Class of 1999

"The ultimate teaching machine... out of control"

1990 1h 36m EN

😐

6.0

MID

🍅

63%

FRESH

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

5.9

IMDB

★6.0TMDB · 280🍅63%Rotten Tomatoes●33Metacritic★5.9IMDB · 9,598

Science FictionAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The time is in the future and the youth gang violence is so high that the areas around some schools have become "free-fire zones", into which not even the police will venture. When Miles Langford, the head of Kennedy High School, decides to take his school back from the gangs, robotics specialist Dr. Robert Forrest provides "tactical education units". These are amazingly human-like androids that have been programmed to teach and are supplied with devastatingly effective solutions to discipline problems. So when the violent, out-of-control students of Kennedy High report for class tomorrow, they're going to get a real education... in staying alive!

“The ultimate teaching machine... out of control”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Bradley Gregg
Cody Culp
Traci Lind
Christie Langford
Malcolm McDowell
Dr. Miles Langford
Stacy Keach
Dr. Bob Forrest
Patrick Kilpatrick
Mr. Bryles
Pam Grier
Ms. Connors
John P. Ryan
Mr. Hardin
Darren E. Burrows
Sonny

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mark L. Lester
Writers: C. Courtney Joyner, Mark L. Lester
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 47% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

36 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Class of 1999 Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mark L. Lester, shot by Mark Irwin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Hoenig. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Scott Conrad shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bradley Gregg and Traci Lind and Malcolm McDowell carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The ultimate teaching machine... out of control".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mark L. Lester directs. Mark Irwin behind the camera. Michael Hoenig scores. Scott Conrad cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 47% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
236 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Class of 1999 Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Mark L. Lester, shot by Mark Irwin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Michael Hoenig. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Scott Conrad shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Bradley Gregg and Traci Lind and Malcolm McDowell carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The ultimate teaching machine... out of control".
9IMDB entry: tt0099277 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 17 themes, including "future", "cyborg", "killer robot", "dystopia".
11Released under 18 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Mark Irwin
Original score: Michael Hoenig
Editing: Scott Conrad
Stunt coordinator: Paul Baxley
Runtime: 96 min · 1h 36m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $5,200,000
Box office: $2,459,895
Return: 47% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Class of 1999 (1990)
Rotten Tomatoes: 63% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 33/100
IMDB rating: 5.9/10 · 9,598 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

1 nomination total

Part of

Class of 1999 Collection

An alternate timeline in which American High Schools have fallen under martial law due to gangs and violence spiraling out of control.

Also by

Mark L. Lester

Stills · wallpapers

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

GenerationofSwine2023-01-12
★ 7/10
One of the reviews I read called this a "trashy and no brainer film" as he was praising it and... never was a truer word spoken. Especially since it was said in praise. This is, honestly, the kind of movie I stayed up well past my bedtime, in the basement, to catch on HBO. This is 10 year-old boy bliss. This is made for those night owls that aren't looking for Chinatown, they are looking for mindless fun. And what could be more mindless and fun than high school, robot teachers, and over-the-top street gangs in a post apocalyptic education system that, honestly, probably works more as an accurate satire today that it does pointless B-movie bliss. Which leads me to the point in the review where I say, if you are going to give it a bad review because of the stupid plot or the lack of quality in the special effects, or the over-the-top story... what kind of movie did you think you were sitting down to watch?

Production companies