Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Malibu High Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 17, 2017

Marketing materials for 1979’s “Malibu High” paint the picture as an R-rated romp featuring nude women and dirty old men, accompanied by a cheeky tagline about a failing high school student and her plans to restore her GPA without doing homework. The actual “Malibu High” is a bit crazier than simple sexploitation, emerging as a sort of distant relative to Luc Besson’s masterwork, “La Femme Nikita,” only with a very limited budget, little command of tone, and pronounced displays of goofballery at every turn. What begins with teen angst ends with a series of assassinations, keeping the feature on high alert as screenwriter Thomas Singer attempts to manage a crazy story that blends sex, violence, and bad grades, enjoying the permissiveness of the late 1970s to fill the tale with numerous couplings, disco, drugs, and bullets. It’s not a particularly cohesive endeavor, but it’s memorable, delivering all the B-movie nonsense a person can stand.

Living with her nagging mother after the suicide of her father, teenager Kim (Jill Lansing) is depressed, barely maintaining interest in life, with difficulties multiplying after being dumped by her boyfriend, Kevin (Stuart Taylor), who’s moved on with spoiled rich girl, Annette (Tammy Taylor). About to flunk out of school, Kim doesn’t want to put in the effort to raise her grades through academic pursuits, ditching best pal Lucy (Katie Johnson) for neighborhood drug dealer and pimp, Tony (Alex Mann). Becoming a prostitute to make money, Kim meets a variety of clients, also using her forward sexuality to blackmail her male teachers into passing grades. However, once she tires of Alex’s temper and control issues, Kim graduates to Lance (Garth Pillsbury), a charming underworld figure who transforms the 18-year-old woman into an escort, enjoying a better class of men before she’s asked to become an assassin for the Chicago Mob, eagerly taking to the routine of murder.

Kim is no shrinking violet in “Malibu High.” When we first meet the character, she’s waking up in her bedroom, starting the day with a morning cigarette and little patience for her mother’s badgering ways, urging her daughter to take her future seriously. Kim’s father was recently lost, hanging himself due to erectile dysfunction issues according to the daughter, with this revelation a good indicator of insanity to come, as Singer has little modesty when it comes to exposed secrets and bizarre turns of plot. Kim’s a bad student, withdrawn for many reasons, including the loss of Kevin, who’s happily moved on to Annette, a snotty rival. School is posing a problem for the wayward soul, requiring drastic measures to repair her grades, inspiring her to weaponize sex, tempting the likes of history teacher Mr. Donaldson (John Yates) into a rendezvous at “High Point,” a local make-out area near the beach. These men of education and mentorship initially protest, but they’re powerless to the sight of an 18 year old (fingers crossed) who’s eager to pleasure them, commencing the first of many soft-core sequences between Kim and her enthusiastic, much older partners.

“Malibu High” explores Kim’s rise in the sex industry for the first half, dealing with Alex, who’s a backhanding brute, sending the teenager on a series of dates that introduce her to the ways of prostitution and bad business deals. Things change when Kim meets Lance, who treats the girl to a softer brand of manipulation, gifting her romantic feelings and bumps of cocaine, keeping her busy with higher quality clients. Growing from a hooker to an escort, everything’s going great for Kim until she meets a ghoul who wants to chain her up in his hotel room, with their scuffle resulting in a dead body and a newfound bloodlust from the character, submitting to Lance’s demand that she murder selected targets for money, which effectively spins “Malibu High” into a completely different direction.

Troubling psychological areas are ripe for exploration, but director Irvin Berwick doesn’t show interest in therapy, filling the feature with nudity and cartoon showdowns instead. It’s all highly amusing, and the move from bare breasts to bullets is quite engaging, watching Lance pressure Kim into assassinations, only to see her enjoy the process and its monetary rewards. “Malibu High” teases slasher formula, which gives it an unusual edge, moving away from carnal delights to a body count, watching Kim gradually lose control of the situation as she learns to true power of a gun.

Production accomplishments are few, with the feature keeping to a low-budget presence. Most curious is the use of “canned music” to help fill out the aural possibilities of the picture. It’s one thing to hear bland orchestral support to help dramatics reach their full potential, but “Malibu High” pipes in “The People’s Court” theme for its grand finale, triggering unintended laughs. Also amusing are electronic empowerment stings when Kim snaps backs at her challengers, most famously found on “SCTV” as station ID music.

Malibu High Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as "Newly scanned and restored from a 35mm original camera negative," and the results bring out the best in "Malibu High." Vinegar Syndrome does a fantastic job refreshing to feature for Blu-ray, offering depth of detail that does well with facial particulars, capturing all sorts of aging and thespian limitations, and textures are appealing on costuming. Distances are preserved as well, setting the coastal mood. Colors are accurate and alive, with distinct primaries and natural skintones. Wilder disco hues are also cared for. Delineation is tight. Grain is fine and filmic. Source is in good shape, with only a few blips of chemical damage that don't disrupt the viewing experience.

Malibu High Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix delivers the essentials for "Malibu High," which is mostly dialogue-driven, finding dramatic exchanges easy to follow, with reasonably stable voices. Overall sound recording quality isn't a priority for the production, leaving the track to more echoed and muffled extremes at times. Music is supportive and full. Atmospherics are blunt and repetitive.

Malibu High Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features producer Lawrence Foldes and actress Tammy Taylor.

• "Making 'Malibu High'" (26:40, HD) sits down with Foldes to discuss the making of his debut feature, which was put together for $56,000 while he was just exiting his teen years. Foldes is candid about the production and casting accomplishments, sharing tales of difficulties with star Jill Lansing, who became demanding as the shoot carried on, while refusing to appear on the poster unless she was paid a large sum of money. Foldes explores his educational history and early entry into Hollywood dealmaking, finding Crown International to be a shady but effective distributor. Foldes also discusses the effort's use of canned music and industry popularity, with director John Landis and Quentin Tarantino professing their fandom.

• "Playing Annette" (12:42, HD) catches up with Taylor, who details her entrance into the film business and shares her thoughts on co-stars, admitting to a degree of intimidation around Lansing. Taylor seems surprised but delighted with the movie's cult longevity, and offers humorous memories of the "Malibu High" theatrical release, with her friends and family shocked by the picture's content.

• "Playing the Boss" (14:51, HD) discuses "Malibu High" with co-star Garth Pillsbury, who's another cast member slightly bewildered by the feature's appeal. Pillsbury walks through his early career, using advice from Bruce Dern to help score television gigs (including the "Mirror, Mirror" episode of "Star Trek") before finding his way into movies, including the lead role in Russ Meyer's "Vixen." Pillsbury has some "Malibu High" anecdotes to share, and he explores his time away from acting, spending decades as a crime scene photographer.

• "New Beverly Q&A" (27:02, SD) reunites Foldes, Taylor, and co-star Alex Mann for a pre and post-screening conversation about "Malibu High," recorded in 2006.

• Short Films "Struggle for Israel" (19:57, HD – 1976) and "Grandpa & Marika (11:07, HD – 1975), directed by Foldes.

• Promotional Still Gallery collects documents, BTS pictures, and newspaper scans from the production launch and theatrical release of "Malibu High."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:17, HD) has been included.

Malibu High Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Malibu High" isn't quality work, but it does commit to its insanity, asking perhaps too much of the cast as the story mashes titillation with murder, finding Lansing (in her one and only acting gig) somewhat lacking when it comes to expressions of horror. But Berwick keeps the effort moving along, successfully jumping over tonal hurdles as he serves up disco, salacious behavior, and shoot-outs, delivering an unconventional endeavor that covers lackluster production polish with sheer lunacy.