A high school transfer student runs up against a trio of violent students running the school with an iron fist and resorts to violence and potentially murder when they retaliate against him for organizing the students against them.
Dutch cult director Rene Daalder’s second feature was this 1976 revenge slasher set in an American high school. Derrel Maury stars as David, a new transfer student at Central High School who is stunned and uncomfortable at the amount authoritarian control a small group of students has over the rest of the student body. David is initially protected from the group’s harshest behavior since his friend Mark (Andrew Stevens) is in the clique, but the head of the band of controlling students has his doubts about David. Those doubts only grow more when David begins befriending the school’s outcasts and misfits, trying to defend them from the ruling class. The worst of it comes when David intervenes in an attempted gang rape by these thugs against two of Mark’s girlfriend Theresa’s (Kimberly Beck) friends. When they retaliate against David for the beatdown he gives them, crippling his leg by dropping a car on him as he is repairing it, David rises to get his revenge. First, he rallies the underclass students to revolt against the students oppressing them and then all three of those students turn up dead under unusual circumstances.
There are obvious nods to socio-political statements in Massacre at Central High, the lower class taking on the ruling class, and so forth. This is something that would have gone over well in 1976 during the bicentennial and coming off the Watergate scandal. Even as the film tends to lose its focus a bit by wedging in some gratuitous sex and nudity in the form of scenes with the gorgeous Kimberly Beck, the film is nonetheless put together more intelligently than most films in the so-called exploitation genre.
Massacre at Central High (1976)
1 of 10
Kimberly Beck in Massacre at Central High (1976)
Derrel Maury in Massacre at Central High (1976)
Ray Underwood in Massacre at Central High (1976)
Kimberly Beck in Massacre at Central High (1976)
Derrel Maury and Rex Steven Sikes in Massacre at Central High (1976)
Kimberly Beck in Massacre at Central High (1976)
Rex Steven Sikes in Massacre at Central High (1976)
Kimberly Beck in Massacre at Central High (1976)
Andrew Stevens and Kimberly Beck in Massacre at Central High (1976)
Massacre at Central High Blu-ray_SFD0207 (Synapse)
The Video
Massacre at Central High comes as a high definition 1080p remaster scanned, transferred and supervised by director Renee Daalder. It arrives in a 1.78:1 AVC 1080p encodement on Blu-ray from Synapse Films and it looks ten times better than one would expect a low budget horror film from this era to look. Colors look natural and in line with what one would expect to see in a film of this sort from 1976. Flesh tones have a natural rosy hue and primary colors have good vibrancy. There’s a natural layer of grain and generally crisp detail throughout the presentation.
The Audio
The original monaural audio mix for Massacre at Central High is provided in a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 encodement. It is more than acceptable for a low-budget indie horror flick from the mid 1970s, providing clean dialogue and a reasonable amount of heft in the sound effects.
The Supplements
Synapse includes a strong set of bonus features with this new release of Massacre at Central High on Blu-ray, including two separate audio interviews with cast and crew that play alongside the feature and a brand new “making of” documentary.
“The Projection Booth” Podcast Interviews with Cast Members (Audio)
Interview with Director Renee Daalder, Conducted by Michael Gingold (Audio)
Hell in the Hallways – All-New “Making of” Documentary (1080p; 00:42:27)
Original Theatrical Trailer (1080p)
TV Spot (1080p)
Radio Spot (1080p)
Still Gallery (1080p; 00:03:14)
The Final Assessment
An often-overlooked slasher from the mid-1970s that is on the surface a simple exploitation film but has a deeper socio-political underpinning. Synapse Films does this cult film great justice with this new remaster and transfer to Blu-ray, having it look better than ever for genre fans and newcomers, ripe for rediscovery.
Massacre at Central High is out on Blu-ray September 13, 2022 from Synapse Films
Notice of Compliance with FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 16 CFR Part 255
In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR part 255 guidelines, this website hereby states that it receives free discs and other theatrical or home entertainment "screeners" and access to screening links from studios and/or PR firms, and is provided with consumer electronics devices on loan from hardware manufacturers and/or PR firms respectively for the purposes of evaluating the products and its content for editorial reviews. We receive no compensation from these companies for our opinions or for the writing of reviews or editorials. Permission is sometimes granted to companies to quote our work and editorial reviews free of charge. Our website may contain affiliate marketing links, which means we may get paid commission on sales of those products or the services we write about. Our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers or affiliate partnerships. This disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR § 255.5: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
A high school transfer student runs up against a trio of violent students running the school with an iron fist and resorts to violence and potentially murder when they retaliate against him for organizing the students against them.Massacre at Central High (Blu-ray Review)
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
{"id":268,"mode":"button","open_style":"in_modal","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/www.theaterbyte.com\/wordpress\/core\/modules\/efb9325b07\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/www.theaterbyte.com\/wordpress\/core\/modules\/efb9325b07\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":500,"top_media_type":"none","featured_image_url":false,"featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Contribute to the TheaterByte Tip Jar","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"TheaterByte","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"TheaterByte","form_subtitle":"We are creating Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Movie, and Home Theater electronics reviews.","currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you for being a supporter!","payment_confirmation_title":"TheaterByte","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
Dutch cult director Rene Daalder’s second feature was this 1976 revenge slasher set in an American high school. Derrel Maury stars as David, a new transfer student at Central High School who is stunned and uncomfortable at the amount authoritarian control a small group of students has over the rest of the student body. David is initially protected from the group’s harshest behavior since his friend Mark (Andrew Stevens) is in the clique, but the head of the band of controlling students has his doubts about David. Those doubts only grow more when David begins befriending the school’s outcasts and misfits, trying to defend them from the ruling class. The worst of it comes when David intervenes in an attempted gang rape by these thugs against two of Mark’s girlfriend Theresa’s (Kimberly Beck) friends. When they retaliate against David for the beatdown he gives them, crippling his leg by dropping a car on him as he is repairing it, David rises to get his revenge. First, he rallies the underclass students to revolt against the students oppressing them and then all three of those students turn up dead under unusual circumstances.
Thanks for this word! Have a great day!