5818 Junior high Jimmy hitches a ride and that's where the trouble starts. A Sid Davis production, of course. First a pat, then a trip to the soda shop, an off color joke, and a fishing trip. Oh oh, they're using first names! And porno at lunch! Watch out! Ralph's a sick homosexual! Now it's off to Ralph's apartment! But wait there's more ... men at the park and the restrooms and "riding in the shadow of death"! G-rated paranoia Steve Nordby 2003-08-25 17:00:21 2003-08-25 17:00:21 5 Rick Prelinger 6815 Yes, all homosexuals are conspicious balding middle-aged garish dark sunglass-wearing men named Ralph. Furthermore, they all prey upon teenage boys for recruitment efforts by taking unsuspecting youngsters out to eat, fishing, and calling them by their first names! This film really needs to be seen to be believed. While Sid Davis obviously showed a little real insight into social problems in his other films (See "Age 13"), he completely tows the standard line of the day in this film, that homosexuality is a sickness "not unlike smallpox". Ralph's arrest is a true mystery as he does not appear to even cop a feel during his entire time with jimmy. Oh wait, he suggestively leads jimmy up a motel stairway, which means...oooooh! Give me a break, please. "Jimmy was released on probation in the custody of his parents." -- Uhm, the hell? Poor jimmy gets seduced by a balding homosexual and he gets a line in his juvie record?! Now *that's* sick. Things to watch for: * Motorcycle cops pull over evil homosexual in front of highly suggestive treeline. * Police detective drives the EXACT SAME CAR as one of the "homosexuals"! * Sid Davis cameos as the "washroom homosexual" (is Sid trying to tell us something?) * Man who murders a teenage boy is equated with all other homosexuals Things you WON'T see in this version: * The truth that the vast majority of sex abuse occurs with other family members and neighbors, IE NON-STRANGERS. * The extended scene where jimmy tells all his circle jerk pals about his experience with a genuine homosexual. The film is bad, but I'd consider it essential to watch. That's why I give it *****. Abominable, but in a 5 star way mjwise 2003-10-16 20:47:00 2003-10-14 19:49:06 5 6979 Can't wait to see how hackneyed our propaganda seems decades from now - like this one does today. "A sickness that was not like smallpox but no less dangerous and contagious. A sickness of the mind." Sad document to the bigotry that persists today. Some still think sexuality is contagious and that gay = pedophile who keeps little boys in a well in his basement. Does the predatory homo shooting a basketball really have to kick his leg out girl-style? Watch out for that Friendly Pat on the back Andymatic 2003-10-24 22:07:19 2003-10-24 22:07:19 5 6743 The pentultimate Sid Davis film, the one which he will always be synonomous with. Features many boys getting too comfortable with homosexuals who are of course labeled sick in the mind. So don't hitch-hike, go to public washrooms, plax mini-golf take short cuts or play basketball alone. Because once of them comes along, why you'll be trading your life for a headline, or, of course, be put in probation under the custody of your parents (Can someone explain this?) of course it's a MUST SEE on this site. 'The Public Washroom Is A Frequent Hangout For The Homosexual' Spuzz 2003-11-25 17:49:28 2003-10-13 08:52:27 5 7719 ...but the fact that the kids in this film are completely blind to the fact they are engaging in very risky behaviors. Tips we have been ingrained with since elementary school, such as not riding with strangers, not taking stange short cuts, and not going out by yourself at late hours (in otherwords, "Use the buddy system") seem to have never been explained to these boys. Sadly, these real dangers are presented as the result of the wretched homosexual men, as opposed to the grim reality that children should be more capable of protecting themselves. Of course, it also ignores that sexual abuse is almost entirely committed by someone the victim knows, such as a family member or close, older friend. Here, not only is the child presented as getting arrested (for those curious, Jimmy has broken a sodomy law which is why he ALSO goes to prison), but his fate is the result of the lurking homosexual threat as opposed to the much greater threat of the child who has never learned to keep himself safe from those who wish him harm - and homosexuals hardly have a monopoly on this form of crime. As for the camp factor, the narrator relates most of the piece in a casual, almost pleasant voice, no matter what he's actually saying. There's something surreal as he relates "They went fishing. Then Ralph showed him some pornographic pictures." with the utmost cheer. The problem is not homosexuals... Rebo Valence 2003-11-28 23:11:04 2003-11-28 23:11:04 2 7768 This memorable Sid Davis film about homosexuality rates high on most people’s camp list, as it is chock full of juicy tidbits of misinformation, the main one being that homosexual equals child molester. In fact, I wonder if this precise cognitive distortion is what lays behind much homophobia. But this is not even the most jawdropping of this film’s assertions. That comes at the end of its first case study, when we find out that Jimmy, after telling his parents about being sexually abused by Ralph and his parents told the police, was placed on probation and “released into the custody of his parents,” implying that criminal charges were brought against him as well as Ralph! I’m sure that encouraged lots of boys to turn in their molesters (NOT!). What is really sad about this film is that it so totally failed to address the real dangers of sexual abuse children face, while inciting homophobia and giving vague warnings about not going anywhere with strangers (warnings I’m sure most of its audience members had heard a million times). The only sensible part of the film comes when a paperboy copies down the license number of a car driven by a stranger, after one of his friends got into it. He later gives the license number to his friend’s mother, who calls the police, who track down the stranger. This little bit of advice just might come in handy in those rare cases of stranger abduction of children. But even then, it’s pretty unrealistic, as the boy waits until he happens to be delivering a paper to his friend’s mother before telling her about the stranger in the car. In the real world, especially in the pre-Amber-Alert world this film takes place in, the guy would have been long gone and the kid dead by then. Of course, all this makes for great ephemera, and this film is a must-have for educational film collectors. Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: *****. A Treasure Trove of Misinformation Christine Hennig 2003-12-01 12:43:41 2003-12-01 12:43:41 5 8199 You have to love how this film equates homosexuals with child molesters when science and law enforcement bears out that heterosexual men, often married with families of their own, are the primary (95th percentile) predators in the molestation of young boys. Of course, this movie was also produced before the advent of DSM III - at which time homosexuality was removed from the psychiatric community as an "illness." On a related side note, how many times have you ever heard of a gay father or lesbian mother killing their own kids? Seems like the news is chock full of that particularly heinous crime these days (aka Susan Smith) - all committed by heterosexuals. Makes you wonder who is the real threat to children - strangers or relatives. Time better spent sweeping out horse stalls Doneau 2003-12-23 11:02:07 2003-12-23 11:02:07 3 UGHLY, yet hilarious film about homosexuals from the 1950s view. Summary: Don't hitchhike, stay 15 seconds later then you should, try to help police, or take short cuts, 'cause if you do and a 'Srange One' (From another Sid Davis) shows up, you'll be riding in the shadow of death and maybe even be trading your life for a newsppr headline!, but if you're lucky, you'll just be released on probation in the custody of your parents. I'm willing to bet that the effects of this film are still here today, in some form. At least this one hasn't been defended as often as, say, P4P. -uniQ Revision 2 Sid Davis trades his reputation for a 21st century laugh riot. 5 uniQ 2004-01-02 00:08:01 2005-05-29 16:58:25 9061 Again, Sid Davis attempts to use unfounded fear to propel clunky storytelling consisting of multiple unrelated implausible scenarios of “…what could happen if…”. Oy! 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