Prime Time: Cutting Class (1989)

A slasher movie so apparently unmemorable that I completely forgot I had already seen it until checking my IMDb and Letterboxd resources, Cutting Class is a mildly amusing diversion for those after unsophisticated fun. Maybe the lapse in memory was just down to my film-addled brain. Or maybe I don't consider a film fully watched until I've written more than a paragraph about it. 

My original thoughts ran as follows: "Jill Schoelen, Donovan Leitch, and Brad Pitt are the main young stars in this fun slasher, and Roddy McDowall is as watchable as ever in one of the main adult roles. It doesn't go far enough with the dark comedy, and there isn't quite enough decent bloodshed, but it remains enjoyable enough."

That may be brief, but it remains a perfectly fine encapsulation of my opinion on this film. Someone is starting to murder a number of teachers and pupils at a high school. The main suspect seems to be Brian (Donovan Leitch Jr.), who everyone knows spent some time being treated for a slight case of potential insanity. Dwight (Brad Pitt) might also have that killer instinct though. This makes things a bit awkward for Paula (Jill Schoelen), a young woman caught in between the two of them.

The one and only feature directed by Rospo Pallenberg (who did some great writing for director John Boorman, but also ended up assisting on the infamous stinker that is Exorcist II: The Heretic, this is also the film debut for writer Steve Slavkin. It's obvious what the thinking behind this was. Everyone wanted in on some of that slasher movie money, even as the appetite for the sub-genre was waning considerably after the peak of a few "golden years". 

I would say that Pallenberg got lucky with his casting of a pre-stardom Pitt, but the whole cast actually does a decent job. Pitt is good fun in his role, a typical high school hunk with enough potential anger issues to make him a suspect when the murders start, and Schoelen is an appealing female lead. Leitch Jr. has to overact wildly, but that's par for the course in every slasher movie that presents someone who is either obviously a killer, or so obviously a killer that they couldn't possibly be a killer (if you know what I mean). Brenda James is another attendee of the school, and good friend of Paula, Roddy McDowall is the lecherous Mr. Dante, and Martin Mull is Paula's father, seen at the start of the film bidding farewell to his daughter as he goes on a hunting trip that will lead to one misfortunate after another, to put it mildly.

There's no visual artistry here, nor are there any set-pieces to help it stand out from the very crowded field it is in (and as the third act played out I also realised that I used to always confuse this with Graduation Day), but horror fans used to going into such things with suitably low expectations should find themselves consistently entertained from start to finish. Which is more than some lower-tier slasher movies manage.

6/10

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Popcorn (1991)

Originally helmed by Alan Ormsby, his directorial role soon taken over by Mark Herrier, Popcorn is a substandard slasher movie boosted by a fun central gimmick that will appeal to fans of the antics of William Castle.

In a bid to raise funds for their film department, a group of university students decided to put on a horror movie marathon in a run-down cinema. The films being shown are wonderfully cheesy, and each one will be accompanied by an interactive feature (a giant mosquito that “flies” over the audience, electric shocks, the always dangerous odor-ama). They will also be accompanied by a number of murders, but those were never part of the plan. The killer seems most intent on targeting and terrorising a young woman named Maggie (Jill Schoelen), but what is the motivation for this night of terror?

When I call Popcorn a substandard slasher, I am not meaning to write it off completely. It is an enjoyable horror film, if a bit daft throughout, but just doesn’t sit alongside the many better slasher movies. If you want some decent gore and a high bodycount then you should look elsewhere, although there are some excellent special effects where they are needed, but if you want something that has a palpable sense of affection for the kind of film experience that forms the core of the plot then you should give this a go. It IS a popcorn horror, and it wants you to remember that throughout.

Schoelen is a decent potential final girl, whether she is wandering through a nightmare sequence in the opening sequence or being astounded when the killer is revealed. Other characters are played by Derek Rydall (playing someone amusingly “mistreated” at every opportunity by a script ensuring he is repaid for bad behaviour),  Dee Wallace (the mother of Schoelen’s character), Kelly Jo Minter, Tom Villard, Malcolm Danare, and Tony Roberts, as well as a number of others all doing absolutely fine for the kind of film that they’re a part of.

As messy as it could have been, considering the departure of Ormsby and the arrival of Herrier, Popcorn is a surprisingly coherent, and enjoyably inventive, horror film that relies on viewers sharing the obvious love for the genre that it has running through it. The technical side of things may seem a bit less inventive than the main “gags”, but it all comes together to create something more than the sum of its parts. And ends up being one I recommend.

7/10

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Hot Moves (1984)

A group of horny teens vow to lose their virginity before beginning their senior year of high school. Yes, Hot Moves is yet another 80s forerunner to American Pie and it’s also one of the better outings in the 80s teen sex comedy subgenre.

The plot doesn’t get complicated in any way, and leaves room for moments that are really nothing more than music videos showcasing the sun-kissed activity of Venice Beach, but that means that viewers can sit back and enjoy a series of extended skits all based around people just trying to have sex.

Michael Zorek gets the most screentime, playing Barry, but the central character is really Michael (Adam Silbar), who appears to want his girlfriend (Julie Ann, played by Jill Schoelen) for sex that has yet to happen. Michael is jealous of a girl (Heidi, played by Deborah Richter) that he sees accompanying his brother along the beach and this sets his libido into overdrive. Not that it takes all that much.

Hot Moves has, obviously, dated quite a bit since it was released almost 30 years ago but it holds up better than many others from the time thanks to a relatively likeable group of lads anchoring the shenanigans and a number of set-ups for laughs that are actually pretty funny. Things take a little while to get going but once Barry thinks he’s in luck with a woman who likens him to a big teddy bear it’s pretty solid for laughs from then on.

The movie also receives a big boost thanks to the lovely ladies onscreen. Jill Schoelen is cute enough, Deborah Richter is gorgeous and there’s also some onscreen time for the beautiful Monique Gabrielle.

Peter Foldy and Larry Anderson are the men responsible for the script. It’s no classic but spaces out enough info and details to lay the groundwork for the bigger laughs and the more satisfying moments. Director Jim Sotos may have only helmed about half a dozen movies in his career but he doesn’t do too badly here, providing enough sunshine, smirks and nudity to keep the core demographic pleased until the end credits roll. Yep, Hot Moves holds up surprisingly well. 

7/10. 

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