Three O’Clock High (1987) 101 Minutes

It was just the stalwarts of the Crew that arrived for the cold night that marked Slim’s first Pick of the New Year, but we will not soon forget it.

For the first time in his SELECTOR career, WildCard presented his preamble without the aid of notes, and despite some hecklers slowing him down, his extemporaneous opening to this Pick seemed flawless.

‘Three O’Clock High’ marks the debut of cinematographer Barry Sonnenfield (whose work here got much praise from the Crew). Phil Joanou returns to our Canon here after first bowing with Nubby’s ‘State of Grace.’ Tooda proved his mettle as our Archivist, when he correctly pointed out that this marks our third bow for Tangerine Dream. They provided music twice before in Slim’s ‘Sorcerer,’ and Nubby’s ‘Vision Quest.’

As Tooda is booked next Wednesday night, the Crew has opted to take the week off. We will be back in action February 11th when Tooda follows up ‘Benjamin Buttons.’

“Pain is temporary, film is forever...”

Written by: Richard Christian Matheson & Thomas Szollosi

Directed by: Phil Joanou

BBD Comments:

Slim, in my opinion- this was your finest hour.

‘Three O’Clock High’ has been kicking around my head as a good Pick for quite sometime, but it’s one of those options you never remember when you’re thinking ‘The American President’ might just work.

‘Three O’Clock High’ joins our list of almost Westerns (‘Yojimbo,’ ‘The Frisco Kid,’ ‘Blazin’ Saddles’) but more importantly, it is Slim’s second Pick (after ‘Blink’) that transposes an adult genre into High School terms. More importantly, it was just as pitch perfect a film as we could have hoped to see.

Among my favorite things about this Selection is how nicely it echoes my own ‘My Bodyguard.’ I was halfway shocked when it turned out that you really couldn’t touch Buddy Revell since ‘My Bodyguard’ taught us that the rumors about the new kid are always worse than the truth. But not in this film. ‘Three O’Clock High’ is earnest to the extreme, and everything is as it seems. I must admit, I was a little bummed that our hero Jerry resorted to using the brass knuckles at the end, but I guess in terms of a western motif that sort of turn around is fair play.

Well done, Slim. You are in the groove...

Onwards!

Nubs Comments:

‘Three ‘O Clock High’ was my favorite movie when it came out in 1987 perfectly timed with my freshman year of high school. Arlo and I used to quote it repeatedly and, in fact, I still do when Tooda is trying to beat me at Madden with a game winning field goal yelling, “Don’t fuck this up, Mitchell!”

It was strange reuniting with this old school chum again. Being older and removed the story seems completely ridiculous now, but I suppose it’s just what the adolescent boy requires. It’s thoroughly enjoyable and immature. Being so familiar with it, I defer to the Crew who seemed pleased as prom punch. It says a lot about the careful direction and creative cinematography, which tells this childish tall tale as if it were ‘Schindler’s List.’ Truly, no shot is wasted. The fact that it still holds dear to a group of critical, grown-up men (sort of) is a testament to the art of filmmaking.

Speaking of immaturity, Slim needs to get over high school. This is his 5th high school pick and soon his percentages will be close to Netti’s subtitles averages. I guess it’s better than him dating high school girls, well, at least in the eyes of the law.

‘Three O’Clock High’ shares one thing, and one thing only, with it’s predecessor Netti’s ‘Go West;’ they both have nothing to do with Obama’s inauguration. I really don’t mind as long as the movie’s enjoyable but these preambles are reaching, at best, on the timely point. Course since Slim tried to throw in every issue possible into his preamble, why not Obama, the most popular man on campus? See, Wildcard, that’s how you jibe someone without having to apologize. I think I speak for all of us when saying you never have to apologize unless you bring a bad Pick …or bring Becky and make us wait an hour for her boyfriend to show up. You did neither, good work, you’re excused now.

SELECTOR Comments:

The new year, the Chinese new year, and the first full week of Obama’s tenure as President – a lot of Selections could have rolled these themes into it, and worked out well. But then add in the “echoing” of Netti’s ‘Go West’ as well as planting the open field of a new “jam,” and the options grow fewer. I researched about a dozen films before deciding on one: ‘Three O’Clock High’ seemed a tasty choice for the moment, the new theme, and the echo, and judging from the dialogue during the post-viewing party it seems like the Selection did pretty damn good by the Crew.

‘Three O’clock High’ is a sweet, comical and inventive film, but what really sealed the deal for me was the camera work. Especially that first scene, where Jerry Mitchell wakes up in bed one hour after he was supposed to, and the camera starts above his face then pans down then to the side, where we then see a side of the alarm clock. I love this scene, and from that moment on, I knew that this was the film I’d be choosing for MovieNight.

It was a small Crew for this week, but the weather was delicious and the herbs passed a’plenty. There was a good vibe going around, too. I paid off all my football gambling debts to my fellow Crewmembers, the wine was Napa and crisp, the Camels smoked slow and even in the cool January air, and my new 501s looked real good that night. A damn good MovieNight indeed.

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