-out movie and more like an exercise in putting actors into scenes. "Hey, we could have Corey shoot something out of a fire extinguisher!" "Yeah, and Melissa could walk menacingly up these stairs!" "Wait, we could use this circular saw for something..."

What surprised me was that somehow the movie managed to include the absurd as well as occasional moments when the actors and the writing made me care a little bit about the characters. I've always like Corey Haim, for whatever reason, and even though this whole film was a transparent vehicle for him to play a role (and not a very convincing role), I still rooted for "Lenny Slater". I also liked a few moments with some of the supporting cast, certainly more than the shaky script and acting would suggest.

Ultimately I give this a 5. It's laughable in many ways, but that was part of the fun. When Corey grabs a machine gun and runs *past* the injured Melissa, out of the room, down the hall, and *then* turns and fires randomly back at the room they squared off in, you can't take this seriously and you can't believe any of them did either. So just relax and enjoy the comedy, be it intentional or not.

P.S. I had to "fix" this review because my original summary of "LOL" was interpreted as shouting -- even when I added periods. :-)

This movie which rehashes the tired plot of terrorists taking over a high school, has some of the worst special effects I've seen outside an Ed Wood feature. Alan Thicke ("Growing Pains" Dad) uses profanity, so that's kind of funny. Wait! This isn't a comedy...never mind.

Terrorists take over a high school and hold everyone hostage, but the one thing they didn't count on was troublemaker bad boy Corey Haim! Pretty much "Die Hard" in a high school with Haim as John McClane, Alan Thicke as Sgt. Powell, and Dick Van Patten as the government man. Brought to you by wildly prolific hack director Jim Wynorski, who has over a hundred directing credits, including some respectable trash, such as "Chopping Mall" and "Big Bad Mama II," but mostly less respectable trash (i.e. "The Witches of Breastwick" and "The Breastford Wives"). "Demolition High" is on the more respectable side since it has so many name actors, which besides Haim, Thicke, and Van Patten includes Gerrit Graham ("Used Cars" "Phantom of the Paradise") as the principal and familiar character actors George 'Buck' Flower ("Escape from New York" "They Live" "Maniac Cop") and Jeff Kober ("X-Files" "Tank Girl" "The First Power") as the lead terrorist. Dumb and unmemorable, but if you dug this film, there's a sequel "Demolition University" which I have not seen. Also, if Corey Feldman were on hand I would have added another 1/2 star. FUN FACT! "Demolition High" is referenced in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia" by a character who is trying to get a part in a movie with Alan Thicke and Corey Haim.

The only thing worth watching this movie for is to see what a really bad movie is. The principal has a gun in his desk, a cop leaves his wounded partner in the middle of the street, and Corey Haim has a bowl cut. The only thing that would make this movie worse is if Corey Feldman was there also, but alas, I was left disappointed. I think they filmed this movie in the same school they used for Big Bully. I don't know whats worse, knowing that, or admitting to watching Big Bully. I did however learn that you can use a fire extinguisher to launch calligraphy pens like blow darts. I need to try that sometime. I give this movie a .053 out of 10, for the clever use of a fire extinguisher.

The usual B movie slash and suspense. Plot is weak and full of holes - as are most of the dead terrorists after Corey Haim finishes with them.

Why not blow up the xxxxxx while it sits on the xxxx???????

Too easy.