Sunday, August 18, 2019

“The New Kids” Movie Review


    So it’s been a little while since I have been able to catch up on my review copies from the wonderful Mill Creek Entertainment.  Well, I finally have a little  time off and it has given me some time to catch up on watching some films I have been dying to see.  Working full time plus operating an online business doesn’t always allow much free time, sadly.  That being said, I finally had time to see a movie I really wanted to watch, “The New Kids”.
    The film tells the story of two siblings who become tragically orphaned and go to live with their uncle and aunt on their farm and amusement park.  The two siblings quickly find themselves in trouble when a group of troublemakers take unwanted attention of Abby.  Now, her brother Loren tries to protect her and the rest of his family from this group of sadistic teens.
    The film was directed by Sean S. Cunningham, best known for his work on the original “Friday the 13th”, helms this film with the same flair he showed in that classic film.  He manages to showcase his young cast in a way few directors of the era could with the exception of perhaps John Hughes or Chris Columbus.  I found it interesting that Stephen Gyllenhaal, father of Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, wrote the script for this film.
    The cast for the film was very impressive with Shannon Presby and Lori Loughlin playing the main siblings and protagonists of the film.  While they both do a good job, James Spader is the most memorable member of the cast as the evil teen Dutra.  Eric Stoltz was also surprisingly good in the small role he had.  Lastly, it was a treat seeing the late Eddie Jones of “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” fame in the movie.  As a big Superman fan, it was a nice treat.
    “The New Kids” was sadly a box office flop and was met with harsh criticism upon it’s release.  The film is an underrated film that feels perhaps more relative now than it did upon it’s release.  Thanks to Mill Creek Entertainment, the movie has an incredible retro VHS slip cover which I love.  If you like 80s horror or suspense, this movie is worth a watch thanks mainly to James Spader and it’s 80s feel.

Grade: B




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