Date Bait

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.

Dick Gering returns from rehab to go back to work for his drug-pushing brother, John Garwood. First, though, he goes to the bar where they play rockabilly to let Marlo Ryan he's back. She doesn't know what he's talking about. She's with Gary Clarke. Gering attacks Clarke and gets beat up for the effort. Meanwhile, Clarke and Miss Ryan want to get married. But her father forbids it. So they elope to Vegas. When they gt back, her father tells her he's getting the marriage annulled. And Garwood is looking for Clarke to beat him up, as well as a junkie who owes hm money.

Everyone is very clean cut here, and Clarke drives a modified Buick that looks really cool. Other than the general mess everyone seems to have made of their lives, I'm not sure what this movie is about, nor how the title relates to anything. Still, cool car.

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.

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.

"Danny Logan" (Gary Clarke) and "Sue Randall" (Marla Ryan) have been going steady for a while and have fallen deeply in love. Unfortunately, another young man who Sue dated once or twice named "Brad Martinelli" (Dick Gering) has returned after an extended illness and wants Sue back in his life. Not long afterward Brad tries to muscle his way back into Sue's life at a local dance which results in a scuffle between him and Danny. Yet even though Danny manages to hold his own during the fight what he doesn't count on is the fact that Brad has an older brother who is more than willing to do whatever it takes to protect him. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film turned out to be an okay grade-B drama from a particular time notable for films appealing to teenage audiences and young adults. It's not a bad movie but the main problem with it is that it condenses too much material in a very limited time (only 72 minutes) which causes it to look a bit shallow. Along with that the ending was also a little corny. Be that as it may, the story was still somewhat interesting and Marla Ryan was quite cute as well. Accordingly, I rate this film as about average.