Kids (1995)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Larry Clark

Writers:

Larry Clark (story)
Harmony Korine (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

28 July 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An amoral, HIV-positive skateboarder sets out to deflower as many virgins as possible while a local girl who contracted his disease tries to save his next target from her same fate.

Plot Keywords:

New York | Hiv | Disturbing | Sex | New York City

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Leo Fitzpatrick	...	Telly
Sarah Henderson	...	Girl #1
Justin Pierce	...	Casper
Joseph Chan	...	Deli Owner
Johnathan Staci Kim	...	Korean Guy (as Johnathan S. Kim)
Adriane Brown	...	Little Girl
Sajan Bhagat	...	Paul
Billy Valdes	...	Stanly
Billy Waldeman	...	Zack
Javier Núñez	...	Javier (as Javier Nunez)
Luis Núñez	...	Luis (as Luis Nunez)
Christian Bruna	...	Christian
Alex Glen	...	Alex
Chloë Sevigny	...	Jennie (as Chloe Sevigny)
Rosario Dawson	...	Ruby
Julia Mendoza	...	Susan
Gillian Goldstein	...	Linda
Priscilla Forsyth	...	Diane
Francine Fuertes	...	Jennie's Nurse
Deborah Draper	...	Ruby's Nurse
Alan Wise	...	Accordion Player
Billy Solomon	...	Dancing Boy
Johanna Ignatov	...	Singing Woman
Raymond Batista	...	Legless Man
Julie Stebe-Glorius	...	Telly's Mom
Christiana Stebe-Glorius	...	Telly's Little Brother
Dr. Henry	...	Rasta Drug Dealer
Harold Hunter	...	Harold
Jon Abrahams	...	Steven
Hamilton Harris	...	Hamilton
Jeff Pang	...	Jeff
Atabey Rodriguez	...	Misha
Giovanni Estevez	...	Kid in Park
Karyn Grupski	...	Kid in Park
Mike Hernandez	...	Kid in Park
Peter Bici	...	Kid in Park
Ryan Sikorski	...	Kid in Park
Jim Gordy	...	Kid in Park
Louie Louie	...	Kid in Park
John Perez	...	Kid in Park
Eddie Peel	...	Kid in Park
Rich Arbitelle	...	Kid in Park
Nuri Bell	...	Kid in Park
Medwin Pang	...	Kid in Park
Jamie Story	...	Kid in Park
Jeff Simmons	...	Kid in Park
JAM	...	Kid in Park (as Jam)
Daniel Phillips	...	Kid in Park
Jamal Simmons	...	Kid in Park
Thierry Oddo	...	Kid in Park
Ronald Hunter	...	Kid in Park
Frank Natiello	...	Kid in Park
John Carter	...	Kid in Park
John Dean	...	Kid in Park
Jimmy Lalputan	...	Kid in Park
Tony Morales	...	Jungle Fever Couple #1
Walter Youngblood	...	Jungle Fever Couple #2
Ellsworth 'Cisco' Davis	...	Hoodlum
Joseph Knopfelmacher	...	Taxi Driver
Michele Lockwood	...	Kim
Carisa Glucksman	...	Joy
Scot Schwartz	...	Bennie
Yakira Peguero	...	Darcy
Sidney Prawatyotin	...	Sid
Carl Ly-Min	...	Security Guard
Avi Korine	...	Fidget
Darice Liguidi	...	Kid from Jersey
Beth Weinstein	...	Kid from Jersey
Jason Inconstanti	...	Kid from Jersey
Alexandra Karabell	...	Kid from Jersey
Zulaika Velazquez	...	Gertie
Nick Lockman	...	Nick
Joey Alvarez	...	Joey
Gerry Smith	...	Gerry
Lavar McBride	...	Lavar
Julie Ho	...	Tamara
Lila Lee	...	Girl at Party
Regina Mei	...	Girl at Party
Amy Moy	...	Girl at Party
Lisa Acevedo	...	Girl at Party
Corina Deleon	...	Girl at Party
Suzanne Wood	...	Girl at Party
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harrison Freed	...	Subway Rider (uncredited)
Harmony Korine	...	Club Kid (uncredited)
Stefanie Marco	...	NASA Girl (uncredited)
Exile Ramirez	...	Kid on Stoop (uncredited)
Kara Raynaud	...	Dancer in Club (uncredited)

Directed by
Larry Clark

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Larry Clark		story
Harmony Korine		writer
Jim Lewis		story

Produced by
Leigh Blake	....	associate producer
Michael Chambers	....	executive producer
Cathy Konrad	....	co-producer
Patrick Panzarella	....	executive producer
Christine Vachon	....	co-producer
Gus Van Sant	....	executive producer
Cary Woods	....	producer
Lauren Zalaznick	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Lou Barlow
John Davis

Cinematography by
Eric Alan Edwards		(director of photography) (as Eric Edwards)

Film Editing by
Christopher Tellefsen

Casting by
Alysa Wishingrad		(as Alyssa Wishingrad)

Production Design by
Kevin Thompson

Set Decoration by
Ford Wheeler

Costume Design by
Kim Marie Druce		(as Kim Druce)

Makeup Department
Kara Raynaud	....	hair designer (as Kara Crean)
Tracy Warbin	....	hair stylist
Tracy Warbin	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ann Ruark	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Bauer	....	assistant director
Van Hayden	....	assistant director
Annie Tan	....	assistant director

Art Department
Jennifer Alex Nickason	....	set dresser (as Jennifer H. Alex)
Michael Preston	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Laurel Bridges	....	boom operator
Wendy Hedin	....	supervising sound editor
Charles R. Hunt	....	production sound mixer
George A. Lara	....	foley mixer
Jan McLaughlin	....	production sound mixer
David Novack	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tim O'Heir	....	audio recording engineer
Angela Organ	....	apprentice sound editor

Stunts
Manny Siverio	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Brett Colombo	....	electrician
Jon Hokanson	....	electrician
Todd S. Klein	....	key grip
Christopher T. Paul	....	second assistant camera
Kate Phelan	....	electrician
Christopher Porter	....	gaffer
Alison C. Rosa	....	still photographer (as Alison Rosa)
Jon W. Rosenbloom	....	best boy grip
Richard Rutkowski	....	first assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Exile Ramirez	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Misako Shimizu	....	assistant editor
Patricia Sztaba	....	negative matcher
Stan Sztaba	....	negative matcher
Philip Whitfield	....	telecine operator: rushes

Music Department
Randall Poster	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Eric R. Bellamy	....	production accountant
Andy Clark	....	assistant location manager
Dana Eshghi	....	production assistant
Neil Hobbs	....	production office intern
Chiemi Karasawa	....	script supervisor
Takahide Kawakami	....	production assistant
Kelly MacManus	....	assistant: Cary Woods
Exile Ramirez	....	graffiti artist
Lizzie Schwartz	....	assistant: Mr. Woods
Thomas J. Whelan	....	location manager (as T. Whelan)

Thanks
Granz Henman	....	film dedicated to

Production Companies

• Excalibur Films
• Guys Upstairs
• Independent Pictures (II)
• Kids NY Limited
• Miramax Films

Distributors

• Shining Excalibur Films (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• Lions Gate Films (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Trimark Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmes Castello Lopes (1996) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Focus Film AG (1995) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm (1995) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Senator Film (1995) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Spentzos Films (1995) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Arcade Movie Company (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Momentum Pictures (1995) (UK) (video)
• New Films International
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Premiere Digital (Russia) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Spentzos Film Home Video (1996) (Greece) (VHS)
• Vidmark Entertainment (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | UK:18 (cut) | France:-12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (re-rating) (2005) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Australia:R | Canada:18A | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Chile:18 | Denmark:16 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 (cut) | Italy:VM18 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | South Africa:16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:NC-17 (original rating: 1995) | USA:Open (rating surrendered: 1995)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Excalibur Films

Trivia:

The original Pioneer release of the DVD lists the running time as 102 minutes. This is a typo and the version of the movie on the DVD is the same 91 minute version as Trimark DVD.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Jennie and Ruby are talking while waiting in the clinic for their test results, Ruby's lips do not match the audio in one of the shots.

Quotes:

Jennie: I'm not gonna die.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Teenage Wasteland (2006)

Soundtrack:

Casper

Kids has a healthy message, but the method of delivery is extremely uncomfortable.

The inner city is one of the worst places in the country to spend your formative years, and the makers of Kids add a bit of crime and self-destructive behavior to that in order to show some of the dangers of this type of lifestyle. Yes, the film has strong messages about drugs, AIDS, violence, and crime, among others, but it is so negatively overdone that the positive side of the film is almost cancelled out. There is so much that you have to look past before you can derive anything good from this movie that it is almost not worth watching.

The acting, however, was strikingly convincing, but probably because not much actual acting is called for for a movie like this. I realize that violence is a part of life, especially in downtown New York City, but the violence as well as the excessive partying scenes and the gruesome sex was drawn out much more than necessary, and this took a lot away from the film. It's almost as though the movie resorts to this kind of thing to keep the audiences attention, when in fact it did the opposite. While not a completely worthless film, Kids just has so few redeeming values that it is hardly worth the time to watch it. I've always thought that the closer films are to reality, the better they are, but the thing that really ruined Kids was that it focused so hard on the drugs and the sex and the violent elements of reality, while virtually ignoring every other part of these kids' lives. A message like that does not need to be so hard to swallow in order to be effective.