A group of students who act tough control things at a Southern California high school. When a new student, Derrel Maury, arrives, he decides not to put up with their behavior. You’d assume this would be positive for the other kids. “Massacre at Central High” (1976) is a high school drama and thriller that has some horror elements and has gained a cult following while also influencing later films like “Heathers” (1989). It was released around the same time as the comparable film "Carrie," but it doesn't measure up, not just because of its smaller budget. I generally enjoyed the first portion of the movie, but then things started to get unbelievable and out of control. If the story had been more subtle, it might have worked, but it became exaggerated and pretty dull by the end. Someone suggested that I was being too literal since it’s supposedly a political allegory. Fine, it has deeper meaning—most movies do. Being allegorical isn't an excuse for poor writing with plot points that don’t make sense. I won’t explain what the underlying theme is because it’s pretty clear (think “Lord of the Flies” set in a school). I would recommend watching other films in this genre instead, such as "Carrie," "Christine" (1983), "Disturbing Behavior" (1998) and "The Rage: Carrie 2" (1999). If you’re looking for a good low-budget example, check out the more recent "Love Everlasting" (2016). Still, there are some interesting things about it, like the locations in the Los Angeles area, the lead character who resembles Jan-Michael Vincent (Jan was actually considered for the part), and several women, including Kimberly Beck, who later appeared in the “Cruise Ship to the Stars” episode of "Buck Rogers" (1979) and more famously, “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” (1984). Also appearing are Lani O'Grady (Jane) and Cheryl “Rainbeaux” Smith (Mary). Writer/director Rene Daalder was so unhappy with the inappropriate theme song and score that the producers forced it on him, and he refused to watch the entire film for thirty years. The movie is 1 hour and 26 minutes long and filmed in Los Angeles and Malibu, using Pomona College as the exterior high school and Villa Cabrini High School in Burbank for the interior scenes. GRADE: C+

Source on TMDB