I read about Violent Classroom (or Classroom of Terror) years ago in Asian Cult Cinema magazine. I thought it sounded wild but had to wait two decades before a subtitled print became available.
The plot, pre-dating Class of 1984, has an ex-boxer taking over the teaching of physical education at a bad school. The most unruly students are a motorcycle gang called The Sidewinders. However, by the end, the teacher has learned that the school is corrupt from the top down and the only way to end the corruption is through violence.
The memorable ending has the school board meeting breaking out in chaos. The Sidewinders battle the fascistic kendo club (led by the student council president), while the PE teacher dukes it out bare knuckled against the samurai sword wielding school principal. It's the kind of ending that brings a big smile to to the face of Asian exploitation fans.
Having written that, I think I saw the film too late. Had I seen it in the late 1990's when I had first heard of it, I would have loved it. In 2021, I am like, it's kind-of fun, love the ending, and move on. On the other hand, one could certainly do worse than Violent Classroom.
The plot, pre-dating Class of 1984, has an ex-boxer taking over the teaching of physical education at a bad school. The most unruly students are a motorcycle gang called The Sidewinders. However, by the end, the teacher has learned that the school is corrupt from the top down and the only way to end the corruption is through violence.
The memorable ending has the school board meeting breaking out in chaos. The Sidewinders battle the fascistic kendo club (led by the student council president), while the PE teacher dukes it out bare knuckled against the samurai sword wielding school principal. It's the kind of ending that brings a big smile to to the face of Asian exploitation fans.
Having written that, I think I saw the film too late. Had I seen it in the late 1990's when I had first heard of it, I would have loved it. In 2021, I am like, it's kind-of fun, love the ending, and move on. On the other hand, one could certainly do worse than Violent Classroom.
