Let's be realistic.

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Persecuted working class misfit hillbilly Jennifer Baylor (a fine and sympathetic performance by stunning redhead Lisa Pelikan) uses her special psychic power over snakes to exact a harsh revenge on her more affluent cruel and snobby tormentors at the prestigious Green View School for Girls. Director Brice Mack relates the engrossing story at a steady pace, grounds the fantastic premise in a believable everyday reality, and puts a welcome and refreshing emphasis on creepy mood and well-drawn characters over cheap scares and graphic gore. Kay Cousin Johnson's astute script neatly captures the fierce delineation separating the haves from the have nots at the elite academy, with plenty of especially stinging social commentary on how the rich use their wealth and status to engage in all kinds of gross and amoral behavior without worrying about the potentially toxic repercussions of said foul conduct. The excellent cast of reliable character players rates as another significant asset: Jeff Corey as Jennifer's kooky religious fanatic dad Luke, Bert Convy as nice guy professor Jeff Reed, Nina Foch as haughty head mistress Mrs. Calley, and John Gavin as the corrupt Senator Tremayne. Moreover, Amy Johnston delivers a splendidly bitchy and chilling portrayal of mean, spoiled, and manipulative psychopathic ringleader Sandra Tremayne, Louise Haven contributes a heartbreaking turn as awkward fat girl Jane Delano, Ray Underwood cuts a suitably hateful figure as evil jock Dayton Powell, and Wesley Eure does well as hip dude Pit Lassiter. Irv Goodnoff's bright cinematography gives this picture an attractive sparkling look. The central plot enjoyably exploits both "Carrie" and the hugely popular revolt-of-nature theme that was a big hot trend in 70's horror fare. A cool little fright flick.

Anyone who knows anything about horror will have no trouble identifying Jennifer's main influence - it is, of course, Brian De Palma's Stephen King adaptation Carrie. The two share so much in common that I can't quite believe that director Brice Mack actually got away with making this film. It's not just the central premise either, things are ripped directly from Carrie wholesale; stuff like the overbearing religious single parent, the popular clique that takes a dislike to the outcast protagonist and the sensitive member of said clique that has a bit of sympathy for the outcast. The central character is, unsurprisingly, named Jennifer. Jennifer is a scholarship student at a relatively wealthy school and as such gets picked on for not having as much money as the other girls. She takes it for a while but soon the bullying is stepped up a gear and Jennifer decides that she just can't take it anymore. Luckily for her, however, she can wield a strange power over snakes and decides to use it to get her revenge.While the film is clearly a knockoff, it does have to be said that in its own right, it's actually a decent horror movie. Don't go into it expecting to be thrilled because it's very much of the slow burn variety, although it does manage to put forward some interesting characters. It's clear that it was shot on a low budget, however, and while the acting is largely decent; certain cast members are just terrible. Jeff Corey stands out in that respect as Jennifer's overbearing religious father. The central premise centres on snakes and as such you would expect the movie to feature a few of them; but actually they don't turn up properly until right near the end which is a bit of a shame. I'd have liked to have seen a bit more of a relationship between the lead character and the snakes. Jennifer is also not even nearly as big an outcast as Carrie was; she's just not weird enough and her reaction to the bullying even seems a bit extreme. Still, I wasn't particularly expecting anything great from this film and going in with expectations like that will ensure you wont be disappointed.

Best Movie I have ever seen: ****Spoiler alert**** "Jennifer" shows revenge in all it's fun forms. Unlike "Carrie", who kills almost everyone, she only kills those who have it coming. I think every kid who has been picked upon understands Jennifer, and wishes he or she can pay them back. She has a nice friendship with Jane, and leads her on the right path-she avenges Janes' rape, with her consent. You see Janes' smile as her rapist is sent to the next world.We know it's wrong to seek revenge (something Jennifer neglects when she reads the Bible), but it's fun to see her pay them back. She is a nicer character than Carrie. She gets along well with her father. She has issues, but who doesn't?

I have this movie from when I taped it on non-cable television a couple of years ago. I wonder were a lot of parts cut out that I may have missed to get the full picture of the movie. Anyway, I did get the meaning of the movie. This movie was okay/average enough to watch, but kind of boring. Instead of Telekinetic powers (Carrie had), it's snake powers. My rating of this movie is 6.5 stars out of 10 stars.