Movies

Back to classics

By Sean Vale

Learn your old-school lessons

Sure, you know all about Superbad, High School Musical and 17 Again. But did you know that kids actually went to high school before 2001? People even made movies about it.

Long before Zac Efron and Michael Cera hit the scene, Winona Ryder was having a blast, Ricki Lake was acting corny and Johnny Depp was making a big splash. If you don't know what any of that means, you're in dire need of Student Weekly's first course in high school film history.

HAIRSPRAY

(1988)

Directed by John Waters

The 2007 musical version is great, but it doesn't come close to the big-hearted zaniness of the original. Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake) is a big girl with big dreams. Despite the reservations of her mother (drag queen behemoth Divine), Tracy lands a spot dancing on The Corny Collins Show. But troubles with conniving co-stars, over-protective parents and racial segregation force Tracy to realise that there are more important things than the glitz and glamour of local daytime TV.

ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

(1997)

Directed by David Mirkin

Bubble-headed best friends Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) head back to school for their 10-year high school reunion. Complications arise when, in an attempt to impress their former classmates, the girls claim to have invented Post-it notes. When their plan backfires disastrously, Romy and Michele decide that being true to themselves is the key to real success - but tons of money doesn't hurt, either.

HEATHERS

(1989)

Directed by Michael Lehmann

This black comedy classic tells the story of Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder), a suburban girl who's growing more and more disenchanted in her roll as part of the most popular clique at Westerberg High School. When the mysterious Jason Dean (Christian Slater) appears, Veronica discovers a soul mate who could help her break free from her scheming friends - if he doesn't end up killing her first.

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

(1984)

Directed by Wes Craven

From beyond the grave, disfigured child murderer Freddy Kruger (Robert Englund) heads back to school, looking for revenge. Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) and her friends discover that they're being stalked in their dreams by a hideous, knife-handed maniac. The kids are soon dropping like flies, and it's up to Nancy to discover the truth behind their grisly deaths. In a very Edward Scissorhands meets Sweeny Todd scene, a young Johnny Depp meets his end in a spectacular fountain of gore.

THE KARATE KID

(1984)

John G. Avildson

When Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) transfers to a new school, he's in for more than just growing pains. Not long after arriving in town, Daniel manages to get on the wrong side of students from the Cobra Kai karate school. Cornered and alone, Daniel is getting the wrong end of a Halloween-night beating when the enigmatic Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita) intercedes, dishing out his own brand of two-fisted justice to the Cobras. Miyagi reluctantly takes Daniel under his wing, and, as you might expect, it all gets very heart-warming and inspiring by the end.

	dire (adj): very serious behemoth (n): something enormous in size or power conniving (adj): behaving in a way that secretly harms others segregation (n): the act or policy of separating people of different races, religions or sexes and treating them differently backfire (v): to have the opposite effect to the one intended disenchanted (adj): no longer feeling enthusiasm for somebody or something clique (adj): a small group of people who spend their time together and do not allow others to join them gore (n): thick blood that has flowed from a wound, especially in a violent situation enigmatic (adj): mysterious and difficult to understand

Idiom
drop like flies: to die or fall down in very large numbers