High School (2010)

Admirable film.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

First off, this unfairly represents cannabis. Marijuana in particular does less bad than good.No creativity here, just one off, shock value vulgarities poorly passed off as humor. On the surface a harmless fiction, but like an iceberg the true danger isn't easily seen. All potential viewers should be warned to keep their attention ready, and question the motivations for creating this film aside with the (seemingly) single goal of profit. So as you watch, constantly question "why?". If successful in doing so, an entire hidden world will start to become apparent. Those whom produced this sloppy film have showed their just how sneaky and unintelligent they are all while doing the progression of humanity a huge disservice. They're ultimately fearful, simple people so the transparent agenda is partially explained. Maybe my identifying reality will teach them to be good people not so filled with self hate.

I saw this movie's meta-ratings on IMDb and rotten tomatoes expecting it to be totally woeful...It may have been the incredibly low expectations that I had initially, but I was delightfully surprised. This movie deserved way more than the $139,000 it made in the box office. It's such a shame that an awesome movie made so little, whereas Old Dogs (an absolute pile of crap) made 61 million in profit. I say ignore the ratings that other people have given it and give it a chance for yourself. Movies are so crappy nowadays, what do you have to lose? And if you like it, you may also want to give other box office flops like Tucker and Dale vs EVIL, Defendor and God Bless America a chance too. They may surprise you.

Excuse the long review but i swear its worth the read Yes this movie had it flaws but its a weed/stoner comedy , wouldn't you expect some things to be half-baked ? pun intended . If you can't suspend belief & are the type over analyze scenarios , plot holes , believability etc. than why are you looking n the direction of a "weed" movie n the 1st place ?... even the classic holly grail of weed comedies and archetype Cheech in Chong's Up in Smoke had plenty Plus the authenticity and incredibly extensive marijuana knowledge (to the point of giving away a very little known drug test beating method) far surpasses any other weed movie even documentaries . .This is a review by a both an avid stoner & avid movie buff (plus a p.a & grip on many productions)This is the best weed comedy to come out since Harold and Kumar 1 & how high (and that was about a decade ago , and there have been multiple efforts and some decent ones since --> THAT seedy stress (but still gets you high) --> (Mac & Dre go to high school , Puff Puff Pass) THAT good Reggie --> (How High & Friday 3)THAT good seedless mid grade -> (ie. Harold & Kumar 2 & 3 , Pineapple Express)Then some so bad that either the herb had mold on it , it was so old you just get a head ache , there was so many seed & stem pieces it basically isn't even weed BUT this MOVIE is the dank kind bud that you found on the ground at a party that someone forgot about & obviously that cat had some indoor grow operation cause damn that herb was fire and a welcome surprise compared to what you been smoking !!!Unfortunately this movie slipped under the cracks and didn't even make a blip on the radar despite being the only weed movie touting an academy award winner in Adrien Brody ( an actor who wasn't nominated erroneously and deservingly won ((a rarity now a days)) unlike many winners he is one of the most brilliant actors to ever receive it , one who has more range than Charlton Heston and his rifle have seen )Already equipped with Brody this small budget movie managed to pull one of Holloywoods finest and underrated in Michael Chiklis (the lead corrupt detective in the shield & fantastic four star, to name just a couple)& Colin hanks (a proved comedic gem of an actor since orange county w/ Jack black & many dramatic roles where he shined , and hes tom hanks son)Along with some off the wall quality cameos , Mykelti Williamson (bubba from Forrest Gump) , Yeardley Smith (been in 8 mill. movies & shows and is the voice of Lisa Simpson) So the main character high school leads--> Matt bush (adventureland) Sean Marquette(TV veteran , seriously how can he be this young and be in that many shows) have tons to work with and with the arsenal of actors behind them they could crap the bed and still be carried but they do the perfect job and there skill sets fit there characters perfectly So this weed movie is stacked with STAR POWER , more so than 9/10 of all weed comedies so how did it get overlooked and not find a home in theaters ? it must be bad ?No , unfortunately our country (america) is still extremely conservative when it comes to drugs (i know , i know .. weed isn't anymore of a drug than alcohol ,actually less than alcohol in relation to the negatives that the word drug carries but this movie though solely marijuana at heart though totes some other drug references/use & gun packing drug dealers) but pineapple express was at theaters you say and it had the same things!!Well the characters weren't 16-17 yrs old involving weed being glorified and in a school setting no less , and even more so, Judd Apatow & Seth Rogan , Danny Mcbride in there whole crew are proved commodities in the debauchery comedy department .. there next movie could be called crack pipes in paradise and it will reach the theaters. . . . well i decided not to make any spoilers cause if you don't know the major plot point than it will be much more exciting Its an original plot for a weed comedy and was very unexpected so don't read the spoilers or even the summary if you haven't already.There are a couple "corny" type moments but the good out weighs the corny , but when i say corny it was def. intended so its not a shot at the movie BOTTOM LINE ... this is a movie that will be loved , dare i say cherished by weed movie lovers but also a movie that will be loved by people that don't even smoke weed but love comedies its originality, great performances , star power , genuine heart , incredibly extensive marijuana knowledge (to the point of giving away a very little know drug test beating method , comedic timing and overall feel & final product are the visual & audio personification of a fat joint rolled with some of psycho ed's Keef straight from his jar in and if you knew what that was (or wanna know) you'd be popping in the movie or metaphorically lighting that joint right damn now !!!!!!

It's not just the film's stoner antics, but the wonderfully natural dynamic between protagonists Henry and Travis (Matt Bush and Sean Marquette) that make this film such a delight! At it's heart, that's what HIGH School seems to be about: two very different guys finding friends in each other in the midst of a sticky situation.Many equally memorable moments are offered thanks to the expert talents of Michael Chiklis and Adrien Brody. Chiklis (as pompous Dr. Leslie Gordon) exudes a deliciously-villainous disdain throughout the film. His inflated sense of righteousness, and Shakespearean presence, make him a truly love-to-hate personality. As Psycho Ed, Adrien Brody is just so damn fun to watch! One moment his crazed behavior had me in a laughing fit; next, his insane anger had me scared for Henry and Travis' safety. Dr. Gordon and Ed are uniquely accomplished performances that add so much to HIGH School's entertainment value!I hope you'll believe me when I say this film is so much more than a "stoner comedy". I LOVED it, and have extremely limited experience with other films of that genre. HIGH School made me laugh, made me think...I hope it does the same for you!