Three O'Clock High
by Phil Joanou
List Price:
Our Price: $7.68
You Save: $7.30 (49%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $6.79 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Annie Ryan, Casey Siemaszko, Jonathan Wise, Richard Tyson, Stacey GlickDirector: Phil Joanou
Brand: Universal Studios
Producer: Aaron Spelling
Producer: Alan Greisman
Producer: David E. Vogel
Producer: John Davis
Producer: Neal Israel
Writer: Richard Christian Matheson
Writer: Thomas E. Szollosi
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 101 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-09-02
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of Three O'Clock High
Movie Review: Overlooked and underrated
Summary: 5 Stars
...Ogden High School: Ogden, Utah, 1987...
Jerry Mitchell (Casey Siemaszko) is a nice, responsible 18 year-old boy with a lot going for him. He's a good student, he works for the school's newspaper, manages the school's supply store, drives to school, and has a strange, but attractive girlfriend. But today he didn't have a very good start: He overslept, the laundry wasn't finished (his parents are away for a few days), his car has a flat tire, and he nearly has a traffic accident driving his mother's car to school.
And it only gets worse; as he arrives at class, rumors are floating around about the new kid at school. Buddy Revell (Richard Tyson) is a mean, oversized, very strong, EXTREMELY (!!!) frightening bully with a violent reputation. But to make him feel welcome at his new school, the editor of the school paper assigns Jerry Mitchell to interview him and do a fluff piece on him. Their conversation is a disaster, as everything he says and does only further antagonizes Revell. It ends with Revell challenging Mitchell to a fight after school at three o'clock, telling him he can't hide; it's a guaranteed blood-bath. ("...You sneak home, I'll be under your bed...") No matter how hard he tries, Mitchell simply can not get out of it, and goes to more and more extreme measures to avoid the fight. Thinking detention will get him out of the fight, for example, he gives a somewhat tasteless book report in English Literature class which is a highlight of the film. He does everything he thinks will land him in detention, but the outcome isn't quite what he expected. It's an excellent piece of comic irony.
In the end, the showdown does happen, it's an obviously one-sided battle, and you could say Mitchell wins by merely showing up. Revell literally towers over him, so he is forced to grow a pair and stand up for himself in this terrifying situation. The fight is quite believable, as Mitchell suffers some painful injuries in the course of it, but he pulls on some hidden resources trying to hold his own, and regardless of the outcome (you'll have to watch to see for yourself), he earns the respect that was missing from his life up to this point.
Throughout the film, watch all the little nuances, such as the film about insects during science class, the zooming close-ups of Jerry Mitchell as the moment draws near, and the frequent shots of the clocks throughout the day. You can see him becoming more and more afraid, understandably so, as three o'clock looms on the horizon.
There aren't any of the expected extras in this disc, and some people have removed a star or two for it, but remember the days of VHS and before? The film speaks for itself, and as I say in my title, it was overlooked and underrated.
A great sleeper.
Summary of Three O'Clock High
THREE O'CLOCK HIGH - DVD MovieSimilar DVD Movies
The Ice PiratesURICH,ROBERT; Release date: 2005-02-15; DVD
Best price: $4.61
Price in other shops:
Real GeniusSony; Release date: 2002-06-11; DVD
Best price: $4.29
Price in other shops:
The Lords of FlatbushSony; Release date: 2000-04-25; DVD
Best price: $4.09
Price in other shops:
Weird Science (High School Reunion Collection)Img; Release date: 2003-09-02; DVD
Best price: $5.79
Price in other shops:
Cloak & DaggerNBC Universal; Release date: 1984-06-01; DVD
Best price: $7.81
Price in other shops:
Trading Places (Special Collector's Edition)PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2007-06-05; DVD
Best price: $5.44
Price in other shops:
One Crazy SummerWarner Brothers; Release date: 2003-04-01; DVD
Best price: $16.95
Better Off DeadCUSACK,JOHN; Release date: 2002-07-16; Published: 2002-07-01; DVD
Best price: $6.09
Price in other shops:
Hiding Out (The Lost Collection)Lions Gate; Release date: 2009-04-14; DVD
Best price: $4.49
Price in other shops:
My Bodyguard (Widescreen Edition)Fox Home Entertainment; Release date: 2002-01-29; DVD
Best price: $5.31
Price in other shops: