Cutting Class: 2-Disc Special Edition – MVD Rewind Collection (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1989
Director: Rospo Pallenberg
Writer: Steve Slavkin
Cast: Donovan Leitch Jr., Jill Schoelen, Brad Pitt, Roddy McDowall, Martin Mull, Brenda James, Mark Barnet, Robert Glaudini

Release Date: January 30th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 91 Minutes 3 Seconds (Unrated Version), 90 Minutes 52 Seconds (R-Rated Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 (Unrated Version)
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono English, Dolby Digital Mono English (Unrated Version), Dolby Digital Mono English (R-Rated Version)
Subtitles: English SDH (Unrated Version), Spanish (Unrated Version - Blu-ray Only)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region Free (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $39.95

"High school can be murder. Just ask Paula (Jill Schoelen, The Stepfather). Her overprotective father disappears during a weekend hunting trip. She's being romantically pursued by Brian Woods (Donovan Leitch, The Blob), a creepy classmate who recently graduated from a mental institution. Her jealous jock boyfriend Dwight (Brad Pitt, Moneyball) is looking for any reason to release his juvenile rage. The lecherous school principal Mr. Dante (Roddy McDowall, Fright Night) is after her tight student body, and her friends and teachers are rapidly falling victim to a silent, shadowy mass-murder. As the body count rises, Paula begins to suspect that any one of her reckless suitors could be the twisted killer. But unless she learns his identity soon, her high school education will quickly come to a nasty end." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "2018 4K Restoration (from the 35mm original camera negative) and presented in 2160P HD in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio in HDR"

Cutting Class comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 60 GB

Feature: 59 GB

This transfer uses the same one that Vinegar Syndrome used for their 2018 Blu-ray release. Though the source looks excellent, there is some minor print debris in the opening credits. Flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid; and the image retains an organic look.

Cutting Class comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.1 GB

Feature: 21.7 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. This track is in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, this track sounds robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a 'Kill Comparisons' featurette (3 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), find the killer VHS contest promo (4 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Donovan Leitch Jr. (16 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actress Jill Schoelen (20 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and the R-Rated version of Cutting Class (90 Minutes 52 Seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, a "4K LaserVision" mini-poster (limited to first pressing), and a slipcover (limited to first pressing).

Summary:

Cutting Class is Rospo Pallenberg’s only directing credit; he is most known for his work as a screenwriter. His notable credits as a screenwriter include Exorcist II: The Heretic and Excalibur.

The narrative revolves around a psychopath inside a high school who has an axe to grind.

Throughout cinema’s history, the horror genre has had many ups and downs. And by the late 1980s, it was in one of its many lulls. That said, it is often during these down periods when horror cinema is regulated to independent filmmakers working outside of Hollywood that a film comes along and revives interest in the genre. Was Cutting Class one of these films?

The thing that grabs you immediately when watching Cutting Class is just how often it tries to inject humor. Though there have been many films that successfully mix horror and humor, there have been far more examples of films that come up short in this regard. The way in which Cutting Class employs humor is not always effective.

Cutting Class has a solid premise: a psychopath stalks and kills its victims, mostly inside a high school. And though it opens with one of its many moments of humor, it does not take long before the first victim is attacked while on a hunting trip. Also, this opening kill, like all the kills that follow, is inventive, as each victim gets their own unique way of dying. A few examples include death by a xerox machine and being impaled by a flag pole.

All of the characters are caricatures that have become all too familiar to anyone familiar with teen-themed horror body count films. Fortunately, none of the cast let the limitations of their characters get in the way of their enthusiastic performances. Also, the cast is filled with recognizable faces, including a very youthful Brad Pitt (12 monkeys) in the role of a stereotypical jock. Another cast member of note is Jill Schoelen (Popcorn) in the role of cheerleader. Needless to say, Cutting Class does not waste an opportunity to show off Jill Schoelen in provocative poses.

From a production standpoint, Cutting Class is a well-made slasher film that plays well to its specific audience. Though the narrative has some lulls, mostly due to the injection of humor, things move along at a good enough pace. One area where Cutting Class really excels is when it comes to moments of misdirection. Just when you think that you know where things are headed, another twist comes along. Ultimately, Cutting Class is an entertaining horror that unfortunately brings nothing new to the table; it is a film that diehard horror film fans will get the most mileage out of.

Cutting Class gets a solid release as part of the MVD Rewind Collection, recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer