Monday Morning (aka Class of Fear): Collector's Edition – MVD Rewind Collection (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1990
Director: Don Murphy
Writer: Don Murphy
Cast: Noah Blake, Julianne McNamara, Brandon Hooper, Karl Wiedergott, Jason Lively, Shannon Absher, Brian Cole, Ricky Dean Logan, Marta Martin, Nicole Berger, Charlotte Swazey, Lisa Rinna, Vincent Craig Dupree, Fitz Houston

Release Date: June 21st, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 97 Minutes 4 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Bobby Parker (Noah Blake, Mystery Men), is a poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks whose family constantly moves to wherever his father can find work. He and his best friend Bill (Karl Wiedergott, The Wrong Guys), are new to Oceana High and their presence is definitely not welcome. James Hedges (Brandon Hooper, Chasing Mavericks), the student leader and son of the town mayor, cannot stand any outsider. And he especially doesn't like someone who "doesn't know his place" - like Bobby Parker.

To make matters worse, James discovers that Bobby is dating his sister Noreen (Julianne McNamara, Saturday the 14th Strikes Back). Along with a few of his friends, he decides to teach Bobby a lesson. On Monday morning, James and his friends pull a gun to scare Bobby into straightening out, but the plan fails. The two struggle and when a teacher is shot, everyone is ready to blame Bobby.

With no place to turn, Bobby grabs the gun and instructs everyone to sit tight. When the police show up ready for action, Bobby must convince the class of his innocence - before it's too late." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New High Definition (1080p) presentation of the main feature from the original camera negative".

Monday Morning comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.8 GB

Feature: 22.9 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape, with any instances of print debris being minimal. Colors and flesh tones look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and grain remains intact. It should be noted that about a half dozen times there is a weird anomaly that appears for a frame, and below I have included a screenshot example.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English, and included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles. Though the dialog comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced, there is some background hiss that varies in degree throughout.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a collectible mini poster, a slipcover, reversible artwork with alternate 'Class of Fear' title and artwork, an interview with screenwriter/director Don Murphy (52 minutes 51 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Don Murphy titled Don Murphy: Portrait of a Producer (24 minutes 1 second, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), original VHS version under its alternate title Class of Fear (97 minutes 34 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and a promo clip for Monday Morning that is essentially a scene from the film (2 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Other extras include trailers for Double Dragon, Dirty Laundry, and Action USA.

Summary:

What started off as a student film at USC's school of cinematic arts evolved into a feature film. And the result is a film that often exceeds the sum of its parts.

Monday Morning’s narrative revolves around a troubled protagonist named Bobby Parker, whose family is one of many that have recently moved to town for work. The locals looked down upon these new residents and treated them as second-class citizens. From there, a series of events escalates to a moment involving a gun that accidentally goes off, hitting a teacher.

When Monday Morning was made, the world, specifically America, was a different place. And though the events that unfold on Monday morning are now a regular occurrence, back then, such subject-matter would have been taken as fiction instead of reality. Was a film like Monday Morning looking into the future ills that now plague America?

The most surprising aspect of Monday Morning is its performances, especially Noah Blake’s (Teen Witch) portrayal of Bobby Parker. Another performance of note is Brandon Hooper in the role of James Hedges, a narcissistic teenager whose uncontrollable anger leads to all of the bad things that happen in Monday Morning. Notable cast members include Jason Lively (Night of the Creeps) and Lisa Rinna (Melrose Place).

Considering the resources that Monday Morning had to work with, it is amazing what this film was able to achieve. Most notably, a strong soundtrack and solid visuals by cinematographer John B. Aronson, whose extensive filmography includes TV series like Heroes and American Horror Story.

Based solely on the premise, Monday Morning gives itself a strong foundation from which to build. Unfortunately, the narrative never fully lives up to the premises' potential. That said, the result is a film that feels like a by-the-numbers after-school special.

Though the source of the transfer looks great, it is unfortunately marred by video anomalies. That said, Monday Morning gets a strong release from MVD distribution as part of their Rewind Collection that comes with a pair of informative extras.

Screenshot example of video anomaly.

Class of Fear screenshots.

Written by Michael Den Boer