Class of 1999 [Import]: Amazon.ca: DVD

Product Details

Format: Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC, Import
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 1
MPAA Rating:
Studio: Lions Gate
Release Date: Sep 16 2008

Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

ASIN: B001BNFR8A

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Product Description

Amazon.ca

Even though this violent indie film has "exploitation" stamped all over it--with its gratuitous car chases, shootouts, and anarchistic characters--it is a guilty pleasure. Unfolding in the future--well, at least at the time of its release it was a decade ahead of schedule--this movie shows how our urban schools have deteriorated to the point that gangs run the classroom and the police, scared to even go near these educational wastelands, use hired goons to keep law and order there. (In fact, the government now has a Department of Educational Defense.) In Class of 1999, a corporate representative (Stacy Keach), eager to rake in potential billions in government contracts, convinces a Seattle-area school principal (Malcolm McDowell) to test out three lifelike android teachers (including Pam Grier). This technological trio possesses intelligence and superhuman strength, which offer to both educate and discipline the bad apples at school. Unfortunately, the androids quickly move from harsh discipline such as spankings and beatings to murder, and Keach's corporate scumbag convinces McDowell's educator that despite this, the program needs to stay its course. Thus it is up to a newly paroled ex-gangbanger (Bradley Gregg) and the principal's daughter (Traci Lind) to uncover the teachers' identities and alert students and rival gangs to the impending danger. Despite its formulaic approach and some plot implausibilities, Mark Lester's film is entertaining to watch, especially with such exchanges as this: "So they've been waging war with my students." "Well, isn't that what all teachers do?" --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Cheap, Plotless Garbage but Keeps You Watching May 5 2004

By nina

Format:VHS Tape

Class of 1999 is one of those movies that is so terrible you HAVE to watch until the end just to see how bad it can actually get. It takes place in, you guess it 1999. The film was made in 1990 when people thought 1999 would be like living on the moon. Gangbangers control the schools and the neighborhoods. That's when the reality buttons popped on for me. You have these super tough gangmembers that carry guns everywhere yet they STILL go to school? Would they go to school? Also, the school is such a dangerous place that armed guards frisk the students and relieve them of their weapons every morning. I was like " Duh! ". The so-called gangmembers are so wimpy and wussy you'd think they were " Leave it to Beaver " rejects. That's just one of the many unrealistic points of this film. If you spent time trying to fit common sense into Class of 1999 you'll miss the entire film.

Bradley Gregg ( Stand By Me ) stars as Cody Culp. After a stint in prison he comes out with a changed attitude which his gang ( The Blackhearts ) don't appreciate. His little brother Angel is finding Cody's " gone-good " behavior sickening and it causes a little riff between the two. Meanwhile the principal ( Malcolm McDowell ) has hired Stacy Keach and his menacing teachers to clean up the terrible school. How can they? Well, the three new teachers ( Pam Grier and Patrick Kilpatrick included ) are nothing more than fururistic killing robots. Soon all order is lost as they slowly go on a rampage and make Cody their number one target. Along with the principal's daugher, Cody partakes in a mission to stop the evil robots ( are you laughing yet ) you should be. Anyway, all heck breaks loose by the end of the film when The Blackhearts team up with their rival gang to stop the robots. The film goes from a wannabe " Lean on Me " to " Terminator " in less than an hour. If you get lost don't worry because the plot is to blame. If you like Sci-Fi I guess you can squeeze this into your regime. If you can't tolerate silliness at all then don't bother to watch this. But if you're an all around movie lover like me who just likes to watch films at least once...go right ahead. But don't be surprised when you feel like a train's run over your sanity by the end. Enjoy.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Class Of 1999 July 14 2003

By Crazy Jim

Format:VHS Tape

Mark L. Lester's 1989 sci-fi/action film about a futuristic high school where groups of gangs wearing some of the goofiest clothes imaginable run areas surrounding high schools. These areas known as "free fire zones" are run exclusively by the gangs. In Seattle, a principal of one of those schools hires a defense department operative to build "cyborg teachers" to maintain order in his classrooms.

One of the gangs is lead by Cody Culp (played by Bradley Gregg of "Stand By Me" fame), a freshly-paroled gangbanger hoping to go straight and stay out of trouble. The rival gang is lead by Hector (Jimmy Medina Tagert), a Hispanic thug looking to take out his agressions on Cody. This film features performances from such cult favorites as Pam Grier, Stacy Keach, Malcom McDowell, and Patrick Kilpatrick.

I first saw this movie on HBO when I was eleven-years-old and I really enjoyed it. It's really just an old-fashioned over-the-top science fiction movie. It doesn't exactly stand up to the test of time in some areas but it's still good for a few laughs and has some of the better special effects you will see from that era of movies.

A definite "guilty pleasure" by all means but still thoroughly entertaining. A film with a similar theme, THE FACULTY, was released in 1998. The movie is similar in theme though the teachers are aliens, this time, instead of cyborgs. Not half as good and way too commercial but I will admit that Josh Hartnett kicked [tail] in it (though he's no Bradley Gregg). If you've seen "Faculty", why not go and pick up this little cult film and see if you like it.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Into science fiction? Try this one! Sep 14 2002

By "djordman"

Format:VHS Tape

Ah, this is one of my favorite old movies. I caught this way back in 1990 or 1991. At that time the year 1999 (in the eyes of a fifteen-year-old) seemed to be a very distant future.

OK, so the year is 1999, and America's highschools have a tendency of turning into warzones. A possible solution to this problem is presented by highschool principal Langford, the Department of Educational Defense and a developer of killer-cyborgs, Megatech.

In Seattle, three new teachers are introduced in what little still remains of Kennedy High. Unknown to the students, their new teachers aren't even human. But when more and more students wind up dead it becomes clear that Megatech's cyborgs have grown out of control.

I love this movie! I have always enjoyed science fiction, and this movie delivers. It's got a bit of excellent action, provides some laughs and a spectacular final with some surprisingly good special effects! It's all got this sort of campy feel to it that I really enjoy in movies. And does anyone out there know the song "Come The Day - Class of 1999" by Midge Ure? It's at the end of the movie, and worth checking out as well!

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