Teenage Gang Debs/Review

From The Grindhouse Cinema Database

< Teenage Gang Debs
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When a new chicky named Terri (Diane Conti) arrives in Brooklyn, the resident gang of the area "The Rebels" goes into a frenzy. Terri is a tough, sexy babe, but shes also conniving and cruel. The Rebels' "prez" is Johnny, and he quickly moves into make Terri his gal. After the two make love a few times, Terri decides she wants to get rid of Johnny and make the 2nd guy in charge, Nino, her love slave. Once Terri seduces Nino with her feminine wiles, he becomes her dog. She orders Nino to get Johnny and take him out for good! The pussywhipped Nino obeys Terri and confronts Johnny with his switchblade in hand. The two then have a standoff in front of the other gang members. When you see the dance of death the two take part in, you will probably lose respect for the gang. The switchblade fight consists of a very goofy hop and twist, hop and twist. You'll never see a more nerdy looking face off! It should also be noted this gang doesnt wear leather and boots. Their rebellious style consists of button down sweaters and loafers. They're very preppy! After Nino takes Johnny down, Terri begins to show her true colors and anyone who gives her lip is on her hit list. One member wants to leave the gang, get married and start a job. Terri doesnt accept this and has Nino kill the guy (not before partaking in yet another jerky switchblade hop). While out walking, Terri comes across a girl getting jumped by some other girls so she steps in and helps her out. The two become friends and after talking they decide that the rival gang who were messing with her should be dealt with. The Rebels decide to team up with The Warriors (not the ones from Coney!) and get rid of the other gang called The Rat Pack. What happens next is a big motorcycle gang scene which then turns into a rumble between the gangs which is hard to see since the shots are a blurry montage of lights and streaks. When filming motorcycles at night, its not a good choice to shoot extreme close ups.

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After this sequence, the film really goes off the tracks and never really connects on a solid dramatic level. Unfortunately, what couldve been a charming, fun little low budget teen gang movie never really lives up to its potential. The acting is very flat and its a bit too sloppy to be a minor classic. It also doesnt help that after some basic set ups with Terri, the film jumps to scenes that dont really have anything to do with the actual plotline. Theres a groovy dance sequence featuring songs with titles like "Black Belt" and "Don't Make Me Mad", but even that doesnt give the film a boost. Another thing that is a bit misleading is the film's title which makes it sound like a girl gang film. There are girl gang members in the movie but its doesnt focus solely on them. This film is definitely no Switchblade Sisters, which was made around 10 years after this and is a true cult classic. I can't recommend Teenage Gang Debs. Its one teen gang film that just ain't hip daddy-o.


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Peter Roberts is the co-founder/editor-in-chief of the Grindhouse Cinema Database (GCDb) and contributor to the GCDb's sister site Furious Cinema. A Massachusetts native, he is an avid film fan that has been immersed in the world of entertainment and pop culture his entire life. He is a professional digital media designer and educator.

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