August 27, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • Page 17 ‘High School Confidential’ condemns drug-hazed youth by Dennis Seuling “High School Confidential” (Olive Films) is a curiosity from 1959 starring Russ Tamblyn, who would go on to star in “West Side Story” three years later. Tam- blyn is Tony Baker, the new kid at Santa Bello High School, whose cocky attitude and ambitious marijuana peddling enable him to infiltrate the gang of local narcot- ics boss Mr. A (Jackie Coogan), who owns a club where the kids hang out. Taking its name from the controversial tell-all maga- zine of the era, the film stokes the flames of Eisenhower America’s paranoia about juve- nile delinquency, rock ’n’ roll, marijuana, and good kids gone bad. This fast-paced picture appears to con- demn certain vices while making them the centerpiece and primary box-office draw. Tamblyn’s Tony does everything he can to thumb his nose at authority, including lighting up a joint in the principal’s office, flaunting a switchblade, and sneering at nearly every adult. This is a kid bound for the slammer and eager to get there. Director Jack Arnold, whose claim to fame is several Universal horror films such as “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” “It Came from Outer Space,” and “The Incred- ible Shrinking Man,” pulls out all the stops to make “High School Confidential” as flamboyant and anti-establishment as pos- sible. He relies on clichés such as the pro- gressive school teacher (Jan Sterling) who insists there is good in Tony, a gang leader (John Drew Barrymore, Drew Barrymore’s father) with swagger, and the promiscuous blonde (Mamie Van Doren). There is even a character reciting a dopey poem about the downfall of youth. Jerry Lee Lewis (as himself) gives a rousing performance of the title song, and Michael Landon makes a brief appearance. Today, the movie elicits lots of unintended laughs, making it very entertaining. Stylistically, it falls some- where between the over-the-top hysteria of “Reefer Madness” and the teen angst of “Rebel without a Cause.” There are no bonuses on the new widescreen Blu-ray edition. “The Love Punch” (Ketchup Entertain- ment) is a romantic caper about middle- aged British divorced couple Richard (Pierce Brosnan) and Kate (Emma Thomp- son) who, after their pension is stolen by an unscrupulous businessman, reunite to steal it back. Set in France, the film benefits from excellent chemistry between the stars and breathtaking location photography. Writer/director Joel Hopkins does not pro- vide many surprises, but the story is pleas- ant and includes some quirky supporting characters (Timothy Spall, Celia Imrie), a couple of very funny set pieces, and a light- hearted feel reminiscent of 1930s screwball Mamie Van Doren and Russ Tamblyn in ‘High School Confidential.’ comedies. Thompson and Brosnan make a great screen couple, whether bickering, reminiscing, waxing nostalgic, or conspir- ing to get revenge. There are no extras on the DVD release. “Queen Margot” (Cohen Media), based on the Alexandre Dumas novel, takes place in 1572 France. Marguerite de Valois (Isa- belle Adjani) has just married King Henri (continued on Crossword page)