Sorry, this movie sucks

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Holy Smokes. I will start off by saying that I just finished watching this movie today for the first time and I fell in love. I'm reviewing this film from the perspective that this is a cult classic film through and through and so I shall begin. The story is about a teacher who gets a job at a school that is known to be full of gangs and a plethora of other misfits. He then starts to have trouble with the main school gang which are basic Neo-Nazi punks. The story is simplistic but does the job. The acting was great for a film that was made in 1982 not that there were not a ton of phenomenal actors back then either to say. The teacher Mr.Norris played by Perry King is Outstanding and the other highlight is his enemy Peter Stegman played by Timothy Van Patten who was truly mesmerizing. The other actors and actresses did a great job as well. The action was Awesome. The choreography could be a little off at times but for the times and the budget it was working with I thought the director Mark Lester did an Incredible job. The deaths were very cool and overall they did a killer job. No pun intended. The cinematography and location were excellent. The crew did a terrific job of shadowing over what a crime ridden school would look like along with the town it was surrounded by in the film. I will close by saying that this is a Must-Watch film if you're a fan of films such as "A Clockwork Orange" and also "The Warriors" and films that represent warnings on what our future's could look like if left in the hands of madmen. The film can be graphic at times but none of it phased me because I have seen a lot worse but just a forewarning. Please don't be deterred from watching this Absolutely Astounding film.

Despite being made on a low budget with a relatively no-name cast, CLASS OF 1984 has become something of a classic when it comes to cult cinema. Not since DEATH WISH have we had such a realistic, gritty low-down slice of urban exploitation, and here the violence is played out brutally and inevitably within the walls of a run-down school terrorised by a gang of malicious, victimising punks. This powerful film is miles ahead of something like 187 in its depiction of classroom violence and although the subject matter is offensive, the film is still gripping to watch. It's one of the rare instances where I was hooked to the screen and couldn't possibly stop watching until the credits rolled.Despite being made thirty years ago, the film hasn't really dated and in fact seems perhaps even more important today: certainly in the age of classroom shootings and ghetto violence it's not difficult to believe that somewhere in the world stuff like this is really going on. Director Mark Lester (known for making violent movies - take COMMANDO for example) charts the action well with his matter-of-fact direction which really puts the action "in your face". However, it's not just about the action; although there is a lot of it, the characterisation and storyline are just as important if not more so. Music by the veteran Lalo Shifrin keeps things moving along and an opening song by Alice Cooper seems appropriate. There's a nice sense of pacing which means those ninety minutes just seem to fly by.Lester's cast is mainly packed with unfamiliar faces (which is a plus in a realistic film like this), although a couple of famous actors do show up. In the lead role, Perry King (THE POSSESSION OF JOEL DELANEY) is excellent as the victimised teacher who is finally pushed to the edge by the terrorising punks when his pregnant wife is raped. His ordinary, even kind teacher makes for a sympathetic hero and we're behind him all the way. Merrie Lynn Ross is okay as his loving wife but her role is a very minor one, seemingly there for plot purposes only. Timothy Van Patten shines as the leader of the punk gang, Stegman, an intelligent lad who has dedicated his life to evil pursuits. The other gang members are fine too even though their roles are one-dimensional.Famous faces to look out for include Michael J Fox in his debut as an extremely young-looking victim of the school bullies and Al Waxman playing a detective (but then didn't he always?). However, most memorable is the scene-stealing Roddy McDowall (FRIGHT NIGHT) who plays fellow teacher Corrigan who is forced to turn to drink to forget about the problems of the class. McDowall has some excellent scenes, the finest of which is when he holds up his class with a gun and asks them life-or-death questions. There's also an excellent tragic moment where he goes gunning for the bad guys in his car, causing it to crash and explode in an impressive display of special effects.The best part of the film is the gripping conclusion, set on the night of the prom. Here, King's wife has been kidnapped by the thugs who are leading King through the dark corridors of the school, beating him up. Then he decides to fight back, leading to some cool scenes of him killing the gang in various ways which will have you cheering. This is audience manipulation at its finest and it doesn't disappoint on the violence front. Although not a film for all tastes, I would recommend CLASS OF 1984 to exploitation fans looking for more than just violence and gore, as this is also a well-made, well-acted film besides which uses the violence in context instead of just having it for violence's sake. Great, disturbing stuff.

Class of 1984 (1982): Dir: Mark L. Lester: Cast: Perry King, Timothy Van Patten, Roddy McDowell, Merrie Lynn Ross, Michael J. Fox: Extremely violent yet provocative thriller that predicted the future of school violence. Perry King stars as music teacher Andrew Norris who arrives for his first day at a school only to become entangled in a war against a gang, led by Peter Stegman, played by Timothy Van Patten. Directed by Mark L. Lester who made Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw and the flop Roller Boogie. Here he creates an effective social commentary marred only by the excessive use of violence. King plays Norris as a teacher willing to educate but is pushed to the limits when Stegman and his gang constantly avoid any convictions. Van Patten as Stegman proves his talent as a pianist but his willingness to override the school with drugs and gang intimidation hinder any forward. Roddy McDowell steals scenes as Terry Corrigan, an animal loving biology teacher whose lab is vandalized opening up the film's greatest moment when he uses a firearm to instruct his class. Merrie Lynn Ross plays Norris's wife who eventually becomes a target of the gang, which leads to a violent climax. Micheal J. Fox plays fellow student Arthur who is targeted after his friend falls from the flagpole resulting from a drug high. School violence highlighted effectively in a film where education is left outside the classroom. Score: 9 / 10

Back when people were shocked at what went on in school in The Blackboard Jungle, they hardly knew what to expect next. In the Sixties it was Up The Down Staircase. But wait till you see Class Of 1984. Makes those previous films look like the little red school house.Perry King and expecting wife Merrie Lynn Ross are new to the city and the school where King has got a new job as the music teacher. The school he teaches in is terrorized by a drug gang whose head is the psychopathic Timothy Van Patten.Whatever you want to say about Van Patten plainly he's a person with no redeemable qualities not even the fact he's a piano virtuoso. I've said about many characters in the movies and in real life, some in this world are no damn good. Evil is a concept that people have trouble recognizing or grasping, but Van Patten is both terrifying and mesmerizing in what he does with the part.Michael J. Fox before he hit stardom with Family Ties plays one of the younger kids who Van Patten and his bunch terrorize. Roddy McDowell is also here as a burned out teacher who cracks up under the strain.Class Of 1984 is not for the squeamish in school.