I saw this movie back in the 1980s when it first came out, and ever since then it has left a lasting impression on me, and I always wanted to view it again after I have matured to be able to rate & evaluate it more properly. Indeed, it made a big difference when I re-viewed it after I have matured: now that I am more aware of the horrible things that go on in high schools, i.e., drugs, sex, shooting, gangs...etc, re-viewing this film did give me goose bumps. This is a very well made film & unfortunately is very real. Thank God I don't have to make my living teaching in high schools. I would strongly recommend this film to all those who are considering teaching in a high school.
This movie was really great, the characters were excellent. Stegman and Patsy being the best. Even though the Hero in the film is meant to be the music teacher Mr. Norris, one can help but to be drawn in and root for the punk rockers. The gang fight scenes are awesome, and the youth rebellion portrayals perfect. The only flaw in the film, is "Teech" Mr. Norris wouldnt stand a chance against them, as constantly demonstrated in the film by the punk rock gang repeatedly letting him go after a beating. The final 15 minutes of the film devolve into unrealistic heroics n the part of the scripted hero Mr. Norris. Although a flawed Movie, Class of 1984 gets a B+ rating just based on the sheer coolness of the high school punk gang.
They say that if you've seen one type of movie, you've seen them all. I'm afraid that this poor movie falls into that group. Mr. Fox and Mr. King do well with what they have, but they can only do so much. Most of the other stars over do the parts they play, or just float through as if they just want the shoot over. That could be the aspect that adds to the depressing story, more so than the depths schools could sink. The nudity, which usually brings a spark to the movie, was poor, mainly because the girl was "selling herself" for drugs. The rape scene was sickening for the usual reasons, but also in that it seemed that the pregnant wife was being driven deeper into the nightmare, for no reason. When the revenge takes place, it feels justified, but lacks anything more than meeting torture with torture. I had the feeling that the movie left a lot of loose ends and was all a bad dream that should have ended with Mr. King waking up and finding the movie had been a nightmarish script he could turn down, before it killed his career. As a movie collector, the depressing air of the movie, and the talents of beginning stars make it worth seeing. Mr. Fox shows his skill in advance of his TV role. For those who love nudity and rape, skip this movie. For violence lovers, again, skip parts or the whole movie.Read full review
I bought this because I liked it as a kid but it really doesn't stand the test of time, although people deemed it pretty offensive back in the day. A fun movie because of the way they depict punk rockers + there is some old live footage of Teenage Head. Also a nice trip down memory lane for folks who lived in Toronto in the early 80's. If you weren't a part of this generation it would probably be just another forgettable "B" movie but, actually, this thing was in all the theaters when it came out and was shown (edited) on late night TV for years after! Worth buying if you can get it cheap but you may not want to watch more than once a year tops.
I had tried to remember the name of a horror movie I'd seen decades ago. I remembered key scenes, but not enough to remember the whole plot. A music teacher that had been out of work comes into a school with a group of punk kids that have seemingly taken over. At first, they're little more than a nuisance, but soon they begin wreaking havoc on the teacher's life. The music teacher ends up enraged and takes matters into his own hands. Brilliant script, brilliant acting, BUY THIS MOVIE!!!
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