Reviews

Some movies rely on youthful energy to get laughs and draw an audience. What many contemporary movie-makers seem to forget that high-school was an endearing time for almost everyone, and there are unique feelings that can be captured by a well-done, tasteful, artful film like Three o'clock High.

One of the thing that sets this movie apart is its pacing. It is very deliberate and methodical, and it expertly builds the tension as the clock nears in on three o'clock. Richard Tyson's performance is terrific; I don't recall any "bully" performances being anything like his. He is very menacing but introspective and intense. In a scene just before he fights another student, he is in the library reading a book. There are many subtle but illuminating bits like this throughout the movie.

In my nostalgic reviewing of 80s high school films, this is one of the few that seem even better now than they did then.

Although there are a couple interesting characters and good production value, the story is lousy. I stuck around for Nick Stahl's storyline, which was interesting but ultimately frustrating. Rory Cochrane's character was interesting as well, although only about 10 minutes of the movie is devoted to it. The writer couldn't make 90 minutes of movie out of these more interesting characters, so he chose the expedient love-story route.

The music is actually pretty good. The acting is good from what I can tell, although lousy story makes the performances a moot point.

Adam Goldberg's character is annoying, and basically a reprise or a conglomeration of his other urban/disco Jewish caricatures.

The bottom line is if you are interested in music or the entertainment business and have low expectations and 90 minutes to kill, then there are worse ways to spend your time than by watching Sunset Strip.