True Blood (1989)

Ray Trueblood, member of a street gang, is framed by an enemy of a rival gang, Billy "Spider" Masters. Ray is accused of killing a cop and he has to escape leaving behind his little brother... See full summary »

Director:

Frank Kerr

Writer:

Frank Kerr

Stars:

Jeff Fahey, Chad Lowe, Sherilyn Fenn

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Fahey	...	Raymond Trueblood
Chad Lowe	...	Donny Trueblood
Sherilyn Fenn	...	Jennifer Scott
James Tolkan	...	Det. Joseph Hanley
Ken Foree	...	Det. Charlie Gates
Billy Drago	...	Billy 'Spider' Masters
Brodie Greer	...	Det. Tony Williams
John Capodice	...	Frank Santos
Leon Addison Brown	...	Roach
Stanley Perryman	...	Blade
Everett Mendes III	...	Bobby Gaines (as Everett Mendes)
Shawn O'Neil	...	Woody McCaffrey
Jeffrey Vaughn	...	Jimmy Mack
Eavenly Shin	...	Charlie Jones
Maurice Phelps	...	Fred Parker

Storyline

Ray Trueblood, member of a street gang, is framed by an enemy of a rival gang, Billy "Spider" Masters. Ray is accused of killing a cop and he has to escape leaving behind his little brother, Donny. Ten years later Ray returns to his neighborhood to take his brother with him, but things are worse than he could expect: his brother, now 18 years old, hates him and is a member of Billy Masters' gang. Furthermore, Billy Masters is looking for revenge and... the police is still after Ray for the murder of the police officer.

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Plot Keywords:

brother | gang | brother brother relationship | brunette | independent film

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Taglines:

When you can't run from your past, you have to fight for your future.

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 April 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Edge of Darkness

Filming Locations:

Hoboken Railway Station, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fries Entertainment, Maris Entertainment Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits

There is a credit to the Wyoming Film Commission, despite the film being neither set nor filmed in Wyoming

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Connections

Version of Utol (1996)

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Soundtracks

"BEYOND A DREAM"
Composed by Scott Roewe and Don Hill
Performed by Billy Trudel
(c) Magus Music 1988

User Reviews

Recycled tale of brotherhood. (spoilers)

This movie is like the material S.E. Hinton was writing in the 1970s and Copola was adapting to the screen in the early 80s, and, had Trueblood actually been a product of either, the results might've been much better (especially in the acting department). Instead, we get a rather so-bad-its-funny piece of mediocrity.

Jeff Fahey plays Ray Trueblood, a former street rumbler, I suppose is the accurate description. This was in the days of action movies that used guys in their 40s and mid30s and dressed them up in greaser threads or some kind of more effeminate selection of gang garb and they fought to lousy 80s music. Nonetheless, Ray is the lone caretaker of his younger brother, Donny (Chad Lowe in a part where he screams a lot), who he is forced to leave behind inexplicably in a train station when, on the run from the cops, he is nabbed and forced to serve time in the Marines. Flash forward to present day and Ray is back in town and looking for his brother who has also become part of the street gangs, although in a gang that was Ray's adversary and now old scores must be violently settled (and again, cops must be dodged and this time, a lady's honor defended in the action film sense) before Ray can carry on life at normal pace with his brother, Donny.

For the most part, the film is quite ridiculous. For me, most of this has to do with far too much overacting, although not by Fahey or Sherlyn Fenn who plays the waitress he befriends. The guys in the gang and Lowe himself seem to do quite a bit of needless exaggerated as New York street toughs. Although, the bigger hang up is recycled plot lines and perhaps a kind of movie that was well past its prime as a product of 1989.