High school student Paula Carson is adored by her jerk of a boyfriend, Dwight Ingalls, but new eyes have caught her attention. Brian Woods, a quiet loner who has just been released from a mental hospital after being there for the mysterious death of his father. Not too long people are disappearing and bodies are piling up at Wurley High and Brian is first to be accused by Dwight because of his disturbing past. Although Dwight has been losing it lately and now Paula is put in the situation of finding out who is telling the truth.
Now the memories are flooding back. Think of homework, uptight teachers, a weird headmaster, obnoxious twits, a deranged loner and some
murdering? What in the name!? Yeah "Cutting Class" is a forgettable, been-there-done-that and lame high school slasher. Despite that suggestion at least it's never boring, and it's slightly entertains as it breezes by quite easily. The pain is virtually bearable, but a top cast with middling performances make little headway in this low-end 80s slasher effort. The main problem here is that it tries really hard for a funny bone and then it would turn all serious, but it just doesn't come off with the right results. It's just too stupid to be funny and ridiculous to be taken straight. It just can't win! What shaped it was the hopeless charm that scraped the surface with its campy frame and fine turns by the reliable Roddy McDowall and the extremely lovely Jill Schoelen ("Stepfather" and "Popcorn"). Martin Mull even appears in his own little (if meaningless)side-story as some sort of comic relief character. Donavan Leitch does fine in his spooky staring down poses.
Sure the main curiosity for this flick would be that of a young Brad Pitt. His performance is very lacking, but fans of his might still check it out as his a main lead. All he does is leech about and his cocky character is just too unlikeable to care for. The plot is weak; that's there's not much to hang a story off (and still there are holes!) and to throw you off track, as the red herrings are downright ineffective. Just who is committing these murders? Well, it doesn't take an Einstein to figure out, as it's basically telegraphed to you. It follows a derivative style of every other slasher flick. Clichés are not excused. The dialogues are lousy, despite it's tongue-in-cheek tone and hammy one-liners. Killing it is a funky 80s soundtrack that you don't want to purchase after hearing it.
The semi-professional production looked adequate and it sported a colourful and brightly lit decor. The direction by Rospo Pallenberg is stale and tensionless. Wait to your eyes see one idiotic climax involving power tools and an unbelievably rash decision by the killer. The cruel deaths are unimaginative and have little, if no blood and gore. Those looking for obligatory nude flashes have to cope with blink and you miss it moments.
A real lemon of a flick, but still I found this mindless slasher watchable
thank-you Schoelen.
