Customer Reviews

Class of 1984

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A piano playing prodigy with an evil punk attitude?

May seem a little light hearted from a far, but do not be fooled, CLASS OF 1984 is gritty, violent and blatant as it can be about it.

Lincoln High School is a tough school with an even tougher group of punks, filling the students and teachers alike with nothing but fear for who will stand up against a "supreme ruling senior" Stegman and his gang of misfits?

Enter Andy Norris (Perry King) a music teacher sent from a far more prestigious school to help reinvigorate Lincoln High's flailing music department. Filled with a sense of purpose Andy first comes across the musical prodigy Stegman and thinks he can help bevel Stegmans rough "punk" edges and churn out a brilliant pianist.

Much to Andy's surprise Stegman is not so easily swayed and lashes back against Andy in every way possible (let alone imaginable).

The gloves are off between students and teachers in CLASS OF 1984, and there is no room for second place.

Who wins?

Who dies?

You'll have to find that out for yourself!

I have been a fan of this movie, since seeing it in the theatre's when it came out. I was a young teen at the time, and had to sneak into the theatre to see it. I loved it, and was horrified by it at the same time. Can't say that about too many movies.

I currently have two versions of the movie, one a copy of the old VHS Tape that I got from a video rental place; and a copy off of network TV, from the mid-eighties. Sadly, the network-TV copy had less editing done to it language-wise (alot less surprisely), while being edited only for the violence and nudity. I always felt both versions I had just didn't equal a complete version. I am really glad they decided to release this movie now.

Since this hasn't yet been re-released yet, I don't have a copy of it yet. So I will tell you a few general things though about the movie, not the DVD release, and my thoughts on it.

One is that it is a cult movie. People will either really like or really hate this movie. "Class of 84" is excessively violent (while normally I don't like over-the-top violence, in this case it drives the story well), the acting is not the best (although Timothy Van Patten was really good, and very chilling), the plot was very simple, the characters had little depth to them, there was a rape scene (certainly not the most graphic I've seen in a major release, but chilling neverless) BUT the movie came together rather well.

"Class of 84" also had some good music on the movie. Opening with "I Am The Future" by Alice Cooper, also with tracks by Fear and Teenage Heads among others.

I can't wait for the DVD of this movie, and will get it when it comes out. I only hope it is a good quality release, with a lot of extra's.

Also, if you like this movie, "The Warriors", or "Bladerunner", there is a book I just read last month called "Blue Goblins" that you might want to check out. It is all about gangs, violence, drugs, and sex, set in an apocalyptic world. I would recommend it highly.

*Look for me to edit my review once I get my copy of the DVD, to reflect more what I felt on the new release.

Released last week on DVD in Australia (21 July), this cult classic is finally available in widescreen for your very own library. It has a couple of decent but not great special features. Sorry to hear the US DVD release has been postponed (try ordering from Australia at www.ezydvd.com.au).

Scary, and nail-biting. Grab it if you can.

okey dokey kids i did pick up the current AB release of this film froma AMAZON UK!!!its BEAUTIFUL. SOUND AND PICTURE, EXCELLENT. The commentary is a bit of a let down. I really thought they would focus more on the in and outs of that particular film...but no. they end up just kinda catching with Mr Lester. kinda boring.OK so if you have to have this film and only next to Willie Dynamite did i ever wait for a film this bad...well mmm thats a lie, i wait ALOT for lots O films.....anywho enjoy if you can figure out your PAL region hangup with the UK version. need NTSC? wistatecap@yahoo.com

In the same vein as the 1979 classic THE WARRIORS, Marc Lesters' 1982 cult hit CLASS OF 1984 takes you inside the walls of an inner city High School overwrought with drug dealers, gangs and thugs.

CLASS OF 1984 was seemingly the beginning to endless carbon copies of high school teacher vs. thug students films. Yet CLASS OF 1984 (a movie that was originally banned in the UK) with all of it's similarities to such films as DANGEROUS MINDS ('95), THE SUBSTITUTE ('96), 187 ('97), bares one striking difference. The antagonists of the film are given no redeeming qualities, none are shown as mistreated youths or having grown up in a broken home. For the most part we are shown the exact oppisite, as the "problem children" are created not by an abusive and poor home life, but yet by a silver spoon. Housing lots of violence and gore (and not to mention a bone chilling rape scene that leaves even the most hardened person thinking "that is just messed up!") CLASS OF 1984 I feel is a movie that has stood out since its release and unapologetically showed us that cold, careless killers are not always who you think they are.

I have been awaiting this film on DVD for sometime now, and thanks to Anchor Bay my wait is not much longer. Having first seen this film on VHS, I am excited to see the bonus features and commentaries that are said to accompany the DVD. So if you fancy yourself a "retro film guru" or if you are down for some good old fashion blood and guts, this DVD is a must own!!!

High school can be a tough gig...grades, teachers, peer pressure, parties, college applications, mystery meat in the cafeteria, who's hooking up with whom, homecoming, prom, etc...it's been a while since I've been in school, but these were among some of the main concerns shared by myself and my fellow students...the students at Lincoln High, as portrayed in the film Class of 1984 (1982), seem to have only one concern, and that is getting out...alive...co-written and directed by Mark L. Lester (Roller Boogie, Firestarter, Class of 1999), the film stars Perry King (The Lord's of Flatbush, The Day After Tomorrow) and Timothy Van Patten, better known to 1970s television viewers as Mario 'Salami' Pettrino from the series "The White Shadow". Also appearing is Roddy McDowall (Planet of the Apes, The Legend of Hell House), Merrie Lynn Ross (The Lucifer Complex), Stefan Arngrim (Fear No Evil), Keith `Larry Finkelstein' Knight (Meatballs), Lisa Langlois (Happy Birthday to Me), David Gardner (Prom Night, Hollywood Hot Tubs), and a young Michael J. Fox ("Family Ties", Back to the Future) in a very early film role.

Perry King plays Andrew Norris, an idealistic music teacher who's recently relocated with his pregnant wife Diane (Ross) after accepting a position at Lincoln High, a graffiti covered inner city school populated by thugs, misfits, and even a few psychopathic types...you're not in Nebraska anymore...upon arriving on campus, Andy meets one of his fellow instructors, a fellow by the name of Terry Corrigan (McDowall), who informs Andy the reason why his predecessor left (he had an unfortunate `accident' involving a flight of stairs), along with passing on some advice about survival. Andy quickly runs afoul of a group of smart mouthed punks, led by a smarmy, manipulative creep named Peter Stegman (Van Patten). Turns out Stegman and his violent cronies control not only all the rackets in the school, but pretty much the school itself as the students are kept in check by fear, while the faculty, particularly the principal, are impotent, as any punishments they could hand out would be relatively minor in terms of the offence, and not worth the retribution sure to follow...after a kid has a particularly bad trip from some junk he bought from Stegman and his crew, Andy pushes for the gang to be held accountable, and all he gets for his trouble is a new flame job for his car, in the form of a Molotov cocktail. The bad vibes continues to escalate as the gang shanks a goodie goodie in the lunchroom (they were concerned he might spill his guts to the police, so they spilled the kid's guts on the lunchroom floor), a teacher flips out seriously, and Andy is wrongfully accused of assaulting one of the punks. Eventually the pacifistic Andy is forced to go all out Death Wish on the punks (on the same night of his students big concert performance), after they brutally assault and kidnap his wife, luring him into the darkened halls of the school for a final, bloody confrontation...oh yeah, it's killin' time...

After watching this film I gained a new respect for Perry King. He was one of those actors I was aware of, having seen a few of his films, mainly remembering him from the television show "Riptide", but he never really registered with me too much, until I saw him in this film. He plays his role extremely well, which was no mean feat given it was a part I've seen many times before, in other films of the genre. He did seem a little too naïve at times, but that made it all the much better when he finally went gonzo and took on the thugs near the end. Timothy Van Patten was also excellent in his role, one that was more developed than I expected, as he wasn't just some regular punk, but an intelligent, talented (his skills on the piano were impressive), good-looking kid who also happened to be a real psychotic, and whose only goal seemed to be to squash anyone who attempted to usurp his authority within the school. Also, I thought McDowall did especially well, in a part originally offered to Dennis Weaver (he turned it down because he thought the story too violent), as the weary teacher who once shared Andy's idealistic vision towards shaping young minds, but has subsequently all but given up, having been beaten down by reality, resorting to alcohol to ease the pain. The film moves along at a good pace, and the last twenty minutes or so are completely satisfying as Andy gets some seriously deserved payback. The sequences in the shop and auto classrooms were worth the price of admission, as was the final bit between Andy and Stegman. There is a good deal of violence peppered throughout the film, with the last fifteen minutes or so featuring some of the more graphic bits. For those of you who've seen the film, did any of you think Stegman's girlfriend got off kinda easy? I'm not normally an advocate of violence towards anyone, but that character was itching for a beating that never really came...oh well...

Anchor Bay Entertainment provides an excellent DVD release here, as the picture, presented in widescreen (1.77:1) anamorphic, looks very sharp and clean. As far as the audio, it's available in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital Surround 2.0, and comes through wonderfully. There are a slew of extras including a commentary track with director Mark L. Lester and DVD producer Perry Martin, a newly created featurette titled `Blood and Blackboards' (35:32), an original theatrical trailer, two television spots, a poster and still gallery, a Mark L. Lester biography, a six page insert booklet, and some previews for other Anchor Bay DVD releases including Vice Squad (1982), Heathers (1989), and Bad Boys (1983), which isn't the Will Smith/Martin Lawrence but a seriously messed up JD (Juvenile Delinquent) feature starring Sean Penn. All in all, I thought this an excellent film, with strong performances, and an especially worthy DVD release from Anchor Bay Entertainment.

Cookieman108

If you enjoyed this film, I'd recommend a few other similar films in Over the Edge (1979), Penelope Spheeris' Suburbia (1984), and Sean S. Cunningham's The New Kids (1985). All are quite good.

I 1st rented this classic film about 15years ago, & i watched it 9 times, because i obviously loved it so much. The performances are a little b-grade, but i love the movie nonethless. The best scene obviously is at the end where Mr.Norris gets a picture of his wife just bein raped, & goes into a murderous rage, then runs off, to deal the gang members, once & for all. Yes it has a violent ending, but a necessary one. A true old time classic. By the way, i have it on DVD, so if anyone wants it badly enough, order it from Australia NOW. This part of my review is an update on my earlier review of this cult classic. The Australian DVD version has a Audio Commentary, A 16:9 Widescreen Format, An Interview booklet by the director Mark Lester, Stills Gallery, Theatrical trailer, And T.V Spots.

Marc Lesters' 1982 cult film Class Of 1984 seemingly showed what was to be in the future for high schools in America. Yet in his vision the schools were not over run by rap music and thug gangs, but yet over run by rock music and punk gangs.

Of course in 1982 no one really had any idea the impact that rap music would have on the world, so Marc Lesters idea for who the trouble youths would be in the future still doesn't seem to off course given the time in which this film was made.

I have alwasy had memories of this film, especially the grotesque table saw scene and the unforgiving rape scene that have stuck to my brain since I was a preteen. Personally I feel this was a film that was overly ignored by the public due its graphic content, which is sad because it seems that the general public missed the point of the film in whole.

If the teachers have no control in a school, than who does?

The answer to which the film shows is about as close to the honest truth a film can go without being a documentary.

Class of 1984 should be a must see on any true "film buffs" or "cult film fanatic" list.

I couldn't agree more with Gary Young when he calls "Class of 1984" one of the greatest exploitation flicks. I've seen it many times since it's release in 1982 and I couldn't be happier to see it finally make it's debut on DVD. Hopefully, the releasing company will give it the stellar presentation this great drive-in camp fest deserves.

Made at the height of the early-'80's paranoia about school violence--which was nearly 15 years before Columbine--"Class of 1984" follows idealistic music teacher Andy Norris (Perry King) as he begins his new job at a hellacious inner-city high school that is run by a psychotic gang of punk thugs led by music prodigy Richard Stegman (Timothy Van Patten, in a terrific performance). Stegman immediately takes a disliking to Norris, who refuses to back down from his threats, and things get uglier and uglier, leading to an all-out war and a glorious, super-gory final thirty minutes that has to be seen to be believed.

All this violence is admirably directed by veteran schlock-meister Mark L. Lester ("Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw"), who builds a tremendous amount of suspense and gets excellent performances out of his entire cast, which includes a very young Michael J. Fox as an ill-fated student and Roddy MacDowell, in one of his last good film roles as a teacher who is starting to crack under the pressure. Al Waxman is a rare voice of reason as a sympathetic cop whose hands are tied, and Lester's wife Merrie Lynn Ross is effective as Norris' wife, who has "potential rape victim" written all over her. And I love the theme song "I am the Future", by rocker Alice Cooper.

A word of warning: Take the five-star rating with a grain of salt. This isn't "Million Dollar Baby" or "The Godfather". Instead, "Class of 1984" is pure camp, with muddy photography and goofs/bloopers galore. It isn't meant to be high art. What it is is an example of irresponsible, ultra-violent filmmaking at its "guilty pleasure" best. Some viewers will be appalled, and some will dismiss it as pure trash. They're probably right. But for those who are game and are in the mood for a no-holds-barred revenge melodrama, hold on to your seats.

Take it from me, one viewing and you'll never look at a buzzsaw or a blowtorch the same way again.

***** (out of *****)

Well, it's about time! Mark Lester's cult classic "Class of 1984" is finally coming out on DVD. This is definitely one of the finest B-movies of the 80's(if not of all time).
The plot concerns an idealistic young teacher(Perry King) who comes to teach at possibly the roughest inner city high school ever. Initially, he tries his hardest to inspire his problem students. And, by gosh, he gets through to several of them(including a young Michael J. Fox). Unfortunately, he doesn't succeed with Timothy Van Patton and his lowlife cronies. They make life hell for the poor teacher.
Instead of trying to be an inspirational story of a teacher who struggles against the odds to produce a class of model students, "Class of 1984" develops into a revenge saga. The teacher becomes just as savage as his worst students.
This is a must have for all cult film junkies. I can't wait to get my fix.