The New Kids (1985)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Sean S. Cunningham

Writers:

Stephen Gyllenhaal (story) and
Brian Taggert (story) ...

Release Date:

18 January 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The kids learned three things about southern hospitality, blood, sweat and terror!

Plot:

A brother and sister arrive in a small town to help their relatives run an amusement park, and they find the town is terrorized by a local street gang.

Plot Keywords:

Amusement Park | Gang | Brother | Uncle | Relative

Cast

Shannon Presby	...	Loren McWilliams
Lori Loughlin	...	Abby McWilliams
James Spader	...	Eddie Dutra
John Philbin	...	Gideon
David H. MacDonald	...	Moonie
Vince Grant	...	JoeBob (as Vincent Grant)
Theron Montgomery	...	Gordo
Eddie Jones	...	Charlie McWilliams
Lucy Martin	...	Fay McWilliams
Eric Stoltz	...	Mark
Paige Lyn Price	...	Karen
Court Miller	...	Sheriff
Tom Atkins	...	'Mac' MacWilliams
Jean De Baer	...	Mary Beth MacWilliams
Robertson Carricart	...	Deputy

Also Known As:

Striking Back (Philippines: English title) (UK) (video title)

Runtime:

86 min | USA:110 min | USA:89 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | Belgium:16 (video rating) | USA:R | Norway:16 | UK:18 (cut) | Iceland:(Banned) | Iceland:16 (cut) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Homestead, Florida, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Quotes:

Eddie Dutra: You want crazy? I'll show you crazy!

Soundtrack:

Stand Up

James Spader plays a nut...again.

The New Kids is probably best for fans of the cast or anyone satisfied by mediocre teen 80s movies. This is one of those movies about a bunch of psychotic weirdos trying to do as much damage as possible to two innocent victims, leaving you to wonder what the heck these kids did to push the antagonists so far over the edge.

Here, our innocent victims are Abby (Lori Laughlin) and Loren (Shannon Presby). After their parents died, the brother and sister go to live in an amusement park (how awesome is that?) where their relatives (surrogate parent-types) live and work.

The psychos are led by Eddie Dutra (James Spader) a sadistic albino, and his gang of merry men (one of which is the excellent John Philbin who 80s fans will remember as 'Turtle' from the surf adventure, North Shore). Anyways, Eddie wants Abby, and what Eddie wants, he gets. But when Abby pushes him away after several forceful advances, sadistic control-freak Eddie doesn't want it to look like he let a girl weaken him. He and the gang go after Lorren, Abby, and their family, in a do or die situation.

Despite having a decent finale of chases and destruction, the movie has a very simple story. Unfortunately, it can also be quite sappy during those brother-sister inspiration talks. Abby and Lorren are willing to fight back against Eddie and his gang once and for all after so many of his vicious acts against them and their family, but for such tough kids (especially Abby), they do seem to come off as bitterly sappy sometimes.

Unfortunately, too, the movie has a very simple story. I watched it on the Spanish Channel (I don't understand Spanish) and I figured everything out alright. It's a generic story, but one you'll like if that's what you're into or if you're fans of the actors in this film.