School Killer (2001) Reviews

• No one studies here. It's my school.

  lastliberal2010-02-25

  If you want to make a worthwhile slasher film, there has to be certain elements present. If any are missing then this will just be an adventure for Paul Naschy completists, which is not a bad thing. There is plenty of gore and violence after the movie gets going for a while. It is not overly gory, but enough to make it a good slasher. The gore does look realistic, which is good, as did the decapitation. There was plenty of screaming, too. The best endowed girl in the film does give us a show with her boyfriend. When the slasher puts her away for later, her stupendous breasts are covered in blood. We get to see those breasts over and over. Paul Naschy made a really good killer. He had a sinister smile and was very funny as he collected his victims. It was a very suspenseful film. I won't say scary, but very tense. It kept you captivated through the entire time. The ending is, unfortunately, unclear.

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• R.I.P. Paul Naschy - Legends Never Die!

  Witchfinder-General-6662009-12-07

  The World of Horror has lost one of its last remaining icons. I was deeply saddened to learn that Paul Naschy (born Jacinto Molina), a true deity of European Exploitation cinema and one of the last living legends of the Horror genre, died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 75 in his native Madrid last week. Maybe best known for playing the Werewolf Waldemar Daninsky in thirteen films between 1968 and 2004, Naschy was a multi-talent who scripted and directed many of the films he starred in himself, and doubtlessly the most charismatic and influential leading man in Spanish Horror cinema. Not all of the films in Naschy's career may qualify as 'good' in a traditional sense (though some, such as the near-brilliant "El Jorobado De La Morgue" of 1973, doubtlessly qualify as great), but they are almost entirely highly entertaining and impossible-not-to-love gems of European Horror cinema, and they all have a certain inimitable charm to them that can not be found anywhere but in a Naschy-film. The world of cult-cinema is a lot poorer for the loss of this great man, but it is oh so much richer for the wonderful films he has given us. So what would be a better way of mourning this icon than to celebrate his work by watching as many of his films as possible? I had delayed the viewing of this film several times, for the reason that I generally prefer my Horror to be old, and therefore rather watched the films Naschy did in the 70s and 80s. These preconceptions were unfounded, as one of the most wonderful films Naschy ever was in was the 2004 film "Rojo Sangre", which was directed by his son and which basically was a giant tribute to leading man Naschy. Carlos Gil's "School Killer" of 2001 is indeed not one of Naschy's best films, but it s still a highly entertaining Naschy one-man-show that none of my fellow fans of the man should miss. The main attraction of the film is, of course, Paul Naschy, who stars as the eponymous School Killer. The film starts out pretty unimaginative when a bunch of kids decide to spend the night at an abandoned old boarding school set in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. Strange and supernatural things soon begin to happen, and when it turns out that the school was the site of a massacre in 1973, things begin to get out of hand... The film begins unspectacular, and gets a little ridiculous when the first supernatural events occur. However, it really catches up in the second half, and once one has acquired a taste for the rather far-fetched premise of the film, it actually becomes really creepy. Naschy is once again awesome and wonderfully creepy in his role, which basically carries the whole film. The rest of the cast aren't memorable, and their characters are pretty forgettable; however, even though the young characters are a little annoying at times, Naschy's creepiness makes it possible to actually feel for them. Overall, "School Killer" is no must see, but it is a decent little film and, especially now, it is mandatory for us Naschy fans to see the master in as many of his later roles as possible. There are dozens of Naschy films to recommend over this one, such as "El Jorobado De La Morgue" ("The Hunchback of the Morgue", 1973), "La Orgia De Los Muertos" (The Hanging Woman, 1973), "El Espanto Surge De La Tumba" ("Horror Rises from The Tomb", 1973), "Latidos De Panico" ("Panic Beats", 1983), any of the Waldemar Daninsky films like "La Noche De Walpurgis" ("The Werewolf Vs the Vampire Woman", 1971) or, more recently, "Rojo Sangre" (2004). However, once one has seen many of the films Naschy has been in, this is yet another worthy addition to his oeuvre. Once again: The World of Horror has lost one of its last icons. My deep condolences go to Paul Naschy's family. Rest in peace, Hombre Lobo. You were a legend, and you always will be. And legends never die!

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• A creepy, atmospheric slasher (See This Slasher #3)

  Shattered_Wake2008-08-19

  A group of teens decide to take their slumber party to an abandoned school where, 27 years prior, a horrible massacre took place. Unfortunately for them, the person responsible for the slaughter still lurks the halls of the derelict school and he is not happy with their presence. This film is not like most modern teen slashers we've seen. It's much darker, much more suspenseful, no wise-cracking murderer, etc., and I liked it for those reasons. From a film-making point-of-view, it's not great. The acting is below average. The writing was pretty bad and quite full of clichés, containing randomly tossed-in references to American horror films, some that didn't even make sense (like. . . "Have you seen Scream 3?", a girl asks. Yes, I have, and it had nothing to do with walking through the doors of an old school so it in no way relates to this film). But, hey, it's a slasher flick, those are part of the fun. Also, the underutilization of characters was heavily exhibited in this film. There were six main characters (not including The Security Guard) and, to be honest, only three or four were really used. Two characters (the token black guy and some other girl that wasn't important enough to get a label) barely spoke: Between them, I'd estimate about five or six lines total. Also, the girls (other than one) weren't formed well enough to differentiate them from one another. They could've replaced each of the girls with one another repeatedly throughout the film and I wouldn't have noticed the difference. The pacing, however, works well as the horror begins right from the start and rarely ceases. The atmosphere is utilized well and the direction reveals some truly chilling moments. . . although, the overall appearance is a bit cheap-looking due to, what I assume is, low-grade camera equipment (and operation). The ending, though I liked the idea they were going for, was fairly poorly done. It felt rushed and without explanation enough to make it effective. With the amount of time they spent running around looking for nothing, they could've spent a little bit more time on the conclusion to make sure it didn't feel like some random event thrown in for no good reason (which is a flaw many modern horror films are afflicted with). However, ignoring a few irksome issues and trying to focus on the first 98% of the film rather than the ending, this is actually a rather good modern slasher that should be checked out, especially if you're a fan of Spanish and/or atmospheric horror. Obligatory Slasher Elements: Final verdict: 7/10. This may be stretching it, but fans of Session 9 might want to check it out simply for the similar tone and atmosphere. -AP3-

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• An immensely enjoyable and effective Spanish horror winner

  Woodyanders2007-10-19

  Six teenagers go to an old remote abandoned school where 27 years ago a horrible massacre took place for a night of fun and pranks. Instead the kids run afoul of the vicious crazed security guard (excellently played with supremely creepy menace by Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy) who committed the nasty killings. Director Carlos Gil relates the intriguing story at a brisk pace and does an adept job of creating a compellingly spooky and mysterious atmosphere. The witty script by Tino Blanco and Mercedes Holgueras offers a clever and inspired blend of slasher and supernatural elements that keep the viewer guessing to the very end. The slick cinematography by Fernando Arribas makes expert use of light and shadow. David San Jose's moody score likewise does the trick. The attractive and appealing young cast all contribute lively and engaging performances, with especially praiseworthy turns by Carlos Fuentes as ringleader Ramon, Olivia Molina as the panicky Maria, Zoe Berriatua as obnoxious joker Jordi, and Carmen Morales as spunky goth chick Sandra. The murder set pieces are every bit as bloody and brutal as they ought to be. Terrific whammy of a surprise dark ending, too. A solid and satisfying shocker.

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• Does more than the usual slasher fare

  The_Void2008-05-10

  Spain has produced a number of good horror films over the last two decades, with directors such as Alejandro Amenabar, Álex de la Iglesia and Jaume Balagueró making some truly standout films. School Killer stars one of the main players of seventies/eighties Spanish horror films in the form of the great Paul Naschy; but overall I'm not surprised that this film doesn't get mentioned alongside the likes of Tesis, Rec and Day of the Beast as one of the better modern films to come out of Spain as despite some good ideas, there's far too many things wrong with it. The plot is not particularly original and focuses on the common horror film ideas of a bunch of kids getting into trouble and an old abandoned building harbouring a maniacal killer. The kids decide to go to the old school building, where one of their dads stayed twenty seven years earlier, for a party but it soon becomes apparent that there's something strange going on inside the building and they soon learn that the boy's father was the only survivor of a massacre the night that he and his friends stayed there. The best thing about this film is undoubtedly the atmosphere and director Carlos Gil succeeds in creating a truly foreboding feeling that suits the film very well and excellently compliments the plot and the building at the centre of the story. I went into this film expecting a slasher (and thus without any high hopes) but to the film's credit, it actually tries to be more than that and it could be argued that the film is more of a psychological thriller. This certainly gives the film an extra element of interest and it manages to take a mysterious plot and blend it well with the gore you'd expect from a slasher. Paul Naschy is obviously the main standout of the cast and he still has a good screen presence despite his advanced years and provides an extremely effective villain. As mentioned, the film does feature some good gore and although it doesn't feature all the way through; what we do get works well within the context. The film is rather slow to start and it doesn't really get interesting until the final third. However, despite this; the film doesn't end very well and there's too much left unexplained for this to be an effective film overall. Still, School Killer is better than a lot of modern horror films and is at least worth a look.

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