MalibuHigh

Malibu High (1979)

Why do I keep making myself suffer thru these terrible Crown International Pictures movies? I suppose that I keep looking for one that I’m going to enjoy. Malibu High is definitely not going to be that movie. This movie tells the heartwarming tale of Kim, a high school senior that has just been dumped by her boyfriend and is failing out of school. One night she resolves to change her life for the better by sleeping with her teachers for grades and working as a hooker to make money! Things start off pretty well for her as she gets good grades and a nice car. But after killing one of her customers she realizes that she enjoyed the feeling of power. He pimp “graduates” her from hooker to hired killer and Kim spends the rest of the movie shooting people for money. That is until the end when the cops shoot her after she is caught killing one of her classmate’s fathers.

This is terribly written movie. The story is rushed, full of plot holes, lacks any character development, and is boring. For example Kim goes from schoolgirl to hooker for no apparent reason at all! The movie does establish that she is broke and failing school, but it also shows that she is vehemently against the advances of the drug-dealing pimp that keeps recruiting her. There is never a real reason in the plot why she suddenly decides to be a hooker. Also why would the mob protect a two-bit hooker from a murder charge by framing someone else? I kept waiting for the connection that would make sense. Also why then would the mob recruit a high school aged hooker as a contract killer? Now I know that a lot of people say that it is a low budget movie and to cut it some slack. But having a lousy story that makes no sense and is boring has nothing to do with budget. A decent script actually can make up for a lot of the failings of having a low budget.

I need to talk a bit about the cast. Most of the actors and actresses involved in this movie didn’t do much before or after. There is a good reason for that. As a group they all struggle to make it thru their lines with all sorts of pauses and stuttering. The absolute worst offender is Jill Lansing, who plays the main character of Kim. Not only doesn’t she have any screen presence or charisma, but she can’t deliver a line to save her life. And I really don’t want to be cruel but she isn’t exactly lighting the screen on fire when she takes off her clothes, which is quite often.

I could mention the terrible editing that has the character in different positions every time the camera angle changes I might also point out the looped disco music, which is clearly some uninspired canned music that the filmmakers probably got on the cheap. Heck I could even spend some time talking about a lighting job that not only throws shadows of the actors in frame, but occasionally the crew as well. But what I want to leave you with is the image in your mind of the “exciting” conclusion of the movie where Kim is involved in the big shootout, all set to the theme song of the People’s Court. Now the movie predates the show so it is unintentionally funny. But I did still have a blast with it.

This is a complete waste of time that everyone should avoid. Really it is miserable. Not recommended at all.

0 out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer