Three O’Clock High (1987)

A box-office disappointment, Three O’Clock High is a kind of high school high noon in which mild-mannered Jerry Mitchell (a pre-Young Guns Casey Siemaszko) accidentally offends new kid Buddy (Richard Tyson), who is rumored to be a dangerous psychopath. When Jerry makes the mistake of touching Buddy, Buddy informs him that they will fight after school — at three o’clock.

Released at a time of comparatively sunny teen ’80s movies, Phil Joanou’s Three O’Clock High stands out for its dark atmosphere and an ambitious soundtrack by Tangerine Dream.

The film’s failure (in theaters) has a silver lining. While he made it, Joanou met U2, who enlisted him to direct their 1988 concert/road movie Rattle and Hum.