USA,
1997, 105 min
Shown in 1998
CREDITS
- dir
-
Eugene Martin
- prod
-
Eugene Martin, Lisa Rosenstein, Cate Wilson
- scr
-
Eugene Martin
- cam
-
Michael Pearlman
- editor
-
Juli Vizza
- cast
-
Charlie Hofheimer, Heather Gottlieb, Isidra Vega, Ryan Carmony, Todd Berry, Luis Laporte, Jr., Mark Webber, Bruce Kirkpatrick
- source
-
City Stay Pictures, 32 Strawberry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. FAX: 215-413-3393
- premiere
-
North American Premiere
-
COMMENTS
Screened with Lick the Star. Eugene Martin, Ryan Carmony, Todd Berry and Mark Webber in person.
OTHER
It’s summer in Springville, and the kids are on the loose. Straddling the borders of urban and suburban, Edge City’s unnervingly true-to-life performances give this teen drama a stark reality. Eugene Martin’s handheld camera gives a sneakily voyeuristic view of the everyday extracurricular exploits of kids from both sides of the Philadelphia tracks. Whether they live in rowhouses or mansions, these are the 1990s version of the kids next door—drug use, sex, alcohol, loud music and reckless driving fill their days... and nights. The only thing missing is a sense of responsibility—a value learned the hard way. James and Bobby are brothers on the lower end of the economic scale, while Cherie drives Dad’s Jeep Cherokee and drinks Dom Perignon in parking lots with her equally well-heeled girlfriends. As fate—and reality—would have it, these worlds will ultimately clash, with explosive force and tragic consequences. Martin’s cinematic language is as authentic and affecting as his characters. Driven by a rhythmic soundtrack fused with hip-hop, rap and dance music, Edge City slams you into a visceral reaction that will awaken your conscience. At once fascinating and horrific in its realism, this is an ultra-gritty slice of modern teenage life.
FACTOID #188
According to an item in the 1969 Halloween edition of the Hollywood Reporter, Swedish director Bo Widerberg cancelled a Festival tribute at the last minute with a cryptic telegram from Stockholm that read, ’Sorry impossible to come. Must stay in bed.’
