The Teacher

Awful! Awesome! Awful and Awesome!
*PLEASE NOTE THERE ARE SERIOUS SPOILERS AT THE END OF THIS REVIEW*

This teacher-student seduction/psycho stalker tale starts out well enough that I actually thought it was going to be a genuinely good movie (as opposed to good sleaze) but is fairly quickly derailed by almost uniformly horrendous acting and some fairly idiotic plot developments. Still, the opening is memorable: a quick pan from a boat in a harbor with the name "Diane" to a dilapidated 3 or 4 story industrial building facing the docks, and a close-up on the crazy face of Ralph (Anthony James), closing up a red coffin that he keeps in a half-open room on the top floor. Ralph races downstairs to his white, circa 1960 hearse (the coffin/hearse thing are never explained) and off to stop outside of a school. There he witnesses Diane (Angel Tompkins) say goodbye to 2 boys, but Ralph only has eyes for the beautiful young teacher, as the title comes up and the terribly cheesy theme song "The Teacher", sung by Jackie...

A drive-in classic and one of my favorite films
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT A DVD-R as another "reviewer" has said!! I first saw "The Teacher" at a drive-in theatre in Georgia in the summer of 1981. It is a drive-in classic and one of my favorite films. I longed for a video release, which finally happened several years later. Then, upon moving to England in 1999, I unfortunately had to leave my treasured video copy behind. Just recently, I was thrilled to discover it is available on DVD. I have recently purchased a multiregion player, so I ordered the film on DVD and had it shipped to me in England. I can truthfully say that I didn't think I would ever see this wonderful film again. The DVD contains a sparkling copy of the film, but unfortunately, offers few extras, not even the original trailer. But, I'm just happy to be able to watch the film again!! Lovely Angel Tompkins shines brightly as the teacher and really carries the film and the casting of child star Jay North of the 1950's t.v. classic "Dennis The Menace" fame, as her...

Fortunately Angel Tompkins Takes Off Her Top Early and Often In the Movie
One of those movies that gives 1970s film-making a bad name. It also
gives us a topless Angel Tompkins, the return of Anthony James (the
"Fowl Owl" on-the-prowl diner counterman from "In the Heat of the
Night"), and the strangulation murder of Jay North (the fulfillment of
every long-suffering "Dennis the Menace" viewer's fantasy).

From a budget and production value perspective this thing is about as
rough as they get; even "Billy Jack" looks stylish and slick in
comparison.. It looks like they shot it over a long three-day weekend.
The score is so bad that it is actually amusing. When you figure 1974
was the heyday of groups like Deep Purple" and "The Allman Brothers"
you wonder where they found someone still composing lounge music.

Given the recent activities of several young female teachers the main
story is fairly credible although it was probably inconceivable and
exploitative back in 1974. And teacher...

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