User reviews

You don't go into seeing this one with any grandiose notions, and, if you are like me, you should be pleasantly surprised that this is one of those vintage "bad" movies that is just loads of fun to sit through. Kim Bentley loses her boyfriend and so she begins failing her classes, etc... when she decides to become a prostitute and then later an assassin picking up booze, weed, and coke along the way. Jill Lansing appearing in what seems to be her only screen credit gives a credible performance as the "hooker to hit girl" as she frequently disrobes and lets her breasts get lots of air, seduces two of her teachers for grades, and runs a profitable business from the back of her pimp's van. We get lots of stereotypes here and the plot is pretty threadbare when it comes to anything other than giving us lurid and "shocking" behaviours to be witnessed. The rest of the cast is better-than-average for a movie of this ilk, and I laughed out loud several times at the bizarre going ons and what I was suppose(perhaps not) to take seriously. In addition to all this Kim has a few hazy flashbacks about her father hanging himself. Malibu High is sleazy and fun - and entertaining. It has what you would expect in a picture like this but packages it well. As some have noted the soundtrack is weird to say the least as we get an instrumental People's Court theme used in a most inopportune moment and that bizarre SCTV strident tone used when something significant is being conveyed - at least that is what the director is trying to convey.

Yes, I know the bad rep this movie carries, which if you're an anti-social type, this ones right up your alley. It's one of the stylish qualities in this sex drama pic, that has a lot of fluff, where we are so appreciative to see all of our anti social's goodies. Her grades are plummeting and she's carrying a grudge, regarding her ex. She graduating in prostitution, and getting involved with drugs, as well as bribing teachers, with her body, to boost up those bad grades. Her middle aged pimp, and her sleazy connection dump her, where it's here she snaps, finally graduating in attempted murder. You do feel a smidgen sorry for her. I'll be honest, I liked the film more than I hated it. It does have some nice lengthy sex scenes, and watching our anti social f..k up give her ex's new lover the finger, I must admit I didn't expect it. You be the judge of this one.

Jill Lansing, the main lead in this grindhouse gave a excellent performance but sadly it was her only movie she played in. Never heard of seen her again. And let me tell you that this is pure grindhouse. In the first minute Kim (Jill Lansing) wakes up , naked of course and the first thing she does is putting on a fag. Imagine this in today's film standards. The clothes, hair, even the score is so typical for that era, men, do I love those flicks. After Kim is dumped by her boyfriend for a rich girl she's on the loose. School doesn't work and she just don't care. But without any money she decides after a disco night (listen and watch it) to become another woman. One that teachers don't dare to flunk because she's seducing and making love to them. But Kim goes a bit further and goes into the world of hookers. Naturally, things go awry for Kim. You don't watch it for the acting because some are really wooden. The editing, sound and vision was really well for a grindhouse. The so-called erotic scene's are a bit dull, you just see the acting but anyhow you still want to know what is going to happen to Kim. And Kim does gives the breast, sorry, best she can. The ending is a bit weird, you can see it coming but how the cops arrive at the beach is still a bit weird. I mean, no cell phones in those days. I surely recommend it to the grindhouse geeks out there, you won't regret it.

OK, this is a B movie. Let's just start there and realize that this film is just not a great piece of cinema. Now, knowing that, we can move forward. This is the best film of its type there is. Here's the synopsis. Girl is in high school. Girl's mother suggests that she get a job. Girl becomes prostitute. Girl kills pimp. Girl becomes HitGirl-for-the-Mob. Lots of other subplots to keep you entertained. Probably too many. But the lines in this groaner are worth the price of admission, if you can find it anywhere. "I'm a hooker - not a hitgirl!". Come on! Does it get better than that? MH belongs in the Hall of Fame with Faster Pussycat Kill Kill, They Came From Within and Attack of the Killer Tomatos, and is the best of the bunch. This film is an A+ in the world of the B-.

It's definitely the best story I've ever seen about a girl who wants better grades and then becomes a prostitute and then becomes an assassin. Part of the excellent "Welcome to the Grindhouse" series complete with trailers for other good trash. This movie also contains the ODDEST music cues ever; one was used on the old SCTV and they also use the song that became "The People's Court" theme. Bad acting, unbelievable plotting make this is a "MUST OWN" for connoisseurs of bad cinema. The DVD is paired with "Trip with the Teacher" another grade Z champion seemingly "inspired" by "Last House on the Left." The entire "Welcome to the Grindhouse" is essential DVD.

As a teen, I saw this twice at the same drive-in a month after it was shown the first time. I remember the title was High School Hit Girl. I remember being angry that they scammed us into paying for the same movie twice but since the movie was part of triple features I wasn't that mad, (especially since I was with a girl I was hot for the second time.) Amazingly this movie not only had a plot but it made sense too. For a drive in movie, it wasn't bad.

Kim Bentley (Jill Lansing) is a slacker chick whose apathy for school and ambition has turned everyone against her. Her mother is disappointed in her and her boyfriend has dumped her for another girl. She's just happy ditching school and getting high with her air-headed friend, Lucy. One day, her local drug-pusher, Tony makes her a proposition that will make her more money. She becomes a hooker. She also starts sexually propositioning her male teachers in exchange for high grades. Soon she meets another pimp who steals her away from Tony and allows her to keep more of the money she's making as well as cars fancier than any of her teachers can afford. In exchange, in addition to hooking, she also has to become an assassin. All the while, Kim is still carrying a lot of anger for her ex and his new girlfriend.

Jill Lansing is amazing in this movie. She's not only gorgeous with a hot body. She shows more emotion than most actors in better movies. Lansing emotes, anger, apathy, happiness, jealousy, fear, sarcasm, etc. This is actually an enjoyable B movie that you don't mind watching to the end to see how it concludes. You actually care about the characters in this movie, mainly, Kim. Unfortunately, the ending is a big letdown as it just suddenly runs out of steam but it's still worth a look. Regardless, this actually looks like a movie Quentin Tarantino would have a field day recreating as a part of his grindhouse collection with all the hooker and assassin elements.

This film is really a surprise and not in a good way. It's about an alienated teenage girl who starts to lose respect for everything when her boyfriend dumps her. Rather than turn to drugs or cults, she turns to murder. It's incredible how quickly the change happens. Sounds like it might be entertaining on a trashy level but's it so amateurishly made, downbeat and cheap looking that it fails to impress. It is however somewhat amusing to watch as the main female character paints herself further and further into a corner and the unhappy men she leaves behind due to her very promiscuous behavior.

It's no wonder that the Drive-ins were drug, booze and party havens in the '70s with this type of fare being shown! Even with all of it's flaws, there is something I really like about this movie. The plot alone was what made me want to watch this hooter flick in the first place. High School flunky, turned Hooker, turned Hitgirl! When Kim gets bad grades, she seduces her Teachers and it escalates from there to becoming a full blown hooker. Not on the street mind you, but in the back of a van! What more of a classic Drive-in masterpiece could this be? The acting is awful and stiff. Speaking of stiff, the sex scenes are almost, if not worse than the acting! The camera work looks more like a home movie than a theatrical presentation. The fashions in this movie look more like mid '70s than 1979 fashion. What really cracks me up is when Kim (Jill Lansing) decides to become a hooker and shows up to school in a halter top and mini skirt! Where did she get that mini skirt from? It looks like it was made of cardboard! Didn't anyone tell Kim that mini skirts were out of fashion by 1974? The other thing that makes me laugh about this movie is the music. It sounds like what you used to hear at the supermarket. That canned piped in music called "Muzak". It's not offensive, it just doesn't really suit the movie. At the same time though, it is what gives this movie it's charm. There are a couple of music selections I had heard before. One was the music that plays after Kim tells her Mom off. This music was used for the station identification on the comedy show SCTV, which ran in the early '80s here in Canada. The next selection was during the chase scene at the end. The music being used is the same music for the syndicated TV show "The People's Court" opening! The one thing that stands out in this movie is the 1971 Mustang convertible. It's the real star of the show! It is nice to see this version of Mustang caught on film forever without rust and holes all over it, which these cars were known for. If you like movies like "The Van", "The Pom Pom Girls", and "H.O.T.S.", you may find this movie disappointing. But if you are like me and can appreciate trash flicks like "The Lonely Lady" and "The Seduction", then you will enjoy this made-for-drive-in classic!

Worst Movies of ALL Time! Saw this twice in the early 80's on some dinky, weird station that my local Cablevision company had (channel 10) on LI.

There's just so much about this movie that's atrocious. It's a hoot all the way as the girl goes from HS renegade to killer. The sex scenes are not erotic, the "acting" is riotously bad and the music! No idea who the hell threw this crapola thing together but we should be grateful it's around.

Why more people who like BAD movies don't know about this one is beyond me!

When I watched this movie for the first and only time, I had no idea what I was in for. It was such a pile of crap that I had to write a review.

First of all, the cover completely misleads anyone who sees it into thinking this could be a comedy/feel good movie like Porky's. It's NOT! It's a story of a sad high school girl who turns to slutty ways to keep herself from flunking out, then gets herself a pimp to work for to earn her money to support her drug habits. She switches pimps to upgrade herself and eventually becomes a hit woman.

There is some nudity (not so great because Jill Lansing isn't attractive) and violence (tame by todays standards), no suspense, nobody with acting abilities, LOTS of bad acting, pretty much bad everything. Some of the awfulness is mildly laughable, but most is not. The most entertaining part is the Peoples Court theme song playing during the final chase sequence.

This would make a decent Mystery Science Theater movie and is only watchable if you have some other like minded people watching with you to help heckle.

Typical (bad) bad 70's movie.

Wow, Irv Berwick really went for it all. Unintentionally funny dialog around every corner, crazy femme fatale who has yet to graduate high school, and one of the most hilarious soundtracks in memory all equal a very enjoyable time. This is still a Crown International Picture, and is estimated to have been made for $56K ... and it shows. Production quality aside this is a gem of the Crown International oeuvre (is it fair attach a respectable name to their catalog?) and a must, must see for anyone seeking a horribly awesome movie. The main actress only ever acted in one movie and even that fact adds an air of mystery and mystique to the production.

Malibu High is a step above Trolls 2 in terms of actual quality, but it rivals the town of Nilbog for guilty pleasure-ness-ity.

Crown International Pictures were the producers behind this sleazy slice of low budget exploitation. At first I thought it was just another high school sex comedy along the lines of MALIBU BEACH and the first half hour or so certainly feels like one: we've got a young lead actress (Jill Lansing, who starred in just this one movie) who frequently disrobes for her copious sex scenes with middle aged men.

Lansing's character seduces all the local teachers to get better grades, but that's just the start. The film reveals her downward spiral as she becomes an assassin (!) working for the mob. Thus the latter half of the production attempts some pseudo-thriller elements, but they're handled so badly that you'll be laughing instead of thrilled.

The genre this brings most to mind are all those sensation movies from the 1930s that offered supposed warnings against booze and drugs; titles like SHE SHOULDA SAID NO! and THE MARIJUANA MENACE. Director Irvin Berwick had form, having previously shot HITCH HIKE TO HELL. MALIBU HIGH is a mess of a film, with poor acting and poorer production values; Lansing's performance in particular is one of the least convincing I've seen in a movie in a while. You might get a laugh or two out of it, but that'll be all.

You pretty well know what you are going to get with a first time actress in the lead, who vanishes after one film. You pretty much know what you are going to get with a script based on sensationalism and sex. What you don't know and certainly don't expect is that on strictly an exploitation entertainment level, "Malibu High" works. The fast pacing and likable characters hide most budget induced imperfections, and the California coastal locations add immeasurably. Graduating High School is a worthwhile incentive for Jill Lansing to seduce half the male faculty, work on her back in the back of a van, and eventually graduate, not from high school, but into the lucrative world of contract killing. All of this is so outrageous that it makes this "bad" movie actually good. - MERK

"Kim Bentley" (Jill Lansing) is a high school senior with a bad attitude. She is both undisciplined and lazy and because of that she is failing all of her classes and may not receive her high school diploma. To top it off her boyfriend "Kevin" (Stuart Taylor) has just dumped her for another girl named "Annette Ingersoll" (Tammy Taylor) who also happens to be the richest kid in school. This has made her angry, jealous and bitter. Realizing her situation she decides to reverse these circumstances by seducing her teachers in order to pass her classes so that she can graduate. Not long afterward she also decides to become a prostitute working for a pimp named "Tony" (Alex Mann). It's around this time that her destructive nature begins to spiral out-of-control without any concern by her for the consequences. Now although I didn't care much for the character of "Kim Bentley" I do think that Jill Lansing managed to play the part adequately enough all things considered. I also thought Tammy Taylor was kind of cute as well. But other than that I saw nothing in this film that was remotely interesting or entertaining. In essence it was a dull low-budget production and nothing more. For that reason I rate it as below average.

Tired of life? Kim(Jill Lansing) is having it rough in life. Her boyfriend dumped her for a rich girl, she has no money, her grades are bad, and her mother is less than helpful to her. She lost her father to suicide. Her friend says enough of her bellyaching. She meets up with a dealer named Tony. He helps her with the money. But Tony, is a jipper. He has her doing tricks with older men and cutting her pay. Kim meets another man. Pays her better, have her gone from prostitution to a hit woman. She confronted Tony, and terminates him. After killing those who have been thorns in her side, her last target was Annette's father and Annette, her ex's girlfriend. Trying to get things your way can be a plus or a minus. Kim just went a little too far there. This movie is a drive-in classic for the 1970's. More like a late night romp. I don't know yet if it's a cult classic, it could be. 2 out of 5 stars