The Boys Next Door (1985 film)
The Boys Next Door | |
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New World Pictures | |
Release date |
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Running time | 91 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | CAD 3 million[1] |
The Boys Next Door is a 1985 American adventure-crime drama film about two teenage boys who leave their small town home on the day of their high school graduation and embark on a crime and murder spree.
Plot
Roy Alston (
During the drive to Los Angeles, Bo and Roy rob a
During a visit to La Brea Tar Pits, Bo expresses his wish that the world could just "go caveman" for one day, abandoning all rules and order. Roy agrees, and they spend their evening on the streets of Los Angeles.
Several additional encounters lead to more deaths, including a gay man they meet at a bar, Chris, (Paul C. Dancer), a young couple (Richard Pachorek and Lesa Lee), and an older woman Angie Baker (Patti D'Arbanville) whom Roy kills while she is having sex with Bo. Eventually the duo are tracked and found by the LAPD and chased into a shopping mall. After unsuccessfully trying to steal some guns, Bo tries to talk some sense into Roy about surrendering. Roy refuses, and he orders Bo to give him the gun so he can go out in a "blaze of glory". Bo refuses and shoots Roy when he tries to take the gun away. The police surround Bo and ask him why he killed his friend. Bo replies, "Because I had to." Bo is then arrested and led away while reporters snap photos of him.
Cast
- Charlie Sheen as Bo Richards
- Maxwell Caulfield as Roy Alston
- Patti D'Arbanville as Angie Baker
- Christopher McDonaldas Detective Mark Woods
- Hank Garrett as Detective Ed Hanley
- Paul C. Dancer as Chris
- Richard Pachorek and Lesa Lee as The Couple
- Kenneth Cortland as Dwayne
- Moon Unit Zappaas Nancy
- Dawn Schneider as Bonnie Roberts
- Kurt Christian as Shakir
- Don Draper as Mr. Heaton
- Blackie Dammett as The Bartender
- Phil Rubenstein as Gutfield
- James Carrington as Ross
- Grant Heslov as Joe Gonzales
- Michael Lewis as Kanter
- Leonard O. Turner as Sergeant
- Vance Colvig Jr.as Old Man
- Jeff Prettyman as Al
- Claudia Templeton as Girl At Beach
- Ron Ross as Drunk
- Carlos Guitarlos as Patient
- Helen Brown as Old Woman At Beach
- Hettie Lynne Hurtes as Anchorwoman
- Sarah Lilly as Female Officer
- Jimmy Ford as Bob, The Jock
- Mary Tiffany and Marilou Conway as Women
- James Bolt, Mark Stanton, and Kevi Kendall as Students
- Joseph Michael Cala as Gas Station Owner
- Carmen Filpi as Bum
- Christina Beck as Punk Girl
- John Davey as Watkins
- Geoff Brewer as Security Guard
- Toby Iland as Tom
- Richard Halpern as Boy
- John Escobar and Ray Lykins as Policemen
- Judie David as Female Security Guard
- Texacala Jones, Pinkie Tessa, Tequila Mockingbird, Maggie Ehrig, and Ted Quinn as members of the Street Band
Production
Maxwell Caulfield says it was the first film he had made since Grease 2.
I couldn't get arrested for a year and a half, then Penelope Spheeris went totally with a gut instinct on that and I am forever indebted to her for that. Unfortunately, it never really got released because New World Pictures were going under just os we finished. Working with Charlie Sheen was one of the reasons I held up my end of the picture. He is a spunky little character, man, and it was fun riding around with him. And Patti D'Arbanville wos a doll. [2]
MPAA cuts
According to director Penelope Spheeris' DVD commentary, The Boys Next Door had to be cut and submitted to the
- The scene where a gas attendant is beaten was shortened to lessen the intensity and sound effects were toned down.
- A scene depicting the murder of Chris was cut down (mostly sound effects were heavily toned down).
- A scene in which Roy shakes and kills Angie Baker (by breaking her neck) was heavily cut down, with various shots removed to lessen the intensity.
Home media
The Boys Next Door (entitled "No Apparent Motive" in Australia) was released on
Critical reception
Time Out London called The Boys Next Door superior to Spheeris' previous work Suburbia (1984) in that it didn't try to sympathize with the two lead characters while still letting in a "glimmer of understanding into the murderers' feelings."[4] Vincent Canby, comparing the film to Over the Edge (1979) for its negative picture of a California teenager and to Badlands (1973) for its "lean and unsentimental" atmosphere, described it as a "very well made, disorienting movie about inarticulated despair and utter hopelessness."[5] He praised the performances of Caulfield, Sheen, and D'Arbanville in the film.[5]
References
- ISBN 9781476625638.
- ^ Edwards, Craig (2001). "Maxwell Caulfield". Psychtronic Video. No. 35. p. 58.
- ^ Tribbey, Ralph (April 5, 2001). "DVD NEWS BRIEFS: Anchor Bay in May; Aguilera on DVD; Koch's VaultKoch's Vault". hive4media.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2001. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
- ^ "The Boys Next Door". Time Out London. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
- ^ a b Canby, Vincent (14 March 1986). ["Screen: Spheeris's 'Boys Next Door'"]. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
External links
- The Boys Next Door at IMDb
- The Boys Next Door at Rotten Tomatoes