Night School (1981) User Reviews

Early 80's Slasher Makes the Grade

[slasherstudios · 7/10 · 7 December 2011]

Anne Barron (Meb Boden) is a teacher's aide at the Jack-N-Jill Daycare Center in Boston. It's the early evening and the last child has been picked up by her mother. Anne is relaxing on the playground carousel when someone pulls up on a motorcycle, wearing a pink helmet. Anne is startled. Suddenly the stranger pulls out a machete and starts spinning the carousel. The machete is held up in the air and the terrified woman goes around and around - until she's struck with it.

Judd Austin (Leonard Mann) is the cop assigned to the case. He is called to the scene and when he gets there, he sees a gruesome sight. The girl was decapitated and her head was put in a bucket of water nearby. The distraught director of the center tells the officer that Anne worked there during the day - and was attending night classes at Wendell College. At the hospital, Judd and his partner Taj (Joseph R. Sicari) discuss a similar case from the previous week. Another girl was found decapitated and her head was dumped in a pond. They wonder if there's any connection between the two murders.

"Night School" is a typical run-of-the-mill early 80's whodunit slasher with a decapitation twist. This is the kind of movie where half of the money is trying to figure out where the detectives are going to find the missing heads. The twist ending is pretty predictable and the acting is a bit wooden (Rachel Ward, in her film debut, is all sorts of terrible here) but the film is never boring and has been directed with style. Boston looks positively wretched on film here and it gives the slasher a bit of a grungy "Departed" vibe. Overall, it's definitely worth checking out, just check your expectations-and your head--at the door.

Rachel Ward's Bottom in American giallo

[chrichtonsworld · 7/10 · 5 April 2012]

An excellent slasher/whodunnit you might not have heard about.Brutal killings,attractive women.attractive men,big knife,Freudian Symbolism,shower scene and red herrings.Even a surprise ending,although one that is a bit out of place especially compared to the rest of the movie.It's all there.So how come Night School isn't a more popular title? Your guess is as good as mine. But it could be that it has to do with the relatively late release on DVD. The pacing is a little uneven at times which does hurt the tension slightly. And the ending could be considered unsatisfying.It's one you will see coming and at the same time not at all. Very inventive I have to say although like I said earlier a bit out of tune with the movie overall. Honestly,I had fun watching since it does most things right.And to see Rachel Ward's bottom in all it's glory can't be that bad,now is it?

"There's always a reason"

[lost-in-limbo · 7/10 · 9 October 2010]

Probably best recognised for being the debut feature for of the ravishing British actress Rachel Ward, but "Night School" deserves a little more credit for that lone reason. I wasn't expecting it be as good it was, but while it's your by-the-numbers mystery psycho slasher it managed to resourcefully up the suspense and intrigue in some well presented set-pieces. The usual revelation behind it all doesn't come as much as a surprise (where we seem to be quite ahead of the clueless detective/s scratching their heads), along with the second twist (which is even more foreseeable), but then it ends with a neat final one which seems to be a mock send-up of the typical shock closing. "Don't you ever take your job seriously". I'm kind of surprised by its middling to poor reputation, as I found it more than competent than its 80s crop. Good atmospheric, authentic locations are masterfully framed by cinematographer Mark Irwin. His expressively flowing camera stages some inventive frames and effectively helps building up the tension before the initial shock. He films the ominous looking killer (decked in black leather and bike helmet) quite well. Director Ken Hughes' slick touch lets it flow, nailing the terrorising tension with a real sting to its tail. Hughes style kind of reminded me off Hitchcock, but the modern unpleasantness is evident (slicing and dicing with ritual decapitation on mind, but little is seen) and lurking within is a sneering sleazy undertone. The black and white story remains interesting, due to the solid performances (Leonard Mann, Drew Snyder, Rachel Ward and an amusing Joseph R. Sicari) and particularly sharp script. Brad Fiedel composes the score in an understated manner, but it eerily works. A modest psycho slasher offering.

Beautiful Rachel Ward in a fairly good slasher

[RareSlashersReviewed · 30 January 2004]

It took me quite some time to find this pre-cert copy of TERROR EYES mainly due to the fact that it never got re-released after being thought a little too gruesome to be suitable viewing material and therefore it was banned in the United Kingdom way back in the early eighties. Surprisingly enough Kenneth Hughes directed it, which came as a real shock because his greatest cinematic conquest prior to this was the children's classic CHITTY, CHITTY, BANG, BANG! Here in his last movie before his demise in 2001, he attempts to join the ranks of Hitchcock and Carpenter and create a harrowing portrayal of a city in fear from a psychopathic headhunting assassin. But does he succeed in jumping from one end of the movie chain to the other without getting a little confused in-between?

It's all set in Boston, around ‘Wendell College', a suspicious night school where it seems a sadistic and ruthless butcher is targeting a number of the students for headless (!) assassination. Lieutenant Judd Austin (Leonard Mann) is put on the case and finds a prime suspect in professor Millet (Drew Snyder), a flirtatious anthropology lecturer who seems to have quite an interest in the young attractive female co-ed's extra curricular activities! However the police are left with no clues and no witnesses to each bizarre murder and find themselves struggling to come to terms with the fact that they are dealing with an extremely intelligent serial killer. Before long decapitated bodies begin to turn up all over town and Judd realises he must do everything in his power to stop this deranged butcher from striking again…

I'm having trouble finding out when this was actually released. The Roman numerals on the cover of my print state a production date of 1979, the IMDB say it was 1981 and the ‘All Movie Guide' reckon 1980? At a guess I'd say '81 but I may well be wrong. I'll do my best to try and find out more…

Unlike many of the genre films from this period, this manages not to imitate HALLOWEEN too much, but instead owes more to Italian Giallo movies and Hitchcock's PSYCHO. Hughes makes us well aware of his love for the later by including a remake of the notorious shower scene from that movie. Here Rachel Ward is washing, when all of a sudden in the background the door opens and through the curtain we see a silhouetted figure creeping up on her. It's effective in showing us that the director was well aware that he was making a slasher movie and he enjoyed using the obvious clichés that were apparent even that early in the cycle. You immediately notice that the guy behind the lense is a man with an experienced past, it's competently shot and surprisingly well budgeted. He also manages to pile on some suspense in a number of scenes, my favourite being the aftermath of the brutal murder of a female café waitress. The next day the owner turns up to find his restaurant in a mess. We already know by viewing the first two murders that the killer submerges the decapitated heads of his victims in the nearest pool of water, so we're already expecting him to find a shocking sight somewhere or other! As he begins clearing up the tables and chairs, two builders arrive and ask him to heat up some food for them. He places a large saucepan on the hob, which is filled with stew and warms them up a snack. They tuck in, and one of them finds a hair in his bowl! By now you're cringing thinking surely it wasn't in there…was it? The chef continues chatting and pours the remainders of the pan down the sink. You're on the edge of your seat expecting to see a blood-splashed head roll out at any minute! I wont tell you what happens, but the tension it creates is excellent.

The bogeyman has got to be one of the most violent slayers that I have ever seen. He repeatedly slashes his victims with a large machete before beheading them. In one bit, he cuts one unlucky girl to shreds, splashing pints of her blood all over the clear white walls as he goes! This must've been the scene that helped get the film added to the video nasties list and I can see why, it's one of the most disturbing things I've ever witnessed in a horror film. (The CHITTY, CHITTY, BANG, BANG similarities were wearing pretty thin by now!) He looks pretty creepy too, in shiny black motorcycle leathers and tinted helmet to conceal his identity. There are some genuinely macabre moments on show, including him dragging his machete along a wire fence creating an eerie clanking sound and one unlucky teen finding a gory head in her toilet! It's also worth noting that Dario Argento lifted a number of parts from this for arguably his greatest ever feature TENEBRAE from 1982. This is most evident at the beginning, when the demented worker guy follows Rachel Ward's character home from the café. It's almost identical to an early scene in Argento's flick, right up to the dog jumping up and barking at a wire fence! That in it's self is a huge compliment for any director.

Sadly though, what really came close to being an unsurpassed classic is let down by poor cinematic balancing. Though the murder scenes are brutal, effective and brinking on the verge of ingenious sleaziness, the rest of the runtime feels sloppy and meritless with some comically inept scripting and dialogue. There's no real plot twist at the end and the butcher's identity is far too easy to solve, offering no challenge for all the junior Agatha Christies among us! The general acting is also mediocre especially from Ward who doesn't manage to excel herself in her first silver screen role. She certainly had the looks, but all the charisma of a dead fish! I'm afraid that these minor problems prevent TERROR EYES from shinning as much as it could have done and it's a real shame.

The net result is an above average thriller with some interesting ideas and some chillingly effective set pieces. Unfortunately it falls slightly short of true greatness and fails to live up to its at times all too sleazy surroundings. However, it still comes highly recommended to any slasher follower as a neat example of the genre's peak period and many a horror fan will find fulfilment in the brutality of the demented bogeyman. It's not bad, but just at times a bit of a disappointment

Ahead of the mystery

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 21 August 2019]

Director Ken Hughes made the children classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In this giallo slasher, Hughes pulls his punches when it comes to graphic horror.

The film begins with a female teaching assistant being slashed in a playground by a black clad motorcyclist in a black helmet. She is decapitated and her head is found in a bucket.

The victim went to Wendall College. Several other women linked to the college are found dead, the heads cut off and found in water.

The detective investigating the murder horns in on lothario Professor Millett who teaches anthropology, the detective's partner suspects the weirdo working in a restaurant. The professor has a collection of skulls acquired from tribal headhunters in places such as Papua New Guinea and he might had been romantically involved with the victims.

The professor's latest girlfriend is his assistant Eleanor (Rachel Ward) who is annoyed by his infidelity and she is pregnant with his child. She explains to the detective the symbolism regarding the skulls in certain tribal societies.

Hughes does not add a lot of style with this film in contrast with Italian giallo movies of that period. It is a straightforward low budget slasher, most of the violence is off screen and less than gruesome. The suspect is rather obvious and the victims are all helpless women. There is some black humour when the body parts of one of the victims turn up in a stew pot. However Hughes rather sets up the joke for too long as if it was filler for the film.

Some of the acting is bad, Rachel Ward in her film debut is less than ordinary but she does look adorable.

Hidden Gem

[nick121235 · 7/10 · 13 August 2017]

This really is somewhat of a hidden gem among slashers, which as you will know if you are a slasher aficionado, is a valuable find. I went into Night School not really expecting much for some reason. Well, I say 'for some reason', but let's face it- even if you are a hardcore slasher and/or horror fan, you can't deny the fact that most of these films can be unoriginal at best and downright trash more often than you'd like to admit. Especially 80's slashers, i'm sad to say. But every so often in our sojourns we find a pleasant surprise that makes the hours spent watching awful movies worthwhile. Night School is one of those movies. This film, while really not too original, is still head and shoulders above most of its peers. Beholden more to the Italian giallo of the decade before than its Halloween inspired contemporaries, Night School makes up for what it lacks in plot with atmosphere and campy situations and dialogue. I say campy, but I mean campy in the way that films such as Suspiria or even Friday the 13th were campy; the dialogue can be peculiar and silly but it contributes to an overall sense of dream logic. The London setting also adds to the overall atmosphere. In conclusion this film is a good (but not great) one by my standards, but don't go into expecting a typical 80's cheesy slasher. I enjoyed it once and I'd probably enjoy it again; I'd say it's definitely worth a re-watch. Oh and as a little side note all of that talk about anthropology and ancient cultures practicing beheading and cannibalism gave me an intense urge to watch Fulci's Zombi 2 again... seek it out and watch it if you can get your hands on it, that one is highly recommended if you like Italian cannibal exploitation films.

Poor turtle

[Groverdox · 5/10 · 24 May 2021]

"Night School" is an odd mix of slasher and standard thriller, with perhaps some giallo touches thrown in. Of course, it's a horror movie with a masked killer slashing up women, who are depicted in states of undress. However, the movie is also more of a police procedural than the average slasher. Not much mind is paid to the "final girl", with what turns out to be good reason.

I also found the movie pretty tedious. It has a twist ending, but one that underwhelmed me, and then there's a really strange final scene, that could have been chilling in the right hands but here just feels weird.

Night School of Death

[andrabem-1 · 7/10 · 18 October 2011]

The girls that study in a night school are being killed and decapitated. A police lieutenant and his partner (comic relief?) start to investigate the murders.

"Night School" takes place in Boston. The film begins with a brief view of the night skyline of Boston. We hear a melancholic and beautiful soundtrack that serves to enhance the poetry of city (and its people) and night. Soon after the camera becomes more intimate and we see old lamp posts, dark streets and small houses. The beautiful soundtrack goes on... and Boston looks quite pretty.

"Night School" is in some ways almost a giallo. There are some connection points:

1) Leonard Mann, an Italo-American actor that worked mainly in Italian films, including gialli like "Death Steps in the Dark" and "The Monster of Florence". In "Night School" he's the police lieutenant that investigates the murders but he's different from those policemen that we usually find in many thrillers. He's not trigger-happy and he hasn't trembling fists dying to punch a bad guy's nose. He's intelligent, sensitive and ready to follow his intuition.

2) The killing scenes are stylish and imaginative. The killer dresses all in black, black helmet and black gloves. But "Night School" is very discreet in what concerns nudity. In one scene Rachel Ward takes a shower. Not much is shown, but many Italian gialli would not shy away from FFN. Anyway "Night School" is quite engaging, charming and different from the normal fare.

3) There are many pretty girls (and some of them will be ruthlessly killed by the decapitator).

The highlights in "Night School" are Rachel Ward (her beauty illuminates the screen) and Leonard Mann. In short, I think that "Night School" is a very enjoyable film. Those that want a non-stop action film with lots of bullets and fists breaking bones (fast! fast! fast!), should look elsewhere.

Not much night school

[matthewstanton123-857-954811 · 5/10 · 1 September 2022]

Enjoyable and well paced film about a serial killer who removes the heads of their victims , There is some good acting and a decent enough plot to keep the viewer hooked .

I am not sure if the title is fitting for this film i was expecting somethinga bit different .

After watching i asked myslef why was this film on the uk video nasties list ??the little gore there is in this movie is very tame , ok the killer does remove the heads of the victims but you dont see this, also there is the slightest flash of breast.

The video nasties list from the uk was obviously put together by some old busy bodies who have no clue about society as there are several films in this list that are fit for tv viewing and one of them is un-cut on you tube.

Night School - Who knew Daft Punk were so terrifying?

[deathwishryo · 7/10 · 4 January 2020]

Night School (1981) Genre: Horror Sub Genre: Slasher Thriller

Night School is an excellent slasher film, with a lot of things to recommend. This is one nasty film, with a lot of well done, very unsettling kills and setups. The main score is nicely done, but the kill track combined with the kills, is extremely effective. It certainly makes you sit up and take notice, as does the unnerving presence of the killer with the black motorcycle helmet. Very, very unsettling. All I'll say is, I'll never look at Daft Punk in the same way again... *Screams in terror

Night School is best described as a serial killer thriller with slasher movie and horror elements. The plot revolves around a kill spree of local women being beheaded and the police are on the case to stop it at all costs. Nothing new here you may say, but how it's done is what really sets Night School apart from the competition.

As said, what makes this such a successful slasher in my opinion, is how well the shots are done. There is plenty of build up and suspense, a whodunnit angle and a great twist. The atmosphere running through Night School is creepy with a capital C. By far one of the best slashers films I've seen.

What is particularly impressive, is the original elements this film has. The main score which takes you into the film already lets you know, this isn't going to be just another rubbish samey slasher film. There is an element of class and craft here, completely devoid in many of the other slasher films. I am largely surprised I haven't heard more of this film, as Night School is that effective in what it does well, it deserves more acclaim. Totally ignore the 5.5 rating on here, Night School is a far more accomplished slasher movie than many have given it credit for.

Night School uses suspense extremely well and the kills and setups are memorable. Night School gets a very well deserved 7 rating and is highly recommended to horror and slasher film fans.

Ranking: 7/10

#FilmReview #FilmReviews #NightSchool #NightSchool1981

RATING SYSTEM:

10) Untouchable - Marry me 9) Excellent 8) Great 7) Good 6) Average 5) Bad 4) Very Bad 3) Irredeemably Bad 2) An abomination 1) WTAF have you done?

Missing something, but still good...

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 11 August 2018]

Ken Hughes directed Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mae West's Sextette. Did that prepare him for this Western take on a giallo?

As the last child is picked up from a daycare center, Anne is menaced by a man clad in black leather, wearing a motorcycle helmet and wielding a traditional African kukri. He or she chases her to a merry-go-round and spins her into being decapitated, her head found the next morning floating in a bucket.

Judd Austin (Leonard Mann, star of many Italian productions including The Humanoid) is the cop who wants to solve the case, which takes him to the night classes at Wendall College. This isn't the first murder with a severed head being found in water and it seems like there may be a serial killer. But who could it be?

It turns out that many of the murdered girls all went to the school and were all involved with Professor Millett. Or maybe it was Gary, the mental busboy. Or it could even be Miss Griffin, the administrator of the school. But surely it isn't Eleanor, Millett's live-in love and a starring role for Rachel Ward.

There are the bones of a great slasher here. There's a girl in a diving suit who gets decapitated and we see her head fall into a turtle tank. There's a head that was used to make some soup. There's even a head in the toilet.

What it does need is just a little bit more gore and plenty more style. It's competently directed and the mystery is decent, but imagine how this film would have played out with just a little more panache. I'm not saying it's a horrible film. I'm just saying that it could be so much more.

Excellent American giallo

[carolinephillips-47427 · 9/10 · 12 March 2017]

Night School is an excellent, stylish American giallo with terrific set pieces and great use of Boston locations.

Several coeds are being murdered with their severed heads found in submerged in water and the detectives believe a sleazy professor is behind it. Add in a jealous lover, a predatory lesbian headmistress, and a whole lot of slashing and we have ourselves a grand ol' time.

Night School might just be a perfect mix of sleaze and class. It's hard to believe the same man made Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Brad Fidel's spooky, somber score sets the mood perfectly and helps it stand out among the pack.

Well Staged Slasher

[matthurst-60645 · 7/10 · 27 October 2020]

Young female students who attend a specific night school anthropology class are being murdered and decapitated by someone in a black leather jump suit and motorcycle helmet and it's up to a police detective to figure out who could be behind this savagery.

Night School is heavy on mood, but the mystery isn't all that interesting and the killer's identity can be easily guessed fairly quickly. In spite of this, the stalking/murder scenes are well staged and some have a good degree of suspense and cinematographer Mark Irwin squeezes all the atmosphere he can out of the Boston locations.

Half-decent slasher

[tomgillespie2002 · 5/10 · 10 July 2016]

Although it is now lost in the annals of 1980's slasher movies, Terror Eyes, or Night School, has at least one claim to fame. The tale of a motorcycle helmet-wearing killer armed with a kukri blade and a distaste for co-eds was deemed so vile that it was placed on Britain's notorious 'Video Nasty' list and banned. Such is the irony of the video nasty list, Terror Eyes will never be totally forgotten now thanks to Mary Whitehouse and her crusade. And arguably, it shouldn't, as although the film manages to tick off every cliché in the slasher handbook, it delivers a few effectively-staged set- pieces more in common with the giallo genre.

The basic premise is that Boston is under attack from a serial killer dressed head-to-toe in black leather, whose identity is permanently disguised by a motorcycle helmet. The first murder we witness sees a young teacher's aide get her head lopped off after being forced into a rather twisted merry-go-round ride. Educated cop Lt. Judd Austin (Leonard Mann) is the detective assigned to the case, along with his trusted, wise-cracking partner Taj (Joseph R. Sicari). Their investigations lead them to a local college and to the classroom of anthropology professor Vincent Millett (Drew Snyder). Millett is an expert on tribal rituals in Borneo, where the skulls of defeated enemies are often worn as trophies. Austin spots a similarity to the way the victims heads are being removed and left submerged in water, and so investigates Millet and his relationship to his young assistant Eleanor (Rachel Ward) further.

Possibly the most alarming thing about Terror Eyes is not the dodgy effects or lack of plot, but the fact that it was directed by the same guy who gave us Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Ken Hughes. You would never guess it though, there's no sickly sets or questionable Cockney accents here, but Hughes' experience in mainstream Hollywood may be the reason that Terror Eyes feels a slight step above the usual slasher fare. The build-up to the moments of routine butchery are patient and manage to generate a little tension, more akin to Argento than, say, anything found in the Friday the 13th series. But for the most part, this is standard slasher fare, chocked full of awkward cop banter, wooden acting, annoying comic relief, and a bizarre erotic shower scene during which Millet rubs a sort of berry paste all over a moaning Eleanor.

Not Bad!

[gwnightscream · 5/10 · 2 February 2018]

This 1981 horror film stars Leonard Mann, Rachel Ward and Drew Snyder. This begins with a young woman being decapitated by a mysterious killer. We then meet police detective, Austin (Mann) who investigates and starts finding more headless women. Soon, he suspects a college professor, Vincent (Snyder) who knew the victims and his live-in assistant, Eleanor (Ward). This isn't bad, except for some acting and Brad Fiedel's score is chilling. Give this a view at least once if you're into slasher flicks.

Schools Out For EVER!

[Coventry · 6/10 · 6 February 2008]

Like sadly too often the case with early 80's slasher-movies, this one honestly isn't as bad as the rating & reputation suggest and it obviously all depends on the viewers' prior expectations. If you're set to see a mindless and undemanding stalk 'n slash effort, you get just that, but with a tidbit of goodwill, you'll even notice and appreciate the creators' slightly more ambitious intentions. The vast majority of contemporary slasher flicks were blind copies of "Halloween", but "Night School" looks for role models that predate Carpenter's horror milestone by several years, more particularly Alfred Hitchcock (oh yes, yet another shower sequence) and various Italian Giallo movies! The killer's disguise and modus operandi, as well as the profile of the victims and several red herrings along the way, seem to come straight out of the script of the typical Giallo-effort. The stylish characteristics and outcome of the story may perhaps fall short (real Gialli have far more complicated denouements), but still this is one of the more likable non-Italian attempts at making a Giallo. "Night School" is also clearly sponsored by Boston's department of tourism, as the opening sequences depict multiple picturesque shots of the city by night. There's a killer on this loose in this beautiful city, completely dressed in black leather and wearing a pitch-dark motorcycle helmet, who brutally decapitates of young co-eds and dumps the chopped off heads in the nearest watery reservoir. Police inspector Austin quickly discovers a pattern, namely all victims attended night school classes and – more particularly – the anthropology lectures of professor / playboy Dr. Millett. All the evidence points either towards Millett himself or towards a simple-minded waiter/peeping tom, but that would just be too obvious, wouldn't it? The actual revelation of the killer's identity is ridiculously simple and easy to predict if you only just paid a little bit of attention to small clues. In spite of the gooey sounding head-hunter premise and its listing among the infamous Video Nasties, "Night School" is a rather tame and UN-shocking film. Most of the beheadings play off screen (at first, I even feared I was watching a censored version) and the rest of the bloodshed is kept to a minimum as well. The one sequence in the Sea Life Centre's locker room is quite mean-spirited, however, and probably single-handedly responsible for the notorious reputation. Director Ken Hughes (director of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", of all people) films a handful of effectively suspenseful scenes, the music is atmospheric and – even though I seem to be the only one who thinks so – the character of Taj (the assistant) was funny!

B-horror

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 15 January 2023]

A female night school student is brutally murdered by a black leather figure wearing a motorcycle helmet. Judd Austin (Leonard Mann) is the Boston police detective leading the investigation. She attended Professor Millett's anthropology class and Eleanor (Rachel Ward) is his assistant.

This is a B-movie. The most noticeable aspect seems to be a sense of the grotesque. First, there is that turtle eating the decapitated head. I couldn't figure out the long takes of the stew at first. It's like an amateur art film trying to spice up the gross body violence. As a horror, it's not scary other than a few women-in-danger scenes. The acting ranges from poor B-movie to passable professionalism. The filmmaking is generally weak. There is the motorcycle helmet big mystery although there are a couple of obvious suspects. I do question the ending. All in all, it's an interesting B-horror which never gets up enough steam.

Terror Eyes, UK VHS "nasty"

[Stevieboy666 · 6/10 · 13 June 2021]

In Boston, Massachusetts, young women are being decapitated by an unknown psycho who wears a black motorcycle helmet and brandishes a long, curved blade. It's down to cop Lieutenant Judd Austin (Leonard Mann) to try to solve the puzzling case. Night School was released in the UK under the title "Terror Eyes", cut for cinema but initially released uncut on video. The latter found itself banned by the authorities as a "Video Nasty", personally I can't see what all the fuss was about. Although generally classed as a slasher movie it is also a police thriller and has a lot in common with the European Giallo movies, including the killer's appearance. It is not terribly nasty or gory, though it has one or two memorable moments, a head being thrown into an aquarium being one, shocking visitors as well as the fish! The plot has a couple of red herrings, the reveal was quite good but partly ruined by a rather silly ending. Brit Rachel Ward is the lead female character, she looks great but her acting - along with a few others - wasn't very good. Script isn't exactly great either, I did love the line "What the hell was the head doing in the sink?" though. I watched this on VHS, I know the film has garnered something of a following but it's a 6/10 for me. Made during the Golden Age of the Slasher Movie, I found nothing golden here.

not really a slasher

[HollysDemoHell · 4/10 · 10 May 2020]

In terms of plot, bad guy, and kills this could be considered a slasher - but in every other regard it's more like a downbeat made-for-tv drama/thriller. There's no zany goofball element and none of the fun-factor which characterises most slashers, and for that reason Night School never really amounts to much more than a fairly routine detective yarn with some added nastiness thrown in.

In fairness the killer's motivation is quite original (as is the twist), but even as an early 80s horror hound I can't imagine wanting to sit through this again.

If nothing else it's never boring

[jtindahouse · 7/10 · 8 March 2021]

80s horror films are a lot better viewing experiences for me than the majority of modern horrors. I think a large part of this is due to fact it was just a scarier time. There were less people around and you didn't have the fallback of CCTV footage keeping an eye out for you. So when a character is walking down secluded streets in the middle of the night without another soul around it feels realistic. This film actually got me with at least one jump-scare, not so much because the jump-scare was well executed, but because the beginning of the scene had set a very tense mood.

The film is a whodunnit, however it actually doesn't give you a lot of suspects to sort through. I would've liked to see a few more characters in the mix. Plus the red herrings were far too obvious (maybe they weren't in 1981, but these days they certainly would be). The film does like to fool you though. Quite a bit of time is put into two separate scenes in order to completely mislead you as to what has happened. Not in any major way to the story either, just for the sake of it basically.

The kill scenes are quite fun in this movie which I enjoyed. A lot of effort actually goes into each one. It isn't as violent as you may expect though. Almost all of the violence takes place off camera. I also really enjoyed the theme music used when the killer is on screen. 80s themes were so unique, I'm a big fan of them.

The ending to this film was always going to be very important to my final opinion of it. Sadly the final 10-15 minutes are the weakest the film has to offer. It didn't make sense and it just fell very flat for me. The film up until then though was solid enough to get away with this and still keep it as one I'd recommend.

Head Of The Class...

[azathothpwiggins · 4 February 2023]

NIGHT SCHOOL is about a mysterious killer, dressed in full motorcycle gear, who relieves young women of their heads with a big knife. In other words, it's another example of the late 1970s-early 80s slasher film.

The police are -of course- baffled, trying to figure out the motive for such hideous violence. Meanwhile, a local college professor is doing his best to sleep with every one of his female students. His assistant (Rachel Ward) is not amused.

The diabolical decapitations continue, unabated.

While not the worst slasher movie, the killer's identity does become rather obvious early on, and the cheapness of the production does cause some eye-rolling moments. However, to be fair, the reason behind the murders is at least different and somewhat novel. So, if you're in the mood for mindless mayhem, this fits the bill...

Heads will roll!!

[Nightman85 · 3/10 · 7 August 2006]

A number of Boston college girls are being decapitated by a mysterious biker and it's up to the police to stop it.

Not very original, nor is it even as fun as it sounds like it could be - Night School is another entry in the wave of slashers that would follow Halloween. In many ways this film tries to be smarter than most of its kind (having an urban setting, adult characters, little gore etc.) but that ultimately doesn't save it from its flaws.

Night School (which has little to do with its title) suffers from occasional dullness and predictability. Let's just say it's not difficult to figure out who the killer is or what their motivation is. One thing that does help it out however is the cast. The lovely Rachel Ward makes her screen debut and comes off as the films highlight - unfortunately she can't save the lackluster story.

While this movie isn't a total BOMB, it's certainly not one of the better killer thrillers of the '80s.

* 1/2 out of ****

Serial dekapitator.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 8/10 · 4 September 2010]

A killer in a motorcycle helmet is decapitating attractive babes attend a night school class taught by an anthropology professor.It all has to do with some head-hunting rituals from Papua New Guinea.Very enjoyable cop drama/slasher with some elements of giallo.There is a truly sensual shower scene with a a ravishingly beautiful Rachel Ward and three decapitated heads of victims are found in various strange places including an aquarium.The killings are mostly off-screen and there is a bit of sleaze.The melodically creepy piano based score by Brad Fiedel of "Just Before Dawn" is truly effective.If you enjoyed "What Have You Done to Your Daughters" give "Night School" a chance.It truly is one of the slashers that resembles the Italian giallo that inspired the genre in the first place.8 out of 10.

This is not the way to get a head in life...

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 6 April 2012]

Give writer / producer Ruth Avergon some credit for injecting some interesting details into this movie, Lorimars' contribution to the slasher film cycle of the late '70s and early '80s. She had done some research into the headhunters of Papua New Guinea, and from that comes her idea for "Night School": the students at a girls school in Beacon Hill, Boston, are being decapitated, by a psychotic, savage motorcyclist. But that's not the fun part: the fun part is the killers' modus operandi includes leaving the heads in water, whether a duck pond, bucket, fish tank, or sink is used. What do the girls have in common? They're attending the anthropology class of a professor, Vincent Millett (Drew Snyder), who is apparently some sort of chick magnet.

Done in a style that hearkens back to the Italian giallo films that helped to inspire the slasher film, "Night School" may come as something of a disappointment to some fans of the sub genre. Its nudity is rather tastefully done, and while there is a fair amount of gore, the kills themselves are never shown. However, the movie benefits from its urban setting, and the filmmakers, led by director Kenneth Hughes ("Casino Royale" '67, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"), create some fine atmosphere, using the Old World flavour of the city to their advantage.

Among the talents behind the camera are composer Brad Fiedel ("Just Before Dawn", "The Terminator"), who gives this movie a wonderfully haunting score, and cinematographer Mark Irwin ("Videodrome", "Scream"), who was able to work quickly and efficiently. Adding a unique presence to a slasher movie is beautiful Brit brunette Rachel Ward, from whom it's hard to remove ones' eyes. She and Hughes were actually brought in to replace the original lead actress and director, but it's fortunate indeed that they got involved. Leonard Mann is the amiable, low key detective investigating, with the equally engaging Joseph R. Sicari as his comedy relief partner.

Filmed on a budget of about $1.2 million for a five week stretch in the cold Boston spring of 1980, "Night School" had actually won an award at the Avoriaz Film Festival in France, and remains a somewhat under appreciated slasher film. Granted, this is one of those stories where it ain't exactly too hard to figure out whodunit, but the movies' undeniable assets more than make up for that. It's a good, enjoyable horror film worthy of discovery or rediscovery.

Seven out of 10.

What a crappy movie!!

[richusa555 · 1/10 · 25 October 2004]

This movie is so easy to criticize as it's plagued with every disease that a crappy movie can have...bad actors, bad scripts and no originality. When I first watched this movie I swore it was a made for TV, but I was wrong, however the whole movie sustained this style.

The evil stalker is this guy on a motorcycle that wears a black helmet with a tinted visor. This ordinairy biker helmet did not seem unusual or scary but rather bland and a sign of cheapness in the productions budget and imagination.

The acting in this movie is so bad, and the writing so poor its amazing that this was ever approved. I have seen lots of terrible movies and this is not the worse but certainly it ranks as a major loser.