CUTTING CLASS

Cutting Class Movie Review

Soon after Brian Woods (Donovan Leitch, The Blob), a teen accused of killing his father, returns to school after being released from a mental institution, student bodies start turning up dead. Is this Brian's doing, or is there a second maniac on the loose? That's the premise of this comedic horror film, which was shot in 1987 but not released until 1989. If you have heard of this movie at all, it is likely because it is one of the few films Brad Pitt did prior to becoming a household name, and wow, is that ever a strange thing to see.

"THIS guy's going to be famous?"

Aside from the weirdness of seeing Pitt play a teenager, it is also bizarre watching him play an unlikable character--he's the typical high school jerk guy and boyfriend of the lead--and it's not something he pulls off well. On the flip side, Jill Schoelen (Popcorn) is as good as it gets as Paula, the lead character. Prior to starting the movie I knew Schoelen, Pitt, and Leitch (who, incidentally, is the son of singer Donovan and brother of actress Ione Skye) all starred, but was surprised when Roddy McDowall (Fright Night) appeared as Mr. Dante.

"You didn't tell him I'd be here?"

My excitement level for this movie shot up to eleven as soon as I saw McDowall, one of my all-time favorite actors, but unfortunately, he is grossly underused in this movie. There is a bit more unexpected star power in this under the radar flick, including Martin Mull (Jingle All The Way), Dirk Blocker (Night of the Scarecrow), and Brenda James (Slither). This movie is a slasher on one hand, but as I mentioned before, a comedy as well--while some of the comedic elements are dark and hit the right chord, others, particularly anything involving Mull, are just awful, which is a shame, because I typically enjoy Mull's performances. The movie works as a whodunit as well, and may have you guessing quite a bit before the reveal. Be on the lookout for continuity errors--actually, you really don't have to be paying much attention to catch most of them, but when you do see them, you will certainly be entertained. I wasn't expecting much out of Cutting Class, and it is not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a really fun movie to watch. 

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 6

Cutting Class Movie Trailer