Cooley High is a can’t miss, cinematic slice of life of ’60s African American teen culture. Directed by Michael Schultz (Car Wash, The Last Dragon, Krush Groove) and written by Eric Monte (co-creator of Good Times), based on his own real life experiences, it presages later classics such as Boyz n’ the Hood and Menace II Society with it’s verite depiction of growing up black in America. Preach and Cochise are our main characters, and they face everyday teen issues like love, heartbreak, getting good grades and occasionally violence, all the while having their journey soundtracked by Motown classics. Serving as a loose inspiration for the sitcom What’s Happening!! that was to come later, Cooley High offers a grittier take on what it’s like for our heroes to try to struggle and survive in the big city, while also having the time of their lives, as they are filled with youthful exuberance and not a care for what lies ahead in adulthood.
“A clear-eyed, funny, loving and deeply touching re-action of adolescent life on Chicago’s near North Side in 1964.” – The New York Times
“Like a good hangout movie should, Cooley High feels fully lived-in, and thanks to the talented cast of mostly unknowns (some of whom would go on to long careers, although most didn’t), even its minor characters have their stories to tell.” – Craig J. Clark, The Dissolve
Marc Edward Heuck discusses Cooley High on the New Beverly blog.
