Movie Type: Juvenile Delinquency Film, Action Thriller
Themes: Out For Revenge, Kids in Trouble, Teachers and Students
Main Cast: Perry King, Timothy Van Patten, Merrie Lynn Ross, Roddy McDowall, Al Waxman
Release Year: 1981
Country: CA
Run Time: 96 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
A music teacher (Perry King) at a tough Los Angeles high school reaches out to his students with the gift of music -- only to find a gang of sadistic punk rockers is actively dissuading new members from joining the orchestra. Not only are the punkers sadistic; they are also led by the nefarious Timothy Van Patten (sporting Willie Aames-style blow-dried hair). The plot development: Van Patten is a musical prodigy, as he proves by banging out some angry classical tunes on the school Baldwin in front of the teacher's startled class. King tries to befriend the lad, but he rejects the offer with scorn. When King attempts to settle for a truce with the gang leader in order to end his students' harassment, he finds himself targeted for a slowly-escalating campaign of terror, culminating in a deadly game of hide-and-seek in the high school after hours. One by one, King faces the murderous gang; one by one, teenagers die in a succession of increasingly violent fashions as the already-exploitive film degenerates into a Death Wish clone. As a feature film, Class of 1984 seems more like it was made for television. The plot is completely contrived; the characters are unbelievable (especially the punks, who seem to be the sort of punks that exist only in the imaginations of "B"-grade Hollywood film directors), and the production values are poor. Yet Class of 1984 has a certain charm, a certain earnestness that makes it watchable, if unintentionally amusing. The film includes a soundtrack by Alice Cooper which includes the stirring anthem "I Am the Future." Another point of interest: this may be the only film including a scene in which Michael J. Fox is stabbed during a prison-style cafeteria riot. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
Review
Class of 1984 is a classic example of exploitation film: In other words, it compensates for its lack of star power and a high budget by exploiting a sensitive topic (violence in schools) and wallowing in all the racy and violent content it can muster in the space of an hour and a half. Whether this is offensive or intriguing depends on a viewer's taste but it is worth noting that Class of 1984 is both skillfully made and pretty compelling for an exploitation film. The script works in some surprisingly effective dramatic moments to balance out its high action quotient as well as the occasional moment of black humor -- the best example of the latter category is a scene where Corrigan, pushed to the brink by a vicious prank, pulls a pistol on his class and quizzes them at gunpoint. Class of 1984 further benefits from inspired performances by a well-chosen cast of familiar faces: Perry King invests Norris with a likability and warmth that makes him easy to root for, Vincent Van Patten throws out all the method actor fireworks needed to make his villainous role memorable, and Roddy McDowall steals every scene he is in as Norris' sarcastic, burnt-out colleague. However, the best element of Class of 1984 is Mark Lester's energetic direction, which brings a gritty, comic-book style to the film and adds a visceral punch to the action (especially during the bravura revenge finale, which must be seen to be believed). All in all, Class of 1984 manages to rise above the exploitation film tag thanks to its high levels of style and craftsmanship and is well worth a look to the adventurous cult movie fan. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Lisa Langlois - Patsy; David Gardner - Morganthau; Stefan Arngrim - Drugstore; Keith Knight - Barnyard; Neil Clifford - Fallon; Erin Flannery - Deneen Bowden; Michael J. Fox - Arthur; Roy Anderson - Student; Elva Mai Hoover - Ellen; Joseph Kelly - Jimmy; Claude Rae - Doctor; Robert Reece - Leroy
Credit
Mark L. Lester - Director, Howard Kunin - Editor, Merrie Lynn Ross - Executive Producer, Mark L. Lester - Executive Producer, Lalo Schifrin - Composer (Music Score), Albert J. Dunk - Cinematographer, Arthur Kent - Producer, Tom Holland - Screen Story, Tom Holland - Screenwriter, Mark L. Lester - Screenwriter, John Saxton - Screenwriter, Alice Cooper - Musical Performer
Class of 1984 is a 1982film about a new music teacher at a troubled inner city school, where students have to pass through a metal detector due to problems with gangs, drugs, and violence. It was directed by Mark L. Lester and starred Perry King as teacher Andrew Norris, Merrie Lynn Ross (who also co-executive produced) as his wife Diane Norris, Roddy McDowall as Terry Corrigan and Timothy Van Patten as Peter Stegman, the leader of the gang of thugs who terrorize the school. It was one of Michael J. Fox's early roles, before he was a well-established actor.
The movie utilized the punk look and image that was becoming part of popular culture in the early 1980s. The movie's theme song, "I Am The Future", was performed by Alice Cooper. The film also features a performance by Canadian punk band Teenage Head.
The movie was initially released on home video via Vestron Video during the 1980s and was later withdrawn. In 2006, Anchor Bay Entertainment released the film on DVD for the first time in the USA in a Special Edition set. The DVD has audio commentary by Mark L. Lester and a new featurette entitled Blood and Blackboards featuring interviews with Lester and stars Perry King and Merrie Lynn Ross. It also includes the original theatrical trailer and two TV spots.
The gang
Peter Stegman - The leader of the gang, and a feared figure in the school. He and his gang sell drugs, get in fights with rival gangs, and run a small prostitution racket. He carries around a switchblade and is willing to do anything to save himself from trouble. Played by Timothy Van Patten.
Patsy - The only female in the gang, and Stegman's girlfriend. She doesn't fight and seems to not do much of anything, other than help the other members if they need it. The film hints that she is bisexual. Played by Lisa Langlois.
Barnyard - The gang's enforcer. He is built very large, hence his nickname. He uses a large wooden plank in battle, which just shows his immense strength. Played by Keith Knight.
Fallon - The gang's other enforcer. He wears a lot of black leather and has a mohawk in the last act of the film. His weapon is a chain, which he wears as a belt for easy access in fights. Played by Neil Clifford.
Sequels
The movie also had two science fiction-themed sequels that were loosely based on the original: Class of 1999 (1990) and the direct to video follow-up Class of 1999 II: The Substitute (1994), the first of which was also directed by Lester and like its predecessor, was also released via Vestron Video, while the latter was released by Vidmark Entertainment. Lionsgate released Class of 1999 on DVD September 16, 2008. They have been released on DVD in many foreign territories, such as Korea and Australia.
Parodies
The 1986 low-budget Troma movie Class of Nuke 'Em High is in its majority a spoof on Class of 1984. The gang of 'Cretins' represent the gang from '84. The tagline "We are the future" also appears in Nuke 'Em High, uttered by one of the gang members as "We're the youth of today."
