Night School

Screened on Vinegar Syndrome bluray

It's 100% odd, admittedly, to call a slasher horror film "classy." Especially during the peak of the slasher heyday (others from 1981 include Friday the 13th Part 2, Halloween II, Madman, Bloody Birthday; even a genre spoof, the sort-of classic Student Bodies), as there was no reflection or re-evaluation period via the likes of modern-day slashers such as the obvious, Scream (the original; fuck all those shitty sequels). Also - FUCK - even that is now 30 years old. Not the best example, but I'm certain you get what I mean. But that is exactly what Night School is, a classy entry in the ever-popular horror genre.

It's not just the Boston setting that elevates the film. And big kudos to the PLETHORA of on-location shooting here, much of which was in the city's Beacon Hill neighborhood. If you know that area, you know how stunningly beautiful it is - like a time travel back in time to the colonial days. This may have the most 100% actual Boston I've seen in a film, a character all its own. But while this is a slasher, it's also a bit of a detective show. So instead of throwing a bunch of horny teenagers into the forest to be chopped up into pieces, punished for their vices, there is more of a story here, including surprises throughout and a nice twist at the end. May not sound all that groundbreaking now, but at the time, it had a lot of weight to it.

Director Ken Hughes ended his long-career in directing with this film, and other than Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, there's not many memorable films in his résumé, at least from my limited film knowledge. But he really utilized the location and plot in tandem in a way that's impressive and fitting, capping his tenure in the director's chair in a way that I hope he was proud of. For this review, this was only my second viewing, but I was pleasantly surprised how much it improved on an already enjoyable watch. There's a lush quality to the whole thing that brings a genuine cozy feeling, and without the graphic violence of its peers from the time, it's a refreshing take on the genre. Almost baffling that it hasn't gained more recognition in the years since. Maybe as a former Bostonian, I am a bit biased, but objectively, I think most fans of the genre, and film in general, could now at least recognize it's special place amongst dozens of copycat cash-ins. Highly recommended for genre fans, and a general recommendation for film buffs in general.