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Class of 1984

Play trailer Poster for Class of 1984 R 1982 1h 33m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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68% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
A high-school music teacher (Perry King) hunts a hoodlum student (Timothy Van Patten) for attacking his wife (Merrie Lynn Ross).
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Class of 1984

Critics Reviews

View All (19) Critics Reviews
Scott Tobias The Dissolve There's no point in decrying the film's risible politics, especially when it's just an enjoyable relic of Reagan-era paranoia and generational hostility. Rated: 3/5 Apr 13, 2015 Full Review Eric Henderson Slant Magazine An allegory in which the subtext out-bullhorns the text itself. Rated: 2/4 Mar 16, 2006 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Class of 1984 is not a great movie but it works with quiet, strong efficiency to achieve more or less what we expect from a movie with such a title. It is violent, funny, scary, contains boldly outlined characters, and gets us involved. Rated: 3.5/4 Oct 23, 2004 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Lesters film is all about shock, but ends up being exploitation of the worst sort Rated: 2/5 Mar 18, 2022 Full Review Ed Travis Hollywood Jesus An awesome piece of genre fare. Apr 9, 2020 Full Review Andrew Todd Birth.Movies.Death. Class of 1984 is AAA+++ exploitation: violent, grotesque, morally debased, and completely reactionary - and perfectly crafted to deliver its grimy dystopia like a punch to the throat. Sep 1, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Les N I remember watching this movie in the cinema and thinking it was good. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/25/23 Full Review DanTheMan 2 Raw, offensive, vulgar and violent, Class of 1984 is pure exploitation magic. Director Mark Lester films this for maximum cathartic impact, tapping into viewers' thirst for justice and revenge against these disreputable brats. As fun as it is shocking, with sparks of talent and wit while being crafted by people who cared to make it special. With a great cast of awful characters played by the likes of Perry King, Timothy Van Patten, Roddy McDowall and pre-fame Michael J. Fox, everyone relishes in their roles be they teacher, student or delinquent. Morally debased and completely reactionary, Class of 1984 is perfectly crafted to deliver its grimy dystopia like a punch to the throat. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/25/23 Full Review Audience Member It’s the class of 1984 but not all bright and cheery More punk-themed and filled with spilling blood directed by Mark Lester and based on true events Is this really the future of our youth in the education system? Something strange is going on at the graffiti-covered Lincoln High, as teachers are carrying loaded guns, and the students have to walk through a metal detector before they enter the classroom The principal’s office even has surveillance cameras monitoring the students Before long, the school's new music teacher, Perry King as Andrew Norris, will learn firsthand that it's even worse than it looks, as the drug-plagued institution is the territory of the charismatic Peter Stegman and his brutal gang of crazed followers Co-starring with Norris is the late Roddy McDowell as Corrigan, he warns Norris to look the other way if he’s to survive Now, under those dire circumstances, it's only a matter of time before the professor and the pupil lock horns, with unforeseen consequences But, do drastic times call for drastic measures? In the end, is there a cure for violence? The film takes up a lot of time just to get to the juicy bits; much of the confrontations are between Norris and Stegman but they are really stretched out Yes it’s testing this teacher’s limits but the movie really needs to a bit more to chew on than prolonging this conflict I found this to be a very distressing and unpleasant watch Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/21/23 Full Review justin t Considering this was an eighties exploitation film I was surprised to see that it is still relevant today. The problems in our schools haven't changed in twenty years. I found the political satire truly fascinating and the fear of a school run by a gang of drug dealers and not the authorities that should have been running it a genuine nightmare. The problem is that there are many unbelievable and questionable factors associated with the production. This is entertaining mostly because it shows that nothing changes (except special effects) in a stark way. Deserves a graphic disturbing remake. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member King & Van Patten give more than this predictable exploitation flick deserves. McDowall’s melodramatic performance is equal parts tragic & ridiculous, overshadowed only by the ultra-violent third act vacation from credibility. #nitrosMovieChallenge Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/22 Full Review Audience Member A terrific exploitation teen drama and horror film of the 80's Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/17/21 Full Review Read all reviews
Class of 1984

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Movie Info

Synopsis A high-school music teacher (Perry King) hunts a hoodlum student (Timothy Van Patten) for attacking his wife (Merrie Lynn Ross).
Director
Mark L. Lester
Producer
Arthur Kent
Production Co
Guerilla High Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Runtime
1h 33m
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