Bad Boys, 1983
Bad Boys is a 1983 American crime drama film primarily set in a juvenile detention center, starring Sean Penn, Esai Morales, Clancy Brown and Ally Sheedy in her film debut. The film is directed by Rick Rosenthal. The original music score was composed by Bill Conti.
Plot[]
Mick O'Brien (Sean Penn) is a 16-year-old Irish-American hoodlum from Chicago. While most of Mick's crimes involve snatching purses, vandalism, and getting into brawls, he aspires for bigger and meaner things, which leads him to attempt ripping off a rival, Paco Moreno (Esai Morales). Everything goes wrong: Mick's partner and best friend, Carl (Alan Ruck), is killed, and Mick, while trying to escape the police, accidentally runs over and kills an eight-year-old boy who happens to be Paco's brother. Mick is sent to the Rainford Juvenile Correctional Facility rather than a state prison for adults. Most of the wardens and counselors seem to have lowered themselves to the role of zookeepers, with the exception of Ramon Herrera (Reni Santoni), a former gang member who talks tough to the inmates, but holds out hope for some of them, especially Mick.
Mick's cellmate is Barry Horowitz (Eric Gurry), a small, wiry Jewish kid who firebombed a bowling alley after some boys there severely beat him (for hitting on their girlfriends). Their cell block is dominated by a pair of brawny sadists named "Viking" Lofgren (Clancy Brown) and Warren "Tweety" Jerome (Robert Lee Rush). As soon as their alpha male status is established, Mick takes his first step toward defining himself by standing up to them. Meanwhile, to avenge his brother's death, Paco rapes Mick's girlfriend, J.C. (Ally Sheedy). After hearing of the rape, Mick is desperate to see her, so he and Horowitz escape the double perimeter fences during football practice via the use of a corrosive liquid placed on the fences, making them weak enough to kick open. Mick escapes, but Horowitz falls on barbed wire and is then caught where a counselor beats him up for calling him names and escaping. Ramon senses that Mick had gone to J.C.'s house, and soon picks him up. He then takes him on a trip to a maximum security prison to show what's in store for him, should he continue down the path of crime.
After Paco's arrest, he is sentenced to the same dormitory at Rainford that Mick is in. The staff are fully aware of this potential danger, but no other reform school has a vacancy. Meanwhile, in an attempt to injure Paco for Mick, Horowitz plants fertilizer into a radio that he has placed in Paco and Viking's cell. When the charge explodes prematurely and only injures Viking, Horowitz is condemned to permanent solitary confinement, a fate he fears more than any other. Eventually, Paco's transfer is arranged, so he plans his showdown with Mick for the night before. In order to avoid staff intervention, Herrera, who was on night patrol, is injured by Paco after he pretends to have a ruptured appendix. The door into the cells is then barricaded, and the entire dormitory is aroused by the brawl. Eventually, Mick comes out on top, and the film ends with him very nearly killing Paco but resisting at the last second despite calls from the others to kill him. He then drags a beaten Paco in front of the caged Ramon and other detention officers and heads back to his cell, crying in remorse.
It is implied he will get out of the detention center and will finally be able to see his girlfriend again while Paco will be transferred to a prison for adults, where he will serve the rest of his sentence and an additional sentence as an adult for the attempted murder of Mick.
Cast[]
- Sean Penn as Mick O'Brien
- Esai Morales as Paco Moreno
- Alan Ruck as Carl Brennan
- Ally Sheedy as J.C. Walenski
- Clancy Brown as "Viking" Lofgren
- Robert Lee Rush as Warren "Tweety" Jerome
- Reni Santoni as Ramon Herrera
- Jim Moody as Gene Daniels
- Eric Gurry as Barry Horowitz
- John Zenda as Supervisor Wagner
- Tony Mockus, Jr. as Warden Bendix
- Jamie Lee Curtis (cameo) as long-haired passerby
- Rick Rosenthal (cameo) as a judge
Distribution[]
Universal Studios originally released Bad Boys in 1983, and Thorn/EMI released it on videocassette, but in 1999 Artisan Entertainment took the rights and released the DVD, then in 2001 Anchor Bay Entertainment took the DVD rights and released, and in 2007 Facets Multimedia Distribution took the rights and released.
Bad Boys was released on Blu-ray for the first time on February 1, 2011, presented "complete and uncut."
Critical reception[]
Bad Boys garnered generally positive reviews; review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes currently holds an 89% "Fresh" rating based on 19 reviews. David Denby of The New Yorker magazine argued, "Bad Boys is never less than tense and exciting, but it's coarse and grisly, an essentially demagogic piece of work".
In his original review, Roger Ebert praised the direction and cinematography in particular and wrote, "The direction, by Richard Rosenthal, is sure-footed, confident and fluid; we are in the hands of a fine director". In her review for The New York Times, Janet Maslin wrote, "Sean Penn's performance is the chief thing that separates Bad Boys from mere exploitation". Perry Seibert of All Media Guide said "Bad Boys proves that great performances can overcome routine story lines."
Soundtrack[]
The soundtrack of the film comprised some late, eccentric funk tracks, as well as Billy Squier and Iron Maiden.
- "Get Dressed" by George Clinton
- "Superstar" by T-Connection
- "Tonight's the Night" by T-Connection
- "Too Hot To Be Cool" by Ebonee Webb
- "Everybody Wants You" by Billy Squier
- "In The Dark" by Billy Squier
- "Mr. Hate" by The Tubes
- "Check Us Out" by Light of the World
- "Street Corner" by Ashford & Simpson
- "One More Time" by McFadden & Whitehead
- "Give Me Your Love" by Peabo Bryson
- "Prodigal Son" by Iron Maiden
- "Purgatory" by Iron Maiden
- "Don't Go Away" by Melba Moore
- "Night Owls" by Little River Band
- "Man on Your Mind" by Little River Band
- "Crime Wave" by Prism
- "Run to Her" by Jennifer Warnes
- "Pelo de Alambre" by Bobby Capó
- "Guillermo y Maria" by Bobby Capó
Cultural usage[]
The name of the Croatian ultras group Bad Blue Boys (who support NK Dinamo Zagreb) is said to have been inspired by Bad Boys.
See also[]
Original Theatrical Trailer[]
Bad Boys (1983) Trailer