Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Class of 1999 Blu-ray Movie Review

Goodbye, Mr. (Computer) Chips.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 21, 2018

What a difference fifteen years, or perhaps more appropriately eight years, can make. In 1982, co-writer and director Mark L. Lester gave the world Class of 1984, a rather prescient drama detailing the breakdown of order at an urban high school, a film which perhaps slyly suggested that the teachers tasked with keeping their students in line were a little out of control themselves. The film plied a certain hyperbolic ambience and for some viewers may have flirted dangerously with camp territory, but it’s a rather fascinating look at what happens in an insular environment when things start spiraling toward chaos. Eight years after Class of 1984, Lester returned with a film set fifteen years further down the line from that first film, and while Class of 1999 once again dealt with teachers trying to control unruly students, in this case the film has been filtered through a certain sensibility which combines elements from RoboCop and even perhaps Mad Max (at least in terms of some of the vehicles on display) and Westworld (in terms of robots taking matters into their own hands). It’s an odd hybrid, to say the least, but it has a certain gonzo energy, not the least of which is the pairing of Stacy Keach and Malcolm McDowell, and it provides a few requisite thrills even if its underlying plot conceit is definitely on the silly side.

Class of 1999 doesn’t waste much time setting up that conceit, nor does it tarry in introducing the focal characters, both robotic and human. The chaos of Class of 1984 has evidently only gotten worse in the interim, to the point that whole areas of inner cities have become “no go” zones for police and are overrun by teenage gangs. A kind of inherently shady organization called MegaTech (even its name sounds nefarious) has a solution, at least in terms of keeping rowdy high school students in line: robotic teachers who can analyze problem behaviors and (perhaps literally) stamp them out before they get completely out of hand. MegaTech’s guru Dr. Bob Forrest (Stacy Keach, outfitted with albino eyes and a shock of white hair), brings in his three latest creations, former military robots retooled for “work” as teachers. These include Miss Connors (Pam Grier), programmed to teach chemistry; Mr. Hardin (John P. Ryan), whose specialty is history; and Mr. Bryles (Patrick Kilpatrick), the physical education coach from your nightmares. Kennedy High School principal Dr. Miles Langford (Malcolm McDowell) is overjoyed to welcome these new mechanical mentors to his pretty perilous halls of academia.

Playing out against the introduction of this trio of “enforcers” is the introduction of one of the (human) students at the core of the story, recidivist delinquent Cody Culp (Bradley Gregg), who is sprung from stir in the opening moments of the film so that he can return to Kennedy High now that the school is equipped with its robotic additions. Cody is being urged by some of his former school gang members to hook back up with the group, but he ostensibly wants to go straight, though that doesn’t keep him marauding through a competing gang’s territory in one of the Mad Max-esque vehicles that are featured in the film.

A number of sidebars accrue, with Cody taking up with pretty coed Christie (Traci Lind), who has a perhaps unneeded connection to another featured character. Also playing into the proceedings is a dangerous drug called Edge, which has addicted a number of characters on the periphery of Cody’s life. The main thrust of the story, though, concerns Cody’s gradual realization that the new teachers at Kennedy High School might have a few secrets up their (computerized) sleeves, while several vignettes documenting how the teachers deal with their unruly charges are both intentionally comic as well as at times kind of squirm inducing.

It’s all just kind of relentlessly goofy, but it kind of works on its own demented levels. The only caveat I would give is that anyone who has seen Class of 1984 and is expecting this to be a more or less straight ahead follow up is going to be in for something of a surprise. Unlike the first film, Class of 1999 treads into some almost science fiction territory, an aspect that may not meld all that successfully with Lester’s attempt to continue his rather incisive social critique.

Class of 1999 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Class of 1999 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Film's Vestron Video imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. While this release touts the same "digitally restored" and "newly remastered" verbiage that many (maybe even all of) Vestron's Blu-ray releases have, this is a somewhat rougher looking presentation than other releases in Vestron's Collector's Edition line. Some of the roughest moments occur in the early going, so fans are encouraged to take a deep breath, because after the credits and a couple of interstitial scenes, things improve markedly, though the roughness of the less pleasing moments may lead some to think this may deserve a lesser score than I've given it. There are still quite a few nicks, scratches and other blemishes that dot the proceedings, but overall things look reasonably intact. The palette is generally accurate looking as well, though saturation is a bit anemic. Detail levels vary considerably depending on light sources and range from the camera, but close-ups often offer good to very good levels of fine detail. I personally found contrast a little "undercooked", something that tends to give some of the darker material a bit of a hazy appearance. Grain generally looks very natural, though it has a tendency to clump slightly at times. My hunch is fans of this film will almost certainly be pleased by the general look of this transfer, despite some occasional issues.

Class of 1999 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Class of 1999 features a fairly boisterous sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix. The fact that this film ventures into more of an urban combat ambience at times, including explosions and the like, gives the track an opportunity to exploit a nice sounding low end, though unlike the first film, this entry isn't stuffed with source cues (there are a few, which sound fine). Dialogue and effects are rendered with clarity and excellent fidelity, along with rather considerable dynamic range.

Class of 1999 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Producer/Director Mark L. Lester


• School Safety (1080p; 22:33) offers interviews with Director and Producer Mark L. Lester and Co-Producer Eugene Mazzola.


• New Rules (1080p; 19:27) features an interview with screenwriter C. Courtney Joyner.


• Cyber Teachers from Hell (1080p; 19:30) has interviews with Special Effects Creators Eric Allard and Rick Stratton.


• Future of Discipline (1080p; 19:04) wraps up this Blu-ray disc's allotment of interview featurettes with Director of Photography Mark Irwin.


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 00:59)


• TV Spots (1080i; 1:02)


• Still Gallery (1080p; 8:42)


• Video Promo (1080i; 7:47)

Class of 1999 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Class of 1999 is a resolutely different "animal" than Class of 1984, and I'd argue that the two shouldn't even be thought of as linked in any substantial way. With that out of the way, Class of 1999 offers some solid fun if accepted on its own patently ridiculous terms, and it's kind of a hoot to see this (shall we say) eclectic cast working together. Video encounters a few rough spots, but audio is fine and the supplemental interviews quite appealing. Recommended.