Over the Edge (1979)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Jonathan Kaplan

Writers:

Charles S. Haas (written by)
Tim Hunter (written by)

Release Date:

2 November 1979 (Denmark)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Watch Out For Children

Plot:

New Grenada is a planned community set in the desert where there is nothing for the kids to do, save for a rec center - which closes at 6 PM...

Plot Keywords:

Vandalism | Teen Angst | Teen | Teenager | Anomie

Cast

Michael Eric Kramer	...	Carl (as Michael Kramer)
Pamela Ludwig	...	Cory
Matt Dillon	...	Richie
Vincent Spano	...	Mark
Tom Fergus	...	Claude
Harry Northup	...	Doberman
Andy Romano	...	Fred Willat
Ellen Geer	...	Sandra Willat
Richard Jamison	...	Cole
Julia Pomeroy	...	Julia
Tiger Thompson	...	Johnny
Eric Lalich	...	Tip
Kim Kliner	...	Abby
Frank Mugavero	...	Party Host
Kristina Hanson	...	Lisa
Diane Reilly	...	Marcy
Jeff Fleury	...	Outlaw
Lane Smith	...	Sloan
Bill Whedbee	...	Johnson
Molly McCarthy	...	Principal
Gary Tessler	...	Science Teacher
Polly Shaw	...	Art Teacher
Mike Osborne	...	Lincoln
Frank Bauer	...	Hays
Susan von Till	...	PTA Officer
Brian Parker	...	Alan
Irene Lalich	...	Tip's Mother
Laura Brew-Sluder	...	Richie's Mother
Bert Benvenuti	...	Little Brother
Bobby Johnson	...	School Kid
Dave Dent	...	School Kid
Jeff Stover	...	School Kid
Julia Gabriel	...	School Kid
Michael Jones	...	School Kid
Cindy Lockert	...	School Kid
Linda Beruie	...	School Kid
Paul Cowan	...	School Kid
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James William Newport	...	Cory's father (uncredited)

Directed by
Jonathan Kaplan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Charles S. Haas		written by (as Charlie Haas)
Tim Hunter		written by

Produced by
Robert S. Bremson	....	associate producer
Joe Kapp	....	associate producer
George Litto	....	producer

Original Music by
Sol Kaplan

Cinematography by
Andrew Davis

Film Editing by
Robert Barrere		(as Robert Barrère)

Casting by
Vic Ramos

Production Design by
James William Newport		(as Jim Newport)

Set Decoration by
Anthony C. Montenaro		(as A.C. Montenaro)

Makeup Department
Leo Lotito Jr.	....	makeup artist (as Leo Lotito)

Production Management
Joseph M. Ellis	....	production manager (as Joe Ellis)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edward Ledding	....	assistant director (as Ed Ledding)
Nate Long	....	second unit director
Paula Marcus	....	second assistant director
Paul Moen	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Bruce E. Kasson	....	assistant property master
William Maldonado	....	construction coordinator
Craig Raiche	....	property master
Varnell D. Thomas	....	lead man
Van C. Unger	....	construction foreman (as Van Unger)

Sound Department
William B. Kaplan	....	sound mixer (as William Kaplan)
Darcy Vebber	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Richard O. Helmer	....	assistant special effects (as Richard Helmer)
Richard E. Johnson	....	special effects (as Richard Johnson)

Stunts
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunts
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunts (as Bennie Dobbins)
Tony Jefferson	....	stunts
Walter Scott	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Kenneth Adams	....	key grip (as Kenny Adams)
Robert J. Banks	....	gaffer (as Robert Banks)
Wynn Hammer	....	still photographer
Gary B. Kibbe	....	camera operator
Tony Ledger	....	best boy grip
William A. Lowman	....	best boy electric (as Bill Lowman)
Steve Lydecker	....	camera operator
Douglas Olivares	....	assistant camera
Ron Record	....	key grip
Randall Robinson	....	first assistant camera
Giles Thevenaz	....	assistant camera (as Giles-Pierre Thevenaz)
Mike Benson	....	additional camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Adrianne Levesque	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Richard Mazzola	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
John Caper Jr.	....	music editor

Transportation Department
William Gray	....	transportation captain
Michael McDuffee	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Pam Ellis	....	production assistant
Bert Ford	....	publicist
Walter Klein	....	production assistant
Joe Stanley	....	location manager
Robert Thorson	....	production accountant (as Robert Thorsen)

Production Companies

• Orion Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• 111 Pictures (2006) (worldwide) (all media)
• Fox-Stockholm Film Distribution (1980) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Aztec International Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Bristol Media International (1979) (non-USA) (all media) (as George Litto Productions)
• CBS/Fox Home Video
• CBS/Fox Video (1985) (Belgium) (video)
• Europa Film (????) (Finland) (video)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Orion Pictures Corporation
• Studio S (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• VCL Communications
• Warner Bros. Pictures (through)
• Warner Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Bill Dance Casting  extras casting
• J.F. Images  extra casting (as JF Images)
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Sam Shaw Enterprises  sound effects

Also Known As:

On the Edge (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | Canada:14A | Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1980) (theatrical release) | Finland:(Banned) (1987) (video release) | Finland:K-18 (2007) | New Zealand:R16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Aurora, Colorado, USA

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

According to sources Kurt Cobain said that "(Over the Edge) pretty much defined my whole personality. It was really cool. Total anarchy."

Goofs:

Continuity: After the library is trashed, a boy is shown standing on top of a police car. At first he's swinging a pair of nunchaks, but in the very next scene he's holding a crowbar.

Quotes:

Doberman: How long is this blade, White?
Richie: Three inches. Almost as big as your dick.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Charlie Bartlett (2007)

Soundtrack:

You Really Got Me

A great, timeless film

Teenagers in a planned community in Colorado butt heads with the town's developers, whose planning of the town has neglected the recreational needs of the kids, and with the police. Caught in the middle are the parents, who want their kids to be happy but are not pleased to see them drifting into drugs and vandalism. Especially disliked by the kids is Sgt. Doberman, who seems a little off his rocker and has an obsession with harassing the teens. The kids, with little else to do in this small, upscale town out in the desert, spend their free time stoned, drunk, breaking into houses, taking potshots at cop cars with BB guns, and holding target shoots in the desert outside of town.

After one incident in which Sgt. Doberman shoots and kills one of the students, the kids lock up the school, with their parents, teachers and cops who are holding an emergency PTA meeting inside, and run amok on the town - trashing the school, burning cars, setting off explosions.

A movie like this would be a very difficult one to make without coming across either as an exploitation flick or as a preachy film about juvenile discipline, but this film manages to pull it off wonderfully. The subject matter is presented in such a way that the viewer sympathises with both the kids and the parents even though they are so often at odds with each other. The soundtrack is great. This film despite being set in the late 70's is timeless; it could just as easily be about alienated teenagers anywhere, at any time. Gets even better with repeated viewings. This is one of my all-time favorite movies.