Zombie High

Fun boarding school mystery/horror with a dash of comedy

A girl decides to go to a prep school on a scholarship (Virginia Madsen), which displeases her cool beau (James Wilder). He warns her with rumors of a diabolical covenant the faculty has, but she dismisses it until strange things help her to see otherwise. Sherilyn Fenn plays a student and Richard Cox a sympathetic teacher.

“Zombie High” (1987) is a mixture of two future movies: “Disturbing Behavior” (1998) and a little “Dead Poets Society” (1989) albeit with a wink of humor & camp. There’s also a bit o’ “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956/1978). The title is somewhat misleading since you won’t see a school full of literal zombies, yet it’s applicable in another way.

It’s nice to see Virginia when she was so young (25 during shooting) and Fenn doesn’t hurt.

The film runs 1 hour, 33 minutes, and was shot at School of Cinema-Television, USC, Los Angeles, California.

GRADE: B-

Virginia Madsen plays high school student Andrea, who is awarded a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school originally attended exclusively by boys. Andrea kisses boyfriend Barry (James Wilder) goodbye, and she moves in with wild roommate Suzi (Sherilyn Fenn). Andrea begins seeing a young debonair biology teacher (this is so sci-fi), and he makes a clumsy pass at her. Barry finds out and gets upset...the film takes its time setting up its premise. Eventually, different student friends of Andrea's wind up, well, different. The senator's rebellious son, who wanted to quit the school, suddenly becomes the star pupil. All the boys start dressing alike and reciting facts from books, without showing any emotion or feelings. Andrea finds out that cute bio teach Philo (Richard Cox) is really into brains and discovers his diabolical plan.

Despite the sexy dream team of Madsen and Fenn, who have been better in much more, here they are given little to do. Madsen was twenty-four when this was made, and does not pass for a high schooler. The zombies themselves are not much too look at- the students appear a little pasty, and nothing more. "Zombie High" is a misnomer, but I do not think "Brainwashed High" has the same effect. One gaffe has "zombie" students dancing very slowly at a school dance, but still able to sprint across the quad after Barry and Andrea. Lumbering undead like a Romero film, or runners straight out of "Chariots of Fire"? The film makes no mystery of what is happening behind closed doors in the infirmary, and that is unfortunate. Letting the audience in on the secrets too soon results in a complete lack of suspense. There are no scary scenes. The great production values, great sets, and lots of creepy blue light are all negated because we know exactly what will happen every time a scene begins.

What is left is a very padded ninety-one minute film filled with awful pop music. The end credits anthem is some drivel called "Kiss My Butt." If anything, the viewer may wish that on the people responsible for "Zombie High."