This “Special Edition” Blu-ray from Arrow Video will be released on July 19th.
In horror, the slasher genre likely reached its apex in the late 1970s and early 80s with the releases of titles like Halloween (1978), Prom Night (1980), Friday the 13th (1980) and Sleepaway Camp (1981). Of course, that doesn’t mean that there weren’t exceptional slasher films made before and after, but these titles really came out fast and furious during this era. One of the last and strangest entries was Hell High (1989) aka Raging Fury. After experiencing shooting delays and distribution issues, this 1986 production didn’t end up arriving at cinemas and video stores until the very end of the cycle. Critics and audiences appeared to have had their fill of these movies by this point and the movie didn’t fare well critically or commercially. But as the years have passed, the flick has found a following.
Now, Arrow Video is releasing the picture on Blu-ray. As with just about every other disc they’ve made available, it features an incredible 2K picture restoration approved by cinematographer Steven Fierberg (who later worked on A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master and currently shoots the series Emily in Paris). Readers should note the images on display in this review don’t do the movie justice. The film looks better than it ever has before and comes with tons of bonus features that shed light into the difficult path this independent feature had in making it to the big screen. Of course, the movie itself is also a fascinating little oddity quite unlike others of its ilk.
A prologue introduces a little girl playing by a swamp. After a prank ends up resulting in a horrible and traumatic tragedy, the story jumps ahead 18 years to a local school. Jon-Jon (Christopher Cousins) is a dissatisfied teen who decides to quit his high school football team and is shunned by his coach and others in the institute. Not sure of what to do next, he befriends deviant and cruel students Dickens (Christopher Stryker), Queenie (Millie Prezioso) and Smiler (Jason Brill). Dickens in particular appears to have an issue with tightly wound instructor Miss Brook Storm (Maureen Mooney). Little do they know that is the youngster featured at the beginning. In the end, Jon-Jon agrees to participate in a nasty prank on the teacher that quickly gets out of hand and turns violent. This pushes Miss Storm past the breaking point and she fights back in equally brutal fashion.
Truth be told, the story itself has issues. Beyond his basic attraction to Millie, it’s hard to follow Jon-Jon’s reasoning and logic following along in the tormenting of Miss Storm. Some of the nasty acts committed by the gang are also over-the-top and sometimes result in a chuckle instead of the intended terror. At one point, Dickens pulls a knife and threatens an injured football player while a member of the medical staff stands there, showing little interest or concern in what is occurring. There are plenty of logic issues throughout the film, although they aren’t unusual for many films of the period.
What the movie does have going for it is excellent cinematography that really impresses. There is plenty of expressive lighting and elaborate dolly moves (including one early on during a classroom scene). A sequence involving camera set-ups on a car are also striking and there is some great lighting during the night in scenes involving the teens wandering in a swamp. And even if what they’re doing doesn’t always make sense, the cast are also fully committed and giving it their all. As a group, they are actually compelling to watch.
Naturally, the film also offers a few twists on the slasher formula as the victim turns into something of a tormentor and the supposed hero shows nothing but flaws and weaknesses. The make-up effects are also quite striking. The murders are brutal and a few are genuinely wince-inducing, including a beating with a rock and a memorable gag involving a pencil that is plunged deeply into the neck of one unsuspecting group member. The movie may be a bit of a mess, but it’s an interesting one that is at times particularly unhinged, resulting in a feeling that anything could occur.
As mentioned, the disc itself is a winner too. It comes with three commentaries. One is with co-writer, co-producer and director Douglas Grossman (this was his only directing gig, but he also wrote the 1984 comedy Up the Creek and seems to have worked as an uncredited scribe on other productions). The second features Grossman and cinematographer Steven Fierberg. There are also lengthy interviews with both of these men who share a great deal of pertinent information on the production.
Grossman focuses on his experiences during his solo track and interview. He talks about seeing various slashers and, in youthful arrogance, thinking he could do just as well on his own. Apparently, he raised the money for the feature, found a great New York based cast and crew and began shooting the picture in 1986. Unfortunately, they quickly ran out of money and had to shut down for a year before raising enough to complete the shoot. Amazingly, all of those involved agreed to return and finish their work on the film. He talks about all of this in detail and how important it was to have help in organizing the shoot the second time around so that the group could work efficiently and complete the shoot.
He also talks about a dangerous stunt (and the fact that the firemen on site appeared to be completely drunk as it was being filmed), as well as working with Christopher Stryker, the charismatic and sinister lead who sadly passed away from AIDS before the film was ultimately released. The story of the movie’s sale to a distributor and release is also interesting.
The commentary track and separate interview with Fierberg is very engaging. This project was at the beginning of his career. He discusses that the inspiration for he and Grossman wasn’t other slashers but A Clockwork Orange and European genre fare (Grossman thinks it might have hurt their movie’s commercial prospects). The director of photography also talks about his approach to shooting with various gels and using unique angles. He’s an entertaining and honest speaker and mentions how revisiting the movie inspired him to use some of the techniques employed on recent projects. Fierberg seems to prove that going back and analyzing your old work can sometimes inspire you in the present day.
There are also some great interviews with the cast. Christopher Stryker talks about his experiences working on the feature. He also ends up critiquing his own work, saying that he wished that he hadn’t made his character so passive and today would have preferred to have depicted Jon-Jon in a more selfish and vicious manner as the story progressed. He’s interesting to listen to, as is Maureen Mooney, who plays Miss Storm. The disc also includes talks with the men who composed the score and music for the title, and a tour of the filming sites. There are archival interviews, a deleted scene, opening titles with the alternate moniker and tons of publicity materials.
But for this reviewer, one of the highlights may actually be the introduction to the film and third commentary track by genre movie critic Joe Bob Briggs. He provides plenty of background details and also presents a fun analysis of the film which includes what is so entertainingly different about it. Of course, he also has no issue at playfully poking fun at some of the inconsistencies and bizarre behavior on display. He notes his fascination with the fact that there aren’t any truly likable characters in the movie. Particularly funny is a comment about why the entire group is so willing to follow Dickens given how cruel he is. He also wonders aloud why “I have a plan,” is enough to motivate the group to commit terrible acts. Briggs is a fantastic speaker and his commentary is well worth listening to.
In the end, Hell High is no classic, but it is a memorable film that offers a few moments that will linger in the brain long after the credits roll. Arrow Video have once again done an exceptional job in bringing this disc to horror fans and enthusiasts of low-budget horror will find it well worth their time.