As a producer, they don’t come much bigger or more successful than Don Murphy. Having produced his first film in 1994 with Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers, he would go on to produce everything from Bully (2001) to the entire live-action Transformer series. There was one single time in his career when he would not only direct but also write the screenplay for a film. That film is known as Monday Morning (1990).
When I opened up MVD Rewind’s Blu-ray release and saw the alternate cover with the alternate title, Class of Fear, I immediately remembered seeing it on the shelf at the video store. Now is as good a time as any to finally take a look at this dramatic thriller.
Bobby Parker (Noah Blake) is an awkward kid from the wrong side of town, always moving to wherever his dad can get a job. Once he and his friend Bill (Karl Wiedergott) settle in at Oceana High, they quickly realize they’re not particularly welcome. James Hedges (Brandon Cooper) is the student leader and son of the mayor. He’s quick to try and put these two outsiders in their place.
Bobby has fallen for Noreen (Julianne McNamara), and the two begin dating, unbeknownst to her brother, James. He’s none too happy about the whole situation, so he and his friends set out to give him a big scare by pulling a gun. There’s a struggle, and a teacher accidentally gets caught in the crossfire. Since Bobby is the outsider, everyone is quick to blame him. Retrieving the gun and taking the class hostage, he will have to try and convince everyone that he truly is innocent.
While it all sounds pretty great on paper, Monday Morning never quite makes it to cult film status. It hasn’t aged particularly well, and at times it almost felt like a chore to get through it. Most of the acting felt a little too far over the top. It was fun to see talent like Lisa Rinna (Days of Our Lives) and Jason Lively (Night of the Creeps) appear in a supporting capacity. It certainly wasn’t a waste of time, but inexperience was the feeling I was getting as I watched it. It’s not something I could make it through again, but I’m happy to have finally crossed another off my list.
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MVD Rewind never skimps on the extras and really went out of their way to give collectors something special. Aside from the reversible artwork with the Class of Fear title, there’s an interview with Don Murphy, a “Portrait of a Producer” segment on Murphy, a collectible mini-poster, and the original VHS version with the alternate title.
While the film itself underwhelmed me, you will really get your money’s worth from this disc, and I certainly appreciated it for what it was.
, also known as Class of Fear. The film is newly released via MVD Rewind.){kind=link}