|
||||||
|
|
The other 35th anniversary – Cooley High
The film, which was written by Eric Monte, who I dealt with recently on S & A (HERE) deals with a group of black high school friends living, loving and learning about life in Chicago in 1964. It was seen at the time as a low budget black version of George Lucas’ American Graffiti, and to be honest, that was the selling point of the film. But why not? Not every kid in America grew up in Montecito, California, surrounded by hot rods and blonds in bikinis. That’s fantasy land. Cooley High dealt with the real world and it’s considered by many as an endearing classic of black cinema.
However not by me. I have to say that I was never crazy about this film. A lot of baby boomer black folks love (and I mean LOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEE) this film. Not me. I wasn’t crazy about it when it came out and I’m not crazy about it today. First of all it doesn’t have Jim Brown or Fred Williamson beating up viciously racist white guys and sleeping with every chick they meet, so Cooley High wasn’t high on my list back then. Also, I suspect that the film means a lot to people for whom high school was a wonderful experience. You know those people. I bet you can’t stand them either. The ones who were voted the most popular, knew every hit song and every new dance, was on every sports team and who all the girls were crazy about. Let’s just say that high school for me was pretty much the opposite of that experience, so I could never really relate to the film. But I’ll bet you’re one of those who likes it. Tell us why… And here a brief trailer for the film: 14 comments to The other 35th anniversary – Cooley High |
  
|
||||
|
Copyright © 2010 Shadow And Act - All Rights Reserved  View in: Mobile | Standard
|
||||||
Just recently I wrote a piece about this week being the 35th anniversary of the release of Jaws and the impact (for good and perhaps mainly for bad) it had on the film industry (Read 
I remember this film fondly. The party scene was a classic and why I, to this day, don’t allow people to dance too close to my china closet.
Okay I ran with the “popular” kids in high school, got plenty of action from the ladies hung out with the cheerleaders and pom pom girls and knew all the latest dance steps and drove and rode in the latest cars. I had the huge afro and all my buddies did too. But that is not the reason “I like-ted dat moofie”.
I have old 8mm films of the Chicago high school “Class of ‘64″ in my family film archives. My older cousins and siblings were chronicled on the old format (today it would of course be video) so I could relate to a scripted Hollywood format version of what they dealt with back then. I remember the social inheritance they lived with and the pop cultural icons from old 45 records in my basement and films and photos from their era. So Cooley High was like the missing piece to what they were up to back then when their parents weren’t around.
Sergio, you blasphemer!!!! Aarrgghhh!!!
That’s my middle name
LOL!!
I absolutely love this movie. The green and white CTA buses….wow….Life was good.
Great film!!
This was THE high school movie back in the day. I don’t think the film is a statement about popular kids or great high school life in general. If you watch the film and pay attention to what the characters are going through I don’t think the majority of us had police chases in cars but the antics in the classroom and high school life in general are experiences many of us can, even if somewhat indirect, relate to.
The tragedy of the film’s basketball star, killed by the hoodlum, was a statement to the existence of black people in America that even when opportunity grabs you from the grip of poverty, despair, and hopelessness there are your own people who will make sure you don’t succeed. The truth is stranger than fiction part is this actually happened to Ben Wilson, basketball star and Simeon student.
He had a full scholarship to U of I and was gunned down on 83rd Street not far from Simeon right before the first day of his senior year in 1984. To honor his memory and the remind young black men that black on black violence is not the answer, Nike released this TV ad in 1997:
“One out of every five black men die before they reach the age of twenty-five.
That was Benji’s number. Benji was the first in Chicago history to ever be named top high school player in the nation, right before he was gunned down.
But you know what? Benji’s not dead: Benji’s spirit lives on in every jump shot.
Remember: Shoot over brothas, not at them.”
Maybe teachers can show the 35th anniversary release of Cooley High in their classrooms, in community centers, and in summer movie outdoor festivals. The death toll on young black men continues to rise. The film is a reminder that no matter how much things change some things remain the same. Cooley High was torn down. Look at what’s happening right now in Chicago with schools being closed and turned into charters. Look at the high rates of gun violence against young people. As a high school teacher I can at least pray that my kids stay safe and I encourage them to enjoy high school as much as possible but things have changed so much since Cooley High and when we were sitting in the desks of Chicago Public High Schools.
Guess what? I went to Kenwood High School in Chicago ( back when it was BRAND new) and I’m STILL not crazy about this film.
In fact I was invited recently to some big class reunion and I absolutely refused to go. I have no interest in seeing those rat bastards again who made my life miserable. You’ve evidently one of those for whom high school was a Disneyland
Wait a minute I forgot! There is a high school movie that I can relate to.
CARRIE!
Especially the big climax where she burns down the school and everyone in it. Talk about wish fulfillment!
Cheerleader, pretty girl, someone actually told me the guys had pictures of me pinned up in their lockers. High school wasn’t Disneyland but South Shore was way too much fun. Damn Serge, hot pants, mini skirts, dashikis, big fros, platform shoes. Hey you even had a fro going on there for a while. I’ve concluded that you just can’t help yourself hating on people who had fun in high school but you were ahead of your time so I still luv ya in spite of yourself!
“…you even had a fro going on there for a while”
I don’t know what picture you saw. I started to lose my hair at 17
They’re going to remake this, aren’t they. T_T
This movie came out the year my mother graduated from high school, and she had fond memories of this film. So it was a staple in my house growing up in Chicago in the 80s when this movie came on tv, we watched it. My high school experience was opposite of the guys in Cooley High, being at South Shore in the 90s was different and lonely, I transferred my senior year, and that was another experience in itself, all I can say is Boy am I glad I survived it and it is over! No could pay me enough to go back and experience those lessons again.