Juaqino
Is this a great film? By no means. Is it as bad as they say it is? I just don't think so. I suspect people the majority of those who watched this film saw the MST3k version and take enjoyment out of saying that it "sucks". High School Big Shot is one of the better movies to get the MST3k treatment; as much as it still made great riffing-fodder, it actually had some decent acting for such a low-budget. While certain aspects of the story were very one-dimensional, other parts were a bit complicated. The only aspect of the plot that was downright lousy was the end. The ending is not only abrupt but makes very little sense! I couldn't have predicted such an awful ending from the rest of the film which was not only entertaining but even relatable. This film had an overall anti-woman theme, painting women as being only interested in financial-gain. I won't comment on whether or not such themes have a place in our society, but it has the potential to anger some viewers. However, very small dialog changes could have avoided that problem and still held the movie together.Not great, but pretty good for a cheap noir flick. Give it a watch.PS: Star Trek fans might get a kick out of the appearance of Stanley Adams, who played Cyrano Jones in the TOS episode "The Trouble with Tribbles".
verbusen
This movie is a solid 6 in my book. I watched it as an MST3K episode but could have easily been entertained by it on it's own. I like heist movies and as easily as I knew this one was doomed to failure, I actually was getting nervous for this guy. Throw in a very bad slut, so really stupid greasers (well I guess most greasers are really stupid), and the finishing touch is the safe-cracker with class who I'm pretty sure was the shyster in the Trouble With Tribbles episode of Star Trek (one of the best loved ST TOS episodes ever) and its definitely a 6 rated low budget noir. Hey, Beast of Yucca Flats an under 2 rated movie? Absolutely, but High School Big Shot deserves much higher. The MST3K treatment almost does it a disservice, almost. There are some pretty good one liners to use in this, the MST3K boys did miss some good really spot on jokes but they passed because they are so PC and hold back from things like gay cracks, like in the beginning when the greaser tucks Marv's shirt in his pants (maybe too close to home for them?). High School Big Shot, I rate 6 out of 10, if you like noir see it first without the commentary. As a MST3K episode its one of the above average episodes, comes with a funny bread salesman short before it.
johnboy1
This could have been so much better than it turned out. Tom Pittman gives a good performance and some of the older actors do well with what they have to work with, but it just doesn't work.First, the actors are much too old to play high school students, especially Howard Veit (Vince). He looks about thirty. Second, it's hard to sympathize with poor Marv, especially since Betty is not all that hot, to start with.*******Spoilers****** The ending is so strange. It looks like the director intended for Pittman's character to get shot, but there are no gunshots...he's just knocked to the cement, where he lays there until the ambulance drivers pick him up and place him on a stretcher (face down!). What were his injuries? A skinned knee? Goofy! Vince has just shot his girlfriend dead without any remorse whatsoever, yet he simply shoves Marv to the ground and rushes off, despite the fact that he makes no secret of the fact that he hates the kid. And to make matters even sillier, Marv begs the police to tell his father he's sorry. (Duh! Hey Marv. You just got knocked around. I think you will have plenty of opportunities to tell your father you're sorry...in person). And this writer didn't get an Oscar nomination? Skip it, unless you get to watch it on MST.
InzyWimzy
Times I look back to high school and it amazes me that I never went lower than Marvin did in this BAD film.Poor Marv is the main character who's bad luck just gets worse and worse. Despite his intelligence, he manages to get bullied, exploited, supports his lousy deadbeat Dad, and plenty more goof-ups including a daring heist which let's say doesn't go fully to plan. Of course, the viewer feels no empathy with anyone in this film, so all this disastrous gloom bounces off like harmless zeta rays. Recommended for those days you're feeling down, pop this film in and you'll smile and say, "I'm so glad I'm not Marv!"
AD
