Bear in mind--this is a cheap. cheap movie. The gritty, low-budget feel is all part of the fun of "Horror High." It's a fine drive-in horror film. It has many fans. It is not utterly brilliant or totally pathetic. It is the kind of film that is enjoyed by people who like some rough edges on their movies.

This is a memorable, haunting, shocking piece of film that will stick with you years after you have seen it. Abused nerd schoolkid Vernon Potts (Pat Cardi) gets endlessly tortured by NEARLY EVERYONE at his high school, invents a Mr. Hyde potion in science class, is forced to drink it by an evil janitor ("What'd yew do to mah CAT, boy???"),and transforms into some kind of horrible monster. The "transformed" Vernon then takes revenge on his tormentors (ALL of them) in some unusually violent scenes. There's plenty of bright red 70's Karo syrup blood to be had by all.

Vernon's crazed revenge feels dramatically correct (if not a little over the top!) as he stomps, slices, slams and crushes everyone who ever crossed him, and of course he is blasted to smithereens at the end. The girl who understood him (before he became all hairy and fangy) weeps. The ending is surprisingly poignant and sad.

Featuring an absolutely amazing early 70's rock music score, lots of groovy keyboards and electric guitar. The music alone is worth the price of admission! Are there REALLY janitors out there who are flipped-out violent crazy like this, scowling, cackling, and ready to launch into wild beatings at the slightest provocation?? And own cats?? Gosh, I hope not.

While there's really no defending this movie to fans of great cinema, this late-night TV favorite obviously has a few staunch fans--and deservedly so. At worst an amusing time capsule, at best a deliriously exuberant celebration of all that's wrong with low budget horror films, HORROR HIGH is a love it or hate it proposition. Why I love it: 1) Rosie (DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT) Holotik as the nerd/identification figure's love interest, 2) the deliciously unsubtle acid rock score, 3) pathos galore. Plus more '70's pro football stars than you can shake a stick at, should you be inclined to do so. Edited for an "R" rating, then a "PG," then for TV broadcast (with filler scenes added to pad it back out,) this film is in need of some TLC. Having seen the director's cut at a screening in San Francisco, I can attest to the superiority of the original, rarely seen version. The audience's sympathy for the beleaguered hero remains intact despite the even more vivid violence he perpetrates in the murder scenes.

Really really bad movie. Fun to watch. Young bullied chemistry nerd accidentally becomes his own guinea pig. Movie is crazily stitched together. There is a large sequence that documents the personal life of his absent father and his rocky relationship with his girlfriend, just enough to make them seem like important characters, then the sequence arbitrarily ends and we never see them again. There is a janitor that apparently lives at the school and dresses like a homeless man. There is also another sequence that borders homo-eroticism that involves half naked football players in a circle playing 'keep away' against the nerd, who fruitlessly and limply throws his body mass at them in a halfhearted effort to get back his belongings. The English teacher is a sadist, and the police force is incredibly inept. Very strange movie, but a gem for people that love movies so bad they are fun to watch. This one is one for your collection. Truly beyond bizarre.