not put in theatres cuz it was violent - Over the Edge (1979) Discussion

[–] ColinHarvey 17 years ago

What point are you trying to make? I don't get it.

I don't know of "OTE" getting any theatrical release. I have only seen it broadcast twice, on HBO in 1979 and on the Trio cable channel a couple of years ago (I taped it off there, and that was my only copy until the DVD release).

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[–] reelmonster 17 years ago

OTE did get a very limited release, but was pulled after 1 week because of 'Warriors' controversy. I saw it with maybe 10 others at the Cinema Arts in St. Cloud, MN. opening night. Cool movie, but no one likes repairing damaged theaters. Not that any damage ever happened. Theater operators are a skittish bunch and paranoia gets a lot of play when they percieve a problem that hasn't come up.

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[–] bgva 17 years ago

I think the biggest issue was that it showed teens acting violently, junior high school age kids revolting against the system, so to speak. I think they were afraid it could inspire teens to carry out such stuff.

I'm surprised it was an issue in 1979 though. Nowadays, definitely.

Oh stewardess...I speak jive.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] MyDarkStar 17 years ago

"Did anybody who watched it on HBO back in the early 80's feel disdainful or felt like lashing out because of the movie?"

It definitely caused me to have more attitude as a pre-teen. I'm not going to go as far as to say that it made me want to completely destroy my high school, but it certainly introduced a type of kids-vs-parents type of mentality to me which I carried throughout high school.

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[–] ColinHarvey 17 years ago

"Did anybody who watched it on HBO back in the early 80's feel disdainful or felt like lashing out because of the movie?"

No. Most of us already did a fair bit of lashing out! I almost clocked a PE teacher when I was a sophomore ('81-'82) because he got it in his head he was going to paddle me, and the way I looked at it, since my stepfather had never done that (he didn't need to, his big, booming voice was enough to scare me into cooling-it when I got out of line!), I didn't figure this musclehead PE teacher had any right to.

However, if I'd really got out of line, my old man wouldn't have hesitated to put a boot in my butt. He was strict as hell sometimes (he never failed to let me know I was living in HIS house and as long as I was doing that, I was going to follow HIS rules), but he was fair. He died two years ago. I miss him.

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[–] scott-sw 17 years ago

"Did anybody who watched it on HBO back in the early 80's feel disdainful or felt like lashing out because of the movie?"

No. My parents gave me a structured life and instilled discipline. When you're a kid, you resent it. When you get older and have your own kids, you appreciate it. I now have a 13-year-old, and now I understand.

I saw it when I was 13 and in the Seventh Grade when HBO showed it. Yeah, I knew some kids who acted like that, but they were the exception at my Jr. High School and not the rule as in this movie.

Seeing it again several years ago, with more adult eyes, I noticed the message of the movie: that the adults in this movie were treating their children like commodities, and not giving them any structure. They wanted to be their kids best friend instead of their parent ... a common mistake of many mid to late Baby Boomer Parents.

I think it was summed up at the meeting when Cole starts talking about the problem of investors bailing on the town, and Carl's Dad interjects, "What problem are you talking about?"

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[–] mstanley-1 17 years ago

If you're smart you can be both a parent and a friend. You just have to know where to draw the line. If you're "just" a parent, what's the point of having kids in the first place? If you don't like them or enjoy their company, get a dog. You can train them perform commands and they don't resent it.

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[–] jefgg 12 years ago

Is there any documentation of that? I would not be surprised if movie theaters did not want to risk getting vandalized for a movie that did not appear to be a blockbuster.

I think the youth of today receives much more supervision. I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey in the '70s and '80s with little adult supervision. I would not trade those memories for anything. It was like something from an S.E. Hinton book.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] jefgg 11 years ago

"Over The Edge" did have a limited theatrical release. The first time I ever heard of it was when I saw it on HBO.

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[–] jobla 9 years ago

I actually saw the film in a theater. In the Seattle area, it was the co-feature with the better-known LITTLE DARLINGS (Tatum O'Neal and Kristy McNichol). Actually, quite a few of the audience walked out during the screening of OVER THE EDGE. It didn't seem to appeal to the LITTLE DARLINGS audience.

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[–] 9 years ago

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