“All American High Revisited” is a documentary shot in 1984 and released in 1987 to limited markets. It found a brief life on PBS in that year, but would later vanish. 30 years later, the documentary returns with a fresh coda to make sense of where the years have gone. Rebels are now law enforcers, Young Republicans have opened up to the full spectrum of political reality and the foreign exchange student still thinks we are weird as hell. Over 82 minutes, you’ll realize that some personalities are eternal. As an audience, we’ll also get a nostalgic trip back to a time where America was a little more awkward.
Whether it be proms held in malls, keg parties or faux marriages to teach responsibility, we can all share in the realization that High School is pretty stupid. The newer footage is the best where you get to see how reality crushed everyone. The metal head that became a California Highway Patrol officer says a lot about the current state of American law enforcement. Everyone else seems sad and wistful. I wish we had more time spent with the exchange student. But, that would’ve made this documentary entirely into something else.
The DVD comes with no special features. The A/V Quality is strong for a documentary. The older footage could’ve stood to be cleaned up a bit. But, who knows if the original negative is still in working condition? In the end, it’s worth a purchase.
Release Date: 9/15/15