Over The Edge/Review

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Review of Over The Edge

Based on true events that took place in the 1970s, Over The Edge is a cult classic about teens gone wild in a planned suburban community in rural Colorado. This film foreshadows events like the Columbine School shootings. Its a very rebellious punk rock type film, along with similar films from the time like Suburbia and The Warriors.

Carl (Michael Kramer) and his best friend Richie White (Matt Dillon, in his first film role) are the two main characters in the film. They are just two of the disallusioned youth of New Granada. The problem is that these kids have nothing to do outside of school. Their parents work all day and they really dont pay attention to them. Its a recipe for disaster when the kids get together. Most of the kids are drug addicts who use LSD and pot and alcoholics, and theyre only in their early teens. Carl and Richie get arrested after two punks shoot a cop car with a BB Gun. The officer thats been dogging everyone is aptly named Doberman (Harry Northup). He treats the kids like crap and they hate him. He explains that they need to stay out of trouble or they'll be going to prison. They just joke and laugh at him.

Carl sees a cute girl named Corey who he really likes. One night, at a wild party at a friends house he sees Corey kissing the kid (Vincent Spano) that got him and Richie in trouble. Carl watches them kissing and smokes a joint, hes not happy to see her making out with him. Carl confronts him and explains he didnt appreciate taking the heat for him. After Carl leaves the party in disgust, hes walking home alone and the kid and his thug pal jump Carl and beat him up. When Carl gets home his parents see that hes beat up and he just tells them to leave him alone. His mom comes to his aid and helps him clean up.

All the kids in New Granada hang out at a local recreation club (called The Rec) which looks like a marine barracks. Its their only place to have any fun. The big problem the kids have is that there was supposed to be a Movie Theater and a Roller Rink put in the town, but the local business boards have ditched that plan and changed it to an Industrial Park site instead. This only gets the kids more restless and it causes them to get into even more trouble.

Carl and Richie meet Corey and her friend who have just robbed a house. They grabbed some stuff and also a loaded gun. They all go out to a field and practice shooting it. Richie hangs on to it. Carl and Corey finally get together and become a couple. The next day, during school, Richie and Carl decide to ditch and take Richie's mom's jeep to another town to have some fun, but Doberman chases them and in a tragic shootout, Doberman kills Richie. Carl runs away and hides out at a unfinished house that he uses as a hangout in the neighborhood. Corey comes by and they spend the night together.

In the explosive ending, there is a parent-teacher conference at the high school. The kids lock all the doors to the school and they begin vandalizing all the cars outside. They destroy everything they can. They have had enough. The war on the adults of New Granada is in full effect and its not pretty.

The soundtrack for the film is one of the best things about it. It features music by Cheap Trick, The Ramones, The Cars, Van Halen and more. Its a really great mix of tunes that were popular in the late 70s rock and punk music scene.

Reviewed by Pete R. - 7/09/06

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