Michael Blake Movies

In this over-the-top comedy, a group of rowdy high-school students -- whose idea of a good time is throwing a wild party at the home of Principal Moss (Matt Frewer) while he's busy at school -- winds up in detention. As punishment, they're instructed to write an essay on what's wrong with America's educational system. The class brain, stuck in detention with the partiers, comes up with a well-written piece that's sent to the president of the U.S. The president is so impressed that he invites the students to Washington, D.C., to speak before Congress. Sen. John Lerman (Lawrence Z. Dane), one of the president's chief rivals, knows the truth about the students, and he seconds the idea of bringing them to Washington, certain that their behavior will embarrass the president. Principal Moss, sex-starved teacher Tracy Milford (Valerie Mahaffey), and drug-addled bus driver Red (Tommy Chong) load the troublemakers onto a bus and hit the road for the nation's capitol -- and mayhem ensues. National Lampoon's Senior Trip was helmed by Kelly Makin, who also directed the TV series Kids in the Hall; Kevin McDonald, a former Kid in the Hall, has a small part as a deranged crossing guard. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The kids of DeGrassi Junior High anxiously prepare for graduation as the series enters its third season. In the one-hour opener, Spike (Amanda Stepto) returns to school after having her baby -- and makes a grim point of ignoring Shane (Billy Parrott), the baby's father. In later episodes, Shane's anguish turns to agony resulting in a spectacular suicide attempt. In other events of the season, Wheels (Neil Hope) moves in with his grandparents after his mom and dad are killed by a drunk driver; Arthur (Duncan Waugh) thinks he's set for life when his mom wins a million-dollar lottery; Paul (Michael Blake), new boyfriend of series regular Lucy (Anais Granofsky), falsely tells everyone that he's had sex with her; Snake (Stefan Brogren) finds out that his older brother is gay; Erica (Angela Deiseach) ducks out of a date by asking her twin sister Heather (Maureen Deiseach) to fill in for her; and Michelle (Maureen McKay) incurs her parents' wrath when she starts dating her black classmate BLT (Dayo Ade). As expected, the season ends with a dance in honor of the student's graduation -- but what is not expected is the disaster that befalls DeGrassi Junior High before the night is over! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide