7 reviews
Michael Drake (Richard Horian who also wrote & directed this film), a self-made millionaire with a frigid cheating bitch for a wife takes a job as a high school guidance counselor taking it upon himself to help four wayward students.
Wow now this was a mess of a movie. The 'plot' is all kinds of disjointed and the ending is rather confusing. The acting's abysmal and quite frankly I can't think of any saving grace that the movie has whatsoever. Atrocious even by Troma's lax standards. I feel dumber just having watched this.
Eye Candy: Susie Scott and Paula Sorenson both show boobs & bush; Elizabeth Singer just shows her boobs
My Grade: F
Wow now this was a mess of a movie. The 'plot' is all kinds of disjointed and the ending is rather confusing. The acting's abysmal and quite frankly I can't think of any saving grace that the movie has whatsoever. Atrocious even by Troma's lax standards. I feel dumber just having watched this.
Eye Candy: Susie Scott and Paula Sorenson both show boobs & bush; Elizabeth Singer just shows her boobs
My Grade: F
- movieman_kev
- Jan 19, 2010
- Permalink
Yes, this movie is very strange. VERY STRANGE. One of the strangest movies I've ever seen, I can see why Troma picked it up.
There's just something odd about it that you don't see in other movies. Maybe it's the counselor's facial expressions or the overacting or the weird idea that plastering hair onto your face to hide a giant scar is gonna make everyone you used to know not recognize you and suddenly think you are incredibly sexy.
Or maybe it's the weird characters, or maybe it's Marlon Jackson's pleasant voice or the counselor's unemotional, cordial way of speaking. I think it's mainly his face that makes the movie so strange. This guy really has a weird face and a strange way of moving his face around.
Or maybe the effect of the movie comes in part from why are people storing pillows, stuffed animals and blown up beach balls in their lockers at school? What is with the triumphant scene of the dude in the boiler room reaching out to touch the pipes like he's in mechanical heaven or something??
And what is with the counselor's dream where some old lady comes to attack him? It has nothing to do with the movie at all.
His wife is strange, too. Even though she takes advantage of his money and seems slimey for it, she's really the only one who makes much sense when she opens here mouth. Everyone else is crazed.
And the best part is the last line. It leaves you lingering like, "what? that's it? how can they end it like that?" It's not really an ending.
And what's with the weird nude scene where the girl is standing there naked with her arms out looking like a yeti or something? It's not very sexy, it's just weird. and her accent? is that real?
So rent this one, you will be utterly confused while visions of this guy's face (namely his eyes) will haunt you for at least two days. Then you'll think about the movie on and off for the rest of the week and somehow feel an urge to watch it again to see if you can catch something the second time around that will make the movie make sense in your mind. In actuality, the movie is even stranger the second time around.
There's just something odd about it that you don't see in other movies. Maybe it's the counselor's facial expressions or the overacting or the weird idea that plastering hair onto your face to hide a giant scar is gonna make everyone you used to know not recognize you and suddenly think you are incredibly sexy.
Or maybe it's the weird characters, or maybe it's Marlon Jackson's pleasant voice or the counselor's unemotional, cordial way of speaking. I think it's mainly his face that makes the movie so strange. This guy really has a weird face and a strange way of moving his face around.
Or maybe the effect of the movie comes in part from why are people storing pillows, stuffed animals and blown up beach balls in their lockers at school? What is with the triumphant scene of the dude in the boiler room reaching out to touch the pipes like he's in mechanical heaven or something??
And what is with the counselor's dream where some old lady comes to attack him? It has nothing to do with the movie at all.
His wife is strange, too. Even though she takes advantage of his money and seems slimey for it, she's really the only one who makes much sense when she opens here mouth. Everyone else is crazed.
And the best part is the last line. It leaves you lingering like, "what? that's it? how can they end it like that?" It's not really an ending.
And what's with the weird nude scene where the girl is standing there naked with her arms out looking like a yeti or something? It's not very sexy, it's just weird. and her accent? is that real?
So rent this one, you will be utterly confused while visions of this guy's face (namely his eyes) will haunt you for at least two days. Then you'll think about the movie on and off for the rest of the week and somehow feel an urge to watch it again to see if you can catch something the second time around that will make the movie make sense in your mind. In actuality, the movie is even stranger the second time around.
- ethylester
- Jul 16, 2002
- Permalink
This is one of the most unique b-movie that I saw in my lifetime. Like some other comment said earlier, only Troma could have pick this one up. For sure the direction, the acting and the score was atrocious but there was a sincerity in it that I could just feel. Some of today's blockbuster's films just can't have sincerity.
Now don't get me wrong, the film was crap but I will give credit for at least trying to be authentic. Some of the lines in this film are just way too much over the top and the overall feeling is one of biting in a lemon. But still, I have seen worse and I had some entertainment watching this. Oh and the actress who is playing Nancy's mother in Nightmare on Elm Street is in this, talk about a bad acting.
The fake trashy feeling of the school reminded me of films like Savage Streets and Class of 1984. Think I have a soft spot for bad movies like these one because I'll keep it in my collection. So if you are not scared by bad films, this one is but a strangely memorable one.
Now don't get me wrong, the film was crap but I will give credit for at least trying to be authentic. Some of the lines in this film are just way too much over the top and the overall feeling is one of biting in a lemon. But still, I have seen worse and I had some entertainment watching this. Oh and the actress who is playing Nancy's mother in Nightmare on Elm Street is in this, talk about a bad acting.
The fake trashy feeling of the school reminded me of films like Savage Streets and Class of 1984. Think I have a soft spot for bad movies like these one because I'll keep it in my collection. So if you are not scared by bad films, this one is but a strangely memorable one.
- Antoine Tremblay
- Jul 12, 2008
- Permalink
- JohnHowardReid
- May 25, 2017
- Permalink
This film is so phenomenally awful that you will wonder throughout whether it's intentionally campy and satirical. It isn't. That's the beauty of Student Confidential, a testament to the best and worst of the '80s. You will never see acting, directing, plot or cinematography this bad in a movie that was honestly trying to be good.
So watch it if you can and prepare to laugh until it hurts. Just try to keep in mind that this is supposed to be a serious commentary on wayward youth, the power of money, and well, who cares anyway? The film doesn't want to be a forgotten B-movie -- this is Richard Horian's desperate attempt to become the next John Hughes, not the next Ed Wood. It's a glorious accomplishment.
So watch it if you can and prepare to laugh until it hurts. Just try to keep in mind that this is supposed to be a serious commentary on wayward youth, the power of money, and well, who cares anyway? The film doesn't want to be a forgotten B-movie -- this is Richard Horian's desperate attempt to become the next John Hughes, not the next Ed Wood. It's a glorious accomplishment.
- thisisagreataspic
- Oct 30, 2012
- Permalink
With better actors , and the funding of an `A` film the producer could have made us forgotten forever The Breakfast Club ! He probably had in his hands the best scenario about the passage of individuals to the world of adults .This film is really showing us at what point we could be confused at the end of our teen years . All the roles in some way seems to be stereotypical ...But none of their emotional responses ..It's like real life is .
For instance when the school adviser came up early from work he surprises his wife with another man in bed .he is not angry ! he shows extreme sadness and pain .He sees his life crumbling down and instead taking his gun he takes his camera and before entering into the room he is making one or two shots ...but the camera is pointing down at his feet ...it's like he refuses to see how his own life is turning ...nobody in this flick is an hero everyone in this plot has something to learn . It's the only American film who sees life from that point.
For instance when the school adviser came up early from work he surprises his wife with another man in bed .he is not angry ! he shows extreme sadness and pain .He sees his life crumbling down and instead taking his gun he takes his camera and before entering into the room he is making one or two shots ...but the camera is pointing down at his feet ...it's like he refuses to see how his own life is turning ...nobody in this flick is an hero everyone in this plot has something to learn . It's the only American film who sees life from that point.