Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Excellent but underrated film

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

An excellent slasher/whodunnit you might not have heard about.Brutal killings,attractive women.attractive men,big knife,Freudian Symbolism,shower scene and red herrings.Even a surprise ending,although one that is a bit out of place especially compared to the rest of the movie.It's all there.So how come Night School isn't a more popular title? Your guess is as good as mine. But it could be that it has to do with the relatively late release on DVD. The pacing is a little uneven at times which does hurt the tension slightly. And the ending could be considered unsatisfying.It's one you will see coming and at the same time not at all. Very inventive I have to say although like I said earlier a bit out of tune with the movie overall. Honestly,I had fun watching since it does most things right.And to see Rachel Ward's bottom in all it's glory can't be that bad,now is it?

Despite hailing from the golden age of American slashers, Night School (AKA Terror Eyes) shares more in common with the Italian giallo genre than your average early 80s U.S. kill-by-numbers flick: the plot revolves around a series of grisly murders that take place in and around a school; in typical giallo fashion, the majority of the action is centred around the investigation of the crimes rather than the actual murders themselves; the killer is clad head to toe in black motorcycle gear and carries a distinctive weapon (a Kukri knife); and like many an Italian murder/mystery, the motive for the slayings is just plain silly.Unfortunately, even though the ingredients seem right for a cool and classy Euro-style thriller, Night School ultimately fails to impress thanks to some dreadful casting, the sheer predictability of the plot (the identity of the killer is obvious from the outset), and director Ken Hughes' habit of 'pulling his punches' just as matters begin to get interesting. It's hard enough watching Rachel Ward struggle to act and Drew Snyder failing to convince as a lothario professor with the ability to charm his way into his students' knickers, without the added irritation of a potentially sleazy lesbian scene cut tragically short, the film's promising death scenes cutting away just as the killer delivers the fatal blow, and a lack of decent gore—all we see of the decapitated heads is the hair!As disappointing as it is, though, Night School will always remain of interest to horror fans for being one of the DPP's official video nasties (probably thanks to the admittedly vicious moment where the killer repeatedly slashes a terrified woman with his knife, her blood smearing all over the walls as she desperately tries to escape).

Probably best recognised for being the debut feature for of the ravishing British actress Rachel Ward, but "Night School" deserves a little more credit for that lone reason. I wasn't expecting it be as good it was, but while it's your by-the-numbers mystery psycho slasher it managed to resourcefully up the suspense and intrigue in some well presented set-pieces. The usual revelation behind it all doesn't come as much as a surprise (where we seem to be quite ahead of the clueless detective/s scratching their heads), along with the second twist (which is even more foreseeable), but then it ends with a neat final one which seems to be a mock send-up of the typical shock closing. "Don't you ever take your job seriously". I'm kind of surprised by its middling to poor reputation, as I found it more than competent than its 80s crop. Good atmospheric, authentic locations are masterfully framed by cinematographer Mark Irwin. His expressively flowing camera stages some inventive frames and effectively helps building up the tension before the initial shock. He films the ominous looking killer (decked in black leather and bike helmet) quite well. Director Ken Hughes' slick touch lets it flow, nailing the terrorising tension with a real sting to its tail. Hughes style kind of reminded me off Hitchcock, but the modern unpleasantness is evident (slicing and dicing with ritual decapitation on mind, but little is seen) and lurking within is a sneering sleazy undertone. The black and white story remains interesting, due to the solid performances (Leonard Mann, Drew Snyder, Rachel Ward and an amusing Joseph R. Sicari) and particularly sharp script. Brad Fiedel composes the score in an understated manner, but it eerily works. A modest psycho slasher offering.

I had to wipe the dust from my twenty year old VHS print to pencil the review for this early eighties addition to the slasher cycle, because as of yet there hasn't even been a murmur of an outing on DVD format.It's hard to understand exactly why the digital revolution has ignored this intriguing category addition, because it's certainly no worse than the legions of Halloween clones that have been packaged and then re-packaged once again on special edition discs. Not only is Night School one of the seventy four 'collectable' video nasties that were unfortunate enough to be banned in the United Kingdom and added to the notorious DPP list, but on top of that, its production boasts some interesting trivia.Director Kenneth Hughes was not just an ambitious non-experienced wet-behind-the-ears beginner like so many of his genre counterparts from the period, but instead he was a film-maker with a long and varied résumé, which included a few high-profile efforts. Perhaps even more bewildering is the fact that his most recognised cinematic achievement prior to this violent splatter flick had been kiddies favourite and Oscar-nominee, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The feature also handed a début role to Rachel Ward, who would go on to become a well-respected actress in later years.The city of Boston is being terrorised by a head hunting psychopath. Dressed in motorcycle leathers and masked by a tinted crash helmet, the killer is decapitating his victims and then submerging their heads in water, which leads the Police to believe that he is a ritualistic maniac. Detectives are mystified as to the motives of the deranged assassin and as the bodies pile up they realise that they must move quickly to prevent the terror from striking again.Even though Night School has enough of the necessary trademarks to allow it to be identified as a slasher movie, it plays more like an ultra-violent cop-thriller. It's a movie that switches consistently between two starkly opposing tones and each causes a lack of consistency in the other.The film is hilariously scripted and at times the dramatics feel excessively cheesy. During the kill scenes however, things get nail-bitingly dark and the violence is at times astoundingly brutal. The killer slashes his victims with a curved machete ruthlessly, spraying blood over the walls as he goes. Aided by a menacing score from Brad Fiedel, the scenes are intimidating and rampant enough to stick in your memory.Kenneth Hughes deserves credit for at times building a harsh and gruesome atmosphere, without any real gore. Sure, there's blood by the bucket-load, but none of the decapitations are shown on screen and there's no striking special make-up effects. Female writer Ruth Avergon pencilled the script, which is surprising considering the level of misogyny. It's also extremely erratic and includes everything from intelligent historical references to nonsensical and bewildering dialogue, which hinders the actors in their attempts to play it straight.Horror is different from every other cinematic genre and offers a much tougher challenge for directors. Hughes, however, does OK here and builds some impressive suspense scenarios. There's one stand out and incredibly tense scene in a café kitchen, which is particularly memorable because it doesn't involve the film's bogeyman and the key players of the scenario are unaware of any impending horror. He also received one of the biggest compliments possible for his work here, because Dario Argento was almost certainly inspired by Night School for his popular eighties Giallo, Tenebrae. Watching the two films one after the other shows the undeniable similarities and evidence.The main problems come with the awful script, which mocks the intelligence of the audience and therefore gives too many clues and ruins the pay-off far too early. The cast are given very little in terms of concrete scripting to work with, but in fairness their performances are undeserving of any better. The fact that Rachel Ward built a career in dramatics after this embarrassingly wooden début just proves that you don't need talent to be a success in Hollywood; all that's required is an attractive face. Also, what's with the casting of Drew Snyder as a womaniser? He may be a lot of things, but handsome and charming are not two of them.Night School is an at times stylish and in the same breath daft thriller, which suffers mainly from a huge dose of poor cinematic balancing. It is certainly no classic, but the violent and at times harrowing death scenes make it worthy of at least an outing on DVD.