Hot Times at Montclair High

(Jose Altonaga, USA, 1989)

Teen Movie Revision Checklist

‘Hollywood Studios’ and ‘Vesmark Pictures’ present ‘A Mark Simpson Film’ (he’s the writer-producer, not the director).

Start: pan along bedroom; a collective up-in-the-morning montage.

A sport vs. learning problem for the hero, blonde Sean (Ross Hamilton).

Bespectacled nerd (Johnathan Gorman as Ziggy), a little like Eddie Bracken from 1940s Preston Sturges films.

Fantasies about the science teacher (cf. Martha Coolidge’s Joy of Sex, 1983).

School corridor, with lockers.

Girls who love to party.

A rock star and his “bad” world (= anti-drug message); bad influence on Sean’s girlfriend, Jenny (Kim Valentine).

Ensemble cast.

Slightly lascivious teachers and Principal (= guest: Troy Donahue).

Nice Guy teacher.

Japanese photography teacher?!

Metal-ish theme song.

Safe Sex gag: small, medium and large condoms. (Somebody brings extra-large.)

Friendship forms between the tough (Brent Jasmer as Jason) and Ziggy, and eventually between Sean and Jason, thus forming a trio.

Phrase for fight-baiting: “Bring it on!”

Perving on the girls’ showers.

A nice girl’s shame: sex & drugs.

Sexual paradoxes & transformations: nerd to stud; virgin to whore; cad to romantic.

Violent proletarian father of the tough kid: he eventually mellows.

Transformation of the nerd Ziggy into a cool stud.

Thriller/action/criminal world element: boat raid.

German repairman and Spanish secretary (“Big lich / leak” joke).

Homo perv and an ignited fart.

Communal resolution on Graduation Day.

Big lead-up to final gag: usual disruption of order; throwing of hats into the air.

Postscript 1: IMDb user comment (2007): “It’s a lot like all the other teen films”.

Postscript 2: Director Jose Altonaga has most recently made the horror film Reawakened (2018) and the music telemovie Take it from the Top (2017).

© Adrian Martin October 1990