Date Bait

Okay, it is a cheapie, which comes as no surprise for a no-name production. The sets are bare bones, the sound quality comes and goes, while the acting is spotty. Still, it's got everything a teen of the time wanted—fast cars, rock&roll, switchblades, and a wedding night. Plus, the strung-out doper Brad (Gering) adds a wacko wildcard. Blonde cutie Sue (Ryan) seems a natural for her lively teen role, even if her sweetie, upward-bound Gary Clarke, acts a little bored.

The plot concerns a common topic for teens of the time—are we too young to get married. Sue's gruff dad certainly thinks so. Worse, jealous Brad won't let his former blonde cutie go, and he's got one bad older brother who sort of cleans up after him, that is, when brother isn't dealing dope. Mix 'em all together and it's not a bad little drive-in flick. Better than I expected for a shoestring indie. And, oh yes, catch that very last frame—looks like writer-director Ireland was trying for something genuinely thoughtful.

This film goes under the category of drive-in drivel, the stuff that went on the screen and possibly inspired teens to get down to business.

Date Bait is the story of a love triangle between Marlo Ryan and new boyfriend Gary Clarke and old boyfriend Dick Gering. Gering went away to a rehab for his heroin addiction and while he was gone Ryan started to date Gary Clarke. Ryan who's a light version of Sandra Dee doesn't see much of a future with a drug addict. However her clueless father for reasons I can't explain just dislikes Clarke.

It might be a simple matter if Gering would just leave, but he won't and he's the younger brother of the local gangster and Clarke and anyone who stands up for him gets a going over.

This independent production boasts nothing really good about it. The direction is totally lacking, the cast is awful and the sets are bad. Even the rock and roll music is second rate.

The theme should have been Dion's Teenager In Love or more like teenagers in heat.

I accidentally stumbled on this rarely seen movie and it was pleasant surprise. Almost like finding a hidden gem. The story was rather silly and naive but still interesting enough to engage you to screen. A girl from wealthy family is in love to lower class boy and there are many obstacles standing on their way. Girl's parents aren't much supportive and then there is obsessive drug addict who is desperately in love of the girl. And mix into a pair of brutal but funny gangsters and you get quite intriguing little movie. Nice mixture of classical love story and crime film.

The acting wasn't cheesy. Another reason to be pleasantly surprised. Specially I liked Richard Gering as drug addictive Brad. Don't wait anything Oscar worthy though but I already know you won't.

Date Bait is nice small JD film and I was personally more entertained than watching Transformers. But it's just me. I am a sucker for old movies.

It's funny, but in a three film DVD involving juvenile delinquents, the lowest rated on IMDb entertained me most ("High School Big Shot") and this film, which was the highest rated, bored me the most! It seems that some people really did like "Date Bait"--I just thought it had tons of plot problems and spent too much time on two stories when it probably would have been best to just stick with one plot...and do that one better.

The film begins with a psycho teenager getting out of months of drug treatment. It seems, however, that his biggest problems aren't the drugs but that he's a loony hot-head! Within minutes of arriving in the hangout where the teens (most of which looked in their 20s) go to dance, he pulls out a knife and tries to kill another guy--all because this other guy 'stole his girl'---but the loony druggie never really did go out with the girl more than a couple times. A bit later, the loony druggie's brother arrives and convinces him to go home. BUT, this is not the end of it...then the brother and one of his friends chase the innocent guy who was almost stabbed--running him of the road and beating him! Yet, despite a knife fight and near vehicular homicide, NO ONE BOTHERS TO CALL THE POLICE!!!!! Up until near the end of the film, you just assume this town doesn't have a police force!!! Now at this point, the film appears to be an exposée on drug abuse or juvenile delinquency or perhaps on a weird relationship between brothers. However, oddly, much of the next 40 minutes or so consists of the relationship between the girl and guy who was attacked at knife-point. The idea of two frisky young lovers wanting to defy her parents and run off to get married was rather interesting--even if her father in the film was silly! The dad was rather irrational and his acting consisted of irrational screaming 'for her own good'! His character really was dopey.

Late in the film, the loony druggie AND the two teens (who have since secretly married) come together once again when loony-boy kidnaps the young lady! Finally, after a knife fight and about a dozen assaults through the course of the film someone thinks to get the police! And it's a showdown in which you don't know who will and won't survive...but by this point, who really cares?! Too disjoint, too cheap and too unbelievable to be much good for anything but a few unintended laughs.

I disagree with the other comment on here. I really enjoyed this film. There are hot car chase scenes, heroin junkies, cute guys (Logan!), crazy gangster power struggles, dumb older brothers, cool music and the greatest awkward wedding night scene I've ever seen in a movie. Perhaps I'm easy to captivate, but I was into the movie the whole time, not bored once! The acting and characters were interesting, too. I loved Frida, who was always playing jokes on her lanky, tolerant boyfriend. Danny Logan just keeps getting crapped on even though he seems to do everything right, and you can't help but cheer him on the whole time. The gangsters are laughably dumb and the heroin junkie Freddy is very entertaining with his obsessive face-covering. I thought it was well directed film and well thought out plot. If you think '50s teen movies are lame, then don't watch this one because it's pretty classic in my book.