Something of a disappointment.
Cooley High (1975)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:9
Fresh:7
Rotten:2
Average Rating:6.4/10
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Michael Schultz (CAR WASH, GREASED LIGHTNING) directs this refreshing coming-of-age picture, focusing on the lives of two 1964 Chicago high school seniors as they prepare for adulthood. Cochise... Michael Schultz (CAR WASH, GREASED LIGHTNING) directs this refreshing coming-of-age picture, focusing on the lives of two 1964 Chicago high school seniors as they prepare for adulthood. Cochise (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs) is a basketball star and Preach (Glynn Turman) is his scholarly best friend. Together, with their pals Willie, Pooter, and Tyrone, the boys spend their days running around the city, pulling off an endless string of harmless scams. But when they agree to go for a joyride in a car that Stone (Sherman Smith) and Robert (Norman Gibson) have stolen, their previously carefree existence takes a turn for the dramatic. This also threatens Preach's relationship with the beautiful Brenda (Cynthia Davis), who he has finally begun to woo. By the time their actions have caught up with them (in the form of the police, as well as Stone and Robert), it might be too late to escape. Schultz's film, which owes an obvious debt to AMERICAN GRAFFITI (and which also inspired the television series WHAT'S HAPPENING?), boasts an unforgettable vintage Motown soundtrack. It also features a standout ensemble performance, including two sparkling performances by Turman and Hilton-Jacobs in the lead roles. [More]
Starring: Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Glynn Turman, Garrett Morris, Cynthia Davis
Starring: Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Glynn Turman, Garrett Morris, Cynthia Davis, Corin Rogers, Maurice Leon Havis
Director: Michael Schultz
Director: Michael Schultz
Screenwriter: Eric Monte
Producer: Steve Krantz
Composer: Freddie Perren
Reviews for Cooley High
Sometimes engaging comical and poignant black experience high school teen flick.
The film's resistance of pathos starts to feel not just counterintuitive, but also a little ghoulish
A crafty and cunning black teen comedy that exudes a slick urban giddiness...an ethnically irreverent big screen answer to television's Happy Days
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