Cutting Class

Last updated
Cutting Class
Cutting Class film poster.jpg
VHS cover
Directed by Rospo Pallenberg
Written bySteve Slavkin
Produced byDonald R. Beck
Rudy Cohen
Starring Donovan Leitch
Jill Schoelen
Brad Pitt
Roddy McDowall
Martin Mull
CinematographyAvraham Karpick
Edited by Bill Butler
Natan Zahavi
Music by Jill Fraser
Production
companies
April Films
Gower Street Pictures
Distributed by Republic Pictures Home Video
Release date
  • December 13, 1989 (1989-12-13)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Cutting Class is a 1989 American black comedy slasher film directed by Rospo Pallenberg in his directorial debut, written by Steve Slavkin, and starring Donovan Leitch, Jill Schoelen, Brad Pitt, Roddy McDowall, and Martin Mull. It was Pitt's second major role, after The Dark Side of the Sun .

Contents

The film was released direct-to-video by Republic Pictures on December 13, 1989. [1]

Plot

A paperboy delivers a newspaper to the house of District Attorney Bill Carson, who has planned a hunting trip. He warns his teenage daughter Paula to do her homework, not to allow boys in the house, and most importantly not to cut class. Paula then puts the newspaper in the bin, showing its headline: "Boy who killed father released from Mental Asylum."

Bill Carson drives to the swamps for his hunting trip. As he takes shots into the air, someone hiding nearby holds a bow and arrows. The mysterious figure fires an arrow into Bill, who cries out and falls down to the ground. Struggling to get help, Bill starts crawling his way back home.

Meanwhile, teenager Dwight Ingalls enters class late after avoiding two accidents on his ride to school. Dwight is questioned by his teacher, Mr. Conklin, about this.

Later, Paula and her friend Colleen take out gym equipment. Paula walks past a set of bows and arrows and notices a leaf hanging off one of the arrows. Paula picks the leaf off. Meanwhile, student Brian is told to climb a rope by the P.E. coach, but Dwight causes him to fall.

At a hot dog stand, Colleen, Paula, and student Gary wait for Dwight. Brian approaches, and Colleen insults him before asserting that he has a crush on Paula. Dwight then pulls up in his car and starts talking to Paula. He asks to go to her house, as Bill is away, which would give them a chance to be alone. Dwight then goes to buy Paula a hot dog but is beaten by Brian who hands her one. Dwight tells Paula to get in the car and makes it clear to Brian that they are not friends anymore and to leave him and Paula alone. They all then drive off in Dwight's car.

Brian and Paula nevertheless become friends, and she starts to trust him. Dwight warns her to stay away from him. A teacher is murdered in the copy room, and the students notice that the killer made copies of the killing on the copy machine. The teacher's face is shown smashed into the copy machine glass along with a ring on the killer's finger. The ring belongs to Dwight. Soon they think that Dwight is the killer instead of Brian.

Brian tries to kill Paula, Dwight, and a math teacher, and the school janitor happens to be around at the time. Every classroom they run into, Brian starts talking to Paula and the teacher through the PA in the principal's office. Still thinking that Dwight is the killer, Paula runs from him. Brian goes into the classroom after hacking the teacher to death. Dwight enters and gets Brian off of Paula, and they run out to the shop class and hide after Brian exclaims, "YOU'RE A YANKEE DOODLE DANDY TOO; YOU TWO MUST KILL OR DIE!" Brian knows they are in there, and follows them while locking them in and turning on all the equipment.

Brian corners Dwight and puts his head in a vice and points a drill towards his face. Paula ends up striking Brian in the head with a claw hammer, making him fall onto a moving saw, which goes right through his torso as Paula rescues Dwight. They leave the school and are in Dwight's car when they see Bill falling down a hill into the road. However, Dwight cannot stop because Brian cut the brakes earlier. They swerve and miss hitting Bill, who responds, "Shouldn't you be in school? You're not cutting class, I hope!". Paula just smiles.

Cast

Production

Cutting Class marked the first major role for Brad Pitt in a feature film being third billed in the credits after having previously done mostly television work. [2] Pitt began a relationship with co-star Jill Schoelen with the two dating for about three months. [2]

Reception

The film was received negatively by critics with Film Threat being not particularly positive towards the film, calling it "good campy fun with some of the dumbest scenes you can grab from a slasher of this decade". [3]

The film has an approval rating of 14% on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on seven reviews. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Pitt</span> American actor (born 1963)

William Bradley Pitt is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. One of the most influential celebrities, Pitt appeared on Forbes' annual Celebrity 100 list from 2006 to 2008, and the Time 100 list in 2007.

<i>Kalifornia</i> 1993 film by Dominic Sena

Kalifornia is a 1993 American road thriller film directed by Dominic Sena, in his feature film directorial debut. It stars Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis, David Duchovny, and Michelle Forbes. The film tells the story of a journalist (Duchovny) and his photographer girlfriend (Forbes) traveling cross-country to research serial killings, who unwittingly carpool with a psychopath (Pitt) and his childlike girlfriend (Lewis).

<i>The Bourne Identity</i> (2002 film) 2002 action film directed by Doug Liman

The Bourne Identity is a 2002 action-thriller film directed by Doug Liman and written by Tony Gilroy and William Blake Herron. Based on Robert Ludlum's 1980 novel of the same name, it is the first installment in the Bourne franchise, and the film stars Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. In the film, Jason Bourne (Damon) suffers from psychogenic amnesia and is forced to fight to unlock his identity and his mysterious connection to the CIA.

<i>The Stepfather</i> (1987 film) 1987 American psychological horror film

The Stepfather is a 1987 American psychological horror film directed by Joseph Ruben and starring Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, and Shelley Hack. O'Quinn stars as an identity-assuming serial killer who marries a widow with a teenage daughter. Having killed his previous family and changed his identity, his murderous tendencies continue after his stepdaughter becomes suspicious of him. The film is loosely based on the life of mass murderer John List, although the plot is more commonly associated with slasher films of the era. The film was written by Donald E. Westlake, from a story by Westlake, Carolyn Lefcourt and Brian Garfield, with an uncredited rewrite by David Loughery.

<i>The Phantom of the Opera</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by Dwight H. Little

The Phantom of the Opera is a 1989 American horror film directed by Dwight H. Little and based on Gaston Leroux's novel of the same name. The film is an updated and gorier version of Leroux's classic tale and stars Robert Englund as the titular character. The film was a critical and commercial failure.

<i>Mr. & Mrs. Smith</i> (2005 film) 2005 film by Doug Liman

Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a 2005 American action comedy film directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kinberg. The film stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as a bored upper middle class married couple, who are surprised to learn that they are assassins belonging to competing agencies and that they have been assigned to kill each other. Incidentally, the filming marked the beginning of Pitt and Jolie's real-life personal relationship, which would later result in a romantic relationship, marriage, and children from 2005 to 2016.

<i>No Mans Land</i> (1987 film) 1987 crime film directed by Peter Werner

No Man's Land is a 1987 American crime drama film directed by Peter Werner, written by Dick Wolf, and starring Charlie Sheen, D. B. Sweeney, and Randy Quaid. The plot follows a rookie cop who goes undercover and infiltrates a car theft ring. The film was released on October 23, 1987 and received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>I Wake Up Screaming</i> 1941 film by H. Bruce Humberstone

I Wake Up Screaming is a 1941 American mystery thriller film noir. directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Carole Landis, and features one of Grable's few dramatic roles. It is based on the novel of the same name by Steve Fisher, adapted by Dwight Taylor. It was produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox.

<i>My Bodyguard</i> 1980 film by Tony Bill

My Bodyguard is a 1980 American family comedy drama film directed by Tony Bill, and written by Alan Ormsby. The film stars Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin, Matt Dillon, Martin Mull, and Ruth Gordon.

<i>When a Stranger Calls Back</i> American Made-for-TV movie

When a Stranger Calls Back is a 1993 American made-for-television psychological horror film and a sequel to the 1979 classic When a Stranger Calls which reunites stars Carol Kane and Charles Durning with director Fred Walton from the original film. It was originally broadcast on Showtime on April 4, 1993.

<i>Cruel, Cruel Love</i> 1914 film

Cruel, Cruel Love is a 1914 American comedy silent film made at the Keystone Studios and starring Charlie Chaplin.

Jill Marie Schoelen is an American actress. She is best known for Chiller (1985), The Stepfather (1987), Cutting Class (1989), The Phantom of the Opera (1989), Popcorn (1991), Rich Girl (1991), and When a Stranger Calls Back (1993). For her numerous horror film appearances, she is widely regarded as a scream queen.

<i>Wes Cravens Chiller</i> 1985 American TV series or program

Chiller is a 1985 American made-for-television horror film directed by Wes Craven and written by J.D. Feigelson. It follows corporate executive Miles Creighton, who dies and is cryonically preserved in the hopes that he can be revived. Ten years later, the procedure is a success, and Miles returns, but without his soul. The film premiered on CBS on May 22, 1985.

<i>Abby Singer</i> (film) 2003 American film

Abby Singer is a 2003 American dark comedy film that chronicles the life of Curtis Clemins, who is torn between the love of his life and accomplishing his dream. It had some film festival screenings in 2003 and again in 2006. The film also has several celebrity cameo appearances, including Brad Pitt, Roger Ebert, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

<i>The Plumber</i> (1979 film) 1979 Australian TV series or program

The Plumber is a 1979 Australian psychological thriller film about a psychotic plumber who terrorizes a grad student. Written and directed by Peter Weir, The Plumber was originally made and broadcast as a television film in Australia in 1979 but was subsequently released to theatres in several countries beginning with the United States in 1981. The film was made shortly after Weir's critically acclaimed Picnic at Hanging Rock became one of the first Australian films to appeal to an international audience. The film stars Judy Morris, Ivar Kants, and Robert Coleby, all of them being most notable at the time as actors in Australian soap operas.

<i>Our Miss Brooks</i> (film) 1956 film

Our Miss Brooks is a 1956 American comedy film starring Eve Arden, Gale Gordon, Don Porter and Robert Rockwell, based on the radio and TV sitcom hit on CBS of the same name. Directed by Al Lewis, who was the chief writer for the radio and TV editions, and written by both him and Joseph Quillan, the film disregarded the past four years of television and started with a new storyline. It was distributed by Warner Brothers.

<i>Daydream Nation</i> (film) 2010 Canadian film

Daydream Nation is a 2010 Canadian drama film written and directed by Michael Goldbach. It features Kat Dennings, Reece Thompson, and Josh Lucas. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2010.

<i>Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life</i> (film) 2016 American family comedy film

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life is a 2016 American live-action/animated family comedy film directed by Steve Carr and written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer and Kara Holden, based on the 2011 novel of the same name by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts. The film stars Griffin Gluck, Lauren Graham, Rob Riggle, Isabela Merced, Retta, Thomas Barbusca, Andy Daly, and Adam Pally. It follows Rafael "Rafe" Khatchadorian (Gluck), a middle school student who sets out to break every one of the many rules made by his domineering principal (Daly).

When the Streetlights Go On is an American drama television series written by Eddie O'Keefe and Chris Hutton that debuted on Quibi on April 6, 2020.

<i>Bullet Train</i> (film) 2022 film by David Leitch

Bullet Train is a 2022 American action comedy film directed by David Leitch. It is based on the 2010 novel Maria Beetle, written by Kōtarō Isaka and translated by Sam Malissa, the second novel in Isaka's Hitman series, of which the first novel was previously adapted as the 2015 Japanese film Grasshopper. Centered around a group of assassins on the JR Central Shinkansen that end up in conflict with each other, the film features an ensemble cast consisting of Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A. Martínez Ocasio, and Sandra Bullock.

References

  1. "Cutting Class (1989)". TCM . Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Robb, Brian J. (2002). Brad Pitt: The Rise to Stardom. Plexus Publishing. pp. 29–30. ISBN   9780859652889.
  3. Vasquez Jr., Felix (2007-12-07). "Cutting Class (DVD)". filmthreat.com . Retrieved 2012-06-20.
  4. Fandango (2012). "Cutting Class (1989)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2012-06-20.