Reviewed by Alicia Glass

Studio:  Metro Goldwyn Mayer

MPAA Rating: R

Director: David Nutter

Rating: 7.5

Newcomer to Cradle Bay Steven soon finds fault in the methods of turning unruly students into Blue Ribbon winners.

Despite the fact that it’s yet another teenage high school mental horror kind of thing, I like this movie. The students are much more aligned with today’s ways, as evidenced by Gavin’s enjoyable rundown of the school hierarchy in the Cafeteria. James Marsden is Steven, disturbed over the suicide of his brother, concerned for his sister and in general just wanting to be left alone. Katie Holmes stars in her first major role as Rachel, Crooksridge trash with a nose ring that can still kick your butt. Nick Stahl is Gavin, paranoid stoner with every reason to be. And Bruce Greenwood is Dr. Calidocott, who believes he knows best for everyone and is willing to go to great lengths to give it to the town’s troubled teens, whether they want it or not.

I don’t think I’d care to be a Blue Ribbon, or Robot as Gavin and UV call them. Nice dated clothes, letterman’s jackets and pageboy cuts, bake sales and do-gooding, blech. Of course these are teenagers, which means the pheromones go through the roof and play wonky with the Caldicott implant, which leaves those Blue psychos to go, well, psycho and rape and kill. The cops are in on it too, Gavin actually isn’t that paranoid. And for some reason the janitor, Mr. Newberry (William Sadler), who is much more than he appears to be, turns out to be the savior of everybody, mostly. Even after that, the movie ends on an enjoyably potential sinister note. I won’t ruin it, go watch the film, it’s lots of fun, and the soundtrack is great too. Inevitably, there is a repeated playing of Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall, but that is to be expected.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkD9h0zk9n0]