Class of 1999

This article is about the science fiction film. For the band, see Class of '99. For the Night Gallery episode, see List of Night Gallery episodes.

Class of 1999
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Mark L. Lester
Screenplay by	C. Courtney Joyner
Story by	Mark L. Lester
Produced by	Mark L. Lester
Starring	Bradley Gregg Traci Lind John P. Ryan Pam Grier Joshua Miller Stacy Keach Malcolm McDowell
Cinematography	Mark Irwin
Edited by	Scott Conrad
Music by	Michael Hoenig
Production companies	Lightning Pictures Original Pictures
Distributed by	Taurus Entertainment Company
Release date	May 11, 1990 (1990-05-11)
Running time	99 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$5.2 million
Box office	$2.4 million

Class of 1999 is a 1990 American science fiction thriller film directed by Mark L. Lester. It is the director's follow-up to his 1982 film Class of 1984.

Plot

In the 1990s, areas in major North American cities are taken over by youth gangs. Two major gangs, the Blackhearts and the Razorheads, vie for control.

In 1999, while working with MegaTech head Dr. Bob Forrest, the CIA begins an experiment where three former military robots have become educators in Seattle's Kennedy High School. These are school coach Mr. Bryles, History teacher Mr. Hardin, and Chemistry teacher Ms. Connors. Former delinquents who were imprisoned are released as part of the experiment. One of them is former Blackheart Cody Culp.

The first the day of class, the three teachers violently subdue the students when conflict starts brewing. Returning home, Cody finds that his brothers and his mother are addicted to the drug known as "edge".

The next day, Razorhead Flavio attempts to rape Christie, Langford's daughter. Cody fights off Flavio and Razorhead leader Hector. Bryles eventually subdues Cody and takes him to Langford's office. Cody violated his parole with the fight, but Langford lets him off due to the fact that he did save Christie. At physical education class, Bryles humiliates Blackheart Mohawk while doing push-ups. When class is over, Bryles tells Cody to stay behind and starts beating him. Mohawk, meanwhile, takes some "edge" and returns with a gun. Bryles, however, grabs the gun and breaks Mohawk's neck, killing him.

Cody's brother Sonny later shows up late to Hardin's class, high on "edge". Hardin takes him to his locker and breaks it to reveal vials of "edge". He then forces the vials into Sonny's mouth while beating him. Sonny dies, and Hardin takes the latter's now bloodied cross. Cody sees the cross as Hardin gives his lecture. Aided by Langform, the crime becomes a cover-up to say that Sonny died of a drug overdose. The next day, Cody and Christie skip school to look for evidence. They find the cross before the three teachers catch the duo, who escape. The trio later decides to start a war between Razorheads and Blackhearts.

That evening, the trio kills Cody's Blackheart brother Angel. Connors then kidnaps Razorhead Noser. Noser is later sent through the window of the Razorheads' hangout while on fire. Convinced that the Blackhearts did it, Hector decides to start a war. The next morning, Cody finds a dead Angel at the Blackheart hangout. Cody, seething with revenge, rejoins the Blackhearts.

That afternoon, a war ensues between the gangs. During it, the trio secretly kills Blackhearts and Razorheads. Cody eventually shoots at Hardin, discovering that he is not human. After getting wind of the situation, Langford decides to have the program terminated. However, Forrest stops Langford, whom Bryles later kills.

Hector receives a call apparently from Cody saying that he wants him one-on-one at the school entrance. Connors, kidnapping Christie, pretends to be Hector and calls Cody with the same proposition. The Blackhearts are eventually convinced that the teachers are responsible. Hector and Cody later show up with both gangs. Cody explains that the teachers have started the war. To prove that he is right, Cody shows Hector Sonny's bloody cross. Razorheads and Blackhearts decide to team up and take on the teachers. In the ensuing battle, while the trio kills gang members, Cody finds Christie. Hardin eventually attempts to kill Cody, who reaches for a machine gun and repeatedly shoots him through the mouth, destroying him.

Cody and Christie are then chased to the chemistry lab by Connors. Cody instructs Christie to turn on all of the gas in the room. After throwing an axe at Connors, he and Christie run out of the lab. Connors, unleashing a flame thrower, explodes when fire hits the gas. Hector meets up with Cody and Christie. They are the three only survivors. Hector distracts Bryles while Cody and Christie reach a bus, which Cody hotwires. Cody eventually runs down Bryles while leaping out of the bus with Christie. The bus explodes but all three humans are safe. A heavily damaged Bryles also survives.

Hector, Cody, and Christie find Forrest. However, Forrest takes Christie hostage, planning to continue the project. Hector attempts to kill Forrest, who shoots him dead. Forrest then attempts to kill Cody. However, Bryles then appears and rips Forrest's heart out, killing him. Cody eventually finds a forklift and impales Bryles. Christie grabs the nearest chain and puts it around Bryles' neck with Cody using the forklift to lift the chain, cutting the robot's head.

Cast

• Bradley Gregg as Cody Culp
• Traci Lind as Christie Langford
• John P. Ryan as Mr. Hardin
• Pam Grier as Miss Connors
• Patrick Kilpatrick as Mr. Bryles
• Stacy Keach as Dr. Robert "Bob" Forrest
• Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Miles Langford
• Joshua John Miller as Angel Culp
• Darren E. Burrows as Sonny Culp
• Sharon Wyatt as Janice Culp
• James Medina as Hector
• Jason Oliver as Curt
• Brent David Fraser as Flavio
• Jill Gatsby as Dawn
• Sean Hagerty as Reedy
• Sean Gregory Sullivan as Mohawk
• David Wasman as Guard
• Landon Wine as Noser
• Barbara Coffin as Matron
• Linda Burden-Williams as Secretary
• Lanny Rees as Desk Sergeant
• Barry M. Press as Gould
• James McIntire as Technician 1
• Lee Arenberg as Technician 2
• Rose McGowan as Girl Outside Langford's Office (uncredited)

Production

The film was originally called Obedience.

The film was shot in 1988, at Lincoln High School in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood. In the introduction of the film, the exterior of the school is clearly visible as a heavily secured area with two guard towers on top of the stairs leading to the entrance. The film's robotic effects were designed by Eric Allard

Release

Theatrical

The film was originally scheduled to be released by Vestron Pictures through their subsidiary Lightning Pictures on October 6, 1989, but Vestron's financial turmoil resulted in the film being sold to Taurus Entertainment Group in March 1990. Taurus eventually released the film theatrically on May 11, 1990.

Home media

Class of 1999 was initially released on VHS via Vestron Video in 1991, and was later withdrawn. It was released on DVD in other countries such as South Korea and Australia. In 2001, a widescreen DVD edition of the movie was released through Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment in the U.K. The film's first American DVD release was by Lionsgate, on September 16, 2008. In 2012, Lionsgate included Class of 1999 in a DVD box set with seven other horror movies. The magazine Fangoria released the film under their banner on Hulu in March 2015. Lionsgate released the movie on Blu-ray in January 2018, as part of its new Vestron Video Collector's Series.

Soundtrack

Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like A Hole" is featured on the soundtrack.

Midge Ure's "Come The Day" is used under the closing credits of the film. Ure recorded the track while on tour in the United States in 1989. He would later say that he disliked the song, as well as the film.

Reception

The film received a score of 63% based on 8 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Metacritic gave the film a score of 33 based on 9 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".

Awards

Joshua John Miller was nominated for a Young Artist Award for his performance in the film.

Sequel

A sequel, titled Class of 1999 II: The Substitute, was released direct-to-video in 1994. The plots of the three films in the series (the first being Class of 1984) are only loosely related to each other.

External links

• Class of 1999 at IMDb
• Class of 1999 at Rotten Tomatoes
• Class of 1999 at Box Office Mojo