A 1974 Texas oddity originally distributed by drive-in moguls Crown International, directed by Larry N. Stouffer and written by Jake Fowler, Horror High previously appeared on DVD a few years back from Rhino in a fullframe and edited presentation that left a lot to be desired. While the film may never be considered high art or classic cinema by mainstream standards, it has understandably found an appreciative audience with its mix of Jekyll & Hyde plot points, quirky performances, and squishy gore effects. That Rhino release has been out of print for some time, and now Code Red gives the movie the kind of treatment that its fanbase will applaud.

The film revolves around a high school science nerd named Vernon Potts (Pat Cardi) who would rather play with test tubes than footballs and is picked on by the local jocks for that very reason. Meek and geeky, Vernon's father isn't around much and his mother has long since passed away - as such, he's a bit of a loner. The only one who pays him any attention at all is a cute redhead named Robin (Rosie Holotik), much to the chagrin of her lunkhead football player boyfriend, Roger (Mike McHenry). Even the teachers pick on poor Vernon, from the bitchy Miss Grindstaff (Joy Hash), who might just be the crankiest English teacher ever, to the physical education instructor, Coach McCall (John Niland). Vernon just can't get a break - until one day he decides to experiment with a formula that transforms his guinea pig, Mr. Mumps, into a killing machine. Unfortunately for Vernon, Mr. Mumps killed the cat belonging to Mr. Miggs (Jeff Alexander), the crazy janitor, and he gets revenge by pouring the experimental liquid down Vernon's throat.

Now able to morph into a hulking monstrosity of a man, Vernon is able to get revenge on those who he'd never stand a chance against before. As the body count begins to mount, a curious cop named Lieutenant Bozeman (Austin Stoker) and his men (one of whom is 'Mean' Joe Greene) decide to investigate.

Not too be taken all too seriously, Horror High (also released under the alternate title Twisted Brain) may not be the most original film ever made but it sure is a lot of good, gory fun, particularly in this incarnation which presents all manner of mayhem and dismemberment, from some acid attacks to fingers being sliced off in a paper cutter to a torso pounding foot kicking session that'll permanently etch itself into your brain, twisted or otherwise. The gore effects are sometimes a little shadowy and we never really get a good look at the fully transformed monster version of Vernon, but there's enough carnage in plain view to appease gorehounds and genre buffs alike.

While the camerawork is nothing to write home about and is primarily made up of simple, though fairly effective, standard static shots, the acid tinged guitar score suits the film really well and adds an otherworldly tone to many of the murder set pieces. Some strange lighting effects also help things out in terms of atmospherics and tension - if the movie isn't likely to actually scare you, it will at least keep your interest and hold your attention. The picture moves at a good pace, establishing Vernon as the sympathetic lead from the opening scene onwards and allowing us to like him just enough while still realizing why his antisocial quirks would make him an easy target for meathead jocks and insensitive, jaded educators.

If not a lost masterpiece, Horror High delivers enough sleaze, violence and sensitive science geek meanderings to make for an enjoyable watch. It probably helps if you're predisposed to like low budget seventies cheapies, but even looking at it objectively with that factor removed from the equation, it's hard to imagine anyone not at least appreciating the entertainment factor this quirky dime store production provides in spades.

NOTE: The following review is based on a test disc that may or may not represent final, finished, retail product.

Horror High arrives on DVD from Code Red in a 1.78.1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that looks pretty good for an older, low budget production shot on 16mm in the early seventies. There are some spots where the color reproduction appears a bit off but this has probably got more to do with the elements than the transfer, which appears to be well encoded. Black levels are strong but sometimes shadow detail gets lost in the murkiness and flesh tones tend to run a little hot (some shots appear to have been intentionally tinted for dramatic effect.) but the transfer is watchable enough. Keep your expectations in check going into this one and you won't mind the print damage that pops up from time to time or the expected amount of heavy grain that's noticeable throughout.