SATAN’S
SCHOOL FOR GIRLS (1973)
Directed by David Lowell Rich
Brentwood DVD
Reviewed 04.08.04
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
I’m kind of ashamed to admit
it, but whatever. I’ve got
a big soft spot for spooky 70s tv
movies. That perfect mix of economy
and cheesy thrills never lets me
down. Satan’s School
For Girls not only carries
on that tradition; it rises to the
top of the heap and then some.
More of a mystery than anything
else, this film, at the outset,
would appear to be a total drag.
Action is slim and there’s
quite a bit of let’s-all-stand-in-this-room-and-talk
dialogue present. I can’t
remember anything particularly impressive
about the photography or soundtrack.
In other words, it’s definitely
a 70s tv movie. Luckily, the likable
female leads, decent acting, and
“keep you guessing”
storyline kept me gripped for the
duration of the film. Lemme just
get my black cloak...
After an introductory blast of speedy
driving, cute-as-a-button Elizabeth
returns home from the store to find
her sister (and only relative),
Martha, hanging by her neck from
the ceiling. The police deem it
suicide, but Elizabeth doesn’t
buy it. Where’s the motive?
After investigating a bit on her
own, Liz talks to her sister’s
ex-roommate at college. Things seem
a bit out of the ordinary, so our
heroine enrolls at Martha’s
old school under an assumed name.
The all-girl fine arts school is
located in Salem, Mass. and seems
to be normal enough. However, when
a girl freaks out, bodies begin
to stockpile, and professors hide
secrets, Elizabeth and pal Roberta
take charge and begin slinking around
in the middle of the night. They’re
on the trail of bad paintings, creepy
basements, thunder storms, and electricity
that doesn’t work. And hey,
isn’t this place located in
Salem?
Satan’s School is a great little jewel. Despite
the heavy dialogue, the pace is
quick and I actually found myself
jumping at some of the scares. The
film manages to exude an old time
creaky house type of feel, only
without the usual trappings of that
genre (bad comedy relief, overly-obvious
plot occurrences, etc.). All in
all, success!
AUDIO AND VIDEO
The print itself is a little on
the rough side, but that didn’t
bother me at all. Scratches, emulsion
lines, and ticks are ever-present,
but the picture quality is nice.
I’m sure this film looks much
better here than it did on a little
black and white kitchen tv circa
‘73. I noticed two instances
of video blips, so the transfer
is obviously taken from a video
master. The sound was mono, loud
and audible.
EXTRAS
“Satan’s School...”
is part of Brentwood’s “Evil
Places” box. The four movie
set also contains Silent
Night, Bloody Night, “Don’t
Look In The Basement,
and House On Haunted Hill (horrible print and transfer of
this Vincent Price classic).
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you enjoy the slipshod charms
of 70s tv films, Satan’s
School For Girls is a must
have. Doubtful a better looking
transfer will ever come along (looks
fine anyway) and this set can be
had for super cheap. Eventhough
I’m biased towards these types
of films, this was still a nice
surprise. |
Hang time
College
Elizabeth & Roberta
Lord of the underworld
|
