Class of 1984 (1981)
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60% of critics liked it
(10 reviews) -
61% of users liked it
(6,345 ratings)
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… More 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, Rovi
- Directed By
- Mark L. Lester
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Horror, Mystery & Suspense
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1982 Wide
- Studio
- United Film Distribution
Critic Reviews
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Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
If Mark Lester really believes Class of 1984 prefigured Columbine, then he must truly believe some kids really do deserve to get taken out. Sick.
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Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
An allegory in which the subtext out-bullhorns the text itself.
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Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton, Dread Central
The Eighties were a really strange time for us all, and Class of 1984 serves as both a mirror and an omen.
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Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
It's sad, really, that a movie deemed horrific enough to be banned in several countries 25 years ago seems almost naïve by today's standards.
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Anton Bitel, Movie Gazette
Whether for its eighties nostalgia, or its absurdly reactionary violence, this is one guilty pleasure that still makes the grade.
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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Perry King
as Andy Norris
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Timothy Van Patten
as Peter Stegman
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Merrie Lynn Ross
as Diane Norris
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Roddy McDowall
as Terry Corrigan
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Al Waxman
as Detective Stewiski
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Lisa Langlois
as Patsy
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David Gardner
as Morganthau
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Stefan Arngrim
as Drugstore
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Keith Knight
as Barnyard
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Neil Clifford
as Fallon
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Erin Flannery
as Deneen Bowden
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Michael J. Fox
as Arthur
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Roy Anderson
as Student
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Elva Mai Hoover
as Ellen
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Joseph Kelly
as Jimmy
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Claude Rae
as Doctor
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Robert Reece
as Leroy
