Over the Edge (1979)

“Seems to me like you all were in such a hopped-up hurry to get out of the city that you turned your kids into exactly what you were trying to get away from.” A bunch of bored, stoned kids raise hell in a planned suburban community called “New Granada.” It’s all here: booze, pot, guns, vandalism and sex – “a real story of teenage rebellion,” according to the tagline. Shot in just 36 days, Over the Edge was rumored to be based on an actual incident that occurred at a planned community in Foster City, California, in the early 1970s. All of the mayhem is accompanied by some classic tunes from Cheap Trick (“Surrender”), the Ramones (“Teenage Lobotomy”), Van Halen (“You Really Got Me”) and the Cars (“My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Just What I Needed”). Notable as Matt Dillon’s film debut. Cast includes Michael Eric Kramer, Pamela Ludwig, Harry Northup and Vincent Spano. In his 2007 autobiography, Slash of Guns N’ Roses stated, “In its most aggressive and most realistic moments, [Over the Edge] was a true representation of teenage culture at the time: most kids’ parents either didn’t care enough to notice or naively thought they were doing the right thing by trusting their children and turning a blind eye.” Directed by Jonathan Kaplan (The Accused), Over the Edge was reportedly Kurt Cobain’s favorite film and served as the inspiration for Nirvana’s classic “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video.

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