Class of 1984
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Merrie Lynn Ross, Perry King, Roddy McDowall, Stefan Arngrim, Timothy Van PattenBrand: Fox
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.77:1
Running Time: 98 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-02-21
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Movie Reviews of Class of 1984
Movie Review: "If you want to survive around here, you've got to learn to look the other way."
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Summary of Class of 1984
They?re all part of a typical day for the students of Lincoln High. Into this academic abyss arrives Andy Norris (Slaughterhouse Five?s Perry King), an idealistic and naïve music teacher who has moved into the community with his pregnant wife Diane. Appalled by the crime-infested school, Norris soon crosses sabers with its teenage kingpin, the shrewd and sadistic Peter Stegman (The White Shadow?s Timothy Van Patten). With Norris setting his sights on reforming Stegman, and the young miscreant declaring war on his teacher, the duo sets a fateful showdown into motion on the night of an important school orchestra performance. Directed and co-written by Mark L. Lester (Commando, Firestarter), CLASS OF 1984 is one of the seminal cult movies of the early 1980s. While its vision of a decaying, violence-plagued inner city school seemed over-the-top in 1982, it sadly prophesized the future of American education. Lester?s film ? which caused a stir at Cannes and reputedly offended one of its own screenwriters ? is also notable for its cast, which includes Van Patten, Roddy McDowall and a very young Michael J. Fox. Alice Cooper performs the theme song, "I Am The Future". No longer are the students of Lincoln High the future, for the future has arrived!Similar DVD Movies
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