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Class of 1984 (1982)

http://www.mosaic-entertainment.co.uk

Dir: Mark L. Lester

Andrew Norris (Perry King, "The Choirboys") is a naïve music teacher who arrives in a new city with his Wife Diane (Merrie Lynn Ross) to take up his new job at the inner city school of 'Lincoln High' (he's replacing a teacher who 'fell down the stairs'!) and is full of hope for what he can accomplish in his new job.
This hope takes an instant hit when he meets Biology teacher Terry Corrigan (Roddy McDowall, "Planet of the Apes") who has been driven to drink by his pupils and even carries a gun in his briefcase!
Norris is further disillusioned when he sees metal detectors and guards situated in the main entrance.

Norris's naiveté is further shown up when he meets the Principal who puts him straight about the students, "They paint on the walls, they piss in the corridors, they steal everything that isn't fastened down". A stunned Norris is then told the truth of how things will now be for him, "You're at Lincoln High, the teaching is something you do in spite of everything else".

On meeting his class Norris goes head to head with student Peter Stegman (Timothy Van Patten) a spoilt, psychotic rich kid (but a talented musician) who, with his brutal gang, basically runs the school and every illegal operation going on from drug dealing to prostitution.

As the intimidation against him escalates and gets more violent, Norris becomes more and more frustrated as he gets no help from the gutless Principal or the Police (headed by Detective Stewiski, well played by Al "Cagney and Lacey" Waxman), who have their hands tied as they can find no evidence against the gang.
Angered and alone Norris starts to take petty revenge action against Stegman, but soon the cycle of violence reaches truly horrific levels and a distraught Norris is forced into taking action..….

 

Although "Class of 1984" is a more violent and crude re-working of the Glen Ford classic "The Blackboard Jungle" all the way back from 1955 (though thankfully none of the students here are as stupidly old looking as Vic Morrow was in that!) and also takes numerous cues from many of the other 'Juvenile Delinquent' films so popular in the 50's/60's, Mark L lester's movie still has a very astute take of its own on the future.
It is made obvious by Norris's reaction (mirroring the 1982 audiences) that guards and metal detectors being present in a school were still very much an unheard of occurrence, as is the sheer amount of violence, crime and basic lack of respect being shown by a large chunk of the students.
And yet the script by Tom Holland ("Child's Play"), John Saxton ("Happy Birthday To Me") and Lester himself (based on changes he actually saw happening in schools) turned out to be frighteningly accurate, as such things would became very much the norm in far too many schools (not all inner city) in America.
What was once criticised as absurdly sensational by critics, is now actually pretty tame compared to what became reality.

'Lincoln High' is the blueprint for the type of school other directors would use for their strikingly similar movies years later (like "The Principal" and "The Substitute"), it is infested with drugs which are dealt in the graffiti covered corridors, assaults on students by students are a regular event, as are the mini wars between the rival gangs. There are good students, but the far more powerful minority keeps them down.
The main 'good' students represented in Norris's class are Deneen (Erin Flannery, "The Incubus") and
Arthur (a puppy fat clad, bowl headed haircut sporting, Michael J Fox) and it is these kids that give not only Norris a chance that something good can be achieved in such a harsh environment, but also the audience.

But above all this opportunity hangs the shadow of Stegman and his cronies who turn in every essential cliché that we come to expect from bad kids, including Nazi salutes.
Dressed in, now amusingly dated but then pretty much the fashion, Punk/New Wave clothes and make-up they could very easily (especially to modern audiences) slip into unintentional farce. Luckily though Lester (and the cast) keep things almost entirely serious and make sure that the characters are so nasty and cruel that dangerous mirth, even in 2005, is kept carefully at bay.
The gang also has an equally warped female member, let's hear it for equality, in the sexually charged form of Patsy (Lisa Langlois, who would be the only thing worth watching in "Deadly Eyes", the awful adaptation of James Herbert's excellent novel 'The Rats', as another sexed up student) and again, in 1982, such a nasty female teen character was still a rare thing.

Some of the dialogue is more amusing today than it would have been and lines like "Swivel Motherfucker" and "I'm going to cut you white meat" now work on a trash, rather than a serious, level.
But this aside the screenplay once again plays everything with deadly seriousness, there are simple exploitation elements here most certainly, but the atmosphere of cruelty and seriousness ensures the movie, as a whole viewing experience, has not become camp or lost it's edge. Certainly Lester never goes down the high camp/trash road of his big hit with big Arnie, "Commando".

Soundtrack wise things start off astonishingly badly, or astonishingly perfect according to how you view the truly horrendous soft rock song sung by the (for some unknown reason) ever popular Alice Cooper, that plays over the titles. If one thing has truly dated in the film, it's this monstrosity.
The heavy synth based score by Lalo Schifrin ("Dirty Harry") is pure 80's and suitably cold, and the authentic Punk Rock songs fit the on screen action well.
In fact a Punk Rock concert scene, packed with real Punks who, according to Lester, were full-on and would punch the actors, has a genuine musical energy even today that is lacking from the dreadful opening song.

The acting from all concerned ranges form the totally acceptable to the excellent. Van Patten does a great job as the mad, manipulative Stegman and Perry King gives it his all as the fully rounded character of Norris, effortlessly moving from dedicated, hard working teacher to desperate, savage avenger.
But it is Roddy McDowall who really stands out as a man who has been slowly ground down and broken by the people he was trying to help, to educate. The latter segment of his performance is made up of expertly judged high emotion with McDowall squeezing every last bit of angst from his dialogue.

"Class of 1984" is perhaps best known today for the trouble it had with censors around the World (for example it was heavily cut in the UK in the 80's and when re-submitted to British censor years later it was rejected outright!) and although the film is not anything like as rough as it would have been in 1982, it still has a couple of full-on shock scenes and enough general violence to make sure it is still effective as an exploitation fix.
Don't let the weak fight between rival gangs near the start fool you, thankfully the violence becomes more brutal and realistic as the film goes on and although the DVD being released would seem to be the American 'R' print (missing a few bits during the, still nasty, rape scene and a few frames from an arm being sawn off, though you still see it being cut off in this print) this version still delivers some brutally satisfying carnage during the finale and has an ever present, oppressive air of cruelty.
A delightfully gratuitous strip (and full frontal pose) by one Helena Quinton, as fledgling hooker Sally, offers the only real nudity in the film, but the scene is so brazen that it works marvelously on an exploitation level.

Lester uses the violence well and takes his time building up the pressure on Norris, realistically (as much as a 90 or so minute movie can do) putting him directly, and indirectly, through enough abuse and heartache that we accept that this dedicated and optimistic man could switch into a vindictive, ruthless man full of hate when horribly pushed one step too far.
In fact the film is actually a tough school drama more than a revenge movie. The revenge is simply the final and inevitable act to the brutal play that has been unfolding before us for the other 75 minutes.
And thankfully the lean, intuitive script and excellent main performances make sure that you never sit there impatiently waiting for the final bloodbath. A hard feat to pull off, but Lester does it.

With a suitably tough, and more importantly satisfying, finale, and a wonderfully ironic and pleasing end coda as the icing on top, "Class of 1984" is a film that still deserves it's cult/fan fave status and although not as controversial as it was once it still has more balls and social relevance than the laughable, vomit inducing efforts like "Dangerous Minds" and the other so called 'deep' and 'respectable' looks at high school troubles. And most importantly it's a damn sight more enjoyable!

Once again (as with "King of the Ants") 'Mosaic Entertainment' have given the UK a real treat with their DVD release. Seemingly done in association with 'Anchor Bay U.S.' (who have yet to release the American version) they have given R2 buyers an early chance to own this newly re-mastered, anamorphic transfer, with a nice new 5:1 sound mix.
Extras are the original theatrical trailer and TV spot (watch the film first though as much is given away) as well as an interesting commentary track with Mark L. Lester that gives some interesting gossip on the movie, insights into the censor troubles and the initial reaction to the film when it was released.
All in all a top-notch release of a very good film that's a must buy for fans of 80's Exploitation.

NOTE: There have been numerous reports on-line that this 'Mosaic' release is cut. Well the fact is this, newly re-mastered, transfer is the exact same version that 'Anchor Bay' will release in America and is the full, uncut, 'R' version. Lester mentions the version that originally got an 'X' from the MPAA, but does not mention it was properly released and in fact the director has recently released this statement:
"THE UK VERSION BEING RELEASED BY 'MOSAIC' IS THE EXACT VERSION OF THE U.S. RELEASE BY 'ANCHOR BAY'. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, U.S. THEATRICALLY RELEASED PICTURE AND IS APPROVED PERSONALLY BY ME AS THE FINAL DIRECTOR'S CUT OF THE FILM.
SINCERELY, MARK L. LESTER".

So go get it!

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