Sometimes you just want to watch a movie that lets you turn off your brain and enjoy a bit of silliness. It's not too surprising that 'Class of Nuke 'Em High' leaps right out of the gate in its first minutes with gnarly special effects, a peppy soundtrack of rock-oriented music, and the common 80s notions of oversexed, boorish high school students (taken to new extremes, naturally). Direction, editing, and pacing generally are decidedly brusque; the costume design and hair and makeup work are, like the deployment of stunts and effects, and acting, totally over the top. This is to say nothing of the writing, every aspect of which goes overboard without a single trace of tact or nuance. I suppose none of this is actually surprising, but even if one is expecting a total romp, it's still bewildering to see a picture completely throw caution to the wind and Just Go For It. This is unmistakable B-movie material, that's for sure.
There's a little bit of cleverness here and there, maybe, and all the outrageousness does feed into cheeky fun. It should be said, though, that no small amount of the humor and other inclusions are just cheap and crude. (Not even taking into account one variety or another of homophobia or transphobia.) The feature isn't poorly made per se, yet it's definitely clear that this is an instance where polish and technique weren't exactly high on the list of priorities for the filmmakers. In fairness, any sense of critique or analysis may well be wholly beside the point: I'm quite sure this is an example of someone having come up with a core concept, and from there an ethos of "anything goes" applied. Grotesque practical effects (that most assuredly look great) and pure bombast are the order of the day for every aspect of the production, and anything that doesn't distinctly serve these ends takes a backseat. Would we want it any other way, though?
I rather like Ethan Hurt's music, and in all regards the crew operating behind the scenes put in fantastic work. That includes the effects above all, and certainly the production design and art direction - and yes, even the costume design, and hair and makeup. Even the sound effects are reliably zesty. One can hardly fault the cast for unreservedly embracing the spirit of the picture, Janelle Brady and Gil Brenton above all. And so on, and so on. I'm not sure if Troma Entertainment, and all involved, are to be commended for timeliness or condemned for exploitation, yet either way it's worth observing that 'Class of Nuke 'Em High' followed mere months after the Chernobyl disaster. What should one read into that fact? Does it really matter?
As if anyone could possibly anticipate otherwise, suffice to say that this movie is a ridiculous, unapologetic slice of cinematic tomfoolery. Visuals and Ideas are emphasized over any manner of storytelling or film-making judiciousness; this only wants to have a good time, and it doesn't care what anyone else thinks about its notions of entertainment. For those who do care: for as low-brow as some of the humor is, the needless flourishes here and there (not least in the camerawork), and the general excess, it's not possible under the best of circumstances to say that 'Class of Nuke 'Em High' is perfect. If I'm being honest, there's also something to be said for the lack of comportment between the premise and the low actual number of students to which it applies; in some ways, I don't think this is the utmost extravaganza that it could have been. Still, one could him and haw all day about the particulars, and the fact remains that it's a load of unremitting B-grade baloney - and for anyone who appreciates such movies, this is kind of a classic.
There's a little bit of cleverness here and there, maybe, and all the outrageousness does feed into cheeky fun. It should be said, though, that no small amount of the humor and other inclusions are just cheap and crude. (Not even taking into account one variety or another of homophobia or transphobia.) The feature isn't poorly made per se, yet it's definitely clear that this is an instance where polish and technique weren't exactly high on the list of priorities for the filmmakers. In fairness, any sense of critique or analysis may well be wholly beside the point: I'm quite sure this is an example of someone having come up with a core concept, and from there an ethos of "anything goes" applied. Grotesque practical effects (that most assuredly look great) and pure bombast are the order of the day for every aspect of the production, and anything that doesn't distinctly serve these ends takes a backseat. Would we want it any other way, though?
I rather like Ethan Hurt's music, and in all regards the crew operating behind the scenes put in fantastic work. That includes the effects above all, and certainly the production design and art direction - and yes, even the costume design, and hair and makeup. Even the sound effects are reliably zesty. One can hardly fault the cast for unreservedly embracing the spirit of the picture, Janelle Brady and Gil Brenton above all. And so on, and so on. I'm not sure if Troma Entertainment, and all involved, are to be commended for timeliness or condemned for exploitation, yet either way it's worth observing that 'Class of Nuke 'Em High' followed mere months after the Chernobyl disaster. What should one read into that fact? Does it really matter?
As if anyone could possibly anticipate otherwise, suffice to say that this movie is a ridiculous, unapologetic slice of cinematic tomfoolery. Visuals and Ideas are emphasized over any manner of storytelling or film-making judiciousness; this only wants to have a good time, and it doesn't care what anyone else thinks about its notions of entertainment. For those who do care: for as low-brow as some of the humor is, the needless flourishes here and there (not least in the camerawork), and the general excess, it's not possible under the best of circumstances to say that 'Class of Nuke 'Em High' is perfect. If I'm being honest, there's also something to be said for the lack of comportment between the premise and the low actual number of students to which it applies; in some ways, I don't think this is the utmost extravaganza that it could have been. Still, one could him and haw all day about the particulars, and the fact remains that it's a load of unremitting B-grade baloney - and for anyone who appreciates such movies, this is kind of a classic.