This week’s edition of Eric’s Bad Movies at Film.com does indeed feature a horror of a different kind: “High School Musical.” As I hinted last week, “HSM” violates one of my rules in that it was a made-for-TV movie rather than a theatrical release. And I’m covering it this week because its second sequel is being released — theatrically this time — tomorrow.
I originally thought I’d cover both “HSM” and “HSM 2” in one column, but I wound up filling the whole space with just the first movie. That means I watched the second film FOR NO REASON. Surely there’s some way of writing that off on my taxes.
Close observers might have noticed that there are varying degrees of badness in Eric’s Bad Movies. “HSM” is bad, no question. It’s corny, simple-minded, and ridiculous. But it’s harmless, and the dance numbers are good. So I didn’t really bring out the heavy ammunition in my write-up the way I did for, say, “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.” (With “HSM,” the real horror comes in seeing it over and over again, as so many heroic parents of young children have had to do.)
Next week’s movie will definitely be Halloween-appropriate, but I haven’t settled on a specific title yet. I’ve got my eye on one that has one of the most absurd “monsters” I’ve ever heard of in a horror movie, but I need to watch it to make sure it’s as bad as it sounds.
