For anyone who's ever wondered what it would be like to dose the bake sale brownies with pot – we've got a film for you! John Stalberg Jr.'s High School is a crass, fun teen comedy, but with a fresh, amusing twist and plenty of zany, off-the-wall antics to keep things interesting.
The 2010 film (which is just getting released now) follows two young high school enemies (Matt Bush and Sean Marquette, brother of Chris) who bond over a joint, but freak out when their school principal (Michael Chiklis) announces he'll be drug testing the entire school the very next day in order to “weed” out any stoners and expel them.
Worried they'll get kicked out of school, they steal some high-quality kief (resin glands) from a wacked-out drug dealer (Adrien Brody, who steals every scene he's in, and even a few he's not in) and bake it into some brownies that they intend to swap with the real brownies being sold at the bake sale, which is also happening the next day.
And that's basically the first 20 minutes of the picture. What follows is one long trip as the entire school – and I mean the entire school – gets stupid stoned off the powerful kief. Meanwhile, the drug dealer seeks out the two high schoolers looking for his drugs, and the school's assistant principal (Colin Hanks) has a major freak out after taking control of the school.
High School is a pot comedy for people who generally don't like the usual strain of pot comedy. It's not a laugh-out-loud riot by any means, but it is quite funny and sometimes very original. The film does play on paranoia, which is perfectly punctuated by the tense narrative and a creepy, fun and downright awesome performance from Adrien Brody, who – had the film been a little bit better – might have earned some Oscar cred for his role.
Alas, High School is a bit fragmented, missing a middle act and often running out of steam, slowing down once the entire school gets stoned. It's clear the film's trying to emulate that drugged-out feeling, contorting and mixing the narrative in strange ways that are rather un-cinematic and bizarre. And while it works at times, as a whole the film is often a bit dry and too sporadic, with no conflicts beyond those established in the first act.
Still, as a clever social commentary on marijuana policies – the movie is sometimes rather critical and refreshing. The story is fascinating and fun to watch unfold, even with the dry patches. And the performances are all a delight, from the newcomers (Marquette and Bush) to the veterans (Brody and Chiklis). Colin Hanks chimes in with an amusing performance as the assistant principal. And Mykelti Williamson steals a few scenes as a rather hilarious Kimbo Slice-knockoff named Paranoid.
High School definitely won't be everyone's flavor of pot comedy, but it's certainly a fun trip and a clever spin on the genre. It should appeal to those seeking something a little different. The film certainly plays a fine complement to films like Pineapple Express and even other offbeat high school comedies like Detention.
The High School Blu-ray comes home courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment. The film is presented in 2.40:1 widescreen, mixed in 5.1 Dolby TrueHD. Sadly, no Digital Copy, DVD or UltraViolet copy of the film is provided with this release.
With so many low-budget titles getting shot on video these days, it's nice to see a movie that looks and feels like it was actually shot on film. High School certainly isn't as sharp and pristine as many HD-photographed pictures, but it's atmospheric and textured, with spot-on flesh tones, inky blacks and plenty of depth and visual allure, despite the somewhat dry school setting. The encode is clean, too, with no distortions, compression or other annoying hiccups gumming up the works
Audio is more subdued than I would have expected. The track's center channel is often a bit overbearing compared to the front and rear surrounds, and bass isn't used nearly enough. The atmosphere of high school isn't quite captured, either, leaving a track that sounds a bit hollow and empty, save for the film's sometimes cluttered soundtrack, from The Newton Brothers. The track is certainly good in short bursts, but it's just not aggressive enough, or moody enough, once things kick into high gear (pun intended).
Extras for High School are rather thin. There's a commentary track with executive producer/co-writer/director John Stalberg Jr. It's a solid track that takes fans through virtually all aspects of production. Stalberg discusses his intentions, the story, characters, and various on-set anecdotes. While it would have been great to hear from a few cast members as well, this is a good commentary that should entertain those who enjoyed the film.
The Blu-ray also includes 12-minutes of deleted scenes. Nothing much here, but worth a watch. There's also a trailer as well as trailers for other Anchor Bay Entertainment titles. Unfortunately, that's it. No featurettes or documentaries.
High School makes a great film to pair with Joseph Kahn's equally wacky hipster slasher-comedy Detention. Both films are wild, irreverent and loaded with originality and flare. Alas, with a fragmented plot that sometimes runs out of steam, High School is best served as the opening course.
Source : ign[dot]com
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