Hostage High (1997)

Such a frustrating disappointment

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

I was a Junior at Lindhurst High when this tragic event took place. How dare you people imply that Mr. Brens flunked Eric on purpose and kept him from graduating. Tell it how it is? How do you know what it is? Did you personally know Eric Houston? Did you know Mr. Brens? No body deserves to be killed just cause you didn't graduate from High School. As far as I can see Eric didn't pull his weight in class and show that he was learning the material to deserve a passing grade. I know how it is to be lazy and not do the work or turn assignments in. I'm lucky I even graduated. But to say that this movie didn't tell the truth in the real life event is a load of crap. I lost really good friends due to Eric's selfishness. The movie was pretty good at depicting what happened that day but in all made from real life movies there is a caption at the beginning that states "taken from real life events but names and situations may be changed". The only problem I had with the people who put this film together was that they gave the bad guy (Rick Schroder) the name of one of Eric Houston's victims Jason (White). Talk about bad taste, how can you over look that? Rest In Peace Jason, Beamon, Judy, and Mr. Brens. You did not deserve to be taken from us so soon. Go Blazers....Class of 1993

This is one movie that will never be forgotten in my mind. Rick Schroder commanded the screen with his performance, and the entire cast brought you into their terrified thoughts and feelings for 2 terrifying hours. A must-see movie for anyone willing to give up 2 hours of their time and a lot of tears!! I keep checking to see when it will come on again, so that my husband can watch it with me. Don't get up for anything when you finally get the chance to watch it, or you will miss something. The only thing I wish they had done was give us a little more background into Jason's past high school experiences. Whether it was at the beginning of the movie, or in flashbacks. That would have made him just a little more "Connectible" to the audience. But it was a fantastic movie all the way around! BRAVO!!!

SPOILER This is a really good movie, great acting all around. It deals with a school shooting back in the early nineties with a guy who looks an awful lot like Kurt Cobain. The hostage negotiator had to talk him down and make him believe he would only get 4 years. It is all very sad when we see that he was put on death row. That makes the ending a bit of a downer.

I'm not one for the movie-of-the-week genre, but this film was surprisingly good, and it's not only for the reason that Freddie Prinze Jr. is one of my favorie actors.Shortly before Christmas, Jason Copeland (Rick Schroeder) decides to take out his pent-up revenge on Johnson High School, which he failed out of a year earlier. He enters the school heavily armed and begins firing shots, with no intention to kill anyone, and takes 80 students hostage in the music room. One of them Aaron Sullivan, is a troubled student, much like Jason, who soon becomes the middleman to Jason and makeshift hostage negotiator/small town cop/unlikely hero Skip Fine (Henry Winkler, in one of his many great performances). Aaron must speak to Skip on the phone, explain Jason's demands, and keep his classmates alive. He'll be a hero if he can accomplish these tasks, but can Skip help him to break through to Jason?The performances in this film are exceptional for a TV-movie. At times, I found myself huddling up, especially the part when Jason puts the gun to a crying Samantha's (Katie Wright) head. He forces lookouts into the hallway, and insists that a cop entering the school or a student fleeing will result in bloodshed. I was so scared every time a student fled going to the bathroom. I was particularly freaked out when Darren, the sole African-American student, was killed being selfless by protecting a classmate. My heart skipped a beat as his determined, hysterical mother tried to find out of Darren was alive. We also saw glimpses of Aaron's scared mother, hoping that her son stays one step ahead of Jason to keep himself and his classmates alive. Freddie Prinze Jr. puts on an incredible performance, and looked so young (he still does). He was only about 20 years old then (my age), and I'm glad a better hairstyle was forthcoming for him. Henry Winkler is a great actor, and he's just the kind of unlikely hero you'd expect. In my opinion, casting on his part was a great decision.If you like true-life dramas (this was based on reality), and like to see an unlikely individual prevail, then this is a great movie for you. It's well-written and smart, and you'll be left cheering for Prinze and Winkler. Rick Schroeder also puts on a great performance, and can scare and shake up the most unnerved person (myself included). If you can find this movie at your video store, definitely pick it up.