Beaks here...

Let's get reaaaaadddyyyyyyy to rrrruuuuummmmmmble!

The weeklong New Beverly Film Explosion is kicking off tonight at 7:30 PM with an ultraviolent, high-schoolers-gone-murderously-bad double feature! So slip on your brass knuckles, flip open your butterfly knife and let's get it on with...

Mark L. Lester's CLASS OF 1984 boasts a showdown between two of the biggest badasses of 1980s exploitation cinema: Perry King and Timothy Van Patten. King plays the wet-behind-the-ears music teacher who gets assigned to one of the worst high schools in Toronto; Van Patten is the drug-dealing gang leader who makes life miserable for King (and a fresh-faced dork played by newcomer Michael Fox). CLASS OF 1984 was co-written by FRIGHT NIGHT's Tom Holland, and he'll be in attendance this evening (schedule permitting) to candidly answer your questions about his involvement in this shlocky '80s classic.

After CLASS OF 1984, it's on to...

Seeing that VHS box brings back memories. This was one of those movies that arrived in the video store without any fanfare. I remember becoming aware of it right around the time Phil Joanou's THREE O'CLOCK HIGH hit theaters, so I rented it because, hey, what's not to like about teenaged street toughs kicking the crap out of each other? With chains, no less!

I can't remember much of anything from this movie, other than it's ridiculously violent. This was Adam Baldwin's bully-battlin' follow-up to Tony Bill's wonderful MY BODYGUARD (which the New Beverly recently screened), and is probably his sixth best film of the decade (behind FULL METAL JACKET, THE CHOCOLATE WAR, MY BODYGUARD, COHEN AND TATE and D.C. CAB). Deborah Foreman also stars, which should seal the deal for you.

After tonight, the festival continues with a random collection of classic '80s titles that you'd be a complete asshole to miss. Here's the rest of the lineup (bet you never thought you'd see JOYSTICKS on the big screen):

Wednesday June 3

Director Kevin Tenney IN PERSON, schedule permitting
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=79632561497

Witchboard (1986)
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0090327/
7:30

Witchtrap (1989)
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0098662/
9:30

Thursday June 4
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=76212319612

Under Siege (1992)
dir. Andrew Davis
starring Steven Seagal, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Busey, Erika Eleniak
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0105690/
7:30

The Taking of Beverly Hills (1991)
dir. Sidney J. Furie
starring Ken Wahl, Matt Frewer, Harley Jane Kozak, Robert Davi, Lee Ving
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0105526/
9:35

Friday June 5
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=97445745621

Triple Feature! All Tickets $10

Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter (1984)
dir. Joseph Zito, starring Corey Feldman, Kimberly Beck, Erich Anderson, Crispin Glover
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0087298/
7:30

Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985)
dir. Danny Steinmann, starring Melanie Kinnaman, John Shepherd, Anthony Barrile, Suzanne Bateman
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0089173/
9:30

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
dir. Tom McLoughlin, starring Thom Mathews, Jennifer Cooke, David Kagen, Kerry Noonan
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0091080/
11:30

Saturday June 6
Clu Gulager plus other special guests IN PERSON!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=80317838642

Triple Feature! All Tickets $10

Hunter's Blood (1986)
dir. Robert C. Hughes
starring Clu Gulager, Sam Bottoms, Joey Travolta, Kim Delaney, Bruce Glover, Billy Drago
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0093232/
7:30

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
dir. Jack Sholder, starring Mark Patton, Kim Myers, Robert Rusler, Clu Gulager, Robert Englund
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0089686/
10:00

Terror at London Bridge (1985)
dir. E.W. Swackhamer, starring David Hasselhoff, Adrienne Barbeau, Clu Gulager
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0088852/
11:59

Sunday June 7
The Wizard Director Todd Holland & star Luke Edwards IN PERSON, schedules permitting
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=81573257350

The Wizard (1989)
dir. Todd Holland, starring Fred Savage, Luke Edwards, Jenny Lewis, Christian Slater, Beau Bridges
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0098663/
7:30

Joysticks (1983)
dir. Greydon Clark, starring Scott McGinnis, Joe Don Baker, Leif Green, Jon Gries, Corinne Bohrer, Jim Greenleaf
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0085764/
9:30

Monday June 8
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=193623670404

Hardbodies (1984)
dir. Mark Griffiths, starring Grant Cramer, Teal Roberts, Courtney Gains, Cindy Silver
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0087385/
7:30

Heavenly Bodies (1984)
dir. Lawrence Dane, starring Cynthia Dale, Richard Rebiere, Walter George Alton, Laura Henry
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0087399/
9:25

Hope to see you there!