The synopsis for this film is wrong, wrong, wrong.
No teenager hooks up with a prostitute. An older man does, old enough to be a teenager's father.
This could have been a decent movie, but it simply doesn't work, and here's why: Frank, a handsome young man is the "hothead" in question. I guess one would need a good definition for the word hothead, because this film doesn't meet my criteria for it at all.
Does Frank dress like one? No. Does he pick fights with anyone? No. Does he swagger about, all cocky and such? No. Does he wear a tight t-shirt with his cigarettes rolled up in the sleeve. No, in fact he dresses rather nicely...and he doesn't even smoke. In short, Frank is like any other All-American man.
Sure, he's got issues, most of them revolving around his hatred for his shiftless father, who bailed on the family early on (he's vowed to kill him if he ever sees him, but he wouldn't recognize the man if he did).
The director and writers try to paint him as a hothead, of sorts. Frank, his buddy, and his buddy's girlfriend go to a pool party, but none of the girls for some strange reason will dance with the kid. Why? He's handsome and well-built (perhaps its because of that stupid, nerdy skirt-looking bathing suit he wears, which is worn navel-high). Did guys really wear such swim suits in those days? Jeeze, it's awful! In a scene that makes no sense at all, he tries to force a chubby, unattractive young woman to dance with him, and the three get tossed from the party.
Later, the three come across an older man, who's supposed to be a bum, yet he wears a suit and tie. What? Does our young hothead roll the bum, and steal his wallet, as any self-respecting hothead would do? No, he befriends the older man, gives him a ride in his sports car, and then invites the man to join them on the beach! Huh? Still later, Pops breaks into a house along the beach and takes the three inside to enjoy the "open" bar. Does our hothead kid enjoy it? No, in fact he gets all surly and heads back to the beach. Eventually, Pops gets Frank's buddy so drunk that he joins Frank, leaving his girlfriend alone with the lecherous old man.
Frank eventually saves the day, but imagines Pops as his real-life father, and then goes weird on him, chasing the older man all over the beach calling him daddy. It's downright laughable! It's especially strange that the athletic young Frank can't seem to catch up to the older, out of shape man. He eventually does, and he tries to kill Pops.
Frank's body-builder buddy slaps the kid, and in an instant Frank is transformed into a kind-hearted, thoughtful young man, no longer full of hate for his father (or Pops). Who knew the body builder had such powers?
I can't fault the actors at all, and in fact John Delgar who plays Frank is quite good. I'm left to wonder why he didn't make more films and do some TV afterward. Perhaps he left town as soon as he saw this film. The older man who played Pops was also good in his role, as were the actors who played Frank's friends. The actors just didn't have anything to work with, such as a believable storyline and writers who understood what a hothead really was.
It's an interesting film if for no other reason than to watch decent actors get swallowed up in a lousy script. The poster for the film implies that Frank gets involved with a killing, but no one gets killed, only the desire to see the movie again. It also proclaims "here comes trouble". Hahaha. Right!
No teenager hooks up with a prostitute. An older man does, old enough to be a teenager's father.
This could have been a decent movie, but it simply doesn't work, and here's why: Frank, a handsome young man is the "hothead" in question. I guess one would need a good definition for the word hothead, because this film doesn't meet my criteria for it at all.
Does Frank dress like one? No. Does he pick fights with anyone? No. Does he swagger about, all cocky and such? No. Does he wear a tight t-shirt with his cigarettes rolled up in the sleeve. No, in fact he dresses rather nicely...and he doesn't even smoke. In short, Frank is like any other All-American man.
Sure, he's got issues, most of them revolving around his hatred for his shiftless father, who bailed on the family early on (he's vowed to kill him if he ever sees him, but he wouldn't recognize the man if he did).
The director and writers try to paint him as a hothead, of sorts. Frank, his buddy, and his buddy's girlfriend go to a pool party, but none of the girls for some strange reason will dance with the kid. Why? He's handsome and well-built (perhaps its because of that stupid, nerdy skirt-looking bathing suit he wears, which is worn navel-high). Did guys really wear such swim suits in those days? Jeeze, it's awful! In a scene that makes no sense at all, he tries to force a chubby, unattractive young woman to dance with him, and the three get tossed from the party.
Later, the three come across an older man, who's supposed to be a bum, yet he wears a suit and tie. What? Does our young hothead roll the bum, and steal his wallet, as any self-respecting hothead would do? No, he befriends the older man, gives him a ride in his sports car, and then invites the man to join them on the beach! Huh? Still later, Pops breaks into a house along the beach and takes the three inside to enjoy the "open" bar. Does our hothead kid enjoy it? No, in fact he gets all surly and heads back to the beach. Eventually, Pops gets Frank's buddy so drunk that he joins Frank, leaving his girlfriend alone with the lecherous old man.
Frank eventually saves the day, but imagines Pops as his real-life father, and then goes weird on him, chasing the older man all over the beach calling him daddy. It's downright laughable! It's especially strange that the athletic young Frank can't seem to catch up to the older, out of shape man. He eventually does, and he tries to kill Pops.
Frank's body-builder buddy slaps the kid, and in an instant Frank is transformed into a kind-hearted, thoughtful young man, no longer full of hate for his father (or Pops). Who knew the body builder had such powers?
I can't fault the actors at all, and in fact John Delgar who plays Frank is quite good. I'm left to wonder why he didn't make more films and do some TV afterward. Perhaps he left town as soon as he saw this film. The older man who played Pops was also good in his role, as were the actors who played Frank's friends. The actors just didn't have anything to work with, such as a believable storyline and writers who understood what a hothead really was.
It's an interesting film if for no other reason than to watch decent actors get swallowed up in a lousy script. The poster for the film implies that Frank gets involved with a killing, but no one gets killed, only the desire to see the movie again. It also proclaims "here comes trouble". Hahaha. Right!
