Cutting Class (1989) User Reviews

Impossibly Dull Slasher

[staciewilliams-89515 · 4/10 · 6 April 2019]

I think it'd be fair to say that, if Cutting Class didn't have Brad Pitt, the entire would would have forgotten about it in '89.

On the surface, the concept of Cutting Class isn't terrible. It seems like it would have potential to be fairly fun. Plus, we're given the fabulous Jill Scholen as our leading lady and her track record with horror projects is pretty solid from The Stepfather to Popcorn. Surely, she wouldn't sign on to a turkey, right?

Sadly, this is wrong. Very wrong. Poor Scholen has very little to do, nor does the rest of the cast, including a very strangely placed Martin Mull and Roddy McDowell who must have owed someone a favor.

The tone varies between weird comedy and bland slashings, but neither work well by themselves and they certainly don't gel well together. Maybe the script read better than the film turned out. It's also shot with zero style and looks like an impossibly bland TV movie.

Cutting Class isn't worth a revisit. Bank some erasers together instead.

To not be taken so seriously

[Rodrigo_Amaro · 6/10 · 1 September 2013]

A killer on the loose is murdering students and teachers from a cool high school. Now it's up to the popular kids and the most ignored of them, recently released from a psychiatric hospital, to solve the mystery behind the murders. In this almost ludicrous and predictable whodunit, everything is what appears to be and our fun is to see how foolish director and writer can get while coming up with obvious devices that doesn't even try to fool and impress the viewers. Maybe some of the violence was unexpected but they sure were looking for the laughs. And this is a barrel of laughter.

C'mon, it's not that bad. It's embarrassingly fun to watch a bunch of actors fully knowing they're stinking on scene, trying hard to look authentic and reliable, in this sort of parody of teen slasher flicks. A pretty good trash, now with a heavy cult following from Brad Pitt fans who are curious in seeing one of his earliest roles. And truth be told, he's the only one who worked the hardest to look good enough, in opposition to the cheesy acting from almost everyone. But Donovan Leitch steals the show in a weird way. As the troubled and lonesome Brian Woods, he's the most memorable face from this thing with his terrifying yet good looking eyes and face, a Ricky Fits kind of character - definitely not obsessed, just curious. But why does he have to dress like Frankenstein?

Although heavily inspired but countless (and better) movies, this one had its original parts. High point is when the killer challenges the math teacher to solve a difficult equation and discover which door from the classroom is the safe passage. That scene had me giving some nervous laughs.

It's enjoyable but only when you're in the mood to have fun and not take anything you see here in a serious way. But in the end "Cutting Class" shows us that skipping class is far more worse than killing people. Ouch. 6/10

On this occasion, cutting class sounds good.

[lost-in-limbo · 4/10 · 12 November 2006]

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.

It's the PITTS! (Get it? Because Brad Pitt is in it, and it's... oh, never mind.)

[zmaturin · 11 March 2001]

From that golden age of cinema known as the eighties comes this fiercely average teen slasher flick that seems tailor made to be shown on "USA Up All Night". This movie looks pretty glossy and professional, and therefore bland. The killings take a back seat to comedy scenes starring Martin Mull and Roddy McDowell, the latter of whom is pretty funny (Although McDowell often took crappy parts just for a paycheck- It's hard to imagine him getting excited over the script for "Laserblast"- he was never dull).

To the film's credit, the identity of the killer is kept a pretty good secret till the film's amusing enough climax in the school's metal shop. One of the main suspects is played by a young Brad Pitt, but he doesn't embarrass himself like future star Matthew McConnehey did in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4". Brad is merely lifeless in his role as a hothead basketball star and reckless driver. Creepy Donovan Leitch is the other probable suspect, and cute Jill Shoelen is the confused gal in a bland love triangle with the two. (Whatever happened to Shoelen? She's got a nice, early-Winona-Ryder vibe going in this and in "Popcorn". I think she's an okay actress, trapped in mediocre movies, like the Robert Englund "Phantom of the Opera").

And that is all I have to say on the matter of "Cutting Class".

Worth A Watch For Young Brad Pitt

[tildagravette · 3/10 · 7 August 2019]

Every star has to start somewhere, but I'd be surprised if Brad Pitt was proud of his work in this film. Of course, no one expects high art from a typical, by the numbers slasher film and especially not one from the late 80's when that subgenre had run its course, but Cutting Class lacks the pep, smarts, and suspense of some of the better examples of the subgenre.

80's horror staple Jill Scholen plays a teenager whose in the middle of a love triangle involving Donovan Leitch and Brad Pitt. Apparently, we're supposed to root for her. I think we'll all agree that most of us would gladly take her place and accept either or. Even worse, there's a mad slasher running around killing everyone in sight.

Cutting Class occasionally dips its toe into satirical comedy throughout, but it never quite takes off. Scholen's father (played by, of all people, Martin Mull) is shot with a bow and arrow early on during a hunting trip and the film routinely cuts back to him wandering through the forest and surrounding highways limping along. One gets the feeling that this is supposed to be funny, but it ends up playing more silly and distracting than anything else.

Roddy McDowell as the lecherous school principal gets some of the funnier and sleazier material of the film and he handles it with the upmost professionalism. Honestly, all the actors do a good job with what they've given, but they can't disguise the lousy, slow, and predictable screenplay.

a perfect example why slashers died after 1985

[trashgang · 4/10 · 19 October 2010]

Cutting Class, what can I say about that one. After half a hour watching nothing really happened except for one killing that isn't worth watching. Other things I saw were bikini's and underwear and of course cheerleaders. And still there is a killer prowling around. If you are into horror you will immediately know who the killer is so no suspense there. Yes, they are trying to mislead you by solving who the killer is but it is too late. By then you know that it really sucks. It's not bloody or scary even as they have put some nudity in it and first person shots of the killer. It's really a flick you watch as a teenager and to see Brad Pitt in his earlier performances. But it is also a perfect example why the slashers killed their selves. If it wasn't for Pitt the movie surely would vanish in the VHS era and would never be released on DVD, watch the sleeves, it's Pitt on it and that's all. For the teenagers around '89 there was another reason to watch this flick. Jill Schoelen. She was one of the idols around then and here she shows a bit of herself and she also was a bit of a name in the PG13 horror of that time. She's also know for Popcorn, The Bite 2 and of course the original The Stepfather were she's nude too. Admit it, with all the tools seen at the end they surely could have made a real slasher but instead they choose to make a copier as a killing subject?! This one is easy to find in bargains so don't hesitate to see a cutting crap.

Where have you gone Jill Schoelen?

[burkhart-3 · 2/10 · 5 March 2003]

This insane piece of garbage is only watchable for one person- and it's not Brad Pitt! Jill Schoelen is the only good thing in a movie where every other character SHOULD get killed. Heck, I was hoping they'd kill off a few more of these morons, it would've made the story a little more worthwhile. There's nothing here, really. This movie is just an exercise in stupidity. Martin Mull's character shot with a bow and arrow in the beginning and comes back at the end of the film? Are you kidding me? Brad Pitt's basketball scenes are laughable and most of the acting, from people like Pitt and Roddy McDowell, is without any semblance of ability. And those people had ability, it just doesn't show in this piece of crap. Finally, an explanation for why this movie is so bad can be found on the IMDb link for the director who apparently had a lot to do with The Exorcist II: the heretic, which was one of the worst films of all time. Don't expect much better from "Cutting Class."

Pretty people on slasher flicks does not mean quality!

[insomniac_rod · 4/10 · 19 November 2004]

"Cutting Class" does not deserve the cult classic status because it isn't. It came out when the slasher era was about to end. The movie doesn't offers anything you haven't seen.

You got the typical plot where a killer on the loose terrorizes a college campus. You got the beautiful couple that survives the killer's attacks and manage to defeat him after following some hints. The sad thing is that the movie's killer is a geek. When this guy starts to act "psycho" the movie loses credibility.

The fact that Brad Pitt is in this movie shouldn't be a reason to watch it (I talking to you girls!). This is probably one of the worst slasher flicks that came out in the 80's and that's something to say.

Jill Schoelen is the best thing about the movie. She's super hot, sexy, tender, cute. Anytime she appears on screen makes me wonder about female physical perfectness. She's simply GORGEOUS. She's every guy's fantasy. And she delivers a decent performance.

There are some gory kills but nothing you haven't seen. The scene I remember the most from the movie is when a girl (using no panties), goes under the gym's step staircases and gets stabbed. She screams as hard as she can but a band is playing on so her screaming is not heard. Classy.

4/10. Don't waste your time or money on this. I was a victim of Jill Schoelen's screen charm. Oh, I would buy this movie a thousand times if she asked me to...

Cutting Class (1989)

[fntstcplnt · 3/10 · 17 September 2019]

Directed by Rospo Pallenberg. Starring Jill Schoelen, Brad Pitt, Donovan Leitch, Roddy McDowall, Brenda Lynn Klemme, Mark Barnet, Robert Glaudini, Eric Boles, Dirk Blocker, Martin Mull, Tim Ligon, Nancy Fish. (R)

Low-rent slasher whodunit (or parody of the same, difficult to tell) with a mystery killer going to town on high school students, parents, teachers, and anyone else who may offend him or her. Red herrings aplenty, but even more inexplicable details without purpose or payoff--screw-loose janitor cleaning up blood without concern, subplot about the lecherous principal's (a slumming McDowall) designs on a pretty student abandoned before the halfway mark, cutaways to a wounded Mull dragging himself through the woods during the entire movie, and so on. Aside from a memorable death scene on a gym trampoline, the movie is completely lacking in style and invention (and certainly has no scares whatsoever). Not painful to watch, just a total waste of time; of note today only because it featured Pitt's first major film role to reach theaters--it's hardly a star-in-the-making performance, but he's no worse than anyone else here.

28/100

Worth a look but nothing classy

[Stevieboy666 · 6/10 · 30 June 2019]

High school slasher movie, both students and teachers are getting bumped off by an unknown killer. The Golden Age of the slasher movie was well and truly over by 1989 but there were still a few being made. Somehow Cutting Class passed me by, until I recently picked up an old copy on VHS. Although not particularly gory there are a few inventive deaths, though it takes a while to get going. There is a lot of humour to be found, very cheesy, but it helps make for easy, reasonably entertaining, simple viewing. Roddy McDowall puts in a decent performance but this movie is best known as being Brad Pitt's first major role. He was 26 when this was released but his boyish good looks almost make his teenage character believable. Don't expect too much from Cutting Class and you will not be disappointed.

Why Do I Try...

[CMRKeyboadist · 3/10 · 16 June 2006]

Cutting Class is a late eighties slasher flick that delivers on the most pathetic of levels. It actually has a good cast featuring Jill Schoelen, Brad Pitt, Roddy McDowell and Donovan Leitch. But even with these actors the movie is a complete failure, in my opinion.

Leitch plays the part of Brian who has been released from a psychiatric ward for murdering his Father fives years ago. Upon return to School, his old friend Dwight (Pitt) decides he would rather humiliate him than to be his friend again. Jill Schoelen plays Paula who is Dwights girlfriend and is the love interest of Brian, also. Suddenly, teachers and students are turning up missing or dead and it comes down to whether Brian is the killer or Dwight is the killer.

I saw this film many years ago and had trouble sitting through it then. I don't know why things would be different now. The script is laughable and the actors try to do their best but still turns out bad. What Roddy McDowell is doing in this movie playing a perverted principal is beyond me. Such a great actor and to end up in trash like this is just sad. The actor that does the best with his character is Brad Pitt. He does a surprisingly decent job. The murder scenes are extremely weak with a few off screen killings and one killing with a very fake ax to the head. Just disappointing... 3/10

Slasher Movie With A Stay-In-School Message

[Skeeter700 · 8/10 · 8 December 1998]

This movie, another mid-80s students-in-danger-from-psycho number, is not bad. I rented it just to cheer for Brad Pitt's death scene! Does he get his chance to top Debra Winger's 'Terms Of Endearment' deathbed moment? You'll have to rent it to find out. Somewhat funny, with a great stay-in-school message (delivered in the Science Lab for those of you serious about renting it). Skeeter gives it 7 1/2 for 10!

Decent entry, if not overtly spectacular

[slayrrr666 · 7/10 · 31 July 2007]

"Cutting Class" is a rather run-of-the-mill slasher.

**SPOILERS**

Left alone for the week, Paula Carson, (Jill Schoelen) watches father William Carson III, (Martin Mull) go off on vacation in the woods. Going to school as normal, she meets up with boyfriend Dwight Ingalls, (Brad Pitt) after-school, while new student Brian Woods, (Donovan Leitch) looks on. As he was just released from a mental hospital, no one around school seems to trust that he's completely sane. As he manages to get closer to her through school and outside activities, she begins to feel closer to him rather than her boyfriend. As they continue to sort through their woes, a rash of murders across campus forces the students to demand action of the principal, Mr. Dante, (Roddy McDowall) due to all the disappearances and murders. Upon realizing the killer's identity, the survivors band together to stave off their intentions.

The Good News: This here doesn't have a whole lot of positives about it. The film's at its best with it's final confrontation showdown inside the auto-shop. Not only is this a pretty original place to hold a showdown, which is nicely appreciated, but it's also a nonstop series of blows resulting in a really nice action set-piece. There's some nice brawling scenes, a pretty nice duel with power tools and a couple of some really nice surprises that keep it going on. There's even some creative uses for different tools around, including bringing in a table vice and a long pair of tongs into the action that it ups the intensity of it significantly. This also manages to really rescue the film as it's one of the few times that there's something happening that really requires the attention of the viewer in any significant way, and helps to really up the enjoyment of it. There's also a really intriguing scene in here as well that's pulled off well. After a rather suspenseful trip through school where the killer would pipe a song into a specific classroom to note where they're hiding, several victims stumble into one which doesn't contain the song but contains a problem on the board that the teacher gave them earlier but never correctly answered, and the wrong one would lead to their deaths. This is one of the single most clever scenes in the genre, and the pay-off is extraordinary. That the kills, when they're actually coming on-screen, aren't that bad as there's a pole impaled through the stomach out the back, a hammer-claw to the forehead, an ax in the head, an arrow in the chest and a slit throat show up in here, nothing spectacular or gory but good enough. In the end though, all it's got is it's ending pieces.

The Bad News: This here has some rather pressing problems. One of the problems is that it's supposed to feel like a brutal, sleazy film when it's really rather tame. While it's deaths look nice, they're simply lowest-common-denominator ones that have been seen numerous times over and are so blood-less that they're nowhere near as shocking as they seem to suggest they are. These two really take a lot out of the film, when it's main attraction is a problem. Another one to overcome is that there's really no action at all until the end of the film. The few murders that are conducted beforehand are so spread apart and so dull that the film's beginning sections are so dull and languid that it barely registers. It's the same old stuff scene carted out time and time again without doing much to set-up the killer's identity. That in itself is another problem, as there's a really lousy attempt here to get us to believe that there's a mystery surrounding the killer's identity. There's a sense that it's supposed to a mystery with a series of red herrings that are built up but are so clichéd and unbelievable that there's no way they're possible suspects. No attempt is made at making them believable enough to be the killer, and it's hard to believe that any of them would become the real killer as the amount of clues are quite bad. The film's other really big flaw is that this just really feels flat. There's nothing really hugely impressive about it, there's really nothing that would signal that this was anything other than just going through the motions without anything else to get in the way. That hurts the film almost as much as it's lack of real slasher characteristics.

The Final Verdict: While not an overall decent slasher film, this one does have enough good points to at least become watchable. However, it's flaws will prevent this one from impacting anyone other than the most hardcore slasher fans, who will get the most out of this one, all others are encouraged to avoid as there's nothing here worthwhile to them.

Rated R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence and Brief Nudity

The death of the 80s slasher movie.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 19 September 2009]

By the end of the 80s, the traditional slasher movie had pretty much run its course, the genre becoming too formulaic and over-familiar to its jaded audience. Rospo Pallenberg's Cutting Class is an attempt at sending up such conventions, but it's hard to poke fun at a genre that has already unintentionally turned to self parody, and the film winds up being virtually indistinguishable from the countless genuine films that it intends to mock.

Jill Schoelen stars as virginal and studious teen Paula Carson, object of affection for two ex-best-buds, overbearing basketball jock Dwight Ingalls (Brad Pitt) and creepy loner Brian Woods (Donovan Leitch). When Paula is left on her own for a week while her father, a district attorney, goes duck hunting, she promises to behave, but with rival friends fighting for her attention, the school principal (Roddy McDowall) perving over her ass, and a crazy murderer bumping off her schoolmates, staying out of trouble is going to be harder than she thinks.

Cutting Class certainly makes sure to pack in all the standard genre clichés, with red herrings and misleading clues a plenty (hands up who though that sodium chloride would actually save the day: I know I did), but veers awkwardly between silly humour (Paula's bumbling dad somehow surviving to the end of the film) and genuine attempts at horror (the killing of the school's vice principal), delivering crappy gore featuring patently rubber props and uninspired direction along the way.

The acting also does little to improve matters, with future A-lister Pitt being unmemorable, unlikeable and offering no hint of star quality, Leitch giving an equally unimpressive turn, and a performance from poor old Roddy McDowall that can only be described as extremely embarrassing. Thank heavens for the lovely Schoelen, who is as winsome as she was in Popcorn and The Stepfather, and makes the whole film just about worthwhile by simply showing off her magnificent butt.

Underrated horror flick!

[madman1000 · 7 August 2004]

This movie is often ignored by horror fans, but pretty underrated. Yes its cheesy and yes the only reason most people will pick it up in a video store is because Brad Pitt is on the cover but it does have a huge overall entertainment factor. The story is typical of 80s teen slashers, and the movie does have a strong likeness to Prom Night, Slaughter High and Return to Horror High, which isn't a bad thing. The acting is OK but the story is very good, and the sense of 'whodunnit' is very gripping (almost as good as Scream). When the killer is revealed in the grand finale, the final battle of good and evil begins in one last fight!!! Its pretty darn good and if you have any hesitations in seeing it...just watch it and i'm sure you won't be disappointed!

Pointless

[nmp381 · 3/10 · 17 October 2000]

I'm not sure exactly what "Cutting Class" was trying to be. Horror or comedy? If it was striving for the latter, it succeeded. The supposed "scary" scenes and acting were hilarious, unbelievable and annoying at times. The killer was terrible and the cliches rain galore, NOT acceptable for 1989.(10 years + into the slasher craze,and the time when they were dying down completely). Usually movies like this at least attempt to scare the audience, this one attempts and just fails completely. Terrible start for Brad Pitts career.

Pretty bad...(mild spoilers)

[gridoon · 4/10 · 22 January 2003]

This pretty bad slasher film would be completely forgotten today, if it did not feature an early appearance by future super-star Brad Pitt. Now it's merely ALMOST completely forgotten. It actually tries to set itself up as a murder mystery, of sorts, but the script and direction are both too often incompetent. Examples? A math problem that would be fairly easy for a 12-year-old kid is presented by the teacher in the senior class. Later on, that same teacher is trying to solve another math problem, posed to him by the killer, and is apparently too puzzled to notice that the problem has no givens! By the way, the killer must have had a really big death wish to do something so utterly stupid in his final scene. The film also has a slightly fuzzy look that makes it seem older than it is. Jill Schoelen is a likable and agreeable actress, but with films like this it's no wonder her career stalled. (*1/2)

At least you have Brad Pitt and Donovan Leitch Jr...

[julietaagostina · 5/10 · 12 February 2021]

The concept is good, but honestly Paula (the main character) is such a pathetic excuse of a final girl, more plain than white bread, bad acting and bad scripting makes watching her even worse, and somehow even though she is portrayed as a "nerd", she's stupid enough to not have any reaction when a guy she barely knows appears inside her bathroom when she is naked, whom she falls for in the last 15 minutes? Brian was a character with the potential to be a really good killer, and Dwight is just a plain jock, but the acting of Brad Pitt makes it acceptable. If I didn't had to watch Jill Schoelen acting like it was a high-school play for bonus points in a class she is falling for 91 minutes, it would probably be a solid movie.

I BET Brad Pitt doesn't have this on his resume...

[preppy-3 · 1/10 · 2 November 2006]

Terrible slice'n'dice film. Brian (Donovan Leitch) has just been released from a mental institution where he had extensive electroshock therapy. He falls for sweet lovable Paula (Jill Schoelen) but she loves "bad boy" Dwight (Brad Pitt). Then murders start happening. Is it Dwight or Brian? You won't care.

The murders are pretty bloodless--the story is stupid--the comedy horrible--the dialogue lame. One of the worst horror movies of its time--and that's saying quite a bit! It would be completely forgotten today if not for Pitt's role in it. He himself has said it's the worst movie he ever made. Also don't let top-billed Martin Mull or Roddy McDowall fool you--they're hardly in the move.

Abysmal. Only watch if you're interested in seeing Pitt embarrass himself. A 1.

Sir! Oh Sir! Brad Pitt didn't do his homework!

[Coventry · 4/10 · 20 January 2008]

Sometimes all that it requires to take your mind off of everything is a simple-minded, bone-headed 80's slasher, especially if it's one that stars a young, hunky and still unknown Brad Pitt as the high school jerk and Roddy McDowall as the dirty-minded principal. The plot is textbook 80's guff, meaning no purposeful twists or any attempts at building up tension whatsoever, but still it guarantees a good 90 minutes of dopey fun and chuckles. As Brian returns to the schoolyard after a period in a mental asylum to treat his Violent Schizophrenia Syndrome, bodies start piling up as well and naturally he becomes the prime suspect. Of course, in this type of film, it takes an awfully very long time before any of the dim-witted characters realizes something's wrong and "Cutting Class" is no exception. Someone actually has to stumble over a corpse accidentally before realizing several others persons are missing as well. The script really tries hard to uphold the mystery and to keep the real killer's identity secret, but it doesn't matter all that much since we're just watching the film for the murders anyway. They aren't special, unfortunately, just a neat throat-slitting, an icky flagpole-killing and someone's crushed head on the copying machine. There's also the fairly original running gag of the killer's first victim surviving the assault and fruitlessly struggling for help for the rest of the film. The main attraction here is obviously – and almost exclusively – Brad Pitt, and he certainly doesn't disappoint as the cocky school-rebel. At a certain point in the film, one of his teachers tells him he has little chance to a great future, ha ha ha!

Cutting Class (1989)

[jonahstewartvaughan · 7/10 · 22 February 2023]

Vinegar Syndrome Cuts Marathon #1

Cutting Class (1989)

(7/10):The first thing that I would like to note is that for a lot of their catalog, as a newcomer to the titles they offer you need to have low standards going into practically everything Vinegar Syndrome releases.

With that in mind,is the first film legitimately good? No, but it sure as hell entertains!

Cutting Class is a cheesy late eighties teen slasher comedy about a young girl whose father goes on a hunting trip and during the trip the school eventually plunges into chaos. After a little bit of after hours digging into student records reveals that one of them was subjected to daily shock therapy,they already knew that he had been institutionalized though and were wary of his presence.

It turns into a stupid fun Whodunnit kind of slasher film that also,if you paid close attention to the poster,has an early sighting of Brad Pitt. Speaking of the now blockbuster famous actor, in terms of his acting skills in this it's not that bad, especially in terms of how bad acting can be in an eighties slasher.

The soundtrack is silly but catchy and there's some decent kills here, the standout being photocopied to death.

The blood is sometimes a bit scarce in earlier kills but the finale has some decent enough gore and is also very fun in how it's played out as well.

It's a fun one if you're looking for something to turn your brain off and enjoy, like any slasher should be.

Cutting Class

[HorrorFan1984 · 5/10 · 5 April 2021]

Someone is killing students and staff at a local high school. Cutting Class won't be the only crime committed in this fairly unknown late 80's slasher.

The film begins with introducing us to Paula, a young high school student who is dating a popular jock type named Dwight. A fellow student of theirs Brian has just been released from a psychiatric facility and we seen that he and Paula have a little chemistry with one another. This of course makes Dwight very jealous which leads to many fights and arguments between the two teen boys. As the movie goes on, an unseen assailant starts attacking and murdering members of the school faculty, all of whom have either upset or affected Paula in some negative way. Once the killer is revealed, it will be up to Paula to escape death and end their reign of terror.

Cutting Class was an average addition to the late 80's slasher genre, giving the audience nothing they haven't seen before. The whodunit plot was super predictable which took a lot of the fun out of watching the entire movie. Some of the scenes and dialogue were super corny, especially surrounding Paula's dad and his hunting trip gone wrong. I think the movie could've done without it honestly. In terms of positives, I enjoyed the Paula character (mostly due to Jill Schoelen and her final girl brilliance).

In terms of acting, we get Brad Pitt in his film debut (a film he no doubt wants to forget exists). I thought he was a great actor as the lead male, juggling the hero and villain role very well. Jill Schoelen was her usual awesome self, she really excelled in these "final girl" horror roles throughout the late 80's into the early 90's. Other than that, we get almost cameo like appearances from Roddy McDowall and Martin Mull. Nothing spectacular.

Overall, Cutting Class is watchable, but will definitely not blow your mind with entertainment and scares. It's a fun sleepy murder mystery at times and features a very young Brad Pitt, but can drag on a bit and the ending is ho-hum at best, very predictable. If you're a horror completist like myself, I'd give it at least a watch.

5/10.

A enjoyable movie that should be noticed more

[tomsparham · 9/10 · 20 January 2007]

This movie has only surfaced for being Brad Pitt's first major roles. However this is still quite a good movie. It's got some cool soundtrack during the beginning and keeps you staring at the screen.

I think that this film should be noticed, as it is quite rare and must have been released on video straight away. The parts with Dwight are quite enjoyable, particularly during the start where he is driving his car to School late, and near to the end where he saves Paula from Brian.

It's all good, and very enjoyable to watch. If you like retro, cool classic things. Or if you are Female and fancy Brad Pitt then this film is for you, I recommend it.

Thumbs up. 9/10

A slice of life

[Bernie4444 · 7/10 · 28 October 2023]

This movie has all the elements needed for a good "B" slasher movie spoof. I was surprised to see all the talent in this. I will not mention everyone as the surprise is worth experiencing. I will mention the Principal, Roddy McDowall, who as you remember was his intriguing teen movie "Lord Love a Duck" (1966).

The basic "who is doing this and why?" story starts with a father going hunting and leaving his (you guessed it) inappropriately clad daughter home to study. Now we add to the mix, several suspects. The boyfriend (Brad Pitt) that seems a tad dysfunctional. Their old friend (Donovan Leitch) fresh from the psycho ward. And a whole cast of uniquely weird suspects that all had motive and opportunity.

A rather good array of dispatching tools is used, as people are being removed right and left. They left out the railroad tracks and the sawmill (close though) and the kitchen sink.

I f you enjoy this sort of movie then you need to see one that does rings around this one with a similar scheme "Student Bodies" (1981), where they use Horse Head Bookends.

Could Be A Lot Better....

[TheSilentBlur · 5/10 · 29 July 2012]

When I wanted to go to the store to buy the DVD for a very cheap price, I searched this movie up on youtube and someone uploaded it in parts. Thank goodness I didn't spend my money. I'm not much of a Brad Pitt fan, but I was curious to see his first major role in this low budget film. He was listed third in the top billing but he gets a lot of screen time being the boyfriend acting like a jerk.

The story is about students who are being murdered one by one, and as an audience we keep on guessing who the killer is until the finale in this "whoduit" concept. Although I hate the fact the viewers already know who the killer is from the very start.

While this movie is in the horror genre, there really isn't much gore as a horror fan might expect nor does it have any suspense like the movie "Scream." The movie also has a bit of a love triangle between our three main characters and some humor, but overall the movie fails to do so; we aren't given much about the characters so we don't really care what happens to them. The dialogue and acting could be a lot better since many of the lines sounded campy, and as if the writer may have written the script in one night and didn't have it proofread enough.

I didn't mind this movie made on a low budget, but the story could've been better especially the acting. If you want to watch slasher film that you don't need to take seriously or need something to watch while doing something else or if you're just curious about seeing Brad in his first major role before he became a star, then this movie may be for you.

After watching this movie, I even said to myself that I should remake this film. lol