The latter half of the 1980's saw the decline of the tride and true slasher film and the birth of the tongue in cheek horror comedies, like April Fools Day, Student Bodies, and the lucrative zombedies like the Return of the Living Dead films. Return to Horror High is the long lost yield of the large crop of these types of films, and, thanks to Anchor Bay, those who can appreciate a little guffaw in their grue have a whole new reason to smile.

A film crew converges on a high school where years before, a series of gruesome murders caused it to be shut down. When the crew begin to dissappear without a trace, it seems that the killer of Horror High still walks the halls in search of fresh blood!

Return to Horror High is a very fun and funny film. It never made much of a mark in it's time, especially against superior films like the very clever April Fools Day, but in watching Horror High again after all these years I actually think it's a better film. The story is told in flashbacks by the only "survivor" of the film crew massacre who explains what happened to the local police (Edwards and a hilarious McCormick). In the meantime we flash back and forth between the film as it's being made, the behind the scenes, the actual time of the ORIGINAL murders, and the present in which the survivor tells his tale. It's a pretty neat narrative structure that keeps you on edge and is consistantly surprising, with even a few scares along the way. The humor is dry as a bone and never resorts to the slapstick antics of a "Scary Movie" variety. Instead, the humor comes in methods of dispatchment, the absolute stupidity of some of the characters, and, yes, even self-aware dialogue long before it became hip.

Horror High is not for everyone. Fans of serious horror need not apply, since this is something of a satire, however it does pack some clever effects, a very unique narrative, and one of those endings that totally pulls the rug out from under your feet. I enjoyed it back in '87 and I like it more today. It's a great popcorn flick and one I can see myself watching more than a few times; all the makings of a nice piece of fluff cinema.

Anchor Bay released this film with just a theatrical trailer, but it's also one of their budget films, and one can't expect too much in the way of extras in a $10 disc. What it does boast, however, is a very sharp and gorgeous widescreen anamorphic transfer and sound mix to match. Not a bad buy at 10 beans, especially for a funny and frivelous flick you'll pull out for those inebriated get togethers as well as lazy Sunday afternoons.