Class of 1984
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| Class of 1984 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Mark L. Lester |
| Produced by | Merrie Lynn Ross Mark Lester Arthur Kent |
| Written by | Mark L. Lester Tom Holland John Saxton |
| Starring | Perry King Roddy McDowall Timothy Van Patten Michael J. Fox |
| Music by | Lalo Schifrin |
| Cinematography | Albert J. Dunk |
| Editing by | Howard Kunin |
| Distributed by | United Film Distribution Company |
| Release date(s) |  August 20, 1982 September 29, 1982  November 11, 1982 June 3, 1983 |
| Running time | 98 min. |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4,300,000 (estimate) |
| Followed by | Class of 1999 Class of 1999 II: The Substitute |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Class of 1984 is a 1982 film about a new music teacher at a troubled inner city school, where students have to pass through a metal detector due to problems with gangs, drugs, and violence. It was directed by Mark L. Lester and starred Perry King as teacher Andrew Norris, Merrie Lynn Ross (who also co-executive produced) as his wife Diane Norris, Roddy McDowall as Terry Corrigan and Timothy Van Patten as Peter Stegman, the leader of the gang of thugs who terrorize the school. It was one of Michael J. Fox's early roles, before he was a well-established actor.
The movie utilized the punk look and image that was becoming part of popular culture in the early 1980s. The movie's theme song, "I Am the Future", was performed by Alice Cooper. The film also features a performance by Canadian punk band Teenage Head.
The movie has often been described, by some critics, as an unofficial remake of Blackboard Jungle (1955), in which King has the Glenn Ford role, Van Patten has Vic Morrow's, and Fox is in Sidney Poitier's.
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[edit] Releases
The movie was initially released on home video via Vestron Video during the 1980s and was later withdrawn. In 2006, Anchor Bay Entertainment released the film on DVD for the first time in the USA in a Special Edition set. The DVD has audio commentary by Mark L. Lester and a new featurette entitled Blood and Blackboards featuring interviews with Lester and stars Perry King and Merrie Lynn Ross. It also includes the original theatrical trailer and two TV spots.
[edit] The gang
- Peter Stegman- The leader of the gang, and a feared figure in the school. He and his gang sell drugs, get in fights with rival gangs, and run a small prostitution racket. He carries around a switchblade and is willing to do anything to save himself from trouble. Played by Timothy Van Patten.
- Patsy- The only female in the gang, and Stegman's girlfriend. She doesn't fight and seems to not do much of anything, other than help the other members if they need it. The film hints that she is bisexual. Played by Lisa Langlois.
- Drugstore- The drug dealer of the gang. He himself is hooked on drugs, shooting up heroin in one scene. He carries a straight razor around, and uses a baseball bat in a gang fight. Played by Stefan Arngrim.
- Barnyard- The gang's enforcer. He is built very large, hence his nickname. He uses a large wooden plank in battle, which just shows his immense strength. Played by Keith Knight.
- Fallon- The gang's other enforcer. He wears a lot of black leather and has a mohawk in the last act of the film. His weapon is a chain, which he wears as a belt for easy access in fights. Played by Neil Clifford.
[edit] Sequels
The movie also had two science fiction-themed sequels that were loosely based on the original: Class of 1999 (1990) and the direct to video follow-up Class of 1999 II: The Substitute (1994), the first of which was also directed by Lester and like it's predecessor,was also released via Vestron Video, while the latter was released by Vidmark Entertainment. No US DVD release has been scheduled for either of these. They have been released on DVD in many foreign territories, such as Korea and Australia.
