Foreword: The Creature Week will be extended until this Thursday because of an unexpected Internet break.
Horror High is a 1974 horror movie about a nerd named Vernon who uses some science formula to turn himself into a monster. Then he starts going around his school killing people at night while the cop, played by Austin Stoker, tries to catch the killer. Like Snowbeast this movie’s plot is the plot of something else, while last time it was Jaws this time it’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The movie is even shown during the opening credits scene, justified as it is an English class they are in.
Vernon, played by Pat Cardi, is trying to make the formula to buff up his guinea pig for some reason when the janitor and his cat come in and start to threaten him. The next day the cat and guinea pig are both found dead and the janitor freaks out and starts attacking Vernon by making him drink the formula. This mutates him, and by “mutate” I mean he starts curling up his hands and growling, and he drowns the janitor in some chemical vat that is there for some reason. He then kills his English teacher, which is foreshadowed so heavily by her having this ridiculous paper cutter on her desk. He then finishes his “spree” by killing his gym teacher by ragdolling him around the room and stomping on him with spiked cleats. Throughout the movie he is making friends with a woman named Robin who is the stereotypical jock. This culminates in him chasing her around school until the cops kill Vernon.
This movie is dumb, but so entertaining. The special effects are so cheap that all the kills will make you laugh more than terrify you, but I must admit the skull of the janitor effect looked nice. The sound effects are confusing, with a musical sting going off every time Vernon laced up his shoes. In the scene where he kills the coach a musical riff covers up the growling Vernon should be doing, and the coach asks “why are you making that noise,” implying that all the music is just Vernon singing to himself. So in the end, this movie is funnier and easier to watch than Snowbeast, but as a serious horror movie it is bad. Rating: 63%= Riff worthy.
Vintage Bullet 