In my household it is Spring Break, that yearly reprieve of the daily grind of high school. We’ve all been through high school and know what this time of the year meant to each of us, a little more sleep, and a lot more downtime and the perfect time to catch up on some high school movies you may want to discover.

There are the classics we all know – Clueless, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Breakfast Club, Mean Girls and of course my favorite Dazed and Confused, two of these became musicals, why do they do that? Anyway, I have compiled this short list of 3 high school movies that should definitely be in your study guide.

First up we have Heathers a movie directed by Michael Lehman from a script by Daniel Waters which stars Winona Ryder and Christian Slater and was released in 1989. Interestingly enough this movie was also made into a musical, hmmm who knew?

Heathers is a pitch-black teen comedy that blends high school drama with biting social satire and a body count. The story follows Veronica Sawyer (Ms. Ryder), a smart but conflicted teen who’s grown disillusioned with her place in the ruling clique of popular girls, who are all named Heather. When she falls for the charming new bad boy, J.D.(Christian Slater), their flirtation turns deadly as he begins “removing” the people who make high school unbearable for many.

On the surface Heathers could be an effective horror movie but this movie injects so much smart yet admittedly dark humor that the heavier it becomes the funnier it gets. That in a nutshell is how a great dark comedy works for the record. The performance of Winona Ryder stands out as she is the perfect vantage point by which every element of this story unfolds.

Heathers can be streamed for free on Amazon, Pluto and a few other sites and should be in the conversation when discussing great high school movies.

Do you like the Ramones? Well if not, you should. Rock n Roll High School was directed by Allan Arkush from a script by Richard Whitley, Russ Dvonch and Joseph McBride, it stars The Ramones, the 70 & 80’s icon PJ Soles, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard (Ron’s brother).

Part camp, part farce, and all fun Rock ‘n’ Roll High School is a wild, anarchic musical comedy set in the halls of Vince Lombardi High (that alone is awesome), a school where rock and rebellion are on the curriculum.

The story centers on Riff (clever) Randell (P.J. Soles), the school’s biggest rock fan and a devotee of the Ramones. She dreams of handing her songs directly to the band and living her life by the power of rock ‘n’ roll. But when Miss Togar played by Mary Woronov arrives as the new principal, a strict authoritarian who believes rock music is corrupting the youth, she clashes with Riff’s free-spirited ways.

When Togar bans rock music from the school, Riff and her friends rise up, culminating in a full-blown teenage rebellion. With the Ramones themselves joining the fight, the students take over the school, throw an epic concert, and eventually blow the whole place up in the name of rock.

Okay it’s not exactly the School of Rock but any fan of The Ramones and teenage hijinks will find themselves watching this under the radar classic more than once.

Amazon and other streaming platforms offer Rock n Roll High School for free so consider your homework assignment to watch this lost classic.

Back in the early 80’s when cable television became available this movie was one that got a lot of rotation and to certain aged folks (hint, old people) The Hollywood Knights was part of our everyday vernacular, sing with me “Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia. He was an English guy who came to fight the Turkish.”

The Hollywood Knights is clearly inspired by American Graffiti but with a much broader approach. Directed and written by Floyd Mutrux it stars Robert Wuhl, Fran Drescher, Tony Danza, and Michelle Pfeifer in her movie debut.

The Hollywood Knights has been described as a raucous, raunchy teen comedy set over the course of one wild night in 1965. The story follows the mischief and mayhem of a rebellious car club as they bid farewell to their favorite hangout Tubby’s Drive-In, which is being shut down by uptight city officials and community elites who see the local youth culture as a menace. Seeing a pattern here?

Led by the fast-talking prankster Newbomb Turk (again, great name) played by Wuhl, the Knights spend the night causing chaos across Beverly Hills, from outrageous gags to run-ins with the police, emotional moments with friends shipping off to Vietnam, and unexpected goodbyes. Amidst the antics are glimpses of young love, sexual misadventures, and the bittersweet feeling of a changing era.

As in many movies of this era, Tubby’s closing marks more than the end of a burger joint but symbolizes the fading spirit of youth culture and the dawn of a more serious, turbulent time in America. Don’t worry it’s still funny and there are much worse ways to spend 90 minutes.

The Hollywood Knights is available for $4 on a few streaming sites. Give it a shot, you won’t be disappointed.