"Have you got yours yet?"Yeah, I know whatchur thinkin'. Typical '80s teen-oriented skinflick. The problem is, that is what this tries to be, when in actual fact is really isn't.
This little slice of teendom is straight outta Canada, and straight outta the script for the '83 flick My Tutor. You know, horny kid + hot new teacher (who also happens to be, er, horny?) = intense student/teacher relationship! Woah. What differentiates this one from the rest is the unexpectedly serious tone. At points it tries to convince you it is actually bordering on straight-faced drama. Then all of a sudden it snaps back into that whole zany, screwball madness, leaving you wondering what in the name of Alpha and Omega is gonna happen next. Technically speaking we know what's going to happen since we've seen it all before: We've got the guy this whole movie centers around, naive Andy (Kevin Hicks), a new-to-the-city lad from the sticks. We get to enjoy a nice bus ride with Andy as his makes his way to college and first sets eyes on the smokin' hot art tutor Nicole (Lori Hallier). Not forgetting the catchy little riff from the opening titles ("Out on a Limb" by the wouldya have guessed Canadian rockers Eye Eye. Seriously, check that shit out. The lead singer is rockin' that badass aqua-netted hairdo and dangly earrings look).
What seems to be a gigantic staple in any movie of this kind: baddies. Gangster types who virtually have no relevance to anything, an IQ less than that of a wet paper bag and 250 pounds extra weight around their middle. Unfortunately for our friend Andy, his new room-mate is the son of one of those types. Around this time, he meets the arty goddess Carrie (Isabelle Mejias) and her rather odd sidekick - for lack of a better word - Gladys (Jennifer Inch). You will recognise these gals if you happen to be familiar with the Canadian rarity Heavy Metal Summer, another zany guilty pleasure flick that only about 6 people in the world can probably remember.
Pretty soon, Andy and Carrie have hooked up and things between 'em are getting heavy. Meanwhile, Carrie's room mate Gladys only has eyes for the scooter riding leather-clad dude with an attitude, who calls himself Droid. The pair turn out to be the biggest spectacle of the movie and their fashions statements easily out-bad Isabelle Mejias' yellow & red Maccy D's employee inspired outfits. Then of course we have Andy's new best mate Dean who is swimming in money and likes to think he's swimming in girls. He's got a major crush on Carrie and would choose the girl over friendship any day of the week.
Art class is starting to pay off for Andy, who has his work chosen to be displayed in a gallery. Carrie's nose is put right out of joint over the whole thing - especially when her boyfriend is obviously turning into star pupil - but nothing prepares her for the real meaning of teachers' pet! Our cheeky chap Andy, it seems, has been having it off with the tutor! And we're not talking just one drunken accident here. He's workin' against the clock to fit both Carrie and Nichole into his busy schedule, at it seems to be going smoothly, until.. HOLY SHIT! He's only gone and knocked up the art teacher!
So, that's the end for Carrie and Andy, then? Oh come on, this is the '80s!!
VERDICT: ★★ ½
You know. Movies like this one are your dime-a-dozen sort. By the time you've seen a few, your brain can't really distinguish between 'em and they all just melt into one. In a few months time you'll probably have forgotten you even saw the thing.
But honestly, Higher Education isn't all bad. It does suffer from multiple personality disorder, as mentioned earlier, flitting between decent dramedy and flat-joked slapstick. The vhs cover makes it die a slow and painful death, instantly flinging itself into the R-rated T&A category, when in all fairness it doesn't belong there. If that was the kind of movie they were initially aiming for, they shoulda stuck to their guns and gotten rid of all the serious stuff in the script. Maybe it would have worked better that way. Any kid who rented this back in the day expecting an evening of raunchiness would have no doubt gotten bored before the halfway mark. So really, Higher Education was doomed from the beginning. Unless you are a die hard fan of Isabelle Mejias or are intent on expanding your knowledge of forgotten Canadian cinema, I can't see why anyone would go out of their way to see it, which is kinda harsh on this poor, misunderstood film. Though in terms of laugh-out-loud teen comedies from the same region, Breaking All The Rules is your best bet. Hell, even Heavy Metal Summer isn't a bad choice.
IMAGES/VIDEOS: [movie clip]
But honestly, Higher Education isn't all bad. It does suffer from multiple personality disorder, as mentioned earlier, flitting between decent dramedy and flat-joked slapstick. The vhs cover makes it die a slow and painful death, instantly flinging itself into the R-rated T&A category, when in all fairness it doesn't belong there. If that was the kind of movie they were initially aiming for, they shoulda stuck to their guns and gotten rid of all the serious stuff in the script. Maybe it would have worked better that way. Any kid who rented this back in the day expecting an evening of raunchiness would have no doubt gotten bored before the halfway mark. So really, Higher Education was doomed from the beginning. Unless you are a die hard fan of Isabelle Mejias or are intent on expanding your knowledge of forgotten Canadian cinema, I can't see why anyone would go out of their way to see it, which is kinda harsh on this poor, misunderstood film. Though in terms of laugh-out-loud teen comedies from the same region, Breaking All The Rules is your best bet. Hell, even Heavy Metal Summer isn't a bad choice.
IMAGES/VIDEOS: [movie clip]
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SOUNDTRACK:
1. Love is Fire - The Parachute Club
2. Can't Hold On - Double Dare
3. Out on a Limb - Eye Eye
4. Electric Honey - The Partland Brothers
5. Close My Eyes - Paul Janz
6. This is How it's Done - Louis Tucci and The Sharp Set
7. Going Going Gone - Louis Tucci and The Sharp Set
