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A few weeks ago Andrew McCarthy’s “Brats” documentary was released, profiling the at-times frustrating career trajectories of members of the ‘80s “Brat Pack.” That unofficial “gang” of rising stars found themselves being shut out of projects due to their “membership” in the Pack, though debate remains over what stars and movies are part of the list. Though not a film that’s usually associated with the Brat Pack, the 1983 Orion comedy CLASS (94 mins., 1983, R; MGM) was released right before the John Hughes teen era began, and offers a fascinating list of young and future ‘80s stars right on the cusp of stardom: Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, John Cusack, Alan Ruck, Casey Siemaszko, Virginia Madsen, Joan Cusack, and Lolita Davidovich all appear in this highly uneven, yet undeniably entertaining, mix of high school comedy and coming-of-age drama.

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Trying to leverage the blossoming youth movie market with broader adult appeal – thanks to its casting of veteran stars Jacqueline Bisset and Cliff Robertson – “Class” is mostly focused on the exploits of Chicago prep school senior Andrew McCarthy. After being subjected to some humiliating pranks at the hands of new roommate Rob Lowe, the duo reconcile with Lowe urging his  roommate to hit the big city and find romance. He does, in the form of an older woman (Bisset) going through a breakdown, and things turn hugely complicated once McCarthy finds out just whose Mom she happens to be.

Helmed by Lewis John Carlino, who was a far more prolific screenwriter than director, “Class” kicks off with “Animal House”-styled comedy shenanigans involving McCarthy and Lowe, the most memorable of which finds Madsen’s shirt getting ripped (it wouldn’t be her first time appearing topless on-screen) in a zany co-ed tea party. The laughs come fairly consistently for a while, yet there’s an undercurrent of bittersweet, adolescent angst running throughout the picture – one that really takes over in the final half-hour. Instead of exploiting the comic potential of the material, writers Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt take a turn towards a more serious tone as McCarthy finds himself having to juggle his respective relationships with both Lowe and Bisset at the same time a cheating scandal subplot is thrown into the mix as well.

“Class” feels as disjointed as it sounds, and the Bisset element of the movie doesn’t come to a satisfying conclusion at all, with her “resolution” coming off-screen completely. At times you can feel the push-pull of the movie from teen comedy to prep-school drama, but there’s ultimately more “Porky’s” than “Dead Poets Society” in the picture.

Nevertheless, the appealing lead performance of McCarthy and seeing that young cast in action makes “Class” worth revisiting, as does Elmer Bernstein’s supportive score, which especially shines over the end credits. The writers would better juggle another young cast with old pros in their next Orion effort – the superior 1985 teen comedy “Secret Admirer” with C. Thomas Howell – but “Class” still gets a passing grade, even with its wide shifts in tone.

“Class” has been newly issued by MGM in one of their no-frills Blu-Ray catalog releases. This 1080p (1.85, mono) transfer is excellent, sporting what looks like a possibly fresher HD master than what was previously seen in Olive’s 2016 format release. No extras are included.

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Other recent releases from MGM include:

BETRAYED Blu-Ray (126 mins., 1988, R; MGM): One of writer Joe Eszterhas’ overheated scripts, “Betrayed” tries to make a stand against neo-Nazi white extremists with FBI agent Debra Winger infiltrating a seemingly benign corn-pone (Tom Berenger) in the hopes of finding out whether or not he’s a domestic terrorist connected to the murder of a Chicago talk show host. With a “hot button” script and topical director Costa-Gavras along for the ride, “Betrayed” might’ve amounted to something in other circumstances but this MGM/UA release – tossed into theaters during the August dumping grounds of Summer ‘88 – is a near-total misfire that not even Winger can salvage. Complete with a head-scratching ending and inexplicable “negro hunting” sequence that’s horribly exploitive, “Betrayed” ended up deservedly bombing in theaters, with Eszterhas and Costa-Gavras finding marginally more success on their follow-up, the Jessica Lange drama “Music Box.” MGM’s Blu-Ray (1.85, 2.0 DTS MA stereo) includes an antiquated MGM HD master that’s light on detail and okay stereo soundtrack sporting an unremarkable Bill Conti score.

BOLERO Blu-Ray (105 mins., 1984, R; MGM): Bo Derek fans who might’ve missed Shout’s now-pricey 2016 Blu double feature of “Bolero” and “Ghosts Can’t Do It” can once again add this 1984 Cannon turkey to their libraries. This is one of several embarrassments for the “10” star made in the ‘80s, a clunky period piece that’s classed up only by Peter Bernstein’s score – one augmented by dad Elmer’s conducting and lush “Love Scene” compositions. Bo’s physical attributes do get an enhancement from MGM’s 1080p (1.85, 2.0 DTS MA stereo) transfer, though the HD master is on the older side and could’ve used remastering.

THE MIGHTY QUINN (99 mins., 1989, R; MGM): Acclaimed adaptation of A.H.Z. Carr’s “Finding Maubee” (the film’s original title) from “Blade Runner” scribe Hampton Fancher finds trouble under the sun for Caribbean sheriff Xavier Quinn (Denzel Washington) and his best friend Maubee (Robert Townsend), accused of the murder of a resort owner. Carl Schenkel’s flavorful, well performed film – a favorite of Siskel & Ebert – here receives a perfectly acceptable 1080p (1.85) transfer and DTS MA soundtrack, the movie offering a mix of reggae and wispy steel drums floating through its Jamaican shooting locations.

Quick Takes

WAREHOUSE 13: Complete Series Blu-Ray (2009-14, aprx. 48 hours; Universal): Offbeat Syfy series finds Pete (Eddie McClintook), Myka (Joanne Kelly), Claudia (Allison Scagliotti) and Artie (Saul Rubinek) guarding a warehouse full of priceless artifacts, often coveted by a series of enemies, in a variety of stories that aired over five seasons. Guest stars include Lindsey Wagner, Kate Mulgrew, Brent Spinder and Sam Hunington among others, while fans enjoyed the show’s POV with stories that ranged from humorous to dramatic, in keeping with the background of the artifacts themselves.

Universal’s Complete Blu-Ray set of “Warehouse 13” includes 1080p (1.78) transfers and 5.1 DTS MA soundtracks, each season included in its own individual case. Ample extras include deleted scenes, gag reels, episode commentaries, interviews with guest stars including Wagner and Mulgrew, two animated web series, two bonus holiday shows, a “Eureka” crossover episode, behind-the-scenes featurettes and more.

THE FALL GUY 4K Ultra HD/Blu-Ray (126/146 mins., 2024, PG-13/Unrated; Universal): Noisy and unappealing update of the old ’80s TV series has a few funny moments but never for a second did I buy the supposed relationship between Ryan Gosling (as a veteran movie stuntman) and Emily Blunt, his former camera operator bestie, now a big-time director on a movie where its lead actor (Aaron Taylor Johnson) gets involved in some seriously deadly off-screen shenanigans.

“John Wick” vet David Leitch knows how to stage action scenes but he’s completely out of his element attempting to employ a lighter touch which this material desperately needed to work. Instead of being charming the film is heavy-handed and bombastic to an extreme, pounding jokes into the ground while Blunt never acts as if she’s inhabiting a real human being — more a character you’d see on an SNL sketch. Gosling is OK doing his usual thing but it’s no surprise this repetitive, one-note movie failed to generate a lot of audience enthusiasm, as its priorities end up in all the wrong places, accentuating spectacle and effects over actual human emotions and dramatic interest.

Universal’s 4K UHD (2.39) is punchy and attractive in so far as its Dolby Vision presentation goes, with equally active Dolby Atmos audio. An hour of behind-the-scenes materials are included plus the Blu-Ray and Digital copy, plus an alternate edit running over 20 minutes longer (but not, as they say, “20 minutes better“).

TAROT Blu-Ray (92 mins., 2024, PG-13; Sony): We’ve seen pretty much everything in the horror genre in recent years, including movies based on “Ouija.” So why not “Tarot” while we’re at it — a PG-13 leveled teen thriller which finds a group of college students unwittingly opening up the portal to true horror: tarot card characters who come inexplicably to life. Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg’s movie offers standard-issue thrills but teens may not mind, and at least the film resists the temptation to go out on a formulaic ending setting up a franchise that we’re never going to see. Sony’s Blu-Ray (2.39, 5.1 DTS MA) is now available featuring two featurettes, “Killer Outtakes” and a Digital HD code.

JACK RYAN – The Final Season 4K Ultra HD (317 mins., 2024; Paramount): Highly satisfying conclusion to the Amazon streaming series incarnation of Tom Clancy’s hero, bringing back John Krasinski and company for a fitting last hurrah. Ryan is now CIA Acting Deputy Director and spends most of this last season investigating internal corruption at his agency as well as a drug cartel and terrorists conspiring to work together. Paramount’s now-available double-disc 4K UHD sports HDR10 transfers and Dolby Atmos sound, preserving an effective finale to a show that, at last, knew when to quit.

HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS Blu-Ray (107 mins., 2023, R; Universal): Anamaria Marinca plays a woman who ends up having to raise her girlfriend’s two daughters in a Macedonian production from writer-director Goran Stolevski which netted worldwide acclaim on the arthouse circuit last year. Universal’s no-frills Blu-Ray (1.37, 5.1 DTS MA) is out now and includes the original Macedonian language track with English subtitles.

ALONG CAME THE DEVIL Blu-Ray (89 mins., 2019; Gravitas Ventures): Sydney Sweeney’s recent rise at the box-office has lead Gravitas to reissue her forgettable 2019 indie horror outing “Along Came the Devil.” Sweeney plays a teen sent to live with her Aunt (Jessica Barth), only to become plagued by demonic visions and forces once she returns to her old stomping grounds. Jason DeVan’s film includes a 1080p transfer with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound.

NEXT TIME: Kino Lorber's latest, CIVIL WAR and more! Until then, don’t forget to drop in on the official Aisle Seat Message Boards and direct any emails to our email address. Cheers!