Someone is bumping off the teachers of a school and it's up to the lovely innocent Paula Carson(Jill Schoelen, always a sight for sore eyes, especially when bending over in a short skirt)to find out who it is. Is it her hot-headed boyfriend Dwight(Brad Pitt)or the recently released(from a mental institution, no less)Brian Woods(Donovan Leitch), often hiding behind bushes and other objects to stare at Paula? Someone shoots an arrow that lands in the torso of Paula's district attorney father(Martin Mull)who is out hunting;he's the one responsible for putting Brian away for the murder of his abusive father. A running gag of the film has a hurt Mull trying to seek assistance, but never seeming to get it. Roddy McDowall has an amusing minor role as the high school principal, Mr. Dante, who lusts after Paula..who could blame him for that? The film follows Paula's uncertain search for the killer;as the film continues, she's not quite sure if it's Brian(who does seem like an appropriate suspect)or her beloved Dwight.

CUTTING CLASS is the 80's slasher formula on it's last legs..the well has dried up and creativity is lacking. The murders are half-hearted and uninspired..the film wreaks of tired clichés. You might even say CUTTING CLASS is a performance of the last rites for the 80's slasher genre. In my opinion, the only reason to see CUTTING CLASS is for Jill, wearing only a shirt to get the paper at the beginning of the film, and in a cheerleader uniform..that is far more entertaining than this lifeless, stale exercise in tedium. I thought Leitch(..and Pitt, actually)was terrible in the lead, and not the least bit convincing.